The post ‘That’s rubbish’: Lee Westwood, in U.S. Senior Open hunt, balks at LIV question appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘That’s rubbish’: Lee Westwood, in U.S. Senior Open hunt, balks at LIV question appeared first on Golf.

Although this Top 100 track dates back to the 1800s, it provides a sturdy test — and plenty of history. Newport CC was among the five founding member clubs of the USGA, and it hosted the first U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur, way back in 1895. Although the scores aren’t quite as high as they were in the late 19th century, the course still has plenty of teeth — especially when the wind blows.

Luckily for Westwood, the wind wasn’t much of a factor during his opening round. Going off in the 8:24 a.m. grouping, the sea breeze didn’t start howling until his last few holes. By then, he was already in the midst of a steady round that he turned into a four-under 66.

“I would imagine these are the best scoring conditions we’re going to have all week,” Westwood said. “It wasn’t really that windy until sort of the last five, six holes. It laid down and was there for the taking early on.”

For many golf fans, this is the first glimpse of the 51-year-old they’ve gotten in quite some time. Since defecting to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in 2022, Westwood has not played on the PGA Tour. In May of 2023, he resigned his DP World Tour membership as well. Outside of the LIV schedule, he’s appeared sparingly in Asian Tour events, but he’s far from the global name he once was.

Nevertheless, in the opening round at Newport CC, Westwood proved he’s still got plenty of game. With four birdies and an eagle (against just two bogeys), the former World No. 1 finds himself inside the top 10 in his U.S. Senior Open debut. And after battling a glandular fever last year, he says he finally feels like the Westwood of old.

“Takes a while to get out of your system,” he said. “Just started feeling well the last couple months. Yeah, no excuse now.”

Most run-of-the-mill senior tour events (as well as competitions on LIV Golf) are only 54 holes. But at the U.S. Senior Open, the USGA uses 72 holes to determine a champion. One reporter jokingly asked if a 51-year-old recovering from a glandular fever could possibly survive 72 holes this week. For that, Westwood had the perfect response.

“It’s playing in trousers that’s bothering me more,” Westwood said. (LIV Golf allows players to wear shorts during competition). “I’m a finely tuned athlete as you can see. You know, that’s rubbish really. Seventy-two holes won’t be a problem. Like I say, it’s looking down and seeing me legs in trousers. I prefer to get me legs out.”

If Westwood continues to play like he did on Thursday, he’ll have a great opportunity to walk away with the trophy by the end of the week.

If he can survive 72 holes in pants, that is.

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The post Dominate short par-4s with this simple 2-step strategy appeared first on Golf.

The post Dominate short par-4s with this simple 2-step strategy appeared first on Golf.

Short par-4s are some of the most exciting holes in golf. For high handicappers they can provide legitimate birdie looks — and, for more skilled players, eagle chances.

The opportunity for bogey (or worse) is always lurking, though. These short holes are often designed with dangerous spots. Bite off more than you can chew and making a big number is just as likely as walking away with birdie.

The key to taking advantage of short par-4s is going in with the right strategy. And in today’s edition of Play Smart, XXIO ambassador Nathalie Sheehan joins us on the 15th hole at Cabot Citrus Farms to explain how to best attack a risk-reward hole.

The 15th hole at Cabot Citrus Farms is a quintessential short par-4. From the middle tees, the hole stretches to just over 280 yards, and with the baked-out conditions, the hole plays even shorter. In other words, it’s got birdie opp written all over it.

But while the hole might play short, there’s no guarantee of making a low number. If you miss in the wrong spot, making bogey (or worse) is well within the realm of possibility. If you want to take advantage of the hole, you need to keep a couple things in mind.

1. Know your miss

Golf is often not a game of your best shots, but rather where you leave your worst ones. And when you’re attacking a short par-4, it’s imperative you keep that in mind.

When you stand on the tee box, the first thing you need to acknowledge is where your typical miss is. Once you know that, you can proceed to the next step.

2. Look for trouble

You never want to bring negative thoughts into your mind on the course, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the trouble all together. It’s important you know where the worst spots are on a hole and do your best to avoid them.

On risk-reward holes, the trouble is usually in the landing area for a driver. And when those penalty areas favor one side or the other, it’s important to take into account if they will come into play with your typical miss.

“Here we have quite a lot of bunkering happening,” Sheehan says. “So if you’re someone who is really uncomfortable being in a bunker, we’re probably just going to want to hit something down this left side [away from trouble].”

It’s as simple as that. If you can safely hit driver and have your miss still end up away from trouble, it’s a green light from the tee. But if your typical miss might put you in trouble, lay back and try to make birdie with a wedge in your hand.

If you can implement these steps into your process on short par-4s, you’ll start to make more birdies — and eliminate those back-breaking big numbers from the card.

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The post Inside Levelwear’s holistic approach to the athletic-wear business appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside Levelwear’s holistic approach to the athletic-wear business appeared first on Golf.

