The event included 13 top boys and girls athletes from across the country competing at the San Francisco muni.
While Steph Curry has maintained his place at the top of the pro basketball hierarchy, he continues to forge a larger footprint on the game of golf as well.
Curry’s Underrated Golf concluded its first season this week, with the Curry Cup held at pristine TPC Harding Park, site of the 2020 PGA Championship.
The event included 13 top boys and girls athletes from across the country competing at the San Francisco municipal course, with Ashley Shaw and Roman Solomon crowned as the Underrated Tour champions. According to a release from the circuit — which had events in Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Tampa before the final — the series is part of an “inspiring lifestyle program with a mission to empower underrated and underrepresented individuals all over the world.”
Curry, who was on hand with his father, Dell, and his brother, Seth, as well as Golden State Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala, has also brought to life the golf programs at Howard University, an NCAA Division I school in Washington, D.C.
“I’m so proud of all the players who competed in Underrated Golf’s first annual Curry Cup,” said Stephen Curry. “These boys and girls represent a new era in golf and the beginning of change on the course and across the sport. Experiencing it firsthand and meeting these talented athletes at a time when doors are opening for them in the industry was truly inspiring. I’m grateful to be part of that journey alongside everyone else who made the first iteration of this special program possible.”
Among the guests in attendance were Michelle Wie West and Collin Morikawa, who captured his first major at Harding Park and played collegiately at the nearby University of California-Berkeley.
The 2020 event was scheduled to be played at the Centurion Club in England but was canceled due to the pandemic.
The International Crown is returning to the LPGA schedule in 2023, Golfweek has learned. Multiple sources have confirmed to Golfweek that the team event is slated for the San Francisco area, potentially at TPC Harding Park, the first week of May, with South Korea’s Hanwha as title sponsor.
The biennial event was created under the leadership of former LPGA commissioner Mike Whan and debuted in 2014 at Caves Valley Golf Club, in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Spain won the first contest, followed by the United States in 2016 at the Merit Club just north of Chicago. South Korea won the last time the event was held in 2018 on home soil at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon.
Eight countries qualify for the event and four players comprise each team. The 2020 event was scheduled to be played at the Centurion Club in England but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. UL title sponsored the event in 2016 and 2018.
Only six countries have qualified for all three competitions: South Korea, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.
The Crown won’t be the only team event in 2023: The Solheim Cup heads to Spain for the first time September 22-24.
The 49-year-old hopes to one day play on the PGA Tour Champions.
Tim O’Neal has been playing on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour since its inception in 2010 and has long been one of the better players on the circuit. On Tuesday, O’Neal added to his lengthy resume with his win at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. This is his first APGA win of 2022.
O’Neal carded five birdies on his front nine, ultimately pulling away from the rest of the field winning with a final score of 9 under.
The 49-year-old hopes to one day play on the PGA Tour Champions, as his 50th birthday is approaching August 3.
“I was in a good spot confidence-wise coming in,” O’Neal said after his round. “At the end of the day, if I can make putts, I’m in good shape.”
He was the runner-up at the APGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open Invitational a few weeks ago played at Torrey Pines. However, the winner, Patrick Newcomb, passed the Korn Ferry Tour exemption he earned with the victory to O’Neal. Newcomb is already a member of the KFT.
“In my mind, I still have a way to go,” O’Neal said when asked about possibly playing on the Champions tour down the road. “I’m just trying to get better every day so I can compete.”
O’Neal won the first place prize of $7,500 from the $25,000 purse. Willie Mack III, who’s made a few appearances on the PGA Tour, came in 19th.
When Collin Morikawa took out drive at TPC Harding Park’s 16th tee, he separated himself from the pack and wrapped up his first major.
Here’s the deal.
Collin Morikawa is not of the mindset that a plaque should be planted on the tee box of the shortish par-4 16th hole at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco to memorialize his ‘Shot Heard ’Round the World’ in the 2020 PGA Championship.
This despite the drive on the hole that read 294 yards on the scorecard coming to rest just 7 feet from the flagstick. Despite the pressure considering he hit the drive when he was tied for the lead on an August Sunday in the first major championship played in the silence of a COVID-19 world. Despite the subsequent successful eagle putt all but cementing ownership of the Wanamaker Trophy and giving the Kid from Cal, a pup of 23 years at the time, his first major triumph and third PGA Tour title in just 29 starts.
And despite many in golf’s biosphere hailing the drive as one of the best shots ever hit not only in the history of the PGA Championship but in the lengthy record of all major championships.
It’s not that the extremely intelligent Morikawa, who has a degree in business administration, is belittling the magnitude of the drive. For one thing, he isn’t the bragging type, nor does he thirst for idolization. For another, he just thinks it shouldn’t be excessively saluted seeing as there were other shots during the round that proved as pivotal.
And as he said, “I didn’t have to do anything special.”
In other words, Morikawa made the ordinary look and feel extraordinary.
“It was 100 percent the right play,” Morikawa said. “We had practiced not going for it. But we never thought the tees would be up that far, that the pin would be that accessible. Normally on drivable par 4s you have to cut something in, or hit it really high, or bust a 3-wood.
“This was absolutely a stock driver for me. I teed it up and hit a great drive.”
Collin Morikawa reacts after putting on the 16th green during the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park. (Photo: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)
Downplayed or not, the drive will forever be the defining moment of the 102nd edition of the PGA Championship, a tense contest that saw 10 players hold at least a share of the lead at one time or another in the final round. A group that included the star power of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day, Paul Casey, Tony Finau and Bryson DeChambeau.
And the play on 16 proved the difference. Morikawa won his first major in just his second try, finishing two shots clear of Casey and Johnson. He signed for rounds of 69-69-65-64 to finish at 13 under; his 129 on the weekend a PGA Championship record previously held by Tiger Woods.
But neither the 8-degree TaylorMade SIM driver with a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ LTD 70 TX shaft nor the TaylorMade TP Collection Juno putter are part of a display in the World Golf Hall of Fame or the PGA of America headquarters.
“The clubs are at my house with a bunch of other clubs,” said Morikawa, who added that each isn’t anywhere near the Wanamaker Trophy that is prominently displayed in his Las Vegas abode. “Definitely not framed.”
Framed or not, the two clubs – and Morikawa – delivered a moment that will live on in the chronicles of golf. And Morikawa will forever remember every little detail about the 70th hole he played that week.
For instance, he was running hot as he headed to the tee, fuming that he had not converted for birdie on the 69th hole despite a superb drive, solid iron shot and fine putt. But as he took a few more steps, he saw the tees were way up.
That’s when he shifted gears inside his brain.
“I was so focused on what type of shot I needed to hit,” he said.
As was his caddie, J.J. Jakovac. He walked off the yardage – the tees were 28 yards from the back edge of the tee box – and became one with Morikawa.
“How far is it?” Morikawa asked.
“278 front, 292 hole,” Jakovac responded.
“And the wind’s off the left, a little hurt?”
“Yep.”
“It’s a perfect driver, isn’t it?”
“Yep.”
“And he just grabbed driver,” Jakovac said. “It literally could not have been a better distance for him. It’s cool, he’s jacked up, and he carries driver 275. He hit it. I ran out on the tee box to watch the first bounce and just started hoping for one straight bounce. I saw the ball come down and kick dead straight and then I said, ‘Go in the hole.’”
It did a few minutes later.
“At the tee box I couldn’t tell how close it was. As I walked up, I saw it was 7 feet and the pressure started to heat up,” Morikawa said. “But all I was focused on was the putt. I had to make the putt. A two-shot lead is so much bigger than a one-shot lead late on Sunday in a major.
“It didn’t look like it was breaking much. I brought J.J. in for a read. I wasn’t nervous about missing the putt. I just really wanted to make the putt. I knew the putt would change a lot of things, and the drive wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t make it. I will always remember our read. We played it 1/3 of the ball outside of the hole on the left edge. And I buried it.
“The putt is etched in my brain.”
Collin Morikawa poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2020 PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Taking in the drama-filled final round step for step with Morikawa were Rick Sessinghaus, Morikawa’s long-time swing and mental coach and mentor; Andrew Kipper, his agent; Katherine Zhu, his girlfriend; and a few members of the media and a few volunteers.
“It was an out-of-body experience, where you almost don’t realize what you just watched,” Kipper said. “(Swing coach) Sean Foley, who works with Cameron Champ who was paired with Collin, was with us. He turned to Rick and said, ‘He just hit one the best shots in major championship history.’ And to me, I think the shot is sort of underrated. Maybe if there would have been fans there it would be celebrated even more.”
Sessinghaus agreed, that the lack of spectators and the roars that would have ensued tempers the drive and putt. But Sessinghaus will never forget it.
“It’s the top moment of my career as a coach, watching my student do what he did on the 16th hole and win,” he said. “Top-10 moment of my life.”
For Morikawa, however, it was just one top-10 moment of the final round. Also on his list are the 25-foot putt he made for par on the first hole, the 35-footer he made for par on the sixth, and the 50-foot chip for birdie he made on the 14th hole.
“In my head, all I think about the drive was it was a good shot,” he said. “I’ve heard people say it’s one of the best in major championship history. But to me, the putt on the 16th was more important, the chip on 14 was more important, the two par putts I made on 1 and 6 were more important.
The PGA Tour announced that Medinah CC outside of Chicago will host the 16th playing of the Presidents Cup in 2026.
The PGA Tour on Friday made it official that the 2026 Presidents Cup will move to Medinah Country Club’s No. 3 course.
The 16th Presidents Cup previously was slated for TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, site of this year’s PGA Championship, but shifts to Medinah outside Chicago. Medinah will become the fifth venue in the United States to host the Presidents Cup.
Medinah has hosted an array of elite championships through the years including the 2012 Ryder Cup, two PGA Championships, three U.S. Opens, the 1988 U.S. Senior Open, three Western Opens (BMW Championship) and a number of other professional championships. It most recently was on the world stage as site of the PGA Tour’s 2019 BMW Championship, one of three FedEx Cup Playoff events, won by Justin Thomas.
The announcement comes on the one-year anniversary of the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia, where the Tiger Woods-led United States Team defeated Captain Ernie Els and the International Team in one of the closest finishes in Cup history, 16-14.
Tiger Woods and Webb Simpson on the first hole during the final round of the 2019 BMW Championship at Medinah No. 3 (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)
“As the significance of the Presidents Cup continues to grow, we look forward to showcasing the 2026 event from one of the world’s great sporting and cosmopolitan cities in Chicago and a storied venue in Medinah Country Club,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a media release announcing the news. “One year ago, we saw an influx of great young talent on the International Team taking on a very experienced U.S. Team that resulted in a dramatic four days of competition for our fans throughout the world. I fully expect that competitive momentum to continue in the coming years.”
In advance of the 2026 Presidents Cup, Medinah No. 3 will receive another renovation from the golf course design firm of Ogilvy Cocking and Mead. Ogilvy would be Geoff Ogilvy, the former U.S. Open champion and Presidents Cup player who also served as a vice captain for the International Team in 2017 and 2019. He could be in line to serve as team captain in 2026.
Although an official announcement hasn’t been made, TPC Harding Park is expected to begin hosting an annual Tour event as soon as the 2021-22 season. News of Medinah’s role as venue for the 2026 Presidents Cup was first reported by Golf Channel.
Tournament dates for the 2026 Presidents Cup will be announced later.
Matthew Wolff tried not to peak at the leaderboard. While he picked up four strokes on the field in the middle of his first Sunday at a major championship, Wolfe – who grew up playing in Ventura County, California before attending Oklahoma State – …
Matthew Wolff tried not to peak at the leaderboard.
While he picked up four strokes on the field in the middle of his first Sunday at a major championship, Wolfe — who grew up playing in Ventura County, California before attending Oklahoma State — told himself to just focus on the next shot.
“I told myself, ‘You’re in this tournament, just keep doing what you’re doing,’ ” Wolff told reporters after his final-round 65 at the PGA Championship on Sunday in San Francisco.
“Don’t look up at the leaderboard. Hit every shot and commit to every shot, and whatever happens at the end happens.”
On holes seven through 10 at the TPC Harding Park, Wolff strung together three birdies and an eagle to move to 9 under par, within a stroke of the leaders.
Wolff then birdied two of the final three holes to finish with a 10-under 270, leaving the course as co-leader in the clubhouse.
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He eventually finished tied for fourth behind Collin Morikawa, who won the tournament at 13-under, and Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson, who tied for second at 11-under.
“It was unbelievable,” Wolff said. “I kept my head down, and my caddie, Nick Heinen, he was really good. He kept me super calm out there. He was telling me a story walking up the 18th fairway and before I hit the tee shot on 18. I was really calm out there.”
Wolff finished ahead of Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and two-time defending PGA champion Brooks Koepka.
Not bad for a 21-year-old playing his first major championship in his home state. According to ESPN, Wolff’s 270 was the lowest four-round total for a debut major.
“I was hitting it,” Wolff said. “I’ve hit it unbelievable this entire week … probably the best ball-striking week of my life.”
Yet something was missing for Wolff.
“The biggest thing about a major is the fans, and just like the atmosphere around it, how many more people there are,” Wolff told reporters after shooting a 68 on Friday to finish 3 under par through two rounds.
“It’s sad to see them not out here. It’s understandable why they can’t be, but it is a shame. Obviously, I expected my first major to be a little different, but nonetheless, I’m pretty happy to be here and happy with how I played.”
Despite his vast experience growing up in California, Wolff had yet to play TPC Harding Park before to last week.
“I’ve played Poppy Hills for the state championship in high school,” Wolff said. “I know I’ve played Pebble, Spyglass, but that was more in college. Yeah, I never played here. But I’ve watched the WGC here or the Match Play tournament that they had here a few years back, and didn’t really know the course well coming into it, but felt like I did my work.”
Wolff, who will enjoy a little downtime as he’s not in the field for this week’s Wyndham Championship, was happy with his own finish but equally pleased for Collin Morikawa, who won his first major on Sunday.
When asked about Morikawa, Wolff said the two share mutual respect and admiration.
“I love his consistency. I think that when I’m hitting it good, I’m very consistent, as well, and I haven’t showed that since I’ve been a professional golfer, but I’m looking to improve that, and I think I’ve proved a lot
of people wrong and showed that I can be super consistent,” Wolff said. “But he hits a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. He’s an unbelievable iron play, and he’s just missed, what, one cut, two wins? It’s pretty unbelievable. It’s super cool to see him playing well.
“He’s a really good friend of mine, and I’m super happy for him, and I’m sure he’s the same way for me. It’s cool to be out here doing this with him, and I’m sure we’re going to be out here for a long time together.”
During the final round of action at the PGA Championship, Stephen Curry was spotted in the crowd at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
For the first major golf tournament of the 2020 slate, the Tour’s top players landed in the Bay Area for the 102nd edition of the PGA Championship. Along with Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, the Golden State Warriors point guard was in attendance.
With a thrilling late eagle on the 16th hole, Cal Berkeley alum Collin Morikawa separated himself from the top group to take the lead in the PGA Championship. Morikawa capped off a score of six-under 64 on Sunday to seal his first major tournament victory at 23-years-old.
Following his Wanamaker Trophy win, Morikawa answered questions from media in attendance.
The two-time Most Valuable Player was able to ask a question to the newly crowned PGA Championship winner. After identifying himself as a member of “Underrated Media,” Curry asked Morikawa about his mindset on the back-nine and whether he watched the leaderboard down the stretch.
Although Morikawa’s said his caddie J.J. Jakovac is a fan of the Warriors, the Los Angeles native made sure to jokingly let Curry know he wasn’t a Golden State fan.
With the Golden State Warriors one of eight teams outside of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble, Curry has plenty of time to make an appearance as Morikawa’s caddie. Before the Warriors are back on the court, another PGA Tour tournament will come through the Bay Area.
On September 10, golfers will tee up at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa for the Safeway Open. Following the tournament in Wine Country, the U.S. Open is slated to begin on September 17 at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York.
Check out the prize money earned by each player this week at the PGA Championship.
Collin Morikawa cashed in a big payday in only his 29th start as a professional. The young professional continues to impress, claiming the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
It was a crowded leaderboard down the stretch on Sunday afternoon. Morikawa broke away with a final-round 6-under 64 and finished at 13 under for a two-shot win over Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson. Morikawa was just a winner last month at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, at the Workday Charity Open.
At 23 years, 6 months, 3 days, Morikawa earns a lifetime exemption into the PGA Championship. He also earns five-year exemptions to the Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and the PGA Tour.
Take a look at what else he earned, along with the rest of the field’s earnings.
Collin Morikawa continues to impress during his young professional career.
Collin Morikawa continues to impress during his young professional career.
On Sunday, in his 29th professional start, he won the biggest tournament of his life, claiming the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
Morikawa had already won twice on the PGA Tour and at one point, he made 22 straight cuts.
On Sunday, on the strength of four birdies and an eagle chip on the 16th hole, Morikawa closed out his first major championship.
At 23 years, 6 months, 3 days, Morikawa earns a lifetime exemption into the PGA Championship. He also earns five-year exemptions to the Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and the PGA Tour.
