Kisner Triumps Through 6-Man Playoff to Win 2021 Wyndham Championship

 

Through all the chaos and drama, Kevin Kisner wins the 2021 Wyndham Championship (image: Chris Seward/AP)

 

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

It's safe to say that the 2021 PGA Tour season went out with a bang.

 

After much drama, on what was perhaps one of the most hectic Sundays of the season, Kevin Kisner has emerged victorious at Sedgefield Country Club. It wasn't easy though; he needed to battle through a six-man playoff that consisted of Adam Scott, Kevin Na, Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim and Canadian Roger Sloan, all who finished their final rounds at 15-under.

 

This is Kisner's fourth win on the PGA Tour and first since 2019. The win propels him up the FedEx Rankings to 29th place and also secures his PGA playing status through the 2022-2023 season.

 

 

15-UNDER TO THE PLAYOFF

The craziness that was the final round was progressing quite normally until the second half. 54 hole leader Russell Henley led the tournament at 17-under, with a two shot lead over Justin Rose. But on the 11th hole, Henley missed a two-foot putt for par and dropped a shot. His lead would soon evaporate, as he would go on to bogey holes 12, 14 and 18, missing the playoff by a single stroke. He shot a 71 on the day; the only score in the 70s out of the top 35 players.

 

Meanwhile, Kevin Kisner, Kevin Na, Brandon Grace and Roger Sloan all started their days four shots off the lead at 11-under, while Adam Scott started five shots back and Si Woo Kim six shots back. 

 

Each player managed to get to the infamous 15-under in their own unique way. Kisner managed to birdie holes 16 and 17, hitting a remarkable approach shot on the 17th hole to a few feet for an easy birdie. Kevin Na eagled the par 5 15th hole, but faced a tough up-and-down on the 18th hole. He sunk his par putt and remained at 15-under.  Brandon Grace birdied holes 15 and 16 and needed birdie on the 18th hole to get into the playoff. One long clutch putt later and he was in. All three shot 66s.

 

Si Woo Kim carded the low score of the bunch, with a 64 that included birdies on 13 and 17, and a eagle on the par 5 5th hole. Adam Scott also played his final few holes well, carding back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16. And finally, the Canadian Roger Sloan carded back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 to get to 15-under.

 

When it was all said and done, the playoff featured six players, setting the record for the largest playoff in PGA Tour history, in terms of participants. To me, these final rounds summarized exactly what the Wyndham Championship is all about; a hectic, crazy last-dash to get into the playoffs, whether it be the FedEx Cup Playoffs or tournament playoffs.

 

 

A PLAYOFF TO REMEMBER

With the players all set, the sixsome headed back to the 18th tee to start the playoff. 

 

All six players hit decent tee shots, but it was their approaches to the green where things got interesting. Scott and Sloan both found the green with theirs, Kisner landed just short of the green, as did Grace, Na ended up in the greenside bunker and Kim overshot the green. Scott had the advantage, being closest to the hole and on the green. Amazingly though, Na managed to chip out and sink a long putt for par, Kisner, Grace and Kim both chipped and putted for par, and Sloan missed his birdie putt by also carded a par. 

 

It was all down to Scott, who from the looks of it had an easy putt for the win. He studied the putt with his caddie for a little bit, assuming there would be a significant break in it. But there was no break and Scott missed the putt, to everyone's amazement. He too parred so back to the 18th tee box the sixsome went; six players, six different strategies, yet the same score....again.

 

This time though, only Sloan, Kisner and Scott found the fairway, and the advantage was in their favor now. Again, we saw a variety of approaches to the 18th green. Kim found the greenside bunker, Kisner landed on the green and close, as did Brandon Grace. Scott landed on the green but further away from the flag, as did Sloan and Na overshot the green. It looked as though birdie attempts were possible for Grace and Kisner. Grace putted first but missed his birdie putt, after coming very close. But Kisner, keen not to extend the playoff any longer, sank his birdie putt. And it was good enough for the win, as the rest of the field could only manage pars.

 

Shortly after sinking the putt, Kisner was heard saying this was his first playoff win. In fact, up to that point in his career, Kisner had been in five previous playoffs on the PGA Tour but couldn't convert in either of them, the most famous being the 2015 Players Championship. His streak was finally broken and what a way to do it.

 

 

SEDGEFILED VERSUS THE WEATHER

The chaos of the final round began even before the first tee shot was taken on Sunday. As a result of the inclement weather forecasted for the afternoon, all tee times were bumped up by several hours, with three to a time slot. The final group teed off just after 9am local time. 

 

This led to all sorts of TV scheduling conflicts, as the Ladies Scottish Open and US Amateur were also being broadcasted, among other sports. In Canada, pre-recorded final round coverage was aired in the afternoon, and viewers were not able to watch the final round live unless they were subscribed to various US network streaming services. 

 

As for Sedgefield itself, the course continued to remain vulnerable, with sub-60 round being had by all players virtually in contention. The low round of the day was a 62 shot by Chesson Hadley, aided by a hole-in-one on the par 3 16th hole. This was Hadley's first hole-in-one ever, both professionally or as an amateur.

 

 

FEDEX CUP RANKINGS SHAKE-UP

As if all the above drama was not enough, the FedEx Cup Playoffs battle was still being hotly contested during the final round. 

 

Ryan Armour (122nd), Patrick Rodgers (123rd) and Bo Hoag (125th) all fell below the 125th place cutoff after all missing the cut.

 

Chesson Hadley remarkably finished right in 125th place. This finish guarantees him his Tour card through next season as well as entry into the playoffs.

 

Roger Sloan shot up 39 places from 131st to 92nd as a result of his T2 finish. 

 

Scott Piercy also made it into the playoffs, going from 126th to 116th.

 

Justin Rose, who needed a good finish this week to get into the playoffs, came up one place short at 126th. He was left with a short par putt on the 18th green, but unfortunately missed it. That putt was costly though, as he finished two shots back, but at T10. In a normal tournament, finishing two back would put you in a higher place on the leaderboard, hence more points, but that was not the case this week due to the large playoff contingent. It also didn't help that Hadley had an excellent finish to the tournament.

 

 

MATTHEW WOLFF IS A WINNER TOO THIS WEEK 

Despite being cut from the tournament, Matthew Wolff is still a winner this week. He wins the season-long AON Risk Reward Challenge this year and a cheque for 1 million dollars.

 

The AON Risk Reward Challenge is quite neat. It's a challenge designed to reward players who score well on the toughest holes in each tournament. The way it works is that each week, a hole at a tournament is chosen, with each player's score for that hole being recorded. Whoever has the best score at the end of the year, wins the challenge. Think of it as a single round of golf made up of one hole from each tournament. For this week, the 15th hole was chosen, where Wolff carded a par and birdie in his two rounds.

 

 

CANADIAN PRESENCE AT SEDGEFIELD

Amidst all the chaos of the Wyndham Championship, it should be noted that Canadians were well represented on the leaderboard, with three being in the top-10 alone (Roger Sloan T2, Nick Taylor T10 and Adam Hadwin T10). 

 

As for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Sloan, Taylor, Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes are all in it.

 

We've being saying this for years, but Canadian professional golf is in good hands, both on the PGA and LPGA Tour.

 

 

PICKS RESULTS

To wrap it all up, here is how our picks finished off the week:

 

1) Justin Rose: T10 at 13-under

2) Tommy Fleetwood: T65 at 1-under

 

Again, you have to feel bad for Rose's situation. And Fleetwood's was no better, plummeting down the leaderboard after weekend scores of 72 and 73. The two don't get into the playoffs but on the upside will have some time off in the upcoming weeks.

***

Whew, let's all take a deep breath now and exhale. That ends the 2020-2021 PGA Tour season and what a way to go out. From collapses, to weather disruptions, to TV conflicts, to a six-man playoff, the 2021 Wyndham Championship had it all this year and lived up to the hype. 

But now the serious fun begins, as the FedEx Cup Playoffs commence with the first event of the playoffs, The Northern Trust (formerly The Barclays) at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

Stay tuned for our coverage of that and much more,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 Wyndham Championship Weekend Update

Russell Henley leads by four shots going into the weekend at the 2021 Wyndham Championship (image: SkySports)

 

 

The first two rounds of the 2021 Wyndham Championship, the last regular season event of the PGA Tour, have concluded. As it stands right now, Russell Henley is the leader going into the weekend with a score of 14-under par, after shooting an opening round (and career low) 62 and following it up with a 64 on Friday.

 

He holds a four shot lead over 2020 Olympic Silver medalist Rory Sabbatini, 2011 Wyndham Championship winner Webb Simpson and Scott Piercy. 

 

 

HOT GOLF

Despite the heat and humidity present in the first two rounds, which saw a weather delay at the end of the first round, Sedgefield Country Club played benign; good scores were able to be had. There were 19 players who shot 65 or under in their opening rounds; the second most in tournament history at Sedgefield. Due to this, the cut has been set at 3-under par. 

 

The weather is expected to turn for the worse on the weekend however, with thunderstorms forecasted on both Saturday and Sunday. 

A GAME OF NUMBERS

As we mentioned in our preview article, the Wyndham Championship is a unique tournament, in that it's the last chance for players to make a statement for the year. Whether it's trying to get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs, or retaining a Tour card, players are extra motivated this week.

The elusive number, at least for the Playoffs, this week is 125. Above it, and you're in the Playoffs, below it and your season is over. It's always a game within a game during the Wyndham Championship to see who gets in and who doesn't.

 

As of now, there are several players in interesting scenarios around the 120th-130th position, i.e., the bubble. Ryan Armour started the week at 122nd, but missed the cut and is projected to fall to 126th, as did Patrick Rodgers (123rd to 127th) and Bo Hoag (125th-128th). Our pick Tommy Fleetwood started the week at 136, but made the cut and sits at T23 6-under, projecting him to 133rd. Tommy will need a good weekend to get him above 125.

Other notables who missed the cut and Playoffs include Rickie Fowler (+3, 135th), Francesco Molinari (E, 141th), Padraig Harrington (+2, 169th) and Luke Donald (-1, 184th). 

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING?

1) Justin Rose: T5 at 9-under

2) Tommy Fleetwood: T23 at 6-under

3)  Louis Oosthuizen: WD

Rose came into the week with a goal in mind and he's on his way to accomplishing it. He's jumped 21 places in the rankings to 117 and is on track to get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs. In a similar situation, as mentioned, is Tommy Fleetwood, who isn't quite over the 125 hurdle just yet. Lastly, shortly after we made our picks on Wednesday, Louis Oosthuizen withdrew from the event. He cited a lingering neck injury and didn't want to aggravate it before the playoffs. This is a smart decisions from Louis, who is safely in the playoffs.

Two rounds down, two to go at the 2021 Wyndham Championship. Who will win this year? Who will get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs? Stay tuned for our Monday post to find out.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Jason Day Wins the 2015 BMW Championship, Becomes World Number One

It may have been pretty clear from the start, but Jason Day dominated the entire field this week for an easy victory at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club. He finished off with a score of 22-under thanks to a pair of 69's over the weekend, a six shot lead over rookie Daniel Berger.  With it, he maintains his top spot on the FedEx Cup Rankings and also ousts Rory McIlroy to become the World Number One golfer on the World Golf Rankings, the youngest Australian to do so in history.

This is Day's second playoff win this year, and fifth PGA win of the year (including a major)! His streak kicked off near the end of July with his win at the Canadian Open. As of now, he's won four of his last six tournaments he's played in, a feat which has only been done by the likes of Tiger Woods, Nick Price, Vijay Singh, and a few more.

I've been saying this for years, but for most of Jason's career he's had great finishes but barely any wins. You could always count on him to have a great finish, especially in majors where we calculated that he had a 50% chance of finishing in the top 10 of any major he played. His win at the Farmers Insurance Open in February was his first in four year, and only his second of his PGA career. Many have called him the best player to not win a major or the best player who hasn't won a lot of tournaments, but he silenced them all these last couple of months. And considering his past and how golf has helped him get through it, there's no one more deserving of this success.

Like we said in our previous post, it's going to be hard to decide who the player of the year is. Is it Jordan Spieth, who won two majors, and nearly could have had them all? Or is it Jason Day, who's last couple of months has been career defining, full of broken records? Both are equally deserving, but who will it be?

Lastly, our picks finished pretty well too:

1) Louis Oosthuizen: T19 at 10-under
2) Rory McIlroy: T4 at 14-under
3) Justin Rose: T13 at 11-under

Funny enough, it was Rory who just a year ago was having a winning streak like Jason Day.

Next week is the final tournament of the playoffs and the season, the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Up for grabs is the FedEx Cup and over $10 million. Only the top 30 as of this week are invited, making it one of the most action-packed tournaments of the year. Be sure to check out our picks for it.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Jason Day: World Number One

Jason Day Holds Steady Going Into Weekend at BMW Championship

Two rounds have been played at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club, although with the current scoreline, you'd think four have been played...

That's right, the current leading score is an 18-under, which is held by none other than Jason Day. The Australian shot an impressive 61/63 on his opening rounds and was actually on 59 watch most of the time. With that, he tied the PGA Tour record for lowest 36-hole score. In fact, due to the weather delay, Day had to finish his opening round yesterday morning. On his final hole, he had a 44-yard pitch shot, which he needed to hole to shoot that 59. It would have been the first 59 shot since Jim Furyk's 59 two years ago at this event.

Day's second round yesterday included seven birdies, an eagle, and a bogey; good enough to earn him a five shot lead over Daniel Berger and Brenden Todd. At this rate, Day's on track to win his second playoff event of the year. If he does (or finishes a solo second), he'll surpass Rory McIlroy as World Number One on the WGC rankings and may even beat out Jordan Spieth for PGA Tour Player of the Year (keep in mind that Spieth won two majors this year).

Weather conditions at Conway Farms were not the best and did result in the suspension of the opening round as we said. They didn't seem to affect the players too much though, as low scores were shot all around. Traditionally, players seem to always score low at Conway Farms (see Furyk's 59 in 2013) and the score average this year seems to be around the high 60's .

In other news, a unique streak is on the line for Hunter Mahan this week. He is the only player to play in every Tour Championship event (since it's inception in 2007). Mahan sits at T29 as of now and is projected to finish at 52nd on the FedEx Cup Rankings. He likely won't make it into the Tour Championship this year (keep in mind that only the Top 30 make it), unless he can do something big.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Louis Oosthuizen: T34 at 5-under
2) Rory McIlroy: T9 at 9-under
3) Justin Rose: T12 at 8-under


Pretty good results so far!

The third round is set to start later today. Be sure to check it out!


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Jason Day is playing some of the best golf of his career at the moment

2015 BMW Championship Picks

We're back from our little break this week to give you coverage of the third event in the PGA Tour Playoffs, the BMW Championship, being played this year at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois. Since it is the third stage of the playoffs, the field only consists of the top 70 players on the FedEx Cup Rankings, as of last week, making it one of the smaller fields in golf. On the line is a $8.25 million purse as well as entry into the final playoff event next week, the Tour Championship (only open to the Top 30 in the rankings).

The BMW Championship was historically played as the Western Open, before the Tour went to the current playoff format. The Western Open was one of the oldest events on tour, first being played in 1899, and was won by many golfing greats like Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, etc.

This is the first time that the BMW Championship has been played at Conway Farms Golf Club since 2013. During that edition of the tournament, Jim Furyk set the course record with a stunning 59, which was also only the 6th 59 ever shot in PGA Tour history. The club has also hosted many amateur events in the past, like the USGA Junior Amateur, as well major qualifying events. This week, the course will measure 7,149 yards long and play as a par 71.

As for our picks, though the field is getting smaller and smaller every week, the decision for making picks becomes tougher, since the field is filled with so many quality players who earned their way into the tournament. Given that, here's our picks this week:

1) Louis Oosthuizen
2) Rory McIlroy
3) Justin Rose


Play starts Thursday morning but be sure to check out our Weekend Update post Friday evening,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Louis Oosthuizen is our top pick this week

Day Leads, Spieth Follows Going Into Final Round of the 2015 PGA Championship

There's just one round left in this year's PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. As it stands now, Jason Day is our leader at 15-under, with a two shot lead over current Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth. Just a shot behind Spieth lays Justin Rose and Brandon Grace.

Saturday definitely lived up to it's name "Moving Day". The conditions at Whistling Straits were ideal for scoring low and many players took advantage of this. Day shot a 66, but not in easy fashion. He carded eight birdies, an eagle, two bogeys, and a double bogey. Spieth shot a more traditional 65, carding seven birdies. Interestingly enough, Spieth has only made a two bogeys over his three rounds, the least in the field. The two will be paired in the final grouping today, one seeking his first major one, the other trying to put his name in history. I'm not sure what would be the bigger story, Jason Day winning his first major or Spieth winning 3 of 4 this year?

The low round of the day was that of US Open contender Branden Grace, with a 64 (8 birdies). This would have tied the course record on the Straits Course if Hiroshi Iwata hadn't broken it a couple of days ago. Also lurking behind the lead is 2010 PGA Champion Martin Kaymer, at four shots back. He also shot a 65 today. Kaymer was the last winner of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Due to the controversy with Dustin Johnson in 2010, Kaymer is often overlooked as the winner at times. Kaymer will be paired with PGA Tour rookie and long hitting Tony Finau.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Dustin Johnson: T9 at 9-under
2) Jim Furyk: 4-under at T30
3) Jason Day: 1st at 15-under

Johnson is still lurking despite not shooting as low of scores as some players. It'll take some work for him to win today, but golfers have come back from bigger margins before. Furyk may be out of contention, but will be looking for a good finish today; something he does so well.

There's nothing like a Sunday at a major, especially when it's the last one of the year. If the conditions today are as good as yesterday, the winner may not be so clear cut. It wouldn't surprise me if the winner wasn't in the final two groups.

Stay tuned tomorrow morning to see who's won,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Jason Day Seeks His First Major Win Today

Shane Lowry Wins the 2015 WGC Bridgestone Invitational

After four rounds of play on Firestone Country Club's South Course, this year's edition of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational has concluded, with the winner being Shane Lowry. The Irishman finished with a final score of 11-under and a win by two shots over Bubba Watson. This is Lowry's first WGC win and first win in three years. He also takes home many World Golf Rankings points which will boost his ranking from 48th (as he stood when he entered the tournament) and has earned a PGA Tour card for three years.

Lowry shot a 66 for his final round today, which consisted of four birdies, including one on the final hole. However, he did run into trouble a few times today but recovered, or rather, "escaped" well. One incident involved a severely hooked tee shot, followed by a pitch over a tree, then a birdie putt. Another involved a bunker and a shot through a tree which led to his birdie on the 18th. He played solid golf all week and went low at times when many players could not. That was key to his success this week.

On a whole, the weekend rounds scored significantly better than the weekday rounds. Low scores were shot all around the South Course and the low round was a 63 shot by Justin Rose and Steven Bowditch. Saturday AKA Moving Day, really lived up to it's name as we saw a mish-mash on the leaderboard as the day progressed. Sunday's rounds were more toned down, but still full of exciting golf.

Our picks didn't finish off too well. Dustin Johnson shot a 75/76 on the weekend (in contrast with the theme of low scores on the weekend) to finish T53 at 7-over. Victor Dubuisson finished a shot ahead of Johnson. And Adam Scott finished a shot ahead of Dubuisson. TGR favourite Graeme McDowell did finish well however, at T17 (1-under). This is one of GMac's best finishes of the year, which is always a good sign.

