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The post In odd rules twist, this U.S. player was forced to hit a putt *before* opponent’s approach appeared first on Golf.

You needn’t be a rules maven to know this basic tenet of the game: the golfer farthest from the hole plays first.

So, when Si Woo Kim found himself sizing up a wedge shot from 87 yards in his opening foursomes match at the Presidents Cup Thursday, and all his opponent, Scottie Scheffler, had left was a 74-foot putt for eagle, you’d be excused for thinking that Kim was away.

Excused, but still wrong, and here’s why.

Kim, who was playing alongside Cam Davis for the Internationals, hit the team’s tee shot on the par-5 7th. He found the fairway, leaving Davis about 190 yards to the hole over a water hazard fronting the green. Davis carried the obstacle, but not by enough. His ball bounced back into the drink. Meanwhile, Scheffler’s partner, Sam Burns, had already left Scheffler safely aboard with a lengthy putt for eagle.

With no room to drop by the green without getting closer to the hole, Kim was forced to drop on the far side of the hazard, nearly 90 yards from his target.  

Order of play is especially meaningful in match play given the result of your opponent’s shots can influence how you play your own. So, it was surprising to see Scheffler, who was so much closer to the hole, play first.

What gives?

Enter PGA Tour rules official Mark Dusabek, who joined the broadcast to enlighten the golf-viewing masses. Because the International team’s ball had crossed on the far side of the hazard — and nearer the hole than where the Americans’ approach shot had come to rest — the Internationals’ ball was still deemed to be closer to the hole, even though it had disappeared into the water, Dusabek said

“His ball is actually closer to the hole from where his ball went into the water, where his ball laid in the water, versus where the [U.S. team’s] ball was up on the green,” Dusabek said.

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Dan Hicks, who was calling the event for NBC/Golf Channel, said to his perplexed partner Paul Azinger, “I just heard a lot of people what you said, Zing: ‘Ohhhhh…’”

Said Azinger, “It makes sense now.”

Kim hit a nifty wedge shot to 5 feet from where Davis saved par, but it wasn’t enough to match Scheffler and Burns’ birdie, who seized a 3-up lead and seemed destined to put another point on the board for the Americans.

“I think I was playing a little nervous — not so much scared, just a little nervous golf,” Davis said later. “And when I hit the ball in the water on 7, I was like, that’s the last time I’m trying to hit a smooth shot when I’m nervous. It’s a pumped-up nervous so everything is going a little further. It’s kind of hard sometimes to hit a ball over water with a club that would normally not make it over the water. So I think that finally clicked in my head. Right, we’ve just got to play aggressive. We’ve got to hit it hard. If you’re stuck between clubs, go the shorter one.”

The change in strategy worked. Kim and Davis clawed back to even the match through 16 holes, before winning 17 and 18 for a gutty 2-up win and much-needed point for the Internationals.

“We feed off each other really well,” Davis added. “I think we’ve got the same approach to the game, just about, in terms of I ask him what he thinks, it matches pretty much what I’m thinking, which is a pretty easy way to think our way around the golf course. Obviously, it worked great today.”

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The post The best Presidents Cup prop bets: 3 picks our expert loves at Quail Hollow appeared first on Golf.

On paper, it’s looking like a beat down.

That’s how Vegas sees it, anyway.

With the 2022 Presidents Cup on tap this weekend at Quail Hollow, the 6.5-point spread in the Philadelphia Eagles/Washington Commanders game is not the most lopsided line in major sports.

Team USA vs. the Internationals takes that honor, with oddsmakers listing the Americans at -700, or 1 to 7 favorites.

You can still bet the Americans, of course. Or put your money on their underdog opponents.

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How to watch the 2022 Presidents Cup: TV, streaming, matchups, format

By: Kevin Cunningham

Just be warned: Andy Lack has no interest in either side of that wager. GOLF.com’s expert prognosticator is looking at the menu of proposition bets instead. Also known as props, these are wagers not tied to the final outcome of the event.

The prop board includes three plays Lack really likes.

You can check out his picks — and his reasoning — below.

If you’d rather make plays on the Presidents Cup without risking real money, download Chirp. The free-to-play mobile platform (and GOLF.com affiliate) has prizes to give away, including a $500 credit to the GOLF.com Pro Shop for Day 1. Check out the full slate of prizes here:

Andy Lack’s Presidents Cup Plays

Top Overall Points Scorer: Justin Thomas (10/1)

Odds available on FanDuel

There are three questions that we must keep in mind when betting top points scoring props for the Presidents Cup. How many matches will they play? Who will they partner with? And does their game fit Quail Hollow? Although official pairings will not be unveiled until Wednesday afternoon, Thomas is the safest bet to play every session. A veteran of team competition, Thomas holds a 6-2-2 record in the Presidents Cup, and carries a combined 6-0-2 record in four balls and foursomes.

Between Presidents and Ryder Cups, the world No. 7 has built a solid rapport with Jordan Spieth as a partner. This duo will be one to watch once again in Charlotte. As for course fit, Thomas won the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail, and ranks top-five among this week’s competitors in the following categories: driving distance, birdies or better gained, strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained around the green, strokes gained total on courses longer than 7,400 yards, and overall strokes gained per round at Quail Thomas should be the favorite in this market, and I’ll gladly back him at 10/1 to be the top overall points scorer. 

Top International Points Scorer: Sungjae Im (6/1)

Odds available on DraftKings

While I have less of a sense of the direction that International Captain Trevor Immelman will go with his pairings, Im and Hideki Matsuyama both feel like locks to compete in every session. No wonder they are co-favorites to be the top points scorer for the Internationals.

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I am generally not one to bet favorites, but the back end of the International team is so weak that I expect Immelman to do a lot of mixing and matching. Im is a top-three talent on the squad, and I expect him to be utilized heavily. A potential pairing with countryman and friend, Tom Kim, is one to keep an eye out for.

Quail Hollow is one of the longest courses that players will see all season, and over the last year, the world No. 19 has been the best long-iron player in the entire Presidents Cup. Sungjae Im to be one of the lone bright spots this week for the Internationals. 

Top Rookie Points Scorer: Sam Burns (5/1)

Odds available on DraftKings

I’ve been eagerly awaiting Sam Burns’ team competition debut, as I believe he possesses the ideal skill set for both this format and for Quail Hollow. The world No. 12 ranks top five out of all competitors in Strokes Gained: Putting on Bermuda greens, birdies or better gained, and SG: Off the Tee. With three of his four PGA Tour victories coming on Bermuda, Burns should be more than comfortable in Charlotte.

A wager on Burns is also a prediction that the LSU product will have the opportunity to play with his vacation buddy and close friend, Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world. A Burns/Scheffler pairing should be dominant, and even if Burns plays with Billy Horschel as well, I like their prospects. Zurich Classic teammates are competitive every single year at the New Orleans team event, held on a comparable Bermuda-grass course.

I believe United States captain Davis Love will use Burns heavily this week, making him the best value in the Top Rookie Points Scorer market. 

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The post Why this budding bromance could be formidable Presidents Cup pairing appeared first on Golf.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Everyone loves a good bromance. From Joey and Chandler to Harry and Lloyd, there’s something about two dudes with an inseparable bond that just tugs at the heart strings. Add in sports to the equation and it takes our collective fascination to the next level.

The good news for the bromance appreciators among us? Team USA has several offerings at this week’s Presidents Cup. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are obvious candidates (who can forget the picture from their junior golf days?), and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay seem to have a strong bond of their own.

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By: Kevin Cunningham

But while those two pairs should provide plenty of intrigue this week at Quail Hollow, it’s the budding kinship of a pair of rookies that has us riveted.

Enter Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns. The two Presidents Cup rookies have been among the top players in the game over the past year, and it just so happens they’re pretty tight off the course, too. Combine those two ingredients and captain Davis Love III may well have a lethal pairing.

Scheffler-Burns will not be featured in the opening four-ball session, but it’s still a safe bet that they will be paired together at some point. Here are three reasons why when it does happen, it should pay dividends.

1. Demeanor

You’d be hard-pressed to find a couple of professional more laid back than Scheffler and Burns — and that goes for inside and outside the ropes. One of ’em makes a bogey? You can hardly tell. That ability to stay within themselves is a big part of why they are two of the top stars in the game.

But while that easygoing nature is great when it comes to golf, it can be a slight headache for scribes. Ask either one of them a question and they’ll do their best to answer in as few words as possible.

Take this exchange between Burns and the media on Tuesday:

Q: Who gives who the hardest time?

Burns: It’s back and forth. I don’t know, I think it’s just — who gives who a harder time? I don’t know. Just us.

It’s not always the most insightful exercise when interviewing either one of them, but it is a consistent one. Neither one of them is going to give more than they need to. Great minds think alike, perhaps?

2. Camaraderie

Scheffler and Burns’ bond is deeper than just a couple of golfers who play practice rounds together. These two share their lives together when they’re on the road.

Most weeks when both of them are playing, they share accommodations, renting a house for themselves and their wives. And as a couple of good ole Southern boys, they’re always on the hunt for the best barbecue around.

That camaraderie doesn’t stop on the weeks they’re on the road together. Sometimes, the two even vacation together, just as they did earlier this summer after the Open Championship.

Would you take a picture like that with anyone other than your best bro? You would not.

3. Playing style

Want to see some insanely crisp ball-striking? Just follow around Scheffler and Burns for an afternoon. Like all pros, watching them up close is a sight to behold. But unlike all pros, they’re each as consistent as they come.

For the 2021-22 season, each was among the top of their class in SG: Approach, Scheffler finishing the season in fourth while Burns finished 18th.

“I think Sam and I both play pretty similar,” Scheffler said. “We know each other’s games pretty well and know each other’s personalities well.”

A match made in heaven? Davis Love would settle for a match made in Charlotte.

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The post Who’s playing in the Presidents Cup? Meet the U.S. and International teams appeared first on Golf.

The stage is set for for the 2022 Presidents Cup where 24 of the PGA Tour’s top golfers — 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world (except for Europe) — will meet for the biennial matches.

Due to the pandemic, this will be the first Presidents Cup since 2019, when the Tiger Woods-captained U.S. team narrowly edged the Ernie Els-led International squad with a miraculous come-from-behind win in Sunday singles.

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The U.S. team holds a dominating 10-1-1 record in the matches and most expect a similarly dominate performance with LIV Golf defectors being ineligible to play in this year’s event and taking the hardest toll on Trevor Immelman’s International team.

Without further ado, let us introduce you to the players who are playing this year.

United States Team

*denotes captain’s pick

Captain: Davis Love III

Love was a six-time member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team and compiled a 16-8-4 record in those matches. Love — who was born in Charlotte, N.C., home of this week’s host, Quail Hollow Club — won 21 times on the PGA Tour, including one major win at the 1997 PGA Championship. He also notably won the 2015 Wyndham Championship at the age of 51, becoming the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history. Love was an assistant captain on the 2013, 2015 and 2017 Presidents Cup teams and captained the 2012 and 2016 Ryder Cup teams.

Sam Burns

Career Presidents Cup record: First appearance

Burns may have been overshadowed by close friend Scottie Scheffler in the early part of the 2021-22 season, but the Louisianan had a break out year himself, winning three times, including taking down Scheffler in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May. This will be his first appearance at either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

Patrick Cantlay

Record: 3-2-0 in one appearance (2019)

Cantlay had another solid year in 2022, winning once while defending his crown at the BMW Championship in Wilmington and teaming up with Xander Schauffele to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He played all of his matches in 2019 with Schauffele and figures to do so again. Cantlay was also very successful at last year’s Ryder Cup where he compiled a 3-0-1 record at Whistling Straits, the one tie coming in the only match he wasn’t paired with Schauffele.

Tony Finau

Record: 0-1-3 in one appearance (2019)

The big-hitting Finau had a slow start to the season before catching fire over the summer, notching five top-5s in a stretch of eight events, including back-to-back wins at the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic in July. He somewhat surprisingly did not notch a win in his only Presidents Cup appearance in 2019. He only had one loss in four matches, however, and he’ll be looking for a new partner as both his partners from 2019, Matt Kuchar and Bryson DeChambeau, are not playing this year. He’s picked up three wins in his two Ryder Cups in 2018 and 2021.

Max Homa*

Record: First appearance

Homa comes in as perhaps the hottest player in the matches. He won in dramatic fashion last week at the PGA Tour season opening Fortinet Championship, holing a chip shot from off the 18th green to win. He also finished a career best tied for fifth in the Tour Championship in his previous start. This will be his first team match appearance.

Billy Horschel*

Record: First appearance

If you were shocked to learn Horschel is making his first ever appearance in either the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup this week, you’re not alone. Horschel’s career resume includes seven PGA Tour titles, including this year’s Memorial Tournament, and the 2014 FedEx Cup. He’s had a mixed bag of a season, missing four of last eight cuts on the PGA Tour, but with the win in Columbus sandwiched between two of them. He did earn a top 10 in his most recent appearance during his title defense at the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship.

Kevin Kisner*

Record: 2-0-2 in one appearance (2017)

Kisner is the oldest player on Team USA’s roster and has become known as somewhat of a match play savant, including a win at the 2019 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and owning an undefeated record at the 2017 Presidents Cup. His best finish this past season was a second at — you guessed it — the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, but he did rack up five other top 10s. Kisner will also be looking for a new partner as he played with Phil Mickelson in all three team matches in 2017.

Collin Morikawa*

Record: First appearance

Morikawa came out just as hot as his first three years on Tour to begin this season with five straight finishes of T7 or better, but he fell back to earth a little toward the end of the year, his first on Tour without a win. Although he did lead the U.S. Open through 36 holes, he struggled Saturday and was out of contention by Sunday. The two-time major winner, who is still just 25 years old, showed better form at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August with a T5 finish, but needed to be one of Love’s six captain’s selections to make it to Quail Hollow. He led the U.S. team in qualifying for the Ryder Cup last year and went 3-0-1 at Whistling Straits, his lone tie coming in singles.

Xander Schauffele

Record: 3-2-0 in one appearance (2019)

Like Finau, Schauffele also had a strong end to the season, finishing in the top 20 in all but one of his last 11 events. Again, like Finau, he notched back-to-back wins at the Travelers Championship and Genesis Scottish Open. He also teamed with Cantlay for a team win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and figures to see a lot of his close friend whom he has a 4-2-0 record with in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup matches.

Scottie Scheffler

Record: First appearance

Scheffler has come a long way from being a captain’s selection at last year’s Ryder Cup. The Texan notched his first four PGA Tour wins last season, including a major victory at the Masters, and earned the World No. 1 ranking. While he didn’t come away with the FedEx Cup title, PGA Tour Player of The Year honors are a decent consolation — as well as the $5.75 million he got for finishing T2 at East Lake. He went undefeated, going 2-0-1 at Whistling Straits, teaming with Bryson DeChambeau in two four-ball matches. He also beat Kisner at this year’s WGC-Match Play.

Jordan Spieth*

Record: 8-5-1 in three appearances (2013, 2015, 2017)

After missing the 2019 matches, Spieth is back on the U.S. team at just the right time. With stalwarts like Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed absent this year, Spieth and Justin Thomas are the only players with multiple Presidents Cup matches under their belt coming into the week. The 29-year-old notched a win at the RBC Heritage this season and finished a respectable tied for 13th in the FedEx Cup. He carries a career 16-12-4 record in U.S. team cup matches and played with Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed in all of his partner matches in 2015 and 2017. At last year’s Ryder Cup, he paired most often with good buddy Justin Thomas.

Justin Thomas

Record: 6-2-2 in two appearances (2017, 2019)

Thomas may not have met all of his preseason goals, but he notched 11 top 10s last season and his second major title at the PGA Championship. He brings with him the most impressive U.S. team match record, going 12-4-3 across two Presidents Cups and two Ryder Cups. In his two previous Presidents Cups, he paired with Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler and Daniel Berger, all of whom are not playing this week. He figures to play more with Spieth as he did twice at Whistling Straits.

Cameron Young*

Record: First appearance

Young had a debut season to remember, notching six top-three finishes and was one of two rookies to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship. Those top finishes also include just missing out on the playoff at the PGA Championship by one stroke, and the memorable eagle finish at the Open Championship at St. Andrews to earn the runner-up spot.

International Team

*denotes captain’s pick

Captain: Trevor Immelman (South Africa)

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Immelman is the youngest captain in International team history at just 42 years old. The South African is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, including one major, holding off Tiger Woods to win the 2008 Masters. He’s also picked up six victories around the world on the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour. He’s a two-time veteran of the Presidents Cup and served as assistant captain under Ernie Els in 2019. Many fans will know him now for his broadcasting as he is expected to take over as the lead analyst for CBS’s golf coverage, following Nick Faldo.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout* (South Africa)

Record: First appearance

Bezuidenhout had a solid rookie year, making 20 cuts in 24 starts on the PGA Tour with 10 top-25 finishes. He’s perhaps better known in Europe, having a breakout year in 2020 while notching three victories including the Alfred Dunhill Championship. His best finish on the PGA Tour in 2022 was a T2 showing at the John Deere Classic and he advanced to the second FedEx Cup Playoff event at the BMW Championship. He’s one of five Presidents Cup first-timers selected by Immelman.

Corey Conners (Canada)

Record: First appearance

Conners played his way to the Tour Championship for the third time of his career thanks to 20 made cuts in 25 starts and four top-10 finishes. One of those top 10s came last month at the BMW Championship where he finished in T5, but he missed the cut last week in the PGA Tour’s season-opening Fortinet Championship. The Canadian has one win under his belt on the PGA Tour, coming at the 2019 Valero Texas Open.

Cam Davis* (Australia)

Record: First appearance

Davis notched five top-10s in 25 starts last season on the PGA Tour. His best golf came toward the end of the season when he made his last 10 cuts in a row. His best year on Tour came a season ago when he made 21 of 26 cuts and notched his debut win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. His cuts-made streak broke last week at the Fortinet Championship where rounds of 74 and 70 sent him to Charlotte early.

Sungjae Im (South Korea)

Record: 3-1-1 in one appearance (2019)

The iron man of the PGA Tour, nobody plays more golf than Sungjae Im. Im had another strong season on Tour in 2021-22, winning for the second time at the Shriners Children’s Open and finishing strong with three T2 finishes in his last five events, including at the Tour Championship. The World No. 19 will be heavily relied upon as one of just four veterans on the International team with Presidents Cup experience. All three of his partners from Royal Melbourne — Adam Hadwin, Abraham Ancer and Cameron Smith — are not on the team this year.

Tom Kim (South Korea)

Record: First appearance

Kim burst onto the scene in 2022, finishing third at the Genesis Scottish Open, seventh at the Rocket Mortgage, and then capturing his first win at the Wyndham Championship in August to secure his PGA Tour membership and even qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He was only a special temporary member when he won, but had earned enough points to get his full status for 2023. He’s now exempt through 2024 and he auto-qualified for the International team.

K. H. Lee* (South Korea)

Record: First appearance

Lee has two PGA Tour titles and both have come at the AT&T Byron Nelson. At this year’s tournament, Lee outdueled Jordan Spieth down the stretch to defend his title. The rest of his season wasn’t much to write home about, with almost as many missed cuts (7) as top-25s (8), until he used T20 and T5 finishes in the first two Playoff events to catapult his way into his first Tour Championship appearance.

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan)

Record: 6-7-4 in four appearances (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)

Hard to believe the 30-year-old Matuyama is about to start his fifth Presidents Cup, but the Japanese star heads to Quail Hollow as the alpha of the International squad. It was another good year for the World No. 17 on the PGA Tour, finishing 11th in the FedEx Cup after winning twice, with one of those victories coming last fall in his home country at the Zozo Championship. Only one of his previous partners, Adam Scott, is on the roster this week and they haven’t played together since Matsuyama’s Presidents Cup debut in 2013.

Sebastián Muñoz* (Colombia)

Record: First appearance

Munoz hasn’t quite played up to the same level as he did in his breakout season in 2019-20 when he got his first win at the Sanderson Farms Championship and then went on to finish 8th in the final FedEx Cup standings thanks to a solid performance at East Lake, but his 2021-22 campaign was enough to earn a captain’s pick. He had two runner-up finishes on the season.

Si Woo Kim* (South Korea)

Record: 1-2-0 in one appearance (2017)

Kim was the only one of Immelman’s captain’s selections with previous Presidents Cup experience, winning a four-ball match and losing in foursomes and singles matches in New Jersey in 2017. That season was also the year of his signature win, The Players Championship. He won in early 2021 at The American Express, but has not played well as of late, only recording one top 10s in 21-22, last fall at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Both of his partners from 2017 are not on this year’s team.

Taylor Pendrith* (Canada)

Record: First appearance

Normally for a rookie, an injury can be devastating. Taylor Pendrith missed time between The Players in March and the Barbasol Championship in July because of a rip injury, but it didn’t stop him from earning nine top 25s in 16 starts. Since coming back from the injury, Pendrith finished worse than T13th once in six starts, including a tie for second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and a tie for eighth at the BMW Championship.

Mito Pereira (Chile)

Record: First appearance

Heartbreak at the PGA Championship overshadowed what was otherwise a very respectable debut season on the PGA Tour for Pereira. He opened the year with a solo third at the Fortinet Championship and had two other top 10s, including at Southern Hills. Of course his season will be remembered for the leading the PGA through 71 holes, only to hit his tee shot in the water on 18, leading to a double bogey and missing the playoff. Pereira was rumored to be joining LIV Golf, but reportedly is waiting to jump so he could play in the Presidents Cup.

Adam Scott (Australia)

Record: 16-22-6 in nine appearances

The 42-year old hasn’t missed a Presidents Cup since 2001 and is by far the most experienced player on either team, having more appearances than the entire International team combined and as many as the entire American team combined. His 10th appearance will break his own record for the Internationals. He also has a chance to tie or pass Ernie Els’ International record of 21 points this week. Aging like fine wine, the 42-year-old didn’t win on the PGA Tour this year, but only missed two cuts all year and had five top 10s. His back-to-back T5s to start the FedEx Cup Playoffs helped him play his way into the Tour Championship from outside the top 70 at the end of the regular season. Matsuyama is the only teammate his paired with before on the International roster.

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The post Why players can’t absolve themselves of technical thoughts during high-pressure events appeared first on Golf.

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GOLF’s Luke Kerr-Dineen follows Sam Burns as he prepares for the 2022 U.S. Open on the range and explains why Burns is focusing on his takeaway.

The post Why players can’t absolve themselves of technical thoughts during high-pressure events appeared first on Golf.

The post Sam Burns, Scottie Scheffler celebrate their playoff appearances in style appeared first on Golf.

The post Sam Burns, Scottie Scheffler celebrate their playoff appearances in style appeared first on Golf.

They might play for millions of dollars and fly private wherever they please, but on occasion we are treated to a nice reminder that, yes, PGA Tour players are people, too. Look no further than the two playoff contestants in last weekend’s Charles Schwab Challenge, Sam Burns and Scottie Scheffler. 

Burns and Scheffer are a perfect pair in this reminder in part because they’re really good friends. Such good friends that they shared a house together during Masters week, an eventful one for the Schefflers. (It was less eventful for Burns, who missed the cut.) They spent each night that week playing games of Sequence together, with Burns’ trainer winding up on the losing end most often.

So when Scheffler got up-and-down for a par on the 72nd hole of the event Sunday, he knew he’d be facing off against a good pal in Burns, who had lit up Colonial with a final-round 65. They embraced after the round, and even walked down the fairway together off the first playoff hole. 

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When Burns made his miraculous 38-footer from just off the green for birdie, Scheffler had no choice but to dap up his buddy and say what we all thought: Good putt, man.

When Scheffler missed his putt to tie, Burns’ wife Caroline came running onto the green. Tour faithful had to be wondering, wait, where is Scheffler’s wife? Meredith Scheffler has been ever-present this year during Scottie’s successes, but she was nowhere to be found at Colonial Sunday. It’s because she wasn’t at Colonial on Sunday. She was elsewhere in the DFW area, helping her sister get married. 

Shortly after the playoff ended, Scheffler answered two quick questions with the media and raced over to the wedding venue. He posted a wedding photo to his Instagram story Sunday night, “Made it!”

Back at Colonial, Burns was going through all the trappings of being a tournament winner. He posed for photos with the trophy, posed for photos with the tartan jacket, even posed for photos in the secondary trophy: a ’79 Trans-Am Firebird. 

Naturally, he spent a bit more time with the media, breaking down his relationship with Scheffler: 

“We’re probably best friends. But at the same time I can assure you, he wanted to beat me more than anybody else and I wanted to beat him more than anybody else, and it just happened to be the two of us at the end.

“Yeah, it’s going to be a fun story that we’ll get to have for the rest of our careers, and fortunately I got the better end of it this time, but hopefully we’re at the beginning of these situations in the future.”

By the time his winner’s duties came to a close, Burns was headed home. His celebration differed greatly from Scheffler’s wedding attendance. Burns grabbed dinner from the most humble of locations: a Buc-ee’s convenience store. 

Not exactly fine dining, Buc-ee’s is all about having the basics of what you need while on the road. What Burns needed, now that his week was done and he was on the road, was a meal. It’s not clear what he ended up with, but it seems he paired it with a medium-sized coffee. 

For Scheffler, probably some steak and potatoes — your typical wedding fare — and for Burns, a foil-wrapped sandwich from a convenience store. We have no choice but to agree with what Burns said above: hopefully we are at the beginning of these situations in the future. 

The post Sam Burns, Scottie Scheffler celebrate their playoff appearances in style appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Sam Burns’ golf equipment at the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Sam Burns’ golf equipment at the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge appeared first on Golf.

Sam Burns charged from seven shots back during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge to defeat Scottie Scheffler in a sudden-death playoff. Take a closer look at Burns’ Callaway equipment setup.

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond (Fujikura Ventus Blue 7TX shaft), 10.5 degrees

Fairway wood: Callaway Mavrik (Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft), 17 degrees

Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (Fujikura Ventus Blue 8X shaft), 21 degrees

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW; Project X 6.5 shafts)

Wedges: Callaway Apex TCB (50 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft), Callaway Jaws MD5 Raw (56-10S and 60-12X degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts)

Putter: Odyssey O-Works 7S

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align

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

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The post Sam Burns, after starting day seven back (!), wins Charles Schwab Challenge appeared first on Golf.

The post Sam Burns, after starting day seven back (!), wins Charles Schwab Challenge appeared first on Golf.

Everyone was winning. Then no one wanted it. 

And the guy who was sitting back and watching it all — for some two hours! — ended up on top. 

Wild? You bet. In the end on Sunday at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Sam Burns dropped a 38-footer for birdie on the first playoff hole, Scottie Scheffler couldn’t match from 36 feet on the 18th at Colonial Country Club, and Burns is your winner for the fourth time on the PGA Tour, and third time this season.  

Only, after starting the day a whopping seven shots out of the lead, no one, not even Burns, saw this coming.

“When you start the day seven back, I knew Scottie was at 11, I mean, the way that guy is playing right now, who would have ever thought that you’d have a chance seven back?” Burns said. 

Good question. Scheffler, outside of a missed cut last week at the PGA Championship, has looked unbeatable since the Super Bowl, winning four times, including at the Masters. A host of others were also in contention on Sunday. But Burns climbed and climbed. And others either were stuck in neutral or stumbled. 

Burns birdied 1, 2 and 4. He bogeyed 6. He birdied 6, 7 and 9 for a front-nine 30. Burns then played the back at even, signed for a five-under 65, which tied for the low round of the day, then pulled up a chair and watched. 

The craziest sequence began after Scott Stallings birdied the 11th. At that point, five players — Scheffler, Stallings, Davis Riley, Harold Varner and Brendon Todd — all shared the lead, at 10-under, with Burns at nine. Not even an hour later, all five leaders dropped at least one shot.  

Riley double-bogeyed the 14th and bogeyed the 17th. Todd bogeyed 11 and 12. Varner? Oh boy. He tripled 12, doubled 13, tripled 14, birdied (?) 15, parred 16, doubled 17 and bogeyed 18 for a back-nine 45 (!). Stallings bogeyed 12, 14 and 17. And Scheffler bogeyed 12. 

Whew. After all that, Scheffler parred his way home, and he and Burns moved on to the playoff, at nine-under. 

And three shots later, the guy who was sitting back and watching it all — for some two hours! — is your winner. 

Wild? You bet. 

The takeaway 

Sam Burns holds the trophy. But Colonial was the winner. 

The leaderboard breakdown 

— Scottie Scheffler begins the final round with a two-shot lead. He’s at 11-under, Brendon Todd and Scott Stallings are at nine-under, and Harold Varner III is at eight-under. 

— Todd birdies the 383-yard, par-4 2nd, and he moves into a share of the lead with Scheffler. Scheffler and Todd are at 11-under, Stallings and Varner are at nine-under, and Sam Burns, Mito Pereira, Davis Riley and Cam Davis are at eight-under. 

— Todd bogeys the 222-yard, par-3 4th, and he falls out of the lead. Scheffler’s at 11-under, Todd and Varner are at 10-under, Burns and Stallings are at nine-under, and Davis is at eight-under. 

— Scheffler bogeys the 391-yard, par-4 6th, and he again drops into a share of the lead. Scheffler and Todd are at 10-under, Burns, Stallings and Varner are at nine-under, and Riley is at eight-under. 

— Varner birdies the 439-yard, par-4 7th on a 10-foot putt, and he moves into a three-way tie for the lead. Scheffler, Varner and Todd are at 10-under, Burns and Stallings are at nine-under, and Riley is at eight-under. 

— Riley birdies the 393-yard, par-4 10th, and he moves into a four-way tie for the lead. Scheffler, Varner, Todd and Riley are at 10-under, and Burns and Stallings are at nine-under. 

— Riley birdies the 631-yard, par-5 11th after chipping to 4 inches, and he takes a one-shot lead. He’s at 11-under, Varner, Scheffler and Todd are at 10-under, and Burns and Stallings are at nine-under. 

— Riley bogeys the 194-yard, par-3 13th after failing to get up and down from the left greenside bunker, and he falls out of the lead. Riley, Varner, Scheffler and Todd are at 10-under, and Burns and Stallings are at nine-under. 

— Stallings birdies the 11th after getting up and down from a greenside bunker, and he moves into a five-way tie for the lead. Stallings, Riley, Varner, Scheffler and Todd are at 10-under, and Burns is at nine-under. 

— Riley double-bogeys the 448-yard, par-4 14th, and he falls out of the lead. Stallings, Varner, Scheffler and Todd are at 10-under, and Burns is at nine-under.

— Todd bogeys the 11th after hitting into the right greenside bunker on his third shot, and he falls out of the lead. Stallings, Varner and Scheffler are at 10-under, and Burns and Todd are at nine-under. 

— Varner triple-bogeys the 12th after four-putting 19 feet, and he falls out of the lead. Scheffler and Stallings are at 10-under, and Burns and Todd are at nine-under.

— Stallings bogeys the 12th after hitting over the green on his second shot, and he falls out of the lead. Scheffler is at 10-under, Burns, Stallings and Todd are at nine-under, and Riley is at eight-under.  

— Scheffler bogeys the 12th after missing a 3-foot putt, and he drops into a three-way tie for the lead. Scheffler, Burns and Stallings are at nine-under, and Riley and Todd are at eight-under.

— Stallings bogeys the 14 after hitting his tee shot into a fairway bunker, and he falls out of the lead. Scheffler and Burns are at nine-under, and Todd and Stallings are at eight-under.  

— Scheffler pars the 438-yard, par-4 18th, and he and Burns head to a playoff. After 72 holes, the scoreboard reads this way: Scheffler and Burns finish at nine-under, Todd at eight-under and Stallings, Riley and Tony Finau at seven-under. 

— The first playoff hole is the 18th. Davis and Scheffler each hit the fairway with their tee shots. On Scheffler’s second shot, he hits right of the pin and is 36 feet away, and on Burns’, he hits over the flag and is about 38 feet away. Burns drops his for birdie, Scheffler misses and Burns is the winner. 

The final word 

“Gosh, I don’t even know. I think just with the conditions today and how tough it was playing, I was just so proud of the way we hung in there.” — Burns on CBS after the playoff  

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The post ‘I honestly don’t care anymore’: Billy Horschel has a blunt message for his critics appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I honestly don’t care anymore’: Billy Horschel has a blunt message for his critics appeared first on Golf.

It’s no secret that Billy Horschel can run a little hot on the golf course.

Some players wear their heart on their sleeve. Horschel wears his heart on his entire wardrobe. If there’s something bothering him, you can tell.

It’s a characteristic that sometimes rubs the golf world the wrong way. In 2021, Horschel had a club-slamming meltdown at the Masters, which went viral for all the wrong reasons. He later apologized for the episode, stating “the fire inside [him] sometimes runs hot.”

A little more than a year later, that fire still runs hot.

“My competitive fire burns the way it burns,” Horschel said ahead of this week’s Zurich Classic. “I envy Scottie Scheffler and some of these guys that they hit bad shots, they’re not playing well, you can’t tell. They’re just enjoying the game of golf and they’re having fun and laughing.

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“I can be that way for a little bit, but it just runs way too hot inside me, and I can’t stand not being able to play to the level that I expect of myself on a day-to-day basis. There’s times that it boils over, and you know what, it happens. I’ve apologized many times for it and I’ll apologize in the future for it, too, but that’s me.”

This week, Horschel is teamed up with Sam Burns. And although they both hail from SEC programs — Horschel at Florida, and Burns at LSU — they do make an odd pair, if for nothing else than their differing temperaments.

Burns, a two-time Tour winner, is not overly emotional on the course. He, like his good buddy Scheffler, is a cool customer between the ropes. Horschel is cut from a different cloth.

Regardless, the two should form a formidable duo in this week’s team event. Horschel has ascended to 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking with strong play of late, while Burns recently rose to the top 10 in the world for the first time in his career.

If things don’t go well though, don’t expect Horschel to keep his feelings bottled up.

“My fire is going to be that way the rest of my life,” he said. “This is going to sound blunt, it’s going to sound bad, but if you don’t like it, I honestly don’t care anymore. I’ve cared enough over the last 13 years of my career to try and please everyone that watches me, and you know what, I can’t do anything more. I’ve done everything I can. If you don’t like me for some reason, I don’t care anymore.”

Luckily, Horschel will have an even-keeled partner to cool him down should things go awry.

“If he gets running too hot this week,” Burns said, “I’ll just go give him a hug and calm him down a little bit.”

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The post This red-hot Tour winner uses a rarely seen club that can help your game appeared first on Golf.

The post This red-hot Tour winner uses a rarely seen club that can help your game appeared first on Golf.

Part of the gig as an equipment writer who spends an inordinate amount of time stalking the driving range and putting green at PGA Tour events is spotting gear changes. Some are easier to spot than others — like Scottie Scheffler changing 3-woods. Others take a bit more detective work to unearth.

And then there’s the club change Sam Burns made earlier this year that flew completely under the radar until his win in March at the Valspar Championship. Compare Burns’ Callaway setup from last year’s win at the Sanderson Farms Championship to what he used at Valspar and you’ll notice a significant change in the scoring tools department.

In October at Sanderson, Burns used four Callaway MD5 Jaws wedges (46, 50, 56 and 60 degrees) en route to victory. Five months later, he cut the number in half, replacing the 46- and 50-degree MD5 with an Apex TCB pitching wedge (PW) and attack wedge (AW).

It’s not uncommon for a pro to carry a pitching wedge that matches the rest of their iron set — although blade pitching wedges continue to rise in popularity — but a matching attack wedge is a unicorn on Tour. (For golfers who’ve never heard the name “attack wedge” before, it’s another name for a gap wedge. In most cases, the loft ranges from 50-52 degrees.)

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Winner's bag: Sam Burns' equipment at the 2022 Valspar Championship

By: Jonathan Wall

If Burns was a mid-handicapper, an attack wedge wouldn’t look out of place in his bag setup. It’s standard practice for most game-improvement sets to offer an attack wedge. Elite players, however, tend to rely on better-player iron designs — and those almost never come with an attack wedge.

The reasoning is quite simple: better players have historically played wedges featuring a blade design, so there was never a need to extend better-player creations beyond the pitching wedge. This is part of what makes Callaway’s Apex TCB so unique. Through player feedback, Callaway designed an attack wedge for the Apex TCB set that’s currently being used by Burns and Dylan Frittelli.

For Burns, the decision to add a matching Apex TCB attack wedge came from offseason work with coach Brad Pullin that revealed inconsistencies from 125-135 yards for the three-time Tour winner. Instead of simply ramping up practice from the yardage, Burns reached out to Callaway to see if they had a solution.

“[Dean Teykl, Manager of Tour Operations and Player Performance at Callaway,] and Sam have done a lot of work on his setup going back to the early days prior to him signing with Callaway out of college,” said Callaway Tour rep Kellen Watson. “So there’s a trust level there where if Sam needs something, he knows he can go to Dean.

“[Adding an attack wedge] was kind of a new venture for us when it came to these sets of irons that came out in 2021. In terms of the AW versus the MD5 Jaws 50-degree Sam was playing previously, simply put, the AW is going to be more forgiving and offered a slightly wider sole and more bounce. The belief was a bit more forgiveness could be a good thing in this case.”

In the end, the addition of perimeter weighting and a slight bump in mishit protection allowed Burns to shore up his misses and not worry about the occasional mistake.

“Usually for Sam, I’d say he’s using the attack wedge 70 percent of time for full shots and 30 percent for three-quarter and half shots with it,” said Watson. “The natural blade look and feel of the 50-degree MD5 will produce a lower launch with a more aggressive spin profile. If that’s something the player isn’t looking for and wants to move away from and have more of a continuity between the pitching wedge and the rest of the wedges in his bag, sometimes guys tend to aim toward the iron feel of things instead of the wedge feel of things.

“In Sam’s case, the familiarity of the whole set of TCBs he has — the window it comes out of, the bounce/spin profiles, toe hits, and slightly thinned shot — is something he knows and trusts. The attack wedge just fits in there perfectly. We’re seeing our guys be intrigued by the offering now that it’s available. If there’s value to changing to it, why not? They’re all trying to save maybe one, two or three shots a round in the scoring club areas.”

Golfers of all handicaps can learn a thing or two from Burns’ unique gear change. Even if you play a set of better-player irons that doesn’t offer an attack wedge, there’s nothing wrong with trying out a cavity-back wedge to see if it helps on full shots from around 130 yards. (Ping’s Glide 4.0, Callaway Mack Daddy CB and Cleveland CBX are just of a few of the options available to test out.)

Sometimes it pays to think outside the box.

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

The post This red-hot Tour winner uses a rarely seen club that can help your game appeared first on Golf.