The mystery of the President’s Cup, the legend of Lydia, Rory vs. Billy
Max Homa’s Presidents Cup fist pump is a reminder: this week is hot.
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Welcome back to the Monday Finish or, as they say in Canada, “Welcome back to the Monday Finish.” In the news…
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I LOVE GOLF EQUIPMENT
Rule follows rule.
When, earlier this summer, Lydia Ko Olympic Gold winner – adding to her silver-bronze stash – has been calling the week “too good to be true.” When she won her first AIG Women’s Open two years later she referred to that feeling again: “it was fantastic.” Then came Sunday in Cincinnati, his next start since St. Andrews, when he broke the last round 9 – under 63 to win the Kroger Queen City Championship by five. Come on. The surreal summer continues.
For most of the 2024 golf season, Nelly Kordawinning streak (and, on the men’s side, Scottie Scheffler’s) was a clear case. We had not seen such dominance in years and years. Ko’s last four starts (finishing: 1-9-1-1) may not equal Korda’s total, but at this point Ko’s year is more than an important footnote; he rose up against underground golf, turned his season around and revived his career. They share the glory of 2024.
Many people did not see this coming. You’re sure he didn’t. While his 2022 was great – he earned three wins and finished the year at World No. 1 in what he calls a “Cinderella story” coming back to the top – his 2023 season was a reality check. It was frustrating and disappointing. As we rewind the year to its end, Ko pours out his soul in an interview with him Kay Cockerill.
“Many things crossed my mind. This is my 10th year on Tour and you start thinking about us, Oh, maybe it’s that time? You just don’t know. I think there are a lot of thoughts going through,” he said at the time. He also added that after the 82 brutal incident, he was talking to the parents of Stacy Lewis and burst into tears. Still, he ended the emotional conversation on a high note: “I think at the end of the day it’s a gift and I’m happy to be able to do this.” That was 2023 in the review.
So how would you sum up 2024? In short, nothing about this run is guaranteed, that is more the reason to be thankful is that his form has returned. Ko is number 3 in the world and is trending red. And instead of thinking about the end of her career she thinks about what’s left on her bucket list.
“I think it’s always been my goal to make a career grand slam,” he said. “I thought it would be like that. I feel like I already belong this fiction, why not?”
THE WINNER
Who won the week?
Billy Horschel won the BMW championship in spectacular fashion, finishing birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle. Horschel fought his way into the final three and then fell Rory McIlroy with a big birdie on the second extra hole to win a DP World main event for the second time.
Lydia Ko he won for the third time this season and the 22nd time of his career, adding to the second worst performance.
The Ripper GCled by the captain Cameron Smithwon the LIV team tournament at Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas, shooting 11 under par to defeat the Iron Heads with 4 Aces (8 under each) and Legion XIII (6 under).
Paul Broadhurst won the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach; the win was the second of the PGA Tour Champions season for the 59-year-old Englishman.
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NON-WINNERS
Not this again…
Rory McIlroy it finishes second on Sundays. In football, finishing second on Sunday means you didn’t beat your opponent. In golf it means you beat every opponent but one. But not all seconds are created equal. McIlroy’s high-profile finish at the US Open? You can call that a choke, or at least a desperate loss, due to missing easy short putts. But last week’s Irish Open and this week’s BMW are tough to categorize.
Think back to the Irish Open. There were good things down the stretch: a birdie at 16, a great drive and a 7-iron to the par-5 18th. There were some handicaps, though: a bogey at 15, a three-putt bogey at 17, a tragic miss at 18.
There was more good than bad in Wentworth. Birdies on 12 and 14. Eagle on 17. Birdies on two playoff holes. All wonderful things. But if there is one shot McIlroy will spoil his way into the 18th in regulation: he had a clear look at the green but missed his target so far left that it kept him on dry ground instead of a hazard.
So, yes. The best. Since back-to-back wins in May, McIlroy has played 12 events. He has 10 top-12 finishes, six first-place finishes, and three second-place finishes. It’s not good enough.
“Golf and I play well,” said McIlroy. “These things happen. It’s just that the game is testing me more than ever but that’s okay. All I can do is keep trying to play the golf I’ve been playing and soon it will win.”
It was a remarkable enough ending I must say Billy Horschel – the winning boy! – apparently felt somewhat conflicted about his victory.
“I think the world of him,” Horschel said. “I think he is the best player of our generation. He has done a lot in this game. You can see the support he has here; you can see the support he has around the world. He has more fans and supporters than Tiger Woods. I think it’s a good game of golf. He did many great things.
“Listen, I’m a golfer at heart. I play well on the PGA and DP World Tour but I’m a golf fan and I want to see good golf and I want to see the best players play well and win, and I know he was very close this year. He couldn’t do it and you can’t sympathize with someone like that.”
THEY DON’T HIT SHORTS
Five amazing Presidents Cup records.
Undefeated: Max Homa has the best record in Presidents Cup history. Seriously. Homa is 4-0-0; no one else in the history of the event has won every game they have played. Kirk Triplett the closest, three wins and a draw from four games in 2000.
Losers: Only four American President Cuppers have never won a game, two of them are on this year’s team and one of them is the best player in the world. Mark Brooks went 0-3-0 in 1996, setting a record for a shutout. Again Bryson DeChambeau he went 0-1-1 in 2019, his lone appearance. But Scottie Scheffler (0-3-1) and Sam Burns (0-3-2) would like to improve on their 2022 performance.
Experienced: Adam Scott he has played in 10 presidents’ cups and has played 49 games in those 10, which means he has only sat in one session. always. His 11th Cup comes this week.
The duo: Xander Schauffele again Patrick Cantlay they are the two US Presidents with the most “experienced” Cuppers with nine games each; they are 6-3-0 each. Tony Finau he is the only other three-time Cupper on the team; he is 4.5-3.5 in eight games.
Local people: Corey Conners again Taylor Pendrith two of the three Canadians return to the international team this week but are hoping for a better showing than 2022, when they each went 0-4-0 to forget.
ONE MORE GAME
America’s advantage.
ONE THOUGHT
From Billy Horschel, in a five foot clutch.
“My opinion on that question [a five-footer for birdie on the first playoff hole] he was going back to putting green and being on the chalk line. If everyone has ever watched me on the putting green, I’ve spent hours on the chalk line with two tees and rolling the ball between the two tees. And I’ve spent hours putting in drills where I have to make X number of putts, and if I don’t, I have to redo the drill until it’s done.
“And on that putt, I visualized the chalk line starting in the middle of the hole, and all I did was just imagine rolling that ball to the chalk line and then breaking a little to the left to get into the hole.”
ONE BIG QUESTION
Is this the church the Global Team is doing?
Look, it would be crazy. But it was not to be that you are crazy. Sportsbooks have the international team at around +250 to win. Washington Commanders +285 to win on Monday Night Football. If they can beat the Bengals, the Internationals can beat the US.
The US won by three points at home in 2013. With one point away in 2015. With two points away in 2019. The last two domestic cups haven’t been close, but this one probably will be. Also, we know from the recent struggle of the US Ryder Cup team that on the road, nothing is guaranteed.
Your pro-International argument might go like this: The in-form Max Homa, Keegan Bradley, Wyndham Clark and Sahith Theegala have had ups and downs, Scottie Scheffler again Sam Burns cursed by the Presidents Cup golf gods, the Canadians will wake up in their home country and the shout of France will bring back bad memories of the 2018 Ryder Cup. And, Tom Kim. Again This is Woo Kim. So here’s the question: Why not?
ONE THING YOU DON’T WATCH
Social media for DP World Tour.
The DP World Tour filmed a ton of behind-the-scenes content at Wentworth, reminding the golf world how it’s done. This was one good example: during the Pro-Am, recently retired tennis player (and new golfer) Andy Murray talking about technological advances in tennis and hitting themes that sounded almost like the same challenges and trades in golf.
NEWS FROM Seattle
The National Championship has come to town!
The Senior Women’s Am touched down at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, marking the USGA’s return to the Emerald City. I went out to watch a practice round on Thursday and quickly realized that I had sold these women short: There was some serious athleticism to watch as several of them bombed through the difficult terrain.
If you’re in Seattle, go check out a match over the next few days. You won’t regret it.
I will be in Montreal. Good luck!
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Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.
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