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PGA Tour: Thompson Leads at Rocket Mortgage Classic Golf

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UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, play was suspended from 12:15pm to 3:30pm (EDT), a delay of 3 hours, 15 minutes. Due to darkness, the first round was suspended at 9:02pm (EDT) with 27 players left on the golf course and will resume at 7:15am (EDT) today. As they are finishing, the second round will have begun as scheduled at 6:45am this morning.

DETROIT – Tournament leader Davis Thompson is competing on a sponsor exemption. In the opening round, Thompson tied the tournament 18-hole scoring record with a 9-under (63) with the previous (63s) all came in 2019: Nate Lashley/R1, J.T. Poston/R2, Lashley/R3).

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Thompson’s previous low score in 16 prior rounds on Tour was a 4-under (66) as an amateur in the final round of 2019 The RSM Classic (T23/PGA Tour debut). He made his seventh career start on the PGA Tour and third since the University of Georgia product turned professional in June.

Thompson’s professional results: T-35/Palmetto Championship at Congaree, MC/Travelers Championship).

Brandon Hagy is currently in second place. His 7-under (65) was his first par-or-better first-round score in his last eight individual PGA Tour stroke-play events.

Matthew Wolff, the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic runner-up, recorded a 5-under 67, highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 17th and is T-7.

Kevin Chappell withdrew before his round with a back injury and was replaced in the field by Josh Teater.

Leaderboard After 18 Holes:

Davis Thompson 63 (-9)

Brandon Hagy 65 (-7)

Tom Lewis 65 (-7)

Joaquin Niemann 65 (-7)

Seamus Power 66 (-6)

J.J. Spaun 66 (-6)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour: First Look at Rocket Mortgage

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The 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic First Look

COURSE: Detroit Golf Club (Detroit, Michigan)

ARCHITECT: Donald Ross

YARDS/PAR: 7,370 yards/Par 72

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,500,000 /$1,350,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Bryson DeChambeau (July 5, 2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @RocketClassic

OFFICIAL SITE: (Rocket Mortgage Classic)

TV COVERAGE: Thursday, July 1 and Friday, July 2:  3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. 

On Saturday, July 3, Round 3 coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. CBS takes over from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, July 4: Golf Channel starts-off the coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage with Featured Groups via PGA Live from 6:45am to 6:00pm (EDT) on Thursday and Friday. PGA Live Coverage expands on the weekend with Featured Groups streaming 8:15am to 3:00pm (EDT) and Featured Holes 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on both Saturday and Sunday.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio returns for Thursday and Friday coverage 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (EDT). Weekend coverage on PGA Tour Radio airs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) or until conclusion. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com

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Rocket Mortgage Classic: 2021 Notebook

  • Bryson DeChambeau is trying to defend the tournament title after earning his sixth career PGA Tour win at Detroit Golf Club in 2020. DeChambeau defeated Matthew Wolff by three strokes last July.
  • DeChambeau became the first PGA Tour winner to lead the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Strokes Gained: Putting. His last three drives at the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic totaled 1,055 yards in distance.
  • DeChambeau enters this week No. 4 in the FedExCup and No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
  • A tournament treat for Detroit fans as 45-time PGA Tour winner Phil Mickelson will make his tournament debut in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Since winning the PGA Championship in May, Mickelson has just five rounds under-par in 10 tournament rounds.
  • Two players became eligible for PGA Tour membership on June 13: Garrick Higgo and Mito Pereira. Higgo won the Palmetto Championship at Congaree in his second career start, while Pereira earned a “Three-Victory Promotion” from the Korn Ferry Tour (first since Wesley Bryan in 2016).

 

The Basics:

Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 6:45am (EDT) through 2:00pm (EDT).

Weather: Thursday’s forecast calls for afternoon showers, temps 68-to-82 degrees, and very humid (73%). A 40% chance of rain. Friday weather improving to partly cloudy and weekend forecast is for sunny skies and lower humidity.

Olde English Wins at The Travelers

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CROMWELL – By the time the playoff was over, it was Harris Olde English who hit a birdie putt and won The Travelers Championship at the TPC River Highlands near Hartford, Connecticut. English previously sank a 27’8” birdie putt on the 72nd hole and went on to victory with the birdie on the eighth extra hole to win over Kramer Hickok.

Eight extra holes is T-2 for most in PGA Tour history (11/1949 Motor City Open).

English claimed his second PGA Tour title of the season, with both having been decided by playoffs.

In his attempt for his first career PGA Tour title, Hickok birdied the 72nd hole to force sudden death with English but had to settle for his career-best finish of second place.

2012 Travelers Championship winner Marc Leishman posted bogey-free 6-under (64) to finish third.

Final Leaderboard at The Travelers Championship

*Harris English 67-68-67-65—267 (-13)

Kramer Hickok 63-69-68-67—267 (-13)

Marc Leishman 69-66-69-64—268 (-12)

Abraham Ancer 72-66-66-65—269 (-11)

*Won with a birdie on the eighth hole of sudden death

PGA Tour: Watson, Hickok Co-Leaders at Travelers

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The Travelers: Final Round Notebook

Tournament co-leader Kramer Hickok is seeking his first career PGA Tour victory in his 68th start while fellow co-leader Bubba Watson looks to join Billy Casper as a four-time Travelers Championship winner.

Second-round leader Jason Day sits one stroke back looking for his 13th PGA Tour title but first since 2018.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson fired the low round of the day (65) to sit T-9 at 7-under after he birdied six of his last twelve holes.

Abraham Ancer and Kyle Stanley both used their 7-irons to record aces at the 180-yard 8th hole.

As the final round begins, there are 38 players within five strokes of the lead.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 54 Holes

Kramer Hickok 63-69-68 – 200 (-10)

Bubba Watson 66-66-68 – 200 (-10)

Cameron Smith 67-68-66—201 (-9)

Russell Henley 67-66-68—201 (-9)

Jason Day 69-62-70 – 201 (-9)

See PGA Tour Brunch for additional daily coverage.

Saturday at The Travelers

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The Travelers: 2021 Notebook

CROMWELL – At 9-under (131), Jason Day holds his first 36-hole lead/co-lead in a non-major since 2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Beginning on No. 10, the Australia native notched eight birdies en route to bogey-free 8-under (62). That score marked his lowest score in 24 rounds at the Travelers Championship (Previously: (63) in R-2/2019).

Bubba Watson opened with back-to-back rounds of (66) or better for the third time in his Tour career. He offset one bogey with five birdies for a 4-under (66) on Friday. His previous back-to-back rounds of (66) or better were at the 2010 The American Express/T-2, and 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open/T-2).

Kramer Hickok (T-2) is chasing his first career Tour victory in his 68th start.

K.H. Lee made eagle on the par-5 13th hole and par-4 15th hole, marking the first time in his career with multiple eagles in one round.

Defending Travelers Championship winner Dustin Johnson sits T-58 at 2-under.

The 36-hole cutline was (-2) with 79 players at 2-under (138) advancing from a field of 156 professionals.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 36 Holes

Jason Day 69-62 – 131 (-9)

Bubba Watson 66-66 – 132 (-8)

Kramer Hickok 63-69 – 132 (-8)

Seven players 133 (-7)

PGA Tour: Kodaira, Hickok Lead After 18

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The Travelers: Opening Round 2021 Notebook

Satoshi Kodaira made six birdies, one eagle in bid to become the season’s second tournament winner from Japan (Hideki Matsuyama/2021 Masters Tournament).

Kramer Hickok offset a bogey at his first hole with eight birdies, good for a PGA Tour career-low 7-under (63).

Following missed cuts in both previous Travelers Championship starts, Talor Gooch opened with a bogey-free 6-under (64).

In his first start at the Travelers Championship, Maverick McNealy opened with a bogey-free 5-under (65).

World No. 2 Dustin Johnson birdied his last two holes to open with an even-par (70) in effort to join Phil Mickelson as only players to successfully defend a Travelers Championship title.

Travelers Leaderboard – After 18 Holes

Kramer Hickok 63 (-7)

Satoshi Kodaira 63 (-7)

Talor Gooch 64 (-6)

Five players 65 (-5)

The Travelers Tees-Off in Connecticut

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PGA Tour “Travelers” to Nearby Cromwell, Conn

COURSE: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut

ARCHITECT: Robert J. Ross/Maurice Kearney

YARDS/PAR: 6,841 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,400,000 /$1,332,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Dustin Johnson (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @TravelersChamp

OFFICIAL SITE: (The Travelers)

TV COVERAGE: Today, June 24 and Friday, June 25:  3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. 

On Saturday, June 26, Round 3 coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. CBS takes over from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, June 27: Golf Channel starts-off the coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage with Featured Groups via PGA Live from 6:45am to 6:00pm (EDT) today and Friday. PGA Live Coverage expands on the weekend with Featured Groups streaming 8:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) and Featured Holes 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on both Saturday and Sunday.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio returns for today and Friday coverage 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (EDT). Weekend coverage on PGA Tour Radio airs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) or until conclusion. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com

How to Watch: In case of changes, see: (PGATourCom)

The Travelers: 2021 Notebook

Scheduled to compete in this week’s field are three of the four players with multiple wins this season: Bryson DeChambeau (2020 U.S. Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard), Stewart Cink (Fortinet Championship, RBC Heritage) and Patrick Cantlay (ZOZO Championship @ Sherwood, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday). With a victory on Sunday, one of the three could become the first player to win three titles during the 2020-21 season.

The 2021 Travelers Championship marks the beginning of the FedEx Cup playoff stretch. With only nine events remaining until the start of the playoffs, Jon Rahm moved to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings and within 137 points of leader Patrick Cantlay.

The Travelers Championship has a long history of awarding sponsor exemptions to up-and-coming players. Previous sponsor exemptions for some of the Tour’s biggest stars included: Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Matthew Wolff, Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa.

In 2021, sponsor exemptions include PGA Tour University top-ranked players John Pak and Davis Thompson, Oklahoma State product Austin Eckroat, who is making his first Tour start as a professional, and Chase Koepka, who qualified on Monday before the 2020 Travelers Championship but withdrew as a precaution after COVID exposure.

The Basics:

Tournament Tee Times begin today at 6:45am (EDT) through 2:00pm (EDT).

Weather: Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a comfortable 67-degrees, low humidity at 46% and a 0% chance of rain. Winds 6-12 mph. Friday forecast calls for 30% chance of showers, temps 53-80-degrees with southerly winds, 7-14 mph.

PGA Tour: The Travelers Preview

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First Look at The Travelers

COURSE: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut

ARCHITECT: Robert J. Ross/Maurice Kearney

YARDS/PAR: 6,841 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,400,000 /$1,332,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Dustin Johnson (2020)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Total/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @TravelersChamp

OFFICIAL SITE: (The Travelers)

TV COVERAGE: Thursday, June 24 and Friday, June 25:  3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. 

On Saturday, June 26, Round 3 coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. CBS takes over from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT). On Sunday, June 27: Golf Channel starts-off the coverage 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT) and CBS wraps it up from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: Streaming coverage with Featured Groups via PGA Live from 6:45am to 6:00pm (EDT) on Thursday and Friday. PGA Live Coverage expands on the weekend with Featured Groups streaming 8:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) and Featured Holes 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on both Saturday and Sunday.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio returns for Thursday and Friday coverage 12:00pm Noon to 6:00pm (EDT). Weekend coverage on PGA Tour Radio airs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) or until conclusion. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com

How to Watch: In case of changes, see: (PGATourCom)

The Travelers: 2021 Notebook

The 2021 Travelers Championship field includes 99 PGA Tour winners, the most in an event since the 2021 PLAYERS Championship. Two-time Travelers Championship winner Phil Mickelson leads the pack with 45 wins, while the Tour’s most recent first-time winner, South Africa’s Garrick Higgo, will make just his second start since winning the Palmetto Championship at Congaree to earn PGA Tour membership.

Dustin Johnson will attempt to become the second player to successfully defend a Travelers Championship title. The 2020 win was Johnson’s first of three during the 2019-20 season and he went on to win the FedExCup, becoming the first player to win the Travelers Championship and the FedExCup title in the same season. Johnson relinquished the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Ranking to U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm on Sunday, snapping a streak of 43 weeks as the world’s top-ranked player.

Three-time Travelers Championship winner Bubba Watson (2010, 2015, 2018) will make his 15th appearance and is seeking to tie Billy Casper for most wins in tournament history (4).

There were 27 rounds of (64) or better at the Travelers Championship in 2020, the most in a week since the event moved to TPC River Highlands in 1984. There were 1,774 birdies made in 2020, fifth-most of any event during the 2019-20 PGA Tour season.

The Basics:

Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 6:45am (EDT) through 2:00pm (EDT).

Weather: Thursday’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a comfortable 67-degrees, low humidity at 46% and a 0% chance of rain.

PGA Tour: Rahm Wins U.S. Open

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SAN DIEGO – Spain’s Jon Rahm won his first major title with a one shot victory over South African Louis Oosthuizen at the 121st United States Open Golf Championship at Torrey Pines. The victory was particularly sweet, coming on Father’s Day, for the father of a newborn son.

Rahm tied for the best score in the field Sunday, with Patrick Reed and Branden Grace also shooting (67s).

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Oosthuizen has won one major (2010 British Open) and he now has six runner-up spots in majors. That list includes tying for second at last month’s PGA Championship.

To defeat the South African, Rahm closed with two incredible pressure putts on 17 and 18 to earn the win. He won a cool $2,250,000 to start his son’s college fund. Not bad for the man who tested positive for COVID-19+ when he was six strokes up at the recent Memorial Golf Tournament and had to withdraw. Rahm cleared protocol for the U.S. Open with two days to spare.

Harris English finished third at 3 under, with his final-round (68) the only sub-70 score of the tournament. On Sunday, he had bogeys on three of the first four holes, but played the last five holes in 3 under.

Brooks Koepka (69), Collin Morikawa (70) and Italy’s Guido Migliozzi (68) were at 2 under to share fourth place.

Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler shot identical (283) for (-1) and T-7. Go figure.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau was two shots off the lead when the day began and was 2 under for the round through eight holes. He melted down and fell out of contention, playing Nos. 11-17 in 8 over to shoot a final round (77). His quadruple-bogey 8 on No. 17 was the ultimate damage. He finished T-26.

This Week: The Travelers Championship (Cromwell, Conn).

Final Leaderboard at The 121st U.S. Open

Jon Rahm – (-6) 69-70-72-67 (278)

Louis Oosthuizen – (-5) 67-71-70-71 (279)

Harris English – (-3) 72-70-71-68 (281)

Three Tied at (-2)

U.S. Open Golf: Final Round Notes

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SAN DIEGO – Mackenzie Hughes, Louis Oosthuizen and Russell Henley share the lead entering today’s final round of the U.S. Open.

Hughes and Henley are seeking their first major championship victory while the other three players in the Top-5 have a combined six major wins.

Oosthuizen is 1-for-2 in major championships with the 54-hole lead/co-lead (won 2010 Open Championship and lost in a playoff in 2015 Open Championship).

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau can become the eighth player to successfully defend U.S. Open title. He is only two strokes back.

Also two strokes back, 2011 U.S. Open winner Rory McIlroy is looking to become the 20th player to win five men’s major championships.

U.S. Open Leaderboard After 54 Holes

Mackenzie Hughes 73-67-68—208 (-5)

Louis Oosthuizen 67-71-70—208 (-5)

Russell Henley 67-70-71—208 (-5)

Rory McIlroy 70-73-67—210 (-3)

Bryson DeChambeau 73-69-68—210 (-3)