Author: Johanna Lakämper

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2023 Ryder Cup: Patrick Cantlay as world number 5 in portrait

Will Patrick Cantlay also be cheering at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome? (Photo: Getty)
Will Patrick Cantlay also be cheering at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome? (Photo: Getty)

Although Patrick Cantlay remained winless in the 2022/2023 season, he consistently delivered performances at the highest level and is in the top 5 of the world rankings. With this performance, he will be an important component of Team USA at the 2023 Ryder Cup. He already gained his first experience at the continental competition in 2021 and achieved a remarkable record of 3-0-1 (win-loss-draw).

Patrick Cantlay at the 2023 Ryder Cup

After Scottie Scheffler as number 1 in the world, Patrick Cantlay is the second US American to appear in the official golf world rankings. With a consistently convincing performance over the course of the season, the 31-year-old climbed up to 4th place in the meantime over the past weeks and months. In doing so, he earned one of the six team places that are automatically awarded and did not have to rely on the favor of team captain Zach Johnson.

Although Patrick Cantlay is not among the winners of the 2022/2023 season, his record over the last few months is impressive. The American, who has a German father, has made the cut in 18 of the 20 events he has played and has finished in the top 25 15 times. These top finishes include three of his four major starts: with two tied 14th places and one tied ninth place, he proved his ability in what are probably the best tournaments of the year. Thanks to these consistent results, Patrick Cantlay enters the competition as a safe bet.

Patrick Cantlay has not yet allowed himself a lapse at the Ryder Cup

This will be Patrick Cantlay’s second appearance at the Ryder Cup. In 2021, he made his debut at the popular event and actively supported Team USA on its way to victory. With three wins and a draw in four rounds played, he collected 3.5 important points for his team. Cantlay did not suffer a defeat.

The then 29-year-old scored his first point as a duo with his friend and teammate Xander Schauffele. After 15 holes played, they beat Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter in the Foursome. This was followed by a draw in the Fourball against the European competition consisting of Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland. In Saturday’s Foursome, the Cantlay/Schauffele duo was again victorious – this time against Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick. Cantlay also showed strength in his final round, the singles competition, scoring his third full point for Team USA against Shane Lowry.

Patrick Cantlay’s most remarkable career

Born in California as one of four children, Patrick Cantlay developed into a promising golf talent during his childhood and youth. After a successful amateur career, he was ranked No. 1 in the world for over a year, he turned professional in 2012 after dropping out of college. Here, over time, he became a dangerous competitor, diligently collecting victories and now has eight PGA Tour successes to his credit. Even as an amateur, he gained his first experience in team competitions with his participation in the Palmer and Walker Cups and has already been part of the Presidents Cup twice. The earnings of his entire golf career now amount to over 42 million US dollars.

Ryder Cup 2023: A look inside Patrick Cantlay’s golf bag

Like his Team USA colleagues Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay relies on Titleist. With the driver and the 5-wood of the TS series, he gets the predecessor variant of the new TSR models into his bag. His long game is complemented by the 915F 3-wood from 2015 and the brand-new T200 Driving Iron from Titleist’s 2023 T-Series. For irons, Cantlay relies on the 2017 AP2 irons from Titleist’s 718 Series. With a few tweaks, the irons impressed with their sporty cavity-back design and the precision Tour players crave when they were launched six years ago. When it comes to wedges, Cantlay also brings Titleist’s popular classic into the bag. With the Vokey Spin Milled 7 wedge in 46-degree and 52-degree versions, as well as the Vokey Spin Milled 9 wedge with 57- and 61-degree slopes, he has four all-rounders in his bag. Finally, Cantlay is on the greens with a Scotty Cameron T5 prototype. His playing ball is the Pro V1x, the same model used by many of his teammates.

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2023 Ryder Cup: Brooks Koepka and his outstanding record

Ryder Cup 2023: Brooks Koepka is one of the captains picks (Photo: Getty)
Ryder Cup 2023: Brooks Koepka is one of the captains picks (Photo: Getty)

Brooks Koepka is the only player on Team USA who does not play on the PGA Tour, but moved to the controversial LIV Tour last year. Nevertheless, he is one of the top players in the world, which he proved at the major tournaments for which LIV players are also eligible to play. He made the cut in all four tournaments, finishing second and winning one. For Koepka, the 2023 Ryder Cup will be his fourth appearance on Team USA.

Brooks Koepka at the Ryder Cup 2023

Brooks Koepka is one of captain Zack Johnson’s captains picks. Last year he was victorious in Orlando on the LIV Tour and became the first active LIV Tour player to win a major tournament. As one of the year’s four major winners, the choice to take him to the Ryder Cup was almost mandatory for Zach Johnson.

Brooks Koepka is a man of major tournaments. He won the PGA Championship this year for the third time in his career. At the Masters, he finished joint second with compatriot Phil Mickelson. He made the top-20 at the US Open and also made the cut at the British Open. Another win on the LIV Tour confirmed his current top form. His form, combined with his many years of Ryder Cup experience, make him one of the strongest players on Team USA.

The fourth Ryder Cup for Brooks Koepka

Brooks Koepka’s Ryder Cup record shows his strength both as a team and on his own. In a total of twelve matches, he lost only one and won six times. In singles matches, he won two of his three matches, right on his debut with an emphatic result. He shared the second singles match in 2018 with Paul Casey and in the last Ryder Cup he beat Bernd Wiesberger.

Another factor in his selection as a team member for the 2023 Ryder Cup is that he has already been victorious several times in European tournaments. Of these, twice in Spain and once in Italy. This proves that he can cope perfectly with the weather conditions and climate in southern Europe. His confidence will also be a big help for the USA team.

Brooks Koepka’s greatest successes and prize money

His PGA Tour history speaks volumes. He is a man of major tournaments. More than half of his tournament wins have come in major tournaments. He is one of the few players who managed to win both the US Open and the PGA Championship in the same year. The 33-year-old has already won a total of nine titles and five majors in his career. He won both the US Open and the PGA Championship in two consecutive years.

On the LIV Tour, he captains Team Smash GC and has already won two of the tournaments since joining the LIV Tour in 2022. Unlike the PGA Tour, players on the LIV Tour receive guaranteed prize money, which in Brooks Koepka’s case now stands at $69 million. In his PGA Tour career, he earned $43 million in prize money. That makes him one of the best paid golfers in the world.

Ryder Cup 2023: A look inside Brooks Koepka’s bag

The Major winner continued to experiment with his equipment over the past week and months. In addition to various companies, Brooks Koepka also tried out different models from different manufacturers. For his driver, he finally ended up with the ZX5 Mk II model from Srixon instead of the ZX7. With a weight in the back of the sole, the ZX5 helps create a straighter swing path and a bit more launch height compared to the ZX7. For the fairway wood, Koepka looks back to TaylorMade’s 2017 model. The M Series was the predecessor to the current Stealth models and seems to have taken a liking to the American. The M2 wood currently lands in his bag. For the irons, he again relies on Srixon and the blades of the latest series. The ZX7 Mk II irons impress with their slim design and offer Koepka the possibility of different flight curves.
He also relies on Srixon and sister company Cleveland for the wedges. The RTX Zipcore wedges hold up in his bag and seem to have gained his trust around the green. In addition to a Scottie Cameron putter in the Newport 2 Tour variant, Srixon Z-Star Diamond golf balls make it into Koepka’s bag.

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Highlights Tours Team USA

2023 Ryder Cup: Justin Thomas – The controversial Captains Pick

Justin Thomas is part of Team USA for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. (Photo: Getty)
Justin Thomas is part of Team USA for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. (Photo: Getty)

Justin Thomas was named by captain Zach Johnson to the squad for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. This has caused quite a stir as he has not played a good season. Still, his Ryder Cup history speaks for itself. In the past two Ryder Cups in which he has taken part, he has suffered only one defeat in nine matches. In the Dream Team with Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas is also one of the mood setters and pulls the whole team along with his passion.

Justin Thomas at the 2023 Ryder Cup

It was a very mixed season for Thomas. He failed to make the cut in three of the four major tournaments. He was unable to win a tournament and failed to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs at the end of the season for the first time since he started his career in 2013. His best finish was fourth at the World Cup Phoenix Open.

So why would Zack Johnson give one of his captain’s picks to Justin Thomas, who is in a slump of form? Zack Johnson trusts “JT” because he has the skills to compete against the best players in the world. This is also proven by his Ryder Cup statistics, he won six out of nine times and only had to admit defeat once. Over the years, Justin Thomas has earned an outstanding reputation for his consistent performance and team spirit in the Ryder Cup. His contribution to the victory of Team USA 2021 and his commitment to the competition have made him one of the most respected golfers in the prestigious tournament.

Justin Thomas the conqueror of Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup

The 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome will be the third of JT’s career. Two years ago, he contributed to the overall victory of the USA with his victory in the singles match against Tyrell Hatton and with his victory in the foursome, together with Jordan Spieth. In the previous Ryder Cup 2018, the USA had to admit defeat, but Justin Thomas was victorious in four of his five matches. The highlight was undoubtedly his victory over Rory McIlroy in the singles match.

Captain Johnson chose Thomas not only for his skills, but also for his passion and character traits. In previous years, he already pulled the entire team along with him and constantly ensured a good mood and motivation with his heart and soul. In an interview, Johnson said, “You don’t just leave JT at home.”

Justin Thomas’ greatest successes and prize money

Thomas’ track record is reflected not only in his victories, but also in his impressive prize money. Since entering the professional golf scene, he has earned around $55 million. Throughout his career, he has claimed some of the most prestigious tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the “PGA Championship” in 2017, where he secured the title for the first time and earned major-winning glory as one of the youngest players in history. His fearless style of play, combined with a precise stroke technique, has allowed him to stand at the top of the world rankings and win the PGA Championship for a second time in 2022.

A look inside Justin Thomas’ bag – this is the equipment he wants to use to shine at the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Justin Thomas also joins Brian Harman in his choice of equipment. Equipped with the latest models from Titleist, the recently stumbling Major winner wants to score points at the Ryder Cup 2023. Thomas will be using the TSR3 driver, one of the latest additions to the Titleist Speed Project. He also relies on the TSR3 series for his woods, in this case a 15-degree 3-wood. For the irons, the American uses the latest variant of the T100 irons as a 4-iron, and from the 5-iron onwards he relies on the Titleist 620 MB Players irons. Thomas also uses the Vokey Spin Milled 9 47 degree, 52 degree and 57 degree wedges. In addition, a Lob wedge from Titleist-Wedgeworks completes the bag. For the putter, Thomas switched back to the Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 Tour in July. The model is inspired by his prototype and features a short slant neck. As a playing ball Thomas chooses the Pro V1x from Titleist.

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Highlights Tours Team USA

2023 Ryder Cup: Collin Morikawa travels to Rome as Captain’s Pick

Pure emotion: Collin Morikawa at the Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Pure emotion: Collin Morikawa at the Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

At the age of 26, Collin Morikawa will be competing for the American team in the Ryder Cup for the second time. He made his debut in 2021 and made the team again in 2023. His season performance was mixed, and Morikawa did not earn an automatic spot through the world rankings. Nevertheless, he has convinced captain Zach Johnson and takes a place of the six “Captain’s Picks”.

Collin Morikawa at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Collin Morikawa has had a mixed season. After the young golfer experienced a veritable whirlwind start in recent years, sprinting to third place in the world rankings within a very short time, things went up and down for him on the PGA Tour in the 2022/23 season. At the time of his nomination, he was ranked 19th in the world rankings. At the start of last season, around the turn of the year, Morikawa was still collecting some very good finishes and just missed out on victory at the Sentra Tournament of Champions. This was followed by an alternation of solid finishes and missed cuts. Most recently, he delivered very good performances in the playoff tournaments. While he missed the cut at the Open Championship, he placed T26 or better at the three remaining majors.

At the end of the season, his performance was enough to convince captain Zach Johnson of his merits. Collin Morikawa is still considered one of the best iron players on the tour and after this season is ranked second in the “Strokes gained” statistics. Not least his performance at the last Ryder Cup speaks for the young up-and-coming talent.

Collin Morikawa’s record at the Ryder Cup

Last year was Collin Morikawa’s first appearance in the continental competition between the USA and Europe. The then 24-year-old played four matches and posted a record of 3-0-1. Morikawa played his three team appearances together with Dustin Johnson. The duo remained invincible, earning three points for Team USA.

Collin Morikawa also put up a good fight in the singles match on Sunday. He did not manage a win against European Ryder Cup rookie Viktor Hovland, but the two shared the point. At the end of the day, the young Morikawa won the tournament together with the American team and will be part of the group again this year.

Collin Morikawa’s successes

In 1997 Collin Morikawa was born in Los Angeles. In his amateur days, Morikawa won numerous golf tournaments and led the world amateur rankings for three weeks in May 2018. His winning streak continued after turning professional in 2019. He survived the cut in 22 tournaments in a row. Only Tiger Woods managed more as a rookie, namely 25. This was followed by his first PGA Tour victory and, in only his second season as a professional, his first major win at the 2020 PGA Championship. In total, the 26-year-old now has two major victories, five PGA Tour wins and four DP World Tour victories.

WITB: Collin Morikawa’s equipment at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Collin Morikawa is all about TaylorMade. His equipment is made up of classics and current models from the brand. From the tee, he relies on the popular SIM driver, and he also uses the classic 3-wood. The 5-wood in the American’s bag is the brand’s latest Stealth 2 series. For the irons, Morikawa uses the range of high-performance Players irons. The 4-iron comes from the P770 series, irons 5 and 6 he gets from the new P7MC irons and from the 7-iron to the pitching wedge he relies on the P7CM model. In this way, Morikawa has put together an ideal combination of distance irons and spin enhancement in the short game. TaylorMade also provides the wedges for the top player. With the brand-new Milled Grind 4 models in various sole grinds, Morikawa can use versatile pitches and chips around the greens in Rome. He chooses the putter from the TP Collection in the “Soto” blade design and reduces the weights used from 10 grams each to 7.5 grams. As a playing ball, he chooses the TP5 5-piece ball from TaylorMade.

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Highlights Tours Team USA

2023 Ryder Cup: Jordan Spieth – The Team Player

Jordan Spieth will compete for Team America for the fifth time at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome (Photo: Getty)
Jordan Spieth will compete for Team America for the fifth time at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome (Photo: Getty)

It was to be expected that Jordan Spieth will be one of the Captains Picks. He brings a lot of Ryder Cup experience with him and is hard to beat in a duo with his best friend Justin Thomas. So far, he has not won any of his singles matches, and he will be looking to change that this year. Although his season has been very mixed, it’s hard to imagine the golfing elite without him and he’s one of the best players in the world.

Jordan Spieth at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Jordan Spieth has been named to the U.S. team for the 2023 Ryder Cup as one of the six captain’s picks. It has been impossible to imagine the Ryder Cup team without him for many years. Rome will be his fifth appearance in a continental matchup between the U.S. and Europe. Spieth has not yet managed to win this season. He almost did at the RBC Heritage, but was defeated by Fitzpatrick in a playoff there.

In the current season he achieved six more top-10 finishes. His best major finish came at the Masters Tournament, where he finished T4. He was selected by Zach Johnson not because of his current performances, but because of his long experience and passion for the Ryder Cup. Spieth is comfortable in team competitions. His Ryder Cup statistics also prove that. Eight times he was successful in 14 matches played in fourball and foursome. He has only had problems in the singles matches, where he has not yet managed a victory.

Jordan Spieth: Hard to beat at the Ryder Cup

Jordan Spieth will certainly be playing together again this year with his best friend Justin Thomas, who was also included in Team USA as a captain’s pick. The two already played together successfully as a team at the last two Ryder Cup tournaments in 2021 and 2018. Four of the six matches they played together ended victoriously. Four more Presidents Cup appearances, all of which ended victoriously, make him a team play expert and a great asset to Team USA for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

He has won two of his four Ryder Cups so far. He would like to improve this record. A thorn in the side of the world number twelve is that he has not won any of his singles matches so far. Spieth is a player for the big moments and exceptional shots. In the 2021 Ryder Cup, for example, he played an incredible shot from an almost vertical slope one meter to the flag and still almost fell.

Jordan Spieth’s greatest successes and prize money

The 30-year-old can already look back on a successful career. So far, he has won 13 of the 259 events he has played, missed just 47 cuts and has finished in the top 10 86 times. Spieth has won three majors so far, including two in one year. 2014/15 was his showcase season. In addition to the US Open and the Masters, he won three other tournaments, including the Tour Championship.
He finished in the top 5 53 times and runner up 18 times. That earned the American quite a bit of prize money. His earnings from prize money alone amount to just over $60 million.

Jordan Spieth’s bag at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Like his friend and colleague Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieht relies on Titleist equipment. The Major winner has had the TSR2 Driver in his golf bag since August. The range of woods is supplemented by a 3-wood from the TSR3 series. For the irons, Spieth has chosen the manufacturer’s T100. The sporty Players iron with tungsten weights on the heel and toe of the club is designed for consistent spin and recently received a new version with an improved look. Spieth also relies on the Vokey Spin Milled 9 wedges from last year around the green. Together with a Scottie Cameron prototype putter in blade design, his golf bag is completed. Spieth also uses the Pro V1x as a playing ball, which should be a practical side effect, especially for a potential Foursome match with team-mate Thomas.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Norway’s Viktor Hovland – Ray of Sunshine for Team Europe

Norwegian Viktor Hovland starts for Team Europe at The 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Norwegian Viktor Hovland starts for Team Europe at The 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

Viktor Hovland was the third player to be confirmed as a certain part of the European team for the 2023 Ryder Cup. Ranked No. 5 in the official world golf rankings at the time of qualification and thus the third-best European golfer in the world, the Norwegian secured his ticket for the team and enters the tournament as a promising player. He was the first Norwegian ever to make the Ryder Cup team two years ago. To confirm his position on the team, he celebrated victory at the BMW Championship just a few weeks before the 2023 Ryder Cup, and just one week later he also celebrated success at the Tour Championship.

Viktor Hovland at the Ryder Cup 2023

Thanks to his results this season, Viktor Hovland secured his place on Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup via his ranking in the world points rankings. Thanks to his consistent performance – Hovland did not miss a single cut – and the consistent successes he has achieved in recent months, the 25-year-old has now even climbed to fourth place in the world rankings. At the time of qualifying, only two Americans and two Europeans scored more world ranking points: Scottie Scheffler (1), Rory McIlroy (2), Jon Rahm (3) and Patrick Cantlay (4). As the third best European, Hovland thus secured his place in the team after Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.

With the good form in which Viktor Hovland has now been presenting himself for a long time, he is entering the 2023 Ryder Cup as a hopeful. Hovland’s numerous top-ranked finishes were crowned not least by his performances at the four majors: he finished in the top-20 at all four tournaments. His worst finish was 19th place at the US Open. He finished the Open Championship in joint 13th place and the Masters in T7. At the PGA Championship, the Norwegian’s first major title was within his grasp – he finished in second place. Nevertheless, he was among the winners this season: At the Memorial Tournament in Muirfield, Hovland claimed his fourth PGA Tour victory in the middle of the year. His second win of the year followed shortly before the end of the season. With a record round and a five-stroke lead, he snatched victory at the BMW Championship, only to go on to win the final tournament of the PGA Tour season a week later.

Viktor Hovland and his Norwegian history at the Ryder Cup

The Norwegian’s Ryder Cup career is still young. Two years ago, he made his debut in Team Europe, when he fought for victory with his teammates at Whistling Straits, but lost the competition handily. Nevertheless, he celebrated a huge success even before the tournament began: Viktor Hovland was and remains to this day the first and only Norwegian player ever to become part of the Ryder Cup team, thus making history.

Alongside Jon Rahm, he was the only player to play in all five sessions for Team Europe; his record was 0-3-2. Three defeats could not be avoided for Hovland and his teammates, but twice the then 24-year-old scored half a point each. Once in his second duel with Tommy Fleetwood against Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay and in the singles match on Sunday. Here he faced Collin Morikawa and would have had to get the full point to avoid the early victory of the opposing team. This year, the European team is looking to reclaim the trophy on home soil.

Viktor Hovland’s most notable successes

After a promising amateur career, Viktor Hovland turned professional in 2019 and emerged as a high-flyer. In the same year, he set the PGA Tour record for most consecutive rounds in the 60s – in total, he played a score under 70 19 times in a row. Just as he became the first Norwegian to be part of the Ryder Cup, Viktor Hovland is also the first Norwegian to win on both the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) and the PGA Tour. He has now collected a total of seven victories on both tours combined, making him one of the most consistent golfers in Europe. At the Hero World Challenge 2022, Hovland achieved his first title defense on the PGA Tour, equaling Tiger Woods as the only player with two consecutive victories at this event. In his young career, the 25-year-old, who will turn 26 shortly before the 2023 Ryder Cup, has now earned more than 23 million euros in prize money. This does not include the 18 million dollars he won at the Tour Championship.

Ryder Cup 2023: A look inside Viktor Hovland’s bag

Viktor Hovland is also relying on the successful combination of Ping, Titleist and TaylorMade at the Ryder Cup. In addition to the Ping G425 LST driver, he will also be using the Stealth Plus 3-wood in his bag. With a 16.5 degree slope, he gets a bit more spin and height out of the long wood. Completing the “long section” of his golf bag is a driving iron from Titleist. With the U505 3-iron, Hovland can deliver pinpoint tee shots and controllable carry shots. The Ping i210 Players irons complete his iron set, providing spin, accuracy and versatile trajectories. Like teammate Hatton, Hovland reaches for the Ping Glide 4.0 wedge around the greens in Rome. On the short-cut, the Norwegian uses a prototype of the Ping PLD Milled putter in the DS72 variant. He also uses the popular Titleist Pro V1.

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Ryder Cup 2023: Justin Rose, a familiar face on Team Europe

Justin Rose will be part of Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Justin Rose will be part of Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

With Justin Rose, Luke Donald is bringing the most experienced Ryder Cup player into the team alongside Rory McIlroy. The 43-year-old will be part of Europe’s lineup for the Ryder Cup for the sixth time in 2023. “There’s nothing better than winning as a team,” Rose said enthusiastic after the announcement of the “captain’s picks.” Captain Luke Donald is confident he made the right choice with Justin Rose: “He’s been in these situations before, holing putts under pressure.”

Justin Rose at the 2023 Ryder Cup

At 43, Justin Rose is one of the older players on the European team for the 2023 Ryder Cup. After missing the previous edition of the Ryder Cup, he delivered outstanding performances in the 2022/2023 season that put him on captain Luke Donald’s radar. On both the PGA Tour and the European Tour, the Englishman proved himself to be a dangerous title chaser. Earlier this year, Rose prevailed on the PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to become the first European winner in the tournament’s history.

His biggest successes of the year were celebrated also on the PGA Tour with a sixth-place finish at the Players Championship and top-20 finishes at the US Masters and the PGA Championship. Rose also managed a rounded finish to the season on the PGA Tour with T22 at the FedEx St Jude Championship and T20 at the BMW Championship. His biggest success on European soil this year was fourth place at the Betfred British Masters in his home country. These consistently good performances coupled with his extensive Ryder Cup experience made him the right candidate for Team Europe for Luke Donald.

Delighted to have been called up by Luke to represent Team Europe in Rome! The Ryder Cup is an absolute honour to be a part of, and the intensity of the competition cannot be found elsewhere! So excited to get to feel that again!! Missing out last time around really spurred me… pic.twitter.com/3iu7TCoEAF — Justin ROSE (@JustinRose99) September 4, 2023

Three victories in five Ryder Cup appearances

Justin Rose already has five Ryder Cups behind him: in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016 as well as 2018 he was one of twelve Europeans to compete against the American team. In 2012, 2014 and 2018, he and his teammates celebrated victory in golf’s most famous team competition. After ten years of Ryder Cup, Justin Rose has a record of 13-8-2. He showed the most success in the Foursomes with his teammates, famously often playing alongside Swede Henrik Stenson, winning seven times, losing only twice and playing one draw. He earned his successes at the Ryder Cup through confident performances under high pressure and long putts that he put into the hole.

Justin Rose’s performance at the 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah was particularly memorable. The European team was already threatened with defeat on the final Sunday. Rose fought for every point in a singles match against Phil Mickelson and turned the tide after initially trailing on the 17th green when he holed a long putt for birdie. With team partner Henrik Stenson at his side, Rose has emerged over the years as the true great of the competition and has played a vital part in three European victories.

“Rosie’s” greatest successes

In his career Justin Rose collected one major victory in addition to eleven wins on the PGA Tour and eleven victories on the DP World Tour. His triumph at the US Open in 2013 is one of the greatest successes for the Englishman. He won the American Major at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, by two strokes. In 2016, when golf became an Olympic sport for the first time since 1904, Rose went all out and beat his favorite partner Stenson by two strokes, winning the gold medal. He also emerged as the overall winner of the PGA Tour’s season rankings in 2018 and was a FedExCup title winner. After some time without highlights, Rose showed himself to be a reliable golfer again last season and thus earned his place back on Team Europe.

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PGA Tour

Tour Championship 2023: $75 million split between Hovland, Scheffler and Co.

The 2023 Tour Championship is luring golf's elite with a hefty prize purse. (Photo: Getty)
The 2023 Tour Championship is luring golf's elite with a hefty prize purse. (Photo: Getty)

Georgia opened its doors once again for the 2023 Tour Championship. Payday on the PGA Tour. The final tournament of the FedEx Cup 2023 offered prize money that set its own standards. Almost 20 million US dollars awaited the winner at East Lake Golf Club. But it wasn’t just Viktor Hovland, who won the tournament by five strokes, who cleaned up well, because an entire season came to a spectacular end here. Last year, Rory McIlroy rallied from a six-stroke deficit at the start of the week and a five-stroke deficit at the start of the final day to defeat Scheffler by one stroke and claim the prize money. The size of this prize pool is spectacular: for the enormous sum is as large as the combined salaries of the U.S. Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and the British Open.

As play heads into the final stretch this weekend in Atlanta, the payout of the $75 million FedEx Cup bonus pool that players receive for their finishes in the season-long points race is drawing ever closer. As with regular PGA Tour events, the money will be split equally among players if there is a tie in the standings in this final event of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. So each of the top 150 players in the FedEx Cup rankings will receive something from the bonus pool.

Tour Championship: $75 million to be distributed

Scottie Scheffler will not have forgotten last year and so the world number 1 went into the FedExCup final with extra motivation. He started the tournament at -10 ahead of Viktor Hovland (-8) and Rory McIlroy (-7), while Sepp Straka had a more difficult time in 30th place and started at even par. This put Scheffler in pole position for the event at the Tour Championship. However, the American was unable to maintain this position, playing only one round under par and thus relinquishing the leading position to Viktor Hovland, who did not rest on his starting capital, the eight strokes under par and increased to 7-under par. The young Norwegian thus secured the astronomical prize money of 18 million dollars for the victory.

Places 150 to 125 will receive 85,000 dollars, after which the prize money will increase continuously. From 50th place onwards, the prize money is around 200,000 dollars. However, over half a million dollars was waiting for the top 30 at the Tour Championship. Straka and Co. are therefore already guaranteed the 500 000 dollars after the Tour Championship. The mark of 1,000,000 dollars will be cracked from 10th place in the ranking. In 5th place, there are already 3 million dollars waiting. This is followed by 4th place with 4 million dollars, 3rd place with 5 million and the runner-up with 6.5 million dollars. But as if that wasn’t enough, first place will receive almost triple that amount and can look forward to a whole 18,000,000 dollars. A list of the prize money probably makes some amateur golfers jealous.

Tour Championship 2023: The prize money at a glance

Rank Prizemoney Player
1 $18,000,000 Viktor Hovland
2 $6,500,000 Xander Schauffele
3 $5,000,000 Wyndham Clark
4 $4,000,000 Rory McIlroy
5 $3,000,000 Patrick Cantlay
T6 $2,000,000 Collin Morikawa
T6 $2,000,000 Tommy Fleetwood
T6 $2,000,000 Scottie Scheffler
T9 $990,000 Adam Schenk
T9 $990,000 Keegan Bradley
T9 $990,000 Max Homa
T9 $990,000 Matt Fitzpatrick
T9 $990,000 Sam Burns
T14 $780,000 Russell Henley
T14 $780,000 Sepp Straka
T16 $710,000 Rickie Fowler
T16 $710,000 Tyrrell Hatton
T18 $670,000 Lucas Glover
T18 $670,000 Jon Rahm
T20 $620,000 Tony Finau
T20 $620,000 Tom Kim
T20 $620,000 Si Woo Kim
23 $580,000 Brian Harman
24 $565,000 Sungjae Im
25 $550,000 Nick Taylor
26 $540,000 Correy Conners
27 $530,000 Jordan Spieth
28 $520,000 Jason Day
T29 $505,000 Taylor Moore
T29 $505,000 Emiliano Grillo

Categories
Highlights Tours

Historic Hole-in-One at the British Open 2023

Travis Smyth has reason to celebrate. (Photo: Getty)
Travis Smyth has reason to celebrate. (Photo: Getty)

Loud cheers on the 17th in Liverpool. Travis Smyth holes the first hole-in-one of the 2023 British Open, which is also the first hole-in-one in history on the newly designed 17 at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Although the Australian has no chance of making the cut after two rounds, he nevertheless ends his experience at the British Open 2023 with an absolute highlight.

From double bogey to ace

After Smyth conceded a double bogey on the “Little Eye” the previous day by botching three tee shots before hitting the green, he turned his tee shot on the par-3 today into an ace from about 130 yards. As quickly as the ball disappeared into the hole, those in attendance could hardly look.

Categories
Equipment

Drivers for beginners: an overview of the new models for the 2023 season

Numerous driver models suitable for novice golfers. (Photo: Srixon, Ping, Cobra, TaylorMade, Callaway)
Numerous driver models suitable for novice golfers. (Photo: Srixon, Ping, Cobra, TaylorMade, Callaway)

The beginning of the year means that numerous new club series from the various manufacturers come onto the market. From beginner models to clubs suitable for the professional level, everything from putters to irons to drivers are included. To help you keep track of this amount of products, here’s a summary of five of the new models that hit the market in 2023.

The TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Driver

The TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Driver is a new driver model that aims to provide maximum support to golfers. It features a high amount of carbon compared to other materials and is covered with a polyurethane layer called “nanotexture”. This protects the carbon and provides normal spin values. It also has a “Thru-Slot Speed Pocket”, which ensures that deep hits on the face suffer little loss of length. The HD version comes standard on the draw and has weight in the heel and back of the head to prevent slice and provide plenty of forgiveness. The women’s version comes with an even lighter head. Overall, the Stealth 2 HD Driver is designed to make playing off the tee easier by allowing minimal length loss on off-center hits and minimal slice probability.

Adjustable no
Lofts 9°, 10,5° and 12° (RH and LH)
Ladies version yes 10,5° and 12° (only RH)
Price 649,00 €

The Cobra Aerojet Max Driver

Part of the eponymous Aerojet Series, the new Cobra Aerojet Max Driver features an aerodynamic design that allows for increased clubhead speed and ball speed, according to Cobra Golf. The new PWR Bridge Weighting allows for a floating weighting technology with an internal bridge structure. The trajectory is stable and high with a low draw tendency due to the placement of the 12g weight in the back and the 3g weight in the heel. The draw tendency can be increased by swapping the weights. The driver is also available for ladies – in a black satin finish with a shiny carbon crown and sole.

Adjustable yes
Lofts 9°, 10,5° and 12° (RH and LH)
Ladies version yes 10,5° and 12° (RH and LH)
Price 579,00 €

 

The Callaway Paradym X Driver

The Callaway Paradym X Driver is a beginner golf club that contributes to high forgiveness and length through its innovative use of Forged Carbon material. The 360° carbon chassis has saved weight and can be used for more forgiveness and length. The Paradym X Driver is the most forgiving model in the series and is particularly suited to players who prefer or require a draw bias. An external 5g weight in the back of the club increases ball launch and reduces spin for increased carry distance.

Adjustable yes
Lofts 9°, 10,5° and 12° (RH and LH)
Ladies version yes 10,5° and 12° (RH and LH)
Price 649,00 €

The Ping G430 Max Driver

The new Ping G430 Max Driver is part of the new G430 Series and promises more distance while being more forgiving. It is the most fault-tolerant model in the series. All three driver models are equipped with new technologies designed to deliver higher ball speeds, such as the VFT (Variable Face Thickness) face design and the portmanteau of spin and consistency “spinsistency” (for consistent spin). The G430 Max’s flexibility allows it to be used for all levels of play and is particularly highlighted by its combination of distance and forgiveness. Additionally, a custom option is available for players with low swing speeds who can use lighter weights, shafts and grips to create more ball speed.

Adjustable yes
Lofts 9°, 10,5° and 12° (only RH)
Ladies version yes/unisex
Price 625,00 €

The Srixon ZX5 Driver

The Srixon ZX5 Driver is a powerful and customizable driver suitable for golfers of all skill levels. Thanks to the new Rebound Frame technology, the driver has better power transfer at impact and optimized face technology for more distance off the tee. The adjustable hosel makes it easy to adjust loft, while loft options range from 9.5 to 10.5 degrees. It features a sturdy titanium head and weight at the rear of the sole to provide more stability in the swing. With a larger footprint and flattened shape, the driver supports higher swing speeds and straighter tee shots.

Adjustable yes
Lofts 9,5° and 10,5° (only RH)
Ladies version no
Price 599,00 €