A complete list of the golf equipment Collin Morikawa used to win the 2021 WGC-Workday Championship.
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KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Buckle up. This could be a wild ride. The PGA Championship returns to Kiawah Island this week but there’s one big difference from 2012. Nine years ago, this event was held in August. That means a much different challenge awaits this year’s field. RELATED: Nine things to know about Kiawah Island | Morikawa’s shot ‘heard round the world’ | Spieth eyes career Grand Slam When Rory McIlroy destroyed the field with his eight-shot win in 2012 he was aided by summer storms that softened up the Ocean Course significantly over the weekend. There was also a searing swampy heat well into the 90s that felt like triple digits. And the winds never blew at full strength. Weather forecasts are fickle, of course, but on the eve of this PGA Championship there is a 0% percent chance of rain, the temperatures are expected to be in the high 70s most of the week and the wind is due to sit around 15 mph with gusts towards the mid 20s. The wind will start the tournament out of the east and move to the northeast before flipping for the final round. The Ocean Course is laid out in two nine-hole loops like a figure-eight. The first four holes head east before turning back toward the clubhouse. On the back nine, Nos. 10-13 continue west before turning back toward the clubhouse for the final five holes. The par-3 fifth is the only hole that moves south. The forecast for the first three days predicts players will have a tough start and finish to their rounds. Nos. 1-4 and 14-18 play predominantly into the wind. The eight holes in the middle will be downwind. But that will flip around come Sunday. At 7,867 yards, the course is the longest in major history but it won’t play to that yardage. Each hole’s yardage can change dramatically from day to day. Because of the high winds and their changing direction, Pete Dye built a variety of tees on each hole. “It’ll totally depend on Mother Nature. We’ll make that decision each morning as we set it up. Hopefully, it’ll be fun and fair,” setup guru Kerry Haigh said. Current PLAYERS champion and 2017 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas says there’s no chance they can see the yardage top out with the wind forecast. “I noticed it last week when someone sent me a scorecard and I saw that the back nine was 4,000 yards, and I think I actually laughed out loud when I saw it because I was looking at the numbers,” Thomas said. Because there is no prevailing wind at Kiawah Island, a downwind hole can play into the wind the next day. During a practice round, Thomas hit 8-iron for his second shot on the 590-yard, par-5 seventh hole when it played downwind. “The 590 yards can play 500 or 490 yards when you get that much wind,” Thomas said. “They can’t play 14, that par-3, from the back (tees) if you have this wind. … Guys are going to be literally hitting driver on that hole. Unless the PGA wants seven-hour rounds, I wouldn’t advise it.” Jon Rahm played a practice round with two-time major winner Zach Johnson and said the American pulled headcover for almost every approach shot that played into the wind. Rahm called Kiawah’s breezes a “heavy wind,” one that plays more severe than the speed might suggest. The par-3 17th, at 223 yards, is another brute if the wind is up. Cameron Champ, a known long-ball hitter, tried unsuccessfully to get his 4-iron and 3-hybrid to the green in Tuesday practice, instead ending up in water. He will look to add a 2-iron to his bag now. Dye’s design is, as usual, one that gives the player who figures out the optimum strategy, and is able to execute that strategy, the advantage. While length is always an advantage, much like Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, it isn’t the overriding factor. You have to miss in the right spots or face terror. “There’s plenty of room, it’s very fair, but the consequence of a miss is huge around here, especially when you get into these outer sandy areas where the lies are very unpredictable,” Adam Scott says. “Just getting it back in play, … sometimes you can’t even manage to do that. If the wind blows this way for the rest of the week, it’s going to be a battle to just get in the clubhouse.” The new date also will impact the paspalum grass and what players do face when they miss greens. Because of the wind, Dye built large greens at Kiawah Island but the field hit just 56% of them in 2012. They were the fifth-hardest greens to hit that season. “It’s not going to be as easy around the greens,” McIlroy said. “Last time in August it was hot, humid, the paspalum was … really strong and dense and lush. The ball would just sit right up on top and it was so easy to just get your lob wedge out, clip it, spin it. “This year they’re a little more bare, a touch links-y in places, especially with the wind and the dry weather. I don’t think it’s going to be quite as simple as it was around the greens like last time. That’s what I did so well. I chipped and putted so well that week. That’s what won me the tournament. I scrambled well, and if the wind keeps up like this again this week, that’s what you’re going to have do well.” Being beachside also means plenty of sand. The PGA of America had decided that all of those sandy areas at the Ocean Course are not being treated as bunkers. They are waste areas, instead, so players can take practice swings and ground their club. A day at the beach is normally a reason to smile. That may not be the case at Kiawah Island.
THE PLAYERS Championship continues Sunday from the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Weather impacted the first two days of play, with the first round finishing nearly 55 hours after Thursday’s opening tee shot. A Monday finish has been assured with Round 2 set to resume Sunday morning. The top 30 golfers in the FedExCup standings – including 2017 FedExCup winner and defending champion Justin Thomas – are competing. It’s the strongest field of the season, and it includes world No. 1 Jon Rahm, 2019 PLAYERS champion Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and reigning FedExCup Champion Patrick Cantlay. Also, 600 FedExCup points will go to the winner as well as a first-place check worth $3.6 million. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action, including Featured Groups for PGA TOUR LIVE and newly expanded and extended coverage on ESPN+. Click here for more details. Leaderboard Full tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (NBC). PGA TOUR LIVE: See full coverage details below Radio: Sunday, 1 – 8 p.m. ET. Monday, 12 – 6 p.m. ET (subject to change) (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR ENHANCED COVERAGE DETAILS THE PLAYERS and NBCU • 22 total hours of coverage from Thursday through Sunday ESPN+ coverage • More than 20 groups from the morning sessions will be available on ESPN+ Live From THE PLAYERS • 45.5 live hours on GOLF Channel, including the World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony • PGA TOUR LIVE to produce an estimated 167 hours of coverage across our 4 streams for the 4 tournament channels. Practice round shows • Tuesday: Military Appreciation Ceremony followed by Kelsea Ballerini concert • Wednesday: World Golf Hall of Fame Ceremony PGA TOUR LIVE • 12 hosts, 3 walking announcers, 130 personnel onsite, 75 personnel in St. Augustine • Use of ARL graphic technology for tracing and hole flyover animations with statistical information PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course • Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups • Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes FEATURED GROUPS Marquee Group Patrick Cantlay, Jon Rahm. Viktor Hovland (in progress on No. 1) Featured Groups Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen (in progress on No. 2) Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Rodgers, Cameron Smith (in progress on No. 1) MUST READS High winds make No. 17 even tougher Bizarre rules gaffe mars one of Bradley’s best-ever rounds Nine Things to Know: TPC Sawgrass Tiger Woods among those to be inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame Insider: Justin Thomas’ win at THE PLAYERS was a lesson in ball-striking Top five players in world ranking under age 30 CALL OF THE DAY
GUYANCOURT, France – Eleven Ryder Cuppers from America played last week’s TOUR Championship. Jordan Spieth did not, having finished in the dreaded 31st position in the FedExCup standings that denied him access to the 30-man TOUR Championship. But perhaps there is a silver lining to missing out on East Lake for the first time since becoming a TOUR member. In the off-week prior to the TOUR Championship, he put the clubs away. Then last week, he gradually worked his way back into competitive shape – and now obviously hopes it will pay off for the American team at this week’s Ryder Cup. He fully expects to play better than he did two weeks ago when he finished T-55 at the BMW Championship, enough to drop him outside the top 30. “My game was in the best state that it had been in until BMW, and I kind of just ran out of gas there,â€� Spieth said. “I should have taken more breaks in the Playoffs this year, and I went something like 26 of 28 days from before New York that that Saturday afternoon of BMW, of at least six-hour days on the course and gym. … “I don’t wish that it happened, considering it was the end of the season. If it was the middle of the season, I would’ve looked at it like a blessing in disguise. But I certainly wish I was at East Lake, no question. If anything, I will not take that week for granted and work that much harder not to miss it.â€� Spieth officially finished the season without a win, but he said a good performance and a USA win this week could change his outlook when assessing the year. “I think if I came out and played really solid golf this week, I would feel like I accomplished a lot this year,â€� Spieth said. “… The years after I’ve played in Ryder Cups have been phenomenal years for me. I look at this week as very important going forward for next season.â€� PRACTICE PAIRINGS: Wednesday’s pairings for Europe: Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton, Thorbjorn Olesen and Paul Casey in the first group; Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari, Alex Noren and Ian Poulter in the second group; and Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose in the third group. Note that the veteran pair of Stenson and Rose were split, and with Stenson still dealing with a left elbow problem that might limit the number of sessions he plays. Pairings for the U.S. team included: Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods in the first group; Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson in the second group; and Tony Finau, Ricky Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka in the third group. Speculation is growing that Woods and Reed might be paired at some point, leaving Spieth to go with his good buddy JT. We’ll find out Thursday when the first set of matches are announced at the opening ceremony. RORY NOT FOCUSED ON TIGER: Just a few days ago, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods played the final round together at the TOUR Championship. While Woods earned his first PGA TOUR win in five years, McIlroy struggled to a 74 to finish tied for seventh. McIlroy said he wasn’t intimidated playing with Woods (and the massive gallery that followed the twosome). He said the East Lake rough was the toughest thing to handle. “That was the most intimidating part about it,â€� McIlroy said. Neither is he worried about the Americans getting a Tiger boost from the win. “This week, he’s one of 12,â€� McIlroy said. “We’re not looking at any individuals. We’re just trying to beat the U.S. Team. It’s great what he did on Sunday. It was great for golf. It brings a lot of excitement to the game. “I think to focus on one player is silly, especially when I might not even see him this week at any point. … You know, we’re looking to beat the U.S. team. We’re not looking to just beat Tiger Woods.â€� NO TIGER-PHIL PAIRING: U.S. Captain Jim Furyk said he would never rule out the possibility, but it doesn’t appear that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be partners this week, 12 years after their ill-fated pairing by then-U.S. Captain Hal Sutton. “I won’t ever say it wouldn’t happen,â€� Furyk said, “but it’s probably not too likely.â€� SERGIO HAS NOTHING TO PROVE: The most controversial of European captain Thomas Bjorn’s four captains’ picks may have been veteran Sergio Garcia, who’s form was so poor this PGA TOUR season he failed to make the FedExCup Playoffs. In his last 11 starts on the PGA TOUR, Garcia missed eight cuts and finished no higher than a T24 at the Wyndham Championship. But Bjorn was never concerned and happily took Garcia, who is suiting up for his ninth Ryder Cup and boasts an impressive 19-11-7 record. Bjorn admitted Garcia’s presence in the team room was a big factor and reminded people that “we’re talking about a Masters champion from last yearâ€� who was “no mug on the golf courseâ€� and “very capable of delivering.â€� Interestingly Garcia’s last top 10 on the PGA TOUR came at the World Golf Championships – Dell Match Play Championship in March. But having not played in over a month the Spaniard teed it up on the European Tour’s Portugal Masters last week and found a little form to finish tied for seventh. When asked if he had to repay the faith of his captain this week Garcia said he had nothing to prove. “At the end of the day, the captain’s picks, they are not easy for captains and vice captains, but they have their way of doing it and they know what they want to choose that can bring something extra to the team,â€� Garcia said. “What I’m going to do is just do what I do best and try to make sure that everyone feels good, comfortable, happy, enjoying themselves, and if we can do that, then it’s much easier for everyone to play their best game. “I think that I’ve proved myself over and over, and the only thing I can do out there is when I get called upon playing, just do my best, do what I do, do what I’ve always done here at Ryder Cups, and that’s everything. “If we are able to do that and play well, then we’ll have a good chance. If not, we’ll have to fight really hard.â€� WEBB’S POP-UP: Four years ago, Webb Simpson had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot to start play at the Ryder Cup in Gleneagles. It was a 3-wood pop-up that went 190 yards and started trending on Twitter – and not in a kind way. Yes, he was nervous, as every player is when striking that opening drive at a Ryder Cup. But there was more to it, he explained Wednesday. “That was a shot I had in my bag all year,â€� Simpson said. “It was like the fifth time I had done it. I was losing my concentration a little bit and I teed it up a little too high, and I had done it a few other times that year.â€� He said the most embarrassing moment came not from the crowd reaction but from the cameramen and TV crews scheduled to follow his group. They had positioned themselves down the fairway at the usual landing zone for tee shots but had to walk back up the fairway to where Simpson would strike his second shot. As for a potential repeat on Friday? Simpson acknowledged he’ll be nervous again but he expects to handle it better if given the opportunity. “The first tee, that environment is fun – probably a little more nervous than the second hole or third hole,â€� Simpson said, “That’s why you might see me teeing off on the evens.â€� BUBBA GLOVE: Bubba Watson wore a golf glove to his only pre-tournament press conference for this week’s Ryder Cup. It is not something golfers generally do when sitting on a dais while addressing members of the media. The details as to exactly why he wore the glove are a bit hazy and unsubstantiated. But perhaps Bubba eventually summed it up best: “Just being dumb with the team,â€� he said. Consider it Bubba’s playful side during a stress-filled week in which the competition doesn’t start until Friday. When initially asked about the glove, Bubba explained: “Every time we have a team event, there’s people that you’ve got to say so many words or you’ve got to do something, we’ll say, dumb. So I said I’ve got to wear my glove the whole interviews. So I’m doing it.â€� He added at least one of his U.S. teammates had to use a certain word during his news conference. That person evidently was not Jordan Spieth, who followed Watson into the interview room Wednesday. Asked if there was a certain word he needed to use, Spieth replied, “I don’t think so.â€� He did, however, know there was something up Bubba’s sleeve – or rather on his hand – on Wednesday. “He just was in the locker room and said, ‘I think I’m going to wear my glove in media.’â€� Spieth said. Bubba wouldn’t reveal the player’s name or the word that needed to be spoken. “I was the glove guy,â€� he said, “so I don’t know.â€� Friday’s first session can’t get here soon enough.
