golfer

Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin says he has “no regrets” over joining LIV Golf.

McKibbin made the switch to Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII LIV team despite securing his PGA Tour card in November.

Alongside Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt, the 22-year-old helped Legion XII win the teams’ title and had a best individual finish of joint-fourth place.

“I’m very glad, I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’ve learnt a lot and I feel like my game has improved a lot,” McKibbin told BBC Sport NI ahead of the Irish Open at the K Club.

“I’ve no regrets. I love being there, and being able to come and play some events over here is really good as well.”

After signing up to the lucrative LIV Golf, McKibbin says he is “fortunate” to be a multi-millionaire at only 22 years of age.

However, while he says the financial aspect of the Saudi-backed golf league is a plus, his motivation when he steps out on the tee is to try and win.

“With how golf is now, there is a lot of money around it. To be part of it and be able to benefit from it is good, but I want to let my golf do the talking and that’s more important,” he said.

“I want to win more. It is life-changing and to be fortunate enough to have that is nice, but hopefully I can get a few more wins.”

McKibbin is eligible to play at the Irish Open as the conflict between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has yet to be resolved.

That meant he has been able to retain his DP World Tour membership while playing under the LIV banner.

The Holywood golfer says he hopes there is a resolution so he can continue to play at the Irish Open and other tournaments in the coming years.

“I think everyone just wants it to work out and play together,” said McKibbin.

“We’re all hopeful it can happen, so hopefully this isn’t my last one [Irish Open] for a while.

“I’ve still got membership and status here, and I’d love to play whenever I can. It’s good to come back to events like this.

“There’s some big tournaments and national Opens to play. I want to try and win those, so there’s definitely something important for me still here.”

Andrew Rodriguez first picked up a golf club when he was 3. Now that he’s an 18-year-old senior at La Serna High, golf has become his passion.

He’s heading to New York to compete in the championship event of Steph Curry’s UNDERRATED Golf Tour in the Curry Cup on Sept. 10-12.

UNDERRATED Golf was created to provide equity, access and opportunities to athletes from every community. Rodriguez earned his spot in the final with a second-place finish at the Pete Dye Course at French Lick, Ind.

He helped La Serna win the Southern Section Division 1 title last spring and has committed to Long Beach State.

He said the UNDERRATED Tour has been especially helpful for his family in saving money for travel and course expenses.

“It’s definitely been a big sacrifice for them,” he said. “It’s a huge help to myself and my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

He’s excited about his senior year at La Serna.

“I have a bunch of buddies I’ve been playing with since I was little,” he said. “We’re making memorable moments with each other. I love competing as a team with my friends.”

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Forrest, who lifted his maiden European Tour title at St Andrews almost exactly four years ago, took control of windy conditions over the weekend but saw his three-shot overnight advantage trimmed to two after Todd Clements’ birdie on the opening hole.

However, when Forrest birdied the fourth and Clements carded a triple-bogey eight at the same hole, the Scot led by five and never looked back.

The world number 294, who double-bogeyed the last, added two more birdies and a dropped shot in a closing 72 to finish with an eight-under-par total.

“It’s amazing, just speechless,” Forrest said. “I think it is the same week as I won four years ago on the calendar so just amazing, that must say something about this week and being at home.

“I just can’t believe it. It’s been such a tough year on the golf course. It’s just a crazy game that you can go and come out and do this, with what feels out of nowhere.

“It’s just that old chestnut that one week can turn things around and it has.”

Even after he had climbed to the top of the world rankings, there were some doubts about Scheffler’s game.

The statistics proved he was the best from tee to green. They also proved he was among the worst with the putter.

In late 2023, a call was made to English putting guru Phil Kenyon – whose client list is a who’s who of major champions – in a bid to improve with the flatstick.

Attention was particularly paid to Scheffler’s reading of the greens and increasing the stability of his grip.

Switching to a claw grip – where the right hand acts as a pincer lower down the shaft – has transformed Scheffler into one of the most reliable putters in the game.

The tweak helped him become the first player to defend the PGA Tour’s Players Championship, win a second Masters, Olympic gold and five other titles in a stellar 2024 that also had echoed Woods.

Leading the putting statistics after three rounds at Portrush, having holed 97% of his putts inside five feet and 90% of those within 10 feet, put him in command. He holed putts of 14, 15 and 16 feet on Sunday.

“[The grip] was something we tested out last year and felt comfortable from the start,” Scheffler said.

“I use it as we get closer to the hole, lag putting. Outside of 15 to 20 feet, I’m still putting conventional.

“It was something we felt could help us improve, and so far it has.”

While improved putting has taken Scheffler to Woods-esque heights, will it help him move closer to replicating his iconic predecessor’s achievements over the longer term? That remains to be seen over the coming years.