Levelwear, a family-owned and managed apparel company founded in 1987, is finding out.

The Canadian athletic wear brand has spent decades as a high-quality manufacturer with limited name recognition, but that’s beginning to change.

Recent partnerships with some of the biggest names in pro golf, from Adam Hadwin and Corey Connors on the men’s side to Carlota Ciganda and Alena Sharp in the women’s game — not to mention star athletes in other sports, like the Edmonton Oilers’ Ryan McLeod and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor — have given Levelwear more visibility.

The brand’s clout resides in the quality of its products and the depth of its customer relationships — a point of pride for everyone involved. When it came to developing a mission vision for the brand’s future, celebrating the collective as opposed to the individual felt like a natural choice.

Jay Chaney is a partner and chief strategy officer at Broken Heart Love Affair, an agency based in Toronto that Levelwear hired to help shape the company’s future brand strategy.

To get a feel for the company culture, Chaney performed interviews with Levelwear’s employees, partners and customers.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years,” he said. “The most amazing part of this whole process was consistently, there was one kind of story that kept on coming, whether you worked at Levelwear or whether you were a customer of theirs, and that’s that there was a humanity within the organization, and that it was the people that mattered.

“So, of course, the products were being delivered and there was a consistency of product and it was a great quality. But what the customers were telling us was that this is an organization that they felt cared about them as customers and people and that the personal relationships that existed between them and Levelwear really made the relationship indispensable, and something that they looked forward to.”

Who’s with You? and Win as One were ultimately selected as the primary concepts behind Levelwear’s new mission vision. Instead of focusing on the individual, Levelwear wanted to recognize the efforts of the team that makes it all happen. Each product has a number of individuals behind it. From design to production to delivery, each team member has a role in making Levelwear’s products the best they can be, so the consumer — all the way from Tour players like Connors and Hadwin to you and me — can be the beneficiary of that quality. While golf is an individual sport, collective effort resonates in a similar way. To be successful a player needs numerous people in his or her corner, from a coach and caddie to a trainer and supportive family members. That recognition — and celebration — of the team is Levelwear’s point of differentiation from other athletic wear brands.

“They’re very inclusive and open with everybody,” Chaney said. “What’s true and organic about this organization is they truly believe that the only way this company is going to be successful is if everybody is treated with the respect of the entire organization, and how they treat other clients as important human beings, not just financial accounts or business opportunities.”

That ethos starts at the top with Levelwear’s leadership. The brand is family-owned, and CEO Hester Ngo wants that partnership to be evident in the products. 

“We want to be recognized as the first apparel brand to become synonymous with celebrating teamwork and team play — by consumers,” she said. “We all have a family, by blood or choice, behind all of us, let’s not just recognize the triumphs of the athletes, but celebrate all those responsible for their success.”

Features

Levelwear’s brand ascendancy can be attributed to many things: the Covid golf boom, a low-minimum, quick-turn business model, and of course, premium quality products. But Ngo said strategic licensing deals with major sports entities like the MLB, NHL and NBA have helped the brand in terms of consumer consciousness. A key moment: when Levelwear’s NHL licensing deal coincided with the Winnipeg Jets acquiring their expansion franchise.

“Levelwear was well-positioned to help them go to market quickly with premium, fan-based licensed apparel,” Ngo said. “Our service model provides a point of differentiation that is appealing to our partners.”

That commitment to service is aptly demonstrated in Levelwear’s relationship with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Brent Frew is the director of corporate partnerships for Oilers Entertainment Group, and two years ago, he sought to expand the existing retail partnership into a full advertising corporate partnership.

“The quality of the product is what spoke for itself, and why we’ve done the volume that we have,” he said. “Not only does it have that quality feel, it’s got a decent price point as well. But also, Levelwear’s ownership group has been so committed to going above and beyond what the paperwork shows, not only just for their brand, but also just for us. They have stepped up to the plate on countless occasions where we’ve needed support on a retail front, on a quick timeline, to help us out. Working with them is like working with friends, because they’ve got your back when you need it.”

In addition to the licensing agreements with other professional sports entities, golf is another important silo for Levelwear, not only outfitting the brand’s partner athletes on tour and supplying green-grass accounts and e-comm sales, but also through a multi-year licensing deal with the PGA Tour. In 2019, Levelwear also created an innovative tournament activation, the Levelwear Caddie Lounge, which includes a barbershop, physiotherapy, product gifting, food and drinks and even massages for the game’s professional loopers. The Caddie Lounge is on-site at select PGA Tour tournaments throughout the year.

At the recent RBC Canadian Open, the Lounge was a favorite hangout.

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“It feels like you’re in a clubhouse and a member of the club,” said Danny Sahl, who caddies for Corey Connors. “Everything is in one place that you need for the day.”

“This experience is an 11 out of 10,” said Ryan Moore’s caddie, Austin Gaugert. “Love that Levelwear does this for the caddies and always pumped to find out the guys are out at the event.”

