1. Poulter, Hubbard ahead at Hilton Head
From showcasing the horror of the COVID-19 nasal swab to the top of the leaderboard! AP report…”Ian Poulter and Mark Hubbard set the pace for good scoring through a brief spell of rain at Hilton Head.”
- “Jordan Spieth was pleasantly surprised to join the chase Thursday in the RBC Heritage.”
- “Poulter holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and finished with a 5-iron to 4 feet for another birdie that capped a 7-under 64, a round without a bogey but not without flaws. Hubbard kept his 64 together with two par putts at the end.”
- “They had a one-shot lead Viktor Hovland, Sebastian Munoz and Michael Thompson among the early starters.”
2. Spieth’s wild 66
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“Maybe Spieth has become immune to it, but even after starting his week 3 over through three holes, there was no panic.”
- …”Whatever gear was missing last Sunday arrived in force on the back nine just four days later. Spieth birdied the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh holes to set a career record for consecutive birdies on Tour.”
- “And this wasn’t the standard “Jordan” round that was built on a nonstop parade of lengthy putts. During that six-hole span he rolled in a total of 38 feet of putts. Put another way, it was one of Spieth’s best ball-striking rounds in some time and he was first in the field in approach shots. More importantly, it’s another step in what has become a long journey back to competitive relevance.”
- “Spieth closed another eventful day with a 5-under 66 and an early share of sixth place…”
3. Hull wins first Rose Ladies Series event
Golf Channel’s Randall Mell…“Hull holed a 15-foot birdie to defeat Liz Young on the first playoff hole at Brockenhurst Manor in England. It was the first of the new eight-event series founded by 10-time PGA Tour winner Justin Rose and his wife, Kate.”
- “I haven’t held a scorecard in my hand since January,” Hull, a four-time European Solheim Cup player, told The Telegraph. “It feels so good to be back.”
4. Kraken constrained
Steve DiMeglio for Golfweek…”After bashing Colonial Country Club into submission last week in the Charles Schwab Challenge with tons of tape-measure tee balls, Bryson DeChambeau got knocked for a loop in Thursday’s first round of the RBC Heritage.”
- “Courtesy of Harbour Town Golf Links…The tight, tree-lined seaside course with daunting overhang limbs and menacing doglegs had the muscle-bound DeChambeau feeling like he was in a straightjacket. So much so that he couldn’t fully make use of his favorite weapon – his driver, which he has taken to comparing to a mythical sea monster.”
- “Around the golf course, I couldn’t unleash the Kraken today,” said DeChambeau, who has startled his colleagues by gaining 40 pounds and 15-20 mph ball speed by devouring five protein shakes a day and pounding the weights on a regular basis. “There’s no way I could unleash it. It was just too tight out there. The wind was swirling all day, and I couldn’t feel comfortable to give it a good whack, but I was still able to manage keeping it mostly in the fairway.”
5. TW x Pebble Beach short course
Our Gianni Magliocco…”On Thursday, Pebble Beach Company and Tiger Woods unveiled plans for a reimagined short course facility at Pebble Beach Golf Links which will include a nine-hole par-3 short course, and a putting course.”
“In a press release on Woods’ website, Pebble Beach Company and Tiger Woods, through his TGR Design firm, revealed that in addition, the new facility would also feature a 5,000-square-foot food and beverage venue.”
“Per the release, the plans outlined are:”
- A short course comprised of nine par-3 holes ranging in length from 47 to 106 yards and measuring 670 yards in total;
- A 20,000-square-foot putting course that can be set up in a variety of different hole and routing combinations; and
- A 5,000-square-foot food and beverage venue featuring a full kitchen and bar, indoor seating, and the resort’s largest outdoor patio positioned for expansive views of the short course, putting course, Carmel Bay, and Point Lobos
6. “Classic U.S. Open Courses Awarded USGA Amateurs”
That’s the press release headline… Geoff Shackelford’s perspective: “The good-things-come-to-those-who-restore movement continues as longtime USGA favorites Oak Hill and Southern Hills were awarded future championships.”
- “Oak Hill’s two courses where Andrew Green has undertaken an East Course restoration set for a big national stage return in the 2023 PGA, with the U.S. Amateur now coming in 2027.”
- “In 2024 Southern Hills, fresh off a Hanse Design restoration, will host the U.S. Women’s Amateur. It hosts the Senior PGA next year and the 2030 PGA.”
7. No mic for BK: boom is enough
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”On Thursday at the RBC Heritage, world No. 4 Brooks Koepka was asked about the topic and landed squarely on Thomas’ side of the conversation.”
- “I don’t understand why they want us to wear a mic when there’s a boom mic that stands 10 feet away from every shot that I hit,” said Koepka, following a first-round 67. “If the announcers would just shut up and listen, you could hear every word that we’re talking about. I don’t understand what the thing is.”
8. Hadlinks Golf Club!
Golfweek’s Todd Kelly…”Minor league baseball teams for years showed great ingenuity in an effort to draw fans to the ballpark.”
- “The Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, is using golf to lure people through the gates at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine.”
- “…The Sea Dogs’ stadium will have nine holes, with golfers teeing off from nine different platforms at the skybox level.”
- “The longest hole will measure 160 yards and golfers can only use 7, 8 and 9-irons and wedges. So no, you will not be allowed to attempt a “home run” with your driver. But you will be allowed two shots per hole.”
9. A taste of his own medicine
Mercer Baggs at Golf Channel…“There was a time when Davis Love III was the longest hitter on the PGA Tour…In 1986, Love, then 22 years old, was in his second year as a pro. He led the Tour in driving distance, at 285.7 yards.”
- “On Thursday, now 56 years old, Love played alongside Bryson DeChambeau and got an up-close look at what all the recent Bryson rage has been about.”
- “Well, now I know how I made some guys feel, I guess,” Love said after a 1-over 72. “He got me really good at 16. That’s when I realized, holy moly, because I hit a good drive at 16 and he just flew it over into the corner.”
- “For the record, DeChambeau hit it 335 yards at the par-4 16th. Love hit it 282 yards.”
- “I’m still at my number I was back in ’86,” Love said. “You know, I hit it 285. That’s no good anymore. I progressed, and then I regressed.”
|