Dylan Dethier
Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler every know what it is wish to have an honest PGA Tour season.
Getty Photographs
Welcome again to the Monday End, the place we’re beginning to suppose this Scottie Scheffler might need an actual future within the sport. To the information!
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GOLF STUFF I LIKE
Appreciating the good things.
It’s pure to look ahead. And, I feel more and more, cultural forces have us shifting on to the subsequent factor even sooner than ever. That’s doubly true for athletes, who’re seemingly impressed by some finish objective (successful the championship, say) however with the intention to get there should lose themselves within the course of. An athlete’s consolation zone is having one thing left to show, some talent but to grasp, far to the mountaintop left to climb. Really reaching the summit? That may be powerful to course of, in its personal approach.
That brings us to Scottie Scheffler, who gained once more this weekend, this time on the Hero World Problem within the Bahamas, his ninth worldwide victory this season. He redirected questions on what the victory meant, as he’s used to doing by now, insisting that he performs not for cash nor legacy however as a result of he enjoys the competitors. His is an aspirational outlook; if you happen to’re in it purely for the enjoyment of successful and the love of competing, you’ll be able to take in your victories whereas additionally waiting for the subsequent probability to contend. Bravo, Scottie.
The crossroads of accomplishment, satisfaction and successful additionally brings us to Bob MacIntyre. The 28-year-old Scotsman ended up with a fairy-tale season, but it surely didn’t start that approach. This was his first full 12 months enjoying the PGA Tour and it took time to regulate; he initially based mostly himself out of Orlando, Fla. however quickly discovered that untethering and unsatisfying. After a number of months he moved house to Oban to re-center himself.
It was proper round that point that MacIntyre, lacking house, introduced house to him. He tapped in his father Dougie as a fill-in caddie for the RBC Canadian Open and, certain sufficient, gained the entire rattling factor. Within the moments after the win I used to be struck by MacIntyre’s instincts. Whereas CBS interviewer Amanda Balionis understandably assumed he’d then faucet in for the next week’s Memorial Match, a big-money Tour occasion for which he was instantly certified, MacIntyre shook his head. He was headed house together with his girlfriend and his household to have fun a dream come true.
Issues solely obtained extra outrageous for the favored Scot when he teed it up the subsequent month at his house open, the Genesis Scottish, held on the Renaissance Membership. MacIntyre fought off a loaded leaderboard that included Rory McIlroy and ultimately outdueled Adam Scott, pouring in a big-time birdie putt at No. 18 to complete off a event win he’d dreamt of so long as he may dream.
The Hero can function one thing of a bookend to the 12 months and is commonly a very good time to ask gamers to mirror. Had MacIntyre gotten the chance to understand what he’d performed?
“I’ve not performed that but and I don’t suppose I’ll be capable to try this till in a while in my life, to be trustworthy with you,” MacIntyre mentioned after a bogey-free opening spherical. “That’s simply — it’s work. I attempt to go week to week, simply try to enhance each day, each week.” Afterward in his profession, he mentioned, he’d have a neater time. As a competitor, that makes full sense. However as a fan of nice tales I wished a second of real-time reflection for MacIntyre, for his household and mates. Wins this particular simply don’t come alongside usually sufficient to let ’em cross by.
I used to be relieved, then, to see him publish an image to social media on Monday following a seventh-place end within the Bahamas. He’s sitting on a seashore, carrying a smile and holding a beer, solar setting into the horizon behind him. Life’s good, Bob. Good on ya for taking a minute to cease and soak it in. Celebrating the good things — that’s golf stuff I like.
WINNERS
Who gained the week?
One other good week to keep in mind that aggressive golf actually by no means stops.
Scottie Scheffler gained for the ninth time in 2024 — a complete that now consists of seven official PGA Tour wins plus Olympic Gold and the tiger trophy handed over by Scheffler’s childhood idol, event host Tiger Woods, on Sunday afternoon. Scheffler gapped the sector by six pictures due to a bogey-free final-round 63, low rating of the day by 4. What a becoming end to a dominant 12 months.
Joaquin Niemann gained the Saudi Worldwide, the ultimate Asian Tour occasion of the season in addition to the ultimate Worldwide Sequence occasion. The win got here with subtext: Niemann performed two Worldwide Sequence occasions all season however completed third after which gained, which jumped him to the highest of the season-long standings. That meant he obtained the LIV spot that had been promised to the sequence winner however, as a result of Niemann is already on LIV, no one will earn promotion. Niemann additionally jumped again inside the highest 100 on this planet, although it’s clear he’s enjoying at a better degree than his No. 74 rating suggests.
Johannes Veerman gained the Nedbank Golf Problem in South Africa, often called “Africa’s main,” which attracted a robust subject from the DP World and PGA Excursions. The American is off to a scorching begin within the 2025 DP World Tour season, which continues this week.
And Denmark’s Søren Kjeldsen gained the ultimate stage of PGA Tour Champions qualifying by eight pictures; he’ll be joined on the senior circuit by Freddie Jacobson, Mark Walker, Felipe Aguilar and Brendan Jones after they made it via at TPC Scottsdale on Friday.
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NOT-WINNERS
A couple of golfers who didn’t win however nonetheless kinda gained.
Tom Kim completed second to Scheffler, one other chapter within the large bro-little bro rivalry the 2 have developed at house in Dallas and on Tour. Whereas this wasn’t as shut as a playoff showdown on the Vacationers nor as fiesty as their Presidents Cup duel, it was an enormous step in the proper path for Kim, who simply missed out on top-50 PGA Tour standing on the finish of the season however could possibly be in effective kind heading to 2025.
Justin Thomas confirmed out in his first event as a father; he had the 54-hole lead earlier than Scheffler steamrolled the sector however impressed with a brand new weapon — a 46-inch driver — in his bag. Thomas simply may have been on the Presidents Cup workforce and I feel he’ll proceed to indicate individuals why come the brand new 12 months, the place he absolutely already has Bethpage Black on the thoughts.
Akshay Bhatia additionally boasted a brand new driver this week, this one a Callaway prototype that he says helps counteract his excessive out-to-in swing path. “I’m, I might say, a unicorn particular person to suit as a result of my membership path is anyplace from 4 to 9 proper,” Bhatia mentioned. “There’s simply not many guys that swing a driver like I do. Simply looking for one thing that we will maintain the spin down but it surely doesn’t go left. It’s only a onerous steadiness.” To this point, so good: Solo fourth on the Bahamas.
And Keegan Bradley quietly completed fifth on the Hero, displaying the kind of kind that may feed into certainly one of 2025’s most assured storylines: is there any approach the U.S. Ryder Cup captain can play his approach onto the workforce?
SHORT HITTERS
Main contenders you forgot.
We mentioned this on Monday afternoon’s Drop Zone recording (subscribe on Spotify or Apple); when that publishes very first thing Tuesday I’ll publish it right here. However because the 12 months involves a detailed I assumed it will be enjoyable to look again and see who I’d already forgotten had contended on the 4 males’s majors. Right here’s one from every:
-The Masters leaderboard was chock-full of expertise heading to Sunday’s last spherical. Scheffler led by one over Collin Morikawa, who was one stroke forward of Max Homa, who was one stroke forward of Ludvig Aberg, who was one stroke forward of Bryson DeChambeau, who was one stroke forward of Xander Schauffele. However tied with Schauffele in T6? That might be Cameron Davis, who like me lives in Washington however in contrast to me is a Tour winner, newbie hypnosis fanatic and one-time Masters contender. Nonetheless, he light Sunday to T12 as Scheffler took the air out of the event on the again 9.
-Chances are you’ll keep in mind two particular pairings from the PGA Championship: DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland had been the chase pack, storming ’spherical Valhalla on Sunday and making their option to the 18th tee every six beneath par for the day. DeChambeau would go on to birdie 18 and set the clubhouse lead, which Schauffele and Morikawa had been chasing from the ultimate pairing. Morikawa couldn’t purchase a birdie whereas Schauffele ultimately gained the entire thing, however misplaced in that shuffle was the truth that there was one other twosome in between these teams. Shane Lowry shot one beneath par on Sunday to complete T6, whereas Sahith Theegala wanted two late birdies simply to salve a 73 that left him T12.
-On the U.S. Open, you’ll keep in mind DeChambeau main by three pictures getting into the ultimate spherical over Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay and…Matthew Pavon! The Frenchman made some Sunday bogeys however did properly to hold in on a brutally powerful golf course in pressure-packed situations. He performed the ultimate six holes in two beneath par (DeChambeau performed the identical stretch in a single over, and McIlroy in three over) to complete solo fifth.
-And the Open Championship was loaded with fascinating contenders, not least of which was Dan Brown. The unheralded Englishman, who was enjoying in his first-ever main, was the first-round chief and held the lead via a lot of Saturday, at which level he double-bogeyed 18. His Sunday 74 saved him out of rivalry however in the home at a particularly spectacular T10.
ONE DUMB GRAPHIC
Wizards, take observe.
ONE SWING THOUGHT
From Scottie Scheffler.
No prime professional takes a swing change calmly, least of all of the detail-oriented Scheffler, who’s ending off a traditionally good 2024 season. Insert change: how ’bout a brand new putter grip? Scheffler admitted after Thursday’s opening spherical that he and short-game coach Phil Kenyon had deferred the potential change till the offseason and that this appeared like the proper second to check it out.
“Figured it is a good week to attempt stuff simply because you’ll be able to apply and apply and do all of the stuff at house, however there’s simply one thing totally different about being in competitors,” Scheffler mentioned. “I actually loved the best way it felt, I felt like I’m seeing some enhancements in my stroke.”
The outcomes converse for themselves: Scheffler is harmful each week and arguably much more harmful when he’s simply testing stuff out.
ONE BIG QUESTION
Ought to gamers receives a commission to play the Ryder Cup?
I imply, yeah, most likely. This matter swirled within the Bahamas this week once more, with Tiger Woods echoing historical past (this was a subject of dialogue in 1999, he mentioned, and he thinks gamers ought to every get a big chunk of change to donate to charity) and Patrick Cantlay staying out of the fray (“I feel that’s a media narrative and I’m not going to fall into that,” he mentioned of speak the Individuals had been demanding pay) and Scheffler, as regular, making loads of sense.
“I feel each certainly one of our gamers would pay to play within the Ryder Cup if that’s what was requested of us,” he mentioned, referencing a McIlroy line in regards to the occasion’s which means. “I feel it’s just a little bit foolish for a event that makes a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {dollars} to ask for the gamers to pay as properly, however I feel all of us would. I undoubtedly would.”
That exact decision appears unlikely, although huge look charges additionally wouldn’t sit significantly properly with a {golfing} public more and more exhausted by cash speak. Scheffler’s exhausted by cash speak, too — he insisted, once more, that he’s overpaid. However the query then turns into: if the gamers shouldn’t receives a commission from Ryder Cup earnings, who ought to?
ONE THING TO WATCH
How scorching will LIV’s scorching range get?
Final week noticed renewed rumors of Tony Finau to LIV in the end shot down by Finau himself in an interview with Golfweek; his much-scrutinized Hero WD was as a result of a process on his knee. So now what? Now we wait as see, I suppose, but it surely feels unlikely that any huge Jon Rahm-style transaction would happen this winter. Consequently, LIV’s greatest upcoming might be LIV CEO Greg Norman himself, who confirmed over the weekend that, whereas he’ll stick with LIV in some capability it gained’t be in his present place.
Anyway, I often slide a video in right here, so it is a sideways shift: Right here’s the Ryder Cup doc I discussed final week. It’s so superbly shot it’s value waiting for vibes alone. Una Famiglia:
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NEWS FROM SEATTLE
Monday End HQ.
I’ve moved into an workplace positioned above a bakery. I’ve an excessive candy tooth. That is proving to be one thing of a private problem. Will maintain you posted.
We’ll see you subsequent week.
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Dylan Dethier welcomes your feedback at dylan_dethier@golf.com.
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Dylan Dethier
Golf.com Editor
Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams Faculty, the place he majored in English, and he’s the writer of 18 in America, which particulars the 12 months he spent as an 18-year-old residing from his automotive and enjoying a spherical of golf in each state.
