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Tour Rundown: McIlroy wins Tour Championship for 3rd time | Jill McGill | Thriston Lawrence

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2 years ago

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The PGA Tour’s wraparound 2021-2022 season closed its circle on Sunday in Atlanta. The USGA visited Dayton, Ohio, for the Senior Women’s Open. Korn Ferry played its penultimate event in nearby Columbus. Across the globe, the LPGA met in Ottawa; the DP World Tour awakened in Switzerland, and the Tour Champions marveled at Michigan. Another day in many offices, and a weekend worth revisiting.

For me, school teaching and high school golf coaching begin on Monday, so this feels like both an end and a beginning as well. It’s Tour Rundown time, with six compelling events that merit a glance. Time to shine!

USGA: Jill McGill wins third different USGA championship at NCR

The “NCR” in NCR Country Club stands for National Cash Register. The tee markers at the club’s two courses are keepsakes: old-school metal button registers that you find in antique shops and Monopoly games. The USGA has excelled in bringing its senior championships to golf courses and clubs that operate out of the public eye most days. NCR has two wondrous courses, and the South had the opportunity to host the Women’s Senior Open in 2022. For most of the week, pundits pondered great names like Davies, Alfredsson, and Sorenstam. On Sunday, a different story played out.

Jill McGill, in another life, won two separate USGA events. She won the the USGA Amateur in 1993, and the defunct National Public Links the following year. She also competed for the US side in the 1994 Curtis Cup. In 2022, McGill added a third, separate trophy to her USGA case, at NCR. On a Sunday when scores soared into the mid and high 70s, the golfer who kept her head and ground out pars would ultimately win. As the heralded leaders, all former champions of this event, lost ground, McGill persevered.

Both McGill and Laura Davies reached minus-five at different points on the day. Davies appeared to be moving effortlessly along, until an unthinkable quadruple bogey at the 12th derailed her locomotive. The English champion came home in 42, and finished in a tie for fifth with Juli Inkster and Annika Sorenstam. McGill reached the five-under figure on the 16th green, and might have realized at that moment what was within reach. She kept her game together and, despite closing with two bogeys, had enough strokes in hand to edge Leta Lindley (birdie at the last) by one.

PGA Tour: McIlroy wins Tour Championship for 3rd time

In what has been a mentally and emotionally-exhausting year, Rory McIlroy fittingly surged on day four to win his second PGA Tour event of the year, and 22nd of his career. In the tour’s only, staggered start, players begin the week with strokes in hand, based on their season-long standing in the FedEx Cup. Scottie Scheffler, the Masters champion, was the lead pony at week’s start. For most of the week, Scheffler was able to preserve his advantage. Sunday brought a dearth of birdies for the Texan, and he would ultimately tie for second, with Sungjae Im.

Sensing an opportunity, McIlroy a six-birdie round over the par-70 East Lake Golf Club. His round was marred by bogey at the first and the 14th, but no matter. Chaser Sungjae Im made double at the 14th, and despite a pair of closing birdies, could only reach -20 and tie Scheffler for the silver medal. McIlroy bounced back from bogey at 14 with birdie at 15, then parred his way home for -21 and a pair of titles: the week’s trophy and the season-long, FedEx Cup championship.

DP World Tour title to Lawrence of South Africa in playoff

Thriston Lawrence has made noise this season on the DP World Tour. In November of 2021, Lawrence won the Joburg Open for his first DPWT title. On Sunday in the Swiss Alps, Lawrence broke through the glass wall for a second victory, this time in a playoff. Opposing him in extra time was England’s Matt Wallace. How did each reach the overtime? Have a look.

Lawrence held the lead at day’s dawn, and four birdies should have been enough to secure a title in regulation. Stumbles at the fifth (double bogey) and sixteenth (bogey) undid most of his good work, and Lawrence closed with one-under 69 on the day. Over the same course of time, Wallace picked off four birdies of his own, with nary a bogey. He came from three shots back on the day, and finally caught Lawrence with a birdie at the 14th. The two would par in and reach the 72nd hole at 18-under par.

Upon their return to the 18th tee to settle matters, Wallace got into trouble and made bogey. Lawrence carved out a par, and the deed was done. With the victory came a move into the OWGR world top 100 rankings, and the title King of the Mountains for the South African champion.

