DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Payne Stewart was the U.S. Open champion and No. 8 in the official world golf rankings when he died in a plane crash on Oct. 25, 1999. He remained on the rankings for three weeks afterward, before his name was removed.
OWGR will do that with Grayson Murray. Committed suicide May 25th.
Murray was ranked 61st this week, but given the two-year ranking system, it’s possible he could briefly return to the top 60. The OWGR said in an official statement that they were “currently in discussions to determine how to manage this sensitive issue.”
But a person with direct knowledge of the OWGR’s plans said Murray, like Stewart, would remain on the rankings for four weeks before being removed from the rankings on June 23 after the Travelers Championship. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the plans.
Murray’s ranking matters because the OWGR will be used again on Sunday to determine the top 60 players not yet qualified for next week’s U.S. Open. One of those slots will be awarded to Robert MacIntyre, who moved up from 76th to 39th after winning the Canadian Open.
While it is mathematically possible for Murray to return to the top 60, it is unlikely with so many players directly behind him in the Memorial.
An email from the USGA regarding this exemption category indicates that Murray will be removed from the OWGR list used to determine the top 60 and will be ranked 61st if the player is already out.
Charlie’s Big Week
Charlie Hull played in her first Solheim Cup at age 17. She has five wins on the LPGA and Ladies European Tours and three runner-up finishes in major championships.
And she was one of the most popular players at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open.
“Just for cigarettes,” says Hal, 28, from England, who extemporizes with speeches and aggressive golf plays.
It all began here A photo of her posted to social media last week She had a cigarette dangling from her mouth as she signed autographs for young fans at Lancaster Country Club.
Let her explain.
“I was literally walking to the practice field and my hands were full and someone asked me for an autograph,” Hull said. “I always love signing autographs, so I’m not gonna say ‘no.’ If I sign with a cigarette in my mouth, that’s gonna get around.”
Smoking and golf are both old but rare hobbies these days, and in her case, they appear to run in the family.
“My father has smoked 40 cigarettes a day since he was 12 and is now 75. My nephew also smokes, he’s about 25. Everyone in the family smokes so I don’t think it’s weird,” she says. “I hate cigarettes. When I was younger I used to swear when my father smoked but I think it was just for a quick puff when he was stressed.”
She said she tried e-cigarettes last year but prefers smoking cigarettes when she’s outdoors.
“When I’m playing a leisurely round on the golf course, I tend to smoke more than I should,” she says.
Hal has always been known as a unique character, and it took the cigarettes to make that known to the public, but it was a tough week.
“All my friends always tell me I should do a TV show about my life. If you think my personality is amazing on the golf course, check out what my life is like at home,” she said. “No one knows what I’ll say next, and I don’t know what I’ll say next. I am who I am, and I’m not going to change for the world.”
“I just be myself. People either love it or they reject it.”
Inkster Award
Julie Inkster is so committed to players getting a college degree — she did so at San Jose State before beginning her Hall of Fame career — that she created the Inkster Award to recognize the highest-ranked college golfer in her final year of eligibility.
This year’s winner was Ingrid Lindblad of LSU, an obvious choice, but with a little twist.
“He’s our first five-time All-American,” Inkster said with a laugh.Lindblad ultimately got five years of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The award was launched in 2020. The winner receives $50,000 from sponsor Workday and a spot in the Portland Classic the first week of August. Lindblad was unable to attend the awards ceremony as he is making his professional debut on the Epson Tour this week.
US Open Field
The U.S. Open will field 150 players in the tournament next week at No. 2 Pinehurst, with six slots reserved for players ranked inside the top 60 in the world or who have won multiple PGA Tour events since last June that qualify for full FedEx Cup points.
One of those spots will go to Robert MacIntyre, who moved up to 39th after winning the Canadian Open. There are six players still eligible to play in the Memorial: Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, Lee Hodges, Andrew Putnam, Riley Davis and Patrick Rogers. A win would guarantee him a place in the top 60, and it would be Hodges’ second victory.
After that, the field will be drawn from reserve players. The reserve player rankings at the 13 qualifying venues are not made public. The USGA uses a formula based on the strength of the players in the qualifiers and the number of spots they won.
Of particular interest is likely to be Sergio Garcia, who is expected to be high up in the alternate rankings, having not missed a U.S. Open since 2000. Adam Scott is the first alternate. The Springfield, Ohio native has not missed a major tournament since the 2001 British Open, the longest streak among active players.
Currently, the field consists of 16 amateurs, 10 of whom made it through Monday’s qualifiers, along with 11 others who made it through two stages of qualifiers: an 18-hole local qualifier and a 36-hole final qualifier. Chris Nagel won for the third time.
divot
U.S. captain Jim Furyk selected Stewart Cink, Kevin Kisner and Justin Leonard as assistant captains for the Presidents Cup later this year at Royal Montreal. … Robert MacIntyre flew to Scotland to celebrate his first PGA Tour Canadian Open victory and withdrew from the Memorial and its $20 million prize money. … Yuka Sasao’s U.S. Women’s Open victory propelled her to sixth in the women’s world rankings and secured her a second Olympic appearance, this time for Japan. She will compete for the Philippines outside of Tokyo in 2021, where she tied for ninth. … Auburn University’s Jackson Koibun, the first top collegiate player to win an All-American title, was added to the Memorial field outside of the four available spots. The Jack Nicklaus Award winner was unable to compete because the Memorial was held a week earlier and in the same week as the NCAA men’s championship.
This week’s statistics
Robert McIntyre became the eighth first-time winner on the PGA Tour this year.
The last word
“The first thing I do is what I’m doing now: win,” said Jack Nicklaus when asked by Auburn University freshman Jackson Coyvan what sets him apart from other players on the PGA Tour. Coyvan won the Nicklaus Award as the best golfer in the country.
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf