Connect with us

News

Tour Rundown: Back to back for Boutier | Bryson’s brilliance | Glover victorious

Published

on

August arrived with pre-Fall fanfare. The ladies tours merged in Scotland for the Scottish Open, a wonderful prelude to this week’s Open Championship. The PGA Tour concluded its regular season in North Carolina, and one of the game’s big names missed the playoffs by one shot. Korn Ferry headed west to Utah, where a familiar name closed fast for a long-awaited win. North of the border, PGA Tour Canada was welcomed to Windsor, and in West Virginia, a 58 for the win was recorded on the LIV tour. It was an entertaining first weekend for the year’s eighth month, and as such, deserves no additional delay. Let’s run down all the wins and near-misses in this week’s Tour Rundown. Let Maja’s magic be your inspiration for this week.

LPGA/LET @ Scottish Open: Back to back for Boutier

Celine Boutier will look back on 2023 as a year when she figured something out. True, the year’s not over yet, but with wins in consecutive weeks at Evian and Dundonald, the French golfer is playing, no, winning at a level above her competition. I don’t know if that makes her the favorite (if there is such a thing) in this week’s Open Championship, but I certainly expect much from her at Walton Heath.

Boutier was that golfer this week, the one who held the wheel firm through all four rounds. She was patient while others lit fireworks, awaiting her moment. Hinako Shibuno opened with 64-68, and looked to be the week’s champion at the halfway point. The Japanese champion fell away with 77-72 over the weekend, all the way to 16th place. Maja Stark held second at 134 through 36 holes, but had her difficulties over the final two rounds. She managed a tie for fourth position, Charging to the wire were Hyo Joo Kim and Ruoning Yan. Their weekends of 134 and 133, respectively, brought them into 2nd and 3rd places, just shy of the champion’s pace.

Boutier took control on Saturday. Her 66 included eight birdies on the day, against a pair of bogeys. The previous week’s winner gained strokes at 17 and 18 in round three, to add a bit more distance between herself and the field. She would need those two shots to hold off Kim, who made a tournament of things when it looked like Boutier’s week. The French champion stumbled a bit coming home on Sunday, with bogeys at 14 and 16. A birdie at 17 gave her breathing room, and she collected her fifth LPGA and fifth LET titles amid a champagne shower.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: A win for Glover and a near-miss for JT 

Greensboro’s PGA Tour event has been a mainstay on the circuit for decades. Its position as the final event before FedEx Cup playoffs makes it even more valuable for those golfers hoping to reach the bonus events at Memphis, Chicago, and Atlanta. The Sedgefield Country Club course is not everyone’s favorite joint, but if you love Donald Ross and traditional architecture, you’ll get along just fine with the old dame. Eyes this week were on Justin Thomas, mired in the worst patch of golf of his tour career. Thomas was on the outside, looking in, at this week’s Top-70 affair at the St. Jude. He needed a big week and he almost got one. His tie for 12th was one agonizing shot away from overtaking Ben Griffin for the last playoff position.

With that out of the way, we move to the top of the board. Billy Horschel took the 54-hole lead with rounds of 62-63 on Friday-Saturday. The Florida Gator has been adrift in his own sea of uncertainty, and Greensboro looked to be a welcoming port. After lighting the course with rockets for 36 holes, Horschel failed to post birdie until the final hole. His 72 dropped him to t4, a welcome yet bittersweet finish.

It was left to Russell Henley, who always plays well at Sedgefield, and Lucas Glover, who hails from just over the NC/SC border, to settle matters. Henley was charging toward the lead when a mid-afternoon shower delayed the conclusion of the tournament. When the golfers returned to the course, the Georgia Bulldog promptly posted birdie-bogey-bogey-bogey to fall into a 2nd-place tie with Byeong Hun An. It was Glover who rocked steady, closing with pars as Henley faltered, to claim his fifth PGA Tour title, and first since John Deere in 2021.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Sloan snaps streak of nine years

Roger Sloan is a name that true aficionados of tour golf recognize. He has moved from circuit to circuit during his 15+ years of professional golf. On occasion, Sloan has made his way to the PGA Tour, but it is spaces like Korn Ferry and PGA Tour Canada where he has made his mark. This week, out of literal nowhere, Sloan surged and surged until there was no one left in front of him.

Kevin Dougherty had the lead and the commentator admiration, heading into Sunday. Dougherty’s 67-61-65 start had him one shot ahead of Danny Walker. On Sunday, Neither Dougherty nor Walker had the recipe for birdies, and each signed for 70. Dougherty finished T3 with Roberto Díaz, while Walker claimed solo fifth spot. Making a big move on Sunday was Christopher Petefish. Well outside the magical Top 30 (recipients of PGA tour cards for next season), Petefish seized the lead with an eagle 3 at the 15th hole. He was unable to close with any fervor, however, and a trio of pars brought him to 23-under on the week.

Sloan played Sunday’s outward half in four-under par, but a pair of early, back-nine bogeys slowed his roll for a time. Fortunately for him, the leaders had faltered, and hope still lingered. Sloan stood two back of Petefish when he reached the 17th tee. Two holes later, he had a pair of birdies and no need for a playoff. Roger Sloan had ended a nine-year, one-month winless streak, and vaulted inside the top 30 on the season.

PGA Tour Canada @ Windsor Championship: Choi chases victory down

Both PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour Canada award ten Korn Ferry Tour cards at the conclusion of their championships. Their abbreviated seasons lead to a great deal of movement each week. This week’s spotlight shines on Sam Choi. He entered round four within sight of the top spot, co-owned by Jeffrey Kang and Ryan Linton. Both leaders posted 69 on day four, which dropped them precisely one spot, into a six-way tie for second spot. They were joined at 22-under par by Cameron Sisk, Stuart Macdonald, Alex Scott, and Devon Bling.

Surging past the sextet was Choi, who found the golden stroke on Sunday. The Pepperdine alumnus turned in 32, thanks to four birdies. He added two more before a momentary hiccough at 14. A few deep breaths later, Choi added birdies at 15 and 18, to reach 64 on the day. By round’s end, he had reached 25 deep, three clear of his pursuers. The win vaulted Choi to second position in the Fortinet Cup, nearly assuring him of a Korn Ferry tour card for 2024. With his father as caddy, things don’t get much better.

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK5

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.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Chris

    Aug 7, 2023 at 11:22 am

    Really outdid yourself on the coverage of Bryson’s 58. and I quote:

    “and in West Virginia, a 58 for the win was recorded on the LIV tour.”

    You would think the main page for GolfWRX would have eaten up the content of his performance. Cool clubs in the bag, exciting final stretch performance for the win etc.

    • Jbone

      Aug 7, 2023 at 1:29 pm

      Golf “journalists” have a mental illness when it comes to LIV and Bryson

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Morning 9: 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour | Rory on possible return to policy board

Published

on

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Friday morning, golf fans, may a bountiful weekend of golf be in store for you!

1. 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour

KFT staff report…”Frankie Capan III went crazy low Thursday on the Korn Ferry Tour. Nearly in record fashion.”

  • “Capan carded 13-under 58 in the opening round of the Veritex Bank Championship, matching the second lowest score in Korn Ferry Tour history. He fell one shy of Cristobal Del Solar’s record 57, set at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard earlier this year, but it was a heck of a show nonetheless.”
  • “The Minnesota native played an eight-hole stretch in 9-under Thursday, following an eagle at the par-5 ninth with seven straight birdies to begin the back nine at par-71 Texas Rangers Golf Club. He “cooled off” with a two-putt par at the long par-4 17th hole. He arrived at the par-5 18th hole at 13 under for the round, but he found a fairway bunker off the tee, laid up to 134 yards and missed his third shot left of the green. He chipped to 7 feet and drained the par putt to match the Korn Ferry Tour’s second-lowest score of 58, carded by Stephan Jaeger in the opening round of the 2016 Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae.”
Full piece.

2. Team McIlowery starts strong

Paul Hodowanic for PGATour.com…”Late Thursday afternoon in New Orleans, Rory McIlroy rested his head on Shane Lowry’s shoulder.”

  • “It wasn’t the typical post-round moment, but this isn’t the typical event. McIlroy and Lowry teamed up for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA TOUR’s lone team event, and the all-Irish duo put on a show. Sporting matching pink-on-navy getups, McIlroy/Lowry opened in a best-ball 11-under 61 in Thursday’s Four-ball format at TPC Louisiana.”
  • “This partnership might have stemmed from a boozy brunch last fall, but their opening-round performance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans gave the field a sobering reminder: They’ll be tough to top.”
Full piece.

3. LPGA Tour: Grace Kim in front

AP report…”Grace Kim shot a 7-under 64 at Wilshire Country Club to take the first-round lead Thursday in the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship.”

  • “Playing in the morning session, the 23-year-old Australian capped her bogey-free round with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 18th.”
  • “Well, I chunked my tee shot on the last hole 20 meters short and then I chipped it in it,” Kim said. “I think that’s pretty cool, in front of everyone
Full piece.

4. McIlroy on rejoining policy board

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Rory McIlroy said Wednesday that he is willing to rejoin the PGA Tour policy board if the other player directors want him.”

  • “As first reported by the Guardian, Webb Simpson has submitted a letter stating that he’d like to resign from the board, but only if his vacant seat is filled by McIlroy, who stepped down last fall because of the toll it had taken on him professionally and personally.”
  • “Five months later, what has changed?”
  • “I think I can be helpful,” McIlroy said Wednesday ahead of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he is partnering with Shane Lowry. “I don’t think there’s been much progress made in the last eight months, and I was hopeful that there would be. I think I could be helpful to the process. But only if people want me involved, I guess.”
Full piece.

5. Charlie Woods shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier

Golfweek’s Cameron Jourdan…”Charlie Woods is going to have to wait to play in the U.S. Open.”

“The 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods played Thursday in local qualifying for the United States Golf Association’s national championship, set for June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Charlie played at The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and he shot 9-over 81.”

“Charlie’s round featured a bogey on his opening hole, the par-4 first. He then doubled the par-5 second. A pair of pars followed before his lone birdie on the front, but another double the next hole, the par-4 sixth, had him turn in 4-over 40.”

Full piece.

6. Photos from the Zurich Classic

GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

Check out all our photos at the link below!

Full piece.
Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Published

on

GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.

Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about our photos from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in the forums.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 6
  • LEGIT3
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

News

Morning 9: Tiger’s TGL teammates | Woosnam’s criticism of Cantlay | Rory’s return to tour policy board

Published

on

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour heads to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic.

1. 15-year-old finishes top 20 on KFT

Jay Coffin for Golf Digest…”During a week when most eyes were on Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, the 15-year-old lefty finished off an incredible week with a five-under 66 in the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood Ranch in Florida.”

  • “After opening with 68-66-70, Russell finished at 14-under-par total to tie for 20th place. The finish in which he jumped 28 positions on the leaderboard on the final day, gives him an exemption into next week’s Veritex Bank Championship at Rangers Park in Arlington, Texas. He’s the youngest player to finish inside the top 20 on the PGA of Korn Ferry tours, according to records that go back to 1983.”
Full piece.

2. Understandably, Nelly WDs

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Nelly Korda’s bid for a record-setting sixth consecutive win will have to wait a few weeks.”

  • “A day after capturing the Chevron Championship during a marathon final round in Houston, Korda announced on social media that she was withdrawing from this week’s JM Eagle LA Championship.”
  • “It was not an easy decision,” she wrote. “After the unbelievable week at the Chevron and grinding through the mental and physical challenges of four events in the past five weeks, I am definitely feeling exhausted. With so much still to come throughout 2024, I feel I need to listen to my body and get some rest, so I can be ready for the remainder of the season.”
Full piece.

