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19th Hole

Morning 9: PGA: Day, Todd lead (-5) | Koepka (-4) | Woods (-2) | Bryson breaks driver

Published

4 years ago

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1. J-Day leads the way (-5, tied with Brendon Todd)
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard rightly mentions that “backwatch” extends beyond Tiger Woods at TPC Harding Park to the current tournament leader….”Jason Day has been spotted in recent weeks slowly plucking his golf ball from the hole in an attempt to protect against re-injuring his back, and he had his share of concerns heading into what promised to be a frigid round on Thursday. Instead, the sun broke through the fog around midday and temperatures climbed into the mid-60s.”
  • “It was nice to be able to have the sun for a change. I mean, it’s been kind of overcast and gray here,” Day said. “You’ve got to be careful. It is a lot colder; 50 degrees pretty much to be precise from last week [in Memphis].”
  • “Whatever concern Day had was quickly eased when he birdied his first hole (he started on No. 10) and made the turn at 2 under. He added three more birdies on his second nine and finished with a bogey-free 65 and the early lead.”
2. Reinvigorated Kaymer (-4)
Excellent framing of the German’s opening-round 66 by ESPN’s Bob Harig…”since that victory at the U.S. Open, he’s had just one top-10 finish in a major, a tie for seventh at the 2016 PGA championship.”
  • Hence, the lack of expectations before shooting 66 in the opening round of the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park.
  • (Kaymer) …”So last night I was watching the U.S. Open actually from 2014, the back nine, trying to get some kind of positivity in my game because it hasn’t been much recently because of no play. On the first tee, I was thinking, obviously this [the 10th] is one of the easier holes right away with a par-5, if I can start off nicely with a birdie, that would be great.
  • “Watching that video of me winning the U.S. Open, that helped me to believe that my putting was good enough, that my ball-striking was good enough, even though it’s a few years back. But it’s always nice to remember those moments and feel the same that you felt that day.’
 
3. Quality start for Tiger (-2)
PGATour.com’s Sean Martin…“Woods wore a sweater all day, but the cold, damp conditions at TPC Harding Park didn’t impact his ability to swing freely. He led the field in driving distance when he walked off the course, averaging 313.5 yards off the tee on the two measured holes.”
  • “He hit just half his fairways Thursday, missing several left after hitting tee shots off the toe. His iron play was strong when he was in the short grass, especially on his back nine.”
  • “The most part of the day, I missed the ball on the correct sides,” Woods said. “This golf course, you have to hit the ball in the fairway. You get a ball in the rough, into the grain, there’s no chance you can get the ball to the green. I felt like I did a decent job of doing that.”
  • “Woods was even par after 12 holes, but hen rolled off three birdies in a four-hole stretch.”
4. Brooks (-4)
Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…”Brooks Koepka is sitting pretty in his quest for a three-peat at the PGA Championship. Koepka opened with a 4-under 66, just one off the pace set by former PGA champion Jason Day and fellow first-round co-leader Brendon Todd.”
  • “Koepka is well aware of the historical significance that is at stake this week as he attempts to become the first in the stroke-play era of the PGA to win three Wanamaker trophies in a row, and the first player overall to win the same major three consecutive years since Australian Peter Thomson achieved the feat at the British Open (1954-56).”
5. How Brooks found his swing
Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…“Poring over swing video with coach Claude Harmon III, Koepka learned that 70 percent of his weight was on his back foot at impact – a subconscious move to alleviate pressure on his ailing left knee.”
  • “The fix was simple – dropping back his left foot “a hair” – and while watching video from the past two PGA Championships with caddie Ricky Elliott, Koepka noticed that from that position he was able to drive off his right foot and not feel any twinges of pain.”
  • “My feet are usually a little bit staggered from a perfect golf swing, too far left,” he said, “but that’s just how we play. It’s nice to feel comfortable over the ball. I’m starting to see it come out of the right pocket, the right window, and that’s exciting.”
6. Queue up your Hulk jokes
Multiple Pulitzer Prize winner and GWAA Writer of the Year Ben Alberstadt writes…“In a situation seemingly conceived of as comic fodder for the internet in general, Twitter in particular: Bryson Dechambeau snapped the LA Golf BAD Prototype shaft of his Cobra King SpeedZone driver during the first round of the PGA Championship.”
  • “Adding to the comic possibilities of the occurrence, which befell DeChambeau on the seventh hole at TPC Harding Park, it was neither American muscle’s vaunted swing speed nor a temper tantrum that caused the fracture.”
  • “Rather, Bryson DeChambeau snapped his driver shaft by...leaning on it with the force of his recent thickness while picking up his tee.”
7. Tour layoffs
Golfweek’s Tim Schmitt…”As the PGA Championship started at TPC Harding Park this week, the PGA Tour confirmed a number of job cuts to staff personnel.”
  • “The Tour did not reveal the number of individuals laid off, but PGA Tour Vice President of Communications Joel Schuchmann said the moves will help position the Tour moving forward.”
  • “As a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PGA Tour – much like many other organizations – has had to identify ways to streamline our operations,” Schuchmann said in a statement.
  • “While it is never easy to say goodbye to valuable members of the Tour family, this week’s targeted job cuts will allow us to most efficiently deal with the current climate and prepare for 2021 and beyond.”
8. LPGA: Ko, Kang lead
LPGA Communications team…“With a pair of 7-under 64s on Thursday, American Danielle Kang and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko are tied atop the leaderboard at the 2020 Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana. Kang went bogey-free around Highland Meadows Golf Club, crediting a strong day with her putter, and is looking to become the LPGA Tour’s first back-to-back winner since 2017.”
  • “I worked a lot on my putting for the last couple days. Didn’t really like how the ball was coming off my putter,” said Kang, who won last week’s LPGA Drive On Championship. “But I think that I kind of got a good feel out of it; then today my putting worked really well. There are days when the ball goes where you see, and that’s what happened.”
  • “Ko carded eight birdies and one bogey at a course that has historically been very kind to her. Ko has two victories and two other top 10s in her five previous tournament appearances, with a scoring average of 68 over those 20 rounds.”
9. Euro: Sharvin stands in front
EuropeanTour.com report…”Cormac Sharvin made sure it was worth the wait as he edged into a one shot lead after the first round of the 2020 English Championship.”
  • “The Northern Irishman teed off in the final group in Hertfordshire and delivered a course record 63 to sit at eight under par, nudging ahead of six players locked at seven under.”
  • “David Howell rolled back the years and looked to have earned his first 18 hole lead at a European Tour event in 636 appearances as he joined Australian duo Jason Scrivener and Min Woo Lee, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, Hero Open runner up Thomas Detry and Laurie Canter as co-leader.”
  • “But the 27-year-old Sharvin, who graduated to the European Tour after finishing the 2019 Challenge Tour season in 11th position on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, carded ten birdies and two dropped shots to take the outright lead.”

 

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19th Hole

LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you

Published

2 days ago

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Apr 26, 2024

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On Friday morning, Ladies European Tour player, Hannah Gregg, took to social media to share her weekly expenses playing on the LET.

“Expenses of my first week on Ladies European Tour: Flights: $2600 Work Visa: $350 

  • Food: $377 
  • Caddie: $0 because I have an amazing Fiancé 
  • Hotel: $0 because  @GregChalmersPGA sorted me host housing for the week!  
  • Rental Car: +0 because the Tour Tee guys GAVE me their car  
  • Gas: $165 
  • Entry Fee: $130 
  • Lounge Pass for caddie: $50 
  • Gym: $0 
  • Yardage book: $0 
  • Total expenses: $3672 

Made cut, finished 54th, total earned: $1244 Factor in 35% tax on earnings. To break even, needed to finish 24th. To make money, 21st. Guess we have our goals laid out for next event!”

When factoring in Gregg’s free housing, free caddie and free rental car, it’s evident that most LET players would have to finish well inside of the top-20 to make any money.

With ridiculous amounts of money being thrown around in professional golf these days, it’s important to remember the other side of the coin as well. There are countless professionals out there who struggle to get by on their golf salary.

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19th Hole

54-hole golf tour deemed eligible for OWGR points…but it’s not LIV

Published

3 days ago

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Apr 25, 2024

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After a seventeen-month application process, a 54-hole golf tour was deemed eligible for OWGR points.

Unfortunately, for LIV Golf and their fans, it was the Clutch Pro Tour.

After the decision, which is effective immediately, OWGR chairman Peter Dawson issued a statement.

“This is a significant milestone for golf, and OWGR is deeply encouraged by the achievement and the continued efforts in developing the sport of golf in the United Kingdom.”

“We look forward to watching the progress of the Clutch Pro Tour as it continues to play a key role in the development of players from the region,” Dawson added.

The Clutch Pro Tour operates in the United Kingdom and features a 36-hole cut. It also has an open qualifying school.

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19th Hole

Charlie Woods attempting to qualify for spot at 2024 U.S. Open

Published

3 days ago

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Apr 25, 2024

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As first reported by Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, Charlie Woods will be attempting to qualify for this year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

The first stage of qualifying for this year’s tournament will be an 18-hole local event on Thursday, April 25th, in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

There will be 84 players in the field, five of which will reach the 36-hole qualifier that will take place in June.

Earlier this season, Charlie attempted to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, and struggled, shooting an 86.

If the younger Woods is able to qualify, he will tee it up in the same field as his father in a few months at one of the more historic U.S. Open venues.

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