‘This was the greatest day of my life’: Fathers, sons and Pebble Beach

LOS ANGELES — Joaquin Niemann had an idea how Riviera was playing Thursday when he saw no one from the morning draw posting better than a 5-under 66. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Riviera Romance – Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and stars start hot in LA He hit the ball so well in The Genesis Invitational that he didn’t even bother paying attention to anyone else. When his round ended, Niemann had an 8-under 63 to match the lowest score for the opening round at Riviera and build a three-shot lead. “Sometime I think about a score,” he said. “Today I was hitting it so good, I had fun just getting into the shot. I didn’t really think of the score. But then on 18 I was thinking about. I wanted to make birdie so bad. I wanted to to make one more.” Niemann is the ninth player to open with a 63 at Riviera, a list that starts with Charlie Sifford in 1969 and was done most recently by J.B. Holmes in 2019. Four of the previous eight players to start with 63 went on to win. “You always work to have these kind of days. You always know that you’re never going to have these days four days in a row. It’s a good way to start,” Niemann said. “I know it’s going to be different days during the week, so I’ve got to be ready for everything and have the best attitude for it.” Jordan Spieth had seven birdies and joined a group at 66 that included WM Phoenix Open winner Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa, who had one of several big moments on the first tee. It started with Tiger Woods, the tournament host to went from being a 15-time major champion to the starter on the first tee. He wanted to introduce Aaron Beverly, who received the Charlie Sifford exemption to play in the elite field. The tournament is celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the year Sifford — the first Black golfer to win on the PGA TOUR — was born. For Homa, it was a new experience on a familiar course. He grew up in Southern California and Riviera was the PGA TOUR event he often attended. He had to fight back tears when he won last year. And he was a little nervous going to the tee and knowing he would be introduced as the defending champion. “It was cool. I got a nice ovation,” Homa said. “And playing with two great guys, two of the best players of all time, added to that a little bit. But it was fun. I’ve been on this tee a million times watching and playing now, and to get to hear that was pretty special.” He played with Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott, past winners at Riviera. Johnson has gone more than a year since his last win at the Saudi International, and it doesn’t appear that’s going to change. On the 10th hole, he went from fairway bunker to the back slope of greenside bunker, chipped it to a flatter lie, left the next one in the sand and made double bogey. He opened with a 73. Collin Morikawa, another LA kid, and Justin Thomas were among those at 67. Even in ideal conditions — pleasant sunshine, very little wind — all but Niemann were held in check. Half the field broke par. That included Jon Rahm, the No. 1 player in the world, even if he had reason to believe his 69 felt much worse. He was second in the field to Niemann in the statistical category that measures play from tee to green. Only four players had a worse time puting. Rahm raised his arms in mock triumph when he made a 4-foot birdie on the par-4 eighth, his 17th hole of the round. It was the second-longest putt he made all day. The longest was on the next hole, when he made a 5-footer for par. The tournament now has Woods as the host and has been awarded elevated status, meaning it has a $12 million purse and the winner gets a three-year exemption. Add that to Riviera and all its reverence, and it’s not a surprise all 10 of the top 10 in the world are playing, along with 19 of the top 25 in the world ranking. That doesn’t guarantee big-time winners. Woods, even in his best years, never won at Riviera. For someone like Spieth, it would be extra special given the location. “If I could pick one non-major (or) PLAYERS Championship to win on the PGA TOUR, it would be here,” Spieth said. “I love Riviera. I think it’s arguably … it’s in the conversation as the best golf course in the world.” Spieth has one big win at Riviera, part of the Texas team that won the NCAA title in 2012. He looked as though he had a chance to take it lower than 66 until losing a little momentum with a pair of bogeys. Scheffler is coming of his first win last week in the WM Phoenix Open, and he was more tired than usual, which is a good problem to have. His round turned on the par-5 opening hole with a 7-iron to 2 feet for eagle, and he closed out his round with an approach to 4 feet on the ninth.

Click here to read the full article…

Emergency 9 Here are nine tidbits from the final round of the Valero Texas Open that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. The AT&T Oaks Course in San Antonio has been the host since 2010 and plays 7,435 yards to a Par-72. Just Like He Drew it Up Andrew Landry fired a final-round 68 to post a tournament record 17-under-par 271 and win for the first time on the PGA TOUR. Posting all four rounds in the 60’s he becomes the first native Texan to win this event since Justin Leonard in 2007. If he had any nerves on Sunday, he rarely displayed them. Opening with birdies on his first three holes, he opened up a two-shot lead that he would never relinquish. Trey Mullinax, also playing in the final group, cut that lead to one on No. 10 but Landry held his nerve and wouldn’t be denied. He had a few fortunate breaks that all winners need but he was excellent all week long. He led the field in SG: approach the green, tee to green and GIR. He was second in scrambling and T2 with 21 birdies. On a big, bad course he was only T46 in driving distance but he only squared four bogeys, tied for the least on the week. The 30-year-old should have thrown up a few red flags last year on the Web.com Tour as he won the second of event of the season and then added six more top-five finishes. Gamers will point out that the Texan has been incredibly efficient this year when he makes the cut. This was his fourth top-10 finish in six weekends from 13 starts. He also had a great learning experience leading the U.S. Open at Oakmont after Thursday in 2016 and fighting with Jon Rahm in a playoff at the CareerBuilder Challenge. Landry already had the biggest win of his life on March 23 as he and his wife welcomed their first child, Brooks, to the world. I guess #NappyFactor needed a week to knock the rust off as he closed with 75 last week to collect T42. Plenty of diaper money, sure, but this week will buy A LOT more! As gamers know, winning for the first time on TOUR changes everything and doesn’t ensure immediate (Kizzire) or continued success (Potter, Jr.). I’m going to rely on the total body of work here as I move forward. He obviously didn’t “fake it” through an entire season last year. His stats don’t jump off the page but his results do. There’s something to be said for that. Figuring out when he’s going to fire is going to be something completely different. Stay tuned! Gamers’ Choices — PGA TOUR Fantasy Game presented by SERVPRO This is the most brutal top 10 we’ve seen in some time. Landry’s first top 10 on TOUR was at the John Deere Classic, an event where Johnson and Moore have done quite well in recent years. Interesting. Gamers’ Choices — PGA TOUR One & Done presented by SERVPRO The Billy Horschel Fan Club (acting president: ME) was hoping for one more on one of the last two holes but it wasn’t to be. It will be a nice gain this week, but not the big prize gamers were looking for to move up the leaderboard. Close Encounters Trey Mullinax picked up his third top-25 finish in a row and his second top 10 in three starts. The big bomber who set the course record Saturday didn’t look out of place on Sunday playing in the final group. His final two holes cost him plenty of cash. He threw the sod over it on No. 17 and made a bogey and his errant tee shot on the last took out possibility of eagle. It also took all of the pressure off of Landry to make birdie. Although he KILLS IT off the tee, I’ll point out that he also led the field in SG: putting. His only top 10 in 28 events last year was at Erin Hills and he’s already doubled that output. Quail Hollow should set up perfectly for his game! Rally Cap Sean O’Hair was the only guy on the course who didn’t want this event to end. After his blazing 65 on Saturday he roared back with 66 more on Sunday for the low round of the day. He matched Landry with 21 birdies, was second in GIR and third in SG: tee to green. His birdies on the final two holes saw him share second with Mullinax. Similarly to Mullinax, O’Hair also had a solid Valspar (T12) followed by T7 at Bay Hill. His T64 at the Houston Open and MC last week at Harbour Town threw gamers off the scent. His four rounds at par-or-better were his first ever in 12 rounds at this event. That didn’t help either! Streel Wheels Kevin Streelman (T8) backed up his top 10 last week at the RBC Heritage (T7) with another one this week. As he’s known to do, he heated up faster than the weather in Hill Country, which never happened this week, as he closed round three with five consecutive birdies. He added six more on Sunday to sign for 67 for his fourth top-10 finish this season and his best finish in five tries at the VTO. #Play72 Jimmy Walker continued his very solid form he flashed at the Masters (T20) to cash solo fourth this week. This was the first time all year that he put all four rounds in red figures and remarked after Round 3 that he was feeling stronger. It should also be pointed out he bogeyed the easiest hole on the course both days of the weekend while shooting 67-67 while leading the event with 24 birdies. He also made a double on Thursday on the Par-5 No. 18. Arrows way up. … First-round leader Grayson Murray might have had the second-most impressive round of the week behind Mullinax’s course record on Saturday. He played the weekend in 1 over but still cashed T16, his third T16 or better in his last four events. He went close at Quail Hollow last year in the PGA Championship before fading late. … Sunday Silence Zach Johnson should have had the upper hand entering Sunday. The two-time major champion was playing in the final group, tied for the lead, with two guys who had never won on TOUR. Looking for his first win since St. Andrew’s in 2015, Johnson could never get dialed in Sunday. He turned in even-par 36 and his bogey at the last knocked him out of T4 but it was his best result since the Valero Texas Open moved to TPC San Antonio. Before the week started, all gamers who invested would have taken this result no questions asked. He’s now rattled off 14 cuts in a row and this was his best finish since solo second last summer at Firestone. … Charley Hoffman backed up his T40 last year with T64 this year and had nothing better than T71 on the week. … Matt Kuchar, a week-in and week-out savings bond for gamers, has shown again that this week might be a pass moving forward. He added T51 this year to T40 last year and T42 in 2016. There’s not many, if any, places I’ll fade Kuchar but this would qualify. Study Hall The final round scoring average ticked just over par at 72.125 and there were no bogey-free rounds. The scoring average for the week was 72.367 and was helped by a friendly course set-up on Friday plus a storm system that never materialized on Saturday. … Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly played together for T5 at Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge. They are paired at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans as well. … 44-year old lefty Eric Axley was declared the winner after 54 holes at the North Mississippi Classic on the Web.com Tour after rain washed out the final round. Ole Miss senior Braden Thornberry (a) was T22. Write his name down and thank me later.

Click here to read the full article…

DUBLIN, Ohio — Collin Morikawa had another favorable result at Muirfield Village on a golf course that looked and sounded a lot different from when he won last year. RELATED: Leaderboard | Rickie Fowler turns to prescription sunglasses for help on the course Morikawa felt good vibes from an old putter and posted a 6-under 66 in rain-softened conditions Thursday morning at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. That gave him a one-shot lead over Adam Long among early starters, with Xander Schauffele in the group two shots behind. The weather was bad enough that the first round was suspended twice, with only half the field finishing the round. For Morikawa, the name of the tournament is different, too. He won a playoff at Muirfield Village last year in the Workday Charity Open, a one-time event to replace the pandemic-canceled John Deere Classic. But there’s a comfort level at the course Jack Nicklaus built, no matter how much it has been renovated and reshaped. And it was noisy Thursday as the tournament has let at least 25 percent capacity of fans on the course. Jon Rahm is the defending champion at the Memorial and faced a far stronger test. Nicklaus knew he was going to be redoing the fairways and greens, so he let them go for the Memorial and conditions were as tough as a U.S. Open. Rahm did OK in the soft conditions with a 69, tied with Open Championship winner Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who needs a runner-up finish to move into the top 60 in the world ranking and avoid U.S. Open qualifying on Monday. Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy didn’t make it past a couple of holes before the weather stopped everything. They were to return Friday morning to finish the first round, and then right back out for the second round. The forecast was better for the rest of the week, and darkness doesn’t set in until about 9 p.m. What made Schauffele’s round interesting is that he used the arm-lock method to putt. It’s a putter he’s only had for about a week. He’s among the best statistically putting. And he thinks the putting style should be banned. Kuchar, meanwhile, withdrew when he was 9 over after 14 holes for what the PGA TOUR described as a left forearm injury.

Click here to read the full article…