Categories
European Tour

BMW PGA Championship 2022 with Rory McIlroy, Billy Horschel, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm.

The BMW PGA Championship is one of the most prestigious, atmospheric pro golf events in Europe. More than 100,000 spectators come to the Wentworth Club near London each year to experience the “Festival of Golf”. The tournament with a prize fund of eight million US dollars has a top-class field once again this year, headed up by world number three Rory McIlroy. The four-time major winner is returning to compete on the iconic West Course for the first time since 2019.

Previous tournament winners in the field at the BMW PGA Championship

McIlroy won the BMW PGA Championship in 2014 and narrowly missed out on his second title four years later, when finished runner-up behind Francesco Molinari. This year, the man from Northern Ireland is one of the top favourites. McIlroy is in excellent form, as shown by his second place at the Masters and third place at The Open. “I look forward to competing at the BMW PGA Championship again,” McIlroy said. “It’s an event I always love playing – the West Course has been good to me in the past, and the fans are incredibly supportive.”

Billy Horschel will be making the journey from the USA to defend his title. The 2014 FedExCup winner came top of the field last year after an excellent final round (7 under par) and afterwards said that this victory was a dream come true. Horschel, currently number 14 in the world rankings, is also in superb form. He won his seventh title on the PGA TOUR at the Memorial Tournament in June.

McIlroy (2012) and Horschel (2014) have also both won the PGA TOUR playoff event BMW Championship. Spain’s Jon Rahm (2020) has as well, but he has not managed to win the BMW PGA Championship as yet. The world number five is hoping to change that this year, after finishing second behind England’s Danny Willett in 2019. “I cannot wait to return to the BMW PGA Championship. It really is an incredible event – a huge attendance of knowledgeable and supportive fans, a world-class golf course and it’s a historic championship,” said the Spaniard. “I’m aiming to bring my best game in September and challenge for the title once again.”

For the first time since winning the U.S. Open, Matt Fitzpatrick will contest a tournament in his home country of England. No doubt the world number ten will be given a suitably enthusiastic reception. The 27-year-old is highly motivated to finally taste success at the Wentworth Club as well. “I’ve always played well there but never quite challenged, so I’m hoping with the form that I’m in, I can change that this year and maybe be there or thereabouts on Sunday afternoon.”

With Tyrrell Hatton and Danny Willett, the BMW PGA Champions of 2020 and 2019 will also be trying to win one of the world’s most important professional golf titles once again in front of their home crowd.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Cameron Smith: “This type of golf suits a lot of Aussies”

Cameron Smith talks about his historic win at the 150th Open Championship, being the fourth Australian to win the Open and the state of his game, especially his putting, which he excelled in.

Cameron Smith after. his British Open win

MIKE WOODCOCK: I’m delighted to welcome the Champion Golfer of the Year, Cam Smith, to the interview room with a 20-under par total of 268.

Cam, fantastic round. To shoot 64 in the final round of a major and to win in the style you did is some achievement. Can you sum up how you feel right now?

CAMERON SMITH: I feel like I can breathe. These last four or five holes aren’t easy around here, especially with the wind up off the left. Yeah, just stuck to what I was doing. Yeah, just really proud of how I kind of knuckled down today and managed to get it done.

Q. Cameron, congratulations. Kel Nagle won the 100th Open. You’ve won The 150th. How does that make you feel?

CAMERON SMITH: That’s pretty cool. I didn’t know that. I think, to win an Open Championship in itself is probably going to be a golfer’s highlight in their career. To do it around St Andrews, I think is just unbelievable.

This place is so cool. I love the golf course. I love the town. Yeah, hopefully we can keep that trend going with the every 50 years. That would be nice, wouldn’t it? (Laughter).

Q. Cam, you’ve had some heartbreaks at the majors the last couple of years, putting your hand up in a lot of them. Does this make it all worthwhile winning The Open at the home of golf?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think so. I’ve definitely kicked myself a couple of times over the past few years. To do it the way I did today was pretty cool to be back and really apply pressure, keep holing putts. Yeah, it was awesome.

Q. Cameron, just a couple of parts of the question. The first is can you just talk us through that second shot on the 17th hole and how crucial was that? Including the putt that you made, the first putt. Secondly, I was talking to Anirban Lahiri yesterday, and he said he wouldn’t be surprised at all if Cameron wins it from here just on the basis of his putting. That is the kind of belief, I mean, that’s the kind of like what other players think about you. Can you just talk a bit about that?

CAMERON SMITH: That second shot on 17, it’s just really an awkward shot, especially where I was. I kind of had to draw a 9-iron in there. You’re only trying to get it to 40 or 50 feet anyway. Just didn’t quite commit to the shape I wanted to hit and got it a little bit toey and turned over a touch more than I would have liked.

Then the putt next to the green, I mean, I was just trying to get it inside 15 feet, and the putter felt really good all day. I knew, if I could get it somewhere in there, that I’d be able to give it a pretty good run. Yeah, managed to get away with a 4 there.

Q. Cam, you said yesterday that it was actually the best you hit it all week. Did that sort of spur you on to go after it today?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I don’t think I hit the ball any differently all four days, to be honest. I felt like I kept hitting quality golf shots and kept giving myself looks at birdie, even from a distance, which is sometimes what you have to do around here.

The only difference today, was the putts were dropping. I spent a little bit of time on the green yesterday night, last night, and just really wanted to see a few putts go in. Yeah, it turned out it was a pretty good thing to do.

Q. In a weird way, did yesterday’s round that put you behind help to bring out the mongrel and the fight in the dog, if you will, and get you to chase him down?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think I was really frustrated yesterday with how the round went. I just really put it down to links golf. I think you really have those days on these courses where you get a bit of a weird bounce here and there and puts you in a bad spot.

So I shrugged it off pretty good, I think, last night. I really didn’t dwell on it too much. Yeah, but to go out there and really stick my head down and keep making birdies and keep making putts, yeah, it was really cool. I think that definitely helped yesterday.

Q. Kenneth said that definitely saw that Queensland spirit, seeing the Maroons win as underdogs, he saw that come out of you on the back nine — you tell me if that’s wrong. He said, look, this guy’s not losing, and you went for it. Fair?

CAMERON SMITH: I mean, you’ve got to try and win (laughter). That’s what we’re all here to do.

Yeah, I’m not sure anything changed, to be honest. I really wanted to stay patient on that back nine. I think I was maybe three back at the turn. I knew I just had to be patient. I felt good all day, and those putts just started going in on that back nine and just got a lot of momentum going. I mean, from there it was just really solid stuff.

Q. Congratulations, Cameron. A few hours ago you were a chaser in the tournament, and then later you were the leader at the clubhouse. Explain your feelings to have the Claret Jug now and if there was a shot that you can remember that says this is going to be the shot of the tournament.

CAMERON SMITH: It’s obviously nice that it’s all done now. I sometimes think that being behind on certain golf courses and in certain situations is maybe a good thing. I think it’s very easy to get defensive out there and keep hitting it to 60, 70 feet, and you can make pars all day, but you’re not going to make birdies.

Yeah, I think it was a good thing that I was definitely behind. I think my mindset would have been a touch different coming in, especially on that back nine, if I was ahead.

I think my shot into — my second shot into 13 was really when I thought that we can win this thing. I think I had three birdies in a row before that, and then to hit that shot in there, or the two shots, the drive and the second shot, were two of the best all week. For that to go in, I think, that was it for me.

Q. Cameron, congratulations. Brilliant today. Just wondered if you could talk us through the loved ones you got here today. Also, is the lucky mullet here to stay?

CAMERON SMITH: Actually, I don’t have any family here. I’ve got all my team here. My dad was actually meant to come over, and he pulled out in the last minute basically. I had a quick chat with him before. He’s kicking himself now (laughter).

Q. Why didn’t he come? Sorry, your dad. Why wasn’t he able to?

CAMERON SMITH: Just kind of the thought of doing all that travel for one week basically.

(Laughter).

Yeah, he’s definitely kicking himself now. I really wish he was here too. It would have been such a cool week, even without this, to be at the home of golf. Dad loves his golf as well. It would have been awesome.

Q. Have you had a message from him yet at all?

CAMERON SMITH: I haven’t looked at my phone yet. When you win golf tournaments, you have friends that you didn’t even know were friends. So I’m sure it’s going to be busy.

(Laughter).

Q. And the mullet?

CAMERON SMITH: I think it’s going to stay, mate.

Q. Golf’s such a mental game. Talk a bit about maybe the mental progress you’ve had to make to get to this stage where you’ve been able to win a major. You’ve been so close.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think — I don’t think I’ve changed a lot mentally. I think sometimes you get away from what you’re doing, and I think it’s just a thing of just getting back to what you know and what you know works.

I’ve definitely been on that track a few times in my career. But I think it’s just honestly belief. THE PLAYERS at the start of the year, with the best field in golf, to go away with the win was a really big confidence booster. I knew it wasn’t going to be too long before I got one of these. I’ve knocked on the door, I think, maybe one too many times now. So it’s nice to get it done.

Q. A few Aussies here, mate. Congratulations to you. You said outside a few beers tonight and fill the cup. Have you estimated how many beers it’s going to take in there to drink it up?

CAMERON SMITH: I’m going to guess two, two cans of beer.

Q. And how many more will you have after that?

CAMERON SMITH: I’ll probably have about 20 Claret Jugs.

(Laughter).

I’m not sure, mate. To be honest, I’m really tired. It’s been a long week, so I’d be surprised if I make it past 10:00 or 11:00 tonight.

Q. If you need me to drive you, I can do that.

Q. Cam, can you take us through what you told yourself last night and this morning just to get yourself ready for the final round?

CAMERON SMITH: Again, not much, to be honest. I knew my game was there. I felt really comfortable. At the end of last week, I started playing some really good golf. Yeah, I just really needed to keep doing what I was doing. I didn’t do anything wrong yesterday. It was just really one of those days.

So I shrugged it off pretty good, hit a few putts. I just wanted to see a few putts go in. I didn’t think there was really anything wrong technically. I just wanted to see a few putts go in before I went to sleep, and that kind of put me at ease to know that it really wasn’t me, it was just kind of one of those days.

Yeah, I think that was the best thing I did all week was just to go out there and spend five minutes on the green. Yeah, that was it basically.

Q. Cam, apologies for having to bring this up in these circumstances, but your name continues to be mentioned, has been mentioned to me this week about LIV golf. What’s your position? Are you interested? Is there any truth to suggestions that you might be signing?

CAMERON SMITH: I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that. I think that’s pretty not that good.

Q. I appreciate that, but the question is still there. Are you interested at all? Is there any truth in that?

CAMERON SMITH: I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.

Q. Did you have spaghetti bolognese last night? How did you sleep? And how was the process?

CAMERON SMITH: What was that?

Q. Did you have spaghetti bolognese? Because I know that’s what you like.

CAMERON SMITH: That’s what I like to make at home. I just had a quick meal here in the clubhouse. I think I had some chicken and veggies or something and went straight back to sleep. I was pretty tired after yesterday’s round. We teed off so late yesterday as well. So I was just keen to get back and get the eyes shut.

Q. You talked a little bit already about your day yesterday. Missing another chance on 9 and then you run off five in a row. I’m just curious if there was ever anything that clicked, if the hole, at what point started looking a little bit bigger than it was. And was there one kind of key moment for you there?

CAMERON SMITH: I felt as though I hit really good putts all day. I really didn’t have a lot of close opportunities, I think, on the front nine. I just kind of stuck in there, kept hitting really good lag putts.

For me, the putt on 11 was a pretty good distance, probably 20 feet. When that one dropped, yeah, I could see the hole getting a lot bigger on that back nine for sure.

Q. What club did you hit on 11?

CAMERON SMITH: 9-iron.

Q. I wonder, could you give us a word, please, on Rory McIlroy? He was leading today. He was the British guy, would have been extra special for him to win here at St Andrews. He had the Tiger Woods thing, that you just basically ruined his weekend for him. Just want you to give us a word on Rory.

CAMERON SMITH: He’s obviously a great player. He’s one of those guys that you can’t help but stop when he’s hitting balls on the range, and he just keeps knocking on doors every week, it seems like. He’s probably the most consistent player out here.

Yeah, he’s going to get a major, I’m sure, very soon. He’s just really solid. For me, I’ve played with Rory a few times, and there’s really nothing that you can fault.

Q. Did he speak to you afterwards? Have you had a chance?

CAMERON SMITH: No, I haven’t had a chance to speak to him, no.

Q. Obviously 150 years, there have only been four Australians that have won that trophy. Do you pinch yourself to think you’re joining the likes of Peter Thomson, Greg Norman, Kel Nagle and Ian Baker-Finch?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, that’s pretty cool. I think just in general, all the names on there, every player that’s been at the top of their game has won this championship. Yeah, it’s pretty cool to be on there. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t think it will for a few weeks. Yeah, it’s just unreal.

Q. Cam, on Wednesday you said you didn’t want to jinx yourself but you’re feeling really good. So you didn’t jinx yourself. Just how good were you feeling pre-tournament?

CAMERON SMITH: I started to feel really good with where my game was at last weekend at the Scottish Open. I had a really, really solid weekend. I just felt really good about my game. I’d played this golf course before, but it had been a while. It was almost like relearning the place.

I love this type of golf. I think this type of golf suits a lot of Aussies, the firm and fast fairways. Having to hit away from pins, I think, is another one, where Aussies are brought up doing that. Yeah, I just felt really good with where my game was at and how the course was set up.

Q. When you feel good like that, do you actually think you can win it or just envision yourself contending?

CAMERON SMITH: I think what you’re trying to do at the start of the week is just get yourself in contention, just kind of let the tournament, let the golf course come to you. And I did a really good job of staying patient this week.

The first couple of days were really nice to hole a lot of putts, but yeah, got a little bit impatient, I guess, yesterday and a little bit frustrated. Just did a really good job of that again today.

Q. Cam, in hindsight now, how crucial was that holing it to get it up to 14 through 18 yesterday afternoon?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, it was a bit of a struggle yesterday afternoon, I think. To come in there — I think I probably played those last few holes maybe even-par or 1-under. So to do that and really keep myself in the tournament, I think, was good, especially when things aren’t really going your way. It’s easy to just kind of throw the towel in and really let it get away with you. Yeah, just stuck in there, and it was worth it today.

Q. For people who don’t follow golf closely, can you describe the differences and similarities between TPC Sawgrass and The Old Course?

CAMERON SMITH: No, I can’t, to be honest. There’s not a lot of similarities, to be honest. I think they’re two really different golf courses.

I think when Sawgrass plays firm and fast, it can be similar in some aspects. But two really different golf courses. I think you have to be two completely different golfers to contend at both of those golf courses.

Q. So what does that say about your golf game, the fact that you won on two very different golf courses?

CAMERON SMITH: I think that’s just where I’m at at the moment. My game feels really good. I felt like, towards the end of last year, I had a lot of chances and really didn’t get over the line. I think that made me more eager, I guess, at the start of the year to really knuckle down and try and get over the line.

For it to happen three times this year is pretty unreal. I really wasn’t expecting that. I would have been happy with one. So, yeah, just lots of hard work and keeping at it.

Q. Cam, just given the astonishment that everyone has about your putting, can you just give us an idea as to how much you have to work hard and what kind of process goes into your putting practise and doing things?

CAMERON SMITH: I definitely keep on top of it. I think, for me luckily, putting comes quite naturally. For me it’s just about getting back to the same setup position, basically.

I practise with a mirror for probably 20 minutes a day, and to be honest, that’s about it. I don’t really hit a lot of long putts at home. I try and focus probably 10 to 15 foot and in and just seeing those putts drop. When I get out here at the start of the week, I start hitting some more lag putts and just getting the speed right.

Q. Watching that back nine, it felt incredibly tense. Can you just try and explain how you felt at various points? Because obviously you made it look quite easy out there.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, it was pretty tense. I think maybe after my second or third birdie there on the back nine, I was starting to think that I could really win this thing. I think I was three back with nine holes to go, and I really needed to make something happen.

But, yeah, I would say those first three holes on that back nine really came to me, and then from there I was starting to get different emotions and really had to keep an eye on what I was thinking and just different shots into greens.

MIKE WOODCOCK: Cam, thank you very much. Congratulations again. It’s a wonderful performance.

Categories
Highlights Tours

British Open 2022 – Tiger Woods: “Have to shoot a 66 tomorrow”.

Q. Overall thoughts?

TIGER WOODS: Well, probably highest score as I could have shot. Didn’t get off to a great start. Hit a good tee shot down 1, ended up right in the middle of a fresh divot. And I hit a good shot. Wind gusts hit it and ended up in the burn, and start off with a W.

So I think I had maybe four or five 3-putts today. Just wasn’t very good on the greens. And every putt I left short. I struggled with hitting the putts hard enough. They looked faster than what they were putting, and I struggled with it.

Q. Obviously you can’t dismiss the physical issues you faced, but was today less about that than at any time in the golf you’ve played?

TIGER WOODS: My other two events I played this year? Yeah, it was a lot easier today, physically, than it has been the other two events, for sure.

Q. How fast — have you ever seen anything quite like this, this firm?

TIGER WOODS: We played Liverpool like that. But it was just different. Liverpool doesn’t have the amount of slopes that St Andrews has. The fairways are flatter. So the ball obviously, you have more control on the ground. Here you really don’t have as much control. They were quick.

The greens were very firm but slow. And it’s an interesting combo. And we weren’t exactly speed demons out there either. The whole round took a long time, and we were getting waved up. And it was a long, slow day.

Q. So unlucky to have that first shot going into a divot. Do you feel good luck and bad luck balance over time?

TIGER WOODS: Over the course of a career or a round? (Laughter). Yes. Yeah, over the course of a career, yes. But in a round sometimes it just goes that way. It just goes one way and it never seems to come back. No matter how hard you fight. And then I compounded problems, as I said, with my bad speed on the greens. I hit the ball in the correct spots a couple times, leave myself some good lag putts, the correct angles and I messed those up.

