Rory McIlroy sings, Taylor and Travis on the course, AK’s latest win | Rogers Report
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
15 and Mahomies Foundation, PGA Tour
Hello friends and welcome to this week’s Rogers Report! Between Rory McIlroy belting “Don’t Stop Believin'” to Taylor Swift’s appearance at Patrick Mahomes’ golf event, this may have been the most Rogers Report-esque week of golf ever.
I woke up this morning eager to start typing away because the last few days in golf have been some of my absolute favorite. Also, I’m finally just getting around to unpacking from the Masters (I had another work trip right after I returned from Augusta), and I need you all to encourage me to stop buying so much from the merchandise center. There is no reason why my tiny apartment should be covered in Masters tags, receipts and t-shirts. I’ll probably never learn this lesson, but wanting to change is half the battle. Okay, back to the golf.
Confusion at the Zurich Classic
I grew up with a set of identical twins in my grade, and it was easy to tell them apart because Alex wore red and Nick wore blue every single day of elementary school. To this day, I can’t think of one twin without associating them with the color they sported all throughout our childhood. I think this is something the Hojgaard twins could have done at the Zurich Classic to make things easier for the broadcasters and fans, but they decided to match head-to-toe each day. It’s only fair to note that a bunch of teams decided to match last week, but with the exact same sponsors and faces, it was particularly difficult to tell Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard apart at TPC Lousiana.
Most of me thinks this is an incredibly funny move. I definitely had moments as a kid where I wondered what it would be like to a) be an identical twin and b) have the power to switch places for a day.
I do worry about the people doing the announcing last week. Did they have a trick to tell them apart? The whole thing sort of feels like golf’s version of “The Parent Trap.” Although I guess that storyline would make more sense if one went to LIV and one of them won a major. From there, they could refuse to say which twin won the event until the Tour and PIF came to an agreement. It would certainly keep us all on our toes, and hopefully end in the same way the actual “Parent Trap” movie ended: with a big reunification.
Golf’s best bromance
I’ve talked a lot about the friendship between Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth (haven’t we all?), but it has recently occurred to me that I haven’t shed enough light on or even paid attention to another golf bromance. Folks, let’s give it up for Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry!
Their friendship was put in the lime light at the Zurich Classic over the weekend, but their journey to TPC Louisiana started a handful of months ago over a drunken lunch.
I feel like the decision to tee it up in a golf tournament (that you’ll go on to win) together is the best-case scenario as far as outcomes go when it comes to drunken lunches. I usually decide it’s a good time to purchase a new wardrobe or text someone I probably shouldn’t. My friends have booked week-long vacations that ended up being canceled the next day and some poor souls have even decided to start podcasts over lunches like these.
On a more serious note, I see a lot of female friendships on display in all areas of my life and I think that’s great. It’s rarer to see male friendships on display in this way and I am here for it.
Look how happy they are!
Aside from the karaoke party (which has its own segment here), this video is my favorite content from the Zurich.
Just look at those two! Giggling, dressed in a theme and each holding a Diet Coke. They’re like two twenty-something year-old gals heading out to a party. It’s exactly how my pals and I headed out on the town in Boston back in college. They are absolutely giddy and the energy from that video is contagious.
Some good news for you all: The Lowry-McIlroy friendship has been passed on to a second generation. Iris Lowy and Poppy McIlroy were inseparable at the 2023 Par-3 Contest at the Masters. Adorable!
Rory does karaoke
Now for the really good stuff. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry crashed a post-tournament party on Sunday evening at TPC Louisiana, and I will forever be thankful that they did.
There is so much to dissect here. The fact that McIlroy is kind of talked into performing and gains a ton of confidence as he goes very much reminds me of the New Year’s karaoke party scene at the start of “High School Musical.” Perhaps McIlroy is golf’s Troy Bolton.
With that in mind, I had absolutely no choice but to put the video to “Breaking Free” from the critically acclaimed Disney Channel movie.
And finally, I put the video to McIlroy’s favorite Taylor Swift song: Blank Space.
We already knew that McIlroy is a great performer on the course, so I’m not sure if I should be surprised that he’s also a great on stage. Is he a decent singer? Or is his confidence just convincing me that he is? I’m not sure I’ll ever get the answer to these questions (unless, of course, he sings on stage again at some point), but the following Tweet describes this whole ordeal perfectly.
Taylor Swift x golf
To know the Rogers Report is to know that we (I) have long documented Taylor Swift’s golf crossovers in this column. There’s the golf club in her “Blank Space” music video and Eras Tour performance and the fact that she wore a bracelet designed by the one and only Michelle Wie West at the Super Bowl. And I’m very pleased to announce that we have more Taylor Swift golf content, thanks to Patrick Mahomes and his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (who loves golf, by the way) attended Mahomes’ gala and tournament in Las Vegas over the weekend. But before we get into all of that, allow me to show you some of the Travis Kelce golf content we’ve had on GOLF.com over the last few years.
Okay, back to Mahomes’ event. The two arrived to the gala looking as stylish as ever.
Not only was it a golf-filled weekend, but PGA Tour golfer Tony Finau was in attendance!
My boots on the ground pals said that Finau and Kelce chatted for a while, and Layna Finau’s comment on her TikTok confirms that she met Swift at the event.
Swift auctioned off tickets to the Eras Tour at the event and it’s safe to say people were very excited about it.
The tickets sold for $80,000, or about 800 loops if you’re double-bagging it as a caddie.
Also, if you look super closely at the reel posted by the 15 and Mahomies Foundation on Instagram, you’ll see Swift cheering on Kelce for about a split second. Or you’ll realize you have too much free time and need to log off for a day or five. If you’re like me, maybe both!
Anthony Kim’s latest win
Okay, so he may not be setting LIV Golf records as of right now, but you know where Anthony Kim is winning? In the replies on Twitter. He replies thoughtfully to those who wish him well and isn’t afraid to clap back at those who are rude to him.
Also, he posts all about his love for his daughter which is an added bonus.
I look forward to following Anthony Kim closely on Twitter for the foreseeable future.
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