The post ‘I felt good about 17:’ Gary Woodland explains late crumble at Bay Hill  appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I felt good about 17:’ Gary Woodland explains late crumble at Bay Hill  appeared first on Golf.

The tee shot on 17 felt good. The shot from the sand on 17 was hit the way he wanted to hit it. The putt on 18 looked like it was rolling in. 

And that was how close Gary Woodland believed he was to being your 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational champion. And how he finished tied for fifth instead. 

“I’m glad I’m off that golf course,” he said after Sunday’s final round. “I’m glad I’m done. That’s where I’ll start. I’ll take the positive from that.”

If he sounded exhausted, it’s because he was. And understandably so. He had gone four rounds and 72 holes with a bruiser named Bay Hill. And the biggest blows came at the bell. He landed the first. On the par-5 16th, which he started one shot out of the lead, Woodland hit a drive into the dirt area right of the fairway, then hit two of the best shots of the tournament — a bullet out of the dirt that dropped 24 feet from the hole, and the ensuing eagle putt that he sunk — and he led by one with two holes to go. 

News

From there, his scorecard reads this way — double bogey on the par-3 17th, bogey on the par-4 18th. Only he struggled to think of what he may have done differently. Golf happened. On the 17th, he hit a cut 8-iron off the tee, the wind slightly hung up his ball, and it splashed in the bunker, 5 yards short from maybe being perfect. On the second shot, needing to plop his ball just onto the green, his hands slightly decelerated, and the ball fell a couple yards short of where he wanted it to go, and it stayed in the sand. 

One shot out of the bunker, and two putts later, he was out of the lead for good. 

“I felt good about 17,” the 2019 U.S. Open champion said. “It was a good number. I tried to hit a cut in there and just got eaten up by the wind. A little unfortunate with the lie. The lie came out of the pitch mark, but it was still plugged a little bit. So I tried to chunk it, and I chunked it, chunked it too much.

“Frustrating. I played a lot better than the score showed. I can take a lot of positives, but it stings right now.”

News

On 18, after a drive into the thick left rough, a punch-out short of the water and a chip on, he slid an 11-foot putt for par just to the left. Had Woodland made it, he would have joined a group at four-under, one shot back of eventual winner Scottie Scheffler, who was in the group behind.  

“I did,” Woodland said when asked if he thought the putt was good. “I thought I made a lot today that didn’t go in. Feel good on the putter, which is nice. Will tighten up the driving a little bit, but all in all, I’m doing the right things.”

Indeed. While a blow, the tie for fifth was his second in as many weeks — which followed a seven-tournament stretch this year where he missed five cuts. He’ll head to next week’s Players Championship in search of his first win since his Open victory. 

“I’m getting a little more confidence,” Woodland said Saturday. “I’m starting to walk with a little more swagger.” 

The post ‘I felt good about 17:’ Gary Woodland explains late crumble at Bay Hill  appeared first on Golf.

The post 3M Open live coverage: How to watch the final round Sunday in Minnesota appeared first on Golf.

The post 3M Open live coverage: How to watch the final round Sunday in Minnesota appeared first on Golf.

After four days of play, we’ve finally reached the final round of play at the 2021 3M Open from TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn. Here’s everything you need to know to catch the final round of action on Sunday.

3M Open final round preview

Cameron Tringale is winless in PGA Tour strokeplay career, but he stands before what may be the best opportunity for a victory to date. Tringale holds a one-stroke lead heading into the final round on Sunday after a Saturday 66 — his third round in the 60s in as many days. The 33-year-old enters the final round at -12, one stroke ahead of the field at TPC Twin Cities.

News

Just behind Tringale sits Gary Woodland. Woodland is looking for his first win since his first major championship win at the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. The former major champ enters Sunday at 11 under, one stroke back of the lead.

Further back, Rickie Fowler and Sung Kang need massive Sunday performances after a pair of unfortunate foibles on TPC Twin Cities’ 18th hole. Kang spoiled opening rounds of 65 and 71 with a Saturday 77 after a 12 (!!!) on the 18th on Saturday, while Fowler’s triple-bogey 8 on the same hole helped to derail his tournament chances. He’s tied for 29th — six strokes back at 6 under — heading into Sunday.

How to watch 3M Open Round 4 on TV

Golf Channel will air the early action in the final round of the 2021 3M Open with two hours of coverage on Sunday from 1-3 p.m. ET. CBS will take over from 3-6 p.m. ET.

How to stream 3M Open Round 4 online

You can stream the final round Golf Channel TV coverage of the 2021 3M Open on golfchannel.com and CBS’s coverage on cbssports.com. Fans can also view Featured Group coverage of the third round all day Saturday via PGA Tour Live with a subscription.

How to bet on the 3M Open

Looking to make a (legal!) wager yourself? We teamed with BetMGM, and the online sportsbook is offering a “Bet $20 Win $100” promotion regardless of your wager’s outcome, as well as a “Risk-Free Bet” up to $600.

2021 3M Open tee times: Round 4 (ET)

Tee No. 1

7:55 a.m. — Erik van Rooyen, Joel Dahmen

8:05 a.m. — Denny McCarthy, Scott Piercy

8:15 a.m. — Cam Davis, Sung Kang

8:25 a.m. — David Hearn, Michael Gligic

8:35 a.m. — Chris Baker, Bubba Watson

8:45 a.m. — Charles Howell III, MJ Daffue

8:55 a.m. — Patrick Rodgers, J.T. Poston

9:05 a.m. — Cameron Percy, Kiradech Aphibarnrat

9:15 a.m. — Josh Teater, Scott Brown

9:30 a.m. — Martin Trainer, Tom Lewis

9:40 a.m. — Ryan Brehm, Chesson Hadley

9:50 a.m. — Joseph Bramlett, Sergio Garcia

10 a.m. — Patton Kizzire, Chase Seiffert

10:10 a.m. — Luke List, Luke Donald

10:20 a.m. — Jason Dufner, Scott Stallings

10:30 a.m. — Mark Hubbard, Austin Eckroat

10:40 a.m. — Adam Long, Rafa Cabrera Bello

10:50 a.m. — Patrick Reed, Brice Garnett

11:05 a.m. — Tony Finau, Aaron Baddeley

11:15 a.m. — Rickie Fowler, Nick Watney

11:25 a.m. — Sam Ryder, Michael Thompson

11:35 a.m. — Brandt Snedeker, Camilo Villegas

11:45 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Jonathan Byrd

11:55 a.m. — Michael Gellerman, Adam Schenk

12:05 p.m. — Michael Kim, Mito Pereira

12:15 p.m. — Bo Hoag, Matthew Wolff

12:25 p.m. — Troy Merritt, Adam Hadwin

12:40 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen, David Lingmerth

12:50 p.m. — Brian Stuard, Keith Mitchell

1 p.m. — Beau Hossler, K.H. Lee

1:10 p.m. — Ryan Armour, Bo Van Pelt

1:20 p.m. — Jhonattan Vegas, Roger Sloan

1:30 p.m. — Charl Schwartzel, Chez Reavie

1:40 p.m. — Cameron Champ, Jimmy Walker

1:50 p.m. — Maverick McNealy, Pat Perez

2 p.m. — Cameron Tringale, Gary Woodland

The post 3M Open live coverage: How to watch the final round Sunday in Minnesota appeared first on Golf.

The post How Gary Woodland went from ‘rock-bottom’ to co-leading the Wells Fargo Championship appeared first on Golf.

The post How Gary Woodland went from ‘rock-bottom’ to co-leading the Wells Fargo Championship appeared first on Golf.

Gary Woodland is just happy to be playing without pain this week.

It’s been a long road for the 2019 U.S. Open champion, who revealed that he had a torn labrum in his left hip after missing the cut at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Woodland did not have surgery, and instead spent most of December and January on a recovery and conditioning plan.

“We worked on strengthening everything around the hip,” Woodland told Golf Channel at the American Express, where he finished T16. “We were so focused on pain in the hip. I’ve been out of pain for about a month now and it’s starting to feel pretty good. My speed is back, I’m able to hit shots I haven’t been able to hit in a long time.”

Despite Woodland’s optimism, results didn’t follow, and the pain returned. In the eight events since, Woodland has only one top 10 (a T6 at the Valero Texas Open) and missed four cuts. At last week’s Valspar Championship, Woodland shot 77-71, missing the cut by a wide margin at six over par.

News

“Last week was pretty much rock bottom for me,” Woodland said after firing a second-round 69 at the Wells Fargo Championship on Friday. “Golf course that I’ve had success on, won on and went out and played absolutely miserable, missed the cut. Made a change, went back, talked to Butch on Saturday, worked with him over the phone. And then Pete Cowen was in town working with Rory, so Pete came down and we worked in person on Sunday. Went back to really set down and seeing what I’ve been doing the last year compared to what I was doing three, four years ago when I was hitting it well. Saw the difference visually and then we kind of tried to get back to that.”

Woodland’s coaching sessions appear to be paying dividends this week. He shares a one-shot lead at the tournament’s halfway point with Matt Wallace and Patrick Rodgers, and credits the changes he’s made to his swing with allowing him to play pain-free this week.

“If I was going to continue to play the way I was last week, then it was probably time to shut it down this week,” Woodland said. “But I’ve seen the difference why I was swinging the way I was. I’ve seen that I can go out this week — you know, it’s only been five days I think since I’ve been doing this, but I’m in no pain and I’m able to hit the golf ball the way I want to, and if I can continue to do that, I’ll be fine.

“The swing that I’ve been doing the last year is because of the hip,” Woodland continued. “When the hip started acting up, I had to make changes just to play, which is obviously, looking hindsight, I wish I wouldn’t have done that but I wanted to play. That’s all I know how to do is play golf. So I worked around the hip and I got into some bad, bad habits. My misses have been absolutely horrendous, they’ve been off the map. So even when I have good rounds, I hit a ball out of play and a big number adds up to not a good score. So Pete showed me that, Butch showed me that, so it was nice.”

Regardless of what happens this weekend, Woodland’s performance through two rounds seems like a meaningful corner turned for the four-time PGA Tour winner.

“I’ve seen some shots this week that I just haven’t seen in a long time,” Woodland said. “The golf swing feels so much better. Confidence has gone way up, which I did not have really in the last year. Even when I had good rounds, I haven’t been confident. I can lie to myself and tell myself I was excited to be there, but I haven’t been excited to play, to be honest with you, for the last year. It’s nice.”

The post How Gary Woodland went from ‘rock-bottom’ to co-leading the Wells Fargo Championship appeared first on Golf.

The post How this U.S. Open champion is using data to improve his chances at the Masters appeared first on Golf.

The post How this U.S. Open champion is using data to improve his chances at the Masters appeared first on Golf.

GOLF has partnered with CDW and VMware to explore how the world’s best golfers develop secure game plans for the Masters. We’ll also look at how data can reveal not only which players delivered the all-time great Masters performances but also which 2021 Masters competitors are primed to break out. First up: How Gary Woodland has prepared for Masters week...

***

When it comes to playing in the Masters, it was love at first scorecard-signing for Gary Woodland. Shooting a 69 in your first-ever competitive round at Augusta National, as Woodland did in 2011, will do that to a player. But that flicker of early success has yet to grow into a flame for the 36-year-old, whose tie for 24th a decade ago remains his best Masters finish in eight appearances.

Still, Woodland, who has four PGA Tour wins, including the 2019 U.S. Open, has built up a cache of local knowledge at Augusta National — learnings and data that he’s hopeful will lead to a breakthrough performance.

“Playing there eight times plus practice rounds, and going in early a couple of times, you start to learn the little nuances that make that place so special,” Woodland told GOLF.com. “You have to avoid the big numbers because there are a lot of birdie holes out there, but you really have to hit your spots and know where to miss it.”

Long and left of the 15th green, for example, is no good. Same goes for a miss left of the green at the par-5 8th. Flying the green at the par-3 4th or uphill par-4 7th can also lead to big numbers. The approach at the par-4 11th? Everyone knows don’t miss left. 

“It’s one thing for people to tell you that, but it’s another thing to go out there and experience it for yourself,” he said.

Woodland studies CDW-powered ShotLink data and talks with past Masters champions about preferred locations for misses when they do happen. “There’s no other golf course in the world where your misses just have to be in certain spots,” he said. “You need that data to find out where you can get it up and down and where you can’t miss, and we’re able to get all that information from ShotLink.”

Why rely on analytics? Because stats don’t lie, Woodland said. “It’s easy to have confidence or a feeling that you’re doing something right, but the stats can say something different. The availability of information, even from when I started on Tour (in 2009) has grown considerably — strokes gained, for example. All of this data helps us practice, prepare and become better players.”

Fitness

That information is still useful even if Augusta National’s setup doesn’t typically change much year to year. “It’s easier to prepare sometimes knowing what to expect,” Woodland said. “It’s very much a second shot golf course that requires you to work the ball both ways. Distance control is a massive deal at Augusta and so is getting the ball up in the air. There are a lot of elevated greens, and the greens can be pretty firm at times, so you have to get the ball up in the air to stop it. So I start practicing months in advance to get it higher than I would normally for a typical tournament.” 

Fine-tuning his equipment is part of that preparation. 

This year, Woodland is using a ball that launches higher, plus shafts in his irons that are designed to help him get the ball up more quickly. Then there are those daunting greens, the biggest obstacle to success for Woodland at Augusta National. 

“There’s more slope in those greens than we really see anywhere else, so the amount of break you have to play with the speed is a hurdle for me,” he said. “I’m definitely a better putter today than I was previously, so I look forward to conquering that hurdle this year.”

News

Woodland’s hottest run at Augusta came in 2014 when he shot a record-tying front-nine 30 during the third round, matching Johnny Miller (1975), Greg Norman (1988), K.J. Choi (2004) and Phil Mickelson (2009).

Despite that historic outward-nine performance, Woodland said his favorite spot at Augusta National is on the inward nine. 

“I love being there on 12 tee,” he said. “It’s obviously a very challenging tee shot, but it’s a beautiful golf hole. You know that you have some par 5s and some birdie holes ahead of you, and you’re excited to be done with the 11th, which is a very difficult hole. The scenery, the crowd noise, the flowers — all of it makes 12 my favorite spot.”

And should Woodland arrive on the 12th tee box with the lead come Masters Sunday, no doubt he’ll love that spot even more. 

The post How this U.S. Open champion is using data to improve his chances at the Masters appeared first on Golf.

The post Gary Woodland lost 27 pounds by cutting out these 2 things appeared first on Golf.

The post Gary Woodland lost 27 pounds by cutting out these 2 things appeared first on Golf.

Gary Woodland, at 6-1 and 195 pounds, is the prototypical athlete — indeed, he was a collegiate golfer in college and a high school basketball player.

But more recently, the reigning U.S. Open champ felt his game needed a tune up. With his current coach, Pete Cowen, unable to travel during the pandemic, Woodland began working with Justin Parsons to sharpen-up his swing and, along the way, decided to shed some weight.

“I knew I had a significant amount of time off. It’s probably something I should have done a long time ago, take care of my body a little bit,” he said. “I’m getting a little older, being out here, hanging around Justin Thomas and all these young guys, I need to take care of myself if I want to be here for a lot longer.”

And so, he put himself on a simple diet, and in a couple of months, he’s down 27 pounds.

“I feel I’m in a pretty good spot where I want to be right now,” he said. “I feel better when I get done walking after the round.”

No Fried Food, Less Sugar

Woodland’s diet wasn’t a diet, per se. It was more of an adjustment. He says he cut out fried food and sugar — it was that simple.

“I would say my 3-year-old probably eats better than I used to,” he said.

He’ll still eat those things as a treat, of course, but the key is eating them in moderation. Cutting down on those simple things meant he started burning more calories than he was taking in — also known as a calorie deficit, which is the key to losing weight. Woodland’s 27 pounds shed is proof of that, and he feels much better for it.

The post Gary Woodland lost 27 pounds by cutting out these 2 things appeared first on Golf.

The post Q&A: Defending U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland reveals the one shot he’d like to have back appeared first on Golf.

The post Q&A: Defending U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland reveals the one shot he’d like to have back appeared first on Golf.

The defending U.S. Open champ reveals his dream foursome, greatest accomplishment, the Tour player who reminds him most of himself, and more.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen on a golf course?

The [2019] Presidents Cup was pretty tough. I heard a lot of stuff at Royal Melbourne that I’d only ever heard when I played basketball. [Fans] talking about my mom. Wishing bad stuff upon me. You don’t see it that much out here.

What’s your No. 1 bucket-list course?

Cypress Point. Everybody talked about Royal Melbourne being one of the best courses in the world, and it lived up to expectations. But Cypress, I can’t wait to play it.

Which young player today reminds you most of yourself?

They’re all younger than me now. I think Cameron Champ is pretty similar. He has come out bombing the ball, and I did the same thing when I was his age. But I think he is a little more polished than I was. He putts well. He’s won on the PGA Tour twice pretty quickly in his career. He’s a freakishly talented guy and very humble.

Which three players — nongolfers — would make up your dream foursome?

Wow. That would be Michael Jordan, George Brett and [University of Kansas head basketball coach] Bill Self.

What’s your greatest accomplishment?

There’s probably a two-part answer to that question. Off the course, the best thing in my life was having kids. [Woodland’s son, Jaxson, was born June 23, 2018, and his twin daughters, Maddox and Lennox, on August 1.] On the course, it was winning the [2019] U.S. Open. In this game, you’re remembered for winning majors, and, fortunately, I got my first one last year. 

What’s your career mulligan and where would you take it?

I would like to have the second shot back at the PGA at [Bellerive] on Saturday. I was leading on day three, but on No. 10 I hit it short into the bunker and ended up making triple bogey. That’s one shot I’d love to have back. 

If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

[Laughing]. A lot! The biggest piece of advice would be to stay patient. Sometimes you want instant results; you want to be the best player in the world right now. I’d remind myself that it’s a long road ahead. It’s a long career in pro golf. Just believe you will get better.

The post Q&A: Defending U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland reveals the one shot he’d like to have back appeared first on Golf.

The post Gary Woodland debuts a Wilson ‘WLabs’ prototype driver at Colonial appeared first on Golf.

The post Gary Woodland debuts a Wilson ‘WLabs’ prototype driver at Colonial appeared first on Golf.

A slimmed down Gary Woodland recorded a ninth-place finish on Sunday at the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge. His 25-pound weight loss transformation wasn’t the only major change Woodland made during the PGA Tour’s 13-week hiatus, though.

The long-hitting Woodland switched into a new Wilson prototype driver and fairway wood at Colonial Country Club. Last week, the “WLabs” 7.5-degree driver hit the USGA Conforming Clubs list, and Woodland didn’t waste any time putting it into play.

It’s a significant change for both Wilson and Woodland, because the company has openly expressed its goal of getting a Wilson driver in Woodland’s hands. He signed a 10-club equipment deal with Wilson in January 2019 after putting the Wilson Staff Model blades on the map, but a change to a Wilson driver never stuck. Prior to the 13-week layoff, Woodland was using a Ping G410 driver in competition.

At Colonial, however, Woodland played the Wilson “WLabs” driver (Accra shaft) en route to a top-10 finish. He was also using a Wilson prototype fairway wood (Graphite Design Tour AD-DI shaft) that had a very similar look to the driver.

This could be a sign of things to come for Wilson in the metalwood category. Wilson’s current Tour staff includes Kevin Streelman, Brendan Steele and Padraig Harrington, but none of those players use a Wilson driver. With a new prototype option at their disposal, however, maybe the tides are turning for the company.

We’ve reached out to Wilson for more information on the products, and we will update this story if they respond with comment.

To hear more gear insights from Jonathan Wall and True Spec’s Tim Briand, subscribe and listen each week to GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast: iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | Stitcher

The post Gary Woodland debuts a Wilson ‘WLabs’ prototype driver at Colonial appeared first on Golf.

The post This exclusive golf club’s members have won an insane number of major titles appeared first on Golf.

The post This exclusive golf club’s members have won an insane number of major titles appeared first on Golf.

There’s been much talk of late about Seminole Golf Club, with pundits waxing on about its history, Ben Hogan, and all the heavy-hitters who have haunted the club’s hallowed grounds.

We understand the gushing, and we’re not here to throw shade on what does sound like a darned cool place.

But with Seminole set for a televised star turn during this Sunday’s high-wattage charitable skins game, we’d like to pull the veil back on another South Florida club that many of us have us have never seen and likely never will — a club that stakes its own claim to fame.

Drive 40 minutes south from Seminole on I-95 and you enter the orbit of Pine Tree Golf Club, home to a 1961 Dick Wilson design that has long been a darling of golf architecture buffs. Though it can’t top Seminole in prestige, or outrank it on Top 100 lists, there is one category in which Pine Tree blows Seminole away, as it does every other golf club we can think of.

Over the course of Pine Tree’s history, its members have won more major golf championships than the members of any other golf club. Their collective total is 50.

Fifty!

By our count, no contender comes close.

Before we dive into the details, we should clarify our terms.

For the purposes of this record, we are including winners of both men’s and women’s majors. But we are not including clubs that grant honorary memberships to winners of majors staged on their own courses. So, Augusta National, for instance, is not in the running.

We’re talking about full-fledged, dues-paying members: golf luminaries who wanted in and were willing to plunk down their own dough to join.

In Pine Tree’s case, the names of those members, with their major championship tallies, goes like this:

Sam Snead (7)
Tommy Armour (3)
Gary Woodland (1)
Mickey Wright (13)
Louise Suggs (11)
Karrie Webb (7)
Meg Mallon (4)
Joann Carner (2)
Beth Daniel (1)
Lauri Merten (1)

A casual reader of that roster might get hung up by the first name on it: Sam Snead, owing in large part to Snead’s reputation as a man whose wallet was a musty, cobwebbed object that rarely opened to the light of day.

Are we really to believe that Snead shelled out?

It’s true. He was tight.

It’s also true that in 1965, when Snead asked to become a Pine Tree member, he figured he’d be granted the same honorary status that he enjoyed at many other clubs.

Sorry, he was told. At Pine Tree he would have to pay like everyone else.

And so he did.

The club has correspondence from Snead to prove it, along with a check for his membership dues.

Snead was fond of Pine Tree for a lot of reasons. He liked playing cards in the clubhouse. He liked kibitzing with the membership, though kibitzing is not a word Snead would have used. He liked the money game. And, above all, he liked the course, a stout challenge with testy, pushed-up greens set at compelling angles on what was otherwise flat terrain.

It was a tough track then, and it’s a tough track now, which helps explain why a modern-era bomber like Gary Woodland has also paid to join.

Pine Tree is what golfers like to call a “player’s course,” a well-worn term that is no less meaningful for being overused: its membership is stacked with single-digits, young and old, male and female. As one Pine Tree member told GOLF.com, a team composed of Pine Tree’s top women players would likely dust an all-star men’s squad from almost any other club, on any course, from any tees.

Among those female members is Karrie Webb, who won seven majors.

Another of those members was the late, great Louise Suggs, whose 11 biggies included four wins in the Titleholders Championship, an event that was not a major in its day but which was later designated as such.

Yes, in our record keeping, we’re counting those.

Is there any other club that rivals Pine Tree’s major count?

As records go, it’s hard to verify but also difficult to dispute.

In our search for a club that might top Pine Tree, GOLF.com asked scores of golf history buffs and members of prestigious private clubs around the world.

None could come up with another winning answer.

Pine Valley? Please. Arnold Palmer was a member, and Gary Player belongs. So, too, do Darren Clarke, Nick Price and Ben Crenshaw. But the roster of major winners grows pretty thin from there.

Shinnecock? No.

Winged Foot? Oakmont? Sorry. Nope.

In Florida, where Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam all reside (that’s 43 majors, if you’re keeping score at home) some obvious contenders captured out attention.

Isleworth. McArthur. The Medalist. The designers of those clubs (Palmer, Nick Price and Greg Norman, respectively) account for 12 majors, and the memberships include a constellation of Tour stars. But rare is a Tour pro who pays full freight, and, besides, none of the above clubs sniffs a collective 50 majors titles anyway. The closest we could find to Pine Tree’s tally came from the Bear’s Club, whose reported membership claims 32 majors. Credit Nicklaus with 18 of those, while Shane Lowery, Justin Thomas, Louis Oosthuizen, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley and Charl Schwartzel contribute one a piece. Rory McIlroy and Ernie Els also belong, and with them we can add another eight.

Not bad at all, but still a long way to go.

The traditionalist might ask: What about the amateur championships (the men’s and women’s U.S. Amateur and British Amateur) that used to qualify as majors but no longer do? Did you count those?

No, we didn’t. But even if we had, no dues-paying total would have surpassed 50.

Not that we can think of, anyway.

We offer all of this as cocktail party conversation, or fodder for a question on trivia night. And we’d be more than happy to be corrected, so please advise us if we need setting straight.

In the meantime, enjoy the competition at Seminole this weekend. The coverage starts at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. There’s something else you should know, though. The Tuesday afternoon skins game at Pine Tree is serious business, too. You’ll just never see it on TV.

The post This exclusive golf club’s members have won an insane number of major titles appeared first on Golf.

The post Brian Urlacher reveals which PGA Tour stars he’d use to build his ultimate NFL roster appeared first on Golf.

The post Brian Urlacher reveals which PGA Tour stars he’d use to build his ultimate NFL roster appeared first on Golf.

Gone are the days of Brian Urlacher dominating from sideline-to-sideline. Rather, in retirement, Urlacher is more focused on dominating tee to green (or trying to). But with Urlacher in studio for the newest edition of GOLF’s Subpar, Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz couldn’t help but ask him to combine his two passions.

They wanted to know, who would the five-time All-Pro and 2005 Defensive Player of the Year choose from the PGA Tour to build an NFL team? Here are his picks.

Quarterback: Gary Woodland (6-1, 195 lbs)

Urlacher opted for the former collegiate basketball player to lead his offense. Woodland might not be prototype QB size, but he’s widely known as one of the best athletes on Tour.

“I’d put Gary at quarterback,” he said. “I feel like he can throw it, he’s tall.”

News

GOLF.com’s Subpar: Jon Rahm talks about beating Tiger, on-course outbursts and raps Kendrick Lamar

Running Back: Harold Varner III (5-8, 170 lbs)

“Love that dude,” Urlacher said. “He’s got those quads. He’s going to run through somebody and he’s going to tell them about it.”

Wide Receiver: Dustin Johnson (6-4, 190 lbs)

Urlacher clearly values length at the receiver position, debating on Tony Finau — another 6-4 option — before settling on DJ.  Athleticism proved to be the deciding factor here.

“DJ’s a little faster than Tony and I feel like he’s a little bit more athletic,” Urlacher said.

News

GOLF.com’s Subpar: Gary Woodland goes from playing college basketball to winning the U.S. Open

Tight End: Tony Finau (6-4, 200)

What should you do with a wide receiver who’s lacking speed? In today’s NFL, the answer is to make him a tight end. That’s exactly what Urlacher did.

Defensive Line: Andrew “Beef” Johnston (5-9, 212)

Winning in the trenches in football is all about leverage, and Beef has LOTS of leverage. Plus, that beard would look positively magnificent protruding from the chinstrap of a helmet.

Linebacker: Shane Lowry (6-1, 216)

It’s rare for a linebacker to weigh more than the defensive lineman in front of him, but Lowry’s range made him a unique fit.

News

GOLF’s Subpar: Kevin Chappell on the downside of shooting a 59 in his return from injury

Defensive Back: Rickie Fowler (5-9, 150 lbs)

Rickie Fowler is golf’s “Primetime.” He’s short, shifty, fast, athletic, and has a flair for personality — in other words, the perfect choice to backstop Urlacher’s PGA Tour football team.

You can watch the full show with Urlacher below.

To receive GOLF’s all-new newsletters, subscribe for free here.

The post Brian Urlacher reveals which PGA Tour stars he’d use to build his ultimate NFL roster appeared first on Golf.

The post Are golfers really athletes? Gary Woodland says yes appeared first on Golf.

The post Are golfers really athletes? Gary Woodland says yes appeared first on Golf.

The post Are golfers really athletes? Gary Woodland says yes appeared first on Golf.