Texas to battle hosts Arizona State in must-see match play final at men's 2022 NCAA Championship

Texas to battle hosts Arizona State in must-see match play final at men's 2022 NCAA Championship

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — After 72 holes of stroke play, 20 quarterfinal and 10 semifinal matches, the field at the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship is down to just two.

Host Arizona State, the No. 7 seed, was the first team to punch its ticket to Wednesday’s final match at Grayhawk Golf club, defeating defending champion Pepperdine in a convincing 4-1 fashion. The Sun Devils will face No. 4 Texas, who defeated top-seed Vanderbilt, 3-1-1.

Arizona State was led by Mason Andersen, who defeated Dylan Menante in extra holes to put the first point on the board. Next was David Puig, who defeated Joey Vrzich, 2 and 1. After losing a 5-up lead on the back nine, Preston Summerhays put the decisive third point on the board just moments later, defeating Joe Highsmith, 2 up, with a pair of birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.

“Every match is so tough. These are great teams and our guys have played amazing,” said Arizona State head coach Matt Thurmond. “You see what Mason did both matches, what Preston did, (Cameron Sisk) was starting to take control of his match, and Puig, we rode Puig pretty hard at lunch. He’s hadn’t won a match for us yet and it was time. It was pretty cool that he won that big match in the middle.”

“Once you get to college, that’s basically all you work for. Obviously you have big tournaments throughout the season, but it all leads up to this,” Summerhays said of the spot his Sun Devils are in. “We’ve put ourselves in a position to where we can go out and win the whole thing, which is what we try to do every year. It’s a great opportunity that we have tomorrow.”

The Sun Devils are looking to win the third championship in program history after claiming victory in 1990 and 1996, while Texas is looking for No. 4 after previous wins in 1971, 1972 and 2012. Seniors Parker and Pierceson Coody and Cole Hammer were the core of the Longhorns lineup in 2019 when they lost to Stanford in the title match. The Texas trio will get another shot at glory in their final time rocking the burnt orange.

“Full circle from three years ago, that was a tough loss to Stanford but these guys have come a long way,” said Hammer. “We’ve been through a lot with Coody’s breaking their arms, really not having a set lineup and this postseason has been different. The guys have been so focused and we’ve all had our eyes on the prize, as cliché as it is, but it’s pretty fun to be a senior and have an opportunity like this tomorrow.”

Hammer earned the first point for the Longhorns and ran away to a 4-and-3 win over individual national champion Gordon Sargent with a dominant back nine performance. Pierceson Coody (3 and 2 over Cole Sherwood) and Travis Vick (4 and 3 over Reid Davenport) earned the next two points within seconds of each other to advance Texas to Wednesday’s final.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual

No. 4 Texas vs. No. 7 Arizona State

  • 4:35 p.m. ET – Cole Hammer vs. Mason Andersen
  • 4:45 p.m. ET – Parker Coody vs. James Leow
  • 4:55 p.m. ET – Pierceson Coody vs. Preston Summerhays
  • 5:05 p.m. ET – Mason Nome vs. David Puig
  • 5:15 p.m. ET – Travis Vick vs. Cameron Sisk

Texas

Appearances: 7
NCAA Match Play Record: 9-5
Golfweek Rank: 6th

Three-time winner this season at the Big 12 Match Play, Augusta Haskins Award Invitational and Western Intercollegiate before finishing third at the Big 12 Championship and earning the last spot from the NCAA Norman Regional.

Arizona State

Appearances: 4
NCAA Match Play Record: 3-3
Golfweek Rank: 5th

Won three times at the Isleworth Collegiate, Southwestern Invitational and NCAA Stockton Regional with 11 total top-five finishes on the season.

How to watch

Golf Channel

Wednesday, June 1

  • 5-9 p.m. Team Match Play National Championship (Live)
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Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen in field for LIV Golf's London event; no Phil Mickelson

Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen in field for LIV Golf's London event; no Phil Mickelson

After a slight delay, we finally learned who is heading to London for the LIV Golf Series opener on June 9–11 at the Centurion Golf Club.

Among those in the field for the debut event for the outfit fronted by Greg Norman and backed by the Saudis is Dustin Johnson, a former No. 1 player in the world who has a pair of majors under his belt. LIV officials had previously insisted the field would be announced last Friday — which is also the day each week the PGA Tour announces fields — but the news wasn’t released until Tuesday night.

Others listed in the field include Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter and Talor Gooch. Kevin Na and Lee Westwood, long rumored to be on the roster, were also announced as part of the group.

Phil Mickelson was not in the field, but there is still a chance he’s added before the event begins. Also, a number of players will be added after an International Series event this week being played in London.

Back in April, Golfweek broke the news that the PGA Tour would not grant waivers to players looking to play in the tournament, reversing a long-standing protocol of allowing players to play limited events overseas.

All members are required to seek a conflicting event release to compete in non-Tour events.

Back in February, Johnson released a statement stating he was fully committed to the PGA Tour. For nearly a year, Johnson, who counts 24 PGA Tour titles on his resume, has been rumored to be one of the top players who would join the circuit that would pay enormous amounts of guaranteed money, siphon off some of the game’s biggest names and be a direct rival with the PGA Tour.

Speculation of Johnson joining the league has been fueled in part by his playing in the Saudi International the past four years; he won in 2019 and 2021.

“Over the past several months, there has been a great deal of speculation about an alternative tour; much of which seems to have included me and my future in professional golf,” Johnson’s statement said in February. “I feel it is now time to put such speculation to rest. I am fully committed to the PGA Tour. I am grateful for the opportunity to play the best tour in the world and for all it has provided me and my family.”

The first year of the series will feature an eight-event schedule in 2022 with plenty more to allegedly come in the next few years.

LIV Golf has 10 events planned for next year and 14 events slated for 2024 and 2025 in the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Official dates and locations were not announced.

“We have a long-term vision and we’re here to stay,” said Norman, the CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, via a release. “We’re going to grow the game, give more opportunities to players, and create a more entertaining product for fans. We believe in adding new experiences and energy to golf, and that includes building out our future schedule in more global markets. We’re creating an entertaining product that will increase golf participation and attract new fans across a broader global footprint. We realize it won’t happen overnight, and we’re excited for the opportunities LIV Golf will add to the game as we continue to grow.”

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/ie9VY6E

Photos: Best shots from match play at the NCAA Div. I Men's Golf Championship

Photos: Best shots from match play at the NCAA Div. I Men's Golf Championship

A total of 30 teams made their way to the desert with the common goal of winning a national title.

Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, played host to the 2022 NCAA Div. I Men’s Golf Championship for the second consecutive year following the women’s championship the week prior.

Just 17 of the top 25 teams in the nation advanced to the NCAA Championship, but by the time the field was cut to the top eight for match play, the advancing teams were all inside the top eight in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. It’s the first time the championship bracket has been filled with the top-eight ranked teams, and it set up for some compelling matches.

Check out the best photos of the men’s 2022 NCAA Championship.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual

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Photos: 2022 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village

Photos: 2022 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village

Last season, Jon Rahm all but had another PGA Tour win wrapped up, but after testing positive for COVID-19, the Spaniard was forced to withdraw. Patrick Cantlay took advantage of the opportunity and won his second Memorial Tournament title.

Both players return to Muirfield Village this year alongside several other big names including Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, and Will Zalatoris.

Muirfield Village is a par 72 layout measuring 7,533 yards.

The first tee shot will be struck at 7:00 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Check out some of the best photos from the week in Dublin, Ohio, below.

Memorial: Best bets | Sleeper picks | PGA Tour streaming on ESPN+

Preview podcast:

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Oklahoma's Chris Gotterup wins 2022 Haskins Award as player of the year in men's college golf

Oklahoma's Chris Gotterup wins 2022 Haskins Award as player of the year in men's college golf

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When Chris Gotterup transferred from Rutgers to Oklahoma at the end of last season, he wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the lineup for the Sooners, who had just finished runner-up to Pepperdine at the national championship.

So the Little Silver, New Jersey, native did what he does best and got to work. And he kept working and improving all season long. His coaches noticed, his teammates noticed, and his peers noticed, too. Despite finishing just one shot out of a playoff for the individual title at this year’s NCAA Div. I Men’s Golf Championship on Monday evening, Gotterup had done enough to impress the voters and earned the 2022 Haskins Award, given annually to the player of the year in men’s college golf.

“It’s a weird day, but it’s fun, I had a good chance to win coming down the stretch, I gave myself the chances, I hit the shots when it mattered, just didn’t make the putts, but that’s golf and that’s how it goes,” said Gotterup on learning he was the Haskins Award winner shortly after his costly bogey at the end of regulation. “And then to lead up to this, to be named player of the year, it’s a weird feeling, you know? It’s pretty cool.”

“I think the evolution of his understanding of who he is, you go back to the fall, he knew how good he was, but I don’t know if he quite understood he could be the best player in the country,” said Oklahoma head coach Ryan Hybl. “It took the fall for him to be able to go, ‘I’m the man, I can beat all these guys.’ So it’s been fun because this whole spring, he’s been a different guy. As far as mentally he’s just known that he’s gonna be the best guy in the country. He’s worked his ass off for it, too.”

In 12 starts this season, Gotterup has two wins at the East Lake Cup and Puerto Rico Classic and finished in the top five in six events, including a second-place showing at the Big 12 Championship and T-5 at the NCAA Championship.

“I definitely knew I had a good chance, I’ve had a good year I’m not going to deny that but if I go out and win (the national championship), I would assume it’s a for sure thing, but then to not win, you never know,” the senior said of his unique situation. “It’s up to the people to vote and it’s an awesome position to be in.”

Gotterup is the first Sooner to win the Haskins Award, which dates back to 1971 and has been given to the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, David Duval and Ben Crenshaw, to name a few. This year’s award set a record for voting and featured an impressive pool of future professional talent.

“It’s obviously super important for our program to have things like this happen,” explained Hybl. “It’s no different than guys getting on the PGA Tour, it’s just a very proud moment.”

Gotterup has professional aspirations, and after finishing in the top 15 of the final PGA Tour University standings, he’ll have status on PGA Tour Canada as soon as his week in the desert with the Sooners ends.

“I don’t like to think too far ahead,” said Gotterup on what the award could do for his career. “I’m sure it will do something, this is a big deal, but I’m just gonna keep playing good golf and it’ll take care of itself.”

“His leadership and his confidence in himself I think totally bleeds into the rest of the guys, there’s no doubt about it,” said Hybl, who praised Gotterup’s preparation and work ethic. “He doesn’t come to the office every day to just slap it around. He knows he has a lot of room for growth in his game and hasn’t evened sniff how good he can really be. It’s gonna be fun to watch him over the next 10 years, I think you’re gonna see some big things.”

List of Haskins Award winners

2022 – Chris Gotterup, Oklahoma

2021 – John Pak, Florida State

2020 – Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine

2019 – Matthew Wolff, Oklahoma State

2018 – Norman Xiong, Oregon

2017 – Braden Thornberry, Ole Miss

2016 – Beau Hossler, Texas

2015 – Maverick McNealy, Stanford

2014 – Patrick Rodgers, Stanford

2013 – Michael Kim, California

2012 – Justin Thomas, Alabama

2011 – Patrick Cantlay, UCLA

2010 – Russell Henley, Georgia

2009 – Matt Hill, North Carolina State

2008 – Kevin Chappell, UCLA

2007 – Jamie Lovemark, USC

2006 – Pablo Martin, Oklahoma State

2005 – Ryan Moore, UNLV

2004 – Bill Haas, Wake Forest

2003 – Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma State

2002 – Graeme McDowell, Alabama-Birmingham

2001 – Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech

2000 – Charles Howell III, Oklahoma State

1999 – Luke Donald, Northwestern

1998 – Matt Kuchar, Georgia Tech

1997 – Brad Elder, Texas

1996 – Tiger Woods, Stanford

1995 – Stewart Cink, Georgia Tech

1994 – Justin Leonard, Texas

1993 – David Duval, Georgia Tech

1992 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State

1991 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State

1990 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State

1989 – Robert Gamez, Arizona

1988 – Bob Estes, Texas

1987 – Billy Mayfair, Arizona State

1986 – Scott Verplank, Oklahoma State

1985 – Sam Randolph, USC

1984 – John Inman, North Carolina

1983 – Brad Faxon, Furman

1982 – Willie Wood, Oklahoma State

1981 – Bob Tway, Oklahoma State

1980 – Bobby Clampett, BYU

1979 – Bobby Clampett, BYU

1978 – Lindy Miller, Oklahoma State

1977 – Scott Simpson, USC

1976 – Phil Hancock, Florida

1975 – Jay Haas, Wake Forest

1974 – Curtis Strange, Wake Forest

1973 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas

1972 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas

1971 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas

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Ahead of the NBA Finals, Steph Curry gets clubs re-gripped and ready for the off-season

Ahead of the NBA Finals, Steph Curry gets clubs re-gripped and ready for the off-season

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are headed to the NBA Finals after taking down the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Meeting them there are the Boston Celtics, who needed seven games to defeat the Heat to claim the Eastern Conference title.

Well, Curry is already looking ahead to playing some golf after basketball season is over. He was seen leaving what looks like a PGA Tour Superstore, with freshly-gripped clubs in hand.

As most golf fans know, Curry is a stick. He’s played in a Korn Ferry Tour event, was part of Match III, and as of November 2020, is a +2.2 handicap.

Wonder what grips he went with?

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As PGA Tour aligns closer with gambling, sports radio host Craig Carton wants to talk about the addiction

As PGA Tour aligns closer with gambling, sports radio host Craig Carton wants to talk about the addiction

He stepped groggily out of the van and shuffled inside, golden rock formations and Arizona wildlife bringing no warmth before 7 a.m.

The room made him uncomfortable. The people made him uncomfortable. Craig Carton didn’t belong around the dozen faces finding chairs in a circle around him.

As he sank in his own seat, the gruff sports radio host and self-proclaimed “single greatest blackjack player to ever grace God’s earth” could only remind himself this would make his wife happy. Rehab would look good to a federal court considering his charges of fraud.

He didn’t have a problem, and he certainly didn’t need this group therapy session. He had started wagering nearly $20,000 a hand in blackjack. He could handle multiple tables at once. He illegally gambled on sports online. He could win big, borrowing more than $30 million to fuel all his exploits. No one would ever understand his strategy.

Only, that bravado would shatter.

A woman from Nevada spoke first, outlining calmly her Fridays spent bringing every paycheck to its knees for $5 scratch-offs. She’d cash the check, find a bar, grab a seat and buy lottery tickets until she could only pay for the drinks in front of her.

“She described why she did it, how she did it, what her process was emotionally, mentally, how she hid it, how she lied about it,” Carton recalled, sitting in his studio. “And I was overwhelmed.”

A 24-year-old from Oklahoma was addicted to casino gambling. Then a Chicago kid shared the same, as the circle tightened.

“I was dumbfounded. I felt as if I had written a script — and they stole it.”

Craig Carton

Craig Carton, WFAN sports radio personality and outspoken gambling addiction recovery advocate, tapes his weekly gambling show called “Hello, My Name is Craig” in New York City on May 22, 2022. (Photo: Seth Harrison/The Journal News)

A 2017 arrest threatened to send him to federal prison for his role in a concert ticket resale scheme, having in large part fueled his gambling. It forced the now-53-year-old to resign from the No. 1 sports-talk show in New York City, “Boomer & Carton,” after a decade alongside famed former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason. Unlike those sitting around the quiet room, his rock bottom would soon play out on a national stage.

“But this is what addiction is. There’s nothing special about me. There’s nothing unique about me. The money is irrelevant,” he recalled realizing. “That was the first time I was willing to admit that I had a problem.”

Carton may have wagered millions, but he believes his story can not only echo in high-stakes casino gambling — but across everyday living rooms and smartphone screens. At a time when gambling accessibility has grown more than ever before, Carton has fixed himself on a path to humanize an addiction often painted as “degenerate.”

His message meets a changing playing field.

In New York, mobile sports betting launched in January 2022. New Jersey legalized sports betting in 2018. With sports betting now legal in some 30 states, 18 offering online sports betting, roughly $120 billion in bets have been placed — nearly the combined GDP of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

From the Empire State’s launch alone, sportsbooks saw $1.67 billion in online wagers in their first month, $1.53 billion in February and $1.64 billion in March. New Jersey’s sports betting handle topped $1 billion for the sixth time in seven months in March.

And of course, the PGA Tour is all in on the sports gambling trend. The Tour has deals with Draft Kings, Fan Duel, PointsBet and BetMGM as partners. The Tour has said that it may provide an area at tournaments in states where gaming is legal so fans can make a bet on site. And an expansion in technology has allowed for talk of live odds on the golf course, either to win the tournament outright or to be the low player in a pairing on the day.

As an addictive activity fits legally in the palm of a user’s hand, some advocates worry a similar growth is headed toward problem gambling.

“That’s ultimately the story here, as more and more people start gambling for the first time,” said the radio personality nearing four years in recovery this June. “The far majority is going to be able to do it recreationally. … But there’s a group of people that are not going to be able to do it responsibly.

“And they have no idea, until they try it.”

How he failed his test

Carton was back at a blackjack table by June 2018. The second time in a casino since rehab, he still knew he had a problem — but his ego left him with something to prove.

He had a test.

Carton had left cash in the car, hoping to see he could simply walk away from the casino outside of Philadelphia if he lost what he brought in his pockets. But, staring down at the hand in front of him, he knew the right move was to double-down. He just didn’t have enough money.

He ran out to the car. He lost it all in about an hour.

“That’s the last time I’ve ever wagered,” said the husband and father of four. “I failed my own test, where I couldn’t control myself financially. And that was when I decided, I’ve got to really dedicate my life to not gambling.”

Carton’s charges marked a culmination of a roughly two-year period when gambling had seized his life. A dance recital, a kid’s ballgame, a work event: He was always focused on how he would gamble that day. He gambled illegally online. He scheduled vacations to be near casinos. He found himself driving to the blackjack table at midnight or 1 a.m., hoping to gamble without suspicion before starting his 6 a.m. show.

In the spring of 2019, Carton was convicted of fraud, sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison and $4.8 million in restitution. He stepped out of the minimum-security federal prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, by 2020.

Four months later, he returned to sports radio with WFAN. But he planned to do things differently.

In addition to his show “Carton and Roberts” — where the sports radio head can bring his brash on-air persona in full-force — Carton runs a weekly show centered around gambling addiction and recovery. “Hello, My Name is Craig” airs every Saturday. Also, in 2021, Carton was named ambassador for FanDuel’s responsible gambling initiatives.

An ordered 15 percent of each paycheck goes directly toward his restitution, Carton’s lawyer told federal court in 2021. His current salary wasn’t disclosed in news reports when he returned to airwaves and was not disclosed to USA TODAY Network — though his lawyer has called it “a fraction” of the $2 million reportedly made on “Boomer and Carton.”

“The reason I do ‘Hello, My Name is Craig’ is because of those 12 people,” Carton said, thinking back to his time at Algamus recovery center in Arizona. “My last night at rehab, they came to me knowing what I did for a living … and they asked me to make them a promise — if I ever get back on the radio, would I be the face and voice of gambling addiction? Because it doesn’t have one.

“So, part of my life now is trying to humanize the addict.”

Vulnerable sports betting populations

The newest way to bet is seemingly everywhere.

Social media platforms feed ads between scrolls. Watching any sporting event on TV comes with betting lines and commercials; listening to any radio show or podcast comes with sponsors like FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars Casino. Where there aren’t physical posters and billboards towering over highways, online campaigns offer $1,000 welcome bonuses, betting matches and “risk-free bets” with strings attached.

Craig Carton

Craig Carton, WFAN sports radio personality and outspoken gambling addiction recovery advocate, co-hosts a weekday sports talk show, focuses his 30-minute Saturday morning show on issues related to gambling addiction. (Photo: Seth Harrison/The Journal News)

Even familiar faces like Drew Brees, the fifth high-profile brand ambassador for PointsBet’s U.S. marketing and second from the NFL, stream in living rooms across the country, telling audiences just how easy it is to place a bet.

Carton is all for it — with conditions.

“I’m a huge proponent of legalized wagering, and one of the main reasons is that we’ve taken gambling conversations out of the back alley, and we’ve made it mainstream,” he said. “Now with that, comes a huge caveat: In my opinion, every state that has legalized wagering should set aside a portion of the tax revenue that comes in and set up compulsive gambling support centers.”

In New York, problem gambling services will receive a cap of $6 million annually out of mobile sports betting proceeds after its first year. If profits in New York meet projections of $1.1 billion by 2025, as set by VIXIO GamblingCompliance, that year would see about half a percent of state dollars allocated to support services. In New Jersey, fiscal year 2022 saw just about $3.9 million collected for gambling addiction treatment programs, according to the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Two years before this launch, a New York State survey on gambling prevalence said 14.6 percent of adults who gambled in 2020 met criteria for problem gambling, while just over 4 percent — or about 600,000 people — experienced problems directly related to their gambling.

