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Panorama

US Masters: The development of prize money since the beginning

The prize money of the US Masters - The development over the last 85 years. (Photo: Getty)
The prize money of the US Masters - The development over the last 85 years. (Photo: Getty)

Tiger Woods was paid over two million dollars for his victory at the 2019 US Masters – a first. He also overtook Phil Mickelson in the list of prize money kings in Masters history with this whopping prize money. Tiger Woods now leads this one, too. How the prize money of the US Masters has developed over the years and how much money Horton Smith, the first champion in 1934, got for his triumph over 85 years ago. An overview.

The prize money kings of the Masters history

  1. Tiger Woods, $9,494,136
  2. Phil Mickelson, $8,018,037
  3. Jordan Spieth, $4,561,156
  4. bubba watson, $3,931,855
  5. Adam Scott, $3,635,277

Prize money at the Masters: Tiger, Mickelson, Spieth

The next list where Tiger Woods is at number one since last year. With his over two million dollars from last year, he overtook three-time “Green Jacket” winner Phil Mickelson. The two are well ahead of the rest. Jordan Spieth, who won the 2015 Masters, is third with earnings of under five million dollars, while Bubba Watson and Adam Scott are fourth and fifth with under four million dollars. What is striking about the list is that only players who are still active are in the top 5. Also, if you let your eyes wander further down the list, you’ll notice: Only players from the modern era of golf take place in this list. The reason for this is the development of the prize money paid out at the US Masters over the years.

Masters prize money: From under two thousand to over two million dollars

The prize money in golf has increased over the years, everyone is aware of that. The market has grown, there are more sponsors and the players are not just athletes but brands. Nevertheless, it is worth taking a look at the prize money development of the US Masters, because the difference between the first and last staging is incomparably large. Horton Smith, who won the first US Masters in 1934, was happy to receive 1500 dollars.

Until the Second World War this prize money for the winner was not increased, only at the first Masters after the war the winner got 2500 dollars. Over the years, the prize money increased almost exponentially. In 1958, the winner was paid over 10,000 dollars for the first time, and in 1984 over 100,000 dollars for the first time. The magic mark of over one million dollars was not cracked until after the turn of the millennium in 2001 – the first winner to enjoy this prize money in new spheres was Tiger Woods. Within 18 years, this prize money has then doubled again, and once again Tiger Woods is the first player to have been paid prize money of over two million dollars.

1934-2021: The prize money of the winners at a glance

1934: $1,500
1935: $1,500
1936: $1,500
1937: $1,500
1938: $1,500
1939: $1,500
1940: $1,500
1941: $1,500
1942: $1,500
1943: –
1944: –
1945: –
1946: $2,500
1947: $2,500
1948: $2,500
1949: $2,750
1950: $2,400
1951: $3,000
1952: $4,000
1953: $4,000
1954: $5,000
1955: $5,000

1956: $6,000
1957: $8,750
1958: $11,250
1959: $15,000
1960: $17,500
1961: $20,000
1962: $20,000
1963: $20,000
1964: $20,000
1965: $20,000
1966: $20,000
1967: $20,000
1968: $20,000
1969: $20,000
1970: $25,000
1971: $25,000
1972: $25,000
1973: $30,000
1974: $35,000
1975: $40,000
1976: $40,000
1977: $40,000
1978: $45,000
1979: $50,000
1980: $55,000
1981: $60,000
1982: $64,000
1983: $90,000
1984: $108,000
1985: $126,000
1986: $144,000

1988: $183,800
1989: $200,000
1990: $225,000
1991: $243,000
1992: $270,000
1993: $306,000
1994: $360,000
1995: $396,000
1996: $450,000
1997: $486,000
1998: $576,000
1999: $720,000
2000: $828,000
2001: $1,008,000
2002: $1,008,000
2003: $1,080,000
2004: $1,117,000
2005: $1,260,000
2006: $1,260,000
2007: $1,305,000
2008: $1,350,000
2009: $1,350,000
2010: $1,350,000
2011: $1,440,000
2012: $1,440,000
2013: $1,440,000
2014: $1,620,000
2015: $1,800,000
2016: $1,800,000
2017: $1,980,000
2018: $1,980,000
2019: $2,070,000
2020: $2,070,000
2021: $2,070,000

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PGA Tour

WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play: Who’s gonna make it into the round of 16?

WGC Match Play: The possible round of 16 participants (photo: Getty).
WGC Match Play: The possible round of 16 participants (photo: Getty).

After day 2 of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, quite a few golfers still have the chance to reach the round of 16. But it will be tough for some players. Stars like Bryson DeChambeau or Patrick Cantlay, however, have already been eliminated after the second day of the tournament. We give an overview of which golfers still have a chance of advancing.

