Imagine, for a second, being a member at a club like Muirfield Village. Would you ever leave the property? The milkshakes alone would keep you coming back day after day, to the point where you’d eventually have to be asked if you have a home, Judge Smails style.

Of course, in that scenario, you aren’t a tour professional like Jason Day, who has access to just about any top golf course in the world if and when he wants it. But still, as a member at Jack Nicklaus’ place, which is less than a 30-minute drive from his home in Columbus, you’d think Day would get over there every once in awhile. You’d be wrong.

While it still technically is a “home game” for the Aussie-turned Ohioan since he lives nearby, it’s hardly that when Day actually puts the tee in the ground.

“I play four-and-a-half rounds a year [at Muirfield Village],” Day said Thursday. “Nine holes with a pro-am and then typically, or, depends, could be three-and-a-half or two-and-a-half or four-and-a-half, depending. But, yeah, so just usually the week of.”

If we’re reading that correctly, Day is claiming he plays Muirfield Village, where he is a member, literally only on the week of the Memorial Tournament. Wait, what?

It’s true, and it’s something Day has copped to before. Last year, following a third-round 68, Day said: “Everyone says it’s my home club and it is to a certain degree. But before this week I only played nine holes in the last two years here. Even though I live like 30 minutes away. I’m too lazy to get in my car and drive 30 minutes to a championship golf course. I’d rather go to (Double Eagle), another championship golf course 10 minutes away.”

Understandable. Well, somewhat. Sure, convenience is always key, but Muirfield Village seems like one of the handful of places in golf that’s not only worth a 30-minute drive, but maybe even a multiple-hour trek.

In 13 PGA Tour official trips to Muirfield Village, Day has managed just one top-10 finish. A second seems unlikely this week following Day’s first-round 76, which caused him to admit that he should probably play his “home club” more.

“I just don’t get over here enough. I should, I probably should, with the way that I played.”

The post Jason Day says he basically never plays his ‘home course,’ admits he probably should after 76 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Crushed with disappointment, all the rookie from Mississippi could muster on Thursday in the opening round of the Memorial Tournament was a five-under 67 in his first official round at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Which was good for a share of lead.

Yeah, no. He wasn’t crushed. He just continues to crush it.

Riley, 25, could have sulked and hung his head after he pumped a drive out of bounds on the 14th hole Sunday at Colonial Country Club and suffered a double-bogey that dropped him out of a tie for the lead. He eventually finished T-4, his sixth top-10 in a season that also includes a playoff loss to Sam Burns at the Valspar Championship.

Instead, he wasn’t about to let one poor swing overshadow all the good ones he made at Colonial — and for much of the year.

“That was a tough one to swallow,” Riley said after storming home with a 31 on the inward nine at Muirfield Village on the strength of an eagle at the par-5 15th secured with a “perfect little cut 3-wood” approach from 262 yards to 17 feet. “I really felt like I had that tournament right there. And I feel like I’ve had a good chance, had a chance to win three or four golf tournaments in the past few months. That’s been really nice. All I can do is keep putting myself in that position.”

T1 at -5 ?@DavisRiley68 joins the leaders after an impressive 2nd shot from the bunker. pic.twitter.com/ln2miSZenT

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 2, 2022

His attitude is as solid as the pass he makes at the ball. Or maybe it’s a product of it. Either way, he had no trouble shaking off the disappointment or talking about it.

“It’s like I was one golf swing away from being in a playoff or winning a golf tournament,” he said. “And I’ve had that a couple times, like in Mexico, I lost by two to [Jon] Rahm, hit a shot at 16 and came up short and plugged in the bunker. It’s like if that lands five yards further and goes on the green, actually I’ve got a good-looking birdie and that can change everything. Just little things like that.”

Yeah, well little things like that might bother somebody less mature or lacking confidence. Riley, who attended Alabama and has formed a natural bond with fellow Crimson Tide product Justin Thomas, seems to roll with the punches quite admirably. One bad swing isn’t cause for alarm, just a little introspection.

First round leaderboard @MemorialGolf

T1. Cameron Young (-5)
T1. Luke List
T1. Cameron Smith
T1. K.H. Lee
T1. Mackenzie Hughes
T1. Davis Riley
T7. Will Zalatoris (-4)
T7. Denny McCarthy
T7. Sahith Theegala
T7. Wyndham Clark

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 2, 2022

“It’s just one bad golf swing. It’s like you tell yourself don’t do that. But it’s easy to do that,” he said with a wide smile. “I think the biggest thing in those situations is just you learn your tendencies when the pressure is really, really on. And I’ve kind of learned that about myself. I’m learning what shots I tend to hit more of when I’m under pressure or things I can do better under pressure. I think that’s the biggest thing when you get in those moments.

“I’m playing good golf. And I’ve had a handful of top 10s in the past month, month-and-a-half. It’s like I’m doing the right stuff. I’ve just got to keep on doing it. It’s like eventually it will happen.”

In his last five starts since missing the cut at the RBC Heritage, Riley has finished T-4, fifth, T-9, T-13 (in his PGA Championship debut) and that T-4 last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He ranks 35th on the PGA Tour with a 70.266 scoring average. He’s made $2.6 million and is now ranked 94th in the world. Yeah, he’s doing the right stuff.

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The post Davis Riley shakes off another missed chance, quickly jumps into mix in first Memorial start appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Mind you, he isn’t yet at full health. His surgically repaired left hand still has swelling and is not yet at full strength. Nevertheless, he’s intent on giving it a go at Muirfield Village Golf Club, where he won the 2018 Memorial.

“There’s certainly less pain than a few weeks ago. There is no pain right now,” DeChambeau told Golf Digest after playing nine holes in the Workday Golden Bear Pro-Am on Wednesday. “I still have some swelling. I’ve got strength back. Is it full strength? No. Do I have the endurance? I believe so. We’ll see as the week goes. But I have to get back out here at some point. I was like, ‘Why not the Memorial?’ I’ve won here. I love it. I really did want to play Colonial [last week], but I felt like I needed that one more week.”

DeChambeau, 28, injured his right hand in February at the Saudi International amid rather bizarre circumstances, claiming he hurt it playing ping pong. He insisted it was not a result of his all-out swings at the golf ball with the driver, a spectacle that has made him a favourite with patrons who enjoy the power exhibition. He withdrew after one round in the Middle East but came back after a period of rest to compete in three events, including the Masters, where he shot 76-80 and missed the cut.

Thinking about giving golf a go again… ? pic.twitter.com/4DPOjU82Cy

— Bryson DeChambeau (@b_dechambeau) May 25, 2022

He hasn’t played since after undergoing surgery April 14 for a broken hamate bone. The surgeon, Dr Thomas Graham, performed the procedure in nearby Kettering, Ohio. The two met when DeChambeau won the DAP Championship in 2016, a Korn Ferry Tour event in Cleveland, and they have remained friends. “It was a great association to have, given the circumstances,” DeChambeau said.

Because he is still less than 100 per cent, DeChambeau comes to Muirfield Village with few expectations. He begins the tournament paired with 2020 winner Jon Rahm, the reigning US Open champion, and Shane Lowry, the winner of the 2019 Open Championship.

“I feel like my game is good enough to compete at this stage,” said the eight-time PGA Tour winner. “Hopefully I’ll have a chance to win, but if I miss the cut that’s OK, too. It will be a great learning experience and a great way to see where I am in my game and how my hand feels. This week it’s just more about being back out here, and I feel very blessed to be playing again.”

It’s also about the next major, the US Open, which DeChambeau won two years ago at Winged Foot. It was important for the California native to test his hand — and game — under the gun before venturing to The Country Club in Brookline the week after next.

“I really am looking forward to competing again,” he said. “I just needed to get back on the golf course and see how it goes. I wanted some competitive rounds before the US Open. I can play at home, but I didn’t play a lot. You don’t get the same juices going. So, it’s more a lot of practice and trying to build up endurance. I feel like I have a lot more endurance. Again, we’ll see how the week goes.”

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The post Out since the Masters, Bryson DeChambeau is eager to test his game at Memorial ahead of US Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Well, that’s not exactly how they want to be looked upon, but players competing in this week’s Memorial Tournament who have committed to next week’s LIV Golf Invitational Series in London don’t want to be seen as anything other than professional golfers pursuing a new business opportunity.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series, the big-money rival to the PGA Tour, released its commitment list on Tuesday, and members Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford appeared on the list. So did amateur James Piot, who earned an invitation to Muirfield Village Golf Club as the US Amateur champion but is not exempt on the tour.

Jones and Swafford spoke to Golf Digest on Wednesday before playing in the tournament pro-am, and they cited myriad reasons why they are playing in the inaugural LIV Series event — and in the process jeopardising their standing on the PGA Tour.

The tour released a statement on Wednesday reiterating its position that players who decided to take Greg Norman, head of the LIV Series, up on his offer to play for $25 million in this first tournament at the Centurion Club.

“As communicated to our entire membership on May 10, PGA Tour members have not been authorised to participate in the Saudi Golf League’s London event, under PGA Tour Tournament Regulations. Members who violate the Tournament Regulations are subject to disciplinary action.”

Matt Jones. David Cannon

“I have no idea in regards to what the PGA Tour is going to do, whether it’s suspending, fining, whatever,” said Jones, 41, who has two tour titles, $17.3 million in tour earnings, and three children under the age of 10. The latter, he will tell you, is a big deal.

“I do care what happens,” he added. “I love the PGA Tour, but I like the opportunity that the LIV Tour affords me and my family, and, look, everyone has their own unique circumstances, and this fits with mine.”

Jones cited several “positives” that swayed him.

“I enjoy the concept of the team competition. The three-day tournament. The shotgun starts, so we’re all playing under the same conditions,” he said. “I play golf for a living. I have been out here for 15 years, and if I can play for more money, provide better for my family but at the same time maybe be home a little bit more, then why not?

“I was raised by two parents who were there for me in all my sporting activities, and I’ve missed a lot of events with my kids. If the schedule affords me a better opportunity to be there for my kids, and probably be a better father and husband, then that to me is a big deal.”

MORE: Analyzing the 42 players who have signed up for LIV Golf

Swafford, a father of two with $9.6 million in earnings, also liked the thought of being home a bit more often. He also was intrigued by the team competition that provides a twist to the proceedings.

“I’m excited about it. Schedule is very enticing to a guy who has two small kids,” said Swafford, 34, who won The American Express earlier this year for his third tour title. “I think the format, the team aspect, is going to be incredible. Look at Zurich [the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which is a two-man team event]. Putting teams together turned an event that was in a tough part of the schedule into one that gets some incredible fields. I’m really looking forward to seeing how that works.”

Swafford wasn’t sure exactly how the teams would be drafted. Neither did he seem to care. “Just having something different sounds pretty interesting,” he said.

And his future with the tour? “We’ll have to see how that all works out,” he said. “But I think a lot of guys out here understand that we all have to do what’s best for each of us.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Rory McIlroy said that the tour should not “drop the hammer” on tour members who opt to compete next week. Patrick Cantlay, the defending champion at the Memorial, also seemed to have an open mind towards fellow players taking up the offer to play elsewhere. McIlroy is on the PGA Tour Policy Board and Cantlay joins the board in 2023.

“I think everyone’s situation is so unique and different,” said Cantlay, ranked sixth in the world. “The motivators that different guys have I think a lot of times guides their decisions. Obviously, you’ve seen by a lot of the guys that have chosen to go over there, they are in the later parts of their career in general. They don’t feel like they are on the upswing. They probably feel like they are on the downswing. So, they are trying to maximise what years they have left.”

Cantlay admitted that he is interested to see what exactly will happen next week. He probably is not alone.

“I’m as curious as you are to see how the tournaments will go and what the presentation will be like, if it will be similar to golf tournaments that we’re used to seeing on TV, or if it will be something totally different, and only time will tell,” he said. “It should be very interested to see — at least I’m interested to see what that product will be compared to what the product is right now that we are all used to.

“But it does seem to be an interesting time for golf, and I think it’s going to be interesting to see what happens.”

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The post PGA Tour players jumping to LIV Golf Invitational Series weigh in about bigger money and better schedules appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
So far, Collin Morikawa has nothing but good memories from Muirfield Village. What happened to him on the par-4 sixth on Sunday won’t be making his Memorial Tournament scrapbook, however.

Then again, if Morikawa goes on to win, he might look back on this moment fondly. After flying the green from 143 yards out in the fairway, a rare occurrence for the 2020 PGA champion, he faced a tricky chip from the thick Muirfield Village rough. With water lurking on the other side of the green, Morikawa attempted to flop one high so that it would land softly and roll out to the hole.

But that’s, um, not what happened. His club went right under the ball, a complete whiff, marking the first time since his three-foot lip-out last June at Colonial that he’s been relatable to the everyday golfer:

The rough at Muirfield Village is brutal. pic.twitter.com/Gc67SlcRTV

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 6, 2021

Another look: 

We've all been there … pic.twitter.com/oAGAJaoGJF

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 6, 2021

We’ve all been there is an overused phrase, but it’s 100 percent accurate in this case. Anyone who says they’ve never gone right under the ball at least once like this is either lying or only plays courses that have zero rough. 

The difference between us and Morikawa? He got up and down for bogey, keeping his round alive, then made birdie on the very next hole:

Collin Morikawa still managed to get up and down for bogey.

He's 2 shots off the lead. pic.twitter.com/W4QgnOILEy

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 6, 2021

This bogey could prove to be huge, as Morikawa is now tied for the lead with Patrick Cantlay early on the back nine. If he goes on to win, it would be his second victory at Muirfield Village in the last year, though it would technically be his first Memorial Tournament win. Morikawa won the Workday Charity Open last year at Muirfield, then tied for 48th the following week in the Memorial.

The post Collin Morikawa whiffs on chip out of thick Muirfield Village rough, reacts accordingly appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
Because of how good he was between 2015 and 2017, anything less in the ensuing years from Jordan Spieth was always going to be cause for concern. When he went without a victory in the next three seasons, and experienced a particularly lean 2020, concern levels reached DEFCON 5.

Thankfully, in 2021 Spieth has seemingly returned to his former self, winning for the first time since the 2017 Open Championship at the Valero Texas Open in April and contending on a weekly basis. He has been declared “back” no less than a billion times by fans and golf media.

Technically, as Spieth reminded everyone on Tuesday at Muirfield Village, he didn’t actually go anywhere. He didn’t lose his card, didn’t take a three-year vacation and didn’t miss every single cut. To put it simply, he just couldn’t find much consistency, and in turn rarely popped up at the top of leader boards. While trying to recapture the 2015-2017 magic, Spieth went through the very normal struggles every great player faces in professional golf.

“The only thing that I care about looking backwards is mechanically matching up to what I was doing [four or five years ago],” Spieth said. “As far as any kind of comparisons to years or results, is literally the last thing that’s on my mind.

“I hate the word ‘back,’” he added. “I hate that, ‘He’s back.’ I never went anywhere. This is all part of what happens in a career. There’s ups and downs. And I like looking forward, at what are the pieces that I need to put together for this jump start? This new kind of way that I want to be playing golf week-in and week-out.”

If Spieth’s recent hot stretch has proven anything, it’s that he’s correct in saying he never actually went anywhere. His best self was always lurking somewhere underneath the surface. The missed cuts and the T-48s were all part of the proverbial “process” that has led to him being very much ba–, wait, nope, we don’t use the B-word anymore.

RELATED: Jack Nicklaus explains everything you need to know about the changes at Muirfield Village

The post Jordan Spieth really hates that word we all keep using to describe him appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
Perhaps more than any other sport, golf went on just fine without fans when it made its return in June. In fact, at times it seemed like a better viewing experience without the galleries, particularly at the Masters, where we got to see angles and corners of Augusta National usually hidden by the mass of patrons on the grounds.

RELATED: 13 ‘things’ that tell the story of golf in 2020

But we’d all be lying if we said we didn’t miss the fans a little. OK, maybe even a lot. What would Jordan Spieth’s bunker hole out at the 2017 Travelers Championship have been without the crowd’s reaction? Or Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy’s intense singles match at the 2016 Ryder Cup? Or Tiger Woods’ triumphant comeback victory at the 2019 Masters? The fans bring an energy that elevates moments like those to a completely different level, and we lost out on that a number of times during the PGA Tour’s restart.

To highlight just how dearly we missed the roars, we selected 10 moments from the PGA Tour restart that would have been that much better with fans on hand and being heard. And, of course, we ranked them, because that’s what you do on the Internet in 2020.

RELATED: Our 2020 Newsmakers of the year

10. Jim Herman’s approach into the 72nd green at the Wyndham Championship

Go ahead, laugh it up. But don’t tell us this wouldn’t have been a wild scene at the 72nd green at Sedgefield Country Club. Jim Journeyman Herman charging up the leader board with a 61-63 run on the weekend, capped off by this roped, 207-yard 5-iron to 10 feet? The place would have been going bananas. Never mind that he missed the final putt, the same putt Billy Horschel would go on to miss with a chance to force a playoff. This final approach, complete with Herman putting his hands on his hips for some reason as he stared it down, was one of the shots of the restart. Making it that much sweeter was the fact he looked more nervous trying to drink from a water bottle as he watched the final groups come in:

Jim Herman is the new David Stern water bottle incident… ? ?
⁦@SI_Golf⁩ pic.twitter.com/G16J5HkEEJ

— Ben Heisler (@bennyheis) August 16, 2020

This man deserved a standing O for that weekend performance. A shame no one was there to witness such greatness.

9. Scottie Scheffler shoots 59, Dustin Johnson shoots 60 on Friday at The Northern Trust

On a beautiful Summer Friday at TPC Boston, Scottie Scheffler went out in the morning and damn near burned the place to the ground, joining the elusive 59 club. Hours later, Dustin Johnson was threatening to make Scheffler’s 59 old news. DJ was an astounding seven under through five holes, then eight under through seven and nine under through eight. When he birdied 10 and 11 to reach 11 under through 11 holes on the par-71 course, 59 felt inevitable, and a 57 or 58 seemed in the cards. Somehow Johnson wound up parring in to shoot the most disappointing 60 in golf history. Sadly, we can only imagine the constant roars that would have echoed through the property with each Scheffler and DJ birdie that day.

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8. Sergio Garcia’s approach into the 72nd green at the Sanderson Farms

Despite his many misgivings, Sergio Garcia is still a fan favourite. Nowhere would that have been more evident than at the Country Club of Jackson, host of the Sanderson Farms Championship, which does not exactly boast a strong field year in, year out. This year was much different for a number of reasons, and because of the circumstances some marquee names made the trip to Mississippi, including El Niño. He went on to win for the first time on the PGA Tour since the 2017 Masters, finishing in style:

Sergio Garcia has just birdied the 72nd hole to win the @Sanderson_Champ

His first win since the 2017 Masters ?? pic.twitter.com/OpPXIXKruP

— ???????? ????? ? (@tacklingsport) October 4, 2020

Nothing produces a shocking “OHHHHH” from a gallery like a stuffed approach shot into 18. Maybe next year, my dear Mississippians (if Sergio decides to defend his title, that is).

7. Collin Morikawa’s missed short putt in a playoff at Colonial

The only thing more shocking than a stuffed approach into 18? A missed shorty, be it on the 18th or in a playoff, just like this one was for Collin Morikawa at the Charles Schwab Challenge:

And then Collin Morikawa catches a vicious paint-job, to give Daniel Berger the playoff W at Colonial…#CharlesSchwabChallenge
pic.twitter.com/JIWwj5r3ML

— Sportsbook Review (@SBRReview) June 14, 2020

Morikawa’s gut-wrenching miss gave Daniel Berger the victory, and it caused golfers everywhere to have nightmares over similar short misses of their own. If this future all-time great is missing four-footers, what does that mean for the rest of us? Sorry, not to bring up a sore subject (and sorry to Morikawa for bringing this up, too). We’re not saying we missed the fans cheering this on, we missed the ensuing “oooooos” and “ahhhhs.” Without them, this miss lost some of its shock factor (don’t worry, 2020 wasn’t all bad for Morikawa).

RELATED: The rising stars you should be watching on the European Tour in 2021

6. Jon Rahm’s chip-in on the 16th hole at the Memorial

If you think this deserves to be a little higher on the list, you may have forgotten just how many crazy moments there were during the restart (we’ll get to them). That said, this was a legendary moment from Rahm, whose chip-in on the 16th at Muirfield Village was eerily similar to Tiger Woods’ chip-in on the same hole in the same tournament eight years prior. And we later came to find out that it was actually for a bogey instead of a birdie, as Rahm was given a (somewhat bogus) two-stroke penalty for his ball moving when he addressed it with his wedge. Two-stroke penalty or not, the Ohio crowd would have been going OFF when this chip dropped.

5. Matthew Wolff, Bryson DeChambeau go eagle-for-eagle on the par-5 ninth in the U.S. Open final round

SPEEEED PERFECTION.@b_dechambeau lands an ? at the 9th. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/z1KT7rf8Wt

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) September 20, 2020

FLY, EAGLES, FLY!!@matthew_wolff5 answers back with an ? of his own at the 9th. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/DX04y8Bkpn

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) September 20, 2020

Had Wolff not fallen apart down the stretch, this could very easily have been the No. 1 moment we missed fans the most. Can you even fathom how loud the New York crowd would have been? What we really would love to know, however, is how they would have reacted to Bryson DeChambeau’s exceptional play throughout the week. They would have known about the bulk up, the awkward, cringey workout videos, the run-ins with cameramen over the summer. More than a few overserved fans would have reminded him of all of those things by shouting them at the top of their lungs. Would the fans have gotten in his head? If not, would they be firmly in Wolff’s corner? Would the Wolff eagle roar on the ninth hole have been louder? We’ll never know, which is deeply upsetting.

4. Dustin Johnson’s walk up the 18th fairway on Sunday at the Masters

Dustin Johnson wins the 84th Masters Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/5oYa0do7dD

— The Masters (@TheMasters) November 15, 2020

Yes, we realize he was up five shots and the back nine was not what anyone would describe as “tense.” But we still missed the patrons here because they would have given Dustin Johnson all the respect he deserved for finally conquering Augusta National that week. The walk up 18, and subsequent nonstop standing ovation Johnson would have received after cleaning up his par, would have been a very special one. Few players are loved by essentially everyone in the golf world. DJ is one of those players. Hopefully he wins another green jacket with the patrons on hand some day. At least we know he’ll have as many chances as he wants.

RELATED: The long, strange, surreal year in golf, summed up in 18 quotes

3. Collin Morikawa drives the 16th green on Sunday at the PGA Championship

As the leader in a major with all the pressure, Collin Morikawa dials up this drive? Unreal. pic.twitter.com/dy7VUdCwAc

— Golf on CBS (@GolfonCBS) August 10, 2020

Credit to Frank Nobilo, he made this feel as big as he could even without a massive roar from the crowd. And that’s because it was that big, “the shot of his life,” indeed. When Morikawa looks back on it some day, we doubt he’ll give a damn that no one was there to see it. But man, it would have been that much more special if there were a bunch of people surrounding 16 green watching that laser beam find the putting surface.

2. Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa trade blows at Muirfield Village

If not for a very similar situation that happened later in the summer, this would have been the clear cut No. 1. Two BOMBS on the first hole of sudden death at the Workday Charity Open, between an established superstar and a soon-to-be superstar, at one of the iconic courses on the PGA Tour schedule. The scene on 18 at Muirfield Village is always electric, just not in 2020. JT’s roar provided plenty of electricity, though. Of course, he didn’t even win because golf ain’t fair.

1. Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm go bomb-for-bomb at BMW Championship

It wasn’t a major, but Olympia Fields played like one that week and these two made it feel like one that Sunday. The only drawback here was that they didn’t go putt for putt like Morikawa-JT did, as Rahm had already finished and was warming up for a potential playoff on the range. But that wouldn’t have taken any energy out of the crowd on either putt. What more could you ask for? Two of the top three players in the world, a major championship vibe and crazy-long putts to force a playoff (DJ from 43 feet, 3 inches) and then win it (Rahm from 66 feet, 5 inches). Here’s hoping there are a lot more of these moments in 2021, and that there are golf fans there to witness them in person.

RELATED: Our 2020 Newsmakers of the Year

The post The 10 moments we missed golf fans most at PGA Tour events in 2020, ranked appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
After a hectic Friday evening at Muirfield Village, Saturday’s third round of the Memorial Tournament was a bit of a come down. Having no fans certainly plays a part in that, but the U.S. Open scoring conditions made for some grind-it-out golf. For those who appreciate a good pitchers duel in baseball, this was your kind of Saturday afternoon.

Sunday’s final round won’t be lacking in the drama department, so we’ve got that going for us. Here are our five takeaways from Day 3 at the Memorial.

Can Jon Rahm run away with it?

Good lord, that flipped on a dime, didn’t it? For a brief period, it looked like Tony Finau would exorcise some demons and break the Puerto Rico Open curse. Through 11 holes, Big Tone sat at 12 under, four clear of 25-year-old Spaniard Jon Rahm.

Then came the back nine and some big ol’ wind gusts. Finau played the final seven holes in four over, finishing with a one-over 73, which put him at eight under heading into Sunday. Rahm, meanwhile, played the most impressive back nine of any player in the third round [aside from Danny Willet]. He made four straight birdies between the 13th and 16th holes, and just barely missed a fifth in a row at 17. At the 18th, while everyone else was melting down, he got up-and-down for par to finish off a four-under 68, the lowest round of all 74 players who teed it up on Saturday.

According to the oddsmakers, this thing is already over. Depending on where you look, he’s anywhere between -400 and -500. That’s the World No. 2 (soon to be World No.1 ?) effect. Can anyone catch him?

Danny Willett reacts on the fourth green during the third round of the Memorial. (Sam Greenwood)

It’s going to be WINDY on Sunday

Jason Day, who shot an even-par 72 and sits at five under for the week, had this to say after his round.

“That lead is still not a secure lead,” said Day of Rahm’s four-shot edge. “You never know what’s going to happen; it’s going to be firm and it’s going to blow a lot tomorrow.”

For Day to come back and win he better hope it blows a ton, and he’ll still need some help from Rahm. That said, plenty of guys are still in it, even if it doesn’t blow like crazy. Mid-90s temperatures are in the forecast, meaning the greens will be as hard as they were on Saturday. Despite his meltdown, Finau still lurks at eight under, as does Ryan Palmer, who will play alongside Rahm in the final group. That should be a solid pairing for this duo, who teamed up to win the 2019 Zurich Classic.

But the guy to watch has to be England’s Danny Willett, whose incredible career resurgence continued on Saturday in the form of a two-under 70, which included a back-nine 32. Willett is six back, which is a lot of shots to make up. But if you recall, Willett made a decent comeback in some blustery conditions at the 2016 Masters. If you’re looking for some Sunday value, Willett at 25/1 is the play tomorrow.

Did anybody else miss Bryson on Saturday?

Judging by hardcore Golf Twitter on Friday evening, no, absolutely no one missed him. Then again, the content wasn’t nearly as easy to come by on Saturday. As hard as the golf course played, there weren’t a ton of blowups, but there weren’t many birdies either. After weeks of -19 and -21 winning scores, this U.S. Open style of play has been refreshing, but there was a bit of energy lacking in Saturday’s broadcast.

One can’t help but think DeChambeau’s absence played a role in that. Love him or hate him, he’s THE guy right now. Every shot and potential on-camera meltdown is now a must-see event. Jordan Spieth could have picked up that slack with a good round on Saturday, but Jordan Spieth doesn’t really shoot good rounds on Saturday.

Tiger Woods speaks to the media after playing in the third round of the Memorial. (Jamie Squire)

Deep breaths, everyone

No, Tiger Woods didn’t make the move we had all hoped for, but not many players did on Saturday in Dublin. The fact he posted one of the 20 under par rounds shot in the third round, and looked very smooth doing it is cause for everyone to exhale. He’s going to have his bad days and he’s going to have his good days. That’s just part of the deal going forward with the 15-time major champion. The hope is he can string four good golf days and good body days in the same week, which, as we’ve quickly forgotten, he just did this past fall in Japan. It’s all going to be OK, OK?

Is it time to worry about Brooks Koepka?

Andy Lyons

All the way back in February, Brooks Koepka made an alarming admission about the state of his left knee, on which he received a painful stem-cell injection last fall. “I don’t know if my knee will ever be 100 percent,” Koepka told Golf Channel prior to the Genesis Open at Riviera. “It’s one of those things where I’m just trying every day.”

