Rory McIlroy turned in an opening round of 2-under 70 Thursday at the Players Championship. Pretty good most years, but on Thursday, he termed it “average,” and Justin Rose’s 67 helped prove the quote accurate.
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Rory McIlroy struggled to hide his frustration after failing to capitalise on a flying start to the Players Championship at Sawgrass.
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Follow our live blog from Round 1 at the Players Championship, where the likes of Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson will chase what many refer to as the “fifth major.”
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Graeme McDowell on the Players Championship at Sawgrass and the famous par-three, island-green 17th hole.
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson set out for the traditional Tuesday game early at TPC Sawgrass, but if crowds missed them no worries – the duo will play the first two rounds of this week’s Players Championship.
Mickelson and Johnson will be joined by Sergio Garcia – giving the group the 2007 (Mickelson) and 2008 (Garcia) Players’ champion – off the 10th tee at 8:39 a.m. (ET) on Thursday.
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Just in front of that marquee pairing will be an equally interesting threesome of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Harris English. McIlroy hasn’t played his best at the circuit’s flagship event, missing three of four cuts at TPC Sawgrass, but was solid last week at the Wells Fargo Championship (T-8) and did finish eighth last year at The Players.
McIlroy, U.S. Open champion Rose and English, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, tee off on No. 10 at 8:29 a.m.
Masters champion Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and Jimmy Walker are on the other side of the draw, teeing off on the first hole at 1:49 p.m.
Walker is the only three-time Tour winner this season and Kuchar won The Players in 2012.
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Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll take a detailed look at the players who pounded the farthest and fastest drives on the PGA Tour. Here are the five most important distance-related stats from the Wells Fargo Championship, won by J.B. Holmes:
Longest drive: Bud Cauley, 380 yards
Cauley’s big blast came during the final round on the 508-yard 16th hole at Quail Hollow Club. He finished T-38 in Charlotte, but the diminutive player’s drive was the longest since Branden Grace’s 383-yarder at Doral.
Recent leaders: Dustin Morris, 376 yards (Zurich); Charlie Beljan, 370 yards (Heritage); Rory McIlroy, 368 yards (Masters); Greg Chalmers, 374 yards (Houston)
Driving distance: J.B. Holmes, 333.9 yards
Holmes blasted his way to victory in Charlotte. Bubba Watson also led this category en route to wins at Riviera and Augusta National. Holmes’ driving distance was the longest since Watson’s 334.1-yard average in Phoenix.
Recent leaders: Andrew Loupe, 314.5 yards (Zurich); Charles Howell III, 301.9 yards (Heritage); Bubba Watson, 305.6 yards (Masters); Jhonattan Vegas, 318.9 yards (Houston)
Carry distance: J.B. Holmes, 315 yards
Holmes also led this category, for the third time in the past five events. His was the longest since Dustin Johnson’s 319.5-yard carry distance at Pebble Beach.
Recent leaders: Charles Howell III, 284 yards (Zurich); Andrew Loupe, 287 yards (Heritage); J.B. Holmes, 284.7 yards (Houston)
Clubhead speed: Gary Woodland, 123.44 mph
Woodland topped this category for the first time this season, and he compared well to the most recent leaders. He tied for 18th at Quail Hollow.
Recent leaders: Andrew Loupe, 124.14 mph (Zurich); Andrew Loupe, 123.85 mph (Heritage); Jhonattan Vegas, 122.07 mph (Houston)
Ball speed: Jason Kokrak, 179.95 mph
Kokrak topped this category once again, but he was nearly 5 mph slower than last week’s leader, Andrew Loupe.
Recent leaders: Andrew Loupe, 184.35 mph (Zurich); Andrew Loupe, 183.92 mph (Heritage); Jhonattan Vegas, 180.96 mph (Houston)
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This could be the most hotly contested Ryder Cup ever – and we’re talking about just making the team.
So, each Monday, GolfChannel.com will take a way-too-early look at the players who are vying for one of the 12 spots on the team. Nine players make their squad via their respective points list, and both captain Tom Watson and Paul McGinley will have three wild-card picks apiece.
AMERICANS
The current top 12:
1. Bubba Watson, 6,258
2. Jimmy Walker, 4,459
3. Matt Kuchar, 3,925
4. Dustin Johnson, 3,759
5. Jordan Spieth, 3,548
6. Patrick Reed, 3,038
7. Jim Furyk, 2,829
8. Phil Mickelson, 2,821
9. Zach Johnson, 2,717
10. Harris English, 2,680
11. Jason Dufner, 2,668
12. Chris Kirk, 2,338
Notes:
• Quail Hollow winner J.B. Holmes jumped from No. 62 to No. 18 after his first victory since 2008. He was part of the victorious 2008 Ryder Cup team.
• Jim Furyk, who finished second in Charlotte, jumped from 17th to seventh in the latest points list. At last year’s Presidents Cup, he missed his first team competition since 1997.
• PGA champion Jason Dufner continues to tumble down the rankings. This week, he dropped from No. 8 to No. 11.
• This week’s Where is Tiger? ranking: down from No. 52 to No. 55.
EUROPEANS
European Points List (top 4 qualify)
1. Victor Dubuisson, 2,297,434
2. Jamie Donaldson, 2,165,473
3. Thomas Bjorn, 1,932,606
4. Henrik Stenson, 1,802,457
5. Ian Poulter, 1,771,978
6. Joost Luiten, 1,300,177
7. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 1,254,874
8. Sergio Garcia, 1,186,966
9. Miguel Angel Jimenez, 1,164,953
10. Francesco Molinari, 1,050,800
World Points List (top 5)
1. Henrik Stenson, 282
2. Sergio Garcia, 203
3. Rory McIlroy, 157
4. Thomas Bjorn, 154
5. Victor Dubuisson, 150
6. Jamie Donaldson, 140
7. Luke Donald, 130
8. Ian Poulter, 129
9. Justin Rose, 108
10. Miguel Angel Jimenez, 99
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Rory McIlroy is pleased with his current level of consistency, but admits he is frustrated by his inability to contend for victory at present.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Quail Hollow Golf Club’s makeover received strong reviews this week at the Wells Fargo Championship.
A year after spotty, patchy greens damaged by an unusually harsh winter and spring spoiled the typically pristine conditions here, players gave the new reconstruction of all 18 greens a big thumbs up. Quail Hollow President John Harris and club officials are getting the course ready to host the 2017 PGA Championship. Tom Fazio oversaw the work. The greens weren’t only rebuilt with MiniVerde Bermuda replacing bent grass, but their more severe contours were softened. The reconstructed 16th hole and new tee boxes at the 17th were also well received.
“The changes they made are excellent,” Stewart Cink said. “I applaud the architect and Mr. Harris.”
Rory McIlroy liked the changes.
“It’s obviously a great improvement, and I’m sure they will be looking toward the PGA in ’17,” McIlroy said. “They will be perfect.”
Phil Mickelson raved about the changes.
“The way the course turned out with these greens now, it’s just beautiful,” Mickelson said. “It’s one of the best courses in the world, and I just love that we get to play here every year.”
The Wells Fargo Championship attracted just two of the top 10 in the world rankings this year, four of the top 20, but players expect reviews of the changes will lure more top players back.
“When there are a lot of changes to a golf course, they may be waiting to see how the changes work,” Joe Ogilvie said. “I think guys are going to rave about the changes here, and I think next year you will see a stronger field, more typical for Charlotte
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