Author: Johanna Lakämper

Categories
Panorama

Rory McIlroy and his wife: Who is the woman at the Northern Irishman’s side?

Rory McIlroy, his wife Erica and hier daughter Poppy. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy, his wife Erica and hier daughter Poppy. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy is one of the most successful players in the world and travels the globe week after week to secure his position in the world’s top three. His current wife, Erica Stoll, has been by his side for nine years. The American from New York and the Northern Irishman first met at the 2012 Ryder Cup, have been a couple since 2015 and celebrated a dream wedding in Ireland in 2017. They have been parents to a healthy daughter since 2020.

Rory McIlroy and his wife: from faux pas to dream wedding

Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll met at the 2012 Ryder Cup, when McIlroy almost overslept his tee time and arrived at the tee just 10 minutes before the start of the round. Erica Stoll, who was working for the PGA at the time, was right in the middle of the action. Three years later, McIlroy and Stoll appeared as a couple for the first time, followed by their wedding in 2017.

The couple didn’t let themselves get carried away and celebrated a real fairytale wedding. An Irish castle from the 13th century was to be the location. The wedding lasted four days and is estimated to have cost the couple between 250,000 and 500,000 euros. The guest list is said to have included golf stars, One Direction singer Niall Horan and actor Jamie Dornen. Stevie Wonder and Ed Sheeran, among others, provided the musical backdrop. A real line-up of celebrities. Afterwards, the newlyweds enjoyed their honeymoon in the Caribbean.

Parents of little Poppy

Five years later, on August 31, 2020, the couple’s happiness was made complete with the birth of their daughter Poppy Kennedy McIlroy. After the birth, Rory McIlroy wrote on Instagram: ” She is the absolute love of our lives. “

Categories
Panorama

Alongside Michael Jordan: How Justin Thomas got his first car of his own

Justin Thomas in "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". (Foto: Youtube/@The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)
Justin Thomas in "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". (Foto: Youtube/@The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)

Justin Thomas was recently a guest on Stephen Colbert’s ” The Late Show” and chatted about his appearance in the second season of the Netflix series “Full Swing” and his love of the Ryder Cup. He also explained how he ended up on the golf course alongside basketball legend Michael Jordan at the age of 15.

Justin Thomas: At the age of 15 at Michael Jordan’s side

Through a mutual friend, Michael Jordan ended up playing golf for several years in a row at the golf club in Kentucky where Justin Thomas’ father Mike was head coach. Justin Thomas himself initially had the task of accompanying the golfers as a caddie – until he was allowed to swing a club in the flight himself at the age of 15. He was allowed to play seven holes in a team with Michael Jordan, surprised everyone, holed out four times for birdies and won a lot of money. The money with which he was subsequently able to finance his first car. Watch the video for the whole story:

Categories
Panorama

“Happy Gilmore 2”: Paige Spiranac as part of the cast?

Adam Sandler plans "Happy Gilmore 2". Will Paige Spirinac be part of the cast? (Photo: Getty)
Adam Sandler plans "Happy Gilmore 2". Will Paige Spirinac be part of the cast? (Photo: Getty)

The legend lives on: it seems that there will soon be a sequel to the 1996 comedy “Happy Gilmore” – “Happy Gilmore 2”. Producer and leading actor Adam Sandler is working on a second version of the film, as Christopher McDonald aka Shooter McGavin revealed. The hearts of “Happy Gilmore” fans are beating faster at this news and the first wish casts are spreading on the Internet. Definitely set, according to social media users: Instagram star Paige Spiranac in the role of the “Public Relations Lady”.

Paige Spiranac seems to be made for the role

Back in 2021, Adam Sandler had already hinted that he would like to see a sequel to the comedy. Now it seems to be getting serious, as McDonald reported. “I saw Adam about two weeks ago, and he says, ‘McDonald, you’re gonna love this. He shows me the first draft of Happy Gilmore 2,” the actor said in an interview in Cleveland, “He did show me that, and I thought, ‘Wow, that would be awesome.’ So it’s in the works. Fans, demand it, damnit!”

Since the news has been doing the rounds on the internet, fans have already been fantasizing about a possible cast: alongside Will Zalatoris and Tiger Woods, they also want to see Paige Spiranac. The 30-year-old used to play professional golf but has been concentrating on golf training and social media since 2017 for health reasons. She regularly shares photos and videos from her life and the golf course with her 4 million followers on Instagram.

She recently posted a photo of herself on Twitter, which she originally took in 2022, in which she sees herself in the role of the “public relations lady”. With the words “I was born ready”, she agrees with the fans’ suggestion. Will we see Spiranac on Netflix soon?

This is “Happy Gilmore”

The 1996 film comedy is about Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler), a clumsy but talented ice hockey player who decides to use his talent on the golf course to earn money. In the process, he gets into numerous absurd and comical situations as he struggles through the world of professional golf. The film is known for its quirky humor and over-the-top golf tournaments, as well as the unconventional way the main character approaches the sport.

Categories
PGA Tour

Players Championship 2024: How the prize money of 25 million US dollars is distributed

The Players Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. (Photo: Getty)
The Players Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. (Photo: Getty)

As the unofficial fifth major, the Players Championship 2024 awaits us this week as a major highlight in the PGA Tour’s tournament calendar. The absolute elite of the golf world will meet at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to compete for a unique total prize fund of 25 million US dollars.

Players Championship 2024: players can expect this prize money

The PGA Tour increased the prize money for the Players Championship to 25 million US dollars last year. Just three years ago, it was USD 15 million, was raised to USD 20 million and has stood at USD 25 million since last year. This amount puts the tournament on a par with all LIV Golf events, which are also endowed with 25 million US dollars each, and overtakes the prize money of the four major tournaments, which usually have a total prize money of 20 million US dollars.

The Tee Times of the first round of the Players Championship 2024

The PGA Tour recently published an overview of the distribution of the prize money that will flow this year. The winner will receive 4.5 million US dollars. The rest of the money will be distributed among the 65 best and tied players who make the cut after two rounds. While the sole runner-up can expect over ten percent of the total prize money with 2.725 million US dollars, the other three players in the top five can also look forward to seven-figure sums – provided there are no ties with the fifth-placed player.

Beyond the prize money

In addition to the large sums of money, other lucrative prizes await the winner. He will receive 750 FedEx Cup points as well as a five-year exemption for the tournament and the guarantee of a PGA Tour card for the same period. In addition, he secures a starting place at The Sentry, where all Tour winners from the previous year meet at the beginning of the year, as well as the right to compete in all four majors over the next three years. The winner will also receive 80 official world ranking points, just 20 less than the players who win this year’s Majors.

Prizemoney Payout Players Championship 2024

Pos. Player Earnings
1Scottie Scheffler4,500,000.00
T2Brian Harman1,891,666.67
T2Xander Schauffele1,891,666.67
T2Wyndham Clark1,891,666.66
5Matt Fitzpatrick1,025,000.00
T6Si Woo Kim875,000.00
T6Hideki Matsuyama875,000.00
8Ludvig Åberg781,250.00
T9Maverick McNealy706,250.00
T9Sahith Theegala706,250.00
T11Joel Dahmen606,250.00
T11Taylor Montgomery606,250.00
T13Corey Conners489,583.34
T13Christiaan Bezuidenhout489,583.33
T13Nate Lashley489,583.33
T16Doug Ghim406,250.00
T16Sam Ryder406,250.00
T16Sepp Straka406,250.00
T19Harris English285,535.72
T19Shane Lowry285,535.72
T19Dylan Wu285,535.72
T19Kurt Kitayama285,535.71
T19Rory McIlroy285,535.71
T19Alex Noren285,535.71
T19Adam Schenk285,535.71
T26Mackenzie Hughes186,250.00
T26Chris Kirk186,250.00
T26Matt NeSmith186,250.00
T26Matti Schmid186,250.00
T26Nick Taylor186,250.00
T31Mark Hubbard152,812.50
T31Sungjae Im152,812.50
T31Ben Martin152,812.50
T31Taylor Moore152,812.50
T35Lee Hodges119,285.72
T35Denny McCarthy119,285.72
T35Jimmy Stanger119,285.72
T35Jason Day119,285.71
T35Tommy Fleetwood119,285.71
T35Brice Garnett119,285.71
T35Aaron Rai119,285.71
T42David Lipsky93,750.00
T42Grayson Murray93,750.00
T42C.T. Pan93,750.00
T45Sam Burns70,062.50
T45Austin Eckroat70,062.50
T45Tony Finau70,062.50
T45Jake Knapp70,062.50
T45Ryan Moore70,062.50
T45Collin Morikawa70,062.50
T45J.T. Poston70,062.50
T45Adam Scott70,062.50
53Andrew Putnam60,250.00
T54Zac Blair57,500.00
T54Emiliano Grillo57,500.00
T54Tom Hoge57,500.00
T54Martin Laird57,500.00
T54Min Woo Lee57,500.00
T54Francesco Molinari57,500.00
T54Sami Valimaki57,500.00
T54Cameron Young57,500.00
T62Thomas Detry55,000.00
T62Viktor Hovland55,000.00
T64Tyler Duncan53,500.00
T64Max Homa53,500.00
T64Seamus Power53,500.00
T64J.J. Spaun53,500.00
T68Patrick Cantlay51,500.00
T68Rickie Fowler51,500.00
T68Chan Kim51,500.00
T68Peter Malnati51,500.00
72Gary Woodland50,250.00
73Keith Mitchell49,750.00

Pos. Pct. Amount
1 18% $4,500,000.00
2 10.90% $2,725,000.00
3 6.90% $1,725,000.00
4 4.90% $1,225,000.00
5 4.10% $1,025,000.00
6 3.63% $906,250.00
7 3.38% $843,750.00
8 3.13% $781,250.00
9 2.93% $731,250.00
10 2.73% $681,250.00
11 2.53% $631,250.00
12 2.33% $581,250.00
13 2.13% $531,250.00
14 1.93% $481,250.00
15 1.83% $456,250.00
15 1.83% $456,250.00
16 1.73% $431,250.00
17 1.63% $406,250.00
18 1.53% $381,250.00
19 1.43% $356,250.00
20 1.33% $331,250.00
21 1.23% $306,250.00
22 1.13% $281,250.00
23 1.05% $261,250.00
24 0.97% $241,250.00
25 0.89% $221,250.00
26 0.81% $201,250.00
27 0.78% $193,750.00
28 0.75% $186,250.00
29 0.72% $178,750.00
30 0.69% $171,250.00
31 0.66% $163,750.00
32 0.63% $156,250.00
33 0.60% $148,750.00
34 0.57% $142,500.00
35 0.55% $136,250.00
36 0.52% $130,000.00
37 0.50% $123,750.00
38 0.48% $118,750.00
39 0.46% $113,750.00
40 0.44% $108,750.00
41 0.42% $103,750.00
42 0.40% $98,750.00
43 0.38% $93,750.00
44 0.36% $88,750.00
45 0.34% $83,750.00
46 0.32% $78,750.00
47 0.30% $73,750.00
48 0.28% $69,750.00
49 0.27% $66,250.00
50 0.26% $64,250.00
51 0.25% $62,750.00
52 0.25% $61,250.00
53 0.24% $60,250.00
54 0.24% $59,250.00
55 0.24% $58,750.00
56 0.23% $58,250.00
57 0.23% $57,750.00
58 0.23% $57,250.00
59 0.23% $56,750.00
60 0.23% $56,250.00
61 0.22% $55,750.00
62 0.22% $55,250.00
63 0.22% $54,750.00
64 0.22% $54,250.00
65 0.22% $53,750.00
Categories
PGA Tour

The 17 of the Players Championship 2024: This is how many balls went down in round 1

The calm before the storm: The 17 in the morning sun. (Photo: Getty)
The calm before the storm: The 17 in the morning sun. (Photo: Getty)

The course at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach is not the favorite course of many golf pros for nothing. The course impresses with its challenging design and first-class conditions. The highlight of the course is hole 17, a par-3 where the ball has to be hit over a large pond directly onto the island green. The slightest mistake is severely punished: year after year, numerous balls go astray at the Players Championship, as even the pros miss the green from time to time.

Live blog of the Players Championship 2024

Ten balls disappeared into the water

About 127 yards had to be overcome in round 1 of the Players Championship 2024. The flag was stuck on the front edge of the green, which made the approach even more difficult. Out of 138 players who passed the hole before the interruption due to darkness on the first day, ten players sank their ball in the water. It was particularly annoying for Sam Ryder, whose ball missed the hole by a hair’s breadth before rolling into the water (double bogey). Tom Kim, who was playing with a fever of over 39 degrees and gave up shortly afterwards, also sank his ball in the water (triple bogey).

Nevertheless, there was great jubilation on the par-3. 23 players mastered the hole with a birdie, but were eclipsed by Ryan Fox. Fox achieved what most golfers dream of: he holed out for a hole-in-one. With just the right amount of backspin, his ball rolled straight into the hole after landing. In combination with another eagle, which he scored on the 16th, Fox is the first player in the history of the tournament to achieve two double stroke wins in a row.

In addition to the ace and the 23 birdies, there were a total of 86 pars, 20 bogeys, seven double bogeys and Tom Kim’s triple bogey. This results in an average score of 3.087, which is slightly higher than last year’s 3.03. Last year, almost twice as many balls landed in the water: a total of 16.

Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour: Marcel Siem and Nick Bachem in the scramble

Nick Bachem and Marcel Siem vs. Pablo Larrazábal and Guido Migliozzi. (Photo: DP World Tour)
Nick Bachem and Marcel Siem vs. Pablo Larrazábal and Guido Migliozzi. (Photo: DP World Tour)

Week after week, the stars of the DP World Tour play against the competition in the individual rankings of the tournaments. However, the tour also regularly pits its players against each other in various challenges outside of tournaments. For example, Marcel Siem and Nick Bachem recently competed together against Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal and Italian Guido Migliozzi in a scramble format.

In addition to first-class entertainment with plenty of emotion and numerous jokes, the four of them also offered a hot match with very good golf at the Dubai Creek Resort. See for yourself which team won the match.

Video: The stars of the DP World Tour in a scramble

Categories
PGA Tour

Video: From near ace to double bogey at the 2024 Players Championship

Sam Ryder at th 2024 Players Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Sam Ryder at th 2024 Players Championship. (Photo: Getty)

That’s golf: just millimeters away from one of the greatest moments of your golf career to a costly double bogey in just a few minutes. When Sam Ryder teed off on the famous signature hole, the 17th, in round 1 of the 2024 Players Championship, thousands of fans cheered him on.

Live Blog of the Players Championship 2024

Hole 17 – the highlight of the Players Championship 2024

Hole 17 of the TPC Sawgrass – the dreaded island green of the course, which has been the undoing of many a player. While Ryan Fox was able to celebrate an ace on this special hole on Thursday, things turned out differently for Sam Ryder. His ball headed straight for the flag after hitting the green and missed it by a hair’s breadth. The back spin that Ryder had put on the ball then drove the ball off the green, over the narrow edge of the rough and into the water. In the end, Ryder recorded an annoying 5 on the par-3. He found a conciliatory finish with a birdie on the 18th and is tied 37th after round 1.

Categories
Panorama

Bernhard Langer reveals: This is how he really sustained his injury

Bernhard Langer is currently in rehab. (Photo: Getty)
Bernhard Langer is currently in rehab. (Photo: Getty)

Last month there was bad news: Bernhard Langer, probably the most successful German golfer of all time, had torn his Achilles tendon at the age of 66. The tournament golfer suffered the injury during training, preventing him from taking part in the first highlights of the calendar year. Langer now revealed in the “Musings on Golf” podcast that there was another cause behind the injury.

Bernhard Langer: Achilles tendon rupture while playing pickleball

Bernhard Langer did not tear his Achilles tendon during golf training, as he originally explained. The injury resulted from a maneuver while playing pickleball. Pickleball is an American ball sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis. The question now arises as to why Bernhard Langer, a professional golfer for whom his body is his asset, would expose himself to such a risk of injury. “I play all sorts of sports to stay fit, and this was part of my fitness regime,” Langer explains in the podcast.

The situation in which his Achilles tendon ruptured sounds like a classic move: “Somebody was trying to lob me. I did a few steps backward and hit an overhead, and as I landed on the ground with my feet I heard this huge pop, very loud, like a gun shot. I knew right away it was a torn Achilles.”

Chances of recovery and comeback

Immediately after his injury, it was questionable whether or when the 66-year-old would return to the golf course. The chances of him taking part in this year’s Masters, which he also wanted to celebrate as his farewell to the major tournament, were promptly negligible. His appearance at the BMW International Open 2024 in Munich was also in the stars. However, in conversation with Dr. Tino Lorenz, sports physician and surgeon from Dresden, Golf Post learned that the golfer had a good chance of returning to the sport soon thanks to the optimal support that would most likely be offered to him after the operation.

Bernhard Langer’s positive update from rehab
Bernhard Langer has now confirmed this in person by revealing his tournament plans. In the podcast, he revealed that he is aiming to start at the Insperity Invitational in Houston from May 3 to 5, 2024. Langer would probably surprise many with a start at this tournament – only around three months after his injury. Hopes are growing that he will be able to make his planned start in Munich at the beginning of July.

Although Langer will not be able to play in Augusta this year, he would like to make the trip to golf’s most famous major. As a two-time Masters champion, the German would at least like to take part in the Masters Club Dinner for Champions.

Categories
PGA Tour

Video: Shane Lowry holes from 234 meters to the albatross

Shane Lowry holed out for the albatross. (Photo: Getty)
Shane Lowry holed out for the albatross. (Photo: Getty)

In addition to a hole in one, many a golfer dreams of an albatross. A triple shot win on just one hole is a rare event in golf and worth just as much jubilation and excitement as a hole-in-one. For Shane Lowry, it happened on the fourth day of the Farmers Insurance Open and the 36-year-old PGA Tour winner holed out for an albatross. The magic happened on the first par-5 of the South Course at Torrey Pines. Shane Lowry holed his ball from 234 meters and celebrated. In the end, the Ryder Cup player finished tied 25th at the Farmers Insurance Open 2024.

In the video: Shane Lowry holes out for an albatross

Categories
PGA Tour

Player Impact Program: Rory McIlroy replaces Tiger Woods

Rory McIlroy snatches the Player Impact Program title from Tiger Woods. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy secures victory in the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program 2023 and receives a bonus of 15 million US dollars. He takes over from Tiger Woods, who has won the title in recent years. Woods is in second place this year and will receive prize money of 12 million US dollars.

Player Impact Program: Rory McIlroy walks away with 15 million US dollars

The Player Impact Program was introduced in 2020/21 to reward players who generate the most positive interest for the PGA Tour through their media presence. Various criteria are measured: Internet searches, number of news articles, visibility of sponsor logos on TV, general awareness and social media impact. McIlroy came out on top of the top 20 based on these criteria this year, with a total prize money of 100 million US dollars distributed among them. “The scoring model for the program is intended to be as objective as possible with the goal of quantifying the impact each player has on the PGA Tour,” Jason Gore, the Tour’s executive vice president and chief player officer, wrote in a memo.

Rory McIlroy recently attracted attention in the golf world with his withdrawal from the PGA Tour Politics Committee and the postponement of the start of the TGL League, which he founded with Tiger Woods, by one year. His commitment to the PGA Tour and his success on the course continue to make him the face of the Tour, especially when competing against the up-and-coming LIV Tour. In addition to McIlroy’s sporting achievements, his victory in the Player Impact Program now also recognizes his positive impact on awareness and interest in golf.

The top 20 of the Player Impact Program is as follows:

  1. Rory McIlroy — $15 million
  2. Tiger Woods — $12 million
  3. Jon Rahm — $9 million
  4. Jordan Spieth — $7.5 million
  5. Scottie Scheffler — $6 million
  6. Rickie Fowler — $5.5 million
  7. Viktor Hovland — $5 million
  8. Justin Thomas — $5 million
  9. Tommy Fleetwood — $5 million
  10. Max Homa — $5 million
  11. Xander Schauffele — $3 million
  12. Jason Day — $3 million
  13. Tony Finau — $3 million
  14. Collin Morikawa — $3 million
  15. Matt Fitzpatrick — $3 million
  16. Wyndham Clark — $2 million
  17. Cameron Young — $2 million
  18. Justin Rose — $2 million
  19. Patrick Cantlay — $2 million
  20. Brian Harman — $2 million