WE’RE BUYING

Justin Rose: The Englishman skipped the European Tour’s flagship event and stomped all over one of the PGA Tour’s oldest stomping grounds instead. Rose fired rounds of 66-64-66-64 at Colonial to cruise to a four-shot victory and reaffirm his status as one of the favourites to win the U.S. Open.

Michael Reaves

It’s not quite the green jacket he nearly slipped on last year, but it’s a pretty snazzy prize in its own right.

Francesco Molinari: Throw another name onto the list of potential European Ryder Cuppers. The Italian picked a good time to win for just the second time in six years, taking the European Tour’s premier event, the BMW PGA. “It’s on a course I love and where I have almost as good a record as I have here, so I’d love to be there,” Molinari said of Le Golf National, where he’s finished runner-up three times. I can see the “An Italian in Paris” headlines already.

Broc Everett: What a year it has been for college underdogs. After Baker Mayfield, a former walk-on won the Heisman Trophy and went No. 1 in the NFL Draft, this Augusta State golfer went from walk-on to winning an NCAA title. It was also the first college tournament win of the fifth-year senior’s career. Talk about saving his best for last.

PGA Tour NBA tweets: The guys were brin

Every time I’m reminded Harden is going to win MVP … pic.twitter.com/oF0tEcxek2

— Zac Blair (@z_blair) May 29, 2018

Houston Rockets: “hold my beer” https://t.co/dOoBx9y6af

— Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) May 29, 2018

The greatest player debate will always exist, but I don’t think there is any question that @KingJames physically is the greatest athlete the game has ever seen.

— Austin Cook (@austincookgolf) May 26, 2018

Then Cook added a qualifier regarding LeBron and Tiger Woods:

This is true, but I didn’t want to offend @TigerWoods in case we get paired together next week ? https://t.co/oZS8tYZF1s

— Austin Cook (@austincookgolf) May 26, 2018

For a PGA Tour rookie, that’s a pretty savvy move.

WE’RE SELLING

Rory McIlroy: Another Sunday with a chance to win, another disappointing finish at the BMW PGA. McIlroy’s “struggles” are usually a tad exaggerated, but the bottom line is, he should be winning more with that kind of talent — something our John Feinstein wrote about. He also hit three spectators during Saturday’s round. Rough.

Darren Clarke cologne: This is a real thing:

Who knew, you can smell like @DarrenClarke60: a whiff of cigars, ferraris and success. pic.twitter.com/MNFYqTXoPL

— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) May 24, 2018

I Googled it to make sure.

Bubba Watson’s singing: The two-time Masters champ had quite a day at Wrigley Field, from helping out the grounds crew to throwing a decent first pitch. But when it came to leading the Cubs faithful for a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch, let’s just say he didn’t display the same pop he possesses off the tee.

? Take me out to the game ? That was fun! Glad the crowd was louder than me though! @Cubs pic.twitter.com/aKH33Vvkm2

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) May 23, 2018

I expected more from one of the original members of the Golf Boys.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Muirfield Village CC, AKA JACK’S PLACE, for the Memorial Tournament. You probably remember this as the event that William McGirt beat Jon Curran in a playoff in 2016. Or not. . . But seriously, this is one of the biggest non-majors of the year, and all eyes will be on Tiger Woods once again. Although, unfortunately for Austin Cook, he didn’t get that big pairing with Big Cat that he was hoping for.

Random tournament fact: The last three Memorial Tournament honorees are all major champs turned TV analysts: Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman. Well, two of those guys are still TV analysts. . .

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

— Europe will beat the U.S. at the Ryder Cup: 1.2-to-1 odds

— The Cavs will beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals: 7.5-to-1 odds

— I will be salivating at milkshake pics from Muirfield all week: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjFU5mwnkI_/?utm_source=ig_embed

Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, and Paddy Harrington are all Ryder Cup vice-captains?! I officially feel like an old man.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (WILDLIFE DIVISION)

Here’s a bear and its cub taking a stroll:

Mama bear and her cub emerge from the woods, and take a leisurely stroll across the 12th green of a golf course. https://t.co/lowbDWSTXw pic.twitter.com/IbyHPPRart

— ABC News (@ABC) May 27, 2018

Actually, they knew not to walk on the green. Pretty courteous for those with late afternoon tee times.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (WILD TOUR PRO DIVISION)

How is this even possible?!

Move over Bo Jackson breaking a baseball bat over his knee. Thomas Pieters might just have one-upped you https://t.co/DqJm3Uy3DN

— Ryan Herrington (@GWcampusinsider) May 25, 2018

Yep, Bo would be proud. And it makes more sense if Pieters practices on flagsticks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi3brKin5FO/?utm_source=ig_embed

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (“TRICK-SHOT” DIVISION)

This is something else. . .

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjEvR4LFuL_/?utm_source=ig_embed

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY SERGIO GARCIA-ANGELA AKINS PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Sergio skipped both the BMW PGA and Colonial, the site of his first PGA Tour win, to take Angela and Azalea to the Champions League Final in Kiev:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjP1IhxlG-n/?utm_source=ig_embed

It was worth the trip as Garcia’s Real Madrid squad topped Liverpool, 3-1.

THIS WEEK IN TIGER SIGHTINGS

Tiger Woods went to Shinnecock Hills to get some practice in ahead of next month’s U.S. Open. That is not surprising. What is surprising, however, is that he’s sharing anything — even just a photo — from that visit:

Here today at Shinnecock, and grateful every day to the men & women who sacrificed their lives to give us our freedom and allow us to do what we love. pic.twitter.com/Kmkar1zDAj

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 29, 2018

The “new” Tiger continues to impress.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I took a tip from some PGA guys — when they’re out there on the course and it gets kind of logjammed on a couple of holes they’ve got to slow themselves down between shots. I took that even as the way to do the whole pregame routine or how you go through two-line layups. Take it a little slow because your mind might be processing things a lot faster than it usually does and your body will start to speed up. You’ve got to dial it back. And try to set the tone early in the day that it’s just another day.” — Stephen Curry, NBA star/budding Web.com Tour pro. Speaking of which. . .

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITIES PLAYING (PRO) GOLF

Jake Owen became the latest to tee it up on the Web.com Tour, and let’s just say he didn’t fare as well as Stephen Curry. Owen opened with a 46 on his front nine on Thursday and it didn’t get much better as he posted a pair of 86s. The country music star did, however, provide an all-time mid-round tweet at one of his critics:

No prob Doug. I’m +11 now and tweeting during my round. I’m playing as hard as I can. I have 8 holes left if you want to come out and kiss my ass. https://t.co/UMeFWFKLVP

— Jake Owen (@jakeowen) May 24, 2018

And that led to that critic (and a lot of others) pledging a lot of money for each birdie Owen made. Good stuff. Except for the fact, Owen didn’t make any birdies. Welp.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PROS ARE JUST LIKE US!

Why I wouldn’t last on the tour @NoLayingUp pic.twitter.com/lyoRqYIVeW

— Michael Jensen (@Thejensen43) May 25, 2018

Been there, man. Been there.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PROS ARE NOT JUST LIKE US

This exchange between Kevin Na and caddie Kenny Harms was incredible:

https://instagram.com/p/BjLdX1qj9v2/?utm_source=ig_embed

So was the chip-in birdie for Na, who also shot rounds of 62(!) and 61(!!) at Colonial. Yeah, tour pros are not just like us.

THIS AND THAT

Tiger Woods (No. 6) and Phil Mickelson (No. 10) led the way for golf on ESPN’s third annual World Fame 100 ranking. Golf had eight players on the list, while the NFL had only seven. Take that, NFL! . . . Arizona won the NCAA women’s college golf championship. The school’s golfers are juuust a bit more clutch than its basketball program. . . . I’m devastated for fellow Demon Deacon Chris Paul getting injured when he’s finally one game away from an NBA title. On the bright side, he’ll have more time to prepare for that NBA/NFL Ryder Cup-style golf event next month. . . . And lastly, my grandma needed a book to read while visiting my house for the first time, so I provided this John Starks biography that she found riveting. Obviously.

Unfortunately, my house provided a cracked pipe in the basement. I’m guessing she’d trade the book for unlimited running water.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Why is Chris Paul cursed?

What did Tiger shoot at SHINNY?

What will go wrong at my house next?

The post Sergio Garcia chooses soccer over golf, a tour pro’s savvy tweet at Tiger Woods and Thomas Pieters’ crazy club snap appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
In his last start of as a college golfer, Augusta’s Broc Everett finally got his wish. No, it wasn’t to claim the NCAA individual championship. It was simply to win a collegiate event.

Of course, that it was the biggest title in men’s college golf makes the accomplishment all the more sweet. When the redshirt senior from West Des Moines, Iowa, rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole at to beat Auburn freshman Brandon Mancheno, it wasn’t just for posterity. It was for history. In the process, he became the first Jaguar to win an individual NCAA Championship and the first golfer to make the NCAA title his only college victory since Florida’s Nick Gilliam in 2001.

Everett, a walk-on at Augusta who shot a closing 71, his fourth straight sub-par score, to get to seven-under 281, had five top-five finishes during the 2017-’18 prior to playing nationals, including his last three starts. The lefty was runner-up at MEAC conference championship (the third time he’d finished second in the event) and the NCAA Raleigh Regional. He also lost a playoff last October to teammate Alex Shead at the Savannah State Tiger Invitational. And for his career, he had posted 17 top-10s.

