Let's just leave it to the pros to call "fore." (Wait for it)@Lexi ? pic.twitter.com/ivXE2orUOv

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 14, 2019

The response. The face. So good. But while the clip spread around Golf Twitter, it didn’t spawn a full-blown meme. I tried to push the issue, but like the word “fetch” in Mean Girls, sadly, it hasn’t really caught on:

Me when someone compares the Giants ownership to the Knicks. pic.twitter.com/Dv6Nr3pcbB

— Alex Myers (@AlexMyers3) September 16, 2019

Maybe I went too regional with a New York sports joke? I had been workshopping “Me when someone criticizes my diet” or “Me when someone asks about my chocolate addiction.” Maybe those would have played better? Oh well, I tried, Lexi. In any event, we promise to talk about some more important things going on in golf. And in the meantime, better safe than sorry with those “Fore!” calls.

WE’RE BUYING

Suzann Pettersen: Many people questioned Pettersen’s spot on the European team after essentially being on maternity leave for the past two years, but wow, did she come through with arguably the year’s clutchest putt and potentially one of the greatest walk-off moments in sports history. As in actually walking off into the sunset. The two-time major champ buried this must-make putt to claim the Solheim Cup and then immediately announced her retirement from professional golf:

Suzann Pettersen wins it on the 18th

After an @allymc10 miss on 17, @suzannpettersen makes birdie on the 18th to win the Solheim Cup for Team Europe! ???? pic.twitter.com/6nYPDZ4azP

— LPGA (@LPGA) September 15, 2019

What a freaking mic drop.

Joaquin Niemann: From one player perfectly finishing a brilliant career to another beginning one in style, Niemann rolled in a long birdie putt to cap a six-shot win at The Greenbrier to open the 2019-‘20 PGA Tour season.

What a way to wrap up the win. ?

A birdie at the last for @JoacoNiemann.

He shot 31 to win by SIX @GBRMilitary. pic.twitter.com/oIZfDtBKQi

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 15, 2019

How about this kid? And we do mean kid considering he doesn’t turn 21 until November. A late-season run allowed him to keep his PGA Tour card following his rookie season and now, who knows how good this former World No. 1 amateur can be. In addition to being the first golfer from Chile to win on the PGA Tour, he also joined Seve Ballesteros and Rory McIlroy as the only foreign-born players under 21 to win a tour event. DECENT company.

Sergio Garcia: We’ll keep the international accolades going with Sergio’s KLM Open victory, his 16th career European Tour title. Frankly, it was good to see Sergio making news for something other than destroying a golf course or throwing a putter at his caddie. And I love a good Azalea sighting:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2eo4hjFUzD/?utm_source=ig_embed

We’re also buying the 18-year-old from Denmark, Nicolai Hojgaard, who he beat by one. I remember a teenaged Sergio challenging Tiger Woods at the 1999 PGA Championship like it was yesterday. Damn, I’m getting old.

Jack Nicklaus’ heroics: Jack may be closing in on 80, but the Golden Bear still possesses the magic that made him an 18-time major champ. First, here’s a walk-off putt to win a team event:

Good way to end the day!
Promised partner & longtime friend Tom Kelley I would share our fun. Tom & I won the Legends Division (small field?) today in 2-day @SycamoreHillsFW National Pro-Scratch Invitational.
Wanted to make sure on 18 that we didn't lose in a scorecard playoff! pic.twitter.com/8VSWYsmKH4

— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) September 11, 2019

And then he had a walk-off chip-in to win a charity contest:

UNREAL ?@JackNicklaus drained his chip for charity on 18 at The @AllyChallenge. pic.twitter.com/YgWtasd14o

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) September 14, 2019

You don’t win 18 majors by accident. What a legend.

WE’RE SELLING

Lexi Thompson’s week: What actually was that bad was Thompson’s 0-4 record. A tweaked back before her final match didn’t help matters, but if Thompson could have clawed even a half-point, Team USA would have retained the Cup. Ouch. Instead, America’s highest-ranked player got shut out, while the world’s 620th-ranked player wound up being the hero. That’s golf, folks.

Scottie Scheffler’s “shank”: This shot definitely didn’t need a “FORE!” call and yet the PGA Tour rookie was disgusted by it. Scheffler obviously hasn’t played with my boss, Sam Weinman, because he clearly has no clue what a shank is.

If this is a shank, then sign me tf up pic.twitter.com/Na7vxbPf2R

— Amanda Rose (@AmandaGolf59) September 14, 2019

And you wonder why kids react like this on tee shots that end up 15 feet from the pin:

12-year-old Vince Komen just beat the Pros! ?#KLMOpen pic.twitter.com/R5gpCxMrNj

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 12, 2019

Hideki Matsuyama, this is your fault.