WGC – Dell Match Play: Clear conditions in several groups

Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson, for example, have a good starting position. The two leaders in their respective groups only need a draw in the third match to advance. For sure, a win would also be enough to qualify. The same applies to the following players: Viktor Hovland, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Billy Horschel, Lucas Herbert, Kevin Kisner, Matt Fitzpatrick and Seamus Power.

In other groups, too, some golfers already have a leg up in the round of 16 and have their advancement in their own hands. However, a draw in the third match will not be enough for them. These players will only advance to the knockout stage with a win: Richard Bland, Adam Scott and Abraham Ancer.

Tricky scenarios in groups 2, 10 and 14

While in some groups of the WGC Match Play a favorite already stands out, in other groups the outcome is still very open. A good example of this is Group 2: Collin Morikawa and Sergio Garcia have the best starting position with 1.5 points, but Jason Kokrak can still advance with currently one point. Fourth-placed Robert MacIntyre has already been eliminated.

If both Morikawa and Garcia, who are not playing each other, win, it would come to a playoff between the two. The same would happen in the event of a tie. If both lose their third match, Morikawa’s opponent Kokrak will be happy. Because in that case he would book his ticket for the round of 16. A playoff between Kokrak and Garcia is also still possible if Garcia only manages a draw and Kokrak wins against Morikawa. There are numerous scenarios possible, so it will remain exciting until the end of the group stage. That is precisely what the match-play format at the World Golf Championship is all about.

A similarly tricky situation arises in Group 14. Joaquin Niemann, Kevin Na and Maverick McNealy still have a chance of advancing.

The situation in Group 10 is completely different: Paul Casey has withdrawn due to back problems and Louis Oosthuizen has no chance of advancing. So only two players are still fighting for a place in the knockout stage. Corey Conners and Alex Noren will play a direct match to determine the group winner. If the match ends in a draw, there will be a playoff between, who would have thought it, Conners and Noren.

19 players already eliminated

After the second day at the Austin Country Club, it is definitely clear that 19 players no longer have a chance to advance. Among them are prominent names like Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay and Ian Poulter. The following golfers are also eliminated after round two: Patrick Reed, Sebastian Munoz, Robert MacIntyre, Cameron Tringale, Keith Mitchell, Marc Leishman, Tony Finau, Matthew Wolff, Louis Oosthuizen, Paul Casey, Keegan Bradley, Tom Hoge, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Russell Henley, Brian Harman and Erik van Rooyen.

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PGA Tour

Masters 2022: Phil Mickelson absent for the first time since 1994

Phil Mickelson will not play the Masters Tournament 2022 (foto: Getty)
Phil Mickelson will not play the Masters Tournament 2022 (foto: Getty)

Phil Mickelson will not participate in the Masters Tournament in 2022. The official list of registered professionals was updated on the Masters site on Monday after the Valspar Championship and Mickelson is no longer listed as an active player at the tournament, according to the list. Instead, the 51-year-old is now listed among the former winners of the Masters who will not compete in the 2022 edition.

No Masters participation due to sabbatical

Mickelson is therefore still committed to taking a longer break from the golfing circus. After the upheavals on the PGA Tour, the American reacted by saying that he had a lot to think about and needed some time away from active golf. In February, the 2021 PGA champion faced fierce headwind, both from the Tour and from the ranks of the players. Mickelson had made several memorable statements in an interview about the PGA Tour, its rights for players and about his push of the new Saudi League. As a result, the pressure on him became so great that he decided for himself to retire for a while. In a statement issued in late February, he wrote, “I know I have not been on my best behavior and desperately need time off to prioritize those I love most.”

When will Mickelson tee it up again?

As a result, he missed several important tournaments. Just recently, he did not play in the Players Championship, which is the biggest tournament on the PGA Tour. There will be no sign of Mickelson at any of the other tournaments in March either. Now he has cancelled the Masters. For him, it is the first Masters since his debut in 1994 that he will miss. When and how Mickelson plans a comeback to the tour is not yet known, so we have to be patient until Mickelson speaks out again.

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PGA Tour

How does the World Golf Championship – Dell Technologies Match Play work?

The World Golf Championships Dell Technologies Match Play format explained (foto Getty)
The World Golf Championships Dell Technologies Match Play format explained (foto Getty)

The World Golf Championship – Dell Technologies Match Play pits the world’s best golfers against each other this week in Austin, Texas on the Austin Country Club course. This tournament is played in a match play format and not, as is so often the case, in counting play. We explain the special play mode this week and what the group and knockout stages are all about.

