Brooks Koepka is Golf’s Biggest Badass

A change in the PGA TOUR’s Player Appearance guidelines will allow players to wear golf shorts during practice and pro-am rounds, effective immediately. The change applies only to tournaments operated on the six tours under the PGA TOUR umbrella. This week’s two TOUR events, the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship and the Puerto Rico Open, will be the first tournaments to offer players the apparel option. Newly elected PGA TOUR Player Advisory Council (PAC) Co-Chairman James Hahn informed his fellow pros in a message delivered on Monday. Per the guideline, shorts must be knee-length, tailored and neat in appearance. Compression leggings worn underneath shorts must be solid in color. Long pants remain required for all official competition rounds. The PGA of America has allowed players to wear shorts during practice rounds at the PGA Championship the last two years. The European Tour initiated their shorts-wearing policy for practice rounds in 2016. In 1999, caddies on the PGA TOUR were first allowed to wear shorts during competition days. Monday’s announcement follows many years of discussion. Players, fans, sponsors and tournaments provided positive feedback to allow the wearing of shorts during non-competition days. Tiger Woods was asked last year during a Facebook Live interview for his view on the topic. “I would love it,� Woods responded. “We play in some of the hottest climates on the planet. We usually travel with the sun, and a lot of our events are played in the summer.� Others have previously addressed the issue. “It makes the guys a lot more comfortable,� Rory McIlroy said. “… I don’t think there’s anything wrong with professional golfers showing the lower half of their leg.�

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MOLINE, Illinois – The 2018 John Deere Classic helped raise a record $13.45 million for 534 local and regional charities, an increase of $1.18 million over the previous year, tournament officials announced Wednesday at John Deere World Headquarters. Tournament officials said each participating charity will receive an 8.2 percent bonus payment on top of the money raised through the Birdies for Charity program – 64 percent more than the tournament guarantee of a five percent bonus. The John Deere Classic now has helped raise a total of $107 million for charity since the tournament began in 1971, with $104.5 million – 98 percent – coming since John Deere assumed the title sponsorship in 1998. “The John Deere Classic is thrilled to announce that the tournament has helped raise $13.45 million for 534 deserving charities in 2018,â€� said tournament director Clair Peterson. “Everyone involved with this charitable mission is proud and very appreciative of the individual donors, companies, and local foundations who made 2018’s charitable total the largest in tournament history.â€� The $13.45 million total works out to $35.88 for each of the Quad Cities’ 375,000 residents, again making the John Deere Classic the No. 1 in per capita contributions on the regular PGA TOUR. Overall, the John Deere Classic ranks among the top three in charitable giving on the PGA TOUR. This year, 2,355 birdies were recorded from Wednesday through Sunday during the John Deere Classic pro-am and tournament rounds at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. Individuals who pledged a penny per birdie would donate $23.55 to their designated charity or charities. Other individuals, foundations and institutions donate lump sums. John Deere Classic officials on Wednesday also gave away a two-year lease on a Lexus NX – courtesy of Lexus of Quad Cities – to one of two finalists who came closest to guessing the exact number of birdies this year.  Both received a key, and the person whose key started the car won it. The free Lexus NX lease program annually serves as an incentive to potential donors to participate in the Birdies program. Lexus of Quad Cities also provided courtesy cars for John Deere Classic contestants and on-course evacuation vehicles. “Birdies for Charity is extremely grateful that Lexus of Quad Cities has made such a strong commitment to the John Deere Classic and to the hundreds of charities we serve in the Quad Cities and neighboring communities,â€� said Birdies for Charity director Kristy Ketcham-Jackson. “The opportunity for Birdies for Charity donors to win a two-year lease on a Lexus NX adds an extra incentive and an element of fun and excitement to the pledge drive and to tournament week itself.â€� The total amount donated to the charities is the result of a three-pronged fundraising effort: The tournament’s Birdies for Charity program enables individuals, companies, and foundations to pledge to a charity or charities of their choice either a minimum of one cent for each birdie recorded at the tournament from Wednesday-Sunday or in lump sum donations. Because John Deere underwrites the administrative costs of the Birdies program, 100 percent of each Birdies pledge collected goes to the core mission of the designated charities rather than to administrative, operational, or fundraising activities. The Bonus Fund consists of tournament revenues, direct donations, a John Deere Foundation matching grant, as well as proceeds from special events, such as this year’s Lee Brice concert during tournament week. After Wednesday’s announcement, officials distributed checks to charity representatives who attended the event. For the third consecutive year, three lucky charities in attendance received an extra $1,000 each in a blind drawing. Checks will be mailed to charities that did not pick them up in person. Michael Kim, 25, won the 2018 John Deere Classic with a record-setting score of 27-under-par, becoming the 22nd player in tournament history to win his first PGA TOUR event at the Quad Cities event. The John Deere Classic, which includes Birdies for Charity, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in the John Deere Classic tournament offices at 15623 Coaltown Road, East Moline, Illinois.  Since 1971, the tournament has helped raise $107 million for charity.

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KAPALUA, Hawaii — Jon Rahm matched the low score of his career, tied the course record at Kapalua and played his last 12 holes in 11-under par for a 61. He needed it just to catch Cameron Smith in the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Saturday. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Justin Thomas lights up Kapalua with course-record 61 In an outrageously low-scoring start to the new year on the PGA TOUR, Rahm and Smith pulled away from the rest of the winners-only field by going shot-for-shot, putt-for-putt across so much of the back nine on the defenseless Plantation course. Rahm capped off his birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie finish with putts from just inside 30 feet and 15 feet for his 12-under 61. That tied the course record set a few hours earlier by Justin Thomas, who was one shot behind when he finished and nine shots back when the day was done. The average score of 67.7 was the lowest at Kapalua since the Tournament of Champions moved to the west end of Maui in 1999. The previous record was 67.8 set the day before. There’s nothing to stop these guys except themselves, and that wasn’t happening. Rahm and Smith were at 26-under 193, five shots clear of Daniel Berger, who had a third consecutive round of 66. That wasn’t nearly good enough for this perfect week of warm weather, very little wind and extraordinarily low scoring. Ernie Els set the PGA TOUR record for lowest score to par at 31 under in 2003 at Kapalua. That’s very much in jeopardy. “Some really good golf from both us,” Smith said. He had a three-shot lead at the start of the third round, was still three shots ahead through six holes and then was 8-under par over his last 12 holes — and he lost the outright lead. Rahm, the No. 1 player in the world and looking likely to keep the ranking, was at his best in his first competition since the middle of October. He closed out the front nine with three straight birdies and started the back nine with two straight birdies. The only holes were he had to settle for par were No. 12 (where he missed a birdie putt from just inside 12 feet) and No. 13 (he left a 10-foot putt short). His best was a second shot into the par-5 15th to rolled to 4 feet for an eagle. That pulled him within one shot after Smith had to settle for a two-putt birdie. They matched birdies the rest of the way, both making from just inside 30 feet on No. 17, until the closing par 5. Both came up short, not unusual with a front pin and the grain running severely away from them. Smith narrowly missed from 15 feet, while Rahm holed his 8-foot birdie putt. As for the other 36 winners in the field? Not all of them are out of it. Patrick Cantlay was trying to stay with the leaders until his wedge to a back pin on the 16th came out hot and found the rough behind the green, leading to a bogey that felt much worse. He wound up with a 66 and fell six shots back, along with Matt Jones (62) and Sungjae Im (65). Thomas had a 74 in the opening round and had little reason to like his chances until he pulled away by playing his last seven holes in 7 under. That gave him a 61 and at least some hope, just not for very long. All 38 players were under par, with Jason Kokrak bringing up the rear at 5-under 214.

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