Kevin Chappell’s weekend: First off, it was great seeing Kevin playing his first PGA Tour event in nearly a year after undergoing back surgery. It was even greater seeing him fire the 11th 59 in PGA Tour history on Friday at The Greenbrier. Yet with rounds of 73 and 72 over the weekend, he managed to finish T-47. In a tournament, he shot FIFTY-NINE! But again, that’s golf, folks.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Mississippi for the Sanderson Farms Championship, AKA that event where the winner gets a rooster trophy. Meanwhile, the BMW PGA, the European Tour’s flagship event, will be contested across the pond. This event was moved from May to September with all the PGA Tour schedule changes this past season. It will boast a better field than the Sanderson Farms Championship, but not a rooster trophy. Advantage: Sanderson Farms Championship.

Random tournament fact: Cameron Champ won the coveted rooster trophy last year. But he is still looking for his first top 10 of 2019.

Matt Sullivan

Heavy lies the rooster crown.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Either event will produce a dramatic finish like the Solheim Cup: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds

—Joaquin Niemann will win again this week: 12-to-1 odds (Actual odds; the favourite to win that coveted rooster trophy!)

—Joaquin Niemann will win again at some point: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Move over, Alex Noren!

1,000 balls a day ?

Dutch amateur Koen Kouwenaar’s hands show how he's currently inside the Top 15 ?#KLMOpen pic.twitter.com/dhU7uNrtYP

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 13, 2019

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Move over, Brooks Koepka!

Warm weather practice for @Kiradech ? pic.twitter.com/E9QewCPu4e

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) September 13, 2019

Long live The Barn Rat.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m done. I’m closing it down tomorrow.” —Suzann Pettersen. Funny, I said the same thing after my latest disappointing round on Saturday.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITIES PLAYING GOLF

From backboards to sneakers to golf clubs, Zion Williamson destroys everything he touches:

“He literally broke the club!”

Grown. Man. Strength. ?@Zionwilliamson pic.twitter.com/uRd3cV6WX6

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) September 13, 2019

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION COMPETITION

Tiger Woods and his girlfriend, Erica Herman, went to a college football game pitting their alma maters (Stanford and UCF) against each other:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2eR1IWBPzw/?utm_source=ig_embed

And Erica’s Golden Knights are probably ready to declare themselves co-national champs again after drubbing Tiger’s Cardinal, 45-27. Ouch.

Julio Aguilar

That must have been a tense car ride home. And then Woods’ Oakland Raiders got run off the field by the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Tough weekend for Tiger.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PROS ARE JUST LIKE US

Justin Thomas shared his recent skin cancer scare and provided an important PSA for golfers everywhere:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Utje_BIq5/?utm_source=ig_embed

Also, JT, you might want to ask Phil for some calf exercises. Speaking of Phil. . .

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Phil philmed his latest edition of “Phireside Chats” from one of his phavourite restaurants in San Diego:

I was at Addison’s (best restaurant in SD and has 1 Michelin star) and I saw a fireplace. So I shot a quick Phireside with Phil. pic.twitter.com/jVqhxzcSDJ

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) September 15, 2019

We were wondering when he was going to start turning these into ads. Can’t wait for him to start slipping in some product placement! Also, Phil got word of this fantastic painting of him:

Now this is……….AWESOME ! https://t.co/i2DsU016e4

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) September 16, 2019

Hopefully, that artist got PAID.

THIS AND THAT

Tiger Woods announced the One Bahamas Fund to help raise money for the area after Hurricane Dorian. You can donate here. Check out our Brian Wacker’s piece on Dorian’s devastating effects and donate here. . . . Viktor Hovland tied Bob Estes’ PGA Tour record by shooting in the 60s for a 17th consecutive round. Sorry, Bob, but I think your record is going down. . . . More stats! With a pair of 20-year-olds, Matthew Wolff and Joaquin Niemann winning in the same year, marked the first time since 1931 that three players under the age of 21 won on the PGA Tour in the same year. . . . Speaking of Young Gunz, 17-year-old Akshay Bhatia will make his pro debut this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He makes Wolff and Niemann look like grizzled vets. . . . And finally, these cookies are a new addition to Costco:

Let’s just say I’m not mad about it.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Did Tiger and Erica make a bet on the Stanford-UCF game?

Did golf writers (over)use the phrase “Young Gunz” in 1931?

Is my chocolate addiction that bad?

The post Golf’s ultimate mic drop, Tiger Woods and his girlfriend square off, and the greatest meme that never was appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Dave Shedloski
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Joseph Bramlett surmises that every week on the PGA Tour a different player could emerge on the leader board with a story about his bad back. And already in the season opener, A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier, we have the emotional return of Kevin Chappell, who fired a 59 in Friday’s second round in his first tour event after a 10-month layoff.

“Yeah, I think it was great to see what he did,” Bramlett said of Chappell. “I thought it spoke to his confidence to be able to come out having not competed and get in that position and just believe in yourself the whole way through.

“I feel bad for him, because no matter what amount of time it takes [to rehab] it feels like a lifetime.”

RELATED: Kevin Chappell is emotional after shooting 59 in first PGA Tour start since a back injury 10 months ago

Bramlett would like a piece of that. Not so much the score. He was plenty satisfied with a third-round five-under 65 Saturday on a breezy afternoon at the Old White TPC that has given him an outside chance at victory and a solid shot at posting his first career top 10 on the PGA Tour.

No, where Bramlett is a tad envious is Chappell’s time on the sidelines. For the one-time Stanford University standout, the wait was an agonizing, atrophying 4½ years.

In June of 2013, while competing on the Korn Ferry Tour, Bramlett suffered an annular tear to his L4 and L5 discs, which is a painful and debilitating injury. He consulted 15 spinal surgeons who offered a unanimous opinion: an operation would more than likely end his career. For three-plus years, as he sought an answer, he would rest, try to rehab, even try to play a bit, and then suffer a setback.

Dark days turned into many dark months. “Yeah, I’ve had those moments,” he said of the emotional toll his injury was inflicting.

His fortunes finally turned thanks to swing instructor John Scott Rattan, who works out of Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., and physical therapist Cody Fowler, based in Los Gatos, Calif., about 20 minutes from Bramlett’s home in San Jose. Without going into too many details, Rattan helped Bramlett rebuild his swing so he used his feet and hips properly, and Fowler worked on his flexibility, which was the source of his problems.

“It was just a ticking time bomb,” Bramlett, 31, said of his back injury. “I didn’t realize that I was putting myself at risk like I was at the time, but, yeah, we had to rebuild everything from the ground up. I had to, work on my footwork, develop control of my feet, control of my hips, and then, yeah, just go from there.”

This begs the question: How did Bramlett, who in 2002 was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur, remain so determined after so much time and so many setbacks? He had only one season on the PGA Tour, in 2011, lost his card and was in his second year on the developmental tour when he blew out his back. He did try an aborted come back in 2016, but that lasted all of three events.

He never lost belief. And he steadfastly refused to let his dreams die.

“It’s been my dream since kindergarten to play out here. I’ve had a one-track mind,” he said. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do. From when I first started playing golf I fell in love with the game and PGA Tour. That was my dream my whole life.

“I wouldn’t say I questioned myself through the injury until about three years in. I came across my coach and he gave me a new sense of we’re going somewhere and we’re making progress again. I’ve had great support from my family and girlfriend and agent, you know, people that are close to you in your life. They’ve really stepped up and helped me keep a good attitude.”

Bramlett returned to competitive golf again at the 2018 Panama Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour and just missed out on regaining his PGA Tour card after surviving the full season. “It’s one of those things that you believe, and you’re working towards, but [there are] a lot of setbacks along the way, too,” he said. “Even last year on the Korn Ferry Tour, I came up a shot short of getting my card in the last regular-season event and the last Finals event.”

This year, however, he got through, finishing 22nd in the Korn Ferry Finals with three finishes of 26th or better to earn one of the 50 available cards. A week off, and here he is making his fourth start in a PGA Tour event since his rookie season eight years ago.

“I’ve always told my friends I don’t cry happy tears. I don’t get it,” he said. “Yes, I certainly shed some happy tears after my first [Korn Ferry] event that I came back to play in, and then when I got my card last week, I got a little emotional on the drive over here as well.”

Bramlett stands at 11-under 199 after three straight rounds in the 60s, just the second time he’s posted three sub-70 scores in the same event on the PGA Tour. Only a handful of players are ahead of him on the leader board.

It’s a good position. More importantly, though, he’s in a great place.

“Yeah. I’ve played nicely so far,” he said. “Just feels good to be back out here, you know?”

The post Joseph Bramlett lost 4½ years to a back injury, rebuilt his swing entirely and is back on the PGA Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
The last time Rory McIlroy won on the PGA Tour, he did it in scintillating fashion, shooting a back-nine 30 at East Lake and eventually winning the Tour Championship in a playoff over Kevin Chappell. He may have topped that performance on Sunday at Bay Hill, closing with an eight-under 64 that included a back-nine 31 to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Coming into the week, McIlroy was not playing his best golf, having missed two of his four cuts on the PGA Tour and playing his last eight rounds in 14 over par. But something clicked in just about every facet of his game, which led to a total score of 18-under 270, the second-lowest of the last decade for a winner at Bay Hill. While his putting played a key role this week, it was improvement everywhere else that McIlroy was most pleased with.

“I kept saying the last few weeks that I wasn’t that far away and it just takes something to click into place, and something clicked into place with my long game, obviously something clicked into place with my putting as well, and this is the result. It’s just so nice to see everything come together finally,” McIlroy said.

RELATED: The clubs Rory McIlroy used to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational

After turning in three-under 33, the Northern Irishman cooled off, making three consecutive pars and finding himself in a tie for the lead with Henrik Stenson as Tiger Woods was making a charge up ahead. But then McIlroy found another gear, the one we’ve come to see from the four-time major winner in the past. It started at the par-4 13th, where he holed a 16-footer for birdie. That began a four consecutive birdie stretch that included a chip-in at the par-4 15th and a two-putt birdie at the 16th, which came after a 375-yard drive and flip wedge into the green. With Bryson DeChambeau making a late run, McIlroy made sure to add some insurance at the 72nd hole, holing his final birdie from 24 feet and letting out an emotional fist pump.

“I’ve seen Tiger make that putt enough times to know what it does, so I just wanted to try and emulate that,” McIlroy said. “I didn’t quite give it the hat toss, I was thinking about doing it, but just to be able to create my own little bit of history on the 18th green here is very special. I’m just really proud of myself to have hung in there over the past few months, or nearly a year with injury and everything else that’s happened. To get my first PGA Tour win in, I don’t know how long it is, it feels really nice.”

As for where McIlroy finally got his 14th career PGA Tour win, that was pretty special too.

“It means a lot, you know, the last time I won a PGA Tour event was the day that Mr. Palmer passed away [Sept. 25, 2016], so it’s a little bit ironic that I come here and win.”

Finishing three back at 15-under 273 was DeChambeau, whose eagle at the 16th hole got him within a shot of McIlroy’s lead. But when McIlroy dropped his long birdie at 18, and DeChambeau’s birdie effort slid by at the 17th, the former U.S. Amateur and NCAA champion’s chances at a second career PGA Tour title disappeared. DeChambeau finished with a final-round 69, putting him in solo second, his best result of the year.

Justin Rose (67) finished in solo third at 14-under 274, and Henrik Stenson (71) in solo fourth at 13-under 275.

Woods gave it a great effort on Sunday, getting to within a shot of the lead late in his round, but back-to-back bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes put a halt to his run. He finished with a three-under 69, putting him in a tie for fifth with Ryan Moore at 10-under 278.

The post Rory McIlroy’s final-round 64 at Bay Hill earns him first victory since the 2016 Tour Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
The accomplishments were many for Justin Thomas last season. He won five times, including his first major championship. Turned in just the eighth sub-60 in PGA Tour history at the Sony Open, following it up with a record-setting 63 at the U.S. Open. And though he finished second at the Tour Championship, his year-long feats were good enough to earn the FedEx Cup and its $10 million winner’s check.

Given Thomas bought a custom Range Rover after his back-to-back Hawaii wins, the 24-year-old had to pull the trigger on something extravagant, yes? Not quite. According to Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard, Thomas totally forgot about the $10 million bonus.

“[Kevin Chappell] asked me at the Presidents Cup, ‘Did you get it?’” Thomas said to Hoggard at the Hero World Challenge. “I was like, ‘Get what?’ He was talking about the bonus. I had to ask my dad if it had come in.”   

Granted, Thomas has already racked up $18 million in PGA Tour earnings in his fledgling career. Still, how are you not refreshing your account every minute to see if the $10 million has cleared?

Thomas remarked that the check eventually found its way into his bank, but that he hasn’t done anything crazy with the cash yet. “Maybe I got a little nicer bottle of wine at dinner, but not much,” Thomas said.

Shrugging off $10 million. That’s how you know you’re living life right.

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WATCH: GOLF DIGEST VIDEOS

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The post Justin Thomas forgot he won $10 million bonus for FedEx Cup appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Great clinic by Tiger Woods and Kevin Chappel today . pic.twitter.com/sLIQIwzkL8

— Kevin Roman (@kevinromangolf) October 10, 2017

That’s some vintage Tiger twirling right there.

But seriously, the swing didn’t look half bad, either. Woods was on hand with fellow PGA Tour pro Kevin Chappell for his Tiger Woods Invitational clinic at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Here’s another clip of Woods hitting a shot after Chappell:

A huge thank you to @kevin_chappell for joining me on the range for a fun exhibition with #TWInvitational guests @tgrliveevents pic.twitter.com/QZiSDv7zPk

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 10, 2017

Unfortunately, that video cut off before we had a chance to see another Tiger club twirl. But if Woods is posting it, he must be happy with how his swing is coming along — although, he didn’t appear to take any swings with the driver.

In recent weeks, Woods has shared a couple videos. First, a slow-motion clip of him hitting a pitch shot, and then another slow-mo video from Saturday of him hitting a “smooth” iron shot. At the recent Presidents Cup, where Woods was a U.S. assistant captain, he said he was happy to be back at a golf tournament and at times, was seen grabbing other players’ clubs. But that week he also admitted he could “definitely” see a scenario in which he doesn’t return to pro golf.

Woods, 41, last played competitively at the Dubai Desert Classic in February, withdrawing after the first round. He underwent a fourth back surgery in April.

Last year, Woods returned from an even longer injury layoff at his Hero World Challenge in December, however, he hasn’t been added to this year’s field yet. We’ll keep monitoring his latest comeback, though, one swing — and one club twirl — at a time.

RELATED: Tiger Woods’ latest swing shows he’s alive — and not much more

UPDATE: More on the club twirl front, with Woods calling his shot, “a high draw” “left of the flag” this time:

?HERE’S WHAT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. pic.twitter.com/Ww0YniYAeM

— TWfans (@TwSpot) October 10, 2017

Exciting stuff.

The post Tiger Woods hits more shots at golf clinic, shows off vintage club twirl appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers

The 2017 Presidents Cup, AKA “The Romp By The Swamp,” got historically out of hand on Saturday. Only a late, unlikely rally kept the International Team in the competition. But Nick Price’s squad seems to have less of a chance to come back and win on Sunday than Jim Carrey had at pulling off those one-in-a-million odds with Lauren Holly in Dumb and Dumber. Anyway, to wrap up another lopsided day at Liberty National, here’s our latest look at winners and losers.

Winner: Team USA

The Americans basically won this four-day event in THREE days. That’s ridiculous.

Loser: International Team

The Internationals basically lost this four-day event in three days. Again, that’s ridiculous.

Winner: Patrick Reed & Jordan Spieth

Maybe Reed and Spieth were listening yesterday when we declared Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler Team USA’s new super squad. Our apologies, guys. On Saturday, this dynamic duo went back to dominating, winning the lead match of both sessions, which never allowed the Internationals even a glimmer of hope. With two more victories, Reed & Spieth, still Team USA’s top squad until further notice, ran their record as a pair to 3-0-1 this week, and an incredible 8-1-3 dating back to the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Winner: Dustin Johnson

While the pair of Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth get most of the attention for Team USA, Johnson is actually the lone player on the squad to have won all four of his matches. For the World No. 1, it doesn’t matter who he plays with, as he sports 2-0 records with Matt Kuchar in foursomes and Brooks Koepka in four-balls. With another win on Sunday, DJ would become just the sixth player in Presidents Cup history to win five matches in one year.

Loser: Nick Price

This really isn’t a knock on the International team captain, because there’s nothing he could have done to stop the American onslaught. In fact, Price tried just about everything from breaking up his best team to pairing guys with the same first name—and nothing worked. But facts are facts, and Price will go down as the losing captain of record at the Presidents Cup. For a third straight event. Ouch. On Saturday evening, Price sounded like he’s turning over the reigns to Ernie Els for next time. There’s only so much one man can take.

Winner: The game of golf

Yes, this event has had less drama than an episode of Judge Judy, but the sportsmanship we know and love shined as brightly as Lady Liberty’s torch when Kevin Chappell conceded the final putt of the day—a two-and-a-half-foot tickler—to Anirban Lahiri, which resulted in the Americans’ lone loss. Well done by Kevin. Although, it’s not quite Jack Nicklaus conceding the final putt to Tony Jacklin at the 1969 Ryder Cup. And it was odd timing after everyone watched Chappell grind out that seven-footer for a par. Maybe Captain Stricker got in his ear. Regardless, the gesture drew rare applause in the media center. And it meant the Internationals are still at least mathematically alive heading into Sunday.

Loser: The rules of golf

Spieth and Reed had to concede the 12th hole of their match after Spieth raked away an Oosthuizen eagle attempt and tossed it back to him. The problem? Oosthuizen’s ball—although some 15 feet past the cup—was still moving. Barely. Of course, none of this wound up mattering because Spieth and Reed are on Team USA and Team USA has basically won every match this week. This match was no exception as Spieth and Reed came back to win. Obviously. But the rule seems silly and everyone involved seemed to think so. Except rules official Andy McFee. At least it led to this funny exchange in which he dismissed Tiger Woods:

He said WHAAAAAAAT to ??
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/5rAZv8cwGn

— Skratch (@Skratch) September 30, 2017

Loser: Jason Day

The Aussie lost twice on Saturday, dropping his record for the week to 0-3-1. But it gets worse. For a second consecutive Presidents Cup, Day, who is arguably his team’s best player, has laid an egg. Combined with his 0-4-1 record in South Korea two years ago, the former World No. 1 is now a dismal 0-7-2 the past two editions and 4-11-4 career in this event.

Winner: Anirban Lahiri

If not for Lahiri, the U.S. would have been spraying champagne around Liberty National on Saturday. But clutch birdies on 16 and 17, followed by an up-and-down on 18 (He’s probably glad Kevin Chappell didn’t putt that last one) gave Lahiri and Si Woo Kim a 1-up win over Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappell. Sure, his rally was the equivalent of someone getting an infield hit to break up a perfect game, but we appreciate the effort.

Loser: NBC

Already up against NFL football, a slate of all-but-meaningless singles matches could draw lower TV ratings than the 2015 Presidents Cup. And that was contested in South Korea while most of America slept.

Miller on Yank win tonight: "That wouldn't help our ratings too much tomorrow."
Dan Hicks: "You always call 'em like you see 'em, Johnny."

— Steve Elling (@EllingYelling) September 30, 2017

Yep, Dan and Johnny are going to earn their money on Sunday.

The post Presidents Cup 2017: The winners & losers from Day 3 at Liberty National appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Spieth and Reed return

The U.S. super couple, coming off a successful venture at the Ryder Cup, highlight the American pairings. While they played in four matches together at Hazeltine, they made just one appearance at the 2015 Presidents Cup in Korea, disposing of Jason Day and Charl Schwartzel 3&2. Don’t expect that to be the case at Liberty National.

Spieth’s iron precision, combined with Reed’s short game, is a nightmare for opponents. That the Internationals are countering with two struggling novices—Si Woo Kim and Emiliano Grillo—is as guaranteed a point as you’ll see in this event. Throw in the rowdy New York metropolitan crowd—one which will certainly eat up Reed’s theatrics—envision plenty of fireworks for the red, white and blue from this combo on Day 1.

Internationals boast their own dynamic duo

The Internationals came oh-so-close to just their second victory in 2015 thanks to the efforts of Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen. The South African supergroup became the first International team in cup history to go 4-0 in Incheon. And their competition wasn’t the end of the bench: Grace and Oosthuizen made victims of Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Reed twice, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson.

Although the Internationals have more depth than ever, they remain heavy underdogs this week. To pull off the upset, the club will need Grace and Oosthuizen to replicate their ‘15 magic. Luckily for them, Liberty National is conducive to their games. Not only does the Jersey property reward tee-shot accuracy and second-shot prowess, the green difficulty doesn’t exactly invoke visions of Augusta National. Good news, especially for Grace, who ranked 148th in strokes gained: putting this campaign.

Faith in Hideki

There’s an elephant in the International room: their top-ranked player, Hideki Matsuyama, is mirrored in a funk. Following his Bridgestone win and PGA Championship run, the Japanese star stumbled in the FedEx Cup playoffs, missing the cut at the Northern Trust and finishing in the cellar at the no-cut BMW and Tour Championships. The reason for his ice bath? Look no further than the flat stick: in his last two appearances, Matsuyama finished dead last in strokes gained: putting.

Mentioned above, the dance floors aren’t diabolical, which should alleviate some of Matsuyama’s woes. Alas, as is so often the case with the short game, the issue resides not on the course’s terrain, but in confidence.

That didn’t stop captain Nick Price from slotting Matsuyama in the first group of the day, paired with Schwartzel to take on Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas. Clearly Price looks at Matsuyama as one that can set a positive tone for the Internationals. Matsuyama is too good of a player to suffer a drought; don’t be surprised if Liberty National’s confines, Price’s conviction and the team format snaps him out of his slump.

Chris Condon

Mickelson earns starting nod

This wasn’t necessarily a surprise: Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman have been under the weather this week. Not to say the call was undeserved; Mickelson earned a team-high 3.5 points in Korea, and enters with a bit of momentum from the FedEx Cup. The sport may be enjoying a youth metamorphosis, but Mickelson’s fight against Father Time continues to be a marvel. Golf, truly a game for all ages.

The post 2017 Presidents Cup: Four takeaways from Day 1 pairings appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Seriously, what a fun and efficient way to navigate a golf course. Being able to zip out to your golf ball and hit your next shot is the definition of ready golf. And even if you’re not playing well, you’ll still feel like Marty McFly on that hoverboard in Back To The Future, Part II. OK, so there were a couple of close calls with parked cars in a parking lot test run, but by the third ninth hole, you start to get (somewhat) comfortable. And talk about a great way to get kids into the game. If you get a chance to use a GolfBoard, go for it. In the meantime, here’s what else is going on in golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Justin Thomas: So much for any PGA Tour Player of the Year drama. Maybe his buddy Jordan Spieth can run the table at the final two events, but we’re penciling in JT for POY after picking up a fifth victory of the season at the Dell Technologies Championship to go with the first major he won at last month’s PGA. And just look at the heady company the youngster now finds himself in:

5 wins including a major in a season before age 25, since 1960:

63 Jack
99 Tiger
00 Tiger
15 @JordanSpieth
17 @JustinThomas34

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) September 4, 2017

With his three-shot win over Spieth, Thomas ascended to No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Next year’s #SB2K18 might have a stronger field than some tour events.

Stacy Lewis: The native Houstonian gave us one of the year’s best stories in any sport when she pledged to donate last week’s check from her LPGA start to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts — and then made it a winner’s check by claiming victory at the Cambia Portland Classic. She got a surprise victory embrace from her husband, Gerrod Chadwell, who is the University of Houston women’s golf coach and spent some time last week kayaking to his team’s facility to save some equipment.

What made it an even more storybook result was the fact that Lewis hadn’t won in more than three years despite finishing runner-up a remarkable 12 times during that span. Sports are a heckuva a thing, aren’t they?

Peter Uihlein: With a win in the first Web.com Tour Finals event, Uihlein locked up his PGA Tour card for next season. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because golf fans have been hearing it for a long time. Uihlein is the son of Titleist CEO Wally Uihlein and he won the 2010 U.S. Amateur before taking his game to Europe a la Brooks Koepka. Anyway, congrats, Peter, but what took you so long? Kidding! Sort of.

Tiger Woods: He’s BACK! To pitching and chipping, that is. Woods put the golf world in a frenzy with a quick video of him hitting a single shot while showing off some serious pipes in a tank top. And this time, it wasn’t even a full shot.

Dr. gave me the ok to start pitching pic.twitter.com/tboq1L3Xdn

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 31, 2017

Baby steps, Tiger. Baby steps.

WE’RE SELLING

People complaining about Thomas and Jordan Spieth being too friendly: Seriously, how is this bad for golf/sports/humanity?

#respect @JordanSpieth greets @DellTechChamp winner @JustinThomas34. #pgatour pic.twitter.com/BEKEFkxhRk

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) September 4, 2017

U.S. Presidents Cup bubble boys: Congrats to Kevin Chappell moving into 10th and final automatic spot — by less than a single point — and a pre-emptive congrats to Charley Hoffman, who at No. 11, will likely join Chappell on a first Presidents Cup squad. Everyone else below No. 10 in the standings? You’re out of luck following Phil Mickelson’s T-6 that virtually guarantees he’ll be the final captain’s pick by Steve Stricker. And for No. 12 Brian Harman and No. 13 Jason Dufner, there’s no one to blame but themselves after both failed to crack the top 60 at TPC Boston.

Raymond Floyd’s house: As in, the World Golf Hall of Famer has put his Hamptons house up for sale. For $25 MILLION:

But before you scoff at the price tag, keep in mind it’s 14,000 square feet of living space (there’s a main and guest house) and it’s just a seven-minute drive from . . . Shinnecock Hills! If we all pool our money together, maybe we can buy it. The guest house, that is.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour takes a rare week off before the final two legs of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, but there’s still some exciting golf to watch. The LPGA is playing in Indianapolis for the inaugural Indy Women in Tech Championship, and you can get a glimpse of some future PGA Tour stars at the Walker Cup, an event Justin Thomas played in just four years ago:

Michael Cohen

Random tournament fact: The U.S. leads the all-time series against Great Britain & Ireland, 35 to 9, but each side has won the biennial event seven times since the 1989. And Justin Thomas or his buddy Jordan Spieth (Did you know they are buddies?) won’t be playing this year.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Jonathan Ferrey

Stacy Lewis’ victory leap into her caddie’s arms showed how much she wanted to win — for herself and Houston.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (NOT INVOLVING TIGER WOODS)

Check out an NBC cameraman’s nifty footwork to avoid being hit by a Marc Leishman shank on the final hole of the Dell Technologies Championship:

This camera guy deserves a big raise. pic.twitter.com/dxCiosO7K7

— Skratch (@Skratch) September 4, 2017

And Leishman was thankful for this unexpected display of agility:

I definitely owe him a beer, saved me a shot there for sure!

— Marc Leishman (@marcleish) September 5, 2017

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

Supposedly, this is the wedge of Maury Povich, who happens to be a scratch golfer:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYeeYgSDAy7/

Classic.

THIS WEEK IN BUBBA BEING BUBBA

Bubba Watson had a day that Boston sports fans can only dream of, first, hitting a “home run” over the Fenway Park’s Green Monster:

Home run from top of green monster @fenwaypark!!! @SCTopTen #SCtop10 #Fenway pic.twitter.com/BKJylkYzxY

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) August 31, 2017

And then hanging with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady on the sidelines of a New England Patriots pre-season game:

I love this guy!! #12 pic.twitter.com/n65imsbL0I

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) August 31, 2017

Speaking of Brady, Jordan Spieth said he tried the legendary quarterback’s diet recently. “Tried” being the operative word. Not surprisingly, a diet of no sugar/gluten/caffeine/dairy/flour/basically anything didn’t stick with the young Texan.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Check out this adorable/funny interaction between Phil Mickelson and a young fan at TPC Boston:

Phil asked this youngster a question.

