Tag: live-pga-tour

Categories
Professionals

Bryson DeChambeau explains why he forgoes the “Fore”.

Bryson DeChambeau is one of the longhitter on tour. (Photo: Getty)
Bryson DeChambeau is one of the longhitter on tour. (Photo: Getty)

“Fore” is one of the words golfers learn very early on in their coaching lessons. At the latest when you stand on the golf course for the first time, you encounter golf’s own warning call for the first time. It doesn’t matter whether you are a novice or a tour professional, the call when you hit a failed ball is part of etiquette and even more, part of the basic safety measures on the golf course and is obligatory in these cases. However, Bryson DeChambeau sees it a little differently. In the podcast “Rick Shiels Golf Show” he now talks about his decision to deliberately omit the “Fore”.

Bryson DeChambeau: “The patrons don’t hear me anyway”

Bryson DeChambeau has repeatedly attracted negative attention in recent years due to his lack of “Fore”. But he does not see himself at fault. He points out that many professionals leave out the warning call on the tours if they think they are not endangering the spectators. “Most of the time when we hit shots, if we don’t think it’s going to get there, there’s really no reason to say anything and most guys don’t on tour.”

But why, then, does it seem that the Tour’s DeChambeau, in particular, is piling up the negative headlines? “You could, because of how far I’m hitting it, every single shot say ‘FORE’. Sometimes, it’s potentially more harmful because people move and they walk into the direction of the golf ball. When I see a ball and it’s close but I don’t think it’s going to get to someone, that’s when I’m like one, they can’t hear me because it’s into the wind.” DeChambeau implies in the podcast that he can judge the landing point of his balls surprisingly accurately from over 300 metres, especially considering that he doesn’t always care where the fairway is as long as he thinks he can hack his way out of the rough.

Even other professionals keep criticising him for his lack of warning calls:

“Of course I care if I hit people”

Bryson DeChambeau has already hit a spectator with his ball in the past. Contrary to popular opinion, as DeChambeau expressed, he does care if he hurts someone with his shot. “I’ve hit people before and it’s been the worst possible feeling in the world, so don’t ever think I don’t care about fans.” Nevertheless, his motto seems to be to shout once too little rather than too often. After all, he does not want to break the concentration of other players with his frequent shouts.

“The one time that looks like I should be yelling fore and I don’t, sometimes that’s the one that I get the most slack for.” This begs the question, isn’t the criticism justified when it comes to the issue of safety, Bryson?

Categories
PGA Tour

Bryson DeChambeau withdraws from the 2022 Sony Open due to wrist soreness

Bryson DeChambeau is facing wrist pain and withdraws from the Sony Open. (Photo: Getty)
Bryson DeChambeau is facing wrist pain and withdraws from the Sony Open. (Photo: Getty)

The World number eight golfer Bryson DeChambeau will not play in the 2022 Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu next weekend. DeChambeau’s manager announced this last-minute decision to golfchannel.com on Monday January the 10th of 2022.
And the PGA Tour also confirmed via Twitter that the tour’s long hitter will not play in the second tournament of the Hawaii Swing.

Health problems prevent participation

Bryson DeChambeau, however, is not sitting out entirely by choice. The technical fanatic is struggling with wrist pain, according to this PGA Tour post.

Last weekend, he finished 25th at the Tournament of Champions, which is unusually down in the leaderboard for him, since the total participants was not larger than 40. For the last round, DeChambeau shot one-under-par round, and thus fell far short of expectations. His manager Brett Falkoff told Golf Channel that DeChambeau’s wrist had flared up again in the recent weeks and that he was not ready to play more tournaments back-to-back as he had originally hoped.

Long break for Bryson DeChambeau

“The Hulk” has only played in one official Tour tournament in the last three months and has otherwise kept a low profile. He played well in the Hero World Challenge in December, but there was little else to report from DeChambeau in terms of golf.
He was supposed to attend to a press event at the Saudi International on Monday, for the tenth of January 2022 that also had to be postponed indefinitely. After his cancellation of the Sony Open 2022, Bryson DeChambeau will probably not plan to be back on the field again until the Saudi International, which will take place on February 3rd, 2022.

Categories
European Tour Panorama PGA Tour Top Tours

The biggest upsets in golf of 2021: insults, house bans and broken clubs.

Honorary Starter Lee Elder of the United States (L), honorary starter and Masters champion Gary Player of South Africa and honorary starter and Masters champion Jack Nicklaus

It’s not always “peace, joy, pancakes”. Snotty professionals, aggressive slips or inappropriate actions also find a place in golf. There has definitely been reason for excitement this year – one or two situations will definitely stick in the memory. If not, here is a summary of the biggest upsets in golf of 2021.

Justin Thomas’ homophobic gaffe

Justin Thomas kicks things off. He slipped out a homophobic insult at the Tournament of Champions in January. Not against a teammate, not against a referee – but against himself. He was angry about a missed 2-metre putt. Immediately after the round, Thomas apologised in an interview and on his social media channels for his ill-considered curse. Nevertheless, the slip had consequences for the golfer: his sponsor Ralph Lauren parted ways with him. His apology was acknowledged, but the statement could not be reconciled with the values that the company represents.

Tyrrell Hatton goes one better

Things did not go as hoped for Tyrrell Hatton at the British Open in July 2021. A spectator interfered with Hatton’s bogey putt on the 11th hole, whereupon the Englishman recorded a double bogey. Hatton promptly took his displeasure out on the spectator: He received a raised middle finger and the words “Absolutely fucking bollocks!” The spectator was not the only one to suffer on this day. At the 18, Hatton’s bat had to be destroyed.

The fans also fire verbally

The beef between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka is unlikely to have passed anyone by this year. Shouts also play a role in this dispute: Bryson DeChambeau, for example, was distracted by “Brooksy” shouts from Koepka fans in a tournament. Koepka, not present at the tournament himself, promptly responded to the extraordinary support of his fans and promised them free beer as a thank you. This story is just a small drop in the ocean in the dispute between DeChambeau and Koepka, who fought out their feud in “The Match V”.

*link dispute review

Every year again: Respect is a foreign word for American Ryder Cup fans

The Americans not only celebrated their own team at the Ryder Cup by cheering and applauding, but also tried to upset the opposing Europeans by disrespectful booing and insults. They cheered failed shots, shouted in the swing between them and wished the blue team balls in the water. Despite Steve Stricker’s appeal to the Americans to greet the Europeans with respect, the hosts’ fans did not mince their words. Unfortunately, not an isolated case at the Ryder Cup!

Brooks Koepka also had to contend with rebellious fans this year

Only a few weeks after a knee operation, Brooks Koepka competed at the PGA Championship. He was in the last flight together with Phil Mickelson and on his way to the 18th green. The fans, who naturally wanted to be especially close to their idols, scared Koepka. He was worried about his recently operated knee. The spectators came so close to the golf star that it was not easy to get through to the green. The American even suspected some fans of deliberately targeting his knee.

Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s ex-lawyer, shocks with sexist remark

In 2014, Rudy Giuliani won a charity tournament with Ernie Els alongside Michelle Wie. Seven years later, in 2021, he is reviving memories of the tournament. Not in a good way, though. In a podcast, Giuliani revealed that he noticed the “stunning” Michelle Wie’s panties as she putted that day. The paparazzi, he said, went crazy for a photo of them. Wie reacted quickly to this sexist remark: with a strong statement on Twitter she condemned the inappropriate remark and got support from the USGA and LPGA. Definitely one of the biggest upsets in golf, and the least proud moments for missing the essence of sport at its fullest.

Banned from Augusta? Gary Player’s son knows the drill

There was another upset at the opening ceremony at the 85th Masters. Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Elder were invited as honorary starters. The latter had to take part in the welcoming ceremony sitting down for health reasons. Standing diagonally behind him was Gary Player’s son and caddie, Wayne. He shamelessly took advantage of the moving ceremony: He held the inscription of a badge into the camera for several minutes – obviously this could not be a coincidence. What followed? A ban from Augusta. Wayne Player’s explanation of the situation? More than strange.

Player Impact Programme – Even more money for those with the most money

This year, a bonus programme was launched on the PGA Tour, the principle of which is rather questionable. It is not meant to reward a good playing performance, but to be a prize for special media impact. Players with this special media impact – for example Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or Rory McIlroy – are to receive a reward for drawing the crowds and increasing golf’s audience. A total sum of 40 million dollars is to be awarded to the stars. Even more money for those who already have the most? This causes incomprehension.

NRW Health Minister Laumann causes outrage

Recently, NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann caused an uproar in the German health system as well as in the German golf market. In the wake of rising Corona numbers, he called on family doctors to invest more time in vaccination. His choice of words was more than daring. “Instead of golf on Saturday, vaccinate on Saturday,” were his words, with which he not only stepped on the toes of people from the health sector, but also of golfers. DGV President Claus Kobold did not take the flippant remark lying down for long and promptly responded with a quick-witted statement.

Categories
PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Cameron Smith wins the Tournament of Champions and sets a record

Cameron Smith wins the PGA Tour Tournament of Champions. (Photo: Getty)

Cameron Smith started the new tournament year with a bang. He wins the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament of Champions on Maui with 34 strokes under par, one shot ahead of Jon Rahm. It is the lowest under-par score in PGA Tour history and marks Smith’s fourth win on Tour. Previously, Ernie Els held the record with 31 strokes under par.

Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith started the fourth round with a five-stroke lead, but that didn’t mean they could rest on it as Matt Jones came from behind with a round of 61, the course record set the day before by Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm. Jones eliminated the lead and ended up third, just one stroke behind Jon Rahm.

PGA Tour: Cameron Smith beats world No. 1

Smith and Rahm went head-to-head on Moving Day at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the final was to be no less exciting. Smith gained a small lead over Rahm on the first nine, which could have been null and void on the last holes if Rahm had been able to hole his eagle attempt on the 18th from 15 metres, which he did not do, or if Smith had not been able to follow up with the birdie. But with a sure hand he sank his putt on the 18th green against the world No 1. “Rahm is the best golfer in the world and there are a lot of reasons why,” Smith said after his round. “He puts the ball on the flag and seems to sink every putt he looks at. It was nice to top that and hit it back.”

Smith had been in the lead since the start of the tournament, alone for the first two rounds, then sharing the lead with Rahm. “Being the leader is not easy. Sleepless nights. I spent a lot of time this week staring out of bed at the ceiling. I never had that before. But it was nice to see that my game is on par with the best players in the world.”
His goal for the year, to make it into the world’s top 10, has also been taken care of.

Categories
PGA Tour

Twitter King Phil Mickelson claims PIP-victory for himself

Phil Mickelson claims PIP-win on Twitter. (Photo: Getty)
Phil Mickelson claims PIP-win on Twitter. (Photo: Getty)

Phil Mickelson puts on a great show on and off the golf course in 2021. Mickelson made history as the oldest major winner at the PGA Championship and “Lefty” also showed off his talent as an entertainer on Twitter. So it wouldn’t come as a surprise to many if he won the PGA Tour’s Players Impact Program (PIP). But his victory has not yet been officially confirmed.

Is Mickelson really sure of the eight million?

The PIP rewards the ten players on the PGA Tour who “add the most value to the brand”. Phil Mickelson may have scored some points there with his thoroughly provocative tweets. But as Golfweek reported, the evaluation for this special annual ranking does not end until 31 December. In addition, the result must also be confirmed by an independent auditor. Thus, no final ranking can be determined yet. In addition, the PGA Tour does not want to publish the results of the PIP, but only announces them in an internal memo to the players. According to the PGA, this will happen in February at the earliest.

More money for the PGA Tour stars

If the incredible sum of 40 million dollars already brought displeasure to some this year, next year’s PIP will even more so. In addition to the hullabaloo over Phil “Lefty” Mickelson and his potential win of the programme, the PGA also announced an increase in the prize pot to a whopping 50 million dollars.

Categories
Panorama

PGA Tour: Year-end performance review

Rory McIlroy's year-end performance review. (Foto: Youtube/@PGA Tour)
Rory McIlroy's year-end performance review. (Foto: Youtube/@PGA Tour)

The stars of the PGA Tour around Rory McIlroy are asked performance reviews – and still have plenty of room for improvement for the upcoming year.

As the year draws to a close, it’s time for the annual performance reviews. This is also the case on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, where the stars like Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Co. are called into office for the year-end performance reviews.

PGA Tour: year-end performance reviews

Actor John C. McGinley, known as Dr. Perry Cox from the hospital series “Scrubs”, sits in front of them and sums up the performance of the professionals in the past year with many allusions. Rory McIlroy, for example, looks back on two wins in 2021 and considers himself his harshest critic, “but that could all change.”

Jordan Spieth has to face the interview without his caddie Michael and is “very nervous” about it, and Justin Thomas has to answer for his beer action at the Ryder Cup. Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, whose height and emotional nature are always a topic, Henrik Stenson, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa also have to make an appearance. The latter is “by any estimate, perfect” but that’s where the danger lies, the interviewer said.

McGinley, who plays management consultant Bob Slydell in the film “Office Space,” analyzes the stars and their performances. In the process, it also becomes clear that many stars have no plan B up their sleeves in case their golfing career should come to an end overnight. Finally, the interviewer himself is taken for a ride.

Watch the funny sketch here:

Categories
PGA Tour

Tiger Woods makes comeback at PNC Championship

Just under ten months after being seriously injured in a car accident, Tiger Woods has confirmed his participation in the PGA Tour’s upcoming family tournament, the PNC Championship. Tiger will play in with his son Charlie. At the time, the 45-year-old Woods suffered serious leg injuries and his comeback to the Tour was far from becoming a reality.

PNC Championship kept Woods’ tournament place free

In mid-November, Tiger Woods reported back via Instagram with a swing video and wrote that he was “making progress“.  More and more swing videos came after that and, in mid-November, the news suprised the fans once again for good. Tiger Woods and his son Charlie would count with a spot in the limited tournament field of the PNC Championship. As host of the Hero World Challenge, the 15-time major winner also showed up on the driving range several times. Contrary to the previous videos, the social media witnessed Tiger hitting his driver. That is for sure one way to know that the grind continues. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Una publicación compartida de Golf Digest (@golfdigest)

During an interview, he confirmed that he plans to return to professional golf, but ruled out a full-time comeback on the PGA Tour. “I think it’s realistic to play on the Tour one day. Never full-time again, but just selectively, like Mr [Ben] Hogan did. You pick a few events a year and play around them.” Tiger explained. It was an “unfortunate reality” but one that he understood and accepted.

Tiger concludes a challenging year

After a long healing process, Woods finally decided to make his comeback to the golf stage at the PNC Championship, a family tournament in Florida. The 45-year-old shared his decision on Twitter. Woods said that although it has been a “challenging year” for him, he is “excited to end it by playing in the PNC Championship.” Also, he added that he will be playing the tournament as a “Dad and he couldn’t be more excited and proud.” His teammate Bryson DeChambeau as well as many other fellow golfers also wanted to show happiness for Tiger’s great news.

Categories
PGA Tour Top Tours

Tiger Woods feels ready to ramp up for a few PGA Tour events in the future

The golf fanatics keep up with the news that relate to what happens on and off the course. Luckly, October and November brought some happiness not only to the golf fans, but to all the sport lovers. Beginning of October, Tiger Woods was first spotted without a walker after his terrible car accident back in February. Woods has one of the greatest reputations as an athlete and people claim to see him back in action on the golf course.

