Keegan Bradley and Lydia Ko each made assertion wins on Sunday.
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Test in each week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the most popular subjects within the sport, and be a part of the dialog by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we rank Lydia Ko’s AIG Girls’s Open victory, debate Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup playing-captain bid and extra.
Lydia Ko received the AIG Girls’s Open for her first main title in eight years. It was her first begin since getting her closing Corridor of Fame qualifying level after profitable the gold medal in Paris two weeks in the past. She went toe-to-toe with World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who was in search of her second main of the season and seventh win total and World No. 2 Lilia Vu within the closing spherical. The place does this end rank among the many finest main finishes this season (males or ladies)?
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): There’s all the time some recency-bias with questions like this, however that was positively some of the — if not the most — thrilling finishes of the 12 months. The previous few holes have been unimaginable. The forged of characters, all of whom have been looking for a 3rd main title: Nelly, World No. 1 looking for her seventh win of the season and struggling a late back-nine catastrophe; Lydia, newly-minted future Corridor of Famer coming off a gold medal on the Paris Olympics; Jiyai Shin, the resurgent veteran looking for a 3rd Open; and World No. 2 Lilia Vu, all within the combine with 4 holes left to play. Then throw within the Outdated Course, wind and rain, and Lydia’s clutch birdie on 18, and I imply, WOW! What a solution to cap the key season.
Lydia Ko’s stirring Open win was a reminder: She’s not achieved simply but
Josh Sens, senior author (@JoshSens): We’ve been spoiled with some electrical finishes in latest months. This one was riveting sufficient to complete second in my ebook, behind the U.S. Open however forward of the PGA. The truth that it starred essentially the most likable participant in skilled golf made all of it the higher. Who can resist rooting for Lydia Ko?
Alan Bastable, government editor (@alan_bastable): Yeah, Ko’s vibes are good for the sport. She’s an important and worthy champion. And, sure, this was a closing spherical followers may feast on. However I used to be most intrigued by Korda’s Sunday. As Nelly proved earlier within the season, there are weeks when she’s untouchable. However there are also, nicely…different weeks. Like her three straight missed cuts after her win on the Mizuho in July. Or her unremarkable showings on the Evian and the Olympics. After which this week in St. Andrews. The title was hers to grab, however then got here a sloppy double on 14 and a bogey on 17 when she left her par attempt the one place she couldn’t afford to: in need of the outlet. Korda admitted on the Olympics, “I feel just lately what’s been occurring to me is I make a mistake after which I make one other mistake on high of it.” That’s in the end what price her this Girls’s Open title. I’m very intrigued to see which model of Korda exhibits up on the Solheim Cup.
With main championship golf now full the for the 12 months for each the highest women and men on the earth, what second stands out to you from 2024?
Marksbury: It’s been greater than three months, and I’m nonetheless not over Scottie’s arrest. I don’t assume I ever can be! However apart from that, I actually beloved the Olympic golf this 12 months. The tears on the rostrum we noticed from Scottie and Lydia demonstrated simply how a lot it means to those gamers to compete to your nation on the world stage. It was nice to see.
Sens: Scheffler’s arrest was powerful to high in its sheer weirdness. However the picture I can’t shake is Rory standing over that little slider on the 18th at Pinehurst, trying doomed to overlook it earlier than he drew the putter again.
Bastable: Korda’s win on the Chevron will stick to due to its historic nature; it was her fifth straight LPGA title, an achievement that my little mind nonetheless can’t course of. However on a private stage, I’ll by no means shake Rory’s meltdown at Pinehurst. When he packed up his stuff and emerged from the locker room that Sunday night, I used to be standing within the hallway simply exterior. The glassy, shell-shocked look in McIlroy’s eyes is one I received’t see neglect.
Keegan Bradley received the BMW Championship Sunday because of a final-round 72 in troublesome circumstances at Fort Pines to carry off Adam Scott, Ludvig Aberg and Sam Burns by one. It’s his first win since being named the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain final month and positively provides gas to the argument that he may very well be a taking part in captain subsequent fall at Bethpage. Do you assume Bradley can play his approach onto subsequent 12 months’s staff and if he does, ought to he surrender the captaincy?
Marksbury: It’s superior for Keegan to have this resurgence in his recreation … and but! A taking part in captain simply looks like a foul concept. The Ryder Cup is such a pressure-cooker of feelings, and completely exhausting for each gamers and captains alike. I can’t think about attempting to guide with a transparent head and compete on the identical time. However possibly that’s simply me!
Sens: I really feel precisely the other: that the calls for of the captaincy are exaggerated by followers and the media alike. Choose your staff and ship them out to play. If you boil all of it down, how rather more is there to it, apart for some media obligations. As with golf, overthinking issues hardly ever does a lot good. If Bradley can play his approach on, he ought to compete. We don’t get to see participant captains typically. For all of the flag waving and chest-beating USA, USA chants, it’s nonetheless meant to be an exhibition. Entertain us. Seeing Bradley within the twin function could be good enjoyable.
