Garcia comes up aces on a frenetic Friday at Match Play
Already the most fickle event in golf, the Dell Technologies Match Play on Friday was an endless frenzy. “You just never know what can happen out there," Billy Horschel said after beating Max Homa on the third playoff hole. 64 seed in Match Play history to make it to the weekend. 60 seed, while Erik van Rooyen (62) advanced by beating Daniel Berger with a par on the second playoff hole. The eight playoffs to decide group winners broke the previous mark of five in 2017 since group play began six yeas ago.
Great Scot! MacIntyre battles world No. 1 Johnson to a draw
“It was a tough match,” Johnson said. “Obviously, I was dying to win that match,” MacIntyre said. The Spaniard, whose American home is in Austin, won his second match and thus eliminated Hatton, the No. He missed the birdie putt and Rahm, who would have had a putt from the same range, smile a sigh of relief. Johnson was 10 feet away for eagle, and MacIntyre still had him putt it (Johnson made it).
The Latest: Dustin Johnson, MacIntyre battle to a draw
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)AUSTIN, Texas – The Latest on the Dell Technologies Match Play (all times CDT):6 p.m.Bob MacIntyre of Scotland gave the world's No. 1 player all he could handle in the Dell Technologies Match Play. Johnson has not advanced out of group play since he won the Match Play in 2017. In the Dell Match Play two years ago, he went 1-2 and failed to advance out of his group. Ad___(This item has been corrected to show that DeChambeau won his first match last time at the Dell Match Play.)
An opening day of emotions and a few surprises at Match Play
In the Dell Technologies Match Play, every day can feel like Sunday. “I turned out to hit that shot really well, went super high over the trees. It was his biggest loss in Match Play since Ben Crane beat him, 8 and 7, in the second round of 2011. Kevin Kisner, the defending champion from 2019 — the Match Play was the third event to be canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic — won his seventh straight match by beating Louis Oosthuizen. When you're up against an opponent who plays really, really well and you play just a little better, it's really satisfying."
Spieth rounding into form for fickle week of Match Play
In that respect, Spieth is happy to be at his second home — he spent three semesters at the University of Texas — for the Dell Technologies Match Play. He has played consistently better every step of the way and made the Match Play field with room to spare. That means he faces one of the top 16 seeds — Matt Fitzpatrick, in his case — when this unique World Golf Championship begins Wednesday. “Missing a World Golf Championship via not qualifying for it was the first one, and I didn’t like that at all. 1 seed for the fourth straight time in the Match Play, though it has only led to victory once.
A pandemic, a plan and a return to golf with no interruption
Kevin Kisner tees off on the 10th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is ready for golf to move ahead a year after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sport. He remembers a tough week one year ago that began with the tour announcing a multi-billion dollar media rights deal and ended with the tour shutting down for three months. The tour got a big boost from a mobile testing site and cooperation from its players to put health and safety first. Since the return in June, the PGA Tour has played 33 out of 36 weeks in 18 states and four countries without having to shut down.
Love appointed captain again, this time for Presidents Cup
The PGA Tour has selected Love to be U.S. captain for the Presidents Cup in 2022 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was captain when Europe rallied from a 10-6 deficit to beat the Americans in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, and he was Ryder Cup captain for a rare U.S. victory four years later at Hazeltine. He also was an assistant captain in the Ryder Cup under Corey Pavin in 2010 and Jim Furyk in 2018 and is on the staff of Steve Stricker this year. The Presidents Cup was supposed to be played this year until the COVID-19 pandemic led to the Ryder Cup being postponed one year to this September. ... Tony Finau has 35 finishes in the top 10 since the start of the 2016-17 season on the PGA Tour without winning.
Johnson gets 2-shot lead and another crack at FedEx Cup
Dustin Johnson selects a club from his bag on the practice range during practice for the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, in Atlanta. It's not like I've got a two-shot lead going into the final round, Johnson said, who speaks from experience of once losing a six-shot lead in the final round of a World Golf Championship. 1 seed a year ago, opened with a 70 and was in a three-way tie for the lead after one day. Imagine if he gets it going at East Lake while staked to a two-shot lead. Ten shots is surmountable over four days if somebody gets really hot.Horschel and Hughes at least have that chance.
Johnson, Matsuyama tied for lead at tough Olympia Fields
Every par at Olympia Fields is hard work, and Johnson played the final 13 holes Saturday with nothing worse than that. It's what carried him to a 1-under 69 and a share of the lead with Hideki Matsuyama, leaving them as the only players under par going into the final round. I feel like it's fairly similar, just obviously these conditions and the greens are a lot more difficult," he said. Rounds like that go a long way at Olympia Fields, the former U.S. Open course playing like one with its thick rough and rock-hard greens and enough wind to make the fairways look tighter than they are. All of them are one round away on a golf course where small mistakes can lead to bogeys or worse on just about every hole.
McIlroy, Cantlay the sole survivors to par at Olympia Fields
Olympia Fields is so tough it won't allow anything but his full attention on every shot. By the end of another steamy afternoon south of Chicago, they were the sole survivors to par. One week after McIlroy admitted to going through the motions without spectators around to provide the cheers, he had a 1-under 69 to share the 36-hole lead with Cantlay. He also missed the green on three of the par 3s, the last one leading to a double bogey. For non-majors, the tour said over par hasn't won since Bruce Lietzke at the Byron Nelson Classic in 1981.
Dustin Johnson wins by 11 shots and is back to No. 1
It was to put myself in position to have a run in the FedEx Cup. 6 in the FedEx Cup, securing his place among the top 30 who go to East Lake for the Tour Championship. 99 in the FedEx Cup and appeared to waste his opportunity when he was 4 over through 14. It was his fifth victory in a FedEx Cup playoff event, tied for most with Rory McIlroy. 57 in the FedEx Cup, in danger of missing the Tour Championship for the second straight year.
Herman rallies to win Wyndham, qualify for FedEx playoffs
Known for his friendship with President Donald Trump, Herman overcame a four-stroke deficit in the final round at Sedgefield Country Club. He had a final chance to tie on the 72nd hole, but his 8-foot birdie putt slid left of the cup. Herman got into the playoffs, jumping from 192nd to 54th in the race for the 125 spots. Herman had two birdies and an eagle from 59 feet on his first five holes to catch up to Kim. It was quite a week for Herman, who had three birdies over his final four holes Friday simply to make the cut.
Bryson DeChambeau wins Rocket Mortgage Classic by 3 shots
Bryson DeChambeau pumps his fist after a birdie putt on the 10th green during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament, Sunday, July 5, 2020, at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit. With jaw-dropping drives and some clutch putts, DeChambeau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic by three strokes Sunday for his first victory of the season and sixth overall. DeChambeau shot a 7-under 65 at Detroit Golf Club, birdieing four of the first seven holes and closing with three straight. He made a 30-foot birdie putt at No. 16, a short putt for birdie on the next hole and uncorked a 367-yard drive to set up another short putt at 18.
Bryson DeChambeau tied for early 2nd-round lead in Detroit
Bryson DeChambeau hits from the ninth tee during the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament, Friday, July 3, 2020, at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)DETROIT Bryson DeChambeau chose to compete in the Rocket Mortgage Classic while many of the PGA Tour's top players skipped the tournament. DeChambeau had four birdies on his back nine Friday to close with a 5-under 67, giving him a share of the lead among the early starters in the second round. Kirk started his second round with a 6-under 30 on the front nine and added two birdies early on his back nine after shooting 5 under in the opening round. He had a bogey-free second round after overcoming bogeys in the opening day.
Paul Casey tuned in for more than golf in PGA Tour's return
Casey watched plenty on TV, and he was watching more than the golf. PAIRINGS WITH A PURPOSEThe PGA Tour has four groups of featured pairings for its PGA Tour Live," and then the rest of the field is supposed to be relatively random depending on a player's category. Oak Hill last hosted the PGA Championship in 2013 won by Jason Dufner, while Tiger Woods won his fourth PGA Championship at Southern Hills in 2007. DIVOTSHilton Head has some of the smallest greens on the PGA Tour, and Abraham Ancer hit 65 out of 72 of them in his runner-up finish. FINAL REBUTTALFascinating stuff. CBS analyst Nick Faldo, watching Koepka tee off on the 18th hole and telling viewers he would listen to what Koepka had to say.