PGA TOUR
Wyndham Championsip
Dates: Aug. 20-23
Venue: Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 11:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 11 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 11 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Final opportunity to qualify for FedExCup Playoffs: This is the 43rd and final regular season event on the 2014-15 PGA TOUR schedule, and the final opportunity for players to move inside the top-125 in the FedExCup standings to qualify for the Playoffs. Those 125 players at week’s end will earn PGA TOUR cards for the 2015-16 season, and qualify for the first of four playoff events at The Barclays next week in New Jersey. Players finishing at 126-200 in the FedExCup standings will be eligible for the Web.com Tour Finals, a four tournament series beginning Sept. 10.
Villegas defends: Camilo Villegas finished one shot ahead of Bill Haas and Fredrik Jacobson for his fourth career PGA TOUR win.
Headlining the field: Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Branden Grace, Martin Kaymer, Billy Horschel, Paul Casey, Ernie Els, Brandt Snedeker and Bill Haas.
LPGA TOUR
Canadian Pacific Women’s Open
Dates: Aug. 20-23
Venue: The Vancouver Golf Club, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 6-9 p.m. (Live) / 3:30-5:30 a.m. (Friday replay)
Friday 6-9 p.m. (Live) / 4:30-6 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 7-10 p.m. (Live) / 4-6:30 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 7-10 p.m. (Live) / 4-6 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Elite field: Nine of the top-10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are in the field, including the top-3 in Inbee Park, Lydia Ko and Stacy Lewis. 17-year-old Canadian Brooke Henderson also will tee it up this week in her home country, coming off a win at the Cambia Portland Classic last week as a Monday qualifier.
Inskter joining the booth on Friday with U.S. Solheim Cup selections looming: The U.S. Solheim Cup team will be finalized following the conclusion of play on Sunday, with the top-eight on the LPGA points list and the top-two Americans in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings not already qualified receiving automatic spots on the roster. U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster will join Golf Channel’s booth during Friday’s second round coverage to discuss her potential options for choosing her captain’s picks. The European team – which already has four automatic qualifiers from the Ladies European Tour points list – will round out its roster on Tuesday, Aug. 25, with the top-four LET members in the world rankings and four captain’s picks.
Ryu defends: So Yeon Ryu won by two strokes over Na Yeon Choi for her third career LPGA Tour victory.
Headlining the field: Inbee Park, Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Brooke Henderson, Hyo Joo Kim, So Yeon Ryu, Suzann Pettersen, Shanshan Feng, Lexi Thompson, Anna Nordqvist and Amy Yang.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Boeing Classic
Dates: Aug. 21-23
Venue: TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, Snoqualmie, Wash.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday 9-11 p.m. (Tape delay) / 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday 5-7 p.m. (Live) / 2-4 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 5-7 p.m. (Live) / 2-4 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Dunlap defends: Scott Dunlap defeated Mark Brooks with a birdie on the first playoff hole for his inaugural Champions Tour win.
Headlining the field: Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Jeff Maggert, Marco Dawson, Kevin Sutherland, Joe Durant, Lee Janzen, Esteban Toledo, Woody Austin and Billy Andrade.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Made in Denmark
Dates: Aug. 20-23
Venue: Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort (PGA Backtee Course), Aalborg, Denmark
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 5:30-7:30 a.m. / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)
Friday 5:30-7:30 a.m. / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 7-11 a.m. (Live)
Sunday 6:30-11 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Warren defends: Marc Warren finished two shots ahead of Bradley Dredge to earn his third career European Tour victory.
Headlining the field: Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Marc Warren, Thorbjorn Olesen, David Lipsky, David Horsey, Daniel Brooks, Edoardo Molinari, Nicloas Colsaerts and Peter Uihlein.
Arnold Palmer Now Driving
Yesterday’s first round of the Masters was, as usual, fantastic. As I’ve said a million times, the Masters Tournament never disappoints. Thursday’s round had so many great stories to it. There was the return of Tiger Woods, the resurgence of Ernie Els, and amazing play of Jordan Spieth and a few surprises like the super round of 67 by Charlie Hoffman.
Spiethgasm
Jordan Spieth was -8 going into the easiest hole on the course yesterday, the par-5 15th. That hole is practically a guaranteed birdie and he could easily reach it in two. He was between clubs though, and knocked his approach over the green and nearly in the water on 16. He failed to get the chip on the green and ended up making a bogey. He got that stroke back on the 18th with a birdie.
The low round of 63 in a major championship was in jeopardy for a while there and the golf media and social networks were blowing up into a “Spiethgasm.”
It will be interesting to see if he can keep it together for four days.
Woods
My prediction for Tiger Woods’s first two rounds has been 74-70. Yesterday he shot a 73. Not bad. Not good. Nine shots off the lead. It’s not close to over for Tiger and I expect him to make the cut. The problem I see is massive dipping in his head during his downswing. If that gets bad, his shot dispersion goes to hell. You can’t spray it around August and get away with it.
What the weekend holds for Tiger should be interesting.
McIlory
Rory McIlory finished Thursday at -1. That’s an okay start and he’s not out of it by any means. I theorize that Rory wants to win this one so bad, it may cause him some mental issues.
Others
Others on my radar include my pick to win it all, Jason Day. Jason’s first round was super solid, including five birdies in a row. He’s right in the mix at -5 after day one.
So many other great stories which could be entire topics of discussion. Ernie Els, at 45, is right up there. And speaking of older players, how about Tom Watson shooting 71? He’s the oldest player to break par at the Masters after yesterday.
Cant’ wait for the rest of the weekend.
6:00pm ET – Kapalua, Hawaii – Hyundai Tournament of Champions
Ernie Els is two over par for this season. Ok, well he has played two holes so far and bogeyed both…
17 Hole Finale
One way to break the course record would be to leave off a hole. In the South African Open today, they cut the course to 17 holes because the par-3 fourth hole was water logged.
In order to avoid a stats nightmare, they gave everyone in the tournament a default par on that hole rather than leaving it off the scorecard. So do they give all players a green-in-regulation and two-putt in their stats too?
Els Wins
Ernie Els held off Retief Goosen to win his 5th South African Open title by one shot.
How’s this for some good golf? Els turned in rounds of 65-65-67-66 to record a total score of 25 under par. Perhaps they need to toughen up Durban Country Club a bit?
Ernie Els, despite having a small gag fest on Sunday before the rain out at Bay Hill, won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I watched a good portion of Ernie’s play and I must say his swing looks great. Now before you say “duh, his swing always looks great” hear me out.
Despite the fact that Ernie’s swing has always looked as smooth and buttery as any, right up there with Freddy Couples, his swing this year is even better. The thing I’ve noticed the most is the balance he has throughout the swing. His body is also in perfect positions, especially at impact. He’s delivering the club, especially his irons, perfectly at impact.
Already eclipsed 2009, by nearly a million bucks
Ernie now sits atop the FedEx Cup points list with two victories and over $3,000,000 in earnings. In the mere seven events he’s played this year he has already eclipsed what he earned last year playing 19 events.
Peaking at the right time
Ernie should be the favorite at the Masters next week based on his play so far, even over Tiger Woods. Tiger will no doubt be dealing with a lot of “firsts” next week.
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