Welcome to some other version of The Grind, where we like while a top-notch story writes itself. And over the weekend, there was lots of that going on. You had a man overcoming tragedy to win on the PGA Tour for the first time. A man overcame a rat poison accident as an infant to win at the European Tour for the first time. And an older guy ultimately overcoming a long time of intellectual—and in all likelihood tough-brought about bodily—scar tissue to win a USGA event for the first time.
OK, so the ultimate instance wasn’t pretty as hard, mainly because the grass on Notre Dame’s football subject is taller (particularly, for that famed 1993 sport towards Florida State) than the grass on the college’s golf path. But you get the point. There’s plenty to talk about.
WE’RE BUYING
Nate Lashley: After an entire weekend of hearing Jim Nantz and everybody else re-inform this guy’s heartbreaking story, I gained’t waste your time with the details. On a harsh word, this guy has triumphed over arguably other tragedy than any golfer in history, so it becomes impressive to look at someone who was flipping actual estate a few years ago winning a $1.3 million check at a golf event backed via a loan business enterprise. On a much less extreme, be aware, if he and his female friend land up getting married, her call could be Ashley Lashley. I desire them the satisfactory. However, that’s truly something that wishes to be considered earlier than they take the subsequent step. And what’s up with this photograph?
Steve Stricker: If people notion Pebble Beach played too clean for the U.S. Open, wherein were all of the outrages over the low numbers at Notre Dame’s golfing course? This wasn’t your father’s U.S. Senior Open. Regardless, the Strick Show placed on a championship show that would impress even Rudy. And then he joined the Golf Digest Podcast to talk about all of it. The fifty-two-year-old opened with 62 and went cord-to-wire, breaking each scoring report in event history essentially. I haven’t seen such abuse of seniors considering Ben Stiller’s man or woman in Happy Gilmore. The win gives Stricker a second PGA Tour Champions essential inside the beyond two months, and in both times, he won through six photographs. Watch out, Bernhard Langer. There’s a new Senior Sheriff in town. And he’s, well, probably the most helpful guy in golf.
Condensed agenda winners: Overall, I’m nevertheless keen on the PGA tours made over time table. The flow of the Players to March and the PGA to May created more buzz for the one’s activities, and the FedEx Cup will undoubtedly benefit from transferring away from football season. HOWEVER—and I invoke Stephen A. In particular, because I sympathize with his ache as a Knicks fan this week—you could’t inform me it’s created the listing of winners the excursion was hoping for. Since the Masters, here’s who have received individual non-principal activities (no longer including the Memorial): C.T. Pan, Max Homa, Sung Kang, Kevin Na, Rory McIlroy (OK, OK), Chez Reavie, and Nate Lashley. Yes, there had been a few extraordinary human-interest stories like Lashley for the duration of that extent. Still, it seems like an awful lot of huge names are selecting to relax in between the largest tournaments more than ever. I desire I’m incorrect approximately this becoming a fashion.