The recovery progress was always upward and recently, Tiger surprised his Instagram followers by showing himself making a full swing with his club for the first time since the accident. Tiger swinging a short iron to its fullest fueled significant hype and speculation on a return. However, reality goes one step ahead and it often doesn’t match the popular desires.

No reason not to prepare for a few events in the future.

GolfDigest had the opportunity to interview with him and ask him about his future golf career. The popular opinion tended to be optimist but not so much. Many thought that the professional career of The Goat was over, but at the same time all wished otherwise. Tiger Woods announced the exclusive that it would be realistic to think that he could return to compete on the PGA Tour, but on a part-time basis.

The 15-time major winner has previously proved his stregnth by overcoming several back and knee injuries before. Woods stood back up every time after falling, and the American star will not give up now. However, Woods just confirmed that he is taking his foot off the gas in the future and will not attempt to play golf full time ever again.

How Tiger Woods faces the next phases

Practicing correctly is key after the accident. Tiger Woods sees the light at the end of the tunnel, he has come off surgeries before and why not returning to the field once again: “I’ve come off long layoffs and I’ve won or I’ve come close to winning before. I just gotta get to a point where I feel comfortable enough where I can do that again.” – Tiger states in the PGA Press Conference.

The professional golfer knows that there is still a long way ahead to reach full recover. Nevertheless, Woods feels happy to see his unstoppable progress. Although, his physical shape has exponentially improved, he might not be tournament sharp in the sense of he hadn’t played tournaments, but a right practice plan could drive him back to the part-time competition.

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida de PGA TOUR (@pgatour)

Categories
PGA Tour

BMW announces five-year agreement with the PGA TOUR and Western Golf Association

BMW wants to remain title sponsor of the BMW Championship. (Photo: BMW Group)

The BMW Championship will continue as the penultimate tournament in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, featuring 70 of the world’s best players competing for the 30 places at the season-ending TOUR Championship. Before BMW came on board as title sponsor, the tournament was known as the Western Open and was first held in 1899, making it one of the longest-running events on the PGA TOUR.

BMW Championship supports Evans Scholar Foundation with millions of dollars

“For the past 15 years, we have worked with our partners at the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association to host the top 70 players in the world at what has become one of the best, and most exciting events on the golf calendar,” said Sebastian Mackensen, president and CEO, BMW of North America. “The BMW Championship is not only a great way to showcase our brand and engage customers, but also a wonderful opportunity to raise money for the Evans Scholars Foundation and help so many young students to follow their dreams.”

Each year, proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full tuition and housing scholarships for hard-working young caddies. Over the past 15 years, the BMW Championship has raised more than $40 million on behalf of the Evans Scholars Foundation and has helped send more than 3,000 students to college. This academic year, a record 1,070 caddies are attending 21 major colleges and universities on Evans Scholarships.

“Since 2007, BMW has been our valued partner and a steadfast supporter of both our championships and the Evans Scholars Foundation,” said John Kaczkowski, WGA president and CEO. “As title sponsor, BMW has fully embraced our mission, helping us transform the Evans Scholars Foundation into a truly national program. We’re excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue working together to change the lives of youth caddies nationwide.”

PGA Tour don’t want to miss the support of BMW

PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan added: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to BMW for their continued support of the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association through 2027. The BMW Championship played an incredibly impactful role in launching the FedExCup in 2007 and BMW’s commitment to presenting a best-in-class event each year continues to elevate the FedExCup Playoffs.”

By extending its role as the title sponsor of the BMW Championship, BMW also strengthens its worldwide commitment to the sport of golf. This year, the company was Worldwide Partner of the Ryder Cup for the first time, and BMW will continue in this role when Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Rome, Italy) hosts the Ryder Cup in 2023. The premium automobile manufacturer will also continue to organise the BMW International Open in Munich (Germany), and remains title sponsor of the BMW PGA Championship in London (England) and the BMW Ladies Championship in Busan (South Korea).

Categories
European Tour Live LPGA Tour PGA Tour Top Tours

Weekend Recap: Scandinavians left their footprint at the European Tour Grand Final.

Alexander Bjork of Sweden with his caddie Erik Frost at the 12th hole during Day Four of The DP World Tour Championship 2021(Getty)

PGA Tour: RSM Classic

The RSM Classic took place in Georgia, at the Sea Island Seaside Course. The tournament ended on Sunday, 21st of November 2021. The RSM is part of the PGA Tour in the season 2022. All players competed for a total prize money of 7,2 Mio. US-Dollar.

Justin Rose (T12)

As it was mentioned in the previews, the appearance of European Tour players in the PGA event is less notorious that in the previous tournaments. The Scandinavian were equally unlucky and neither one of them four made the cut last weekend at the RMS Classic. However, they have one last opportunity to make up for it next weekend at the Hero World Challenge, hosted by Tiger Woods.

PGA Tour RSM Classic
Course Sea Island Seaside Course Georgia, USA
Prize Money $7,200,000
Champion Talor Gooch
Scandinavian players Henrik Norlander(CUT), Alex Noren(CUT), Ludvig Aberg(CUT), Jonas Blixt(CUT)

LPGA Tour: CME Group Tour Championship

The LPGA is over! The CME Group Tour Championship meant the end of the season for the women. Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course hosted the last event of the LPGA calendar for the year. The season reached its end, and it is time to reconnect from the scratch to a better season next year.

From Sweden, Nordqvistand together with Nanna Koerstz Madsen, from Denmark finished with a total of 14-under par to tie at T12. Madelene Sagström closed the LPGA season with a total of 11-under par to finish T22. The women kept the excitement throughout the weekend. Unluckly, the last event wasn’t the best of the year for the Scandinavian. “Well, I’m just really happy with my season, being in contention, really in contention down 18, so I’ve learned a lot that year that I can take on to next year..” – Madsen explains.

LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship
Course Tiburon Golf Club – Gold Course
Prize Money $5,000,000
Champion Jin Young Ko
Scandinavian players Anna Nordqvistand(T12), Nanna Koerstz Madsen(T12), Madelene Sagström(T22), Matilda Castren(T55)

European Tour: DP World Tour Championship

It’s a wrap! The European Tour celebrated the Race to Dubai Grand Final at the georgeous golf course of Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course, in Dubai. This time, only the Top 50 of the Race to Dubai Rankings competed at the Final.

Alexander Björk (T2)

The Swedishman Alexander Björk finished T2, while Collin Morikawa made history becoming the first American to win the European Tour’s season-long contest. Björk was in a good possible winning position coming into the last day. However, the fourth round didn’t go with his will. The Swedish golfer missed some putts that placed him 3 shots behind the leader at the end.

Nicolai Hojgaard (T4) & Joachim B. Hansen (T9)

Next from Denmark on the leaderboard was Nicolai Hojgaard. With rounds of (68-71-69-67), Hojgaard finished T4, only 4 shots from the leader. After a second round of 1-under par, the Danish golfer caught up the pace and played some good consistent golf during the last two days. His mate, Joachim Hansen finished with a round of even-par, a little harmful to his final position, but that’s golf. What matters the most is that both of the Danish golfers are playing some solid golf, and now it is time to reconnect and set the new goals for next season.

EU Tour DP World Tour Championship
Course Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course Dubai, UAE
Prize Money $9,000,000
Champion Collin Morikawa
Scandinavian players Alexander Björk(T2), Nicolai Hojgaard(T4), Joachim B. Hansen(T9), Jeff Winther(T21), Rasmus Højgaard(T27), Joakim Lagergren(T27), Tapio Pulkkanen(T52)