Tag: live-highlight-tours

Categories
Highlights Tours

PGA Championship 2022: Tiger Woods about his frustrating start

Tiger Woods about his first round at the PGA Championship 2022 (Photo: Getty)
Tiger Woods about his first round at the PGA Championship 2022 (Photo: Getty)

JOHN DEVER: Welcome back to the 2022 PGA Championship here at Southern Hills. We’re joined by Tiger Woods who opened with a 4-over par 74 today. Looked like a struggle out there. Did you hold it together? It’s not that bad a score.

TIGER WOODS: Well, I did not hit a lot of good iron shots. I drove it well, but my iron shots were not very good. I didn’t get the ball very close. I got off to a great start and didn’t keep it going. I really didn’t give myself any looks for birdie. I was struggling trying to get the ball on the green, and I missed quite a few iron shots both ways. It was a frustrating day.

Q. It looked like you tweaked something, looked like something was bothering you, and also, bunker shots, the ball came out hot —

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, yeah. All the bunker shots sort of came out hot. The sand is a lot faster than I thought it would be. Kind of been that way all week, especially if you get up in the areas where it’s not raked. I had a couple of those balls where it was in those areas. It’s like, is there a lot of sand here, is there not, how should I play it, and when you dig in with your feet you’re not in those areas where it’s raked. I feel like sometimes the sand — I’m guessing, and I guessed wrong.

Yeah, my leg is not feeling as good as I would like it to be. We’ll start the recovery process and get after it tomorrow.

Q. There were a few instances when you went iron off the tee when Rory and Jordan both hit driver. Was that always the strategy and when you see them do that, does it make you think, I’m pretty far back here?

TIGER WOODS: Well, it wouldn’t have been so far back if I would have hit the iron shot solid and put the ball in the fairway. I was playing to my spots, and those guys obviously have a different game plan. It’s just different.

The game is played very differently now, and it’s very aggressive. We were talking about it today, Joey and I, the days of the Lee Janzens and the Scott Simpsons and the Faldos of the world, playing that kind of golf is gone. You go out there and hit driver a lot, and if you have a hot week, you have a hot week and you’re up there.

The game is just different. It’s much more aggressive now, and I know that. But I was playing to my spots. If I would have hit the ball solidly on those two holes and put the ball in the fairway, I would have been fine. I would have had 9-iron, 8-iron in there. That’s not a big deal. But I didn’t do that. I put the ball in the rough over there on 4 and hit the tree on 9 and ended up hitting a 4-iron in there.

Q. When your leg is bothering you more than normal, how does it impact your swing? What does it do that you are not able to do the way you’d like?

TIGER WOODS: Well, I just can’t load it. Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, and walking hurts, and twisting hurts. It’s just golf. I don’t play that, if I don’t do that, then I’m all right.

Categories
Highlights Tours

2022 PGA Championship without Bryson DeChambeau

With a thickly bandaged wrist: Bryson DeChambeau in preparation for the 2022 PGA Championship. (Photo: Getty)

Phil Mickelson’s cancellation was followed by another cancellation shortly before the start of the major: at around 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Bryson DeChambeau announced in Tulsa that he would not be taking part in the 2022 PGA Championship. The second major of the year comes too soon for the 28-year-old after months of pain that was eventually followed by surgery. Although DeChambeau flew to Tulsa this week to the Southern Hills Country Club to be able to prepare himself optimally for a possible participation, he has to admit to himself shortly before the start of the tournament that he is not yet fit enough again.

His left wrist prevents him from playing in the PGA Championship 2022

Bryson DeChambeau underwent surgery on his left hand about five weeks ago. A fall while playing table tennis damaged a bone in his wrist. At first DeChambeau played over the injury, but ultimately could not avoid surgery. Eight weeks of regeneration were initially recommended by the doctors. After DeChambeau had already trained one-handed shortly after the operation, he tried to get back to his usual game as quickly as possible. After four weeks, he already achieved an impressive speed and distance with his driver, as he showed on Twitter.

He finally made his way to Southern Hills Country Club on May 16 to test his body on the course that will host the 2022 PGA Championship.

“I want to be 100% coming back”

After intense days of practice, he played nine holes on each of the last two days before the start of the major. The realization he gained was disappointing: “I just realized it wasn’t going to be the right decision for me to play this week – it was going to be a stretch.” He said he was only 70 percent fit and didn’t want to compete at this level. “I want to give somebody else a chance that’s fully prepared and ready to go out here. Feeling fatigued and tired, four days is a big stretch for me right now”, DeChambeau admits with a heavy heart.

The replacement for Bryson DeChambeau at the PGA Championship 2022 will be Denny McCarthy. The latter is confident despite his impromptu entry, “I had a feeling he was going to pull out. I was ready either way.”

Categories
Uncategorized

PGA Tour: PGA chief in talks with Phil Mickelson

phil mickelson pga championship
If Phil Mickelson start at the PGA Championship is yet to be decided (foto: Getty)

Phil Mickelson and the PGA Tour are in a difficult situation. The American has entered both the PGA Championship to defend his title and the first event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series. In addition, the conflict with the Tour has not yet been finally clarified and pronounced. In a podcast, the head of the PGA of America, which is hosting the second major, said he is in talks with Phil Mickelson. It is not yet clear whether Mickelson will play in the PGA Championship.

Talks have been going on for weeks

Seth Waugh, the head of the PGA, speaking to the podcast, said that there have been talks with Mickelson since the fall and also recently. If Waugh has his way, it’s not yet clear which of the tournaments Mickelson will choose. “Mickelson is trying to figure out when the right time is for him,” adding, “I think the game is also trying to figure out the right time for him. How long is long enough? And is he mentally and physically ready for it?”

The marketing company Sportfive is also not so sure whether the 51-year-old will even compete in one of the two tournaments. According to their information, Mickelson is leaving all his options open. However, the fact that Mickelson was recently seen on the golf course in California again suggests that he will soon be returning to professional golf. Seth Waugh also sees things positively but finds the whole situation extremely unfortunate: “The whole thing (Mickelson’s incident) is just sad,” adding, “It’s sad for Phil, it’s sad for the game. He’s been great for the game for a long time and I believe in making amends and I believe he can do it”

Categories
European Tour

European Tour: Adri Arnaus wins on the 6th playoff hole

Adri Arnaus European Tour Catalunya Championship
Adri Arnaus wins first title of his career on the DP World Tour (Foto: Getty)

The Catalunya Championship has come to an end. Adri Arnaus is the more than happy winner of the tournament, which was held for the first time. In a playoff he prevailed against the South African Oliver Bekker. After six playoff holes Arnaus secured his first title on the DP World Tour, formerly European Tour. Best German-speaking player is Bernd Wiesberger on the sole eighth place. The two best Germans of the week are Marcel Schneider and Nicolai von Dellingshausen. Both are tied for 13th place at the end of the tournament.

Adri Arnaus with longer breath in the playoff

Already in the regular playing time Adri Arnaus was the better player on the course than Oliver Bekker. Bekker only managed an even par 72, but Adri Arnaus made a spirited recovery and played an outstanding seven under par round on the difficult PGA Catalunya Stadium Course. He remained bogey-free, making five birdies and an outstanding eagle on the second nine to close the gap to the South African by seven strokes.
In the playoff, things got tough. Both players were visibly nervous and the difficult 18th hole did not help either. The two opponents went to the 18th hole five times, each time sharing a par. Although sometimes one and sometimes the other had good starting chances after the tee shots, neither could profit from them. Important was a chip by Arnaus on the fourth extra hole. He mastered the difficult situation confidently, otherwise he stayed relatively cool on the greens in the playoff. But both of them did not manage to play out good birdie chances for the victory.

In the end, the change to the 17th hole of the course helped. The sixth playoff hole should then also bring the decision. Oliver Bekker pulled his driver and missed the fairway right in the rough. Arnaus took his driving iron and hit the ball cleanly down the fairway. His starting position was a dream, and so was his shot into the green. From 180 meters he played the iron with a slight left-right curve into the green, the ball comes up five meters before the flag and rolls towards the hole. Although it just missed the hole, it stopped just behind it at about two meters. Bekker had to deliver and didn’t, his second shot landed left in the rough next to the green. From there he saved himself cica 1.5 meters from the hole a chance at par.
Arnaus had a chance to win, but, how could it be otherwise, he missed. Now it was up to Bekker again: His par putt also lipped out and Arnaus again saw himself in the position to finally decide the tournament for himself. This time he took advantage of the situation, what followed was an understandable outburst of joy and relief. After two hours of playoff, there was finally a winner, Arnaus taking home his first DP World Tour title.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Tiger Woods fuels hopes for participation in the 2022 PGA Championship

Tiger Woods together with the head pro of the Southern Hills Country Club on a practice round before the PGA Championship 2022. (Photo: Twitter/@PGAChampionship & @okgolf2)
Tiger Woods together with the head pro of the Southern Hills Country Club on a practice round before the PGA Championship 2022. (Photo: Twitter/@PGAChampionship & @okgolf2)

It’s reminiscent of the scenes that sent the golf world into hysterics a couple of weeks ago: a plane being tracked and a practice round that raised hopes of a appearance in a major. Only this time the surprise is not quite so great, given the feat Tiger Woods had achieved at the US Masters in 2022. Now the superstar was out on a practice round at Southern Hills Country Club to gauge the strain for the 2022 PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods on a practice round at Southern Hills Country Club

On Thursday, the 15-time major winner’s private jet touched down at the airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after which Tiger Woods played a practice round at Southern Hills, where the second major of the year will be played in about three weeks. Woods completed the 18 holes alongside Cary Cozby, the golf club’s head pro, reports the Golf Channel, and was spotted by numerous cameras; his putting drills were even filmed from a helicopter. According to a “Golf Channel” reporter, Cozby said that “Tiger had great speed with swing and was engaged regarding the lines to take with shots and the differences in green complexes since winning there in 2007.”

On his round, the 46-year-old was spotted wearing shorts that exposed a view of his damaged right leg, which is encased in a compression sleeve. On his feet, Woods is wearing the Footjoy shoes that first made his participation in the prestigious major at hilly Augusta National possible.

Immediately after the tournament, the five-time Masters winner announced that he would participate in the second Major of the year if possible and set his sights on the 150th Open Championship. Hall-of-Famer sources now say that after his practice round, Woods intends to play the 2022 PGA Championship in May, provided there are no further setbacks. This is reported by Golf Digest, which goes on to say that they will wait to see the body’s reactions to the increasing strain in the coming weeks before making a final decision on participation.

PGA Championship 2022 in Oklahoma

The PGA Championship 2022 will be held at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa from 19 to 22 May. Originally, the second major of the year was to be held at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, but after the riots at the beginning of 2021 with the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, the former US president’s club was stripped of its hosting status.

Tiger Woods has already played two major tournaments at Southern Hills; in 2007 he won the PGA Championship there for the fourth and for the moment last time. In 2019, however, the course was thoroughly renovated and therefore presents a new challenge this year. It was only recently announced that the golf legend is on the list of participants for the most important tournament of the PGA of America, as is defending champion Phil Mickelson. With the practice round, participation becomes more and more likely.

Categories
Panorama

How far do amateur golfers hit their ball?

Handicap Driver Distances
How far do amateurs hit their drives compared to pros (foto: getty)

For years there has been discussion on the men’s professional tours about whether pros can hit the ball too far, and what effect that has on amateurs and on golf courses. A small study by a golf portal together with ShotScope show how far the amateur can hit his drive in all handicap classes, the comparison to the pros is enormous.

90 meters between professional and 25 handicap

The statistics show the average drive length for various handicap ranges. The scratch golfers among the amateurs hit the ball the farthest. They manage a solid 234 meters on average. The higher the handicap, the shorter the drives among amateurs. A handicap of 10 brings the ball into play at around 206 meters, but from handicaps of 15 and above, the distance of the tee shot drops well below 200 meters.

If you compare a player with a handicap of 25 with a tour pro, the difference is really serious: While the amateur hits the ball 172 meters with the driver, the average player on the PGA Tour drives 267 meters down the fairway. That’s more than 90 meters, and in our sport, of course, it’s worlds apart.

Even the comparison between scratch golfer and tour player is huge at this level. When the tour player hits 30 meters further than the scratch golfer the advantage is so great that once again you have to raise the question of whether the normal amateur can even grasp how the tour pro plays. Golf courses also face this problem. Many of the old courses, for example the Old Course at St. Andrews, are now actually too short for the pros. On the other hand, many of the newer courses are built to the length of the pros. The result is courses that are too long for the average golfer.

How to decrease the distances?

The fact is that many people are thrilled when Rory McIlroy or Bryson DeChambeau send the ball more than 300 meters down the fairway. But there is, firstly, an ever-growing faction that is not so happy about the whole thing. In addition, the R&A and USGA have to ask themselves how far they can and want to go with this game. The tours hit the ball further in each new decade than in the previous one, but this trend does not exist with the amateurs.

The first concepts on this subject are already being discussed. One idea, for example, is a flight-reduced ball for the pros. But even if one is convinced of the idea at the first moment, even such a simple solution brings with it a huge rat’s tail of problems. How does this ball behave? When will the amateur who wants to become a professional switch to this ball so as not to be at a disadvantage compared to those who have played with it for years in the future? To what extent do such ideas change the buying behavior of the broader golf community?

Golf’s elites must ask themselves these questions, and at some point there must be an answer to these questions. After all, courses can’t continue to grow in all directions, and the discrepancy between amateur and professional will eventually be so great that perhaps a broad mass will feel disconnected from professional golf. And nobody really wants that. The first regulations on drivers have already been issued by the organizations, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Categories
European Tour

The K Club to host Horizon Irish Open in 2023, 2025 and 2027

horizon irish open dp world tour european tour
Horizon Irish Open will be played at the K Club in the future (Foto: DP World Tour)

The Horizon Irish Open will return to The K Club as part of a long-term deal with the DP World Tour, which will see the island of Ireland’s national Open played at the former Ryder Cup venue in 2023, 2025 and 2027.

The K Club’s commitment to the development of Irish professional golf is further enhanced by the news that the resort’s second Arnold Palmer-designed course, Palmer South, will also play host to the Challenge Tour’s Irish Challenge in the intervening years, beginning this July and again in 2024 and 2026.

The announcement continues the momentum surrounding the Horizon Irish Open, with Horizon Therapeutics – the global biotechnology company headquartered in Dublin – having signed a six-year title sponsorship deal in February, beginning with this year’s event at Mount Juliet Estate from June 30-July 3.

Next year will be just the second time The K Club has hosted the Irish Open, having done so for the first time in 2016, when four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy claimed a famous victory which will live long in the memory of Irish sports fans.

First Irish venue to host the Ryder Cup

Ten years prior to that momentous occasion, the stunning Kildare venue made history when it became the first Irish venue to host the Ryder Cup. Under Captain Ian Woosnam, Europe marched to a commanding 18½-9½ victory over the USA – with recently-announced European Captain for 2023, Henrik Stenson, holing the winning putt on his debut in the biennial contest.

Guy Kinnings, the DP World Tour’s Deputy CEO, Ryder Cup Director and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We share a special connection with The K Club through their hosting of the 2006 Ryder Cup, and we thank them for their commitment to the development of Irish golf through this long-term deal with both the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour.

“This news, along with the announcement earlier in the year of Horizon as title sponsors of the Irish Open until at least 2027, underlines the strength of our sport in Ireland, as we build towards the return of the Ryder Cup to Irish shores for its centenary edition in five years’ time at Adare Manor.”

Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers TD, said: “Ireland has a rich tradition in producing world-class golfing talent and I am particularly delighted to see so many Irish golfers in the field for the 2022 tournament.

“The Government’s investment in the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme continues to assist Ireland’s emerging professional players as they strive to progress through the ranks. The Horizon Irish Open is a wonderful showcase for Irish golf and for Ireland as a tourism destination.

“Our passion for golf, combined with our renowned tradition of hospitality, makes us want to share our courses and our companionship with visitors. The K Club will be the perfect host for the spectators present and for an international audience, following play from around the world.”

Paul Heery, General Manager of The K Club, said: “The K Club has always been well known as a venue for hosting successful, international golf events and now with the guidance and fresh energy from new ownership, we are delighted to be back hosting tournaments of this calibre once again.

“Establishing a new legacy at the resort”

“The K Club is evolving. We are on a journey to establish a new legacy at the resort where supporting the golfing community in Ireland is an extremely important focus for us. The team at The K Club are incredibly proud to be making this long-term commitment to Irish golf which will see us host six years of high profile tournaments in Ireland.

“We very much look forward to welcoming players from all over the world to The K Club and watching the dramatic action unfold on the fairways of our Arnold Palmer designed courses once again.”

