A normally talented lot fell victim to a quirky that layout that is proving to have stood the test of time.
Any missed cut is a reason to pout, to question one’s game, to lose sleep and overreact to a bad week, but it hurts a little more – dare we say a lot more – to clean out the locker in the clubhouse during the week of a major championship.
At the 122nd U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, several prominent golfers were sent packing. Only the top 60 and ties survived to play the weekend. The U.S. Open always has been known to be the fullest examination of a golfer’s game. It will expose any weakness, any uncertainty, any fragile nerves. In short, there’s nowhere for a player to hide.
While several unheralded players have stepped forward and surged into contention at TCC, a normally talented lot have fallen victim to a quirky that layout that is proving to have stood the test of time.
Here’s more on some of the players who failed to make the cut, which came in at 3 over.
Tuesday afternoon, the United States Golf Association put the wondering to rest.
As several golfers who have earned a spot in next week’s 122nd U.S. Open prepare to compete in the first LIV Golf event outside London, many people wondered whether the game’s governing bodies would continue to honor their spots in the field at The Country Club.
Tuesday afternoon, the United States Golf Association put the wondering to rest.
“We pride ourselves in being the most open championship in the world and the players who have earned the right to compete in this year’s championship, both via exemption and qualifying, will have the opportunity to do so,” the USGA stated in a press release. “Our field criteria were set prior to entries opening earlier this year and it’s not appropriate, nor fair to competitors, to change criteria once established.”
It appears that the final decision for the governing body of golf in the United States, Canada and Mexico was a simple question.
“Should a player who had earned his way into the 2022 U.S. Open, via our published field criteria, be pulled out of the field as a result of his decision to play in another event? And we ultimately decided that they should not.”
This clears the way for Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Kevin Na and other players who have a spot in the field at the U.S. Open and who are playing in this week’s LIV Golf event to compete. However, the USGA made clear that it is not endorsing the new tour.
“Our decision regarding our field for the 2022 U.S. Open should not be construed as the USGA supporting an alternative organizing entity, nor supportive of any individual player actions or comments. Rather, it is simply a response to whether or not the USGA views playing in an alternative event, without the consent of their home tour, an offense that should disqualify them for the U.S. Open.”
Only five players have won a major championship for their lone PGA Tour win.
Will Zalatoris is one of the many young talents on the PGA Tour. He’s one of the best iron players in the game, has some power off the tee, and understands when to be aggressive and when to lay off.
But, he’s still searching for his first PGA Tour win.
He’s played well in major championships so far in his brief career, including a runner-up finish to Hideki Matsuyama at the 2020 Masters and after a first-round 66, he’s in the hunt at the 2022 PGA Championship.
So, that got us thinking, who are the golfers whose only win came in a major championship?
The answer to the question? Five. Just five players have won a major championship as their lone PGA Tour victory.
There was much about the 103rd playing of the PGA Championship that felt familiar.
There was much about the 103rd playing of the PGA Championship that felt familiar.
The spectacular Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina was hosting the event for the second time in less than a decade — Rory McIlroy had captured his second major at the Pete and Alice Dye design back in 2012, crushing the field with a devastating demonstration of championship golf.
After a year without spectators (due to the pandemic), PGA of America officials welcomed galleries, albeit smaller ones, back into the fold. It was announced that somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 fans would be able to attend the event, and a buzz started well before the first shot was played. Overall, the game was enjoying a spike in popularity akin to when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson helped drive the sport decades prior, and this resurgence pushed demand for the few available tickets to an all-time high.
But Woods was still recovering from a near-fatal rollover car crash with fans clinging to hope that he’d again be able to walk. And Mickelson was a handful of weeks from his 51st birthday, so surely he wouldn’t be able to compete with a younger crop of superstars that included McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland, right?
And what about Brooks Koepka, who had hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy two of the three previous years? There was little to believe that Koepka would threaten again after undergoing knee surgery in March. Although the former Florida State star had made appearances at both the Masters and the AT&T Byron Nelson leading up to the PGA Championship, he missed the cut in both events. Koepka’s surgeons had told him he wouldn’t be fully healed until late summer, so expecting him to challenge was a longshot.
But again, this event had a sense of familiarity — and when the first day was done, the four-time major champion toured Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course in 69 shots to grab a share of the early lead. Koepka made six birdies to yet again position himself atop the leaderboard in one of golf’s four more important championships.
“It’s a major. I’m going to show up. I’m ready to play,” Koepka said. “I feel so much better now. I don’t need to be 100 percent to be able to play good.”
“I felt like I already had confidence. In my mind, it’s just a major week. Just show up. That’s all you’ve got to do.”
Over the previous four years, Koepka has shown up for majors more reliably than any of golf’s elite players, although a series of speed-bumps — knee, hip and neck ailments, plus a split with his longtime coach Claude Harmon III — had slowed his charge of late. His opening 69 marked the first time he’d put himself into the frame in a major since last summer’s PGA Championship in San Francisco, a spell in which he missed the U.S. Open due to injury and failed to factor in two Masters.
Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson look on during the final round of the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Koepka found only five of 14 fairways in blustery conditions on the Ocean Course but hit 13 of 18 greens, good enough to rank first in Strokes Gained: Approach through the early wave of players. The winds raked across the barrier island, making for tricky playing conditions, and the first-round scoring average when Koepka signed his card was 74.54. Koepka didn’t end the day atop the leaderboard — Corey Conners shot a 67 in the late wave to take those honors — but he did sit in a tie for second in a sextet that included Keegan Bradley, Cam Davis, Sam Horsfield, Viktor Hovland and Aaron Wise
“I love it when it’s difficult. I think that’s why I do so well in the majors,” Koepka said. “I just know mentally I can grind it out. You’ve just got to accept it and move on.”
While Koepka came to the PGA Championship hoping to use fortitude as his main weapon, Conners was hoping to use some of the mathematical acumen he’d picked up while earning a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Mathematics from Kent State University.
The Canadian’s keen decision-making and analysis worked just fine on Thursday as he figured out his way around the Ocean Course in just 67 strokes.
“I’d say it’s impossible to be stress-free around this golf course. You can’t fall asleep out there on any holes. It’s very challenging,” Conners said. “I was fortunate to have a good day. Made it as least stressful as possible on myself. I hit a lot of really good shots and holed some nice putts early in the round, and that really helped boost the confidence. Played with a lot of freedom.”
The Ocean Course was just the most recent big stage in golf that Conners has performed well on. He finished third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, seventh in the Players Championship and tied for eighth in the Masters leading up to the PGA Championship. He’d been a regular on the first page of leaderboards for a few months now while seeking his first major title and second PGA Tour victory. He’d also made a steady rise up the world rankings, climbing from No. 196 when he won the 2019 Valero Texas Open to No. 39 heading into this event.
Corey Conners, of Canada, watches his tee shot on the eighth tee during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course Thursday, May 20, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
“I have a lot of belief in myself, and I’ve been playing well for quite a while,” Conners said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to play against the best players in the world and put my game to the test. I have a lot of confidence in my game and I’m excited for the rest of the weekend.
“I think one of most important things is the short game around this place,” he said. “A lot of major championships you can’t ball-strike your way to good rounds. You need to have a good short game. You need to get the ball up and down and you need to roll in birdie putts. Good ball-striking definitely helps. The wind and difficulty of the golf course, hitting it solid is very important.”
On Friday, many of the biggest names were sent packing — Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele to name a few — but one of the event’s charms came into the spotlight as PGA teaching professionals Brad Marek and Ben Cook qualified for the weekend.
A 37-year-old teaching pro from the Northern California PGA Section, Marek posted a 1-over 73 Friday and 2-over 146 for the championship (T-32). Cook, 27, PGA Director of Instruction at Yankee Springs Golf Course, in Wayland, Michigan, was leaking oil on the closing stretch of the Pete Dye layout, but managed to par the final two holes to make the cut on the number (72-77—149) for the first time in three appearances.
“It’s been a cool week,” Cook said. “I’m out here on the putting green hitting putts next to my heroes, and I have a great support team here. I feel very blessed.”
Marek, who played college golf at Indiana, competed professionally for nine years on a variety of tours, winning 15 times in that span, including a couple of times on the Dakotas Tour.
Brad Marek reacts on the first green during the first round of the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort’s Ocean Course on May 20, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
“I chased mini-tours nine or 10 years after college, always with the goal of trying to get out here. Obviously didn’t attain that via the regular route, but as soon as I was done playing, I knew I wanted to be a part of the PGA for the opportunities like this on the playing side,” he said.
Marek, who tied for eighth at his first PGA Professional Championship to earn a spot in this week’s field, runs his own junior golf academy out of Corica Park in Alameda, California, for players with aspirations of playing college golf.
“Everybody in that has a goal of trying to move up to the next level in terms of their golf,” he said.
Speaking as much for Cook as for himself, Marek explained why it was important for two of the 20 club professionals in the field to make the cut.
“Any time one of us can make the cut, I think it’s really good for,” Marek said. “I think there used to be 25 spots in this and it got reduced to 20, so I feel like any time a couple of us can make the cut and represent the PGA well, I think that bodes well for the organization as a whole and just kind of shows the type of players that are at the top level of the PGA of America.”
But the big story of Friday was the familiar charge of Mickelson, whose 23-foot birdie putt dropped into the center of the cup capping a 3-under 69 that gave him the lead after the second round. Mickelson’s putt accentuated a 31 on his second nine that put him at 5-under for the tournament and energized a crowd that was growing with each birdie.
“It’s really fun, obviously, to make a putt on the last hole, finish a round like that and then to have that type of support here has been pretty special,” Mickelson said.
Mickelson had worked through “scar tissue” – something Padraig Harrington, one of his playing partners the opening two days, said 50-somethings must overcome – and of course, the unpredictable challenges of this “diabolical” (DeChambeau’s description) course to put himself in position to accomplish something he had not done in eight years – win a major.
“To be in contention, to have a good opportunity, I’m having a blast,” Mickelson said. “I’m excited for the weekend.”
Two weeks before the event at Kiawah, Mickelson was leading at Quail Hollow in Charlotte after an opening-round 64, but he followed with a 75 and two 76s and subsequently went from leading the tournament to finishing 69th.
He insisted an approach that included long spells of longer meditation and extra practice could make the difference.
“I’m working on it,” he said. “I’m making more and more progress just by trying to elongate my focus. I might try to play 36, 45 holes in a day and try to focus on each shot so that when I go out and play 18, it doesn’t feel like it’s that much. I might try to elongate the time that I end up meditating.
“But I’m trying to use my mind like a muscle and just expand it because as I’ve gotten older, it’s been more difficult for me to maintain a sharp focus, a good visualization and see the shot.”
Louis Oosthuizen Saturday at the 2021 PGA Championship. (David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports)
Mickelson wasn’t alone at the top as Louis Oosthuizen’s 68 pushed him into a tie for the lead through two rounds. Koepka posted a 71 and sat just a single shot behind the duo.
On Saturday, after shooting a 68 of his own, Jordan Spieth summed up the post-round sentiment of many of his colleagues. Spieth sounded as if he was channeling “the most interesting man in the world,” from old Dos Equis commercials when he said, “I don’t watch golf, but I promise you I’m going to turn it on to watch (Mickelson).”
“Yeah, it’s Phil, right,” he added. “It’s theatre.”
Dressed in all black like another ageless wonder, Gary Player, and sporting his now-familiar Highway Patrolman shades, the southpaw put on a world-class performance in the third round, threatening to run away with the title before a few stumbles.
He closed with five pars to shoot 2-under 70 and ended the day with a one-stroke lead over Koepka. After sharing the 36-hole lead, the 50-year-old Mickelson charged ahead with four birdies in his first seven holes.
In much more docile conditions, Mickelson sent the crowds into a delirious frenzy. Throaty cheers of “Let’s go Phil,” filled the air making it sound if not like 1999 then at least a pre-COVID world with Mickelson dispensing thumbs up to his fans as if giving out candy on Halloween.
By the time he canned a 7-foot birdie putt at 10 to reach double-digits under par, his lead had swelled to five strokes and Phil’s faithful were ready to crown him champion.
“I felt I had a very clear picture on every shot,” Mickelson said of his torrid start.
But as Spieth pointed out, Mickelson always provides theater and his five-stroke lead faded away as Mickelson hit into a fairway bunker at 12, took his medicine and made bogey, then snap-hooked his tee shot into the drink at 13, had to re-tee and made double bogey. Meanwhile, Oosthuizen made birdies at Nos. 11 and 12, and salvaged a bogey after driving into the water at 13, too. He shot 72 to trail by two and could’ve been even closer if he had made a few putts, including missing a gimme for birdie at 7 and taking three putts from 21 feet at No. 17.
“I think we all got lucky that he came back to the field,” Oosthuizen said of Mickelson.
Phil Mickelson celebrates with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning during the final round of the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 23, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
With his 70, Mickelson became just the fifth player aged 50 or older to hold at least a share of the lead after three rounds in a major since 1900, joining Tom Watson (2009 Open), Greg Norman (2008 Open), Boros (1973 U.S. Open) and Harry Vardon (1920 U.S. Open).
And as is his wont, Mickelson made Sunday something special.
After sleeping on a one-shot lead, Mickelson, 200-1 to win on Thursday, survived a helter-skelter first 10 holes where he and playing partner Koepka exchanged body blows to the tune of four two-shot swings and one three-shot swing. And then he didn’t stagger despite a few more edge-of-your-seat moments on the back nine.
Mickelson got off to a shaky start with three bogeys in his first six holes, but birdies on 2, 5, 7 and 10 gave him separation from the field and when he took to the 13th tee, he had a 5-shot lead.
He made two consecutive bogeys before righting his ship with a birdie on the 16th and his nearest competitors didn’t get closer than two shots down the stretch.
Thousands of those fans followed him up the fairway and encircled the 18th green when containment was lost by marshals and thundered when Mickelson capped off his triumph by tapping in from six inches.
“Slightly unnerving but exceptionally awesome,” Mickelson said.
Thus, after winning his first PGA Tour title 30 years ago when he stunned the golf world to capture the Northern Telecom Open as a junior at Arizona State University, Mickelson won his 45th. And the man whose plaque has been hanging in the World Golf Hall of Fame for nine years and who has three victories on the PGA Tour Champions didn’t have any problem lifting the 27-pound Wanamaker Trophy for the second time; 16 years ago he won the 2005 PGA Championship.
“This is just an incredible feeling because I just believed that it was possible but yet everything was saying it wasn’t,” Mickelson said. “I hope that others find that inspiration. It might take a little extra work, a little bit harder effort to maintain physically or maintain the skills, but gosh, is it worth it in the end.”
“My desire to play is the same. I’ve never been driven by exterior things. I’ve always been intrinsically motivated because I love to compete, I love playing the game. I love having opportunities to play against the best at the highest level,” said Mickelson.
“That’s what drives me. I just didn’t see why it couldn’t be done. It just took a little bit more effort.”
Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio and Adam Schupak also contributed to this report.
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Louis Oosthuizen, who lost the 2012 Masters in a playoff to Bubba Watson, withdrew Friday morning before his scheduled tee time.
Oosthuizen, the 2010 Champion Golfer of the Year after winning the Open Championship at St. Andrews, grabbed his back after hitting his tee shot on the third hole in Thursday’s first round. He labored throughout his round of 4-over 76; he made two double bogeys, three bogeys, and three birdies.
With Oosthuizen’s withdrawal, Tiger Woods and Joaquin Niemann will go out as a two-ball at 1:41 p.m. Woods is currently 1 under and Niemann 3 under.
The official release from the Masters said Oosthuizen’s withdrawal was due to an injury; no specifics were given. Last year, Oosthuizen, 39, the world No. 14, missed two months beginning in November after injuring his back and neck and withdrawing from the RSM Classic.
Since returning to play at this year’s WM Phoenix Open, his best finish in five starts is a tie for 14th. His last top 10 came in the 2021 3M Open last July, which was a week after he tied for third in the British Open. He also finished second in the U.S. Open and tied for second in the PGA Championship last year.
Due to injury, Louis Oosthuizen has officially withdrawn from the Masters Tournament prior to the start of his second round. #themasters
It came as a surprise that Watson won in 2012 considering his work in major championships.
The signature moment of the 2012 Masters came from the powerful, artistic hands of Bubba Watson, his hard-snapping curveball from deep in the Georgia Pines somehow landing on the perfectly manicured putting canvas on the 10th hole and leading to his sudden death triumph against Louis Oosthuizen, a shot that will live on in the tournament’s lore.
But when the big-hitting lefty from Bagdad, Florida, thinks back to that magical day at Augusta National Golf Club, especially with the upcoming 10th anniversary of his first major title arriving with this year’s 86th Masters, the highlight holding sway in his mind is not slipping on the green jacket, gaining lifetime residence in the Champions Locker Room or becoming a folk hero in the game he loves.
No, his most memorable highlight actually came the following morning.
He changed a diaper.
After exiting Magnolia Lane late Sunday night with the sport’s most cherished garment, Watson dashed home to Florida. Arriving in the early morning, he hung the green jacket in a closet and looked down at the crib where his 1-month-old son, Caleb, who he and his wife, Angie, adopted just 13 days prior, was sleeping.
“Holding my son was so much better than getting a green jacket,” Watson said in a phone call with Golfweek. “I know it sounds bad, but that’s who I am. My legacy should be about who Bubba Watson is as a person, and who Bubba Watson is as a husband, who Bubba Watson is a dad. My legacy should not be about my job.
“At the end of my days, we shouldn’t talk about how many victories I had. We should talk about who I am as a person, a husband and a dad if that makes sense.”
There’s nothing wrong, or bad, as Watson said, with putting family and faith before his craft. And it should be noted that Watson certainly doesn’t shun his work. He’s a winner of 12 PGA Tour titles, three of which he had won before the 2012 Masters.
Bubba Watson walks to the 18th green on the first hole of a playoff against Louis Oosthuizen during the final round of the 2012 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Photo by Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports
Still, it came as a surprise that Watson won in 2012 considering his work in major championships and heavy favorites Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and world No. 1 Luke Donald, among many others, to deal with.
Heading to Augusta that year – his wife shoved him out the door to go and prepare for the Masters because she didn’t want to see him just show up and go through the motions – Watson had just two top 10s in 16 starts in majors.
And in three Masters starts, he had finished T20, 42nd and T38.
But Watson rolled into the 76th Masters hot – and in a euphoric state.
In his first seven 2012 starts, he had three top-5 finishes, including finishing second in the WGC-Cadillac Championship and tying for fourth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his last two starts before going to Augusta.
And he had become a father for the first time.
“I went in there on a high,” Watson said. “It’s all about playing good and confident. So it’s really not so much the course. When a guy gets on a roll, they just get on a roll, right? And I was on a roll.
“And then we adopted my son. My life was on an all-time high. I was just on cloud nine in life.”
Still, Ted Scott, who was on the bag for all of Watson’s 12 PGA Tour titles before the two split late in 2021, was surprised at his boss’s declaration after a practice round on Monday.
“He told me he thought he could win the Masters,” Scott said. “So he had already planted the seed in his head that he could win that tournament. As a caddie, you believe in your player, but it’s kind of like you’re looking at the results going in.
Bubba Watson (left) gets a hug from his mother after winning the 2012 The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. USA TODAY Sports
“So that was different, you know? But he loves the course, the visuals, fast greens, the creativity you need. So it does definitely bring his skill set alive.
“And he was playing great starting the week. Right away, you kind of see his focus. He tends to be reactionary and he wasn’t. He very much was taking everything on the chin. That’s when I knew he was in it.
“So I believed him.”
Watson opened with a 69 to stand two shots back of Lee Westwood, then followed with a 71 to sit one shot back of Fred Couples and Jason Dufner at the halfway mark. A 70 in the third round left him three shots back of Peter Hanson, who would go out with Mickelson in the final group, with Watson and Oosthuizen in the penultimate pairing.
Then, about 30 minutes into his final round, Watson, wearing all white and wielding a pink driver, was witness to the rarest shot in golf – an albatross – as Oosthuizen holed his second shot on the par-5 second with a 4-iron from 253 yards to reach 10 under, four clear of Watson.
It was only the fourth albatross in the first 76 editions of the Masters. Unnerved, however, Watson played steady but a three-putt bogey on 12 dropped him two shots behind Oosthuizen.
Yet winning wasn’t on his mind.
“I remember talking to Teddy going to the tee on 13, saying, ‘Man, I can still have a great finish. I can still top 10, I can still top five,’” Watson said. “There are two par 5s and if I can just play under-par from here to the clubhouse, I could get a top 5 or better.”
He got better.
Watson birdied 13, 14, 15 and 16 to tie for the lead.
“I never thought about winning that day until I made the four birdies in a row on the back nine,” Watson said. “I remember walking to the tee on 17 and I told Teddy, ‘We have a chance to win the Masters.’ And then I hit the worst shot of the week, a big old slice way to the left. I finally got out of my element. Instead of just focusing on good golf, focusing on my beautiful family back home, I started thinking about things that I can do instead of thinking about just playing the golf.
Bubba Watson of the United States walks up the 18th fairway during the final round of the 2012 Masters Tournament at Augusta National.
“That’s when Teddy got in my ear.”
Scott said he just had to remind Watson how good he was.
“Bubba is such a great recovery artist that you just go tell him that. You can hit any shot, Bubba, I told him. And I told him that he told me when I first started caddying for him that if I have a swing, I have a shot,” Scott said. “He had a swing.
“Caddying is trying to get your player to believe in himself and commit to what he’s doing because these guys are incredible at the game.”
Watson hit a superb recovery shot, saved par, made par on the 18th and signed for a 68 to finish at 10 under with Oosthuizen, who shot 69.
They both made par on the first playoff hole, the 18th, with Watson missing his putt from 15 feet that would have won the Masters.
Then the two went to the par-4, downhill 10th.
Watson, hitting first, tried to hit a cut on the dogleg-left hole and instead hit it long and straight deep into the trees, his right arm immediately signaling the ball was going way right. Upon seeing this, Oosthuizen switched clubs but hit a heel-cut, pop-up short and into the right rough, his ball coming to rest more than 220 yards from the green.
“Okay, I didn’t know where Bubba was, but Louis had no easy par,” Scott said.
Oosthuizen came up well short of the green with his second as Watson was studying his next course of action, the ball nestled on pine needles.
But he knew what he was going to do, even though he could barely see the green.
“There was only one shot in all of our minds. That was a no-brainer.” Watson said. “The shot was perfect for me. There was never another shot to think about.”
A punch-out was not in the equation.
Bubba Watson of the United States plays at a shot from the rough on the second sudden-death playoff hole on the 10th during the final round of the 2012 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2012 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
“I saw the gap in the trees and I’m just like, this is Bubba Golf, here we go,” Scott said. “I played 100 rounds of golf with that dude and I’ve seen him hit so many different shots every single round.
“It wasn’t surprising he hit the shot, to hook it as much as he did, but under the situation, to come through like that, that’s what makes it incredible. That shot was just normal for Bubba. The situation just made it more special.”
Watson said he had 135 yards to the front of the green, 160 to the flag. He hit a screaming hook some 40 yards with a gap wedge that ended 15 feet from the hole.
“I had no idea where he was,” said Oosthuizen, who failed to get up and down for par. “Where I stood, when the ball came out, it looked like a curve ball.
“Unbelievable shot. That shot he hit definitely won him the tournament.”
Within seconds of tapping in for the win, Watson began sobbing. The first on the green was his mother. And Watson thought of his father, a former Green Beret who battled post-traumatic stress disorder and died in 2010 after a long battle with cancer. Some of his peers, including Rickie Fowler, Aaron Baddeley and Ben Crane, were on hand ready with a hug and a shoulder to cry on.
“It’s fun to win, but in the end, it’s empty if you don’t have people to win with,” Scott said. “And I think the fact that when he won, and he came off that green and saw the support from other players and friends and his parents, you know, his mom, I think that’s where you realize, like, ‘Man, this is a big deal, but it’s not the biggest deal in life, but it’s a big deal.’ And Bubba has always had that perspective.
“He’s incredible. And that’s a gift that he has, and I wish more pros could take that away from the game of golf and realize it’s just a game. If you have a great family, then you’re blessed. And I think that’s the perspective that he has.”
It wasn’t easy getting there for Watson, who in the past self-diagnosed himself as having attention deficit disorder and has battled anxiety and depression issues. But the man of faith lives – and plays – on.
“The trophy is nice, the green jacket is great, but being there for my family, being a good dad, a good husband, a good man, is what it’s all about,” Watson said.
Two years after his major breakthrough, Watson won his second Masters. His son waddled onto the 18th green, his hands in his pockets, to greet his father that day as the sun set over Augusta National. Seven months later, the Watsons became a foursome with the adoption of daughter, Dakota.
When the 10th anniversary of his 2014 Masters title arrives, expect Watson to tell you his utmost memories of that win was Caleb greeting him on the 18th and then the addition of Dakota to the family.
The rowdy behavior at TPC Scottsdale isn’t fazing Louis Oosthuizen.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The rowdy behavior at TPC Scottsdale isn’t fazing Louis Oosthuizen, who’s simply happy to be outside, playing golf, and in contention at a PGA Tour event.
It had been almost two years since Oosthuizen and his family had been back to their native South Africa, and the group planned a trip around the holidays to get re-acquainted with friends and family. Unfortunately, what was expected to last a few weeks became almost two months.
“We went there in December and actually got stuck 20 days longer because we got COVID,” he said on Thursday after the opening round of the WM Phoenix Open. Oosthuizen fired a 67 and sat just two strokes behind the early leaders. “And so we were there for seven weeks, I didn’t even take my golf clubs. So I had a good break away from golf and came back and I’m ready for the season.”
Although the extended stay could have sidetracked the opening of his season, the veteran Oosthuizen — who finished in the top three during four of the last five majors, but let each of them slip away — said he appreciated the extra time away from the game.
“It just sort of resets everything, you know, like especially I was quite tired at the end there, going into major weeks having chances to win and not pulling it off, that sort of drains you quite a bit. And I needed the break,” he said. “And four weeks would have been the trick for me, but seven weeks was nice.”
As for the chaos, Oosthuizen said he understands that fans have been pent up and looking for a release. He felt the same during his lengthy time overseas.
“Everyone is hungry and thirsty to be at any sporting event and have fun and watch some golf, so it’s really great to have fans back,” he said. “The first six months playing on Tour without any fans felt so weird, I felt like we were back in the juniors tournaments again and no one is really supporting you. It’s good fun just to see everyone here.”
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.”
It could have been a historical year for Louis Oosthuizen but instead ended winless.
LAS VEGAS – Lesser men may have crumbled.
Finish in a tie for second behind Phil Mickelson, who became the oldest player to win a major at the 2021 PGA Championship. Fall one shot shy of Jon Rahm in the 2021 U.S. Open after leading by one with two holes to play. Set the British Open 36-hole scoring mark and lead after each of the first three rounds but come up short as Collin Morikawa won the Claret Jug in 2021.
And then, the very next week — finish in a tie for second at the 3M Open.
It could have been a historical year for 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen but one that ended winless. But the soft-spoken South African, whether riding a tractor or a horse on his new farm in Florida or during other idle times, didn’t think back and wonder what could have been last season.
“Not really,” said Oosthuizen, who makes his season debut this week in the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin. “I think it was more just after the events that sort of you think what could have been and you try and shake it off really quickly because there was always the next one coming, the next event.
“It could have been a really good season, but my whole goal always is to try and get my game in a good spot when it gets to majors and try and give myself a chance playing the back nine of a major championship and see if I can do something. And I’ve done that pretty well last year and it’s now just getting that next step by winning a championship.
“Would have liked one win at least in the majors there, but all in all a good season and just ready to take the new season on.”
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Not all was lost at the majors for Oosthuizen, 38, who has 14 worldwide wins but is still searching for his first on American soil. He has come upon a blueprint to follow when it comes to preparing for the game’s four biggest events.
“I think I’ve learned a way to do it; rest quite a bit before, take a bit of time off and then give a certain amount of time before the tournament to start working on things and always work short game,” said Oosthuizen, who tied for 19th in last year’s Shriners. “Doesn’t matter which event it is, you just try and keep your short game as sharp as possible. But there are certain things that you are looking for in your game, try and get it out in the other events and try things under pressure when you play other events. By the time you get to the major, you should know what to do when you’re in that situation.
“But I think my team has a pretty good way of preparing for (majors) and now it’s just up to me to step over that line to get that second major.”