And got an honest answer. ?@DellTechChamp pic.twitter.com/u4RamP2CLW

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 5, 2017

Good stuff, Phil. Although, you really miss chatting with Bones, don’t you?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Just what we’re going to be able to do, we’re going to be able to help me rebuild houses and get their homes back. That’s more important than anything.” — Stacy Lewis #Perspective

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY PETER UIHLEIN-CHELSEA GATES PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYmTbtVB6Gn/

With Uihlein earning his PGA Tour card for the first time, that means golf fans have a new PGA Tour WAG to get to know. Everyone say hi to Chelsea, a TV sports reporter and yoga instructor:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHdtYoXDxhP/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSXMbBJhdON/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYHVjQkBB09/

THIS AND THAT

Jake Olson, the blind long snapper who warmed hearts with a successful PAT during USC’s season opener, is also a very good golfer. That is one talented — and inspiring — college kid. … NBA superstar Kevin Durant admitted to playing the video game Rory McIlroy PGA Tour “seven or eight hours a day sometimes.” We’re guessing Golden State head coach and avid golfer Steve Kerr would rather KD use that time to play 36 real holes a day. … A South Korean woman allegedly cut off her husband’s penis in part because he spent too much time and money on his golf habit. I did not tell my wife about this story. … And finally, congrats to co-worker Mike Johnson’s son Shawn on making his first hole-in-one:

Honestly, was too excited to post this last night. My boy, Shawn, jarred the tee shot on Rock Ridge CC's par-3 ninth for an ace! #proudpapa pic.twitter.com/dEygnmooJk

— Mike Johnson (@EMichaelGW) September 2, 2017

Of course, this now means that not only do all of my colleagues have an ace before me, but all of their kids will beat me to it, too.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Why don’t more golf courses have GolfBoards?

How many hours of Tiger Woods PGA Tour did I play in college?

Did you remember to re-order the NFL RedZone channel before Sunday?

The post Stacy Lewis’ charitable win, Justin Thomas’ impressive playoff push, and introducing the newest PGA Tour WAG appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Brian Wacker
Kevin Chappell was out, then he was in, qualifying for his first Presidents Cup by a slim margin after Monday’s final round of the Dell Technologies Championship. He didn’t realize just how much it meant to him until he had trouble sleeping the night before. But Chappell was probably going to be on the team anyway even if he didn’t nab the final spot in the top 10.

On Wednesday at 5 p.m. Steve Stricker will announce his two captain’s picks for the United States team, and Nick Price will do the same for the International squad that will be playing at Liberty National Golf Club outside New York City at the end of the month.

With Chappell in, it means Charley Hoffman is out … for now. He didn’t look too stressed about the whole thing as he enjoyed a beer and a cigar on the terrace of the TPC Boston clubhouse late Monday afternoon, having finished up T-47 in the tournament. Nor should he be.

Though Hoffman doesn’t have a win this season, he does have a half-dozen top-10s and has been in contention a number of times. Yes, he didn’t close out any of those opportunities, but at No. 11 on the points list, No. 22 in the World Rankings and a birdie machine who is also in the top 25 in total strokes gained, it’s hard to imagine Stricker passing on him.

As for the other captain’s pick? This is where things get more interesting.

Of the next nine names down the list none carries as much star power as Phil Mickelson, who has played on every Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup team since 1994, boasts a 17-4-7 record in the last seven Presidents Cups and who last fall went 2-1-1 in helping the U.S. reclaim the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National. He also appears suddenly re-energized and re-focused, posting a a T-6 finish at TPC Boston that moved him up three spots to No. 15 in the standings.

Asked if he felt like he has done enough to get the nod from Stricker, Mickelson said, “We’ll see. I hope so.”

Stricker has been talking with Mickelson through much of the summer to get a better gauge on Lefty’s game. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Which brings up the next point. Who else is Stricker going to pick?

Jason Dufner has just one top-10 this year (a win at the Memorial). Gary Woodland has only one top-10 since March. Brendan Steele has missed the cut in four of his last six starts. Brandt Snedeker is out with an injury. Bill Haas and Kevin Na have two top-10s apiece since March.

The only other player in the top 20 on the points list who could seemingly knock Mickelson off would be Brian Harman, who finished 12th with seven top-10s, including an impressive win at the Wells Fargo Championship and a runner-up at the U.S. Open. He’s also a deadly putter and his personality would fit well in the laid back team room (so, of course, would the elder statesman Mickelson).

More complicated is whom Price picks for the International team, which has lost the last six Presidents Cups and hasn’t won it since 1998 with the two teams tying in 2003. Adam Hadwin secured the final spot in the top 10 with his tie for 13th at TPC Boston. Where Price goes from there is less certain.

Emiliano Grillo finished 12th in the standings and had a 22nd-place showing at the Dell, but he also has five missed cuts in his last nine starts.

But like Stricker, who else is Price going to pick? No one around Grillo has exactly stood out. Hideto Tanihara is No. 11 and Yuta Ikeda 13 and both have missed a handful of cuts of late.

Li Haotang, 14th on the list, has missed his last two cuts but did finish third at the British Open, while Byeong Hun An at 15 hasn’t had a top-10 since May.

Going any deeper reveals even fewer options. Outside the box thinking is never a bad thing when it comes to the selection process—particularly when on a losing streak—but this is one year when taking a chalk approach would be difficult to criticize.

The post For Stricker and Price, Presidents Cup captain’s picks aren’t quite as controversial as you’d think appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.