This was the first Major to allow preferred lies, what America calls “lift, clean and place”.
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Harrington – who shot 65 on Saturday – was among the early starters after officials chose to send players out for the final round in the same groups as the third round following Saturday’s weather-related early suspension of play. Following a nervy start to his third round that encompassed three bogeys on the front nine, Walker settled down after the turn, carding four birdies to finish with a two-under par 68, as he set the standard and continued to lead going into the final round.
What made Walker’s victory even more gratifying was who he beat at Baltusrol. I remember when I left (Gleneagles) I did an interview and said I never want to miss another one again. I got rubbed down. I wouldn’t trade anything, though. But he kept his cool and kept hitting the right shots at the right time and, most significantly, got the breaks – luck, if you like – when he needed them. And I guess that applies to my career. I’m not on the list. I thought I played some decent golf, but it wasn’t one of those golf courses that really suited me.
By day Walker concentrates on golf, but by night he is an astrophotographer, which is to say he takes high-definition photographs through telescopes of the night sky.
Stenson was in contention for back-to-back majors until a double bogey on the 15th ended his chances, the 40-year-old Swede having to settle for a tie for seventh with playing partner Martin Kaymer, who eagled the last in a closing 66.
Two shots back and clearly in need of an eagle, Day struck a magnificent two-iron to maybe 10 feet from the cup.
As Walker approached the 18th tee with a three-shot lead, there was more drama to come.
Good morning! Here are the plays everybody will be talking about on Monday. But to no avail. Those are the measuring stick that divide the few from the many on tour and Walker finally grabbed his first when he managed to survive a wayward second shot into the rough behind a greenside bunker on 18 and got down in 3 for a par-5 finish and a 1-shot victory over Day that wasn’t quite as easy as it sounds.
“Sometimes, things just don’t come easy”, Walker said after hoisting the 37-pound Wanamaker Trophy, incredible that he had any strength left after a 36-hole final day brought on by rain over the weekend.
But Walker’s hesitation was well-advised as his lobbed shot trickled into the hole for his first birdie of the round. “Everything is underwater, regardless of whether the lightning stopped”, said Streb, who matched the low round in major history with a seven-under 63 on Friday. “It’s surreal”, was Walker’s initial reaction. Henrik Stenson, victor of the previous major last month, the British Open, said after the tournament that he had been troubled all week with his ultra-backspin on his iron shots that caused his ball to spin backwards so much on the greens. “He put the pressure on me”. It was so tough and nerve-wracking out there.
“There was nothing easy about the day – really about the week, for that matter”, Walker said, according to ESPN.
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The rules: From the debacle of the Dustin Johnson ruling at the U.S. Open to the questions about Jordan Spieth and his drop from a muddy cart path at the PGA Championship, there were plenty of reasons for causal fans to look at the Rules of Golf and how they are enforced and wonder if they are starting to get a bit too complicated in the game.
