Tag: Matt Wallace

Knapp time, class from Matt Wallace among things to know from third round of 2024 Mexico Open

Knapp set a nine-hole scoring record on Saturday.

Early on in his rookie season on the PGA Tour, Jake Knapp is quickly making a name for himself. He has a chance Sunday to make sure people don’t have an excuse to not know who he is.

Knapp had a historic start Saturday during the third round of the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta, making seven birdies on the front nine for a 7-under 28, the lowest nine-hole score in course history. He shot 63, tied for the lowest round of the week, on Moving Day and leads by four heading to Sunday at Vidanta Vallarta in search of his first PGA Tour win in only his ninth start.

“Struck it very similar to how I did the last couple days when I was able to get some more putts to fall,” Knapp said. “Would like to clean up a few of those bogeys on the back nine, but it was a great day.”

Knapp started with birdies on Nos. 1-2, and after a par at 3 made four straight from 4-7. Another par at 8, then Knapp added a seventh circle to the card on the ninth for a 7-under front nine.

The back nine had plenty more excitement, most of it thanks to some struggles around the greens. Knapp had three bogeys but offset that with four birdies, including on his final two holes. He sits at 19 under with 18 holes to play.

For the week, Knapp is first in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining nearly nine shots on the field. He’s fourth Off the Tee. But around the green, he’s losing more than a stroke.

However, his power off the tee and accuracy from the fairway is making up for the couple of shortcomings around the putting surfaces. And he’s 18 holes away from a life-changing victory.

“Just a lot of the same,” Knapp said of his routine Saturday night. “Go back, shower, go to the gym tonight, do my preparation for tomorrow morning and get ready to go for tomorrow afternoon.”

Here are four more things to know about the third round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

History in the making, international leaderboard highlight 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta second round takeaways

A pair of Mexican players are excelling at their national open.

The last player from Mexico to win the Mexico Open? Alvaro Ortiz.

Where does Ortiz sit after the second round of the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta? Tied for first.

Ortiz, who won the Mexico Open in 2021 when it was a PGA Tour Latinoamerica event, shot 7-under 64, a career best, on Friday to move into a share of first at Vidanta Vallarta alongside Englishman Matt Wallace, Finland’s Sami Valimaki and American Jake Knapp. Ortiz is a member of the Korn Ferry Tour and is making his 10th PGA Tour start this week. It’s his fourth made cut, however, the 28-year-old who played collegiately at Arkansas would have a historic and breakthrough win if he were to claim the Mexico Open title for the second time in four years.

The tournament is the national open of Mexico, but it’s only the third year it has been a PGA Tour event. Like when Nick Taylor won the Canadian Open last summer, it just means more when a national is able to capture their home open. The same can be said for Ortiz if he were to capitalize this weekend. He would become only the second Mexican ever to win his national open twice, joining Ernesto Perez Acosta.

Mexico Open: Photos

“From tee to green it was as good as it could be,” Ortiz said. “I hit the ball very well and just felt very comfortable out there. It was very clean, very stress free and I was glad to be able to make that eagle on 6. I feel like I was losing a little bit of momentum leaving a couple putts go, but it was good to get that one back. Happy to be in the position you I’m in.”

Ortiz birdied every other hole on his first nine, the back nine at Vidanta Vallarta, going out in 5-under 31. Then on the back nine, he had a clean card with eight pars and an eagle coming on the par-5 sixth hole to sign for his 64.

As far as any added pressure this weekend?

“No, it’s more fun, it’s more fun,” he said. “I don’t get to do that often. As many people, the yelling, it’s fun. I don’t get that much in the States, but it’s pretty cool to see how many people are coming and hopefully it will be packed this weekend.”

Santiago De La Fuente of Mexico putts on the second green during the second round of the Mexico Open at Vidanta at Vidanta Vallarta on February 23, 2024 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

He’s not the only Mexican having a strong week, either. Amateur Santiago De la Fuente, who won the Latin America Amateur Championship in January, sits at 6 under and T-9 heading to the weekend.

The duo has plenty of similarities. They’ve both won the LAAC, with Ortiz placing in the top five four times in five appearances at the event. Ortiz and his brother, Carlos of the LIV Golf League, are the last two Mexican players to tee it up in the Masters (Ortiz in 2019, Carlos in 2021) since Victor Regalado in 1979. De la Fuente will add his name to the list this April.

Here are four more things to know from the second round of the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta:

Nicolai Hojgaard wins DP World Tour Championship, Rory McIlroy claims Race to Dubai

McIlroy now owns five Race to Dubai titles.

For the fifth time in his career and second year in a row, Rory McIlroy claimed the DP World Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai title. However, he wasn’t victorious this week as that honor went to his Ryder Cup teammate, Nicolai Hojgaard.

Hojgaard, who finished second at last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, closed with an 8-under 64 at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course that included a stretch of five straight birdies on the back nine – Nos. 13-17 – to beat Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Wallace and Viktor Hovland by two shots. This was the 22-year-old’s third DP World Tour title and first Rolex Series win.

“It means a lot. It’s the sweetest one,” he said. “It’s so much hard work been put in the last couple years, and this year has been a really good year if I look back on it, I feel like the only thing I need, was missing, was a win, and to get it this week, this field, is unbelievable.

“I mean, I can’t believe it’s just happened.”

McIlroy, who tied for 22nd at 10 under, sounded satisfied after winning yet another season-long title.

“It’s great. I think it shows my consistency year-to-year. I think over the last ten years, I think I’ve won eight season-long titles between America and between here, so it just shows my level of consistency,” he said. “I said to Harry on the last green, there’s a few guys that are able to beat me sort of one week or the next week but I don’t think there’s a lot of people that can beat me throughout the entire season.”

Mattieu Pavon, Jon Rahm and Thirston Lawerence rounded out the top five at 17 under.

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Matt Wallace shoots 60 at DP World Tour Championship, birdies every hole on back nine

“I mean, 60 out here, that’s ridiculous.”

It was a special round for Matt Wallace on Saturday at the DP World Tour Championship.

The 32-year-old from England shot 12-under 60 in the third round at the DP World Tour Championship, moving into the lead by one shot with 18 holes to play at Jumeirah Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Wallace, who has four DP World Tour wins in his career, leads Viktor Hovland, the 2023 FedEx Cup champion, and Tommy Fleetwood by one shot.

Wallace’s round was special, marked by nine straight birdies on the back nine to shoot 27 and card a 60, the lowest round on the DP World Tour this season.

2023 DP World Tour Championship
Matt Wallace of England walks to the 18th green during Day Three of the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 18, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

“What a day, an amazing day,” Wallace said. “Just tried my hardest to get myself back into the tournament. I’m really happy that I’ve been able to do that. Played great.

“Again at the end, I didn’t even think there was a 59. Honestly I think it helped me a little bit. I just played nicely coming down the stretch, just keep getting one more if I could and I managed to do that.”

Wallace’s eagle chip on the 18th hole came up just short of the hole, however, a closing birdie to cap the stellar back nine was a feather in the cap of the best round of Wallace’s life. With a win Sunday, he would win his first Rolex Series title, even though Rory McIlroy has captured the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour’s season-long points race, for the fifth time.

Hovland and Fleetwood matched 66s on Saturday, continuing their trend from the first two days after matching 69s and 66s the first two days.

Even the FedEx Cup champion was impressed with Wallace’s day.

“That’s ridiculous,” Hovland said. “You know, it played easier today, not a lot of wind. Greens were soft. But the greens are very grainy. It’s hard to make putts. On some of the pin locations, like 17, for example, I don’t know, that’s a tough one to get close to. So there is a lot of good pins. And yeah, I mean, 60 out here, that’s ridiculous.”

Russell Henley loves Sedgefield, Matt Wallace definitely does not among 5 things to know at Wyndham Championship

Catch up on Thursday’s action here.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Russell Henley has unfinished business at the Wyndham Championship.

The 34-year-old Georgia grad has finished in the top 10 at Sedgefield Country Club the last three years, including in 2021 when he raced out of the gate with a 62 but blew the lead on the final hole and missed a six-man playoff by a stroke.

“I think about it a lot,” he said. “I mean, I was leading by three going in the final round a couple years ago and was leading the tournament by a few going into No. 11 the last, or a couple years ago and didn’t get it done. That’s a good learning experience, you know, and feel like I’ve gotten better as a player because of it.”

On Thursday, Henley made an eagle and six birdies and shot another opening-round 8-under 62 to take a one-stroke lead over Canadian Adam Svensson and South Korea’s Ben An and two better than fellow American Andrew Novak.

Henley, who played in the afternoon wave, benefited from better scoring conditions after a steady morning rain stopped.

“The first little bit of the front nine it was raining and felt like, man, this could be a tough day, especially if it picks up a little bit,” he said. “So just kind of hoping it would slow down a little bit. And it did on the back nine, so we were fortunate.”

Henley, the winner of the World Wide Technologies Championship in November, led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green in the first round. His bogey-free 62 was his eighth score of 63 or better since the start of the 2020-21 season, tied for the most of any players on the Tour during that span with Patrick Cantlay, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele. Henley opened with a round in the 60s for the seventh time in as many starts at Sedgefield and improved his first-round scoring average to 66.14. But Henley has never converted one of his hot starts into a victory — he’s 0-for-7 converting the first-round lead/co-lead to victory, including the 2021 Wyndham. Unfinished business, indeed.

Here are four more things to know from the first round of the Wyndham Championship.

Davis Riley leads, Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm are lurking and defending champ Billy Horschel blows up at 2023 Memorial

“Once you get a taste of (winning), you want to get back there as soon as possible.” — Davis Riley

DUBLIN, Ohio – When former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover pulled up to the front gate at Jack Nicklaus’s Muirfield Village Golf Club this week, he asked the attendant how he was doing.

“He said, ‘If I was any happier, I’d be dancing.’ I’d never heard that one before,” Glover said. “And then he followed that up by saying, ‘And nobody wants that, trust me.’ ”

On a warm, sunny Thursday at the Memorial, Davis Riley danced around Jack’s Place to the tune of 5-under 67, to lead Englishman Matt Wallace by a stroke.

Riley, 26, made birdie on three of the final four holes to vault to the top of the leaderboard. But it was a par save at the second hole that jump-started his round after an errant tee shot left stopped behind a tree. Riley pitched out sideways and then wedged inside 3 feet and holed the putt.

MEMORIAL: Friday tee times, TV/streaming info | Leaderboard

“I felt like that was kind of a momentum-keeper shot and hole and, yeah, that kind of kept the round going,” he said.

He made a birdie at the third and finished with a flurry of birdies including a 13-footer at the ninth.

“I thought that I left the last one short and thankfully it fell in on the last roll and it was a good way to end the day,” he said.

A year ago, he shot an opening-round 67, too, and was part of a six-way tie for the lead before finishing T-13. Riley, who claimed his first PGA Tour win last month at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, entered the week having missed four straight cuts.

“I hit a really hard reset at the beginning of this week and said to my caddie James (Edmonston) – he helped me out a lot with that and he’s like, ‘Look, you just need to keep doing your thing, good golf is right around the corner.’ I know it’s weird saying that when you win, six, seven weeks ago, but it’s just one of those things to try to kind of get that consistency part, I feel like I need to be a little easier on myself and just keep playing my golf,” he said. “Once you get a taste of (winning), you want to get back there as soon as possible, and I feel like I’ve been getting in my own way a little bit.”

Asked if he would treat himself to one of Muirfield’s trademark milkshakes after his strong start, Riley said he’d hold off because it would keep him up all night and he’s got an early wake-up call for his 8:12 a.m. tee time.  “If tomorrow goes well I’ll probably have to have one,” he said.

Check out the list of golfers who missed the cut at the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta

Here’s a closer look at some of those not surviving the cut this week.

Not that anyone wants to miss the cut in a PGA Tour event, but if you did miss it this week at the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta, maybe you could console yourself with the thought there are worse places to be than near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Or maybe not. Like Kevin Kisner (not in the field this week) likes to say: “This ain’t no hobby” and no one wants to not get paid on the PGA Tour.