LPGA: Reto wins Canadian Women’s Open by one

Imagine ticking these boxes for your first LPGA win: a national championship; hold off major champions down the stretch; post 67 on the final day. All those circles were filled by South Africa’s Paula Reto, who joined countrymate Thriston Lawrence (see above) as a winner on the week. Reto began the week with 62 at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, in the Canadian capital. She lost the lead to Narin An after 36 holes. An held the 54-hole lead, but posted 72 on Sunday, and watched a number of players surge past her, into contention.

Among them were Lydia Ko, who had 63 on Sunday for solo fourth position. Hye-Jin Choi had 69 of her own, and tied Korda for second spot. Korda, not quite recovered from her bout with illness earlier this season, closed with 67 of her own, that featured all sorts of ingredients. Try one eagle, five birdies, three bogeys, and nine pars on the day for the Floridian. Like Choi, Korda would come up one putt shy of the top spot.

Reto went out like a champion, posting 31 over her first nine holes. The back was a one-over struggle, but it was enought to secure an inaugural title for the Purdue alumna. After 157 starts on the LPGA Tour, Reto is, at last, a victor.

Korn Ferry Tour: Lingmerth headed back to PGA Tour after win in Ohio

Such is the level of importance this week, that the penultimate event in the Korn Ferry Tour playoff run comes fifth on the list. The Scarlet course at Ohio State University is an annual homecoming for many, former collegiate players. Most in the field arrive with one goal in mind: secure passage to the PGA Tour for the upcoming season. This week in Columbus, six golfers gained PGA Tour status for 2022-2023, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

David Lingmerth, one of Sweden’s top golfers, signed for 62 on Sunday, just like Paula Reto (see above) in Ottawa. His 66 on Friday gave him a 128 for 36 holes, and had competitors wondering if Lingmerth had played the Scarlet or the Gray course at OSU’s golf complex. No matter, as 71 in round three gave the field hope, and Lingmerth, a reason to lock in his focus. Closing fast were Paul Haley II (65 on Saturday) and Zecheng Dou (67 in round three.)

On Sunday, Lingmerth played perfect golf over the first 16 holes. Three birdies had kept the field at bay, but a 17th-hole bogey gave hope to the chasers. With his lead down to one, Lingmerth closed like a champion, making birdie to secure not only a win, but a return to the PGA Tour in 2022-2023. Joining him will be countryman Henrik Norlander, Dean Burmester, Joseph Bramlett, Austin Cook, and Michael Gligic.

PGA Tour Champions: Stricker wins second of season in Grand Blanc

2022 had been somewhat quiet for Steve Stricker. He didn’t find himself in charge of a national team, and his only win came back in May. True, it was a major (Regions Tradition) but other titles found their way into the hands of his competitors.

This week, in the state across the lake (Stricker is from Wisconsin) Stricker put a putting tip from Jerry Kelly to good use. After opening with 70, Stricker turned to fellow Badger Kelly for a bit of flat-stick assistance. Rounds of 64 and 67 followed, and Stricker moved to 15 under at the Ally Challenge. Out of nowhere came Rhode Island’s Brett Quigley. Since 2020, Quigley has chased a second Champions victory; he won in Morocco that year. On Sunday, he simply ran out of holes.

Quigley had two birdies and two bogeys saw each other off through fifteen holes. Sixteen brought him an eagle three, and birdies at 17 and 18 moved him agonizingly close to a playoff with Stricker. Quigley finished at minus-fourteen, good for solo second. Knowing that the chase was afoot, Stricker posted consecutive birdies from 13 through 16, and walked pars in at the final two holes, for victory.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship

Published

7 hours ago

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May 14, 2024

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GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.

While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.

Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

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Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue

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10 hours ago

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May 14, 2024

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the PGA Championship from iconic Valhalla.

1. Is now the time Rory finally ends major drought?

BBC’s Iain Carter…”But given the imperious form he showed in Charlotte last week, perhaps this is the PGA Championship to rekindle the ruthless streak of old. And not just because he is back at Valhalla (the Nordic word for the hall of the fallen).”

  • “It also became clear last week that McIlroy is somewhat persona non grata to the PGA Tour’s Policy Board. His views on a global future for this damagingly split sport do not seem to chime with the American dominated body.”
  • “His offer to return to the board from which he resigned earlier this year was rejected and he has been left as a mere non-voting member of the “transaction committee” dealing with a potential deal with Saudi Arabia.”
  • “McIlroy insists there are “no hard feelings” but there should be.”
  • “No player has worked harder for their sport during this period of unprecedented tumult and the board has rejected someone many people regard as the game’s most articulate and enlightened international voice.”
  • “Now is, surely, the time for McIlroy to feel slighted and respond with his clubs. Play as though he has a chip on his shoulder, but in the knowledge that he is generationally the most consistent golfing force out there.”
Full piece.

2. Scheffler in for PGA Champ after birth of child

Jaclyn Hendricks for PGATour.com…”Scottie Scheffler and wife Meredith’s bundle of joy has arrived.”

  • “The couple welcomed their first child, just weeks after Scheffler claimed his second Masters victory in three years.”
  • “Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig tweeted Saturday that the baby was born and Scheffler will play in this week’s PGA Championship — the second major of the season.”
  • “There’s been nothing official from Scottie Scheffler, his team or the Tour… But word is he will be at Valhalla for the PGA next week after winning four of his last five tournaments, including the Masters. He is currently on the Tuesday interview schedule for 3:30 p.m. #babyborn,” Harig wrote over the weekend.”
Full piece.

3. “Erik van Rooyen, friends and family live in honor of ‘Trazzy’”

  • That’s the headline of Ryan Lavner’s superb piece on Erik van Rooyen and his departed best friend Jon Trasmar. An excerpt would be an injustice. Go read it!
Full piece.

4. Stricker out of PGA citing fatigue

AP report…”Steve Stricker decided Sunday to withdraw from the PGA Championship at Valhalla, citing the difficulty of playing four times in a span of five weeks.”

  • “Stricker, 57, was eligible by winning the Senior PGA Championship last year. He, John Daly and Phil Mickelson are the only players to have competed at Valhalla each of the previous three times the PGA Championship was held there.”
Full piece.

5. Why Valhalla is a great venue for major championships

Garrett Morrison for The Fried Egg…”But before we start slinging mud (of which there will be plenty in Kentucky this week), let’s pause to think about why Valhalla tends to generate close final-round battles featuring elite players. It’s not magic: the course has long par 3s and 4s, narrow fairways, and smallish greens surrounded by rough and bunkers. This style of design and setup, which practically defines the PGA Championship’s modern brand, gives an outsize advantage to a skill that many star players share: power. Length off the tee and the ability to muscle the ball out of rough to a well-protected green will be near-prerequisites for contending at this week’s PGA Championship. If Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau show up with any kind of short-game and putting form, they will be in the mix on Sunday. And the presence of such A-listers on the leaderboard will further burnish Valhalla’s reputation as a serious venue.“

  • “It does not follow, however, that Valhalla is a great golf course. In fact, I find it a fairly mediocre and bland one. Very few holes offer multiple options of the tee (the exceptions being the short par-4 fourth and the double-fairway par-5 seventh), most of the greens lack memorable contouring, and the recovery shots from around the fairways and greens are one-dimensional and repetitive. So even if Sunday turns out to be a barn-burner, the first three rounds, when the focus will be on the course and the shots demanded, will probably be sleepier, aside from the inevitable Blockie walk-and-talk.”
Full piece.

6. Dunne resigns from policy board

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Jimmy Dunne, who last year helped negotiate the PGA Tour’s controversial framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, resigned from the tour’s policy board on Monday.”

  • “In Dunne’s resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, Dunne wrote that “no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with PIF” and that “my vote and my role is utterly superfluous” now that player directors outnumber independent directors on the policy board. Dunne’s resignation was effective immediately.”
  • “It is crucial for the Board to avoid letting yesterday’s differences interfere with today’s decisions, especially when they influence future opportunities for the tour,” Dunne wrote. “Unifying professional golf is paramount to restoring fan interest and repairing wounds left from a fractured game. I have tried my best to move all minds in that direction.”
  • “Along with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Dunne and policy board chairman Ed Herlihy secretly negotiated the framework agreement with the PIF, which is financing the rival LIV Golf League. Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced the deal on June 6. Most PGA Tour players — including some player directors — were unaware of the deal until it was announced on TV.”
Full piece.
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Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls

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1 day ago

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May 13, 2024

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This week last year, I found myself praying to the weather goddesses and gods that Rochester would be spared their wrath over the next seven days. The 2023 Oak Hill PGA Championship (that was slated for August when the contract was signed) was on the horizon, and I wanted my region to show well. Things turned out fine, with all four seasons making an appearance, a PGA Professional (Blockie!) stealing hearts, and a proven champion in Koepka (although I was pulling for Viktor.)

This year, no concerns. Louisville will shine this week at Valhalla, but we’ve matters to consider before we look to four days of coverage this week. Nelly did not win on the LPGA this week, so who did? The PGA Tour held two events in the Carolinas, and Tour Champions celebrated a major event in Alabama. Four noteworthy events to run down, so let’s head to RunDownTown and take care of business.

LPGA @ Founders Cup: Rose blooms

There was a sense that Rose Zhang might have a role in the 2020s version of the LPGA. After winning everything there was in amateur golf, she came out and won her first tournament as a professional. That was last May and, let’s be honest, who among us thought it would take 12 months for Zhang to win again? Rhymes with hero, I know.

This week in New Jersey, eyes were on Nelly Korda, as she made a run at a sixth consecutive win on the LPGA circuit. Korda ran out of gas on Saturday, and that was just fine. Madelene Sagstrom and Zhang had turned the soiree at Upper Montclair into a battle of birdies. Gabriela Ruffels came third at nine-under par. No one else reached double digits under par but Sagstrom and Zhang. They didn’t just reach -10…they more than doubled it.

Sagstrom had the look of a winner with five holes left to play. She was three shots clear of Zhang, at 23-under par. The Swede played her closing quintet in plus-one, finishing at 22-deep, 13 shots ahead of Ruffels. That performance we’d anticipated from Zhang? It happened on Sunday. She closed with four birdies in five holes to snatch victory number two, by two shots. Spring is a lovely time for a Rose in bloom.

PGA Tour @ Wells Fargo: Rory the Fourth is crowned in Charlotte

Xander Schauffele is a likable lad. He has an Olympic gold medal on his shelf, and a few PGA Tour titles to his credit. Even X knows that even par won’t get much done in a final round unless conditions are brutal. They weren’t brutal at Quail Hollow on Sunday. X posted even par on day four. It kept him ahead of third-place finisher Byeong Hun An but gave him zero chance of challenging for the title.

Paired with Xander in round four was the King of Quail, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had previously won thrice at the North Carolina track, and he was champing at the bit to gain some momentum on the road to Louisville. While Xander scored increasingly worse along the week (64-67-70-71) McIlroy saved his best round for the final round. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles, McIlroy ran away with the event, winning his fourth Wells Fargo by five over Schauffele.

PGA Tour @ Myrtle Beach Classic: a little CG won the inaugural week

It always seemed odd that the PGA Tour had zero stops along the Grand Strand each season. This week’s event seemed odd in that the golfers played the same course each day, and there were zero handicaps involved. Most events at Myrtle Beach involve hundreds of amateurs at dozens of courses, with all sorts of handicaps.

The Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, down toward Pawley’s Island. It claims what used to be considered an unreachable, par-five hole, the watery 13th. Nothing is unreachable any longer, including a 22-under par total for a six-shot win. Chris Gotterup, a former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer, played sizzling golf all week and won by a sextet of shots. Gotterup opened with 66, then improved to 64 on Friday. His Saturday 65 sounded a beacon of “come get me,” and his closing 67 ensured that second place was the only thing up for grabs.

Chasing the podium’s second level were a bunch of young Americans. In the end, Alastair Docherty and Davis Thompson reached 16-deep, thanks to rounds of 64 and 68 on Sunday. They held off six golfers at 15-under par. The victory was Gotterup’s first on tour and should be enough to get him a Wikipedia page, among other plaudits.

PGA Tour Champions @ Regions Traditions: Vindication for Dougie

Doug Barron, if I recall correctly, was suspended by the Powers That Be, way back in 2009, for testosterone. He was naturally low in the hormone, so he took supplements. This did not sit well with certain admins, so he was put on the shelf for 18 months. Not cool.

In 2019, Barron came out on the Tour Champions. He won in August. The next year, despite the craziness of Covid, he won again.  Barron hit a dry spell for a few years. He kept his card, but accrued no additional victories. In late April, Barron showed serious signs of life, with a t2 at Mitsubishi. This week in Birmingham, he jumped out to a lead, lost it, then gained it back on Saturday. With major championship glory on the line, Barron brought the train into the station with 68 on Sunday.

Stephen Alker, the man who could not lose just two years ago, gave serious chase with a closing 63. He moved up 11 slots, into solo 2nd on Sunday. He finished two shots back of the champion. Two shots ain’t much. Cough once and you drop a pair. Third place saw a three-way tie, including last year’s winner (Steve Stricker) and runner-up (Ernie Els.) Despite the intimidating presence of the game’s greats, however, Doug Barron had more than enough of everything this week, and he has a third Tour Champions title to show off.

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