Rory McIlroy Wins Fedex Cup In Unlikely Fashion

Rory McIlroy rallies from 3 back to win Tour Championship in playoff

ATLANTA — Rory McIlroy holed two shots on the 16th hole at East Lake that made him a most unlikely FedEx Cup champion on Sunday.

The first one he didn’t even see go in.

Three shots behind with three holes to play at the Tour Championship, McIlroy holed a pitching wedge from 137 yards for eagle that gave him the spark he needed to close with a 6-under 64 and join a three-way playoff with the FedEx Cup title riding on the outcome.

“I knew I was right back in the golf tournament,” he said.

Four playoff holes later on the 16th, after Ryan Moore made a par putt from just outside 15 feet, McIlroy knocked in his 15-foot birdie putt to win two trophies that he desperately wanted — the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

“Just to see that ball drop, and everything that’s come together for me this year … to pull it off was really special,” McIlroy said, his voice still hoarse from screaming over so many quality shots, so many clutch moments over the final two hours at East Lake.

McIlroy picked up $11.53 million in one day — the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus and $1.53 million for the Tour Championship, his second victory in three weeks that made him the first player to win four FedEx Cup playoff events.

His only hope was to win the Tour Championship and have Dustin Johnson finish worse than second alone. Johnson closed with a 73 and tied for sixth.

In its 10th year, the FedEx Cup never had a finish like this.

Moore, who might have done enough to earn that last captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup, missed an 8-foot birdie putt by the slimmest of margins on the par-5 18th hole in regulation for a 64. In the playoff, he holed a 10-foot birdie putt with McIlroy facing a 6-foot eagle putt for the victory. McIlroy missed.

Even on the final hole, Moore gave McIlroy everything he had. His chip over a ridge raced well past the hole, and it looked as though McIlroy would only have to two-putt for the victory. Instead, Moore holed another big putt.

“I just wanted to make him earn it for that much money at least,” Moore said. “I wanted him to make the putt. It was nice to get up and make it, but you give a great player like him that many opportunities, and he’s going to make one eventually.”

Chappell had a two-shot lead with two holes to play when he made bogey on the 17th hole — only his third of the week at East Lake — and Moore birdied it in the group ahead of him. Chappell was woefully short on a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th for the win, and he was eliminated with a par on the first playoff hole when he made par.

They finished at 12-under 268.

Johnson surprisingly was never a factor and he hit too many errant shots on the front nine and never recovered. He still would have won the FedEx Cup had either Moore or Chappell won the tournament, which he said “would have been really cool.”

“It didn’t feel right because I didn’t win the Tour Championship,” Johnson said. “That’s why I was here to win. I knew I controlled my own destiny.”

Johnson was second in the FedEx Cup and received a $3 million bonus.

McIlroy had control of this all along once he got into the playoff, except for one nervous moment.

He looked to put the perfect finish onto his big day when he hit out of the rough and over the water to 6 feet for an eagle putt on the par-5 18th in the first playoff hole. McIlroy was ready to pump his fist until his eagle putt slid by, and he removed his cap in disbelief.

Returning to the 18th, McIlroy missed an 18-foot birdie putt for the win. On the third extra hole, the par-3 15th over the water from 201 yards, McIlroy had to make a 7-foot par putt just to stay in the game.

Nothing was bigger than that birdie at the end. McIlroy stiffened his back, clutched both arms and shouted above the raucous cheers at East Lake.

“I’ve made it no secret that it’s one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golf CV, and I made it a big goal of mine to win it,” McIlroy said. “To be here and to win the FedEx Cup … to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done, is very special.”

It was the longest playoff in the 30-year history of the Tour Championship.

Moore had to wait two hours to see if his performance — a 66-64 weekend at East Lake — was worthy of a captain’s pick. Davis Love IIIwas to announce his decision during halftime of the Sunday night NFL game.

Chappell headed into a month off trying to figure out what he has to do to win. He was runner-up for the fourth time this season — twice to Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world, and once to McIlroy. In those final rounds, Chappell’s scores were 67, 69, 69 and 66.

“I’m proud of the way I fought,” he said. “It just wasn’t enough.”

SOURCE: ESPN

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Dustin Johnson Surges at the Tour Championship

Dustin Johnson shoots 67, takes 1-shot lead at Tour Championship

ATLANTA — Dustin Johnson is playing better than anyone in the world, and Kevin Chappell can’t wait to watch him at the Tour Championship.

Even if that means having to beat him.

Johnson powered his way down the fairways and occasionally out of the brutal rough at East Lake on Friday for a 3-under 67, giving him a one-shot lead over Chappell and moving him one round closer to the $10 million FedEx Cup prize.

The U.S. Open champion is on a different level at the moment.

Even on a demanding test like East Lake this year — only 10 players remain under par — Johnson is hitting his driver long and straight. His wedge game has gone from a weakness to a strength. A new putter he put in play two weeks ago when he won the BMW Championship is giving him a better feel for alignment.

Small wonder that this was his seventh straight round at 68 or better during the FedEx Cup playoffs.

“The game is never easy. I wish it was,” Johnson said. “Obviously, I’m playing good right now. I’ve got a lot of confidence in my game. Every week, I feel like I bring the same game, which is nice. But I put in a lot of work to get to where I am.”

Johnson was at 7-under 133.

Chappell, one of two players at the Tour Championship who has yet to win on the PGA Tour, was just as solid, even if it doesn’t look as spectacular. He has made only one bogey in 36 holes, quite a feat on a course where the Bermuda rough is so punishing that balls sink to the ground and sometimes can’t be seen from a foot away.

He shot a 68 and will be in the final group of a playoff event for the second time this year.

Kevin Kisner (70) and Hideki Matsuyama (71) were four shots behind, while Rory McIlroy overcame another rough start on the front nine to post a 70. He was in the group five shots behind, which isn’t much of a deficit at the halfway point except for Johnson being the one they have to chase.

If nothing else, Johnson all but eliminated nearly everyone not among the top five seeds vying for the FedEx Cup. McIlroy is No. 6 and still has a chance, though he would have to win the Tour Championship and Johnson would have to finish third.

“I need to win, and I just need someone to play as good as Dustin this week,” McIlroy said.

Jason Day is out of the picture. The world’s No. 1 player withdrew in the middle of a round at the second straight tournament, citing the same nagging back issues that he hopes will be cured by rest.

By Day withdrawing, Johnson won the points-based PGA player of the year award and is likely to win the player vote as PGA Tour player of the year because of his three victories, with perhaps another to follow.

But there is still work ahead of him, and that starts with Chappell.

“I promise you, I’ll be watching Dustin,” Chappell said. “He’s the best player in the world right now, and it’s an opportunity for me to see where my game is. There’s a golf tournament going on, and I have a chance to win that. That’s the ultimate goal. But I also have a chance to see why he’s the best player in the world right now, and I look forward to taking advantage of that opportunity.”

Chappell has been a runner-up three times this season and keeps running into the wrong guys — Kisner at Sea Island, Day at Bay Hill and The Players Championship. He also was in the mix at the TPC Boston until McIlroy pulled away.

“It seems I like going against the hot player at the time,” he said.

Russell Knox matched the low score of the tournament with a 66 that allowed him to get back under par at 1-under 139, along with Justin Thomas, who is still hopeful of a Ryder Cup pick at the end of the week.

Thomas lost a shot when his ball moved right as he set his putter down behind a short par putt on the 11th hole. The PGA Tour reviewed it on videotape and gave him a one-shot penalty under Rule 18-2, the same penalty applied to Johnson at Oakmont in the U.S. Open.

Thomas disagreed with, but accepted, the penalty. His argument was it was not a flat surface and the greens were running fast

“It’s nothing against the rules officials. It’s a god-awful rule,” Thomas said. “It’s very fortunate it didn’t cost Dustin a major championship. I hope it doesn’t cost me anything. I don’t feel like I did anything wrong.”

Mark Russell, the vice president of rules and competition for the tour, said, the wind was light and the ball had been at rest “for quite some time.”

“And the moment that Justin put his club behind the ball and addressed the ball, the ball moved,” he said. “In that situation, the evidence is against the player and he was penalized.”

That left him six shots behind Johnson instead of five. Either way, it’s a tall order for Thomas or anyone to catch Johnson.

SOURCE: ESPN

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Ryder Cup – US Team Leadership Under Fire

Lee Westwood raises Ryder Cup doubts about Davis Love III and Tiger Woods

Leo Spall Deputy Editor 

Lee Westwood may have been firing a warning shot or playing mind games as he talked about the prospects of the U.S. and Europe in the Ryder Cup.

As he prepared to make his 10th appearance in the competition at Hazeltine next week, he made it clear that he has not been entirely convinced by the selection and leadership of Davis Love III or vice-captain Tiger Woods.

“His [Love’s] captaincy at Chicago was great for a couple of days,” Westwood said, remembering how Love presided over his country’s rise and fall in 2012 at Medinah, when the team let a 10-6 lead slip in the singles on the final day.

“I don’t know if something went wrong on the Sunday, or the team didn’t play very well for some reason, but that will be in the back of their minds.”

Love was not the favorite to be named America’s captain before his role was confirmed, with Fred Couples fancied by many and the disunity that was obvious under Tom Watson’s leadership at Gleneagles in 2014 still front of mind.

Once the bulk of his team was named, however, the narrative quickly moved on. In terms of the balance of power, the Europeans, for whom the possibility of a rookie horror show has been raised, have been asked a lot by their local media about tackling what has been seen as a strong opposition line up.

Love can boast players such as Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson and, while Europe has Rory McIlroy and Westwood, captain Darren Clarke will be heading to Minnesota with six players making their debuts.

Westwood will be one of the experienced players in the team on hand to help rookies such as Chris Wood, Thomas Pieters and Matt Fitzpatrick adjust to the unique Ryder Cup atmosphere, but he hinted the U.S. team might have some teething troubles of its own.

“There seem to have been issues about team spirit and chemistry,” Westwood told ESPN. “Love’s has not picked Bubba Watson and I don’t know what that does for team spirit — he was first outside the points qualification and is No.7 in the world.

“The captain is obviously building them up a lot and making a few interesting decisions. They have have got a strong side and probably are favorites but they haven’t won it for a while and they are playing in front of a home crowd — there is a lot of pressure on them.

“That is going to keep building in the next week or so and by the time the Ryder Cup comes around it is going to be pretty intense for them, the week in Minnesota.

“They have got this task force in place, they are obviously being very serious and doing as much as they can to win the Cup back. There is a lot of pressure on them.”

The role of the teams’ vice-captains — one which many thought Westwood would have been given for Europe had Clarke not made him one of his three picks — is to help players deal with outside influences and issues, keep the team in top form.

But having Woods, a seven-time player with a 13-17-3 record, on the U.S. roster will bring extra attention, even if Love has claimed the 14-time major winner’s strength will be in his contribution to strategy.

“I don’t know what impact there will be from having Tiger around,” Westwood said. “They [the U.S. team] have always struggled to find a partner for Tiger that’s been successful.

“He could have an adverse effect in the team room. People have always seemed to try to do too much when they have partnered him. It might be different if he’s one of the vice-captains — you don’t know.”

SOURCE: ESPN

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Nike has added Jason Day to its golf label

No. 1 golfer Jason Day signs endorsement deal with Nike

Darren Rovell- ESPN Senior Writer

Nike has signed the best golfer in the world — again.

Sources tell ESPN.com that the world’s largest shoe and apparel company has signed Jason Day to wear its shoes and apparel, including its hat.

The move became possible when Nike suddenly announced last month that it was leaving the equipment business. Day, whose contract is up at the end of the year with TaylorMade-Adidas, is happy with his equipment, so he re-signed with TaylorMade. Those who have TaylorMade clubs usually get paired with Adidas shoes and apparel. But that has changed as Adidas, amidst continued consumer pressure in the golf business, is selling its golf businesses.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but one source said the No. 1 golfer in the world will get paid north of $10 million a year. Day’s agent Bud Martin of Wasserman did not return a call seeking comment.

Day might not be in the same marketing category as Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy, but Nike can sell plenty of golf shirts by using Day as a model. Day is the model of consistency that Woods nor McIlroy have been. Not only did he win last year’s PGA Championship, but he has finished in the top 10 in six of the past eight majors.

With Woods out, and McIlroy’s game not up to par, Nike has had to push Brooks Koepka as its next name at retail, but he only has one PGA Tour win.

In Day, Nike hopes to find more relevance on Sunday of the majors. A Nike endorser hasn’t won a major in the past eight, the longest drought since 2003-04. And Tiger’s last PGA Tour came more than three years ago.

Nike agreed to shutter its golf equipment business after it finished fiscal 2016 with $706 million in revenue, its worst year since 2011. While it never achieved significant market share in the equipment business, its golf clothing business is a market leader and profitable.

SOURCE: ESPN

 

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Tiger Woods returning to PGA in October

Tiger Woods targets three events starting with Safeway Open in October

CARMEL, Ind. — Tiger Woods plans to return to competitive golf next month at the Safeway Open, and hopes to add two more events before the end of the year.

Woods, 40, announced on his website Wednesday that he hopes to play the Safeway, formerly known as the Frys.com Open, Oct. 13-16 in Napa, California. It is the first event of the PGA Tour’s 2016-17 season and will be his first tournament in more than a year.

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He also said he hopes to play in the European Tour’s Turkish Airlines Open in early November as well as the Hero World Challenge in December, Woods’ annual tournament that benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation.

“I think it’s great,” Phil Mickelson told ESPN on Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to spending time with him at the Ryder Cup. I think that’ll be great motivation for him.

“I’m hoping we can get paired together. That would be really fun. I would love it. It’s great to have him back and hopefully he’s physically able to practice the way he needs.”

Woods, who has held the No. 1 ranking in the world longer than anyone else, has slipped to 711th due to inactivity after undergoing two back procedures in the fall of 2015. He tied for 10th at the Wyndham Championship in August 2015, then had back surgery in mid-September and another procedure in late October.

If Woods plays Oct. 13, it will end a stretch of 416 days between official tournament rounds for him.

“My rehabilitation is to the point where I’m comfortable making plans, but I still have work to do,” Woods said in a statement. “Whether I can play depends on my continued progress and recovery. My hope is to have my game ready to go.

“I’m looking forward to going to California for my foundation event and Safeway. I’m also excited to return to Turkey and Albany [in the Bahamas]. It could be a fun fall. It was difficult missing tournaments that are important to me, but this time I was smart about my recovery and didn’t rush it.”

What shape Woods’ game will be in will be of incredible interest. He suffered through his worst year as a pro in 2015, missing the cut in three major championships. He had swing issues to work through with his coach, Chris Como, that were not helped by injury and inactivity.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him play again, seeing what the state of his game is,” said No. 1-ranked Jason Day, who has become a frequent texting buddy of Woods’ and said he sensed the 14-time major winner was close to a comeback.

“This time I think he’s done it the right way by waiting and not coming back too soon. There’s been a couple of times where I feel like he may have come back too soon and kind of injured himself a little bit more, and that’s what’s kept him out of the game so long. But there’s probably a lot of anticipation to see how the state of his game is and I’m definitely looking forward to watching those tournaments and seeing how his body holds up and how the mental side and obviously the golf side of things hold up as well.”

The Safeway event will be played just two weeks after the Ryder Cup, where Woods will serve as a vice captain for the United States.

“We’re always going to have high expectations because the guy is arguably one of the two greatest players in history if not the greatest,” Mickelson said. “Our expectations of him will always be high. It doesn’t mean given all the health issues and challenges that he’s faced… it doesn’t mean that’s fair.”

The Turkish Airlines Open (Nov. 3-6) is the first of three European Tour events known as the Final Series. Woods played the tournament in 2013 and tied for third. He is likely getting an appearance fee to compete.

The Hero World Challenge, to be played Dec. 1-4 in the Bahamas, is an 18-player event that invites players based on the world rankings and major championships. Woods has an exemption as tournament host.

SOURCE: ESPN

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McIlroy making a move at the Deutsche Bank Championship… Is it the new putter?

Rory McIlroy rallies, vaults up Deutsche Bank leaderboard

NORTON, Mass. — The bad news for Rory McIlroy happened Friday, as he played his first three holes of the Deutsche Bank Championship opening round in 4-over par. The good news is that he’s bounced back in a big way, playing the next 51 holes in 13 under, including a third-round 5-under 66 on Sunday that moved him into contention for his first PGA Tour win of the season.

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“The way I’m looking at it is, how good a tournament would this be to win, being 4 over through three,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to do something that I’ve never done before. I’ve never started a tournament like that and went on to win it, so it’s a great opportunity to try and overcome a little bit of adversity to start with and then get into it.”

McIlroy has overcome his share of adversity already during this tournament. In addition to five bogeys, he has carded a double-bogey and a triple-bogey. Those have been counteracted by an impressive 17 birdies and an eagle that was nearly a double-eagle.

After backing off his second shot on the par-5 18th hole multiple times due to sudden wind gusts, McIlroy hit a 4-iron shot that bounced on the front of the green, rolled directly at the hole and lipped out.

“It was worth the wait,” he laughed. “I had to back off the shot twice because the wind was gusting and I didn’t know if I had enough club in the end. I hit a 4 iron as good as I could and buttoned it. It looked good for a while.”

As to whether it would’ve been an albatross or a double-eagle, McIlroy remained firm: “Definitely albatross. I’m still European. I play for the blue team.”

Speaking of playing for the blue team, McIlroy should have European Ryder Cup fans breathing easier with his putting display so far this week.

One week after switching to a Scotty Cameron putter and formalizing a working relationship with short-game guru Phil Kenyon, McIlroy is more than 4 strokes better on the greens than the field, according to the strokes gained putting statistic.

“I think I’m No. 1 on tour strokes gained off the tee, No. 2 strokes gained tee to green, so that stuff has been there all year,” he explained. “Even the approach shots haven’t been up to the standard I would like them to be, but even around the green I’ve been OK.

“It’s just been the putting that’s really let me down. I’m really happy with that; I’m happy with how I’ve held on. I’m happy with how I converted a few of the chances I had yesterday and today, and feel like if I can just keep that going, and build on the momentum that I have.”

SOURCE: ESPN

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Who is the Best Player after Week 1 of FedEx Cup?

Golf Power Rankings: Jason Day takes No. 1 spot from Dustin Johnson

There was movement at the very top, and we have a new player in the top five as well

by Kyle Porter 

The first FedEx Cup Playoff event is in the books, and it resulted in a big shakeup at the top of this week’s power rankings. This might be the first time this season we have had a takeover of the No. 1 spot from a non-winner the week before (more on that in a minute). First, let’s look back at the parameters of the exercise.

  1. Scope is last two months of tournaments
  2. We value different things but will take into account wins, top 10s and
  3. If you haven’t played, you don’t get ranked (i.e. Tiger Woods)
  4. Recency matters
  5. PGA Tour will be main focus but bigger European events will be factored in

1. Jason Day (3): Day somehow willed himself to a top four finish at The Barclays despite basically only using his putter to score with. He raised his strokes gained putting number to an even more outrageous number than it was at before the week started and has officially taken the Tiger Woods role of contending in every tournament he plays in no matter how well he’s hitting it. Official World Golf Ranking: 1

2. Dustin Johnson (Last week: 1): Johnson finished in the top 20 last week at The Barclays but never really scared the leaders. His reign atop our power rankings is over with his missed cut at the PGA Championship and T18 at The Barclays. OWGR: 2

3. Jordan Spieth (4): Spieth banged out another top 10 at The Barclays and could have finished a lot higher if not for a double bogey that unwound him on the 17th hole on Saturday. I’m bullish on his FedEx Cup Playoffs future over the next month. OWGR: 3

4. Henrik Stenson (2): Stenson is in trouble after The Barclays because of a knee injury that caused him to withdraw. The rest of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and (even more importantly) Ryder Cup could be up in the air. OWGR: 4

5. Patrick Reed (8): Reed is having himself a nice late summer push. Four top 13s in five events coming into The Barclays before holding Rickie Fowler at arm’s length for his fifth (!) PGA Tour title by the age of 26. Heady stuff from one of the anchors for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. OWGR: 9

6. Phil Mickelson (5): Mickelson and New York crowds were made for each other. He clearly loves playing Bethpage and responded with a T13 finish last week. His commentary on Justin Rose putting with his gold medal on was even better. OWGR: 13

7. Sergio Garcia (6): Garcia did not play The Barclays last week. OWGR: 12

8. Brooks Koepka (7): Koepka narrowly made the cut at Bethpage and then did nothing after that with a pair of 73s. I can’t knock him too much over a single tournament, but you certainly want to see your presumable Ryder Cup studs showing out before Hazeltine. OWGR: 18

9. Justin Rose (13): Rose gets bonus points for putting a freaking gold medal around his neck to putt out with at Bethpage. I’ll bump him three slots just for that! OWGR: 10

10. Matt Kuchar (10): Kuchar shot three rounds over par and a 69 at The Barclays. One of those rounds was a 76. Not great timing for somebody needing a Ryder Cup captain’s pick. OWGR: 15

11. Rory McIlroy (12): New putter, same story for McIlroy. He finished No. 77 (of 79) in putting at Bethpage for The Barclays. If he finds a stroke it’s game, blouses. But that’s the biggest “if” of the golf season so far. OWGR: 5

12. Russell Knox (11): A T60 from Knox to follow up his Travelers Championship win. To make matters worse, he got left off the European Ryder Cup team on Tuesday despite being inside the OWGR top 20. OWGR: 20

13. Emiliano Grillo (NR): Grillo is a flat-out stud. Top 15 at the PGA Championship. Top 10 at the Olympics. Now T2 at The Barclays. As an American, I’m glad he’s not going to be on the European Ryder Cup team. OWGR: 25

14. Jimmy Walker (14): Walker has now missed two straight cuts since winning the PGA Championship. OWGR: 19

15. Branden Grace (9): Another MC from Grace. He’s falling rapidly. OWGR: 14

16. Ryan Moore (NR): Moore scored a top 10 at Bethpage after winning the John Deere Classic a few weeks ago. Might be making a last-minute bid to get on the Ryder Cup squad. OWGR: 43

17. Jim Furyk (17): Furyk finished T41 at The Barclays with zero rounds in the 60s. He will still likely receive a Ryder Cup pick. OWGR: 22

18. Si Woo Kim (18): Kim narrowly missed the cut at The Barclays following his Wyndham win. No surprise there. There is a lot that goes on after a win that drains you emotionally and physically. He should rebound next week at the Deutsche Bank Championship. OWGR: 62

SOURCE: CBSSPORTS

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Top Public Courses in U.S. – Are You Ready for the Challenge?

The 5 Best ‘Overshadowed’ Public Golf Courses In The U.S.

Erik Matuszewski ,  CONTRIBUTOR – FORBES

The first tournament in the PGA Tour’s playoff run is being played at Bethpage State Park’s world-renowned Black Course in New York, a layout that’s also hosted two U.S. Opens.

“The Black,” as it’s infamously known, is just one of five golf courses — all open to the public — at Bethpage, which sees approximately 300,000 rounds per year. The Black is the most storied (and feared) of the color-coded courses at Bethpage, so it’s only natural that it overshadows its neighbors.

Following is a rundown of five of the best courses in the U.S. that perhaps don’t always get the attention they deserve because of a more heralded layout at the same property that hosts PGA Tour events. All are public or resort courses.

BETHPAGE RED – Farmingdale, New York 

Bethpage State Park's Red Course is an A.W. Tillinghast design, just like the Blue and the more ballyhooed Black.

Bethpage State Park’s Red Course is an A.W. Tillinghast design, just like the Blue and the more ballyhooed Black.

Like “The Black,” Bethpage Red was also designed by Hall of Fame architect A.W. Tillinghast and sits adjacent to its more famous sibling. The Red course is the second-toughest of the five at Bethpage and features a run of long par-4 holes, including the beastly opening hole which plays uphill at 460 yards from the back tee. Although it doesn’t have the acclaim of the Black course, the Red is a challenging layout that’s hosted local tournaments such as the 2015 Met PGA Assistant Championship, the Long Island Open and the Met Junior PGA. For an incredible 36-hole experience outside the exclusive private clubs on Long Island, walk Bethpage Black and then ride the second 18 at the Red course.

THE LINKS AT SPANISH BAY – Pebble Beach, California

The Links at Spanish Bay on the Monterey Peninsula. Photo credit: Joann Dost

The Links at Spanish Bay on the Monterey Peninsula. Photo credit: Joann Dost

It’s easy to understand why Spanish Bay gets overshadowed with legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links just a short drive away down 17-Mile Drive. But the course, created by the design team of Robert Trent Jones Jr., Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum, has rightfully snagged a spot among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. It’s a true links-style course in California of which Watson, a five-time British Open champion, famously said, “It’s so much like Scotland, you can almost hear the bagpipes playing.” It’s marked by spectacular waterfront views, beautiful natural dunes, and fast and firm conditions. At the end of the day, there may be no better spot for a 19th hole: sitting by one of the fire pits just off the second green while a bagpiper plays and the sun sets into the ocean.

KAPALUA BAY COURSE – Kapalua, Maui

The par-3 fifth hole at Kapalua's Bay Course.

The par-3 fifth hole at Kapalua’s Bay Course.

Some of the most breathtaking views of the PGA Tour season come from the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua’s Plantation Course every January, when golfers in frigid climes live vicariously through the stunning imagery on Maui. The Plantation Course is the gem at the Kapalua Resort, but the Arnold Palmer-designed Bay Course is special in its own right. The layout has hosted more than 20 professional tournaments and was the site of Greg Norman’s first U.S. victory in 1983. The par-3 fifth hole is utterly unforgettable, the only hole on Maui to play over the ocean.

IRISH COURSE AT WHISTLING STRAITS – Kohler , Wisconsin

 

The sixth hole at the Irish Course at Whistling Straits known as "Mulligan's Watch." (Photo credit: The American Club)

The sixth hole at the Irish Course at Whistling Straits known as “Mulligan’s Watch.” (Photo credit: The American Club)

The Straits Course at Whistling Straits along Lake Michigan is among the most ruggedly dramatic layouts in the U.S., the site of the PGA Championship in 2004, 2010 and 2015. It was designed by Pete Dye, who also built the second 18-hole track at The American Club — the less-heralded Irish Course. Traditional and memorable, the Irish is a grassland and dunes course located just inland from the great lake and is interspersed by four meandering streams. It has about half the bunkers of its famous neighbor and is more sheltered from the fierce winds that can come whipping off Lake Michigan. Don’t miss it on a golf trip to Wisconsin.

THE GREENBRIER COURSE AT THE GREENBRIER – White Sulfur Springs, W.V.

The Greenbrier Course at the Greenbrier Resort in the mountains of West Virginia. (Photo credit: The Greenbrier)

The Old White TPC has been the site of the PGA Tour’s inaugural Greenbrier Classic, but its just one of five 18-hole layouts (and counting) at the historic West Virginia resort.  The Greenbrier Course was designed by Seth Raynor, an associate of C.B. MacDonald, who built Old White. The heavily-wooded course was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1977 in preparation for the 1979 Ryder Cup and encourages shot-shaping off the tee and deft approach shots into the greens. The Greenbrier Course also hosted the 1994 Solheim Cup, making it the only resort course in the world to hold the premier team golf events for both men and women. Although less heralded today, the Greenbrier Course has more history than the resort’s course the pros now play each year. The lowest score at the Greenbrier Course? Sam Snead’s 59.

 

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McIlroy won’t rush to switch clubs

Jason Sobel ESPN Senior Writer

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — There were several newsworthy moments from Rory McIlroy’s interview session on Wednesday in regard to his equipment. He might not sign with another manufacturer anytime soon; he’s got three years’ worth of golf balls stored away if he needs them; and he’s switching to a mallet-style putter for this week’s Barclays tournament.

But let’s start with perhaps the biggest takeaway: When Nike Golf announced recently that it would be ceasing its equipment operation, one of the company’s star attractions barely knew ahead of time.

“It was a shock to all of us,” McIlroy revealed. “I got a call two hours before it was announced.”

The dominoes from that announcement have already started to fall, as McIlroy will have a Scotty Cameron-model putter in his bag this week.

Following a poor putting performance at the PGA Championship three weeks ago, he felt it was time to make a change.

“There’s a bit to go and it’s a process, but I feel like I’ve made a good start,” McIlroy explained. “I feel like with the putter change to a mallet, it doesn’t encourage that face to close that much, which is the bad putt I was getting. So it just sort of encourages the face to stay a little more square through impact.”

As for the rest of those dominoes, McIlroy insisted he’ll take a wait-and-see approach regarding any other equipment changes.

“I’m not going to commit to anything,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see me not go with a manufacturer for a year or two, just sort of play with what I want to play, play with what I’m comfortable with, and go from there.”

That hasn’t stopped other manufacturers from already trying.

McIlroy revealed with a laugh that his parents’ home in Northern Ireland has been inundated with packages from companies requesting that he test out their products.

“I don’t think it’s the time or the place to change what I feel like I’m very comfortable with,” he said. “Obviously, working with the Nike guys over the last number of years, they have gotten to know me and my specific tendencies and what I like in golf clubs. No reason to start changing just because I can. I’m comfortable with everything.”

As for those golf balls, well, McIlroy knows he’ll need to find a new one at some point, but he’s comfortable extending that deadline as long as possible.

“I’ve got them to save me a lot of three years’ worth of golf balls, so at least I’ve got a golf ball that I like and that I know that I can play well with,” he said.

How many balls is that, exactly?

“If I don’t lose a golf ball, I’m still using at least six, you know, cutting them,” he said with a laugh. “There’s a few dozen there.”

SOURCE: ESPN

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Women’s Olympic Gold Update – Ko in Final Pairing, Makes an Ace Friday

Is there gold in Ko’s future?

RIO DE JANEIRO — Golf being a game for a lifetime, Lydia Ko could be excused for never having made an ace. She’s just 19, remember.

Then again, she has won 14 times on the LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player to win two major championships. She is the No. 1-ranked player in the world.

And she’s never had a hole-in-one?

That changed for Ko on Friday in the third round of the women’s Olympic golf tournament. And what a time to do it. Ko holed a 7-iron shot from 140 yards at the par-3 eighth hole to help her shoot 29 over the first nine holes and finish with a 65 that vaulted her into contention for Olympic gold.

In blustery conditions that became more pronounced in the afternoon, Ko’s score was the best of the day and moved her up 20 spots into a tie for second, 2 strokes behind South Korea’s Inbee Park.

“To do that at the Olympics, it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Ko, who is from New Zealand. “But to put myself back into good position going into tomorrow, I think was a job well done going forward.”

Ko’s exploits help set up what could be a potentially blockbuster final day for Olympic golf, which will get started earlier than usual due to expected bad weather Saturday afternoon. A two-tee start will begin at 6 a.m. ET with Ko’s final pairing going off at 7:39 a.m. ET.

She will be in that final group with Park, 28, who spent a good bit of time at No. 1 in the world and has 17 LPGA Tour titles, including seven major championships. A thumb injury has kept her from performing at her best this year, but Park has responded nicely during the Olympics, shooting scores of 66-66-70 to position herself for a gold medal.

Joining them in the last group will be American Gerina Piller, who has never won on the LPGA Tour but has played inspired golf this week. At a Tuesday news conference, Piller got emotional just talking about the idea of getting on the medal stand. Now, after a third-round 68, she could be just a day away.

And that is not to count out the likes of Shanshan Feng of China or Charley Hull of Great Britain or a couple of other South Koreans: Amy Yang and In Gee Chung. They are all within striking distance of a medal, potentially even gold.

All of that seemed unlikely for Ko after a lackluster start to the tournament. The pre-Olympics favorite, Ko opened 69-70 and trailed Park by 7 shots.

But the New Zealander got hot on the first nine Friday, making birdies at the first, fifth and sixth holes before her ace at the eighth. She then struck her approach to 3 feet at the ninth for another birdie and an outward nine of 29 strokes.

The hole-in-one was her first anywhere, somewhat surprising given her success around the world to this point.

“I was just [recently] talking to someone and I said, I’ve actually only made a fifth of a hole-in-one because I made a hole-in-one for a double[-bogey] in a practice round, so I really can’t count it,” said Ko, meaning that she had hit two balls in a hazard before holing the third for a 5.

“This is the first one in practice rounds or tournaments included, and I almost didn’t know how to react. Because it’s the first one and the wind is blowing and I haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to hole-in-ones.

“I would have loved to, like, done a dance or jumped up and down, but in that situation, I think I was almost trying not to cry, and then I realized, hey, I’ve got 11 more holes, get out of it.”

Ko then made nine straight pars to close out her round in some of the toughest conditions. That put her in the last group for Saturday’s final round. In Round 3, Ko hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

“I see a girl who is way beyond her years,” said Paul McGinley, the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain who has served as a team leader for the Irish golfers the past two weeks; he watched Ko on Friday while she played with Ireland’s Leona Maguire.

“She’s very mature as a golfer and in control of her game. She understands her game, her swing, and she is very proficient at her craft. And she stays in her own mindset. Doesn’t play anybody else’s game. Doesn’t get caught up in the emotions of a good hole, bad hole. And as I say, a girl who seems to be very mature as a golfer.”

Those attributes have served Ko well in an amazing career as a teenager, one that has a chance to get even better Saturday.

“Ever since ’09, I was only 12 then, I’ve imagined myself to be able to represent New Zealand at the Olympics,” Ko said. “To be here and especially on the first day, the first hole, I almost needed to pinch myself if I was really here in Rio and really competing in the Olympics.

“To be able to stand on that podium, it’s almost more than what you would imagine. Yesterday, New Zealand had five athletes who got to stand on the podium and I said, ‘Wow, what a feeling it would be to put my contribution and stand on the podium for New Zealand, too. Just start imagining and dreaming about it.’

“But you never know with the game of golf. Things can change so quickly.”

SOURCE: ESPN

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