The post ‘Welcome to rules of golf’: Pro catches ‘all-world break’ after animal decision appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Welcome to rules of golf’: Pro catches ‘all-world break’ after animal decision appeared first on Golf.

Only in golf, right?

“Like finding a needle in a haystack,” announcer Mark Immelman said. 

In the end, Kim ho-hum parred Black Desert Resort’s par-5 18th hole. But in the 20 or so minutes prior to that during Thursday’s first round of the Black Desert Championship, there was a smorgasbord of activity, including:

— A break. Kim had dumped his first tee shot into lava rocks and vegetation to the left of the fairway, repeated himself on his provisional ball — only to miraculously find ball one amongst the rocks and various vegetation. 

Still, there were issues. 

His ball had nestled into an indentation on the ground. Could he swing at his ball? Probably not. Unplayable-lie relief would probably be the play, and a one-shot penalty would be taken.  

— A thought. Was that aforementioned indentation just your run-of-the-mill indentation? Maybe. 

Or had an animal created it? Maybe. If so, Kim would get relief via the abnormal course condition rule — without being docked a shot. He called for an official. 

“I feel like there’s probably half the field [who] wouldn’t have even thought of doing that,” analyst Matt Every said on the PGA Tour Live broadcast. 

— A call. A rules official arrived. He investigated, before reaching out to another official over a walkie-talkie for guidance. 

Parts of the conversation were picked up by PGA Tour Live mics:

Said the official on the scene: “Hey, you obviously know this property more. I’m assuming we have some critters that are going around this desert. … Some type of animal holes around these bushes.” 

Said the official on the other end of the walkie-talkie: “Yeah, we definitely have …”

Said the official on the scene: “Yeah, when I stick my finger, it definitely goes underneath. There’s got to be some sort of animal hole, I would think.”

— A ruling. The indentation was determined to be an animal hole, and penalty-free relief was given.  

Said Immelman on the PGA Tour Live broadcast: “This is a massive blessing.”

Said Every: “It sure is. Welcome to the rules of golf, folks. You can drive it in the middle of the fairway in a divot and not get relief, then drive it in jail — literal jail — and get a free drop. What a game.” 

Said Immelman: “I guess it makes a case for knowing the rules.”

— A placement of the ball. After the ruling, rocks were cleared away, and Kim was able to place his ball after attempts to drop it didn’t work. 

Said Every on the PGA Tour Live broadcast: “It’s a shame, though, that the official doesn’t have a tee on him so he can just tee it up for him, then hit out of there. I’m just kidding.” 

Said Immelman: “No, you’re not.” 

Said Every: “I mean, this is an all-world break. It truly is.” 

Said Immelman: “If he makes four here, that is like daylight robbery.” 

Said Every: “It’s also all-world because his provisional went into the jungle as well. I mean, we could potentially be saving four shots here, it feels like.”

 — A laugh and a post. After the drop, Kim hit an iron to the fairway, then hit an iron to 12 feet. Would he make birdie? He didn’t, though when his ball touched the right edge of the hole on the putt, he winced, before covering his face and laughing. 

Undoubtedly, Kim knew what had gone down. 

Said Immelman on the PGA Tour Live broadcast: “I think, in the end, after whipping two tee shots into the lava down the left, if you told him, hey, you can have five, he would have ran to the green.” 

Said Every: “He wanted to make that [birdie putt] so he could write about it [on social media].”

Notably, Kim did. After parring the 18th and finishing with a three-under 68, he wrote this:

“On my way to buy a lotto ticket…. Got some breaks today!”

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The post Why is a 50-year-old putter being played on Tour? Pro’s answer tears him up appeared first on Golf.

The post Why is a 50-year-old putter being played on Tour? Pro’s answer tears him up appeared first on Golf.

Nope, he’s not yielding a Millenium Falcon-looking mallet, nor a broomstick that stretches to his navel.

Yes, he’s rolling with a gold-colored blade putter that’s maybe an inch thick and a few inches long, whose only frills are just a small curve near its heel and a few words on its bottom, these three being its most pertinent: 

Titleist Bulls Eye.  

“I know a lot of guys have looked at me like, ‘What do you got there?” Blake said. 

“Some people haven’t even seen a putter like that.”

This week, as the PGA Tour plays its first-ever Black Desert Championship, Blake would have better chances of breaking 50 than he would avoiding all the potential feels. The Black Desert is being held at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah, where Blake said he could squint and spot where he grew up, in a trailer in nearby St. George. Thursday’s first round also marked Blake’s 500th career Tour start, a milestone he crossed after tournament organizers offered him a sponsor exemption for what was the 65-year-old’s first Tour event since 2018.

So how would he memorialize it all? Maybe the better question is how could you, but Blake had a thought, and with it, a story, which he shared Wednesday. It started with a Vegas trip — seemingly some of the best yarns do — where Blake, his nephew and some of his nephew’s friends went on a Sin City golf bender, and the longtime pro played as if going low would earn him a buffet comp. With a 62 one round (that included a final-hole bogey), he broke his age for the first time. But more notably for this story, a playing partner also had a Bulls Eye. Blake had one of those. It sat in a corner in his home. It’s 50-plus years old. 

Dad had once given it to him, too, and wouldn’t it be so sweet to drop it in the bag this week — nah, he couldn’t. OK, OK, but he could with friends. One round. Why not?

“And they, still to this day, keep saying, he made every single putt with that thing,” Blake said. 

“Then I go back to a Scotty Cameron putter that I’ve been using for quite a few years and I’d putt OK with that and I’d bring that Bulls Eye back out and every time I putted with that thing, I felt like I putted pretty exceptional. I’ve been debating whether I’d put it in play or not.”

You know how things settled there. Of course, he did. What a story, right? 

A 65-year-old making his 500th career PGA Tour start in eyesight of where everything started for him then continued. 

“I mean, it’s nice that I feel comfortable with the putter, but it’s a remembrance of my father,” he said as he started to tear up. ”And so I’ll be walking the fairways again with that putter. I’m proud to do that. I’m comfortable with it, and I feel like I’ll have no issues. 

“So it’s going to be fun and I’ll enjoy it, and all this stuff is going to be a lot of good memories.”

Before we go, though, one more story from Blake.  

Hadn’t he mentioned above he uses a Scotty Cameron? He had. Would he want to share how that relationship started? He would. 

It starts with a putter toss — seemingly some of the best yarns do.

“I went out and played this golf course, putted horrible, still putting bad, I was frustrated,” Blake started. “I’m not a guy that gets upset; I’ve never broken a club in my life. Well, I’ve done it just for fun just to say I’ve done it.

“But I played these holes and missed these putts, and about the 14th, 15th hole, I got frustrated and I went to kind of take my putter and kind of flat fly it, boomerang it over just off to the side of the green. And I accidentally held onto it too long, and the carts were about 10 feet just right of where I was going to slide it over to it, and all of a sudden as I let it go, I see where it’s headed. And the putter sounded like a pinball machine, the shaft rattling the railing.

“And I’ve still got that putter today, and it’s got bands in it where I’ve had to re-straighten it and get it all back into shape to where I could use it for the rest of the round. I didn’t make it to the rest of the round. I threw it in the pond over at the golf course over there.”

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Only, around that moment in February of 1991, he soon had to play that week’s Tour stop, the Shearson Lehman Brothers Open, played at Torrey Pines in San Diego. (The tournament’s now called the Farmers Insurance Open.)

“We get over to San Diego,” Blake continued. “I drove over there and they went back home, and it’s still afternoon. And I go to the putting green, and there’s a gentleman, Scotty Cameron, that had just got credentials to provide putters that he’d built with his dad in the garage. He grew up there in San Diego, so he was out there promoting his equipment.

“So I’m out there looking for a new putter and end up finding one and putting with two or three of them. And he’s like, can I help you with anything?

“I was like, I’m just checking out your putters. Turns out he let me use one of the putters that I felt comfortable with, and using that putter I ended up winning the San Diego golf tournament that same week. So me and Scotty have been kind of buddies for a while.

“After the interviews and stuff, you’re leading the tournament, they come and ask you some questions, what’s changed in your game. I’m like, I couldn’t think of anything. I said, I’ve never really done anything different from the game and the game is still the same, I didn’t change much — oh, wait a minute, I got a new putter, I got a different putter. So they asked me what happened to the other one and I had to tell that story.

“Then as the story goes on, they send a scuba diver over to Palm Springs and they fished the putter that I threw in the lake out, and I’ve still got it. It sits in the corner with the one my dad gave me. It still looks as good as ever, but it’s got a few little nicks in it. That’s kind of the story of the Bulls Eye putter of how I went from that to the Scotty Cameron. And then it’s going to be a pleasure to use a Bulls Eye again that was given to me from my dad. It meant a lot when I got it, and it still does.

“It’s a good thing to remember my dad for.”

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The post Why I attend my son’s golf tournaments but don’t watch him play appeared first on Golf.

The post Why I attend my son’s golf tournaments but don’t watch him play appeared first on Golf.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy golf. I do, despite writing about it being much of my life’s work. It’s not that my 16-year-old son, Ike, and I don’t enjoy each other’s company. We do, despite the fact we spend gobs of time together driving to and from school, golf tournaments, golf lessons, guitar lessons, bowling tournaments, friends’ houses and so on. (Yes, he’s an only child, and I am a freelancer.) You’ll have to trust me on this healthy relationship, and many of the parents I walk golf courses with during junior tournaments probably don’t — because my kid isn’t playing in the group.

It was not always like this. When Ike began competing at age 9, my wife Lorraine and I would spectate while a neighbor friend caddied for him. On his first-ever hole in competition, Ike sliced his opening drive out of bounds, then 6-putted from six feet for a 10. “What is he doing?!?” Lorraine whispered, dumbfounded, as Ike knock-hockeyed back and forth around the hole. “Welcome to competition,” I remember thinking.

I also remembered feeling embarrassed, and then embarrassed for feeling embarrassed. Golf is hard, and tournament golf must be harder, especially when you have the emotional maturity of a 9-year-old. This painful memory comes to mind whenever parents turn to me and say, “He’s usually so much better than this,” “She never misses those,” and so on after some shot goes awry.

Ike finally, mercifully holed out and then looked over to us, tears of shock welling in his eyes. It was not a harbinger of his future play — he has competed in the last three U.S. Kids World Teen Championships at Pinehurst Resort and reached scratch at 15 — but it redlined an essential point: Mom and Dad can’t really help you out there on the fairways and greens…or in the rough.

Sure, we tried to do what we could from a distance to calm, to encourage, to reassure, and a different kid might have responded to our counsel. Our son mainly looked to us for sympathy, shoulders slumped, when things weren’t going his way. It wasn’t a winning dynamic in any sense of the word, and it wasn’t too long before we all agreed it was best for Ike’s golf, and his enjoyment of it, that we leave him to do his thing.

Sometimes my wife and I will hit a local museum and grab a meal to pass the time, but often I’m traveling on my own with Ike and there’s not much to do in the vicinity or it’s just too beautiful a day not to walk a golf course. I always ask the players’ parents if it’s okay for me to join them to spectate, explaining that my son is competing in the tournament but that I don’t watch him. (I’ve taken to doing this ASAP after the disappointment on one mother’s face when I responded to her, sorry, no, I’m not a college coach here to scout.) No one has ever objected, which I ascribe to not looking like a psychopath, and many seem happy for the company….

And then you see the wheels start turning. Is the man in front of me enlightened? Or, appearances aside, has he lost it? Maybe his kid is such a brat that he can’t stomach it?

Some parents will try to tease out the answers. Most don’t. Either they immediately grasp the basics of the situation and/or they don’t much care, which is understandable. “My watching doesn’t work for him,” is my standard line when asked what brought things to this point. It’s the rare parent who hasn’t had a moment or 10 watching their kid snap-hook a drive, or being snapped at, when the idea of fleeing the scene came to mind. “I wish I didn’t have to watch” is something I’ve heard more than once. “You don’t” is something I’ve never replied.

I’ve thought it, of course. I’ll admit there is a small part of me that feels morally superior: Look at me, setting aside my own desire to see my progeny doing what he does best so that he can perform his best. How selfless!

What a guy. Still, it bums me out at times, too. I’d like nothing more than to be half of those parent-child duos who seem to get along swimmingly on the course, tossing out the occasional “attaboy,” a subtle nod of encouragement, a cocked paternal eyebrow to fend off a potential meltdown at the pass. These family ham-and-eggers do exist — but to my eye are vastly outnumbered by parents who think, wrongly, that they number among this cohort.

Maybe it’s Pollyanna, but I’d like to think I could have held up my end of the bargain. As a teenager, I spent years looking up at my dad making operatic faces of anguish and excitement during my tennis matches — until I finally barred him from attending any more tournaments. To his credit, he didn’t play the “I pay for your lessons” card; to his discredit, he tried to watch the next tournament on the sly from the stands a few courts down. If memory can be trusted, upon spotting him I tossed him out with my thumb like a baseball ump.

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I believe, back before my own spectating exile, now going on five years, that I kept a pretty good poker face. Really, though, does it matter? Ike knows, like every kid knows, that his parents care a ton, whether it’s written on their face or not, whether they cop to it or not. “Have fun!” is all well and good and true, as far as it goes, but it goes further than that. We want our kids to succeed, too, for their sake and for ours, and they know it.

For some, that knowledge is, like, whatever. For others, it can weigh heavily, or just be a handy excuse if things don’t go their way. The last thing most parents want for their child is something that was supposed to be fun to turn sour, and for something character-building to become ego-deflating. Competitive golf has provided my son many highs and lows, but it has consistently helped him become an independent person who (generally) takes ownership for his decisions and actions.

These are the kind of thoughts I have wandering alongside my fellow parents instead of my offspring, watching moms and dads live and die with every shot, whether they make a big show of it or not. As a parent, I can now only sympathize with their struggle to maintain their equilibrium and sense of perspective — but as a golfer myself, of course, I empathize with it.    

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The post Cameron Smith’s pre-round putting routine will have you make more putts in no time appeared first on Golf.

The post Cameron Smith’s pre-round putting routine will have you make more putts in no time appeared first on Golf.

While most mid-handicappers like you or I worry about trying to limit three-putts, the 2022 Open champion is out here avoiding two-putts.

Sure, there’s a lot that goes into Smith’s wizardry on the putting surface, but in a video posted on LIV Golf’s YouTube channel, he talks through his go-to and trusted routine that he uses prior to each round. Check out his tips below.

Try Cameron Smith’s pre-round routine to dial in your putting

One thing that Smith always seems to avoid before a round? Rushing. So if you’re a player who shows up to a tee time just minutes before hitting your first shot of the day, Smith’s pre-round routine just won’t work for you.

In fact, Smith says he shows up to the practice green about 90 minutes before he’s scheduled to start his round — which goes to show how focused he is on putting technique.

After settling in on his technique, Smith uses a popular training aid to get things going, dropping down a putting mirror to help him consistently align his eyes, body and clubface.

Putting

“First, I’ll get on the mirror and hit 20 to 30 balls, but it all sort of depends on how comfortable I’m feeling. Seeing the balls go in is also a really important part,” he says. “From there, I’ll just make a 5- or 6-foot circle with some balls around the hole, going clockwise or counterclockwise to reiterate what we [previously] did on the mirror.

“Just making sure that everything feels really comfy and actually seeing some putts with some break go into the hole.”

But Smith admits that, despite trying to build a consistent setup with the putting mirror, things can change.

“Whatever I felt over there on the mirror is exactly what I’m trying to feel [on these 5-to-6-foot putts],” he says. “But, even for me, that does change day-to-day sometimes — depending on how the body’s feeling.”

After he’s done getting an idea for the speed and break on shorter putts, Smith stretches his distances farther back, using this time to see how the ball’s rolling on the greens — since a course presents a different challenge each time.

“From there, we might go out to 10 or 15 feet to hit some putts, and then I might go hit some really long putts, starting at 30 feet and making my way up to 80 or 90 feet,” he says. “It just really depends on what the golf course is going to give you out there, [and this type of practice] generally gives me an idea. Then I just head to the range and get ready for the round.”

Perfect Roll Putting Mirror

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Perfect Roll Mirror The Perfect Roll Mirror is a compact, low-profile putting mirror that helps you improve your putting stroke. It is just 1/8″ thick, so your putter head and stroke are not elevated as with some other mirrors. The mirror measures 6″ wide x 12″ long, so it is easy to store in your golf bag and take with you to the practice green. The Perfect Roll Mirror has a beveled entry port that makes it easy to roll a ball to the same fixed location every time. This helps you develop consistent setup and stroke mechanics that will lead to more made putts. The mirror also includes tee holes that can be used to secure it to the putting green if desired. These holes can also be used as stroke guides for putters with a 5 ½” head or smaller. White and green lines on the mirror provide additional feedback on your stroke path and the squareness of your putter face. These lines complement the TrueSquare slots through the impact zone, which help you ensure that you are making square contact with the ball. The Perfect Roll Mirror is a portable and functional training mirror that is perfect for improving your putting stroke. Order yours today and start making more putts! Here are some additional benefits of using the Perfect Roll Mirror: Helps you develop a consistent putting stroke Improves your stroke path Ensures that you are making square contact with the ball Reduces common putting mistakes Makes you more confident on the green If you are serious about improving your putting stroke, the Perfect Roll Mirror is the perfect training aid for you. Order yours today and start seeing results!

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The post Three-time major champion says this is ‘essential’ for solid contact appeared first on Golf.

The post Three-time major champion says this is ‘essential’ for solid contact appeared first on Golf.

“If you hit too far ahead [of the ball], that’s going to cause you to slice the ball,” Harrington says. 

And if you hit too far behind the ball, Harrington explains that you will likely produce a shot that draws. While those shots can come in handy at times, if you want to create a consistent ball flight, you have to be able to control your low point and deliver your club in the same spot every time. 

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But, just like everything else in golf, it’s a skill that takes practice to refine. In the same video Harrington shares a simple tee drill that will help you control your low point and rein in your shots. 

Harrington’s tee drill

Grab a mid-iron and place a tee in the ground — this will represent your golf ball. Set up your shot with the tee in the middle of your stance and find a spot about a quarter of an inch in front of the tee to focus on. Make a few three-quarter swings, allowing your body to move fluidly in a rhythm. Your focus here shouldn’t be form, it should be to get your club to bottom just after the tee, or on the spot you’ve selected. 

“Wherever the tee is, you want to hit the other side of it,” Harrington says.

Once you’re able to consistently hit your spot, Harrington says to take the tee out of the equation. Start in a static position. Pick a spot in front of you and make the same, fluid three-quarter swing, seeing if you can get your club to bottom out at the point you’ve chosen. As you become more comfortable, Harrington says to move around and see if you can pick a spot with your eyes and hit it.

Not only does this help you control your low point, but it also helps you develop a proper follow-through. 

“I pick a spot with my eyes and hit it,” Harrington says, “I don’t keep my head still. I don’t keep my head down. But I do watch the ball. And I watch it long enough that I see the divot.” 

By watching your divots, you’re going to stay down on the ball and strike it with a descending blow, which is optimal for avoiding early extension and compressing your irons.  

Put those two keys together and you’re going to be hitting your irons better than before.

The Divot Board – Patented Low Point & Swing Path Trainer

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A patented new training board with a highly visual depiction of both swing path and low point.  (measures 6″ x 21″ x 1/2″)   Using the Divot Board golf low point and swing path trainer is one of the easiest ways to increase your game. You can use the Divot Board anywhere including your living room, office, or even on the green just before a big match. This is not just a launch monitor, this is your launch monitor. Your training and warm-up routines just met their match.   The Divot Board measures 6″W x ~21″L x ~1/2″D   The mat is only 3/8″ thick but there are pointed nubs at the bottom that hold it in place on carpet, outdoors or on a range mat and once settled the may add a fraction of an inch to the height. This is still a very low profile for this type of mat and the quality of construction is amazing! A carabiner is included if you wish to clip the mat onto your bag to take with you to the range.  Instant Feedback. Anytime. Anywhere. Works both right or left-handed.   About this item Immediate Feedback anywhere you can swing a golf club Interpret ball flight and strike quality by reading your divot Improve low-point consistency every practice session Identify the centeredness of your strike on every shot Check swing path and toe heel height of the clubface through impact Divot Board may be used right or left-handed for any level player

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The post Inside Sergio Garcia’s complicated (and costly) Ryder Cup decision appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside Sergio Garcia’s complicated (and costly) Ryder Cup decision appeared first on Golf.

We weren’t expecting to hear news about Garcia, a LIV golfer ranked 390th in the world, but that’s because there’s plenty of smoke in the game right now. You have to wade through it. Garcia has played like one of the best players on the planet for the majority of 2024 — DataGolf ranks him 22nd — and would benefit Europe in a playing capacity. At the very least he could serve in an assistant captain role, too. But he has some work to do first. 

Garcia’s name came up during the press conference in a very blatant way: What does Sergio Garcia need to do to have a chance to make the team? Donald volunteered some information we didn’t previously know: that the European captain has been in touch with Garcia in recent weeks, and the Spaniard is considering making moves to rejoin the DP World Tour, a necessary step if Garcia has any hope of playing for Donald next fall. 

“Well, first of all, obviously he resigned his membership a couple years ago,” Donald said Tuesday. “But we have had some chats. He’s considering rejoining. He’d have to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else, and if he does that, again, he will be eligible to partake in the Ryder Cup.”

A natural follow-up question came a few minutes later. Do you think that’s a serious option?

“Yeah, we chatted on phone a couple weeks ago,” Donald said. “You know, he’s certainly very interested in doing that. He understands everything that’s involved, and again, the decision has to go to him, whether he’s prepared to do all that.”

Most golf fans have been made aware of the Ryder Cup accessibility regulations in recent months, as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have strained their schedule (and filed appeals) to play at least four tournaments on the DPWT to maintain membership for 2025. The only way to qualify for the Ryder Cup team is to first be a member.

Garcia’s plight is similar but different. The 44-year-old was among a number of LIV players who were once DPWT members and fined for taking part in tournaments without a conflicting event release form. Garcia was one of the only LIVers to stubbornly refuse to pay those fines, ultimately resigning his DP membership in 2023. To regain membership, those fines must first be paid, a decision already adjudicated by an arbitration judge.

If Garcia does apply for membership (his agent did not reply to a request for confirmation), he can thank his former self for making that process easy. Thanks to ranking fourth on the DPWT career money list — and because he has won a number of times on the DPWT (including a major) — Garcia would qualify via the Legends category. While Garcia’s reinstatement pursuit appears strictly about playing in one specific event next September, the Legends categorization would also allow him easy entry into almost any DPWT event he would like to play … so long as he has paid his fines and served suspensions, or filed an appeal similar to what his LIV stablemates, Hatton and Rahm, did this summer.

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It’s that last point that is the stickiest. Garcia is contracted to play a full 2025 LIV Golf schedule, which would include 14 tournaments from February through September. Depending on how the events lay out on the calendar — LIV’s schedule is not finalized yet — Garcia would have to serve 14 weeks worth of DPWT suspension and also pay 14 weeks worth of fines. As it currently stands, members who compete on LIV Golf during weeks where the DPWT is hosting an event receive a £100,000 fine.

In short, it’s going to cost Garcia plenty of money to make this Ryder Cup reality come true, but it seems like something he is keen to do. James Corrigan reported for The Telegraph in 2023 that Garcia was ready and willing to repay his fines for a spot in the Ryder Cup held in Rome. That tally, Corrigan reported, had reached £700,000. LIV has even entertained the idea of paying fines on behalf of its players. Bob Harig reported for Sports Illustrated that LIV approached the DPWT about paying Jon Rahm’s fines, but was denied.

In the end, if this saga plays out like Garcia seems to want, it’ll come down to him earning one of Captain Donald’s six wildcard picks. Ryder Cup Europe recently announced the qualifying criteria, which notably does not take into account any performances on LIV Golf. Garcia shined in LIV events this year, winning once and finishing second three times. How does that rank for Donald? We will have to wait and ask him as the results roll in next summer.

Garcia could certainly perform better in major championships, but that would begin with him actually getting in to major championships. As a former Masters champion, Garcia will have a tee time in Augusta in April, but no other majors are guaranteed to be part of his schedule. He will be relying on an invite from the PGA Championship or advancing through final qualifying for the U.S. Open and Open Championship. He has not finished in the top 10 of a major since winning the Masters in 2017.

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The post This unnecessary item in Keegan Bradley’s bag makes his caddie’s ‘blood boil’ appeared first on Golf.

The post This unnecessary item in Keegan Bradley’s bag makes his caddie’s ‘blood boil’ appeared first on Golf.

Vail, of course, already knows this.

“I’m like, ‘Say it when he’s around!'” Vail says.

The long-time looper was the guest on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast and discussed caddying for Bradley, Ryder Cup preparation and some of his most memorable moments on Tour, but a large portion of the chat focused on his relationship with the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain.

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One (touchy?) topic: the weight of Bradley’s bag. Co-host Drew Stoltz asked Vail to name the most unnecessary item Bradley keeps in it.

“Don’t get me going,” he joked. “This will make my blood boil. He’s got this, what he calls his, ‘If Things Go Horribly Wrong Kit.’

“He’s got contacts, he’s got glasses, he’s got eye drops because he wears contacts. I’ve never seen it used — ever. And it’s like this tin box. Tin box — heavy. And it’s loaded up with stuff, and he goes, ‘That’s if things go horribly wrong.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, they haven’t gone horribly wrong yet? When can we get rid of this?'”

Vail said Bradley is quick to point out his caddie is certainly strong enough to handle carrying the bag — but Vail has a rebuttal.

“Have you heard of the straw that broke the camel’s back?” Vail said. “It was a straw; let’s get rid of that stuff — we don’t need that stuff. I don’t even know what’s in it. I know there’s contacts, there’s this little kit, first-aid kit. I don’t know, do I got to do CPR when things go wrong? That’s the one thing that’s in the bag that I don’t even know why it’s in there.”

You can listen to the complete interview with Vail here, or you can watch the entire video below.

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The post 2024 Black Desert Championship Friday tee times: Round 2 groupings appeared first on Golf.

The post 2024 Black Desert Championship Friday tee times: Round 2 groupings appeared first on Golf.

Round 2 preview

This week’s PGA Tour event is taking place at an all-new venue. Black Desert Resort’s course is located in the Utah desert and strewn with hazardous lava rocks and at high altitude.

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In other words, this isn’t the typical venue pros (or fans) are used to seeing week-in and week-out on Tour. As a result, the pros in the field have to adjust their strategies to account for the unique course conditions.

But golf’s best didn’t seem to be thrown by the setup in Thursday’s opening round, where birdies were plentiful. The fight for FedEx points continues on Friday with the second round in Utah.

You can watch Friday’s second round of the Black Desert Championship on Golf Channel starting at 5 p.m. ET, or you can stream the action via NBCSports.com or the NBC Sports App with an active cable subscription. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will offer featured group coverage beginning at 10 a.m. ET on Friday.

You can check out the complete Round 2 tee times for the 2024 Black Desert Championship below.

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2024 Black Desert Championship tee times for Friday: Round 2 (ET)

Tee No. 1

9:40 a.m. – C.T. Pan, Tim Wilkinson, Hayden Springer
9:51 a.m. – S.Y. Noh, Ben Taylor, Sarni Valimaki
10:02 a.m. – Alex Smalley, Carson Young, David Skinns
10:13 a.m. – Chez Reavie, Ryan Brehm, Kevin Kisner
10:24 a.m. – Camilo Villegas, Luke List, Adam Svensson
10:35 a.m. – Chesson Hadley, Robby Shelton, Matti Schmid
10:46 a.m. – Martin Laird, Bud Cauley, Taylor Montgomery
10:57 a.m. – Cody Gribble, Carl Yuan, Alejandro Tosti
11:08 a.m. – Ryan McCormick, Kevin Dougherty, Max McGreevy
11:19 a.m. – Jay Don Blake, Wilson Furr, David S. Bradshaw
11:30 a.m. – Tom Whitney, Raul Pereda, Chandler Blanchet
2:30 p.m. – Kevin Tway, Ryo Hisatsune, Jacob Bridgeman
2:41 p.m. – Ryan Moore, Patrick Rodgers, Kelly Kraft
2:52 p.m. – Beau Hossler, Ben Kohles, Mac Meissner
3:03 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, Daniel Berger, Michael Kim
3:14 p.m. – Harry Hall, Stephan Jaeger, Kurt Kitayama
3:25 p.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Nico Echavarria, Seamus Power
3:36 p.m. – Matt NeSmith, Greyson Sigg, Justin Lower
3:47 p.m. – Wesley Bryan, Aaron Baddeley, Henrik Norlander
3:58 p.m. – Lanto Griffin, Joseph Bramlett, Vince Whaley
4:09 p.m. – Erik Barnes, Paul Barjon, Bowen Mauss (a)
4:20 p.m. – Alexander Bjork, Joe Highsmith, John Sand

