Tag Archives: Masters

Rafael Campos Earns His First PGA Tour Title with Bermuda Championship Victory

Posted on by
Reply

It’s a memorable PGA Tour first for Rafael Campos.

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican professional golfer notched a three-shot victory in the Bermuda Championship on Sunday, joining the late Chi Chi Rodriguez as the only Puerto Rican players to win on the PGA Tour.

Rafael Campos,Campos had always dreamed of being a PGA Tour winner. He never could have imagined when it would happen and just how much it would mean.

Campos had missed five straight cuts and was in danger of not having a card on any tour. Campos arrived in Bermuda about 90 minutes before his tee time to start the tournament, having been unsure he could even play until his pregnant wife had labor induced and gave birth their to first child on Monday.

No wonder he felt like he was living a fairy tale Sunday.

He hit all the right shots, none better than a 2-iron to 2 feet on the par-5 seventh during a surge that sent him to a 3-under 68 victory.

“I just can’t believe this is actually happening to me,” Campos said through sobs when he was interviewed on the 18th green.

Campos, in only his second full year on the PGA Tour, was No. 147 in the FedEx Cup with time running out — the season ends next week — to get into the top 125 and keep his card. That’s what was causing so much stress inside the ropes.

And then Paola Isabel was born on Monday, giving Campos peace and perspective.

“It has been a surreal week,” he said. “I’m just extremely happy to be a champion and not have to worry about where I’m going to be playing the next couple of years.”

He’s going places he has never been. Campos has never played in a major. Now he’s going to the Masters and the PGA Championship. The victory gives him full status on the PGA Tour through 2026.

Campos won by three shots over Andrew Novak, who shot 71 for his best PGA Tour finish. Novak pulled within two shots when Campos missed an 18-inch par putt on the 14th hole. Campos was not rattled until he lost control of his emotions after the final putt.

“It’s been an unbelievable week — best week of my life,” he said. “Such a bad year, and to have things go my way — everything together at once — I’m just so happy. I’m grateful to call myself a PGA Tour champion. It’s something I’ve dreamt about my entire life.”

Campos, who finished at 19-under 265, earned $1.242 million and a two-year exemption, which might be more valuable considering how hard it has been to just get on tour over the past decade. Campos gets into The Sentry to start the year at Kapalua, along with the Masters, the PGA Championship and the Players Championship.

He was tied with Novak to start the final round, and both were passed quickly by Justin Lower, a runner-up last week in Mexico.

That changed when Campos worked the wind flawlessly, setting up a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 6 and the eagle on the next hole. And it changed for Lower, who four-putted for double bogey on the par-3 eighth and never quite recovered.

Campos used his imagination in hitting shots through the wind, and it paid off on No. 10 when his shot rolled out to 18 inches for birdie, and on the next hole when he rammed in another birdie putt from 15 feet.

Then it was a matter of finishing in conditions so windy and tough that even short putts were being blown off line. Campos didn’t take a wrong step aside of the 18-inch putt he missed.

A few friends rushed onto the 18th green to spray him with bubbly, and he took a swig to celebrate a week he never imagined.

“It’s been such a bad year ballstriking wise,” Campos said. “This game is so hard when things aren’t going well, so hard to actually get yourself to be confident. Things have just been so different this week. I just don’t know. I’m just so grateful.”

Menu Revealed for Jon Rahm’s Spanish-Style Masters Club Dinner

Posted on by
Reply

Jon Rahm’s cultura will be on display at the upcoming Masters Club dinner for champions next month.

The 29-year-old Spanish professional golfer and Masters champion will be serving up Spanish flavor at the ened.

Jon RahmThe cocktail reception will have gernika peppers, grown in a town in the Basque region of Spain when Rahm grew up. There also will be gildas, which he described as an anchovy skewer with peppers and olives.

“A lot of things are not people’s favorites, but it’s something that’s very common in the Basque country,” Rahm said Tuesday during a conference call for the Masters.

Among the appetizers is lentil stew — “Lentejas Estofadas” is how it is listed on the official menu — which came from his grandmother’s recipe.

Rahm, it appears, poured as much effort into the menu as he did for the Masters, where last year he outdueled Brooks Koepka on the final day to win by 4. He became the fourth Masters champion from Spain, joining Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal and Sergio Garcia.

The Masters Club, also known as the Champions Dinner, dates to 1952 when Ben Hogan organized a dinner for past champions. The dinner is only for Masters champions, with the club chairman (Fred Ridley) invited as an honorary member.

It’s not unusual for international dinners to bring a flavor from home — Angel Cabrera of Argentina served blood sausage, while Adam Scott served Moreton Bay bugs (lobster) — but Rahm is taking it to another level.

“I wanted to put a little bit of my heritage and my family into this dinner, which is going to make it even more special,” Rahm said. “It should be quite special. And they’re going to try a few things that they maybe haven’t seen before that are really quite tasty.”

The appetizers include acorn-fed Iberian ham and cured pork loin, known as “Ibericos.” There’s also a Spanish omelet with potatoes and “Croquet de Pollo,” which he described as creamy chicken fritters with potatoes. There’s also “Chistorra con Patata,” a spicy chorizo.

And then it’s time for the main course — Chuleton and Rodaballo al Pil-Pil.

Chuleton is a Basque ribeye that is seared and served already cut, with a hot plate that allows guests to cook it to the temperature of their choosing.

“Most people in northern Spain go about as much as medium rare,” Rahm said. “If you go past that, you’re going to get a weird look just because that’s how we are.”

The latter is a Turbot, a white fish popular in his region, served with asparagus.

And if there’s room left for dessert, Rahm is serving “Milhojas de Crema y Nata,” a puff pastry cake with custard and cream that was featured at Rahm’s wedding.

It isn’t always this complicated. The first time Tiger Woods hosted the Masters Club dinner in 1998, he served cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, french fries and milkshakes.

Camilo Villegas Wins Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Late Daughter’s Memory

Posted on by
Reply

It’s a bittersweet victory for Camilo Villegas.

The 41-year-old Colombian professional golfer has ended a long and emotional drought after coming up with key birdies down the stretch on Sunday for a 6-under 65 to win the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Camilo VillegasIt’s Villegas’ his first victory since losing his 22-month-old daughter to cancer in 2020.

Villegas went shot for shot with Alex Noren for five hours until all he had left was a tap-in for par for his first PGA Tour title since 2014.

He stood erect, lightly pumping his fist, and then looked skyward before Latin players rushed onto the green to celebrate. Villegas grabbed one bottle of bubbly and took a swig.

More than going nine years without winning, Villegas and his wife coped with the death of Mia, who died of brain cancer in the summer of 2020. Villegas was lost on the course and finished last year at No. 654 in the world.

Now he has a two-year exemption and returns to the Masters and PGA Championship for the first time since 2015. His wife began a foundation in Mia’s name, and their son, Mateo, was born in December.

“It’s tough to put into words right now. Wow, what a ride, man,” Villegas said. “I love this game. This game has given me so many great things, and in the process, it kicks your butt. Life has given me so many great things and in the process it kicks your butt, too.”

He look skyward again and said, “I’ve got my little one up there watching.”

Villegas finished at 24-under 260 to win by two shots over Noren, who never recovered from two mistakes around the turn and closed with a 68.

Villegas split time between the Korn Ferry Tour and whatever events he could get in on the PGA Tour, neither with much success. He kept grinding on his game and then watched it come together at the right time.

He was a runner-up last week in Mexico. He was a winner in Bermuda, his fifth tour title.

Noren, who started the final round with a one-shot lead, went 48 consecutive holes without a bogey until he made back-to-back bogeys at the turn. The Swede went from a one-shot lead to a one-shot deficit, and he never caught up.

Noren hit his wedge to 7 feet on the 15th, only for Villegas to hit the top of the pin and have the ball settle a foot away for matching birdies. Both missed good birdie chances on the par-3 16th along the ocean.