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WATCH NOW: THE PRE-SHOT PUTTING ROUTINE YOU NEED UNDER PRESSURE

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“It’s been my goal for a long time to win a collegiate event,” Everett said. “I’ve had a bunch of seconds, thirds and fourth … lots of top 10s. To see the patience and hard work pay off, it’s very rewarding.”

BANG! Broc Everett wins the #NCAAGolf individual title on the first playoff hole ? pic.twitter.com/eARFC1lBO8

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 29, 2018

That it came at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., may just be coincidence, but it’s an interesting one at that. The last time the NCAAs were held at Oklahoma State’s home course, the Jaguars walked off with the team title.

The 2018 team competition will play out over the next two days in match play that is sure to be packed with plenty of drama. Top-ranked Oklahoma State, winner of nine tournaments this season is the heavy favorite to win the school’s 11th team title this week given its familiarity with the course and the large fanbase following them. The Cowboys walked off with the No. 1 seed for match play after finishing out the 72 holes of stroke play at even-par 1,152, eight strokes clear of Duke.

And their “reward” for being the low team in stroke play? They face the second-ranked team in the country, Texas A&M, in Tuesday morning’s quarterfinals, after the Aggies just snuck through to grab the eighth and final seed. Oh, and then there’s the fact that no No. 1 seed has ever actually won the team championship since they added match play in 2009.

In the other quarterfinal match-ups for Tuesday morning in Stillwater, No. 2 seed Duke plays No. 7 seed Texas, No. 3 seed Texas Tech plays No. 6 seed Alabama and No. 4 seed Oklahoma, the defending national champions, play No. 5 seed Auburn.

With no playoff needed to see determine the teams that advanced to match play—Vanderbilt was the odd squad out in ninth place, one stroke back of A&M—the race for medalist honors became the focus late Monday. Clemson’s Bryson Nimmer started the day with the lead at nine under, but stumbled early and played his way out of contention with a six-over 78.

That brought a sizeable group of chases into play, led by Mancheno. The Auburn rookie was a highly touted recruit out of Jacksonville, Fla., who played steady on Monday, starting the day at seven under and then posting an early even-par 72 total (with a birdie on the 18th hole) to take the clubhouse lead (and set the 72-hole scoring mark at Karsten Creek).

He then had to watch and wait. Texas senior Doug Ghim made a run, but his even-par 72 left him at six under. And Texas Tech’s Ivan Ramirez was at five under with the chance to tie Mancheno if he made an eagle on the 18th, only to hit his second shot into a greenside bunker and fail to hole the sand shot.

That left Everett, who started the day at six under, three off the lead, after posting three straight rounds of 70. Birdies on two of his first three holes set the right tone as he made the turn in one under for the day. A birdie on the 14th hole got him to eight under, only to see him make a bogey on the par-3 15th to fall back to seven under.

Related: Oklahoma State enters NCAA match play as No.1 seed in a reminder of the pressure to come for Dubai star Rayhan Thomas

Still at seven under while standing on the 18th tee, Everett had a chance to win the title outright on the last hole in regulation. In the fairway off the tee, he laid up with his second shot, then hit his approach on the par 5 to 10 feet. But the lefty powered the birdie effort past the hole to set up sudden death with Mancheno.

In the playoff, Mancheno had the advantage off the tee, hitting the fairway after Everett found the right rough and was forced to lay up with his second shot. Mancheno went for the green with a hybrid, but overcooked the shot, the ball ended up long and right of the green, near a tree and in a horribly gnarly lie. Still, he managed to scramble for par, putting pressure on Everett, who hit his approach again to roughly 10 feet. Only this time, he faced an uphill putt, which he confidently rolled in.

“It’s crazy how far in five years that I’ve been able to come,” Everett said. “To have it all kind of accumulate into a national championship is obviously a dream come true. You can’t have a better finish to your collegiate career that this.”

Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Everett celebrates after holing the winning putt in a sudden-death playoff to win the individual title at the 2018 NCAA Championship.

As a teenager, Everett wasn’t a golf junkie with a blue-chip pedigree. He played four sports growing up (golf, basketball, track and field and baseball) and only focused on golf in his junior year in high school. But he slowly but surely started to see improvement, playing in five tournaments his redshirt freshman season before becoming a regular starter as a sophomore.

Augusta coach Jack O’Keefe, who inherited Everett when he arrived in mid-way through the 2013-’14 season, says technically speaking the thing Everett needed to work on entering college was tightening up a long and loose swing. When that began to get squared away, he then just needed more reps.

While confident that Everett had the talent to win at the college level, O’Keefe became convinced it was going to happen when he saw an improvement in his wedge game the last few months of the spring season.

Says O’Keefe: “He’s a good young man who has proven that hard work pays off.”

Indeed, better late than never.

The post Augusta’s Broc Everett saves best for last, wins NCAA individual title in final college start appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.