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GolfWRX Morning 9: Bryson! | Pro buys putter at Golf Galaxy, shoots 64 | Canada: “Finally!

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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

August 27, 2018

Good Monday morning, golf fans.
1. Bona fide Bryson
A singular son of science and California, emerging on the PGA Tour with much fanfare, Bryson Dechambeau was always going to have detractors. The man has lived up to the hype.
  • AP Report…”Staked to a four-shot lead, DeChambeau never let anyone closer than two shots, ended the threat with consecutive birdies and closed with a 2-under 69 to win by four shots over Tony Finau, who also had the Ryder Cup on his mind.”
  • “DeChambeau never felt entirely in control until he stabbed at a chip short of the 12th green — a shot he had worked on all week and used that one time — that rolled out to 4 feet for a birdie that turned back his only threat.”
  • “His only wild shot was on the 18th hole, sending his drive so far to the right that it landed in the fairway of a hole that wasn’t being used at Ridgewood Country Club. He still had a good angle to the green, made par and finished at 18-under 266.”
  • “He won for the second time this year, both against some of the strongest fields. He moved to the top of the FedEx Cup standings and is virtually assured of being one of the top five seeds at the Tour Championship who have a clear shot at the $10 million bonus.”
  • A bit of context from Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard...”DeChambeau’s path from mad scientist to big man on campus hasn’t always been simple math. During a particularly heated practice session at last month’s Open Championship his frustration was on full display.”
  • “The next week at the European Open his struggles continued, as he took a share of the lead into the final round only to shoot 78 and tie for 13th place.”
  • “From frustrated golfer to a four-stroke victory in a month is a lot of ground to cover, even for DeChambeau….”That struggle is what led me to this point,” DeChambeau said. “That’s the thing that people sometimes miss is the fact that those moments when you’re at your, relatively speaking, lowest, are the times when you can learn the most.”
2. Oh, Canada!
Brooke Henderson won Canada’s national championship…the first victory by a Canadian in the tournament in 45 years.
  • Randall Mell…”Henderson did so in style, pulling away with four consecutive birdies on the back nine to turn her walk up the 18th fairway into a victory parade.”
  • “With a strong Canadian following rushing up the last fairway behind her, Henderson added one last birdie to win in a four-shot runaway.”
  • “After the last putt fell, fellow Canadians roared their approval. They chanted Henderson’s name and broke out in song, filling the air with “O Canada” while the country’s flag waved over the grandstand behind them. Brooke’s father, Dave, doused his daughter with a bottle of champagne as Brooke’s mother, Darlene, watched.”
3. A scientist at the Ryder Cup
ESPN’s Bob Harig thinks the combination of strong play and Tiger Woods’ endorsement make Bryson DeChambeau a lock for a Ryder Cup captain’s pick.
  • “…the likelihood of Woods’ appointment is surpassed only by DeChambeau’s quirkiness.
  • “With his four-shot victory Sunday over Tony Finau, DeChambeau all but locked up one of captain Jim Furyk’s four at-large picks. “
  • “It was his sixth top-five finish of the year and his second victory. And since he finished ninth in the Ryder Cup standings two weeks ago, when the top eight automatically qualified, it is hard to see him being left out now. Getting endorsement from Woods, already a vice captain to Furyk, can’t hurt.”
For his part, here’s what DeChambeau said about his chances of a captain’s pick.
“Whatever happens, happens. I’m going to try and go play my best next week and see what happens after that.”
4. The Playoff update you’ve been pining for
…or not, as the case may be.
Golf Channel’s Jay Coffin…”Six players moved into the top 100 in FedExCup points and qualified for the Dell Technologies Championship, meaning six others were bumped out and saw their seasons come to an abrupt end at The Northern Trust.”
  • “Nick Watney, Bronson Burgoon, Jhonattan Vegas, Scott Stallings, Danny Lee and Brian Stuard all played their way in with pressure-filled performances.”
  • “Vegas (T-15) jumped from 123 to 87, Stallings (T-28) went from 107 to 94, Lee (T-34) moved from 103 to 98 and Stuard (T-25) just cracked the top 100, jumping from 118 to 99.”
  • “Trey Mullinax, Brandon Harkins, Patrick Rodgers, Charl Schwartzel, Alex Cejka and Rory Sabbatini are the six who were in the top 100 at the beginning of the week but will not move on to the second round of the playoffs.”
