Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we almost got killed at the Travelers Championship last week. An American golfer who shall remain nameless nearly drilled me with a drive on No. 15. He shall remain nameless because he was only concerned with his lie as he walked right by me and a few others to get to his ball. Meanwhile, European golfers continue to display better manners in these situations. A week after Henrik Stenson laid down on the ground to pose for a selfie with a fan he plunked, Jordan Smith bought his victim (multiple) drinks at the BMW International Open:

Alles wieder gut! @Jsmithgolf entschuldigt sich ordentlich bei Wolfgang. ???#BMWInternationalOpen pic.twitter.com/foc1dAFcAt

— SPORT1 (@SPORT1) June 21, 2019

What’s next, dinner and a movie? Seriously, fans might start trying to get hit by these guys. Anyway, kudos to Smith, Stenson, and others who actually care about the well-being of us little people in the galleries—or, at least yell “Fore!” when they hit an errant shot. And it’s good to know karma exists because of the player in question. . . never mind. He had a good week. Karma is officially dead, but The Grind lives on! Let’s dive into everything else happening in golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Chez Reavie: Is this the dawn of the Chez Reavie Era?! Probably not, but no one should be shocked by Reavie’s Travelers Championship triumph after his T-3 performance at Pebble Beach the previous week. I just hope the guy who bet on Chez to win the U.S. Open bet on him this past week.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

And rejoice, short hitters! His average swing speed is only. . . 108! OK, that’s still a lot faster than mine. . . The diminutive Reavie is never going to overpower a golf course like the typical tour winner, but he has always been one of the best iron players in the game. The most puzzling part of his second PGA Tour title is how long he waited for it. First Tiger snaps an 11-year drought in the majors and now Chez ends his 11-year drought in non-majors. What a time to be alive!

Zack Sucher: This was the rare week on the PGA Tour where you could declare two winners. Sure, Sucher blew a five-shot lead on Saturday in stunning fashion, but his rally to finish T-2 was awfully impressive—and important. Consider that in six years as a pro he had earned about $850,000 and had needed “to take out some credit cards” during a seven-month stretch two years ago in which he made no money. Well, he earned $633,600 on Sunday. “It’s life-changing, to be honest,” Sucher said.

Hannah Green: Also life-changing? How about the 114th-ranked player in the world going wire to wire? In a major? Congrats to this Australian for doing just that, instantly becoming one of the more surprising major champs in golf history. What’s even more surprising is how calm she remained throughout.

Pretty cool moment: Hannah Green walks off 8 and a little girl hands her a blue sheet of paper on which she’d written a poem. Hannah reads it, keeps it, gives the girl a hug and heads to 9th tee w 3-shot lead, going after first major.

— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) June 23, 2019

Can you imagine Brooks Koepka doing that? Better yet, how about Tiger Woods in his prime? That is wild. Of course, considering the pace of play issues during the event, Green could have read a novella between holes.

Andrea Pavan: There was some shaky play from both Pavan and Matthew Fitzpatrick during their playoff at the BMW International Open, but the 30-year-old Italian finished in spectacular fashion with a winning birdie. Even better was his celebration (Check out the 27-second mark) with caddie Alejandro Molina.

It's Play-Off victory for @AndreaPavan89! ?#BMWInternationalOpen pic.twitter.com/pZY39ROLxA

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 23, 2019

So good. Reminiscent of Yogi Berra jumping into Don Larsen’s arms. And this isn’t Molina’s first epic celebration:

Come for the Pavan putt ?

Stay for the caddie celebration ? pic.twitter.com/iQy4XAioO2

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 22, 2019

Also, this dude has some serious soccer skills:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByF9uFsH59K/?utm_source=ig_embed

OK, so we’re buying Molina as much as Pavan. That guy is awesome.

WE’RE SELLING

Brooks Koepka in non-majors: It was good of Koepka to keep his commitment, but seriously, why bother showing up? Koepka couldn’t have looked more disinterested to be playing at the Travelers and you can’t blame him. That has nothing to do with the tournament itself, but to tee it up at TPC River Highlands just four days after nearly winning the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach? And after a long cross-country flight?

Michelle Wie’s career: Sadly, we’re getting to the point of there being no point for Michelle Wie to show up at any tournament—and she knows it. “I’m not entirely sure how much more I have left in me, so even on the bad days, I’m just like trying to take time to enjoy it. But it’s tough,” said an emotional Wie after shooting an opening 84 at the KPMG PGA Championship. To Wie’s credit, she didn’t WD and spoke to the media the following day after an 82. If this is the end of the road (and hopefully, it’s not), Wie has been a pleasure to watch. Well, not during the table-top putting phase, but you get the point.

Matthew Wolff’s pro debut: From the winding down of one phenom’s career to the start of another, I drove up to the Travelers Championship on Thursday specifically to see what was being billed as an important moment in golf history. Apparently, I was the only one. Let’s just say there wasn’t much of a buzz for the pro debut of this DISRUPTOR, but the Wolfpack will certainly grow.

