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Five Things We Learned: Friday at the US Open

Published

3 weeks ago

Jun 17, 2023

Like death and taxes, the halfway cut at a major championship is a certainty. There is no avoiding its blade, and stories abound about who coulda and shoulda, who didn’t, and who did. Layered on top of the close calls are the runaways, the golfers who made or missed by a mile. Los Angeles Country Club’s North course welcomed 65 golfers to the weekend, and sent the remaining 91 home.

The cut fell at two-over par 142, one shot lower than the 143 of 2022, at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. 17 competitors made the cut on the number, including three of the four surviving amateurs. Among that group were three former major winners. Missing by one shot were 14 more golfers, including Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson. France’s Paul Barjon gave back nine shots overnight (67 to 76) to miss by one, while Sam Stevens (75 to 67) and Sahith Theegala (74 to 66) improved the most, to sneak inside the cut and reserve a seat at Saturday’s table.

A quintet of elements stood out most on day two at LA North, and it’s time to share that quantum with you.

Finish with a ?@XSchauffele will head into the weekend two shots off the lead. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/GGSbktkHPp

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2023

1. A US Open test reveals itself by the numbers

As a savvy tournament committee knows, you don’t display all your attributes on day one. Los Angeles North may have seemed like an unworthy admission to the US Open canon of courses after Thursday’s low numbers. Upon completion of play on Friday, those complaints and heckles went away with the cut line. The committee moved the tee blocks as far back as possible, pushing the real yardage to the scorecard figures. Combined with a morning Marine layer and some all-day breezes, the enhanced yardage added club numbers to approach shots, and changed strategy from the tee deck. The results were statistically telling: a 71.38 average score on Thursday climbed to 72.22 on Friday.

37 players signed a scorecard under the par of 70 on day one. Only 10 of those golfers followed up with another round in the 60s. We’ll look at those 10 golfers as we continue our trek, and determine which has the greatest chance of hoisting Victoria, aka the trophy without a name, on Sunday. The winged goddess of victory stands atop the silver chalice, so that’s as good a name as any.

With no more yardage left to add, anticipate a movement toward psychological warfare on the putting surfaces. Hole locations will move toward fingers and corners of greens, and slide toward transitional shelves on the frog hair.

High-quality stuff from Cameron Smith. ? #USOpen pic.twitter.com/2BaVMvrELs

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

2. Members of an exclusive club

Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark will shake hands on Saturday afternoon. Gone are the split tees of 1 and 10, as well as the threesomes. Their 3:40 tee time west coast tee time is the final one of the day, and will finish up well past 11 on the other coast. Their tribute comes later; there are eight other golfers who joined them in the Double 60s club, and we shall look at that octet herein.

Rory Mcilroy (65-67), Harris English (67-66), Min Woo Lee (69-65), Sam Bennett (67-68), Scottie Scheffler (67-68), Cameron Smith (69-67), Tony Finau (68-69) and Justin Suh (69-69) are the other eight players in possession of under-par scorecards from both days of competition. They are joined by others in the top eighteen, but their achievements merit some attention. History suggests that McIlroy should be watched closely, but history also suggests that a nine-year gap in major-championship victories is hard to overcome. Scheffler and Smith each won a major in 2022, and each would like to establish a yearly tradition of at least one major title on the resume.

The other five golfers are complete unknowns in the major arena, yet each adds a tantalizing spice that screams, in the words of Donkey, pick me, pick me! Our thinking is that the 2023 champion is likely to come from this group of 10 golfers, as a weekend comeback is a difficult thing at a US Open.

Making a big move ? the board. @Minwoo27Lee is -4 at LACC. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/QIAJU0URwU

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

3. The amateurs

We saw the aforementioned Sam Bennett make quite a statement (16th-place tie) as an amateur at The Masters in April. He is now a professional, but a quartet of his former compatriots in the non-professional company stood tall through 36 holes at the North course. Leading the way is Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent, the newly-minted world number one among the amateurs, and the owner of what may be the world’s quickest hip rotation through the ball. Anchor Down followed an opening 69 with 71, to sit in a tie for 30th at even par. Joining Sargent on the weekend are Ben Carr and Maxwell Moldovan of the USA, and Aldrich Potgieter of South Africa. That triumvirate sneaked across the cut line on the number, at the two-over par figure of 142. The presence of Bobby Jones returns each year at the majors, and the four-time champion of this event, as an amateur, suggests that we pay attention to his golf descendants.

Of the foursome, Sargent should perform the best over the final 36 holes. He is among the collegiate elite who lack only seasoning on their way to join the list of professional winners. As for the others, the USGA medals that will come their way on Sunday are prize enough.

Gordon Sargent is making the most of his major start. ?@VandyMGolf #USOpen pic.twitter.com/h9bzk08rnT

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

4. Wyndham Clark caught our attention

The Colorado native has the sort of name that suggests he has been around the tours for decades. Maybe that’s just us. Clark played four years at Oklahoma State, then transferred to Oregon for his final collegiate season. He moved from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour in 2018, and has remained a fixture. In April, Clark won his first tour title at Quail Hollow in Charlotte. On Thursday, Clark joined the birdie fest with a round of 64. He overcame three bogeys that day, with eight mighty birdies. On Friday, a more patient Clark counted half that many birdies on his card, but he sliced two bogeys off his round’s tally. Alongside Clark as a great unknown, is how difficult Los Angeles North will play over the next 48 hours.

Clark’s driving distance average dropped nearly 40 yards from round one to round two. Did he play conservatively off the tee on Friday? If so, that’s a good thing. Clark hit nearly 70% of fairways and greens both days, which placed him right around 50th spot in the field. What he did best, was make putts. His putting average of 1.25 putts per green is best in the field. When it comes to rolling the ball, he has no equal this week. That statistic needs to continue, for Clark to find success on Saturday, and glory on Sunday.

Making birdie the hard way! @Wyndham_Clark ties the lead at -8. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/9KeWnh5c8t

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

5. Rickie Fowler has his chance

The mid 2010s were the period when we thought that we would see the California native surpass his renown as Dick Fowler, Private Eye in commercials, and seize a major title. He came close (top-five finishes in all four 2014 majors) but never crossed the finish line. Would he be the most popular major champion in quite some time? Absolutely. Fowler extracted 18 birdies from George Thomas’ masterpiece over the first two days. If he does the same over the weekend, he will win. Fowler’s driving has always been his Achilles’ Heel; if he keeps the ball in the fairway, off the tee, he will do just fine. Remember that firm greens also mean firm fairways, so drive won’t be necessary off the majority of tees. Fowler has been the world’s most confident putter since his amateur days. If the flat stick cooperates, his chance at finally claiming a major trophy increases.

Another record-setting day for @RickieFowler!

His Friday 68 is the @Lexus Top Performance of the Day. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/xO4X30e64C

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2023

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Tour Rundown: Surprise USWO winner | Sepp surges

Published

13 hours ago

Jul 10, 2023

Ronald Montesano

I know it’s not the tour, and I know it’s a shell of its 1912 US Open self, but a 59 in a legitimate tournament is a thing. The Erie County (NY) Amateur was played at the course where I learned the game, and a collegiate named Ryan Edholm posted 59 on Sunday, to win by eight shots. I was glued to the feed, and jumped up when I saw them finalize the score.

To the tours! The USGA celebrated its Women’s Open championship at storied Pebble Beach Golf Links this week, and the USA was treated to prime-time golf viewing for a second consecutive, national championship. Neither the competitors nor the golf course disappointed, and it is a pleasure to provide an extended look at the tournament. The PGA Tour visited TPC Deere Run in Illinois, while the DP World Tour found a home in Denmark. Let’s have a look at how each event concluded, with this week’s Tour Rundown.

USGA/LPGA: Corpuz arrives from nowhere to claim United States Open title

If you hurry up and check Allisen Corpuz’s wiki page, you’ll see the one professional win on her record is the Hawaii Women’s State Open. Venerable an event as it is, it’s not an LPGA-calibre title, nor even a Symetra Tour win. Even more important, she won that event when she was all of 16 years of age, so she wasn’t even a pro! After schooling at Southern Cal and a stint on the 2021 USA Curtis Cup side, Corpuz turned pro, and earned two top-three finishes in her first two years on tour.

Forgive us for a moment if we talk about that other wain who won her first tour event in her first tour start. Yup, Rose Zhang was at Pebble Beach, but she only finished one-over par and only tied for 9th position. What did Corpuz do? She won the whole thing, lock, stock and barrel. Corpuz began the week 69-70 to not only make the cut, but earn herself a final-pair spot with Bailey Tardy on Saturday. While Tardy struggled to a 75, AC held it together and posted a fine 71. Her reward was a second-consecutive day in the final duo, this time with the on-fire Nasa Hataoka. Hataoka delivered a 66, the only score below 70 on the day. That’s one hot round.

Hataoka had been here before. She finished runner-up in two other major championships, and was eager to shelve the mantel of almost and replace it with certain. Sunday was not her day, however, and she struggled to five bogeys and a birdie, a 76, and a tie for fourth with the aforementioned Bailey Tardy. Tardy came back from her 75 with a 73, earning a top-five major placement.

Back to Corpuz. The lass from Honolulu made six birdies on the day. She began with stroke-savers on holes one and three, then made bogeys at four and nine, along with another birdie at seven. She turned in one-under 35, and began to put distance between herself and the field. Then came Charley Hull, and things began to change.

Hull found the same flint that Hataoka encountered on day three. The English pro made birdie at four of her first five holes, and turned in 32. Three birdies against one bogey on the inward half gave her a 66, the low round of the day. Her reward was a tie for second spot with another Sunday Queen, Jiyai Shin of Korea. Shin signed for 68 and reached the same, 6-under par total as Hull. No one, on this day, would track Allisen down.

Corpuz put the doubters to bed with three birdies over the first seven holes on the vaunted, back nine at Pebble Beach. A meaningless bogey at 17 meant that her margin of victory was reduced to three strokes. After safely walking the final fairway, Corpuz was an LPGA tour winner, a major champion and, in all likelihood, a member of Team USA in Spain’s 2023 Solheim Cup matches.

What pressure?

Allisen Corpuz is putting on a historic performance at Pebble Beach

Watch now on NBC! pic.twitter.com/6fzRYGPVYa

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 9, 2023

PGA Tour: Straka survives double bogey at last for second tour title

Josef Straka (no intel on how he earned the nickname “Sepp”) had golf social media ablaze this afternoon. He turned for home in 28 shots, and still had more in the tank. His front-nine eagle and five birdies were followed by four consecutive chirps from 11 to 14. Folks were talking 60, 59, 58. All that the boy from Austria had to do, was dock the boat. Well, he didn’t, finding water on 18 and a double bogey. He finished four days in Silvia at 21-under par, and didn’t think for a moment, that it would hold up.

Until it did. Neither Brendan Todd nor Alex Smalley could close with anything spicey, and Ludvig Aberg started too far back for his 63 to give him a shot. Todd and Smalley tied for second at 19-under par, with the precocious Aberg another stroke back, tied for 4th with Adam Schenk. It was Straka in the end, whose final-round 62 held up. Now, it’s off to Scotland for many, as preparations begin for the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

This man can not miss.@SeppStraka needs to shoot 1-under in his final four holes for a round below 60 @JDClassic. pic.twitter.com/5mYhLtu84e

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 9, 2023

DP World Tour: Second Chance for Højgaard in home country

Rasmus Højgaard did nothing right down the stretch of the Made in HimmerLand stop on the DPWT. He finished well ahead of the leaders, and began to applaud his home-country fans for their presence. Then, Nacho Elvira and Richie Ramsey forgot how to finish the tournament, and just like that, Højgaard found himself in a playoff with Elvira for the title. We’ll get to the playoff (all six holes of it) in a moment. How did we get there?

Højgaard had himself a weekend, to the tune of 65-64. For a time, he thought that his 129 over the final two days would earn him a top-three finish, until tires started falling off. Elvira played his final six holes in plus-one, with three bogeys against two birdies. Robert MacIntyre stood three-under on the day, when his tee shot on 14 nearly went OOB. Six shots later, he posted a triple bogey on his card, added another bogey, and missed overtime by two shots. For Richie Ramsay, the knife cut the deepest. He had quietly worked his way to the top spot, only to see all his day’s efforts undone with a watery double at the 72nd hole. He finished solo third.

So it was left to the astonished Højgaard and the Spanish Elvira, to settle matters on the 18th hole … and the 18th hole … and the 18th hole again. Six times they returned to the final teeing ground, and five times, each man made par. On the sixth go-round, Elvira cracked and Rasmus claimed his fourth DPWT title. Three have come in playoffs — Luke Donald, you paying attention?

Shots of the week from Made in HimmerLand ?#MIH23 | @DP_World pic.twitter.com/deVZZStyEI

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 9, 2023

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Morning 9: Co-leaders at USWO | Blixt fires 62 | DQ at Pebble

Published

3 days ago

Jul 7, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Friday morning, golf fans, as day two of the Women’s US Open and John Deere Classic get underway.

1. Joint leaders at Pebble

AP Report…”Pebble Beach was everything the best women golfers in the world imagined for the first U.S. Women’s Open with its raw beauty, marine layer and chill in the air.”

“For some of them, it was a sheer beast.”

“Xiyu Janet Lin and Hyo Joo Kim could soak up the scenery, each of them with a 4-under 68 on Thursday to share the lead after one round of a historic week on one of the most famous golf courses in America.”

“We’re part of the history. It’s really cool,” Lin said. “I kind of told myself no matter what, this is going to be a memorable week.”

Full piece.

2. Why it means so much

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”The 78th U.S. Women’s Open is, first and foremost, a celebration. Historians might look back on this championship a century from now and consider it the most consequential in Women’s Open in history.”

“For starters, it’s being staged on a course many consider a national treasure. The greatest to ever play the game have won here – Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Tom Watson. Even Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Patty Berg won the Weathervane Transcontinental Women’s Open at Pebble Beach in 1950 and ’51, not long after the LPGA was formed. They’d be shocked to learn it took this long to get invited back.”

“Players in this week’s field likely never dreamed of playing a U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble when they were McKayla’s age because it had never been done before.”

“In fact, most of the top players in the women’s game had never played Pebble, even in a casual setting, prior to their preparations for this week. Lydia Ko came earlier this spring with her husband for their first peek. Nelly Korda saw every hole for the first time Monday. Michelle Wie West played nine holes for the first time at media day in May and the rest last week.”

Full piece.

3. Blixt fires 62

AP Report…”Jonas Blixt got hot on the back nine at TPC Deere Run on Thursday, playing his last six holes in 6 under for a 9-under 62 and a 2-shot lead over Grayson Murray in the first round of the John Deere Classic.”

“Murray was 8 under through 13 holes but stalled from there. He bogeyed his final hole and shot 64. Cameron Young, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 19, also closed with a bogey and was part of a big group 3 shots back.”

Full piece.

4. USWO pay bump

Kent Paisley for Golf Digest…”The USGA announced Wednesday that the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open purse is going up to $11 million, a $1 million raise from 2022. It’s now double the size of the purse of the 2021 championship and the largest prize money payout in women’s golf.”

“Talking about 12 hours of network TV and playing for $11 million, some things are better than what you dream of,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan. “When you go back 10 or 15 years ago, those are pretty big moments, and I hope that all of us aren’t both so callused and in a hurry and iPhone-driven that we’ve missed that kind of breakthrough moment.”

“This week’s winner at Pebble Beach will earn $2 million, up from the $1.8 million prize money payout Minjee Lee claimed a year ago at Pine Needles.”

Full piece.

5. Coming to an airport near you…

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”LIV Golf has found a home for its Friday broadcast coverage. Although fans can’t be at their home to see it.”

“LIV announced Thursday morning that it reached an agreement with ReachTV, a streaming service that caters to airports. LIV Golf’s Friday coverage had previously only been available through the CW’s streaming app. According to a press release, the agreement begins this week with LIV Golf’s London event.”

“This partnership with ReachTV provides additional opportunities for fans on the move to follow LIV Golf’s supercharged action, including live coverage of Friday competition in bars and restaurants throughout North America,” said Will Staeger, LIV Golf’s chief media officer. “Our league is continually looking for innovative ways to connect the sport that we love with new audiences, and this partnership will give travelers more chances to catch many of golf’s biggest stars in action.”

Full piece.

6. Caitlin Clark tees off in John Deere pro-am

Dargen Southard of the Des Moines Register…”If the last year has hammered home anything regarding Caitlin Clark’s current celebrity status, it’s that crowds will show wherever No. 22 goes. Hoops doesn’t even have to be on the agenda.”

“Non-basketball appearances, inside the ballpark, on the golf course — doesn’t matter. Clark fans will flock from every corner to catch a glimpse of the Hawkeyes’ homegrown superstar doing anything ordinary or extraordinary. That proved true once again Wednesday at the John Deere Classic Pro-Am at TPC Deere Run.”

“With a robust gallery resembling what the leader’s group produces on championship Sunday at this well-respected PGA Tour event, Clark weaved her way through 18 holes while linking up with Iowa’s favorite golfing son, Zach Johnson, on the back nine. Throngs of black and gold lined the ropes at every hole just as they do outside the Carver-Hawkeye Arena tunnel. Many of the fans were young girls in Clark apparel yearning for even a brief moment with arguably America’s most popular female athlete. Autographs and photos were abundant.”

Full Piece.

7. Bubba thinks Gooch should get RC pick

Paul Higham for Golf Monthly…”Talor Gooch’s prolific winning form in the LIV Golf League should be enough to “definitely” make the USA Ryder Cup team, according to Bubba Watson.”

“Two-time Masters champion Watson is Gooch’s team captain with the Range Goats in LIV Golf, and he believes his fellow American is playing well enough to get one of Zach Johnson’s six picks for Rome.”

“Gooch is the only three-time LIV Golf tournament winner after claiming the trophy at Valderrama last week, and is again among the favourites for this week’s event at Centurion.”

Full Piece.

8. DQ at Pebble Beach

Brentley Romine for Golf Channel…”Natthakritta Vongtaveelap’s first U.S. Women’s Open is over after just five holes.”

“The 20-year-old Thai was disqualified after her caddie was found to have used a distance-measuring device “at least a couple times,” according to USGA rules official Kathryn Belanger. While the penalty for using a rangefinder once is two shots, multiple infractions result in disqualification.”

“Vongtaveelap was even par through five holes.”

“Rangefinders have been allowed at most LPGA events since mid-2021, but they remain prohibited at the U.S. Women’s Open.”

Full Piece.

9. John Deere Classic photos

Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!

Full Piece.

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Morning 9: Wie West’s last hurrah | Garcia fails to qualify for Open | Block clarifies Rory comments

Published

4 days ago

Jul 6, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the John Deere Classic gets underway.

1. Wie West officially retiring at Pebble

Golf Channel’s Mercer Baggs…”This is it. The last one, according to the 33-year-old. “I’m going to put my clubs in the darkest corner of my garage,” she said.”

“She’s been eyeing this event for some time now. Pine Needles, site of last year’s championship, would have been the perfect place to go out, so near to Pinehurst where she won her lone major.”

“But a Pebble Beach Open is the ultimate. And, for Wie West, this will be her ultimate event…”

“I really, really wanted to play longer. I really wanted to – especially after having Makenna and her being a girl, I really wanted to play longer,” Wie West said. “In an ideal world I wish I was still out on Tour and playing.

“Unfortunately, it’s just I had to make a hard decision with my body. It is hard. It is hard to be a mom out here. You have to make a lot of sacrifices. I just had to make a hard, medical body decision and also a personal decision.”

Full piece.

2. Sergio misses out on Open qualifying

An ESPN report…”Sergio Garcia’s quest to play in his 25th straight Open Championship ended Tuesday when he failed to qualify for the season’s fourth major.”

“Playing in a qualifier at West Lancashire Golf Club, Garcia shot a 5-under 67 in the morning round of the 36-hole competition. But after taking the lead at 8 under following three birdies in the first six holes of the second round, Garcia couldn’t keep up the pace.”

“Garcia, 43, hit his drive into the rough on the par-4 seventh hole and he wound up with a bogey on his way to a 71 and a cumulative 6-under par.”

“He finished tied for sixth after 36 holes, with only the top five finishers qualifying for The Open, which begins July 20 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England.”

Full piece.

3. Cam Smith likes lighter schedule, says “team golf is here to say”

Cameron Jourdan for Golfweek…”Last year, LIV had eight events and moved to 14 this year. In addition to the reported signing-bonus money and boosted purses, a lighter schedule is why numerous pros said they left the Tour for LIV.”

“Smith agrees. He’s a fan of a lighter schedule.”

“Exactly like it is this year would be perfect for me, 14 and four majors, I’d take that for the rest of my career,” Smith said.

“Then Smith was asked about comments Nick Faldo made last week about whether LIV would survive in the future and remain part of the golf ecosystem. Safe to say he’s confident in the future of the league.”

“I really can’t see LIV Golf going away. I think team golf is here to stay, and if you asked every one of us out here, all the 48 guys, I think everyone has such a good time and everyone enjoys what they’re doing out here, they love the competition. That team element really brings three or four guys really close that perhaps weren’t before.

Full piece.

4. Block on McIlroy comments

Ben Fleming for Golf Monthly…”However, speaking exclusively to Golf Monthly at Dundonald Links this week ahead of Open Final Qualifying, Block was keen to clarify what he actually meant.”

“It was totally misconstrued, misconceived, the whole thing. I really feel like if you’re a real golfer, you kind of understood what I had meant,” he said.

“That was an incomprehensible thing where yeah, if I gained 60 yards, if I had a gap wedge into every green rather than a four iron into every green, would I be better? I’d be a whole hell of a lot better.

“Would I be better than Roy McIlroy? Absolutely not. Rory is an absolute stud and at no point, in any shape or form, was I ever trying to say anything about Rory or the tour professionals.

“I was just one hundred per cent saying, if I had an extra 60 yards off of every tee, every day of my life, would I be on tour? Probably. Guaranteed? Absolutely not.

“I know I can’t say I don’t care what people say or think – of course I do – but, at the same time, I understand what I meant, and I know for a fact, I didn’t mean to hurt anybody or say anything that would.

“It was taken completely out of context but is also my fault, I guess. I said it the wrong way. I did a couple of thousand interviews [after the tournament] but I guess I did say one thing wrong but it’s okay.”

Full piece.

5. Butch: Rickie’s win means the most

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Legendary swing coach Butch Harmon has coached Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson during the peaks of their careers, but none of their wins have meant more to him than Rickie Fowler’s win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week.”

“While appearing on PGA Tour Radio’s “Gravy and the Sleeze,” hosted by Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, on Monday, Harmon reflected on the moment.”

“It was spectacular. I think my anxiety was probably the same level as his was when he was playing, just because I wanted it for him so bad,” Harmon said. “To come from 185th in the world all the way to 23rd in eight months is an incredible journey that he’s taken.”

“And guys I’ll be honest with ya,” Harmon continued. “I think this one meant more to me personally than a lot of the majors that I’ve won with different guys, just ’cause I know how far down Rickie was, and to watch him come back, it was a joy to watch.”

Full piece.

6. Migliaccio reporter-player at USWO

Golf Channel’s Mercer Baggs…”Migliaccio is not only competing this week, she’s working as an on-course reporter.”

“Tuesday, Lexi Thompson was part of her practice foursome. Thursday, she’ll be part of Migliaccio’s featured group coverage on Peacock.”

“Migliaccio will be on the course for Thompson, Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko for their 8:50 a.m. PT start on the 10th hole.”

“She won’t be able to wrap up the group, however, as she tees off alongside Alice Hewson and Kana Mikashima at 1:18 p.m. off the first.”

“They’ll let me leave when I feel comfortable doing so and I’ll have a cart, so hopefully won’t have to walk too much. But it should be great,” she said. “I’m really excited to get to see, you know, three of the best players in the world play golf and just seeing how it’s playing for them, then getting to go out in the afternoon and getting to try to replicate that.”

Full Piece.

7. Tim Tucker back on Bryson’s bag for the week

Cameron Jourdan for Golfweek…”Two years ago this week, Tim Tucker quit working for his boss, Bryson DeChambeau, the night before the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic, a tournament where DeChambeau was the defending champion.”

However, the tandem is back together this week.

Tucker is back on the bag for DeChambeau at this week’s LIV Golf event in London at Centurion Club, DeChambeau’s agent, Brett Falkoff, confirmed to Golfweek. Tucker caddied for DeChambeau in all eight of his PGA Tour victories and was on the bag for Kurt Kitayama’s first Tour win this spring at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

DeChambeau’s caddie, Greg Bodine, is attending to a personal matter this week, which is why Tucker and DeChambeau are back together. No Laying Up first reported the pair joining up in London.

Full Piece.

8. Zach hints at Ryder Cup inclusion for LIV pros

John Turnbull for Bunkered…”US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson has hinted that he will select LIV golfers for his team this September.”

“Before the PGA Championship, the 47-year-old admitted that the prospect of those players featuring in Rome was “not even a discussion item.””

“But Johnson has now acknowledged that LIV golfers are eligible to make his team of 12 for the biennial battle with Europe.”

“He said: “These guys that left the PGA TOUR that had status and left to play on that other tour, the LIV Tour, they’re still members of the PGA of America, so they are still able to garner points.”