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Daily Record
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Humiliated golf star racks up a 12 at the RBC Canadian Open in disastrous opening hole
French ace Matthieu Pavon suffered the nightmare in Toronto but incredibly it isn't the worst score on a hole this year Mashed-up Matthieu Pavon was left devastated after carding a disastrous 12 at the RBC Canadian Open. The French star suffered the calamity on the opening hole, the 10th on the course, of his second round at TPC Toronto. Pavon's anguish began with a wild tee shot into trouble and, having got his ball back into play, he hit a fourth into the water. The 32-year-old reloaded and promptly hit his sixth into the drink before doing exactly the same again with his eighth after yet another penalty drop. Pavon finally managed to get his 10th shot onto the putting surface before taking two-putts to sign for a dozen. Such is golf, the shattered star bounced back with two straight birdies, but the damage was well and truly done. It was painful for Pavon, but he did go one better than William Mouw, who ended up with a 13 during his second round of The American Express in January. He made an octuple-bogey, tripped up by the notorious 18-foot-deep greenside bunker. It took him 13 shots to play the famed par five, most of which were caught by TV cameras. Mouw said: 'I'm definitely not the first to get captured by the bunker and make a big number and I certainly won't be the last.' You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
14-05-2025
- Sport
McIlroy says there's a reason he didn't talk to DeChambeau: He was trying to win the Masters
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Rory McIlroy had a message for Bryson DeChambeau on Wednesday as to why there wasn't a lot of conversation between them in the final group at the Masters. Nothing personal, just business. DeChambeau, whose bunker save for par on the final hole at Pinehurst No. 2 last summer gave him a one-shot victory over McIlroy, had the lead after two holes Sunday at the Masters until he faded to a 75 and tied for fifth. 'He wouldn't talk to me,' DeChambeau said, a curious choice of words. It's not unusual for there to be not a lot of chatter in the final group of a major. By saying McIlroy 'didn't talk to me' made it sound as though it was personal. 'I don't know what he was expecting,' McIlroy said. 'We're trying to win the Masters. I'm not going to try to be his best mate out there. Look, everyone approaches the game different ways. Yeah, like I was focused on myself and what I needed to do. That's really all that it was. It wasn't anything against him. It's just I felt that's what I needed to do to try to get the best out of myself that day.' His best led to a playoff victory, a green jacket and the career Grand Slam. Two weeks, two caddies for Sepp Straka, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year. Straka had to use a close friend, Drew Mathers, at the Truist Championship last week at Philadelphia Cricket Club. His regular looper, Duane 'Dewey' Bock, was on the sidelines with a back injury that also will keep him out of the PGA Championship. Next in line is someone who will look strangely familiar — his twin brother, Sam. 'It was already planned,' Straka said. 'Dewey's daughter is graduating college on Friday, I believe. So my brother was already going to caddie Friday, Saturday. So it wasn't a huge change of plans. We just told him he's going to be going the whole week instead.' Sam Straka also played at Georgia and was considered the better of the Austrian twins at one point. He also caddied for his brother at the Tokyo Olympics. Sepp Straka said Bock had an MRI and is expected to be back to work at the next tournament. Straka won the Truist Championship to go along with The American Express in January. The latest victory sent him to a career-best No. 9 in the world ranking. The PGA Championship has a dinner for past champions on Tuesday night, and this one had stronger attendance than most with 17 champions. That included Dave Stockton, with the most history. His first PGA title was in 1976 at Congressional at 1-over 281, making him the last PGA champion to win with a score over par. As usual, there were stories. Rich Beem, the 2002 winner at Hazeltine, was amazed to hear from Larry Nelson, a two-time PGA champion. Nelson won in Atlanta in 1981, and he beat Lanny Wadkins in a playoff in 1987 at PGA National. 'He said he won with four sets of irons — he didn't have the same set for the rounds,' Beem said. 'And before the final round, he was on the putting green with two putters.' A fascinating story, but maybe not for Wadkins, who also was at the dinner. Wadkins won the first sudden-death playoff in major championship history in 1977 at Pebble Beach. The only two players in the field at Quail Hollow who were not at the dinner were Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka. Viktor Hovland was so unhappy with his swing last year that he considered withdrawing ahead of the PGA Championship at Valhalla. He wound up finishing third. 'I almost didn't play last year, and I almost won the tournament,' said Hovland, who shot a pair of 66s on the weekend and finished three shots behind. 'So it's like I look at that as a huge win. I almost won a major championship without feeling good about my game at all. So I don't look at that as, like, man, I'm lacking a bunch of stuff.' Hovland had some similar struggles with his swing earlier this year and missed the cut in three straight tournaments, only to bounce back and win the Valspar Championship in late March. Since then he's made the cut three more times, his best finish a tie for 13th place at the RBC Heritage. And while the world's 11th-ranked player still isn't particularly thrilled with his swing, he's in a better headspace entering this year's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. 'If I can get the ball consistently in the fairway off the tee, even though I don't feel amazing, my iron play has been pretty solid this year,' Hovland said. 'So I can still get the ball in the hole.' Despite finishing second at the last two majors, Justin Rose isn't getting much love from oddsmakers who have him listed as 100-1 to win this week, per Bet MGM Sportsbook. Rose withdrew last week from the Truist Championship with an illness. He lost to Rory McIlroy in a playoff at the Masters last month and finished tied for second at last year's British Open. If Rose were to finish second at Quail Hollow, he would join Ernie Els (2000) as the only players in the last 100 years to finish as the runner-up in three straight majors. In 2000, Els fished second to Vijay Singh at the Masters, and to Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open and British Open. Rose's only major win came at the 2013 U.S. Open. Each of the last nine PGA Championships has been won by Americans. The streak began in 2016 with a win by Jimmy Walker, followed by victories by Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka (back to back), Collin Morikawa, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele. It is the longest such streak at this championship since a 10-year run from 1980-89, and the longest current streak of any major. The last non-American to win the PGA was Australia's Jason Day in 2015 at Whistling Straits. ___ Sahith Theegala has withdrawn from the PGA Championship because of a neck injury. Theegala is at No. 31 in the world ranking, meaning the field at Quail Hollow now has 98 of the top 100 players in the world. Billy Horschel had to withdraw last week to have hip surgery. Theegala also withdrew in the middle of the Truist Championship last week at Philadelphia Cricket Club, an injury that now knocks him out of the second major of the year. ___
Kuwait Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Straka holds firm to win PGA Tour's Truist Championship
PHILADELPHIA: Austrian Sepp Straka held off Ireland's Shane Lowry in an 18-hole duel, to win the PGA Tour's Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club on Sunday. Straka's two-under round of 68 earned him a two-stroke win over Lowry and Justin Thomas who shared second place. Lowry was in contention until the final hole, which he went into just a stroke behind playing partner Straka, but he three-putted for bogey while Straka made par. Straka, who moved from Austria to Georgia aged 14, secured his fourth career win on the PGA Tour and his second this season following his victory at The American Express. Rory McIlroy is the only other player to have multiple wins on the PGA Tour so far this season. The Truist was the sixth signature event of the season and Straka's win comes ahead of the season's second major, the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow which gets underway on Thursday. Straka and Lowry went into Sunday's final round sharing the lead, but the burly Irishman quickly got ahead with a birdie on the par-four opening hole where he sank a 13-foot putt after a fine approach shot. On the par-five fifth, Lowry made a birdie but Straka made an eagle, draining a 20-foot putt after finding the green from 220 yards out to tie the lead. Straka bogeyed the next, but the momentum shift arrived on the par-three eighth, where the Austrian made birdie but Lowry missed a 10-footer and made bogey. Straka reached the turn with a two stroke advantage after a birdie on the ninth. Again the lead vanished quickly as Straka made successive bogeys to start the back nine and it was still neck and neck after both players made birdie on the 15th. Lowry left a par putt just short on the par-three 16th to give a one shot lead back to Straka, who this time held firm with pars on the final three holes. Straka was delighted to secure victory in a signature event for the first time. Biggest win 'It's huge, the biggest win of my career. Just so grateful for the process and the whole team that kind of makes me play as well as I do,' said the 32-year-old. 'Every week, my coaches weren't here this week, but they're there almost every week. Even this week when they weren't here, there's always a back and forth, and they're always working on my game to help me succeed. It's great to see their hard work pay off,' he said. Thomas had fought his way into contention but was left to rue a missed six footer which he left three feet short of the hole. 'It was a bad putt. It wasn't one that I obviously thought I would miss but I'm choosing to focus on all the other ones I made today rather than that one,' he said. Masters champion McIlroy finished tied for seventh, six shots behind Straka after a final round two-under 68. The Northern Irishman accepted his driving accuracy had been off but was looking forward to competing for a second major of the season at Quail Hollow—where he has won four PGA Tour titles. 'Overall I felt like I got a little better as the week went on,' he said. 'Played good. I wish I'd made a few more birdies. I've got a better gauge of where my game is standing here right now than I did at the start of the week. — AFP
NBC Sports
12-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Sepp Straka takes massive leap in European Ryder Cup standings
While Rory McIlroy was surely rooting for buddy Shane Lowry on Sunday evening at the Truist Championship, that didn't stop him from congratulating one of his other European Ryder Cup teammates, Sepp Straka, after Straka's second win of the season. This victory, though, meant a little more. 'At least this win counts for Ryder Cup points,' McIlroy told Straka as he walked off the 18th green at Philadelphia Cricket Club, having just edged Lowry by a shot. Straka captured The American Express back in January, but that was before qualification began for this September's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Straka's win Sunday vaulted him 15 spots to fifth in the standings; the top six as for Aug. 24, the Monday after the Betfred British Masters, earn automatic berths onto Luke Donald's 12-man team. 'Really, really happy for that,' said Straka, who debuted two years ago in Rome, going 1-2. 'I've been kind of behind in the points because of that win at Amex not counting. I knew that if I just kept playing good golf, I would have a chance to be there. I'm sure this will probably help me out with the rankings a lot. So very grateful, and hopefully I can keep the good play going and keep getting some more points.' Here is a look at the rest of the European point standings, which McIlroy tops: 1. Rory McIlroy 2. Shane Lowry 3. Rasmus Hojgaard 4. Tyrrell Hatton 5. Sepp Straka 6. Justin Rose --- 7. Ludvig Aberg 8. Tommy Fleetwood 9. Thomas Detry 10. Niklas Norgaard 11. Matt Wallace 12. Laurie Canter 13. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 14. Thorbjorn Olesen 15. Viktor Hovland 16. Robert MacIntyre 17. Jorge Campillo 18. Jordan Smith 19. Paul Waring 20. Antoine Rozner Here is a look at the U.S. point standings: 1. Scottie Scheffler 2. Xander Schauffele 3. Justin Thomas 4. Collin Morikawa 5. Bryson DeChambeau 6. Russell Henley --- 7. Andrew Novak 8. Maverick McNealy 9. Brian Harman 10. Patrick Cantlay 11. J.J. Spaun 12. Harris English 13. Daniel Berger 14. Tom Hoge 15. Tony Finau 16. Lucas Glover 17. Billy Horschel* 18. Wyndham Clark 19. Michael Kim 20. Akshay Bhatia *Horschel was slated to undergo hip surgery on Monday and will be out until at least late summer.
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Straka holds firm to win PGA Tour's Truist Championship
PHILIDELPHIA: Austrian Sepp Straka held off Ireland's Shane Lowry in an 18-hole duel, to win the PGA Tour's Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club on Sunday. Straka's two-under round of 68 earned him a two-stroke win over Lowry and Justin Thomas who shared second place. Lowry was in contention until the final hole, which he went into just a stroke behind playing partner Straka, but he three-putted for bogey while Straka made par. Straka, who moved from Austria to Georgia aged 14, secured his fourth career win on the PGA Tour and his second this season following his victory at The American Express. Rory McIlroy is the only other player to have multiple wins on the PGA Tour so far this season. The Truist was the sixth signature event of the season and Straka's win comes ahead of the season's second major, the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow which gets underway on Thursday. Straka and Lowry went into Sunday's final round sharing the lead, but the burly Irishman quickly got ahead with a birdie on the par-four opening hole where he sank a 13-foot putt after a fine approach shot. On the par-five fifth, Lowry made a birdie but Straka made an eagle, draining a 20-foot putt after finding the green from 220 yards out to tie the lead. Straka bogeyed the next, but the momentum shift arrived on the par-three eighth, where the Austrian made birdie but Lowry missed a 10-footer and made bogey. Straka reached the turn with a two stroke advantage after a birdie on the ninth. Again the lead vanished quickly as Straka made successive bogeys to start the back nine and it was still neck and neck after both players made birdie on the 15th. Lowry left a par putt just short on the par-three 16th to give a one shot lead back to Straka, who this time held firm with pars on the final three holes. Straka was delighted to secure victory in a signature event for the first time. "It's huge, the biggest win of my career. Just so grateful for the process and the whole team that kind of makes me play as well as I do," said the 32-year-old. "Every week, my coaches weren't here this week, but they're there almost every week. Even this week when they weren't here, there's always a back and forth, and they're always working on my game to help me succeed. It's great to see their hard work pay off," he said. Thomas had fought his way into contention but was left to rue a missed six footer which he left three feet short of the hole. "It was a bad putt. It wasn't one that I obviously thought I would miss but I'm choosing to focus on all the other ones I made today rather than that one," he said. Masters champion McIlroy finished tied for seventh, six shots behind Straka after a final round two-under 68. The Northern Irishman accepted his driving accuracy had been off but was looking forward to competing for a second major of the season at Quail Hollow – where he has won four PGA Tour titles. "Overall I felt like I got a little better as the week went on," he said. "Played good. I wish I'd made a few more birdies. I've got a better gauge of where my game is standing here right now than I did at the start of the week.
