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Tour Rundown: More May showers from England to Texas
The ladies of the LPGA and LET had the week off, so we’ll have to make due with the lads. No worries there, as 5 of the world’s major professional tours were in action. “Fairway Jesus,” as David Feherty likes to call Tommy Fleetwood, hosted the British Masters in Southport, England, while the Asia-Pacific Open was contested in Japan. Stateside, the Webbies were in Kansas City MO, while the Oldsters did battle in the first of back-to-back, major championships on PGA Tour Champions. Finally, the regular PGA Tour met in Dallas at the linksy Trinity Forest, where rain did its best to delay and detour. Ultimately, the players sneaked in 72 holes.
We find ourselves in the midst of a new major timetable. From April to July, on at least one tour each week, a major is to be contested. More attention for that tour, more of a chance for establishment (or redemption) of one’s career, is on the books. Pay close attention this week at Bethpage, when the PGA Championship debuts in May, or next week in Rochester, when the Senior PGA returns to Oak Hill. With no disrespect intended toward other professional tournaments, major titles are the ones that catch the attention of the lightweight golf fan, turning her or him into a passionate one, if only for a weekend. On, then, to this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson Classic has one victor, but much gratitude
While Sung-hoon Kang left Trinity Forest with a trophy and a big check, a handful of other golfers left with confidence. Coming into the season of many majors, that’s just as valuable. Kang lost the lead on Saturday to Matt Every, then reclaimed it Sunday morning, during the 3rd round restart. The two golfers handed the top spot back and forth through the entirety of the final 18 holes. Every had 5 birdies (and one bogey) over the first 6 holes, then Kang made a run with birdies from 14 through 16. The only way to separate was to play perfect golf, and the winds, wetness and diversity at Trinity Forest didn’t allow that, not for anyone in the final round. Check that. Scott Piercy was perfect. He birdied 6 of his first 8 holes to reach -20. He needed to reach 9-under on the day, but only one more birdie awaited. He tied Every at -21, two behind the victor.
In addition to Every and Piercy, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Peter Uihlein, Rory Sabbatini, Matt Jones and Tyler Duncan also came away with top-five finishes. Knowing that they were a run of birdies away from a challenge will stand them well as they travel half a country north, to near Long Island. Bethpage Black could not differ more from this week’s venue, but don’t tell that to those who left Dallas with the greatest prize: their confidence.
Sung Kang is a @KobeBryant fan.
Three straight back-nine birdies.
Stepping up in the 4th quarter.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/9FRaiZ2YCU
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2019
European Tour witness to Kinhult’s first triumph
Host Tommy Fleetwood gave everything he had to the 2019 British Masters, but with 6 holes remaining, he ran out of gas in an effort to hand himself the trophy. Next came defending champion Eddie Pepperell, he of the enviable wit and golf game. Pepperell reached the clubhouse at -15, and with golfers falling to their apparent doom behind him, looked a solid bet to at least reach extra holes. Bobby MacIntyre of Scotland joined the defender at 15 below par, and the pair waited for the final group to conclude play. Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, with no wins to his name, played solid golf through the 14th, as Matthew Wallace alongside failed to separate himself from the field. Still chuffed at being ignored for a Ryder Cup captain’s pick last fall, Wallace has played with a sizable chip on his shoulder ever since. Over the closing six holes, with a chance to seize victory, the Englishman made six unfortunate pars, finishing on -15 with the earlier pair. Kinhult played as expected, making consecutive bogeys at 15 and 16 to begin to fall away. Just as suddenly, when all was certainly lost, he returned birdies at 17 and 18 to reach 16-under and shock the tournament field. With the win, the Swede’s OWGR status of 210 will certainly change, as he moves close to the top 100. For Wallace, an opportunity lost. For Pepperell, a near-defense. For MacIntyre, validation.
????? Marcus Kinhult's winning round in three minutes.#BetfredBritishMasters pic.twitter.com/zm5qPIVtNx
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 12, 2019
Gellerman claims first Web win at KC Golf Classic
Did anyone win this week, who hadn’t won before? I don’t think so. Holy smokes! In truth, I had no idea who Michael Gellerman was before today. I found his profile on the Web.Com Tour page, and thought that he possessed a face that combined Chris Farley with a young Ron Howard. In other words, middle America. Before today, Gellerman ranked 75th on tour; this evening, he sits at #8. Good week, wouldn’t you say? For the majority of the weekend, I expected that Argentina’s Nelson Ledesma would break through for his first victory. The Platense had 65 on Saturday, but certainly didn’t expect a 17-par, 1-bogey Sunday. Despite the absence of fuel on day four, Ledesma finished one excruciating stroke behind, in a tie for 2nd with Harry Higgs. Unlike the PGA Tour this week, many players had to feel like they let this one slip away, beginning with Ledesma. Luke Guthrie and Jack Maguire were even on the day and finished 3 back. Kyle Reifers was +1 on the day and sat alongside, at -8. Gellerman’s winning round was opportunistic: he made a birdie here, than a bunch of pars. Another birdie, then a second string of pars. When he birdied the 13th, the game was on. No one would catch him, and season-long goals would need a review.
Down the stretch @KCGolfClassic …
• @OUKnowMike -11 (13)
• @HarryHiggs1991 -10 (14)
• @NelsonLedesmaOK -10 (12)
• @KyleReifersPGA -10 (12)#WebTour pic.twitter.com/uGxek9ym1X— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) May 12, 2019
Asian Tour sees Asaji’s inaugural victory on home soil
It seems that a stellar young prospect emerges from Japan every decade or so. Ryo Ishikawa and Hideki Matsuyama have shown their skills in recent years, and the future seems bright for amateur Ren Yonezawa, who posted 2-under par this week at the Sobu country club. That number tied him with the USA’s Micah Lauren Shihn at the end of 72 holes, but the pair found itself staring up at Yosuke Asaji, who eclipsed them by one with -3 total. The victory was Asaji’s first on the Asian Tour, Asaji and Shin were the front-runners entering round four, but each struggle to a +1 score of 72 on the final day. In contrast, Yonezawa played brilliantly, tying for low round of the day with 68. For Asaji, the victory validated years of toil on practice ranges and putting greens; for the young Yonezawa, the almost-was signals an opportunity to ascend the WAGA rankings and perhaps make a career of professional golf one day.
#DiamondCup ????????
A slim one-shot lead for @yosuke_asaji with 8 holes to go. Currently 3-under par and leading @MICahshin1 by 1. Only 3 players still under par now!#whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/1oTcoWaUTg— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) May 12, 2019
It’ll be a Monday finish at @RegionsTrad.
7:30 resumption to Round 4 with @stevestricker leading by two. pic.twitter.com/flYEunNdOI
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 12, 2019
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Morning 9: Nelly does it again | Bryson: Definitely disappointing | Xander wins PGA
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Can you believe it? Professor Xavier won the 2024 PGA Championship
PGA Championship Sunday is a multi-tiered celebration. It begins with the identification of the top PGA professionals in the USA, and their naming to the USA side for the PGA Cup competition. This biennial event pits the best club professionals from Great Britain and Ireland, and the USA. Beginning with this year’s low PGA professional, Braden Shattuck, and his fellow cut-maker, Jeremy Wells, and concluding with last year’s darling, Michael Block, ten golfers were selected to represent the stars and bars at Sunriver Resort in Oregon.
The next bit of intrigue is a bit larger, in news terms. Who would hoist the Wannamaker Trophy, the largest of all the men’s major vessels, as the 2024 PGA Champion? Would it be a former major winner like DeChambeau, Lowry, or Morikawa? Or, would a first-timer prevail, perhaps with the last name of Hovland, Theegala, or Schauffele? After his third-round 73, we knew that the grand slam of golf would not happen in 2024 for Scottie Scheffler, but we admired his moxie.
