By Alex Myers
Day 1 at the US Open has come to an end, and there were plenty of things that left us scratching our heads. Here are eight surprises from the first round at The Country Club:

Adam Hadwin is your leader

Look, the guy’s a PGA Tour winner and he finished T-9 at the Players Championship earlier this year. But the Canadian’s record at the US Open couldn’t be much colder. In six previous starts, he has two missed cuts with a T-39 being his best finish. And that came 11 years ago at Congressional. And he wasn’t even in the field at Brookline until Paul Casey withdrew last week with his continued back ailment. Still, there he was on Thursday going out in a scorching four-under-par 31 and finishing at that number to take a one-stroke lead after 18 holes. Not bad, eh? Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Callum Tarren is contending

How under-the-radar is this 31-year-old Englishman? He doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page. That didn’t stop him from shooting an opening 67, which was highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 eighth hole. Tarren has six pro runner-ups, but you’re probably not aware of them since they all came on the PGA Tour China. The 445th-ranked player in the world had his best ever finish — at least, in terms of Official World Golf Ranking points — with a T-5 at this year’s Puerto Rico Open. So he would be quite the surprise winner. Bye the way, here’s what he looks like:

Callum Tarren. David Cannon

Then again, this is a place probably most known for producing a surprise winner. And Francis Ouimet didn’t have a Wikipedia page when he won back in 1913. So you never know!

So is David Lingmerth

Lingmerth, an alternate, got his opportunity when Martin Kaymer withdrew earlier this week, and so far, he’s taking advantage of it. The winner of the 2015 Memorial, Lingmerth has fallen to No. 592 in the Official World Golf Ranking. But he certainly didn’t play like that during a bogey-free 67. Even better, it seems as if he parlayed this week into some snazzy new clothes:

Thanks @swanniesapparel for providing some ? new gear in time for the US Open. Let’s get after it !!?? pic.twitter.com/O5YGD8Dnpl

— David Lingmerth (@dlingmerth) June 16, 2022

Look good, feel good, am I right?

There were no LIV-PGA Tour fistfights

At least, none that we know of. This week marks the first time PGA Tour pros and PGA Tour defectors have mingled since the inaugural LIV Golf event and several players — most notably Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Justin Thomas — have been rather vocal defending their turf/tour. But for the most part, these guys all seem to be playing nice. For now.

Brooks Koepka didn’t dominate

This four-time major champ hasn’t been at his best for a while. Still, this is a guy who has lost to a total of four players over his past four US Opens. And yet he got beaten by more than half the field on Thursday.

Brooks Koepka. Patrick Smith

I know this will shock you, but Brooks didn’t stop to chat with the media after.

Phil Mickelson barely broke 80

Let’s just say Phil Mickelson didn’t have his happiest birthday. The six-time major champ struggled from start to finish shooting an eight-over-par 78 that included a four-putt from 16 feet on No. 6. Let’s also just say that 52-year-olds aren’t supposed to play well at US Opens. Still, this was a particularly rough performance for a man who has had a particularly rough go of late.

Phil Mickelson. Patrick Smith

And … let’s also just say that career Grand Slam ain’t happening this week.

Louis Oosthuizen didn’t do much better

Remember when this guy was seemingly in the hunt at every major last year? Well, that seems like a long time ago. Oosthuizen, who finished T-2, solo second and T-3 in the final three majors of 2021, withdrew at this year’s Masters before finishing T-60 at the PGA, and now he’ll need a miracle to make the cut after opening with 77.

Jon Rahm had a golf ball stolen

In plain sight. On the 18th hole. Fortunately, someone had already marked it in the rough before it disappeared. And Rahm thinks he knows who the culprits are.

“Somebody — I’m pretty sure I know who it was. I recognised the two kids that were running the opposite way with a smile on their face,” Rahm said laughing. “I am 100 per cent sure I saw the two kids that stole it.”

Despite the bizarre situation, Rahm responded by making birdie to shoot 69 and put himself in great shape to defend his title. No word on if he went to local police to help provide a sketch of the thieves.

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The post US Open 2022 wrap: Unlikely leaders, golf ball bandits and 6 other surprises from Thursday at The Country Club appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Dave Shedloski
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two years ago, in the midst of competition, David Lingmerth fractured his left kneecap, but he didn’t realise it right away. A hockey player growing up, and still one at heart, he tried to shake it off. He kept playing golf. He sucked it up.

“I thought maybe it was just some inflammation or maybe a torn tendon, but it never went away, so I had them take another look at it, and it was fractured,” the native Swede explained. “That explains a lot about what’s going on.”

Lingmerth, affable, approachable and about the most even-keeled player you’ll meet, just completed an opening even-par 71 Thursday at the Ohio State Scarlet Course in the first round of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. He rallied with two late birdies, but he knows that even pars aren’t particularly helpful on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Indeed, the usually recalcitrant Scarlet Course was softened by rain overnight, and it was gettable — and subsequently gotten by plenty of guys hopeful of reaching the PGA Tour via this second of three Korn Ferry Tour Finals events.

A compact and solidly built 5 feet 7, Lingmerth has been dealing with injuries since he herniated two discs in his neck in 2017. He also fought a bout of tendinitis in his right arm and more recently he tweaked his left wrist. Being banged up has taken its toll on his game, which is why he finds himself back at this Finals event for the third time since he lost his PGA Tour card in 2018.

Not that he minds Ohio’s capital city. His only PGA Tour title came in the 2015 Memorial Tournament at nearby Muirfield Village Golf Club. Lingmerth broke through in style by defeating former U.S. Open champion and 2010 Memorial winner Justin Rose in a playoff. After the winner’s press conference, Lingmerth got tournament host Jack Nicklaus to say hello to Lingmerth’s father in Sweden via Facetime.

Then the injuries came. Injuries rob a player of the ability to practice. And it forces changes to his swing, whether he’s aware of it or not. Bad habits become faults. And it’s just a constant struggle after that to either find that old swing or build a new one.

“I’ve had to battle through injuries, which really wasn’t the way to go,” said Lingmerth, 34. “When they first arose, I had never really been hurt before, so I didn’t take the time off. I tried to play through it and, you know, got into some bad habits. And so I’ve been really working hard to get my way back where I need to be and gain that confidence back.

“It’s a crazy game. It drives you crazy.”

Bouncing between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour this season, Lingmerth this week is playing in his 30th event, with a T-11 finish on each tour his best finish. But the clutch effort of the year came two weeks ago at the Wyndham Championship. He shot a seven-under 64 at Bermuda Run CC in North Carolina to win one of the four spots in Monday qualifying. Then he played well enough, including a closing 3-under 67, at Sedgefield CC to finish T-37 in the final regular season event on the PGA Tour.

That was a big deal. Lingmerth was 205th in FedEx Cup points going into the week. He gained six places to end the season 199th. Players ranked 126-200 in the standings qualified for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

Hanging on by his fingernails.

“Best tie for 37th I’ve ever had,” said Lingmerth, ranked 635th in the world, who didn’t know exactly where he needed to finish at Wyndham to keep his season alive. “Yeah, it was important. I played pretty well. But, you know, I’m the type of player who just keeps his head down and tries to do the best I can and not worry about what you have to shoot or what place you’re in. I always think that if I play like I know I can, it won’t matter.”

What does matter to Lingmerth is returning to form. He has two young sons at home, and, he said, “I want to show them that I can do this.”

It helps that he is ready to show a little more discipline, too. That knee injury occurred during a pick-up ice hockey game with his buddies. He collided with a teammate and ended up in a heap on the ice. Then he got up and kept playing. Bad decision in retrospect.

“I enjoy what I do, that competition and the grind, so the hockey, I’ve kind of had to stop,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I love playing [hockey]. It’s too much fun. It’s hard to stay away. But now I’ve learned a little bit of a lesson there, too. I have a long career ahead of me, and I’m going to go at it hard and give it my all to show that I can play the way I know I can.”

No more hockey right now for David Lingmerth, but he won’t give up that hockey mentality. He might be banged up, both physically and mentally, but he’s going to shrug it off.

The post The puck stops here: David Lingmerth gives up hockey in bid to revive his PGA Tour career appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Strege
The Waste Management Phoenix Open next week will become the first PGA Tour event to make use of a new pro-am format now offered to tournaments.

The policy is explained in the tour’s 2017-2018 Player Handbook & Tournament Regulations:

“A tournament hosting a pro-am with four amateurs may request to utilize an alternate format whereby one professional plays the first nine holes and second professional plays the second nine holes (9&9 format). Professionals will have the option to request 18 holes (up until the commitment deadline) until all the first nine-hole positions are filled.”

It is a concept employed on the LPGA and underwent a successful and popular trial run at the FedEx St. Jude Classic last year.

“I think it could be good for everyone,” David Lingmerth said at the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday, offering what likely is a consensus opinion among tour players. “You get more players in the pro-am the day before the tournament starts, so more people get a look at the conditions of the golf course. And the amateurs get a couple pros to play with, which could be fun. I know that some guys like to come in late and just use the pro-am round as a practice round. You can still ask to play all 18. I don’t see an issue.”