The PGA Tour’s 2020-21 regular season is in the books. It was unpredictable and exhilarating, filled with remarkable highs and gut-wrenching lows. For third-year PGA Tour player Matthew Wolff, it’s been a year like no other. Wolff, 22, kicked off …
The PGA Tour’s 2020-21 regular season is in the books. It was unpredictable and exhilarating, filled with remarkable highs and gut-wrenching lows. For third-year PGA Tour player Matthew Wolff, it’s been a year like no other.
Wolff, 22, kicked off the wraparound season in style with a runner-up finish last September at the 2020 U.S. Open and followed it up with a tie for second place at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Fast forward six months to April 2021, he stepped away from competitive golf to focus on his mental health. In June, Wolff returned to the Tour at the U.S. Open with a better sense of self and tied for 15th. He’s feeling better and “having fun on the course again.” Considering the obstacles, it’s remarkable that he played well enough to be in the hunt for the third-annual Aon Risk Reward Challenge, a season-long competition across the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour.
The Aon Risk Reward Challenge, the brainchild of the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Aon, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, highlights the season’s best decision-makers on each Tour. Its format? At each tournament, the golfer’s two best scores on the designated Challenge hole will count (minimum 40 rounds). It’s winner-take-all, and the player on each Tour with the lowest average score to par pockets the $1 million prize and the Aon trophy.
With two regular-season tournaments remaining, the PGA Tour paused last month for the Olympics. At the time, Wolff had climbed to the top spot of the Challenge, followed by Louis Oosthuizen, Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith. After the Olympic break, Wolff continued his stellar play at the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational. The Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, No. 16 at TPC Southwind, is a reachable par-5. In Round 1, Wolff overpowered the 511-yard hole with a booming 316-yard tee shot (which, coincidentally, was his average driving distance for the season). From 195, his 8-iron approach led to a two-putt birdie. Oosthuizen kept pace with birdie while Niemann settled for par.
The hole was lengthened to 539 yards in Round 2. Wolff belted his drive 305 yards into the right side of the fairway. With his second shot, Wolff made the decision to go for the green, a strategy that was familiar for Matthew throughout this year’s Challenge (55% GFG on ARRC par-5s) at a widely successful rate (45% success rate when GFG on ARRC par-5s). His 4-iron shot from the rough ran through the green. He played a delicate chip with the 60-degree lob wedge from light rough to three feet past the pin and drained the birdie putt. Wolff’s recipe for success: Better decision-making and rock-solid execution. Both Oosthuizen and Niemann could only muster par. Wolff’s final tally at St. Jude was 2-under par. Both Oosthuizen and Niemann (birdie in Round 4) notched one-under for the week. On the strength of a two-under-par performance, Cameron Smith climbed from fourth place to second. Niemann maintained third while Oosthuizen dropped to fourth.
Did it ever cross Wolff’s mind during rounds that he was on the brink of something special? (Laughing) “Absolutely. I was a little more nervous knowing they [Aon holes] mattered more than the rest of tournament,” said Wolff. “It was nerve-wracking stepping up on those tees and trying to make the putts, knowing it could turn into something really big.”
Wolff had a commanding position going into the final event, the Wyndham Championship. “It was a comfortable lead, but I knew it wasn’t impossible to lose,” he said. Smith chose not to play but still had a mathematical chance to overtake the leader if Wolff’s best two scores totaled two-over par on the 545-yard par-5 15th hole at Sedgefield CC. Niemann wasn’t in the field either, and Oosthuizen withdrew due to injury prior to Round 1, guaranteeing they’d finish behind Smith.
As it turned out, Matthew Wolff made a routine par in Round 1 and a birdie in Round 2 to clinch the Aon trophy and $1 million payday. He didn’t do it alone. “In this Challenge, as in business, the ability to leverage insight and information, as well as support and advice from your team, leads to better decision-making,” said Eric Andersen, President, Aon. “Matthew was able to see the bigger picture, put everything together, and won the Challenge because of it.”
After clinching the title, the champ reflected on his accomplishment.
“I’m honored and excited to win the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, which recognizes not only performance but also consistent, strategic decision-making,” said Wolff. “It’s no secret that the harder the hole or course, the more I like it so each week I focused on making the right decisions when it mattered most, which paid off in a big way. It’s an awesome way to end the regular season.”
