PGA Championship at Harding Park + Lydia Ko

Before we talk about the PGA Championship, which is about to enter its final round, we must pay tribute the Lydia Ko, a former #1, who has gone 44 tournaments without winning. Normally, we pull for the underdogs and as a former #1, Ko would not qualify as such, but with her multi-year slide into the abyss, she’s become someone we can root for.

At Harding Park, DJ has a 1 shot lead going into the final round, but there are 10+ players who are within striking distance of winning. While we are looking forward to a great final round, with lots of drama, we have to pull for Matthew Wolff for nothing more than his unique "forward press,” if that’s what you call it, and Joel Dahmen. When you look at Dahmen’s background and what he has had to overcome, it’s easy to root for him.

As an aside, it is noteworthy that Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, who have traded places as respective #1’s the last few weeks, have struggled to keep it together at Harding Park. It shows you how even the best players in the world could do themselves a favor and don a KIT hat to brace themselves against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

The Honda Classic is FULL Of Underdogs!

There are a few tour stops every year the top players just decide to pass on. Usually they include the events like the Greenbrier Classic, the tour stop in New Orleans, and the Puerto Rico Open. The Honda Classic (PGA National in Palm Gardens, FL) is one such event. As a result, we get a full field of underdogs - players clinging to tour status, returning from injuries, as well as those who are just running out of time. Players like William McGirt, Erik Compton, Bronson Burgoon, Brandon Hagy, as well as former household names Hunter Mahan, and Camillo Villegas.

Aaron Wise, on the other hand, is in a very different position. At 24, a past winner, and currently in the Top 50 on the money list, he likely has a bright future.

However, there was a moment for Wise when he no doubt felt like a journeyman and that moment came during a very bad encounter with the 10th green during the final round. Wise, who enjoyed a 6 shot lead going into the weekend, before flopping on Saturday, had managed to play his way back into contention on Sunday.

After landing in a bunker, Wise blasted out to within 27 feet of the pin. His par putt slid 3 feet past the hole, and his tap in for bogey didn’t “tap-in.” Instead it scooted past the hole and he finally four (4) putted for a brutal triple bogey that sealed his fate.

Some advice for Aaron: before you make the turn, replace whatever hat you’ve got with this one, designed specifically for the Back 9.

Lee Westwood & The Players Championship

Justin Thomas played a great couple of closing rounds to win The Players, setting a record in the process for strokes below par for the final rounds. But Thomas is no golf underdog so we’re not going to focus on him.

Instead, we’re going to use this space to applaud Lee Westwood, who has spent most of his career as a favorite, but at 47 years of age, is now squarely in the “Underdog” camp. After nearly winning at Bay Hill the week prior, Westwood went toe-to-toe with Thomas and the 240 lb cyborg, DeChambeau, and almost pulled off a stunner. Had Thomas’ tee shot on 18 found the water, Westwood may well have won the tournament.

What makes his near win all the more remarkable is not just the 20 year age difference, but what it means in terms of preparation for the final round. We have a feeling Thomas pops out of bed, pops a dip between his tongue and lip, to go along with a black coffee, while DeChambeau has a 12 egg omelet and six protein shakes. Westwood’s day, however, likely began - before getting out of his oxygen-rich hyperbaric chamber - with a series of neck and ankle rolls, followed by tea, fresh fruit, and bran flakes.

Let’s see how long Westwood can keep his re-birth going.

Tony Finau Has a Decision to Make

Tony Finau is a very good golfer (currently #8 on the 2021 money list). While he’s often in the hunt on the weekend, there’s no denying he has struggled to finish higher then 2nd.

The fact remains Tony Finau chooses to compete week-after-week wearing Nike golf hats. Sure, he gets paid a lot of money to do so but he hasn’t won since the Puerto Rico Open in 2016.

Tony: Our offer to you is this: we will ship you a collection of our hats at no cost to you.

• The Go-Lo hat

• The On In Regulation hat

• The Birddha hat

We cannot pay you millions as Nike does, but we can save your career.

2021 Season Takes Shape - Berger and Homa Win at Pebble Beach & Riviera

Two people we have highlighted on these pages in the past: Daniel Berger and Max Homa kept it together and won a couple of the notable tournaments on the 2021 schedule.

