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Tour Rundown: Tony Finau earns Houston Open win in a walk | Nelly completes comeback from illness

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2 years ago

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November brings football glory to university and professional teams across the United States of America. It also brings chances at redemption, at inauguration, and at awareness. Five tours disputed time-honored events this weekend, and five champions gave thanks for the opportunity to ply their trade this late in the year. It’s not the cauldron of the majors, nor is it the caldera of international team play, but it is challenging and difficult. Let’s take a run down events from Arizona to South Africa to Houston to Egypt to Florida. Sometimes, a handful is a good thing.

PGA Tour: Tony Finau earns Houston Open win in a walk

The man who learned to win, Tony Finau, had a five-shot advantage after 36 holes in Houston. His lead shrunk to four on Saturday evening, but grew to seven after nine holes on Sunday. How do you play with an eight-shot lead? Sloppily, it turns out. Finau closed with a three-over par 38 on the inward half. It wasn’t enough to jeopardize his victory, but it certainly brought up questions about his ability to close, no matter the circumstance.

Finau’s third win of the 2022 campaign was, for 87 percent of the week, a master class. He posted 22 birdies against three bogeys, over the first 63 holes. Needing a one-under finish to reach minus twenty on the week. The back nine on Sunday was nobody’s masterpiece, but it got the job done for the 33-year old from Utah.

LPGA: Nelly completes comeback from illness with win at PWC

Three storylines had our attention on Sunday in Belleair, Florida. Allisen Corpuz, on the strength of twin 65s, made a run at an inaugural, LPGA victory. Lexi Thompson sought to end a three-year victory drought, and Nelly Korda hoped to complete a comeback from an illness that had sidelined her for much of the season. Any one of those victories would have made for a compelling story.

Corpuz started off slowly on Sunday. She had seven pars on her scorecard before a bogey at eight dropped her farther back. Three birdies and another bogey on the back gave her 69 on the day and a solo third finish, the best of her career. Thompson seemingly finds a new way to un-win a tournament each week. On Sunday, consecutive bogies at 11 and 12 were sandwiched by Korda birdies at 10 and 13. That four hole stretch cost Thompson four strokes.

As for Nelly, seven birdies over the first 17 holes gave her a two-shot cushion on the final tee. Playing safely for bogey, the young Floridian earned the eighth win of her career, and first since last year’s Pelican.

DP World Tour: Fairway Jesus claims first tour title since 2019 event

With three holes remaining in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Shubhankar Sharma, Ryan Fox, and Tommy Fleetwood sat even at 11-under par. The closing holes at Gary Player Country Club are a study in H2O avoidance. Each demands a low-percentage shot over the wet stuff, and each is fraught with potential for tournament shape-shifting.

Sharma is an unproven commodity, and he was the first to falter. Bogey at 16 and 17 dropped him to nine under par, and he finished there, in solo third position. Fox has learned how to win of late, but with great length comes great potential for wayward landing. His bogey at the last dropped him out of a tie in gut-wrenching fashion, and he finished solo second at ten deep.

It was Fleetwood, aka Fairway Jesus, who held steady over the closing stretch with three boring pars. All those Ryder Cup gauntlets have steeled his nerves, at least when playing with lesser talent. Fleetwood ground out a ho-hum triumvirate of fairways and greens, and claimed his sixth tour title. His fifth also came at the Nedbank, so his appetite for the Sun City course is developing.

 

Asian Tour: Ogletree claims International Series Egypt at Madinaty

Andy Ogletree was one of the COVID generation of golfers, whose senior seasons and professional summers were derailed by the world pandemic. 2020 seems so long ago, but for this group, it was the worst of times. Ogletree has lived the journeyman life since leaving Georgia Tech and the college game, including Monday qualifying, world events, and the inaugural LIV event in London. This week in Egypt, Ogletree gained himself some confidence and some bankroll as he raced to a four-shot win over Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger.

Ogletree began the week with 66, then added 64 and 65 to earn a three-shot advantage through 54 holes. Plenty of golfers posted rounds in the mid-60s, but the tournament would always come down to the final group. Ogletree and Wiesberger went at it in fierce fashion, ensuring a back-nine duel. Each had one bogey and a bucket of birdies on the front nine, with Ogletree one shot better. The Austrian eagled the tenth to gain a shot back (against Ogletree’s birdie!) but the young American did not wilt. Wiesberger reduced the deficit to two at the 13th, but could not get any closer. The 16th decided matters, with Ogletree making birdie against bogey for his opponent. The walk down the final 100 yards wasn’t easy, but the winner closed with birdie to claim an inaugural major-tour win.

PGA Tour Champions: Harrington closes Champions season in style

Padraig Harrington had built himself quite a lead after a Saturday 62. Alex Cejka figured that he’d make the Irishman sweat a bit on Sunday. The German played his first seven holes in five-under figures, putting a bit of a crease in Harrington’s victory stroll. Prince Padraig responded with a birdie run of his own, and Cejka cooled waaaayyy off. He would not make another birdie for eleven holes, and by then the victory would be in no doubt.

Harrington’s seven-shot victory was one for the record books. He played no round higher than 66 on the week, and amassed 27 birdies and one eagle. His second bogey of the week came with 40 holes remaining, and his scorecards were flawless on Saturday and Sunday. His four-round tally of 257 shots set a Champions Tour record. With his victory, the Irishman threw a scare into Steven Alker, in the season-long race for the Charles Schwab Cup. In the end, Harrington finished in second place, as Alker clinched a championship of his own.

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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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Five Things We Learned: Friday at the PGA Championship

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9 hours ago

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May 18, 2024

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Early on Friday morning, a vendor working for the PGA Championship was struck and killed by a tournament shuttle bus. Nearly at the same time, as he arrived for his second round of tournament play, Scottie Scheffler attempted to detour around the scene, and was arrested, booked, then released. Somehow, Scheffler returned to Valhalla and played his second round of the tournament. Despite the jokes and memes of some in the golf industry, the tournament took a back seat to life and humanity on Friday morning. Our prayers are with the family and friends of the vendor, as well as with all involved.

Day two of Valhalla’s fourth PGA Championship did not see a repeat of the record-setting 62 posted by first-day leader, Xander Schauffele. The low card of 65 was returned by five golfers, when play was suspended by darkness. Five golfers still on the course, were on the positive side of the expected cut line of one-under par, while 12 more either had work to do, or knew that their week had come to an end.

The best 70 golfers and ties would advance to the weekend. 64 golfers figured at minus-two on Friday evening, with another 15 at one-under par. The most likely scenario saw those at even par, headed home. The formula was simple: finish under par and stick around. Play resumed at 7:15 on Saturday, to sort through the last six threesomes. Before the night turned over, we learned five important things to set us up for a weekend of excitement and excellence. It’s a pleasure to share them with you.

1. The 65s

On Thursday, three golfers etched 65 into the final box on their card of play. On Friday, nearly twice that number finished at six-under par for the round. Collin Morikawa moved from top-five into a spot in the final pairing. The 2020 PGA Champion at Harding Park teed off at the tenth hole, and turned in minus-two. He then ran off five consecutive birdies from the fourth tee to the eighth green, before finding trouble at the ninth, his last hole of the day. Bogey at nine dropped him from -12 to -11.

The same score moved Bryson DeChambeau from 11th spot to T4. Joining the pair with 65s on day two were Matt Wallace and Hideki Matsuyama (each with 70-65 for T11) and Lee Hodges (71-65 for T16.) Morikawa, Matsuyama, and DeChambeau have major championship wins in their names, while Wallace has been on the when to break through list his entire career. Hodges epitomizes the term journeyman, bu the PGA Championship is the one major of them all when lesser-known challegers find a way to break through.

2. The Corebridge team of PGA Professionals

Last year’s Cinderella story, Michael Block, did not repeat his Oak Hill success. Block missed the cut by a fair amount. Of the other 19, however, two were poised to conclude play and reach the weekend’s play. Braden Shattuck had finished at one-under par, while Jeremy Wells (-2) and Ben Polland (-1) were inside the glory line, each with two holes to play.

With three holes to play on the front nine, Kyle Mendoza sits at even par. His task is simple: play the final triumvirate in one-under par or better. If Mendoza can pull off that feat, and if the aforementioned triumvirate can hold steady, the club professional segment of the tournament will have four representatives in play over the weekend.

3. Scottie Scheffler

In his post-round interview, Scheffler admitted that his second round, following the surreal nature of the early morning’s events, was made possible by the support he received from patrons and fellow competitors. The new father expressed his great sadness for the loss of life, and also praised some of the first responders that had accompanied him in the journey from course to jail cell. Yes, jail cell. Scheffler spoke of beginning his warm-up routine with jail-house stretches.

Once he returned to Valhalla, Scheffler found a way to a two-under, opening nine holes. He began birdie-bogey-birdie on holes ten through twelve, then eased into a stretch of pars, before making birdie at the par-five 18th. His second nine holes featured three birdies and six pars, allowing him to improve by one shot from day one. Scheffler found himself in a fourth-place tie with Thomas Detry, and third-round tee time in the third-last pairing. Scheffler’s poise illustrated grace under pressure, which is the only way that he could have reached this status through 36 holes.

4. Sahith!

It’s a little bit funny that the fellow who followed 65 with 67, is nowhere to be found on the video highlight reels. He’s not alone in that respect, as Thomas Detry (T4) was also ignored by the cameras. Theegala has won on tour, and has the game to win again. The Californian turned in four-under par on Friday, then made an excruciating bogey at the par-five tenth. He redeemed himself two holes later, with birdie at the twelfth hole.

Theegala is an unproven commodity in major events. He has one top-ten finish: the 2023 Masters saw him finish 9th. He did tie for 40th in 2023, in this event, at Oak Hill. Is he likely to be around on Sunday? Yes. Will he be inside the top ten? If he is, he has a shot on Sunday. If Saturday is not a 67 or better, Theegala will not figure in the outcome of the 2024 championship.

5. X Man!!

After the fireworks of day one, Xander Schauffele preserved his lead at the 2024 PGA Championship. He holds a one-shot advantage and will tee off in the final pairing on Saturday, with Collin Morikawa. Eleven holes into round two, Schauffele made his first bogey of the week. The stumble stalled his momentum, as he had played the first ten holes in minus-four. Will the run of seven pars at the end signal a negative turn in the tide of play for Schauffele? We’ll find out on day three. One thing is for sure: minus twelve will not win this tournament. Schauffele will likely need to reach twenty under par over the next two days, to win his first major title.

 

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Scottie Scheffler arrested, charged, and released after traffic incident at Valhalla

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2 days ago

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May 17, 2024

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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:

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.”

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:

*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.

*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.

*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.

We will update this developing story as more information on the situation is revealed.

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Five Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

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2 days ago

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May 16, 2024

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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