The match play format

Counting match play is probably the best known format in golf. The player’s strokes are added up over the various rounds and the player with the fewest strokes wins the tournament. In the match play format, on the other hand, there is a direct duel with the opponent and it is not about strokes, but about courses won. Two players compete against each other and play an 18-hole round. Each individual hole is scored separately: The player who needs fewer strokes for a hole wins it. The player who has won more holes after 18 holes wins the duel. If both players need the same number of strokes on a hole, it is “split” and ends in a draw. It therefore takes at least 9.5 holes won to win a match.

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: The Mode

The field of participants will be divided into 16 groups for the tournament. The 64 qualifiers will be placed in a seeded list according to their ranking in the March 21 world rankings. The field is strong, with 64 of the world’s 69 best players set to compete. Accordingly, Jon Rahm is seeded number 1. Based on the order of the seedings, four pools with 16 players each will be divided. The players from pool A (number 1-16) form the group heads of the respective groups. They have been drawn one player from each of the other pools B,C and D, so that 16 groups of four will start the tournament with one player from each pool. The group winners will advance to the knockout stage, where the winner will be determined from the round of 16 on Saturday to the final on Sunday.

The tournament schedule

Due to the format with many matches, the World Golf Championship-Dell Match Play starts already on Wednesday. On the first three days, players in all groups will play one 18-hole round against each other, so that three duels will be played in each group. The winner of a round gets one point, if a pairing ends in a draw, both players get half a point. Whoever can collect the most points will move on to the knockout stage. If several players are tied for the lead in a group on Friday, a playoff scenario will be played from hole to hole after the group phase until one player prevails.

The knockout duels will then be played over the weekend until a winner is determined. If the two opponents are tied after 18 holes in a match in the round of 16, on Saturday morning, the playoff will continue. The winners will then determine the semi-finalists in the quarter-finals on Saturday afternoon, if necessary in a decider mode.

On the final day, the semifinals will be held in the morning, and the winners of the semifinals will decide the World Golf Champions-Dell Technologies Match Plays title among themselves in the afternoon. The losers of the semifinals will only have to play for third place.

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Uncategorized

PGA Tour: Cameron Smith press conference after Players Championship win

Cameron Smith talks about his win at the Players Championship (Foto Getty)
Cameron Smith talks about his win at the Players Championship (Foto Getty)

After his Players Championship victory Cameron Smith answered the journalists’ questions at the following press conference. He spoke about the significance of the victory for him and what influence his family had on it.

STEWART MOORE: Cam Smith, 2022 PLAYERS champion. Thank you for joining us here in the interview room. Quite a long week here at TPC Sawgrass and certainly a roller coaster of a final round for you today.

Maybe just some opening comments on the victory and thoughts on the week.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, it was obviously a long week. Yeah, today I think I just kind of held in there today. Lots of birdies, kept staying aggressive, kept trying to make birdies, and went through a little bit of a lull there in the middle, I guess.

And yeah, just bounced back really nice and proud of the way I hung in there.

Q. What was your heart doing when the ball was in the air going towards the flag at 17? What was your heart doing when the ball was going towards the water on 18? And could you explain hitting driver on 18.

CAMERON SMITH: I mean, on 17 I hit a really good shot. The wind didn’t quite hit it as much as what I thought it was going to. Kind of left it alone there for a long time and just kind of helped me out there at the end.

I’d be lying if I said I was aiming there. I was probably aiming 10 feet left of that. But still wanted to stay aggressive, still wanted to make birdie.

18, just a hole for me that doesn’t really suit my eye. I like to work the ball left to right off the tee. That’s where I feel comfortable, and I feel as though I can’t hit that shot down there. Just haven’t quite figured that hole out.

Driver, just because I just wanted to get it down there as far as I could basically. If it did turn over, I was going to have a short shot in, and it just didn’t quite turn over.

Q. The punch-out, did you think it was going to get to the water when you hit it?

CAMERON SMITH: No, I thought the shot was actually going to come out quite soft because it was in amongst some pine straw, and it actually come out really nice.

Definitely I was trying to hit it probably 30 yards less of that. I just thought it was going to come out tumbling and just roll out on to the fairway. Yeah, but just kind of come out nice, and it was unfortunate, but held it together. And great up-and-down.

Q. I’m assuming you last saw your family after Presidents Cup.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah.

Q. You’ve talked outside so much about chill time this week, hang time, golf kind of a second priority. Do you think that helped you in terms of expectations, or do you even have any expectations at any event?

CAMERON SMITH: I’ve never been one to expect much of myself. My expectations are I wake up, go to the gym, practice as hard as I can for a couple hours, and then go and have a good time. That’s it basically every day.

My expectation is to prepare well and then kind of let everything fall into place from there.