The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates that 2 million Americans have a severe gambling problem while another 4 to 6 million are considered to have mild or moderate gambling problems.

The youngest age group, 18 to 24, had the highest risk. Communities of color, alongside lower income brackets, also faced higher rates of gambling addiction.

“We know that young males tend to have the highest rates of gambling participation and gambling problems,” said Keith Whyte, the National Council’s executive director. “And that also appears to be the group that is most heavily targeted for new online sports betting marketing.”

Carton hopes his story helps people see, or feel, the signs of problem gambling — because “it’s only going to continue to get bigger.”

Gambling should be a group activity, the radioman says, if done responsibly. It should not be hidden. If someone is sitting off in the corner on their phone, wagering on a 1 a.m. basketball game they know nothing about, or asking friends to cover a bet they can’t afford, these are signs of a potential problem. That joins noticeable mood changes, constant chasing of losses, borrowing money, opening new credit cards, not following a plan and more.

“There are enough warning signs out there to be aware of, for somebody to say: ‘Hey, buddy, stop. Hey, let’s have a conversation.'” Carton said. “Because if no one does that … there’s no happy ending to compulsive gambling. It doesn’t exist, until you are willing to acknowledge you have a problem.”

Often called the “hidden addiction,” with signs harder to spot than substance abuse, gambling disorders maintain the highest rates of suicide compared to any other addiction.

“The hardest and most important first step was the step that I internalized in that very first meeting, which was: ‘There’s something going on,'” Carton said.

He still sees a long road ahead.

“I’m still upset about some of the decisions I made and some of the things I did, the risks I took and the financial devastation and emotional devastation that I brought,” he continued.

“But I’m proud to be able to tell you that I’m an addict. I own it. And I’m not ashamed of it.”

Kelly Powers is a culture reporter for the How We Live team — covering race, culture and identity for the USA TODAY Network’s Atlantic Region. Contact her at [email protected] or 443-694-0770, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/DC91BFs

Rose Zhang becomes first student-athlete to sign NIL deal with Adidas, joins Stanford teammate Rachel Heck in showing what's possible for elite amateurs

Rose Zhang becomes first student-athlete to sign NIL deal with Adidas, joins Stanford teammate Rachel Heck in showing what's possible for elite amateurs

Rose Zhang enters this week’s U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles fresh off a victory sweep at the NCAA Championship and another impressive first: She’s the first student-athlete to sign an NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deal with Adidas.

Zhang called being the first to sign with Adidas both humbling and a dream.

The NIL scene in college golf varies wildly, but good friends Rachel Heck and Zhang have built an impressive portfolio of partnerships. Together they’ve won 12 college events over the past 18 months, including two NCAA individual titles. Heck won the ANNIKA Award, given to the best player in college golf, in 2021, and Zhang followed suit this year.

They are, of course, exceptional. But they prove what’s possible, too.

“It’s just really good experience because it’s a step forward to being part of the real world,” said Zhang, who recently got a new debit card and a lesson in how taxes work.

Zhang has been wearing the Adidas brand for years as part of company’s elite junior program. She’ll wear the brand’s clothing at events when she’s not representing Stanford, which is a Nike school.

“Our intention there is to fully integrate her into our spring/summer 2023 marketing campaigns,” said Tim McNulty, Global Director of Sports Marketing for Adidas. That could mean ads alongside the likes of two-time major champion Collin Morikawa.

Zhang, past champion of both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and Girls’ Junior, was the first NIL ambassador for Callaway, too. She also added a deal with USGA partner American Express ahead of her fourth consecutive U.S. Women’s Open. Zhang will sport the logo of local North Carolina shop Eloise Trading Company on her bag this week as part of American Express’ commitment to support female-owned small businesses.

Zhang’s portfolio also includes deals with Amundi Assset Management, title sponsor of the Evian Championship, Uswing Sunglasses (which she wears on the course), Paradox, an HR Recruiting Software company, and Beats by Dre. Zhang and Heck are the Beats’ first two female golf ambassadors. The brand has signed NIL deals with six college athletes, including Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion Sanders. Tony Finau is the only current pro golfer on their roster.

“Through our NIL partnerships, we’ve developed custom 1 of 1 product for our talent and produced social and digital content sharing their stories and highlighting them to Beats fans on social as they prepare for their biggest moments,” said Aminah Charles, Head of Sports Marketing, North America at Beats.

“NIL is still a relatively new space for us, but we’re excited to go deeper with how we activate and support our NIL talent.”

Rachel Heck on the No. 12 tee during the second round of the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Heck, who was forced to withdraw from her U.S. Women’s Open qualifier due to illness, was the first to sign with Excel Sports Management and Zhang quickly followed. Both work with agency vice president Kevin Hopkins. While a handful of football and basketball stars had already inked seven-figure NIL deals when Heck jumped into the NIL scene, she certainly wasn’t expecting life to change overnight.

Still, both players and agent say what has transpired thus far has exceeded expectations.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the amount of interest and the financial terms behind these partnerships, but I would attribute that to a few key factors,” said Hopkins. “They are elite talents with unique personalities; there is a PR pop that comes with any new NIL deals; the influx of investment by corporations into women’s athletics; and the ability to capitalize on high-profile amateur events on network television.”

The deals are tied to NCAA eligibility, meaning they would terminate when the players turn professional. While financial terms were not disclosed, it’s estimated that the NCAA stars would each be earning more than six figures annually while competing for Stanford.

