Latest news with #majors
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Rory McIlroy switches focus to being at top form for Ryder Cup
Rory McIlroy is resetting his focus and his schedule in order to be on top form for Europe's defence of the Ryder Cup. Finishing a distant seventh to Open champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler was not how the Northern Irishman wanted to end his major season, especially on home soil at Royal Portrush. But having shown he is over the blip he encountered after his Masters win, which completed the career Grand Slam in April, the 36-year-old is keen to save his best for Bethpage in New York this September. He still has the FedEx Cup play-offs to come in August but his real motivation comes the following month and that is why he will not be playing much as he looks to retain his sharpness. 'I feel like being back in Europe for a bit was a nice reset,' said McIlroy. 'I feel like I'm getting back to where I want to be and we've still got a lot of golf left this year with obviously Ryder Cup being the big one in there in September. 'I don't want to play too much leading up to that because I want to be fresh so I'm looking forward to a few weeks off here. 'I'll reflect on what's been already a good year and start to get myself ready for that run up to the Ryder Cup.' That good year began with victory at the Pebble Beach Pro-am in February and the Players Championship in March before the big one at Augusta the following month. He has not won since, while Scheffler has four victories – including two majors in The Open and US PGA – and has the momentum. McIlroy thinks the sharpness he had at the start of the year has returned but insists his rival's success is not a motivating factor, adding: 'Yeah, I do feel good – but I also had the three wins when Scottie wasn't quite on his game. 'All I can do is focus on myself and try to play the best golf that I can. I know that, when I do that, I'll have my weeks where I'll contend and hopefully win. 'I've gotten everything I wanted out of this week apart from a Claret Jug and that's just because one person was just a little bit better than the rest of us.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Sir Nick Faldo is sport's most improved broadcaster
Given that the man has won six majors, it might not be the most coveted trophy he'll ever squeeze on to what must be one of sport's most groaning mantelpieces, but if they are giving out awards for the most improved sports broadcaster, Sir Nick Faldo would be in with a strong shout of scooping the prize. The golf legend himself, and those who have been working with him, deserve a lot of credit: where he was once wooden and grumpy, he has now become a co-commentator of good humour, insight and feeling. His work for Sky Sports at the Open in this renewal was excellent. It is hard to think of a better match-up of ex-player analyst and current player situation than Sir Nick on the relentless front-runner Scottie Scheffler, and he delivered not just on the golfing challenges of such a win but the mental requirements as well. In the taxonomy of British sporting greats turned broadcasters, I would put Sir Nick in the same category as Stephen Hendry: perceived during his imperial phase as a remorseless, aloof grinder, revealed in his later years to be surprisingly jolly company on the telly and probably not such a bad bloke all things considered. Perhaps it is not surprising that a personality type that would toil fanatically at one endeavour could focus that work ethic upon mastering another discipline, although that being said, it is not hard to think of some ex-players who remain as lumpen on the mic after 10 years as they did on day one. For instance – and while it is hardly the crime of the century – Sir Nick used to have an irritating habit of saying 'smidgen' all the time. Someone has clearly put in a smidgen of work advising him to tone that down a smidgen and the result is more than a smidgen of an improvement. You see? It grates. And now he's stopped it. So fair play. I am confident in speculating that someone of Sir Nick's clout and single-mindedness would not have noticed this sort of tic on his own nor made efforts to correct it unbidden, therefore I can conclude that he has been open-minded enough to accept notes on his broadcast work from a trusted adviser. There was even a genuinely funny bit about having to go on a diet before the Ryder Cup because he had caused injury to a chair. Credit must go to the golf bods at Sky, who have created an environment in which Sir Nick can succeed and overall put on a top-notch package for these majors. Peter Alliss had been synonymous with and indivisible from TV golf for so long – perhaps too long – that Sky were obliged to go for a different sort of approach whether they liked it or not, and this has become more distinctive year on year for a while now. Sky's coverage might lack the raconteurish, moving-smoothly-through-the-second-bottle charm of an Alliss or a Test Match Special but that has in fact worked in its favour because it has allowed Sky to play to its strengths with innovation and technical insight to tap into the fact that a lot of people watching actually play the game and want to get better at it. Flights of lyrical fancy might be thinner on the ground than the BBC coverage of yore but that's not necessarily a problem if you like the technocratic, graphical wizardry approach that Sky has made its own. In fact, the only colourful language to be heard this week came when the microphones kept picking up various potty-mouthed outbursts from players who had hit bad shots, Rory McIlroy at least twice, with the commentators having to apologise each time. Anyone who has ever attempted to hit a one-and-three-quarter inch ball into a teacup 400 yards away with a small bit of metal on a stick would surely forgive the occasional swear word. Around these parts at least, there was no blue outburst when they welcomed Sir Nick to the microphone each time and, given that he was once at best a 24-handicapper on the telly, this represents progress indeed.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Marc Leishman commits to Australian summer after fading finish at first Open Championship since 2022
Getting a taste of the majors again was a reminder of what Marc Leishman is missing, but he's also 'not going to stress' over the fact returning to The Open remains a challenge. But the LIV star, who was the only one of nine Australians at Royal Portrush to make the cut, locked in a trip home this summer for two chances to earn direct qualification again. Leishman didn't bring his Sunday best in Northern Ireland, with his finishing four-over 75 his worst round of the week, leaving him a mammoth 17 shots behind the runaway winner Scottie Scheffler. It was only Leishman's second major appearance since 2022, having also qualified for this year's US Open, with his ranking slipping to 446 after his big-money move to LIV. A renewed application from LIV to get world ranking points could help his cause going forward, but Leishman knows what he signed up for and while he loved being back at The Open, majors no longer define his career. 'Yeah, happy to be back. Obviously, if everything works out and we can get in them, I'd love to play them,' he said after closing out his tournament. 'If not, I'm not going to stress over it or anything. Yes, I really want to be here, but happy with my decisions.' Those decisions included returning to Australia for the Australian Open and PGA in late November and early December. Both tournaments offer an Open Championship lifeline for a top-three finish, which is how Leishman got to Portrush, courtesy of a podium finish in the PGA. With Rory McIlroy also heading to the Australian Open, the competition will intensity and other big names could follow. Officials are also hopeful the offer of a spot at The Open could lure some more big names, but Leishman's commitment is unwavering, sensing opportunity. 'It's going to be Royal Melbourne and Royal Queensland, two courses that I've played well at before,' he said. 'I've spent a lot of time on Royal Melbourne and had some good results the last few years at Royal Queensland. Hopefully, this is the year. 'That's the funny thing about golf, you can have a great week and play some really, really good golf, and if somebody plays better than you, you don't win. 'So hopefully it can be my year, and I'll do everything I can to see if I can make that happen.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scottie Scheffler family tree: Meet wife Meredith, parents, more to know about star golfer's roots
Scottie Scheffler has ascended to a level that few other professional golfers have before. His three majors wins, including two at The Masters, can only be matched by some of the sport's most well-known stars, and he just keeps going. Each time a major comes around, it's become an expectation that Scheffler will be in contention. When he does come out on top, the American star can often be seen celebrating with his family, including his wife and young son. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp From Scheffler's high school sweetheart, to his New Jersey-native parents, here's everything to know about those closest to the star golfer. MORE:Complete list of U.S. Open winners and payouts throughout history Scottie Scheffler wife: Meredith Scudder Long before Scottie Scheffler became world No. 1 in golf, he met his future wife, Meredith Scudder, in high school. Both being from Dallas, they began dating their senior year at Highland Park High School. "I had to woo her for a few years," Scheffler said with a laugh in 2023. While they met in high school, the couple spent some time apart in college. While Meredith attended Texas A&M, Scottie Scheffler went to the University of Texas, and they dated from a distance for all four years. 'At the beginning of high school I always thought he had a super humble ambiance about him, that he was just a really down-to-earth guy that doesn't take himself too seriously,' Meredith told Golf Digest of Scottie. 'Even when he had amazing accomplishments, that wasn't the most important thing about him.' The couple got married in December 2020. Photos from the wedding can be seen in Scheffler's 2023 anniversary Instagram post: Meredith is also in charge of curating opportunities for Behind Every Door (BED), a faith-based nonprofit which provides sport, educational and creative programs for youth in underdeveloped neighborhoods in the Dallas area. "I believe everyone has unique gifting. I love being part of an organization that is showing kids their giftings and giving them a chance to not only discover those gifts but see who God created them to be," Scudder told Veritex Community Bank for Essential Golf. Meredith can often be seen supporting Scottie Scheffler at his tournaments, whether walking the course with him or celebrating his wins. Scottie Scheffler son: Bennett Scheffler Scottie and Meredith Scheffler welcomed a son, Bennett, in May 2024. "Welcome to the world little one," Scheffler wrote in an Instagram post. "Your mom & dad love you so much." "I can't really describe the feeling of dreaming of just coming and playing on the PGA Tour, to be sitting at home with the girl I dated in high school with our child and then the Green Jacket sitting in the closet is a pretty insane feeling, and I just wanted to be as thankful as possible," Scheffler said after his son was born, per National Club Golfer. MORE:Every British Open winner in history, from Rory McIlroy to Tiger Woods Scottie Scheffler mother: Diane Scheffler Scheffler's mother is Diane Scheffler, who grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Until Scheffler was six years old, the family lived in New Jersey, where his father is also from. They later moved to Dallas. Scheffler said in 2023 that growing up, his mom was the one "who was working and supporting our family financially, which I would say is a little bit different." She worked as a business manager at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates in the 1980s, according to People, then later became a Chief Operating Officer at various law firms, including Thompson & Knight LLP, Troutman Sanders LLP and Foley Hoag LLP. Currently, she is a consultant for Scout's East Coast Ranch in New York City. In his 2024 Masters speech, Scheffler thanked both of his parents. "To my parents, thank you for taking me to way too many golf tournaments as a kid. I love y'all both very much," he said. "I can't put into words what it means to have your support out here, win or lose. I love y'all." Scottie Scheffler father: Scott Scheffler Scheffler's father, Scott Scheffler, is from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. He was a carpenter and stay-at-home dad throughout Scottie's youth, and he played a role in the star golfer's interest in the sport as a kid, including taking him to the driving range and with Diane, eventually getting Scottie access to Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas. Because of Diane's job, Scott was often the one at home, which Scottie told AP in 2022 that he "didn't know any different." "It's just what you do as a father for your children ... I've done for all of them. They've given us great joy," Scott Scheffler told AP in 2022. "[Scottie's] the one that did all the hard work, not me. I just raised him and tried the best I could to be a good dad.' Scott Scheffler, who often watches his sons tournaments in-person alongside Diane, has spoken of his son's accomplishments plenty of times in the past. 'I used to wonder, 'Can Scottie really be that good at his craft, at the game of golf?' And he is. He truly has been given a gift and he uses it," Scott told the New York Post in April 2023. "It does surprise me ... He's my child. He's my son. Sometimes you just say to yourself, 'Wow.' ' MORE:Why is the Masters always at Augusta National? Scottie Scheffler sisters: Callie, Molly, and Sara Scheffler has three sisters, the oldest of whom is Callie. She was born in 1994, while Scottie was born in 1996. '[Callie] was the classic first child. She felt a responsibility to look after her younger brother when she caddied for him in all those big junior tournaments," Scottie's manager, Rocky Hambric, told Power Fades of Callie and Scottie in April 2023. When Scottie competed in the 2016 U.S. Open as an amateur, Callie was his caddie. She played collegiate golf at Texas A&M, and Callie now has two children with her husband, Andrew. Diane and Scott also welcomed two more daughters, Molly and Sara. Molly, who also went to Texas A&M, now works for the PGA Tour as a communications specialist, per her LinkedIn. More specifically, she currently works in "Player & Agent Communications." Sara, like Scottie, graduated from the University of Texas and recently got married.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
By The Numbers: A look at Scottie Scheffler's win at the British Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Here's a look at some of Scottie Scheffler's key numbers after the American won the British Open: 1 Number of holes over par for Scheffler in the final two rounds at Royal Portrush. 4 Majors won by Scheffler in the last three years. 11 Consecutive times Scheffler has won when leading going into the final round. 20 Wins worldwide by Scheffler in the last 30 months. 267 Scheffler's winning total at Royal Portrush, three shots off the British Open record. 333 Days until the start of the U.S. Open, where Scheffler will be bidding to complete the career Grand Slam. 3.1 million The amount (in dollars) Scheffler took home for winning at Royal Portrush. 91 million Scheffler's official career prize money (in dollars). ___ AP golf:
