Investment decisions
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas plan on paying a visit at some stage over the upcoming English football season to get a close-up view of Leeds United, having bought into the company that has assumed control at Elland Road.
The two Americans have invested in the San Francisco 49ers’s ownership group which completed their takeover of Leeds in recent weeks, with the club set to play in the Championship after their relegation from the Premier League last season.
However, Rickie Fowler – who was also due to join them – has backed away and won’t be involved in the investment.
“My financial team just didn’t necessarily advise for it, so we decided to not go forward with it ... hopefully it all works out with JT and Jordan being involved,” said Fowler, who has undergone a revitalisation of his own golf game this season since rejoining coach Butch Harmon.
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Home players chasing glory
Two of Ireland’s up and coming amateur stars and potential Walker Cuppers Mark Power and Liam Nolan have been given invitations to play in this week’s Irish Challenge at Headfort in Kells, Co Meath ... which is good news for them, but not so good for the clashing South of Ireland amateur championship at Lahinch.
Power and Nolan will be joined by another likely Walker Cup player, England’s John Gough, who won the Irish Amateur Open at The Island back in May.
The Irish Challenge will, as usual, see a plethora of home players chasing some glory on the secondary European circuit which is a stepping stone to the DP World Tour.
Dubliner Conor Purcell – in 55th on the Race to Mallorca order of merit – is currently the leading Irish player on the rankings and will be looking to improve on that position. Other Irish players in the field include John Murphy, Ruaidhri McGee, Niall Kearney, Jonny Caldwell, Dermot McElroy, Paul Dunne, Jonathan Yates, Stuart Grehan, Cormac Sharvin and Conor O’Rourke.
Word of Mouth
“I’m not hunting any rare animals. I would say I love to hunt. We do it, but I couldn’t go hunting every day. I could play golf every day. To win what I consider is the greatest prize in golf, it’s as good as it gets”
— – Brian Harman
By the Numbers
261,180: That’s the attendance through the week of the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, a record number for the Deeside links. The record attendance for the championship remains the 290,000 who attended the historic 150th Open at St Andrews last year.
On this day: July 25th, 1976
Just a month after lifting the US Open title (his only Major win), Jerry Pate – a 22-year-old rookie on the PGA Tour – captured his second win when firing a closing 63 to leave none other than Jack Nicklaus in his wake in the Canadian Open at the Par 70 6,696 yards Essex CC course in Windsor, Ontario.
Pate had started the final round two strokes behind 54-hole leader Bob Wynn. While Wynn collapsed to a closing 75 to drop to fifth place, Pate went on a birdie blitz to set a course record 63 for a total of 13-under-par 267 which earned him a pay-day of $40,000.
With birdies at the first, third, fifth and ninth holes to turn in 31, Pate continued his birdie blitz with further makes at the 10th and 11th before suffering his only bogey of the round on the 12th. He then claimed birdies on the 15th and 16th to ultimately finish four shots clear of the Golden Bear.
Twitter Twaddle
Tommy Fleetwood a wee bit on the downside after slipping away to tied-10th at The Open ...
PGA Tour pro Michael Kim may have missed the cut at Hoylake but clearly smitten by links golf ...
Justin Thomas’s missed cut enabled him to appreciate Harman’s masterclass at Hoylake ...
In the Bag- Brian Harman
151st Open
Driver – Titleist TSi2 (9 degrees)
3-wood – Titleist TSi2 (13.5 degrees)
Utility Irons – Titleist U-500 (3, 4)
Irons – Titleist 620CB (5-PW)
Wedges – Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50, 54 and 60 degrees)
Putter – TaylorMade Spider OS CB
Ball – Titleist ProV1
Know the Rules
Q Before putting, a player used the toe of their putter to mark the position of the ball before rotating it to align the manufacturers logo with their line of putt. What is the ruling?
A There is no penalty. Rule 14.1a uses “right behind” and “right next to” to ensure the spot of a lifted ball is marked with sufficient accuracy for the player to replace it in the right spot. A ball may be marked in any position around the ball so long as it is marked right next to it, and this includes placing a ball-marker in front of or to the side of the ball. Likewise, using the toe of the putter in such a fashion is acceptable under the rules.