For those architecture luddites who proclaim that if it ain’t Raynor, it ain’t golf, we hear you, but we don’t side with you. Major-championship golf needs courses like Valhalla, with odd, stone-lined, island greens, alongside forced carries over water. A little thick rough is all right, from time to time. Quail Hollow might have some rough in 2025, but there is no doubt that Aronimink in 2026, and PGA Frisco in 2027, will play lean, fast, and firm. Be patient; you’ll get what you crave.
WOW??
Alejandro Tosti drives the green on the signature 13th!#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/XeZ9OBtMmA
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2024
Valhalla gave us all the drama we needed, waaaayyyyy more than we had at Augusta in April. This first-gen bloke from California made birdie on his first hole, to jump into a tie for the lead. This leader of mutant super heroes took the lead back, and held it for most of the day. Some muscular physicist entered the fray, alongside a fan of Norwegian death metal music. Let’s be honest: that’s quite a mixed bag, and could we ask for anything more? Nah. Here we go, then, with the one thing we learned on Sunday at the PGA Championship.
Sahith Theegala began the day with a longish putt for birdie on his first hole of the day. If he had stuffed his approach and made the same score, he might have made believers of us. As it was, that was the last hurrah for the young Californian. He gave the stroke back at number two, and failed to find any balance nor momentum on the day. Five bogeys and three birdies gave him 73 on the day, and he dropped from solo third to T12. There’s still a bit of learning on how to close a major championship for Theegala, but he has time.
On the other end of the spectrum, Shane Lowry figured to have the poise to make a run at a second major title. The pride of Ireland started well, standing minus-two through four holes. Unfortunately for Shamrock Shane, he didn’t make another birdie until the 14th hole. His 70 kept him inside the top six, but seven strokes off the winner’s pace.
Sahith Theegala starting things off RIGHT??
He birdies 1 and moves into a tie for the lead. ?#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/3s69WnNQyI
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2024
Collin Morikawa and Thomas Detry each arrived at four-place-tie station on different horses. Morikawa began round four in a tie with Xander Schauffele, at minus-sixteen. Morikawa did not have his “A” game on this day, and his “B” game wasn’t good enough to keep him in contention. Detry bounced back from a Saturday 70 with 66 on day four. He moved up six spots on Sunday, almost as magnificent a jump as Billy Horschel, who climbed from 29th to 8th with 64. The T4 was a ringing success for Detry, his best major finish ever. For Morikawa, it was another gut punch, suggesting that his major wins in 2020 and 2021 were more fortune than fame.
Death Metal merchant Viktor Hovland came to the last hole at 19-under par. His game is built around power, and birdie should have been a possibility for the Norwegian nightmare. His drivefound the left side of the fairway, but his approach was more foozle than flame, and was fortunate to find the right tongue of fairway, short of the green. He pitched to 10 feet, but missed the putt for birdie. Knowing that the tournament was lost, he proceeded to miss from three feet and finished in solo third. If there was one bit of consolation, the missed tap-in mattered not at all in the final tally.
And just like that… Viktor Hovland grabs a share of the LEAD!
He’s 19-under through 13.#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/VF13Z28SXL
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2024
Bryson DeChambeau made his bed when he defected from the PGA Tour in 2023. Like Hovland, he challenged for the 2023 PGA Championship in Rochester, at storied Oak Hill, before ultimately offering a golf clap for winner Brooks Koepka. DeChambeau did everything that one might do on Sunday, save win the tournament. Unlike the other contenders, the 2020 US Open winner signed for a clean card on day four. His seven-birdie 64 was the day’s low round, matched by the aforementioned Billy Horschel, and England’s Jordan Smith. Knowing that he had to make a 72nd-hole birdie to pressure the leader, DeChambeau hit a marvelous pitch from thick rough, to ten feet. Unlike Hovland, he converted the birdie and went to the scorer’s pavillion at 20-deep. Only a birdie from the final pairing could ruin his day.
Xander Schauffele, along with the other Olympic gold medal winners, gets a major win from this writer. Olympic Gold is akin to immortality. From his peers and from the rest of the media, it may not count quite so high. Affirmation comes from winning one of the four big ones. The men’s tours have the fewest major events, so their value escalates. Schauffele had come close before, and two weeks ago, he faded against Rory McIlroy in the final round at Quail Hollow (next year’s PGA Championship site, doncha know?!)
On Sunday, Schauffele was a lion. He made seven birdies on the day, and survived a bogey at the benign tenth, a straightforward par-five hole. He followed the bogey with a pair of birdies, to reclaim the lead. It wasn’t until DeChambeau made birdie at the last, that the outcome was in doubt. With gravel in his belly, a boy named Xander rose up and kept his ball dry at the last. He pitched to six feet, and rammed the winning putt into the back of the hole. In a flash, all the unwanted finishes washed away: Xander Schauffele was, finally, the owner of a grand slam tournament title.
Attack an awkward lie with confidence like 2024 PGA Champion Xander Schauffele with these key tips from Ryan Adams, PGA. ?@TMobile | @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/0Y66NzUnsR
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 19, 2024
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Five Things We Learned: Saturday at the PGA Championship
Moving Day is a term applied to round three of a four-round tournament. It suggests that competitors need a solid or spectacular round on Saturday, in order to position themselves for potential Sunday victory. Among the favorites in contention after 36 holes, only Scottie Scheffler fell out of contention. The Texan suffered a par-double-bogey-bogey start, and could not recover. Three more bogeys damaged his score even more. Scheffler begins day four at seven-under par, eight shots behind the leaders.
As for those leaders, it’s a familiar pair, and we’ll get to them. We saw Justin Rose return to major-championship contention for the first time in a while. He’ll need 63 on Sunday to matter, but it’s still good to see the two-time major winner (Olympic Gold counts!) in the mix. Bryson DeChambeau carried the LIV flag into the day-four conversation, and with a low 60s score, he’ll have a chance at a second major title. Even the home-state feloow, Justin Thomas, found a way to matter. He’s on the outside, looking in, but a 60 is not inconceivable, and 11-under would certainly win the day, if not the week.
UNBELIEVABLE! Justin. Thomas.
The Kentucky guy holes out for birdie! #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/YVeNslCW37
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2024
1. Xander holds the lead
There’s a burden that comes with posting a score of 62. Media, fans, and even the player hope and even expect to see it again. Xander Schauffele wasn’t on track to repeat that number of Saturday, but he stood in the middle of the 15th fairway and thought about how low he could go. Three-under par on the day, coming off birdie at 14, with a pitch to the green, and he went for the flag and missed.
Schauffele made an unanticipated mistake and it cost him two shots. His most immediate competitor was in his group and made birdie, retrieving three shots in one hole. That’s the sort of moment that goes down in history as a gut check. Schauffele’s gut responded. He leveled the wings with par at 16, then closed with birdies at 17 and 18, to returne to 15-under par. The X Man will tee off again in the final pairing, and take a run at his first major title. The fifteenth hole might loom large again in the outcome; hopefully, a lesson has been learned!
This ball wanted to build some suspense!
Xander Schauffele holds on to the top spot with this putt from distance ???#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/kM4LZwUSLu
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2024
2. Morikawa can taste another PGA
For two years, Collin Morikawa was that guy. He won this tournament in 2020, then collected the Open Championship jug at Sandwich in 2021. Win two majors, and everyone heads down the career grand slam discussion. Three years on, Morikawa has the same number of majors on his dossier, and two more professional wins to show. He’s probably antsy for another major.
The California native stumbled early on Saturday. He made bogey at the two-shot second hole, then dug in with everything he had. A birdie at three balanced the card, and four more came his way. None was bigger than the three that he made at the 15th, as the leader was making double bogey in his group! Morikawa took a one-shot lead there, then closed with birdie at the last to reach Sunday morning tied at the top with Xander Schauffele.
