For those of us from another generation, the disruption of the golf world that we knew well is both exciting and unsettling. The two most potent disruptors are rival golf leagues, not unlike the turmoil seen in the NCAA, and the Anchorman-style gangs of golf reporters. Reconciled to a past era are the dominance of the U.S. PGA Tour and the monthly golf magazines. One element that will not change, at any time in the foreseeable future, however, is the sanctity of the grand slam and golf’s four male major championships. While the LPGA and the PGA Tour Champions have seen a light and added fifth and sixth power titles, the men’s game remains staunchly in the 20th century.
This last topic surges in pertinence each March, just before the playing of The Players Championship. Two camps stake tents and run banners up the poll. One cries out for elevation of the PC to major status, while the other digs a trench around its impregnable quadrilateral. My personal take is this: Every four years since 2016, golf is played at the Olympics. Is Olympic Gold the equivalent of a major title? Yes, it is. It comes around every 1,500 days and brings elite golfers together in competition at the most important athletic event and venue. In my mind, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele earned major titles in Brazil and Japan, as did Inbee Park and Nelly Korda. As for the Players Championship, why not? The field is stronger by ranking than any major event, and the golf course demands every shot that golfers can create.
The Players Championship is so important to the U.S. PGA Tour that all other tours under its umbrella take the week off. No Korn Ferry, no Tour Champions. The LPGA and the DP World Tour follow suit, which shrinks the amount of watchable golf to two events. On that sour note, let’s run down this week’s play, beginning with the Players Championship and ending with the Asian Tour in Macau.
PGA Tour @ Players Championship: matching luggage for Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler is making a bid to be the player of his generation. From the previous one, a fair number have taken leave from traditional competition. The Johnsons, Koepkas, and Reeds from the 1980s no longer play the events that stand the test of time. The born-in-the-90s generation had its first great champion in Jordan Spieth until he took leave of the senses that brought him to golf’s pinnacle. Spieth’s descent ran opposite Scheffler’s rise.
Scottie Scheffler had won nothing on the PGA Tour until February 13th of 2022. He won on that day in Phoenix, then won three more times by the middle of April. One of those wins was the API at Bay Hill. Last week, Scheffler won for a second time at the Orlando course. Last March, Scheffler won his first Players Championship, by five shots over Tyrrell Hatton. On Sunday, Scheffler dived headfirst into a cauldron of fierce competition. Facing challenges from Olympic champion Schauffele, Open champion Brian Harmon, and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, Scheffler breathed. As the only man to reach 20 under par, he earned a second consecutive title at Sawgrass and reminded us that it has been two years since he won the Masters and that he is on a tear.
It all began at the fourth on Sunday for Scheffler. After pars at the opening three holes, Scheffler’s driving wedge from 92 yards landed 20 feet shy of the hole, took one large bounce, then spun left, trickling into the hole for eagle. He followed that incantation with another birdie, then two pars. The stretch from 8 to 12 was where the champion made a statement. His quartet of birdies over that run, brought him to 19-under par and let the pursuing pack know that even lower than the winning 17 under in 2023 would be necessary.
And the trio was game. Harman and Clark both dipped below 70, to reach 19 under at the final pole. Schauffele could not find a similar gear and closed with 70 — 69 would have earned him a playoff with Scheffler. It was the extra gear, the ability to go low when all things mattered, that eleveated the now two-time champion to the top of the podium. In five of his eight tour wins, Scheffler has posted a sub-70 round on day four, and four of those have been 67 or lower.
With elegant precision, Scheffler applied the final thrust at the par-5 16th. He played safely away from Pete’s Pond on the right, into the left greenside bunker at the back of the putting surface. His bunker shot was thing of exquisite accuracy, trickling to a planned stop about 20 inches from the hole. The birdie concluded matters and rang the sort of bell that Dye courses tend to display.
Asian Tour @ International Series Macau: Catlin earns playoff victory
There are two sorts of golfers that compete on the Asian Tour, which makes no secret of its alliance with the LIV. The first are the AT stalwarts, the ones who play as golfers have always played, with little guarantee and much pride. The others are the ones who compete on the LIV, eschewing both risk and pride for the guaranteed payday. Their deal costs them world ranking points, so they play in AT events, hoping to qualify for golf’s major events.
This week in Macau, one of those LIV golfers shot 60 on Sunday and did not win the tournament. Hard to believe, you say? Aye, but when another golfer shoots 59 in the third round, follows it up with a 65 on day four, then makes overtime birdie twice at the par-five closer, the razor’s edge of great golf is sharpened. Thus did it happen with American John Catlin and Spaniard David Puig.
It was Catlin who signed for 59, and it took a twisting, eagle putt at the last to enshrine the first-ever, sub-60 on the Asian Tour. It was Puig who closed the gap on Sunday with a 60 of his own, which featured a bogey at the lengthy fifth hole, but was followed by seven birdies and an eagle over the next 13 holes. Catlin had a six-feet putt for the regulation win, but missed. In extra time, Puig nearly holed for eagle at 18, then tapped in for birdie. Catlin’s second danced along the OOB perimeter, before ending on an access road. His drop and pitch left him another six feet to remain alive, and this time, he converted.
At the second go-round of the par-5 finisher, Puig found the green in two, but took three putts from nearly 50 feet. Catlin confronted another challenging pitch for his third, and once again, his wedge game won the day. He tapped in for birdie and the win.
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Mad-Mex
Jun 3, 2017 at 4:13 pm
Let be honest, had this been John Daily, all of you hypocrites defending Tiger would be sayin far worse and NONE of you would be defending him.
He broke the law, now he has to pay, period.
Jack Nash
Jun 2, 2017 at 7:50 am
Sad case. Just hope it wasn’t Fentanyl.
Samuel Sia
Jun 2, 2017 at 2:54 am
I have a high regard on Tiger Woods as I am his avid fan golfer.
I knew he is in his lowest in life, and would be happy if Tiger can read this.
Just be yourself idol, nobody is indispensable in this world – only our God, the Creator.
I pray that you will be able to rise again inspite of the trials you are facing right now. Please consider your kids, your family and others who cares for you. It’s not yet the end Tiger, I know you can still make a good come back in the game we all love most – GOLF!
Swing it up again Tiger, show your wits.
Good luck and God Bless!
Your avid fan golfer,
SAMUEL L. SIA
General Santos City
Philippines
Dave Ha
Jun 1, 2017 at 11:08 pm
Back looked great!!! See you in a couple of moths TW!
O
Jun 1, 2017 at 9:34 pm
Did they figure what Eldrick hit to make his tires look like that?
Big Wally
Jun 1, 2017 at 8:43 pm
What I want to know is what happened to Woods when the cops released him. No one reported that. Did he walk home? Take a cab? Get picked up by someone or get a ride home in a cruiser?
Laggerdagg
Jun 2, 2017 at 2:18 pm
It’s the Big Tiger. He would have had his entire team at the station. Including, legal and medical professionals.
Paul
Jun 1, 2017 at 7:32 pm
Leave the guy alone. Would you want your embarrassing moments on YouTube?
No one deserves this much negative attention.
Guia
Jun 1, 2017 at 6:13 pm
I don’t have a problem with WRX running with the story, it can’t be hidden and the film is all over the net. What is evident is that Tiger is abusing his medication and he is lucky he didn’t kill himself or others. I hope that they suspend his license for awhile, he obviously doesn’t know when enough is too much.
As far as him having a special card for gambling, whats the big deal. He is grown and can spend his money any way he wants.
Steve
Jun 1, 2017 at 5:52 pm
Like Tiger or not, I don’t see the reason for your putting this video on this site except to kick a man when he’s down. Do onto others……
Progolfer
Jun 1, 2017 at 8:17 pm
Agreed!!
