News
Morning 9: Wire to wire | Another senior major for Stricker | Hovland’s bid for a tour card
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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])
July 1, 2019 Good Monday morning, golf fans.
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1. Wire-to-wire
Golf Channel report…”For the second straight week, the 54-hole leader converted a six-shot lead into victory. Following Chez Reavie at last week’s Travelers Championship, Lashley took full advantage of his big cushion, shooting 2-under 70 to finish at 25 under, six shots clear of the field. But unlike Reavie, who nearly squandered his lead last week, Lashley never let his advantage sink below six. He birdied the first hole and never looked back. His six-shot victory is the second largest margin of victory on Tour this season, just behind Rory McIlroy’s seven-shot rout in Canada.”
2. Strick!
AP report on the Ryder Cup captain’s romp…”Stricker birdied the opening hole Sunday and never was threatened on his way to a 1-under 69 for a six-shot victory. He finished at 19-under 261 on the Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame, breaking by three shots the U.S. Senior Open record set two years ago by Kenny Perry at Salem Country Club.”
3. Lashley’s road
While there has been no shortage of discussion of the death of Nate Lashley’s parents (and girlfriend) in a 2004 plane crash, if you’re unfamiliar, it’s essential filigree for Rod Lashley’s son’s triumph in Detroit.
4. Meanwhile, in Spain…
EuropeanTour.com report…”Christiaan Bezuidenhout won his first European Tour title in emphatic style with a six shot victory at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation.”
“The South African came into the final day at Real Club Valderrama with a five shot lead and while he saw that trimmed to three at one point, a closing 71 saw him finish at ten under and lift the trophy.”
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5. 72nd-hole birdie to win
AP report…”Sung Hyun Park two-putted for birdie on the par-5 18th to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Sunday for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season and seventh overall.”
“The 25-year-old Park is projected to move from second to first in the world ranking Monday. She will take the top spot from friend Jin Young Ko, the fellow South Korean player who poured water over Park’s head on the 18th green.”
6. Korn Ferry
The Jonathan Davis-fronted nu metal band enthralled passengers aboard the merchant vessel…
But really in action on the tour formerly known as the Web.com…
Sean Wildhack at PGATour.com…”Kristoffer Ventura defeated Joshua Creel on the third playoff hole to win the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank. Ventura carded a final-round, bogey-free 65 before eventually winning with a par on the third extra hole at Oakridge Country Club.”
“This is unreal and I’m really happy to be in this position,” Ventura said. “I did everything I could before (the playoff) and I just figured if someone is going to win, I’ll try my best. As long as I do that, I’ll be happy afterwards. Obviously, it turned out to be pretty good.”
“Ventura began the final round three shots off the lead. The 24-year-old carded birdies on Nos. 1 and 5 to get to 10-under for the week. Despite windy conditions in the afternoon, Ventura kept his momentum going on the back nine. He rallied with birdies on Nos. 12, 13, 15 and 17 to get to 14-under for the championship, earning him a spot in the playoff with Creel.”
7. Nearly invisible, but not non-existent
“The LPGA Tour has long been a welcoming ward for lesbians, but gay men are entirely invisible on the PGA Tour and only slightly less so in the broader golf universe. Invisible, but not non-existent. There are some who, for whatever personal reasons, choose not to be open about their sexuality. That’s entirely their business, but it’s not an approach I mirror. The only thing I care to hide in golf is my wretched swing, not the fact that I am gay.”
8. Hovland’s quest for status
Golfweek’s Dan Kilbridge explains what the newly minted pro is facing following his T15 finish in Detroit…”College players who turn pro early are allowed seven sponsor exemptions to start their careers. Hovland now has five remaining and is in the field for the inaugural 3M Championship in Minnesota.”
“In order to continue to receive unlimited exemptions, a player needs to amass 266 FedEx Cup points in that seven-start stretch. Hovland picked up six of them with a T-54 finish in his pro debut at the Travelers Championship and will have about 200 points left to go after a solid finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.”
“With five starts left, Hovland could play every remaining tournament other than the British Open and WGC-Fed Ex St. Jude Invitational. He will need to win one of them or rip off several top-5 finishes to reach 266 FedEx Cup points and get straight into the Korn Ferry Tour finals (formerly the Web.com Tour).”
9. The Disruptors, Episode 2
Our Johnny Wunder went through the paces of a putter fitting at PXG. While his specific results are interesting, if you’ve ever wondered what fitting for a flatstick looks like, this is a great example of that process.
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News
Five Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship
It was a year ago that we the north, found ourselves with toes and fingers crossed. The Oak Hill PGA Championship of 2023 finished on schedule, despite the iffiness of weather in upstate New York. It’s 75 degrees today across the Niagara Frontier, which makes it two out of three (2022 was the same way) for sultry, unseasonal weather.
Louisville is, let’s be honest, a much better bet for a May PGA Championship, and Valhalla is an exciting venue for the year’s second major championship on the men’s circuit. Brooks Koepka came in as the defending champion, and Rory McIlroy arrived as the last golfer to win a major at the Nicklaus-designed course. That was a decade ago, and lord, have things changed in the world and golf.
Day one at Valhalla offered walk-in eagles, buckets of birdies, and potential for a record-low, winner’s score. We’ll get right to the meat of the matter, with five things that we learned. After all, if you can make par from the muck, anything’s possible in the land of the horses.
Cam Smith made par from here …#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/BY5ZFCiH45
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
1. X marks this spot
Xander Schauffele went head to head last Sunday with Rory McIlroy, at least on the practice green. By the end of the round, Rors had won for a fourth time at Charlotte, while the X Man sat scratching his head, wondering what went wrong. Fortunately for us, Xander didn’t sulk.
The San Diego State alumnus absolutely torched Jack’s track with 62. Four birdies on the front nine, were followed by five more on the inward side. Schauffele never looked as if bogey was a consideration, and he might have gone even lower. Despite winning the Covid-delayed Gold medal at the Japan Olympics (I consider it a major, btdubs) Schauffele continues to chase an initial men’s major, and the validation that it brings. If 62 doesn’t get you over the hump, who knows what will.
Cam Smith made par from here …#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/BY5ZFCiH45
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
2. Scottie starts strong? Aye.
Last month, Mr. Scheffler won a second green jacket at Augusta National. Last year in Rochester, Mr. Scheffler tied for second in this event. Mr. Scheffler began play today with a walk-in eagle, a one-hop affair that never looked as if it might go anywhere but to its home. Scheffler had a few rough holes, but that’s to be expected from a new dad. Each time he made bogey, he bounced back with birdie, so he has that short memory that winners crave. Surprisingly, Scheffler failed to manage one last birdie at the reachable 18th. Perhaps that miss will motivate him in round two.
Scottie’s shot was so nice we had to see it twice ?#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/eR1UUsyi3a
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
3. LIV Check-In
It’s good to check in on the departed from time to time, to ensure that the fellows formerly known as PGA Tour members are doing well. It’s safe to say that some of them can still play. Defending champion Brooks Koepka posted 67 on the day, He had an eagle and three birdies on the day, with only a stumble at the 17th. He’s tied for 7th. Bryson DeChambeau made an eagle of his own, but also had a bogey, at the 12th hole. He cohabits eleventh position with Cameron Smith, who ALSO had a bogey on his card. They are one shot behind Koepka, and a fistful more behind the leader.
ON THE MONEY ?
Bryson DeChambeau for eagle! #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Gz24VikAGQ
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
4. Sahith and Tony at Schauffele’s heels
Both Finau and Theegala represent a special sort of athletic golfer. Their power and their charisma blend to draw golf fans to their groups. Let’s be honest, too, and say that they don’t look like the traditional professional golfer. As much as Tiger Woods did in the 1990s, they have the power to bring greater diversity to the sport.
In terms of their play today, well, only Xander was better. Finau had a clean card, with six birdies and twelve pars. Theegala had seven birdies, ten pars, and one bogey. Each combined power and finesse to insert themselves squarely in contention, ahead of round two. How will they, and Xander as well, manage the afternoon putting surface on Friday? That’s the great unknown!
SAHITH. THEEGALA. ?
This hole out puts him in a tie for the lead early at the #PGAChamp.
? @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/s3vLZNBQI7
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 16, 2024
5. All those other guys are here!
Rory, Tom Kim, Collin, and Viktor are all at minus-three or lower. Valhalla may not be a traditional golf course, but it is the type of course that the world’s best play well. McIlroy currently sits at minus-five, tied with Robert MacIntyre, Kim, and three others in fourth position. Maverick McNealy finished fast to reach the same figure, as did Tom Hoge. Morikawa closed with birdie to join the sextet at five below. Both Scheffler and Morikawa finished their rounds late on Thursday, meaning they should see smoother greens on Friday morning. If someone is a betting sould, wiser wagers could not be placed on better names than those two, two-time, major champions. Rory will tee off in Friday’s afternoon wave but, hey, he’s Rory, and he won going away last week at Quail Hollow, a course not unlike Valhalla.
The 2020 PGA Champion is making moves.
A solid approach shot from Collin Morikawa ?#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/DpD7QNfbSM
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 16, 2024
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News
Morning 9: Tiger 2025 Ryder Cup talks continue | Rory: Tour in a worse place with Dunne’s resignation
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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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Johnny Penso
Jul 2, 2019 at 12:28 am
“There are some who, for whatever personal reasons, choose not to be open about their sexuality.” Dude, we’re golf fans, not porn fans. What someone chooses to do with their willy in their private life is their own business. I’m more concerned whether someone can flop a 60 over a bunker to a tight pin from the greenside rough myself.