Ryder Cup, USA 11 Europe 5.

Team USA are seemingly cruising to a Ryder Cup win at Whistling Straits, needing 3.5 points in tomorrows singles to secure victory. 

SATURDAY MORNING FOURSOMES
Brooks Koepka/Daniel Berger	3 & 1	WIN Jon Rahm/Sergio Garcia
Dustin Johnson/Collin Morikawa WIN	2 & 1	Paul Casey/Tyrrell Hatton
Justin Thomas/Jordan Spieth WIN	2UP	Viktor Hovland/Bernd Wiesberger
Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay WIN	2 & 1	Lee Westwood/Matt Fitzpatrick

SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOUR-BALL
Brooks Koepka/Jordan Spieth	2 & 1	WIN Jon Rahm/Sergio Garcia
Tony Finau/Harris English	1UP	WIN Shane Lowry/Tyrrell Hatton
Scottie Scheffler/Bryson DeChambeau WIN	3 & 1	Tommy Fleetwood/Viktor Hovland
Dustin Johnson/Collin Morikawa WIN	4 & 3	Ian Poulter/Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has yet to score a point for Team Europe;

 “Disappointing not to contribute a point for the team yet. So hopefully just go out tomorrow and try my best to get a point, and hopefully we can rally and at last give them something to maybe sweat about tomorrow in the middle of the afternoon.” 

Fortinet Championship. Max Homa Wins.

Max Homa wins the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa in Nappa Valley, California.

Max carded a -7 under par 65 final round to win the Fortinet Championship at -19 under par, a one shot victory;

“I had full control today, I had a really good warm-up, hit my wedges really well.”

“The only bogey I made was going kind of right at it so just felt like I had good control. It just feels really nice.”

“You want to have a Tiger moment, he’s made it from everywhere to win.”

“Sometimes when you put yourself in that state of mind, great things happen.”

Maverick McNealy, leader at the start of play, finished in second place one shot back at -18 under par, with a -4 under par 68 last round;

“I was pretty good in the morning, but had a few short game mishaps late in the day.”

“If I hit that fairway on 17, I’m putting for birdie, it’s a different story.”

Mito Pereira of Chile was in third position at -16 under par, with a last round -4 under par 68.

Dutch Open. Kristoffer Broberg Wins.

Kristoffer Broberg of Sweden wins the Dutch Open at Bernardus Golf Club in The Netherlands.

Kris had a nervous even par last round of 72 to win the Dutch Open by three shots at -23 under;

“It feels good. I broke down on the 18th but it’s been six years of hell. Three different surgeries on my left side but now I’m starting to get back where I’m supposed to be.”

“The first few days I played really good. Today I was struggling like I was in the off season. I thought my eight shot lead would be enough today, but Matthias played some really beautiful golf.”

“It’s been a nightmare over the last six years, I was so close to quitting, it’s been so, I don’t know the word for it, but it’s been a tough time.”

“It’s going to be a game changer. I’ll get into bigger events and can plan my schedule a little bit. Before this I was at home for a month. I didn’t know where the game was, but it was good enough.”

Matthias Schmid, Germany, claimed second place at -20 under after spirited chase down of the leader, carding a final round -6 under par 66;

“It’s been quite a journey the last four days, I struck it beautifully and gave it a run and see where I’m at.”

“In the end, I fell just a couple of shots short.”

 Alejandro Cañizares of Spain was third at -18 under par, with a last round -4 under par 68.

Fortinet Championship. Jim Knous And Maverick McNealey Tied At The Top.

Maverick McNealey and Jim Knous share the top spot on the Fortinet Championship leaderboard after 54 holes at Silverado Resort and Spa in the Nappa Valley in California.

                                                                                                              Jim Knous.

Maverick -2 under par 70 today and Jim with a -7 under par 65 third round are tied at the top of the Fortinet Championship leaderboard at -14 under par.

Jim had a hot putter today;

“Putter got hot there late on the back nine.”

“I just tend to see the breaks pretty well out here. A lot of them have big swings and you can use your imagination and that’s kind of how I like to putt, so I was able to roll some nice ones in.”

Jim even threw in a birdie on the last hole from off the green;

“Me and my caddie had a great read, it was just going to break a little bit right at the end. Put a good stroke on it, perfect speed, and there you go.”

Maverick was also happy with his putter performance today;

“It was a crazy day, I remember hitting a good tee shot down the middle on the 12th with a utility iron and everything seemed to slow down and calm down for me. I started seeing my lines with the putter.”

Maverick hurt his wrist punching a shot out from a tree root;

“I was really lucky that I didn’t try to hit a full swing because I chipped out sideways and a softball-sized rock came out from under the ball.”

“I stung my wrist a little bit. I’m really glad I didn’t go after that one full because I told my caddie I would have been out for a year.”

Five players are then tied in third spot, two shots back at -12 under par; Max Homa, -7 under 65 today, Scott Stallings, -5 under 67, Troy Merritt, -3 under 69 , Beau Hossler, -2 under 70, and Mito Pereira of Chile with -2 under 70.

Not too far back is major winner Phil Mickelson at -10 under par, Phil carded a -5 under par 67 third round, to put himself in contention. Following his round Phil went straight to the practice putting area;

“I felt like I blocked a couple putts and I just wanted to work on that.”

“I’m in a position where a good round tomorrow will do some good, and it’s fun to have a little later tee time and to feel some of the nerves and so forth.”

“I know I’m going to have to shoot probably 7, 8, 9 under par to have a chance, but either way it’s fun having that chance.”

Fortinet Championship. Maverick McNealey Has 36 Hole Lead.

Maverick McNealey leads the Fortinet Championship after 36 holes at Silverado Resort and Spa, in Nappa Valley, California.

Maverick posted a second round -8 under par 64, including three bogey’s on the back nine, to lead the Fortinet Championship by two shots at -12 under par;

“I’m a guy that’s motivated by not playing how I want to sometimes.”

“It was crazy, It was a tale of two nines.”

“I think days like today aren’t a product of something I changed today, I think it’s a product of putting in a lot of work.”

“I think my average wake-up time this summer has been between 5:00 and 5:30. I get up early, get to work, practice, work out, eat right and have been really disciplined and really focused and I feel like I’m a better golfer than I was six months ago.”

“I’m swinging it the way I want to, at this point we’re just telling jokes and hitting wedges.”

Tied in second place at -10 under are; Beau Hossler, bogey free -8 under 64 today, and Mito Pereira of Chile, with -5 under 67.

Among the elite missing the cut at -3 under was World #1 Jon Rahm of Spain, who was not feeling too well the first two days, he could not catch up signing for -1 under 71 today;

“It’s unfortunate to start the year with basically one of my worst TOUR rounds in a while.”

“It’s what it is. Course was tough out there today and just need to be better.” 

“It’s very simple: not my best ball-striking-wise, still wasn’t bad.”

“Could have been better on the greens, you know. Feel like I might have made a couple of mistakes mentally on some approach shots, maybe I could have focused a little more, visualized better, but I think I left a lot of shots on the greens.”

 

Dutch Open. Kristoffer Broberg Leads.

Kristoffer Broberg of Sweden has the 36 hole lead in the Dutch Open at Bernardus Golf Course in The Netherlands.

Kris shot -8 under par 64, including one bogey, to lead the Dutch Open by one stroke at -12 under par for 36 holes, with a red hot putter;

“I am taking it one shot at a time, I have been struggling all year with injuries, so it is nice to be playing good again. It’s just golf, so taking it one shot at a time.”

“I was home for a month so saw an optician for my right eye and they saw something, so I have a contact lens on that eye so now I can see the putts on the line. I am rolling it pretty good so happy with it.”

“I played really well today. I like to shape the ball both ways and I like to putt around these greens, it’s a lot of feels and breaks but I am hitting the ball really close so that has been key.”

“It was ups and downs out there, I hit some bad shots and some really good shots but my putter is smoking hot, so I am playing some decent golf.”

Tied in second place at -11 under are; Thomas Detry, Belgium, -6 under 66 today, and Marcus Helligkilde of Denmark who also carded a second round -6 under 66.

Thomas likes this course and is comfortable playing on it;

“The course is in absolutely great shape, tight lies off the fairway and around the greens as well, so it’s beautiful and the greens are really good, so it is good preparation for Dunhill.”

“I think Kyle Phillips designed this golf course, he also did Kingsbarns, so it is a bit similar, and you definitely need to know your lines and I feel comfortable out here.”

“I have played the golf course a couple of times, I’m comfortable with my lines, I know where to hit it and not to miss and that is a big help.”

Marcus is playing just his second European Tour event;

“It was good, I like this course a lot because if you can hit it far from the tee you can carry some bunkers 270 metres out, so I have been fortunate to do that, so it has been nice.”

“We had no wind for the first seven holes, absolutely nothing, so it was really easy out there in the morning.”

“I do as I always do. I just try and have fun, stay in the process and do what I can control. I know I am going to be nervous because I am always nervous, but I am just going to have fun and enjoy the game of golf.”

Dutch Open. Niall Kearney Leads.

Niall Kearney of Ireland leads the Dutch Open after the first round at Bernardus Golf in The Netherlands.

Niall fired a bogey free -7 under par 65 to lead the Dutch Open by one shot on day one, and is fighting to earn his European Tour card;

“This year has been positive for me, I have had a lot of good finishes and put myself in the right spaces and I have grown in confidence from it. I am starting to feel a bit more comfortable which is great.”

“I found it really enjoyable, it’s got a real links feel to it. I play links golf at home, so I felt right at home, and I have been at home the past three weeks, so I feel rested somewhat and really enjoyed it.”

“I had a chip-in midway through the back nine, that was a bit of help and finished well, a couple under the last three holes so nice to finish that way and holed that one from 30 feet on 18.”

Tied in second place at -6 under after rounds of 66 are; Max Kieffer, Germany, carding two bogey’s today and Martin Simonsen of Denmark who had a bogey free round.

Max is looking at the Race to Dubai rankings;

“I have my eye on the top 50 to get to Dubai, I am inside that now but I have to play good golf over the next couple of weeks, so that is definitely the goal.”

Martin is happy with his good bogey free start;

“It was really nice, it has been a while since I have shot 66 in the opening round, usually I get off to a poor start and I am having to scramble, so happy with a good start. I played well all day and drove the ball really well.”

“Last year I was in contention quite a bit going into the weekend and then on Sunday I wasn’t finishing it off. It is way too early to talk about now, there is so much golf left to be played, but it would be nice to play four good days in a row.”

 

 

BMW PGA Championship. Billy Horschel Wins.

Billy Horschel of the USA wins the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in England.

Billy shot a final round -7 under par 65 to win the BMW PGA Championship by one shot at -19 under par;

“It’s been an unbelievable week, I’m excited to be the 2021 BMW PGA Champion.”

“This event to me after I left here in 2019 was an event I wanted to win in my career before it ended.”

“Adding my name to Arnold Palmer, that’s legendary stuff. That guy, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have this modern era of golf to play in front of thousands of fans and big sponsors.”

“Tiger Woods took it to another level but Arnie is the one who started it. So to have my name on that trophy next to his being the second American to win this event here at Wentworth is pretty special.”

“As I’ve said two years ago and as I’ve said this week, the crowds are absolutely unbelievable here.”

“I love watching their sports over here. They have a great passion for their teams and their national teams and they really get behind them. So I understand that, I can embrace that, I love that.”

“I think I’ve just done a really good job of embracing the surroundings and the people, and I think they have taken kindly to me and I appreciate that.”

Tied in second place at -18 under were; Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thailand, with the low round of the day, -8 under 64, Jamie Donaldson, Wales, -6 under 66, and Laurie Canter of England with a last round -5 under 67.

Justin Rose finished T6 at -16 under par, with -7 under 65 last round, but European Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington has not included him for the 43rd Ryder Cup, being played at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, USA. Instead Padraig has chosen Shane Lowry who finished here T17, and -12 under with a last round -1 under 71.

BMW PGA Championship. Laporta Leads.

Francesco Laporta of Italy leads the BMW PGA Championship after 54 holes at Wentworth Golf Club in England.

Francesco had a third round -3 under par 69 to lead the BMW PGA Championship by one shot at -14 under par;

“The crowd is amazing and I’m just looking forward to playing tomorrow and seeing all the crowds.”

“It will be tough, it will be tough, but I like to be under pressure. This is what we play for.”

Laurie Canter of England holds second place at -13 under after his third round -2 under par 70.

Four players are then tied in third spot at -12 under par, Billy Horschel, USA, -3 under 69 today, Jamie Donaldson, Wales, also -3 under 69, Adam Scott, Australia, -2 under 70, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa with -4 under 68.

Billy would love to win here;

“There’s tournaments as pros that we want to win, the Players, the Majors, maybe a few others but as an American, you don’t usually say a tournament on the European Tour.”

“To win the BMW PGA Championship would be equal to me as a Players Championship.” 

“When I first came over two years ago, I fell in love with the golf course, which I knew I would.” 

“The fans have been great to me. The support has been great this year, even knowing I have support for West Ham.”

“It’s become one of those tournaments after two years ago that I wanted to win and so to get that victory tomorrow, if it happens, would be tremendous.”

BMW PGA Championship. Kiradech Keeps Control.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand keeps control of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in England.

Kiradech posted a second round -4 under par 68 to maintain his position at the top of the BMW PGA Championship leaderboard at -12 under par, one shot advantage;

“I’m really proud of the way I’m playing these first two rounds, a lot of good stuff in there.”

“Everyone tried to get a low score but this golf course, you can hit a lot of birdies but it can hurt you if you’re out of position. I tried to play for more fairways, more greens.”

“My putter was rolling well this week and I’m really pleased.”

“I don’t want to really set a goal, to be honest. I just want to go out there and swing, what I’m doing the first two rounds, do the same thing I’m doing, try to hit fairways, greens.”

“Whatever the result, at the end of the day, I just accept it.”

Francesco Laporta, Italy, -7 under par 65, and Laurie Canter of England with -6 under 66 share second place at -11 under par.

Adam Scott is alone in fourth spot, a second round -3 under 69 keeping him in touch with the leaders with -10 under.

Justin Rose, -4 under 68, Billy Horschel, USA, -7 under 65 and Jamie Donaldson of Wales, -6 under 66 occupy fifth place with -9 under par totals.

Justin has to win here to gain an automatic place on the Ryder Cup Team Europe;

“It’s almost a good scenario for me, it’s not like if I finish third or fifth, if there was another option in play it would be maybe distracting. It’s really not distracting.” 

“I’m trying to win this tournament anyway and trying to get in the Ryder Cup anyway. It’s one and the same objective.”

“I had a lot more birdie chances. I had a lot yesterday but the putter was just a little bit off today and I had to fight that a little bit and had to make a few little adjustments with my posture, but I’ve put myself in a great position now.”