Author: lenz

This Masters may lack its usual star power, but look out for Bryson

Bryson DeChambeau has been a big hit in Illinois. After winning the U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields he notched a PGA Tour win at the John Deere Classic in 2017 (left) and another in LIV Golf/Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms in 2023 (right). After U.S. Open wins in 2020 and 2024 he’s ready to win this week’s Masters. (Joy Sarver Photos)

 

 

The Masters starts its 90th anniversary staging on Thursday.  This major championship in Augusta, Ga., always gets world-wide attention, but this one may not get as much as most of the others – and for good reasons.

Tiger Woods won’t be playing.  Neither will Phil Mickelson.  It’s the first time since 1994 that both of those popular stars will miss the Masters, Woods because of a recent auto accident and Mickelson because of  a“serious medical issue’’ that has limited his competition to only one event of the five played on the LIV Golf Tour this season. Woods has won the Masters five times, Mickelson has three titles, and both will be missed.

Another factor is that Scottie Scheffler, a two-time champion and the game’s No. 1-ranked player, has had an uncharacteristically slow start to this season.  He had seemed distracted, which could be unstandable given that his wife was pregnant.  Scheffler announced the birth of their second son, Remy, on Sunday though the birth was on March 27. Scheffler missed the last three weeks of tournaments on the PGA Tour and may be rusty.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is coming off a three-week layoff and he didn’t finish in the top-20 in his two starts in March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (T24) and The Players (T22).

And then there’s Rory McIlroy, whose win in the 2025 Masters completed his dramatic completion of golf’s Grand Slam.  His start to the 2026 season was not ideal.  He’s made only four starts and one of those was a withdrawal at the Arnold Palmer Invitational when he developed a sore back.  McIlroy’s last start was at The Players and he could do no better than a tie for 46th when that tourney ended on March 15.

That leaves quite a few top stars in limbo, so this staging can’t possibly come close to the first one I covered in person.  The 1986 staging is marking the 40th anniversary of what may be the most memorable Masters.  Jack Nicklaus won his record sixth title at the age of 46, making him the oldest winner in tournament history.

Somebody will win the 90th Masters on Sunday, however.  It’s an annual rite of spring to pick the champion and I’ve done it three times – Fred Couples in 1992, Scheffler in 2022 and McIlroy last year.

This one figures to be a battle of the hottest current players on both men’s tours – Bryson DeChambeau of the LIV circuit and Matt Fitzpatrick on the PGA Tour side.  DeChambeau won his last two LIV starts and Fitzpatrick had a runner-up finish, then a win in the Valspar Championship.  Neither played last week, and neither has won a Masters.

I’m making DeChambeau my choice this week. His best finishes in the Masters were in the last two years – a tie for sixth in 2024 and a tie for fifth last year.

A couple others rate an outside chance – England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who earned his first PGA Tour win at last year’s Tour Championship on a Georgia course (East Lake), and J.J. Spaun, who won last year’s U.S. Open with a 64-foot putt on the final green at Oakmont. Spaun also captured last Sunday’s Valero Texas Open so has some good momentum going in his favor.

LOCAL HOPEFUL: While no Illinois-connected PGA Tour players qualified for this year’s Masters, the field will include Brandon Holtz.  The former Illinois State basketball player, now 39, works in real estate in Bloomington.  After contending in several Illinois Opens Holtz qualified for the Masters by winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur title last September in Arizona.  Jeff Holtz, Brandon’s now 65-year old father, was his bag-toter in the U.S. Mid-Amateur win and will also be on the bag at Augusta National.

BITS: Two Chicago area qualifiers did well in the Drive Chip & Putt finals, an annual prelude to the Masters. Patricia Kittivat, of Schaumburg, finished second in the Girls 7-9 category and Hinsdale’s Carter Bird tied for third in the Boys 14-15.

Northwestern’s Diana Lee tied for 19th in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, another pre-Masters attraction.  She was 2-under-par for that tourney’s 54-holes and was even par in the final round – the only one of the three played on the Augusta National course.

Andrew Langan, of Winnetka, is the new chairman of the Western Golf Association. He’s been a member of the WGA’s board of directors since 2016.

