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Morning 9: Lexi to retire | Hadwin’s club debacle | Thorbjornsen earns card

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Canadian Open and U.S. Women’s Open.

1. Lexi Thompson retiring

GolfWRX staff…”Lexi Thompson has announced that she is to retire from full-time competitive golf at this season’s end.”

  • “Thompson revealed her retirement plans via the USGA ahead of this week’s U.S. Open. “
  • “This week’s U.S Open will be Thompson’s 18th consecutive start in the U.S. Women’s Open.”
  • “Thompson won the 2014 ANA Inspiration (now Chevron Championship) and notched 11 LPGA Tour victories, as well as representing the United States in the Solheim Cup six times during her illustrious career.”
Full piece.

2. More on Lexi

Ron Sirak for USGA.org…”The legacy of Lexi Thompson began at a USGA championship in 2007 when the 12-year-old prodigy became the then-youngest qualifier in U.S. Women’s Open history. On Tuesday, she bookended a remarkable career at another USGA championship – the 79th U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally – when she announced her retirement from full-time competitive golf.”

  • “The stunning news from the 29-year-old known for her powerful drives and gentle manner with her many fans was another twist in a golf journey that saw many successes and a few “what if” moments.”
  • “When she tees it up Thursday at Lancaster Country Club it will be Thompson’s 18th consecutive start in the U.S. Women’s Open, which is a mindboggling achievement for someone who just celebrate her 29th birthday in February.”
  • “And while what lays ahead for Lexi remains vague, her many accomplishments are crystal clear. She won the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 2008; made the cut in the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open at 14 and went 4-0-1 for the United States in the 2010 Curtis Cup at 15.”
Full piece.

3. Hadwin’s club debacle

Our Matt Vincenzi…After yet another airline debacle involving missing clubs, the 36-year-old took to X to express his displeasure with the situation.

  • Hadwin has a strong history at the Canadian Open, finishing T12 last year and 6th in 2019, which is the most recent time that Hamilton has hosted the event.
  • Hopefully, Adam will be able to compete in his country’s National Open with his own set of clubs.
  • Hadwin tweeted…”I know most of you feel the same way I am right now when airlines mess up. I’ve been dealing with @AirCanada all day trying to get me clubs out of Denver.  Been told one thing only for something else to happen. At this point they have sat in Denver for 20 hours without making it…Onto another flight to Toronto. Unacceptable. It’s not as if Denver and Toronto are remote.  Airlines need to do better.”
Full piece.

4. Slow play penalty

Our Matt Vincenzi…”A slow play penalty has proven costly for University of Virginia sophomore Ben James.”

  • “James finished in a six-way tie for second, missing a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that left him one shy of the winner, Hiroshi Tai from Georgia Tech.”
  • “While I’m sure he’d like to have the birdie putt back, what really cost James was the penalty he received during Friday’s first round of the event, when both James and Baard Skogen of Texas Tech received one-stroke penalties for slow play. The penalty was assessed on the par-4 17th hole.”
  • James spoke with Golf Digest about the penalty.
  • “It’s a crazy game. One shot. It’s the rules, but it sucks. It stings. There’s such a fine line in golf.”
  • He added that they were given a warning on hole 14.
  • “We weren’t trying to slow up play. We were just trying to play our best golf.”
  • “I knew the result wasn’t going to change, but I wanted to get everything out. And I think that was important. … It made me feel better giving my two cents.”
Full piece.

5. Lexi ‘very content’ with the retirement decision

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”Lexi Thompson has explained why she is comfortable with her decision to retire from full-time professional golf at the age of just 29.”

  • “Despite her relatively young age, the American will be competing in her 18th consecutive US Women’s Open this week, having first appeared at the Major when she was just 12. In an emotional press conference ahead of the Lancaster Country Club event, Thompson admitted that golf has dominated her life since her early childhood and that she is ready to try new things.”
  • “She said: “Golf has been my life ever since I was 5 years old, tournaments when I was 7. I haven’t really known much of a life different, but it’s been an amazing one.”
  • “She continued: “There’s more things to life than going to a tournament every week and doing the same training every day. There’s just more to it, and I’m looking forward to experiencing that.”
  • “I feel like I’m very content with where my life is and where this decision will lead me to. Yeah, I’m just looking forward to what life has in store other than golf.”
Full piece.

6. Nelly Korda pays tribute to Lexi

Ronan MacNamara for Irish Golfer…”World number one Korda has played alongside Thompson for USA in the Solheim Cup in recent years and she says Lexi will have left a lasting impact on the LPGA Tour.”

  • “She’s had such an amazing career, I think. I’ve gotten to be on the team with her a couple times representing our country,” said Korda who is looking for her seventh win in eight starts this week.
  • “I think she does an amazing job for the Tour. She spends so much time going to each Pro-Am party. She really dedicated her time to growing the game. It’s sad to see that she’s obviously leaving and not going to be out here with us anymore, but she’s had an amazing career, and I wish her the best in this new chapter of her life.”
Full piece.

7. ICYMI: Thorbjornsen secures PGA Tour card

Field Level Media report…”Michael Thorbjornsen of Stanford finished No. 1 in the PGA Tour University standings and secured his PGA Tour card as soon as he turns professional.”

  • “Thorbjornsen, a 22-year-old from Massachusetts, was one of the top players in college golf this season and has capitalized on the relatively new pathway for amateurs to qualify for the tour directly through college. Thorbjornsen accrued a high enough points average over the past two years to finish the 2023-24 NCAA season atop the rankings.”
  • “Points are awarded for playing college tournaments as well as getting into professional events. Thorbjornsen has made the cut in four professional tournaments already, most recently the 2023 John Deere Classic. He placed fourth at the 2022 Travelers Championship, where he was playing on an exemption.”
Full Piece.
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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 John Deere Classic

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Jul 2, 2024

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GolfWRX is on site this week at the 2024 John Deere Classic. With the Scottish Open next week and The Open Championship two weeks away, those who have qualified will be looking to shore up their games in Silvis, Illinois, before heading to European shores.

On the equipment front, we spotted some new SuperStroke x Marvel grips and got an in-hand look at impressive custom Scotty Cameron putters. Our WITB galleries already feature a look at Jason Day’s wares, and general complement the spread.

Be sure to check back throughout the week as we add more photos from TPC Deere Run!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about the photos and join the discussion in the forums.

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Protected: Highlights from the Wilson Golf Product Testing and Fitting Experience at Pinehurst

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Tour Rundown: #QueenMel and a “Bland” U.S. Senior Open

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Jul 1, 2024

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A wee bit to the north and east of my hometown is a jaunty little ‘burg called Medina, NY. No one would ever consider it to be a golf mecca, but for this week at least, it is. Why? The 2024 Amateur Champion of the world, Melanie Green, hails from Medina. With a sense of regional pride, I salute #QueenMel, who emerged from 36-hole, medal qualifying and six head-to-head matches, to win 2-up in the 36-hole final at Portmarnock. Miss Mel won the last three holes, two with birdies, to join great USA winners like Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs, and Kelli Kuehne.

Now, let’s run down all the world’s tours this week. We followed a national championship (Men’s US Senior Open) from storied Newport Country Club, the PGA Tour at Detroit, the DP World in Italy, the LPGA doing the tandem thing around Michigan, and the Korn Ferry down Illinois way. We’re spoiled during these summer months, full stop. Might as well enjoy these riches.

PGA Tour @ Rocket Mortgage

The results that came out of Detroit Golf Club on Sunday caused a few heads to be scratched. Nowhere to be found were the mid-60s numbers that traced across the leaderboards like sunflowers in Carmona. Missing, too, as the sun waned in the sky, were the expected, clutch performances of golfers chasing victory.

We’ve grown accustomed to birdies down the stretch, and numbers like Bhatia’s 72nd-hole bogey, and Young’s closing five-five-five, seemed strange and unfamiliar. Bhatia’s take that he knows how to close tournaments, and that it simply didn’t happen on this day, was equal parts explanation and compensation. Teachers teach well, writers write well, and golfers put the ball in the hole. That’s the measure of victory.

The lifting of the tournament trophy was left to Cam Davis, who did what the others could not. He concluded play with 70 for -18 on the week, hoping for a second RMC in four years. On his heels, all tied for second at -17, were Davis Thompson, Min Woo Lee, Aaron Rai, and Bhatia. Beyond Akshay, none has tasted tournament success on the US PGA Tour. Davis posted birdie at 17, then waited. Thompson made a late rush, with birdies at three of his final five holes. He needed one more. Lee took five shots at the final hole; he needed one fewer. As for the two-gloved Rai, his even-par 72 on the day left him a shot away from playoff.

