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Peter Kostis On RBC Canadian Open: ‘Dangerous Holes Down In Valley’

By Dan Reardon The RBC Canadian Open trails the Open Championship in Scotland by a week and precedes the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship, the season’s last major, in two of the next three weeks. So even 100+ years of tournament history can’t necessarily compete with a player’s desire to be rested and on form for the most significant stops before the FedExCup playoffs. But the tournament backers innovated their own solution to solidify their fields, as did John Deere. With title involvement in the Heritage the week after the Masters and the Canadian, RBC established marquee representation on the PGA TOUR, knowing the dividends would pay off tournament week. Twelve of the top 50 in the world will tee it up this week at Glen Abbey, including #1 Dustin Johnson, #4 Brooks Koepka and #11 Tommy Fleetwood. Toss in highly ranked FedExCup performers Bubba Watson (#4) and Tony Finau (#10), along with former Masters champion Sergio Garcia, and there is plenty of crowd appeal. Two-time defending champion, Jhonattan Vegas, will be looking to three-peat this weekend, a rare accomplishment on the PGA TOUR. CBS Sports’ Peter Kostis, now spending time in the tower as well as on the course, shares some observations about the event. > > WATCH: The RBC Canadian Open Live Stream Glen Abbey, at a little over 7200 yards, is moderate in length by PGA TOUR standards. Where are the holes a player needs to worry about losing ground to the field, and where are the chances to move up? Starting with the dangerous holes, when you get down in the valley. The 11 th hole down the hill is a very difficult hole, and the next hole, the par-3, 12 th , [both] are places where a player can make a big number. Near the end of the stretch is the par-5 16 th , which can be taken advantage of, and also 18. A player can finish three-three-three there and make up a bunch of ground. This year on TOUR there has been a mini-trend that 54-hole leaders are not becoming 72-hole champions. A lot of hot rounds on Sunday. Any theories on why that is the case? They are setting up the golf courses [to be] a little more benign. They are not tucking the pins in ungodly places on Sunday. A few years ago, the 54-hole lead was the Holy Grail, because the pins were so difficult on Sunday that it turned it into the land of the 30-foot birdie putts for everyone. As a consequence, it was very difficult to make up ground. Now you can’t sit on a lead. You can’t go into a prevent defense on Sunday. You still have to stay on offense. It’s a pretty good field this week following a major. Pick a player or two that you like this week. Things are getting pretty tight at the top of the world rankings, so I have to look at Dustin Johnson. He would be my odds-on favorite this week to play well and maybe cement his position as World’s #1. > > MORE: Golf Expert Interviews Jhonattan Vegas, who has won this tournament the last two years, has done very little on TOUR this year. How much does the confidence of having won in Canada the last two times help to negate the poor performance in 2018? It’s always fun to go back to a place where you have had success. You remember the shots you’ve hit. You get a good vibe. And sometimes it can take a little bit of the pressure off that you invariably put on yourself when you’re not playing well. So going back to a place where you have won before is always a plus. It can let you back off and remember the successes you have had and maybe recreate that feeling. Starting with the Open, some players in the field are playing three of the four weeks in really high-stress events. What’s the key to being fresh over that stretch? Take Tiger, for example. He is taking the Canadian off and I think Greensboro off. But starting with the British, he is playing eight out 10 weeks, assuming he makes it all the way through the playoffs. This is the crunch time of the year. And a lot of players have realized that, and it’s reflected in their schedule. They took time off between the U.S. Open and the British Open to get rested, to get themselves refreshed and prepared mentally for the grind that is the next eight or nine weeks. A player who is getting a lot of love these days because of his showings, particularly in the majors, is Tommy Fleetwood. Is there still a difference between the American game and the European game, and what do you like about Fleetwood as a player? I like his golf swing. I like the aggressiveness and the confidence with which he plays. But I don’t necessarily buy into an American game and a European game anymore. If you look at the European Tour, I don’t know that they play more than 20 percent of their events in Europe. They’re in the Far East. They’re in the Middle East. They’re all over the place. There isn’t a big difference between the golf courses that the two Tours play, other than greens that are not quite as fast as on the U.S. Tour. Generally speaking, golf around the world has kind of homogenized itself. There is still the odd week, like the Open last week, where it’s completely unique to a lot of players. It was unique to a lot of the European players. They had never seen a golf course that was that fiery in recent memory. Dan Reardon has covered golf for radio station KMOX in St. Louis for 33 years. In that time, he has covered more than 100 events, including majors and other PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour tournaments. During his broadcast career, Reardon conducted one-on-one interviews with three dozen members of the World Golf of Fame. He has contributed to many publications over the years and co-authored the book Golf’s Greatest Eighteen from Random House. Reardon served as Director of Media relations for LPGA events in both St. Louis and Chicago for 10 years.

