PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Trey Mullinax has received a six-month suspension for violating the PGA Tour’s anti-doping policy after testing positive for a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
\nMullinax said in a statement provided Wednesday by the PGA Tour he used a medication to treat a condition he was diagnosed with while in college without seeking approval under the policy.
\n\u201cMy lack of knowledge is not an excuse,\u201d Mullinax said. \u201cIt was my responsibility to know the rules before taking any medication and I failed to do so. I want to be absolutely clear: I have never taken any substance with the intention of gaining a competitive advantage. Anyone who knows me knows how much I respect this game and the values it represents.\u201d
\nHe is believed to be the ninth player suspended since the PGA Tour began drug testing in 2008, and the first since Byeong Hun An in October 2023. An used a cough syrup sold over the counter in South Korea that contained a banned substance.
\nThe tour did not provide circumstances of the positive test. Mullinax, who finished 150th in the FedEx Cup last year and had conditional status for 2026, has played only three times in the spring, one a Korn Ferry Tour event. His last appearance was April 27 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
\nHe is eligible to return Jan. 16, a week before the 2027 season begins.
The post Trey Mullinax Suspended For Violating The PGA Tour\u2019s Anti-Doping Policy first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-30T15:33:16+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-30T15:33:16+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/TreyMullinax25.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 hours", "excerpt": "PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Trey Mullinax has received a six-month suspension for violating the PGA Tour’s anti-doping policy after testing positive for a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Mullinax said in a ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/padraig-harrington-named-a-vice-captain-for-europes-2027-ryder-cup-team/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/padraig-harrington-named-a-vice-captain-for-europes-2027-ryder-cup-team/", "title": "Padraig Harrington Named A Vice Captain For Europe\u2019s 2027 Ryder Cup Team", "content_html": "\n
LIMERICK, Ireland (AP) \u2014 Three-time major champion P\u00e1draig Harrington has been named a vice captain for Europe’s team at the 2027 Ryder Cup.
\nThe Irishman joins brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari in Luke Donald’s backroom team. The competition will be played at Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland, from Sept. 13-19 next year.
\nTeam Europe will be seeking a third consecutive Ryder Cup title following wins in 2023 and 2025.
\nHarrington represented Europe six times as a player and was the team captain in 2021.
\n\u201cLuke and I arranged to meet up at The Open and chatted about it, and we felt we could strike up a good team again,\u201d said Harrington. \u201cObviously, he was my vice captain (in 2021), and we have worked together as vice captains in the past. And certainly, I feel I\u2019ve something to give.\u201d
\nHarrington made his Ryder Cup debut in 1999 and helped Europe to victory in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010.
The post Padraig Harrington Named A Vice Captain For Europe\u2019s 2027 Ryder Cup Team first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-30T15:29:14+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-30T15:29:14+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PadriagSeniorBritish25.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 hours", "excerpt": "LIMERICK, Ireland (AP) \u2014 Three-time major champion P\u00e1draig Harrington has been named a vice captain for Europe’s team at the 2027 Ryder Cup. The Irishman joins brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari in Luke Donald’s backroom team. ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/jackson-koivun-is-a-pga-tour-winner-in-three-starts-and-needs-time-to-see-where-he-goes/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/jackson-koivun-is-a-pga-tour-winner-in-three-starts-and-needs-time-to-see-where-he-goes/", "title": "Jackson Koivun Is A PGA Tour Winner In Three Starts And Needs Time To See Where He Goes", "content_html": "\n
For a sport with a reputation for moving slowly, golf always seems to be in a hurry to appoint the next big star.
\nJackson Koivun is next on the list and certainly worth watching.
\nIt’s not just because\u00a0he won a PGA Tour event\u00a0\u2014 which included the No. 1 player in the world \u2014 just two months after leaving college. Remember, it was only two years ago when\u00a0Nick Dunlap won The American Express\u00a0(Scottie Scheffler played that one, too) while he was a sophomore at Alabama.
\nDifferent about Koivun is that he carried the expectations of being the No. 1 amateur in the world. He won six times in college, swept all the awards as the best player,\u00a0led Auburn to another NCAA title\u00a0and last year had three straight top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events without ever looking as though the moment was too big.
\nAnd then in his third start as a pro,\u00a0Koivun shot 61 on Saturday in the 3M Open\u00a0after Scheffler had set the target, and then held off Scheffler and everyone else with a 66 and a three-shot victory.
\nThat he played bogey-free on the weekend \u2014 only three other PGA Tour winners this year have done that \u2014 speaks to his poise. There’s also the three words he writes on his golf glove \u2014 confidence, trust, dominate. That last word he came up with at Auburn \u201cbecause I just want to go see how good I can play.\u201d
\nHe can play.
\nSo where does he go now? For starters, the Rocket Classic\u00a0this week\u00a0in Detroit.
\nKoivun, who earned his card a year ago as the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University accelerated program for underclassmen, moved to No. 70 in the FedEx Cup with his victory at the 3M Open. Two tournaments remain for the top 70 to qualify for the postseason. That would be impressive.
\nBut that’s not enough. There already is chatter about Koivun being an option for Brandt Snedeker to take as a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup in September.
\nThe notion would seem to follow Europe (never a bad idea when it comes to a cup) when Ludvig Aberg of Sweden was No. 1 in the PGA Tour University ranking in 2023. He didn’t win until his ninth start as a pro \u2014 at the European Masters in Switzerland \u2014 but the polish and power were so evident that Luke Donald\u00a0put him on the Ryder Cup team in Italy.
\nThe idea was to take a player expected to be on many teams for many years and give him a taste of team competition early, especially a home game. It worked out well for Aberg, who went 2-2 in Rome, and ended the year matching the PGA Tour scoring record (253) to\u00a0win at Sea Island.
\nThe Presidents Cup is nothing like the Ryder Cup, of course. The greatest value would be getting comfortable in a team environment \u2014 although Koivun did play in the Walker Cup at Cypress Point last September \u2014 and getting phone numbers for group chats with players he still hasn’t met.
\nPicking someone so raw wouldn’t be all that unusual on the American side.
\nJordan Spieth won his first PGA Tour event at age 19 \u2014 he started the year without a card and won in his 15th start as a pro \u2014 and\u00a0he was picked for the 2013 Presidents Cup. Spieth qualified for the postseason and in the second playoff event in Boston shot a 62 on the final day. That led Phil Mickelson to text U.S. captain Fred Couples, \u201cDude, you’ve got to pick this guy.\u201d
\nHe did, and Spieth played on nine of the next 10 U.S. teams. Two years after that pick, Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open, had a chance at all four majors and reached No. 1 in the world.
\nIs that the road awaiting Koivun? He clearly has the game and can handle the stage.
\nEven so, golf is best viewed with a wide lens.
\nThere was another California native once looked upon as golf’s next big thing. Matthew Wolff had enormous power and a knack for big moments, leading Oklahoma State to the NCAA title in 2018 and then crushing the field the next year to win the NCAA individual title, one of six college wins.
\nWolff turned pro and won the 3M Open in his third start in 2019, making eagle on the final hole to beat Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa. Wolff finished No. 70 in the FedEx Cup in just six starts, but he lasted only one playoff event.
\nThe Presidents Cup had four captain’s picks in 2019 (Tiger Woods used one of them on himself for Royal Melbourne) and Wolff was a never a big part of the conversation.
\nOne year later, Wolff had the 54-hole lead in the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and was on the verge of veritable stardom until DeChambeau raced past him to win. Within six months, Wolff was struggling with expectations and mental health issues. And then in 2022, he was off to LIV Golf.
\n\nAberg has taken his lumps along the way \u2014 he has won just once since that blazing start right out of Texas Tech. Morikawa, who won in his sixth start as a pro, had two majors a little more than two years after leaving Cal. Scheffler was part of that age group and took nearly four years to win. And then he didn’t stop winning.
\n\u201cI had a decent college career, but by no means was I a can\u2019t-miss type of prospect,\u201d Scheffler said.
\nKoivun fits that mold. He had a great college career. He already has the hype and he already has a trophy. It will be fascinating to see where he goes, how quickly he gets there, how long he lasts.
\nGive it time.
The post Jackson Koivun Is A PGA Tour Winner In Three Starts And Needs Time To See Where He Goes first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-30T15:27:18+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-30T15:27:18+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JacksonKoivun3Mtrophy26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 hours", "excerpt": "For a sport with a reputation for moving slowly, golf always seems to be in a hurry to appoint the next big star. Jackson Koivun is next on the list and certainly worth watching. It’s not ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/pga-tour-adding-tournaments-to-lucrative-championship-series-tiger-woods-within-reach-on-money-list/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/pga-tour-adding-tournaments-to-lucrative-championship-series-tiger-woods-within-reach-on-money-list/", "title": "PGA Tour Adding Tournaments To Lucrative Championship Series, Tiger Woods Within Reach On Money List", "content_html": "\n
The PGA Tour is starting to fill in the Championship Series portion of its 2028 schedule with a pair of announcements this week, one of them a surprise.
\nSompo, a multinational insurance holding and financial group that is part of Japan-based Sompo Holdings, will be the title sponsor of one of the premier events on the 2028 schedule that will have $20 million purses and the top tier of players.
\nSompo will get started next year at a familiar place \u2014 Silverado Resort in Napa, California, where Scottie Scheffler won the 19th and final edition of a fall event in 2025. But it won’t be staying there when the tour shifts to its \u201cChampionship\u201d and \u201cChallenger\u201d tracks in 2028.
\nThe 2027 tournament will be July 29 to Aug. 1 \u2014 two weeks after the British Open \u2014 and televised by CBS on the weekend. Still to be determined is the name of the tournament and, of greater interest, the new market for 2028 and beyond. That will be announced later.
\nThe PGA Tour is eager to hit larger markets where it doesn’t have a regular presence, such as Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco and New York.
\nJames Shea, the CEO of Bermuda-based Sompo Property & Casualty, said the partnership is a \u201cmajor opportunity for Sompo to further expand our global brand awareness and showcase the strength of our business to customers, partners and communities around the world.\u201d
\nOn Monday, the tour announced the Travelers Championship outside Hartford, Connecticut, would also be part of the Championship Series. That was expected. The Travelers has been one of the highest performing tournaments during the FedEx Cup era that began in 2007 and has offered $20 million prize funds since 2023.
\n\u201cThis has been an extremely successful tournament by every metric,\u201d PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said last month at the Travelers Championship, where he introduced the concept of the Championship and Challenger series. “I think they do a lot of things that we\u2019re looking for in a Championship Series event.\u201d
\nTiger Woods went to the top of the PGA Tour career money list when he was runner-up at Torrey Pines on Feb. 13, 2000, and he has stayed there ever since. His last check for finishing last at the 2024 Masters ($44,400) pushed his career earnings to $120,999,166.
\nBeing passed is inevitable and now is in clear view. It’s just a matter of who tops him first.
\nRory McIlroy, who lost in the quarterfinals of the 2009 Match Play in his PGA Tour debut, is second on the list at $116,446,772. Scottie Scheffler, who cashed his first PGA Tour check in 2018, moved to $116,364,411 with his runner-up finish in the 3M Open.
\nThat leaves both of them just over $4 million away from Woods coming into the lucrative FedEx Cup postseason \u2014 $20 million purses at two playoff events, and the Tour Championship with its $40 million bonus pool that now counts as official money.
\nFormer U.S. Army captain Marcus Plunkett\u00a0reached one goal when he qualified for his first major at the British Open and made the cut. And then his journey just got started.
\nPlunkett raced back from Royal Birkdale to play in U.S. qualifying tournament for the PGA Tour of Australasia. First, he had to stop at a sporting goods store to buy a push cart for the four-round event. He tied for second at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club near Valdosta, Georgia, to earn his card for the 2026-27 season.
\n\u201cI was definitely a little delirious round one, but as the week\u2019s gone on, started to feel a little bit back to normal,\u201d Plunkett said.
\nHe said he has never been to Australia, but all his friends from Down Under have told him the coffee is the best, \u201cso I\u2019ve got to see if they\u2019re pulling my leg or not about that.\u201d
\nPlunkett, who spent five years in the Army after graduating from West Point, already has had a Korn Ferry Tour card and currently plays the Asian Tour.
\n\u201dI have Asian Tour status so I\u2019m trying to figure out the balance of the two moving forward,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I\u2019m really excited to get out to Australia and get on the links out there.\u201d
\nScottie Scheffler had the lowest combined score to par in the majors this year, finishing at 21-under par, but without a major trophy for the first time since 2023.
\nThe world’s No. 1 player was runner-up at the Masters, tied for fourth in the U.S. Open and British Open and tied for 14th in the PGA Championship. What does it all mean? That he’s been playing pretty good golf, much like the rest of a 2026 season that features five runner-up finishes but only one win.
\n\u201cOne of the things that I\u2019ve always kind of prided myself on is the consistency. That\u2019s something that shows that I\u2019m playing some pretty good golf,\u201d Scheffler said last week before the 3M Open. “It just hasn\u2019t been quite good enough to win some tournaments. I still feel like my game\u2019s in a good spot and I\u2019ve played some nice golf.
\n\u201cI haven\u2019t played any great golf yet, but I\u2019ve played some nice golf over the course of the season.\u201d
\nScott Stevens on the PGA Tour Americas in the opening round\u00a0and Michael Kim on the PGA Tour\u00a0in the second round of the 3M Open are the latest to join the growing list of 59 or lower on golf circuits around the world.
\nMost surprising is that it took until July 23 for the first person of 2026 to post a sub-60 round.
\nGolf’s \u201cmagic number\u201d has lost a little bit of magic during the inevitable evolution of scoring. Al Geiberger was the original Mr. 59 in the 1977 Memphis Classic. Since then, there have been 69 sub-60s rounds on 21 recognized tours around the world.
\nThere were eight sub-60 rounds in 2025, and nine sub-60 rounds in 2024.
\nThe last six winners of the Women\u2019s British Open have come from six countries \u2014 Japan, New Zealand, the United States, South Africa, Sweden and Germany. … Michael Roman, the former chairman and CEO of 3M, has been elected to the PGA Tour policy board filling an open seat for independent directors. … Jackson Koivun became the fourth PGA Tour winner this year to play bogey-free on the weekend, joining Matt Fitzpatrick (Valspar), Ricky Castillo (Puerto Rico) and Nico Echavarria (Cognizant Classic). … The R&A has put together double major winners Nelly Korda and Haeran Ryu for the opening two rounds of the Women’s British Open. They will be joined by Lydia Ko.
\n\nThe last six players to shoot 59 on the PGA Tour did not win the tournament.
\n\u201cI don’t really see it as a rivalry at the minute because, no offense, Nelly has got however many majors and I’ve got none.\u201d \u2014 Charley Hull on the potential of a rivalry with Nelly Korda.
The post PGA Tour Adding Tournaments To Lucrative Championship Series, Tiger Woods Within Reach On Money List first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-28T20:10:32+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-28T20:10:32+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ScottieTravelers26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 days", "excerpt": "The PGA Tour is starting to fill in the Championship Series portion of its 2028 schedule with a pair of announcements this week, one of them a surprise. Sompo, a multinational insurance holding and financial group ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/lucas-glover-removes-shoes-at-3m-after-complaints-about-spike-marks-on-the-greens/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/lucas-glover-removes-shoes-at-3m-after-complaints-about-spike-marks-on-the-greens/", "title": "Lucas Glover Removes Shoes At 3M After Complaints About Spike Marks On The Greens", "content_html": "\n
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 When Lucas Glover removed his shoes to retrieve his ball from the hole in the final round of the\u00a03M Open, TV commentators speculated it was in protest of the AimPoint green-reading system used by many PGA Tour players.
\nTurns out, he went shoeless for another reason: to prevent his metal spikes from making marks on the greens following a complaint by a rules official.
\n\u201cAlright, let\u2019s clear this up,\u201d\u00a0Glover posted on Instagram\u00a0Monday. \u201cFor 23 years on the PGA Tour I\u2019ve worn spikes. 23 years ago, most of us did. It hasn\u2019t been that long since we were NOT allowed to tap them down. Yesterday was the first time I\u2019ve ever had a complaint.”
\nGlover’s decision to remove his shoes came after he sank a birdie putt on the 10th Sunday at TPC Twin Cities. Once the ball rolled in, the 2009 U.S. Open champion walked off the green, removed his shoes and carried them to the hole to pull his ball out.
\nGlover walked back off the green and put his shoes back on.
\nFellow golfer Michael Kim posted on social media that several players had complained to rules officials about spike marks on the bent grass greens, thinking it was Glover.
\n\u201cFirst of all, it\u2019s not the officials place,\u201d Glover said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t breaking any rules. Secondly, there were people in the groups in front of me and behind me wearing metal spikes as well. The greens at 3M are bent grass, were soft, and appeared to have been watered a fair amount (because of the forecast I\u2019d imagine). I don\u2019t care what you wear on your feet, metal or soft spikes, in those conditions they are going to get beat up. I did my best around the hole to tap down my damage as I was leaving the area.\u201d
\nGlover repeatedly mentioned that PGA Tour rules now allow players to tamp down spike marks on the greens, including a mention about playing in the Rocket Classic in Detroit this week.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll be wearing metal spikes, and the people playing behind me are still allowed to tap down the marks,\u201d Glover said. \u201cDid I mention that?\u201d
The post Lucas Glover Removes Shoes At 3M After Complaints About Spike Marks On The Greens first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-28T19:48:04+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-28T19:48:04+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/camilovillegasplayersR125.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 days", "excerpt": "MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 When Lucas Glover removed his shoes to retrieve his ball from the hole in the final round of the\u00a03M Open, TV commentators speculated it was in protest of the AimPoint green-reading system used ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/lifestyle/103-year-old-omaha-man-discovers-passion-for-golf-late-in-life-still-chases-birdies-and-beats-pals/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/lifestyle/103-year-old-omaha-man-discovers-passion-for-golf-late-in-life-still-chases-birdies-and-beats-pals/", "title": "103-Year-Old Omaha Man Discovers Passion For Golf Late In Life, Still Chases Birdies And Beats Pals", "content_html": "\n
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) \u2014 Bob Walls was getting set to tee off on the first hole at his home course last week when his partners interrupted his pre-shot routine.
\n\u201cGet back here, man,\u201d James King said.
\n\u201cWe’re playing blues today,\u201d Dawn Dozier added.
\nWalls wasn’t having it.
\n\u201cWhen you\u2019re over 100, you can hit from anywhere you want,” he told them.
\nThen, with a silky smooth swing from the forward white tees, he thwacked the ball down the right side of the fairway just short of the green on the 180-yard hole.
\nNot bad for a 103-year-old. Actually, pretty incredible.
\nA record 6.3 million Americans 65 and older played golf in 2025, the National Golf Foundation reported this month. The NGF does not track the number of centenarians, but there undoubtedly are few, if any, who play as well and as often as Walls.
\nWalls is fit and trim and looks 30 years younger. He has survived a heart attack, has had multiple heart surgeries and overcame a transient ischemic attack (mini stroke). He credited good genes \u2014 both of his parents lived into their late 90s \u2014 for his longevity, along with staying active.
\nThe notion that he’s a freak of nature doesn’t register with him.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t feel 103. I don\u2019t act 103,\u201d he said. “To me it\u2019s no big deal.\u201d
\nBorn in St. Marys, Kansas, in 1923, Walls moved to Omaha in 1947 after he served in World War II. He spent most of his working years owning and operating a janitorial service.
\nHe retired at 74 and, with friends’ encouragement, took up golf. Steve Hogan, who was Nebraska\u2019s first Black PGA professional, taught Walls how to play at what was then Miller Park. The two became close friends, and Walls honors Hogan’s memory by volunteering seven days a week at the course, which was renamed Steve Hogan Golf Course after his death in 2008.
\nWalls spends five or six hours riding around in his open-top cart with a bucket of seed-and-sand mix on the passenger side. He fills divots and repairs ball marks, picks up trash and fishes other golfers\u2019 errant shots out of the lagoon with his ball retriever.
\nAlways strapped on the back of the cart is his golf bag, because he never knows when the mood will strike to stop and play a hole or maybe work on his game.
\nOutside the clubhouse are a couple of training devices Walls made to help young players get a feel for the golf swing arc. He has worked with kids in the First Tee program and gives lessons to adults for $50 per hour. The course holds an annual tournament, the Bob Walls Invitational, to raise money for equipment for neighborhood kids.
\nWhen he gets home from the course each day, he often gets on his iPad and watches hours of training videos.
\n\u201cWhen I visited him for his 101st birthday, I wasn\u2019t even in the door and the first thing he said to me was that he was breaking down his whole game, changing this, changing that,\u201d Dozier said. \u201cHe\u2019s always working on his game.\u201d
\nWalls has still got plenty of game. He regularly shoots in the low 30s on the par-3 Hogan course. In fact, the other day he shot 31 to win a match against course manager Mike Rice.
\n\u201cThe first time I beat him \u2014 and I haven\u2019t beaten him very often \u2014 I had to have a hole-in-one to do it,\u201d Rice said. \u201cWho\u2019d ever thought a 103-year-old gentleman could knock a ball 180 yards consistently every day and have enough energy and strength to do it?\u201d
\nWalls spends the fall and winter in Phoenix and is on a course or practice range every day there, too.
\n\n\u201cGolf is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning,\u201d he said.
\nHe fusses over his stance, swing plane and the direction his shoulders are pointing at his finish. Recently, he’s been working on getting more consistent with his lob wedge so he doesn’t have to rely so much on his sand wedge.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s going to hit right down the middle and the next shot is going to be on the green,\u201d King said. \u201cHe’s not going to do anything to hurt himself. Sweet and easy. That\u2019s what I love about his game. And he practices, too. Every day he hits a few balls, and I know he does because I’m down here most every day. I love playing with him. I think he\u2019s one of kind.\u201d
The post 103-Year-Old Omaha Man Discovers Passion For Golf Late In Life, Still Chases Birdies And Beats Pals first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-27T19:50:12+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-27T19:50:12+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/BobWalls.jpg", "category": { "name": "Lifestyle", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/lifestyle" }, "time_ago": "3 days", "excerpt": "OMAHA, Neb. (AP) \u2014 Bob Walls was getting set to tee off on the first hole at his home course last week when his partners interrupted his pre-shot routine. \u201cGet back here, man,\u201d James King said. ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/instruction/achieve-your-longest-drives-with-loading/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/instruction/achieve-your-longest-drives-with-loading/", "title": "Achieve Your Longest Drives With Loading", "content_html": "\n
Master the art of ‘loading’ for raw power off the tee. This video combines pivot and ground reaction forces to help you find your maximum potential distance without swinging harder or losing control.
The post Achieve Your Longest Drives With Loading first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-27T19:39:01+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-27T19:39:14+00:00", "author": { "name": "Joe Hallett" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Achieve-Your-Longest-Drives-with-Loading.jpg", "category": { "name": "Instruction", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/instruction" }, "time_ago": "3 days", "excerpt": "Master the art of ‘loading’ for raw power off the tee. This video combines pivot and ground reaction forces to help you find your maximum potential distance without swinging harder or losing control." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/jackson-koivun-wins-3m-open-in-3rd-pro-start-holding-off-scottie-scheffler/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/jackson-koivun-wins-3m-open-in-3rd-pro-start-holding-off-scottie-scheffler/", "title": "Jackson Koivun Wins 3M Open In 3rd Pro Start, Holding Off Scottie Scheffler", "content_html": "\n
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) \u2014 Jackson Koivun felt the nerves but never flinched, securing his first\u00a0PGA Tour\u00a0win in the face of a strong finish by the world’s top-ranked player and\u00a0clear fan favorite\u00a0in Scottie Scheffler.
\nKoivun won the 3M Open by three strokes Sunday in only his third start as a professional, holding off Scheffler with a closing 5-under 66 for a tournament-record 25-under 259 total.
\n\u201cAll throughout the crowd I kept hearing, \u2018Scottie\u2019s coming. Scottie\u2019s coming,\u2019\u201d the 21-year-old Koivun said. \u201cI just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could.\u201d
\nScheffler, who played five groups ahead of Koivun, surged into contention with a 63 but settled for his fourth runner-up finish this season. His lone win this year was in his first start at The American Express in California.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of really, really good young talent in the game today,\u201d Scheffler said. \u201cWhen you see the guys come out of college, they\u2019re really, really prepared, even more prepared than we were coming out.\u201d
\nHideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Chandler Phillips and Denny McCarthy tied for third at 20 under.
\nKoivun played a safe and steady game on a 97-degree afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities, going bogey-free for the second straight day after a 61\u00a0in the third round\u00a0gave him a three-shot cushion after 54 holes. His par-saving putt on the 9th green after his approach landed in the sand gave him an energy boost for the back nine.
\n\u201cMight be the biggest putt I made all week,\u201d Koivun said. \u201cScoreboard was right there, and I saw exactly how I stood. If I missed that, then I only had a two-shot lead \u2014 where last time I checked I had a five-shot lead. So making that was huge for my momentum.\u201d
\nLee Hodges held the previous 3M Open record, finishing at 24-under 260 in 2023.
\nKoivun, who became the fourth rookie winner this season, missed the cut at the John Deere Classic in Illinois and tied for 10th at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky earlier this month. He made 10 starts\u00a0as an amateur\u00a0on tour events.
\nEarning $1,584,000 for his win in Minnesota, Koivun also jumped 124 spots in the FedEx Cup standings into 70th, the last place above the cut for the playoffs with two regular season events remaining on the schedule.
\n\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve gotten a lot better over the past couple years of being able to beat guys with my mentality,\u201d said Koivun, who broke the NCAA career record for per-round stroke average (68.89) and helped lead Auburn to the national championship last month. \u201cSometimes I watch guys hit on the range and I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m the most talented out there, but if I can go out there and believe and use my brain to my advantage, then that\u2019s definitely kind of like a superpower.\u201d
\nScheffler, who began the final round six shots back, needed a collapse by Koivun to catch up. That never came.
\nScheffler played a nearly flawless game, save for a 5-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole that lipped in and out. As he was conducting his post-match interview, Koivun birdied the 16th to go 25 under.
\n\n\u201cAnytime you\u2019re trying to win for the first time, it\u2019s awfully difficult, especially for a young guy coming out of college,\u201d Scheffler said. \u201cI think that shows not only how talented of a player he is, but the mental strength he has as well.\u201d
\nKoivun, who grew up in San Jose, California, before moving to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at age 17, got his start in the game on a public nine-hole course. After hugging his father, George, on the course, he got on a FaceTime call with his mother, Meghan, who was unable to attend the tournament.
\n\u201cShe was crying,\u201d Koivu said. \u201cI was trying to make out a little bit of what she said, but she kept saying how proud she was. Those two are just my rocks.\u201d
The post Jackson Koivun Wins 3M Open In 3rd Pro Start, Holding Off Scottie Scheffler first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-26T22:57:15+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-27T20:23:28+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JacksonKoivun3M26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "4 days", "excerpt": "BLAINE, Minn. (AP) \u2014 Jackson Koivun felt the nerves but never flinched, securing his first\u00a0PGA Tour\u00a0win in the face of a strong finish by the world’s top-ranked player and\u00a0clear fan favorite\u00a0in Scottie Scheffler. Koivun won the ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/american-jerry-kelly-holds-his-nerve-on-the-18th-to-win-the-senior-british-open/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/american-jerry-kelly-holds-his-nerve-on-the-18th-to-win-the-senior-british-open/", "title": "American Jerry Kelly Holds His Nerve On The 18th To Win The Senior British Open", "content_html": "\n
GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) \u2014 Jerry Kelly rose to the challenge on the final hole to win the Senior British Open by two shots Sunday for his third senior major title.
\nThe 59-year-old American, who also won the\u00a0Senior Players in 2020 and 2022, shot a 2-under 68 with four birdies and two bogeys on the Kings course at Gleneagles to finish at 10-under 270.