Q. How do you think seeing them this week helped or didn’t?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I’m not sure if it did or not. It was nice having some company at home, I guess, in the rain delays. Last week we spent a lot of time just kind of hanging out, showing them around Jacksonville.

They obviously knew I had to play this week so they weren’t really expecting much, but it’s nice to come out here and play well for them.

Q. You mentioned staying aggressive throughout the round; was that an emphasis you had coming into today, or what went into your thinking of keeping the pedal on the metal throughout the day?

CAMERON SMITH: I think I just knew that the golf course was going to kind of let up a few — there was a few pin spots out there that were very gettable, and being the way that the course played with all the rain, just soft and sticky, I just knew I had to make plenty of birdies.

I was a few behind, I think, going into the start of the round, and just needed to get after it basically.

Q. In Atlanta you told us that you don’t know what you would do with $15 million. What are you going to do with $3.6 million?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I don’t know. (Chuckling.)

I really don’t. I don’t have an answer for that. It hasn’t sunk in.

That’s a lot of money. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it.

Q. Kind of a nerdy question, but the tee shot on 16, is it similar to how you guys play the tee shot on 13 at Augusta National now?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, similar. I think you’re trying to work it maybe a little bit more on 13 at Augusta. I would typically hit 3-wood off 13, as well.

Like I was saying before, I typically like to move my driver left to right, and that hole kind of sits awkward for me, as well.

It’s very similar, but probably just a different club.

Q. Aside from the 10 birdies that you made today, could you talk also about the right-to-left par putts that you made on 14 and 15 and how nervy those putts were because of the break?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, the putt on 14 is not really a putt you expect to make, to be honest. You’re just trying to hit a good putt, and if it goes in, it goes in. That one had a lot of break. It was obviously a bit longer.

The one on 15 I felt really comfortable over the top of. It was probably only eight or nine feet, and the putter felt good all day, so felt really comfy over that one.

Q. After you went in the water on 18, what you did do to calm yourself down? Or did you even feel like you needed to calm down at all?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I was obviously very frustrated at myself. For somewhat of an easy chip shot, probably the easiest shot I had all day, to hit it in the water was quite frustrating.

But yeah, just kind of regrouped. I knew I had to get up-and-down to really close it out.

Q. Which one of the pars on 14, 15, 16 was the most difficult?

CAMERON SMITH: I think 16. It was a horrendous drive. Had a chip-out and still had maybe 220 meters to the hole, so maybe 240. I think that’s where it could have got away from me a little bit.

Obviously hitting over the corner of the water there can get quite nervy, and yeah, just had to step up and hit a really good shot and was able to do it.

Q. You looked pretty confident with club selection and the line you took on 17. Were you feeling pretty calm inside?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I struck the ball really well. It was the shot that I wanted to play. I just thought the wind was going to kind of hold it up for most of the way. It actually kind of drifted right and then held its line at the end there.

Yeah, heart was in the throat there for a second, but I knew it was the right club.

Q. Everyone has been trying to understand the Australian term of essentially toughness. Can you describe as best you can what it means to be a Queenslander and what it is about you guys that have got you where you are today?

CAMERON SMITH: I think it’s probably just never give up. I grew up watching rugby league and watching the Queenslanders come from behind, and even when it got gritty they’d somehow manage to win. I think that’s kind of instilled in all of us.

Q. Is it fair to say that the competition of golf is what you love the most, i.e., the fight rather than chipping, putting, driving, et cetera?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, absolutely. I had a bit of a break towards the end of last year, probably had two months off, and more than anything else I just wanted to get out and compete again.

I was sick of whacking balls at the back of the range and playing rounds with mates. I wanted to compete against the best guys in the world and try and beat them.

Q. For a guy who only made one par in his first 13 holes today, did it feel at all like a wild ride that it looked like, or did you feel like you had everything under control?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I was hitting the ball really well. I felt really confident with my irons. My driver got a little bit skewy the last kind of 12 holes, but was able to kind of scramble around and hit really good iron shots when I needed to.

I felt really comfortable with my iron shots. I felt as though I had it under control. I just needed to hit the fairway. That was the big thing.

Q. You move to No. 6 in the world, and you’ve done things to get there. Do you feel like the No. 6 player in the world? Do you feel like you should be part of that kind of elite class of golf?

CAMERON SMITH: I feel as though I’m playing the best that I’ve ever played. It’s kind of weird to think like that, being kind of the — probably the last three or four years being the guy that kind of goes from 20th to 40th in the World Rankings, and then all of a sudden to be 6th is kind of weird.

But I feel as though I’ve put in the work and I feel as though I’ve done a lot of work on my body and I’ve put in the time.

Yeah, it’s nice to see all that stuff paying off.

Q. How often do you see your family even in the best of times, given the distance, and who exactly made it here?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, probably see them typically twice a year. I’ll go home in the middle of the year for a couple of weeks just for a little bit of a hangout, and then I’ll go back down and play some golf in Australia and have a little bit of a hangout over Christmas, as well, typically.

So I probably only spend six weeks at home. It was my mum and sister that had come over, yeah.

Q. Their names, and also the significance of being Australian and winning this tournament? There have been some pretty great champions from your country.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, mum’s name is Sharon and my sister’s name is Melanie. Yeah, it’s so cool. Obviously lots of Australians have won here, lots of great Australian golfers have won here, you know, but the best that have ever lived have won here, as well.

So it’s pretty cool to have the name on the same trophy as them.

Q. Was there a moment in the final round where you thought or said to yourself, This is my tournament to win? And if there was that moment, what did you do after to make it a reality?

CAMERON SMITH: Like I was saying before, I felt really comfortable on the range with my irons, and I knew if I could somehow get it in the fairway, I felt it was mine to win from the start.

I feel really comfortable on the greens around here, so I just needed to get it on the fairway, and if I could do that, then I knew I had a red hot chance.

Was able to do that a little bit on the front nine at least, and then kind of got a bit wavy there at the end.

Q. You told us yesterday that despite living five miles from here, you try not to play this course. How, if at all, did that help you? Or maybe now are you saying, maybe I want to play this course a couple more times a year?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I try not to play it because it’s typically just set up a little bit softer and a little bit slower. I found myself — I thought moving here originally it would be a huge advantage, but I found out after a few missed cuts in a row that it maybe wasn’t.

Just hitting some different clubs off tees and some different lines when it gets firm and fast, and also the pressure of the battle. You don’t realize how tight this place is until you have to hit a shot.

When you’re playing hit-and-giggle with your mates it can be easy at times, but it’s a different beast.

Q. Who in your family, if anyone, do you think you inherited your mental toughness from?

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I don’t know. I think both sides of my family, my mum and my dad’s side. Both have — just both mentally strong. They’re working class people who have had to work their whole life to live basically, and yeah, I guess that’s just kind of what I grew up in.

Q. A lot of times when players win this tournament they have to go off to the next event or fly home, but you are home, so how are you going to celebrate this one?

CAMERON SMITH: Sleep. I feel like I haven’t slept in five or six days. It’s obviously been a long week. I’m sure there will be a few beers around the fire tonight, but yeah, I can’t wait for a good sleep.

Q. When you made three bogeys at 7, 8, and 9, did you tell yourself something in that walk between 9 and 10 to get to where you made four birdies in a row again?

CAMERON SMITH: I guess it was just keeping it simple, back to one shot at a time, just trying to hit the fairways off the tee.

Was able to hit a couple of nice drives off 10 and 11 and give myself some really good opportunities into the greens there.

Yeah, it was just kind of knuckling down and kind of knowing what I had to do.

Q. I don’t know how much you’ve watched this tournament over the years back home, but do you remember anything about Adam Scott’s win? And if you do, did you think about him at all?

CAMERON SMITH: No.

Q. I was going to ask if you saw it. You don’t know that Adam did the same thing on 18?

CAMERON SMITH: No, I got told after the round, but I had no idea.

Q. And you didn’t see it being replayed on every screen around you as you were getting set for your drop?

CAMERON SMITH: No. No, I didn’t.

STEWART MOORE: Cam Smith, thanks so much, and congrats on your first PLAYERS Championship

(Text: ASAP Sports)

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PGA Tour

PGA TOUR: Monday finish at the Players

The Players Championship will be decided in a mega Monday finish (foto: Getty)
The Players Championship will be decided in a mega Monday finish (foto: Getty)

The Players Championship has been running for four days, but even now there is still no winner. In all likelihood, the tournament will end today. So a mega golf day awaits the players. After these eventful five days of Players, one of the players will prevail and take home the 3.6 million dollars.

Bad weather overshadows the Players Championship

The tournament was not under a good star. Already at the beginning of the Players week many responsible persons were aware that an end of the tournament on Sunday, as regularly planned, will be very difficult. Bad weather with heavy rain falling for hours on the TPC Sawgrass and partly heavy thunderstorms delayed the play more and more and made it difficult for the professionals. Now it’s Monday, actually the week after the tournament. But the tour has a clear plan and goal this Monday to finish the tournament. A mega-Monday finish is planned: First, the third round will be played out in the early morning in Florida. After that, the complete fourth round will be played. If everything goes smoothly, there would even be enough time for a playoff.

An epochal Monday finish

The exact schedule has it all: After the actual fourth day of the tournament was interrupted at 7:30 p.m. local time due to darkness, the players will take to the court again very early on Monday. Virtually at sunrise, the players who have not yet completed the third round will get going again. The PGA Tour gives the remaining players three hours to finish the third round. At 11 a.m. local time, i.e. at 4 p.m. German time, the round will then be completed.

At the same time, both the tee times for Round 4 and the new pin positions and tee shots will be gradually prepared. At 11 a.m. local time the first players will start into the final round, in three-man flights from tee 1 and 10. The best placed players after round 3 will start at 1 p.m. according to the tour. If all goes well, the final round is scheduled to end at 6 p.m. local time. After that, there would even be time for the traditional three-hole playoff. The tour is very optimistic about keeping to the schedule and it looks like the weather is finally playing along as well. Until the start of the fifth day, you can enjoy the best shots from the 17th hole here:

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PGA Tour

The weather at the Players Championship 2022: Is a Monday Finish looming?

Will there be a Monday finish at the Players Championship (foto Getty)
Will there be a Monday finish at the Players Championship (foto Getty)

An hour later start and a thunderstorm interruption of over four hours: That was the first day of the Players Championship 2022 at TPC Sawgrass. What will the weather be like on the coming days of the PGA Tour’s most valuable tournament? And above all, in view of the already large shift in tee times: Will the tournament be able to be completed by Sunday or can a Monday finish be expected?

Even before the start of the Players Championship, the weather forecast looked anything but rosy. After the most beautiful weather in Florida prevailed in the past weeks, cool temperatures, rain and above all thunderstorms threatened for the Players Championship. The first effects were already felt on Thursday, but that was not all.

Players Championship 2022: More thunderstorms expected

On Friday, the worst weather conditions are expected, with a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms. Thunder and lightning may continue to occur through Saturday, with clearing not expected until midday Saturday. Sunday is the only tournament day where no rain is expected. But the temperatures will drop. With a predicted maximum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius, it could be the coldest day in tournament history.

In addition, the wind is expected to increase and could be a challenge for the players, especially on Saturday. The fact that the wind is expected to come in four different directions during the tournament doesn’t make things any easier.

PGA Tour Meterologist Wade Stettner expressed optimism all things considered, however. “I think they’ll be able to play some golf every day. Also, the amount of rain we’re expecting doesn’t look like so much that the course will be unplayable because the drainage is good and there’s technology installed to pull the moisture out of the greens.”

Will there be a Monday Finish at the Players Championship?

If the cut is decided, there’s also the possibility of speeding up play over the weekend by sticking with flights of three and starting two tees. So while a Monday finish is not yet necessarily expected, it remains to be seen.

The last time there was a Monday Finish at the Players Championship was in 2005. After a nice first day, the second round was a complete washout. Some players went on the course, but their results were cancelled and the round was restarted on Saturday. However, there were also repeated interruptions during the weekend, so that a large part of the third round and the complete fourth round had to be played on Monday. The tournament even threatened to drag into Tuesday because of a playoff between Fred Funk, Tom Lehman, Luke Donald and Joe Durant, but Funk secured the win with a par putt.

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PGA Tour

Players Championship Video: Ian Poulter in a race with darkness

Ian Poulter in a race against darkness at the Players Championship (foto Getty)
Ian Poulter in a race against darkness at the Players Championship (foto Getty)

Ian Poulter was in a particular hurry in the first round of the Players Championship on the PGA Tour. Due to the thunderstorm interruptions, the round could not be played to the end. But Poulter, who was already on his last few holes, didn’t want to get up at the crack of dawn on Friday just to finish one more hole and then wait who knows how long. So speed was the order of the day.

Players Championship: Darkness gets players going

Players use this strategy from time to time. The reason for this is that once a player has teed off on a hole, the hole may be finished if the round is interrupted due to darkness, should the players wish to do so. The situation is different if the round is interrupted due to thunderstorms. Because of the dangerous situation, players have no choice.

The speed did not harm the Ryder Cupper. Almost it would have been two birdies to finish. After winning the stroke on 17, he almost holed a chip from 15 yards for birdie on 18, but the ball stayed less than 20 inches from the hole. He eventually holed it for a round of 73.

It’s actually not the first time Poulter has rushed the final holes at TPC Sawgrass, either. There were similar images at the 2011 Players Championship:

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PGA Tour

Justin Thomas has a new apparel deal with Greyson Clothiers

Justin Thomas has a new apparel sponsor (Foto Getty)
Justin Thomas has a new apparel sponsor (Foto Getty)

Justin Thomas and Greyson Clothiers announced their future collaboration on Monday. The fashion brand is now the official outfitter of Justin Thomas. Just a year ago, Thomas had lost a large portion of his sponsors as a result of a homophobic outburst at the Tournament of Champions. Among them was his old supplier Ralph Lauren, who had very quickly withdrawn in the wake of these remarks. Since then Justin Thomas has appeared without an official outfit sponsor. But already during this time he played again and again in outfits of the brand Greyson.

