Categories
PGA Tour

Gary Woodland: “I’m in a pretty good spot right now”

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Q. Just your overall assessment of your first round?

GARY WOODLAND: First of all, the golf course is amazing it’s in great shape it’s a great layout. I played well. I didn’t drive it particularly well got in a couple bad spots, but iron game game was great. Nice to make eagle there on the back nine, kind of jump start some things. And I made some putts, missed some putts, all in all it was a solid day.

Q. We talked back in May and you had gone back to Butch Harmon around the Wells Fargo. Now you talked about going to Mark Blackburn about a little over a month ago. What was the main reason for kind of that switch there?

GARY WOODLAND: I sat down with really with my putting coach, with Kenyon, with my caddie, I’ve known Mark for a long time, I played with Hoffman a lot, so I’m around him, he’s seen me. I love Butch and I’ll still talk to Butch but unfortunately Butch doesn’t travel anymore, so I don’t see him enough. And Mark’s out a ton. He’s close to my house in Kansas and he’s halfway between Kansas and Florida, so for me that’s a lot of access. And it’s been really good. We’re working, he’s got me back doing a lot of things that Butch had me doing which is very comfortable for me, so it was an easy transition and something I’m excited about.

Q. You talked about him kind of measuring what your body — I see a lot on social media like that that’s what he does is measuring players bodies for what they can do. What has he showed some of your strengths, maybe some of your limitations?

GARY WOODLAND: He’s put me through the 3D screen twice now. So right before when I first saw him I just went to consult with him a couple months ago, he put me through the 3D and then when we started working a couple weeks ago he put me back through. And it’s amazing how well my body’s moving now compared to what it was a couple months ago. So I started to train again, starting to work out which is nice, which just puts you in a better mood mentally, but there’s there was some things I was trying to do in my golf swing that I couldn’t do physically. So we’ve simplified it, kind of gone back to a lot of things that Butch and I worked on for a long time. So it’s simple and easy for me to understand and now when I get off I know what I’m doing. That hasn’t been the case, I’ve hit bad shots the last year and a half and searching out there. I hit some bad shots today but I wasn’t searching, I knew what I was trying to do. That just makes things easier.

Q. What’s one big key that’s kind of worked on with you that has kind of helped you?

GARY WOODLAND: A lot of it is setup, which is nice for me, it takes a lot of thinking out of it, but we’re trying to get the club more on plane. I was a little above the plane most of my life, which causes me to drag it left. So a little more down the line allows me to work the golf ball both ways, which is huge for me. I’ve predominantly been a fader of the golf ball, but still trying to hit it pretty straight, but I have the ability to hit it both ways which is what Butch has been trying to get me to do for a long time.

Q. You said you you’re feeling better, obviously you had the injuries. Where are you with all that stuff and going forward here?

GARY WOODLAND: Getting cleared to train has been a huge deal. Like I said that just puts you in a better frame of mind. And then you start getting comfortable with the golf swing. This game can beat you up pretty bad. It’s, obviously everybody out here’s really good, but mentally when you start playing bad and you have high expectations it wears on you and it puts pressure on everything in life. So getting back and working out, getting my body right and then getting comfortable with the golf swing, I’m in a pretty good spot right now.

Q. How hard was maybe the last year and a half or so?

GARY WOODLAND: Brutal. Obviously’s everybody’s dealt with a lot of stuff, COVID’s been hard for everybody, but for me I’ve grown up my whole life being around teams. I had a big team around me. Being in COVID where I haven’t been able to see Pete Cowan and Butch and Phil Kenyon hasn’t been able to travel, there’s been a lot of things — Steinberg’s a big part of my team — not seeing those guys and being out here by myself, that’s been tough. So things opening back up, kind of getting people around me again — putting a lot of pressure on my caddie the last year and a half having to deal with me by himself. So it’s nice to have people back out here and just makes me feel more comfortable and makes life a lot easier for me.

Categories
European Tour

Tyrell Hatton is just trying to move forward and make some more birdies

CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Tyrrell Hatton of England talks with his playing partner and father Jeffrey Hatton as they walk from the 5th tee during Day One of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie Links on September 30, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Q. 1-under par through 11, ended in 67. How pleased with your day’s work?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, it was good. Didn’t make a bogey. Tough start with the weather and then yeah, I think you’ll see a lot of decent scores coming as the day gets later on because kind of the wind died in the middle and we had no rain. It was pretty gettable. But yeah, it’s always nice to start pretty good around this golf course. You go to the other one and feel like you’ve got slightly more of a chance than here so we’ll see what the week brings.

Q. Tell us about the early weather conditions.

TYRRELL HATTON: They weren’t great. I it wasn’t nice.

Q. Can you describe what it feels like to shoot 29 around the back nine at Carnoustie?

TYRRELL HATTON: I didn’t actually realise, I just signed my card them. Obviously we needed a big back nine and yeah, obviously very happy with the putter worked well and hopefully that continues.

Q. When we chatted on course, you said that you weren’t aware you were 5-under for the last five holes; is that generally the case that you are playing each shot one at a time?

TYRRELL HATTON: Generally you kind of know what my score is. But I don’t realise, like when you said earlier that I was 5-under for the last five, I’d have to go back and think about it. Obviously you’re always trying to move forward and try to make more birdies and thankfully managed to do that after we last spoke to you and obviously very happy with today’s work.

Q. Your father is out there playing with you. Obviously your coach as well. Have you done some work with him this week?

TYRRELL HATTON: No. He hasn’t looked at my swing or anything. I think he’s a bit too excited to play these courses for the first time. I imagine he’s probably quite tired. He normally plays like once every six weeks and he did 18 holes on Tuesday and he did nine holes yesterday and obviously another 18 today.

Q. How did he play?

TYRRELL HATTON: Probably not how he wanted to. He was nervous, just the whole build up to this. He actually played quite nicely in the practise rounds and he’s gone out there today and obviously not played to the level that you’d like to. But I think he enjoyed it and we’ll have a good day tomorrow.

Q. Have you got a favourite course of the three?

TYRRELL HATTON: I’d probably just say St Andrews. I think just with the history of it and it just feels more special when you’re playing — playing there. And we’ll look forward to playing there on Saturday.

Interview Transcript by Asap Sports

Categories
Ladies Tours

Leona Maguire: “Back to business..”

TOLEDO, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 06: Leona Maguire of Team Europe plays her shot from the third tee during the Singles Match on day three of the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club on September 06, 2021 in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the media center for the 2021 ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer. We are joined this afternoon by current Rolex Rankings No. 42 and the undefeated Solheim Cup star, Leona Maguire. Leona, thanks for stopping by today.

LEONA MAGUIRE: Thanks for having me.

Q. We’ll start with this event first. You made your pro debut here in 2018 after a historic career at Duke University. Finished in a tie for 15th that year. Had a top 25 last year. Some good finishes, but what does Seaview and the ShopRite tournament mean to you?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I think it will always have a special place in his heart. Like you said, it was my first event after I turned pro, and nice to be back here.

This is one of the first courses I’ve come back to after my rookie year that I’ve actually been to before and I know the golf course, some the people here. It’s kind of like home. It has a linksy feel to it. There are a lot of Irish people in this area.

Yeah, it’s just a nice place to come back to year after year.

Q. This is your first LPGA Tour start since the AIG Women’s Open. Obviously had your first appearance since the undefeated showing at the Solheim Cup. You had that event in the middle of the break. You put together seven straight top 15 performances before the hiatus. How good of a place is your game in and what have you figured out at the LPGA level to find those results week in and week out?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, the consistency has been something that I’ve been very proud of. I think I learned a lot from last year. Made some tweaks at the end of the year. Changed my irons. Went back to graphite shafts. Put on a little bit of distance. Worked on my putting a lot. Sort of and all just coming together quite nicely.

Changed my caddie starting from MEDIHEAL. That’s where those top 15s started. Dermot has been a huge help to me as well on the bag keeping me calm and making a few better decisions. It doesn’t take much. All these girls are such great players, it doesn’t take much to go from a Top 5 to a Top 10 to a Top 40.

I think I’ve just been saving a few more shots around the greens and not giving away silly mistakes, which has been a big thinking with the consistency.

Q. Back to the Solheim Cup where you went undefeated. You played a big role obviously in Team Europe’s victory, and then everyone saw on social media the massive celebrations on your return home to Ireland. Just take us through the festivities, what was it was like to get that welcome, and the overall experience to celebrate with friends, family, and fans back home?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, we had an incredible week at Inverness. It was obviously special for me to be a part of that team. It was something I had dreamed about for a long time, and to get that win, we knew as a team we knew how big of a deal it was, but I don’t think I really understood.

I had seen things on Twitter and Instagram and social media of how excited people were back home, but I don’t think I fully grasped it. My dad picked me up from the airport in Dublin and stopped by his school on the way down. He’s a teacher, and all the kids had prepared poems and dances and songs and all of this, so we stopped for that.

Then I went to bed for a few hours and dad kind of said, yeah, there is something in our local town that evening. I suppose a lot of Olympians and Paralympians had been coming home celebrations like that, so I think it was just another continuation on.

It was fun for me to see how excited everybody was. There hasn’t a lot for people to be happy about. I suppose in the last two years sort of rural Ireland has been hit hard with lockdowns and COVID and all that. It was nice to see people that normally would never watch golf tuned into the Solheim Cup because there was an Irish person involved, and obviously a bonus that you were born.

Yeah, the response was just incredible. Wasn’t expecting anything like that. Went through my local town in like a convertible, gold convertible car, and my 94 year old grandmother was in the front waving to everybody. It was fun for me to see her enjoying it so much. It’s been a quiet two years for her, so for her to see a lot of people she hadn’t seen in a while and everybody sort of congratulating and messaging her. She’s on Facebook, she had fun sort of seeing all the messages all around the world were coming from, everybody commenting on things. So that was probably one of the most special things for me.

Q. In those moments it’s almost more fun to see the people you’re closest to enjoy it. Was that kind of the case?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, it was so much fun being at Solheim Cup playing in the Solheim Cup, but it was almost just as much fun seeing everybody else enjoy it. The Solheim Cup wasn’t about me. It was about whatever I could do for the team. Getting that team win, seeing everybody else, for Beany, the captains, for the rest of my teammates, and then also then coming home and getting — for everybody else to enjoy as well, it was — I suppose that is the special thing about Solheim Cup or a Ryder Cup. You’re part of something a lot bigger than yourself.

I kind of knew that at that time, but going home I really sort of felt that. Hopefully it’s inspired a young generation of Irish players who hopefully someday want to be on the Solheim Cup or even take part in any sport. I don’t really care what sport it is, but I think there is a great buzz about the country in general right now about sport and women’s sport, and I suppose things like the Solheim Cup and all of that can only help.

Q. You have you come down from that sort when you chase a dream and you reach it, kind of a pinnacle, and then when I win it, it almost takes you to a whole other statosphere. Have you come down? Have you been able to reflect in it at all, or is it one where it’s still going to provide some adrenaline for the end of the year?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, I would like to think I’ll take some confidence from it. It’s not something I’ll dwell on too much. Obviously it’s back to business this week and it’s back to regular life on tour.

Nobody cares about the Solheim Cup when I tee it up on Friday morning. Still have to go out and play golf. You’re only as good as your next round. Yeah, I take the confidence from that knowing I can compete with the best golfers in the world. You dream about those moments and you practice for those moments, and you don’t know how you are going to deal with that until you actually end up in that situation. Can you hole those putts when you need to? Can you pull off the shots when the moment is right?

Was able to do that at the Solheim Cup, and I suppose it’s just a case of bringing that back to regular LPGA events week in and week out and taking all I can from being around so many great players, my teammates, Beany, vice captains. Yeah, it was a big goal of mine to be on the Solheim Cup, but there is still a lot of golf to be checked off the list.

I think that’s the good thing about being home. You kind of get brought down to earth quickly being at home. It was nice to be around friends and family. They’ll definitely not let me get too big of a head.

Solheim success

Q. First of all, congratulations on your Solheim Cup success.

LEONA MAGUIRE: Thank you.

Q. Sort of similar to what you were saying there, have you found things have changed for you since the Solheim Cup in terms of recognition or even coming to the event this week? Have you found anything different now that you’ve had that Solheim Cup experience?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, I think the response at home was not something I was expecting. I think the fact that so many people watched it that would not normally watch golf, and even when I was out practicing the past few weeks, a lot more people coming up. Usually I can just go practice, and every once this a while someone will come up and recognize me.

There was a lot more people looking for pictures and wanting to talk about the Solheim Cup and things like that. Same when I went to see my coach, Shane, at his golf club. When I was leaving one of the days it took a while to get out of the car park because people were coming over and just so excited and wanted to tell me they watched and how proud they were and get a picture.

Yeah, I went back into my secondary school as well. Seeing everybody, it was seven years since I’d been back there. Yeah, it’s not something I was expecting, but at the same time, it’s nice to sort of share that experience with everybody, especially seeing as we didn’t have all that support over in Inverness that we potentially could have.

I would imagine quite a few Irish people would’ve traveled over, so it’s nice that they sort of got to share in that a little bit since I got home.

Q. What is the adjustment like going back into just a regular tour event this week? I’m sure Solheim Cup is obviously the pinnacle of team golf, but what’s it like coming back for this week?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, it’s nice to see all the girls again. Haven’t seen them in three weeks. Yeah, I mean, it’s back to business really. Get back to my routines. This week is a little different. There are more pro-ams than usual.

Yeah, it’s nice to come back to a course that I know, get back to my routines. Yeah, try and act as if nothing has changed, because really nothing has changed. Yeah, get back to what I do best. Sort of keep my head down and take care of business that way, sort of quietly and effectively.

How has Maguire evolved?

Q. Just a quick one for you. How different a player are you to the woman who turned up here in 2018?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Wow, I would like to think I have a bit more experience under my belt since then. It’s been three years have gone by pretty quick. Obviously that year and a half on Symetra under my belt, which I learned a lot. And then the last year and a half on LPGA, the same.

The big thing I’ll take from Solheim Cup is feeling like I belong out here. Bit by bit this year I felt more and more comfortable every week. I suppose when I was here back in 2018 I was still probably kind of in awe of a lot of the girls out here.

They were the girls I watched on TV, was still watching them on TV. A little bit of probably star struck up and down the range and on the putting green and all that. It’s nice to sort of be a little bit more comfortable out here three years on. A lot of familiar faces and same players I play with week in and week out.

My game is also in really good shape leaving college. It was still quite consistent all the rest, but I would like to hope I have a few more shots in my bag than I had three years ago. Putting has improved and added a bit of extra yardage.

I had a local caddie that week as well, and then I have Dermot this week. Yeah, a few things have changed, but a lot is still the same as well at the same time.

Q. Now that your feet are back on the ground or almost back on the ground after that great week at Inverness, what kind of goals do you set for yourself now? Going very well in the Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year standings. Do you set yourself any goals that you can tell us about or are they all secret?

LEONA MAGUIRE: No, I mean, I’d like to finish off the season as strong as I possibly can. The season has been going well so far. If the season ended today I would be still incredibly happy with how — I couldn’t have asked for a better season. Still my rookie year technically.

We’ve got five events left. Try and put myself in contention in as many of them as I possibly can. A lot of that momentum from Solheim and off the back of the majors, Evian and British Open and all those events. Yeah, I mean, it would be sort of cherry on top to finish off the year with a win.

If I do, great. If not, take all the experiences from this year and bring them into next year. I’ve never been one to worry about rankings or any of that sort stuff.

I’ll just keep sort of playing my golf, trying to do as well as I possibly can, and let Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year and all that sort of look after itself.

Q. Just a couple detail questions. What school does your are dad teach at?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Castle Tara National School.

Q. Nice. And then the little town that you said?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Ballyconnell.

Q. Okay. Very nice.

LEONA MAGUIRE: There is only like — it’s a small down. There is one stop light. You go over the bridge and you turn right, and we did like a loop around and then back to the golf club where I grew up playing. There is a hotel and like a little bit of a stage they had set up. We sort of did some chatting and answered questions and stuff like that, and then we had a little bit of food and music after.

Q. Awesome. And last one I have for you: We saw the fist pumps at Solheim. Maybe a little more energy than maybe fans are used to seeing from you. I’m sure it was greatly appreciated. Is that something that — first of all, where did you learn that from? I had never seen it, and I’ve seen you since you turned pro. And two, could we see maybe a few more subdued versions of it out here?

LEONA MAGUIRE: Yeah, I mean, we’ll see. I suppose that’s something that — I think my brother tweeted that I’d been practicing them in the mirror all that week. No, it’s not something I planned. I think the lack of crowds, European crowds, I guess, at Solheim, we had to be each other’s own biggest cheerleaders. I don’t know, maybe some of Mel had rubbed off on me at that point.

But, no, it’s Solheim Cup. It’s a different dynamic to every other week. It’s a lot of the fun playing match play. Match play, that one-on-one thing is a bit of a different dynamic. Yeah, who knows. I suppose holing a birdie putt on the 5th hole this week won’t be quite the same as doing it at a Solheim Cup, but I’m excited to have crowds back this week hopefully cheering for every shot, which will be nice again.

Yeah, it’s just nice when you saw that emotion from Shane Lowry too at the Ryder Cup. Yeah, doesn’t come out all that often, but if there is a reason to this week, why not?

Q. I’m sure plenty of people would love to see it on the 54th hole on Sunday.

LEONA MAGUIRE: Absolutely. If I have a putt to be in contention on Sunday, I’m sure there will be a few fist pumps.

Interview Transcript from Asap Sports

Categories
Ladies Tours Live

MEL REID: “I think it’s extremely hard to win on the LPGA. I don’t think people realize how good these girls are.”

Mel Reid of Team Europe plays her shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club (Getty Images)

SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER

September 29, 2021

Mel Reid

Galloway, New Jersey, USA

Seaview, A Dolce Hotel
Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the media center for the 2021 ShopRite Classic presented by Acer. We’re joined this afternoon by defending champion here at Seaview, Mel Reid. Thanks for stopping by today. You became a Rolex first time winner here last October; what is it like to return to an LPGA Tour event for the first time as a defending champion?

MEL REID: Yeah, obviously it’s nice. Have some really good memories here, as you can imagine. Yeah, I mean, it’s just always nice when you come somewhere and you’ve got nice memories and you can see yourself hitting good shots. Really happy to be back, and obviously very, very proud to be a defending champion.

Q. Do you see the course differently than you did in previous years?

MEL REID: I haven’t actually been out. Dez, my caddie has been out and he says it’s not that much different, so I don’t imagine too much change.

But I’m excited to get out tomorrow and see what it’s playing like. I know they’ve had a bunch of rain but apparently the course is looking really good, so I’m excited to get out and see it.

Q. How has life changed or your perception changed since the victory?

MEL REID: I think my expectations are certainly higher. I think it’s extremely hard to win on the LPGA. I think the strength and the depth of the players out here, I don’t think people realize how good these girls are.

And so yeah, I think there’s a certain amount of respect throughout the players when you win a tournament because people have been — great players have been out here for many, many years and not been able to go over that line.

For me I feel like I’ve got a little bit more respect out here. Obviously it’s nice to get that monkey off your back, to pull through and know that you can win out here, and it does wonders for not just your confidence, but it has changed my career to a certain extent.

A lot more opportunities and things like that, so obviously it was a huge moment for me in my career.

Q. The ShopRite Classic owns the title of world’s largest pro-am. Do you have any PG13 stories that you can share from the pro-am here over the years?

MEL REID: Yeah, I’ve met some really great people. One comes to mind is a really good guy called Paul Creely (phonetic); played with him, his brother, and his friend, and I think it was my first year, so four or five years ago.

We’ve remained in contact, and when I moved down to Jupiter three years ago, he was one of the first people that texted me. He kind of looked after me a little bit down there. They’re kind of the relationships that you build during pro-ams. That’s why I say to rookies I know probably pro-ams aren’t the most fun, but you never know who you’re going to meet. I’ve formed some fantastic relationships in pro-ams, and that’s a great example of one of them really.

Yeah, we’re still in great contact and I’m supposed to be going up to Georgia with him in a few weeks and play some golf with him. I think that’s probably one of the best things about the pro-ams this week.

Q. Where are you playing in Georgia?

MEL REID: Ohoopee?

Q. Ohoopee Match Play?

MEL REID: Ohoopee, yeah, so we’re going up there, so he’s a member there.

Q. The Solheim Cup, you were not playing great coming into that and had a tremendous Solheim Cup. How is that going to propel you going forward the rest of the year, do you think?

MEL REID: I don’t know. I’ve struggled the last probably four or five months. Like I went to Asia, I picked something up there, not saying that’s an excuse, but I’ve not felt right since. Had to withdraw from — I can’t remember which event it was now, in Grand Rapids.

Just haven’t — traveling a lot in the summer hasn’t really helped me.

Yeah, I just haven’t felt right since Asia, honestly, and I don’t know what it is. I’ve done a bunch of blood tests. We don’t know what it is. I’m starting to feel a little bit better. Now we’re having a little bit of breaks in between tournaments.

Yeah, obviously I’m hoping for a good performance this week because I haven’t — I seriously haven’t played great. Been very disappointed with my results. But we’re trying to kind of finish the year strong, and hopefully coming in here and having some good memories is going to kind of kick start — I know I’ve only got three or four events left, but it would be nice to finish them in somewhat good performances.

Q. Talk about the golf course for a second because it’s got a very linksey feel to it. Do you play out there and think, this kind of looks like home?

MEL REID: A little bit. It’s usually quite wet here, like it doesn’t necessarily play like a links. But they kind of — the look of it certainly, I think, obviously being on the coast a little bit, it does help with that kind of look of it.

Yeah, I mean, honestly, before I won, I hadn’t actually played great here. I feel like if — the greens are kind of tricky to read. I feel like if you hit a lot of greens, you’ve got a great opportunity to win here, and think that’s why someone like Anna Nordqvist who hits a lot of greens has always performed well here. When she gets her putting going, she’s pretty hard to beat.

Yeah, if you’re ball-striking it pretty well, you’ve definitely got an opportunity here this week.

Q. Do you expect there to be much difference in the way the course plays from May as opposed to September?

MEL REID: I mean, maybe. I mean, I don’t know. Like I came for a Media Day, I thought the course was in actually really good shape considering the amount of rainfall they’ve had. I know the green keepers have had a bit of a hard time getting it ready for it, but I’m excited to go see it, excited to see how it’s playing.

Obviously I feel like it sets up well for me. Like I keep saying, it’s always nice coming back somewhere where you’ve actually got good memories and not bad memories, so I’m excited to see how it’s playing.

Q. After the AIG in August you had a few weeks off, obviously, with the exception of Solheim. What did you do with the downtime?

MEL REID: We just moved into a new house, literally before that seven-week stretch, before like the Olympics and stuff, so I’ve basically just been — I can’t sit still, so I’ve basically just been painting, doing all that kind of stuff.

Yeah, I mean, we’re finally getting there. But yeah, I think that’s probably taken up a lot of my time, is moving into a new house and just trying to recover, honestly.

Honestly Solheim, as well, takes a lot out of you. It was nice to have a couple weeks off before playing last week. Yeah, it’s towards the end of the season, your energy isn’t quite where you want it to be, so that’s probably the most important thing is to take some downtime and recover and get your game in a bit of shape, so yeah, that’s basically what I was doing.

Q. Obviously you didn’t play the weekend last week in Arkansas and you mentioned to me how badly you want to be playing the weekend. What is something maybe you’re working on to get into that rhythm for the final stretch?

MEL REID: Yeah, I mean, I parted ways with George. I did that last week. We’re completely fine. I just felt I needed something different. So yeah, I’m just kind of figuring it out on my own for a little bit until I kind of find the right person to kind of bring into my team.

Yeah, I mean, it’s hard. It’s hard when you break up with someone who you’ve had such a close relationship. It’s kind of an emotional relationship. We’re obviously on great terms and I have a huge amount of respect for him, but yeah, I’m trying to figure the last stage of my career, I guess.

I just turned 34 and I still want to achieve really cool things, and just trying to figure out the right kind of path for that now.

Q. Speaking of things you want to achieve, what motivates you at 34 to keep going, especially with maybe some of the changes that you have made in your life?

MEL REID: I think especially like in women’s golf, I think that people retire pretty early, whether that be because they want to have families or the girls out here are just so good, so young that I think that they kind of burn out a little bit.

I kind of want to change that perception a little bit. Obviously we have the likes of Laura and Juli who — and Angela Stanford — who are playing into their later stages of their career, and I think that’s fantastic for women’s golf.

Because you’ve just got to look at the Ryder Cup like Lee Westwood at 48 and Paul Casey at 44. They’re still winning golf tournaments, which I think is amazing. I think it’s really healthy.

I would love to kind of change the perception that you still can have a career from the age of 34 and a great career, like the best part of your career from 34 to 41, 42.

I also do it — my motivation, as well, is I feel like I have a little bit of a voice. The better you play, the more people can’t ignore you, so that’s something that always motivates me, as well.

Q. You mentioned trying to get right after Asia and your withdrawal at Meijer. Has it been a fatigue thing or what has it been that you’ve been trying to just more or less figure out? Has it affected the game?

MEL REID: Yeah, it’s affected my focus, honestly, more than anything. You know, when you’re not focusing, you just can’t do that out here. The girls are too good and you start missing a few shots that you wouldn’t normally hit because your focus isn’t there and you’re a little bit fatigued and you’re seeing shots that you don’t normally see.

So yeah, it’s kind of — that’s pretty much what it is. It’s funny. I was talking to Carlota about it, and since she had COVID she felt like she couldn’t focus for about a year. I didn’t have COVID, I got tested for it, but I felt like it was something pretty similar. It’s just kind of interesting really.

We don’t know exactly what it is, but I’m certainly feeling a lot better, which is good. Like I feel like I’m getting stronger again, like working hard in the gym again.

So yeah, I’m definitely on the mend. It was just bad timing. That’s basically what it was.

Q. The Aon Risk-Reward challenge hole this week is No. 18, switched from No. 9. How impactful to you in your perspective has the venture between Aon, the PGA, and the LPGA Tours been?

MEL REID: I think it’s awesome. I mean, any chance that we can be on par with the men. I think Aon coming in and doing equal pay for men and women is huge. I know the girls are obviously very interested in it. It’s life-changing money for us. It’s life-changing money for anybody.

Yeah, I think it’s an unbelievable concept, and so yeah, we’re really thankful to Aon for kind of providing that with us.

Like I said, having equal money to the men, I mean, that’s what we constantly try and fight for, so I think it’s a huge step forward.

Q. What’s your strategy for the par-5 this week, and do you think it could be a determining factor in how the leaderboard shakes out?

MEL REID: Yeah, the par-5s are good this week because you can reach them in two. I feel like sometimes on Tour we have par-5s that are too long.

So yeah, it’s nice that we are able to actually go for it in two and have the potential for an eagle putt. Yeah, I think the par-5s this week are going to be huge. I feel like that’s one thing that I did do well last year, I did play the par-5s really well, and that kind of set me up to have good scores.

Yeah, I think the par-5s are strategy-wise you’ve got to pay attention to it and you’ve got to take your opportunities.

Q. Since becoming the title sponsor, ShopRite has donated more than $37 million to charity. There’s a few other sponsors on Tour that I can think of that reach a number even close to that. From a player perspective, what does it mean to see a title sponsor contribute to the community and beyond a tournament in that way?

MEL REID: I mean, it’s huge. Being a golfer you want to give back to the game, and I think what ShopRite has done is extremely impressive, honestly.

That’s why we want to bring tournaments to different parts of the country, because we want to impact the community. That’s our ultimate goal at the end of the day. And obviously we’re trying to win golf tournaments, but when you hear something like that, it just makes the event even more special.

That makes me even more proud that I was able to win here and get ShopRite up in lights a little bit more than maybe it was. And so yeah, I just think it’s an unbelievable achievement, and they should be really proud of themselves.

I will obviously stop in at some point. I’m going to probably wait until Carly gets here. I’m actually shocked Dez hasn’t been in yet, to be honest with you. He’s trying to behave, I think.

Q. About the ShopRite tournament, this event has been here since 1986 and there are few events outside the major that — Nancy Lopez played in, Kathy Whitworth played in. The fact that this event connects the LPGA to its past and winning an event like that, how special does that make this tournament and this stop?

MEL REID: I think it’s huge. I think it just goes to show the great relationship that ShopRite has with the LPGA. I think Laura has pretty much played in — I don’t know if she’s missed many of them. She’s back here this week. That’s what we love to see. I’m obviously close with Laura, but I love to see her coming out and playing.

I think it’s just a huge achievement from a relationship point of view from both the LPGA and ShopRite. I think you want to build these long relationships and we’re obviously very thankful that ShopRite want to be a part of the LPGA, and hopefully we bring a little bit of entertainment to the town, and like we said, a little bit of giving back to the community.

So I think it’s an unbelievable achievement. I think it’s huge.

Q. I remember Laura played in a playoff here in 1992, and you talk about having a longer career. Could you see yourself here in 30 years?

MEL REID: Absolutely no. This game will put me in the ground before that.

Yeah, no, I want to achieve other stuff in life, but yeah, right now I obviously want to play and have the best part — I still feel like my best part of my career I haven’t had yet. But yeah, still half the girls weren’t even born when Laura was doing that in 1992.

Yeah, I think it’s cool. I think it’s really cool and it’s really healthy for women’s golf, honestly, that Laura has played this long, and she’s still playing really good. I still think that she can win out here, I really do.

Obviously she wouldn’t be out here if she didn’t think that. Just to have the women out here like that, people like Laura still playing and playing well is great for our game.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Mel. Good luck this week and enjoy the defense.

Interview Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
European Tour

ROBERT MacINTYRE: “I’m out here this week to try and win a golf tournament.”

Robert Macintyre of Scotland plays a shot during a practice round ahead of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie Links (Getty Images)

ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 29, 2021

Robert MacIntyre

St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland

Press Conference

CLARE BODEL: Welcome to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Tell us how much you enjoy this tournament and how good it is to be playing on home soil this week.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: No, it’s great to be back. I mean, it’s always good to play golf at the Home of Golf, and yeah, just hopefully the weather kind of hangs on and we get a good side of the draw at least.

Yeah, just looking forward to playing, playing again. Took a few weeks off there to just kind of refresh myself but now I’m just looking forward to getting going.

Q. How difficult was it to declutter after the wee spell you had when you got home and just tried to have that time to freshen things up?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Pretty easy. The club stayed in the travel case that they went back from Wentworth in for about a week. I just went to spend time with family and friends. I’ve been travelling the world for the last 12 weeks, 15 weeks, I feel that I’ve hardly seen family and friends, and just to finally get home and have time to actually spend it with them. That was really the only way I was going to do it and now I’m feeling as ready as I can be for the week.

Q. Has there been a reset in goals or anything for the next few months during that time you’ve had off?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I’ve not really reset goals. That’s one thing I’ll do at the end of the year. This year I’m just trying tos build on what I started the year on. I started really well, and the last eight weeks, I feel like I’ve just kind of plateaued out. Obviously missed a few cuts.

But at the end of the day, if I go out here this week and I put on a good performance, them three missed cuts, no one’s talking about them. For me, I’m not really thinking about them, or I’m not thinking about them at all. I’m out here this week to try and win a golf tournament.

Q. Last week we were watching The Ryder Cup. Was there any thoughts of what might have been or was it just something you enjoyed or didn’t enjoy?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I watched it but I didn’t actually sit down and watch it all night. I don’t watch a lot of golf, I’m being honest with you, but look, a great golf course and two great teams going at it, and Americans were just — they got the breaks when they needed them. They just holed the right putts, and that’s match play.

I mean, it’s a big momentum game. When you see some of the guys missing, they have got about a 10-foot for birdie to go, say, 3-up and they miss, it and the next hole they lose, and now they are 1-up and it’s just a battle. It’s just momentum in match play, and it’s harder against the best players in the world.

Q. I just heard you very nicely wishing the best to both sides in whatever tournament it was. I thought that doesn’t sound too like the Americans we were hearing. I mean, what was it you were wishing?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: It was just about a wedge. I gave Brian a golf club that I used for a golf day, and there’s going to be two teams going at it and someone’s going to win it.

Q. Did you think the American crowds were a bit hard on the Europeans?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I think you were hearing it more because there wasn’t European fans there. It was just — I mean, it’s like any sport, football, when you’re at home, they are going to shout for you. So it doesn’t — at the end of the day, it’s only you that can control what you do with the golf ball. You’re in charge of when you hit the shot.

So I mean, that’s what golfers try and do, we try and blank out the noise and we do that to the best of our ability.

Q. The crowds shouted — they are terrible at shinty, are they.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Shinty and football. Doesn’t matter. If you go and sit in the crowd, you’ll hear some shouts.

Q. You weren’t so close to the selection for The Ryder Cup this year and even though it’s two years away, the road to Rome, what was your determination Sunday night when you saw the result?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Again, it’s golf. I don’t know what’s going to happen from here to the end of the season. I don’t know what’s going to happen from here to Rome. But that is high on my list. Now I’ve got two years to achieve it, and just turned 25 years old, so it’s not — this year I was close, but I mean, I was trying to achieve other things.

As much as I was trying to get on The Ryder Cup Team, I was trying to, golf is an individual sport, and for me I was trying to get my PGA TOUR card, and that’s what’s best for my career, that’s what’s better for myself. That’s the reason I didn’t played in the States and done what I done.

But no, Rome is top of the list. Come the start of next season, there’s going to be goals set, and I’m 100 per cent sure that Rome is going to be top of the list for a two-year goal.

Q. Any aches and pains from the shinty at the weekend?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: No, all good. Couple of bruises but I get that just running about at my mum’s house.

Q. Did you get a call at all from P�draig in the lead-up to the wildcard announcement? Was there any communications?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I did. I got it just before he went on to announce the team just out of respect, and I kind of knew it was coming, so it wasn’t a surprise. No, disappointed obviously, but we go again.

Q. There would be encouraging words in there?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: There was. It’s just he’s always going to be encouraging to me, and I get on great with him. Again, he picked the team he picked and I respected the guys he picked end of the day, top-class players. Obviously disappointed but that’s the way it goes.

Q. Just on the Dunhill Links, your debut as an amateur was a few years ago, 2013 in the Dunhill?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Something like that.

Q. It was a big, huge event and a great experience for you then. Did that springboard in many ways to the professional career?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: That was pretty much the time that I realised I could play at this level when I was — I think I must have been 16. And yeah, I played with Eduardo de la Riva, and we still laugh about it every time we cross paths.

No, that really opened my eyes to the world of golf. I thought, I could do this for a living, and here we are now.

Q. What were the laughs with Edoardo? Just the good time you had with him?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, it was brilliant. I think we finished fifth that year. Obviously I was off forward tees; so the better they played off of the forward tees. But it was great fun, and he had done well that year in The Open. I think he finished top 15 in The Open that year. So he knew what he was doing on links golf and it helped me out.

Q. Tournament golf can be a bit of a groundhog day for you guys because it’s week-after-week with days of traveling between. How important was it to get that wee reset back home with friends and family, switch off a bit and get the old Celtic hoops on?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: It was really important. I actually sat down after Wentworth when I missed the cut, or thought I was going to miss the cut and I spoke to Stoddy, my manager, and I’m like, I’m playing well. Just nothing’s happening. Should we go to Holland and play the event.

We sat there and we thought, we need a break. I mean, I’ve just played so much golf. So we decided to take the break. I love going home. I’ve got friends out on the Tour but they are not my pals, you know what I mean. They are not the people that I could — if something is going wrong, I could phone them up and say, look, help is out here or they could phone me up. It’s not really going to happen out here.

But back home is where it’s at for me, and friends, family, and obviously shinty, everyone knows that I’ve been playing shinty for a few years. I don’t think they knew that I was probably playing shinty, but sometimes things come out, and now, I mean, it is what it is.

Q. We were speaking to Dundee’s best French golfer, Victor, earlier on, and he was talking about momentum, confidence, all that kind of stuff. They were saying before, this kind of two-year cycle, do you think it’s time for Scotland’s young golfers to step up? There’s a whole half-dozen of that you could be in contention for The Ryder Cup in two years’ time, and fantastic tournament golf over that period as well.

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, totally. I think that — I personally think that there will be at least one of us, if not two, maybe three of us. We have got the guys, we have got the support around us. I’m not just saying that because there’s three of us in the same management team.

But you see the results. The results speak for themselves. Callum is on a trend that’s rocking. Grant is obviously in great form. And then there’s me, as well, which I’m fully expecting to be there come two years’ time and we support each other as much as we can. If someone is doing well — you seen Grant won Callum just missed out, there was a celebration on the green, even though Callum is disappointed. We’re all behind each other, pushing each other.

CLARE BODEL: Thank you, everyone.

Interview Transcript by ASAP Sports

Categories
European Challenge Tour European Tour Live Satellite Tours

Santiago Tarrio: “I look around and think I can do this..” Welcome to the European Tour, Santi.

Santiago Tarrio Ben from Spain during Day Four of the B-NL Challenge Trophy at The Dutch golf course. (Getty Images)

Good morning, we are here today with Santiago Tarrio and his caddy Noelia, a Spanish golfer from Padron. He has been playing the European Challenge tour since 2016. We are going to get started to get to know you a littler better and what your goals are and how you feel about this upcoming season, you obviously are ranked number one now, showing a solid golf game so we hope to keep it that way for longer.

Welcome to Golf Post, how are you today?

Tarrio: The feeling is good, the results are amazing and it is going better than expected. I am very happy for me and for my team. The main goal was to make it to the main European Tour, and now that is accomplished after all, I am very happy and excited about next year, I cannot wait to be surrounded by all of the other boys from the Tour and try to play my best.

Golf Post: You have accomplished one of the biggest goals that any golfer can dream of, how does that make you feel?