Sunday will fill with drama, but it won’t involve just that grouping. When Morikawa tees off at 2:35 Louisville time, a move will have been made. Someone close by (one at -14, three at -13, two at -12) will be a few under par, and the thermometer will have risen. Our guess, simply, is that Morikawa will need 66 to win outright on Sunday. 20-under par should get it done, and to go down as one of the greats, he’ll need to be great.
Bounce-back birdie for Collin Morikawa at the 3rd ?#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/enpc0mkbcc
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2024
3. Shane shares PGA record
Shane Lowry goes down as one of the most popular major champions of this era. His Open Championship win at Royal Portrush in 2019 kicked off a massive celebration of Irish pride and delight. Lowry hasn’t added to that major total of one, but the cask-chested, smile-and-a-beard doesn’t need to. He’s the sort who can take a two-man win, as he had this season with Rory McIlroy in New Orleans, and elevate its worth. He’s the sort who anchors an international side, as he does every two years in the Ryder Cup.
This week in Kentucky is different. Lowry has the chance to keep the hot hand and claim a second major title. These opportunities don’t come around that often. Lowry was fire on Saturday. He posted the first, sub-thirty nine of the tournament on the outward half. HIs six birdies and three pars gave him 29, and he looked for all the world to be the man to chase. The inward half wasn’t quite as volcanic, but the card was clean, and he came home in 33. His score matched Schauffele’s opening round, for the all-time low, 18-hole score, in PGA Championship history.
What’s to do? Make putts early. Find a way to get back in the zone and ride that spaceship to the final green. Lowry most likely needs to finish Saturday in 65 strokes or fewer, and posting 127 on a major championship weekend is unheard of. That’s why they play, though, isn’t it? Why not Shane, why not today?
A fist pump we’ve been waiting for! ?
Shane Lowry loves it too. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/BysfhGOeZ3
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2024
4. Theegala lost, then found
As far as I was concerned, Sahith Theegala was yesterday’s news. Consecutive bogeys at five and six, supported by zero birdies through eight holes, destined him for the also-ran section of the leader board. I was frightfully incorrect.
Theegala found some inspiration at the ninth tee. Maybe it was a kick in the arse by his caddie, or by him, but a flame ignited. Theegals made the first of six birdies at the outward home hole, and posted 31 coming home. Birdie at the final hole ensured that he would tee off in Sunday’s penultimate group, with Shane Lowry.
It is often written that all should be wary of the wounded, as they fight for survival. Theegala dislocated a rib two weeks ago, at Quail Hollow. This week, he has been under the weather with some bug. With his mind focused on health, rather than score, he has done quite well. If he stays that course, one last round, he might have to do a heavy lift on Sunday, with the Wannamaker trophy in his hands.
Sahith Theegala with the magic touch!#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/jYu5dZcig0
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2024
5. The Prediction!
Despite all the kind words I’ve written about the aforementioned four gentlemen, none of them will exit Louisville with the happiest of visages. The winner, however, will not let us down in the smiles department. Viktor Hovland teed off in the final pairing last year, at Oak Hill, and had a front-row seat in the Koepka Koaster, as Brooks Koepka showed the Norwegian how to win a major championship. Rest assured that Hovland took copious notes. His frustration at a Masters missed cut in April has been channeled into his performance this week.
What will go down? Hovland will have at least one holed shot from off the green on Sunday’s outward nine. He’ll find a groove and the putter will warm up quickly. Hovland will sign for the third 62 of the week, but will have to wait as each of the final four golfers has a chance to tie at the final hole. One will, and they will head to a play-off, where Hovland will emerge in overtime.
Viktor Hovland has made back to back birdies to move to T3 ? pic.twitter.com/bdEbcz6DS1
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) May 18, 2024
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