Tony Finau leads after 36 holes at 13 under. Erik van Rooyen and Brandon Wu are a shot back. World No. 1 Jon Rahm, easily the biggest name in the field, followed up his Thursday 67 with a Friday 68 and is at 7 under.

Wyndham Clark birdied three of his last seven holes, including making a 13-footer on 18, to make the cut on the number. He extended his consecutive cuts made streak to 15, tying Sahith Theegala for longest this season.

MEXICO OPEN: Leaderboard | Photos

Here’s a closer look at some of those not surviving the cut, which came in at 2 under, this week.

2023 Valero Texas Open: Matt Kuchar noticing Matt Wallace’s newfound distance is among the top 5 things from first round

A Monday qualifier, Rickie Fowler’s solid start and big drives from Matt Wallace are among our five things.

SAN ANTONIO — Players who came to the 2023 Valero Texas Open hoping to earn a berth into next week’s Masters were greeted by howling winds, a thick layer of fog, and a whole bunch of downtime on Thursday.

That didn’t seem to bother Matt Kuchar and Padraig Harrington, both of whom posted a 68 to take the lead after the first wave of players finished.

But there were plenty of storylines to keep golf fans chatting at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course, including a Monday qualifier, Rickie Fowler’s solid start and big drives from Matt Wallace, who came directly from capturing the Corales Puntacana Championship to Texas.

Valero: Photos | Leaderboard

Here’s a look at five things to know after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open:

Matt Wallace wins 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship for first PGA Tour win

The win is Wallace’s first on the PGA Tour.

Last week Matt Wallace made some headlines after a spat with his caddie. This week he’s back in the headlines once again, but as a PGA Tour winner.

The 32-year-old Englishman shot a 6-under 66 in Sunday’s final round to claim the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship at 19 under for his first win on Tour in his 80th start. Wallace has won four times on the DP World Tour, most recently in 2018 at the Made in Denmark.

Nicolai Hojgaard needed a birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff but came up short with par to finish solo second at 18 under. Tyler Duncan and Sam Stevens finished T-3 at 17 under, with Austin Eckroat rounding out the top five at 16 under.

“Self talk was very good today, been working really hard since the Players on it,” said Wallace, who has made light of his history as an Angry Golfer. “I realized at the Players out of the 145 shots I hit to miss the cut by one, two of those I spoke to myself well. Two shots for the whole week, so that’s not good enough. That’s not going to get the job done.”

You know what does get the job done? Four rounds under par – 67-66-70-66 – as well as four birdies over his last six holes on Sunday.

“Very happy down those last few holes,” said Wallace. “I knew I could do it and I played great all week, just came out on top.”

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This PGA Tour pro is off to another strong start at the Corales Puntacana Championship, where he won in 2018

Brice Garnett views this week more like a vacation rather than a golf tournament. 

Brice Garnett views this week more like a vacation rather than a golf tournament.

How could he not at Puntacana Resort & Club? There’s food everywhere surrounding the resort. There’s beautiful views at the Corales Golf Course. And it’s a trip to the Dominican Republic, where Garnett has his only PGA Tour win back in 2018.

“Yeah, it’s just so easy. I feel like it’s an easy week,” Garnett said. “It’s kind of how I approach the weeks outside the (U.S.). I’ve had quite a bit of success really playing island golf.”

After an opening 6-under 66 in gusty conditions, it’s hard to argue against his case. Garnett tied for the lead with Ben Martin and one shot in front of Matt Wallace after the opening round at the Corales Puntacana Championship, this week’s opposite-field event.

A month ago at the Honda Classic, Garnett was in contention before a closing 77 at PGA National. A week later, he once again shot 77 in the final round at the Puerto Rico Open.

“Just waiting and patiently hoping that we can get all four days together here before long,” he said. “So just kind of keeping our nose down and keep on grinding. We know it will all come together eventually.”

Martin joined Garnett with a bogey-free performance. Martin also has one PGA Tour win, coming at the 2014 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

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