Tag: Augusta

Brooks Koepka, who is the first LIV Golf player to win a major championship, said: “I definitely think it helps LIV. But I’m more interested in my own self right now, to be honest”; Koepka held off Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler on the final day at Oak Hill

Brooks Koepka said his final-day Masters failure played a key role in him securing a fifth major title after emerged victorious with an impressive PGA Championship victory.

Koepka led by two strokes after three rounds at Augusta National earlier this year, but ultimately lost out to Jon Rahm as he shot a three-over 75 on the Sunday.

Koepka blamed himself for “choking” when addressing the media earlier this week but, holding a one-shot advantage entering the final day in Rochester, the 33-year-old this time would not let his lead slip.

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Brooks Koepka was leading heading into the final round at The Masters, but he hit six bogeys on day four and ended four shots behind winner Jon Rahm.

“I definitely wouldn’t have won, I don’t think, if that [The Masters] didn’t happen,” Koepka said. “Definitely take it and keep using it going forward for each event, each major, any time I’m in contention.

“I’ve always learned more from the four times I finished second than, I guess, the five times I’ve won now.

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Brooks Koepka gives his reaction to his final round 75 at The Masters as he finished second to Jon Rahm at Augusta National.

“I think failure is how you learn. You get better from it. You realize what mistakes you’ve made.

“Really, I think the big key is just being open and honest with yourself, and if you can do that, you’ll be miles ahead of everybody else.”

Koepka’s victory was his third at the PGA Championship and fifth overall, moving him clear of Rory McIlroy (four) and level with the legendary Seve Ballesteros, among others, on five.

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Brooks Koepka on what it would mean to join Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in winning three or more PGA Championships.

It was his first major win for four years, with injuries blighting his career in the intervening years before a marked return to form in 2023.

“It feels damn good,” he said. “This one is definitely special. I think this one is probably the most meaningful of them all with everything that’s gone on, all the crazy stuff over the last few years. It feels good to be back and to get number five.”

Brooks added on his legacy: “I do care about it. It’s just tough to really grasp the situation kind of while you’re still in it, I think.

“I try not to think of it right now. Probably when I’m retired and I can look back with Jena and my son and kind of reflect on all that stuff, that will be truly special, but right now I’m trying to collect as many of these things as I can.”

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Highlights from the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill which saw Brooks Koepka lift the trophy for a third time.

Koepka’s victory at Oak Hill also represented the first major success for a member of the LIV Golf tour.

“I definitely think it helps LIV,” Koepka said. “But I’m more interested in my own self right now, to be honest with you.

“Yeah, it’s a huge thing for LIV, but at the same time I’m out here competing as an individual at the PGA Championship. I’m just happy to take this home for the third time.”

Hovland: Second-place finish ‘sucks right now’

Pushing Koepka all the way in the final round was his playing partner Viktor Hovland. The Norwegian trailed by only one stroke until he found the bunker on his way to a double bogey the 16th hole.

Hovland opted to hit a nine iron out of the sand but his effort plugged in the lip of the bunker and his challenge disappeared like his ball, with Koepka birdieing the same hole to move four clear.

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Viktor Hovland’s hopes of winning the 2023 PGA Championship effectively ended after a double bogey on the par-four 16th hole when he left his ball in the lip of the bunker.

“I felt like I played really solid golf,” Hovland told reporters. “I gave myself a lot of looks… but Brooks was hard to catch. He is a great player, and now he has five majors. That’s a hell of a record right there.

“It’s not easy going toe to toe with a guy like that. He is not going to give you anything, and I didn’t really feel like I gave him anything either until 16.

“I feel like I belong out here. I just have got to get a little bit better, and hopefully it goes my way the next time.

It’s Hovland’s third top-10 finish in a row in major championships and he added: “It sucks right now, but it is really cool to see that things are going the right direction.

“If I just keep taking care of my business and just keep working on what I’ve been doing, I think we’re going to get one of these soon.”

Scheffler ‘doesn’t care’ about return to No 1 ranking

Scottie Scheffler shot a five-under 65 to finish in a tie for second with Hovland, two shots back from Koepka on seven under. It’s a result that saw him return to No 1 in the world.

Leapfrogging Masters champion Jon Rahm into top spot represented no silver lining to the 2022 winner at Augusta National, however.

Scottie Scheffler returns to number one in the world rankings after his tied-second finish in the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill

“It’s nice, but I really don’t care,” Scheffler told the media, laughing. “I don’t play for world ranking. I play to come out here and compete.

“Right now, I’m a little sad that I wasn’t able to get the tournament done, but I’m proud of how I fought, I’m proud of how I played the back nine today to give myself a chance. I got beat by somebody that played better this week, and tip of the cap to Brooks. I’s just how it goes.”

Brooks Koepka takes a one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners heading into the final day at Oak Hill; Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy all under par; Watch the final round live on Sunday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf

Pairings and tee times for the final round of the 105th PGA Championship, held at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.

All times BST; USA unless stated

*CFPT means member of Corebridge Financial PGA Team (PGA professionals)

Starting at Hole One

1250 Ben Taylor (Eng), Mark Hubbard

1300 Joel Dahmen, Kazuki Higa (Jpn)

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Highlights from the third round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill which saw Brooks Koepka shoot four under to take the lead heading into the final day.

1310 Taylor Montgomery, Taylor Moore

1320 Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson

1330 Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Lee Hodges

1340 Sihwan Kim, Zach Johnson

1350 Padraig Harrington (Irl), Matt Wallace (Eng)

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Jordan Spieth hits his opening shot of day three at the PGA Championship into the toilets!

1400 Adrian Meronk (Pol), Pablo Larrazabal (Esp)

1410 Thomas Detry (Bel), Tony Finau

1420 Callum Tarren (Eng), Yannik Paul (Ger)

1430 Max Homa, JT Poston

1440 Patrick Rodgers, Thriston Lawrence (Rsa)

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Justin Rose put on a putting masterclass in his third round to give him an outside chance of glory at the PGA Championship.

1450 KH Lee (Kor), Denny McCarthy

1510 Adam Hadwin (Can), Adam Scott (Aus)

1520 Sam Stevens, Nicolai Hojgaard (Den)

1530 Tom Hoge, Lucas Herbert (Aus)

1540 Dean Burmester (Rsa), Jon Rahm (Esp)

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Rory McIlroy had a rollercoaster of a third round, but remains in contention heading into the final round of the PGA Championship.

1550 Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth

1600 Harold Varner III, Mito Pereira (Chi)

1610 Collin Morikawa, Beau Hossler

1620 Xander Schauffele, Chez Reavie

1630 Alex Smalley, Thomas Pieters (Bel)

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Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry received a warm welcome to the tee ahead of round three of the PGA Championship…. but the announcer didn’t quite get their names right.

1640 Keegan Bradley, Matt NeSmith

1700 Cameron Smith (Aus), Hayden Buckley

1710 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Chris Kirk

1720 Keith Mitchell, Taylor Pendrith (Can)

1730 Adam Svensson (Can), Sepp Straka (Aut)

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Bryson DeChambeau was booed on to the opening tee when he was announced to the Oak Hill crowd.

1740 Sahith Theegala, Patrick Cantlay

1750 Cam Davis (Aus), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)

1800 Kurt Kitayama, Ryan Fox (Nzl)

1810 Min Woo Lee (Aus), Patrick Reed

1820 Eric Cole, Shane Lowry (Irl)

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Justin Rose felt he got the most out of his round and said he’s fighting again to give himself the best opportunity to win another major championship.

1830 Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Victor Perez (Fra)

1850 Justin Suh, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

1900 Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Michael Block [CFPT]

1910 Justin Rose (Eng), Scottie Scheffler

1920 Corey Conners (Can), Bryson DeChambeau

1930 Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland (Nor)

Who will win the 105th PGA Championship? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Brooks Koepka three off halfway lead and Rory McIlroy five strokes back; Jon Rahm on four over as Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas make the cut on the number; Watch the PGA Championship live on Saturday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf

Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners hold a share of the halfway lead at the PGA Championship, with Bryson DeChambeau heading the chasing pack at Oak Hill.

Scheffler followed a blemish-free 67 on Thursday with a two-under 68 in warmer and windier conditions at Oak Hill, as the world No 2 mixed four birdies with two bogeys to head into the weekend on five under.

Conners matched Scheffler’s total and Hovland made it a three-way tie at the top when he closed a second-round 67 with a birdie, with overnight leader DeChambeau two off the pace alongside Justin Suh.

Four-time major champion Brooks Koepka is within three of the lead alongside England’s Callum Tarren, while Rory McIlroy is five back on level-par and world No 1 Jon Rahm is through to the weekend thanks to a second-round 68.

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Rory McIlroy holes a birdie putt on the 18th hole to move into contention

Exciting weekend ahead at Oak Hill

None of the morning wave were able to get within three strokes of overnight clubhouse leader DeChambeau, with Taylor Pendrith and Justin Rose sitting the initial target at one under after rounds of 69 and 70.

Scheffler began his day one behind but made the dream start by firing his approach to tap-in range at the first and holing in a 10-foot birdie at the next, taking him to five under, only for Conners – beginning on the back nine – to pick up shots at the 13th and 15th to take a share of the lead.

Corey Conners mixed three birdies with a lone bogey on Friday

Conners was handed the outright advantage when Scheffler carded his first bogey of the week at the seventh, having failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker, with the Canadian making clutch saves at the 17th and 18th to reach the turn one ahead.

Keegan Bradley made birdies at the second and fourth to join Scheffler on four under, while DeChambeau slipped four behind after following a three-putt bogey at the third by requiring two attempts to get out of a greenside bunker and double-bogeying the sixth.

Conners responded to a missed eight-foot birdie chance at the first to drain a 20-footer at the next to double his lead, while Hovland started his back nine with a birdie to move alongside Scheffler on four under.

Scheffler made a 10-foot birdie at the 14th and fired his tee shot at the next to tap-in range, which gave him the solo advantage when Conners bogeyed the seventh, only for him to bogey the last and slip back to five under.

DeChambeau moved within one of the lead with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the 11th, while Hovland signed off a brilliant second-round 67 and made it a three-way tie at the top with a closing birdie.

Who is in the chasing pack?

A final-hole bogey dropped DeChambeau two back alongside Justin Suh, while Koepka birdied four of his last seven holes to close a second-round 66, with Rose on one under and just nine players in red figures heading into the weekend.

Shane Lowry charged into contention with six birdies in an eight-hole stretch but bogeyed two of his last three holes to slip back to level par, while McIlroy is also five back after a brilliant back-nine fightback.

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Rory McIlroy admitted his long birdie on the ninth hole gave him momentum heading into the back nine

McIlroy had been two over for his round until he nailed a 45-foot birdie at the par-four ninth, with the former world No 1 then signing off a bogey-free back nine by making a 15-footer and closing a one-under 69.

Club pro Michael Block is within five of the lead with back-to-back 70s, with Dustin Johnson faltering to a four-over 74 to slip six off the pace alongside the likes of Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay.

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Watch Michael Block’s shanked tee shot and ugly approach at the par-three fifth, where a double-bogey saw him slip down the PGA Championship leaderboard

Big names sneak through at Oak Hill

Rahm was outside the cut mark with six holes to play but birdied his next three, with the Spaniard recovering from bogeying the 16th to close out a second-round 68 and head into the weekend on four over.

Defending champion Justin Thomas scrambled a final-hole bogey to make the cut on the number, while Jordan Spieth got up and down from the sand to save par and stay on five over to keep his outside Grand Slam hopes alive.

Phil Mickelson secured his 100th cut made in a major and is also 10 back thanks to a two-over 72, while US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson winner Jason Day both missed the cut.

Watch the PGA Championship throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Team Europe host Team USA in the Ryder Cup this September at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, live on Sky Sports; Luke Donald hopes some of his prospective rookies impress this week at the PGA Championship

Luke Donald has ruled out any possibility of a ‘captain’s agreement’ with Zach Johnson over how the two teams can incorporate LIV players into their Ryder Cup sides.

European stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson have all resigned from the DP World Tour, following further sanctions on players who competed in LIV Golf events without permission, meaning they are no longer eligible to feature in the biennial contest.

LIV players can still represent Team Europe in Rome this September, providing they remain DP World Tour members, while the PGA of America – which controls eligibility for Team USA – have kept those who resigned from the PGA Tour still eligible for this year’s contest.

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A look at best of the action from the final day of the Ryder Cup in 2021, where Team USA claimed a record-breaking victory

“I think in terms of what Zach is doing and his options, I think that’s kind of his call,” Donald said in his press conference ahead of the PGA Championship. “Whether LIV players play on his team, again, I haven’t really talked to him much about it as a captains’ agreement.

“Let’s not forget there’s still LIV players that can still play on my team. They’re still eligible if they’re members of the [DP World] Tour and were born in Europe. That is still a possibility for some guys.

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Rory McIlroy gives a very short answer to a question about the future of the professional game at a press conference ahead of the PGA Championship.

“I think that the team selections should be pretty separate. I’m in charge of the European team and what’s best for us, and he’s in charge of the USA Team and what’s best for him. I think that’s just how it should be.”

The DP World Tour resignations by some of the most successful European players in Ryder Cup history also rules them out of future editions of the event, with Donald focused on building a team that will aim to regain the trophy in Italy.

“It’s a shame that there were some resignations,” Donald added. “A lot of these guys have built their legacy around DP World Tour members and their participation and everything with the Ryder Cup.

“Ultimately that was their decision, and unfortunately they’re off the table now for selection purposes for myself.

“I’ve always tried to concentrate on looking at all the players that week in, week out are committed to try and make that Ryder Cup, and that hasn’t changed. My situation is what it is. I’ve got to always take what I have in front of me and kind of go forward.”

Who will impress at the PGA Championship?

Donald is likely to require several Ryder Cup debutants to complete his team, with the Englishman – who is in the field for the PGA Championship this week – keen to see how his prospective rookies perform at Oak Hill and the remaining majors.

“I probably won’t go into names, but I think it’s always good to see how potential rookies do in major championships,” Donald explained. “It takes a different kind of mindset, a different kind of nerve.

Luke Donald played a practice round with Rory McIlroy (pictured) and Shane Lowry ahead of the PGA Championship

“The challenge obviously is totally different to what you’d be playing week in, week out. Obviously a very strong field this week. So again, a good performance here at a major can go a long way.

“There’s been lots of very good rookies and Ryder Cup players who maybe haven’t had the best major record, as well. It’s not everything, but certainly I’ll be keeping a close eye on the scoring.”

Watch the 105th PGA Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Download and subscribe to the latest Sky Sports Golf podcast on Spotify, Spreaker or Apple Podcasts; Watch the PGA Championship throughout the week exclusively live from Oak Hill on Sky Sports Golf

PGA Championship contenders, Rory McIlroy’s major hopes and the possibility of a LIV winner at Oak Hill all feature in a special edition of the Sky Sports Golf podcast.

Jamie Spence and David Howell join regular host Josh Antmann to discuss all the big talking points ahead of the second men’s major of the year, where Justin Thomas returns as defending champion after last year’s dramatic play-off victory at Southern Hills.

The panel share their favourite PGA Championship moments through the years and reflect on some of the most memorable storylines from the tournament archives, plus look ahead to all the potential talking points that could happen over the coming days in Rochester.

The trio discuss how the tournament compares to the other majors in the calendar and who the course changes at Oak Hill could suit, plus look at why the tournament often produces a first-time major champion.

They take a closer look at McIlroy’s dip in form in recent months and how a return to a course where he is a member could help end his nine-year major drought, plus give their verdict on whether one of the 17-strong contingent from the LIV golf circuit could lift the Wanamaker Trophy this week.

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Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau give their verdict last month on the world golf ranking continuing to overlook LIV players from the weekly rankings

“I’ve never bought into the narrative that they [LIV golfers] are not playing enough golf with three rounds,” Howell told the Sky Sports Golf podcast. “Players used to have this thing about whether they play the week before [a major] but I think three rounds in these events in some ways is a nice tune-up for all of them.

“Brooks [Koepka] didn’t care about winning PGA Tour events so I don’t know how much he cares about winning LIV events! I think his focus is all the more on the majors really and fair play to him, he proved at Augusta that he’s capable.

“I think for the guys right at the top of LIV, the really good players, it’s not a problem for them. Is one of them going to win this week? I don’t think so, I still think it is going to be someone from the PGA Tour who wins, but of course, they’re capable.

“The really good ones are still more than capable and they haven’t given up hope of winning majors when they went off to do what they’re doing. I still think that some absolutely live and die by the prospect of trying to win more majors.

Brooks Koepka finished tied-second at The Masters last month

“They don’t care about how many LIV tour events they win, that’s not going to be part of their legacy, it’s going to be how many majors going to win. If you’re just a golf fan then that added bit of spice that it brings to it is quite intriguing when the majors come around, no doubt about it.”

As well as offering their picks on who will win the PGA Championship, the panel reflect on Jason Day ending his five-year winless run with a PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday.

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Highlights from the Fourth round of the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas

There’s also a review of the Soudal Open and Thomas Detry’s failure to win on home soil, plus Thorbjorn Olesen’s hopes of making the Ryder Cup team after another strong performance on the DP World Tour.

There’s also chat about the inaugural G4D Open and the sanctions handed out from the DP World Tour for LIV members, plus plenty of other storylines from a busy period in the sport.

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 golf@skysports.com.

Watch the 105th PGA Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf.

Former world No 1 Dustin Johnson, at 14 under, leads Branden Grace of South Africa by two shots ahead of the third and final round; the two-time major winner could be peaking at just the right time with the PGA Championship taking place next week at Oak Hill

Dustin Johnson posted a seven-under 63 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the final round of LIV Golf Tulsa.

The two-time major winner and former world No 1 won the points title in LIV Golf’s first season. But he has yet to finish closer than five shots of the winner in the five events of the Saudi-funded league this year.

His 63 at Cedar Ridge came with a bogey on the final hole. Johnson, at 14 under, leads Branden Grace of South Africa by two after he followed up his opening 61 with a three-under 67.

Bubba Watson shot 64 and is four shots behind. No one else is within five shots going into the third and final round.

Talor Gooch, who has won the last two LIV Golf events, shot a 71 on Saturday and is 13 shots behind.

Phil Mickelson, a runner-up at the Masters this year, had four bogeys in his round of 69 and is near the bottom of the leaderboard in the 48-man field.

Johnson could be peaking at just the right time with the PGA Championship next week at Oak Hill. Brooks Koepka won the LIV event in Orlando, Florida, a week before the Masters and then was runner-up with Mickelson at Augusta National.

Seventeen players at Cedar Ridge are playing in the PGA Championship next week.

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Lee Westwood after resigning from DP World Tour membership: “In my opinion, the European Tour has jumped fully in bed with the PGA Tour and even though Keith (Pelley, the chief executive) says he hates to hear it, it is now a feeder tour for the PGA Tour.”

Lee Westwood has accused the DP World Tour of being “fully in bed” with the PGA Tour after announcing his resignation from the European circuit.

Westwood and fellow Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia have resigned their membership and are therefore no longer eligible for the biennial contest against the United States.

The trio were among the players fined £100,000 and suspended for two tournaments after playing the first LIV Golf event last year without permission.

Co-Captain Lee Westwood of Majesticks GC hits his shot from the 16th tee during the final round of LIV Golf Singapore

Westwood and Poulter were also among the 12 members of the Saudi-funded breakaway who lost an appeal against the sanctions last month and were deemed to have committed “serious breaches” of the DP World Tour’s code of behaviour by a three-man arbitration panel.

Westwood confirmed he has paid the fine and is keen to “move on”, but reiterated his criticism of the way the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have reacted to the emergence of LIV Golf.

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Damon Hack and Eamon Lynch react to Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, and Lee Westwood resigning from their DP World Tour memberships.

“I’ve been a dual member of the European Tour and PGA Tour, but always said I was a European Tour member first and foremost and that I had fears about the US circuit basically being bullies and doing everything it could to secure global dominance,” Westwood told The Telegraph.

“Check my old quotes, it’s all there. But now, in my opinion, the European Tour has jumped fully in bed with the PGA Tour and even though Keith (Pelley, the chief executive) says he hates to hear it, it is now a feeder tour for the PGA Tour.

Team Europe’s Lee Westwood reacts to a shot on the ninth hole during a foursomes match the Ryder Cup at the Whistling Straits Golf Course Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Sheboygan, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

“The top 10 players on the tour, not already exempt this year, have a pathway to the PGA Tour – that’s giving our talent away. That was never the tour’s policy before this ‘strategic alliance’.

“Sorry, I don’t want to play under that sort of regime. I mulled it over and just didn’t like the thought of the tour continuously hitting us with more fines and bans that would have been hanging over me.

“I’ve paid my fine out of respect for the arbitration panel and have then taken the decisions out of the tour’s hands. I honestly want to move on.”

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After the DP World Tour won its legal battle against 12 LIV Golf players last month, Paul McGinley admitted it was a ‘sad day’ nonetheless for the sport

‘End of an era for European golf’

Westwood has been involved in some capacity at every Ryder Cup since making his debut in 1997, making a record-equalling 11 appearances and serving as a vice-captain to Thomas Bjorn in Europe’s 2018 victory at Le Golf National.

The former world No 1 registered 25 DP World Tour titles during a lengthy career and topped the season-long standings as recently as 2020, while Garcia has featured in 10 Ryder Cups and is the all-time record points scorer for Team Europe.

Both players were Honorary Life Members on the DP World Tour for their lengthy service to European golf, while Poulter has been another Ryder Cup stalwart who has played a key role in some of Team Europe’s biggest successes in the biennial contest.

Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have both been stalwarts of the Ryder Cup team

All three could have still had an outside chance of qualifying for this year’s contest had they not given up their membership, with LIV players officially ineligible for the Ryder Cup as things stand.

The trio would have been likely candidates as future Ryder Cup captains, giving their long and successful association with Team Europe, although their resignations mean those hopes are now over.

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DP World Tour chief executive, Keith Pelley says LIV Golf players will still be allowed to be picked for the Ryder Cup.

What have the DP World Tour said?

The DP World Tour released a statement about the resignation on Wednesday, which said: “The DP World Tour would like to take this opportunity to thank the four players for the contribution they have made to the Tour and in particular to Sergio, Ian and Lee for the significant part they have played in Europe’s success in the Ryder Cup over many years.

“Their resignations, however, along with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their own choices. As we have consistently maintained throughout the past year, the Tour has a responsibility to its entire membership to administer the member regulations which each player signs up to. These regulations are in place to protect the collective interests of all DP World Tour members.

“The independent panel appointed by Sport Resolutions recognised this, determining that our Conflicting Tournament Regulation and its application in the circumstances did not go beyond what as necessary and proportionate to the Tour’s continued operation as a professional golf tour and that we have a legitimate interest in protecting the rights of our full membership by enforcing it.”

Georgia Hall misses out with a foot injury and Charley Hull has stomach issues; Alice Hewson and Liz Young called up as replacements for Team England at TPC Harding Park; watch the International Crown throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf

Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff have criticised Georgia Hall and Charley Hull for their late withdrawals from Team England’s squad for this week’s Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown.

Tournament organisers confirmed on Monday that the two highest-ranked players in the England team would not feature at TPC Harding Park, with Hall citing a foot injury and Hall withdrawing due to illness.

Ladies European Tour players Alice Hewson and Liz Young were late call-ups for England and will make their debuts in the eight-team contest, with Law frustrated by the lack of communication from Hall and Hull about their decisions not to compete.

Hall and Hull were both due to feature for Team England this week

When asked how she found out about her Solheim Cup team-mates’ withdrawals, Law said in her pre-tournament press conference: “Through Chinese whispers, if you’d like to call it that. Didn’t get any sort of message from the two that decided to not play. Was disappointed about that.

“I think anyone with some level of decency would send their team-mates a message that they weren’t coming, not find out from other players on tour who have heard things from them saying things at the tournament last week. I don’t think that that’s a lot to ask for.”

Law revealed she later received a message from Hull apologising for not being able to play, with the two withdrawals leaving Ewart Shadoff now the highest-ranked player in Team England.

“Obviously it’s disappointing, especially to come so late,” Ewart Shadoff said. “I’m sure it’s disappointing mainly for Hanwha. I think what they’ve done for the tournament and to bring it back, we’re all just really grateful to be here.

“I’ve lived in the US for almost half my life now, and I’m still as proud now to put on the England flag as I was when I was 12 years old putting it on for the first time.

Jodi Ewart Shadoff is making her third appearance for Team England in the International Crown

“My schedule this year — especially the first half of this year – is all based around being here this week because it means that much to me to play for England. It’s just a privilege. I’m very proud to be here, and I’m proud to be part of this team.”

Why are Hall and Hull missing out?

Hall said in a statement: “I’ve been struggling with my foot for the past few weeks and in spite of daily physio treatment it’s not improving, so I’ve been advised to take a week off.

Hall finished tied-44th at the LA Championship last week

“I’m really sorry not to be able to play the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown and wish my England team-mates the very best of luck for the week. I also want to especially thank President Yeo and his team at Hanwha for bringing this event back to the LPGA Tour.”

Hull added: “I’m gutted to have to withdraw. I’ve been quite sick the past couple of weeks with stomach issues. I was hoping I could play through it, but it seems not and I’m going to need to seek some help.

“I’m really sorry to let the tournament down and of course my team-mates, but I’m going to have to take some time out to get healthy.”

What is the International Crown?

Eight teams of four players are split into two groups, with Team England (fifth seeds) in the same group as Sweden, China and top-seeds United States. Korea, Thailand, Japan and Australia are in the other side of the draw.

Fourball matches will take place over the first three days, with each match worth a point for a win and a half point for a tie. The top two teams in each group after Saturday will advance to Sunday’s semi-finals.

The two semi-finals will be played on Sunday morning, each consisting of two singles matches and one foursomes match, with the winning team then progressing into the final later in the day that will have the same format.

Watch the International Crown throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins via the red button at 10pm from Thursday-Sunday on Sky Sports Golf, with coverage moving to front channel from 11pm after the conclusion of the Well Fargo Championship.

World No 1 Jon Rahm is tied for second with Akshay Bhatia at 17 under after flying up the leaderboard with A bogey-free 10-under round of 61; Tony Finau leads the Mexico Open by two after third-round 65; watch the final round live on Sunday from 1.30pm on Sky Sports Golf

World No 1 Jon Rahm closed to within two shots of Mexico Open leader Tony Finau after a sensational, bogey-free 10-under round of 61 on Saturday.

Rahm carded six birdies in the opening eight holes alone, while four more followed on the back nine at Vidanta Vallarta. The Masters champion is chasing a fifth win of 2023.

An eagle on the 18th would have seen the Spaniard shoot 59 but unfortunately he found a bunker off the tie and ended up with a par after missing a long-range birdie putt.

Despite Rahm’s third-round heroics – his 61 set a new course record and was the joint-lowest score of his career – he still trails halfway leader Finau by two after the American carded an impressive six-under 65 of his own.

Finau bogeyed the 17th, his sole blip of the round, to briefly hold only a one-shot advantage over Rahm and Akshay Bhatia – in a tie for second at 17 under – but a birdie finish, his fifth in the final seven holes, brought the world No 16 back to 19 under and saw him regain his two-stroke cushion for Sunday.

Brandon Wu, who was in Saturday’s final pairing with Finau, having started the day one off the lead, is fourth heading into the final round after a four-under 67 to sit 16 under.

Will Gordon is three shots further back, while day-one leader Austin Smotherman is 12 under, just ahead of Erik van Rooyen, Andrew Putnam and Eric Cole in a three-way tie at 11 under.

Who will win the Mexico Open? Watch the final round live on Sky Sports. Early coverage begins at 1.30pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from 6pm.

Matt Fitzpatrick leads by one at 14 under heading into the final round at Hilton Head; Patrick Cantlay is 13 under, with defending champion Jordan Spieth one shot further back; watch the final round of the RBC Heritage on Sky Sports Golf from 1.30pm, Sunday

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick leads by one shot heading into the final round of the RBC Heritage after a magnificent eight-under 63 in Saturday’s third round.

The 28-year-old, who won the US Open in 2022, holed his second shot for an eagle two on the third hole and added six birdies for his lowest-ever round on the PGA Tour.

It sees him move to 14 under and hold a one-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay, who lost in a play-off to Jordan Spieth a year ago, with Spieth himself a further shot back at 12 under. Both Americans shot 66.

Fitzpatrick has struggled for much of the year, missing four cuts in seven events before tying for 10th at the Masters last week, only his second top 10 of the season.

“I think this is a golf course that’s shown that there are low scores around here this week,” Fitzpatrick said following his round.

“Aside from Augusta, it’s my favourite golf course.”

Matt Fitzpatrick has struggled for much of the year, missing four cuts in seven events before tying for 10th at the Masters last week

England’s Tommy Fleetwood carded a 68 to move to 11 under, tied with four others including world No 2 Scottie Scheffler (69) and overnight leader Jimmy Walker (72).

Former US PGA champion Walker, who opened with two rounds of 65 for a three-stroke halfway lead, was tied with Fitzpatrick before three bogeys on the back nine dropped him down the leaderboard.

Masters champion Jon Rahm is eight under after his third round of 69, alongside English duo Justin Rose (72) and Aaron Rai (71).

Watch the final round of the RBC Heritage live on Sky Sports Golf from 1.30pm on Saturday. Coverage is also on Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm

Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland

Three of the top six on The Masters leaderboard were LIV players, with Brooks Koepka sharing second with Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed finishing tied-fourth; Jon Rahm secured a second major title with a four-shot win at Augusta National

Brooks Koepka believes the LIV contingent delivered a strong message by showing they are not “washed up” after a string of strong performances at The Masters.

Koepka was one of 18 members from the breakaway circuit who featured in the opening major of the year, with the four-time major champion taking a two-shot lead into the final round before finishing tied-second behind Jon Rahm.

Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson shared second with Koepka on eight under, with fellow LIV golf member Patrick Reed a further stroke back in a share of fourth, with Koepka insistent it should come as no surprise that so many of them contended.

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Jon Rahm is the 2023 Masters champion! Watch his best moments from the final round

“We’re still the same people,” Koepka said after a final-round 75. “I know if I’m healthy, I know I can compete. I don’t think any of the guys that played this event thought otherwise, either.

“When Phil [Mickelson] plays good, we know he’s going to compete. P-Reed [Patrick Reed], the same thing. I think that’s just manufactured by the media that we can’t compete anymore; that we are washed up.

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Brooks Koepka was leading heading into the final round at The Masters, but he recorded six bogeys and ended four shots behind Rahm

“It is fractured, I guess, from the fans’ perspective. But as far as us, I think everybody saw it this week. It’s nice to see everybody. There’s no hard feelings pretty much. I think that’s the way everybody should see it.”

Golf ‘lost all the pettiness’ at Augusta

Mickelson charged up the leaderboard on Sunday with a round-of-the-day 65, firing seven birdies over his final 13 holes to post his best worldwide finish since winning the PGA Championship in 2021, with the 52-year-old grateful to have the opportunity to tee it up again at Augusta.

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Phil Mickelson was grateful to be playing in the final round at The Masters at Augusta and said his 65 was as much fun as he could have playing golf

“I thought it was exciting that this tournament rose above it all to have the best players in the world here and lost all the pettiness; that was great,” Mickelson said in his post-tournament press conference.

“I’m not saying it [LIV] is for everybody, but it’s been awesome for me and I love it. I’m excited to go play in Australia, but this tournament isn’t about what tour you play from.

“There’s players from all over, all over the world on many different tours, and you’re bringing the best players to play against each other in the majors. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what the game of golf should be.

“There’s always going to be, and should always be, a place for historical events like this, but it’s okay to have a little bit of different and variety in the game of golf.”

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Three-time Masters champion Mickelson put on a superb final-round performance with five birdies in his last seven holes to claim joint-second spot

Reigning Open champion Cameron Smith and 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson were among the other LIV players who made the cut, with Harold Varner III – who claimed tied-29th – also pleased to see so many of his colleagues impress.

“Looking at it right now, yeah, I guess they don’t suck,” Varner said. “Yeah, I think it’s good for golf. Don’t think about any tours, just play golf and see how they stack up.”

‘LIV players can still compete’

Masters chairman Fred Ridley said there had been a good “tone” between the PGA Tour and LIV golfers ahead of the tournament, with three players from each circuit ending up filling the top six on the leaderboard.

“The controversy of LIV was they only play three rounds, they haven’t played that many tournaments, these guys aren’t tested, but three of the top four were LIV players,” Butch Harmon told Sky Sports. “You’ve got Mickelson, you’ve got Patrick Reed – these are all the stars over on the LIV tour.

“They’ve proved to the world of golf they can compete with the rest of the players around the world. Yes, it’s a different league and it’s a different type of golf, but great players are great players, I don’t care where they play.”

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Koepka gives his reaction to his final-round 75 at The Masters as he finished joint-second to Rahm at Augusta National

Former PGA champion Rich Beem added: “I just look at it as the majors as being where we finally get everyone together to play the hardest golf courses with the best fields, and the winner takes all. I think the majors are going to be very exciting this year.”

What happens next?

LIV golf members will compete in all four majors, providing they are exempt, meaning there are at least three more opportunities this year for them to go toe to toe with their PGA Tour counterparts.

Oak Hill Country Club hosts the PGA Championship from May 18-21 ahead of the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club from June 15-18, before Royal Liverpool hosts The 151st Open from July 20-23.

Sam Bennett aiming to become first amateur winner of The Masters after moving to eight under after two rounds; 23-year-old has late father’s words – ‘Don’t wait to do something’ – tattooed on left forearm; watch coverage from Augusta live on Sky Sports Golf

Sam Bennett believes he can become the first amateur to win The Masters as he takes inspiration from the last words his late father wrote: ‘Don’t wait to do something’.

Reigning US Amateur champion Bennett is eight under par after two rounds at Augusta National following successive 68s, with just one bogey across his first 36 holes.

Bennett is four strokes behind leader Brooks Koepka and one adrift of Jon Rahm, who was only able to complete nine holes on Friday before play was suspended due to storms.

Should Bennett triumph on Sunday, he would become the first amateur champion of a men’s major since Johnny Goodman at the 1933 US Open.

Bennett’s father Mark passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2021 and Bennett has since had ‘Don’t wait to do something’ – the final words his dad wrote – tattooed on his left forearm.

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Bennett holed his chip shot at the second hole on Thursday as he made a superb start to his maiden Masters

Speaking to Sky Sports Golf after his second round, Bennett said: “This is right where I want to be. I like where I stand. I think I can win. I sit here with a chance to do something special. I know that my good golf is good enough.

‘I love playing when a lot is on the line’

“I love pressure. I love nerves. I try to use them to my advantage. I feel like I am experienced. I know it’s The Masters and it’s a bigger stage but I have played in front of a lot of people.

“I love playing when a lot is on the line. What do they say? ‘Anything can happen on the weekend out here’.

“I am playing really well and I think I have got what it takes. I love hitting shots in front of people and making putts when it matters. I think I have a good chance. Now it’s time for me to go out and enjoy it, soak it all in.

“That was incredible. I think a lot of people didn’t think I was going to be able to back it up [in round two] but I went out there with the same game plan and I hit a lot of solid shots and put myself in a great position.”

Bennett has recorded a solitary bogey across his first two rounds at Augusta National

Bennett: My dad has a good view looking down

On his tattoo, Bennett added: “I look at it a lot. It was the last words [my father] said before he passed. I call on it a bunch and look for a little motivation.

“I’ve used it to stay focused and really be locked in to that one shot. [Looking at the tattoo] is like a new pre-shot routine that I do now right before I’m about to hit it.

“He has got a good view looking down at Augusta National and I know he is thrilled. I wish he could be here but he is happy, I know he is.

“He was the reason I started playing golf. I wanted to be good to impress him. I’m not waiting to do something this week.”

Sky Sports’ Butch Harmon said of Bennett’s chances of victory: “He believes it.

“An amateur has never won this great tournament but what this young man has done for 36 holes is more than impressive.

“It’s unbelievable and he has done it in a relaxed style. He doesn’t seem to make many mistakes.”

The best finish by an amateur at The Masters was recorded by Ken Venturi when he came second to Jack Burke Jr in 1956.

Watch The Masters live on Sky Sports throughout the weekend.

Brooks Koepka carded rounds of 65 and 67 over the first two days to top the leaderboard at The Masters, where victory would give him his fifth major title and first since joining LIV; watch throughout the weekend exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf

Brooks Koepka is the man to beat heading into the weekend at The Masters, with the former world No 1 in a much better place than during his previous two visits to Augusta National.

Koepka won four majors between 2017 and 2019 and contended in several others, before a string of knee and hip injuries – some of which were highlighted in the recent Netflix ‘Full Swing’ series – made him fear for his future at the highest level.

The American could barely stoop to read putts during his missed cut at The Masters in 2021, where he tried to rush back just weeks after knee surgery, and he was left frustrated again when back-to-back 75s saw him make an early exit in last year’s contest.

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Brooks Koepka produced a superb second round to head into the weekend at The Masters on 12 under

“I don’t even know if I should be saying this, but pretty sure I tried to break the back window with my fist of the car,” Koepka admitted on Friday. “I tried to put it through the back window, not once but twice. First time didn’t go, so figured try it again.

“Yeah, it was a lot of frustration last year. Super annoying. I’ve come a long way since then.”

Koepka has not featured on the PGA Tour since then, struggling with his fitness during disappointing performances at the PGA Championship and US Open before confirming later that month he would be joining the LIV Golf circuit.

When asked whether a healthier Koepka would have found his decision to move more challenging, he admitted: “If I’m being completely honest, I think it would have been. But I’m happy with the decision I made.

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Koepka shot an impressive 67 in his second round at The Masters at Augusta National and claims any previous injury issues are forgotten

“If I wasn’t going to be able to move the way I wanted to, I didn’t want to play the game anymore. It’s just that simple. There was definitely moments of that. Last year was pretty tough. Just a lot of frustration.”

Positive steps return for Koepka with LIV

Koepka continued to struggle with form and fitness before turning a corner with an inaugural LIV Golf victory in October, claiming play-off victory in Jeddah, while another win at the LIV Golf event in Orlando last Sunday gave him plenty of confidence going into the opening major of the year.

“Probably towards the end of last year, I felt it was coming,” Koepka said. “It wasn’t exactly all the way there. Probably, I’d say January I knew I was back. I knew everything was right where it needed to be strength-wise, mobility-wise and being able to do things with the golf swing.”

Koepka said after becoming the first multiple winner on the Saudi-backed circuit that it would be “a huge statement” if one of the 18-strong LIV contingent could claim the Green Jacket this week, with the 32-year-old laying down a marker himself and setting the clubhouse target with a dominant two days.

“I feel really good,” Koepka said after a bogey-free 67 on Friday. “I like the way I’m swinging the golf club, putting it, chipping it, driving it, iron play is solid. It feels really similar [to his run of major success]. Didn’t really do too much wrong.”

The start of something bigger for Brooks?

Koepka will head into what is scheduled to be a weather-disrupted weekend as the firm favourite to add to his major tally, although the eight-time PGA Tour winner already has one eye on joining golf’s most exclusive club.

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Nick Dougherty, Luke Donald and Brad Faxon discuss whether Koepka and his caddie were in breach of the rules after appearing to indicate to Gary Woodland which club to use on the 15th hole

“The whole goal is to win the Grand Slam, right,” Koepka said. “I feel like all the greats have won here and they have all won The Open as well. Look, I guess it [winning at Augusta] is one more box for me to tick to truly feel like I’ve done what I should have accomplished in this game.”

There was a period in golf where you felt Koepka was going to win almost every major he teed it up in. Based on the first two rounds, it would be no surprise to see those times return.

“He is playing beautiful golf,” Sky Sports’ Butch Harmon said. “He is not going backwards. The others are going to have to come and get him.”

Watch The Masters throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues from the earlier time of 1pm on Saturday on Sky Sports Golf, with a host of bonus feeds available via the red button.

Rory McIlroy had five birdies but a double-bogey at the seventh and three more dropped shots saw him card an even-par 72; Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka share the lead at seven under; Watch the second round exclusively live on Friday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf

Rory McIlroy was left frustrated by an “untidy” opening round at The Masters that has him seven shots off the pace heading into Friday at Augusta National.

McIlroy has fallen foul of sluggish starts before at The Masters and has once again left himself an uphill task to turn things around after an even-par 72 on day one.

McIlroy carded five birdies in his round, but a double-bogey at the seventh proved costly, while there were further shots dropped at the third, 11th and 17th holes.

“It felt like a bit of a scramble all day, to be honest,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.

Rory McIlroy is seven shots off the lead after an even-par opening round of 72 at Augusta

“I missed a couple of tee shots left and paid the price for that on seven and 17. I was just a little bit untidy in some other areas as well.

“I made enough birdies, I usually always do that, it’s just about keeping mistakes off the card. Today I didn’t quite do that.

“I salvaged an even-par round. There’s still 54 holes of golf left and a lot of things can happen.”

McIlroy, who was part of one of the last groups out on the course, admitted that the low scoring of Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm from earlier in the day did play on his mind. They were ultimately joined by Brooks Koepka in a three-way tie for the lead at seven under.

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Highlights from the first round of the 2023 Masters at Augusta National

With storms expected at Augusta over the coming days, it’s unlikely that scoring is going to be as easy as it proved for some on day one, but McIlroy is hoping he can get ahead of the weather with his earlier tee-off time on Friday and mount a charge up the leaderboard.

“You’ve got three guys at seven under on the leaderboard, so it’s hard to stay patient when you just want to try to get yourself in there,” McIlroy told the media after his opening round.

“I didn’t feel like I was too far away today. I’m probably two or three shots behind how I’d like to be, but nothing that’s not insurmountable.

“I’ve got a quick turnaround overnight and I’m looking forward to getting back on the course pretty quickly and obviously trying to get myself back in the thick of things.

“Hopefully we get some decent conditions in the morning and I can shoot something in the mid-60s and get myself back in the tournament.”

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Rory McIlroy provided incredible insight for viewers by speaking to commentators while playing the par-four ninth hole at Augusta National during the opening round of the 2023 Masters

During his round, McIlroy rather surprisingly provided some incredible insight for viewers by speaking to the host broadcasters while playing the par-four ninth hole.

Asked how the opportunity came about, McIlroy said: “I thought it would be a cool thing to do.

“I did it in Austin [at the WGC Match Play] and didn’t feel like it took me out of my rhythm in any way or made me think about things too much.

“It’s nice to provide the audience at home a little bit more insight into what’s going on out here.”

Scheffler: I didn’t think about being defending champion

Reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler finds himself again in the mix with a solid four-under opening round of 68, though he did let a few gettable birdie opportunities get away during his round.

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World No 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler made an eagle on the second hole during his first round of the 2023 Masters

Asked whether it felt any different playing the golf course as the defending champion, Scheffler said: “I didn’t think about it really at all today.

“The only reason I would think of being the defending champion is because I was playing with [amateur] Sam Bennett.

“Just because I’m defending doesn’t mean I start any more under par. Starting at even, it was just about going out there and getting settled into the round, which I did a good job of.

“I got a lot of looks early, made some nice par putts there on six and seven, but didn’t see much go in the rest of the day.

“But four under is a solid start to the week.”

Davies: McIlroy hung in there

Dame Laura Davies on Sky Sports:

“The cream has risen to the top – you see major champions galore on that leaderboard.

“The three stars of the show obviously were Hovland, Rahm and Koepka, all three of them shooting beautiful 65s, all playing fantastic golf.

“I think Rahm’s though was the standout. He double-bogeyed the first with a four-putt, and then to come back like that. For me, he’s had the best day.

“For Rory, he hung in there. He fought for every shot, and level par – seven back – is not the end of the world.

“Scheffler was in cruise control today. Although he will be frustrated at missing a few putts, he knows how well he is playing and being three shots behind is absolutely nothing.”

Due to potential inclement weather on Friday, all starting times will be moved up 30 minutes and play will begin at 7.30am local time (12.30pm BST). Live coverage from the second round begins on Friday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf!

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Tiger Woods will have another opportunity to claim a record-equalling sixth victory at The Masters this week, although failed to talk up any prospects of him adding to his major tally.

Woods said he believed he could win the tournament ahead of the 2022 contest, despite it being his first start since suffering career-threatening injuries in a car crash 14 months, only to offer a different outlook about his form and fitness heading into this week’s event.

“Last year I didn’t know if I was going to play again at that time,” Woods said in his pre-tournament press conference. “For some reason everything kind of came together and I pushed it a little bit and I was able to make the cut, which was nice.

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World number 1,001 Tiger Woods was seen playing shots at Augusta National the Sunday before The Masters

“I didn’t win the tournament, but for me to be able to come back and play was a small victory in itself. I don’t know how many more I have in me. I’m able to appreciate the time that I have here and cherish the memories.

“[My] mobility, it’s not where I would like it, but I’ve said to you guys before, I’m very lucky to have this leg. Yes, it has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough.”

The world No 1,001 underwent some light practice on Sunday then played nine holes in each of the next two days ahead of his 25th competitive appearance at Augusta, with Woods lacking the fitness that saw him win The Masters for a fifth time in 2019.

Tiger Woods will play alongside Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele over the first two rounds at The Masters

“The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same,” Woods added. “I understand that. That’s why I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that’s my future, and that’s okay. I’m okay with that.

“I think my game is better than it was last year at this particular time. I think my endurance is better. But it aches a little bit more than it did last year just because at that particular time when I came back, I really had not pushed it that often.

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Watch the moment Tiger Woods secured a historic 15th major title with a one-shot victory at the 2019 Masters

“I played in February in LA and then took a little time off before getting ready for this. I just have to be cognizant of how much I can push it. I can hit a lot of shots but the difficulty for me is going to be the walking going forward. It is what it is. I wish it could be easier.”

Is Tiger a contender at The Masters?

Woods’ practice round on Monday was with Tom Kim, Fred Couples and Rory McIlroy, who hinted it was only the mobility issues that preventing the five-time Masters champion from being a serious contender this week.

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Tiger Woods says it’s ‘only a matter of time’ before Rory McIlroy wins at Augusta and ends his wait for a career Grand Slam

“He [Tiger] looks good,” McIlroy said in his pre-tournament press conference. “If he didn’t have to walk up these hills and have all of that, I’d say he’d be one of the favourites.

“I mean, he’s got all of the shots. It’s just that physical limitation of walking 72 holes, especially on a golf course as hilly as this, but we all know we never count Tiger out and he can do incredible things.

“You watch him on the range and you watch him hit chips and putts, and he’s got all the aspects of the game that you need to succeed around this place. It’s just the toll it takes on his body to compete over 72 holes.”

Kim described his first official practice day at Augusta National as a ‘dream’ when he was included in the star-studded grouping, with the 20-year-old impressed to see how Woods prepares for a major.

Tom Kim is making his debut at The Masters this week

“Just the amount of work he [Tiger] does around the greens. It was really cool to see, to pick which chip shots he was hitting and stuff like that. The positions he put himself in after he holed out, it was really cool to pick

“When I walked again, I got to kind of see where he pitched from. He has years and years of knowledge here, some success, so I’m pretty sure there’s a reason why he’s there.”

Thomas joined Woods and Couples for more practice holes on Tuesday, with the two-time PGA champion relishing chance to continue the annual tradition of practising alongside the former Masters winners.

“I’ve said it for a handful of years now – I just follow those two around like a little puppy dog!” Thomas said. “They know how to get around this place, and all of us do, but every year, we hit chips from the same place and we hit lag putts from the same place. It’s just great company.

“I’m very, very lucky that I get thrown into that group every year, and we’ve had a lot of fun over the years. You know, I hope we do it for many more.”

How much of a threat is Woods?

Woods has only made four official starts since last year’s tournament, withdrawing ahead of his final round at the PGA Championship and missing the cut at The Open before finishing tied-45th at February’s Genesis Invitational, although Couples believes he still has the game to impress.

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Tiger Woods discussed his plans for the rest of 2023 after his tied-45th finish in February’s Genesis Invitational

“I think when he tells you I’m only going to play four events and Augusta is one of them, he’s ready to go,” Couples said on Monday. “It’s probably not going to be easy, but I think he’ll be fine.

“I guess this [the leg] is what it is. I don’t know how much better it’s ever going to get. He’s strong enough to hit it a mile. He’s not hitting it as far as Rory, I don’t think many people are, but he’s hitting it really strong and solid and looks good.”

Bernhard Langer said ahead of the tournament that he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ to see the Grand Slam winner high up the leaderboard this week, while Woods himself is unsure whether the field saw him as a threat.

“Whether I’m a threat to them or not, who knows,” Woods added. “People probably didn’t think I was a threat in 2019 either, but kind of turned out okay!”

Watch The Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports! Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf, with Woods part of early Featured Group action.

Corey Conners won the Valero Texas Open for the second time with a one-stroke victory over rookie Sam Stevens; Conners had already qualified for The Masters prior to his victory – watch exclusively live from April 6-9 on Sky Sports Golf

Corey Conners ended a four-year winless run on the PGA Tour after claiming a one-shot victory at the Valero Texas Open.

The Canadian, who had already qualified for The Masters, carded a bogey-free 68 on the final day at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course to claim a first victory since his success at the same event in 2019.

Conners, who began the day one stroke back of 54-hole leader Patrick Rodgers, took advantage of the par-five second and then followed birdies at the sixth and ninth by holing from 20 feet at the par-four 15th.

Corey Conners carded four birdies during his final round in Texas

The 31-year-old then made par on each of the last three holes to hold off the chasing pack and claim a second PGA Tour victory, with Sam Stevens his closest challenger after a final-round 66.

“It was definitely a battle out there today, but I trusted my ability and thought about a lot of good shots I had hit previously in the week with certain conditions,” Conners said. “It was definitely tough out there, but I’m really happy and proud of the way I battled.”

Stevens made a 15-foot eagle putt at the par-five eighth and added another at the driveable par-four 17th, although failed to find a birdie at the par-five last to match Conners’ 72-hole total.

Kuchar birdied the last three holes and four of his last five to card a 69 and earn his first top-five finish in an official event since last April, with the veteran sharing third spot on 13 under with Sam Ryder.

Rodgers made two birdies and four bogeys on his front nine to find himself four shots behind Conners, having held as much a four-shot lead on Saturday, with a final-round 73 eventually see him end the week in fifth spot.

Stevens made a 15-foot eagle putt at the par-five eighth and added another at the driveable par-four 17th, although failed to find a birdie at the par-five last to match Conners’ 72-hole total.

Chez Reavie matched Peter Malnati for the round of the day with a seven-under 65, placing him in tied-sixth at 10 under with Lee Hodges and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An. Padraig Harrington ended the week in tied-tenth alongside Rickie Fowler after a final-round 71.

Watch The Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports! Live coverage begins with the ‘Live from The Masters’ on Monday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf.

The top 30 and ties after the first two days progress to Saturday’s final round at Augusta National; watch the final round live on Saturday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf and – for free – on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel

World amateur No 1 Rose Zhang set more records on her way to taking a five-shot lead into the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Zhang followed an opening-round 66 at Champions Retreat in Georgia by mixing an eagle and six birdies with a lone bogey in a seven-under 65, moving her to 13 under and seeing her set the course record for the second day running.

The American followed three birdies in her first four holes by making a 30-foot eagle at the par-five ninth, then cancelled out a bogey at the 12th by taking advantage of the par-five 14th.

Rose Zhang is closing in on a dominant Augusta National Women’s Amateur victory

Zhang picked up a shot at the 16th and chipped to three feet to set up a birdie at the par-five last, giving her a commanding advantage over the chasing pack heading into Saturday’s final round at Augusta National.

“From my past experience [with a big lead], it’s very important to know you have a whole field chasing you and anything can happen,” Zhang said. “Every hole, every score matters. I’m just going to play as hard as I can.”

Sweden’s Andrea Lignell carded a three-under 69 to move to eight under and in second spot ahead of American Jenny Bae, who posted a second-round 68, with no other player in the field with 10 strokes of the lead.

Bohyun Park is tied-ninth after a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth helped her to a second-round 70, while Charlotte Heath heads the British interest and is tied-14th going into the final round.

All the 72-player field will get a practice round at Augusta National on Friday, ahead of The Masters taking place at the same venue next week, then the 31 players who made the cut will play the final round on Saturday.

The final round will include another 15-year-old Gianna Clemente, who played her first US Women’s Amateur at age 11 and last year made it through Monday qualifying for three consecutive LPGA Tour events.

Defending champion Anna Davis missed the cut by two strokes after two bogeys in the last three holes saw her post a level-par 72, having been handed a four-shot penalty on the opening day for twice lifting and cleaning her golf ball in the rough.

The winner of the 54-hole event, providing they remain an amateur, receives an invite to the US Women’s Open, the AIG Women’s Open and the Chevron Championship, three of the five women’s majors, plus any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships she is eligible for.

Watch the Augusta National Women’s Amateur live this week on Sky Sports! Live coverage continues on Saturday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf and – for free – on the Sky Sports Golf YouTube channel

Rory McIlroy won six matches out of seven at WCG-Dell Technologies Match Play in promising signs ahead of The Masters; watch the first major of the year, from Augusta National, live on Sky Sports from Thursday April 6 as McIlroy looks to complete career Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy will soon begin his annual quest to win The Masters at Augusta National and become the sixth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam.

Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen are the players to have achieved that slice of history, with McIlroy tipped to join them ever since – and probably even before – claiming The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July 2014.

That success added to his US Open triumph in 2011 and PGA Championship victory a year later, while he scooped a second PGA crown in August 2014 for his fourth – and most recent – major.

Glory at Augusta National has continued to elude McIlroy, though. Seven top-10 finishes, including five in a row between 2014 and 2018, but no trophy as the Grand Slam wait goes on.

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Watch The Masters, live on Sky Sports from Thursday April 6

The Ulsterman’s best result was last year, where a super final-round 64 – which included a remarkable hole-out from a greenside bunker on the 18th – propelled him into second place and three shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy’s goal over the Easter weekend will be to go one better at Augusta – and that looks eminently doable with the 33-year-old impressing en route to finishing third at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play with six wins out of seven.

“There are a ton of positives to take away. If you had told me I would make it to the Sunday of the Match Play last week I would have taken that,” said McIlroy, shortly after beating world No 1 Scheffler in the third-place play-off.

“I am maybe going to go up [to Augusta National] for a day and mess around. I went last week but don’t think there is any harm in going up again and then it’s about practice.

“I don’t think there is tons to do. I think my game is in really good shape so just keep it ticking over, work on the shots I need for Augusta and away we go.”

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Watch McIlroy’s remarkable 349-yard carry on to the green at the Match Play in Texas

McIlroy had been wayward with his driver and cool with the putter while missing the cut at The Players two weeks ago.

He also said he wanted to get back to “being purely a golfer” having “sacrificed a little bit of time” while serving as the unofficial spokesperson in the game’s battle with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.

He was certainly back to being a golfer at the Match Play.

What was different for McIlroy?

Armed with a new putter and driver shaft, McIlroy won his first five matches in Austin, defeating Scott Stallings, Denny McCarthy and Keegan Bradley in the round-robin group stage before excelling in the opening two knockout rounds on Saturday as he saw off Lucas Herbert and Xander Schauffele.

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McIlroy edged Xander Schauffele on the final hole of their quarter-final in the WGC Match Play

The four-time major champion carded nine birdies in a blemish-free round against Herbert in the last 16, before pipping Schauffele on the final hole in the quarter-finals, sinking a 15-foot birdie look with his fresh putter to win a match he had never previously led in.

Dame Laura Davies told Sky Sports Golf: “McIlroy holed a lot of putts under pressure to keep those matches going [at the Match Play]. Rory is the one for me at The Masters.”

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McIlroy, speaking after missing the cut at The Players, said he was ‘ready to get back to being a golfer’

McIlroy had also reportedly been hot with the short stick during a practice round at Augusta in between The Players and the Match Play, with rumours swirling that he took just 19 putts. They were rumours the world No 3 chose not to play down.

“Yeah, look, I had two good days,” said McIlroy. “We played 54 holes in two days, and it was good. I was really happy with where my game was. It was good to see that after struggling at The Players.”

McIlroy looked poised to make the Match Play final on Sunday when he was two up with three to play against Cameron Young, only for his opponent to subsequently level the match on the 18th and then win it on the first extra hole as he converted a putt from circa 10 feet and McIlroy missed from similar range.

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Highlights of McIlroy’s semi-final exit in the WGC Match Play as Cameron Young reached the final

The expectation coming into Sunday’s semi-finals was that McIlroy and Scheffler would meet later in the day and they did – but in the third-place play-off rather than the final, with defending champion Scheffler knocked out in the semi-finals by Sam Burns.

It meant Scheffler vs McIlroy had a little less riding on it, both in terms of importance and monetary gain, but the fact the Northern Irishman secured a one-to-one win over Scheffler would still have been a real fillip with Augusta in mind.

It would be no surprise if Scheffler and McIlroy were doing battle again on Masters Sunday.

Scheffler trying to claim the Green Jacket for the second year in succession and McIlroy for the first time in his career. Scheffler aiming for a second major, McIlroy a fifth and the Grand Slam.

“I think [Rory] is a better player now than he has been the last 10 years, and I think he’s more equipped, from being a better putter to being better psychologically,” former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley said recently. “I think he is a better golfer than he has been ever heading into The Masters.”

Let the quest continue…

Watch The Masters, from Augusta National, live this April live on Sky Sports. Live coverage from the opening round begins from 2pm on Thursday April 6 on Sky Sports Golf!

Rory McIlroy beats Scott Stallings 3&1 on opening day of WCG-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas; England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton lose first matches in Austin; watch the tournament live on Sky Sports through until Sunday’s final

Rory McIlroy made a winning start to his bid for a second WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play title with a 3&1 victory over Scott Stallings in Texas.

McIlroy, who won this event in 2015, was three up thru six holes in Austin on Wednesday before being pegged back to one up thru nine by the world No 62.

However, the Northern Irishman birdied the par-three 11th – a hole his opponent bogeyed – to extend his lead and then secured victory at the par-three 17th with another birdie.

McIlroy will face Denny McCarthy and Keegan Bradley on Thursday and Friday respectively

World No 3 McIlroy will play Denny McCarthy on Thursday and Keegan Bradley on Friday as he looks to finish top of his four-man group and make the knockout stages this weekend.

Each of the pool winners will advance to Saturday’s round of 16, with the quarter-finals held later the same day before the semi-finals and final take place on Sunday.

McIlroy’s win over Stallings was his first appearance since missing the cut at The Players two weeks ago.

Elsewhere in the Match Play, Players runner-up Tyrrell Hatton lost 3&1 to Ben Griffin.

The Englishman could be doubtful for the the rest of the event after suffering pain in his right hand and arm hitting a shot on the range during his warm-up.

Reigning US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick’s struggles continued, meanwhile, with a 5&3 defeat to JJ Spaun.

Fitzpatrick has missed the cut in three of his last four starts, around finishing 14th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

How does the Match Play work?

The first three days are dedicated to round-robin match play, with the 64-player field split into 16 groups of four and only the winner of each group then progressing to the knockout stages.

If there is a tie at the top of the group, then a sudden-death play-off between those involved will determine who progresses through to the weekend.

The last 16 and the quarter-finals take place on Saturday, with the semi-finals scheduled for early on Sunday ahead of the final later that day. That means the winner will have played seven rounds over the five days to lift the trophy.

Watch the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play live on Sky Sports across the week.

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Going into the weekend at the Valspar Championship Adam Schenk was at seven-under 135, one shot ahead of Kramer Hickok; Tommy Fleetwood, Jordan Spieth, Cody Gribble and Davis Riley are two behind Schenk after the first two rounds

Adam Schenk scored a two-under 69 to hold a one-shot lead after the first two rounds at the Valspar Championship on Friday.

Schenk had four birdies, all but one of them from inside 10 feet, and finished with a bogey from the bunker short of the 18th on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

After the 20-foot putt he made for par on the par-3 eighth, the 10-footer for par he made on the 10th and the long up-and-down for par on the par-5 11th, that didn’t bother him.

Adam Schenk hits out of the bunker (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

“I feel like a lot of times you … maybe shoot 2 under and you’re like, ‘It could have been 6 or 7.’ But it really couldn’t have been a ton better with the amount of putts I made,” he said.

He was at 7-under 135, one shot ahead of Kramer Hickok, who had a 68.

Schenk is playing for his 10th consecutive week on the PGA Tour.

There’s even more focus to his work this year because his wife is expecting their first child, a boy, in just over a month.

“Trying to make as many points as I can to take as much time off as I can and spend time with him and my wife, which will be very special,” Schenk said.

Fleetwood plays out of a bunker (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

He started his year in Honolulu at the Sony Open and hasn’t had a week off since then, going to California and Arizona, and every stop on the Florida swing. He had made the cut in all but two of them and is No. 72 in the FedEx Cup.

The missed cut last week at The Players Championship might have helped.

“I was home for 3 1/2 days and didn’t touch a club,” Schenk said. “I would have practised, but the weather was so bad in Indiana, I really couldn’t. So flew into Valspar Tuesday afternoon and got a little practice in and then played nine holes and then teed up in the pro-am and away we went.”

Tommy Fleetwood was two shots behind the leader (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Jordan Spieth will be a big part of the weekend, wasting a great round of driving with some suspect short irons. He still posted a 70 and was only two shots behind.

Tommy Fleetwood had a 69 and joined Spieth in the group two shots behind along with Cody Gribble (65) and Davis Riley (68), who lost in a playoff to Sam Burns at Innisbrook last year.

Burns, the two-time defending champion, is trying to become the first player to win the same tournament three straight years since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (2009-11). He had a 73 and was seven shots behind.

Justin Thomas had a 70 and was in the group at 3-under 139.

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