Tag: Greg Chalmers

Who had the worst start ever at the Masters? (Greg Chalmers raises his hand)

The hilarious Australian recounts his first two swings in the Masters: ‘I might vomit at this point’

Every year we hear about dreams coming true for rookie Masters participants. Practice rounds with legends. Awe about the whole scene. Possibly some crystal for an eagle.

But who had the worst start ever? Greg Chalmers has raised his hand as a contender.

The hilarious Australian offers a strong case, as he beaned two Augusta National patrons on the opening hole, one to the head on the opening drive, another with a punch to the shoulder on his second-ever Masters swing.

The Greggie was 27 in his first go-round at Augusta National, set to tee off in the opening round at 8:30 a.m. soon after the honorary group of Byron Nelson and Sam Snead. Chalmers had multiple professional wins in Australia at that point, but the nerves were understandably in play.

As the left-hander tells it, “the enormity of the event was dawning on me as I stood over the ball on that tee shot,” which he caught a bit on the heel, the ball rifling left toward the rope line.

He tells the story better than we can:

Chalmers joined the PGA Tour in 1999, and he went on to win the 2016 Barracuda Championship. In recent months he has qualified for three PGA Tour Champions events and has notched two top-10 efforts in those starts. He’s one of the funniest voices on Golf Twitter, so mash that follow button.

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am gave PGA Tour player his own bobblehead doll after reading his tournament survey

Who doesn’t like a good bobblehead doll?

Somebody at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has a wicked sense of humor.

This isn’t worthy of having “breaking news” in all caps put at the front of it, but who knew?

Back in February when the annual PGA Tour stop visited the iconic west coast resort, 49-year-old Australian Greg Chalmers filled out the tournament’s survey and suggested that the answer to all of their marketing efforts was to create a Chalmers bobblehead doll among other “Greggy merch.” After all, who doesn’t like a good bobblehead doll?

But Chalmers, who has improved to No. 1088 in the world, doesn’t exactly move the needle, although as he’s noted in other tweets he’s moving up the rankings among Gregs as the one named Norman plummets in the popularity department.

In any event, kudos to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am marketing team, who have handed out a Jordan Spieth bobblehead in past years, for having a Chalmers bobblehead doll made.

“It arrived today and honestly the likeness is uncanny,” Chalmers tweeted with tongue yet again firmly in cheek as he does look a bit too dashingly handsome in bobblehead form and someone obviously forgot he’s a lefty.

In response to a tweet, Chalmers poured on some more of his sarcasm and said, “Definitely the only thing wrong.”

If you’re not following Chalmers on social media (@GregChalmersPGA), you should. His dry wit and humorous videos from tournament sites have been a hit — remember when he smashed the garage-door opener practicing his swing in his garage? Now if only the AT&T also brings out the Chalmers playing cards that he recommended too, then the AT&T marketing effort really will go “next level,” as Chalmers put it.

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From breaking his garage door to making an ace, Greg Chalmers has had a week

In the span of one week, Greg Chalmers goes from brain fart to perfection. Just another week in the life of the man known on Tour as Snake.

If you’re a golfer, you can probably relate to what happened to Greg Chalmers when he was practicing his golf swing in his garage a week ago.

Who hasn’t accidentally broken a light bulb, a mirror, a ceiling fan. … are we close yet?

Even PGA Tour pros have been there, done that. On a day that was too cold to practice outside at his home, Chalmers was hitting balls at his “studio,” also known as a net in his garage, when he moved his mat to get a better camera angle. Next thing he knew he had smashed the motor of his garage door opener. But he did capture the video and posted his boneheaded swing for all to see along with “#idiot.”

In a follow-up tweet, he noted that it was an $1100 mistake. Doh!

But whatever he figured out during that practice session seems to be working. Chalmers opened with rounds of 66-68 and trails leader Brandon Wu by one stroke at the Puerto Rico Open.

Puerto Rico Open: Leaderboard

Chalmers, 47, has one PGA Tour title at the 2016 Barracuda Championship to his credit. He missed the cut in eight of nine starts last season and two of his three starts this season, including an 83 in his last round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am two weeks ago.

On Thursday, Chalmers made four birdies in a row beginning at the second and then aced the 235-yard par-3 eighth hole on his way to shooting 66.

“I played some of the best golf I have played in a long time,” he said.

It was his second career hole-in-one at Grand Reserve Country Club. He aced the 16th in the final round of 2009 edition en route to finishing in a tie for fourth.

In the span of one week, Chalmers has gone from brain fart to perfection. Just another week in the life of the man known on Tour as Snake.

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Puerto Rico Open: Brandon Wu shoots 67, showing he’s ready for bright lights of PGA Tour

Korn Ferry Tour pro Brandon Wu is taking advantage of his opportunity at this week’s Puerto Rico Open, grabbing the 36-hole lead.

Brandon Wu has been the forgotten man of the vaunted Class of 2019.

While Colin Morikawa has won a major championship and Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland have both notched PGA Tour wins and cruised into the top 20 in the world, Brandon Wu has been toiling on the Korn Ferry Tour.

But not this week. Wu, 24, is competing at the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open and grabbed the early second-round lead with a 5-under 67 on Friday at Grand Reserve Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

If Wu’s name sounds familiar, it should. He helped lead Stanford to the 2019 NCAA Championship, its first title in 12 years, represented the U.S. in the Walker Cup, and became the first amateur since 1967 to qualify for the U.S. and British Opens in 2019. But after failing to secure full exempt status at Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School, Wu started last year Monday-qualifying for events on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Then COVID-19 hit, but when play resumed he proved his mettle, winning the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. He’s currently fourth on the Korn Ferry Tour money list. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve earned a promotion to the PGA Tour by now, but due to the suspension of play last year status was frozen for the current season.

Puerto Rico Open: Leaderboard

This week, opportunity knocks and he’s not the only KFT regular making some noise. Wu shot 66 on Thursday as did Taylor Pendrith and Lee Hodges, which had the three KFT stars tied for second and one stroke back of pacesetter Tommy Gainey.

“That was pretty cool to see,” Wu said. “I think, yeah, it shows that we have all the skills and talent to compete at this level. And yeah, you just got to go out and play well.”

A year ago, Hovland notched his maiden PGA Tour victory in dramatic fashion at this event. Could Wu do the same? He put on a clinic with his iron play on Friday, hitting 17 of 18 greens in blustery conditions, none better than a high fade from 240 yards to 10 feet at 18.

“That was the shot of the day that I saw him hit,” said Golf Channel’s Arron Oberholser.

“I think my irons have always kind of been the strength of my game, so that’s always been there, which is good,” Wu said. “I’m definitely hitting it really solid.”

Wu made the birdie putt to climb to 11-under 133 and break out of a tie with Aussie veteran Greg Chalmers, who birdied his last two holes for 68. A day earlier, Chalmers made four birdies in a row beginning at the second and then aced the 235-yard par-3 eighth hole on his way to shooting 66.

“I played some of the best golf I have played in a long time,” he said.

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