News

Morning 9: Scott, Garcia in for U.S. Open | Clark: Greens already borderline | Harrington inducted to HOF

Published

1 month ago

Jun 11, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we look ahead to what is sure to be an exciting U.S. Open!

1. USO field additions

Brian DePasquale for the USGA…”Two additional players, including Adam Scott, have earned full exemptions into the 124th U.S. Open Championship…Additionally, four alternates from final qualifying were added to complete the 156-player field.”

“Robert MacIntyre earned an exemption based on the current Official World Golf Ranking®/OWGR®…”

“Scott, who is No. 61 in the OWGR, became exempt when the late Grayson Murray (No. 59) was removed from the list for purposes of determining the top 60. Scott will compete in his 23rd consecutive U.S. Open…”

“The USGA held six spots in the field for those players who could potentially become exempt. Since MacIntyre and Scott were the only players to earn an exemption, four alternates from final qualifying were added to the field. They are Sergio Garcia, amateur Brendan Valdes, Otto Black and Maxwell Moldovan.”

Full piece.

2. Charlie on hand to assist dad with U.S. Open prep

Justin Tasch for the NY Post…”Tiger Woods was all smiles Monday morning in Pinehurst as he practiced for this week’s U.S. Open with his 15-year-old son, Charlie.”

“Charlie helped his dad prepare as they traversed Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, where Woods is set to tee off Thursday for the first time since missing the cut at last month’s PGA Championship in Louisville.”

“The father-son duo was spotted at various points Monday morning with Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler.”

Full piece.

3. Clark says U.S. Open greens already ‘borderline’

Elliott Heath for Golf Monthly…”Defending US Open champion Wyndham Clark says that this week’s greens at Pinehurst No.2 “already are borderline” ahead of what is set to be a stern test of golf at the USA’s 124th national open.”

“Clark won his maiden Major title at LACC last year, where he pipped Rory McIlroy by a single stroke. He won his third PGA Tour title at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this year and moved up to a career-high of 3rd in the world.”

“The greens are extremely fast and penal. You hit it on the green, the hole is not done. I was just amazed how fast the greens are. Yeah, I mean, they are extremely fast. If they get any firmer and faster, the greens, I mean, they’d be borderline. They already are borderline,” Clark said on Pinehurst’s famously undulating putting surfaces, before admitting that sometimes it’s better to miss a green in the right spot than hit it in the wrong position.”

Full piece.

4. Harrington reflects ahead of HOF induction

PGATOUR.COM: What comes to mind as you prepare for your induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame and reflect on your career?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: When you’re winning, when you’re going through it, you kind of expect that it’s going to continue to happen so you don’t get too caught up in it. You tend to just get on with it. You’re always thinking about the next win. Whereas at this time in my career and with the Hall of Fame looming, it is very much time to take stock and have a nice reflection on what I’ve done. And it’s very satisfying.

PGATOUR.COM: What is the source of that satisfaction?

HARRINGTON: Well, I think I’ve always felt I’ve far exceeded my own expectations. But when you get to the Hall of Fame, you realize that actually you’ve achieved on a whole different level. There’s not that many golfers that get into it. You don’t get into the Hall of Fame for anything but your performances. That’s it. This is an opportunity to look back and say, ‘You know what? You did well.’

PGATOUR.COM: You’ve said before that you weren’t the guy who looked destined to be great. What was your secret to getting the most out of your talents?

HARRINGTON: I was always somebody who just did it, got it done.

Full piece.

5. More bad news for Hataoka

Golf Channel staff…”After being disqualified from last week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic, Nasa Hataoka has slipped from Japan’s final qualifying spot for the Olympic women’s golf event.”

“Ayaka Furue now holds Japan’s second of two currently available positions. Furue tied for second this past week to move to 19th in the latest Rolex Rankings. Hataoka dropped to 20th.”

“Hataoka opened in 65 at the ShopRite but was DQ’d ahead of Saturday’s second round when officials determined that she took too long to find a lost ball on Friday, and subsequently, played her next shot from the wrong spot.”

Full Piece.

6. Weather ahead at Pinehurst

PGATour.com staff report…

Thursday: Low chance of rain beginning in the afternoon with increased temperatures in the evening. Low: 68F, High: 90F. Winds: 4-10 mph, gusting at 15 mph.

Friday: Rising temperatures and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon, 40% chance of showers. Low: 68F, High: 92F. Winds: 4-10 mph, gusting at 15 mph.

Saturday: Rising temperatures and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon, 40% chance of showers. Low: 68F, High: 92F. Winds: 4-8 mph, gusting at 12 mph.

Sunday: Heat expected throughout the day with 20% chance of showers. Low: 68F, High: 92F. Winds: 4-10 mph, gusting at 15 mph.

Full Piece.

