Connect with us

News

Morning 9: Rahm on #1 battle | LIV ratings | Arnie stories | Bay Hill photos

Published

2 years ago

on
By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com
March 1, 2023

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for what is one of the best fields we will see all year at this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

1. Rahm on battle for No. 1

Rex Hoggard for Golf Channel…”According to various projections, both McIlroy and Scheffler can overtake Rahm, who reclaimed the top spot with his victory earlier this month at the Genesis Invitational. With so much volatility atop the world ranking, it’s not surprising that style points would become part of the conversation.

  • “There’s a lot of satisfaction that comes when you get to be No. 1 when the other players have been playing great golf as well. Scottie had a great year last year, Rory had a great year last year, and then towards the end of the year I kind of picked up,” Rahm said. “If you’re going to do it in any way, you want to get to No. 1 by winning.
  • …”I do know this is the most amount of No. 1 changes in this short period of time. I saw some of those stats, because it’s just really interesting, which speaks to the greatness of the game of golf right now – how good everybody’s been playing,” Rahm said.”
Full piece.

2. Keeping the king’s legacy alive

Jeff Babineau for PGATour.com with a few Arnie stories…”Palmer’s spirit, and legacy, live on through his tournament. To rekindle warm thoughts of the man, here are a few Arnie tales from some folks who knew him better than most.”

  • “Billy Andrade grew up in Rhode Island, not exactly a golf hotbed, but had a nice junior career and was an attractive recruit for many of the nation’s top colleges. Funny, though, he made only one recruiting visit, that being to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which is where one Arnold Daniel Palmer once played.”
  • “Andrade: “My first and only recruiting trip was to Wake Forest, and Coach (Jesse) Haddock offered me the Arnold Palmer Scholarship, and that was it. I was one and done. To get his scholarship, I didn’t know at the time what it would mean. But for 35-plus years, to enjoy the friendship I had with him, the time I had with him, the memories, the golf rounds, to chance to see him as a role model. He took a liking to all of us. Being one of his boys at Wake Forest, it was pretty special. It was an honor to be a part of it. Curtis (Strange), Jay (Haas), Webb Simpson and myself, and many in between. He always kept tabs on us.”
  • “For six or seven years later in his career, Andrade had a tradition where he would arrive to Bay Hill on Monday afternoon, scale the steps up to Palmer’s second-floor office, and duck his head in. “Are you ready?” Palmer would ask him. “Let’s go.” And the two would head off to play the back nine together, just the two of them.”
Full piece.

3. LIV ratings

Golfweek’s Riley Hamel…”LIV Golf League’s decision to debut its second season last week was no mistake. The Honda Classic on the PGA Tour was sandwiched between four designated events (WM Phoenix Open, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship) comprised of the best players in the world.”

  • “Wanting no part of competing with either of those, LIV decided to go against the Honda Classic, hoping to capitalize on owning the stronger field between the two events.”
  • “LIV’s first event on The CW Network received 291K viewers on Sunday, according to Josh Carpenter of the Sports Business Journal.”
  • “The Honda Classic, on the other hand, reeled in 2.38 million.”
Full piece.

4. Changes to LIV players’ travel, expense budgets?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Shipnuck also revealed that in an aim to cut down the exorbitant spending, they’ve now decided that all travel costs will be on each of the respective teams.”

  • “In the quest to build a more self-sustaining business, LIV has off-loaded all of the travel costs to each team, though, recognizing the tour is still in its early days, it did supply a stipend for this season. (The plan is to abolish the stipend beginning in 2024.)
  • “Players still keep the individual money they win—in Howell’s case, that was a tidy $4 million—but the $3 million for the team victory goes into the Crusher coffers, not the players’ pockets.
  • “Each player is paid an annual salary by the team, and at year’s end bonuses and/or profit-sharing is a possibility. But that depends on how much the team earns and how much it spends, which has brought class wars to LIV.”
  • “That is certainly an extraordinary development, with each team choosing to allocate funds in any way they see fit. For instance, Brooks Koepka is choosing to give each player of Smash GC an allowance for travel and hotels.”
Full Piece.

5. A tougher test

Jeff Eiseband for PGATour.com…”From 1994-2006, Bay Hill went through a 13-year period seeing its highest winning score at 12 under. While by no means a cupcake, Bay Hill was clearly more forgiving than some of its Florida counterparts.”

  • “Over the last decade-and-a-half, headlined by a 2009 redesign led by Palmer, Bay Hill has sharpened its teeth. Since 2007, only three Arnold Palmer Invitational winners have finished with a score of 14 under or lower. In 2020, with Tyrrell Hatton winning at 4 under and only four players finishing under par, Bay Hill ranked as the toughest stop on the PGA TOUR with an average score of 2.1 over par. That number remained north of par in 2021, with an average score of slightly more than 1 over. Scottie Scheffler shot 5 under last year to win and only 10 players finished under par.”
  • “One of the trademarks of the 2009 redesign is the par-3 second hole, which consistently plays as one of the hardest holes on the course. When redesigning all 18 greens, Palmer had the second green turned 30 degrees clockwise and the back tee box lengthened. This creates a downhill shot from as far back as 245 yards, with a mostly horizontal green just slanted enough to hold long irons or woods.”
Full piece.

6. USGA elects Fred Perpall president

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard…”Founded in 1894, the United States Golf Association is woven into the fabric of the game here in America. It’s rare when a nearly 130-year-old organization makes history, but that’s precisely what the USGA did last week with the election of its new president.”

  • “Fred Perpall will serve a three-year term as the 67th president of the governing body, where he will lead the USGA Executive Committee, an all-volunteer, policy-making board that provides strategic direction and oversight to the association’s full-time staff. The significance? He’s the first Black man to hold the position.”
  • “After his nomination and subsequent election, Perpall is the latest to add his name to a long list of individuals who have broken down barriers for the good of the game through the USGA.”
Full piece.

7. LIV Golf’s DP World Tour dispute delayed

Bunkered’s Michael McEwan…“A verdict in the dispute between LIV golfers and the DP World Tour is expected to take much longer than initially expected.”

  • “It was thought that an arbitration panel would rule on the matter within two to three weeks of the hearing, which took place in London from February 6-10.”
  • “However, according to a report in the Daily Mail, the latest “working estimate” for a verdict is between two to four months.”
  • “That means we could be waiting until at least The Masters and, potentially, mid-June for a decision – news which is bound to dismay Luke Donald.”
Full Piece.

8. Poulter and Stenson to try qualify for the Open

Elliott Heath for Golf Monthly…”Ian Poulter will attempt to qualify for the 151st Open Championship at next month’s World City Championship in Hong Kong, taking place on the Asian Tour.”

  • “The event will offer up four places in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July, with the LIV player hoping to book his spot in the oldest Major for the 21st time.”
  • “Poulter will be joined by fellow Majesticks teammate Henrik Stenson, although the Swede is in the Open already thanks to his stunning triumph at Royal Troon in 2016. Other LIV Golf players may also opt to tee it up in the event, taking place at Hong Kong Golf Club from 23-26 March.”
Full Piece.

9. Photos from Bay Hill

  • Check out all of our galleries from Bay Hill.
Full Piece.

Related Topics:

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Aug 4, 2025

By

I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

Continue Reading

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

By

GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

Continue Reading

News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

By

Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)

Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.  Driver: Titleist...
Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship

Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)

Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship

Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...

Facebook

Trending