Tarrio: I am very excited. Now, we are playing in some of the European Tour events, and I am looking forward to playing all of them next year, and enjoy those nice courses out there and catching some experience.

Golf Post: We are here today at the golf course that saw you grow up since you first introduced yourself into golf. After five years of jumping from one place to another every other weekend, does this course still feel like home? Do you still practice here or have you found some other field that fits your needs better?

Tarrio: Yeah, I was basically born on this course, I started to play here, this is my course and this city is my home, so when I have one week off, I come here to see my family, friends and have some rest too. Of course, I also play and practice at other courses but I like to spend time at the course that saw me growing up. I love it here.

Golf Post: In 2005, your handicap was 6,5, and now in 2021 you are Top 100 in the OGWR. How does that feel? Did you expect to come that far in your golf career?

Tarrio: Wow, I was only 15 years old in 2005 and I tell you what, I do not remember what my handicap was back then, but it is really nice that you tell me and now for me to think about it. I always try to improve every year. I stopped playing golf entirely for five years when I was 17 though. But I returned 5 years ago, and I started to play the Alps Tour and some minor tours. My goal was to become a professional golfer and play the Challenge Tour and soon the European Tour. Now, five years later, I accomplished my goal, and I am very happy about it, I got it.

My amateur life was short, I only used to play the national championship once a year and some regional tournament. I found this was a disadvantage compared to other players because I think it is necessary to play important tournaments as an amateur to enrich your experience and to work with the best national coaches and trainers. It is something that grows into one’s game. I guess that being able to accomplish my goals without having lived any of that makes me feel more proud of my team and myself.

Golf Post: After all, as you said, you still managed to turn professional and be first ranked in the Challenge Tour right now. You began to play this Tour in 2016, is there an event that is more special for you?

Tarrio: In 2018, I played my first season with full card in the Challenge after I won the Alps Tour. I would say that was the most special moment for me because of the big gap that exists from one to the other. I like to learn from the other guys, and I liked the Alps Tour because most of the players had a lack of sources, so we used to share travel expenses as well as accommodation. That brought me a lot of good moments and it was very special for me to close that stage with a win.

Golf Post: Noelia, you have been his caddy and partner in crime at the golf course ever since Santi started this journey. We have heard that no other caddy reads the greens as good as you do. What was the most special moment for you?

Noelia García: Our first victory together at the Spanish Challenge. Although I also have experience in the PGA Tour, where we started with a triple boggey on the first hole, we made a 7 because we took the wrong meassure, but now we remember it as a funny memory.

Tarrio: She is a really good caddy, I am afraid I will have to fight the best players in the world that try to tempt her with better contracts and want to steal her from me, because she is a very nice caddy.

Golf Post: You are playing insane golf this season, collecting two wins and five Top 5. Once again, you are currently Top 100 in the OGWR. What has been the key to the success?

Tarrio: I think it is the mental game. I make birdies and I look up around me and think “Ok I can do this, I can play this game just like these top golfers here, I can do this.”

Golf Post: What are you most thankful for that guides you to this success?

Tarrio: My team. I have a lot of people around me that supported me through the bad moments and push me through them always. I think that is key and I am very happy with the team I brought together.

Golf Post. Now that your team and you have secured a spot in the main European Tour for the upcoming season, what are your goals? How do you see your future playing out in the European Tour?

Tarrio: My main goal is to maintain and consolidate the spot in the Main Tour during the first year, and then I will try for my first victory of course. I want to go step by step, which has always been the process we followed up until today. Of course my ultimate goal is to play the Masters of Augusta, and to play a Ryder Cup with the European Team. But for now, we need to work hard on every step on the path.

Golf Post: In April 22-25th, you played the Limpopo Championship, in South Africa. Then, you were T72 in the Challenge Tour ranking. Only two months later, in June you were proclaimed winner of the Spanish Challenge and leader of the Challenge Tour. How do you and your team manage the pressure to keep it that way?

Tarrio: We try to go shot by shot and week by week. I felt the pressure when I missed nine cuts in a row, or when I needed a good tournament to get the full card privileges. It was very hard to be able to bear the expenses playing the Alps Tour because of the lack of sponsors, and the low money prizes. So having to play the Alps for one more year also put pressure on me because that would have cut down the chances to continue maybe. Golf is not rocket science, and the effort may not always pay off. But now, we found more sponsors, and also the money prizes are higher. We are seeing the effort show in the scores, and when the game is good, there is no pressure.

Golf Post: About a month ago, the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020 were celebrated. Jon Rahm tested positive and you were up next to play according to the current ranking. However, the Spanish Federation and NOC decided to fly out Jorge Campillo instead. What happened? Do you think it was an unfair decision?

Tarrio: When the inscription lists were closed, I was ranked just one spot behind Adri Arnaus in the World Ranking, so I knew that I had a small chance to go if anything happened that didn’t allow Jon Rahm or Adri Arnaus to go. I was surprised that I did not get the call to aware me that I was first in the substitute list. The week before the Olympic Games, I was playing in Italy when my team and I found out about the positive COVID-19 case of Jon Rahm.

I got in contact with my physiologist and manager, Joaquin to get in contact with the Spanish Federation to see what the next steps were because we believed that we should be the ones to go to Tokyo, but the time to sort things out was limited due to Covid restrictions and requirements previous to the Games. Joaquin called me and explained to me that the Spanish Federation had to send out a provisional list in March that collected all the names of the possible players that could represent the country in case something like this happened to the two players that were chosen in the first place.

The Spanish Federation believed that five names were enough. However, Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera rejected their spots to Tokyo. Therefore, there were only three left in the list: Jon Rahm, Adri Arnau and Jorge Campillo.

This meant that any other Spanish golfer that was out of that list could never have the chance to participate in the Tokyo Games whatsoever, although other players went ahead in the OWGR since March until the last update of the World Ranking previous to the Games, like it happened to me, the same way it could have happened to any other.

In this case, by the time the World Rankings were updated, Jorge Campillo was two spots behind me and one spot behind Otaegui. I think it was a huge negligence. The worst part is that the Federation acted shady and I am hurt that the Federation did not release a public statement informing on the situation to all golfers and fans explaining what is happening and how they are proceeding.

I recognize that I received apologies from the President of the Spanish Federation, who was not aware of the situation and did not know that I was next in the list. Therefore, the party responsible was the president. Actually, the Spanish Olympic Committee put me down on their list, but not the Federation, which was just a shame for me.