Timothy P. Walbert, Chairman, President and CEO, Horizon Therapeutics: “To have this historic tournament associated with one of Ireland’s most prized golf venues signifies the momentum that is building for the sport and for the Horizon Irish Open.

“As we continue to grow as a company in Ireland, we also look forward to doing our part to grow the interest in the island’s national open and are excited for what the future will bring with The K Club and the DP World Tour partnerships.”

Dr Una May, CEO Sport Ireland, said: “It’s an exciting time for this tournament and I look forward to working with the DP World Tour and all of the tournament hosts over the next few years to help bring this great event to new levels of success.

“I am delighted that Sport Ireland, through its sponsorship of the Horizon Irish Open, has been able to offer two invitations to emerging Irish golfers. This will provide players with the opportunity to play in a top class DP World Tour event on home soil, and help further their careers as professional golfers.”

Like the Ryder Cup, the Irish Open was also first played in 1927 and it is now one of the world’s most famous national opens, boasting former champions such as Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Pádraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal and Jon Rahm.

Tournament is a part of the Open Qualifying Series

The 2022 edition will once again form part of the Open Qualifying Series, with the top three players not already exempt earning a coveted place in the 150th edition of the Open Championship, taking place two weeks later on the Old Course at St Andrews.

The Irish Challenge returned to the Challenge Tour back in 2015 and has been played every year since – barring 2020 due to the pandemic.

The Ladies European Tour, meanwhile, will return to Irish shores for the first time in ten years when the Women’s Irish Open takes place at Dromoland Castle this September.

It was announced in February that all general admission tickets for Sunday at the 2022 Horizon Irish Open have sold out, the earliest sell-out day in the history of the DP World Tour. Limited tickets still remain for the Wednesday Celebrity Pro-Am, as well as the first three tournament days – Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Premium Experience hospitality packages are also selling fast, with The Range Club – an ideal offering for smaller groups wishing to relax in style and enjoy outstanding service in a relaxed hospitality environment – already sold out on Sunday.

(Text: DP World Tour)

Categories
Highlights Tours

US Masters 2022: Scheffler, McIlroy, Woods – The records and statistics of the Major

The stats for the US Masters 2022 with Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Tiger Woods. (Photo: Getty)
The stats for the US Masters 2022 with Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Tiger Woods. (Photo: Getty)

At the US Masters 2022, Scottie Scheffler sets several records with his first major victory. Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and others should not be missing from this list of records set or tied at the prestigious major.

Scottie Scheffler in outstanding form

Scottie Scheffler unstoppable! In recent weeks, hardly any professional on the PGA Tour could stand a chance against the Texan. In mid-February, the 25-year-old won for the first time since his rise on Tour in 2020 at the Phoenix Open. Fifty-seven days have passed since then and three more trophies have gone into the world number one’s trophy cabinet. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC-Dell Match Play and now his first major with the 2022 US Masters. No one before him has managed the first four tournament wins in such a short span of time! The last time someone won four tournaments in six starts was Jason Day in 2015.

Four wins in one season is already a great achievement, but to win at least one Major and one WGC event highlights the exceptional form of Scottie Scheffler. There’s only one guy who’s done that, too. You will guess: Tiger Woods. The superstar, who made his comeback at the US Masters in 2022 after a serious car accident, was even able to achieve these results a total of eight (!) times in two periods of four seasons in a row – incredible! For the sake of completeness, however, it should be mentioned that greats such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus certainly had seasons with four tournament victories including majors, but the WGC events did not yet exist at that time (introduction in 1999).

Scheffler is also the sixth player to win the Major at Augusta National as the world number one. In doing so, the American does it like Ian Woosnam, who also won the US Masters in his first start as the world’s No. 1 golfer.

After an outstanding Friday, Scheffler had built a five-stroke lead in difficult conditions. The shared largest halfway lead at the Masters.

With his fourth victory, Scheffler now not only clearly leads the world ranking and the FedExCup, he also obviously cashed in a lot of prize money. In the meantime, the professional has earned over ten million US dollars with his results this season alone. This already puts him in sixth place in the ranking of prize money earned in a PGA Tour season. By the way, Jordan Spieth leads this list with just over twelve million dollars earned in his fabulous 2014/15 season with two major victories (Masters & Open) and Tour Championship (bonus not included). Scheffler, however, still has half the season and three majors to play and will probably climb up a few places in this ranking.

