Tag: Rory McIlroy

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PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy After Players Championship: “I Think I’m Headed in the Right Direction”

Rory McIlroy finishes 19th at the Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy finishes 19th at the Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy finishes the Players Championship, the flagship event of the PGA Tour, in 19th place. The Northern Irishman posted a score of 72 (even par) on the final day at the TPC Sawgrass. In the press conference after the final round, he explained why he was not satisfied despite 26 birdies and how the dispute with LIV Golf could continue.

See Results of the Players Championship 2024

Full Interview with Rory McIlroy after Players Championship

Question: You said at the beginning of the week you were kind of in between swings. I know it’s probably not the week you wanted, but do you feel like you’re closer to whichever one you want?

Rory McIlory: I think overall I probably made a little bit of progress from this time last Sunday at the Arnold Palmer, so, yeah, it’s there. I think, after the first round I sort of my expectations sort of went sky high because I was like, oh, I think I’ve figured it out. Then the last three days were a little bit more of a struggle.

But I think I’m headed in the right direction. I’ve definitely straightened out a few of the iron shots, which was a big key for me coming into this week. I made enough birdies, it’s just a matter of getting rid of the bad stuff.

Question: You’re playing the week before the Masters, but do you think you might visit Augusta in advance, or has that been as good for you as you would have liked?

Rory McIlory: No, I mean, I might go there on the way to San Antonio. Might head up there on the Monday and play and then head to San Antonio. But no trips planned as of yet.

Question: It’s always kind of cool, though, sometimes you go with your dad, I mean just maybe just for the fun of it more than anything?

Rory McIlory: Yeah, I’ve done that a lot and it’s really nice and I can certainly do that after the Masters, but when I do it before, I don’t feel like I get a ton out of it. Like in terms of like preparation for the week and actually getting into the mindset I need to get into. So maybe a quick pit stop on the way to San Antonio to play a practice round and spend some time. But as I said, nothing planned as of yet.

Question: It’s been confirmed that there’s a meeting tomorrow with the player directors and Yasir. Do you welcome that?

Rory McIlory: Absolutely. I think it should have happened months ago, so I am glad that it’s happening. Hopefully that progresses conversations and gets us closer to a solution.

Question: Does Tiger need to be involved in that do you think at this point?

Rory McIlory: I mean, he’s a player director. He’s on the board, so absolutely he needs to be involved.

Question: What you do hope their message is? What do you hope to take away from that meeting?

Rory McIlory: The players or the PIF?

Question: The players.

Rory McIlory: The players? That fundamentally he wants to do the right thing. I think I’ve said this before, I have spent time with Yasir and his — the people that have represented him in LIV I think have done him a disservice, so Norman and those guys.

I see the two entities, and I think there’s a big, I actually think there’s a really big disconnect between PIF and LIV. I think you got PIF over here and LIV are sort of over here doing their own thing. So the closer that we can get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully finalize that investment, I think that will be a really good thing.

Question: What does PIF want do you think that’s different to LIV?

Rory McIlory: Look, they’re a sovereign wealth fund. They want to park money for decades and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA TOUR is definitely one of those, especially if they’re looking to invest in sport in some way.

Question: Back on the golf, 26 birdies is a record around here. I know it’s nice to be leaving with —

Rory McIlory: Woo-hoo. (Laughing).

Question: There’s been a lot of people play here in 50 years.

Rory McIlory: Yeah, no, it feels, I did the same — I did the same thing at the back end of 2020 I remember, the back end of the COVID year I was making a ton of birdies and making a ton of mistakes, as well, and it was just a matter of trying to figure out a way to keep the bogeys off the card and still make the birdies.

So, yeah, look, it’s not all bad. It could be a lot worse, I guess. If these are the worse finishes that I’m going to have 20ths, you know, I feel like that’s my floor and I haven’t quite got to the golf that I’ve wanted to play to get to my ceiling. Hopefully, over the next few weeks I can work at it and get closer to that level of golf.

Question: Is the volatility swing related or is it an approach thing you’ve seen in the last couple weeks?

Rory McIlory: I think it’s swing related. My misses last week were predominantly to the left. So I really tried to eradicate that this week, and for the most part with the irons I did, but started to get a left miss off the tee.

Golf is a very fickle game. It gives you one thing and then takes away something else from you. It’s just, again, like, I feel like I’ve got all the components there, but just trying to put them all together on a given week. That’s the tricky part at the minute.

Question: Is that bigger picture view that you said — or excuse me, when you talked with Yasir, did you sense from him a bigger picture view than what we’re seeing with LIV?

Rory McIlory: Absolutely. I think there’s a way to incorporate — I think, you know, they’re big on team golf and they want to see team golf survive in some way in the calendar. I don’t think it has to necessarily look like LIV. I think in my mind you should leave the individual golf the individual golf and then you play your team golf on the sort of periphery of that.

But, again, it’s going to require patience. People have contracts at LIV up until 2028, 2029. I don’t know if they’re going to see that all the way out, but I definitely see LIV playing in its current form for the next couple years anyway while everything gets figured out. I don’t think this is an overnight solution, but if we can get the investment in, then at least we can start working towards a compromise where we’re not going to make everyone happy, but at least make everyone understand why we’re doing what we’re doing.

Question: What particularly is it about LIV that you see is the disconnect with Yasir?

Rory McIlory: I think their disruptiveness and his — their disruptiveness, and then his, I don’t know what the right word is, I guess his desire to be involved in the world of golf in a productive way.

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PGA Tour

Watch: McIlroy’s incredible par save at The Players Championship

Rory McIlroy impressed on the seventh hole with an outstanding par save. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy impressed on the seventh hole with an outstanding par save. (Photo: Getty)

After Rory McIlroy had a great day in the first round of The Players Championship 2024, things went anything but well for the Northern Irishman on the second day. With a poor round of 73, McIlroy dropped back to T14 and has his incredible par save to thank for the fact that the gap to leader Wyndham Clark is not even wider.

Players Championship 2024: McIlroy’s stunning par save on video

The start of the second round at The Players Championship 2024 was an up-and-down affair for Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman recorded three birdies and three bogeys on the first six holes before his first par of the day followed on the seventh hole. Of course, McIlroy accomplished this in inimitable style. Rory McIlroy’s tee shot found the pine straw. Still, he would go on to save par.

Despite this outstanding shot, Rory McIlroy cannot be satisfied with his second round. The 34-year-old went straight to the range after his round of 73.

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PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy after controversial drop at Players: “I was adamant”

Rory McIlroy was pleased after his first round at the PGA Tours Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy was pleased after his first round at the PGA Tours Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy put in a strong performance on the first day of the Players Championship. But the number one topic of conversation was his controversial drop. In the PGA Tour press conference, he spoke about how everyone just wants to do the right thing and which statistic he is particularly happy with. Read the full press conference with Rory McIlroy here.

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Rory McIlroys press conference after round one of The Players

Question: Not a total golf question, but I know you’re a big sports fan. Caleb Williams, who’s never seen a golf tournament in his life, became a golf fan through his coach at Southern Cal, so he specifically wanted to follow you and Spieth. You guys are fans of other things; what’s it like to have a guy who’s never played golf before, probably be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, and he wanted to follow your group?

Rory McIlroy: Thank you for telling me what sport he played. (Laughter).

Yeah, it’s really cool. I think golf is hopefully becoming more popular and more mainstream and sort of making it out of its little niche area that it has. Yeah, it is, it’s very cool to have people out there following that take an interest in what we’re doing out there, especially other athletes.

One of my favorite things to do is to go and watch other sporting events and sort of talk to other athletes, how they approach their sport and how they try to master their craft. It’s always nice to hear when other athletes take an interest in us, as well.

Question: That scene on the 7th, was that necessary in your eyes, or was it all needless?

Rory McIlroy: I think Jordan was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing. I mean, I was pretty sure that my ball had crossed where I was sort of dropping it. It’s so hard, right, because there was no TV evidence. I was adamant. But I think, again, he was just trying to make sure that I was going to do the right thing.

If anything, I was being conservative with it. I think at the end of the day we’re all trying to protect ourselves, protect the field, as well. I wouldn’t say it was needless. I think he was just trying to make sure that what happened was the right thing.

Question: You talked yesterday about being kind of stuck in between two swings. It seemed like for most of the day it was much, much better, obviously with the two exceptions. How much more comfortable was it today, and what did you find?

Rory McIlroy: Yeah, I’m not sure how the strokes gained approach stats look like, but it’s probably been one of my best days in a while, which is really nice.

Yeah, the feeling is good with the irons, and the feeling with the driver and the 3-wood is just a little bit different, but as long as I remind myself on the tee box that okay, this is a wood, and I get on the fairway, and this is an iron, and I’ve got two different feels and two different thoughts, then it’s okay.

Yeah, much, much improved on the approach play today, which was nice to see.

Question: (Question about the tee shot on 7).

Rory McIlroy: Yeah, they were just a bit guidey, a bit uncommitted, more so than anything else.

Question: You called Sunday a wake-up call. What did it wake you up to?

Rory McIlroy: Just I needed to clean up the technique a little bit, needed to clean up some things. Honestly, just needed to put the time in. I think when you play — I’ve wanted to play a lot to start this year, and I have, but when you play a lot, you don’t maybe get the time to practice all that much. At the same time, say I had a decent day on Sunday at Bay Hill and shot 70, for sure I would have taken Monday off here. But because of not shooting a decent score, I grinded on the range and figured something out and put the time in, and it’s sort of already reaping benefits, so that’s nice.

Question: I know it’s golf, but is it awkward when you have that sort of conversation on the 7th?

Rory McIlroy: I mean, I guess I started to doubt myself a little bit. I was like, okay, did I actually see what I thought I saw.

But I mean, as long as — I was comfortable, and I was just making sure that Jordan and Viktor were comfortable, too.

Question: Seems a bit tough that they’ve got all these cameras all over the course and they’ve got a blind spot there.

Rory McIlroy: Yeah, it is a bit of a blind spot. I think the best view was from the tee, which was the view that we had.

Question: You saw it bounce?

Rory McIlroy: I did, yeah. It was just a matter of whether it was above the line or below, and I thought I saw it pitch above the line.

Question: (Question about where the ball landed.)

Rory McIlroy: Yeah. I mean, yeah, I think so.

Question: 18 was a similar situation.

Rory McIlroy: 18 was a pretty similar situation. Again, adamant it crossed, it’s just a matter of where it crosses. I think this golf course more than any other, it sort of produces those situations a little bit.

Again, like I feel like I’m one of the most conscientious golfers out here, so if I feel like I’ve done something wrong, it’ll play on my conscience for the rest of the tournament. I’m a big believer in karma, and if you do something wrong, I feel like it’s going to come around and bite you at some point.

I obviously don’t try to do anything wrong out there, and play by the rules and do the right thing. I feel like I obviously did that those two drops.

Question: Two in the water and shoot 65, you couldn’t have asked for much more, I would think?

Rory McIlroy: It would be nice to shoot 62 and not have two in the water, I guess. (Laughter).

Question: The last few years you’ve had a tough start here which got you behind the 8-ball. How nice was it to get off to a hot start and attack a round?

Rory McIlroy: Yeah, I think it goes back to I didn’t have many expectations going out there today because I was like, okay, feels good on the range and feels good in practice, but let’s see how it is when you’ve got a card in your hand.

There’s something to be said for that, just sort of lessening the expectations a little bit and going out there and seeing what happens. But yeah, it was obviously a great start.

Question: Is it hard to reset when there’s been a long delay like that and get back into the rhythm?

Rory McIlroy: Yeah, a little bit. It was disappointing not to get that up-and-down on 7, but that’s probably why I give it a little mini-fist pump on 9 to feel like I got one of those shots back.

Yeah, you have to reset and you have to try to get back into the zone that you were in for the 15 previous holes.

Question: When you say you were maybe doubting what you saw with your own eyes in terms of determining where you needed to drop, how do you balance that between the input you’re getting from your playing partners versus what you saw with your own eyes?

Rory McIlroy: Yeah, exactly. I was adamant that I saw it bounce above the red line, but then when someone comes in and says, well, someone thought that it didn’t. Then you’re like — it just puts some doubt in your mind. Again, it’s up to you to be comfortable enough with your decision that you did see what you saw, I guess.

Question: Viktor and Jordan didn’t speak to the media, but from your perspective, did you feel like everybody was comfortable after the round with the decisions made on the course on 18 and 7?

Rory McIlroy: I think so, yeah. I’m comfortable. I think that’s the most important thing.
Trancript by ASAP Sports

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PGA Tour

Players Championship 2024: Hovland and Spieth Question Rory McIlory’s Drop

Discussions about Rory McIlroy's drop at the Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Twitter.com/@KyleporterCBS)
Discussions about Rory McIlroy's drop at the Players Championship 2024. (Photo: Twitter.com/@KyleporterCBS)

Rory McIlroy hit his ball into the water twice in the first round of the Players Championship 2024. On hole 7, this resulted in a discussion with his flight partners Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland. The discussion centred on the question of whether the ball crossed the red line after crossing the penalty area or whether it bounced and rolled into the water before crossing the line. Another part of the discussion centred on where the ball may have crossed the line.

Players Championship 2024: Discussions about Rory McIlroy’s drop

The PGA Tour captured the entire discussion on video:

Rory McIlroy was pretty sure of his drop on the hole side of the penalty area when Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth questioned whether the ball had really crossed the red line. If it hadn’t, McIlroy would have had to hit again from the tee. According to Spieth, the TV crew were of the opinion that the ball had “one hundred per cent” not crossed the line. However, he himself had not seen where the ball had landed. Hovland couldn’t say for sure either and called the situation “very speculative”. McIlroy, meanwhile, emphasised that he was convinced the ball had crossed the line, he just wasn’t sure exactly where.

A rules official was called in to help and the camera footage was consulted. However, it was concluded that the television images did not provide clear evidence and the decision would therefore have to be made based on the players’ judgement. It was agreed that the ball had landed on land.

McIlroy, to be on the safe side, chose a spot to drop that was on the line a few metres back from where he estimated the ball had crossed the red line. The rules official made sure that Spieth and Hovland were not against the location of the drop, which they both confirmed, even if they still didn’t seem entirely convinced that the ball had actually crossed the line. Golf journalist Dan Rapaport, who accompanied the group, described the atmosphere as “very strange”.

McIlroy took the shot and ended up making double bogey on that hole.

Players Championship 2024: Live Blog

Rory McIlroy: “I started to doubt myself a little bit”

After the round, McIlroy said the following about the situation to the media:
“I think Jordan was just trying to make sure that I was doing the right thing. I mean, I was pretty sure that my ball had crossed where I was sort of dropping it. It’s so hard, right, because there was no TV evidence. I was adamant. But I think, again, he was just trying to make sure that I was going to do the right thing.”

“If anything, I was being conservative with it. I think at the end of the day we’re all trying to protect ourselves, protect the field, as well. I wouldn’t say it was needless. I think he was just trying to make sure that what happened was the right thing.”

“I guess I started to doubt myself a little bit. I was like, okay, did I actually see what I thought I saw. But I mean, as long as — I was comfortable, and I was just making sure that Jordan and Viktor were comfortable, too.”

“It is a bit of a blind spot. I think the best view was from the tee, which was the view that we had.”

“I was adamant that I saw it bounce above the red line, but then when someone comes in and says, well, someone thought that it didn’t. Then you’re like — it just puts some doubt in your mind. Again, it’s up to you to be comfortable enough with your decision that you did see what you saw, I guess.”

“It was disappointing not to get that up-and-down on 7, but that’s probably why I give it a little mini-fist pump on 9 to feel like I got one of those shots back. You have to reset and you have to try to get back into the zone that you were in for the 15 previous holes.”

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PGA Tour

Players Championship: Rory McIlroy tired of uncertainty

Rory McIlroy talks about his next Major title. (Image: Getty)
Rory McIlroy talks about his next Major title. (Image: Getty)

After Jay Monahan’s press conference regarding the future of the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy agrees with his decision to stay in the lead of the Tour and the new PGA Tour Enterprises. In McIlroys Wednesday press conference, prior to the Players Championship, he emphasises the importance of bringing the game back together and move on. McIlroy oppend up about his difficulties winning another Major and if he thinks he can capture his next Major-Title this year.

Click here for the live blog of the Players Championship 2024

Can Rory McIlroy win another Major?

Here’s his opinion on how the pressure added up over the last ten years without a Major title: “It does, but then at the same time, I look at my record in the majors over the last couple of years, and I’ve definitely started to perform much more consistently in them.”

“Look, I’m under no illusion that the clock is ticking and it has been 10 years since I’ve won one of them, and I’ve had chances, and those just haven’t went my way. I just need to keep putting myself in those positions, and sooner or later it’s going to happen.”

Rory McIlroy defends Jay Monahan

“You look at what Jay has done since he took over,” McIlroy said in the Wednesday press conference in TPC Sawgrass. “The media rights deal, navigating us through COVID, the strategic alliance with the DP World Tour. I would say creating PGA Tour Enterprises, we were just able to accept a billion and a half dollars in the business, people can nit-pick and say he didn’t do this right or didn’t do that right, but if you actually step back and look at the bigger picture, I think the PGA Tour is in a far stronger position than when Jay took over.”

Monahan spoke about the new alliance with the SSG (Strategic Sports Group) and the new funds coming with the newly created PGA Tour Enterprises. Tough informations regarding the PIF are highly requested Monahan did hold back and just stated, that meetings were “accelerating”.

Rory McIlroy: “We need to get this thing over and done”

Like many fans and players, Rory McIlroy urges the policy board and PGA Tour Enterprises to come to a conclusion and to “get this thing over and done”, falling right in line with his latest statements about the LIV Golf Tour and Liv players getting involved in the Ryder Cup and a potential World Tour.

“I feel grateful that I was on the PGA Tour board at the point in time when I was. I feel like it will stand to me down the line if I ever want to get deeper into the business side of things, whether that’s in golf or in other domains. It’s different now, though. You’ve got two boards on Tour. One is really a business board, and sort of that priority is growing the growth of the business of the PGA Tour, and then the policy board, which I was on, was about making rules and slow play and whatever else.”

“The business board to me would be something — if an opportunity came along in the future and I felt like it was the right time, would maybe be something that I would like to get involved in again.”

“We need to improve fan experience”

Like Jay Monahan, Rory McIlroy talked about enhancing the fan experience. “Yeah, so to me, like this is the problem with a members’ organization. Things are created for the members. Then once those things are created, you’ve got to go sell those things to fans, sponsors, media.” 

“To me, that seems a little backwards. I think what needs to happen is you need to create things for the fans, for the sponsors, for the media, and then you have to go sell that to the players, tell them to get on board with that, because if they get on board and we’re all part of the business now, if the business does better, we do better. That seems pretty simple to me.”

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PGA Tour

PGA Tour: Who wins the Players Championship 2024?

Players Championship 2024: Who will win at TPC Sawgrass? (Images: Getty)
Players Championship 2024: Who will win at TPC Sawgrass? (Images: Getty)

Every year, golf fans eagerly anticipate the Players Championship of the PGA Tour with great expectations. Over the weekend, players compete at The Players Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida for a total prize money of $25 million. In anticipation of the tournament, several questions arise: Can Scottie Scheffler defend his title? Which other players have good chances of success? Let’s take a look at the players who are considered the biggest favorites.

Players Championship 2024: Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite

Scottie Scheffler is certainly the name that comes to mind when it comes to winning the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament. The world number one is in good form and is performing consistently well, as is to be expected given his top position in the World Golf Ranking, which he has held since May last year. Last weekend, he fuelled his confidence with a comfortable victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, five strokes ahead of second-placed Wyndham Clark. Scheffler also won last year’s Players Championship 2023 by five strokes, so not only is he in excellent form, but he certainly has fond memories of last year’s event.

Always a contender: Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy, who incidentally helped Scottie Scheffler to victory last weekend with a tip to change putters, is always good for a win at major tournaments. While the Northern Irishman achieved three top 25 finishes in four events on the PGA Tour in 2024, he has already claimed a victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour and narrowly missed out on a second success at the Dubai Invitational. Although McIlroy missed the cut at last year’s Players Championship, the world number two is certainly capable of triumphing this year.

In good form: Wyndham Clark

A victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a second-place fA victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a second place last weekend shows that Wyndham Clark is currently in good form. The world number five is definitely a hot candidate for the title. However, he would have to improve on last year’s performance, where he finished tied 27th at the Players Championship.

Under the radar: Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland

Japanese Hideki Matsuyama and Norwegian Viktor Hovland can be considered more of a “dark horse” category. The situations of the two could hardly be more different. Matsuyama is currently in good form and has already secured a victory in 2024 at the Genesis Invitational. On the other hand, Hovland has not yet found his form from 2023 this year. His best finish is a tied 19th place at the Genesis Invitational. However, their strong performances from last year should give both players confidence. Viktor Hovland finished third at the Players Championship 2023, while Matsuyama finished fifth. Especially for Hovland, the upcoming weekend would be a good time to regain his old form.

European hopes: Ludvig Aberg and Matthieu Pavon

Frenchman Matthieu Pavon impressed at the Farmers Insurance Open with his first tournament win on the PGA Tour after securing a tour card via the DP World Tour and travelling on the PGA Tour as a rookie. Ludvig Aberg is also playing his first full season after a rocket start to his professional career in 2023 and has already recorded two top-10 finishes in 2024. Both players are young talents who did not play in the Players Championship last year and will have the opportunity to prove themselves on the PGA Tour’s biggest stage this week.

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Highlights Tours

Kentucky and Old Country Traditions Converge in Valhalla

Kentucky and Old Country Traditions Converge in Valhalla. The scenario of the 2024 PGA Championship and McIlroy’s last major victory. (Source: PGA of America / Visit Kentucky)
Kentucky and Old Country Traditions Converge in Valhalla. The scenario of the 2024 PGA Championship and McIlroy’s last major victory. (Source: PGA of America / Visit Kentucky)

Rory McIlroy’s victory in darkness at the 2014 PGA Championship in Valhalla Golf Club, resisting the rallies of local favorites Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler in a rain-delayed final round, was the Northern Irishman’s last win in a major. However, it was not the last time nor the first time someone from the Old Country left an imprint in Valhalla and Kentucky.

LOUISVILLE, KY – AUGUST 10: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the Wanamaker Trophy during the Award Ceremony for the 96th PGA Championship, at Valhalla Golf Club, on August 10, 2014 in Louisville, KY. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

Limestone: Kentucky’s Heritage

“We have exposed limestone throughout the golf course, and we are pretty much in the heart of limestone,” said Jimmy Kirchdorfer, General Chairman of Valhalla Golf Club. “That is the reason the early settlers decided to raise horses and have the whisky industry here. Limestone is the key to our Kentucky heritage. ”Limestone is the foundation of Valhalla and most Kentucky traditions, from bluegrass (both the plant and the music), to horses and bourbon. “It imbues the water with important minerals that are consumed by the yeast during the fermentation process. Then it filters the water and removes iron, which will interact with the components in the oak barrel and discolor the bourbon,” explained Dubliner Conor O’Driscoll, the seventh Master Distiller in Heaven Hill Distillery. “If you look at our portfolio, Henry McKenna, was an Irishman, Evan Williams was a Welshman. It was the Irish and the Scots who brought whiskey to America. Of course, the Irish invented it… or so they affirm,” said for the craic (jokingly in Irish or Scottish) O’Driscoll, the druid also behind the blending of Elijah Craig, a name associated with the invention of bourbon.

Fine Whiskey from Kentucky (Photo by Visit Kentucky)

The Ryder Cup at Valhalla

Coinciding with the anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, O’Driscoll met his wife around 25 years ago at the Kentucky Derby, another melting pot of international influences in the Bluegrass State, including some winningest riders from Mexico and Puerto Rico. “I went to the Kentucky Derby and that’s when it all kind of came together, the event was very international,” said Englishman Josh Webber, part of the groundcrew during the 2008 Ryder Cup and the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. “The Derby was a fantastic experience. I went to the horse race and never saw a horse. We were in the infield partying,” added Irishman Paul O’Donoghue.

The famous Kentuck Derby (Photo by Visit Kentucky)

Webber and O’Donoghue were the only Europeans under Superintendent Mark Wilson’s orders during the memorable Ryder Cup at Valhalla. “When I was mowing greens, I had the European flag wrapped around my shoulders and I wore a crown”, remembered Webber. “We always had the European flag flying and Mark went and bought 200 American flags for the rest of the team,” O’Donohue recalled.

Webber and O’Donoghue at the Ryder Cup 2008 (Photo by PGA of America)

Both then young men from the Old Country in Kentucky –now superintendents in Southern England and The Netherlands—treasure the memories of their time in Valhalla and the “massive similarities between the soil in the Islands and Kentucky,” even the whiskey, the grass, and the music. “Except for one or two places, Ireland is mainly limestone, which gives you the green”, explained O’Donohue. “The only reason we call it bluegrass in Kentucky is because when it is hot it turns blue”, added the Irish superintendent about the origin of the name of the grass and the Bluegrass genre, derived from traditional Scottish, Irish, and English music. Bluegrass songs about family, horses, bourbon, and even limestone played in the background during the time Webber and O’Donohue spent under the wing of Kentucky Golf Hall of Famer Mark Wilson in Valhalla Golf Club. “Being part of the building of Valhalla put the wind on my back and launched me downhill,” said Wilson, who started his career in the seventies along with the first class of formally educated superintendents in the country.

Mark Wilson at the Ryder Cup 2008 (Photo by PGA of America)

Epic finishes in Kentucky

“For 22 years I mowed the bent grass fairways of Valhalla with green mowers and cut the clippings. And every winter we had to extent the site and the venue,” said now-retired Wilson, privileged witness of one Ryder Cup and three PGA Championships in Valhalla. “We were fortunate to have epic and historic finishes. I remember all of them,” said Kirchdorfer. “Tiger beating Bob May in a playoff in 2000 was spectacular,” he remembers about Tiger Woods’ victory, the first time since 1953 (Ben Hogan) that a player had won three major championships in the same calendar year. “The 2008 Ryder Cup, when the US was struggling to win until the end and we had two players from Kentucky, Kenny Perry and JB Holmes, was very special. A lot of people from Kentucky would say it was the best sporting event they have ever been to,” said Kirchdorfer.

“Valhalla is fantastic. It always seems to provide a very exciting finish in these championships. I watched the 2000 PGA here when Tiger won against Bob May, and I was sitting at home watching the Ryder Cup, as well. It seems like it always provides a great finish,” said McIlroy after winning his fourth major in Valhalla at 25 years of age. A decade later, two weeks after the 150 th Kentucky Derby, and on the 25 th Anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Rory McIlory, from the Old Country, could break the spell and win his fifth major at the 106 th PGA Championship in Valhalla Golf Club. “I had a great time here and hopefully I am going to come back one day to Valhalla and try and win this thing again,” were some of his last words in 2014 before departing Kentucky with the Wannamaker Trophy.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits his tee shot on 18 during the Final Round of the 96th PGA Championship, at Valhalla Golf Club, on August 10, 2014 in Louisville, KY. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)
Categories
PGA Tour

PGA Tour Tee Times: Rory McIlroy at the Genesis Invitational

Star at the Genesis Invitational: Rory McIlroy. (Photo: Getty)
Star at the Genesis Invitational: Rory McIlroy. (Photo: Getty)

The professional sports world directs its focus to Pacific Palisades, California, USA, as The Riviera Country Club plays host to The Genesis Invitational on the esteemed PGA Tour. Twenty million dollars are waiting to be won in the buzzing atmosphere of the club. The tournament, played on a par 71 course, will test the mettle of the best golfers around, among them the current titleholder, Jon Rahm.

See all Tee Times here

PGA Tour Tee Times: Spotlight on the UK’s Best

Commencing the PGA Tour Tee Times, Tommy Fleetwood of England is lined up to play the first round of The Genesis Invitational at 11:30 am. He will be joined by Xander Schauffele from the USA and Sahith Theegala, also from the USA. For the second round, Fleetwood and his team have their PGA Tour Tee Times scheduled for 09:01 am.

Matthew Fitzpatrick, another of England’s participants, is penciled in for a start time of 11:42 am in the first round, accompanied by Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, both from the USA. For Friday’s second-round action, Fitzpatrick’s PGA Tour Tee Times position is 09:13 am.

Highlighting the PGA Tour Tee Times from the UK contingent, we have Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland. He will kickstart his efforts in the first round at 11:54 am playing alongside Max Homa and Wyndham Clark, both from the USA. On Friday, McIlroy and his group have an early start set for 09:25 am.

Player Round 1 Tee Time Round 2 Tee Time Mitspieler
Tommy Fleetwood 11:30 09:01 Xander Schauffele (USA), Sahith Theegala (USA)
Matthew Fitzpatrick 11:42 09:13 Scottie Scheffler (USA), Collin Morikawa (USA)
Rory McIlroy 11:54 09:25 Max Homa (USA), Wyndham Clark (USA)
Categories
Professionals

Race to Dubai Rankings: McIlroy on Top – Fleetwood best Englishman

Rory McIlroy remains on top of the Race To Dubai ranking - Tommy Fleetwood is the best English golfer. (Photos: Getty)
Rory McIlroy remains on top of the Race To Dubai ranking - Tommy Fleetwood is the best English golfer. (Photos: Getty)

The DP World Tour’s prestigious Race to Dubai continues to garner worldwide attention as players vie for supremacy. We’ve witnessed the first month of tournaments shaping up the leaderboard, with each event contributing crucial points towards the ultimate ranking. Even though Rory McIlroy did not play the last two DP World Tour events, he remains in his top position in the current Race to Dubai ranking. Notably, England has made a substantial representation with 22 players within the top 120, indicating the depth and quality of English golfers on tour.

Race To Dubai: The best English Golfers

Delving into the specifics, we observe the top English talents making their mark in the Race to Dubai standings. The highest-ranked player from England is Tommy Fleetwood, currently holding the 9th spot with 625.6 points, having played 2 events this season, including a significant win at the Dubai Invitational, the first event of the new year. Trailing him are Laurie Canter and Callum Shinkwin, placed 13th and 22nd respectively. Canter has accumulated 479.15 points from 5 events, while Shinkwin has garnered 263.4 points across 4 tournaments, showing a significant English presence in the Race To Dubai ranking. Alex Fitzpatrick at 28 and Dan Bradbury at 29 complete the English quintet in the Top 30 of the ranking.

The Top Players of the Race To Dubai

At the pinnacle of the leaderboard, Rory McIlroy shines as the leader with a commendable 1596 points from 2 events, including a victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Close on his heels is Adrian Meronk in second place with 1023.4 points from 4 events, followed by Joaquin Niemann in third with 966.73 points from 3 events, including a win. The ranking continues with Zander Lombard at fourth, accruing 726.59 points from 7 tournaments, and Rikuya Hoshino completing the top-5 cadre with 715.35 points from 5 events, demonstrating the global competition’s intensity and the fierce quest to be crowned the Race to Dubai champion.

How the DP World Tour Race to Dubai works

The Race to Dubai is the season ranking of the DP World Tour (former European Tour). The top 60 players in the Race to Dubai ranking are allowed to take part in the final play-off tournament of the former European Tour at the end of the season. The season ranking also determines who is allowed to play on the DP World Tour the following year. At each tournament, the players who make the cut collect points. The total number of points awarded at a tournament depends on the value of the event. Major tournaments earn the most points. For winning a DP World Tour tournament, the winner receives at least 460 points and a good 300,000 euros.

Text is written with the help of AI

Categories
Rules

Golf Rules: Wrong drop costs Rory McIlroy two strokes

Ignorance of the change to the rules of golf at the drop cost Rory McIlroy two shots at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2024. (Photo: Getty)

At the start of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and its proud prize money of 20 million US dollars, Rory McIlroy had to accept a severe penalty. Golf Post takes a look at the rules and reveals where you can drop the ball in the event of a relief.

Rules of golf: What did Rory McIlroy do wrong?

In Round 1 of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2024, Rory McIlroy’s ignorance proved to be the Northern Irishman’s undoing. In his first appearance on the PGA Tour this year, “Roars” had to accept a severe penalty after his tee shot on hole 7 of the Spyglass Hill Golf Course rushed into the botany of the par 5. The four-time major winner found his ball in the deep grass under one of the pine trees at Pebble Beach. Initially, the Northern Irishman considered hitting the ball from there before finally deciding to take relief. But when he dropped the ball, a rule change from the beginning of 2023 had consequences for the European’s scorecard.

The rules of golf on the back-on-the-line relief

McIlroy dropped the ball right of a tee, that was supposed to act as the reference line to the pin, with a clear conscience within one club length of the line. He continued his game and finished the par 5 with a bogey, but his relief to the right of the imaginary straight had an aftermath. What had been permitted since 2019 and until the beginning of 2023 has since been changed. A look at the official rules of golf provides information on the correct procedure for the drop. Rule 19.2b (relief “back on the line”) states this:

The player may drop the original ball or another ball (see Rule 14.3) behind the spot of the original ball, keeping the spot of the original ball between the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped (with no limit as to how far back the ball may be dropped). The spot on the line where the ball first touches the ground when dropped creates a relief area that is one club-length in any direction from that point, but with these limits:

Limits on Location of Relief Area:

  • Must not be nearer the hole than the spot of the orignal ball, and
  • May be in any area of the course, but
  • Must be in the same area of the course that the ball first touched when dropped.

The penalty for a false drop

McIlroy’s mistake was to take the relief one club length to the right of the reference line. The ball is allowed to fall on the line and roll up to one club length in either direction. However, Rory took a club length off the line and dropped it into what he thought was a relief area. That was still correct in 2019, but it changed in 2023. As a result, he acted against the rules by not dropping the ball again and was penalised two strokes under Rule 14.3 (4) (“What to do if Ball Dropped in Wrong Way”):

If the player does not drop again and instead makes a stroke at the ball from where it came to rest after being dropped in a wrong way:

If the ball was played from the relief area, the player gets one penalty stroke (but has not played from a wrong place under Rule 14.7a).

But if the ball was played from outside the relief area, or after it was placed when required to be dropped (no matter where it was played from), the player gets the general penalty.

It was this general penalty (two penalty strokes in counting play) that was to be McIlroy’s undoing on the leaderboard. The 34-year-old learnt of the penalty after the end of the round, accepted the rules’ interpretation and signed his scorecard. Three strokes under par became just one stroke under par, because his single bogey turned into a triple bogey. The officials discovered the offence through the use of the video team that takes care of the reviews.

Rory McIlroy: “I wasn’t aware that that rule was changed”

Rory McIlroy analysed the offence after the round: “[U]nbeknownst to me, the rule changed in January 2023 where you used to be able to come back on-line, take a club length either side. That was changed in 2019 to be able to do that. I wasn’t aware that that rule was changed again in 2023, so I took a drop thinking of the 2019 rules when everything was sort of changed, not knowing that the rule was changed again in 2023, so got a two-stroke penalty there.”