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Kyle Stanley and Charles Howell III came into the final round of the Quicken Loans National four strokes off the lead. It would take a low round to even challenge leader David Lingmerth, and that’s what both produced, four-under 66s that vaulted them to the top of the leaderboard and into a sudden death playoff at seven-under 273. It would take just one hole for Stanley to earn his second PGA Tour victory, five years after his first at the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Stanley, 29, was emotional after the round, a product of finally breaking through once again after a couple of difficult years. He burst onto the scene in 2012 when he infamously missed a short putt on the 18th at Torrey Pines that would have gotten him into a playoff. The former Clemson standout bounced back to win a week later in Phoenix, much like he has shown resilience in 2017. Stanley has five top 10s, nine top 25s and took the lead into the final round of the Players Championship, where he finished T4.

He now has a victory to add to his already strong season, and it earns him a spot in the 2018 Masters as well as one in this month’s Open Championship. It will be his first appearance in both majors since 2013.

Charles Howell III has had a drought of his own, with his last victory coming ten years ago at Riviera Country Club. He came from three strokes back on the final day to win in 2007, and nearly topped that on Sunday coming back from four down. A bogey on the first playoff hole thwarted that bid and gave him the 16th runner-up finish of his career. It matches his best finish of the season (T2 at Farmers Insurance Open), and gets him a spot in the field at the Open Championship.

Rickie Fowler equaled the best round of the day, a five-under 65 that featured a career-high nine birdies. Had it not been for a double-bogey six on the par-4 14th hole, Fowler would have found himself in the playoff alongside Stanley and Howell III. He finished in a tie for third at five-under 275. It’s his fifth finish inside the top five this season.

Tying with Fowler was Martin Laird, who had a bogey-free round through 17 holes, but dropped a shot on the par-4 18th to finish with a three-under 67. It’s the Scotsman’s best finish of the season, and earns him at spot at Royal Birkdale.

The post Kyle Stanley wins Quicken Loans National in a playoff for second career victory appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers

David Lingmerth was on cruise control the first 36 holes at the Quicken Loans National, shooting a pair of 65s that had him at 10-under for the tournament. He stumbled out of the gate on Saturday at TPC Potomac, going two-over on his first four holes and making a double-bogey on the par-4 fourth. After a 90-minute rain delay, Lingmerth, and the golf course, fought back. Despite shooting a three-over 73, the Swede still leads at seven-under 203.

Closing out the tournament on Sunday would make Lingmerth a wire-to-wire winner, and would give him his second win of his career.

Daniel Summerhays brought new meaning to the phrase “par is a good score” on Saturday, making 16 of them, plus one birdie and one bogey, to post an even par 70. He has just one top-10 finish this season, coming at the Memorial Tournament, where he took the lead into the final round but shot a final round 78. He’s one off the lead at six-under 204.

Just two shots back at five-under 205 is Spencer Levin thanks to the low round of the day (and of his season), a five-under 65 that featured just one bogey. Levin, 33, has struggled in 2017, making just 10 cuts in 24 events and registering only one top-25 finish. His performance Saturday was a timely one, giving him a chance to earn a spot in the Open Championship, an event he’s played in only twice in his career. The California native is looking for his first victory on the PGA Tour, and any finish higher than T23 would be his best of the season.

Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Curtis Luck is three back at four-under 206. The young Australian, who carded a three-under 67, is playing in his sixth event as a professional. His best finish (T34) came at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational.

Geoff Ogilvy and Sung Kang didn’t play as well, but they’re tied for fourth with Luck at four-under.

The post David Lingmerth leads for third straight round at the Quicken Loans National appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Brian Wacker

Jordan Spieth had just won the Travelers Championship with a dramatic hole-out for birdie from a greenside bunker in a sudden-death playoff against Daniel Berger. A few minutes later, Spieth’s caddie, Michael Greller, was on the hunt for the rake that he’d sent skyward when the shot went in and he and his boss embarked on a wild celebration that included golf’s equivalent to a bat toss from Spieth and a chest bump between the two.

Greller eventually found the rake, and he was keeping it. Then the moment hit him.

“Oooh, that’s going to count for double actually,” Greller said of the sand shot. “I think that makes it 12 or 13 for this year.”

Every year they’ve been together, the pair have made a bet. Greller sets the number of times Spieth has to hole out from off the green. If Spieth surpasses the total, Greller is on the hook for dinner—plus Spieth gets to invite anyone he wants to join them.

A few years ago in San Diego, the tab was for about 20 people. During last year’s Australian Open, it was Spieth who had to pay up, at Café Sydney, a fine-seafood restaurant nestled atop Customs House with sweeping views of the harbor and an extensive wine list.

This year’s number? Spieth has to get to 19.

“I think I’m in trouble this year,” Greller said. “Which is a good thing.”

Speaking of good things, Spieth is often criticized for not having the prettiest swing or being among the game’s best ball-strikers. Sunday, he certainly didn’t have his best performance in this area, with the 23-year-old hitting 66 percent of his greens.

