Connect with us

News

GolfWRX Morning 9: Bae-umphant! | U.S. Ryder Cuppers’ strokes gained advantage

Published

6 years ago

on
By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

September 17, 2018

Good Monday morning, golf fans.
1. A veritable Bae-umph!
Sangmoon Bae won the Albertsons Boise Open with a birdie on the final hole for a one-stroke victory in the Web.com Tour Finals event. With the win, he earns his PGA Tour card for 2019.
  • Golf World report…”Sangmoon Bae’s return to the PGA Tour this season did not go as planned, finishing 202nd in the FedEx Cup standings to lose his PGA Tour card. Luckily for Bae, following a short detour to the Web.com Tour Finals, he’ll be back on the big stage in 2019. With a birdie on the final hole at Hillcrest Country Club, Bae won the Albertsons Boise Open to regain his PGA Tour card.”
  • “Golf fans may remember the plight of Bae at the end of 2015. He had turned in the best season of his professional career, winning the Frys.com (now Safeway) Open, accumulating nearly $2.6 million in earnings and competing for the International Team at the Presidents Cup, held in his native country of South Korea. However, Bae’s homeland requires all males 18-to-35 to complete a two-year military commitment. After losing a court battle seeking a wavier, Bae was forced to set aside the sport for service.”
  • “I thought it would not take that long [to get my game back], but I have struggled for almost a year,” Bae said. “My game is not that much different, but maybe a little mentally. It’s a little different in my mind because I feel like I’m back to being a rookie. More humbled and more patient.”
2. Stanford, finally
AP Report…”Angela Stanford ended her long wait for a first major title when her 3-under 68 was enough to win the Evian Championship by one shot Sunday after long-time leader Amy Olson made double-bogey on the 18th.”
  • “At age 40, and 15 years after she was runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Open, Stanford’s wild final few holes gave her a 12-under total of 272….Olson missed a six-foot putt for bogey on the 18th to force a playoff, while Stanford waited near the green signing autographs for dozens of young spectators.”
  • Golf Channel report on what befell Olson, “who was seeking her first LPGA win. She was playing steady if not spectacular golf and had missed only one fairway when she came to the par-4 18th. She then proceeded to hook her drive into trouble on the left. Her attempt to escape remained in the rough and by the time she put her third shot on the green, it was well short of the hole. She then gunned her first putt some 5 feet past, then missed the comebacker. Her 74 left her in a four-way tie for second place.”
  • Ryan Herrington writes…”the label “best player without a major championship” often gets passed around in men’s golf, a dubious honorific to say the least. Just ask Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood how much fun it is to be considered worthy of such consideration. The title is far less commonly used in the women’s game, although when it is trotted out, Angela Stanford often is among those mentioned. Until Sunday, that is.”
3. A Wu-inner, narrowly
AP report…”Ashun Wu has claimed victory at the KLM Open after Chris Wood squandered a three-shot lead over the closing holes.”
  • “Englishman Wood brought a one-shot lead into the final round at The Dutch and started his day strongly, hitting back to back birdies at the 9th and 10th holes. However, a double-bogey at the 12th allowed the chasing pack, including Wu, the chance to bring themselves back into it.”
  • “Wu was the man to capitalise on Wood’s downfall, birdying three of the final five holes to finish on 16-under par and leaving Wood needing to find a birdie on the par-5 18th to take the contest into a play-off.”
  • “However, Wood could only find par to finish a shot behind Wu, who has won his first title since 2016.”
4. An American edge?
Golfweek’s David Dusek took a very interesting look at recent strokes gained data for the U.S. and European Ryder Cup players.
  • “For example, analyzing the strokes gained data on each of the 12 American players since the completion of the U.S. Open shows that the single-biggest strokes gained advantage on the squad is Justin Thomas’ approach the green average of 4.167. In the six ShotLink events Thomas played, he typically gained more than four shots against the field based solely on the quality of his play from the fairway. His iron play has been a bigger weapon than Brooks Koepka’s driving (4.077), Tiger Woods’ approach game (3.921) or Dustin Johnson’s performance off the tee (3.836).”
  • “On the European side, the most significant strokes gained advantage during the same period has been Francesco Molinari’s 4.56 strokes gained approach the green average. His play from the fairway has been even more dominant than Rory McIlroy’s performance off the tee (3.825).”
Maybe meaningful, maybe trivial, but certainly interesting. Full piece.
5. ANWA questions
The Man out Front with a bit of new information about the ANWA…
  • “NBC will broadcast three hours of play that includes coverage at Amen Corner five days earlier than we are used to, with the cameras, cables and microphones all from CBS’ infrastructure for the upcoming Masters. Driving the NBC Sports/Golf Channel production will be the production team behind Sunday’s Drive, Chip and Putt Championship coverage. Mike Tirico is the only confirmed announcer for the ANWA, with Golf Channel still sorting out which talent will work the event while it is also producing the first major of 2019, the ANA Championship in Rancho Mirage, Calif.”
  • “What NBC did to secure the rights for Year One will be known to only the few folks inside the room. But The Forecaddie hears CBS made a hard push to televise the ANWA despite speculation that Saturday night’s NCAA Final Four coverage might have impacted their thinking. TMOF hears NBC/Golf Channel’s devotion to telling the Drive, Chip and Putt stories was a huge part in the decision to go with the peacock, as was the availability of Tirico, who gives the broadcast instant gravitas. And never sell short the growing prominence around Augusta National of Comcast chairman Brian Roberts, a key driver of the DCP, head of the Masters website committee and consigliere to former chairman Billy Payne. Comcast, in case you hadn’t heard, owns NBC and Golf Channel.”
6. Heck yeah!
16-year-old amateur Rachel Heck availed herself impressively at the Evian Championship.
  • STLToday report…When 16-year-old Rachel Heck finally hits the professional golf tour, the current world No. 2, Ariya Jutanugarn, plans to give her a lot of respect. American high schooler Heck made a big impression Sunday completing the Evian Championship – her second major – in a fun grouping with the Jutanugarn sisters, two-time major winner Ariya and 13th-ranked Moriya.”
  • “Heck justified her wild-card entry in France first by making the cut, just as she did in her majors debut at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open….”It was amazing, I was just grateful to be here,” said the native of Memphis, Tennessee, adding she had no set targets. “Because last year I made the cut at the U.S. Open, so people were like, ‘Oh, you can do it again.'”
And indeed she did. Well played.
7. Gaston’s new gig
An excellent piece from the weekend by Digest’s Ryan Herrington on USC’s acclaimed women’s golf coach’s surprising move.
  • A taste…”I was at the U.S. Women’s Open in Birmingham, and my cellphone rang late on a Friday,” she recalled. It was a search firm representing Texas A&M. The school decided not to renew the contract of its women’s golf coach, Trelle McCombs, and was wondering if Gaston might have an interest in the vacant post.”
  • “Gaston’s USC squads won NCAA titles in 2003 (left), 2008 (right top) and 2013. Gaston told them they first needed to get permission from her athletic director to talk, which bought her some time to think. “I wasn’t trying to move,” she said, “but I thought you know why not have a look. I’ve never looked.”
  • “Indeed, despite being among the most accomplished coaches in her profession-in the last 13 years USC had finished no worse than fifth at NCAAs-only once had she been approached by another school about an opening. It was in 2007 and, coincidentally, it was Texas A&M. Gaston wasn’t interested then, and the Aggies eventually hired McCombs.”
  • “…Most important, she saw a future, one she really had never dreamed of. “I think everybody probably thought I’d finish my career at USC,” Gaston said, “and quite honestly, that’s really what I thought I’d be doing as well.”
8. Golf in Puerto Rico bouncing bark
Our Dan Shepherd filed an excellent look at the golf industry in Puerto Rico and its resilience.
  • “Transforming how the world perceives Puerto Rico is essential. While the destination has rebuilt significantly and seen more visitors of late, it needs to continue gaining traction if it is to return to pre-Maria visitation levels. “Our mission is to create a much healthier tourism industry and a global brand for Puerto Rico,” said Dean. “Travel and tourism can fuel ongoing recovery, and we will change lives if we do this right.”
  • “An unincorporated territory of the United States, Puerto Rico’s history, tropical climate, natural scenery, traditional cuisine, and tax incentives make it a destination for travelers from around the world. It’s particularly appealing to American golfers, who can take direct flights from many cities, and without needing a passport to visit.”
  • “There are more than 20 golf courses on Puerto Rico, most of the upscale and luxury resort variety, but there are municipal and military base courses as well. Located throughout the island in different micro climates and on varied terrain, the courses are often amenities of hospitality brands, such as Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort, Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort, and Coco Beach Golf & Country Club (formerly Trump International Puerto Rico), where the annual PGA TOUR Puerto Rico Open is played each spring.”
9. For your listening pleasure

A confluence of GolfWRX podcasters! Johnny Wunder from GolfWRX’s “The Gear Dive” podcast made his way to the Two Guys Talking Golf studio to talk about PXG’s store opening, interviewing Fred Couples, why he loves golf equipment so much, which of Tiger Woods’ irons he’d want to play from throughout his career, and much much more.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 3
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Related Topics:

GolfWRX Editor-in-Chief

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship

Published

16 mins ago

on

May 7, 2024

By

GolfWRX is live this week at the Wells Fargo Championship as a field of the world’s best golfers descend upon Charlotte, North Carolina, hoping to tame the beast that is Quail Hollow Club in this Signature Event — only Scottie Scheffler, who is home awaiting the birth of his first child, is absent.

From the grounds at Quail Hollow, we have our usual assortment of general galleries and WITBs — including a look at left-hander Akshay Bhatia’s setup. Among the pullout albums, we have a look inside Cobra’s impressive new tour truck for you to check out. Also featured is a special look at Quail Hollow king, Rory McIlroy.

Be sure to check back throughout the week as we add more galleries.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about our Wells Fargo Championship photos in the forums.

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

News

SuperStroke acquires Lamkin Grips

Published

24 hours ago

on

May 6, 2024

By

SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”

“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”

Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.

According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”

CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.

“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.

Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history

Your Reaction?
  • 13
  • LEGIT3
  • WOW7
  • LOL1
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP2
  • OB2
  • SHANK5

Continue Reading

News

Tour Rundown: Pendrith, Otaegui, Longbella, and Dunlap soar

Published

24 hours ago

on

May 6, 2024

By

Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.

It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place

The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.

This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.

With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.

DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four

It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.

It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.

PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella

Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.

64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.

PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win

Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.

The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag21 hours ago

Peter Kuest WITB 2024 (May)

Peter Kuest what’s in the bag accurate as of CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (8 degrees)...
Whats in the Bag21 hours ago

Kelly Kraft WITB 2024 (May)

Kelly Kraft’s what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here. ...
Whats in the Bag2 days ago

Taylor Pendrith’s winning WITB: 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson

Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Accra TZ Six ST 3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees) Buy here....
Whats in the Bag2 days ago

Ben Kohles WITB 2024 (May)

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)...

Facebook

Trending