Homa’s win at Riviera Country Club was particularly instructive, as he missed a 3 foot putt on 18 that would have won the event, only to make an incredible recovery on the first playoff hole after his tee shot came to rest next to a tree trunk. Most people watching assumed Homa had effectively lost the tournament but he managed to hit a great 2nd shot and then two-putted to extend the match with Tony Finau, who had things in his hands before spotty putting sunk him.

Berger had an easier go of it and he was terrific when it mattered most, hitting a beautiful 2nd shot onto 18 during the final round, which he would go on to lock up with an eagle and a 2 shot margin of victory.

Moving day at the Masters

There are lots of story lines we could write about the 2020 Masters. Abraham Ancer contending in his first appearance, former Buddist monk, Jazz Janewattananond, nearly posting the the same score as the current PGA Championship and U.S. Open winners, or Jason Day and Matthew Wolff being outplayed by Larry Mize, who is close to qualifying for Medicare. However, the most interesting development has to be 63 year-old Bernhard Langer making the cut. A remarkable achievement for a player who continues to have a remarkable career.

Also remarkable is Bryson DeChambeau’s penchant for challenging official rulings that go against him. Yesterday, when he could not find his ball after a wayward tee shot, he wanted us to believe he should get a free drop, rather than take a penalty. At the St. Jude invitational, he debated with rules officials for three minutes that he ought to get a free drop because the grass was “swarming” with fire ants (it was not). And at the Memorial, DeChambeau famously protested when not one, but two, rules officials sided against him and his claim that his wayward shot over a fence should be considered in play and qualify for a free drop (he went on to card a 10 on that hole). It’s hard to imagine Bernhard Langer, Mize, Ancer, or most tour players whining like this with such regularity. He could, of course, stop this act and instead wear one of our signature hats, which many people say delivers an immediate, calming effect on their psyche. Keep it together, Bryson.

Collin Morikawa and the game of inches...

He chips in at 14 and hits the “one for the ages” approach to 16, His opponents do the opposite. They do not get the breaks and their putts burn the edge and will not drop. Approach shots careen into greenside bunkers.

What is the difference? Why did Morikawa succeed where others failed?

We will never know but rest assured that Morikawa told himself more than once as he closed things out to “Keep it Together.”

Nice job, Collin! Now take down the Masters!.

REAL golf is BACK!

We’ve played four tournaments following the Covid shutdown: the Colonial, the Heritage, The TPC in Connecticut, and the Rocket Mortgage in Detroit.

A few observations:

1) Bryson DeChambeau cannot be considered an “Underdog.” He’s added 30 lbs (in the space of 4-8 weeks) and is now averaging 350+ yards off the tee. We’re sure he’s a nice guy but he’s making a mockery of the game. Golf is a game of fast followers so it would not surprise us to see half the tour turn to “protein” wink…wink…shakes in order to add 30lbs to 50 lbs (because why stop at 30?). Our prediction: a 240 lb Kevin Na will win at East Lake later this year.

2) Unlike DeChambeau, Brendan Todd is a legitimate “Underdog.” Todd - who is half DeChambeau’s weight - has somehow won twice this year (once after missing 13 consecutive cuts!) after considering quitting the game, having developed the yips with his driver (cue Ed McMahon’s “Hiy-yyyo!!”). If you can’t get off the tee (just ask Ian Baker-Finch), you cannot break 90, let alone win events on the PGA. But Todd has done the impossible and overcome his demons. Well done!

3) Webb Simpson won the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town. Not a surprise because Webb Simpson grew up on a Country Club - not unlike most PGA pros. He has been programmed from a very young age, and with all the resources available to him, is going to win golf tournaments. Not an Underdog. But a couple of the players he competed against at the Heritage are legit. Hat tip to Corey Conners and Sepp Straka. Conners because he was almost done with golf were it not for his PGA win last year (out of nowhere) and Sepp Straka for no other reason because how do you not root for a guy named Sepp Straka?

Also notable: the return of golf means the return of Matthew Wolff, which is a cause for celebration.

End of the Golf Season & Attention Turns to the Web.com Tour

Rory won the tour championship in a dominant fashion. Good for him, but as we have pointed out many times, it doesn’t mean that much to a top guy like McIlroy, or his legacy. The $payoff is nice but Rory’s already farting through silk. Professional golfers are judged by how many majors they win throughout their career. By that standard, McIlroy came up short in 2019.