5. Sneak preview of Golf Galaxy’s next ad
“Buy a putter at Golf Galaxy, shoot 64 in a PGA Tour event!”
  • That’s what Tyrrell Hatton did at the Northern Trust.
  • Golfweek’s David Dusek: “Hatton putted poorly in the first three rounds, earning a strokes gained putting of minus-4.978, but using a Ping Sigma G Darby on Sunday he made 130 feet of putts which including a 38-footer for birdie on 15, a 22-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole and two 12-foot birdie putts.”
  • Hatton tweeted the following with a picture of his Golf Galaxy receipt: “Well that’s the best $172 I’ve ever spent…Was so nice to hole some putts again today, new putter worked it’s magic!”
6. Lynch: Mickelson doesn’t deserve a captain’s pick
Needless to say, Eamon Lynch will not be getting a Christmas card from the Mickelson family.
  • Lynch writes: “The most debatable captain’s pick of all would be Mickelson.”
  • “In 20 PGA Tour starts this season, he’s had six top-10s, four of which came in a one-month stretch that culminated in victory at the WGC-Mexico Championship. He’s had none since May…The absence of tangible results is why so much emphasis is placed on Mickelson’s intangibles, his leadership qualities and popularity with younger team members.”
  • “There are sentimental reasons for picking Mickelson: he’s made every Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup squad since 1994, and he’s just two wins shy of passing Billy Casper as the top U.S. Ryder Cup points scorer ever. Mickelson’s overall record is 18-20-7. Not atrocious, by any means, but shy of what a vaunted team leader might be expected to deliver. (His last three Cups brightened a grim ledger after seven consecutive losing performances.)”
  • “Mickelson’s leadership and popularity are reasons why he should be in Paris. Current form is why his sticks should stay in California.”
7. The Tiger Report
The most concise analysis of Tiger Woods’ T40 finish at the Northern Trust may have come from a man who followed him for 72 holes. Golf Channel’s Tiger Tracker titled his post mortem on Woods week “drive for show, putt like a schmo.”
  • A bit of his report: “The biggest frustration for the putts not falling was momentum. No one has ever played on momentum as much as Tiger. So, when one, then two, then three putts don’t fall, he knows he’s on the wrong side of it.”
  • “That’s what you’re seeing is that I’m close and just one shot here, one shot there, per day, flips momentum,” he said. “It’s just looking for one shot a day here and there, and you just never know when that shot may come.”
  • “The driving, again, was beautiful. He hit nine of 14 greens and the misses, other than the par-5 13th, were never by much. This has been something that Tiger fans have to be excited about. His performance on Saturday was great, but it may have been even better on Sunday.”
  • “The shaft change earlier in the week may have been the missing piece of the puzzle. He’s not swinging it as hard and he’s not hitting the ball quite as far but position is more important, and he’s swinging free and easy. It’s great to watch and will be interesting to see how the next month unfolds.”
8. Strebber!
A glance at the Web.com Tour Playoffs, where Robert Streb pipped Peter Malnati to win the finals opener.
  • Golf Channel’s Will Gray...”While Streb started the final round of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in the lead, it was Malnati who surged ahead with five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the back nine at the Scarlet Course at Ohio State University. But a closing bogey by Malnati opened the door for Streb, who grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie on No. 16 and won with a par on the first extra hole.”
  • “It’s the third career win for Streb, who captured the 2014 RSM Classic during a career season that included nine top-10 finishes but fell to No. 178 in FedExCup points this season.”
  • “It was a little rough. I had a couple signs of good golf there late in the year,” Streb said. “Honestly, I usually draw the ball and I spent the whole week trying to cut it. Didn’t necessarily succeed, but the ball stayed in play which was helpful.”
9. How many seconds would it take you to realize?
Speaking with Bryson DeChambeau in the CBS booth, Nick Faldo slipped on his glasses while his partner Jim Nantz was speaking with the tournament winner. Unfortunately, Sir Nick put his specs on upside down…and failed to realize it for several seconds, resulting in the absurd image you see below, which will now live forever on the internet.
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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. zardoz

    Aug 27, 2018 at 7:52 pm

    “Buy a putter at Golf Galaxy, shoot 64 …”
    Maybe should give some credit to his other clubs for shooting!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

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GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.

Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about our photos from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in the forums.

 

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Morning 9: Tiger’s TGL teammates | Woosnam’s criticism of Cantlay | Rory’s return to tour policy board

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour heads to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic.

1. 15-year-old finishes top 20 on KFT

Jay Coffin for Golf Digest…”During a week when most eyes were on Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, the 15-year-old lefty finished off an incredible week with a five-under 66 in the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood Ranch in Florida.”

  • “After opening with 68-66-70, Russell finished at 14-under-par total to tie for 20th place. The finish in which he jumped 28 positions on the leaderboard on the final day, gives him an exemption into next week’s Veritex Bank Championship at Rangers Park in Arlington, Texas. He’s the youngest player to finish inside the top 20 on the PGA of Korn Ferry tours, according to records that go back to 1983.”
Full piece.

2. Understandably, Nelly WDs

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Nelly Korda’s bid for a record-setting sixth consecutive win will have to wait a few weeks.”

  • “A day after capturing the Chevron Championship during a marathon final round in Houston, Korda announced on social media that she was withdrawing from this week’s JM Eagle LA Championship.”
  • “It was not an easy decision,” she wrote. “After the unbelievable week at the Chevron and grinding through the mental and physical challenges of four events in the past five weeks, I am definitely feeling exhausted. With so much still to come throughout 2024, I feel I need to listen to my body and get some rest, so I can be ready for the remainder of the season.”
Full piece.

3. Scheffler’s impressive No. 1 feat

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”After Scheffler’s victory Monday morning at the RBC Heritage, Scheffler upped his points average to 15.016 and increased his advantage in the Official World Golf Ranking over No. 2 Rory McIlroy to more than double McIlroy’s 7.365 average, meaning Scheffler is ranked further ahead of No. 2 than No. 2 is ahead of the last-ranked player.”

  • “The last time a No. 1 player had a greater points average was Woods, who was at 15.4564 on Dec. 6, 2009. But Woods was less than seven average points ahead of No. 2 Phil Mickelson at the time. Earlier that year, Woods was 7.735 ahead of Mickelson, which is the last time the gap between Nos. 1 and 2 was greater than Scheffler’s current 7.651 advantage.”
Full piece.

4. Zurich field notes

PGATour.com’s Adam Stanley…”Rory McIlroy will make his tournament debut alongside good pal, Ryder Cup teammate, and Irishman Shane Lowry – a duo that was firmed up during a celebratory lunch after the Ryder Cup last fall… Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele will try to reprise their 2022 win here. Cantlay and Schauffele have both the Foursomes and Four-ball scoring records at this event… Davis Riley and Nick Hardy will defend their 2023 title. No team has gone back-to-back… Three sets of brothers (and two sets of twins!) will play together with twins Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard and Parker and Pierceson Coody in the field along with Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick. Alex Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Højgaard are sponsor invites…”

  • “Billy Horschel, who won last week at the Corales Puntacana Championship, will be without his previous partner Sam Burns, as Burns and his wife are expecting their first child any day. Horschel will instead be paired with fellow University of Florida alum Tyson Alexander. Horschel has won the Zurich Classic when it was both an individual and team event… Other notable pairings include Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris, and Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin. The Canadian duo finished runner-up a year ago and would like nothing more than to show Presidents Cup International Team captain Mike Weir how well they play together… Steve Stricker will play his second TOUR event this season (after earning his way into THE PLAYERS Championship), teaming up with Matt Kuchar.”
Full piece.

5. Tiger’s teammates

Field Level Media report…”Tiger Woods announced Monday that Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner have joined his Jupiter Links GC TGL team.”

  • “The virtual golf league headed by Woods and Rory McIlroy will begin its inaugural season next January. Woods also unveiled the team’s logo.”
  • “I have already shared my excitement and optimism for TGL as a league and product,” said Woods. “Now that we have finalized our roster with a team of world-class golfers, I am even more confident that this group will proudly represent the Jupiter (Fla.) area and connect with our fans for years to come.”
Full piece.

6. Woosnam questions Cantlay’s decision

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, who’s ball was in the fairway on the 18th hole, had a decision to make. With over 200 yards into the green and extreme winds working against the shot, conventional wisdom would be to wait until Monday morning to hit the shot.”

  • “On the other hand, if he could finish the hole, he may just want to get the event over with so he could get out of Hilton Head.”
  • “Curiously, Cantlay chose neither of those options. After hitting 3-wood into the green, and still coming up short, the former FedEx Cup champion chose to mark his ball and chip and putt on Monday morning.”
  • “Ian Woosnam, who was watching from home, took to X to give his thoughts on Cantlay’s decision making.”
  • “Cantlay would end up getting up and down for par when play resumed at 8:00 am Monday morning.”
Full piece.

7. JT on Scheffler’s “weird” equipment choice

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After Justin Thomas’ third round of the RBC Heritage, the two-time major champion went in the broadcast booth alongside the CBS crew.”

  • “While Thomas was watching Scottie Scheffler play on the back nine of his third round, he wondered aloud why Scottie uses high-numbered golf balls.”
  • “Does anybody else think it’s weird that Scottie uses high numbers? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an elite player use high-numbered golf balls.”
  • “Amanda Balionis who was on the grounds chimed in, reporting that analyst Dottie Pepper had wondered the same thing earlier that day.”
  • “I’ve been going about this wrong my whole life,” Thomas jokingly said.
Full piece.

8. Rory to rejoin PGA Tour policy board

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Four-time major championship winner Rory McIlroy is poised to return to the PGA Tour’s policy board, pending a vote by the board, which could come as early as this week, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.”

  • “One of the PGA Tour’s most vocal supporters during its three-year battle with LIV Golf, McIlroy abruptly resigned as a player director on the tour’s influential policy board in November.”
  • “He is expected to replace policy board player director Webb Simpson, who intends to step away before his two-year term expires in 2025.”
Full piece.

9. Weir names Presidents Cup assistants

PGA Tour report…”International Team Captain Mike Weir announced Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas as captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will be played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Canada, Sept. 24-29.

Full piece.
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Tour Rundown: Six-pack of tourneys follows Masters

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Brazil and Texas were kindred souls this week, at least when it came to weather. Both regions experienced torrential delays, and three tournaments were held up. The LPGA, PGA Tour Americas, and PGA Tour Champions were compelled to reduce play or work extra holes into Sunday. As if that weren’t enough, South Carolina and the PGA Tour fell victim to nature’s wrath, with lightning postponing the conclusion of the event to Monday.

The year’s first women’s major championship was celebrated in Texas. The Chevron is gaining a bit of tradition in its second year after relocation. This year’s event culminated in the continued coronation of the game’s current best. The Korn Ferry Tour saw a top-twenty performance from a 15-year old amateur, while the second event of the week on the big tour found a winner in the Dominican Republic. Six events is more than a handful, so let’s get right to it, with this week’s (delayed) Tour Rundown.

LPGA @ Chevron Championship: Korda corrals second major title

The winter of 2022-2023 seems so distant for current Nelly Korda. A mysterious ailment sapped all of her energy, just as the world appeared to have finally emerged from the pandemic. We never quite secured the complete information that we desired, but no one can say that any of us deserved to know more than Nelly wished to share. One thing is for certain: Nelly Korda has returned to top form, and the world number one golfer is at least one level above anyone else on tour.

Korda began her 2024 campaign with a January victory in the Drive One Championship. In her next start, in March, she continued her assault on the record books, with a win at the Se Ri Pak. She won again the following week, at the Ford, then defeated Leona Maguire in the final match at the T-Mobile Match Play, for a fourth consecutive victory. Would the increased hype around a major championship have an impact on her game? Well, no.

Korda began play at the Chevron Championship with a score of 68. She trailed Lauren Coughlin by two after 18 holes, but caught her with a second-round 69. Coughlin would ultimately tie for third spot with Brooke Henderson. Henderson played with Korda on day four, but the middle third of the round was her undoing. Making a late move was Maja Stark. House Stark closed with birdies at 17 and 18 to reach 11 under par. Both Korda and Strak played the final three days in identical numbers: 69 each day.

Korda held a firm hand on the tournament over the course of the final day. She stood minus-four for the round through ten holes, before a bit of sloppy play made things competitive again. Bogeys at 11 and 15 opened the door a wee bit for Stark. Korda was equal to the test, however, and closed stylishly with birdie at 18.

PGA Tour 1 @ RBC: Scottie, so hottie!

Nelly isn’t the only golfer on fire, although Scottie Scheffler still has a ways to go to match her. Scheffler proved this week that he has a game for all courses. After winning comfortably at lengthy Augusta National, Scheffler shifted gears and game to the wee Sea Pines course, and won again. That’s two weeks in a row for the man from New Jersey/Texas, so let’s learn how he did it.

Scheffler totaled 69 on day one, and found himself six shots behind leader J.T. Poston. Scheffler revealed that his teacher, Randy Smith, would tell him that he didn’t need to be the best 15 year-old; just the best 25 year-old. It was easy, then, to play the long game and consider all 72 holes, instead of just 18. Scheffler improved to 65 on Friday, and then went even lower on Saturday. His 63 moved him to the top of the board, and caused the golfverse to wonder if Scheffler would win for a second consecutive week.

