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NBC Sports
15 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Cole Hammer: 'Right thing' to turn self in for advice-giving, resulting in pair of DQ's at KFT event
Cole Hammer had never been disqualified from a tournament in his life. Until Friday, that is, when the 25-year-old Korn Ferry Tour pro called what ended up being a rules violation on himself during this week's Memorial Health Championship in Springfield, Illinois. Hammer's admission to rules officials eventually resulted in the disqualification of both Hammer and Hammer's playing competitor, Nelson Ledesma, after it was determined that Hammer had violated Rule 10.2a, which prohibits players from giving or asking for advice from anyone other than their caddie. The incident occurred during Thursday's first round on the par-3 17th hole at Panther Creek Country Club. Hammer had just hit 4-iron onto the green on the 232-yard hole and was watching his ball still in motion when he started walking toward his bag. That's when, according to Hammer, he crossed paths with Ledesma's caddie, Nico Torres, who then flashed four fingers, a universal signal for, '4-iron?' 'Out of instinct, I flashed '4' as well,' Hammer told via phone on Friday afternoon. 'It was a heat-of-the-moment thing, and I didn't think a whole lot about it until after the round.' That evening, Hammer reached out to a few peers for their opinion. Most felt like he was in the clear. After all, the rule against giving advice is often broken in professional golf, and usually without punishment. When caddies for Brooks Koepka and Gary Woodland were scrutinized by those who felt they violated the rule during the 2023 Masters – rules officials determined they did not – Golf Channel analyst Paul McGinley called advice-giving 'not a serious breach among players,' adding, 'This is common practice on Tour. Whether you like it or not, it's common practice. It happens in every professional tournament around the world. It's not obvious always, so blatant.' One well-known PGA Tour veteran even texted Hammer on Thursday night, saying, basically, This happens every single day on Tour. But even then, Hammer was unsure that he could simply brush it off. 'I feel like I know the rules really well, and I've always tried to uphold them to the best of my ability,' Hammer said. 'It just didn't sit right with me last night, and when I woke up this morning, I felt compelled to go talk to the rules official and tell him what had happened.' Hammer sought out KFT rules official Claudio Rivas, who told Hammer he would get back with him after gathering more facts and meeting with chief referee Jordan Harris and a USGA representative to determine the proper course of action. Hammer shared with Rivas that he also didn't know if Torres had even seen his hand signal. Hammer added that he didn't alert Ledesma or Torres at the time because he didn't want to cause unnecessary worry if there ended up being no infraction. 'I didn't think that they would be disqualified,' Hammer said. 'I just thought since I was the one who gave the sign that I would be disqualified. And I thought that was worst-case scenario.' Rule 10.2a fully states: During a round, you must not: 1. Give advice to anyone in the competition who is playing on the course; 2. Ask anyone for advice, other than your caddie; 3. Touch another player's equipment to learn information that would be advice if given by or asked of the other player. The penalty is usually the general penalty of two strokes, but because Hammer and Ledesma had already signed their scorecards – Hammer for a 2-under 69, Ledesma for 73 – they were subject to disqualification under Rule 3.3. It took several hours for a final decision to be made, with the disqualification not coming until Hammer and Ledesma were six holes into their second rounds. Hammer had made a bogey to drop to 1 under while Ledesma was still 2 over for the tournament; the cut line is currently projected at 4 under. The Korn Ferry Tour confirmed the reason for disqualification but did not provide further details. Ledesma's response to which was then translated to English: 'The decision made is the correct one, according to the rules. I can't do much with it except accept it.' Ledesma added that Torres was 'shocked by the situation,' but accepted the mistake. 'I feel a lot better now that I at least got it off my chest because it was weighing me down,' Hammer said. 'It's just unfortunate that it's a caused a little storm around the tournament.' As for Hammer, he entered the week No. 73 in points. His T-23 last week in Wichita, Kansas, snapped a string of six straight missed cuts. Ledesma, 34, is No. 102 in points. 'This is something that's so abnormal to experience in a tournament, so I'm almost just going to have to cast it away like nothing happened,' Hammer said. 'It's a learning experience, and I think I'm in a better head space having called it on myself. … I'm by no means depressed about the outcome or nervous about the next stretch. If anything, I can play with a clean slate and a clear conscious and hopefully continue the play that I had in Wichita. 'There are plenty of events left, and I felt like doing the right thing and protecting the game would be better for me in the long run.'
NBC Sports
11-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Punch Shot: Who wins the 2025 U.S. Open? Winning score under or over par?
The 125th U.S. Open begins Thursday at Oakmont Country Club. Can anyone beat Scottie Scheffler? What's the winning score? Who might surprise? The team is on-site in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, and offers up some answers to the pressing questions at the year's third major. Who wins the 125th U.S. Open? Rex Hoggard: Scottie Scheffler. Because he's Scottie, the winner of three of his last four starts by an average of 5 ½ shots, and there is too much uncertainty to go with anything but chalk at Oakmont. Scheffler has all the tools to win the U.S. Open, or any other tournament he plays. The only question is if he has the patience for the game's most demanding test. Ryan Lavner: Scottie Scheffler. You can make a reasonable case for about a dozen other players – Bryson! Rahmbo! Shane! Collin! – but they all come with the caveat that the world No. 1 is off his game. And there's no indication that is or will be the case. Scheffler is the best driver, best iron player (by miles), a top-5 scrambler and, now, an elite putter – coupled with his myriad other gifts, like grit and patience, that make him the quintessential U.S. Open player at a quintessential U.S. Open. Brentley Romine: Scottie Scheffler. The toughest test in golf and the world's best player. Let's not overthink things. He's long, straight, hits it close, scrambles at an elite level (though slightly worse than his historical numbers) and has been putting it better this year. Scheffler gets his third slam leg on Sunday. Is the winning score under or over par? Hoggard: Under par. This version of Oakmont feels somewhere between the '16 U.S. Open, where Dustin Johnson won at 4 under, and the '07 championship, which was won by Angel Cabrera at 5 over. The winner will finish the week under par but it won't be by much. Lavner: Under. The first few rounds could get spicy, with ideal conditions, sun and wind, to firm up a course that has been doused with historic levels of rain over the past few months. But that's unlikely to last through the weekend, with more rain anticipated, that will allow at least a few players to finish under par at America's toughest course. Romine: Under par, but barely. The course remains soaked but should dry out before we get more storms on Saturday. The rough is brutal, but someone will hit fairways and score a bunch on the wedge holes to offset the likely healthy dose of bogeys. Golf Channel Staff, Rory McIlroy more likely to contend or miss the cut? Hoggard: Miss cut. It's hard to believe, considering that after he won the Masters many thought his newfound freedom could allow him to go on a truly remarkable major run, but that hasn't been the case. He's fresh off his first missed cut in nearly a year, where he posted his worst round in a non-major at the RBC Canadian Open, and is still searching for the right driver. Not a good combination at Oakmont. Lavner: Sorry, but the real answer is somewhere in between, similar to how he performed at the PGA (T-47). His driver situation has settled, and his Open record – improving each year since 2019, top-10s all of them – can't be ignored. But his comments over the past few weeks also suggest that he's adrift mentally, and Oakmont will put every player in a bind. Will he have the patience and hunger to twist his way out of it? That's the biggest question this week. Romine: Miss cut. Especially if he drives the ball like he has since the PGA Championship a few weeks ago. Him revealing he shot 81 here last Monday doesn't help my confidence in him, either. Who's a dark horse contender (55-1+)? Hoggard: Brooks Koepka (60-1). There was a time, not that long ago, when Koepka would arrive at the national championship with a nonsensical amount of confidence. Those days aren't here — he hasn't posted a top-10 finish in a major since winning the 2023 PGA Championship — but he was solid in '16 at Oakmont when he tied for 13th, and the game's most demanding layout may just be what brings back 'Major Championship Brooks.' Lavner: Sam Burns (80-1). Nearly got it done last week in Canada, another strong performance from a player who has ripped off five top-20s in his last six starts. He also has the right combination of power, accuracy and strength to excel at a place like Oakmont, and it doesn't hurt that he's the game's best putter on greens that will baffle nearly everyone in the field. Keegan Bradley (90-1) and Harris English (100-1) are also appealing at their prices. Romine: Keegan Bradley (90-1). One storyline this weekend will be if the U.S. Ryder Cup captain can close out a U.S. Open title and rocket into contention for an automatic berth. He won't, but he will come awfully close. Si Woo Kim at 110-1 is appetizing as well.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
PGA Championship 2025: Who wins, who disappoints, does Rory McIlroy's major run continue?
The PGA Championship commences Thursday. Who will claim the Wanamaker Trophy? Who will leave dejected? Who might surprise along the way? The team is on-site at Quail Hollow Club and offers up some answers to the pressing questions at the year's second major. Who wins the 107th PGA Championship? RYAN LAVNER: Bryson DeChambeau. There's no one on the planet – not Rory, not Scottie – who is driving the ball as well as DeChambeau is at the moment. And it's difficult to conjure up a more perfect venue for him, a 7,600-yard behemoth that will play even longer after the heavy rain and place a premium on finding the fairways and avoiding the wet, dense rough. DeChambeau's iron play continues to be a question mark – it's the only reason he didn't win the Masters last month – but his short game and putting remains tidy enough to give him a significant advantage. If he continues to drive the ball like he has for the past year-plus, this is a great opportunity for him to knock off major No. 3. Advertisement REX HOGGARD: Rory McIlroy. This is the most chalk of picks for nearly every reason. The Northern Irishman's record at Quail Hollow is beyond impressive with four victories (at the Truist Championship) and he's in the best form of anyone in golf with three marquee victories this year. BRENTLEY ROMINE: Rory McIlroy. Let's not try and overthink things. Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and even Justin Thomas warrant consideration, but there's a reason Quail Hollow is also known as Rory McIlroy Country Club. This course was built for him, it's long and wet with still firm greens thanks to the SubAir system, and McIlroy is at the top of his craft. What's the winning score at Quail Hollow? LAVNER: 15 under. Good scoring remains likely after the early-week rainfall and upcoming heat wave, but the SubAir system underneath the greens should allow the PGA setup staff to maintain some semblance of firmness in the putting surfaces. 2025 PGA Championship - Preview Day Two PGA Championship 2025: Odds, favorites and predictions to win and contend Advertisement The men's second major is upon us. Who are the favorites entering the PGA Championship? HOGGARD: 12 under. The winning score at the 2017 PGA Championship played a Quail Hollow was 8 under but that was contested in August with vastly different conditions and grasses, while the average winning score for the Truist Championship, which is played in May, the last five years is 16 under. Somewhere in the middle of those two marks seems right. ROMINE: The sheer length of Quail and the fact that not much mowing is being done right now will keep things somewhat in check. Still, I'll guess 15 under, slightly harder than when McIlroy cruised here last year. Who leaves the most disappointed? LAVNER: Jordan Spieth. As great as it'd be to write, it seems like too much to ask for back-to-back majors in which a player captures the career Grand Slam. Though Spieth has gotten longer and faster in recent years, giving him more of a chance at Quail Hollow than in prior attempts, he's still going to be giving up a ton of yardage to the pre-tournament favorites (almost all of whom are bombers) that he's not quite sharp enough to make up for in other areas. 2025 PGA Championship - Preview Day Two PGA Championship 2025: First-round tee times, groupings at Quail Hollow Advertisement Tee times and groupings for the opening round of the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club. HOGGARD: Jordan Spieth. Considering his steadily improving form and health there's a good chance Spieth has a solid week at the PGA Championship, but given the fact that Quail Hollow is a sprawling bomber's ballpark, not exactly Spieth's strength, it's a good bet he will have to wait at least one more year before he has a serious chance to complete the career Grand Slam. ROMINE: For the price he's going at, I'm not sold on Collin Morikawa this week. And Russell Henley once again is being valued too high. What longshot could be in the mix? LAVNER: Patrick Reed, 90-1. Finished third at the Masters, has been playing well around the world and his short game remains as sharp as ever. When the PGA was last held here, in 2017, he tied for second, and he posted two other top-10s here at the old Wells Fargo Championship. If this becomes a slugfest, he could certainly elbow his way into contention. Advertisement HOGGARD: Jason Day. The 2015 PGA champion has a solid history at Quail Hollow having won the 2018 Truist Championship and he tied for ninth at the '17 PGA Championship. He's also been impressively consistent this season with three top-10 finishes, including a tie for eighth at the Masters, and no missed cuts in nine starts. ROMINE: There are some juicy options in the triple-digits, such as Daniel Berger (100), Keith Mitchell (130), Kurt Kitayama (250) and Eugenio Chacarra (400). All will find the top 20, though Kitayama always seems to break my heart in these situations. Chacarra arrived at Quail a couple days early, so he got in some practice rounds before the heavy stuff got here.
NBC Sports
14-05-2025
- Climate
- NBC Sports
PGA Championship 2025: Who wins and who disappoints at Quail Hollow?
The PGA Championship commences Thursday. Who will claim the Wanamaker Trophy? Who will leave dejected? Who might surprise along the way? The team is on-site at Quail Hollow Club and offers up some answers to the pressing questions at the year's second major. Who wins the 107th PGA Championship? RYAN LAVNER: Bryson DeChambeau. There's no one on the planet – not Rory, not Scottie – who is driving the ball as well as DeChambeau is at the moment. And it's difficult to conjure up a more perfect venue for him, a 7,600-yard behemoth that will play even longer after the heavy rain and place a premium on finding the fairways and avoiding the wet, dense rough. DeChambeau's iron play continues to be a question mark – it's the only reason he didn't win the Masters last month – but his short game and putting remains tidy enough to give him a significant advantage. If he continues to drive the ball like he has for the past year-plus, this is a great opportunity for him to knock off major No. 3. REX HOGGARD: Rory McIlroy. This is the most chalk of picks for nearly every reason. The Northern Irishman's record at Quail Hollow is beyond impressive with four victories (at the Truist Championship) and he's in the best form of anyone in golf with three marquee victories this year. BRENTLEY ROMINE: Rory McIlroy. Let's not try and overthink things. Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and even Justin Thomas warrant consideration, but there's a reason Quail Hollow is also known as Rory McIlroy Country Club. This course was built for him, it's long and wet with still firm greens thanks to the SubAir system, and McIlroy is at the top of his craft. What's the winning score at Quail Hollow? LAVNER: 15 under. Good scoring remains likely after the early-week rainfall and upcoming heat wave, but the SubAir system underneath the greens should allow the PGA setup staff to maintain some semblance of firmness in the putting surfaces. Golf Channel Staff, HOGGARD: 12 under. The winning score at the 2017 PGA Championship played a Quail Hollow was 8 under but that was contested in August with vastly different conditions and grasses, while the average winning score for the Truist Championship, which is played in May, the last five years is 16 under. Somewhere in the middle of those two marks seems right. ROMINE: The sheer length of Quail and the fact that not much mowing is being done right now will keep things somewhat in check. Still, I'll guess 15 under, slightly harder than when McIlroy cruised here last year. Who leaves the most disappointed? LAVNER: Jordan Spieth. As great as it'd be to write, it seems like too much to ask for back-to-back majors in which a player captures the career Grand Slam. Though Spieth has gotten longer and faster in recent years, giving him more of a chance at Quail Hollow than in prior attempts, he's still going to be giving up a ton of yardage to the pre-tournament favorites (almost all of whom are bombers) that he's not quite sharp enough to make up for in other areas. HOGGARD: Jordan Spieth. Considering his steadily improving form and health there's a good chance Spieth has a solid week at the PGA Championship, but given the fact that Quail Hollow is a sprawling bomber's ballpark, not exactly Spieth's strength, it's a good bet he will have to wait at least one more year before he has a serious chance to complete the career Grand Slam. ROMINE: For the price he's going at, I'm not sold on Collin Morikawa this week. And Russell Henley once again is being valued too high. What longshot could be in the mix? LAVNER: Patrick Reed, 90-1. Finished third at the Masters, has been playing well around the world and his short game remains as sharp as ever. When the PGA was last held here, in 2017, he tied for second, and he posted two other top-10s here at the old Wells Fargo Championship. If this becomes a slugfest, he could certainly elbow his way into contention. HOGGARD: Jason Day. The 2015 PGA champion has a solid history at Quail Hollow having won the 2018 Truist Championship and he tied for ninth at the '17 PGA Championship. He's also been impressively consistent this season with three top-10 finishes, including a tie for eighth at the Masters, and no missed cuts in nine starts. ROMINE: There are some juicy options in the triple-digits, such as Daniel Berger (100), Keith Mitchell (130), Kurt Kitayama (250) and Eugenio Chacarra (400). All will find the top 20, though Kitayama always seems to break my heart in these situations. Chacarra arrived at Quail a couple days early, so he got in some practice rounds before the heavy stuff got here.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PGA to give away 3,000 Ryder Cup tickets to local New York golfers with 'The People's Perk'
One of golf's most in-demand tickets will be a little easier to obtain for the right kind of fan. The PGA of America announced 'The People's Perk,' a 'grassroots program' to give 3,000 tickets to this year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black to local New York residents. Advertisement 'As we kept thinking about what Bethpage represents, it's the people, it's the tie to public golf. We've gotten to know the culture very well, the challenge of playing public golf,' Bryan Karns, the PGA of America's championship director, told 'Very early on, in 2023, we were kicking around the idea [of a giveaway] because we knew the demand would be so high with a global audience. 'At the Ryder Cup you're competing with people all over the world and that was actually the north star. We didn't have any way to carve out tickets for the people who are the essence of Bethpage.' The giveaway will be a targeted program to 'meet the people where they are, at public golf courses.' 'We collaborated with a number of our key stakeholders and it's shown me there is a massive community of golfers and facilities that very rarely get their story told,' Karns said. 'At the end of the day, we're guests in this market.' Advertisement 'The People's Perk' tickets will be awarded throughout the summer to residents who represent the fabric of public-access golf at various New York-area courses and facilities. PGA officials will use input from local clubs and courses to determine the recipients. Fans who are selected will be given a ticket for themselves and a "plus one" — for a total of 3,000 tickets — for either a competition or practice round day. The PGA of America had been criticized for the price of this year's Ryder Cup tickets, with Friday through Sunday tickets costing $750 – which includes unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages. Karns said the 'The People's Perk' giveaway is not a response to that criticism. 'We know this isn't some sort of silver bullet that will take care of everyone,' he said. 'In no way is this a reaction to anything other than what we knew was going to be competition for the tickets because the demand was going to be so high. We didn't want this to feel reactionary [to ticket prices].' Thursday-through-Sunday tickets have already sold out for the Ryder Cup and Karns said there's 'a very limited amount of tickets on Tuesday and Wednesday.'
