Tag: Erik van Rooyen

The very cool reason why Erik van Rooyen needs a caddie at this week’s 3M Open

Van Rooyen’s caddie shot a 6-under 65 and survived a 4-for-3 playoff to earn his first PGA Tour start.

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Erik van Rooyen needs a caddie for the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota, starting on Thursday. That’s because his usual bagman, Alex Gaugert, booked a spot into the 156-man field on Monday. Gaugert, who is listed as a resident of nearby Edina, shot 6-under 65 at Victory Links and survived a 4-for-3 playoff to earn his first PGA Tour start.

Gaugert, a Wisconsin native, and van Rooyen, a South African, were teammates on the University of Minnesota golf team. Gaugert helped his team with the 2014 Big Ten Conference championship and later that year he won the Wisconsin State Amateur. He turned pro and beat around the mini tours for a while but has been on the bag of van Rooyen for the past four years. (Maybe his brother, Austin, who caddies for Patrick Rodgers and was on the bag when he lost a playoff to Akshay Bhatia at the Barracuda Championship Sunday, can fill in.)

Alex Gaugert still likes to scratch that competitive itch from time to time.

“I’m a PGA of America member so I’ll play in some little events here and there,” he told Wisconsin.Golf’s Gary D’Amato in 2022. “You learn a ton being out here, what it really takes and how it can get done.”

Gaugert, 30, got it done despite making a bogey on the par-5 second hole. He heated up with three birdies on the front nine, tacked on a birdie at No. 12 and then closed with an eagle at the par-5 16th and a birdie at 17, his third deuce on the card for the day.

Van Rooyen posted, “What a stud. Anyone want to loop this week!”

UPDATE: Gaugert is paired with van Rooyen and Ryan Moore in the first two rounds.

Gaugert wasn’t the only of the four qualifiers who was happy to make it through. Daniel Gale of Georgia qualified for the 3M for the second straight year, torching the back nine in 8-under 28, which included making six birdies in a seven-hole stretch and eagling the par-4 18th en route to a sizzling course-record 60 and was medalist by five strokes.

Ryan French of Monday Q Info posted on social media that Noah Hofman, who also posted 66, played in the Colorado Open on Sunday and had his flight delayed that night. He ended up on a flight Monday for the qualifier in Minnesota that didn’t land until 9:05 a.m., drove 40 minutes to the course and had an 11:30 a.m. tee time. Now he’s in the field for his PGA Tour debut.

Kaito Onishi, who played his college golf at USC, is the fourth qualifier and set to make his fourth career start on the PGA Tour this season. He finished 76th in the no-cut Zozo Championship in October and missed two other cuts, most recently at the John Deere Classic earlier this month.

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Continuing his success at Vidanta Vallarta, Tony Finau surges into lead at 2023 Mexico Open

Tony Finau’s worst score in his past three rounds at Vidanta Vallarta? A 6-under 65.

Tony Finau’s worst score in his past three rounds at Vidanta Vallarta? A 6-under 65.

He soared into the lead after his 7-under 64 second round at the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta in Puerto Vallarta. He sits at 13 under, a shot in front after the morning wave.

Last year in Mexico, Finau tied for second, a shot behind Jon Rahm, after a closing 63. He opened with a 65 on Thursday before his 64 on Friday.

“I played really nicely over the last couple days, was able to capitalize with the putter on shots that I hit pretty close,” Finau said. “That was probably the biggest story, hitting it nicely, but being able to capitalize with the putter is very important out here, and I was able to do that over the last couple days.”

Finau’s round was smooth sailing until the eighth green, his 17th hole of the day. He three-putted for bogey, then his tee shot on the par-3 ninth was short and right of the green, rolling back into the rough. He was able to scramble for par making an 8-foot, 4-inch putt, but nevertheless, it doesn’t take away from his stellar round.

Finau turned in 5-under 31, including three straight birdies on Nos. 16-18. He then had another trio of birdies on Nos. 5-7 before the lone blemish at 8. He hit 16 of 18 greens and missed only one of 13 fairways.

Erik van Rooyen birdied his final hole, the ninth, after throwing his tee shot to 3 feet, helping him shoot 5-under 66 and sit at 12 under for the tournament. Playing in the afternoon wave, Brandon Wu also birdied the last – in fact, he birdied Nos. 16, 17 and 18 – to post a 64 and tie van Rooyen at 12 under, a shot back of the lead.

Those three have separated from the field, Andrew Putnam, Will Gordon, Eric Cole and Austin Smotherman all tied at 9 under.

Finau, a five-time Tour winner, has one victory this season at the Cadence Bank Houston Open last November. He won consecutive starts last summer, coming at the 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota, and Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.

“We’re only halfway, there’s so much golf to be played,” Finau said. “You always want to say that you have what it takes to win a golf tournament. I think luckily for me, I’ve done that a few times over the last year, but every week has its own challenges, every day has its own challenges, so this is not a time to get ahead of myself.

“Get some work done today, hit the pool and then be refreshed and get ready again for tomorrow.”

The 33-year-old is ranked 16th in the world (but fifth in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings) and has missed only one cut in 13 starts, that coming at the World Wide Technology Championship, the week before he hoisted a trophy in Houston.

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Meet the eight automatic qualifiers for the International Team at the 2022 Presidents Cup

Eight players have qualified for next month’s event at Quail Hollow.

The International Team for the 2022 Presidents Cup is starting to take shape.

The qualification period for captain Trevor Immelman’s squad wrapped up at the end of the 2022 BMW Championship, with the top eight players on the points list earning a spot on the team for the biennial event against the United States to be held Sept. 22-25 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In a recent Q&A with Golfweek, Immelman said the players who have left for LIV Golf and are currently unable to play in the event have “hurt us immensely,” and expanded on the costly loses of Louis Oosthuizen and Abraham Ancer, saying “We’ve lost two guys that were absolutely going to be there at Quail Hollow.”

‘No comment’: Cameron Smith doesn’t deny LIV Golf reports

Immelman will announce his four captain’s picks at a later date.

The Presidents Cup is a match play event with 30 total matches, comprised of a 12-person U.S. Team and 12-person International Team. The U.S. leads 11-1-1.

Let’s take a look at the eight internationals who qualified.

More: Meet the six Americans to qualify for the Presidents Cup

Golf fashion: Here are the best threads and styles of the 2021-22 PGA Tour season

We saw Justin Thomas in jogger pants for the first time. We watched Tony Finau break the internet with his long sleeves.

The 2022 PGA Tour season has had many twists, but we’ve seen players turn heads with their unique styles.

As golf fashion has become increasingly popular, players have taken on the responsibility of showcasing the evolution of golf style in their events.

We saw Justin Thomas in jogger pants for the first time. We watched Tony Finau break the internet with his long sleeves. We realized that if a player wears Air Jordans, they’re automatically cool. We learned that some of the players’ belts come from a small shop in Atlanta, Georgia.

Take a look at some of Golfweek’s favorite styles from the 2021-22 PGA Tour season from some of your favorite players.

Jordan Spieth gets up-and-down from bunker to win 2022 RBC Heritage in playoff with Patrick Cantlay

The win is the 13th of Spieth’s PGA Tour career.

Eleven players were within three shots of the lead down the stretch on Sunday, setting up for a thrilling finish along the South Carolina coast.

Jordan Spieth claimed the 2022 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head after a one-hole playoff with Patrick Cantlay for the 13th win of his career.

Spieth was first in the clubhouse, posting a number at 13 under following an impressive Sunday 66 aided by two front-nine eagles. The 28-year-old Texan was one shot behind Lowry, who immediately made double bogey on the 14th to give up the lead to Spieth.

RBC Heritage: Leaderboard | Photos

Just minutes later, Sepp Straka rammed in a putt for birdie on the 17th to briefly tie Spieth before falling back to 12 under with a bogey on the last. Cantlay made a birdie of his own on the par-3 17th to tie Spieth and then missed a 12-footer for the win on 18, forcing a playoff at 13 under.

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Erik van Rooyen proving he’s more than a mustache at 2022 Players Championship

“It kind of has a mind of its own. Especially with the windy conditions here, it just goes all over the place.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The man with the striking ‘stache – think Wyatt Earp at the O.K. Corral – has game.

While the 32-year-old South African looks like he just stepped out of a black-and-white Western with a couple of six-shooters on his hips, he’s been a forceful presence with his clubs through the first four days of The Players Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

He holed out from 62 yards on the par-5 9th to end his round and holed a bunch of 20-footers for birdie on his outward nine to finish Sunday’s storm-delayed second round on the first page of the leaderboard.

“Hit it perfect,” van Rooyen said of his shot that found the bottom of the hole.

When play was suspended due to darkness at 7:35 p.m. local time, van Rooyen was 5 under through 45 holes. That placed him four shots out of the lead set by Anirban Lahiri in the Tour’s flagship event that boasts the best field in golf and a purse of $20 million.

