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Mediate Sprints Out of the Gates

Rocco Mediate shot an 8-under 64 to lead the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan on Thursday. Brett Quigley, Woody Austin, and Brian Bateman lurk just one shot behind the leader.

Published

16 years ago

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Rocco Mediate, the 2000 champion, took advantage of a rain softened Warwick Hills on Thursday by shooting an 8-under 64 in Grand Blanc, MI. He carded matching 32’s on the front and back with 8 birdies and no bogies. Hitting just 8 of 14 greens, Mediate more than made up for it by hitting 88.9% of greens in regulation. Brett Quigley, Brian Bateman, and 1995 champion Woody Austin are locked up in a tie for second at -7.

Mediate said about his round, "It was just solid. I drove good. I had good irons. This has been one of the best years of my life coming out of this injury again. I’m ecstatic. I’ve had some nice weeks this year."

Brett Quigly and Woody Austin hit the links early in the morning. They both also started the tournament the right way with matching 7-under 65’s, just as they did last year. In 2006, they eventually finished in a tie for 7th place.

 

Jim Furyk fired a 6-under 66 with seven birdies and one lone bogey coming on the par 4 18th hole. This has extended Furyk’s streak of 34 consecutive rounds under par at Warwick Hills. He has also shot 47 of his last 48 rounds at the Buick Open at even or better.

 "I think I come here with a lot of good memories and a lot of good rounds under my belt," he said. "I come to an event like this thinking about trying to get myself in position, what’s it going to take, what do I need to work on, how is the course playing this week, what’s it going to take to get myself in a position through the first few rounds so that come Sunday I might have a chance to win this golf tournament."

Cameron Beckman, Steve Elkington, and Scott Verplank all joined Furyk in a tie for fifth.

Most of Michigan was hit by scattered rain and thunderstorms on Wednesday which further softened Warwick Hills. The receptive greens made for some interesting situations for the players.

"It makes it difficult because you can’t control the spin," said Woody Austin. "No matter how good you are, when the flag is in the back, let’s say the flag is in the back of the green and you have 100 yards, it’s awfully hard, the way the greens are right now, it’s hard to hit it to 50 yards without spinning the ball. If you have 100 yards to a back flag, there’s almost four different clubs in your bag you can hit to it, based on what you’re trying to do."

Friday is looking to be a perfect scoring day in Flint, MI. With sunny skies and light winds, expect the players to continue the freefall through the red numbers.

 

Pos

 Player R1 Tot
1 Rocco Mediate 64 -8
T2 Brett Quigley 65 -7
T2 Woody Austin 65 -7
T2 Brian Bateman 65 -7
T5 Jim Furyk 66 -6
T5 Cameron Beckman 66 -6
T5 Steve Elkington 66 -6
T5 Scott Verplank 66 -6


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Morning 9: Teegate | Rahmpage | JT on Saturday finish | PGA Show

Published

2 days ago

on

Jan 25, 2023

By
By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: [email protected]
January 25, 2023

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans. It’s day 1 of the PGA Show in Orlando. Stay tuned to the front page, forums, and our social channels.

1. Teegate

Brian Keogh for the Irish Independent…”Patrick Reed threw a tee at Rory McIlroy in disgust after the world number one appeared to ignore his efforts to say hello at the Emirates Golf Club, according to reports.”

  • “The former Masters champion, who has moved to LIV Golf but continues to play DP World Tour events until an arbitration case being held in the UK in a fortnight decides on the Tour’s ability to suspend the rebels, saluted McIlroy’s caddie Harry Diamond without incident, according to the Spanish golf portal TenGolf.com.”
  • “Reed, whose defamation case against analyst Brandel Chamblee and Golf Channel was dismissed Friday by a federal judge in Florida, then approached McIlroy, who was on his hunkers at the time, looking at the ground.”
  • “Reed stood near McIlroy a few seconds with the intention of saying hello but McIlroy did not even turn his head towards him.”
  • “Reed insisted in saluting McIlroy but after getting no response, he gave up and walked away but not before putting his hand in his pocket and throwing a tee in McIlroy’s direction in disgust.”
Full piece.

2. JT praises Saturday finish

Colby Powell for Golf Channel…”Reviews about a Saturday finish on the PGA Tour are mixed, but Justin Thomas loved the change when it was implemented for the first time at last year’s Farmers Insurance Open.”

  • “It was incredible, I got to watch football on Sunday,” Thomas said. “I was ecstatic about it. Even so much so that I pushed the Tour that we do it during the entire playoffs because I love football and I love watching football.”
  • “While the Tour didn’t suddenly move every early-season tournament to a Saturday finish, the move seems to have stuck at the Farmers, which is played the same week as the NFC and AFC Championship games.”
Full piece.

3. Remembering JD at the Farmers in ’04

Max Schreiber for Golf Channel…”It had been a very bumpy road for Daly since his improbable victory at St. Andrews’ 1995 Open Championship, battling through more divorce and additional alcohol rehab.”

  • “But at the 2004 Buick Invitational, he ended a nine-year winless drought in typical Daly fashion.“
  • “Ranked No. 299 in the world at the beginning of the week, the two-time major champion, despite a final-round 75, found himself in a playoff with Chris Riley and Luke Donald.”
  • “On the first playoff hole, Daly hit a 100-foot bunker shot that landed just feet from the hole and he tapped in for birdie. Riley and Donald then missed both their birdie putts from inside 6 feet and Daly was once again back in the winner’s circle.”
Full piece.

4. Rahm approaching a Woodsian feat

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard…”The 28-year-old has won four of his last six events, including his last two starts on the PGA Tour at last week’s American Express and the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions two weeks prior. This week Rahm is in the Farmers Insurance Open field at Torrey Pines in San Diego and is looking for a rare three-peat.”

  • “If Rahm is able to win again, it’ll be the 19th time since 1997 that a player has won three straight Tour starts. But wait, what’s so rare about something that’s already happened 18 times over less than 26 years? According to stats guru Justin Ray, Tiger Woods accounts for 14 of the 18 trifectas.”
Full piece.

5. Enhancements to the PGA Tour’s Betting Integrity Program

PGATour.com staff report…”The PGA TOUR today announced two new agreements that will enhance monitoring capabilities as part of an expanded PGA TOUR Integrity Program. A new partnership with U.S. Integrity, paired with an extension of the TOUR’s existing relationship with Genius Sports, will provide the organization with best-in-class bet monitoring services through 2024.”

  • “U.S. Integrity is proud to partner with the PGA TOUR and assist with maintaining the integrity of its golf competition across the world,” said U.S. Integrity’s CEO and Co-Founder Matthew Holt. “U.S. Integrity’s mission is to provide conflict-free, best-in-class insights and compliance solutions to our clients. We are looking forward to working with the premier golf tour in the world, featuring the biggest names. All our partners are committed to the highest integrity standards, and they are no exception. These types of partnerships help ensure sports betting integrity and strengthen the unique and proprietary anomaly-detection tools we have developed at U.S. Integrity.”
  • “The PGA TOUR Integrity Program, established January 1, 2018, covers all facets of competition and operations on the Tours overseen by the PGA TOUR, including players and their support teams, all tournament staff and volunteers, all PGA TOUR employees and the PGA TOUR Policy Board.”
Full piece.

6. On notice

The AP’s Doug Ferguson…”The 28-year-old Spaniard has won four his last six starts worldwide over the last three months, including his two PGA Tour events this month on courses — Maui mountain, California desert — that couldn’t be more different.”

  • “He won in Spain by six shots and the DP World Tour Championship by two in the fall. He started the new year on the PGA Tour by closing with a 63 to overcome a seven-shot deficit against Collin Morikawa at Kapalua, and then holding off a spirited challenge from Thompson in The American Express.”
  • “Next up is the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, one of his favorite places even before he won the U.S. Open. Rahm won his first PGA Tour event at Torrey in 2017, and twice in the last three years he has missed a playoff by one shot.”
Full piece.

7. PGA Show
Full Piece.
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Morning 9: Majors will decide if LIV Golfers receive OWGR points? | Full LIV sched. | Norman getting promoted?

Published

3 days ago

on

Jan 24, 2023

By
By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: [email protected]
January 24, 2023

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans — also known as Demo Day at the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. GolfWRX will of course be on site all week gathering as much content as we can. Stay tuned to the front page, forums, and our social channels.

1. How majors will decide if LIV golfers get OWGR points

James Corrigan at the Telegraph…”If Greg Norman is looking for a conspiracy to blame for LIV Golf events being denied world ranking points then he will now have to play a dangerous game and point the finger at the four majors themselves.”

  • “Norman has vehemently demanded that Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, and Keith Pelley, the chief executive of the DP World Tour, recuse themselves as board members from being involved in LIV’s application to join the Official World Golf Rankings.”
  • “And, in a move that might catch Norman by surprise, Pelley revealed on Monday that the pair have done just that, as well as Keith Waters, Pelley’s right-hand man who also sits on the OWGR panel.”
Full piece.

2. Greg Norman getting promotion at LIV

ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Amid suggestions that he should be removed from his position, Greg Norman’s role as CEO and commissioner of the LIV Golf League is actually being strengthened, meaning more autonomy in running the second-year circuit that announced its 2023 schedule and will begin play next month.”

  • “Sports Illustrated has learned that Majed Al-Sorour, the managing director of LIV Golf, will leave that role but continue as one of seven members of the LIV Golf board of directors. Al-Sorour is also CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation.”
  • “Al-Sorour’s role with LIV Golf is not being filled, meaning more power for Norman, 67, the two-time major-championship winner who is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and whose leadership has been questioned by PGA Tour stars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.”
Full piece.

3. 2023 LIV schedule

Via Golf Digest…

Feb. 24-26: El Camaleón Golf Club, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

March 17-19: The Gallery Golf Club, Tucson, Ariz.

March 31-April 2: Orange County National, Orlando, Fla.

April 21-23: The Grange Golf Club, Adelaide, Australia

April 28-30: Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore

May 12-14: Cedar Ridge Country Club, Broken Arrow, Okla.

May 26-28: Trump National Golf Club, Washington, D.C.

June 30-July 2: Real Club Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain

July 7-9: Centurion Club, London, England

Aug. 4-6: The Old White Course, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Aug. 11-13: Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, N.J.

Sept. 22-24: Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Ill.

Oct. 20-22: Trump National Doral, Miami

Nov. 3-5: Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Full piece.

4. Tiger Woods announces Marcus Byrd as recipient of the 2023 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption

PGATour.com staff report…”Tournament host Tiger Woods has announced Marcus Byrd as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2023 Genesis Invitational. Byrd will join the field at The Riviera Country Club February 16-19. Awarded annually since 2009, the Sifford exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.”

  • “Marcus has shown resiliency and perseverance in pursuit of a professional playing career,” Woods said. “These are qualities that remind me of Charlie and his journey. I look forward to watching Marcus compete at Riviera.”
  • “Byrd competes on the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour, where in November he finished atop the standings for the Farmers Insurance Fall Series. The fall series title wasn’t the only victory of the season for Byrd. In September, he won the APGA Valley Forge Championship and in June 2021 he earned his first APGA Tour victory with a win at TPC Louisiana. The start at Riviera will be Byrd’s second career appearance in a PGA TOUR event. He made his TOUR debut at the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship.“
Full piece.

5. Baddeley’s daughter writer letter pleading for WMPO sponsor’s exemption for her dad

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…”The 41-year-old resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, played in his hometown event for 18 consecutive years beginning in 2003 and won the title in 2007. But he has missed the last two playings of the “People’s Open” due to his limited status on the PGA Tour in recent years — he plays out of the past champion category. He answered his daughter that it wasn’t looking too good for him again this year. Even if he were to finish in the top 10 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am the week before, he’d likely not get into the 132-man field, which should be even more loaded now that the event has been upgraded to designated status and the purse soared to $20 million.”

  • “Baddeley explained that he likely would need to secure one of three spots available at the Monday Qualifier or be granted one of five unrestricted sponsor invites. Jolee was none too happy with this response and decided she was going to do her part to help his cause.”
  • “I’m going to write them a letter,” Jolee said.
Full piece.

6. Adam Scott joining TGL

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”TGL, the technology-focused golf league that is set to launch in January 2024, is set to announce its fifth PGA Tour player who will take part in the innovative team concept.”

  • “Per a Sports Illustrated report, Adam Scott will join Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas in TGL’s roster. Woods and McIlroy co-founded TMRW Sports, which created TGL, with former Golf Channel president Mike McCarley.”
  • “Tiger pushed golf to a standard that was never seen before, and guys are continuing to push forward,” Scott told SI. “Now, in the position that he’s in, for him to stand up and take a voice for the PGA Tour, I think that’s really strong. We never saw much side-taking from Tiger during his career. That’s fair enough; he was a competitor, and he was interested in what he was doing. Now, he’s showing his feelings on things.”
Full piece.

7. Victor Perez poised for a big year

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”One of Perez’s objectives is to earn one of the 10 PGA Tour cards up for grabs for top finishers on the DP World Tour, a benefit of the new strategic alliance between the two tours. Perez had tried to find his footing on the U.S. tour a couple seasons ago, but he made just six cuts in 12 starts. He has also made only half his cuts in 24 career Tour appearances, but he chalked up some of his struggles to the pandemic.”

  • “Now, though, Perez is ready to try again.”
  • “Ideally, I think that’s everyone’s goal,” Perez said of making it to the PGA Tour. “I think the Tour has done such a great job giving us the opportunity. I was saying, I think it’s never been easier to get on the PGA Tour for European Tour players because now we have those 10 cards. You have all the Rory McIlroys and Jon Rahms of the world that are on list but are going to be taken out, so it’s really going to drop to, whatever, the 20th position and gives us a great category when you get to America…”
  • “I think there’s a lot of Europeans that are starting to break through and go over there. I think, you know, you see guys at the Hero Cup last week playing very well, and then going back to the PGA Tour. That’s inspiring and something that I think we all want to do.”
Full Piece.

8. Paige Spiranac to take on John Daly

Our Jason Daniels…”The Match VIII?”

  • “Not quite, but there is likely as much interest in the game scheduled on June 5th as any of the seven made-for-television events broadcast over the last four years.”
  • “On Sunday, former junior golf star turned social media influencer Paige Spiranac announced she would be challenging John Daly at Geneva National in early summer, and that followers have the chance to caddy for either player.”
Full Piece.

9. Winning WITB: Jon Rahm

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees @11.3)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 75 2.8 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T (High Launch, 16 degrees @15.1)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 85 2.6 TX

Irons: Callaway Apex UT (2), Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW)

Shafts: KBS Tour Hybrid Prototype 105 X (2), Project X 125 6.5 (4-PW)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10, 56-12 @55.25, 60-10)

Shafts: Project X 125 6.5

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S

Grips: Golf Pride MCC midsize

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X
Full Piece.
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Morning 9: Rahm wins again | Brooke’s perfect start | Norman takes swipe at Tiger

Published

4 days ago

on

Jan 23, 2023

By
By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: [email protected]
January 23, 2023

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as Jon Rahm held off competition in the desert for yet another impressive victory on the PGA Tour.

1. Rahm rolls on!

AP Report…”Rahm rolled to a win at The American Express on Sunday afternoon, besting Davis Thompson with a final-round 68 in La Quinta, California. The win marked Rahm’s second consecutive on the PGA Tour and his fourth victory in his past six international starts.”

  • While his stretch of wins won’t catapult Rahm to the No. 1 ranking in the world, there’s no question that Rahm is dominating the sport.
  • “Heck of a start … [My] body’s been feeling great,” Rahm said after his win. “My swing’s been feeling really, really good, and it shows, right. Even when I’m saying I may not be as comfortable as I would like, I’m shooting 64s because everything is just firing when it needs to.
Full piece.

2. Wonder shot for the win in Abu Dhabi

DP World Tour report…”Victor Perez produced late fireworks in the final round of the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to overcome a high-class chasing pack and win his maiden Rolex Series title in dramatic fashion.”

  • “The Frenchman held a narrow one-shot lead in the closing stages on Sunday afternoon before holing out from a bunker at the 17th for a birdie to stretch his advantage to two.”
  • “And even though he ran into trouble at the 18th, a bogey there was enough to secure a one-shot win as he closed with a 66 to finish the tournament on 18 under par.”
Full piece.

3. Brooke takes TOC

Via the Sportsnet team…”Canadian Brooke Henderson won the 13th LPGA title of her career on Sunday with a four-shot win at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.”

  • “Henderson battled in the final round, shooting a two-under 70 which kept her four shots clear of Sweden’s Maja Stark and England’s Charley Hull.”
  • “The Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Fla., was the opening tournament of the LPGA season. It was also Henderson’s first tournament with new TaylorMade clubs and her first event back since spending the off-season rehabbing a back injury.”
Full piece.

4. An albatross!

PGA Tour Staff…”In the storied history of PGA West’s Stadium Course, one thing was missing: an albatross in PGA TOUR competition.”

  • California native Xander Schauffele changed that Sunday at The American Express.
  • Schauffele holed out from 226 yards on the par-5 fifth hole Sunday, his first career albatross on TOUR. Playing from the center of the fairway, Schauffele took an aggressive line to a back-right hole location guarded by a greenside pond. The ball landed on the front fringe, released and rolled into the cup with perfect speed.
Full piece.

5. Stricker cruises in Hawaii

Kevin Prise for PGATour.com…”Steve Stricker earned his 12th PGA TOUR Champions title Saturday at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, carding a three-day total of 23 under for a six-stroke victory over Steven Alker, Mike Weir, Ken Tanigawa and Darren Clarke.”

  • “Stricker began the final round at Hualalai with a two-stroke lead over Alex Cejka and showed no intention of slowing down. He made three birdies in his first four holes and added birdies on Nos. 10 and 13 after the turn. An eagle at the par-5 14th was the proverbial nail in the coffin, and he cruised home.”
  • “It was a lot of fun,” said Stricker after completing his final round. “To win here, I didn’t know what kind of game I had coming into this week, but it was pretty good.”
Full piece.

6. Stenson on DP World Tour, LIV player relations

Golf Digest’s John Huggan…”Stenson discussed his week in the largest of the United Arab Emirates, what was also his first trip back to the DP World Tour since the Genesis Scottish Open last July. Two weeks after that, he was stripped of the captaincy, having committed what many on the former European Tour see as a heinous betrayal.”

  • “It’s been fun to catch up with a lot of the other players and people on this tour,” said Stenson, who finished in a tie for 20th, 10 under par and eight shots back of winner Victor Perez. “I’ve played and lived in this region for so many years. I know a lot of people and hadn’t seen many of them since last summer. No one has stepped up to my face and told me they have a problem with me.”
  • “I actually wasn’t worried about that,” he continued. “I’ve been on good terms with most people for a long time. They might have different opinions, but if that difference is going to get in the way of friendships or relationships then so be it. I like to think I can still sit down and have a beer and a chat with anyone. If that changes, it’s not really my worry. There are enough people in the phone book if I need to find someone to have a chat with. So if someone has an issue with me, fine. But it’s not on me.”
Full piece.

7.  Norman fires back at Tiger
Steve Gardner for USA Today…“The two sides have filed legal action against each other after several established PGA Tour stars – including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka – jumped to the rival tour last year. The relationship has become so adversarial, Tiger Woods said in November the only way to get the two sides talking again is for Norman to step down as LIV Golf CEO.”

  • “Appearing Saturday night on Fox News Channel’s “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade,” Norman said Woods “doesn’t know the facts … because, obviously, I’m still here.”
  • “Norman also said Woods’ words won’t have any impact on how his company does business.
  • “Just making those comments, I think, is an indication that he might be a bit of a mouthpiece for the PGA Tour to try and do – to get us to create – or get turmoil, create it internally within LIV,” Norman said.”
Full Piece.

8. LIV Pull offer for Tour pro following TV deal
Full Piece.

9. Winning WITB: Jon Rahm

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees @11.3)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 75 2.8 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond T (High Launch, 16 degrees @15.1)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green ATX 85 2.6 TX

Irons: Callaway Apex UT (2), Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW)

Shafts: KBS Tour Hybrid Prototype 105 X (2), Project X 125 6.5 (4-PW)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10, 56-12 @55.25, 60-10)

Shafts: Project X 125 6.5

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S

Grips: Golf Pride MCC midsize

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X
Full Piece.
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