Sense of urgency in the air at Wyndham Championship

After raising $5.5 million for COVID-19 relief during Sunday’s TaylorMade Driving Relief skins match, golf fans can continue to support the cause with donations through PGA TOUR Charities powered by GoFundMe. Click here for more information and to donate. Donations can still be made through midnight Tuesday. The Golf Channel will re-air the match on Tuesday afternoon. Sunday’s match at Seminole in Florida between the teams of Rory McIlroy-Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler-Matthew Wolff was the cornerstone of a charitable effort as live televised golf was played for the first time since the golf calendar was shut down two months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. With neither team able to win the decisive 18th hole, the match went to a closest-to-the-pin contest from 120 yards at the par-3 17th, with the six final skins available for $1.1 million. McIlroy, the reigning FedExCup champ and world No. 1, won the contest with the final shot of the day, as his ball finished closer than Wolff’s. The final skins increased the total charitable skins winnings of McIlroy-Johnson to $1.85 million for the American Nurses Foundation. Fowler-Wolff won $1.15 million for the CDC Foundation. The UnitedHealth Group donated the $3 million for the skins contest. “It’s different,� McIlroy said when asked about the pressure of playing for charity. “When you’re not playing for your own money, but you’re playing for someone else and playing for another cause, it sort of starts to weigh on you a little bit. “I’m really proud to be a part of an event to entertain the people at home on a Sunday afternoon but also to raise money for people who really need it.� In addition to the charity money raised through the skins, Farmers Insurance also donated a $1 million bonus pool for bonuses for birdies, eagles, aces and albatrosses. The bonus money earned benefits Off Their Plate, through World Central Kitchen that helps both frontline COVID-19 healthcare workers and impacted restaurant shift employees. “In this unprecedented time, it is important for all of us to come together and work together to solve this crisis,� said Jeff Dailey, CEO of Farmers. Seventeen birdies were made by the four players: 7 for Fowler, 5 for McIlroy, 3 for Wolff and 2 for Johnson. TaylorMade also offered a $450,000 bonus pool for the longest drives on two holes. Wolff won both bonuses at both the second hole (356 yards for $100,000) and the 14th hole (368 yards for $350,000). “I’m happy to raise a lot of money with the long drives,� Wolff said. Additional donations during the match totaled more than $1 million, thanks to sponsor donations from Mastercard, Rocket Mortgage and PGA TOUR Superstore, along with viewer and donations that raised nearly $600,000.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…

SYDNEY — No one was more surprised by who won the Australian Open than the champion himself. Cameron Davis came from six shots behind going into the final round to win by one stroke on Sunday, shooting a 7-under 64 that included a birdie on the 18th and an eagle after holing a 100-meter approach shot. The star draw cards — Jason Day and Jordan Spieth — were top 10 finishers, but weren’t holding the Stonehaven Cup aloft at the end of the day. “It’s a little bit numb at the moment,” Davis said. “I just didn’t expect to be in this situation.” Davis started his round six groups ahead of the final one that included Day. When Davis finished with his 64, he had to wait more than an hour, most of it taken up at the practice range in case there was a playoff. “I didn’t even see a leaderboard before I hit that putt on the last hole,” Davis said. “So I made that, and I thought, `I’ll be up around the top’. But to come into the scorers’ hut and see where I was at, I was kind of blown away. I had no idea I’d be there.” Adding to the surprise: Davis lost his card to play on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada this year and before Sunday, had never had a top-10 finish as a professional. And last week he missed the cut in the New South Wales Open. The 22-year-old Australian finished with an 11-under total of 273 at The Australian Golf Club, where gusty and unpredictable winds made low scoring difficult. Sweden’s Jonas Blixt, who missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th that would have forced a playoff, shot 68 to finish tied for second with Matt Jones (68) while third-round leader Day was fifth after a 73, three strokes behind. “It was quite a simple putt, maybe a little longer than I would have wanted,” Blixt said. “I thought it was a lot quicker than it was.” Davis, whose eagle came on the 12th hole when he hit his approach about 10 meters past the flag, then watched it spin back and into the cup, also qualified for The Open next July at Carnoustie. The Australian Open was the first of 15 events in 10 countries that will make up The Open qualifying series for 2018. Also qualifying were Blixt and Jones, among the top three players not already eligible. Day double-bogeyed the ninth hole after the most unfortunate of circumstances — his shot out of a fairway bunker hit the lip of the bunker, caromed left across the fairway and into a water hazard. He was making his first tournament appearance in Australia since 2013. “I just didn’t play my best and obviously it’s not great to shoot 2-over par on the final round when you’ve got the lead,” Day said. “Cameron came back and played a wonderful round of golf.” Spieth, attempting to win his third Australian Open in four years, finished with 4-under 67, including an eagle on the last. He was eighth, five strokes behind Davis. “It was a great finish,” Spieth said. “I really felt like I shot 62 today and it was 67, I had so many looks.” He was non-committal about making another trip down under next year. “I’d love to explore it,” Spieth said. “It’s just a matter of, like I’ve said every year, I try and figure out what’s going on the next week, let alone a year from now.” Spieth will play next week at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where tournament host Tiger Woods will make his return to competitive golf. NOTES: Jones’ trip to Carnoustie next year could come with some concern back home. “I can’t wait but I just hope that our baby doesn’t come that week. My wife (Melissa) is due at that time, so we will have to see what happens.” … Davis will be playing his first major at Carnoustie. But just to bring him back down to earth, he’ll head to Arizona next week for the final stage of the Web.com Tour qualifying school.

Click here to read the full article…