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Morning 9: Zalatoris’ heavy heart | Augusta makes hole alteration | Norman rips OWGR

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour heads to Mexico this week.

1. ICYMI: Zalatoris’ finished 2nd with a heavy heart

Cameron Morfit for PGATour.com…”He’d been asked about his emotions, and the question landed heavier than anyone could have expected.”

  • “I didn’t say anything all week,” Zalatoris said, “but I – sorry.”
  • “The tears welled up, the silence expanding. Zalatoris had shot a final-round 69 to tie for second…”
  • “The runner-up finish was a long time coming, his best result since coming back from career-threatening back surgery last year…”
  • “I lost a family member on Thursday,” Zalatoris said, “and she was – so she was with me all week. You know, was pretty special on Friday to make the hole-in-one after – sorry. Pretty special to make the hole-in-one on Friday after I found out on Thursday. She was with me all week.”
Full piece.

2. A signature win for a Signature Event

Golf Digest’s Tod Leonard…“What transpired on Sunday at Riviera Country Club is exactly how world-class golf tournaments are supposed to play out. A major champion from a golf-crazed country crafts a mind-boggling charge on a classic track to win a grand prize.”

  • “That’s a mouthful, but there was so much to admire about Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama coming from six shots down at the outset and shooting nine-under-par 62 for a stunning three-shot victory in the Genesis Invitational. The 31-year-old from Japan took home, by far, the biggest cash prize of his career of $4 million because this was a $20 million signature event on the PGA Tour.”
  • “It doesn’t get much more “signature” than what Matsuyama did on the back nine at Riviera—twice hitting approaches to a few inches from the hole among his six birdies in a back nine of 30. What’s more, Matsuyama came within inches on his birdie putt at 18 of setting the course record at vaunted Hogan’s Alley.”
Full piece.

3. ICYMI: Cantlay ill at Riviera

PGATour.com staff report…”Cantlay struggled to find a rhythm Sunday while playing in the final group at Riviera alongside close friend Xander Schauffele, who shot 70 to share fourth place with Cantlay and Adam Hadwin.”

  • “Following the final round of The Genesis, Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner shared that Cantlay woke up Sunday with a temperature exceeding 100 degrees and some sort of illness, per Cantlay’s coach Jamie Mulligan.”
  • “Cantlay didn’t meet the media after the final round, saying he was feeling under the weather.”
Full piece.

4. LIV golfers head to Asia

SI’s Bob Harig…”The first International Series event of the year takes place this week in Oman and the event will have a slew of LIV Golf players competing a week before they are all scheduled to play consecutive tournaments in Jeddah and Hong Kong.”

  • “The International Series consists of 10 elevated events that are part of the Asian Tour and are funded by LIV Golf Investments. All will have a minimum purse of $2 million and the leader of the Order of Merit earns a fully exempt spot with LIV Golf next year.”
  • …”As of now, there are 21 LIV Golf players in the field, including Joaquin Niemann, who won the first LIV Golf event of the year two weeks ago and has been trying to qualify for the Masters via the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.”
Full piece.
5. Pro asks Tiger to fix hole at Riv

6. Rory’s putting advice for Scottie? Try a mallet

Drew Powell for Golf Digest…”During a week when no one hit the ball better or chipped better, Scheffler made just three putts outside of 10 feet. His week was best encapsulated by the 18th hole on Sunday, where he hit a towering iron shot to 10 feet on one of the toughest holes on the course, only to badly misjudge the speed on the putt, never giving it a chance.

  • “That miss prompted CBS Sports’ Amanda Renner to ask Rory McIlroy—who was joining the telecast after finishing his round—what advice he would have for Scheffler as he works through his putting struggles.”
  • “I’ve certainly been through my fair share of putting woes over the years, and I finally feel like I’ve broken through and become a pretty consistent putter,” McIlroy said. He was in a similar position to Scheffler back in the mid-2010s, hitting the ball beautifully but ranking outside the top 100 on tour in putting.
  • “For me, going to a mallet was a big change,” McIlroy said said after a final-round 70 at Riviera. “I really persisted with the blade putter for a long time, but I just feel like your stroke has to be so perfect to start the ball on line, where the mallet just gives you a little bit more margin for error.
  • “So, I’d love to see Scottie try a mallet,” McIlroy concluded. “But selfishly for me, Scottie does everything else so well that he’s given the rest of us a chance.”
Full Piece.

7. Augusta makes one change for 2024 Masters

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”With The Masters less than two months away, it has been confirmed that the second hole at Augusta National will be longer by 10 yards for the 2024 tournament.”

  • “Pink Dogwood is a par-5 dogleg left that, despite the presence of bunkers on the right-hand fairway and around the green, offers an early scoring opportunity for players, helped by its downward slope.”
  • “That was generally the case in 2023, too, when it was the easiest hole over the four days. However, it may prove a touch more challenging this year, with the length of the hole now increased from 575 yards to 585 yards.”
Full Piece.

8. Hideki nets gambler huge win

9. Norman once again rips ‘laughable’ OWGR

Ben Parsons for Bunkered…”The Aussie chief posted an image on Instagram of the OWGR top 50 compared to rankings made by Sports Illustrated, The Universal Golf Ranking and Data Golf.”

  • “LIV currently has five players in the official top 50, but three of those were the marquee signings during the recent off-season in European trio Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk.”
  • “The alternate top 50 lists include more LIV names, including Talor Gooch, who won the circuit’s individual prize last season but is down in 408 in the rankings.”
Full Piece.
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Morning 9: Rory wins Match | Return of the Kim | Rahm hasn’t heard from Tiger

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour moves over to the Florida swing, while Anthony Kim looks set to make his stunning return in Jeddah.

1. Return of the Kim (presumably)

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Anthony Kim, who last played in a professional golf tournament nearly a dozen years ago, will apparently return to competition at this week’s LIV Golf League event in Saudi Arabia.”

  • “Kim, 38, is expected to play in the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah tournament, scheduled to start Friday at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. Kim is expected to play as a wildcard, meaning he will compete in the individual competition, but his scores won’t count in the team event.”
  • “LIV Golf League CEO and commissioner Greg Norman teased Kim’s comeback in a post to X on Monday, in which he shared a video from LIV Golf’s account that appeared to feature Kim walking down a fairway.”
Full piece.

2. Rory comes out on top in The Match

ESPN staff…”The Match IX introduced a mixed-gender format that saw Rory McIlroy and Max Homa represent the PGA, while Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang represented the LPGA.”

  • “McIlroy came out on top in his second appearance at the made-for-TV charity golf event, winning 10 skins between 12 holes and the sudden-death closest-to-the-pin competition to earn $2.4 million for charity.”
  • “I’ve played pretty well tonight and hit some pretty good shots,” McIlroy said. “Hopefully that carries over into the next few days as well.”
  • “Thompson finished second with two skins that secured $200,000 for charity. Homa and Zhang did not win a skin.”
Full piece.

3. Supermarket delivery driver wins ‘life-changing’ sum with T2 finish at Kenya Open

BBC report…”Joe Dean, the world number 2,930 and part-time delivery driver, has won a “life-changing” prize of £170,000 by finishing runner-up at the Kenya Open.”

  • “The Englishman, who scraped on to the DP World Tour through qualifying, finished joint second behind Darius van Driel in Nairobi.”
  • “Dean, who works a delivery driver for Morrisons supermarket, carded a closing four-under-par 67 to finish 12 under.”
  • “It’s got to be [life changing]. It’s what people dream of,” said Dean.
Full piece.

4. Why Sami didn’t get a drop

Brentley Romine for NBC Sports…”The two shots happened three days apart, but some people watching the Mexico Open couldn’t help but notice the commonalities between Sami Valimaki’s wayward drive on the 72nd hole that ended up nestled against a metal boundary fence and a provisional drive by S.H. Kim on the same hole Thursday that settled in a similar lie.”

  • “However, while Kim received a free drop, Valimaki did not…
  • “Here is the explanation from the PGA Tour rules committee:
  • “In Sami’s case, it was clearly unreasonable for him to play a stroke. The exception to Rule 16.1 applies.”
  • Here’s that verbiage: There is no relief under Rule 16.1 when playing the ball as it lies would be clearly unreasonable because of something from which the player is not allowed to take free relief (such as when a player is unable to make a stroke because of where the ball lies in a bush), or when interference exists only because a player chooses a club, type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances.
Full piece.

5. Rahm: Tiger hasn’t talked to me since I joined LIV

Our Matt Vincenzi…”When Jon Rahm joined LIV golf, it sent shockwaves throughout the world of professional golf and changed the landscape of the game as we know it.”

  • “The reigning Masters champion took a large sum of money to start his own team on LIV, “Legion XIII”.
  • “While speaking with ESPN’s Marty Smith, the Spaniard revealed that he reached out to arguably the two biggest names in golf after his decision, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.”
  • “Rory was supportive of Rahm and has even said he wants to make sure Rahm can continue to play on the European Ryder Cup team as well.”
  • …”When Rahm was asked if he’d heard from Tiger, he shared that he had not.
  • “Tiger? No, not really, I mean, Tiger, I texted him and the people that try to reach out, you know, the process, when I signed and I just let him know, ‘Hey, you know, this is a personal decision.’ I think he’s [too] busy enough to be talking to me.”
Full piece.

6. Who our betting expert is tipping this week

Check out the full piece to see who else should be on your card, but Matt Vincenzi likes Cameron Young this week at 22-1…”Cameron Young has yet to break out with a PGA Tour win, but PGA National is a good course for the former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year to showcase his elite driving ability. In his past 24 rounds, Young ranks 1st in Total Driving.”

  • “PGA National isn’t the longest course, but with water lurking everywhere, it helps to hit approach shots with higher lofted clubs. Bombers such as Rory McIlroy, Keith Mitchell, and Brooks Koepka have thrived at the course in the recent years, and Young could look to replicate their play style here.”
  • “Young has had a strong start to his 2024 season, finishing in a tie for 8th at TPC Scottsdale and a tie for 16th at Riviera. In those two starts, he gained significant strokes on the field both off the tee and on approach. He also finished 16th in his debut at the Honda Classic in 2022. With two additional top-13 finishes at Bay Hill, the 26-year-old has shown he likes playing in Florida.”
  • “With the fields in 2024 weaker than in recent seasons, Young is one of the best players teeing it up this week and has the talent to come out on top.”
Full Piece.

7. 2024 Cognizant Classic photos

  • Check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!
Full Piece.
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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Cognizant Classic

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GolfWRX is on site this week at the Cognizant Classic —FKA the Honda Classic.

The first leg of the PGA Tour’s traditional “Florida swing,” the Cognizant Classic continues to be contested at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, host course of the 1983 Ryder Cup and 1987 PGA Championship. The course is known for its famed “Bear Trap,” a three-hole stretch of holes that take their name from Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus, who redesigned the course in 2002.

The Bear Trap includes No. 15 (a par 3), No. 16 (a par 4), and No. 17 (a par 4). All four holes involve water and have led to several big numbers from Tour players over the years.

Check out an assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums below.

We’ll continue to update the galleries as more photos flow in from Florida!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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Morning 9: Knapp Time | AK to tee it up | Patty T victorious

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour moves over to the Florida swing

1. In Mexico: Knapp Time

ESPN report…”PGA Tour rookie Jake Knapp lost a four-shot lead in seven holes and then held it together with a remarkable short game Sunday, closing with an even-par 71 to win the Mexico Open at Vidanta and earn a trip to the Masters.”

  • “Knapp said he still sends a text after each round to his grandfather, who died last year, and this message might require a lot of detail.”
  • “He didn’t hit a fairway until the eighth hole and found only two the entire round — the fewest in the final round of a PGA Tour win in the past 40 years, according to golf statistician Justin Ray. Knapp never lost the lead but twice allowed Sami Valimaki of Finland to catch him. They were tied with six holes to play until Knapp took over, getting up and down on four of the next five holes, one of them for birdie.”
Full piece.
2. Report: Anthony Kim to play LIV event

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Anthony Kim will return to professional golf next week at the LIV Golf event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to multiple sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.”

  • “Kim will be a wildcard player in next week’s LIV Golf event in his first professional start since 2012. The 38-year-old had surgery on his Achilles tendon in his left leg following the ’12 Wells Fargo Championship and had been mulling a possible return for months.”
Full piece.
3. DPWT: Van Driel wins after challengers shank

Golf Channel report…”Darius van Driel won the Magical Kenya Open on Sunday for his first career win on the DP World Tour.”

  • “Meanwhile, two of van Driel’s main challengers hit less than magical shots.”
  • “First was Manuel Elvira, who co-led with van Driel after 54 holes and remained tied with van Driel through four holes. Elvira found the greenside bunker off the tee at the par-3 fifth at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi. Faced with a routine shot from the sand, Elvira shanked the shot and ended up walking away with bogey.”
Full piece.
4. LPGA: Patty T wins in Thailand

LPGA report…”It came down to the 72nd hole against some late-round charges. But when the dust settled, Patty Tavatanakit became the second Thai champion to be crowned at the Honda LPGA Thailand on Sunday, winning her first Tour event in 1,057 days. After starting the final round with a three-shot lead, she ultimately shot a 5-under 67 to finish -21, the first time she’s recorded all four rounds of an event in the 60s since her first Tour win at the 2021 Chevron Championship.”

Full piece.
5. Tonight…The Match: McIlroy, Homa, Thompson, Zhang

Cameron Morfit for PGATour.com…”Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang play an individual and often very serious game, but those walls will come down in “Capital One’s The Match” at 6:30 p.m. ET on Monday (TNT, TruTV, HLN, and the B/R Sports Add-On on Max).”

  • “For the 12-hole charity skins game at The Park at West Palm Beach, a Gil Hanse design that reimagined and resurrected a closed muni, their goal will be the same: to broaden the game’s appeal, especially to kids.”
  • “I’ve been there a few times,” McIlroy, who lives in the area, said of The Park in a conference call Thursday. “If you go there at 6 p.m., that place is filled with kids – boys and girls.”
Full piece.
6. Luke Donald to try out for NBC lead analyst spot

Josh Carpenter for Sports Business Journal…”NBC Sports is adding European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald to its broadcast booth for a pair of upcoming events as it continues in its search for a lead analyst to replace Paul Azinger.”

  • “Donald, who still plays semiregularly on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, will join NBC/Golf Channel for the Cognizant Classic next week and the Arnold Palmer Invitational the following week. Donald is expected to appear in some form on Thursday of the Cognizant broadcast and join play-by-play man Dan Hicks as part of a two-man booth on the weekend.”
Full Piece.
7. 19 putts

Beth Ann Nichols for Golfweek…”Albane Valenzuela called putting her “nemesis” in recent months. Well, that changed in a mighty way in Thailand, where she needed only 19 putts in a career-low 9-under 63 on Sunday. The Swiss player’s solo second to Patty Tavatanakit at Honda LPGA Thailand marked her career-best finish on tour.

  • “Last month at the LPGA Drive On in Bradenton, Florida, the 26-year-old Valenzuela had 10 three-putts, calling her speed “totally off.”
  • “On Sunday at Siam Country Club, Valenzuela went on a dizzying streak with the putter after holing out for eagle on the par-4 fifth.
  • “From No. 7 onwards I only had one-putts,” said Valenzuela. “For all the people that told me I could not putt, there you go.”
Full Piece.
8. Ortiz set to jump over 1,000 spots in OWGR

Jonny Leighfield for Golf Monthly…”Carlos Ortiz’s International Series Oman win on the Asian Tour was significant in a number of ways. Firstly, it was his maiden victory on that circuit. Secondly, the Mexican landed a nice comforting $360,000 check for his efforts. And thirdly, he has likely jumped from outside of the world’s top-1,000 male golfers to around the No.250 mark.”

  • “Ortiz upstaged Louis Oosthuizen and Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann to record a convincing four-shot victory in the $2 million event – the first elevated tournament on this year’s Asian Tour calendar.”
Full Piece.
9. Winning WITB: Jake Knapp

Presented by 2nd Swing

Driver: Ping G425 LST (9 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 TX

Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver (13.5 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 TX

Irons: Srixon ZU85 (2), PXG 0211 ST (4-PW)

Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II (52), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-10S), WedgeWorks (60-T)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Double Bend

Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 2.0 PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot

Full Piece.
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