Today in Golf

On Friday, July 17th, Royal Birkdale delivered a historic and chaotic second round as two players tied the major scoring record with 62s and Bryson DeChambeau threatened to walk out over a controversial rules penalty.THE RECORD BREAKERSLucas Herbert and Sam Burns etched their names in history, both firing 62s to tie the major scoring record. Herbert tied the Open 9-hole record with a 28, while Burns charged with a back-nine 30 and 18th-hole bunker hole-out.Herbert missed a 5-foot-3-inch putt for 61, noting it "jagged left" and he was "absolutely disappointed," while Burns said there was a "zero percent chance" he'd play after his daughter's July 3rd birth.Herbert’s caddie, Nick Pugh, uses a battery-less rangefinder because his "old eyes do not see it so well," and fans blasted the NBC/USA broadcast for showing Rory McIlroy instead of Burns' historic charge.RULES DRAMA & MELTDOWNSBryson DeChambeau was hit with a two-stroke penalty under Rule 8.1 for stepping on fescue on the 5th hole, leading to a tense cart ride with official Grant Moir where he mouthed, "I am not playing tomorrow."Brandel Chamblee called Bryson "childish," joking he should have used a "weed whacker," while Jon Rahm received a Rule 1.2b conduct warning (reported by Smylie Kaufman) for bouncing his 6-iron ten yards on the 15th tee.The internet immediately erupted with jokes about Donald Trump intervening to save Bryson from his penalty.LEADERBOARD LURKERS & WEEKEND PREVIEWJackson Suber sits at T2 alongside Cameron Young and Ryan Gerard, while Scottie Scheffler miraculously lurks at 4-under despite an abysmal day on the greens. Suber and Herbert will brave heavy winds in Saturday's final pairing.Scheffler is dead last in putting with his longest make being just 8 feet 3 inches, while Suber joked that Birkdale gives "bad shots that end up great."Tiger Woods used the Friday buzz to organically market his Sun Day Red gear by tweeting at Tommy Fleetwood.Quick HitsRory McIlroy made the cut highlighted by a massive 377-yard drive on the 9th, while Alex Fitzpatrick quietly moved to 4-under • Cameron Smith missed the +1 cut after a double bogey on 15 ("Just one bad swing"), joining Matt Fitzpatrick and Jordan Spieth, who made a quad-bogey 9 on 17 • Fans are bracing for a brutal Saturday as heavy winds are expected to batter the final pairings.

On July 17th, 2026, Round 1 of the 154th Open Championship delivered a shocking leaderboard as 26-year-old Jackson Suber grabbed the solo lead amidst crusty conditions, player feuds, and the historic absence of golf's biggest legends.THE 154TH OPEN / SUBER'S CINDERELLA STORYUnknown 26-year-old Jackson Suber shocked the golf world by shooting a 5-under 65 to take the solo 18-hole lead at Royal Birkdale, highlighted by a spectacular 233-yard choked-down 4-iron eagle on the 17th hole."I'd only played 27 holes of links golf prior to this," Suber admitted, despite it being just his fifth day ever in Europe.Chain-smoking Dan Brown sits just one back at 66, publicly apologizing to his mom for ripping "seven or eight a round" to cope with major championship stress.THE BIG GUNS / BRYSON, SCOTTIE & RORYBryson DeChambeau fired a 67 with his 3D-printed irons while actively trolling Nick Faldo, Scottie Scheffler ditched his conservative game plan to attack, and Rory McIlroy struggled massively on the greens.McIlroy ranked an abysmal 148th in putting, comparing Birkdale's crusty, brown surfaces to a "dead Pebble Beach."Despite his dominance, Scheffler confessed that his growing collection of major championship trophies currently sits neglected in an "embarrassing" messy room at home.ROYAL BIRKDALE / COURSE CONTROVERSIES & LOCAL HEROESBirkdale's firm conditions and controversial renovations are drawing heavy fire, with fans calling it a grazing field for goats and players battling penal bunker ridges caused by R&A-mandated wide-toothed rakes.Lee Westwood blasted the course changes, stating, "You would not repaint a Picasso."Hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood battled first-tee nerves after consoling his son over England's World Cup loss, while 40-year-old local Matt Baldwin hit the opening tee shot in what he called his "last chance to play at Birkdale."Quick Hits27-year-old amateur David Howard, battling Cystic Fibrosis, lived out his dream playing practice rounds with Harrington and Lowry • Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are both absent from a major for the first time since 1989 • Adam Scott celebrated his 46th birthday by playing his 101st consecutive major and receiving the inaugural Spirit of Golf Award.

On July 16th, 2026, pre-tournament coverage of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale delivered massive off-course drama, from the R&A banning influencers to Bryson DeChambeau brushing off scathing criticism ahead of a pivotal major week.THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP / R&A & USGA UPDATESThe R&A and USGA dropped administrative bombs at Royal Birkdale, firmly rejecting a YouTube "creator classic" while revealing the PGA Tour has finally softened its hardline stance against the controversial golf ball rollback and equipment bifurcation.R&A CEO Mark Darbon refused to host "narcissistic grifters" to "remain true to their heritage," while USGA CEO Mike Whan noted the Tour backed off its 2023 "point blank" resistance.Matt Fitzpatrick added to the off-course tension, warning that the rise in golf gambling leaves players vulnerable to fans "shouting on someone's backswing."BRYSON DECHAMBEAU VS. BRANDEL CHAMBLEEFacing a potential grand slam of missed cuts, Bryson DeChambeau took heavy fire from Brandel Chamblee over his shifting priorities, though Bryson brushed off the criticism with jokes ahead of his Thursday pairing with Scottie Scheffler.Chamblee scathingly claimed Bryson went from chasing Scheffler to "chasing Grant Horvat" and wanting to "outdo every YouTuber."Unbothered, Bryson spent his practice round lightheartedly testing a 3-wood sweep putt and joking about a Lamborghini.SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER & LEV GRINBERGScottie Scheffler is taking the end of his historic 78-event cut streak in stride, while 18-year-old Ukrainian amateur Lev Grinberg prepares for an emotional major championship debut with his home country weighing heavily on his mind.Scheffler noted that losing a playoff "hurts his soul" much more than a missed cut, while Grinberg is playing for his grandfather in Kyiv, who always asks, "Did you win?"A friend of Scheffler's drafted an unsent text joking about his new free time to "go to the next tournament."Quick HitsHarris English's caddie Eric Larson was denied a UK visa over a 1995 drug conviction, joking about his Delta credit while English called it "wild" • Jordan Spieth's iconic 2017 drop zone on Birkdale's 13th hole is officially gone, replaced by a spectator village • Rory McIlroy pulled off a one-in-a-million practice swing, simultaneously hitting his own ball onto the green and blasting a lost ball out of the thick fescue.

On July 15th, 2026, we preview the 154th Open Championship at a baked-out Royal Birkdale, breaking down Patrick Reed's shock departure from LIV Golf and the growing superstar demands to overhaul the major championship schedule.PATRICK REED'S SHOCK DEPARTUREIn a massive breaking news segment, we unpack Patrick Reed’s sudden exit from LIV Golf. Missing the traditional adrenaline, he's now targeting the DP World Tour to secure a 2027 PGA Tour card."Start and finish my career on the PGA Tour."Reed admits he genuinely misses the adrenaline of traditional tournament formats after years of playing on the LIV circuit.SCHEFFLER, RORY & RAHM SOUND OFFThe game's biggest stars are getting vocal. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler delivered a morbidly existential press conference, while Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm pitched radical overhauls to the major championship schedule and geography."When it ends I am going somewhere else," Scheffler stated, while Rahm admitted his mental struggles: "God it is hard it is very hard."Rory is officially done being the PGA Tour's shield, demanding the compressed 100-day major season be stretched out to give players a breather.BRYSON'S 3D IRONS & FALDO'S FIREStaring down a potential "missed cut slam," Bryson DeChambeau is debuting brand new 3D-printed irons at Birkdale. But Nick Faldo isn't buying the tech, delivering a scathing podcast critique of Bryson's links strategy.Faldo claims Bryson "has zero clue of strategy" and must learn to "thread" rather than attack.Bryson's futuristic new irons literally "take about an hour to print," but Faldo jokingly coined his current major run the "Rough Slam."BAKED BIRKDALE & NEW RULESA massive European heatwave has turned Royal Birkdale into concrete. Meanwhile, R&A Chief Executive Mark Darbon is cracking down on the galleries with "The Open Commitment," targeting gambling and influencer disruptions.Lucas Herbert compared the turf to "a game of country cricket" where a 3-iron runs 300 yards.The R&A's strict new fan code of conduct is specifically designed to force "shared respect" back into the spectator experience.Quick HitsRahm pushes for majors in Australia and Asia • McIlroy wants the major season spread out • Scheffler doesn't care about his historical trophy count

On July 14th, 2026, we preview a firm and fast 154th Open Championship overshadowed by Phil Mickelson's scandalous withdrawal, break down a radical 2028 PGA Tour overhaul, and recap major victories for Haeran Ryu and Zach Johnson.THE 154TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPRoyal Birkdale is playing incredibly fast and firm, rendering traditional target golf dead. Meanwhile, the tournament is reeling from Phil Mickelson’s shocking withdrawal following massive misconduct allegations, alongside Louis Oosthuizen bowing out with a back injury.Eamon Lynch called Phil's reputation "battered beyond recognition" after a Golf Digest report detailed Ashley Perez's resurfaced allegations, quoting Mickelson: "I am going to leave my bedroom door open tonight and when Pat falls asleep I want you to come see me."Former Morrisons delivery driver Joe Dean is the ultimate Cinderella story; after qualifying, he is roughing it ("I am sleeping in my car at the moment...") and plans to marry his caddie Emily next Tuesday because "it was cheaper."PGA TOUR OVERHAUL & PLAYER PREPBrian Rolapp proposed a radical 2028 PGA Tour restructure featuring a two-tier relegation system: a $20M, no-cut Championship tier and a Challenger Series. Meanwhile, players are desperately adjusting their bags for Birkdale's brutal, baked-out conditions.Rolapp defended the structural overhaul: "All the stuff we do is completely irrelevant if the game is not good and pure." On the course, Jordan Spieth warned that "five irons are running out to three hundred yards."Johnson Wagner is predicting a missed cut for Bryson DeChambeau, prompting Bryson to desperately test a new 60-degree wedge for Birkdale's soft sand, pleading, "Dude like I can not not have this..."LPGA & CHAMPIONS TOUR MAJORSHaeran Ryu captured the Amundi Evian Championship in a thrilling playoff over Brooke Henderson. Over on the Champions Tour, Zach Johnson secured his first senior major victory at the Kaulig Companies Championship.Ryu fired a historic 11-under 60 on Saturday to set up her win, calling her ultimate victory "just a dream..."Johnson's milestone major victory serves as a historic farewell, marking the final Champions Tour event to be held at the iconic Firestone Country Club.Quick HitsRory McIlroy is working to fix a left miss in the heavy coastal winds • Louis Oosthuizen officially withdraws from The Open with a back injury • Joe Dean shoots a 68 to survive the new Monday Last Chance Qualifier

On July 13th, 2026, we break down the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open, where Tom Kim delivered a flawless Sunday performance to capture an emotional victory.TOM KIM'S TRIUMPHTom Kim ended a grueling 1,001-day winless drought, firing a bogey-free 64 to finish at 17-under and claim the $1.575 million prize, sealed by a clutch 203-yard 4-iron dagger on the 16th hole.Trevor Immelman called the performance an "absolute clinic" in accuracy, while Kim admitted to eating "humble pie" and finally trusting his "shot shape."Kim switched back to his trusty 2022 Scotty Cameron blade putter for the win and received a congratulatory text from Tiger Woods that Kim said "shows you the person he is."THE CHASING PACKMin Woo Lee made a fierce Sunday charge to finish solo second at 15-under, while hometown favorite Robert MacIntyre thrilled the Scottish crowds to secure a 13-under finish despite falling just short.MacIntyre lamented missing out on the ultimate prize, stating it was a "shame I could not give [the fans] something" to celebrate.Lee pulled off a miraculous fescue save on 16 dubbed "from haggis to filet mignon" by the broadcast, while MacIntyre wowed fans with a 301-yard driver off the deck on the 12th hole.Quick Hits$1.575M payday for Kim • Bogey-free Sunday 64 • 301-yard driver off the deck