The post Viktor Hovland’s 36-foot ‘bomb’ with this putter spurred a victory appeared first on Golf.

The post Viktor Hovland’s 36-foot ‘bomb’ with this putter spurred a victory appeared first on Golf.

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Viktor Hovland needed a miracle on Sunday afternoon at the Dubai Desert Classic. Then, on the 16th green, he got one.

Hovland was on the green on the par-4, from nearly 40 feet away, staring down the birdie putt that would decide his chances in Dubai — if they hadn’t been decided already.

“I didn’t birdie 10. I didn’t birdie 13, and then three-putted 15,” Hovland said. “So then all the momentum went away.”

With no momentum on his side and the weight of the tournament on his shoulders, Hovland lined up his 36-foot birdie putt. He made a smooth, clean stroke, then watched as it rolled down a ridge, broke two ways and, at long last, went into the hole.

At the time, the birdie moved him to 9 under, but basking in the glow of a playoff victory over Richard Bland a few hours later, Hovland admitted that in hindsight, it was more like an answered prayer.

“I make a bomb on 16 and I start thinking, well, birdie, birdie, 17, 18, it’s a good finish, lots of good things to take with me to the next couple of events,” he said, recounting how he’d quickly played his way into contention after draining the birdie. “It wasn’t an easy putt. I might make that putt one in 20 times, especially it was going both ways and it’s so sandy. It kind of hard to get the speed right. When that went in, I knew I had a legit chance on the last hole if I could set myself up for a birdie.”

In the end, Hovland played his last four holes (including the playoff) at 5 under, clinching the Dubai Desert Classic with a score of 12 under for the week. It was a miraculous effort from the 24-year-old, whose win vaulted him to No. 3 in the world — an effort due in part to his Ping PLD DS 72 putter.

Ping advertises its DS 72 putter as a ‘mid-mallet,’ with smooth, rounded edges giving way to a clean, confidence-inspiring head shape. In building the putter, Ping’s engineers utilized a steel weight in the heel — along with tungsten weighting in the toe — to stabilize the head, producing high levels of forgiveness even on off-center hits. The DS 72 also features Ping’s famed Anser-style hosel, which helps to promote slight rotation throughout the stroke.

For regular players, the DS 72 is a favorite for its blend of accuracy and performance. For burgeoning superstars (or miracle-workers), it’s the putter’s distance control and feel that make it a preferred selection. In reality, Ping says, the DS 72 is an everyman selection — one worthy of use for putts of all lengths.

To learn more about the DS 72, check out the link below.

Ping PLD DS 72 Mid-Mallet Putter

A preferred choice of both high-handicappers and the very best players in the world, the Ping PLD DS 72 mid-mallet is a high-forgiveness weapon, with performance-weighting and an Anser-style hosel for promoting slight rotation.

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The post Viktor Hovland’s 36-foot ‘bomb’ with this putter spurred a victory appeared first on Golf.

The post Monday Finish Minute: Richard Bland, Ageless Wonder appeared first on Golf.

The post Monday Finish Minute: Richard Bland, Ageless Wonder appeared first on Golf.

The best thing we saw this week? That would be 48-year-old Richard Bland, tangling with the young guns and nearly snagging the biggest win of his career at the Dubai Desert Classic.

The post Monday Finish Minute: Richard Bland, Ageless Wonder appeared first on Golf.

The post Rory McIlroy crumbles on 72nd hole, Viktor Hovland wins in Dubai playoff appeared first on Golf.

The post Rory McIlroy crumbles on 72nd hole, Viktor Hovland wins in Dubai playoff appeared first on Golf.

It was all over for Viktor Hovland at the Dubai Desert Classic, and then suddenly, it wasn’t.

The 24-year-old pro stood on the 16th tee with what could charitably be described as a snowball’s chance in hell at the title. He was a mile from the lead — some four strokes back — and fresh off a disappointing bogey that further deflated his chances on the 15th.

“At the start I thought, okay, we can keep pushing and maybe have a chance at it,” Hovland said afterward. “But after not making birdie on 10, and making a bogey on — the three-putt on 15, I thought I was pretty much out of it.”

But then, the golf gods struck.

Hovland made a birdie on the par-4 16th, then an eagle on the par-4 17th, then another birdie on the par-5 18th. Three holes after trailing by a near-insurmountable margin, he held the clubhouse lead.

It all amounted to a miraculous, three-hole turnaround for Hovland, and as time would tell, he’d need every stroke he earned coming back.

“I knew that was going to tie the lead but I knew they still had 13 and some easier holes to make birdie on,” Hovland said. “I knew I probably had to birdie the last as well to get them thinking a little bit.”

By the time the dust settled after Hovland’s round, not one but two players were threatening to tie his lead and send the tournament into a playoff. The first was Richard Bland, the 48-year-old everyman who captured the hearts of the golf world when he won his first-ever tournament at the British Masters last year. The second was Rory McIlroy, who was looking for his first victory of 2022 in Dubai.

Shortly after Hovland’s birdie rolled in on the 18th, McIlroy faced the decision of the tournament on the same hole. Should he try to reach the par-5 in two — attempting a challenging wood over the water — he’d all-but-secure the victory. Should he lay up short, he’d risk a tricky birdie putt that could send the tournament careening toward a three-way playoff with Hovland and Bland.

McIlroy elected the aggressive approach, pulling out a fairway wood. But as soon as he struck the shot, he lurched over. He’d heeled it directly into the lakebed. A shot and two putts later, he’d cost himself the tournament.

Back on the 18th for the first playoff hole, Hovland and Bland both nuked 3-woods over the lake and onto the green. A short-game contest ensued, and Hovland won out, draining a tournament-winning birdie on the 73rd hole — his fourth consecutive hole under-par — to win the tournament.

With the victory, Hovland moves to No. 3 in the world — his highest-ever ranking.

“Yeah, it’s pretty wild. I was asked, was it earlier this week, I was up to 5th and I was getting questions about how that felt. More of the same, I guess,” Hovland said with a laugh. “Being No. 3 is pretty crazy, but you know, that stuff can vary week-to-week and I’m not going to let that stuff dictate my mood or how I do things.”

The post Rory McIlroy crumbles on 72nd hole, Viktor Hovland wins in Dubai playoff appeared first on Golf.

The post Bryson DeChambeau sets tournament record score, wins Omega Dubai Desert Classic appeared first on Golf.

The post Bryson DeChambeau sets tournament record score, wins Omega Dubai Desert Classic appeared first on Golf.

Ranked No. 5 in the world, DeChambeau had shot a pair of 6-under 66’s and a 4-under 68 before Sunday’s final round. Despite sitting at 16-under 200 through 54 holes, DeChambeau’s best golf in Dubai had yet to come. His final round score of 8-under 64 consisted of seven birdies, one eagle, and one bogey.

DeChambeau opened up his final round with three consecutive birdies before settling for par on the next six holes. Then, the 25-year-old DeChambeau finished with an eagle and birdie at the 10th and 11th holes following the turn for the back nine. However, his strong play was brought to a brief halt when he bogeyed at the 12th hole. But he quickly bounced back with a pair of back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 before scoring his seventh and final birdie of the day at 17.

L̴e̴a̴d̴e̴r̴ ̴b̴y̴ ̴t̴h̴r̴e̴e̴. Leader by five! pic.twitter.com/opRgSF8wD6

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 27, 2019

“I think it’s fantastic obviously,” DeChambeau said after his final round. “It’s great that anybody can tell you that you’ve done something good. I think it’s a little bit vindicating that I’m able to come out and have success like this on multiple tours. I’m very proud and happy and thankful as well.”

The previous tournament record had been set at last year’s event by Haotong Li, who shot 23-under to win. But this was Bryson’s weekend to dominate, as he finished in the top five in Strokes Gained for driving, long game, approach play, and putting.

In his last nine starts, DeChambeau has not finished outside of the top-20. His most recent victory came this past November at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. He now has seven professional wins after his first on the European Tour.

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The post ‘Statistically proven’: Bryson DeChambeau makes wild claim about flagstick rule appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Statistically proven’: Bryson DeChambeau makes wild claim about flagstick rule appeared first on Golf.

If there’s one thing we have learned about the new flagstick rule so far in 2019, it’s that no one knows exactly how effective it is. Except for Bryson DeChambeau, who announced this week that the debate is over, and the answer is clear.

This week during his press conference at the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic, DeChambeau claimed that putting with the pin in is “statistically proven” to be the superior option in virtually every scenario.

“Pin in, is an easy one. It’s statistically proven to be a benefit in 99 percent of situations,” he said. “Anything outside 10 feet I’m going to leave it in. If I accidentally hit it three feet instead of two feet past the flag, it will stay in the cup. It has a better potential of staying in the cup than with it out. So that’s on that one.”

But why keep the pin in for 99 percent of putts and not 100 percent? According to DeChambeau, the one situation that would cause him to remove the flagstick is when it’s causing a distraction.

You may also like Dave Pelz: The science proves you should leave the flagstick in when you putt

“The only times where I’ll pull it out is where if the shadow is right in my line because the flag is moving or there’s too much wind and you can hear the flag, pull it back, not a big deal,” he said.

DeChambeau proceeded to put with pin in during his first round in Dubai, and it appears to have worked out nicely for the five-time Tour winner. He fired a six-under 66 Thursday to get within one shot of the lead.

Bryson does things his own way! pic.twitter.com/7NyaP1zfdg

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 24, 2019

The flagstick rule wasn’t the only rules change that DeChambeau talked about in his press conference. He explained that the change allowing players to repair spike marks on the green “doesn’t make sense fully yet” because golfers are still required to hit from divots in the fairway.

“The spike mark one intrigues me, just because it’s related to hitting a shot in the fairway and it goes into a divot, why is that not ground for repair just like a spike mark. Somebody damaged the fairway, not through natural, whatever. It was actually damaged by a player. So why is that not repairable? Why can’t you get relief from that?”

You may also like 2019 rules changes to know: Why the flagstick is now your friend

But he made it clear that rolling the spike mark rule back was not the answer: “I love tapping down spike marks. It’s great. It’s afforded me the opportunity to make more putts now because of it.”

DeChambeau begins the second round in Dubai at 3:20 a.m. ET on Friday.

The post ‘Statistically proven’: Bryson DeChambeau makes wild claim about flagstick rule appeared first on Golf.

The post Haotong Li tops Rory McIlroy to win Omega Dubai Desert Classic, deny McIlroy first win in 17 months appeared first on Golf.

The post Haotong Li tops Rory McIlroy to win Omega Dubai Desert Classic, deny McIlroy first win in 17 months appeared first on Golf.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Haotong Li held off Rory McIlroy to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Sunday by a single stroke, denying the Northern Irishman’s bid to win his first title in 17 months.

Haotong finished a tournament-record 23-under-par 265 after a final-round three-under 69 to win by one shot over McIlroy, who also shot a 69.

The 22-year-old from China made a 10-foot birdie putt on the last after McIlroy had ramped up the pressure by reaching the par-5 18th hole in two shots.

Haotong started the day one ahead of his Northern Ireland rival and that advantage was quickly gone on the first hole when he made a bogey.

What a performance!@Haotong_LI wins the #ODDC18 with a tournament record score of 23 under pic.twitter.com/BnUVzl3G9N

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 28, 2018

However, it was a bogey on the par-5 10th by Haotong that led to a two-shot swing when McIlroy made a birdie there, and the advantage remained with the four-time major champion when his bogey on the 11th was matched with another dropped shot by Haotong on the 12th.

But the momentum swung Haotong’s way when he dropped a 20-feet birdie putt on the par-3 15th from the back fringe and McIlroy made a bogey on the 16th after hitting his three-wood off the tee into the waste area.

Both players then birdied the last two holes.

Haotong’s second European Tour win will lift him to around 32nd in the World Ranking, making him the first Chinese player to break into the top 50.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton finished third on 20 under after hitting his second shot into the water on the 18th hole, while France’s Alex Levy was fourth with a 269.

The post Haotong Li tops Rory McIlroy to win Omega Dubai Desert Classic, deny McIlroy first win in 17 months appeared first on Golf.

The post Rory McIlroy 1 shot behind leader Li Haotong after third round in Dubai appeared first on Golf.

The post Rory McIlroy 1 shot behind leader Li Haotong after third round in Dubai appeared first on Golf.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy was within sight of a first title in 17 months after the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic where he lay only one shot behind surprise leader Li Haotong on Saturday.

McIlroy, who finished his second round in the morning, surprisingly struggled for the first time in seven rounds into his comeback from a three-month layoff, and was 1-over par at the turn in the third round.

The four-time major champion then recovered with five birdies on the back nine for a 4-under 68 and 19 under overall that put him one behind Li.

Li, in the leader group with McIlroy, shot a bogey-free 64 at Emirates Golf Club.

Li, the highest ranked Chinese male player in the world at No. 60, produced a brilliant display of iron play and putting to be in great position to add to his only previous European Tour win, the 2016 China Open.

He needed just 24 putts to complete his round, and said: “It’s going to be fun out there tomorrow.”

McIlroy’s last win was in August 2016 at the Tour Championship, and he was impressed by Li.

“He holed everything he sort of needed to,” McIlroy said.

“I know that if he continues to play like that, he will be tough to beat, but I feel like if I play my game, I’ve got a good chance.

“I showed that even when I didn’t have my best stuff, I was able to battle around and get in with a decent score. So hopefully, I have a bit of a better game tomorrow.”

On another low-scoring day, Alex Levy of France made a hole-in-one in a round of 65, a score which was matched by playing partner Haydn Porteous of South Africa. The duo was tied for third, three behind the leader at 17 under par.

Levy was making a stunning run and reached the top of the leaderboard briefly before falling back with consecutive bogeys on 15 and 16. That run included a hole in one on the par-3 fourth hole with a 9-iron shot from 171 yards.

Porteous joined him with three birdies in his last three holes.

The low round of the day was a 9-under 63 by Andy Sullivan of England, who moved to fifth on the leaderboard at 16 under.

The post Rory McIlroy 1 shot behind leader Li Haotong after third round in Dubai appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods makes dreams come true for Euro pro in Dubai appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods makes dreams come true for Euro pro in Dubai appeared first on Golf.

They call it the ‘Tiger Effect’ — when just being on the same course as the 14-time major champion can make your dreams come true.

Such is the case with European Tour pro Matthew Southgate, as reported by Golfweek.

Southgate, who became a fan of Woods at 13 after watching him in the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield, penned an open letter to the Woods ahead of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. The 28-year-old often writes letters and shares them with his Facebook fanpage, but this one was special to the battle-hardened golfer. Southgate had tried five times, unsuccessfully, to make the European Tour through qualifying school before being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2015. He had surgery and returned to the game last September, and went on to earn his card. He finished fourth at last season’s Irish Open, securing him a full year on tour and, eventually, a spot in the same field as his hero.

Southgate wrote that he was happy to remind himself that “somewhere out there on the course is a certain Mr. Woods and we are both doing our jobs in the same office this week.” He called it a pleasure, and wished Woods well.

Woods withdrew Friday before his round citing back spasms. Southgate made the cut to play the weekend. He didn’t get to play with or near Woods, but that didn’t matter.

“Unfortunately I did not get to meet him because of his back injury,” Southgate told Golfweek. “I would have liked to have shaken his hand, but I just feel fortunate I’ve had the pleasure of playing in the same tournament. I’ve done it once and just the fact he was here and I competed against him sort of means that I’ve come full circle from Muirfield. Not many can say they played in the same tournament with their hero.”

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The post Tiger Woods WDs from Dubai Desert Classic appeared first on Golf.

The post Tiger Woods WDs from Dubai Desert Classic appeared first on Golf.

Tiger Woods withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic ahead of his scheduled second round tee time, citing back spasms from the night before.

The post Tiger Woods WDs from Dubai Desert Classic appeared first on Golf.