At one point, a fan reached out to fist bump the former U.S. Open champion but didn’t quite reach. The Crushers GC, of which Bryson captains, made a light-hearted post on Instagram with a video of the moment.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Crushers GC (@crushers_gc)

“These fans edits are getting out of control… ?”

DeChambeau commented on the post, “just a couple inches short…”

The 29-year-old will tee it up next at the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. He had success at the Open Championship hosted by St. Andrews last year, finishing in 8th place.

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A popular TikTok account, @cookingwith_darryl, mentioned a drink he called the “John Daly” in one of his videos. The food connoisseur has gotten very popular on the app by posting videos while cooking on his Blackstone grill.

“In my opinion there are two drinks synonymous with golf. You want to argue with me? Bring it! One is the Transfusion, the other is the John Daly. Let’s make the perfect John Daly.”

Darryl then went on to explain the ingredients: A chilled glass, vodka, and equal parts lemonade and iced tea.

@cookingwithdarryl Another classic drink for the golf course…The John Daly #drinks #golf #rukiddingme #rhoback ? original sound – dpostelnick

However, the TikTok users in the comment section were furious with the content creator, saying the drink he described was an “Arnold Palmer,” not a “John Daly.”

Darryl was sure to point out the very important distinction between the two: the “John Daly” contains vodka and “Arnold Palmer” does not.

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“I mean, when you quit on your round, you give up and stuff like that, that’s not competing,” said Koepka. “I’m not a big fan of that. You don’t work hard. It’s very tough. It’s very tough to have even like a team dynamic when you’ve got one guy that won’t work, one guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language, it’s very tough. I’ve basically given up on him—a lot of talent, but I mean the talent’s wasted.”

On Friday morning, Wolff issued his response to Koepka via Sports Illustrated.

The 24-year-old said it was “beyond disappointing” to read Koepka’s comments.

“I read the SI interview with our Captain Brooks Koepka and it was beyond disappointing to me. When I chose to join his Team in 2023, I did so with much optimism about my new home as part of Team Smash and equally as important the chance to be around and learn from a player of Brooks’s stature. Like everyone who has ever played the game at the highest level, I have had competitive moments in the past that I feel I have let myself down and even others in our new team environment. This has been quite difficult for me. My challenges on and off the golf course with my mental health has been well documented. I deal with those challenges every day.

“However, while my 2023 season has not been all I had hoped for to this point, I have made positive strides in managing my life and feel Ike my game is turning for the positive. To hear through the media that our team leader has given up on me is heartbreaking. It’s not what a team member looks to hear from its leader, and I think we all know these comments should have been handled much differently. But I’m moving forward and won’t ever give up on myself. While on course results may not appear now to be positive indicators, I’m trying to win an even BIGGER game with my life.

“Finally, I trust Brooks wants what is best for our team. But it’s hard to imagine his comments in his recent SI interview in any way line up with those priorities. This will be my last comment on this matter. I’m heading out today to the Centurion Club trying to help our team win this week. I appreciate everyone’s continued support and your respect for my privacy.”

Both Koepka and Wolff will be teeing it up at Centurion Club on Friday. Koepka will be playing with Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, while Wolff will play alongside his fellow Smash GC teammates (minus the captain) Chase Koepka and Jason Kokrak.

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• Related: Tiger Woods delivered stinging message to major winner after denying him lift on private jet

Natthakritta Vongtaveelap was competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open when her caddie used a distance measuring device multiple times during the round.  USGA rules official Kathryn Belanger made the disqualification.

It’s likely that the 20-year-old Vongtaveelap was mixed up because range finders are allowed at most LPGA events, but still remain illegal at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Vongtaveelap was even par through at the time she was disqualified.

More from the 19th Hole

• Related: Tiger Woods delivered stinging message to major winner after denying him lift on private jet

The 15-time champion has also been one of the most vocal anti-LIV players, and one of his own major backers has, in the past, confirmed their own denial of the rebel league.

• Related: John Daly rolls up to Kenny Chesney concert as only he can

Hero MotoCorp are not only sponsor a range of events on the DP World Tour, but also provide huge backing to Tiger’s own tournament, the Hero World Challenge, won in the last two years by Viktor Hovland.

Previous winners also include Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson and Graeme McDowell, all now committed to the Greg Norman-led tour, and all taking part in LIV London that starts on Friday.

As usual, the practice rounds took place on Thursday, and golf news site @NUCLRGOLF tweeted about one particular group – Phil Mickelson and Dr. Pawan Munjal, the CEO of Hero MotoCorp.

???????? The CEO of Hero MotorCorp Dr. Pawan Munjal played in the LIV Golf London pro-am today alongside Phil Mickelson. Hero partners with a multitude of athletes and tours/events worldwide, including the Tiger Woods hosted Hero World Challenge. pic.twitter.com/VTT6QMt6Vs

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 6, 2023

Last October, Hero decided to drop its sponsorship of Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri after he decided to jump ship to LIV, the irony being that his seventh and last professional victory was at the Indian Open, sponsored by Hero.

So, what was Dr, Munjal doing at Centurion Club? It may well have been a day out, being escorted around by the richest backers in world sport, or it might just have contained an ulterior motive.

With LIV set to be part of the new joint PGA/PIF/DPWT regime, and having mentioned team sponsorship many times in the past year, are we about to witness the first purchase?

It will be fascinating to see what Tiger makes of the impending news.

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• Related: Tiger Woods delivered stinging message to major winner after denying him lift on private jet

Fowler’s first win since the 2019 Phoenix Open ended a four-year period where he dropped from the world top 10 to outside the top 150 at one point.

• Related: John Daly rolls up to Kenny Chesney concert as only he can

Finishing the year outside of the top 100, his return to form, at almost the same time as good friend Jason Day, has been one for the good guys. It will certainly be a long time before he or his many fans forget the outcome of that three-man playoff.

Soon after his remarkable win, Fowler discussed with Smylie Kaufman the changes he and Butch Harmon had made to his swing, and how he felt when he realized he was in the running late on Sunday.

Speaking on The Smylie Show yesterday, Fowler admitted he was confident about his game all through the week until he got to Sunday with the lead.

“I actually felt like more anxious, more antsy, going into Sunday’s round in Detroit at Rocket,” he said. “I felt very good about the golf course in LA. I felt really comfortable around there. I’d been hitting irons really well. I drove it plenty good enough throughout the whole week to give myself those chances to take advantage…the irons and made plenty of putts and got to Sunday. And, you know, Butch mentioned afterwards timing and stuff just got a little off and little out of rhythm, but irons just weren’t as tight. And really didn’t make many putts.”

“For some reason Sunday [at the Rocket Mortgage], just a little antsy, a little anxious, just needed to get myself settled down. … That was all more that just kind of started on the range and just was feeling it a little bit. In a good way, too. That’s why you want to be in those situations. So big thing, just talked to Brett, a guy that I’ve done some stuff on the mental side with. I was able to touch base with him when I was hitting some putts before going to the tee.”

It’s only nine months or so since Fowler sacked former coach John Tillery, and returned to Harmon, his coach for a period through the mid-2010s.

It’s been a relatively short process, even if Fowler took time to bed in his revised swing.

“I mean, the biggest step was when I got a little time to talk with Butch and start working on some stuff before Napa (Fortinet Championship). And I went out to Napa feeling, I wouldn’t say uncomfortable, but I didn’t feel comfortable with where the swing was and how it felt because it was pretty foreign and new,” Fowler admitted on the podcast.

“And I just went there and continued to trust and exaggerate as much as I could while actually playing. It’s one thing what you can do and exaggerate on the range, but when you’re actually out on the course it’s a little harder to exaggerate. So that week, seeing the shots I was able to produce, how tight the lines were…I think that was obviously the first big step was seeing kind of some results and feedback to mentally help myself kind of build some confidence, momentum and then went from there. Didn’t play great in Vegas, but ended up in the final group and finishing second in Japan. That was the start. And that gave me something to go into our little offseason to work on, continue to grind. And that’s what put me in the position to go to the West coast and then move from there.”

Kaufman asked if it had been the “same stuff the whole time that y’all have worked on?”

“Yeah, for the most part,” said Fowler. “Some different feels here or there but ultimately cleaning up the takeaway to that kind of first parallel and then getting…”

The most recent PGA Tour winner explained what his main issue had been.

“Well, my tendency is the club gets outside the hands,” he demonstrated. “So from there it’s hard to keep the club out in front of you and ultimately have it in a good position at the top. A lot of times for me, it would be outside and then tip over as far as getting laid off.”

“So,” asked the host, ” just felt behind? like you just always felt a little stuck from there, or just playing catch up?”

 “Yeah, it was,” admitted Fowler. “I would say that that area is what felt in a way comfortable, because that’s where I was always at. So getting into a steeper left arm plane and the club being closer to down the line at the top, you know, that felt very up and across the line.”

Rickie Fowler, his new putter, golf and mental coach on side, next appears at the Scottish Open, an event he won in 2015. A week later, he will be all guns blazing in an effort to win his first major, at Hoylake, where in 2014 he finished tied-second behind Rory McIlroy.

With previous Open Championship finishes of second, fifth, and sixth, and with confidence in abundance, it would be tough to ignore his claims.

You can listen to the full podcast here.

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“I mean, when you quit on your round, you give up and stuff like that, that’s not competing,” said Koepka. “I’m not a big fan of that. You don’t work hard. It’s very tough. It’s very tough to have even like a team dynamic when you’ve got one guy that won’t work, one guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language, it’s very tough. I’ve basically given up on him—a lot of talent, but I mean the talent’s wasted.”

LIV Golf surely had high expectations for the former Oklahoma State star, but he’s disappointed so far on LIV, particularly this season. In his past five starts, he hasn’t finished better than 34th, and had to withdraw at LIV DC due to an undisclosed injury.

There were reports of a rift between Koepka and Wolff after Wolff’s WD, with rumors swirling that Wolff would be changing teams to satisfy Koepka.

“I’m here, you know, trying to do what I can to play the best round of golf and that’s going to help the team,” Wolff told Sports Illustrated. “I’m just here to focus on myself and try to play some good golf and that’s what everyone’s really trying to do, because golf is trying to put the best score up and then if that helps your team it’s great.”

When SI asked if Wolff wants to play for another team, he walked away without answering.

An offseason could give the duo time to mend fences, but as of now, it appears Wolff will be playing for a different team in 2024.

Smash GC and the rest of the LIV Golf roster are set to tee it up Friday at Centurion Club outside of London for the second consecutive year.

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Phil Mickelson shared the thread from his Twitter account, saying “This thread is a long and accurate FULL truth(not half truth) of the LIV/PGA Tour agreement if you’re interested. Well done BobBall and thank you.”

This thread is a long and accurate FULL truth(not half truth) of the LIV/PGA Tour agreement if you’re interested. Well done BobBall and thank you. https://t.co/FcypIKx7Yl

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) July 6, 2023

As Phil mentions, the thread is long and covers what the deal would entail. “Ball” claims that the PGA Tour players will be left in a difficult position if the proposed merger doesn’t go through.

“You are all in trouble & screwed if you don’t support the Framework agreement. I’ve signed similar frameworks with institutional capital, so I also want to tell you what’s really going on with the agreement.”

A message to the players of the PGA Tour.
 
You are all in trouble & screwed if you don’t support the Framework agreement.  I’ve signed similar frameworks with institutional capital, so I also want to tell you what’s really going on with the agreement.
 
I didn’t want to get… pic.twitter.com/fb8BaNE6iT

— Bob “Golf” Ball (@BobBallPdx) July 6, 2023

will firmly be in control but wants to leave the day-to-day decision making and operations of the different Tours to skilled professionals.  KVV got that part correct. Al-Rumayyan’s position as board chair & his first right of refusal for new investment capital are also very…

— Bob “Golf” Ball (@BobBallPdx) July 6, 2023

they will evaluate it but everyone has left off the second part which says,
 
"PIF, the PGA TOUR and the DP World Tour will work together in an effort to determine how best to integrate team golf into PGA TOUR and DP World Tour events going forward."
 
PGA Tour sycophants…

— Bob “Golf” Ball (@BobBallPdx) July 6, 2023

you from the @eamonlynch and Jay Monahan types that have turned their noses up at you and think past Tour economics are fair (while Monahan has been flying in private jets & building lavish headquarter buildings.) Monahan & Co. are the ones that created this false fight with LIV…

— Bob “Golf” Ball (@BobBallPdx) July 6, 2023

Mickelson is set to tee it up for LIV London tomorrow at Centurion Club.

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The tweet was eventually deleted hours later, after several users had labeled the post “insensitive,” but not before the origin of the picture was revealed.

DeChambeau was working with the England & Wales Blind Golf for a charity event prior to teeing it up at LIV London this week. He was wearing goggles that prevented him from seeing in order to put himself in the shoes of a blind or vision-impaired person playing golf.

I spoke to the England & Wales Blind Golf and International about the (now deleted) tweet mocking Bryson.

“I was extremely sad to hear about [the tweet]. Today, Bryson gave all blind golfers across the world hope that our peers understand the journey many have gone through and going through. The mental health hurdles both for the individual but also for the families behind them. It’s easy for many to mock and think this will never happen to them, but every day 250 people in the UK start to lose their sight and the statistics are even higher across the world, and many golfers give up the game because they no longer can see the flight of the ball etc. Yet in truth golf has saved many blind people’s lives by giving them a goal and bringing people together.”

“England & Wales Blind Golf and International Blind Golf can’t thank Bryson, Charles and Liv Golf enough for helping us try to reach a world audience, and hopefully more professionals will help our aim to give more people and families hope through the mental impact of sight loss. We look forward to working with team Crushers impacting on people’s lives and those family members around them for the better.”

The issue is near and dear to DeChambeau, whose father lost his eyesight due to diabetes.

England and Wales blind golf is hoping that Golf.com is “big enough to get behind the drive to raise awareness rather than take cheap shots at those trying to keep as many people as possible playing through sight loss and give those around them hope.”

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So Eugenio Chacarra left Oklahoma State to turn pro as the No. 2 amateur in the world…joins LIV…and doesn’t even try to qualify for the U.S. Open or the Open Championship? https://t.co/V08mdatNnD pic.twitter.com/J1cjXPyC9e

— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) July 4, 2023

After implying their decision was “lame,” Eugenio Chacarra, who as Rapaport alluded to, was the number two ranked amateur in the world before turning professional, responded.

Will be good if you ask why there are Health reasons not nothing else ….!

— Eugenio Chacarra (@Eugeniochacarra) July 4, 2023

Chacarra recently appeared on a podcast with golf Twitter’s “Flushing It,” and talked about his injury.

In response to Dan, Eugenio Chacarra told me a couple of weeks ago that he didn’t enter US Open/Open qualifying because he is rehabilitating an injury. There’s nothing more to it than he needed some down time during LIV’s summer break to recover. @Eugeniochacarra https://t.co/L5yvaFgbCl

— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) July 4, 2023

On LIV, players must finish in the top-24 of the season-long standings to avoid being eligible for relegation. It stands to reason that a 23-year-old would focus on securing a spot on a tour to play on before traveling to local qualifiers.

Anirban Lahiri, who Rapaport also questioned in the tweet, responded to the Barstool Sports writer.

I welcome you to play the qualifier in week 9 after playing 7 out of 8 weeks in multiple continents and hemispheres all while flying back and forth to India after losing a parent. Compared to life golf can sometimes be lame. See you @TheOpen sectionals in the UK on July4th??

— Anirban Lahiri (@anirbangolf) June 6, 2023

Lahiri recently lost his mother-in-law to cancer and has been going through some hard times with his family as a result.

“So, even though it hasn’t been easy these last few days and I am so looking forward to be in India and support my wife during the post-death rituals,” Lahiri told Indian golf reporter Joy Chakravarty prior to the LIV Golf event in Singapore.

Rapaport has yet to reply to either Chacarra or Lahiri.

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• Related: Tiger Woods delivered stinging message to major winner after denying him lift on private jet

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.

• Related: John Daly rolls up to Kenny Chesney concert as only he can

“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.”

Butch had previously worked with Fowler from 2013-2019 before deciding to take some time off from coaching.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Rickie’s game started to deteriorate after his 2019 win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He began working with Harmon again last fall and has had one of his best seasons in a long while in 2023. Fowler had had twelve top-20 finishes on the season in only fifteen starts.

“He stepped up to the plate and got the job done,” Harmon said. “And that’s what you have to do to prove to yourself that you’re back at the top of your game, and I think that’s the thing that impressed me the most.”

Butch knows Rickie’s swing better than anyone at this point, and says that he believes the fan-favorite will win again in the near future.

“He’s gonna win again,” the 79-year-old stated definitively.

More from the 19th Hole

• Related: Tiger Woods delivered stinging message to major winner after denying him lift on private jet

On Tuesday, while trying to qualify for the 151st Open Championship, the Spaniard wasn’t as successful.

• Related: John Daly rolls up to Kenny Chesney concert as only he can

Garcia was in a great position to qualify at 8 under through 24 holes, which had him inside the top-5, but ran into a tricky lie on his 25th hole. He made bogey and things unraveled a bit from there.

When Sergio arrived at the par-5 16th hole, he was forced to back off of a 5-foot birdie putt due to the noise being made by a photographer.

“D**k! As if it’s not frickin’ hard enough”, Garcia blurted out, per The Irish Independent.

When all was said and done, the former Masters champion finished in a tie for sixth place, meaning he will not be teeing it up at The Open for a 26th consecutive year.

“I was rolling nicely, I got a pretty bad break on seven in the afternoon, and it stalled my momentum a little bit. Then it was tough to get going again but I gave it everything I had,” he said after his round to The Irish Independent. “I was thinking probably eight might get to a play-off, but I was trying to get to 10. If you come here, you put yourself in that situation. I felt I had it close, in the grasp of my hand, but that’s what it is. I was trying and unfortunately it just wasn’t good enough.”

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The 20-year-old had already had the honor of being the number one female amateur golfer for 141 consecutive weeks, a standing that took in the US Women’s Amateur, US Girls Junior, individual NCAA Championship and low amateur at the 2020 ANA Inspiration and 2022 Women’s British Open.

