Tag: epic

Bernhard Langer says goodbye, gives one more epic driver off the deck bernhard,langer,says,goodbye,gives,one,more,epic,driver,off,the,deck,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-dp-world-tour

On: By: admin


Bernhard Langer said farewell to the DP World Tour Friday at the BMW International Open.

He missed the cut after he carded a 71-73 to finish at even par. Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Munich, Germany, is a track about 45 minutes from where the 66-year-old grew up.

Langer is a two-time Masters champion, won 42 times on the formerly known European Tour and has 46 wins on the Champions Tour. After 52 years, he had one more first to experience — saying goodbye to golf, at least to the DP World Tour.

Things got emotional for him on Friday. He had to fight back tears throughout the 18th hole and while he spoke with the media after his round.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Langer said after his round. “It’s been a dream come true for me, growing up in a village of 800 people where nobody knew what golf was.”

“People had no idea, it was a strange situation. Even when I finished school and I tried to become a golf professional people didn’t even know what that was, it didn’t even exist as a profession in a way. It was very difficult and complicated, but it was my dream. I was able to live that dream for 50 years.”

Langer continued to put into words what his career and the DP World Tour mean to him.

“I have wonderful memories from all over the world, not just in Europe but Asia, Australia, Japan, America, South Africa. I was able to travel the world and meet with kings and queens,” he said. “I played golf with all sorts of people, whether they were successful businessmen or just the average butcher or bricklayer or whatever, it was fun, it was great.”

Once Langer finished, he took off his visor and received quite the cheer from the German faithful. The golf legend hugged Marcel Siem and Martin Kaymer, two fellow Germans, as they followed him.

He gave the crowd a thumbs-up, blew a kiss, and embraced his family and friends. Then he signed his scorecard.

It is a miracle to see him on the golf course after Langer tore his Achilles heel in February. He missed the Masters Tournament in March but returned in three months to play on the 50-and-over tour. The German golfer made his return at the Insperity Invitational at the end of April.

He also attempted to defend his U.S. Senior Open title at Newport Country Club in June. Langer finished T42 at 2-over.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

John Deere Classic: Hayden Springer’s epic sub-60 round looked easy john,deere,classic,hayden,springer,s,epic,sub,round,looked,easy,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour

On: By: admin


PGA Tour rookie Hayden Springer made quite the debut at the John Deere Classic as he fired off a 12-under 59 to make TPC Deere Run look easy. His putter was red hot.

He made eight birdies and two eagles to mark the second sub-60 round of the year on the PGA Tour. Just two weeks ago, Cameron Young recorded a 59 during the third round of the Travelers Championship.

“It’s pretty special to be able to do that,” Springer said after his round on Thursday.

“I played well last week, but it’s been tough to get stuff going and go low — So, it is special. It feels good to be standing here and to have shot a good round of golf.”

The 27-year-old made par on the first hole, then went nuclear. He made a 13-footer for eagle on the par-5, 2nd followed by four straight birdies. Those were not easy birdies either.

He chipped in from around 62 feet off the green on the third. Springer’s touch was nearly perfect, as the ball only had eyes for the hole. His birdie at the par-4 4th was a little over 10 feet. The birdie at 5 was over 20 feet long, and his fourth straight birdie at 6th was over 16 feet.

At this point, Springer felt like today, he could see him shoot a low score.

“I had come up just short of the green on the fringe and probably had a 20-footer, and I made that,” he said. “I was like, okay, ‘I feel like I’m not missing today. I’m pretty much holing any putt I look at.’ So probably that putt going in was kind of the trigger, like we might be able to go super low.”

Springer made two more birdies on 8 and 9 to turn in 27 strokes.

After the turn, he made five straight pars before his seventh birdie came at 15. The former Texas Christian Horned Frog sank an 18-footer to move to 9-under. He explained that he got frustrated, but his caddie kept him balanced.

Springer did not think a 59 was on the table going into the par-5 17th, but he holed out from 55 yards for his second eagle.

“I had a really good lie over there,” he said. “I hit it nice. It landed right where we were looking, just short left, and happened to go in. I didn’t ever think I would make that shot, but it changed the momentum to be able to go shoot 59.”

To record a sub-60 round, he needed a birdie on the 18th, and the rookie sank a 12-footer to do so.

Springer earned every bit of this 59, making 111 feet of putts on Thursday. He hit 14-of-18 greens in regulation, 10-of-14 fairways and went 4-of-4 scrambling.

In the strokes gained categories, he is No. 5 off the tee, No. 4 in approach to the green, No. 1 around the green, No. 3 in putting and No. 1 in strokes gained total, picking up +10.110 on the field.

Springer had a nearly perfect round of golf and showed Thursday. He became the 14th PGA Tour player to record a sub-60 round and the second at the John Deere Classic after Paul Goydos shot his own 59 in round 1 of the 2010 event.

His last year has not been an easy one. It was full of heartache but also determination. He tragically lost his three-year-old daughter Sage to Trisomy 18 last November, and a month later, Springer earned his PGA Tour card.

The rookie currently leads by four shots over Harry Hall, who shot an impressive 8-under 63. There are 12 players at 65 or lower on the day, as another birdie fest seems to be on the horizon.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone qualifies for Olympics with epic world record in 400m hurdles sydney,mclaughlin,levrone,qualifies,for,olympics,with,epic,world,record,in,m,hurdles,sbnation,com,front-page,olympics,summer-olympics,olympic-track-and-field,dot-com-grid-coverage

On: By: admin


The USA Olympic Track and Field Trials ended with a major statement by arguably the most dominant track athlete in the world right now.

There was never any doubt that women’s 400-meter hurdles superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone would qualify for Paris; it was all about how fast she would run and by how wide a margin she’d win by.

The 24-year-old McLaughlin-Levrone promised to “let it fly” prior to the final, and she lived up to her word. Competing against a talented field, McLaughlin-Levrone lowered her own world record from 50.68 to 50.65 seconds to cap off the final day of competition at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

“I’m just amazed, baffled, and in shock,” McLaughlin-Levrone told NBC’s Lewis Johnson after the race.

Unparalleled dominance

For context, second-placed Anna Cockrell (52.64 seconds) and third-placed Jasmine Jones (52.77 seconds) both ran personal bests to seal their Olympic spots, becoming two of the 12 fastest women of all-time in the process, yet still finished two seconds behind the reigning Olympic champion. That’s a level of domination straight out of a video game.

No one has owned this event like McLaughlin-Levrone. She owns seven of the 10 fastest times in history, and has not lost a 400m hurdles race since a silver medal finish in the 2019 World Championships to fellow American Dalilah Muhammad, who ran what was then a world record time of 52.16 seconds. (Incidentally, Muhammad finished 6th in Sunday’s race, the final Olympic trials of her decorated career)

McLaughlin-Levrone’s incredible world record progression

McLaughlin-Levrone, who missed last year’s World Championships in Budapest due to injury, has set 400-meter hurdles world records in her last five US and global championship finals.

2021 US Olympic Trials – 51.90 seconds
2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) – 51.46 seconds
2022 US World Championship Trials – 51.41 seconds
2022 World Championships – 50.68 seconds
2024 US Olympic Trials – 50.65 seconds

For 16 years, Russia’s Yuliya Pechonkina held the world record at 52.34 seconds. Dalilah Muhammad set a new standard in the 2019 US World Championship Trials at 52.20, lowered it again to 52.16 in the aforementioned Worlds in Qatar, and McLaughlin-Levrone has since taken this race to unprecedented heights. She’s running high-level 400m flat times but with ten 30-inch barriers in the way.

Is there anyone who has any shot at beating McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris?

Barring something completely unexpected, the one woman within shouting distance of McLaughlin-Levrone is Femke Bol of The Netherlands. Bol won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, silver in the 2022 Worlds, and gold in last year’s Worlds in McLaughlin-Levrone’s absence. Her personal best of 51.41 seconds is the third fastest in history, and she broke the indoor 400m flat world record earlier this year, so she’s a force to be reckoned with.

