Tag: Professionals

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Shane Lowry’s ball hits Volunteer

Shane Lowry at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. (Photo: Getty)
Shane Lowry at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. (Photo: Getty)

In the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Sunday, an incident in the leading flight caused a brief moment of shock: Shane Lowry hit a ball that then struck a volunteer.

Lowry slightly misjudged his tee shot on hole 15 of the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links and missed the fairway on the right-hand side. A volunteer was standing there and the ball hit him on the left shoulder in flight. He fell to the ground, but fortunately remained uninjured: CBS reporters announced shortly afterwards that the volunteer was fine and in good health.

Shane Lowry’s behaviour criticised

The incident caused a lot of discussion on social media. The particular misfortune of the volunteer, who was in the wrong place at exactly the wrong time, was summarised by a comment on X: “Wow… that’s like getting struck by lightning. What are the odds? He’s all by himself too”.

Sky Sports commentator Andrew Coltart criticised Shane Lowry for not warning the volunteer loudly: “Didn’t hear him shout ‘fore’. We need to be hearing players shout ‘fore’.” But some fans on X defended Lowry: “That volunteer was irresponsible. He should have been looking at the ball or standing further in the rough. There’s no reason for him to be standing that close to the fairway”. One suggestion from the community was: “I’ll never understand why the spotters in the landing areas aren’t given hard hats with sponsor logo??!! Perfect opportunity for volunteer safety and good pr for sponsor!!!”

Another volunteer who was on site at Pebble Beach posted in the comments and confirmed that the person concerned was fine, but that he would still be feeling the pain the next day. It is also said that the volunteer received a medal from a PGA rules official.

Shane Lowry went into the final round in a tie for second place and played for the title in the final flight together with Rory McIlroy and Sepp Straka. Lowry finished the tournament in second place behind McIlroy with a round of 68 (-4).

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Professionals

Rory McIlroy: “Three goals for the rest of my career”

Rory McIlroy on his career goals. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy on his career goals. (Photo: Getty)

In an interview with BBC Sport, Rory McIlroy spoke about the big goals he has set himself for his golf career: “Winning the Masters, winning an Olympic medal and winning another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career,” said McIlroy. While the possibility of an Olympic medal will not become a reality again until 2028, he could realise victories at the Masters and the Ryder Cup as early as this year.

The desire for the green jacket

Rory McIlroy is still missing the Masters for the Grand Slam. The four-time major winner won the US Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and added another major victory in 2014 with the British Open.

Despite significant recent successes, such as the FedEx Cup victory in 2022, and his consistent presence as one of the best players in the world for over a decade, his last major win was several years ago. In 2024, victory at the US Open seemed within reach, but McIlroy finished a close second to Bryson DeChambeau. This year, he has resolved to play fewer tournaments and concentrate fully on the majors: “All of my practice, all of my prep, even the tournaments that I’m playing, it’s all geared towards being ready for those four events”, said McIlroy.

At the start of each year, his focus is on a single week in April – the week when the Masters takes place at Augusta National Golf Club and offers him another chance to finally secure that long-awaited green jacket. This year, the Masters will be held from 10 to 13 April. A win at the Masters would give McIlroy the Grand Slam and cement his status as one of the best golfers of all time.

He also has his sights firmly set on the US Open at Oakmont Country Club and the British Open, which will be held in his home country of Northern Ireland this year: “I’ve realised that all I can control is myself. What’s right for me right now is to fully focus on myself and to get the best out of myself and get back to winning the biggest tournaments in the world.”

The away Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup will take place on the Bethpage Black Course in New York in autumn 2025. After the European team achieved a clear victory in Rome in 2023, it will do everything in its power to defend the Ryder Cup in 2025. However, history shows that it is extremely difficult to win a Ryder Cup on foreign soil. In 2012, the European team managed to do so with Rory McIlroy after trailing by four points – a comeback that became known as the ‘Miracle of Medinah’. The American team has not won in Europe for over 30 years. McIlroy describes winning a Ryder Cup away from home as “one of the greatest achievements in the game right now”.

Under the leadership of captain Luke Donald, the European team will do everything in its power to triumph again in 2025. “It’s a very strong American team, a very partisan crowd. But we’ve got a wonderful captain and we’re going to have a wonderful team and we’re relishing the challenge”, said McIlroy.

This text was written on the basis of information from BBC Sport.

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Live Panorama

TGL: Atlanta Drive Makes a Statement Against New York

Wrap-up at the TGL match between Atlanta Drive GC and New York GC. (Photo: X/@TGL)
Wrap-up at the TGL match between Atlanta Drive GC and New York GC. (Photo: X/@TGL)

The third match day of the TGL brought a new match and a new record in the still young history of the league. Atlanta Drive GC, led by Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel and Patrick Cantlay, beat New York Golf Club 4-0 at the SoFi Centre in Palm Beach Gardens. This was the first shutout victory in the young history of TGL.

TGL: Atlanta Drive Takes Early Command

Atlanta controlled the action right from the start. Even in the ‘triples’ format, in which all three players on the team take it in turns to hit, the team’s dominance prevailed. The very first hole set the tone for the entire match. Cameron Young’s tee shot landed out of bounds and Atlanta Drive took the opportunity to take the lead with a solid par. In contrast, New York continued to struggle with accuracy on the greens in the triples session.
Justin Thomas established himself as the driving force behind Atlanta Drive GC. The two-time major winner holed a 7-metre putt on the fourth hole to take a 2-0 lead into the individual matches.

Justin Thomas Leads Atlanta to a Perfect Debut

Atlanta Drive followed up in the individual matches. Justin Thomas defeated Young with a birdie on the tenth hole, while Billy Horschel scored against Matt Fitzpatrick after the latter landed in the water and then in two bunkers. Thomas went one better with another long putt on the 13th hole and finally secured Atlanta’s historic shutout – and didn’t even have to resort to the strategic ‘hammer’ option to secure the 4-0 win.

Preview to the Upcoming Challenges

With this win, Atlanta Drive moves to the top of the SoFi Cup standings and now prepares for a doubleheader on 17 February against Los Angeles GC and The Bay Golf Club. New York Golf Club, on the other hand, with two losses under their belt, will take on Jupiter Links GC in an attempt to salvage their season.

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PGA Tour

Jon Rahm and the Status of his Ryder Cup Relationship: It’s Getting Complicated

Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty

What’s the difference between Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton? No, it’s not the fact that one looks like a Basque bear, while the other – albeit English – looks like an Irish leprechaun in a tall hat under his baseball cap and all too often behaves like one. Like on Saturday at the Dubai Desert Classic, when Hatton smashed a tee marker in anger.

Rather, what is meant is the loudly proclaimed claim of both to be called up for Bethpage Black, for the European Ryder Cup team’s away match on Long Island in September.

Hatton Strengthens Ryder Cup Bid, While Rahm Faces Struggles

While Hatton underlined his claim again yesterday with victory in Dubai after winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October, his eighth title in his 200th start on the DP World Tour, Rahm lacks precisely such successes. Instead, the Spanish LIV star made a false start to the 2025 golf year, firing an underground 77 after an opening 69 on Friday and missing the weekend – also because he lost out in the battle with a bush.

Now, of all times, the supposed Ryder Cup top performer has missed his first cut at a Rolex Series event and his third in more than four years. Now, of course, it is premature and completely inappropriate to pass the sporting baton on the 30-year-old. Team boss Luke Donald will hardly be able to avoid giving Rahm the wild card for his fourth continental competition anyway; after all, he finished second and sixth in his two Spanish home appearances in autumn 2024. Nevertheless, the status of the relationship with regard to the Ryder Cup is likely to remain unchanged: It’s going to be complicated.

Rahm’s Ryder Cup Chances Clouded by Legal Issues

After all, Rahm is virtually operating in a legal vacuum and is speculating that he will ‘survive’ in it until September. That does have a certain flavour. As a reminder, the Spaniard – like Hatton – has lodged an appeal against the multi-million fine imposed by the DP World Tour for the unauthorised switch to the LIV League, is playing under a temporary injunction and is counting on the expected judgement against him not being passed until after the Ryder Cup. The competent appeals court has already legitimised the Tour’s sanctions in other cases, and should a decision be made in Rahm’s case before September, he would have to pay in order to actually be able to play in the USA.

Anyone who doubts that Rahm would also pay without hesitation if, as hoped, the fine is not due until after Bethpage Black. The man to whom the Saudis are paying a guaranteed fee of 450 million dollars for four years and who was already worth over 50 million dollars beforehand has a family of four to feed, so you have to keep your pennies together. Irony off again. Instead, it would be desirable for Rahm to do the same as Hatton – not in terms of tea markers, but to mask the stale odour of his tactics with the fragrance of sporting success. The Englishman also plays with the proviso of a revision. But at least he wins. And gets a lot of encouragement for it:

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Panorama

Tiger Woods on the TGL Mega Simulator

Photo: Getty
Photo: Getty

And he’s still playing: … again. Tiger Woods may not have made it onto the course and into the walking game at his Hero World Challenge, but the almost 49-year-old (December 30) is still able to play standing golf despite the sixth back operation he underwent in September. The 15-time major winner recently personally inspected the action area at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens/Florida, where the Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), which he and his business partners Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley are staging with their joint company TMRW Sports, starts on January 7. Woods himself enters the competition with Jupiter Links on January 14, week two, against Los Angeles.

This week, he will then be able to ride in a cart when he and his son Charlie compete in the family tournament PNC Championship for the fifth time and try to make life difficult for the Daly duo and the defending champions Bernhard and Jason Langer.

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Panorama

Friendship instead of“The Feud”: Koepka Calls DeChambeau a “Good Dude”

Will rivalry be followed by friendship? (Photo: Getty)
Will rivalry be followed by friendship? (Photo: Getty)

The Brooks-Bryson battle, the PR stunt implemented in golf history as The Feud, is a thing of the past: “We all get older, we all mature a bit, and then you realize: Hey, Bryson’s a good dude,” admitted the five-time major winner a few days ago, calling the two-time US Open champion and LIV colleague a ‘good dude’, with whom he will compete tomorrow in Las Vegas against PGA Tour stalwarts Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Before this duel, which has been stylized as “The Showdown”, the admission is of course no less promotional than the dispute that the two individualists had before switching to the competitive circuit: The emotional element now makes for a few headlines at the appropriate time; they’re letting it get a little human this time. “I think he’s severly misunderstood and I think the world is acutally starting to really see who Bryson DeChambeau really is,” added Koepka, and hit the tear ducts again: ”I’m the first person to admit it, I was wrong with what my original thoughts were.”

From Rivals to Stepbrothers: DeChambeau’s and Koepka’s Journey

The former rival and new buddy naturally returned the favor, which was certainly in the marketing strategists’ script. “I’ve always had respect for Brooks and what he’s done,” DeChambeau commented on Koepka’s statements. “Obviously, early on, we didn’t really understand each other. We had our spats, but when we both went to LIV, we realized we had quite a few things in common. Like stepbrothers, in a sense.” Ah, and so close to the festive season. It’s almost like a Christmas story, isn’t it?

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Panorama

Viktor Hovland Out for the Rest of the Year Due to Injury

Viktor Hovland at the 2024 Tour Championship. (Source: Getty)
Viktor Hovland at the 2024 Tour Championship. (Source: Getty)

As bunkered.co.uk reports, Viktor Hovland will have to take the rest of the season off due to injury and will not compete in any more tournaments this year. His injury has not been specified and no further details are known. Although he is therefore short of the required minimum number of four DP World Tour tournaments, he will probably not have to worry about losing his tour card thanks to an exemption.

Viktor Hovland 2024 With a Mixed Season

Hovland had already cancelled his participation in the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth in September. He was last seen at the Tour Championship, the final of the PGA Tour‘s FedEx Cup, which he finished in a tie for twelfth place. He had crowned his successful 2023 season with victory at this tournament.

However, the Norwegian was unable to build on his success in 2024: he went the whole year without a win, missed the cut in three of the four majors and only reached the top 10 in two tournaments, including the PGA Championship.

Due to his injury, the eight-ranked player in the world will no longer be able to compete in the Race to Dubai. He will miss both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship in November.

Hovland’s Ryder Cup Eligibility Probably Not Jeopardised

For European players, membership of the DP World Tour is a condition of participation in the 2025 Ryder Cup, which can only be maintained by playing at least four tournaments on the DP World Tour. Although Hovland is now unable to play the required number of tournaments due to his injury, this is unlikely to be his undoing: The DP World Tour announced that an exception could be made due to the medical reason and that Hovland would be exempted from the playing obligation.

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Panorama

Martin Kaymer: Wedding Celebration with Irene Scholz in the Alps

Martin Kaymer and his wife Irene Scholz were able to catch up on their wedding celebrations in an idyllic Bavarian setting. (Photo: Instagram@patriciakaymer)
Martin Kaymer and his wife Irene Scholz were able to catch up on their wedding celebrations in an idyllic Bavarian setting. (Photo: Instagram@patriciakaymer)

Martin Kaymer celebrated his wedding to Irene Scholz in style at the weekend. The couple had already married in a small civil ceremony in October 2022, but this was followed by a lavish celebration. The couple, who became parents to little Sam for the first time at the beginning of 2022, spent the special day with family, friends and some of Kaymer’s golfing colleagues.

 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Irène Kaymer (@_irenescholz_)

Martin Kaymer’s Wedding Celebration

Martin Kaymer and his wife Irene Scholz celebrated their civil wedding in Wiesbaden in October 2022 two years later. Back then, the former world number one and the sports scientist tied the knot in a very intimate setting. Both had already planned to make up for their big celebration with the most important people who had accompanied them on their journey so far. Last weekend provided the perfect opportunity to realise these plans.

The celebration took place in a breathtaking mountain setting at the exclusive Schloss Elmau. The German golf pro and his wife invited friends and family to a special weekend in the stunning Bavarian Alps to celebrate their love for each other.

 
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Her little son Sam, who was born in January 2022, was also there and was included in the celebrations. Irene Scholz shared her joy on social media that her son was able to take on this special role and humorously wrote that Sam was allowed to ‘bring the rings’ this time. In the posts, the couple were visibly moved and grateful for the celebrations and the people who took part.

Celebrity guests and team colleagues at the ceremony

In addition to close friends and the couple’s family, some familiar faces from the world of golf were also in attendance. Kaymer’s LIV Golf team-mate Adrian Meronk was among the guests and shared impressions of the celebration on his social media. Other personalities such as Leanne Hainsby and Benjamin Alldis were also present at the event. The celebration was accompanied by congratulations and warm comments from the golf world.

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PGA Tour

PGA Championship 2024: Rory McIlroy Within Striking Distance of the Top

Rory McIlroy sits on the upper end of the leaderboard after his first round at he the PGA Championship 2024. (Source: Getty)
Rory McIlroy sits on the upper end of the leaderboard after his first round at he the PGA Championship 2024. (Source: Getty)

Rory McIlroy came to the PGA Championship 2024 in Kentucky with two victories under his belt. McIlroy was able to build on his good form on the first day. The 2014 winner proved his ability with a flawless performance, especially on the second half of the course. At the end of his round, McIlroy is within striking distance of the top of the leaderboard.

He started the round with a birdie on 10, taking advantage of the par-5 with a fantastic shot on the green. He already went two-under on 13. On 17 McIlroy hat to note down his only bogey of the day, landing in the green bunker after playing from the fairway bunker. He got that shot back on hole 1 and added a birdie series on holes 5, 6 and 7 for a round of 66. That puts him four shots behind leader Xander Schauffele.

View all live scores for the PGA Championship 2024

Rory McIlroy in Contention at the PGA Championship 2024

Q. 5-under 66 but felt like you might have left a few out there. How would you categorize this round?

RORY McILROY: I don’t know about that. I sort of felt like it was pretty scrappy for the most part. I don’t really feel like I left many out there. I thought I got a lot out of my game today. Some good up-and-downs, the chip-in on 6.

I had a little bit of a scrappy part around the turn there, but overall really happy with — not really happy with how I played but at least happy with the score.

Q. A bit of an adventure on 18 but you got out with a par. Could you go through that hole?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, so I was pretty sure it was in the water off the tee, and then when I got up there, I guess the two ball-spotters or marshals said they didn’t really see it or couldn’t really hear it. I went over to the other side just to check, but was pretty sure it was in the water.

Yeah, dropped and took my medicine, and yeah, made a great up-and-down from about 120 yards to make par, which was important after making bogey on 17. That kept any momentum that I had going into the next nine.

Q. Is it the kind of golf course that you feel like can get harder as the week wears on, or do you feel like you’re going to have to keep the pedal to the metal all week?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, the greens could get a little bit firmer, so that could make it a little more tricky. But even if the fairways dry out, the zoysia, the ball doesn’t really go anywhere when it lands.

I could see it getting a touch firmer, but I still think it’s going to be pretty low scoring.

Q. Was it nice to be inside the ropes and just to concentrate on golf? Obviously other things going on this week.

RORY McILROY: It’s always nice to be inside the ropes.

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Q. We always ask players about compartmentalizing. Is that something you’re good at and you’re going to have to rely on this week?

RORY McILROY: Happy to be here.

Q. You hit a bunch of good wedge shots today. You mentioned one just earlier. I know that was something that Butch said you guys kind of talked about. Is there anything you’re going to that’s just helping you with that stuff?

RORY McILROY: I think just the same feelings I’ve been having with my golf swing, feeling strength in the club face on the way back, and then trying to keep that strength so that it forces me to really get out of the way on the down swing. That’s the thought with the wedges and with the irons.

Q. It seems like the scores are a little bit lower today. Did you see anything out on the course and conditions that may have led to that?

RORY McILROY: It’s soft. Greens are really soft, especially for the guys that played last week at Quail Hollow where the greens were particularly firm. You come to greens like this, second shots are easier. Chip shots are easier if you do miss the greens.

I think just the difference between last week in Charlotte and this week, it’s a big difference, and I think for the guys that played last week. It’s just a little less challenging at the minute around the greens.

Q. You’ve already touched a little bit on the 18th hole, but I was hoping you could expand a little more not just on saving par there, but then the very next hole it hits the flagstick and you get birdie. How key was that two-hole stretch to you getting this round today?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was. It was huge. I could have easily bogeyed 18 and been back to even par, and then again, that ball on 1 could have hit the flagstick and went anywhere. I could have made bogey from that. Potentially being 1-over par through 10, I’m 2-under. So it’s a three-shot difference. It’s a big swing.

Rory McIlroy’s Tee Times at the PGA Championship 2024
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PGA Championship 2024 – Tiger Woods: “You Can’t Win a Tournament Unless You Make the Cut”

Despite his pain, Tiger Woods played a solid first round at the PGA Championship 2024. (Source: Getty)
Despite his pain, Tiger Woods played a solid first round at the PGA Championship 2024. (Source: Getty)

Tiger Woods’ first round of the PGA Championship 2024 didn’t come easy to the 15-time major champion. After two finishing bogeys he signed a round of one over par, putting him for now in the middle of the field.

His round started with an early bogey on 11, after he missed the green on the par-3. A 17 ft 11 in putt got him that shot back in 13, but a journey into the rough of the 15th hole cost Woods one more shot on his first nine. While he couldn’t take advantage of the par-5 18, he evened out his score with a birdie on 3 after a perfect tee shot. Tiger Woods got a glimpse of one under par despite landing in the green bunker on 7, but two bogeys caused by three-putts dragged his score back to a one over par 72.

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Tiger Woods on his first round at the PGA Championship 2024

Q. Tiger, it looked like you were moving pretty well physically. Do you feel like — I know every day is different for you, but do you feel like zooming out you’re getting stronger?

TIGER WOODS: I am getting stronger for sure. It’s just that I just don’t play a whole lot of competitive rounds. I haven’t played since the Masters. So it’s a little bit different than being at home and playing a flat Florida course.

Q. You spoke about what happened Saturday at Augusta. Is that a thing you know how your body — can you tell the night before? Do you not know until the morning of or when you start swinging the club?

TIGER WOODS: Each day is a little bit different. Some days, it’s better than others. It’s just the way it is. My body is just that way. Some days, it feels great, and other days, a bit of a struggle.

Q. Do you have a target ball speed in mind or a number where you can say, I’m fast or slow today?

TIGER WOODS: No, I don’t even know what my ball speed is. I couldn’t tell you. I do at home on the range, but when I’m out here at a tournament, I don’t look at any of that. I’m just trying to hit shots and hit the ball on my numbers more than anything else.

Q. How much of the first green could you see for your second shot on the first?

TIGER WOODS: I could see the whole green. I could see it underneath the trees. I just had to go around a few trees. Hit a nice little draw 8-iron in there. I was expecting to hit it just left of the green and chip back up, but it dug in and landed soft and dug in and had a 25-footer.

Q. How would you rate that shot in terms of difficulty?

TIGER WOODS: (Laughing). You’ve seen me play. I’ve hit a few shots out of the trees.

Q. You said the other day you wish you were a little sharper. In which areas did you think you were better than you thought you might be or maybe were you not — were you sort of where you thought you were today?

TIGER WOODS: It’s just the competitive flow. It took me probably three holes to get back into competitive flow again and get a feel for hitting the ball out there in competition, adrenaline, temperatures, green speeds. These are all things that normally I adjust to very quickly, and it just took me a few holes to get into it.

Made that putt on 12 and got me going and made another putt on 13.

Q. In the past few years, even if you’ve had to withdraw from majors, you’ve still made the cut. You’ve still succeeded in doing so. I’m wondering if you think there’s an art to playing a certain way and grinding out a made cut that you seem to understand better than others?

TIGER WOODS: Well, you can’t win a tournament unless you make the cut. That’s the whole idea is get to the weekend so that you can participate and have a chance to win.

I’ve been on the cut number and have won tournaments, or I’ve been ahead and leading tournaments and I’ve won tournaments. But you have to get to the weekend in order to win a golf tournament.

View all live scores for the PGA Championship 2024

Q. I thought the rough was more difficult than what I was expecting after watching practice rounds. Could you talk about that? And I know the three-putt on 9 was frustrating, but I thought you —

TIGER WOODS: And 8.

Q. You had more than 90 feet in putts today. Could you address those two.

TIGER WOODS: Well, I three-whipped the last two holes. Wasn’t very good. Bad speed on 8; whipped it past the hole.

And 9, hit it short. Hit it off the heel of the putt and blocked the second one. So wasn’t very good on the last two holes.

But what was the first part of the question?

Q. The rough.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, the rough is dense. It’s just very dense. With the rain we got and just the moisture on it, I know they’ve topped it off, but it’s just really lush.

You can get lies where it sits up. You can get a 3-wood on it. And there are other lies — a couple times I had to pitch out sideways. I laid up at 13 and 14 — sorry, 15.

Depends on the lie, and you don’t have to worry about that if you drive it in the fairway, and I just need to do a better job of that.

Q. Obviously most of you guys, you don’t win most weeks. You have to be very resilient. What’s the moment in your career or the stretch of golf that you’ve had in your career where you’re proudest of the resilience that you showed?

TIGER WOODS: Well, I think that I’ve made a few cuts in a row, what was it, 140-some odd.

So you have to just grind it out. It’s a marathon. Major championships are a long grind. It’s just plotting along. It’s not a sprint. It’s just a grind.

I had a few years where I was able to participate for a very long time.

Tiger Woods’ Tee Times for the PGA Championship