“The guys go over the top to make sure were taken care of,” said Matthew Achatz, who caddies for Kevin Streelman. “They cover off everything we need if we forget something.”

The anticipation of wants and needs — especially when it comes to the Caddie Lounge — is something that sets Levelwear apart, said David Desmond, the PGA Tour’s VP of endemic partnerships and media sales.

“Levelwear puts together unbelievable products,” he said. “So you know what happens? All of a sudden, they’re going to market X and the temperature drops down to 38 degrees. [The Caddie Lounge has] pullovers, they’ve got rain jackets, they’ve got little bags of shirts. Players actually wear their shirt just because it was there. And the player didn’t have to go into the clubhouse and try to figure things out. Levelwear built a program that was focused on the well-being of caddies, and it was also an outlet for somebody who might need something.”

That goodwill helps create an army of brand ambassadors, all of whom are grateful to Levelwear for prioritizing their needs.

“I look forward to working an event where Levelwear provide us with the lounge,” said Jeremy Wu, who caddies for his brother, Dylan. “They touch all the bases. It gives caddie a reason to stay and hang out at the course.”

Relationships. Quality. Service. Doing things differently. Those are the attributes that launched Levelwear to success in the past, and should continue to propel the brand to even greater heights in the future.

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The post 7 mistakes you’re making at the range (and how to fix them) appeared first on Golf.

The post 7 mistakes you’re making at the range (and how to fix them) appeared first on Golf.

In my nearly 30 years of playing golf, it’s funny how hitting balls at the driving range has changed.

When I first started playing, I’d just whip out my driver and try to bomb balls as far as I could. There wasn’t any intent, nor was there any actual structure to what I was doing, since I was a kid just trying to learn the basics.

Instruction

As I’ve gotten older and wiser about my game, I’ve adapted my driving range strategies, and now use a more focused practice technique that mimics certain scenarios I might see on the course. I also utilize training aids and other tech that provides me with instant feedback.

While practice is always a good thing, perfect practice is what’s really going to positively impact your golf game — it just took me awhile to understand that.

So instead of just going to the driving range and making the same mistakes — which aren’t leading to improvements — it’s time to tighten things up. With the help of golf teacher John Hughes (who offers up tips below), you can identify seven common practice errors, learn how to overcome them, and start to see the gains you’re looking for.

7 things you’re doing wrong on the driving range (and how to fix them)

I spend a lot of time on the driving range observing players hit balls. Whether they’re warming up before a round, or just practicing for improvement, most amateur golfers look and act the same on the range — and that isn’t necessarily a good thing!

Instruction

With golf being a game of uncontrollables, there are a few controllables that every player needs to understand. If you can master them, you’ll almost instantly improve your scores.

Unfortunately, most amateurs aren’t doing them — especially not on the driving range.

So what are they? I suggest checking off the following seven items prior to ever taking a shot, meaning they’re totally under your control. And here’s the best part: they aren’t technical, but simple pre-shot improvements that will put you in better position to go low.

1. Using alignment sticks incorrectly

If you ever watch a pro warm up on the driving range, they always have alignment sticks somewhere nearby — and they use them in multiple ways. Most golfers emulate what they see their favorite player doing when they practice, without any knowledge of how the golfer is actually using these simple, yet highly effective training aids.

If using one stick with the ball on one side and the golfer on the other, contrary to what you might believe, the golfer probably isn’t working on alignment. Unfortunately, what most amateurs do is aim the stick at the target and place the ball on the opposite side, which immediately causes you to aim right of your target.

Instead of doing this, try putting the ball on the same side as you, which will help working on both aim and alignment, as well provide an easy motion drill. Just simply place the ball one club head width away from a stick that is directly aimed at your target. Now you’re in the proper alignment position as you work on your drill.

2. You’re standing too far from the golf ball

When you’re too far away from the golf ball, you create a lot of room for the clubface to open and close. The club is hinged at the neck, which creates the opening and closing of the club as you swing back and through the golf ball. The more horizontal your swing, the more the face opens and closes — and the more you must manage to square the clubface at impact.

You’d be surprised how stepping just a quarter to a half-inch closer to the ball will reduce the amount of face rotation in your golf swing, and, in turn, take some unwanted curvature off your ball flight.

3. Your clubface isn’t square towards the target at address

Yes, that’s right. As much as you believe the face of your golf club is perpendicular to your intended target, it’s not! In most cases, the face is closed to your target, regardless of which side of the ball you stand on.

The most basic reason is a simple one — you forget that your body doesn’t hit the ball, the club does. I can’t tell you how many golfers on the driving range aim themselves, particularly their front shoulder, at the target, then adjust the club to their body. This isn’t correct.

4. Not using the leading edge to aim

The leading edge is called the leading edge for a reason — because it leads the club into the ball, in turn, creating the 90-degree angle that you need at address to have any chance of hitting straighter shots.

If you’ve been told to aim the club, not your body, and your club is still closed at address, you’re probably using the top of the club and its lofted face as your aiming device. But doing this actually closes the club.

Using the one-alignment-stick method I mentioned above, you should visually see the leading edge of any club create a 90-degree angle with the stick. When you do, the club’s now square to your target, so you’re ready to place your body into position based upon the club’s position.

5. Bad balance

You’re only going to swing the club as fast as your body can balance the movement, so if you’re too far away from the golf ball, you’ll be on your toes at address. This will send your equilibrium into panic mode, attempting to keep you from falling over as you swing.

Ideally, from your feet to your belt, you should feel well balanced, side to side, and from heel to toe.

Having secondary spine tilt is primarily the result of your trail hand being below the lead hand on the handle — which, for most shots, is plenty of tilt. The only time you should exaggerate tilt from the belt up is when using the driver.

6. Ball position doesn’t match the bottom of your swing arc

The No. 1 reason why you hit fat or thin shots is because your club isn’t striking the ball prior to reaching the low point of the swing.

If you’re like most amateur golfers I see on the driving range, chances are you’ve placed the ball further forward in your stance than it needs to be. Remember that the club swings on an arc that isn’t horizontal or perpendicular — it’s at an angle. So as the club reaches the bottom of that arc, it begins to move up and around your front side.

I suggest simplifying your ball position by placing it in the middle of your stance when using mid-to-low irons and wedges. This will help the club make contact with the ball just prior to hitting the ground.

7. Grip position and security

When observing players on the driving range, I either see a lot of poor hand positioning with the top hand over-gripping the club. Let’s first deal with those issues.

First, make a tight fist with either hand and try to make that hand move fast. Now, allow your hand to relax and have it move fast. The looser hand will always move faster. When you’re holding the club with a death grip, there’s no way you’ll hit the ball as far as you could — which is why a good grip position of the top hand is essential to create a more relaxed (but secure) grip.

Instruction

Now let’s study your arms and hands.

Look at yourself in a full-length mirror and notice the angle that your hands hang from your arms relative to your body. It’s highly unlikely that your hands are parallel or perpendicular to your body, so it’s your job to place your top hand on the club, which will replicate your natural arm hang at impact. This is often described as a neutral grip position — and neutral is slightly different for all golfers, since we’re all built just slightly differently.

To implement a neutral top hand grip, rest the club in the second knuckle of your top hand. Next, close your fingers first, then allow the rest of your hand to wrap and cover the grip, with your thumb on the opposite side of the grip. You’ve just achieved your first neutral grip position, which should add better security of the club during your swing.

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The post 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic Friday tee times: Round 2 groupings appeared first on Golf.

The post 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic Friday tee times: Round 2 groupings appeared first on Golf.

Featured tee time for Round 2

With the 2024 PGA Tour Signature Event series now in the rearview mirror, many of the game’s biggest stars are taking a week off to rest and prepare for a trip across the pond to compete in the year’s final major, the Open Championship at Royal Troon, next month.

That means there’s plenty of opportunity for someone in the 156-player field to distinguish himself. Twenty-seven-year-old Cameron Young was one of the favorites heading into the week, and got off to a good start on Thursday with an opening round of five-under 67.

Young is still seeking his first PGA Tour win, despite notching a number of close calls over the last several years, with seven runner-up finishes on his resume.

For Friday’s second round, Young will get started at 1:05 p.m. ET alongside playing partners Robert MacIntyre and Tom Kim.

You can watch the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on ESPN+ with exclusive early action and featured group coverage all day, and on Golf Channel starting at 3 p.m. ET. Peacock will offer a simulcast of Golf Channel’s coverage.

You can check out the complete Round 2 tee times for the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic below.

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2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic tee times for Friday: Round 2 (ET)

Tee No. 1

6:45 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, David Lipsky, Vince Whaley
6:56 a.m. – C.T. Pan, Maverick McNealy, Joseph Bramlett
7:07 a.m. – Eric Cole, Zac Blair, Justin Lower
7:18 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Webb Simpson, Keith Mitchell
7:29 a.m. – Matt Wallace, Chez Reavie, J.J. Spaun
7:40 a.m. – Nico Echavarria, Francesco Molinari, Matt Kuchar
7:51 a.m. – Camilo Villegas, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson
8:02 a.m. – Wesley Bryan, Taylor Montgomery, Matti Schmid
8:13 a.m. – Michael Kim, Robby Shelton, S.H. Kim
8:24 a.m. – Mac Meissner, Parker Coody, Willie Mack III
8:35 a.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Michael Thorbjornsen, Neal Shipley
8:46 a.m. – Pierceson Coody, Rico Hoey, Miles Russell (a)
8:57 a.m. – Rafael Campos, Anders Albertson, Nick Bienz
12:10 p.m. – Garrick Higgo, Kelly Kraft, Carl Yuan
12:21 p.m. – Tyler Duncan, Ryan Moore, Brandon Wu
12:32 p.m. – Nate Lashley, Kevin Tway, Jason Dufner
12:43 p.m. – Davis Riley, Peter Malnati, Brendon Todd
12:54 p.m. – Nick Dunlap, Chris Kirk, Erik van Rooyen
1:05 p.m. – Robert MacIntyre, Tom Kim, Cameron Young
1:16 p.m. – Lee Hodges, Nick Hardy, K.H. Lee
1:27 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, Alex Noren, Aaron Rai
1:38 p.m. – Chesson Hadley, Tyson Alexander, Sami Valimaki
1:49 p.m. – Davis Thompson, Callum Tarren, Ryo Hisatsune
2:00 p.m. – Jacob Bridgeman, Jorge Campillo, Danny Guise
2:11 p.m. – Nicholas Lindheim, Erik Barnes, Brandon Berry
2:22 p.m. – Ryan McCormick, Kevin Dougherty, Angelo Giantsopoulos

Tee No. 10

6:45 a.m. – Henrik Norlander, Justin Suh, Dylan Wu
6:56 a.m. – Jimmy Walker, Roger Sloan, Carson Young
7:07 a.m. – Charley Hoffman, Ryan Fox, Harry Hall
7:18 a.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee
7:29 a.m. – Chris Gotterup, Taylor Pendrith, Jake Knapp
7:40 a.m. – Rickie Fowler, Will Zalatoris, Cam Davis
7:51 a.m. – Kevin Kisner, Cameron Champ, Gary Woodland
8:02 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Mark Hubbard, Nicolai Højgaard
8:13 a.m. – Troy Merritt, Patton Kizzire, Ben Griffin
8:24 a.m. – Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ben Taylor
8:35 a.m. – Thorbjorn Olesen, Joe Highsmith, Tom Whitney
8:46 a.m. – Paul Barjon, Hayden Springer, Blaine Hale, Jr.
8:57 a.m. – Harrison Endycott, Raul Pereda, Kyle Martin
12:10 p.m. – Martin Laird, Lanto Griffin, Doug Ghim
12:21 p.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Sam Ryder, Max Greyserman
12:32 a.m. – Matt NeSmith, Hayden Buckley, Kevin Yu
12:43 p.m. – Taylor Moore, Adam Svensson, Brandt Snedeker
12:54 p.m. – Luke List, Chad Ramey, Adam Schenk
1:05 p.m. – Brice Garnett, Vincent Norrman, Ryan Brehm
1:16 p.m. – Martin Trainer, Tim Wilkinson, Andrew Novak
1:27 p.m. – Beau Hossler, Josh Teater, Greyson Sigg
1:38 p.m. – Kevin Streelman, Bud Cauley, Scott Gutschewski
1:49 p.m. – Ben Kohles, Chandler Phillips, David Skinns
2:00 p.m. – Alejandro Tosti, Patrick Fishburn, Jackson Koivun (a)
2:11 p.m. – Chan Kim, Trace Crowe, Luke Clanton (a)
2:22 p.m. – Ben Silverman, Wilson Furr, Ben James (a)

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The post Should caddies correct players in big moments? 2 loopers weigh in appeared first on Golf.

The post Should caddies correct players in big moments? 2 loopers weigh in appeared first on Golf.

So what’s a caddie to do when he disagrees with his boss’s read in that moment?

That’s exactly the question posed by GOLF Subpar co-host Drew Stoltz to two veteran loopers, Joel Stock and John Limanti, on this week’s episode with co-host Colt Knost.

Stoltz brought up the example of Xander Schauffele, needing to hole the final birdie putt on the 72nd hole at Valhalla to win last month’s PGA Championship.

“He calls you in. You’re his guy. Your player calls you and says, ‘What do you got? I love inside left,'” Stoltz poses. “You think it’s half ball outside left. What do you do?”

News

Limanti quickly came up with a middle-ground answer.

“If he’s if he’s aggressive, you just remind him that it’s uphill,” Limanti, the looper for Akshay Bhatia, said, pointing out that in the specific scenario, Schauffele’s putt was uphill. “Yeah. So knowing your guy if he’s a die putter like if you think he’s going to die that.

“So I mean I would definitely say something. I would say ‘I see more.'”

Stock, who caddies for Will Zalatoris, didn’t necessarily agree.

“Affirm that confidence man,” Stock said. “If you read the situation, if he loves it and I mean if you’re nitpicking in that situation, just instill that confidence. I think that’s the best way to go.”

For more from Stock and Limanti, check out the full episode of Subpar below.

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The 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic gets underway Thursday at Detroit Golf Club. Here’s everything you need to know to know watch Thursday’s opening round, including full Thursday TV coverage, streaming info, tee times and more.

How to watch the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Thursday

You can watch Thursday’s first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on ESPN+ with exclusive early action and featured group coverage all day, and on Golf Channel starting at 3 p.m. ET. Peacock will offer a simulcast of Golf Channel’s coverage.

