PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – The Grant Thornton Invitational opened final 12 months to sturdy evaluations from PGA Tour and LPGA Tour gamers who participated within the first blended group occasion since 1999.
Subsequent on the horizon are the Olympics.
The format is already set for the Summer season Olympics at Le Golf Nationwide outdoors Paris. As in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, there shall be 72-hole competitions for women and men. However Olympic officers are near finalizing a group competitors for the 2028 Video games at Riviera in Los Angeles.
An individual concerned within the discussions mentioned an announcement might come as quickly because the Masters. The individual spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity as a result of the small print haven’t been accomplished.
Among the many particulars are what number of groups will play and the format for the competitors. The present plan for 2028 is for males to start out on Wednesday (as an alternative of Thursday) and end on Saturday. The group competitors might be on Sunday and Monday. The ladies had a observe spherical on Tuesday and can start their competitors on Wednesday.
The Worldwide Olympic Committee tends to frown on awarding two medals from one competitors, comparable to combining scores from people into one group medal. That’s the reason golf officers suggest a separate occasion.
Nonetheless to be decided is what number of nations shall be eligible to compete. An choice at the moment underneath dialogue is 36 holes of fourballs to resolve the group medalists.
The IOC would do nicely to think about singles. To have a group format (foursomes or fourballs) on Sunday, adopted by single scores from every female and male participant might produce scores of 54 holes.
That is the format used on the Summer season Youth Olympics, the place golf was first performed in 2014. On the final competitors, Atthaya Thitikul was a part of the Thai group that received gold over Akshay Bhatia and Lucy Li from america.
A blended group occasion will solely take two extra days for the gamers. It’s unlikely that any of the highest gamers would play the next week in an everyday PGA Tour occasion.
Lydia Ko and Jason Day received the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. Ko already has a silver and a bronze in his two Olympic appearances.
TK AND THE MAD SCIENTIST
Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat has already made a reputation for himself in golf. The 17-year-old from Thailand received on the Asian Tour two years in the past, making him the youngest participant to win on a tour acknowledged by the Official World Golf Rating.
Chantananuwat, who tied for twenty first within the Macau Worldwide Collection, might need a soulmate in Bryson DeChambeau.
“I talked to Bryson not too long ago and he mentioned if he wished to check issues that will assist golf, he ought to research Newtonian mechanics, particle physics, and perhaps dabble in engineering and anatomy and economics,” Chantananuwat mentioned. “My areas of curiosity are physics and economics and so I’ll research one thing alongside these traces.
“Or I might research one thing simple.”
Chantananuwat mentioned his precedence is golf, though he has beloved science since he was 6 as a result of it “explains how the whole lot works.”
“As an athlete, the perfect factor you are able to do for your self is study the whole lot you possibly can about your sport,” he mentioned. “For Bryson, this method labored.”
WINNING AFTER
Grayson Murray received the Sony Open in his first begin of the 12 months, a victory that sends him to the Masters for the primary time. Now he's attempting to get his sport again to ensure that him.
Murray adopted up that Sony Open title by lacking three of his subsequent 4 cuts. The exception was a tie for 66th at Pebble Seashore, an 80-man area that didn't make the reduce and was shortened to 54 holes due to the climate.
“I put an excessive amount of strain on myself,” Murray mentioned. “It was my first large victory in a short while, figuring out what it provides me. I really feel like I attempted to dwell as much as expectations, and I fought for month.”
Murray's win not solely took him to the Masters, however the remaining seven $20 million signature occasions. Tied for twenty fifth on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied for forty second on the Gamers Championship after closing with a 64.
“It provides me momentum in two weeks off,” he mentioned. “I talked to a couple individuals who hit me up. They advised me to 'Go sit down.' I did nicely at Bay Hill. I performed nicely (Sunday). I'm simply looking for that internal Grayson.”
This shall be his Masters debut. Murray, who grew up in North Carolina, mentioned he remembers going to a observe match at Augusta Nationwide as a child, however remembers few different particulars besides the climate.
“I keep in mind watching Justin Rose hit one on 10 and he went in as a result of it was so chilly,” Murray mentioned.
ROAD TO THE MASTERS
The Masters successfully units the schedule for the PGA Tour, held annually the primary full week of April. The dates fall to April 11-14 this 12 months – the primary time since 2019 – which implies an additional match on the highway at Augusta Nationwide.
Bay Hill's high gamers and the Gamers Championship must make some changes. Scottie Scheffler shall be on the Houston Open subsequent week. Justin Thomas is on the Valspar Championship this week. Rory McIlroy has performed three in a row by The Gamers, and his plan is to play the Valero Texas Open per week earlier than the Masters.
It additionally results in a change for two-time main champion Collin Morikawa. I didn't need three weeks off main as much as Masters.
“I often take just a few weeks off earlier than Augusta,” Morikawa mentioned. “I ended up including Valero, simply so as to add a match. Yearly I play Augusta, I don't play the week earlier than. After I look again on the two (majors) I've received, I play the week earlier than.
“So, I’ve two weeks after (The Gamers) and get preparation to go to Augusta.”
DIVOTS
Bernhard Langer says he’s making progress in his restoration from a torn Achilles tendon and hopes to be out of his boot in a few weeks. He nonetheless hopes to return for the Insperity Invitational on the PGA Tour Champions the primary week of Might. “If not then, quickly after,” he mentioned. … Scottie Scheffler is the third participant since August to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour, becoming a member of Viktor Hovland and Lucas Glover. … Rory McIlroy had 26 birdies on the Gamers Championship. On account of 5 strokes within the water, he completed 11 strokes behind Scottie Scheffler. Sam Ryder had 27 birdies to set the match document. He completed 10 photographs off the lead. … The competitors for the highest spot on the College PGA Tour got here all the way down to Stanford's Michael Thorbjornsen and Georgia Tech's Christo Lamprecht. Winners obtain a full PGA Tour card for the rest of the 12 months following the NCAAs. Final 12 months's winner was Ludvig Aberg.
STATE OF THE WEEK
The final 5 winners of the Gamers Championship had been all ranked within the high 10 on the planet.
FINAL WORD
“My father advised me a very long time in the past to commit, execute and settle for. I swallowed a heavy dose of acceptance now. I attempted to commit, I executed badly in some photographs and right here I accepted.” – Xander Schauffele after ending one shot behind on the Gamers Championship.
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