Next week is the last major of the year, the PGA Championship, which will return to Whistling Straits for the first time since 2010. The storylines are already flowing, with Dustin Johnson being at the centre of them (remember how he would have won if it wasn't from a certain bunker?). That's all coming next week, so be sure to check out our daily coverage of the tournament next week.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Irishman Shane Lowry Wins the 2015 Bridgestone Invitational

Rickie Fowler Wins the 2015 Scottish Open

After four rounds of tough links golf, the winner of this year's Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Gullane Golf Club is one of our picks this week, Rickie Fowler, who finished with a score of 12-under and a one shot lead over Matt Kuchar and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin. This is the young American's 2nd win this year (his first was the Players Championship) and first European Tour win.

Rickie's play towards the end of his round was exceptional, simple as that. The start of his round was uneventful until his last four holes, where his run for the lead began. He birdied three of the last four holes and on the 18th, hit an excellent drive then a wedge to a couple of feet for an easy birdie and a one shot lead over Matt Kuchar, who was in the clubhouse already at 11-under. Once again, he's shown us why he's such a good links golfer. On a more interesting note, it seems that Fowler always wins when the golfing world doubts him the most. Shortly after being ranked as one of the most overrated golfers, he won the Players Championship. After a disastrous US Open, many predicted a downward spiral for him, but he silenced all his critics with his well-deserved win this week.

Raphael Jacquelin, who was in the group behind Fowler, needed a 2nd shot eagle hole-out from the 18th fairway to force a playoff with Fowler. And he nearly pulled it off, hitting a wedge shot just past the hole and spinning it back to about a foot. Despite not forcing a playoff, with his good finish the 41-year old Frenchman now qualifies for the Open Championship next week. He will be playing his first major since the 2012 Open Championship.

Today's final round saw a big change in weather conditions as the round progressed and as a result Gullane played tougher and tougher. Winds picked up throughout the day and morning players, like Scotsman Marc Warren (64 today), were at a clear advantage. With these conditions though, we saw a variety of shots from players, typical in links style, and much movement in the leaderboard. One thing's for sure; this round was great preparation for St. Andrews next week.

Finally, here's how our picks finished for the week:


1) Padraig Harrington: T62 at 2-under
2) Justin Rose: 74th even par
3) Rickie Fowler: WINNER

That's another pick win for us! Padraig Harrington couldn't capitalize on two good opening rounds and Justin Rose had a very bad weekend, shooting 72/76 without a single birdie today. Better luck to both of them next week.

And that's a wrap for our coverage of the Scottish Open. Congratulations once again to Rickie Fowler! Our coverage stays in Europe this week and in Scotland for that matter, for the third major of the year. That's right, join us next week for the 144th Open Championship (British Open) from the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland next week.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Rickie Fowler Wins the 2015 Scottish Open

2015 Scottish Open Weekend Update

With just two rounds left to play at Gullane Golf Club, the leader going into the weekend of this year's Scottish Open is Englishman Daniel Brooks. He holds a three shot lead over a number of players including the likes of TGR favourite Graeme McDowell and defending champion/our pick Justin Rose. The cut has also been set at 1-under.

Brooks shot an excellent 64/65 and has only made a single bogey over both his two rounds. He's also carded 10 birdies and an eagle, which give him some great momentum moving into the weekend.

Despite the challenge that is links golf, many players were able to take advantage of Gullane Golf Club over the first two rounds. Scores in the mid 60's were common all around and the low round so far was a 63, shot by Thorbjorn Olesen. From the weather forecast though, it looks like the winds will pick up over the weekend and some rain will fall tonight and tomorrow. Maybe this will make Gullane more vicious?

Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell seems to be showing signs of recovery this week, shooting a pair of 66's so far. After three straight missed cuts, the 52nd World Ranked players has had a rough season so far and risks falling out of WGC contention if his trend continues. A win or a good finish for the 2008 champion this week would be hugely beneficial.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Padraig Harrington: T34 at 4-under
2) Justin Rose: T2 at 8-under
3) Rickie Fowler: T13 at 6-under

It's good to see Harrington doing well again; he's certainly still in contention given the upcoming weather. Rose has an excellent chance to defend his win and can probably pull it off seeing how he's been playing. It's also good to see Fowler playing well on links courses again.

With just two more rounds to go and upcoming weather conditions, we might see some movement in the leaderboard over the last two rounds. Stay tuned for our Results post Sunday to see who ended up winning.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Can Daniel Berger hold onto his lead for the win this week?

2015 Scottish Open Picks

For many golf fans, the next two weeks are some of the most exciting out of the entire golf season. It starts with the Scottish Open, this year being played at Gullane Golf Club in Gullane near Edinburgh, Scotland. It ends off with the Open Championship AKA British Open. Both events are played on links golf courses and offer many challenges to players.

The Scottish Open (now formally the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open) was first contested in 1972, but was then removed from the European Tour's event list from 1974 to 1985. It returned in 1986 and has been played at Loch Lomond Golf Club for the majority of it's current run. Just recently, it began rotating courses year to year. It's one of the larger and more popular events on the European Tour for a few reasons. Firstly, it has one of the largest purses on Tour at £3.25 million. Secondly, being a links course and taking place a week before the British Open, it's a tournament that's used by players to practice for the British Open, i.e. hone in their links golf skills and work on a variety of shots. Players such as Phil Mickelson took full advantage of this, as he won both the Scottish and British Opens in 2013.

This is the first time Gullane Golf Club has hosted the Scottish Open, but the town of Gullane is no stranger to professional golf. Situated on the coast of Scotland, it's also home to Muirfield Golf Club, which hosted the British Open in 2013 and lies just 1.5km from Gullane Golf Club. The town is ideal for golf holidays as it's also home to several other top quality links courses and itself is just a two hour drive from the Old Course at St. Andrews (which will host the British Open next week). For the Scottish Open, Gullane will play as a par 70 at 7,133 yards.

Like I've said many times before, it's always hard to make my picks in a tournament that precedes a major, simply because of the variety of players in the field. One thing's for sure though, the winner this week will definitely need to have great links golf skills, so that's what I've based my picks on this week:

1) Padraig Harrington
2) Justin Rose
3) Rickie Fowler

Padraig showed us earlier this year that he's capable of winning again. He's also won two British Opens back to back so he knows links golf. Justin Rose won this event last year and seems to be playing great golf at the moment. Like I say, he's always a safe pick week in week out. Lastly, Rickie Fowler hasn't had the best of weeks after his Players win, but he's done well in the past on links courses. Maybe this will be the comeback he needs?

Play kicks off very early (or very late) at roughly 2:30AM EST tomorrow. Stay tuned for our weekend update post Friday to see who's in the lead at the halfway point.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

The scenic coast of Scotland is host to Gullane Golf Club

Jordan Spieth Wins the 2015 US Open

After 72 holes of some of the toughest golf played on tour, the 115th US Open at Chambers Bay has now concluded, with 2015 Masters Champion Jordan Spieth emerging as the winner with a score of 5-under. This is Spieth's second major win in just his last two majors. He finished with a one shot lead ahead of Louis Oosthuizen and Dustin Johnson and is the first person to win the Masters then US Open in the same year since Tiger Woods in 2002. He's also the youngest player to achieve this feat since Bobby Jones. The low amateur of the tournament was 22-year old Brian Campbell at 5-over T27.

Coming into this week, you couldn't help but get the feeling that this tournament was going to end in some bizarre fashion. And that's exactly how it went down...

Spieth was leading the tournament going into the 17th hole par 3, with Dustin Johnson chasing and Louis Oosthuizen two shots behind him already in the clubhouse. After a bad tee shot and a few missed putts, he ended up double-bogeying the hole. He was now tied with Dustin and Louis at this point. He redeemed himself with a birdie on the par 5 18th hole. Dustin, who was a hole behind Spieth and in the final group needed at least a birdie on the 18th to force a Monday 18-hole playoff (which incidentally is his birthday) and would win outright with an eagle. Things were looking good for Dustin after he hit an excellent drive and even better when he hit his second shot to within 15 foot. But Chambers Bay had one more trick up it's sleeve...

All that remained between Dustin and his first major win was a downhill eagle putt, a very tricky putt given the extreme slope of the hole and the pressure on him. He missed the eagle putt and watched his ball roll past the hole to about four feet. Then, in a shocking moment to all, Dustin missed the birdie putt which would have force the playoff, resulting in a shocked Spieth winning outright. You couldn't help but feel bad for Dustin Johnson. As most golfers know, three-putting after finding the green in regulation is one of the worst feelings in golf, let alone having a US Open on the line while doing so. This is the 4th time Dustin has come up short in a major, which makes the loss sting a bit more.

On the other hand, Louis Oosthuizen shot an amazing 29 on the back nine of his final round which consisted of six birdies in seven holes to play himself into contention. He started his week off with a 77, but fought back with back to back 66's and a 67 today to give himself a real chance at winning. Shockingly enough, that wasn't the low round of the day; that feat belonged to Adam Scott's 6-under 64. Chambers Bay definitely played easier today than the past two days, as seen in the number of scores in the 60's. It still, however, punished players who dared to test it's limits, as seen by Chris Kirk's 10 on the 1st hole (which played as a par 4 today).

Another notable round was that of World Number One Rory McIlroy. Rory was 6-under at the start of the 14th hole after holing a 72-putt for birdie on the 13th. With a score like that, he was threatening the leaderboard, but he followed up with a few bogeys to finish off the day with a 66 and tied for 9th.

Finally, our pick Justin Rose finished the tournament at 5-over T27. He shot a 71 today in a round that consisted of five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey.

And there you have it, the second major of the year is now over and boy what a major it was! An interesting note is that the last four majors have been won by only two players (Rory and Spieth), which is a rare feat in professional golf. Congratulations once again to Jordan Spieth and be sure to join us next week for the Travelers Championship at TPC at River Highlands.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Jordan Spieth: 2015 US Open Champion

(Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Four Lead Going Into Final Round of 2015 US Open

In recent years, there has never been this much drama or amount of storylines going into a final round of a US Open. As it stands now, four players share the lead: Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, and Brandon Grace. Four players, with a leading score of 4-under and a three shot lead, yet each has a unique story behind them.

Johnson played a solid round of golf and shot a even par 70, which could have easily been higher or lower depending on the hole. He was accurate all day, hitting all fairways, and recovered well when he found trouble. Day, who made headlines on Friday after collapsing at the end of his round, stunned and earned the respect of many during yesterday's round, who have deemed his actions as "superhuman". All day he was visibly cautious around the course and said after that he was about to call it quits three times during his round, again due to vertigo, the worst on the 13th. Despite this, he birdied three of the four final holes to shoot a 68, which was only one of six sub-70 rounds yesterday; a remarkable feat considering his state and that fact that Chambers Bay requires one's full attention pretty much all the time. Many are pulling for him to win and what a story that would be.

Spieth had a solo lead by three shots at one point during his front nine, but had a relatively quiet back nine. He missed a few costly putts to give some shots back and ended off with a 71, despite excellent putting on the front nine. Grace, of South Africa, also played excellent golf and hit a very good number of approach shots during yesterday's round. If it wasn't for Chambers Bay's tough greens, he could have been leading by several shots as well.

Rory McIlroy's round was one full of frustration, especially on the back nine. The World Number one couldn't hole a putt despite numerous excellent approaches. He ended up shooting an even 70 (which wasn't that bad) and stands at 4-over par.

Louis Oosthuizen shot the low round on Saturday, a 4-under 66. Again if it wasn't for the tough greens, be could have been even lower. Remember that this is the man who has been deemed to have one of the "most perfect" swings in golf and is already a major champion (2010 British Open at St. Andrews). There's something about his game that just seems relaxed and effortless. Be sure to keep an eye on him today as he sits at 1-under T5.

Saturday yielded the toughest conditions for Chambers Bay, as indicated by the higher leading score compared to Friday. As we said only a few players managed sub par rounds and conditions worsened as the round progress. This was partially due to the course itself drying up as the day went on, making everything harder and firmer. A low 70's round was a good score and any overall round at par or better means you're still in contention. With all this unpredictability, who knows how Chambers Bay will play today?

Finally, here's how are picks stand:

1) Phil Mickelson: T66 at 10-over
2) Justin Rose: T25 at 4-over 

Phil had a disastrous round that started off bad and stayed that way. He carded a total of nine bogeys and two birdies and he was seen hitting from all sorts of rough and fescue yesterday. Once again, it looks like Lefty's dream of the career grand slam is looking slim. Rose on the other hand played a decent round and neither increased or deceased his chances at winning. His score relative to this position on the leaderboard, shows just how tough it's been to go low this week.

Well it all comes down to the final round today. Who can step up and attack Chambers Bay? Who can defend from it as well when need be? We'll find out shortly and stay tuned for our post tomorrow morning about who won it.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Johnson, Spieth, Day, Grace; all looking for glory today
(Toronto Golf Reviews)

Spieth and Reed Lead at Chambers Bay

With just two rounds to go, things have started to get a bit more interesting at the 115th US Open. Chambers Bay responded to those early scores in Thursday's round and gave the golfers more difficult conditions for Friday. As it stands now, the leading score still remains at 5-under, but it is now held by 2015 Masters Champion Jordan Spieth and the notorious Patrick Reed, closely followed by opening round co-leader Dustin Johnson and Branden Grace at 4-under. The cut has also been set at 5-over.

