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USA Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Rocket Classic shaping up for underdogs vs favorites battle at Detroit Golf Club
DETROIT — Low scores have always ruled at the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club, and it's clear the PGA Tour's 2025 tournament is no different. Three players are tied for the lead at 14-under-par 130 after two rounds: Chris Kirk, Philip Knowles and Andrew Putnam. One stroke behind them sits Jackson Suber, who birdied five straight holes on the front nine. Aldrich Potgieter, a big-hitting 20-year-old South African rookie, is tied for fifth at 12-under one day after shooting a then-course record 62 along with Kevin Roy, who squeaked out a 1-under round, tied for eighth at 11-under. Major winners Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama and Gary Woodland also lurk at 11 under par, along with two-time winner on Tour this season Ben Griffin. This tournament is often a battle of the underdogs, and especially given a number of prominent golfers failed to make the 6 under cut, this year will likely be no different. Here's who stood out in Round 2 on Friday entering a hot weekend in Detroit. Philip Knowles makes Rocket Classic history Knowles had the day's most improbable performance when he carded three eagles in his round, with all three coming from off the green. The three eagles had never been accomplished in any round in seven years of the Rocket, and is only the second time it has occurred this season on Tour. Chandler Phillips had three eagles during a round at the Players Championship in March. Knowles recorded the first eagle on 17, his eighth hole of the day, after bogeying 15 and 16. After a 300-yard drive and a 250-yard iron shot, Knowles chipped the ball in from the rough to the left of the hole. Chipping proved to be Knowles' superpower as the day went on. His second eagle, on the par-5 fourth, looked similar — a long drive and a wedge shot followed by an accurate chip-in from 38 yards out. By No. 7, where he recorded his third eagle, it seemed almost comical that a 20-yard wedge shot over a bunker would go in. Knowles wasn't even able to see the ball rolling into the cup because he was below the surface of the green, but no problem. 'All we were trying to do is get it up on the green somewhere and it should trickle out towards the hole, and I didn't see it go in,' Knowles said. 'I was walking up and you see my playing partners just start laughing and the crowd go crazy. That was surreal.' Knowles is still technically a rookie on the Tour despite graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 due to a series of medical exemptions. He has suffered a severed nerve in thumb, a bout of mono and a recurring case of shingles that began in his right eye. He has only played in 16 events over two years, and has never played the Rocket. But this trip has been one to remember, particularly since his wife and two daughters are in Detroit to support him. 'Last night we get off the golf course and it's late and it's like, 'OK, where can we find food and get home and do bath and bedtime and get them down first?'' Knowles said. 'I walked in the house, it was an hour and a half before I even changed out of my golf clothes, and you don't think about it. But I love it and I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm always grateful to have them around. I would never not want them to be here.' Jake Knapp shoots Detroit Golf Club course record Knapp broke the course record early Friday, a mark that stood for less than 24 hours. Knapp shot 11-under 61 after shooting an even-par 72 on Thursday, moving from tied for No. 120 to tied for eighth. He had three birdies and eagled No. 17 on his front nine, then birdied six holes on his back nine to finish bogey free. Andrew Putnam gets on a roll Putnam's run of success continued as he shot 66 to tie for the lead. His rise began Thursday with an 8-under 64, but he continued it with another an eagle on No. 7 and four birdies, though he had to struggle for it through windy conditions late in his afternoon round, shooting 1-under on the back nine. 'It didn't feel bogey free,' Putnam said. 'It felt like I was kind of all over the place on the back nine, but the front nine was pretty simple golf. The wind came up, got a couple tricky holes out there, so glad I could grind it out. Another good scoring day.' Min Woo Lee 'The Chef' does not cook 'Let him cook!' rang out across the golf course when teed off Friday after an inspiring first round of 9-under 63. Unfortunately, 'The Chef,' a name his fans have given him, did not cook. Instead, Lee shot 1-over-par 73, dropping him thirty-two spots to tied for 35th by Friday's end. A bogey on 18 ultimately did him in as he missed a short putt wide right. Lee still made the cut, but leaves him six shots back, an uninspiring second-round performance after he led for much of the first round.
NBC Sports
7 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
8 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Rocket Classic scoring record broken again in second round at Detroit Golf Club
Todd Lewis and Jim Gallagher Jr. break down Jake Knapp's Round 2 showing during the Rocket Classic, where the 31-year-old American shot a course record 61 at Detroit Golf Club. DETROIT — Jake Knapp shot an 11-under 61 to break a Rocket Classic record that stood for less than a day, becoming the first PGA Tour player to break 60 and shoot a 61 or lower in the same season. Knapp started the second round 130th in the 156-player field after opening with a 72. He surged into contention Friday with nine birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round. 'I was just probably upset all night and this morning, so I think that maybe helped a little bit,' he said. Knapp, ranked No. 99 in the world, is the only player on the Tour to shoot 61 or better in two rounds this season. He shot a 59 — one off the Tour scoring record of 58 set by Jim Furyk in 2016 — at the Cognizant Classic four months ago, when he broke the tournament scoring record before cooling off and finishing tied for sixth. Knapp broke the 18-hole record at Detroit Golf Club that was set Thursday in the first round when Aldrich Potgieter and Kevin Roy both shot a 62. 'I feel like when I start making birdies, I want to make more,' Knapp said. 'I was even kind of thinking about 59 when I stuck it close on my third to last hole.'
Toronto Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Canadian Michael Woods headed to his fifth Tour de France, looking for stage wins
Published Jun 27, 2025 • 3 minute read Canada's Michael Woods, centre, waves from the podium after winning the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182.5 kilometres (113.5 miles) with start in Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat and finish in Puy de Dome, France, Sunday, July 9, 2023. Photo by Daniel Cole / AP Canadian Michael Woods is headed to his fifth Tour de France, looking for a repeat of 2023 when he won a stage in the storied Grand Tour race. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The 38-year-old from Ottawa will ride alongside fellow Canadian Guillaume Boivin in Israel-Premier Tech's eight-man team for the 3,320-kilometre Tour, which runs from July 5 to 27. Team sporting director Steve Bauer, who rode in 11 editions of the Tour de France and was the first Canadian to win a stage (in 1988), has high hopes for the team but is realistic about the challenge that lies ahead. 'It's simply said, yet difficult to achieve — we want to win a stage,' Bauer said in a statement. 'We've assembled the best team from our current healthy roster with the aim of achieving this goal. 'It's a common goal for every team, and that's where the challenge lies at the highest level of our sport. We have to be sharp from Day 1 and, in particular, through the first 10 days, we'll analyze how we can have a shot at nearly every stage, because we can't afford to let any opportunities go. We have the riders who can be in the mix to win. Our day-to-day tactics will be very important, along with how we manage the guys.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Woods returns to the race two years after becoming the third Canadian to win a stage on the Tour. Israel-Premier Tech teammate Hugo Houle was the second, winning the 16th stage of the 2022 edition. Woods is also the last Israel-Premier Tech rider to win a Grand Tour stage — at the Spanish Vuelta last August. 'It's a crazy race and it's the last race on the calendar that I do that scares me — in a good way, but it's such a challenging race,' he said. 'The level is so high. The risks are so big, but the rewards are so incredible. Winning a stage there in 2023 was the crowning achievement of my career. Given the level of excitement around that win and the support I've received since I achieved it, I can say it changed my life. For all of those reasons, I can say I'm looking forward to returning to the Tour.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Woods, an accomplished climber, says he is not targeting the first week. 'Everything from Stage 6 onward I'm excited about,' he said. 'Don't expect to see me at all during those opening stages. I want to try and stay safe. The only Tour I've won a stage in was the only one I didn't crash in. If I can stay upright in the first week, then there are opportunities in the second and third weeks for stage wins.' Woods' best general classification finish at the Tour was 32nd in 2-19. He did not finish the race in 2021 and '22 and was 48th in 2023. Fellow Canadian Derek Gee led Israel Premier-Tech at the Giro d'Italia in June, finishing fourth overall. The 27-year-old from Ottawa was ninth overall in last year's Tour de France but is not on this year's team. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The other team members this year are Germany's Pascal Ackermann, Britain's Joe Blackmore and Jake Stewart, France's Matis Louvel, Kazakhstan's Alexey Lutsenko and Latvia's Krists Neilands. 'We have several guys who will have opportunities in the first week. Stages one, two, and three will be intense,' said Bauer. 'Certainly, Ackie and Jake will be key men, backed up by a solid support group. There could be a couple of potential breakaway stages before the first rest day, too, depending on how the peloton reacts and the race evolves. It will be important for our guys to be ready to go hunting for victories when these opportunities come. 'In the high mountains, Mike is our best climber, and he's proven he can win Grand Tour stages. We'll look to keep him out of trouble in the first few days, and then we'll utilize his strengths as we go forward.' For the first time since 2020, the Tour will be held exclusively in France. The 21-stage race features seven flat stages, six hilly stages, six mountain stages (with five mountain finishes) and two time trials. The field includes 184 riders representing 23 teams. The race starts in Lille with a flat 184.9-kilometre stage. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Toronto Raptors News Music Toronto Raptors Canada
France 24
12 hours ago
- Sport
- France 24
Evenepoel wins second Belgian time-trial title
Over a 40.2km course, a distance comparable to the fifth-stage time-trial of the upcoming Tour on July 9 in Caen, the Olympic and world champion outclassed his competitors, finishing one minute and 11sec ahead of Florian Vermeersch. Alec Segaert was third at 1:31 in the race at Brasschaat, near Antwerp. This is Quick-Step rider Evenepoel's 20th victory in time-trials. In 2025, he had already triumphed in time-trials on the Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine. Evenepoel returned to Belgium on Thursday after a high-altitude training camp at Tignes in the French Alps where he "trained a little less than planned due to the heat". "This weekend, the Belgian championships (time-trial and road race on Sunday) are the last big block before the start of the Tour de France on July 5 in Lille," he said. "Today was tough because the route didn't offer any recovery time. But the feelings are good. That's the most important thing."
