Latest news with #USPGATour
Observer
3 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Gerard holds off Van Rooyen to win Barracuda title
LOS ANGELES, United States: Ryan Gerard held off South African Erik van Rooyen down the back nine on Sunday to win the Barracuda Championship for his first US PGA Tour title. The 25-year-old American, whose best career finish had been a runner-up effort at this year's Texas Open, eagled twice in the final round for the victory. "It's just like a culmination of a lifetime of work," Gerard said. "I can't tell you how many hours I've spent hitting golf balls dreaming of winning on the PGA Tour. It's really special." Gerard edged Van Rooyen 47-44 under the Modified Stableford scoring system to capture the event at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California. Under the unique scoring format, an albatross is worth eight points, an eagle five and a birdie two. Pars are no points while a bogey is minus-one point and any worse score is minus-three points. The tournament was played opposite the British Open, where top-ranked Scottie Scheffler won his fourth career major title and second major crown of the year. Gerard, who shared the 54-hole lead on 34 points, added 13 points in the last round with two eagles, four birdies and five bogeys. "I've been playing a lot of really good golf," Gerard said. "I've felt like I haven't been getting the scores out of the shots that I've hit and it has been a long time, a long grind. Yeah, it's pretty cool that I end up on top." Van Rooyen, whose first PGA victory was at the 2021 Barracuda, settled for his second runner-up finish of the year after the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May. Filipino standout Rico Hoey and Gerard shared the 54-hole lead, but Hoey stumbled back with a double bogey-bogey start. Gerard birdied the second hole and eagled the third, and answered bogeys at the fourth and fifth with a birdie at the seventh to stand on 41 with his nearest rival on the course, Van Rooyen, seven adrift. After both birdied the 10th, Van Rooyen chipped in for birdie at 11. Gerard, however, answered at 11 when, after getting relief from a sprinkler head in his stance that let him move his ball to the fringe, he curled in a long eagle putt to reach 48 points, 10 ahead of Van Rooyen. Gerard made bogeys at 12 and 13 but responded with a birdie at 14 while Van Rooyen made bogey at 14 but eagled the par-five 15th to pull within six. When Gerard made a three-putt bogey at the par-three 16th, his lead was down to 47-42. Van Rooyen sank a birdie from the fringe at the 18 to climb within 47-44, but Gerard tapped in at 18 for par and the victory. — AFP
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Gerard holds off Van Rooyen to win PGA Barracuda title
LOS ANGELE: Ryan Gerard held off South African Erik van Rooyen down the back nine yesterday to win the Barracuda Championship for his first US PGA Tour title. The 25-year-old American, whose best career finish had been a runner-up effort at this year's Texas Open, eagled twice in the final round for the victory. "It's just like a culmination of a lifetime of work," Gerard said. "I can't tell you how many hours I've spent hitting golf balls dreaming of winning on the PGA Tour. It's really special." Gerard edged Van Rooyen 47-44 under the Modified Stableford scoring system to capture the event at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California. Under the unique scoring format, an albatross is worth eight points, an eagle five and a birdie two. Pars are no points while a bogey is minus-one point and any worse score is minus-three points. The tournament was played opposite the British Open, where top-ranked Scottie Scheffler won his fourth career major title and second major crown of the year. Gerard, who shared the 54-hole lead on 34 points, added 13 points in the last round with two eagles, four birdies and five bogeys. "I've been playing a lot of really good golf," Gerard said. "I've felt like I haven't been getting the scores out of the shots that I've hit and it has been a long time, a long grind. Yeah, it's pretty cool that I end up on top." Van Rooyen, whose first PGA victory was at the 2021 Barracuda, settled for his second runner-up finish of the year after the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May. Filipino standout Rico Hoey and Gerard shared the 54-hole lead, but Hoey stumbled back with a double bogey-bogey start. Gerard birdied the second hole and eagled the third, and answered bogeys at the fourth and fifth with a birdie at the seventh to stand on 41 with his nearest rival on the course, Van Rooyen, seven adrift. After both birdied the 10th, Van Rooyen chipped in for birdie at 11. Gerard, however, answered at 11 when, after getting relief from a sprinkler head in his stance that let him move his ball to the fringe, he curled in a long eagle putt to reach 48 points, 10 ahead of Van Rooyen. Gerard made bogeys at 12 and 13 but responded with a birdie at 14 while Van Rooyen made bogey at 14 but eagled the par-five 15th to pull within six. When Gerard made a three-putt bogey at the par-three 16th, his lead was down to 47-42. Van Rooyen sank a birdie from the fringe at the 18 to climb within 47-44, but Gerard tapped in at 18 for par and the victory.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Late recovery boosts Cornwall's Hall at Open
Cornish golfer Harry Hall says he is pleased with the late recovery in his second round at The Open that left him well placed on two-under-par. The 27-year-old from Camborne birdied three of the final four holes, having shot bogeys at 13 and 14 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. His score should comfortably be enough to make the cut at his first Open Championship. "I bogeyed two pretty easy holes there towards the end of the round and then finished three under on my last four, so that was great," Hall told BBC Sport. "On a course like this they're not easy holes - 16 is a really tricky par three and I managed to hit a mini driver off the deck to about 12 feet and made the putt, and that was pretty cool. "Hopefully I'm not too many shots back," Hall, who plays on the USPGA Tour, added. "Two under has a realistic chance of having a good score tomorrow and being in one of the final groups."
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Late recovery boosts Cornwall's Hall at Open
Cornish golfer Harry Hall says he is pleased with the late recovery in his second round at The Open that left him well placed on 27-year-old from Camborne birdied three of the final four holes, having shot bogeys at 13 and 14 at Royal Portrush in Northern score should comfortably be enough to make the cut at his first Open Championship. "I bogeyed two pretty easy holes there towards the end of the round and then finished three under on my last four, so that was great," Hall told BBC Sport."On a course like this they're not easy holes - 16 is a really tricky par three and I managed to hit a mini driver off the deck to about 12 feet and made the putt, and that was pretty cool."Hopefully I'm not too many shots back," Hall, who plays on the USPGA Tour, added."Two under has a realistic chance of having a good score tomorrow and being in one of the final groups."
West Australian
15-07-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
The Open: Can Min Woo Lee's secret weapon help lead him to glory at Portrush?
While his Open form has been mediocre — two missed cuts and a best of tied 21st in 2022 — Min Woo Lee has a secret weapon at Portrush. The man carrying his bag was caddie for the winner of the Open when it was last played at Portrush in 2019. Brian 'Bo' Martin was instrumental in Irishman Shane Lowry's memorable 2019 victory at the rugged links course on the north-west tip of Northern Ireland. He split with Lowry in 2023 and took Lee's bag late in 2024. Martin, himself a scratch golfer at the stunning Ardglass Club in Northern Ireland, made an immediate impression on Lee and the duo have been making steady progress since, with a first US PGA Tour victory in March this year the high point. Lee is one of three West Aussies in this week's Open, alongside former Hale student Curtis Luck and ex-bikie Ryan Peake, who are both making their Open debuts. Peake's return to the big time is an astonishing story. Fifteen years ago, Peake and Cameron Smith won the boys' division of the Trans-Tasman Trophy. But while Smith was destined for stardom and riches, including the 2022 Open at St Andrews, Peake's life took a drastic turn. He left golf behind, joining the Rebels bikie gang in Perth and ending up being jailed for five years for assault, shortly before he turned 21. His renaissance as a golfer began via a phone call he received in prison from coach Richie Smith, who encouraged him to give golf another go when he got out. And he did — but it was a slow build. Peake was ranked 1215th in the world when he won the New Zealand Open in March, which gave him automatic entry to the Open. A call from Smith and Lee before the final round helped put his comeback in perspective and Peake reeled in a four-shot deficit to take the title and the precious Open berth. 'I love watching The Open because my style of golf is that I want it to be brutal conditions where I don't have to shoot 30-under,' Peake said after his win. 'Scrapping it around, I really enjoy that style of golf. Generally, The Open is real links (golf) and that's how it's played. I'm super pumped now, and The Open is starting to sink in.' Luck's career ignited early, winning the US Amateur in 2016 (as well as the WA Open) and he turned pro in 2017. He earned his spot at Portrush due to his runner-up finish at the Australian Open in December. Luck has played on the US PGA Tour and won on the secondary Korn Ferry Tour but his career has stalled in the past few years with his world golf ranking now sitting at No. 482. A fourth 'West Aussie' at the Open is 20-year-old South African sensation Aldrich Potgieter. Born in Pretoria, Potgieter moved to Perth as an eight-year-old and won numerous events while at Kingsway Christian College. But he returned to South Africa aged 17 and has since gone from strength to strength, most recently winning the Rocket Classic in Detroit, his first US PGA Tour win. Two years ago, during a Monday qualifier for the John Deere Classic, Potgieter made a hole in one on a 369-metre par four. But still didn't qualify for the main event.