Players: Leaderboard | PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ streaming

Although he’s well known for going nuclear and destroying a tee marker in the 2021 PGA Championship, the video going viral and leading him to genuinely fall on his sword with an apology, his mustache is all the rage.

He’d like to change that, obviously, with his play on golf courses worldwide, but he’s having fun with the hair above his upper lip.

“Honestly, it’s the same thing over and over. ‘Love the mustache.’ ‘Love the mustache, man.’ Yeah, it’s good fun,” van Rooyen said. “Honestly, I didn’t really plan on it, but it’s sticking here a bit longer than I thought it would.

“It kind of has a mind of its own. Especially with the windy conditions here, it just goes all over the place. So I don’t have the control over it.”

What he does have is more control of his playing schedule since he won the 2021 Barracuda Championship, his lone PGA Tour title. It came with a two-year exemption that freed him up to plot out a schedule to his liking instead of being forced to chase as many starts as he could to keep his playing status.

“I think the feeling was vastly different a year ago, all new golf courses, trying to find my feet out here, and not playing well compared to everything at my feet this year,” he said. “I feel like I’m playing really well this year. I had two good finishes in the Middle East on the (DP World Tour). I haven’t quite scored well enough out here yet, but I’m finding my way.”

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PGA Tour winner Erik van Rooyen talks hoodies, medals, PGA Championship meltdown and more

Golfweek recently caught up with Erik van Rooyen, talking about a number of topics (which of course included his infamous major meltdown).

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New dad Erik van Rooyen has had a busy year. In addition to the birth of his daughter, van Rooyen won the Barracuda Championship on Aug. 8 for his first career PGA Tour title.

“It’s fantastic knowing that I’ve got two years on the PGA Tour locked up,” he said in the aftermath of that win.

The South African has big goals for the next year, and during Northern Trust week at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, Golfweek’s Averee Dovsek caught up with van Rooeyn on a ferry ride. The two talked everything from hoodies to medals to golf in South Africa, and van Rooyen even explained what was going through his head when he snapped at the PGA Championship, annihilating a tee marker at No. 17 in the second round.

Watch the video at the top of the story for more.

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BMW Championship: Who’s in, whose bubble burst in FedEx Cup Playoffs

The field of 124 at the Northern Trust has been cut to 70 for the BMW Championship.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Tony Finau wasn’t the only player who came through in the clutch on Monday at the Northern Trust.

In the tournament within the tournament, six players punched their ticket for this week’s BMW Championship, the second leg of the three event FedEx Cup Playoffs and kept their hopes alive to win the $15 million in bonus money awarded to the champion.

While Finau closed in 65 at Liberty National to win the title in a sudden-death playoff, Keith Mitchell birdied the final three holes to jump 38 places to No. 63 and bump Matthew Wolff to the wrong side of the cutline at No. 71.

“I was pretty down on myself in the middle of 15 fairway and to be standing here getting up and down on 15 for par and then birdieing the last three holes to play next week, it took a lot of, I guess just calming my nerves and trying to remember that this is it, I’ve got three holes left to keep playing or I’m going home,” said Mitchell who finished T-8. “I just decided to stick with it and really that putt on 18 just sealed the deal.”

Sweden’s Alex Noren charged with a closing 66 and despite a bogey at the last finished tied for fourth.

“I kind of knew I wasn’t going to win, but a good chance for a good finish, and that’s all I tried to do, moving up to next week,” Noren said.

NORTHERN TRUST: Winner’s bag | Leaderboard | Photos | Money

Tom Hoge closed in 69 and tied for fourth with Noren and Justin Thomas. He started the week at No. 108 and made up the most ground among those who advanced.

“I had no plans as far as what we were going to did after the round here, so you have to play well and make sure you’re moving on,” Hoge said.

Erik van Rooyen had a rollercoaster of a day. He started one stroke out of the lead and was in the trophy hunt until he hit two balls in the water at the par-3 11th and made quadruple bogey. In one disastrous hole, he tumbled 28 spots in the FedEx Cup standings and could ill afford anymore slip ups. But he bounced back with an eagle at the par-5 13th and finished seventh.

“I was fighting right the whole day, and then sniped one left on 11, in a place you can’t miss it. That’s disappointing,” he said. “I tried to paddle back after that and make some birdies, obviously knowing that I probably was out of it at that point for winning the tournament, but there’s points on the line to move up.”

Harry Higgs shot 3-under 68 to finish T-16 and secure at least another shot to make it to Atlanta and the Tour Championship.

“I’m no good with numbers, I don’t know how it works but I’m pretty sure if I win next week I will be into Atlanta which is obviously a goal,” he said. “I did figure when I made the turn at even, I kind of thought four birdies on the back nine would be in enough, three would have a very good chance. I guess fortunately made three to just scrape by and get in.”

Northern Trust
Harold Varner III at the 2021 Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, N.ew Jersey. Photo by John Minchillo)/Associated Press

Harold Varner III has been in this position before and came through in 2019, but said it doesn’t make it any easier.

“The nerves are the same,” he said. “I wish they could go away because you’ve done it before but it just hasn’t happened yet. Today was a grind and just hung in there.”

Reigning PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson advanced on the number at 70th despite missing the cut on Friday. But Irishman Seamus Power wasn’t so lucky. He missed an 11-foot par putt at 18 that would’ve been the difference. The bogey left him in 72nd place. But Power, who was competing in Monday qualifiers with limited status before winning the Barbasol Championship last month, took it mostly in stride.

“For me there was nothing to lose and only to gain. I didn’t quite gain enough. Just didn’t have my best game and that’s what cost me,” he said. “Bogey at the last disappointing but in a few days I’ll be feeling better about it.”

Six players who entered the week on the right side of the cutline had their bubbles burst (see below) effectively when they missed the cut on Friday.

Now, the new target is to finish in the top 30 to advance to the Tour Championship. But first, the next stop is Baltimore and Caves Valley Golf Club. Asked how he would celebrate with the quick turnaround after a Monday finish, Mitchell said, “Driving to Baltimore in my BMW.”

Players moving into top 70

Player Finish at Northern Trust FedEx ranking last week Current FedEx ranking
Tom Hoge T-4 108 48
Alex Noren T-4 91 43
Erik van Rooyen 7 76 45
Keith Mitchell T-8 101 63
Harry Higgs T-16 80 69
Harold Varner III T-11 72 56

Players moving out of top 70

Player Finish at Northern Trust FedEx ranking last week Current FedEx ranking
Matthew Wolff MC 59 71
Matt Fitzpatrick MC 60 73
Tyrrell Hatton MC 63 74
Martin Laird MC 65 75
Troy Merritt MC 69 78
J.T. Poston MC 70 79

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Erik van Rooyen issues apology for smashing tee box marker at PGA Championship

Erik van Rooyen took to Twitter to issue an apology, calling his actions “unacceptable” and “totally out of character.”

Before Phil Mickelson took the 103rd PGA Championship by storm, Erik van Rooyen took his club to a tee box marker at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course.

Van Rooyen was having a rough stretch late in his back nine during the second round last Friday with a bogey on No. 14, a double bogey on 15, another bogey on 16. It was after a poor tee shot on the 17th hole that he simply lost it, taking a swipe at one of the tee box markers. Marshalls can be seen flinching as if they were going to get hit by something.

For most, that would have been it, but after taking three steps, van Rooyen turned around and took another lash at the marker. This one took the club head off his shaft and made a caddie recoil out of the way.

Van Rooyen took a triple-bogey 6 on the hole. It was the third straight 6 on his scorecard. He later missed the cut.

On Wednesday, he took to Twitter to issue an apology, calling his actions “unacceptable” and “totally out of character.”

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Erik van Rooyen lost his mind at the 2021 PGA Championship after sinking a ball in the water

Erik van Rooyen’s hopes of advancing in the PGA Championship sunk hard after this shot.

Erik van Rooyen was just a few holes away from making the cut at the 2021 PGA Championship on Friday when things took a turn for the worse. Chasing the +5 cut line after a handful of bad holes, van Rooyen teed up on No. 17 at Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course, looking for a bit of redemption while hoping to cut his score down from +6 entering the hole.

Unfortunately for van Rooyen, his ball managed to roll off the green and into the water hazard, sinking any chances of him making a comeback to the cut line.

Van Rooyen was less than pleased with the result, taking his frustrations out on his golf club — as his golf head flew off into the water — and the tee marker, which was also deposited into the hazard.

Here’s a better look at van Rooyen expressing his frustrations on his club and the golf course.

On the par-three hole, van Rooyen ended the hole with a triple bogey that pushed his score to +9, well off of the cut line for the PGA Championship. Not only that, but Matt Wallace’s caddie fully snubbed van Rooyen after nearly being impaled by the tee marker he clobbered in frustration!

It’s hard to follow in the video, but the caddie in question is wearing a yellow vest and he turns around from a handshake to leave van Rooyen hanging.

Talk about brutal! A frustrating turn of events for van Rooyen, who had a chance to redeem himself on his final holes of the evening, but ended with his hopes of advancing sinking to the bottom of the water hazard instead.

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