The turning point came at the par-5 17th, which played into the wind for the final round. Noren came up short and left below the green and played his pitch to low and strong, the ball running through the green onto the fringe. Villegas went into the bunker and quickly blasted out to about 18 inches for birdie. That became a two-shot lead when Noren missed his birdie putt.

He felt small consolation that Villegas simply outplayed him. Noren also could appreciate the joy Villegas felt from the hand life has dealt him.

“My wife is close to his wife and I know what he’s been through, and it’s terrible what happened to him and his family, so I’m so happy for him,” Noren said. “I’ve got kids of my own and I can’t imagine. So I’m very, very happy for him and the way he played and the way he’s handled his life after. It’s remarkable.”

Jon Rahm Earns $4 Million Bonus After Ending Season Atop FedExCup Leaderboard

Posted on by
Reply

Jon Rahm has earned a big bonus…

The 28-year-old Spanish professional golfer’s season-ending spot atop the FedExCup leaderboard has earned him a $4 million bonus.

Jon RahmThis weekend’s Wyndham Championship marked the end of the 2022-23 regular season. In 17 starts, Rahm won four times — including the Masters — and posted 10 top-10 finishes.

Rahm’s bonus was part of a $20 million pot divided among the 10 top finishers in the FedExCup standings.

Rahm is No. 3 in the world but is ahead of No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Rory McIlroy in FedExCup points.

Scheffler earned a $3 million bonus, with McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, receiving a check for $2.4 million.

Rahm said the first-place points finish and bonus serve as “a reminder of the season I put together and all of the hard work and support the team put in to get there. I try my hardest to win each and every time I tee it up in a tournament, and this award is a great acknowledgment of that goal.”

Other players to earn bonuses were fourth-place finisher Max Homa ($2 million), Wyndham Clark ($2 million), Brian Harman ($1.7 million), Norway’s Viktor Hovland ($1.4 million), Keegan Bradley ($1.2 million), Rickie Fowler ($1.1 million) and Tony Finau ($1 million).

Jon Rahm Bests Royal Liverpool Record at The Open by 2 Shots

Posted on by
Reply

Jon Rahm is breaking records to stay in the mix at The Open.

The 28-year-old Spanish professional golfer logged the lowest round ever at Royal Liverpool in its 13 times hosting the major.

Jon RahmRahm birdied seven of his last 10 holes on Saturday for a 63, by 2 shots the lowest score at Hoylake in The Open. The course was the only one in the modern rotation that had not yielded lower than a 65 until Saturday.

“I think it stands for itself. It’s pretty obvious. It’s my lowest round on a links course and it’s an Open Championship, right?” Rahm said “… I was playing good golf, and I knew what I was capable of.”

Ranked No. 3 in the world, Rahm holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 closing hole right about the time Brian Harman teed off. Following Harman’s 2-under 69, Rahm sits 6 shots back at 6 under and in third place.

Rahm made his move with four straight birdies around the turn. His finish was sharp too. He chipped to 8 feet for birdie on the 15th, holed a 35-foot birdie putt on the 16th and finished with the closing birdie.

“The job today was to come out and give myself the best opportunity I could,” he said. “Whenever you get a birdie, just thinking about one more. That’s simply all you can do.”

It was a stark contrast to Rahm’s frustration over the first two days after he creeped into the weekend at 2-over par following rounds of 74 and 70. Rahm left Hoylake upset with his misses and complaining about the number of people who got in his way while he played with Rory McIlroy.

Rahm said Saturday was one of those days in which he could execute everything he visualized ahead of his shots.

“It doesn’t happen often where you see those shots come out the way they’re supposed to and put them in the spots you’re supposed to,” Rahm said. “You see everything the way it’s supposed to happen unfold, and it’s very unusual.”

But as the reigning Masters champion put himself in contention for a potential third major title, he also wasn’t going to get ahead of where he stands. Only one player has come from 12 or more shots back after 36 holes to win a major. That was George Duncan in the 1920 Open.

“It feels really good, but it’s a lot of work to do tomorrow,” Rahm said.

Victory at Hoylake would put him alongside Seve Ballesteros as the only Spaniards to win The Open. Ballesteros won in 1979, 1984 and 1988.

Rahm was asked what he felt by becoming the first Spaniard to shoot 63 and do something that not even the great Ballesteros did in a major.

“I’d rather win three times and never shoot 63,” Rahm said.

Emiliano Grillo Wins Playoff to Capture Charles Schwab Challenge Title

Posted on by
Reply

Emiliano Grillo is celebrating a first PGA Tour victory in nearly eight years…

The 30-year-old Argentine professional golfer overcame a double bogey at the 72nd hole to shoot 2-under 68 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday and defeat Adam Schenk in a two-hole playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Emiliano Grillo Grillo curled in a 5-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole, the 186-yard 16th hole where he had taken the solo lead before needing a playoff Sunday.

Grillo and Schenk, who both finished at 8-under 272, had two-putt pars from 26 feet at No. 18 to start the playoff.

A 20-foot birdie at No. 16 in regulation had Grillo up by two strokes before his tee shot at No. 18.

“I’ve done it before. I’ve hit the exact same shot to the right of the tree,” he said. “When I saw one of the marshals walk right of the tree, I knew it was going to be a long wait until that ball stopped. … It stopped for like five, 10 seconds at one moment. I actually thought I got lucky. Then five seconds later, the ball kept moving.”

The ball finally came to rest against a rock in the middle of the flow about 150 yards downstream. Grillo took a penalty stroke with a drop where the ball had entered the canal, and had to set his ball on the concrete. His approach was short of the green, and he two-putted from about 20 feet for double bogey to drop to 8 under.

One bad swing all day,” he said.

It was the second PGA Tour win for Grillo, whose only other win was at the Frys.com Open in Napa in October 2015. He had four other top-10 finishes this season. He had a closing 2-under 68.

Along with a $1.566 million check, plaid jacket and fully restored 1973 Bronco vehicle, the win at Hogan’s Alley pretty much set Grillo up for all four majors. He now is set for the Masters and PGA Championship next year, and is in line for this year’s U.S. Open and British Open after moving from 80th to 42nd in World Golf Ranking.

Jon Rahm Outlasts Brooks Koepka to Win First Career Masters Title

Posted on by
Reply

Jon Rahm is seeing green… A Masters green jacket, that is. 

The 28-year-old Spanish professional golfer turned the longest day into his sweetest victory Sunday.

Jon RahmThe 30-hole marathon finish started with him trailing by 4 and ended with a walk up to the 18th green that nearly reduced him to tears, and gave him another major that affirmed him as No. 1 in the world.

He closed with a 3-under 69 to pull away from mistake-prone Brooks Koepka. He won by four shots over Koepka and 52-year-old Phil Mickelson, who matched the low score of the tournament with a 65 and became the oldest runner-up in Masters history.

“We all dream of things like this as players, and you try to visualize what it’s going to be like and what it’s going to feel like,” Rahm said. “Never thought I was going to cry by winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on that 18th hole.

“And a lot of it because of what it means to me, and to Spanish golf,” he said. “It’s Spain’s 10th major, fourth player to win the Masters. It’s pretty incredible.”

It was Mickelson who declared Rahm would be among golf’s biggest stars even before the Spaniard turned pro in 2016. Rahm now has a green jacket to go along with his U.S. Open title he won in 2021 at Torrey Pines.

“It was obvious to me at a very young age that he was one of the best players in the world even while he was in college,” said Mickelson, whose younger brother was Rahm’s college coach at Arizona State. “To see him on this stage is not surprising for anybody.”

Rahm made up two shots on Koepka over the final 12 holes of the rain-delayed third round and started the final round two shots behind. He seized on Koepka’s collapse and then surged so far ahead that Mickelson’s amazing closing round — it matched the three-time Masters champion’s best final round ever at Augusta National — was never going to be enough.

The finish was vintage Rahm. He pulled his drive into the pine trees and it ricocheted out, short of where the fairway starts. No problem. He hit 4-iron toward the green and lofted a pitch to 3 feet to end his round with only one bogey.

“An unusual par, very much a Seve par, a testament to him, and I know he was pulling for me today,” said Rahm, who finished at 12-under 276. “And it was a great Sunday.”

Rahm embraced his wife and two children, and as he walked toward the scoring room, there was two-time Masters champion José María Olazábal in his green jacket for the strongest hug of all and a few words that included Ballesteros.

“He said he hopes it’s the first of many more,” Rahm said in Butler Cabin. “We both mentioned something about Seve, and if he had given us 10 more seconds, I think we would have both ended up crying.”

Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira Wins Latin America Amateur Championship

Posted on by
Reply

Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira is celebrating a big win…

The Argentine golfer made two straight birdies to turn away his last challenge and closed with a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the Latin America Amateur Championship, earning a spot in three majors this year.

Mateo Fernandez de OliveiraFernandez de Oliveira, the second Argentine to win since the Latin America Amateur began in 2015, broke the 72-hole scoring record of Joaquin Niemann by eight shots. He finished at 23-under 265.

“I’m still very shocked. I think my life has changed,” Fernandez de Oliveira said. “I’m looking forward to a great year. I’m going to take advantage of the three opportunities that I’ve been given for winning this event. So, I’m very happy and I just want to enjoy every second of it.”

The senior at Arkansas atoned for last year, when he missed a playoff by one shot at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.

Fernandez de Oliveira was staked to a four-shot lead at the start of the final round at Grand Reserve. Luis Carrera of Mexico, who also closed with a 67, managed to get within two shots. But the Argentine birdied the 11th and 12th holes, and a steady diet of pars was enough for him.

The victory sends him to the Masters in April and to Los Angeles Country Club in June for the U.S. Open and to Royal Liverpool for the Open Championship in July.

Royal Liverpool is where the late Roberto de Vicenzo became the first Argentine to win a major when he held off Jack Nicklaus to win the British Open in 1967.

Fernandez de Oliveira went to Royal Liverpool in 2016 and felt the Argentine pride.

“The minute I walked into the clubhouse, they asked me where I was from,” he said. “And I said, ‘Argentina’, and they told me, ‘OK, come with me.’ They took me to the lunchroom where they have portraits and everything about when he won. I felt very proud.”

Carrera was awarded an exemption to the final stages of qualifying for the U.S. Open and Open Championship as the runner-up.

“I think the week has been fantastic,” Carrera said. “I am not sad at all. I just wish I could have won, but it was a great experience. I proved myself that I can play great golf, be up there, and win big tournaments. It is satisfying.”

Carlos Alcaraz Soundly Defeats Alexander Zverev to Claim Madrid Open Title

Posted on by
Reply

Carlos Alcaraz continues to impress, as he proves he belongs among the best.

The 19-year-old Spanish tennis phenom wrapped up another impressive week with a straight-set victory over Alexander Zverev on Sunday to win the Madrid Open and become the second-youngest player to win two Masters 1000 titles.

Carlos AlcarazHis comfortable 6-3, 6-1 win over Zverev followed victories over his idol Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

“Last year I was going through these experiences for the first time, playing against the best players, playing in the Masters 1000, and I learned a lot,” Alcaraz said. “Now it’s different. I go onto the court knowing that I can win, with the confidence that I can win at any moment.”

Alcaraz became the youngest winner in Madrid, and the second youngest to win two Masters 1000 trophies after Nadal won in Monte Carlo and Rome in 2005 as an 18-year-old. Alcaraz had already become the youngest to enter the top 10 since Nadal did it in 2005.

“It feels great to be able to beat these players,” Alcaraz said. “To beat two of the best players in history and then Zverev, the world No. 3. He is a great player. I would say this is the best week of my life.”

Carlos AlcarazIt was the seventh straight win over a top-10 player for Alcaraz, and his tour-leading fourth title of the year. He also has the most wins this season with 28, one more than Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Alcaraz tried to downplay the hype about whether he’s the best player right now, though.

“Djokovic is the No. 1 in the ranking,” he said. “It’s not because I won in Barcelona and beat Djokovic and Rafa in Madrid that I will consider myself the best player in the world. Also, I think I’m going to be No. 6 tomorrow, so I still have five players in front of me to be the best one.”

For Zverev, who was trying to win his second consecutive Madrid title – and third overall – there was no doubt about who was playing the best tennis.

“Right now you are the best player in the world,” Zverev said before the trophy ceremony and joked about his opponent’s age. “Even though you are still 5 years old, you are still beating us all, so great to see for tennis that we have such a new superstar who is going to win many Grand Slams, who is going to be No. 1 and is going to win this tournament many times.”

Alcaraz had won his first Masters 1000 tournament in Miami earlier this year. He had also won in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona. His first career title came in Umag last year.

Alcaraz’s three losses this season came against Sebastian Korda in Monte Carlo, Nadal in Indian Wells and Matteo Berrettini in the Australian Open.

After long three-set wins over Nadal and Djokovic, the seventh-seeded Alcaraz kept his high energy from the start against Zverev and was in control throughout the match at the Caja Mágica center court.

He didn’t face any break points and converted four of the eight he had against the second-seeded Zverev. Alcaraz had 11 unforced errors compared to 25 by Zverev.

“I am 19 years old, which I think is the key to be able to play long and tough matches in a row. I am feeling great physically,” Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz said he had been worried about his condition after waking up with an infected blister and a swollen right ankle, which he injured in the win against Nadal on Friday.

Alcaraz said it was special to win in Madrid, where he first started watching tennis at an early age.

“Watching Rafa lift this trophy gave me a lot of power to work hard for this moment,” Alcaraz said. “It is a great moment for me. It is the first tournament I watched, so lifting the trophy today is so emotional.”

Julián Périco Sets 36-Hole Record at Latin America Amateur Championship

Posted on by
Reply

Julián Périco is makin’ history…

The 22-year-old Peruvian professional golfer shot a second-round 66 on Friday to set a new Latin America Amateur Championship 36-hole record and take the tournament lead by three strokes.

Julián PéricoPerico sits at 9-under at Casa de Campo‘s Teeth of the Dog course, which broke the previous tournament record set by Brazilian André Tourinho during the first LAAC in 2015.

This is Perico’s fifth LAAC appearance, and though he’s finished in the top six twice but never won, he’s positioned himself as the favorite to win an automatic bid to the Masters, the Open Championship and the final rounds of U.S. Open qualifying with a victory.

“I feel I am doing things right, particularly my attitude and staying positive on the course,” said Perico, who birdied 11 through 14 and the par-5 18th. “Whenever I had a chance to attack the pin, I went for it. But it was a very clean round. I never forced anything.”

Argentina’s Segundo Oliva Pinto, a teammate of Périco’s at the University of Arkansas, is three strokes behind.

“I was not feeling that good with my game in the morning,” said Oliva Pinto, who had a slow start to Friday’s round but had four birdies on the back nine. “But I was able to keep being aggressive.”

Three more Argentines, including defending champion Abel Gallegos, Vicente Marzilio and Mateo Fernández de Oliveira, are tied for third along with Mexico’s Santiago De La Fuente, Aaron Jarvis from the Cayman Islands and Puerto Ricans Jerónimo Esteve and Roberto Nieves.

“I never thought about being in [this] position,” said the 20-year-old De La Fuente, who is playing his second LAAC. “I am just thinking about playing solid and if it happens, it happens.”

Périco and Oliva Pinto are also joined by Arkansas teammates Fernandez de Oliveira and Colombian Juan Camilo Vesga (4-under) in the top 10.

Only 15 players remain under par after the second round. The tournament cut (+6) leaves the top 53 players heading into weekend play.