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Vincenzi: BMW Championship First Round Leader picks

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The top-50 players who remain in the FedEx Cup playoffs will head to Olympia Fields, Illinois to play the 2023 BMW Championship. Olympia Fields Country Club is a brute of a golf course that will test best players on Tour in all facets of their game.

In the past five editions of the BMW Championship there have been nine first-round leaders or co-leaders. Of the nine, six have started their rounds in the morning, and three have started in the afternoon. However, with only 50 players in the field, tee times shouldn’t be as much of a factor this week and all the players will be playing in similar conditions.

The only other time the BMW Championship was held at Olympia Fields CC, Hideki Matsuyama was the first-round leader after teeing off at 1:09 PM and shooting a 67 (-3). The course is extremely difficult, so targeting players who can limit mistakes will be just as important as targeting players who are prolific birdie-makers.

BMW Championship First-Round Leader Picks

Tony Finau +3500 (Caesars)

First-Round Tee Time: 1:16 p.m. ET

Tony Finau has been struggling of late but appears to have taken a step in the right direction over his last few starts. After finishing 7th at the 3M Open last month, he struck the ball pretty well at TPC Southwind last week. He lost 8.2 strokes putting, which clearly impacted his finishing position, but gained 2.0 strokes on approach.

In 2020, Finau was one of only five players to finish the week under par. Olympia Fields is a course where he should be able to use his elite driving ability to his advantage once again. He’s also finished in the top-10 of the BMW Championship in four of his past six starts at the event.

Cameron Davis +4000 (BetMGM)

First-Round Tee Time: 11:43 a.m. ET

Cameron Davis is extremely hot at the moment and his form should not be taken lightly heading into the BMW Championship. In his past three starts has finished 10th, 7th and 6th. In those three starts, he’s gained 6.6, 7.9 and 5.6 strokes from tee to green. His putter hasn’t been cooperating as much as he’d like, but on a golf course where he doesn’t need to go extremely low to grab the first-round lead, that’s less of a concern.

Over his last five starts, the Aussie has gained an average of 2.3 strokes on the field off the tee. That skill set will be crucial in starting off hot at Olympia Fields.

Justin Rose +4000 (BetMGM)

First-Round Tee Time: 9:59 a.m. ET

Right when it seemed as if Justin Rose’s form was falling off towards the end of the season, the veteran went and shot a course record (61) at TPC Southwind.

The Englishman loves difficult tracks, and Olympia Fields certainly qualifies. As a former U.S. Open champion, Rose is the type of player who thrives when conditions get tough. He’s also been incredibly successful at BMW Championships. He has four top-5 finishes at the event, including a victory in 2011.

With the Ryder Cup right around the corner, Rose looks like his game is getting sharp at just the right time.

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19th Hole

“Is it a Titleist?” – Jerry Seinfeld shares never-before-heard details of iconic scene

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On Thursday, legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld joined the Rich Eisen Show and shared an awesome story from a “Seinfeld” episode titled “The Marine Biologist.”

In the episode, a golf ball goes into the blow hole of a whale. According to Seinfeld, that was never in the episode’s script.

Seinfeld recalls saying the night before the filming of the episode, “What if what puts the whale in distress is Kramer’s golf ball?”

“He’s hitting golf balls at the beach. George is at the beach with a girl, we haven’t connected them!”

“We write that speech the night before at two o’clock in the morning…The sea was angry that day my friend.”

 

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A post shared by Rich Eisen (@richeisen)


Kramer finishes the iconic scene by asking “Is it a Titleist?” Seinfeld told Eisen the show sought Titleist’s permission to mention its name, saying the ball had to be a Titleist. Fortunately for lovers of the iconic show, the company agreed.

If (somehow) you’re unfamiliar with the scene, check it out below.

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Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game ‘on a much more global basis’

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While speaking with Bloomberg, golf legend Phil Mickelson acknowledged that he is inching close towards retirement.

“I’m 53 now,” Phil said, “and my career, you know, it’s — if I’m being truthful, it’s on — it’s — it’s — I’m a — it’s towards its end.”

Mickelson added that one of his focuses now is helping other young players.

“Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfillment that the game has provided me. I’d like them to experience that as well.”

The six-time major champion credited LIV with reaching new markets in golf to help it grow.

“I think that’s exciting for everyone involved in the game because we are going to reach markets that we didn’t reach before. I think it’s going to inspire more golf courses, inspire more manufacturers selling clubs and equipment, but also inspiring young kids to try to play golf professionally. I just see that the game of golf is going to grow on a much more global basis because of the excitement and the presence that LIV Golf has.”

Mickelson is playing at this week’s LIV Singapore and shot a first round 72 (+1).

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Tiger explains why golf has ‘negative connotations’ for daughter Sam

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While Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, has certainly inherited his father’s love for golf, his daughter, Sam, has not.

On Wednesday, Tiger made an appearance on The Today Show with Carson Daly and explained his daughter’s relationship with golf.

“Golf has negative connotations for her. When she was growing up, golf took daddy away from her. I had to pack, I had to leave, and I was gone for weeks. So, there were negative connotations to it.

“We developed our own relationship and our own rapport outside of golf. We do things that doesn’t involve golf. Meanwhile, my son and I, everything we do is golf related.”

The nine-minute interview touches on plenty of other subjects, such as Tiger’s relationship with his late father, Earl.

It’s arguably the most open we’ve seen the 15-time major champion in an interview and is most definitely worth watching.

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