Golf Connecting

Tom Hamilton Close Tom Hamilton Senior Writer • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Mark Schlabach Close Mark Schlabach ESPN Senior Writer Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of

A small city in Georgia has fired its golf course superintendent, not for his work on the greens, but for trying to hire a hit man to kill his brother more than a decade ago. The wild story was first reported by Georgia TV station WJCL-TV and involves a man named Jim Roy Watkins Jr.,

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 28, 2023, 09:30 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — American golfer Max Homa has been known to crawl down a rabbit hole at times while preparing to play. Getting ready for his

Like most things these days, the Ryder Cup and in particular how the opposing captains choose to partner the individuals on their teams, is in analytics overload. Everything from each player’s left rough tendency to his three-putt avoidance on the back nine has been put through any series of pseudo-egghead blenders and churned out as

ROME — The British tabloids called him “Brian the Butcher,” and they may come to regret that. He also was referred to as “the Butcher of Hoylake,” and, naturally, “the Big Game Hunter,” given his affinity for the sport, especially the bow-hunting variety. Of course, the big game Brian Harman bagged in July at Royal

Associated Press Sep 27, 2023, 05:47 PM ET Michael Bonallack once said he never considered turning pro because he didn’t realize he was good enough until he was too old. No matter. His influence on the game was enormous, from his standing as Britain’s greatest amateur to his running the Royal & Ancient Golf Club.

ROME — In the 43 Ryder Cups played before the latest edition this week at Marco Simone Country Club, only two have concluded in a tie. The first came in 1969, when the U.S. was regularly thumping, at the time, England/Great Britain, while the only draw in the 28-point era against Europe occurred at The

Tom Hamilton Close Tom Hamilton Senior Writer • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Mark Schlabach Close Mark Schlabach ESPN Senior Writer Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of

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ROME — Rory McIlroy can’t seem to escape the topic of LIV Golf. But of all weeks in professional golf, the topic of the rival league was always going to come up at the Ryder Cup, given the impact Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia had on the European team over the past 20 years before

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 26, 2023, 11:37 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — Justin Thomas says he hasn’t “kept receipts” for those who have criticized his inclusion in the U.S. Ryder Cup team. The only thing

There are clearly other contenders, but Sir Michael Bonallack, who has died Tuesday at age 88, has to be a big part of any debate concerning the man “most steeped in golf.” His list of achievements, honors and positions held by the always modest Englishman—surely Britain’s greatest-ever amateur golfer—within the game is both lengthy and

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 26, 2023, 07:30 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — There will be plenty of new faces on the European Ryder Cup team, as veterans like Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood

ROME—Justin Thomas said he isn’t keeping receipts, which doesn’t seem like something a confident Justin Thomas would say. Thomas’ appeal and arguably part of his success, especially at the Ryder Cup, is treating slights both real and perceived with mild irritation that anyone could stop him from getting to where he wants to go. Justin

After plenty of international intrigue, Fred Couples’ gaffes and a late-breaking Sergio Garcia last gasp to play this year in Rome, the Ryder Cup is finally here, and the multinational event has never had higher stakes. The Americans, led by Captain Zach Johnson, will make the trek to Marco Simone in Italy and attempt to shatter

Associated Press Sep 24, 2023, 10:27 PM ET PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Thongchai Jaidee won his second PGA Tour Champions title, beating Justin Leonard on the fourth playoff hole in the Pure Insurance Championship on Sunday when Leonard hooked his tee shot into a penalty area abutting the Pacific Ocean on the par-5 18th at

ROME — One of the sneaky truths of the golf writing business is that the week leading up to the Ryder Cup can get pretty dull, for two big reasons. First, player and captain access is highly limited; you get them for short spans with the rest of the media, and aside from that they’re

Sep 25, 2023, 11:22 AM ET European golfers denied Ryder Cup candidacy in the wake of joining LIV Golf are relegated to fan participation this week when the 2023 event is played at Marco Simone Country Club in Rome. Henrik Stenson was bumped from his captaincy, Spain’s Sergio Garcia owns a magnificent record in Ryder

ROME — Although he was 54th on the final U.S. Ryder Cup points list, Bryson DeChambeau felt snubbed by captain Zach Johnson. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t earn one of Johnson’s six wildcard picks; it was the perceived slight of not even receiving a phone call from the American skipper. After winning his

“At this instant, a cool, cloudy English autumn Sunday afternoon in September of 1993, Love wasn’t thinking about throwing up in a golf sense. That would come later. Right now, standing in the middle of the 18th fairway at the Belfry, a golf course that looked and felt like a Florida resort but happened to

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 24, 2023, 04:45 PM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia ANDALUCIA, Spain — American team captain Stacy Lewis called it a tie. The European team called it a victory — and celebrated like it had won something

A former major champion who longed to make this year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team was victorious on Sunday at LIV Golf’s second-to-last regular season event of 2023. Bryson DeChambeau shot a final-round 63 to rally from eight shots off the lead and win by one at Rich Harvest Farms, collecting his second victory on the

Associated Press Sep 24, 2023, 01:39 PM ET SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — Japanese golfer Ryo Hisatsune posted a 5-under 66 to win the French Open by two shots from Jeff Winther of Denmark and Jordan Smith of England on Sunday, clinching his first victory on the European tour. “[I decided to play] more aggressive, like ‘Go,

You would be forgiven if you forgot about Caroline Hedwall was playing for Europe at the Solheim Cup. Suzann Pettersen did not dust off her captain’s pick until Saturday afternoon four-balls. But instead of being an afterthought, the 34-year-old Swede delivered one of the best stretches of golf on Sunday in Solheim Cup history, going

ANDALUCIA, Spain — It was billed as a close one and so it has become. With only the 12 singles matches to play over the plentiful hills and dales of the Finca Cortesin course, the eventual destination of the Solheim Cup is anyone’s guess. Tied on eight points apiece, the American and European teams really

Associated Press Sep 23, 2023, 10:38 PM ET SUGAR GROVE, Ill. — Sebastián Muñoz quickly pulled away from a crowd at the top on Saturday, playing his opening five holes in 5-under par on his way to a second-round 8-under 63 and a three-shot lead in LIV Golf-Chicago. Munoz was part of a five-way tie

An 8-8 tie heading into Sunday singles at the Solheim Cup, considering Team USA swept the Friday morning foursomes matches to take a quick 4-0 lead. While Team USA certainly would have preferred a blowout, this all-square match should make for a dramatic day of golf. Every player goes out on Sunday, playing 18-hole singles

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 23, 2023, 07:39 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia ANDALUCIA, Spain — Nelly Korda came into this week’s Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin wondering who she would play alternate-shot matches with because her older sister, Jessica,

Team Europe’s captain Suzann Pettersen was watching her team play the Saturday afternoon fourball at Finca Cortesin and almost got hit by a ball. She and a spectator were perched on a rock when the ball came their way, but they were able to swiftly get out of the way. That was some athletic work

The vagaries of match play are undefeated. The format dictates that you should always expect the unexpected, but when it comes to what happened on the 18th hole with Lexi Thompson in the afternoon fourball session, it would be tough to fathom what happened greenside for the American side. A hard-fought match between Lexi and