News

Morning 9: Fitz on Heritage as designated event | OWGR movers | Nantz on Mickelson coverage

Published

1 year ago

Apr 18, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Monday morning, golf fans.

1. Fitzpatrick: Keep Heritage designated

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”But as far as field depth goes, nothing compares to this year. The Heritage’s designated status and $20 million purse – more than the Masters – ensured that all but one eligible (and non-injured) top-20 player showed up, with Rory McIlroy being the lone exception. Fitzpatrick outdueled Jordan Spieth in a playoff while Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler all were in contention at some point. Even Masters champ Jon Rahm fought fatigue and gutted out a T-15 finish at Harbour Town.”

“Fitzpatrick is obviously a tad biased, considering his affection for Harbour Town, but with the Tour likely not holding designated events the week after majors moving forward, the Englishman argues the Heritage should by whatever means necessary maintain its elevated status.”

“I think it deserves a good field,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think the fact that Jon Rahm came after winning the Masters, I think, is probably a testament to the tournament as well as a testament to himself for doing that. Yeah, really hope it is an elevated event next year, and I think it’s a great place to have one.”

Full piece.

2. OWGR movers

Brentley Romine, again…”Fitzpatrick climbed from No. 16 following his first non-major PGA Tour title while Spieth also cracked the top 10, moving from No. 15 to No. 9. Sam Burns and Viktor Hovland were both bumped, to Nos. 12 and 11, respectively.”

Some other notable moves…Will Zalatoris, out for the season because of back surgery, slipped two spots to No. 10…Justin Thomas’ T-25 at Heritage didn’t keep him from dropping to No. 14, his worst world rank since the week before his PGA Championship win, in 2017…Sahith Theegala is inside the top 25 for the first time in his career, now at No. 23, after his T-5 a Harbour Town.”

Full piece.

3. LPGA major preview

Kent Paisley for Golf Digest…”Change is in the air at this week’s Chevron Championship as the traditional first major of the LPGA season moves to its new home in Houston and Carlton Woods after 51 years in California’s Coachella Valley. How much of the tournament’s rich history makes the trip? And what kind of impact will the new venue have on the event’s legacy moving forward? Those are questions waiting for answers.”

“What isn’t changing about this year’s event is the quality of the field—and the intriguing storylines that it brings. A rare LPGA Hall of Fame berth is on the line for Lydia Ko, as a victory would allow the No. 1 player in the Rolex World Rankings to become the fifth woman to qualify since 2000, joining Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Se Ri Pak, Inbee Park and Lorena Ochoa. Only a year ago, Nelly Korda’s future in golf seemed uncertain as she was being treated for a blood clot. Now, she’s back as one of the game’s dominant forces. Jin Young Ko’s surprisingly out-of-character 2022 campaign started when she was a heavy favorite to win the Chevron, only to finish T-53. But after an extended break entering the 2023 season, she returned the winner’s circle for the first time in 17 starts in February and now looks poised to make another major run.”

Full piece.

4. ICYMI: McIlroy to be docked $3 million

AP report…”Rory McIlroy withdrawing from the RBC Heritage this week means he will forfeit $3 million from his Player Impact Program bonus.”

“The PGA Tour confirmed Friday that McIlroy, who received $9 million of his potential $12 million bonus in January, will not be getting the balance.”

“The PIP, which began two years ago, rewards players based on various metrics of their popularity. McIlroy finished second to Tiger Woods and stood to gain $12 million — 75% paid after the first week of the year, the remainder when they fulfilled obligations such as playing in all the designated events on the schedule.”

Full piece.

5. Nantz: We weren’t hiding Phil

Matt Cradock for Golf Monthly…”In the build-up to The Masters, it had been confirmed by CBS, that LIV golfers would receive fair broadcast coverage. However, within Mickelson’s vault up the leaderboard, it was perhaps slightly bizarre that not much was shown of it until the final few holes.”

“However, Jim Nantz, who has anchored CBS’s coverage of The Masters since the 80s, has now denied rumours that the broadcasting giant deliberately limited coverage of LIV players, with the 63-year-old stating: “If you went back and looked at the full coverage on Sunday, including Sunday morning, the finishing up of the third round, our guys were really on Phil.”

“Nantz went on to add: “Part of it is optics, when you look at the leaderboard at the end and you see that Phil’s tied for second, you think, ‘Well, my gosh, they must have been on him all day.’”

Full piece.

6. Linn Grant still can’t compete in the U.S.

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”Linn Grant has played all over the world in 2023 – from Morocco to South Korea to Thailand to Singapore to Saudi Arabia. But because she is not vaccinated against COVID-19, Grant has not yet competed in the United States.”

“In January, the U.S. government extended its existing COVID-19 restrictions, which require international visitors to be fully vaccinated against the virus. The national public health emergency will expire on May 11, and the hope for Grant is that she’d be eligible to compete in the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play event in Las Vegas, May 24-28.”

Full piece.

7. LIV golfer: Schedule frustrating

Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig…”While largely derided amid criticism after LIV Golf sued so its players could continue to compete on the PGA Tour—and not necessarily true anyway given the schedule and the desire to play major championships—it nonetheless remains a talking point.”

“Then there is Jed Morgan. The Australian golfer, who has played 10 LIV events over its two seasons and is part of a LIV team of Australians called Ripper GC, wishes LIV had more events.”

“There’s obviously quite a bit of time off with the LIV stuff at the moment, which is a little bit frustrating,’’ Morgan, 23, told News Corp Australia. “Part of being a good golfer is playing a few tournaments in a row and getting some form that way.’’

Full piece.

8. Smoltz on the Champions Tour?

TMZ Sports report…”The MLB legend is hoping to hear that a whole lot at PGA TOUR Champions events in the very near future … telling TMZ Sports he wants to compete on the senior golf circuit as soon as he gets his ailing hip surgically repaired.”

“The 55-year-old didn’t mince words when talking about his golf goals with us earlier this year … explaining that the first time he tried to find success on the PGA Tour Champions, he was just simply too hurt to make a real run.”

“Now, though, he says he’s already got one of his hips redone — and he’s hoping when he gets the other one fixed … it could lead to serious success.”

“I’ve got a new hip, I’ve got one more hip to do, and then after that,” he said, “I want to see what my competitive juices take me to.

Full piece.

9. Photos from the Zurich Classic

Check out all our photos from New Orleans in the GolfWRX forums!

Full piece.

Your Reaction?

LIKE0
LEGIT0
WOW0
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB0
SHANK0

News

SuperStroke acquires Lamkin Grips

Published

19 hours ago

May 6, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”

“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”

Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.

According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”

CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.

“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.

Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history

Your Reaction?

LIKE11
LEGIT3
WOW6
LOL1
IDHT1
FLOP2
OB2
SHANK5

News

Tour Rundown: Pendrith, Otaegui, Longbella, and Dunlap soar

Published

20 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Ronald Montesano

Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.

It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place

The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.

This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.

With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.

360° and in!

A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024

DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four

It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.

It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.

.@adrianotaegui birdies the 16th to tie the lead at -17 ?#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/p4tfE5DRJa

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2024

PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella

Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.

64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.

.@TBalla21 eagles 17, shoots 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KIA Open. pic.twitter.com/TTOL2LxSdh

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2024

PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win

Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.

The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.

Off the green? No worries for @ScottDu12500063

8-under solo leader @InsperityInvtnl pic.twitter.com/hoj5OujL5C

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 4, 2024

Your Reaction?

LIKE0
LEGIT0
WOW0
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB0
SHANK0

News

Morning 9: Pendrith’s maiden Tour win | Morikawa back with former coach | Brooks victorious

Published

21 hours ago

May 6, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour gives us yet another breakthrough winner.

1. Pendrith wins first PGA Tour title

AP Report…”Taylor Pendrith took advantage of Ben Kohles’ final-hole meltdown to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title.”

“Kohles overtook Pendrith with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a one-shot lead then bogeyed the 18th after hitting his second shot into greenside rough. After having to chip twice from the rough and already looking stunned, Kohles missed a 6-foot putt that would have forced a playoff.”

“Pendrith two-putted for birdie on the 18th, holing a 3-footer for a 4-under 67 and 23-under 261 total at the TPC Craig Ranch. The 32-year-old Canadian won in his 74th career PGA Tour start.”

Full piece.

2. Koepka takes LIV title in Singapore

S.I.’s Bob Harig…”Brooks Koepka became the first player to win four times as part of the LIV Golf League, shooting a final-round 68 at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore on Sunday to beat Cam Smith and Marc Leishman by two strokes.”

“His timing wasn’t bad, either.”

“A few days after offering concern about his game in light of a poor Masters performance, Koepka stepped up and won the LIV Golf Singapore even to give himself a boost heading into the defense of his PGA Championship title in two weeks.”

“The year’s second major begins on May 16.”

Full piece.

3. Otaegui wins Volvo China

AP report…”Adrian Otaegui overturned a five-shot deficit to win the Volvo China Open on Sunday, the Spaniard’s fifth tour title.”

“Otaegui had been trailing the in-form Sebastian Söderberg after Friday’s round – Saturday’s was cancelled because of thunder and lightning – and he shot 7-under 65 in his final round to win by one shot from Guido Migliozzi, who finished runner up with a 67.”

Full piece.

4. ICYMI: Teen Kim makes the cut

Guardian report…”English teenager Kris Kim became the youngest player to make the cut on the PGA Tour in 11 years after a birdie at the last saw him get through to the weekend of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas with a shot to spare.”

“Amateur Kim, the son of former LPGA player Ji-Hyun Suh, made a second-round four-under-par 67, which included a run of five birdies and one bogey over his front nine.”

“At 16 years and seven months he became the youngest player to make the cut on tour since 14-year-old Guan Tianlang at the 2013 Masters, and, according to the PGA Tour, the fifth youngest in history.”

Full piece.

5. Winner in a rainout

AP report…”Scott Dunlap was declared the 36-hole winner of the Insperity Invitational when rain washed the final round Sunday, giving Dunlap his first PGA Tour Champions title in nearly 10 years.”

“Devastating rain in the Houston area previously washed out the opening round Friday. Players managed to play 36 holes on Saturday, and Dunlap posted a 2-under 70 to take a one-shot lead over Joe Durant and Stuart Appleby.”

“That proved to be the winning score when rain soaked The Woodlands Country Club. It was the second 36-hole event in the last three weeks on the PGA Tour Champions because of weather. The other was in the Dallas area.”