• Related: Tiger Woods delivered stinging message to major winner after denying him lift on private jet

If that wasn’t enough, one week after turning professional, the former Stanford student became the first LPGA player to win on pro debut since 1951, beating 2022 Chevron Championship winner Jennifer Kupcho in a play-off.

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Following that victory at the Mizuho Americas Open, Zhang took in the Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol, where, after being within one at the turn, she finished a closing 8th, three shots behind champion Ruoning Lin.

Now, Zhang and her army of fans are ready to take on Pebble Beach for the US Women’s Open, an elite event for which the oddsmakers remarkably make her favorite, ahead of Jin Young Ko, Leona Maguire and Atthaya Thitikul.

Just to remind us all how good she is, Zhang, who holds the women’s course record at nine-under 63 from a round at the Carmel Cup, revisited the par-3 7th, one of her birdie holes from that record day.

Not only did she hit her tee shot to six feet, but look what happens to the tee peg!

Stuffing a wedge in close AND having the tee flip into your back pocket. Just @rosezhang things ? pic.twitter.com/AqfwBx1UDK

— Callaway Golf (@CallawayGolf) July 4, 2023

The tee goes straight up, and settles in her back pocket, right on the yardage book!

Is it trickery? Sorcery? Illusion, or skill?

Either way, the Rose Zhang hype just got bigger.

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At last year’s @TravelersChamp, Monahan held a player town hall meeting to discuss the LIV defections. He and his team planned to bring in the big gun—@TigerWoods—to rally the troops (no idea whether Tiger actually showed). He drafted exactly the kind of horseshit you’d expect. pic.twitter.com/eLHwnZTIsi

— duffer (@desertdufferLLG) July 1, 2023

The document had a section titled “Tiger Woods/Potential talking points”.

Apparently, Woods caught wind of the reports, and made a statement on his Twitter account Sunday evening saying that he had “never seen this document until today”.

In response to the talking points memo released this weekend, I have never seen this document until today, and I did not attend the players meeting for which it was prepared at the 2022 Travelers.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) July 2, 2023

There are a lot of questions about the 2022 meeting at TPC River Highlands, but the document finding it’s way to social media was enough to break Tiger Woods’ months long silence on things PGA Tour/PIF.

After Woods’ response, the popular Tiger Woods fan account “TWLegion” chimed in on why Tiger may have made a statement.

?Interesting that Tiger’s first comments relating to the LIV – PGA TOUR news has come due to that court document. He was practicing in California when that meeting happened ahead of The Open. Guessing the story may be about to break wide open and he’s getting in front of it. He…

— TWLEGION (@TWlegion) July 3, 2023

“Interesting that Tiger’s first comments relating to the LIV – PGA TOUR news has come due to that court document. He was practicing in California when that meeting happened ahead of The Open. Guessing the story may be about to break wide open and he’s getting in front of it. He also can’t be happy they “drafted” remarks for him and involved his son in them.”

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Creator of Barstool Sports, champion of coal-fired pizza and lover of Boston Sports, Tottenham Hotspur (the COYS, right?), and Penn Stock. Also, big golf guy.

• Related: Dave Portnoy says he’d ‘fire caddie on the spot’ if they said what Rickie Fowler’s did at US Open

El Pres has been vocal on the sport over the last year, taking aim at the likes of Brooks Koepka and calling out Rickie Fowler’s caddie as recent as the US Open.

• Related: Dave Portnoy reignites feud with Brooks Koepka while revelling in his Masters heartache

However, Portnoy has now turned his attention to Sunday’s CBS coverage, or lack thereof, of the thrilling finale at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Due to inclement weather, the tee times were moved up on Sunday in Detroit, and CBS chose to stream the end of the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic live on its app and website. Meanwhile, on TV, CBS aired a rodeo followed by a taped PGA Tour Special.

Hoping to tune in to a suspenseful end in the Motor City, a dismayed Portnoy sounded off on the lack of live television coverage, saying in part, “What is this, 1921?” and “We’re showing tape delay golf tournaments, who the f**k wants to watch that?”

Portnoy ended his rant by echoing the sentiment of pretty much every golf fan on Sunday, saying:

“Figure out a way to put the live golf on TV, so I can watch the live golf on TV.”

Hey @CBSSports WAKE UP! #rickiefowler #rocketmortage #PGATour pic.twitter.com/OTpyQCTSMm

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 2, 2023

You won’t find many (any?) in disagreement.

