Category: Golf

Savannah De Bock ends drought with Golfweek Red Sky Classic title. Where can she lead Eastern Michigan from here?

Savannah De Bock, a top international talent from Belgium, could help lay a foundation for a revitalization of the Eastern Michigan women’s golf program.

Josh Brewer sees in Savannah De Bock the quality all good players have: An unfailing confidence in her own game.

“She thinks she’s holing every shot she can get to the hole,” said Brewer, the new women’s golf coach at Eastern Michigan. “If it’s a hybrid or a putt, she really thinks she should make it.”

De Bock, from Belgium, spent the spring semester at Georgia, playing for Brewer. She transferred to Eastern Michigan for her sophomore season to follow a coach she felt she connected with and now, she could help lay a foundation for a revitalization of the Eagles’ women’s golf program. Here’s a player who could be a contender on the Annika Award Watch List and in the conversation for other postseason honors – as Brewer says, someone who can “cause some headaches for the Power 4 schools.”

De Bock’s fall season began last month at big venues, like Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open and the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur. De Bock tied for eighth there at the season-opening Leadership and Golf Invitational. She was six shots out of first and her week included a quadruple bogey on the 18th hole because of “a bad shot that led to another bad shot that led to another bad shot,” she said.

“I learned from it,” De Bock said, “We can see that this weekend was much better.”

On a high-altitude Tom Fazio layout for the Golfweek Red Sky Classic in Wolcott, Colorado, a week later, De Bock didn’t make worse than bogey (and had only four of those) on her way to winning her first individual title in two years. De Bock’s 15-under 54-hole total at Red Sky Golf Club is one off the tournament record, and a mind-blowing amount under par for a big golf course set at 8,000 feet with fast, undulating greens.

“Some of the pins were really hard, but I had done a very good practice round with the coaches so I knew where to aim on the greens and what zones to avoid,” De Bock said. “We had a very strong strategy on the par 5s to know when to attack and when not to.”

A second-round 65 at Red Sky is De Bock’s personal best in competition, and she only realized that after counting up all the birdies at the end of the day. She’d posted 66 in tournament play plenty of times, most notably when she won the European Ladies Amateur Championship in 2022.

Just talking about that championship reminded De Bock of the drought she’d been in ever since that title. It was something she’d talked about recently with Brewer.

“I was just like holy cow, I cannot win a thing,” she said. “I was feeling a little blue about it.”

When De Bock arrived in the U.S., Brewer said she fired at every pin. Her victory at Red Sky is evidence of her being more open to a different game plan – and having the ability to execute it. De Bock has also improved her club-head speed since arriving in the U.S., which has made her an increased threat.

De Bock doesn’t just want to play the tour someday, she wants the whole experience. Asked for her goals in golf, she listed the LPGA grand slam and holing the winning putt for Europe in the Solheim Cup.

“I just want to get really great at it,” she said of golf, referencing little goals, too, like scoring records.

In the short term, De Bock hopes to get back to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, a tournament she played in 2023 but missed the cut. At Eastern Michigan, Brewer has built a competitive, coast-to-coast schedule that can get her there. De Bock is currently 86th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking but has been as high as 35th. A prominent alum has helped provide the resources for that schedule and beyond.

In May, GameAbove announced a $6.5 million commitment to the Eastern Michigan golf programs. Eastern Michigan alum Keith Stone is the Chairman of GameAbove, a brand encompassing charitable giving, capital investments, sports entertainment, and media ventures, and has donated $34.5 million to the university since 2019, with $14.5 million being earmarked for the golf programs, according to a university release.

The donation has afforded Eastern Michigan’s golf programs myriad opportunities, from increased staffing to facilities to travel funds. It’s a program waiting to be built and Brewer, having spent 12 seasons at Georgia and four seasons as an assistant coach at USC before that, is always game for a challenge.

After his first interview with Eastern Michigan, Brewer tossed out a thought: Why not Eastern Michigan?

“It’s kind of stuck and been our mantra. Like, why not? Why can’t we be one of the top programs? We have everything we need besides, I say, the logo,” Brewer said, referencing Eastern Michigan’s mid-major status.

“It’s a unique challenge and I want to prove that it can be done no matter where you’re at, no matter what part of the country.”

Watch: Scottie Scheffler slam dunks bunker shot for improbable birdie start at Presidents Cup

Scottie Scheffler, nothing but net.

MONTREAL — Scottie Scheffler, nothing but net.

The World No. 1 hit his approach shot into a greenside bunker at the first hole at Royal Montreal Golf Club in his 2024 Presidents Cup singles match against the International Team’s Hideki Matsuyama. No. Big. Deal. Scheffler lofted his bunker shot high in the air and right into the cup on the fly for a birdie and a quick and improbable 1-up lead.

Scheffler clenched his right fist in a rather subdued celebration for such an incredible shot. Highlight reel stuff #ESPNplayoftheday Top-10 lock and huge momentum surge for Scheffler too.

The U.S. entered Sunday’s 12 single matches with an 11-7 lead. It is seeking its 10th straight win in the biennial competition.

Trees down: Augusta National ‘assessing the effects’ of Hurricane Helene

“We currently are assessing the effects at Augusta National Golf Club.”

Augusta National Golf Club is top of mind with golf fans after Hurricane Helene hit Augusta, Georgia, leaving more than 200,000 residents without power.

The Category 4 storm rolled through the area on Friday, leading to speculation that the home of the Masters could have suffered significant damage in the process. On Saturday morning, the private club that hosts the season’s first men’s major and is ranked No. 3 in the Golfweek’s Best Classic Course list, issued a statement regarding the storm on its social media platform.

“Our Augusta community has suffered catastrophic and historic impact from Hurricane Helene. We currently are assessing the effects at Augusta National Golf Club,” wrote club Chairman Fred Ridley. “In the meantime, our focus and efforts are foremost with our staff, neighbors and business owners in Augusta. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as well as everyone throughout Georgia and the Southeast who have been affected.”

https://twitter.com/TheMasters/status/1840028796524622218

Hurrican Helene made landfall Thursday night along Florida’s Big Bend coast. Helene brought tropical storm-force wind to the Augusta area (30-40 mph winds with 65 mph gusts).

A video on X showed what appeared to be Rae’s Creek flowing at a high level. The creek flows close to holes No. 11 and 12 at Augusta National.

https://twitter.com/Spahlorgahdee/status/1839681082339295237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1839681082339295237%7Ctwgr%5Ecfe7fb79189759dd4bdcd6fc52e6b3f09dc2bc8d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fgolfweek.usatoday.com%2F2024%2F09%2F27%2Fhurricane-helene-hits-augusta-national-raes-creek-damage%2F

Another post from Eureka Earth, which has often been the first to detect course work at the club via drone footage, showed photos of trees down on the famed course.

https://twitter.com/EurekaEarthPlus/status/1839745688533352844

First responders in Columbia County reported numerous trees falling on houses, cars and roads Friday morning. Augusta first responders reported multiple water rescues and structure fires.

Golf instruction: How to hit a draw and a fade

Mastering both a draw and a fade is crucial to working the golf ball in your favor on the golf course.

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Mastering both a draw and a fade is crucial to working the golf ball in your favor on the golf course.

This week, Golfweek’s fitness guru and long driver Averee Dovsek demonstrates some notable footwork and swing thoughts to hit a silky draw or fade like the professionals.

These shots may come in handy when trying to bend the ball around a big tree, follow the curvature of a fairway or flight the ball a specific direction in the wind.

If you’re interested in any of Averee’s fitness content, click here.

If you’re looking for more instruction, click here.

Did Hurricane Helene damage Augusta National trees? Here’s what we know.

What happened to the trees at Augusta National after Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Helene has done a ton of damage after making landfall, with a reported 22 people dead to go along with floods, debris and electric outages.

There’s also a lot of buzz about what may or may not have happened at Augusta National.

The golf club that hosts the Masters every year is in the Georgia town that got hit hard, with scenes of damage shared on social media. But as for talk of the trees downed at the course? We don’t have any absolute confirmation here, only rumor and speculation.

Once we get more information, we’ll update this, but here’s what’s being talked about (again, these are just unconfirmed rumors):

Here’s the awful scene from the town:

Thinking of everyone there and anyone else who was affected by the storm.

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Scottie Scheffler screamed ‘WHAT WAS THAT?!’ at Tom Kim during a electrifying Presidents Cup match

This got chippy!

Let’s be fair here and remind you that Tom Kim and Scottie Scheffler are buddies, so no hard feelings here.

But when you’re on the course at an international competition like the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup, emotions are going to run high.

That was the case on No. 7 at Royal Montreal Golf Club during the 2024 Presidents Cup, with Kim burying a clutch putt and giving a “LET’S GOOOO!” fist pump to his team.

Scheffler answered with a clutch putt of his own and added his own words of trash talk: “WHAT WAS THAT?!”

Heck yeah. We need more of this.

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Add another chapter to the Lindsay Kuhle file: Experienced Kansas team CPAs its way to Golfweek Red Sky title

It’s another chapter in Kuhle’s long history at Red Sky, though she remains unsure whether her Kansas team knows the extent of that story.

In nearly every aspect of preparation for the Golfweek Red Sky Challenge, Lindsay Kuhle used the same tagline: High and soft.

“They laugh at me when I say, high and soft, high and soft,” Kuhle said of team preparations for Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott, Colorado. “To carry it, know your distance and direction and be on the right side of the hole. That’s all we talked about this week – and we talked about putting, high and soft; wedges, high and soft; approach shots, high and soft. Because it is firm but you do have to carry it on the green.”

Clearly, it resonated, because Kansas left the scenic Tom Fazio layout, nestled into the mountains at more than 8,000 feet, with the team title. The Jayhawks were 15 under for 54 holes, which was seven shots ahead of two-time defending champion Pepperdine and Boise State.

Eastern Michigan’s Savannah De Bock won the individual title at 12 under.

Scores: Golfweek Red Sky Classic

The win is just another chapter in Kuhle’s long history at Red Sky, though she remains unsure whether her Kansas team knows the extent of that story. Kuhle, a Colorado native, spent 15 seasons at Denver University, including nine as the head coach. She has coached a team in this event nearly every year since it debuted at Red Sky, in 2010. In the early years, Denver was the event co-host.

“I think they know I know the course,” Kuhle said, “but I don’t think they know how well and how many times I’ve been here.”

Kuhle hadn’t brought a Kansas team to Red Sky, however, since 2021 – her first year as head coach. The Jayhawks finished 10th of 20 teams that year. This time, she started four seniors and a junior. It’s an old team with experience and for proof, check the individual honors.

Over the summer, her 10-tournament roster collected 13 individual titles – everything from the Austrian Women’s Open to the English Women’s Open to the Florida State Women’s Open to the Kansas Women’s Amateur.

“I do think it says a lot about the growth of our program in three short years if you look at where we were at this tournament three years ago to today, we’ve just got players that want to turn pro and players that love the game of golf and compete hard for KU,” Kuhle said.

Last spring, Kuhle coached Kansas to its first team title at the Westbrook Invitational. The Golfweek Red Sky Invitational is now Kuhle’s second.

“Wins are hard to come by and it’s getting more competitive in women’s college golf and with the .500 rule, it’s hard to win,” Kuhle said. “Just to be under pressure – I will say about my team, we’re an old team. … They’re experienced.”

Kuhle sees the program evolving most notably in the kind of players coming to campus. Her 10-woman roster has ties to six different countries. They’re coming for golf, and to prepare themselves for a professional golf career.

Reaching the national championship figures prominently into the team’s vision boards – no surprise there – and there are many numbers surrounding Kuhle’s impact at KU that show how she’s pulling the program toward that goal, such as year-end national ranking. The highest the program has been ranked in its 50-year history is No. 38.

“Last year we were 48 and the year before we were 51 so we keep getting closer,” Kuhle said. “So those two things are on our mind.”

At Red Sky, Kansas was a favored program in the 16-team field. Kuhle took that position and she created a mantra for her players: CPA.

“I asked the girls, do you know what a CPA is? They said yeah, certified [public] accountant,” Kuhle said. “I said no, it means we’re going to play with courage, be patient and be aggressive. And if we do those three things, we’re going to be in a good position come the final round.”

When Denver won the team title in 2017 (while Kuhle was the head coach but out on maternity leave), it was with a nail-biting comeback in the final round. Needless to say, after Kansas went 11 under in the second round of the event this year and built a five-shot lead, Kuhle was not naïve enough to think it was over. She encouraged her players to keep approaching the course confidently, but in the right way.

“Really tried to say that you have to play aggressive and you’ve got to go for these pins even though they look tucked,” she said, “but if you have, again, high and soft and good distance and direction, you’ll get the ball to stop where you want it to.”

Johanna Ebner felt right at home in Vail Village during the Golfweek Red Sky Classic. (Photo submitted)

One memorable thing about the week at Red Sky – for any team – is the scenery. Kuhle noted that in the five days they were in the mountains, the leaves began to change to a beautiful yellow. Her team’s favorite off-course memory was of nearby Vail Village, where they grabbed dinner and ice cream and took a relaxing stroll. Austrian Johanna Ebner, especially, was struck by the similarity to the Austrian and Bavarian ski towns she grew up around. That familiarity helped Ebner to a top-10 finish individually.

“She kept saying that this reminds me of back home,” Kuhle said.

And that gave her something in common with the coach.

Caitlin Clark’s offseason goal? To become a professional golfer

“That’s what I’m gonna do until it gets too cold in Indiana. I’ll become a professional golfer.”

Caitlin Clark just finished one of the best rookie seasons in WNBA history.

The first overall pick from Iowa helped lead the Indiana Fever into the WNBA playoffs following a regular season where she was named WNBA Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in MVP voting.

Her season came to an end Wednesday night. In the postgame press conference, Clark was asked about what her offseason plans entailed, and she had a quick answer.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow. I don’t know what I’m going to do the next day. Maybe play some golf,” Clark said. “That’s what I’m gonna do until it gets too cold in Indiana. I’ll become a professional golfer.”

https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1839307760774598868

Clark has been a regular guest at pro-ams in the past, so expect her to make more appearances before her second season with the Fever picks up in the spring.

But until then, it’s time to pick up the sticks.

“Not too much, babe,” teammate Aliyah Boston joked. “Keep it to basketball.”

Josiah Gilbert takes home win at Valero Texas Collegiate

Gilbert’s 12-under par total helped him finish lead the No. 1 ranked Tigers to a tie for third on the team scoreboard in Texas.

For the second weekend in a row, an Auburn golfer has won a tournament. After uber-talented sophomore Jackson Koivun opened up the Tigers golf season with an individual victory at the Inverness Intercollegiate a week ago, fellow sophomore Josiah Gilbert captured his first ever win on the collegiate tour this weekend.

Gilbert’s 12-under par total helped him finish lead the No. 1 ranked Tigers to a tie for third on the team scoreboard in Texas. Led by Gilbert and Koivun, Auburn’s golf team has now finished in the top 3 in back-to-back tournaments to start the year and collected two individual wins. The defending national champions have seemingly not lost a step as they begin their title defense.

Head coach Nick Clinard has been proud of what he’s seen from his team, although he sees some room for improvement as well, and he reiterated that when speaking to the media after the tournament. “Top three in a field this stacked is always something to be proud of. We definitely left some shots out there…but I am proud of our overall effort and the way we finished strong today.”

That effort, led by Gilbert, will likely keep the Tigers ranked in the No. 1 spot before they return to Texas for the Ben Hogan Collegiate in Fort Worth next weekend. We’ll see if the Tigers can capture their first team win of the season in what could be an easier field starting next Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Golf simulator company Golfzon launches indoor league with teams in U.S., Mexico, Canada, UK

The final event will take place at the 2025 PGA Show, where the winning team will get $150,000.

This story was updated to change and add a photo.

There’s a new indoor golf league coming from Golfzon, an industry leader in high-end golf simulators.

The 12-team Golfzon Tour was announced Tuesday, with plans for 12 teams in the U.S. as well as Mexico, Canada and England competing for big money.

The Tour Finals are being scheduled for the week of the 2025 PGA Show, where the winning Golfzon Tour team will get $150,000.

Golfzon has already been running the GTour in South Korea for more than 10 years. The events there are broadcast live on a golf-specific cable TV network.

The new North American/UK league will have a qualifying process at each of the team’s locations in order to attract players. Each team will have five players and golfers in the different areas of the world will compete live against one another.

Golfzon simulator
Golfzon simulator

The locations of each of the teams:

  • London – The Golf Rooms
  • New York City – Golfzon Social
  • Toronto – Golfplay
  • Detroit – Tee Times
  • Louisville – Tee It Up Golf USA
  • Orlando – Golfzon Leadbetter
  • Minneapolis – Element Indoor Golf
  • Chicago – The Green
  • Tulsa – BirdieBay
  • Houston – The Daly Round
  • Mexico – Mulligan’s Monterrey
  • Los Angeles – Golf Envy

The teams will participate in a five-week, round-robin schedule that’s scheduled to start in October and will be available on golfzontour.com and the official Golfzon YouTube channel.

The golf course simulators will have golfers playing the Old Course at St. Andrews, Kingsbarns Golf Links, Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, Harbour Town Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf
Course and the Stadium Course at PGA West. The Tour Finals at the 2025 PGA Show in Orlando will be contested on the virtual links of Bay Hill Club and Lodge.