19th Hole

Rory McIlroy reveals the tennis star inspiring him ahead of this week’s Masters tournament

Published

1 year ago

Apr 3, 2023

Rory McIlroy enters Masters week as determined as ever to join the greats of the game by winning his first Green Jacket.

The world number two has won all the other three majors (PGA Championship twice) but the Augusta prize has eluded him, with the most memorable chance being with a four shot lead going into the final day of the 2011 Masters, when a final round 80 turned the dream into a final position of tied-15th.

The Jupiter resident also had chances at the 2016 and 2018 runnings, leading at halfway at the eventful event won by Danny Willett, and when in second place after three rounds at the latter, before a final round 74 dropped him six shots behind Patrick Reed at the line.

With time comes maturity, and whilst there must still remain a degree of pressure, the 33-year-old is now well over the stigma of being the ‘next Big Thing’, whether that be Tiger Woods or any of the many other legends that have graced the game.

In that respect, McIlroy recognizes the demands of young talent in any sport, and in a recent interview with The Telegraph, spoke of his admiration for new tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz.

Both players have set their respective sporting worlds alight with their achievements at an early age.

McIlroy set numerous scoring records when winning the US Open in 2011 before becoming the second youngest ever player to reach the summit of the world rankings. He’s been the youngest ever to earn $10million in earnings on the tour, and in 2019 became the youngest ever player to spend 500 weeks inside the world top 10.

Stat of the week:

This week, 30.5 yo @McIlroyRory becomes the youngest player ever to spend 500 weeks inside the top 10 in the world ??

Tiger needed ~4 months longer to reach this remarkable #OWGR milestone.

NONE of the known younger stars could possibly break this record??

— Nosferatu (@VC606) November 11, 2019

In the case of Alcaraz, his win at the US Open last year meant he became the youngest winner of the major since Pete Sampras in 1990 and the youngest world number one in the history of the ATP.

At 19 years of age, much is expected of the Spaniard, and McIlroy can empathize with the problems that go along with comparisons to the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He also took time to admire the outlook and public persona of another potential sporting great.

“I’ve been reading Alcaraz’s interviews, he said. “I mean, to have this philosophy and, more so, the understanding and the conviction at the age he is and with all the pressure he’s had and the expectation on him to be the next big thing as that golden age comes to an end… well, it’s incredible really. A lot of what he says sticks with me, but especially one bit.”

McIlroy also recognizes the need to ‘enjoy’ the job and to realize there is little gain in trying to be ‘new (insert any previous relevant legend that will get headlines)’.

Explaining why he enjoys listening and reading Alcaraz’s scripts, McIlroy says his view is, “fantastic isn’t it? Listen to that-‘joy and instinct’. What a lovely, beautiful and very plain ambition to have.”

Rory continues, “It is what every kid has when they first play a sport and what invariably then gets lost when the really good ones progress and turn professional.”

McIlroy is, of course, no stranger to the pressure put on tennis stars, having been a previous fiance of former female tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

“Alcaraz is not trying to be the new Federer or new Nadal or new Djokovic–he is just trying to play tennis as he wants to, but also to the best of his ability in a way that the fans will love. He talks of not making everything monotonous and life being more fun that way and his tennis being more fun to watch.”

He knows that at the very top of any sport, there is not only an expectation of victory, but sometimes a less ‘human’ side that maybe loses sight of the world around them.

“Of course, you need your structure and to put in the hours and to grind and be ‘professional’, but you should not lose sight that this is a privilege and the moments should be enjoyed. There’s so much more to it than winning, although, of course, that’s what you yearn for. And maybe just relishing in the moment was why I acted like I did on the 18th last year at Augusta.”

That incident was one of the most joyous seen on a golf course, and certainly by someone that was likely not to win the trophy.

McIlroy explains, “Scottie [Scheffler, eventual champion] was four or five clear of me at the time, but he was on Amen Corner and I suppose you never know with the 12th and everything. But I definitely wasn’t thinking ‘here comes my Green Jacket now’. I wasn’t’ standing over that bunker shot, thinking, ‘make this and you could get a play off’. I was totally in the moment thinking, ‘how the hell do I get this close?’.”

“It was difficult. I had to aim well up the slope, would have taken eight to 10 feet all day. But then it dropped, and I exploded. Collin then holed his–pandemonium! I’m telling you that’s as much fun as I’ve ever had on a golf course. And I’m also telling you that the second best time I’ve had like that was when I was in the final group with Tiger when he won at the Tour Championship [in 2018], his first title in five years. The atmosphere was amazing. So there you go. My two most favourite moments like that, have been when I’ve not won.”

“So it might have seemed a little victory to some – but it was a huge victory to me. That was the first time I’d ever left Augusta happy. Sure, I’d done well there before – I’d had something like six top-10s in the previous eight years – but that was the first time I’d left there with a big smile on my face. And with my history at Augusta, that was really notable for me.”

” But maybe last year helped to put the positive memories to the forefront of my mind.

If nothing else, I know I can enjoy myself there. And I fully intend to.”

With the words of his much younger hero ringing in his ears, who can argue this is the time for McIlroy to finally land the career Slam?

‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage

Published

1 day ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

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.

Related: Patrick Cantlay WITB

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.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview

Published

1 day ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

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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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 LIV Adelaide betting preview: Cam Smith ready for big week down under

Published

1 day ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide.

For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.

The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory.

The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second.

*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*

Past Winners at LIV Adelaide

2023: Talor Gooch (-19)

Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami

Green in Regulation

Richard Bland
Jon Rahm
Paul Casey

Fairways Hit

Abraham Ancer
Graeme McDowell
Henrik Stenson

Driving Distance

Bryson DeChambeau
Joaquin Niemann
Dean Burmester

Putting

Cameron Smith
Louis Oosthuizen
Matt Jones

2024 LIV Adelaide Picks

Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)

When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.

At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.

The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.

Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)

Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.

In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.

For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.