The Royal Blue Golf Club Redefines the Golf Resort Experience

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ATLANTA – It was fun. It was rewarding. And yes …  “Getting naked’s a bit weird, the first time you actually pull that robe off in front of 30, 40 people,â€� said Brooks Koepka, the world’s top-ranked golfer and the latest one to appear in ESPN’s Body Issue. On his Instagram account Wednesday, Koepka posted a photo revealing the fact he’ll be in the magazine’s annual feature of athletes without uniforms – or any other kind of clothing for that matter. (The issue is available in early September.)  On Thursday, after shooting a 3-under 67 that moved him into a three-way tie for the lead at the TOUR Championship – he’s now 10 under in the new Starting Strokes format, sharing the score with Xander Schauffele (64) and Justin Thomas (70) – Koepka revealed his thoughts. RELATED: Tee times | Big names tied atop leaderboard | How new format works  “It was something I enjoyed,â€� he said. “I was looking forward to it for months. It’s something I definitely don’t regret doing. It’s been enjoyable to see the pictures over the last couple of months and see, I guess, all the hard work I put into it and see the results.â€� Of course, anybody who follows Koepka or his girlfriend Jena Sims on social media already has received an eyeful, with Koepka wearing a thong in a few photos. “I’ve basically given everybody a preview in a thong,â€� he said, “so … just a little strip of clothing left I had to pull off.â€� The photo shoot took place this spring, after some intense two-a-day training in the gym along with a strict, calorie-counting diet. Koepka weighed 187 pounds for the shoot; he’s now about 210 pounds. “I’ve got a great dad bod right now,â€� he said. Koepka becomes the fourth male golfer to appear in the Body Issue, which made its debut in 2009. Camilo Villegas appeared in 2010, Gary Player in 2013 and Greg Norman last year. In addition, several female golfers also have appeared. Some of Koepka’s photos were shot outdoors at the Floridian National Golf Club. Koepka said there were people on the course. Koepka’s coach Claude Harmon also was giving a lesson at the time to a junior player. “I’ll never forget this one shot,â€� Koepka said. “They were trying to get this shot, and I’m up on the tee box. They had all their camera stuff set up in front of me, like face-on, but around the corner I see Claude teaching this maybe 12-year-old kid, and his mom is just over here. I’m like, this is awkward. And Claude’s peaking around the corner laughing. … “I’m pretty sure everybody that was at the golf course saw me that day.â€� And now everybody else is about to see him – especially his fellow PGA TOUR pros, including Rickie Fowler, who was once asked to be in the Body Issue but declined the offer.  “I figured there would be some sort of hazing in the locker room afterwards,â€� he said. So has he given Koepka any grief? “I haven’t, no,â€� Fowler replied. “But he’s bigger than me.â€� Rory McIlroy was asked in 2015 to pose. He also declined. “It’s just a little strange,â€� he said. “… You have to have a bit of confidence to get up there and do it in the first place, so good on him.â€� Koepka said he hasn’t received any jabs from his fellow pros. Nor, he added, should they be shocked by anything they see in the photos. “I’ve walked around naked in the locker room before,â€� Koepka said. One pro, however, did manage to share a bit of the spotlight. A photo of a shirtless Phil Mickelson in the ocean was posted on his sister Tina’s Twitter account , showing off the weight loss – and defined abs – for the 49-year-old World Golf Hall of Famer. “Was there a coincidence that Phil released his pictures at the same time,â€� cracked fellow pro Paul Casey, who then added, “Has he let that breath out? … Is he a breather?â€� Koepka took it all in stride. “Laid one on me again,â€� Koepka said of the Mickelson photo. “Leave it to Phil. He’s good at it. He knows what he’s doing. He looked good, though.â€�

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NICHOLASVILLE, Kentucky — Heavy rain that rendered parts of Keene Trace Golf Club unplayable early in the afternoon, coupled with severe weather later in the day, has forced the Barbasol Championship into a Monday finish. There were a total of three suspensions of play with the final one coming at 7:31 p.m. ET as a thunderstorm rolled through the area. The final four groups had yet to hit their opening tee shots. “Hard to explain,â€� PGA TOUR Tournament Director Steve Carman said with thunder rumbling in the distance on Sunday night. “Mother Nature is just not giving us very much to deal with. “Golf course is saturated, so any kind of rain makes it unplayable.â€� Play will resume at 7:30 a.m. ET on Monday. Robert Streb, Hunter Mahan, Tom Lovelady and Troy Merritt are tied for the lead at 18 under and will tee off in the final two groups at 7:50 a.m. and 8 a.m., respectively. Ben Silverman was making the biggest move up the leaderboard when play was halted for the day, taking advantage of the wet  conditions and playing his first 10 holes in 7-under. He birdied his last five holes before the delay and will return to the 11th tee on Monday. Carman said Nos. 1, 2, 12 and 17 are the problem holes. The biggest concerns are the fairways, although several bunkers had to be pumped because there was nowhere in them to give relief. The first delay came at 12:40 p.m. on Sunday when areas on the course became too wet to continue play. Once the course was ready, play resumed at 4:28, but was suspended again 12 minutes later. The weather eventually cleared and play resumed at 5:59 p.m. But thunder and lightning returned to the area and prompted officials to suspend play for the day 92 minutes later. Carman said about four-and-a-half hours of golf remain to be played. With any luck – and no delays – a champion could be crowned before noon. “If we get suspended, then we’ve got until dark to get it in,â€� Carman said. “The goal is 72 holes, and that includes on Monday.â€� Severe weather also delayed the second round on Friday. After an early morning delay, play got underway at 9:30 a.m. and continued until 3:25 p.m. It was eventually called for the day but the second round was completed and the third round finished on Saturday. The Monday finish is the second this year on the PGA TOUR. But the one at the Farmers Insurance Open only involved two players and a single hole as Jason Day beat Alex Noren with an 18-inch birdie putt on the sixth hole of sudden death. Storms are expected overnight but the weather forecast for Monday is more favorable with just a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

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