Illinois coach Mike Small was delighted that four of his players were among the 312 qualifiers for this week’s 115th U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields Country Club. He was even more happy that two of them, Alex Burge and Thomas Detry, were among the winners in Wednesday’s first round of matches. Both had to do…
Author: lenz
Donald has some work to do before he can compete at Conway Farms
This week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., isn’t one of the bigger PGA Tour events but it’s huge for Luke Donald. The former Northwestern star, who was once No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings, needs a good showing to assure himself a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The top 125 players in…
Burge, Cooke beat the rain, advance at U.S. Amateur
Alex Burge and David Cooke both won big tournaments this summer, and now they’re poised to win something much bigger. Though it’s not official yet, Burge and Cooke most likely survived the 36-hole stroke play portion of the 115th U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields Country Club and will be among the 64 qualifiers for the…
No U.S. sweep of 2015 majors, but Day deserved this PGA
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – No longer is Jason Day the best golfer without a major championship. The 27-year old Australian had been in the conversation for that dubious honor for several years, but he took himself out of it on Sunday by winning the 97th PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Day had this one coming. He…
Spieth overshadows McIlroy before the storm hits
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – Featured pairings don’t always work out, but this one was a no-brainer. Rory McIlroy, the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, played the first two rounds of the 97th PGA Championship with Jordan Spieth, ranked No. 2 after winning the Masters and U.S. Open this year. The third member was Zach Johnson,…
Spieth is great American hope on final day of the PGA
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – American golfers could complete a sweep of the four major championships on Sunday. That hasn’t happened since 1982 – but don’t count on it happening this time. Yes, Jordan Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open and Zach Johnson took the British Open. Though Spieth is in contention again, any thought that…
DJ puts aside 2010 nightmare, leads at Whistling Straits
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – Dustin Johnson knew the questions would be coming. After all, he blew a chance to win the last PGA Championship staged at Whistling Straits and – though that was five years ago – people into golf don’t forget. Johnson grounded his club in a bunker on the last hole of regulation play…
PGA women’s event will have an unusual two-year run at Chicago courses
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – Usually the PGA of America, PGA Tour, U.S. Golf Assn. and Ladies PGA announce their tournament sites at least five years in advance and, until Wednesday, Chicago seemed largely out of the mix. The USGA has no Chicago tournament scheduled after next week’s U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields and the LPGA had…
Sand Valley is taking shape — and it’ll be good. You can count on that!
ROME, Wis. – Given the popularity of Bandon Dunes, Mike Keiser’s venture into Oregon, it was inevitable that golfers would be closely watching the progress at Sand Valley in this somewhat remote corner of Wisconsin. I know. I was one of them. Now I’ve visited the place, a much-anticipated stop before the PGA Championship at…
This Western Amateur was filled with the unexpected
Dawson Armstrong and Aaron Wise were unlikely finalists – maybe even Sweet 16 qualifiers – when the Western Amateur teed off at Rich Harvest Farms last week. Then again, nothing much was usual in the 113th playing of the championship put on by the Western Golf Assn. Armstrong earned the title with a miracle bunker…