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. |
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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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.
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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.”
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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. |
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Dave r
Mar 20, 2018 at 7:29 pm
Who won oh Rory . Thought it was mr smiles by all the coverage he got. Oh ya tiger is back not.
Ryan
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:34 pm
Wasn’t he playing a 790 2 iron, and not a 5 wood?
RG
Mar 21, 2018 at 9:38 pm
I followed him from 9 on and your right. He had the iron not the 5 wood. Dont know how to post photos here but i got some really good pics of his bag.
Sodapoppin
Apr 12, 2018 at 2:01 am
Hi. I would really like to see those pictures. Please mail them to me: [email protected]
Jack Nash
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:19 pm
Noticed during GC’s telecast, all they could talk about was Tigers CH speed. He finished 6th in driving for the Tourney. Guess the 5 above him had better speed GC?
joseph dreitler
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:10 pm
One of the best rounds of golf I have ever seen in my 67 years. Amazing turnaround on his putting in 1 week.
I have to also say that when the head of Taylor Made talks about how he thinks it would be awful to roll back the ball that Tour pros use, did anyone ask him if the average person going into Golf Galaxy could order and receive that EXACT set of clubs that Rory used? We know that the answer is “no you cannot” (whether you could hit them is a different question). So if I cannot buy the 14 clubs that Rory (or Tiger or Jason or Dustin) uses, why do I care about playing a TaylorMade ball that is different from his that says TaylorMade on it? Just curious.
Robert Parsons
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:16 pm
Does Rory not play the TP5x as listed above? Is he playing a special ball stamped TM? If so, what is it? I have no idea.
Spitfisher
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:26 pm
Wrong, all those shafts and heads are availble including the irons and wedges……not sure what your point we either.
joseph dreitler
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:45 pm
Please. To suggest that you can buy the same equipment that Tour Pro plays strains credulity. Not buying it. Your Only means what?
RG
Mar 21, 2018 at 9:42 pm
His point is that pros often play 1 off or custom clubs and shafts that are not available to the public. this belies the question that if a pro can get clubs and put them into play that are not available to the public (Stenson’s Legacy irons) what’s the big deal about the golf ball being exactly the same/
Zach
Mar 19, 2018 at 11:02 am
Real curious how he has those wedges bent. I’m guessing 58 to 57? Maybe keep 60 as is?
joe
Mar 19, 2018 at 10:46 am
One of the sickest rounds of golf I’ve seen in a long time. Absolutely unreal!
That drive he hit on the back nine right past the traps, same one Tiger yanked his drive left was amazing. I’m a Tiger fan, but Tiger can’t compete w/ this Rory man-beast, Tiger went from 1 shot back to 8 shots back in a matter of about one hour.
Chris Howard
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:11 pm
Even if Tiger didnt go OB on the 13th and say got a birdie there… he still loses because Rory went -8…lol… All Tiger did was lose second place to finish T-5…. Tiger was on pace to shoot possible 65-66 and he would have lost by 4 strokes…lol
Glen
Apr 3, 2018 at 4:30 am
You don’t know that. Tiger making a birdie there and making a real charge child have affected Rory’s game. Golf is a billion variable scenario.
Having said that, I’m a Tiger fan, but when Rory is on, I think he is untouchable buy any current golfer!!
larry
Mar 19, 2018 at 8:13 am
Too bad he’s using junk equipment.
Chris
Mar 19, 2018 at 8:42 am
Seemed to work just fine LOL
Benny
Mar 19, 2018 at 5:51 am
Only 13 clubs in the bag? Usually when he drops a wedge he adds a 3i. Suspect WRX didn’t get a pic of a new puter. Bummer.
Travis
Mar 19, 2018 at 9:18 am
He’s got 14 including the putter.
Foo
Mar 19, 2018 at 3:30 am
Fooking awesome bag
Joe
Mar 19, 2018 at 1:16 am
Congratulations Rory! Was hard to find a news story that actually talked about who won the Tournament. Amazing 64, that was one of the best and most under-reported final rounds in recent memory.
Henry
Mar 18, 2018 at 10:39 pm
Any pics of the new putter anywhere?
Tad Hamilton
Mar 18, 2018 at 10:45 pm
Look up Taylor Made Daytona Rossa, his putter came out in 2002.
You deserve all the credit for that round. Good playing today Laddie!