Spieth held his ground during his round and struggled with his driver; he's hit only 9 of 28 fairways thus far at Chambers Bay. Reed on the other hand has been driving the ball excellently, and said in an interview that he feels that he could hit the ball as hard as he wants and it'll find the fairway. This confidence is great and a must-have when playing Chambers Bay and it's what makes Reed such a fierce competitor.


TGR favourite Graeme McDowell wasn't really in the running this week, but did show us why he is a world class player on the par 3 207 yards 3rd hole. GMac landed his tee shot short and watched it roll up the right side of the green, nearly falling in the bunker, before rolling down the hill towards the pin stopping about a few inches from the hole for an easy birdie.

Apart from the golf, one of the biggest headlines yesterday was Jason Day's (physical) collapse on the 18 hole (which was a par 4). Day was walking on the sloped 18th fairway when he suddenly fell to the ground in a state of dizziness. Vertigo was to blame and it has been an issue for Day for the past few months now. After staying down for a few minutes, Day got back up, walked with some assistance to the greenside bunker where his ball lay, and went on to hit the best bunker shot I've seen, given the circumstances of his. To give you an idea of the state he was in, there was a loose stone behind his ball in the bunker and Day needed the rules official to remove it for him, as his hands were too shakey. He missed the par putt and finished off his round with a bogey, whereafter he was immediately taken to his onsite trailer. Despite this, Day sits at 2-under and is by all means still in contention scoring-wise. We hope Jason will be able to recover so he can continue playing, but his health is of course the most important.

Yet again Tiger Woods had a new milestone, this time it was his highest score in the US Open to date, a 16-over. His game was all over the place yet again and he was subsequently cut from the tournament. Also, amateur Brian Campbell is also in the mix at 1-under T12. He's currently the low amateur in the field and was close to leading at one point during his opening round.

Finally, here's how are picks are doing:

1) Phil Mickelson: T35 at 3-over
2) Rickie Fowler: CUT
3) Justin Rose: T28 at 2-over

Phil battled through his second round and it's resulted in him still being in the mix of things. So did Justin Rose. Fowler on the other hand was cut due to his surprising play, which was still a shock to us all.

Today is "Moving Day" and with the uncertainty that Chambers Bay brings every round, there's bound to be some movement on the leaderboard. Stay tuned for our recap post tomorrow morning,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Jordan Spieth aims to go 2/2 in majors this year

Johnson and Stenson Lead After Opening Round of 2015 US Open

The opening round of the 114th US Open at Chambers Bay was filled with a variety of excellent golf, along with a variety of scores, as the day progressed. As of this morning, Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson, who both had earlier tee times yesterday, are the current co-leaders at 5-under with a one shot lead over Patrick Reed. They were just one of 25 players to break ever par yesterday.

Johnson showed us yesterday how, despite being a links course, length pays off. He made a total of seven birdies and a single bogey for a score of 64. In his post round interview, he commented on how his game was solid during his round, especially with the driver, and praised the way Chambers Bay was set up. His score yesterday tied his lowest score in a major. Stenson was a little more aggressive with his round, managing seven birdies and two bogeys. Both are playing solid golf at the moment.

With the absence of wind and rain, you may think that Chambers Bay would play slightly easier (in fact, the morning rounds played slightly better than the afternoon rounds). However, it's sloping fairways, high risk/reward holes, and especially its tricky greens, did not make that the case. Around the greens, we saw a variety of shots from players trying to get close to the flag, everything from de-lofted hybrids to flop shots, some paying off more than others. The greens, which appeared patchy and discolored, did receive some criticism from players such as Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie, and more vocally Sergio Garcia. But as Phil Mickelson said, the course as a whole was a good challenge. You definitely had to think hard about the risks and rewards of every shot you hit. That being said though, it was "easy" relative to other US Open venues. Yesterday's rounds were the lowest since the 2003 US Open at Olympia Fields

Things just seem to be getting worse and worse for Tiger Woods, who's been having a few "firsts" recently; and not the good ones. The three-time US Open champion carded a 10-over 80, which was his worst score in a US Open round to date. Woods managed only one birdie and most of his scores were bogeys with a triple on #14. From an outsider perspective, he seems to lack confidence, summed up by his topped 2nd shot on #18, which ended up in a deep fairway bunker known as "Chambers Basement". He also hit only six fairways and nine greens.

In other news, Gary Woodland appeared to be suffering from severe dehydration and needed to go to the hospital yesterday, where it was determined he had a virus. He sits at 4-over T98 and hopes to play in today's round.

To round off the post, here's how are picks are doing:

1) Phil Mickelson: T14 at 1-under
2) Rickie Fowler: 155 at 11-over
3) Justin Rose: T52 at 2-over

Phil was part of that lower morning wave of players and was leading the tournament at one point before making a couple of bogeys here and there. In his interview, Phil said Chambers Bay played difficult, but what he expected and that the biggest challenge (for him at least) was the differences in putting green speeds from hole to hole. A good round today could mean great things for Mickelson going into the weekend. On the other hand, they say you can't win a major on a Thursday, but you can definitely lose it, and that looks like the case for Rickie Fowler. He's currently in second last place and struggled yesterday especially on the back nine where he was 8-over. This was a very unexpected round for Rickie, who usually plays solid links golf. To finish off, Justin Rose had a good round which just so happened to contain a few more bogeys than birdies. He was in good spirits though and is definitely still in the mix.

Chambers Bay looks like it'll play a bit different today. It's forecasted to be overcast and slightly windy today; the amount of wind today could wreak havoc on scores. Stay tuned for our recap of today's action, tomorrow morning.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Dustin Johnson leads along with Henrik Stenson at the 114th US Open

2015 US Open Preview

It may seem like the golfing season has just begun, but it's already the week of this year's second major, the 115th US Open, one of golf's oldest and most coveted tournaments. Throughout it's illustrious history, the US Open has been a US-dominated event and rightly so. It's the tournament that's at the top of the list for every American golfer to win. However in recent years, there's been a surge of non-US winners with only three out of the last eleven champions being from the US. The tournament also brings a family setting to it as it takes place the week of Father's Day.

The scene for this year's US Open is Chambers Bay, on Puget Sound in the state of Washington. Just as TPC Sawgrass was built to host The Players, Chambers Bay was built in 2007 to host the US Open and has already hosted the 2010 US Amateur. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. to be a modern British-links course. Set on the majestic Washington coastline, the site of Chambers Bay was once home to a mine and the course itself makes use of the elevation changes and land features created by the mine. The results of this are sloping fairways with abrupt, mountain-like mounds of earth and gorse separating each hole. This along with the numerous bunkers (the deepest at 10 feet) and lengthy holes ensures that good scores will not be handed out, but earned.

This is the first time the US Open will be played in the Pacific Northwest. For it, Chambers Bay will play as a par 70 with a length varying from 7,607 yards to 7,874 yards. An interesting feature this year is that Holes #1 and #18 alternate parrage; if one plays as a par 5, the other plays as a par 4 and vise versa. Their lengths will also change as a result of this. The greens also don't have any fringes; all that exists is a seamless blend between fairway and green, which has already received some complaints. In fact, to distinguish fairway from green, a line of white dots will be marked around the green; one side fairway, the other green.

Majors, especially the British and US Open, always have a unique playing field. You pretty much have every level of competitive golf amongst it. Aside from your regular Tour players and world-class elite golfers, you also have amateurs and qualified players. Qualified players are professionals and/or amateurs who have gone through a qualifying process via a series of rounds. All that's required of these players is to be a PGA professional or have a minimum handicap of 1.4 for amateurs. This is one of the reason's why I love country Opens, if you can play well you have a chance to play in it. Given this depth of field though, I found making my picks this week easier this week, since I see some clear favourites in the field. My picks for the US Open are:

1) Phil Mickelson: We could write an entire post on why Phil is always a favourite in the US Open. To start, he's finished runner up at the US Open six times and it's the only major preventing him from achieving the Grand Slam. He's also shown us that he's a really great links golfer, winning both the Scottish Open and Open Championship. And to top it off, he's in great form coming into the week, having finished T3 at last week's FedEx St Jude Classic and T2 at the Masters this year. With the way Chambers Bay is set up, the title just might be his this week.

2) Rickie Fowler: Rickie is also a great links golfer and understands what's required to do well on a links course. He seems to love the majors too as he hasn't finished under T20 in one since the 2013 Open Championship and finished T5 or higher in all majors last year. He's had several good finishes this year including the win at The Players. Hopefully Rickie can ride that wave of momentum this week.

3) Justin Rose: I'd go and say that Rose is probably playing the best and most consistent golf in the world right now. He's finished T2 or higher in his last three of five starts including a win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He's played a few practice rounds at Chambers Bay too; one in which his playing partner was the course architect. This, along with the fact that he's won the tournament before in 2012, makes him our final pick this week.

Play starts tomorrow at 10AM Eastern time and is bound to be full of exciting golf. Since this is a major, we'll be having daily coverage of it with posts recapping the day's action. The posts will usually be posted the morning after the round, due to the time zone difference at Chambers Bay. Be sure to check them out!


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

The majestic Chambers Bay set on the coast of Washington

David Lingmerth Wins the 2015 Memorial

Once again a playoff was needed to decide the winner of The Memorial at Muirfield Village. This time around, it was between rookie David Lingmerth and veteran Justin Rose. Both had finished the tournament at 15-under par. Rose was leading going into the final round but shot a 72, whereas Lingmerth capitalized with a round of 69. The playoff lasted three holes (where the 18th was played twice, then the 10th hole). Lingmerth eventually emerged as the winner, winning with a par on the 10th after some errantness by Rose.

This is the Swedish golfer's first professional on the PGA Tour. The win catapults him into the top 30 in the FedEx Cup Rankings and takes him from 212th to 71st in the World Golf Rankings. This is also the first time in quite a bit where the leader going into the weekend was ended up winning the tournament.

Lingmerth and Rose finished two shots ahead of Francesco Molinari and Jordan Spieth. Molinari was actually tied for the lead until he hit his tee shot into the water on the par 3 16th hole. He ended up shooting a 71 that day. This is the Italian's third top 5 finish in his last four consecutive starts. You have to think that sooner or later he's going to win again. Spieth on the other hand shot a 65 in a round that included six birdies and an eagle. Canadian Graham DeLaet also finished decently at T26.

In other news, Tiger Woods had a disastrous weekend and ended up finishing in 71st (last) place. It started on Saturday when he shot his worst professional round in his career, an 85. He then followed that up with a 74 today, which is an improvement, but not the one Tiger was hoping for. Tiger's probably had more dropped shots this week than any other week of his professional career and seems to be in a little rough patch at the moment.

To end off, here's how our picks finished the tournament:

1) Bill Hass: T18 at 7-under
2) Chris Kirk: T36 at 3-under
3) Kevin Na: T13 at 9-under

Great finishes by Haas and Na. A top 20 finish in a tournament filled with this many quality players is always a good thing.

Next week, we'll be covering the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee and after that the season's second major, the US Open. Stay tuned for our coverage on those events.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Sweden's David Lingmerth Wins the 2015 Memorial

2015 Players Championship - Weekend Update

We're halfway through this year's edition of the Players Championship and the co-leaders going into the weekend are Kevin Na and Jerry Kelly at 8-under (-8), with a two shot lead over Branden Grace, Canadian David Heard, Chris Kirk and Rickie Fowler. The cut has also been set this week at even par.

Both Na and Jelly had good rounds today, shooting 69 and 65 respectively. Na, who was the 54 hole leader just a few years ago, had 6 birdies and three bogeys. He's had an interesting past couple of years Kevin Na. He battled a severe case of the yips during his final round of the 2012 Players, where he was seen taking many practice swings and backing off many shots. He struggled careerwise, reaching a low point in 2013. In his post round interview today, Na said he's a changed person, and his score reflects it.

PGA Tour veteran and 48-year old Jerry Kelly's story is a little different. He opened the tournament this week with a decent 71, but followed it with a 65 in a round consisting of 8 birdies and 1 bogey (one of these birdies came on the infamous "Island Green" 17th). This was good enough for the low round of the day as well.

Canadian David Heard is also in the mix at T3 after opening rounds of 67 and 71. The Brampton native also birdied the 17th today. Hearn has been having an up and down season thus far, with his best finish occurring at the RBC Heritage (T6). Best of luck to him this week as well.

TPC Sawgrass was of course in excellent condition, with the front nine playing slightly easier than the back nine, and the final three finishing holes playing the toughest overall. The Island Green 17th again showed us how dramatically it could affect a players score. For example, Ernie Els was 4-under for his round going into 17, having made several birdies and a bogey thus far. With today's far back hole location, Els landed his tee shot pin high then watched his ball slowly roll off the green and into the water. He ended up double-bogeying the hole.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Justin Rose: CUT
2) Jordan Spieth: CUT
3) Dustin Johnson: T61 at even par

Rose and Spieth were a bit off on both days, with Rose showing a bit of (rare) anger in his opening round, kicking his golf bag and throwing his club after hitting a ball into the water. Dustin's round was a bit more interesting. He went birdie/bogey and vice verse on many occasions, resulting in back to back 72's. TGR favourite Graeme McDowell also recovered from an opening round of 73 with a 70 today. He sits at 1-under (T46).