While everyone was focused on East Lake, the more interesting action was on the web.com tour, as players jockeyed for positioning in the Top 25, and the PGA tour status at stake. Here are some of the names of the players that managed to earn their card for 2020:

Sebastian Cappelen
Rhein Gibson
Nelson Ledesma
Vince Covello
Andrew Novak
Kristoffer Ventura
Ryan Brehm
Xinjun Zham
Bo Hoag
Ryan Shelton
Vincent Whaley
Lanto Griffin

These are the underdogs going into the next season and the players we are going to pay close attention to. The talent is there. The game is almost all mental. Keep…it…Toegether.

Go get ‘em, fellas.

Nate Lashley

A tragic personal history, a period where he quit the game, and an uncertain future. Could easily be talking about me, but we’re actually referring to one of the great human interest stories of the year: Nate Lashley. At this point, everyone knows about Lashley’s ups and downs (more downs than ups going into this week’s tour stop).

This is the kind of pro we can get behind. Comes into the week ranked #446 in the world, makes the field as an alternate, after failing to qualify on Monday, and four days later he’s hoisting a jug and being handed a check for $1.4 million.

Though he had begun to show flashes this year in a few events, including Pebble Beach, he was still an unknown and a non-entity to 99.8% of golf fans. His ESPN page only indicates that he is a right handed golfer - there is no photo of him on his profile - just a gray silhouette of a golfer. In contrast, Chad Collins, ranked #226 on the PGA tour and with winnings of $30,000 this year, actually has a full profile on ESPN, including his picture, along with interesting factoids about his life. That’s how out of left field Lashley’s win was.

I’m still waiting for this kind of redemption and turnaround to happen for me. I can visualize it: I pull my 1999 Saab 9-3 into the parking lot of Laurel Hill golf course in Lorton, VA. I warm up with a few balls on the range. Tempo is good, my mind is clear…everything is free and easy. I birdie three of the first four holes and never look back, on the way to posting a -2 under 69.

While my game will never be good enough to break 70, over even 75, breaking 80 again is definitely still in the cards. If Lashley can overcome the odds, there’s no reason we can’t realize our own goals.

Also notable: the Rocket Mortgage tournament included Martin Piller. He’s hanging by a thread trying to keep his tournament card. He’s 32 years old and has never come close to winning on the PGA tour. It would be great if Martin can find a way to break through on the next tour stop, just as Lashley did this week.

Doc Redman finished 2nd. We’re not sure whether Redman can be considered a true underdog given that he did win the U.S. Amateur last year and starred on Clemson’s golf team. One person in the field who we can be sure is no underdog is Wyndham Clark. If your first name is “Wyndham” chances are you come from a privileged background. You were born rich and you’re going to die rich, so none of this really matters, but we could be wrong.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that Gary Woodland failed to make the cut, which underscores, yet again, just how hard the game can be.

Brooke Henderson, Gary Woodland, and the wild Sunday finish

Woodland will get all the headlines, and we have to tip our hat. Gary has been a grinder for years. We celebrate guys like Gary finally breaking through. He took down Brooks Koepka. Not an easy task.

Brooke Henderson had her hands full, as well. Holding on for a 1 stroke victory over the likes of Lexi Thompson, she set a record for most tour wins by a Canadian, with 9. It’s worth pausing here to reflect on her record run. Canada, for much of the year, is VERY COLD. There is a lot of snow and mud between October - May. It’s hard to practice. Jupiter, Florida, it isn’t. Henderson had 9 birdies on Saturday to create the bit of breathing room she would need on Sunday. It is worth noting that it would take us months of regular play to record 9 birdies.

Last point about Woodland, he really kept it together and hit some quality shots over the closing holes. He’s basically a clone of Koepka. The same weight and size; the same swagger; the same length off the tee. These guys could be the face of American golf for the next century, with the occasional nip-at-the heal by Chez Reavie, Ricky Fowler, and Jordan Speith.

Early observations from this year's Memorial

Right out of the, “Where have they been?” file, we have a Martin Kaymer sighting. I repeat, we have a Martin Kaymer sighting. Carded a -5 on day #1. Well done, Martin.

Danny Willett (-3) also rising from the dead. Danny — we backed you at 45-1 at the Masters in 2016 so we will forever be grateful to your inspired play (it is not lost on us that if Jordan Spieth does not COLLAPSE, we get bupkus).

