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Team Korda and Berger

I would have titled this segment of the Rogers Report with Nelly Korda and Daniel Berger’s official team name here at the Grant Thornton Invitational, but they are keeping that to themselves this year.

I respect it! I can only assume it’s something hilarious. We may not have gotten their team name, but we did get a lot of fun information about the two of them during their post-round interview on Saturday. Korda and Berger had high praise for each other’s games, and Korda even joked that she will star her partner on the PGA Tour app.

That might be the ultimate compliment, although I’d probably be a little nervous to know that the World No. 1 is checking in on my scores. I was tempted to ask Korda what other players she has starred on the PGA Tour app, but I decided to ask what she and Berger have learned about each other this week instead.

Korda immediately chimed in that Berger had “chirped her warm up.” She went on to explain that she doesn’t hit a shot for 30 minutes before her tee time, and that Berger was surprised by it. Hey, Korda won seven times this year so I’d say the results speak for themselves. She could be on to something.

We also learned that Korda enjoys dogsledding and that Berger is on a journey to 185 pounds so he’s crushing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches out on the course. I’m not very intrigued by dogsledding, as I don’t think it’s crossed my mind since I did a project on Balto in elementary school.

Tom Kim and Jeeno Thitikul

There’s only one team in the field that has been coordinating outfits all week at the Grant Thornton Invitational, and that’s Tom Kim and Jeeno Thitikul. According to Thitikul, she got to pick what color they wore on Friday and Saturday, and Kim gets to choose for the final round.

Watching them play golf reminded me of my high school golf days (although admittedly, this is at a much, much higher level). They were having so much fun out there and it’s clear that they’re great pals. It made me miss team golf!

Do yourself a favor and check out these moments from their post-round interview.

Some highlights include Thitikul explaining that she was trying to get in touch with Kim last week so they could coordinate their outfits, but it turns out she had the wrong number. I also overheard Kim’s caddie, Paul Tesori, referring to Thitikul as “Jeeno Woods,” so I asked for an explanation on that nickname.

“We were deciding Jeeno Scheffler or Jeeno Woods and we decided obviously with 82 wins and 15 majors, she played like Tiger Woods today,” Kim said. That’s some high praise!

The Grant Thornton Invitational might be finishing up today, but worry not, my friends. We’ve got another team event next week at the PNC Championship, where I’ll be on-site and ready to write about Team Woods, Team Korda and more.

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I’m all-in on mixed team events. I’d love to see something with a match play format going forward.

Rickie’s birthday surprise

The fun started on the fist tee at Tiburon when Lexi Thompson presented Rickie Fowler with a cake for his 36th birthday. Props to the LPGA’s media team for picking up the cake, and word on the street is that somebody from their camp went the extra mile and put orange frosting on it themselves.

Not only did Fowler get a birthday cake on the first tee, he received yet another cake and balloons when he walked off the 18th green after he and Thompson carded a nine-under 63.

I guess if you’re as good at golf as Rickie Fowler is, you get two cakes! Must be nice. Also, fun fact: there were two birthdays in Fowler’s group today. Lexi Thompson’s brother Curtis turned 31 today and was on the bag for his sister at Tiburon. I hope he got at least one cake to celebrate the occasion!

Old pals team up

One of my favorite duos this week is that of Allisen Corpuz and Sahith Theegala, who met each other in the parking lot of a junior golf tournament when they were six years old. Their parents have been pals ever since.

Theegala joked that their team’s secret weapon this week is their dads. But not for the reason you might think.

To know Sahith Theegala is to know how supportive his family, especially his dad, Murli, is. So I was expecting that to be the reason he and Corpuz said their dads are their secret weapon this week. However, Theegala’s explanation for it was much funnier.

“Our secret weapon might be our dads. If I ever hit one offline, I think they got our back. Little shoulder kick back in the fairway.”

Theegala would love teeing it up with me if that’s all it takes to be a secret weapon. He was kidding of course, but he might be on to something for us everyday golfers.

Best presser of the day

I became a massive fan of both Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit today, and not because of their spectacular play (although that’s definitely a bonus).

The two of them had so much fun teeing it up together (I mean, how can you not when you birdie every hole on the front nine?) and had such great energy in their post-round press conference.

Tavatanakit: I feel like we kept it pretty chill, we just talked about random things. I feel like I haven’t played golf like this free in a while, so it is actually a really nice feeling. I feel very secure out there because I know I have a really good partner.

Knapp: It’s like I got to spend some time with Alison Lee a week ago so she gave me some insight on Patty. I feel that’s the overall theme of this week, kind of get to know one another and also just have a good time. Still go out there and compete obviously, but kind of have fun above all.

Q. What did Alison tell you about Patty?

Knapp: She said she can get a little upset at times and get down on herself maybe, so she was like just don’t let her get that way. I was like, that’s fine, I get upset, too. No, it was just kind of more so just like keep the conversation going and just make sure we have a good time between shots.

Tavatanakit: Basically, he’s just babysitting me.

I’m sure if they keep playing like they are, we’ll hear a lot more from them as the weekend goes on.

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Major season may be long over, folks, but please allow me to explain why the next two weeks are some of the best in golf. But before we get that, some personal news: The TGL broadcast team was announced on Thursday morning, and I’ll be serving as a digital host for the league! I’m so excited for it, and of course, you’ll get the full debrief right here at the Rogers Report come January.

The Grant Thornton Invitational-PNC Championship back-to-back: the most underrated weeks in golf?

I know, I know, it’s the “offseason.” The CME Tour Championship and Tour Championship are behind us. But that doesn’t mean you can ignore the golf. This week, LPGA and PGA Tour pros are teaming up at the Grant Thornton, meaning we will get a ton of good content, like when Disney Channel had those crossover episodes when we were kids. As much as I love watching PGA Tour events and LPGA Tour events on their own, there’s something special about players from each coming together for a week. It’s definitely a competitive atmosphere at Tiburon, but a big part of it leans into bonding and fun.

The pros’ personalities are going to be on display in ways we aren’t usually used to over the next few weeks. Team events tend to bring these out, and the Grant Thornton is no exception. Same thing with the PNC Championship. The pros may be at work, but in a “bring-your-kid-to-work” kind of way. It’s more about the shared experience than anything else. So make sure you’re paying attention to social media over the next 10 days or so, because I have a feeling we are going to get some hilarious, wholesome and fun content from both he Grant Thornton and the PNC. (Remember, Tiger’s “big dog” meme originated at the PNC.)

This last note really only applies to those who attend the Grant Thornton and/or PNC Championship, but I’ve learned there are few things I enjoy more than being at a Ritz-Carlton golf course, especially near the holidays. There are endless places to explore, and you can’t beat the food or clubhouse.

Kuch and Kang’s hilarious quiz

Remember when I said we’d get some great crossover content this week at the Grant Thornton? Megan Khang and Matt Kuchar kicked things off with an incredible back-and-forth while 27-year-old Khang quizzed her 46-year-old teammate on some Gen-Z slang. Do yourself a favor and check out this hilarious video.

Kuchar delivered; he’s is the ultimate dad in this video, excitedly putting his own spin on every phrase despite being spectacularly wrong. I’m actually impressed that while Kuchar went zero-for-six here, he was able to come up with an answer for each and every term. Kuch, it might be time to ask for some Gen-Z slang lessons from your sons. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help you out.

A wholesome press conference

My favorite part of Thursday at the Grant Thornton Invitational was Lydia Ko and Jason Day’s press conference. It’s clear the defending champions are giddy to be back, but it’s even more clear how much Day and Ko respect and admire each other.

A few excerpts from the transcript:

Day: I’ve heard numerous — actually, a lot of stories about how she’s one of the nicest people on the LPGA and obviously I think a lot of people know that by now. Pure class on and off the golf course.

Ko: I remember Jessica Korda was like, oh, you’re playing with Jason, right? She was like, you’re playing with the nicest person in the world, you guys are going to be the nicest team.

Ko: When I played the Tour Championship a few weeks ago, I was like, man, it would be nice if I had a partner like Jason, it would just make my life a lot easier.

Day: I’m a massive fan of Lydia and her game. More so as a person as well, she’s tremendous.

Ko: I actually told multiple people this, of all the players I’ve played with, Jason’s game, whether it was ball-striking, with the driver, iron, wedges and putting overall was actually the best player I’ve seen.

Folks, find a golf partner who will hype you up the way Jason Day and Lydia Ko hype you up. Even if you don’t have a fraction of the talent they do.

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And speaking of golf moments, my coworkers (and more importantly, pals) and I’ll be talking ALL about those on GOLF’s revamped “Drop Zone” podcast. Make sure to check that out wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Ok, so here’s how this write-up is going to work. I took a handful of superlatives and awarded one or two golf moments to each from 2024. All of these — the sweet, the hilarious and the utterly ridiculous— earned a superlative because of their entertainment value. Enjoy.

The wholesome

There’s something special about golfers and their dads. Probably because fathers are usually the ones who introduce the game to their kids, and definitely because parents are the biggest cheerleaders. So excuse me for getting teary when Bob MacIntyre earned his first PGA Tour win the same week he welcomed his father as his caddie. Talk about a dream come true.

Stories like this one make me believe there actually is magic in this game, and remind me how lucky I am to cover golf for a living. If I had to pick a favorite story from this year (even though I try my very hardest not to pick favorites here at the Rogers Report), it would be this one.

The ridiculous

Bryson DeChambeau (A.K.A. the content king) could have a whole column dedicated to him, but I’ve decided to award him just one superlative this year. Those are the rules! It wasn’t easy to choose just one moment from DeChambeau. I thought about the golf lesson he gave Johnson Wagner on air after winning the U.S. Open, his new series where he hits wedges over his house in an effort to make an ace and, of course, when he tried out three different driver heads on the range seconds before teeing off in the final group at the U.S. Open. But in the end, one moment perfectly captures Bryson above all others.

The content king creating a harmless ruckus at Augusta National is as on-brand as it gets for the 2024 U.S. Open champion. He’s in his Crushers gear, he’s showing off his gym gains by lifting up that big sign, and he looks like absolutely nothing out of the ordinary is happening. It’s beautiful, and it’s the perfect DeChambeau moment.

Honorable mention

I would be remiss not to mention Matt Kuchar’s stunt on the 18th fairway at the Wyndham Championship under this superlative. DeChambeau took the cake here for obvious reasons, including the fact that his sign carry was harmless. The Kuchar thing was both utterly ridiculous and confusingly weird, but it did make for social media gold.

I mean, it’s not every day you have a forced Monday finish for someone in 12th place.

The funniest

Tyrrell Hatton might not know it, but he is the funniest professional golfer alive. I say this even though I’ve had very few interactions with the guy. His temper on the golf course turns heads in the wrong way at times, but some of his moments are straight-up hilarious. Exhibit A: when he was playing so poorly at the Open Championship in July that he decided to carry his own bag.

This is something you might expect to see at your local club championship. But a major? Unheard of! Hatton simply does not care, and that’s what makes him so funny.

The runner-up award here also goes to Hatton, who left himself a relatable reminder on his golf glove a few weeks ago.

The sweetest

There is one day per year on the golf calendar that is completely perfect in every way: Wednesday at the Masters. The practice rounds are winding down and the preparation is done. It’s the eve of major season and you can feel the excitement in the early spring air.

And, most importantly, it’s the Masters Par-3 Contest.

As incredible as Masters tournament days are, Wednesday will always be my favorite day at Augusta National. There’s nothing like players relaxing with their families for some Par-3 Contest fun, and it’s by far the sweetest day of the year.

I’m not really sure how all professional golfers have such well-behaved kids, because my siblings and I would probably have been bickering on live television if we were in the spotlight. There would be at least one meltdown per hole, and someone probably would have stormed off in anger. But not the children of professional golfers. They bring their A-game to this contest every year.

I cannot in good faith award the sweetest moment to one golf family here, so I’m declaring that the whole day wins. Maya Fowler, Sammy Spieth, Iris Lowry, Frankie Fleetwood and Dakota Watson: Congratulations! You melted the cold hearts of overworked adults everywhere for a brief moment in April.

I’m already looking forward to the sweetest golf day of 2025.

The random off-course moment

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry had the best random off-course moment of 2024 when they (I’m using the term “they” loosely here, because McIlroy did 95 percent of the performance) joined forces and sang “Don’t Stop Believin'” after their win at the Zurich Classic.

This was, hands down, the most random and unexpected golf moment of the year for me. Nothing prepares you to open Twitter expecting to see a buttoned-up post-round press conference, and instead find professional golfers doing … well, this.

This reminds me that I really need to get the backstory here. How on earth was McIlroy convinced to do this? Why was there a karaoke party going on at the Zurich Classic? Can this please happen at more events? Should other sports begin to incorporate a karaoke session into their award ceremony?

The personal

I wanted to reflect on some of my favorite golf moments from 2024, and two immediately came to mind. First was the Solheim Cup. The whole week was unlike any other golf experience I’ve had. It was intense. It was so fun. And most importantly, it was filled with golf fans of all ages. My favorite moment of the week was watching Nelly Korda and Charley Hull arrive on the first tee to kick off Sunday Singles matches. The energy was insane as two of the most popular golfers on the planet made their way to the tee. I remember being so excited for that match. I’d relive this day in a heartbeat!

