The post It’s a walk-off! Tour pro hits ball OB on final hole… then walks off the course for DQ appeared first on Golf.

The post It’s a walk-off! Tour pro hits ball OB on final hole… then walks off the course for DQ appeared first on Golf.

Veteran PGA Tour pro Jason Kokrak shot a respectable three-under 67 in the opening round of the Travelers Championship. With another solid round on Friday, it looked like Kokrak would be playing the weekend in Connecticut. But his second round did not end as planned, in fact, it technically didn’t end at all.

That’s because after hitting his ball out of bounds, Kokrak picked up his clubs and walked off the course in one of the most bizarre moments in an already bizarre PGA Tour season.

After hitting a long drive on the short par-4 9th hole on Friday, Kokrak’s final hole of the round, the 37-year-old airmailed the green entirely with his approach shot.

The PGA Tour ShotLink play-by-play tells part of the story:

But then the play-by-play ends, with no further shots recorded. Why? Because after a brief search for his ball, Kokrak decided to leave it wherever it came to rest and proceeded to walk off the course.

At that point, Kokrak was four over on his round and fresh off a double bogey at the 8th, and he had no hope of making the cut. As a result of his walk-off, he was disqualified for failing to record a score on his final hole and failing to turn in a scorecard.

News

Rumors quickly spread that Kokrak may have fled the course in frustration, maybe for good on his way to join LIV Golf, but reporter Jason Sobel found otherwise.

In texts with William McGirt, one of Kokrak’s playing partners on Friday, Sobel learned that the group took a long time to determine 1., that the ball was out of bounds and, 2., where the correct drop zone would be. Not wanting to force the group behind them to wait in the fairway, Kokrak decided to pick up and change his MC to a DQ.

Kokrak, who is ranked No. 33 in the Official World Golf Ranking, has three PGA Tour wins in his career, all coming since 2020. The most recent came at the Houston Open in November 2021. In 16 starts this season, he’s missed the cut three times, but this is his first disqualification.

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The post Jason Kokrak’s passion is collecting. The payoff is a houseful of liquid gold appeared first on Golf.

The post Jason Kokrak’s passion is collecting. The payoff is a houseful of liquid gold appeared first on Golf.

In the era of prodigious purses and savvy strategic thinking, pro golfers are making it their business to be in business outside of their sport, while show-biz stalwarts and superstar athletes like Steph Curry, Peyton Manning and Andy Roddick are discovering that the smart money is in golf itself. In our Golf & Business package (which you can also find in the Jan/Feb 2022 issue of GOLF Magazine), we’ll go inside their wallets.

Part 1: Why Abraham Ancer and Mark Wahlberg teamed up in the tequila business
Part 2: Bubba Watson the businessman is a lot like Bubba the golfer
Part 3: How ascendant attire brand Johnnie-O made a splash on the golf course
Part 4: Why Peyton Manning is making cold calls about this 9-hole golf course

***

Get Jason Kokrak going on bourbon and he might not stop. Buffalo Trace this, William Larue that. It’s been only a few years since the Tour winner’s brother introduced him to this liquid gold, but Kokrak already talks like a master distiller. He’s memorized his preferred flavor profile. He handpicks barrels. And when he’s pegging it with buds back home in Ohio, well, “normally, between the four of us, the bottle doesn’t make it past the 18th hole.”

At any given time, Kokrak’s suburban-Cleveland estate houses his wife, their two kids and between 250 to 350 bottles of bourbon, depending on how much he’s been consuming, gifting or sharing with fellow Vitamin B fans. He and his pals regularly host bourbon nights, where each guest brings a varietal of their choosing. Hosting privileges are established up front: The leftovers are yours to keep.

“I’ve got a great group of friends who are all bourbon nuts,” Kokrak says. “They like to come over here and drool at my collection because I get some of the stuff you don’t see very often on shelves.”

It doesn’t hurt that the logo stitched onto Kokrak’s Tour garb belongs to Kentucky bourbon brand Eagle Rare. It’s a money deal with real perks, including a “select” Kokrak pour.

Kokrak’s fetish for collecting — and spending good chunks of his prize money on it — isn’t unique among Tour pros. Pat Perez is mad for Air Jordans; Ian Poulter for Ferraris. What separates Kokrak is the everyday commitment he brings to it. Wherever the Tour takes him, it’s not uncommon for him to play a Tuesday morning pro-am, then spend the afternoon mining local liquor stores for something he’s never seen before.

“‘In the wild’ is what we call it,” he says.

When he lands his amber bounty, Kokrak tapes down the caps and swaddles each bottle in his checked luggage. Another treasure worth hauling home — and raising a glass to.

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The post Kevin Na, Jason Kokrak birdie 12 of final 13 holes (!) to win QBE Shootout appeared first on Golf.

The post Kevin Na, Jason Kokrak birdie 12 of final 13 holes (!) to win QBE Shootout appeared first on Golf.

Jason Kokrak, after Saturday’s second round of the QBE Shootout, was asked his approach down three strokes entering Sunday’s final round, and this being a two-player event, he turned to another two-player event to sum it up. “Ride my horse to the finish,” Kokrak said. “I told him over there I’ll be there when he needs me.”

And rode his horse he did. And be there when needed he did, too. 

Behind a ridiculous closing run of 12 birdies in 13 holes, including seven straight on Kevin Na’s ball, the team of Na and Kokrak stormed from behind to win the Shootout by one shot over the team of Billy Horschel and Sam Burns, and two shots over second-round leaders Marc Leishman and Jason Day and defending champions Matt Kuchar and Harris English. Na and Kokrak finished Sunday’s four-ball format with a 12-under 60 at Tiburon Golf Course in Naples, Fla., and a 33-under total. 

Ironically, the birdie barrage began after a bogey. 

After the dropped shot, on the 225-yard, par-3 3rd, Na birdied: the 600-yard, par-5 6th on an 8-foot putt; the 396-yard, par-4 7th on a 10-foot putt; the 175-yard, par-3 8th; the 480-yard, par-4 9th on a chip-in from the left side of the green; the 365-yard, par-4 10th on a 7-foot putt; the 430-yard, par-4 11th on an 8-foot putt; and the 215-yard, par-3 12th on a 6-foot putt. 

From there, and now leading by one shot, Kokrak took over. As he said he would. 

On the 350-yard, par-4 13th, he rolled in an 8-footer for birdie. On the 578-yard, par-5 14th, he made a 2-footer for birdie. On the 205-yard, par-3 16th, he nearly aced the hole and tapped in for birdie. On the 559-yard, par-5 17th, he dropped a 3-footer for birdie. 

Finally, on the 485-yard, par-4 18th, he rolled in a 6-footer for his fifth birdie of the back nine and a two-stroke lead with only two groups to play. When neither Horschel, Burns, Kuchar nor English holed out, it was over. 

But golf is not for 2021. If you like team events, there’s another one next week — the parent-child PNC Championship — to close out the pro schedule for the year. And a 15-time major champion and his 12-year-old son are playing. 

The big takeaway 

Keep an eye on Kokrak next year. That’s now four victories since last October, after a long winless stretch. Something has clicked. 

The big shots 

— Jason Day and Marc Leishman begin the day with a three-shot lead over the teams of Billy Horschel and Sam Burns, Matt Kuchar and Harris English, and Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak. Day and Leishman are at 24-under to begin the four-ball format. 

— Day and Leishman birdie the 440-yard, par-4 2nd hole. They are at 25-under, and Kuchar-English, Na-Kokrak and Horschel-Burns are at 22-under. 

— Day birdies the 428-yard, par-4 4th on a 15-foot birdie putt, and he and Leishman take a four-shot lead. They are at 25-under, and Will Zalatoris-Sean O’Hair, Graeme McDowell-Corey Conners, Horschel-Burns and Kuchar-English are at 22-under. 

— Na chips in from left of the green for birdie on the 480-yard, par-4 9th, and he and Kokrak move to one shot back of Day-Leishman after their fourth straight birdie. Day-Leishman are at 26-under, Na-Kokrak are at 25-under, and McDowell-Conners and Kuchar-English are at 24-under.   

— Na rolls in a 7-footer for birdie on the 365-yard, par-4 10th, and he and Kokrak move into a tie for the lead with Day-Leishman after their fifth birdie in a row. Na-Kokrak and Leishman-Day are at 26-under, McDowell-Conners and Kuchar-English are at 25-under, and Horschel-Burns are at 24-under. 

— Day drops a 10-footer for birdie on the 9th, and Day-Leishman move back into the lead. They are at 27-under, Na-Kokrak are at 26-under, McDowell-Conners and Kuchar-English are at 25-under, and Horschel-Burns are at 24-under. 

— Na rolls in an 8-footer on the 430-yard, par-4 11th, and he and Kokrak move back into a share of the lead with Day-Leishman after their sixth birdie in a row. Na-Kokrak and Day-Leishman are at 27-under, McDowell-Conners and Kuchar-English are at 25-under, and Horschel-Burns are at 24-under.

— Na drops a 6-footer for birdie on the 215-yard, par-3 12th — his seventh birdie in a row — and he and Kokrak take a one-shot lead. They are at 28-under, Day-Leishman are at 27-under, McDowell-Conners and Horschel-Burns are at 26-under and Kuchar-English are at 25-under. 

— Kokrak rolls in an 8-footer for birdie on the 350-yard, par-4 13th — their team’s eighth birdie in a row — and he and Na take a two-shot lead. They are at 29-under, Day-Leishman are at 27-under, McDowell-Conners and Horschel-Burns are at 26-under and Max Homa-Kevin Kisner and Kuchar-English are at 25-under. 

— Day taps in for birdie on the 13th, and he and Leishman move to within a stroke of Na-Kokrak. Na-Kokrak are at 29-under, Leishman-Day and Horschel-Burns are at 28-under, McDowell-Conners are at 27-under, and Kisner-Homa and English-Kuchar are at 26-under. 

— Kokrak sinks a 2-footer for birdie on the 578-yard, par-5 14th — their team’s ninth birdie in a row — and he and Na retake a two-shot lead. They are at 30-under, Day-Leishman and Horschel-Burns are at 28-under, and McDowell-Conners, Kisner-Homa and English-Kuchar are at 27-under. 

— Leishman-Day and Horschel-Burns each birdie the 14th, and they move to within a stroke of Na-Kokrak. Na-Kokrak are at 30-under, Leishman-Day and Horschel-Burns are at 29-under, Kisner-Homa are at 28-under and McDowell-Conners and Kuchar-English are at 27-under. 

— Kokrak taps in for birdie after nearly acing the 205-yard, par-3 16th — their team’s 10th birdie in 11 holes — and he and Na retake a two-shot lead. They are at 31-under, Leishman-Day, Horschel-Burns and Kuchar-English are at 29-under, Kisner-Homa are at 28-under and McDowell-Conners are at 27-under.

— Horschel birdies the 16th on a 25-foot putt, and he and Burns move to within a stroke of Na-Kokrak. Na-Kokrak are at 31-under, Horschel-Burns are at 30-under, Leishman-Day and Kuchar-English are at 29-under, Kisner-Homa are at 28-under and McDowell-Conners are at 27-under. 

— English eagles the 559-yard, par-5 17th on a 12-foot putt, and he and Kuchar move into a share of the lead. Kuchar-English and Na-Kokrak are at 31-under, Horschel-Burns are at 30-under, Leishman-Day are at 29-under, Kisner-Homa are at 28-under and McDowell-Conners are at 27-under. 

— Kokrak birdies the 17th on a 3-foot putt — their team’s 11th birdie in 12 holes — and he and Na retake a one-shot lead. They are at 32-under, Kuchar-English are at 31-under, Horschel-Burns are at 30-under, Leishman-Day are at 29-under, and Kisner-Homa and McDowell-Conners are at 28-under.

— Leishman eagles the 17th on a 6-foot putt, and he and Day move to within a shot of the lead. Na-Kokrak are at 32-under, and Horschel-Burns, Kuchar-English and Leishman-Day are at 31-under. 

— Kokrak rolls in a 6-foot birdie on the 485-yard, par-4 18th — their team’s 12th birdie in 13 holes — and he and Na retake a two-shot lead. Kokrak-Na are at 33-under, and Horschel-Burns, Kuchar-English and Leishman-Day are at 31-under. 

— Horschel-Burns and Leishman-Day fail to hole-out for eagle after drives in the fairway on the 18th, and Na-Kokrak clinch the victory.   

The final word 

“I started making some birdies, and we got hot. I looked over and I said, hey, man, when are you going to show up? He said, I’ll be there on the back nine when you really need me. And he did.” — Na on NBC  

The post Kevin Na, Jason Kokrak birdie 12 of final 13 holes (!) to win QBE Shootout appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Jason Kokrak at the 2021 HPE Houston Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Jason Kokrak at the 2021 HPE Houston Open appeared first on Golf.

Jason Kokrak won the 2021 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open on Sunday to capture his second PGA Tour victory of the year (2021 Charles Schwab Challenge) and the third Tour event of his career (2020 CJ Cup).

Check out the equipment the 36-year-old PXG staffer used this week in Houston!

Driver: TaylorMade SIM (Accra TZ5 85 M5 Proto shaft), 9 degrees

3-Wood: TaylorMade SIM2 (Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green shaft), 15 degrees

7-Wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max (Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green shaft), 21 degrees

Irons: PXG 0311 T Gen4 (4-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts)

Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy (52 degrees), Titleist Vokey SM8 (56 degrees) and Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks (60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 38 (SuperStroke Pistol GTR 1.0 grip)

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? 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 Jason Kokrak, down 10 to start third round (!), wins Houston Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Jason Kokrak, down 10 to start third round (!), wins Houston Open appeared first on Golf.

The shot of this Houston Open wasn’t a long drive, though Jason Kokrak, one of the game’s biggest hitters, will be remembered for those. Nor was it a long putt, though Kokrak, also sneaky good with the flat stick, dropped a few of those, too. 

No, the winning blow at Memorial Park came off a short iron, the ball went 149 yards, and there was still 120 yards to go. 

At that point, Kokrak had birdied three-straight holes on his way to taking a one-shot lead during Sunday’s final round, and he was in line for another after hitting his tee shot on the par-5 15th. Only as he landed his ball in the fairway, mud landed on his ball, and he prudently laid up short of the green. 

“This is a smart play at this point, as you’re just unsure what the mud will do to it,” analyst John Wood said on the Golf Channel broadcast. “He’s just going to chip something down the fairway and leave himself a wedge in.”

From there, Kokrak hit to 5 feet, he birdied again, and he moved his lead to what would be an insurmountable two strokes on his way to a third career PGA Tour victory. The short shot went a long way. Starting the weekend 10 shots out of the lead, Kokrak followed with rounds of four-under 66 and five-under 65 to finish at 10-under and win by two over Kevin Tway and Scottie Scheffler. 

To begin Sunday, Kokrak was two back of Scheffler, and at one point early on, five players shared the lead. On the back nine, Martin Trainer, who had begun the week at 2,000-1 to win, led by two, before Kokrak began his birdie binge. 

On the 326-yard, par-4 13th, Kokrak hit to 12 feet and rolled in the putt for a three. On the 513-yard, par-4 14th, he hit to 23 feet and rolled in the putt again for a three. On the 115-yard, par-3 15th, he hit his tee shot to 6 feet and rolled in the putt for a two. Then came the birdie four on the 16th.  

Tway, after a 68, and Scheffler, after a 69, finished two shots back, and Kramer Hickok ended up three behind. After a spirited run, Trainer tied for fifth with Joel Dahmen. 

The big takeaway

Kokrak has now won three times in just over a year, after a long stretch of having never won. Watch out. 

The 20 big shots 

— Scottie Scheffler begins the final round at seven-under and one shot ahead of Kevin Tway, Jhonattan Vegas, Matthew Wolff, Kramer Hickok and Martin Trainer, and two shots ahead of Jason Kokrak, Russell Henley and Luke List. 

— Scheffler bogeys the 499-yard, par-4 1st after missing a 6-foot par putt, and he falls into a four-way tie for the lead. At six-under are Scheffler, Trainer, Tway and Wolff. At five-under are Cameron Tringale, Henley, List, Hickok, Kokrak and Vegas. 

— Kokrak birdies the 574-yard, par-5 3rd and he pulls into a five-way tie for the lead. At six-under are Kokrak, Scheffler, Trainer, Tway and Wolff. At five-under are Tringale, Henley, List, Hickok and Vegas. 

— Wolff bogeys the 165-yard, par-3 2nd, and he falls out of a share of the lead.

— Tway birdies the 3rd after pitching to 5 feet, and he takes a one-shot lead. He’s at seven-under, Kokrak, Scheffler and Trainer are at six-under, and Tringale, Henley, List, Vegas and Wolff are at five-under. 

— Kokrak birdies the 489-yard, par-4 4th after hitting his approach to 4 inches, and he moves into a share of the lead. He and Tway are at seven-under, Scheffler, Trainer and Henley are at six-under, and Tringale, List, Vegas and Wolff are at five-under. 

— Scheffler birdies the 3rd after hitting his second shot to 3 feet, and he moves back into a share of the lead. Scheffler and Kokrak are at seven-under, Henley, Trainer, Tway and Wolff are at six-under, and List and Tringale are at five-under. Tway had bogeyed the 4th. 

— Trainer and Tway birdie the 384-yard, par-4 5th — Trainer on a 27-foot putt and Tway on a 14-footer — and they pull into a four-way share of the lead. At seven-under are Kokrak, Trainer, Tway and Scheffler, and at 6-under are Tringale, Scheffler and Wolff. 

— Scheffler birdies the 5th after rolling in a 17-foot putt, and he takes a one-shot lead. He’s at eight-under, Trainer is at seven-under, Kokrak, Henley and Tway are at six-under, and Adam Long, Tringale and Wolff are at five-under. 

— Trainer birdies the 585-yard, par-5 8th after hitting his second shot to 11 inches, and he moves into a share of the lead with Scheffler. Trainer and Scheffler are at eight-under, Tway is at seven-under, Kokrak and Henley are at six-under, and Tringale and List are at five-under. 

— Scheffler birdies the 8th after hitting his third shot to 5 feet, and he takes a one-shot lead. He’s at nine-under, Trainer is at eight-under, Tway is at seven-under, and Kokrak and Henley are at six-under. 

— Wolff, after three bogeys and a birdie to start his round, aces the 186-yard, par-3 9th. He’s at six-under. 

— Scheffler bogeys the 444-yard, par-4 10th after three-putting from just off the green, and he falls into a share of the lead. He and Trainer are at eight-under, and Kokrak, Henley, List, Tway and List are at six-under. 

— Trainer rolls in a 71-foot putt for birdie on the 214-yard, par-3 11th, and he jumps into the lead by himself. He’s at nine-under, Scheffler is at eight-under, and Kokrak, Henley, List, Tway and Wolff are at six-under.  

— Scheffler bogeys the 11th after missing the green on his tee shot, his second-straight bogey, and he falls to seven-under. Trainer’s lead is now two shots. 

— Trainer gets up and down from off the green on the 478-yard, par-4 12th, and he maintains his two-shot lead. 

— Kokrak birdies the 115-yard, par-3 15th after hitting his tee shot to 6 feet — his third-straight birdie — and he pulls into a share of the lead with Trainer. Kokrak and Trainer are at nine-under, Sam Burns, Tway and Scheffler are at seven-under, and Joel Dahmen, List, Hickok and Wolff are at six-under. 

— Trainer bogeys the 513-yard, par-4 14th after failing to get up and down after missing the green on his approach, and he falls out of a share of the lead. Kokrak is at nine-under, Trainer is at eight-under, Sam Burns, Tway and Scheffler are at seven-under, and Joel Dahmen, List, Hickok and Wolff are at six-under. 

— Kokrak birdies the 583-yard, par-5 16th — his fourth-straight birdie — and he takes a two-shot lead. Kokrak’s at 10-under, Trainer is at eight-under, and Tway is at seven-under. 

— Trainer bogeys the 334-yard, par-4 17th after three-putting, and Kokrak’s lead grows to three as he walks to the 18th green. There, he two-putts, he finishes at 10-under, and he holds on from there for his third PGA Tour victory. 

The final word 

“He’s a player to look out for at the biggest events for the rest of the season.” — Golf Channel analyst Trevor Immelman on Kokrak.

The post Jason Kokrak, down 10 to start third round (!), wins Houston Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Jason Kokrak reveals the reason behind his putting transformation in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

The post Jason Kokrak reveals the reason behind his putting transformation in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

Ah, the putter. Is there anything in golf more fickle? When it’s bad, things are really bad. When it’s good? Life is really good.

Jason Kokrak has lived on both sides of that sword throughout his professional career, but on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast, he explained to hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz how he stumbled into a fix for his game around the greens at the beginning of 2021 — and how he’s stuck with it ever since.

“Yep. You guys don’t have a D-Rob, I’ve got to hand it to Cabernet Dave, he’s an incredible green-reader when it comes to Bermuda grass, he’s really good at it. I’ve got to hand it to him. I’m not a bad green-reader by any means, but he’s that much better. I trust his reads and went with it.”

Of course, Kokrak is referring to his caddie, David Robinson, whose keen vision has proved a massive asset around the greens since the beginning of the season. But that’s not all he’s done to fix his putting game. One other fix has come in his gear.

“I think a little bit has to do with moving to a 36-inch putter instead of a 35,” Kokrak said. “I’ve got both hands on the putter grip now as opposed to it sitting at the end of my palm with the 35. So, a little bit more comfortable, and stuck with the same putter, stuck with cross-handed for a while, too.”

In 2021, Kokrak ranked sixth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting, averaging more than a half-stroke gained per round (.628) and second on tour in total putting.

It should come as no surprise to hear consistency is key when it comes to building your putting game. Good technique isn’t enough to build a skilled putter, it takes hours of repetition and muscle memory … mixed with a good set of eyes.

News

“I would hand (Robinson) most of the credit for that,” Kokrak said. “I always hit the ball pretty good at Bay Hill and most of those events, but when it comes to Bermuda, I just don’t read the grain as well as he does. I’d read it a ball outside, and he’ll say to me, ‘no, the grain’s left-to-right, hit it straight,’ and I’ll hit it straight, and it’s right in the hole.”

Ultimately for Kokrak, his putting revolution has added a new dimension to his golf game, and who doesn’t want that?

“It’s fun to be talked about in the putting stats instead of just being talked about for bombing it.”

To hear the rest of Kokrak’s interview, including to figure out which public course he says has greens “as good” as Augusta National, check out the video below.

Want to hole more putts? Get a putter fitting from the experts at our affiliate company, True Spec Golf.

The post Jason Kokrak reveals the reason behind his putting transformation in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’s Subpar: Jason Kokrak on how he’s been able to transform his putting appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’s Subpar: Jason Kokrak on how he’s been able to transform his putting appeared first on Golf.

Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by 2-time PGA Tour winner Jason Kokrak who discusses what has led to him becoming one of the best putters on Tour.

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This week’s episode is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’ve never tried FanDuel Sportsbook, what are you waiting for? Go to Fanduel dot come slash subpar or download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. Be sure to sign up with promo code SUBPAR so they know we sent you. Disclaimer: 21+ and present in NJ. New users only. $5 first deposit required. Must wager in designated offer market. Max bet $5. Bonus issued as non withdrawable site credit that expires 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See full terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call: 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ)

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The post GOLF’s Subpar: Jason Kokrak talks what it’s like putting at Shadow Creek appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’s Subpar: Jason Kokrak talks what it’s like putting at Shadow Creek appeared first on Golf.

Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by 2-time PGA Tour winner Jason Kokrak who breaks down what it was like putting at Shadow Creek during his victory at the CJ Cup.

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This week’s episode is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’ve never tried FanDuel Sportsbook, what are you waiting for? Go to Fanduel dot come slash subpar or download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. Be sure to sign up with promo code SUBPAR so they know we sent you. Disclaimer: 21+ and present in NJ. New users only. $5 first deposit required. Must wager in designated offer market. Max bet $5. Bonus issued as non withdrawable site credit that expires 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See full terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call: 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ)

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The post Jason Kokrak Interview: Hiding clubs from Colt, who on Tour would have his back in a fight appeared first on Golf.

The post Jason Kokrak Interview: Hiding clubs from Colt, who on Tour would have his back in a fight appeared first on Golf.

On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar, 2-time PGA Tour winner Jason Kokrak joins former PGA Tour pro Colt Knost and jicky jack legend Drew Stoltz for an exclusive interview. The winner of the 2021 CJ Cup talks winning on Tour twice this year, hiding his clubs while playing with Colt, and the nerves he broke through during his first Tour win.

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This week’s episode is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’ve never tried FanDuel Sportsbook, what are you waiting for? Go to Fanduel dot come slash subpar or download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. Be sure to sign up with promo code SUBPAR so they know we sent you. Disclaimer: 21+ and present in NJ. New users only. $5 first deposit required. Must wager in designated offer market. Max bet $5. Bonus issued as non withdrawable site credit that expires 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See full terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call: 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ)

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The post Ryder Cup bubble boys: 8 players overlooked for the U.S. Ryder Cup team appeared first on Golf.

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After much deliberation over the past several months, Steve Stricker released his captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup during a press conference on Wednesday at Whistling Straits. His six picks of Daniel Berger, Harris English, Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele round out the team that will represent the U.S. in Wisconsin later this month.

Those six will join Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka on Team USA, as the Americans look to win back the Ryder Cup after a 17.5-10.5 beatdown at the hands of the Europeans three years ago.

Stricker said he feels confident in his picks and believes he has a strong team heading to Whistling Straits, but there were several strong players left off the team with legit cases for being selected. Here are eight hopefuls who were left off the 2021 Ryder Cup team.

Patrick Reed

Patrick Reed has been a staple of Team USA since making his first appearance in 2014, but that experience was not enough to get a nod from Stricker. While Captain America brings plenty of spark in team events, he also brings plenty of controversy. His criticism of Jim Furyk after the 2018 Ryder Cup likely didn’t help his chances, and his recent form has not been the best either. Reed has not registered a top-10 finish since early June, and he had a scary bout with double pneumonia just two weeks ago. “It wasn’t an easy one,” Stricker said, “but I think it was just the uncertainty of his health, and really the lack of play that led to our decision down the stretch.”

Kevin Na

Kevin Na wasn’t on anyone’s Ryder Cup radar for most of the summer, but a recent hot streak thrust him into the conversation. Starting in early July, Na registered four top-eight finishes in six starts, and he carded the low 72-hole score at the Tour Championship, which gave his Ryder Cup candidacy a late lift. However, ranking 170th in driving distance likely didn’t help his cause. It was a case of too little, too late for the veteran.

Will Zalatoris

Stricker didn’t hesitate to fill out his team with rookies, but he didn’t go so far as to go with a trendy pick of Will Zalatoris. While the 25-year-old ball-striking machine was a consistent force on Tour this season — including a runner-up finish at Augusta — his woes on the greens likely doomed his chances. He ranked 122nd on Tour in SG: Putting last season, and in an event that is won and lost on the putting surface, that deficiency was just too much to overcome.

Webb Simpson

Webb Simpson, 13th in the Ryder Cup standings, didn’t make it to the Tour Championship but had six top 10s and 13 top 25s in 21 starts last season. With just three missed cuts on the season, few players are more consistent than the three-time Ryder Cupper. But in a year when Team USA went young, there just wasn’t a spot for Simpson on this team.

Sam Burns

Sam Burns had a breakout season in 2021, earning his first Tour victory and notching eight top 10s in 26 starts, but his Ryder Cup candidacy never got as much buzz as some of his fellow countrymen. Stroke-gained analytics favor Burns — eight in SG: Putting, 14th in SG: Total — but he also struggled in big-time events. He made just one cut in majors in 2021 (T76 at The Open), and he racked up many of his high finishes, including his win at the Valspar, in events with weaker fields. If he wants to represent Team USA, he’ll have to perform a bit better on the biggest stages.

Jason Kokrak

Jason Kokrak had one of the strongest seasons of his career in 2021 as he earned two wins and 12 top 25s in 27 starts, but recency bias did him no favors. According to Data Golf’s Ryder Cup rankings, he was 24th over the last three months prior to selections, and his lack of any team-golf experience was also a ding on his resume. His game is a perfect fit for Whistling Straits, but there were too many better options on the table for Stricker this year.

Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel boosted his Ryder Cup resume in the spring with a win at the WGC Match Play in Texas, but after the victory he didn’t quite do enough to merit a selection. His lack of prior Ryder Cup experience was also a glaring hole in the resume for the 34-year-old.

Kevin Kisner

Kevin Kisner has proven himself to be a tough out in match play competitions during his career, but his form in 2021 never gave him much of a chance at making this team. Outside of ranking 32nd in SG: Putting, Kisner did not have another strokes-gained category where he ranked inside the top 80. He did earn a win just a few weeks ago at the Wyndham Championship, but his ball-striking deficiencies over the last 18 months sunk his chances.

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