Scottie Scheffler’s Tour Championship win revealed two attention-grabbing issues about him.
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Welcome to the Monday End, the place soccer’s high receiver bought put in handcuffs and everybody began making golf jokes! Scottie Scheffler actually IS reaching celebrity standing. To the information…
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GOLF STUFF I LIKE
Beef is again.
Matt Wallace was in tears as he stepped up for his post-round interview.
“Knackered,” he mentioned. “That was a tough day.”
It was an understandably emotional second for Wallace, who’d simply received on the DP World Tour for the primary time since 2018. He’d damaged his worldwide winless streak ultimately yr’s Corales Puntacana Championship, however a win on his residence circuit meant one thing additional for the 34-year-old Englishman. His four-shot final-round lead had evaporated however he’d punched again with a birdie on the primary additional gap.
“I caught at it and that’s me, and that’s golf. For me, that’s Matt Wallace golf proper there,” he mentioned.
It was becoming that Wallace received this match, the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland, given this was the positioning of a heartbreaking playoff loss right here two years in the past. However his extra time birdie lifted him over Alfredo Garcia-Heredia of Spain and instantly he reset his targets to one thing larger.
“Ryder Cup, let’s go,” he mentioned.
However arguably the larger comeback belonged to Andrew “Beef” Johnston, who didn’t win however got here rattling shut.
It’s been a protracted climb for Johnston, who burst onto the scene in 2016 as a Spanish Open champ and an Open Champ contender with a trademark beard and an infectious smile. The accompanying fanfare was rather a lot to deal with; in subsequent seasons he misplaced his PGA Tour card and struggled with expectations. Nonetheless, he remained a fixture on the European tour — till, amid a battle with each bodily and psychological well being, he all however disappeared from aggressive golf in 2022 and 2023, taking part in only one match and slipping outdoors the highest 2,000 on the earth.
Even his comeback has been removed from glamorous; our Sean Zak detailed how the week of this yr’s Open, the eight-year reunion of the “greatest golf of his life,” he was lacking the minimize in California on the alternate-field Barracuda Championship.
However one thing has clicked within the final month. T23 on the Czech Masters. T18 on the British Masters. After which got here Sunday’s 66, which secured a solo third for Johnston, his greatest end in 4 years. He was one wiggle shy of a playoff however the end catapulted him up 69 spots to No. 85 on the Race to Dubai rankings, securing him some standing past this season.
“There’s numerous aid,” he mentioned. “It’s been a troublesome couple of years. It’s been robust.”
The truth that Beef’s been going by “robust” — and he’s nonetheless going? That’s golf stuff I like.
WINNERS
Who received the week?
There have been no occasions on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, the LET, the Korn Ferry Tour or LIV however there’s all the time golf being performed, which implies we’ll by no means run out of winners.
Matt Wallace received on the DP World Tour for the fifth time and moved as much as No. 73 on the earth.
Japan’s Kensei Hirata received on the Asian Tour’s Shinhan Donghae Open, an occasion co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour, to maneuver to No. 131 on the earth.
Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen received the Problem Tour’s Massive Inexperienced Egg German Problem, residence to my favourite tee markers in golf.
Fatima Fernandez Cano received her third Epson Tour title of the season; she’s now mathematically assured to get her LPGA Tour card again. With three tournaments left so are Yahui Zhang, Jessica Porvasnik and Lauren Stephenson.
The PGA Tour Americas wrapped up its summer time as Will Cannon received the Fortinet Cup Championship and 10 execs secured their Korn Ferry Tour playing cards: John Keefer, Frederik Kjettrup, Matthew Anderson, Barend Botha, Clay Feagler, Cannon, Harry Hillier, Sandy Scott, Ryan Burnett and Ian Holt.
And Y.E. Yang beat Bernhard Langer in a playoff on the Ascension Charity Basic, claiming his first PGA Tour Champions title 15 years and a month after beating Tiger Woods on the 2009 PGA Championship.
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NOT-WINNERS
Who’s out?
LIV Golf’s Particular person Championship takes place outdoors of Chicago this week. There are big-time prizes up for grabs on the high of LIV’s season-long race, the place Jon Rahm leads over Joaquin Niemann. However there’s arguably much more at stake for gamers decrease on the order of advantage. Gamers who end 25-48 on the listing and don’t have contracts (the contracts are secret, so your guess is nearly as good as mine) will change into free brokers after this season with no assure of re-signing, whereas gamers outdoors the highest 48 can be booted from the league (until they play their means again in through LIV’s Promotions occasion).
In accordance with LIV, seven gamers at the moment within the Chicago subject are outdoors that high 48 — the “Drop Zone” — whereas seven extra may technically fall into that relegation zone, too.
The seven at the moment on the skin: Scott Vincent, Branden Grace, Bubba Watson, Kalle Samooja, Kieran Vincent and wild card gamers Hudson Swafford and Anthony Kim. Watson is a captain and thus exempt from relegation; it’s not clear what’ll occur to the wild card gamers.
The seven at the moment on the within and hoping to remain there? That features some star energy, too: Henrik Stenson, Mito Pereira, Phil Mickelson, Jinichiro Kozuma, Ian Poulter, Harold Varner III and Pat Perez. Stenson, Mickelson and Poulter are captains and due to this fact protected. However whoever will get relegated could have an attention-grabbing and unsure future; they’ll possible have alternatives to play Asian Tour occasions however any street again to the PGA Tour for, say, Varner doesn’t at the moment exist.