My other favorite memory from the 2024 golf season was the day I spent at the Masters with my dad and my sister Ellen. We had such a blast, and golf has played such a big role in our relationship that it felt like a full-circle moment at the most special course in the world.

The year isn’t over yet, and I’m fully expecting a handful of memorable moments at the Grant Thornton Invitational and the PNC Championship. As always, I’ll make sure to let you all know about them here.

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The Indiana Fever’s No. 22 and World No. 1 Nelly Korda played together on the front nine at Pelican Golf Club, and the fans were out bright and early to catch the action.

Side note: This might be the closest thing we get to an official jersey swap in golf, although I wouldn’t hate a Sun Day Red and Malbon Golf swap on the 18th green at a major if Tiger Woods and Jason Day ever agree to it.

Caitlin Clark does the impossible

Caitlin Clark can do just about anything, as we’ve learned by watching her on the basketball court. However, she did something I never expected this week at the ANNIKA: she was relatable. I guess golf brings out the mortal in all of us, even Clark.

During Tuesday’s Women’s Leadership Summit, Clark gave a bunch of thoughtful replies to questions about women’s sports and leadership. She was also hilarious. When asked about her golf game, she explained that while she can hit the golf ball, it doesn’t usually go straight.

This is something all golfers have said hundreds of times. My other favorite moment from the summit was during a rapid fire Q&A session at the very end. The moderator asked the panelists about their biggest fear. Annika Sorenstam and Kathy Ireland gave answers about failure and untapped potential. Clark said cats. Apparently, her neighbor growing up had a mean black cat and ever since then she’s been scared of them. For a brief moment there, I saw myself in her.

I need to give a major shoutout to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols, because her content from the ANNIKA is the backbone of today’s Rogers Report. Nichols noted that while Clark did eventually head to the range before her tee time, it wasn’t until the last minute.

Nothing says “I have a lot going on” like a last-minute warmup on the range. I’ll never be late to a tee time, but I often have to skip out on a proper warmup before a tee time with my pals due to work responsibilities or a million other things that sometimes get in the way. Also, a 7:00 a.m. tee time already means you have an early wake-up! Good for Clark for doing what the rest of us often do and cutting the pre-round range session a little short.

And for the grand finale of Caitlin Clark being relatable, we have her tee shot on the 3rd hole. Please enjoy the video below before we really dive into it.

The topped tee shot that goes directly into the rough is as human as it gets.

It is very safe to say that this was a different “courtside” experience for Caitlin Clark. I do worry that the fans standing right by the ropes have gotten too comfortable at golf tournaments. To attend a pro-am is to know to stand about a dozen or so yards back from the fairway at all times — and even then, you might be too close. Golf can very easily become a contact sport during pro-ams. I’ve seen this happen with my own two eyes numerous times.

Anyways, Clark handled this situation like a true champion. I definitely would have wanted to disappear in that moment and probably would’ve just dropped my ball up by my playing partners’ tee shots. Then again, it probably helps that she is a professional basketball player so she knows this isn’t her area of expertise. She apologized, laughed it off and took a mulligan without missing a beat. While many amateurs would be panicking that they’d hit it into the crowd a second time, Clark used the pressure to her advantage and hit the fairway.

The fans

What’s better than missing school? Missing school to watch Caitlin Clark and Nelly Korda. (Editor’s note: we here at the Rogers Report are very pro-education and pro-attending class. However, it’s not every day you get to see Caitlin Clark play golf, so we support the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Group playing hooky just this once.)

I’d like to take a moment here to endorse handmade signs on the golf course. They’re so fun to see at other sporting events and I could definitely get behind seeing more of them at professional golf tournaments.

One positive result of Clark hitting a few errant shots at the ANNIKA is the fact that she really got to engage with the gallery. One woman in the gallery got Clark’s golf ball on the third hole, and I was very happy to learn that she plays No. 22 on the golf course as well as the basketball court.

The back nine

Clark teed it up with LPGA legend and tournament host Annika Sorenstam on the back nine on Wednesday, and it’s safe to say they make a good team.

Clark made a few birdie putts today and please know that if I had been on site for this I’d be yelling “three!” after she drained this one for birdie on the front alongside Nelly Korda.

Takeaways

It has been an incredibly exciting few days in the golf world, and Clark’s participation in the ANNIKA pro-am got me thinking about my big takeaways from this week.