And so when I had opportunities to make a few putts, I missed them, and as I said I compounded with some bad lag putts. And just never got anything going.

Q. What was the most disappointing aspect of today?

TIGER WOODS: I think just the total score. It feels like I didn’t really hit it that bad. Yes, I did have bad speed on the greens, yes. But I didn’t really feel like I hit it that bad but I ended up in bad spots. Or just had some weird things happen. And just the way it goes. Links is like that. And this golf course is like that. And as I said, I had my chances to turn it around and get it rolling the right way and I didn’t do it.

Q. Despite the way you played, were you heartened by the crowd, the way they reacted?

TIGER WOODS: They were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. So supportive. Obviously they’re not going to be quite as loud because you don’t hear them in the middle of the golf course. They’re only on the perimeter. But just the support coming off each tee and each green, when they were in proximity. Most of the tees they were, yes; but some of the greens they weren’t. But when the greens that they were, they were very respectful and very appreciative of all of us out there today, which was great.

Q. How meaningful was it to have your return here at St Andrews and play here again?

TIGER WOODS: Very, very meaningful. All things considered, where I’ve been, I was hoping I could play this event this year. Looking at it at the beginning of the year, end of last year when I was rehabbing, trying to see if I could do it, but somehow I was able to play two of the major championships in between then and now, which was great. But this was always on the calendar to hopefully be well enough to play it. And I am. And just didn’t do a very good job of it.

Q. When you were on the first hole, this moment came, you were here, you were able to overcome. Was there a moment that you took a step back and said to yourself, I did this, I’ve accomplished this?

TIGER WOODS: No. No, I looked at that bush down there. I said hit that 3-iron right at that bush, hit a flat draw. And I did. I hit a perfect shot. I get down there I’m right in the middle of a fresh divot. Well, either just, one, don’t hit it flat and don’t blade it. I didn’t do either. But I still hit it in the burn.

Q. Tomorrow, are you going to bounce back?

TIGER WOODS: Looks like I’m going to have to shoot 66 tomorrow to have a chance. So obviously it has been done. Guys did it today. And that’s my responsibility tomorrow is to go ahead and do it. Need to do it.

Q. Did you have the same putting issues in practise, or did the greens maybe change?

TIGER WOODS: I still have the same thing. I still struggle with hitting the putts hard enough. Just because they look faster, and especially when you consider actually the fairways are faster than the greens, it’s just a different dynamic than we were accustomed to.

Pitch shots around the greens, you allow for more speed and then for them to slow up on the greens, which is the exact opposite of what we would normally play.

But I’ve played British Opens where they’ve been like that. And it’s up to me to make those adjustments and I didn’t do it.

Categories
Highlights Tours

British Open 2022: Rory McIlroy hits a piece of history

Rory McIlroy is playing big in the first round of the British Open, but a shot from the Northern Irishman caused puzzled looks from the spectators. On the fifth hole of the St. Andrews Old Course, McIlroy teed off with the driver and managed a picture-perfect trajectory. After a scant 260 meters, his ball tithed up twice and ultimately hit a green plastic bucket in the middle of the fairway. This bucket, however, is not what is unusual, but what is hidden underneath.

What are the odds on that??#The150thOpen pic.twitter.com/b61kS8Iq2M

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 14, 2022

What Tom Morris has to do with the green buckets.

The covers are scattered throughout the Old Course and cover the old boundary stones of the original golf course at St. Andrews. The covers are intended to protect these contemporary witnesses from the harsh Scottish weather. But the covers also provide protection when it comes to golf’s long hitters.

If you take a closer look at the stones, some of which are heavily weathered, you will find a “G” on one side and a “C” on the other. The letters indicate the former boundary of the course, with “G” standing for Golf Club and the “C” for Common Ground. True, the stones have been obsolete since Old Tom Morris expanded the course to 18 holes in the 1800s. However, the historical significance of the small hazards means that they are still valued in the overall appearance of the course today.

And Rory McIlroy is not the only player who has already been bothered by the unusual obstacles in the middle of the fairways. A boundary stone also awaits golfers on the 7th hole, as well as scattered throughout the golf club’s grounds. A legendary story about the stones occurred in 2010 during the British Open. There Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson all played unerringly on the stone of the 5th hole. And even as an immovable obstacle, the stones come into play more often when a player plays just off or in front of it. As happened to Victor Hovland just one flight ahead of McIlroy.

In the end, McIlroy still managed a great score despite the hit and the resulting much shorter tee shot. He placed the second shot safely and left the 5th hole with a birdie.

The stone that Rory just bounced off is one of the March Stones on the Old Course. They mark the original boundary of the course. There’s a “G” on one side of each of them. If you saw the G, you’re standing on the golf course side of the boundary. pic.twitter.com/dW9GP6Q3qU — Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) July 14, 2022

Categories
Uncategorized

Greg Norman plans a LIV Golf Series for women

For a long time, Greg Norman has been fighting for his LIV Golf Invitational Series, striving for the highest possible field of participants and hosting the first events of the new golf league. Now the 67-year-old is stirring things up again: he wants to launch an LIV Golf League for women and thus support women’s golf.

The women’s league as a “logical step”

“We have discussed it internally, the possibility is there,” Greg Norman let the bombshell drop this week. For several months, the Australian has been drawing attention with his controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series. Also called the “Saudi League,” his tour enjoys the full support of Saudi Arabia. The country has been criticized primarily for human rights violations and the oppression of women – so the combination with women’s golf seems questionable.

Incomprehensible for Greg Norman: One of the biggest sponsors of women’s golf, Aramco, also comes from Saudi Arabia. In this case, however, no one is complaining about Saudi support: “Why is it OK for them and nobody barks at them?” Norman said. “But the boys, they’re barking at you.” Norman points to Jacksonville, the site of the headquarters of the PGA Tour, which vehemently opposes LIV Golf.

LIV Golf for Women: From enthusiasm to skepticism

Cristie Kerr, a two-time major winner and player on the LPGA Tour, sees great potential in Greg Norman’s business model. She has no doubt that many players would defect to the new tour: “Put it this way, I think you would see almost the entire tour do it here. What we play for here compared to the men’s Tour, the scale is different.” At the same time, she points to the LPGA Tour’s increasing prize money and that an exciting development of the tours can be expected. True to the motto: competition stimulates business.

Karrie Webb, 7-time major winner, on the other hand, expresses concern. “I know that he’s had this vendetta against the PGA Tour as long as I’ve known him,” Webb, who like Norman is from Australia, told Golfweek. “So I don’t think there would be any changing him. I would just ask him that in his ambition to succeed, that he doesn’t ruin women’s golf in the process.”

Categories
European Tour

European Tour: Fitzpatrick set to follow brother’s footsteps on pro debut in Ireland

Alex Fitzpatrick will follow in his brother Matt’s footsteps when the Englishman makes his professional debut this week at the Horizon Irish Open, the same tournament in which the recently-crowned U.S. Open Champion entered the paid ranks in 2014.

The Fitzpatrick family made global headlines less than three weeks ago when the older of two brothers, Matt, claimed a maiden Major title at The Country Club in Brookline, prompting emotional scenes on the 18th green with Alex, along with their parents Russell and Sue.

Having watched his brother make history in Boston, 23-year-old Alex is now ready to make his own mark on the professional game as he plays his first event as a professional at Mount Juliet Estate – following an impressive amateur career which included Walker Cup appearances in 2019 and 2021.

He has already had some experience among the professional elite – making the cut as an amateur at last year’s Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale, before playing at the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship three months ago.

Matt Fitzpatrick claimed a share of 29th position when he made his own professional debut at the island of Ireland’s national open eight years ago, kicking off a career which has thus far yielded a Major title among seven other DP World Tour victories.

Australia’s Lucas Herbert will return to Mount Juliet Estate this week to defend the title he won in wire-to-wire fashion last year, while Tyrrell Hatton will be targeting his first win of the 2022 season in an event at which he has already claimed two top five finishes.

Player quotes:

Alex Fitzpatrick: “I found out about the invite probably two or three weeks ago, I was incredibly excited.

“So obviously it’s funny, following in your brother’s footsteps but sometimes that isn’t a bad thing, especially the route that he’s gone. Hopefully it might open a few doors, but if it doesn’t, I still have to play good golf and if I don’t play good golf, then doors will be shut. Just all about enjoying myself and working hard and hopefully get some good results.

“We’re different in a lot of ways. Our games are completely different. I would say he’s a great driver of the golf ball and a great putter, and I would say my iron and short game would be better than his, which is hard to say when he’s just won the U.S. Open. I think if we were one player, we would be pretty good as well.

“Mainly he tells me all the time, “Hit it straight and you’ll be just fine.” If I can start doing the same stuff he does, then hopefully I’ll be fine.

“I’ve got a great caddie this week in Martin, one of Billy Foster’s friends. Incredibly knowledgeable and incredibly funny as well. So I noticed he was a Leeds fan, so giving each other a bit of stick about that.”

Lucas Herbert: “It’s pretty sweet to be back. Just getting around the property, seeing it all again, bringing back memories from last year, it’s pretty nice.

“I just went to play the back nine now and hit a lot of the shots that I sort of remember hitting last year. 

“I feel like I’ve watched the highlights so many times; all the pins are right there in the back of my memory so distinctly.  It’s been kind of nice to get back and just have a bit of a stroll down memory
lane.

“This year it’s just finding that consistency has been tough. I feel I turned a little bit of a corner. The game feels like I have the ability to hit the shots. It’s just putting everything and the structure in place around it to produce a little bit more of that consistency. I think we’ve turned a corner. 

“Most of our practice round today we were discussing the crowd, how excited, especially around 14 green, how excited they were getting.

“They are always really respectful. Obviously they are getting pretty vocal for me last year but I feel like they are really respectful. They knew when to clap and when not to and in terms of what a good shot looked like.

“This week and the next two weeks in Scotland and The Open, everyone on Tour knows they are some of the best crowds on Tour. They appreciate good golf when they see it.  It’s something I’m definitely looking forward to having around again this year.”

Tyrrell Hatton: “The course seems good. Obviously had quite a bit of rain over the last few days so it’s pretty soft out there, which is to be expected. It should be a fun week.

“The U.S. Open and the week prior wasn’t great. I did a bit of work with my dad last week to get back to how I should be swinging it. We’ll see come Thursday if I’m able to play a bit better, but I’ll try my best.

“That was obviously amazing watching Fitzy win there. Obviously delighted for him and his family, his whole team, it’s brilliant. It would be nice if we could kind of follow in his footsteps now.

“I’d say it definitely motivated me last week out there and try and sort my swing out again rather than just going through the motions.

“If I can have a good week here, hopefully that leads into a good week at the Scottish and The Open.  Like I said, we’ll be trying our best to play well.”

Categories
Top Tours

DP World Tour, PGA Tour Expand and Strengthen Alliance

The DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR have moved to significantly strengthen not only their existing alliance but also help develop players to compete at the pinnacle of men’s professional golf, by unveiling a ground-breaking new 13-year operational joint venture partnership.

The partnership, through to 2035, builds on the success of the existing Strategic Alliance between the two Tours that was unveiled in November 2020 and which has already seen tangible benefits for members of both Tours, not least the co-sanctioning of the Genesis Scottish Open on the DP World Tour, alongside access for both memberships into the Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship on the PGA TOUR.

Collaboration has already borne fruit for the DP World Tour with the introduction of new tournament title sponsors such as Genesis and Horizon and new Tour partners such as Fortinet and Velocity Global.

In addition, working together to drive prize funds and commercial revenue will not only benefit the entire range of both memberships immediately, but also develop immense strategic opportunities for all members of both Tours for the future.

As part of the new joint venture, the PGA TOUR will increase its existing stake in European Tour Productions from 15 percent to 40 percent, while utilising the DP World Tour’s recognised international credentials and global footprint to continue to coordinate a worldwide schedule.

The DP World Tour will guarantee growth in annual prize funds to its membership for the next five years, all above the record 2022 levels unveiled as part of the DP World Tour title partnership arrangement announced last November.

The new joint venture will provide additional competitive opportunities for professional golfers of both Tours and also establish a clearly defined pathway for top players around the world. Players from the Sunshine Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, with whom the DP World Tour already has existing Strategic Alliances, now enjoy a formal pathway to the DP World Tour. With today’s announcement, DP World Tour members will now have direct and formal access to the very pinnacle of the men’s professional game on the PGA TOUR.

To achieve that, from 2023, the leading ten players on the end of season DP World Tour Rankings [in addition to those already exempt] will earn PGA TOUR cards for the following season.

Furthermore, the DP World Tour will work closely on the development and implementation of the new international events announced by PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan last week at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, and DP World Tour members will gain access to those events.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of the DP World Tour said: “Building on the success of the existing Strategic Alliance between ourselves and the PGA TOUR, this move will significantly enhance the meritocracy that has successfully served the professional game on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 50 years.

“It is a natural extension and progression of what we have been doing over the past few years and I passionately believe that this move is the right thing for our players, our Tour, our fans, and the game of golf in general.

“Our two tours have undoubtedly drawn closer over the past few years and today’s announcement strengthens both Tours for the betterment of both memberships.”

Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, said, “It was clear from the outset that our Strategic Partnership with the European Tour Group was a powerful agreement for both sides, and we are thrilled with today’s announcement of this expanded partnership.

“We will continue to collaborate on a global schedule and key commercial areas as we draw our organizations and memberships even closer together while innovating to provide the most entertaining and compelling golf possible to fans around the world. On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I want to credit and commend Keith Pelley and his team at the European Tour Group for their incredible commitment to this effort.”

(Text: DP World Tour)

Categories
Highlights Tours

Open Championship 2022: LIV Golf players may play in St. Andrews

The R&A is allowing LIV golfers to compete in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews. These include former Open winners Phil Mickelson and Louis Oosthuizen, also qualifying are Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Abaham Ancer, plus Brooks Koepka, who may also join the LIV Golf Tour.

Open Championship: Openness has been Fundamental

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said:

“The Open is golf’s original Championship and since it was first played in 1860, openness has been fundamental to its ethos and unique appeal.

“Players who are exempt or have earned a place through qualifying for The 150th Open in accordance with the entry terms and conditions will be able to compete in the Championship at St Andrews.

“We are focused on staging a world class Championship in July and celebrating this truly historic occasion for golf. We will invest the proceeds of The Open, as we always do, for the benefit of golf which reflects our purpose to ensure that the sport is thriving 50 years from now.”

The USGA had allowed the players who participated in the first event of the LIV Golf Series, which is funded by the Saudi government’s PIF, to participate in the US Open. The issue had arisen after the PGA Tour suspended the players. However, the major tournaments are hosted by independent promoters who set their own qualifying criteria. However, neither the USGA nor the R&A guarantee that the qualification criteria will not change in the future. In the long run, the question of whether there will be world ranking points for LIV golf tournaments will also be relevant in this context, as these are often an important component of major qualification.

The DP World Tour has not commented yet and wants to make a decision about the sanctions for the LIV Golf participants in the coming days.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Video: First Hole in One at the US Open 2022

On the second day of the US Open 2022, the fans at The Country Club in Massachusetts (USA) were able to cheer loudly. Cameron Young took a swing at the sixth hole and holed out from 165 yards directly from the tee box.

US Open 2022: Hole in one from Cameron Young

The American thus scored the 48th (known) ace in the 122-year history of the US Open. Young had been rather mediocre so far and still had a chance to make the cut thanks to the eagle. After a 72 at the start, the 25-year-old experienced a debacle at hole 3. On the par-4 Cameron Young recorded an 8 and thus a quadruple bogey. For the round, the PGA Tour professional was already seven shots over par after 13 holes, but then started a series in which he framed the hole-in-one of three birdies at hole 6 (he had started on the 10th tee).

However, these five stroke wins within four holes were not enough; Cameron Young would also have needed a birdie on the last hole to make the cut at +3. As a result, he narrowly missed the weekend of the US Open 2022 by one stroke.

The 48th known hole-in-one in #USOpen HISTORY!

Take a bow, Cameron Young!

? : @NBC and @PeacockTV pic.twitter.com/cXlJP5zMwh

Categories
Highlights Tours

US Open 2022: Rory McIlroy takes out his frustration in the bunker

With a round of 67 and an interim shared lead at the 2022 US Open, Rory McIlroy actually has no reason to be particularly frustrated with his round. Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman gave free rein to his feelings in the meantime.

US Open 2022: Rory McIlroys aggressive bunker reaction

On hole 5, for example, where his tee shot landed on the edge of the bunker and the liberating shot strayed into the next bunker. But for a player of McIlroy’s caliber, that’s no problem either: he carried the ball onto the green and holed out for par. So did the bunker really deserve this reaction?

Woah ?pic.twitter.com/kSUgJ2dSwN — Golf Monthly (@GolfMonthly) June 16, 2022

“At the US Open, you’re faced with things you’re not faced with in any other week, whether it’s lies or things like that,” McIlroy said. “The thick rough of the course is on the edges of the bunkers. So I’ve been cursing the USGA.”

“You have to accept it. It didn’t seem like much work for Harry (Diamond, his caddy), so I gave the sand my opinion, and then I backed off and played a good bunker shot, and then it’s great to sink that hole.”

That wasn’t the only incident, however, in which McIlroy showed he’s hot to finish his majorless streak. On hole 9, McIlroy’s final hole that would end in a bogey, he clearly wasn’t satisfied as well and threw his club to the ground.

Rory club throws!! The Prince wants it this week!! pic.twitter.com/1KeaRdhx0D — Riggs (@RiggsBarstool) June 16, 2022