Keegan Bradley and Lydia Ko each made assertion wins on Sunday.
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Examine in each week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the most popular subjects within the sport, and be part of the dialog by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we rank Lydia Ko’s AIG Girls’s Open victory, debate Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup playing-captain bid and extra.
Lydia Ko gained the AIG Girls’s Open for her first main title in eight years. It was her first begin since getting her ultimate Corridor of Fame qualifying level after profitable the gold medal in Paris two weeks in the past. She went toe-to-toe with World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who was searching for her second main of the season and seventh win general and World No. 2 Lilia Vu within the ultimate spherical. The place does this end rank among the many greatest main finishes this season (males or girls)?
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): There’s at all times some recency-bias with questions like this, however that was positively one of the vital — if not the most — thrilling finishes of the 12 months. The previous couple of holes had been unbelievable. The solid of characters, all of whom had been in search of a 3rd main title: Nelly, World No. 1 in search of her seventh win of the season and struggling a late back-nine catastrophe; Lydia, newly-minted future Corridor of Famer coming off a gold medal on the Paris Olympics; Jiyai Shin, the resurgent veteran in search of a 3rd Open; and World No. 2 Lilia Vu, all within the combine with 4 holes left to play. Then throw within the Outdated Course, wind and rain, and Lydia’s clutch birdie on 18, and I imply, WOW! What a method to cap the key season.
Lydia Ko’s stirring Open win was a reminder: She’s not completed simply but
Josh Sens, senior author (@JoshSens): We’ve been spoiled with some electrical finishes in latest months. This one was riveting sufficient to complete second in my ebook, behind the U.S. Open however forward of the PGA. The truth that it starred probably the most likable participant in skilled golf made all of it the higher. Who can resist rooting for Lydia Ko?
Alan Bastable, government editor (@alan_bastable): Yeah, Ko’s vibes are good for the sport. She’s an amazing and worthy champion. And, sure, this was a ultimate spherical followers may feast on. However I used to be most intrigued by Korda’s Sunday. As Nelly proved earlier within the season, there are weeks when she’s untouchable. However there are also, properly…different weeks. Like her three straight missed cuts after her win on the Mizuho in July. Or her unremarkable showings on the Evian and the Olympics. After which this week in St. Andrews. The title was hers to grab, however then got here a sloppy double on 14 and a bogey on 17 when she left her par strive the one place she couldn’t afford to: in need of the opening. Korda admitted on the Olympics, “I believe lately what’s been taking place to me is I make a mistake after which I make one other mistake on prime of it.” That’s finally what value her this Girls’s Open title. I’m very intrigued to see which model of Korda exhibits up on the Solheim Cup.
With main championship golf now full the for the 12 months for each the highest women and men on the planet, what second stands proud to you from 2024?
Marksbury: It’s been greater than three months, and I’m nonetheless not over Scottie’s arrest. I don’t assume I ever might be! However except for that, I actually beloved the Olympic golf this 12 months. The tears on the rostrum we noticed from Scottie and Lydia demonstrated simply how a lot it means to those gamers to compete in your nation on the world stage. It was nice to see.
Sens: Scheffler’s arrest was robust to prime in its sheer weirdness. However the picture I can’t shake is Rory standing over that little slider on the 18th at Pinehurst, wanting doomed to overlook it earlier than he drew the putter again.
Bastable: Korda’s win on the Chevron will follow due to its historic nature; it was her fifth straight LPGA title, an achievement that my little mind nonetheless can’t course of. However on a private stage, I’ll by no means shake Rory’s meltdown at Pinehurst. When he packed up his stuff and emerged from the locker room that Sunday night, I used to be standing within the hallway simply exterior. The glassy, shell-shocked look in McIlroy’s eyes is one I gained’t see neglect.
Keegan Bradley gained the BMW Championship Sunday because of a final-round 72 in troublesome circumstances at Citadel Pines to carry off Adam Scott, Ludvig Aberg and Sam Burns by one. It’s his first win since being named the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain final month and positively provides gas to the argument that he may very well be a taking part in captain subsequent fall at Bethpage. Do you assume Bradley can play his method onto subsequent 12 months’s group and if he does, ought to he hand over the captaincy?
Marksbury: It’s superior for Keegan to have this resurgence in his sport … and but! A taking part in captain simply looks like a nasty thought. The Ryder Cup is such a pressure-cooker of feelings, and completely exhausting for each gamers and captains alike. I can’t think about making an attempt to guide with a transparent head and compete on the similar time. However perhaps that’s simply me!
Sens: I really feel precisely the alternative: that the calls for of the captaincy are exaggerated by followers and the media alike. Decide your group and ship them out to play. If you boil all of it down, how rather more is there to it, apart for some media obligations. As with golf, overthinking issues hardly ever does a lot good. If Bradley can play his method on, he ought to compete. We don’t get to see participant captains usually. For all of the flag waving and chest-beating USA, USA chants, it’s nonetheless meant to be an exhibition. Entertain us. Seeing Bradley within the twin function can be good enjoyable.
Bastable: Tiger pulled it off the double obligation on the 2019 Presidents Cup, going 3-0 in Melbourne. No purpose Keegan can’t additionally play each roles successfully at a Ryder Cup. However let’s not get forward of ourselves. There’s nonetheless a lot golf to be performed between now and resolution time. One win at this early stage won’t safe Bradley a spot. I’m with Sens, although. Few gamers carry the power and hearth that Bradley does to match play. Having him within the warmth of the motion together with his squad can be enjoyable to look at and certainly a motivator for his troops.
On the BMW Championship, Xander Schauffele tackled golf’s mega purses and in contrast it to NFL quarterbacks. “You take a look at the No. 1 quarterback, he’s getting $60 million after which the No. 10 quarterback is getting 52, after which No. 15 is getting 39 or 40,” he mentioned, including, “Once I take a look at different sports activities, when somebody will get a $300 million contract, there’s all these constructive feedback about how somebody acquired their bag or they’ve labored so arduous to get this and so they deserve it, issues like that. It’s attention-grabbing to me. I believe perhaps golf is a gentleman’s sport and also you’re not supposed to speak about cash, however all of the media desires to do is speak about cash.” Does he have some extent? Does it appear chasing money in golf is taken into account grasping when sports activities just like the NFL and NBA hand out significantly extra?
Marksbury: There positively looks like there’s a double-standard at play, however I believe that’s as a result of golf cash has traditionally been performance-based, so you might make the case that gamers “deserve” each penny they get. The appearance of look charges, massive LIV signing bonuses, and no-cut Signature Occasions goes in opposition to that ethos, so I can perceive why some traditionalists would take situation with that.
Xander Schauffele dropped these 10 takes in epic press convention
Sens: I get the place he’s going together with his argument however the comparability falls aside for a couple of causes, and never simply because the NFL dwarfs the PGA Tour in market measurement by many billions. There’s additionally the truth that except for Tiger, no single participant in golf has the form of needle-moving pull of a marquee quarterback. As for blaming the media for speaking always about cash — final I checked, it was the gamers themselves who fired up that dialog to start with. The press, in flip, reported on it. Is there a “gentleman’s sport” double customary at work? Perhaps. I dunno. My sense is that the general public’s distaste comes extra from the sense that professional golfers have an inflated sense of their monetary value.
Bastable: Nearly each athlete exterior of these sponsored by Saudi oil cash get what the free markets say they’re value. So whereas it would really feel obscene for an NFL participant, or F1 driver or golfer to be cashing 10-figure checks, let’s not neglect that there’s a group or league behind them making big sums off TV offers, merchandise and ticket gross sales. It’s not straightforward attending to the summit of a sport; truly, it’s almost unimaginable. To the victors go the spoils. Allow them to take pleasure in.
Broadcaster Ian Baker-Finch was on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar Podcast and mentioned golf’s slow-play situation and a possible repair, which he says can be to permit distance-measuring units, his considering being that professionals and caddies are often fairly near the numbers as is now anyway. Do you agree? Or would that take away a key ability of the sport?
Marksbury: Completely agree. The gamers are already counting on a teammate (caddie) to assist them with yardage, so it’s not like distance-guesstimating is a few form of distinctive ability. Why not simply allow them to use what they have already got within the bag throughout follow rounds anyway? Pace it up!
Sens: It might positively pace issues up however I’d fairly not see that ability outsourced to expertise. How concerning the inflexible and common enforcement of a shot clock? The one factor stopping nice gamers and their caddies from getting yardages and pulling golf equipment rapidly is themselves. Gentle an actual hearth below them and so they’ll determine it out.
Bastable: The LPGA already permits DMDs — heck, the tour even has an official DMD sponsor! — and the PGA of America additionally permits the units at its majors. Feels foolish and complicated to have completely different requirements at completely different occasions. My sense is all of the excursions and majors will quickly green-light them.
With the completion of the Girls’s Open, the auto-qualifiers for subsequent month’s Solheim Cup have been finalized. Europe makes its 4 captain’s picks on Monday, whereas the U.S. group makes its picks on Tuesday. In case you are U.S. captain Stacy Lewis, who’re you selecting?
Marksbury: Angel Yin, Cheyenne Knight and Lexi Thompson. All three are confirmed veterans from final 12 months’s squad, and regardless that Lexi has the bottom standing on the Solheim Cup factors checklist (No. 14) of these three, she had an amazing displaying as a captain’s choose final 12 months, going 3-1-0. And what a swan track it could be for her retirement 12 months to compete on her seventh Solheim Cup group, and play in entrance of U.S. followers. Could possibly be a storybook ending — and one she enormously deserves.
Sens: Nice picks, Jess. Particularly becoming for Lexi to get the nod. I do know that Jenifer Kupcho had a tough Solheim Cup in Spain final 12 months. However I’d be tempted to incorporate her within the combine as properly. I really like the hearth she brings.
Bastable: Lexi is a lock. Be careful for Sarah Schmelzel, too. Six top-10s this 12 months.
