Different Strokes: Olivia Mehaffey breaking records in the US

Mehaffey breaking record in the States

Olivia Mehaffey, into her fifth year of study at Arizona State, will take up a sponsor’s invitation to this week’s Carlise Open, a Symetra Tour stop, on the back of a record-breaking 62 - 10 birdies, no bogeys - in the final round inhelping her college to the Clover Cup over the weekend.

To make it even sweeter, Mehaffey’s fireworks - following her opening rounds of 75 and 71 - enabled the Sun Devils to mount a comeback to overtake second round leaders Arizona in the three-day team event, prompting her college coach Missy Farr-Kaye to exclaim: “That was really amazing to watch, I’m so proud of this team and their fight . . . . Olivia’s 62 is a (college) record and she has been working so hard. To see her break through like that was such a joy.”

Mehaffey, who will play this week’s Symetra Tour event on a sponsor’s invitation, has a busy time ahead as the Irish international from Co Down nears the completion of her studies before embarking on a professional career later in the summer. She is also in the field for the upcoming Augusta National Women’s Amateur Invitational next month.

“Part of the reason I came to ASU was because of our legacy, so to break a record is a cool thing to do with so many incredible alumni,” said Mehaffey, whose 62 beat by two the previous record jointly held by Monica Vaughn (2017) and Louise Stahle (2005).

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DeChambeau explains fourth tee escapades

We can only imagine Bryson DeChambeau’s scientific mind went into some kind of over-drive after he topped his tee-shot on the fourth hole in the final round of The Players (the resultant double-bogey was the difference between him and winner Justin Thomas) but, as ever, the story was not quite so straightforward.

Of the initial tee shot with a hybrid, DeChambeau explained: “I was trying to hit more of a low bullet and just caught the heel, a little high on the thing. It wasn’t really a top, it was more like a thin ball that had no spin on it and just knuckled (into the water). If there was a top there, it would have been down on the ground . . . . just one of those things I tried to squeeze and hit it too hard, got on top of it and hit it thin. Caught the grass below it and just never got any height.”

And, after taking a penalty drop, the drama continued. Although DeChambeau had a readymade excuse for the wild shot into the overgrowth. His four-iron had cracked. “I looked at the bottom of the thing. I couldn’t use it all day.”

Word of Mouth

"I take it for what it is: a game. We're just trying to get a little white ball into a little white hole. It gets treated far too seriously occasionally. With what's going on in the world, it's fun to be doing a job that I love and that I've done for 28 years and I'm still doing it" - Lee Westwood, who turns 48 next month, on his golfing philosophy. His runners-up finishes in successive weeks on the PGA Tour (to Bryson DeChambeau in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and to Justin Thomas in The Players) netted Westwood some $2,648,700 (€2,220,000) for his fortnight's work. Westwood's stellar form has seen him move to 19th in the updated world rankings (he was 39 two weeks ago) and to fourth in Europe's Ryder Cup world points qualifying list.

By the Numbers

66 - That's the total number of water balls at the iconic island green 17th hole during The Players: First round 35; Second round 13; Third round 8; Fourth round 10. South Korea's Ben An had the unfortunate distinction of hitting four of those in his first round, running up an 11.

In the Bag

Antoine Rozner - Qatar Masters

Driver - Titleist TSi3 (9 degrees)

3-wood - Titleist TS3 (15 degrees)

Irons -Titleist 620 CB (3 iron), Titleist 620 MB (4 iron to Pitching Wedge)

Wedges - Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (46, 52 and 58 degrees)

Putter - Odyssey Ten

Ball - Titleist ProV1x

On this day…..16th March 1997

Stuart Appleby had started playing golf on the family’s farm, where he hit shots from paddock to paddock and first showcased his talent when winning the Queensland Open as an amateur in 1991. His route to the PGA Tour came via the Nike Tour, and the Australian’s breakthrough success came in the Honda Classic where a chip-in eagle on the 14th hole of his final round provided a dramatic highlight of his surge to victory.

Appleby put together rounds of 68-68-67-71 for a 14-under-par total of 274 at TPC Heron Bay which gave him a one stroke win over Payne Stewart and Michael Bradley with Colin Montgomerie a shot further back in fourth. Weather delays made for a long Sunday, with both the third and final rounds squeezed in.

“I was nervous from hole one. I guarantee you, to win a tournament, if you’re not nervous, you’re not human. I was nervous but I was more energised about what I was doing. This is what it’s all about,” said the Aussie.

Twitter Twaddle

Great playing @WestwoodLee giving us old guys a lot of hope I want to be like you when I grow up - Luke Donald tipping the cap to his old mate in a Luke Donald kind of way.

Congratulations to @JustinThomas34 on winning @ThePlayersChamp It was an honor to see it unfold, and can't wait to draw back on the experience. Looking forward to being in a similar position soon - Doug Ghim, who got to witness Thomas's final round masterclass.

Westwood Vs Bryson, 1st match Ryder Cup Sunday singles - Gavin Moynihan with a pretty neat suggestion come September time.

Know the Rules

Q - In preparing to tap in his putt on the green, Player A removes the flagstick and proceeds to putt he ball in one-handed. Is this permitted under the rules of golf?

A - Yes. Rule 13.2b(1)/2 - Player may make stroke while holding flagstick - allows a player to make a one-handed stroke while holding the flagstick with the other hand. However, the player may not use the flagstick to steady himself or herself while making a stroke (which would breach Rule 4.3a).