JP McManus Pro-AM Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Rory McIlroy says it’s time for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to talk

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 11:51:05 +0000

By Ryan Herrington
In Rory McIlroy, the PGA Tour and commissioner Jay Monahan have had no more staunch an ally. The 32-year-old four-time major winner has come to the defence of both the organisation and Monahan himself during the emergence of the LIV Golf series, repeatedly claiming that the PGA Tour is the best place in the world to compete.

But in an interview with the BBC this week regarding the stalemate between the PGA Tour and LIV that’s become the dominant story in golf, McIlroy took a decidedly more conciliatory tone and even suggested an alternative that up to this point has been a non-starter for Monahan and tour officials.

Asked after playing in the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland if there should be “peace talks” between the tour and LIV, McIlroy said: “I think so. I think that needs to happen.”

A host of top golfers have now left the PGA and DP World Tours to join the controversial LIV tour. It's funded by Saudi Arabia, a country with a poor human rights record. Rory McIlroy had his say – and told BBC Newsline he's disappointed it's descended into a legal dispute. pic.twitter.com/42CSnrIFnm

— BBC Newsline (@bbcnewsline) July 5, 2022

Over the course of the interview, McIlroy noted the obvious: That things have become “messy” with LIV Golf hosting two big-money events to date and signing a handful of top-ranked players to contracts with more players rumoured to be coming this the summer. LIV Golf officials revealed last week that they were speeding up the timetable for launching their 14-event league to 2023.

In turn, Monahan and the tour have countered by announcing changes to the PGA Tour schedule, increased prize money in several events and a stronger alliance with the DP World Tour to help sway members who might be entertaining the notion of leaving. However, the tour has remained steadfast in saying players who leave aren’t welcome back, handing out indefinite suspensions for those who have moved.

“It’s unfortunate, it’s messy, I wish it hadn’t have gotten that messy and in hindsight, I think there were probably steps that were missed that wouldn’t have made it that messy,” McIlroy said, suggesting there was a way for LIV Golf and its Saudi investors to move forward, but also co-exist inside pro golf’s current structure rather than attempting to circumvent it.

McIlroy pointed to how in the women’s game, the Saudi-backed Aramco Ladies Series has been launched and is played in addition to events on the Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour.

“I understand people’s reservations with [the Saudi money] but at the same time, if these people are serious about investing billions of dollars into golf, I think ultimately that’s a good thing, but it has to be done the right way,” McIlroy said. “I think if they were to invest, having it be invested inside the existing structures. That’s the thing I’ve tried to advocate for over the last few months.”

While things are different than when McIlroy professed LIV Golf to be “dead in the water” in February, he still believes that something good can come out of what has been a highly acrimonious affair. But in order for that to happen, the hardline stances of the two groups might need to come down.

“Everyone has to pivot and change and try to be better and hopefully get to that stage but as you said now it’s messy and all the narrative isn’t good; it’s splitting the game instead of everyone coming together,” he said.

“I think everyone needs to come together a little bit more.”

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Giving it ‘one more run’ at St Andrews is big motivator for Tiger

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 08:55:23 +0000

Tiger Woods waves at the 18th green as he finishes his round during Day Two of the JP McManus Pro-Am. Ross Kinnaird

By Dan Rapaport
Tiger Woods shed some light on his post-PGA Championship activity when he spoke after his final round Tuesday at the JP McManus Pro-Am, which marked Woods’ first public appearance since withdrawing prior to the final round at Southern Hills—and his last appearance ahead of competing next week at St. Andrews in The 150th Open.

Woods, who shot seven over for the two-day charity competition at Adare Manor in Ireland, said he initially did plan to play last month’s U.S. Open but that his body had other thoughts.

“Physically, I was not able to do that,” Woods said of competing at The Country Club. “There’s no way physically I could have done that. I had some issues with my leg, and it would have put [The Open] in jeopardy and so there’s no reason to do that.

“This is a pretty historic Open that we are going to be playing. I’m lucky enough to be part of the past champions that have won there, and want to play there again. And I don’t know when they are ever going to go back while I’m still able to play at a high level, [so] I want to be able to give it at least one more run at a high level.”

Woods has played just two official events since sustaining traumatic injuries to his right leg in a single-car accident in February 2021. He made the cut at the Masters in April before fading on the weekend, finishing 47th, and also made the weekend at the PGA Championship in May only to withdraw after shooting a third-round 79 during which he was in visible pain.

Woods has won two of his three claret jugs at St. Andrews, completing the career Grand Slam as a 24-year-old at the Home of Golf in 2000 and winning again when the Open returned five years later. He has maintained throughout this latest comeback the importance of competing in the Open given his personal history at St. Andrews and the significance of the 150th Open.

“For me, it’s more about history I think than anything else,” Woods said. “For me personally, knowing Arnold [Palmer], when Arnold’s the one who made the British Open what it is and he came over and qualified, finished second, qualified, finished first, qualified, finished first; if you ever make me qualify, I’m not coming back, so here we are.