How to stream the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Thursday

You can watch the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic online with Paramount+, Peacock and PGA Tour Live on ESPN+. ESPN+ will provide exclusive early coverage and featured group coverage all four days of the tournament. Peacock will offer simulcasts of Golf Channel’s TV coverage, while Paramount+ will stream CBS’s coverage.

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Tournament basics

What: 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic
Where: Detroit, Mich.
When: Thursday-Sunday, June 27-30
Purse: $9.2 million; $1.6 million to the winner
Defending champion: Rickie Fowler

2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic tee times: Round 1 (ET)

Tee No. 1

6:45 a.m. – Martin Laird, Lanto Griffin, Doug Ghim
6:56 a.m. – Aaron Baddeley, Sam Ryder, Max Greyserman
7:07 a.m. – Matt NeSmith, Hayden Buckley, Kevin Yu
7:18 a.m. – Taylor Moore, Adam Svensson, Brandt Snedeker
7:29 a.m. – Luke List, Chad Ramey, Adam Schenk
7:40 a.m. – Brice Garnett, Vincent Norrman, Ryan Brehm
7:51 a.m. – Martin Trainer, Tim Wilkinson, Andrew Novak
8:02 a.m. – Beau Hossler, Josh Teater, Greyson Sigg
8:13 a.m. – Kevin Streelman, Bud Cauley, Scott Gutschewski
8:24 a.m. – Ben Kohles, Chandler Phillips, David Skinns
8:35 a.m. – Alejandro Tosti, Patrick Fishburn, Jackson Koivun (a)
8:46 a.m. – Chan Kim, Trace Crowe, Luke Clanton (a)
8:57 a.m. – Ben Silverman, Wilson Furr, Ben James (a)
12:10 p.m. – Henrik Norlander, Justin Suh, Dylan Wu
12:21 p.m. – Jimmy Walker, Roger Sloan, Carson Young
12:32 p.m. – Charley Hoffman, Ryan Fox, Harry Hall
12:43 p.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee
12:54 p.m. – Chris Gotterup, Taylor Pendrith, Jake Knapp
1:05 p.m. – Rickie Fowler, Will Zalatoris, Cam Davis
1:16 p.m. – Kevin Kisner, Cameron Champ, Gary Woodland
1:27 p.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Mark Hubbard, Nicolai Højgaard
1:38 p.m. – Troy Merritt, Patton Kizzire, Ben Griffin
1:49 p.m. – Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens, Ben Taylor
2:00 p.m. – Thorbjørn Olesen, Joe Highsmith, Tom Whitney
2:11 p.m. – Paul Barjon, Hayden Springer, Blaine Hale, Jr.
2:22 p.m. – Harrison Endycott, Raul Pereda, Kyle Martin

Tee No. 10

6:45 a.m. – Garrick Higgo, Kelly Kraft, Carl Yuan
6:56 a.m. – Tyler Duncan, Ryan Moore, Brandon Wu
7:07 a.m. – Nate Lashley, Kevin Tway, Jason Dufner
7:18 a.m. – Davis Riley, Peter Malnati, Brendon Todd
7:29 a.m. – Nick Dunlap, Chris Kirk, Erik van Rooyen
7:40 a.m. – Robert MacIntyre, Tom Kim, Cameron Young
7:51 a.m. – Lee Hodges, Nick Hardy, K.H. Lee
8:02 a.m. – Joel Dahmen, Alex Noren, Aaron Rai
8:13 a.m. – Chesson Hadley, Tyson Alexander, Sami Valimaki
8:24 a.m. – Davis Thompson, Callum Tarren, Ryo Hisatsune
8:35 a.m. – Jacob Bridgeman, Jorge Campillo, Danny Guise
8:46 a.m. – Nicholas Lindheim, Erik Barnes, Brandon Berry
8:57 a.m. – Ryan McCormick, Kevin Dougherty, Angelo Giantsopoulos
12:10 p.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, David Lipsky, Vince Whaley
12:21 p.m. – C.T. Pan, Maverick McNealy, Joseph Bramlett
12:32 p.m. – Eric Cole, Zac Blair, Justin Lower
12:43 p.m. – Daniel Berger, Webb Simpson, Keith Mitchell
12:54 p.m. – Matt Wallace, Chez Reavie, J.J. Spaun
1:05 p.m. – Nico Echavarria, Francesco Molinari, Matt Kuchar
1:16 p.m. – Camilo Villegas, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson
1:27 p.m. – Wesley Bryan, Taylor Montgomery, Matti Schmid
1:38 p.m. – Michael Kim, Robby Shelton, S.H. Kim
1:49 p.m. – Mac Meissner, Parker Coody, Willie Mack III
2:00 p.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Michael Thorbjornsen, Neal Shipley
2:11 p.m. – Pierceson Coody, Rico Hoey, Miles Russell (a)
2:22 p.m. – Rafael Campos, Anders Albertson, Nick Bien

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The post WATCH: Niall Horan joins the Scoop appeared first on Golf.

The post WATCH: Niall Horan joins the Scoop appeared first on Golf.

The 30-year-old golf-obsessed singer joined me for some cookie-dough ice cream on a day off from his world tour, “The Show,” in Florida. We met up at a Boston Common Golf shoot, and Horan is one of the kindest, most disarming celebrities I’ve met during my time at GOLF. He was extremely laid back and I think it was really fun for him to spend a few hours the way a lot of men (even the ones not on a world tour) do: nerding out over golf.

I asked Horan about how he got into golf, his love for Boston, his friendship with Rory McIlroy and why there’s a gap in his tour schedule in April. We also discussed the fall he took while looping for McIlroy at the 2015 Par 3 Contest at the Masters, which gave the singer a chance to explain what really happened that day.

Shout out to Horan for being so kind and engaged during this interview. His storytelling and humor are second-to-none, as is his love of golf. He stuck around for a while after to chip and putt, and even offered concert tickets to everyone who was working at this shoot. Unfortunately, I had a flight to catch, but the others who attended had awesome seats.

Whether you’re here at as a golf fan or Niall Horan stan, I think you’ll enjoy this sit-down chat. The Scoop with Niall Horan is now live on the GOLF YouTube Channel!

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The post PGA of America chief steps down in latest golf-leadership shake-up appeared first on Golf.

The post PGA of America chief steps down in latest golf-leadership shake-up appeared first on Golf.

Waugh, 65, served as the PGA of America chief for six years, but is not renewing his contract, which is set to end on June 30. Kerry Haigh, the chief championships officer, will step in as interim CEO, though a search for Waugh’s permanent replacement is already underway, according to a statement released by the PGA of America Wednesday evening. 

“I am proud of all that we have accomplished for our more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals and the game,” Waugh said in a press release. “I have enjoyed every moment serving alongside all of my colleagues, all the various Officers and Board Members and getting to know so many of our dedicated Members who are on the front line of the game that we love every day of the year. The day-to-day game has never been stronger, more beloved or better positioned for the future because of their passion and how we have all worked together to make millions of lives better through our remarkable sport.”

Waugh’s time atop the organization saw the PGA’s premier championship, the PGA Championship, move from August to May, making way for the PGA Tour’s end-of-season playoffs to wrap up before the football season begins. He also played a significant role in getting pro golf’s schedule back up and running during the Covid pandemic. The PGA Championship was the first major conducted in 2020 after all of them had been postponed or canceled. 

Waugh’s exit comes during a period of great change at the top level of pro golf, particularly in the C-suite. Keith Pelley stepped down as DP World Tour CEO in early April, taking a job with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in his homeland of Canada. Martin Slumbers, head of the R&A, has already announced his plans to retire from that post at the end of this year.

Throughout the unrest of the last few years of pro golf, Waugh maintained a strong relationship with the PGA Tour and its leader, Jay Monahan. The two have worked closely together and forged a bond as the formation of LIV Golf was rocking the landscape of professional golf. Waugh didn’t shy away from critiquing LIV, calling the league structure “flawed” in 2022, and asserting in 2023 that “no matter how much money you have, at some point, burning it doesn’t feel very good. I don’t see they are accomplishing much.”

Waugh’s departure comes at the end of his contract, but also during an interesting time for the PGA of America. The next Ryder Cup, which the PGA of America predominantly owns and operates, is set to take place in 15 months at Bethpage Black, just outside New York City. That the 2025 edition is a U.S.-based Ryder Cup and so close to a global economic hub, the event is expected to be a mega-moneymaker for the organization. But Waugh and PGA of America executives are at least four months behind in naming the U.S. captain. 

Waugh had been holding conversations with Tiger Woods the last few months, both before the Masters and after, but Woods has not yet made up his mind on the captaincy. The 2023 Ryder Cup, played outside Rome in October, was won by Team Europe but will be remembered in part for angst surrounding reports about Patrick Cantlay’s not wearing a hat during play, an alleged protest against players not being paid directly for their involvement in the event.

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The post LIV’s major exemptions are dwindling. If nothing changes, here’s what’ll happen appeared first on Golf.

The post LIV’s major exemptions are dwindling. If nothing changes, here’s what’ll happen appeared first on Golf.

When Tyrrell Hatton won LIV’s Nashville event by six strokes the following week he, too, earned a first-place check of $4 million. But he didn’t earn any ranking points, remaining at No. 22 in the world. And by the time next year’s majors come around, his eligibility for three of the four will be up in the air.

None of this is breaking news; the OWGR question has hung around LIV since its inception. And although some players who joined the Saudi-backed startup circuit were assured that they would get points, that hasn’t happened — and earlier this year LIV abandoned its quest altogether. Because the majors have long used the OWGR to build out their fields, this means trouble for LIV pros looking to compete in golf’s most prestigious events.