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Peter Kostis On RBC Canadian Open: ‘Dangerous Holes Down In Valley’

July 25, 2018 0 comment

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British Open Storylines Going Into Carnoustie

written by GradyRussel

By Norm Elrod The British Open, also known as the Open Championship, is the third major of the golf season, at least until next year, when the PGA Championship moves to May. An accomplished field is set to tee off Thursday from Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland, but the buildup seems a little more relaxed than in the weeks leading up to the Masters and the U.S. Open. Perhaps it’s the hop across the pond, or the mid-July spot on the calendar, when the summer doldrums begin to set in. Regardless, golf fans should not be fooled; the tournament’s 147th edition is setting up to be as entertaining as always. What are the important storylines going into Carnoustie? Will Carnoustie be ‘Car-nasty’? This year’s course is one of the world’s most difficult, even on a good day, and certainly the most difficult of the Open Championship venues. The long and narrow course — a 7,402-yard, par-71 links-style layout — is situated near the coast and exposed to the elements. The wind and rain can be brutal, though this year’s forecast doesn’t call for much of either until possibly the weekend. Lack of precipitation in recent months has left the fairways burned out and particularly fast, reportedly even faster than the greens . And let’s not forget about the bunkers, perfectly placed to swallow up all but the most well-placed shots. Shinnecock Hills was the story at the U.S. Open; will Carnoustie be the story at the Open Championship? Can Spieth repeat? Jordan Spieth is the defending champion, winning by the three strokes over Matt Kuchar at Royal Birkdale a year ago. That Sunday in 2017, when he hoisted the Claret Jug, was the last time he won a tournament. Spieth is 0 for 23 since. To be fair, his 17 starts this year have included four top-10 finishes, including a third place at the Masters. He also has five missed cuts, including at the U.S. Open last month. For most golfers, this would amount to a pretty good year. But Jordan Spieth, who won 10 tournaments, including three majors, between 2015 and 2017, isn’t ‘most golfers.’ So what’s the problem? Putting. Spieth’s short game has abandoned him over the last year. And while his long game is fine, he doesn’t have Dustin Johnson or Jon Rahm-type length to make up for inconsistency on the greens. Spieth is a smart golfer, and that still shows up in how he thinks his way around the course. But that’s not enough to overcome Carnoustie. He will have to do better picking up birdies with the putter to have a chance at repeating. Will Woods and Mickelson make news for the right reasons? Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are planing a $10 million winner-take-all golf spectacle. More details are still pending. Mickelson also putted a moving ball at the U.S. Open out of frustration and patted down some fescue at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier. That’s two rule violations, in consecutive starts, leaving Lefty looking less like himself. On the course, Woods’ game has been rounding into form this season, and he seems poised to win again sooner rather than later. As for majors, this might be his best chance . The Big Cat has won the Open Championship three times, though not in the last decade and never in this venue. He won’t need to rely on his driver, which has been long but erratic since his return. He can go with his irons off the tee, which have worked out better for him. His wedge game is also solid, and that could help him score if (when) the wind picks up. And, of course, Tiger is still Tiger, one of the smartest and toughest players ever. That matters at Carnoustie. Mickelson won the 2013 Open Championship, played at Muirfield Golf Links. Since then, he’s won only one tournament, the WGC-Mexico Championship back in early March. And since that win, he’s managed only one top-10 finish. Most recently, Mickelson missed the cut at the Scottish Open. It’s probably foolish to ever really rule him out, but his odds to win this week are 50-1, and his game isn’t trending in the right direction. At least Phil can still hit that flop shot … > > MORE: Golf Coverage Who will walk away with the Claret Jug? The Open Championship field is stellar, of course. Predictions are a little dicey for this major, especially given that a change in weather can essentially eliminate the half of the field unlucky enough to be on the wrong side of the draw. Elements aside, many of the usual suspects are among the tournament favorites . Dustin Johnson, the top-ranked player in the world, has never done better than T2 (2011) at the Open. He does, however, have three top-10 finishes in his last three tournaments. That includes third place in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, which was a similar test to what Carnoustie can be. Will Rickie Fowler finally win a major this week? He managed a T2 at the Open back in 2014, but hasn’t cracked the top 20 here since. Fowler has put up three top-5s in his last five majors, and made a strong showing this past weekend at the Scottish Open, played on another links-style course. Rory McIlroy won the Open Championship in 2014 and finished in the top five in 2016 and 2017. He’s currently ranked eighth in the world, with a T5 finish at the last Masters, though he missed the cut at Shinnecock Hills and has struggled with the putter of late. McIlroy may look to his driver this week, which could be a tricky proposition at Carnoustie. Twenty years ago, Justin Rose turned pro on the heels of a T4 finish in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The world’s third-ranked golfer hasn’t done better in the event since, though he has been playing some of his best golf of late. Iron play is traditionally one of this strengths, which should keep him in contention. Justin Thomas’s Open history — T53 in 2016 and MC in 2017 — is forgettable. A fan of links golf, he still believes he’s good at it, despite poor results. Thomas is also ranked second in the world, and was ranked first for four weeks earlier this year. His talent alone is enough for him to contend at any given event.

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British Open Storylines Going Into Carnoustie

July 18, 2018 0 comment

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British Open Storylines Going Into Carnoustie

written by keikotffd

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British Open Storylines Going Into Carnoustie

July 18, 2018 0 comment

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Amanda Balionis On John Deere Classic: ‘Players Love This Event’

written by ErickHickman

By Dan Reardon In the PGA TOUR’s family of tournaments, the John Deere Classic has always been the ‘little engine that could.” For all of its 47 years, the tournament has been held in one of the smallest markets on TOUR. And in recent years it’s faced the additional challenge of attracting a representative field while residing on the calendar near the Open Championship, which takes place seven time zones away. But the Deere has not only soldiered on, it has prospered. Celebrating 25 years under the John Deere corporate banner, the tournament now provides a private charter to players wanting to compete in the Quad Cities and still vie for the year’s third major. No greater compliment could have been paid than when Jordan Spieth, halfway through a run at the Grand Slam in 2015, honored his commitment to the event that hosted his first PGA TOUR win. He won the tournament again and chased to the wire the following week at St. Andrews. The tournament has a remarkable eye for young talent, with sponsor’s exemptions extended over the years to Jordan Spieth, Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and last year’s champion, Bryson DeChambeau. CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis will be staffing her usual interview duties on the telecast and as Stuart Cink recently quipped, players always look forward to talking to Amanda because it means you must have done something good that day. > > WATCH: The John Deere Classic Live Stream This tournament has a unique quality about it because of the small-time feel and sense of community experienced by the players. (Last year, the John Deere Classic won the PGA TOUR Tournament Award for “Most Engaged Community” for the second consecutive year.) W hat have you seen in this unique relationship between the field and the community? A lot of players really love coming to this event, because it is a small town, it’s a beautiful town, and the community really rallies around it. We see that at various events. The Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut is another one that really sticks out. It’s fun to see. Every day so many fans are out following so many different groups, which is really cool. And then, obviously, the success that the middle-American guys like Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker have had here, it’s like a home course. They both call it their fifth major. That just solidifies this event as a hometown favorite. I expect to see a huge crowd following Bryson DeChambeau after his win last year, which was so great. He was so emotional and so appreciative, and this is one of those events where the fans are watching that. The more a player appreciates the event, the more fans appreciates him. Let’s talk about the three players you mentioned, starting with Bryson DeChambeau. He’s just such an interesting player; everyone is fascinated by him. He does things differently than anybody else we have ever seen. He’s constantly grinding. He’s constantly trying to figure out something, a new advantage, a new way to do things that will simplify his swing to maximize his performance. He’s just a really fascinating player. So, for him to break through the way he did last year was proof that his methods — even though they are certainly unconventional — do work. Bryson can be a bit of a challenging interview. He is really, really smart. He also knows how to simplify things, so the rest of us know what he is talking about. It’s just that he studies things in such a different way. You talk to him, and you walk away feeling like you have truly learned something every time, which is absolutely awesome. Along with Bryson, all these great young players not only can get the job done on the golf course, but they all seem to be really comfortable with the media. They actually seem to answer questions. What is your take on them as they deal with the media? They are great. You have to keep in mind all of these players grew up really watching their idols talk to the media. They started off in the social media era. Information — instant information — is really important to them, and it always has been. That’s very different from all those veteran players, who came of age when the demands were very different. The way that media and interviews and news were consumed was really different as well. You might do an interview with me on CBS fifteen years ago, and if you didn’t catch it on live television, it’s pretty much gone. Now, the minute we do an interview, it’s getting put up on social media. On Instagram. On Facebook. On Twitter. It’s going everywhere. And these [young] players really understand that this is a really great way to reach their fans pretty quickly. Rickie Fowler spearheaded a lot of this. He did things in such a unique way, but they were things that were true and genuine to him. And that really resonated with a lot of fans. He built this amazing fanbase worldwide that still exists today. It’s fun to be a part of it and watch as these players make names for themselves. > > MORE: Golf Expert Interviews What about Stricker and Johnson? Steve Stricker is a three-time winner here. He is always in the mix, which is so much fun to watch, because he is such a hometown local favorite. And Zach Johnson, his record here is just insane. He has a victory. He has three runner-up finishes, a couple of thirds. He’s out of control when he comes to TPC Deere Run. So that’s really fun to watch too. Give us a rising name from the field this week. Joaquin Niemann has impressed us so much with his composure, in the way that he goes about things. He was tied for fifth at Greenbrier last week, and that was his fourth top-10 in eight starts as a professional, which is absolutely insane. His Sunday performances have really stood out. He seems to finish even stronger every single week. He’s so young. He’s so inexperienced. But none of that shows on the golf course. The way that he has earned his full PGA TOUR membership is so impressive. Already his season is a success. His time is coming very soon. He’s a really hard worker. There is absolutely no doubt about that. He has the exact personality you need to be successful out there. He’s definitely an impressive kid all the way around. Dan Reardon has covered golf for radio station KMOX in St. Louis for 33 years. In that time, he has covered more than 100 events, including majors and other PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour tournaments. During his broadcast career, Reardon conducted one-on-one interviews with three dozen members of the World Golf of Fame. He has contributed to many publications over the years and co-authored the book Golf’s Greatest Eighteen from Random House. Reardon served as Director of Media relations for LPGA events in both St. Louis and Chicago for 10 years.

July 11, 2018 0 comment

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This Week In Golf: Kevin Na Dominates Sunday At The Greenbrier

written by ClaytonJacka

By Sam McPherson What Sunday’s fourth round at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier lacked in drama it certainly made for in pure awe. Almost 20 players thought they had a legitimate chance to win the event when the day started. Then Kevin Na left everyone in the dust. He birdied six of the first 10 holes to open up a big lead, and he never looked back, cruising to a final-round 64, 19-under par for the tournament, which was good enough to win the event by five strokes. It was his first PGA Tour win since 2011 and his second Tour victory overall. Third-round co-leader Kelly Kraft finished second after posting a round of 70 on Sunday on the the Old White TPC in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Americans owned the top four spots, as Jason Kokrak and Brandt Snedeker tied for third place at 13-under. Five players came in at 12-under par, including third-round co-leader Harold Varner III, who could manage just a 72 over the event’s final 18 holes. For Na, who finished seventh at the 2016 U.S. Open to post his best finish in a major, the win bumped him up 40 spots to 18th in the FedExCup standings. Na has four top-10 finishes this year on the PGA Tour, including a second-place finish at the Genesis Open in February and a fourth-place finish at the Forth Worth Invitational in May. He also finished sixth at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Before Na drained all the excitement from the event with his opening 10 holes on Sunday, the first three rounds had been marked by low scoring and a more crowded leaderboard. Webb Simpson shot a first-round 61 on Thursday to take just a one-stroke lead over Whee Kim, who posted a 62. Right behind them was Joaquin Niemann at 63 and Kraft at 64. Four players shot 65 on Thursday, and many more crowded the leaderboard after posting 66s to start the tournament. Na’s opening 69 had him well back of the leaders. By the end of Friday’s second round, though, the top of the leaderboard had thinned out a little bit. Kraft posted a 63 to take a one-shot lead at 13-under par over Anirban Lahiri, who matched Simpson’s Thursday effort with a round of 61 himself. Simpson’s second-round 67 on Friday left him two shots off the lead, and Kokrak emerged from the pack after carding 64 to hold down fourth place, three shots behind Kraft. Na had posted 63 on Friday to move much closer to the lead. After the third round on Saturday, 17 golfers were within five shots of each other atop the leaderboard, setting up an exciting Sunday finish. Varner III posted a 66 to share the lead with Kraft, who carded a mere 69, at 14-under. One stroke behind the leading pair stood Na and Xander Schauffele, who both shot 65 on Saturday. Na made all the positioning over the second and third rounds irrelevant, however, with his fourth-round brilliance. > > MORE: This Week In Golf Next On The Tee: John Deere Classic It’s on to the Midwest for the PGA Tour this week, with the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois up next. Bryson DeChambeau is the defending champion. The John Deere Classic has been an official Tour stop since 1972. Steve Stricker holds the tourney records for lowest score (258) and lowest score to par (26-under), set back in 2010. In addition to DeChambeau, who has seven top-10 finishes this year on Tour, former event champions Ryan Moore (2016), Zach Johnson (2012), and Stricker (2009, 2010, 2011) will be playing this year. Besides Stricker, with his three-year dominance, only two other golfers have ever won consecutive events in the tournament’s history. DeChambeau will try to match Deane Beman (1971, 1972) and David Frost (1992, 1993). The course has hosted this event since 2000, and in a funny little twist, three-time event winner D.A. Weibring designed it. He won the event in 1979, 1991, and 1995, before the tournament moved to the course he designed. The course record is 59, also posted in 2010, albeit by Paul Goydos. The final three holes line up nicely for potential excitement on Sunday, as the 16th is a par 3, the 17th is a par 5, and the 18th is a tough par 4 at 476 yards. The TPC Deere Run course plays 7,257 yards long and is a par 71. Favorites: Bryson DeChambeau, Zach Johnson, Kelly Kraft Players to Watch: Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Rodgers, Harold Varner III Sam McPherson is a freelance writer covering baseball, football, basketball, golf and fantasy sports for CBS Local. He also is an Ironman triathlete and certified triathlon coach. Follow him on Twitter @sxmcp , because he’s quite prolific despite also being a college English professor and a certified copy editor.

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This Week In Golf: Kevin Na Dominates Sunday At The Greenbrier

July 9, 2018 0 comment