Heck is hopeful that NIL opportunities will keep top players in school longer.

For many companies, NIL is an important first step for athletes like Heck and Zhang.

“I think anytime you enter into any sort of official partnership with an athlete,” said McNulty, “your intention is that that relationship continues as they progress through their career.”

Heck and her family decided early on that they wanted to “do this right” and not simply respond to every direct message that came with an offer. This is the foundation of her brand, after all, and it’s important to her to tie in her passions for the military and the RTOC, as well as a message of empowerment for girls. She has already said no to offers that didn’t align with her values.

Heck started a new art Instagram account (@raindelayz) last summer because the new NIL rules now allow her to sell some of her pieces to raise funds for military charities. Whatever medium Heck finds herself working in at the minute becomes her favorite – oil painting, watercolor, black-and-white sketches.

Heck has played Ping clubs her entire amateur career and became the company’s first NIL ambassador in January. She wears Ping headwear in all non-NCAA competitions (like the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, any majors). Heck also became Nike’s first NIL ambassador earlier this month and was later joined by USC’s Amari Avery.

Heck filmed a commercial for Stifel, which was shown around the ANWA and NCAAs. Paradox, Beats, Six-Star Pro and Whistle Sports round out her current deals.

Rachel Heck

Rachel Heck’s golf bag.

Josh Zywien, chief marketing officer of Paradox, hasn’t yet ironed out the details of how they’ll use Zhang and Heck as ambassadors, but as a software company with a large percentage of female employees, putting them in front of their team will be part of the plan.

Zywien said he was blown away by the Stanford players when he met them for the first time.

“The level of maturity and professionalism and intelligence was just off the charts,” he said.

Heck came into college fully confident that she’d stay four years – regardless of NIL money.

Zhang said NIL money plays a role in how long she’ll stay in school, but it’s not the biggest part. The timeline for when she’ll turn professional, Zhang said, remains unclear, but one year of college has already made a big impact on the World No. 1.

“Meeting people, building those close relationships and really just understanding what I want to do and balancing my life,” said Zhang. “I feel like college is a great tester for that. Just staying here, there’s so much more to learn. I have no idea what’s to come, but I feel like college is doing me wonders right now.”

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/DC91BFs

NCAA Championship: Match play field, pairings set for 2022 men's quarterfinals

NCAA Championship: Match play field, pairings set for 2022 men's quarterfinals

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The men’s individual national champion has been crowned, which means one thing: it’s time for match play.

Vanderbilt freshman Gordon Sargent won the individual national title at the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship on Monday evening, defeating Parker Coody (Texas), Ryan Burnett (North Carolina) and Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra (Oklahoma State) in a four-way playoff with a birdie on the 18th hole.

Three teams finished tied atop the team leaderboard at 14 over, with Vanderbilt winning the tie breaker over Oklahoma and North Carolina to earn the No. 1 seed and a match with No. 8 Texas Tech. No. 2 Oklahoma will square off against No. 7 Arizona State, with No. 3 North Carolina facing No. 6 Pepperdine. Big 12 rivals Texas and Oklahoma State will duke it out in the 4 vs. 5 matchup.

With the quarterfinals set to begin on Tuesday morning and the semifinals to follow, here’s a breakdown of the teams competing for the national championship (all times Eastern).

Scores: Team | Individual
Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/DC91BFs

Vanderbilt freshman Gordon Sargent wins individual title at 2022 NCAA Championship

Vanderbilt freshman Gordon Sargent wins individual title at 2022 NCAA Championship

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Twelve players were within four shots of the leaders as they made the turn in the final round of stroke play at the 2022 NCAA Div. I Men’s Golf Championship on Monday, setting up for a frantic finish in the desert.

Five players were tied for the lead at even par, with two players in the clubhouse – Parker Coody (Texas) and Ryan Burnett (North Carolina) – and the final group of Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra (Oklahoma State), Chris Gotterup (Oklahoma) and Gordon Sargent (Vanderbilt) on the 18th tee. Chacarra and Sargent each made par to advance to a playoff with Coody and Burnett, with Gotterup making bogey to fall back into a tie for fifth at 1 over with Arizona State’s Cameron Sisk, Pepperdine’s William Mouw and North Carolina’s David Ford.

Sargent, a freshman from Birmingham, Alabama, made birdie on the first playoff hole to claim medalist honors and become the ninth freshman to win the individual national title since USC’s Jamie Lovemark in 2007. Sargent is the second freshman in the span of a week to claim medalist honors at the NCAAs, following Rose Zhang of Stanford.

“You’re hoping everyone else misses but you definitely feel like you have to make it,” Sargent said of the playoff with a laugh. “Even when everyone misses you have to take advantage of the opportunity and coach and I had a good read on it and luckily it caught the left left side and fell in.”

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/DC91BFs

Dressed for Success: Sam Burns at the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge

Dressed for Success: Sam Burns at the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge

Sam Burns notched his third PGA Tour win this season Sunday at the Charles Schwab Challenge. It was his fourth win on Tour overall after he posted a final-round 65 to take the clubhouse lead and watched the wind wreak havoc on the rest of the field.

However, the new No. 9-ranked player in the world had to do more than just shoot the low round of the day; he also had to defeat the hottest player on the Tour and close friend Scottie Scheffler in a playoff. Burns did it in style, by draining a 38-foot putt from off the green on the first playoff hole.

We’ve seen Burns stay cool under pressure time and time again this year, and he trusts TravisMathew attire to help him both look and feel great on the course.

We’ve already checked out the equipment Burns used to win this weekend, but now let’s dive deeper into the champion’s closet and find out how Burns Dressed for Success.

More Dressed for Success: Jon Rahm | Justin Thomas | Jordan Spieth

We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Golfweek operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/DC91BFs

U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles: Thursday tee times, TV/streaming info

U.S. Women's Open at Pine Needles: Thursday tee times, TV/streaming info

The 77th U.S. Women’s Open tees off Thursday at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where a number of big storylines will soon unfold.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko returns to action alongside Lexi Thompson, who lost last year’s event in heartbreaking fashion at The Olympic Club. They’ll tee off with Jennifer Kupcho, who won the first major of the year, at 8:39 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Annika Sorenstam won at Pine Needles in 1996 and returns to Southern Pines to compete in her first major championship in 13 years. She’ll be paired with fellow U.S. Women’s Open champ So Yeon Ryu, who also won at The Broadmoor, and up-and-coming Swede Ingrid Lindblad of LSU. They’re off at 8:50 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Last year’s champion, Yuka Saso, will begin her title defense at 8:32 a.m. ET with Jensen Castle, the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, and Anna Nordqvist, a three-time major winner.

Other marquee groups in the morning wave include Lydia Ko, Jessica Korda and Hannah Green at 9:05 a.m. ET,  and Nasa Hataoka, Brooke Henderson and Minjee Lee at 8:28 a.m. ET.

In the afternoon, Nelly Korda returns to action after surgery for a blood clot sidelined her for several months. The world No. 2 will be off at 2:24 p.m. ET with Danielle Kang and rookie sensation Attahaya Thitikul.

Michelle Wie West, who said she plans to step away from the tour after this week, will compete for the first time since January alongside fellow U.S. Women’s Open champions Brittany Lang and Sung Hyun Park.

And finally, Rose Zhang, fresh off team and individual victories at the NCAA Championship for Stanford, tees off at 2:35 p.m. ET alongside Lucy Li and 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Anna Davis.

The U.S. Golf Association received a record 1,874 entries this year. The field of 156 golfers will compete for the $1.8 million first-place prize.

The Donald Ross design first opened in 1928 and was owned by World Golf Hall of Famer Peggy Kirk Bell and her husband Bullet. The course this week measures 6,638 yards and will play as a par 71.

The U.S. Women’s Open is using split tees, the 1st and the 9th, this week. All times listed are ET.

1st tee

7:15 a.m. Allison Emrey
Nicole Garcia
Lauren Miller (a)
7:26 a.m. Kathleen Scavo
Alicia Joo (a)
Jillian Hollis
7:37 a.m. Grace Kim
Minsol Kim (a)
Catherine Park (a)
7:48 a.m. Bailey Davis (a)
Gemma Dryburgh
Amanda Doherty
7:59 a.m. Allisen Corpuz
Annie Park
Lilia Vu
8:10 a.m. Eun-Hee Ji
Andrea Lee
Ai Suzuki
8:21 a.m. Alison Lee
Amy Olson
Matilda Castren
8:32 a.m. Yuka Saso
Jensen Castle (a)
Anna Nordqvist
8:43 a.m. Mirim Lee
Angel Yin
Brittany Altomare
8:54 a.m. Maja Stark
Pajaree Anannarukarn
Sakura Koiwai
9:05 a.m. Hannah Green
Jessica Korda
Lydia Ko
9:16 a.m.
Pornanong Phatlum
Jaye Marie Green
Mayu Hamada
9:27 a.m. Beth Wu
Auston Kim
Linnea Johansson
12:45 p.m.
Blakesly Brock (a)
Alexa Pano
Sofia Garcia
12:56 p.m. Gabriela Ruffels
Laney Frye (a)
Cheyenne Knight
1:07 p.m. Robynn Ree
Muni He
Malak Bouraeda (a)
1:18 p.m. Na Yeon Choi
Pernilla Lindberg
In-Kyung Kim
1:29 p.m. Momoko Ueda
Moriya Jutanugarn
Bohyun Park (a)
1:40 p.m. Hinako Shibuno
Georgia Hall
Sophia Popov
1:51 p.m. In Gee Chun
Megan Khang
Ryann O’Toole
2:02 p.m. Mina Harigae
Carlota Ciganda
Hyejin Choi
2:13 p.m. Hyo Joo Kim
Nanna Koerstz Madsen
Xiyu Janet Lin
2:24 p.m. Danielle Kang
Nelly Korda
Atthaya Thitikul
2:35 p.m. Rose Zhang (a)
Lucy Li
Anna Davis (a)
2:46 p.m. Lauren Hartlage
Ami Gianchandani (a)
Julianne Alvarez
2:57 p.m.
Jeonghyun Lee (a)
Britney Yada
Yunxuan Michelle Zhang (a)

9th tee

7 a.m.
Anna Morgan (a)
Gabby Lemieux
Ingrid Gutierrez
7:11 a.m. Lauren Kim
Mariel Galdiano
Melanie Green (a)
7:22 a.m.
Emma McMyler (a)
Sarah Kemp
Dottie Ardina
7:33 a.m.
Caroline Masson
Angela Stanford
Mel Reid
7:44 a.m. So Mi Lee
Pia Babnik
Louise Duncan (a)
7:55 a.m.
Ariya Jutanugarn
Stacy Lewis
Yealimi Noh
8:06 a.m. Marina Alex
Ally Ewing
Gaby Lopez
8:17 a.m. A Lim Kim
Mao Saigo
Madelene Sagstrom
8:28 a.m. Nasa Hataoka
Minjee Lee
Brooke Henderson
8:39 a.m. Lexi Thompson
Jennifer Kupcho
Jin Young Ko
8:50 a.m.
Annika Sorenstam
So Yeon Ryu
Ingrid Lindblad (a)
9:01 a.m. Tiffany Chan
Lauren Gomez (a)
Daniela Darquea
9:12 a.m. Nika Ito (a)
Alyaa Abdul
Kylee Choi (a)
12:30 p.m. Frida Kinhult
Saki Baba (a)
Yuna Takagi
12:41 p.m. Isi Gabsa
Marissa Steen
Karissa Kilby (a)
12:52 p.m. Lauren Kim (a)
Wenbo Liu
Lydia Hall
1:03 p.m.
Bianca Pagdanganan
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc
Sara Im (a)
1:14 p.m.
Stephanie Meadow
Annabell Fuller (a)
Bronte Law
1:25 p.m. Pauline Roussin
Paula Reto
Bailey Shoemaker (a)
1:36 p.m.
Michelle Wie West
Brittany Lang
Sung Hyun Park
1:47 p.m. Hae Ran Ryu
Yuna Nishimura
Amy Yang
1:58 p.m. Celine Boutier
Patty Tavatanakit
Sei Young Kim
2:09 p.m. Lizette Salas
Leona Maguire
Jeongeun Lee6
2:20 p.m. Na Rin An
Ayaka Furue
Charley Hull
2:31 p.m.
Alexandra Forsterling (a)
Yuri Onishi
Smilla Sonderby
2:42 p.m. Ilhee Lee
Karen Kim
Natsumi Hayakawa

TV, streaming information

Thursday, June 2

First round

1 to 3 p.m., Peacock
3 to 8 p.m., USA Network

Friday, June 3

Second round

1 to 3 p.m., Peacock
3 to 8 p.m., USA Network

Saturday, June 4

Third round

Noon to 1 p.m., Peacock
1 to 3 p.m., USA Network
3 to 6 p.m., NBC

Sunday, June 5

Final round

1 to 3 p.m., USA Network
3 to 7 p.m., NBC

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/DC91BFs

Ringler: Despite the lofty scores, Grayhawk Golf Club is doing its job as the 2022 NCAA Championship host

Ringler: Despite the lofty scores, Grayhawk Golf Club is doing its job as the 2022 NCAA Championship host

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — No, it’s not Rivera. It’s not the Honors Course and it’s not Inverness.

It is a golf course that is playing difficult, where par is a great score. A golf course where it is a must to play from the fairway. Sounds a lot like major championship golf, right?

And over the last two week’s Grayhawk Golf Club has been the host of college golf’s major championship. It’s firm and fast and some had even started to use the word “baked” by Friday.

There was skepticism when it was announced that college golf’s finale would be played here in the Arizona desert, and rightfully so. The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship has only been played in the state Arizona once when Tucson National hosted in 1971. No professional major has been played here, either.

We often equate desert golf with red numbers and low scores. The lingering question leading up to last year’s championship was could this desert layout provide a proper championship test?

Scores: Team | Individual

We quickly found out that Grayhawk could provide the test and defense needed for us to call it championship-like. Only one team was under par last year and that was the local host Arizona State. Only eleven players broke par this time last year.

This year, scoring seems to be more difficult.

However, there are some unusual things we are seeing. Driver is not the popular club for most tee shots. And that’s ok some of the time, right? Or do we need more length to make it more like a championship?

At 7,289 yards and reduced from a par 72 to a par 70 the course could use more length. Maybe that length would put a driver in the players’ hands more often. But would that make it better?

One of the issues this week is that the course may have been too contrast from morning to afternoon, prompting one coach to call it “unreasonable.”

The morning wave average for the week? That’d be 288.27, well below the afternoon wave average of 296.73.

But did the course actually play different? Should the course play as different as we are seeing from morning to afternoon? Can anything even be done to prevent that?

The format is such that it rewards the teams for playing well in the first two rounds. Because it is a qualifier, the best scores play in the better morning wave for round three.

Two teams from third round afternoon wave – Georgia Tech and Florida – played its way into the top 15 and made the 54-hole cut. Overall three teams – Ole Miss, Auburn and Oregon – played their way into the top 15 from the worst-seeded wave, knocking out Wake Forest, Stanford and Texas A&M.

The oddest thing we are witnessing to this point is the fact that this year the ordering of teams is freakishly spot on.

Never have we even been close to seeing the top-ranked teams line up in the order they are. Nos. 1-7 in the Golfweek/Sagarin and Golfstat rankings are also the inside the top seven and nearly in order after 54 holes.

Championship golf can have different formulas. Here at Grayhawk it appears to be find the fairway and control your distance with your second shot. Sounds like that sort of equation can work at many championship venues.

Despite what anyone says, good, bad or neutral, the course and setup are doing its jobs.

“You can’t ask for anything more than that from a championship golf course,” said Oklahoma State coach Alan Bratton.

Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/06cV2Sb