Tag: Augusta

Increase in no-cut events and events with limited fields; eight ‘signature events’ form part of 36-event regular season; PGA Tour says new-look schedule will create “excitement for our fans and reward players like never before”; watch the PGA Tour live on Sky Sports Golf

The PGA Tour has released a new “reimagined” schedule for the 2024 season, which features more no-cut events than ever before and an increased $25m prize for the winner of the FedExCup.

Returning to a calendar-year schedule for the first time since 2012, the PGA Tour has described the events as being “interconnected like never before to deliver maximum drama and consequence”.

The FedExCup Regular Season will consist of 36 events.

The 2024 season begins in early January with the ‘Opening Drive’ double-header at The Sentry and Sony Open in Hawaii, and runs through to the Wyndham Championship in early August.

These tournaments include the four majors, The Players Championship and eight ‘signature events’.

At the end of the regular season, the top 70 players will advance to the FedExCup Playoffs.

“We are excited about the roll-out of the PGA Tour’s reimagined schedule and what the season will offer to our fans: a January start with stars competing head-to-head more often, alongside the weekly drama of life-altering moments and the emergence of new stars,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“While winning on the PGA Tour continues to be the ultimate – and most difficult – challenge, we have further connected every tournament, with more at stake each week.

“From The Sentry through the FedExCup Playoffs and into the soon-to-be-announced FedExCup Fall, this new, cadence will create consistent excitement for our fans and reward players like never before.

“We are grateful to the membership – especially the Player Directors and Player Advisory Council – as well as our tournaments and partners for the collaboration that has set us up for an exciting 2024.”

The release of the 2024 calendar comes two months after the the PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced a shock proposed agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV Golf, to form a new joint commercial entity in order to “unify the game”.

The ‘signature events’ explained

Previously referred to as ‘designated events’ in 2023, the newly-renamed signature events underline the continued evolution of the PGA Tour’s season format.

The eight events are limited-field tournaments with increased prize money and FedExCup points.

Five of these will not feature a cut, but the three player-hosted invitationals – The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament – will still feature a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties and any player within 10 shots of the lead.

The eight ‘signature events’ are as follows:

• The Sentry (January 1-7)
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (January 29-February 4)
• The Genesis Invitational (February 12-18)
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 4-10)
• RBC Heritage (April 15-21)
• Wells Fargo Championship (May 6-12)
• the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 3-9)
• Travelers Championship (June 17-23)

Explaining the qualification process for these events, the PGA Tour said in a statement: “The 2024 schedule cadence connects events through several new eligibility paths, allowing trending players to earn Signature Event starts and ensuring every member the opportunity to compete alongside the game’s best.

“The Sentry is the season’s first Signature Event and includes PGA TOUR winners from the previous calendar year as well as the top 50 members from the 2022-23 FedExCup standings (i.e. those who qualify for the BMW Championship, the second FedExCup Playoffs event).

“Eligibility for the remaining seven Signature Events (field sizes anticipated to be between 70-80 players) includes the top 50 members from the 2022-23 FedExCup standings and 15 members who can play their way in through The Next 10 and The Swing 5.”

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a new addition to that list for 2024 and will feature a revised format. Amateurs will now compete alongside professionals (80 players) over the first two rounds, with the competition limited to professionals only for the final two rounds.

Watch all the women’s majors, the Solheim Cup, the Ryder Cup and the end of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour seasons exclusively live over the coming months on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the best sport with NOW

The leading three players at the Genesis Scottish Open who are not already exempt will earn the final three spots into The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool; Watch the Scottish Open live on Thursday from 8am on Sky Sports Golf

The field is almost set for the final men’s major of the year, but who has already qualified for The 151st Open and who is yet to secure their invite to Royal Liverpool?

There are 153 players – as of July 11 – already confirmed to tee it up in Hoylake from July 20-23, exclusively live on Sky Sports, with the final three places up for grabs this week at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Eight of the world’s top 10 are in action in Scotland for the co-sanctioned event, including world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, in-form Rory McIlroy and defending champion Xander Schauffele, while all of those involved from inside the world’s top 50 are already secured a place in next week’s field.

The top three players not already exempt at The Renaissance Club – providing they make the cut – will secure a last-minute invite to Hoylake, with PGA Tour regulars, major stalwarts, and Ryder Cup hopefuls among those looking to earn a late spot at The Open.

World No 53 Cam Davis is the highest-ranked player in action yet to be guaranteed a spot at The Open, although the Presidents Cup player is currently first reserve and is likely to end up featuring next week.

Keith Mitchell, Alex Smalley, Taylor Montgomery and Mackenzie Hughes are the next highest-ranked players currently missing out, while England’s Aaron Rai will need to build on his impressive form on the PGA Tour, at the event he won in 2020, if he’s to play in The Open.

English pair Ben Taylor and Harry Hall – both PGA Tour players – are also looking to earn their spot along with compatriot Callum Tarren, who was in contention at the PGA Championship earlier this year.

Eddie Pepperell, who posted a top-five finish at The Open in 2018, former major champion Jimmy Walker and China’s Haotong Li – who carded a final-round 63 during the final round at Royal Birkdale in 2017, are all trying to qualify.

This week’s event has a huge amount of Ryder Cup qualification points on offer, ahead of the biennial contest taking place in Rome this September, with Team Europe captain Luke Donald and vice-captain Edoardo Molinari also in the field as they look at potential candidates.

One player likely to draw interest this week is Swedish star Ludvig Aberg, who has impressed on the PGA Tour since turning professional last month and enhanced his hopes of a Ryder Cup rookie appearance with a tied-fourth finish at the John Deere Classic last week.

Tom McKibbin, the Northern Irishman from the same town as McIlroy who claimed a breakthrough victory at the Porsche European Open last month, is among this season’s winners on the DP World Tour yet to earn a place at The Open.

Scandinavian Mixed winner Dale Whitnell, Soudal Open champion Simon Forsstrom and Ras Al Khaimah Championship winner Daniel Gavins have all won on the DP World Tour in 2023 but are not in the field for The Open, along with Matthew Baldwin and Nick Bachem.

Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg, who has a runner-up finish at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship among three top-10s this year, is the highest-ranked player in the DP World Tour rankings (20th) not yet in next week’s field.

Nicolai Hojgaard is looking to join twin brother Rasmus in playing at The Open, while Grant Forrest, Calum Hill and David Law are the Scottish contingent looking to impress on home soil and earn a major spot.

After Davis, the next two players on the reserve list for The Open – should there be any withdrawals – are Canada’s Adam Hadwin and 2017 runner-up Matt Kuchar, who are both not featuring in Scotland this week.

Watch the Genesis Scottish Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday with Featured Groups from 8am on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage from 12.30pm. The Open is then live from July 20-23 on Sky Sports Golf.

Cameron Smith claimed a one-shot win at The Open last summer, a few weeks before switching from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf; Smith will look to defend the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool from July 20-23, with The 151st Open live on Sky Sports

Open champion Cameron Smith picked up seven birdies in his last 10 holes to post an eight-under 63 and earn a one-shot lead after day one of LIV London.

Marc Leishman sits in second after an opening 64 as he also made hay on the closing holes at Centurion Golf Club, birdieing five of the last six holes – albeit his round started at the 12th in the shotgun start format.

Smith and Leishman play for Ripper, which led the team scoring after one day.

Thomas Pieters is in third after an opening 66, while Talor Gooch – who leads the LIV Golf points list – is in a grouping of players who shot 67.

PGA champion Brooks Koepka started and finished his round with a bogey as he posted a 72, leaving him in a tie for 33rd.

Koepka this week criticised his Smash team-mate Matthew Wolff, accusing him of quitting on rounds and wasting his talent. Wolff had only two birdies in his round of 73 and was tied for 38th in the 48-man field.

London is where the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league began last year, only in 2022 the tournament was played a week before the US Open.

For Smith, this is the last tournament he will play before defending his title at The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool from July 20 – live on Sky Sports.

The 151st Open takes place from July 20-23, with exclusive coverage throughout tournament week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday July 20 from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf.

US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson could select players from the LIV Golf circuit, including Brooks Koepka, who won the PGA Championship in May; Watch the Ryder Cup live on Sky Sports from September 29-October 1 in Rome

Zach Johnson has suggested LIV Golf players are “technically” eligible to join the United States Ryder Cup team.

Despite the recent thawing of relations between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf, players from the Saudi circuit have only been able to pick up points at the majors to earn qualification points.

LIV golfers who were suspended indefinitely by the PGA and DP World Tour will be able to re-apply for membership from the end of the 2023 season.

The 2023 Ryder Cup takes place live on Sky Sports Golf between from September 29 and October 1 in Rome.

“What’s transpiring in professional golf from a competitive level, competition level, is PGA Tour; right?” Johnson said.

“It’s not PGA of America. So the individuals that are Americans that play on other tours that are not the PGA Tour, they could play, I mean, technically the Latin Tour or the Asian Tour or wherever.

“More times than not they’re going to be members of the PGA of America for a number of reasons. Our liability insurance is number one and some other benefits.”

Although he didn’t outwardly come out and say LIV Golf members were welcome on Team USA, Johnson made it clear that nothing was barring them from securing a spot on the squad.

“These guys that left the PGA Tour that had status and left to play on that other tour, the LIV Tour, they’re still members of the PGA of America, so they are still able to garner points,” Johnson said. “They’re able to play in the PGA Championship as a result because that’s what the PGA of America runs. Obviously, technically, they can still be a part of Team USA.”

Johnson: Koepka has ‘really good chance’ of making team

Brooks Koepka, who is ranked 12th on the Official World Golf Ranking and won the 2023 PGA Championship after finishing tied for second at the Masters, has been backed by Rory McIlroy for a place in the US team.

Johnson has admitted Koepka is a player he’s keeping an eye on when it comes to selection.

“Brooks is third on the list. The top six earn their berth after the BMW Championship in mid-August in Chicago. So after that Sunday the top six are solidified, and then we make our six picks,” said Johnson. The next week is the Tour Championship. The Tuesday after the Tour Championship is when I make the picks.

“We’ll formulate 12 by then, but he has worked his way to second after the PGA Championship because of how well he played at the Masters and at the PGA Championship, the majors kind of last year too, but they were smaller in points, he has a really good chance of making the team, earning his way on the team, which is extremely impressive.”

Rickie Fowler takes a one-shot lead over Canada’s Adam Hadwin into the final round in Detroit, with England’s Aaron Rai three strokes back; Sunday’s tee times have been brought forward due to the threat of thunderstorms

Rickie Fowler produced a spectacular finish to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.

Fowler – chasing his first PGA Tour victory since 2019 – birdied five of his last six holes to post a eight-under 64 at Detroit Golf Club and move to 20 under, a shot clear of Canada’s Adam Hadwin.

The American rolled in a 20-footer at the second and took advantage of both par-fives on the front nine, seeing him turn in 33, then cancelled out a wayward drive and bogey at the tenth by picking up a shot at the par-three next.

Fowler made three consecutive birdies from the 13th and made a two-putt gain at the par-five 17th, then fired his approach at the par-four last to within three of the flag and set up a close-range birdie.

“I’m still going to have to play some solid golf tomorrow because there’s plenty of guys right behind me,” Fowler said. “It’s not like I have an eight-shot lead or anything like that where I can just go cruise.

“Like I mentioned at the US. Open, being through these last few years, I’m not scared to fail. I’ve dealt with plenty of that and dealt with plenty of bad golf. So just keep trusting swing thoughts and go stick to our game plan and go play some golf.”

Hadwin equalled the course record by carding an eagle and seven birdies in a bogey-free 63, while compatriot halfway co-leader Taylor Pendrith slipped two strokes back into third after signing off his five-under 67 with a bogey.

England’s Aaron Rai is three strokes back in a share of fourth, while two-time major champion Collin Morikawa is one of five players in tied-sixth on 16 under and four back going into the final day.

The threat of thunderstorms has seen tee times brought forward for the final round, with players going out in threesomes on Sunday and a two-tee start in operation. The final group are now scheduled to tee off at 8.55am local time (1.55pm BST).

Watch the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic live on Sky Sports! Live coverage will begin on Sky Sports Golf immediately after the conclusion of the Betfred British Masters.

Rory McIlroy posted fifth consecutive top-10 PGA Tour finish, claiming a share of seventh at the Travelers Championship and ending five strokes behind Keegan Bradley after a low-scoring week at TPC River Highlands

Rory McIlroy believes TPC River Highlands could be “obsolete” in the modern game after a week of low scoring at the Travelers Championship.

McIlroy posted a final-round 64 in Connecticut to end the week in a share of seventh spot on 18 under, five strokes behind winner Keegan Bradley.

The par-70 layout produced eight rounds of 62 or lower during the latest of the PGA Tour’s elevated event, with McIlroy admitting that soft conditions made for easier scoring conditions.

“I don’t particularly like when a tournament is like this,” McIlroy said. “Unfortunately, technology has passed this course by, right? It sort of has made it obsolete, especially as soft as it has been with a little bit of rain that we had.

“Again, like the conversations going back to, you know, limiting the golf ball and stuff like that, when we come to courses like this they just don’t present the challenge that they used to.

“You can grow the rough up and hope you get some firm conditions so it gets tricky. I think the blueprint for a really good golf course isn’t growing the rough up and making the fairways tight. That bunches everyone together.

“The blueprint is something like Los Angeles Country Club, where you have wide targets, but if you miss it’s penal. This isn’t that sort of golf course. It’s not that sort of layout. It doesn’t have the land to do that.

“Unfortunately when you get soft conditions like this and you’ve got the best players in the world, this is what’s going to happen.”

How McIlroy impressed in Connecticut

McIlroy made a close-range birdie at the second and followed back-to-back gains from the fourth by two-putting from 30 feet to take advantage of the par-five sixth.

The world No 3 converted from six feet at the seventh to go five under for his round, although bogeyed the ninth after a wayward drive left him having to take a drop.

McIlroy slotted in a six-foot birdie at the 11th but missed an opportunity from a similar distance at the next, then picked up a shot at the par-five 13th before closing a blemish-free back nine with a run of five consecutive pars.

“I got off to a hot start, which was nice and what I felt like I needed,” McIlroy said. “Then, yeah, hit a drive on nine that I didn’t think was that bad. Ended up against the boundary fence and made a bogey there, which halted the momentum that I had.

“Bounced back well with a birdie on 11, but then missed a chance on 12. Birdied 13 and then just couldn’t get anything to drop over those last few holes. I knew I was never going to win with the way Keegan [Bradley] was playing, but I felt like I probably needed a couple more birdies.

“It would’ve been nice to finish a little higher. Still, it’s another good week and solid performance after a long run and looking forward it a couple weeks off.”

McIlroy will next feature at the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club from July 13-16 – an event he skipped in 2022 – ahead of teeing it up at The 151st Open the following week.

The final major of the year takes place at Royal Liverpool for the first time since 2014, when he claimed a two-shot victory, with McIlroy hoping for a repeat performance as he looks to lift the Claret Jug for a second time.

The PGA Tour heads to Detroit next for the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Denny McCarthy leads Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott after opening day of the Travelers Championship, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler in fourth spot; Rory McIlroy fires first hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career on his way to opening-round 69; watch throughout the week on Sky Sports Golf

Denny McCarthy holds a two-shot lead after a low-scoring opening round at the Travelers Championship, as Rory McIlroy fired in the first hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career.

McCarthy carded 10 birdies in a stunning bogey-free 60 on the par-70 layout at TPC River Highlands, the venue which saw Jim Furyk’s historic ’58 round’ in 2016, to top the leaderboard ahead of major winners Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley.

McIlroy is alongside Xander Schauffele and US Open champion Wyndham Clark on two under, with the former world No 1 posting a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth, alongside five birdies and five bogeys during an eventful first round.

McCarthy opened with four straight birdies and two-putted from 60 feet to pick up another at the 15th, having driven the par-four green, then started his second nine with a run of three consecutive birdies.

The American got up and down from off the sixth green to add a ninth birdie of the day and move into the solo lead, before nearly holing his approach into the final green to set up a closing birdie.

Scott made four birdies in a five-hole stretch from the second and cancelled out a bogey at the seventh by picking up a shot at the ninth, seeing him turn in 31, then charged up the leaderboard by firing five consecutive birdies from the 11th.

The 2013 Masters champion saw his hopes of a sub-60 round ended when he found the water with his approach into the par-five 17th, although the Australian birdied the last to join Bradley on eight under.

Bradley had threatened a historic round himself when – beginning on the back nine – he birdied his first five holes and added three more in a five-hole stretch from the 17th, with the 2011 PGA champion cancelling out a bogey at the fifth by draining a 20-footer at the seventh.

Scottie Scheffler’s opening-round 63, which put him in fourth place, included four birdies in the last six holes, while Shane Lowry is within four of the early lead after also making a blemish-free start in his 64.

McIlroy’s ace part of mixed start

McIlroy rolled in a 10-foot birdie at the second but missed a chance from half the distance at the next, with the world No 3 bogeying his next two holes and slipping over par until his moment of brilliance at the par-three eighth.

“Five-iron to 215 yards, slightly back into the wind off the right,” McIlroy explained. “As hole-in-ones go, I’ve had them in the past where it has been an okay shot and you get a little lucky.

“That was the best shot of the day that I hit. Obviously a bonus for it to go in the hole, but it was really cool. I played pretty averagely up until that point and felt like that hole-in-one got me going a little bit.”

McIlroy almost holed his next approach from a bunker to set up a tap-in birdie, the first of back-to-back gains around the turn, only to bogey the par-five 13th after finding water off the tee.

He responded with successive birdies from the 14th, before two bogeys in his last three holes saw him card a 68 and fall eight strokes behind McCarthy at the top of the leaderboard.

Watch the Travelers Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Early coverage continues on Friday from midday via the red button on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage from 8pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Wyndham Clark claimed a one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy at Los Angeles Country Club, with Scottie Scheffler in third ahead of Cameron Smith; Rob Lee and Gary Murphy joined Josh Antmann to review a record-breaking US Open on the Sky Sports Golf podcast

Wyndham Clark’s landmark victory and another major near-miss for Rory McIlroy and are among the talking points from a bumper US Open review edition of the Sky Sports Golf podcast.

Rob Lee and Gary Murphy join regular host Josh Antmann to look back at an eventful week at Los Angeles Country Club, where Clark secured a maiden major title with a one-shot victory over McIlroy.

The panel look back at whether Clark coming into the final day as underdog worked to his advantage, despite him sharing the 54-hole lead, plus discuss some of the key moments from his career-changing triumph.

They explain the importance a mental coach can have for a change in a player’s fortunes, after Clark revealed how using one has helped him enjoy his best PGA Tour season to-date and seen him move on the verge of the world’s top 10, plus give their verdict on McIlroy’s runner-up finish.

McIlroy produced another impressive major performance but experienced a cold putter on the final day, with the guests questioning whether there is any more he could do going forward to find end that nine-year wait for an elusive fifth major title.

Putting struggles also impacted world No 1 Scottie Scheffler once again, who posted a fourth consecutive top-three finish on the PGA Tour without having his A-game, with the trio talking through some of the other storylines from the third men’s major of the year.

They give their verdict on the course, which was hosting a major for the first time, plus explain why the crowds were so low and made a muted atmosphere to one traditionally expected at a US Open.

Away from the major action, the guests continue to discuss the recent agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and debate what it could mean for the sport going forward.

Download and listen to the latest Sky Sports Golf podcast and don’t forget to subscribe via Spotify, Spreaker or Apple Podcasts! If you’d like to contact the podcast, then you can email at golf@skysports.com

Wyndham Clark won the US at Los Angeles Country Club by one shot over Rory McIlroy on Sunday to claim his first major title; McIlroy will now take his search for elusive fifth major victory to The Open next month at Royal Liverpool, where he won in 2014

Rory McIlroy has already switched his focus to ending his major drought at The 151st Open next month after narrowly missing out on victory at the US Open.

McIlroy went into the final round at Los Angeles Country Club a shot off the lead and made the dream start to his Sunday with an opening-hole birdie, only to make 16 pars and a bogey over the remainder of his round to card a level-par 70 and finish a shot behind Wyndham Clark.

The Northern Irishman’s runner-up finish is his fourth consecutive worldwide top-10 but extends a winless major run that stretches back to the 2014 PGA Championship, with McIlroy now turning his attention to being ready for the final men’s major of the year at Royal Liverpool.

“I’m getting closer,” McIlroy said. “The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it’s going to happen for me. Just got to regroup and get focused for Hoylake in a few weeks’ time.

“The last real two chances I’ve had at majors I feel like have been pretty similar performances, like St Andrews last year and then here. Not doing a lot wrong, but I didn’t make a birdie since the first hole today.

“Just trying to be a little more, I guess, efficient with my opportunities and my looks. When you’re in contention going into the final round of a US Open, I played the way I wanted to play. There were two or three shots over the course of the round that I’d like to have back.

“I’ll play Travelers [Championship] next week, I’ll play the Scottish Open, but I’m focused on making sure that I’m ready to go for Liverpool.”

McIlroy stays positive despite near-miss

The former world No 1 impressed from tee to green throughout the week, hitting 59 greens in regulation over the four rounds, with McIlroy struggling to adjust to the speed of the greens and experiencing a cold putter on the final day.

“I thought I did really well at executing my game plan, hitting a lot of fairways, hitting a lot of greens, again, what you should do at a US Open,” McIlroy added.

“If anything, I felt like over the last two days when the greens started to get quite crispy that my speed control was off a little bit, and I think that’s the reason I didn’t hole a lot of putts.

“I don’t think I was hitting bad putts, just hitting them with slightly the wrong speed. Some were coming up short, some were going a little long.

“I can play free and I think I proved that. Just felt like my speed control was a little off with the putter. That’s probably why I didn’t make a birdie since the first.

“When I do finally win this next major, it’s going to be really, really sweet. I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship.”

Watch Rory McIlroy in action this week at the Travelers Championship, live on Thursday from midday via the red button on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from 8pm.

Will Rory McIlroy end his nine-year major wait? Can Rickie Fowler or Wyndham Clark claim a maiden win? Could Scottie Scheffler snatch victory? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 5.30pm on Sky Sports Golf

Wyndham Clark and Rickie Fowler hold a share of the lead heading into the final day at the US Open, with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler leading the chasing pack. We look at some of the possible storylines to follow heading into what could be a historic Sunday in Los Angeles…

Can record-breaker Fowler make his major breakthrough?

Nearly four and a half years on from the most recent of Fowler’s five PGA Tour titles, the 34-year-old holds the first 54-hole co-lead of his major career as he searches for a maiden major victory.

Fowler sank to a career-low 185th in the world rankings last September, but a resurgence in form – fuelled by a return to former coach Butch Harmon – saw him come into this week’s major off the back of 10 top 20 finishes in his last 12 starts.

He made history by becoming the first player to ever card a 62 round in a US Open and break more records with an eventful second-round 68 on Friday, which contained just four pars, with Fowler set for the outright lead again on day three until a late blunder in his third round.

Fowler surprisingly three-putted from 40 feet for a closing bogey that lost his outright lead and ensured he would go out with Clark in the final group again on Sunday, although he has shown enough promise in his game over the first three days to suggest that this could be the week where he returns to the winner’s circle.

Will McIlroy find elusive major?

McIlroy and near-misses in majors have become a regular theme over the past nine years, although the world No 3 now has his one of his best opportunities yet to end that drought at the US Open.

The Northern Irishman has posted 18 top-10s in majors without winning since his 2014 PGA Championship success, while the three men immediately behind him on that list – Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth – have registered ten major titles between them during the same period.

An opening-round 65 left him three strokes behind record breakers Fowler and Xander Schauffele, who equalled the lowest rounds in men’s major history and posted an all-time US Open best with matching 62s, while a strong finish to the second round moved McIlroy closer to the lead.

McIlroy stayed patient as he mixed three birdies with two bogeys in a one-under 69, lifting him to nine under and leaving him just one off the pace going into the final day. Is this the week that McIlroy finally claims that elusive fifth major?

Can Scheffler continue dominant stretch?

Scheffler came into the event as the pre-tournament favourite and bolstered his hopes of securing a second major title with a remarkable finish to his third round.

The former Masters champion has finished no worse than 12th in every PGA Tour start in 2023, securing two victories along the way, with the world No 1 continuing that remarkable consistency to move into major contention once again.

Scheffler would have held the outright advantage if his putting inconsistencies had not continued this week, although the flat stick wasn’t required with an outrageous 196-yard eagle at the par-four 17th.

The six-time PGA Tour winner then drained a 22-foot birdie on his final hole, doubling the total length of putts holed across the day, to sign for a two-under 68. If there’s any sign of putting progress on the final day, then it would little surprise to see a Scheffler victory.

Will Clark cause major upset?

Wyndham Clark may have no experience in contending at the business-end of a major leaderboard, but the 29-year-old has yet to falter and could well become golf’s latest first-time major champion.

Clark is entering unchartered territory on Sunday, having finished no higher than 75th in his previous six major appearances, although has enjoyed a rapid rise in the world rankings in recent months after enjoying his best season to-date on the PGA Tour.

The American claimed a long-awaited PGA Tour breakthrough at the Wells Fargo Championship last month, one of four top-10s in 2023, with Clark bringing his new-found confidence into this week’s event.

Clark moved ahead with two birdies in his first three holes of his third round and responded to back-to-back bogeys at the 11th by picking up a shot at the 13th, with the world No 32 also undoing a penultimate-hole blemish by finishing with a birdie.

It would have been easy for Clark to slip away on ‘moving day’, but the fast finish ensures he will be back in the final group on Sunday and meet Fowler again. Expect another tight tussle.

Who will win the 123rd US Open? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 5.30pm on Sky Sports Golf and 9pm on Sky Sports Main Event.

Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm have been the dominant forces on the PGA Tour this season, with the pair set to continue their rivalry at the top of the world rankings this week at the US Open.

Rahm has already won four times on the PGA Tour in 2023, while Scheffler has enjoyed two victories – part of six titles in a 13-month stretch – and posted top-12 finishes in every appearance this year.

Scheffler has dominated the sport from tee-to-green so far this season, topping almost every statistic, with only an ice-cold putter preventing him from reaching the winner’s circle more frequently in recent months.

The 26-year-old is currently enjoying the fourth stint at world No 1 of his career and has been top of the world rankings since the PGA Championship, although Rahm can leapfrog him by winning or finishing solo second at Los Angeles Country Club this week.

Rahm hasn’t contended in his last two worldwide starts but has 10 major top-10 finishes to his name, with the Spaniard winning the first of two major titles at the US Open when it was last held in California back in 2021.

Scheffler is the pre-tournament favourite to claim a second major victory in as many years, which would extend his advantage over Rahm as world No 1, with the American now looking to go one better than last year’s runner-up finish.

Battle for No 1: The story so far in 2023

Reigning FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy began 2023 in pole position and retained top spot by starting the year with Hero Dubai Desert Classic victory, a third win in a run of seven worldwide starts where he finished no worse than fourth.

Rahm had started the year as world No 5 but followed victory at the Sentry Tournament of Champions by winning The American Express in his next start, with a top-seven finish at the Farmers Insurance Open a week later closing the gap on the world’s top two.

McIlroy saw his 16-week stay as world No 1 ended when Scheffler won the WM Phoenix Open, only for the American to be overtaken a week later when Rahm continued his winning streak with an impressive victory at the Genesis Invitational.

Victory at Riviera Country Club was Rahm’s fifth title in a nine-tournament stretch worldwide but a tied-39th finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational opened the door for the chasing duo, although he retained world No 1 when McIlroy shared second and Scheffler claimed tied-fourth at Bay Hill.

McIlroy missed the cut at The Players and Rahm withdrew ahead of his second round due to illness, allowing Scheffler to claim top-spot when he claimed a sixth win in 13 months with a dominant five-shot victory at TPC Sawgrass.

Scheffler was beaten by eventual winner Sam Burns in the semi-finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play a fortnight later, where Rahm suffered a group-stage exit, extending his advantage as world No 1 heading into the major season.

Rahm responded by succeeding Scheffler as Masters champion and world No 1, with a four-shot victory at Augusta National his second major title and fourth win of a remarkable start to 2023.

Both players posted top-15 finishes the following week at the RBC Heritage and Rahm claimed second in his Mexico Open title defence later that month, three strokes behind Tony Finau, while Scheffler missed out on a chance to reclaim top spot by ending tied-fifth at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

Rahm failed to live up to his billing as pre-tournament favourite at the PGA Championship, where he narrowly avoided missing the cut and registered his worst finish of the season, allowing Scheffler to return to top spot by equalling the lowest round of the final day to jump into a share of second.

Scheffler threatened further success at the Charles Schwab Challenge in his next start, where he finished in a share of third and a shot outside of the play-off won by Emiliano Grillo, then produced a tee-to-green masterclass at The Memorial but only finished third after more putting struggles.

He gaining 20.74 strokes from tee to green, the second-best performance since the PGA Tour began tracking such data 20 years ago, only to dead last in putting for those to make the cut after losing a remarkable 8.58 strokes to the field on the greens.

Who will have the edge in Los Angeles?

Rahm stuttered to a tied-16th finish at Muirfield Village that week, the sixth time in eight events he has finished outside the top-10, although feels in good shape about his game heading into the US Open.

“My confidence level is very high,” Rahm said in his pre-tournament press conference. “You have to have that belief in yourself as a competitor no matter what happens. You stick to the process and that’s basically what I think has happened this year.

There’s no magic formula. I’ve just stuck to working on the things that I have to work on and when you do the little things properly. Eventually scores come, and that’s what happened to me late last year and early this year.”

Scheffler has considered switching putters at the US Open in an attempt to end the putting problems, although the world No 1 has been left impressed that his struggles on the greens have stopped an impressive first half of the year.

“I’m most proud of what I did mentally there to still somehow give myself a chance to win when I wasn’t putting my best,” Scheffler explained. “I think that’s something that I’ve worked on over the years out here being on tour, is having that kind of mental edge

“Sometimes I’d let a few bad swings or bad putts ruin my day and I didn’t do that, and I haven’t done that in a while. I’m very proud of the kind of consistent results that I’ve put up on the board.”

Brooks Koepka will be chasing more success after following a runner-up finish at The Masters by winning the PGA Championship last month, his fifth major title, with another victory this week potentially moving the former world No 1 back inside the world’s top five.

McIlroy is without a major victory since 2014 but arrives with top-10 finishes in last three PGA Tour starts, with the 34-year-old looking able to move above Rahm into world No 2 if he was to win the US Open for a second time.

Who will win the US Open? Watch the third men’s major of the year exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Rory McIlroy plays alongside Brooks Koepka and Hideki Matsuyama for the first two rounds in Los Angeles; World No 3 cancelled his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the US Open; Watch live on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf

Rory McIlroy believes he has made ‘big steps of progress’ in his game ahead of his latest bid to end his nine-year major drought at the 123rd US Open.

McIlroy cancelled his pre-tournament press conference to avoid a repeat of the previous week at the RBC Canadian Open, where after he described questions about the PGA Tour and DP World Tour’s surprise partnership with Saudi Arabia’s PIF as the “most uncomfortable” he has felt for a year.

The former world No 1, who missed the cut at The Masters and failed to contend at the PGA Championship, finished tied-seventh at the Memorial Tournament after a final-round 75 before seeing his hopes of a historic three-peat in Canada ended by a disappointing Sunday.

The world No 3 ended in a share of ninth in Toronto, his third consecutive top-10 finish on the PGA Tour and his fifth in his last eighth starts, with McIlroy pleased with the strides he is making heading into the third major of the year.

“I would say I’m building towards something,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. I’m certainly feeling a lot better coming into this major championship than I was going to Oak Hill.

“I sort of pieced it together around Oak Hill and did okay, but the last two performances – minus the two Sundays – have been really big steps of progress and it’s just about trying to build on that.”

McIlroy won the US Open in 2011, storming to a record-breaking victory at Congressional Country Club, although has been unable to add to his tally of four majors since his 2014 PGA Championship success.

The Northern Irishman missed three consecutive cuts at the US Open between 2016 and 2018 before posting top-10 finishes in his last four appearances, including a share of fifth during Matt Fitzpatrick’s victory at Brookline last June, giving him confidence heading into this week in California.

“It’s great to have your name on a trophy like this,” McIlroy added. “It [2011] does feel like a lifetime ago and I honestly think it’s the best week of ball-striking I’ve ever had. I don’t know whether I’ve hit the ball better than that week.

“I’ve sort of had my ups and downs in this tournament as the years have gone by, but I feel like I’ve figured it out. I’ve started to figure out how to handle US Open conditions and tests and I think there’s certainly a lot more patience in my game than there used to be.”

McIlroy, who will partner Brooks Koepka and Hideki Matsuyama for the first two rounds at Los Angeles Country Club, played a practice round on his own early on Tuesday morning and is intrigued by the challenge the par-70 layout.

Beem: McIlroy ‘should be most upset’ by deal between tours

McIlroy admitted ahead of his Canadian Open defence last week that he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” and still “hated” LIV Golf as he responded to the shock declaration of peace in golf’s civil war.

The 34-year-old only found out about the agreement the morning that the stunning deal was announced last week, a decision that surprised players across all tours, with former PGA champion Rich Beem feeling that McIlroy can feel more hard done by than most by the deal.

“He’s the one who was truly out there at the forefront and there were a lot of people who got sick and tired of him being out there, but he felt it was his duty to go out there and represent the PGA Tour,” Beem told Sky Sports News.

“Then, all of a sudden, Ponte Vedra [PGA Tour headquarters] comes back and says ‘by the way, we’re going to merge with this group’, it’s like ‘I just did everything for nothing’. I think it hurt his feelings – as it should.

“If it were me, I’d be absolutely livid with it. Thankfully, he’s a little more level-headed than I am, but if there’s anybody in this discussion who should be the most upset, I think it’s him.”

Who will win the US Open? Watch the third men’s major of the year exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Brooks Koepka, who won the US Open in 2017 and 2018, claimed a fifth major last month with a two-shot victory at the PGA Championship; Can Koepka enjoy more major success? Watch the US Open live on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf

Brooks Koepka is relishing more “chaos” at the US Open as he looks to follow on from his PGA Championship success and continue his ambitious pursuit of a double-digit major tally.

Koepka won four majors between 2017 and 2019 before seeing his career hampered by injury, with the former world No 1 then switching from the PGA Tour to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit last summer.

The American bounced back from squandering a two-shot lead in the final round of The Masters in April, where he finished tied-second as Jon Rahm claimed victory, to claim a fifth major title with a two-shot victory at Oak Hill last month.

Koepka is among the pre-tournament favourites once again at Los Angeles Country Club, with the 33-year-old confident of focusing on his own game in a week where conversation is dominated by the shock agreement between the tours to try and unify the sport.

“The more chaotic things get, the easier it gets for me,” Koepka explained in his pre-tournament press conference. “Everything starts to slow down and I am able to focus on whatever I need to focus on while everybody else is dealing with distractions, worried about other things.

“I think there’s a few of them [reasons why he peaks at majors], but I think it [enjoying chaos] is definitely one of them. I enjoy the chaos.

“I’m pretty sure I know what it takes to compete in majors. I’ve won five of them and been second four times. And just over my track record how to prepare when you’re here, how to prepare when you’re home for it, I’ve got that, I guess, on lock.”

Koepka sets ambitious major target

Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Walter Hagen are the only male golfers in history to win 10 or major titles in their careers, although Koepka feels he can join that group after a PGA Championship victory he describes as the favourite of his major titles.

“They all mean something different, but this last one [PGA Championship], for all the stuff I had to deal with, all the pain, the tears, all the stuff that went into it,” Koepka, who won the US Open in 2017 and 2018, added.

“Like I said, there’s probably five, seven people in this whole world that really know what I went through and that were there every step of the way. I think they enjoyed it maybe even more than I did.”

On his major target, Koepka said: “I think one thing that was always harped on me was you knew how many majors Jack [Nicklaus] has, you knew how many Tiger [Woods] has, you knew how many Arnold Palmer has, you knew how many Gary Player, [Tom] Watson, all these legends, but I never knew how many PGA Tour events or wins they had total.

“That’s what you’re judged on. It’s major championships. You look at basketball, you’re judged on how many championships you’ve won, not how many games you’ve won. Same thing in every sport.

“Like I said, double digits, that’s what I’m trying to get to. I don’t think it’s out of the question for me. I think the way I’ve prepared, the way I’ve kind of suited my game for these things is going to help me.

“I’m only 33, so I’ve definitely got quite a bit of time. I’ve just got to stay healthy and keep doing what I’m doing.”

Could Koepka return to the PGA Tour?

Koepka was left surprised by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour’s plans to merge their commercial operations with the golf-related businesses of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), who bankroll LIV, although refused to get drawn on his future career plans.

“We [LIV players] didn’t hear anything about it,” Koepka explained. I think that’s the one thing that shocked everybody the most. I ran into Rickie [Fowler] and JT [Justin Thomas] after watching the whole thing and I asked if they knew, and they said they didn’t know.

“I’m not going to go into the future. I don’t have a crystal ball with me. I’m just worried about the US Open. If I can get to [major] No 6 pretty quick, that would be nice. It’s a lot of what-if games. I’m not going to play the what-if game. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.”

Who will win the US Open? Watch the third men’s major of the year exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf.

CT Pan holds a two-shot lead at the RBC Canadian Open, with Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose all in the group sharing second; Watch the final round live on Sunday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf

Rory McIlroy has set his sights on a historic third consecutive RBC Canadian Open title after moving within two strokes of the lead heading into the final round in Toronto.

The world No 3, who has won the last two editions of the event in 2019 and 2022, fired six birdies in a brilliant bogey-free 66 at Oakdale Golf & Country Club on Saturday to stay in touch with 54-hole leader CT Pan.

McIlroy temporarily jumped into the solo lead when he followed a front-nine 33 by firing three consecutive birdies from the 11th, although a three-putt par at the last leaves him in a six-way tie for second on 12 under.

“It’s great to put myself in with a shot tomorrow,” McIlroy said. “I never won a tournament three times in a row. I felt like last year the win wasn’t just for me it was for a few other things. But this one, this year, if I were able to get over the line, will be solely for me.”

Pan birdied his final two holes to close a third-round 66 and move top of a congested leaderboard on 14 under, while McIlroy is joined two strokes back by Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Mark Hubbard, Andrew Novak and Harry Higgs.

Rose charged into contention by birdieing six of his last seven holes to card a six-under 66, as Fleetwood recovered from a slow start to make a hat-trick of birdies from the seventh and add five more on his back nine to register a third-round 64.

“I felt like the leaderboard’s been very, very bunched up, so just staying hanging around sort of over those first two days was important,” Fleetwood said. “A great round going today and you just have to go out and enjoy those days when they come.”

England’s Aaron Rai birdied the par-five last to move to 11 under and into tied-eighth alongside Canada’s Nick Taylor, who charged into contention earlier in the day with a round-of-the-day 62, while Corey Conners completes the top-10 and is four back on ten under.

Tyrrell Hatton fell six off the pace after only making a level-par 72 on a low-scoring day, while US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick is inside the top-20 and eight behind after a three-under 69.

Who will win the RBC Canadian Open? Watch early coverage of the final round on Sunday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage from 6pm.

Aaron Rai one of four players tied for the lead on five under, with Matt Fitzpatrick a shot back on a congested leaderboard; Rory McIlroy four off the pace as he chases third consecutive Canadian Open victory – watch throughout the week on Sky Sports Golf

England’s Aaron Rai holds a share of the lead after the opening round of the RBC Canadian Open, where US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick also started strongly.

Rai recovered from being three over after five holes to card a brilliant five-under 67 at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club, seeing him part of a four-way tie at the top of a congested leaderboard.

The world No 130 had seen an early birdie at the second cancelled out by a double-bogey at the next and back-to-back bogeys from the fourth, only to bounce back with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the seventh.

Rai followed a two-putt birdie at the par-five 12th by picking up a shot at the next and coming close to a hole-in-one at the par-three 14th, with further birdies at the 16th and 18th helping him share top spot with Chesson Hadley, Justin Lower and Canada’s Corey Conners.

“I played really nicely overall,” Rai said. “Holes three to six would be the hardest holes on the course and they’re all kind of back-to-back, which makes it difficult. But very pleased with how we finished off the round after that, how we played.”

Hadley held the outright advantage until a bogey at the par-three ninth, his final hole, while Conners made a bogey-free start to the week and Lower eagled the par-five last to complete the quartet at the top.

Fitzpatrick showed positive signs ahead of next week’s US Open title defence by rolling in five birdies on the opening day, with a bogey on his penultimate hole – the 352-yard eighth – leaving him in a share of fifth.

England’s Justin Rose is two off the pace and Tommy Fleetwood is part of the group three behind, while Rory McIlroy opened his bid for a third consecutive RBC Canadian Open victory with an opening-round 71.

McIlroy mixed five birdies with four bogeys during an eventful start, with the Northern Irishman – who played alongside Rose – glad to be back focusing on golf after an eventful week in the sport.

“Rosie [Justin Rose] and I said, ‘All right, no chatting until lunch so that we can actually concentrate on what we’re doing out there,’” McIlroy said. “We started to get in a conversation walking down the first (hole) and we’re like, ‘No, let’s stop this. Let’s just focus on our golf and we’ll say what we want to say when we get inside.’

“So, it was nice to play a round of golf and focus on something else for those five hours we were out there.”

Watch the RBC Canadian Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Early coverage of the second round begins on Friday from midday via the red button, ahead of full coverage from 8pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Rory McIlroy shot a two under par 70 at the Memorial Tournament on Saturday; McIlroy is on six under alongside David Lipsky and Si Woo Kim going into the final round; watch day four live on Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm on Sunday

Rory McIlroy finished the third round of the Memorial Tournament tied for first place alongside David Lipsky and Kim Si-woo.

McIlroy shot a two under par 70 on Saturday at Murifield Village.

With the lead shifting dramatically in the final stages McIlroy goes into the final round at six under par with Lipsky, who’s chasing a first PGA Tour win, and Kim.

McIlroy, who began this tournament with a nightmarish triple bogey finish to his first round, has worked his way firmly into contention.

“I’m feeling more comfortable than I felt at Oak Hill [at the PGA Championship]. I wouldn’t say I’m 100 per cent. But I’m battling and I’m hanging in there.

“The course is playing really tough,” he continued. “It’s just about trying to position your way across the golf course.

“But it feels better. I did a lot of good work last week and, I keep saying this, but I feel like I’m not fighting the club face as much as I have been. I’m able to release it a little bit more and just have a little more trust in it and obviously this week with how tough it’s playing you need to trust it.”

From his position on the leaderboard, McIlroy believes he’s in with “a great chance” of victory on the final day.

“I think this course is still very playable from the fairways. I’ve done a good job this week of keeping the ball in play,” he said.

“What I need to do tomorrow is just stick to that gameplan. Not to try to get ahead of myself, not to get too aggressive.

“If I stick to the gameplan that I’ve played with the last three days, I’ll be in with a great chance.”

Watch day four of the Memorial Tournament live on Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm on Sunday.

Emiliano Grillo won the Charles Schwab Challenge 66 years after Argentinian Roberto de Vicenzo; it is Grillo’s second victory on the PGA Tour; England’s Harry Hall misses out on play-off by one shot after bogey on final hole; Scottie Scheffler makes hole-in-one during final round

Emiliano Grillo won his second PGA tour title after he edged out Adam Schenk in a double playoff hole at the Charles Schwab Challenge while English golfer Harry Hall finished tied third in Texas on Sunday.

The Argentine was two strokes clear and looked primed to win at Colonial but the 30-year-old hit a memorable double-bogey on the last hole, providing an opening for Schenk to come back into contention, seeking to win his first PGA Tour title.

Grillo hit his drive into a small stream on the final hole which took the ball back roughly 100 yards back in the direction of the tee box before stopping against a rock.

He decided to take a penalty stroke and landed a two-putt from 20 yards to tie with Schenk at eight under.

Schenk made par on the final hole while English PGA Tour rookie Hall,who held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds, needed a par on the final hole to compete in the playoff.

Hall hit a bogey on the last hole after landing his drive into the water and finished tied in third with world No 1 American Scott Scheffler, whose 67 featured the second hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career, on seven under.

Grillo struck a five-foot birdie putt to claim the title on the second playoff hole to get his first tour win in more than seven years, finishing the tournament on eight-under with 68 on his final day.

“I made a double on 18 [Sunday] and honestly I didn’t care,” Grillo said. “Obviously, I would have liked to get it on the 72nd, but to close with some great swings, great swings there on 18, two great birdies on 16.”

Grillo had a busy front nine, making four birdies and two bogeys as he started to claw toward the top. He added birdies at 12 and 16 – the latter on a putt of nearly 20 feet – to hit 10 under before his adventurous double bogey.

Schenk, who went 66-67-67 to start the tournament, posted three bogeys through his first 13 holes and landed his only birdie of the day at the par-three 16th.

Harold Varner III takes two-shot lead after first round at LIV DC in Washington; PGA champion Brooks Koepka level par after shooting opening 72; defending Open champion Cameron Smith tied for third on four under; Varner seeking first LIV win and first win since February 2022

Harold Varner III made two eagles en route to an eight-under 64 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, DC, to take the first-round lead in the latest LIV Golf event.

Varner is two clear of James Piot (six-under 66), with a group tied for third at four-under 68 featuring Cameron Smith of Australia, Mito Pereira of Chile, Kevin Na and Andy Ogletree.

Varner opened his round with a bogey at the par-three fourth hole but shrugged it off quickly. After a birdie brought him back to even, he made an eagle-two at the 317-yard, par-four ninth hole.

His second eagle came four holes later at the par-five 13th hole. He followed that with two birdies for a four-under run in three holes. He picked up birdies at the final two par-fives (Nos 18 and 3) to set the pace.

Varner, 32, is seeking his first win on the Saudi-funded LIV circuit. He has had a fine career thus far and tied for 29th at both The Masters and the PGA Championship this season, but his last win came in February 2022 at the Saudi International on the Asian Tour.

Piot and Ogletree are former US Amateur winners among the younger pros hoping to make a mark in the PGA Tour’s upstart rival league. Piot had seven birdies and one bogey on Friday, while Ogletree had five birdies and one bogey.

Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed were among the names tied at three-under 69, while Bryson DeChambeau and Spain’s Sergio Garcia, among others, shot two-under 70.

Brooks Koepka, coming off his fifth career major title on Sunday at the PGA Championship, opened with an even-par 72.

Phil Mickelson is in 44th place after an opening two-over 74.

Varner’s RangeGoats GC are tied with Iron Heads GC for the lead in the team competition at 10 under. Varner, Talor Gooch (70) and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters (72) had their scores count for RangeGoats, while Iron Heads were fuelled by captain Na, Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe (69) and Danny Lee of New Zealand (69).

Jorge Campillo leads the KLM Open by two shots on 10-under par, with England’s Marcus Armitage four shots back; watch round three live on Sky Sports from 12.30pm on Saturday

Spain’s Jorge Campillo saw his lead at the KLM Open trimmed to two strokes after shooting a one-under 71 in the second round.

A day after making 10 birdies in an opening-round 63 to gain a three-shot lead, Campillo was efficient rather than spectacular around Bernardus Golf in picking up strokes on the fourth and 15th holes.

His only bogey of the day was on the fifth after driving into trees and then finding a greenside bunker.

“It wasn’t even close to yesterday’s round but I played solid,” said Campillo, who is seeking his second win of 2023 – after the Kenya Open in March – and the fourth of his career on the DP World Tour.

“After a nine under, it’s hard to play the day after so I was trying to have an under-par round, which I did, so I’m quite happy with it.”

The 36-year-old is 10 under par overall. His nearest challenger is Renato Paratore, a 455th-ranked Italian, who shot 68.

Daniel Hillier of New Zealand shot 67 and is alone in third, a further stroke behind.

England’s Marcus Armitage is in a four-way tie for fourth on six under after shooting a second-round 70, while compatriots Dan Bradbury, who carded a second-round 67, and Todd Clements are in a nine-way tie for eighth on five under.

Andy Sullivan, who had started the day three shots off the lead, slipped to four under after recording a 74.

Is Viktor Hovland moving closer to a major win? What positives can Rory McIlroy take from the PGA Championship? Talking points from a memorable week at Oak Hill, where Brooks Koepka claimed an impressive victory…

Koepka heads another strong week for LIV

Koepka’s victory saw him become the first player to win a major since joining LIV, meaning the Saudi-backed circuit currently has two of the last three major champions on their roster and helps undermine any argument about the lack of quality on the rival tour.

Former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau finished in a share of fourth and was among the first to congratulate Koepka for his win on social media, while Cameron Smith posted a top-10 in another strong week for LIV players in majors.

It follows Koepka and Phil Mickelson sharing second at The Masters the previous month, where Patrick Reed also ended the week inside the top-five, while many more of the LIV contingent will fancy their chance of contending – if eligible to play – at the US Open and The Open this summer.

The media-heightened animosity between the two tours has certainly softened since players from both circuits went head-to-head over the first two majors, with Rory McIlroy among those to distance himself from any questioning around the LIV circuit.

LIV participation in the majors will only get tougher while they remain unrecognised by the Official World Golf Rankings, as exemptions begin to expire and players drops further down the rankings, although The Masters and PGA Championship have shown that many of their members still thoroughly deserve their spot at golf’s top table.

Hovland moves closer to maiden major

Viktor Hovland may have fallen just short in his latest bid to become golf’s newest major champion, but his final-round display suggested he is moving closer to an elusive breakthrough.

Hovland shared the 54-hole lead at The Open last summer before fading to a tied-fourth finish and then ended in tied-seventh at The Masters last month, with the 25-year-old then pushing Koepka throughout in a final-round tussle at Oak Hill.

He remained within one of the lead until a costly double-bogey at the 16th, although bounced back to birdie his final hole to claim a share of second and post the best major finish of his young career.

Hovland said in his post-round interview that he felt like things were going in the right direction, with the world No 6 likely to be amongst the favourites now for the final two majors of the year.

McIlroy makes positive strides in latest major top-10

Rory McIlroy came into the week off the back of a missed cut at The Masters and disappointing performance at the Wells Fargo Championship, then endured another erratic day off the tee as he battled to an opening-round 71.

The former world No 1 admitted he “couldn’t believe” he was only five strokes off the halfway lead as he continued to struggled to find his best form, with McIlroy continuing to dig deep over the weekend to post back-to-back 69s and finish in a share of seventh.

McIlroy is still without a major win since his 2014 PGA Championship triumph but now has 18 top-10s since that fourth major victory, while the Northern Irishman will he buoyed by his performance after setting himself such low expectations ahead of the tournament.

There’s not many players who can be nowhere near their best and still flirt with a late Sunday charge up the leaderboard, while McIlroy will now looks to improve on that weekend display when he makes four consecutive starts on the PGA Tour next months.

Block becomes golf’s new Cinderella story

Koepka may have been the player to have taken home the Wanamaker Trophy, but it was 46-year-old club professional Michael Block who won the hearts of the golfing world with his career-changing performance.

While the other 19 club pros failed to make it through to the weekend, Block quickly became dubbed the “Rocky of Rochester” after firing three consecutive rounds of 70 – each in completely different conditions – to make himself a genuine contender going into the final day.

Block won fans over with entertaining walk-and-talks during live TV coverage and was left close to tears when he discovered he had outscored Jon Rahm over the first two rounds, with the veteran enjoying rounds alongside Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy in a weekend that will never be forgotten.

Huge crowds followed the fans’ favourite during a final-round 71, where a sensational hole-in-one at the par-three 15th helped him to a tied-15th finish, with Block visibly emotional after sharing a hug with McIlroy on the 18th green and ensuring he will automatically qualify for next year’s event.

The result gave Block a $288k pay cheque, nearly four times the amount of his previous high, with Block reduced to tears again when found out he had received an exemption to play on the PGA Tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge this week.

An invite to next month’s RBC Canadian Open followed, meaning the members at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club may not be seeing much of their usual pro for some time! The Block party will only to continue to grow.

Rahm fails to live up to pre-tournament hype

Jon Rahm came into the event as the overwhelming favourite, having secured his fourth victory of the year at The Masters last month, only to see bid for back-to-back majors come to an abrupt halt after a nightmare start to the tournament.

Rahm carded his worst round of the year after five bogeys in a six-hole stretch and an ice-cold putter left him signing for a six-over 76, with the Spaniard having to produce a battling second-round 68 to sneak into the weekend and avoid a first worldwide missed cut since October 2021.

The world No 1 continued to show signs of frustration during an erratic third round in heavy rain, where he had a dispute with a cameraman and then hit a greenside microphone in anger, although salvaged a two-over 72 before signing off his week with a closing 71.

Rahm returns to action at The Memorial next month, an event he won in 2020 and had to withdraw from when six shots ahead a year later due to Covid-19, while it would be no surprise to see him back contending in the final two majors of the year.

Spieth falls short in Grand Slam bid

Jordan Spieth’s hopes of completing the career Grand Slam will have to wait at least another year after the three-time major champion failed to force his way into contention.

Spieth was a late arrival at Oak Hill after missing last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson due to injury, with the 29-year-old having his left wrist heavily strapped up as he stuttered to the weekend on the cut mark.

The former world No 1 admitted after his third round that the injury left him lacking confidence in certain positions ‘cost a few shots’, with Spieth finishing tied-29th in his seventh opportunity to join golf’s most elite group.

Spieth will have another chance to complete the Grand Slam at Valhalla next year, where victory would see him become just the sixth player in history to do so, although the priority over the coming weeks will be to get his wrist back to full strength.

Mickelson joins major centenary club

Phil Mickelson may not have been able to replicate the final-round charge he enjoyed at The Masters the previous month, but the six-time major champion was still able to create more headlines with his performance at Rochester.

Mickelson, who became the oldest winner in major history with 2021 victory before skipping his title defence last year, joined Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as the only players to make 100 cuts in majors.

Reaching the weekend meant Mickelson equalled the record for most cuts made at the PGA Championship, tying with Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd at 27, with the American’s lifetime exemption at the event giving him plenty of opportunities to add to that in the years ahead.

The 52-year-old carded rounds of 75 and 70 over the weekend to end the week on 10 over, while attention will be on Mickelson again next month when he has his annual attempt to complete the career Grand Slam at the US Open.

What’s next?

The PGA Tour heads to Texas for the Charles Schwab Challenge and the DP World Tour action comes from the KLM Open in the Netherlands, with both events live from Thursday on Sky Sports Golf.

The men’s major season continues next month at the US Open, where Matt Fitzpatrick returns as defending champion and Los Angeles Country Club hosts for the first time, with extended coverage live from June 15-18 on Sky Sports.