Shane Lowry keeps calm and carries British Open lead at Troon

Shane Lowry keeps calm and carries British Open lead at Troon
Ireland's Shane Lowry watches his tee shot on the 10th hole. (Reuters)
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Updated 20 July 2024
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Shane Lowry keeps calm and carries British Open lead at Troon

Shane Lowry keeps calm and carries British Open lead at Troon
  • Lowry had a two-shot lead over Justin Rose and Daniel Brown going into the weekend
  • Tiger Woods missed another cut, along with nine of the top 20 players in the world — including Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg and Bryson DeChambeau

TROON, Scotland: Shane Lowry was a surprising model of calm amid all the calamity in the British Open on Friday.
Lowry was not immune from the endless punishment Royal Troon dished out on a day when Tiger Woods missed another cut, along with nine of the top 20 players in the world — including Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg and Bryson DeChambeau.
He was close to losing his cool with a photographer who distracted him, a shot into the gorse bush, a beautiful provisional shot to the 11th green that didn’t count when his lost ball became found and a double bogey that wiped out his two-shot lead.
Lowry steadied himself with two birdies on the last three holes for a 2-under 69, leaving him in a familiar position as he chases that silver claret jug he first won at Royal Portrush five years ago. He had a two-shot lead over Justin Rose and Daniel Brown going into the weekend.
“I was in control of my ball, did all the right things for a lot of the round. Then when I got in a bit of trouble, I feel like I really finished the round well,” Lowry said. “I’m pretty happy with the day. To be leading this tournament after two days, it’s why you come here. It’s why we’re here.”
The shocker at Royal Troon — there were a lot of them Friday — was how many of the top players were leaving.
DeChambeau, the USOpen champion with top 10s in all the majors this year, managed only one birdie in a round of 75. McIlroy would have needed anything under par, and those hopes ended with a triple bogey 8 on his fourth hole. He shot 75.
“I’d much rather have a disappointing Sunday than going home on Friday,” said McIlroy, who was coming off a late collapse that cost him the US Open.
Woods had a 77 to miss the cut in his third straight major, this one by eight shots. His 36-hole score of 156 matched his highest as a pro.
Lowry was at 7-under 135, and only nine other players remained under par after two days of havoc-wreaking wind off the Irish Sea.
Brown, playing in his first major championship, held it together for a 72 that puts him in the final group on the weekend with Lowry. Rose wasn’t even sure he would be at Troon until he went through 36-hole qualifying at the start of the month. He went 29 holes before finally making a bogey, and then he finished strong for a 68.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler found a pot bunker off the tee at the downwind 18th and made bogey, but otherwise was solid as ever for another 70. He was tied for fourth just five shots behind, along with Billy Horschel (68) and Dean Burmester (69).
“I know tomorrow is going to be a long day, but I’ve done it before,” Lowry said. “For me, it’s just about going out and playing my own game, shooting the best score I can. Try not to worry about what other people are doing and just trying to take care of your own personal stuff.”
It was best to keep blinders on at Royal Troon. There were some harrowing scenes.




McIlroy ended a torrid two days at Royal Troon on 11 over par. (Reuters)


Justin Thomas, who opened with a 68 to get himself in the mix, shot a 45 on the front nine and played his best golf from there to salvage a 78 and make sure he at least made the cut.
Robert MacIntire had an even tougher start. Scotland’s biggest star after winning his national Open last week, MacIntire was stuck in pot bunkers and high grass. He was 8 over for his round through four holes — four holes! — and then played 4 under the rest of the way for a remarkable 75 to make the cut.
The cut was at 6-over 148.
Aguri Iwasaki had them all beat. He took a 9 on consecutive holes and shot 52 on the back nine for a 91. One of those 9s was on the par-3 14th, where he took four shots out of two bunkers and once had to go backward toward the fairway.
McIlroy, who started with a 78, needed a good start and instead got a triple bogey. He barely moved the ball out of thick grass on the par-5 fourth. Once he got back to the fairway, he pulled another shot into the rough, chipped that into the bunker and ended the sad tale by missing a 4-foot putt.
“Once I made the 8 on the fourth hole that was it — 22 holes into the event and I’m thinking about where I’m going to go on vacation next week,” McIlroy said.
PGA champion Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were in the group at 1-under 141.
Another shot back was Joaquin Niemann. He had another 71 despite taking a quintuple-bogey 8 on the par-3 eighth hole — the Postage Stamp — that measures a mere 123 yards. He was in three bunkers around the tiny green and three-putted when he finally got out of them. Niemann also made six birdies in a most remarkable round of level par.
So much chaos across the century-old links, and it looked for a brief moment like Lowry might take part. He was in the right rough, but he was distracted by a photographer and angry at himself for not backing off the shot that he tugged left toward a clump of gorse.
Figuring it would be lost in the prickly mess, Lowry hit a provisional for a lost ball onto the green, a terrific shot. One problem. Someone found the ball. It was no longer lost, so the provisional ball was not in play.
Lowry took a penalty drop from the bush, going back to find a place where he had a swing, put it short of the green, chipped on and salvaged a double bogey 6.
“To be honest, I was happy enough leaving there with a 6. It wasn’t a disaster. I was still leading the tournament,” Lowry said.
And now comes a big opportunity for Lowry to reclaim that claret jug. He’s not alone in the chase, especially with Troon’s ability to make anyone look silly. Scheffler has quietly avoided some of those moments.
“I’ve played two solid rounds and it put me five shots back, and I’ll continue to try to execute and just continue to try to hit good shots and hit good putts,” Scheffler said, making it all sound so simple on a day when nothing felt easy.


Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh

Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh
Updated 31 October 2024
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Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh

Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh
  • Golfer from Thailand is hoping to draw inspiration from singer as she looks to cap off her year with a third tournament win
  • England’s Charley Hull is back from injury and feeling fresh, seeking to make the most of her month off

RIYADH: Golf, for all its glory, can often be a lonely and difficult game on tour.

As the end of the 2024 season beckons, four players from the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh reflected on the trials and tribulations of the sport.

The global event series organized by Golf Saudi, which contributes $5 million annually to the Ladies European Tour prize fund, ends in Saudi Arabia’s capital this week, with action underway on Thursday at Riyadh Golf Club.

Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference, Charley Hull, Carlota Ciganda, Alison Lee and Patty Tavatanakit opened up about some of the hardships of a grueling schedule, and the opportunities.

Tavatanakit, who opened her year with a win at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF, spoke frankly about what can be a love-hate relationship with golf, and how the drive for success keeps her motivated.

“This is only my fifth year on tour,” said the Thai golfer. “I’m already contemplating if I actually love golf, but I do it as a job. But what drives me to do what I do is being successful.

“I really want to be successful, setting goals and trying to achieve them, whatever it is. I feel like I lost that for a little bit, over the past two years, I was just really lost and like, why am I playing?”

When prompted about what inspires her to keep going and help to put herself in the best position to compete this week in Riyadh, Tavatanakit was keen to draw on one of her idols — global popstar Taylor Swift.

“Earlier this year I watched Taylor Swift in Singapore, and she performed probably three times a week at that stretch, and I really looked up to her. There must be some nights where she just does not feel like it, she just wants to call it quits, but she can’t disappoint all those people.

“It’s just the same with us, sometimes we just want to call it quits and we just want to go home, but we can’t disappoint our fans, our responsibility for the tour, our sponsors.

“So yeah, if you watch her on the stage, she did not even show that, so I idolize her for that, and I try to put it in this year’s mindset, as much as possible.”

Also looking to bring a fresh perspective into the event is England’s Hull who, after sustaining a freak shoulder injury after slipping in the shower earlier in the year, is now competing again, with her game back to the level she expects.

Hull had more than a month without competing before returning to action last week in Malaysia, and said playing golf with her friends and family has helped to keep her love going for the sport.

“I just enjoy being out on the golf course, I find it quite therapeutic,” said Hull. “I actually enjoy playing golf at home more with my friends than I do on tour. It’s a lot faster. I just like hitting shots, and I just love golf, that’s what gets me out of bed.”

“It’s a really nice golf course here, and it’s very scorable,” she continued. “It’s good for confidence too, because you can make those birdies out there. Last year, 29-under-par for Alison (Lee) after three rounds … that’s pretty crazy. So yeah, I’m here trying to make those birdies.

Solheim Cup star Lee was in inspired form in 2023, with her score of 29-under-par equaling the record for the LET — the caveat being that she achieved this in just three days.

The course will provide a sterner challenge but Lee is determined to retain her trophy. “I’ve never really been able to win anything back-to-back, so to be able to get that opportunity this week, I’m really excited,” said Lee.

“I know it’s going to be pretty tough, though, and I think it’s playing a little differently this year. I noticed some of the tee boxes are put back a little bit, so will be playing a little longer.”