But to suggest he struggles with his irons would be a bit misguided. The numbers this year suggest otherwise. Spieth leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained/approach to the green and is fifth in greens in regulation. He’s also 13th in approaches from 125-150 yards, second from 150-175 yards and seventh from 175-200.

“He’s been hitting the ball great all year,” Greller said. “If you listen to the narrative, he’s not a good ball-striker is what people would lead you to believe. When the putts drop and it matches up, you’re going to get weeks like this.”

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Andrew Caballero-Reynolds

RAHM’S ANNIVERSARY

A year ago, Jon Rahm made his pro debut at the Quicken Loans National, opening with a 64 and eventually tying for third (which earned him a spot in the Open Championship). Turns out it was a sign of things to come. Three starts later, he finished second in Canada, and this past January he won at Torrey Pines in just his 12th career PGA Tour start. He also has added a handful of top-five finishes since.

This year, however, Rahm isn’t playing in Maryland but rather just outside of Paris at Le Golf National, site of the HNA French Open, one of the European Tour’s newly minted Rolex Series events. It’s the first of handful of starts across the pond for the world No. 11, who next week will play in the Irish Open (another Rolex event) and is in the field at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

“I think it’s a great thing it’s doing for the European Tour,” Rahm said of the Rolex Series, a collection of eight tournaments each with a minimum $7 million purse. “I want to show as much support as I can, and I’ll try to play as many as I can. Obviously, I can’t play all of them, but I’ll try.”

Much the way the PGA Tour’s new 1-in-4 rule requiring players with fewer than 25 starts to add a new tournament they hadn’t played in the previous four years, the Euro Tour’s creation of the Rolex Series seems to be paying dividends. The strength of field projections for the next two weeks, plus the Scottish Open in three weeks, far exceeds that of the next three PGA Tour stops (Quicken Loans, The Greenbrier and the John Deere Classic).

On a side note, Le Golf National, a course Rahm played in 2009 as a young amateur, is also site of next year’s Ryder Cup.

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Hurley received the winner’s trophy in 2016 from Quicken Loans host Tiger Woods. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/Getty Images)

STILL ANONYMOUS

Being a winner on the PGA Tour doesn’t always equal instant stardom. Last year, Billy Hurley III won the Quicken Loans National not far from where he went to school at the Naval Academy and near his hometown in suburban Virginia. On a recent trip back to school, there was a parking spot with Hurley’s name on it. The only problem? Someone was parked in it.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” he cracked. “You would think at the Naval Academy they would follow rules.”

Similarly, he was at a local coffee shop and wearing a Masters shirt. Someone asked him if he was there, or if he simply got it as a gift.

“I enjoy those interactions really,” he said. “I wish I would have the wherewithal and the time to kind of take those to the next level.

“Hey, I’m not, you know, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler. I’m not top-10 in the world like really, really recognizable players, and I’m fine with that. I guess it’s humbling. I walked into a coffee shop the day after I won and walked right by two of these guys talking about me winning and that sort of thing. I enjoy it, it’s kind of humorous to me.”

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Andrew Redington

NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS

On Sunday night, I wrote about Spieth having that “It” factor. Want more proof? CBS’ 2.7 overnight rating for Sunday’s final round of the Travelers Championship was the second-best Sunday rating on any network to date this season. …

A lot of people pointed out that the winning score of the U.S. Open was 16 under on a 7,740-yard course versus 12 under on the 6,840-yard track for last week’s Travelers Championship. That’s missing the point a little. The numbers that matter were 272 at Erin Hills (Brooks Koepka’s final score) versus 268 at TPC River Highlands (Spieth’s winning total). …

It was a pretty good weekend for Cameron McCormick. He coaches Jordan Spieth and So Yeon Ryu, whose victory Sunday on the LPGA Tour catapulted her to No. 1 in the world in women’s golf.

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WHO I LIKE THIS WEEK

This year’s Quicken Loans National moves to TPC Potomac at Avenel Farms, where the tour hasn’t been since 2006 (and 1987-2004 before that) following a major facelift to the property. Despite Tiger Woods’ name being attached to the event, the field is a bit depleted for a variety of reasons (date being one) with just three of the top 20 in the world and five of the top 30 teeing it up. Translation: The door is open for someone else to win. Two names to keep an eye on: David Lingmerth (below), who won there on the Web.com Tour in 2012 and has four-straight finishes in the top 26, and Brendan Steele, a good and oft overlooked driver and ball-striker who has netted three top-15 finishes in his last four starts.

Getty Images

The post Jordan Spieth and his caddie’s big bet, Jon Rahm’s one-year anniversary and Billy Hurley’s continued anonymity appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.