We owe a nod to Steve Stricker, also at -3. Somehow Stricker, no matter his age, keeps competing with the top players in the world. You watch Stricker take the club back on a practice swing, and it looks like he’s dealing with a torn rotator cuff, and an acute case of bursitis, and if he really dials it up, it seems like the best he can do is hit his tee shot about 220, tops. Somehow Stricker stripes it down the middle and is on in two. Steve, keep doing what you are doing.

Lastly, for what it is worth, Norman Xiong, an American ranked #446 on tour, posted an even par 72. Norman, if you are an actual professional golfer - and not a bot - we’re pulling for you.

Keep It Together

Ghim and Lindheim cash big checks at the Byron Nelson tour stop

Doug Ghim (ranked #446) and Nicholas Lindheim (#208), both fighting to take advantage of the few opportunities they have to make a living on the PGA, scored big paydays at the Byron Nelson tournament at Trinity Forest in Dallas, Texas.

Ghim and Lindheim tied for 12th, earning $154,000 for their efforts. Ghim carded a 63 on his opening round, and followed that up with steady play over the last three rounds. Lindheim closed with three birdies on the final six holes of the final round on Sunday.

Nowhere will you find anyone extolling the play of guys like Ghim and Lindheim, but these are the kind of players that fascinate us. Do you think it matters to Brooks Koepka whether he finished 4th (which he did) or 40th in this tournament? We can assure you it does not. But for Ghim and Lindheim, 12th place finishes give them momentum and the financial resources to carry on.

Max Homa wins the Wells Fargo Championship (not a misprint)

As recently as 2017, Homa was ranked outside of the top 1,000 golfers in the world and he began this year ranked #836, which makes his 3 shot victory at Quail Hollow so shocking. He finished Saturday’s round tied for the lead with Rory Mcilroy and Justin Rose not far behind him. Going into the final round it must be hard knowing the world’s #1 ranked player (Rose) is right behind you. Rather than hoping for Rose to fall down a stairwell and withdraw from the tournament, Homa kept it together and credits his attitude as one of the reasons he was able to finish strong on Sunday and win the tournament.

"I've grown up a lot. My attitude is awesome nowadays. I don't really get too down on myself. I have an awesome, awesome caddie [Joe Greiner] who doesn't let me. If I'm quiet, he yells at me and tells me quiet golfers are usually very mean to themselves. So, we have a good thing going.''

This is the kind of underdog we like to root for when we watch tour events, and it reminds us of the importance of playing golf with the right mindset.

Cejka and Prugh are only 3 shots off the lead at the Zurich Classic

Ranked #532 and #211 respectively, Alex Prugh and Alex Cejka are two underdogs who are keeping it together at this week’s tour stop. If they can continue their strong play and go on to win, they would become the biggest surprise winner at this tournament since Mike Standly took the Classic in 1993.

Speaking of Standly, what made his Zurich Classic win all the more remarkable was the fact that he was later diagnosed (in 1996) with an acute case of attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Malnati with a Top 20 finish at the RBC Heritage Classic

Peter Malnati, a recent WEB.com graduate and one-time member of the PGA Tour, and currently ranked #277 in the world, moved into the Top 125 on this season’s PGA money list with a Top 20 finish in the just completed RBC Heritage Classic.

Spectators who followed him reported that Malnati seemed focused and relaxed throughout the final round. An avid bird watcher, Malnati frequently paused as he made his way around the course to observe several bird species, once noting to those around him that, while similar in appearance, the Wood Stork and Swallow-Tailed Kite are quite different, with quite different migratory paths.

Monday Qualifier Corey Conners wins Valero Texas Open!

Only 2% of golfers will ever break 80, which means we are all underdogs when we step on the course. Each week we will highlight exceptional achievements by golfers who largely go unnoticed, or who are trying to maintain their playing status.

Talk about keeping it together. Conners did just that. From a Monday qualifier, to winning the Valero Open in Texas, to making the cut at the Masters a week later. As a result, Corey improved his world ranking from 196th to #85 in the span of a little over one week. Also notable: Conners was the first Monday qualifier to win an event on the PGA tour in nine (9) years.

https://www.pga.com/news/pga-tour/corey-conners-wins-valero-texas-open-qualifies-masters