2022-2023 PGA Tour

[Carolina Speed]

Jon Rahm opens the 2023 PGA Tour year with a win at The Sentry Tournament of Champions. Rahm overcame a 7 shot deficit to Collin Morikawa at The Championship in Hawaii. Rahm finished with a 10 under par 63 and ended up 27 under.
1. Rahm -27
2. Morikawa -25
T3. Hoge -23
T3. Homa -23
T7. Scheffler -21
T13. Spieth -19
Local player from my part of the state, JT Poston who won The John Deere last year to qualify for the Tournament of Champions finished a respectable
T21. -16
Looking forward to the rest of the season.
BTW, I believe 16 players from The LIV Tour will be eligible for The Masters including:
Sergio Garcia
Dustin Johnson
Phil Mickelson
Patrick Reed
Charl Swartzel
Bubba Watson
Bryson DeChambeau
Brooks Koepka
Cameron Smith
I think this is fantastic news!

 

[Don Wassall]

I guess this is the PGA's version of a bloody bare-knuckles fight:

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/golf/liv-golf-tv-partnership-cw-network-1.6725593

 

[Don Wassall]

Scottie Scheffler won the Phoenix Open this past weekend, the most fun event in golf with its huge, roaring crowds of DWFs, especially on 16. He's now back to being the number one ranked player in the world.

This week however, the golf world will reverently worship and idolize Tiger Woods as he plays in the Genesis Invitational. It's the first event in quite a while for the washed up Woods, whose peak year was a mere 23 years ago and who has won exactly one major in the past 15 years. But that won't stop Rich Lerner and his acolytes from breathlessly devoting 99% of their coverage of the tournament to the now 47 year old.

 

[Don Wassall]

Woods is tied for 78th after the first round at +1. But never fear -- Rich Lerner is feverishly conducting kinky rituals on his life-size inflatable Tiger Woods blow-up doll to try to turn the tide in his idol's favor.

 

[white lightning]

Woods is tied for 78th after the first round at +1. But never fear -- Rich Lerner is feverishly conducting kinky rituals on his life-size inflatable Tiger Woods blow-up doll to try to turn the tide in his idol's favor.

So true. The Tiger Constant Worship is enough to make anyone want to puke! He could be 80 years old and they would still say he could
come back and win. The announcers dream about him.

 

[booth]

Tiger had to apologize yesterday for giving J.T. Thomas a tampon on the ninth hole after out driving J.T. by about 20 yds. I didn't even know he had a sense of humor.

Tiger Woods responds to backlash of handing Justin Thomas a tampon: 'Friends having fun'

Tiger Woods said giving a tampon to Justin Thomas after outdriving him was a "prank," but many others didn't think it was all that funny.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Don Wassall]

Tiger had to apologize yesterday for giving J.T. Thomas a tampon on the ninth hole after out driving J.T. by about 20 yds. I didn't even know he had a sense of humor.

Tiger Woods responds to backlash of handing Justin Thomas a tampon: 'Friends having fun'

Tiger Woods said giving a tampon to Justin Thomas after outdriving him was a "prank," but many others didn't think it was all that funny.

www.foxnews.com

The suddenly humorous Woods just barely made the cut but is way out of contention. Max Homa at -10 has a one shot lead over Jon Rahm and two others going into today's third round.

 

[booth]

John Rahm won the Genesis Invitational at - 17 under and Max Homa finished at-15 under. Tiger finished at -1.

 

[Don Wassall]

That's three PGA tournament wins for Rahm in the current season and 10 for his career, and he also vaults back to number one in the world, a position he's held before for a number of weeks.

 

[Don Wassall]

Tiger finished at -1.

And still managed to dominate the weekend coverage on CBS. Analyst Trevor Immelman just quoted some unnamed tour player who supposedly said that if Tiger keeps playing the way he did at this event he can "still win majors." Again, he finished 16 shots behind in 45th place. Sadly, any time Woods plays in an event and makes the cut the viewing audience will continue to be forced to watch most of his shots in the two final rounds no matter how far back he is. As WL posted, we may have to wait until he's in his 80s for the mania to die down. And I'll be long gone before that happens.

 

[booth]

The Honda Classic will lose its sponsor after 42 years. Honda was the longest-running sponsor of the PGA TOUR. Billy Horshel had some choice comments about this was handled by the PGA.

PGA Tour holding last Honda Classic as a new sponsor awaits

Someone will be getting a big check this week at the Honda Classic

www.usatoday.com

 

[Don Wassall]

Though reportedly back by billions of dollars by way of Saudi monarchs, LIV has been a failure to this point and is bleeding money:

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

 

[icsept]

Though reportedly back by billions of dollars by way of Saudi monarchs, LIV has been a failure to this point and is bleeding money:

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

The CW Network is not exactly easy to find, nor in the normal favorite channels of the sports junkies. The PGA leaderboards have suffered as a result of losing so many big name players. I’d like to see some sort of truce for the overall benefit of fans. At a minimum, I hope LIV survives until April, because they’re coming to Tulsa and I will definitely be in attendance.

 

[Don Wassall]

Sam Burns wins the Match Play championship in Austin over Cameron Young. Rory and Scottie are still battling it out in the consolation match.

If I heard the announcers correctly, this is the final edition of this tournament, which is a shame as it's a great format -- the Ryder Cup, one of the top events in any sport not just golf, is match play -- that should be played more frequently not less.

 

[Don Wassall]

Jordan Spieth nearly defended his RBC Heritage title but lost to reigning U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick on the third playoff hole. Spieth had makeable birdie putts to win the first two playoff holes but just missed both of them.

There was a strong field, including Jon Rahm coming off his Masters win just last week and Spieth was clearly the people's choice among the gallery, but it wasn't to be. With Phil Mickelson aging out and coming off some self-inflicted wounds to his reputation and then defecting to LIV, Spieth is now the most popular PGA Tour golfer.

 

[Don Wassall]

Nick Taylor became the first Canadian to win the Canadian Open since 1954, defeating the hapless Tommy Fleetwood on the fourth playoff hole.

Fleetwood's a star on the European Tour but still has yet to win on the PGA Tour and may never after today. He played a great final round until the 18th hole, an easy par five that just about everyone was birdying all day and all he needed was a birdie to win by one shot. Playing conservatively by teeing off with an iron, Fleetwood still found the rough and had to lay up, and then his lay up also found the rough, two really bad miscues. He was fortunate to escape with a par to make the playoff.

Taylor of course was the people's choice all day but in the playoff Fleetwood again overcame some poor tee shots and irons with decent chips and had two medium length putts to win but missed both. Taylor then sealed the deal on the fourth playoff hole by draining a monster 72 foot putt and the well-lubricated Toronto crowd went nuts. The impressive contingent of Canadian golfers were on scene cheering for Taylor and when he won, Adam Hadwin was mistakenly tackled and body slammed by a security guard as he ran on to the green to spray Taylor with water or some other beverage. It was a big day for Canadian golf, and as mentioned there's now a group of up and comers along with Taylor who are serious contenders on the PGA Tour.

 

[Don Wassall]

I want to give some recognition to Bernhard Langer, who just won the 2023 Senior U.S. Open. He's now won 12 majors on the Senior Tour, passing Hale Irwin, who dominated that tour for many years, and also surpassing Irwin's record for career wins. Langer is almost 66 and still going strong, making the cut at The Masters just three years ago. Since the Senior Tour starts at age 50, he continues to beat up on the relatively "young bucks" at his age, just so impressive.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Rory McIIroy wins The Scottish open. He birdied 17 and 18 to edge Robert McIntire by one stroke. It was McIIroy's 24th career win. McIIroy hasn't won a Major in 9 years. Maybe he can ride this latest victory into this coming weeks British Open. It would be his fifth major should he win.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Local golfer from my area of NC, JT Poston T-3, -10 going into the third round of the 3M open in Minnesota. Looking for his 3rd career win.
He's already secured his Fedex playoff spot sitting at number 56.
Good luck JT. The men from the club will be cheering you on!!

 

[The Hock]

 

[NikoDuke]

Great golf in the BMW championship this weekend. Lots of the big names at top of the leaderboard with Scheffler using moving day to position himself tied for 1st.

And while Rory is in the mix, it's getting to the point where I lack the belief he can close it out...

 

[Don Wassall]

Great golf in the BMW championship this weekend. Lots of the big names at top of the leaderboard with Scheffler using moving day to position himself tied for 1st.

And while Rory is in the mix, it's getting to the point where I lack the belief he can close it out...

Viktor Hovland wins it with a course record 61, including 28 on the back nine! Simply a spectacular round of golf, as good as it gets.

Hovland is now ranked second in the FedEx standings going into the Tour Championship next week, the final playoff event. Scottie Scheffler just barely hangs onto first over Viktor, while McIlroy is third. Jordan Spieth squeaked into the tournament at the 29th position (only the top 30 move on to the Tour Championship to determine who wins the FedEx Cup).

 

[NikoDuke]

Tour championship began today with the top 30 players competing. Morikawa had the lowest round of the day shooting -9 under to put himself in a tie for the lead.
Scheffler, Rory and Rahm all underperformed with Scheffler especially having a tough round. His putting has always been issue but, his ball striking wasn't up to his standard.
Keegan Bradley and Holland are also tied for 1st and this shapes up well for an exciting weekend.

 

[NikoDuke]

Viktor Hovland won the Tour Championship with outstanding play on the weekend to finish at -27. Just an amazing tournament of ball striking and under pressure putts
Interesting that someone from Norway, not a traditional golf powerhouse, has excelled in a warm weather sport like golf..I suspect Hovland is the favorite for player of the year.

 

[Don Wassall]

Hovland's play the past two weeks was nothing short of brilliant, maybe the most dominating two weeks any golfer has ever had.

I watched the last few holes of the Tour Championship and what struck me was how subdued the environment was. The fans were subdued, the announcers were subdued, and Hovland was subdued. I suspect some of it comes from Scandinavian stoicism but it would have been nice if Hovland had showed more emotion to liven things up. I watch his body language and it always seems like he feels disrespected or not liked by American fans, but part of it is his own fault. He's definitely a likeable guy. If Tony Finau for example had done what Viktor accomplished the past two weeks it would have been a much more festive and celebratory atmosphere. When Tiger won it several years ago the fans all ran up behind him, British Open style, and circled the 18th hole in huge numbers.

I'd be willing to bet no one asked Hovland afterward what this meant to Norway or Norwegian golf, as always happens when a non-White does well. No one gives a **** about Scandinavian golf and Hovland seems to have internalized that. At any rate, Jim Nantz appropriately called him a phenom and I hope he can continue something close to that level of brilliance over the next few years.