Sungjae Im Wins 2021 Shriners Children's Open With Dominant Final Round

Sungjae Im Wins the 2021 Shriners Children's Open With Dominant Final Round

(image: Andrew Redington)

 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - It's not often that we see a dominating performance during a final round on the PGA Tour.

But that is exactly what we saw Sungjae Im pull off today. 

The 36-hole co-leader shot a 9-under 62 for his final round to win the 2021 Shriners Children's Open. His final score was 24-under and good enough to win by four shots over Matthew Wolff. 

This is Im's second PGA Tour win, his last being the 2020 Honda Classic. It is also Im's 100th event played on tour and what better way to celebrate that. His win also puts him second in the FedEx Cup Rankings and he takes home a check for $1.26 million.

IM VS TPC AT SUMMERLIN: BATTLE ROYAL

At the start of his final round, Im was three shots behind leader Adam Schenk. Knowing he needed a good start to close the gap and apply pressure, Im set off.

Right away, battle began between Im and TPC at Summerlin, with Im carding birdies on the 1st and 4th holes, then going on to make more birdies on the 6th, 7th, and 9th holes. He made the turn onto the back nine in 30, already 5-under for the day.

What Im was able to pull of next was nothing short of spectacular. On the par 4 10th hole, Im put his approach shot to 22 feet and sank the impressive birdie putt. On the par 4 11th hole, Im took dead aim at the flag and stuck his approach to 8 feet, sinking the birdie putt. It was rinse and repeat on the par 4 12th hole, with another approach shot to 9 feet, then drained birdie putt.

At the par 5 13th hole, Im was short with his second shot to take on the green in two, but a great chip for his third left him with a tap-in birdie.

Im was 9-under on the day at this point and at 24-under; a runaway was looking imminent. But, Im cooled down over the remaining holes, perhaps playing more conservatively now after attaining such a lead. No one managed to catch him however.

Not only did Im put on an approach shot masterclass on Sunday, he followed it up with solid putting. Being hot in both of these areas, especially throughout a final round, is impressive.

Im's final round 62 was the low round of the day and his performance over the week should come as no surprise for anyone. As we wrote about in our Weekend Update post, Im has an incredible work ethic and commitment to the PGA Tour, playing as many events in a season as he can.

HOW DID OUR PICKS FINISH?

 

1) Louis Oosthuizen: T14 at 15-under

2) Nick Watney: T56 at 7-under

 

Another Top 15 performance from Oosthuizen, to no one's surprise really, after a 69/68 over the weekend. Watney will be disappointed with his performance, particularly on Saturday after shooting a 73. 

***

That wraps up our coverage of the 2021 Shriners Children's Open from TPC at Summerlin. What a tournament this was and officially the first dominant win on the PGA Tour this season. 

Our coverage stays in Las Vegas next week for the CJ Cup, hosted by The Summit Club. This is one of the more elite events on tour and always boasts a strong field. 

 

 

Stay tuned for our preview and picks for the tournament,

 

 

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

 

 

Im and Ramey Co-Lead 2021 Shriners Children's Open

Sungjae Im co-leads the 2021 Shriners Children's Open (image: Andrew Redington)
 

 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - The last of the weekday rounds of the 2021 Shriners Children's Open hosted by TPC at Summerlin are wrapping up. As it stands now, Sungjae Im and Chad Ramey co-lead heading into the weekend with a score of 14-under and a single shot lead over Sam Burns and Adam Schenk.

The cut is projected to be at 5-under.

 

 

HARD WORK PAYING OFF FOR IM

Im, who is coming off a great FedEx Cup Playoffs run last season, carded a 63 on Thursday and a 65 on Friday to take the solo lead. In both rounds, he managed to not card a single bogey or worse and put on a putting masterclass, sinking several mid-range putts for key birdies throughout his rounds

For many, Im's incredible form will come as no surprise. There is no other player on tour who is more committed to playing events like Im. Last season, Im broke the record for most birdies in a season, carding a total of 497. This was largely due to the fact that he played the most tournaments that year. 

 

To put into perspective how many tournaments Im has played thus far, this week marks the 100th start on the PGA Tour, having only been on tour for three years.

RAMEY CO-LEADS, LOOKING FOR SUCCESS THIS SEASON

Ramey's week started off hot. After a quiet 34 on his front nine during his Thursday round, Ramey found a hot streak and went on to card seven birdies on the back nine for a 29.

The script did not change for his Friday round, where birdied three of his four final holes, including the 18th, to put him in the lead with Im. 

 

This is a great performance thus far from Ramey, who after graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour last year, did not have the best start to his PGA Tour season so far, missing the cut at the Fortinet Championship, then following it up with a T63 at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

 

 

WINDS PICK UP IN THE DESERT

Windier and wetter than expected conditions were present for the first two rounds of the Shriners Children's Open, which seemed to have surprised some players. When asked about the winds, which gusted up to 30mph, many players reported having to adjust their ball flights to not get caught up in it.

Despite the weather, low scores were had, with Sung Kung shooting a 61 on Thursday and Aaron Wise shooting a 62 on Friday, the low rounds for their respective days.

The winds are expected to continue into the weekend, but what is uncertain is the direction they will come from, largely due to the proximity of TPC at Summerlin to the nearby mountain ranges and the valley it sits in. 

All we know is that it will make for some entertaining golf for us fans to watch.

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING?

 

1) Will Zalatoris: CUT

2) Louis Oosthuizen: T13 at 10-under

3) Nick Watney: T43 at 6-under

Zalatoris didn't play horrible golf, carding a 69/72, but others played better. Louis is again in a good position heading into the weekend, to no one's surprise really. Watney started off strong with a 67 on Thursday but followed it up with a 69 on Friday.

***

 

With the uncertain winds, it will be interesting to see how players will continue to respond to them. Stay tuned for our article to see who has won it all.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 Shriners Children's Open Preview and Picks

Will Zalatoris is our top pick to win the 2021 Shriners Children's Open 

(image: Chris Carlson/AP)

 

 

The 2021-2022 PGA Tour season is in full swing now and heading to Las Vegas this week for the 2021 Shriners Children's Open, hosted by TPC at Summerlin. 

 

A favourite among many, the tournament often features a field of some of the best golfers on the PGA Tour and is known for benefiting and raising money for the Shriners Hospital for Children network. 

 

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The tournament boasts an elaborate history, compared to other events on tour, reflecting the showmanship of the city that hosts it.

Since its inception in 1983 and until 2004, the tournament consists of five rounds of golf, spread out over several courses in the Las Vegas area; similar in style to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

 

In 1984, it became the first PGA Tour event to offer a purse of over $1 million, with $162,000 going to the winner.

From 2006 to 2007, it was known as the Frys.com Open, after which Frys.com switched their sponsorship to what is now the Fortinet Championship.

From 2008-2012, Justin Timberlake hosted the tournament and it's pro-am event.

The tournament was also the site of first career wins for a number of notable professionals including Jim Furyk in 1995, Tiger Woods in 1996, Kevin Na in 2011, and Patrick Cantlay in 2017. 

TPC AT SUMMERLIN

After going through a rotation of courses, the current host for the event is TPC at Summerlin, located just 20 minutes downtown from Las Vegas. 

 

The course opened in 1991 and was the design of Bobby Weed, frequent collaborator with Pete Dye. In addition to TPC at Summerlin, Weed oversaw the design of several other tournament-level courses in the TPC network including TPC Las Vegas, TPC Tampa Bay and TPC River Highlands in Connecticut.

Summerlin is private and for the Shriners Children's Open will play as a par 71 measuring 7,255 yards in length.

OUR PICKS TO WIN

 

1) Will Zalatoris

2) Louis Oosthuizen

3) Nick Watney

Zalatoris is off to a hot start this season, finishing T11 at the Fortinet Championship and T14 last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship, where he carded a course record 61 during his second round. TGR favourite Oosthuizen makes his season debut this week, looking to carry some momentum from last season. Finally, Watney is coming off a T2 finish last week and is in great form. 

***

Play kicks off Thursday morning, be sure to check out our Weekend Update to see who is leading heading into the weekend.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Cantlay Leads, Rahm Hot in Pursuit at 2021 Tour Championship

Patrick Cantlay leads the 2021 Tour Championship by one shot over Jon Rahm

 

 

The opening rounds of the 2021 Tour Championship, the final event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, at East Lake Golf Club have concluded. The leader going into the weekend is Patrick Cantlay with a score of 17-under par and a single shot lead over Jon Rahm.

Due to the small field this week, there is no weekend cut. 

RAHMBO VS PATTY ICE

There was much buzz about both Patrick Cantlay and Jon Rahm heading into the Tour Championship. Despite Cantlay starting at 10-under with a four shot lead over Rahm, Rahm was still favored by oddsmakers to win the FedEx Cup.

 

Cantlay opened with a relatively quiet round of 67 on Thursday, carding four birdies and a single bogey. He was paired with Tony Finau who, despite the momentum of winning The Northern Trust, shot a 72. Rahm, on the other hand, was paired with Bryson DeChambeau, and opened with a 65. This was good enough to bump Rahm up to second place.

Rahm and Cantlay were paired together for their Friday rounds. Cantlay improved, shooting a bogey-free 66 that consisted of four birdies. Rahm equaled his opening 65, with six birdies and a bogey, with momentum building for him.

The two put on a spectacle of golf between them. One hole of excitement for both was the par 4 13th hole. Cantlay drove his tee shot into the first cut of rough, but nearly holed out his approach shot, landing inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie. Rahm, in the fairway, landed his approach short of the green on the apron. It looked as though Cantlay was going to increase his lead over Rahm, but as we've seen from him for his entire career, Rahm's short game prevailed. Not to be outdone, Rahm sank his 35-foot off-green putt for birdie as well. Is this a sign of things to come?

 

There is some separation between Rahm/Cantlay and the rest of the field, with Rahm holding a five shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau in third. From the way it's shaping up, we might be having another one vs one duel similar to last week at the BMW Championship. The drama awaits.

ENGLISH ACES PAR 3 15TH HOLE

The 223 yard par 3 15th hole at East Lake is daunting to say the least. Players tee off just feet from the waters edge, over a lake to an island green with dramatic undulating slopes. Escaping with par is considered good by most and if you can manage a birdie, all the better. 

But none of this was good enough for Harris English. During his opening round, the Georgia-native aced the hole with a 5-iron that he "tugged" slightly. This was English's first hole-in-one in a competitive round on tour for him and the first at the 15th during the Tour Championship.

The good fortune continued for English during his second round, where he landed his tee shot on the 15th to about 10 feet, then sank the birdie putt.

EAST LAKE INVITING TO ALL

A bit of rainfall on Wednesday softened up East Lake for the players. The low round was a 65 shot by Jon Rahm both rounds, Hideki Matsuyama during his second round and 2014 FedEx Cup Champion Billy Horshel during his opening round. Conditions firmed up for Friday's round, but no inclement weather is expected for the weekend rounds.

 

Incidentally, Matsuyama opened with the high round of 77, then followed it up with his low round of 65.

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING?

 

1) Jon Rahm: 2nd at 16-under

2) Patrick Cantlay: 1st at 17-under

3) Abraham Ancer: T16 at 5-under

 

I really hope we get to see a Rahm/Cantlay duel this weekend. It would be the perfect way to end off a dramatic PGA Tour season, in my opinion. Ancer was relatively quiet so far, but hopefully some strong weekend rounds will increase his position. Honorable mention to Louis Oosthuizen who sits at T10 8-under. What a story it would be if he managed to win this week, his first of the season at the last event of the season.

 

 ***

 

Things are heating up at the 2021 Tour Championship. Will Cantlay hold on to his lead? Will Rahm overtake him? Stay tuned to see who will win.

 

 

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews 

Cantlay Defeats DeChambeau in Epic 6-Hole Playoff to Win 2021 BMW Championship

 

Patrick Cantlay Defeats Bryson DeChambeau in Epic 6-Hole Playoff to Win 2021 BMW Championship 

(image: Darron Cummings/AP)

 

It was a final round for the history books this year at Caves Valley Golf Club, but at the end of it, Patrick Cantlay emerged victorious. The Long Beach native defeated Bryson DeChambeau in an epic six hole playoff to capture his fifth career PGA Tour win and third this season. The two finished their final rounds at 27-under par and three shots clear of Sungjae Im, a new tournament record.

 

With this win, Cantlay rises to 1st place in the FedEx Cup Rankings, with a clear (and numerical) advantage heading into the Tour Championship. He also clinches the final spot on the US Ryder Cup team and receives a cheque for $1.7 million.

 

 

TENSIONS RISE AT THE 14TH HOLE

Cantlay and DeChambeau were neck and neck throughout their finals rounds. The two had already separated themselves from the rest of the field and you could not help but feel that one of them was going to win.

On the par 4 14th hole, however, things started to heat up. As DeChambeau stood in the fairway, ready to take his second shot, he paused suddenly, turning to Cantlay and asking him to stop walking. Cantlay, who apparently had been walking, just caught the view of DeChambeau as he was in his shot routine. 

 

This was something quite unusual, as noted by commentators Paul Azinger and Dan Hicks, who questioned whether calling out Cantlay was worse, in terms of concentration-breaking, than the act of walking itself. Sure enough, DeChambeau landed his second shot far from the hole, leaving him a tricky birdie putt. Cantlay seized the opportunity, landing his second shot on the green, then sinking a 21-footer for birdie and a co-lead. 

This sparked what would turn out to be one of the best ends of a tournament I've ever witnessed. It appeared things had gotten personal for Cantlay, you couldn't tell it though, through his calm, focused demeanor.

 

On the par 5 16th hole, Cantlay found trouble off the tee, landing into deep rough, then laying up again into the rough. He managed to sink an 8-foot putt to save par. DeChambeau, after a monster drive and approach, two-putted for a birdie and one-shot lead at this point. 

On the par 3 17th hole, again Cantlay struggled. His first shot found the water short of the green, but he was able to hit a remarkable drop shot to just 8-feet, then sank the bogey putt, his first clutch putt of many more to come. DeChambeau had the upper hand though, keeping his tee shot dry, but in the rough just short of the hill. Forced to chip, something he had avoided all day, DeChambeau landed his shot on the fringe, but still short of the hole. A two-putt later and he too made bogey. 

DeChambeau, with his distance off the tee, had a clear advantage with his approach on the par 4 18th hole. Left with only 150 yards, DeChambeau stiffed his wedge shot to just 12 feet. At this point, things were looking good for him, but what he did not account for was just how clutch Cantlay could be when it mattered most. After finding the round with his tee shot, Cantlay found himself on the 18th green with a 21-foot putt for birdie, one he needed to make to have any chance. In as calm as he was all day, Cantlay assessed the line and sank the putt, putting the pressure on DeChambeau for the first time. But, in a lapse of judgement, DeChambeau missed the putt to win, to everyone's shock. It was a similar putt to the one he missed during his second round to shoot 59. 

Yet again, another playoff was required to decide a tournament. Little did we know though that a battle was about to begin: on one side, the long-driving, overpowering DeChambeau, on the other side, a laser-focused, clutch-putting Cantlay. On the line, not only a win, but 1st place in the FedEx Cup rankings and an advantage at winning $15 million.

 

 

A PLAYOFF LIKE NO OTHER

The stage had been set, two different players with two polar opposite approaches on the game, set to battle it out. Back to the 18th tee box the two of them went. Both Cantlay and DeChambeau found the fairway, with DeChambeau ahead by a considerable amount; something we saw all day. But Cantley's approach found the deep rough, while DeChambeau was 17-foot from the green. Again advantage DeChambeau, but Cantlay was not out just yet. He chipped on and nearly holed out, his ball coming to rest five feet from the hole. He sunk the par putt and the pressure was back on DeChambeau. But yet again, DeChambeau missed the putt to win and parred. 

Once again the two returned to the 18th tee box. Once again, they were in the fairway and DeChambeau ahead. Determined not to let off, DeChambeau again stiffed his approach shot, this time to six feet. Surely this was game over for Cantlay, who landed short but on the green, with a large mound separating him and the hole. Cantlay hit his birdie putt but could not land it within DeChambeau. Not deterred by this though, Cantlay again sank a massive 7 foot putt for par. Yet again, the pressure was back on DeChambeau, who... yet again missed his birdie putt for the win. 

 

At this point, it was hard to believe what was going on. 

To the par 3 17th hole, for what was the third playoff hole at this point, the two went. In a rare moment of consistency between the two players, both Cantlay and DeChambeau landed about 20 feet from the hole and two putted for par.

 

The playoff continued and returned to the 18th hole, where this time DeChambeau found trouble off the tee, landing his tee shot into a creek that ran along side the hole. But a good wedge from DeChambeau left him five foot for a par, which he sank. Cantlay found the fairway and two putted for par as well.

The playoff had now entered its fifth hole, played again on the 17th. Again DeChambeau hit a beautiful tee shot to about 6 feet, but not to be outdone, Cantlay followed with a tee shot to two feet, both excellent shots considering what was on the line. Both made their birdie putts and the playoff continued again.

At this point, many were questioning what would give out first: Cantlay's amazing clutch-putting or DeChambeau's accuracy off the tee. For the fourth but final time, the two returned to the 18th tee and found the fairway. This time though, DeChambeau hit his approach shot to about eight feet, but faced a difficult downhill putt. Cantlay landed his approach shot to about 17 feet, but despite the further distance, had the easier putt. In what was perhaps his most impressive putt all day, Cantlay sank his birdie putt with authority, putting DeChambeau in that all too familiar pressure putt situation. Unfortunately for DeChambeau, he missed his putt to extend the playoff, handing Cantlay a well deserved victory. 

 

This playoff was the epitome of the golf phrase we've all heard: "drive for show, putt for dough" and boy was that true for Cantlay today. 

 

It's hard to explain just how clutch Cantlay's putting was. I think I speak for most people when I say that this was the absolute best playoff I have ever seen in all my years watching and covering the PGA Tour. It was unprecedented. Cantlay was downed many times, but not out. I have never seen so many clutch putts and in such pressure situations. If he missed any one of his putts, DeChambeau would have won.

 

For those who could not watch the playoff live, I highly recommend checking out video of the playoff holes. The PGA Tour's TOURCast web-app is a great way to see this too and offers clips and shot paths of each hole.

THE TOP 30: WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT

With the conclusion of the BMW Championship, the Top 30 in the FedEx Cup rankings and thus the field for the Tour Championship, has been set.

Erik van Rooyen gets into Top 30, finishing in 27th place from a 45th place start. He shot a 65 during his Sunday round that included a clutch birdie at the 18th, which likely got him in, and finished solo third.

