Phil Mickelson Named Vice Captain for USA's 2021 Ryder Cup Team
Sep 1, 2021
Phil Mickelson looks on before putting on the 18th green during the second round of the BMW Championship golf tournament, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
Phil Mickelson and Fred Couples were named vice captains to the United States' 2021 Ryder Cup team Wednesday.
I’m humbled and honored to be a part of this years Ryder Cup as an assistant captain. Thank you Captain Stricker for including me and I hope to help in any way possible. GoUSA 🇺🇸
Captain Steve Stricker said he targeted the two veterans for some time to join the team.
“I’ve been staying in close contact with both Freddie and Phil, talking about all things Ryder Cup, for a while now," Stricker said. "They provide honest and impactful feedback, and both have such a passion for the Ryder Cup. I’m honored that they were willing to join our Team and help put us in the best position to win in a few weeks at Whistling Straits.”
Couples previously served as vice captain in the 2012 Ryder Cup. He was also part of the 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997 Ryder Cup teams.
Mickelson has participated in a record 12 Ryder Cups, appearing in 47 matches and holding the United States record for most four-ball victories (nine).
The 2021 Ryder Cup is set to be played Sept. 24-26 at at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin. Europe is coming off a win at the 2016 event and has won four of the past five.
Rory McIlroy Defends Bryson DeChambeau amid Criticism: It's Tough to Be Him Right Now
Sep 1, 2021
Bryson DeChambeau reacts after missing a putt on the 18th green, the sixth playoff hole during the final round of the BMW Championship golf tournament, to give Patrick Cantlay the victory, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Bryson DeChambeau has at least one person on the PGA Tour who is willing to speak up for him amid a wave of criticism and negative fan feedback.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rory McIlroy said it's "pretty tough to be" DeChambeau right now.
"I certainly feel some sympathy for him because I don't think that you should be ostracized or criticized for being different, and I think we have all known from the start that Bryson is different and he is not going to conform to the way people want him to be," McIlroy added.
In one moment that has earned him criticism, DeChambeau got into a heated discussion with a cameraman on the course during the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July 2020.
Bryson running a little hot. Caught up with him on 7 where he took a Sergio slash at the sand after splashing out of a greenside bunker, muttered an expletive after missing the par save and spent 60 seconds in a...testy discussion with a cameraman on his way to 8 tee. pic.twitter.com/ENjQt1U689
Tim Tucker, DeChambeau's former caddie, split from the outspoken golfer right before the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic in July
Appearing on the Subpar podcast with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz (h/t Golf Channel's Ryan Lavner), however, Tucker called DeChambeau "the hardest-working guy I’ve ever seen" and was generally complimentary toward him amid their breakup.
The rivalry between DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka has led to some unique fan behavior at tournaments of late. Koepka gave a now-infamous eyeroll and muttered under his breath about his rival while doing an interview on the Golf Channel during the PGA Championship.
Several fans were ejected from the Memorial Tournement in June for yelling "Brooksie" toward DeChambeau on the course as he was trying to play.
Despite drawing the ire of fans and some of his fellow players, DeChambeau is unquestionably one of the best golfers in the world right now. The 27-year-old has eight wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2020 U.S. Open.
Patrick Reed to Play Tour Championship; Missed BMW Championship with Pneumonia
Aug 31, 2021
MEMPHIS, TN - AUGUST 08: Patrick Reed at the ninth green does a ball wave during the final round of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on August 8, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Patrick Reed announced on Twitter that he will be playing at the Tour Championship in Atlanta this week.
Reed was hospitalized with bilateral pneumonia last week and missed the BMW Championship, per ESPN's Bob Harig. The 31-year-old also missed the Northern Trust the week before with an ankle injury.
The 2018 Masters champion will make the third and final FedExCup Playoff event, however, after getting a clean bill of health and ending last weekend 30th in the cup season standings, allowing him to earn a spot in the 30-golfer field at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club.
Golf Channel's Todd Lewis reported that Reed went home to Houston to see a specialist for his ankle injury on Wednesday, August 18. He was soon diagnosed with bilateral interstitial pneumonia and admitted into a Houston-area hospital on Friday, August 20.
WebMD defines bilateral interstitial pneumonia as "a serious infection that can inflame and scar your lungs. It's one of many types of interstitial lung diseases, which affect the tissue around the tiny air sacs in your lungs."
“It got really bad very quickly,” Justine Reed, who is married to Patrick, told Lewis.
Thankfully, Reed was out of the hospital less than a week later, with Lewis providing an update in Aug. 26.
An update on @PReedGolf. He’s out of The Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center and back home with his family. He told me he is doing well and looking forward to getting back to competition. No real timetable on when that will be. Said he is taking recovery day by day.
Reed will begin the Tour Championship at even par, 10 shots behind leader Patrick Cantlay. He and Billy Horschel will be the opening group on Thursday at 11:40 a.m. ET.
Reed's 2021 season includes a win at the Farmers Insurance Open and six top-10 finishes, including a fifth-place result at the Memorial Tournament.
PGA Tour Bans Fans from Taunting Bryson DeChambeau with Brooks Koepka Chants
Aug 31, 2021
OWINGS MILLS, MD - AUGUST 29: Bryson DeChambeau reacts to a missed putt on the 18th green during the first playoff hole during the final round of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club on August 29, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
It's no secret that Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka have feuded over the last few years, but now that feud is being used as trolling fuel by fans.
On Sunday, after DeChambeau missed a putt to end a six-hole playoff and give Patrick Cantlay the win at the BMW Championship, a spectator mocked him, yelling "Great job, Brooksie!"
"You know what? Get the f--k out!" a fuming DeChambeau replied, per Kevin Van Valkenburg of ESPN.
In the wake of the incident, the PGA Tour has made mocking DeChambeau by calling him "Brooksie" a bannable offense:
Yelling or saying, "Brooksie" to Bryson DeChambeau will now be considered disrespectful from now on can result in expulsion from a tournament. This directly from Commissioner Jay Monahan. It's become an issue of being disrespectful to the players and the game.
The actual feud between DeChambeau and Koepka has appeared to cool. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker even said he spoke to the pair about putting any disputes aside for the good of the United States team.
"They assured me that the team and the country and everything else that goes into this is their [top priority]," he told John Hawkins of SI.com. "They said it's not going to be an issue, and I believe them. I trust them. As far as I'm concerned, it's been put to bed."
"We haven't heard Brooks say anything about Bryson lately," he added. "This Ryder Cup means a lot to these guys. Neither one wants to be the root of a problem. They both understand."
Despite the two seemingly being willing to put any differences aside, however, neither can do much about how fans treat their rival. As Van Valkenburg noted, he heard the "Brooksie" chat directed at DeChambeau "dozens of times while walking with him and [Patrick] Cantlay during the six-hole playoff."
So that, ostensibly, is where the PGA Tour is stepping in. A bit of trash talk on social media between the players is one thing. But once that extends to fans repeatedly harassing DeChambeau during a tournament, well, the PGA Tour has decided that crosses the line.
Report: Bryson DeChambeau Yelled 'Get the F--k Out!' to Heckler at BMW Championship
Aug 30, 2021
Bryson DeChambeau reacts after missing a putt on the 18th green, the sixth playoff hole during the final round of the BMW Championship golf tournament, to give Patrick Cantlay the victory, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Bryson DeChambeau reportedly lost his temper with a fan after his dramatic loss to Patrick Cantlay in a six-hole playoff at the BMW Championship on Sunday.
According to Kevin Van Valkenburg of ESPN, a fan yelled, "Great job, Brooksie!" to DeChambeau as he walked off the course.
"You know what? Get the f--k out!" DeChambeau responded.
Van Valkenburg said the golfer "had rage in his eyes" and added, "It could have gotten ugly really fast."
DeChambeau has been the subject of many taunts in recent months because of his rivalry with Brooks Koepka, even though they've agreed to squash their feud. Fans began chanting "Brooksie" at DeChambeau during the Memorial Tournament in June, but the 27-year-old took the high road at the time.
"It was flattering," he said of the chants. "They can keep calling me that all day if they want to, I've got no issue with it."
It seems the frustration has boiled over after a disappointing loss where he missed several potential tournament-winning putts down the stretch.
FedEx Cup Standings 2021: Points, Playoff Standings After BMW Championship
Aug 30, 2021
OWINGS MILLS, MD - AUGUST 28: Bryson DeChambeau at the top of his swing as he plays his shot from the 13th hole drop zone after hitting his tee shot in the water during the third round of the BMW Championship, the second event of the FedExCup Playoffs, at Caves Valley Golf Club on August 28, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Patrick Cantlay outlasted Bryson DeChambeau in a marathon sudden-death playoff at the BMW Championship on Sunday, finally emerging after six additional holes to claim the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings.
Both golfers used the playoff to boost their postseason odds as Cantlay's win takes him from fourth place to first, and DeChambeau moves from ninth to third. That has the race for the FedEx Cup as tight as ever, with only next week's Tour Championship remaining.
It easily could've been DeChambeau finishing Sunday atop the FedEx Cup standings—and it probably should've been.
The volatile PGA star had three putts to win lip out or miss the cup by millimeters, keeping Cantlay alive at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. The two most crucial misses came on the second and third playoff holes.
During the second playoff—as the two took to the 18th hole for the third time that day—DeChambeau's putt just rolled past cup for birdie. After yelling at his putter in disgust, he settled for par while Cantlay matched him. His next opportunity to win brought even more heartbreak. As the two shifted back to the par-three No. 17, DeChambeau's perfect tee shot was spoiled by a putt that hit the lip of the cup and slid out. Once again, both golfers saved par to keep the playoff alive.
As the fourth playoff hole returned to No. 18, a clearly frustrated DeChambeau launched his tee shot into the water hazard along the fairway. A perfect approach shot off the drop put him feet away from the pin, and this time, it was Cantlay whose missed birdie opportunity kept his opponent alive.
In the end, it was Cantlay sinking a 17-foot putt for the win as DeChambeau missed from about eight feet out. Both players finished 27-under par for the weekend in a stunning display.
Now they'll look to carry over that performance to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, next weekend for the Tour Championship. Only the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings will make the field, and the playoff format will give a gigantic head start to those at the top of the leaderboard.
Cantlay will start at 10-under par, Tony Finau at eight-under par and DeChambeau at seven-under par. The BMW Champ will certainly take that. In three career events at East Lake, he's finished even-par, one-over and nine-over. He's shot better than 69 just twice in 12 rounds and has never finished in the top 10.
“I’ll be trying to reset and play the golf tournament like any other golf tournament, just trying to put a bunch of rounds in the 60s on the board. It's a really good golf course. It's usually in fantastic shape,” Cantlay said. “I haven't played that well there in the past, that's true, but it's a golf course I like. I like the visuals out there, and I'm looking forward to having a better result this year.”
DeChambeau has been significantly better at East Lake with finishes of one-over, four-under and one-under in three appearances, but he's never finished better than 12th place at the Tour Championship.
Reigning FedEx Cup champion Dustin Johnson will start at three-under next week. He has three top-ten finishes at East Lake and one victory (2020).
If the FedEx Cup finale can muster anything close to the drama that the BMW Championship did, golf fans will be in for another wild ride. With personalities like Cantlay, DeChambeau, Finau, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas all in contention to take home the top prize, that shouldn't be much of a challenge.
BMW Championship 2021: Patrick Cantlay Outlasts Bryson DeChambeau in 6-Hole Playoff
Aug 29, 2021
OWINGS MILLS, MD - AUGUST 29: Bryson DeChambeau raises his putter on the first green during the final round of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club on August 29, 2021 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Patrick Cantlay outlasted Bryson DeChambeau to win the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Cantlay took DeChambeau down in a sudden-death playoff to earn his third PGA Tour victory of the season.
The fifth playoff hole summed up how the evening unfolded. DeChambeau teed off first and watched his ball land six feet from the flagstick. Cantlay stepped to the tee next and did him one better.
The breakthrough finally came when Cantlay nailed a long birdie putt on the sixth playoff hole. DeChambeau, who struggled with his putter in clutch moments all day, couldn't find the mark from inside nine feet.
Entering Sunday, the final round was shaping up to be a two-horse race between Cantlay and DeChambeau after they were tied for the lead through 54 holes. Sungjae Im was three shots back in third.
Not only did the pair continue to distance themselves from the rest of the field, but they also engaged in a dramatic head-to-head battle as the round progressed. The differing playing styles for Cantlay and DeChambeau made for an entertaining chess match.
Lost in the observations about Cantlay giving up 20+ yards to DeChambeau is the fact that that means Cantlay gets to hit first from every par 4 or 5 fairway. When it’s one-on-one like this, you absolutely want to hit first and put pressure on the other guy.
The pair were level through the front nine before DeChambeau edged ahead with three straight birdies after making the turn to No. 10. Cantlay sank a 22-foot birdie putt on No. 14 to grab a share of the lead.
They remained deadlocked with 15 holes in the books before Cantlay lost valuable ground on No. 16.
He hooked his first two shots into the rough and overshot the green with his approach. Having to deal with a difficult lie, simply saving par was a challenge for the Long Beach, California, native. His nine-foot putt found the bottom of the cup to keep him at 27 under.
DeChambeau, on the other hand, was money on a 13-footer to earn a birdie. He rebounded nicely after seeing his second-shot approach land well short of the green.
☑️ Fire a birdie 🐦 ☑️ Strike a pose 💪 ☑️ Take the solo lead
Cantlay subsequently missed a golden opportunity to climb back to the top of the leaderboard.
DeChambeau's tee shot on No. 17 didn't make the green, and he badly mishit his chip from the rough en route to a bogey. Cantlay was unable to capitalize because his tee shot bounced into the water. He mitigated the damage with a bogey to stay within one shot of DeChambeau heading to the 18th tee.
DeChambeau's drive on No. 18 bounced to a stop at the fairway after traveling 333 yards. Cantlay also found the fairway and left himself with a 22-foot birdie putt after getting onto the green.
Cantlay's hopes of forcing a playoff rested squarely on that putt, and he came up clutch once again.
DeChambeau could've rendered Cantlay's heroics moot since he still had a birdie chance. His putt rolled well to the left of the cup, though, and he had to settle for a par.
Cantlay nearly pulled another rabbit out of his hat on the first playoff hole. After a poor approach left him in the thick stuff, he saw his chip roll toward the hole and run alongside the right lip.
Cantlay's magic carried over to the second playoff hole. He chunked his approach and wound up on the front portion of the green, 54 feet away from the flagstick.
DeChambeau, meanwhile, wasn't far off from holing out in two.
Despite being in the driver's seat, the 2020 U.S. Open champion couldn't shut the door as his seven-foot birdie putt was off target.
On the fourth playoff hole, the shoe was on the other foot as DeChambeau had to rally after slicing his drive into the creek running alongside the fairway. Cantlay couldn't convert the birdie putt that would've won him the tournament.
Together, they combined for arguably the most dramatic finish of the year.
With the BMW Championship concluded, all roads lead to Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club for the Tour Championship.
In addition to the battle for the FedEx Cup, this season's final stop will help finalize the respective squads for the 2021 Ryder Cup.
Tiger Woods' 2002 Backup Putter Sells for Record $393K at Auction
Aug 29, 2021
FILE - In this April 8, 2001, file photo, Tiger Woods smiles after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. It was 20 years ago this week that Woods became the first player to hold all four majors at the same time by winning the Masters. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)
It turns out Tiger Woods doesn't even have to use a putter in a tournament for it to become very, very valuable.
A backup putter owned by Woods but never used by the 15-time major winner in tournament play sold for $393,300 at auction. The putter was Woods' backup in 2002.
Tom VanHaaren of ESPN reported the putter is one of seven red dot backups that exist. Scotty Cameron produced only one or two backup putters per year for Woods during their relationship.
This is believed to be the highest price for a golf club in history.
A 2001 Newport II previously sold for $155,000 at auction last September.
BMW Championship 2021: Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay Tied for Lead After Round 3
Aug 28, 2021
Patrick Cantlay chips onto the fourth green during the third round of the BMW Championship golf tournament, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau appear headed for a Sunday showdown to determine the BMW Championship winner, but a horde of golfers is within reach.
Cantlay and DeChambeau finished the third round at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland as the co-leaders at 21-under Saturday. Sungjae Im is solo third at 18-under, and four others are tied for fourth at 17-under.
Cantlay drilled a 15'11" eagle putt on the par-five No. 2 hole before birdieing the third following a fantastic drive that left him just 3'3" away from the pin.
The flat stick let him down a bit Saturday, however. Most notably, he missed an 8'11" par putt on No. 18 to fall into a tie with DeChambeau.
Speaking of which, DeChambeau's round was rather eventful.
He birdied No. 3 before earning eagles on the fourth and fifth holes.
His prodigious power helped him on the eagle holes before the putter took over. DeChambeau ended up making a 25-footer on No. 4 and a 53-footer on No. 5.
Jon Rahm, who is second in the FedEx Cup standings, was 19-under through 12 holes but shot three-over from Nos. 13-18 to end his round solo eighth at 16-under.
Television coverage for Round 4 starts on Sunday at noon ET on the Golf Channel. The coverage will move to NBC at 2 p.m.
BMW Championship 2021: Bryson DeChambeau Holds Lead Before Round 2 Suspended
Aug 28, 2021
Bryson DeChambeau tees off from the second hole during the second round of the BMW Championship golf tournament, Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Have a day, Bryson DeChambeau.
DeChambeau was unstoppable during the second round of the 2021 BMW Championship at Owings Mills, Maryland, on Friday and finished with a 12-under 60 to stake himself to a one-stroke lead through the opening two days of the tournament.
Patrick Cantlay is right behind the leader after dazzling in his own right with a nine-under 63, and Jon Rahm may be in the best position of all at one back of the lead. After all, he was on the 16th hole and putting for birdie when the second round was called for darkness.
Here is a look at the top of the leaderboard, which can be found in full at PGATour.com.
1. Bryson DeChambeau, -16
T2. Patrick Cantlay, -15
T2. Jon Rahm, -15
T4. Sergio Garcia, -12
T4. Sungjae Im, -12
The second round of PGA tournaments are typically centered around avoiding the cut line and positioning for a weekend charge.
That wasn't the case in Maryland, though, as there is no cut at this year's BMW Championship. That is because it is the second leg of the three-tournament FedExCup playoffs that trimmed the top 125 golfers in the point standings to just 70 after the Northern Trust.
The top 30 golfers in points will advance to the season-ending TOUR Championship and battle for the $15 million first-place prize after this weekend's tournament.
With no battle at the cut line, the biggest storyline was DeChambeau's dominance.
He wasted little time setting the tone with back-to-back birdies on the opening two holes and then notched his first of what would be two eagles on the fourth hole. He also eagled the 16th and didn't drop a single stroke in a bogey-less round that included eight birdies.
DeChambeau's round could have been even better, but he missed a birdie putt from 6'3" away on the final hole, ending his perfect mark of 13-of-13 from inside 10 feet on the round. Had he made it, he would have finished with his first career sub-60 round on tour.
"I misread the putt, so, one of those things," DeChambeau told reporters. "It was an awesome opportunity. I had a couple shots, a couple birdie opportunities at 17 and 18, and didn't happen but still really proud of the way I handled myself, and it's great to feel some pressure again which is awesome."
Typically a round like that would propel someone to a commanding lead, but that was not the case for DeChambeau thanks to the performances of Cantlay and Rahm.
Cantlay started off in impressive fashion with five birdies and zero bogeys on the front nine and continued that momentum with four straight birdies during a head-turning stretch on Nos. 11-14. Another birdie on No. 16 put him in position to share the lead with DeChambeau, but he dropped a shot with his only bogey on the 17th.
As for Rahm, he caught fire following a weather delay and eagled the 12th hole before drilling long birdie putts on Nos. 13 and 15. He was the co-leader after the first round and is playing incredible golf this year, so it would be anything but a surprise if he wins this tournament.
While DeChambeau, Rahm and Cantlay are ahead of the field heading into the weekend, there are a number of notable players still in contention.
Sergio Garcia (-12), Rory McIlroy (-10), Abraham Ancer (-10) and Xander Schauffele (-9) are all in the top 10, and Hideki Matsuyama (-8) and Dustin Johnson (-7) are well within striking distance.
It might not take two more stunning rounds like Friday's, but DeChambeau will need to play at a high level to hold off such a daunting group of challengers.
