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Arab News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Adam Svensson fires 60 to set course record at 3M Open
BLAINE: Adam Svensson of Canada eagled the final hole at TPC Twin Cities to shoot a course-record 60 and take the first-round lead at the 3M Open on Thursday in Blaine, Minnesota Svensson was already working on a sterling round, with nine birdies and no bogeys through 17 holes. He reached the green at the par-5 18th hole in two shots and had two putts to break the course record. He only needed one. Svensson's uphill eagle attempt from just more than 48 feet hit the flagstick and dropped for an eagle, finishing an 11-under round with matching 30s on both nines. 'I just didn't want to leave it short,' Svensson said. 'It was carrying a little bit of speed and (caddie Jace Walker) gave me a good line and it just happened to go in.' It was a round few would have predicted. Svensson, who won the 2022 RSM Classic, has plummeted to 234th in the Official World Golf Ranking while missing 11 of his first 21 cuts in 2025. That includes his two most recent starts entering this week and four of his past five. But Svensson could feel a memorable round incoming after what he described as a great range session before his tee time. 'Just really putted amazing,' Svensson added. 'I made a bunch of breakers. It was probably my best putting round I ever had, so I'm pretty happy.' He broke the previous course record of 62 originally set by Scott Piercy in 2019, and matched by Sam Stevens' round that was completed just a few groups ahead of Svensson on Thursday. Stevens is tied for second at 9 under with Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen. Stevens was on 59 watch when he reached 10 under through 16 holes. He narrowly missed a birdie putt on the 17th hole and then put his approach on 18 in the water. Stevens had to settle for a 62 after closing with a bogey. 'I had a good drive and I probably made the decision trying to shoot 59 because I was in between — I have a pretty big gap between my 3-iron and my 3-wood, and I hit a terrible shot,' Stevens said. 'But I thought if I hit a 3-wood, it was just going to fly to the back of the green, and I kind of had to hit a 3-iron perfect to even cover the water. But I figured that was my best chance to shoot 59, so I gave it a go. 'Didn't hit a good shot, but made a nice up-and-down for 6, so I guess that's a positive. Yeah, not the best way to finish the round, but gave it a crack.' Chris Gotterup continued his hot streak after winning the Genesis Scottish Open and placing third in his debut at the Open Championship. Gotterup fired a bogey-free, 8-under 63 and was tied for fourth with Chad Ramey and Germany's Matti Schmid. 'Someone asked me last week if you've ever been on a heater, and I said I guess this is kind of my first one,' Gotterup said. 'Yeah, you know, I'm just going to try to ride it out as long as I can.' Jake Knapp, Chris Kirk, Zac Blair and Brendan Valdes were tied at 7-under 64. Rickie Fowler was among those to shoot a 65, as he turned in a card with six birdies and no bogeys. 'A lot of good swings, a couple loose ones, but I'm definitely happy about (his round),' Fowler said. 'Obviously, playing fairly easy out there with the soft conditions. Svensson put together a nice round. It was definitely out there, a lot of birdies to be made, but at the same time there's a few holes that you have to keep your guard up in a way and make sure you execute.' Fowler is searching for a jolt as the regular season winds down, as is Max Homa, a former top-five player in the world currently outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings. Homa opened with a 5-under 66. Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela posted a 3-under 68, and 2022 champ Tony Finau shot a 2-under 69.
Canada News.Net
5 days ago
- Climate
- Canada News.Net
Adam Svensson fires 60 to set course record at 3M Open
(Photo credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images) Canada's Adam Svensson took advantage of ideal scoring conditions Thursday morning to shoot a course-record 60 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn. Svensson reached the par-5 18th hole in two shots and had two putts to break the course record. He only needed one. Svensson's eagle attempt from just over 48 feet hit the flagstick and dropped for an eagle, finishing an 11 under round of 60 with matching 30s on both nines. He now holds the course record by two shots over Scott Piercy's 62 in the first round of 2019 and Sam Stevens' round that was completed just a few groups ahead of Svensson on Thursday. Stevens was on 59 watch when he reached 10 under through 16 holes. He narrowly missed a birdie putt on the 17th hole and then put his approach on 18 in the water. Stevens had to settle for a 62 after closing with a bogey. 'I had a good drive and I probably made the decision trying to shoot 59 because I was in between -- I have a pretty big gap between my 3-iron and my 3-wood, and I hit a terrible shot,' Stevens said. 'But I thought if I hit a 3-wood, it was just going to fly to the back of the green, and I kind of had to hit a 3-iron perfect to even cover the water. But I figured that was my best chance to shoot 59, so I gave it a go. 'Didn't hit a good shot, but made a nice up-and-down for 6, so I guess that's a positive. Yeah, not the best way to finish the round, but gave it a crack.' With minimal wind and players able to play their balls up in the fairway due to heavy recent rains, scoring conditions were ideal. 'It's a great course but it's pretty straightforward, not a whole lot of adjustments, just sort of point and shoot and make as many birdies as you can,' Stevens said. Not long after Stevens completed his round, Svensson stole the thunder with his eagle putt, completing a bogey-free round that included nine birdies. It was a round few would have predicted. Svensson, who won the 2022 RSM Classic, has plummeted to 234th in the Official World Golf Ranking while missing 11 of his first 20 cuts in 2025. That includes his two most recent starts entering this week and four of his past five. Svensson's best finish thus far in 2025 was a tie for 24th at the Corales Puntacana Championship.
NBC Sports
28-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Why Will Gordon's made cut on number in Detroit meant so much
Will Gordon arguably just made the biggest cut of his life. In the final start of his major medical extension, the 28-year-old Gordon birdied each of his final two holes Friday at the Rocket Classic to card a second straight 3-under 69 and eventually make the cut on the number. Gordon's last birdie, from just inside 6 feet, got him to 6 under, right on the projected cut line. Upon sinking the clutch putt, Gordon gave a few fist pumps before he was seen wiping away tears as he walked off the green, eventually squatting down and burying his face in both hands in an attempt to compose himself. He knew just how big that was. His emotions were still coming out in a post-round interview with Golf Channel's Amy Rogers. Gordon then waited over an hour to see if it was good enough to keep playing into the weekend – and keep his PGA Tour card for a few more months. 'It's not in the back of my mind, it's in the very front,' Gordon said afterward. 'But that's why you play is to put yourself in moments like this, hopefully win golf tournaments. But I'm really proud of myself for executing under that pressure… 'I was just proud of keeping my head in it, fighting to the end. That's what I do. It hadn't been the prettiest kind of last three, four years, but I always fight.' Once Gordon completes 72 holes, he'll earn the 0.644 points required to maintain conditional PGA Tour membership, which means he'll play the rest of this season, through the fall, out of the Nos. 126-150 category. Not great, but also better than the alternative. Missing the cut would've meant Gordon losing his card for the second time in his career. Gordon finished No. 159 in FedExCup points his rookie season in 2020-21, but he re-earned his card via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals the following year. He then finished No. 100 in points in 2022-23 before suffering a neck injury last season. Gordon missed five months after last year's WM Phoenix Open after three vertebrae in his cervicothoracic junction became so inflamed they weren't turning left, and the issue caused ulnar nerve tension down into his elbows. Though he returned in July, he wasn't symptom-free until October, and he would eventually finish No. 191 in points after a T-30 finish at the RSM Classic, where he briefly contended. So far this year, Gordon has missed nine of 13 cuts, though top-10s at the Farmers and Byron Nelson have him at a respectable No. 136 in points. The top 100 in points – down from the top 125 – after this year's RSM Classic keep full membership. 'This is a game that kind of get what you deserve, and unfortunately I haven't played well enough to, you know, give myself more breathing room,' Gordon said. 'It's kind of crazy it's kind of come down to this, but again, you get what you earn in this game and this is what I kind of earned myself. Just try to use it as motivation for whatever comes next.' Gordon can't fully satisfy his major medical without a victory Sunday at Detroit Golf Club. A win, of course, would solve more than that, coming with a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, among other perks. Gordon is currently eight shots back of leaders Andrew Putnam, Philip Knowles and Chris Kirk. 'Hopefully, I can get a top-10 or something,' Gordon said. 'I'm just thankful for the people around me helping to support me and keep me going, and that's why we'll continue to wake up and do the same thing.'
USA Today
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Caitlin Clark weighs in on U.S. Open in funny social media post: 'Is Oakmont even fun?'
Caitlin Clark weighs in on U.S. Open in funny social media post: 'Is Oakmont even fun?' Oakmont Country Club is hard, everyone knows that. Well, maybe some are just beginning to realize it as they tune into Sunday's final-round action of the 2025 U.S. Open. Caitlin Clark is among those viewers. In a social media post to X, the WNBA star made a hilarious remark as the world watches the best golfers on the planet stumble at Oakmont. "Is Oakmont even fun to play," she pondered. Most of us feel that way, Caitlin. Clark is enjoying the U.S. Open just a day removed from recording one of the best single-game performances of the season in the WNBA. She had 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, including seven three-pointers. Clark is a big-time golfer. At last year's RSM Classic, she participated in the pro-am, where she was paired with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and 2023 Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, a fellow Iowan. "It is incredible. It was awesome to watch," Monahan said. "What really struck me was her love of the game. Clearly, her competitive spirit and fire come through."
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Luke Clanton is ready for his PGA Tour pro debut at this week's RBC Canadian Open
Luke Clanton is ready for his PGA Tour pro debut at this week's RBC Canadian Open Luke Clanton spent the better part of two days crafting his introductory remarks for his Tuesday pre-tournament press conference ahead of his professional debut at the PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open. Not leaving anything to chance, he scribbled it down on paper. 'Today my dream becomes a reality, a professional golfer on the PGA Tour,' he began before proceeding to acknowledge that he had stood on many shoulders and accepted many helping hands from coaches, mentors, his college teammates at Florida State University and the various junior circuits where he cut his teeth. The 21-year-old newly minted pro then spoke glowingly of his family and the sacrifices they made. Clanton grew up in Hialeah, Florida, outside of Miami. He's the youngest son of Rhonda, a Delta flight attendant for four decades who home-schooled him until ninth grade, and David, a landscaper who started his workday before sunrise so he could meet Luke at Country Club of Miami, a hardscrabble municipal course that served as his proving ground. 'What my dad did at an early, young age created me to be the person I am now,' Clanton said. 'My dad took that step of pushing me to my limits when I was a kid and making me train as hard as I can and hit golf balls in the dark with a flashlight. Those kinds of things are created to make a person mentally hard, mentally ready for these kind of big moments.' Clanton has already proven he can compete in the big leagues. He notched four Tour top-10 finishes in 2024, highlighted by runner-up finishes at the John Deere Classic and RSM Classic, becoming the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 with three or more top-10 finishes on Tour in a year. Had amateurs been allowed to earn non-member FedEx Cup points, Clanton would've finished No. 90 in points last season. Clanton, who just completed his junior season at Florida State, secured his 20th point and PGA Tour membership following a made cut at the Cognizant Classic in March. Clanton capped off his time as a Seminole as the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking with seven individual collegiate titles, including four this season, and was named the recipient of the 2025 Ben Hogan Award, one of three player of the year awards in college golf. 'There are certain people that their golf ball makes a different sound when they hit than others, and his is definitely one of them,' said Justin Thomas after playing two rounds with Clanton at the WM Phoenix Open in February. 'He wasn't shy and wasn't scared of the moment. So I know he's going to come out here ready to go.' Clanton has already been well compensated for his bright future from the likes of Nike, which allowed his mother to officially retire this week. 'I told her, 'You're not going to have to work a day in your life.' She's like, 'No, I'll just work for you,' ' Clanton recalled. 'It's something that every kid chases for is to retire their mom and dad and help them out with everything. It's amazing.' Clanton likely could have banked even more money in the short term had he signed with LIV Golf. Asked in his press conference about his decision to join the PGA Tour, he didn't address any details about an offer from LIV, saying, 'I want to play the PGA Tour, pretty simple. I want to play against the best, I want to compete in majors, and that's it. Simple.' An earlier answer may have been more telling: 'It's not about the money. It's not about any of the fame. It's about competing with these guys on Tour. It's something I've chased for my whole entire life.' Clanton isn't the only recent college grad making his first start as a Tour member this week at the RBC Canadian Open, held for the first time at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley's North Course in Caledon, Ontario. Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent also earned membership through PGA Tour University Accelerated, while North Carolina's David Ford finished as the No. 1 player in the 2025 PGA Tour University Ranking. All three players will have status on Tour through the 2026 season. For Clanton, playing as a professional, a childhood dream come true, still felt surreal as he packed his passport for his first trip north of the border. 'I got on the flight, and I was like, dang, this is my first PGA Tour start ever,' he said. 'It still hasn't really hit me.'
