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Morning 9: Open takeaways | Brandel: Rory past physical prime | Harman’s moneyball strategy

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as attention now turns towards the 3M Open.

1. Open takeaways

Joseph LaMagna for the Fried Egg…”Though this major championship will not be lauded as a classic, I am going to remember at least two things from the tournament. The first is to appreciate the scenario in which a non-star leads the field by a healthy margin, and we get the opportunity to speculate on his chances of hoisting a trophy on Sunday. Texting with friends about a player’s chances of sleeping on and holding a lead never gets old. In part, those are conversations about course fit, conditions, and players’ skill sets. But they are also conversations about the mettle of a human being. Predicting and observing which players can withstand the height of pressure taps into the essence and beauty of elite competition. The cycle of having those conversations and bearing witness to the result shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

  • “The second thing I will remember from this tournament is that Brian Harman got the job done. He figured out a way to quiet his mind, got some sleep, and woke up on Saturday and Sunday ready to execute golf shots. He succeeded in a situation in which we have seen countless golfers crumble. He won the tournament by six. Witnessing dominance shouldn’t be taken for granted either.”
Full piece.

2. PIF-R&A talks at Open?

The Telegraph’s James Corrigan…”Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the £500 billion Saudi sovereign wealth fund, and key associate Amanda Staveley met with R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers at Hoylake during Sunday’s final round of the 151st Open.”

  • The pair were swept in unnoticed by one of the primary sponsors of the R&A, highlighting the game’s radically changed relationship with the LIV Golf movement. The R&A confirmed the meeting but would not give details of the discussion.
  • In a groundbreaking moment and as the drama was unfolding, Slumbers attended a private box to have talks with Al-Rumayyan and Staveley. This marked the first time in the LIV saga that Al-Rumayyan had been welcomed into the inner sanctum of the majors.
Full piece.
3. Brandel: Rory is past his prime

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After Rory McIlroy failed to convert yet another major championship in weekend contention into a victory, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee opined that Rory may be approaching the other side of his prime, depsite his physique.”

  • “I know you think he’s ripped & he is ripped but you reach your physical prime at 26/27, you look at when players are dismissed from teams, it’s far earlier than you would think because they have statistics that show you’ve reached your statistical prime.
  • “I’m talking about mental, I’m talking about optical acuity, all these little things touch nerves, speed.”
  • “I realize he’s ripping it & he looks like a Greek god, but I’m talking about, at 34 he doesn’t have as much runway in front of him as he did when he won his last major.”
Full piece.

4. Harman’s “moneyball” driver strategy

Luke Kerr-Dineen for Golf Digest…”Harman ranks 142nd on tour in driving distance, but he gets around this perceived disadvantage with a pretty simple strategy: He hits driver all the time, as much as he can, at every opportunity.”

  • While Harman’s peers are dropping back to hit 3-wood and 2-irons, either for more control or to pursue safety, Harman pushes himself to hit the driver at every opportunity.
  • It’s an intentional strategy that shows up in his stats. Look at the driving distance statistic, which only measures a certain holes—longer, wider holes, where most golfers are hitting drivers. It’s the best way to do it when you’re trying to showcase who actually hits it the longest. And that’s where Harman ranks 142nd in that category.
  • But now look at all drives—the average distance of literally every tee shot hit on par 4s and par 5s. You’ll see that Harman ranks 98th, within 0.3 yards of tour average.
Full piece.

5. An American celebration

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”After dominating at Royal Liverpool to the tune of a six-shot victory, Harman took his claret jug out to dinner. However, he didn’t seek any local fare but rather a BBQ joint called Hickory’s Smokehouse in West Kirby, just south of Hoylake. The Google review of the restaurant describes it like this: “Buzzing American BBQ joint serving hickory-smoked and grilled meat, kids’ menu, shakes and U.S. beers.” Not exactly fish and chips and a pint of Carling.”

  • “According to an Instagram post shared by Aaron Flener, the caddie for J.T. Poston, one of Harman’s best friends on Tour, it was a modest celebration – far from a hammered Shane Lowry belting “Fields of Athenry” a few years ago – that also included Harman’s caddie, Scott Tway.”
Full piece.

6. No Akshay in FedEx Cup Playoffs?

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”By winning the opposite-field event, Bhatia shed his status as a special temporary member and is now eligible for this season’s FedExCup Playoffs as a full-time member, which he will be through the 2024 season. He also picked up spots in next year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Players, PGA Championship and Charles Schwab Challenge, the latter likely the only invitational event that won’t be designated next season.”

  • “However, Bhatia did not receive the 300 FedExCup points available to the Barracuda’s winner due to the co-sanctioned tournament, which includes 50 DP World Tour members, having the same non-member regulations that the World Golf Championships had. The Barbasol Championship, which was played opposite the Scottish Open, featured the same regulations, so Bhatia didn’t get any points for his T-9 finish there, either.”
  • “So, Bhatia is now officially on the FedExCup points list and eligible for the playoffs, but he debuts at No. 92 with 434.856 points.”
Full Piece.

7. RIP

8. Harman’s key putting training aid

Adam Schupak for Golfweek…”But after rolling to a six-stroke victory on Sunday to hoist the Claret Jug, Harman finally revealed the key to his improved putting. He has been using a training aid to help with his stroke.”

  • “It’s a silly looking mirror where it’s got like a little better release pattern,” said Harman, who couldn’t recall what tournament he picked it up but pulled it out of the barn of his farmhouse recently. “I was just kind of cutting my putts too much. I spent a lot of time just feeling the ball, almost hitting like a baby draw with my putter, and it’s been really, really good the last month or so.”
  • “Prior to using the device, which he didn’t name but it appears to be the Short Game Gains Putting Mirror, Harman said he had been considering benching his TaylorMade Spider putter, but said that it won’t be leaving the bag any time soon after his putting performance this week. He took just 23 putts Thursday and 26 on Friday and his 106 total putts were the fewest by the winner of the British Open in the last 20 years.”
Full Piece.

9. Reminder: Members Choice voting is live (and wraps this week)

Vote now!!!

Full Piece.
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SuperStroke acquires Lamkin Grips

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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

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

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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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.”
Full piece.

6. Morikawa back with former coach

7. Winner’s bag: Taylor Pendrith

Presented by 2nd Swing

Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees)

Shaft: ACCRA TZ Six ST

3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green Small Batch 80 6.5 TX

7-wood: Ping G430 MAX (20.5 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green Small Batch 90 6.5 TX

Irons: Srixon ZX5 Mk II (4, 5), Srixon ZX7 Mk II (6-9)

Shafts: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 6.5 90, 6.5 100 (2-3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Cleveland RTX 6 Tour Rack (46-10 Mid, 52-10 Mid, 56-10 Mid, 60-9 Full)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Odyssey Jailbird Versa

Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

Full WITB.
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