Na and Kokrak rode a hot putter all the way to the QBE title.
The QBE Shootout has been a mainstay as part of professional golf’s silly season, and Kevin Na’s performance in the final round was just plain silly, indeed.
The five-time winner on the PGA Tour made seven consecutive birdies himself to help he and teammate Jason Kokrak shoot up the leaderboard Sunday at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, and ultimately claim the title at 33 under. Na walked in putt after putt as the team made birdie on Nos. 6-14 and then again from Nos. 16-18 en route to an impressive 12-under 60.
Na claimed the Sony Open in Hawaii back in January while Kokrak picked up two wins on Tour in 2021, first at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May and most recently at the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open in November.
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Recent QBE Shootout champions include Harris English and Matt Kuchar (2020), Rory Sabbatini and Kevin Tway (2019) and Brian Harman and Patton Kizzire (2018).
NAPLES, Fla. — Lexi Thompson and Bubba Watson were just kind of going along in the modified alternate shot format in the QBE Shootout on Saturday.
But suddenly the two went birdie-eagle-birdie on Nos. 12-14, Thompson made a nice birdie putt on No. 17, and a nicer one to save par on No. 18 to get the pair to 19-under, and in sixth place. They’re two strokes behind three teams that are tied for second.
“There’s a lot of putts, the one on 17 and the one on the other hole, the other hole. Pretty much every hole,” Watson said of Thompson’s putting. “It was huge. … For her to step up and make those putts all day, just the last one, they’re huge momentum. Obviously the last hole, dinner’s going to taste a little better when you make those putts.”
“The first nine I felt like I just hit a bunch of tap-ins and then I had a few about 25-, 30-footers on the back nine and just got a good feel for the greens,” Thompson said.
This is Thompson’s fifth appearance in six years in the Shootout, and first time playing with Watson. Her best finish is a tie for fourth with Tony Finau in 2017 at 21 under, so they’re only two off Lexi’s best scoring total.
The two will play their own ball in the better ball for Sunday’s final round, so the team aspect changes a bit.
“I just hit driver on every hole, try to make my pars on the more difficult holes and take advantage of the few shorter holes for me I guess, and get birdies when I can,” Thompson said. “Hopefully just make the pars, that way he can play aggressively and go after some more birdies.”
“I liked it better when we could pick our best ball,” Watson quipped. “I hope we go scramble and everybody else plays their own ball out. Can we switch that for Christmas?”
Bubba Watson of the United States and Lexi Thompson of the United States celebrate their birdie on the 14th green during the second round of the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club on December 11, 2021 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Horschel, Burns coming back from scramble bogey
Billy Horschel and Sam Burns came in as one of the favorites, and started that way, with an eagle on their first hole in the scramble format Friday.
Then they, um, bogeyed the next hole for the only one in the scramble by the 12 teams.
“You start off with eagle and then you bogey the next hole and it’s like ‘What just happened?'” Burns said after the pair fired a 10-under 62 Saturday to move into a tie for second. “I think honestly the format today is probably better for us than the scramble.”
Anything is better than a bogey in a team event where both players have a chance. But Burns and Horschel are looking at the bright side.
“Nobody else did it yesterday,” Burns said.
“I mean, that’s special,” Horschel said.
They may even look to make another bogey on Sunday, as long as a win comes with it.
“Yeah, I’ll take it,” Horschel said. “I’ll take two bogeys.”
“I’ll take another bogey to win,” Burns said.
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Na walks it in — sort of
Kevin Na is known for “walking in” his putts, especially when he’s on a roll. So when teammate Jason Kokrak drained a birdie putt on No. 18 to get the team to 21 under, in a tie for second, Na glanced at Kokrak, then raced up and grabbed the ball out of the hole.
“I tend to do that sometimes when I’m having some fun with the boys at home,” Na said. “It wasn’t a full walk-in, but I didn’t even have my putter with me. I figured he was going to make it on 18.”
Let’s play some team golf. The QBE Shootout is the last PGA Tour tournament on the schedule for the remainder of 2021, so we won’t see the guys again until Hawaii.
Last season, Matt Kuchar and Harris English broke their own scoring record in the unofficial event, a mark they originally set back in 2013, finishing at 37 under in the three-round event. They will partner again this time around with hopes to win the QBE for the fourth time.
Tiburon Golf Club
Par 72
7,382 yards
Bermuda grass greens
Greg Norman design
Weather
Day
Conditions
Percent chance of rain
Wind & Direction
Tuesday
Sunny
3 percent
8 MPH (NW)
Wednesday
Sunny
10 percent
10 MPH (S)
Thursday
Mostly Sunny
9 percent
8 MPH (S)
Friday
Partly Cloudy
9 percent
8 MPH (SSE)
Saturday
Sunny
9 percent
10 MPH (SSE)
Sunday
Partly Cloudy
20 percent
11 MPH (W)
Format
Friday: Scramble
Both players hit tee shots, the team then decides which drive is better, then both play from that position. That process is repeated until the team finishes the hole.
Saturday: Alternate shot
One player will tee off, the other will hit their second, and the alternation will repeat until the team finishes the hole. However, it’s determined before the round which player will tee off on even holes, and which will tee off on odd holes.
Sunday: Best ball
Each player will play the hole normally, and the team will take the best score.
Twilight 9
Listen to this week’s episode of Twilight 9 where Andy and I discuss the Hero World Challenge, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Tiger Woods grinding on the range, the QBE Shootout, and more.
Despite his best effort to ruin my plan last week, Collin Morikawa finished inside the top 5 and cashed +130. However, my guy, Rory McIlroy borderline finished last. So, for the week, we were up .3 units in the Bahamas. Let’s see what we can do in Naples.
Sam Burns and Billy Horschel to win (+380)
Billy Horschel and Sam Burns walk to the 10th green during the first round of the 2021 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. (Photo: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)
There’s a reason why these guys are the betting favorite. Horschel has been in decent form, but Burns, he’s been on a different level. His finishes this season: 1, T-14, T-5, T-7, T-3.
Max Homa and Kevin Kisner to win (+750)
Kevin Kisner putts as Max Homa looks on from the 18th green during the continuation of play before the third round of the BMW Championship. (Photo: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports)
This is going to be the most enjoyable pair to watch on TV over the weekend. They’re going to go out there and have a good time, and I think that will translate into a solid result. Kisner hasn’t had his best stuff so far this season, but his partner already has a win (Fortinet Championship).
Jason Kokrak and Kevin Na to win (+550)
Jason Kokrak (L) and Kevin Na (R) walk to the 10th green during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore Course) on February 11, 2016 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)
Last time Kokrak teed it up, he won. Na hasn’t played much this season, with a missed cut at the Fortinet Championship and a T-49 at the CJ Cup. However, he was one of the runner-ups last season when he played with Sean O’Hair.
On Monday when the tournament released a list of confirmed players for the 2022 on Feb. 3-6 at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, all eight appeared on the list alongside a few other notable names.
Two-time winner Dustin Johnson, 2020 champion Graeme McDowell, Abraham Ancer, Lee Westwood, Tommy Fleetwood, Henrik Stenson, Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak will be joined by Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Adri Arnaus, Rafael Cabrera Bello, Paul Casey, Jason Dufner, Shane Lowry, Joaquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Harold Varner III, Jhonattan Vegas and Bubba Watson in Saudi Arabia in 2022.
The PGA Tour previously said it would deny waivers for its members to take part in the Saudi International. In past years the Tour granted releases to its members for the first three Saudi Internationals when it was a European Tour event. Last summer the PGA and European tours announced a strategic alliance, which removed the event from the European Tour schedule and was widely interpreted as a joint effort to stymie any rival tours.
The PGA Tour has not granted releases for members to play the Saudi International. The Tour has until 30 days before the first round to decide on waivers. Per previous reporting, players who compete without a waiver would likely only face a fine.
In its first year as part of the Asian Tour schedule, the 2022 Saudi International features the strongest field in the history of the tour. The Saudis previously made a $100 million investment in the Asian Tour.
“History will reflect upon how developments like the Saudi International and Golf Saudi’s partnership with the Asian Tour helped see in a new era in the professional game,” said Cho Minn Thant, CEO of the Asian Tour, via a media statement. “With the right guidance, it’ll be the sport that benefits most, with more top athletes from across a wider geographical spectrum present at the very top level and more interest from a more diverse and committed group of stakeholders.”
Since the inaugural Saudi International in 2019, the tournament has been widely criticized as part of the government’s effort to “sportswash” its human rights abuses, same as LIV Golf Investments, the new golf venture backed by the Public Investment Fund which operates on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia.
“Whilst this is a product of many factors, there is no denying the massive impact the best players in the world can have on creating multi-generational interest in the sport. This is why we place such importance on securing the strongest field possible, each and every year,” said Majed Al-Sorour, CEO and Deputy Chairman of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, via a media statement. “While we do not allow ourselves to be distracted from our long-term objectives by any external voices, we have been encouraged by strengthening discussions around the importance of fresh competition and innovation in the professional game.
“We are strong advocates for this, as we see it as the only way to achieve golf’s true global potential and realize the game’s considerable untapped value. All we will say is it is better for the sport if the competition remains healthy and respectful, as opposed to hostile, as all parties look at new ways to benefit this great game.”
Jason Kokrak has a newfound love for Texas. Texans might feel differently.
HOUSTON — Jason Kokrak has a newfound love for Texas. Whether or not Texans reciprocate those feelings is a completely different matter.
Born in North Bay, Ontario, and reared near Cleveland, Kokrak won his second PGA Tour event in the Lone Star state in less than six months on Sunday, taking a pair of beloved University of Texas stars down in the process.
Back in May, Kokrak captured his second victory by going eye-to-eye with Jordan Spieth in the final round at Colonial Country Club, capturing the Charles Schwab Challenge.
On Sunday at the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open, another former Longhorn — Scottie Scheffler — held the lead at the turn and a legion of burnt orange-wearing patrons were following along at Memorial Park Golf Course, hoping to see his first victory.
Instead, Kokrak got hot at the right time, making a quartet of consecutive birdies on the back nine to finish at 10 under, while others faltered. Scheffler and Martin Trainer both held the lead for a spell in the final hours of the event, but couldn’t match Kokrak’s barrage.
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Scheffler — who has yet to secure a Tour victory, yet sits at No. 21 in the Official World Golf Ranking — made bogeys on Nos. 10, 11 and 14 to fall back in the pack. Trainer, meanwhile, came to Houston ranked 1,310th and had made just one cut in seven months, but played valiantly and finished in the hunt.
Trainer’s only victory came at the 2019 Puerto Rico Open — his only top-10 on the PGA Tour in his career — but he was still in contention until a bogey at No. 17. Unfortunately for him, he also missed a par putt on No. 18 and dropped to T-5 at 5 under.
Meanwhile, Matthew Wolff, who was just a single shot off the lead to enter the final round, struggled to start, but made the shot of the day with a 9-iron on the 187-yard par-3 ninth hole. Wolff’s shot bounced before the hole and rolled in, marking his first ace on the PGA Tour. He didn’t make a serious charge, however.
Is this a sign of bigger things? The Super Golf League’s previous pitch was built upon one core foundation. Cash. The Saudis had promised gaudy paychecks for the biggest names in golf, reportedly $30 million in some cases.
For the best players in the world, any decision will be determined by aspirations in the game. A bank account with an incredible amount of zeros, or a legacy built by Tour success (accompanied by large paychecks, don’t forget)?
Dustin Johnson is one of eight players who have requested permission from the Tour to play in the Saudi International. Below is a full list.
The two governing bodies announced a new Model Local Rule that, starting Jan. 1, 2022, reduces the length of non-putters from 48 inches to 46 inches. The reduction in the maximum allowable length of golf clubs has been in the works for several years now, dating back to October 2016.
Mickelson took to Twitter with his displeasure, and he didn’t hold back. Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Jason Kokrak also had something to say on the matter from the CJ Cup in Las Vegas.
The highlight of Troy Merritt’s Saturday at Detroit Golf Club? His hole-out at the par-3 11th.
DETROIT – The fireworks on 4th of July weekend began a day early for Troy Merritt.
The 35-year-old Boise State product picked a good time to make his first hole-in-one in 10 years on the PGA Tour. From 218 yards on the par-3, 11th hole at Detroit Golf Club, Merritt was stuck between a soft 4-iron and a hard 5-iron. He and his caddie, Wayne Birch, figured they had 210 yards to cover the front with the wind helping out of the right. So Merritt drew a 5-iron that hopped once and disappeared into the bottom of the cup.
“I was geeked,” said Birch, who answers to the nickname Wayne-o, Drain-o.
The ace propelled Merritt to a 5-under 67 and a share of the 54-hole lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic with Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who remains bogey-free for the tournament.
By the time Merritt made his ace, he already had made birdie on four of his first seven holes, including a near ace at the fifth hole to break from the pack. Early in the third round, there was a pile-up near the top of the leaderboard with an eight-way tie for first and a dozen more players within one stroke of the lead. Merritt’s ace temporarily vaulted him three strokes in front, but after hitting 22 straight fairways – he ranks tied for second in driving accuracy this week – he missed three in a row, including to the right rough at No. 12, which led to his only bogey of the day.
Merritt, who finished T-8 here last year, will be seeking his third PGA Tour title on Sunday and first since the Barbasol Championship in 2018.
“There’s going to be quite a few birdies tomorrow and we’ve got to make them to keep pace and hopefully slightly ahead of everybody. The mindset will be find that fairway first, give ourselves as many looks as we can and keep all the squares off the card,” said Merritt, who leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. “Make a few birdies but don’t give any away, make them work to come and get us and hopefully it’s good enough in the end.”
Merritt will be paired in the final group with Niemann, ranked No. 30 in the world and at 22 one of the bright stars on the Tour. Niemann, the winner of the 2019 A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier, shot 68 to improve to 14-under 202 and is attempting to be the first winner to play 72 holes bogey-free since J.T. Poston at the 2019 Wyndham Championship. Niemann, who ranks a pedestrian 88th in scrambling for the season, is a perfect 13-of-13 this week.
“I always try to not make bogeys, but this week it’s working,” Niemann said.
Twenty-four players will start the final round within five strokes of the lead. Hank Lebioda and Cam Davis – both seeking their maiden Tour victory – trail by one stroke and are the closest pursuers. Lebioda’s 6-under 66 tied for the low round of the day, but he said he leaned heavily on his short game and his best shot of the day led to a tap-in par.
“It was the flop shot over the bunkers going towards the water on 14,” said the 27-year-old southpaw, who has continued his hot play after finishing T-5 last week at the Travelers Championship. “I thought I was the older lefty, the one who’s won a few more times, when I hit that. Yeah, it was a great shot.”
Davis, 26, made three birdies in a four-hole span on the front nine to join the fray en route to shooting 5-under 67. The Australian finished T-3 at the American Express and January and has his eye on the top prize this week.
“It’s been what I’ve been working for my whole life, so it would be pretty special,” he said.
Jason Kokrak shot one of nine bogey-free rounds, a 5-under 67, to climb within three strokes of the lead as he seeks his third win of the season.
“I think it’s going to be a putting contest,” Kokrak said. “Troy’s a great putter and it’s going to take everything I’ve got in the bag to catch him tomorrow if he continues the pace he’s on.”
Jason Kokrak took home a big payday for his win, but check out what the rest of the field banked.
Jason Kokrak managed to hold off Jordan Spieth coming down the stretch at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, to win the Charles Schwab Challenge on Sunday. That makes Kokrak, who started the 2020-21 wraparound season with a win at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek, one of few multi-time winners this season.
Kokrak fired a final-round 70 to finish at 14 under, two shots ahead of Spieth, arguably the favorite in his home state of Texas.
For winning, Kokrak cashed a nice payday. Check out what the rest of the field banked for a week’s work at Colonial, too.