And Wolff will continue to improve, although a T-80 by the 20-year-old doesn’t sound so bad when you consider that a 20-year-old Tiger finished T-60 in his pro debut in 1996. . .

Holey Moley: I hate to pile on Stephen Curry after he had a tough NBA Finals in which his Golden State dynasty crumbled before our very eyes, but. . . wow, was this bad. Not that we should be too surprised considering most thought the show’s announcement was an April Fool’s joke. But. . . I mean. . .

Congrats to @StephenCurry30 and @ABC for somehow managing to make a golf show worse than #Shotmakers. https://t.co/iZxEqtWKTb

— Club Pro Guy (@ClubProGuy) June 25, 2019

Poor Kenny G. I didn’t think his career could dip any lower than appearing in that Valentine’s Day video for Kanye and Kim. I was wrong.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Detroit for the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic, AKA that event funded by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert that replaced the Quicken Loans National on the schedule. Gilbert founded Quicken Loans AND Rocket Mortgage (among other things). He has a lot more money than you do.

Random tournament fact: The tournament will be played at Detroit Golf Club and Rickie Rocket Mortgage Fowler is in the field. And. . . that’s pretty much all we know at this point.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Back to Andrea and Alejandro:

Let the celebrations begin ?#BMWInternationalOpen pic.twitter.com/S5UeqMpRzl

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 23, 2019

That’s nice to see, especially on a day where Matt Wallace came under fire for berating his caddie during the final round.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Bubba Watson’s son Caleb nearly ended Brandt Snedeker’s season (and ability to have kids) with this line drive:

Yessir! Caleb with line drive at @BrandtSnedeker. Great hit!! @TravelersChamp #TravelersFamilyWiffleball #ProudDad #WiffleballLife pic.twitter.com/0sgnNxj9DA

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) June 21, 2019

Kid’s got some pop.

ARCHIVE VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

How about this compilation of Gary Woodland high school basketball highlights set to the “Rudy” theme song?

https://twitter.com/CoreyRHolloway/status/1140720163211210752

Impressive! Then again, even my high school basketball highlights would seem a lot better accompanied by the “Rudy” theme song.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Caddying for VJ. https://t.co/T8GbfZm4KY

— KIP HENLEY Blue Check Mark (@KipHenley) June 23, 2019

Boom. Roasted. Of course, Vijay has always had the rep as a caddie killer, but Kip added a little more about the experience:

Watching one of the greatest to ever lace em up, prepare and get after it. Most of working for VJ was so cool. He treated me like a son (even though I’m older than him) away from the course. He never let me reach in my pocket one time. I made almost 50gs in 5 weeks. https://t.co/R7Ds5XUiyJ

— KIP HENLEY Blue Check Mark (@KipHenley) June 23, 2019

Regardless of what people think that part didn’t matter. Sure there were a couple times where I was thinking “damn we been here all day” like every single caddie on the PGA Tour but I have never seen hard work not pay off. https://t.co/bnL0JlpZvm

— KIP HENLEY Blue Check Mark (@KipHenley) June 23, 2019

Fair enough.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

How about Drake hitting the links? We think. . .

https://www.instagram.com/p/By5icbWgioH/?utm_source=ig_embed

Rory McIlroy’s “Two Gloves Aubrey” comment was classic. And then there’s Dylan Windler, the Cleveland Cavaliers first-round pick out of Belmont who also maintains a one-handicap and practices trick shots in his spare time from shooting jump-shots.

Working on some new swings tonight @Topgolf pic.twitter.com/A6NTxc0bQy

— Dylan Windler (@Dylan_Windler23) September 23, 2018

Have a good rookie season, Dylan, and who knows? You could earn a sponsor exemption from Dan Gilbert into next year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

While Brooks followed up a stressful week at Pebble Beach by playing in another tournament, Dustin and Paulina went to the Bahamas:

Advantage: Dustin.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Introducing the first “Phireside with Phil”:

First edition of “Phireside with Phil.”

I’ll be sharing some interesting stories that have taken place through the years and will hopefully have some guests in the future too. #PhiresidewithPhil pic.twitter.com/4NDVTPNKmt

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 18, 2019

Please let this be a weekly thing.

THIS AND THAT

If you haven’t read Joel Beall’s (latest) great piece on Max Roberts, a high schooler who went from being homeless to state champ, check it out. What a story. . . . Jay Bilas mentioned Louis Oosthuizen multiple times during the NBA Draft. Jay Bilas is officially the world’s biggest Louis O fan. . . . With the British Open heading to Northern Ireland, NBC Sports commissioned a flute version of Yanni’s classic “In Celebration of Man” theme. It’s a nice little touch, but nothing tops the original. Not even the “Rudy” theme song. . . . And finally, we celebrated Father’s Day a week late in my house (Thanks, USGA!) and the highlight was waking up to this delicious bacon-and-egg on a bagel:

Well, other than spending quality time with my wife and daughter, of course. But yeah. . . that breakfast sandwich. . . mmm. . .

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Who is the most difficult tour pro to caddie for?

Should I wear a helmet to the next event I cover?

How much leftover bacon is in the fridge?

