Latest news with #MarkCarens
Al Arabiya
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
A caddie at heart, Bones Mackay makes sure to get the 18th flag to Spaun's bagman
Jim Bones Mackay often said he would always be a caddie, even now that he has left his longtime role to be a course reporter for NBC Sports. That much was evident in the final chaotic hour of the US Open. Mackay was with the final group of Sam Burns and Adam Scott. By the time they reached the final hole Sunday, the championship had been decided. J.J. Spaun made a 65-foot birdie putt to finish at 279. The last two players on the course were five shots or more behind. That's when Mackay identified a potential problem and solved it. When it was over, he removed the flag on the 18th hole, which traditionally is the trophy for the winner's caddie. That was Mark Carens, who had to leave the 18th with another group coming through. 'We were 200 yards away when J.J. made his putt,' Mackay said Tuesday. 'That scene… I realized J.J. won the tournament and I was super happy for both of those guys. But it just occurred to me Mark might not have access to the flag.' Carens joined Spaun in the scoring area. Sam Burns and Adam Scott closed out their rough back nine with bogeys. Mackay waited for them to finish and grabbed the pin. 'There were so many people inside the ropes I just wanted to make sure Mark got it or to have the option,' Mackay said. 'As I got to scoring he was coming out with J.J. I handed it to him, said 'Congrats,' and left him alone.' Only a caddie would think to do that. Mackay is a caddie. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club talks about a feasibility study for the British Open to return to Turnberry. Far more serious is whether to take golf's oldest championship outside the UK for the first time. The topic was Portmarnock in Ireland. The response from Mark Darbon, the R&A's new CEO, was that 'we're serious. We're having a proper look at it.' Darbon said in a recent interview 'It's clearly a great course.' Darbon said he went to Portmarnock, located on a peninsula about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of Dublin, for the first time last month. 'Wonderful links golf course,' he said. 'And clearly a links course that provides a challenge to the best golfers in the world is right in the heart of our thinking about where we take our prized Open Championship.' Darbon pointed out the history with Portmarnock and the R&A, specifically the Walker Cup in 1991 and the British Amateur in 1949 and 2019, along with the Women's British Amateur last year and in 1931. 'We think if we're happy taking our Amateur Championships there, why not consider it for the Open, too?' he said. Work remains, particularly the logistics of a massive crowd – the Open is all about big these days – on and off the peninsula. The PGA Championship a decade ago flirted with the idea of going around the world. For the British Open to leave the UK for the first time would not open more borders. 'I think the simple answer is no, it wouldn't open up our thinking more broadly,' Darbon said. 'If you go back in history, the home territory of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is the British Isles, basically. We think if we've got this great history with the Republic of Ireland and it's great golf course, then why not look at it?' The KPMG Women's PGA is now on equal terms with the US Women's Open when it comes to prize money. KPMG announced Tuesday its total purse is now $12 million, up from $10.4 million a year ago. KPMG took over as title sponsor in 2015 when the PGA of America became partners with the LPGA in the major championship that dates to 1955. More than money, the company has provided players with data to improve their games, called KPMG Performance Insights, which operates on a smaller scale of the ShotLink data on the PGA Tour. For the Women's PGA, which starts Thursday at the Fields Ranch East at PGA of America headquarters near Dallas, KPMG is adding AI-enhanced features like hole-by-hole analysis delivered to players after each round. Another feature is AI-generated scoring targets, particularly the cut, giving players an idea if they're safe or need to make a move. 'The high purse, top courses, comprehensive broadcast coverage and technology are all ways we are setting the standard,' said Paul Knopp, the US chairman and CEO of KPMG. Another measure of how well Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have played this year – McIlroy until the Masters, Scheffler ever since then – is that both already have locked up a spot on their Ryder Cup teams with at least two months left in the qualifying period. Scheffler locked up his spot among the leading six players two weeks ago. Team Europe disclosed Tuesday that McIlroy already has clinched a spot. The Ryder Cup is at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, at the end of September. More interesting is who gets the other spots or even is in position for a captain's pick. US Open champion J.J. Spaun moved all the way up to No. 3 followed by Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, and Collin Morikawa. All have Ryder Cup experience. Of the next six in the US standings, only Harris English and Brian Harman have played in a Ryder Cup. McIlroy is followed by Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka, and Rasmus Højgaard. MacIntyre moved up seven spots to No. 4 as the US Open runner-up. Keegan Bradley, the US captain who has said he would play if he qualifies, is at No. 17 with three $20 million tournaments to play and the British Open. The PGA Tour says 143 players have competed in a signature event since 2024. The Travelers Championship is the final one of 2025. The Korn Ferry Tour is adding a tournament in Amarillo, Texas, to its 2026 schedule. The OccuNet Classic will be played June 11–14 at Tascosa Golf Club. The two players picking up medals on the 18th green at Oakmont for the US Open were from San Diego State – J.J. Spaun, the US Open champion, and Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands, the low amateur. Corey Conners, who had to withdraw from the final round of the US Open with a wrist injury, withdrew from the $20 million Travelers Championship. He was replaced in the field by Jhonattan Vegas. The field for the KPMG Women's PGA features all 100 players from the Race to CME Globe on the LPGA Tour. Philip Barbaree Jr. finished in last place at the US Open and earned the largest paycheck of his career at $41,785. 'I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do.' – Rory McIlroy.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
A caddie at heart, Bones Mackay makes sure to get the 18th flag to Spaun's bagman
Philip Barbaree tees off on the 13th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, chips onto the seventh green during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Scottie Scheffler tees off on the seventh hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) J.J. Spaun celebrates with his caddie, Mark Carens, after making a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) J.J. Spaun celebrates with his caddie, Mark Carens, after making a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Philip Barbaree tees off on the 13th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, chips onto the seventh green during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Scottie Scheffler tees off on the seventh hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) J.J. Spaun celebrates with his caddie, Mark Carens, after making a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Jim 'Bones' Mackay often has said he would always be a caddie, even now that he has left his longtime role to be a course reporter for NBC Sports. That much was evident in the final, chaotic hour of the U.S. Open. Mackay was with the final group of Sam Burns and Adam Scott. By the time they reached the final hole Sunday, the championship had been decided. J.J. Spaun made a 65-foot birdie putt to finish at 279. The last two players on the course were five shots or more behind. Advertisement That's when Mackay identified a potential problem and solved it. When it was over, he removed the flag on the 18th hole, which traditionally is the 'trophy' for the winner's caddie. That was Mark Carens, who had to leave the 18th with another group coming through. 'We were 200 yards away when J.J. made his putt,' Mackay said Tuesday. 'That scene ... I realized J.J. won the tournament and I was super happy for both of those guys. But it just occurred to me, Mark might not have access to the flag.' Carens joined Spaun in the scoring area. Sam Burns and Adam Scott closed out their rough back nine with bogeys. Mackay waited for them to finish and grabbed the pin. 'There were so many people inside the ropes, I just wanted to make sure Mark got it, or to have the option,' Mackay said. 'As I got to scoring, he was coming out with J.J. I handed it to him, said, 'Congrats,' and left him alone.' Advertisement Only a caddie would think to do that. Mackay is a caddie. Portmarnock in the mix The Royal & Ancient Golf Club talks about a feasibility study for the British Open to return to Turnberry. Far more serious is whether to take golf's oldest championship outside the United Kingdom for the first time. The topic was Portmarnock in Ireland. The response from Mark Darbon, the R&A's new CEO, was that 'we're serious.' 'We're having a proper look at it,' Darbon said in a recent interview 'It's clearly a great course.' Darbon said he went to Portmarnock, located on a peninsula about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of Dublin, for the first time last month. Advertisement 'Wonderful links golf course,' he said. 'And clearly a links course that provides a challenge to the best golfers in the world is right in the heart of our thinking about where we take our prized Open Championship.' Darbon pointed out the history with Portmarnock and the R&A, specifically the Walker Cup in 1991 and the British Amateur in 1949 and 2019, along with the Women's British Amateur last year and in 1931. 'We think if we're happy taking our Amateur Championships there, why not consider it for the Open, too?' he said. Work remains, particularly the logistics of a massive crowd — The Open is all about 'big' these days — on and off the peninsula. Advertisement The PGA Championship a decade ago flirted with the idea of going around the world. For the British Open to leave the U.K. for the first time would not open more borders. 'I think the simple answer is 'no,' it wouldn't open up our thinking more broadly,' Darbon said. 'If you go back in history, the home territory of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is the British Isles, basically. We think if we've got this great history with the Republic of Ireland and its great golf course, then why not look at it?' KPMG Women's PGA The KPMG Women's PGA is now on equal terms with the U.S. Women's Open when it comes to prize money. KPMG announced Tuesday its total purse is now $12 million, up from $10.4 million a year ago. Advertisement KPMG took over as title sponsor in 2015 when the PGA of America became partners with the LPGA in the major championship that dates to 1955. More than money, the company has provided players with data to improve their games called 'KPMG Performance Insights,' which operates on a smaller scale of the ShotLink data on the PGA Tour. For the Women's PGA, which starts Thursday at the Fields Ranch East at PGA of America headquarters near Dallas, KPMG is adding AI-enhanced features like hole-by-hole analysis delivered to players after each round. Another feature is AI-generated scoring targets, particularly the cut, giving players an idea if they're safe or need to make a move. Advertisement 'The high purse, top courses, comprehensive broadcast coverage, and technology are all ways we are setting the standard,' said Paul Knopp, the U.S. chairman and CEO of KPMG. Ryder Cup locks Another measure of how well Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have played this year — McIlroy until the Masters, Scheffler ever since then — is that both already have locked up a spot on their Ryder Cup teams with at least two months left in the qualifying period. Scheffler locked up his spot among the leading six players two weeks ago. Team Europe disclosed Tuesday that McIlroy already has clinched a spot. The Ryder Cup is at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, at the end of September. Advertisement More interesting is who gets the other spots, or even is in position for a captain's pick. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun moved all the way up to No. 3, followed by Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa. All have Ryder Cup experience. Of the next six in the U.S. standings, only Harris English and Brian Harman have played in a Ryder Cup. McIlroy is followed by Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Rasmus Hojgaard. MacIntyre moved up seven spots to No. 4 with as the U.S. Open runner-up. Keegan Bradley, the U.S. captain who has said he would play if he qualifies, is at No. 17 with three $20 million tournaments to play and the British Open. Advertisement Divots The PGA Tour says 143 players have competed in a signature event since 2024. The Travelers Championship is the final one of 2025. ... The Korn Ferry Tour is adding a tournament in Amarillo, Texas, to its 2026 schedule. The OccuNet Classic will be played played June 11-14 at Tascosa Golf Club. ... The two players picking up medals on the 18th green at Oakmont for the U.S. Open were from San Diego State — J.J. Spaun, the U.S. Open champion, and Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands, the low amateur. ... Corey Conners, who had to withdraw from the final round of the U.S. Open with a wrist injury, withdrew from the $20 million Travelers Championship. He was replaced in the field by Jhonattan Vegas. ... The field for the KPMG Women's PGA features all 100 players from the Race to CME Globe on the LPGA Tour. Stat of the week Philip Barbaree Jr. finished in last place at the U.S. Open and earned the largest paycheck of his career at $41,785. Final word 'I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do.' — Rory McIlroy. ___ AP golf:
Associated Press
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
A caddie at heart, Bones Mackay makes sure to get the 18th flag to Spaun's bagman
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Jim 'Bones' Mackay often has said he would always be a caddie, even now that he has left his longtime role to be a course reporter for NBC Sports. That much was evident in the final, chaotic hour of the U.S. Open. Mackay was with the final group of Sam Burns and Adam Scott. By the time they reached the final hole Sunday, the championship had been decided. J.J. Spaun made a 65-foot birdie putt to finish at 279. The last two players on the course were five shots or more behind. That's when Mackay identified a potential problem and solved it. When it was over, he removed the flag on the 18th hole, which traditionally is the 'trophy' for the winner's caddie. That was Mark Carens, who had to leave the 18th with another group coming through. 'We were 200 yards away when J.J. made his putt,' Mackay said Tuesday. 'That scene ... I realized J.J. won the tournament and I was super happy for both of those guys. But it just occurred to me, Mark might not have access to the flag.' Carens joined Spaun in the scoring area. Sam Burns and Adam Scott closed out their rough back nine with bogeys. Mackay waited for them to finish and grabbed the pin. 'There were so many people inside the ropes, I just wanted to make sure Mark got it, or to have the option,' Mackay said. 'As I got to scoring, he was coming out with J.J. I handed it to him, said, 'Congrats,' and left him alone.' Only a caddie would think to do that. Mackay is a caddie. Portmarnock in the mix The Royal & Ancient Golf Club talks about a feasibility study for the British Open to return to Turnberry. Far more serious is whether to take golf's oldest championship outside the United Kingdom for the first time. The topic was Portmarnock in Ireland. The response from Mark Darbon, the R&A's new CEO, was that 'we're serious.' 'We're having a proper look at it,' Darbon said in a recent interview 'It's clearly a great course.' Darbon said he went to Portmarnock, located on a peninsula about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of Dublin, for the first time last month. 'Wonderful links golf course,' he said. 'And clearly a links course that provides a challenge to the best golfers in the world is right in the heart of our thinking about where we take our prized Open Championship.' Darbon pointed out the history with Portmarnock and the R&A, specifically the Walker Cup in 1991 and the British Amateur in 1949 and 2019, along with the Women's British Amateur last year and in 1931. 'We think if we're happy taking our Amateur Championships there, why not consider it for the Open, too?' he said. Work remains, particularly the logistics of a massive crowd — The Open is all about 'big' these days — on and off the peninsula. The PGA Championship a decade ago flirted with the idea of going around the world. For the British Open to leave the U.K. for the first time would not open more borders. 'I think the simple answer is 'no,' it wouldn't open up our thinking more broadly,' Darbon said. 'If you go back in history, the home territory of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is the British Isles, basically. We think if we've got this great history with the Republic of Ireland and its great golf course, then why not look at it?' KPMG Women's PGA The KPMG Women's PGA is now on equal terms with the U.S. Women's Open when it comes to prize money. KPMG announced Tuesday its total purse is now $12 million, up from $10.4 million a year ago. KPMG took over as title sponsor in 2015 when the PGA of America became partners with the LPGA in the major championship that dates to 1955. More than money, the company has provided players with data to improve their games called 'KPMG Performance Insights,' which operates on a smaller scale of the ShotLink data on the PGA Tour. For the Women's PGA, which starts Thursday at the Fields Ranch East at PGA of America headquarters near Dallas, KPMG is adding AI-enhanced features like hole-by-hole analysis delivered to players after each round. Another feature is AI-generated scoring targets, particularly the cut, giving players an idea if they're safe or need to make a move. 'The high purse, top courses, comprehensive broadcast coverage, and technology are all ways we are setting the standard,' said Paul Knopp, the U.S. chairman and CEO of KPMG. Ryder Cup locks Another measure of how well Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have played this year — McIlroy until the Masters, Scheffler ever since then — is that both already have locked up a spot on their Ryder Cup teams with at least two months left in the qualifying period. Scheffler locked up his spot among the leading six players two weeks ago. Team Europe disclosed Tuesday that McIlroy already has clinched a spot. The Ryder Cup is at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, at the end of September. More interesting is who gets the other spots, or even is in position for a captain's pick. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun moved all the way up to No. 3, followed by Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa. All have Ryder Cup experience. Of the next six in the U.S. standings, only Harris English and Brian Harman have played in a Ryder Cup. McIlroy is followed by Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Rasmus Hojgaard. MacIntyre moved up seven spots to No. 4 with as the U.S. Open runner-up. Keegan Bradley, the U.S. captain who has said he would play if he qualifies, is at No. 17 with three $20 million tournaments to play and the British Open. Divots The PGA Tour says 143 players have competed in a signature event since 2024. The Travelers Championship is the final one of 2025. ... The Korn Ferry Tour is adding a tournament in Amarillo, Texas, to its 2026 schedule. The OccuNet Classic will be played played June 11-14 at Tascosa Golf Club. ... The two players picking up medals on the 18th green at Oakmont for the U.S. Open were from San Diego State — J.J. Spaun, the U.S. Open champion, and Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands, the low amateur. ... Corey Conners, who had to withdraw from the final round of the U.S. Open with a wrist injury, withdrew from the $20 million Travelers Championship. He was replaced in the field by Jhonattan Vegas. ... The field for the KPMG Women's PGA features all 100 players from the Race to CME Globe on the LPGA Tour. Stat of the week Philip Barbaree Jr. finished in last place at the U.S. Open and earned the largest paycheck of his career at $41,785. Final word 'I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do.' — Rory McIlroy. ___ AP golf:
RNZ News
16-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
J.J. Spaun wins rainy US Open for first major golf title
J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates with caddie Mark Carens. Photo: PATRICK SMITH / Getty Images via AFP J.J. Spaun emerged from a packed leaderboard to win the US Open for his first major championship with a two-shot victory over Robert MacIntyre at Oakmont Country Club after heavy rains had forced a suspension in play. Needing a par at the closing hole to avoid falling into a two-hole aggregate score playoff that would have been held on Tuesday, Spaun went one better and drained a massive 64-foot birdie putt in the rain to win by two shots. When the clinching putt dropped, Spaun tossed his putter, delivered a fist pump, hugged his caddie and then walked off the green with his two young daughters in tow on Father's Day to celebrate a career-defining win. Spaun reached the driveable par-four 17th hole level on Monday with Scotland's MacIntyre, who was already in the clubhouse after a two-under 68, and delivered the shot of his life - a 309-yard strike that settled 17 feet from the cup. The 34-year-old American sent his eagle putt past the hole but made the comeback and then went on to secure the win in style at the 18th, a hole he had bogeyed during the previous two rounds. The triumph comes three months after Spaun left The Players Championship, where he lost in a playoff to world number two Rory McIlroy, defeated but knowing he could hang with the game's elite and with the confidence he needed to win the US Open. J.J. Spaun celebrates. Photo: ROSS KINNAIRD / Getty Images / AFP New Zealand's Ryan Fox finished in a tie for 19th , at seven over par for the tournament. It was Spaun who led the way after the first round of the US Open where he managed the only bogey-free round of the day despite playing on an Oakmont layout that is considered one of the toughest courses in the world. In the final round, Spaun appeared out of the mix after a carding five early double-bogeys but he held steady and, with the leaders all struggling to pull away, found himself back in the thick of things late on the back nine. World number 14 Viktor Hovland (73) finished three shots back in third place, while Cameron Young (70) and LIV Golf players Tyrrell Hatton (72) and Carlos Ortiz (73) finished a further shot back in a share of fourth place. Overnight leader Sam Burns (78), who took a one shot lead over Spaun and Adam Scott into the final round, struggled late and finished five shots back. Australian Scott, playing in his 96th consecutive major, dropped five shots over his closing five holes and finished in a share of 12th place after a closing 79. The final round was interrupted by a 96-minute weather delay after heavy rains forced puddles of water to form on the greens and fairways, and forced the grounds crew at Oakmont to use squeegees to get the course ready. - Reuters
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
J.J. Spaun wins US Open: Watch his winning putt from 64 feet
J.J. Spaun earned the right to dance in the rain after making the longest putt of the 2025 U.S. Open, clinching his first win in a golf major on Sunday. Caddie Mark Carens walked over and joined Spaun as the duo watched the ball travel 64 feet and to secure victory. The men embraced as the ball fell into the 18th hole. Advertisement "When I hit it, I thought it was a little short," Spaun told NBC Sports' Mike Tirico during the trophy ceremony. "... but it was looking really good ... fortunately it was my time." An emotional Spaun reunited with his wife, Melody, and their daughters, Emerson Lili and Violet Windsor, to celebrate the win on Father's Day. "It was a dream week and scenario to have my kids here," Spaun said about having his family in attendance. "It's awesome and a cherry on top for an awesome week." The Los Angeles native became the 92nd different player to win the tournament. US OPEN PURSE: Payouts, prize money for tournament at Oakmont Country Club Watch J.J. Spaun's putt to win 2025 U.S. Open The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: J.J. Spaun wins US Open: Watch his winning putt from 64 feet
