The ongoing battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour for the best players in the game seems to have reached the pettiness stage, and its hard not to look away.
LIV players Rory McIlroyMany fireworks were seen at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, as well as other participants.
It was first tee gate , in which LIV golf player Patrick Reed Tossed a teeMcIlroy at the practice range. The reports of the altercation turned out to be more exaggerated that LeBron James protest of an blown call. Both sides spoke with reporters, McIlroy revealing Reeds lawyer had served him with a subpoena Christmas Eve. Reed insists that he had nothing to with it.
Its a complete chaos!! pic.twitter.com/kCaI5UnHrD
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) January 25, 2023
Next, Sundays third round will be played. Henrik StensonHe was the captain of the European team in the 2023 Ryder Cup. He jumped to LIV Golf and was replaced by. Luke DonaldHe was replaced by. Englands Tyrrell HattonThey were paired with them.
If you are interested in the @rydercupTomorrow morning, it will be mentioned by my group👀😬 https://t.co/MN1ABmmyCF
— Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) January 28, 2023
Donald was announced as the Ryder Cup Captain at the Emirates Golf Clubs first tee on Sunday. This drew a lot of laughter from Stenson who joked, The only things I would say is that it was surprising I wasnt announced to be the former captain.
Reporters in Dubai heard Donald say that there were no problems while playing with Stenson.
Donald said, You guys like making it a storm with a teacup. There were no problems. It was like playing a normal round.
Reed had a very unusual round on Sunday. His tee ball got lodged in a tree, and Reed was once again involved in an interesting rules situation. Reed used binoculars for identification of the markings on his ball.
McIlroy winning the title Lead for 54 holes, Phil MickelsonTwitter comment made with tongue-in-cheek about the location of the tournament. We think the all-caps were added to effect.
It was a fantastic -7 third round @McIlroyRoryDUBAI to get a 3 shot lead. You can see if he can win it all. You can watch the final round live from the Middle East on the Golf Channel.
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) January 29, 2023
After everything that happened, it seemed only fair that McIlroy & Reed would battle it out in Mondays delayed last round in Dubai. McIlroy led by three shots into the final 18 holes. Reed, who was playing in the group ahead of him, managed to draw even and briefly held the lead on the back nine.
McIlroy made par on the 17th hole after Reed bogeyed it. finish 19 underReed is only one shot better. McIlroy won the final hole after nearly driving his tee-shot into the water. He won his third Rolex Series title.
McIlroy said that it was difficult to forget about those up there and to just focus on me after McIlroys round.
McIlroy was reaffirmed as the worlds No. 1 player with this win, his first in a calendar year. McIlroy is currently the worlds No.1 player.
McIlroy stated that it is never easy to close out a tournament of golf. There will always be people who make runs, and playing when youre trying to defend a lead or have the lead, youre always going play a little bit more carefully than the guys coming up behind you.
Hopefully, the Middle East golf drama was just a taste of whats to follow when the best players from LIV Golf and the PGA Tour meet again at majors, beginning with the Masters in April.
As fractured as the sport may seem, the LIV Golf – PGA Tour rivalry is a compelling story.
McIlroy stated that mentally today was one of the most difficult rounds hes ever played. It would be easy to let emotions get in the way and it would have been very easy to lose focus on yourself. Forget about the leaderboard. I did that really well.
What happened on PGA Tour
Farmers Insurance Open
Where: Torrey Pines, La Jolla, California
Winner: Max Homa
Why he won: Few PGA Tour players are more skilled at winning when they are behind. Homa recovered from a 5-shot deficit on the final 18 holes to claim his sixth PGA Tour win. Sam Ryder Jon RahmSaturdays final round was a failure. Homa has won five consecutive victories by coming from behind.
Homa led the field at Torrey Pines with strokes gained: from tee, green, and strokes achieved: approach. He managed to hit 73.6% greens in regulation, and gained 1.53 strokes over the field in putting. Homa made seven birdies during the final round, including one on the par-3 16th und par-5 18th. Keegan BradleyTake 2 shots
Homas rise
The PGA Tour may have found the hero it is looking for as it fights LIV Golf.
Golf Twitter has known for a long time that Max HomaHe is one of the most funniest, most transparent, and most quick-witted players on tour, and the PGA Tour seems to finally embrace his personality.
This past weekend, Homa made a joke about Reed in the McIlroy beef and again poked fun at Reed when he allowed CBS Sports mike him during the third round Farmers Insurance Open.
Today was a great day on the course. 5 birdies, 1 bogey, no subpoenas. This week has been a success!
— max homa (@maxhoma23) January 26, 2023
Homa stated, Everybody calls me the social media guy. I think Im still a pretty darn good player of golf. Obviously, [the]Results helped me to kind of build that foundation. I enjoy being silly and making dumb jokes. I also like to observe strange things and tweet about them like a child. I love what I do when I work, when my practice, when playing tournaments — but I hate when I dont.
Over the past few months, weve learned another thing about Homa: He is one of the most skilled players in the world.
Homa was awarded his sixth PGA Tour win on Saturday. Rallying in the final roundTorrey Pines Farmers Insurance Open. He has won six times since 2019, with McIlroy only eight. Patrick Cantlay (seven) have finished first more often on tour, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Homa also won the California Genesis Invitational in 2021. He won twice the Fortinet Championship in Napa and also captured the 2021 Genesis Invitational, Riviera. He was born north of Los Angeles, and won the NCAA Division I Individual Championship at Cal.
Homa and Lacey welcomed their first child, Cam, on October 30. It was Homa’s first victory as a father. He was able celebrate with his family at Torrey Pines.
Family time for the Homas❤️ pic.twitter.com/yexhTH9lhG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 29, 2023
Its different because its different because I feel that Ive almost worked harder because I want to spend as many time with Cam and helping her and doing all the cool stuff, getting screamed about and catching some smiles here or there, Homa said. But I also want be the best golfer, and she understands that and she does an incredible job letting me do both, especially when Im on the road and at home.
Moving up or down
Moving up
Keegan Bradley
Bradley lost 30 pounds in the past few months. His dedication to fitness is paying off. He won the Zozo Championship in September and was solo runner-up at Torrey Pines.
Fowler was not able to crack the top 10, but he made some good moves. He was able to putt 1.477 strokes more than the field, which was a significant improvement.
Morikawa finished third solo, his first appearance since he lost a 6-shot lead during the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
The 35-year-old Australian is showing signs and health with back to back top-20s, including a tie at Torrey Pines. The two-time Farmers Insurance Open winner has seven top-10s at the event.
Moving down
Zalatoris looked fantastic in his return from a back injury, when he tied for 11th place at the Tournament of Champions. He finished 36th at American Express and missed out on the Farmers cut.
The former Ryder Cup player is struggling to recover from a hip injury. He missed the cut in back to back starts.
The long hitter has had a difficult few months. He hasn’t finished in the top fifty since finishing eighth at the Zozo Champion. He only hit 42.3% fairways at Torrey Pines.
The 2019 U.S. Open winner was 6 over in the first round and then 12 over in 54 holes. He lost nearly two strokes to the field when he put over 72 holes.
Best of the Week
Best approach
This eagle helped a rookie golfer on the PGA Tour Brent GrantEarn his first top-25 finish on the tour.
Fireworks on 18! 🔥
Brent Grant flies for the eagle at 97 yards @FarmersInsOpen. pic.twitter.com/gxrCAfLlNw
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 28, 2023
Best chip
It keeps rolling, rolling, and rolling.
Just wait…
A truly amazing chip-in from Michael Thompson @FarmersInsOpen. pic.twitter.com/GbCztKvbV4
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 28, 2023
Best putt
Morikawas putt required a turn signal.
What. A. Putt.@Collin_MorikawaThis is the perfect place to read it @FarmersInsOpen 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ycbxZzpDvD
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 28, 2023
Best tee shot
Rookie Kyle WestmorelandHe was the first U.S. Air Force Academy grad to go on tour and he got his first ace at Torrey Pines.
ACE ALERT: For the rookie!
Welcome to the PGA TOUR. @KWestmoreland 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bvwukPBh1C
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 25, 2023
Worst break
Golf is difficult. Ask Thomas Detry.
Tough scene😳 pic.twitter.com/fcrRXb0FNk
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 26, 2023
Top social media sites of the week
LIV Golf offered you how many?
What are Si Woo and Sungjae talking about? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/xMXmQq8Swo
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 26, 2023
Jessica Hadwin wasnt as religious as her husband. Adam Hadwin, was going make it in the Farmers Insurance Open. You can tell she is funny when her Twitter profile states that her humor and bad jokes are mine and do not reflect my husbands views,
#1 fangirl, but still trying to be #1 optimist pic.twitter.com/K1HEDLIqNo
— Jessica Hadwin (@jessicahadwin) January 27, 2023
Safe for work? No safety anywhere!
This Willy Z stroke on Twitter is the most NSFW thing that Ive ever seen. pic.twitter.com/cQrs92sDgp
— Amanda Rose (@AmandaGolf59) January 26, 2023
The same week saw a controversy over pants and tee gate. Its just too much. Phils tweet was great.
🤔
The Tour does not allow shorts. However, this weeks leader may wear joggers and ankle socks. Showing 4 inches of leg? Im not a fashion guy and never will be. But there are some things that I will never understand.🤷♂️— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) January 28, 2023
But heres a reply from another jogger enthusiast Erik van RooyenBetter.
Hello Philip 👋🏽
This is all I have to say. pic.twitter.com/WousaYzJxX
— Erik van Rooyen (@FredVR_) January 28, 2023
Even John DalyThe King of Golf Fashion, weighed in.
Joggers Men look good Said no one
— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) January 29, 2023