Latest news with #SignatureEvent
Daily Record
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Keegan Bradley faces increasing Ryder Cup headache on special Bethpage anniversary
United States captain can seal a second Travalers win and edge close to making his own team Keegan Bradley could celebrate his Ryder Cup anniversary in stunning style and land himself the biggest Bethpage headache of the lot. The United States captain is bang in the mix to win the Travelers Championship for a second time going into the final round at TPC River Highlands. Bradley won his local tournament in Hartford two years ago and, 12 months on from taking the call from the PGA of America to offer the Ryder Cup role, he can double up in Connecticut. If he does, however, win the Signature Event for a second time, he will sweep closer to the automatic qualification spots and the calls for him to play alongside the likes of World No.1 Scottie Scheffler in New York against Rory McIlroy -led Europe and not just be skipper would reach a fever-pitched crescendo. Bradley is fully aware of the background noise accompanying the constant 'USA, USA' chanting which he is getting at the Travelers and every week since he was announced the captain and realises he is on the brink of something extremely rare. After a terrific third-round show which left him just three behind Tommy Fleetwood, he said: 'Yeah, pretty strange. I sort of have come to this epiphany sort of that no one has ever experienced what I'm going through right now. "Arnold Palmer did in 1962 I think it was, but for the most part captains are done playing or at the end of their career or playing the Champions Tour. So it's pretty cool, I'm experiencing something that not a lot of people have. 'I try to enjoy the moments more, look around a little more, look in the crowd. It's funny, I try so hard to not think about playing, but they remind me every hole. "Tomorrow [Sunday] is the year anniversary of getting the call for the Ryder Cup, so pretty crazy that we're a year out, but special day, could be even better.' Bradley's 63 on Saturday was an impressive as any of the Americans looking to make his side and a seventh PGA Tour title is within reach. He added: 'It took me awhile to figure out how to play here in my home event and pressing and trying so hard. Now it's just about my 15th time and much more ready for the challenge, I guess you could say. "Today was just one of those days when everything feels great. I hit the ball good, putted great, felt comfortable all day, which is rare. I felt really, really great. 'Friday, I was uncomfortable on every shot I hit. I don't know why. Even just like easy shots, easy chips, easy putts. Then today I felt really comfortable on every shot. That doesn't happen often. Three back, which is a fun spot to be in. I'm going to have to go out and shoot a low score, but you can do it around here. Just hit the ball in the fairway, take care of the par-fives and you can do it. 'When you play a course you got to make birdies it brings a different challenge. You can't have a stretch of one-over par for seven holes or you lose a million shots. "So in some aspects it's difficult just like a hard course would be. I've got to go out there and get off to a good start, so sometimes that can be difficult. You just got to be patient and there's birdies out there. You've got to make them.'
Irish Examiner
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
McIlroy relieved after ball somehow skims water and stays dry at Travelers
No more skipping pressing conferences, Rory McIlroy was skipping the hazards to keep his Travelers Championship challenge alive on Friday after one of the more remarkable shots of his season. The Irishman sits four back from joint leaders Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas after a battling second round in Connecticut. But his back-nine revival could have been significantly derailed if not for a stunning stroke of luck on the penultimate hole. He driven off target and found the right fairway bunker McIlroy took on a treacherous second with water snaking the right side of the fairway. With 156 yards to carry to the hole, McIlroy hit out of the bunker only to see his ball splash down in the lake, skipped and spin forward, somehow staying dry. He had an unlikely chance to get up and down for a par, but saw his 13-foot putt slide by. That bogey was McIlroy's fifth of the day but four birdies, three of which came after the turn, softened the damage as his gritty 71 in windy conditions at TPC River Highlands kept him on 5-under, four back from the star trio atop the leaderboard. 'The ball on 17, I was on the downslope in the bunker and I was afraid of hitting it fat and just hitting it straight into the water in front of me. I caught it a little skinny, and thankfully it skipped through, and I still made a bogey, but it probably saved me a shot by skipping out," said a relieved McIlroy. 'It was a little fortunate.' McIlroy insists he's still firmly in the hunt for a fourth victory of the season after a frustrating, fractious spell in the wake of completing the career grand slam in April. 'To get it back somewhat close to even par for the day was good. I battled well. I hit some good shots and held it together when it could have got away from me early in the round,' McIlroy said. ' 'I don't feel like I'm too far away again. The conditions today definitely bunched the entire field together, and should make for an exciting weekend.' Fleetwood is pleased with the way he bounced back from his US Open disappointment after firing himself into contention for his first PGA Tour win. The 34-year-old had a brilliant final four holes at the last Signature Event of the season with two eagles and a birdie, with another putt at the last brushing the hole. But his round of 65 put him into a share of the lead on nine under with world number one and defending champions Scheffler and two-time major winner Thomas. Fleetwood, who has not won anywhere in almost 18 months, has had four PGA Tour top-10s this season but missed his first cut of the year at Oakmont last week. "You do quite a lot of sulking and then look at what you can do to improve. Very disappointed last week," he told Sky Sports. "I've been having a good season and I felt like my game was in a really good place going into last week. "For whatever reason - I'll never understand the game - I played really poor but in golf there is always another week and this week is a big week. "I came out motivated to take whatever there is to learn to make you better for the coming weeks and so far this week I'm happy with how I bounced back." Fleetwood's round was going nowhere with one birdie and one bogey through 12 holes until he hit a superb 261-yard approach to the par-five 13th and holed his nine-footer for eagle. He then chipped in from the front of the drivable 299-yard 15th for eagle and picked up another shot after hitting his tee shot to 12ft at the next. At the last he managed only a 205-yard drive after his ball caught a tree but drilled a nine-wood to 11ft from 226 yards but could not close out with a birdie. "I would have loved to have holed the putt but I'd take four after that tee shot," added Fleetwood, for whom the £2.6million first prize would boost his Ryder Cup prospects as he currently sits a place out of the top-six automatic qualifiers. Shane Lowry laboured to a 3-over 73 where precious little was dropping for the Offaly man. After an opening 72 Lowry was chasing second-round momentum but bogeyed his third hole then found plenty of trouble after the turn bogeying three-straight holes. His lone birdie of the day came on the 15th.
Scottish Sun
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Jordan Spieth groans in agony and forced to pull out of Travelers Championship with injury
Ex-World No.1 says tee shot 'legitimately hurt' as he pulls out of tournament CRY DAY THE 13TH Jordan Spieth groans in agony and forced to pull out of Travelers Championship with injury JORDAN SPIETH let out an ear-piercing groan as his Travelers Championship hopes ended with agonising injury at the 13th hole. The three-time Major winner withdrew from the £15million tournament on day one amid what he called "weird circumstances". 3 Jordan Spieth revealed he was in real pain as he withdrew 3 The Texan could be excused for taking a ride off the course The ex-World No.1 revealed his back had earlier locked up. The 31-year-old did all he could to battle on, having never pulled out of a tournament before. But after struggling to five-over after 12 holes, he accompanied his 13th tee shot with a cry of pain that meant enough was enough. So the Ryder Cup star had to exit early from the final Signature Event of the season at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. READ MORE IN GOLF HOT SPIRS 'Breathtakingly beautiful' Paige Spiranac puts on busty display in bold outfit Spieth understandably hitched a ride on a buggy to depart the scene. Earlier in the round he was spotted using a muscle massager on his upper back. But he explained his body had started to lock up even before that - during a warm-up on the ranges. Spieth was still keen to give the tournament a go as it's a no-cut event with extra FedExCup points at stake. 3 Spieth was uncomfortable playing a 12th-hole bunker shot Credit: Reuters BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK And he said after his unfortunate early ending: "Everything was great in my gym session, and I've been very, very excited to go out and play. "Things have been getting better and better, and then my right scap [scapula on the back] just kind of locked — like tightened midway through the warm-up." Watch Bob MacIntyre's classy reaction after JJ Spaun holes winning putt at US Open Spieth said the problem moved up "all of a sudden" - then went all across his back. He ended his practice 30 minute early for treatment from a physio before starting the opening round. Spieth explained his loud near-grunt of anguish by saying his 13th tee shot "legitimately really hurt". It meant he was "not going to be able to make a backswing that's even useful, and that's what happened on the [earlier] bunker shot." The Texan has just returned from wrist surgery but insisted his new injury was a surprise. Spieth began the event at 37th in the season's rankings - knowing that the top 70 in early August go into the FedExCup Playoffs and the top 50 make next year's Signature Events. He said his new setback was "incredibly frustrating" as he entered the Travelers Championship "very confident". Spieth added:" Everything I had done in practice and the pro-am showed me it's going to be a really good event. "It's just a very weird circumstance. It's disappointing ... we're having a baby here in a couple weeks, so I'll have some time off now, obviously, to get healthy. "But hopefully, after a few days, I go through the right process to just get right back to where I was."
Newsweek
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
The Memorial: Jordan Spieth Catches Fire, 'Took Advantage' of Luck
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Jordan Spieth put together a strong round at Muirfield Village for The Memorial Tournament, and he is one of only 11 players under par. Spieth shot up nine spots after he signed for a 3-under 69 to sit at 3-under overall. He made a bogey on the par-3 4th and a birdie on the par-5 7th to make the turn at even par. Spieth's round stayed level with a birdie on 13th, followed by a bogey on 14. He was struggling to get anything going. And then he closed with precision, getting himself in the mix. Spieth picked up a birdie on 15 before he closed with back-to-back par-breakers on 17 and 18. "I played well. I didn't make anything to start, and then I got a birdie to drop on 7, and then I made a nice par save on 8, and it felt like the lid came off, and I putted well from there," Spieth said after his round on Friday. DUBLIN, OHIO - MAY 29: Jordan Spieth of the United States looks on from the 15th tee during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on... DUBLIN, OHIO - MAY 29: Jordan Spieth of the United States looks on from the 15th tee during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 29, 2025 in Dublin, Ohio. More Photo byStatistically, Spieth sits atop the field in strokes gained approach to the green at +3.223. He hit 13 of 18 greens and was 3-of-5 in scrambling. In strokes gained total, he is +3.958, which is tied for fifth. To pick up almost four strokes when this golf course is playing this hard is impressive. "It was a really good ball-striking round," he explained. "When the rain stopped, I was able to take advantage coming in. It was nice going off later today because when that stopped on — what was that, 8 or so, 7? It was a big difference." The former Texas Longhorn battled the elements to finish well on Friday, and that grit looked like the old Spieth. "It's nice because this course, you can't fake it. It tells you where you are. I've been feeling like I've been pretty close, and I want to stay the course, and it's nice to get rewarded the last couple of holes there with some nice shots, looking at the weekend with some heavy wind tomorrow, and know that I have a chance." Spieth sits four shots behind the 36-hole leaders in Ben Griffin and Nick Taylor at 7-under. Griffin won the Charles Schwab Challenge this past weekend, and his good play continued. He is red hot and could claim his first Signature Event victory. However, Scottie Scheffler lurks at 4-under and sits in solo fourth despite his putting woes. Akshay Bhatia is in solo third at 5-under overall. Spieth will play alongside Tom Hoge for Round 3 of The Memorial at 2:37 p.m. ET. More Golf: Ian Poulter's Son Attempts to do What Tiger Woods' Son, Charlie Couldn't
Newsweek
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
The Memorial Claims First Victim as 2025 PGA Tour Winner Withdraws
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The 50th anniversary of The Memorial Tournament has reached the halfway stage. Thus far, Muirfield Village Golf Club has given PGA Tour players all they can handle. Through 36 holes, only 11 players are in red figures. Red hot Ben Griffin and Nick Taylor lead at 7-under par. Some of the world's best are a few back, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, whose putter let him down Friday. On the other end of the spectrum were some stars who missed the cut at Jack Nicklaus' hosted Signature Event. But not everyone got 36 holes in. Brian Campbell was forced to withdraw during Friday's second round of the Memorial. He pulled out due to a shoulder injury, according to the PGA Tour Communications department. DUBLIN, OHIO - MAY 30: Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays a shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club... DUBLIN, OHIO - MAY 30: Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays a shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 30, 2025 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by) MoreCampbell signed for a 7-over 79 during Thursday's opening round at Muirfield Village. So, he already needed a strong second 18 to reach the weekend anyway. Instead, he continued to struggle. Prior to withdrawing, the PGA Tour winner was 7-over for his round through 14 holes, including three double bogeys. Alas, he got an early jump making travel plans. Campbell has had a very interesting 2025 season on the PGA Tour. He won the first event of his professional career at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld in a playoff. But since that time, Campbell has reverted back to the form most golf fans have become accustomed to seeing. As he entered the Memorial, he had only made seven of 14 cuts this year. Outside of his win in Mexico, his best finish was tied for 32nd. He accomplished that in back-to-back weeks at the Masters and RBC Heritage. Campbell finished tied for 55th at the season's second major, the PGA Championship. It is unknown at this point how serious the shoulder injury is, or whether he will play in next week's RBC Canadian Open. That field is yet to be announced. More Golf: Keegan Bradley Likens Memorial to US Open; 'Hardest Course in the World'
