Day: July 20, 2020

Numbers to Know: the Memorial Tournament presented by NationwideNumbers to Know: the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020| 12:30

Welcome to Numbers to Know, where we will dive into Jon Rahm’s triumph at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. Rahm survived a tough Sunday to claim his fourth PGA TOUR win and moved to world No. 1 as a result. 1. MASTER CLASS: Rahm outperformed the field by +3.866 strokes per round from tee to green at Muirfield Village on the way to his win. It was the best Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green performance of his PGA TOUR career. The only other time he averaged over three strokes gained per round in a tournament from tee to green was the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open which he also won. Rahm is also the first player this season to gain over 15 total strokes (+15.46) from tee to green in a PGA TOUR event. 2. WINNING AS A HABIT: Rahm became just the fourth player to win at least once in each of the last four seasons on the PGA TOUR. He joined Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau with this honor. Technically, since Rahm got his card through the non-member FedExCup points list in 2015-16 where he played nine times, twice as an amateur, he has not won on each of his seasons on TOUR. However, in those nine starts he had three top 10s including a T3 at the 2016 Quicken Loans National and a T2 at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open. 3. NUMERO UNO: Rahm moved to eighth in the FedExCup standings, setting himself up for a run at the Wyndham Rewards title and the FedExCup itself. He would become the first Spanish player to win either of those titles should he do so. But the win at the Memorial Tournament also jettisoned him to world No. 1 at just 25 years of age. He is the fifth youngest player to reach world No. 1 and just the second Spanish player behind Seve Ballesteros. Rahm is the 24th player in history to be world No. 1 (the official rankings began in 1986). 4. BACK-NINE BANDIT: The back nine at Muirfield Village is the tougher of the two sides. At the conclusion of the tournament the front side scoring average was 36.831 (+.831 over par) while the back played to a 37.351 (+1.351 over par). Rahm’s win was helped by his stellar play on the tough side through the first three rounds. At the 54-hole mark Rahm was 9-under on Nos. 10-18, three shots better than Carlos Ortiz and at least four shots better than the rest of the field, including Ryan Palmer (-5) who would be his main rival for the title. Rahm had 10 birdies and just a lone bogey on the stretch in the opening three rounds. On Sunday, however, he shot 41 on that side of the course, helped by a two-shot penalty on the 16th hole. As such he was the first winner to shoot 41 on the back nine in the final round of an event on TOUR in the last 37 years (official events). He still finished the tournament as one of the best players on that stretch at a 4 under total, beaten only by Palmer (-5) and Matt Wallace (-5). 5. REGULAR SEASON RACE HEATS UP: With just four weeks to go before the FedExCup Playoffs begin Rahm made a huge step forward in the Wyndham Rewards race. He is no stranger to the bonus system for those in the regular season top 10, having finished 10th last season. But Rahm is one of just three of last season’s top 10 who are currently trending to be there again this season. Webb Simpson (second), Rory McIlroy (fifth) and Rahm (eighth) are well placed particularly given that last season, eight of the final top 10 in the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 were already inside the cut off with four weeks remaining in the regular season. Since 2009, only two players have been outside the top 25 of the FedExCup standings with four weeks to go and went onto finish the Regular Season inside the top 10 . Y.E. Yang did so in 2009 by moving from 28th to seventh and Simpson made a late run last year going from 26th to ninth. In the last 11 PGA TOUR seasons, McIlroy is the only player to finish first in the final regular season standings after being outside the top-three of the FedExCup standings with four weeks to go (he was 11th). Since 2009, with four weeks left, 22 players started outside the top-10 and played their way into the final top 10 of the regular season standings (most in a season is three in 2010, 2013 and 2014).

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3M Open to stage 3M Open Compass Challenge3M Open to stage 3M Open Compass Challenge

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020| 11:00

BLAINE, MN – 3M Open tournament officials and the PGA TOUR announced today the creation of a televised, Wednesday, nine-hole charity exhibition at TPC Twin Cities from 2-4 p.m. CT. Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Wolff and Will Gordon will join forces in a nine-hole scramble format on the closing nine holes. In the spirit of community in the Twin Cities, which has had the dual challenges of a global pandemic and social unrest, the players will work together to score birdies and eagles for charity dollars that will support organizations committed to fighting social injustices in the Twin Cities. Some of these organizations will include Lake Street Council, Urban Ventures and YWCAs of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Birdies will be worth $50,000, eagles $100,000 and a hole-in-one $150,000. In addition, there will be five, on-course team Compass Bucks Challenges valued at $50,000 each. These challenges will include trivia questions and a skill challenge. The maximum contribution from the 3M Open Fund will be $825,000. Joining the PGA TOUR players will be American Actor Josh Duhamel and Minnesota Viking great Kyle Rudolph, who will walk with the players for conversation and commentary. The 3M Open Compass Challenge will be broadcast live on PGA TOUR LIVE and simulcast on Golf Channel, GolfTV and PGA TOUR social channels. The 3M Open has identified eight major charity partners for this year’s tournament: M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Greater Twin Cities United Way, VEAP, Urban Ventures, Lake Street Council, YWCA of Minneapolis, YWCA of St. Paul and the Science Museum of Minnesota.

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Jon Rahm riding high at Jack’s Place after winJon Rahm riding high at Jack’s Place after win

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020| 1:31

DUBLIN, Ohio – A procession to victory just wouldn’t have been the Spanish way. Jon Rahm rode a final round rollercoaster to secure the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village in true Spanish style by surviving some tricky short game shots, a two-shot penalty, and the evaporation of a huge lead. RELATED: Final leaderboard | What’s in Rahm’s bag? His idol Seve Ballesteros would have been proud. And believe it or not, despite the heart palpitations, Rahm wouldn’t have it any other way. Sure he could have kept the incredible eight-shot lead he held over his Zurich Classic of New Orleans partner Ryan Palmer at the turn and ensured the last nine holes was a casual waltz to his golf destiny. But where’s the fun in that? Ballesteros was a maestro when things got tough, finding ways to escape from trouble. Rahm needed some of the same magic on Sunday at a brutal Muirfield Village that played hard and fast in swift winds. The 25-year-old had seen his eight shot lead drop to three shots when he and Palmer stood on the 15th tee. He was bleeding, momentum against him. Surely he couldn’t possibly let it slip … but then he had done so on the last two occasions he held the 54-hole lead. But despite the fact his accuracy on approach continued to desert him, Rahm focused in hard. He refused to surrender to the internal demons and got up and down for clutch pars on the 15th, 17th and 18th holes and chipped in for what was initially considered a birdie on the 16th hole only for a two-shot penalty to be added after the fact. Rahm had inadvertently made the ball move as he addressed the shot and hadn’t replaced it, turning his score into a bogey. Thankfully it mattered not. The magic had lasted long enough to stay three shots up and give Rahm a fourth PGA TOUR title, securing his ascension to world No. 1 on the way. He is just the second Spaniard, behind Ballesteros, to hold that status. “One of the best performances of my life,” Rahm said afterwards. “Yesterday was probably one of the best rounds of my life and finished today with some clutch up-and-downs. And as a Spaniard, I’m kind of glad it happened that way. Every shot counts, and I tried every shot and got those two last up-and-downs, as a true Spaniard would. “My short game has been unbelievable all week. It’s been so good, and I’ve gotten close to chipping in a couple times. You always hear about people saying champions make it happen, and at that point I made it happen.” In the past Rahm admits he would not have made it happen in similar circumstances. Emotion plays a huge role in his golf and in the past, on occasion, it has worked against him. But now, despite the fact he admitted he would celebrate by watching a children’s movie with his wife, Rahm says he has matured. He’s found ways to grow and channel his emotion into good. “I’m a person who unfortunately I’m fully aware I learn from mistakes. I act, foolishly or not. I’ll do my action, and I’ll learn from it, good or bad,” he explains. “Luckily I’ve been pretty good at learning from my mistakes and getting a little bit better each time and today was a clear example of it. I could have completely lost it many times. Maybe in the past I would have, but I didn’t. I just kept fighting. I knew it was a complete grind, and it’s a true honor to be now the Memorial Tournament champion presented by Nationwide and to be part of Jack’s legacy.” Rahm, who moved to eighth in the FedExCup with the win, was still in shock at his move to the top of the world. He’s never shied away from this being a huge goal despite the fact admitting in the past when the chance was right there in front of him, it affected his play. “I made that deal with myself very young, I believe at 13 or 14 I started working towards that goal, and everything I’ve done golf-wise has been to become No. 1 in the world and become the best player I can be,” Rahm said after taking top spot from Rory McIlroy. “It’s pretty surreal to think it’s happened this quickly, in less than 10 years. I mean, how many people get to achieve a lifelong dream in their mid-20s? It’s incredible. To be a Spaniard, the second Spaniard to ever do it, given there’s not many Europeans that have gotten to this spot, it’s a pretty unique feeling, so I’m going to enjoy it for a while.” Enjoying the achievement … now that is the Spanish way.

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Jon Rahm on his two-stroke penalty: ‘The ball did move'Jon Rahm on his two-stroke penalty: ‘The ball did move'

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020| 1:26

Jon Rahm had no issue being assessed a two-stroke penalty on his chip-in for an apparent birdie at the 16th hole Sunday en route to winning the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. While it reduced his margin of victory over good friend Ryan Palmer from five strokes to three, Rahm was still elated with the shot … and that his integrity remained intact. RELATED: Final leaderboard | What’s in Rahm’s bag? The shot in question was his second from the rough just off the green at the par-3 16th. As Rahm was at address, the ball moved slightly. Rahm then holed the shot, but slow-motion replays showed the label on the ball moving slightly. “I didn’t see it,” Rahm said. “You know, I promised open honestly and I’m a loyal person and I don’t want to win by cheating. … The ball did move. It’s as simple as that.” Rahm was first asked about the potential of a penalty during his post-round interview with CBS prior to reaching the scoring area. Slugger White, PGA TOUR Vice President of Rules & Competition, then showed the replay to Rahm and the penalty was assessed prior to signing his scorecard. Instead of birdie, he suffered a bogey at the hole, with the two-stroke penalty giving Rahm a 3-over 75 in the final round, leaving him at 9 under for the week. “The rule is 9.4,” White said. “It was a ball at rest by the player, moved, and since he didn’t put it back, he was assessed a general penalty, which is two strokes. That’s pretty much the bottom line. … “When he put the club down behind the ball, it moved ever so slightly to the left, so it changed positions. He accepted it like a gentleman and the man that he is, and we just went on with it.” Rahm, who moved to world No. 1 with the win and inside the top 10 (No. 8) in the FedExCup standings, said he was surprised when he was first informed about the potential for a penalty, and also a little confused. But after seeing the replay, he agreed with the ruling. “Had I seen it, I would have said something or maybe questioned — not questioned, asked for a rules official and explained what happened and would have gone from there. But I mean, he had to zoom it in the iPad so much to see what was a very minimal oscillation that could have basically just been me putting the club down and all the grass just simply going down,” Rahm explained. “It barely moves at all. Everything goes down with it. But the rules of golf are clear, and the ball did move. Unfortunately, it’s going to have a bittersweet feeling to what was possibly one of the greatest shots of my career, the shot that this Sunday gave me the victory, but … I accept the penalty. That goes to show that you have to fight until the end. “I could have very easily maybe just given up on the up-and-down on 17 and 18 and finished with two bogeys, and possibly after the penalty strokes given myself a scare and possibly gone to a playoff and still fought hard. Every shot counts, and I tried every shot and got those two last up-and-downs, as a true Spaniard would, and it is what it is.” The bottom line is that it didn’t change what Rahm accomplished this week. With the pressure on, he hit a great shot … and now he’s the world’s top-ranked golfer. He’s just the second Spanish golfer to be No. 1, following in the footsteps of the legendary Seve Ballesteros. “If it doesn’t change the outcome of the tournament, does it really matter? Maybe. Again, I accept what it is; it did move. It doesn’t take anything from the day, though. It’s still probably one of the greatest days of my life,” Rahm said. “I know it doesn’t sound like it because I’m still processing things and maybe in a week I’ll be completely ecstatic about everything, but proud that I did what I did, proud that I chipped that in, and proud that I finished the way I did.”

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Dillon leads 1-2 RCR finish in Cup race before fans at TexasDillon leads 1-2 RCR finish in Cup race before fans at Texas

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020| 1:17

Austin Dillon stayed in front after a restart with two laps to go and beat rookie teammate Tyler Reddick to the checkered flag at Texas, giving Richard Childress Racing a 1-2 NASCAR Cup finish and quite a show for spectators spread out in the stands on a scorching Sunday. It was Dillon and Reddick in front on the final three restarts, the first after an incident with 29 laps left that shuffled the fast car of Ryan Blaney to a lap back.

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