At least no one called him ‘Brooksie’. Ah, a silver lining.

That’s good because he had a few names to pin to his own chest. The most prominent would be “confused.” The player who won the 2020 U.S. Open and seven other PGA Tour events, including the 2018 Memorial, the so-called Mad Scientist who adds barometric pressure to his equations on effective yardage to a target, is thoroughly discombobulated.

It was a week of the young guns as Denny McCarthy, 29, KH Lee, 30, Davis Riley, 25, Cameron Young, 25 are all within striking distance of Cameron Smith’s lead at eight-under par — oh, and he is 28. Bryson was nowhere near.

“My golf swing is a wreck,” Bryson said on Friday after posting an altogether sloppy five-over 77, his worst score in 20 rounds at Jack Nicklaus’ prized layout. He missed the cut with lots of room to spare at nine-over 153. “I need to work a little harder with it. Just didn’t have anything out there. Attitude is great. I love being out here again and returning to compete, but it sucks playing bad golf. So it’s just trying to climb the mountain top again.”

It might be a long climb.

Friday’s tour of Muirfield Village included five fairways hit, seven greens in regulation and a cumulative strokes gained/tee-to-green average of -8.322, which ranked 116th in the field of 119 when he signed his card. He ranked 101st off the tee in the second round, which has to gnaw at a player who has expressly sought to conquer the game through sheer power.

DeChambeau, 28, wouldn’t blame his troubles on his repaired left hamate bone, which he had surgically repaired April 14 in Dayton, Ohio. Not once did he feel pain swinging the club, even when lashing through the thick bluegrass rough that might be the equal of what players will encounter in two weeks in the US Open at The Country Club in Brookline. That was another plus.

But mechanically, he is just lost. That simply does not compute.

DeChambeau, who has dropped to 24th in the world, said he is trying to recreate the motion that carried him to plenty of success in 2017-18, when he felt his game was most consistent and repeatable. He won five times in that period, including consecutive FedEx Cup playoff events. Having cranked up his clubhead speed and beefed up his body, he said, shouldn’t hinder the process of finding that form again.

“That was, like, magical to me, where I just felt like I was invincible,” he said. “Every day, I could have the same exact shot no matter what, no matter the conditions, under the pressure, no matter nothing. I’ve been trying to create some motions that are repeatable back from 2017 and 2018 and I can’t find it. It’s crazy. Like, golf is a weird game where, yeah, swings a little different, speeds a little different but the motion through impact should be relatively the same. I just can’t get to a place where it’s similar every single time through impact, like I used to do. And so, just trying to get back to those feels, and I’ve been in and out of it, but it just doesn’t stay.”

When he triumphed in the US Open at Winged Foot with a dominating performance, DeChambeau talked about going down certain “rabbit holes” to improve, but he could always get back to square one and not lose his original swing.

“Yeah, deep down a lot of rabbit holes, and none of them are solidifying any stable manner,” he said. “And what I mean by that is just, it’s just not coming to a consistent base. So like, for example, I’ll try and swing it more inside out for me to get it to draw more, and the ball will cut. And I’m like, that just doesn’t make sense. I swing it more inside out, I feel like I do, but the divot’s to left and I’m like, ‘OK, there’s a huge misconception between my perception and reality’ and so I can’t resolve those two. So, it’s a bit of a mystery and very frustrating because my whole life I’ve been able to consistent drawers and control it and now for some reason I can’t.”

To hear DeChambeau talk this way, to hear the frustration in his voice, is discordant with his cock-sure demeanor of a few years ago. In 2019, as defending champion of the Memorial, DeChambeau returned to Muirfield Village for media day, and he presented a lengthy dissertation on his approach to playing the game. Standing in front of a chalk board set up on the driving range, the brainy California native listed a number of factors that he considers — including things such as air density, elevation change and wind vector — before hitting a “basic” shot of 150 yards.

He might venture down rabbit holes, but his mind tends to hover in the stratosphere.

At least his round was played in relative peace in a pairing with 2020 Memorial winner Jon Rahm and congenial Irishman Shane Lowery, the 2019 Open champion. A year ago, he was in the midst of a strange feud with four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, mostly being played out on social media.

Things got edgier during last year’s Memorial when Koepka, who is getting married to longtime girlfriend Jena Sims this weekend in Turks and Caicos, took to Instagram to offer free cases of Michelob Ultra (for which he serves as a spokesman) to fans who had chanted “Brooksie” while DeChambeau was playing and were subsequently escorted from the premises.

The two men appeared to mend fences in September as they helped the U.S. Ryder Cup team to a record victory over Europe, even sharing a hug in the post-round press conference.

“I’ve had better times in my life,” DeChambeau said, considering the last 12 months. “I’m very grateful and appreciative of where I am. I would never complain one bit, but it’s definitely there’s things in the back that have been difficult for me, and again, I’m appreciating where I’m at, and continuing to just work hard.”

He was going to hit the range immediately after the interview in hopes of connecting the swings he made on the course to his practice session to not lose the “sensations” he had just experienced. The opening round of the 122nd U.S. Open is in 13 days, not much time to prepare.

By then maybe he can jettison one sensation. “Yeah, it’s no fun playing golf like this,” he said.

