Connect with us

News

GolfWRX Morning 9: What went wrong for the U.S.? Here’s the list… | Reed sounds off

Published

6 years ago

on
By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

October 1, 2018

Good Monday morning, golf fans.
1 Throw out the drawing board
Golfworld’s Dave Shedloski with some of the best Ryder Cup postmortem writing…”It’s back to the drawing board for the U.S. Ryder Cup contingent after another miserable effort in Europe. Maybe they should throw out the drawing board, too.”
However, Shedloski also curates some of the explanations/excuses for the U.S. thumping.
  • “The Fatigue Factor: Eleven Americans competed in the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Europe had five.”
  • “The Tiger Effect on Team USA: It continues to be a net negative when he plays. Woods can’t seem to bring his A-game to these matches.”
  • “The Tiger Effect on Team Europe: Woods isn’t currently No. 1 in the world like he had been many times in earlier Ryder Cup appearances, but he remains the man everyone wants to beat.”
  • “Putting: It always seems to come down to putting. The Europeans enjoyed a massive advantage in familiarization with the greens.”
  • “The Buy-In Factor: This wasn’t supposed to be an issue. But it still is. The U.S. commissioned a Ryder Cup Task Force to get the players more involved in the process of how the team is assembled and organized, and it seemed to work well at Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minn. But if the U.S. Ryder Cup Committee and the players were fully invested, then more than six of the 12 players on the team should have seen Le Golf National’s Albatros Course before Tuesday.”
  • “Picks: Furyk’s captain’s picks-Woods, Mickelson, DeChambeau and Tony Finau-scored two points and both by Finau.”
2. Furyk
…but Captain Furyk is happy with the doodle.
Golf Channel’s Jay Coffin on Captain Jim…”Furyk split up Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. He put Reed with Tiger Woods and Spieth with Justin Thomas. Furyk thought he took one dynamic duo, split them up and formed two dynamic duos. Only Thomas and Spieth performed well. Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka gelled well together, but only played together once, and lost.”
  • “His captain’s picks seemed obvious at the time. How do you leave Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau off the team? But they combined to tally a 2-10 record, and Finau won both the points.”
  • “No matter the second guessing by others, Furyk – who played on nine Ryder Cups and collected a career 10-20-4 record – didn’t seem like he was going to do that to himself. Sure, he will give input to the Ryder Cup committee in hopes of strengthening the process for the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, but as for his team, he had no regrets.”
  • “I’m going to say it over and over and over again – I have every confidence in these 12 players. I think we have a great team,” he said. “I would take them right back into another Ryder Cup and play it all over again if I could. You can call me crazy, but I have every belief that these guys could get it done. I still do and I still would again.”
3. Tiger
ESPN’s Bob Harig…”One of golf’s great mysteries continues: Why is Woods’ Ryder Cup record so lousy?”
  • “He went 0-4 at Le Golf National after what was an inspired effort to even be part of the U.S. team. He came to France off the jubilation of victory at the Tour Championship, a satisfying-yet-emotional win that obviously left him spent, and he departed with the worst record of any player in the competition.”
  • “Two more Ryder Cup partners went on his résumé — Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau — adding to a long list of infamy that has seen Woods’ overall record drop to 13-21-3. He’s 9-19-1 with partners, and lost at singles for the first time since 1997.”
  • “All manner of explanations have been given over the years, none of which really apply now, if they ever did: he doesn’t care; he doesn’t like playing with a partner; he’s horrible at team events…Woods might have had his issues 20 years ago, but now as one of the game’s elder statesmen, he has become heavily involved in the U.S. Ryder Cup process that selects the captains and assistant captains. He has already signed on to be the U.S. Presidents Cup captain in 2019 — and why would a guy who doesn’t give a rip do that? — with an eye on a future Ryder Cup captaincy.”
Of course, there may not be an overarching explanation for Woods’ entire body of Ryder Cup work. This year, he simply looked gassed and struggled to keep the ball in play off the tee. Facing energized opponents who are having no such issues is tough.
4. The mystery remains
PGATour.com’s Mike McAllister…”Jim Furyk – who stands to garner most of the criticism, as Captains generally do when their teams lose – said he will work with the PGA of America and the Ryder Cup committee to improve on areas that were lacking for this week. “I’ll definitely go through things that are in my head,” said Furyk, who did not reveal the specifics of those things.”
  • “One of the obvious things is making sure the Americans are acquainted with the course – and perhaps making sure the American players on the roster are best suited to play that course. The fear entering Friday’s first day was that the tight, driver-unfriendly Le Golf National would pose issues for big American bombers. That seemed to play itself out, as the U.S. found more trouble off the tee than its counterparts.”
  • “The best American player this week was Justin Thomas, who just happened to be the only American who played the French Open at Le Golf National this summer.”
  • “We thought this course suit us and our style of play,” said Rory McIlroy, the PGA TOUR’s driving distance leader who may have been the only European to feel at a disadvantage. He still won two points.”
  • “Furyk, to his credit, took the blame for the loss, saying he would gladly take the same 12 players into battle once again. He knows he will be second-guessed for decisions such as breaking up the Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed pairing, or picking Phil Mickelson to play a tight course in which he ranked second-to-last on the PGA TOUR in driving accuracy”
5. Le Ryder Cup National
Geoff Shackelford writes Le Golf National sets a new standard for Ryder Cup venues.
  • “Much was rightfully made of the narrowness here, most of it artificially created with a purpose in mind. Landing areas were tightened by the European Tour paint guns, though modern driving distances also created pinch points unforeseen by the architects. But modern players have seen narrowness before. The rough density was excessive, particularly on this side of the Atlantic where they love their natural golf and once railed against the American harvesting of tall grass.”
