That led to 17 players being suspended indefinitely from all PGA sanctioned events. The list of players includes high-profile golfers such as Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Dustin Johnson. 

“These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons,” PGA commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in the memo. 

“But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities, and platform as you. That expectations disrespect you, our fans, and our partners. You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the tournament regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA Tour card and – more importantly – to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf.”

Golf legend, Greg Norman, who spent 331 weeks as the #1 golfer in the world during the 80s called the move “vindictive” (and it is). Norman was named CEO of the LIV Invitational in 2021. 

While the words of Monahan sound personal, it is understandable when you think the LIV Golf Series events conflict with those of the PGA, and they are proud to be competitors of the old-fashion structure.  

The LIV Golf Invitational Series is different from the traditional PGA Tour. It features 48 players broken down into 12 teams playing 54 holes (3 rounds) with a shotgun start – all golfers play at the same time. The series spreads across eight events in eight different cities, starting in London this weekend and capping off in Miami for the team championship. 

The fun and team-style play are not what swayed golfers, it was the record-breaking purses. For each winning team, they will receive $25 million, with $4 million going to the best golfer of the weekend. 

Fewer events a year and more money sound like a sweet deal. 

“I want to be around as a dad,” 42-year-old Matt Jones said. “I mean, I’ve been out here for 15 years. I’ve missed a lot of what goes on in my kids’ life. I was raised with a mom and dad that were always there for me. They were there at every sporting event, every schooling event, and that’s something I’d like to try and do for my kids.”

For other older players like Jones, with families, the LIV invitational gives them more time with their families and less time on the road. And of course a chance at a higher purse. 

The PGA Tour has prestige and legacy. For over 90 years, the PGA Tour has been the standard in the sport of golf. Monahan is confident that because of that history and lineage, their partners will side with them in the new age of “golf beef”. 

And he might be right. Rocket Mortgage terminated its sponsorship deal with Bryson DeChambeau after he committed to playing in the LIV Invitational. According to ESPN, DeChambeau is expected to play in the second event, hosted in Portland Oregon, on June 30. As the weeks go on, it’s not certain how many more golfers will lose their sponsorships.

“I’m as curious as you are to see how the tournaments will go and what the presentation will be like, if it will be similar to golf tournaments that we’re used to seeing on TV, or if it will be something totally different, and only time will tell,” Patrick Cantlay said last week. “I’m interested to see what that product will be compared to what the product is right now that we are all used to.”

The LIV Golf Series has already proved they have the money to compete with the PGA Tour but the one thing that could halt their poaching ambitions is whether or not the Major championships side with the PGA Tour. The Masters, U.S Open, and PGA Championships governing bodies have yet to decide if they will ban players from their competitions. Many players hope that they will still be allowed to participate in Majors but like the rest of us, they’ll have to watch this situation play out. 

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(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

And I didn’t even mention the man who won gold from the United States.

This is a safe space. I know you didn’t stay up overnight to watch one hell of a final round of the Olympic Golf Tournament. I know because for four hours of jaw-dropping, eye emoji moments, the only person tweeting about the tournament was myself. Quite frankly, that sucks. Read me tweets. You’ll agree.

We had the stars. We had full coverage (nearly 12 hours of the final round). Xander Schauffele, who ended up winning the golf tournament, lurks on the brink of a marquee name in the sport. He’s never won a major, but he’s always on the leaderboard. The biggest knock on him came true in the biggest win of his career – he can’t close. Remember when he rinsed one on 16 at The Masters this year and then Matsuyama went on to win the event? Xander wanted to add an extra layer of suspense by frittering away a four-shot lead around the turn. Matsuyama got super hot, as did Rory Sabbatini, and turned the leaderboard into a pylon scoreboard at Daytona.

They didn’t have a cut in the event. This sent golfers off in groups of three every day. Usually, this becomes a drawn out affair with no one batting an eyelash if 18 holes clock in over five hours. This didn’t happen at the Olympics. When the groups hit the course in full flush, it was golf shot after golf shot. And they were mostly great.

A number of reachable par fours gave the best in the world the opportunity to unleash it on the Olympic stage. Mix that with soft greens and you’ll get a number of bombs made by the pros. It’s still fun to watch a 40-footer drop.

Schauffele’s father, who tried to make an Olympic team in his prime, got to hang with the volunteers on the 18^th green as his son won the biggest tournament of his career. Schauffele’s grandparents live in Tokyo. You can’t write a script like this. In his biggest win of his career, Schauffele’s paycheck came in gold.

So, why did interest wane? Is golf too new for the Olympics? This is only the second time after a near century respite. There’s no Tiger or Phil. Golf will get the guys like me, who could wake up at 4 AM and stay on the couch all day and enjoy it. The end of the round came around 3 AM on Sunday, not exactly an ideal time for a television audience when it’s going against a farm report and re-air of local news. The PGA Tour needs to make these Olympic Games – with the biggest stars – a priority. In a backlogged year due to a pandemic, a number of players opted for the WGC event this upcoming week which pays serious bank. We also need to change the way the Olympic team comes together. There should be a points race – not a limit from the top countries. You should want to go to the Olympics. It’s neat to have people from countries I can’t identify on a map, but they can’t hold a candle to the best players. Also, and this a must, develop a cut. The best players go out last (usually) on the weekend. Only half the field finished in prime time. That needs to be addressed.

The 2016 gold medalist Justin Rose was thought to instantly catapult his career to major championships. It hasn’t. Here’s hoping Schauffele’s just starting his magical ride in golf.

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Oostie shot a final round over par – in the final game (or pairing) – to take himself out of contention for his second Claret Jug. He’s playing the best golf in his entire life, will make a ridiculous fortune just this year along and still doesn’t have the hardware to prove he’s a major champion in his late 30’s. That’s not to say that Louis hasn’t won a major title. He blitzed the field out of absolute nowhere in the 2010 Open Championship, winning the Jug by seven shots. It’s the singular Open I remember thinking that the round ended up boring – by a guy I’d never heard of since sometime on Thursday of that week.

And it wasn’t just me. Announcers either couldn’t pronounce his name or stood their ground that they knew how to pronounce “Oosthuizen.” It became comical just how many different versions of the same name some Tour announcers used verbal gymnastics to celebrate the Champion Golfer of the Year.

After that Open, a unique streak took place that only genuine golf aficionados could pick out of a lineup. Oostie couldn’t close. The man who lived at the top of the leaderboard for most of the weekend met his arch nemesis: Sunday. He lost a playoff in The Masters in 2012. He pulled a “two-fer” Open runner-up finish in the U.S. Open & Open Championship three years later, which included another playoff at The Open. In 2007, a second place finish in the PGA added to the narrative. But nothing – and I mean nothing – could prepare the South African from his record of heartbreak after the pandemic.

In less than a calendar year, Oosthuizen finished four majors on the podium. He gagged away late leads at the U.S. Open this year and last weekend’s Open Championship – both coming from the final game. He also finished miles behind Phil at the PGA – but the second place check still cashes in the same number. Same deal took place at the U.S. Open in September when Bryson outdrove everyone by a mile. There’s a definite pattern here and it’s only getting worse for people who like to analyze the sport. Personally, I think Louis couldn’t care about his place in the game. Some of golf’s stars don’t face the make or miss pressure of those who wagered on these guys. It’s not to say they don’t care – they wouldn’t make any Tour if they walked through it. It’s saying that Oostie knows he’s going to have a great time with his family after work. He genuinely enjoys the family aspect of his life and who would blame a man who takes pride in the best thing he’s ever created.

Louis can only boast one PGA Tour win (his bludgeoning of other golfers at the ’10 Open Championship) and 14 career Tour wins (including lesser ones like the Sunshine and Asian Tours). He’s never won a PLAYERS, a World Golf Championship event and he boasts a playoff record across all Tours of 3-6. Even though Collin Morikawa played like an absolute assassin down the stretch at Royal St. George’s, Louis Oosthuizen didn’t leave the property empty handed. He’s only 38 and playing the best golf of his entire life. Get the trophy room ready, Louis. Life begins at 40.

The post Another Podium Finish appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Expect high scores, frustrated golfers and extensive coverage as we get ready for the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course in South Carolina. Rory McIlroy (see my previous story) will enter the tournament as the favorite and he won the whole darn thing back in 2012. It’s extremely difficult to go back-to-back in majors nearly a decade apart – and the key to the entire weekend is the tee times of the first two rounds.

If it’s windy early and not late, the fellas in the afternoon get a major advantage. You can’t win the golf tournament on Thursday, but you can play your way out of it. We will see scores in the 80’s. When you mix a Pete Dye golf course with 30 miles per hour winds, you will get a scorecard that needs a TI-81.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

Let’s start with the most important piece of information for you and me this week: TV times. I hope you already have ESPN +. I’d you don’t and you love golf, I Implore you to remedy that as soon as possible. ESPN + starts coverage Thursday at 7 AM and runs all the way to 1 PM where ESPN picks up the coverage. The streaming channel also boasts eight featured groups they will follow on Thursday:

7:38 AM – Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Tyrrell Hatton

8:22 AM – Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Lee Westwood

8:33 AM – Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka

8:44 AM – Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Hideki Matsuyama

1:14 PM – Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Paddy Harrington

1:25 PM – Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed

1:58 PM – Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson, Will Zalatoris

2:09 PM – Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Shane Lowry

ESPN + will also offer featured holes of 16, 17 & 18 all day, which is exciting to see how far behind the actually mail telecast is! Over the weekend, CBS will pick up coverage from 1-7 PM after ESPN+ starts at 8 AM. Needless to say that you can’t complain that you didn’t get a chance to watch the golf based on available coverage. It’s out there and it’s fantastic.

If anyone can predict a winning score in golf, then they should reside in Las Vegas because it’s improbable. Any change in wind hurts the player and inflates the score. I’m guessing a handful of players will break even over four days, but I’d be a liar if I told you to expect a birdie bonanza or an Open Championship setup with a ton of bogeys. We’ll see.

Here’s a look at the Comcast Business Tour Top 10: (potential #ad, cable friends!)

1. Bryson DeChambeau
2. Justin Thomas
3. Viktor Hovland
4. Xander Schauffele
5. Sam Burns
6. Cam Smith
7. Stewart Cink (with two wins in 2021!)
8. Jordan Spieth
9. Patrick Cantlay
10. Hideki Matsuyama (Masters champion)

Here’s a handful of helpful stats for filling out your fantasy golf team this week:

Scoring Average:

1. Viktor Hovland (69.73)
2. Justin Thomas (69.74)
3. Xander Schauffele (69.77)
4. Joaquin Neimann (69.77)
5. Webb Simpson (69.78)

Just look how close the scoring average between spots one through five actually are. These guys? Yeah, they’re good.

Strokes Gained (Putting):

1. Louis Oosthuizen
2. Patrick Reed
3. Brendon Todd
4. J.T. Poston
5. Zach Johnson

Keep an eye on Oostie. He’s been playing well in the last few months. So has his countryman Charl Schwartzel. Both have won majors.

Driving Distance:

1. Bryson DeChambeau (322.0 average)
2. Rory McIlroy (318.8)
3. Cameron Champ (318.0)
4. Wyndham Clark (315.6)
5. Will Gordon (314.4)

Yeah, it’s nice to drive the ball for days like Bryson. You still have to putt as well.

So, where does this leave us? It’s a completely wide-open major at The Ocean Course. Rory will go off as the favorite and my pick, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see 30 guys win this thing. Not all at once – that’s not allowed by the rules. Keep this in mind: off all the majors, the PGA for some reason gives guys under the radar a chance to shine. John Daly, anyone? If I were to pick an under the radar selection, I’d take Luke List. I hope everyone enjoys the PGA Championship.

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Rory McIlroy’s serendipity comes this week at the PGA Championship down at The Ocean Course in glittering Kiawah Island in South Carolina. Rory likes this place so much that – with a win on Sunday – he might just relocate residence to the Carolinas. Two weeks ago, after a win at Quail Hallow in North Carolina, the Northern Irishman said the Carolina crowd became his favorite in the world. It also helps when you get a trophy, FedEx Cup points and oodles of money. Currency never expires. Rory must’ve felt like his game started on that path a few years ago.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

Rory’s a slam dunk Hall of Fame golfer with 19 PGA Tour wins, 14 European Tour wins, a pair of FedEx Cup championships and Ryder Cup moments for days. He can slam his trunk from now until the end of time and go down as one of the more special golfers in golf’s greatest generation. McIlroy’s resume cannot drop to the level of one or two-hit wonders in the majors and beyond. Winning his first two majors of his career, McIlroy stepped on the accelerator and turned off cruise control. Rory became Tiger-like, winning the US Open and PGA Championship by eight. His infamous mop of curly hair acted as a warning shot to the rest of the field. If Rors went low, you had no chance. After his first Tour Championship win in 2016, something unthinkable happened to one of the most consistent performers of the game. He didn’t win.

Whispers became hot takes. Roy hadn’t won a major since late 2014. Still hasn’t. That’s an incredibly tough benchmark for anyone – especially since McIlroy won $20 Million in two tournaments at the end of the PGA season with his pair of FedEx Cups. Rory won The Players, the API and a WGC event over a scalding Xander Schauffele in late 2019. He got married and had a baby and started a life. Those things could alter dominance of professional athletes so accustomed to greatest and to transcend this unattainable level of success. You’d half expect Rory to snap and ask aloud what the people want from him. Even Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods went through immense valleys. Do you know how incredibly tough it is to just win one golf tournament?

That brings us to this week near the Atlantic Ocean in the second major of the season on Tour. Bouncing back in the season from August to May as they make room for the inevitable failed experiment of the “playoffs,” the date on the calendar might become the biggest difference between now and 2012. McIlroy exchanged youth and cockiness for wisdom and leadership. He’s a completely different person almost a decade removed from this Wanamaker win.

Still, the signs scream out louder than the sea breeze hitting where the Atlantic takes shape. McIlroy won at Quail Hollow (for the third time) two weeks ago with his wife and baby in attendance as he celebrated success as a champion for the first time since the pandemic. After plodding for a round and change, Rors found the second gear and levitated towards the top of the board. He only won by a shot, but they don’t ask how – only how many – to grant access to the champions club. His daughter Poppy celebrated by screaming her head off, something her father perfected in the early 10’s in Ryder Cup play.

I think a number of professional gamblers can and will finds holes in Rory’s resume to fade him and go after one of the usual suspects in DJ, Jordo, Rahm or others. That’s fair and taken without a picogram of emotion or fate. When those aspects start to flood on the weekend, there’s no stopping the story from coming to fruition. At least that’s what dreamers like myself hope to believe. After all, expect anything different?

Lost in the triumphs and low points of McIlroy’s professional career? His age. He’s still only 32, celebrating it in his now second home state of North Carolina a fortnight back. Remember when everyone wanted Sergio to punch at Tiger’s level? That’s Rory McIlroy.  Serg got his Masters and maybe sneak in another major before he retires to his Texas life. It’s arguable that McIlroy could rev up the engine for another decade plus that includes the actual prime of his career.

It’s not about the money for McIlroy anymore. I’m not quite sure it ever was as he consistently pocketed enough cash and endorsements for a small country to enjoy. All next level athletes want to reinvent themselves to prove they still belong and get in with a chance against the best in the game. Next on the tee, Poppy’s poppy. How cool could this decade become for this family?

The post A Rory Story appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Will Zalatoris, the 24-year-old lanky Wake Forest man, finished runner-up at The Masters. He pocketed more than a million dollars. He also finished in the top ten at the U.S. Open in September. (There’s actually two U.S. Opens this season due to the pandemic.) So why isn’t this kid a member of the PGA Tour? He’d actually land in the top 15 of the FedEx Cup points list, but he’s not qualified for the playoffs just yet. It’s basically a “perfect storm” situation and the Tour now finds itself caught in the middle of it.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

Let’s rewind. Zalatoris started to rack up solid finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour (think of this like AAA in Baseball or the XFINITY series in NASCAR) after the pandemic pause ended. Usually, the end of the Korn Ferry season gives its top talents a PGA Tour card. We aren’t in usually times. So, Zalatoris found himself with a shot in September’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot. He didn’t throw the opportunity away in the least. Zalatoris finished sixth in the event where the worlds best play – it’s a major after all.

This created a snowball effect modern golf hasn’t seen. Zalatoris started to click off top ten finishes with his sponsor exceptions into events during the fall. He started playing well enough to get into World Golf Championship events. Then came The Masters. Zalatoris found himself in the final pairing on Saturday afternoon at Augusta National. Are you kidding me? Convention wisdom says Zalatoris starts hitting tee balls in the water and throwing away his chance to win a major. Didn’t happen. Zalatoris finished the tournament as the only golfer under par for all four days. It wasn’t good enough to beat Hideki Matsuyama, but it’s good enough for $1.2 million payout and an invite next year to the one golf event everyone wants to play.

And he’s still not a PGA Tour member!

Zalatoris has two ways to become a member this season: win two more events on the Korn Ferry Tour or win one event on the PGA Tour. Since he does enjoy Special Temporary Membership, Zalatoris doesn’t have the pressure of a top ten finish to play the next event. He’s good for the rest of the season and odds are he will find the winners circle at some point this summer. There’s just no way he’s going back to the Korn Ferry Tour, unless he suddenly loses his swing.

After the second place finish in Augusta, Zalatoris said that two years ago he put together a plan and I’m thinking it’s coming together nicely and ahead of schedule. This kid is here to stay.

Chip Shots:

*Stewart Cink won The Heritage on Hilton Head Island on Sunday afternoon with his son on his bag as his caddy for the tournament and his family in the crowd. It actually resembles one of those Christmas cards where everyone dresses up in white or black and takes a picture on the beach. The 47-year-old Cink won the event in 2001 & ’04. He also beat Tom Watson in a memorable playoff at The Open Championship were seemingly everyone in the world was rooting for Watson. CBS actually interviewed the Cink family on the 18^th green as wife Lisa fought back tears, showing the emotion her family endured during her cancer process. The conversation between father and son waking up the 18^th hole brought a tear to my eye. That’s something that every kid dreams about – to enjoy the walk up the last hole with the tournament in hand and your Dad about to win the trophy. So cool.

*Showing how incredibly flush with money they are, the PGA Tour instituted a new bonus pool of money ($40 million total) that players would receive at the end of the season – and it doesn’t really matter how they play. According to Golfweek, the basis for the bonus money is based on Google search popularity, Nielsen brand exposure rating, appeal, engagement on socials and frequency of positive media coverage. Finally something to bring Rickie Fowler back in the winners circle! This is a really bad idea for a number of reasons, but mostly because it shows children that you don’t have to be good (Fowler didn’t qualify for The Masters!) to win a couple million bucks. I understand that clicks and social networking consumes many people – I want to thank you for clicking on this article – it just has zero to do with the product the Tour showcases. Actually, I have an idea. You want to start this new pool of money? Ok. I have a great idea who wins first place: Will Zalatoris.

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(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

In the last two years, The Masters took place once in November and held the final round Sunday twice with an early morning start. The coronavirus pandemic helped move the April spectacular to an unfamiliar place on the Augusta calendar – November. Nothing felt right during the fall Masters. The usual artifice that lines the course seemed harder to look past. Dustin Johnson, the winner of the golf tournament at 20-under-par (a Masters record) treated this golf course with demanding greens as a pitch-and-putt. CBS had to rework its college and pro football schedule around the weekend play already hampered by November’s short days. Everything looked like The Masters. Nothing felt like it. A limited number of spectators seemed to pop up every now and again on a green, but the roars of a Rory eagle or Bryson drive were silenced.

Even with changing schedules and unusual circumstances, the tournament continued to remind fans why it holds such a special place in the golfing calendar, bringing together memorable performances and moments that stay with players and spectators long after the final round. Many golfers leave inspired to spend more time practicing, paying closer attention to the finer details that influence consistency from tee to green. Small adjustments to technique often go hand in hand with a better understanding of equipment, including putter shafts, which have become an important part of ongoing advances in golf technology aimed at improving stability and precision during the putting stroke. That combination of dedication, careful preparation, and continued innovation encourages players to keep refining their game while appreciating the traditions that make the sport so enduring.

There’s an abundance of hope on the first tee and beyond for the 85^th edition of this great event. A vaccine to end Covid continues to pump away at production lines. The best players in the world enter with enough storylines to fill a few hours on cable news. Jon Rahm, in search of major number one, just became a father last weekend. Does South Carolina’s Dustin Johnson have the same impeccable short game he displayed just six months ago to become a 2-time Masters champion in the same season? Can Lee Westwood, in the winter of his career, continue his sparking hot play and win his first major? What about the man playing with a broken knee in Brooks Koepka, who looks to hop along the scenic layout in search of a green jacket? These are the stories golf fans never tire of in the days that lead up to a major.

For the record, I’ll take Rory McIlroy to win on Sunday afternoon and conduct the awkward interview in Butler Cabin. In the opening round of the last handful of majors, Rory’s compounded his errors more than the Pittsburgh Pirates. The big difference comes with him hanging around on the weekend and still finishing with a good enough score to come in the top ten. If McIlroy can compress his hatred of the 13th hole, a hole that destroyed his dreams of a career grand slam early in his still blossoming career, he’s got a shot at a lot of green – jacket and bills. I also really like a name you likely haven’t heard of, but should. He’s South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Ranked 35th in the overall world golf rankings, the twenty-something made the cut in November and finished with a respectable score. Sometimes there’s an absolute hunch that goes into making a prediction. It’s the ten year anniversary of when I predicted Charl Schwartzel to take home the top prize. In the mad scramble over the last four holes of the event, Schwartzel kept draining birdies. That helps. Charl walked away with a membership to one of the more exclusive clubs in all of sport.

There not a lot of filler at The Masters. Rickie Fowler’s not in the field. Did you even realize that? One of the most photogenic properties in the game won’t drive down Magnolia Lane this week. Fowler would use all kinds of hackneyed cliches to describe his game, attitude or life balance. Here’s the truth: he stinks. Fowler might appear in a boatload of advertisements while at the same time not appearing on the first page of the leaderboard. The bigger problem for Rickie? The guys nipping at his heels are much better and could swallow him up to eventually get lost in the wash. He’s also 95th in the world. The 90-odd players deserve their playing badge this weekend.

Life still very much sucks for a lot of people in the world. We’ve lost mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, friends and acquaintances. And it’s not over yet. There’s a counter on CNN during the day that indicates how many cases and deaths of Covid have taken place that day and overall. It only counts up. Long term projections have us getting back to normal, whatever that is, by fall. Next year could see a sellout at the Augusta National Golf Club. I’ll eat a pimento cheese sandwich if that takes place.

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Discuss your thought on the tournament on our message board.

You don’t have to dig deep to find storylines to follow during the event. Brooks Koepka is your two-time defending champion and owns four major titles in the last three years. He goes for the first PGA Championship three-peat since Walter Hagen did it in the late 1920s. He was in position to pull off the same three-peat at last year’s U.S. Open, but finished runner-up to Gary Woodland.

Walter Hagen is tied with Jack Nicklaus with five PGA Championships. Tiger Woods can cross of another record in the book as the four-time winner tees it up. He finished T-40 at The Memorial and will sport a new putter this week as his putting has been failing him. Harding Park is a place he’s familiar with having played here plenty, before the renovations, while at Stanford University. Tiger is not only chasing Jack for major titles, but a win would be his record 83^rd career victory.

Since the World Golf Rankings inception in 1986, Tiger Woods won 11 majors while ranked number one in the world. Only four other golfers have managed to win one major while ranked number one. Justin Thomas is your number one ranked player in the world and is coming off a victory at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Classic. His third victory of the season.

Jordan Spieth has his fourth chance to complete the career grand slam. Something only five players have ever done. He won the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open, and the 2017 Open Championship. Since then, his play has made him almost an afterthought. His last win was that Open title, and he’s only got three top-3s since then as well. The odds reflect that, as he’s 50-1 to win this week, which still seems generous.

Rory McIlroy is the Harding Park defending champ, winning the 2015 Match Play here. However, he is in a major(s) slump, not winning a major since the 2014 PGA Championship.

Coverage:

Thursday, Aug. 6: 4-10 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Friday, Aug. 7: 4-10 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Saturday, Aug. 8: 1-4 p.m. ET (ESPN); 4-10 p.m. ET (CBS)

Sunday, Aug. 9: 12-3 p.m. ET (ESPN); 3-9 p.m. ET (CBS)

Weather:

Thursday – 65/54 degrees, partly cloudy, 19mph winds.

Friday – 65/54 degrees, partly cloudy, 12 mph winds.

Saturday – 67/54 degrees, mostly sunny, 13 mph winds.

Sunday – 67/55 degrees, mostly sunny, 12 mph winds.

Keep an eye on:

Webb Simpson. He’s not a hot name. But he’s been consistent, finished T16 at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach last year, and won the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club in 2012. If someone can navigate the conditions of the bay area, it’s this guy.

Featured Groups:

11:11 a.m. — Brooks Koepka, Gary Woodland, Shane Lowry

11:22 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose

11:33 a.m. — Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas

Koepka, Woodland, and Lowry make up the previous three major winners. Brooks and Bryson DeChambeau are creating a bit of a rivalry as Koepka keeps poking at DeChambeau’s newfound, and scientific approach to the game. Koepka gets to post a score first in the rivalry with Bryson teeing off in the late afternoon.

The next group is a troubling one with Spieth making 2015 feel much farther away than it is, and Dustin Johnson having pasted back to back rounds of 80 recently. But DJ is someone to watch in majors, and Speith as I mentioned is looking for the career slam. Must watch group day one, day two could be a different story.

All eyes on the 11:33 group with Tiger Woods, still the biggest attraction in the game. Rory, defending champ at this course, and world’s number one ranked player Justin Thomas. Thomas won this major in 2017.

4:36 p.m. — Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Hideki Matsuyama

4:47 p.m. — Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, Adam Scott

4:58 p.m. — Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia 

This group goes off the first tee right around when you’re getting off work on the east coast. In that first group, Fleetwood is just making a return to action and was an assassin in the last Ryder Cup. Hovland was one of the games top amateurs a year ago and has strung together some real solid showings since turning pro. Matsuyama is very well rounded.

In the second group, fan favorite Rickie Fowler will look to tack a major onto his resume, but Bryson is who all eyes will be on. However, this is not the week to oogle his driving prowess. The heavy air, the marine layer in the bay area, the ball just doesn’t travel as far here. His last two weeks have proven the old adage, drive for show putt for dough, still applies.

In the final grouping here, Phil will try to become the oldest player to win a major and will start his week alongside two Spaniards. Rahm was number one in the world earlier this year for six weeks and can reclaim that spot in the rankings with a win. Garcia is one who could provide a spark, good or bad.

Predictions:

Harding Park is going to play long at more than 7,200 yards, with the par reduced to 70. Like U.S. Opens, two of the par 5s, are now 4s. A total of seven of the par 4s will exceed 450 yards in length. I like someone who excels in strokes gained off the tee. Notable names are DeChambeau, Garcia, McIlroy, Rahm, Xander Schauffele. I think guys who are short drivers will be hurt by the conditions that makes the ball fly even less. Jordan Speith, Rickie Fowler, I don’t see in contention. Nor Tiger Woods, who goes from practicing in hot and humid Florida where his back stays loose, to an under 60 degrees at tee time environment.

Rough is going to be factor, and two of the best in approaching the green from the rough from 150-175 yards (super specific) are Garcia and Schauffele. Three of the best scramblers, when the approach shot goes awry…Thomas, DeChambeau, and Schauffele. Putting shouldn’t be super tricky given the wet nature of the course. The greens won’t be burnt out like other majors may do, or like Jack preferred to at The Memorial in 95-degree heat and frustrated with bombers of the golf ball taking trees and fairway bunkers out of play at his courses.

Xander Schauffele’s name keeps popping up. At 18-1 it’s the sixth best odds in the field. He’s primed to win a major one day. Why not now?

Schaufflele is my official pick. But if you are spreading the picks around, for value I like Webb Simpson at 25-1, Gary Woodland at 40-1 having won the U.S. Open at Pebble in 19’, Viktor Hovland at 50-1 who no one could see coming. And Sergio Garcia at 66-1, whose name popped up a couple times in the metrics I feel could impact the outcome. Koepka and Thomas are rightfully the favorites at 10-1.

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Pebble Beach is the most picturesque golf course in America, with a number of notable holes. The par-3 7^th (pictured above, from left to right on the tip of the peninsula) is the shortest hole in major golf (109 yards) with your tee shot flying out to the Pacific Ocean, landing on the green 29 feet below, surrounded by six bunkers. The par-4 8^th (pictured above, up the right side of the peninsula) is an uphill tee shot to a blind landing area, leaving you with what Jack Nicklaus calls, “the finest second shot in golf.” A second shot over a cliff, water, to a small green. Tiger Woods calls it, “the most daunting approach shot in the game.” Then you have the medium length par-5 18^th that runs along the Pacific Ocean and will lend to an eagle chance to close out the round.

The course will play the shortest length in a U.S. Open in quite some time at just over 7,000 yards. It also plays at a par 71 rather than the par 70 setups U.S. Open courses convert to. Only the 2^nd hole has been turned into a par 4 rather than its usual 5.

Discuss all thing during the the U.S. Open on our message board.

All eyes will be on three men this week. First, Brooks Koepka. Number one ranked player in the world looking to pick up his third straight U.S. Open title. The only other man to do that was Willie Anderson between 1903-1905. Three U.S. Open wins puts him in the same company as Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, and Tiger Woods. Koepka has won three of his last five major starts. For you bettors out there, Koepka is just behind the favorite at 8-1, while Dustin Johnson is getting 15-2.

Second, Phil Mickelson (40-1). Lefty needs the U.S. Open title to complete the career grand slam. He’s won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am five times which should make him pretty comfortable coming in here. With a win, Mickelson would join elite company to have completed the career grand slam. Gene Sarazen (1935 Masters), Ben Hogan (1953 Open Championship), Gary Player (1965 U.S. Open), Jack Nicklaus (1966 Open Championship), and Tiger Woods (2000 Open Championship).

Third, Tiger Woods (12-1). He returns to the place where he lapped the field, winning by 15 strokes in the 2000 U.S. Open. He also is one win away from 82, which ties him with Sam Snead for most PGA tour/major victories of all time. A Tiger win here would also be his 16^th major, making him two shy of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles.

Coverage: All coverage can be seen on USOpen.com. The following are the broadcast times.

First and second round: FS1—12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. FOX—7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Third round: FOX—12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Final Round: FOX—12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Weather: Ideal, fair conditions.

Thursday – 61, partly cloudy, 9 mph wind.

Friday – 59, partly cloudy, 11 mph wind.

Saturday – 60, partly cloudy, 10 mph wind.

Sunday – 61, partly cloudy, 11 mph wind.

Keep an eye on: The Front Nine.

Five of the easiest holes on the course by way of scoring in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, came within the first seven holes. It’s going to be important for guys to get out to a fast start in their rounds. However, the 8^th hole is no easy task, and the par-4 9^th has been extended to 526 yards.

Featured Groups: (Round 1 tee-time/Round 2 tee-time, EST, and world golf ranking)

10:51am/4:36pm: Rory McIlroy (3), Jon Rahm (13), Mark Leishman (21)

11:02am/4:47pm: Rickie Fowler (11), Jason Day (16), Si Woo Kim (56)

11:02am/4:47pm: Justin Thomas (7), Bryson DeChambeau (9), Kevin Kisner (27)

11:13am/4:58pm: Dustin Johnson (2), Phil Mickelson (24), Graeme McDowell (101)

11:24am/5:09pm: Tommy Fleetwood (18), Hideki Matsuyama (29), Sergio Garcia (30)

4:47pm/11:02am: Brooks Koepka (1), Francesco Molinari (7), Viktor Hovland (a)

4:47pm/11:02am: Matt Kuchar (12), Adam Scott (17), Webb Simpson (19)

5:09pm/11:24am: Justin Rose (4), Tiger Woods (5), Jordan Spieth (28)

While most major championships favor the long hitters, this course is going to reward strong iron play. The greens at Pebble beach are smaller, with smaller safe landing areas. Reports are the tilt on the greens are in peak U.S. Open form with no rain in sight to soften things up.

Scoring is tough at the famed course, especially when the USGA gets their hands in the mix. Jack Nicklaus won here in 1972 at +2. Tom Watson in 1982 at -6. Tom Kite in 1992 at -3. Tiger in 2000 posted -12 and won by 15. He was the only play to sniff red numbers and blew the field away. In 2010 Graeme McDowell won with a score of even par. No one in the red numbers. In fact, in the last three U.S. Opens at Pebble Beach, only three men have finished under par after all four rounds.

I  would certainly not expect a leaderboard like The Masters where multiple guys are double-digits under par.

In the last U.S. Open at Pebble, players hit a green in regulation 52% of the time. In 2000 at Pebble, just 48%. No course has had players post a lower GIR% since then. So, who are the best iron players in the game, and who’s short game when they miss the greens will save them this week? Her are the top ten in some stats that will factor in this week.

Strokes gained approaching the green (in the field):

Henrik Stenson

Keegan Bradley

Sergio Garcia

Rory McIlroy

Hideki Matsuyama

Justin Thomas

Matt Kuchar

Patrick Cantlay

Brooks Koepka

Emiliano Grillo

Strokes gained around the green (in the field):

Brant Snedeker

Byeong-Hun An

Louis Oosthuizen

Aaron Baddeley

Si Woo Kim

Tiger Woods

Justin Thomas

Hideki Matsuyama

Matt Wallace

Webb Simpson

Strokes gained putting (in the field):

Justin Harding

Andrew Putnam

Jordan Spieth

Graeme McDowell

Jason Day

Brant Snedeker

Justin Rose

Kiradech Aphibarnrat

Dustin Johnson

Rickie Fowler

Impressive lists of players there. All possessing the skills needed to win this coming Father’s Day. Perhaps an edge given to Justin Thomas (22-1), Hideki Matsuyama (28-1), and Brandt Snedeker (40-1) who show up on two of the three lists of what will make or break guys in the rounds to come. Longshot bet might go out to Keegan Bradley (125-1) for being the top American in iron play coming into the event, considering Americans have dominated the event historically, and have won the previous four U.S. Opens. However, since 2000, the score is America 10, World 9. Henrik Stenson (50-1) would be a value bet if you think World is due to even the score for the century.

For what it’s worth, Tiger Woods (12-1) is the leader in Greens in regulation percentage. Though having played about half the rounds as everyone else near the top of that category like Matt Kuchar (40-1), Justin Thomas (22-1), Charles Howell III (150-1), and Jim Furyk (100-1).

Someone I haven’t mentioned yet that could win: Francesco Molinari (33-1).

I picked him in this spot during in my lead up to The Masters. He’s not a favorite. He’s not an American. He’s not atop any of the statistical groups. He’s just solid all around. Ranked 6^th in the world. Third place in the Dell Match Play this year. Won Arnold Palmer’s tournament at famed Bay Hill in March. Great finishes in his three of his last four majors. Paired with Tommy Fleetwood, swept their 2018 Ryder cup matches, and bested Phil Mickelson in singles play to clinch the cup for the Europeans. I thought of him as a silent assassin who doesn’t crack under pressure. But then he, and seemingly everyone in the final two groups at The Masters dumped their balls in the creek off 12 tee. A low hanging branch on the 15^th hole clipped Molinari’s ball, dumping another one into the drink in front of the green there. He hasn’t been the same since, missing the cut at the RBC Heritage, finishing T48 at the PGA Championship, and T53 at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

The post 2019 U.S. Open Primer – Pebble Beach appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

History was made last weekend when Jennifer Kupcho of Wake Forest (Arnold Palmer’s alma mater) became the first winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Tournament. With an eagle on 13, she roared back with a -5 on Augusta’s famed back nine to surpass Arkansas’ Maria Fassi, and become the first woman to hoist a trophy in Butler Cabin.

Will history be made again this Sunday? Is this the year that Rory McIlroy completes the career grand slam? He has won three of the four majors, winning the Open Championship in 2014. Backed it up with another PGA Championship afterward. But that was his last major victory. The green jacket has eluded him.

Augusta has been kind to the North Irishman as McIlroy has finished in the top ten each of the last five years. His best finish was fourth in 2015.

With a win, McIlroy would join elite company to have completed the career grand slam. Gene Sarazen (1935 Masters), Ben Hogan (1953 Open Championship), Gary Player (1965 U.S. Open), Jack Nicklaus (1966 Open Championship), and Tiger Woods (2000 Open Championship).

McIlroy is the odds-on favorite to win at 7-1, entering Masters play with seven top ten finishes in the eight events he’s played this season. After winning at The Players a few weeks back, he finds himself in second place in the FedEx Cup standings, just behind Matt Kuchar. McIlroy was in the final pairing with Patrick Reed a year ago and posted a final round 74 while Reed donned the Green Jacket.

Discuss your thoughts on The Masters on our message board.

Coverage

All coverage can be streamed on Masters.com. The following are the broadcast times.

First and second round: ESPN, 3pm-7:30pm

Third round: CBS – 3pm-7pm

Final Round: CBS – 2pm-7pm

Weather

Sunday doesn’t look like ideal conditions for golf. But that is still some time away. Mother Nature works in weird ways.

Thursday – 83, partly cloudy. 12 mph wind.

Friday – 86, AM showers, 30% chance of rain, 12 mph wind

Saturday – 85, cloudy, 20% chance of rain, 6 mph wind

Sunday – 84, Thunderstorms through the day, 80% chance or rain, 15 mph wind

Monday (if necessary) – 77, Sunny, 11 mph wind

Keep an eye on

Hole #5. They lengthened an already tough par 4 to 495 yards, bringing deep bunkers into play on the left side. Bunkers that would need to be carried to take the short route around the dog leg left. Severe changes to the green make the undulations diabolical looking from ground level. We’ll see how it plays and how players comment on it.

Featured Groups

(Round 1 tee-time / Round 2 tee-time)

9:25/12:10 – Fred Couples, Siwoo Kim, J.B. Holmes

Couples is a fan favorite who usually posts a pretty good score at Augusta. The 59-year-old is always a feel-good story of the week. Kim enters The Masters with three top-5 finishes on the year. Holmes has one victory this season at The Genesis Open.

10:31/1:16 – Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Viktor Hovland (a)

Reed is the defending champion, though has struggled in recently, failing to finish in the top-10 in 2019. Last year’s Masters was his last victory. Hovland is the reigning U.S. Amateur Champion, but an amateur hasn’t finished in the top 10 here since the 1960s.

11:04/1:49 – Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Hao-Tong Li

Because you need to know when Tiger is on the course. Jon Rahm is eighth in the world golf rankings while Tiger has climbed back from obscurity over recent years, to get back up to 12^th. Li is 39^th. Don’t sleep on Rahm making a fine showing this weekend either. He’s looking to become the second Spaniard in three years to take home the green jacket (Sergio Garcia, 2017).

11:15/2:00 – Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Smith

The Vegas favorite, McIlroy, looking for the career grand slam. Ranked third in the world. Fowler is last year’s runner up at Augusta. Had a big win at the Phoenix Open this year and tied for second at the Honda Classic. Smith is your reigning Australian PGA Championship winner.

1:38/10:42 – Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day

1:49/10:53 – Justin Rose, Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson

2:00/11:04 – Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Paul Casey

The final three groups to tee off on Thursday are loaded, and you’ll get to see their first round almost in their entirety, going off just before live cable broadcast kicks in. Seven of the nine players are ranked top 15 in the world, with Phil Mickelson at 22^nd, and Jordan Spieth trying to find himself again, at 33^rd. Spieth’s last top ten finish was ninth at last year’s Open Championship. Before that, a third place, right here at the Masters. Spieth, a year ago, arguably the biggest young star golf has seen since Tiger, hasn’t found the winners circle since the 2017 Open Championship. For you bettors out there, Spieth offers better value at 16-1 than McIlroy at 7-1, given that Spieth’s five Masters finishes are second, first, second, eleventh, and third. When he finished eleventh, he entered the final round two shots off the lead.

Other than Spieth, D.J. was number one in the world, recently ceding that position to Justin Rose. Justin Thomas is getting a lot of attention for his very high ball flight which would play well here. Brooks Koepka won has won three majors in the last two years. Back to back U.S. Opens, and our last major, the PGA Championship.

Augusta has always catered to those who make it off the tee well, and don’t leave strokes on the green. Those two things often make up the champion at the end of the weekend.

Top-5, strokes gained putting (in the field)

Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Brant Snedeker, Patton Kizzire, Dustin Johnson

Top-5, strokes gained off the tee (in the field)

Rory McIlroy, John Rahm, Bubba Watson, Tommy Fleetwood, Jason Day

Jason Day appearing in the top five in both categories. 25-1 to win is great value, especially for a guy with six top-10s in his last ten tournaments.

Rory Mcilroy, Jordan Spieth, and Jason Day look like good bets. But seven of the last eight Masters winners were first time major champions. Of the favorites, Rickie Fowler (16-1) fits that bill and is also fifth best in scoring average at Augusta over the last five years.

Someone I haven’t mentioned yet that could win

Francesco Molinari. Ranked 7^th in the world. Third place in the Dell Match Play recently. Won Arnold Palmer’s tournament at famed Bay Hill a month ago. Great finishes in his last two majors. Winner of the 2018 Open Championship and T6 at the PGA Championship. Paired with Tommy Fleetwood, swept their 2018 Ryder cup matches, and bested Phil Mickelson in singles play to clinch the cup for the Europeans. The guy won’t break under pressure.

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