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Northern Trust 2021: Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm Share Lead After Opening-Round 63s

Aug 19, 2021
Justin Thomas lines up his shot on the eighth green in the first round of play at the Northern Trust golf tournament, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Justin Thomas lines up his shot on the eighth green in the first round of play at the Northern Trust golf tournament, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm are co-leaders of a loaded field at The Northern Trust after each shot 63 in Round 1 on Thursday.

The tournament at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. is the first of three events of the 2021 FedEx Cup Playoffs with a $15 million bonus on the line. Out of the 125 competitors invited to this event, only the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings will advance to the BMW Championship next week.

It puts pressure on every hole throughout the tournament, not just with the leaders.

Thomas and Rahm got themselves off to strong starts in the playoff and sit eight strokes under par after the first day of action.

Round 1 Leaderboard

T1. Justin Thomas (-8) 

T1. Jon Rahm (-8)

3. Harold Varner III (-5)

T4. Adam Scott (-4)

T4. Robert Streb (-4)

T4. Mackenzie Hughes (-4)

T4. Cameron Tringale (-4)

T4. Tony Finau (-4)

T4. Kevin Na (-4)

Full leaderboard and stats available at PGATour.com.

Thomas and Rahm each entered the week inside the top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings and will have the opportunity to move into first with a win this week.

Based on how they performed Thursday, it will be a tight battle throughout the tournament.

Thomas was the first into the clubhouse at eight-under thanks to some impressive shots:

Rahm was able to match him thanks to his work in the short game:

Both players closed strong with four birdies in the final six holes, although they succeeded in different ways. Thomas averaged 323 yards with his drives while also gaining 2.486 strokes on the greens. Rahm's drives averaged just 280.5 yards but he reached 83.3 percent of greens in regulation.

The two methods were still successful as the players pulled away from the rest of the field.

Harold Varner III and Adam Scott also came through with strong showings after entering the day outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup rankings. Scott carded an eagle on the par-five No. 6 hole, helping him remain in contention after the first round.

Other big names will have to find more consistency to move up the leaderboard, especially Bryson DeChambeau. The American finished even par, but took a wild route to get there:

Rory McIlroy also finished with an even-71 after totaling five birdies and five bogeys in the round.

These players can be in contention if they fix their mistakes, but the cut line is also within reach.

Dustin Johnson is also worth watching at one stroke under par despite some club issues:

Johnson impressively still averaged 300 yards off the tee during the round and kept himself alive for the rest of the week. As the defending champion of both the Northern Trust and the FedEx Cup, he is certainly not someone to count out.

Fans should also keep an eye on Bubba Watson (E), Ian Poulter (+1) and Jason Day (+2) among those near the projected cut line and currently on the outside looking in of reaching the BMW Championship based on the projected standings. 

FedEx Cup Points 2021: Explaining Distribution and Standings

Aug 19, 2021
Collin Morikawa hits during the second round in the World Golf Championship-FedEx St. Jude Invitational tournament, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Collin Morikawa hits during the second round in the World Golf Championship-FedEx St. Jude Invitational tournament, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

The 2021 FedEx Cup playoffs begin Thursday with the Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

The tournament is the first of three over a three-week span that will determine the PGA Tour champion for the 2020-21 season, which began in September.

One hundred and twenty-five golfers will converge on Liberty National Golf Club. The players at the top of the standings are more likely to survive the two rounds of cuts. The field gets trimmed from 125 to 70 for the BMW Championship and then the top 35 players qualify for The Tour Championship.

                

FedEx Cup Standings

1. Collin Morikawa: 2,171 points

2. Jordan Spieth: 2,139

3. Patrick Cantlay: 2,056

4. Harris English: 2,039

5. Jon Rahm: 2,003

6. Abraham Ancer: 1,926

7. Bryson DeChambeau: 1,910

8. Louis Oosthuizen: 1,877

9. Justin Thomas: 1,759

10. Sam Burns: 1,721

Full FedEx Cup standings can be found on PGATour.com.

         

The points system within the FedEx Cup playoffs works differently than the regular season.

The winners of the Northern Trust and BMW Championship receive 2,000 FedEx Cup points, which is four times the amount earned for a regular-season victory.

The second-place finisher receives 1,200 points, third place is worth 760 points, fourth carries 540 points and fifth is worth 440 points. The full FedEx Cup points breakdown can be found here.

Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and the other golfers on top of the FedEx Cup standings have a bit more wiggle room on the leaderboard for the first playoff tournament. Those golfers do not need to win the competition. As long as they finish in a reasonable position, they will make the cut to advance to the BMW Championship.

The real drama at the Northern Trust comes on the cut line for 70th place. J.T. Poston is 70th with Bubba Watson, Harold Varner III, Seamus Power, Brandon Hagy and Andrew Putnam directly beneath him.

PGATour.com broke down the scenarios for Watson and every golfer from 71st to 125th on the projected finish they will need to ensure a spot at the BMW Championship.

Of course, a victory changes everything in the bubble picture and would allow any golfer in the bottom tier of the rankings to move on to next week's competition. However, it could be hard for any of the bubble golfers to win the Northern Trust since it has typically been won by the game's top stars.

Dustin Johnson has two victories in the past four years, including last year's event at TPC Boston. Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau won in the two years between Johnson's triumphs.

The FedEx Cup leaders see the winning points total as valuable as well since the top 30 players start on different levels at the Tour Championship. The leader after the BMW Championship begins the final event of the season at 10 under. If Morikawa, Spieth or any of the top players win in the next two weeks, they would enter East Lake in Atlanta with a valuable edge.

Xander Schauffele's Dad Stefan Takes Epic Photo with Son's Olympic Gold Medal

Aug 18, 2021
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - JUNE 17: Xander Schauffele of the United States walks with his father and coach Stefan Schauffele during a practice round prior to the RBC Heritage on June 17, 2020 at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - JUNE 17: Xander Schauffele of the United States walks with his father and coach Stefan Schauffele during a practice round prior to the RBC Heritage on June 17, 2020 at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Golfer Xander Schauffele might have won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, but it appears his father is going to keep the award for himself.

Stefan Schauffele posted a picture on social media Wednesday with the medal around his own neck:

"I should've seen this coming," Xander Schauffele responded on Twitter.

The current No. 4 player in the world rankings took home first place in the men's Olympic golf tournament at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan but said his father soon took control of the medal.

"Pops has it. I can't get it off of him right now," the American told reporters Tuesday. "I had a couple of media things to do with the medal, and then I got a phone call shortly after that asking for the medal back. [Schauffele’s father Stefan] is taking good care of it as we speak."

Stefan is Xander's swing coach and is known as "The Ogre" on tour, but the gold is more than just a prop for him. Xander explained how important the Olympics were to his family:

Schauffele earned the gold medal on the course, but it seems like he will have to share the prize.

Wyndham Championship 2021: Kevin Kisner Outlasts Field in Record-Tying 6-Man Playoff

Aug 15, 2021
Kevin Kisner poses with the trophy after he sunk a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Kevin Kisner poses with the trophy after he sunk a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

Kevin Kisner won his first PGA Tour event in two years Sunday when he beat out five other players in a six-man playoff to capture the 2021 Wyndham Championship. 

On the second playoff hole, Kisner's birdie putt gave him the win over a group that included Branden Grace, Adam Scott and Kevin Na. 

At the end of regulation, Kisner and five other players had matching scores of 15 under par. The six-man playoff tied a PGA Tour record. 

This format seemed like it would be bad news for Kisner, who was winless in his first five playoff attempts on the Tour. 

Kisner joined the group at the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on No. 17. He set himself up with a spectacular shot on the fairway that left the ball within two feet of the cup. 

Even though Grace came up short in the playoff, his birdie putt from 28 feet on No. 18 to keep pace with the leaders was one of the best shots of the entire day. 

The day started with Russell Henley, who was the leader after each of the first three rounds, looking like he was in complete control of things. The Georgia native entered the final round at 15 under par overall with a three-shot advantage over Tyler McCumber. 

Henley fell off the pace with a one-over-par 71 on Sunday to finish tied for seventh. 

Each of the six golfers in the playoff finished their first 18 holes with a 66 or better. Si Woo Kim had the best round of anyone in that group with a 64, but that wasn't even the lowest score of the day. 

Chesson Hadley moved up 36 spots on the leaderboard with a 62 to finish tied for 15th overall. His round featured seven birdies and an ace on the par-three 16th hole. 

Hadley's performance was also crucial because it moved him past Justin Rose, who bogeyed No. 18, for the final spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He will advance to the Northern Trust tournament next weekend. 

Kisner didn't seem to have much momentum when he arrived at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, for this tournament. He finished outside the top 60 in his previous two events, including a 73rd-place showing at The Open Championship. 

The 37-year-old was a model of consistency throughout the weekend. His worst round was a 68 on Friday, and he posted back-to-back scores of 66 over the past two days. 

Kisner's victory Sunday was his first in PGA Tour event since the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March 2019. It's his fourth career victory on the main circuit overall. 

Per Nick Piatkowski of Golf.com, Kisner was rewarded with the $1.152 million winner's share of the purse. 

The 2020-21 PGA Tour season is winding down, with the three FedEx Cup events left on the schedule. The top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings will take part in the Northern Trust, with the top 70 players at the end of the tournament advancing to the BMW Championship. 

The top 30 players in the standings at the end of the BMW Championship will advance to the Tour Championship from Sept. 2-5. 

Bryson DeChambeau Doesn't Regret Being Unvaccinated Despite Olympic Withdrawal

Aug 4, 2021
MEMPHIS, TN - AUGUST 04: Bryson DeChambeau on the range prior to the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on August 4, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - AUGUST 04: Bryson DeChambeau on the range prior to the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on August 4, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Bryson DeChambeau missed out on an opportunity to compete for a gold medal and represent his country at the 2020 Tokyo Games because he tested positive for COVID-19.

Even with that context, the American said he didn't regret his decision to remain unvaccinated.

"The vaccine doesn't necessarily prevent it from happening," DeChambeau told reporters Wednesday. "I'm young enough, I'd rather give it [the vaccine] to people who need it. I don't need it. I'm a healthy, young individual that will continue to work on my health."

DeChambeau continued, saying, "I don't think taking the vaccine away from someone who needs it is a good thing. My dad is a perfect example. He got it [the vaccine] early on because he's a diabetic. People like that need to get it. My mom got it. I don't want to take away that ability."

Despite DeChambeau's explanation, ESPN's Bob Harig noted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made it clear there is no longer a vaccine shortage in the United States. They are free and available for those looking to receive one.

What's more, the CDC announced more than 95 percent of hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States this week were among unvaccinated people. More than 90 percent of the positive cases in the country were also among unvaccinated people.

Yet DeChambeau said it was inevitable that he tested positive given his schedule as a professional golfer and how many times he is tested:

"It was bound to happen. Unfortunately, it happened that week. The odds are you get tested enough, you travel around, it's going to happen. I tried to take all the necessary precautions to not contract it, and unfortunately on Friday [July 23] I tested positive. I tested positive a few times [in the aftermath]. You can't do anything about it."

The 27-year-old will compete in this week's WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and said he isn't "really expecting much" after he lost weight while diagnosed with the virus.

As for the Olympics, the United States still took home gold in the men's golf competition, as Xander Schauffele won the event over silver medalist Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia by one stroke.

The most drama was in the race for bronze, as Chinese Taipei's C.T. Pan finished in third place as part of a seven-player playoff for the final medal.

PGA Tour Reveals New Schedule for 2021-22 Season; Features Joint European Tour Events

Aug 3, 2021
MEMPHIS, TN - AUGUST 02: Wade Ormsby of Australia walks pas giant FedEx letters at the 18th hole prior to the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on August 2, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - AUGUST 02: Wade Ormsby of Australia walks pas giant FedEx letters at the 18th hole prior to the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on August 2, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

The PGA Tour revealed its schedule for the 2021-22 season Tuesday and announced an expansion of its partnership with the European Tour.

It was divulged that three tournaments will be co-sanctioned by the PGA and European Tours next season, and they will count toward both the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup and European Tour's Race to Dubai standings.

The co-sanctioned events will be the Barbasol Championship, the Barracuda Championship and the Genesis Scottish Open. Both the Barbasol Championship and Genesis Scottish Open will be played July 7-10, 2022, while the Barracuda Championship will be played the following week.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said the following regarding the PGA Tour's synergy with the European Tour:

"With today's news, I am pleased to say that the PGA Tour and the European Tour are both stronger than at any time in our history, as we are positioned to grow–together–over the next 10 years faster than we have at any point in our existence. We are committed to continuing to evolve and adapt, and with our ever-strengthening partnership with the European Tour, to take the global game to the heights we all know it is capable of."

The PGA Tour noted that there will be 45 regular-season events in 2021-22 that will be followed by three FedEx Cup playoff events.

The first playoff tournament is being moved to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, and will be known as the FedEx St. Jude Championship, replacing the Northern Trust in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Following the St. Jude from Aug. 11-14, 2022, will be the BMW Championship and then the Tour Championship.

The PGA Tour also announced the dates for its four major championships in 2022.

The Masters will be held April 7-10 at Augusta National, the PGA Championship will run May 19-22 at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the U.S. Open will take place June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, and the Open Championship will emanate from St. Andrews Links in Fife, Scotland, from July 14-17.

It was also reinforced that the upcoming Ryder Cup will go from Sept. 23-26, 2021, at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.

The final tournament on the schedule for 2021-22, the Tour Championship, will decide the winner of the FedEx Cup from Aug. 25-28, 2022, at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Senior British Open 2021: Stephen Dodd Earns Win with Clutch Birdie on 18th Hole

Jul 25, 2021
SUNNINGDALE, ENGLAND - JULY 25: Stephen Dodd of Wales celebrates victory during day four of The Senior Open Presented by Rolex at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 25, 2021 in Sunningdale, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
SUNNINGDALE, ENGLAND - JULY 25: Stephen Dodd of Wales celebrates victory during day four of The Senior Open Presented by Rolex at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 25, 2021 in Sunningdale, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

Stephen Dodd won the 2021 Senior Open Championship on Sunday at Sunningdale Golf Club in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England, with a clutch birdie putt on the 18th hole.

Dodd entered the 18th in a tie with Miguel Angel Jimenez for first place at 12 under, and the Welsh veteran avoided a playoff by rattling home a tournament-winning putt:

Here is a rundown of the top 10 finishers courtesy of EuropeanTour.com with prize money payouts from Golf News Net:

1. Stephen Dodd: -13 (68) $392,913

2. Miguel Angel Jimenez: -12 (65) $261,988

3. Darren Clarke: -11 (67) $147,450

4. Bernhard Langer: -9 (68) $117,863

5. Paul Broadhurst: -8 (69) $99,863

6. Jerry Kelly: -7 (72) $82,538

7. Ricardo Gonzalez: -5 (69) $70,700

T8. Wes Short Jr.: -4 (70) $52,912

T8. Ernie Els: -4 (72) $52,912

T8. Yoshinobu Tsukada: -4 (71) $52,912

After tying the course record with a 62 on Saturday, Dodd entered the final round of the Senior British Open with a two-shot lead.

Dodd was an unlikely leader given that he had never won on the PGA Tour and entered the tournament with three European Tour wins and three European Senior Tour wins to his credit.

While the 55-year-old Dodd hadn't won on the Senior Tour since 2018, he played like a golfer with experience in big, high-pressure moments.

His title-winning birdie putt will likely be the highlight shown for many years to come, but it was Dodd's previous shot that may have truly won him the tournament.

After hitting his tee shot into the rough on the 18th, Dodd seemed destined for a playoff against Jimenez at best, but he flipped the script with a remarkable iron shot out of the rough and onto the green to set up the birdie:

Following Dodd's win, Welsh countryman and 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam congratulated him:

Although Dodd ultimately seized the headlines, Jimenez nearly stole the tournament with a spectacular final round.

The Spaniard's 65 was the low round of the day, and he was especially strong during the latter stages of the round.

With time running out on his chances, Jimenez stuck an excellent approach shot and sunk a birdie putt on No. 17 to tie Dodd atop the leaderboard at 12 under:

Jimenez was unable to follow up with another birdie on the 18th, though, which left the door open for Dodd and allowed him to seal the deal.

Making Dodd's win even more impressive is the fact that it came over one of the most accomplished players on the Champions Tour.

In addition to being a 21-time winner on the European Tour, Jimenez has won 10 Champions Tour tournaments, including a pair of majors.

Jimenez's most recent major win was the 2018 Senior Open Championship; however, Dodd denied him a second.

Bryson DeChambeau Won't Golf for Team USA at Olympics After Positive COVID-19 Test

Jul 25, 2021
United States' Bryson DeChambeau play his tee shot from the 1st during the second round of the British Open Golf Championship at Royal St George's golf course Sandwich, England, Friday, July 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
United States' Bryson DeChambeau play his tee shot from the 1st during the second round of the British Open Golf Championship at Royal St George's golf course Sandwich, England, Friday, July 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Patrick Reed has been added to the United States men's golf team after Bryson DeChambeau tested positive for COVID-19. 

Per a statement released on Saturday, DeChambeau's positive result came back during the final round of testing before Team USA departed for Tokyo:

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

DeChambeau was set to be on the squad with Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele. 

In order for the U.S. to qualify the maximum of four players for the Olympics, golfers had to rank among the top 15 players in the official world golf rankings by the end of the qualification period. 

DeChambeau has been in the top 10 of the rankings every week since March 7 when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

This was going to be DeChambeau's first Olympic appearance. He joined the PGA Tour on a full-time basis in 2016. 

Reed is making his second Olympic appearance for Team USA. The 30-year-old tied for 11th at the 2016 Games in London with a score of six-under par. The Texas native is currently No. 13 in the official world golf rankings. 

The men's individual golf tournament at the Tokyo Olympics will take place at Kasumigaseki Country Club from July 29-Aug. 1.   

Senior British Open 2021: Darren Clarke, James Kingston Lead After Round 1

Jul 22, 2021
SUNNINGDALE, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland during the first day of The Senior Open Presented by Rolex at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 22, 2021 in Sunningdale, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
SUNNINGDALE, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland during the first day of The Senior Open Presented by Rolex at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 22, 2021 in Sunningdale, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

With one round in the books, Darren Clarke and James Kingston lead a tightly packed field in the Senior Open Championship at Sunningdale Golf Club in England.

Clarke and Kingston shot five under Thursday. Ricardo Gonzalez, Bernhard Langer and Stephen Dodd are all one shot back, and seven golfers are tied for sixth at three under.

Senior Open Leaderboard

T1. Darren Clarke (-5)

T1. James Kingston (-5)

T3. Ricardo Gonzalez (-4)

T3. Bernhard Langer (-4)

T3. Stephen Dodd (-4)

T6. Robert Allenby (-3)

T6. Peter Fowler (-3)

T6. Ernie Els (-3)

T6. Phillip Price (-3)

T6. John Kemp (-3)

T6. Jerry Kelly (-3)

T6. Jose Coceres (-3)

T6. Wes Short Jr. (-3)

Full leaderboard available at EuropeanTour.com

Clarke got off to a hot start with a pair of birdies through three holes, and he made the turn at four under. He encountered a setback with a bogey on No. 12 but rebounded with back-to-back birdies.

Clarke might be sitting at six under right now if he had chosen to remove the flagstick for this putt:

"Sunningdale is one of those golf courses where when you play it, you think you’re going to have lots of chances and you go out and play with a card in your hand, it’s a different golf course," the Northern Irishman told reporters after his round. 

Kingston played a bogey-free round, collecting two birdies on the front nine and three on the back nine.

Nobody has dominated the Senior Open like Langer. The 63-year-old German has four victories to his name and was victorious in two of the last three tournaments. Based on his performance Thursday, he's poised to be in the thick of the title hunt throughout the weekend. 

Things weren't looking too good for Langer around the halfway mark in the opening round. A bogey on No. 11 dropped him to one under before he registered three birdies between Nos. 14 and 17.

Colin Montgomerie is looking for his first Senior Open triumph. He finished runner-up to Langer in 2014 was third the following year. Entering the 2021 installment, the Scotland native reflected on the absence of an R&A win on his resume.

"Having not won an R&A event, as such, second in The Open to (Tiger) Woods in 2005 and runner-up at the British Amateur to (Jose Maria) Olazabal, I picked real beauties there, didn't I, to come up against, but it would be great to win, obviously," he said, per PGATour.com's Bob McClellan. "We are all here to do that and we all know that if you do happen to win, you know, you get an invite to St. Andrews next year, which would be a real celebration of golf, being the 150th Open. So that's on the radar as well for us all."

The 58-year-old bounced back from a pair of bogeys on the front nine to grab a share of 14th at two under. While he still has some work to do, a Senior Open title isn't out of the question.

Katherine Zhu, Collin Morikawa's Girlfriend, on British Open: 'So Incredibly Proud'

Jul 18, 2021
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 09: Collin Morikawa of the United States walks with his girlfriend Katherine Zhu during practice for the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on December 09, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 09: Collin Morikawa of the United States walks with his girlfriend Katherine Zhu during practice for the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on December 09, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Katherine Zhu, who is Collin Morikawa's girlfriend, congratulated the newest Open Championship victor for his efforts on Sunday.

"So incredibly proud of you!" she wrote on Instagram. "You've accomplished so much since turning pro in 2019 and I really can't wait to see what's next."

Morikawa is just 24 years old and is already a two-time major champion thanks to Sunday's win and his victory at last year's PGA Championship. He was brilliant with the putter in the final round of his latest triumph and clinched a two-shot win over Jordan Spieth with a bogey-free, four-under 66.

Ben Morse of CNN noted Morikawa is now the first man to win the Open Championship and PGA Championship in his debut at each tournament.

He is halfway to the career Grand Slam and looks primed to compete at majors for years to come.

That is plenty to be proud of for Zhu, who played four years of golf at Pepperdine University herself and earned multiple WGCA All-American honors.

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