Miguel Ángel Jiménez has written his name into the European Tour history books at the Hero Open where he is playing for a record 707th time on tour overtaking Sam Torrance's long-held record. Miguel also features highly in the
Padraig Harrington summed it up well a while back when he said the players "might have to take one for the team". The problem is it became clear that many of the players were not prepared to 'take one' as he put it and the lack of an adoring crowd became the deciding factor.
It seemed like it was just a matter of time and sure enough the new bulked up Bryson DeChambeau delivered on Sunday when he fired a seven-under-par final round of 65 to clinch the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. The big-hitting man from California won by three shots from overnight leader Matthew Wolf. “I've shown people that there's another way to do it."
For those of you that can handle a utility, iron Cobra have released the new KING Utility iron variant. The latest evolution targets players who seek maximum control and precision on tee shots and longer approach shots on par 5’s.
Finally, golf is back after a three-month wait following the COVID-19 pandemic. Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth is hosting the Charles Schwab Challenge and nearly all the world’s best players will be teeing up today.
As the various tours are losing millions each week in TV and sponsorship income and the Coronavirus trundles on the R&A continues to put out woolly statements about continuing to look at the options. Given the likely time frames for the lifting of social distancing and the issues over international travel, the R&A must postpone.
The LPGA has announced the movement of the Evian Championship to 6th to 9th August, the week before the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. At the same time, the signs are that both the R&A and USGA will announce the postponement of the Open and US Open in the coming week.
It was a worrying time for the European Tour as Italian golfers Edoardo Molinari and Lorenzo Gagli were quarantined in Muscat and originally forced to pull out of the Oman Open over fears they may have contracted the coronavirus. However, the pair will now play, partnering each other after Gagli’s test proved negative.
Erik van Rooyen celebrated his 30th birthday most spectacularly at the WGC-Mexico Championship as the South African tied the course record at Chapultepec Golf Club with a sizzling 62. That nine under par round moved van Rooyen to a ten under total and within a shot of Bryson DeChambeau’s lead.
Due to the vagaries of the world ranking system, Rory Mcilroy is set to grab the top spot from Brooks Koepka. Neither player is playing this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am which means when the hard sums are crunched next Monday McIlroy will regain World Number One for the first time since 2015.
It’s Manic Monday, so here is a very quick round up of all the results and stories from the weekend on the, PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA and Women’s European Tour.
Pete Dye, designer of some of the world’s most famous golf courses, has died in the Dominican Republic at age 94. His family announced his sad passing on social media: “It is with much sadness that we announce our leader, mentor and hero Pete Dye passed this morning at the age of 94. Pete made an indelible mark on the world of golf that will never be forgotten. We will all miss him dearly.”