The four-time major champion went on to finish T-43 that week. He’s since followed like this: cut, T-47, T32, 7th, cut. Through three rounds of the Memorial, he’s posted rounds of 72, 75 and Saturday’s 73, in which he suffered a pair of double bogeys.

Is the knee really bothering him, or is it a convenient excuse for poor play? Could be a combination of both, and let’s not forget to factor in just how difficult Muirfield Village played this week, not to mention his so-so results here in the past. It’s a dangerous game to speculate that it’s definitely injury-related, but Koepka admitted himself on Saturday that the left knee “still has its moments.” It was also revealed that he got an MRI on the knee this past Monday, and the results showed that nothing has improved. It all sounds a bit troublesome.

And yet, Koepka still claimed his game’s not that far off, which certainly appeared to be the case at Harbour Town, where he was a late missed short birdie putt away from seriously contending for a win. He needs some good results to secure himself in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and with a few majors coming up, no one would be surprised if he snapped out of it. But anyone who has followed golf the last 20 years [specifically Tiger Woods] knows that injuries to the left knee are pretty scary in this sport.

The post It’s Jon Rahm’s title to lose and four other takeaways from Day 3 at the Memorial appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
For a 20-handicapper, the 12th tee at Murifield Village presents an absolutely horrifying challenge. Inspired by the famous par-3 12th at Augusta National, the green has an incredibly narrow landing area with bunkers in front and behind. It stretches to 184 yards for the pros, much longer than Augusta’s 12th, and instead of a creek running through the front, there’s a massive lake prepared to swallow up any poor shots. Again, for a 20-handicapper, you might as well take your 5 and go to 13 tee.

But for the top players in the world, guys like Paul Casey, it’s a smooth 8- or 9-iron. Birdie is great, but there’s nothing wrong with a 3, either. However, a bad tee shot or a poor bunker shot could lead to a big number very quickly.

That’s what happened on Friday to Casey, who played the hole more like the 20-handicapper than the 25th-ranked player in the world. His tee shot found the back bunker, leaving a straightforward up-and-down for par. But Casey hit his second back over the water, setting up quite frustrating walk over the bridge to the other side. There is no video, but the new Tourcast technology still gave us a detailed look at this disaster:

After that, Casey chunked not one, but two shots into the water. By the time he dropped again, he was hitting his seventh, which, amazingly, he put to 10 inches and cleaned up his 8. These guys are still good, even when they are making a quintuple bogey:

Yikes. Looks like a John Madden telestrator. Impressively, Casey bounced back with birdies at 14 and 15—he obviously isn’t a 20-handicapper—which got him back to four over for the week. There is a ways to go in Friday’s second round, but as of now the projected cut is two over. Given how difficult the course is playing, it could stay there or it could move to one over. If Casey can pick up a few more birdies on the way in, he can sneak inside the cut line despite making a snowman.

The post Paul Casey played the par-3 12th at Muirfield Village like a 20-handicapper on Friday appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
Despite some brutal conditions at Muirfield Village, Bryson DeChambeau has still made Thursday’s first round of the Memorial Tournament his own personal long drive contest. On the back nine alone (his front), he uncorked drives of 353 yards, 362 yards and 406 yards. Silly stuff.

RELATED: Bryson DeChambeau sees criticisms as compliments

And yet, his longest drive of the day was still to come. At the par-4 first, with the wind at his back, DeChambeau aimed over the bunkers and over the trees down the right side of the hole. He then proceeded to swing completely out of his shoes, sending one into orbit that eventually came to rest just 45 yards from the hole. For those counting, that meant his drive travelled 423 yards.

423 yards.

423-yard drive. ?
Hits approach to six feet. ?
Makes the putt. ?@b_dechambeau gets back to even par.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/b7DOnHR5oo

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 16, 2020

The best part? He converted the birdie, causing hundreds of haters to delete their prepared “cool, he still didn’t make birdie!” tweets. You really hate to see it, folks.

By the way, DeChambeau followed that 423-yard hellacious seed with a weak 347-yard poke at the par-4 second. What a pipsqueak.

The post Bryson DeChambeau just hit a drive 423 yards (!!) at Muirfield Village appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.