Golf: Rahm seizes three-shot lead at Riviera, where Woods impresses

LOS ANGELES -- World number three Jon Rahm fired a bogey-free six-under par 65 on Saturday to grab a three-shot lead at Riviera, where Tiger Woods thrilled fans with a four-under par 67.

Rahm, who can return to number one with a victory, hit just five of 14 fairways but moved past overnight leader Max Homa, putting himself in position to capture a third US PGA Tour title of 2023.

His 15-under par total of 198 put him three clear of Homa, whose two-under par 69 for 201 kept him one in front of Keith Mitchell, who also posted a 69.

"It's a great round of golf," Rahm said. "Really proud of today, heck of a round of golf."

Rahm opened his round with a birdie at the first, just missing a 12-foot eagle attempt. He rolled in birdie putts from inside eight feet at the fourth, eighth and ninth.

He rolled in a two-foot birdie at the 11th, to take the solo lead at 14-under.

Homa, who started the day with a one-shot lead, kept the pressure on. He drained a 19-foot birdie putt at the third and added a five-foot birdie at the sixth. He tied Rahm's lead with a birdie at the 10th and tied him again with a seven-foot birdie at the 13th.

Homa faltered, however, with back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th, and Rahm closed his round with a final flourish -- draining a 23-foot birdie putt at 18.

"The only thing I was worried about was getting that ball to the hole," Rahm said. "I've hit that putt a million times, I've seen that putt hit a million times and we all leave it just a couple, a couple rolls short, so I just wanted to get it there. Felt good obviously making it, it's a huge bonus, right?"

Rahm is seeking a third title of the year after victories at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and at La Quinta, California, in his next event.

His hot start followed a strong autumn in Europe, where he won a third Spanish Open title in October and the DP World Tour Championship in November.

It all has him in position to grab the number one spot from American Scottie Scheffler, who supplanted Rory McIlroy with his Phoenix Open win last Sunday.

While Rahm arrived at Riviera as perhaps the hottest golfer on tour, Woods was a mystery coming into his first event since he missed the cut at the Open Championship in July.

Still severely limited by the right leg injuries he suffered in a February 2021 car accident, Woods had barely made the halfway cut.

But he equaled the third-best round of the day behind Denny McCarthy's 64 -- which pulled the American into a share of seventh, and Rahm's 65.

- Woods's best -

Woods has played just three tour-level tournaments since the crash, finishing 47th at the Masters last April, withdrawing from the PGA Championship after three rounds and missing the cut at St. Andrews.

"It's the best I've played," he said of Saturday's effort, which featured an eagle at the par-five first -- where his approach from just off the fairway looked like it might yield an albatross before leaving him a three-footer for the eagle.

Woods said there wasn't that much difference between Friday and Saturday, apart from the putts falling

"I've driven it well the last three days, my iron play has been good," he said. "I made a few adjustments today and some of the putts went in."

Woods is the host of the tournament, which features 19 of the world's top 20 all chasing a $3.6 million winner's prize from a purse of $20 million.

That prize money is bumped up thanks to the tournament's status as one of the tour's new designated events, designed to bring the best players together more often.

But even with the wealth of talent on view, Woods was the undisputed star attraction, provoking roars throughout the day from his legion of followers.

"You're fully aware where Tiger is," Rahm said.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Scheffler leads Rahm and Taylor by two at Phoenix Open

PHOENIX -- American Scottie Scheffler takes a two-shot lead over Jon Rahm and Nick Taylor into the final round of the Phoenix Open, where he's in search of a title repeat and a chance to regain the world number one ranking.

Scheffler, who started the round tied for the lead with Canadian Adam Hadwin, had four birdies in a three-under par 68 for a 13-under par total of 200 at TPC Scottsdale.

That was two clear of third-ranked Spaniard Jon Rahm, who also carded a 68, and Canada's Taylor, who posted a 67.

Rahm, like Scheffler, can overtake Rory McIlroy atop the world rankings on Sunday, the Northern Ireland star looking unlikely to challenge the leaders after a third-round 70 that left him tied for 28th, 10 shots off the lead.

