Latest news with #RSMClassic
NBC Sports
28-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Why Will Gordon's made cut on number in Detroit meant so much
Will Gordon arguably just made the biggest cut of his life. In the final start of his major medical extension, the 28-year-old Gordon birdied each of his final two holes Friday at the Rocket Classic to card a second straight 3-under 69 and eventually make the cut on the number. Gordon's last birdie, from just inside 6 feet, got him to 6 under, right on the projected cut line. Upon sinking the clutch putt, Gordon gave a few fist pumps before he was seen wiping away tears as he walked off the green, eventually squatting down and burying his face in both hands in an attempt to compose himself. He knew just how big that was. His emotions were still coming out in a post-round interview with Golf Channel's Amy Rogers. Gordon then waited over an hour to see if it was good enough to keep playing into the weekend – and keep his PGA Tour card for a few more months. 'It's not in the back of my mind, it's in the very front,' Gordon said afterward. 'But that's why you play is to put yourself in moments like this, hopefully win golf tournaments. But I'm really proud of myself for executing under that pressure… 'I was just proud of keeping my head in it, fighting to the end. That's what I do. It hadn't been the prettiest kind of last three, four years, but I always fight.' Once Gordon completes 72 holes, he'll earn the 0.644 points required to maintain conditional PGA Tour membership, which means he'll play the rest of this season, through the fall, out of the Nos. 126-150 category. Not great, but also better than the alternative. Missing the cut would've meant Gordon losing his card for the second time in his career. Gordon finished No. 159 in FedExCup points his rookie season in 2020-21, but he re-earned his card via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals the following year. He then finished No. 100 in points in 2022-23 before suffering a neck injury last season. Gordon missed five months after last year's WM Phoenix Open after three vertebrae in his cervicothoracic junction became so inflamed they weren't turning left, and the issue caused ulnar nerve tension down into his elbows. Though he returned in July, he wasn't symptom-free until October, and he would eventually finish No. 191 in points after a T-30 finish at the RSM Classic, where he briefly contended. So far this year, Gordon has missed nine of 13 cuts, though top-10s at the Farmers and Byron Nelson have him at a respectable No. 136 in points. The top 100 in points – down from the top 125 – after this year's RSM Classic keep full membership. 'This is a game that kind of get what you deserve, and unfortunately I haven't played well enough to, you know, give myself more breathing room,' Gordon said. 'It's kind of crazy it's kind of come down to this, but again, you get what you earn in this game and this is what I kind of earned myself. Just try to use it as motivation for whatever comes next.' Gordon can't fully satisfy his major medical without a victory Sunday at Detroit Golf Club. A win, of course, would solve more than that, coming with a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, among other perks. Gordon is currently eight shots back of leaders Andrew Putnam, Philip Knowles and Chris Kirk. 'Hopefully, I can get a top-10 or something,' Gordon said. 'I'm just thankful for the people around me helping to support me and keep me going, and that's why we'll continue to wake up and do the same thing.'
USA Today
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Caitlin Clark weighs in on U.S. Open in funny social media post: 'Is Oakmont even fun?'
Caitlin Clark weighs in on U.S. Open in funny social media post: 'Is Oakmont even fun?' Oakmont Country Club is hard, everyone knows that. Well, maybe some are just beginning to realize it as they tune into Sunday's final-round action of the 2025 U.S. Open. Caitlin Clark is among those viewers. In a social media post to X, the WNBA star made a hilarious remark as the world watches the best golfers on the planet stumble at Oakmont. "Is Oakmont even fun to play," she pondered. Most of us feel that way, Caitlin. Clark is enjoying the U.S. Open just a day removed from recording one of the best single-game performances of the season in the WNBA. She had 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, including seven three-pointers. Clark is a big-time golfer. At last year's RSM Classic, she participated in the pro-am, where she was paired with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and 2023 Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, a fellow Iowan. "It is incredible. It was awesome to watch," Monahan said. "What really struck me was her love of the game. Clearly, her competitive spirit and fire come through."
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Luke Clanton is ready for his PGA Tour pro debut at this week's RBC Canadian Open
Luke Clanton is ready for his PGA Tour pro debut at this week's RBC Canadian Open Luke Clanton spent the better part of two days crafting his introductory remarks for his Tuesday pre-tournament press conference ahead of his professional debut at the PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open. Not leaving anything to chance, he scribbled it down on paper. 'Today my dream becomes a reality, a professional golfer on the PGA Tour,' he began before proceeding to acknowledge that he had stood on many shoulders and accepted many helping hands from coaches, mentors, his college teammates at Florida State University and the various junior circuits where he cut his teeth. The 21-year-old newly minted pro then spoke glowingly of his family and the sacrifices they made. Clanton grew up in Hialeah, Florida, outside of Miami. He's the youngest son of Rhonda, a Delta flight attendant for four decades who home-schooled him until ninth grade, and David, a landscaper who started his workday before sunrise so he could meet Luke at Country Club of Miami, a hardscrabble municipal course that served as his proving ground. 'What my dad did at an early, young age created me to be the person I am now,' Clanton said. 'My dad took that step of pushing me to my limits when I was a kid and making me train as hard as I can and hit golf balls in the dark with a flashlight. Those kinds of things are created to make a person mentally hard, mentally ready for these kind of big moments.' Clanton has already proven he can compete in the big leagues. He notched four Tour top-10 finishes in 2024, highlighted by runner-up finishes at the John Deere Classic and RSM Classic, becoming the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 with three or more top-10 finishes on Tour in a year. Had amateurs been allowed to earn non-member FedEx Cup points, Clanton would've finished No. 90 in points last season. Clanton, who just completed his junior season at Florida State, secured his 20th point and PGA Tour membership following a made cut at the Cognizant Classic in March. Clanton capped off his time as a Seminole as the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking with seven individual collegiate titles, including four this season, and was named the recipient of the 2025 Ben Hogan Award, one of three player of the year awards in college golf. 'There are certain people that their golf ball makes a different sound when they hit than others, and his is definitely one of them,' said Justin Thomas after playing two rounds with Clanton at the WM Phoenix Open in February. 'He wasn't shy and wasn't scared of the moment. So I know he's going to come out here ready to go.' Clanton has already been well compensated for his bright future from the likes of Nike, which allowed his mother to officially retire this week. 'I told her, 'You're not going to have to work a day in your life.' She's like, 'No, I'll just work for you,' ' Clanton recalled. 'It's something that every kid chases for is to retire their mom and dad and help them out with everything. It's amazing.' Clanton likely could have banked even more money in the short term had he signed with LIV Golf. Asked in his press conference about his decision to join the PGA Tour, he didn't address any details about an offer from LIV, saying, 'I want to play the PGA Tour, pretty simple. I want to play against the best, I want to compete in majors, and that's it. Simple.' An earlier answer may have been more telling: 'It's not about the money. It's not about any of the fame. It's about competing with these guys on Tour. It's something I've chased for my whole entire life.' Clanton isn't the only recent college grad making his first start as a Tour member this week at the RBC Canadian Open, held for the first time at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley's North Course in Caledon, Ontario. Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent also earned membership through PGA Tour University Accelerated, while North Carolina's David Ford finished as the No. 1 player in the 2025 PGA Tour University Ranking. All three players will have status on Tour through the 2026 season. For Clanton, playing as a professional, a childhood dream come true, still felt surreal as he packed his passport for his first trip north of the border. 'I got on the flight, and I was like, dang, this is my first PGA Tour start ever,' he said. 'It still hasn't really hit me.'
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Still struggling, Joel Dahmen gets a pick-me-up with first PGA Tour ace at Charles Schwab
Still struggling, Joel Dahmen gets a pick-me-up with first PGA Tour ace at Charles Schwab FORT WORTH, Texas — After missing the cut in four of his last PGA Tour starts, Joel Dahmen was in need of a pick-me-up at this week's Charles Schwab Challenge. He got just that during the first round of play at Colonial Country Club, when his 7-iron on the 186-yard 13th hole came screaming back to the cup. it marked his first hole-in-one on the PGA Tour. Dahmen, 37, was the breakout star of the first two seasons of the Netflix documentary 'Full Swing.' He struggled last season, recording just one top-10 finish in 30 starts. He needed to make two 6-foot putts at the RSM Classic – one to make the 36-hole cut and the other to wrap up a final-round 64 – to finish No. 124 on the season-long FedEx Cup standings and retain his fully-exempt Tour card for this season by the narrowest of margins. And although he posted two top-10 finishes before March 1, Dahmen has fallen back into hard times, missing the cut at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in early May and then the alternate-field ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic two weeks ago. Despite making the ace on his fourth hole of the day (he started on the back nine), Dahmen posted three bogeys and made the turn at an even-par 36.
Irish Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
PGA Championship star who will inherit billions being helped by wife
Maverick McNealy, the 29 year old PGA Tour sensation and heir to a multi-billion-pound fortune, is set to compete in the PGA Championship this weekend, cheered on by his wife. Born into affluence as the son of Scott McNealy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems which sold for a staggering £7.4 billion in 2010, Maverick grew up surrounded by luxury. A small portion of the family's vast wealth was used to purchase a grand five-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion for him and his three brothers. However, McNealy opted to pursue his love for golf rather than entering the business world, a route that could have potentially earned him millions or even billions with his father's support. In 2017, he met his wife, Maya, who has since been a steadfast source of support, closely following his golfing career. Their lives intersected when McNealy visited the physical therapy clinic where Maya was employed in Las Vegas. Six years on, they tied the knot in a ceremony officiated by his brother, Scout McNealy. McNealy, who also possesses a pilot's license, lauded his wife for her sacrifices, as she often travels to watch his tournaments. When he secured victory at the RSM Classic last year, Maya "knew her job" and immediately phoned McNealy's parents to share the joy of his career achievement, reports the Express. McNealy has been candid about the significant impact Maya has on his professional life, stating: "Maya knew her job, if it went well today, to get them on the phone as soon as possible walking off 18. I'm the luckiest guy ever. Maya was chatting with me when I was maybe a little bit - being a little bit dramatic but a little bit frustrated." He recounted a motivating conversation with her, saying, "She said, 'Well, if you knew you were going to win like in six weeks, would you do anything different?'" His subsequent victory proved the point of their discussion, as he confessed, "So six weeks I did get my win. No, I wouldn't have done anything different." Alongside golf, Maya showed her own golfing prowess by participating in the Par 3 contest at the 2025 Masters with McNealy. When discussing his leisure activities, Maya gave insight into his aviator ambitions while speaking to the PGA Tour in 2023: "[He's] Watching airplane videos any time he doesn't have a golf club in his hand." Her admiration for his work ethic came through as she observed, "I don't know how he has the time or the mental patience to get better at both things consistently ... but he's one of the most determined people I know." She shared an amusing reaction to McNealy's aviation announcement: "I told her, 'By the way, I'm going to start getting my pilot's license, and she looked at me like I had three heads," which only adds to his fans' appreciation of his multifaceted aspirations. This article was originally featured on the US Mirror.
