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USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Will Zalatoris announces another back surgery, this time after he 're-herniated two discs'
Will Zalatoris announces another back surgery, this time after he 're-herniated two discs' Will Zalatoris announced he's had another back surgery. In a social media post Monday, the big hitter said that after the PGA Championship he was told he "re-herniated two discs." His surgery was Friday. Zalatoris has made nine of 11 cuts in 2025, but both his missed cuts were at majors, the Masters and the PGA Championship. He also has two withdrawals this season, once at the Farmers Insurance Open and again at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Both WDs came before those events started, so no reasons were given. Full statement from Will Zalatoris about his recent back surgery Hey everyone, sharing a health update. This spring, I started feeling some discomfort and instability in my back that progressively got worse. Following the PGA Championship, an MRI showed that I had re-herniated two discs. After discussing the options with my medical team, I underwent surgery this past Friday with Dr. Michael Duffy at the Texas Back Institute.I'm happy to say that I woke up feeling good and excited about my long-term back health. Time to focus on my recovery and get back after it. Thank you to my team, friends, and family for being there for me throughout this journey. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the fall!! While not specifying his recovery time, he seems to be targeting this fall for his return. He previously had a back injury and subsequent surgery in April of 2023, and that derailed his next 18 months. Ahead of the 2025 season, he said he put on 20 pounds and spoke positively about his outlook at the season-opening Sentry. "It's nice to be in a really good spot and really good head space," Zalatoris said in January. "Body feels great. Put in a lot of great work over the last four months. Purposely didn't play much because I wanted to get some work in."
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Andrew Novak finally breaks through, teaming with Ben Griffin to win Zurich Classic
NEW ORLEANS — The glory of a journeyman never comes simply. Andrew Novak couldn't get it in San Diego. He couldn't get it in San Antonio. He couldn't even get it last week in a playoff with Justin Thomas in Hilton Head. No, the hottest golfer you didn't know kept coming up so close and so short. So, of course, as he took the lead in at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans with teammate Ben Griffin, a generator issue cut coverage for more than an hour. Then a weather delay halted play for another two hours. His breakthrough was not meant to be seen. Advertisement But he finally got that win, and it came with a little help from his friend. Novak and Griffin won the Zurich Classic — the PGA Tour's lone team event — thanks to a 35-foot birdie putt by Griffin on the 17th hole to pull away from a congested leaderboard. Suddenly, two grind-it-out golfers who've played on tours throughout the world can say they are PGA Tour champions. And it comes for two players who were overdue. Novak has quietly become the best and toughest story on tour. He's a bearded, husky 30-year-old journeyman who has scrapped for years between the Canadian tour and the Korn Ferry ranks. He's never made it to the FedEx Cup playoffs. But in 2025, he's been the breakout star. He finished two shots back of the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open. He got T13 at consecutive signature events in Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines. He was the last player in the field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational but put himself in one of the final Sunday groups. Then, with a Masters berth in play, he just missed out with a T3 at the Valero Texas Open. And last week at another signature event in Hilton Head, he lost a heartbreaking playoff to Thomas. Head down, hair sweaty, Novak signed autographs after the best and worst moment of his golf career up to that point in Hilton Head. He'd just earned his best finish in a big-money tour event, making $2.2 million. But once again, he was so close. A young autograph seeker politely told Novak that he bet on him. 'You bet on me?' Novak said. 'I hope it was top 5 and not to win.' "You bet on me? I hope it was Top 5 and not to win." 😅 Standup guy even fresh off a playoff loss @AndrewNovakGolf — Golfbet (@Golfbet) April 20, 2025 Because Andrew Novak gets it. Really gets it. He makes fun of himself on Twitter. He takes time for goofy interviews to debate course rankings with bloggers. In an era of professional golf catered more and more to the biggest stars, he represents a humble, likeable example of the meritocracy that can still exist on the PGA Tour. Advertisement And at Zurich, he teamed up with his fellow North Carolina native Ben Griffin, somebody who took a day job as a mortgage loan officer just four years ago. He was too burnt out on mini-tours and the grind of golfing life without a payoff. Griffin plays golf with Novak back home in Sea Island, Georgia. And Griffin himself was due, a 28-year-old with 11 top 20s last year and two top-five finishes this spring. When the weather delay hit, the duo had a three-shot lead with 11 holes to go. When they returned, Novak clearly didn't have the same feel. They bogeyed both 8 and 9 and quickly fell into a tie with Jake Knapp and Frankie Capan III that remained knotted up until the 17th hole, when Capan hit his tee shot into the water and Griffin hit that 35-foot birdie to reach 28-under. The Hojgaard twins, Nicolai and Rasmus, got to 27-under to put some pressure, but Novak and Griffin were able to easily par 18 and earn their first wins. Now, both have their PGA Tour cards for the next two years, and Novak skyrockets up the FedEx Cup points rankings to No. 6. For a player that has never even made it to the first round of the playoffs, let alone finishing top 30 to make the Tour Championship, this could be a career-changing run. Maybe Sunday in New Orleans, he'll find another fan who bet on him. This time it won.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
This out-of-work caddie may be having the 'greatest season of unemployment'
This out-of-work caddie may be having the 'greatest season of unemployment' Austin Gaugert isn't earning Ted Scott-type money as a caddie on the PGA Tour (yet!) but he may be having the 'greatest season of unemployment.' Gaugert, who started caddying in 2016 and whose brother Alex is on the bag of Erik van Rooyen, enjoyed a victory on Sunday at the Corales Puntacana Championship during his three-week trial working for Garrick Higgo, and earned at least $72,000, or 10 percent of the $720,000 winner's check. Not a bad haul for Gaugert, who had been on the bag for veteran Ryan Moore for the last year and a half. But Moore, 42, texted Gaugert that he might not play much this season and if he wanted to find a full-time bag, he had his blessing to go look for another job. Moore hasn't teed it up this season while Gaugert has picked up work for four different players already this season. First, Gaugert caddied for Dylan Wu on Korn Ferry Tour and one week at the Tour's Farmers Insurance Open. While flying home from one week working for Sami Valimaki at the WM Phoenix Open, Gaugert got a call from veteran pro Patrick Rodgers, who was in need of help with his regular caddie sidelined with an injury. They had a successful run with Rodgers finishing T-3 at the Genesis Invitational, T-25 in Mexico and T-18 at the Cognizant Classic. Indeed, Rodgers played his way into the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill (T-22) via the Aon Next Five. But then Rodgers caddie was ready to return and with his pockets lined with cash, the out-of-work Gaugert joined his brother and dad for ski trips to Tahoe and Salt Lake City. That's where he was when his brother got a text from Higgo, a South African who had finished 150th on the FedEx Cup list the year before and was splitting time between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours, saying he was looking for a caddie. Alex suggested Austin, and Higgo replied, 'I'll take him.' But when Higgo texted Austin and asked him to work a Korn Ferry Tour event in Savannah, Georgia, he was reluctant to take the job. 'I just made some money and I was ready to sit at home. I was having a great time skiing. The snow was awesome,' he recounted during an interview on Sirius/XM's PGA Tour Network. But work is work, and in his first week of a three-week trial, Higgo finished T-3. 'Maybe he's really good,' thought Gaugert. One week later, Higgo, 25, closed in 72 and was the beneficiary of Joel Dahmen's collapse. He lifted his second trophy on the PGA Tour at the Corales Puntacana Championship, an opposite-field event in the Dominican Republic. 'Probably one of the best feelings in the world,' Gaugert said of being on the bag for a champion. This week, Gaugert is on Higgo's bag at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where Higgo is playing with Ryan Fox in the two-man team event. On the Sunday night flight to the Big Easy, Gaugert turned to Fox and said he was going to need him to play his heart out for him in his final week of his three-week trial with Higgo. Otherwise, it could be back to the unemployment line. 'I want to make sure I keep this job. It's paying pretty good,' Gaugert said. Indeed, it has. Maybe not at the level of Scott, who banked seven figures lugging Scottie Scheffler's bag last season, or even Joe Greiner, the former caddie of Max Homa who filled in for Matt Minister on Justin Thomas's victory at the RBC Heritage and earned more than $400,000 — but a pretty good haul for an out-of-work caddie. 'I've been telling people I've had maybe one of the greatest seasons of unemployment,' Gaugert said.
Newsweek
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Joel Dahmen Drops Truth Bomb on How it Feels to 'Give Away' a PGA Tour Event
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Last weekend, Joel Dahmen was left in shock after he lost by one stroke to Garrick Higgo at the Corales Puntacana Championship. Despite the loss, he still spoke to the media right after, but it was clear it would take time to overcome that loss. Now that he had a few days to process, Dahmen took to social media to air out his feelings. "If anyone is wondering what it feels like to give away a golf tournament, it sucks. I'm learning from it and will have another chance. The amount of support and well wishes I've received has been amazing. I want to thank everyone for that. Onward and upward," Dahmen wrote on X, formerly Twitter. If anyone is wondering what it feels like to give away a golf tournament, it sucks. I'm learning from it and will have another chance. The amount of support and well wishes I've received has been amazing. I want to thank everyone for that. Onward and upward! — Joel Dahmen (@Joel_Dahmen) April 23, 2025 Dahmen led most of the tournament, but a disastrous final round cost him. He bogeyed the last three holes to sign for a 4-over 76 on Sunday. It was not his best performance, but he found the strength to reflect. PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - APRIL 20: Joel Dahmen of the United States walks off of the 15th green during the final round of the Corales Puntacana Championship 2025 at Puntacana Resort & Club, Corales... PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - APRIL 20: Joel Dahmen of the United States walks off of the 15th green during the final round of the Corales Puntacana Championship 2025 at Puntacana Resort & Club, Corales Golf Course on April 20, 2025 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. More Photo byThe former Washington Husky has had a decent start to his 2025 season. He has three top 10s this year with his T2 at Corales Puntacana Championship, a T6 at the Mexico Open and a T9 at Farmers Insurance Open. He also has a T18 at the Texas Children's Houston Open. However, Dahmen did miss the cut at the Valero Texas Open and Valspar Championship. This week he is in New Orleans for the Zurich Classic and paired with Harry Higgs for the lone team event on The PGA Tour. More Golf: Rory McIlroy Earns Eye-Popping GOAT Ranking from Sir Nick Faldo
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joel Dahmen gains much in a loss with his willingness to face the music
Joel Dahmen gains much in a loss with his willingness to face the music Keith Mitchell waits to putt on the 11th green during the first round of the Texas Open golf tournament, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photos/Rodolfo Gonzalez) Maverick McNealy watches his drive on the third hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after putting on the green Jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Xander Schauffele reacts to his shot from the third hole during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Justin Thomas putts on the 17th green during the first round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Andrew Novak watches his drive on the third hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Justin Thomas walks to the 18th green during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) FILE - Joel Dahmen hits his tee shot on the fifth hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Jan. 24, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, file) FILE - Joel Dahmen hits his tee shot on the fifth hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Jan. 24, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, file) Keith Mitchell waits to putt on the 11th green during the first round of the Texas Open golf tournament, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. (AP Photos/Rodolfo Gonzalez) Maverick McNealy watches his drive on the third hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after putting on the green Jacket after winning the Masters golf tournament, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Xander Schauffele reacts to his shot from the third hole during the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Justin Thomas putts on the 17th green during the first round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Andrew Novak watches his drive on the third hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Justin Thomas walks to the 18th green during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) FILE - Joel Dahmen hits his tee shot on the fifth hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Jan. 24, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, file) HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Rarely has a player gained so much in losing as Joel Dahmen did in the Dominican Republic. Dahmen had a following long before the Netflix 'Full Swing' docuseries for being so relatable, honest and self-deprecating about such a hard sport. Five months ago, he had to make a 5-foot putt just to make the cut and then shoot 64 in the final round to keep his card. Advertisement So imagine the importance of Sunday at Punta Cana Resort, a three-shot lead with three holes to play. At stake was a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a spot in the PGA Championship and so many other perks. He missed the green with an 8-iron from the 16th fairway for a bogey. He missed an 18-inch par putt to fall into a tie. And then he hit a poor chip and missed an 8-foot par putt to lose. And then he stood before a camera and bared his soul. His voice was unsteady, his eyes tried to hide the hurt and his words — as always — were very real. 'I think I'm in a little bit of shock, honestly,' he said. 'It's not how you win a golf tournament, I'll tell you that. I don't deserve to win it.' Advertisement Mike Reid once had a three-shot lead in the 1989 PGA Championship and also missed a tap-in on the 17th hole, paving the way for Payne Stewart to win his first major. 'Sports is like life with the volume turned up,' Reid said that day. The louder the better, for this is how fans connect. Rory McIlroy held court in the locker room at Augusta National when he lost a four-shot lead with an 80 in the final round in 2011. Jordan Spieth met with media under the tree at the Masters after losing a five-shot lead in three holes on the back nine in 2016. 'It was a really tough 30 minutes for me that hopefully I never experience again,' he said. Advertisement Those were majors. Kyle Stanley suffered an agonizing fate at Torrey Pines in 2012 when he lost a seven-shot lead in the final round, took triple bogey on the par-5 closing hole and lost in a playoff to Brandt Snedeker. 'I could probably play it a thousand times and never make an 8," Stanley said. Dahmen speaks like fans think, another reason he's so popular. He started 62-66 — 16-under par — and the winning score was 14 under. He worked out the math himself, another reminder of letting one get away from him. 'When you're trying to win a golf tournament it does weird things to you," Dahmen said. 'And I did not handle it well today.' Advertisement It's raw. It's honest. And it can be healing. Stanley won the next week. McIlroy won the next major. Reid never contended in another major. Golf doesn't owe anyone anything. Dahmen is playing in New Orleans this week. However he fares, he won't lack for support. He earned that. Quite the introduction It was not unreasonable to wonder if Justin Thomas had even met Andrew Novak before their sudden-death playoff at Harbour Town. This is Novak's fourth year on the PGA Tour. He has yet to win and they had never been paired together. Thomas, however, knew exactly who he was facing. It was at the Travelers Championship a few years ago. Thomas wanted to play the back nine one afternoon in practice. Instead of trying to cut ahead of a group, he asked if he could join Novak and Ben Griffin. Advertisement 'They were having some kind of match, and all of a sudden they're talking, and Andrew shot 59 that day,' Thomas said. So when caddie Joe Greiner asked Thomas when he had played with Novak, he had an answer Greiner probably didn't expect. 'I was like, 'Yeah, I've played with him once and he shot 59 at TPC River Highlands,'' Thomas said. 'That was my experience. And you could see in the shot he hit into 18, when he gets going, he's going.' Novak hit into 8 feet on the 18th in regulation and missed the birdie putt. Thomas made birdie from 20 feet in the playoff to win. Give me a rewrite! Timothy Gay recently finished his fourth book, this one on Rory McIlroy titled, 'Rory Land: The Up and Down World of Golf's Global Icon.' It is due to be released on May 13, meaning it already has been edited, printed and bound with a hard cover. Advertisement And then McIlroy finally won the Masters, giving him the career Grand Slam. Gay told 'As soon as Rory's putt dropped and I could compose myself, I was texting my editorial team, volunteering to write a new epilogue.' Three days later, Gay had his epilogue of McIlroy winning the Masters in his 17th try. That will be included in the U.K. and Ireland editions of the book, and in digital versions and U.S. reprints. The book explores McIlroy's life on and off the golf course, tracing his lineage through generations leading up to 'the Troubles.' McIlroy did not grant Gay an interview for the book. Advertisement The putting tip Justin Thomas holed five straight putts of 7 feet or longer on the front nine to stay in the game at the RBC Heritage, and he won it with that 20-foot birdie putt in a playoff. Putting carried him to his first win in nearly three years, all because of a little advice from Xander Schauffele. Thomas called him late last year — they both live in South Florida — because he considers Schauffele to have among the best fundamentals with putting. It was more a conversation than a lesson, with Schauffele asking questions that got Thomas to thinking. All the techniques he used during his best years with the putter he was no longer doing. Advertisement 'It was more of the questions he asked me made me realize that I'm trying basically too hard,' Thomas said. Schauffele thinks Thomas is giving him too much credit. 'Felt like all the answers were right in front of him,' Schauffele said. 'J.T. is so good that he figured it out pretty quickly.' Tour leadership Maverick McNealy and Keith Mitchell were elected co-chairs of the Players Advisory Council, meaning they will become player directors on the PGA Tour board in 2026. Rickie Fowler also was on the ballot. McNealy won the most votes of players and will serve a four-year board term starting in 2026. Mitchell received the second-most votes and will serve a three-year term. They will be replacing Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati on the board next year. Advertisement Divots Anna Nordqvist has selected Caroline Hedwall of Sweden and Mel Reid of England to be two of her assistant captains for Europe in the Solheim Cup next year in the Netherlands. ... Pinehurst Resort is adding yet another course — No. 11, to be designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and expected to open in the fall of 2027. Pinehurst No. 10, designed by Tom Doak, opened in April 2024. ... The Zurich Classic of New Orleans will have two sets of identical twins for the second straight year. Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard are playing again. Also playing are Jeremy and Yannik Paul, German twins who both played at Colorado. Yannik Paul is still on the European tour. ... Avid outdoorsman Brian Harman has played 12 of 16 weeks this year and is ready for a few weeks off. 'Turkeys aren't going to be safe the next few days,' he said. Stat of the week LIV Golf goes to Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City this week. Every winner at Chapultepec when it was a World Golf Championships event is now with LIV — Dustin Johnson (2017, 2019), Phil Mickelson (2018) and Patrick Reed (2020). Advertisement Final word 'I'm the worst player in the top 10 right now, so I've got a long ways to go. I've got to play some really good golf to keep up with those guys. I also don't have the 10th best resume on the PGA Tour. I still have a lot I want to do and accomplish in this game.' — Maverick McNealy. ___ AP golf:
