Greg Norman, Caitlin Clark, Rickie Fowler, Jeeno Thitikul, Ruoning Yin (clockwise from prime left).
Getty Photos
Welcome to the Monday End, the place we’re dressing up because the scariest particular person in golf: the 18-handicap at your membership who simply performed you in a match and shot 78. Robust costume to tug off, although. To the information…
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GOLF STUFF I LIKE
In instances like these (you may learn “instances like these” nonetheless you’d like: soccer season, the PGA Tour offseason, impending-cold-weather-so-not-really-golf season, professional golf’s present greed-and-lawyer-infused limbo season, and so forth.) a number of the golf stuff I like is the best: somebody falling in love with golf as a result of it’s, at its coronary heart, a virtually excellent recreation.
Enter Caitlin Clark, who simply gained Rookie of the 12 months and supercharged a sports activities league in her day job and, now in her first WNBA offseason, is taking over a actual problem: fixing her slice.
I bought a kick out of Beth Ann Nichols‘ Golfweek interview with Clark’s new coach (golf coach, that’s, I can’t declare a lot inside intel on the Fever’s teaching search) Martha Lobby-Faulconer, the professional at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind.
Like nearly all of newbie gamers, Clark battles a slice. And like most amateurs, when Clark hits the vary she’s principally involved in ripping driver.
“Oh, I simply wish to kill it,” she mentioned.
However Clark herself mentioned one thing earlier this yr that caught with me: “I believe all people simply loves instantaneous satisfaction in our world.” That’s true. Nowhere is instantaneous satisfaction extra sought and evasive than in golf, so, welcome to the ache home.
Nonetheless, because of athleticism and confidence and willpower and work ethic and epic hand-eye coordination, Clark finds golf satisfaction faster than most. An Instagram video of Clark and Lobby-Faulconer’s lesson exhibits some full-swing sends in addition to a chipping tip — “arms ahead, leaning left…” — that has Clark dialing in a bump-and-run very quickly.
Clark is so in style proper now that she might spend her time doing something. Going to chill events. Racking up endorsement {dollars}. Leaning into her superstar. As an alternative? She’s engaged on her golf recreation. The stuff that cash can’t purchase?
That’s golf stuff I like.
WINNERS
Who gained the week?
Nico Echavarriagained the Zozo Championship by a single shot, incomes the second — and largest — PGA Tour victory of his profession. The Colombian 30-year-old broke Tiger Woods‘ event scoring file within the course of.
“I simply want 80 extra victories to catch him. I’m on my method, although,” he mentioned.
Ruoning Yin gained the Maybank Championship for her second victory in three begins and her third of the season; she outdueled good good friend Jeeno Thitikul by a shot. The 22-year-old from China now has 5 LPGA wins, midway to the all-time Chinese language file of 10 held by Shanshan Feng.
Ben An gained the Genesis Championship in a playoff over Tom Kim; each had elected to play the DP World Tour this week of their dwelling nation of South Korea. His celebration? It kicked off in inspiring trend with a teary hug together with his grandmother.
Lee Chieh-po gained the Worldwide Sequence occasion in Thailand, securing his first Asian Tour win practically a decade after his first season on tour.
And Padraig Harrington gained the Simmons Financial institution Championship with a closing 5-under 67 for his third PGA Tour Champions win of the yr.
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NOT-WINNERS
Just a few guys who didn’t win.
Max Greyserman is turning into a superb almost-winner; he completed T2, one shot again of Echavarria, and has now logged three runner-up finishes this yr.
“Really feel like there’s a motive a number of the prime guys are so good,” he mentioned. “Clearly their ability degree’s very excessive, however they’re in a position to put themselves in rivalry rather a lot so they simply get comfy in these moments. I believe I might need lastly gotten there. I simply didn’t fairly get it completed right now, however pleased with how I battled and the way I fought with the sport that I had.”
Justin Thomas, rolling with a new putter, made only one bogey all week and completed T2 alongside Greyserman. Thomas mentioned he was “clearly bummed and upset” however, big-picture, felt inspired in his first begin since lacking out on the Presidents Cup.
“I performed so effectively. I performed lots effectively sufficient to win the event,” he mentioned.
Rickie Fowler performed his method into the combination and performed effectively sufficient to remain there, ending with a six-birdie, no-bogey closing spherical. Fowler was sometimes even-keel in his description of the week — nice being again in rivalry, he mentioned, and he relishes journeys to Japan to pattern some sushi and sake — however his fourth-place end was his third consecutive prime 25 and his greatest end result since successful in Detroit final yr.
Jeeno Thitikul got here up one shot brief in Malaysia and had this to say about a couple of birdie putts that slid by on Sunday:
“You realize, it’s simply golf. Some holes you miss; some holes you make it. I believe I’m actually pleased with what I did on the market, particularly like three holes in the direction of the tip.”
She’s as much as No. 7 on this planet and, alongside Yin, has cemented herself as among the many world’s greatest gamers, interval.
And whereas the Monday End doesn’t condone locker-breaking (that is featured in our official code-of-conduct insurance policies) I’ve to confess a part of me appreciates Tom Kim‘s ardour for damaging a locker after his playoff loss on Sunday. He hasn’t fairly dialed all of it in. He has maturing to do (his apology on Monday mirrored efforts to these ends). However golf is dealing with an apathy disaster, and Kim is a part of the answer. (f you need the complete story, our Alan Bastabletalked to Kim’s agent, Ben Harrison, too — looks as if Kim broke a hinge on the door somewhat than, like, Hulk-ripping it out of the locker.)
SHORT HITTERS
5 issues that aren’t taking place in golf this week.
1. The PGA Tour is off for per week; they’ll resume play per week from now in Los Cabos for the World Broad Expertise Championship. Within the meantime you may examine up on these liable to shedding their playing cards, like Joel Dahmen (No. 124), Alejandro Tosti (No. 128)or Daniel Berger (No. 129).
2. The DP World Tour has now accomplished its “common season” and is off; they’ll return subsequent week, too, for the “playoffs,” the ultimate two weeks of the season, in Abu Dhabi after which Dubai, the place we’ll see a number of the circuit’s largest names teeing it up for its largest prizes. The highest 70 have certified for the playoffs, Rory McIlroy (but once more) leads the Race to Dubai and there’s a fierce chase for 10 PGA Tour playing cards for the 2025 season; Guido Migliozzi and Romain Langasque are presently the final two in whereas Tom McKibbin and Thorbjorn Oleson are the primary two out.
3. The PGA Tour Champions is off earlier than its season finale, subsequent week’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The sphere consists of the highest 36 gamers on the factors listing following final week’s occasion; that listing will embody Jason Caron, the 52-year-old membership professional who performed simply 9 occasions this season, jumped from No. 53 to No. 35 after a T3 this week and nonetheless plans to maintain his day job.
4. The Shriners Childrens Open shouldn’t be taking place once more — a minimum of not beneath its present banner. The Las Vegas Assessment-Journal reported that Shriners is ending its sponsorship of an occasion it has headlined since 2007. This looks as if an inevitable rising ache for the Tour’s fall schedule, which has seen sponsors shift or drop as its place as golf’s “offseason” is additional codified.
5. Whereas we’re seeing some LIV Golf stars pop up elsewhere — Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton on the DP World Tour, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson on YouTube, and so forth. — we’re getting used to others all however disappearing within the league’s five-month offseason. Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are amongst these with no public plans to play something between the circuit’s group championship in September and its resumption subsequent February in Saudi Arabia. This isn’t breaking information, and for these two it could be the perfect schedule. It’s only a reminder that, till one thing modifications, there are particular execs who we’ll see at these 14 LIV occasions plus the majors and little or no else.
ONE SWING THOUGHT
There’s extra to life than pace.
His newest win means we’ve discovered one other excuse to incorporate Padraig Harrington on this part? Hell yeah.
Whereas Harrington has been amongst golf’s most keen proponents of gaining pace, he admitted that in Sunday’s closing spherical he took the alternative method.
“I’ve tried to maintain my pace as much as compete with the younger guys, so it’s a bonus after I come out right here, for positive,” Harrington mentioned Sunday. “Uncommon for me, however I used to be attempting to swing simple on the finish, simply maintaining it tidy. However that’s as a result of once you’re in rivalry, you’ve bought somewhat bit extra adrenaline. Yeah, it’s good to have that benefit, it’s good, I do know I can get at a couple of extra pins than different guys, however you’ve nonetheless bought to gap the putts and hit the pictures.”
It’s okay to again off. It helps once you’re beginning together with his baseline pace, after all…
ONE INTRIGUING ADMISSION
Greg Norman on LIV’s future.
Greg Norman revealed in an interview with Sports activities Illustrated‘s Bob Harig that his contract as LIV CEO is up subsequent August, and whereas he expects a future with the league, he didn’t deny studies that they might be looking for a brand new chief. The article quotes Norman as largely bullish about LIV’s future and he praises their progress, three years in, however with one notable exception: the league’s TV deal.
“The place we’re falling brief is because of the headwinds in not getting a community [TV] deal,” Norman instructed SI. “That creates uncertainty within the market. (A variety of corporations say) let’s see what occurs. That rolls into sponsorship. Now we have an unlimited variety of large companies who’re speaking to us and could be very eager to come back on.
“Once more, the query is what will occur with the deal? Whether or not it occurs or it doesn’t goes to set {the marketplace} comfy. After we know what’ll do and {the marketplace} will know how you can navigate the scenario. However the headwinds proceed from a scheduling and venue perspective as effectively.”
Whereas LIV’s supporters have cited the league’s app and its streaming capabilities, Norman’s admission right here backs the long-held concept that in sports activities, broadcast TV offers are nonetheless king, and with out one LIV’s worth is generally theoretical. LIV launched on YouTube and on the league’s web site in 2022, whereas in 2023 and 2024 its occasions performed on the CW, although solely on the weekends and infrequently on tape delay (and LIV didn’t earn a lot from the association). That’s a minimum of a part of the explanation that LIV’s rankings have been minuscule compared with the PGA Tour’s.
LIV’s cope with the CW reportedly expires on the finish of 2024; it’ll be attention-grabbing to see the place the league performs subsequent.
ONE BIG QUESTION
The place’s the Ryder Cup headed subsequent?
I’m glad you requested. We learn about Bethpage subsequent yr, which has everybody fired up regardless of the $750 gate worth. We learn about Adare Manor in 2027, which has everybody fired up as a result of it’s a surreal Irish golf resort and appears to be a spectacular spectator expertise. And we learn about Hazeltine Nationwide in 2029, which admittedly doesn’t excite me as a lot because the others however the Midwest all the time brings it. We even know concerning the 2033 Cup at Olympic, within the Bay Space, which guarantees an epic website and hopefully a crowd to match.
As for 2031? Per Spanish website Ten Golf, that’ll be hosted by Camiral Golf and Wellness, the resort previously often known as PGA Catalunya, a dreamy spot about an hour from Barcelona. Our Sean Zak has additional particulars right here on the complexities which have led up to now, from funding to approval to extra.
A two-part query, then: No. 1, what number of scouting journeys to Catalonia do you suppose I can justify between every now and then? And No. 2, what’s the right website for 2035, Workforce Europe’s subsequent open website, which can presumably return to someplace within the UK, doubtlessly Tommy Fleetwood’s theoretical possibility.
No matter you had been doing in faculty, I’m guessing it wasn’t hanging out at a “golf home” like this one, an $11 million renovated facility at Vanderbilt Legends Membership, dwelling to the lads’s and ladies’s groups.
Faculty soccer’s outrageously-nice-facility recruiting wars have made their approach to faculty golf.
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞
Excited to debut our state-of-the-art golf home at @VandyLegends, the New 💎 of Faculty Golf
Kind of a random apart, however Peter King — whose Monday morning soccer columns made this one appear to be a brief, crude little bit of rooster scratch — has been on an ideal American highway journey and final week made it to the tip of I-90, which occurs to be very actually the place the Seahawks play. Anyway, I’ve been having fun with his journey, which is correctly wandering and seems like one of the best of Outdated Twitter, sharing entertaining musings about his explorations and experiences on this planet.
Day 8, Kings Throughout America Missoula, Mont., to Seattle Highlights: -The identify of the morning paper in Missoula is the Missoulian. -Good morning Coeur d’Alene. If the Pecan Roll French Toast at Jimmy’s Down the Road is nice sufficient for Man Fieri, it’s adequate for me. -By no means… pic.twitter.com/hky6C8dcCf
Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams Faculty, the place he majored in English, and he’s the creator of 18 in America, which particulars the yr he spent as an 18-year-old dwelling from his automobile and enjoying a spherical of golf in each state.
