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Newsweek
7 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Why Did Sepp Straka Withdraw From BMW Championship Amid Ryder Cup Push?
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. With less than 50 days until this year's Ryder Cup showdown at Bethpage Black, the pressure is mounting, and nowhere is that tension more visible than in this week's BMW Championship. MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 06: Sepp Straka of Austria walks down the fairway during the pro-am prior to the FedEx St. Jude Championship 2025 at TPC Southwind on August 06, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo... MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 06: Sepp Straka of Austria walks down the fairway during the pro-am prior to the FedEx St. Jude Championship 2025 at TPC Southwind on August 06, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by) More Getty Images The BMW Championship, beginning Aug. 14 at Caves Valley Golf Club, is the final chance for players to lock in their Ryder Cup spots. For those hovering around the top 8 or 10 in the standings, every shot counts. Unfortunately for Sepp Straka, the week took an unexpected turn. On Monday, Straka's manager, Butler Melnyk, announced that the Austrian star would withdraw from the BMW Championship due to a private family matter. "For personal reasons, Sepp is unable to play this week," Melnyk stated in a statement shared by PGA Tour Communications on X. "He intends to compete at the TOUR Championship, but requests privacy at this time as he attends to a family matter at home." Sepp Straka WD from the BMW Championship due to a private family matter. Statement from Straka's manager Butler Melnyk: 'For personal reasons, Sepp is unable to play this week. He intends to compete at the TOUR Championship, but requests privacy at this time as he attends to a… — PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) August 11, 2025 The 32-year-old pro entered the FedExCup Playoffs ranked No. 3 in points after a standout season that included wins at The American Express and the Truist Championship. His recent performance at the TPC Southwind, though, was a drop. He finished T17 at last week's FedEx St. Jude Championship, dropping to No. 5 in the FedExCup standings. If we calculate his Ryder Cup qualification chances, he's mathematically safe for the captain's pick, but the automatic Ryder Cup status is less secure. Straka currently sits sixth in the European Ryder Cup standings with 1,264.27 points, just ahead of Shane Lowry and Rasmus Højgaard. A strong showing at the BMW could have solidified his automatic qualification, but his absence opens the door for others to leapfrog him. Still, Straka remains a likely captain's pick for Luke Donald, given his top-10 Official World Golf Ranking and 13 top-25 finishes this season. That said, the BMW Championship will now feature a 49-player field, with no alternates allowed in the FedExCup Playoffs. Scottie Scheffler has already clinched the top spot with $5 million bonus, but Straka's current position could still earn him a $1.45 million payout, unless he slips to 10th, which would reduce that bonus to $515,000. Regardless, Straka plans to tee it up next week at East Lake for the Tour Championship, where all 30 players start from scratch in pursuit of the $10 million FedExCup title. More Golf: Why Justin Rose Tipped Cap To Phil Mickelson After FedEx Cup Playoff Win
Newsweek
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Tony Finau Latest Victim to Withdraw from PGA Tour's Rocket Classic
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. The wave of players withdrawing from the Rocket Classic continues, even breaking through among the top names on the PGA Tour. With less than 48 hours until the event, seven players have already removed themselves from play at the Detroit Golf Club. The latest addition to this list is the toughest blow yet: Tony Finau, World No. 44 and winner of the 2022 Rocket Classic. Finau's withdrawal was confirmed by the PGA Tour Communications Twitter account. No information has been provided yet about the six-time PGA Tour winner's reasons for making this decision. Rocket Classic field update: Tony Finau WD Joseph Bramlett IN — PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 24, 2025 Joseph Bramlett, World No. 232, will take Finau's place in the field. Finau was scheduled to tee off on Thursday at 12:43 p.m. Eastern Time from the 10th tee, sharing a group with Harry Hall and Aaron Wise. The Salt Lake City native tied for 66th place at last week's Travelers Championship, posting an 11-under score. He had two poor first rounds (73 and 74), appeared to recover by carding a 68 on moving day, but completely faded in the final round by carding a 76. At the end of last season, Finau underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The procedure was successful, but he had to skip his commitment to play in the Grant Thornton Invitational with Nelly Korda. Tony Finau of the United States plays his shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the Travelers Championship 2025 at TPC River Highlands on June 19, 2025 in Cromwell, Connecticut. Tony Finau of the United States plays his shot from the 14th tee during the first round of the Travelers Championship 2025 at TPC River Highlands on June 19, 2025 in Cromwell, the 35-year-old appears to have recovered from the injury, as he was able to start the 2025 season normally, tying for 15th in the season-opening tournament, The Sentry. To date, he has played in 16 PGA Tour events. His results have not been on par with previous seasons, though. He has only one top-10 finish and four other top-25 finishes so far this season. These results have caused him to fall to 44th in the world rankings and 51st in the FedEx Cup standings. In contrast, Finau finished in the top 25 15 times in 2024, including five top-10 finishes and his best finish was runner-up at the Houston Open. He played in 22 tournaments that season. More Golf: Keegan Bradley 'changes the story' on playing Ryder Cup captain
Newsweek
03-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
RBC Canadian Open Field Weakened as PGA Tour Stars Withdraw
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. This week, the PGA Tour travels to TPC Toronto to play the prestigious RBC Canadian Open. It is one of the world's oldest tournaments and the second oldest on the PGA Tour calendar (not counting majors), surpassed only by the BMW Championship (originally played as the Western Open). It's no surprise that this event attracts many top stars each year. While this season is no exception, several players have withdrawn at the last minute, which have had its impact on the field. The most notable case is that of World No. 39 Sahith Theegala, who withdrew from the tournament on Tuesday. According to the PGA Tour Communications Twitter account, his place will be taken by Cameron Champ. Tuesday field updates at the RBC Canadian Open (prior to tee times): Matt Kuchar WD Dylan Wu IN Sahith Theegala WD Cameron Champ IN Taylor Dickson WD Taylor Montgomery IN — PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 3, 2025 Another notable withdrawal is World No. 52 Michael Kim, who is having one of his best seasons in recent memory. David Ford will replace Kim and play at TPC Toronto. Other players who withdrew include Brian Campbell, K.H. Lee, Ben Martin, Brandon Matthews, Anders Albertson, Michael Thorbjornsen, Matt Kuchar, and Taylor Dickson. This opened the door for Hayden Springer, Joseph Bramlett, Brandon Matthews, Justin Matthews, Dylan Wu, and Taylor Montgomery. Despite the impact these moves have had on the depth of the field, the Canadian Open remains an elite tournament. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy is leading a field that includes Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, and defending champion Robert MacIntyre, among other stars. The Canadian Open championship trophy is displayed on the first tee box during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open at the Royal Montreal Golf Club on July 24, 2014 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Canadian Open championship trophy is displayed on the first tee box during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open at the Royal Montreal Golf Club on July 24, 2014 in Montreal, Quebec, the tournament will have enough storylines to keep fans on the edge of their seats. For one, TPC Toronto will host McIlroy's first press conference since his driver was controversially deemed as non-conforming ahead of the PGA Championship. This moment has generated great anticipation in the golf world. The event will also mark the professional debut of former World No. 1 amateur Luke Clanton. This is a potentially historic moment, given the high expectations for Clanton's career. As if that weren't enough, several players will be looking to capitalize on their last chance to earn a spot in the US Open the following week. Max Homa stands out among them, having dramatically lost his spot in the final qualifier in Columbus, Ohio. Homa needs an outstanding result at the Canadian Open to move up from 87th to within the top 60 of the world rankings. This would earn him the highly coveted ticket to Oakmont. According to the Canadian Open is the eighth oldest men's golf tournament still in play, including both amateur and professional ones. The event was founded in 1904, and champions began being recognized as PGA Tour winners in 1919. More Golf: Tiger Woods' Win Percentage Outpaced by Scottie Scheffler amid Memorial Win
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Who is Ryan Gerard, PGA Championship Leader at Quail Hollow
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. Ryan Gerard is the early first-round leader of the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow as he makes his debut in this major. It looked like he played a different course than most of the field for most of his round, as he signed for a 5-under 66, one shot better than those tied in second. He opened his day with a birdie and bogey at the par-4 2 and 3. Gerard would make one more birdie to turn in 34 strokes. However, his back nine was when he went nuclear. The former UNC Tarheel made four straight birdies on holes 10-13. Then followed up with an impressive chip-in eagle from 58 feet at the par-5 15th. The touch on this chip for eagle 😮💨🦅 — ESPN (@espn) May 15, 2025 That eagle got him to 7-under on the day. However, part of the Green Mile (holes 16-18) got the best of him. Gerard made a par at the 16th, which caused many players like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler issues. He made bogey on 17 and 18, dropping back-to-back shots to close his round. The 25-year-old did not finish his first round like he wanted, but a lot of good came out of those 18 holes. Gerard currently leads the field in strokes gained tee-to-green with +5.186 and is third in approach-the-green at +2.919. CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 15: Ryan Gerard of the United States tees off on the 18th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 15, 2025... CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 15: Ryan Gerard of the United States tees off on the 18th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 15, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. More Photo byHe should still be very proud of himself because it marked his 13th par or better open round in his last 14 starts. His only over-par score to start a tournament came at the Valero Texas Open, where he finished solo second, his best of the year, per PGA Tour Communications. Ryan Gerard holds the clubhouse lead at the PGA Championship with a 66, his 13th par-or-better opening round in 14 individual stroke-play events this season. His only over-par opening round (73) this season led to a career-best runner-up finish at the Valero Texas Open. — PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) May 15, 2025 Regardless, the Raleigh, North Carolina native leads the PGA Championship, which is not easy. Who is Ryan Gerard? Not many people know who Ryan Gerard is, so let's examine his career up to this point. Gerard attended UNC Chapel Hill and turned pro in 2022. He played with Ben Griffin in college and had one college victory at UNC, the 2021 Rod Myers Invitational. In 2022, he was the co-medalist at the 2022 U.S. Open qualifier at the Club at Admiral's Cove in Jupiter, Fla. He made his major championship debut at The Country Club for the U.S. Open but missed the cut after going 74-73. In his first year on Tour, he played in 22 events with 2 top 10s and 3 Top 25s. However, he only made 12 cuts and missed 10. Gerard went down to the Korn Ferry Tour and played in six events in 2023. Last year, he played in 26 events on the Korn Ferry Tour. He won the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD Synnex last June. In those 26 events, Gerard had 4 top 10s and 12 Top 25s while missing just six cuts all season. The big-time Carolina Panthers fan finished 13th in the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, which gave him exempt status through 2025. He has taken advantage of that status, too. So far in 2025, he has 14 starts, one runner-up finish, two Top 10s and six Top 25s. Gerard has also only missed two cuts this year. His best finish was, of course, at the Valero, but that came after a solo ninth at the Texas Children's Houston Open. Now he leads the PGA Championship by one shot. Will that continue for him, and will he shock the world by winning his PGA Championship debut? More Golf: Keegan Bradley's Ryder Cup Plan to Coerce Team USA Members Revealed
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
PGA Championship Loses One of PGA Tour's Best Citing Injury
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. The PGA Championship is less than 24 hours away and storylines are aplenty. Sadly, not all 156 entrants will be able to participate in the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, though. Sahith Theegala will no longer compete in this year's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. The PGA Tour Communications team posted that he withdrew with a neck injury. Alex Smalley will replace him. Sahith Theegala WD from the PGA Championship with a neck injury; Alex Smalley in. — PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) May 14, 2025 This injury is the same one that forced him to withdraw on Sunday at the Truist Championship in Philadelphia last week. Theegala opened with a 69 and 71 at Philadelphia Cricket Club before he vaulted down the leaderboard on Saturday with an 8-over 78. It was not a good day for the No. 31 player in the world as he opened with a birdie and recorded four bogeys, a double and triple bogey before he ultimately chose to withdraw. It has been an up-and-down season for Theegala. HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 18: A detailed view of shoes worn by Sahith Theegala of the United States on the fifth green during the second round of the RBC Heritage 2025 at... HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 18: A detailed view of shoes worn by Sahith Theegala of the United States on the fifth green during the second round of the RBC Heritage 2025 at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 18, 2025 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) More Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images The 27-year-old has only missed one cut this year in 14 starts. However, he only has two top 25 finishes. His best tournament this year was the Genesis Invitational, when he finished T17. At the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, he and his partner, Aaron Rai, were T18. Theegala also recorded a T29 at The Masters, marking his third-best tournament of the year. While he has only missed one cut, the Pepperdine golfer has not been good from tee to green. Theegala ranks 149th in strokes gained tee to green, 134th in strokes gained off the tee and 149th in approach to the green. His best strokes gained statistic is on the greens as he ranks 96th on Tour. Whatever is going on has caused him to go from one of the top 50 guys in most stat categories to one of the worst in less than a year. Theegala is not the only guy to withdraw this week with an injury. Billy Horschel did because he will have to have hip surgery. Now the PGA Championship has 98 of the top 100 in the field. More Golf: Justin Thomas Unveils 'Scar Tissue' Impact over Years on PGA Tour