The post Bryson DeChambeau’s game remains a frustrating ‘mystery’ as young guns swing 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.

His backers, which are many, say this is an oversimplification and embellishment of the 25-year-old’s nascent career. After all, the man finished runner-up at his Masters debut in 2021, took Justin Thomas to a playoff at this year’s PGA Championship and has five top-10 finishes in seven major starts. Clearly the flat stick isn’t that bad. Others say, well, look at the stats. Zalatoris finished 122th in strokes gained/putting last season and entered this week 166th. Maybe, this crowd counters, if he and his putter were on the same page those top 10s would have translated into wins.

So when that putter cooperates, like it did on Thursday at the Memorial, it gives a glimpse of what could be on Zalatoris’ horizon. Thanks to 11 consecutive one-putts, Zalatoris turned in a four-under 68 to be near the top on Day 1 at Muirfield Village.

“I made some nice par saves to keep the momentum going and had a couple of bonuses in there with a couple of 20-footers,” Zalatoris said, needing just 24 putts on the day and ranking first in putts per GIR. “Pretty pleased where my game is at, but need to drive a little better the next few days.”

Zalatoris’ one-putt streak began after starting with bogey on the 10th hole, and proceeded to make seven birdies in that 11-hole stretch. To be fair, Muirfield Village’s defences were muted by overnight rains; still, for one often at odds with his short game, now is no time for asterisks.

“Crazy,” Zalatoris said of his round. “Making eight birdies around this place obviously is really nice. I was just saying earlier before I came out here, Monday, Tuesday, if you said I was going to shoot 68 first round, I thought it would be four birdies, no bogeys. I’m shocked at how this place has softened up, with the weather we’ve had, because Monday and Tuesday was probably one of the firmer practice rounds I think I’ve had in my short stint out here.

“I guess it feels like Augusta. When you get out there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, it’s crazy firm all of a sudden greens keep the same pace, but they soften up a little bit.”

Yes, it’s only one day, and Zalatoris has been one of the better opening-round players on tour this year. The weekend, not so much (115th in Saturday scoring, 116th on Sunday). But even the most well-rounded players aren’t perfect. He is young, not even 50 tour starts to his name, and though he’s still looking for his breakthrough victory, he’s continued to put himself in a weekly position of knocking at the door. Eventually it will open, and when it does, Zalatoris could leave that pesky narrative on the outside.

Three other things you may have missed from Day 1 at the Memorial.

 Ben Jared

Spieth gets it rolling

Speaking of those in couples therapy with their putters, Jordan Spieth has been battling his Cameron flat stick most of this season, ranking 173rd in SG/putting. It’s been particularly brutal on the short ones, standing in 200th on tour from within three feet and 198th from five. Things have reached the point where Spieth was experimenting with a putter change earlier in the week.

But Spieth kept his old club in the bag, and his loyalty paid off, gaining three strokes on the field on the dance floors on Thursday en route to a respectable two-under start.

“I didn’t strike the ball really well at all and I putted great. Kind of the opposite of how things have been going,” Spieth admitted, “but I’ve been putting in a lot of work in with the putting and made a couple early and then just kept it going made a birdie early and kept it going.”

Spieth insisted there’s nothing new he’s been working on, and that while the stats haven’t showed it he does feel like he’s progressing. He’s confident in where he’s going, even if it has taken a bit longer to get there.

“Had some misreads, just been looking for the hole to catch a few, and let it get going,” Spieth said. “And got on some fast — this morning might have been the best putting surface I’ve ever been on in my life, they were that good.

“So you knew there was no excuse, and then they were so quick that wherever you’re going to start, it’s just going to roll perfectly.”

Muirfield Village has been a mixed bag for Spieth. He’s made the cut in eight of nine appearances, but has really only contended once, finishing T-3 in his magical 2015 season. Thursday’s conditions facilitated a lot of red on the board, but for a player in desperate need of results from his putter, Spieth walks away with something far more dangerous than a good score.

Sam Greenwood

Young’s star continuing to shine

He may have introduced himself to a larger audience at the PGA Championship, but Cameron Young has been doing work long before Southern Hills. The rookie is 10th on tour in strokes gained/total and seventh in scoring, and entered Ohio on a heater, finishing T-3 or better in each of his last three starts. That heater is still flaming after Thursday as Young is tied atop the board with a five-under 67.

“I think I’ve just been driving it really consistently,” Young said afterward. “I don’t know if I hit as many fairways today, but I feel like I hit a lot of good shots off the tee and consistently doing that has put me right there a lot. If I can hit the driver well, I’m going to put myself in a lot of places where not only do I have a chance to make birdie but it’s hard to make a bogey.”

Young did just that, making five birdies while throwing in an eagle at the par-5 15th, with only two bogeys on the front side (his back) keeping him from a clean card.

“I think to have shot something worse than five when I was five-under through seven holes, even missing a short one on 16, to have shot three or four, I think would have been a little disappointing given that start,” Young said. “It’s just nice to feel like I got back to where I was in the middle of the round and post a good score.”

It’s worth restating that Young is in his first year on tour, earning his card thanks to back-to-back wins last year on the Korn Ferry circuit. However, despite it being his freshman campaign, Young has eschewed any “happy to be here” notions.

“I was hoping to [compete], for sure,” Young said. “I think we knew what was possible, but I think I’ve also gotten a lot better throughout this season. I think I’m continuing to figure out how to play professional golf better. I think I’m learning what I can and can’t do. And having done well, I think, makes it a lot easier. If I was really fighting to keep my card for next year, I think it gets a lot harder. To have been around the lead and then finish high a few times, I think, just that comfort level has gone up and I’ve been able to keep going, doing what I’ve been doing.”

Forget keeping his card; Young is in the driver seat for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, and could be in line to snag a spot on the US Presidents Cup team. Helping that cause would be a win this week. Mentioned above, Young’s profile was already bright and made brighter by contending in Tulsa. Should he take home Jack’s tournament, consider Young a full-blown star.

Andy Lyons

Hideki DQ’d

Hideki Matsuyama won his first career tour event at the Memorial in 2014. He had another tour first on Thursday, albeit one he’d rather forget, as the former Masters champ was disqualified for the use of a nonconforming club.

Matsuyama shot a three-over 39 through his first nine holes at Muirfield Village, but was pulled off the course before reaching the 10th. Tournament officials discovered early in the round that Matsuyama’s 3-wood — with a face that had been covered in white paint — was in possible violation of the rules for applying foreign substance to the club.

Under the new Rules of Golf, had Matsuyama not used the club before being notified, he could have continued. However, Matsuyama used the 3-wood on his opening tee shot.

Rules official Steve Rintoul explained that although the substance was believed to act as an alignment aid (foreign substances have been known to create greater distance) it still constituted a violation of the rules because the paint was considered excessive. Matsuyama was told about the potential issue on the second hole and reconfirmed what happened on the fifth. The reason he was not disqualified until the 10th is because tour officials needed to confer with the USGA about the violation.

“Our committee became aware through some pictures that were posted that there may be a substance that has been painted on the face of one of Hideki’s clubs,” Rintoul explained. “And we approached Hideki and went through the process. Hideki, are you carrying this club? Yes. Have you used this club? Because if he hasn’t used the club, it’s OK to carry a nonconforming club, you just can’t use it. Have you used this club? Well, the poor guy has played one hole, and he managed to use it off the first tee.

“At that point, without jumping to too much conclusion with the club and what exactly what was done to the club, I met Hideki at the fifth tee. The damage was done. One shot and it’s a disqualification.”

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The post Takeaways from the Memorial: Will Zalatoris in contention again, Jordan Spieth’s putter wakes up and Hideki Matsuyama’s obscure DQ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Bart Bryant, a three-time PGA Tour winner died in a car accident on Tuesday. He was 59.

An All-American at New Mexico State University, Bryant turned professional in 1986 and reached the PGA Tour in 1991. Most of his career was plagued by injuries, having to return to Q-School six times to keep his tour card.

However, at 41 years old and in his 187th career start, Bryant broke through at the 2004 Valero Texas Open in late September. The next year Bryant won the Memorial Tournament, making an up-and-down par out of a hazard on the 18th hole at Muirfield Village to beat Fred Couples by one shot. Months later Bryant would win for the third time in 14 months, and in dominant fashion, capturing the season-ending Tour Championship by six shots over Tiger Woods. It was the largest second-place deficit of Woods’ career.

Bryant had two other top-10s in 2005, catapulting him inside the Official World Golf Ranking top 25. It is a campaign considered one of the best one-year wonders in tour history.

Bryant finished his tour career with 317 starts and made more than $9 million in earnings. He enjoyed a prosperous run on the PGA Tour Champions, winning twice and logging 29 top-10s in 142 appearances on the senior circuit. Bryant’s brother, Brad, was also a PGA Tour player, with a win in more than 560 starts on tour.

The PGA TOUR family mourns the tragic loss of 3-time TOUR winner Bart Bryant.

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 1, 2022

“The PGA Tour is saddened by the tragic passing of Bart Bryant and our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “The Bryants have been a part of the PGA Tour family for over four decades and we are grateful for the impact and legacy he made on our organization and countless communities. Bart will be dearly missed.”

Bryant’s first wife of 34 years, Cathy Cox, died of brain cancer in April 2017. Bryant is survived by his second wife Donna, daughters Kristen and Michelle and his stepchildren.

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The post Memorial champ and three-time PGA Tour winner Bart Bryant dies in car accident 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.

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we still can’t get our left ear unclogged after going to the pool for the first time this year. I’ve had some ear wax issues in the past and the water just made it worse. Huh? What’s that? Too much information? Sorry, I can’t hear you. Anyway, here’s what else has us talking after a fun Memorial Day weekend.

WE’RE BUYING

Sam Burns: Talk about the floodgates opening, what a season this guy is having. After finally grabbing his first PGA Tour title last May, Burns has now won three more times, including on Sunday at Colonial, where he took down the reigning King of the floodgates opening, Scottie Scheffler. And Burns did it in a playoff after a two- hour wait that included a gym session. “Just one of those things where you don’t know if you’re going to get the opportunity, but when coach calls your name, you’ve got to be ready to play, and I think we did a really good job of being ready.” He sure did:

Unbelievably clutch.@SamBurns66 drained the 38-footer from off the green to win @CSChallengeFW. pic.twitter.com/DaQmWt5MRe

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 29, 2022

The guy has a real knack for making bombs in playoffs. For winning the Charles Schwab Challenge, the 25-year-old also got a pretty dope car to ride off into the sunset with:

And apparently he drove that bad boy right to a Buc-ee’s to celebrate:

Of course Sam went to @bucees after the W. Man of the people!

(? @Samburns66) pic.twitter.com/1YFiFsOLfo

— Caddie Network (@CaddieNetwork) May 30, 2022

You could really do some damage there with $1.6 million. Anyway, Burns is back into the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking with his fourth career win. What a stud. Speaking of studs …

Gordon Sargent: How about this Vanderbilt freshman who won the NCAA individual title? Gordon really turned heads on the final hole of regulation with a booming drive that registered 194mph ball speed.

Gordon Sargent dropping ??? at the #USJuniorAm. pic.twitter.com/Rr2IuA3XYY

— Vanderbilt Men's Golf (@VandyMGolf) July 21, 2021

Crazy. Remember a few years ago when we were told then Texas A&M prospect Cameron Champ was a unicorn with speeds like that? Well, not anymore. These powerful young guns are coming. And they’re coming fast.

Steven Alker: This is truly the most remarkable golf story of the past year. Heck, I’d go as far as to say it’s the biggest Cinderella story going in all of sports. But it’s gone largely under the radar because Steven Alker plays on the PGA Tour Champions, and, well, he’s Steven Alker. Hardly anyone had even heard of this journeyman from New Zealand when he Monday qualified for his first senior event last summer after turning 50, but since then he’s become the tour’s dominant force with four wins in 19 starts, including three in his last five after capturing a first major at the Senior PGA Championship.

How is this possible for a guy who had zero top-10s and 47 missed cuts in 80 career PGA Tour starts? “Just perseverance,” Alker said. “That’s all I can say. Just perseverance with a capital P.” Better late than never, huh? Seriously, they should make a movie about this guy.

This house: Check out this golf pad that’s basically one giant enclosed mini-golf course (start with the second photo):

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zillow Gone Wild ? (@zillowgonewild)

You want to improve your putting? But this place. Who needs a dining room these days anyway?

WE’RE SELLING

Harold Varner III’s back nine: HV3 is one of the easiest guys to root for in sports, and we really, really hope that first PGA Tour title comes. Heck, he could be another floodgates guy considering his other victories in Australia and Saudi Arabia. But there’s no sugar coating the fact that this was one of the biggest back-nine meltdowns in history.

Four putts from 19 feet.

A triple bogey for Harold Varner III to fall out of the lead. pic.twitter.com/MXkRk7XVIM

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 29, 2022

After taking a share of the lead (and that can’t be a coincidence) with pars on 10 and 11, Varner went triple bogey, double bogey, triple bogey on his next three holes. He added one more double bogey at No. 18 to shoot a back-nine 45 and not even finish in the top 25. Yikes.

Ryan Fox’s final hole: Of regulation, that is. The New Zealander was a -5000 live “lock” at sports books when arriving at the par-5 18th at the DP World Tour Dutch Open with a three-stroke lead, but a disastrous double bogey (and a later birdie by Victor Perez) put him in a playoff with Perez that Fox ultimately lost. Ouch. Although, not as ouch as the pain anyone who actually bet on him in that spot is feeling.

Also, we should mention that we’re buying Perez’s putting as the Frenchman made four bombs over the final six holes, including the final nail in Fox’s tournament coffin on the fourth extra hole. So, again, a LOT had to happen for Fox not to win this thing. Of course, that’s golf, folks.

This pin placement: Many years ago, I set up a Google news alert for stories involving golf crime. Well, this didn’t show up in one of those alerts (I can’t figure out how to turn them off), but it should have. Because this pin placement at an Iowa high school state championship is a straight up golf crime. Have a look:

Today at the Girls 3A State Golf Tournament at The River Valley Golf Course in Adel, the average score on hole 18 was a quadruple bogey.

No, the golfers weren't bad, but this had to have been the most unfair pin placement I've ever seen. This slope gave the athletes no chance. pic.twitter.com/F7OyqIjbkO

— Jake Brend (@JakeBrendTV) May 28, 2022

Those poor girls had no chance. Just sick, sick stuff. Whoever is responsible should do jail time.

Scottie Scheffler: The guy hadn’t made a bogey all week at Colonial until his 53rd hole. He then blew a two-shot lead on Sunday while making two. What a fool! Of course, we’re kidding. The World No. 1 showed that he’s human over the weekend, but he’s still clearly the World No. 1. And how about that hustle to make it to his sister-in-law’s wedding?

A photo finish.

Scottie Scheffler went straight from the playoff to his sister-in-law’s wedding. pic.twitter.com/GjRcMoSXVp

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 30, 2022

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Muirfield Village for the Memorial, AKA Jack’s Tournament, AKA that tournament where players post pics of their milkshakes all week. If I could choose any tournament to attend that I haven’t been to, it would be this one. And yes, that’s solely based on said milkshakes. But wait, there’s more! The US Women’s Open is at Pine Needles, a course I was lucky enough to play a couple years ago. What a great spot. I can’t wait to watch both — preferably with an inferior milkshake in hand.

It’s a good week to figure that out https://t.co/C8o0ExHkOg

— max homa (@maxhoma23) May 30, 2022

Random tournament fact: Technically, Patrick Cantlay is the defending champ at Muirfield Village, but we all know Jon Rahm would have won if he hadn’t tested positive for COVID. And since Rahm won by three shots the year before, well, yeah, he’s the guy to beat. “The way I played there the last two years it should be at least six,” Rahm joked of a potential staggered leaderboard this week like the PGA Tour uses for the Tour Championship. “Maybe more.” No argument here, Jon.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Cheers to an eventful 3 weeks on the road. Might have ended with an MC but hey, at least I still get to bring this home ? pic.twitter.com/rJjoCsxd8p

— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) May 28, 2022

Indeed, you do, JT. And cheers to you for even playing at Colonial.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

This might be the all-time best video of Jordan Spieth interacting with caddie Michael Greller—and that’s saying something:

"I just don't see it Jordan." ? @JordanSpieth sees the game differently than all of us. pic.twitter.com/PCqL7Yikk9

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 26, 2022

Greller trying to call him off a crazy shot. Jordan persisting. Michael apologising to give his guy confidence. Jordan pulling off an insane Jordan shot. Just an instant classic.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

First, there was your standard WAG PDA between Sam Burns and his wife, Caroline:

pic.twitter.com/NMIKK5gGJU

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 29, 2022

Good stuff. But then we got Burns gushing about his good friend Scheffler: “Yeah, we’re probably best friends. But at the same time I can assure you, he wanted to beat me more than anybody else and I wanted to beat him more than anybody else, and it just happened to be the two of us at the end. Yeah, it’s going to be a fun story that we’ll get to have for the rest of our careers, and fortunately I got the better end of it this time, but hopefully we’re at the beginning of these situations in the future.”

Sam Burns and Scottie Scheffler. Tom Pennington

And Scheffler responding:

Awww. Nothing — not even that sweet Firebird Trans Am — can get between these guys.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It would have been more fun if we had to do it for 18 holes. I kind of joked with him at the end, he ruined all the fun making a 40-footer.” — Scottie Scheffler on his BFF.

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The post Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns’ bromance gets tested, an all-time Jordan Spieth-Michael Greller moment, and the biggest Cinderella story in sports appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Phil Mickelson has been singing Jon Rahm’s praises since his brother was coaching the young the Spaniard at Arizona State. Turns out, he’s been making money off the new World No. 1 since then too. As Mickelson is well aware, it pays to have insider info. Only this time, it was perfectly legal.

Thanks to Action Network’s Jason Sobel, golf fans were made aware of an incredible bet Mickelson placed on Rahm before he turned pro. During a weather delay at the 2016 FedEx St. Jude Classic, Mickelson claimed Rahm would be in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking within a year. And fellow PGA Tour pro Colt Knost bit. Hard.

To be fair to Knost, it was a pretty bold claim by Mickelson. Sure, the five-time major champ had gotten to know and play with Rahm through his brother—after witnessing a 62 at Whisper Rock, Mickelson said he only wanted to partner with Rahm in money games because he couldn’t beat him—but the up-and-comer would have no status on any professional tour. And obviously, climbing into the top 10 is something a lot of great golfers have never accomplished in their careers.

So, as Sobel tells is, Knost even gave Mickelson 2-to-1 odds on an undisclosed amount of money. Again, a seemingly pretty smart bet on his part.

“I told a ton of people about this bet and everyone was agreeing with me,” Knost, who retired from competitive golf earlier this year, told Sobel. “Everyone was like, ‘You know how hard it is to get to top-10 in the world?’”

But, well, you can guess where this is going.

After finishing low medalist at the 2016 U.S. Open to move up to No. 551, Rahm finished T-3 in his first event as a pro and began rocketing up the world ranking. By the time he claimed his maiden PGA Tour victory at Torrey Pines the following January, he had already moved up to 46th. Still, he had some work to do.

But a T-2 at Colonial just a few weeks before the 12-month deadline got it done. Rahm was officially a top-10 player at age 22. And Mickelson was a bit richer for it.

One of the very few times I thought I had out smarted Phil! ??? https://t.co/scmdRo0mmM

— Colt Knost (@ColtKnost) July 20, 2020

So how much was the wager for?

“There was a comma involved,” Knost told Sobel. “Let’s just say it hurt me more than it helped Phil.”

Sorry, Colt. At least you didn’t also bet against Rahm making it to world No. 1.

The post Phil Mickelson made a brilliant, big bet on Jon Rahm against a fellow PGA Tour pro appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
It was supposed to be Open Championship week. Maybe that’s why Jack Nicklaus delivered a Memorial masquerading as a major, a brutal tournament setup that received unanimous praise from the field and observers.

Which has to marvel, and perhaps vex, the good folks in Liberty Corner, N.J.

Those who think its hyperbolic to compare a PGA Tour event to the U.S. Open are forgiven, but they also didn’t watch the proceedings at Muirfield Village over the weekend. What appeared to be fairways were replaced with runways, and the greens resembled trampolines. The rough was so lush and high that Danny Willett wandered in and a search party was convened. On Sunday the par-3 16th, already harder to hold than a dog covered in shampoo, rejected so many approaches that Phil Mickelson chose to lay up. On a par 3.

Throw in 20-plus mph winds and it’s no surprise just one player broke 70 on Sunday compared to nine who shot 80 or worse. It was the highest scoring average (75.959) for any round on tour outside of a major in four years, and the highest round at the Memorial in four decades. Yet Sunday wasn’t an aberration: Only two players broke 70 on Saturday, and Thursday’s 73.923 from the field was the highest Round 1 average on tour this season.

Here’s the damndest thing: To a man, the players spoke to the challenge without questioning whether it was “too” challenging. Tiger Woods, who has won the tournament five times, called it “one of the more difficult conditions I’ve played in a long time.” Winner Jon Rahm said it was “surreal” to survive the test, while Collin Morikawa—who triumphed at Muirfield Village last week to the tune of 19 under par—said it was a completely different course after finishing with 27 more strokes this week. None of them, however, said anything that intimated the setup was unfair or had gone too far.

Even Mickelson, arguably the best wedge player in the past 30 yards who felt it was easier to hold a green from 78 yards away with a putter, was complimentary.

“Yeah, it’s hard. It’s a firm, fast, difficult test. I enjoy the mixture,” Mickelson said after a 78. “I enjoyed playing the golf course last week where it was soft and you could get it, and then I enjoyed it today where I couldn’t hit—I missed three or four greens with sand wedges. I enjoy the challenge both ways.”

RELATED: Jon Rahm jumps to World No. 1 in spectacular—and dramatic—fashion at the Memorial

But would it have been a challenge, or a provocation, if someone else was running the show? You don’t have to squint too hard, what with the thick rough and ricocheted approach shots—and we mentioned the par-3 lay up, yes?—to see what was celebrated at the Memorial would have been panned at the U.S. Open. Instead, the question is why the difference in tones.

You don’t have to look much farther than the man in charge to find the main reason. Jack Nicklaus has engendered 60 years of goodwill to his name, including more than 40 overseeing one of the most successful stops on the tour schedule. His event also usually caters to low scoring: Rahm’s nine-under total was just the second time since 2009 that the winner didn’t finish at 12 under or lower. Moreover, the tour is technically in charge of setup, and the players rarely have qualms with how they do it.

Sam Greenwood
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Jack Nicklaus ride in a cart during the first round of the 2020 Memorial.

The USGA, as officials with the governing body have admitted, has had some notable misfires over the last six years at its flagship tournament. Last year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach was controversy-free, stopping the bleeding from the Shinnecock Hills blunder of 2018. But scars take time to heal.

Then there’s the dynamics of what constitutes a U.S. Open setup and the walking-on-eggshells vibe that accompanies it. It is the USGA’s annual dilemma, making a course punishing yet not sadistically so while being cognizant of past woes. What made Saturday’s round at Shinnecock in 2018 such a public relations hit wasn’t that it happened, but that it happened after the USGA insisted it wouldn’t happen again. It, frankly, creates a fog that’s not entirely lifted until the tournament is over.

Meanwhile, Jack was as transparent as lemon Jell-O.

A frequent advocate of curbing distance, Nicklaus ripped golf’s governing bodies on Thursday for their lack of policing on increasing driving gains. “The USGA and the R&A have got to wake up sooner or later,” Nicklaus said during Golf Channel’s first-round telecast. “They can’t just keep burying their heads on this. They see it, they watch television, they see where these guys hit the golf ball. It isn’t about how far they hit it. You just can’t keep making golf courses longer. You just don’t have enough land, you don’t have enough money to do it.”

It’s a fear that has prompted Nicklaus to do a two-year overhaul of his beloved Muirfield Village. And just in case you forgot, he made sure to let you know by having construction crews tearing up the course as the tournament and its telecast was ongoing. This tournament and its difficulty was his statement: If golf won’t take care of this problem, I’ll do it myself.

Which leads to the biggest rationale of why the Memorial received the latitude it did, a climate created in part by the USGA.

The distance debate is far from new, but its frequency and inflection have seen a noticeable shift this year. Some of that is attributed to the USGA and R&A’s joint Distance Insights Project. Released in February, the two-year study of how far the golf ball is flying was resoundingly clear on one specific conclusion: Distance must be stopped. Aiding in that sentiment has been the very public work of Bryson DeChambeau. One can be simultaneously amazed at his pursuit of eye-popping distance while wondering where the game is headed when 400-yard drives become weekly occurrences.

Throw in the parade of low scores since the tour’s return from its pandemic sabbatical, and the kindling was right for the Memorial to fight back.

Does this mean the USGA will receive the same amount of freedom come September? Likely, no. The USGA’s new U.S. Open setup chief, John Bodenhamer, won over many in the locker room with how Pebble Beach was configured in 2019. But it’s worth noting USGA icon Sandy Tatum’s infamous line—“We’re not trying to humiliate the best players in the world; we’re simply trying to identify who they are”—was made at Winged Foot, site of this year’s championship. The USGA insists Tatum’s line is its aspiration, while critics believe it epitomizes a sense of self-importance. Both sides have been right, depending on the year.

