Tag: Night

Scottie Scheffler heads into the weekend two back and Keegan Bradley is three behind, with Jon Rahm sharing fourth spot with Xander Schauffele; Rory McIlroy is six back as he chases successive FedExCup titles; Watch the Tour Championship live on Saturday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf

Viktor Hovland produced a back-nine birdie burst to share the halfway lead with Collin Morikawa at the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.

Hovland, starting the week second in the standings after Sunday’s stunning BMW Championship victory, made five birdies in a six-hole stretch on his way to a brilliant second-round 64 at East Lake Golf Club.

The Norweigan set the clubhouse target at 16 under, before Morikawa joined him by following his opening-round 61 by signing off a bogey-free 64 with back-to-back birdies to continue his blemish-free start to the tournament.

Collin Morikawa birdied his final two holes and is the only player bogey-free after 36 holes

Scheffler sits in third place after a bogey-free 65 and Keegan Bradley is in fourth spot on 14 under, while Xander Schauffele lies a further stroke back alongside Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy heads into the weekend six off the lead.

Stars continue to impress at East Lake

Scheffler – playing in the penultimate group – birdied the first to temporarily make it a four-way tie at the top, only for Morikawa edge back ahead after following his opening-round 61 by starting with a birdie.

Scottie Scheffler will go out in the penultimate group again on Saturday

Hovland opened with three straight pars and holed from 10 feet at the fourth to match the birdie of Scheffler, with both players taking advantage of the par-five sixth to move to 12 under.

Morikawa also birdied the sixth and added another from 12 feet at the eighth to reach the turn one ahead of Scheffler, with Hovland a further shot back after failing to get up and down from off the green to save par at the seventh.

Scheffler pulled level with a birdie at the 12th, where Hovland also picked up a shot to start his birdie burst, while Morikawa missed from inside four feet at the previous hole for the chance to restore his one-shot advantage.

Morikawa responded by birdieing the 12th to reclaim top spot, only for Hovland to convert from 10 feet at the 13th and match Scheffler’s birdie at the next to make it a three-way tie at top on 14 under.

Viktor Hovland mixed seven birdies with a lone bogey in his second round

Hovland made a fourth straight birdie at the 15th and added another at the 17th to temporarily double his lead, before laying up at the par-five last and signing off with a par, as Morikawa followed a birdie at the 17th with a two-putt gain at the 18th to leave the pair tied at the top.

McIlroy: “I’m limited in what I can do”

McIlroy continued to be troubled by back spasms during his second round, but the defending champion – looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the FedExCup – built on his opening-round 70 by carding a three-under 67 on Friday.

Rory McIlroy heads into the weekend in seventh spot

“I’m limited in what I can do, but I’m here grinding away, battling away,” McIlroy said. “So happy to be through 36 holes. I felt like I had a little more speed. I was probably half a club off my numbers than maybe a full club yesterday. But still it’s just hard to get my right side through the ball.

“It actually feels better with the longer clubs because I’m more upright in my posture. When I sort of get down to the shorter stuff, trying to stay in my posture is a struggle.”

Rory McIlroy will play alongside US Open champion Wyndham Clark on Saturday

McIlroy is set to return to Europe after the FedExCup Playoffs and play back-to-back DP World Tour events, starting at the Horizon Irish Open from September 7-10 before the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth a week later. The Ryder Cup then takes place in Italy from September 29-October 1.

“I would rather it [injury] pop up now than in three or four weeks’ time,” McIlroy added. “I’ve managed it well and I think I did well to get through yesterday. I’ve got through another day, so hopefully it feels a bit better over the weekend. Not great timing, but at the same time, it could be worse!”

Who can move ahead at the Tour Championship? Watch the PGA Tour’s season finale and the race for the FedExCup throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour and more for £26 a month for 12 months with NOW.

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This week’s DP World Tour event is the penultimate tournament to qualify for Team Europe’s next Ryder Cup team; Alexander Bjork takes a one-shot lead into the weekend in Prague; watch the Czech Masters live on Saturday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf

Alexander Bjork made a big statement to Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald by grabbing the halfway lead at the D+D Real Czech Masters.

Bjork, playing alongside Donald and hoping to force his way into consideration for a Ryder Cup debut in Rome next month, followed an opening-round 65 with a brilliant bogey-free 66 at Albatross Golf Resort in Prague.

The Swede took advantage of the par-five first and charged up the leaderboard by holing from 15 feet at the eighth to spark a run of four consecutive birdies, with Bjork adding a 15-foot birdie at the 16th and continuing his blemish-free start to the tournament.

Alexander Bjork holds a one-shot halfway lead in Prague

Bjork sits a shot clear of Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard, who posted a five-under 67, while Matt Wallace gave Donald another potential selection headache after a stunning second-round 63.

Wallace, who won his first PGA Tour title earlier this season and narrowly missed out on a Ryder Cup spot in 2018, carded an eagle and seven birdies to share third spot on 11 under with Finland’s Sami Valimaki.

Matt Wallace is looking to feature for Team Europe next month at Marco Simone GC

“I keep saying to myself that I’m going to be in contention this week and I’m going to take that on going forward,” Wallace said. “Everything’s OK. Don’t panic, there’s no reason to get frustrated. I was seven shots behind going into today after my round yesterday.

“Before I’d have gone ‘Wow, I’m too far back’, but it’s fine. I’m playing good. That’s what the best players do and I’m trying to learn from them.”

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg – another contender for a captain’s pick for Team Europe – is in the group three behind after a six-under 66, while Ryder Cup vice-captain Edoardo Molinari is within four of the lead after rounds of 66 and 69.

Yannik Paul, Adrian Meron and Victor Perez – all inside the top-seven on the European Points List – head into the weekend on eight under, as Robert MacIntyre dropped down the leaderboard after a quadruple-bogey late in his round.

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Robert MacIntyre had a nightmare with a seven on a par-three which saw him hit the water twice in front of Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald

MacIntyre, who currently holds an automatic qualification spot and can secure a Ryder Cup debut with victory this week, depending on other spots, put two balls in the water at the par-three 16th to fall eight strokes off the halfway lead.

Donald narrowly missed the cut despite a two-under 70, while Shane Lowry – the highest-ranked player in the field – also made an early exit after successive 71s left him outside the cut mark.

Watch the D+D Real Czech Masters throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the DP World Tour and more for £26 a month for 12 months with NOW.

Sami Valimaki birdied his first five holes on his way to a two-shot lead in Prague; Robert MacIntyre is among the Ryder Cup hopefuls in action; Watch the second round live on Friday from midday on Sky Sports Golf

Ryder Cup hopefuls Robert MacIntyre and Alexander Bjork seized their chance to personally impress Europe captain Luke Donald on day one of the D+D Real Czech Masters.

Playing alongside Donald in the penultimate qualifying event at Albatross Golf Resort, MacIntyre carded an opening 66 and Bjork went one better with a 65 to share second place, two shots behind pacesetter Sami Valimaki.

Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg, who had been placed in the same group as vice-captain Francesco Molinari, carded rounds of 65 and 68 respectively, with Yannik Paul shooting a 66 matched by Molinari’s brother Edoardo, his playing partner for the first two rounds and another vice-captain.

Sami Valimaki holds a two-shot lead after the opening day

Donald admitted on Wednesday the identity of his six wild cards was giving him sleepless nights, but he can only have been encouraged by the form of those trying to make the case for selection.

MacIntyre holds the third and final automatic qualifying place on the European Points list and a victory in Prague, coupled with none of his rivals finishing in the top five, would seal his place in the side.

“I’m delighted with the round,” MacIntyre said after a bogey-free 66. “I was hoping for that after last week (a missed cut in Northern Ireland). I felt like I drove it well, iron play was good and I putted decent. I’ve got a lot on my mind, a lot going on and I’ve just got to keep fighting.”

Bjork, who is 20th on the European Points list, also kept his card bogey-free and finished with four straight birdies in front of Donald, whose own 71 was marred by a double-bogey six on the eighth, his penultimate hole.

“It was really fun,” Bjork said. “Luke is a great player and a player looked up to when I was younger. It was fun playing with him. We’re getting close (to the Ryder Cup) but I’m just trying to focus, like I have done all season, on what I should do with my game. I’m still doing that and that’s what I should do.”

Alexander Bjork is chasing as a second DP World Tour title

Valimaki started his round from the 10th with five straight birdies and picked up four more shots on the front nine to card a bogey-free 63 and enjoy a two-shot lead over a five-strong chasing pack.

“I was just flowing,” the Finn said. “When you start putting good and hitting it good, you just keep going and enjoy the round. Last time here I missed the cut by a lot of shots so I didn’t have big expectations for the week. It’s nice to start this way.”

Watch the D+D Real Czech Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday from midday on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the DP World Tour and more for £26 a month for 12 months with NOW.

Rory McIlroy & Scottie Scheffler both shot four-under par rounds to move within three shots of leader Lucas Glover; First-round leader Jordan Spieth is one shot back; Continue to watch the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Championship live on Saturday from 7pm on Sky Sports Golf

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler surged into contention at the FedEx St. Jude Championship as Lucas Glover took the lead after the second round at TPC Southwind.

Glover shot a 64 on Friday, nipping in front of fellow American Jordan Spieth to sit on top of the leaderboard.

Glover was six under for his 18 holes and 10 under overall, one stroke ahead of Spieth and two in front of a chasing pack of five including England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

An eagle at the 16th, Glover’s seventh hole, lit a fire under his round and he followed with a run of three birdies in four holes on the front nine as he put together a blemish-free card in Memphis.

Spieth followed his eye-catching 63 on Thursday with a patchier 68. He was two under on Friday’s play, peaking with a magnificent bunker shot that nestled in the hole from 16 yards and got him in in two shots at the short fourth.

That was one of six birdies he managed, but his progress was offset by four bogeys – two in succession immediately following his brilliant effort from the sand.

Tommy Fleetwood trails leader Lucas Glover by one shot

Fleetwood hit his second 66 in a row, but a dropped shot at the final hole saw the Brit end the day two shots back from Glover.

The top two ranked players in the world – Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy – are one further back on seven under.

The pair, who played together on Thursday and Friday alongside World No 3 Jon Rahm, could be paired once more on Saturday after both signing for 66 to stay in the hunt for a title tilt over the weekend.

They were both five shots back from Glover when entering the final four holes of the round, but managed to play the closing stretch in two-under to take up a menacing position on the leaderboard.

After a dreadful opening round, Rahm shot a much-improved 67 to finish at level par for the tournament, with the Spaniard aided by a spectacular recovery chip in from the bunker at the 18th having hit his tee shot in the water.

Well positioned at six-under are American duo Xander Schauffele and Max Homa, while Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay are among the group a shot further back.

Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the FedExCup Playoffs live this August on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the FedEx St. Jude Championship continues on Saturday from 7pm on Sky Sports Golf.

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Ally Ewing holds the halfway lead at the AIG Women’s Open, with Charley Hull part of the chasing pack and chasing a maiden major victory; Watch the third round live on Saturday from midday on Sky Sports Golf

Pairings and tee times for the third round of the AIG Women’s Open, held at Walton Heath in Surrey and exclusively live on Saturday from midday on Sky Sports Golf.

USA unless stated; (X) denotes amateurs

Starting at hole one

0835 Moriya Jutanugarn (Tha)

0845 Danielle Kang, Akie Iwai (Jpn)

0855 Cara Gainer (Eng), Wei-Ling Hsu (Tai)

0905 Lindy Duncan, Alice Hewson (Eng)

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Watch Charley Hull hole two huge birdie putts at the AIG Women’s Open!

0915 Haruka Kawasaki (Jpn), Georgia Hall (Eng)

0925 Maja Stark (Swe), Caroline Hedwall (Swe)

0935 Angela Stanford, Kylie Henry (Sco)

0945 Diksha Dagar (Ind), Klara Davidson Spilkova (Cze)

0955 Mao Saigo (Jpn), Yuri Yoshida (Jpn)

1010 Julia Lopez Ramirez (Esp) (x), Hae Ran Ryu (Kor)

1020 Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Charlotte Heath (Eng) (x)

1030 Johanna Gustavsson (Swe), Hyejin Choi (Kor)

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Charley Hull analysed her performance at round two of The AIG Women’s Open as she is tied for second at the end of the day.

1040 Celine Boutier (Fra), Xiyu Janet Lin (Chn)

1050 Amy Yang (Kor), Stephanie Meadow (NIrl)

1100 Gemma Dryburgh (Sco), Leona Maguire (Ire)

1110 Alim Kim (Kor), Nicole Broch Estrup (Den)

1125 Olivia Cowan (Ger), Pajaree Anannarukarn (Tha)

1135 Eun Hee Ji (Kor), Jiyai Shin (Kor)

1145 Emily Kristine Pedersen (Den), Kokona Sakurai (Jpn)

1155 Nelly Korda, Ruoning Yin (Chn)

1205 Na Rin An (Kor), Mina Harigae

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Watch Anna Nordqvist fail to get her ball in the air from the rough and scuff it down the fairway.

1215 Yuna Nishimura (Jpn), Megan Khang

1225 Rose Zhang, Grace Kim (Aus)

1240 Yu Liu (Chn), Jaravee Boonchant (Tha)

1250 Morgane Metraux (Sui), Jeongeun Lee6 (Kor)

1300 Ayaka Furue (Jpn), Jenny Shin (Kor)

1310 Lindsey Weaver-Wright, In Gee Chun (Kor)

1320 Miyu Yamashita (Jpn), Linn Grant (Swe)

1330 Ryann O’Toole, Perrine Delacour (Fra)

1340 Jin Young Ko (Kor), Nasa Hataoka (Jpn)

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Jodi Ewart Shadoff joins Sarah Stirk in the Sky Zone to discuss the atmosphere at the AIG Women’s Open and how the tournament is ‘amazing for women’s golf’.

1355 Minjee Lee (Aus), Aditi Ashok (Ind)

1405 Allisen Corpuz, Atthaya Thitikul (Tha)

1415 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (Eng), Angel Yin

1425 Gaby Lopez (Mex), Alison Lee

1435 Hyo Joo Kim (Kor), Lilia Vu

1445 Charley Hull (Eng), Minami Katsu (Jpn)

1455 Andrea Lee, Ally Ewing

When is the AIG Women’s Open on Sky?

Sky Sports will have extended live coverage from the final women’s major of the year, with seven hours of live action for each tournament day.

Coverage will begin from midday over the weekend, while there will be a daily one-hour highlights show to look back at the best of the previous rounds’ action on Sky Sports Golf.

You can download the Sky Sports App to get news, interviews, highlights, clips, leaderboard scores and a dedicated blog, while other special AIG Women’s Open programming will be available to download via Sky Sports On Demand.

Watch the AIG Women’s Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the third round begins on Saturday at midday on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the AIG Women’s Open with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months.

Dame Laura Davies has made 43 consecutive AIG Women’s Open appearances and won the event in 1986, before it was classified as a major, Englishwoman withdrew through injury mid-round at Walton Heath; Watch the AIG Women’s Open live this week on Sky Sports Golf

Dame Laura Davies remains hopeful of signing off her record-breaking AIG Women’s Open career at St Andrews in 2024 after being forced to withdraw from this year’s contest through injury.

The golfing legend, who said pre-tournament that her 43rd consecutive AIG Women’s Open “might be my last one”, only completed six holes of her opening round at Walton Heath before being forced to pull out with a wrist injury.

Past winners of the event aged 60 or under receive an exemption to play each year, with Davies – who won the event in 1986 before it became recognised as a major – turning 60 in October and remaining eligible to compete in the 2024 edition at St Andrews.

Dame Laura Davies is yet to commit to competing at the AIG Women’s Open next summer

Davies has only played a limited schedule in recent seasons and intends to scale back further over the year ahead, with the four-time major winner set to decide nearer the time whether she will extend her streak of AIG Women’s Open appearances at the Home of Golf.

“I’m probably not going to play any more regular tour events,” Davies told Sky Sports. “I’m going to be playing some seniors tour events next year and then, if I feel my game is good enough, I will have a go at St Andrews.

“It’s my favourite golf course in the world so couldn’t be better, but I’m not going to go there if I’m playing really horrible golf.

“Hopefully the senior events I play in will be enough to have some kind of game going in.”

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Highlights of the first round of the AIG Women’s Open from Walton Heath.

Davies was nine over for her round after four bogeys, a double bogey and a triple-bogey over the first six holes, with the Englishwoman calling time on her round after an errant drive at the seventh.

“I just kept hitting it in the deep rough and I went for one too many,” Davies explained. “I had been kind of hacking my way down the first three or four holes and then got to six and it was a really bad lie in the brambles.

“I went for it when I probably should’ve taken a drop and I just felt something in the wrist pop. On the tee shot on seven I felt it again and I thought ‘do you know what, I’m way over par, I’m getting in everyone’s way and it really hurts’, so I called for a ruling.

“The doctor has a look at it and said it was a rumbling tendon, which I don’t think I’ve had before! I don’t think I could have played today, so I think it was the right decision.

“It’s disappointing but sometimes you’ve got to know when it’s getting close to the end.”

Watch the AIG Women’s Open this month live on Sky Sports. The opening round is live on Thursday from 11am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the AIG Women’s Open with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months.

Jordan Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion, holds one-shot lead over Tom Kim after opening round of FedEx St. Jude Championship; Continue to watch the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Championship live on Friday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf

Jordan Spieth chipped in for eagle to take the first-round lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first leg of the FedExCup Playoffs, on Thursday in Memphis.

Spieth’s eagle at the par-five 16th hole at TPC Southwind vaulted him into the driver’s seat at seven under, and he made two pars to finish off a bogey-free 63.

Tom Kim of South Korea is in second at six-under 64, and Collin Morikawa and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo are tied for third at five-under 65. Lucas Glover, who qualified for the playoffs by winning last week’s Wyndham Championship, is part of a massive tie at four-under 66.

The top 70 players from the season-long FedExCup points race earned berths into the playoffs, and only the top 50 in the standings after this tournament will advance to next week’s BMW Championship. There is no 36-hole cut at the FedEx St. Jude Championship for the first time.

FedExCup points leader Jon Rahm had a double bogey and four bogeys en route to a forgettable, three-over 73, putting him tied for 65th.

Were he to finish the tournament that far down the leaderboard, he is still projected to hold onto the No. 1 spot. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, entering the week Nos. 2 and 3, each shot 3-under 67 on Thursday.

Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion, has not won on tour since the RBC Heritage in April 2022.

Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the FedExCup Playoffs live this August on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the FedEx St. Jude Championship continues on Friday from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf.

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Japan’s Hinako Shibuno leads the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open from Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom after the first day of play in Ayrshire; watch the second round of action at Dundonald Links on Friday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf

Hinako Shibuno fired an opening round of 64 (-8) to lead by two strokes at end of the first day of the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire.

The Japanese star, who won the AIG Women’s Open in 2019, was bogey-free on day one at Dundonald Links rolling in eight birdies.

Shibuno, who teed off from the 10th hole, began with a birdie and then made four on the trot on holes 13 through 16. The major winner finished her round with a flourish making another three birdies in-a-row on holes six, seven and eight to sit at the top of the leaderboard on eight-under-par.

“It was really good overall,” said Shibuno. “I putted well. I like Scotland and I like playing in Scotland and the UK. I surprised myself with the four birdies in a row.

“My finger is getting better, it’s healing now. My fingers and upper body was a little tight, but my sequence is getting better. I’m just being relaxed and more thinking about the sequence, the swing.”

Sagstrom sits in outright second place on six-under-par after firing a 66 on the first day at Dundonald.

Madelene Sagstrom fired in 66 on the first day

The 30-year-old got off to a hot start with birdies on 10, 11 and 12 before adding another on the 16th hole. There was a dropped shot on the first for the Swede, but she soon bounced back with birdies on three, seven and nine for her round of six-under.

“It started really solid with three birdies right away,” said the LPGA Tour winner. “I made some really good iron shots today. It kept the driver in play and not fantastic, but I think my iron shots kept me in it. I made some easy putts and overall, a pretty easy day.

“I think it’s taken me a few years to figure links golf out. As an amateur, I hated it. I can’t hit it low, but I started working with Shane, my caddie who is Irish, two years ago.

“We’ve really been pushing it since and been able to be much more creative on the golf course and he’s helping me see the different shots now, so it’s really improved over the years. It’s been a journey.”

Madelene Sagstrom sits in outright second place on six-under-par

Broch Estrup, Hedwall and Inglis in joint-third

Three players are in a share of third place with Nicole Broch Estrup, Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Inglis all on four-under-par. It was a bogey-free round of 68 (-4) for Hedwall, who rolled in birdies on holes two, nine, 10 and 14.

The seven-time LET winner said: “I played really solid. I was driving it really well. I hit a lot of fairways and it just felt good overall. I missed a couple of shorter birdie putts, but then I made a couple of longer par putts as well. I think it evened out, and I’m just happy with four-under today. It felt like a good start.

“It’s definitely a test for my patience, but I think I did really well today and just kept staying in the moment and just hitting good shots. My game is shaping up, and it’s nice to put a good score this first day now. It feels decent.”

Caroline Hedwall is joint third going into Friday

It was also a good day for Denmark’s Broch Estrup who only had one dropped shot and five birdies on her scorecard.

“It was pretty solid and to shoot four-under on a links course, you have to get a little lucky here and there,” said the LET winner.

“I made a long putt on seven for birdie, and it just held on to the green, it could have been a tough up-and-down. But overall, it was solid out there. There were lots of fairway, lots of greens and I putted pretty well as well.

“I like it when the wind is up because it means that you have to work with the ball, and you have to be somehow a good ball-striker to get around, and I consider myself that. I like it when it gets a little tough. I feel like my golf is in a good place at the moment. Today I was really good at doing my things mentally, there’s obviously three more days, but I’m really, really proud of myself today.”

Six players end the first day in a tie for tenth place on two-under-par including France’s Agathe Sauzon and Sweden’s Linnea Strom.

However, there was an unfortunate incident during the round for Broch Estrup’s husband and caddie Kasper, who had to stop carrying the bag after 16 holes after he sprained his ankle.

She added: “Going from 16 to 17, I actually twisted my foot half first and I looked back, and Kasper was like in complete pain, and he twisted his ankle really bad. He was trying to put pressure on his foot, and just there was no chance he could. He was trying to just make it to the 17th tee box and couldn’t.

“Luckily one of the guys from the Danish golf team is here watching, and he was happy to step on the last few holes. I hit it to like three feet on 17 and then to three meters on the last.”

Watch the Women’s Scottish Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf and stream it on NOW

Tiger Woods has admitted he is ‘honoured’ to join the PGA Tour Policy Board as a sixth player director and admits it is a ‘critical point’ for golf’s governing body; the 15-time major champion is currently recovering from ankle surgery.

Tiger Woods says the PGA Tour is at a “critical point” after joining the Tour’s policy board – as it was also announced no future changes can be approved without player consent.

The move, which is part of new governance and transparency measures announced by the Tour, will see 15-times major champion Woods join Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson on the board.

“I am honoured to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods, who is recovering from the ankle surgery he underwent in April, said in a news release.

Woods has joined the PGA Tour policy board for the first time in his 27-year career

“This is a critical point for the Tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in Tour operations are in the best interest of all Tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players.”

The announcement comes nearly two months after the golf world was left stunned by the announcement of a partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which controls LIV Golf.

According to the PGA Tour, the players and commissioner Jay Monahan will work together to amend the policy board’s governing documents to make it clear that no major decision can be made without the involvement and approval of the player directors.

The Player Directors’ Special Advisor, Colin Neville, will also be fully aware of negotiations regarding the framework agreement with PIF and provide any information he requests for him to carry out his duties on behalf of the players.

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Padraig Harrington lost out in a play-off for the second time this year at a senior major; Alex Cejka claimed a dramatic victory on a day where none of the field were able to break par; Vijay Singh ended the week in third place

Alex Cejka defeated Padraig Harrington at the second play-off hole to win the Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.

Cejka mixed two birdies with five bogeys and a double-bogey in horrendous conditions at Royal Porthcawl to card a five-over 76, with Harrington posting a final-round 75 to join him on five over after missing an eagle attempt for outright victory on the final hole.

The players returned to the par-five 18th for a play-off, where Harrington tapped in for birdie – after almost holing his eagle putt from off the back of the green – and Cejka two-putted from 30 feet to extend the contest.

Padraig Harrington narrowly missed out on victory in Wales

Harrington then missed the green with his approach on the second play-off hole and could only make par, as Cejka posted a two-putt birdie to claim the win and add to his senior major victories in 2021 at the Regions Tradition and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

“I still can’t believe it,” Cejka said. “It’s been a really tough week. It’s been a really tough two days. I can’t believe I’m standing with the trophy here. Seeing all those great names on the trophy, coming in here with all the pictures and everything, all the guys who won it before me, now holding it myself, it’s surreal.”

Vijay Singh finished third ahead of Michael Jonzon after a final-round 77, while Philip Archer briefly led during his back nine before dropping four shots over the final four holes to close an eight-over 79 and drop to tied-fifth.

US Senior Open champion Bernhard Langer ended the week in tied-seventh on 10 over, with former PGA champion Y.E Yang jumping 44 places on the leaderboard during the final day after equalling the lowest round with a level-par 71.

Some 26 of the 70 players featuring on the final day failed to break 80, with Paul Lawrie carding a 10-over 81 and Colin Montgomerie struggling to a remarkable 17-over 88.

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Celine Boutier moves into a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Evian Championship; watch the final major of the year live on Sky Sports

Home favourite Celine Boutier moved into a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Evian Championship at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France.

Boutier, who has previously played the event six times but has yet to break into the top 25 and has missed the cut twice, carded a two-under second round score of 69 to move to seven-under overall and in first place ahead of Patty Tavatanakit and Yuso Saso.

Nasa Hataoka, Gaby Lopez and Alison Lee were in a three-way tie for fourth on five under.

First-round leader Paula Reto of South Africa fell four shots behind Boutier after a torrid time on the back nine.

Reto had three bogeys and a double in the closing stretch as she signed for a four-over-par 75.

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh was the leading British contender on two under after a second successive 70, level with some of the pre-tournament favourites in Lin Grant, Minjee Lee and Rose Zhang.

English pair Georgia Hall and Charley Hull both missed the cut on two over and five over respectively.

Boutier comes into the event with momentum after capturing her third career victory at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain, while her second-best finish of the season came just last week at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational alongside playing partner Saso.

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Cameron Smith returns as defending champion, Scottie Scheffler arrives as world No 1 and Rory McIlroy is chasing a fifth major title; Watch The 151st Open from Royal Liverpool throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf

All eyes are on the top of the Open Championship betting and picking holes in Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler is extremely difficult.

However, this is the one major where focusing on bigger prices and generous each-way terms is a must, especially with strong wind forecast for Saturday, and the best bet is Dustin Johnson.

After a slow start to 2023, Johnson got back into the mix in a major when 10th at the US Open. Crucially, his long game was excellent, and had he putted well he would’ve been asking questions of Wyndham Clark.

Will Dustin Johnson move three-quarters of the way to the career Grand Slam with victory at The Open?

That aspect of his game has generally looked good on the LIV Golf circuit and his Open record is outstanding. Right from his near-miss in 2011 and even before that when contending at St Andrews, Johnson has looked like a potential winner of the Claret Jug.

Experience is extremely valuable in any Open Championship and Johnson’s includes a round of 65 here in 2014, the joint-best score of the week. He could well make a winning return to Hoylake.

Shane Lowry‘s links record needs no introduction and he also shot 65 during that renewal of the Open, enough to secure his first major championship top 10.

Shane Lowry is looking to win The Open for a second time, following on from his 2019 success at Royal Portrush

A winner at Portrush five years later and close to the places in two subsequent Open appearances, he should continue to threaten under conditions which favour him after a nice primer last week.

So might Jordan Spieth, who has plenty of good form behind him this year and can be excused from a poor Genesis Scottish Open.

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The remodelled 17th hole at Royal Liverpool has caused a lot of discussion between players this week with Jordan Spieth suggesting it could cause carnage and Matt Fitzpatrick refusing to comment anything other than ‘interesting’ about the par 3

Viktor Hovland and Cameron Young both threatened at St Andrews having failed to make the cut at The Renaissance and Spieth, whose Open record shows nine cuts made from nine appearances and that famous 2017 win, can bounce back. He’s one of the best Open golfers in this field after all.

At bigger odds, it could pay to chance Hideki Matsuyama, who placed on his Open debut and far better suited to this style of golf than recent results would suggest.

Hideki Matsuyama is without a worldwide top-10 since The Players

He’s had some fitness troubles this year but his long-game stats from all three majors so far have been excellent, bettered only by Scheffler in fact.

Any improvement on the greens and Matsuyama could reward each-way faith and become the latest player to capture this and The Masters.

Finally, Corey Conners fits the bill as a winner this year who contended for the Open in 2021. He was in the mix for three rounds at Oak Hill and now seems ready to hang around all week.

Watch The 151st Open throughout the week exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf.

There is also lots of extra coverage available throughout each day via the red button on Sky Sports Golf, along with Sky Q and Sky Glass, with Featured Groups and Featured Hole feeds available to enjoy as the world’s best players tackle Royal Liverpool.

Rory McIlroy is looking for first major victory in nine years at The Open; McIlroy claimed a two-shot win and the Claret Jug the last time it was held at Royal Liverpool; Watch live throughout the week on Sky Sports Golf

Rory McIlroy has cancelled his pre-tournament press conference at The 151st Open ahead of his bid for a fifth major victory.

McIlroy, who produced a thrilling finish to win the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday, had been listed to speak to the media at 9am on Tuesday at Royal Liverpool.

The former world No 1 has now been removed from Tuesday’s schedule and looks set to skip his press conference for the second successive major.

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A look at Rory McIlroy’s best shots from his 2014 Open Championship win at this year’s venue, Royal Liverpool

In a statement, the R&A said: “We have been advised that Rory McIlroy will no longer be taking part in a preview press conference.”

McIlroy did speak to broadcast media during Monday’s On the Range show, live on Sky Sports, where the Northern Irishman said he was hoping to build on Sunday’s impressive Rolex Series win.

“Ball striking wise, I think I led the field in terms of stats from tee to green [at The Scottish Open], so that’s something,” McIlroy said. “Great iron play, wedge play, controlling my flight. I’m really happy, I’ve got a new goal, a new purpose and you go again.

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Highlights from a dramatic final round as Rory McIlroy secured a dramatic victory over Robert MacIntyre at the Scottish Open

“If I get myself into a similar position this week, I will certainly draw on what I did last week. But as of right now and getting prepared for this tournament, all that has to be put on the backburner. I just have to focus on getting ready to tee off on Thursday.”

McIlroy won The Open the last time it was held at Royal Liverpool in 2014, the first of back-to-back major titles, with the 34-year-old looking to draw on those experiences from his previous victory.

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Four-time major champion Dame Laura Davies looks ahead to The Open at Royal Liverpool and backs World No 2 Rory McIlroy to win it

“[Winning here] feels like such a long time ago,” McIlroy added. “You’re trying to rekindle the memories as I was driving from the airport last night and getting onto the Wirral.

“I haven’t been here since 2014, so trying to get those memories back again and trying to re familiarise myself with the range and the club, the first tee and everything. It’s nice to comeback anywhere you’ve had success, it’s always a nice feeling.”

Faldo: McIlroy should act like defending champion

Sir Nick Faldo has urged McIlroy to act like he “owns the ring” as he bids to end his lengthy major drought.

The world No 2 has not won a major since the 2014 PGA Championship, a month on from his victory at Royal Liverpool, with Faldo believing McIlroy should behave as if he is the defending champion this week.

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The waiting is almost over for the final men’s major of the year, with round-the-clock coverage from The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool live from July 20-23 on Sky Sports Golf

“Yeah, why not?” Faldo said. “It’s like saying ‘I own the ring, you ain’t gonna knock me down’. I felt that way when I came back to Muirfield in 1992 after winning in 1987. I was playing well, I was world number one, one of the favourites and all that and I thought ‘yeah, this is my spot, I’m gonna defend winning at Muirfield’.

“He’s got to be feeling good going back to somewhere he’s won before. He’s playing well. I think the most important thing is he just wants to be a golfer right now, give me a bit of space, let me breathe, let me just go and play.

“He’s one of the top few players in the world and it’s probably a nice feeling for him – he knows if he plays really well he knows the names he’s got to beat.

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The best of the action from a thrilling final round of The 150th Open Championship from St Andrews, where Cameron Smith claimed a maiden major title

“Nine years is a long time, not many players go nine years [between major wins] but he’s so talented. It’s not like his game’s gone downhill. If he can find a way to almost hit the reset button, he’s still in his prime age; he’s just got to find that little bit of trust and determination. Can you fend off everybody else?

“You’ve got three days playing against yourself before you then take on the rest of the guys. I’ve got kind of a good vibe. I think he could pull another one out. I think he has a hell of a chance.”

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.

LPGA Mizuho Americas Open champion, Rose Zhang: “What is happening? I just can’t believe it. It was just last week when I won NCAAs with my teammates. To turn pro and come out here, it’s just been amazing”; Zhang to take membership on LPGA Tour which comes with the victory

Rose Zhang enjoyed a dream start to her professional career with victory in her first event in the Mizuho Americas Open.

Zhang, who only joined the paid ranks nine days ago, defeated Jennifer Kupcho on the second hole of a play-off after the pair had finished tied on nine under par at Liberty National Golf Club.

Kupcho set the clubhouse target after a closing 69 and Zhang needed to par the 18th to win in regulation, but found a bunker off the tee and was unable to get up and down from short of the green.

The 20-year-old American is the first player to win on the LPGA Tour in their professional debut since Beverly Hanson in 1951.

“What is happening? I just can’t believe it,” said Zhang after two putts for par on the second play-off hole were enough to beat Kupcho.

“It was just last week when I won NCAAs with my teammates. To turn pro and come out here, it’s just been amazing.”

Zhang confirmed she will be taking membership on the LPGA Tour which comes with the victory – after finishing her finals at Stanford and moving next week.

“I understand there is going to be a lot of bumps in the road and I’m expecting a lot of obstacles,” she said. “But I think this is just the start. This is just a stepping stone.

“It’s crazy that this is my first win, first professional win already, but no doubt there is going to be a lot more things happening down the road.

“I’m just going to be continuing to learn inside the ropes.”

Zhang spent a record 141 weeks at the top of the women’s amateur rankings, surpassing the previous best of 135 set by Ireland’s Leona Maguire.

She became the first women’s player to win two NCAA individual titles following her successful title defence at the end of May, a victory which saw her exceed the number of wins Tiger Woods achieved at Stanford.

Zhang also won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April and the US Women’s Amateur two years ago, as well as helping the United States to Curtis Cup wins over Great Britain and Ireland in 2021 and 2022.

World No 1 Jon Rahm had closed to within two shots of Mexico Open leader Tony Finau after a sensational, bogey-free 10-under round of 61 on Saturday, but Finau proved too strong in the final round, finishing with a five-under round of 65, which saw him round off the tournament on 24-under

Tony Finau showed superb consistency to hold off the charge of Jon Rahm and claim the PGA Tour Mexico Open title by three shots on Sunday, finishing on 24-under.

World No 1 Rahm had closed to within two shots of leader Finau after a sensational, bogey-free 10-under round of 61 on Saturday, but the USA’s Finau proved too strong on the final day, finishing with a five-under round of 66.

His impressive final-day display followed previous rounds of 65, 64 and 65 to leave him victorious, three shots ahead of defending champion Rahm and five ahead of compatriot Brandon Wu.

Rahm produced a final-round 67, but fell short of adding another win this year, having already claimed The Masters and three further PGA Tour titles.

Sunday’s victory brings the sixth PGA Tour title of 33-year-old Finau’s career – four of which have come since July 2022.

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A statement posted on Tiger Woods’ social media on Wednesday announced the 15-time major winner had undergone a procedure to address post-traumatic arthritis; Woods withdrew from The Masters ahead of the resumption of the third round at Augusta National

Tiger Woods has undergone surgery on his ankle following his recent withdrawal from The Masters.

The 15-time major champion pulled out of this year’s tournament at Augusta National ahead of the resumption of the third round due to reaggravating his plantar fasciitis.

An update posted on Woods’ social media on Wednesday confirmed he has since had surgery to address arthritis stemming from ankle problems.

“Earlier today, Tiger Woods underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture,” the statement said.

“It was performed by Dr Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City. He has determined the surgery to be successful.

“Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation.”

Woods, making just his second start of the year in The Masters, battled cold and wet conditions to close a second-round 74 on Saturday morning and secure a record-equalling 23rd consecutive cut in the tournament.

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Butch Harmon reflects on Tiger Woods’ Masters 2023 journey and how this looks for the rest of his golfing career in the near future

He snuck through on the cut mark of three over, despite bogeying his final two holes, with Woods falling further behind after a nightmare start to his third round.

Woods looked in physical discomfort as he made two bogeys and two double-bogeys over his first seven holes, leaving the former world No 1 on nine over for the tournament and bottom of the leaderboard by three shots.

He subsequently elected against returning to play what would have been an extended Sunday for him and has only completed 72 holes twice since career-threatening leg injuries in a car crash in February 2021.

Woods withdrew from the Hero World Challenge last November with plantar fasciitis too, although played at the PNC Championship later that month and featured at February’s Genesis Invitational.

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Speaking at The Masters, Nick Faldo says Tiger Woods has to ‘get realistic’ over his injury problems

“Every year from here going forward is to play in all the majors – I am not going to play too much more than that,” Woods previously said.

He is next scheduled to feature at the PGA Championship, an event he has won four times, although it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to feature at Oak Hill Country Club from May 18-21.

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We take a look at some of the main talking points as The Masters heads into a packed final day, with the third round still to be completed following heavy rain which forced Saturday’s play to be suspended…

Koepka vs Rahm: A two-horse race?

Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm have been the class acts of the field so far at Augusta National. Indeed, their performances in the first two rounds ensured it was the first time two players had been at 10 under par or better through 36 holes.

It is 32-year-old Koepka who holds the advantage though, leading world No 3 Rahm by four shots on 13 under up to the point where play was suspended on Saturday afternoon.

They will resume on Sunday on the seventh green with Koepka facing a putt to save par and Rahm having an opportunity to birdie, showing how much things could change with another 11 holes of the third round for the leaders to play.

As if a showdown between two golfers at the top of their game was not enough, there is the added drama of a probable showdown between LIV Golf defector Brooks and PGA Tour star Rahm for the right to pull on the fabled Green Jacket for the first time.

Smash GC captain Koepka triumphed in the most recent LIV event in Orlando ahead of The Masters and if he were to triumph it would hand a significant boost to the breakaway tour.

Koepka to seal his fifth major?

From a personal point of view, victory in the Masters would take Koepka three-quarters of the way to completing the Grand Slam of golf’s four majors.

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

The American already has two PGA Championships and two US Opens to his name, and a triumph on Sunday would leave just The Open Championship remaining to complete the set ahead of this July’s tournament at Royal Liverpool.

It would put him among an elite group too, with only six other male players in the modern era having won five majors before turning 33: Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer.

His statistics so far in this tournament are pointing towards success for Koepka too. He leads the way in Shots Gained Approach (+2.76) and is second for Shots Gained Putting (+1.76), while his six birdie or better scores on par-fives is tied for second as well.

Spanish success for Rahm?

Rahm spoke ahead of the tournament how aware he is of the history of his fellow Spaniards at The Masters, and he would join compatriots Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia in donning the Green Jacket if he were to emerge victorious.

It will not be lost on him either that April 9 marks the late Ballesteros’ birthday and is the same date that Garcia clinched the 2017 Masters title.

The 28-year-old, who has one previous major under his belt in the form of the 2021 US Open, has yet to better his fourth place at Augusta National in 2018, although four of his six appearances at The Masters have resulted in top-10 finishes.

He is aiming to become the sixth player to win the Masters and US Open before the age of 29, and only the third from outside the USA to win both, but will need to arrest a slide which saw him at one over par for his round and losing 1.25 strokes putting to the field before play was suspended.

Chasing pack charging?

Should Koepka and Rahm falter, there is a group of players, including several major winners, behind them waiting to pounce.

Matt Fitzpatrick is among the group chasing the leaders at The Masters

Last year’s surprise US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, and former PGA Championship and Open winner Collin Morikawa are both lurking on five under par, tied for fourth with Norway’s Viktor Hovland – a player widely tipped as a future major winner.

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson – back at Augusta National after missing last year’s tournament – and 2013 US Open winner Justin Rose are a further shot back tied for seventh in a group which includes another expected future major winner in Patrick Cantlay.

Still leading the chasing pack, though, in third at six under is Sam Bennett, whose total of 136 across the first two rounds was the lowest 36-hole score by an amateur at The Masters since Ken Venturi in 1956. It is worth noting, however, that no amateur player has won The Masters.

What to make of Tiger?

When he made the cut for the 23rd time at The Masters, Tiger Woods equalled a mark held by Fred Couples and Gary Player.

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Tiger Woods props up The Masters leaderboard after finding the water twice on the rain-soaked course at Augusta

But while Couples still seemed to be enjoying himself despite currently being tied for 49th on four over par, five-time champion Woods appeared to be struggling both physically and mentally on a day which saw him drop to last place and nine under par when play was suspended.

After starting the third round with a bogey, Woods made three consecutive pars, but then it was another bogey followed by back-to-back double-bogeys which left him three shots behind his nearest competitor, Charl Schwartzel.

The question now remains as to whether Woods will continue with his round and complete the tournament or decide to withdraw to save his body from further punishment.

Will the weather be a factor?

Play will resume at 8.30am local time (1.30pm BST), dependent on the condition of the course after the overnight rain, with just over 11 holes – or three and a bit hours – left of the third round still to complete.

Cloudy and breezy conditions are expected on Sunday, with no further rain or storm disruption, although any delay to the resumption would leave tournament officials in a race against time to get 72 holes completed before nightfall on Sunday.

A statement from Augusta National said the live broadcast – the global broadcast window – will remain as originally scheduled from 2pm-7pm local time (7pm-Midnight BST), with the tournament set to be finished without the need of taking the opening major of the year into a fifth day.

Who will win The Masters? Watch the conclusion of the third round live on Sunday from 1.30pm on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of the final round later that day. A host of bonus feeds will be available throughout the day via the red button on Sky Sports Golf!

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Statistics show that Rory McIlroy is a better player now that at any other time in his career. 

If you were prepared to go deep into his career statistics you will consistently come across two glaring weaknesses; wedge play and putting. 2022 has seen him improve drastically in both of those categories – in some style as well – as he went on his way to a consistently brilliant year and a well deserved return to World No 1.

Isolating his statistics from the time of The Masters in April to the end of the year, he has been the leading wedge player on the PGA Tour – that’s a simply sensational improvement. Who would have thought that, as over his career he has consistently been ranked outside of the top-50 in the wedge play rankings?

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Highlights from day four of the CJ Cup in South Carolina as Rory McIlroy retained the title and moved back to world No 1.

Then you look at his putting, and for the first time ever he is well inside the top 20 best putters on Tour. Again, that’s a category that has seen him miles off the pace compared to others historically, despite many wins and periods of domination.

When you factor in his well documented strength in hitting the golf ball to these huge and important short game improvements, you start forming an opinion that this guy no longer has any weaknesses. Looking at reasons for these huge improvements, I see a combination of the two personnel additions to his team as the outstanding ones.

He is now into his second season working with the ex- PGA Tour player and Sky Sports analyst, Brad Faxon. These two years have shown steady putting improvement for McIlroy, as Brad has led Rory to a more instinctive and reactionary style of putting.

Gone are the days of over analysis and – to borrow the often quoted phase of Gary Player – the “paralysis by analysis”. Instead, there is now a flow to how McIlroy putts both in terms of routine as well as stroke.

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Rory McIlroy said it means a lot to finish in Europe’s No 1 spot for the fourth time in his career and feels he’s on a journey to becoming a complete golfer.

In terms of his wedge play it has come down to old fashioned hard work, combined with a change to a less spinning ball and a lower, more driven flight that make it easier to control distance.

When you throw in the addition of Bob Rotella, the well known and hugely respected sports psychologist, who also worked with Brad throughout his career, you get a consistency of ideas and approach that marries into the instinctive style of golf that McIlroy has always played and one that comes naturally to him.

Great golf improvement often follows evolution of something that comes naturally which, in Brad and Bob, Rory has found two kindred spirits in how they see golf being played that resonate with him. There is a skill in picking coaches and its crucial to choose people whose ideas will blend and enhance yours – McIlroy has clearly done that and the results have followed.

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After becoming world number one again with victory at the CJ Cup, Sky Sports Golf pundit Rob Lee is confident Rory McIlroy can now go on to win the Masters to complete a career Grand Slam.

When he came second to Scottie Scheffler at The Masters with that run on the last day, it was validation for him to say ‘hey, these new ideas are working and are relatively easy for me to implement’. Confidence comes from validation, so that finish was the start of new proof that he was on the right track and had the right people around. There’s no doubt that the Sunday at Augusta was the springboard to a great summer.

Just a couple of months prior to this second place at The Masters, McIlroy took on a very high risk shot from the 18th fairway in the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic and made a bogey on the closing par-five that effectively blew the tournament.

While this swashbuckling style of play makes him compelling to watch, it is not the style of play employed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods – players who are in the category of the real greats of the game and a category McIlroy has entered and will ultimately be judged in. Post-Dubai he seemed to take on a more measured approach, akin to theirs, relating to course management and in-play decision making.

Having worked with Rotella myself during my career, I recognised his ideas in McIlroy’s play and interviews. I recall highlighting and giving examples of this new approach in my role with Golf Channel after three rounds at Augusta, whose ideas seemingly underpinning a lot of his golf this year.

Although this approach led to great consistency in the majors it didn’t lead to an all-important win and the irony is that it may well have cost him winning The Open at St Andrews.

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Rory McIlroy says he’ll have to ‘keep plugging away’ as his wait for a fifth major continues after surrendering his lead on the final day of The Open.

Entering the last round in a share of the lead, he made no mistakes as he hit all 18 greens in regulation. However, in doing so, he became somewhat over-conservative and didn’t make enough birdies or take enough chances on a course that was yielding lots of birdies to other contenders.

Making mistakes didn’t cost him that title, like Dubai in the year, but it was the over-measured play and lack of spark to make birdies and offset the charging Cameron Smith that cost him. The Open illustrates just how hard it is to get the balance right – hitting all 18 greens with no bogeys was not enough. As the song by Kenny Rogers goes: “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em!”

Golf at the top level is a sport where it feels you never get to the finishing line and even when you think you have it, you don’t! You are constantly evolving and learning throughout your career.

2022 has been a great year for McIlroy, with huge strides made, but as well as it’s gone for him there will have been big learnings too. While the measured decision making has proved fruitful in terms of the consistency of top-10 finishes in all four majors, he will have realised the importance of blending this new approach with flashes of that swashbuckling style of his that draws us all in and separates him.

I would also credit Rotella’s influence on how McIlroy has used the narrative around LIV and the central role that he has taken off the course to his advantage. Many of the really greats in sport talk of getting an edge mentally and they talk about cultivating this edge by taking offence to someone or something, or making things personal.

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Tiger Woods described Rory McIlroy as a ‘true leader’ following his calls for Greg Norman to quit as LIV Golf CEO to allow a settlement to be negotiated in golf’s civil war.

This edge becomes the fuel that energise them in the battle field of preparation and competition and I believe McIlroy, with the help of Rotella, has cultivated the emergence of LIV in a positive way to help fuel his concentration and focus this year. They have found a way of using LIV psychologically to put himself in a place where he’s out to prove something and chase it, which I think historically has always been his best mindset.

What next for McIlroy?

The next couple of months are really important, as he reenergises and resets himself. He doesn’t want to lose the momentum he enjoyed in 2022. We’ve seen him before after quite extensive breaks come out of the blocks slow and kind of lose the initiative a little bit, then try new things.

It’s key that he keeps his focus of thought and to continue working along the lines we saw in 2022 as its a path that has yielded results and him becoming the best edition of a golfer that I’ve witnessed in his career to date.

It’s also a path I’m convinced where more majors will be added to his already sensational golfing CV.

Watch Rory McIlroy in PGA Tour and DP World Tour action throughout 2023 live on Sky Sports Golf!