It’s been nearly two full years since the last time Bol’s silver to McLaughlin-Levrone’s gold at the World Championships in Oregon. The stars have otherwise not aligned for those two to race each other in any of the 400m hurdles, 400m flat, or even the 4x400m relays. We should see them competing in both the hurdles and as anchors for their respective countries in the Olympic relays. If anyone stands a chance to create an epic long-term rivalry with the former University of Kentucky standout, it’s the 24-year-old Bol.

What is abundantly clear is that McLaughlin-Levrone is one of one. It is inarguable that she is the greatest of all-time in this discipline, and when the track portion of the Olympics begins in early August—women’s 400m hurdles qualifying starts Aug. 4 and the final is Aug. 8—a worldwide audience will get to see why she’s one of the most special athletes of her generation.

Presidents Cup: An early look at Team USA, one epic hot take presidents,cup,an,early,look,at,team,usa,one,epic,hot,take,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,presidents-cup-golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

Presidents Cup An early look at Team USA one epic
On: By: admin


Welcome to Playing Through’s new morning ritual: Golf Talk Today.

Each morning will feature a Golf Talk Today, in which the crew will discuss various elements of the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and other professional golf tournaments.

Today begins a way too early discussion about the 2024 Presidents Cup. Team USA will travel to the Royal Montreal Golf Club from Sept. 24 to 29 to take on Team International.

Professional golf will get another trip to Canada in 2024 after a widely successful RBC Canadian Open. The golf fans in the Great White North do not disappoint, but will it be too much of a home event for the Americans?

In 2022, Team USA won its ninth consecutive Presidents Cup 17.5-12.5, improving to 12-1-1 all-time in this competition. While the Presidents Cup does not have as long a history as its fellow biennial Ryder Cup event, it still draws in crowds.

This year’s Team USA captain is Jim Furyk, and the International captain is Mike Weir.

There are six American PGA Tour players that qualify through points, per the Presidents Cup website. It did not mention LIV golf players because they were denied qualification last year. Various events receive points in the qualifying standings. Furyk will also get six captain picks.

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Current Team USA Presidents Cup standings

*as of June 26, 2024, (points)

1: Scottie Scheffler: 12,734
2: Xander Schauffele: 7,142
3: Collin Morikawa: 5,513
4: Wyndham Clark: 5,121
5: Patrick Cantlay: 4,356
6: Sahith Theegala: 4,235

*On the outside looking in:

7: Tony Finau: 3,780
8: Max Homa: 3,772
9: Brian Harman: 3,669
10: Chris Kirk: 3,265
11: Russell Henley: 3,235
12: Sam Burns: 3,160
13: Akshay Bhatia: 3,102
14: Justin Thomas: 2,918

Scottie Scheffler holds a commanding lead in the standings. After six PGA Tour victories this season, he has all but officially secured his spot.

Many of the Ryder Cup team members from Rome could see themselves in Canada.

However, will Furyk take a similar approach to Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson?

A later Golf Talk Today will feature a more detailed discussion about who Furyk should have on his team.

Team USA Presidents Cup hot take

This take will be short and sweet.

Bryson DeChambeau should easily be on Team USA for the Presidents Cup.

Despite playing for LIV Golf, DeChambeau finished inside the top 10 in two majors and won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. He is playing phenomenally right now, and the former SMU golfer will be a great addition.

ICYMI: Top Stories from professional golf

LIV Golf’s Lee Westwood calls for golf’s war to end ahead of U.S. Senior Open debut

Charley Hull, Georgia Hall offer entertaining Olympics preview at LPGA Dow Championship

Rocket Mortgage Classic: How to watch, preview, tee times, more

Ernie Els compares U.S. Senior Open venue to Royal Troon; ready for links-style challenge

Scottie Scheffler’s Travelers Championship triumph produces TV ratings bump for CBS Sports

Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup victory gives Brooks Koepka ultimate fan girl vibes

Golf Talk Today: How massive is Scottie Scheffler’s FedEx Cup lead?

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau’s epic par trumped by Johnson Wagner u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,s,epic,par,trumped,by,johnson,wagner,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: By: admin


Did Johnson Wagner win the U.S. Open?

He might have.

After Bryson DeChambeau triumphed over Rory McIlroy in epic fashion at Pinehurst No. 2, Wagner, now a Golf Channel legend, decided to re-enact the best shot of the day: DeChambeau’s third from the sand on 18.

During the tournament, DeChambeau faced a 55-yard shot from the bunker, a daunting shot often regarded as the most difficult in professional golf. DeChambeau proceeded to execute it perfectly with a 55-degree wedge, stuffing his approach to four feet. He then made the putt for par, thus clinching his second U.S. Open title.

About two hours later, after DeChambeau paraded around Pinehurst No. 2, embracing all the fans, Wagner picked that shot for his famous demonstration.

Mind you, Wagner has become a golf celebrity in recent months simply because of these short segments. Since The Players Championship in March, Wagner, on live television, has: hummed balls into the side of a hill, roped a punch shot off a tree, climbed into the woods to asses a Xander Schauffele ruling, twice got the yips on air, and then, this week, he walked through why Tony Finau and Ludvig Åberg collapsed on the 13th hole.

But nothing could top what he did on Sunday.

After rocketing an attempt over the green, DeChambeau pulled up to the spot where he played his now-famous shot and embraced Wagner. Then, DeChambeau told Wagner to hit another one, with the champion as a witness. He also provided some insight on how to play the shot.

With a 50-degree wedge in hand, Wagner hit a perfect chunk and run. His ball landed on the green and rolled towards the cup, just as DeChambeau’s did in regulation.

But Wagner’s ball stopped even closer than DeChambeau’s, which elicited a massive celebration from the now-reigning U.S. Open champion and Golf Channel’s newest, and now, biggest star.

Considering Wagner’s trials and tribulations on live television this year, he celebrated this shot with authority. DeChambeau even handed him the trophy, which Wagner jokingly accepted with a big smile on his face.

Live From the U.S. Open has always been the go-to show for golf fans before, during, and after major championships, but Wagner’s presence has made that even more so.

So congratulations on winning the 124th U.S. Open, Johnson Wagner. You deserve it.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

LPGA: Lilia Vu outlasts Lexi Thompson in epic playoff lpga,lilia,vu,outlasts,lexi,thompson,in,epic,playoff,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,lpga-golf,golf-news

On: By: admin


Somehow, someway, Lilia Vu is an LPGA winner again.

Vu, the second-best player in the world behind Nelly Korda, has battled a back injury for most of the season. She even missed the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago, and had to withdraw from the Chevron Championship in April because of her back. But Vu overcame that ailment—and an eight-shot deficit on Sunday—to win the Meijer LPGA Classic in thrilling fashion.

Vu carded a 7-under 65 to climb up the leaderboard on Sunday, as she finished at 16-under-par, putting her in a tie with Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim after 72 holes. The trio needed three holes to determine the winner, but in the end, Vu made a birdie putt on the third playoff hole to seal the deal.

“I wasn’t thinking about winning,” Vu said.

“This was the one day I was playing really well. Felt really good with my swing. Coming back from an injury, I was a little up in the air, not knowing my swing, and I felt like I didn’t know where my arms were if I wasn’t tight. I was just trying to make contact today. That’s it.”

Like Vu, Thompson came from behind to get into the playoff. She fired a 4-under 68 on Sunday, while Kim, the 54-hole leader, carded a 1-over 73 on Sunday to fall back to the field.

After all three ladies made birdies on the first two extra holes, they walked over to the par-5 4th. After each player found the green in regulation, Thompson and Kim missed their putts to extend the playoff while Vu sank her birdie putt for the win.

“I think my mindset when it comes to putting is pretty simple: It goes in, or it doesn’t,” Vu said.

“I don’t put a lot of pressure on it. That relieves the pressure for me, and I go for it.”

Vu won her first LPGA win in Thailand in February 2023 from six shots back, so she has experience coming from behind.

“I felt like my first win I had blinders on,” Vu said.

“In the final round, I was focused on making birdies. I felt like that today. I felt like I left some out there, too. So once I got the opportunity for the playoff, I got to the box, and my caddie said, ‘There is nothing to lose now.’ We just went out there and played.”

Vu called this one of her most meaningful wins because she did not know if she could ever play golf pain-free again.

But clearly, she can.

Now, Vu has her fifth career LPGA victory as she eyes another major championship at next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Hopefully, her back holds up for her at Sahalee.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.