GOOD BOOK READING: “Death in the Strike Zone”

 

It’s time to stray away from golf and revive Book Report duties.

The strange-looking face on his page is that of James Creighton. His picture isn’t sharp because cameras weren’t of the same quality in 1860 as they are these days.Gilbert wrote a recently-published book, “Death in the Strike Zone,’’ to make the case that Creighton was “America’s first baseball hero.’’

Creighton was the star pitcher for the Brooklyn Excelsiors, and it’s a good thing that Gilbert brought his story to light because no one else has told it. No question Creighton was a great player. In his playing career he was called “unhittable.’’ He had a blazing fastball in addition to – according to Gilbert – was the first pitcher to throw a curveball.

He stood only 5-7 and weighed 150 pounds. Gilbert claims that Creighton “changed baseball more than Babe Ruth did.’’ Like Ruth, he excelled as both a pitcher and a hitter. Creighton, however, isn’t in the Hall of Fame and never played a game of professional baseball. He pitched baseball’s first shutout and his youth teams beat the best of the adult teams. Not only that, but Creighton was a star in cricket, too.

So, how could Creighton be so good? His playing career was a short one. He pitched against the best players in his era at the age of 14 and died from a rare illness in 1862 at age 21.

I  was as skeptical as most of you probably are when Gilbert called him “baseball’s first phenom.’’ He probably was, though, and there’s a good reason why.

The game he played wasn’t baseball – at least not the baseball as we now know it. Pitchers threw underhanded in Creighton’s day. Balls and strikes weren’t called. Hurlers wanted batters to make contact with their pitches. Balls could be caught on one bounce for an out.  All fielders played barehanded.  So did catchers, who also didn’t have facemasks, shin guards or padding of any kind.

The Excelsiors’ main rivals were called the Knickerbockers, Atlantics, Eckfords, Esculapians and Niagaras.  Most were from New York and all were considered amateur teams. That didn’t change much until 1876 with the formation of what is now the National League.

“Death in the Strike Zone’’ is really more about the baseball scene before the Civil War ended the games for a few years.  Gilbert’s book is thoroughly researched with much more than just the feats of Creighton.  There needed to be a starting point for baseball, and the pre-Civil War era was it. Gilbert provided a fascinating account on what it was like back then.

 

Masters marks the real start of the golf season

 

Next week it’s on to Augusta, Ga., for the 90th Masters tournament. (Joy Sarver Photos)

 

All the professional tours have been in full swing for several months, and so have most of the college teams.  That said, golf excitement doesn’t really kick in until next week’s 90th playing of the Masters tournament.

It’s the first of the year’s four major championships and the first time the top players from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League finally get together again. The upstart Saudi-backed LIV circuit has yet to have Masters winner since the break from the PGA Tour five years ago.

This could be the year, though.  Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player is struggling and LIV has 11 players in this year’s Masters field and six won the Masters back when they were PGA Tour members.  In fact, those six have combined to win nine times.  Phil Mickelson is a three-time champion and Bubba Watson has won twice. Other LIV members with Masters titles are Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel and Jon Rahm.

None of those players  may be the circuit’s best bet to win in 2026, though.  That has to be Bryson DeChambeau after his playoff win over Rahm in a rousing tournament in South Africa in the most recent LIV event.

There won’t be a player with even remote Illinois connections in the field at Augusta National unless Doug Ghim, Kevin Streelman, David Lipsky, Dylan Wu or Adrien Dumont de Chassart win this week’s PGA Tour stop – the Valero Texas Open.

ALSO ON THE SCENE:  The Masters competition is the main attraction during the week of the tournament, but it’s not the only one.  Both the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip & Putt finals are side attractions with Chicago area representation.

The 54-hole ANWA event, first played in 2019, has two Northwestern players – Californians Diana Lee and Ashley Yun – in the 72- player field.  The 54-hole event conducts its first two rounds at the nearby Champions Retreat course before the final round is played at Augusta National.

Drive, Chip & Putt has the survivors of nation-wide qualifying tournaments held in late 2025.  Four Chicago area youngsters qualified in the Upper Midwest Regional played last September at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

Patricia Kittivat of Schaumburg will be in the Girls 7-9 division with Oswego’s Lucy Wiertal in the Girls 10-11, Streamwood’s Vihaan Patel in the Boys 10-11 and Hinsdale’s Carter

Bird in the Boys 14-15. While the Masters is the main attraction, the ANWA and Drive, Chip & Putt participants will get some TV air time, too.

Brandt Snedeker was in the spotlight as a player at the recent Valspar Championship in Florida, but he’ll be more in demand in his role as U.S. captain for September’s Presidents Cup at Medinah.

DOWN THE ROAD:  This may be just the start of the Chicago golf season, but the President’s Cup climax in September has already been a topic for discussion on the PGA. Brandt Snedeker, who will captain the U.S. team in the President’s Cup matches at Medinah, shook off a slow start to this season with a strong showing in the Valspar Championship last month in Florida.

Snedeker played in the last twosome on Sunday before fading on the back nine.  His playing partner, Matt Fitzpatrick, won the title but Snedeker was still a subject of discussion.

The President’s Cup captain is frequently a contender for that same role at the next Ryder Cup, but Snedeker would have little to say about that.

“There’s no chance. Let’s not event talk crazy here.  There’s no chance, no chance,’’ he said.  The next Ryder Cup is in 2027.  That’s a long way off, but the Peresident’s Cup isn’t. Medinah will see a lot of Snedeker in the next few months.

“I’m going up there is less than a month, spend a few days and check everything out,’’ he said. “There’s lots of logistical stuff now, lots of behind-the-scenes stuff to make sure we’re ready to go. As the summer ramps up and the team takes shape we’ll do more and more.’’

 

 

 

 

 

This original Donald Ross `masterpiece’ has been revitalized

General manager Blair Kline  shows Dunedin’s original  design by Donald Ross. (Joy Sarver Photos)

 

DUNEDIN, FL. – Course renovations are commonplace in golf, but the one recently completed at Dunedin Golf Club was far from the ordinary. You don’t just tinker around with one of Donald Ross’ original designs – and this one is even much more than one of those.

Ross did his work creating the course in 1927. Kris Spence, a Ross specialist, guided the $6 million renovation of the municipal course just north of Tampa in 2024.

The Scotland-born Ross was a fine player, having finished in the top 10 in four U.S. Opens and one British Open in his heyday as a competitor through 1910. After that he focused on course architecture. He’s credited with designing about 300 courses from scratch and was involved in the re-design of about 200 others in the U.S. and Canada before his death at age 75 in 1948.

From its beginning Dunedin was considered one of Ross’ best – even by the architect himself. A 1928 newspaper clipping in the club archives has Ross quoted as telling a New York businessman that “the Dunedin Isles (its original name) 18-hole course is my masterpiece.’’

Golf historians will debate that, but few of his courses have the historical significance that Dunedin does.

Deep. challenging bunkers are part of architect Kris Spence’s renovation plans at Dunedin.

In 1944 the course was leased by the PGA of America and its headquarters were moved from downtown Chicago to Dunedin. The course, then dubbed PGA National, hosted 18 Senior PGA Championships. The first PGA teaching academy was held there, and the first PGA Merchandise Show was staged in the Dunedin parking lot in 1954.  During those years Dunedin players included legends like Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Louis Suggs, Babe Didrickson Zaharias and Byron Nelson.

The PGA of America left Dunedin in 1962, moved to Palm Beach Gardens, FL., and  made PGA  National the course name of the layout there.

Through it all the course underwent several renovations that gradually changed it from the layout that Ross had created. It remained one of Florida’s top municipal courses and getting added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 preserved its legacy.

That didn’t change the fact that the old course needed revitalizing, however, and that’s when the City of Dunedin brought in Spence for the latest renovation that was designed to return the course to its roots. Spence had to literally uncover its past.

Dunedin’s clubhouse took on a stunning “golden age”’ look of the 1950s  as part of the renovation.

“The most pleasant surprise was that I could see the old greens extending out beneath those renovations,’’ said Spence.  “They had never been destroyed – just buried.  We were able to excavate, expose and restore them exactly as Ross designed them.’’

More significantly, Spence  transformed the bunkering to modernize the historic layout.

Don and Grace Goodall, club members who created a comprehensive history of the facility, suggested Ross would have questioned that:

“If Ross saw the course a few decades later he would probably have said, `What did you do with my bunkers?’’

That’s a fair question. Ross’ original design had 114 bunkers. During the time the PGA operated the course that number dropped to 47. Now the course has 86. That’s more a reflection of the changes made to golf in general over the years than it is a criticism of Ross’ layout.

Tall trees abound at Dunedin, and many survived the extensive latest renovation of the course.

“If Ross saw how far the ball goes today and how fast the greens are I don’t think he’d design exactly the same course,’’ said Blair Kline, Dunedin’s general manager of golf operations.  “Now we have the course that we believe he would have designed. The routing is original, but we adjusted a few bunkers for modern distances and recaptured all the original pin placements.’’

Dunedin is also designated as “Tree City USA,” which made it difficult to remove certain trees.  That was another component of Spence’s renovation effort.

What we found on our first-ever visit to Dunedin was a most playable layout with big, sweeping greens and deep, challenging bunkers. The long gulley that ran through the 13th green made for a memorable putting experience.

All the holes have names, and Crossing Curlew is our favorite.  Curlew is a road near the course and a distinctive water tower is located on it.  This somewhat controversial hole is a sporty dogleg left par-5. It’s a strategic hole with the placement of the drive critical and a second shot over thick vegetation that seemed more demanding than it actually is.

Striking bunkers were a key component of Kris Spence’s renovation plan. (Dunedin Golf Club Photo)

Kline calls the renovation “an overwhelming success.’’

“People are going out of their way to come here and play it,’’ he said.  From that respect it’s helping to put Dunedin in front of people who may not be aware of this community and how great it is.’’

The par-72 course tops out at 6,766 yards from the back tees and is 4,593 from the shortest markers. Fees for 18 holes range from $85 to $130.  Check dunedingolfclub.com for more information.

The back of Dunedin’s clubhouse is a good place for watching players finish their rounds.

Fitzpatrick’s strong finish is too much for Lipsky at the Valspar

Matt Fitzpatrick, after suffering a tough loss in The Players Championship, bounced back a week later in the Valspar. (Joy Sarver Photos)

PALM HARBOR, FL. – The Valspar Championship came down to a duel between two former Northwestern golfers, though that might be a bit of a stretch.

Matt Fitzpatrick, a champion for the third time on the PGA Tour, only attended NU for one quarter in 2013.  After helping the Wildcats to two in five tournaments Fitzpatrick won that year’s U.S. Amateur and decided to turn pro in 2014. Now 31, his pro career has been highlighted by a victory in the 2022 U.S.Open

David Lipsky, meanwhile, also won two tournaments during his career at NU and was an All-American in 2011. But, now 37, he’s yet to win on the PGA Tour.  He certainly came close Sunday on the Copperhead Course, though.

The two were tied for the lead heading to the 18th tee.  Fitzpatrick, playing in the twosome in front of Lipsky, hit two good shots on the par-4 and rolled in a 13-foot birdie putt to take a one-stroke lead.  Lipsky hit his drive in the right rough but make a gutty recovery, hitting his second to the back fringe of the green.  That left him a 32-foot putt for birdie to force a playoff.  His didn’t drop.

“I was right between clubs on my second shot,’’ said Lipsky.  “I almost pulled off that shot, and I almost made the putt.’’

Almost – but that only counts in horseshoes.

Matt Fitzpatrick (left) celebrates a winning putt while David Lipsky (upper left) and Brandt Snedeker had tough days in the final round.

Fitzpatrick’s 11-under-par 273 edged Lipsky and provided the England-born star some consolation after a final hole bogey cost him the title in The Players Championship last week in the PGA Tour’s premier tournament after Fitzgerald’s mishap.

That was a tough loss for Fitzpatrick to shake off.

