BMW Championship, Round 2: Leaderboard, tee times, TV times

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Justin Thomas, the progeny of PGA of America professionals, induced chaos on the usually genteel grounds of Quail Hollow with a heroic finish to the 99th PGA Championship. Quail Hollow takes cues from another course in the southeastern United States, one that hosts the year’s first major on an annual basis. It is a club that prides itself on pristine conditioning and affluent elegance.  But that was not the atmosphere late Sunday afternoon, as Thomas charged to his first major championship, winning in the way that we love to see our champions crowned. He earned it.  Quail Hollow’s old-money vibe was replaced by pandemonium. Pastel-clad patrons showed little regard for gallery ropes and spectator walkways as they ran through the muddy rough in their pursuit of the soon-to-be PGA champion.  Thomas, a member of the popular SB2K17 crew and now a five-time PGA TOUR winner at age 24, is a champion for a Snapchat generation, many of whom loudly called him by his initials as he played Sunday’s final holes. “Let’s go JT!â€� was the most common cheer from the loudest gallery members among the thousands who crowded around Quail Hollow’s closing holes. They watched Thomas chip-in for birdie at the 13th hole – “That was probably the most berserk I’ve ever gone on the golf course,â€� he said – execute a difficult up-and-down from a greenside bunker at 16 and then hit one of the best shots of his career, a 214-yard 7-iron, at the long, water-lined 17th. The 15-foot birdie putt made the 18th hole a formality. Thomas shot a final-round 68 to finish at 8-under 276 (73-66-69-68), two shots ahead of Francesco Molinari (67), Patrick Reed (67) and Louis Oosthuizen (70). Thomas now has four wins this season (CIMB Classic, SBS Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Sony Open in Hawaii, PGA Championship). He shot a 59 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and broke a U.S. Open record with his 9-under 63 at Erin Hills. He now stands second in the FedExCup a week before the FedExCup Playoffs begin. He will represent the United States for the first time as a pro at this year’s Presidents Cup, as well. Thomas joins a select list of players since 1960 to win four tournaments, including a major, in a single season at 24 years old or under: Jack Nicklaus (1963), Tiger Woods (1999, 2000), Rory McIlroy (2012) and Jordan Spieth (2015). This success has been nearly two decades in the making. Thomas’ father, Mike, has been the head professional at Harmony Landing Golf Club in Goshen, Kentucky, since 1990, three years before Justin was born. At 2 years old, Justin would say, “Bag of balls,â€� when he wanted to head to the driving range, Mike said. The members allowed the head pro’s son to have free reign of the facilities, and Justin took full advantage. Mike remembers that Justin was around 5 years old when he first said that he wanted to win a major. No one will be picky about which one they win first, but this is one is especially appropriate. Justin’s grandfather, Paul, and father, Mike, are longtime PGA of America professionals. “The PGA has a special place in my heart,â€� Justin said. “It’s just a great win for the family, and it’s a moment we’ll never forget.â€� Thomas nearly won this year’s U.S. Open, vaulting into contention with that historic third round that pulled him within one shot of the lead. He made bogey on three of Sunday’s first five holes, though, and shot a 75. That day may have set the stage for this one, when Justin dominated down the stretch. He is an emotional player, and it’s easy to become impatient, especially when you’ve accomplished so much at an early age but you still have peers, like longtime friend Jordan Spieth, who are outpacing you. “Frustration probably isn’t the right word,â€� he said about Spieth’s success. “Jealousy definitely is.â€� Thomas flew home with Spieth from last month’s Open Championship, posting video of Spieth’s celebration with the Claret Jug to Snapchat. Thomas’ career has been overshadowed by Spieth’s historic achievements, but Thomas has been well ahead of the curve, as well. So much early success can lead to self-induced pressure, which is why ‘patience’ has been a word that Thomas’ camp has preached a lot recently. “He’s very fiery, he’s very emotional and he’s very aggressive,â€� Mike Thomas said. “When you’re that way and it doesn’t work out, it can go the other direction pretty quick. He’s 24. He’s going to get more mature. He showed a lot of maturity this week.â€� Justin, who wore pants in junior tournaments because he knew emulating the pros was the best way to prepare to play alongside them, made his first PGA TOUR cut at age 16 and was college golf’s player of the year as a freshman at Alabama. He turned pro at 20 and needed just one Web.com Tour season to graduate to the PGA TOUR. His first PGA TOUR victory, at the 2015 CIMB Classic, came at age 22. Erin Hills was the next step in his progression, his first taste of contention in a major championship. “Winning anything is hard. Handling yourself in that moment, it’s all a learning experience,â€� Mike Thomas said. “A major, you don’t know how you’re going to do there. He did pretty good. “I could see it in his eyes early on in (Sunday’s) round. His body language was like, ‘I’m OK.’â€� The evening before the PGA’s final round, Justin headed to the range to fix an off-kilter swing that had forced him to grind for his 2-under 69. Considering the state of his swing Saturday, he said it may have been the week’s most important round. His alignment, one of golf’s fundamentals that Mike has stressed since their first lessons, was off. Saturday evening’s session got Justin back in the proper address position from which to attack the final round. Justin was confident enough in his chances that he told his girlfriend to change her Sunday evening flight so she wouldn’t miss the potential celebration. “I just had an unbelievable calmness throughout the week, throughout the day,â€� Justin said. “I truly felt like I was going to win.â€� The victory comes at a tournament that has had a large impact on his career. The 2000 PGA in his home state of Kentucky was the first tournament he remembers attending. Mike’s position as a past president of the Kentucky PGA gave the family access to the clubhouse, where a 7-year-old Justin watched Tiger Woods outduel Bob May. Justin got Jack Nicklaus’ autograph that week. When he told classmates that he got the signature of golf’s greatest player, they assumed he meant Woods, who’d just won his third consecutive major at Valhalla. Justin may have been in elementary school, but he knew enough golf history to know Nicklaus was golf’s all-time major winner. “Just a typical golf nut, from a golf family,â€� he said. Mike was on the PGA of America’s Board of Directors from 2007 to 2010. The position allowed him to be a starter at the PGA Championship and scorer at the Ryder Cup. Mike represented the PGA at the 2010 Ryder Cup in Wales while Justin competed for the U.S. at the Junior Ryder Cup. Mike’s father Paul was the head professional at Zanesville (Ohio) Country Club for more than a quarter-century, at a time when competing was a large part of the pro’s job description. He played in the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont and once was paired with Arnold Palmer in a PGA TOUR Champions event. Paul got started in golf “the way we all did in those days.â€� He was 9 or 10 years old when he began caddying at the public Avon Fields Golf Course in Cincinnati, then began working as a club professional.  “His dad nor I really pushed (Justin),â€� Paul Thomas said in a 2015 interview with PGATOUR.COM. “We more or less answered questions. I would say the most help I ever gave him was playing with him and talking to him.â€� Mike said that he taught Justin, “very little. I always did teach him very little. I told him when he was 8 or 10 years old, ‘You know where I’m at if you need help, but if I’m teaching I may only have 5 minutes to give you.’â€�  They competed early and often, and passionately wanted to beat each other. An assistant pro or Justin’s mom, Jani, would watch the pro shop in the late afternoon so Mike could play some holes with his son. The stakes? $1. “I wanted to beat him and he wanted to beat me,â€� Justin said. “It was pretty heated out there. And I’m a pretty sore loser, so I did not handle it well when I lost and had to give up a dollar. “It probably came from my dad’s pocket anyway.â€� More important than the golf lessons were the support or parents who “treated me the same whether I shot 66 or 76,â€� Justin said. His father’s best advice? It didn’t have to do with the golf swing. “Just enjoy it,â€� Justin said. “It’s so cliché but he didn’t mean just golf. Whatever I decided to be, … just enjoy it.â€�

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Brooks Koepka didn’t win a major Friday, but he did win bragging rights. Koepka made quick work of Bryson DeChambeau in their much-anticipated, mano-a-mano showdown from the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas. RELATED: Top 5 moments in The Match’s history The Match was scheduled to go 12 holes, but Koepka needed just nine in his 4-and-3 win. Koepka birdied half of the first eight holes, DeChambeau didn’t win one and he conceded the match on the ninth hole. What’s next for this rivalry? It’s hard to say after Koepka was crowned king in Vegas. HOLE-BY-HOLE Hole No. 1 Par-4 Bryson DeChambeau handed out cupcakes on the first tee – a reference to the famous mispronunciation of Brooks Kopeka’s name – and then received a treat of his own on the opening hole. DeChambeau drove into a bush right of the fairway but got free relief because of a sprinkler system near his ball. “That’s another page out of my book,” said Phil Mickelson, who’s a commentator for today’s competition. DeChambeau hit his approach off the pine straw into a bunker but got up-and-down to match Koepka’s two-putt par. Match status: All square Hole No. 2 515 yards, par 4 Mickelson appears to be a graduate of the Tony Romo School of Broadcasting. Mickelson’s read of Koepka’s birdie putt – which Koepka could hear on the AirPod in his ear – earned Lefty a shout-out after Koepka drained the 10-footer. The birdie was good for a 1-up lead over DeChambeau who hit his approach shot into a greenside bunker on the second straight hole. Match status: Koepka, 1 up Hole No. 3 209 yards, par 3 Mickelson called it again. Koepka had the honor and, after Phil declared that Koepka’s tendency is a miss to the right, he did just that, pushing his tee shot right of the green. DeChambeau responded by knocking his tee shot close, his ball coming to rest just a few feet from the water guarding the left side of the green. Winning this hole’s closest-to-the-hole competition was worth a $50,000 donation to the charity of DeChambeau’s choice. DeChambeau misread the birdie chance, however, and he missed a bit low. We may have had out our first bit of controversy after Koepka sank a 3-footer to halve the hole, as he complained that the par putt hadn’t been conceded. Match status: Koepka, 1 up Hole No. 4 494 yards, par 4 Koepka has a case of the rights. Fortunately there was a parallel fairway for his tee shot to find. From one fairway over, Koepka hit the middle of the green. Meanwhile, DeChambeau flew the putting surface from the fairway. “That wasn’t good, guys. That wasn’t good at all,” DeChambeau told the commentators. He attributed it to the increased distance from his offseason workouts, which led Mickelson to quip, “As I lift, I find myself hitting it too hard also.” DeChambeau putted from behind the green, and the two players halved the hole in pars. Match status: Koepka, 1 up Hole No. 5 591 yards, par 5 Koepka rolled his eyes when DeChambeau said a far-off cameraman was in range off the tee. Then DeChambeau’s tee shot almost took him out on the fly. Mickelson called the big blast “so attractive.” Koepka, who nearly drove into the water, hit his second shot into the heart of the green, while DeChambeau was once again unable to take advantage of being in a better position off the tee. His second shot hit a tree and fell short of the green. DeChambeau failed to get up-and-down and Koepka two-putted for his second birdie of the day to go 2 up. Match status: Koepka, 2 up Hole No. 6 161 yards, par 3 Brooks went straight at it on this short par-3. Bryson used a slope past the hole, but sucked it too far back. Increased clubhead speed means more spin, DeChambeau moaned after watching his ball roll past the hole. By winning closest to the pin, Koepka had 500,000 meals donated to Feeding America on his behalf. DeChambeau misread another putt, opening the door for Koepka to take a 3-up lead at the match’s halfway point. Koepka’s 11-foot birdie putt went straight in the heart. His third birdie of the day meant a 3-up lead. “It’s the only sport they let you drink while playing it and there’s a reason why,” Barkley said. DeChambeau may need a cold glass of chocolate milk after losing half of the first six holes. Match status: Koepka, 3 up Hole No. 7 442 yards, par 4 The hole was halved with a generous gesture from Koepka, who gave DeChambeau a tricky par putt to halve the hole. Bryson had an opportunity to win his first hole of the day but blasted his 9-foot birdie putt through the break. Before the missed opportunity, DeChambeau seemed to be turning things around after a pep talk from Phil, with whom he bonded at the Ryder Cup. “Get your brain in theta,” Mickelson told DeChambeau before he hit his tee shot. What was he referring to? Brain waves, of course. DeChambeau described it as “that sweet spot between sympathetic and parasympathetic.” In layman’s terms, DeChambeau said he was trying to enter a flow state. Among the other hot takes – unrelated to anything happening on the course – Barkley declared that yoga is just stretching with a fancy name “so they can charge you more.” Match status: Koepka, 3 up Hole No. 8 464 yards, par 4 Koepka started the hole by telling a tale about how his caddie almost lost the U.S. Open trophy in Las Vegas. Then he all but locked this thing up. “You lost me at U.S. Open trophy,” joked Mickelson, who’s won every major but his national championship. Koepka trusts Ricky Elliott with his clubs, but Koepka’s longtime caddie left one of golf’s greatest prizes outside his hotel room overnight, forgetting to bring the trophy inside after he put it down to pull out his room key. A 4-foot birdie putt gave Koepka a 4-up lead with four holes remaining. And the best trash talking has taken place not between the two contestants but Koepka and Mickelson. Koepka gave Mickelson grief about his pre-match prediction of a DeChambeau win, to which Mickelson replied, “Let me tell you about the PGA Championship.” Mickelson beat Koepka at Kiawah Island this year en route to becoming the oldest winner in major championship history. Match status: Koepka, 4 up Hole No. 9 172 yards, par 3 It was scheduled to be 12 holes. Koepka needed just nine. A conceded birdie gave Koepka the victory. He’d hit his tee shot to 10 feet, and DeChambeau told him to pick it up after missing his own putt from long range. And it ended right after DeChambeau’s best attempt at trash talk. Unfortunately, it was too little too late. “Where is this on the PGA TOUR?” DeChambeau asked after Koepka hit his tee shot. Koepka, of course, has missed his last two cuts and finished no better than T38 in four starts this season. He is known for summoning his best at the biggest moments, and a match against his rival fit that mold. “It’s kind of like my major right now,” Koepka said of The Match. “I’m not going to lie. I just wanted to spank him.” He did. DeChambeau didn’t win a hole against Koepka. Match status: Koepka wins

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The TOUR Championship has wrapped, concluding the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR season. Patrick Cantlay hoisted the FedExCup trophy thanks in no small part to a putter switch he made late in the season. We may be slightly biased here at the Equipment Report, but we think it’s the perfect time to look back on some of the most significant PGA TOUR equipment stories of the year — and we had some good ones! Harris’ HoHum In January, Harris English won the Sentry Tournament of Champions with the same putter — a Ping Scottsdale HoHum — he used for his 2013 Mayakoba Golf Classic victory. Unique-looking putter, and a unique equipment tale here as we got the story from Ping TOUR Rep Tony Serrano about what English loves about his HoHum. Hideki’s Scotty switch Eternally in pursuit of the perfect putter, Hideki Matsuyama made a switch two weeks prior to the Masters, putting a 2012 Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Tour Prototype in the bag that was outfitted with a different grip than his Cameron Timeless. Rory returns to old Protos Rory McIlroy made a number of equipment changes in 2021. Most significant among the switches, certainly, was his return to his 2017 TaylorMade Rors Prototype irons prior to winning the Wells Fargo Championship. Phil’s PGA Championship-winning driver En route to his incredible PGA Championship victory, Phil Mickelson wielded a Callaway Epic Speed driver with a 47.9-inch shaft (right up against the USGA limit of 48 inches). We got the inside story of Phil’s build. Morikawa finds a putter that performs Struggling with alignment, Collin Morikawa built himself a custom TaylorMade TP Juno putter using the same MyTP custom putter builder that’s available to the public. While his gamer was ultimately slightly different, it was a wild “they’re just like us” tale. Rahm’s U.S. Open-winning wand Jon Rahm switched to an Odyssey Rossie S the tournament prior to his epic U.S. Open triumph. We got the full story of what happened at the Ely Callaway Performance Center in Carlsbad and why Rahmbo made the move away from the 2-Ball Ten putter he had been using. Rory calls a Cameron into Olympic duty Full-bag TaylorMade staffer captured the full attention of the golf equipment world when he arrived in Tokyo not with his TaylorMade Spider putter but with a Scotty Cameron 009M flatstick. We went in search of the story, and even though Rory has now made a return to the TaylorMade mallet, it was a fun feature to fill out. Phil takes the armlock plunge Always willing to experiment with his equipment, Phil Mickelson tried his hand (and arm) at armlock putting. Additionally, he used a prototype putter that featured an interesting backstory. And while the experiment is over, the story is well worth digging back into. JT takes a teen’s advice A question from a 15-year-old junior golfer prompted Justin Thomas to reconsider benching the Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 with which he won 14 of his 15 PGA TOUR titles. Little changes, big playoff payoff for Cantlay Most recently on the “significant equipment storylines” front, Patrick Cantlay switched to a Scotty Cameron X 5 putter with a sightline (from an alignment aid-free version) and had the best performance in strokes gained: putting history. He then rode the red-hot putter to a FedExCup victory at East Lake. Sometimes the smaller adjustments pay the biggest dividends!

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