Brooks Koepka, Michael Block and more in men’s golf this week

Earlier than final week’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill Nation Membership, U.S. Ryder Cup group captain Zach Johnson was requested about the potential of a LIV Golf League participant qualifying for his group or being one in all his captain’s decisions.

“I believe it will be untimely and virtually irresponsible to even go into that,” Johnson stated. “It isn’t on my radar now.”

There are nonetheless about 4 months to play earlier than the Individuals will attempt to finish a 30-year drought on European soil on the Ryder Cup, which can happen Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf Membership and Nation Membership exterior Rome.

By successful the PGA Championship for the third time and choosing up his fifth main championship on Sunday, Brooks Koepka should seem like a jumbo jet on Johnson’s radar now. Koepka moved as much as No. 2 within the U.S. Ryder Cup standings with 8,936 factors. Solely Scottie Scheffler has extra with 20,236.

The highest six gamers within the standings after the BMW Championship on Aug. 17-20 will routinely qualify for the group. Johnson may even make six captain’s decisions.

“What I admire about Brooks is simply how he goes about his work in huge tournaments,” Johnson stated Sunday. “He is a uncommon breed mentally, the place he simply is ready to convey out his finest in essentially the most troublesome and attempting of circumstances.”

Johnson has stated that chemistry will probably be an essential think about how he builds his group. Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Younger spherical out the present high six that might have automated spots on the group.

Johnson is not able to say whether or not he would select a LIV Golf League participant with one in all his captain’s decisions. Two-time main championship winner Dustin Johnson, who went 5-0 within the Individuals’ 19-9 rout of the Europeans at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin in 2021, is thirty seventh in factors. Bryson DeChambeau, who tied for fourth on the PGA Championship, is forty second.

“Properly, I simply assume it is too untimely, frankly, irresponsible to even have any kind of opinion about that,” Zach Johnson stated. “I imply, I believe given the place we’re at proper now, there’s a whole lot of factors out, primary. Quantity two, you have received a bunch of elevated occasions, and shoot, quantity three, for those who return in historical past, there’s names proper now in all probability on each excursions that we’re not even mentioning that might have an opportunity given what’s in entrance of us.”

Scheffler, who went 2-0-1 as Ryder Cup rookie at Whistling Straits, stated he does not care who’s a part of the U.S. group. He simply needs to finish the Individuals’ lengthy, irritating drought.

“I need to win the Ryder Cup,” Scheffler stated. “I do not care about excursions or something like that. I need to win the Ryder Cup. It is one thing we talked about final yr after we completed, or I suppose a yr and a half in the past now. We need to beat these guys in Europe. It has been a very long time since we have beat them.

“Whoever [are] one of the best 12 guys that make a whole group, it is completely different than particular person tournaments. We wish a group of men which are going over there collectively to convey the Cup again residence, and that is all I actually care about.”

When the time is true, Johnson stated he’ll focus on his captain’s decisions together with his vice captains and the six automated qualifiers who can have “direct possession in that group, collectively.” And that features Koepka if he is within the high six, in response to Johnson.

“For me to face right here and say that I’d really feel snug or uncomfortable with it will be, I’d assume, egocentric on my behalf as a result of it isn’t my group,” Johnson stated. “That is not solely my resolution. It will be my management council and it’ll be those who end within the high six. I imply, particularly, I’ll get right down to the meat of it as a result of it is their group.”

This is what to look at in skilled males’s golf this week:

What’s subsequent on the PGA Tour

Charles Schwab Problem
When: Thursday-Sunday
The place: Colonial Nation Membership, Fort Price, Texas
Defending champion: Sam Burns
Purse: $8.7 million

Three storylines to look at:

Block celebration: Contemporary off his top-15 end on the PGA Championship, membership professional Michael Block is within the Charles Schwab Problem subject, because of a sponsor exemption. Will probably be his third PGA Tour begin of the season; he missed the lower on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open and American Categorical earlier this season.

If Block, the pinnacle professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Membership in Mission Viejo, California, can end in a three-way tie for fourth at Colonial Nation Membership this week, there’s an opportunity he may earn particular momentary membership to the PGA Tour. He additionally obtained a sponsor exemption within the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto on June 8-11.

The highlight hasn’t dimmed since he captured the game’s creativeness final week. Colonial Nation Membership will not be the identical problem as Oak Hill, because it’s solely 7,209 yards. However it’s agency and quick and ranked the ninth most troublesome course on tour.

“It is simply bizarre now the place I come up by way of a gate and the fellows on the gate are screaming, ‘Block celebration!'” Block stated. “The man making me an omelet gave me knuckles and stated I did superior final week. I imply, that is the half the place it is a bit of past me at this level. So it is cool, however I am attempting to take pleasure in it. I really feel considerably pure with it, so it is cool.”

Block will probably be taking part in in a featured group on ESPN+ Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.

Scheffler’s revenge: Scheffler’s return to No. 1 within the Official World Golf Rating was overshadowed by Block’s ace on the par-3 fifteenth on Sunday and Kopeka’s victory. It’s the third time since Feb. 12 that Scheffler has been ranked No. 1 on this planet.

Scheffler tied for second within the PGA Championship, 2 strokes behind Koepka. That was adequate to leap Rahm, who had a tricky week and tied for fiftieth, 16 pictures behind Koepka at 7 over.

Scheffler was runner-up within the Charles Schwab Problem final yr, dropping to his good good friend Sam Burns, who made a 38-foot on the primary playoff gap. Burns got here from 7 strokes behind to win, matching Nick Worth in 1994 for the biggest comeback in a remaining spherical at Colonial.

