Golfing News & Blog Articles

Instead of a three-peat, Koepka's final-round letdown at the PGA Championship was a cold dose of reality -- a day after taking a shot at Dustin Johnson's resume.

In normal times, the tee shot Collin Morikawa hit on the 16th hole Sunday at the PGA Championship would have resulted in deafening cheers. Instead, it was met with a few claps. At age 23, he hit a shot for the ages to win the year's first major.

Collin Morikawa, a 23-year-old California native and Berkeley graduate, won the PGA Championship in his second appearance in a major at San Francisco's TPC Harding Park.

Danielle Kang followed a late bogey with two straight birdies and four closing pars for a 3-under 68 that were enough for a one-shot victory and her second straight win in Ohio.

August 9, 2020

NorCal Connection: Cal Alum Collin Morikawa Wins PGA Championship

Cal-Berkeley alum Collin Morikawa came across the Bay and made history at the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park.

The 23-year-old, a two-time All-America Scholar who graduated from Cal in 2019, carded a clutch eagle on the par-4 16th and held on from there for a final round 64 to win his first major championship title in what was just his second start in a major.

Morikawa is the third-youngest winner of the PGA Championship since World War II, behind only Rory McIlroy and Jack Nicklaus. He also becomes the youngest player to break 65 in the final round of a major victory ever.

“It’s amazing. It’s been a life goal of mine since I was a little kid,” said Morikawa, a native of Los Angeles. “I felt very comfortable from the start of my career, as a junior, then as an amateur and then turning pro last year. To finally close it out here in San Francisco…it’s pretty special. It’s pretty much my second home where I spent the last four years.”

Rory McIlroy took issue with Brooks Koepka noting that Dustin Johnson had "only" won one major win when assessing his own chances at winning a third straight Wanamaker Trophy.

California teenager Rose Zhang won the longest U.S. Women's Amateur title match in 54 years, denying Gabriela Ruffels a repeat victory Sunday when the 20-year-old Australia missed a 3-foot par putt on the 38th hole.

Tiger Woods rediscovered his putting stroke Sunday to put together a solid round, but he finished well off the pace at the PGA Championship.

Andy Sullivan held off a spirited challenge from Spain's Adrian Otaegui to lift his fourth European Tour title at the English Championship in Hertfordshire on Sunday.

Sean Zak at Golf.com sums up the whirlwind energy booster that was Phil Mickelson’s booth (audition?) appearance on Saturday’s CBS PGA Championship coverage.

Mickelson joined the national broadcast for 90 electric minutes shortly after his third round Saturday, and despite the golf at TPC Harding Park being plenty entertaining on its own, what Mickelson brought to the booth was a breath of fresh air. A liveliness filled with information. If social media was any indication — and in this case it probably is — Mickelson’s performance was a hit. Once he really found his groove, it was perhaps his best work on the golf course this season.

The appearance, at least the part I could hear between some other duties and golf watching on site, was this: while over-caffeinated, Mickelson gave the show a jolt of life and inside-the-ropes energy akin to what Tony Romo has brought to CBS’s NFL coverage. Delineating something as small as the difference between missing the 4th fairway right, instead of left, just took you into that mindset of an all-time great who is also competing this week.

But more than that, he just brought a willingness to talk, inject life and make things fun. Generally, I’d say he was almost talking too much, but he also dispelled the myth that golf announcing has to be hushed. Golf needs this kind of analysis and energy to match the increased quality of the pictures and overall production delivery (which CBS is doing this week…along with help from the Kaze drone team and Goodyear Blimp crews bringing the prime cut eye candy).

Now, Phil’s energy level does call into question his motives. Maybe he just had a stronger than usual coffee that is the secret to his weight loss. Or, has he realized his future and it involves getting fit for an IFB and blue CBS blazer? Could he bring a similar passion when under contract and with nothing to prove? Or when he’s not actually playing that week?

There are plenty of players within reach of the PGA Championship. Two names stand out most: Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. But there are others with a shot. It's time to assess the notable names on a jam-packed leaderboard.

Dustin Johnson sank eight birdies on his way to a 5-under 65 on Saturday and will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Championship.

Here are the tee times for the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park.

Will Brooks Koepka, the two-time defending champion, make it three in a row? Will Dustin Johnson hang on to get his second major title? Or will someone else from a crowed leaderboard hoist the Wanamker Trophy? We make our picks.

Holy Harding Park do we have a zany Sunday on tap at the 2020 PGA:

—2 players a shot back of Dustin Johnson.

—Eleven within three strokes of Johnson.

—Sixteen within four.

For what it’s worth—weather forecast is a crapshoot here—sun and good breezes are forecast for the leaders window Sunday. They were Saturday as well when the fog returned and the wind largely stood down.

Lydia Ko shot a 3-under 68 on Saturday and has a 4-shot lead over Danielle Kang heading into the final round of the Marathon Classic.

Gabriela Ruffels rallied late to win both of her matches Saturday and will play Rose Zhang for the U.S. Women's Amateur title on Sunday.

Jordan Spieth's quest for a career Grand Slam at the PGA Championship ended early, while Justin Thomas found himself just outside of contention heading into Sunday.

Tiger Wood's inability to adjust to greens that weren't as fast as he prefers led to a 2-over-par 72 during Saturday's third round of the PGA Championship at Harding Park.

Andy Sullivan is closing in on his first win in almost five years after a third-round 64 on Saturday gave him a five-shot lead at the English Championship.