Scott Harrington DQ'ed; Jimmy Walker hit with penalty but survives cut at Valspar Championship

Scott Harrington DQ'ed; Jimmy Walker hit with penalty but survives cut at Valspar Championship https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Scott Harrington was disqualified from the Valspar Championship after the second round for signing an incorrect scorecard.

The DQ was a mere formality as Harrington, 40, had shot 1-over 72, which combined with his opening-round 4-over 75, would have been several shots too many in order to stick around and play on the week. Still, it continues to be confounding why signing an incorrect scorecard (Rule 6-6d) is still treated as if it’s the early 20th century when in today’s day and age every shot is measured by ShotLink and most likely recorded. It’s almost equally hard to explain why players continue to make scoring mistakes.

Jimmy Walker nearly joined Harrington as a DQ. He was penalized two strokes for being late to his 7:39 am tee time in Group 44 on Friday (Rule 5.3A).

Walker, whose last victory on the PGA Tour is the 2016 PGA Championship, was on the range when a rules official notified him that he had one minute to get to the first tee. He arrived too late.

Had Walker arrived more than five minutes late, he would have been disqualified. Walker had to add two strokes to his score on the par-5 first hole, turning a 5 into a double-bogey 7. He rallied with five birdies in his final 13 holes to sign for 2-under 69 and made the cut on the number at 1-under 141 at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course.

On social media, he posted: “Pro tip….don’t be late for your tee time. Thirty years in tourney golf and that’s a first…”

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Watch: Keegan Bradley's walk-off eagle gives him share of Valspar lead with Sam Burns

Watch: Keegan Bradley's walk-off eagle gives him share of Valspar lead with Sam Burns https://ift.tt/3oJXEW6

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Keegan Bradley’s putter has been his friend of late, but nothing beats not having to use your putter. Bradley knocked in a gap wedge from 115 yards at the uphill par-4 ninth, his final hole of the day, for an eagle and a walk-off finish to remember.

“I turned a good day into a great day,” Bradley said. “Man, it was a fun day and what a way to finish. It was a blast.”

That capped off a round of 5-under 66 and a 36-total total of 12-under 130, which set the lowest 36-hole score in tournament history. He’ll have to share that honor in the record books because Sam Burns fired a tournament-best 8-under 63 to tie for the lead.

“I didn’t even realize it was bogey-free until you said that,” Burns told Golf Channel’s Steve Burkowski in a post-round interview when informed of his clean card.

Burns may need oven mittens to handle his putter it’s so red hot.

He took 22 putts on Thursday and 23 Friday, and ranks first in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. He birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine to come home in 30. When asked what he attributed his putting performance this week to, Burns said he’s enjoying putting on Bermuda greens, the grass he grew up playing on back home in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Valspar: Yardage book | Leaderboard | Photos | Tee times, TV info

“I’m just comfortable around those,” he said. “I think just playing on them every day back home, you’re used to seeing grain, you kind of don’t even think about it, but you know it’s there and you’re kind of calculating it in.”

For Burns, it added up to his fourth 36-hole lead or co-lead this season and the most on the PGA Tour. Burns, a third-year pro, still is seeking his first win on the circuit.

Bradley’s wedge shot at nine deserves the headlines, but his putter also has contributed to his success. He went through trying times after his trusty belly putter, which he used to win the 2011 PGA Championship and two other titles, was banned in 2016. That putter was an Odyssey Sabretooth model, but until recently the Odyssey Tour reps weren’t able to figure out the weighting or get the loft correct in a legal model. That changed back in Phoenix and it’s like having an old friend in the bag.

“I made all the putts I should have made and I snuck in a couple longer ones, too,” he said.

Bradley holds the 36-hole lead or co-lead for the seventh time on Tour in search of his first win since the 2018 BMW Championship. The walk-off at the last, which caddie Scottie Veil joked was the “club call of the year,” bounced just past the hole and spun back into the cup for a deuce and his ninth hole-out from 100+ yards this year (Tour best).

“You can’t see it from where we are, so you kind of have to wait for a reaction and then when people put their arms up, normally that means it goes in,” Bradley said. “Another bonus of having fans out here.”

Asked how he planned to celebrate his walk-off heroics, Bradley smiled and said, “Go home and go to bed. I’m exhausted. No celebrating yet.”

That can wait until Sunday.

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Valspar Championship Saturday tee times, TV and streaming info

Valspar Championship Saturday tee times, TV and streaming info https://ift.tt/3sWK4A9

The PGA Tour is back in the Sunshine State this week, and it’s moving day.

Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course in Palm Harbor, Florida, plays host once again for the 2021 Valspar Championship after the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After 36 holes, Keegan Bradley and Sam Burns are tied for first at 12 under. Lucas Glover, Max Homa and Charley Hoffman are T-3 at 8 under, while a host of big names like Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed missed the cut.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the third round of the 2021 Valspar Championship.

Valspar Championship tee times

Tee Time Players
8:20 a.m. Brandon Hagy
8:25 a.m. Henrik Stenson, Jason Dufner
8:35 a.m. Tyler Duncan, J.B. Holmes
8:45 a.m. Kramer Hickok, Byeong Hun An
8:55 a.m. Peter Uihlein, Joseph Bramlett
9:05 a.m. Denny McCarthy, Wyndham Clark
9:15 a.m. Patton Kizzire, Luke Donald
9:25 a.m. Jimmy Walker, J.T. Poston
9:35 a.m. Vincent Whaley, Alex Noren
9:45 a.m. Wesley Bryan, Beau Hossler
9:55 a.m. Ryan Moore, Keith Mitchell
10:05 a.m. Scottie Scheffler, Doc Redman
10:20 a.m. Ryan Palmer, Justin Thomas
10:30 a.m. Ian Poulter, Ted Potter, Jr.
10:40 a.m. Adam Schenk, Louis Oosthuizen
10:50 a.m. Matthew NeSmith, Paul Casey
11 a.m. Dustin Johnson, Jhonattan Vegas
11:10 a.m. Scott Brown, Russell Knox
11:20 a.m. Camilo Villegas, Bronson Burgoon
11:30 a.m. Corey Conners, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
11:40 a.m. Chase Koepka, Bo Van Pelt
11:50 a.m. Viktor Hovland, Henrik Norlander
12 p.m. Charles Howell III, Brandt Snedeker
12:10 p.m. Kevin Na, Kyle Stanley
12:25 p.m. Abraham Ancer, Bubba Watson
12:35 p.m. Danny Lee, Michael Gligic
12:45 p.m. Troy Merritt, Branden Grace
12:55 p.m. Pat Perez, Vaughn Taylor
1:05 p.m. Joaquin Niemann, Jason Kokrak
1:15 p.m. Cameron Tringale, Scott Stallings
1:25 p.m. Tom Lewis, Hank Lebioda
1:35 p.m. Sungjae Im, Zach Johnson
1:45 p.m. Charley Hoffman, Charl Schwartzel
1:55 p.m. Lucas Glover, Max Homa
2:05 p.m. Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns

TV, streaming, radio info

Saturday, May 1

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 1-3 p.m.
CBS: 
3-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: 8-9:15 a.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.

Sunday, May 2

TV

Golf Channel (Watch for free on fuboTV): 1-3 p.m.
CBS: 
3-6 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: 8-9:15 a.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

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Valspar Championship: Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed among the notables who missed the cut

Valspar Championship: Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed among the notables who missed the cut https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – The top two players in the world, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, are among those on the right side of the cutline at the Valspar Championship, but with a lot of catching up to do on the weekend.

For Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed and others, they’ll be home for the weekend.

Mickelson missed his sixth cut in 13 starts this season, but not without a fight. After shooting 2-over 73 on Thursday he made bogey at No. 4 before making back-to-back birdies at Nos. 5 and 6 and a string of three birdies in a row beginning at No. 11. But the Snake Pit, the three-hole stretch at the Copperhead Course comprising of Nos. 16-18, bit back. Bogeys at 16 and 18 had Mickelson signing for 2-under 69 and one stroke too many to play the weekend.

ValsparCheck the yardage book | Leaderboard | Photos

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Being Brooks' brother is not easy, but Chase Koepka determined to make a name on his own

Being Brooks' brother is not easy, but Chase Koepka determined to make a name on his own https://ift.tt/2QCg7IF

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — After Chase Koepka rolled a 4-foot putt about 2-feet past the 13th hole at the Valspar Championship on Thursday, a volunteer decided to voice his opinion to everyone within earshot about Chase’s game.

“That kid will never make it to Saturday,” he said.

As it turned out, that volunteer would have been wise to adhere to the words on those sticks that read: ‘Quiet Please.’ Because one of those within earshot was Bob Koepka, Chase’s dad, who was not about to let the comment go without a response.

“You want to make a wager on that?” Bob asked.

That man opted not to put his money where his mouth was. And good thing, because volunteering could have gotten expensive.

This story could have been even better if Chase himself had heard the Nick Faldo wannabe. Then, it could be assumed that was all the motivation he needed.

But, so far, Chase is doing just fine on his own, with the emphasis on — on his own.

ValsparCheck the yardage book | Leaderboard | Photos

Since that hole, Chase has played bogey-free golf on the Copperhead Course, including a 1-under 70 Friday, and enters the weekend at 4-under. Chase’s unusual second round included 17 consecutive pars before dropping a 21-foot birdie putt on No. 9 (his 18th hole) for his lone birdie.

“It’s better to do it with a birdie than a bogey, that’s for sure,” he said about coming within one hole of 18 pars.

Chase is at Valspar on a sponsor exemption. He was expecting to play with his brother and four-time major winner, Brooks, but for the second consecutive tournament in which Chase has played, Brooks, who is recovering from knee surgery, was forced to withdraw.

So, when spectators see a Koepka has advanced to the weekend, it probably is not the Koepka they expected.

But that’s OK with Chase, who understands what it takes to live in the shadow of an older brother who has become known worldwide.

Chase, 27, and his older brother are very tight, but that does not mean Chase is looking to ride his coattails. They live their separate lives, Chase in West Palm Beach and Brooks in Jupiter, and they obviously are in different tax brackets and stages of their careers with Brooks, who was No. 1 in the world for 47 weeks, having won more Tour events (eight) than Chase had played entering this week.

And Chase is comfortable with that.

Still, that doesn’t make it any easier for dad when it sometimes seems as if Chase does not exist to the casual fan.

“There are always the comparisons and then people who say, ‘How come he’s not doing what his brother is doing?’” Bob said. “But the hardest thing is somebody will come up to me and say, ‘You got to be proud of your son.’ And Chase would be standing right next to me, and they don’t even know he plays.”

Bob is proud of his sons, plural. Which is why walking 18 holes, whether at Valspar or a course on the local Minor League Tour is as stressful as walking Pebble Beach or Augusta National.

And if you don’t believe that, you were not standing by the 9th green Friday when that putt dropped and Bob, and the rest of a solid contingent of Chase’s family and friends, turned heads with their cheers.

“There’s a lot of people that still think I’m just a nobody,” Chase said. “That’s all right. That’s their opinion. I know I’m good enough to be out there.

“My brother did everything on his own, and he’s done an amazing job of it. I want to do the same thing. I’m his biggest fan out there. I love seeing him win. That’s been our dream since we were little. It doesn’t change for me. I haven’t done it yet, but my goal is to be out there. I don’t think I’m too far off.”

Chase Koepka

Chase Koepka plays from the bunker on the 4th hole during the second round of the 2021 Valspar Championship. (Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

Chase is right, he isn’t that far. Valspar is Chase’s sixth PGA Tour event in the last 18 months, and he has made the cut in all but one. Although his best finish is a tie for 26th at the 3M Open in July, he shot a 64 Sunday, the low round of the day.

“I’m making a lot of cuts,” said Chase, who finished T-30 at Honda. “I just haven’t quite finished near the top. I’ve had a lot of mid-level finishes. I’m kind of itching to get inside the top 10. Just to be in the hunt with nine or 18 to go.”

Could that be this weekend? Though happy with a bogey-free round, Chase was not happy with the stress he put on his putter. Just five of Chase’s par putts were inside 3-feet. He saved par seven times with putts of 5- to 10-feet.

“I just didn’t have that many opportunities for birdies all day and it was very frustrating,” Chase said. “If I kind of clean it up a little bit … I’m doing all the right things. Just really fortunate my putter stepped up today.”

A lot is riding on a top-10 finish. Chase plans to head to North Carolina Monday to try to qualify for next week’s Wells Fargo Championship. If he’s in the top 10 at Valspar, he automatically qualifies for Wells Fargo.

“He knows he belongs out here,” Bob said. “He knows he’s got the game to be out here. He just has to go through the system to work his way up.”

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Ian Poulter explains why he's joining the social media racism boycott

Ian Poulter explains why he's joining the social media racism boycott https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

On Friday at 1400 GMT (10 a.m. ET), a group of English soccer leagues, clubs and players – including the governing body and largest men’s and women’s leagues – began a four-day social media boycott in protest of online racism and abuse, which has run rampant over the years.

Ahead of the boycott, which ends Monday night at 7 p.m. ET, other English sports including cricket, rugby, tennis and horse racing announced they’d join the social media silence.

Add Ian Poulter to the list.

The three-time winner on the PGA Tour and 12-time European Tour winner is teeing it up this week at the Valspar Championship and took to Twitter to explain why he’s joining the movement.

Read more about the boycott here.

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Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama receives Prime Minister's Award in Japan

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama receives Prime Minister's Award in Japan https://ift.tt/3d6OL5A

When Hideki Matsuyama won the 2021 Masters earlier this month, he left Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia with a fancy green jacket, a sterling silver replica of the Masters Trophy, a gold medal and a whopping $2.07 million.

On Friday, the 29-year-old earned another esteemed honor.

Matsuyama received the Prime Minister’s Award from Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo after becoming the country’s first male major champion.

“Due to the influence of the coronavirus, both worldwide and across Japan, we are all living different lives, but even in these times, if this win can provide a sliver of hope to people, and inspire more kids, or even just one kid to want to try and play golf in the future, that makes me extremely happy,” said Matsuyama. “I am very happy to receive the Prime Minister’s Award for winning the Masters.”

Matsuyama, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour – including two World Golf Championship titles – is the 34th individual recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award.

“If by me winning the Masters inspires little children to think that they too can now win the Masters, then that makes me extremely happy. I’d be thrilled if other athletes and kids look at golf and want to get better. I will continue to do my best,” Matsuyama added, while noting his work this year is just beginning.

“This just makes me want to work even harder and do even better, and I thank you all for your continued support. I will work hard to win a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.”

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Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll: Men's NAIA, NJCAA Div. I, NJCAA Div. II

Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll: Men's NAIA, NJCAA Div. I, NJCAA Div. II https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In NAIA, NJCAA Division I and NJCAA Division II, the top spot on the coaches poll remained steady.

Point University maintains the top spot in NAIA with nine first-place votes. In fact, there wasn’t movement in the NAIA poll until the No. 9 spot, where Oklahoma City jumped two spots up the ranking.

Midland maintained the top spot in NJCAA Division I and South Mountain did the same in NJCAA Division II.

Here are the Top 25 rankings for the Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Polls in NAIA, NJCAA Division I and NJCAA Division II for the week of April 30, 2021.

NAIA

Rank University (First Place Votes) Points Previous Ranking
1 Point University (9) 248 1
2 Keiser (1) 237 2
3 College of Coastal Georgia 233 3
4 Dalton State 217 4
T-5 Bellevue University 207 5
T-5 South Carolina Beaufort 207 6
7 Wayland Baptist 183 7
8 Texas Wesleyan 179 8
9 Oklahoma City 153 11
10 Lindsey Wilson College 145 9
11 Ottawa (AZ) 136 10
12 Morningside 135 12
13 Southwestern Christian University 117 13
14 Truett-McConnell 112 17
15 Kansas Wesleyan 103 18
T-16 Reinhardt 91 16
T-16 Houston-Victoria 91 15
18 Cumberland University 75 22
19 Faulkner 60 19
20 SCAD Savannah 55 NR
21 Mobile 49 14
22 Webber International 38 21
23 The Masters University 26 23
24 William Carey 25 NR
T-25 Our Lady of the Lake 19 20
T-25 Grand View 19 24

Dropped From Ranking: Tennessee Wesleyan (No. 25).

Others Receiving Votes: Campbellsville Univ., 17; Bethany College (KS), 13; Southeastern (FL) 13; St. Thomas Univ., 13; William Woods, 9; Taylor, 6; Roosevelt, 5; Tennessee Wesleyan, 5; Indiana Wesleyan, 4; Saint Thomas (FL), 3; St. Ambrose, 2.

NJCAA Div. I

Rank University (First Place Votes) Points Previous Rank
1 Midland (4) 64 1
2 Hutchinson (2) 60 T-2
3 Odessa (1) 57 4
4 Indian Hills 53 T-2
5 Eastern Florida State 43 5
6 Central Alabama 33 7
7 Iowa Western 30 6
8 Ranger 19 NR
9 McLennan 16 8
10 John A. Logan 4 9

Dropped From Ranking: Eastern Arizona (#10).

Others Receiving Votes: Garden City, 3; Jefferson State, 3.

NJCAA Div. II

Rank University (First Place Votes) Points Previous Ranking
1 South Mountain (6) 69 1
2 Kirkwood CC (1) 51 3
3 Glendale CC 50 4
4 Mississippi Gulf Coast 49 2
5 Tyler JC 36 5
6 Parkland CC 32 9
7 Mesa 28 6
8 Walters State JC 24 8
9 Paradise Valley CC 23 7
10 Meridian 12 10

Others Receiving Votes: Northeast Mississippi, 5; Abraham Baldwin, 3; Des Moines Area, 3.

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It's Groundhog Day for Max Homa, who shares clubhouse lead at Valspar Championship

It's Groundhog Day for Max Homa, who shares clubhouse lead at Valspar Championship https://ift.tt/3lXXiZP

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – For Max Homa, every day on the golf course is starting to feel like Groundhog Day. On Friday, he followed up a 5-under 66 with a 3-under 68 for a share of the clubhouse lead with Lucas Glover at 8-under 134.

“Game feels like it’s very repeatable at the moment,” Homa said. “You go around a course like this without feeling too much anxiety, too much stress, that’s a bonus.”

His 3-wood has been dialed in, too. On Monday, Homa made his first albatross, holing his second shot at a par 5 with his trusty 3-wood at Greystone Golf Club in Birmingham, Alabama. On Friday, he nearly did it again, drilling old reliable to 4 feet, 9 inches from the hole and settling for eagle.

“She’s hot,” Homa said. “I’ve always hit my 3-wood quite well, it’s typically one of my favorite clubs. I know every caddie that’s ever worked for me has said it’s their favorite club, which means it probably should be my favorite club. So, I don’t know, it’s just a hitting it out of the middle and it’s going where I’m looking at the moment.”

ValsparCheck the yardage book | Leaderboard | Photos

His putter hasn’t been too shabby, either. Homa made just over 200 feet of putts on Thursday and followed that up by holing a 27-foot birdie at No. 17 and a 30-foot birdie at No. 4. For the week, Homa ranks second in Strokes Gained: Putting.

“For a moment there I thought I was going to go super low but at the same time, that’s where this course will get you,” he said. “It’s hard to go around this place unscathed.”

Homa hasn’t forgotten when Groundhog Day felt like an endless string of missed cuts. In 2017, he missed 15 of 17 cuts, but he’s come out the other side, knowing what rock bottom on the PGA Tour feels like and appreciating the successes he’d had. How does he explain missing his three previous cuts in Tampa, yet making it look easy this week?

“I’m just better at golf now,” he said. “I told my wife that there’s a few tee shots out here I remember being anxious over and I showed up this week on Wednesday and was rolling my eyes that I thought that that was as demanding as it was.”

He added: “This is the longest I’ve played really well since like college. It’s a comfort to show up to events.”

Glover would like to have a few more repeatable rounds like Friday. He signed for a bogey-free 6-under 65, during which he lead the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green.

“Scrappy, I think, would be a good word,” he said in trying to describe his round. “I usually hit a lot of greens. You got to do that here, you got to get it in the fairway and just hit it on the green, because it’s not easy to get it too close, you short side yourself a few times, this and that, but ball striking’s always been a strength and that’s key around here, but my short game’s bailed me out the first two days.”

Glover has never been one to fret – his word – about his ballstriking, and he’s confident it will turn around this weekend. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson was unhappy with his iron game after the first round, which included a 12-hole stretch without a birdie, so he headed straight to the range last night.

“Mid to long irons I don’t think I hit one in the middle of the club face,” Johnson said of Thursday’s opening round. “So, a little frustrated, but today I felt like I swung it a lot better.”

He bounced back with a 3-under 68 to secure a weekend date at Innisbrook Resort.

“If I can go out and play a nice round tomorrow, I can get right back in the golf tournament,” he said.

Among those lurking just a stroke behind the leaders at 7 under included Charl Schwartzel  and Tom Lewis, who each matched Glover with 65s, and Sungjae Im and Zach Johnson.

The low 65 and ties will play the weekend at the Copperhead Course.

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Photos: Fun Caddie names at Valspar Championship

Photos: Fun Caddie names at Valspar Championship https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Each PGA Tour stop has its own traditions and at the Valspar Championship, home of the Snake Pit, one fun thing they do is change up the names on the caddie bibs.

For example, Kris Ventura’s caddie wears the name “Ace Ventura.”

Pretty cool, right?

Two-time defending champion Paul Casey’s caddie, John McLaren, is known for wearing colorful shoes on the course. This week he’s sporting “Popeye” on his bib in reference to Casey’s forearms.

One of the best names so far is “Kick Me,” worn by Kyle Peters, caddie for Mark Hubbard.

Check out this collection of photos at the Valspar.

ValsparCheck the yardage book | Leaderboard | Photos

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Methodist takes over top spot in Division III Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll

Methodist takes over top spot in Division III Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll https://ift.tt/36CRPTo

Methodist is the new No. 1 team in NCAA Division III golf after bumping the previous No. 1 team, Guilford, down a spot in the latest Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll. The Monarchs received four first-place votes to leap into the top spot.

Guilford also received first-place votes – nine of them – while Piedmont received three first-place votes and landed in the No. 5 spot.

Huntingdon remained in the No. 3 spot and Emory also didn’t move at No. 4.

Illinois Wesleyan, with one first-place vote, landed at No. 6, down one spot from their No. 5 ranking in the last coaches poll.

Division III

Rank University (First Place Votes) Points Previous Ranking
1 Methodist (4) 396 2
2 Guilford (9) 393 1
3 Huntingdon 383 3
4 Emory 361 4
5 Piedmont (3) 358 6
6 Illinois Wesleyan (1) 356 5
7 Trinity University (TX) 301 8
8 Carnegie Mellon 283 7
9 Wittenberg 247 12
10 Greensboro 212 11
11 Sewanee: The University of the South 170 NR
12 McMurry 157 13
13 Washington & Lee 156 9
T-14 Mary Hardin-Baylor 153 18
T-14 Averett 153 14
16 Denison University 150 NR
17 University of Texas-Dallas 144 17
18 Christopher Newport 129 16
19 Oglethorpe 116 19
20 Concordia University (TX) 112 21
21 Hampden-Sydney 105 20
T-22 LaGrange 69 15
T-22 Redlands 69 23
24 Rochester 60 NR
25 St. Thomas (MN) 59 22

Dropped From Ranking: Aurora Univ. (No. 25); Gustavus Adolphus (No. 24); Pfeiffer (No. 10).

Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin Eau-Claire, 49; Southwestern (TX), 48; Gustavus Adolphus, 37; Willamette, 34; Saint Johns (MN), 30; Texas Lutheran, 29; Aurora Univ., 20; Stevens Institute of Technology, 20; York College (PA), 18; Nebraska Wesleyan, 15; Webster Univ., 15; Westminster College (PA), 14; Western New England College, 13; Whitworth, 12; Pfeiffer, 10; Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 9; New York Univ. 8; Schreiner, 7; Rosemont College, 6; Babson, 5; Calvin, 5; Rhodes, 5; Williams, 5; Berry College, 4; Hardin-Simmons, 4; Pennsylvania College of Technology, 3; Hamilton, 2; Otterbein, 2; Univ. of Dallas, 2; Kenyon College, 1; Franklin & Marshall, 1.

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West Florida is unanimous No. 1 in Division II Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll

West Florida is unanimous No. 1 in Division II Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll https://ift.tt/36CRPTo

No other team in Division II golf stole a first-place vote away from West Florida in the latest Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll, leaving the Argonauts at the top of yet another poll as the postseason draws nearer.

West Florida received all 24 first-place votes and remained in the top spot. Below that, Lynn and Lincoln Memorial flip-flopped, with Lincoln Memorial rising into the No. 2 spot and Lynn dropping to No. 3.

Central Missouri made a move up, from No. 8 to No. 6, while Young Harris leaped from No. 12 to No. 9.

Two teams moved into the poll this week, with Nova Southeastern claiming the No. 23 spot and Grand Valley State taking up the No. 25 and final spot.

Here is the complete poll:

Division II

Rank University (First Place Votes) Points Previous Rank
1 West Florida (24) 600 1
2 Lincoln Memorial 552 3
3 Lynn 547 2
4 Arkansas Tech 500 T-4
5 South Carolina-Aiken 472 6
6 Central Missouri 455 8
7 Barry 443 T-4
8 Lee 429 7
9 Young Harris College 395 12
10 Georgia Southwestern State 361 9
11 Indianapolis 360 10
12 Saint Leo 302 14
13 Columbus State 291 13
14 Georgia College 267 11
15 Henderson State 249 17
16 Oklahoma Christian 232 15
17 Colorado State-Pueblo 200 16
18 Washburn 185 18
19 North Georgia 146 19
20 Clayton State 107 21
21 Carson-Newman 94 22
22 Lander 92 23
23 Nova Southeastern 67 NR
24 Findlay 60 20
25 Grand Valley State 49 NR

Dropped From Ranking: Florida Southern (No. 24); Wingate (No. 25).

Others Receiving Votes: Florida Southern, 38; Wingate, 35; Valdosta State, 29; Mount Olive, 24; Academy of Art, 22; Sonoma State, 20; Western Washington, 20; St. Thomas Aquinas, 18; Gannon, 16; Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania, 13; Christian Brothers, 11; Maryville, 11; Texas A&M Commerce, 10; Livingstone, 9; Tampa, 9; Saint Martins Univ., 8; Barton College, 7; Union Univ. (TN), 7; Flagler, 6; Colorado-Colorado Springs, 5; CSU East Bay, 5; Florida Tech, 4; Rollins, 4; Bentley Univ., 3; Missouri – St. Louis, 3; Delta State, 2; Midwestern State, 2; West Liberty, 2; Missouri Western State, 1; Queens Univ. of Charlotte, 1.

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Oklahoma remains No. 1 team in Division I Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll

Oklahoma remains No. 1 team in Division I Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll https://ift.tt/36CRPTo

A new Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll has been released, but at the top, things don’t look much different than they did last time. There was no movement among the top five teams in the previous rankings – those remain in the same spots, with Oklahoma leading the way after receiving 19 first-place votes.

In fact, the biggest mover was North Carolina, which climbed all the way from No. 15 in the previous poll into a tie for sixth with Pepperdine.

In the last poll before the NCAA postseason gets underway, Oklahoma State and Clemson, winners of the Big 12 and SEC conference titles, respectively, were the only two teams other than Oklahoma to score first-place votes.

NCAA host Arizona State landed in ninth, one spot up from the last poll.

The complete poll is here:

Division I

Rank University (First Place Votes) Points Previous Rank
1 Oklahoma (19) 570 1
2 Florida State 525 2
3 Oklahoma State (1) 524 3
4 Clemson (3) 519 4
5 Texas 449 5
T-6 North Carolina 421 15
T-6 Pepperdine 421 8
8 Wake Forest 414 6
9 Arizona State 391 10
10 NC State 352 9
11 Illinois 347 7
12 Georgia 337 11
13 Vanderbilt 303 13
T-14 Auburn 257 14
T-14 Texas A&M 257 12
16 Arizona 207 17
17 Tennessee 191 19
18 Liberty 178 16
19 Texas Tech 143 23
20 Florida 138 18
21 SMU 127 20
22 North Florida 115 21
23 Arkansas 107 22
24 LSU 60 NR
25 San Diego State 45 24

Dropped From Ranking: Notre Dame (No. 25).

Others Receiving Votes: Georgia Tech, 29; Alabama, 16; Notre Dame, 9; Stanford, 7; Louisville, 6; New Mexico, 6; South Florida, 2; Duke, 1; UAB, 1.

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Scottsdale, Grayhawk three weeks away from long awaited NCAA Championships

Scottsdale, Grayhawk three weeks away from long awaited NCAA Championships https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The long awaited start of a three-year run for the NCAA golf Championships in Arizona is now just three weeks away.

The women are up first at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale from May 21-26 followed by the men from May 28-June 2. The 2022 and 2023 nationals also will be held at Grayhawk, which was to have hosted for the first time in 2020 before all spring NCAA championships were canceled due to the pandemic.

So a process that began in 2017, not long after Matt Thurmond was hired as Arizona State men’s golf coach, finally culminates in what Thurmond said will result in Scottsdale becoming the “center of the collegiate golf universe” at least for the short term.

Staging the championships is a combined effort by Grayhawk, ASU, NCAA, Golf Channel and the Thunderbirds to annually host 24 women’s and 30 men’s teams in stroke and match play for a combined total of 54 days (including practice rounds) over three years.

“We’re the tail end of a very big dog,” Del Cochran, Grayhawk general manager, said Thursday. “When we started this journey, we had no idea how it was going to go. We wondered how everyone would blend together, and it’s been absolutely seamless. We will all be proud of the product.”

Spectators will be allowed—with free admission thanks to a sponsorship—although how many and COVID protocol details have yet to be announced.

For the party to be at its peak requires the ASU teams to advance through NCAA regionals.

The women must finish in the top six at a regional May 10-12 in Columbus, Ohio. The men will learn which of six May 17-19 regionals they will be assigned to on Wednesday, May 4, and then need a top-five finish to advance.

“It’s a little bit of pressure and motivation,” ASU women’s coach Missy Farr-Kaye said. “I’m just trying to keep them positive, and they are. I’m happy to go to Ohio State (for regional) because the Scarlet course is one of the best in the country. It could be 70 (degrees) one day and it could be 40 the next. I don’t think that will phase our group at all. It’s a separator course, you’re not going to be able to get away with anything and that’s what I want.”

The ASU women were third at Pac-12 Championships behind and host Stanford but played without four-time All-America Olivia Mehaffey due to COVID protocol. Mehaffey will be back for the postseason after first trying to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

ASU’s Linn Grant is ranked No. 4 in Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings, Ashley Menne 91, Alessandra Fanali 103 and Mehaffey 104. Amanda Linner broke through to finish ninth at Pac-12 Championships.

“Even if Olivia didn’t play last week, we know she’s always ready to go,” said Grant, a sophomore from Sweden. “Without her, we did a good job as a team and kept it together. Fortunately coach Michelle (Estill) and coach Missy have been to Columbus and know the course. Even a score on par will be good. I think that’s to our advantage. Even our fifth player is a really good player.”

The ASU men duked it out with Arizona at the Pac-12 Championships, ending Tuesday in Santa Rosa, California. Arizona won by four strokes and it is tantalizing to image a match-play pairing of the in-state rivals during nationals.

Chun An Yu and Ryggs Johnston tied for fourth individually at the Pac-12 meet and David Puig tied for eighth, a big three if you will that seems to be peaking at the right time.

“The competition is better than ever with all these seniors coming back,” Thurmond said. “Our team is excellent, and we’re getting beat by some teams. The Arizona team that beat us has five seniors. Oklahoma is No. 1 right now, they’re loaded. It’s going to be a great competition (nationals). We’ve got to get here first, but we can handle the pressure and we’ll find a way to get here.”

Johnston said, “We’ve been trending upward lately. We haven’t really brought our best to any tournament yet so in a way I guess that be a good sign. We go (to regional) knowing our best is yet to come hopefully. That’s something to look forward to.”

The ASU teams have something of a home course advantage at Grayhawk given multiple opportunities to play the Raptor course, but more than 30 other men’s and women’s teams also have come to town for a test run on the desert course.

“Oregon and Oklahoma State won national championships when they hosted, but those were all places where nobody was allowed to go play it,” Thurmond said. “ASU to our credit pushed very aggressively to allow anyone and everyone to come play here, which in the past it was the opposite. The host team wouldn’t allow anyone near the course.

“So we gave away a lot of advantage, but we thought it was the best thing for the championship. All these teams have flown in, played a few rounds. They go back and prepare for it. It just adds to the energy around the event.”

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As LPGA commissioner search narrows, Suzy Whaley not among final candidates

As LPGA commissioner search narrows, Suzy Whaley not among final candidates https://ift.tt/3gS0CXM

As Mike Whan readies to make the move from Florida to New Jersey – he bought a place at Hamilton Farm Golf Club – the search for his replacement at the LPGA has begun to narrow.

Golfweek has learned that the number of candidates for LPGA commissioner has been whittled down from hundreds to eight, with a second round of interviews now in the works.

Suzy Whaley, the first female president of the PGA of America, however, is not among those final candidates. Whaley told Golfweek that she was very interested in the position but had taken her name out of the race. She did not say why.

Whan, who on Feb. 17 was named the USGA’s next CEO, said the LPGA board hoped to make a decision by the end of May. Whan will officially take over on July 1.

“With my own personal experience with the USGA, a process that I thought might take six months took six weeks,” said Whan at the ANA Inspiration.

“In the world of Google and Zoom and Teams, it used to be, ‘Hey, Mike, when can you get to New Jersey and we’ll try to get the group together,’ and you start doing date games. Now it’s ‘how’s Tuesday at 6 p.m.?’ And I open my computer in my living room and six other people open their computer, and you just had an interview with six people.

“I think this process will go pretty fast. I think we’re looking end of May. They’re probably saying end of June, but internally they’re targeting end of May.”

Mike Whan with an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf member (Getty Images/LPGA).

The LPGA Board of Directors, which is made up of eight LPGA members and six independent directors, will select the next commissioner. Notably, Michelle Wie West joined the Board of Directors as a player member in 2021.

The search committee is comprised of four LPGA members and three independent directors. LPGA Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, Canadian veteran Alena Sharp, Tour president Vicki Goetze-Ackerman and Marvol Barnard, who is National President of the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals, round out the LPGA members on the search committee.

Diane Gulyas, who retired from a 36-year career with DuPont, heads the committee while Jon Iwata, a longtime executive at IBM, and former KPMG Global Chairman John Veihmeyer are the independent directors.

Inkster said early on in the process that it didn’t matter to her if the person who replaced Whan was a woman, saying that honesty was the trait players cared most about.

The LPGA board is comprised of the following Player Directors and independent board members: President Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, Lydia Ko, Pernilla Lindberg, Amy Olson, Alena Sharp, Kris Tamulis and Wie West.

Independent board members are: Diane Gulyas, Chair/Former Sr. Executive DuPont, LLC; David Fay, former executive director of the USGA; Jon Iwata, retired senior vice president and Chief Brand Officer of IBM; and Tom Schoewe, retired executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer of Walmart; Madeleine Kleiner, retired executive vice president and general counsel of Hilton Hotel Corporation; and John Veihmeyer, retired Chairman of KPMG International.

 

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Paging Cam Smith: This Wisconsin golf course on Mullet River is selling for a cool $1.6M

Paging Cam Smith: This Wisconsin golf course on Mullet River is selling for a cool $1.6M https://ift.tt/3tnjdib

PLYMOUTH, Wisconsin — If you have a spare $1.6 million, you could spend it on an 18-hole executive golf course in Wisconsin, just 25 minutes west of Whistling Straits.

The Sir Lanserlot Golf Course that sits just southwest of Crystal Lake is for sale with a $1,599,000 price tag, according to a listing with Emmer Real Estate Group. Situated in the Northern Kettle Moraine, the course is minutes from Elkhart Lake and Road America.

List price includes the property, business and equipment, according to a listing for the course on Facebook.

In an email, Dale Lanser said he put the course up for sale because he’s 66 years old and looking to retire in the next few years. Given the availability of low-interest loans and the upcoming Ryder Cup and NASCAR Cup Series race in the county, he wrote, “Now might be the time.”

The course is par-65 and 4,300 yards, with par-3s ranging from 108 to 210 yards and par-4s from 235 to 360 yards. Walking through the course, golfers are met with rolling hills, towering trees and the Mullet River.

An old cottage sits on the property and is used for storage, the Emmer listing said. The clubhouse on the property has a large bar and multiple fireplaces.

Reach AnnMarie Hilton at [email protected] or 920-242-3032. Follow her on Twitter at @hilton_annmarie.

 

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Inbee Park maintains share of lead at HSBC Women’s World despite putter 'betrayal'

Inbee Park maintains share of lead at HSBC Women’s World despite putter 'betrayal' https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Inbee Park maintains a share of the lead at the HSBC Women’s World Championship despite what she called a “betrayal” of her putter. Park’s second-round 69 puts her knotted with old friend Hee Young Park (no relation) at 11-under 133. They’re two strokes ahead of compatriot Hyo Joo Kim and China’s Xiyu Lin.

“Everything has been very consistently good,” said Inbee. “My driving to my iron shots to everything has been pretty good. I could have easily shot 7-, 8-under par if my putter worked a little bit better. But today was just not the putting day.”

Inbee, a two-time winner of this event, has her husband/caddie on the bag in steamy Singapore. After enjoying a strong day on the greens Thursday, Park said her husband bowed out of reading greens after about four holes on Friday, leaving her to it. She had 28 putts in the second round.

“I think he was maybe feeling sorry or not feeling confident,” said Inbee. “After that, I started reading my putts.

HSBC Women’s World Championship: Leaderboard

“Like I said, it is a little different to having a professional caddie obviously, but he definitely has a good side as well. I think it’s just good fun. I wouldn’t say he wants to do it all year. It’s just a once-a-year thing he needs to do. It’s going to be too hard on him. Watching from outside is probably a lot easier for him than watching it so close and being part of the game is quite different. So I don’t want to give him a hard time every weekend out.”

Brad Beecher has been on Park’s bag for almost the entirety of her professional career. With strict COVID-19 restrictions in place, the only way G.H. could travel with his wife was to caddie for her during the two-week Asian swing.

Inbee, who is looking for her 22nd career LPGA title, said Beecher has texted daily to offer support.

“Every day he’s been texting me and getting the cheers from him,” said Park. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s watching on TV and he said – we just told him how hard it is in this hot weather and he said it’s only going to get better as the day goes on, and I think he was pretty correct.”

Inbee and Hee Young graduated from the same middle school in South Korea. Hee Young, a three-time winner on the LPGA, is now in her 14th season on tour. She’s had two previous two-10 finishes at the HSBC in 10 appearances. Hee Young married Joe Joo-jong, a K-Pop music executive, in 2018, and said she and Inbee enjoyed talking about life outside of golf during Friday’s round.

“I’ve known her really long time, probably almost 20 years now,” said Hee Young. “Then now we’ve got both husband and play on the tour. A little bit of joking about we really, you know, hang out just husband and wife, only each other, feel a little different, but we really enjoyed it. A lot of personal talk a little bit out there. It makes it a little fun to play golf.”

Lydia Ko (68) and Hannah Green (66), two players who have shown terrific form in recent weeks, are tied for seventh, four strokes back.

“First off, there’s not as much wind,” said Ko when asked about scoring conditions, “so I think for a lot of the pin positions, you can be pretty aggressive with. I think when you’re on the green, even when it’s 30 feet, the greens are rolling so good that you’ve got a good chance of holing them.

“So I think the course just being in really good condition makes it a lot easier for us not having to judge, okay, is it going to bounce or what is it going to do. So from that point, it’s I think just really nice to play a golf course like that.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Despite Parkinson's symptoms and a late start, this West Texas 89-year-old shoots his age

Despite Parkinson's symptoms and a late start, this West Texas 89-year-old shoots his age https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

There was a time when Don Dean didn’t think much of golf, knew nothing about the game other than it looked a little odd.

He didn’t pick up a club until his late 40s when some soldier friends finally convinced him to join them for a round at Underwood Golf Course at Fort Bliss, where he was stationed.

That was more than a half-century ago.

“It was the mid-1960s. I’ve been hitting it around ever since then,” the 89-year-old Dean said from his East El Paso home. “I grew up in South Texas, I played a lot of sports, but I didn’t play any golf at all. I thought it was sort of a silly game, but my buddies kept asking me, ‘Let’s go play some golf.’ I finally did.”

What he quickly learned was that he was good at golf.

Very good.

Almost immediately after picking up a club, he was shooting in the 80s. He went on to win a pair of city senior championships in 2000 and 2001, numerous Underwood club titles, and until a few years ago, when he was in his mid-80s, had a five handicap.

He had his most recent hole-in-one six years ago (No. 5 on Underwood’s Sunrise course) and despite being treated for Parkinson’s Syndrome symptoms that include a small tremor in one of his hands, he regularly shoots under his age.

“I was a pretty good baseball player,” said Dean, who played baseball for Prairie View A&M before joining the Army in 1952. “A guy told me when I first started out, ‘You swing that club like a baseball bat.’ I picked it up quickly. Early on, I started out shooting in the 80s pretty quickly.

“My baseball skills helped me with my golf skills.”

That was in the mid-1960s, and he’s the last of that group of friends still playing golf. He’s found another set of friends. Dean says, “Call me grandpa, especially when I beat them.

“All the guys I’m playing with are much younger than I am. One of the guys is 47 years old, I can beat him sometimes. Not all the time, not like I used to, but sometimes.”

One of those friends, Julian Grubbs, disputes the calling him grandpa part, but not the winning part.

“We’ve been playing together 25 years, so it’s crept up on me, but I haven’t beaten him in several years,” said Grubbs, who is 73. “He’s amazing. I want to be like him when I grow up. We have so much fun on the golf course. Sometimes it’s hard to hit the ball we’re having so much fun.”

For his part, Dean, who retired from the military in 1982, is outrunning age. He’s still sharp, in good health, in the 21st year of marriage to his second wife, Julia. On a good day, he shoots in the mid-80s — he was shooting in the mid-70s five years ago — and he gets out to Underwood twice a week.

“I encourage him,” said Julia, who, like the rest of his family that includes four children born in the 1950s, doesn’t play herself. “It helps with his health, not just physically but getting out there and interacting with his friends. It keeps him going.”

There have been a few concessions. For one, his friends finally let him hit from the forward tees.

“They wouldn’t let me hit from those until I was 85 years old,” said Dean, a native of Port Lavaca in South Texas. “‘You beat us too badly.’ So I couldn’t shoot the forward tees until I was 85.”

Dean quit traveling out of town for tournaments a few years ago and no longer plays tournaments, though he acknowledges some small bills may change hands in their Wednesday games. He didn’t golf this past Wednesday, though, when rain was in the area.

“I’m a fair-weather golfer,” he said. “I used to go out when it was cold, but not anymore.”

El Paso is a good place to play fair-weather golf, one of the reasons he’s been here since 1958. Dean imagines he’ll be back on the course Saturday.

“It’s fun to get out there and play golf right now, just get off the couch, get out of the house, go out and relax, have some fun with my buddies,” Dean said. “It’s a good thing to be able to do that right now.

“I’m still out there trying to hit it around.”

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

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