Scheffler kickstarted his round with a 47-foot birdie putt at the second hole and picked up another stroke with a 15-footer at the fourth. After his lone bogey of the round at the 13th he fired out of the rough to four feet at the 14th for another birdie.

He'd add one more at the par-four 17th, where his second shot raced up the side of the green, looking scarily close to rolling into the water before it settled just off the putting surface. He rolled in an 11-foot birdie putt from there.

"Feel good," Scheffler said. "I didn't hit it as well today as I hoped to. But still got around in three-under. Kept the ball in play for the most part. Just kept plugging along.

"Only one bogey was good today," he added.

Scheffler posted his first PGA Tour win in Phoenix last year and went on to win at Bay Hill and The Masters before reaching number one in the world with a victory at the WGC Match Play.

He's since seen McIlroy return to the top, while Rahm has been a dominant figure this year with victories in successive starts at the Tournament of Champions and in La Quinta, California.

The Spaniard, who was two back to start the round, shook off an opening bogey with a birdie at the third.

- Chaos going on -

He added three more coming in at 13, 14 and 16, thrilling the crowd at the par-three 16th -- where the grandstands hold 20,000 spectators -- by curling in a 40-foot putt.

His three-under effort left him on 11-under 202 and he and Taylor were one stroke in front of Hadwin (71) and American Jordan Spieth (69).

The crowd at 16 was fired up even before Rahm made his birdie putt, thanks to playing partner Adam Hadwin's tee shot that landed just two feet from the pin.

"We felt the chaos going on," Rahm said after fans threw drink cups and other objects on the green.

"I just thought it was best to not give it too much time. I didn't want to give the crowd too much time to think about throwing anything else. So even through my routine somebody threw a bottle and I just went up and hit it. The break is not going to change.

"It was one of those things that luckily it went in and I got to enjoy that moment," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Rahm, McIlroy face tension and drama at unique US Open

BROOKLINE -- A hotly anticipated US Open starts Thursday that will test the world's top golfers over a formidable layout at a historic setting with a splash of controversy as well.

Defending champion Jon Rahm, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, top-ranked Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and two-time major winners Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa lead fan and oddsmakers favorites at The Country Club.

"You've got to have all aspects of your game ready to play some good golf," reigning British Open champion Morikawa said.

In addition to creating dense rough and lightning-fast greens, the US Golf Association ensured drama by allowing players from the upstart Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series to compete rather ban them as the US PGA Tour did.

As a result, US stars Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau are among the LIV Golf rebels teeing off in a unique sub-plot to the quest for a major title -- the first LIV-PGA showdown.

"Who knew we loved all this drama?" Morikawa said. "It becomes a distraction and you don't want to be focused on this or that. We're here to win the US Open."

Mickelson, who turns 52 on Thursday, would complete a career Grand Slam with a victory after a record six runner-up efforts, and break his own mark as the oldest major winner.

"I'm excited to be back in this incredible championship that has eluded me," Mickelson said. 

Boston fans famously heckled Europe in a 1999 US Ryder Cup fightback victory and could offer more barbs.

"Whether it's positive or negative towards me directly, I think it's going to provide an incredible atmosphere," Mickelson said.

Tiger Woods, making a comeback after severe leg injuries suffered in a car crash 16 months ago, skipped the US Open to better prepare for next month's British Open at St. Andrews.

A field of 156 will compete at the same club where 20-year-old hometown hero Francis Ouimet became the first amateur to win the US Open back in 1913.

"What's so good about golf is the history and tradition and these stories," McIlroy said. "The fact he grew up just off the 17th hole and we're still talking about it to this day over 100 years on, that's so cool."

Third-ranked McIlroy won his 21st US PGA title on Sunday at the Canadian Open

"It certainly puts a pep in your step," McIlroy said. "It gives you a lot of confidence.

"Everything is certainly trending in the right direction and I'm happy with where the game is at."

