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The Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Tommy Fleetwood in furious X-rated reaction to ‘awful' bad luck after caddie blunder following major rule change at Open
TOMMY FLEETWOOD dropped an X-rated reaction after suffering an "awful" stroke of bad luck after a shock caddie blunder. The Englishman, 34, laboured to a two-over opening round of 73 at The 153rd Open at Portrush. 4 But he was undone by a cruel moment - thanks to another player's bag man. Fleetwood tried to drive the green on the par 4 fifth hole on Thursday. But instead his ball found the fairway bunker down the right side - about 40 yards short of the pin. And on-course broadcaster Jim 'Bones' Mackay revealed the extra bad news for Fleetwood. The experienced caddie said: "I'm not sure I have ever seen this before at a professional golf event. "Whoever played from this bunker previously forgot to rake it, the caddie did. "Tommy now has an awful lie, lucky to avoid the footprints that were made by the previous player." The R&A made a major rule change for this year's Championship. Rather than having bunker marshals with each group, the organisers have given the responsibility of raking bunkers to caddies after their players have gone in. But one caddie had clearly not done their job - as there were footmarks and messy sand in the bunker. Thankfully, Fleetwood's ball avoided landing in one of the divots but he was still understandably furious. He was overheard raging: "For f***'s sake, man. F***." Given the lie, Paul McGinley actually thought Fleetwood got away with one - and it could easily have been a lot worse. He told the USA Network: "What a break for Tommy. "I don't know what the rule is for the R&A, but certainly on the DP World Tour that caddie would be getting a big fine. 'Obviously it wasn't done on purpose - it was a mistake for the caddie." Fleetwood just about dug the ball out at the first attempt - unlike poor Shaun Norris who took FOUR shots to get out of a bunker on Friday - but it clipped the lip and plopped just six yards out and in the rough. From there, the world No13 chipped past the hole and missed his 33ft par putt to make a bogey five. Sypathetic Mackay added: 'After what he's been through on this hole you can't help but root for Tommy a little bit here to maybe get this one to go. "Just an awful break, one of the worst I've seen the entire year for him.' Fleetwood was asked about the incident after his round and was clearly still frustrated - but refused to hit out at the caddie to blame. He moaned: "It wasn't a great rake job. "First thing is I was not very happy to be in there. That was the first thing, so that's my fault. "But yeah, things weren't going well. It was like in somebody's hitting mark that hadn't really been raked great. "I probably could have managed it better. I tried to hit what I thought was the right shot — like kind of duff something because I knew I couldn't get any sort of strike perched on the ball — so I tried to duff it, but then you've got to get the height as well. So that was a bit harsh. "I mean, still, you just rake the bunkers, right? It's part of the game. "I'm not going to hold it against anyone too much. You don't know what was going on, you don't know what was happening in that moment. "I'm not going to get angry about anyone where you don't know what's happening, but it wasn't great, and yeah, bunker rakers would have been nice." 4 4
Al Arabiya
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
A caddie at heart, Bones Mackay makes sure to get the 18th flag to Spaun's bagman
Jim Bones Mackay often said he would always be a caddie, even now that he has left his longtime role to be a course reporter for NBC Sports. That much was evident in the final chaotic hour of the US Open. Mackay was with the final group of Sam Burns and Adam Scott. By the time they reached the final hole Sunday, the championship had been decided. J.J. Spaun made a 65-foot birdie putt to finish at 279. The last two players on the course were five shots or more behind. That's when Mackay identified a potential problem and solved it. When it was over, he removed the flag on the 18th hole, which traditionally is the trophy for the winner's caddie. That was Mark Carens, who had to leave the 18th with another group coming through. 'We were 200 yards away when J.J. made his putt,' Mackay said Tuesday. 'That scene… I realized J.J. won the tournament and I was super happy for both of those guys. But it just occurred to me Mark might not have access to the flag.' Carens joined Spaun in the scoring area. Sam Burns and Adam Scott closed out their rough back nine with bogeys. Mackay waited for them to finish and grabbed the pin. 'There were so many people inside the ropes I just wanted to make sure Mark got it or to have the option,' Mackay said. 'As I got to scoring he was coming out with J.J. I handed it to him, said 'Congrats,' and left him alone.' Only a caddie would think to do that. Mackay is a caddie. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club talks about a feasibility study for the British Open to return to Turnberry. Far more serious is whether to take golf's oldest championship outside the UK for the first time. The topic was Portmarnock in Ireland. The response from Mark Darbon, the R&A's new CEO, was that 'we're serious. We're having a proper look at it.' Darbon said in a recent interview 'It's clearly a great course.' Darbon said he went to Portmarnock, located on a peninsula about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of Dublin, for the first time last month. 'Wonderful links golf course,' he said. 'And clearly a links course that provides a challenge to the best golfers in the world is right in the heart of our thinking about where we take our prized Open Championship.' Darbon pointed out the history with Portmarnock and the R&A, specifically the Walker Cup in 1991 and the British Amateur in 1949 and 2019, along with the Women's British Amateur last year and in 1931. 'We think if we're happy taking our Amateur Championships there, why not consider it for the Open, too?' he said. Work remains, particularly the logistics of a massive crowd – the Open is all about big these days – on and off the peninsula. The PGA Championship a decade ago flirted with the idea of going around the world. For the British Open to leave the UK for the first time would not open more borders. 'I think the simple answer is no, it wouldn't open up our thinking more broadly,' Darbon said. 'If you go back in history, the home territory of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is the British Isles, basically. We think if we've got this great history with the Republic of Ireland and it's great golf course, then why not look at it?' The KPMG Women's PGA is now on equal terms with the US Women's Open when it comes to prize money. KPMG announced Tuesday its total purse is now $12 million, up from $10.4 million a year ago. KPMG took over as title sponsor in 2015 when the PGA of America became partners with the LPGA in the major championship that dates to 1955. More than money, the company has provided players with data to improve their games, called KPMG Performance Insights, which operates on a smaller scale of the ShotLink data on the PGA Tour. For the Women's PGA, which starts Thursday at the Fields Ranch East at PGA of America headquarters near Dallas, KPMG is adding AI-enhanced features like hole-by-hole analysis delivered to players after each round. Another feature is AI-generated scoring targets, particularly the cut, giving players an idea if they're safe or need to make a move. 'The high purse, top courses, comprehensive broadcast coverage and technology are all ways we are setting the standard,' said Paul Knopp, the US chairman and CEO of KPMG. Another measure of how well Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have played this year – McIlroy until the Masters, Scheffler ever since then – is that both already have locked up a spot on their Ryder Cup teams with at least two months left in the qualifying period. Scheffler locked up his spot among the leading six players two weeks ago. Team Europe disclosed Tuesday that McIlroy already has clinched a spot. The Ryder Cup is at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, at the end of September. More interesting is who gets the other spots or even is in position for a captain's pick. US Open champion J.J. Spaun moved all the way up to No. 3 followed by Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, and Collin Morikawa. All have Ryder Cup experience. Of the next six in the US standings, only Harris English and Brian Harman have played in a Ryder Cup. McIlroy is followed by Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka, and Rasmus Højgaard. MacIntyre moved up seven spots to No. 4 as the US Open runner-up. Keegan Bradley, the US captain who has said he would play if he qualifies, is at No. 17 with three $20 million tournaments to play and the British Open. The PGA Tour says 143 players have competed in a signature event since 2024. The Travelers Championship is the final one of 2025. The Korn Ferry Tour is adding a tournament in Amarillo, Texas, to its 2026 schedule. The OccuNet Classic will be played June 11–14 at Tascosa Golf Club. The two players picking up medals on the 18th green at Oakmont for the US Open were from San Diego State – J.J. Spaun, the US Open champion, and Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands, the low amateur. Corey Conners, who had to withdraw from the final round of the US Open with a wrist injury, withdrew from the $20 million Travelers Championship. He was replaced in the field by Jhonattan Vegas. The field for the KPMG Women's PGA features all 100 players from the Race to CME Globe on the LPGA Tour. Philip Barbaree Jr. finished in last place at the US Open and earned the largest paycheck of his career at $41,785. 'I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do.' – Rory McIlroy.
Associated Press
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
A caddie at heart, Bones Mackay makes sure to get the 18th flag to Spaun's bagman
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Jim 'Bones' Mackay often has said he would always be a caddie, even now that he has left his longtime role to be a course reporter for NBC Sports. That much was evident in the final, chaotic hour of the U.S. Open. Mackay was with the final group of Sam Burns and Adam Scott. By the time they reached the final hole Sunday, the championship had been decided. J.J. Spaun made a 65-foot birdie putt to finish at 279. The last two players on the course were five shots or more behind. That's when Mackay identified a potential problem and solved it. When it was over, he removed the flag on the 18th hole, which traditionally is the 'trophy' for the winner's caddie. That was Mark Carens, who had to leave the 18th with another group coming through. 'We were 200 yards away when J.J. made his putt,' Mackay said Tuesday. 'That scene ... I realized J.J. won the tournament and I was super happy for both of those guys. But it just occurred to me, Mark might not have access to the flag.' Carens joined Spaun in the scoring area. Sam Burns and Adam Scott closed out their rough back nine with bogeys. Mackay waited for them to finish and grabbed the pin. 'There were so many people inside the ropes, I just wanted to make sure Mark got it, or to have the option,' Mackay said. 'As I got to scoring, he was coming out with J.J. I handed it to him, said, 'Congrats,' and left him alone.' Only a caddie would think to do that. Mackay is a caddie. Portmarnock in the mix The Royal & Ancient Golf Club talks about a feasibility study for the British Open to return to Turnberry. Far more serious is whether to take golf's oldest championship outside the United Kingdom for the first time. The topic was Portmarnock in Ireland. The response from Mark Darbon, the R&A's new CEO, was that 'we're serious.' 'We're having a proper look at it,' Darbon said in a recent interview 'It's clearly a great course.' Darbon said he went to Portmarnock, located on a peninsula about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of Dublin, for the first time last month. 'Wonderful links golf course,' he said. 'And clearly a links course that provides a challenge to the best golfers in the world is right in the heart of our thinking about where we take our prized Open Championship.' Darbon pointed out the history with Portmarnock and the R&A, specifically the Walker Cup in 1991 and the British Amateur in 1949 and 2019, along with the Women's British Amateur last year and in 1931. 'We think if we're happy taking our Amateur Championships there, why not consider it for the Open, too?' he said. Work remains, particularly the logistics of a massive crowd — The Open is all about 'big' these days — on and off the peninsula. The PGA Championship a decade ago flirted with the idea of going around the world. For the British Open to leave the U.K. for the first time would not open more borders. 'I think the simple answer is 'no,' it wouldn't open up our thinking more broadly,' Darbon said. 'If you go back in history, the home territory of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is the British Isles, basically. We think if we've got this great history with the Republic of Ireland and its great golf course, then why not look at it?' KPMG Women's PGA The KPMG Women's PGA is now on equal terms with the U.S. Women's Open when it comes to prize money. KPMG announced Tuesday its total purse is now $12 million, up from $10.4 million a year ago. KPMG took over as title sponsor in 2015 when the PGA of America became partners with the LPGA in the major championship that dates to 1955. More than money, the company has provided players with data to improve their games called 'KPMG Performance Insights,' which operates on a smaller scale of the ShotLink data on the PGA Tour. For the Women's PGA, which starts Thursday at the Fields Ranch East at PGA of America headquarters near Dallas, KPMG is adding AI-enhanced features like hole-by-hole analysis delivered to players after each round. Another feature is AI-generated scoring targets, particularly the cut, giving players an idea if they're safe or need to make a move. 'The high purse, top courses, comprehensive broadcast coverage, and technology are all ways we are setting the standard,' said Paul Knopp, the U.S. chairman and CEO of KPMG. Ryder Cup locks Another measure of how well Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have played this year — McIlroy until the Masters, Scheffler ever since then — is that both already have locked up a spot on their Ryder Cup teams with at least two months left in the qualifying period. Scheffler locked up his spot among the leading six players two weeks ago. Team Europe disclosed Tuesday that McIlroy already has clinched a spot. The Ryder Cup is at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, at the end of September. More interesting is who gets the other spots, or even is in position for a captain's pick. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun moved all the way up to No. 3, followed by Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa. All have Ryder Cup experience. Of the next six in the U.S. standings, only Harris English and Brian Harman have played in a Ryder Cup. McIlroy is followed by Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Rasmus Hojgaard. MacIntyre moved up seven spots to No. 4 with as the U.S. Open runner-up. Keegan Bradley, the U.S. captain who has said he would play if he qualifies, is at No. 17 with three $20 million tournaments to play and the British Open. Divots The PGA Tour says 143 players have competed in a signature event since 2024. The Travelers Championship is the final one of 2025. ... The Korn Ferry Tour is adding a tournament in Amarillo, Texas, to its 2026 schedule. The OccuNet Classic will be played played June 11-14 at Tascosa Golf Club. ... The two players picking up medals on the 18th green at Oakmont for the U.S. Open were from San Diego State — J.J. Spaun, the U.S. Open champion, and Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands, the low amateur. ... Corey Conners, who had to withdraw from the final round of the U.S. Open with a wrist injury, withdrew from the $20 million Travelers Championship. He was replaced in the field by Jhonattan Vegas. ... The field for the KPMG Women's PGA features all 100 players from the Race to CME Globe on the LPGA Tour. Stat of the week Philip Barbaree Jr. finished in last place at the U.S. Open and earned the largest paycheck of his career at $41,785. Final word 'I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do.' — Rory McIlroy. ___ AP golf:
