By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.
For comments: [email protected]
Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we look back at the Masters while looking ahead to this week’s RBC Heritage. |
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1. Shane Ryan: Appreciate Scottie’s greatness
Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan…”This is what’s called generational talent, and we haven’t seen it in almost 20 years. Steve Stricker read the tea leaves when he picked Scheffler for the 2021 Ryder Cup—a decision that was richly rewarded—and starting in 2022, he was off to the races. The only hiccup was a few putting woes last year, but even that only served to highlight how remarkable his ball-striking had become—instead of winning, he was finishing third. When he fixed the putting, with help from a new coach and a bit of equipment advice from Rory McIlroy, he soared yet again to the top of the game, but this time he seemed more indomitable, more inevitable, more brilliant.”
- “The sustained success of the last three years has officially made him the best professional golfer since Tiger Woods, a conclusion supported by analytics, the eye test, and every other metric you could dream up. With fewer majors, he has nevertheless leaped past Spieth, McIlroy, and Koepka in terms of pure ability. He doesn’t have their legacy, yet, but if we’re talking about peak performance, he’s already surpassed them.”
- “He’s so much better than everyone else, which is a sentiment that is both commonplace—I saw it on Twitter over and over again—and revelatory. It’s the thing you say because there is nothing else to say. You’re left with the wild truth, which words can describe but never capture.”
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2. Aberg: I want to be No. 1
The AFP’s Simon Evans…”The 24-year-old finished second, four strokes behind winner Scottie Scheffler, after carding a final round 69 but he certainly won many admirers among the patrons at Augusta National and beyond.”
- “And his performance has filled Aberg with self-belief.”
- “Everyone in my position, they are going to want to be major champions. They are going to want to be world number one, and it’s the same for me, that’s nothing different,” he said.
- “It has been that way ever since I picked up a golf club, and that hasn’t changed. So I think this week solidifies a lot of those things are there, and we just need to keep doing those things and put ourselves in positions to win tournaments, ” he said.
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3. Homa’s honest answer on double bogey
Golf Channel staff report…”But Homa’s tee shot at No. 12 bounded off the putting surface and into a bush. After a healthy search, Homa found his ball and had to take an unplayable lie. He made double bogey, effectively ending his bid at a maiden major title.”
- “Homa tied for third, seven shots back of Scheffler. Asked about what happened on the fateful 9-iron, Homa offered two replies.”
- “The honest answer is, it didn’t feel fair. I hit a really good golf shot, and it didn’t feel fair. I’ve seen far worse just roll back down the hill,” he said.
- “The professional answer is, these things happen.”
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4. Harbour Town ahead
RBC Heritage field notes, via Adam Stanley of PGATour.com…”Scottie Scheffler is, for now, set to tee it up at the RBC Heritage. He was clear to say that if his wife, Meredith, would go into labor during the Masters, he would head home to be with her, so it’s safe to assume that same rule will stand at Harbour Town. Scheffler has not shot an over-par round all season and has three victories (and one runner-up). He made his debut at Harbour Town last year and finished T11… Matt Fitzpatrick looks to become the first golfer to go back-to-back at the RBC Heritage since Boo Weekley in 2007-08. Fitzpatrick, a playoff victor last year, has two top-10 finishes this season. He has just one missed cut at Harbour Town over the last six years and he finished fourth in 2021 to go along with two more top-15 results in a three-year span (T14 in 2018 and 2020)…”
- “Jordan Spieth is hoping to continue his run of fine play at Harbour Town after a playoff loss last season and a playoff win the season prior. Spieth has five top-25 finishes at the RBC Heritage in seven starts… Justin Thomas earned a spot in the field after remaining in the top 30 (he’s No. 30) in the Official World Golf Ranking despite a missed cut at the Masters. Thomas, who finished T25 last season at Harbour Town, has two top 10s on the season… Ludvig Åberg, who is tops in the Aon Next 10, will head to Hilton Head for the first time. Åberg has had a fabulous 2024 campaign thus far with four top 10s (including two runner-up results) and is knocking on the door for a victory… Hideki Matsuyama was the only eligible player who did not commit to the RBC Heritage, while Viktor Hovland – after a missed cut at the Masters – withdrew from the field on Saturday.”
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5. Reed’s caddie’s needle
Our Matt Vincenzi…”After a particularly bad drive during his third round on Saturday, Reed’s caddie, Kessler Karain, also his brother-in-law, made a snide but factual comment to Patrick.”
- “Your driving has cost us a lot this week,” Karain remarked.
- “Reed didn’t disagree and told reporters after the round that there was nothing good about his round…
- “A reporter then asked: “It’s a good thing he’s a family member, right?”
- “Yeah, exactly. I’d probably be dragging him up that last hole,” Reed said. “I swear.Just what you want to hear as you’re looking at the ball in the tree, and he goes, ‘You need to drive it better.’ Thanks, Kessler. I appreciate it. Great words of wisdom. Drive it better.”
- “This may be the last major for Reed for a while, as the 33-year-old has not been invited nor qualified for next month’s PGA Championship.”
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6. LIV wants Hovland next?
Ewan Murray for the Guardian…”Rising speculation that Viktor Hovland will be the next high-profile golfer to be coaxed to the LIV tour will increase the need for Ryder Cup Europe to apply a simple qualification process for golfers on the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit.”
- “LIV is forging ahead with plans for 2025, which include new events and the recruitment of more players from the PGA and DP World Tours. The rate of turnover is likely to be increased by the number of golfers who had three-year contracts when joining LIV, which will expire at the end of 2024.”
- “Chatter on the range at the LIV event in Miami this month and again at the Masters largely surrounded Hovland, the world No 6 who starred for Europe in the defeat of the United States in Rome last year. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who also played in that team, have subsequently joined LIV. Hovland missed the cut at the Masters and promptly withdrew from the PGA Tour’s $20m stop in Hilton Head this week.”
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7. Rory’s management: LIV reports are ‘fake news’
Brian Keogh for the Irish Independent…”A report that Rory McIlroy was on the verge of an $850million move to LIV Golf has been slammed as “fake news” by his management.
“Fake news. Zero truth,” McIlroy’s manager Sean O’Flaherty said in an email.
London financial paper “City AM” reported today that sources have told them that McIlroy “could” join LIV Golf
The paper reported that “two separate sources have told City AM that they believe a deal is close. It is claimed that LIV Golf chiefs have offered world No2 McIlroy an eye-watering $850m to join, plus around two per cent equity in the competition.” |
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JR
Jul 25, 2018 at 2:41 pm
Adam Scott eat your heart out!
Philly Phraud
Jul 21, 2018 at 11:08 pm
This guy’s swing is the most perfect through the ball in the history of the game. It rivals Jay Berger’s serve! You high handicappers will never get to feel what a pure strike is like.
Dave r
Jul 10, 2018 at 12:40 am
Looks like the bunch I play with .
Dave
Jul 8, 2018 at 12:33 am
I hate to admit it…but that swing kind of makes sense…
Frank McChrystal
Jul 5, 2018 at 5:24 pm
Congrats to Hosung Choi! True, there is not one swing for everybody. But there is one and only one unique swing for each individual; it is the swing that makes the body feel safe enough to focus on precision and finesse. Great work Mr. Choi. The instincts are formed by trial and error as the body leads the way while the brain catalogs what hurts and what works; and you have forged your instinctively safe swing that allows you to relax and play golf instead of the daily search and puppeteering of a perceived “perfect swing”. Best of luck to you.
Sean
Jul 3, 2018 at 1:24 pm
Proper ninja warrior move. So much respect for his game!
orangeology
Jun 27, 2018 at 2:32 pm
not only his swing, but his entire golfing life is a drama. debuted late without a thumb finger—had it gotten chopped up while he was a sushi man, gutting a tuna. he has quite a fandom in korea.
joro
Jun 25, 2018 at 1:13 pm
Swings are all different, other than the cookie cutter swings tight by a lot of “gurus”. Fact os the Ball is only on the face a fraction of a second and what happens after that is not material as long as the swing into the ball is square and online. Gary Player proved that with his “walkthrough”swing. I believe the big finish probably gives him more speed through the impact.
Benii
Jun 24, 2018 at 1:36 pm
His earlier swing was more conventional. I think this has to do him not having a thumb, not trying over rotate arms through follow through. Kind of like helicopter finish when you try to fade.
Brett Weir
Jun 24, 2018 at 10:29 am
You can’t fault him for not rotating enough through impact.
George
Jun 24, 2018 at 9:04 am
He is clearing his left hip all right!
N.mrkonja
Jun 24, 2018 at 8:21 am
I was watching him last night on the Korean open. Every time I looked at him while he was walking down the fairway, something about him the way he wore his hat he resembles the late great Seve!!!!!!
geoh
Jun 23, 2018 at 7:25 pm
S Korea version of the merry Mex. Hits the slot and inside of the ball, every time.
Carry on, little Rocket man. he takes squaring the clubface with body turn to the extreme.
geoh
Jun 23, 2018 at 7:22 pm
S Korea version of the merry Mex. Hits the slot and inside of the ball, every time.
Carry on, little Rocket man.
ogo
Jun 23, 2018 at 6:55 pm
I must assume he has no cleats on his shoes otherwise he would injure himself twisting so much on his left lead foot. Not recommended for cleated golfers.
~j~
Jun 25, 2018 at 4:57 pm
Your 3 weeks too late on that advice for me… but good point.