There are two more rounds left in The Players, which will no doubt be filled with excitement and good golf. Check out our Results post Sunday evening to see who won this year.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

PGA Tour Veteran Jerry Kelly is on track for his first win in 6 years at The Players

2015 Players Championship Picks

It's finally here, the biggest event on the PGA Tour and the pinnacle of the golf season, golf's "5th major", the one, the only, the Players Championship, which is contested yearly at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Everything about this tournament screams elite, from it's $10 million purse (with $1.8 million going to the winner) to it's world class field to TPC Sawgrass itself.

Many often wonder why The Players Championship is such a big deal on tour, so here are a few reasons. Aside from a large amount of money, winning The Players results in a large amount of World Golf Rankings points, a 5 year exemption on the PGA Tour, a 3 year invitation/exemption to the Masters, the Open Championship and the US Open, as well as an exemption into the PGA Championship later on in the season. Talk about a career starter...

Another reason why The Players is such a big deal is the course, the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass that is. The Stadium Course was designed by Pete and Alice Dye, for the sole purpose of hosting The Players. Widely recognized as one of the toughest courses played on Tour, the Stadium Course brings water into play on many of it's holes and is known for it's tough finishing holes. Perhaps the most famous part of the course is the par 3 17th, known as the "Island Green". And it is just that; you tee off with a lake in front of you and must land your ball on a small 70-foot green in the middle of the lake. The Island Green is hands down the most famous and iconic hole in golf and has been known to make or break a players round.

The field at The Players is usually more distinct and deeper than the average PGA tournament, as it includes top-ranked golfers, as well as past winners of notable tournaments such as the Senior Players, Tour Championship, WGC events, etc. Given this, it was a little harder to make our picks this week, but we've narrowed down the 144-man field to three players. Here's who we think might win this week:

1) Justin Rose
2) Jordan Spieth
3) Dustin Johnson

Justin Rose is an all round safe pick. He plays great golf, is a world class player, and always a favourite in my books when he's playing well. Speaking of playing well, Jordan Spieth is a pick for most people and myself, after winning the Masters and for probably being the best player in golf for the last 6 months. Dustin has a handful of top-10 finishes (including one at the Masters) as well as a win this year. Needless to say, he is playing pretty good golf at the moment and he also drives the ball a long way; that's why he's our last pick this week.

Also we'll be watching TGR favourite Graeme McDowell (who almost won The Players a few years ago).

To close, one thing I found interesting about this tournament was that since 2011, the winning score has been 13-under par. It'll be interesting to see if this trend continues this year. Play is set to start tomorrow morning at just after 7AM EST and is sure to be filled with excitement, especially at the 17th. Stay tuned for our Weekend Update post on Friday evening to see who's leading going into the weekend.

Who are your picks this week? Comment below and let us know...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

The iconic "Island Green" at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass

Justin Rose Wins the 2015 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Well it looks like Justin Rose brought some of his momentum from The Masters to New Orleans this week...

It was another action packed Sunday on the PGA Tour, this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana. After many weather delays and re-arranged tee times, Justin Rose emerged as the winner this week, with a final score of 22-under par and a one shot lead over Cameron Tringale.

Rose was one of our picks this week. Ironically the last time one of our picks won was Justin Rose at the 2014 Quicken Loans National, which was also his last victory on the PGA Tour. Rose was in a good position going into the weekend and shot a 65-66 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. He wasn't leading the tournament today nor was he in the final group, but two final birdies on the 17th and 18th holes were enough to give Rose the win. This win, along with his T2 Masters finish, surely makes up for the year Justin's been having. It also puts Rose in the Top 15 of the FedEx Cup Points Rankings.

TPC Louisiana played very well on the weekend, with low scores being shot around. By the looks of it, the average score on the weekend was in the high 60's with the low round a 64, shot by PGA Tour Rookie and former Web.com player Blayne Barber. In fact, Cameron Trinagle, Boo Weekley, and Jim Herman (who finished behind Rose respectively) all shot 7-under 65s in their final rounds. When scores like this are being shot all around, it's hard for a tournament not to be exciting or not have a dramatic finish.

Canadian David Hearn also had a good finish this week, with a T6 (18-under). This was the Brampton native's best finish this year (which has not been too successful so far). Hopefully he can continue this trend into his next tournament. Best of luck to David!

Finally, here is how our picks finished off:

1) Justin Rose: WINNER at 22-under
2) Brenden de Jonge: T22 at 15-under
3) Jamie Donaldson: CUT

I really though De Jonge would win it this week. He didn't play bad golf on the weekend; it's just that other players were playing better. This just extends De Jonge's streak of not winning, but with weeks like this, you have to think his time is coming sooner than later.

Next week is one of my favourite tournaments in golf. It's the week of the WGC-Cadillac Match Play (formerly the WGC-Accenture Match Play). Remember last year this was the site of the epic Jason Day/Victor Dubuisson playoff which left everyone (including Jason Day) stunned, particularly at how cool Dubuisson acted under pressure and in bad situations. It also features the top players in the world and it's match play! What more is there to love? Stay tuned for our picks later on this week!


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Justin Rose wins the 2015 Zurich Classic of New Orleans in some style

2015 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Weekend Update

It's Saturday morning, but the second round of this year's edition of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana has still not concluded...

Towards the later part of the day yesterday, large storms started to linger and eventually forced play to be stopped at 5:30 PM, with players and spectators alike ordered to leave the course for their safety. About half of the field didn't finish their round and will be doing so this morning, with the rounds resuming at 9 AM eastern time.

As of now though, the leaders are rookie Hudson Swafford and Boo Weekley at 11-under par, although Boo still hasn't finished his second round yet. They hold a one shot lead over a log jam of players, including Brenden De Jonge (one of our picks this week) and Jason Day. The cut as of now is at 4-under, although it could change after all of the second rounds have concluded.

So far, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Justin Rose: T21 at 7-under (2nd round not complete)
2) Brenden de Jonge: T3 at 10-under
3) Jamie Donaldson: T100 at 2-under (2nd round not complete)

De Jonge would have been a co-leader if it weren't for a few missed putts during his early round yesterday. Rose is still in the thick of things, as is possibly Jamie Donaldson, who still has half of his second round to finish.

In other news, Tiger Woods has announced that he will be playing at the Players Championship this year in two weeks.

Stay tuned for our Results post Sunday evening to see who ended up winning this week,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

All around great guy and golfer Boo Weekley is in a great spot going into the weekend