Whats_Happening
Jun 1, 2017 at 10:21 pm
I hate t
Whats_Happening
Jun 1, 2017 at 10:34 pm
I hate to say it but IMHO, this site over the last year or so is really heading in the wrong direction. I understand this is news but it’s trashy click bait.
Plus add all the front page articles, that are just basically company advertisements nows. It’s really, really sad to see. This place used to be “the spot” for all new club info, tour only clubs, and real reviews. But now it seems money has killed the integrity. It seems this site is just turning into a GD and GD “Hot List”….
I know this is the direction it’s heading and it’s really sad…..
Police
Jun 1, 2017 at 5:19 pm
damn cops, atleast they did not shoot him.
Forsbrand
Jun 1, 2017 at 4:08 pm
Really sad to se this happen to anyone. These not many who can say they have never driven under the influence be it one beer or a “smoke” who are we to judge. It happened, nobody got hurt, let’s move on and hope tiger can make it back soon, we need tiger back to either see him win again or see how big a gap is there between tiger at his best after back surgery and the top guys at present, Rory Dustin etc
Buck
Jun 1, 2017 at 3:32 pm
Nike wouldn’t give him a pair of the self-lacing shoes? Cmon now
ooffa
Jun 1, 2017 at 3:11 pm
Finally a worthwhile article by Golfwrx. Great job. Keep up he good work.
Close this site down
Jun 1, 2017 at 1:34 pm
The shanks have spoken. Pay attention idiots.
COGolfer
Jun 3, 2017 at 12:37 am
I would disagree, the shanks are to show that this is a terrible article.
Close this site down
Jun 1, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Whoever in the editorial team feels this is appropriate should be sacked. Utter garbage. #patheticexcuseforjournalism
Ron
Jun 1, 2017 at 12:38 pm
So… he blew “000”, no sign of illicit drugs involved, yet he’s acting this way and an ambulance is NOT called? What if this was someone experiencing a diabetic (low blood sugar) episode?? I’m sure this is going to be an unpopular thought, but police could have done more here.
CT
Jun 1, 2017 at 12:15 pm
Typical meddling police should have minded their own business
Jasian Day
Jun 1, 2017 at 12:09 pm
Karma yo
Putt for Dough
Jun 1, 2017 at 12:05 pm
Officer 1: Dispatch, I’ve got Tiger Woods here, send every other officer that golfs.
*10minutes later*
4 police cars arrive
cody
Jun 1, 2017 at 10:38 am
i dont look at this video and think anything other than the police officer did his job and you can see that tiger was seriously impaired and very dangerous behind the wheel. being arrested was the right thing, whether it was an accident or not.
I completely buy that it could have been a reaction to drugs but that statement alone does not make all this go away. i watched my mother in law take an ambien, wake up and eat ice cream out of the tub with a slotted spoon and get it all over herself and not remember any of it the next day.
L
Jun 1, 2017 at 10:26 am
Greatest video, evah!
touchk
Jun 1, 2017 at 10:07 am
Click bait. That’s what this has turned into. You see a small piece of the situation and it’s automatically assumed he has gone to the dogs. Real fine journalism. If you’ve ever had an Ambien then you’ll know that it can be a bazaar experience. If you by chance add anything to it like pain meds, there’s no telling what might take place. It’s curious to me that he was heading away from his home, dressed like he might have rolled out of bed and put on what was closest. Who’s to say that he didn’t do exactly as the doctor prescribed and woke up in one of those Ambien fogs that I’ve heard can happen. In the meantime, by public opinion and articles like this, HE”S GUILTY AND THE SCOURGE OF THE GOLF WORLD!!!!!! Geez!!!!
Bogeypro
Jun 1, 2017 at 9:41 am
Shank for Golfwrx… this isn’t a tabloid. Leave these stories to the tabloid mags..
carl spackler
Jun 1, 2017 at 9:12 am
is this site the new TMZ?