Bastable: Tiger pulled it off the double obligation on the 2019 Presidents Cup, going 3-0 in Melbourne. No motive Keegan can’t additionally play each roles successfully at a Ryder Cup. However let’s not get forward of ourselves. There’s nonetheless a lot golf to be performed between now and choice time. One win at this early stage won’t safe Bradley a spot. I’m with Sens, although. Few gamers convey the power and hearth that Bradley does to match play. Having him within the warmth of the motion together with his squad could be enjoyable to observe and absolutely a motivator for his troops.
On the BMW Championship, Xander Schauffele tackled golf’s mega purses and in contrast it to NFL quarterbacks. “You take a look at the No. 1 quarterback, he’s getting $60 million after which the No. 10 quarterback is getting 52, after which No. 15 is getting 39 or 40,” he stated, including, “After I take a look at different sports activities, when somebody will get a $300 million contract, there’s all these constructive feedback about how somebody bought their bag or they’ve labored so laborious to get this and so they deserve it, issues like that. It’s attention-grabbing to me. I feel possibly golf is a gentleman’s recreation and also you’re not supposed to speak about cash, however all of the media desires to do is discuss cash.” Does he have a degree? Does it appear chasing money in golf is taken into account grasping when sports activities just like the NFL and NBA hand out significantly extra?
Marksbury: There positively looks like there’s a double-standard at play, however I feel that’s as a result of golf cash has traditionally been performance-based, so you might make the case that gamers “deserve” each penny they get. The arrival of look charges, massive LIV signing bonuses, and no-cut Signature Occasions goes towards that ethos, so I can perceive why some traditionalists would take problem with that.
Xander Schauffele dropped these 10 takes in epic press convention
Sens: I get the place he’s going together with his argument however the comparability falls aside for a number of causes, and never simply because the NFL dwarfs the PGA Tour in market measurement by many billions. There’s additionally the truth that apart from Tiger, no single participant in golf has the sort of needle-moving pull of a marquee quarterback. As for blaming the media for speaking always about cash — final I checked, it was the gamers themselves who fired up that dialog to start with. The press, in flip, reported on it. Is there a “gentleman’s recreation” double normal at work? Perhaps. I dunno. My sense is that the general public’s distaste comes extra from the sense that professional golfers have an inflated sense of their monetary value.
Bastable: Nearly each athlete exterior of these sponsored by Saudi oil cash get what the free markets say they’re value. So whereas it’d really feel obscene for an NFL participant, or F1 driver or golfer to be cashing 10-figure checks, let’s not neglect that there’s a staff or league behind them making large sums off TV offers, merchandise and ticket gross sales. It’s not straightforward attending to the summit of a sport; really, it’s almost inconceivable. To the victors go the spoils. Allow them to get pleasure from.
Broadcaster Ian Baker-Finch was on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar Podcast and mentioned golf’s slow-play problem and a possible repair, which he says could be to permit distance-measuring gadgets, his considering being that execs and caddies are normally fairly near the numbers as is now anyway. Do you agree? Or would that take away a key talent of the sport?
Marksbury: Completely agree. The gamers are already counting on a teammate (caddie) to assist them with yardage, so it’s not like distance-guesstimating is a few form of distinctive talent. Why not simply allow them to use what they have already got within the bag throughout observe rounds anyway? Pace it up!
Sens: It might positively velocity issues up however I’d fairly not see that talent outsourced to expertise. How concerning the inflexible and common enforcement of a shot clock? The one factor stopping nice gamers and their caddies from getting yardages and pulling golf equipment shortly is themselves. Mild an actual hearth underneath them and so they’ll determine it out.
Bastable: The LPGA already permits DMDs — heck, the tour even has an official DMD sponsor! — and the PGA of America additionally permits the gadgets at its majors. Feels foolish and complicated to have totally different requirements at totally different occasions. My sense is all of the excursions and majors will quickly green-light them.
With the completion of the Girls’s Open, the auto-qualifiers for subsequent month’s Solheim Cup have been finalized. Europe makes its 4 captain’s picks on Monday, whereas the U.S. staff makes its alternatives on Tuesday. If you’re U.S. captain Stacy Lewis, who’re you choosing?
Marksbury: Angel Yin, Cheyenne Knight and Lexi Thompson. All three are confirmed veterans from final 12 months’s squad, and regardless that Lexi has the bottom standing on the Solheim Cup factors listing (No. 14) of these three, she had an important displaying as a captain’s decide final 12 months, going 3-1-0. And what a swan track it might be for her retirement 12 months to compete on her seventh Solheim Cup staff, and play in entrance of U.S. followers. May very well be a storybook ending — and one she vastly deserves.
Sens: Nice picks, Jess. Particularly becoming for Lexi to get the nod. I do know that Jenifer Kupcho had a tough Solheim Cup in Spain final 12 months. However I’d be tempted to incorporate her within the combine as nicely. I really like the hearth she brings.
Bastable: Lexi is a lock. Be careful for Sarah Schmelzel, too. Six top-10s this 12 months.
