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Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Aldrich Potgieter Sees Parallels With Scottie Scheffler After First Win
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 World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has made his dominance on the golf course look routine. With 16 PGA Tour wins, including three in 2025 alone, and three major titles under his belt, Scheffler has held the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for over 140 weeks. His first PGA Tour victory came at age 25 at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, and since then, he's become the gold standard of consistency. But now, a new name is looking to follow that path. Aldrich Potgieter, who just earned his first PGA Tour win at age 20, and isn't shy about drawing comparisons. Aldrich Potgieter compares troubles with Scheffler's On Sunday, Potgieter drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole at the Rocket Classic in Detroit to outlast Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk in a three-man playoff. The South African rookie became the youngest player from his country to win on the PGA Tour and joined elite company, only Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth were younger when they won a playoff in the last 50 years. Aldrich Potgieter Compares Troubles With Scottie Scheffler After First Win. (Image Collage | Credits: Getty Images) Aldrich Potgieter Compares Troubles With Scottie Scheffler After First Win. (Image Collage | Credits: Getty Images) Getty Images Shortly after the win, Potgieter sat down with Dan Rapaport for a 1-on-1 interview. Rapaport brought up Potgieter's short-game struggles earlier this season, particularly at the Mexico Open, where he lost in a playoff. "Your chipping was a bit of an issue in Mexico," Rapaport noted. "I've seen you working really hard at it. You hit a really really good one on 13, you hit a pretty good one on 14. Just how much have you been working on that?" Potgieter didn't dodge the critique. "Yeah, it's been one of the things I needed to work on," he admitted. "Looking at the stats from the year so far, my iron play was probably the worst out of everything." "I had to rely on the chipping so much that... it's like hitting every shot like Scottie." He wasn't just name-dropping. Potgieter referenced Scheffler's own journey, how the World No. 1 once faced criticism for his putting. In 2023, Scheffler ranked 161st in strokes gained putting and lost multiple tournaments despite elite ball-striking. But after hiring putting coach Phil Kenyon and switching to a claw grip, he turned it around, winning the 2024 Hero World Challenge by 6 shots while ranking third in putting that week. Potgieter sees a similar arc. "My chipping can improve so much," he said. "But definitely iron play—getting it closer, getting it on the green—I don't have to rely so much on it. "I definitely scored a lot on the par fives where I had to make up and down from some spots, so I think it's improved quite a lot. But there's still a lot of work to do." Aldrich Potgieter's First PGA Tour Win Came With Sacrifice His win was more than a personal milestone. Potgieter's father, Heinrich, had travelled with him week after week, while his mother stayed in South Africa with his sister. "We had to give up a lot," Potgieter said, holding back emotion. "Moving to Australia, moving back... immigrating is not easy. Coming alone to the States and grinding—it's been a journey." After the win, he confirmed he'll finally be heading home for the first time since February. Next up, Potgieter is expected to tee it up at the John Deere Classic, starting July 3rd in Silvis, Illinois. More Golf: One Thing Stings Patrick Reed After LIV Golf Win With Daughter's Putter
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Which golfers have risen the most in the Official World Golf Ranking since start of 2025?
Which golfers have risen the most in the Official World Golf Ranking since start of 2025? Show Caption Hide Caption J.J. Spaun relives the dramatic 64-foot birdie on 18 to win U.S. Open A 64-foot birdie to seal it. J.J. Spaun is your 2025 U.S. Open champion after a dramatic finish at Oakmont. USGA The Official World Golf Ranking is constantly changing, with players jockeying up and down the standings every single week. But each year, there are certain players who make big jumps thanks to their play, and this year, there are numerous players who have made substantial movement up the rankings. J.J. Spaun, who won the U.S. Open on Sunday at Oakmont Country Club, moved to eighth in the world rankings, the highest spot of his career. When 2025 began, he was outside the top 100. But even he hasn't made the biggest jump this year. Here's a look at the golfers ranked in the top 100 who have risen the most in OWGR since the start of 2025. Joe Highsmith, 162 to 69 (93 spots) Highsmith picked up his first PGA Tour win at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, coming after he made the cut on the number, shooting a pair of 7-under 64s on the weekend to win. Daniel Berger, 126 to 29 (97 spots) In his first full season returning from injury, Berger has a runner-up finish at the WM Phoenix Open and a T-3 at the RBC Heritage. Michael Kim, 155 to 56 (99 spots) The one-time PGA Tour winner has made 15 cuts this year in 18 starts and had three top-five finishes, including a T-2 at the WM Phoenix Open. Gary Woodland, 200 to 96 (104 spots) Woodland's return from brain surgery has been well documented, and his runner-up finish at the Texas Children's Houston Open was his best finish of the season. J.J. Spaun, 119 to 8 (111 spots) Spaun finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy at the Players following a Monday playoff, but he's now a major champion after conquering Oakmont Country Club for his second PGA Tour win. Ryder Cup spot coming soon? Jacob Bridgeman, 189 to 70 (119 spots) Bridgeman finished runner-up at the Cognizant Classic and has three more top-10 finishes, including a third at the Valspar and a T-4 at the Truist Championship. John Keefer, 213 to 81 (132 spots) Keefer mainly plays on the Korn Ferry Tour, but with a win at the Veritex Bank Championship and runner-up finish at the Visit Knoxville Open, he's quickly moving up the ranks. Ryan Gerard, 206 to 71 (135 spots) Gerard finished runner-up at the Valero Texas Open, but his consistency shines through, with 16 made cuts in 18 starts this season. Bud Cauley, 303 to 60 (243 spots) Bud Cauley's jump is substantial, with four top-six finishes, including three straight at the Players Championship (T-6), Valspar Championship (T-4) and the Valero Texas Open (T-5). He also finished solo third at the Charles Schwab. Kristoffer Reitan, 425 to 99 (326 spots) A T-2 finish at the DP World Tour's Hainan Classic moved Reitan from 392 to 285, and four weeks later he won the Soudal Open, going from 278 to 131. The rise has only continued since then, too, getting into the top 100 this week.
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Scottie Scheffler defends at the Memorial, first to do so since Tiger
Scottie Scheffler defends at the Memorial, first to do so since Tiger Trevor Immelman tagged Scottie Scheffler with a new nickname. 'We might have to start calling him The Closer,' CBS's Immelman remarked on the network's broadcast of the Memorial. Later, his CBS colleague Ian Baker-Finch compared Scheffler to the Hall of Fame closer for the New York Yankees. 'He never loses,' he said. On Sunday, Scheffler converted his ninth straight 54-hole lead since the 2023 WM Phoenix Open. This time the world No. 1 shot 2-under 70 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, to win the 2025 Memorial Tournament by four strokes over Ben Griffin. Scheffler, who signed for a 72-hole total of 10-under 278, became the first golfer to win consecutive Memorial Tournament titles since Tiger Woods pulled off the three-peat from 1999-2001. It also marked Scheffler's third PGA Tour title in his last four starts and sweet No. 16 for his career. Scheffler paced himself with a pair of 70s in the first two rounds before making his move with four birdies in his final five holes on Saturday. It added up to 68 and his first bogey-free round at Muirfield Village in 19 career rounds to assume the 54-hole lead by one stroke over Griffin. 'Obviously, Scottie Scheffler's the best player in the world, but No. 1 can be beat,' Griffin said before the final round. Not this time. Scheffler was shaky early, missing the first four greens, but his short game kept bailing him out. Griffin's three-putt bogey at the fourth stretched Scheffler's lead to two. He tacked on a birdie at the par-5 seventh to improve to 9 under. Scheffler's streak extended to 31 straight holes without a bogey until dropping a shot at No. 10, his lone hiccup on the weekend. As Scheffler is apt to do, he bounced back with a birdie at 11, pouring in a 14-foot birdie putt. After that, all of his closest competitors fell by the wayside. 'You can't count on him shooting even tomorrow, so, it would take something special,' said Spieth, who finished T-7, of the difficulty he faced in chasing down Scheffler. 'What impresses me the most is his club face control is elite. It's maybe the best there's ever been as far as club face control. So his consistency is ridiculous. And then that just leads to his distance control being phenomenal.' Case in point, Scheffler drilled a fairway wood from 250 yards at the par-5 15th that landed near the hole and hopped 14 feet past the hole to set up a 2-putt birdie. 'All he has to do is stay out of trouble and make pars,' tournament host Jack Nicklaus said. "[Don't do] something silly, which I don't expect out of Scottie Scheffler.' Griffin eagled 15 and sank a 28-foot birdie at 16 to keep it interesting until he doubled 17. He shot 73 and remains the hottest golfer on the planet not named Scheffler. He has two wins, a runner-up at Memorial and a T-8 at the PGA Championship in his last six starts. The other winner for the week? Rickie Fowler, who played on a sponsor exemption, closed in 73 to finish T-7 and earn a spot in the British Open in July as the top finisher not previously qualified.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Major Rickie Fowler Announcement Made Ahead of the 2025 PGA Championship
After withdrawing from the WM Phoenix Open in February before the second round due to illness, and then failing to qualify for the Masters Tournament in April, fan-favorite golfer Rickie Fowler has been away from the spotlight on multiple occasions over the past few months. However, he's set to compete this Thursday at the Truist Championship as he looks to find his rhythm and work his way back into contention as one of the sport's top players. Advertisement In 2024, Fowler recorded just one top-10 finish—compared to eight during the 2022-23 season. While he's still in search of his first major title, Fowler owns 10 professional wins and has had several memorable runs in major tournaments. Now, with one of the biggest events of the year just around the corner—the PGA Championship from May 15 to May 18 at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina—Fowler was officially announced on Tuesday as a participant. Fans reacted with joy seeing Fowler's name in the field: "Whether or not he's towards the top of the leaderboard or not, tournaments are more fun when Rickie's in the field," a fan said. Advertisement "I enjoy watching Fowler play but major entrants should have to earn their way in with their play- not their name," another fan posted. "YESSIR!! Love to see him get his first major," someone else added. One more fan commented, "Awesome." Rickie Fowler watches his shot off the first tee during the final round of the Valero Texas Open. Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Fowler finished tied for 51st at the 2024 PGA Championship, but in previous years, he delivered stronger performances—finishing 23rd in 2022 and an impressive 8th place finish in 2021 during a strong four-day showing. Related: Scottie Scheffler Makes Major Decision After Byron Nelson
Newsweek
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Scottie Scheffler Making a Mockery of CJ Cup Byron Nelson
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. Scottie Scheffler got off to a hot start at the CJ Cup Bryon Nelson event at TPC Craig Ranch. The No. 1 player in the world has not won yet in 2025, but could this week be the moment he puts it together? Scheffler went out in 29 strokes Thursday at TPC Craig Ranch, making five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 9th. Rico Hoey set the pace during the morning wave with an 8-under 63, but Scheffler may surpass that number. MCKINNEY, TEXAS - MAY 01: Scottie Scheffler of the United States reacts after making eagle on the ninth green during the first round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2025 at TPC Craig Ranch on... MCKINNEY, TEXAS - MAY 01: Scottie Scheffler of the United States reacts after making eagle on the ninth green during the first round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2025 at TPC Craig Ranch on May 01, 2025 in McKinney, Texas. More Photo byThe former Texas Longhorn opened with back-to-back pars to start his round, then he went nuclear. He made four straight birdies on holes 3-6. Scheffler added his fifth birdie at the 8th, making the front nine even more impressive with his eagle. He hit the second shot to just four feet from the hole and easily sank the putt. Scheffler did not miss a green through 10 holes, which is crucial at TPC Craig Ranch. His approach game has been nearly perfect, as he only had to make 44 feet of putts through the first part of his round. In a field that lacks star power outside of Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, the Ridgewood, NJ native is a massive favorite to take home his first PGA Tour win of the season. This season has not been terrible for Scheffler, but it has not been nearly as good as last year. At this point in 2024, he had four wins. Some feel he is falling off the track, but his worst finish in 2025 was a T25 at the WM Phoenix Open. In his last three starts, Scheffler finished T2 at the Houston Open, solo fourth at The Masters and T8 at RBC Heritage. Scheffler has not won this tournament yet, but has had some success. He was T15 in 2022 and T5 in 2023. The 13-time PGA Tour winner did not play this tournament last year because he wanted to be home for the birth of his first child. In a field that lacks star power outside of Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, the Ridgewood, NJ native is a massive favorite to take home his first PGA Tour win of the season. More updates to come as he finishes his round More Golf: Rory McIlroy's DP World Tour Return Will Fire Irish Fans Up
