News
Tour Rundown: Casey, Pendrith, Walker Cup, and WLD
How about a mixed bag of tricks for this week’s Tour Rundown? For starters, we watched a European Tour event in Germany, a Canadian event in Montreal, a Walker Cup in England, and a World Long Drive championship in Oklahoma. Football may be back, but GOLF NEVER LEFT! You’ll need a speedy pair of kicks to touch down in all these spots, and we’ve got just the slorps do get the job done.
Casey’s mom has got it going on…at European Open in Germany
It’s just Paul Casey, but, you know, that song thing… Paul Casey showed the young’uns how its done at the European Tour’s European Open in Germany. What started out as a potential coronation for either Bernd Ritthammer (home-country hero) or Robert MacIntyre (media darling of 2019) finished as a reminder of how good Paul Casey can be. Casey tossed 3 birdies on each side at the competition, resulting in no-bogey 66 and a 1-stroke win over Bernd, Bobby, and Mattias Schwab.
In truth, Schwab was never “in it,” as he needed a 72nd-hole eagle to reach 13 deep. Both Ritthammer and MacIntyre arrived at the 18th green on Sunday with putts to tie Casey. MacIntyre was 45 feet below the hole for eagle … and left it short, dead in the jaws. Ritthammer stood 20 feet above the hole for birdie … and left it short, dead in the jaws. As they say, don’t fall in love with the line and forget to hit it. But you can fall in love with Casey’s mom’s son, and his 14th Euro Tour title, first since 2014.
Pendrith angling for the big stage
This writer first saw Taylor Pendrith punish a golf ball at the 2013 Porter Cup. This week, on the Mackenzie PGA Tour Canada, Pendrith put his entire game on display. Pendrith offset his bogies with eagles (4 of the former against 2 soaring birds) on the week, and chipped in 28 birdies over the remaining 68 holes. He began Sunday with a 5-shot cushion, thanks to consecutive 62 in the middle rounds. Sunday wasn’t nearly as explosive, as the Ontario native signed for 67. Playing partner Kyle Mueller knew the odds were long as round 4 began. His 2-under 70 was enough to hold off David Pastore (67 for -19) and secure 2nd place at 20 under par.
The victory moved Pendrith into 2nd spot on the tour’s Order of Merit, heading into next week’s Canada Life Championship in London, Ontario. He needs a little more than $5G differential to overtake leader Paul Barjon. The top 5 members of the Order of Merit receive the coolest promotional item on record: a hockey sweater (not called a jersey up here!) and receive Korn Ferry Tour cards. Hayden Buckley has a $28K lead over Dawson Armstrong for the 5th card, but that $40Large first prize will go a long way toward closing that gap for 6 potential upstarts.
Walker Cup shimmies back to states after Sunday near-sweep
Tyros will look at Sunday’s 8-2 singles dusting of the GB&I squad by Team USA, and consider that set the exigent one of the 2019 matches. In truth, it looks good, but it came about because of Saturday and Sunday mornings. Eschewing four-ball for two braces of foursomes, the strategy backfired on the host country at Hoylake, when Team USA more than held its own in the alternate-shot format. On day one, the colonists tied Team Brexit, 2-2. On day the second, they went a wee bit better, winning 2 and tying 1 for a 2.5-1.5 advantage. Ryder Cup aficionados know exactly how badly the professional team plays, well, team formats. Perhaps they could learn a bit from their amateur counterparts, except for the Sunday pants part.
Brandon Wu and John Smalley each went 3-1 for team USA. Wu and John Pak were the heroes that only history and this writer will remember. On Saturday, as the Brits and Celts were handing the USA its collective sombrero in singles, Wu got out front early, and Pak came through late. Although the Americans lost that round by a total of 3-5, it should have been 1-7. Only John Augenstein, US Amateur runner-up, was in control of his match the entire day. In 2021, the Walker Cup returns to the shores of America, where it will be held in the springtime, due to fabled Seminole’s role as host club. Note to my editor: I plan to be there. Save up for my plane ticket.
Samson wins World Long Drive championship, refuses to cut hair
You can keep your Matthew Wolff; I’ll take a Kyle Berkshire swing, at least this week, anyway. The shifting sands of Berkshire, who rocks forward with a right-foot lift, backward with a left-foot rise, then unleashes a perfect swing, found a way to beat the odds, as the man to beat. He won his 1st-round match on his VERY LAST SWING, having gone 0 for 7, against Tommy Hug. So that you know, it’s not like Hug was 290 off the tee, and Berky needed a hybrid to beat him. Hug ripped it 413, but He of the Flowing Locks annihilated that effort with a 420-plus bomb. Phil, you think you hit bombs? Lefty, por favor. After sneaking past Hug, Berkshire dispatched Texan Mark Costello, then sent England’s Jordan Brooks home with a 423-yard effort. In the finals, Berkshire’s rise to #1 in the world was validated beyond any doubt. He overcame former champion and 2nd seed Tim Burke of Florida, thanks to a 2nd-ball launch of 407 yards.
The women’s bracket featured a bit of an upset. Crowd favorites Troy Mullins and Alexis Belton were sent packing by New Zealand’s Phillis Meti, the world number one, and South Africa’s Chloe Garner. Meti had won the belt 2 of the past 3 years, but Garner connected on a 347-yard rocket to upset the reigning champion.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship
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
- Michael Block – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Patrick Reed – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cam Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Josh Speight – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Takumi Kanaya – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kyle Mendoza – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Adrian Meronk – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jordan Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jeremy Wells – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jared Jones – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Somers – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Larkin Gross – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tracy Phillips – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jon Rahm – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Keita Nakajima – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kazuma Kobori – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- David Puig – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Ryan Van Velzen – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brad Marek – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rich Beem WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Phil Mickelson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Matt Dobyns – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Lucas Herbert – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jason Dufner – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Daly – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Taylor Gooch – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dean Burmester – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
Pullout Albums
- Ping putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Bettinardi covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cameron putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Max Homa – Titleist 2 wood – 2024 PGA Championship
- Scotty Cameron experimental putter shaft by UST – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – new Ping putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka’s new Cameron putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s Cobra bag and Aerojet driver – 2024 PGA Championship
- Super Stroke grip – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tiger Woods – 2024 PGA Championship
- Michael Block’s new TaylorMade “Proto” 7-iron, from address – 2024 PGA Championship
- Odyssey putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
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News
Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue
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News
Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls
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.
Take a look back at hole No. 1… @rosezhang is living life on the edge ? pic.twitter.com/o6z6SK7TRA
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 12, 2024
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.
HOLE-OUT EAGLE FOR RORY!!!
He now leads by SIX! pic.twitter.com/UE49lwfwNC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
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.
Leader by SIX!
@ChrisGotterup | @MyrtleBeachC pic.twitter.com/TVdA6ZPYc4— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
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.
At the @RegionsTrad, all champions receive a green bike.
Doug Barron decided to take a victory lap ? pic.twitter.com/bEzENMjZwv
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 13, 2024
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