3. Scheffler’s impressive No. 1 feat

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”After Scheffler’s victory Monday morning at the RBC Heritage, Scheffler upped his points average to 15.016 and increased his advantage in the Official World Golf Ranking over No. 2 Rory McIlroy to more than double McIlroy’s 7.365 average, meaning Scheffler is ranked further ahead of No. 2 than No. 2 is ahead of the last-ranked player.”

  • “The last time a No. 1 player had a greater points average was Woods, who was at 15.4564 on Dec. 6, 2009. But Woods was less than seven average points ahead of No. 2 Phil Mickelson at the time. Earlier that year, Woods was 7.735 ahead of Mickelson, which is the last time the gap between Nos. 1 and 2 was greater than Scheffler’s current 7.651 advantage.”
Full piece.

4. Zurich field notes

PGATour.com’s Adam Stanley…”Rory McIlroy will make his tournament debut alongside good pal, Ryder Cup teammate, and Irishman Shane Lowry – a duo that was firmed up during a celebratory lunch after the Ryder Cup last fall… Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele will try to reprise their 2022 win here. Cantlay and Schauffele have both the Foursomes and Four-ball scoring records at this event… Davis Riley and Nick Hardy will defend their 2023 title. No team has gone back-to-back… Three sets of brothers (and two sets of twins!) will play together with twins Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard and Parker and Pierceson Coody in the field along with Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick. Alex Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Højgaard are sponsor invites…”

  • “Billy Horschel, who won last week at the Corales Puntacana Championship, will be without his previous partner Sam Burns, as Burns and his wife are expecting their first child any day. Horschel will instead be paired with fellow University of Florida alum Tyson Alexander. Horschel has won the Zurich Classic when it was both an individual and team event… Other notable pairings include Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris, and Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin. The Canadian duo finished runner-up a year ago and would like nothing more than to show Presidents Cup International Team captain Mike Weir how well they play together… Steve Stricker will play his second TOUR event this season (after earning his way into THE PLAYERS Championship), teaming up with Matt Kuchar.”
Full piece.

5. Tiger’s teammates

Field Level Media report…”Tiger Woods announced Monday that Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner have joined his Jupiter Links GC TGL team.”

  • “The virtual golf league headed by Woods and Rory McIlroy will begin its inaugural season next January. Woods also unveiled the team’s logo.”
  • “I have already shared my excitement and optimism for TGL as a league and product,” said Woods. “Now that we have finalized our roster with a team of world-class golfers, I am even more confident that this group will proudly represent the Jupiter (Fla.) area and connect with our fans for years to come.”
Full piece.

6. Woosnam questions Cantlay’s decision

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, who’s 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.”

  • “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 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.”
  • “Cantlay would end up getting up and down for par when play resumed at 8:00 am Monday morning.”
Full piece.

7. JT on Scheffler’s “weird” equipment choice

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After Justin Thomas’ third round of the RBC Heritage, the two-time major champion went in the broadcast booth alongside the CBS crew.”

  • “While Thomas was watching Scottie Scheffler play on the back nine of his third round, he wondered aloud why Scottie uses high-numbered golf balls.”
  • “Does anybody else think it’s weird that Scottie uses high numbers? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an elite player use high-numbered golf balls.”
  • “Amanda Balionis who was on the grounds chimed in, reporting that analyst Dottie Pepper had wondered the same thing earlier that day.”
  • “I’ve been going about this wrong my whole life,” Thomas jokingly said.
Full piece.

8. Rory to rejoin PGA Tour policy board

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Four-time major championship winner Rory McIlroy is poised to return to the PGA Tour’s policy board, pending a vote by the board, which could come as early as this week, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.”

  • “One of the PGA Tour’s most vocal supporters during its three-year battle with LIV Golf, McIlroy abruptly resigned as a player director on the tour’s influential policy board in November.”
  • “He is expected to replace policy board player director Webb Simpson, who intends to step away before his two-year term expires in 2025.”
Full piece.

9. Weir names Presidents Cup assistants

PGA Tour report…”International Team Captain Mike Weir announced Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas as captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will be played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Canada, Sept. 24-29.

Full piece.
Your Reaction?
  • 4
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW1
  • LOL1
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB1
  • SHANK3

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending