Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Polls for men's golf: NAIA, NJCAA Div. I, NJCAA Div. II https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Point University is once again No. 1 in Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Polls for NAIA. Meanwhile, Hutchinson sits atop the NJCAA Div. I poll, while Kirkwood CC is No. 1 in the latest the NJCAA Div. II poll.
Here are the Top 25 rankings for NAIA, NJCAA Division I and NJCAA Division II.
NAIA
Rank
University (First-place votes)
Points
Previous
1
Point University (9)
250
1
2
Keiser
240
2
3
Wayland Baptist (1)
230
3
4
College of Coastal Georgia
220
4
5
South Carolina Beaufort
210
10
T-6
Dalton State
180
T-5
T-6
Texas Wesleyan
180
T-11
8
Morningside
162
T-5
9
Campbellsville University
160
T-13
10
Ottawa (AZ)
150
9
T-11
Oklahoma City
140
9
T-11
Mobile
140
15
13
Lindsey Wilson College
120
T-16
14
Bellevue University
119
7
15
Southwestern Christian University
114
T-13
T-16
Kansas Wesleyan
100
T-18
T-16
The Masters University
100
T-11
T-18
Tennessee Wesleyan
80
21
T-18
Southeastern (FL)
80
NR
20
Cumberland University
64
T-16
21
Reinhardt
50
22
22
Our Lady of the Lake
49
NR
T-23
Mount Marty
18
NR
T-23
Webber International
18
NR
25
Montana Tech
15
NR
Dropped from ranking: Central Baptist (20); Grand View (24); Midland Univ. (23); Rocky Mountain College (25); Taylor (T-18).
Others receiving votes: Grand View, 14; Midland Univ. 12; Taylor, 12; William Carey, 9; Sterling, 5; Bethany College (KS), 3; Northwestern College (IA), 3; St. Ambrose, 3; Columbia College, 2; Truett-McConnell, 2; Faulkner, 1; Holy Cross College, 1; Oklahoma Wesleyan Univ., 1; SCAD Savannah, 1.
Corey Conners loves the 16th hole at Bay Hill, leads API https://ift.tt/3kMY8K2
Corey Conners is making mincemeat of the 16th hole at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.
The 29-year-old Canadian stuffed his second shot at the par 5 to five feet on Thursday and made eagle. On Friday, his putter had to do a little more work as he canned a 24-footer, but it was an eagle all the same. Six strokes at 16 through two rounds will go along way on the scorecard and it has helped vault Conners to the top of the leaderboard early in the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida. Conners backed up his opening 66 with a workman-like 3-under 69 on Friday morning to open up a two-stroke lead over Viktor Hovland.
“It was really solid today,” Conners said. “I didn’t hit as many shots close to the hole as I did yesterday, to give myself as many birdie chances, but I was really happy with how I grinded out a bunch of pars today. I was in some tricky spots and, yeah, overall really solid day and nice to finish off with a strong back nine.”
Conners took off like a rocket ship on Thursday, bolting to 6 under through his first seven holes, but he never started thinking about shooting a 59.
“I know this golf course can sneak up on you if you get a little too relaxed,” he said.
But it did bring up a good story about the time he threatened golf’s magic number while playing at his home course in Florida, Dye Preserve.
“I left a putt right on the front lip and ended up shooting 60,” he said.
Conners came back to Earth on Thursday, posting 66 en route to sharing the overnight lead with Rory McIlroy. Conners is playing at Arnie’s Place for just the third time and had missed the cut in his previous two starts, but it didn’t diminish his affection for Bay Hill.
“When I was a junior golfer I actually came and watched a few times,” he said. “I always loved the place, such great condition, visually like the golf course a lot off the tee. You got to be really precise with your shots.”
He’s put on his usual ballstriking clinic through two rounds, ranking first this week in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green. It’s no surprise that he’s at 9-under 135 through 36 holes given that he’s also third in SG: Scrambling and sixth in SG: Putting (118th for the season). Conners started his second round with a bogey at the second hole, but got back to even for the day by sinking a nine-foot birdie putt at 7. He wedged to eight feet at the par-5 12th hole for another birdie before the eagle landed again at 16.
Conners, who is expected to finally get to defend his lone PGA Tour title at the Valero Texas Open next month, had made nine cuts in a row and been a model of consistency with seven top-25 finishes until he missed the cut at his previous start. Asked what’s been the difference for Conners so far this week at Bay Hill, he said, “I think I just had a little more rest leading up to the event this year and had a week at home last week, so feeling fresher coming in here and, yeah, definitely excited to have a good start and excited for the rest of the week.”
Fitness with Averee: Spinal rotation with hip bridge https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
As golfers we want to be mobile, but stable. A hip bridge with spinal rotation is a great drill for working on mobility and stability.
Most golfers are surprised to learn that the lower back is not designed for rotation. Building stability in the lower spine is a key component in having a consistent golf swing. Creating better mobility in the hips and upper back is beneficial for optimizing power.
In the latest episode of “Fitness with Averee,” Averee Dovsek explains how to do a hip bridge with a thoracic spine rotation. To make this exercise a bit more functional, try placing a medicine ball in between your knees.
Combine what you learn through “Fitness with Averee” with Steve Scott’s instruction series and you will be a different golfer on and off the course.
On Tuesday, Faldo quote-tweeted a response to a tweet that noted that Fowler has yet to qualify for the Masters in April, writing, “Good news is if he misses the Masters he can shoot another six commercials that week!”
That was a serious burn and it didn’t take long to go viral. (Faldo, a six-time major winner, also doubled down with the following tweet that noted his three victories at the Masters.)
In a video, Faldo, a World Golf Hall of Famer and CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst explained that he’s actually an admirer of Fowler’s and he was just trying to spur Fowler on.
“Like everybody, we want him to find his game as soon as possible,” Faldo said. “So, five years ago now, he was voted by the players as the most overrated player on Tour. It motivated him to go and win the Players literally the next week. So, a couple years later when things were gone quiet, I said to Rickie, ‘Hey, I need to give you a bit of needle, mate, to motivate you.’ And he said to me, ‘Bring it on.’
“OK, it’s years later, so hopefully he still remembers that.”
Ok sports fans out of my own curiosity what would you rather have, a boatload of cash or your name in three green books? pic.twitter.com/fHMn1S1y8D
Fowler has been mired in a slump and hasn’t won since the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. He hasn’t posted a top-10 finish since last year’s American Express and entered the week ranked No. 65 in the world. Fowler is in danger of missing his third cut in his last four starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Faldo isn’t the first to criticize Fowler’s over-exposure in commercials.
“I wish Rickie well,” Faldo continued. “I want him to play great, get out there, play to the top of the leaderboard, and that will all be fantastic for all of us.”
Faldo also blamed his British style of humor, saying, “in the future, I’ll restrain from digging in a little too deep.”
In Faldo’s mea culpa, he also conceded the comment “was probably born out a little bit out of jealousy.” He noted that unlike Fowler’s seemingly endless list of blue-chip sponsors, he only has one television commercial.
Justin Rose announces new capsule collection with Bonobos https://ift.tt/3uVlRMJ
Justin Rose has spent his time co-designing a capsule with Bonobos. Rose, a former World No. 1 and U.S. Open champion, has been sporting the popular menswear’s clothing on the PGA Tour since becoming an ambassador in 2019, and said its stylish look has pushed him out of his comfort zone while still allowing him to feel comfortable to go inside a Starbucks for a cup of coffee before or after his round.
The Justin Rose Golf Collection gives a look into a spring and summer wardrobe with pants, polos and shorts that are intended for on and off the golf course.
Golfweek’s Averee Dovsek spoke with Justin on Instagram Live to discuss his inspiration for the collection, who he considers icons of style in the golf world and some of his favorite pieces in the capsule below.
The Justin Rose Performance Polo features a soft jersey fabric with UPF 50 protection. This polo comes in several eye-catching patterns and prints and its fabric is moisture wicking, breathable and stretchy for extreme comfort during your day.
White Sunday Roses polo- $89.
Rose mentioned that his favorite polo in the collection was the White Sunday Roses Polo. He jokingly noted that the green stems of the rose would be paired nicely with a green jacket at Augusta for the 2021 Masters.
Rose talked about how the Tour Pants and Shorts in his capsule are functional and stylish. He wanted to escape the classic golf pant and move into something a bit more modern. He feels that the collection does just that.
Both bottoms are water repellant with UPF 50 protection. The gripped waistband and pockets large enough to hold a scorecard are designed for your new low round or post-round drinks in the clubhouse.
Linn Grant wins third consecutive title, leading ASU golf to Bruin Wave crown https://ift.tt/3lXXiZP
Arizona State’s Linn Grant won her third consecutive tournament over two seasons Wednesday, leading the No. 6 women’s golf team to its first title at the Bruin Wave Invitational.
Grant, a sophomore from Sweden, finished one stroke ahead of Northwestern’s Irene Kim and Oregon’s Ching-Tzu Chen at the Saticoy Club in Somis, California. She also was individual champion at the Sun Devil Winter Classic and at her final 2020 tournament before the season ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Playing in cold, windy conditions for three days, ASU won by 14 strokes over No. 21 Northwestern followed by No. 28 Oregon, No. 1 Pepperdine, New Mexico and No. 23 UCLA. Rankings are Golfweek/Sagarin through March 1.
“I am very proud of the fight in this team,” ASU coach Missy Farr said. “Our scores were quite high due to tough conditions. Although we struggled coming down the stretch, so did every other team. Linn had another great performance and win leading our team. We still have some things to work on and will continue to work to get better every tournament.”
Linn Grant is on another level
Make it 3⃣ straight tournament titles and 1⃣st place finishes at 4⃣ consecutive events pic.twitter.com/L7eU2fKIOB
Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5, 5.5, 11, 11.5 putters https://ift.tt/3bXaZVO
Gear: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5, 5.5, 11, 11.5 putters Price: $429 each Specs: Milled 303 stainless steel with aluminum and adjustable sole weights Available: March 26
Last season brought an update to the Scotty Cameron Select line of blade-style putters, so this year it is the mallet putters’ turn to be refreshed. While there are several mid-size and high-MOI mallets in the Phantom X lineup introduced two years ago carrying over into 2021, Titleist’s putter maker has added two new models with different neck configurations for players who want more forgiveness and feel.
The Phantom X 5 and X 5.5 share the same head, which is milled from a piece of 303 stainless steel and has extensions in the heel and toe area. But instead of keeping the entire head solid, which could make the putter extremely heavy, Cameron replaced a significant portion of the bottom of the head with aluminum, which is a much lighter material, and then added a pair of weights in the heel and toe area. The weights are not designed to be changed by golfers, but fitters can swap the weights out to adjust the club’s swing weight based on its length and a player’s preferences.
Adjustable weights on the bottom of the Phantom X putters allow the swing weight to be changed easily. (Titleist)
Where the two putters vary is in the neck. The Phantom X 5 has a single-bend in the shaft that makes it face balanced and ideal for players who have a straight-back, straight-through stroke. The Phantom X 5.5 has a small slant neck which creates a small amount of toe hang. It is very similar to the putter that Justin Thomas plays and is better suited for players who have a slightly-arced putting stroke.
The Phantom X 11 and X 11.5 are similarly shaped to the X 5 and X 5.5, but they are slightly larger and have extra steel pieces at the end of the heel and toe wings. Again, the silver-toned areas are milled 303 stainless steel, and the darker sections are aluminum to save weight. The larger profile increases stability and the moment of inertia to make the X 11 and X 11.5 more resistant to twisting on off-center hits.
The Phantom X 11 and 11.5 have more mass at the end of the heel and toe extensions. (Titleist)
The difference between the two putters, again, is found in the neck. The Phantom X 11 has a high-bend neck and is face balanced; the Phantom X 11.5 has a single bend that is lower, which encourages more movement in the toe portion of the putter, so it is better for golfers who have an arched stroke.
Photos: Mauna Lani in Hawaii reopens North Course as COVID travel restrictions ease https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
As rounds of golf increase in Hawaii as travel restrictions are beginning to ease, Mauna Lani has reopened its North Course, which ranks No. 8 in Hawaii on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts.
The Mauna Lani Auberge Resorts Collection property in Kona reopened to guests in November, and the resort’s South Course—ranked No. 15 in Hawaii—and its short course, the Wiki Wiki, have been back online since. But the North Course had remained closed until the end of February.
Many courses in the Aloha State were temporarily shut down early during the COVID-19 pandemic while travel to the islands was greatly reduced. Many restrictions have been eased in recent months, especially with the Safe Travels program. Requirements for the new testing procedures can be found attravel.hawaii.gov.
Trans-Pacific U.S travelers who register with the Safe Travels program and receive a negative COVID-19 test result from qualified facilities within 72 hours of departure may bypass the state’s 10-day quarantine. In addition, international travelers from Canada, Japan and Korea may bypass the state’s 10-day quarantine by securing a pre-travel test within 72 hours of departure on the final leg of their journey to Hawaii.
“We’ve seen a tremendous increase in demand for additional tee times at Mauna Lani, with the amount of local homeowners and resort guests on the island,” Mauna Lani director of golf Chris Noda said in a media release announcing the reopening.
Check out the photos of the North Course below for a little island day dreaming.
As if no time passed, Maryland women are still plotting an upward course this spring https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Good thing for Diana Cantu, Kelly Hovland has an exceptional poker face.
Cantu, in her seventh season as the head women’s golf coach at Maryland, doesn’t like to get too caught up in a leaderboard, and her assistant coach is good at not giving it away. Cantu, who played at Tennessee from 2006-10 and started her coaching career at Baylor, knows what’s going on in a single round, but focuses less on the bigger picture.
“I learned that it just was not good for me – it didn’t translate well for me with the girls,” she said. “So it’s better for me to keep my poise and my goal for the day with the girls.”
This was the case last month when Maryland flirted with the title at the Gators Invitational but ultimately dropped to a tie for third in the final holes. It would have been a monumental win in an ACC- and SEC-heavy field. It was head-turning nonetheless.
There’s a time for big picture, and Cantu found that to be the case with the frequent Zoom calls that replaced team interaction through late spring 2020 and into the summer – once COVID had scattered most college golf teams. In fact, Maryland got into the big, big picture.
“We had zoom calls where we didn’t necessarily talk about golf. With everything happening in the world – social injustices, there were so many other topics for us to bond over and we just did a lot of that during the year,” Cantu said. “It was funny, our first day of practice, it was January 26 or something. It felt like there was absolutely no day that went by between March and January.”
Truly, Maryland picked right back up where it left off. Last month, the Terps landed in the top 20 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, continuing an upward trajectory that correlates with Cantu’s arrival. At the end of the 2014-15 season, Cantu’s first as head coach, Maryland was ranked No. 114.
At the end of the 2019-20 season, Maryland landed at No. 46.
Cantu rewinds the story to the 2018 Big 10 Championship, when the Terps went shot-for-shot down the stretch with Michigan State and ultimately came up four shots short – the best finish since Maryland joined the Big 10 Conference. Players who were freshmen that year are now seniors.
“I think that was just a little bit of wow, I didn’t know this was something we could do so that moment, when the seniors now were freshmen, the mindset and the mentality for the program just changed,” she said. “The standard was so much higher.”
Cantu suddenly realized it was all about rewiring her players’ thinking. At the beginning of every semester “we put it up in the cloud,” she said, that this team is a top-40 team in the country and good enough to compete in the postseason.
“We talk about it the first five or 10 minutes of our team meeting,” Cantu said. “We say these are the facts, this is how good we are but we then set them aside and focus on the day-to-day what are we going to do to get there.”
When recruiting, Cantu was also looking for a specific player: One who wants to leave the program better. Now, there are three seniors plus a fifth-year senior in Cantu’s lineup, and there are heavy emotions surrounding the last-chance aspect of college – especially considering so much was taken away between last spring and this fall.
Here’s a team that has never played the NCAA Women’s Championship, and what a storybook ending that would be.
Maryland’s last start in the spring of 2020 was the Miami-hosted Hurricane Invitational on March 2-3. The Terps won it. Cantu started the same five women from Miami in both of Maryland’s spring tournaments.
At the FAU Paradise Invitational, Maryland finished second to Michigan State by a shot and at the Gators Invitational, the team was seven shots behind co-champs Florida and Ole Miss.
“I think as a coach, it’s really exciting because they didn’t get to finish last year and then to have the opportunity to have the same team come back, it’s exciting to see,” Cantu said.
Arnold Palmer Invitational: Friday tee times, TV and streaming info https://ift.tt/3kMY8K2
For the second consecutive week the PGA Tour is in Florida as it makes its annual stop at Arnie’s place.
Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida, plays host this week to the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Seven of the top 15 players in the Golfweek/Sagarin men’s ranking are in the field, and a few are near the top of the leaderboard after the first round.
Rory McIlroy and Corey Conners are tied for first at 6 under, with Bryson DeChambeau in third at 5 under. Jason Kokrak, Byeong Hun An and Sebastian Munoz are T-4 at 4 under.
From tee times to TV info here’s everything you need to know for the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. All times Eastern.
PGA Tour Live: 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (featured groups) PGA Tour Live: 2:30-6 p.m. (featured holes) Twitter: 8-9:15 a.m.
RADIO
PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.
We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.
Korda shares the first-round lead with Jennifer Kupcho and Austin Ernst at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Ocala, Florida.
All three fired 5-under 67s on Thursday to take a one-shot lead over Jing Yan and Jaye Marie Green.
Nelly’s sister, Jessica Korda, is among a large group of golfers at 3 under, two off the lead. The Korda sisters are grouped with World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who is T-89 after an opening-round 75.
“I thought it was going to be fun,” Nelly said about the grouping with her sister. “This is the first time we’ve been paired together the first two days of an event.”
Nelly Korda won her fourth LPGA title, and first on American soil, last week at the Gainbridge LPGA, one month after Jessica claimed the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.
Nelly indicated it’s been a fairly ho-hum last few days since her Gainbridge win.
“I took Monday off, did laundry, drove up here, got tested,” she said. “I was actually really tired. I just played nine and nine. I just tried to keep it pretty simple and easy.”
She made it look that way, posting five birdies—four of them in the stretch from 9 to 15—with no bogeys in her opening round.
Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda during the first round of the 2021 LPGA Drive On Championship at Golden Ocala Golf Club in Ocala, Florida. (Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Nelly, 22, moved up to No. 3 in the world after her victory in Orlando. Jessica, 28, dropped down to 18th after a tie for 31st.
Jessica said it was “awesome” playing with her sister but also said it felt like they were in a fishbowl. But playing with the World No. 1 was also really cool.
“Jin Young is such a nice person. We played together last week,” she said. “It’s always great being able to play with someone that’s just such a great all-around player and has been dominating our tour for what, two years, three years, however long she’s been out here.”
Golf Channel will have live coverage of the second round on Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. The weekend coverage will be also be live from 2:30-5:30 p.m. ET.
Golf Instruction with Steve Scott: Don't chili dip the chip https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
If you don’t want to chili dip your chip, pay attention to this tip.
In this week’s episode of “Golf Instruction with Steve Scott,” Scott gives you a good tip to strengthen your short game.
Scott, the PGA head golf professional at the Outpost Club, founder of the Silver Club Golfing Society and a PGA Tour Live analyst, has taken his thorough knowledge of the game and broken it down into digestible lessons from which anyone can benefit in Golfweek‘s series, “Golf Instruction with Steve Scott.”
Check out these step-by-step instructions and tips in the video above and share your before and after videos and photos with us on Twitter with #GolfweekInstruction.
Photos: Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational returns to Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando.
The par-72 course is playing 7,466 yards this week. Tyrrell Hatton is the defending champion.
This week’s winner will take home a check for $1,674,000 and 550 FedEx Cup points. The winner also earns a three-year PGA Tour exemption.
It’s coming up on five years now since Palmer passed away at age 87. At Bay Hill, there is a 13-foot bronze statue of Palmer in full swing standing near the first tee. No doubt, his legacy is remembered and celebrated every year there.
Rory McIlroy follows Tiger Woods' lead, gets into contention again at Arnold Palmer Invitational https://ift.tt/3r9VIrm
ORLANDO, Fla. – There may be no better place than Bay Hill and no better tournament than the Arnold Palmer Invitational for Rory McIlroy to get on a roll.
Following Tiger Woods’ lead helps, too.
McIlroy, the former world No. 1 and four-time major winner, put himself in prime position to snap his winless streak dating to the 2019 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions with a sparkling 6-under-par 66 Thursday to grab the lead in the opening round of Arnie’s annual bash.
McIlroy made five consecutive birdies on his front nine, two more on the back and made just one bogey and put his signature to one of his best rounds of the year.
“I’ve watched Tiger enough here over the years and the way he played this course was, he played it very conservatively, he took care of the par-5s, and that was usually good enough to get the job done,” McIlroy said. “So sort of take a little bit of a leaf out of his book.”
Not a bad read, for Woods won a record eight times here. As for McIlroy, he has four top-6 finishes the past four years, including victory in 2018.
“I feel like you don’t have to do anything special to shoot a good score here,” McIlroy added. “You can be really conservative off the tees if you want to be. There’s a bunch of irons that you can hit off tees.
“I think the toughest thing about this course is the par-3s and I played them in 3-under today. So that was a bonus.”
McIlroy, 31, held a 1-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau, who didn’t try to drive the green by hitting across the massive lake on the par-5 6th but still birdied the hole and added five more for a 67. Jason Kokrak shot 68 and three players were at 69 with many others still on the course.
McIlroy, with 18 PGA Tour titles and 27 victories overall worldwide, has gone 23 starts without winning. He was the hottest player before the COVID-19 global pandemic shut down the PGA Tour. While he’s had 10 top-10s during the stretch, he’s fallen to No. 8 in the world, his lowest ranking since 2019.
“The nice thing is it’s feeling better and better basically every time I go out there on the golf course,” McIlroy said. “I saw a lot of really positive signs out there today, which is really encouraging.”
Especially the 5-irons he hit on the 14th and 17th, two difficult par-3s, that led to birdies.
“Just little draws into the wind, flighted it the way I wanted to,” he said. “Those shots last week that I was trying to hit were missing the target 20 yards left. So it was nice to just see them coming out in the window I was anticipating.”
McIlroy also gains confidence looking at the stat sheet.
“I’ve always felt comfortable here,” McIlroy said. “I saw a stat the other day that this course, more than any other on the PGA Tour, the correlation between strokes gained off the tee and performance at this course is higher than anywhere else and obviously myself and Bryson, No. 1 and 2 in strokes gained off the tee for the season, and we both shot two good scores today.”
Bay Hill Bomber: Bryson DeChambeau back to hitting bombs, opens with 67 https://ift.tt/3c4o67F
Bryson DeChambeau reached in his bag at the par-5, sixth hole and grabbed an iron.
Yes, an iron. That’s not a typo. There was a moan and then a groan because the fans – yes, there are fans this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational – had come to see the reigning U.S. Open let the big dog eat.
DeChambeau laughed, as if saying, “Just messing with you,” and switched to his driver. In many ways, this moment encapsulated DeChambeau’s game since winning the U.S. Open in September. Golf’s strong man has been toying with us, recording just two top-10 finishes in his last six starts and missing the cut two weeks ago at the Genesis Invitational. He shot 77-64 in the first two rounds last week at the WGC-Workday Championship. The Incredible Bulk has been incredibly ordinary of late.
DeChambeau already validated his unorthodox efforts to beef up and chase distance, but the question remains: Will it be sustainable and will continued success lead to a generation of shake-chugging, iron-pumping golfers following his example? Too soon to say, but a slightly slimmed-down DeChambeau delivered the type of performance in Thursday’s opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational that suggested he may be finding his stride. The World No. 11-ranked player carded six birdies and posted 5-under 67 at Bay Hill Club and Lodge to trail Rory McIlroy by one stroke.
“I’ve always played pretty well off of a few weeks in a row in tournaments,” DeChambeau said. “I’ll kind of gain some momentum normally and I hope this is just the start.”
Starting on the back nine, DeChambeau rolled in a 12-foot birdie at No. 10, but gave it back one hole later, missing a 3-foot par putt, for his lone bogey of the day.
“Haven’t done that in a long time and I guess I was due for it, I don’t know,” said DeChambeau of missing a shortie and noting he didn’t feel comfortable with his putter.
He bounced back at No. 12, sinking a 6-foot birdie putt and then showed off why distance is king these days on the PGA Tour. He bashed his tee shot 340 yards into the left rough at No. 15, but no worries. It’s easier hitting a wedge from the rough than a 6-iron from the fairway at the elite level and DeChambeau flicked a wedge from the spinach inside 2 feet for a kick-in birdie.
DeChambeau turned in 34 and strung together three birdies in a row beginning at the par 5, fourth hole coming home. That included a rather routine birdie at the par-5 sixth despite not going for the green off the tee.
The line Bryson DeChambeau took on the par-5 6th hole at Bay Hill during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“On 4 it was kind of straight into the wind, I’m like, ‘Man, it may be possible if the wind kind of flips a little bit,’ ” DeChambeau said. “It was just too much off of the right and more into the wind than anything.”
He also said that the current Cobra driver he’s using has a heavier head that he’s switched to for more control.
“I had to rein it back a little bit, we’re working on some, hopefully some new technology in the next couple weeks that will help mitigate some of those speed, interesting speed issues that we have,” he said.
What if he had been using his previous model?
“I totally could have done it today,” he said.
DeChambeau still is hopeful that the conditions will dictate a green light to try to drive the sixth green.
“If it’s more downwind I’ll be able to do it tomorrow, hopefully, or some time during the weekend,” he said.
But, for the first time, DeChambeau also added a caveat, declaring he may not go directly for the green, but rather target an area 30-40 yards right of the green and short of a bunker.
“Look, all I’m looking for is 10 miles an hour downwind and I’ll be definitely going left,” he said.
Brats, cocktails and golf: Wisconsin course gets new owners and a new plan https://ift.tt/30a3eqc
Those accustomed to hitting the links at Wanaki Golf Course in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls can rest easy — the former Waukesha County course will reopen this spring, under private ownership.
He also said he plans to raise fees slightly — maybe a dollar.
The new ownership group wants to build on last year’s success, he said.
“Last year was our best season,” Schaefer said.
He said Wanaki will be the same golf course the community has loved since 1970.
Community members worked to keep Wanaki Golf Course open through the Save Wanaki campaign. Members of the Brookfield East girls golf team promoted awareness at Capitol Drive and Brookfield Road on Sept. 13, 2019. Pictured are, from left, coach Chris Minchk, Isa Zuniga-Meyer, Grace Schulz, Jenny Austin, Lily Schick, Mahika Mohan, Josie Clegg and Reagan Vander Heide.
‘A modern, rustic feel’
But Schaefer said the clubhouse has been “completely remodeled.”
“It will have a modern, rustic feel,” he said.
Additional seating will be offered outside, for a total of 14 tables on the patio.
“It is beautiful outside, and we created more outside space,” he said.
The newly named Turn Bar & Grill will also have new bathrooms and will open at 10 a.m.
He said that the restaurant can be for nongolfers to dine or for golfers.
“We want people to stay as long as possible,” he said.
Turn Bar & Grill got its new moniker because people on the patio can see “the turn” — the point where golfers finish their front nine holes and make the turn to the back nine.
Schaefer noted that since the course is now privately owned, with a liquor license, the clubhouse can offer a full beverage menu — which it couldn’t have under county ownership.
“People can drink wine and many different drinks (at Wanaki this season),” he said. “We will have a full beverage menu.”
As owner of the Milwaukee Brat House (both the downtown and Shorewood locations) and Jack’s American Pub on Brady Street, Schaefer said he will incorporate some of those menu items at the clubhouse. While the menu hasn’t been set yet, Schaefer said they plan to offer pizza, bar menu items and a Friday fish fry.
More plans
Schaefer said the clubhouse remodel took up most of the time this winter. But there were some upgrades to the course, as well.
Crews have already removed 150 of the 320 ash trees infected with emerald ash borer. The rest of the infected trees will also be removed, and trees will be planted to take their place, he said.
Schaefer also plans on bringing in 60 new carts, replacing the old carts and expanding the fleet.
His team plans to decide later whether to use the course for skiing or selling Christmas trees during the winter.
“We will definitely do something,” said Schaefer.
He said the clubhouse area may be too small for weddings or big events, but it is possible to have some activities there.
Schaefer noted that Waukesha County ran the course for 50 years — and he sees no reason his group can’t run it for another 50.
“We plan to keep it open as long as our family is able to run it,” Schaefer said.
When longtime Wanaki general manager Jim Ehnert learned of the county’s plan to close the course, he called it “devastating.”
His family home borders Wanaki’s fifth hole, and Ehnert grew up on the course. He started working there at age 16 and worked his way up. In 2000, he was promoted to general manager. He has worked at Wanaki for more than 35 years, he said.
When he learned about the possibility the course would be sold to private owners, he realized the new owners might not want to keep him. But the day after Storm Family Group took over, Schaefer met with Ehnert and put those concerns to rest.
“They are incredible. This was the best possible outcome,” Ehnert said.
Ehnert said they plan to add new leagues and grow existing ones.
He said they plan to increase youth golf activities and have more social and couples leagues.
Ehnert added that Wanaki has been the home course for both Brookfield Central and Brookfield East high school golf teams and that the Menomonee Falls and Sussex Hamilton high school teams use it often. He plans to continue having those teams and other high school teams use the course.
Ehnert said he would like to build on the support he saw in the fight to save the golf course.
“I did not expect that,” he said. “It was very humbling. Now, people are more engaged. We created a Wanaki family.”
COVID-19 delayed the PGA Tour dream of this former UGA golfer, but he's still smiling https://ift.tt/3e6mfC8
Former University of Georgia golfer Greyson Sigg has a happy-go-lucky demeanor that he carries wherever life takes him.
Like last Tuesday, two days before playing in the Puerto Rico Open, the third career PGA Tour event of his career.
Sigg sat on the balcony of his hotel, kicked his feet up on the rail, looked out at the ocean and settled in for an hour of media interviews.
His first appearance on SiriusXMs PGA Tour Radio was canceled because of breaking news of Tiger Woods’ car accident that severely injured the 15-time major champion. The station apologized, and Sigg understood.
“I mean, it’s the greatest golfer of all time, of course, nobody wants to hear from me about playing in Puerto Rico,” said Sigg, poking fun at himself while understanding the gravity of the situation.
Or during his four-year career at the University of Georgia while playing golf for Chris Haack.
Greyson Sigg eyes a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance at Victoria National Golf Course in Newburgh, Ind., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020.
The 26-year UGA coach knew Sigg’s personality better than anyone as Sigg has been around the Haack household often during a nine-year relationship with Haack’s daughter, Katie.
But Sigg’s carefree disposition allowed their coach-player relationship to blossom and earn him All-SEC honors his senior season.
“He’s got a really laid back personality and he just tries not to put a whole lot of emphasis on things and make them more important than they really are,” Haack said. “Don’t make it more important than it is, it’s just golf. He’s always going to embrace that and is very laid back. He just kind of rolls with the punches better than anybody.”
Sigg has played some of the best golf of his life on the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour’s breeding ground for golfers vying to reach the sport’s top level. But adversity hasn’t escaped the easygoing 25-year-old.
Sigg contracted COVID-19 last October and was forced to quarantine for 14 days. Fortunately, his only symptoms were a loss of taste and smell.
Where the virus had its largest impact on the Sea Island resident was delaying his claim to a PGA Tour card. When the tours had to take a hiatus for three months last year, the PGA Tour announced in April that the Korn Ferry Tour wouldn’t have its annual graduation of the top 25 players on its money list.
Sigg was in the top-10 of the developmental tour’s list and well on his way to Tour membership, but the Augusta native will have to wait until later this to fulfill his lifelong dream of reaching the PGA.
Former UGA golfer Greyson Sigg tees off during a tournament in 2014. (Photo/Steven Colquitt, UGA Sports Communications)
Like most things in his life, Sigg took it in stride.
“There were a lot of people who called me to tell me how sorry they were,” said Sigg, who is sixth in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings and eighth on its money list. “But, you know, it was such a weird time and we’re out here playing golf for a living. So, I wasn’t too upset.”
Due to the coronavirus interference, the PGA Tour made an exception for players inside the top 10 of the Korn Ferry Tour points standings when the 2020 season ended.
Top-10 players like Sigg and Will Zalatoris, who finished sixth in last year’s U.S. Open, are eligible to play in “additional events” like the Puerto Rico Open, Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship that are played opposite of bigger events such as last week’s WGC Workday Championship.
Sigg missed the cut of the Puerto Rico Open but it doesn’t affect his status on the Korn Ferry Tour. He’s still on the path to earn his Tour card.
“I definitely always dreamt of being on the PGA Tour and it was easy to like pro golf and being able to go to the Masters every year and seeing that and made it my dream to play in a Masters one day,” Sigg said. “I’ve got a long way to go, don’t get me wrong, but it’s pretty cool how I’ve managed it so far and I’ve come a long way in the past couple years.”
Sigg says he’ll target around 15 of the final 20 events in the Korn Ferry Tour season. An average showing should secure his PGA Tour card.
If it happens, Sigg said, it will accomplish a goal he set out for in high school.
But he’s not going to sweat it too seriously.
“Obviously, I would have liked to get my card but I’m still in a really good position to get my card for the 2022 season,” he said. “That’s going to be fun this year. It’s going to be a pretty stress-free year because I’m pretty close to locking it up. I’m in a good spot, I’m not really going to get too upset about it.”