Sergio Garcia also gets in, moving up 16 places from 44th to 28th, after a T6 finish. Garcia's final round featured a few bogeys, but these were negated by some excellent bunker shots. 

K.H. Lee went on a birdie streak during his final round, making birdies on the 13th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes. Unfortunately, he found water on the 18th hole and bogeyed, resulting in him finishing one place short of the Top 30, at 31st.

Notable players out of the Top 30 include Webb Simpson, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Canadian Mackenzie Hughes and Phil Mickelson.

For a full list of who in the field next week, check out the PGA Tour website HERE.

HOW DID OUR PICKS FINISH?

1) Jon Rahm: T9 at 18-under, 4th

2) Justin Thomas: T22 at 14-under, 6th

3) Louis Oosthuizen: T38 at 10-under, 14th

 

Not bad overall, all three will be playing next week and have a chance to win the FedEx Cup. 

 

***

 

This concludes our coverage of what was hands down the most exciting tournament of the year. Our coverage continues next week with the final FedEx Cup playoff event and final tournament of the year: the prestigious Tour Championship. 

 

Stay tuned for our preview of the tournament later this week!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

DeChambeau Shoots 60 to Lead 2021 BMW Championship Heading into Weekend

Bryson DeChambeau shoots 60 to lead 2021 BMW Championship

(Image: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)
 

 

The first two rounds of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club have almost concluded with Bryson DeChambeau ahead at 16-under currently. He holds a single shot lead over Patrick Cantlay. DeChambeau carded a 68/60 to take the lead during his Friday round, shortly before play was suspended. 

Friday's round was first suspended due to inclement weather but resumed shortly afterwards. It was then suspended again, this time due to darkness Players who didn't finish their second rounds will do so Saturday morning.

 

Due to the reduced number of players in the field this week, there is no cut. 

 

 

DECHAMBEAU SHOOTS STATEMENT 60 ON FRIDAY

Bryson DeChambeau was on a mission Friday. Starting the day 4-under and in the middle of the pack, he went on to shoot a 60, in a round that included five birdies and two eagles. It was the lowest round of his PGA Tour career.

But a 60 will be slightly disappointing for Bryson. After an impressive second shot at the par 5 16th hole that landed several feet from the hole, he sunk the eagle putt. This set off the 59-watch, need either a birdie on the 17th or 18th to seal the deal. Bryson had birdie putts on both, landing his tee shot on the par 3 17th to about 17 feet and his approach shot on the par 4 18th to about 6 feet. Unfortunately, Bryson missed both of the putts but in his post-round interview, he noted that despite not reaching 59, he was still happy with the round and what he accomplished.

 

This is a statement round for DeChambeau, in my opinion. I think it validates the process he's been on for the past two years. It was interesting to note all the praise DeChambeau was getting from various golf commentators after his round, when just weeks ago at the WGC Fedex St. Jude Invitational these same people were bashing his approach to the game. While DeChambeau's golf has ranged from both ends of the spectrum, none can deny his entertainment factor. Whether he's on or off, he is always a great player to watch.

 

With his round of 60, DeChambeau sets a new course record at Caves Valley Golf Club. It is also the 43rd round of 60 in PGA Tour history, the last shot by Cameron Smith last week at The Northern Trust interestingly.

 

THE ASSAULT ON A STEAMING CAVES VALLEY

The temperatures were sweltering in the high 90s during the opening rounds at Caves Valley Golf Club. The humidity was high both days, which, along with a non-existent wind, led to soft conditions. 

 

Many low scores were had as a result of this. The low round on Thursday was a 64 shot by Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns. The low round on Friday, of course, was DeChambeau's 60, followed by a 63 shot by Patrick Cantlay.

 

During Friday afternoon though, the weather began to worsen, with rain beginning to fall and winds picking up, so much so that a flash flood warning was issued, and round suspended at about 4:30PM. It resumes briefly at 6:30PM, before being suspended again due to darkness.

TOP 30 BUBBLE

As it sits right now, the players around the 30th place cutoff for the Tour Championship next week are: Billy Horshel (T57 at 1-under, 29th), Charley Hoffman (T38 at 4-under, 31st) and Lucas Glover (T10 at 9-under, 32nd). Each will surely be looking to finish strong to stay or get within the Top 30.

Players who made a run to get into the Top 30 so far are Sergio Garcia (T4), who sits at 27th up from 44th at T3 12-under and Hudson Swafford (T6), who sits at 28th from 40th at T5 11-under

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING?

Let's check in to see how our picks are doing in the tournament so far:

1) Jon Rahm: T2 at 15-under, 2nd

2) Justin Thomas: T26 at 5-under, 6th

3) Louis Oosthuizen: T60 at E, 13th

 

The momentum continues for Rahm, who co-held the opening round lead with a 64 on Thursday. Thomas will be disappointed with himself so far, given the opportunity for low scoring the course has been offering so far. For Louis, it looks like he needs a bit of warming up to get back into the swing of things. He's still on track to stay in the Top 30 luckily.

***

The weekend is sure to bring excitement and drama, given what's on the line and the potential for changing weather conditions. Be sure to check back to see who has won. 

Also, for more up-to-date info, check out our Twitter feed, which we update live during the rounds.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 BMW Championship Preview and Picks

 Jon Rahm is our top pick this week to win the 2021 BMW Championship 

(Image: Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)

 

 

The second round of the 2021 FedEx Cup Playoffs is here.This week, the Top 70 will travel to Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland for the 2021 BMW Championship. On the line, the chance to get into the Top 30 and gain entry into the final playoff event, the prestigious Tour Championship, and a chance to hoist the FedEx Cup.

Since the field is smaller for this event, there is no 36-hole cut. This has the added benefit of bringing more drama to the event as any player in the field this week can move up the leaderboard on any day, if they play well. It also ensures that every player will be getting a paycheck too. 

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Prior to the creation of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the tournament was known as the Western Open, first being contested in 1899. This makes it one of the oldest tournaments on tour. It has historically been located in the Chicago area, but in the playoff-era courses such as Medinah, Cog Hill and Olympia Fields have played host.

 

Notable multiple winners of the tournament (under both its old and new titles) include Tiger Woods (5), Tom Watson (3), Dustin Johnson (2) and Nick Price (2).

