Golf: Ryo Hisatsune off to solid start, Hideki Matsuyama struggles at PGA C'ship
The 22-year-old Hisatsune sits four strokes off the pace set by Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas, whose 64 gave him a two-shot lead over Ryan Gerard of the United States and Australia's Cam Davis.
Hisatsune, who has posted three top-10 finishes in his second season on tour, carded four birdies against a single bogey at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"My round went better than I expected," Hisatsune said. "It's big that I was able to get birdies when I went aggressive."
The 2023 European Tour Rookie of the Year's said his tee shots were the only thing he has to clean up, adding "I couldn't hit my driver straight consistently."
Meanwhile, Matsuyama is at 1 over after carding three birdies and four bogeys, three of the latter on the back nine, leaving him in a tie for 60th.
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Japan Today
21-07-2025
- Japan Today
British Open champion Scottie Scheffler says comparisons to Tiger Woods 'a bit silly'
Scottie Scheffler of the United States speak at a press conference after winning the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) golf By DOUG FERGUSON Another comparison between Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler surfaced during the final round of the British Open. This one wasn't about numbers or trophies, but a fist pump. And it was for par. Scheffler needed only one hour to expand his four-shot lead to seven shots with a steady diet of fairways and greens at Royal Portrush on Sunday, along with three birdie putts. But he missed his tee shot on the par-3 sixth and his chip was weak, leaving him a 15-foot par putt. Scheffler fiercely pumped his fist when it dropped, evoking memories of Woods and his 15-shot win at Pebble Beach in the 2000 U.S. Open. Woods had a 12-foot par putt on the 16th hole of that final round, and it was the most emotion he showed all day when he made it. He wanted a clean card and wound up going his final 26 holes bogey-free. Woods was so utterly dominant that his only competition came from himself. That's how it felt with Scheffler when he won the claret jug for the third leg of the career Grand Slam. Scheffler went 32 holes without a bogey until he took two shots to get out of a fairway bunker on No. 8 and made double bogey. What stood out to Scheffler in his four-shot victory was the lack of bogeys, the DNA of his dominance. 'To only have one double — really one over-par hole in the last 36 holes of a major championship — that's how you're able to win these tournaments,' he said. He won the British Open by four shots. He won the PGA Championship in May by five shots. He won by four in the 2024 Masters. Scheffler was five shots ahead on the final hole in his first Masters win in 2022 when he four-putted while simply trying to finish. There are plenty of numbers to consider, starting with his position at No. 1 in the world. No one has held it longer since Woods. Scheffler and Woods are the only players in the last 50 years to win two majors in the same year by at least four shots. Researchers with time on their hands at the PGA Tour discovered that Scheffler and Woods each went 1,197 days between winning their first and fourth majors. Enough of the comparisons, Scheffler said. 'I still think they're a bit silly,' he said. 'Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf.' For majors alone, a better comparison would be with Rory McIlroy. He also won four majors in three years, including two of them in 2014. McIlroy won a U.S. Open and a PGA Championship by eight shots, the latter a record margin. And then he went 11 years without a major. Greatness in golf is also about longevity. Scheffler won for the fourth time this year and now has 20 victories worldwide. He has won 11 straight times with the 54-hole lead. The 29 year old from Texas was introduced as champion golfer of the year, a title the R&A has used for more than a century. Scheffler at this rate might be champion golfer of his generation. And to think he was slowed at the start of the year recovering from a puncture wound on his right hand that he got while trying to cut ravioli with a wine glass. The year's top highlight still might be McIlroy winning the Masters amid tense drama to finally complete the Grand Slam. That was his third win of the season, following The Players Championship and Pebble Beach. McIlroy, however, sounded almost dismissive about them Sunday evening. 'I also had the three wins when Scottie wasn't quite on his game,' he said. Also driving the comparisons to Woods are high praise from just about everyone who has had to face Scheffler since that first win in 2022. 'He is the bar that we're all trying to get to,' McIlroy said. 'I don't think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here's Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance,' Xander Schauffele said. 'You can't even say he's on a run. He's just been killing it for over two years now.' Any hesitation about comparisons — besides the 15-4 tally in majors, as Scheffler is quick to point out — is their style of play. Woods was as dynamic as he was relentless, especially with recovery shots. Scheffler doesn't have that many because he's rarely out of position. Woods was groomed for stardom when he appeared on 'The Mike Douglas Show' at age 2. Scheffler never cared about anything other than playing golf and getting better at it. 'He doesn't care to be a superstar. He's not transcending the game like Tiger did. He's not bringing it to a non-golf audience necessarily,' Jordan Spieth said. 'He doesn't want to go do the stuff that a lot of us go do, corporately, anything like that.' He works. He competes. He wins. That's what Woods did, and that's what matters to Scheffler. 'I don't focus on that kind of stuff,' Scheffler said of the comparisons. "That's not what motivates me. I'm not motivated by winning championships. I don't look at the beginning of the year and just say, 'I want to win X amount of tournaments.' I don't do that. 'When I wake up to practice, what motivates me is getting to live out my dream,' he said. 'I get to play professional golf, and I feel like I'm called to do it to the best of my ability.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yomiuri Shimbun
21-07-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Scottie Scheffler Wins the British Open for the Third Leg of the Career Grand Slam
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Scottie Scheffler had all the time in the world to celebrate his latest major title. This British Open was never in doubt Sunday as golf's No. 1 player delivered another dominant performance to win his second major this year and grab the third leg of the career Grand Slam. Scheffler began with a shot into 10 inches for birdie. One hour into the final round, his lead already was seven shots and no one got closer than four the rest of the way at Royal Portrush. He closed with a 3-under 68 for a four-shot victory, sending him to the U.S. Open next year with a chance to make it a clean sweep of golf's biggest titles. Scheffler won the Masters by three shots in 2022 and by four shots last year. He won the PGA Championship by five shots in May. Scheffler finished at 17-under 267 for his fourth victory of the year. He's the first player in the last century to win his first four majors by at least three shots. He has won 20 times worldwide since February 2022, and this was the 11th straight time he turned a 54-hole lead into a victory. Harris English was second after a 66. Chris Gotterup had a 67 to finish third at 12 under. PGA Tour and European tour TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Gerard had two seven-point, birdie-eagle bursts and overcame five bogeys to win the Barracuda Championship for his first PGA Tour victory. In breezy conditions at Tahoe Mountain Club in the only PGA Tour event that uses the modified Stableford scoring system, Gerard followed a two-point birdie with a five-point eagle on Nos. 2-3 and 10-11. The 25-year-old former North Carolina player had a 13-point round to finish with 47 points for a three-point victory over 2021 winner Erik van Rooyen of South Africa. Gerard fell short of van Rooyen's tournament record of 50 points. Fifth in the event two years ago, Gerard won in his 47th PGA Tour start to become the 999th winner in tour history. Played opposite the British Open, the tournament was co-sanctioned by the European tour. With the victory, Gerard received a spot in the PGA Championship next year but not the Masters. Korn Ferry Tour SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Chandler Blanchet led wire-to-wire in the Price Cutter Charity Championship for his first Korn Ferry Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 for a three-stroke victory. Blanchet finished at 27-under 261 at Highland Springs Country Club, a stroke off the tournament record set by David Kocher in 2022. Blanchet opened with consecutive 62s and shot a 69 on Saturday. Patrick Welch was second after a 63. Sudarshan Yellamaraju (65) and Brendan Valdes (67) tied for third at 22 under. Other tours Briana Chacon won the Casella Golf Championship at Pinehaven in Guilderland, New York, for her second Epson Tour victory of the season and third overall. She closed with a 4-under 67 to finish at 9 under, a stroke ahead of Laetitia Beck. … JC Ritchie of South Africa won the German Challenge at Wittelsbacher by eight strokes for his fifth career Challenge Tour title. He shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 24 under. … Sakura Koiwai shot a 6-under 66 for a one-stroke victory over four players in the Japan LPGA's Meiji Yasuda Ladies. She finished at 14 under.
Japan Today
20-07-2025
- Japan Today
Scheffler dominates in British Open victory for 2nd major this year
Scottie Scheffler of the United States play his tee shot on the 6th during the final round of the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) golf By DOUG FERGUSON Scottie Scheffler had all the time in the world to celebrate his latest major title. This British Open was never in doubt Sunday as golf's No. 1 player delivered another dominant performance to win his second major this year and grab the third leg of the career Grand Slam. Scheffler began with a shot into 10 inches for birdie. One hour into the final round, his lead already was seven shots and no got closer than four the rest of the way at Royal Portrush. He closed with a 3-under 68 for a four-shot victory, sending him to the U.S. Open next year with a chance to make it a clean sweep of golf's biggest titles. Scheffler won the Masters by three shots in 2022 and by four shots last year. He won the PGA Championship by five shots in May. And then he arrived in Northern Ireland and shared some extraordinary insight when he said celebrating tournament wins doesn't last but a few minutes before it was on to the next one. He loves the work required to be the best. He thrives on competition. But in terms of fulfillment, he often questions why he wants to win so badly when the thrill of winning is fleeting. He tapped in for par on the final hole, making it all look so routine. But then he saw his family, thrust both arms into the air, pumped both arms and tossed his cap in the air. That's what it was all about for the 29-year-old from Texas. And he gets to keep the silver claret jug for a year. Rory McIlroy referred to the outcome as 'inevitable' when Scheffler built a four-shot lead going into the final round, and it was every bit of that. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
