Tag: Abraham Ancer

Bryson DeChambeau wants to move on from LIV Golf drama after his ‘personal business decision’ to join Saudi Arabia-backed series

“I have personally made that in my own — as my own decision, and I won’t say any more on that. There’s no need.”

NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — Bryson DeChambeau has heard and seen the criticism he and his fellow competitors have faced for joining the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series that’s backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. He even said he respects those comments.

But after his press conference Tuesday ahead of the LIV Golf Portland event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, he’s done talking about it.

“I understand people’s decisions on their comments and whatnot. But as it relates to me, I have personally made that in my own — as my own decision, and I won’t say any more on that. There’s no need. We’re golfers at the end of the day, and I think that I respect everybody’s opinion,” said DeChambeau. “That’s the most important thing people can hopefully understand out of me is I do respect it, but golf is a force for good, and I think as time goes on, hopefully, people will see the good that they are doing and what they are trying to accomplish rather than looking at the bad that’s happened before.

“I think moving on from that is important, and going and continuing to move forward in a positive light is something that could be a force for good for the future of the game.”

DeChambeau ended the press conference alongside fellow LIV Golf debutants Matthew Wolff and Abraham Ancer by saying, “Looking forward is the most important thing we can do in regards to this game of golf.”

In other words, DeChambeau wants to get back to sports and wash away the negativity surrounding the upstart circuit led by Greg Norman. Yet when asked about their motivations to join LIV Golf, the sport itself was rarely mentioned. More opportunities outside of golf, whether it be business or family, were the talking points.

“One of the things for me it was a personal business decision. For me, I run and operate my golf as a business as well as wanting to be one of the better players in the world,” explained DeChambeau. “Second off, it was going to give me more resources and opportunities to reinvest in my local community, in Dallas, and back at my original home in California where I can do things for junior golf tours, improve my foundation, and also build the multi-sport complex I’m going to build here shortly in Dallas, and also give me more time to rest, the ability to have weeks off and recover my body in the way I want to so that I can be prepared to give it my all when it comes time, not be depleted every week and continuing to get depleted over the course of time.

“And then the last part is I saw that first event in London and how much fun everybody was having. That was exciting to me. And I wanted to be a part of something like that.”

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Matthew Wolff on his new LIV financial freedom: ‘It’s about how you treat people, how you respect people.’

“We’re golfers, we’re providing entertainment globally and will continue to do so,” DeChambeau said.

PORTLAND, Oregon — LIV Golf officially kicked off in the United States Tuesday morning, as the new organization held a press conference at its first American-based event at Pumpkin Ridge, located about 20 miles west of Portland’s city center. Play begins Thursday.

The organization’s three newest golfers — all recent defectors from the PGA Tour — spoke about their decision to join LIV, the unconventional and controversial tour that’s scheduled to play four events in the U.S. in the coming months.

And while questions were posed to each Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Wolff and Abraham Ancer about the controversy surrounding LIV — an organization funded by Saudi Arabia, a country with a long, horrific track record on human rights — none was eager to talk about it.

“We’re golfers, we’re providing entertainment globally and will continue to do so,” DeChambeau said, adding later that he thinks “moving on” from that part of the conversation is “important.”

“Golf is a force for good,” DeChambeau said. “As time goes on, hopefully people will see the good they’re (the Saudis) doing. And what they’re trying to accomplish, rather than looking back at the bad that’s happened before.”

Each of them did acknowledge that money was absolutely a factor in their moves; DeChambeau called it “a personal business decision.” Wolff said the team component of LIV was especially appealing to him.

“In college I felt like I really thrived,” said the 23-year-old Wolff, who won the 2019 NCAA individual championship while at Oklahoma State. “There’s something to be said about playing hard for yourself and for your caddy but when you know people are lying on you, it’s different. The best comes out when you’re on a team. That dynamic really suited me.”

All three mentioned the LIV’s schedule, which will allow players to take more and longer breaks than the PGA schedule, theoretically giving players more time to rest and a better shot at achieving the coveted work-life balance.

“The last two to three years, I’ve been giving my all to golf, I haven’t really had a life outside of golf,” said Ancer, who made a pro-con list before making the jump to LIV, adding that it wasn’t an easy choice. “I missed spending time with my family and friends and I wasn’t as happy.”

As for concern about potentially plummeting rankings and how that could impact their eligibility for majors, Ancer acknowledged it could be an issue.

“Of course it matters,” Ancer said. “I definitely want to play in majors, and we already have a pretty strong field and a pretty strong case here. It would be kinda crazy to not get any points (from LIV events). I’m definitely banking on having some points going forward. Hopefully, it gets resolved.”

And what if they’re not able to play in majors this year or next?

“We’re talking about today,” Wolff said curtly.

Both DeChambeau and Wolff talked about their desire to leave a legacy both on and off the golf course, claiming the significant prize money LIV is doling out will allow them to give back to their communities more.

“At the end of the day, your legacy is not just on the golf course but off,” said Wolff, who earned more than $7.5 million on the PGA Tour in his three-plus seasons. “It’s about how you treat people, how you respect people.”

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Reports: Abraham Ancer is leaving PGA Tour, headed to LIV Golf

Multiple sources, including ESPN Deportes, confirmed reports that Ancer was prepared to make the leap.

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer is reported to be the latest player headed to LIV Golf.

Ancer, who entered the week ranked No. 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking, would be the second-highest ranked player behind only Dustin Johnson to join the upstart league that is part of LIV Golf Investments, an investment firm under the majority ownership of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The 31-year-old Ancer turned pro in 2013, and had been rumored to be considering making the move from the PGA Tour, where he won the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational last year. In February, he competed in the Saudi International as part of the Asian Tour. Multiple sources, including ESPN Deportes, confirmed reports that Ancer was prepared to make the leap to LIV, which has been offering lucrative guaranteed money to play in its 54-hole events with shotgun starts.

Ancer played for the International Team in the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, Australia, notching a 3-1-1 record, including his lone defeat in a singles match against Tiger Woods. Ancer was in line to represent the International Team later this year in the biennial match, which is scheduled for Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan suspended Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson among 17 players who competed in LIV Golf’s debut event near London and said others who violated Tour regulations would suffer a similar fate.

Ancer withdrew from the U.S. Open this week citing illness and isn’t in the field at next week’s Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour.

The next LV Golf event is scheduled for Portland in two weeks. Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez were announced as the latest signees.

Abraham Ancer withdraws from the U.S. Open at The Country Club siting illness

In his last major start, Ancer tied for ninth at the PGA Championship.

The 122nd playing of the U.S. Open is officially underway in Brookline, Massachusetts, just outside Boston at The Country Club.

Abraham Ancer, however, will not be teeing it up. Before 7:00 a.m. ET Thursday morning, Ancer withdrew from the field citing an illness as the reason he will not play.

He’d seen some success at major championships so far in 2022. While he missed the cut at Augusta National, he tied for ninth at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills last month.

Replacing him in the field is Patton Kizzire, who was first alternate out of the Roswell, Ga., qualifying site. It will be his third appearance in the U.S. Open.

Something may be going around this week, as Jordan Spieth left the practice area abruptly Wednesday and is reportedly battling a stomach bug. He is expected to play.

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After winning the PGA Championship, Justin Thomas leads list of golfers who missed the cut at the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge

The scorecard implies Thomas might have lost his focus just a tad.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Justin Thomas opened his week at Colonial Country Club by insisting he was squarely focused on adding another trophy to his case, even if the Charles Schwab Challenge kicked off just days after he won the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club.

The scorecard implies Thomas might have lost that focus just a tad.

On a sweltering Texas day, the 15-time PGA Tour champ broke down soon after escaping the Horrible Horseshoe — the three-hole stretch on the front nine that often gives players fits. Instead, it was Nos. 7, 8 and 9 that proved the downfall for Thomas, as his bogey-bogey-triple run essentially clinched a weekend off.

Charles Schwab: Leaderboard | PGA Tour streaming on ESPN+ | Photos

Thomas wasn’t the only big name to struggle in the week after the major.

While Scottie Scheffler, Beau Hossler and Scott Stallings led the way at 9 under, here is a look at some of the other big names who were sent packing after failing to fall on the right side of the plus-1 cutline:

2022 Charles Schwab Challenge odds, field notes, best bets and PGA Tour picks

Abraham Ancer has finished T-14 at Colonial the last two seasons and is coming off a top 10 at the PGA.

The week after a major always feels like a hangover.

Four straight days of 12 hours on the couch, eating like crap, and maybe indulging in a few adult beverages will do it every time.

Now, it’s time for a quick turnaround as the PGA Tour heads back down to Texas for what feels like the 10th time.

The Charles Schwab Challenge, despite its spot on the schedule, has conjured up quite the field here in 2022. PGA champion Justin Thomas isn’t taking any time to celebrate his second career major win and is set to tee off Thursday at Colonial Country Club.

Joining him are World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Will Zalatoris.

Golf course

Colonial Country Club | Par 70 | 7,209 yards | Perry Maxwell design

Jason Kokrak
Jason Kokrak hits an approach shot on the ninth hole during the final round of the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Key statistics

Driving accuracy: Colonial has the fourth narrowest fairways on Tour.

Strokes Gained: Around the Green: Colonial has the seventh smallest greens on Tour, so players who get up and down when they inevitably miss the green will have a significant advantage this week.

Data Golf Information

Course Fit (compares golf courses based on the degree to which different golfer attributes — such as driving distance — to predict who performs well at each course – DataGolf): 1. TPC Sugarloaf, 2. Westchester CC, 3. Sea Island GC

Trending: 1. Scottie Scheffler (last three starts: T-18, T-15, MC), 2. Justin Thomas (T-35, T-5, 1), 3. Will Zalatoris (T-4, MC, 2)

Percent chance to win (based on course history, fit, trending, etc.): 1. Justin Thomas (7.8 percent), 2. Scottie Scheffler (6 percent), 3. Jordan Spieth (4.7 percent)

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‘This is huge for Mexican golf’: Abraham Ancer knows Mexico Open at Vidanta is big opportunity for golf in his country

Ancer’s best stroke-play finish in 2022 is a T-33, which came at the Players.

Abraham Ancer hasn’t played since the Masters, but for good reason.

“I tweaked my back a little bit, so doctor told me to take it easy for a couple weeks,” Ancer said during his Tuesday press conference prior to the start of this week’s Mexico Open at Vidanta. “I went to the Masters with really not much practice. I wasn’t going to skip the Masters, so I convinced my doctor to let me go.

“Had two weeks before here to really, really get healthy and get back out there, get stronger. Thankfully, I feel 100 percent physically.”

Through nine events in 2022, Ancer has claimed just one top 30, a fifth-place finish at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. In stroke play events, his best week ended with a tie for 33rd (The Players).

So, not the year he was hoping for.

Mexico Open: Thursday tee times | PGA Tour Live on ESPN+

However, there wouldn’t be a more fitting place to get back on track for the native of Mexico than Vidanta Vallarta. Despite his goals for the week, he also understands how important it is to have the world’s best players down south.

“It’s huge having two PGA Tour events in our country,” he said. “I think it’s really important. It creates more awareness for the whole country to watch a little bit of golf played in our country, which is not very common, but slowly it’s getting a lot more popular.”

“It also creates opportunities for more Mexicans not only to play an event in our country and to experience what playing at this level is, and the lessons you learn in an event like this are priceless.”

This week, 10 players from Mexico will tee it up — a record for a PGA Tour event. Ancer, although he does believe it’s a great opportunity to compete, knows this week can serve as a learning experience for the younger guys, even if it ends on Friday.

“What I would just say to them is just to learn as much as they can,” Ancer advised. “Obviously you come out here and you want to win the event and you want to finish really good, but even if you have a bad week, you should definitely learn what you need to get better at.

“It’s going to help you so much down the line.”

Ancer’s last and lone win on the PGA Tour came at the 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude, but he has accumulated four top-10s since, including a T-7 at this season’s World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba (the other PGA Tour event held in Mexico).

Since 2017, Ancer has finished T-21 or better in every installment of the Mayakoba event, including three top-10s.

A win in his home country this week wouldn’t just be his second Tour victory, but a dream come true.

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San Antonio resident Abraham Ancer withdraws from 2022 Valero Texas Open

Ancer’s best finish at the Valero came last season when he tied for 23rd.

Abraham Ancer was one of the betting favorites coming into the week at TPC San Antonio (+2000) but has withdrawn from the Valero Texas Open. The reason for withdrawal were not disclosed. He’s being replaced in the field by Scott Gutschewski.

This week was a home game for Ancer, as the 31-year-old lives in San Antonio. He bounced back from missed cut at the Valspar Championship nicely last week at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, making it past the group stage but eventually losing in the Elite Eight.

In four appearances at the Valero, Ancer has made the weekend in all four starts with his best finish coming last season when he tied for 23rd.

Andrew Landry has also withdrawn from the tournament. He’s being replaced by Jared Wolfe.

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Abraham Ancer delivers early knockout punch against Collin Morikawa to advance to WGC-Dell Match Play Elite 8

Abraham Ancer skipped breakfast, but they were almost still serving that meal by the time he closed out Collin Morikawa 7 and 6.