USGA @ Senior Men’s Open

Any hope that Hiroyuki Fujita held for finishing off the US Senior Open at Newport, went distantly away, courtesy of two unregistered opponents: fog and rain. The golfer that had played so brilliantly over 3.5 days (16-under through 63 holes) was forced to consider the ramifications of his situation. The golfer whose five cuts made in regular-tour majors included zero, top-forty finishes, stood three shots clear of the field, with no tourist guide to bring him home. Sunday’s dawn proved that he was mortal, and the game was afoot.

No worse pursuer than Richard Bland might have appeared. The Englishman had won his last USA start, and it was also a senior major championship. Bland captured the Senior PGA Championship in late May, winning by three shots over Australia’s Richard Green. The SPGA runner-up was also among the chasers at Newport, but a top-five finish would once again be his destiny. As for Bland, he did what experienced winners do. Consecutive birdies at 14 and 15 on Monday served notice that there would be no easy stroll home for Fujita. The Japan Tour stalwart stumbled over the same stretch of holes, posting bogey on three of his first four holes on day five.

Precisely when it appeared that Bland would conclude matters in regulation, he posted bogey at the 18th and dropped back to 13-under par. Fujita found the same number, and the duo went off to the first, two-hole playoff in US Senior Open history, and the first overtime session since 2014 in Oklahoma. After two pars each in the regulation session, they went to single-hole elimination. Each made bogey at the 18th, but the fourth hole gave resolution. Bland was able to earn a sandy from the greenside bunker, while Fujita was unable to secure par. Congratulations to Richard Bland on a second senior major in 2024.

LPGA @ Dow Championship

Both Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand) and Yin Ruoning (China) will represent their nations in the 2024 Paris Olympic games. Olympic competition is individual-only for golf, which is a missed opportunity. Teaming to win medals for your country is the epitome of Olympic success. It’s a bit odd, then that the two would find success in a team-style, warm-up event on the LPGA circuit.

For most of the week, two golfers from the USA appeared destined for victory at Midland Country Club. Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho finished 36 holes in 128 strokes. They gave one back on Saturday, with 67, but came home on Sunday with a third 64 for the week. Despite an early passel of birdies, they were unable to save a single shot over the closing stretch. They finished at 21-deep for the week.

Paired with them, Thitikul and Ruoning were also finding par after par as they headed for home. At the watery 18th, Thitikul stuffed her tee ball inside fifteen feet, then read the surface flawlessly, and hit her mark. The putt broke slightly right, into the center of the cup. With that closing birdie, a playoff was avoided and a send-off celebration of Olympic calibre was in the works.

DP World Tour @ Italian Open

16 months had passed since Marcel Siem last savored a DP World Tour win. His triumph at the Indian Open, in February of 2023, might have been a bit distant to leave residue of confidence. As he traversed the final arc of the Cervia golf course, his gaskets had unsealed and oil leaked everywhere. An outward 32 was undone by four bogeys from holes 11 to 17. The last one had dropped him from the lead, and only a majestic finish could return a chance at salvation. After he drove the fairway and reached the green at the closing trace, Siem assessed a 22-feet putt for birdie and found cup bottom.

In that moment, the round of 65 that England’s Tom McKibbin had fashioned, was no longer enough. He would need to do a bit more work, to secure a second Tour title. The duo returned to the final tee deck, and Siem once again faced a birdie putt. His approach was played brilliantly to about ten feet, but the putt drifted right. By the grace of gravity, it caught enough of the circle to fall downward, and a sixth career title belonged to the German champion.

Korn Ferry Tour @ MHC by LRS

Max McGreevy has tasted the bitterness of defeat and savored delicious victory on the professional golf tours. He has lost a playoff on the PGA Tour, and now won twice on the Korn Ferry orbit. This week, McGreevey overcame a wee miss on the penultimate hole, to secure victory at green 72, with a xxx birdie putt. He and runner-up Steven Fisk each clinched a PGA Tour card for the 2025 season, based on 2024 peformance.

McGreevy eased a 36-yard pitch within two feet of the hole, at the par-five 16th, on Sunday. He converted the birdie putt and moved a shot lower than Fisk, with two holes to face. At 17, he played safely away from the tucked flag at the watery par three, and eased his 55-feet putt to precisely the same distance (26 inches.) And then, he missed. Gone was the lead, and present were the doubts.

As champions do, McGreevy refocussed and found his spot on the 18th fairway. His approach from 186 yards settled a dozen feet from the flagstick, and his read on the downhill slider was accurate. The putt dropped, and McGreevy avoided overtime.

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