McIlroy, 33, is the most recent player to win a tour event and a major title in back-to-back weeks, taking a WGC title at Akron before his 2014 PGA Championship victory at Valhalla, his most recent major triumph.

"I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with my game and at the biggest and toughest tests in the world," said McIlroy. "I feel confident going to these golf courses that are set up more difficult knowing I have the game and mentality to succeed on them."

- Scrambling for momentum -

Second-ranked Rahm will try to repeat as Brooks Koepka did in 2017-2018. The 27-year-old Spaniard won his first major title last year at Torrey Pines.

"A lot of the pressure I used to put on myself is not really there," Rahm said. "I can enjoy it a little bit more and know you don't need to do anything special to get it done."

Rahm won his first title since last year's US Open last month at the US PGA Mexico Open and practiced Tuesday with Mickelson.

"Second shots into the green are going to be important," Rahm said. "Rough around the greens is about as healthy as I've seen in a while."

Scheffler, assured of topping next week's rankings, will try to match Woods -- the only reigning world number one to win a US Open.

"I like the challenge," Scheffler said. "This style of golf really suits how I play."

Thomas, who won May's PGA Championship, likes the difficult test on offer.

"US Open is a grind. That's why I love it," Thomas said. "Driving the ball is going to be very important. Scrambling and salvaging and making those putts for par can be the momentum builders."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: McIlroy charges but Clark clings to Canadian Open lead

TORONTO, Canada -- Rory McIlroy charged into contention but American Wyndham Clark fired a level par 70 to maintain a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the US PGA Tour's Canadian Open.

World number 293 Clark, who led by one stroke after day one, made bogeys on two of the last four holes to stand on seven-under 133 after 36 holes at St George's Golf and Country Club in suburban Toronto.

"Overall I played really good. I felt really confident with my game," Clark said. "I had some little mishaps coming in, but other than that I played some great golf for 36 holes. If I do that again, I'll have a great chance come Sunday."

Northern Ireland's eighth-ranked McIlroy –- the 2019 winner and defending champion after Covid-19 caused a two-year hiatus -- birdied two of the last four holes to shoot 68 and share second on 134 with England's Matthew Fitzpatrick and Americans Keith Mitchell, Jim Knous and Alex Smalley.

Four-time major winner McIlroy sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-5 15th and rolled in a 23-foot birdie putt at 17 before parring the last with a clutch four-foot putt.

"Overall it was a good score," McIlroy said. "I scrambled well when I needed to. I didn't really take advantage of how well I hit it off the tee. But overall I felt a couple under was a fair reflection of how the day went."

Fitzpatrick, ranked 17th, led by two but made double bogey at the 14th and bogeys on the last three holes.

"Just didn't hole the putts I needed to on the last three," Fitzpatrick said. "Just pathetic. Yeah, just pathetic finish really with the putter.

"Disappointing finish, but definitely not out of it."

The seven-time DP World Tour winner seeks her first PGA victory after sharing fifth at last month's PGA Championship for his best major finish.

Clark, 28, chases his first US PGA victory as well, his best finish a runner-up effort at the 2020 Bermuda Championship.

Clark hit only eight greens in regulation, but backed his "great" short game and putting.

- 'Pretty awesome' finish -

Fitzpatrick reeled off three birdies in a row thanks to five-foot putts at the par-5 ninth and par-5 11th sandwiched around a 15-footer at the par-4 10th, reaching 10-under par.

But Fitzpatrick needed four shots to reach the fringe at the par-4 14th on the way to a double bogey, then followed an 11-foot birdie putt at the par-5 15th with three bogeys.

His troubles left the lead to Clark, who made birdie putts from just inside five feet at the par-3 eighth and 11, but missed the green at 12 and made his first bogey of the week.

Clark knocked in a nine-footer from the fringe to birdie the par-4 14th, but then fell back with back-to-back bogeys, sinking a nine-foot bogey putt at 15 but missing a par putt half as long at the par-3 16th.

At 18, Clark had a "semi-plugged" bunker lie but popped out to four feet and saved par to keep the lead.

"I would love to say I was trying to do what I did," Clark said. "It was definitely the best save I've had of the year. It was pretty awesome."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Mickelson apologizes for 'reckless' comments on Saudi-backed league

Phil Mickelson apologized on Tuesday for comments he made about the proposed Saudi-backed Super Golf League that set off a firestorm of controversy and said he planned to take "time away" from the sport.

In a November interview that was published on the firepitcollective.com last weekend, Mickelson criticised the government of Saudi Arabia for its "horrible record" on human rights, which he said included the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the execution of gay people.

Despite the government's "scary" actions, he said he would use the prospect of a new, highly-lucrative tour to gain economic leverage over the PGA Tour, a position that drew the ire of fellow golfers including Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas.

Saudi Arabia's government denies accusations of human rights abuses.

"Although it doesn't look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors, and fans," Mickelson said at the beginning of a lengthy social media post, where he claimed his previously reported comments were "off the record," a charge the journalist denies.

"The bigger issue is that I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions. It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I'm beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this."

The six-time major champion said golf "desperately needs change" and that real change is always preceded by disruption.

"I have always known that criticism would come with exploring anything new. I still chose to put myself at the forefront of this to inspire change, taking the hits publicly to do the work behind the scenes."

No golfers have publicly signed up for the proposed rival league, which is trying to lure top players away from the PGA Tour with the promise of huge paydays.

Mickelson praised LIV Golf Investments, Super Golf League's financial backer, and called the people he has worked with there "visionaries".

"They have a clear plan to create an updated and positive experience for everyone including players, sponsors, networks, and fans," he said.

But the 51-year-old closed by saying he planned to take a break from the sport.

"The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level," he said.

"I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be."

(Additional reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Christian Radnedge)

-reuters

Golf: Jon Rahm holds razor thin No. 1 margin over Collin Morikawa

Jon Rahm retained his spot atop the Official World Golf Ranking this week, but the Spaniard's grip on No. 1 is precariously thin.

Collin Morikawa entered The Genesis Invitational with his third opportunity to claim the top spot for the first time in his career. Morikawa, who also had mathematical chances to claim No. 1 at the Hero World Challenge and the Tournament of Champions, needed to win on Sunday and have Rahm finish worse than solo fourth.

Rahm, who made the cut on the number, rallied to tie for 21st at Riviera Country Club. That still left the door open for Morikawa, who made a spirited Sunday run before settling for a T2.

Morikawa is now just 0.3398 points behind Rahm for the top spot. Patrick Cantlay, who entered the week with the same equation to wrest No. 1 away from Rahm, scuffled to a T33 after also making the cut on the number.

Cantlay remains No. 3, followed by Norwegian Viktor Hovland and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas each climbed a spot with top-10 finishes at the Genesis, with Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama rounding out the top 10.

Chilean Joaquin Niemann vaulted 12 positions to a career-best No. 20 with his second PGA Tour victory. Australian Adam Scott also surged 12 spots to No. 34 with his T4, while PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young shot up 60 places to No. 53 with his T2.

Morikawa, who admitted in January that becoming No. 1 in the world rankings is a "dream" of his, entered Sunday eight shots off Niemann's lead. He shot a 4-under 32 on the back nine to tie Rahm for the low round of the day with a 65 but ultimately was unable to catch the Chilean who led wire-to-wire.

"I just had to put together a few better rounds and make a few less mistakes," Morikawa said Sunday. "But overall I'm happy with the way things kind of played out."

-reuters

Golf: Cantlay edges DeChambeau in epic playoff for BMW Championship crown

WASHINGTON -- Patrick Cantlay drained a 17-foot birdie putt at the sixth playoff hole on Sunday to deny Bryson DeChambeau and win the US PGA Tour BMW Championship.

Cantlay secured his fifth Tour title -- and his third of the year -- when DeChambeau was unable to get his own eight-foot birdie attempt to drop, an agonizing defeat for a player who had looks at potential tournament-winning putts at the 72nd hole and first three playoff holes.

The last-group playing partners started the day tied for the lead and carded six-under par 66s to finish on 27-under 261 -- four strokes in front of South Korean Im Sung-jae.

The victory in the second of three PGA Tour playoff events sends Cantlay into the concluding Tour Championship atop the playoff standings and in pole position to claim the FedEx Cup top prize of $15 million.

Cantlay rolled in a 21-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole to pull even, piling the pressure on DeChambeau who couldn't get his 12-foot birdie attempt for the win to drop.

DeChambeau had taken a one-shot lead with a birdie at the par-five 16th, and appeared to be in full control when Cantlay hit his tee shot into the water at the par-three 17th.

But both players ended up with bogey there, Cantlay making a clutch eight-footer to limit the damage as DeChambeau's poor chip from the greenside rough left him a 10-footer for par that he missed.

The two had been neck-and-neck all day, DeChambeau using his long-hitting aggressive style and Cantlay a more methodical approach.

DeChambeau had three birdies on the front nine while Cantlay had four birdies and a bogey as they made the turn tied for the lead at 24-under par.

DeChambeau edged ahead with three birdies in a row at the 10th, 11th and 12th, bombing a 332-yard drive at the 11th and making a five-footer for birdie before rattling in a 10-footer at the par-five 12th.

That kept his nose in front even as Cantlay birdied 11 and 12, but Cantlay pulled level with a 21-foot birdie at the 14th.

A 340-yard drive in the fairway at the par-five 16th set DeChambeau up for another birdie, but Cantlay just wouldn't go away.

Both were in the fairway at the first playoff hole, the 18th, DeChambeau yards ahead. Cantlay's second shot put him in deep greenside rough as DeChambeau was on the green in two. But Cantlay's chip kissed the cup and holed a five-footer coming back for par.

DeChambeau couldn't get his long birdie attempt to fall, making his two-footer to send it to the second extra hole.

They returned to the 18th where DeChambeau again had a golden opportunity to seal the win but couldn't do so.

Cantlay's poor approach left him a lengthy birdie try that came up seven feet short.

- Kissed the cup -

After he rolled in his par putt, DeChambeau stepped up for his six-foot birdie attempt and watched in disbelief as it kissed the edge of the cup and rolled two feet past.

DeChambeau had another chance to put it away at the third playoff hole, the par-three 17th. But after Cantlay two-putted for par from 24 feet DeChambeau saw his own 17-footer lip out.

DeChambeau was in trouble at the fourth playoff hole, hitting his tee shot into the stream that winds up the right side of the 18th hole as Cantlay again found the fairway.

But he stuck his third shot five feet from the pin and after Cantlay could only two-putt for par from 22 feet DeChambeau made his par-saving effort to extend the playoff.

Both then birdied the fifth playoff hole, the 17th, and returned again to 18, where DeChambeau shook off his earlier error with a booming drive up the middle of the fairway.

But Cantlay also reached the green in two, and rammed in a 17-foot birdie putt that was good for the victory when DeChambeau missed his own eight-foot birdie attempt.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Eagles lift Koepka to PGA Phoenix Open victory

LOS ANGELES -- Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka grabbed two eagles -- including a chip-in at the 17th hole -- to win the Phoenix Open for his first US PGA Tour title since 2019.

Koepka returned to the winner's circle at the same TPC Scottsdale course where he won the first of his eight US PGA Tour titles back in 2015, posting a six-under par 65 for a 19-under total of 265.

He finished one stroke in front of South Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon, who carded a 68, and American Xander Schauffele, who shared the overnight lead but settled for an even-par 71 and his eighth runner-up finish since his last win in January of 2019.

Koepka, who rose to number one in the world on the strength of four major titles over 2017, 2018 and 2019, battled through a 2020 season disrupted not only by the coronavirus pandemic but als by nagging knee and hip injuries that prevented him from playing the PGA Tour playoffs and the delayed US Open at Winged Foot in September.

"It has been a wild ride for the last year and a half and very frustrating," said Koepka, an often taciturn competitor who acknowledged he'd had some "dark moments."

"I've had moments where I didn't know if I was going to be the same, if I could even come back," he said.

Although he hadn't scored well in two prior 2021 starts, Koepka said he felt his game was coming around.

He put himself in striking distance of 54-hole leaders Schauffele and Jordan Spieth with four birdies to close his third round, and bounced back from a bogey at the 12th on Sunday with his first eagle of the day -- a 24-footer at the third.

Birdies at 13, 14 and 15 put him in a tie for the lead at 17-under.

And he leaped to the top of the board with his eagle at the short par-four 17th, where his chip from 97 feet out took a couple of hops and rolled into the center of the cup.

"I felt like the chip, if I just caught it right in the fringe it was going to check up on me, and it did perfectly.

"Took a nice little right kick for me, and didn't look anywhere else but the hole.

"Hell of a week," added Koepka, who like all in the field relished the presence of 5,000 fans a day -- the most at a PGA Tour event since the coronavirus pandemic exploded.

It was a far cry from the norm for a tournament that usually attracts some 700,000 over the course of the week, but it was enough for Koepka to enjoy a rousing cheer when his eagle landed at 17.

"I've missed fans," Koepka said. "Just being around fans is something else. I love it."

- Lee learned a lot -

Lee had four birdies with one bogey in his three-under round, but left himself a 33-footer at 18 to try to match Koepka and force a playoff.

He couldn't get it to drop, but said he'll take away plenty of positives from his week.

"I learned a lot of things this week," he said. "Hopefully another week when I get a chance I will win after that."

Spieth and Schauffele started the day sharing a three-shot lead but neither could end his dry spell.

Schauffele had two bogeys before his first birdie at the ninth. He birdied 15 and 16 but found the water at 17 on the way to a bogey so his closing birdie left him one back.

Spieth, who hasn't won since capturing his third major title at the 2017 British Open, couldn't match the third-round 61 that thrust him to the top of the leaderboard.

He carded a one-over 72 that left him sharing fourth on 17-under with Mexico's Carlos Ortiz and US Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker, who at 53 was trying to break Sam Snead's record as the oldest player to win a PGA Tour title.

Agence France-Presse

Reed shows his moxie and wins Mexico Championship

MEXICO CITY — Patrick Reed was more concerned about how to save par than how to answer his critics. He was consumed with navigating around the trees from 152 yards away with a gap wedge more than any chatter about his character.

Reed only plays for himself. And when it feels as though the world is against him, he plays his best.


A week that began with Brooks Koepka saying he thought Reed cheated when he was penalized for swiping away sand in the Bahamas ended with Reed delivering clutch moments down the stretch Sunday to win the Mexico Championship..

Two shots behind with four holes to play, Reed ran off three straight birdies to overtake a faltering Bryson DeChambeau, closing with a 4-under 67 for his second World Golf Championships title.

As for the outside noise?

“I’m used to it,” Reed said. “Honestly, it’s one of those things that at the end of the day, all I can control is me and what I do on and off the golf course. And if I feel like I’m improving each day on and off the golf course and setting a good example for the next generation coming up … then that’s all I can do, and I feel like I’ve been doing a good job of that.”

If questions remain, they have nothing do with his moxie.

Reed made it interesting in the end with a wild tee shot into the trees on the 18th hole, forcing him to chip back to the fairway. He had to two-putt from 35 feet for eighth victory of his PGA Tour career.

He one-putted 45 times over 72 holes, an astounding performance on the poa greens of Chapultepec. The birdies at the end might not have mattered without par putts from 10 feet on the 11th and 8 feet on the 13th as DeChambeau was starting to pull away.

“And then after that, the hole seemed to get a little larger,” Reed said.

In a wild final round in which five players had a share of the lead — four were tied heading for the back nine — DeChambeau appeared to seize control with five birdies in a six-hole stretch starting at No. 9.



Everyone around him faltered — Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Erik van Rooyen — everyone but Reed, who played bogey-free until he only needed a bogey to win.

DeChambeau missed two good scoring chances on the 15th and 16th, and then he three-putted from 65 feet on the par-3 17th to fall into a tie. Reed seized on the moment. Blocked by the edge of the trees left of the 16th fairway, he hammered a hook with a gap wedge that rolled around the ridge and fed down the slope to 3 feet.

Reed never flinched with so much going on around him, on and off the golf course.

He has yet to shake whispers on the tour and heckling from the gallery over the Hero World Challenge in December, when video caught him twice swiping away sand behind his ball in a waste area in the Bahamas. Reed accepted the two-shot penalty and said a different camera angle would have shown his club wasn’t as close to the ball as it looked.

Koepka became the strongest voice during an interview Monday with SiriusXM in the Bay Area while he was previewing his title defense at the PGA Championship in May.

Radio host Sway Calloway asked Koepka if Reed was cheating.

“Uh, yeah. I think, yeah, yeah,” Koepka said, known for speaking his mind. “I mean, I don’t know what he was doing, building sand castles in the sand. But you know, you know where your club is. I mean, I took three months off and I can promise you I know if I touched sand.

“If you play the game, you understand the rules,” he said. “You understand the integrity that goes on. I mean, there’s no room for it.”

Reed said all week that he doesn’t listen to what others are playing, he just plays golf.

All he did Sunday was win. If he had anything to prove, it was only to himself.


“Coming into this week, I knew we were in a good pattern and I knew all I needed to do was continue to try to improve on my golf game, but at the same time just block out all the noise, no matter what it was,” Reed said. “I feel like I’ve been able to do that really well throughout my career. … I’ve always been able to — when I get inside the ropes — just focus on what I need to do, and that’s play golf.”

He finished at 18-under 266 and moved to No. 8 in the world.

DeChambeau walked back across the bridge to the 18th green to congratulate Reed. DeChambeau can appreciate heavy criticism, his variety for his pace of play.

“There’s been a lot of stuff said in past years, I guess you could say, with him, and even with me. I feel like unfortunately sometimes we get quite a bad rap,” DeChambeau said. “And yeah, there’s things that we’ve done that hasn’t been right, but we haven’t got really gotten the best rap. … He’s a great player, and he’ll be a great player for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for his game.”

Rahm had a chance to reach No. 1 in the world with a victory, depending on how McIlroy finished. It was a moot point when the Spaniard took bogey on the par-5 11th and dropped another shot on the 14th with a short iron that went just over the back of the green.

McIlroy was within one shot until going nine straight holes without a birdie.

Thomas lost the lead when he hit into the water on the par-3 seventh, and then made another bogey on the next hole. He then had to play a left-handed shot on the 10th on his way to a double bogey. He shot 73.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spieth’s ‘chicken wing’

IT HAS taken me some time to write about the unexpected victory of Danny Willet, son of a preacher, and the mind-boggling collapse of Jordan Spieth at golf’s first major of the year, the Masters.

Willet wasn’t even supposed to be in the 2016 Masters, one of golf’s most coveted titles, because he prioritized his family before his golf career. But since his wife gave birth earlier than he had expected, he proceeded to play and the golfing gods smiled on him.

But the real story that will continue to baffle me is the sudden collapse of three-day leader Spieth.

He birdied the last four holes of the front nine and had such a commanding five-shot lead that I did not expect him to lose everything in just three holes.

This is my take on what caused that collapse:

Spieth’s phenomenal rise has definitely earned him the label of the next golf superstar, following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, in terms of achievements at a very young age.

However, I have always questioned his fundamentals, which I felt are suspect during heavy-pressure situations.

He is the only golf professional on the US PGA Tour who uses a very “weak” grip. This makes him swing through the ball with what golf gurus and commentators call a “chicken wing.”

On a missed shot, the result of this action is usually a blocked shot that lands way off target.

The way he missed his drives on the last two holes of the second and third rounds of the Masters was already an indication that he was not comfortable with his swing.