Justin Thomas, the biggest name in Greyson’s player lineup

Then on Monday it became official: the new partnership was announced on all media channels. Thomas is now the biggest name in the company’s athlete lineup. Other sponsored players include Luke Donald and Harry Higgs. Both Greyson Clothiers and Justin Thomas are excited about the newfound partnership, “What’s interesting about the deal is that the head of Greyson, Charlie Schaefer, was the former design lead for Ralph Lauren. He was also at Ralph Lauren when Justin Thomas became a partner at the company. Now they are crossing paths at his own company. A true friendship has grown between Thomas and them, Greyson let it be heard on Instagram.

Justin Thomas had fallen out of favor with many of his sponsors 14 months ago. At the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the American had made homophobic slurs on the course. Ralph Lauren and other sponsors stopped their cooperation with the golfer shortly afterwards. Back then, he had apologized and expressed his “deepest” shame.

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PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy: “I feel like I play well enough to win tournaments.”

McIlroy talks about his first round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour (Foto: Getty)

Following his first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour Rory McIlroy was very pleased with his form and the outcome of day one. In a post round interview he discussed his play and his feelings about the course and youngsters like Will Zalatoris. Read the interview here:

Q.  Rory, they talk about golf courses fitting a guy’s eye, Graeme said that about you. Is there something about the mental component when you get to Bay Hill because you’ve done so well here?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think you turn up at any golf course where you’ve had success, and automatically you’re going to have some confidence coming in. I’ve shot some really nice scores here. I think the last couple of years I’ve opened up the tournament really well with scores similar to what I shot today.

Yeah, I feel there’s a nice flow to this golf course where you can really build a score. You have par-5s, one every few holes, and you’ve got a couple of scorable par-4s. As long as you don’t do anything stupid and you keep it in play, you feel like you can sort of methodically build a score on this golf course. That’s what I tried to do today.

I played the par-5s particularly well, and that was the bulk of the score. I’ve sort of said this all along. I don’t feel like you need to do anything — like you can play within yourself here and still shoot a good score, I feel, if you’re just disciplined and pick off the birdies where you’re supposed to.

Q.  Can you talk more about your stellar play on the par-5s.

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I hit a couple of really good long irons into a couple of them. I hit a 4-iron into 12 and a 4-iron into 6. They were probably two of the best long irons I hit in a while. So when I start hitting long irons like that, I know my swing’s in a pretty good place. Seeing shots like that certainly gives me some confidence.

Q.  And do you prepare differently as the course conditions get tougher?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I was actually pretty surprised at how firm the greens were already. From the Pro-Am yesterday, we played at a similar time to today. The golf course is firmed up already. I think with this weather and the sort of warmer weather that’s coming over the weekend, it’s just going to get more and more firm as the week goes on. Then that places a premium so much more on just getting the ball in play. Fairways and greens and just being really disciplined with your game.

Q.  You talked about 6 yesterday, specifically the tee shot and having choices. When you hit a shot like you did there today, does it embolden you to be maybe more aggressive the rest of the weekend?

RORY MCILROY: That was as far left as it needed to be. I was trying to hit it into that fat part of the green, like that front third. I did — the wind maybe took it a little further left than I wanted to. I hit it well enough I knew it was always going to cover.

No, I mean, you just — that hole, you’re trying to get your tee shot away. Then if you do, you’re just trying to from there just get the ball down in three and make a birdie and move on.

Q.  Rory, Adam was just over here talking about how nice it is to play with you. He likes watching your swing. He thinks it maybe rubs off. Isn’t it sort of the same about him?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, any time I play with Adam, it’s a good pairing. We chat about all sorts of stuff. I feel like we’ve got quite a bit in common. Yeah, anyone could watch Adam Scott swing the club all day long. He’s got a nice rhythm.

Yeah, it’s nice. If he feeds off me, I certainly think I feed off him a little bit too.

Q.  Do you like having no runoffs or fewer runoffs around these greens? Why or why not?

RORY MCILROY: Not. I prefer the runoffs. I think it separates the good chippers from the bad chippers. I feel like, when you miss a green when the rough is like this, you know, it’s half skill, half guesswork, luck. There’s a little bit more that goes in. I think, whenever you miss greens and there’s runoffs and it gives you options, I think that’s where the guys with the better short games separate themselves. So that’s why I like runoffs. I like that style.

So, yeah, I don’t particularly understand why they did that this year, but it presents a different challenge. You just have to adapt to that.

