Stephen Curry made a hole-in-one on Saturday, but, incredibly, he saved his best for Sunday.

The Golden State Warriors star and four-time NBA champ capped an unbelievable week in Lake Tahoe by capturing his first career title at the American Century Championship. And he did it in about as dramatic fashion as possible.

Trailing 2020 winner Mardy Fish by two points entering the final hole in the modified Stableford event, Curry drained a walk-off eagle. And, fittingly, it was from just around three-point range. Have a look:

STEPH CURRY WINS THE @ACChampionship WITH A EAGLE ON 18! ?? pic.twitter.com/OH8alOhYMn

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 16, 2023

What a putt. What a reaction.

Moments before, Fish, a former tennis star and U.S. Davis Cup captain, had missed a birdie putt from a similar distance and a tap-in par had given him 73 points for the 54-hole event. Curry’s five-point eagle vaulted him into first place with 75 points for the week.

Eight of those points came during the second round when Curry made this hole-in-one on the seventh hole of the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course:

HOLE-IN-ONE FOR @StephenCurry30!!! pic.twitter.com/aMEMeVretq

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 15, 2023

How about that for a weekend on the golf course? The tournament scoring differentiates a hole-in-one from an eagle (makes sense), and that wound up being the difference between first and second place for Curry. The two-time MVP is also the first active athlete to win the event unofficially known as the Super Bowl of Celebrity Golf since Mario Lemieux in 1998.

“I’ve always dreamt of a situation like this, on the 18th green in front of a crowd like that to make a putt,” Curry told NBC Sports after. “And you just stick to the routine, have so much confidence in yourself, live with the results. Thankfully, it went in, which is insane. I’ve been playing in this thing for almost a decade and to know I finally got a win is pretty, pretty special.”

The post Watch Stephen Curry make a walk-off eagle to win the American Century Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Dave Shedloski
In his first year as the head coach of the men’s and women’s golf programs at Howard University, which was also to be the school’s first in Division I, Sam Puryear didn’t get a chance to see his players compete, the fall season having been cancelled because of the ongoing pandemic.

Nevertheless, the year won’t be a total loss for his program and many others. In fact, Puryear expects it to end on a high note thanks to a golf event on the other side of the country.

Of great interest to Puryear and his players—and a lot of other college golfers—will be “Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Change,” which begins at 3 p.m. EST Friday on TNT. The entertainment value shouldn’t disappoint with a cast of Phil Mickelson, Charles Barkley, Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning competing at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Ariz., outside of Tucson. The value to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and on a larger scale to minority participation in golf, has equally promising potential.

Proceeds from this third rendition of the “The Match” franchise will predominantly benefit HBCUs, with most funds directed towards supporting golf and sports journalism programs. WarnerMedia, parent of TNT and presenter of the event, has earmarked donations to Morehouse College, Howard University, Alabama A&M, Hampton University and Winston-Salem State University. Other recipients, as selected by the players, include Grambling State, Jackson State, Lane College, Southern University and Tuskegee University.

“To know that the impetus is to help HBCUs is, to me, pretty incredible,” said Puryear, who played golf collegiately at Tennessee State University and coached at Stanford and Michigan State before taking over at Howard, located in Washington, D.C. “The [financial] support is one thing, but what I think could be more meaningful is the exposure, the chance to showcase our programs and our schools and to show how strong they are structurally and educationally, as well as athletically.”

“It’s fun for me to take the game that has given me so much and to open it up to all people and to help create opportunities to those that haven’t had the same opportunities that I have had,” Mickelson said in August at The Northern Trust. “All sports have been exclusionary over the years, and every sport is trying to be inclusive now, and that’s phenomenal. And golf is no different. We have had moments in our past that we’re probably … that we’re not proud of, and we’ve all made a real effort to create opportunities for all people.”

Curry, a three-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, has had a head start on creating opportunities at Howard. Through his foundation, the golf enthusiast who has competed in a handful of Korn Ferry Tour events, recently committed an unspecified sum to support the golf program for six years as it moved from a Division II program to Division I. “Last year I had the incredible opportunity to play a small role in the rich history of Howard University through the game of golf,” Curry said in a statement. “I truly believe an investment in HBCUs is an investment in our future, and I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to support these great institutions.”

Jonathan Devich
Barkley says it’s important for minorities to learn to play golf so they can use it as a resource when they get into the working world. “It’s like a part of life skills. Listen, I’ve made so many deals on the golf course.”

Barkley, meanwhile, who has become a successful broadcaster for TNT following a Hall-of-Fame NBA career, is in the midst of a personal 10-year giving initiative that amounts to $1 million each for five HBCU schools in his native Alabama—Tuskegee, Alabama A&M, Clark Atlanta University, Miles University and Morehouse.

“I think the main thing is it’s very important because I want these kids to play golf, No. 1,” Barkley said. “If they can make it to the tour, that would be a blessing. But the main thing, when you go into the business world, you need to play golf. It’s like a part of life skills. Listen, I’ve made so many deals on the golf course. I mean, that’s amazing.”

Puryear couldn’t agree more with that assessment. But currently there are only about 30 golf programs at HBCUs. “Developing good players is a start, but attracting good players is important, too,” he said. “I think this could definitely help because right now there’s a lot of talent that is coming out of the HBCU schools, and young players need to know that their talent can be developed. A lot of times that’s just never heard about. All of a sudden, you can get some of your best minority players who go to HBCU schools.

“What I really hope, though, is that this would help spearhead the creation of new golf programs at other places while rejuvenating older golf programs.”

The Washington Post
Curry stepped up in 2019 to help fund the Howard men’s and women’s golf team for six years.

But again, the larger goal is to expose more college-age minorities to the game at a higher level, “so that they have an acclimation to what is, really, a corporate game, and help them segue into relationships and opportunities in corporate America,” Puryear said.

“I think it’s really important to the fabric of our country to grow the game at the collegiate level for minorities,” he added. “That isn’t hyperbole. I’m just speaking numbers here. These students need a place to go. And when they get to that place, in addition to a solid education, they need some of the best arenas, the training facilities and golf courses, the best coaches to compete with the majority of schools. I think what Steph and Phil and Charles and Peyton are doing is fantastic—not just while these kids are attending college, but what they might have the opportunity to do afterwards with their lives.”

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By Dave Shedloski
Having been out of the broadcasting game for more than a year, Gary McCord can be excused for not knowing some of the finer details of his latest assignment as an on-course reporter for “Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Change” this Friday on TNT. For instance, he wasn’t quite sure if the third iteration of the franchise was to be played over nine or 18 holes.

Then he decided it didn’t really matter. “What the hell, you know me. I’ll talk for as long as they want me to talk,” the always-engaging septuagenarian said via phone from his home in Scottsdale.

Twitter would not find this fact in dispute.

For 35 years McCord was a wise-cracking one-liner machine for CBS Sports’ golf coverage until the network decided late last year to not renew his contract (or that of colleague and Scottsdale sidekick Peter Kostis). It was a sensational run for the former PGA Tour player who won twice on the PGA Tour Champions but truly found his calling once he stepped up to a microphone.

“The Match III” features five-time major champion Phil Mickelson teamed with TNT NBA commentator and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley against three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry and former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, a two-time Super Bowl winner. Proceeds primarily will benefit Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The first edition of “The Match” was staged the day after Thanksgiving two years ago when Mickelson defeated longtime rival Tiger Woods at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas in a $9 million winner-take-all event. In May, Woods and Manning teamed up in a second edition, beating Mickelson and Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady at Medalist Club in Florida that raised money for COVID-19 relief.

McCord, 72, said the offer to work this event, which will be held within driving distance of his home at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Ariz., “came way out of left field.” He agreed to participate for one simple reason. “Well, I’m doing OK, I’m not dead, but I am kind of bored,” he said. “I’ve had a year off, so … you know that whole deal. This should be entertaining.”

McCord still plays plenty of golf, mainly at Whisper Rock in Scottsdale, a haven for tour players and current and former athletes. But he can’t help but think his gift for gab should be the gift he keeps giving. McCord will co-host a one-hour program next year on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. He also is teaming with Kostis and a few others on another entertainment project that he is not yet at liberty to disclose. His role, naturally, is to be “the creative guy.”

Well, of course. And he will try to be as creative as possible on Friday when Mickelson and crew are not trash talking to one another.

“That’s what we’re waiting to hear,” McCord said. “You know Phil is going to be in the middle of it. I was texting Charles during the telecast in May [Barkley was part of the broadcast crew] and told him he nailed it when he said, ‘We all have that friend who’s annoying; that’s Phil.’ So my deal is to prompt Phil when Charles drives into the desert and then just let him go.

“I’m not there to tell you, ‘Wow, he’s got an 8-iron from 180 yards.’ I’m there to step into the chaos and keep it going. I can still do that. I can do that all day.”

The post Gary McCord knows his role as he returns to golf broadcasting: ‘I’m there to step into the chaos and keep it going’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

What a time to be alive for Golf Digest’s taste buds! Although, collectively, our cholesterol, weight and blood-sugar levels have spiked (Who is eating the apples, by the way?). The situation also has led to some serious hoarding of snacks (hence, why there were no mini cans of Pringles in that photo) at various desks, so if any co-workers are looking for some Famous Amos chocolate-chip cookies, whatever you do, do NOT open my top drawer. Anyway, let’s pop open a fresh bag of these delightful treats and talk about everything happening in golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Justin Thomas: And just like that, Thomas is poised to more than salvage what had been a frustrating—and disappointing for his high standards—season. JT picked a great time to pick up his first win of 2019 at the BMW Championship, cruising to a three-shot win after building a six-shot cushion through 54 holes thanks to a course-record 61 on Saturday at Medinah.

Icon Sportswire

Now Thomas is in the pole position for the Tour Championship thanks to the tweaked format that gives the FedEx Cup leader a two-shot lead heading into the season finale. Thomas will stand on the opening tee at East Lake at 10 under par before hitting a single shot. That means if he plays as well as he did last week, he’ll end up at 35 under! He’ll also be more than $15 million richer.

Andy Ogletree: Meanwhile at Pinehurst, golfers were only playing for the love of the game. And this Georgia Tech rising senior overcame a field of 312, two courses, and a large deficit in the final to claim the 119th U.S. Amateur Championship. With the win, Ogletree took home the Havemeyer Trophy and will get to take a crack at Augusta National next April.

Copyright USGA/Chris Keane

That is going to be one memorable final semester.

Kyle Berkshire: On back-to-back days in the office, a group of us were drawn into watching World Long Drive competitions featuring this freewheeling and free-flowing (Seriously, Tommy Fleetwood has nothing on this dude’s luscious locks) bomber. And both days, Berkshire, ranked No. 1 on the Long Drive circuit, delivered with easy victories. Count me as a new, big fan of this specimen:

And how about these stats? A career-long competition drive of 492 yards. A career-best ball speed of 229 mph (We go nuts about Cam Champ cracking 190)! What a monster. I just wish I had Googled the results while we were watching and bet on Kyle because I’m pretty sure my co-workers thought the events were live. Oh well.

Tiger’s entrances: Even during weeks in which he posts forgettable finishes, no one makes memorable entrances to a golf course like Tiger Woods:

Ready to rumble. @TigerWoods arrives @BMWChamps. pic.twitter.com/9CnGcZNSSb

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 15, 2019

But as we know, backward hat Tiger is beatable. Backward hat AND tank top Tiger? Good luck, everyone.

WE’RE SELLING

Tiger’s season coming to an end: It’s true, Tiger hasn’t done much since winning the Masters in April. In fact, he’s hardly even played. But again, he won THE MASTERS! How is that not worth enough FedEx Cup points to automatically earn him a trip to the Tour Championship?! Forget about the wacky Tour Championship leader board, this is the craziest part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs system! (And for the record, yes, Shane Lowry not getting in as the Open champ is also ridiculous.) Then again, we shouldn’t be surprised. Check out this stat from the AP’s Doug Ferguson:

11 players who didn't win a tour event this season are at East Lake. 22 who did are not at East Lake. Such are the FedEx Cup playoffs. …

— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) August 19, 2019

That’s pretty wild. But again, nothing is as wild as the fact that one of those 22 winners is the reigning MASTERS champ. Absurd.

Paddy’s streak coming to an end: Hats off to Padraig Harrington for going more than three decades without having his golf clubs lost in transit.

1st time in 32 years of traveling that my clubs have failed to arrive on the way to a tournament. Strange as it was a direct flight and I checked in 3 hours early. How lucky am I @EuropeanTour

— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) August 12, 2019

That might be more impressive than Tiger’s record 142 consecutive cuts made. Welcome to the real world, Paddy. Actually, Harrington got them back the next day so he’s still living a pretty charmed life.

Four-putting to end a tournament: Poor John Augenstein on the 35th hole of the U.S. Amateur final. That’s a rough way to finish after playing so much great golf throughout a week-long marathon.

Streeter Lecka

On the bright side, at least he’ll still be joining Andy Ogletree at the Masters next year. Better work on that putting, though, John. Augusta National’s greens aren’t exactly slow, either.

ON TAP

The final 30 remaining in the FedEx Cup Playoffs advance to the Tour Championship, AKA the last event of the season before a new season starts less than three weeks later. Actually, the two-week gap between events is double what the break in the action was last year. Golfers might be able to read an entire book AND clean out the garage this off-season.

Random tournament fact: Remember this?

Yeah, that was awesome. In fact, re-live that incredible day with this fantastic oral history of Tiger’s historic march to the 2018 Tour Championship title compiled by our Joel Beall. Not surprisingly, the Roger Maltbie quotes are the best.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Tiger Woods will be toiling away at the range this week: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds

—Justin Thomas will win the Tour Championship: 9-to-4 odds

—The Tour Championship’s TV ratings will be down from last year: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

It’s nice to see Andre Iguodala’s recent trade to the Grizzlies hasn’t kept him from playing golf with former Warriors teammate Stephen Curry:

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/GJuNfaAbHT

— andre (@andre) August 20, 2019

That's my dawg ?. 320yd down the center https://t.co/G7LFw4vwpm

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) August 20, 2019

Golf buds forever.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“[It was] very special to win my 15th major and get my fifth jacket. Those are special moments and to be able to have an opportunity like that, and the rest of the tournaments I didn’t really play as well as I wanted to, but at the end of the day, I’m the one with the green jacket.” —Tiger Woods

Damn straight you are, Tiger.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

It was nice of Justin Thomas to win in girlfriend Jillian Wisniewski’s neck of the woods so she could also be there:

Andrew Redington

Again, JT is the last of the SB2K crew to get engaged … Just saying. … Speaking of relationships with golfers …

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Things my husband will do for Golf, but not for me:
1. Wake up early
2. Improve his flexibility
3. Watch instructional videos to improve
4. Buy clothes
5. Spend 5 hours outside

I am stuck in a love triangle.

— Molly McGrath (@MollyAMcGrath) August 13, 2019

I have no clue what Molly is talking about … kidding! Nailed it.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

It turned out to be Phil Mickelson’s final event of the season, but Lefty sure went out with a, um, bang. First, he got all feisty PHEISTY with a golf writer:

Thanks for noticing. I did a pro am dinner last night for 100 dealers and customers instead.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 14, 2019

And Luke Donald:

We agree one one thing at least

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 14, 2019

If you come at the (Content) King, you best not miss.

Then Phil doled out dating advice to a Twitter follower, earning the nickname Dr. Phil:

Noooooo!
Take her to a suspenseful movie,hold her hand during scary parts. Physiological response is same for fear and arousal. She will displace fear for attraction towards you. Back in the game. You’re welcome.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 17, 2019

Hey, that’s not bad. … And last, but not least, he live-tweeted being evacuated from his hotel after a lightning strike caused a fire:

How’s this for crazy? My hotel was struck by lighting, I was on top floor,we were evacuated and the place is on fire(only thing of mine on fire this week.) I can’t get back into my room and may miss my tee time because I am without clubs and clothes.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 18, 2019

EMT’s were awesome! I’m going to make it. Turns out my clubs acted as a fire retardant. Lucky me?

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 18, 2019

Never a dull moment with this guy. Phil, I already named you the PGA Tour’s Content King. You can relax now!

THIS AND THAT

Congrats to Joe LaCava for being inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame. Now get back to work at the Tour Champions—oh, right. Never mind. . . . Stephen Curry made a seven-figure donataion to re-start the men’s and women’s golf programs at Howard University. I often joke about Steph setting a bad example for “the kids” by throwing his mouthpiece during games, but this is freaking awesome for the kids. Well done. . . . Also well done to the European Tour for announcing a plan to address slow play. Although, if we eliminate slow play from the game, what will everyone have to complain (and write) about? . . . And finally, co-worker Joel Beall got (literally) the worst break on a golf course over the weekend when a playing partner shanked a drive off his golf bag:

It reminded me that the only time I’ve broken a phone was when a pocket in a rental golf bag/set filled up with water. The morale of the story: Do NOT put your phone in your golf bag. At least there were plenty of snacks for Joel to enjoy in the office while he waited for a replacement.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What will Phil do happen to Phil next?

Is Tiger looking for a game this weekend?

Are we getting another Famous Amos delivery soon?

The post Justin Thomas’ unusual spot, Phil Mickelson’s dating advice, and the most entertaining golfer you aren’t watching appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
After winning back-to-back NBA titles, Stephen Curry will make it back-to-back starts at the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic. The Golden State Warriors star announced on Monday he has accepted a sponsor’s exemption to tee it up in the San Francisco Bay-area event again on Aug. 9-12 after an impressive debut last year.

Curry shot a pair of 74s at TPC Stonebrae in 2017. He missed the cut by 11 shots and finished tied for 148th in the 156-man field, but drew praise from many for his effort.

“The players on the Web.com Tour welcomed me with open arms in 2017, and it was an amazing experience to play with up-and-coming PGA TOUR stars inside the ropes at TPC Stonebrae,” Curry said in a statement issued on Monday. “I have been fortunate to be a member of an incredible team in the Golden State Warriors, and I was elated to feel that same level of camaraderie onsite last year. Golf is a game that has provided wonderful experiences in my life, and I am excited to return to the Ellie Mae Classic in August.”

Curry has been keeping his game sharp — even during the NBA Finals in June. While the Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers, Curry posted three scores to the USGA’s GHIN system. He is currently listed with a 0.0 handicap index, although he’s been as low as a plus-1.2.

It’s been a big year for celebrity golfers already with Tony Romo making his PGA Tour debut in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, where he shot 77-82 to miss the cut and finish in last place. Romo has since won a Wisconsin amateur tournament by nine shots and the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe. Curry, who, like Romo, plays as an amateur, finished a disappointing T-11 in the tournament and jumped into Lake Tahoe after losing a bet to his dad. A celebratory leap into the San Francisco Bay, however, will be in order if he can somehow make the cut.

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WATCH MORE VIDEOS FROM THE LOOP

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Last week at Firestone Country Club, Rory McIlroy hit 52 of 56 tee shots 300 yards or more. This season, 40 players are averaging 300 yards or more off the tee on the PGA Tour, led by Dustin Johnson and his 314.3 average (though McIlroy would top the list at 318.8 yards if he played enough rounds to qualify).

More players are hitting the ball farther than ever, but being long is also becoming more integral to success.

Of the top 20 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, 11 are averaging more than 300 yards. In 2000, five players in the top 20 in the world ranked in the top 40 in driving distance. In 1990, that number was just four, with more than a few players ranking well down the list when it came to distance.

“The power game is the new direction of golf,” says Dave Stockton, a two-time winner of the PGA Championship in 1970 and ’76 who was also among the shorter hitters of his time. “But what creates the power sure doesn’t help the short game. Very few, such as Tiger and Jack, could do both.”

The long ball has always been advantageous in golf of course—being closer to the hole means a shorter club into the green and a better chance of getting the ball close. But with each passing year it’s becoming even more important to success—what used to be a 6- or 7-iron in for “hitters” 20 and 30 years ago is now a wedge for today’s players.

As Stockton noted, very few have prodigious length and a phenomenal short game. In the current era, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler come to mind.

And this week at Quail Hollow length figures to be a factor again—McIlroy, Fowler, J.B. Holmes, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh are all past winners of the Wells Fargo event played here and each is well known for their long-ball prowess.

The point? The old adage “drive for show, putt for dough” still has merit, but isn’t quite as prophetic as it once was. With the rare exception, players today have to hit it far to stay at the top.

Lachlan Cunningham

THE STEPH EXPERIMENT

Before basketball superstar Steph Curry even hit a shot at last week’s Ellie Mae Classic on the Web.com Tour, bets were being bandied about by the guys in the field who play golf for a living. The props among players ranged from Curry, who has a handicap index of +0.7, not breaking 80, to finishing in last place by at least 10 shots.

“I won a little bit of money,” confessed one player on the Web.com Tour I spoke with. “He’s a decent player, and with the way the course was set up, it was pretty easy. I thought he’d shoot right around where he did.”

In the end, the basketball player beat just four other golfers (one of whom was an amateur), but his pair of 74s were more than respectable and a lot better than what many expected.

His presence also gave the event tremendous buzz—even if it wasn’t televised—and brought more eyeballs than usual.

“I saw a lot of fans in basketball jerseys,” said Erik Compton. Count the former PGA Tour pro who was in the field, and who plays a lot of golf with former NBA player Ray Allen, among those who also came away impressed.

“He’s a good player,” said Compton, who found himself checking his phone to see how Curry was faring. “Ray has a better swing than Steph—he has a tour pro’s swing and I’ve seen him be four or five under after six holes—but Steph was polished.”

And a few players cleaned up, too.

SCHEDULE SHAKE-UP

Tuesday’s announcement of the PGA Championship’s move from August to May, and the Players move from May back to March was the worst-kept secret in golf.

It was a process that had been in the works for years and reported as all but a done deal last fall.

PGA of America

Essentially, the golf calendar beginning in 2019 will look like this: The Players in March, Masters in April, PGA in May, U.S. Open in June, British Open in July, FedEx Cup Playoffs in August with the season likely to conclude on Labor Day weekend.

With less fanfare, the European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, also moves from its previous spot in May to September. There it will share the stage with the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup to set up a steady and predictable run of big golf for seven months.

The announced changes will also impact the schedule elsewhere. For example, what would it mean for the two WGC events that were played in March? What about the Playoffs?

“If we had made all the decisions and everything was ready to go, that’s what we would be announcing today but we’re not there,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said. “We have more work to do.”

Stay tuned. There’s more shuffling to come.

RELATED: Will this new schedule create an actual offseason?

THREE THINGS I THINK I THINK

I think that the PGA Tour gets the better end of the deal in the March/May swap, but the PGA Championship does get a better date for TV ratings. It wouldn’t be a surprise, either, to see the PGA of America benefit in additional ways from this deal and its partnership with the tour—meaning anything from more player involvement in some of its initiatives, to, according to some, participation in an event of some sort. …

I think this will be an awfully wet PGA Championship with Friday being the worst of it, at least according to my Weather Channel app. …

I think tour players practicing in shorts is a good idea, but it feels and looks odd, particularly at a major. The players love it, of course, but it does take away some of the feel of this being such a big event. Maybe save the rule for Mondays and Tuesdays of regular tournaments.

WHO I LIKE THIS WEEK

McIlroy and Fowler have a history at Quail Hollow, but with all the rain and soft conditions expected this week there should be plenty of birdie opportunities, which only opens the tournament up to more players. Still, it feels like Fowler will win a major at some point soon and he arrives off a good weekend at Firestone. The same can of course be said for Hideki Matsuyama, who blistered that course on Sunday with a 61 and has been moving the right way in terms of contending for a major, particularly at the PGA. As for Jordan Spieth and completing the career Grand Slam, when the storyline feels too good to be true it usually is. I guess that means I’m taking Hideki.

David Cannon
Hideki will have no place to hide after he wins his first major.

---

The post Why power plays on the PGA Tour, a Steph Curry redux and what to expect at Quail Hollow appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Playing on an unrestricted exemption at the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic, the two-time league MVP acquitted himself well on Thursday with a four-over-par 74 at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, Calif. Curry’s performance exceeded the expectations of most observers and impressed the PGA Tour’s top players competing this week in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

“That’s a good score. Very impressive,” said former World No. 1 and Masters champion Adam Scott. “There aren’t any pro golfers shooting 74 going into an NBA game, that’s for sure.”

RELATED: Watch highlights of Stephen Curry’s impressive Web.com Tour debut

The decision by tournament officials to grant the exemption to Curry, an all-star guard for the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, drew both criticism and kudos. Those in support argued it would bring more attention to the game, while critics said he was taking a spot from an aspiring professional. That brought even greater scrutiny to Curry, but he responded with a respectable round.

“To play that well with the kind of pressure he must have been under is very impressive. It’s cool what he did,” said Rickie Fowler. “I’ve never been thrown in a situation where I’ve had to perform at the highest level — or one of the highest levels — competing in another sport. There may be a couple of athletes on the PGA Tour, maybe Dustin Johnson or Gary Woodland, who could look athletic on a basketball court, but they aren’t going to play to the level that he did as a golfer.”

Zach Johnson said he could see both sides. “I’ve heard both sides of it. Is he taking a — I don’t know, I don’t know if he’s taking a spot. Is he taking a spot to a guy that potentially could use that down the road? I don’t have any idea, I don’t know how that crunches. But I also see the positive in that a brings a pretty awesome light to the tournament, which brings huge light to the charities, the sales. There’s definitely a lot of positives there, too. And it’s one guy, one week. My assumption wouldn’t be every year, but I don’t fault him. It’s not his fault they offered it to him.”

Johnson also acknowledged that he expected worse than a 74 from Curry, though he accurately predicted that he would miss the cut. “I probably would have lost money if you would have said he was going to shoot four over the first day,” he said. “I probably would have. I’m not a betting guy, but if I were to bet, I would say he’s probably going to miss the cut, you know?”

Bill Haas, meanwhile, was intrigued., “His dad [Del Curry] was actually my favorite player growing up,” Haas, a North Carolina native and Charlotte Hornets fan, said “He liked to shoot it and I liked to shoot it, so I’ve been a fan of their family for a long time. It was news to me he was getting a start so it was fun to see him playing. I’d seen some stats about other athletes who had not done well in a similar situation scoring-wise … the average was like 79, so for him to shoot 4 over is really good. If I was to try to lace them up I would look like a 100 shooter by comparison on the basketball court. This is the only sport where something like this can happen.”

Haas said he made a point to look up Curry’s round. Paul Casey, likewise, was intrigued enough to check out the Web.com Tour scores.

“I looked it up. It’s very cool what he did,” Casey said. “I was asked yesterday if I thought he could break 80. That’s a hand grenade question. But whatever he shot, he hit it good, under pressure, really good. I heard he was a good golfer.

“And it’s good for golf. People are talking about the sport. I thought it was brilliant to get people talking about the game and help grow the game.”

The post PGA Tour players react to Steph Curry’s opening-round 74: ‘Very cool what he did’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Shortly after helping to lead the Golden State Warriors to a second NBA title in three seasons, Curry accepted a sponsor’s invitation to play in this week’s Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic. The decision sparked a big debate over whether Curry should take a spot in an actual tournament, but the two-time NBA MVP proved a lot of doubters wrong with an impressive opening round of 74 on Thursday.

Before he teed off in his first round, sportsbooks listed Curry as +900 (A $100 wager would win you $900) to make the cut and -2500 (Risking $2,500 to win $100) to miss the cut. The over/under for his high score for the tournament was set at 79.5 (TPC Stonebrae is a par 70) and for his low score at 76.5. If you bet on the latter, congratulations. Although you might have a gambling problem.

And if you bet on Curry sticking around for the weekend, you’re crazy, but at least you’re not totally out of it. When Curry concluded his round, he was tied for 140th in the field of 156. Not too shabby considering he’s competing against guys who do this for a living.

After a sluggish start of three bogeys in his first five holes — including a yanked opening tee shot that ended up in the cup holder of a golf cart — Curry got going with his first birdie on TPC Stonebrae’s 16th (his sixth hole of the day):

The first birdie of @StephenCurry30's #WebTour career. ? pic.twitter.com/8ZDFcaRim0

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 3, 2017

Then a par save on No. 18 (his ninth hole of the day) that produced a first big fist pump:

“He’s putting on a show!” ?@StephenCurry saves an unlikely par at the 18th @EllieMaeClassic.

He’s +2 thru nine holes. pic.twitter.com/cd5FZDTwcZ

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 3, 2017

Come on @stephencurry30 time to drop some 3’s on that card… ???

A post shared by Ian Poulter (@ianjamespoulter) on Aug 3, 2017 at 10:30am PDT

@StephenCurry30 turning in +2 is one of the purest things I've ever seen!

— Willy Wilcox (@willwilcoxgolf) August 3, 2017

https://twitter.com/JustinThomas34/status/893226220367876096

.@StephenCurry30 making 3 birdies and shooting +4 is super impressive. Great golfer but things can be tougher inside the ropes. Well done

— Ben Crane (@bencranegolf) August 3, 2017

Playing partner Stephen Jaeger said he was impressed with Curry’s game, especially his touch around the greens. He was also happy to get a chance to play in front of so many fans.

“Sam and I are going to be on the PGA Tour next year, so for us, it’s a great experience,” Jaeger said.

Curry has a 2:15 ET tee time for Friday afternoon.

“I want to play better tomorrow,” Curry said. “And now that I’ve gotten the jitters out, hopefully, that will happen.”

The post Watch highlights of Stephen Curry’s impressive Web.com Tour debut appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.