7. Ortiz: I deserve to be at U.S. Open

Joel Kulasingham for Golf Monthly…”Carlos Ortiz says he deserves to be teeing off at this week’s US Open, despite failing to qualify for the tournament at Pinehurst No.2.”

“The 33-year-old Mexican claimed his first LIV Golf victory in Houston on Sunday thanks to a five-under final round to hang on to a one-shot win over Adrian Meronk, who missed a birdie on his last hole to miss a playoff.

“The world No.237 still had a chance to get into the tournament through US Open qualifying in Dallas three weeks ago, but a double bogey on the final hole scuppered any hopes of joining the 13 other LIV players teeing it up in Pinehurst on Thursday.

“I’ve been playing great. It’s a shame I doubled the last hole to miss the qualifier. It hurt a lot,” Ortiz admitted.

“But despite not doing enough in qualifying, Ortiz – like many of his LIV colleagues – lamented the current state of professional golf, and says he deserves to be playing at the US Open as “one of the best players in the world right now”.

“I think with time, we’re going to get back into the Majors because I know that I’m one of the best players in the world right now, and I deserve to be there. But the way things are happening right now, it’s kind of hard.”

Full Piece.

8. Carnage on the way?

9. U.S. Open photos

Check out all of our galleries from this week’s major event!

Full Piece.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Barracuda Championship

Published

6 hours ago

Jul 17, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week for the PGA Tour’s only Modified Stableford event, the Barracuda Championship.

We have plenty of galleries from Truckee, California, assembled for your viewing pleasure, so let’s get to it.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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News

Tour Rundown: Furious finish from Furue | Mighty Mac wins for country

Published

2 days ago

Jul 15, 2024

Ronald Montesano

The second week of July brought two major championships to the professional tours. The LPGA held its Evian Championship at Evian-Les-Bains, while the PGA Tour Champions celebrated the Kaulig at Firestone. The DP World Tour and the PGA Tour collaborated on the Scottish Open, while another PGA Tour event took place in Kentucky. Finally, the Korn Ferry Tour held The Ascendant at TPC Colorado.

To say that the drama was real is an understatement. Eagles and birdies won two tournaments on the final hole, and one event finished with a five-golfer playoff that lasted three holes and 36 shots. The one competition that concluded with a four-shot win was tame by comparison. It’s mid-season and it’s total tour golf. Time for another Tour Rundown.

LPGA @ Evian Championship: Furious Finish from Furue

Ayaka Furue made a run at the past two US Open championships, finishing T6 at both tournaments. She made an even bigger run at the fourth LPGA major championship of 2024, the Evian. Furue held the lead after two rounds, only to find herself one behind Stephanie Kyriacou through the end of day three. The top pair did mighty battle on day four, with Kyriacou closing with 67 to reach 18 under par. Her finish included three birdies over the final four holes, marred only by a bogey at the penultimate green.

Unfortunately for Kyriacou, Furue made a trio of birdies of her own down the stretch, made a par at 17, then closed with a thunderous eagle at the last, to win the title by one slim stroke. The win was Furue’s second on the LPGA circuit, coming nearly two years after her inaugural win, at the 2022 Scottish Open. For Kyriacou, the Evian was a painful step closer to her first LPGA win. The solo second represents her first top-five finish on the tour.

An incredible eagle finish for @kodebuchanayaka to win her first major at @EvianChamp ? pic.twitter.com/gNZ5BhFM07

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 14, 2024

DP World Tour/PGA Tour @ Scottish Open: Mighty Mac wins Scottish for country

Adam Scott appeared to have his hands around a comeback victory at the Rennaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland. The Australian held the lead in the closing moments, but Robert MacIntyre came from nearly nowhere, to bring victory to his countrymen.

Scott teed off in the penultimate pairing, with American Collin Morikawa, and posted 67 to reach 17 under par. The final duo contained MacIntyre, who electrified the assemblage with a 16th-hole eagle, surging into a tie with Scott. On the 18th hole, the same one that Rory McIlroy birdied last year for victory, MacIntyre ripped driver into the right rough, then ripped his approach to 22 feet. With nothing but homeland glory on the line, the lefty dropped his putt for three and a one-shot win over Scott. In the space of two months, MacIntyre has climbed from the ranks of decent tour players to proven winners. He certainly emerges as one of the favorites for this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.

What a shot @robert1lefty!! ???????

After a lucky break, MacIntyre joins the lead after an eagle on the 16th.#GenesisScottishOpen | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/jBRJS6mAdA

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 14, 2024

Korn Ferry Tour @ The Ascendant: Del Solar is no longer “just” Mr. 57

Cristobal Del Solar is a mighty talent from the world’s thinnest country. The Chilean was known best for his four PGA Tour Americas titles, and the 57 that he shot in February of 2024, at the Colombian stop on the Korn Ferry Tour. After a 22-under-par performance at TPC Colorado this week, Del Solar now adds another line to his Wikipedia entry: tour champion. Del Solar outpaced runners-up Brian Campbell and Matthew Riedel by four shots, to win for the first time on the KFT.

Del Solar had just four bogeys on the week in the elite air of the Rocky Mountains. He nearly matched that number with eagles, including two on the closing day. The champion reached the 646-yard fifth in two mighty strokes, then holed a 33-foot putt for the rare bird. He followed that master sequence with another, at the 585-yard 15th. Despite the watery beckons on the right, Del Solar again reached the putting surface in two, then sent a 40-foot effort to the bottom of the tin. He added birdies at 16 and 18, turning a compelling finish into a runaway victory.

Cristobal Del Solar is back on top??

A 39-foot eagle gives him a two-stroke lead @AscendantGolf. pic.twitter.com/LsJa0htlMB

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 14, 2024

PGA Tour Champions @ Kaulig: With no Bert in sight, Ernie takes care of business

Since he turned 50 in 2020, Theodore Ernie Els had finished inside the top ten in 12 senior major events. Until Sunday the 14th of July, he had not hoisted a single, senior major trophy. That all ended when he outlasted a field at the Kaulig (nee Senior Players) Championship at Firestone. Els was pitted in a duel with perennial finisher Steve Stricker, until the Wisconsin stalwart went bogey-triple at the 14th and 15th holes on day four. The path to the top was cleared a bit for Els, but then Y.E. Yang arrived on the scene. The 2009 PGA Champion reached 10-under on the week at the 69th hole, but bogeyed number 72 to finish at nine deep.

Els appeared to not want the title that much when he made bogey at the par-five 16th hole, falling to minus ten. He dug deep himself, however, and managed a pair of pars to hold off Yang by one shot. Jerry Kelly finished third on minus-seven, while Stricker and K.J. Choi finished T4 at six under par.

A perfect drive on 18 from @TheBig_Easy ?

Ernie Els needs a par to secure the win @KauligChamp. pic.twitter.com/KuFFgTz6nR

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 14, 2024

PGA Tour @ ISCO: Hall (no Oates) emerges from crowd with win

No true fan of golf considers the Open Championship to be THE event of July. It’s tournaments like the ISCO, where the grinders and journeymen find salvation, security, glory, and truth, that define the essence of professional sport. Once again on Sunday, the fairway fighters of men’s professional golf took to the corridors of Keene Trace to find the magic that extends careers, defines them, and encourages their inauguration.

Harry Hall is a 26-year-old competitor from England. Before he could consider the football match between his home country and Spain, the UNLV alumnus had other business to sort. Hall found himself in second place after 54 holes, one shot out of the lead. Trouble was, a number of other, hungry golfers also posed a challenge. Among them were leader Pierceson Coody, golfer-turned-architect-turned-golfer Zac Blair, Rico Hoey, and Matt NeSmith. Four golfers would reach 20-under par, but that labor would earn them but a four-way tie for sixth.

The aforementioned quintet, with Sunday numbers like 69, 64, 64, 69, and 70, would meet at the crossroads of 22-under and tied for first. Hoey and NeSmith each made bogey at the last, to fall to that status, while Coody and Blair made closing birdies to rise up. Only Hall made par at the final, regulation green. Three holes later, he would also stand alone. Bogeys at the 18th in overtime meant a farewell cap tip for Hoey and Blair. After the surviving triumvirate again made pars during round two at the watery closer, the playoff shifted to the par-three ninth. Both Coody and NeSmith missed the green left, then pitched within ten feet for par. They never had a chance to hit their putts.

With all the improbability that a 45-feet chip brings, Hall found landing spot, line, and pace, then merged the three for the perfect stroke. He drained the recovery shot for a deuce and a first PGA Tour victory. On to Royal Troon!

One of the shots of the year! ?
@HarryHall just chipped in for his first career PGA TOUR win @ISCOChamp! pic.twitter.com/B8PpxmYGbh

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 15, 2024

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News

Robert MacIntyre’s winning WITB: 2024 Genesis Scottish Open

Published

3 days ago

Jul 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7 X

3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Robert MacIntyre’s clubs here.

Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue (19 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X

Irons: Titleist 620 CB (4-9) Buy here.
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Check out more in-hand photos of Robert MacIntyre’s clubs here.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F) Buy here, SM9 (50-08F, 56-10S) Buy here, WedgeWorks (60-08K) Buy here.
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Onyx (46, 50), Dynamic Gold S400 Onyx (56, 60)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol

Check out more in-hand photos of Robert MacIntyre’s clubs here.

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Buy here.

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord (woods, wedges), Grip Master (irons)

Check out more in-hand photos of Robert MacIntyre’s clubs here.

The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.

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