News
A new breed of cover curse? Dustin Johnson withdraws
You’ve seen the contentious Paulina Gretzky Golf Digest “Fitness Issue” cover that’s been circulating around the web since yesterday.
If somehow you haven’t, check it out here.
But did you see what Ms. Gretzky’s fiance did on the course at the Shell Houston Open yesterday? Johnson’s performance was, in a word, bad.
Have a look.
D.J. went out in an abysmal 43 that included two double bogeys and a snowman (and two birdies). He was steadier on the back, until doubling No. 18 to vault him into the rarified 80-and-above territory.
Following the round, the No. 10-ranked player in the world withdrew without explanation. The opening 80 placed him in 144th position, dead last at the Golf Club of Houston.
So, you’ve heard of the “Sports Illustrated cover jinx.” Perhaps you’re familiar with the “Madden curse.” Johnson’s implosion at the Shell Houston Open invites the following question though: Is this the first instance of the “Fiance on Golf Digest’s cover curse?”
Further, are we OK with Johnson’s decision to bag it after a poor showing? Sure, players who WD during a round need to offer the Tour a medical rationale for their decision (remember Toothachegate last year?). However, when a guy decides to slam his trunk and take off after posting a high score, he doesn’t need to offer an explanation, medical or otherwise. Nevertheless, when he doesn’t, it’s difficult to feel sympathetic.
Perhaps Johnson is dealing with a medical issue. However, if I were him, his agent, or his PR firm, I’d want to make sure everyone was abundantly aware of the fact. Instead, without a clear rationale, we’re left to suspect he’s the victim of some sort of sorcery, or something even worse: a quitter.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship
GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.
While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.
Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Michael Block – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Patrick Reed – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cam Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Josh Speight – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Takumi Kanaya – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kyle Mendoza – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Adrian Meronk – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jordan Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jeremy Wells – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jared Jones – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Somers – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Larkin Gross – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tracy Phillips – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jon Rahm – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Keita Nakajima – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kazuma Kobori – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- David Puig – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Ryan Van Velzen – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brad Marek – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rich Beem WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Phil Mickelson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Matt Dobyns – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Lucas Herbert – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jason Dufner – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Daly – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Taylor Gooch – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dean Burmester – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
Pullout Albums
- Ping putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Bettinardi covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cameron putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Max Homa – Titleist 2 wood – 2024 PGA Championship
- Scotty Cameron experimental putter shaft by UST – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – new Ping putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka’s new Cameron putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s Cobra bag and Aerojet driver – 2024 PGA Championship
- Super Stroke grip – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tiger Woods – 2024 PGA Championship
- Michael Block’s new TaylorMade “Proto” 7-iron, from address – 2024 PGA Championship
- Odyssey putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
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News
Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue
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News
Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls
This week last year, I found myself praying to the weather goddesses and gods that Rochester would be spared their wrath over the next seven days. The 2023 Oak Hill PGA Championship (that was slated for August when the contract was signed) was on the horizon, and I wanted my region to show well. Things turned out fine, with all four seasons making an appearance, a PGA Professional (Blockie!) stealing hearts, and a proven champion in Koepka (although I was pulling for Viktor.)
This year, no concerns. Louisville will shine this week at Valhalla, but we’ve matters to consider before we look to four days of coverage this week. Nelly did not win on the LPGA this week, so who did? The PGA Tour held two events in the Carolinas, and Tour Champions celebrated a major event in Alabama. Four noteworthy events to run down, so let’s head to RunDownTown and take care of business.
LPGA @ Founders Cup: Rose blooms
There was a sense that Rose Zhang might have a role in the 2020s version of the LPGA. After winning everything there was in amateur golf, she came out and won her first tournament as a professional. That was last May and, let’s be honest, who among us thought it would take 12 months for Zhang to win again? Rhymes with hero, I know.
This week in New Jersey, eyes were on Nelly Korda, as she made a run at a sixth consecutive win on the LPGA circuit. Korda ran out of gas on Saturday, and that was just fine. Madelene Sagstrom and Zhang had turned the soiree at Upper Montclair into a battle of birdies. Gabriela Ruffels came third at nine-under par. No one else reached double digits under par but Sagstrom and Zhang. They didn’t just reach -10…they more than doubled it.
Sagstrom had the look of a winner with five holes left to play. She was three shots clear of Zhang, at 23-under par. The Swede played her closing quintet in plus-one, finishing at 22-deep, 13 shots ahead of Ruffels. That performance we’d anticipated from Zhang? It happened on Sunday. She closed with four birdies in five holes to snatch victory number two, by two shots. Spring is a lovely time for a Rose in bloom.
Take a look back at hole No. 1… @rosezhang is living life on the edge ? pic.twitter.com/o6z6SK7TRA
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour @ Wells Fargo: Rory the Fourth is crowned in Charlotte
Xander Schauffele is a likable lad. He has an Olympic gold medal on his shelf, and a few PGA Tour titles to his credit. Even X knows that even par won’t get much done in a final round unless conditions are brutal. They weren’t brutal at Quail Hollow on Sunday. X posted even par on day four. It kept him ahead of third-place finisher Byeong Hun An but gave him zero chance of challenging for the title.
Paired with Xander in round four was the King of Quail, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had previously won thrice at the North Carolina track, and he was champing at the bit to gain some momentum on the road to Louisville. While Xander scored increasingly worse along the week (64-67-70-71) McIlroy saved his best round for the final round. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles, McIlroy ran away with the event, winning his fourth Wells Fargo by five over Schauffele.
HOLE-OUT EAGLE FOR RORY!!!
He now leads by SIX! pic.twitter.com/UE49lwfwNC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour @ Myrtle Beach Classic: a little CG won the inaugural week
It always seemed odd that the PGA Tour had zero stops along the Grand Strand each season. This week’s event seemed odd in that the golfers played the same course each day, and there were zero handicaps involved. Most events at Myrtle Beach involve hundreds of amateurs at dozens of courses, with all sorts of handicaps.
The Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, down toward Pawley’s Island. It claims what used to be considered an unreachable, par-five hole, the watery 13th. Nothing is unreachable any longer, including a 22-under par total for a six-shot win. Chris Gotterup, a former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer, played sizzling golf all week and won by a sextet of shots. Gotterup opened with 66, then improved to 64 on Friday. His Saturday 65 sounded a beacon of “come get me,” and his closing 67 ensured that second place was the only thing up for grabs.
Chasing the podium’s second level were a bunch of young Americans. In the end, Alastair Docherty and Davis Thompson reached 16-deep, thanks to rounds of 64 and 68 on Sunday. They held off six golfers at 15-under par. The victory was Gotterup’s first on tour and should be enough to get him a Wikipedia page, among other plaudits.
Leader by SIX!
@ChrisGotterup | @MyrtleBeachC pic.twitter.com/TVdA6ZPYc4— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour Champions @ Regions Traditions: Vindication for Dougie
Doug Barron, if I recall correctly, was suspended by the Powers That Be, way back in 2009, for testosterone. He was naturally low in the hormone, so he took supplements. This did not sit well with certain admins, so he was put on the shelf for 18 months. Not cool.
In 2019, Barron came out on the Tour Champions. He won in August. The next year, despite the craziness of Covid, he won again. Barron hit a dry spell for a few years. He kept his card, but accrued no additional victories. In late April, Barron showed serious signs of life, with a t2 at Mitsubishi. This week in Birmingham, he jumped out to a lead, lost it, then gained it back on Saturday. With major championship glory on the line, Barron brought the train into the station with 68 on Sunday.
Stephen Alker, the man who could not lose just two years ago, gave serious chase with a closing 63. He moved up 11 slots, into solo 2nd on Sunday. He finished two shots back of the champion. Two shots ain’t much. Cough once and you drop a pair. Third place saw a three-way tie, including last year’s winner (Steve Stricker) and runner-up (Ernie Els.) Despite the intimidating presence of the game’s greats, however, Doug Barron had more than enough of everything this week, and he has a third Tour Champions title to show off.
At the @RegionsTrad, all champions receive a green bike.
Doug Barron decided to take a victory lap ? pic.twitter.com/bEzENMjZwv
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 13, 2024
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corey
Apr 6, 2014 at 3:04 pm
if he was truly experiencing pain the entire round then what would it have hurt him to explain that in a simple tweet. however, since he didn’t we are all left to speculate and frankly i am more inclined to side with Ben on his reasons for the WD. He should be thinking about his fans and the impression it left on them when he WD with no explanation. he clearly had enough time to tweet/retweet stuff about paulina. what would it hurt him to tweet out a message that his back was the reason or something like that.
Tim Schoch
Apr 5, 2014 at 11:00 am
It’s the year of WDs. Seems PC to back out these days. Although, I will say, it looks like most of these players do have problems, like Day, Bubba, Mahan, Dustin, and of course Tiger. Still, I suspect they are doing too much of something–gym, reps, ping-pong.
Casey
Apr 5, 2014 at 9:47 am
He made a wise choice to WD if he really is experiencing pain. No use in making an injury worse by playing another round when he only has a week to be 100% for the Masters.
Mike
Apr 5, 2014 at 3:02 am
the only good thing about this article was the link to DJ’s fiancés cover shoot…
Chris
Apr 5, 2014 at 12:41 am
I sw her on the cover and immediately realized I did not need a new driver 🙂
nikkyd
Apr 4, 2014 at 4:29 pm
I can recall a mens league round last summer. I ate about 8 peices of fried chicken about a half hour before i teed off. I tell you what, stupid things can ruin your game. I shot a 54. And im an 8 hcp. Worst round in ages
Dirk
Apr 4, 2014 at 2:58 pm
Funny how all you clowns bash him but weren’t there. I was following that group yesterday cause Luke Donald is my favorite player and DJ was clearly in pain. He was stretching constantly and at one point the Dr came out on hole 4 to talk to him. Like a man he finished the round instead of withdrawing mid round. When I got home I watched it on TV and they didn’t show anything about that. So next time get all the facts before you open your mouths. On hole 11 Rory told DJ “take your time bro” when DJ said sorry for taking extra time stretching.
Greg
Apr 4, 2014 at 3:18 pm
Thanks for sharing this, stupid articles like this can escalate and ruin a guys fan base for no reason, DJ should have said why but he didn’t, doesn’t mean these writers should say he quit wow!!
steve
Apr 4, 2014 at 4:01 pm
If this is true, then why play at all. Withdraw and let someone else that play in your spot.
BS
Apr 5, 2014 at 3:29 am
Dude, he was able to FINISH the round. Which means, it wasn’t that bad. I mean come on – so you sprayed a few – it happens when you’re a bit tight and off-timing. But to withdraw on tightness AFTER you finished the whole round? Why not have just walked off after a couple more holes when you knew it would cause problems, or even after 9 holes? But to be able to finish and then withdraw? Bogus, I say.
Philip
Apr 5, 2014 at 3:53 pm
Because it is his job. I don’t know about anyone else here, but no matter how crappy I feel I push myself to the end of the day and if by the next morning I’m done before I start, then I’m not going to work.
They don’t know any other kind of work, their perspective is skewed a bit. Yes any of us would likely rather be playing golf, throwing up and in pain than at our regular jobs, especially if we are being paid for our efforts.
Mx
Apr 6, 2014 at 7:03 am
With Masters next week, he made a wise choice to finish the round and then wothdraw instead of being a douche and just walk off the course like tiger does it. He didnt want to disappoint the fans that were following him on that day. And DJ is a good sport. He tried his best to play well due to the pain or tightness or whatever.
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yo!
Apr 4, 2014 at 2:44 pm
For pro golfers with little desire, it’s easy to quit after shooting an 80
James
Apr 4, 2014 at 2:38 pm
Butterface, I just don’t wee what the big deal is about her. As for DJ, quitter…
RobN
Apr 4, 2014 at 2:54 pm
Butterface. No doubt!
Lippy
Apr 4, 2014 at 2:38 pm
She had such a bad lip job done, she looks terrible
Pingback: Dustin Johnson shoots 80, withdraws from Houston Open | Distinct Athlete
erkr
Apr 4, 2014 at 2:26 pm
She is very nice.
But why is she on the cover of Golf Digest? There are other mags for that. I lose respect for GD
Rancho Bob
Apr 4, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Pretty poor behavior on Johnson’s part, but no worse than Rory’s faux toothache. I’m sure there’s plenty of pros who would love to have his spot in the field. Grow a pair and at least try to make the cut.
Jeff
Apr 4, 2014 at 1:49 pm
She should be on every golf cover. Preferably in a bikini.
steve
Apr 4, 2014 at 1:39 pm
Dustin and Paulina a real high moral couple there.
J Duf
Apr 4, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Ive had trouble swinging since I saw that cover as well 🙂
Pappy
Apr 4, 2014 at 11:56 am
Does a mental issue count as a medical problem? lol
Ian Bainbridge
Apr 4, 2014 at 11:38 am
Bad back?? Difficult to refute. Or he just chucked it, mind you if you know you can’t make the cut and you have that girlfriend at home? I guess I would take time off and return for Masters 😉
Ben
Apr 4, 2014 at 10:54 am
he mad
The dude
Apr 4, 2014 at 11:11 am
About what??
Curt
Apr 4, 2014 at 10:29 am
Based on his fiance’s overflowing sexuality, he’s just not focused on the right things to make his golf game better. She may not be the best influence on his golf game!
As my dad use to say to me, “get your mind off that tail and back on your books!”
froneputt
Apr 4, 2014 at 10:22 am
This is truly a desperate attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill.
The GD cover is tasteful. Holly’s cover last year was tasteful. Next year’s will be … tasteful.
It’s about fitness, and nothing sells fitness like sexiness.
The dude
Apr 4, 2014 at 10:10 am
Really lame……