In his post-tournament press conference at the U.S. Open DeChambeau struck a conciliatory tone, suggesting the world of men’s pro golf should come back together. That’s a refrain that’s been echoed by certain voices on both sides of the LIV-PGA Tour divide, including Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood in recent weeks. That may well happen; talks between the Tour and LIV’s funding source, the Saudi PIF, remain ongoing, and there’s a future that could include world ranking points for all. But if nothing happens, the divergent tales of DeChambeau and Hatton tell a different story: While LIV’s most famous players remain major-eligible, the rest of its berths are dwindling away.

LIV’s good news

LIV’s lessened presence at majors has been partially glossed over because many of its biggest names have retained their major eligibility. Winning a major gets you entry into every other major for the five years that follow, which means Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters), Phil Mickelson (2021 PGA) and Cam Smith (2022 Open Championship) have been in no danger of missing majors while Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA) and DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open) have won since joining.

LIV is also guaranteed to have an ongoing presence at the Masters because the Masters gives its winners lifetime invitations and LIV has snapped up a bunch of green-jacket winners; that group is headlined by Jon Rahm (2023) and includes Sergio Garcia (2017), Reed (2018), Charl Schwartzel (2011) and Bubba Watson (2012, 2014) — as well as the aforementioned Johnson and Mickelson.

LIV players own a few other outstanding tournament exemptions. Martin Kaymer has an exemption at the PGA Championship until age 60 (thanks to his win in 2011), while Louis Oosthuizen (2010) and Henrik Stenson (2016) can play the Open until they’re 60 as past champs, too. Richard Bland’s recent Senior PGA title gets him into next year’s PGA Championship. And Hatton earned his way into next year’s Masters by way of a T9 finish this season, while Dean Burmester will make it back to the PGA thanks to a T12.

This year they proved there are other ways in, too. Sergio Garcia was among those to make it through qualifying for the U.S. Open, while other top worldwide finishes netted Open Championship berths to Burmester, Joaquin Niemann and David Puig.

So one thing is for sure: There will be talented, high-profile LIV golfers at the 2025 major championships.

LIV’s bad news

The other certainty is that, if nothing changes, there will be fewer of them each year that follows. Due to diminishing world ranking points, top LIV pros have already played fewer majors the last two years than they would have had they remained on the PGA Tour. Abraham Ancer hasn’t played a major in 2024. Neither has Paul Casey. Nor have Marc Leishman, Mito Pereira, Thomas Pieters, Ian Poulter, Brendan Steele, Harold Varner III and Matthew Wolff. Others have seen reduced starts: Talor Gooch, Joaquin Niemann and Patrick Reed were among the notable names to miss this latest U.S. Open.

Let’s check out a chart via refined stathead Robopz, who has been laser-focused on exemptions and posted this on Twitter (he’s worth a follow for the golf nerds among you, here). Take a look at those numbers highlighted in yellow: Of the players on LIV’s current roster, 25 played the Masters in 2022 but just 13 played this year and 11 are guaranteed invites in 2025. The numbers are even bleaker for the other three majors: 42 now-LIV-players played the PGA in 2022, 16 played this season and nine are currently promised for next year. At the U.S. Open those numbers go to 30 (in 2022), 13 (this year) and six (for 2025), while things look similar at the Open Championship: 31 (in 2022), 14 (so far this year) and eight (thus far for next year).

Even those invitees aren’t necessarily LIV’s best. Take the Masters field, for instance: Schwartzel and Reed are No. 19 and 20 on LIV’s order of merit, Mickelson ranks No. 43 and Watson ranks No. 50. Meanwhile Nos. 1 (Niemann) 4 (Oosthuizen) and 5 (Burmester) on that list aren’t yet exempt. Others with long-term exemptions include Stenson (No. 36) and Kaymer (No. 38) while Carlos Ortiz (No. 9) and Abraham Ancer (No. 10) have nothing promised going forward.

This is hardly final; more LIV pros will end up in those fields. The Masters invited Niemann this year based on his worldwide play. The PGA invited Puig, Burmester and Gooch. And USGA head Mike Whan teased the idea of a future LIV exemption category. There will be other ways in through DP World Tour events, Asian Tour events or special invitations. But those invites are still likely to be limited and LIV pros are still unlikely to earn significant world ranking points unless, ironically, they play in all the majors.

LIV’s path back

Thinking big picture there are two realistic paths back to majors for LIV pros without current major exemptions. The one they’d likely prefer would be if the majors suddenly decided to have an extensive LIV-exempt list like, say, the top 12 players in the league getting into each major. The other route would involve some sort of unification with the PGA Tour, the chance to play in more world-ranking-point events and subsequently playing well enough to work their way back up the eligibility categories.

But there’s been little to suggest pro golf will take either of those paths by, say, next season.

In the meantime LIV players will continue to reap the financial rewards of their decision to jump to their new circuit. But in a complex pro golf landscape, these are the consequences: fewer chances to earn world ranking points, fewer chances win the game’s biggest events. Time will tell how those biggest events respond.

The post LIV’s major exemptions are dwindling. If nothing changes, here’s what’ll happen appeared first on Golf.