Rory McIlroy’s $200K lost ball mystery takes stunning twist

ERIN, Wis. – Davis Love III is making his 24th appearance in the U.S. Open, with one big difference. He’ll only have clubs in his hand to clean them, not hit any shots. And for the first time, he’ll be wearing shorts at a major championship. Love is caddying for his son. Davis Love IV, who just finished college and turned pro, qualified for his first U.S. Open as an alternate from the Georgia sectional qualifier. “I’m excited for him,” Love said Sunday afternoon as he watched from some 300 yards away as his son, who goes by “Dru,” teed off during a practice round with Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk. “I’ve played with a bunch of 19- and 20-year-olds. But it makes me feel old that he’s playing.” Dru Love won’t officially be in the U.S. Open field until the world ranking is published. The USGA held back six spots for anyone who moved into the top 60 in the world ranking after this week. Chris Wood of England finished right at No. 60, meaning the other five spots are distributed to alternates. The Georgia section, where Love was first alternate, was No. 5 on the list. The son will have plenty of experience on the bag. Love won the PGA Championship in 1997 at Winged Foot when Dru was only 3. He also is a two-time Ryder Cup captain who will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame this fall. Love played his first U.S. Open at age 24 in 1988, and he was a runner-up in 1996 at Oakland Hills. The 53-year-old Love has been slowed by a bad back this year and had no intention of trying to qualify for the U.S. Open until he caddied for his son at the first stage of U.S. Open qualifying and Dru made it to the sectional qualifier. Love played in the Columbus, Ohio, qualifier and missed out by eight shots. “The main reason I went is because he was going,” Love said. “I thought, `If I don’t try and he gets in … I had to try.” Erin Hills was busy for a late afternoon with strong wind. Playing ahead of Love group was two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els. Walking off the second tee, he looked back at the green and recognized a longtime colleague in shorts and carrying the bag. “Hey, caddie!” Els called out to Love. “I finally found a job,” Love replied. “Ryder Cup captain. PGA champion. Caddie. I think you finally found something,” Els said with that easy smile. Dru Love will be making his second start in a PGA TOUR sanctioned event. He played in the 2015 RSM Classic at Sea Island, which his father hosts, and missed the cut. Love hopes to impart some knowledge gleaned over three decades playing majors, mainly how to prepare and pick out lines off the tee and not to get to rattled when something goes wrong, which it often does for everyone at a U.S. Open at some point. Beneath the instruction was no small amount of proud. Dru Love is the third generation to play in the U.S. Open. Davis Love Jr., a noted teaching pro, played in the U.S. Open six times. Love’s entire family is coming to Erin Hills to watch. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Love said. The first order of business? Love has set up an appointment with sports psychologist Bob Rotella on Monday.

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SAN ANTONIO — This week, Rory McIlroy begins another quest for the Masters Tournament, the elusive major championship he hasn’t yet won. His preparation began at home in Florida. He skipped the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and “played some good rounds and got some good practice in,” he said Tuesday at the Valero Texas Open. Now he intends to work on his distance control, short putts, finesse shots around the greens and, if he can, putting himself under the duress of competition on a Sunday afternoon. “It’s a really good guide to see where my game is,” McIlroy said, “especially if you’re having to his shots under pressure to try to win a golf tournament. That’s when things start to stand out.” McIlroy has stood out here. He’s made one other start at the Valero Texas Open. He finished in second in 2013, then went on to tie for 25th at the Masters. He arrived in Texas late Tuesday after spending two days in Georgia. “It was good to be there, good to see the place,” he said of Augusta National, which he said he played twice. “At least coming into this event and playing this week, I don’t feel like there’s a rush to get there next week and cram. I feel like I’ve already done most of my work.” The course he faces this week in Texas — the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio — resembles Augusta National in small but significant ways. “I think the runoffs around the greens, the undulations on the greens, some of the shots you face if you do miss (a green),” McIlroy said. “And some of the bunkering around this course, the bunkers are pretty deep around the greensides.” McIlroy has never finished better than fourth at the Masters, the last major he needs for the career Grand Slam. He entered the Valero Texas Open with modest momentum, including a win last fall at THE CJ CUP @SUMMIT in Las Vegas, a tie for 10th at The Genesis Invitational and a share of 13th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in 2022. He tied for 33rd in his last start, THE PLAYERS Championship. He seemed unconcerned with his driving and approach play after a nine-hole pro-am Tuesday morning. “Off the tee feels really good. Iron play is feeling good,” he said. “For the most part, my game feels good, so it was just a case of just continuing to do what I’ve been doing over the last couple of weeks.” He said he was in a far better place than he was at this time last year, when he missed the cut at the Masters for the first time in his 13 starts. “I’m way more comfortable with my game,” he said. “I’m happy with where everything is. Everything seems like it’s a lot more settled.”

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Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Reed fired matching 65’s on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the Hero World Challenge.  Cantlay and Reed lead by three over Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson in the star-studded 18-man field. Rickie Fowler shot 72 in his title defense, while Tiger Woods sits T16 after a 73.  Here’s everything you need to know to follow the second round from the Bahamas.  Round 2 tee times Round 2 leaderboard HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN Television: Golf Channel (1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET) NOTABLE PAIRINGS 11:15 a.m.: Tiger Woods, Hideki Matsuyama 11:26 a.m.: Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele 12:32 p.m.: Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson 12:43 p.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Patrick Reed MUST READS Woods wastes a good driving day at Hero World Challenge Reed, Cantlay tied for lead at Hero World Challenge On the verge of 30, Fowler eyes prime TOUR Insider: Rose golf’s Mr. Consistent

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