Padres ax pitching coach to ‘change the voice’Padres ax pitching coach to ‘change the voice’
The reeling San Diego Padres fired pitching Larry Rothschild on Monday after falling out of the second wild-card spot in the National League.
Day: August 23, 2021
J.R. Smith excited to trade jumpers for drivesJ.R. Smith excited to trade jumpers for drives
J.R. Smith said his college golf experience will bring on similar emotions to those he had in the NBA. “It’s still as nerve-racking as shooting a free throw in front of 5,000 (fans) instead of making a 5-foot putt in front of three.”
Reed hospitalized with pneumonia, out of BMWReed hospitalized with pneumonia, out of BMW
Patrick Reed won’t play in this weekend’s BMW Championship after being hospitalized with bilateral pneumonia, according to the Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis.
Winner’s Bag: Tony Finau, THE NORTHERN TRUSTWinner’s Bag: Tony Finau, THE NORTHERN TRUST
Tony Finau ended his winless drought in a big way with a victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST. It took a playoff with Cameron Smith to decide things at Liberty National, with Finau prevailing on the first sudden-death hole. Check out the clubs he used to close out the win RELATED: Final leaderboard Driver: Ping G425 LST (9 degrees @7, Big -) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX (45.25 inches, tipped 1.5 inch) 3-wood: Ping G400 Stretch (13 degrees @14) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX (42 inches) Irons: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3), Ping Blueprint (4-PW) Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI Hybrid 105 X (3), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X Wedges: Ping Glide Forged (50-10, 56-10), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (60-10S) Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 125 X (50, 56), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 125 Wedge Putter: Ping PLD Prototype Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Tony Finau wins THE NORTHERN TRUST in playoffTony Finau wins THE NORTHERN TRUST in playoff
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Tony Finau ended more than five years and 142 tournaments without winning with a dynamic charge on the back nine and big miss from Cameron Smith to capture the rain-delayed THE NORTHERN TRUST in a playoff Monday. RELATED: Final leaderboard | Updated FedExCup standings Finau was three shots out of the lead when he ran off a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch at Liberty National, the last one a 30-foot putt across the 14th green. He closed with a 6-under 65. Smith had a rally of his own with two late birdies, missing a 25-foot birdie chance on the 18th in regulation that would have won it. He closed with a 67. That was as close as the Australian came to winning. With the win, Finau moved to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings. On the 18th in the playoff, Smith hit such a wild drive that it sailed over the retaining wall that separates Liberty National from the edge of the Hudson River. Finau had already pounded his drive down the middle of the fairway, and the playoff at that point was effectively over. That’s just what Finau needed — no drama, and more importantly, a victory. Since winning the Puerto Rico Open in the spring of 2016, Finau had eight runner-up finishes, three of those in a playoff, and 11 finishes in the top three. Now, one of the most likeable players in golf goes to the top of the FedExCup standings and No. 8 in the Ryder Cup standings with one week left to be among six automatic qualifiers. He was the guy who did everything right but win, and now that burden was lifted. Finau, who had to save par from the bunker with a 6-foot putt on the 18th in regulation to finish at 20-under 264, only had to two-putt for par in the playoff. He lifted his head to the sky and fluttered his lips in sheer relief. “It took just about everything I had,” he said. And it took some help from Smith, who two weeks ago lost a chance to win a World Golf Championships with a wild drive on the 18th. Jon Rahm contributed, too. Rahm looked to be in control all afternoon, even as Finau began his big run. The world’s No. 1 player was bogey-free, made birdie on all three of the par 5s and threw a wedge into 3 feet for another birdie. It came undone quickly, though. Rahm’s tee shot found the bunker on the 15th and he missed a 6-foot par putt. On the reachable par-4 16th, he caught all ball with a pitch that sailed 30 feet by the pin and cost him an easy birdie. He didn’t get another look at birdie over the final two holes, saving par from a bunker on the 17th and having to lay up from a fairway bunker on the 18th, where he closed with a bogey and a 69 to finish alone in third. “I haven’t been able to digest it,” Rahm said after his round. “My son put a smile on my face so at least I’m not in a terrible mood.” There were other big winners Monday, starting with Keith Mitchell. He was at No. 101 in the FedExCup, and only the top 70 advance to the BMW Championship. Mitchell needed a big finish and delivered with three straight birdies for a 69 to tie for eighth at 13-under 271. “We thought 13 (under) was good,” Mitchell said. “When I had that putt on 18, I had to make it in my mind. Fortunately, I hit a great putt.” Tom Hoge started at No. 108 and tied for fourth to advance. That was his best finish of the year, and it came at just the right time with points counting quadruple. Also moving on to the BMW Championship later this week were Alex Noren, Erik van Rooyen, Harold Varner III and Harry Higgs. Van Rooyen was in contention on the front nine until he hit two shots in the water on the par-3 11th and made a quadruple-bogey 7. Finau all along had 20 under as his target, and caddie Mark Urbanek told him at the turn to deliver his best back nine of the year. He shot 30, and that turned out to be enough. The final round was postponed on Sunday as Hurricane Henri approached, and the edges of what became a tropical storm at landfall dumped more than 6 inches of rain on Liberty National. There was another four-hour delay in the morning and spectators were kept away. They missed quite a show, and a popular winner.
Drive for Show: Bryson to enter long-drive eventDrive for Show: Bryson to enter long-drive event
Bryson DeChambeau, the PGA’s tops in driving distance, has accepted an invitation to compete in the Professional Long Drivers Association World Championship on Sept. 27. DeChambeau averages 321.5 yards per drive.
Drive for Show: Bryson to enter long drive eventDrive for Show: Bryson to enter long drive event
Bryson DeChambeau, the PGA’s tops in driving distance, has accepted an invitation to compete in The Professional Long Driver’s Association World Championship on Sept. 27th. DeChambeau averages 321.6 5 yards per drive.
Reeling Padres fire pitching coach RothschildReeling Padres fire pitching coach Rothschild
The reeling San Diego Padres fired pitching Larry Rothschild on Monday after falling out of the second wild-card spot in the National League.
DeChambeau to test his long drive skillsDeChambeau to test his long drive skills
Bryson DeChambeau, the PGA’s tops in driving distance, has accepted an invitation to compete in The Professional Long Driver’s Association World Championship on Sept. 27th. DeChambeau averages 321.6 5 yards per drive.
Patrick Reed hospitalized with pneumonia, withdraws from BMW ChampionshipPatrick Reed hospitalized with pneumonia, withdraws from BMW Championship
Patrick Reed won THE NORTHERN TRUST the last time it was held at Liberty National, in 2019. This one, though, has been one to forget. First Reed pulled out of the tournament with an ankle injury. Then, as his fellow competitors were playing the rain-delayed final round Monday, he issued a statement that he’s been home in Houston battling double-pneumonia. He also officially withdrew from this week’s BMW Championship, the second event of the three-week FedExCup Playoffs, late Monday. “The good news is, my ankle is okay,” Reed wrote in the statement. “The bad news is I’ve been in the hospital with bilateral pneumonia. I’m on the road to recovery, once I’m cleared from the doctors – I look forward to returning. I wish you all the best and I can’t wait to get back out there! “Thank you so much for your support,” he continued, “it means a lot to me. Also, a special thank you to the doctors, nurses, and staff at The Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.” Reed has endured a demanding travel schedule this summer. He’s flown from the Rocket Mortgage Classic (T32) to The Open Championship (MC) to the 3M Open (T34) to the Olympic Games in Tokyo (T22), where he was a late replacement for Bryson DeChambeau. Then it was right back home for the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee (T31). His pneumonia will keep him out of the BMW Championship, which will begin Thursday at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland. That’s three straight events he will have missed with illness or injury after spraining his ankle at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude. Reed came into THE NORTHERN TRUST at 22nd in the FedExCup standings. He hasn’t missed the top-30 TOUR Championship since 2013. He’s also ninth in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings for the team that Steve Stricker will captain at Whistling Straits next month. The top six in points after the BMW automatically qualify; others, like Reed, will require a captain’s pick.