\n\u201cThe senior Claret Jug is the trophy that I\u2019ve wanted as an over-50 golfer other than any other,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cTo do it in Scotland at the home of golf and to actually win and get into the home of golf at St Andrews, I mean, I\u2019m absolutely speechless.\u201d
\nWith his victory, Kelly earned a spot in St. Andrews next year for the 155th British Open.
\nThe Madison, Wisconsin, player has 14 PGA Tour Champions victories.
\nWith his ball in a greenside bunker at the par-5 18th, Kelly only needed two more shots for birdie and avoided any potential playoff.
\n\u201cI learned a lot about myself today, and I wish I would have learned it about 20, 30 years ago,” Kelly said. \u201cYou\u2019re never too old to learn, and that\u2019s what really pulled me through.\u201d
\nAustralia’s Cameron Percy (70), South Africa’s Darren Fichardt (66) and American Matt Gogel (63) finished in a three-way tie for second.
\nGogel rose 12 places with his 7-under 63, bettered only by Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher in fifth with an 8-under 62, which included nine birdies.
\n\u201cThank you guys,\u201d Kelly called out to fans at the 18th while raising his putter and calling them “fantastic.\u201d
The post American Jerry Kelly Holds His Nerve On The 18th To Win The Senior British Open first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-26T21:55:13+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-27T20:24:06+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/JerryKelly23.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "4 days", "excerpt": "GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) \u2014 Jerry Kelly rose to the challenge on the final hole to win the Senior British Open by two shots Sunday for his third senior major title. The 59-year-old American, who also won ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/jenny-shin-claims-her-first-lpga-win-in-over-a-decade-at-womens-scottish-open/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/jenny-shin-claims-her-first-lpga-win-in-over-a-decade-at-womens-scottish-open/", "title": "Jenny Shin Claims Her First LPGA Win In Over A Decade At Women\u2019s Scottish Open", "content_html": "\n
TROON, Scotland (AP) \u2014 South Korean golfer Jenny Shin secured a two-shot victory at the Women\u2019s Scottish Open on Sunday to end a wait of more than 10 years for her second LPGA win.
\nThe 33-year-old Shin, who won the Texas Shootout in May 2016, carded a 3-over 75 on the Dundonald Links to finish at 9 under.
\n\u201cMy first one didn\u2019t really feel like a win at the time,\u201d Shin said. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel like I deserved it. It felt very accidental. But this one definitely feels a lot different. This one feels like I earned it. I worked hard for it.\u201d
\nShin was in tears after the final putt dropped on the 18th and was doused with water and champagne by a group of friends.
\nLeading since the first round, Shin could afford three straight bogies on Nos. 6-8 after starting the final round with a five-shot lead over Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn (74). Shin also bogeyed two of the last three holes but had made two birdies earlier.
\n\u201cI wasn\u2019t as nervous as yesterday,\u201d Shin said. “I feel like I\u2019ve done everything right but just wasn\u2019t hitting it like I was the last three days and just hitting it into bunkers and bushes and that wasn\u2019t fun.
\n\u201cWith three bogies in a row, I thought, \u2018oh boy, I don\u2019t know where this is going to go\u2019. But yeah, I hung in there, so I\u2019m quite proud of myself and very happy.\u201d
\nShin is now thinking about the next challenge.
\n“I\u2019m going to do everything I can to win again,” Shin said. \u201cI can\u2019t believe it happened this week.\u201d
\nA Lim Kim finished second after a 4-under 68, with four straight birdies helping her leapfrog two shots ahead of Anannarukarn, who dropped to third.
\nThe Women\u2019s Scottish Open comes between the final two majors \u2014\u00a0the Evian Championship\u00a0and the Women\u2019s British Open starting Thursday at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
The post Jenny Shin Claims Her First LPGA Win In Over A Decade At Women\u2019s Scottish Open first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-26T18:00:39+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-27T20:23:41+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JennyShinScottish26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "4 days", "excerpt": "TROON, Scotland (AP) \u2014 South Korean golfer Jenny Shin secured a two-shot victory at the Women\u2019s Scottish Open on Sunday to end a wait of more than 10 years for her second LPGA win. The 33-year-old ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/kohles-shoots-62-to-take-the-1st-round-lead-in-the-3m-open-scheffler-3-shots-back/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/kohles-shoots-62-to-take-the-1st-round-lead-in-the-3m-open-scheffler-3-shots-back/", "title": "Kohles Shoots 62 To Take The 1st-Round Lead In The 3M Open. Scheffler 3 Shots Back", "content_html": "\n
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) \u2014 Ben Kohles eagled the final hole for a 9-under 62 and a two-shot lead Thursday after the first round of the 3M Open, leaving top-ranked Scottie Scheffler three shots back.
\nEmiliano Grillo, Jackson Koivun and Gary Woodland opened with 64s, and Scheffler topped the group at 65 in his first appearance in the event.
\nComing off a fourth-place finish Sunday in the British Open, Scheffler was 1 under through eight holes, then birdied five of the next eight.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t hit a bunch of fairways early, but I was able to kind of manage my way around and get out of some trouble areas without making any bogeys. That was important keeping my momentum going,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce I started to hit fairways and gave myself some looks, was able to start making some birdies.\u201d
\nKohles\u2019 second shot from 241 yards out on the par-5 finishing hole settled 4 feet from the cup. The short putt capped a career-best round for the 36-year-old who has split the season between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours.
\nIn a nine-hole stretch beginning on No. 6, he birdied every other hole and added another birdie at No. 15 to tie for the lead at 7 under.
\n\u201cI was just in control all day,\u201d he said.
\nThree weeks ago, Kohles nearly got his first career win, but a\u00a0double bogey on the final hole\u00a0resulted in a third-place finish at the John Deere Classic.
\n\u201cOf course you would like the outcome to be different, but you\u2019ve just got to keep putting the pedal down and see where you go,\u201d he said.
\nKoivun birdied four holes on the front nine and three on the back during a bogey-free round at the TPC Twin Cities where scores are traditionally low. In the tournament\u2019s seven previous years, the average winning score was 19 under.
\n\u201cPlaying smart, playing for a score. Just executing when the time is right and getting aggressive when you can,\u201d he said. \u201cJust felt like I did a good job of taking advantage of that today.\u201d
\n\nIn his 13th tour start, but just third as a professional, 64 is the lowest score in Koivun\u2019s 43 career rounds. The 21-year-old turned professional in June after dominating at Auburn, including a school-record 11 wins.
\nGrillo made birdie on five of his first seven holes and added three straight birdies starting at No. 12. However, he played the final three holes in 1-over.
\n\u201cAny day beating Scottie Scheffler is a good day, so I\u2019ll take that,\u201d he said.
\nDefending champion Kurt Kitayama shot 68.
The post Kohles Shoots 62 To Take The 1st-Round Lead In The 3M Open. Scheffler 3 Shots Back first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-24T00:10:14+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-24T00:10:14+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/BenKohles3M26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "7 days", "excerpt": "BLAINE, Minn. (AP) \u2014 Ben Kohles eagled the final hole for a 9-under 62 and a two-shot lead Thursday after the first round of the 3M Open, leaving top-ranked Scottie Scheffler three shots back. Emiliano Grillo, ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/charlie-woods-fails-to-advance-to-u-s-junior-amateur-match-play-after-being-bothered-by-camera/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/charlie-woods-fails-to-advance-to-u-s-junior-amateur-match-play-after-being-bothered-by-camera/", "title": "Charlie Woods Fails To Advance To U.S. Junior Amateur Match Play After Being Bothered By Camera", "content_html": "\n
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) \u2014 Charlie Woods failed to reach match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur after falling short in a 14-player playoff for two spots.
\nThe son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods was tied for 63rd on Tuesday after shooting rounds of 76 and 70 over two courses at Saucon Valley for a 5-over total. He was eliminated with a bogey Wednesday after being bothered by the clicking sound of a phone camera during his third shot of the first playoff hole, a distraction that would not likely come into play for other juniors.
\nWoods hit his second shot on the par-5 first hole into the rough near the green, but flubbed his third shot when he heard the camera during his swing.
\n\u201cReally, dude?\u201d an irritated Woods said after the shot. \u201cI mean, come on.\u201d
\nMiles Russell, Woods\u2019 future teammate at Florida State, was the stroke play co-medalist at 6-under 135.
\nWoods needed a birdie to join three others in advancing past the first playoff hole. Eli Wessel and Hudson Kutchma ultimately advanced with pars on the second playoff hole, the par-3 fifth.
The post Charlie Woods Fails To Advance To U.S. Junior Amateur Match Play After Being Bothered By Camera first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-23T18:37:55+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-23T18:37:55+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CharlieWoodsUSJr24.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "7 days", "excerpt": "BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) \u2014 Charlie Woods failed to reach match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur after falling short in a 14-player playoff for two spots. The son of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods was tied ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/lpga-unveils-the-nanea-cup-in-hawaii-a-4-million-event-that-mixes-pro-players-with-collegians/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/lpga-unveils-the-nanea-cup-in-hawaii-a-4-million-event-that-mixes-pro-players-with-collegians/", "title": "LPGA Unveils The Nanea Cup In Hawaii, A $4 Million Event That Mixes Pro Players With Collegians", "content_html": "\n
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) \u2014 The LPGA on Tuesday unveiled the inaugural Nanea Cup, an event being held in Hawaii next March that includes a mix of pro golfers and collegians as a way to showcase the present and future of\u00a0women\u2019s golf.
\nThe event, which will be held March 11-14 at the Nanea Golf Club in Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island, features a $4 million purse. The field will include 95 LPGA Tour players along with 25 of the nation\u2019s top college golfers representing five universities: Stanford, Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M and UCLA.
\n\u201cAs we continue to focus on routing, courses and purses, this event checks every box,\u201d LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler said in a statement. \u201cNanea is a spectacular venue, our athletes will compete for a strong purse, and fans will get their first look at one of the most celebrated golf courses in the world.\u201d
\nAll competitors will play Thursday and Friday before the field is cut to the low 50 players and ties. College players who don\u2019t make the cut will still play Saturday to help determine team champions.
\nThe Golf Channel will broadcast stories on college athletes and coaches to give a glimpse of the next generation of players.
\n\u201cNew, dynamic ideas are critical, and we look forward to putting our deep experience and relationships with today\u2019s college golfers and coaches to work to help the LPGA build this innovative new event,\u201d Golf Channel\u2019s executive vice president and general manager Tom Knapp said.
\nThis marks the first professional event held at Nanea Golf Club, which opened in 2003. It\u2019s a links course designed by David McLay Kidd that\u2019s set among native grasses and volcanic rock.
\nThe venue stages the annual Nanea Invitational, which is hosted by Stanford women\u2019s golf coach Anne Walker.
The post LPGA Unveils The Nanea Cup In Hawaii, A $4 Million Event That Mixes Pro Players With Collegians first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-21T21:26:52+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-21T21:26:52+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/NellyKordaPGAR126.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "1 week", "excerpt": "DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) \u2014 The LPGA on Tuesday unveiled the inaugural Nanea Cup, an event being held in Hawaii next March that includes a mix of pro golfers and collegians as a way to showcase ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/ryan-fox-is-the-british-open-champion-and-the-model-for-playing-faster/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/ryan-fox-is-the-british-open-champion-and-the-model-for-playing-faster/", "title": "Ryan Fox Is The British Open Champion And The Model For Playing Faster", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 More than a\u00a0British Open champion, Ryan Fox has become the new face of playing quickly in a sport that could use a good example.
\nPerhaps the best illustration came during the most important moment of his life. He had a 12-foot birdie putt to\u00a0win his first major, pressure as great as can be found in golf. The 39-year-old Fox took all of 22 seconds to send it on its way.
\nHe chose his words carefully Sunday evening to make sure he didn’t offend.
\n\u201cI need to make sure this comes across right,\u201d Fox said. \u201cIt\u2019s not that difficult to pick a shot and pick a club. I get in there, and it all happens quick. It’s always going to be between one or two clubs into a green, and I just see the shot quickly, pick a shot quickly, and the less time I have to think about it, the less bad stuff can creep in there.\u201d
\nIt was all good Sunday \u2014 the perfect drive, the perfect 9-iron, the perfect putt.
\nFox joins a short list of players renowned for getting on with it during the big money era \u2014 Joe Ogilvie and Bill Haas, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, Lucas Glover and Matt Jones.
\nFox was asked if anyone was quicker than him, and he mentioned Renato Paratore of Italy.
\n\u201cHe used to hit while his name was getting announced on the first tee,\u201d Fox said.
\nHe also shared a story involving Scottie Scheffler, who did not make the list. He said they played in a threesome during the WM Phoenix Open.
\n\u201cI can’t work out if this was a burn or a compliment,\u201d Fox said, \u201cWe walk off the ninth tee and he goes: \u2018Foxy, it doesn\u2019t even feel like you’re in the group. It just feels like we’re playing in a two-ball, you hit so fast.’
\n\u201cIt’s just always how I’ve played,\u201d Fox said. \u201cI’m kind of glad I kept that routine down the stretch.\u201d
\nNotah Begay III has been chosen to receive the Payne Stewart Award, an honor that dates to 2000 and has become one of the highest awards for a PGA Tour member. It honors character, sportsmanship and charity commitments.
\nAlong with his four PGA Tour victories and being the only full-blooded Native American on the tour, Bay founded the NB3 Foundation, which emphasizes health and wellness challenges facing Native American youth and their communities.
\n\u201cNotah Begay III has always used his platform to make a meaningful and lasting impact, particularly within his Native American communities, and that ongoing work no doubt reflects the values of character, compassion and leadership that define the Payne Stewart Award,\u201d PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said.
\nBegay will be honored on Aug. 25 in Atlanta during the Tour Championship. The award was created after the death of Payne Stewart in a plane crash in October 1999, the year he won the U.S. Open.
\n\u201cPayne Stewart represented the very best of our game, not only in how he competed, but in how he lived his life and gave back to others,\u201d Begay said. \u201cTo be associated with his legacy is truly special. Golf has given me a platform to serve, and I\u2019ve always believed it\u2019s our responsibility to use that platform to uplift others, especially the next generation.\u201d
\nThe\u00a03M Open this week in Minnesota\u00a0starts a three-week stretch to determine the top 70 who reach the lucrative PGA Tour postseason.
\nAmong those on the outside of the top 70 are Keegan Bradley at No. 72, and Brooks Koepka, who\u00a0returned from LIV Golf\u00a0but is at No. 82 in the standings. One spot behind him is Tony Finau.
\nPGA champion Aaron Rai, meanwhile, missed the\u00a0cut at the British Open\u00a0and is the only major champion to be outside the top 30. Rai is at No. 33.
\nSouth African golfers are used to traveling, and Casey Jarvis has quite the itinerary going.
\nJarvis, who won back-to-back weeks on the European tour in February and March, began his journey at the Italian Open. He went to the BMW International Open in Germany the following week, then to the Scottish Open and the British Open at Birkdale.
\nAnd now it’s off to Minnesota. Jarvis closed with a 66 on Sunday to tie for sixth, and the top-10 finish got him into the 3M Open at the TPC Twin Cities. His top 10 also gets him into the British Open next year at St. Andrews.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t expect to be in this position competing against the best players in the world,\u201d Jarvis said. \u201cI didn’t see myself coming top 10 in The Open. The last seven months have been a little bit of a blur.\u201d
\nXander Schauffele extended his streak of 19 consecutive cuts made in the majors, one ahead of Scottie Scheffler. They were among 14 players who made the cut in all four majors this year.
\nSchauffele hasn’t missed a cut since the 2022 Masters, while Scheffler last missed at the PGA Championship a month later in 2022.
\nCorey Conners is the only other player to have made all four major cuts in each of the last three years, his last weekend off at a major coming at the 2023 U.S. Open.
\nThe other players to make every cut in a major this year: Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Sam Burns, Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama, Ludvig Aberg, Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, Michael Brennan, Justin Thomas and Kurt Kitayama.
\nThe flip side was Harry Hall, the only player to miss the cut in all four majors.
\nAlong with being a good bloke, Ryan Fox is an engraver\u2019s dream. The seven letters in his name for the base of the claret jug were the fewest since Ted Ray won the British Open in 1912. … Adam Scott’s consecutive major streak reached 101 in a row at the British Open, and he’s in the Masters for life, so it will go to No. 102 in April. Scott also is assured of being back at the British Open next year. He tied for ninth at Royal Birkdale with a 66 in the final round. … Fox (No. 56) is the first player outside the top 50 to win the British Open since Darren Clarke was at No. 111 when he won in 2011 at Royal St. George’s. … Ryan Fox moved to No. 2 in the Presidents Cup standings for the International team and would figure to be a lock for the matches at Medinah in September.
\n\nCameron Young was No. 4 in the world when he won the Cadillac Championship at Doral on May 3. He is the last player to win on the PGA Tour while being ranked in the top 10.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s going to ruin a lot of guys\u2019 Monday mornings.” \u2014 Ryan Fox, on what impact his British Open title would have in his\u00a0native New Zealand.
The post Ryan Fox Is The British Open Champion And The Model For Playing Faster first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-21T21:23:13+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-21T21:23:13+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/RyanFoxOpenPutt26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "1 week", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 More than a\u00a0British Open champion, Ryan Fox has become the new face of playing quickly in a sport that could use a good example. Perhaps the best illustration came during the most ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/ryan-fox-and-supporting-cast-keep-this-british-open-from-being-remembered-for-the-wrong-reasons/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/ryan-fox-and-supporting-cast-keep-this-british-open-from-being-remembered-for-the-wrong-reasons/", "title": "Ryan Fox And Supporting Cast Keep This British Open From Being Remembered For The Wrong Reasons", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Ryan Fox doesn’t have a YouTube channel, only the best content:\u00a0a silver claret jug.
\nThe British Open was on the verge of being remembered for all the wrong reasons \u2014\u00a0most of them involving Bryson DeChambeau\u00a0\u2014 until Fox took his place in history. More than just winning his first major, it was how he did it.
\nThere have been birdies on the 72nd hole with the final shot of the major to win by one, most recently by\u00a0Xander Schauffele in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla. But the 9-iron Fox hit from 175 yards on the toughest hole at Royal Birkdale ranks up there with\u00a0Sandy Lyle’s fairway bunker shot\u00a0on the 18th at Augusta National to win the 1988 Masters.
\n\u201cThat’s one of the shots you dream of hitting,\u201d Fox said after his\u00a0one-shot victory over Cameron Young. \u201cTo execute like that under pressure, yeah, very proud of myself to do that.\u201d
\nAdding to the drama was Young,\u00a0once known as the talented American who endured nearly four years of close calls\u00a0before getting his first PGA Tour victory (and then some). Now he can start adding the heartache in majors.
\nHe had finished his Sunday-best 64 more than two hours earlier, when the leaders were on the front nine, and before long the leader was Young. Justin Thomas also had to wait what felt like an eternity when he closed with a 65 at the PGA Championship, but he never reached the top of the board.
\nThe\u00a0image of Young\u00a0was hard to watch. He was on the range \u2014 waiting, waiting \u2014 until hearing that explosive cheer for Fox. He lifted his driver over his shoulder with his head down and tapped it a few times on the ground \u2014 not as hard as Robert MacIntyre and Jon Rahm, who both were issued code-of conduct warnings \u2014 and then Young packed up and left.
\nIt was reminiscent of Ernie Els on the putting green at the 2004 Masters when he heard the sudden burst of cheers for Phil Mickelson making an 18-foot birdie for his first major championship.
\nYoung did not take questions from the media when it was over. He should have. It’s part of the deal for any athlete who performs before thousands on the ground and millions on television. And it’s part of archives for the championship’s rich history.
\nSam Burns was a big part of this British Open, too, as the player who had no intention of coming over until his wife gave birth to their second child 11 days earlier than expected \u2014 her due date was the Tuesday of the Open \u2014 and then encouraged her husband to fly across six time zones and play.
\nBurns was runner-up at the U.S. Open after he narrowly missed a 17-foot birdie putt on the last hole to potentially force a playoff. And then he was poised to win the major he wasn’t supposed to play. An early birdie gave him a two-shot lead. Three straight bogeys cost him the lead. Twelve straight pars to finish left him with nothing to do but applaud Fox after the winning putt, a classy gesture.
\nEqually classy was Fox, the\u00a039-year-old from New Zealand, who upon making the biggest putt of his life didn’t race over to anyone until he shared a moment with Burns. That’s rare with so much immediate emotion involved in winning a major.
\nCapturing all the warmth at Royal Birkdale from his opening tee shot Thursday to his birdie on the final hole Sunday was\u00a0Tommy Fleetwood, playing a major in his hometown. No cheer was louder than when he holed a 65-foot putt for birdie to start Sunday. He got within one shot of the lead playing the ninth hole, only to miss two fairways and one green, all of them bogeys.
\n\u201cI don’t get that emotional, but yeah, that was like … that was heavy stuff,\u201d Fleetwood said. \u201cI do know how incredibly lucky I am to have experienced that.\u201d
\nAll of those great moments came on Sunday, along with\u00a0defending champion Scottie Scheffler getting two bad bounces and then one amazing break\u00a0with a nothing-to-lose shot on the 17th hole that was lost because it didn’t have to be found when it was seen going into an area marked as a massive temporary immovable obstruction.
\n\nDeChambeau lost a ball on the 11th hole and made triple bogey. He didn’t make a birdie until the 13th hole. He shot 72 and no one was talking about him. There was too much good stuff going on.
\nHis big moment came Friday, when he was penalized for improving the path of his swing on the fifth hole, which cost him two shots and a spot in the final group to start the weekend.
\nHe asked the R&A to take him to the scene, which made for great television (and content). The next day, he demanded (and was denied) possession of the Friday scorecard. It would have made for great content. DeChambeau stating his case in an interview? Content for another day, perhaps next April at Augusta National, the last place he spoke to media that wasn’t of his choosing.
\nThe Masters is a little more than eight months away.
The post Ryan Fox And Supporting Cast Keep This British Open From Being Remembered For The Wrong Reasons first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-21T21:06:58+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-21T21:06:58+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/RyanFoxOpen26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "1 week", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Ryan Fox doesn’t have a YouTube channel, only the best content:\u00a0a silver claret jug. The British Open was on the verge of being remembered for all the wrong reasons \u2014\u00a0most of them ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/liv-golf-suffers-setback-with-asian-tour-joining-new-alliance-with-european-and-pga-tours/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/liv-golf-suffers-setback-with-asian-tour-joining-new-alliance-with-european-and-pga-tours/", "title": "LIV Golf Suffers Setback With Asian Tour Joining New Alliance With European And PGA Tours", "content_html": "\n
LIV Golf suffered a potential setback Tuesday when the PGA Tour, European tour and Asian Tour announced a strategic alliance aimed at global collaboration that is likely to affect the partnership the Asian Tour had with LIV.
\nIn an alliance that takes immediate effect through 2029, the PGA Tour and European tour will partner with the Asian Tour to help provide commercial and playing opportunities and establish a path for Asian Tour members to join European circuits.
\nThe PGA Tour and DP World Tour — as it is known commercially — have a separate alliance that has yet to be renewed, which\u00a0includes 10 top European tour players earning PGA Tour cards. Officials from both tours met at the British Open. The alliance with the Asian Tour, along with the PGA Tour’s involvement with the Australian Open, is seen as progress on a new deal.
\nThe announcement was a blow to LIV Golf, which has had a relationship with the Asian Tour since before the rival league launched in 2022.
\nLIV invested $300 million in the Asian Tour to create the \u201cInternational Series\u201d\u00a0with purses of up to $2 million. They have been won by LIV players such as Peter Uihlein, Carlos Ortiz and David Puig.
\nThe Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the financial muscle behind LIV Golf, has said it will no longer fund the league after this season. Scott O\u2019Neil, the CEO of LIV Golf, has been trying to find investors to keep the league alive for 2027 and beyond.
\nThe European tour had an alliance with the Asian Tour from 2016 until 2021. It stopped co-sanctioning Asian Tour events in 2022.
\nNow that\u2019s back in play under the alliance that is expected to have at least two co-sanctioned Asian Tour events each of the next three years. Other details, such as Asian Tour players having access to European and Challenge Tour events, are still being worked out.
\n\u201cWe feel the time is now right to collaborate with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour to enhance the Asian Tour for our members, fans and partners,\u201d said Cho Minn Thant, commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour. \u201cBringing the three tours together under one partnership will increase the bandwidth of the professional game in Asia.
\n\u201cNot only will co-sanctioning events see our members competing regularly on the global stage, but we are excited to welcome players from the other Tours to our pinnacle events.\u201d
\nThe announcement comes one day after reports that Canadian-based Mobii Systems Group has sued LIV Golf in U.S. District Court in Miami, alleging LIV has not paid $925,100 in fees to the company that supplies the league\u2019s \u201cAny Shot, Any Time\u201d technology during the LIV broadcasts.
\nMobii Systems also claims $209,531 in lost revenue for the remaining six events in 2026.
\nESPN reported that Nick Connor, LIV Golf\u2019s senior vice president of technology, wrote in a May 25 email to Mobii Systems that LIV would no longer use the technology after the South Korea event that ended May 31 or the remaining events on the schedule as it evaluates its business model.
\n\nThe PGA Tour recently announced a commercial partnership with the European tour involving the Australian Open as golf makes a push to recognize more national opens. The Masters this year added to its invitation criteria the winners of six national opens.
\nChristian Hardy, the senior vice president of international for the PGA Tour, said the three-tour alliance was an example of collaboration by tours \u201cwith a shared vision for the future of professional golf.\u201d
\n\u201cThrough our strategic alliance with the DP World Tour, we have worked to build a more connected global golf ecosystem, and we are excited to welcome the Asian Tour into that effort,\u201d Hardy said. \u201cTogether, we are creating new opportunities for players, enhancing key national opens around the world and continuing to evolve and strengthen pathways to identify and develop the next generation of elite talent.\u201d
The post LIV Golf Suffers Setback With Asian Tour Joining New Alliance With European And PGA Tours first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-21T20:56:10+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-22T11:22:32+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/DavidPuigOpen26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "1 week", "excerpt": "LIV Golf suffered a potential setback Tuesday when the PGA Tour, European tour and Asian Tour announced a strategic alliance aimed at global collaboration that is likely to affect the partnership the Asian Tour had with ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/ryan-fox-and-his-long-and-amazing-road-to-british-open-champion/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/ryan-fox-and-his-long-and-amazing-road-to-british-open-champion/", "title": "Ryan Fox And His Long And Amazing Road To British Open Champion", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Ryan Fox is the British Open champion, and it’s going to take time for that to sink in no matter how many times he watches the replay of a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole, or how many times he stares at his name on the base of the silver claret jug.
\n\u201cI don’t know if it\u2019s something I\u2019ve dreamed of. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s something I ever thought was possible,\u201d Fox said after his one-shot victory Sunday. “But we’re here now.\u201d
\nIt’s how he got there that sets him apart from so many other names on golf’s oldest trophy.
\nNever mind the son of All Blacks rugby great Grant Fox didn’t play golf competitively until he was 17, or that all he ever wanted was to have a card on any tour. Fox had never finished better than a tie for 16th in 28 majors before arriving at Royal Birkdale.
\nAnd to think Fox nearly quit before he even got started.
\nIt was his second year on the PGA Tour of Australasia and Fox was about to lose his card with two events left in the season when he went to the Australian Masters at Royal Melbourne.
\n\u201cMy dad came over and caddied for me, and he said to me, \u2018Why do you play this game?\u2019 And I said, \u2018Well, it\u2019s supposed to be fun.\u2019 But it wasn\u2019t really very fun at the time,\u201d Fox said Sunday night, the silver claret jug at his side. \u201cHe goes, \u2018Well, let\u2019s just go out this week try to have some fun.\u201d
\nHe did well enough to keep his card, and before long Fox was on his way on a path that culminated with a putt he only imagined in his dreams \u2014 a 12-foot birdie, the final shot of the 154th Open, middle of the cup, arms raised, face awash in joy and disbelief.