Golf Post: The weekend after the Olympic Games you proved a point at the Hero Open with a crazy total of 21-under par, with rounds of 69-66-67-63. You brought you own bronze metal home that weekend, and finished first out of all the Spanish golfers. I am sure that was a tough mental challenge, but you managed to get over successfully. How did you face such a challenge and how did you feel afterwards?

Tarrio: I think the week before was the hardest one playing in the European Tour event and awaiting to see what was going on with the Olympic Games. Then it turned out that I was not flying to Tokyo and quickly had to prepare to play in Scotland. I was physically and mentally tired, but it was very special for my team and I. The results were great, we finished third and I even got asked to sign some autographs, which I am not very used to do so.

Golf Post: Speaking of the Olympic Games, Paris 2024 is coming up soon, only three years away from now, and time flies. Is that one of the goals that you included in the long-term of your golf career?

Tarrio: It was not one of the goals that I was planning on chasing so far for now. I believe that if I ever accomplish such a goal, it will mean a reward to the team for all the hard work that we are putting in, and definitely a huge gift for us. It will be the revenge for Tokyo 2020(1), and we know that it will not be easy, but we will try our best always to get as far as possible.

Golf Post: So far you goal is to get to the European Tour next season and to maintain the card. Maybe bring a couple of victories home for the next couple of years, and who knows if we may see you in Paris as well. What is the part of your game that you are focusing the most on to improve your performance, is there anything specific that you consider a weakness?

Tarrio: I think I need to improve in all parts of golf because I have more golf inside me, I can improve in the physical, mental and technical parts. It is nice for me not to see the top of my golf game at the moment. I would say the physical part is probably the worst part of my game because of the non-stop traveling and training. However, I always try to improve in all parts because I think there is always blanks to fill.

Golf Post: Thank you so much for having us, for this interview. It was really great talking to you. We wish you the best of luck for the upcoming tournaments and for you to accomplish all the goals for the European Tour next season.

Tarrio: My pleasure. I hope to see you more times in the future for more interviews. Thank you so much.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Justin Thomas: We need a shirt like his

KOHLER, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Justin Thomas of team United States celebrates with champagne after defeating team Europe during Sunday Singles Matches of the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits on September 26, 2021 in Kohler, Wisconsin. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Team USA leads a blowout over team EU in the 43rd Ryder Cup. It only took five singles matches on Sunday for them to capture a win. The forceful singles win against Tyrrell Hatton was the icing on the USA cake, as Thomas finally got to feel what it’s like to win a Ryder Cup in his second appearance. He took to Instagram to share his excitement, sporting a wonderful T-shirt. The shirt includes frenemies Brooks and Bryson who surprisingly didn’t have a dramatic feud this weekend. Perhaps this Ryder Cup win has squashed any hard feelings forever.

Categories
Live

Official World Golf Ranking: Rahm is the only European left on the board

official-world-golf-ranking-updates
KOHLER, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Collin Morikawa of team United States reacts to a missed putt during Sunday Singles Matches of the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits on September 26, 2021 in Kohler, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Keep up with our concise analysis, bringing you all the latest on the official world golf rankings this week.

Top 5 OWGR Leaderboard

# Name Nationality Points Total Points Gained Events
1 Jon Rahm ESP 506.78 340.59 48
2 Dustin Johnson USA 366.86 147.35 42
3 Collin Morikawa USA 418.71 315.33 52
4 Patrick Cantlay USA 314.26 242.87 42
5 Xander Schauffele USA 349.09 238.03 48
Jon Rahm is currently in the top spot of the official world golf ranking this week. The Spaniard’s points average is 10.558 at the time of publication. Rahm’s rank has not changed since last week.  After him on the official world golf ranking is Dustin Johnson, 37 years old, at rank 2. The American has, in comparison to last week, not gone up or down in the rankings. In third place this week is Collin Morikawa, 37, with a points average of 8.0522. Michael Kok has climbed the most places in the official world golf rankings this week. has managed to jump 413 places in the world ranking list, and is now sitting at 1081 rank. The South African jumped from position 1494, and now has a points average of 0.0649. The No.1 Englishman in the official world golf rankings is currently Tyrrell Hatton, in place 19 and is in the same position as last week.
Rahm still might be number 1, but definitely isn’t celebrating after this last weekend. The European team lost to USA at the 43rd Ryder Cup. The United States secured the 2021 Ryder Cup on Sunday after rookie Collin Morikawa secured the final half point to get to a 19-9 victory, which is the largest margin of victory in Ryder Cup history since the 28-point format came about. Morikawa commented on the win by saying, It was huge. I don’t think it’s just a win. I think this is a dominant win.” Morikawa deserves to celebrate the last weekend and now celebrate being number three on the leaderboard.
Categories
Highlights Tours Live

Lee Westwood took a step farther in the dreaming scale at the Ryder Cup and this is why

Lee Westwood of England and team Europe is consoled by caddie and son Samuel Westwood during Sunday Singles Matches of the 43rd Ryder Cup. (Getty Images)

After one more year of waiting for this moment to come, the excitement and the enthusiasm was incredibly high and both Team USA and Team Europe gave it all for them, the staff and the fans at the Ryder Cup. Team USA made history winning the battle 19-9 against Europe. However, all the players and the fans showed an impeccable behavior and respect to each other regardless of their team preferences. Europe had no problem in recognizing the great perfomance of the American players, although they would have wished to bring few more points home as well.

Lee Westwood falls back in love with golf during the Ryder Cup and he could not help but sharing such a special experience with his son caddying for him. Family always comes first, and Westwood was the lucky man who took a step farther in the dreaming scale and was able to live his all-time favorite event hand to hand with his favorite person in the world, his son.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Tommy Fleetwood: “Being part of Team Europe is the ultimate career privilege for me”

KOHLER, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 24: Tommy Fleetwood of England and team Europe plays his shot from the sixth tee during Friday Afternoon Fourball Matches of the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits on September 24, 2021 in Kohler, Wisconsin. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Despite the disappointing loss this weekend, Fleetwood shares his thankfulness to be apart of the European team. Fleetwood didn’t bring the same power as before and the official Ryder Cup takeaway was “Fleetwood didn’t have the same magic as he did in Paris three years ago, when he went 4-0 in Team matches alongside Francesco Molinari. He didn’t win a match in three attempts, sitting out both Foursomes sessions before scratching out a tie with Spieth in the finale…” It was a tough one for Fleetwood, but maybe Rome will be a different story.