Scottie does everything else so well.” -said an impressed Rory McIlroy about Scottie Scheffler at the 2024 Genesis Invitational. However, the PGA Tour pro being a nice guy is, as per a certain journalist, what gives an edge to the competitor. Interestingly, a similar situation occurred when the Northern Irishman gave honest advice to the current No.1 which then went ahead and backfired as the 34-year-old was dominated by the latter at the recent signature event.
Tiger Woods was back playing golf again.
Paired with PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh at Monday’s Seminole Golf Club Pro-Member event, Woods and Waugh carded a 2-under 70 in the gross competition.
That put them in a tie for 44th in the 78-team field, per 5 Clubs Golf on X.
Woods and Waugh then tied for 33rd in the low-net competition, signing for a 5-under 67. The USGA lists Waugh as having a 9.6 handicap index out of Seminole Golf Club.
This event marked the first time Woods played publicly since his withdrawal at the Genesis Invitational.
On Sirius XM’s PGA Tour Radio, Brad Faxon said, “Everybody who watched [Woods] play at Seminole said he hit it absolutely down the middle.”
The team of Tiger Woods and PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh didn’t fare well at the Seminole Pro-Member Golf Tournament on Monday, finishing with a gross score of 70 (tied 44th) and a net score of 67 (tied 33rd).
That trailed another high-profile pair, at least in gross score, as the combo of former NFL quarterback Tom Brady and Tony Finau finished with a gross score of 69 (tied 30th) and also posted a net score of 67.
The duo of Frank Edwards and Mackenzie Hughes had the best gross score at 64, while John Pinkham and Erik van Rooyen posted the top net score at 62.
Other notable participants at the exclusive tournament included Rory McIlroy, former NBA player Shane Battier, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, Justin Thomas and Ernie Els.
While there were several significant storylines heading into the LIV Golf Jeddah event in Saudi Arabia, none were bigger than Anthony Kim, who made his highly anticipated return to professional golf after a 12-year absence.
But the three-time PGA Tour winner’s return was anything but triumphant as Kim finished in last place, a full 33 shots back of winner Joaquin Niemann, who took his second victory in three starts on the Saudi-backed series this season and has already racked up more than $8 million in prize money.
And that doesn’t include Niemann’s four top-five finishes in four starts between the DP World Tour and the Asian Tour, including his win at the Australian Open, which helped him earn an invitation to The Masters.
But what somewhat got lost between the negative aspects of Kim’s return and Niemann’s ongoing dominance to start the 2024 season was the play of Phil Mickelson, whose performance in Jeddah marked his best individual finish in LIV Golf since defecting from the PGA Tour two years ago.
Tiger Woods will be recognised in a ceremony during the US Open week this June; Former world No 1 has won the US Junior Amateur, US Amateur Championship and US Open three times during his career; 48-year-old has played a limited schedule in recent seasons
Woods typically is honoured for his performances on the course, where he has won 15 majors among his 82 career victories on the PGA Tour, but now follows Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan to win the accolade.
“This award goes beyond playing performance, recognizing the lasting impact of one person’s journey that has forever changed the image and growth of golf,” said Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA.
There are very few who stand alongside Tiger Woods in terms of on-course accomplishments, and he is in a class of his own when it comes to the impact he has made on the game and future generations who will play it.”
Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2019.
The short game is where strokes are saved — and where you can really separate yourself from your competition. You don’t have to be the best tee-to-green if you’re handy with a wedge and putter in your hands.
Despite the importance of a great short game for elite play, lots of recreational players don’t devote ample practice time to the craft. Instead, they park themselves on the range and wail away with the big stick. If you want to become a great player, though, you’ll have to become a solid wedge player.
One of the all-time greats with a wedge in hand is none other than Phil Mickelson. The six-time major winner has been a must-see player throughout his entire career, but when he gets a wedge in hand is when his wizardry really shines.
In a recent video posted on X, Mickelson shared a valuable secret to his followers: how to stop blading chip shots for good. Check it out below.
Tiger Woods was notably absent from the preliminary list of participants announced for the 2024 Cognizant Classic, raising questions about his return to competitive golf. Following his withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational due to illness, Woods continues to remain sidelined, missing out on the upcoming PGA Tour event in Palm Beach Gardens.
Despite speculation surrounding his health and future schedule, Woods confirmed his withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational was due to the flu, dispelling injury rumors. However, his anticipated return to the course remains uncertain.
The Spanish superstar is arguably the biggest fish netted by LIV Golf boss Greg Norman, signing with the breakaway league in December for a reported $500 million.
The slow drain of players away from the established PGA and DP World Tour’s and a potential deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has forced initial naysayers to do an about-turn on their opinion of LIV Golf.
Rory McIlroy – who was vehemently against LIV Golf at the outset – changed his tune after several of his mates joined the league.
In an interview with ESPN, Rahm revealed he had texted Woods, but he hasn’t heard back yet…
“I mean, Tiger, I texted him and the people that try to reach out, you know, the process, when I signed and I just let him know, ‘Hey, you know, this is a personal decision. I have nothing against anybody’,” said the world number three.
“Rory has been supportive publicly of my decision, and he was privately as well.”
For Rahm, he’s just chuffed he gets to play less golf for more money and spend time with his family.
Tiger Woods once claimed he had never seen anyone play like Anthony Kim, with the former PGA Tour prodigy being the only golfer to swing every club with a choked-up grip.
In 2008, Woods commented on Kim’s unique ability to control his golf clubs during a Nike golf clinic. Both Woods and Kim were signed to the company at the time as signature players before parting ways with the brand.
“He’s the only player I’ve ever seen that actually plays pretty much the entire bag choked up. It does provide a lot of control; you don’t hit the ball as far offline. You hit the ball very straight that way,” said Woods.
It’s amazing that a lot of amateurs don’t try and do that,” Woods continued. “They like to grip the club like in baseball, with the pinky off the club because some pros have taught them that if you grip the very end of the club, you get more whip at the bottom.”
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Seems like an easy decision for Kim. Safe and sensible. So much so that I can’t imagine he really gave the PGA Tour much serious consideration. The route he has chosen is essentially a free roll. Guaranteed money. If he plays well, it’s heroic. If he struggles, he has a good excuse.
Jack Hirsh, assistant editor (@JR_HIRSHey): I agree with Sens. Kim will likely at least be getting the value of his insurance policy (reportedly $10 million) upfront. Do I think he wants to fly all the way to Saudi Arabia to go back to competitive golf? It’s interesting, to say the least. For LIV it’s a no-brainer because, at least for this week’s event and its next U.S. event (the week before the Masters in Miami), lots of golf fans will no doubt tune in to see the man who has become something of a mythical figure in the game. The timing is questionable given that LIV’s next two events are both in Asia, meaning the broadcasts will either be in the wee hours of the morning or on tape delay in other major markets.