News
Daniel Chopra Wins Mercedes
It may have lacked its typical star power, but the final round of the Mercedes Benz Championships was a fabulous way to begin the 2008 PGA Tour Season.
When the final round began, Mike Weir was in the lead but difficulties on the front nine quickly took him out of the running. Instead Daniel Chopra began his front nine with four birdies through his first seven holes to take the lead. After birdies at 11, 12, and 13 it appeared Chopra would cruise into the clubhouse with the tournament. However, just as Chopra looked to be in control, Steve Stricker began heating up. On the back nine, Stricker’s four birdies and an eagle on his way to 64 left Stricker tied for the lead at -18. Chopra came to the 18th tied for the lead and had a birdie putt to win the tournament. Chopra left his putt dangling on the edge of cup sending both players to another Kapalua playoff.
The players went back to the eighteenth for the first playoff hole. After finding the fairway, Stricker found the fringe to the right with Chopra just inside on the green. In a twist of fate, Stricker’s putt went right over Chopra’s ball mark sending it hopping in the air and ultimately falling six feet short. Chopra’s putt ended five feet short, and both players putted out for fives to continue the playoff. Afterwards Stricker recognized the mistake of not having Chopra mark his ball, "[The ball mark] — it’s pretty tall. You know, that’s my fault, and just not having him re-mark it. It took a lot of the speed off. But you know, you learn from that, you know? Like I say, I should have had him mark with something smaller."
Onto the first hole a 540 yard par 4, both players found the fairway and the green and two putts later were tied. Finally on the fourth playoff hole, the par 5 ninth, Chopra finally gave himself a chance to put away the tournament finding the green with his second shot and settling 25 feet from the pin. Stricker missed his second shot right of the green and when his chip went eleven feet past the pin, Chopra was left with two putts for birdie. After leaving his eagle putt dangling on the lip, Chopra tapped in for birdie. After Sricker missed his birdie putt, Chopra had clinched his second PGA Tour win and an invitation to The Masters. Chopra said, "I felt very comfortable all week, really. I guess the win made me more comfortable. I felt like I did belong now and I was a winner. I felt very comfortable out there… There’s not a golf course out there that suits me more."
For Steve Stricker, this was his first playoff on the PGA Tour and he looked to the positives of the experience, "This is definitely a good start for the season, a little bittersweet again today where I played a great round and ended up with some opportunities in regulation to make a couple more birdies coming down the stretch, hit good putts, but I can’t be disappointed. It was a great start to the year." For Chopra, the pressure of playoffs was very familiar as he lost to Aarron Baddely in a playoff at the Australian Masters. Chopra commented on the similarities between the two saying, "I felt like I always had a putt to win except for on the second hole. It was a bit of a mirror image in a way."
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
News
Morning 9: Rory: I’m not joining LIV | Masters ratings | Nelly: We just need a stage
|
- LIKE1
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.
We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.
We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.
Check out links to all our photos, below.
General Albums
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #2
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Justin Thomas – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Rose – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Nick Dunlap – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Thomas Detry – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Austin Eckroat – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Jason Day – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Will Zalatoris – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Ludvig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Sam Burns – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Stephen Jaeger – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
Pullout Albums
- Wyndham Clark’s Odyssey putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- JT’s new Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Thomas testing new Titleist 2 wood – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey putter with triple track alignment aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Scotty Cameron The Blk Box putting alignment aid/training aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey Ai One Eleven T putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Christian Bezuidenhout – testing new Callaway Ti 340 mini driver – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele testing the Callaway Ti 340 mini driver & the DUW – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Byeong Hun An, two new L.A.B. Golf putter builds with “T” alignment – 2024 RBC Heritage
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
- LIKE9
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK0
News
Morning 9: Aberg: I want to be No. 1 | Rory’s management blasts ‘fake news’ reports
|
- LIKE1
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole4 days ago
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole3 days ago
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole2 days ago
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Addiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty