ESPN predictions: Who will win the 2018 U.S. Open?

Official PGA TOUR Statement: John Mutch, Ken Tackett and Gary Young have reviewed the Rory McIlroy videos from No. 18 yesterday and determined that it was virtually the same situation that Patrick Reed faced on No. 10 during the third round. It was reasonable for both players to conclude – based on the fact that they did not see the ball land, but given the lie of the ball in soft course conditions – that they proceed as the Rule allows for an potential embedded ball. They marked, lifted and assessed the situation to determine if the ball was embedded. Patrick went one step further and called in a Rules Official to be sure his assessment would not be questioned (although this step is not required). Both players took proper relief under the Rule 16/3. The Committee is comfortable with how both players proceeded given the fact that they used the evidence they had at the time. RELATED: Reed's drop on 10 declared ‘textbook' by rules official

Click here to read the full article…

Collin Morikawa jumped out to an early lead at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, doing so with a ‘new’ putter in the bag. The 24-year-old has had a rough spell on the greens, finishing 2020 ranked 128h in Strokes Gained: Putting. He’s 180th in that statistic this season. The Californian has been using a TaylorMade Spider FCG mallet-style putter, along with a ‘Saw’ grip he learned from Mark O’Meara, for much of this year, but in search of a change of fortunes on the greens, Morikawa has now switched back to a blade-style putter. He used a blade-style coming out of college and in last year’s win at Muirfield Village, at the Workday Charity Open. He added a SuperStroke grip and adjusted the loft on his blade this time. But this isn’t your average story about a TOUR player switching putters. Morikawa settled on the putter after consulting TaylorMade’s online ordering portal that is available to everyone, from TOUR players to mere mortals. It paid off, as Morikawa shot a first-round 66 while gaining 1.8 strokes on the greens. For more details on Morikawa’s switch, we spoke with TaylorMade’s Paul Demkowski, Principal Engineer, Product Development and TOUR Rep Todd Chew. GolfWRX: In terms of MyTP, what did Collin see that he liked and why? PD: Collin was checking out the options online and reached out to us with his specific needs for the head, the insert, alignment etc. What we built for him is similar to the one he was previously using – a TP Juno with a long neck and sightline on the topline. The main difference is we machined the face to take loft away, 2 degrees to be exact. With his new setup he has his hands more forward. This allows us to then bend the shaft forward to get the loft he wants in a position where the face is square with hands forward. … If we don’t machine the loft away and simply bend the shaft forward for his new hand position the putter would have way too much loft on it. Additionally, he commented on how much he likes the copper insert in his FCG putter. We do not have copper available for the TP putters, so we put a stainless steel insert into this putter for a harder feel. So there are a couple of changes that were exclusive to him, but consumers can pretty much spec out 90% of his putter on our website. If a consumer wanted to spec out his putter on our website, these are the options they should look at: Collin’s putter is 34.25” and has the white/gray SS Pistol 1.0 grip. GolfWRX: Any idea what inspired him to start looking at MyTP? More about a search for something better suited to his needs, or, like we all do, the fun of designing something? PD: He used (MyTP) as inspiration as he was talking to our team and looking for a fresh TP Juno. GolfWRX: What was the process after Morikawa built his Juno to getting a putter in his hands? Any differences from the retail model? PD: Collin was looking at the options in the TP putter and wanted to add some customization to it as he’s used this model before, he just wanted some additional elements added. GolfWRX: Collin was in the Spider FCG. Who does that putter work well for? Todd Chew: FCG is ideal for a player who has always used a blade and wants the added stability of a mallet, but with the feel/balance of a blade. Ultimately, a true mallet will have more stability, but it feels very different to swing one. FCG is not as drastic of a change for a blade player. GolfWRX: The switch from a mallet to a blade (even one with blade-like properties) is significant. Why did Collin make the switch? Has his stroke changed? TC: His grip changed significantly which has made his stroke quite different. He hasn’t played a blade with the new grip and technique yet, so wanted to give it a try. GolfWRX: From a fitting and club building standpoint, is there a lesson here for the average golfer? TC: As always, getting fit for a putter is as important as the other 13 clubs in your bag. You need to feel comfortable and confident making the stroke, as much as looking at the numbers to see which rolls better for you to.

Click here to read the full article…

HOUSTON — A Lim Kim made her first U.S. Women’s Open appearance a memorable one Monday, closing with three straight birdies to tie the record for the largest comeback and win the biggest event in women’s golf. And in the final major of this pandemic-disrupted year in sports, she won wearing a mask. Starting the final, frigid round at Champions Golf Club five shots behind, the 25-year-old South Korean wore a heavy down jacket between shots and delivered a 4-under 67 for a one-shot victory over Amy Olson and Jin Young Ko. Kim became the seventh player to rally from five shots behind in the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open, and the first since Annika Sorenstam at The Broadmoor in 1995. Olson held her own amid the grief of learning her father-in-law died unexpectedly in North Dakota on Saturday night. She was in tears Sunday morning on the range, before rain pushed the final round to Monday. Olson, winless in seven years on the LPGA Tour, had a two-shot lead on the back nine after 54-hole leader Hinako Shibuno faltered. But she couldn't do anything about Kim's late charge, and Olson fell back when her hybrid on the par-3 16th bounded over the green and into thick, brown rough, leading to bogey. She birdied the final hole for a 72 after Kim had already secured the title. Ko, the No. 1 player in the world who only recently returned from South Korea where she rode out the COVID-19 pandemic, also birdied the 18th when it was too late to catch Kim. Ko closed with a 68, one of only six players to break par in the final round. Shibuno closed with a 74 and finished two shots back. Kim finished at 3-under 281 and won $1 million. She added to South Korean dominance of this major, the ninth winner in the last 13 years.

Click here to read the full article…