News
Tour Rundown: DJ, Drewitt, and more
Feel like you’re watching a movie with a convoluted plot structure? That’s 2020—and yesterday was Labor Day. The U.S. Open takes place in two weeks, and the Tour Championship concluded…yesterday. The Mackenzie Tour (PGA Tour Canada) finishes an abbreviated, four-tournament schedule next week, one month after it began. The Korn Ferry Tour Championship took place last week, yet there are five events scheduled after it. The only way to cap this season would be to play the Old Course at St. Andrews in reverse. Actually, that would cap any season. Haven’t seen the clockwise routing in years.
This week’s Tour Rundown brings names like Pistorius, Catlin, and Drewitt to the headlines, and wonders aloud, can Dustin Johnson dominate the playoffs? With more golf to be played this fall, culminating in a November Masters in Augusta, we’ve much to anticipate this week and beyond, so let’s run it all down.
Tour Championship and FedEx Cup title to Mr. DJ
It’s implausible that Dustin Johnson continue to receive the Rodney Dangerfield treatment of No Respect after the 2020 golf season. He has won at least once in every full season since he turned professional, in late 2007. The Palmetto Powerhouse has 23 victories and a U.S. Open title to his name. Johnson is now one behind Gary Player and two back of Johnny Miller. This week, DJ added another laurel to his list of achievements, by nabbing the FedEx title that Rory McIlroy stole from him, this time last year.
Johnson began championship week as the number one seed, a position that saw him begin at 10-under par. Behind him was Jon Rahm at minus-nine. The Spaniard had a rotten day two, and try as he might, could only return to 4th spot, after 66s in rounds three and four. Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele tied for second behind the tall timber, with Schauffele posting the best four-round score of the week (265.) Johnson played the type of controlled golf that wins big events. His play this week makes him one of the favorites at both Winged Foot and Augusta National, sites of the year’s final two major events. Johnson is easily deserving of multiple major titles but, as Greg Norman and others might say, deserving and possessing are two different species.
Lincoln Land Championship to Drewitt by one
Brett Drewitt might be cautiously thrilled that the Korn Ferry Tour will play beyond the Tour Championship this season. The Aussie has embodied the moniker of journeyman since he turned professional some seven years back. He has seen the locker rooms of the world’s major tours, and been promoted and demoted with regularity. This week, he took a step in the proper direction by holding off three golfers by a single stroke, to claim the Lincoln Land Championship.
Charlie Saxon began the week with a 61, and held his lead through 54 holes. A closing 73 dropped him to a tie for 7th spot. Anders Albertson emulated Saxon in round two, signing for a 62. He entered the final round in 2nd place, but also wilted on day four. His 71 caused him to soar from 2nd to 5th position. The top four finishers all made a move of at least one place, with Drewitt moving from 3rd slot overnight. The closing holes were a challenge for all, and England’s Harry Hall came to the last in a tie with Drewitt. He made bogey there, to tumble into a tie for the runner-up spot. Joining him on the podium’s second level were two USA golfers, Ben Kohles and Austin Treslow. The tour continues on to the Evans Scholars Invitational, near Chicago, next week.
Andalucia Masters: Catlin claims first Euro title
2020 represents the highs and lows of golf for John Catlin. In August, he and his caddie were defaulted from the English Championship after they patronized a local restaurant. They had violated the European Tour’s Covid-19 Bubble protocol. Four weeks later, Catlin found himself atop the Andalucia Masters leader board through 54 holes, tasked with holding off Martin Kaymer if he wished to secure an inaugural, European Tour win. Piece of quarantined cake, right?
Kaymer is familiar with pressure. He has won two major titles and played on numerous international squads. Catlin boasts neither of those credentials. They and the rest of the field met a compounded task: Valderrama at its toughest. The site of the 1997 Ryder Cup gave golfers fits all week. Until Lee Westwood (out of contention) posted 67 in round four, no one had gone lower than minus-three all week long. That 67, by the way, lifted Lee 51 spots into a tenth-place tie.
Sunday revealed itself to be a battle of the bogies. Catlin made 4 of them, to go with his 14 pars. Incredibly, he won. Challengers Lorenzo Gagli and Jamie Donaldson posted 78s, and dropped into Westwood territory. Kaymer was a game opponent all day long, until he stumbled with three bogies over the final six holes. His five at the last was the gut-wrenching nail in the coffin. Catlin was able to par the closing quartet of holes, a stretch that moved him from one behind to one in front, of the great German champion. The European Tour plays on next week, moving westward to Portugal for that country’s Open championship.
CLS at TPC Toronto to Pistorius by one
Albert Pistorius must be thrilled that the Canada Life Series will close the tour season with its championship … on precisely the same course where the South African held off three challengers to win his first event of the ever-so-short season. Pistorius snagged the lead on Saturday with a seven-under par 64, then threatened to run away with the TPC Toronto event by making eagle-par-birdie to open up a commanding lead at ten under par. Just like that, the magic went partly away, and Pistorius struggle with four bogeys the rest of the way. A pair of back-nine birdies allowed him to return minus-eight. His 205 through 54 holes was enough to hold off Andrew Funk and Callum Davison of the host country. As suggested above, the Canada Life Series will end its run this week, as it again challenges the field with the Osprey course at TPC Toronto, in suburban Caledon.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #2
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Justin Thomas – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Rose – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Nick Dunlap – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Thomas Detry – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Austin Eckroat – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Jason Day – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Will Zalatoris – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Ludwig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
Pullout Albums
- Wyndham Clark’s Odyssey putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- JT’s new Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Thomas testing new Titleist 2 wood – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey putter with triple track alignment aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Scotty Cameron The Blk Box putting alignment aid/training aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey Ai One Eleven T putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Christian Bezuidenhout – testing new Callaway Ti 340 mini driver – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele testing the Callaway Ti 340 mini driver & the DUW – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Byeong Hun An, two new L.A.B. Golf putter builds with “T” alignment – 2024 RBC Heritage
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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News
Morning 9: Aberg: I want to be No. 1 | Rory’s management blasts ‘fake news’ reports
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News
Masters 2024: Reduced-scale clubhouse trophy and green jacket to Scottie Scheffler
In the world of golf, there is Scotty and there is Scottie. Scotty Cameron gave the world of golf a nickname for a prestigious putter line, and Scottie Scheffler has now given the golf world a blueprint for how to negotiate one of the toughest tournaments to win. Sunday, Scheffler won the Masters tournament for the second time in three years. He separated from the field around the turn, making a trio of birdies at holes eight through 10. On the long walk home, he added three more birdie at 13, 14, and 16, to secure a four-shot win over Masters and major-championship rookie Ludvig Åberg.
On No. 7, Ludvig Åberg makes birdie to move into a tie for second place. #themasters pic.twitter.com/ZSjcOr9OQK
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024
As the final group moved along the ninth hole, a quadrilateral stood at 7 under par, tied for the lead. Scheffler, playing partner Collin Morikawa, and penultimate pairing Max Homa and Åberg advanced equally toward Amen Corner, with the resolution of the competition well in doubt. Morikawa flinched first, getting too greedy (his words) at nine and 11. Double bogey at each dropped him farther back than he wished, and he ultimately made a 10-foot putt for bogey at the last, to tie for third position.
Ludvig Åberg made the next mistake. Whether he knew the Ben Hogan story about the approach into 11 or not, he bit off way more than he should have. His approach was never hopeful, and ended short and right in White Dogwood’s pond. Åberg finished the hole in six shots. To his credit, he played the remaining seven holes in two-under figures. Finally, Max Homa was the victim of the finicky winds over Golden Bell, the short, par-3 12th hole. His disbelief was evident, as his tee shot flew everything and landed in azaleas behind the putting surface. After two pitch shots and two putts, Homa also had a double bogey, losing shots that he could not surrender.
Why? At the ninth hole, Scottie Scheffler hit one of the finest approach shots of all time, into the final green of the first nine. Scheffler had six inches for birdie and he converted. At the 10th, he lasered another approach shot into a tricky hole location, then made another fine putt for birdie. Within the space of 30 minutes, Scheffler had seized complete control of the tournament, but Amen Corner still lurked.
Scottie Scheffler is back in sole possession of the lead. #themasters pic.twitter.com/MGytXpJcXH
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024
At the 11th, Scheffler played safely right with his approach. His chip shot was a wee bit too brave and left him a seven-foot comeback putt for par. He missed on the right side and gave one shot back to the course and field. His tee ball on 12 was safely aboard, and he took two putts for par. On 13, the 2022 champion drove slightly through the fairway, then reached the green, with his first two shots. His seventy-foot-plus putt for eagle eased up, four feet past the hole. His second putt went down, and he was back in the birdie zone. As on nine, his approach to 14 green finished brilliantly within six inches. His final birdie came at the 16th, where he negotiated a nine-foot putt for a deuce.
Leader by four with two to play. #themasters pic.twitter.com/KcoilYExDr
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024
Scheffler reached 11 under par and stood four shots clear of Ludvig Åberg when he reached the 18th tee. His drive found the lower fairway bunker on the left, and his approach settled in a vale, short and right of the green. With dexterous hands, Scheffler pitched to three feet and made the putt for par. With a big smile, he embraced caddie Ted Scott, who won for the fourth time at Augusta National, and the second with Scheffler. Ludvig Åberg finished alone in second spot, four back of the winner. Not a bad performance for the first-time major championship participant Åberg, and not a bad finish for the world No. 1 and second-time Masters champion, Scottie Scheffler.
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