Abraham Ancer was in the final match to tee off in Saturday’s morning Round of 16 session of the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin, Texas. And yet Ancer didn’t have an appetite for pancakes or an omelette. He said he skipped breakfast before some big-game hunting. He only had a cup of coffee before taking on World No. 2 Collin Morikawa.

The coffee provided quite a jolt to Ancer’s game and the match didn’t last much longer than a cup of Joe as he crushed Morikawa 7 and 6 to advance to the Elite 8 of golf’s version of March Madness.

Ancer grabbed the lead at the third hole at Austin Country Club with a birdie and never looked back. In fact, he hasn’t trailed in any of his four matches so far this week. Morikawa had no answer for the 31-year-old Mexican who made a birdie at No. 6, the first of four straight holes he won to take a commanding 5-up lead at the turn. Ancer birdied his final four holes and now has made 11 birdies in his last 25 holes dating back to Friday’s victory over Webb Simpson.

“I just kept thinking in my head that I was down in the match and I had to fight to make birdies and it paid off,” Ancer said.

How did Ancer explain his dominant performance over the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year?

“Just being in the fairway and telling myself that I’m going against one of the best ball strikers in the world, maybe the best, so I had to hit the ball perfect and make some putts,” Ancer said. “Thankfully that was the case.”

The added benefit for Ancer of making short work of Morikawa was two-fold – more time to eat and rest.

“You want to save as much energy as you can,” he said. “Every time you have a chance to close out a match you want to do it as soon as possible.”

How did Ancer plan to spend his extended break before his quarterfinal duel with Corey Conners, the No. 36 seed?

“I’m going to have some lunch, keep the body moving,” Ancer said. “I don’t want to get stiff, and just get ready to go again.”

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2022 Valspar Championship odds, key statistics, best bets and PGA Tour picks

With a T-16 and solo fifth in his two appearances at Copperhead, can Abraham Ancer claim another Tour title?

It’s not going to be easy for the 2022 Valspar Championship to follow up the madness that was the Players Championship. Rain delays, a Monday finish and a dramatic final stretch down 18 — it’s going to be nearly impossible.

However, there’s a strong field headed to the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort just outside of Tampa, Florida, that includes Dustin Johnson, who’s right off the heels of tying the tournament scoring record of 63 at the Players.

On Tipico, three players sit as co-betting favorites: Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, and Collin Morikawa (+1000).

Sam Burns, who played with eventual champion Cameron Smith and Paul Casey in the penultimate group in Ponte Vedra Beach, enters the week as the defending champion. His odds to win sit at +2000.

Key statistics

Driving accuracy: The Copperhead Course is the definition of tree-lined, so finding the short grass off the tee will be imperative for every player in the field.

Data Golf Information

Course Fit (compares golf courses based on the degree to which different golfer attributes — such as driving distance — to predict who performs well at each course – DataGolf): 1. The Concession Golf Club (home of 2021 WGC-Workday), 2. Muirfield Village Golf Club (home of the Memorial), 3. TPC Twin Cities (home of the 3M Open)

Trending: 1. Viktor Hovland (last three starts: T-4, T-2, T-9), 2. Justin Thomas (T-8, 6, T-33), 3. Matthew Fitzpatrick (T-10, T-9, MC)

Percent chance to win (based on course history, fit, trending, etc.): 1. Justin Thomas (8.4 percent), 2. Viktor Hovland (7.9 percent), 3. Collin Morikawa (5.7 percent)

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Betting odds

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds a full list.

Player Odds
Justin Thomas (+1000)
Viktor Hovland (+1000)
Collin Morikawa (+1000)
Dustin Johnson (+1300)
Paul Casey (+2000)
Louis Oosthuizen (+2000)
Tyrrell Hatton (+2000)
Sam Burns (+2000)
Xander Schauffele (+2000)
Jason Kokrak (+3000)

Betting card for the 2022 Valspar Championship

Last week’s results: Players Championship

Daniel Berger – Top 20: Cash (+155)
Brooks Koepka – Top 20: Miss (MC)
Cameron Smith – Top 20: Cash (+170)
Matthew Fitzpatrick – Top 20: Miss (MC)
Rory McIlroy – Top 20: Miss (T-33)

Outrights: Collin Morikawa (MC), Rory McIlroy (T-33), Daniel Berger (T-13), Cameron Smith (1), Brooks Koepka (MC), Will Zalatoris (T-26)

+.25 units on positions plays, +26 units on outrights at Players.

+18.69 units on position plays in 2022. +37.5 units on outright plays in 2022.

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