Nelly Korda and Caitlin Clark are similar

These Nike athletes in their 20s are at the top of their sport. It’s probably pretty hard to find people to go to for advice when you’re at that level. Only a few people know what it’s like to deal with the pressure of being the best, and I really hope there’s a blossoming friendship here. It looks like Korda and Clark had a great time chatting on the course!

We need more Caitlin Clark golf content

The people (golf fans on site and around the world) have spoken. If Caitlin Clark shows up, they will too. The crowds following Clark’s group on Wednesday were massive, and her tee shot on No. 1 went viral by the time she made the turn at the ANNIKA. I’m all in on collaborations with athletes from different sports going forward. In fact, I’d love to see Korda at an Indiana Fever practice at some point.

Okay, maybe Korda won’t be lacing up alongside Clark anytime soon. Still, she said she’s definitely going to be watching Clark’s games going forward.

I need to take my on-course style to the next level

After seeing the custom golf kicks Clark rocked on the course on Wednesday, I’ll be taking a very close look at my own golf wardrobe.

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The Donalds and Team Europe

There’s no professional golf family that does Halloween as well as the Donalds. They fully commit every year, and 2024 was no exception. The 2025 Ryder Cup captain and his family dressed up in New York City-themed costumes in preparation for his job at Bethpage next fall, and they didn’t disappoint.

Even their dog got in on it! I’m a big fan of the dedication here and would like all Ryder Cup captains to dress up as the city they’ll be competing in going forward.

Team Europe’s captain wasn’t the only one who brought their A-game to Halloween on Thursday. Shane Lowry went as Travis Kelce and his daughter went as Taylor Swift. As a massive Taylor Swift fan, I have to give the official Rogers Report Best Costume award to Lowry, because showing respect for Kelce is indirectly showing respect to Swift. I just wish he had a few friendship bracelets on to really bring his costume to the next level.

One thing I was definitely not expecting to see on my social media feeds on Thursday evening was Rory McIlroy dressed up as Mario.

I didn’t have any professional athletes or celebrities in my town growing up, so I can’t imagine what it must be like for families to see the best golfers on the planet in full costume. Hilarious, I’d imagine.

Imagine giving out candy to trick-or-treaters and suddenly two major champions are at your door with their kids looking like that! Incredible.

LIV golfers

Next up we have the LIV Golf division of Halloween costumes. I really hope that all of the following golfers gave out full-size candy bars to trick-or-treaters.

Anthony Kim wore an inflatable dinosaur costume to match his daughter, Bella, on Thursday.

To think that many golf fans spent the better part of the last decade wondering where Anthony Kim was, and now he’s posting photos like this on the internet. I wonder if that costume helped him stay incognito while he ran errands in recent years.

Brooks Koepka, Jena Sims and their son went as characters from “Men in Black.”

I can’t really dissect this costume too much as I’ve never actually seen the movie, but I trust that it hit the nail on the head.

Marc Leishman and his family had the most relatable costumes in my opinion, because there wasn’t really a cohesive theme. There were a few Taylor Swift-adjacent costumes as well as a cow and a pink monster.

I’m a big fan of anything Taylor Swift, so they get an A in my book.

Kevin Na and his family got in the spirit with “Star Wars” costumes, which is no surprise because they crush the costume game every year.

For reference, here’s their 2023 Halloween look:

And to round out the LIV Golf division, we have Talor Gooch who did not dress up, but that’s okay because his kids looked adorable as Elsa and Olaf from “Frozen.”

LPGA Tour

Jessica Korda, her husband and her son dressed up as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Thursday night, and Nelly Korda went as Master Splinter.

The LPGA posted a handful of fun Halloween throwback photos as well, so enjoy these amazing photos from back in the day.

PGA Tour

And now for the PGA Tour (Non-European Ryde Cup team) division. The Woodlands, Blairs, Burnses, Kaufmans and Villegases all had great costumes, but there’s one family that went above and beyond.

Tony Finau headed to his late mother’s grave to performe “Thriller” in costume with his family, and the results were incredible.

No one does social media or dances better than the Finau family.

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Let’s kick things off with the wholesome stuff.

The best thing I saw last week

Steven “Spud” Alderson became the first golfer with autism to win on the The G4D (Golf for the Disabled) Tour, which began in 2022. Following his victory at the G4D Tour @ Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, the 44-year-old gave an emotional and inspiring interview, which you can watch below.

Host Hope Barnett provided some more information on the G4D Tour as well as Alderson’s win.

Alderson will tee it up next at the G4D Tour Series Finale @ DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next month, and if you’re looking for a new favorite player to support, this is your guy.

College Game Day and green jacket appearances

I’ve said it a few hundred times and I’ll say it again: I am not a football girl. I’ve tried time and again to get into it. I read (and annotated) the first few chapters of “Football for Dummies,” I’ve asked question after question while the games are on and I’ve attended a handful of NFL games. I simply cannot get myself to get excited about, or even remotely interested in football. It was on the television all weekend long at my parents’ house and I managed to tune out every single bit of it.

However, when I learned that Scottie Scheffler was going to be on College GameDay on Saturday, I knew I had to buckle in. I could at the very least watch that, right? Right. I’ll admit that it was tricky not knowing what time Scheffler would be on (shoutout to my coworker and pal Zephyr Melton for letting me know that his segment would be the final one), but other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed tuning into my first-ever College GameDay.

Scheffler didn’t get asked about winning the Masters or his historic PGA Tour season, but he did get asked about his Louisville arrest and he handled it perfectly.

I see a future where the two-time Masters champion hosts Saturday Night Live.

One of my favorite things about Scheffler is that his main gripe with jail is that it was boring. That’s exactly how he explained it to Pat McAfee on Saturday in Texas, and I think it’s such a funny take. Sure, some people think golf is boring. But have you tried sitting in jail? That’s way worse. Never change, Scheffler.

Seeing Scheffler rock the green jacket to his alma mater got me thinking about the best green jacket appearances I’ve seen over the years, and people were very opinionated about it on Twitter.

I think Sergio wearing the green jacket to his wedding takes the cake. Some people online called it tacky. The good news is that those people will never have the chance to wear the green jacket to their wedding (or elsewhere). I put Scheffler’s green jacket appearance on College GameDay as No. 2, but the truth is that I had forgotten about the time Tiger wore it to The Woods Jupiter restaurant with his gym clothes back in 2019.

I think the truth of the matter is that any green jacket appearance will be cool.

Golf insults

I’m always looking for new ways to (jokingly!) trash talk my friends’ golf games. Going after their handicap index is no fun. There are only so many 3-putt jokes to be made. Driving distance digs are good but always expected. Just when my rolodex of golf insults was getting overused and tired, Donald Trump brought a new one to my attention.

“Really low clubhead speed.” Not only will I be adding that to my list of golf insults, but I’ve also been inspired to toss that line in randomly like Trump did above. There’s a good lesson here, friends: You can make fun of your friend’s golf game even if it’s not the current topic at hand. Do with that fun revelation what you will.

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My goodness! On one hand, these are really cheap compared to Taylor Swift tickets. On the other hand, that’s a lot of cash just to spend on a day at a course known for its low prices…

Let’s move on.

Matt McCarty earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Black Desert Championship in Utah last week, and the course’s scenery reminded me of another notable course — which, as I then discovered, is just three minutes away from last week’s host site.

The impact that Troy Bolton’s “Bet on it” performance in High School Musical 2 had on me as a kid cannot be overstated. Congrats to both Matt McCarty and Troy Bolton for making names for themselves on beautiful golf courses in St. George. I’m a big fan of both of them.

Rory McIlroy disrespect

I’m usually a big fan of golf analogies and references that take place outside of the golf world. I like seeing the pros at other sporting events, and I couldn’t help but laugh when the presidential debate turned into a conversation about handicaps in June. It always feels like one of those Disney Channel crossover episodes to me and it’s exciting to hear about golf in the wild.

Anyways, Reince Priebus made a golf analogy that I was definitely not expecting the other day on ABC. Check it out.

A few things to note here. One, it feels a little forced. Remember when Jimmy Fallon would feed golfers random one-liners to say during their press conferences? They’d find a way to fit in a random sentence while answering the media, but it always felt a little forced and too random. This gave me the same feeling; he’d been planning this one.

I also thought it was interesting that Priebus went with McIlroy’s loss rather than some of golf’s more infamous meltdowns. Think Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters or Jean Van de Velde at Carnoustie in 1999 or Phil Mickelson at Winged Foot in 2006. McIlroy’s finish was brutal, but he’d played a spectacular Sunday up to that point — we won’t see his Sunday at Pinehurst in quite the same light, will we?

Offseason getaways

While there’s still technically fall golf happening on the PGA Tour right now, plenty of players are taking some well-deserved time off. And you know what that means? It’s trip time. You’ll notice I didn’t say “vacation time” — the following excursions seem less relaxing and more exploratory to me.

Anyways, the Finau family went to New York City for a few days last week.

Taking five kids to New York at all requires some serious organizational skill, but taking them to Times Square is like taking on the Big Apple in expert mode. The Finau children are definitely better behaved than my siblings and I ever were, because we barely survived our 2006 trip to the M&M store in Times Square. We still talk about it to this day.

Layna Finau documented a lot of their trip on TikTok, and I commend Tony for making the most of his time in the tri-state area. He teed it up at Pine Valley and Baltusrol, so it was definitely a successful getaway.

Also, it’s safe to say the Finaus are ice cream people, and they are officially invited to join me on the Scoop at any time.

A great Scottie Scheffler comparison

Lanto Griffin called himself the “Scottie Scheffler of making cuts on the number” last week, and it got me thinking. What am I the Scottie Scheffler of? What are any of us Scottie Scheffler of?

Someone out there is the World No. 1 at making Kraft Mac & Cheese. Somebody else is the best Christmas-present wrapper in the world. I used to tell my friends that I’m like, a 12-handicap at running. Not great, but good enough. If I had to name myself the Scottie Scheffler of something, it would probably be something incredibly niche, like making Disney Channel and golf comparisons or spilling water out of the iron when you have three minutes to get dressed.

SDR at Pebble Beach

Some of my favorite things include scenic golf courses, Tiger Woods and shopping for sweatshirts. So I was very excited to see that Sun Day Red opened a pop-up at the Shops of Pebble Beach last week. Anyone there can check out the athluxury brand and some exclusive merchandise only available at the location.

“Pebble Beach is very special to me for many reasons,” said Tiger. “Staying and playing at Pebble is the ultimate golf experience, making it the perfect place for our first Sun Day Red pop-up shop. I’m excited to see fans experience our brand in-person for the first time.”

I’m sad to admit that I don’t think a trip to Pebble Beach is on my schedule any time soon, because I would have loved to get that purple hoodie for myself, and also because the whole place is beautiful. And if you’re lucky enough to be heading there in the next few months, once you’ve finished shopping, get some gelato at Pebble Beach Market.

Caitlin Clark’s near-ace

You know those people who seem to be good at everything? We all had a classmate like that at some point. You already knew they got good grades, but then you found out they’re also super athletic, artistic and they can sing and cook. Also, they spend their free time volunteering at a nursing home or something super wholesome like that.

I’m starting to think that Caitlin Clark is one of those people.

The Indiana Fever star is making the most of her time off by playing some golf, and I’m very excited for her to tee it up in the pro-am at the Annika next month.

You’d think someone who has a full-time gig playing basketball might be a little rusty when it comes to swinging a golf club, but not Caitlin Clark.

I’d ask if there’s anything Clark can’t do, but I think the correct question is “is there anything Clark can’t do really well?” She stuck that shot super close and then made the birdie putt despite aerated greens. I’m also really happy to see that she’s someone who takes the pin out when putting.

Clark’s already sporting a custom pair of Nike golf shoes, so it’s safe to say her preparation for the Annika pro-am is going well.

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The post PHOTOS: Pros and WAGS shine at the Presidents Cup Gala | Rogers Report appeared first on Golf.

The post PHOTOS: Pros and WAGS shine at the Presidents Cup Gala | Rogers Report appeared first on Golf.

To know Adam Scott is to know a few things. The first being that he has a perfect golf swing. After that, we know that he’s a member of TGL’s Boston Common team, that he’s making his 11th Presidents Cup appearance this week and that the guy loves beige. So I jokingly took to Twitter (sorry Elon, “X”) on Tuesday when I noticed that the whole International Team was rocking beige just like their eldest member.

A few hours later, I got a DM from a reporter on the grounds and International Team captain Mike Weir confirmed that the team did indeed wear beige to honor Adam Scott. I love that so much! What a fun way to give their longest-standing teammate some respect.

Speaking of respect — that’s exactly what I have for Trevor Immelman, who gifted the International Team custom Presidents Cup Rolexes earlier this week. What a gift!

Trevor, if you have any extra watches that you need to get rid of, my wrists are available.

A content goldmine

Listen, I understand if you can’t get yourself to download the TikTok app. I can relay all of the important ones to you here, which I’m about to do. But first, credit where credit is due. Layna Finau, Lacey Homa and Juju Chan (who is dating Sahith Theegala) are carrying the plus-one content on their backs this week in Montreal. Instagram and Twitter may provide some polished content for you all, but these TikToks show you exactly what it’s like to be a girlfriend or wife on Team USA.

Finau, Homa and Chan took us behind the scenes on their girls trip to go curling as well as their gala prep. Do yourself a favor and check all of that out below.

Okay, now we can officially start talking about the gala.

Presidents Cup gala

Galas (well, at least the content that comes from them) are so fun because when you think about it, they’re just the adult version of prom. And when you throw golf into the mix, it gets even better.

Tom Kim joking that he’s the only single one, Collin Morikawa making his way to the front of the photo because he’s short and Xander Schauffele holding onto the girls’ purses while they take their photos takes me right back to senior year of high school.

I also want to give a shout out to the International team for being what appears to be incredible Instagram boyfriends and husbands.

It’s safe to say they take their side gigs as content capturers very seriously.

Okay, on to the couples content since that’s what you’re all here for anyway.

Portraits

We’ll start out with the first couple of golf, who looked like they could be on a campaign of sorts rocking red, white and blue.

Max Homa may have posed for some professional photos, but he also had a lot of fun on the red carpet.

Take a look at what he’s doing in the background of this video.

Then we have the Morikawas. While Collin is representing USA this week, his wife Kat is training for the New York Marathon. Talk about an athletic couple!

Okay, I’ll let you enjoy the next batch of images without my commentary.

I want to give a shout out to Keegan Bradley for really nailing that “proud dad” stance here. With an eye for content like that, I know he’ll make a fine Ryder Cup captain at Bethpage.

The next photo I really just like because Sam Burns reminds me of a lot of people I know: perhaps checking the score of a game or just the old Twitter timeline in between moments at an event. I am definitely guilty of this.

Instagram content

Finally, I’ll leave you all with the gala posts that I came across on Instagram.

I think my new favorite account is “Presidents Cup Caddies.” It’s just niche enough for my liking.

Okay, folks. That’s all for now. I’ll see you all soon to debrief some more Presidents Cup content.

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The post This Solheim Cup moment has PGA Tour players buzzing | Rogers Report appeared first on Golf.

The post This Solheim Cup moment has PGA Tour players buzzing | Rogers Report appeared first on Golf.

I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again now: the spectator vibes at the Solheim Cup are unmatched. This is the kind of event you want to bring your family to. It’s where I’d bring a friend if I had one day to turn them into a golf fan. The gallery is as supportive and positive as galleries get. I’ve seen little kids exchange Solheim Cup friendship bracelets, adults exchange contact information so they can set up a round of golf and new friends split a soft pretzel while cheering on their favorite golfers. The kind of people you want to be surrounded by seem to be the ones who go to the Solheim Cup.

Okay, on to Saturday’s action.

Wholesome moments on the first tee

The shuttle situation was sorted out before Day 2 of the Solheim Cup, which meant the first tee was bumping for the opening tee shots for both the alternate shot and fourball matches today. Karsten Solheim’s son John got the crowd pumped up when he began throwing merchandise into the stands, and Jessica Alba did the same thing a few hours later.

The fact that we’ve had a U.S. President and a star from the critically acclaimed 2011 film “Spy Kids” show up on the first tee for the afternoon matches the last two days really has me wondering who will show up on Sunday. A TikTokker? A professional athlete from another sport? The options are endless and I await the reveal with bated breath.

Also, it turns out Nelly Korda is as good of a hype woman as she is golfer. This mic’d up video of her on the first tee from the start of the afternoon matches is so, so good.

Alison Lee’s hole-out has Tour players talking

Alison Lee’s hole-out for eagle on No. 2 was incredible, although the caddies’ celebrations might be what people remember most.

Lee was teeing it up alongside Megan Khang, and it turns out that the pros and their loopers made a deal regarding any potential hole-outs. I’m just shocked it happened so fast.

Hilarious. A few PGA Tour players had some fun with the moment over on Twitter.

Joel Dahmen was immediately reminded of the time he and Harry Higgs did something very similar at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open.

Is this type of celebration about to be the next big thing in golf? Probably (definitely) not. But it’s hilarious to see every once in a while, and Kevin Kisner promised to do the same thing if Max Homa holes out at the Presidents Cup in Montreal later this month.

Kisner, it’s been put in writing. We’re all going to hold you accountable.

And Max, the pressure to hole out at Royal Montreal Golf Club is on. We’re all counting on you.

Junior Solheim Cup throwback photos

I am forever indebted to the American Junior Golf Association, who sent over a bunch of old photographs of current Solheim Cup team members from their days on the Junior Solheim Cup team.

Nelly Korda and Megan Khang always mention that they go way back, and these photos are pure gold.

It makes me wonder which current Junior Solheim Cup team members we’ll see on the big (well, bigger) stage in a few years time.

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