Lee has seen how courses including Riyadh Golf Club have evolved since the growth of the game in Saudi Arabia, which has gone hand in hand with a surge in women’s golf.

“In Saudi Arabia, we’ve played on some of the best courses, and during the first Saudi Ladies International Tournament, about 1,000 women joined the Ladies First Club, which has since tripled,” said Lee.

“While that number might seem small, it’s a significant growth from zero, highlighting the potential for further development in women’s sports and golf. There’s still so much more room for growth here, and it’s awesome to be a part of that.”

The reigning champion from the team aspect, Spain’s Ciganda, will feel that she has a fantastic opportunity to retain her title — with seven-time LET winner Caroline Hedwall and fellow Spaniard Carmen Alonso making up the professional element of her team.

Alonso secured her first win on the LET in 2023 at the age of 38, and her captain Ciganda is excited for the chance to play together this week, given Alonso’s importance as a formative figure in Ciganda’s early years.

Said Ciganda: “Carmen is a little older than me, so when I was an amateur, she was on the team, and she was like a big sister to me when I was playing for Spain in the national team.

“We played a lot of European Amateur Team Championships, so when I saw that she was the third player, I was very happy.”

She added: “Every time I come here, it’s always a great week, the way they treat us. The golf course, the food, I think it’s (a) very easy week for us. I’m very, very excited for the week and looking forward to starting tomorrow.”

The Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 with 28 teams of four players each, consisting of three professionals and one amateur.


PGA Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes

PGA Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes
Updated 30 October 2024
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PGA Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes

PGA Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes

The PGA Tour is considering sweeping changes that would eliminate 25 cards through the FedEx Cup and shrink the size of fields, part of a plan to make golf’s biggest circuit even more competitive while reducing the time it takes to play and making it easier to watch.
Proposed changes include reducing by 10 the tour cards awarded to Korn Ferry Tour players and limiting the four Monday qualifying spots for fields smaller than 144 players. There would be two open spots for 132-man fields, none for regular tournaments of 120 players.
The proposal sent to players Tuesday, and obtained by The Associated Press, was developed by the 16-member Player Advisory Council that has been crafting the changes since May. The driving force was to make a full PGA Tour card have real value.
With so many eligible players — 125 from the FedEx Cup (or money list) had been the standard since 1983 — newcomers from the Korn Ferry Tour or Q-school often had to wait to see if there was room for them in tournaments.
If approved by the PGA Tour board at its Nov. 18 meeting, changes would start in 2026.
It would be the latest significant adjustment to the tour since the disruption of Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which began in June 2022. In the last two years, the tour has created $20 million signature events with limited fields and a postseason for only the top 70 players.
“The reality is that we’re all playing under different circumstances than we were four years ago,” PAC Chairman Camilo Villegas said in a telephone interview. “We had no competition. We were the best. All of a sudden we have competition and there are little shifts. The changes we’re proposing make a better product. What does having a PGA Tour card mean?”
The tour currently gives priority to tournament winners and the top 125 in the FedEx Cup, with greater perks depending on a player’s ranking. The proposal would give full status to the top 100 in the FedEx Cup, the 10 players eligible players from the European tour, the top 20 from the Korn Ferry Tour and five from Q-school.
There would be an additional spot lower down the priority list — behind such categories as PGA Tour University, life members and career money — for those who finished from Nos. 101 to 125. They are estimated to get in about 15 or so tournaments.
Villegas said the PAC was divided into four subcommittees, which he said allowed for more ideas and easier communication. Key to two main meetings was leaving behind self-interests.
PAC members range from Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas to Nick Hardy and Adam Schenk.
“Obviously there’s going to be casualties along the way,” Villegas said. “It is going to be harder. There’s not going to be 125 cards, but 100. There’s not going to be 30 Korn Ferry cards, but 20. I’m 190-something in the FedEx Cup. All these proposed changes can affect me, but it’s not about me. It’s about the game.
“We want to make the product as strong as possible for the sponsors, for the fans, for the players,” he said. “If we perform, there’s an opportunity to make an unbelievable living. You just keep working on your dream like you did when you were a kid.”
There also was the ongoing problem of slow play, which rules officials for years have argued was due primarily to too many players on the course. The field sizes would be 120 players before Daylight Savings Time, then up to 132 players and a maximum of 144 in the summer.
That’s for regular tournaments. The eight signature events with the $20 million purses would remain capped at 72 players, filling the field, if necessary, based on current form.
The proposal also suggested changes to the FedEx Cup points distribution, which Villegas said was inspired by a detailed analysis of board member Maverick McNealy. That mainly would reduce points awarded from the middle of the pack.
If approved, that still might not be the end of changes. The PGA Tour is in negotiation with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — the financial backing of LIV — to become a minority investor in the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises.
Villegas has not been involved in those meetings. He joins the PGA Tour board next year, replacing Jordan Spieth.
“If we do a deal with PIF, there are more changes to come,” he said. “I don’t know how those would affect the schedule, how that will affect the pathways.”


Morikawa says ‘winning is tough’ ahead of Japan title defense

Morikawa says ‘winning is tough’ ahead of Japan title defense
Updated 23 October 2024
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Morikawa says ‘winning is tough’ ahead of Japan title defense

Morikawa says ‘winning is tough’ ahead of Japan title defense
  • The American romped to last year’s title by six shots to end a two-year title drought
  • He has not lifted a trophy since and described his 2024 season as ‘solid’ rather than spectacular

INZAI, Japan: Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa said Wednesday that “winning is tough” as he looks for his first victory of the year at the US PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in Japan this week.
The American romped to last year’s title at Narashino Country Club near Tokyo by six shots to end a two-year title drought.
He has not lifted a trophy since and described his 2024 season, which has included two runner-up finishes, as “solid” rather than spectacular.
Morikawa was part of the United States team that beat the Internationals at the Presidents Cup in Montreal last month and is hoping to keep that form going this week in Japan.
“It’s a place I look forward to every year. Knowing that I won last year, lot of good memories,” said the 27-year-old, who has Japanese heritage.
“It was my first win in two years. Look, winning’s tough. No matter what it is, winning is tough. You have to learn how to win.”
Morikawa will be up against fellow American Xander Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and British Open in a breakthrough 2024, and Japan’s Olympic bronze-medallist Hideki Matsuyama.
Morikawa finished runner-up behind Scottie Scheffler at the season-ending Tour Championship last month but said “you just never know what to expect” when play begins.
“Every tournament’s different, you never know how you’re going to play on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday,” he said.
“You’ve got to treat each day and each shot and take everything that’s in front of you, and not take anything for granted.”
Morikawa struggled to keep his emotions in check when he lifted the Zozo Championship trophy last year.
“Honestly, I’m not that emotional of a guy,” he said.
“Whenever something happens, you just never know what it’s going to be.”


Tiger Woods to make TGL indoor league debut the 2nd week of the season after NFL wild-card weekend

Tiger Woods to make TGL indoor league debut the 2nd week of the season after NFL wild-card weekend
Updated 22 October 2024
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Tiger Woods to make TGL indoor league debut the 2nd week of the season after NFL wild-card weekend

Tiger Woods to make TGL indoor league debut the 2nd week of the season after NFL wild-card weekend
  • The TGL debuts on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • The first match is between New York Golf Club, led by Xander Schauffele, against The Bay Golf Club in San Francisco, headed by Ludvig Aberg and Wyndham Clark

NEW YORK: Tiger Woods makes his debut in the second week of the indoor TMRW Golf League, part of a schedule released Monday that has the six teams wrapping up the inaugural season on ESPN two weeks before the Masters.

Rory McIlroy, among the owners with Woods of TMRW Sports, won’t play until the fourth week after he gets back from playing on the European tour in Dubai.

The TGL debuts on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, an arena roughly the size of a football field that can hold about 1,500 spectators.

Three players from the four-man teams compete in 15-hole matches that blend virtual and real-time golf. The longer shots will be hit into a 3,400-square-foot screen, roughly 24 times the size of a standard golf simulator. From about 50 yards and in, there will be actual shots to a 41-yard turntable green that can provide a variety of shots.

The first match is between New York Golf Club, led by Xander Schauffele, against The Bay Golf Club in San Francisco, headed by Ludvig Aberg and Wyndham Clark. It is scheduled for 9 p.m. following a college basketball game.

Woods and his Jupiter Golf Club play the second week, the night after the sixth and final NFL wild card playoff game on Monday night.

Key to this hi-tech indoor league is being on the ESPN platforms, with the opening six weeks of TGL held right after a weekend of football. TMRW Sports, the sports and entertainment venture that created the indoor golf league, is counting on promotion during the college football and NFL telecasts.

There have been weekday golf exhibitions for years, going as far back as the “Showdown at Sherwood” featuring Woods and David Duval when they were Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, and most recently the December match in Las Vegas featuring PGA Tour stars (Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy) against LIV Golf’s biggest draws (Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka).

TGL is a new concept but figures to have a faster pace with nine holes of alternating shots among three players and six holes of singles play. There will be a 40-second shot clock, allowing for matches to easily fit into the two-hour window.

Mike McCarley, the former Golf Channel executive who is CEO and founder of TMRW Sports, described it as a “live, courtside experience for golf on an unprecedented scale.”

He said TGL would complement the PGA Tour as a fast-paced team competition. The regular season ends March 4, followed by the semifinals March 17 and 18 — after The Players Championship — and the best-of-three final on March 24-25.

Each of the teams will play five times during the regular season. The schedule was built around feedback from the 24 players and where they plan to play on tour. McIlroy is the defending champion at the Dubai Desert Classic, for example, which is why his Boston Common Golf does not start until Jan. 27.

Hideki Matsuyama also plays for Boston and plays the first two weeks in Hawaii.

Five players in the opening TGL match will be going to Florida from The Sentry, the PGA Tour’s season opener at Kapalua on Maui.


Mixed fortunes for Saudi golfer Khalid Walid Attieh in round 3 after making the cut in Thailand

Mixed fortunes for Saudi golfer Khalid Walid Attieh in round 3 after making the cut in Thailand
Updated 19 October 2024
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Mixed fortunes for Saudi golfer Khalid Walid Attieh in round 3 after making the cut in Thailand

Mixed fortunes for Saudi golfer Khalid Walid Attieh in round 3 after making the cut in Thailand
  • The Black Mountain Championship is second event in this season’s International Series at which the amateur from Riyadh has advanced to the final two rounds
  • After a 4-under 68 on Thursday and a 2-under 70 on Friday, in round 3 he had 4 birdies and a bogey on the front 9 but dropped 5 shots on the back 9 to card a 1-over 73

HUA HIN, Thailand: After making the cut at the Black Mountain Championship at Hua Hin in Thailand on Friday, Saudi golfer Khalid Walid Attieh had mixed fortunes as he faced challenging conditions during his third round on Saturday.

It is the second time in five events of this season’s International Series that the 29-year-old has advanced to the final two rounds, following his success at the season-opener in Oman in February when he became the first Saudi amateur to make the cut in a professional tournament.

His campaign at Black Mountain Golf Club began with a solid, 4-under-par 68 on Thursday, followed by a 2-under 70 on Friday.

Battling tricky conditions in the third round, the Riyadh-born golfer recorded four birdies and a bogey on the front nine but dropped five shots on the back nine to card a one-over-par 73.

Reflecting on his performance in the tournament so far, Attieh said he is proud to be representing the Kingdom on a global stage.

“It’s such a great event,” he said. “I am very grateful to the Saudi Golf Federation and the International Series for giving me a spot, and obviously to represent my country, it’s been very special.

“Everyone here on the Asian Tour is super nice as well, and I got to play with some really nice guys and some good people, and then also the people running the tournament are doing an amazing job. So, nothing but positives here.”

It is the second time in five events of this season’s International Series that the 29-year-old has advanced to the final two rounds. (Supplied)

Attieh said he has been impressed by the sense of camaraderie on the Asian Tour, including the welcoming attitude of players and tournament officials alike.

“Everyone has been super supportive,” he said. “It’s a tight-knit community where once you’ve played with someone, they become a friend for life. That’s not something you find everywhere.”

Black Mountain marks the start of a demanding concluding run of six events in just eight weeks for the 10-event International Series. Despite the challenge this poses, Attieh remains happy with his progress so far and optimistic about his chances, especially after his tied-for-69th finish in Oman.

“It’s been great,” he said. “I’ve been playing some good golf so it’s nice finally to see all the hard work pay off. I have put in a lot of time, a lot of effort and finally I get to see some results.

“I think this week it definitely felt like that. At one stage I thought I could be even further up the leaderboard and I think it was just a few mental errors on the back nine that cost me a little bit. But I am happy, overall, with where the game is and I think that, moving forward, it’s going to give me a lot of confidence.”

When the Black Mountain Championship concludes on Sunday, Attieh’s focus will shift to next weekend and a second International Series event in Thailand, at the Thai Country Club from Oct. 24-27.