Steph Curry picked up the MVP award for his performance in leading the Golden State Warriors over the Celtics in downtown Boston on Thursday night to secure the title, but he didn’t hang around to visit the US Open, instead heading back for the celebrations in San Francisco.
Curry is an avid golfer (with a playing handicap of +2.2) and numbers many PGA Tour players among his friends, including Rory McIlroy.
He has even played in a number of professional tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour on sponsors’ invitations, as well as playing in pro-ams and the 2020 edition of the made-for-TV The Match which also featured Phil Mickelson, American footballer Peyton Manning and fellow basketball legend Charles Barkley.
The basketball superstar also has a partnership deal with Callaway, the four-time NBA champion undertaking several initiatives with the golf equipment manufacturer to make golf more accessible to “underserved and underrepresented youth” in the United States.
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MJ swings by hospitality to hit shot of the day
Most unusual shot of the championship so far? That would be the fairway shot executed from the carpeted walkway of a corporate hospitality unit by South African MJ Daffue.
Daffue was actually in the outright lead at the time he hooked a tee-shot down the 14th into the hospitality area and opted to play from the carpet rather than taking a drop in heavy rough.
Figuring he wouldn’t have been able to advance the ball too far from the rough, Daffue opted to play a 4-wood off the carpet. “The thing about that is it’s got a little bit of spring in it, so even if you hit a bit behind it, the club will bounce into the ball. I was far enough left to actually miss the tree. I think it was an awesome shot,” he said.
Daffue’s daring decision initially reaped dividends in making it to the greenside rough only for his short game to let him down in running up a bogey six.
World’s top golfers to get their Hollywood moment
For all of the steeped history of the US Open, it will take a new step in hosting next year’s championship for the first time at The Country Club in Los Angeles.
Many efforts were made down the years to entice the club located near Hollywood to host the old championship, its members demurred … until a successful staging there of the 2017 Walker Cup on the North Course, upgraded by Gil Hanse, convinced them of the merits of hosting the 123rd US Open, which takes place on June 15th-18th next year.
The club is located on some of the most expensive real estate in the USA and has previously played host to the US Women’s Amateur and also staged a number of LA Opens on the PGA Tour.
Anyone interested in attending can currently register on the USGA website for the public lottery of tickets.
Mickelson’s Major return fails to take off
Phil Mickelson’s return to the Majors – for the first time since missing the cut at last year’s British Open at Carnoustie – resulted in yet another early exit finishing 11 over for 36 holes.
Lefty is one of the headline players to join the new LIV Series backed by Saudi Arabian money and, while insisting on retaining his PGA Tour honorary membership, Mickelson’s appearances have been as rare as hens’ teeth.
“I enjoyed the week, just wish I had played better,” said a mooted Mickelson who, nevertheless, got a good reception from the Boston fans.
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“I don’t come here hoping for second place. I think if you are a good player, you want to come in here and win, that’s why everybody is teeing it up. Nobody has a goal of just making the cut or anything like that” – Brooks Koepka who followed up his opening 73 with a 67 to get back to level-par 140 and back in the hunt for a fifth career Major.
Number: 42
Viktor Hovland took 42 strokes on his back nine of the second round, which became his highest nine-hole score as a professional.
At one stage of his round, Hovland ran up six consecutive bogeys, from the 17th to the fourth. The Norwegian suffered seven bogeys on his homeward run (holes one to nine), signing for a 77 to add to his opening 70 for 147 to miss the cut.
