Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

PGA Tour Brunch

Can Viktor Hovland Defend at FedEx?

by

MEMPHIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Viktor Hovland can empathize with most amateur golfers in at least one easy-to-understand way.

Embed from Getty Images

He doesn’t enjoy being on the golf course when he’s playing poorly.

Of course, Hovland’s standards are quite different than the average Sunday duffer. The young Norwegian star was coming off winning the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus last year when he changed swing coaches.

It was part of a quest to hit a more consistent cut. But as has happened to so many elite players before him who have attempted swing changes, it backfired on Hovland.

After closing out 2023 with five consecutive top-10 finishes, Hovland opened this year with a T22 in the 59-player field at The Sentry. What’s followed has been a lone top-10 in his past 12 starts on tour — a solo third at the PGA Championship.

Hovland is coming off a T30 at the Olympics and sits in 57th place entering the first leg of the playoffs at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Only the top 50 after this week advance to the BMW Championship, but Hovland is confident that he sees the light at the end of the tunnel of a very frustrating season to date.

“It feels like it’s been a lot of peaks and valleys. I mean, it’s just not that fun to play golf when you don’t know where the ball is going,” he said on Tuesday.

“I do pride myself in trying to make the best out of it, but it gets to a point where you kind of lose that belief — you just see a shot, and that’s not good enough. I can try to grind my hardest. I can try to chip in from there. But you do that too often, too many times during the course of a round or a tournament, it’s too much to overcome.

“And I feel like it’s a waste of time for me to be playing golf if that’s where I’m at. I’d rather be off the golf course and work on it, trying to figure out why I’m doing those things.”

Hovland has withdrawn from multiple events this year — the WM Phoenix Open after a T58 at Pebble Beach and later from the RBC Heritage, a signature event, after shooting an 81 to miss the cut at the Masters. Both WDs prompted rumors that Hovland was considering a move to LIV Golf, but he has insisted that he’d rather work on his game at home than struggle in competition.

Scheffler Cares; Gets the Gold

by

PARIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – There were far too many Olympic and sports pundits who threw shade on multi-millionaires who wouldn’t have the motivation to play for a medal of golf, silver or bronze when they can earn upwards of $18,000,000 for a single FedEx Cup title or $300,000,000 for signing on the dotted line with LIV Golf. It’s just a wild guess, they didn’t stick around for the Medal Ceremony on Golf Channel to see tears of emotion streaming on Scottie Scheffler’s face.

Embed from Getty Images

Scheffler, an American golfer of the highest regard, won the gold medal at the Men’s Olympic Golf competition on Sunday with a final score of 19 under par at Le Golf National, south of the city of Paris.

He turned in a final-round 62, which included six birdies on the back nine. He closed with birdies on holes 15 through 18.

The World No. 1 finished one shot ahead of Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood (66), who took silver at 18 under. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (65) was two shots back to claim the bronze medal, improving on his tie for fourth place on home soil in Tokyo three years ago.

For Scheffler, this is his seventh victory of 2024. His wins include The Players Championship and the Masters Tournament.

–Reuters, Special to Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Vegas Has Hot Hand

by

BLAINE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas birdied six of the final eight holes for an 8-under-par 63 to surge into the lead after three rounds of the 3M Open on Saturday in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Embed from Getty Images

Matt Kuchar’s eagle on No. 18 gave him 63 and a temporary share of first place before Vegas, who’s at 16-under 197, birdied the last hole.

Vegas, who hasn’t won on the PGA Tour in seven years, had three birdies in a four-hole stretch to pull into a share of the lead after No. 14 and kept the momentum going.

Kuchar, who hasn’t won in more than five years and is aiming for his 10th career victory on the tour, will be contending in the final round at TPC Twin Cities. He nearly aced the par-3 17th before his final-hole eagle came with a short chip from in front of the green, with the ball bouncing a couple of times before clanking against the pin and dropping into the cup.

Maverick McNealy also shot 63 to move to 14 under, while Patrick Fishburn (63) and Sahith Theegala (66) share fourth place at 12 under.

Canada’s Adam Svensson (66), Matt NeSmith (70) and Australia’s Cam Davis (65) are tied for sixth at 11 under. Among Svensson’s highlights was sinking a shot from a sand trap for a birdie on the par-3 eighth

Canadian Taylor Pendrith, who led after the second round by two strokes, tumbled with a 2-over 73. He had a five-hole stretch at 5 over, ending with a double-bogey 6 at No. 11, though he made it through the last seven holes at 1 under. He’s tied for ninth at 10 under.

Fishburn emerged atop the leaderboard among early finishers before others caught up.

X-Man Marks the Major Spot

by

TROON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – American Xander Schauffele shot a sterling 65 at Royal Troon to emerge from the pack and win the 152nd Open Championship for his second major title of the year Sunday at Royal Troon in Scotland.

Embed from Getty Images

Schauffele saved his best golf of the week for last, as he rode a bogey-free round to a final score of 9-under-par 275 and a two-shot victory over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel. The 30-year-old Schauffele, who captured his first career major at the PGA Championship in May, is the first player since Brooks Koepka (2018) to win multiple majors in a calendar year.

Schauffele’s win completed the first American sweep of the four majors since 1982. Scottie Scheffler won the Masters and Bryson DeChambeau took home the U.S. Open.

Schauffele was one of six players who began the day one shot behind 54-hole leader Horschel. He surged into the lead down the home stretch, making four of his six birdies on the back nine.

Playing in the final pairing with Horschel, Thriston Lawrence of South Africa grabbed a one-stroke lead at the turn by making his fourth birdie of the day at the par-4 ninth.

The lead flipped after Lawrence badly missed the green at No. 12. He failed to save par, and just up ahead, Schauffele played No. 13 perfectly, rolling in a left-to-right birdie putt from 16 feet.

Schauffele proceeded to knock his tee shot at the par-4 13th to 12 1/2 feet and convert another birdie to double his advantage. At the par-5 16th, he played a delicate pitch shot over a greenside pot bunker that teased the cup before leaving him a 4-foot birdie putt.

Rose missed some chances to keep up with Schauffele, his playing partner. He settled for a 67 after birdieing two of the final three holes. Upon sinking a 15-foot birdie putt at No. 18, the Englishman saluted the crowd after his second runner-up finish at The Open.

–Field Level Media

Horschel Leads, Lowry Stumbles at Open

by

TROON – American Billy Horschel battled rainy Royal Troon and came away with a 2-under-par 69 and the 54-hole lead at the Open Championship on Saturday at Royal Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

Embed from Getty Images

The PGA Tour veteran stands at 4-under 209 and holds the lead outright after Cinderella story Daniel Brown of England double-bogeyed the final hole to drop to 3 under. The six-way tie for second features Brown, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Sam Burns, Thriston Lawrence of South Africa and Justin Rose of England.

Irishman Shane Lowry began the day with a two-shot lead over Brown and went up by three after birdieing the fourth hole. He proceeded to make five bogeys and one double bogey, shooting 77 and plummeting to ninth place at 1 under, one behind World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (71).

The fickle weather conditions reshaped the leaderboard on moving day at Troon. Several players who began the day over par took advantage of a mild morning. Burns and Lawrence shot 6-under 65s, and Henley posted a 66.

Then rain and winds picked up on the Scottish seaside. Horschel, playing in the penultimate group, fared the best. He made four birdies on the front nine and his first bogey at No. 11.

Horschel then missed five straight greens and scrambled for five straight pars at Nos. 13-17, nearly holing out for birdie from the sand at the par-5 16th.

PGA Tour: It’s On to Royal Troon

by

TROON – The 2024 Open Championship is the 33rd of 36 FedEx Cup regular season events. The Barracuda, the j.v. event this weekend, is the 34th of 36 events.

This weekend, the field at The Open includes:

  • The Top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings
  • An impressive 49 of the Top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking
  • A total of 19 past Open Championship winners: Stewart Cink (2009), Darren Clarke (2011), John Daly (1995), Ernie Els (2002, 2012), Todd Hamilton (2004), Brian Harman (2023), Padraig Harrington (2007, 2008), Zach Johnson (2015), Justin Leonard (1997), Shane Lowry (2019), Rory McIlroy (2014), Phil Mickelson (2013), Francesco Molinari (2018), Collin Morikawa (2021), Louis Oosthuizen (2010), Cameron Smith (2022), Jordan Spieth (2017), Henrik Stenson (2016), and Tiger.

Royal Troon is hosting the Open Championship for the 10th time in modern golf history. The previous winners at Troon: Henrik Stenson (2016), Todd Hamilton (2004), Justin Leonard (1997), Mark Calcavecchia (1989), Tom Watson (1982), Tom Weiskopf (1973), Arnold Palmer (1962), Bobby Locke (1950), Arthur Havers (1923)

There are 40 players in the field who competed in the 2016 Open Championship when the tournament was last held at Royal Troon. That includes five golfers who finished inside the Top 10 in ‘16: Henrik Stenson/Won, Phil Mickelson/2nd. Tyrrell Hatton/T5, Rory McIlroy/T5, Dustin Johnson/T9.

Davis Thompson Sizzles at John Deere

by

SILVIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Davis Thompson shot 7-under par 64 to run away with the John Deere Classic for his first PGA Tour victory Sunday in Illinois.

Embed from Getty Images

Thompson finished with a tournament-record 28-under 256 for a four-shot victory on a trio of contenders, breaking away from a two-shot lead from the beginning of the day and leading by as many as six strokes.

Luke Clanton, a Florida State golfer, shot 63 and became the first amateur to record top 10 finishes in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour since 1958. He tied for second place with Michael Thorbjornsen (63) and Taiwan’s C.T. Pan (64).

Ben Griffin had the day’s best score with 62 to finish at 23 under and he was joined in fifth place by Carson Young 63).

Denny McCarthy (64), Andrew Novak (64), Eric Cole (69) and England’s Aaron Rai (69) ended at 21 under and tied with Hayden Springer, who opened the tournament with Thursday’s 59. Springer played the backside in 5 under Sunday for a late surge.

By midway through the round, it became clear that there would be a first-time winner on the PGA Tour. Griffin, Young, Thorbjornsen, Clanton, McCarthy, Novak and Springer were also seeking their first title on the circuit, but Thompson’s lead was too large.

Thompson, 25, is a former University of Georgia golfer who has been contending in recent weeks. He tied for second place last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and shared ninth place in last month’s U.S. Open.

Thompson recorded birdies on seven of the first 10 holes of the final round at TPC Deere Run to open a six-shot lead. He had his first bogey of the weekend on No. 12 before a birdie on No 14 stretched the margin back to four shots on Griffin.

Clanton played the back nine in 6 under Sunday. Thorbjornsen notched six consecutive birdies from Nos. 8-13, but still trailed by five shots.

Young, a 29-year-old former Clemson golfer, had his only bogey on the last hole and fell out of second place.

Griffin had an eagle on the par-5 second hole, but after reaching 10 under for the round dropped a stroke with a bogey 6 on No. 17.

Because of weather concerns, golfers were placed in threesomes and Nos. 1 and 10 were used as starting points with tee times moved up.

–Field Level Media

Thompson, Cole Lead at John Deere

by

SILVIS (Illinois) – Following T9 and T2 finishes in his two most recent starts (U.S. Open and Rocket Mortgage), Davis Thompson made nine birdies en route to a bogey-free (62) to reach 21-under (192) after 54 holes.

Embed from Getty Images

He holds his second 54-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR (2023 American Express).

Thompson’s (62) matched his career-low score from round one of the 2023 American Express when he finished second.

With birdies on six of his first nine holes – including five straight on Nos. 4-8 – Jordan Spieth turned at 6-under (29) before signing for an 8-under (63). The (63) falls two strokes shy of his career-low score of (61); the first of 61s he posted in round three of the 2015 John Deere Classic en route to his win.

A week removed from his second top-10 finish of the season, a T6 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Eric Cole followed a 9-under (62) in round one with scores of 68-64 in rounds two and three to reach T2 at 19-under (194). Cole played his last three holes in R3 in 3-under par (eagle-birdie-par).

Making his first start in the John Deere Classic, Aaron Rai (T2/-19) followed a second-round 8-under (63) with a 5-under (66) and sits T-2 with Cole.

John Deere Classic | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

1 Davis Thompson 63 67 62 192 (-21)

T2 Eric Cole 62 68 64 194 (-19)

T2 Aaron Rai 65 63 66 194 (-19)

T4 Hayden Springer 59 71 66 196 (-17)

T4 C.T. Pan 65 63 68 196 (-17)

Pan, Rai Lead at John Deere Classic

by

SILVIS – C.T. Pan currently shares his first 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR with Aaron Rai. For Pan, it’s his second lead after any round (R3/2023 RBC Canadian Open) when he finished T3.

John Deere Classic

Pan’s econd-round (63) fell one-stroke shy of his career-best (62/R4/2023 CJ CUP Byron Nelson/finished 4th) as he seeks his second all-time PGA TOUR victory in his 193rd start on TOUR. Pan won the 2019 RBC Heritage.

Rai shares his second-consecutive 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR this season as he held a share of 36-hole lead at last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic and finished a career-high T2.

Rai also held a share of the 36-hole lead with partner David Lipsky at the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans (finished T23).

Rai’s (128) marks career-best opening 36-hole score on TOUR with the previous best as a (131) at the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, a week ago.

Making his first start at the event since 2015, two-time John Deere Classic champion Jordan Spieth (T47/-6) was in danger of a MTC but rallied to card 4-under (67) and sits eight shots back after 36-holes.

The cutline advanced 76 professionals and one amateur at 5-under (137) from a field of 155 professionals and one amateur.

Jimmy Stanger withdrew prior to his second round due to an elbow injury.

John Deere Classic | Leaderboard After 36 Holes

T1 C.T. Pan 65 63 128 (-14)

T1 Aaron Rai 65 63 128 (-14)

3 Harry Hall 63 66 129 (-13)

T4 Six players 130 (-12)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour: Springer Shoots 59

by

SILVIS – Hayden Springer had some fireworks for the crowds at the John Deere Classic. His opening round was highlighted by eight birdies and two eagles during his tournament debut, as the PGA TOUR rookie signed for a 12-under (59). He’s the 13th different player (14 times) to shoot a sub-60 round on the PGA TOUR. Jim Furyk is the only player with 58 and 59.

Embed from Getty Images

Springer’s round included: Hitting 10-of-14 fairways, 14-of-18 greens in regulation and 21 total putts (sank 112’ 6” of putts).

His career-low round on TOUR came in his 19th start. His previous best was an 8-under (64) during R1/2024 American Express.

Finland’s Sami Valimaki carded a 10-under (61) in his first John Deere Classic start, good for solo-second. His PGA TOUR stint comes after earning exempt status to the gig by way of the Top 10 in the 2023 DP World Tour Eligibility Ranking category, seeks a second Top 10 of the season after finishing second at the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

Following last week’s T6 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Eric Cole (3rd/-9) is making his third John Deere Classic start (MC/2021, T42/2023). His opening round (62) fell a stroke shy of his career-best (61/R3/2023 RSM Classic).

The 2013 and 2015 John Deere Classic champion Jordan Spieth sits T90 after an opening-round 2-under (69). In successful rounds on his way to winning, Spieth opened with a 1-under (70) in 2013 and even-par (71) in 2015.

John Deere Classic | Leaderboard After 18 Holes

1 Hayden Springer 59 (-12)

2 Sami Valimaki 61 (-10)

3 Eric Cole 62 (-9)

T4 Four players 63 (-8)