Ko splits with Foley

Good morning golf fans! Seamus Power won his second PGA Tour win over the weekend.

1. Bermuda has power

AP report …”Seamus power did enough right to leave all the mistakes to Ben Griffin, PGA TOUR rookie on Sunday. He won the Butterfield Bermuda Championship to claim his second TOUR title.

• Power took the lead with his 25-foot birdie at the 14th. The final hole was bogeyed by Power, giving him a 1-under 70 score and beating Thomas Detry by one shot. Detry had earlier holed a bunker shot at the 18th for birdie.

• “But Griffin had the best chance.”

• Griffin had a chance to win the PGA TOUR just a year ago while he was working as a loan officers. He began the back nine at Port Royal by making back-to-back birdies. This put him at 5 under and gave him a two-shot advantage over Power.

• “And then, it all fell apart.”

2. Jordan Smith finally grabs his second

BBC report …”England: Jordan Smith wept after finishing at 30 under par to win Portugal Masters and his first victory since 2017.

• “The 29-year old won by three shots after leading from the first round at Dom Pedro Victoria.”

• The Wiltshire golfer said, “It’s just lovely to finally get the second win.”

• “Malaysia’s Gavin Green came in second place, with Finn Tapiopulkkanen fifth behind in third, and Eddie Pepperell fourth at 21 under.”

3. R&A chief: “Open, not banning anyone.”

John Huggan Golf Digest John Huggan Like the three majors, there are obvious decisions to be made when it comes exemptions and qualifying criteria to the Open.

• He says, “We’ll make public our plans for LIV golfers in January/February.” But if you need a guide, refer back to July. We are not banning anyone. We won’t betray 150 years worth of history or make the Open closed. The name is enough. That’s what is important. We will ensure there are proper pathways and ways for qualified players. Cam Smith will be teeing up at 9:40 AM on the Open’s first day next year. The Open must be able to put aside disagreements and keep true to its principle of having the best players around the world compete.

• “Like it, or not, the opinion of R&A chief executive is one which carries weight in the seemingly endless debates and controversy caused by Saudi Arabia’s well-financed venture into golf. Slumbers does have a point of view that is shared by many golfers.

• He says, “I worry about some discussions going on right now.” “I won’t go into details though. It is not my responsibility. However, I worry about the erosion of pathways. I also worry about the loss in value. Why is golf so popular with 99 percent of the population? They feel it is good for their health. They love being with their friends. They appreciate the honesty that golf demands. Many people don’t play golf to win big. I don’t.

4. Future plans for the LIV league?

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard The main points of discussion focused on the 12 teams.”

• LIV claims it is aiming to create a business model that’s similar to the one of the major American team sports, like the NFL, NBA and MLB. Officials hope that franchising its teams can generate a revenue stream that’s not currently available to the upstart circuit, which is funded solely by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

• “Our belief is that people understand team sports, even though it may not be right away. Atul Khosla, chief operating officer of LIV Golf, stated that they play team sports. They do have a favorite player, and it is not different from any other sport, but they can relate to being part of a team. This trend could be continued in golf.

• “It is a new concept in golf. But the human element of wanting to be part of the team is something that I already know.”

5. LIV final: DJ, 4Aces Roll

AP report …”Dustin Johnson sat back and watched the last putt of his season come in. He then pumped his right fist, waiting for the party to start.

• “Another big celebration. “Another big celebration.

• “Johnson drove the green at the par-4 16th hole, 370 yards long to make an easy birdie. Patrick Reed birdied his last to give their team some breathing room. 4Aces GC won the season-ending LIV Golf team championship in Trump National Doral by 1 shot over Cameron Smith & Punch GC.

• Johnson was the most successful winner of LIV’s first year, and this victory caps a remarkable earnings year. Johnson earned $35,637.767 after he won the season-long individual title for $18 million.

6. Phil on the phuture

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard Mickelson, an eternal optimist, looked forward to Thursday’s round after the tournament and noted how far the circuit has come in the eight months since his incendiary remarks.

• “I am quite surprised at how far LIV came because there was so much uncertainty about who would play in London. Mickelson said that the strength of the league is evident now, with a lot more strong players than ever before and a lot more strong characters. “They have a lot of men here, no matter how much you love or hate them.

• The 52-year old also mentioned a desire for more LIV events in international competitions when the series moves to the 14-event LIV Golf League. He even said, “We’re having a number of tournaments on multiple tours come to us wanting a LIV Event.” Could this mean that a bridge could be constructed to fill the gap between LIV and PGA and DP World tours’ growing gaps? It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

7. Asia Pacific Am

John Huggan, Golf Digest Armed with a one shot lead and the honor on the penultimate hole, Bo Jin made the shot that you just can’t miss. The ball was always heading for the inevitable splash landing, even though it was short and left of its target. Harrison Crowe took his opportunity next and made no mistake with his tee shot, landing on dry land about 30 feet away from the pin.

• “Double Bogey for Jin followed by par for Crowe, who swapped ownership of the one shot edge. It was over when both men made par on the 477 yard 18th. Crowe, third Australian to win the title, shot closing 72. This was his lowest score of the week. Crowe’s final round score of 13-under par was enough to make it through the final round. T-3 in Dubai last year and T-8 in 2019, Jin was the closest. Jeff Guan (An Aussie) and Ryuta Suzuki (An Australian) tied for third, four shots behind.

8. Foley and Ko Split

Golweek’s Beth Ann Nichols Lydia Ko and Sean Foley parted ways last month. Former world No. 1 took to Instagram to announce the news. The former world No. 1 made the announcement via Instagram. They noted that they had decided to separate as players and coaches for “logistical reasons” but that Foley would always be a close friend and mentor.

• Ko wrote, “When I met Sean, I was at a point where I didn’t have much confidence in myself or in my game.” He has been a great mentor and friend over the past two years. We shared so much laughter and learning together.”

• Ko, 25 years old, recently won the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea. This was her 18th career title. Ko called it her best year to date. Ko is a two-time winner of this season’s LPGA. She also leads the Rolex Player Of The Year race with 11 top-5 finishes in just 20 starts.

9. Seamus Power WITB

Shaft: Accra TZ6 Proto 65 M5

3-wood: Ping G430 MAX (15 degrees)

Shaft: ACCRA TZ6 Proto 75 M5

7-wood: Ping G430 MAX (18 degrees @17.75)

Shaft: ACCRA TZ5 Proto 85 M5

Irons: Ping iBlade (4) and Ping Blueprint (5 – PW)

Shafts: Accra TZ5 1050 M5 (4), Project X 125 6.5

Ping Glide 4.0 Wedges (50-SS and 54-SS), 58-TS

Shafts: Project X 125 6.5

Putter: Ping Mallet PLD3

Grip: Ping (PP58)

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord