Wisconsin News and Sports
One of the great golf design minds, World Golf Hall of Famer Pete Dye passed away at the age of 94.
Dye designed Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits near Kohler. He also designed Florida’s TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship and Kiawah Island in South Carolina, which has hosted both a PGA Championship and a Ryder Cup.
One of his most famous creations was the 17th-hole island green at TPC Sawgrass.
Whistling Straits will host the 2020 Ryder Cup later this year.
The 2017 PGA Championship gets underway this Thursday at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. Two years from now, the PGA is moving its championship from August to May.
The PGA of America is moving its major championship to May for the first time in 70 years when it goes to Bethpage Black on New York’s Long Island in 2019 as part of a long-term plan that involves a major shift in the golf calendar.
The change has been in the works for four years. The catalyst behind the move was golf’s return to the Olympics, as well as the PGA Tour’s desire to wrap up its FedEx Cup before the NFL season begins.
The PGA Championship would be slotted after the Masters and before the U.S. Open.
Wanamaker Trophy
Jimmy Walker fired a personal major best 5-under par 65 and has a one-shot lead after the first round of the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol in Springfield, New Jersey.
Walker takes a 1-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo, Ross Fisher and two-time major champion Martin Kaymer.
British Open Champion Henrik Stenson closed with three birdies on the back nine to finish with a 3-under par 67, trailing Walker by two shots.
Madison’s Steve Stricker shot a 1-under par 69 after a chip-in birdie on the final hole of his first round. He is four-shots off the lead. Defending champion Jason Day is 2-under par, 3-shots back.
Things didn’t go so well for defending U.S. Open Champion Dustin Johnson. He had just one birdie and shot a 7-over par 77.
Round two is set for today.
This is what’s left of the main leaderboard at Whistling Straits after a storm blew through Friday afternoon.
High winds, lightning, heavy rain and hail came quickly and forced play at the 97th PGA Championship to be suspended. The second round will resume at 7am Saturday morning followed by round three.
Jason Day and Matt Jones still have to complete their second rounds, but they share the lead at 9-under par. Day has four holes left to play in round two, while Jones has six holes left to play. Justin Rose has one hole left in his second round. He is at 8-under par, 1-shot off the lead.
Hiroshi Iwata tied a major championship record and set the course record with an impressive nine-under-par 63. Iwata started the day plus-four. George Coetze fired a seven-under-par 65, Henrik Stenson shot a 6-under par 66 and Jordan Spieth finished his round at five-under 67, standing now at 6-under for the tournament.
Madison’s Steve Stricker was at -3 for the tournament with two holes to play in his second round when he double bogeyed number-8. He then saved par on the 9th and final hole by chipping in from off the green. [Read more…]
A pair of Wisconsin PGA club professionals have earned a spot in the 97th PGA Championship Field at Whistling Straits in August.
Menasha’s Ryan Helminen and Brent Snyder of Hudson both were among the top 20 scorers at the PGA Professional National Championship on Wednesday.
Helminen finished in a tie for 10th place and Snyder finished tied for 16th during competition this week.
Helminen is making his second straight PGA Championship appearance. He also qualified for the 2014 event at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
Jordan Niebrugge of Mequon qualified Tuesday for the 144th British Open Championship, July 16-19 at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.
The Oklahoma State senior tied for medalist honors in a 36-hole qualifier at Hillside Golf Club in Southport, England. Niebrugge finished 3-under par after rounds of 69 and 72.
The 21-year-old Niebrugge played in the 2014 Masters Tournament but missed the 36-hole cut.
PGA Championship Update
Three Wisconsin club pro’s are in the hunt for a spot in the PGA Championship field, Aug. 10-16 at Whistling Straits.
After 54 holes of the PGA Professional National Championship in Pennsylvania, Joe Leonard of Wisconsin Rapids is in fourth place, Brent Snyder of Hudson was in fifth and Ryan Helminen of Menasha was tied for 12th.
The top 20 scorers after today’s final round, qualify for the PGA.
Madison’s Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker are in the mix after the opening round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky on Thursday.
Kelly, who only made the PGA field when Dustin Johnson withdrew, fired a 4-under par 67 and finds himself just 2-shots off the lead. He made six birdies in his opening round.
Steve Stricker, who is playing with a torn labrum in his left hip, shot a 2-under 69 and is four shots off the lead.
Kevin Chappel, Lee Westwood and Ryan Palmer are the first round leaders, firing 6-under par 65’s. There’s a group of five players at -5, including Rory McIlroy, who is looking for his 3rd straight victory on the PGA Tour.
Menasha’s Ryan Helminen scrambled to shoot a 2-over par 73. He put himself in a decent position to make the cut and play on the weekend.
Tiger Woods struggled, shooting an opening round 3-over 74.
Appleton’s Ryan Helminen is headed to golf’s final major, the PGA Championship.
Helmimen is an Appleton East graduate and current golf pro at Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah. He won a playoff at the PGA Professional National Championship on Wednesday, earning one of 20 spots awarded for the PGA Championship.
Golf’s final major is Aug. 7-10 at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky.
Helminen has made it to the PGA Professional National Championship every year since 2008. His best finish prior to this year was a tie for 24th in 2011.
Helminen has been named the Wisconsin PGA player of the Year six of the past seven years.
Madison’s Steve Stricker shot a 3-under par 67 on Friday and trails Jason Dufner by 4-shots at the PGA Championship in Rochester, New York.
Stricker stands at 5-under par. Dufner matched the best round ever in a major championship with a 63 and tops the leaderboard at 9-under par at the midway point.
A 7th place finish for Madison’s Steve Stricker at the PGA Championship over the weekend. That leaves Stricker out of the top 8 places for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
U.S. Captain Davis Love III will make the four final picks in three weeks but he made it clear that Steve Stricker would be one of those selections, to serve as Tiger Woods playing partner.