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19th Hole

Brooks Koepka expresses his frustration over J.B. Holmes’ slow play at The Open

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Brooks Koepka began 2019 by calling out golf’s authorities for their lack of action over the slow play issue surrounding the game, and on Sunday at the Open Championship, the 29-year-old appeared visibly agitated over the speed of playing partner J.B. Holmes.

The two men teed off at 1.37 PM local time in the final round, and from their opening tee shots of the day, which Holmes would take significantly longer to play than his compatriot, it appeared the two could be in for an uncomfortable day with each other.

For the most part during Sunday’s final round, on the course, Koepka was to keep whatever frustrations which were bubbling under the surface to himself.

However, coming off the 12th green, the four-time major champ was seen staring at a rules official while motioning to his imaginary wristwatch, and on another occasion, the American looked less than impressed as his playing partner went through his deliberate putting routine.

Following their round, the 29-year-old was quick to point out that Holmes is far from being the only slow player on Tour, but explained what his biggest gripe was with the Kentuckian on Sunday at Royal Portrush – his inability to prepare when it wasn’t his turn.

“There are a lot of slow guys out here, that’s not the first time I’ve done it, especially when you’ve got a walking official with you. I’m ready to go most of the time.

That’s what I don’t understand when it’s your turn to hit, your glove is not on, then you start thinking about it, that’s where the problem lies. It’s not that he takes that long. He doesn’t do anything until his turn. That’s the frustrating part. But he’s not the only one that does it out here.”

Holmes’ nightmare performance didn’t help his pace of play as he struggled mightily in the harsh conditions during Sunday’s final round. The 37-year-old shot an 87 – 16 over par to move from third place at the start of the day to fourth last on six over.

Koepka had some sympathy for Holmes’ struggles in the wind and rain in Northern Ireland, but despite this, the Florida native made it clear that he still found the pace at times too slow.

“He had a rough day, but JB is a slow player. We were on pace for 13 holes, but if I’m in the group we’re going to be on pace no matter what. But there were some times where I thought it was slow.”

Koepka’s final round of 74 secured a T4 finish for the four-time major champ to complete an exceptional year at the major tournaments which included a win at the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in May.

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

19th Hole

Charlie Woods attempting to qualify for spot at 2024 U.S. Open

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As first reported by Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, Charlie Woods will be attempting to qualify for this year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

The first stage of qualifying for this year’s tournament will be an 18-hole local event on Thursday, April 25th, in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

There will be 84 players in the field, five of which will reach the 36-hole qualifier that will take place in June.

Earlier this season, Charlie attempted to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, and struggled, shooting an 86.

If the younger Woods is able to qualify, he will tee it up in the same field as his father in a few months at one of the more historic U.S. Open venues.

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19th Hole

Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss

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In our forums, our members have been discussing one of the new sensations in the world of golf – Ludvig Aberg. The 24-year-old finished solo second at the Masters a couple of weeks ago, and gained many plaudits, including from several WRXers.

One member, RoyalMustang, took to the forums to explain why Aberg is now their favorite player, saying:

“I loved the way the Ludvig was out there, having a great time, not taking himself or the situation too seriously. Even after the double at 11, he was like “well, that’s golf!” Loose and relaxed: that’s the way to play. It’s obvious he loves what he’s doing, he loves the big moments, and he loves being a part of it all.

Arnold Palmer was viewed that way. Just like Brooks Robinson was forever viewed as not just a great baseball player, but a great human being and friend to Baltimore.”

And our members have been reacting and sharing their positive takes on the young Swede.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • redfirebird08: “Ludvig has a great attitude, a great smile, and a great golf swing.”
  • otto6457: “I’m very lucky to have talked with Ludde several times at the Rawls Course at Texas Tech.  He’s a truly nice guy and very friendly.  Always said hello when we passed each other in the club house and was always smiling. Watching him hit balls on the range was a joy.  He has “that sound” and trajectory to die for.  There were many times he was out on the range in 30+ mph winds just hitting the most beautiful shots that just seemed to ignore the wind.  World class ball striker. And yes……..I am a fan boy.”
  • konklifer: “I like him. In an era of endless waggles and laboring, his swing and pace of play are a joy to watch.

Entire Thread: “Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss”

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19th Hole

‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage

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Over the past year or so, PGA Tour star Patrick Cantlay has taken a great deal of criticism for his pace of play.

Now, Cantlay is once again under fire for a questionable decision he made on Sunday at the RBC Heritage.

After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, whose 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 return to 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 Monday morning.

Following his round, Cantlay explained his decision to wait to hit his third shot the next morning:

“I really did want to finish last night, so I felt like if I could get the ball up there maybe in an easier spot, maybe I would have finished, but as I got the ball up near the green, I realized it would be easier to finish this morning. That’s what I decided to do.”

GolfWRX has reached out to Patrick Cantlay’s management team for a response to Woosnam’s comments.

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