Q.  Do you think most TOUR players like the thick rough, though, because as long as they know the lies, they kind of —

RORY MCILROY: It certainly makes it a little simpler if you don’t feel like you’ve got a great short game. But like even next week, for example, wherever that second cut is, it’s not too long, I think even a cut like that, I feel like the guys can really show their skill around the greens if they have that skill.

And it’s fun to see. I think that’s the other thing with — it’s fun to see different shots and you can play it certain ways. Obviously, a setup like this this week, that takes that out of the equation. You basically miss a green, and you’ve pretty much got just blast it out and try to hole the putt.

Q.  Rory, you’ve won early in the year versus not winning early in the year. Does it mean anything? Does it matter?

RORY MCILROY: It’s nice to win just regardless. I mean, regardless of when it comes in the season, it’s nice to win. Or in the year. This is my fourth start of the calendar year, and I’ve had one really good chance to win and probably one other half chance.

Yeah, I feel like I’m playing well enough to have chances to win golf tournaments, but all you can ask of yourself is to keep putting yourself in those positions on Sundays, and then you see where your game really is. Hopefully, this is another week where I put myself in a position where I can really see where my game is when the pressure’s on.

Q.  In Dubai on that Sunday, that seemed to sting you.

RORY MCILROY: Standing on the — after birdieing 13, standing on the 14th tee with a one or two-shot lead with five holes to go, and I did all the — in Dubai, I did all the hard stuff right. I made par on 14, par on 15, par on 16. And then you’ve got two gettable holes on 17, 18, and those are the holes where I made the mistake.

So I did the hard part, and whenever the opportunity came to sort of shut the door and win the tournament, I didn’t do that. I think that was what was most frustrating about that.

Q.  I think I heard you say that you felt you had a turning point in your putting, one of the earlier interviews. When was that, and what did you find?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, like putting is — like with putting, I feel half the battle is already done before you hit the ball — reading the green, getting your setup right, aiming the putter. I think I just got a little bit lax on that side of things.

I’ve actually really enjoyed not having a green book. I feel like it’s got me more into the putts. I feel like I’m more — I’m not consulting a green book as much. Honestly, I feel like it’s benefited me these last few weeks, and that’s been a nice thing.

It’s just been a little bit setup, just a little bit of setup, and a little bit more green reading and practicing that. Those two things have — those have stayed constant, and I’ve putted well because of that.

Q.  Did you find that on your own, your caddie, or Fax?

RORY MCILROY: A little bit of both. I was putting with Fax before going to the Middle East, and I just felt like I started to creep a little too far away from the ball. Eye line was a little too far inside, and what happens then is my right arm leaves my side. I really like, if I can keep my right arm in my side and the shaft plane and my right arm match up, it sort of becomes almost automatic from there. It’s almost like your right arm acts as a piston, and that’s the feel I like. Just setting up like that and having that constant is important for me.

Q.  Rory, as someone who came up young and was pretty polished on and off the golf course as you were, I’m curious what your impression is of Will Zalatoris. While you’ve gotten to know him. He hasn’t been out here that long. What do you see in his game and how he handles himself?

RORY MCILROY: Great player, obviously. Hell of a ball striker. Drives the crap out of it. Hits his irons good. He’s got a nice flight. He can hit it up in the air. I don’t know him that well. I don’t even know if I’ve played with him on TOUR at this point, but from what I’ve seen with him obviously playing in front of us today and watching him on TV, he seems like a great kid. Kid — I can’t believe I’m saying kid. He seems like a great kid with a lot of potential and a really bright future.

Q.  On the rough, is it around the greens, is it a hit and hope, or do you have a certain distance you take it back if you have to hack it out ten yards?

RORY MCILROY: It depends on the lie. Some are hit and hopes, and others, if you get a decent lie, it’s more technique-based. But there’s a little bit of both in there.

Q.  Off the fairway, does it cost you a shot?

RORY MCILROY: You’d have to look at the stats, but it’s probably close to it.

Q.  When you’re in position to win, do you feel like you’re supposed to?

RORY MCILROY: When I’m in a position to win? Like Dubai, for example?

Q.  Anything.

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think with the experience that I have and the tournaments that I have closed out in my career, if you’re two ahead with five to play, I think you should win that, yeah.

Q.  Generally in position on Sunday, I guess your attitude if you don’t, on your reflection time, is it always something that you blame yourself, or is it ever something where you acknowledge doing something different?

RORY MCILROY: Sometimes someone just plays better than you and you’ve done all that you can. You’re always going to nitpick and think there’s things you could have done better. I’d say 25 percent of the time it’s someone’s just played better than you and you’ve given it your all. But I’d say three-quarters of the time there’s self-error in there somewhere.