News
Eight Long Years: Mediate Wins FRYS.COM Open
Rocco, Rocco, Rocco. The chant was relentless Sunday at the CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, California as one of the PGA Tour’s most likable heroes capped off a win like none other in his long career as a golf professional.
The Frys.com Open served up a closing three quarters of an hour that rivaled any amount of action that has been witnessed on the PGA Tour this year. Obviously, this Fall Series event was not willing to settle for second fiddle to its FedEx Cup brethren.
A magical week that had already included hole out eagles in each of the first three rounds was taking a bleak turn on Sunday before the overnight leader; 47 year-old Rocco Mediate did the unlikely – he holed out yet again. A 116-yard wedge dropped in for a two at the 17th hole just after his competitor, rookie Alex Prugh, had nearly aced the short par four to take the outright lead. While Mediate was overjoyed with the outcome at 17, he did not seem that surprised at the possibility – he said the shot lined up well for him, “If I hit it the right number, it’s going to come back to the right a little bit. I just started out a little left and it was a flat slider, which is really cool that I can hit that occasionally. Under the gun today that was really cool. Obviously going in is a joke, but, you know, it would’ve been a birdie more than likely, which is what I was trying to do anyway.”
Rocco’s feat pushed him clear of a trio of pursuers, including Bo Van Pelt, Rickie Fowler, and Prugh, and set up the culmination of an electrifying week.
When Van Pelt and Prugh each made birdie on the 18th Mediate required a five foot par to grab his 6th PGA Tour victory and first since the 2002 Wyndham Championship and he was up to the task. Mediate had told the media on Thursday that he wanted a four or five footer that really mattered and although he admitted Sunday that he was not sure why he had said that, he got his wish in the end.
His final tally of 15-under par, 269, earned him $900,000 and a two-year exemption that should give him PGA Tour status to carry him through to the Champions Tour.
Mediate explained the significance of his first win in California. “I have a job. I signed up for tour school, and I was going to go. That’s where I belonged about a half hour ago; I don’t belong there anymore…That’s where I was going to go more than likely. If I had finished second, I don’t think that would have been enough to get to the top 125. But the two years is huge. I can kind of — I’m going to play Las Vegas and Disney and then I’m going to rest. Actually going to get in the gym. But I don’t have to do the school again, and that’s ridiculous. I can’t even believe it.”
Prugh and Van Pelt shared second place while last year’s runner-up, Rickie Fowler, grabbed fourth alone. His fellow Oklahoma State Alum, Chris Tidland, followed him by just a stroke for his first career PGA Tour top five.
Also of significance, David Duval tied for 6th place. That moves him to 99th on the money list and virtually assures him a PGA Tour Card for 2011 with just two events left in the Fall Series.
This report provided to GolfWRX.com by Canada’s Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)
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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
- Ludwig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – 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.
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News
Morning 9: Aberg: I want to be No. 1 | Rory’s management blasts ‘fake news’ reports
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News
Masters 2024: Reduced-scale clubhouse trophy and green jacket to Scottie Scheffler
In the world of golf, there is Scotty and there is Scottie. Scotty Cameron gave the world of golf a nickname for a prestigious putter line, and Scottie Scheffler has now given the golf world a blueprint for how to negotiate one of the toughest tournaments to win. Sunday, Scheffler won the Masters tournament for the second time in three years. He separated from the field around the turn, making a trio of birdies at holes eight through 10. On the long walk home, he added three more birdie at 13, 14, and 16, to secure a four-shot win over Masters and major-championship rookie Ludvig Åberg.
On No. 7, Ludvig Åberg makes birdie to move into a tie for second place. #themasters pic.twitter.com/ZSjcOr9OQK
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024
As the final group moved along the ninth hole, a quadrilateral stood at 7 under par, tied for the lead. Scheffler, playing partner Collin Morikawa, and penultimate pairing Max Homa and Åberg advanced equally toward Amen Corner, with the resolution of the competition well in doubt. Morikawa flinched first, getting too greedy (his words) at nine and 11. Double bogey at each dropped him farther back than he wished, and he ultimately made a 10-foot putt for bogey at the last, to tie for third position.
Ludvig Åberg made the next mistake. Whether he knew the Ben Hogan story about the approach into 11 or not, he bit off way more than he should have. His approach was never hopeful, and ended short and right in White Dogwood’s pond. Åberg finished the hole in six shots. To his credit, he played the remaining seven holes in two-under figures. Finally, Max Homa was the victim of the finicky winds over Golden Bell, the short, par-3 12th hole. His disbelief was evident, as his tee shot flew everything and landed in azaleas behind the putting surface. After two pitch shots and two putts, Homa also had a double bogey, losing shots that he could not surrender.
Why? At the ninth hole, Scottie Scheffler hit one of the finest approach shots of all time, into the final green of the first nine. Scheffler had six inches for birdie and he converted. At the 10th, he lasered another approach shot into a tricky hole location, then made another fine putt for birdie. Within the space of 30 minutes, Scheffler had seized complete control of the tournament, but Amen Corner still lurked.
Scottie Scheffler is back in sole possession of the lead. #themasters pic.twitter.com/MGytXpJcXH
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024
At the 11th, Scheffler played safely right with his approach. His chip shot was a wee bit too brave and left him a seven-foot comeback putt for par. He missed on the right side and gave one shot back to the course and field. His tee ball on 12 was safely aboard, and he took two putts for par. On 13, the 2022 champion drove slightly through the fairway, then reached the green, with his first two shots. His seventy-foot-plus putt for eagle eased up, four feet past the hole. His second putt went down, and he was back in the birdie zone. As on nine, his approach to 14 green finished brilliantly within six inches. His final birdie came at the 16th, where he negotiated a nine-foot putt for a deuce.
Leader by four with two to play. #themasters pic.twitter.com/KcoilYExDr
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024
Scheffler reached 11 under par and stood four shots clear of Ludvig Åberg when he reached the 18th tee. His drive found the lower fairway bunker on the left, and his approach settled in a vale, short and right of the green. With dexterous hands, Scheffler pitched to three feet and made the putt for par. With a big smile, he embraced caddie Ted Scott, who won for the fourth time at Augusta National, and the second with Scheffler. Ludvig Åberg finished alone in second spot, four back of the winner. Not a bad performance for the first-time major championship participant Åberg, and not a bad finish for the world No. 1 and second-time Masters champion, Scottie Scheffler.
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