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Tour Rundown: Greatness rises

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9 months ago

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It’s time for golf to rest for a bit. Yes, there still are playoff chases on the LPGA, DP World, Korn Ferry, and PGA Champions tours, but none of them carries the gravitas of the conclusion to the PGA Tour.

The Solheim and Ryder Cups will be contested in back-to-back weeks, in glorious Spain and Italy, but that won’t happen for another month. That might be the coolest idea ever, but that’s a story for another column.

This week, we saw wins on five tours, plus a senior women’s open in the USA. That’s a lot of running, but we have the verbal legs, so let’s dash off with this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour @ Tour Championship: This conversation is all about Viktor

Over the last month, we saw two incredible fortnights of golf on the PGA Tour. First, it was Lucas Glover, winning back-to-back and inserting himself into every conversation on the golf planet. These last 14 days have given us the rise of Hovland, as Viktor Hovland stormed to greatness with wins at Chicago and Atlanta.

Speaking of conversations, it was supposed to be a fight to the finish, between Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm. As things turned out, it was Viktor Hovland who moved the party to his place. No doubt, Rahm will win the Player of the Year award, but Hovland certainly inserted himself into that conversation.

For those who crunch numbers, Hovland and Xander Schauffele posted equal totals of 261 strokes over the four days. Thing was, Viktor began the week with that five-shot advantage over the 2021 Olympic champion, that came from the year-long seeding process. For those who love minutiae, there will always be a conversation about who might have won a playoff between the two. Fact is, it’s fiction. Xander gave great chase, and might have closed the gap to two shots if Viktor had not drained the par putt that you see below.

With the win, Hovland earned his third victory of the year, and a FedEx Cup title. Now, it’s on to that first major title, which we believe should come in 2024.

USGA @ Senior Women’s Open: Johnson has just enough petrol for victory

Waverley Country Club closes with two par-5 holes. With those two holes left to play, Trish Johnson had a three-shot advantage over Leta Lindley. Both had been close in this tournament in recent years. Johnson had T3 and T2 finishes since 2019, while Lindley was runner-up last year at NCR Country Club. Lindley made birdie at 18, while Johnson posted bogey at 17. In that flicker, the lead was one shot. Summoning all the strength and vibes of a career in touring professional golf, Johnson found her fifth stroke at the bottom of the 18th cup, just enough fuel to claim a one-shot, outright victory.

In truth, it was much closer than that. Catriona Matthew, Lindley, and Johnson came to the final four holes in a virtual tie. Johnson made birdies at 15 and 16, to stretch a margin. Matthew ultimately placed solo third at two under par. Lindley’s last-hole surge brought her to three-deep, while Johnson managed that 4-under finish by the width of a blade of grass.

DP World Tour @ Czech Masters: It’s Clements’ time!

Todd Clements is 27 years old. He does not have a Wiki page, which tells you much about his career. On Sunday in Prague, Clements played what he called the best round of his life. He made three bunches of consecutive birdies: 1-3, 6-8, and 10-12. Probably around the 13th tee, Clements realized what he was doing. He had caught countryman Matt Wallace, one of the hard-luck kids from England, and had a two-shot advantage. Wallace made a birdie at 14 but could make no more. He finished at 21-under par.

As for Clements, he parlayed his incredible opening 12 holes into a 63. He managed to par the remaining six holes, and when he picked his ball out of the cup on 18, the young man from Colchester had a life-changing scorecard to sign. With the title, exemptions, and invitations await, as 2023 just got a whole lot brighter!

Korn Ferry Tour @ Boise Open: Chan can, for the second consecutive week

This Chan Kim wanted in on the consecutive-weeks club. After Glover and Hovland, the Arizona State alum held off a hard-charging David Kocher to win again on the Korn Ferry Tour. How hard-charging? Well, Kocher posted a 59. Yup, that’s pretty speedy. As for Kim, he opened with 66, then went no higher over the next three rounds. 62 on Friday, followed by twin 64s on the weekend, gave him a two-shot advantage over the latest member of the sub-60 club.

Don’t think that Kim was unaware of Kocher’s magic. Despite the pursuit, the native of Korea was resolute in his mission and was able to claim the first playoff event of the KFT 2023 extra session. The tour moves on to Tennessee and Ohio after a two-week break, then concludes the season in Indiana. For Chan Kim, the future is bright, and it takes place on the PGA Tour.

LPGA @ Canadian Women’s Open: Khang survives day four for title

Meghan Khang opened the door, unsealed the envelope, and let the field back into the chase for the Canadian Women’s Open in Vancouver. Jin Young Ko took advantage and finished tied with the young American at 9 under par. The pair went off to a playoff hole, where Kang was able to make a regulation par. Ko could not match, and the first LPGA victory arrived for Meghan Khang.

How did the pair reach that stage in the tournament? The final round was filled with potholes for Khang. By the time she reached the 11th tee, she had zero birdies and three bogeys on her card. Ko was 2 under on the day and had closed the gap. 11 was massive in the outcome. Khang righted course with a birdie, while Ko gave one back with bogey. Khang played the final six in even par, while Ko grabbed two more birdies to force overtime, but oh, what might have been, had the 11th hole been different!

PGA Tour Champions @ Ally Challenge: Singh’s song is same

Vijay Singh was always the golfer we thought would dominate the senior circuit. The former great on the PGA Tour is 10 years into his second career and has five victories to show. Admit it, weren’t you thinking the same thing? Veej is tall and fit, completely committed to his game, so how does he average a win, every other year? Another story for another column.

This week in Michigan, Singh and company faced the task of catching Paul Goydos, who held a tenuous lead with 18 holes remaining. Goydos had an unfortunate, five-putt on Sunday’s 17th hole, and closed with 71 for a T3 finish. Mounting a charge, in addition to Fiji’s finest, were Jeff Maggert, Tim Petrovic, and Stephen Ames. Ames and Petrovic reached 12-deep to tie Goydos, while Maggert went one better, with 69 for minus 13. Despite bogey at 15, Singh’s total for day three was 68 strokes, precisely what he needed to outdistance the field.

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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.

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Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship

Published

18 hours ago

on

May 14, 2024

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GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.

While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.

Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

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Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue

Published

20 hours ago

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May 14, 2024

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the PGA Championship from iconic Valhalla.

1. Is now the time Rory finally ends major drought?

BBC’s Iain Carter…”But given the imperious form he showed in Charlotte last week, perhaps this is the PGA Championship to rekindle the ruthless streak of old. And not just because he is back at Valhalla (the Nordic word for the hall of the fallen).”

  • “It also became clear last week that McIlroy is somewhat persona non grata to the PGA Tour’s Policy Board. His views on a global future for this damagingly split sport do not seem to chime with the American dominated body.”
  • “His offer to return to the board from which he resigned earlier this year was rejected and he has been left as a mere non-voting member of the “transaction committee” dealing with a potential deal with Saudi Arabia.”
  • “McIlroy insists there are “no hard feelings” but there should be.”
  • “No player has worked harder for their sport during this period of unprecedented tumult and the board has rejected someone many people regard as the game’s most articulate and enlightened international voice.”
  • “Now is, surely, the time for McIlroy to feel slighted and respond with his clubs. Play as though he has a chip on his shoulder, but in the knowledge that he is generationally the most consistent golfing force out there.”
Full piece.

2. Scheffler in for PGA Champ after birth of child

Jaclyn Hendricks for PGATour.com…”Scottie Scheffler and wife Meredith’s bundle of joy has arrived.”

  • “The couple welcomed their first child, just weeks after Scheffler claimed his second Masters victory in three years.”
  • “Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig tweeted Saturday that the baby was born and Scheffler will play in this week’s PGA Championship — the second major of the season.”
  • “There’s been nothing official from Scottie Scheffler, his team or the Tour… But word is he will be at Valhalla for the PGA next week after winning four of his last five tournaments, including the Masters. He is currently on the Tuesday interview schedule for 3:30 p.m. #babyborn,” Harig wrote over the weekend.”
Full piece.

3. “Erik van Rooyen, friends and family live in honor of ‘Trazzy’”

  • That’s the headline of Ryan Lavner’s superb piece on Erik van Rooyen and his departed best friend Jon Trasmar. An excerpt would be an injustice. Go read it!
Full piece.

4. Stricker out of PGA citing fatigue

AP report…”Steve Stricker decided Sunday to withdraw from the PGA Championship at Valhalla, citing the difficulty of playing four times in a span of five weeks.”

  • “Stricker, 57, was eligible by winning the Senior PGA Championship last year. He, John Daly and Phil Mickelson are the only players to have competed at Valhalla each of the previous three times the PGA Championship was held there.”
Full piece.

5. Why Valhalla is a great venue for major championships

Garrett Morrison for The Fried Egg…”But before we start slinging mud (of which there will be plenty in Kentucky this week), let’s pause to think about why Valhalla tends to generate close final-round battles featuring elite players. It’s not magic: the course has long par 3s and 4s, narrow fairways, and smallish greens surrounded by rough and bunkers. This style of design and setup, which practically defines the PGA Championship’s modern brand, gives an outsize advantage to a skill that many star players share: power. Length off the tee and the ability to muscle the ball out of rough to a well-protected green will be near-prerequisites for contending at this week’s PGA Championship. If Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau show up with any kind of short-game and putting form, they will be in the mix on Sunday. And the presence of such A-listers on the leaderboard will further burnish Valhalla’s reputation as a serious venue.“

  • “It does not follow, however, that Valhalla is a great golf course. In fact, I find it a fairly mediocre and bland one. Very few holes offer multiple options of the tee (the exceptions being the short par-4 fourth and the double-fairway par-5 seventh), most of the greens lack memorable contouring, and the recovery shots from around the fairways and greens are one-dimensional and repetitive. So even if Sunday turns out to be a barn-burner, the first three rounds, when the focus will be on the course and the shots demanded, will probably be sleepier, aside from the inevitable Blockie walk-and-talk.”
Full piece.

6. Dunne resigns from policy board

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Jimmy Dunne, who last year helped negotiate the PGA Tour’s controversial framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, resigned from the tour’s policy board on Monday.”

  • “In Dunne’s resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, Dunne wrote that “no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with PIF” and that “my vote and my role is utterly superfluous” now that player directors outnumber independent directors on the policy board. Dunne’s resignation was effective immediately.”
  • “It is crucial for the Board to avoid letting yesterday’s differences interfere with today’s decisions, especially when they influence future opportunities for the tour,” Dunne wrote. “Unifying professional golf is paramount to restoring fan interest and repairing wounds left from a fractured game. I have tried my best to move all minds in that direction.”
  • “Along with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Dunne and policy board chairman Ed Herlihy secretly negotiated the framework agreement with the PIF, which is financing the rival LIV Golf League. Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced the deal on June 6. Most PGA Tour players — including some player directors — were unaware of the deal until it was announced on TV.”
Full piece.
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Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls

Published

2 days ago

on

May 13, 2024

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This week last year, I found myself praying to the weather goddesses and gods that Rochester would be spared their wrath over the next seven days. The 2023 Oak Hill PGA Championship (that was slated for August when the contract was signed) was on the horizon, and I wanted my region to show well. Things turned out fine, with all four seasons making an appearance, a PGA Professional (Blockie!) stealing hearts, and a proven champion in Koepka (although I was pulling for Viktor.)

This year, no concerns. Louisville will shine this week at Valhalla, but we’ve matters to consider before we look to four days of coverage this week. Nelly did not win on the LPGA this week, so who did? The PGA Tour held two events in the Carolinas, and Tour Champions celebrated a major event in Alabama. Four noteworthy events to run down, so let’s head to RunDownTown and take care of business.

LPGA @ Founders Cup: Rose blooms

There was a sense that Rose Zhang might have a role in the 2020s version of the LPGA. After winning everything there was in amateur golf, she came out and won her first tournament as a professional. That was last May and, let’s be honest, who among us thought it would take 12 months for Zhang to win again? Rhymes with hero, I know.

This week in New Jersey, eyes were on Nelly Korda, as she made a run at a sixth consecutive win on the LPGA circuit. Korda ran out of gas on Saturday, and that was just fine. Madelene Sagstrom and Zhang had turned the soiree at Upper Montclair into a battle of birdies. Gabriela Ruffels came third at nine-under par. No one else reached double digits under par but Sagstrom and Zhang. They didn’t just reach -10…they more than doubled it.

Sagstrom had the look of a winner with five holes left to play. She was three shots clear of Zhang, at 23-under par. The Swede played her closing quintet in plus-one, finishing at 22-deep, 13 shots ahead of Ruffels. That performance we’d anticipated from Zhang? It happened on Sunday. She closed with four birdies in five holes to snatch victory number two, by two shots. Spring is a lovely time for a Rose in bloom.

PGA Tour @ Wells Fargo: Rory the Fourth is crowned in Charlotte

Xander Schauffele is a likable lad. He has an Olympic gold medal on his shelf, and a few PGA Tour titles to his credit. Even X knows that even par won’t get much done in a final round unless conditions are brutal. They weren’t brutal at Quail Hollow on Sunday. X posted even par on day four. It kept him ahead of third-place finisher Byeong Hun An but gave him zero chance of challenging for the title.

Paired with Xander in round four was the King of Quail, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had previously won thrice at the North Carolina track, and he was champing at the bit to gain some momentum on the road to Louisville. While Xander scored increasingly worse along the week (64-67-70-71) McIlroy saved his best round for the final round. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles, McIlroy ran away with the event, winning his fourth Wells Fargo by five over Schauffele.

PGA Tour @ Myrtle Beach Classic: a little CG won the inaugural week

It always seemed odd that the PGA Tour had zero stops along the Grand Strand each season. This week’s event seemed odd in that the golfers played the same course each day, and there were zero handicaps involved. Most events at Myrtle Beach involve hundreds of amateurs at dozens of courses, with all sorts of handicaps.

The Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, down toward Pawley’s Island. It claims what used to be considered an unreachable, par-five hole, the watery 13th. Nothing is unreachable any longer, including a 22-under par total for a six-shot win. Chris Gotterup, a former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer, played sizzling golf all week and won by a sextet of shots. Gotterup opened with 66, then improved to 64 on Friday. His Saturday 65 sounded a beacon of “come get me,” and his closing 67 ensured that second place was the only thing up for grabs.

Chasing the podium’s second level were a bunch of young Americans. In the end, Alastair Docherty and Davis Thompson reached 16-deep, thanks to rounds of 64 and 68 on Sunday. They held off six golfers at 15-under par. The victory was Gotterup’s first on tour and should be enough to get him a Wikipedia page, among other plaudits.

PGA Tour Champions @ Regions Traditions: Vindication for Dougie

Doug Barron, if I recall correctly, was suspended by the Powers That Be, way back in 2009, for testosterone. He was naturally low in the hormone, so he took supplements. This did not sit well with certain admins, so he was put on the shelf for 18 months. Not cool.

In 2019, Barron came out on the Tour Champions. He won in August. The next year, despite the craziness of Covid, he won again.  Barron hit a dry spell for a few years. He kept his card, but accrued no additional victories. In late April, Barron showed serious signs of life, with a t2 at Mitsubishi. This week in Birmingham, he jumped out to a lead, lost it, then gained it back on Saturday. With major championship glory on the line, Barron brought the train into the station with 68 on Sunday.

Stephen Alker, the man who could not lose just two years ago, gave serious chase with a closing 63. He moved up 11 slots, into solo 2nd on Sunday. He finished two shots back of the champion. Two shots ain’t much. Cough once and you drop a pair. Third place saw a three-way tie, including last year’s winner (Steve Stricker) and runner-up (Ernie Els.) Despite the intimidating presence of the game’s greats, however, Doug Barron had more than enough of everything this week, and he has a third Tour Champions title to show off.

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