Officialsportsbetting.com Golf Betting Andrew Landry leads crowded leaderboard at CareerBuilder Challenge

Andrew Landry leads crowded leaderboard at CareerBuilder Challenge

LA QUINTA, Calif. — Andrew Landry topped the crowded CareerBuilder Challenge leaderboard after another low-scoring day in the sunny Coachella Valley. Landry shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday on PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course to reach 16 under. He opened with a 63 on Thursday at La Quinta Country Club. Jon Rahm, the first-round leader after a 62 at La Quinta, was a stroke back. He had two early bogeys in a 67 on the Nicklaus layout. Jason Kokrak was 14 under after a 67 at Nicklaus. Two-time major champion Zach Johnson was 13 under along with Michael Kim and Martin Piller. Johnson had a 64 at Nicklaus. Landry, Rahm, Kokrak and Johnson will finish the rotation Saturday at PGA West’s Stadium Course, also the site of the final round.

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Final Round 2-Balls - J. Guerrier / O. Lindell
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Julien Guerrier-110
Oliver Lindell+120
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - W. Nienaber / Y. Paul
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Yannik Paul+100
Wilco Nienaber+110
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - E. Molinari / R. Langasque
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Romain Langasque-105
Edoardo Molinari+115
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Southgate / M. Kinhult
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Marcus Kinhult+100
Matthew Southgate+110
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - T. Clements / T. Christensen
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Todd Clements-175
Tiger Christensen+190
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - E. Ferguson / J. Luiten
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Joost Luiten-110
Ewen Ferguson+120
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Couvra / M. Lindberg
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Martin Couvra-135
Mikael Lindberg+150
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Jordan / J. Smith
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Jordan Smith-110
Matthew Jordan+120
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - H. Li / R. Williams
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Haotong Li-175
Robin Williams+190
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Campillo / B. Robinson
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Jorge Campillo+100
Brandon Robinson-Thompson+110
Tie+750
Mizuho Americas Open
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Jeeno Thitikul+100
Nelly Korda+335
Celine Boutier+400
Andrea Lee+850
Yealimi Noh+1400
Carlota Ciganda+3000
Rio Takeda+7000
Lydia Ko+17500
Kristen Gillman+30000
Somi Lee+35000
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Final Round 2-Balls - M. Katsu / J. Shin
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Minami Katsu+100
Jenny Shin+110
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Bae / J. Kupcho
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Jennifer Kupcho-145
Jenny Bae+165
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - G. Higgo / S. Theegala
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Garrick Higgo+125
Sahith Theegala-115
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Lee / H. Naveed
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Minjee Lee-180
Hira Naveed+200
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Pavon / M. Greyserman
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Matthieu Pavon+130
Max Greyserman-120
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - S. Kyriacou / L. Duncan
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Lindy Duncan+105
Stephanie Kyriacou+105
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - L. Aberg / T. Pendrith
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Ludvig Aberg-135
Taylor Pendrith+150
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - P. Tavatanakit / A. Yubol
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Patty Tavatanakit-130
Arpichaya Yubol+145
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - C. Kirk / A. Hadwin
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Adam Hadwin+110
Chris Kirk+100
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - R. Yin / A. Kim
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Ruoning Yin-160
Auston Kim+180
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - W. Clark / L. Glover
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Lucas Glover+120
Wyndham Clark-110
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - L. Ko / S. Lee
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Lydia Ko-135
Somi Lee+150
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - A. Eckroat / R. Henley
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Austin Eckroat+150
Russell Henley-135
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Lopez / E. Szokol
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Elizabeth Szokol-105
Julia Lopez Ramirez+115
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Thorbjornsen / B. Harman
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Brian Harman-110
Michael Thorbjornsen+120
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - R. Takeda / K. Gillman
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Rio Takeda-200
Kristen Gillman+225
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - V. Hovland / N. Dunlap
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Nick Dunlap+185
Viktor Hovland-170
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - Y. Noh / C. Ciganda
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Yealimi Noh-105
Carlota Ciganda+115
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - D. McCarthy / T. Hoge
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Denny McCarthy+100
Tom Hoge+110
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - N. Korda / A. Lee
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Nelly Korda-145
Andrea Lee+160
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - M.W. Lee / M. McNealy
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Maverick McNealy+105
Min Woo Lee+105
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Thitikul / C. Boutier
Type: Final Round 2-Balls - Status: OPEN
Jeeno Thitikul-135
Celine Boutier+150
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - A. Novak / R. MacIntyre
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Andrew Novak+105
Robert MacIntyre+105
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Highsmith / C. Bezuidenhout
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Christiaan Bezuidenhout+100
Joe Highsmith+110
Tie+750
Myrtle Beach Classic
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Carson Young+275
Mackenzie Hughes+425
Harry Higgs+600
Ryan Fox+1200
Danny Walker+1400
Victor Perez+1400
Alex Smalley+2500
Norman Xiong+2500
Davis Shore+2800
Ben Silverman+4500
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Final Round 2-Balls - E. Van Rooyen / W. Zalatoris
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Will Zalatoris-115
Erik Van Rooyen+125
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - A. Rai / B. Griffin
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Aaron Rai-110
Ben Griffin+120
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - C. Davis / A. Scott
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Adam Scott+100
Cam Davis+110
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - B. Campbell / P. Rodgers
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Brian Campbell+125
Patrick Rodgers-115
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - T. Detry / R. Gerard
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Ryan Gerard+100
Thomas Detry+110
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - R. Hojgaard / A. Noren
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Alex Noren+110
Rasmus Hojgaard+100
Tie+750
Final Round 3-Balls - J. Svensson / A. Svensson / M. Manassero
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Jesper Svensson+150
Adam Svensson+180
Matteo Manassero+200
Final Round Match-Ups - G. Woodland / R. Hojgaard
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Rasmus Hojgaard-125
Gary Woodland+105
Final Round 2-Balls - G. Woodland / D. Thompson
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Davis Thompson-125
Gary Woodland+140
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - D. Thompson / M. Fitzpatrick
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Davis Thompson-120
Matt Fitzpatrick+100
Final Round 3-Balls - S. Fisk / J. Bramlett / A. Rozner
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Antoine Rozner+175
Joseph Bramlett+175
Steven Fisk+175
Final Round 3-Balls - T. Humphrey / M. McGreevy / H. Springer
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Max McGreevy+130
Hayden Springer+145
Theo Humphrey+300
Final Round Score - Jordan Spieth
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-155
Under 67.5+120
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Spieth / J.J. Spaun
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
J J Spaun+130
Jordan Spieth-120
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - B. Hun An / J.J. Spaun
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Byeong Hun An-110
J J Spaun-110
Final Round Match-Ups - D. Berger / J. Spieth
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Jordan Spieth-115
Daniel Berger-105
Final Round 3-Balls - C. Hadley / B. Silverman / W. Chandler
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Ben Silverman+130
Chesson Hadley+200
Will Chandler+210
Final Round 3-Balls - T. Kanaya / B. Haas / A. Albertson
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Takumi Kanaya+100
Anders Albertson+230
Bill Haas+240
Final Round 2-Balls - B. Hun An / M. Fitzpatrick
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Byeong Hun An+100
Matt Fitzpatrick+110
Tie+750
Final Round 3-Balls - F. Molinari / G. Duangmanee / L. List
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Luke List+130
Francesco Molinari+170
George Duangmanee+250
Final Round 3-Balls - N. Xiong / D. Walker / A. Smalley
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Alex Smalley+125
Danny Walker+185
Norman Xiong+230
Final Round Score - Collin Morikawa
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5+125
Under 67.5-165
Final Round 2-Balls - X. Schauffele / C. Morikawa
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Collin Morikawa+100
Xander Schauffele+110
Tie+750
Final Round 3-Balls - V. Perez / R. Fox / D. Shore
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Victor Perez+135
Ryan Fox+145
Davis Shore+280
Final Round 3-Balls - A. Putnam / A. Tosti / M. Feuerstein
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Alejandro Tosti+120
Andrew Putnam+140
Michael Feuerstein+350
Final Round Score - Daniel Berger
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-145
Under 67.5+110
Final Round 2-Balls - S.W. Kim / D. Berger
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Daniel Berger-115
Si Woo Kim+125
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - K. Bradley / S.W. Kim
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Keegan Bradley-120
Si Woo Kim+100
Final Round 3-Balls - C. Young / H. Higgs / M. Hughes
Type: Final Round 3-Balls - Status: OPEN
Mackenzie Hughes+110
Carson Young+190
Harry Higgs+260
Final Round 2-Balls - M. Homa / A. Bhatia
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Akshay Bhatia-110
Max Homa+120
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - A. Bhatia / S. Stevens
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Akshay Bhatia-110
Sam Stevens-110
Final Round Match-Ups - M. Homa / R. Fowler
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Rickie Fowler-115
Max Homa-105
Final Round Score - Sam Stevens
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5+105
Under 68.5-135
Final Round 2-Balls - S. Stevens / S. Jaeger
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Stephan Jaeger+110
Sam Stevens+100
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - C. Conners / S. Jaeger
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Corey Conners-140
Stephan Jaeger+120
Final Round Score - Keegan Bradley
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5+135
Under 68.5-175
Final Round 2-Balls - K. Bradley / J.T. Poston
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
J.T. Poston+120
Keegan Bradley-110
Tie+750
Final Round 2-Balls - C. Young / E. Cole
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Cameron Young+110
Eric Cole+100
Tie+750
Final Round Score - Corey Conners
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-155
Under 67.5+120
Final Round Score - Patrick Cantlay
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5+105
Under 67.5-135
Final Round 2-Balls - P. Cantlay / C. Conners
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Corey Conners+115
Patrick Cantlay-105
Tie+750
Final Round Score - Harris English
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5+115
Under 68.5-150
Final Round Score - Rickie Fowler
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5-110
Under 68.5-120
Final Round 2-Balls - H. English / R. Fowler
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Harris English-105
Rickie Fowler+115
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - K. Mitchell / H. English
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Harris English-110
Keith Mitchell-110
Final Round Score - Tommy Fleetwood
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-120
Under 67.5-110
Final Round Score - Jacob Bridgeman
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5+105
Under 68.5-135
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Bridgeman / T. Fleetwood
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Jacob Bridgeman+145
Tommy Fleetwood-130
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - N. Taylor / J. Bridgeman
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Jacob Bridgeman-110
Nick Taylor-110
Final Round Score - Rory McIlroy
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 66.5-120
Under 66.5-110
Final Round Score - Tony Finau
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-145
Under 67.5+110
Final Round 2-Balls - T. Finau / R. McIIroy
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy-180
Tony Finau+200
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - S. Burns / T. Finau
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Sam Burns-115
Tony Finau-105
Final Round Match-Ups - J. Thomas / R. McIIroy
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy-135
Justin Thomas+115
Final Round Score - Sungjae Im
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-155
Under 67.5+120
Final Round Score - Sam Burns
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-145
Under 67.5+110
Final Round 2-Balls - S. Burns / S. Im
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Sam Burns+110
Sungjae Im+100
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - S. Straka / S. Im
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Sepp Straka-120
Sungjae Im+100
Final Round Score - Hideki Matsuyama
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-130
Under 67.5+100
Final Round Score - Nick Taylor
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5+115
Under 68.5-150
Final Round 2-Balls - H. Matsuyama / N. Taylor
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Hideki Matsuyama-135
Nick Taylor+150
Tie+750
Final Round Match-Ups - H. Matsuyama / S. Lowry
Type: Final Round Match-Ups - Status: OPEN
Hideki Matsuyama-110
Shane Lowry-110
Final Round Score - Justin Thomas
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5+135
Under 67.5-175
Final Round Score - Keith Mitchell
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 68.5+105
Under 68.5-135
Final Round 2-Balls - J. Thomas / K. Mitchell
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Justin Thomas-150
Keith Mitchell+165
Tie+750
Final Round Score - Sepp Straka
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-145
Under 67.5+110
Final Round Score - Shane Lowry
Type: Final Round Score - Status: OPEN
Over 67.5-130
Under 67.5+100
Final Round 2-Balls - S. Straka / S. Lowry
Type: Including Tie - Status: OPEN
Sepp Straka+105
Shane Lowry+105
Tie+750
Major Specials 2025
Type: To Win A Major 2025 - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler+160
Bryson DeChambeau+350
Xander Schauffele+350
Ludvig Aberg+400
Collin Morikawa+450
Jon Rahm+450
Justin Thomas+550
Brooks Koepka+700
Viktor Hovland+700
Hideki Matsuyama+800
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PGA Championship 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+450
Scottie Scheffler+450
Bryson DeChambeau+1100
Ludvig Aberg+1800
Justin Thomas+2000
Xander Schauffele+2000
Collin Morikawa+2200
Jon Rahm+2200
Joaquin Niemann+3500
Brooks Koepka+4000
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US Open 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+500
Scottie Scheffler+500
Bryson DeChambeau+1200
Xander Schauffele+1200
Jon Rahm+1400
Ludvig Aberg+1400
Collin Morikawa+1600
Brooks Koepka+1800
Justin Thomas+2000
Viktor Hovland+2000
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The Open 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Rory McIlroy+500
Scottie Scheffler+550
Xander Schauffele+1100
Ludvig Aberg+1400
Collin Morikawa+1600
Jon Rahm+1600
Bryson DeChambeau+2000
Shane Lowry+2500
Tommy Fleetwood+2500
Tyrrell Hatton+2500
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Ryder Cup 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
USA-150
Europe+140
Tie+1200

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Bruce Lietzke, 13-time TOUR winner, passes away at age 67Bruce Lietzke, 13-time TOUR winner, passes away at age 67

You see it under nearly every photo on every page in the PGA TOUR media guide – “fishingâ€� listed as a player’s special interest. Except, that is, for those days from the mid-70s to mid-90s when you got to Bruce Lietzke’s bio. He was into “serious fishing.â€� His friends will smile about that, because Lietzke – who died Saturday morning in his home outside of Dallas at the age of 67, after having battled an aggressive form of brain cancer called Glioblastoma – was indeed serious about his fishing. Just not as serious as he was about his family, of course, because in wife Rose and children Stephen and Christine, Lietzke felt blessed to have a world in which he wanted to immerse himself – and oh, how he succeeded. “To make it work like he did (a great family, a 628-acre Texas ranch, 13-win PGA TOUR career), anyone would have liked to have done it like Bruce,â€� said Bill Rogers, the 1981 Open champion who was Lietzke’s roommate at the University of Houston. “He did it the way he wanted to do it and in truth, he lived out his dream.â€� When word circulated a little more than a year ago about Lietzke’s cancer, it was a jolt to his friends, and one could make the case that few players of his era were as beloved as this big man who never took himself too seriously. He was once asked to compare his golf game to one of the many cars he kept at his farm. “An old El Camino,â€� he laughed. “Half ugly, half decent. It fits me more than anything.â€� “He was a classic, and that’s the right word,â€� said Rogers, who along with Jerry Pate – Lietzke’s brother-in-law – and two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw accompanied Lietzke for some early hospital appointments more than a year ago. Curtis Strange visited and kept in touch with Rogers, and the Wadkins boys – Lanny and Bobby – were part of the close circle, too. “In the end,â€� said Rogers, “the Good Lord felt 67 years was enough, that he was satisfied Bruce deserved eternal peace. It’s a good place to be.â€� For so many years, the place to be for Lietzke was his ranch in Athens, about 70 miles southeast of Dallas. That was home – for Rose and Stephen and Christine, and for Lietzke’s cars. But what shouldn’t be overlooked is that all of it was made possible by the man’s uncanny PGA TOUR success. In more than 500 tournaments between 1975 and 2001 (the bulk of which were played before he cut back on his schedule in his late 30s), he was a top-10 machine with 127, including 19 runner-ups to go with his 13 victories. From 1976 to 1995 he was inside the top 30 on the money list 11 times and within the top 70 all but one season. In his prime, Lietzke hit a lot of greens (he led the PGA TOUR in 1982, ’85 and ’86) and consistently ranked among the top drivers for distance and accuracy. There was enormous talent, “but what he really had,â€� said Rogers, “was great perspective.â€� PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan referenced that in a statement. “Our PGA TOUR family lost a treasured member with the death of Bruce Lietzke. He touched on parts of five decades as a player, competed in 700 tournaments as a member of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, and recorded a total of 20 victories,â€� said Monahan. “But to celebrate Bruce Lietzke’s life properly, we offer praise to the great family man and the cherished friend to many. Our deepest condolences to his wife, Rose, and his children, Stephen and Christine.â€� To make it work like he did, anyone would have liked to have done it like Bruce. He did it the way he wanted to do it and in truth, he lived out his dream. His desire for family time led to Lietzke’s unique schedule. He played a heavy dose of tournaments through May, a light summer, then the PGA Championship in August and a tournament here and there in the fall. It meant that the U.S. Open (just 11 appearances, none after the age of 34) and Open Championship (two trips) weren’t high priorities, and that was fodder for so many of those dinner conversations he had with Rogers and Crenshaw and Strange and the Wadkins boys and Jay Haas. “I used to get on him about (brushing off the U.S. Open) and not trying to qualify,â€� said Strange, who won back-to-back U.S. Opens in 1988-89 and knew Lietzke’s patented high fade was perfect for the national open. “He was a heck of a driver of the golf ball.â€� But Lietzke never wavered and all these years later, Strange admires him for that. “He did things how he wanted to, he raised a great family, and on top of it all, he was a good man.â€� In stark contrast to today’s world, where social media dictates so much and pushes into over-hype the attention on major golf championships, Lietzke had his own measurement. “The TOUR is fun, and the TOUR events still are more important to me than the majors,â€� Lietzke told the New York Times’ John Radosta in 1981. His best finish in the Masters was a sixth and he was runner-up to John Daly at the 1991 PGA Championship, but Lietzke had higher priorities and no regrets. A meeting with another Texan, the iconic Byron Nelson, convinced him he had it right, too. “I started having guilt feelings, skipping the majors, not going after Ryder Cups,â€� Lietzke once told veteran golf writer Art Spander. “(So), I caught (Nelson) one time and I looked him straight in those blue eyes – and he couldn’t tell a lie for his life – and asked if he ever did regret leaving the game in his prime. He told me, ‘Bruce, not one time did I regret it.’ That took a weight off my shoulder.â€� Rogers loves that story because he always felt his great friend was a modern-day Nelson, who walked away from pro golf at 34. “He had a dream, much like Byron – to build a home and raise a family.â€� Truth is, Lietzke played like a golfer who was at peace with himself, “a man utterly without flash who yearns not to be noticed,â€� is how Jaime Diaz described him in a Sports Illustrated feature in 1995. If there was an epiphany, Lietzke told Diaz that it came with the birth of Stephen, the oldest of his two children. The birth came Oct. 5, 1983, but Lietzke, then in his eighth year on TOUR, had stepped away from competition in August to be with Rose. He didn’t return until January, a five-month hiatus, but promptly tore a rib cartilage, took three more weeks off, came back to finish T-33 at Pebble Beach, then won the Honda Classic in a playoff over Andy Bean. “I remember thinking, ‘I can take five- and six-week breaks and not worry about losing my game,â€� he told Diaz. “Gosh, I’ve got this thing figured out.â€� From then on, he was true to his blueprint. Ten of his career wins came in the January-to-May stretch, two were in the June-to-August period, and his final one came in Las Vegas in October. That was in 1994, by which time Lietzke had become a legend thanks to a piece of fruit. Ah, yes, “The Banana Story,â€� laughed Strange. “And the best part of the story is, it’s true.â€� No one enjoyed it more than Lietzke himself and it’s likely he told it to every golf writer of the era. The story involved his longtime caddie, Al Hansen, who didn’t buy into his player’s contention that he wouldn’t touch his clubs during the winter of 1985-86. So, Hansen put a banana into a head cover and when Lietzke arrived to start the 1986 season at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the caddie removed the head cover and nearly keeled over. The rotten banana stench was insufferable. A legend was born. “America’s finest recreational golfer,â€� quipped Bob Verdi of Golf World. Lietzke with his engaging personality was accommodating to the media and quite all right with all the stories about his lengthy hiatuses and those months when he wouldn’t touch a club. “I am what I am,â€� he would say, and Rose insisted her husband was true to his word. “When Bruce is home,â€� she told Diaz, “he is 100 percent home.â€� As for those summers when Lietzke put the clubs away to be dugout coach for Stephen’s Little League team, he told Verdi: “It’s not my fault that golf season conflicts with the baseball season, is it?â€� Not that a strong passion for golf didn’t run through the man’s body. It surely did. In fact, Lietzke – who was born July 18, 1951 in Kansas City, Missouri, but raised in Beaumont, Texas, where his father, Norman, worked as a manager for Mobil Oil – spent nearly every minute of his free time at a local public course as a kid. He was a standout junior player in the golf-mad state of Texas, playing against the likes of Crenshaw and Tom Kite. Lietzke won the 1968 Texas State Junior and added the Texas State Amateur in 1971, by which time he was playing alongside Rogers and John Mahaffey for legendary coach Dave Williams at the University of Houston. After his eligibility ran out at Houston, in 1973, Lietzke succumbed to “burn-outâ€� and put the clubs away for about five months. He returned to Beaumont where his father got him a job as a security guard. Reminiscing with Diaz, Lietzke said he was given a gun and bullets, but kept them locked in separate drawers to which he didn’t have keys. “Just like Barney,â€� he joked, a reference to the bumbling Don Knotts character on the Andy Griffith Show. His hunger for golf renewed, Lietzke headed out on the mini-tours where his famous left-to-right ball flight was born. He told Diaz that he realized the big, high towering draw that he had favored was ineffective in the wind and since he didn’t take lessons and eschewed mechanics, it became trial and error to make the change. He settled on a move whereby he would place the ball well forward in his stance, then “coverâ€� it with his right shoulder, a slight outside-in action that produced a consistent fade. You would be hard-pressed, in fact, to think of a player of that generation who produced the sort of consistency that Lietzke did and thus the nickname – “Leakyâ€� – was a tribute to how every shot would leak to the right. “The man never did see much of the left side of the golf course,â€� laughed Rogers. The way he fine-tuned this action ignited Lietzke’s enthusiasm and while the “recreational golferâ€� tag would stick later in his career, he did play about 26 times a year from 1976-82. In his 47th start on the PGA TOUR, the 1977 Joe Garagiola Tucson Open, Lietzke beat Gene Littler in a playoff for his first win. He didn’t have to wait long for No. 2, because two tournaments later he closed with 67 – 273 to beat Don January by three at the Hawaiian Open. In the first seven years of his career, Lietzke made the cut in 154 of his 184 starts, or 84 percent, and produced nine of his wins. He also earned his only Ryder Cup berth. The Americans in 1981 compiled a rousing 18 ½ – 9 ½ win over Europe at the Walton Heath Club in England and while Lietzke lost two team matches with Rogers, he halved his singles contest with then 24-year-old Bernhard Langer and cherished being teammates with nine future Hall of Famers – Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Hale Irwin, Tom Watson, Johnny Miller, Larry Nelson, Crenshaw and Kite. Rogers, a major winner; Pate, a major winner; and Lietzke rounded out the squad. The best Ryder Cup team ever? “Undoubtedly,â€� said Rogers. “And we played for the best captain (Dave Marr). It always put a smile on our faces, to talk about that team. We’d laugh and say, ‘How did we get to play with them?’ â€� Lietzke and Rogers were more than former college teammates and best friends. They were eerily similar in their embrace of life, willing to put their families before their golf. Rogers’ four-win 1981 season included the Claret Jug and he challenged deep into the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, but after winning his sixth and final PGA TOUR tournament in 1983, he felt he was a victim of burn-out. Like Lietzke, Rogers in his mid-to-late 30s cut back on his playing schedule, then he walked away completely, taking a job as Director of Golf at San Antonio Country Club. “We used to talk about our decisions,â€� said Rogers. “Bruce didn’t have any regrets and neither did I.â€� In explaining his choice to cut back, Lietzke told Diaz: “My first seven years on TOUR is when I fed my ego. I wanted to find out how good I was. I played all the majors, went overseas. I found out I was not a great player, but a good player. And that was enough for me.â€� Rogers insists Lietzke short-changes himself, that he had enormous talent. His nine wins in that 1976-82 window were more than what Crenshaw (seven) or Lanny Wadkins (seven) or Strange (three) compiled in that period “and let me tell you, you could be fooled by his nice, warm smile, but you couldn’t give in to him, because he had a fierce competitive streak,â€� said Rogers. Lietzke just didn’t have the desire to stick to the demanding travel schedule. Reflecting to Diaz in 1995, Pate – the 1975 U.S. Open champion whose wife, Soozi, is Rose’s older sister – said: “Fifteen years ago, I would have thought, ‘This guy is selling himself short,’ Now, I feel Bruce was the one who knew the right things, and I had it backward. Winning the U.S. Open is not more important than the things Bruce has accomplished.â€� Lietzke and Rogers were part of the historic U.S. rally to win the 1999 Ryder Cup, serving as vice-captains to Crenshaw. On his 50th birthday, in 2001, Lietzke joined the PGA TOUR Champions and through 2009 he played 20-plus tournaments a year, the highlight of his seven wins being the 2003 U.S. Senior Open when he clipped Tom Watson by two at Inverness. But by this phase of his life, what thrilled Lietzke more than the golf were the friendships he had made and retained. The pheasant-hunting trips with Rogers and Pate and Crenshaw and Strange and Bobby Wadkins, some of which included their sons, personified what he loved about his PGA TOUR career. And, of course, the dinners with his best friends. That is where Lietzke shined. “He was one of the best story-tellers ever,â€� said Strange. “If you got him going on one of his speeches, you just sat back and laughed.â€� In the spring of 2017, Lietzke started getting groggy and had a constant headache. He and Rose visited the doctor, underwent two CAT scans, then got the shocking news. “Just a bolt of lightning,â€� he told Tim Rosaforte of Golf Digest. Within days, Pate, Rogers and Crenshaw – along with their wives – visited with Rose and Bruce, who was at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center. The ensuing months brought more visits and phone calls from countless friends, most of whom appreciated that Lietzke was a special talent with a keen sense of what’s important in life. Rose had accompanied the Pates to the Hawaii Open in 1979, primarily to help babysit Soozi’s and Jerry’s first child, when she watched the golf one day and was interested in this young golfer named Bruce Lietzke. Until Bruce and Rose met, he had favored trips from tournament to tournament in his low-slung Pontiac Trans-Am, glitzy white, fully stocked, a pure racing machine that burned 103-octane gasoline. Crenshaw once squeezed into the back seat, took a five-minute ride and couldn’t wait to get out. That was OK with Lietzke, who loved the solitude of long drives as much as the ferocity of the car’s engine. “I’m not a powerful guy,â€� he told Radosta. “But I do let my cars speak for me.â€� When he married Rose in 1981, then had children, Lietzke let his family commitment speak for him. It did so emphatically and beautifully. “He was my best friend and the most strong-minded person I have ever been around,â€� said Rogers. “He also understood that the best of life comes from relationships – family and friends. I will miss him terribly.â€�

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Patrick Cantlay wins Shriners Hospitals for Children OpenPatrick Cantlay wins Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Patrick Cantlay won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on Sunday in a playoff for the first victory in a PGA TOUR career mostly derailed by a severe back injury. The 25-year-old former UCLA star hit from behind a tree and got up-and-down for par from off the back of the 18th green to beat Alex Cejka and Whee Kim on the second extra hole. Cantlay bogeyed the final two holes of regulation for a 5-under 67 to get in at 9-under 275 at windy TPC Summerlin. Cejka birdied the 18th with an 18-footer for 63 more than two hours before Cantlay and Whee — who bogeyed 18 for a 66 — finished the round. The three played the 456-yard, par-4 closing hole twice in the playoff, matching bogeys the first time. Cantlay broke through to win after a remarkable return last season from the back problems. Out of golf since 2013, he didn’t miss a cut and made it to the TOUR Championship while playing only 12 events. Part of that was due to an ankle injury that slowed him for two months. Cantlay earned $1,224,000, a two-year PGA TOUR exemption and a spot in the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Masters. Patton Kizzire (64), J.T. Poston (66) and Chesson Hadley (68) finished a stroke out of the playoff. Hadley bogeyed the 18th in the second-to-last group. Beau Hossler, tied for the third-round lead with J.J. Spaun, had a 73 to drop into a tie for seventh at 7 under with Bryson DeChambeau (67) and Tom Hoge (69). Spaun played the final four holes in 5 over for a 74. He bogeyed the 15th and closed with two double bogeys to drop into a tie for 10th at 6 under.

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