If this weekend was any indication, should the USGA want a teflon coating at Winged Foot from criticism, perhaps its best move is installing Nicklaus on the greens committee.

The post Why the Memorial was praised for a setup that would have been ridiculed at the U.S. Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Daniel Rapaport
DUBLIN, Ohio — It wasn’t easy. Jon Rahm knew it wouldn’t be. He started the final round of the Memorial with a four-shot lead, but realized Muirfield Village would bring everything it had on Sunday. Not all four-shot leads are created equal.

Rahm would have to fight off a U.S. Open-ready golf course, and 20-plus-mile-per-hour winds that rendered some greens downright unholdable. And he was competing against the strongest field assembled in a non-major championship. Then there was a five-hole stretch that saw his game go missing. Oh, and add a rules controversy to boot. All this while also knowing a victory would accomplish one of those childhood-dream-come-true moments: Becoming World No. 1.

Yep, it wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t pretty, but it was enough. Rahm gutted out a three-over 75, which included a late two-shot penalty, to win the Memorial by three shots over Ryan Palmer. His victory, coupled with a T-32 finish from Rory McIlroy, means he now sits alone at the summit of this sport.

At just 25, Rahm becomes the 24th man to reach the top spot and the second Spaniard to do so, joining only his hero, Seve Ballesteros.

“It’s pretty surreal to think it’s happened this quickly,” said Rahm, after shooting a nine-under 279 for the week at Muirfield Village, by far the highest winning 72 hole score since the PGA Tour resumed its season six weeks ago. “How many people get to achieve a lifelong dream in their mid-20s? It’s incredible. To be a Spaniard, the second Spaniard to ever do it, given there’s not many Europeans that have gotten to this spot, it’s a pretty unique feeling, so I’m going to enjoy it for a while.”

It’s also a bit bittersweet, given he has lost two family members since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including his grandmother, and has been unable to attend either funeral.

Becoming World No. 1 has, to some extent, always felt more like a when than an if moment for Rahm. He was the top-ranked amateur in the world for more than 60 weeks, more than any golfer since the ranking was created in 2007. McIlroy has said that when TaylorMade signed Rahm out of Arizona State, they felt they’d signed a top-10 player in the world right then and there. After turning pro in the summer of 2016, Rahm finished tied for third in his first PGA Tour event as a professional and tied for second in his fourth. When you ask other tour players about his game, you’ll get some version of the same response: That guy is really freakin’ good. And tour players are a notoriously tough audience. They don’t hand out compliments easy.

Rahm’s 68 on Saturday, which put some daylight between him and his chasers, was a tour de force. He was a world-class player at the top of his game, every shot in his arsenal present and accounted for. He’s had that for a while, though. He’s also had an internal drive fueling him, a passion so fervent that it sometimes becomes counterproductive. Simply put: Rahm runs hot. Which is OK, of course. Tiger Woods famously ran rather warm in his younger years. Rahm is still learning how to properly channel it, to calm himself down and avoid the self-inflicted wounds that have, by his own admission, hindered him in the past.

“A couple years ago, I don’t think I would be here with a four-shot lead right now going into tomorrow,” Rahm said Saturday night. “It’s a slow process. Unfortunately, I’m a person who learns from mistakes, and luckily I’ve been able to. Hopefully I can keep doing it tomorrow and just follow the same mindset that I’ve had the last few days.”

He would need every iota of that newfound patience. The conditions on Sunday demanded it of every player in the field. Mother Nature teamed up with an already-devilish setup to produce a golf course that yielded exactly one score in the 60s—a 68 from Matthew Fitzpatrick, with Jim (Bones) Mackay on the bag, en route to a solo third finish. Meanwhile, nine players shot in the 80s. It was the highest-scoring average (75.96) on the PGA Tour since the first round of the 2018 U.S. Open at big, bad, baked-out Shinnecock Hills.

Andy Lyons
Rahm hits his second shot on the 16th at Muirfield Village on Sunday. He’d hole the flop shot for what he thought was a birdie, but would become a bogey after he received a two-stroke penalty for moving the ball mistakenly before hitting the shot.

Rahm, though, didn’t seem to notice the high scores around him. At least not early. When he turned on Sunday in two-under 34, he held an eight-shot advantage and this tournament by the throat. He loosened his grip considerably over the next five holes, going bogey/double bogey/par/par/bogey from Nos. 10-14 to give Palmer a glimmer of hope.

“I could have completely lost it many times,” Rahm said. “Maybe in the past I would have, but I didn’t. I just kept fighting. I knew it was a complete grind, and it’s a true honour to be now the Memorial Tournament champion.”

But Palmer, 18 years older than Rahm and his teammate when the two won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event in 2019, could not convert a key birdie putt on 14, then failed to birdie the par-5 15th, sinking any comeback chances … to win the main tournament.

“At the end of the day I guess I won the ‘other’ tournament,” Palmer said. “Coming in the last two holes I told myself, I’ve got a two-shot lead. That’s at least clear [solo] second, and I know what that’s going to do for me coming up soon.”

The outcome was not in doubt when the final pairing stepped to the 16th tee. Only the margin of victory, which wouldn’t sort itself out until after Rahm holed out on 18. Clouding things was a rules issue on the 16th hole. After tugging his 9-iron long and left of the par-3 green, Rahm hit a jaw-droppingly good little flop shot, which pitched on the front edge of the green and found the bottom of the hole. He yelled, and he slapped Palmer’s hand high-five, and it was a signature moment that signified his ascension to World No. 1.

Jamie Squire
Rahm celebrates on the 18th green after winning his fourth career PGA Tour title.

Until it wasn’t. A zoomed-in camera on the broadcast showed Rahm causing his TaylorMade ball to move, which ultimately resulted in a two-stroke penalty. He didn’t find out until CBS’ Amanda Balionis told him afterwards. He looked genuinely shocked but eventually agreed with the decision to dock him the two shots after seeing the indisputable evidence.

“All I can say is as minimal as it was, it moved; I accept it,” Rahm said. “It doesn’t change the outcome of the tournament. It just puts a little bit of an asterisk in it in the sense of I wish I could just keep that birdie because it was one of the greatest shots of my life.”

Ultimately, it mattered little besides soiling what would have been an iconic moment. Rahm parred 17 and 18 for what he thought was a five-shot victory. OK, so it was actually a three-shot victory. Good thing margin of victory does not matter on the PGA Tour. Or the World Rankings.

The post For Jon Rahm, becoming World No. 1 was never a matter of if, but when. And the when came in spectacular fashion appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Jon Rahm moved to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking with his win at the Memorial on Sunday, but it was one closeup view of the most important shot of the final round that drew most of the attention afterwards.

Rahm pulled off a miraculous pitch-in for birdie on the par-3 16th hole to all but seal the victory at Muirfield Village. But as he played his final two holes, videos began circulating that Rahm’s golf ball may have moved in the thick Muirfield Village rough before he struck the shot.

RELATED: Jon Rahm’s winner’s bag at the Memorial

Eventually, the CBS broadcast—most notably, Nick Faldo—focused on the movement of Rahm’s TaylorMade ball as Rahm placed his wedge behind it. The six-time major champ believed Rahm should be assessed a two-stroke penalty for moving a ball at rest. Faldo wound up being right, but it took some time.

Jon Rahm was assessed a General Penalty (two strokes) for a violation of Rule 9.4 after a ball at rest moved.

His score on the par-3 16th has been adjusted to a 4 instead of a 2.

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) July 20, 2020

After briefly celebrating the victory, Rahm was told he needed to review the video. Once he saw the clip, he quickly accepted the penalty and Slugger White, the PGA Tour’s VP of Rules and Competition, said the 25-year-old Spaniard handled the situation well. Of course, it helps when it doesn’t affect the ultimate outcome.

“I didn’t see it. You know, I promised open honesty and I’m a loyal person, and I don’t want to win by cheating,” Rahm told reporters at Muirfield Village. “And it kind of happened a couple years ago [2017 Irish Open], I basically told the officials to make the decision they wanted, I just explained my side and I wasn’t given any penalty. And today I see it, and the ball did move. It’s as simple as that.

“The Rules of Golf are clear. Had I seen it, I would have said something. But you have to zoom in the camera to be able to see something, and I have rough, I’m looking at my landing spot. I’m not really thinking of looking at the golf ball. I’m one of those where I’m looking down but my awareness is not on the ball.”

With the penalty, Rahm’s amazing birdie 2 became a bizarre bogey 4. And his winning margin was cut from five shots to three.

“I want everybody to hear it: It did move. It is a penalty,” Rahm added. “As hard it is to say for how great of a shot it was—as hard as it is to say that, I won’t finish double digits under par. But it did move, so I’ll accept the penalty, and it still doesn’t change the outcome of the tournament. So I’m going to stay with that.”

White said intent didn’t matter in this case with regards to assessing the penalty.

“When he put the club down behind the ball, it moved ever so slightly to the left, so it changed positions,” White said. “He accepted it like a gentleman and the man that he is, and we just went on with it.”

Penalty or not, it was a sensational shot. Seriously, look at this thing of beauty:

UNBELIEVABLE!@JonRahmPGA holes out for birdie on 16.

The lead is now 4 with 2 to play.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/jsqB9wK6HB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 19, 2020

And it came just at the right time after Rahm had let an eight-shot lead at the turn be cut to three by playing partner Ryan Palmer, who finished runner-up.

“As unfortunate as it is to have this happen, it was a great shot, serious,” said Rahm, who picked up his fourth PGA Tour title to go with six victories on the European Tour. “What it goes to show is you never know what’s going to happen. So I’m glad I grinded those last two up-and-downs because had I missed both of them, plus the penalty stroke, maybe Ryan finishes strong, I would be in a playoff, and I’m glad I finished it off good.”

Sadly for Rahm, the shot of his career (so far) will have an asterisk by it. The good news? He’s got a lot more time to produce more highlights.

The post Why Jon Rahm wound up getting a two-stroke penalty for the best shot of his career appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.