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Welcome back to Mondays, as we’re breaking out of the maple syrup bender (aka Keegan Bradleyyesterday) so he turned this around to finish on Tuesday. Let’s go to her!
First off the tee
The Saudis, rounds and framework agreements.
A comprehensive update from the biggest story in golf might be too much for this column, so let’s try to sum up this week’s latest relationships on the PIF-PGA Saudi Tour in a couple of sentences and then direct you to more extensive resources.
1. The framework agreement between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour was leaked on Monday and most of our previous reports have confirmed – if it goes as written, the PGA Tour will take control while the PIF is likely to become a minority investor and important sponsor – showing how little has been put in stone.
2. Tuesday’s Players Advisory Council meeting reportedly went smoothly, paving the way for a major Public Investment Fund investment in the PGA Tour moving forward – assuming the two sides can reach an agreement as well as removing any obstacles put in place by the US government.
Further reading: Shawn Zackthe seven points of the framework agreement, No lying down‘s explainerAnd Nathan Hubbard‘s Reflections.
The winners
Who won the week?
We’re in next week now, but let’s get the highlights.
Ruined Yin He became the world’s newest and greatest champion by hitting a sensational birdie on the 18th hole at Baltusrol. She was the least popular of the 20-year-olds in the competition, but Yin handled the sheer pressure of a crowded leaderboard better than anyone – becoming China’s second major champion in the process.
Keegan Bradley He delivered an inspiring performance in front of his New England followers, making such a significant lead on Sunday that he spilled a few bogeys on the way home and Still won three.
Almost winners
very close…
Zack Blair He threw a powerful final round 62 featuring eight birdies and an eagle, locking up a T2 finish that earned him 245 of the 271 points he needed to keep his PGA Tour card after missing big time with a shoulder injury. Blair now had seven starts remaining to secure the remaining points; It must be above 30 Do the trick.
Scotty Scheffler Finish T4 because that’s what Scotty Scheffler does. The world No. 1 scored his sixth consecutive top-5, and 18th consecutive top-12, a stretch that includes two majors and two other designated events. He hits the ball ridiculously well. He obviously plays the best golf in the world. And his ability to look like this every single week is nothing short of amazing.
Justin Thomas He threw his best score in a while, coming back from a grueling week at the US Open with a final rounds 64-62-67 en route to a T9. Ricky Fowler He shot his career low round of 62 at the US Open last week and then beat that with a third round 60 en route to a T13. And Rory McIlroy Bounce back after a big heartbreak in LA with the T7.
Stephanie Meadow She was a miracle swing away from a major championship playoff game at KPMG Women’s before topping her pond waterwood on the 18th at Baltusrol. But miraculously, her ball hopped safely over to the other side, setting up a routine tie-breaker and a tie for third. Yuka Saso He finished a solo runner-up, putt forward at seventh under par.
Rose Chang She stole the spotlight with a five birdie in her first 11 hole on Sunday, leading fans to dream of Zhang’s victory on her first major start as a professional. Instead, she hung out, and played the last six holes at one par over for a T8 finish. She’ll be back.
Non-winners
We’ve had some surprisingly missed TPC River Highlands sales. World No. 2 Jon Rahm He hasn’t missed a cut since the 2021 Fortinet tournament (not counting the disease-related WD from this year’s players) but he missed two shots. Max Homa He made a second-round 65 but missed the cut by one, the first time he missed back-to-back cuts since 2021, when he also missed the US Open and Travelers in consecutive weeks. And Tommy Fleetwood He only missed his third class in 2023, which is surprising after his top five finishes the past two weeks. All three shots are below par – just not below par Adequate.
More worrying: what’s going on Kevin Kisner? The 39-year-old fan favorite (and four-time Tour winner) didn’t quite fit in 2023; The latest sign that something was amiss came when he pulled away after just nine holes at TPC River Highlands. The stretch he played wasn’t great – he made seven seconds and shot a seven-ninth in the back – and then he pulled up, citing illness.
This was the most recent in a rough period extending through January. While he finished the Kisner T34 in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he’s only made one cut in 12 starts since then. In 11 of those 12 starts, he missed hits on the tee, including a particularly driving stretch at the Masters (missing 3.97 hits from the tee in a missed cut) and the RBC Heritage the following week (missing 6.13 hits on a first-inning 79). before WDing). He lost strokes with his iron in 10 of those 12 starts, too. This kind of hitting deficit is impossible to come back from, even with a great short game.
His season-long stats tell the story in a nutshell: He ranked 190 of 191 total strokes earned, 189 of 191 strokes earned on the tee and 186 of 191 strokes earned approaching the green. It’s outside the top 100 in the short game categories as well, which adds up to an unquestionably frustrating season up to this point.
It’s especially surprising given that Kisner was playing well enough last year to earn a spot on the US Presidents’ Trophy team, but even though he was in the top 30 in the world at that point, to hear him say that, his poor play had already begun. .
Kessner split with the swing trainer John Tillery Last fall after a “long race” and clearly still looking for the form that earned him sixth place in the event last year.
We heard his pain at this year’s Masters when we were asked after a round what he would do to find out about his driver’s problems:
“Man, I hit 8,000 drivers after this run and chipped every single one of them and then shoved it into the right bunker in the 1st and stayed pissed off for the rest of the day,” he said. “That’s pretty much how it goes.”
Here Kisner hopes to find something soon.
While we’re on the painful topic of WDs, Mackenzie Hughes He pulled out, too, citing… ouch:
Session conversation
New courses, old courses, courses under fire.
Exciting ads! Rivera will host the 2031 US Open, capping off a half-decade in which she will host the Olympic Games, the US Women’s Open, and the Men’s Open as well. Great spotlight for a great golf course.
Kingston Heath has secured approval for the 2028 Presidents Cup, bringing elite golf’s championship to one of the world’s greatest golf courses. The pride of Cheltenham, Australia will be in the spotlight after a hugely successful Cup at Royal Melbourne in 2019.
And hey, if you’re looking for a puddle full of underused golf balls, keep an eye out for the Panther National, the new H20-heavy Jack Nicklaus Justin Thomas Of course cooperation.
As for TPC River Heights? Rory McIlroy lamented its demise. When asked if the course has become “too easy” to play on the PGA Tour, here’s what he had to say:
“I don’t particularly like when the tournament is like that. Unfortunately, technology has passed the course, hasn’t it? It kind of made it outdated, especially as mushy as it was with the little rain we had.
“So, again, like the conversations that go back to, you know, limiting the golf ball and things like that, when we come to courses like this, they’re not as challenging as they used to be.”
When asked if there was anything they could do to make it tougher, here’s how McIlroy answered:
“Yeah, you can turn up the roughness and hope to get some consistent conditions until it gets tough. I think a really good golf course layout doesn’t increase the roughness and make the fairways tight. That brings everyone together.”
“The layout is something like an LACC where you have wide targets, but if you miss it’s a penalty. It’s not that kind of golf course. It’s not that kind of layout. It doesn’t have the ground to do that.”
“Unfortunately when you get soft conditions like this and you have the best players in the world, that’s what happens.”
What’s remarkable about McIlroy’s comments and the final leaderboard isn’t Bradley’s winning score of 23-under; It’s a fact that players had to shoot 10 under players this week just to get through the top 40. Andrew Putnam shot 67-68-69-67; T45 finished.
It is worth noting that McElroy appeared to be in a euphoric mood as he exited the course. He said he had just hit a six under, said he was happy to bounce back after the US Open and hailed Bradley’s victory as “amazing” and “really impressive” in front of his home crowd. So it’s not like these comments were sour grapes. I’ve thought a lot about this. The atmosphere at the TPC River Heights probably exceeded that at the LACC. And it’s great to have a golf course that invites such a diverse group of winners. But he’s right that the golf course wasn’t quite a convincing challenge.
News from Seattle
Monday finish HQ.
I was at a wedding in Vermont, so I missed the solstice celebration in Chambers Bay over the weekend – which unfortunately also meant I missed the orcas messing around behind Bar 3’s famous 15th. This place is mainly booked during the summer, and for good reason…
What then
Three things to watch this week.
1. Phil Mickelson’s press conference
We’ve never heard of it Phil Mickelson – no truly, at least — since the PIF-PGA Tour merger. He is scheduled to speak with the media at a LIV event in Spain on Wednesday. We’ll see what tone it takes and how the whole event feels now that the world of golf is in alliance mode.
2. Victor Hofland: The Interview!
I had a chance to sit down with him Victor Hofland For an interview for this month’s GOLF cover story. You can read this story here as well as watch our sit down below — plus stay tuned for more next week!
3. Keegan Bradley, Mischief Maker.
King of New England.
We’ll see you next week!