The post Tour Confidential: Minjee Lee, Saudi series and crazy seats   appeared first on Golf.

The post Tour Confidential: Minjee Lee, Saudi series and crazy seats   appeared first on Golf.

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us @golf_com. This week, we discuss Minjee Lee’s win at the U.S. Women’s Open, the first event of the Saudi series, crazy seats and more. 

1. At the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, Minjee Lee held off Mina Harigae and a host of others to win with a record 13-under-271 total. Let’s start with Lee. The win gives her two major championships, and eight victories overall on the LPGA Tour. What impressed you most about her this week?

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'I just can't believe it': Minjee Lee wins U.S. Women's Open in record-breaking fashion

By: Zephyr Melton

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): The swing, which folks will tell you is one of the most fundamentally sound in all of golf. The putting; if there were to be any doubt late on Sunday, she rolled in putt after putt. But let’s go with the ability to close. It’s hard. Look no further than the men’s game the past two weeks before this one. But Lee did it well.  

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Her calm. She said it herself. She doesn’t go through wild highs and lows. Combine that mentality with those mechanics, and you see a lot of rounds like she had on Saturday, which is when she won the tournament, building a lead. Then on Sunday, she didn’t lose it.

Sean Zak, senior editor (@sean_zak): The only time she made a bogey all week, and didn’t make a birdie in the next two holes, was Sunday, when she already had a five-shot lead. The bounce-back birdie isn’t often in the cards at U.S. Opens, but she somehow made it possible this week. Reminiscent of Kaymer at Pinehurst in 2014. Out front and never coming back. 

James Colgan, assistant editor (@jamescolgan26): Her mentality! She came out Sunday with a huge lead and a very hard golf course ahead of her, but it hardly looked like it. It was particularly impressive watching her tee shots on Nos. 1 and 18, the two most pressure-packed moments of her final round. She striped two shots, found two fairways and never flinched. A deserving champion if there ever were one.

2. As for the week as a whole, what’s your biggest parting takeaway? Pine Needles as host? Nelly Korda’s return? Annika Sorenstam’s return? Danielle Kang’s tumor revelation? Something else?

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In Minjee Lee's Sunday triumph, the U.S. Women's Open found its teeth

By: James Colgan

Piastowski: I’ll go with Kang. It’s incredible that she made the weekend with what she’s dealing with, but let’s hope things turn out OK for one of the game’s brightest stars.

Sens: Life always takes precedence over golf. So in that sense, Kang, for sure. But also Michelle Wie, bidding farewell. She was, at one point, the biggest name in golf. Watching the full arc of a career always makes a fan feel old.

Zak: My biggest takeaway is the winner! She’s the No. 3 player in the world, and she didn’t take ANY time winning major number two. That’s sometimes the trickiest one to win! But she took the first major last year and now suddenly seems like a viable threat for the throne atop women’s golf. What felt like Nelly Korda vs. Jin Young Ko might need to officially add a competitor.

Colgan: I agree with Zak’s point, but I’m partial to Nelly, who played the Open under-par in her first tournament in four months. In her first major since capturing Olympic gold, Nelly received the star treatment at Pine Needles, and deservedly so. Could she be golf’s next truly transcendent player?

3. You’ve seen the field. You’ve heard the reactions. You know the tournament’s details (at least some of them). Let’s cut to the chase: What are your expectations for the first event on the LIV Invitational Series, set for this week at the Centurion Club in London?

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Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia headline first LIV Golf event field

By: Sean Zak

Piastowski: Whew boy. It’ll get viewers, but maybe no higher percentage will come from the Tour ranks. If it comes across well, will more players join? If an unknown cashes a multi-million check, will more players join? If it’s a dud, will players drop out and the series crashes before season’s end? All are in play. There’s just not much recent precedent here. And who knows what the vibe will be early in the week at the U.S. Open. Strange, strange times.  

Sens: I don’t expect a riveting competition, because fat purses alone can’t generate that. It’s what comes after that will be interesting to watch. How long will suspensions last? Will more Tour pros make the leap? When will the first court filing come? Also: How will battle lines/loyalties continue to firm up among fans? One thing I’ve noticed, at least by tracking the back-and-forth on Twitter, is that opinions about LIV appear to mirror broader political fault lines in our society. Divisive times for sure. 

Zak: I wanna hear some expectations, Nick! I expect a relatively small amount of fans to show up, given how hard the committed players are trying to get fans to show up. I expect some players to stumble over their explanations for why they’re there. I expect some players to not want to say anything at all. And I expect the shotgun starts to be weird. Potentially a fun wrinkle we’ve never seen in pro golf. But weird.

Piastowski: Stop yelling at me Sean. But here’s a take. Phil doesn’t finish in the top 40. And there are 48 players. Of course, that’s if he plays. 

Colgan: I’m expecting very few fans and a product very inconsistent with the hype that has preceded it. 

4. The PGA Tour has already said it will suspend LIV event participants but not for how long or when. The organizations that run the majors also have not declared their intentions. How do you see these thorny questions playing out?

Piastowski: I guess it’s wait and see, right? For LIV vs. Tour, I fear we’re going to be bogged down with court proceedings in the coming months — and we could see some crossovers in the meantime (though I do wonder, with all of the hoopla, whether any players will actually try that). The majors are no doubt interesting. Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch raised an interesting point when he said one of the reasons Kevin Na “resigned” was to avoid Tour suspension, freeing him, theoretically, to still play in majors. But who really knows. Again, whew boy. 

Sens: Right. By resigning, Na has spared the USGA and R&A the awkwardness of having a guy suspended by the Tour in the field for their events. That’s in the short run. In the long run, my guess is that the governing bodies will do much like many players have done: fence-sit and see which way the winds are blowing. The questions might be answered for them, if guys who jump to the LIV don’t qualify for their events anyway. In the case of Masters, it seems unlikely that Augusta would disinvite a past champion like DJ. But who knows for sure? If the past months have proven anything, it’s that predictions are just hazardous guesses.

Zak: It’s in the PGA Tour’s court. Jay Monahan can come out Thursday morning at the RBC Canadian Open and say: “Those 48 guys who just teed off in England? They’re banned.” That’s what he’s been promising all along, at least. But as we know, the Tour doesn’t publicize its “disciplinary action.” Once the Tour makes a stand of any sort, I expect that to be the building block for litigation — as soon as this fall! — for Player X vs. The Tour. And Player Y vs. The Tour. And LIV vs. The Tour. 

Colgan: This was the problem all along with the Tour’s all-or-nothing promise: They have to back it up. Either they backslide and signal to their entire constituency that taking LIV money isn’t the end of the world — thus giving the new league oxygen — or they ban everyone for life, which is a maneuver of questionable legal and public relations backing. The Tour’s gamble all along was that nobody would jump. Now a few big-name players have, and they have a hornet’s nest to (very publicly) remove.

5. In another LIV development, Kevin Na became the first player among those listed to play at Centurion to “resign” from the PGA Tour. What do you make of the move?

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Kevin Na resigns from Tour for Saudi league, says he would face 'legal action'

By: Nick Piastowski

Piastowski: I mentioned it some above, but it’s all kinda … odd. I say this based on this quote that Joel Dahmen gave to Golf Digest on Saturday:” What if the LIV folds in a year? I mean, can he resign his resignment?” Good point. 

Sens: I’m sure it was very carefully thought out and financially savvy. He’s given himself a crack at huge LIV paydays while — I would assume — keeping his Tour pension, even if the Tour will no longer be contributing to it. It also leaves the door open for him to play in majors for now.

Zak: I know he wouldn’t do it unless it was absolutely necessary, so it sounds necessary. Na has grinded for decades to live, breathe, eat and play on the PGA Tour. He wouldn’t give it up unless he felt he needed to. Which means someone told him to. 

Colgan: Sounded to me like a calculated decision that came at the advice of many lawyers. I sure hope he’s OK with hanging his clubs up for good should LIV go the way of the USFL, XFL, et. al.

6. Next week on the PGA Tour, at the Canadian Open, 22 fans will have a chance to watch the action at St. George’s Golf and Country Club — from a seat, held up by a crane, 100 feet above the action. What other creative spectating options would you like to see come to life?

Tournaments

A grandstand in the sky? That’s golf’s wacky new reality

By: Sean Zak

Piastowski: I mean, I wouldn’t turn down a chance to hit a tee shot. Though I think no one else would want to see that.   

Sens: An opportunity to hop on a motorcycle and watch while jumping over a shark. Because that’s what we’ve come to at this point. A crane. Give me a break. Stay on the ground. Watch the event like grandma did. If you really need one, buy a little paper periscope. Does everything have to be gonzo entertainment? And while you’re at, get off social media and get off my lawn!

Zak: How about a six-wide trailer that is pulled behind the leaders on Sunday, right up the middle of the fairway. You get a great, TV-like view, 30 yards removed from the final pairing. Would help people appreciate what it looks like when players work the ball both ways. 

Colgan: I will once again bang the table for a commercial-free PGA Tour telecast (or even one with just fewer commercials). Would also listen to a ‘caddie-cast’ of only PGA Tour caddie convos.

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The post Kevin Na resigns from Tour for Saudi league, says he would face ‘legal action’ appeared first on Golf.

Kevin Na, in a 242-word letter posted Saturday to his social media accounts, resigned from the PGA Tour, citing “disciplinary proceedings and legal action,” after he was listed to play in the first event for the Saudi-funded LIV Invitational Series. 

Na is believed to be the first player among those playing in the first LIV tournament to leave the Tour completely. Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Talor Gooch are among other Tour players listed to play in the event, set for next week at the Centurion Club in London.   

“For 19 years, I’ve played on the PGA Tour and I have loved every minute of it,” Na wrote. “I appreciate the platform the Tour has provided me to play the game that I love and for the opportunities that have come with it. Recent developments in the professional golf world have given me a chance to reconsider my options. I would like the freedom to play wherever I want and exercising my right as a free agent gives me that opportunity. However, to remain a PGA Tour player, I must give up the right to make these choices about my career. If I exercise my right to choose where and when I play golf, then I cannot remain a PGA Tour player without facing disciplinary proceedings and legal action from the PGA Tour. 

“I am sad to share that I have chosen to resign from the PGA Tour. This has not been an easy decision and not one I take lightly. I hope the current policies change and I’ll be able to play on the PGA Tour again.”

The “disciplinary proceedings and legal action” are not completely known at this point, though the discussion has stretched back as far as the Saudi series began to take shape and would pose a threat to the Tour. (GOLF’s Josh Sens wrote a detailed legal explanation here.) In May, the Tour denied permission for its players to compete in the first event — with LIV CEO Greg Norman calling the Tour an “illegal monopoly” as well as “anti-golfer, anti-fan, and anti-competitive” — and this week, after the field was announced, the Tour said in a statement that read: “As communicated to our entire membership on May 10, PGA Tour members have not been authorized to participate in the Saudi Golf League’s London event, under PGA Tour Tournament Regulations. Members who violate the Tournament Regulations are subject to disciplinary action.”

News

Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia headline first LIV Golf event field

By: Sean Zak

The first LIV event will compete with next week’s Canadian Open. The following week is the U.S. Open, of which Na is qualified for, and when reached by GOLF.com via email, a USGA spokesperson referred to a previous statement upon learning of Na’s announcement. 

“We pride ourselves in being the most open championship in the world, with roughly half our field securing their position via local/regional qualifiers, however we reserve the right, as we always have, to review any competitor’s situation on a case-by-case basis,” the statement said. 

Na is also qualified for the Open Championship. Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the R&A, when asked by GOLF’s Josh Berhow about the list for LIV’s first event, said “we haven’t commented on it and don’t plan to as it stands.”

Throughout the week, other players in the LIV event have discussed their decisions. In an interview with National Club Golfer, Graeme McDowell said “It’s a difficult decision as a player when there’s so many unknowns. We don’t know what the reaction is going to be.”

News

11 burning questions about the future of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour

By: Josh Berhow

“The perceived consequences are definitely concerning,” McDowell also said. “But as players, we just ask ourselves the question, if we do get banned from the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, for example, is that good for the sport of golf?

“I believe it’s not good for the game, and I really feel what the guys at LIV have done is they’ve tried to create a schedule, which especially fits around the PGA Tour.

“It’s designed to co-exist with the other tours in the world, and let’s just hope that it all works out. The unknowns are a little scary, but I’m sure it’s weighed into the decision of every player that’s decided to take the leap. And we just hope that the right decision will be made.”

At the end of Na’s note, he wrote “to keep an eye out for LIV Golf.”

“It is an exciting new product and I hope you will enjoy the buzz it brings to golf,” he said. “I am thrilled to begin the next chapter in my career, starting next week at the inaugural LIV Invitational series event in London. I hope you will continue to support me.” 

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The post 2 pros confront each other at Mexico Open. But severity depends on who you ask. appeared first on Golf.

The post 2 pros confront each other at Mexico Open. But severity depends on who you ask. appeared first on Golf.

Grayson Murray says Kevin Na shouted obscenities at him before Murray confronted Na and threatened to “drop his a**.” Na, meanwhile, says “that’s not exactly how it went down.” And Ricky Barnes says it all reminded him of “the normal NBA fight, where they act like they’re going to hit someone and no one’s going to hit someone.”

Because of a Twitter exchange in January, Murray and Na confronted each other Wednesday on the range at the Mexico Open. That much has been confirmed by all involved. But just how heated things got depends on whom you ask.  

Murray himself, on an appearance on The Stripe Show podcast, revealed the encounter. The Mexico Open is the first event he and Na have played together this year, and Murray said that while he was walking to the chipping green at Vidanta Vallarta Golf Course, he heard Na “yelling and cussing at me.”

“So he was cussing at me, saying I should have told him in person, blah, blah, blah, and this was today on the range, and I mean, wow, right, the range is packed and I mean, there must have been 40 guys lined up on the range and I guarantee you every one of them could have heard what he said and the caddies,” Murray said on the podcast. “And I, you know, I went up to him, I went right up to his face and held my ground, and you know, I told him, I said, uh, if I weren’t going to get suspended right now — if I wouldn’t get suspended, I would drop his a** right there on the range because what he said to me was very immature and I know he wouldn’t have said it to me if we were just seeing each other on the road, like outside of the golf course. 

“I think it was a very immature thing to say right then and there and four months later, and to do it on the range where he knows it’s his safe spot, he knows that I’m not going to do anything to him and he knows that he’s, you know, he’s provoking me. Even another player standing right beside said hey, Grayson, just keep walking because he’s just provoking you; he’s getting what he wants to get out of you. And you know, I think the old me might have just gone ahead and done it.

“I told a caddie who was standing there who I’m good friends with, one of my old caddies, Mike Hicks — we’re both huge Carolina Hurricanes fans — I told him, if that would have been on ice and on skates, I would have got a 10-minute major and he’d have been out for the season, let’s just put it that way. But it’s golf, and you know what, I’m going to move on, and like they say, I’m living rent free in his head. Because I’ve moved on from it.”

News

Kevin Na is ripped by fellow pro for slow play, and Na trolls back

By: Nick Piastowski

Na, meanwhile, recalled it differently. 

In an interview on the grounds in Mexico with Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, Na confirmed that there was an incident that centered around the earlier Twitter exchange, then told Lewis: “That’s not exactly how it went down.”

“But I’m over it and I’m moving on,” Lewis said Na told him. “Looking forward to having a good week here in beautiful Mexico.” 

The feud started over a Murray tweet. In mid-January, when Na was playing the Sony Open, Murray had commented on slow play from Na, writing “Kevin Na taking 3 minutes to putt them. does get old,” to which Na replied: “U missing the cut is getting old!

On Wednesday, over three months later, the two talked face-to-face. On SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Barnes said Na’s caddie, Kenny Harms, had filled him in as Na was telling Jon Rahm and Tony Finau about it on the course. 

“One of them called the other one out and, like, hey you could have, you know, tagged me or you could have, you know, at least done it to my face kind of thing, like, hey, actually at me on Twitter or Instagram or whatever it is,” Barnes said. “And the other guy, I heard, came back with, you know, a four-letter word and the other guy came back with a four-letter word and I guess it lasted a little longer than, you know, the normal NBA fight, where they act like they’re going to hit someone and no one’s going to hit someone. That was, I guess, the long and short of it. I guess one of the players, or I guess Kenny kind of stepped in, and I think on the way out it was kind of like a, you know, ‘‘F’ you, ‘F’ you, see you later.’ But that was about it. 

“I mean, obviously no one pushed each other, no one spit in each other’s face. I think it was a lot of nothing. That’s what I said, oh, it’s just another NBA fight. You know, a couple pushes and … no one hits anyone. I was like, man, I wish I was there just to, ‘Hit him!’” 

On Thursday, Murray and Na teed off 11 minutes apart, albeit on opposite nines — Murray started at 2:07 p.m. on the 10th and Na at 2:18 on the 1st. Lewis said both players were on the range again, though there were no words exchanged. 

“Called my agent and just said, you won’t believe what happened,” Murray said on the podcast. “And he’s like, I’m proud of you, kind of would have been funny if you’d have punched him, but no, not really. Yeah, it would have not. It would have not been funny. 

“And like I said, if I was on skates and on the ice, it would have been a different story.”  

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Three “old” tweets gave birth Friday to a new tiff. 

In a spirited, albeit short, squabble over social media between pros Kevin Na, who is defending his title this week at the Sony Open, and Grayson Murray, who is not playing, Murray first ripped Na for slow play. And that led to this response just about three hours later:

“U missing the cut is getting old!” Na tweeted from his iPhone. 

Murray, who has not played since late July after announcing he is dealing with alcoholism, and missed seven cuts and withdrew twice in his nine PGA Tour events before that, drew the reply from Na after he quote-tweeted reporter Chantel McCabe.

At 10:42 p.m. ET on Thursday, McCabe tweeted: “Kevin Na walking in putts does not get old,” a reference to Na’s now-signature move, where he sometimes chases after putts shortly before he believes they’ll drop. At 4:40 p.m. on Friday, Murray responded to the tweet by writing: 

“Kevin Na taking 3 minutes to putt them. does get old.”

Then, after 132 strokes over the first two rounds at Waialae Country Club, Na took another swing with his 33-character shot at 7:56 p.m. (It appears he was alerted when he was tagged in the chain.) Murray responded twice, but deleted the first. 

About 40 minutes after Na’s tweet, Murray wrote: “hahah love it little guy! would never tell that to my face,” only to delete it (though it was screen-shot by users on the chain). Then, at 8:37 p.m., he tweeted: “If they penalized you like they should for slow play you’d never make another cut either.”

As of late Friday night, Na had yet to reply. He plays his third round at the Sony on Saturday.

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Jim Furyk first played this tournament 28 years ago, that number is older than most of the golfers in the field this week, and so Brett Grant thought he was just being respectful. “Played a practice round with a guy that called me “sir,” and later on he asked me what I liked most about the Champions Tour, and I said, “No one calls me ‘sir,'” Furyk said. “He said his dad would be angry with him if he didn’t.” You can call the 51-year-old a contender, too. They say age is nothing but a number, and on Thursday, one of the oldest players in the field went low. Here are three things you need to know after the first round of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.   

Complete leaderboard here. 

Kevin Na leads 

For a while, Kevin Na was flirting with another Furyk number. 

Na, the defending champion, birdied 2 and 3, then 5 and 6, then eagled 9 for a front-nine 29, and there were whispers of Furyk’s record 58 in the Hawaiian breezes. But while he stalled some on the back nine, with only three birdies and no bogies, he did grab a one-shot lead after a nine-under 61, which also tied his career low. 

“I played unbelievably well,” Na said. “I did everything well today, and my iron play was amazing. My distance control has been great. You know, for playing a brand new ball, I’m doing pretty well controlling my distance. And I tell you what, I had a chance for a 59. I gave it all I could. I’m a little disappointed my putts didn’t fall; some of the good putts that I hit didn’t fall.

“But it’s still a good round.”

Jim Furyk is a shot out of the lead 

One shot behind Na was Furyk and Russell Henley, and two back were Kevin Chappell, Patton Kizzire, Michael Thompson and Seamus Power. Furyk’s round was fueled by 156 feet of made putts and an ace on the par-3 17th. 

The hole in one also capped a five-under-over-four-hole stretch to end his round. 

“I’ve always loved being here — it helps,” said Furyk, who won here in 1996. “I love Sony. It’s a place I had a lot of success. I think I lost in a playoff in ’97. Had a lot of Top 10s here. Love the course. It’s a place that I feel like I’m not hitting the ball far enough to compete out here on a regular basis on a lot of the golf course.

“But Waialae is a place I still feel I can get around and shoot under par pretty well and so it’s fun. Places I’ve won, Valspar, Heritage, those are courses I can still compete on.”

Billy Horschel is four back 

Among other players, Billy Horschel shot a 65 and is four shots back, Hideki Matsuyama shot a 66, and Cameron Smith, last week’s winner, shot a 67. 

In all, 118 of the 144 players in the field shot par or better. 

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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  

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Among the potential wildcard picks U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker passed on for this year’s squad was one of the game’s hottest players.

That’s five-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Na. The 37-year-old closed the regular season with a runner-up finish at the Wyndham; finished T8 and T17 in the first two playoff events, respectively; then notched a third-place finish at the Tour Championship — although when you remove the handicapping that was in place at East Lake, Na actually tied for the lowest gross score. A tidy few weeks to say the least.

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The practical purpose behind the date written on Kevin Na's lob wedge

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The run positioned Na for his best chance yet at a spot on a Ryder Cup team but it wasn’t to be. Stricker instead elected Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Harris English, Daniel Berger and Scottie Scheffler.

“It sucks. It’s disappointing,” Na told Golfweek’s Adam Schupak at the Fortinet Championship on Thursday, where Na shot a first-round 69 (T24). “[Stricker] has a tough job. I don’t take it personal. No one deserves anything. It’s a captain’s call. I respect his decision. Do I disagree? Yeah, I disagree.

“It didn’t matter what happened at the Tour Championship, [Stricker] already had his mind set. That’s my personal opinion. I think it would have been great if I played for the team. I think I could have really brought some good energy and I could’ve really contributed and disappointing that I won’t get the chance to do that.”

Most interesting were Na’s thoughts on how he could have provided value. It’s no secret that Na’s no bomber; he averages “just” 288 yards in driving distance and his SG: off-the-tee rating is an underwhelming -.253. But that’s the beauty of the Ryder Cup, especially in the foursomes format, where captains can yield positive results by pairing power with finesse. And it’s within that dynamic, Na said, that he could have been dangerous — particularly if he was teamed with the Tour’s longest hitter.    

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“If I had Bryson DeChambeau as my partner hitting driver, I’d be stuffing wedge in there or short irons,” Na said. “I’m a good putter, a good chipper.”

Na didn’t stop there, next picking apart a theory that has become a hot talking point among Ryder Cup observers.

“All these years you’re telling me that the U.S. team has been struggling because they had lack of length?” he said. “No, if anything it has been putting, guys able to make putts under the gun.”

Does the U.S. side have enough of those type of guys? In recent Ryder Cups they have not. With this latest team, we’ll find out next week.

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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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Welcome to Teachable Moments, GOLF’s weekly instruction column that will help you improve your game through the excellence and expertise of the Tour stars of the week. Class is now in session.

Rory’s rust

Rory McIlroy has played the last two weeks in Ireland and Scotland as he prepares for this week’s Open Championship, but the results haven’t quite been up to snuff. In two starts across the pond, the four-time major winner has a missed cut and finished T59.

This was McIlroy’s first action since a T7 finish at the U.S. Open last month, and he admitted that he hadn’t practiced much in the immediate aftermath of his most recent major, and the rust on his game was apparent — particularly with the driver. While the big stick is usually his most lethal weapon, it wasn’t as sharp in Ireland and Scotland.

Prior to his start in Scotland, the 32-year-old talked a bit about rust and how it affects his game, especially with longer clubs.

“The longer the club gets, the more exaggerated the move is,” McIlroy said. “You can get away with it with the shorter clubs because they are shorter clubs, but once you get a longer club in your hand, that’s where some of the bad habits start to creep in a little bit more.”

This is good intel to keep in mind when coming off a layoff. You won’t have to worry about big misses as much with shorter clubs in your hands, but be wary with a driver.

Na’s crafty chipping

Kevin Na hit a nifty chip shot during the John Deere Classic last week, but the shot came with an unlikely club — his putter.

Na’s ball settled in an awkward place off the green splitting the collar and the rough. So, he decided on an unconventional method to hit the shot: using the toe of his putter. The shot paid off as he holed it for an unlikely birdie. Check it out below.

Sometimes around the collar of the greens, your ball can end up in some funky spots that make traditional chips and putts a little tricky. That’s when a little imagination comes in handy. Using the toe of the putter (or a club like a wood or a hybrid) allows the club to pass through the rough easier and deliver a predictable strike on the ball.

If you get into an odd spot around the greens, don’t be afraid to use a little imagination.

Glover’s new routine

After over 10 years, Lucas Glover is back in the winner’s circle. The former U.S. Open champion outlasted a host of contenders at the John Deere Classic last week, closing with a 64 for a two-shot victory.

They key to his success was his comfort on the greens. With no shortage of birdies at a soggy TPC Deere Run, racking up circles on the card was a must. After his win, Glover shared that he made a tweak to his setup recently that gave him newfound confidence with the flatstick.

“Last week or two weeks ago at home I started taking a practice stroke behind the ball instead of beside it because it helped me with my setup, getting more consistently set up instead of practice stroke behind and then moving in,” Glover said. “So I started taking a practice stroke right down my line right behind the ball and then just walking in and going.”

Sometimes all it takes is a little more comfort. For Glover, it resulted in a trophy.

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