“But just look at the names on [the claret jug] and you just go right through time, it’s like a time warp, and just how they put the names on and they start at the bottom and they added the lip and they added the bases and just the little things. And everyone who won that championship, they know how hard it was and looking at some of the scores, I’m thinking, even with a gutta-percha, how did they shoot those scores. It’s awfully impressive and to have won The Open Championship and for me specifically to have won at the Home of Golf is even more special.”

Woods leg is still a work in progress—he rode in a cart during the pro-am and, while he drove the ball relatively well, he did show significant rust. Woods will remain overseas until the Open rather than fly back to Florida, but he did not disclose where he will practice for security and privacy concerns.

As has been his sentiment since the accident, Woods expressed gratitude for simply keeping both his legs and being able to do things with his children, even if it’s at a slightly lower place. He insisted again that he has no estimate for how much longer he’ll be able to compete at the elite level.

“I don’t know. I really don’t. If you asked me last year whether I would play golf again, all of my surgeons would have said no. But here I am playing two major championships this year.

“I will always be able to play golf, whether it’s this leg or someone else’s leg or false leg or different body pieces that have been placed or fused, I’ll always be able to play. Now if you say play at a championship level, well, that window is definitely not as long as I would like it to be.”

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How Jordan Spieth managed to get DQ’d from a pro-am (yep, a pro-am)

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 16:06:32 +0000

By Alex Myers
Despite crowds that rivaled a major championship, the JP McManus Pro-Am was still just that: A pro-am. The level of hit-and-giggle golf perhaps reaching its highest point when Tiger Woods asked fans what club he should hit on a par 3. But that didn’t keep another big name from being disqualified from the event.

Jordan Spieth managed a rare DQ from an exhibition, raising the collective eyebrow on Monday.

?#BREAKING — Jordan Spieth has been Disqualified from the JP McManus Pro-Am.

The reason is unknown at this time. pic.twitter.com/oU2I8fQwd7

— Spieth Legion (@SpiethLegion) July 4, 2022

OMG a rules controversy at a pro-am?! Eh, not really. Turns out that it was nothing serious for the three-time major champ.

Instead, Spieth got a little too loose for the laid-back, two-day charity event by scooping up his golf ball on the 14th hole at Adare Manor instead of putting out a short attempt because his score wasn’t going to count for his team. Apparently, he forgot there was also an individual competition. Whoops.

Spieth, who was three-over at the time, was eliminated from the individual portion of the event. The good news for his three pro-am partners, who happened to be three members of the McManus family, is that Spieth was allowed to continue in the team competition, which went on until Tuesday.

After his round, Spieth seemed in great spirits. Of course, when you’ve essentially been on a buddies golf trip to Ireland, it would be impossible to not be in great spirits.

pic.twitter.com/T0QQqorMz8

— Spieth Legion (@SpiethLegion) July 4, 2022

Anyway, the more serious competition for Spieth starts later this week with the Scottish Open followed by next week’s Open Championship at St Andrews. We’re pretty sure Spieth will remember to putt everything out there.

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Tiger Woods drove it well, showed rusty short game during Round 1 in Ireland

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 05:37:13 +0000

Ross Kinnaird

By Jay Coffin
Tiger Woods played Monday in Ireland, marking his first competitive round since he withdrew following the third round of the PGA Championship back in May.

A smattering of the world’s best showed up to the JP McManus Pro-Am, a 36-hole event at Adare Manor, with 50 professionals playing stroke play alongside three amateur partners playing a scramble. Adare Manor is scheduled to host the 2027 Ryder Cup.

The score didn’t matter to Woods, although you can bet the 15-time major champ was still a tad miffed that they all added up to five-over 77 at the end of the day. He was in good spirits from beginning to end, drove the ball incredibly well but did not display the trademark short game that we’ve seen so often over the past quarter-century.

Woods arrived on the tee and was promptly introduced as, “the one, the only Tiger Woods.” The gallery was enormous and showed support for Woods all day as he’s using this two-day event to start preparation for the 150th Open Championship next week at the Old Course in St. Andrews. He showed the same noticeable limp that he displayed at both the Masters and PGA Championship and he did have a golf cart available, although he walked fairly often. Friend and longtime business partner Rob McNamara served as Woods’ caddie.

Oisin Keniry

“I don’t know how I’m going to get my cart around here,” Woods joked regarding the large gathering of people surrounding the first tee.

Woods made double bogey on the second hole when he failed to get up and down and missed a six-footer for bogey. On the fifth hole he was short with his approach and used putter but the ball stopped at the top of a hill and rolled back near his feet. He hit another poor chip on the par-5 seventh hole but was able to then get up and down for par. On the par-5 ninth hole Woods hit driver off the deck for the second shot and lost it way right of the fairway. That led to another bogey. There were a couple other small hiccups over the closing holes, but nothing significant.

“Just don’t look at our scorecard, but we’re having fun,” Woods said during the round.

The two highlights came on the 10th and 12th holes. Woods hit a pitching wedge to three feet for an easy birdie on the par-4 10th hole, then chipped in for eagle on the par-5 12th.

Tiger roar in Ireland ?@JPProAm | #JPProAm2022 pic.twitter.com/A1rqad8NoW

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 4, 2022

Xander Schauffele, continuing strong play from his Travelers Championship victory a week ago, made eight birdies to shoot eight-under 64. He leads Rickie Fowler by three shots and Tyrrell Hatton by four at the end of the first round. All three major winners from this year are in the field. World No. 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler shot 75, PGA champion Justin Thomas shot 72 while U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick shot 78.

Seamus Power and Shane Lowry were low Irishmen on the day and are tied for fourth place at 69. Ireland’s Leona Maguire, winner on the LPGA and a huge contributor to Europe’s Solheim Cup win last fall, is the only woman in the field. She recorded three birdies and three bogeys to shoot 72.

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Scottie Scheffler hits horrendous chip shot, makes World No. 1 break out in laughter

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 05:36:14 +0000

Andrew Redington

By Jay Coffin
Scottie Scheffler hit an unspeakably horrible chip shot Monday at the JP McManus Pro-Am, one that provided chuckles all around, including from the World No. 1 himself.

Scheffler was one under on his round after nine holes at Adare Manor and was right of the 10th green. He was attempting to hit a flop shot to a pin tucked tightly to the right. He opened up the blade of his wedge, took a swing and the ball went dead right, up and over the person holding the television camera. The ball bounced off the side of the green and back down near the same gallery.

World Number One Scottie Scheffler is human after all ? @JPProAm | #JPProAm2022 pic.twitter.com/RqO6yDwPRB

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 4, 2022

The Irish fans laughed and Scheffler did as well as he walked the 10 paces over to where his ball ended up. He failed to get up and down from that spot and made double-bogey 6 on the hole.

Scheffler, winner of four PGA Tour events this year, including the Masters, last played at the Travelers Championship and tied for 13th place. This week he heads the field of the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick where 14 of the top 15 players in the world will compete.

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Tiger Woods confirms appearance at JP McManus Pro-Am ahead of Open Championship at St Andrews

Matt Smith — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 15:28:57 +0000

By Matt Smith
Tiger Woods has confirmed he will take part in the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort in Ireland on Monday as he prepares for the 150^th Open Championship at St Andrews.

The American superstar will join a stellar cast, with nine of the world’s top 10 players already signed up, including Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy.

It will be Tiger’s first event since the US PGA championship at the end of May.

The JP McManus Pro-Am organisers also confirmed the withdrawal of Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg at the celebrity event.

“We regret to inform you that Mark Wahlberg is unable to attend the Pro-Am. We look forward to welcoming him back to Adare Manor in the future,” they said in a statement.

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Tiger Woods to play in JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland the week before Open Championship

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 10:13:53 +0000

By Dan Rapaport
Tiger Woods will play in the JP McManus Pro-Am, a two-day event in Ireland that will take place the week before the Open Championship, the tournament announced on Twitter on Thursday. Woods’ camp confirmed the news to Golf Digest.

The pro-am, hosted by Irish billionaire JP McManus, will be held on July 4-5 at the Adare Manor in County Limerick, which will also host the 2027 Ryder Cup. It is the Monday and Tuesday of the week before the Open. This will mark Woods’ fourth appearance in the event, which he won in 2000.

We are over the moon to announce that Tiger Woods will be playing in the 2022 JP McManus Pro-Am. ?

More updates to follow… #JPProAm2022 pic.twitter.com/NSoycjF7at

— JP McManus Pro-Am (@JPProAm) April 14, 2022

Woods will not play in the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, which is now an official PGA Tour event as well as a DP World Tour Rolex Series competition, the weekend prior to the Open. He will head to St Andrews shortly after the pro-am.

Woods made his return to competition at last week’s Masters 14 months after sustaining traumatic injuries to his right leg in a car accident. After shooting 78 on Sunday for a 47th-place finish, Woods told Sky Sports that he will play in the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, where he has won two of his three Open Championships. Woods stopped short of committing to any other event before the Open and said he was not sure whether he’d be able to play in next month’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

“I won’t be playing a full schedule ever again,” Woods told Sky Sports. “It’ll be just the big events. I don’t know if I’ll be able to play (the PGA Championship) at Southern Hills or not, but I am looking forward to St. Andrews. That is something that is near and dear to my heart. You know, I’ve won two Opens there, it’s the home of golf, it’s my favorite golf course in the world.

“I will be there for that one. Anything in between that, I don’t know. I will try, there’s no doubt. This week, I will try to get ready for Southern Hills, and we’ll see what this body is able to do.”

Woods joins Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and a number of other high-profile players in the JP McManus Pro-Am field.

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