“It was frustrating, a weird feeling, played at another Florida course — TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra. Cameron Young got the title there’’ he said.  “I didn’t feel I did much of anything wrong on the back nine, but today I played fantastic on every shot on 17 and 18, and that made this on so special.’’

The Valspar event ended the four-week Florida Swing and the PGA Tour has tournaments in Texas the next two weeks before the year’s first of four major championships, the Masters in Georgia.

While the title came down to Fitzpatrick and Lipsky there were plenty of other contenders. South Korea’s Sungjae Im was in position for a rare wire-to-wire win until his game unravelled in the early holes.

Brandt Snedeker, who will captain the U.S. team in the President’s Cup at Medinah in September, was paired with Im in the final group. Unlike Im, he stayed in the thick of the battle deep into the back nine.  At 45 and coming off four missed cuts, Snedeker was tied for the lead along with England’s Jordan Smith and Marco Penge, Fitzpatrick and Lipsky with seven holes to go.

Snedeker faded to a 76 and tied for 18th. Smith would up two behind Fitzpatrick in third place and Xander Schauffele, who shot 65, grabbed a share of fourth with Im and Penge.

Matt Fitzpatrick was swamped by spectators after his clutch putt dropped on the 18th green.

 

Ghim may have let a good chance for first PGA Tour win get away

Arlington Height’s Doug Ghim fell back in the third round of the Valspar Championship but could still have his best finish of the 2026 season on Sunday. (Joy Sarver Photos)

PALM HARBOR, FL. – Doug Ghim, one of the few Chicago area players left on the PGA Tour, has yet to win in his nine pro seasons, but he seemed to have a chance midway through the Valspar Championship at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort.

Ghim, from Arlington Heights with stints at Buffalo Grove High School and the University of Texas, was two shots behind leader Sungjae Im, of South Korea, midway through the tournament after shooting rounds of 68 and 67.

“Two straight days in the 60s out here is always good,’’ said Ghim, who had a chip-in for eagle to highlight Friday’s round.  “Mentally it’s probably the hardest one that we play all year.’’

Though he opened Saturday’s Round 3 with a birdie, the mental side apparently got to Ghim in a ragged front nine when he made a double bogey at No. 3 and bogeys at Nos. 6 and 7.  Playing in the next-to-the-last twosome to tee off, Ghim dropped down to a tie for 17th after a 75 in Saturday’s third round, but he didn’t give up with Sunday’s final round still to be played.

“Everyone’s going to struggle,’’ he said.  “Then there’s going to be guys that get on runs and hopefully we are one of those guys.’’

South Korea’s Sungjae Im is the tournament leader and David Lipsky, his Saturday playing partner, will still be chasing him again in the final round on Sunday.

Ghim, 29, needs a good tournament.  He made the cut in four of his first six this year, but his best finish was only a tie for 26th in Puerto Rico a week ago. Now he’s still chasing Im, who hit the 54-holes stop at 11-under-par 202.

Tied for second are two players with Illinois connections – sort of.  Brandt Snedeker and David Lipsky are at 9-under 204.  Snedeker, who posted a 67 in the third round, will be the U.S. captain when the Presidents Cup at Medinah climaxes the Chicago golf season in September.

Lipsky, a Northwestern alum, started the day one shot behind Im – his playing partner on Saturday. At 37 Lipsky’s no kid anymore. He won two college tournaments for NU and was an All-American for the Wildcats in 2011. Though he has four wins as a professional, none came on the PGA Tour. Still, the 15-season pro has $6.5 million in winnings on the circuit with 81 cuts made in 144 starts.

Adrien Dumont de Chassart, a more recent star at Illinois,  fired a 67 on Saturday to move into a tie for sixth. The 26-year old Belgium product has made five cuts in seven starts and finished in the top 30 four times.

Sunday’s round completes the four-tournament Florida Swing – a popular segment of events every year on the PGA Tour.  The circuit then shifts to Texas for the Texas Children’s Houston Open and Valero Texas Open.  After those two weeks comes the April 9-12 Masters – the first of the four major championships in 2026.

The stunning bunkering on the 18th hole of Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course could impact the outcome of the tournament on Sunday.

 

McNeilly brings a new look to the Golf Travel Writers of America

George McNeilly (right, during interview with Xander Schauffele) brings a fresh approach to the Golf Travel Writers of America as the organization’s new president.

 

ORLANDO, FL — The Golf Travel Writers of America underwent a leadership change this year, with George McNeilly taking over as its president.

GTWA is a professional organization for golf travel writers, editors, broadcasters and other media professionals who focus on covering golf destinations and the broader golf travel industry.  Its mission is to uphold high standards of journalism, share industry expertise and deliver reliable, engaging coverage of golf experiences world-wide.

“No press releases or agency content can match the credibility and authenticity of third-party media that have no vested interest in the success or failure of a golf course, resort or sporting event,’’ McNeilly said. “The most important thing is for our members to respect the history and heritage of our organization.’’

GTWA dates back 21 years when it was a labor of love for the creators, Bruce Vittner and John Edwards. They wanted to create a forum for freelance writers. Golf travel writing has changed a bit since the founding in 2005.

“The landscape continues to change rapidly, as most credible storytellers in media centers or on assignment are not full-time employees,’’ said McNeilly.  “I’m not sure those craving amplification for their businesses fully understand the decline in staff and budgets at news organizations and really appreciate the broad reach and dedication of our members.’’

For working media who meet the qualifying criteria, membership provides meaningful benefits, access to a network of experienced peers, opportunities for collaboration, professional development and increased visibility with a dedicated community focused on the craft.  It also connects writers with industry partners, tourism groups and destinations.

“That makes GTWA an ideal place to grow professionally, stay informed and strengthen one’s presence in the golf media landscape,’’ said McNeilly. “Everything starts with a conversation.  We’re moving into a more modern era, and we also want to be seen as the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for those who travel and write about a sport we all deeply care for.’’

This year’s transition began with the crafting of revised bylaws and a simple mission statement: `To inform and engage golf fans and participants with integrity wherever the sport is played, watched, attended, written about or visited.’’

Some members suggested that the organization needed a new name, but the majority quickly rejected the idea.

“We’ll always be doing something that involves writing,’’ said McNeilly.  “The GTWA is even more relevant, as we distribute on emerging platforms to more people than ever.’’

Incoming vice president Alan Darty, publisher of Golf One Media, led a team that has redesigned the association’s website to better serve the needs of a membership that includes broadcasters, podcasters and credible influencers who share the organization’s mission.

“Golftravelwriters.com is a one-stop hub for golf-related businesses to experience the quality work of our members and to connect with them,’’ Darty said.

McNeilly’s own career experiences should greatly benefit the organization.  For the past 14 years he has taught Sports Business at Full Sail University and writes about professional golf and destinations when he’s not in the classroom

Before that he was a senior executive at ESPN for more than a decade after beginning his career as an award-winning multimedia broadcaster, producer and writer with experience from four Olympics, 17 Super Bowls and many of golf’s biggest events.

In addition to McNeilly and Darty the  GTWA executive committee includes Dan Vukelich (secretary), Joy Sarver (treasurer) and this writer, as president emeritus. The organization is now based in Orlando, FL.  For more information visit http://golftravelwriters.com. Membership information is available there.

“We want to be welcoming,’’ said McNeilly. “So many people are multi-medium now. We’ve got to bring that mindset. The word is continuing to spread.  There’s ample opportunities for all contributors to provide value to the audiences and destinations that we’re serving.’’

Bhatia spoils Berger’s bid for the Arnold Palmer title

Akshay Bhatia posted a surprising, but well-deserved — victory at Bay Hill. (Joy Sarver Photos)

ORLANDO, FL. – Akshay Bhatia, a bespectacled 24-year old left-handed golfer who uses an unusual split grip for putting, won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, but this one was more about how Daniel Berger lost it.

Berger led virtually all the way in this lucrative PGA Tour signature event that leads into two of the year’s biggest tournaments – this week’s Players Championship and next month’s Masters.

Berger is a Florida guy through and through, having grown up in Delray Beach, played college golf at Florida State and now a resident of Jupiter —  the home of many PGA Tour players.  After two years battling a serious back injury and being sidelined the last four months of 2025 with a broken finger, Berger seemed a perfect fit to complete a comeback bid at Bay Hill Club – the place made famous by Arnold Palmer.

It wasn’t meant to be, though. Berger had a four-stroke lead entering the final nine holes but wound up losing after making a three-putt bogey in the first hole of a sudden death playoff.  Bhatia’s two-putt par was good enough to end their duel.

Daniel Berger faces the end of his run at the API title after the playoff is over.

Bhatia, a California native who played in his first PGA Tour event as a 17-year old in 2019, became a circuit member in 2023 and won his third PGA Tour event on Sunday after matching Berger’s 15-under-par performance in the regulation 72 holes before the one-hole playoff. All Bhatia’s three wins came in playoffs.

Berger took his loss graciously.

“I was proud of myself, though obviously it didn’t end the way I wanted,’’ he said.  “There were a lot of things to learn from.  It was a tough battle, and a shot here or there was the difference.’’

Those big shots came from Bhatia’s clubs, especially during a stretch of four straight birdies on holes 10-14.

Playoff excitement crowded a big response from the gallery at Bay Hill.

“I went to the 10th hole very angry,’’ he said.  “That changed my momentum. I felt like Arnie’s Army was with me. I could feel the momentum. I know the magnitude of this tournament.’’

He called a 6-iron shot from 196 yards on No. 11 that set up an eagle “the best 6-iron of my life.’’

“The biggest thing was proving to  myself that I could do it,’’ he said. “This was another big step for me.  I never thought I could do this, given there was so much pressure.’’

Bhatia went to college at Wake Forest, the North Carolina school that tournament founder Arnold Palmer attended.

ARNIE IS WATCHING: The scene at Bay Hill’s No. 1 tee is evidence that Palmer’s memory lives on.

 

 

 

 

Back injury forces McIlroy to WD from Palmer tourney

Daniel Berger has owned the Arnold Palmer Invitational through 53 holes. On Sunday he will try to finish the job, though his lead is down to just two strokes. (Joy Sarver Photos)

 

ORLANDO, FL. – Rory McIlroy was feeling good about his golf game going into this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club, but now the world’s No. 2-ranked golfer has to wonder.

Not only was McIlroy a surprise withdrawal from the API – one of the PGA Tour’s lucrative signature events – on Saturday but his status for two more big ones is in limbo.  The Players Championship – billed as golf’s “fifth major’’ — is next week at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, and then comes the Masters next month at Augusta National in Georgia.

McIlroy would be a strong contender in both events, assuming he’s healthy. Last year he won the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam.  He had earlier wins in the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships and 2014 British Open and was excited about his potential for more big victories before teeing off in the API.

“Obviously it’s a very important event on the PGA Tour and in my schedule,’’ said McIlroy, who played at Bay Hill every year since 2015 and won the title in 2018. He was 4-under-par in the top 10 after 36 holes this week and trailed leader Daniel Berger by nine shots until the back problems kicked in.

“While warming up in the gym in the morning  I felt a twinge in my back,’’  said McIlroy.  “As I started hitting balls on the range before my round it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to continue.’’

He withdrew from the tournament – his first WD since the 2013 Honda Classic – 30 minutes before his tee time. That left playing partner Ryan Fox of New Zealand to play by himself. Two hours after their scheduled tee time together a torrential rain hit Bay Hill, forcing a delay in play for nearly two hours.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had a weird third round, making four bogeys in the first eight holes and then stringing four birdies (and five in six holes) on the back nine. He’s still far from contention entering Sunday’s final round after making a finishing double bogey for a par 72 on Saturday.

Alshay Bhatia has been closing in on Daniel Berger, but he’s hasn’t caught him yet.

Berger, though, is another story.  He’s in position for a wire-to-wire victory on Sunday. He owned a two-stroke lead over playing partner Akshay Bhatia when play was suspended darkness. Bhatia completed 16 holes with a finishing birdie and Berger has a 33-foot putt for eagle, that he chose to carry over until Sunday.  Both will finish their third rounds at 8 a.m. Sunday before the final round tees off.

McIlroy is the defending champion in both The Players Championship and the Masters.

“I’m really excited for those two weeks,’’ he said.  “I had seen really important signs in my game at Pebble Beach and Riviera on our West Coast Swing. My game feels in really good shape.’’

So does his mind off the course.  Earlier this week he criticized Spain’s Jon Rahm for refusing to rejoin the DP World Tour and stay with the LIV circuit instead. He also lauded Luke Donald for taking on the European captaincy in the Ryder Cup again.  Donald will be bidding to be Europe’s first captain to win three straight Ryder Cups, but McIlroy isn’t as excited about golf politics anymore.

“I was in the weeds with tour politics for a few years,’’ he admitted, “and I’m happy I’m out of it.’’

Bay Hill looked its best for this Arnold Palmer Invitational — until heavy rains hit the course.

 

 

 

 

 

BEST OF MY RECENT BOOKS: Heartland, For the Glory

 

It’s been too long since I’ve added to my book review contributions, but it’s not because I haven’t been enjoying a steady diet of reading material that’s come on the market, and it certainly hasn’t been limited to golf.

To get back in the review routine, though, I’m trying something new.  Instead of focusing on one book I’ll give my thoughts on two – and this time they’re not even golf-related.  They’re very much different.

“Heartland’’ was released in early March, a creation by Keith O’Brien on a topic long overdue – the rise of basketball legend Larry Bird that started in one of my favorite travel destinations, French Lick, Indiana.

“For the Glory’’ isn’t a new book.  Duncan Hamilton is the author, and it came out in 2016.  I found it browsing through a Barnes & Noble location. Hamilton also has produced another previously untold story of a legendary athlete, British track star Eric Liddell whose athletic exploits in the 1924 Olympics in Paris were spotlighted in the movie “Chariots of Fire .’’

With March Madness closing in for college basketball junkies “Heartland’’ will rekindle memories of what was arguably the most memorable championship game – the 1979 version when Bird’s Indiana State team couldn’t handle Michigan State and Magic Johnson. As far as Olympic glory goes, the Winter Games have just ended and the lead-in to the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles has already begun.

Both “Heartland’’ and “For the Glory’’ provide excellent reading.  I had trouble putting both of them down. Here’s why:

“HEARTLAND’’ –- Bird was a great player throughout his professional career, but he was also a private person. He grew up in rural French Lick, and there’s so much to tell about those days.  He worked in the fields baling hay, played on outdoor courts in his free time and blossomed thanks to an encouraging high school coach.

While in French Lick his troubled father committed suicide and Bird fathered a child before his 18th birthday. He worked out under coach Bobby Knight at Indiana, but didn’t like it there and wound up at Indiana State where a Cinderella story began. Bird was working on a garbage truck and wasn’t heavily recruited until Indiana State seemed the perfect fit for him.

This book focuses on Bird’s years in French Lick and Terre Haute, creating an inspiring story that led into his pro career with the Boston Celtics. So many anecdotes about Bird and life in his formative years are what make “Heartland’’ so captivating.

“FOR THE GLORY’’ – Liddell was one of three key figures in “Chariots of Fire,’’ but he shared billing with two British teammates — sprinter Harold Abrahams, who won the gold medal at 100 meters, and Douglas Lowe, who won the 800-meter race.

Liddell was the best of them all, but his religious beliefs almost kept him from running because his main events were scheduled on a Sunday. He wound up winning at 400 meters, which was a big focal point of the movie but hardly the end of the Liddell story.

He returned home a hero, then dedicated himself to missionary work in China. He sent his wife and children to Canada when World War II began, but he stayed in China to continue his missionary work. Eventually he was captured and taken to a Japanese work camp. He succumbed to a brain tumor there.

Liddell has been remembered as more than just a great athlete. Thanks to his faith in the darkest of circumstances he is even better remembered as a very special human being.

BOTH OF these books were extremely well researched and are both inspirational and historical. The inspirational component is what makes them so worthwhile for your reading options.