And on the last day, his quadruple bogey on the famous par-3 No. 12 was just unbelievable. It is very unusual to miss shots like those if you are a professional.

However, his recovery from this horrendous hole showed the stuff he is made of. It’s one of the reasons why he is one of golf’s finest players today.

He exudes a heart that appears to be equal to the ones that came before him. It will be very interesting to watch him in the next three Majors.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Golf: Putt the question! Player proposes to girlfriend on course

COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Danish golfer Andreas Harto missed the cut at the Made in Denmark tournament Friday, but was still celebrating after proposing to his girlfriend on the 16th green.

The 27-year-old made a birdie, then gestured to his stunned girlfriend, Louise, who was watching from the sidelines and got down on one knee before plucking a jewellery box from his pocket.

The couple embraced on the green much to the delight of the packed gallery, estimated at around 3,000 people watching from the course’s Himmerland Hill.

“Her favorite number is seven, and one plus six is seven.” Harto, a three-time winner on the Challenge Tour, told europeantour.com.

“I couldn’t say any words and I didn’t hear her say ‘yes,’ so I had to ask her afterwards and luckily she did want to marry me so I’m a lucky man.”

He added: “It came into my mind that I could do it here, but it took some convincing myself and some courage. I was very nervous when it happened, but I couldn’t have written it any better.

“It was crazy and I was almost crying when I hit the putt because I knew what was about to happen.”

Harto was not able to tempt Lady Luck to also smile on him as he finished two rounds on five over par and missed the cut.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Woods says he’ll return when his game is ready

PEBBLE BEACH, California — Tiger Woods said Wednesday his game is “not acceptable” to compete in tournaments and he will return when he thinks it is.

Hopeful of having injuries behind him, Woods made a horrific start to the new year. He shot a career-high 82 in the second round of the Phoenix Open to miss the cut by 12 shots. And then he withdrew after 11 holes of ordinary golf at Torrey Pines because of tightness in his back from a fog delay.

Woods said on his website the last two weeks have been disappointing, especially at Torrey Pines, where he is an eight-time winner. He said he never wants to withdraw, but recent injuries have allowed that to happen too often.

Woods said his latest injury was not related to the back surgery he had last spring, and that he is feeling better every day with physical therapy.

“Right now, I need a lot of work on my game, and to still spend time with the people that are important to me,” Woods said. “My play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf. Like I’ve said, I enter a tournament to compete at the highest level, and when I think I’m ready, I’ll be back.”

Woods is not playing Pebble Beach or Riviera, and said he would practice next week at his home and at The Medalist “getting ready for the rest of the year.”

He said he wants to play the Honda Classic, which starts Feb. 26, but he won’t be there unless his game is tournament ready.

“That’s not fair to anyone,” Woods said. “I do, however, expect to be playing again very soon.”

Ernie Els, who has known Woods longer than any other active PGA Tour player, heard about his woes while playing in Dubai and later saw highlights.

“As competitive as we are, we don’t want to see anyone suffer like that,” said Els, who has finished second to Woods more than any other player. “We’ve got to do our stuff in public. I don’t care if you’re Tiger Woods, Ernie Els or whoever. If you have some error in your game, you get exposed.”

Woods, the winner of 79 PGA Tour events and 14 majors, has never looked this bad on the golf course. He had back surgery to relieve a pinched nerve a week before the Masters and missed three months (including the first two majors), and then he took four months off at the end of last year to regain strength and get his back fully healed.

He also hired a new swing consultant and embarked on the fifth swing change of his career.

His chipping was bad at the 18-man Hero World Challenge at Isleworth in December, when he tied for last. His chipping looked even worse at the Phoenix Open, a collection of shots that he either flubbed short or bladed across the green.

Woods is at No. 62 in the world, his worst ranking since before he won his first PGA Tour event in 1996. He is not eligible for the World Golf Championship at Doral.

“I am committed to getting back to the pinnacle of my game,” Wood said.

source: sports.inquirer.net