ChrisH
Jun 1, 2017 at 8:54 am
Never pleasant to watch when idols take a tumble. Bottom line: this isn’t a crisis. Guy made a questionable decision to drive impaired, no one got injured. No booze involved so that’s a plus. Maybe he did have a medical reaction, and as I’m sure he can afford the best attorneys possible, don’t be surprised if he gets off with a reduced sentence or dismissal. We do that for first time offenders everywhere. Jupiter police were probably salivating over this one. Says a lot about what they are not. In small towns everywhere across the country, local PD typically know everyone. They could have just as easily helped him get home safe and sound with a stern warning – especially since they knew alcohol wasn’t involved. They probably would have done that for a ‘local’. Agree that releasing this footage is wildly inappropriate. Regardless of whether it is considered public access, they are not required to release it unless requested to formally. Bad choices by all involved.
Big Wally
Jun 1, 2017 at 8:33 am
Don’t know why everyone is hammering WRX. Woods is the biggest name in golf and this is a huge story. Not covering it would be wrong and look like they were part of the coverup. WRX didn’t work to procure this video. It was released by the police. It is public information.
Adam Crawford
Jun 1, 2017 at 3:02 pm
Exactly. I don’t think the video should have been released by the police, however, they sort of had to in order to ensure transparency of the events that unfolded. I do think he should have been apprehended, but I also think they should have taken him to an Emergency Room to ensure his health and well being. Once that was complete, if they still felt the need, then they could have arrested him at the hospital. Jail may or may not have been the right option under the law, but it should have been the second stop for the night/morning.
Also, yes, WRX has to cover this because he’s the biggest star in the game, just as they covered the incidents with Robert Allenby and Steven Bowditch and any other incident a golfer or high profile media member may be involved in. There’s no opinion presented in this article or the others on the incident, just the facts as they have unfolded.
Ramrod
Jun 1, 2017 at 8:28 am
Shameful on the part of the police to release that
BB
Jun 1, 2017 at 9:55 am
Not really. With all the lies and straw men coming from Woods’ lackeys (He wasn’t impaired! He blew 0.00!), they had to make sure their bases were covered.
Judge Smells
Jun 1, 2017 at 3:29 pm
It is not up to the police, the florida sunshine laws dictates that all this info has to be made publicly available
william
Jun 1, 2017 at 8:21 am
Had a co-worker last week take a Ambian on accident with some of his other meds…..He woke up at 0230 pulled fire alarms, walked outside was beating the door with a mallet. Carried on full conversations with us…..come morning had no clue of what transpired the knight before. Tiger doesnt look as if hes dressed to go anywhere……I think he might have been having a similar experience
JeffSessionsisEvil
Jun 1, 2017 at 8:05 am
Learn from this, GolfWRX, and don’t do things like this again.
KT
Jun 1, 2017 at 7:51 am
Pretty low to show that. Leave him alone.
TheField
Jun 1, 2017 at 7:41 am
I was going to join ClubWRX, but the stories here lately, most noticeably this one above, is so below journalistic standards it is tough to support this site.
Close this site down
Jun 1, 2017 at 1:33 pm
Don’t bother.
mlecuni
Jun 1, 2017 at 7:36 am
This website deserves better content.
Quentin
Jun 1, 2017 at 3:23 am
This is crazy that the Police is allowed to released that, it should be confidential…
Live him alone!!!
Alexander
Jun 1, 2017 at 2:51 am
That’s the lowest GolfWRX ever got!
Raj LP
Jun 1, 2017 at 1:20 am
Solid piece of Tabloid coverage. Please don’t go back to your regular programming.
FLag Pepper
Jun 1, 2017 at 12:56 am
Blown away that this would be released. Disappointed that it would be circulated by Golf media.
