19th Hole
Why Phil Mickelson’s Open playing partner told Lefty that he’s hated him for 11 years
Much was made about Phil Mickelson’s Open Championship pairing during the week leading up to the 150th edition of the event at St. Andrews. The six-time major champion has been one of the biggest stars in the game and an all-time great player.
Therefore, when it was announced that he’d be grouped with Kurt Kitayama and Lucas Herbert for his first two rounds it came as a bit of a shock. With all due respect to Kitayama and Herbert, it’s not the star-studded group you’d expect for last year’s PGA Championship winner.
It also came as a bit of a shock to the Australian, Lucas Herbert. Not because he was in awe by the star power of Mickelson, but because he’s hated Phil for more than 10 years.
Herbert shared the story on Instagram.
“Hey, Instagram, just shot two-under in the morning in the first round of the Open,” Herbert began. “Thank you for all the messages and what-not. Thought I would share a funny story for you all. So played with Phil today. Had an enjoyable day watching him play. And have a little backstory with Phil. So 2011 Presidents Cup, it’s Royal Melbourne, I’m 15 years old. I lied about my age to get into the volunteer network and become a standard bearer for the week carrying around the little scoreboards that update the gallery of what the group scores are on throughout the day. … Really enjoyed it.”
“Didn’t carry a board for Phil. But on the final day of play, I was hanging about, trying to get autographs, just wanting to be amongst it; thought it was the coolest thing ever. So hanging about the U.S. boys and everyone was signing this hat that I had. And I was passing it around to everyone, and everyone was great; everyone signed it. I asked Phil for an autograph, and he was the only one to deny me of this autograph.”
The roster of the 2011 Presidents Cup was loaded with stars and included Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Steve Stricker, Webb Simpson, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, David Toms, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan and Nick Watney. Having only one member of the team refuse to sign the hat to get the whole team I’d imagine would be quite disappointing for a 15-year-old.
Herbert made sure to remind Phil of his refusal to autograph the hat.
“So I reminded Phil of this today,” Herbert said. “On the 15th tee, I reminded him that I hate him and have hated him for 11 years as a result of him not signing the autograph for me. And he was very apologetic, and he played along and it was pretty funny.”
Herbert then slowed the video down and gave a detailed breakdown of Mickelson’s snub.
“Now you might not have seen it because it is in the background, but I will go through it again and show you the detailed analysis, the action replay of this snub of an autograph,” Herbert said. “So as we look here on the action replay, we’ve got the shot coming in. There’s Herbie on the left there, Titleist cap; sorry, hadn’t seen the light yet, TaylorMade. But Herbie on the left, standard bearer, moving across at Phil, who’s hidden behind the other standard bearer volunteer. Now Phil comes into frame here. You see: ‘Hey, Phil, can I get an autograph?’
“And you see the shake of the head, ‘No, absolutely not,’ and the signature hand gesture up there later on. ‘I’m with Amy. Go away.’”
Herbert got the last laugh, as he went on to finish in a tie for 15th place at The Open Championship while Mickelson missed the cut.
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- ‘You like apples?’ – Greg Norman takes bullish shot at PGA Tour over LIV poll numbers
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19th Hole
Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss
In our forums, our members have been discussing one of the new sensations in the world of golf – Ludvig Aberg. The 24-year-old finished solo second at the Masters a couple of weeks ago, and gained many plaudits, including from several WRXers.
- RELATED: ‘There were a number of red flags’ – Ludvig Aberg reveals why he turned down multiple LIV offers
One member, RoyalMustang, took to the forums to explain why Aberg is now their favorite player, saying:
“I loved the way the Ludvig was out there, having a great time, not taking himself or the situation too seriously. Even after the double at 11, he was like “well, that’s golf!” Loose and relaxed: that’s the way to play. It’s obvious he loves what he’s doing, he loves the big moments, and he loves being a part of it all.
Arnold Palmer was viewed that way. Just like Brooks Robinson was forever viewed as not just a great baseball player, but a great human being and friend to Baltimore.”
And our members have been reacting and sharing their positive takes on the young Swede.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- redfirebird08: “Ludvig has a great attitude, a great smile, and a great golf swing.”
- otto6457: “I’m very lucky to have talked with Ludde several times at the Rawls Course at Texas Tech. He’s a truly nice guy and very friendly. Always said hello when we passed each other in the club house and was always smiling. Watching him hit balls on the range was a joy. He has “that sound” and trajectory to die for. There were many times he was out on the range in 30+ mph winds just hitting the most beautiful shots that just seemed to ignore the wind. World class ball striker. And yes……..I am a fan boy.”
- konklifer: “I like him. In an era of endless waggles and laboring, his swing and pace of play are a joy to watch.
Entire Thread: “Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss”
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19th Hole
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Over the past year or so, PGA Tour star Patrick Cantlay has taken a great deal of criticism for his pace of play.
Now, Cantlay is once again under fire for a questionable decision he made on Sunday at the RBC Heritage.
After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, whose ball was in the fairway on the 18th hole, had a decision to make. With over 200 yards into the green and extreme winds working against the shot, conventional wisdom would be to wait until Monday morning to hit the shot.
On the other hand, if he could finish the hole, he may just want to get the event over with so he could get out of Hilton Head.
Curiously, Cantlay chose neither of those options. After hitting 3-wood into the green, and still coming up short, the former FedEx Cup champion chose to mark his ball and return to chip and putt on Monday morning.
Ian Woosnam, who was watching from home, took to X to give his thoughts on Cantlay’s decision-making.
Can’t believe my eyes watching Patrick Cantlay why on earth would you hit your second shot then mark your ball absolutely crazy, maybe says a lot ?
— Ian Woosnam (@IWoosnam) April 22, 2024
Cantlay would end up getting up and down for par when play resumed at 8:00 Monday morning.
Following his round, Cantlay explained his decision to wait to hit his third shot the next morning:
“I really did want to finish last night, so I felt like if I could get the ball up there maybe in an easier spot, maybe I would have finished, but as I got the ball up near the green, I realized it would be easier to finish this morning. That’s what I decided to do.”
GolfWRX has reached out to Patrick Cantlay’s management team for a response to Woosnam’s comments.
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview
The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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