News

Morning 9: LIV ratings | Tiger teases announcement | Rory to defend Scottish Open

Published

1 min ago

Feb 7, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the WM Phoenix Open.

1. LIV ratings

Tim Schmitt for Golfweek…”…despite the impressive leaderboard, the cancellation of the final round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and no NFL playoffs on the schedule, LIV Golf’s event still drew a rating well below that of the PGA Tour, according to Sports TV Ratings.”

“Although the head-to-head numbers on Saturday were strongly in favor of the PGA Tour (168K to 1.91M), the Sunday number for LIV Golf did show a significant year-over-year improvement.”

“LIV’s first event in 2023 received 291K viewers on Sunday, according to Josh Carpenter of the Sports Business Journal. The 2023 Honda Classic, on the other hand, reeled in 2.38 million.”

“The numbers do not include streaming, which is available on LIV Golf Plus as well as via a pay-per-view YouTube option.”

Full piece.

2. JT: PGA Tour can’t take LIV pros back easily

Josh Weinfuss for ESPN…”Justin Thomas doesn’t believe PGA Tour golfers who defected to the LIV Golf League should be allowed to easily return to the PGA Tour.”

His comments came a week after Rory McIlroy said the opposite, that PGA Tour golfers who joined LIV should be allowed to return to the PGA Tour because “it’s hard to punish people.”

“I would say that there’s a handful of players on LIV that would make the tour a better place, but I’m definitely not in the agreement that they should just be able to come back that easily,” Thomas said Tuesday, two days before the WM Phoenix Open kicks off at the TPC Scottsdale.

“I think there’s a lot of us that made sacrifices and were very — whether it’s true to our word or what we believe in or just didn’t make that decision, and I totally understand that things are changing and things are getting better, but it just would — I would have a hard time with it, and I think a lot of guys would have a hard time with it, and I’m sure we don’t need to convince you why we would have a hard time with it.”

Full piece.

3. McIlroy to defend Scottish Open

ESPN report…”Rory McIlroy confirmed he will defend his Scottish Open title at The Renaissance Club from July 11-14 ahead of The 152nd Open the following week.”

“McIlroy, 34, birdied the final two holes last year to edge Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre by a shot and claim his first Scottish Open title. That also made him the first player to win the Scottish Open, Irish Open and The Open.”

“It was special to win the Genesis Scottish Open for the first time last season,” McIlroy said. “Winning a national open is always notable, and to do it in the home of golf, with such great support from the Scottish fans, made it a memorable week.”

Full piece.

4. Rahm still eyeing PGA Tour comeback

ESPN Report…”Jon Rahm on Tuesday lamented missing out on recent PGA Tour events at Torrey Pines and Palm Springs, but he is hopeful that he can compete in those events down the road and doesn’t regret his decision to jump to the LIV Golf League.”

“I’m hoping that in the near future I can be back playing some of those events,” Rahm told reporters Tuesday at Las Vegas Country Club, the site of this week’s LIV Golf event. “I would certainly love to go back and play some of them.

Full piece.

5. Interpret Tiger’s tweet

6. Rahm ’emotional’ to miss West Coast events

Elvin Priest for GolfDigest…”The 29-year-old’s affinity for the West Coast Swing comes from the fact he played college golf at Arizona State, captured his first PGA Tour title (2017 Farmers) and first major (2021 U.S. Open) at Torrey Pines, proposed to wife Kelley in the La Jolla area of San Diego and won the American Express twice (2018, 2023).”

“I’ve explained so many times how important Torrey is for me,” Rahm said. “Driving by [TPC Scottsdale, near where Rahm lives] as often as I had to and knowing that I wasn’t going to play there, it’s definitely emotional. That’s one of the things that I’m going to miss.

“I’m hoping in the near future I can be back playing some of those events. I would certainly love to go back and play some of them.”

Full Piece.

7. WMPO photos

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Greenest Show on Grass AKA the biggest party on the PGA Tour — the WM Phoenix Open.

General galleries, abundant WITBs, and, of course, limited-edition WMPO-inspired swag are all assembled for your viewing pleasure below.

Full Piece.

8. Who our betting expert likes this week

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Justin Thomas +1400 (DraftKings)…Justin Thomas has been on fire to kick off his 2024 season. He finished 3rd at the American Express and put another great week together at Pebble Beach, finishing in a tie for 6th. Now he will be heading to a course that he absolutely loves in search of his first victory since the 2022 PGA Championship.

Thomas has played some great golf at TPC Scottsdale. He finished 4th at the course last year and 8th in 2022, gaining 7.1 strokes on approach, which was second in the field behind only Bubba Watson. Additionally, Thomas has third place finishes in both 2019 and 2020 as well as a 13th place finish in 2021.

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is an event I’ve always thought Justin Thomas was destined to win. As we’ve seen at both the Ryder Cup and the President’s Cup, “JT” is a player who thrives off of energy from the crowd, and he’ll certainly get his fair share of that this week in Scottsdale.

Full Piece.

9. Donald: No judgment of Rahm or Hatton

Ronan MacNamara for Irish Golfer…”Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald says nobody from Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team last year is judging Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton for joining LIV Golf this season.”

“Last week, Hatton became the latest. high-profile name to move to the Saudi backed tour alongside record signing Rahm and DP World Tour player of the year, Adrian Meronk.

“We still have a group WhatsApp chat, and we’re all participating in that chat that we created for Rome,” explained Donald ahead of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

“There’s nothing adverse or anything within that chat. Everyone understands each individual wants to do the best for themselves, and I don’t think anyone is judging Tyrrell or Jon’s decision.

Full Piece.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 WM Phoenix Open

Published

22 hours ago

Feb 6, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Greenest Show on Grass AKA the biggest party on the PGA Tour — the WM Phoenix Open.

General galleries, abundant WITBs, and, of course, limited-edition WMPO-inspired swag are all assembled for your viewing pleasure below.

And of course, you can see what GolfWRXers are saying about the photos in the forums and have your say as well.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about the photos in the forums and have your say as well.

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News

Tour Rundown: Clark’s 3rd in 9 months, Frittelli doesn’t fritter

Published

1 day ago

Feb 6, 2024

Ronald Montesano

February brought a decrease in competitions with its arrival. The LPGA are off until the last weekend of the month, while the Tour Champions break until just after the Superb Owl. Even the DP World Tour will rest for a week, mid-month, before resuming a full slate of events. Ditto the Korn Ferry Tour. Light is the descriptor for the month of love, but that’s fine. With loads of golf on arrival from March to November, a break in month the second won’t be missed.

The US PGA Tour began its West Coast Swing at the first Signature event of the year. The No-Cut Crosby, as some call it, references the ancient name of the AT&T, while highighting the absence of a 36-hole dismissal for the lesser achievers. Everyone got a payday along the Monterey peninsula, and a 59 watch took place at storied Pebble Beach on Saturday. The DP World Tour continued its early-season stretch in the middle east, stopping in Bahrain for its eponymous championship. Finally, the Korn Ferry Tour moved west, from the Bahammas to the Americas, for a sojourn through central and south America. Just three events, but plenty of mileage in between. From California, to Panamá, to the island nation of Bahrain, it feels more like a Flydown than a Rundown. Let’s have a look at this week’s Tour Rundown, from three unique locales.

Another one!@Wyndham_Clark is having a special day @ATTProAm.

He’s now 9-under thru 10 ? pic.twitter.com/EKVegdmAKn

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 3, 2024

PGA Tour @ The AT&T: Clark claims third title in nine months

When a competitor wins a weather-shortened event, the golfverse ignites with suggestions of woulda, coulda, and other nonsense. When a competitor wins a weather-shortened event on the heels of a third-round, 12-under par 60 over Pebble Beach golf linkage, there might a bit of chatter, but not much. The old gal along Carmel Bay took three days worth of shots, and it was enough for her to wave a white kerchief and cry “enough.”

On Saturday, Clark played a round of golf unlike any other. Eagles at both par-fives on the outward half, were married to four birdies. Their love child was a score of eight-under par 28, and thus did the golfverse blaze with thoughts of 59. Two more birdies at 10 and 11 added kindling and coal and anything else flammable to the hecatomb, but a bogey at twelve drenched (foreshadowing) hopes for a time. The time lasted all of 15 minutes, as the Colordado native and current US Open champion posted another pair of birdies and reached eleven deep. Pars at 15, 16, and 17 could not have looked more like birdies, and the leader arrived at the 18th tee needing eagle for immortality.

He gave it (and us) everything he had. Drive to the edge of doom, long iron to 25-ish feet, and another effort that seemed destined for the hole’s depths, until fate cried “enough.” A score of 60 gave Clark a one-shot advantage over the other 2023 revelation, Ludvid Abert. With everyone salivating at the thought of a young-guns duel, Mother Nature landed. Winds and rains on Sunday saturated the course beyond consideration. She was just getting started, and Monday was abandoned before Sunday drew to a close.

Clark and the rest of the sojourner caravan move inland to Scottsdale, for the greatest show on turf at TPC Scottsdale. The one week a year when rowdy triumphs over formal is at hand, but few will forget the magic of Saturday along the Monterey Peninsula.

Wyndham Clark is dialed today. pic.twitter.com/LuRKZ1WxjT

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 3, 2024

DP World Tour @ The Bahrain Championship: No fritter from Frittelli

Dylan Frittelli came out of the University of Texas as a heralded golfer bound for stardom. Winning on the tours has come his way, but not at the pace nor the level that pundits predicted. Frittelli has five wins in Europe (2 Challenge and 3 DP World), three in Africa (1 each on Asian, Big Easy, and Sunshine tours) and one in the USA (PGA Tour) on his ledger. The lanky South African took the lead this week in Bahrain, reaching 12-under par to hold a two-shot advantage over countryman Ockie Strydom through 54 holes. Strydom seeks the same, higher validation as Frittelli, ensuring that their pairing should have been a compelling one.

Through nine hole on day four, it was anything but. While Strydom stood two-under par on the 64th tee, the overnight leader could not find the formula that had brought success over three days. Frittelli had eight pars and a bogey to show, and things were getting worse. Zander Lombard and Jesper Svensson gained multiple shots on the lead pair, and when Frittelli went plus-two on the day at the 12th, the resolution appeared to have passed him by.

And that’s the beauty of golf. When you least expect it, the switch flips and the juice returns. Frittelli found birdies at consecutive, par-five holes, midway through the inward half. He gained one shot on Lombard, and two shots on both Svensson and Strydom. Frittelli added an unlikely, third birdie coming home, at the par-three 16th. A modest tee shot to 42 feet was followed by an absolute dagger to the heart of his pursuers. From the bottom of the putting surface, the Longhorn’s aim was true, and the advantage went to two shots.

The final tally saw Frittelli reach 13-under par, two ahead of Sweden’s Svensson and countryman Lombard. Strydom ended on plus-one for the day, in solo fourth position. The DP World Tour moves next door this week, onto the mainland of Qatar for the Qatar Masters.

.@Dylan_Frittelli goes two shots clear with two holes to play ?#BahrainGolfChamps pic.twitter.com/13ApDmaCzK

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 4, 2024

Korn Ferry Tour @ The Panamá Championship: Isaiah, Chapter One

Isaiah Salinda didn’t venture far from home to attend Stanford University. He is a Pacific Coast kid at heart. It should come as no surprise that his first important professional win came just north of the Pacific Ocean. That’s right, north. If you map the location of Club de Golf de Panamá, you find it on the arc of Panamá that curves north, then south. As a result, the Caribbean/Atlantic lies to the north, while the Pacific sits due south. Despite the shift from longitude to latitude, Salinda’s first big V came just a bit away from another Pacific coastline.

Salinda and countryman Will Bateman reached seven-under par by the end of round three, to share the top sport of The Panamá Championship. Their advantage was tenuous, with a handful of golfers within a few shots of the helm. The first ten holes on Sunday offered little indication of how things would resolve. Salinda scratched a stroke from par, while Bateman posted a decade of pars. Salinda drained an unlikely, 50-feet putt for birdie at the difficult eleventh, while his playing companion struggled to a triple-bogey seven. Salinda played the 12th hole to perfection (drive and approach to ten feet, followed by one putt for eagle) to turn a two-shot advantage into a seven-shot margin.

The Californian finished his week at 12-under par, good for an eight-shot win over Bateman (73) Keenan Huskey (64), and Trent Phillips (66). The KFT travels to the capital city of Colombia for this week’s Astara Golf Championship in Bogotá.

A big eagle on No. 12 ?@isaiah_salinda is 11-under with four holes left to play and currently holds a five-stroke lead @ClubGolfPanama. pic.twitter.com/ZQxIDcLQ86

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) February 4, 2024

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Equipment

Heavy Artillery: A look at some of the drivers in play at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Published

5 days ago

Feb 2, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

What are the driver and shaft combinations of the best golfers in the world? For gearheads, it’s an endlessly interesting question — even if we can only ever aspire to play LS heads and 7 TX shafts.

At this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, GolfWRX got in-hand looks at the driver setups of more than 20 players.

Check out some of the most interesting combos below, then head to the GolfWRX forums for the rest, as well as the rest of our galleries from Pebble Beach.