  • “So flat in spots they seem laser leveled, the Americans regularly missed on the high side as late as Sunday singles when a late-morning mowing had the greens rolling slightly faster. Still, the lethargic-by-modern-standards Stimpmeter reading of 10 feet, 2 inches proved another wise move by the setup masterminds since the European Tour players generally see slower week-to-week speeds.”
  • While Shackelford praised the T.V. viewing experience, he said this about watching from on site…”As a fan experience, reviews ranged from mixed to poor, with never-ending reports of overwhelmed infrastructure. By day’s end, the venue was littered with piles of trash thanks to a minimum of receptacles. The sight of male fans openly urinating in nearby creeks, sometimes within a wedge shot of the action, suggested a few more of the European Tour’s Ryder Cup millions should have been spent on proper preparation.”
6. Explanation for the Spieth/Reed split…or not?
While Jordan Spieth and Captain Furyk toed the party line, Patrick Reed did otherwise following the U.S. side’s defeat.
  • “The issue is obviously with Jordan not wanting to play with me,” he told the New York Times.
  • BBC Report…”I don’t have any issue with Jordan,” added the world number 15. “When it comes right down to it, I don’t care if I like the person I’m paired with or if the person likes me as long as it works and it sets up the team for success.
  • “He and I know how to make each other better. We know how to get the job done.”
  • Reed also took issue with not playing in every session…”For somebody as successful in the Ryder Cup as I am, I don’t think it’s smart to sit me twice.”
The Woods/Reed team failed to earn a point. However, Spieth/Thomas won three of their four matches.
7. Time for Tiger & Phil to go?
Here’s a hot take from the AP’s Paul Newberry…the soccer national team example…
  • “Then there’s the Ryder Cup, which, for whatever reason, has dealt out far more disappointment than achievement.’
  • “As Europe romped to a seven-point victory, Woods’ career record dipped to 13-21-3. He’s played on eight of these teams but only one has captured the Cup – at Brookline, nearly two decades ago. Even then, approaching the peak of his career, he managed only a 2-3 record and is a largely forgotten figure in the historic U.S. comeback on the final day.”
  • “Woods would be the losingest player in U.S. history if not for Mickelson, who slipped to 18-22-7 with his two defeats this weekend. The Americans have won the Cup three times with Lefty on the roster, but they’ve lost nine times. His most noteworthy moment might’ve been ripping into 2014 captain Tom Watson after he was benched on Saturday at Gleneagles.”
  • “What Woods and Mickelson should do instead is follow the example of top soccer players as the years creep up on them. While they may continue to play for their club teams, even with a great deal of success, they’ll often step aside from international duty – passing the baton to the next generation in a symbolic acknowledgement that their time has passed.”
8. Sergi-oooo!  
Golf Channel’s Will Gray on Sergio’s Ryder Cup resume-capping week…”Sergio Garcia came to Le Golf National this week as the most scrutinized combatant on either side. He left as the most prolific winner in Ryder Cup history….Garcia’s addition by Thomas Bjorn received plenty of scorn given his lack of form over the last few months and the strength of other possible candidates left at home. But the Spaniard delivered in a big way, going 3-1 while helping Europe to a 17 ½ to 10 ½ victory.”
  • “That individual mark included a 2-and-1 win over Rickie Fowler in Sunday’s singles play, a full point that vaulted him past Sir Nick Faldo as the highest point earner in tournament history. Faldo amassed 25 points for both Great Britain and Ireland and Europe, but Garcia has now earned 25 ½ with a career record of 22-12-7….”I think Sergio’s Ryder Cup story tells its own,” Thomas Bjorn said. “It’s a whole thing of its own, and it’s a brilliant story. It’s a fantastic achievement.”
In other words: Nice pick, Captain Bjorn.
9. Do the Europeans just care more?
Not the first time the suggestion has been made, certainly, but our Ron Montesano has some thoughts.
“Who wants it more?” is a common commentator cliche, and a bad one at that. But in this article, I’m talking about really care, as in, if your backs are up against the wall you’ll do anything to win, including provide energy and spark even when getting trampled. Not just maintain acceptable body language despite losing, but acting in ways that inspire teammates. Fight and claw until the bitter end. And it starts at the top, with the veterans and future hall-of-famers, who know who they are….The United States needs more care in them, it seems.”
“I’m going to call it the “Larry Nelson Curse.” Until the PGA of America publicly apologizes to Larry Nelson, the last guy to go 5-0 before Moli-Moli-Moli-Moli-Moli-Moli MOLINARI, for not giving him his richly-deserved captaincy, Team USA will never again win on foreign soil. Sad part is, it doesn’t seem they care. Very few players showed urgency, passion, zeal or enthusiasm this week in France. Take note of the “Or” and not the “And” in the preceding sentence; to hope for more than one of those adjectives was asking too much of Team USA.”
Your Reaction?
  • 21
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK3

Related Topics:

GolfWRX Editor-in-Chief

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Published

2 days ago

on

Apr 23, 2024

By

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.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 4
  • LEGIT2
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

News

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

Published

2 days ago

on

Apr 23, 2024

By
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.
Your Reaction?
  • 4
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Continue Reading

News

Tour Rundown: Six-pack of tourneys follows Masters

Published

3 days ago

on

Apr 22, 2024

By

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.

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL1
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB1
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag12 hours ago

Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)

Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Whats in the Bag1 day ago

Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)

Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)...
Whats in the Bag1 day ago

Rory McIlroy WITB 2024 (April)

Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.  Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Whats in the Bag2 days ago

Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)

Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees...

Facebook

Trending