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Tour Rundown: Women’s British honors another new face, Dustin Johnson on feeling 22
It’s hard to imagine this level of golf, under these circumstances. So much has been made of the presence of fans and other ancillary humans. Tiger and Rory have eloquently stated how much the roar of the crowd impacts their ability to raise their games. Performances this last week demonstrated that others are capable of summoning greatness in the absence of supporters. Proven winners and unproven newcomers came to the fore in the penultimate week of August. Learn more about their performances in this week’s Tour Rundown.
Women’s British honors another new face
More than other major championship, British Open venues have a magic proclivity for recognizing worthy, new faces. Mo Martin in 2014, Georgia Hall in 2018, Hinako Shibuno in 2019, and now, Sophia Popov in 2020.
The Royal Troon weather was the early story in Scotland. The USA’s Amy Olson, hearty from a Minnesota upbringing, managed an unfathomable 67 in Thursday’s gusts and gales. Just like that, she slipped to 81 in round two, and went away to a 45th-place tie. Recognizable names moved about the leader board, but the only two that stuck were Minjee Lee and Inbee Park, who came 3rd and 4th, respectively. Popov seized the lead on Saturday evening, on the strength of a 67 of her own, and wondered if Sunday would bring the dream for which she worked.
For most of day four, pundits pondered two resolutions to the 44th playing of the event. Charging with fury was Jasmine Suwwanapura of Thailand. The 27-year old posted four consecutive birdies on the outward nine, and added two late ones, at the 16th and 17th. On this day, Jas needed perfection to catch Popov, and two bogeys did her in. Her run to second place was marvelous. and should serve as the confidence-builder she needs.
Popov was unmatched on Sunday. She followed her 67 with 68 on day four, and claimed a two-shot win with a safe, closing bogey. The former University of Southern California golfer demonstrated a complete command of diverse shots all week, including multiple drivers off the deck. In the end, it was an incredible putting performance that marked her as a major champion. Long birdies and mid-range par saves dotted her scorecards all week. In 2020, Germany has its first female major winner in golf, and she could not be more worthy.
Dustin Johnson on feeling 22
DJ played an event this weekend. He finished at 30 strokes below par, for his 22nd career title. A bunch of other guys played another event, for 2nd place, at the Northern Trust. That trophy went to Harris English, who posted an admirable minus-19. Some kidding aside, this should be a monumental performance for the lanky fellow from the Palmetto state. Johnson has won before, but not like this. Johnson has been raised up as a golfer for the ages, if only … An eleven-shot victory should give his psyche a surge in confidence, and should make him a recognizable favorite for every event played, to the end of this campaign.
The only laurel not worn by the 2016 US Open champion this week was low round. That went to Scottie Scheffler’s 59 on Friday, but even that note has humorous undertones. You see, DJ was 11 under par through 11 holes, on the strength of two eagles and seven birdies. Par out for 60, yawn, ho hum. We, of course, were pulling for a few more birdies and a silly number, like 57 or 58. DJ had none left, and seven pars later, he signed for 60. On the week, Johnson had five eagles, and a mere three bogies, two of which came on Thursday. Johnson became the fifth golfer in 2020 to claim the top spot in the world golf rankings. If he continues to play remotely close to the manner in which he conducted himself in Boston, he’ll hold on to that distinction for at least a month.
Langasque wins for the first time on the European Tour
For quite some time in Wales, it seemed that a north European might raise the winner’s trophy at the Wales Open in Newport. Sebastian Soderberg of Sweden held the 54-hole lead, but he went away on Sunday with 74. Rising past him was Finland’s Sami Välimäki, who posted 136 on the weekend to reach 6-under par, good for second place.
The spoils of triumph fell into the hands of one Romain Langasque, of southern France. Langasque tied England’s Sam Horsfield for low round on Sunday with 65. For Horsfield, the minus-six performance moved him into a tie for 44th. Langasque was able to parlay his six-birdie, twelve-par showing into a five-spot boost, from sixth to first.
If Välimäki had summoned the frenchman’s flawless performance, he’d have won the event. Bogies at 3, 10, and 12 on Sunday were his undoing. A stout eagle at the ninth, paired with three birdies, were enough to move him past two Englishmen (Matthew Jordan and David Dixon) into the solo runner-up position. The European Tour remains in the United Kingdom for one more week, then journeys to southern Spain to open September.
NCHC 2020 recognizes (P)Luck in its champion
If ever an event called out for an abbreviated acronym, it’s the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. A worthy cause whose title offers a plethora of syllables for media types. The NCHC, long played at The Ohio State University’s Scarlet course, was a mighty battle this year. No one golfer held a sizable lead at any juncture, and the final outcome came on the strength of pluck.
Curtis Luck added the consonant “P” to the front of his name this weekend. The Australian golfer had been in position before to claim an inaugural title, but the opportunity had so far gone to someone else. On this day, he was paired with Cameron Young, he of the four consecutive, top-15 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour. In any other year, Young would be prepping for a promotion to the big tour. 2020 is like no other year.
Back to Pluck, errr, Luck. The man from Oz had little cause for celebration for most of Sunday. Stuck in first gear, with two bogies and a bushel of pars through 14 holes, his saving grace was that no one, including Young, was able to gain separation. In the blink of an eye, birdies fell his way, at 15 and 16, and Luck was able to surge past a trio of runners-up, into the top spot.
Had Luck looked over his shoulder, he might have seen Will Zalatoris, the hot man earlier this season. Zalatoris reached the winning tally of minus-eleven at the sixteenth green, but closed with consecutive bogeys and dropped to a tie for fifth. He might also have seen Stephen Jaeger, racing toward a second consecutive win. The German came close, tying Zalatoris for fifth. The PGA Tour is entertaining, for sure, but these guys are playing for their professional lives! For them, it’s pressure. For us, it’s incredible drama.
Eagle flies the Bertsch flag at Buffalo Ridge
Shane Bertsch shouldn’t have won on Sunday in the Ozarks. After opening with twin 64s, the journeyman pro found himself in a playoff with guys like Bernhard Langer, Kenny Perry, and Glen Day. Let’s be realistic: Langer is the most decorated Champions Tour golfer in history. That’s scary. Perry won 14 times on the regular tour, then added 10 wins on the Champions Tour. Day? Well, he birdied the 18th to reach the playoff, the only one of the four to do so. In other words, Bertsch had zero momentum as the foursome returned to the 18th tee.
Of course, it would be Bertsch who jockeyed a six-iron approach from the best drive of the group, to 25 feet for eagle. And it would also be Bertsch who stroked the putt with precisely the amount of pace it needed to fall into the left edge of the cup, for a winning eagle. The unheralded winners who emerged last week have Bertsch to thank; his victory on Friday showed the way to all of them.
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Scottie Scheffler arrested, charged, and released after traffic incident at Valhalla
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:
Here is video that I took of Scheffler being arrested: https://t.co/8UPZKvPCCf pic.twitter.com/9Tbp2tyrJh
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) May 17, 2024
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.”
Full details on Scottie Scheffler’s arrest, excellent reporting by @JeffDarlington.
— Kevin Negandhi (@KevinNegandhi) May 17, 2024
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:
Scottie Scheffler’s mugshot from Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections. pic.twitter.com/bcJn54Nu5x
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2024
*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.
Scottie Scheffler charges
– 2nd Degree assault of Police officer
– Criminal Mischief 3rd degree
– Reckless driving
– Disregard signals from officer directing traffic pic.twitter.com/bX8mFF2Xay— sam stone (@sam_rock_stone) May 17, 2024
*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.
After being detained by police earlier this morning, Scottie Scheffler was released and is back at Valhalla Golf Club for his second round of the PGA Championship. pic.twitter.com/KvS5Hwo6PS
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 17, 2024
*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.
Scottie Scheffler’s statement prior to Round 2 @PGAChampionship. pic.twitter.com/x26RFOqCIa
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 17, 2024
We will update this developing story as more information on the situation is revealed.
More from the 19th Hole
- Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game “on a much more global basis”
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
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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 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.
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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Morning 9: Tiger 2025 Ryder Cup talks continue | Rory: Tour in a worse place with Dunne’s resignation
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