And there is no logic not to air it live. You can still air the rerun after. The ratings on rerun will be the same. Like if you're gonna watch tape delay golf you are gonna watch tape delay golf. Whoever made that decision should be fired asap https://t.co/1AQ60AoBo5

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 2, 2023

More from the 19th Hole

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Most golf fans will recognise that list as some of the great and good of celebrity golf. With one glaring omission.

• Related: Tiger Woods delivered stinging message to major winner after denying him lift on private jet

Whilst scheduling takes away regular competitor Justin Timberlake, golf influencer Paige Spiranac  has not received a repeat invitation despite finishing tied-24th at last year’s three-round championship.

Given her 3 million-plus following on Instagram, and almost 900k followers on Twitter  580k), Paige was perplexed why she hadn’t received the invite.

For comparison, Phil Mickelson has 846k followers on Twitter and Tony Romo 582k, way behind the total exposure that the 30-year-old ex-professional golfer could garner.

Paige took to her Insta to reveal:

The ex-pro golfer has no hard feelings, though, wishing her celebrity buddies good luck in her sign-off:

 “Hope you all have the best time out there.” 

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HOLE-IN-ONE FOR HOMA!@MaxHoma23 records his second ace on TOUR on No. 15 @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/1iTzcCbRRV

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2023

@MaxHoma23 dropped the mic ?? pic.twitter.com/U7U7LrxlkD

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2023

Despite the electric moment on 15, Homa was unable to get into contention at Detroit Golf Club. After the round, the 32-year-old reminded golf fans why his popularity has been on the rise over the past few seasons.

Same energy https://t.co/UES56zuHnP pic.twitter.com/B5Zzkz574x

— max homa (@maxhoma23) July 2, 2023

Max quote tweeted the PGA Tour’s tweet with some self-deprecating humor. The tweet had a picture of NBA player Chris Paul with the caption reading “Chris Paul hits a huge three to cut the lead down to 42”, with Homa adding “Same energy”.

The hole-in-one was great, but clearly Homa would have much preferred to have a chance to win the event on Sunday.

• Related: Tiger Woods delivered stinging message to major winner after denying him lift on private jet

A star player at the University of Southern Indiana, he recently turned pro and was down on quite a few lists as a player to follow over the next couple of seasons.

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Williams Monday-qualified for his first pro-event last week. The Memorial Heath Championship should have been memorable for more than just two holes.

After which, he was disqualified.

Close follower of all graduates and qualifiers, Ryan French, posted the story on Friday.

Just Brutal:

Zach Williams played golf at Southern Indiana University. Monday Qualified for his first KFT event this week in his home state.

Was even thru 2 holes when he was DQ’d. He had been using a range finder. They are not allowed on the KFT.

— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) June 30, 2023

Unfortunately for Williams, KFT Monday-Q events allow rangefinders, actual KFT events don’t.

Whilst it seems harsh, especially on your first day at work, French put some perspective on the incident.

1. Did he break a rule- Yes
2. Should he have known- Yes
3. Was the DQ warranted- Yes
4. Should his caddy have known- Yes
5. Is there a lot of people in the comments, who I guess didn’t ever make a mistake on their first day at their job, and lack empathy?- Also Yes.

— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) June 30, 2023

Currently looping for Grayson Murray, caddie Kip Henley was on the course when it all happened.

A Monday Qualifier in the field played 2 holes in front of us yesterday. He and his caddie were standing behind the 2nd green (our 11th). I asked why are you not playing 3 ? He sheepishly said “I used my laser twice and I think I’m DQ. His whole family were along to watch! 1/2

— KIP HENLEY Blue Check Mark ?? (@KipHenley) June 30, 2023

Of course, it makes no sense to use them in qualifiers, but not the actual event. If you do, once will get you a penalty, twice is a no-no.

Plus, of course, just a month ago, the PGA of America allowed their usage at the PGA Championship, the second major of the year.

Hard to take, but the rookie took it in his stride.

Sadly, this is me. For some reason I thought they had changed the rule already on the KFT. Plus they allow in literally all other pro events besides KFT and PGA. Bottomline, I should have known, and its completely on me. Hard to swallow but you have to. I'll be back in no time? https://t.co/K6S3LPnag6

— Zach Williams (@zwill_3) June 30, 2023

23-year-old Zach Williams is a name to remember. Well, you won’t forget him now.

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Shotgun starts, team events, 54-holes, and an all-round, more laid-back, golf event. That’s what LIV set out to do and, as we know now, they have had more influence on the game than anyone could foresee.

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Now, as well as influencing the no-cut events on the PGA Tour, and potentially being the impetus for the takeover of golf as we know it, the maverick tour has taken on slow play like the PGA or DPWT tours have never done.

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During the second round of LIV Golf Andalucia at Valderrama, organizers warned Sergio Garcia, Dean Burmester and Richard Bland that they were out of position. Nothing unusual, nor the timing of the group from the 13th.

However, two holes later, officials handed out a one-stroke penalty to Bland for taking too long to hit his tee shot on the par-3 15th.

LIV’s pace-of-play guidelines state, ‘A player has 40 seconds to play each stroke, with an additional 10 seconds if they are the first to play any stroke in the group.’

Bland took 84 seconds, with his bogey ‘4’ being changed to a double-bogey ‘5’, an instant hit that may find favor with a few of his fellow professionals.

Following the slow-play controversy at the 2023 Masters, top players such as Brooks Koepka and Matt Fitzpatrick called for tougher penalties whilst, soon after, Colin Montgomerie said the only way to stop slow play was to play up the punishment:

  “A shot penalty has to be the order of the day and if it happens again it doubles up—so it’s two shots, then four shots, then eight shots.”

Last month, DPWT player Mike Lorenzo-Vera tweeted during his second round at the BMW International in Germany.

Frustrated with the ridiculous pace of the group in front of him, he had time to pull his phone out and appeal to his followers.

3h12 minutes for 11 holes.
I’m 10 over. I should be running to catch the group in front. Hell no !!! We are waiting every single shot !!!!!

— Mike Lorenzo-Vera (@MikeLorenzoVer1) June 23, 2023

Clearly a universal problem, has LIV set the tone for others to follow?

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Later on Thursday, a handful of PGA Tour players shared his message on their social media platforms. By late afternoon, Justin Thomas, Will Zalatoris, and Rickie Fowler had all shared Scott’s post on their Instagram stories.

?SPEAKING OUT — Justin Thomas also posted the same message on Instagram. ?? pic.twitter.com/uv6fpy4yoo

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 29, 2023

The past two years have been full of vitriol, but yesterday, there was finally some unity in professional golf.

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On Thursday, Adam Scott took to his Instagram story to criticize Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch, who’s verbose diatribes against LIV and its members have been a consistent presence in the news cycle.

The Aussie implored Lynch and others to “put aside personal barbs and fluffy adjectives” and instead use facts to converse on these controversial topics.

Scott added that “the process will likely be best served with objectivity and truth.”

Earlier this year, the former Masters champion was appointed to the Player Advisory Council. Scott is extremely well-respected amongst his peers and his words should hold weight.

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On yesterday’s Good Morning Football, Sara Walsh delivered a three-minute tirade about supposed ‘three-and-a-half hour’ golf rounds, stating, “you can run a marathon in the time it takes you and your boys to play a round.”

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In “FORE WORD with Sara Walsh,” she discussed her dislike of “you” requesting to play a round of golf with friends. 

"It takes the international space station 90 minutes to orbit around the earth… It takes you 90 minutes to shoot 6 over through the first 6 holes."@Sara_Walsh just dropped everything all of the disgruntled golf spouses can relate to… ??????????? pic.twitter.com/isK9clx9Ni

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) June 28, 2023

She bluntly stated that it’s unrealistic to promise a 3-and-a-half hour round, and that arriving an hour early, to range, was pointless because “somewhere deep in your brain, you think you have a shot of getting on tour.”

Walsh then says that golfers should stop complaining about phone-calls while on the course as they interrupt “your day,” not your “one hour of massage.”

She then asks “How much golf gear do you guys need?” and comments on the “random Amazon packages that measure your launch stats.”

Just because the gear is there, it “doesn’t mean you’re going to become Rory McIlroy,” she says harshly, if perhaps close to the truth.

As her one-woman rampage continued, she pleaded, “GET A LESS TIME-CONSUMING HOBBY!”

“You know what takes less time than a round of golf?” Walsh asks rhetorically.

“Practically any other sport. You can run a marathon in less time than it takes you and your boys to play a round,” she answers, before giving more examples.

“It takes the International Space Station 90 minutes to orbit Earth. It takes you 90 minutes to go 6-over through the first six holes.”

The guys in the studio laugh with it, but there’s clearly a touch of guilt on their faces.

It’s cruel, truthful and very funny.

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At the event, Faldo was asked about whether or not he believes LIV Golf will last, to which he opined that it would fail due to lack of interest.

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“I don’t think so, because nobody’s really interested,” he replied. “They’re not going to get the sponsorship they want. They call it a team [event] and it’s not because it’s stroke play.”

“You see your mates on the putting green and say, ‘Play well.’ Then you see them in the scorers’ tent and say, ‘What did you shoot?’ That’s it. A team is out there helping, shoulder to shoulder. That’s a true team.”