SHORT HITTERS
5 execs with one thing to show on the Solheim Cup.
Nelly Korda is anticipated to guide the American aspect; she’s received at historic ranges this season and is runaway World No. 1 however this can be a distinctly completely different kind of strain: crew play and match play in particular context: the U.S. crew hasn’t received any of the final three Cups. (They tied final yr, however Europe retained.)
Lauren Coughlin makes her Solheim Cup debut in her residence state, capping off a dream yr by which she received her first LPGA title — after which her second, only a couple weeks later. Coughlin grew up in Virginia and went to the College of Virginia, too. She’ll hope to win some matches on her residence turf, too.
Lexi Thompson caps off her remaining full season on the LPGA Tour with a captain’s decide onto her seventh (!) crew; she’ll step into the hearth of crew match play as one in every of solely two gamers on the roster who has been on a successful U.S. crew.
Charley Hull is available in as the highest points-getter amongst European qualifiers; this has additionally been a banner yr for her play and recognition. Hull has battled some harm late within the yr however relishes match-play conditions and crowds rooting in opposition to her; we’ll see how she fares this go ’spherical.
Leona Maguire hasn’t been taking part in significantly effectively however remained excessive sufficient in Rolex Rankings to qualify routinely; she would have been an apparent decide regardless due to her 7-2-1 document over the past three cups.
ONE DUMB GRAPHIC
Like I mentioned, I’m a sucker for the mini Massive Inexperienced Egg.
ONE SWING THOUGHT
Get again to your roots.
Collin Morikawa‘s resurgent 2024 season got here partially as a result of his reconnection with lifelong coach Rick Sessinghaus. Viktor Hovland confirmed some enchancment after getting again with swing coach Joe Mayo. Rory McIlroy noticed his sport enhance when he stopped messing about and went again to work with childhood coach Michael Bannon. Coach-player connections are difficult and fickle however I’ve grown fascinated by the concept that golfers on the highest stage do greatest after they return to some form of important id.
An Irish TV station posted a video exhibiting McIlroy and caddie Harry Diamond taking part in Royal County Down forward of this week’s Irish Open with Bannon alongside, working by some swing ideas. That’s good vibes — think about that Bannon got here to the U.S. earlier this yr forward of the Wells Fargo, which wound up being McIlroy’s most dominant match win in years. However it doesn’t fairly assure a win; Bannon was there at Royal Troon, too, forward of McIlroy’s MC. What’s the swing thought right here? Keep true to your roots, I suppose. Swing your swing. Particularly in the event you’re a top-10 golfer on the earth.
ONE BIG QUESTION
What are Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy doing?
There are golf matches and there are golf matches, and the just lately introduced showdown pitting Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in opposition to Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler is the latter.
In the meanwhile PGA Tour gamers can’t freely enter LIV occasions. Nor can LIV gamers play PGA Tour occasions. They meet at majors, no less than a few of ’em, but it surely appeared from the skin like that was kinda the one choice.
However apparently it isn’t?
This fourball seems like a powerful suggestion, like a deliberate message, like a shot despatched from the PGA Tour’s greatest participant and its largest star to golf’s management that they’re keen to work with LIV execs.
“I feel for the gamers it’s a approach to capitalize on all the things that’s been occurring,” McIlroy informed UTV on Monday. “For golf to be as robust as it may be we want the perfect gamers taking part in in opposition to one another extra usually, and never simply the 4 occasions a yr on the majors. So if this match assist alongside the best way at getting folks again collectively, hopefully that’s a very good factor.”
The match seems to be an olive department prolonged and accepted by keen co-conspirators. DeChambeau just lately mentioned that he thinks LIV’s high precedence must be figuring issues out with the Tour. Koepka has by no means been overly rah-rah about his new circuit and has expressed a want to play in opposition to PGA Tour guys extra usually. The 2 of them stand to profit from the match as a result of it will get them again within the ring with two high Tour stars.
The match stands to profit, too, from being the primary LIV vs. PGA Tour-style showdown. And the cynics amongst you possibly can counsel that this received’t do something to meaningfully advance negotiations and that that is only a money seize for all 4. You may even be proper. And the entire thing would have extra juice if it was a true grudge match and these guys overtly hated one another reasonably than working collectively as enterprise companions arriving at a mutually helpful association. Nonetheless, that is vital, particularly because it pertains to one query:
If this match is a tiny first step, what’s the second?
ONE THING TO WATCH
James Earl Jones.
Let the voice of the incomparable James Earl Jones wash over you for a pair minutes of nostalgic goodness. What a strong presence. He’ll be missed.
NEWS FROM SEATTLE
Monday End HQ.
I’ve been working in espresso outlets recently which implies this week I used to be uncovered to what I think about is an every-year phenomenon: Again to Faculty Week means mother and father go wild. My traditional spots had been jam-packed after drop-off. Mother and father socializing, commiserating, working, slamming espresso, hammering pastries. If the bars had been open these might need been packed, too.
Already by Week 2 issues have slowed down, however huge congrats to all of the mother and father on the market. I hope you discover peace after drop-off. You earned it.
We’ll see you subsequent week!
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Dylan Dethier welcomes your feedback at dylan_dethier@golf.com.
