Group of Friends' Trip to 2022 British Open Funded by Win on Warriors NBA Title Bet
Jul 16, 2022
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - JULY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his tee shot on the first hole during the third round of the 150th Open on The Old Course at St Andrews on July 16, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
A group of old college friends can thank the Golden State Warriors for allowing them to personally witness one of the best golf majors in recent history.
GOLF.com executive editor Alan Bastable got the exclusive scoop from Concordia College alum Andrew Beliveau, who said that he and his friends bankrolled a trip to St. Andrews by betting the Warriors to win this year's NBA title.
Beliveau, who is a big Warriors fan, and his crew take an annual trip every year. The idea this time around was to go to The Open Championship. That obviously would be a pricey endeavor, so the group decided to make some investments in the Dubs a couple of times during the season.
All told, the group won about $30,000 on an overall investment of $5,000-$6,000. A huge chunk of the profit is going to an $18,000 Airbnb at a property across the street from St. Andrews' fabled 18th green.
Beliveau and the crew were pictured sporting Kevon Looney jerseys on site, a proper homage to the team and its starting center.
They couldn't have picked a much better Open Championship to go to, as this one is shaping up to be a classic.
Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland are tied atop the leaderboard at 16 under, four strokes better than third-place holders Cameron Young and Cam Smith. It should be a phenomenal duel Sunday between two of golf's top talents.
McIlroy is looking for his first major in eight years. Hovland is seeking the first-ever major of his brief professional career.
McIlroy provided the jaw-dropping moment Saturday with a 27-yard eagle from the 10th greenside bunker.
Hovland posted the field's only bogey-free card. Both he and McIlroy finished with six-under 66 results on moving day.
The friends have a vested interest in McIlroy's chances, as they threw down bets on him winning the Claret Jug. If he's victorious, the friends will have another trip bankrolled, this time to an Ole Miss football game in the fall.
McIlroy and Hovland will tee off Sunday at 9:50 a.m. ET.
Rory McIlroy Ahead of The Open Final Round: 'Going to Try to Make a Dream Come True'
Jul 16, 2022
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - JULY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates a birdie on the 9th hole during Day Three of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 16, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland co-lead the 150th Open Championship at 16 under heading into the final round at St Andrews on Sunday. They appear set for a duel at the Old Course with the rest of the field at least four shots behind.
After shooting a six-under 66 that included an epic 27-yard eagle from the greenside bunker at the par-four 10th, McIlroy spoke with reporters about the week and the moment (h/t Kyle Porter of CBS Sports).
"I think it's appreciating the moment as well and appreciating the fact that it's unbelievably cool to have a chance to win The Open at St Andrews," McIlroy said.
"It's what dreams are made of. And I'm going to try to make a dream come true tomorrow."
McIlroy and Hovland will tee off at 9:50 a.m. ET Sunday.
McIlroy already has a Claret Jug by virtue of winning the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England. However, a win at St Andrews, one of the most prestigious golf venues in the world, has evaded him thus far.
The Northern Irishman was set to defend his title at St Andrews in 2015, but an ankle injury suffered on the soccer pitch during a game with friends forced him to sit the tournament.
Five years earlier, McIlroy shot a nine-under 63 to take the first round lead at St Andrews. However, he shot one over for the remainder of the tournament and finished tied for third, eight shots behind winner Louis Oosthuizen.
It appears that a win could be in sight for McIlroy this time around, although he'll have some competition from Hovland, who carded the only bogey-free round of the day Saturday. Still, McIlroy has been exceptional in his own right, and his first major win in eight years is well within his sights.
British Open 2022: Tee Times, Pairings and Predictions for Sunday Schedule
Jul 16, 2022
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - JULY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates a birdie on the 9th hole during Day Three of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 16, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland will be locked in a duel at the British Open for a second straight day.
The only difference between Saturday and Sunday's trips up and down the Old Course at St. Andrews is the two players reside in the final pairing instead of the penultimate group.
McIlroy and Hovland shot dueling 66s on Saturday to leapfrog Cameron Smith and Cameron Young on the leaderboard. The two leaders sit at 16 under with a four-shot lead over Smith and Young.
The Northern Irishman and Norwegian have the best chances to win the Claret Jug based on history. No player has won The Open Championship at St. Andrews from four or more shots back going into Sunday.
History suggests Sunday's winner will be either McIlroy or Hovland, but that does not mean they will be the only golfers to turn in marvelous performances.
Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick and Adam Scott are among the previous major winners that sit in the top 12 and could make some noise on the Old Course to finish inside the top five before the championship showdown begins between McIlroy and Hovland.
Notable 4th-Round Tee Times
7:15 a.m. ET: Jon Rahm, Victor Perez
8:15 a.m. ET: Bryson DeChambeau, Francesco Molinari
Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland matched scores during Saturday's third round.
The same situation could come about Sunday, but McIlroy has a distinct advantage when it comes to playing in the final group at a major tournament.
McIlroy is a four-time major champion and has played in a smattering of final pairings throughout his career. Hovland is sitting in his highest position ever at a major after 54 holes.
In fact, Hovland has struggled to break into the top 10 at major tournaments since he earned the low amateur award at the Masters in 2019. His best major finish as a professional is a tie for 12th at the 2021 Open Championship.
Of course, things can change in an instant in major tournament golf, and Hovland is playing some of the best golf of anyone in the field, but Sunday comes with a different amount of pressure.
One or two bad decisions, or a missed shot, has the potential to send someone's round into a spiral. Just look at Mito Pereira at the PGA Championship for an example of that. Pereira looked like he would be the winner at Southern Hills, and then he fell apart and did not even make the playoff with Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.
Hovland possesses more overall experience than Pereira, but the point remains about what a player can face in his first time in the final group situation. One mistake on the back nine could be all McIlroy needs to jump into the lead.
McIlroy's advanced experience with bouncing back from bad breaks, or making the right decisions on the tee box to deal with the course should give him an edge over Hovland.
And then there is the one element Hovland can't control that will be on McIlroy's side. The crowd has been pro-McIlroy all week at St. Andrews, and McIlroy will be treated like Tiger Woods at Augusta National Golf Club.
Jordan Spieth Makes Push Into Top Five
Jordan Spieth made a move up into a tie for 11th place with a four-under 68 on Saturday.
Spieth will not win The Open unless McIlroy and Hovland go into complete collapse mode from the first hole on.
The three-time major champion can earn his second-ever top-five finish at St. Andrews through another solid day.
Spieth opened the third round with six pars and three birdies on the front nine. He only had two bogeys on the card, one of which took place on the par-three 11th hole.
Spieth has seven birdies and no bogeys on the front nine in his last two rounds. Another fast start could speed the American past a handful of other top-five contenders.
The best-case scenario for Spieth is to continue a fast start into the back nine and end up high on the leaderboard similar to what McIlroy produced at the Masters in April. McIlroy used a Sunday surge to take second behind Scottie Scheffler.
A strong Sunday at The Open is familiar to Spieth. He shot a 66 to take second behind Collin Morikawa last year and shot a 69 back in 2015 at St. Andrews to move into a top-five placing.
British Open 2022: Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland's Electric 3rd Rounds Hype Up Twitter
Jul 16, 2022
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy celebrates after holing a bunker shot for an eagle on the 10th hole during his third round on day 3 of The 150th British Open Golf Championship on The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland on July 16, 2022. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy's stunning eagle on the par-four 10th and Viktor Hovland's bogey-free six-under 66 highlighted a phenomenal day for the new Open Championship co-leaders, who pace the field at St. Andrews with 16-under scores through three rounds.
Cameron Young, whose eight-under 64 proved good enough for the first-round lead, sits in tied for third at 12 under. He's there with Cameron Smith, who led the field at 13 under heading into the weekend but shot a one-over 73.
Reigning Masters winner Scottie Scheffler is hanging around in fifth after shooting a three-under 69 (-11). Si Woo Kim, the 2017 Players champion, is right there with him.
Here's a look at the top 10 and ties heading into the final round as well as highlights and reaction focused on McIlroy and Hovland.
McIlroy moved into first at that moment and positioned himself to win his first Open Championship since 2014, when he took home the Claret Jug and the PGA Championship's Wanamaker Trophy.
The fans went wild on the adjacent 11th hole, and Scheffler and Dustin Johnson smiled after seeing the shot go in.
The reaction from the spectators at St Andrews after Rory McIlroy's eagle at the 10th says it all.
It was a fantastic sequence of events capped off by Hovland's own birdie to move into a tie for first at 15 under.
God this Open Championship is delivering.
That 5 minute stretch of golf was about as good as the sport can get.
McIlroy holing out for eagle, crowd goes nuts. Seeing DJ & Scottie smiling, Hovland makes his birdie and then Rory fist bumps both Viktor and his caddy.
McIlroy's concentration in the moment deserves credit, especially considering that he needed to step away a few times before the shot.
Amazing moment. Rory McIlroy, confronting a treacherous bunker shot from which he stepped away twice, holes it for eagle. -15 and now with outright Open lead.
Hard to convey how pro-Rory the fans are. After every Hovland shot that doesn't go in there are immediate yells of "RORY" raining down from the crowd and every Rory shot is greeted with, uh, roars. Not to go all Talor Gooch, but borderline Ryder Cup atmosphere
Viktor Hovland hasn’t finished inside the top-10 in 11 previous major appearances and hasn’t finished inside the top-20 in his last seven stroke-play events, so of course he can’t stop making birdies and is leading The Open right now.
But a little luck is needed sometimes to win major tournaments, and his skill and fit for St. Andrews has Hovland in position to win.
Astute observation from @maxhoma23 today about Hovland - the one part of his game this is questionable (chipping) is totally eliminated at the Old Course. He can just putt from everywhere. No surprise he’s in this.
Saturday's final duo of Young and Smith will now serve as the penultimate group out on the course.
US Open Golf 2022: Matt Fitzpatrick Edges Will Zalatoris for 1st Career Major Title
Jun 19, 2022
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 19: Matt Fitzpatrick of England plays his shot from the fourth tee during the final round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 19, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Matt Fitzpatrick is a major champion for the first time.
The 27-year-old won the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
Fitzpatrick finished at six under, one shot better than Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler. He carded a two-under 68 in the final round.
A two-stroke swing between Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris on the 15th hole was the day's turning point. They both hit their tee shots into the rough, but their fortunes diverged on their second shots.
Fitzpatrick landed onto the green and left himself with a 19-foot birdie putt. Zalatoris found the sand. One birdie and one bogey later, Fitzpatrick was two shots clear in first place.
With one hole to play, Fitzpatrick's cushion had shrunk to one shot. That at least afforded him some margin for error as he made the one mistake he could ill afford on No. 18. He hooked his tee shot into a fairway bunker.
Knowing a par was still enough to likely avoid a playoff, Fitzpatrick unleashed a masterful approach that put him only 18 feet from the cup. He two-putted his way to par to remain at six under.
That left the door cracked slightly open for Zalatoris, who was standing 14 feet away from a birdie opportunity. His putt missed left by centimeters, securing the title for Fitzpatrick.
The Country Club has been unforgiving all tournament, and the top six golfers were separated by two shots heading into the final round. The stage was set for a dramatic finish Sunday.
With the top performers hitting the halfway mark, the U.S. Open had turned into a three-horse race between Fitzpatrick, Scheffler and Zalatoris. Fitzpatrick was sitting at six under, with Scheffler and Zalatoris tied at five under. Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy were all six shots back of Fitzpatrick and quickly running out of time to improve their scores.
A poor approach on No. 17 was costly for Matsuyama. His shot didn't reach the green and rolled into the rough as he eventually settled for a par. Things would've gotten a little more interesting if he had walked up to the 18th tee at four under.
As his back nine got underway, Scheffler was trending in the wrong direction following a strong start to the round. Through six holes, he gained four strokes to move to six under overall. But back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 dropped him to four under.
History was repeating itself one day after the 2022 Masters champion went four over on the back nine.
Two days in a row that the back 9 chews up Scottie Scheffler, especially the tiny little 11th hole
Zalatoris had the opportunity to tighten his grip on a two-shot lead but ceded more ground instead. His drive on No. 12 started left but sliced right, well into the heavy stuff alongside the fairway. That put him behind the eight ball, yet he still nearly saved par, as his putt was on line with the cup before veering left at the last moment.
Fitzpatrick capitalized on Zalatoris' errant tee shot. He was on the money with a 48-foot birdie putt to grab a share of first place at five under.
Scheffler, meanwhile, was only one back yet couldn't build any positive momentum. When something finally broke right for him, it was effectively a wash because his birdie on No. 17 was only moments after Fitzpatrick birdied No. 15.
Rory McIlroy struggled with consistency in the final round, as he tallied three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine. He did, however, get back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, helping him finish in a tie for fifth.
TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, is the next stop for the PGA Tour, with the Travelers Championship teeing off Thursday.
Soon enough, the next major tournament will be right around the corner. The Open Championship gets underway July 14 at the legendary St. Andrews Links in Scotland.
US Open Golf 2022: Will Zalatoris, Matt Fitzpatrick Tied for Lead After Round 3
Jun 19, 2022
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 18: Will Zalatoris of the United States plays his shot from the eighth tee during the third round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 18, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
There are new leaders at the U.S. Open for the third consecutive day.
Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick have matching scores of four under par. Zalatoris had an efficient round with four birdies and just one bogey to put himself in prime position to win his first major tournament.
Fitzpatrick posted his second 68 in the past three days. He had a chance to take sole possession of the lead into the final round, but a bogey on No. 18 dropped him into a tie with Zalatoris.
Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen, who shared the lead after the second round, had their first real struggles of the tournament Saturday. Morikawa is no longer under par (+2) after posting a 77, tied for the eighth-worst score of the day.
Dahmen was much better by comparison with a 74 that moved him to one under.
Rory McIlroy is among a trio tied for seventh place at one under with 18 holes to play.
If history is any indication, things will continue to change on the leaderboard Sunday. There hasn't been a third-round leader or co-leader that went on to win the U.S. Open since Gary Woodland in 2019.
Zalatoris has seemingly been building to a huge breakout moment all season. He tied for sixth at the Masters and lost a playoff to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship.
One more round like he had Saturday could be enough for Zalatoris to capture his first major title.
Fitzpatrick made a run on the back nine that briefly moved him atop the leaderboard at five under. The England native made three birdies in a stretch of four holes from No. 14 to No. 17.
Even though a bogey on No. 18 was a bad note to end the day on, Fitzpatrick has given himself an opportunity to win with a strong showing otherwise.
Just a reminder that Matt Fitzpatrick has led the PGA Tour for most of this year in total strokes gained. (Rory McIlroy squeezed past him last weekend.) There really isn’t a much better barometer for measuring which players are playing the best golf.
Jon Rahm looked like he was going to be the leader heading into Sunday. He went on the same run as Fitzpatrick with three birdies in four holes from No. 14 to No. 17, dropping his overall score to five under.
Things went south for Rahm on No. 18. The defending U.S. Open champion found the bunker on the dogleg, and his first shot to get out of the sand didn't clear the lip. He posted a double-bogey six on the hole to fall into third place at three under.
Last year saw Rahm shoot one over in the third round and go into the final round three shots behind the leaders. He went four under the last day to win the tournament by one stroke.
The 27-year-old doesn't have as much ground to make up this time around. He's still in a great position to become the first player with back-to-back U.S. Open titles since Brooks Koepka (2017-2018).
Morikawa had a day to forget with four bogeys and two double bogeys. This was his worst single-round score in a major tournament in his tour career.
McIlroy didn't fare much better than Morikawa. The 33-year-old finished with a three-over 73 to fall three shots off the pace. He still has an opportunity to win or at least finish in the top 10 at this event for the fourth consecutive year.
The U.S. Open has historically been one of the most difficult events on the calendar every single year. There are only nine players under par heading into the final round.
Given how The Country Club course has played over the past three days, there should be a lot of drama at the top of the leaderboard Sunday.
The final round will begin at 8:49 a.m. ET. The final pairing of Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick will tee off at 2:45 p.m. ET.
The marquee names in men's golf are circling the lead at the 2022 U.S. Open. Collin Morikawa took hold of the lead alongside Joel Dahmen with a second-round 66...
The 2022 U.S. Open leaderboard features Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose and a bunch of players that were unknown to golf fans 24 hours ago....
US Open Tee Times 2022: Pairings and Predictions for Friday Schedule
Jun 17, 2022
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his second shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the 2022 U.S.Open Championship at The Country Club on June 16, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
The U.S. Open Championship, the third major of the 2022 season, is fully underway at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, with Round 2 set to kick off Friday morning at the brisk morning hour of 6:43 a.m. ET.
There are plenty of storylines to follow in this year's tournament. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler looks to become the sixth golfer ever to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same season.
Meanwhile, PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas could become the seventh golfer ever to win the PGA and U.S. Open titles back to back.
And Rory McIlroy, who has finished in the top 10 at three of the last five U.S. Opens, is looking to follow up on a strong Round 1 on Thursday, which saw him shoot a three-under 67, not logging his first bogey until No. 18.
Everything you need to know to tune into Friday's action, as well as pairings and predictions, is below.
Round 2 U.S. Open Coverage
Start time: 6:43 a.m. ET
Live stream: Peacock (6:43 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., 7 to 8 p.m.); USOpen.com and U.S. Open mobile app (7:25 a.m.); Holes 11-23 USOpen.com and U.S. Open mobile app (9 a.m.)
TV coverage: USA Network (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.); NBC (4-7 p.m.)
Round 2 U.S Open Pairings
No. 1
6:45 a.m.: Jed Morgan, Taylor Montgomery, Sean Crocker
2:20 p.m.: Beau Hossler, Kalle Samooja, Satoshi Kodaira
2:31 p.m.: Richard Mansell, Tomoyasu Sugiyama, Roger Sloan
2:42 p.m.: Caleb Manuel (a), Keith Greene, Ben Silverman
Prediction: He hasn't won a major in eight years, but given his performance on Thursday, it's hard to bet against McIlroy heading into the weekend.
He wasn't that far out of the race at the Masters, and he held the first-round lead at the PGA Championship. Plus, he's been recently buoyed by a win at the RBC Canadian Open.
McIlroy has also entered rarefied air with his 29 rounds of 67 or lower, as Justin Ray pointed out on Twitter:
Rory McIlroy: 29th career major championship round of 67 or lower
Most rounds of 67 or lower in major championships since 1995
Definitely don't count McIlroy out heading into Round 2 at The Country Club.
US Open Golf 2022: Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson Trail Adam Hadwin After Round 1
Jun 16, 2022
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 16: Adam Hadwin of Canada plays his shot from the sixth tee during round one of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 16, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Adam Hadwin has the early lead at the 2022 U.S. Open after he shot 66 in the first round on Thursday.
The Canadian sits four strokes under par at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, one stroke ahead of a crowded field at the top of the leaderboard. Rory McIlroy is one of five players tied for second place, while Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm are among the big names within striking distance after the first 18 holes.
The major is always one of the most high-profile events of the year, but it has taken on added significance while featuring both PGA Tour stars and those who joined the recently created LIV Golf. It could create a drama-filled week with a $17.5 million purse.
Hadwin finished with six birdies and scored an impressive 66 to lead the field.
Adam Hadwin records a 4-under 66 will enter the second round of the U.S. Open with a one-stroke lead.
Hadwin's 66 is his lowest score in 63 career rounds in major championships and this will be his first lead/co-lead after any round in a major.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 16, 2022
A lot of challengers are just off the lead, as several competitors finished with a 67. Johnson carded four birdies on his way to a two-under finish and remains one of the favorites.
Among those near the lead, defending champion Rahm, 2019 champion Gary Woodland and two-time major winner Collin Morikawa are ones to watch:
All three shot a 69 Thursday and sit three strokes off the lead heading into Round 2.
It wasn't a great day for everyone, as Phil Mickelson struggled on the way to a 78. He was especially bad with his putting in the early going:
Phil Mickelson just four-putt, starting with a putt from about 12 feet, and it was as hideous to watch as you can imagine, and suddenly I don’t feel bad about my putting…
The veteran was five over through six holes and didn't improve as the day continued. Fellow LIV Golf competitor Louis Oosthuizen also struggled to a 77.
Tee times begin at 6:45 a.m. ET on Friday as players jockey for position and try to stay inside what could be a high cut line.