 

In 1985, Scott Verplank won the tournament as an amateur. He became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Doug Sanders at the 1956 Canadian Open. Only one golfer has achieved this feat since: Phil Mickelson in 1991 at the Northern Telecom Open.

Winning the BMW Championship is perhaps a PGA Tour golfer's most important win of the year, aside from majors. Under the new Tour Championship format, a player entering the Tour Championship ranked first will start the tournament at 10-under, a player ranked second starts at 8-under, and so on. Given the amount of FedEx Cup points on the line this week, winning the BMW Championship, in the case of higher ranked players, can launch a player into first place (as we saw with Tony Finau last week), giving them a big advantage heading into the Tour Championship.

The importance of the BMW Championship has even been recognized by the PGA Tour in the past, being named the tour's "Tournament of the Year" from 2012 to 2014. 

CAVES VALLEY GOLF CLUB

Caves Valley opened its doors in 1991 to private membership. Designed by legendary course architect Tom Fazio, the course is sure to test golfers this week, featuring various water hazards, undulating fairways, elevation changes and fast greens (about 12.5 on the stimpmeter). The course has been touted as modern in design, placing 47th in Golfweek's Best Modern Course rankings in 1997.

 

Many have claimed that the course in recent years has had a "Muirfield Village" feel to it. This could be due to the fact that the course's superintendant, Kyle Steidel, previously worked at Murfield Village, and is said to have brought many practices over from there. 

This is the first time that the BMW Championship is being contested at Caves Valley, but the course is no stranger to professional golf. In 2002 it hosted the US Senior Open, then the 2014 International Crown and 2017 Senior Players Championship, as well as numerous amateur events.

 

For the tournament this week, Caves Valley will play as a par 71, measuring 7,226 yards in length. The nines will also be flipped, with players starting at the tenth hole and finishing at the ninth. 

 

The event is speculated to draw up to 100,000 fans this week. The open design of the course however, allows tour officials to space out the fans safely throughout the course. It will also feature some of the tallest grandstands on tour, at a stunning height of up to 30 feet in some locations. This, in conjunction with the natural elevation changes, will create a stadium-like atmosphere on some holes.

OUR PICKS THIS WEEK

It gets tougher and tougher to make our picks, but here's who we are picking this week:

1) Jon Rahm

2) Justin Thomas

3) Louis Oosthuizen

Jon Rahm is the defending champion at the BMW Championship, winning last year at Olympia Fields. He's riding a high wave of momentum coming off his near win last week at The Northern Trust. Justin Thomas is a player who's game I am beginning to appreciate more and more. He always seems to be near the top of the leaderboard, like a modern day Matt Kuchar. He too played well last week at The Northern Trust. Finally, TGR favourite Louis Oosthuizen is perhaps the most rested player in the field, having took the last two week off for injury prevention. Can he bounce back this week with a win?

The BMW Championship kicks off early Thursday morning. It will have a more intimate feel though, given the smaller field size. Nevertheless, be sure to check out our weekend update for all the storylines and drama over the first two rounds.

 

Also be sure to check out our Twitter feed, for live tweets during the rounds.

-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

Ancer Prevails After Hectic Final Round to Win 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

Abraham Ancer Breaks Through For His First PGA Tour Win at the 2021 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational (image: PGA Tour)
 

 

I t was a final round to remember at TPC Southwind, and after all the drama and excitement, Abraham Ancer has emerged victorious at the 2021 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational. The Mexican-born golfer rallied in a two hole playoff between Hideki Matsuyama and Sam Burns to capture his first PGA Tour win, after eight runner-up finishes in his career. His final score was 16-under. He becomes the 4th golfer from Mexico to win on the PGA Tour and with this win, moves up to 6th in the FedEx Cup standings. 

 

Ancer has been a rising star in the golfing world for many years now. He has found success on others tours, winning the Australian Open on the PGA Tour of Australasia in 2018 and the Nova Scotia Open on the Web.com Tour in 2015. Ancer even qualified for the 2019 Presidents Cup, where he held a 3-1-1 record; his only loss being to Tiger Woods. He has retained his PGA Tour card since 2018 and many wondered when he would break through and win for the first time.

PLAYOFF DRAMA BETWEEN ANCER, MATSUYAMA AND BURNS

Ancer was in the second-to-last pairing for his final round with Australian Cameron Smith and started the day at 14-under. His round consisted of two birdies and a bogey on the front nine and a single birdie on the back nine, a mild score relatively speaking, but one that proved to be solid at the end of the day. Ancer even noted afterwards that he felt a better score was in him today. 

Matsuyama and Barns were paired together, and from the looks of it, were feeding off each others' scoring vibes. Matsuyama started the day nine shots off the lead, but was first in the clubhouse at 16-under. He shot an impressive bogey-free round of 63, including a three-run birdie streak on holes 12 through 14. Similarly, Burns carded a 6-under final round, with four birdies on the front nine and four birdies and a double bogey at the 13th, on the back nine. One of his back nine birdies came on the tough 18th hole and it was good enough to get him into the playoff. But he didn't know it at the time, because at that point, Harris English was leading the tournament at 20-under.

 

The playoff began back at the 18th hole. Both Ancer, Matsuyama and Burns managed to find the green and give themselves attempts for birdie. All three ended up making pars, but last to go was Matsuyama. Facing a putt to win, Matsuyama nearly holed his birdie putt, lipping it out of the hole in dramatic fashion. 

 

Back to the 18th tee box, the three of them went for the 2nd playoff hole. Again, all three found the green: Matsuyama slightly farther away this time, but both Ancer and Burns took dead aim and nearly holed their approaches, landing near inches away from each other. Matsuyama again parred. Ancer was next to play. He managed to sink his putt for birdie this time but at the same time gave Burns a nice read for his. However, Burns' putt was off-line and spun around the edge of the hole before lipping out, in the most unfortunate way, giving Ancer the victory.

PAR 3 TROUBLES FOR ENGLISH AND DECHAMBEAU

Although the tournament ended in a playoff, about nine holes prior, the leaderboard and storylines were quite different. Leading for 54-holes and in the final group, Harris English held a comfortable lead at 20-under at the turn, with a two stroke lead over playing partner Bryson DeChambeau. Ancer and Burns were two shots behind him.

But things turned for the worse for both English and DeChambeau on the back nine. Shockingly, it seemed to unravel on the par 3s for them. It started with DeChambeau on the par 4 10th hole though, where he found water with his second shot and bogeyed, then followed this up with a triple-bogey on the par 3 11th hole, after again finding water. Bryson would go on to make two more bogeys and finish T8 and +4 for the day. 

 

English's troubles began on the par 3 11th hole, where he carded a double bogey after landing his tee shot short of the green, into the water. After that, his shots started becoming more and more errant throughout the next few holes, but some clutch putting resulted in pars. Then came the par 3 14th hole, where English found the water again and double-bogeyed. Another bogey on the 16th hole and Harris found himself going into the 18th hole at 15-under, one shot behind leaders Ancer, Matsuyama and Burns, who were already back on the range preparing for a playoff no one saw coming.  In one last attempt to make it to the playoff, English landed his third shot in prime position on the green, just past the hole; an impressive feat considering only four birdies had been made previously that round. Unfortunately, he missed the putt by mere inches. English would end up finishing solo 4th.

What's interesting to note, however, is that the English/DeChambeau final pairing twice received warnings that they were lagging behind. Harris English spoke about this in his post-round interview. He said he felt rushed and hurried because of the warnings, in particular during his back nine struggles, and that they caused him to rush his pre-shot routine. It wasn't just excuses, to be fair. It was something you could even see during the TV coverage. Although we don't know who was responsible for the delays, DeChambeau in the past has been criticized for his slow play. And that was during a good round for him; things no doubt get slower as you find trouble. Could all this have put English, who honestly appeared calm and collected throughout the entire tournament until that point, in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar position? We'll never know unless more information comes out about it.

TPC SOUTHWIND CLAIMS MORE WATER VICTIMS

For the most part, we saw a benign version of TPC Southwind this week. Low scores were possible and had by many. But during the final round, we got a glimpse of just how tough the course can be. It was during Harris English's tee shot on the par 3 11th hole. Facing an island green, the winds started to gust towards the players. Unfortunately, English hit a high pitching wedge that was completely smothered by the wind, ultimately causing his ball to land short and in the water. It's easy to see now why TPC Southwind ranks first in courses where the most balls are lost in water hazards on tour. That's pretty remarkable considering the courses in the PGA Tour rotation: TPC Sawgrass and PGA National, to mention a few. 

HOW DID OUR PICKS DO?

Like we do with every tournament we cover, we like to finish off with how our picks fared. This week we chose Dustin Johnson, Corey Conners and Louis Oosthuizen. Here's how they finished the week:

 

 

1) Dustin Johnson: T10 at 11-under

2) Corey Conners: T36 at 2-under

3) Louis Oosthuizen: T17 at 7-under

Not bad at all considering the strength of the field this week. It's worth noting that Oosthuizen on Saturday was in contention for the lead, but a poor performance on his back nine and an equally poor final round dropped him down the leaderboard. Dustin Johnson was also one the four players to birdie the 18th hole during his final round.

That wraps up our coverage for this years edition of the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational. Stay tuned for our coverage next week of the Wyndham Championship, the last regular season event before the FedEx Cup Playoffs. It's sure to be exciting, as many golfers will be making one last push to get into the FedEx Cup Playoffs!

 

 

Be sure to check out our preview post for it,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Preview

Dustin Johnson is our top pick this week to win the 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational
(Photo: Wilfredo Lee / AP)

 

 

 

This week, some of golf's most talented players return to the Volunteer State for the 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, hosted by TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. This is the 23rd edition of the event and third World Golf Championship event of the year.

 

Being a WGC event, the FedEx St. Jude Invitational is a unique tournament by default. Sanctioned by both the PGA and European Tours, it boasts one of the most elite fields in golf. This is primarily due to its qualifying criteria. As of 2021, there are four ways to receive an invitation to the tournament. For example, members of the previous Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup teams and players in the top 50 of the World Golf Rankings are invited, as well as winners of certain tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine, Asian and Japan tours. 

 

 

The fourth criterion is the one I found most interesting: winners of tournaments within the last year that had a "Strength of Field" rating of 115 points or higher. For those that are unfamiliar with this concept, the OWGR assigns a rating to each tournament on its eligible tours, based on the quality of players in the field, with the metric being each player's World Golf Ranking. If a tournament fields many high-ranked players, it has a higher number. Naturally, this is a good way to measure quality of field. For example, the 149th Open Championship had a rating of 863 and the last edition of this tournament 782. Most standard PGA Tour events have a ranking of 100-400, so that shows you what kind of players we'll be seeing this week. 

 

This year marks the third year that TPC Southwind is hosting the event. The course was designed by Ron Prichard and opened in 1988, with renovations in 2005 and 2011. It is quite a long course, stretching to 7,244 yards and playing as a par 70 for this year's tournament. What's more difficult to conquer perhaps are the hazards; the course features a total of 94 bunkers and 10 water hazards, making it one of the toughest courses on the PGA and European Tour rotations. The course record is a 61, set by several players including Tom Lewis during last year's event.

So, the field is packed with stars and the course is tough enough to test them all. Who do we think will win it this year? Check out our picks below:

 

 

1) Dustin Johnson

2) Corey Conners

3) Louis Oosthuizen

 

 

I feel like Dustin has been flying under the radar over the last little while. He had decent finishes at the US Open and Open Championship, but missed the cut recently at the 3M Open. Hopefully this is a good week for him. Corey, on the other hand, has been in the spotlight a lot recently. Our fellow Canadian had a great showing at the Open Championship and recently competed in the Olympics last week. I do enjoy watching his game and what he brings to it. Last but not least is new TGR favourite Louis. We have to pick Louis because he finished T6 last year and T2 or T3 in countless tournaments since. He has to win at some point, right?

What do you think of our picks? Let us know in the comments below and tell us who you think will win it?

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Morikawa's Virtuoso Performance Seals Deal at Royal St. Georges

It was a final round filled with much drama and action. But at the end of it all, Collin Morikawa has emerged victorious, claiming the Claret Jug at the 149th Open Championship at Royal St. Georges Golf Club. The California-native finished with a final score of 15-under par and a two shot win over Jordan Spieth. This is Morikawa's second major win, his first being the 2020 PGA Championship. He also makes history as the first golfer to win two majors in his first appearances at them and the first golfer since Bobby Jones in 1926 to win two majors in eight starts.

 

Morikawa's round began today a single stroke back of Louis Oosthuizen, his final round playing partner. The two exchanged pars until the fourth hole, when Oosthuizen bogeyed to even up them up. However, on the 7th hole, the momentum swung in Morikawa's favour.

 

The par 5 572 yard 7th hole played as the easiest hole on the course in the first three rounds, however Oosthuizen landed his second shot into a greenside bunker, with Morikawa in a safe position near the green. Louis was left with a relatively easy bunker shot and had some green to work with. But, in one of the few errors he made all week, Louis caught the ball thin and sent it flying over the green into the opposite bunker. Some good putting later and Louis escaped with only a bogey, but Morikawa on the other hand, had birdied for a two-shot swing. Two more birdies on the eighth and ninth holes and Collin found himself with a four shot lead at the turn.

 

As impressive as Morikawa's attacking mindset was, his ability to scramble is what ultimately won him the tournament, in my opinion. In our Open Championship preview, we spoke about how the toughness of links golf can overwhelm younger players and that experienced players typically win the Open. Collin Morikawa had never played in an Open Championship before. While indeed a younger player at 24 years old, Collin Morikawa played his final round today with so much poise, calmness and experience that you simply could not tell that this was his first time playing an Open Championship. It was unlike anything I've seen before and such a remarkable feat. His character was especially tested on holes 10 and 15, where he sank two tough putts to save par, after poor iron shots prior. 

In the months since his 2020 PGA Championship win, critiques of Morikawa have cited the lack of crowds at said tournament as the reason why he won (recall that the 2020 PGA Championship was played under COVID-19 protocols). His win this week has proved that he can win under any circumstances. It's no easy feat to play the way Collin played, to have the courage to attack the course with so much on the line or the mindset to make clutch par saves. 

 

And he did this all while having to adapt to a new style of golf course. Morikawa admitted prior that he was unfamiliar with links golf. He ultimately decided to play the Scottish Open one week earlier and said that he would not have been able to win this week if he hadn't done so. Morikawa embraced links golf and respected the style of play that it lends itself to, whether its using the slopes to his advantage or hitting different kinds of shots. And he was aware of that, as he mentioned in his post-round interview:

“To come here on debut and win it… The Open Championship is going to be part of my life for the rest of my life no matter what happens." 

-Colin Morikawa after his 2021 Open Championship win

 

When you look at all these factors at the same time, one can easily see why Colin Morikawa's Open Championship win is one of the most impressive major performances in recent years. 

***

Despite a promising forecast of high winds, we saw a benign version of Royal St. Georges over the weekend. In fact, the final round scoring average was the lowest in Open Championship history. Many players took advantage of these conditions including the likes of Brooks Koepka, Bryson de Chambeau and Rickie Fowler, who all rallied to shoot 65s, the low round of the day. While the conditions did take away some of the excitement from the tournament, players still had to contend with the difficult bunkers and slopes of Royal St. Georges.

We also saw a good Canadian feature on the weekend between Mackenzie Hughes (T6) and Corey Connors (T15). Both Hughes and Connors played so well that they even featured in the TV coverage; something not seen too often. They showed this week that they can play good golf on some of the toughest courses, in some of the toughest tournaments. It's safe to say that Canadian golf is in a good place!

 

On a final note, let's take a look at how our picks finished the tournament:

 

1) Louis Oosthuizen: T3 at 11-under
2) Paul Casey: T15 at 5-under
3) Ian Poulter: T26 at 3-under

 

You have to feel bad for Louis, who despite a great effort and some genuinely excellent golf at times, could not get it done this week. During his final round, he struggled with his putting and his iron accuracy, which had been spot on all week. His did show signs of life though, nearly carding a hole-in-one on the par 3 11th hole, which played a staggering 256 yards today and was the toughest hole all week. He also has several attempts at birdies throughout. But seeing the kind of player Louis is, and the commitment he shows to his game, he will be back. And on the plus side, it's still a T3 finish at a major!

Casey and Poulter also had respectable finishes, with Casey carding a 70 and Poulter a 68 for their final rounds. These two are really some of my favourite golfers to watch and its great to see their games in such a good place. Who said professional golf is a young person's profession?

And just like that another Open Championship has come to a close. After all the waiting for this tournament, I can safely say with confidence that this was one of the better editions of the tournaments, especially from a spectator's perspective. It was a real treat to watch Morikawa at work and the confidence and clutchness he brought. A well deserved win, without question.

Next year, the Open Championship returns home to St. Andrews for its 150th anniversary. Who knows what drama that will bring!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Collin Morikawa wins the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. Georges (image: Peter Morrison/AP)

 

Oosthuizen Surges Into the Weekend at Royal St. Georges

 

Momentum. Momentum. Momentum.

That's what Louis Oosthuizen has been riding for what seems like the entire year. The South African and 2010 Open Champion currently leads the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. Georges Golf Club with an impressive score of 11-under par (64,65) and a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa. In fact, Oosthuizen's score is more than impressive, it's record-breaking. His total of 129 is the lowest 36-hole score ever recorded at an Open Championship.

 

Going into the tournament, Oosthuizen was a favourite amongst many, including us here at TGR. His string of major performances this year, including top-2 finishes at both the US Open and PGA Championship, led many to think that his time has finally come for another major win.

And he is certainly on his way to doing so. After a bogey-free opening round of 64, Oosthuizen followed up with a 5-under 65 today, in a round that included a bogey at the par 3 16th hole and an eagle at the par 5, 14th hole. His putting was solid and driving was very accurate, particularly during his second round; attributes that will reward you especially on a links course.

Royal St. Georges played uncharacteristically benign during the first two rounds. Today's round in particular featured lower winds speeds and slightly slower greens. Oosthuizen was not the only player taking advantage of these conditions. The low score of the day was a 6-under par, shot by Collin Morikawa, Emiliano Grillo and Jon Rahm. The cut has also been set at 1-over par. Conditions are forecasted to worsen on the weekend however, with wind speeds predicted to be in the 15-30 mph range. This will make for some interesting rounds of golf. 

