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Morning 9: KF Tour Championship winners of all varieties | Pro golf’s hottest hot streak? | Ancient human remains found on golf course

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5 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected]; @benalberstadt on Instagram)

 

September 3, 2019

 

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans. Time to put away your white golf pants for the season.
 

1. Lewis runs away with Korn Ferry Tour Championship
From our Ron Montesano’s Tour Rundown…“Tom Lewis must have seen an opening in his schedule and figured, why not go to America’s heartland and play the KF Tour for the first time … and win the Tour Championship … and get a PGA Tour card in the process? Pretty common plan, wouldn’t you say?”
  • “Lewis was an unstoppable force at Tom Fazio’s playground for fish. He began 68-66-66, then dropped a sublime 65 on the field in round four. For those counting, that was the low round of the day, matched only by Kramer Hickock. For Hickok, it jumped him 6 spots, into 3rd place, guaranteeing him a PGA Tour card beginning this fall. 2nd spot went to Argentina’s Fabian Gomez, who parlayed a 66 of his own into a runner-up spot. As for Lewis, that filthy 65 gave him a 5-shot margin of victory over Gomez, and a chance to sit down and rewrite all of his future plans.”
2. Other tour action you may have missed while not laboring Monday…
On the Champions Tour…Wes Short, Jr. outlasted Scott McCarron to finish at -13 and capture the Shaw Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club
On the LPGA Tour… Hannag Green carded a final round 5-under 67 to pip teenager (and Monday qualifier) Yealimi Noh at the Portland Classic.
On the European Tour…Rory McIlroy was bested in a 5-man playoff by Sebastian Soderberg who broke through to win the Omega European Masters in his 50th Euro Tour start.
3. Tavatanakit running hot
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…“Patty Tavatanakit wasted no time in making her presence known as a professional. The 19-year-old Thai player won her third title in eight starts on the Symetra Tour, claiming the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge on Sunday in a sudden-death playoff.”
  • “The former UCLA star shot a blistering 8-under 62 in the final round to make up a six-shot deficit. Tavatanakit then birdied the first playoff hole to edge Yujeong Son of South Korea.”
  • “Definitely very surreal, I didn’t expect to get this win,” said Tavatanakit. “I just hoped to play well and climb the leaderboard for a bigger check to move up the money list. I wanted to be the first player out here to win three times this year, so I accomplished my goal and hard work really pays off.”

Full piece.

4. Dorian disrupts golf from Florida to the Carolinas
Golfweek’s Jason Lusk…”Hurricane Dorian, the Category 5 storm that has pummeled parts of the Bahamas on Sunday and Monday, has forced the closure of golf resorts and operations all along the southeastern coast of the United States.”
  • “Among those businesses impacted are PGA Tour headquarters near Jacksonville, Fla., and several top-ranked courses that host Tour events. As evacuation plans differ from state to state, any golfer with travel plans this week or next should contact their resorts to confirm dates of planned reopening.”
  • “Forward progress of the storm stalled Monday over Freeport in the Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service, but Dorian is expected to start moving to the northeast over the next several days. That projected path of the storm brings the coastlines of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina into play this week. Hundreds of golf operations, large and small, lie within the possible path along more than 800 miles of coast.”
5. What a round (ICYMI)
Our Gianni Magliocco…”Last Friday produced one of the most astonishing rounds of golf you’re likely to see, and it came from young professional, Evan Grenus, at the pre-qualifying for Korn Ferry Tour Q School.”
  • “Grenus, who comes from Glastonbury, Connecticut, battled his way into the next stage of qualification despite making a triple bogey, a double bogey, and four bogeys by making three eagles and two birdies. But it’s how he made those scores that will astonish you.”
  • “According to Ryan French’s Monday Q Info social media account, the young pro began his round by holing out from 68 yards for birdie before holing out again from 140 yards for eagle two holes later. Four bogeys, a triple and a double followed in his next eight holes before Grenus regained the magic touch.”
  • “Needing to play his final three holes in four-under-par, Grenus holed yet another iron for eagle on 16, before knocking his approach shot on the last from 237 yards to tap in range to book his spot at the first stage of Q-school.”

Full piece.

6. Ancient human remains discovered…on a golf course
Golfweek staff report…”Kino Springs Golf Course in Nogales, Ariz., went from a recreational course to an archeological scene last week when a maintenance crew discovered human remains.”
  • “On Tuesday, a member of the maintenance crew, who said they were installing water pipes, called the the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to report the finding of possible human remains, according to a report by Nogales International.”
  • “They were able to determine that the remains were prehistoric, so at this point the case is going to be referred to the Arizona Historical Museum,” Sgt. Santiago Gonzales of the Sheriff’s Office said after a crew took photos of the findings and sent to the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner.”

Full piece.

7. Darren Clarke on slow play
Reuters report…”Clarke is widely recognised as one of golf’s easy going characters but when the discussion turns to slow play the Northern Irishman gets cross.
  • “Just give them (penalty) shots,” Clarke told Reuters. “The guys that are slow give them shots and then all of a sudden they will figure out a routine where they can hit it within the time limit.
  • “It will stop in one week if they start giving out penalty shots.
  • “It is the bad side of our sport and we need to address it.
  • “The guys that are slow we all know who they are give them shots and they will soon speed up.

Full piece.

8. Ghim, Duncan & more Tour card drama
Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Doug Ghim, was 29th in Finals points to start the week, but found himself inside that number late Monday. After a bogey at the par-4 17th dropped him to No. 23 on the projections, Ghim faced a 10-footer for par at the par-4 18th – make and Ghim would be joining Scheffler on Tour, miss and he would be returning to the KFT next year.”
  • “He made, delivering a big upper-cut fist pump as the ball dropped into the hole.”
  • Duncan…”Tyler Duncan entered Monday’s final round of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship needing a special round to ensure a return trip to the PGA Tour…He delivered.”
  • “The 30-year-old Purdue product, who arrived this week No. 41 in Finals points and was outside the top 25 heading into the final day at Victoria National, shot 6-under 66 with four back-nine birdies to finish T-4 and move to 12th in points.”

Full piece.

9. Good ideas

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine on what befell Justin Harding at the KF Tour Championship (way to labor on Labor Day, Brentley!)…

  • “Harding was on the cusp of earning his first PGA Tour card – until, of course, he wasn’t. Lanto Griffin, already among the 25 players to lock up a card during the regular season, double-bogeyed the par-4 17th hole and Grayson Murray, also already with a card clinched, bogeyed the par-4 18th to move D.J. Trahan and Richy Werenski past Harding in the projections.”
  • “Harding still had hope, though, as Griffin hit his approach to 5 feet at the last. But Griffin’s birdie putt lipped out, and Harding ended up No. 26 on the Finals points list just behind Trahan and Werenski, who ended up tied for 24th at 186 points.”
  • “But it gets worse: Harding fell one-tenth of a point shy of his card.”

Full piece.

 

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Scottie Scheffler arrested, charged, and released after traffic incident at Valhalla

Published

18 hours ago

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May 17, 2024

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As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police on the way to Valhalla Golf Club this morning due to a traffic misunderstanding.

“Breaking News: World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police in handcuffs after a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club. The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla. The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car.

“When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being detained in the back of a police car.”

Darlington also posted a video of the dramatic moment which you can view below:

There was an unrelated accident at around 5am, which is what may have caused some of the misunderstanding of which traffic was moving.

Speaking on ESPN, Darlington broke down exactly what he witnessed in full detail:

“Entering Valhalla Golf Club this morning, we witness a car pull around us that was Scottie Scheffler. Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police officers, placed in the back of a police vehicle in handcuffs after he tried to pull around what he believed to be security, ended up being police officers.

“They told him to stop, when he didn’t stop, the police officer attached himself to the vehicle, and Scheffler then travelled another 10 yards before stopping the car.”

“The police officer then grabbed at his arm, attempting to pull him out of the car, before Scheffler eventually opened the door, at which point the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back in handcuffs.

“Very stunned about what was happening, he looked towards me as he was in those handcuffs and said ‘please help me’. He very clearly didn’t know what was happening in the situation.”

“It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively. He was detained in that police vehicle for approximately 20 minutes. The police officers at that point did not understand that Scottie Scheffler was a golfer in the tournament, nor of course that he is the number one player in the world.”

Due to the accident, play has been delayed this morning. Scheffler’s current tee time for the second round of the PGA Championship is 10:08 a.m.

Scheffler’s mugshot following the incident:

*Update*

Scheffler has been charged with 2nd Degree assault of a police officer, criminal mischief 3rd degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

*Update*

According to ESPN+, Scottie Scheffler has been released and is now on his way to the golf course.

*Update*

Scottie Scheffler arrives at Valhalla ahead of his 10:08 a.m second round tee time.

*Update*

The PGA of America released this statement regarding the fatal accident, which diverted traffic at Valhalla this morning.

“This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.” 

Per the PGA Tour, Scheffler released the following statement.

We will update this developing story as more information on the situation is revealed.

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Five Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

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1 day ago

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May 16, 2024

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 soul, 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.

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Morning 9: Tiger 2025 Ryder Cup talks continue | Rory: Tour in a worse place with Dunne’s resignation

Published

2 days ago

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May 16, 2024

By
By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the PGA Championship gets underway from iconic Valhalla.

1. Waugh: 2025 Ryder Cup talks continue with Tiger

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said Wednesday that the organization continues to have conversations with Tiger Woods about captaining the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2025 and there remains no firm deadline to get their pick in place for Bethpage Black.”

  • “A day earlier, Woods told reporters here at the PGA Championship that he is undecided about taking on the role next year…”
  • “He doesn’t do anything that he’s not fully committed to,” Waugh said, “and we totally respect that.”
  • “Still, the PGA’s decision to hold off on naming an American captain for the September 2025 matches is a significant departure – at least three months late – from the past five captains.”
Full piece.

2. Rory: Tour in a worse place with Dunne’s resignation

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”McIlroy, who has become an outspoken proponent of a deal with PIF, was denied a spot on the board last week but was named to the “transaction subcommittee,” which will spearhead the day-to-day negotiations. But the loss of Dunne will be a blow to those talks, the world No. 2 said.”

  • “Honestly I think it’s a huge loss for the PGA Tour if they are trying to get this deal done with the PIF and trying to unify the game,” McIlroy said. “Jimmy was basically the relationship, the sort of conduit between the PGA Tour and PIF.
  • “It’s been really unfortunate that he has not been involved for the last few months, and I think part of the reason that everything is stalling at the minute is because of that.”
Full piece.

3. Brandel on AK’s criticism: I thought it was a LIV bot

Our Matt Vincenzi…”On Tuesday during an interview with GolfWRX, Chamblee addressed the feud between Kim and himself.”

  • “At first, I thought it was a bot. But it’s not, it was just somebody who’s been bought.
  • “I thought it was juvenile. Social media is a perfect place for juveniles to go behave like children, like the ball pit at McDonalds without adult supervision. I’m sure Anthony Kim scrolls and gets positive comments and says ‘yeah, these people get me! I’m doing the right thing’. And it’s just juvenile and sad is what it is. I feel sorry for him.”
Full piece.

4. Aberg (knee) ready for PGA

Cameron Morfit for PGATour.com…”Ludvig Åberg said lingering knee soreness that kept him out of the Wells Fargo Championship last week will not be an issue at this week’s PGA Championship.”

  • “The world No. 6 Åberg, who finished second at the Masters Tournament in his very first major start last month, allowed that he is wearing a brace as a precautionary measure.”
  • “Knee’s good,” said Åberg, 24. “It was more of a safety concern last week that I didn’t play. I’m consulting with my doctors, and I trust them with everything that I have, so it’s not bothering me at all this week, and I look forward to playing. I’m wearing a brace just for safety reasons, but it’s nothing that’s bothering me. I’m focusing on the golf.”
Full piece.

5. Masters employee pleads guilty to stealing millions in memorabilia

Sean Leahy for Yahoo Sports…”A former employee of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia pleaded guilty on Wednesday to transporting millions of dollars worth of stolen Masters memorabilia and historic items, including a green jacket belonging to Arnold Palmer.”

  • “According to federal prosecutors, 39-year-old Richard Globensky made around $5 million over the course of a decade from selling items stolen from the Augusta National warehouse, which were then transported to another party in Florida.”
  • “Globensky pleaded guilty to one count of transporting stolen goods across state lines. As part of his plea, he must hand the government a $1.5 million check this week.”
Full piece.

6. Chamblee on why Rory hasn’t won a major

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee gave his opinion as to why McIlroy has come up empty.”

  • “I just think he can’t find a place mentally where he plays his best golf.”
  • “If you go back and look at what he did from 2011-2014, in that stretch, he led roughly 20% of the rounds he played in major championships. His game has not fallen off, not one bit.
  • “He’s, on paper, pretty much the same player he was. He’s not quite the ball striker he was 2011-2014, not quite, but he’s made up for it with his short game around the greens and on the greens. He’s almost the same player.”
  • “Yet, he’s led just two rounds beginning with the 2015 Masters to the 2024 Masters. I just think that tells you he can’t find the proper way to prepare, the proper way to ease into a round. When he’s needed to play his best, he’s played his worst. When he’s played his worst, he’s then followed it up with his best golf. That’ll tell you that he’s just not in the right place mentally.”
Full piece.

7. Why Scottie’s caddie will have a fill-in Saturday

Paul Hodowanic for PGATour.com…”Scottie Scheffler will have a fill-in caddie on the bag for Saturday’s third round of the PGA Championship.”

  • “Ted Scott, Scheffler’s full-time caddie, will miss Saturday’s round at Valhalla Golf Club to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. Scott will leave Friday night after caddying the first two rounds and return late Saturday to loop the final round.”
  • “That’s something we talked about from the beginning of our relationship was family always comes first,” Scheffler said during his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday. “It’s the same thing for me as it is for my caddie. It was a pretty easy decision. He told me at the beginning of this year that that was the date.”
Full piece.

8. Chamblee: LIV format makes it impossible to judge player talent

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee explained why he believes the LIV format makes it impossible to determine if a LIV player is playing well.”

  • “Describing the format as “stupid”, Chamblee stated
  • “The format for LIV is just stupid. There’s no other word for it. 54 holes, 54 players start. Willy nilly here and there.
  • “Nobody winning a golf tournament should finish on the third hole on some par three while his closest competitors finish on the 17th hole or the 18th hole.”
  • “When we asked Brandel if LIV players should be in majors, Chamblee indicated that it would be tough to do with no way to truly measure their performance.
  • “It’s just a laughable concept. There’s no way to judge the talents of these players out there. You look at their data, and again, their data is laughable. It’s very hard to hit 75% of your greens and it looks like everybody on their tour is hitting 75% of greens. Who’s keeping their stats? Who’s doing their data? They haven’t gotten their act together.”
Full piece.

9. Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship

  • Check out all of our galleries from the year’s second major!
Full piece.
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