Getemgoose
Jun 1, 2017 at 12:15 am
Golfwrx has really gone down hill. Really feels like some women’s gossip magazine at the end of the aisle, every freaking morning. Really bad taste in posting this. “He could have killed someone” well, he didn’t. He needs some help. If you’ve never had back spasms or on meds for it, you’ll never know the state of mind they put you in, regardless of your financial status. Golfwrx, see ya, and all the self righteous that want to hammer the first nail in the stake. Pathetic, ever since you’ve swarmed with sponsorship you’ve turned into a joke.
MattyH
Jun 1, 2017 at 12:48 am
Let’s be clear on a few issues here. Reports do indicate that Tiger blew 000’s on the breathalyser. Fine. Yes, he is most likely on prescription pain killers following his recent surgery. The assumption I’m seeing from people is that they think that he was just a little loopy from his meds. On the police report it says that he submitted to a urine test. There are no results yet from that. I will be interested to see what information is gleaned from that test. Did he severely over medicate himself? Other drugs, perhaps? And as far as reporting this story so heavily, remember that this is Golfwrx. They report on all things golf. This is their wheelhouse. It’s like telling CNN not to report news about Trump’s antics.
mlecuni
Jun 1, 2017 at 7:35 am
It’s not because others are misleading with the quality of their content that you have to do the same.
Bruce Ferguson
May 31, 2017 at 10:59 pm
These WRX items about Tiger’s latest encounter have me feeling like I’m reading the National Enquirer. I don’t know what combination of meds he was on, but when I was on Vicodin several years ago, I felt outside myself and (driving when I shouldn’t have) nearly took out a row of mailboxes. True, he shouldn’t have been driving. But now that this story has been playing for awhile, I think we can back off and move on.
It’s a PR setback, sure, but outside of bail, I don’t think his lawyers are tap dancing. It is what it is.
He wasn’t drunk. He wasn’t found in bed with a dead girl (or a live boy). Let the guy move on.
BabyDraw84
May 31, 2017 at 10:43 pm
Who let him drive?!
Dat
May 31, 2017 at 10:29 pm
Very hard to watch.
Double Mocha Man
May 31, 2017 at 10:06 pm
The officer indicated he could smell alcohol on Tiger’s breath. Talk about jumping to conclusions. I like the part where Tiger says he likes to “drive”. I think he likes to putt, too.
David
May 31, 2017 at 9:16 pm
My wife is a nurse and I had her look up these drugs. One of them has not been in use since 2004. None of them are narcotics besides the Vic’s. He must have took a lot of Vic’s.
Looper
May 31, 2017 at 9:12 pm
What bothers me about the video, and possibly the officer did. Tiger needed medical attention, instead of the neurological field tests… Anyone could tell he wasn’t passing field test…
Mad-Mex
May 31, 2017 at 9:44 pm
What bothers me is that people are actually defending this irresponsible clown, ONLY reason you made that statement IS because he is Tiger Woods.
Dat
May 31, 2017 at 10:31 pm
That didn’t take long. Would you like to show me on the doll where Looper touched you?
Mad-Mex
May 31, 2017 at 11:05 pm
Don’t want to make you jealous.
MattyH
Jun 1, 2017 at 12:32 am
What in that video screams for any need of medical attention? He couldn’t tie his laces. He didn’t know where he was, how he got there or where he was going. He failed every sobriety test because he was dangerously impaired. Maybe not alcohol but something just as dangerous to the lives of the public. There is no visible evidence of a medical crisis of any kind. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck… actually, if it tips over like an inebriated duck and slurs like an inebriated duck, then it’s probably a very drunk duck. If someone in that state told me they were not drunk my next move is not going to be to ask them if they would like me to call them an ambulance. I’m thinking that you only now have this opinion after knowing that he brew 000’s before watching the video. Not having known this, what then would your opinion of the video be? Every bit of his behavior says intoxicated, not medical emergency. And as far as the officers treatment goes; it doesn’t get more professional. This video is going to be used as a training video for police departments, no doubt. The police did well in this case.
rymail00
May 31, 2017 at 8:46 pm
Man that first vid of the sobriety test was sad to watch.