Finally, we mentioned that Oosthuizen was our top pick this week, but let's see how the rest of our picks are doing so far:

 

1) Louis Oosthuizen: Leader at 11-under
2) Paul Casey: T7 at 5-under
3) Ian Poulter: T31 at 2-under

Not bad at all. Casey is also continuing his streak of great golf and was able to make moves when he needed to, including a nice string of birdies on the 7th, 8th and 9th holes during his second round today. Given the weather forecast and uncertainty over the weekend, he is definitely still in contention. Poulter opened with a 72 on Thursday but followed it up with an aggressive 4-under 66 today. He also had a birdie steak on holes 7-9 and has shown he can score low at Royal St. Georges. He will be looking to make a big move on Saturday to put himself in a good spot for the final round. 

Two rounds down at the 2021 Open Championship, but things are only getting started. The weekend rounds are always filled with tension and excitement. 

Stay tuned for our next post on Sunday/Monday to see who has won,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Louis Oosthuizen leads the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. Georges (Image: Boston Globe)

2021 Open Championship Picks

We are just one day away from the start of the much-awaited 2021 Open Championship. This year, Royal St. Georges Golf Club in Kent, England plays hosts, a tough links course that will no doubt test the skills and limits of players. 

 

As we look over the list of players in the field this week in an attempt to make a few picks, one thing has become apparent. The Open Championship is typically won by experienced players, who have been around for a bit. You would probably have to go back to Louis Oosthuizen's win at St. Andrews back in 2010 for the last "relatively inexperienced" player (at the time) to win in. 

Why does this appear to be the case though? As I eluded to in my Open Championship article, links golf is tough. It requires players to do so much more that just swing the clubs. That, plus all the pressure of being a major tournament, can perhaps overwhelm many rookie players. It's a battle, and from the looks of it, takes a bit of experience and time on tour to overcome.

 

With that said, here are our picks for the 2021 Open Championship:

1) Louis Oosthuizen
2) Paul Casey
3) Ian Poulter

 

I really do think that Louis can get it done this week. The wave of momentum, and second place major finishes, that he's had recently can't be overlooked. It doesn't hurt either that he's won it before. In a similar position is Paul Casey, who is also familiar with links courses and has played well in majors past too. Is this finally the week that Casey gets his first major win? Let's hope so. Finally, rounding out our picks is Ian Poulter. Poults' career has really been trending in the right direction these past few years after being injury-plagued earlier. He finished T4 at the Scottish Open last week, maybe he can go the way of Phil Mickelson back in 2013 and take the Claret Jug this week? What an achievement that would be for him; a jewel on top of an already stellar career.

We'll be checking in midway to see how the tournament is progressing and how out picks are doing. Stay tuned!

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

 

Can Louis Oosthuizen reclaim the Claret Jug this week at Royal St. Georges? (Image: Boston Globe)

Danny Willett Wins the 2016 Masters

In a truly shocking series of events, all of which occurred in the dwindling hours of the final round, Englishman Danny Willett has won the 2016 Masters, becoming the first English champion since Sir Nick Faldo's win 20 years ago in 1996 and only the second in history. Willett shot a 5-under 67 today to finish with a three shot lead over 54-hole leader Jordan Spieth and Lee Westwood. With this win, Willett moves to 9th in the World Golf Rankings and takes home $1.8 million.


It was all looking different just a few hours ago. Jordan Spieth was leading, at one point by five shots, and had finished off his front nine with four consecutive birdies. Things turned for the worst on the back nine however, and fast. He entered Amen Corner (11th hole to the 13th hole at Augusta) after a bogey on the 10th, then another on the 11th, but was still holding on.

Then came the par 3 12th hole, over water to a green protected by bunkers. His lead was a single shot at this point. Spieth hit his tee shot to the front of the green, but watched it fall back into the water. He then fatted his shot at the drop zone again into the water. His third tee shot found the back greenside bunker and when it was all said and done, Spieth concluded the 12th with a quadruple-bogey. In total, he dropped six shots in three holes, very similar to Rory McIlroy's meltdown at the 2011 Masters. Spieth also found himself three shots behind a new leader for the first time since the 2014 Masters. That leader was none other than Danny Willett...

Willett played solid golf today and was only one of two players to shoot a bogey free round. Despite all that was going on around him with Spieth and the surge of other players trying to make a move now, like Lee Westwood, Soren Kjeldsen (who was looking very good at one point), and Dustin Johnson, he stuck to his game plan and it ultimately paid off in the end. To say he didn't deserve the win, would be a mistake. Then again, no player wants to win as a result of another player's meltdown, but someone had to win and it was lucky enough to be Willett, as he said in his post round interview. Spieth finished well in the end though at T2, but this was a shock to us all after his huge lead. Perhaps the toughest moment for Spieth though was putting the green jacket on Willett (as Spieth was last year's Masters Champion) during the closing ceremony.

On another note, today's final round definitely played easier than the first few rounds, due to the lack of wind on certain holes. This made more holes vulnerable to low scores and many players took advantage of this. Hole locations were also a mix between tough and rewarding, but some challenged even the best of golfers. This is all to be expected during a final round of the Masters however.

As if all of the above wasn't exciting enough, more history was made during today's final round. A total of three holes-in-one were made on the par 3 16th hole, by Shane Lowry, Davis Love III, and Louis Oosthuizen, who by far had the most spectacular hole-in-one I've seen to date. Oosthuizen's partner, JB Holmes teed off on the par 3 first and hit his ball to within 10 feet. Louis then teed off and landed his ball on the green as well, at which point it rolled and ricocheted off Holmes's ball, nearly knocking Holmes's ball in, then sending Louis' ball in for a hole-in-one, in amazing fashion. Louis's really had some luck at Augusta; let's not forget his double eagle back in 2012. Spectacular to say the least.

Finally, here's how our picks finished off. Jason Day was paired today with Dustin Johnson and the two played equal. The World Number One couldn't capitalize on a few chances and really struggled to make a move. As a result, he finished T10 at 1-over, a very respectable result nonetheless. That's now 8 of past 13 majors in which Day has finished T10 or better. Truly remarkable. Stensen played relatively well today with a 69, but did shoot a 78 yesterday. He finished T24 at 6-over.

And there you have it, the end of the 2016 Masters. And wow, what a Masters it has been. We've seen it all this week, from low scores to holes-in-one to meltdowns to great golf. Congratulations again to Danny Willett for a spectacular win! Let's hope next year's edition will be just as exciting!


-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