Category: Golf

️ Wyndham Clark survived a wobble to win his second US Open by one shot
️ Official leaderboard

The defending champion JJ Spaun didn’t make the weekend. Last year’s runner-up did, though, and Robert MacIntyre has finished his week with a level-par 70. He’s +7, and wouldn’t be human if he’s still not cursing Viktor Hovland for giving Spaun a read ahead of that tournament-winning putt. Meanwhile in other European news, Justin Rose has just made three birdies in a row, on 11, 12 and 13, to rise up the standings to +1. A top-ten finish within reach for the 2013 champ.

There have been quite a few shots of both Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler going through their practice routines. Clark wedging an alignment stick through the loops of his trousers for real-time hip analysis; Scheffler missing a few short putts, which doesn’t augur well. Meanwhile here’s more good news for Clark courtesy of David ‘Not That One’ Howell: “The scoring variance has continued to be lower than in prior US Opens here, and low variance is obviously what a six-shot leader wants. Secondly, finding fairways doesn’t seem to be as important today. Lots of players have been scoring over par while hitting most fairways, and several of today’s best rounds have come in spite of missing a few. Considering that Clark has historically not been the straightest off the tee, it’s reasonable to assume he might find the fescue a bit under pressure, but that might not be a death sentence today.” Speaking of belt loops, any old excuse to enjoy the greatest zinger ever told …

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️ Clark builds a huge lead on Moving Day at Shinnecock
️ Official leaderboard

Rory McIlroy leaves himself another monster putt, this time on 3. He doesn’t judge this 70-footer particularly well, leaving himself a ten-foot tester for his par. It’s always dying to the right of the cup, and he drops to +1. Emiliano Grillo also takes a step backwards, finding the bunker to the right of the par-three 17th, and having found himself shortsided, leaving himself too much to do after the chip out. Grillo slips back to level par for the tournament.

Emiliano Grillo birdies the par-five 16th – statistically the second-easiest hole on the course today – and he moves into red figures for the week at -1. The 33-year-old Argentinian, whose best finish by far at an US Open was his tie for 19th last year, is now four-under par for his round today.

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• McIlroy not a fan of planned two-tier system for events

• Fleetwood and Åberg drawn with world No 2 at US Open

Rory McIlroy believes the “false economy” created by the threat of LIV Golf may now be putting some well-established PGA Tour events at risk. The world No 2 and current Masters champion said he felt people had lost sight of how good the tour was before it too had a huge cash injection.

When the Saudi breakaway started luring away some of the top talent on multimillion-dollar contracts ­during the early years the PGA Tour’s response was to restructure, ­creating eight signature events each with smaller field and prize funds of $20m (£15m), plus generating a number of associated financial benefits.

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• Report cites alleged contact with employee

• Club says independent probe led to action

• Mickelson spokesperson: matter resolved

Phil Mickelson has reportedly had his membership cancelled at a San Diego golf club following alleged “inappropriate contact” with a female employee.

Golf Digest first reported that Mickelson has had his membership terminated at The Farms following an alleged incident before he played there in the spring. The report, citing multiple sources, said the employee accused the 55-year-old of “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” towards her before a game of golf. Mickelson is said to have been challenged on the incident mid-round and duly left the property.

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• Pair are friends and will play golf together at college

• Tournament will start at Shinnecock Hills next week

Miles Russell was among two 17-year-olds who earned a spot in the US Open on Monday. Still to be determined was whether Russell brings his caddie from the 36-hole qualifier – the son of three-time champion Tiger Woods – to Shinnecock Hills next week.

Russell, the No 10 amateur in the world, survived a bogey on the first playoff hole and grabbed the fourth and final spot from the Florida qualifier. Charlie Woods is one of his close friends who has the same commercial agent and is following Russell to Florida State to play college golf.

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• American survives close putt on final hole

• Korda claims $2.5m first prize for victory

• England’s Hull misses out on first major title

Nelly Korda won the US Women’s Open on Sunday for her second consecutive major victory, holding off Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by one shot when her final putt curled perilously around the cup and dropped in.

Korda’s first US Open win is the fourth major victory of her career, and she claimed it with a steady two-under 69 in the final round – but only after her second putt on the 18th green – from a little over 2ft – caught the edge and toured half the circumference of the hole before falling.

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• Response to New York crowd behavior was criticized

• Rea: abuse was no worse than at ‘youth soccer game’

Don Rea Jr, who was cricitized for his response to verbal abuse directed at European players during last year’s Ryder Cup, is out as president of the PGA of America, effective immediately.

Tuesday’s news came on the heels of the PGA of America’s board of directors suspending Rea for the remainder of his two-year term, which ends in November. PGA of America vice-president Nathan Charnes was named acting president.

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• Golfer makes appearance on Katie Miller’s podcast

• Two-time major champion questions Nasa narrative

As someone who has made much of his devotion to science, Bryson DeChambeau isn’t foolish enough to fall for any old conspiracy theory. But he does believe the moon landings may not have been all they seemed. And that interdimensional beings may be visiting Earth.

The two-time major champion appeared this week on a podcast hosted by Katie Miller, the wife of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller. During the interview DeChambeau spoke about conspiracy theories, golf and his friendship with Donald Trump.

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• Masters champion points out fan to security

• McIlroy has had prob;em with American crowds before

• Tournament won by England’s Aaron Rai

Rory McIlroy clashed with a fan on Sunday in the final round of the US PGA as chanting from the gallery once again drew his ire.

McIlroy was among the challengers on the final day but found heavy rough on the 16th as his bid for victory petered out. His next shot rebounded into a bunker, although he would go on to par the hole.

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️ Aaron Rai put together one of the great closing rounds – and sunk a monster putt for the ages – to finally scatter a bunched field at Aronimink
️ Official leaderboard

Parish noticeboard. Shane Lowry finished his week as he started it, with a fine round of 68. He never really got over the top into the water at 17 on Friday; that Cognizant Classic collapse cuts deep. He’s +2 for his week’s work. Matt Wallace won’t become the first Englishman to win since Jim Barnes in 1919, but he ends his tournament with a 68 as well; he’s +2 too. A final round of 74 for last weekend’s nearly man at the Truist, Alex Fitzpatrick, who departs his maiden Stateside major at +8. And Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald finishes a very respectable week in style, with a 69 that puts the 48-year-old veteran at +7.

While we’re on the subject of tournament records, let’s give fair measure to Kurt Kitayama. His round of 63 ties the lowest final-round score at any PGA Championship, set by Brad Faxon at Riviera in 1995. Faxon stays top of the list, however, on account of Riviera being a par 71, so his round was eight under par, compared to Kitayama’s seven. But we’re splitting hairs here. Kitayama deserves his flowers.

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Alex Smalley takes a two-shot lead into the final round but some big names lurk at Aronimink

Xander Schauffele fancies reclaiming the crown he won in 2024. He turned in 32, and now he’s just made his fifth birdie of the day at 11. He joins Rory as the only currently active member of the group at -3.

Justin Rose has rolled in two big putts on 18 already this week. Par savers both. And it’s three pars at the closing hole now, though he’s not so chuffed about this one, a 15-foot birdie attempt stopping just short. He cocks his head back in frustration, though it surely won’t sting for long, because that’s set the seal on a 65, and at -2 he’s right in the mix. He joins Kristoffer Reitan and Chris Kirk in the clubhouse lead.

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• ‘My job is to create a culture,’ he says

• Captain may ask Tiger Woods for his input

Jim Furyk has admitted the United States need to make the Ryder Cup more of a priority as the 56-year-old plots a reversal of fortunes at Adare Manor in September 2027.

Speaking expansively for the first time since being handed the US captaincy for a second time, Furyk pointed towards an overhaul of approach to the biennial event. He also suggested he will be keen to involve Tiger Woods on his backroom team.

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The DP World Tour putting its G4D disabled tour in cold storage does not fit the growing the game narrative, the Englishman argues

Kipp Popert is a man on a mission. The 27-year‑old Englishman, who tops the disabled world rankings, uses one word a lot: “opportunity”. Popert was “shocked” to hear from the DP World Tour that its G4D circuit, which staged a handful of tournaments per year for disabled players between 2022 and 2025, has been placed into cold storage.

The G4D Open, a tournament for 80 golfers with disabilities, will be staged at Celtic Manor from Thursday. It takes place thousands of miles from Pennsylvania and this week’s US PGA Championship, which last year bestowed $3.4m (£2.5m) on Scottie Scheffler. Even the main platform for players in this domain does not offer prize money. It is not Popert’s way to lambast anyone. He instead calmly articulates the impact of that move.

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