\n\u201cEveryone practices on the green \u2014 you\u2019ve got a putt to win a major championship, to win The Open. It\u2019s not like that in real life. It\u2019s not a very comfortable feeling,\u201d Fox said. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly very enjoyable when you see it go in.\u201d
\nRoyal Birkdale now has two Open champions from Down Under. Fox joined Ian Baker-Finch, the Australian who won on these links in 1991 and who was here this week to promote his book, \u201cTo Hell and Back.\u201d
\nIt wasn’t that way for Fox. He was more of a slow, steady rise. He had three wins on the PGA Tour of Australasia, three more on the European tour (including the BMW PGA Championship) and two wins on the PGA Tour last year that included a playoff win over Sam Burns in the Canadian Open.
\n\u201cWhy it’s a slow burn? I don’t know,\u201d Fox said as he contemplated his timeline \u2014 European tour rookie at age 30, PGA Tour rookie at age 37, major champion at age 39. He’s the oldest first-time major champion since Henrik Stenson was 40 at Royal Troon in 2016.
\n\u201cIf you\u2019d have given me my career up till yesterday when I first turned pro, I would have jumped at it,\u201d he said. \u201cNow I probably would have killed people for it.\u201d
\nFox showed plenty of resiliency in the final round of a British Open that kept a record crowd guessing until the very end.
\nHe was among four players who had at least a share of the lead, with Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood on the fringe of joining the fray at various points. One by one they fell to the side until the target became Cameron Young.
\nThe American had to scramble for bogey on the 18th hole more than two hours earlier, hitting the face of a pot bunker right of the fairway, then nearly holing a bunker shot by the green for par. It added to a 64, the best round of the day. And for the longest time, it looked like it might hold up.
\n\u201cI gave it everything I had all the way through,\u201d Young said when he finished. He declined interviews after hearing the roar from the practice range as he warmed up for a potential playoff.
\nFox made birdie on four of his last six holes for a 2-under 68. It was a bogey that was just as crucial. He was tied for the lead when his tee shot on the par-3 15th caromed off the top face of a bunker and landed next to the edge of the lip.
\nHe had no shot at the pin, much less the green. He blasted out away from the green and onto the fairway, 45 yards from the hole. He pitched it to 6 feet and made the bogey putt.
\n\u201cI felt a whole lot better walking off that green making bogey that way than probably even if I\u2019d have made par,” Fox said.
\nA birdie on the 16th allowed him to catch Young again, and then came the final test. The 18th at Royal Birkdale is so tough only four of the 76 players to that point had made birdie.
\n\nA par would put him in a three-hole playoff. A bogey would give the title to Young, who had been runner-up at St. Andrews in 2022 and had another close call at the Masters this year.
\nFox was thinking big.
\n\u201cI did say to my caddie Dean (Smith) that we were going to take it on, that I was going to try to win the tournament, and I\u2019d live with the consequences if I stuffed it up,\u201d Fox said.
\nIt turned out to be the stuff of major champions.
The post Ryan Fox And His Long And Amazing Road To British Open Champion first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-20T20:48:54+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-20T20:48:54+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/RyanFoxClaretJug26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "1 week", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Ryan Fox is the British Open champion, and it’s going to take time for that to sink in no matter how many times he watches the replay of a 12-foot birdie putt ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/instruction/take-a-divot-to-escape-fairway-bunkers/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/instruction/take-a-divot-to-escape-fairway-bunkers/", "title": "Take a Divot to Escape Fairway Bunkers", "content_html": "\n
The only way to get distance out of a fairway bunker is to strike the ball before the sand \u2014 no exceptions. Chris O’Connell and Jim Hardy teach you how to select an iron with enough loft to clear the lip, preset your weight to promote a ball-first strike, and commit to a controlled swing that trades distance for certainty.
The post Take a Divot to Escape Fairway Bunkers first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-20T20:36:54+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-20T20:37:17+00:00", "author": { "name": "Jim Hardy & Chris O\u2019Connell" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Take-a-Divot-to-Escape-Fairway-Bunkers.jpg", "category": { "name": "Instruction", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/instruction" }, "time_ago": "1 week", "excerpt": "The only way to get distance out of a fairway bunker is to strike the ball before the sand \u2014 no exceptions. Chris O’Connell and Jim Hardy teach you how to select an iron with enough ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/rory-mcilroy-has-another-masters-and-little-else-the-rest-of-the-majors/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/rory-mcilroy-has-another-masters-and-little-else-the-rest-of-the-majors/", "title": "Rory McIlroy Has Another Masters And Little Else The Rest Of The Majors", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Rory McIlroy has been down this road before \u2014 the thrill of being the Masters champion and not much else to celebrate the rest of the year.
\nMcIlroy was never part of the conversation at British Open \u2014 except for his\u00a0critical comments of how Bryson DeChambeau handled a rules violation\u00a0\u2014 and one last bogey gave him a 71 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 40th at\u00a0Royal Birkdale.
\nA year ago, when he\u00a0won the Masters to complete his life goal of the career Grand Slam, he struggled to find the next mountain and never contended. This year, he had a chance Sunday afternoon at the PGA Championship but otherwise was middle of the pack.
\n\u201cThis season feels very similar to last season,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cObviously won the first major of the year, fell off a little bit after that. But still, any time you win a major in a year, you have to be pleased about that.\u201d
\nMcIlroy, who took three weeks off the Masters, said he hasn’t taken time to celebrate winning his second green jacket. His daughter has a month before school starts and he plans to enjoy the rest of the summer holiday before returning to the PGA Tour postseason.
\nMcIlroy has set a few targets, adding majors to the six he already has won with an eye on the most historic venues. Next year, the U.S. Open is at Pebble Beach and the British Open is at St. Andrews.
\n\u201cCan’t wait,\u201d he said.
\nIn the meantime, he has his eyes on two tour titles \u2014 the FedEx Cup and the Race to Dubai. He only has to reach the Tour Championship in Atlanta for a shot at a fourth FedEx Cup title. In Europe, Patrick Reed is leading the Race to Dubai.
\n\u201cTry to play hard until the end of the season, and then try to win one or both of those,\u201d he said.
\nRobert MacIntyre and Jon Rahm had something in common at this British Open. Both were issued a conduct warning for slamming clubs, and both said the policy won’t change who they are.
\nMacIntyre, who closed with a 71, slammed his driver into the turf after a poor tee shot on the 16th.\u00a0Rahm got his warning Friday for flinging his club\u00a0after a bad tee shot on the 15th.
\n\u201cI expect to get a few of them in my career. Yeah, I run hot. So be it,\u201d MacIntyre said most unapologetically. “I try and toe the line, but when you feel you\u2019re playing a golf course that you can hit it pretty much anywhere and there\u2019s no real punishment and then you do hit one slightly off line and you get the biggest punishment you can possibly get, it\u2019s just a sore one.
\n\u201cAgain, I\u2019m going to react aggressively at times \u2014 part of my DNA.\u201d
\nMacIntyre was spoken to at the Masters\u00a0for swearing, and for extending his middle finger toward the water on the par-5 15th in the first round, leading to a quadruple bogey.
\nRahm said after his warning: “I\u2019m definitely more intense and passionate than a lot of the players out here, especially at work. … If I try to alter who I am too much, it might cost me a little bit on the course. But certainly shouldn\u2019t have moments like the one on 15. I get it.\u201d
\nLucas Herbert had the 36-hole lead at the British Open, and he was still in range of a victory Sunday when he birdied the 10th hole to reach 8-under-par, two shots behind.
\nThat was his last birdie. He closed with another 71 to tie for sixth.
\nMost critical, though, was his bogey on the par-5 17th hole. His drive went so far to the left that he hit a provisional ball in case his wasn’t found. He gouged it out to the right rough, went into a greenside bunker and failed to get up-and-down.
\nA par-par finish would have put him in a tie for fourth, and the top four at the British Open earn a spot in the Masters. Herbert has played the Masters only in 2022, getting in from his lone PGA Tour victory the previous fall at the Bermuda Championship. And then he went to LIV Golf.
\nNot all was lost. His top 10 gets him into the British Open next year at St. Andrews.
\n\u201cThe best Open to play,\u201d said Herbert, who had 62 on Friday to\u00a0tie the major record. \u201cYeah, I can’t be too upset. This is my best finish in a major. I genuinely contended. There’s a lot to take away from that. I’ve learned so much this week.\u201d
\nThe downside?
\n\u201cIt’s annoying that we\u2019re 12 months away from the next major I\u2019m going to play,\u201d he said.
\nRahm began the final round of the British Open six shots out of the lead and needed a good start to stand any chance of winning. So imagine Rahm\u2019s dismay when his drive at the first hole flew way right and out of bounds.
\nAfter reloading and hitting another tee shot, the Spaniard \u2014 clearly unhappy \u2014 reacted by removing his glove and pulling it so hard that it tore in two as he walked down the fairway.
\n\nHe made double-bogey 6 for the second straight day at No. 1 and wound up shooting 74 to finish on level par and tied for 46th.
\nCall this the \u201cShootout at the OK (State) Corral.\u201d Rickie Fowler played with Eugenio Chacarra, both alumni of Oklahoma State and both wearing bright orange shirts. Fowler shot 66 and Chacarra had a 69 in his British Open debut. … Among those who booked their tee times at St. Andrews next year from finishing in the top 10 were Casey Jarvis of South Africa and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark. … Tommy Fleetwood was the only player to break par all four rounds.
The post Rory McIlroy Has Another Masters And Little Else The Rest Of The Majors first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-19T22:27:15+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-19T22:27:15+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/RoryOpen26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Rory McIlroy has been down this road before \u2014 the thrill of being the Masters champion and not much else to celebrate the rest of the year. McIlroy was never part of ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/the-bogey-from-a-bunker-that-was-key-to-ryan-foxs-win-at-the-british-open/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/the-bogey-from-a-bunker-that-was-key-to-ryan-foxs-win-at-the-british-open/", "title": "The Bogey From A Bunker That Was Key To Ryan Fox\u2019s Win At The British Open", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Ryan Fox will be remembered forever for the 12-foot birdie putt that\u00a0won him the British Open.
\nHe mightn’t have been in that position if it wasn\u2019t for a bogey.
\nFox had just moved into a tie for the lead with\u00a0Cameron Young\u00a0at Royal Birkdale when he hit a tee shot at the 241-yard, par-3 15th hole that, to the New Zealander, was \u201ca yard away from being 25 feet away.\u201d
\nInstead, it ricocheted off the side of a bunker in front of the green and stayed in the sand, all the way on the other side and next to the lip.
\nHe had no stance and no shot. It was a horrible break.
\nHere’s what Fox did next. It was key to him ultimately getting his hands on the claret jug.
\nFox realized the situation was bad after seeing the reaction of two on-course analysts for British broadcaster Sky Sports who were following his group.
\n\u201cIf they just look at a bunker and walk past, you know it\u2019s OK,\u201d Fox said. “But when they get down and look at it and almost rehearse the shot themselves, I\u2019m like, \u2018Oh, this is no good.\u2019
\n\u201cWhen I got there, it was probably worse than I thought it was.\u201d
\nFox said he had no option but hack it out backward. The ball settled in the middle of the fairway.
\nFox was now 45 yards from the pin.
\nThe best he could realistically do was make bogey and fall one shot back, knowing he at least had a good birdie chance on the par-5 17th.
\nIt proved a smart play because he held his nerve and sent in a chip that bounced and settled 6 feet from the cup.
\nFox had just rolled in birdie putts on Nos. 13 and 14 so he was trusting his putter.
\nHis putt on No. 15 wasn’t tough but it was still gutsy. It held its line and dropped into the center of the cup.
\n\u201cSometimes bogeys are good,\u201d Fox said. \u201cI felt a whole lot better walking off that green making bogey that way than probably even if I\u2019d have made par, to be honest.
\n\u201cI hit a couple of really good shots down the stretch obviously to get it done. I think that was a pretty pivotal hole for me.\u201d
The post The Bogey From A Bunker That Was Key To Ryan Fox\u2019s Win At The British Open first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-19T22:22:43+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-19T22:22:43+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/FoxOpenClaret26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Ryan Fox will be remembered forever for the 12-foot birdie putt that\u00a0won him the British Open. He mightn’t have been in that position if it wasn\u2019t for a bogey. Fox had just ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/cameron-young-waited-and-waited-some-more-then-another-british-open-slipped-from-his-grasp/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/cameron-young-waited-and-waited-some-more-then-another-british-open-slipped-from-his-grasp/", "title": "Cameron Young Waited And Waited Some More. Then Another British Open Slipped From His Grasp", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Cameron Young was waiting on the range at Royal Birkdale, driver in hand, when a huge roar came that he didn\u2019t want to hear.
\nJust a stone\u2019s throw away on the 18th green,\u00a0Ryan Fox had holed a 12-foot birdie putt\u00a0to win the\u00a0British Open.
\nThere\u2019d be no playoff for Young.
\nNo chance to end his wait for a first major championship title.
\nThe American bowed his head, swung his driver gently over his shoulder then back onto the ground, and trudged off.
\nSome 2\u00bd hours earlier, Young had been on that 18th hole himself, getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker \u2014 he actually\u00a0nearly holed it\u00a0\u2014 to salvage bogey and shoot 64 for what would remain the lowest score of the final round.
\nThen came the long, agonizing wait to discover whether his 9-under 271 total would be enough to win.
\nYoung had some food, cleared out his locker \u2014 \u201cfor efficiency\u2019s sake,\u201d he said \u2014 and spent some time in the players\u2019 lounge.
\nBy 6 p.m., he was practicing on the putting green.
\nAnd around half an hour later, the spectators in the huge grandstands lining one of the most famous walks in golf gave him the bad news.
\nAdd Birkdale to the 29-year-old Young’s close calls at the majors, following a runner-up finish at the British Open in 2022 \u2014 he made eagle on the final hole to be one stroke back from Cameron Smith at St. Andrews \u2014 and a tie for third at the Masters this year after sharing the 54-hole lead.
\nNow up to No. 4 in the world, the widespread belief in golfing circles is that Young’s time will come. That’s because he has risen to elite company this year with wins at\u00a0The Players Championship\u00a0in March and the\u00a0Cadillac Championship\u00a0at Doral, in front of President Donald Trump, a couple of months later.
\nSpeaking after his round, Young said he thought 10-under par would have a \u201cdecent chance\u201d of victory.
\nSo it proved.
\nAnd he would have got there \u2014 or maybe better \u2014 had he not found a fairway bunker on No. 18 after choosing to hit driver. He barely got out of the sand with his second shot that struck the top of the bunker wall and spilled out 20 yards forward, and went on to scramble bogey.
\nA par there would have seen him match the lowest final-round score in a major.
\nA birdie? Well, that would have won him the whole thing.
\n\u201cIt could have been 60,\u201d Young said of his round that included a front-nine 29.
\n\u201cI played a great round of golf,\u201d he added, \u201cand I did it in a really good way.\u201d
\nYoung’s thoughts after Fox completed victory are a mystery because he declined to talk to the media.
\nHe surely will regret his 3-over 73 on Saturday that came after two 67s and dropped him to a tie for 20th overnight.
\n\u201cI had a chance to win with not everything I\u2019ve got,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I think that\u2019s a good takeaway.\u201d
The post Cameron Young Waited And Waited Some More. Then Another British Open Slipped From His Grasp first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-19T22:17:49+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-19T22:17:49+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CamYoungOpen26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Cameron Young was waiting on the range at Royal Birkdale, driver in hand, when a huge roar came that he didn\u2019t want to hear. Just a stone\u2019s throw away on the 18th ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/scottie-scheffler-gets-bad-bounces-and-a-big-break-it-adds-to-a-close-call-at-british-open/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/scottie-scheffler-gets-bad-bounces-and-a-big-break-it-adds-to-a-close-call-at-british-open/", "title": "Scottie Scheffler Gets Bad Bounces And A Big Break. It Adds To A Close Call At British Open", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 The image of Scottie Scheffler at Royal Birkdale might be the world’s No. 1 player missing one birdie chance after another to waste a great week from tee-to-green in the\u00a0British Open.
\nAll he could think about Sunday when he finished were the bounces that didn’t go his way.
\nScheffler managed to stay in the game until the very end and capitalized on a huge break \u2014 which followed another unfortunate bounce \u2014 with a birdie on the par-5 17th hole. Needing birdie to have any chance of a playoff, he missed a putt from off the green, missed the par putt that followed and settled for a 3-under 67 to tie for fourth behind Ryan Fox.
\n\u201cI guess it just wasn’t my week,\u201d said Scheffler, who had top 4-finishes in three of the four majors.
\nScheffler, who\u00a0began the final round\u00a0six shots out of the lead, quickly made up ground with three birdies in five holes \u2014 as many birdies as he had made in the previous two rounds combined. And when he holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 12th, he was at 8 under and closing.
\nAnd then he was chasing after a few frustrating bounces.
\nHis tee shot right of the fairway on the 13th headed for the wispy grass but wound up in a deep hole, leaving him no chance but to advance it about 5 feet. Scheffler did well to make an 8-foot putt to escape with bogey.
\nScheffler thought his drive was ideal on the par-5 14th until it bounced just enough to the left to catch a pot bunker, leaving him no shot at the green. A potential birdie turned into par.
\n\u201cThat stuff hurts,\u201d he said. “My ball on 13 goes into that hole. It wasn\u2019t my best tee shot, but it was a time where I needed to be aggressive, and I saw some good stuff happening with guys that hit the ball over there the last few days, and it didn\u2019t happen for me today. Just those little bounces.
\n\u201cMy ball on 14 I think is in the fairway, I come up there, it\u2019s in the pot bunker,\u201d he said. \u201cLittle stuff like that over the course of the week tends to add up.\u201d
\nHis frustration boiled over on the par-5 17th when his tee shot moving left-to-right looked as though it would kick into the fairway leaving him a shot at the green. But it bounced left and stayed in the rough in front of a steep mound.
\n\u201cWHY?\u201d Scheffler screamed at himself. \u201cWhy does this happen?\u201d
\nWelcome to links golf, which he\u00a0conquered a year ago at Royal Portrush.
\nRemarkably, the bad bounce led to birdie. He tried to go over the mound and the ball went so far to the left that he figured it was never to be found, He hit a provisional for a lost ball, and that wasn’t much better, And then luck seemed to finally show up.
\nThe entire area near a massive hospitality structure was deemed a temporary immovable obstruction. Spectators said they saw the ball disappear into gorse and rough. A security guard and NBC reporter John Wood began searching.
\nBut once a golf ball has been identified going into the TIO, it does not have to be found.
\n\u201cWe tried to figure it out. I said: \u2018If I find it, does that help me? Can I drop it since that would be about 50 yards closer to the hole?’\u201d Scheffler said about his conversation with the rules official. \u201cHe said, \u2018Yes, you can then use that spot, but you might have to go to the other side of the TIO.\u2019 I didn\u2019t know exactly where that would be, and that\u2019s not a great angle coming across there. So I decided to drop the search.\u201d
\nScheffler received a free drop 94 yards away on a baked, dusty lie. He hit wedge to 10 feet and made birdie.
\n\nThe hope didn’t last long, and he walked off the 18th green knowing he would not get his hands on the claret jug he won last year, and it would be eight-plus months before the next major.
\n\u201cI felt like this was a week I played a lot better than my score,\u201d Scheffler said. \u201cThirteen and 14 really hurt, not being able to advance the ball. I feel good that I could compete when things weren’t going my way.\u201d
\nPadraig Harrington remains the last player to win back-to-back in the British Open, in 2007 and 2008. It’s the longest such stretch in the majors. And now it falls to Fox near year at St. Andrews.
The post Scottie Scheffler Gets Bad Bounces And A Big Break. It Adds To A Close Call At British Open first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-19T22:14:19+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-19T22:14:19+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ScottieOpen26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 The image of Scottie Scheffler at Royal Birkdale might be the world’s No. 1 player missing one birdie chance after another to waste a great week from tee-to-green in the\u00a0British Open. All ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/ryan-fox-wins-the-british-open-with-birdie-on-the-final-hole/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/ryan-fox-wins-the-british-open-with-birdie-on-the-final-hole/", "title": "Ryan Fox Wins The British Open With Birdie On The Final Hole", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 The hard work for Ryan Fox was just getting to the 18th hole in the British Open with a share of the lead. Still to come was the toughest hole at Royal Birkdale, which had yielded only four birdies to the 76 players who had already come through Sunday.
\nFor a 39-year-old from New Zealand, the son of an All Blacks rugby star who once only dreamed of having a card on any tour, this was no time to back down.
\n\u201cI did say to my caddie Dean (Smith) that we were going to take it on, that I was going to try to win the tournament, and I’d live with the consequences if I stuffed it up,\u201d Fox said.
\nIt turned out to be the stuff of major champions.
\nThe drive was powerful and pure. The 9-iron from 175 yards looked good in the air and even better on the ground when it settled 12 feet below the hole. The birdie putt was the biggest of his life.
\nFox closed with four birdies over his last six holes \u2014 and one bogey that felt equally important \u2014 for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot victory over\u00a0hard-luck Cameron Young\u00a0for his first major title.
\nThis was pure theater to cap off a week of so much drama \u2014\u00a0three record-tying rounds of 62,\u00a0Bryson DeChambeau’s animated protest over a two-shot penalty,\u00a0Tommy Fleetwood thrilling and teasing his hometown crowd\u00a0to massive ovations on every hole.
\nFour players had a share of the lead at some point in the final round. Young was atop the leaderboard for two hours without hitting a shot anywhere but the range because he finished his astonishing 6-under 64 as the last few groups were on the front nine.
\nYoung was on the range when he heard the massive roar and knew it was over. He bowed his head, lifted his driver and tapped the ground before packing up when Fox made his final birdie.
\n\u201cEveryone practices on the green \u2014 you’ve got a putt to win a major championship, to win The Open. It’s not like that in real life. It’s not a very comfortable feeling,\u201d Fox said. \u201cIt’s certainly very enjoyable when you see it go in.\u201d
\nHe thrust those powerful arms into the air and was on the phone with his family moments later and was heard telling them, “You asked me to bring a trophy home, and I am, aren\u2019t I?\u201d
\nHis name will go on the base of that shiny claret jug along with another Kiwi, Bob Charles, who won the British Open in 1963. Michael Campbell is the other New Zealand man to win a major at Pinehurst No. 2 in the 2005 U.S. Open.
\nFox’s sterling moment brought more disappointment for Young. The\u00a0American also finished one shot behind in the British Open at St. Andrews\u00a0four years ago, and he had a Sunday lead on the front nine at the Masters until Rory McIlroy overtook him.
\n\u201cI gave it everything I had all the way through,\u201d Young said when he finished. He declined interviews when Fox ended the 154th Open.
\nSam Burns, the 54-hole leader who was never planning to be at the Open until his wife gave birth\u00a0to their daughter earlier than expected, lost a two-shot lead and didn’t make birdie over the last 12 holes to finish two shots behind.
\n\u201cI just couldn\u2019t find them today. Just didn\u2019t have my best stuff,\u201d Burns said. \u201cGiven the circumstances, I\u2019m very pleased with the week. I\u2019m looking forward to being home.\u201d
\nDefending champion\u00a0Scottie Scheffler somehow managed to stick around until the end, getting two bad bounces that cost him momentum, then getting one big break for a most improbable birdie. He closed with a 67 and shared fourth with Fleetwood, who fell back early but delivered a birdie-birdie finish for a 68.
\nMissing from all drama, remarkably, was DeChambeau. He lost a golf ball and made triple bogey on the 11th hole and didn’t make a birdie until he was well out of contention. That two-shot penalty he received Friday for improving the path of his swing wasn’t an issue at the end. DeChambeau shot a 72 and tied for 14th.
\nFox won for the 10th time worldwide, his biggest title before Sunday coming at the BMW PGA Championship in 2023. He is the oldest first-time major champion since Henrik Stenson was 40 at Royal Troon 10 years ago.
\nFox finished at 10-under 270, got his hands on the jug and heard those magic words when he was introduced as the \u201cChampion Golfer of the Year.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m not quite sure how I hit that putt on 18. Look, it is a dream come true,\u201d Fox said. \u201cLooking at that trophy now, it\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve seen it up close. So it\u2019s pretty amazing.\u201d
\nYoung was flawless until the final hole, his tee shot finding a pot bunker. He tried to open the face of a 6-iron but caught it thin and it smacked into the vetted wall and into the rough. He hit the next shot into a greenside bunker and nearly holed it for par. The bogey put him at 9-under 271.
\nBurns was losing ground quickly on the front nine with three straight bogeys, none more damaging than a pitch to the reachable par-4 fifth hole that went over the back of the green.
\nSi Woo Kim emerged as the leader going to the back nine until he made bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes, and he fell out of contention for good with a pair of late bogeys that added to a 40 on the back nine for 72.
\nThat left Young at the top of the leaderboard, waiting to see if anyone could match him.
\nFox’s hopes took a nasty turn on the par-3 15th when his tee shot caromed off the side of a bunker and settled next to the lip, leaving him no stance and no shot. He smartly played away from the back pin to the fairway, chipped from 45 yards away to 6 feet and made bogey.
\n\nIt was as big as any shot he hit until the last.
\n\u201cTo get that up-and-down really kept the momentum going,\u201d Fox said. \u201cI felt a whole lot better walking off that green making bogey that way than probably even if I\u2019d have made par.\u201d
\nFox was a late bloomer, a European tour rookie at age 30 and a PGA Tour rookie when he was 37. His goal when he started was to have a tour card. Now he’s a major champion.
\n\u201cI said to my team last night at dinner, if you’d have given me my career up until yesterday when I turned pro, I’d have jumped at that,\u201d Fox said, speaking with the claret jug at his side. \u201cI don’t know what to think now.\u201d
The post Ryan Fox Wins The British Open With Birdie On The Final Hole first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-19T19:01:24+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-27T20:25:02+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/RyanFoxOpenWin26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 The hard work for Ryan Fox was just getting to the 18th hole in the British Open with a share of the lead. Still to come was the toughest hole at Royal ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/instruction/hit-long-irons-out-of-fairway-bunkers/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/instruction/hit-long-irons-out-of-fairway-bunkers/", "title": "Hit Long Irons Out of Fairway Bunkers", "content_html": "\n
Reaching the green from a fairway bunker with a long iron requires perfect contact and a quiet lower body. Gary Gilchrist shows you how to dig your feet in for stability, make a quiet-legs swing that clips the ball off the sand rather than digging, and pick your target above the lip to ensure you clear the bunker and reach your intended distance.
The post Hit Long Irons Out of Fairway Bunkers first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-19T18:06:14+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-19T18:06:34+00:00", "author": { "name": "Gary Gilchrist" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Hit-Long-Irons-Out-of-Fairway-Bunkers.jpg", "category": { "name": "Instruction", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/instruction" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "Reaching the green from a fairway bunker with a long iron requires perfect contact and a quiet lower body. Gary Gilchrist shows you how to dig your feet in for stability, make a quiet-legs swing that ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/clements-and-gutierrez-share-the-lead-at-the-breezy-corales-puntacana-championship/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/clements-and-gutierrez-share-the-lead-at-the-breezy-corales-puntacana-championship/", "title": "Clements And Gutierrez Share The Lead At The Breezy Corales Puntacana Championship", "content_html": "\n
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (AP) \u2014 Todd Clements of England and Ivan Cantero Gutierrez of Spain each shot 7-under 65 on Thursday at breezy Puntacana Resort to share the first-round lead in the Corales Puntacana Championship.
\nClements and Gutierrez are two of 50 European tour players in the field for the co-sanctioned event played opposite the British Open. They both missed the cut last week in Kentucky in the ISCO Championship.
\n\u201cI just think the whole place is just an enjoyable place to be,\u201d Clements said. \u201cTurned up and it\u2019s a relaxing environment. Just get to enjoy myself and I kind of felt like it came out in my golf today.\u201d
\nOn a day when wind gusted to 22 mph on the Corales layout, Clements had nine birdies and two bogeys, dropping a late stroke on the par-3 17th in the morning session. He won the 2023 Czech Masters for his lone DP World Tour victory.
\n\u201cI\u2019m actually delighted with how I played today,\u201d Clements said. \u201cA few tweaks I\u2019m going to try and solve this afternoon, but for the main part I was absolutely delighted and looking forward to tomorrow and what that brings.\u201d
\nAustin Eckroat was a stroke back with Alejandro Del Rey, Johannes Veerman, Mackenzie Hughes, Jonathan Byrd and Gordon Sargent. Two-time PGA Tour winner Eckroat tied for 30th Sunday in the Scottish Open.
\n\u201cWe were over in Scotland last week and trying to qualify for the British Open, but when we saw we were going to be here, we said, `Well, someone\u2019s got to win it,’\u201d Eckroat said. \u201cHuge going into the rest of the season. A lot of points available, good momentum.\u201d
\nBlades Brown had a 67. He got in the field as a special temporary member.
\nU.S. Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker shot 70. He won an opposite-field event in Myrtle Beach in May.
\nDefending champion Garrick Higgo had a 72.
\nSangmoon Bae opened with a 77. Playing on a sponsor exemption. he\u2019s trying to get back on track since his mandatory military service in South Korea a decade ago.
The post Clements And Gutierrez Share The Lead At The Breezy Corales Puntacana Championship first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-17T00:01:46+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-17T00:01:46+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ToddClementsBelgium26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (AP) \u2014 Todd Clements of England and Ivan Cantero Gutierrez of Spain each shot 7-under 65 on Thursday at breezy Puntacana Resort to share the first-round lead in the Corales Puntacana Championship. ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/distance-debate-at-this-british-open-is-how-far-the-golf-ball-goes-on-the-ground/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/distance-debate-at-this-british-open-is-how-far-the-golf-ball-goes-on-the-ground/", "title": "Distance Debate At This British Open Is How Far The Golf Ball Goes On The Ground", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 How far the golf ball goes has been debated for the last 20 years and distance is likely to be a big concern this week at Royal Birkdale for the\u00a0British Open, with one twist.
\nIt’s not how far shots are going in the air. It’s what happens when they get on the ground. And with links golf, that’s not always easy to control, especially this week.
\n\u201cYou can’t judge every single bounce perfectly,\u201d Justin Rose said. \u201cBut you have to accept the nature of a links golf course. There’s going to be some good bounces, bad bounces. Just keep playing with a big of freedom and creativity, especially this week.
\n\u201cYou’re going to get a few funny bounces here or there,\u201d he said. \u201cThat’s all part of it.\u201d
\nThe 154th Open begins Thursday with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. For those who love links golf, there’s no greater colors than brown and yellow that indicate\u00a0crispy conditions in which the fairways can run faster than some of the greens.
\nRarely has the forecast been filled with warm sunshine \u2014 slightly cooler on the weekend \u2014 with a cloudless sky that will be a challenge for the R&A to keep the turf from getting too fast.
\nRory McIlroy came to Royal Birkdale a few weeks ago and saw what seemed to be a different course. It was greener. The rough was more lush. It’s no longer like that. Yes, it’s harder to control shots running along the fairway But the rough, while still having some thick patches in which players are up to their knees in grass, is more burned and wispy.
\n\u201cI think it\u2019s a double-edged sword,\u201d McIlroy said. “I think all this dry weather and sun and a little bit of wind is obviously great for the course in one way, but when I was here a couple weeks ago, the rough was a lot more penal than it\u2019s going to be this week. It\u2019s definitely burnt out a lot.
\n\u201cThe big thing, especially off the tee here, is the fairway bunkers and avoiding those,\u201d he said. \u201cYou might see some guys being more aggressive off the tee, taking driver, trying to take the fairway bunkers out of play. OK, it might be in the rough, but it\u2019s not that penal, so you get a wedge in your hand and you can figure it out from there.\u201d
\nEvery hole seems to have options.
\nThe redesigned fifth plays 321 yards and enough shrubs have been removed that it’s no longer a blind shot from the tee. What players see now is a pond \u2014 an unusual hazard for links golf, but it’s always been there \u2014 and a row of pot bunkers leading to the green.
\nMarcus Plunkett,\u00a0the U.S. Army veteran playing in his first British Open, arrived Thursday and smashed driver to the edge of the green. Even with that shot, he’s planning on a 7-iron off the tee.
\nThe wind is out of a different direction than usual, making the 393-yard 16th hole play downwind and running fast. Most players were hitting no more than 5-iron off the tee to avoid the bunkers. The other option is a driver than can get close to the green.
\nIt’s like that all over, and it could lead to brilliance and blunders.
\n\u201cFrom what I\u2019ve learned in the past, if you start pulling out drivers in an Open Championship, you can do a good job,\u201d Jon Rahm said. \u201cYou can maybe get away with it one round. Over four rounds, you\u2019re going to start finding spots you don\u2019t want to be in, and you\u2019re going to pay the price.\u201d
\nScottie Scheffler is the defending champion, trying to become the first repeat winner of golf’s oldest championship since Padraig Harrington won at Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale in 2007 and 2008. The world’s No. 1 player has played only five times in the Open, but he probably spoke for many when he said, \u201cThis is the first forecast I remember seeing it had no rain in it for the week.\u201d
\n\u201cIf it holds, it should continue to firm up, and we\u2019ve got some warm weather as well,\u201d he said.
\nIt’s a different Royal Birkdale from when Jordan Spieth won in 2017, particularly the new look on the fifth and the par-3 seventh, and a brand-new par 3 at the 15th (the old par-3 14th was removed). Scheffler offered a not-so-subtle jab at the chances, even though he hadn’t seen the course before.
\n\u201cThe one thing I found interesting is it\u2019s so obvious as to which holes had been redone,” he said. \u201cThey look like they\u2019re not even on the same golf course.\u201d
\n\nScheffler had to return the claret jug on Tuesday. Someone else takes possession Sunday night when he is introduced as the \u201cChampion Golfer of the Year.\u201d And then it’s eight-plus months until the next major at the Masters in April.
\nThe four majors are over quickly.
\nBut it’s only fitting the British Open with its unique brand of golf is the last major of the year. It’s unlike anything players see all year, especially in dry and firm and fiery conditions like this.
\n\u201cThe ball is just going to run forever,\u201d Scheffler said.
The post Distance Debate At This British Open Is How Far The Golf Ball Goes On The Ground first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-16T23:42:28+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-16T23:42:28+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/BerndWiesbergerOpen26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 How far the golf ball goes has been debated for the last 20 years and distance is likely to be a big concern this week at Royal Birkdale for the\u00a0British Open, with ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/british-open-is-trying-to-get-ahead-of-fan-behavior-with-a-published-conduct-code/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/british-open-is-trying-to-get-ahead-of-fan-behavior-with-a-published-conduct-code/", "title": "British Open Is Trying To Get Ahead Of Fan Behavior With A Published Conduct Code", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 More than 300,000 fans will attend the\u00a0British Open\u00a0at Royal Birkdale this week, making it a record crowd for golf\u2019s oldest major championship.
\nThey\u2019ll need to bring sun cream and some manners.
\nFor the first time, the R&A has felt it necessary to publish a fan code of conduct, at a time when some of golf\u2019s biggest events have been marred by unsavory and even abusive behavior by spectators.
\nTitled \u201cThe Open Commitment,\u201d the code boils down to these five basic requirements of fans: respect the players, respect the links, respect each other, be aware, enjoy responsibly.
\nEssentially, just be a nice person. If not, the R&A says it can punish \u201cserious or repeated breaches\u201d by removing the guilty parties from the property \u201cwithout refund.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m all for an atmosphere,\u201d said Matt Fitzpatrick, one of the 21 English players in the field who are most likely to be cheered rather than heckled. \u201cObviously I don\u2019t want it to cross a line.\u201d
\nThat\u2019s what happened at last year\u2019s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, when Team Europe\u2019s players \u2014 especially Rory McIlroy \u2014 endured a\u00a0torrent of personal insults\u00a0and shouting on their back swings and putts. McIlroy deemed the abuse from the New York crowd \u201cunacceptable.\u201d
\nWyndham Clark\u00a0didn\u2019t get much love at last month\u2019s U.S. Open, with spectators cheering his mistakes \u2014 conduct that Scottie Scheffler said was \u201ca bit much to me.\u201d
\nEven the most recent British Open held on English soil \u2014 just down the road at Hoylake \u2014 didn\u2019t escape some crowd misbehavior as American player Brian Harman defied some jeers and insults on his way to lifting the claret jug.
\nClark doesn\u2019t appear too concerned about any repeat incidents at Birkdale this week, describing British golf fans as \u201cthe best.\u201d
\n\u201cThey respect the game, they respect the players and they really understand golf,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you hit it into a tough spot and make the correct play or the smart play, the prudent play, they clap; they understand sometimes 20 feet is a great shot.\u201d
\nR&A chief executive Mark Darbon said marshals, volunteers and officials have been well-briefed on what constitutes poor fan conduct.
\n\u201cWe feel that it\u2019s within our gift, if someone does step over the line, to ask them to leave the venue,\u201d Darbon said, \u201cand I think that\u2019s a pretty powerful display. That\u2019s the mechanism that we\u2019ll use rather than fining a spectator.\u201d
\nTee times for the final round at Royal Birkdale are open to change.
\nAnd it’s all because of a soccer match.
\nThe\u00a0World Cup\u00a0final being staged in the United States on Sunday is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. in England \u2014 just 80 minutes after organizers estimate the final putt will drop in the Open Championship, unless there’s a playoff.
\nThe big issue is that England could be in it. Its team was playing Argentina in the semifinals on Wednesday night and the R&A is waiting on the result.
\nMark Darbon, the R&A’s chief executive, says it would be a \u201cgreat problem to have\u201d because he’s an England fan and that his organization has been thinking a lot about the schedule.
\n\u201cWe think that, even if we go to a three-hole playoff, we\u2019ve got time to complete the championship,\u201d Darbon said. \u201cSo at this stage, no plans to alter anything, but we\u2019ll maintain that under review and finalize our position after the semifinal.\u201d
\nRoyal Birkdale went through a number of changes, such as eliminating the par-3 14th hole and building a new par-3 15th. Darbon said \u201cit would be wrong\u201d to suggest changes are driven by spectator movement.
\n\u201cThe changes to the golf course have been driven by the members,\u201d he said. \u201cGiven the strength of partnership that we have with our host venues, of course we\u2019re part of some of those discussions, and where there are things that we can do together that also help us operationally, they often make sense to do to help with the staging of the championship.\u201d
\nIt\u2019s hard to imagine Royal Birkdale members wanting a new hole, leading Darbon to be asked if the members\u2019 decision was based on concerns the Open might not return.
\n\u201cAt no stage would we threaten a non-return to a venue on that basis,\u201d he said.
\nDarbon also pushed back on the idea the British Open is moving toward bigness, particularly attendance. Martin Slumbers, his predecessor, had said before retiring, \u201cBig-time sport needs big-time crowds.\u201d
\n\u201cIf we\u2019re able to facilitate spectator volumes onsite, we\u2019ll always consider that, but it\u2019s not the primary driver for us,\u201d Darbon said.
\nHe cited a return to Royal Lytham & St. Annes, which has a smaller footprint than Royal Birkdale.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re not taking venues off the rotation because they\u2019re smaller than others,\u201d he said. \u201cBut there\u2019s a balance to be struck, too, and we think we\u2019re getting that right.\u201d
\nAs for Muirfield, which last hosted the Open in 2013, Darbon said the course requires some tweaks but the R&A looks forward to returning.
\nAaron Rai might not have been aware of all the things that come with winning a major as the\u00a0PGA Championship\u00a0was his first one. He knew about the Wanamaker Trophy (maybe not how heavy it is) and the five-year exemption to the majors.
\nThe surprise was in the mail.
\nJack Nicklaus for years has been writing a note of congratulations to major champions.
\n\u201cAfter the PGA I received a handwritten letter from Jack Nicklaus, which was kind of surreal when we opened the mail,\u201d Rai said. \u201cFor someone like that to take the time to write to me after the PGA, it definitely shows the class of what Jack is about.\u201d
\nThe Royal & Ancient has come with a new honor, announcing Adam Scott as the first recipient of the \u201cSpirit of Golf Award\u201d for his contributions to golf around the world.
\nThe award is to recognize an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the game on a global scale and displays the values, behaviors and traditions inherent to golf.
\n\nScott is playing his 101th consecutive major at the British Open, the second-longest streak in golf behind Jack Nicklaus. Scott turns 46 on Thursday, the first round of the Open.
\n\u201cAs someone who has spent my entire life in the game of golf it is so meaningful to be recognized for my impact on golf across the world, not only from a playing point of view but for also upholding values which are so integral to the sport,\u201d Scott said.
\nThe R&A said the award would be annual, though it could also be given to a team or organization, and is not restricted to professionals.
The post British Open Is Trying To Get Ahead Of Fan Behavior With A Published Conduct Code first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-16T23:38:30+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-16T23:38:30+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/RoryFansOpen26.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 More than 300,000 fans will attend the\u00a0British Open\u00a0at Royal Birkdale this week, making it a record crowd for golf\u2019s oldest major championship. They\u2019ll need to bring sun cream and some manners. For ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/fleetwood-rallies-late-but-rose-falters-as-english-contingent-makes-sluggish-start-at-british-open/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/fleetwood-rallies-late-but-rose-falters-as-english-contingent-makes-sluggish-start-at-british-open/", "title": "Fleetwood Rallies Late But Rose Falters As English Contingent Makes Sluggish Start At British Open", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 A hometown hero. The PGA champion. The world No. 3. And not to mention the enduring Justin Rose.
\nOn paper, the English have put up a strong cast of contenders at Royal Birkdale this week in a bid to have a first\u00a0British Open\u00a0champion since 1992 and a first winner on English soil since Tony Jacklin in 1969.
\nLet’s call it a sluggish start.
\nMatt Fitzpatrick? The guy who’s only behind Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy in the rankings was part of the afternoon wave which had to deal with a stronger wind and firmer fairways, and never looked happy in shooting a 2-over 72.
\nRose? He birdied the first hole but wound up making seven bogeys and shot 75 to languish 135th in the field.
\nAaron Rai, seeking a second major title of 2026 after the PGA Championship, shot 71.
\nAnd\u00a0Tommy Fleetwood, the fans’ favorite who grew up just round the corner, needed two birdies in his final four holes to salvage a 69 that looked better and better as the first round wore on.
\nTwo members of England’s 21-strong contingent were placed in the top 20 after 18 holes:\u00a0Dan Brown, ranked No. 136, was tied for second place after a 66, and No. 78-ranked Jordan Smith shot 68 and was sharing 13th place.
\nFleetwood is the Englishman most of the locals came to cheer on another gorgeous day along the Irish Sea and he said their support carried him at times.
\n\u201cIn all honesty, they definitely helped me a lot today throughout a day where I was struggling with my game,\u201d he said. \u201cThey were absolutely amazing.\u201d
\nDavid Howard was already incredibly nervous after arriving at the first tee at the British Open.
\nGetting the kind of ovation typically reserved for Rory McIlroy made it even worse.
\n\u201cI had to give them a motion to quiet down. It was unbelievable,\u201d said the Irish amateur, who \u2014 as someone\u00a0who has cystic fibrosis\u00a0\u2014 has provided one of the stories of this week at Royal Birkdale.
\nThe 27-year-old Howard shot 4-over 74 in front of his friends and family, but his British Open debut was about much more than his score.
\nHe is proving an inspiration to others with his rare genetic condition that has no cure and is managed by constantly taking medication and treatments.
\nHoward\u2019s story is gone beyond his native Ireland.
\n\u201cAll around the world,\u201d he said. \u201cI definitely feel that support as well. I suppose people with CF have something to look forward to or look up to, and maybe that can drive them on as well.\u201d
\nThe next challenge for Howard is making the weekend. Given what he\u2019s been through, don\u2019t put it past him.
\n\u201cPeople with CF are just very determined people \u2014 we\u2019re not quitters,\u201d he said. \u201cWe really want to get past this and keep fighting. Fighting for the struggle for so long, and I think we\u2019re going to just keep fighting till the end.\u201d
\nHenrik Stenson is on his way back to be part of the PGA Tour, and the Swede as usual had a unique way of describing his status.
\n\u201cFrom the end of August, they remove my ankle bracelet,\u201d Stenson said.
\nThe 50-year-old Swede gave up the Ryder Cup captaincy in 2022 when he joined LIV Golf and was suspended from the PGA Tour. Stenson was relegated out of the lead last year, so his final event was toward the end of August.
\nThe British Open is only his fourth competition this year, and it sure didn\u2019t look that way. Stenson birdied three of the last four holes Thursday for a 68. It was his best opening round since a 68 at Royal Troon in 2016, when he famously beat Phil Mickelson and set the major championship scoring record at 264.
\nStenson has played the Senior PGA Championship and tied for 11th earlier this month at the U.S. Senior Open, neither event run by the PGA Tour. He also played an event in Barbados on the Legends Tour, the European version of the senior circuit.
\nHe has some catching up to do. Stenson was in Sweden for the summer with his son, Karl, who is playing competitively. He has the Senior British Open next week, and might play a European tour event in August before competing on the PGA Tour Champions in the fall.
\nJackson Suber earned a spot in the British Open with his tie for fourth in the RBC Canadian Open. This not only is his debut on links golf, he has never been to Europe before.
\nAnd even without the 65 to take the lead after one round, he’s loving the experience.
\n\u201cThe golf is really cool, and just the towns, how the train system works,\u201d said Suber, who grew up in Tampa, Florida, and played at Ole Miss. \u201cWe went into Liverpool the other day with my fianc\u00e9e and Pierceson Coody and his wife, so that was really cool to see a European city and enjoy that.\u201d
\n\nBut there’s one aspect to the UK he won’t try. Suber is letting someone else do the driving on the opposite side of the road he drives in the U.S. Why not drive?
\n\u201cBecause I’m trying to make it here four days,\u201d he said.
\nPadraig Harrington, who is playing the seventh of eight weeks in a row among the PGA Tour, European tour and PGA Tour Champions, opened with an 80. … Jordan Spieth, who won at Royal Birkdale the last time the Open was here in 2017, had only one birdie in his round of 73. … Harry Hall opened with a 77 and barring an amazing turnaround Friday is headed toward missing the cut in all four majors this year.
The post Fleetwood Rallies Late But Rose Falters As English Contingent Makes Sluggish Start At British Open first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-16T23:34:28+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-16T23:34:28+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/FleetwoodOpenR126.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 A hometown hero. The PGA champion. The world No. 3. And not to mention the enduring Justin Rose. On paper, the English have put up a strong cast of contenders at Royal ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/jackson-suber-leads-a-day-of-surprises-at-birkdale-with-a-65-in-his-first-british-open/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/jackson-suber-leads-a-day-of-surprises-at-birkdale-with-a-65-in-his-first-british-open/", "title": "Jackson Suber Leads A Day Of Surprises At Birkdale With A 65 In His First British Open", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Jackson Suber got his first taste of links golf \u2014 on his first trip to Europe \u2014 when he arrived at Royal Birkdale. Three days later, he proved to be a quick study with a superb par save and a 6-foot eagle late in his round for a 5-under 65 to lead\u00a0the British Open.
\nBryson DeChambeau might be getting the hang of this, too, no matter what three-time British Open champion Nick Faldo thinks about his strategy.
\nAn opening round lasting some 15 hours included just about everything during a warm and breezy start. Five of the leading 12 players were playing the British Open for the first time. Rory McIlroy missed three 4-foot putts in a four-hole span and had six bogeys in his round of 72. Scottie Scheffler opened with four birdies in six holes and didn’t make another the rest of the way for a 68.
\nMost startling was Suber, a 26-year-old American who has yet to win anywhere since leaving Ole Miss and is playing in only his third major. He made a tough par save on the new par-3 15th with slopes off severely on both sides. He followed with a 6-foot birdie on the 16th and then choked up on a 4-iron from 233 yards and hit it to 6 feet for eagle.
\nNot bad for his seventh round in any major, and first on a links course as tough as Birkdale.
\n\u201cJust kind of kept the ball in good spots and didn\u2019t put much pressure on my game to make pars,\u201d Suber said.
\nHe led by one shot over Sungjae Im and\u00a0Dan Brown\u00a0of England. The nine players at 67 include four Open debutants \u2014 Alex Smalley, Ryan Gerard, M.J. Daffue, Pierceson Coody.
\nAnd then there was DeChambeau, who has missed the cut in all three majors this year and has chosen not to speak to the media since Friday at the Masters, except for on LIV Golf.
\nTurns out he had enough strategy to get in the mix, often ripping driver to take the fearsome bunkers out of play and doing enough right for a 67 that left him two shots behind.
\nStrategy became a talking point\u00a0when Faldo told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast this week, \u201cDeChambeau has zero clue of strategy. He said last year, \u2018I\u2019m going to go out and attack the links\u2019. Well, I\u2019ve never attacked a links. You thread it, don\u2019t you? You feed it down the fairway. … You don\u2019t think, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ll just blast it down there.\u2019\u201d
\nDeChambeau hit only four fairways but missed only three greens, though he was rarely in big trouble when he wasn’t in the short grass.
\nHe twice blasted tee shots over the trouble and close to the green at the par-4 second and the par-4 10th, the latter a blind shot. He made birdie on both. And while Jon Rahm was among those who said going long can lead to trouble at some point, the only two shots DeChambeau dropped came from his putting (the par-5 14th) and chipping (the par-4 18th).
\nHe was tied for the early lead until going from wispy rough over the back of the 18th, chipped weakly to 8 feet and missed the putt. He missed three birdie chances from around 10 feet or under, one of them on redesigned, 321-yard fifth hole, when he drove it just over the green.
\nDeChambeau agreed to take a few questions from the R&A and said, \u201cI feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places. Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.\u201d
\nCameron Young, one of the hottest players in the spring but quiet the past two months, also was at 67 along with Robert MacIntyre, Thomas Detry and Francesco Molinari, the 2018 Open champion at Carnoustie, which also featured a baked links course.
\nScheffler\u00a0had few complaints after a 68, even not making a birdie over his last 12 holes, playing the two par 5s in 1 over and making a pair of soft bogeys. He also missed a 5-foot birdie putt. Whether he could have gotten more out of his round was of little concern.
\n\u201cIf I continue to strike the ball the way I did today and just keep giving myself looks, that\u2019s part of it,\u201d Scheffler said. \u201cGolf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today.\u201d
\nSmalley, who took a two-shot lead into the final round at the PGA Championship, was leading until his drive on the 18th was fading with the wind and then the luck of links golf took over. One wild bounce sent it further right and out of bounds. He finished with a double bogey for a 67.
\n\u201cGot up to where the ball was supposed to be and was told it hit a spectator fence and kicked another 15 yards right out of bounds. All three of us in our group actually hit it over there, and mine just got an unlucky break,\u201d Smalley said. “Poor tee shot, poor break. Sometimes that’s how it goes.”
\n\nScheffler played in the group with DeChambeau and they traded birdies early. For six holes, the world’s No. 1 player had total control of his shots and looked as though he couldn’t miss. He got to 4 under when he gave a leg kick as his 40-foot birdie putt dropped on No. 6.
\nBut then he missed the seventh green \u2014 139 yards, downhill \u2014 to the left between a pair of bunkers, and his pitch was so strong it flirted with going in a bunker on the other side. He missed a 5-foot birdie chance on the 11th, and then made a mess of the par-5 17th when his ball was buried so deep in the grass he thought someone might have stepped on it during the search.
\n\u201cSometimes you hit it over there and you get a clean lie and you\u2019re able to give yourself a look, and then other times like today, you pay a pretty severe price,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I guess don\u2019t hit it offline.\u201d
The post Jackson Suber Leads A Day Of Surprises At Birkdale With A 65 In His First British Open first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-16T23:31:06+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-16T23:31:06+00:00", "author": { "name": "Doug Ferguson, AP" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JacksonSuberOpenR126.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 Jackson Suber got his first taste of links golf \u2014 on his first trip to Europe \u2014 when he arrived at Royal Birkdale. Three days later, he proved to be a quick ..." }, { "id": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/rory-mcilroy-toils-at-british-open-as-putting-woes-leave-him-7-shots-off-the-first-round-lead/", "url": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/tour/rory-mcilroy-toils-at-british-open-as-putting-woes-leave-him-7-shots-off-the-first-round-lead/", "title": "Rory McIlroy Toils At British Open As Putting Woes Leave Him 7 Shots Off The First-Round Lead", "content_html": "\n
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 There were no \u201cI\u2019m so bad at golf\u201d exclamations from Rory McIlroy this time.
\nThe puzzled looks, shakes of the head and sagging shoulders said it all.
\nMcIlroy was just 10 holes into his bid to win the\u00a0British Open\u00a0for the first time since 2014 and he was veering dangerously close to playing himself out of title contention.
\nMissing one putt from four feet wasn\u2019t necessarily unusual. But doing it three times? In the space of four holes?
\nThat trio of bewildering close-range mishaps \u2014 on Nos. 7, 8 and 10 \u2014 came either side of McIlroy driving the green to make birdie on the 415-yard No. 9. Go figure.
\nAnd it pretty much summed up the world No. 2\u2019s wild late-afternoon ride in a 2-over 72 that included six bogeys and left him seven shots off\u00a0the first-round lead, held surprisingly by 115th-ranked Jackson Suber on Thursday.
\n\u201cJust too many stupid mistakes,\u201d McIlroy said \u2014 and he was specifically referring to his putting on greens he described as \u201cvery inconsistent\u201d
\n\u201cI missed a couple early on that looked like they were going to break one way and they actually went another way, and then when you get the next one, you\u2019re over it and it\u2019s just very hard to trust that the ball is going to do what you think it\u2019s going to do. Then you maybe don\u2019t make quite as committed of a stroke.\u201d
\nMcIlroy arrived at the Open after a seventh-place finish at the Scottish Open, where he went viral by shouting \u201cI\u2019m so bad at golf\u201d following a poor approach shot late in his final round.
\nThe sixth player \u2014 and only European \u2014 to complete the career Grand Slam rarely hides his emotions and he cut a frustrated figure for most of his round Thursday, not least when he chipped through the green and into a bunker at the par-5 No. 17.
\nMcIlroy managed to splash out to 8 feet while having one knee on the ground but a weakly struck par putt led to another dropped shot.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s just hard to judge the speed sometimes,\u201d he said.
\nMaking birdie at the tough last hole after a brilliant approach to 5 feet sparked shouts of \u201cRory, Rory\u201d from spectators in the grandstands and at least gave him something to cling to.
\nHe barely raised a smile, though, after plucking the ball out of the cup. One stat spoke volumes: he ranked 148th in putting in the 156-man field.
\n\nMcIlroy is playing a reduced schedule in 2026 and this is just his sixth event since\u00a0winning the Masters for the second straight year, which moved his total of major titles to six.
\nA win this week would tie him with Harry Vardon as the European player with most majors in men\u2019s golf.
\nHe already has plenty of work to do, even if he tried to remain positive.
\n\u201cHopefully we\u2019ll get the better conditions tomorrow and maybe the greens are a little bit smoother in the morning,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cGo out there and shoot a good one and get myself right back in it for the weekend.\u201d
The post Rory McIlroy Toils At British Open As Putting Woes Leave Him 7 Shots Off The First-Round Lead first appeared on SwingU Clubhouse.
\n ", "date_published": "2026-07-16T23:27:45+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-16T23:27:45+00:00", "author": { "name": "Associated Press" }, "post_image": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/RoryOpenR126.jpg", "category": { "name": "Tour", "slug": "https://clubhouse.swingu.com/category/tour" }, "time_ago": "2 weeks", "excerpt": "SOUTHPORT, England (AP) \u2014 There were no \u201cI\u2019m so bad at golf\u201d exclamations from Rory McIlroy this time. The puzzled looks, shakes of the head and sagging shoulders said it all. McIlroy was just 10 holes ..." } ] }