“Yeah, that really ended our friendship,” Burns joked Wednesday. “No, I am simply kidding. It is a distinctive state of affairs within the sense that we’re such good buddies but additionally having to compete towards one another. I believe on the finish of the day, we each need to beat one another. We each need to win. However on the similar time, after it is all stated and achieved, we will be glad for one another and congratulate and have a good time with each other.”

Together with Burns and Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, Homa, Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa are within the subject.

Spieth on the mend: Spieth provided reporters just a few extra particulars on how he injured his left wrist forward of the PGA Championship. He stated docs identified him with having a moderate-grade tendon sheath tear. Based on the Cleveland Clinic’s web site, the synovial membrane is the protecting sheath that surrounds the tendons within the wrist.

Spieth stated he injured himself after returning residence from the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I used to be simply taking part in with my son,” Spieth stated. “I wasn’t even holding him or something. I used to be simply pushing myself off the bottom whereas he was like laughing and going facet to facet. One thing simply popped and jammed, after which impulsively, I could not transfer it and received on it instantly.”

Spieth pulled out of the AT&T Byron Nelson to prepare for the PGA Championship. He tied for twenty ninth at 5 over. His scores have been higher every spherical, together with a 1-under 69 on Sunday.

“I assumed if I get by way of 4 rounds, and I used to be not going to make something worse or jeopardize something going ahead, then I assumed it will be price it and also you simply by no means know,” Spieth stated. “Seems you possibly can’t actually type of pretend it into a serious. You type of actually must be as ready as potential.”

Spieth stated his left wrist continues to be being monitored by docs.

“At this level, I do not really feel like I am dashing issues,” Spieth stated. “I believe I am on par with following the docs I’ve talked to, and it is type of a week-to-week factor as a result of it is one thing that may worsen. If it does, I want to chop it off instantly.”

What’s subsequent within the LIV Golf League

LIV Golf Invitational DC
When: Friday-Sunday
The place: Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Washington D.C., Sterling, Virginia
Purse: $25 million

Three issues to look at:

All hail the champ: It has been fairly per week for Koepka. After claiming the Wanamaker Trophy for the third time, he was available to look at the Florida Panthers seize a 3-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes within the NHL playoffs . On Tuesday night time, he was sitting courtside to see the Miami Warmth lose to the Boston Celtics in Sport 4 of the Japanese Convention finals.

Ottawa Senators ahead Brady Tkachuk even had some enjoyable with Koepka’s trophy.

Brady out right here celebrating with @BKoepka 👀🏆

🎥: @BeatinTheBookiepic.twitter.com/lehsdQbI8n

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) Could 23, 2023

It is again to golf on Friday for Koepka, who turned the primary LIV Golf League participant to say a serious championship victory.

In an interview with LIVGolf.com, Koepka stated he was wanting ahead to taking part in Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Washington D.C., which is owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump. It will play about 7,700 yards.

“I do know after I performed with Trump a pair months in the past, we have been speaking about it, and he instructed me I might find it irresistible,” Koepka stated. “Such as you stated, big-boy golf course. It will be lengthy. I do not assume we have actually performed too many lengthy golf programs but. I believe they have been a whole lot of thinker golf programs and place golf programs the place this may be extra of a bomber’s paradise. It will be thrilling.”

DeChambeau’s progress: Koepka wasn’t the one LIV Golf League participant who made a breakthrough at Oak Hill. Bryson DeChambeau tied for fourth at 3 underneath, his finest end since he was runner-up on the 2021 BMW Championship.

The Crushers GC captain has only one top-10 end in 12 LIV Golf occasions the previous two seasons; he was seventh at Damaged Arrow, Oklahoma, two weeks in the past. He completed twenty first in factors final season and is twenty eighth this yr.

DeChambeau, who climbed from 214th to ninetieth within the OWGR, has misplaced weight and stated he is achieved tinkering together with his swing. He credit his caddie Greg Bodine, who beforehand labored with Finau, with conserving him affected person on the course.

“Nothing’s modified,” DeChambeau stated. “Similar particular person. Have a bit of extra persistence, I’ll say that. I’ve received a man on the bag that is positively been superior to assist preserve me calm in conditions.”

Eyes on L.A.: Sergio Garcia turned the twelfth LIV Golf League participant to qualify for subsequent month’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Nation Membership when he tied for fourth in a 36-hole qualifier in Dallas on Monday.

Koepka, a two-time U.S. Open winner, is amongst 11 gamers who’ve already certified, together with fellow previous champions DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer. Abraham Ancer, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Mito Pereira, Thomas Pieters, Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith are additionally within the subject for the U.S. Open, which will probably be performed June 15-18.

Matthew Wolff, Marc Leishman, Harold Varner III and others are additionally trying to get within the subject by way of open qualifying. A few dozen gamers, together with Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Charl Schwartzel, opted to not attempt to qualify.

The ten remaining qualifiers will probably be performed on June 5.

Large names be a part of TMRW Sports activities

Music stars Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Macklemore, Jake Owen and Darius Rucker turned the newest celebrities to turn out to be buyers in TMRW Sports activities, which is launching a tech-infused golf league fronted by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, in response to an announcement by the corporate on Wednesday.

The brand new league, TGL, can have gamers competing on six three-man groups in 15 regular-season matches and a playoff beginning in January 2024. Groups will compete in an enviornment in Palm Seashore Gardens, Florida.

“Golf is prospering from a surge in cultural relevance that spans generations and demographic teams,” TMRW Sports activities founder and CEO Mike McCarley stated in a press release. “These entertainers come from completely different walks of life and have completely different fanbases, however all share an actual ardour for golf and, in their very own methods, can introduce golf to new followers.”

Earlier buyers embrace Stephen Curry, Lewis Hamilton, Alex Morgan, Shohei Ohtani, Serena Williams and Justin Timberlake.