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Morning 9: Scribes’ takes on Tiger’s presser | New putter? | HV3 | Lanto’s story

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4 years ago

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1. The scribes pull-outs from Tiger’s presser…
Always interesting to see what different outlets do with the range of Woods’ remarks.
  • Here’s Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…“The high temperature isn’t expected to creep above 70 degrees this week at the PGA Championship, and Tiger Woods knows that isn’t ideal weather for his surgically repaired back.”
  • “The cooler, damp conditions mean longer warmups, shorter drives – and more layers.”
  • “When it’s cooler like this, I just make sure that my core stays warm, layering up properly,” said Woods, dressed Tuesday in a gray sweater. “I know I won’t have the same range of motion as I would back home in Florida where it’s 95 every day. That’s just the way it is.”
  • “Woods has been bothered by back issues in each of his past two starts. At the Genesis Invitational in February, he complained of back tightness while finishing last among those who made the cut, then skipped three scheduled starts because he wasn’t physically ready. Though he said he would have been fit enough for his Masters defense in April, Woods didn’t play again until last month’s Memorial Tournament. With a quick turnaround between the first two rounds, Woods once again felt stiff in the second round, shot 76 and barely made the cut, ultimately tying for 40th.”
…not worried about lack of competitive action…writes PGATour.com’s Ben Everill…
  • “The veteran has four wins and three runner-ups previously at the PGA Championship and knows TPC Harding Park well from due to his amateur and college career. He’s long had great success in Northern California including winning a World Golf Championships event there in 2005 and being part of the victorious U.S. Presidents Cup team in 2009.”
  • “I feel good. Obviously I haven’t played much competitively, but I’ve been playing a lot at home. So I’ve been getting plenty of reps that way … the results that I’ve seen at home, very enthusiastic about some of the changes I’ve made and so that’s been positive,” Woods added without giving up the changes he referenced.”
  • “Just trying to get my way back into this part of the season. This is what I’ve been gearing up for. We’ve got a lot of big events starting from here, so looking forward to it. This is going to be a fun test for all of us. The rough is up. Fairways are much narrower than they were here in 2009.”
2. What he’s been gearing up for
ESPN’s Bob Harig…”…he made it clear that the majors have been his focus.”
  • “This is what I’ve been gearing up for,” said Woods, a 15-time major championship winner. “We’ve got a lot of big events starting from here, so looking forward to it. This is going to be a fun test for all of us. The rough is up. The fairways are much more narrow.”
  • “The PGA is the first major championship of 2020, rescheduled from May because of the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Open is scheduled for Sept. 17-20 and the Masters for Nov. 12-15; the Open has been canceled.”
  • “I’ve been trying to prepare for the three,” he said. “Trying to figure out my schedule and training programs and playing prep and the things I need to work on for each major venue. It’s just a different calendar order and different time of year.
3. A blunt assessment of Tiger’s chances
Plenty of truth in the NY Post’s Mark Cannizzaro…“there are a lot of factors conspiring to make this a potentially-difficult week for Woods to succeed – whether success is measured by winning the tournament, contending or merely making the cut.”
  • “Let’s start with the fact that by the time he tees off his opening round alongside Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas on Thursday, Woods will have played four tournament rounds of golf in the past 170 days. He’s played in only three tournaments in 2020.”
  • “Add into that equation the weather this week in San Francisco is expected to be cool (60s) and damp (fog, mist marine layer), particularly in the mornings. And Woods’ 44-year-old surgically-repaired body prefers the searing heat and suffocating humidity he plays in at home in South Florida.”
  • “Add to that the fact that there are a dozen younger, better-fit star players who are entering this week in top form…”
4. Reminder: BK is going for the three-peat
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”After winning at Bellerive in 2018 and Bethpage Black in 2019, Koepka will try to become only the seventh player in the 160-year history of the major championships — and only the fourth since the start of the 20th century and the first in 64 years — to win a single major three straight times. Walter Hagen was the only player to do it at the PGA Championship from 1924-27, when he won four straight when it was still a match-play event.”
  • …”It would be incredible,” Koepka said at a PGA Championship news conference in February. “Obviously, Walter Hagen is a name everybody knows, every golf fan knows. To even have a chance to put my name with his would be incredible and it would be super special.”
  • “That’s the burden and history-making opportunity Koepka will carry with him this week.”
  • “I just want to play good golf, man,” Koepka said. “It’s simple. You start thinking about all the things that could happen, that’s when, you know, I guess nerve, everything else kind of creeps in. Just stay in the moment and keep plugging along.”
5. The math teacher in the PGA Championship field
Great stuff from Golfweek’s JuliaKate Williams…“It’s no secret 2020 has been a dumpster fire of a year, but Alex Knoll found a glimmer of hope amid the flames.”
  • “After years of working to qualify for the PGA Championship, the Palmerton High School golf coach and math teacher from Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, finally did it.”
  • Largely thanks to the coronavirus, that is.
  • “That’s the only silver lining for COVID in this entire world is I got into this tournament,” Knoll joked.”
  • “Knoll, an assistant teaching pro at Glenbrook Golf Club in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, attempted to qualify for the PGA Championship three times prior to this year. The 35-year-old planned to make his play for a spot in the major tournament during the 2020 PGA Professional Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas.”
6. HV3’s GD cover story
One of the many excellent questions Mark Whitaker asked Harold Varner III in the for his Golf Digest cover story interview…
  • “After the death of George Floyd, you issued a statement describing it as a “senseless killing” and an act of “evil incarnate.” But you also argued that there are many more good cops than bad and that “burning businesses and police stations is wrong.” Why and how did you decide to take that public stance?”
  • “I didn’t want to say anything, but the way that society is, if you’re Black, you had to say something. Especially if you have any type of platform. Let’s not play dumb and pretend that police brutality has just started happening. We knew it was happening. Now it’s just being brought to light through cellphone video and social media. There has been evil since the beginning of time-I’m a Christian; I believe that. But I also think there is still more good than evil in the world. If you sit and watch a lot of TV right now, you’re not going to hear anything good. You know, it’s why people are talking to me. If it wasn’t about race, I don’t think people would be talking to me right now. But I am accepting that role to be a leader in this situation, to make things better for the next generation.”
  • “So what do think the solution is?”
  • “At the end of the day, I think there needs to be way more accountability. There’s got to be some way to hold the bad people accountable. Just getting everyone on the same page about what’s appropriate and not appropriate.”
7. Lanto’s Players Tribune piece focuses on his formative years in golf
Griffin writes…”And if you want to know who I am, you need to know what The Hill is.”
  • “The local municipality course in Blacksburg is known as The Hill. It’s a short, nine-hole course that you could play all day for nine bucks. It’s got all the little quirks that make up so many of the great muni courses around the country. There’s a pro shop that can’t be much bigger than 1,000 square feet, and it’s got the clubs and the shoes on the wall that you can buy right there. There’s a little patio to soak up some sun after the round. There’s a putting green that sits right beside the clubhouse at the top of the property with an incredible view of Blacksburg. You can see Merrimac and Ellett Valley to the south. To the west, there’s the Virginia Tech Campus and Lane Stadium, where the Hokies play.”
  • “It’s really a beautiful spot for a course. The holes themselves aren’t that much to write home about, but it’s just got that character to it, you know? I’ve brought some friends there from out of a town a few times, even in the last couple of years, and they all feel right at home when they step on the first tee. It’s a great place.”
  • “For a long time in my mind, golf and The Hill were synonymous.”
8. Adam Scott’s perspective
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”For Scott, who returned home to Australia when the PGA Tour halted its schedule in March, it wasn’t whether he wanted to play again this season, he did, it was a question of whether he would be able to return home.”
  • “Traveling internationally at the moment and leaving the family somewhere with uncertainty about rules and regulations changing all the time, for example, with quarantine and self-isolations and all this kind of stuff just made it difficult to really feel confident that I’d leave and be able to go back,” Scott said Tuesday at the PGA Championship, his first start since the Tour’s shut down.
9. Tiger testing a new flatstick
Woods’ vaunted Newport 2 is on the bench…as of Tuesday, and he’s practicing with a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Timeless Prototype at TPC Harding Park.
This putter was a prototype for the 2020 Special Select line. It has tungsten weighs in the sole to hit the desired swing weight and feel.
Loft: 3.75 degrees
Length: 35.25 (finished with grip)
Lie: 70 degrees
Head weight: TBD (presumably heavier than his 327-gram gamer)
Grip: Ping PP58 Blackout
Woods practiced with a similar-looking putter ahead of the 2019 Open Championship…a Golf Channel report suggests Woods has decided to put the putter in play.

 
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Tour Rundown: Six-pack of tourneys follows Masters

Published

13 hours 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.

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Morning 9: Rory: I’m not joining LIV | Masters ratings | Nelly: We just need a stage

Published

5 days ago

on

Apr 17, 2024

By
By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up to this week’s RBC Heritage.

1. Rory: I’m not going to LIV

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…McIlroy said neither he nor his agents have ever discussed a potential deal to lure him to the LIV Golf League, which is being financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

  • “I honestly don’t know how these things get started,” McIlroy told Golf Channel while on the practice range at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the site of this week’s RBC Heritage. “I’ve never been offered a number from LIV, and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV. Again, I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me.
  • “It doesn’t mean that I judge people who have went and played over there. I think one of the things that I have realized over the past two years is that people can make their own decisions for whatever they think is best for themselves, and who are we to judge them for that? But personally, for me, my future is here on the PGA Tour, and it’s never been any different.”
Full piece.

2. Masters ratings down

Yahoo’s Jay Busbee…”Ratings for the full Masters week are now out, and 2024’s version ranks as the lowest since the COVID-impacted years of 2020 and 2021. There was a brief moment when four players shared the lead at the 2024 Masters, but Scottie Scheffler took care of business quickly enough and strolled to what qualifies as an “easy” Masters victory — a four-stroke triumph that wasn’t in doubt for most of the second nine.”

  • “Perhaps as a result, Sunday’s final round averaged 9.59 million viewers on CBS, according to Sports Media Watch, a 22.8% decline from last year’s 12.06 million. Scheffler’s win two years ago averaged 10.17 million viewers. Worth noting: Sunday’s final round was down 20 percent against last year’s victory by Jon Rahm, but last year’s final round fell on Easter Sunday, which created a significantly higher out-of-home percentage of viewers — 21 percent in 2023, as opposed to 9 percent this year.”
Full piece.

3. Chevron gets purse boost

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…“Chevron’s commitment to the LPGA went a step higher on Tuesday with the announcement of a purse increase to $7.9 million in 2024. The move brings the tour’s first major in line with the purses of other championships. The U.S. Women’s Open purse of $12 million paces the tour, with the KPMG Women’s PGA second at $10 million. The AIG Women’s British Open purse checks in at $9 million while Amundi Evian is $6.5 million.”

  • “Chevron, which moved the event away from Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, to Texas, last year, has increased the purse by $4.8 million since assuming title sponsorship in 2022. The company has committed to title sponsor the event through 2029.”
Full piece.

4. Shipley on “notegate”

Alex Myers for Golf Digest…”So what was up with “notegate”? During his hilarious spot with McAfee, Shipley reiterated there was no note from Woods, and that he was only looking at the moderator because he was so confused where the question was coming from:

  • “I looked over at the moderator like ‘Who the hell is this guy?'” Shipley says in the clip. “Because it just didn’t happen. I was so confused and so shocked in the moment.”
Full piece.

5. Nelly: We just need a stage

Iain Carter for the BBC…”Korda is the first American to win four consecutive tournaments on the LPGA since Lopez won five straight 46 years ago. This astonishing streak made the then rookie front page material for Sports Illustrated.

  • “Korda’s feats have yet to transcend the golfing village, and perhaps that suits her as she “tries to stay in my bubble”. But the American Solheim Cup player does recognise that more could be done to tell the increasingly compelling story of women’s golf.”
  • “I feel like we just need a stage,” she told reporters here at Carlton Woods just north of Houston. “We need to be put on TV.
  • “I feel like when it’s tape delay, or anything like that, that hurts our game. Women’s sports just needs a stage. If we have a stage we can show up and perform and show people what we’re all about.”
Full piece.

6. Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage

  • Check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage

Published

6 days ago

on

Apr 16, 2024

By

GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.

We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.

We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.

Check out links to all our photos, below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

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WITB

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Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)

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Will Zalatoris WITB 2024 (April)

Will Zalatoris’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage.  Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)...
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Scottie Scheffler’s winning WITB: 2024 RBC Heritage

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (8 degrees @8.25) Buy here. Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (45 inches) 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy...
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Nelly Korda’s winning WITB: 2024 Chevron Championship

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 Max (10.5 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 60 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)...

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