The post An epic victory celebration, Michelle Wie’s tearful goodbye(?), and a caddie blasts his former boss appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Huggan
The closing hole on the Golfclub Munchen Eichenreid course is a 568-yard par 5 that doglegs sharply right-to-left around a water hazard. As such it is not a hole that suits Andrea Pavan. Not up to hitting driver, the 30-year-old Italian used his trusty 3-wood from that 18th tee six times during the BMW International Open and not once was able to reach the distant green in two shots.

All of which now matters not at all. With an unlikely birdie on his “bogey hole,” the former Texas A&M golfer (he was a member of the 2009 NCAA winning team) beat Matt Fitzpatrick on the second hole of their sudden-death playoff to claim his second European Tour title.

It came down to this: After hitting his tee shot way right into rough, Pavan half-smothered his next shot into the long grass on the other side of the fairway. The lie was better than expected though, and from there Pavan struck a wedge to less than three feet. When Fitzpatrick was unable to get up-and-down from sand short of the putting surface, it was all over.

Still, while Pavan ultimately relied more than a little on the misfortunes of others, his earlier play was a lot more distinguished. Starting four strokes off the pace, the eventual champion shot his lowest round of the season, a bogey-free six-under-par 66.

“This is amazing to be honest,” said Pavan, who arrived in Germany ranked 133rd in the world but left 32nd on the Race to Dubai. “I was playing very well coming into this week. And I thought I had a chance starting the day. I got off to a good start [three birdies in the first six holes], but hit a few bad drives, my Achilles heel. I’m happy I have a strong 3-wood and 2-iron. That 18th hole is not the best for me, without driver. But I somehow managed to make birdie.

“I was feeling rushed when I got to my third shot in the playoff. I was out of position. But I got a decent lie. And it came out great. I’m glad it finished so close. Winning is so hard.”

Indeed, even as Pavan walked off the 18th green having finished on 15 under par, victory appeared to be in the hands of Fitzpatrick. Standing on the 16th tee, the former Ryder Cup player needed to play the last three holes in one under par to notch up his sixth European Tour title. With a drivable par 4 and a reachable par 5 to go, the young Englishman appeared to be in good shape.

It wasn’t to be, however. Having driven through the 16th green, Fitzpatrick needed three to get down, missing from five feet after a weak chip. A bogey, his only dropped shot of the day, followed at the short 17th, where he found sand off the tee, before a birdie on the last, courtesy of a brilliant 3-wood into the middle of the green, salvaged a spot in the playoff.

Others could have joined that party too, most notably Fitzpatrick’s playing partner, Matt Wallace. But that notion disappeared as the World No. 24—and the Race to Dubai leade —twice found water on the 18th en route to a bogey 6 that dropped him into a cosmopolitan seven-way tie for third place alongside South African Christian Bezuidenhout, Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Alvaro Quiros of Spain, Italian Edoardo Molinari, Matthias Schwab of Austria and Jordan Smith from England.

One last thing. Lee Westwood’s T-10 finish was his 165th top-10 on his home circuit, fifth best all-time.

The post Andrea Pavan outlasts Matt Fitzpatrick in a playoff to win the BMW International Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
Before becoming a two-time dad, Andrea Pavan took down a three-time major champion to change his status on the European Tour to first-time winner. And by Pavan’s own admission, it was probably about time.

The 29-year-old Italian shot a five-under 67 on Sunday at Albatross Golf Resort in Prague, closing with a five-under 30 on the back nine, to outlast Padraig Harrington and grab the title at the D + D Real Czech Masters. His 22-under 266 total gave Pavan a two-stroke victory over Harrington.

“It’s amazing, it’s massive,” said Pavan, who was playing in his 112th career European Tour event. “I’ll enjoy this one because it’s really hard to get, and I’ll just keep working on the stuff that seems to be working and enjoy the success.”

Pavan and Harrington started the day tied for the lead at 17 under. It looked early like Harrington’s experience might prove invaluable when Pavan made a bogey on the second hole, just his third of the week. Meanwhile, Harrington made three birdies over the opening nine holes to take a three-stroke lead after a Pavan birdie on the sixth.

RELATED: Cameraman catches Padraig Harrington in a delicate spot, leading to hilarious staredown

But Pavan, a four-time winner on the Challenge Tour with his last coming in 2013, became more aggressive on the back nine, carding birdies on the 10th, 12th and 14th holes. Pavan tied again for the lead when Harrington bogeyed the 15th hole, and then picked up two more shots when he rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 16th and a 15-footer on the 17th.

“Padraig has got so much experience, such a great player and he played lovely,” said Pavan, who became the 12th first-time winner on the European Tour in 36 starts. “The putt on 16 was massive. It could have easily gone both ways, he was ahead of me most of the day, but after I got ahead I stayed aggressive.”

With the victory, Pavan moved up to 39th on the Race to Dubai standings, easily inside the top 60 needed to compete in the year-end Final series. It was a comforting thought as he prepared to take some time off the tour in the next few weeks with his wife due to give birth to their second child, a girl, on Wednesday.

The post Another week, another first-time winner on the European Tour as Andrea Pavan wins in Prague appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.