The post Pro shoots 52 at St. Andrews — on the back nine appeared first on Golf.

The post Pro shoots 52 at St. Andrews — on the back nine appeared first on Golf.

Less than a month ago, Alexander Knappe won the B-NL Challenge Trophy. It was the German pro’s second Challenge Tour victory of 2022 and boosted him into first place on the tour’s order of merit. He’s assured a promotion onto the DP World Tour for the upcoming season, where the 33-year-old will hope to for his best year yet.

All that is to say that Knappe is a very talented golfer who has been playing in top form. You just wouldn’t know it from his scorecard on Friday at the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Before the second round at the Dunhill Links, Knappe put up a post on his Instagram showing off a series of pot bunker shots.

“Pot bunkers can be quite nasty,” he wrote in the caption. “I’ll be quite honest now: I would prefer to be able to avoid them today.”

Spoiler alert: He didn’t. Nor could he avoid the wind, rain, or O.B. stakes protecting the linksland on Friday. Inside-out umbrellas were the order of the day. The Dunhill is conducted across three courses — Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and the Old Course — and players at all three went off in an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start in an attempt to dodge the worst of the wind and rain. But some conditions are just inevitable.

Knappe was in a reasonable position after his first round at Kingsbarns, where he shot even-par 72. In Friday’s shotgun start at St. Andrews, his first hole of the day was the par-5 14th. He missed the green some 40 yards right of the pin but pitched it to 12 feet and made the putt for a terrific par. Unfortunately, that was about as good as it got.

At No. 15, Knappe drove it into one of those nasty pot bunkers. He advanced it just 50 yards from there. He hit his third shot to 35 feet. And he three-putted. Double bogey.

At No. 16, Knappe actually found the fairway — but his second shot sailed right, making its way over the boundary fence. O.B. His fourth shot sailed right, too, settling in almost exactly the same spot. His sixth shot sailed right, too, but settled on the fairway just right of the green. A chip and two putts later Knappe walked off with a quintuple-bogey 9.

The pain wasn’t over. Knappe stepped to the 17th tee — the iconic shot where you’re forced to hit it over the Old Course Hotel — and fired one O.B. right. He hit his next tee shot in play but found a bunker on his approach, chopped it out, hit it on the green and two-putted for a quadruple-bogey 8. Three holes. 11 over par. Yikes.

Knappe settled into his round after that, making par at 18 and then shooting even-par 36 on the front nine, including a birdie at No. 3. But when he made the turn, Knappe ran into the wind again. He missed the green at the par-3 11th and took two chips and two putts to get down for double-bogey 5. He found another pot bunker in the middle of the fairway at the par-4 12th, chopped out, missed the green from there and made another double bogey. On his final hole, the par-4 13th, Knappe’s drive traveled just 200 yards. He did well to recover for a closing bogey, wrapping up a second round of 88 consisting of a front-nine 36 and back-nine 52.

It was hardly the only eye-popping score of the day, particularly on that back nine. Renato Paratore shot 46 on the same nine, including a 9 on No. 14. Jack Singh Brar shot 34-45 for a 79. Steven Brown shot 45. Per DataGolf, eight of the nine holes on the back nine averaged over par for the day, and the average score was 40.59. Holes 13-17 each averaged more then 0.68 strokes over par. Richard Mansell fired the round of the day at the Old Course, miraculously navigating the back nine in one-under 35 en route to a four-under 68, a full 9.4 strokes lower than field average. He leads the event at its halfway mark.

The Old Course isn’t always this nasty. On Thursday, by comparison, the same nine averaged 35.18 strokes. This summer, Cameron Smith won the Open at the historic venue at 20 under par, tying the all-time low major scoring record. And on Thursday at the Dunhill, Romain Langasque equaled the course record with an 11-under 61. Pros have overpowered the Home of Golf, sparking debates about the course’s defenses and its relevance in the modern game.

Friday served as a reminder: Rather than length or hazards, St. Andrews’ best defense is the weather. So if you get a chance to tee it up at this bucket-list course, see if you can beat 52 on the back so you can tell your buddies you scored lower than a pro.

They don’t have to know the rest of the details.

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The post Pro makes clutch final-hole birdie to steal French Open title appeared first on Golf.

The post Pro makes clutch final-hole birdie to steal French Open title appeared first on Golf.

The 18th hole at Le Golf National, host of this week’s Cazoo Open De France, is perhaps one of the toughest finishers on the DP World Tour this season.

The tee shot presents water all along the left side and bunkers down the right. The second is even more terrifying, forcing a carry over water to a peninsula green, giving a chance for the ball to trundle over the green and back into the lake, if hit to the right.

Don’t tell Guido Migliozzi how hard it is.

The Italian came up clutch on the 72nd hole, carving his approach from 197 yards to 6 feet, converting the birdie for a final round 62 and one-shot win over over Rasmus Højgaard. The birdie was the only one of the final round at the 18th of Le Golf National, which hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup.

“It’s been an incredible day,” Miggliozzi told Sky Sports after the win. “I played very, very solid today. And, you know, I just was very comfortable with my game … I was not nervous, but I was just enjoying my game.”

The 62 was the lowest final round ever in the Open de France and helped Migliozzi overcome a 13-stoke 36-hole deficit and a five-stroke 54-hole deficit to Højgaard. The Dane, Højgaard didn’t do himself a favor on Saturday when he made a quintuple bogey on the second hole. His six stroke lead to start the weekend was just one to start Sunday. He rebounded by birding the same hole in the final round, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with Miggliozzi.

“Yesterday, Rasmus, you know, I missed the second hole and he almost opened a little bit more again and I was like, Wow, I just kept playing great,” Miggliozzi said.

The win is Miggliozzi’s third on the DP World Tour since winning twice in 2019. He finished in a tie for fourth at the 2021 U.S. Open and notched a top-15 this year at Brookline.

“I was I was confident that one day I was in a winners circle again,” he said. “I worked really hard this season. I was very, you know, a lot of expectation, but not really paying off. But I kept working hard. And now here I am with the trophy and it’s beautiful.”

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The post Botched ruling on bizarre quasi-putt could play crucial role on Sunday appeared first on Golf.

The post Botched ruling on bizarre quasi-putt could play crucial role on Sunday appeared first on Golf.

Rules officials at the highest levels of the game usually get it right.

Usually, but not always.

One such exception played out on Friday at the DP World Tour event in France, where Thomas Pieters hit a putt on the 3rd green that, he said, he didn’t intend to strike.

“Kid coughed in my backstroke,” Pieters tweeted after the round. “I tried to stop…didn’t.”

Thomas’ awkward stroke/non-stroke on what was a 34-foot birdie attempt in the second round of the Cazoo Open de France advanced the ball about 5 feet. Unsure about how to proceed, Pieters called for a referee, who told Pieters that his stroke, despite Pieters’ attempt to stop it, counted and that he should play his fifth shot from where the ball lay.

Unconvinced, Pieters summoned another referee, who flipped the script. Because Pieters had not intended to hit his ball, the second referee deemed that Pieters could — under Rule 13.1d — replace the ball on its original spot without penalty. Pieters did so and two-putted for his par.

It’s impossible to know whether Pieters would also have two-putted had he not be granted a redo, but it would have been unlikely, given he would have been staring down a roughly 30-footer for his 5.

News

Later on Friday, when Pieters was still on the course, the weirdness got even weirder when the chief referee on site, Mark Litton, examined a replay of Pieters’ odd stroke and determined that, in fact, the first referee had made the correct ruling. Under the definition of a stroke, Litton said, Pieters’ putt should have counted.

But it was too late to rectify. As the R&A’s rules book states: “Where a referee in stroke play incorrectly advises a player that his or her stroke does not count and to play again without penalty, the ruling stands and the player’s score with the replayed stroke is the player’s score for the hole.”

Some botched rulings are more consequential than others, and after the second round in France — when Pieters was 10 back of leader Rasmus Hojgaard — this incident looked destined to be nothing more than a wacky footnote.

But that was then.

In the third round on Saturday, Pieters surged, firing a five-under 66, while Hojgaard stumbled, posting a 74 that included a quintuple-bogey on the par-3 2nd. Through 54 holes, Hojgaard is still leading, at 12 under, but only by one.

And Pieters? He’s now just two back.

Should Pieters win by a stroke on Sunday, he’ll have, in part, one of the year’s strangest rules snafus to thank for it.    

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The post ‘Never ever seen that before’: Pro earns putting do-over after bizarre stroke appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Never ever seen that before’: Pro earns putting do-over after bizarre stroke appeared first on Golf.

The French Open was always going to be a less-heralded golf event this week, considering the Presidents Cup is taking place in North Carolina. But when a golf broadcaster, who has seen tens of thousands of shots, pronounces they’ve never seen that before, well, you’ve certainly grabbed our attention. 

Turn your gaze away from the team match play golf for just a moment to learn a little Rules action, courtesy of Thomas Pieters and the DP World Tour. Pieters has been ascendant this summer, moving up to No. 34 in the world ranking behind a string of seven top-30 finishes since the Masters. He’s in great position to keep it going this weekend in France, thanks in part to a favorable ruling during Friday’s second round. 

Pieters was playing the third hole of his second round when he lined up a lengthy birdie putt across the green. Sky Sports labeled the distance at around 40 feet, longer than the Belgian had probably wished for on the tee box, it being a par-5. Nothing abnormal yet. 

Rules

But once Pieters began to take his putter away, there was a cough. At least an alleged cough. You can’t hear it on the broadcast, but for the moment we’ll allow it to exist. Pieters took his putter back, reached the top of his stroke, and then started down toward the ball. Right before he made contact, he wanted to stop. 

We’ve seen something similar to this happen before, most famously with Tiger Woods who has halted his powerful driver swing after hearing the click of a camera shutter. But a putting stroke feels different. 

Pieters’ stroke didn’t stop in time to keep the putter head from colliding with the ball, but the contact tells a pretty obvious story. He was not committed to finishing that stroke, to hitting that ball. He looked up immediately, leaving his group in a state of confusion. “Never ever seen that before,” the broadcaster said. “Yeah he tried to stop it, didn’t he,” another commentator replied, “but the scorers, the marshals, the gallery — they look as mystified as we do.”

Add us to that list of mystified folks who haven’t seen anything like it before. At least not in a professional event on television. Thankfully, Sky Sports was rolling long enough through Pieters’ ruling for us to earn an explanation. 

“I was over the ball, and went back, and the kid coughed,” Pieters explained. “I went to stop but I didn’t and I hit the ball.” Basically, he was in the middle of stopping when his putter head made contact with the ball, which he didn’t intend to do. And as an astute man of the Rules, Pieters knew that unless there was direct intention to hit the ball, he should be able to replay from the initial spot without penalty. 

The only issue was the first Rules official wasn’t convinced and called in a second opinion. 

“You had no intention of hitting the ball,” Pieters was asked. “No,” he replied, and when he informed the official that this happened while he was on the putting green, the official concluded, “No penalty, and you replace your ball.” 

It is under the loose interpretation of the word “accidentally” where Pieters is allowed to get this ruling. According to Rule 13.1d, “there is no penalty for accidentally causing a ball to move.” And Pieters is clear that he did not intend to make the ball go forward once he decided that the coughing patron was a distraction. Therefore, the rest of his stroke was an accident, even if just a moment earlier it was not an accident at all when he drew the club away from the ball. You are forgiven if you are confused, but we can all trust in the result of the accidental putt. It went all of four feet when it was supposed to go about 40. That tells us everything we needed to know. 

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The post Winner’s bag: Robert MacIntyre’s equipment at the 2022 Italian Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Robert MacIntyre’s equipment at the 2022 Italian Open appeared first on Golf.

Ryder Cup hopeful Robert MacIntyre shot a final-round 64, then made birdie on the first playoff hole against Matthew Fitzpatrick to win the Italian Open on the DP World Tour.

These are the clubs he used to beat the reigning US Open Champion Fitzpatrick, Victor Perez, and the 2022 FedEx Cup Champion Rory McIlroy.

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (Tensei 1K White) 9 degrees

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus(Tensei 1K Pro White 80 TX) 15 degrees

Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth Rescue (Tour AD DI 105-X) 19 degrees

Irons: TaylorMade P7MC 4-PW ( True Temper Tour Issue X100)

Wedges: TaylorMade HiToe2 (52, 60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts) Titleist Vokey 56 degree (True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft)

Putter: Odyssey Versa No.7

Ball: TaylorMade TP5X

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Cord

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.

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The post Rory McIlroy to face off against LIV players at St. Andrews (again) appeared first on Golf.

The post Rory McIlroy to face off against LIV players at St. Andrews (again) appeared first on Golf.

Having finished off the 2021-22 PGA Tour season last month with a FedEx Cup win and its $18 million winner’s check, Rory McIlroy is spending this week at the DP World Tour’s Italian Open. In two weeks he plans on playing another event at the iconic Old Course at St. Andrews, but this time he’ll do so against some unlikely, and, perhaps, unwanted competition: LIV Golf players.

This summer, the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) tried to follow the PGA Tour’s path and suspend LIV Golf pros from its tournaments. A lawsuit followed, so while the English court system sorts the whole issue out, LIV players are still allowed to play DP World Tour events.

News

With the LIV Golf Chicago event happening this week too, players like McIlroy didn’t have to worry about running into their LIV counterparts at the Italian Open. Ironically, the Italian Open is being played at Marco Simone, which will host next year’s Ryder Cup. We know Rory will be there for that one, though we still don’t know if LIV players will be permitted to compete.

McIlroy plans to play the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in two weeks’ time, the popular DP World Tour event contested at three Scottish links courses, including the Old Course at St. Andrews. But there is no LIV event happening that week, so LIV players are free to sign up. And sign up they have.

As of now, 10 LIV players are in the field, including Talor Gooch, Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Shaun Norris, Branden Grace, Richard Bland, Laurie Canter, Peter Uihlein and Jed Morgan.

A whole lot of awkwardness and some choice words will likely be had, as was the case in the last iteration of LIV vs. PGA Tour. Two weeks ago at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, over a dozen LIV players teed it up, and many pros on the PGA Tour side were not happy about it, including Rory.

“I hate what [LIV] is doing to the game of golf,” he said after his Tour Championship win. “I hate it. I really do. Like, it’s going to be hard for me to stomach going to Wentworth in a couple of weeks’ time and seeing 18 of them there. That just doesn’t sit right with me.”

He wasn’t alone. PGA Tour stalwart Billy Horschel, who will also play the Dunhill Links, was caught on Wentworth’s practice putting green having an animated argument with LIV pro Ian Poulter.

Further adding to what will likely be a charged atmosphere for McIlroy at the Dunhill Links is the host course, the Old Course at St. Andrews. It was the site of McIlroy’s latest major disappointment, where he surrendered the 54-hole lead to lose the 2022 Open in July, with plenty of LIV pros in the field. The player who beat him? LIV Golf’s newest signee, World No. 3 Cam Smith.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship begins September 29.

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The post ‘A first for me’: After bizarre penalty, Luke Donald still in hunt at Ryder Cup host site appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘A first for me’: After bizarre penalty, Luke Donald still in hunt at Ryder Cup host site appeared first on Golf.

Former World No. 1 Luke Donald was only four strokes off Rory McIlroy’s lead at the halfway point of this week’s Italian Open. That’s impressive on its own for a player who is 44 years old and one year away from captaining the European Ryder Cup team.

But his position would have been a whole lot more impressive if not for a rare rules infraction on Friday that cost him a couple of precious strokes.

News

This week’s Italian Open is being played at Marco Simone, which happens to be the host venue for next year’s Ryder Cup. That made it a no-brainer for Donald — who was chosen to replace original European captain Henrik Stenson after Stenson defected to LIV Golf — to play, providing him a thorough look at the course and allowing him to keep a close eye on his potential Ryder Cup team members.

Few thought Donald would have any chance to contend, but by Friday morning he was firmly in the mix. After shooting 69 in Round 1, he made par on his first hole in Friday’s second round, the 10th, before reeling off three-straight birdies to reach five under and challenge for the lead.

Then something happened that mid-handicappers might be familiar with, but what Donald called “a first for me” in a Twitter post after his round: he played the wrong golf ball.

Rules

“I did something I don’t think I’ve ever done in golf. I hit the wrong ball on 16, which was, yeah, frustrating,” Donald shared with reporters after the round, “I hit a poor tee shot left in the rough. The spotter kind of went straight to the ball and I just assumed it was mine and mine was a few feet left of it. Yeah, it was a costly 7.”

Playing the wrong ball is obviously a major no-no in the rules of golf, and in Donald’s case it resulted in a two-shot penalty, turning a bogey-5 on the par-4 16th hole into a triple-bogey 7.

As he alluded to in his post-round press conference, Donald could have avoided his fate by making use of Rule 12-2, and lifting his ball to identify it and ensure it was his own before hitting it without penalty.

Alas, he didn’t, but he did realize his error before finishing off 16, which was crucial; had he started the next hole playing the wrong ball, he would have been disqualified.

Fortunately for Donald, he did notice, fixed the error, then went on to birdie five of his next eight holes to get back into contention.

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The post ‘One for the good guys’: Shane Lowry wins the BMW PGA to cap a wild week at Wentworth appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘One for the good guys’: Shane Lowry wins the BMW PGA to cap a wild week at Wentworth appeared first on Golf.

Things were anything but ordinary this week at the BMW PGA Championship.

Lawsuits, barbs in the press, and geopolitics all had moments of topicality throughout the week at Wentworth, but on Sunday, the golf finally took center stage. And when the dust settled, Shane Lowry stood as the lone man atop the leaderboard.

“I’m so happy,” Lowry said. “I’m the happiest man in the world right now.”

Lowry’s sentiments were earnest and simple. It had been over three years since the Irishman had laid his hands on a trophy, and the drought was wearing on his psyche. But in a superb Sunday 65, Lowry quelled the negativity that crept into his head and bested a field of top players for a one-stroke victory.

News

Getting to Lowry’s moment of jubilation wasn’t quite so simple, though.

The inclusion of LIV golfers in the field started the week on a tense note. Before a shot was even struck at Wentworth, the storylines were spicy. A lawsuit in the UK allowed for LIV golfers to gain entry into the field, and those who’ve remained loyal to the DP World Tour were not so happy to see their old pals — Lowry included.

“There are certain guys that I just can’t stand being here, if I’m being honest,” Lowry said. “I don’t like it that they’re here. To be honest, the one thing that has really annoyed me over the last few months is how disruptive they’re all trying to be. I get that they’re here to get world ranking points and do that, but in a way I think they’re here for that and to be disruptive.”

Lowry was hardly the only loyalist to express his annoyance with the LIV golfers playing the BMW. Billy Horschel delivered an impassioned monologue calling the defectors “hypocrites” for showing up at Wentworth, while Jon Rahm called out LIV golfers for exploiting the DP World Tour for world ranking points. Rory McIlroy used his time with the press to poke fun at the LIV golfers in the field.

“I’ll be trying to win a golf tournament regardless,” he said. “They are going to be pretty tired on Sunday; it will be the fourth day.”

On Thursday, play finally commenced — and things only got more strange.

As play neared completion during the opening round, tragedy struck the UK when it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96. The loss of the monarch reverberated throughout the country, and golf quickly became an afterthought.

Out of respect for the fallen leader, officials elected to suspend play at Wentworth. The stoppage lasted through Friday as flags were lowered to half-mast and the country mourned the death of the Queen.

“She truly was an inspiration to people the world over,” the DP World Tour said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies and condolences are with the Royal Family at this time.”

Although the shock of the Queen’s passing was still fresh in the minds of many associated with the tournament, officials decided to press on with their flagship event, albeit with a truncated, 54-hole format. Players returned to Wentworth Saturday morning.

Round 2 was dominated by Scandinavians as Søren Kjeldsen and Viktor Hovland rocketed to the top of the leaderboard. But it would be another crop of European stars that became the storyline on Sunday.

Lowry and McIlroy began the day within striking distance of the lead, but Rahm inserted himself into the conversation with a spirited back-nine charge. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles over his final nine holes, Rahm posted at 16-under to claim the clubhouse lead.

“I remember Alex Noren did it to me one year — the year he won, he went out early and shot 62,” Lowry said. “That came into my head … I just tried my best.”

On this day, Lowry’s best was just good enough. With an eagle and five birdies — including at the par-5 18th hole — the Irishman posted at 17-under. And when McIlroy’s final eagle putt slid past the hole on the 18th green some 15 minutes later, Lowry finally claimed the crown.

The circumstances surrounding the tournament made it all the more sweet.

“I made no secrets how I felt about this whole thing at the start of the week,” Lowry said. “I wanted to go out and win this tournament for myself first and foremost. But also for this tour and everyone who’s stayed loyal to this tour. I really feel like this is one for the good guys.”

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The post 3 storylines heading into the BMW PGA Championship final round appeared first on Golf.

The post 3 storylines heading into the BMW PGA Championship final round appeared first on Golf.

After an eventful week featuring the continued bickering between the PGA Tour-DP World Tour and LIV Golf, and the death of a monarch, it’s a Scandinavian duo who find them themselves atop the leaderboard heading into the final round of the shortened BMW PGA Championship.

Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen and Norway’s Viktor Hovland are tied at 12-under after Saturday’s second round of the DP World Tour’s flagship event and lead by one over three golfers, including Rory McIlroy.

The event was shortened to 54 holes after play was suspended Thursday and canceled Friday following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Here are three storylines we’re watching heading into the third and final round:

Scandinavian success

Hovland opened the tournament with a 64 Thursday, before play was suspended, and was tied for the lead when the second round began Saturday morning. A 68 has him tied with Kjeldsen, whose scores were flipped with Hovland, opening with 68 and then climbing up the leaderboard with a 64 Saturday.

His 8-under round was the second-best of the day, only bettered by Min Woo Lee’s 62, and he even bogeyed the first. He quickly made up ground, picking up four strokes in four holes, on four through seven, and then making five birdies on the inward nine.

“I made a few more putts today,” Kjeldsen said. “I putted decent on Thursday, but I putted well today, so there was the four shots.”

He nearly made one more putt, after leaving himself 10 feet for eagle at Wentworth’s par-5 finishing hole. But his putt just stayed high.

“It’s a game like that, isn’t it?” Kjeldsen asked. “If you only focus on the ones you miss, you’re going to have a pretty miserable time so it’s better to spend time thinking about the ones you make. I certainly try to do that.”

Hovland, meanwhile went 32 holes, this week before making his first bogey, which came on the 15th hole Saturday.

How did he rebound? Birdies at 16 and 18 to finish off his day and stay tied with Kjeldsen.

The world No. 9 credited his consistent play to his iron play, as he’s also ranked ninth this week in greens in regulation.

“My irons have been really good this week,” he said. “I think I’ve only missed a handful of greens in total for the two rounds, and that obviously alleviates a lot of pressure.”

While neither player is British, Kjeldsen has spent a lot of time over his life in the UK.

With no play taking place Friday and the tournament only being played over 54 holes following the Queen’s death, the Dane spoke to the uniqueness of the past two days.

“It was very special,” he said. “Obviously being a foreigner, but having lived here, it’s quite overwhelm to go actually feel what the queen has meant to the British people, so I was sort of taken back by that. She was obviously incredibly loved and did a great job. It was a special moment.”

LIV golfers lurking

Before the suspension of play Thursday, headlines this week were dominated by the drama that has come with the meeting of LIV Golfers and other pros. Several have held their own.

On the leaderboard, LIV golfers Talor Gooch and Adrian Otaegui find themselves firmly in the hunt, just two back of the leaders at 10-under-par.

Joining Gooch and Otaegui in contention is Justin Harding, two shots further back, at 8-under.

McIlroy one back

The PGA Tour’s biggest proponent, meanwhile, is just a shot back, at 11-under. McIlroy tied his lowest round at Wentworth on Saturday with a bogey-free 65 to vault into a share of third.

Should he come back to claim one of the DP World Tour’s biggest titles, he could set himself up to be just the second player to win both the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai. Henrik Stenson pulled off the feat in 2013. McIlroy is on top of the Race to Dubai standings this season, but Viktor Hovland could overtake him with a win.

McIlroy has found himself at the forefront of the LIV vs. PGA Tour debate, and has been one of the most outspoken critic of the Saudi-backed league. He said winning at Wentworth would help make his season even more special then it already has been.

“We lose a lot more than we win, so every win is big,” McIlroy said. “But with everything that’s going on around our game, everything that’s happened in this country over the last couple days, it would certainly be up there as one of most memorable.  But it would be hard to put in context where it would sit alongside the other achievements that I’ve had.”

He also took the chance to point out the irony in circumstances of the shortened event. LIV Golf, you see, plays 54 holes.

“I’m excited about tomorrow,” McIlroy said. “I haven’t played one of these events, so it’s going to be interesting to see how it feels.“

“54 holes?” a reporter asked what he was referring too.

“Yeah, exactly,” McIlroy responded.

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The post Following queen’s death, BMW PGA Championship to resume Saturday as 54-hole event appeared first on Golf.

The post Following queen’s death, BMW PGA Championship to resume Saturday as 54-hole event appeared first on Golf.

The DP World Tour’s flagship event will resume on Saturday and be contested as a 54-hole event.

The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club outside of London was suspended on Thursday plus the entirety of Friday following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and out of respect for the Royal Family. The queen died on Thursday at age 96.

The DP World Tour on Friday announced its decision to resume the tournament over the weekend, citing the Official National Mourning guidance and after consulting with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

“The Wentworth event will give players, caddies, staff, volunteers and spectators the opportunity to come together across the weekend, not only to express their condolences but also to celebrate the extraordinary life of Her Majesty,” a statement read.

The second round will begin at 6:40 a.m. local on Saturday with its original second-round tee times and groupings. Those who didn’t finish their first rounds will resume at 7:30 a.m. The third round will finish on Sunday to complete the 54-hole tournament. According to the release, a 72-hole tournament and Monday finish was not an option since the DP World Tour could not guarantee staff and security beyond the weekend due to on-going plans for a state funereal.

Flags at Wentworth Club will fly at half-mast, and black ribbons will be distributed to those on site. There will also be a two-minute moment of silence at 9:50 a.m. local on Saturday to honor the queen, and the proclamation of King Charles III will be shown live in the Championship Village at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

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