Sunday saw all the chasers fall away. Scores between 70 and 72 from Patrick Rodgers, Collin Morikawa, and Sepp Straka meant that others would need to seize the day, if Scheffler were to do more than coast. Wyndham Clark and Justin Thomas each moved inside the top five with fourth-round 65s, but no one ever got close enough to the world number one. The win was Scheffler’s 10th on tour, and made him the betting favorite for next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.

PGA Tour 2 @ Corales Puntacana: Baton Boy claims 8th Tour triumph

If you’ve ever seen Billy Horschel toss a club, you know that he doesn’t do so in anger. More likely is a calculated, soaring arc, paired with a look of fractured disbelief, followed by a quick catch of the cudgel. Ergo, Baton Boy. This week on the island of Hispaniola, the native of Grant, Florida, outworked and outhustled everyone else on Sunday. Horschel gathered seven birdies and an eagle, on the way to a 63 and a 23-under par total.

The former Florida Gator zipped past the four golfers in front of him, and left the remaining field in the rear-view mirror. Horschel’s round was two shots better than anyone else, and moved him two shots ahead of third-round leader Wesley Bryan. One of the famed Bryan Brothers, Wes closed with birdie at the last to post a 68 that would have won the week on any other day.

Korn Ferry Tour @ LeCom Suncoast: It’s Widing in extra holes

Miles Russell probably won’t have to serve detention for ditching class on Thursday and Friday. The high school freshman made his KFT debut, survived the 36-hole cut, and toyed with a top-ten finish. He ultimately tied for 20th at 14-under par, six shots behind the three co-leaders. My guess is that Epstein’s Mom will write him a note, and he’ll get a pass. By finishing top-25, Russell earned a spot in next week’s event. Yikes!

Back to the top of the board. Patrick Cover, Steven Fisk, and Tim Widing all found their way to the magic number of -20. Fisk made birdie at the last, after bogeys at 16 and 17. Cover had three bogeys on the back nine, but a birdie at 14 was enough to get him to overtime. Widing was plus-one on the day through four, but played interstellar golf over the final 14. Six birdies moved him from Russell-ville to extra time.

The trio scurried to the 18th tee, where Cover drove into a fairway bunker. He was unable to reach the green with his approach, made bogey, and exited the overtime session. Widing and Fisk returned to the final deck once more, and matters were resolved. Fisk was unable to convert a long par putt, and Widing (pronounced VEE-ding) tapped in for his first KFT title.

PGA Tour Americas @ Brasil Open: Mr. Anderson finds a way

Golf is a funny game. Matthew Anderson held a lead with one round to play. He made six pars on Sunday, and sprinkled the rest of his card with birdies and bogeys. In complete contrast, Ollie Osborne played consistently on the day, posting four birdies and zero bogeys. Connor Godsey was not far off Osborne’s pace, with seven birdies and but two bogeys on the scorecard. So, of course, Matthew Anderson won by a stroke over Osborne and Godsey.

Not how, but how many, is another one of those platitudes that we all learn early on. Despite five bogeys through his first 14 holes, Anderson summoned the defiant grit to make birdie at the 71st and 72nd holes. After making deuce at the penultimat hole, Anderson’s swerving effort at the last looked as if it should miss low, but it had enough pace to stay inside the hole and fall for a closing four at the par-five finisher.

PGA Tour Champions @ Invited Celebrity: Broadhurst stands tall

What do you call a tournament that begins on Friday, takes Saturday off, and finishes on Sunday? Fortunate is one adjective to use. A weather system moved through Texas this weekend, and made a mess of things in Irving. After Thomas Bjorn signed for 64 on day one, rain and all things counter-productive moved through the Las Colinas resort, ensuring that Saturday would be nothing more than a rest day. When Sunday arrived, conditions had improved, and the game was on. Bjorn was unable to preserve his Friday magic, although he did record a 70 for -8. He finished in a third-place tie with Y.E. Yang.

David Toms, the 2001 PGA Championship victor, presented Sunday’s low round, and moved to 10-under par. Toms made one mistake on the day. He lived in the rough on the 9th hole, ultimately making bogey. The rest of the day was immaculate, as seven birdies came his way, resulting in a six-under par 65. Only one golfer was able to surpass Toms, and that was Paul Broadhurst.

Broadhurst nearly matched Toms for daily honors. His mistake came early, with bogey at the second. He bounced back with eagle at the third, and added three more birdies for 66 and 11-under par. Over his first three seasons on the Tour Champions, Broadhurst won five times, including two major titles. His fifth win came in 2018, making this win his first in six years. A long time coming, for sure, but well earned.

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