Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele were among the favourites coming into the week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and for once in golf, form held.
The same golf gods who ensured an historic first Masters Tournament triumph for Asia 12 months ago are now being called upon to ensure Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama is fully fit to put up a worthy title defence this week.
The subject of “transparency” in relation to the tour’s business – be it financials, the levying of player fines and suspensions, or even the results of voting for Player of the Year – has become a growing topic of discussion in recent weeks and was reiterated on Tuesday in a press conference at TPC Sawgrass.
“The format is flawed.” “Men and women should compete together.”“Professionals who play for millions of dollars every week have no place at the Olympic Games.“ For three-and-a-half days everything that is wrong with golf at the Olympics was bandied about yet late on Sunday – to paraphrase Jeff Goldblum’s character in “Jurassic Park” – golf once again Read more…
Of course, Xander Schauffele wanted to win an Olympic gold medal for himself. But he really, really wanted to win one for his dad, Stefan, whose own Olympic decathlon aspirations died when his car was struck by a drunk driver.