DJ hopes to call the tune for GB&I as PGA Cup tees off at Foxhills

detlef32 — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 19:45:03 +0000

The GB&I PGA Cup team is looking for a win on home soil at Foxhills in Surrey

Both Great Britain & Ireland and the United States will wear black ribbons this week as they prepare to face each other in the 30th PGA Cup matches which begins at Foxhills Club & Resort, Surrey from today (Sept 16) until Sunday (Sept 18).

The hosts will be led by former European Tour player and ex-Ryder Cup Vice Captain David ‘DJ’ Russell, while the America Captain is Suzy Whaley, who in 2018 became the first woman elected to serve as President of the PGA of America.

The event is seen as the pinnacle for any PGA Professional as both teams go head-to-head in a Ryder Cup format to win The Llandudno International Trophy.“I’ve been very fortunate in my career in golf, and this is very much a high point in my career,” said Russell, whose son Chris will serve as Vice Captain. “I’m honoured to be captain of Great Britain & Ireland in a PGA Cup.”

“It’s a tremendous honor to serve as United States Captain for the 30th PGA Cup, as we come together at a magnificent venue to celebrate the game of golf,” said Whaley. “We’re certainly aware of the formidable challenge we will face from another talented GB&I squad and the difficulty that comes with winning on foreign soil.”

Speaking ahead of the 30th PGA Cup matches, Russell said: “It’s a massive honour anyway, but particularly with what’s gone on over the last few days. Queen Elizabeth II has always been around for us, so from a personal point of view it’s almost like losing your grandmother or the grand-figure in your family.”

Whaley added: “I knew coming over here it will be historic time. I was thinking about how we would handle the matches and would they be able to go on. I was thrilled that they could go on because she loved sports, she loved sporting events and I’m hopeful that she’s thrilled that we’re having this competition.”

Foxhills will make PGA Cup history this week when it becomes only the second venue in the tournament’s 49-year history to host the matches twice, following the lead of 2006 Ryder Cup host venue The K Club in Ireland (1992 and 2005).

The PGA Cup was first played at Pinehurst (North Carolina) Country Club in 1973, with the Americans winning the first match 13-3. GB&I notched their first PGA Cup win 1978 with a 10½ – 6½ victory at St Mellion, but overall the history books make grim reading from a British and Irish standpoint, with the Americans winning 18 times compared to GB&I’s seven, while there have been four draws.

Great Britain & Ireland team

Matthew Cort (Beedles Lake Golf Club) – Played in PGA Cup 2017 & 2019 (6-3-0)
David Higgins (Waterville Golf Links) – Played in 2017 (3-1-1) Vice-Captain 2019
Greig Hutcheon (Torphins Golf Club) – Played in 2013 & 2017 (3-4-1)
Adam Keogh (Woodhall Spa Golf Club) – Debut
Simon Lilly (Wellingborough Golf Club) – Debut
Ashley Mansell (Clevedon Golf Club) – Debut
Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills Golf Range) – Debut
James Ruth (China Fleet Golf & Country Club) – Debut
Simon Thornton (Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort) – Debut
Daniel Whitby-Smith (Drayton Park Golf Club) – Debut

United States team

Alex Beach (Stillwater, Minnesota) – Played in 2019 PGA Cup (2-2-0)
Frank Bensel Jr. (Jupiter, Florida) – Debut
Michael Block (Mission Viejo, California) – Played in 2015 PGA Cup (3-1-0)
Larkin Gross (Center Cross, Virginia) – Debut
Jared Jones (Houston) – Debut
Jesse Mueller (Phoenix) – Debut
Ben Polland (Jackson, Wyoming) – Played in 2015 PGA Cup (0-3-2)
Omar Uresti (Austin, Texas) – Played in 2015 & 2017 PGA Cups (4-1-3)
Ryan Vermeer (Omaha, Nebraska) – Played in 2019 PGA Cup (3-2-0)
Wyatt Worthington II (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) – Debut

CLICK HERE to follow live scoring from Foxhills.