US Masters 2022: Rory McIlroy ties record

But enough about the Masters winner, others also set records at this major. Rory McIlroy ran hot on the final day, working his magic with flight partner Collin Morikawa at Augusta National. McIlroy’s closing 64, the only bogey-free round of the entire tournament, set the record for the best closing round at the Masters; in fact, it was the second-best round ever at one of the four majors for the Northern Irishman. It was a pity for the four-time major winner that he was already too far away from Scheffler before the final day and it was again nothing with the career Grand Slam for McIlroy.

On the final day, it was a duel between two players in good form with the better end for Scheffler. But Cameron Smith also has two victories this season (including the Players Championship) under his belt and has been playing incredibly consistent golf lately. However, the triple bogey at the 12th sank any hopes of winning the Masters at Rae’s Creek, and that after Smith had fought his way back in with a birdie at the hardest hole (11th). The three-stroke loss was the worst score on a hole in almost ten months for the Australian.

Previously, the Players Champion had carded a 68 in Round 1, although he conceded double stroke losses on holes 1 and 18. Only Ricky Fowler played a round of 68 or better including two double bogeys at the Masters.

Tiger Woods keeps series alive

It’s not a record yet, but Tiger Woods kept his streak of made cuts alive and could set a record next year. Despite his extreme suffering since his serious accident 14 months ago, the 46-year-old Hall-of-Famer made the cut at the 2022 US Masters for the 22nd time in a row.

On the weekend itself, the 15-time major winner was clearly feeling the strain and the strain, twice coming back into the clubhouse with 78 strokes. He had never needed so many in 92 rounds before to master Augusta National.

Categories
Highlights Tours

US Masters 2022: Million dollar prize – this is how much money is at stake in Augusta

The winner of the 2022 US Masters will receive just over two million dollars in prize money. (Photos: Getty)

The official prize money for the US Masters 2022 was raised to 15 million dollars. In 2021, the prize money totaled $11.5 million. The raise is making the Masters one of the top tournaments on the tour, also financially, and the second best endowed tournament in golf behind the Players Championship ($20 million). The US Open and the PGA Championship both payed $12 million in 2021. According to reports, the organizers and sponsors even wanted to raise the prize money a little this year to underline the importance of the tournament.

One thing is for sure, whoever makes the cut at Augusta National can already look forward to a tidy handout in any case. Since 2019, the winner has received just over two million dollars, 600 FedEx Cup points and 100 points for the world rankings. In addition, a win at Augusta secures a PGA Tour card for five years, lifetime playing rights at the US Masters, and a starting spot at all majors for the next five years.

US Masters 2022: Smaller field = more money for everyone

Nothing is left to chance when it comes to the distribution of prize money at the US Masters. Instead, a clear scheme is followed that regulates the payout to the individual placings on a percentage basis. According to this scheme, the Masters champion always receives 18% of the total prize money, the runner-up still gets 10%, the third place 6.8%. If two or more players share a place, the prize money is divided among the players, as in any other tournament.

Augusta National: How to play a round of golf at the world’s most exclusive course

One reason why it is still possible to cash in well on the back places at the US Masters 2022 is the significantly smaller starting field compared to the PGA Tour. In terms of the size of the field, the fewest number of players make the cut after 36 holes at the Masters. Only the top 50 players (and stroke ties) make it to the weekend and thus receive a slightly higher share of the total prize money. Even those who miss the cut still receive $10,000, with only amateurs going away empty-handed.

This is how much money the top 50 players receive at the US Masters

Win: Scottie Scheffler, -10, $2,700,000

2: Rory McIlroy, -7, $1,620,000

T-3: Shane Lowry, -5, $870,000

T-3: Cameron Smith, -5, $870,000

5: Collin Morikawa, -4, $600,000

T-6: Will Zalatoris, -3, $521,250

T-6: Corey Conners, -3, $521,250

T-8: Justin Thomas, -1, $450,000

T-8: Sungjae Im, -1, $450,000

T-10: Cameron Champ, E, $395,000

T-10: Charl Schwartzel, E, $395,000

T-12: Dustin Johnson, +1, $330,000

T-12: Danny Willett, +1, $330,000

T-14: Kevin Na, +2, $225,333

T-14: Matt Fitzpatrick, +2, $225,333

T-14: Min Woo Lee, +2, $225,333

T-14: Harry Higgs, +2, $225,333

T-14: Lee Westwood, +2, $225,333

T-14: Talor Gooch, +2, $225,333

T-14: Hideki Matsuyama, +2, $225,333

T-14: Tommy Fleetwood, +2, $225,333

T-14: Jason Kokrak, +2, $225,333

T-23: Robert MacIntyre, +3, $138,000

T-23: Harold Varner III, +3, $138,000

T-23: Sergio Garcia, +3, $138,000

T-23: J.J. Spaun, +3, $138,000

T-27: Jon Rahm, +4, $111,000

T-27: Seamus Power, +4, $111,000

T-27: Viktor Hovland, +4, $111,000

T-30: Russell Henley, +5, $93,150

T-30: Sepp Straka, +5, $93,150

T-30: Hudson Swafford, +5, $93,150

T-30: Lucas Glover, +5, $93,150

T-30: Marc Leishman, +5, $93,150

T-35: Joaquin Niemann, +6, $75,562.50

T-35: Tony Finau, +6, $75,562.50

T-35: Patrick Reed, +6, $75,562.50

T-35: Webb Simpson, +6, $75,562.50

T-39: Patrick Cantlay, +7, $63,000

T-39: Bubba Watson, +7, $63,000

T-39: Tom Hoge, +7, $63,000

T-39: Si Woo Kim, +7, $63,000

43: Billy Horschel, +8, $55,500

T-44: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, +9, $51,000

T-44: Kevin Kisner, +9, $51,000

46: Cameron Davis, +12, $46,500

47: Tiger Woods, +13, $43,500

T-48: Adam Scott, +14, $40,050

T-48: Max Homa, +14, $40,050

T-50: Mackenzie Hughes, +15, $37,350

T-50: Daniel Berger, +15, $37,350

Categories
Highlights Tours

US Masters 2022: Scottie Scheffler’s flirtation with disaster on course 18

us-masters-2022-golf-Scottie-Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler deep in the woods on 18 at the US Masters 2022 (foto: Getty)

Scottie Scheffler was in cruise control on day three at Augusta at the 2022 US Masters. At any point in the third round, he was at least three strokes ahead, and at times it was as much as seven. But a relaxed Saturday by Masters standards could have ended disastrously for Scheffler on 18. With a four-shot lead, he stood on the tee of the last hole, the narrow wooded fairway of the 18th in front of him. Before teeing off, all sorts of spectators had to be moved to get the shadows out of Scheffler’s view. Perhaps this distraction, this brief moment of reflection in the situation was too long for him, because his following tee shot was one of the worst shots of his day.

US Masters 2022 Leaderboard after round 3

Pictures at US Masters 2022 like Saturday tournament among amateurs

Scheffler’s ball started left toward the tree line. His typical fade curve failed to materialize and the ball disappeared deep into the trees on the left side of the course. Now you would think that at the Masters such a ball would be found immediately. But anxious minutes followed for Scheffler, during which helpers searched for his ball. In the end, fortunately, the ball was found, and the resulting pictures looked like an amateur in Saturday’s tournament. “Fortunately, they found the ball. And then I was just trying to figure out how to get it on the green with my third shot.” Scheffler, scrambling among bushes and branches, looked for a way out of the mess. All day, his round was going relatively smoothly, until that moment. But Scheffler remained deeply relaxed in his inimitable way, as he had throughout the US Masters 2022.

Clever interpretation of the rules help Scheffler

Scheffler’s first idea was to play the ball from there. But the heavy stand and the branches made that impossible. The second idea was the much better one. He declared the ball unplayable and subsequently got a drop two club lengths from the ball no closer to flag. Those two club lengths were enough to drop in an area on the left edge of the lane where he had a free swing. After discussions with the referee, he was allowed, in accordance with the rules, to remove pine needles in the drop area and test the ground for roots. On the drop, the ball rolled out of the designated area twice, and as a result, he was able to place the ball. The rest was a formality for Scheffler, world No. 1 and currently the best player on the planet. Iron 3 from 215 meters just behind the green, and then a relaxed up-and-down to the five. The bogey could be the important piece of the puzzle for Scheffler to win at the end of the fourth day. He enters the final round with a three-stroke lead over Cameron Smith, although it could have been considerably less.