“You have the ultimate team event, the Ryder Cup, you know the passion and the atmosphere of that. They’re not playing with the same passion and atmosphere as the Ryder Cup. It’s only half a dozen [players] that are really current, half of the field I don’t really know, and half the field are there for the very nice last-placed money that you still get if you shoot 20-over.”

Sir Nick’s comments did not go unnoticed by LIV Golf player Graeme McDowell.

The Irishman joined the Bunkered podcast and shared his thoughts on Faldo’s criticism.

“It’s pinch of salt stuff nowadays,” he said. “I’ve seen it and I’ve heard it and I’ve read it and, listen, we know what opinions are. Everyone’s got one, right?”

“Nick’s there at the British Masters protecting [his event]. That’s the biggest takeaway for me over the last 12 months. People are going to protect what they’re going to protect in the moment.”

“I see players saying things and all they’re doing is protecting their territory. They’re protecting the tours that they’ve chosen to defend. It doesn’t mean they’re bad guys. It doesn’t mean that they’re wrong, or right, or whatever.

“I mean, Nick’s at the British Masters and he cares about his tournament, so he’s not going to say anything good about a world-class field at Valderrama this weekend. Of course, he’s not going to say anything good about us. I get it.

“I’m at that point where I don’t even hold anything against anybody anymore because all they’re doing is protecting their turf.”

McDowell said that Faldo has also been his hero but “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“Nick Faldo was my hero in the nineties. I had multiple Pringle sweaters in my closest. He’ll always be a legend to me. But he hasn’t been out here. He hasn’t come out to see this for himself. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

“Just come out here and have a look and watch the best players in the world. There are guys that care a lot about this product and I can’t wait to see where it plugs in because I truly believe it will be a part of golf in the future.”

With plenty of unanswered questions about the PGA Tour/PIF merger, time will tell if McDowell is right.

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At the U.S. Open earlier this month, the pair crossed paths. The Independent reported that when McIlroy walked past Garcia, he “put his right little finger to his mouth and his thumb to his ear”, indicating he would call the Spaniard. Apparently, the two eventually found each other and had a conversation at Los Angeles Country Club.

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While speaking to the media ahead of this week’s LIV tournament, Sergio called the U.S. Open a “great event” due to the fact that he reconciled with the man who was an usher at his wedding in 2017.

“More than anything, because I gained a friend back, a friend that I kind of felt like I lost in the last year or so.

We talked and we had a great conversation, and I feel like I have that friend back, and that to me means a lot. That’s a very positive thing.”

The Spaniard continued, adding that the pair’s wives had a part to play in the reunion.

“Yeah, we talked, we talked a little bit about it among, among all of us, I guess, me with Angela, I guess. Obviously, Angela, and Erica, they said ‘Hi’ to each other at the US Open, and there was a nice text from Rory to her, and that kind of gave me the incentive to to reach out to him. I have been thinking about it for a while, but I wasn’t totally sure about it.

“I think that at the end of the day, the important thing is that we we got together and talked – we were two friends that wanted to get back to that spot. Like I said, no doubt it was the saddest part of all of this, these friendships turning sour.”

Garcia also had a good performance the major, finishing 27th.

The 42-year-old is set to tee it up at Valderrama for LIV Golf Andalucia this week. Garcia has won at the course three times on the DP World Tour.

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At the 2017 ANA Inspirational, reports from television viewers meant she received a four-shot penalty during a tense final round, eventually losing a play-off to So Yeon Ryu. In 2021 she blew a five-shot lead down the stretch at Olympic Club, and last year lost a two-shot lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA, only to be then fined for slow play!

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After missing the cut at the Chevron Classic, Lexi’s 47th place finish at last week’s Women’s PGA will not have helped the mood of a player that works as hard as anyone on the circuit.

Things didn’t get better after the event. As it seems with golfers these days, getting from A to B appears to be an issue, and after being delayed at the airport for hours and with three cancelled flights, Lexi decided to drive the 16.5 hours home. Ouch.

It would have been enough to test the most patient of folk, but Lexi did have a companion by her side, someone she has frequently said is her go-to when things are tough. Her dog, Leo.

Leo, a cross between a Havanese and Poodle, has been mentioned by Lexi a number of times, most notably in 2021 when she admitted to mental fatigue.

Back then she commented, “When I’m home I love hanging out with my family and friends, but when I’m on the road I go back and hang with my dog. He is my best friend and he saved my life and he’s just amazing, so I’m very grateful that he came into my life.”

After a winless run and traffic issues, Lexi continues to turn to her pets, allowing her to forget any bad round or tournament.

As she said three years ago:

“No matter what I shoot, this guy is giving me kisses no matter what.”

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