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Jon Rahm, Billy Horschel call out LIV golfers participating in BMW PGA Championship on DP World Tour

detlef32 — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 02:01:50 +0000

Following the most successful LIV Golf event to this point in Boston last week, several golfers at this week’s BMW PGA Championship — the flagship event of the DP World Tour — are not pleased with several of their colleagues for taking up a spot in the field.

Jon Rahm and Billy Horschel, both of whom have been vociferous voices in favor of the PGA Tour in its battle against LIV Golf, called out LIV golfers who entered this week’s field at Wentworth Club.

“There are many players that have been key for European Tour golf and the Ryder Cup that have a lot of collective years on the European Tour,” Rahm said. “Them coming, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. What I don’t understand is some players that have never shown any interest in the European Tour, have never shown any interest in playing this event, being given an opportunity just because they can get world ranking points and hopefully make majors next year.”

Rahm went on to clarify that he had no issue with Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell or Ian Poulter playing this week’s event, but he was frustrated that other players — such as Abraham Ancer and Talor Gooch (Rahm didn’t name names) — were taking up spots.

“It doesn’t hurt me, but it does bug me that somebody who has played 20 DP World events this year cannot be given the opportunity to play a flagship event because some people that earned it … are being given an opportunity when they couldn’t care any less about the event,” added Rahm. “They don’t care. They don’t know the history of this event. They are only here because they are trying to get world ranking points and trying to finish in the top 50 [in the world] and that’s clear as day.”

Rahm reiterated something similar later in a different interview.

Why would PGA Tour golfers care about what LIV golfers are doing on the DP World Tour? Well, the answer to that is complicated, but Rahm referenced it in his answer. Right now, LIV players are not afforded Official World Golf Rankings points, and as a result, they will begin to fall down the OWGR, which is one of the main ways to earn a spot into major championships next year.

Those players, like Gooch and Ancer, would play on the PGA Tour, but they’ve been banned from doing so. The DP World Tour has no such ban currently, although they were asked not to play in the pro-am on Wednesday and asked not to wear their LIV Golf gear.

“Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch … You’ve never played this tournament, you’ve never supported the [European tour]. Why are you here?” said Horschel. “You are here for one reason only and that’s to try to get world ranking points because you don’t have it.

“Those guys, when they signed that deal and the money that they got, they had to be smart enough to factor in that they knew that they might not be able to play either tour, they might not be able to get world ranking points,” added Horschel later. “The money they got was factored in, and that’s why they signed those deals.

“I honestly feel like it’s a slap in the face to the rest of the members of this tour that they’re coming to play the biggest purse on the DP World Tour and that they’re going to be taking money out of guys’ pockets this week. I don’t think that’s right in my opinion.”

Horschel doesn’t play the majority of his golf on the DP World Tour, and he said that he would have been even more vocal if players were trying to play on the PGA Tour. Both Rahm and Horschel made caveats from some of the old DP World Tour stalwarts.

“I wouldn’t call Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter hypocrites because they never said they wanted to play less,” said Horschel. “The guys that have publicly stated they want to play less, those are the hypocrites. Just be clear on that. It’s not every one of them. And there are a few of those hypocrites here this week because they wanted to play less, but they are playing another event that’s not a LIV event.”

Rory McIlroy, who is both the biggest voice on the PGA Tour front and has the most sway on the DP World Tour because of his affiliation with the Ryder Cup and because he’s the best player in the field, will speak on Wednesday. He did, however, give a preview of what’s coming after winning the Tour Championship two weeks ago.

“I hate what it’s doing to the game of golf,” said McIlroy. “I hate it. I really do. Like it’s going to be hard for me to stomach going to Wentworth in a couple of weeks’ time and seeing 18 of them there. That just doesn’t sit right with me.”

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DJ hopes to call the tune for GB&I as PGA Cup tees off at Foxhills

Jon Rahm, Billy Horschel call out LIV golfers participating in BMW PGA Championship on DP World Tour