Tee No. 10

7:45 a.m. – Scott Piercy, Ben Griffin, Brandon Wu
7:56 a.m. – Garrick Higgo, Troy Merritt, Mike Weir
8:07 a.m. – Mark Hubbard, Zac Blair, Patrick Fishburn
8:18 a.m. – Nick Taylor, Lucas Glover, Harris English
8:29 a.m. – Patton Kizzire, Peter Malnati, Chris Kirk
8:40 a.m. – Tyler Duncan, Keith Mitchell, Sean O’Hair
8:51 a.m. – Hayden Buckley, David Lipsky, Will Gordon
9:02 a.m. – Sam Ryder, Josh Teater, Tyson Alexander
9:13 a.m. – Trace Crowe, Philip Knowles, Kihei Akina (a)
9:24 a.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Norman Xiong, Dustin Volk
9:35 a.m. – Nicholas Lindheim, Blaine Hale, Jr., Zac Jones (a)
12:35 p.m. – Kevin Streelman, S.H. Kim, Scott Gutschewski
12:46 p.m. – Chandler Phillips, Pierceson Coody, Rico Hoey
12:57 p.m. – Kevin Chappell, Roger Sloan, Chan Kim
1:08 p.m. – Lee Hodges, Trey Mullinax, Chad Ramey
1:19 p.m. – Nick Hardy, Cameron Champ, J.B. Holmes
1:30 p.m. – Brice Garnett, K.H. Lee, J.J. Spaun
1:41 p.m. – Austin Cook, Doug Ghim, Callum Tarren
1:52 p.m. – Martin Trainer, Justin Suh, Dylan Wu
2:03 p.m. – Nate Lashley, Andrew Novak, Ryan Fox
2:14 p.m. – Austin Smotherman, Rafael Campos, Chris Korte
2:25 p.m. – Michael Thorbjornsen, Matt McCarty, Peter Kuest

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The post Bridges Cup player profile: Lukas Michel is still digging it out of the dirt appeared first on Golf.

The post Bridges Cup player profile: Lukas Michel is still digging it out of the dirt appeared first on Golf.

When we get each other on the phone, he’s calling from tomorrow, actually, near the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. It’s early morning there but he’s up and at it because it’s Day 2 of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, one of the biggest amateur events in the world, with spots in the Masters and Open Championship on the line.

He shot 71 on Day 1 and was just slightly annoyed about it, having been under par early in the round. But that’s in the past, and the immediate future might be more annoying. Storms are ripping through the Shizuoka area, delaying the second round of the event. All of which means the golf game is put aside for now, and the laptop comes out.

Michel, who famously won the U.S. Mid-Am back in 2019, earning a bid into the fall Masters and 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, spends a lot of time on his laptop these days, because his day job requires it. Michel is now a design associate at Clayton, Devries & Pont, an increasingly popular international golf course design firm, perusing CAD drawings of bunker shapes and green layouts. What started as an 8-week gig in 2020 has grown into a much bigger role every year since.

“[I’m] at least 75% designer now, whereas in 2019 it would have been 100% player,” Michel says. 

That scale may lean in the design direction these days for Michel, now 30, and likely every day moving forward, perpetuating the truism that those who work in the golf industry play the sport less than those who don’t. But if there’s anything to be learned by his recent schedule, there’s still plenty of room for both in his life. Have Clubs, Will Travel is a great motto not only for elite amateurs, but also for enterprising course architects. 

Before the Asia-Pacific Am — which he qualified for as one of the top seven players from Australia — Michel was in the New York area competing in The Farrell, a high-end amateur comp held at Stanwich Club in Connecticut. Before that came the Mid-Am at Kinloch Golf Club in Virginia, the biggest event on his annual calendar, for which he is qualified through 2029. Michel took a spin through the U.K. this summer, wearing mostly a designer hat, reacquainting himself with the game’s origins, and will soon flash his passport in Korea en route to the Bridges Cup, a 24-player team event for elite amateurs. (GOLF’s holding company, 8AM Golf, hosts the event annually.)

When that comes to a close Michel will head back to his home base in Melbourne, Australia, where summer is just beginning and a majority of his design projects are underway. He is a walking reminder that in this sport, it’s plausible to find sunny and 75 degrees every single month. You just have to find the gig that supports annual playing/scouting trips to America and Europe … and hold on tight. Which is why he staved off sleep on his first jet-lagged night in Japan to log a few hours of computer work. 

“It’s funny because when I pull out a laptop and start working, it keeps me awake,” he says. “It’s not the sort of work that’s putting me to sleep. It’s actually getting my brain working and it’s keeping me engaged, and I really do enjoy it … A lot of people can’t say the same thing about the work they do, so I think I’m very lucky in that regard.”

The computer work is one thing, but when Michel tells the story about requesting an early tee time at the Sandbelt Invitational so he could drive three hours to make a site-visit, only to drive back that night and play the next round in the morning, you start to realize what sits atop his priority list: his future, as a high-minded, high performing amateur golfer more focused on making great golf courses for you, me and everyone else who dreams about playing the game like he can.

So I ask the natural question: how does one do it? How can you remain one of the best amateur golfers in the world and sprout the roots of a very busy, very international architecture career?

The answer: you get comfortable being uncomfortable.

“You know, I’ve played a lot more golf with that sensation and actually had some good performances despite it,” Michel says. “And then realized, ‘Wait a minute. Yes, I like to be super over-prepared for things, but you can still play well without that.’ Golf is such a mental thing. Once you can prove to yourself you can it with maybe being a little bit underprepared, I think it gives you more confidence going forward.”

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The post 2024 Black Desert Championship Thursday TV, streaming: How to watch Round 1 appeared first on Golf.

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How to watch Black Desert Championship on Thursday

At last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship, PGA Tour veteran Beau Hossler just missed out on finally winning his first Tour event. After being denied relief on the 72nd hole, Hossler came through in the clutch to make the playoff, before losing in extra holes to Kevin Yu.

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But Hossler will get another crack at his first-career victory at the Black Desert Championship, though he’ll have to contend with the “insane” Black Desert course for the first time.

Hossler will resume his quest for win No. 1 when he tees off for Thursday’s opening round at 10:07 a.m. ET.

You can watch the first round of the 2024 Black Desert Championship on TV via Golf Channel, which will air coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive featured group coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET.

Below you will find everything you need to watch the first round of the Black Desert Championship.

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How to watch Black Desert Championship on TV Thursday

Golf Channel will provide first-round TV coverage of the 2024 Black Desert Championship from 5-8 p.m. ET on Thursday.

How to stream Black Desert Championship online Thursday

You can stream the first round of the 2024 Black Desert Championship on Thursday via ESPN+. ESPN+ will provide featured group coverage beginning at 10 a.m. ET. Fans with an active cable subscription can watch a live simulcast on Golf Channel’s coverage via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App.

2024 Black Desert Championship Round 1 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

9:40 a.m. – Kevin Streelman, S.H. Kim, Scott Gutschewski
9:51 a.m. – Chandler Phillips, Pierceson Coody, Rico Hoey
10:02 a.m. – Kevin Chappell, Roger Sloan, Chan Kim
10:13 a.m. – Lee Hodges, Trey Mullinax, Chad Ramey
10:24 a.m. – Nick Hardy, Cameron Champ, J.B. Holmes
10:35 a.m. – Brice Garnett, K.H. Lee, J.J. Spaun
10:46 a.m. – Austin Cook, Doug Ghim, Callum Tarren
10:57 a.m. – Martin Trainer, Justin Suh, Dylan Wu
11:08 a.m. – Nate Lashley, Andrew Novak, Ryan Fox
11:19 a.m. – Austin Smotherman, Rafael Campos, Chris Korte
11:30 a.m. – Michael Thorbjornsen, Matt McCarty, Peter Kuest
2:30 p.m. – Scott Piercy, Ben Griffin, Brandon Wu
2:41 p.m. – Garrick Higgo, Troy Merritt, Mike Weir
2:52 p.m. – Mark Hubbard, Zac Blair, Patrick Fishburn
3:03 p.m. – Nick Taylor, Lucas Glover, Harris English
3:14 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Peter Malnati, Chris Kirk
3:25 p.m. – Tyler Duncan, Keith Mitchell, Sean O’Hair
3:36 p.m. – Hayden Buckley, David Lipsky, Will Gordon
3:47 p.m. – Sam Ryder, Josh Teater, Tyson Alexander
3:58 p.m. – Trace Crowe, Philip Knowles, Kihei Akina (a)
4:09 p.m. – Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Norman Xiong, Dustin Volk
4:20 p.m. – Nicholas Lindheim, Blaine Hale, Jr., Zac Jones (a)

Tee No. 10

9:45 a.m. – Kevin Tway, Ryo Hisatsune, Jacob Bridgeman
9:56 a.m. – Ryan Moore, Patrick Rodgers, Kelly Kraft
10:07 a.m. – Beau Hossler, Ben Kohles, Mac Meissner
10:18 a.m. – Joel Dahmen, Daniel Berger, Michael Kim
10:29 a.m. – Harry Hall, Stephan Jaeger, Kurt Kitayama
10:40 a.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Nico Echavarria, Seamus Power
10:51 a.m. – Matt NeSmith, Greyson Sigg, Justin Lower
11:02 a.m. – Wesley Bryan, Aaron Baddeley, Henrik Norlander
11:13 a.m. – Lanto Griffin, Joseph Bramlett, Vince Whaley
11:24 a.m. – Erik Barnes, Paul Barjon, Bowen Mauss (a)
11:35 a.m. – Alexander Bjork, Joe Highsmith, John Sand
2:35 p.m. – C.T. Pan, Tim Wilkinson, Hayden Springer
2:46 p.m. – S.Y. Noh, Ben Taylor, Sarni Valimaki
2:57 p.m. – Alex Smalley, Carson Young, David Skinns
3:08 p.m. – Chez Reavie, Ryan Brehm, Kevin Kisner
3:19 p.m. – Camilo Villegas, Luke List, Adam Svensson
3:30 p.m. – Chesson Hadley, Robby Shelton, Matti Schmid
3:41 p.m. – Martin Laird, Bud Cauley, Taylor Montgomery
3:52 p.m. – Cody Gribble, Carl Yuan, Alejandro Tosti
4:03 p.m. – Ryan McCormick, Kevin Dougherty, Max McGreevy
4:14 p.m. – Jay Don Blake, Wilson Furr, David S. Bradshaw
4:25 p.m. – Tom Whitney, Raul Pereda, Chandler Blanchet

The post 2024 Black Desert Championship Thursday TV, streaming: How to watch Round 1 appeared first on Golf.