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The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Shane Lowry slumps in Official World Golf Ranking after two missed cuts in last five tournaments on tour
SHANE LOWRY has dropped down the OWGR ladder after a disappointing third major of the season. Advertisement 2 Shane Lowry is down to 16th on the latest OWGR ladder 2 The Clara ace is down six places since a career high prior to last months PGA Championship It was the Irishman's second missed cut in his last five tournaments played on the 2025 season. And he was left frustrated after the season's third major in Pittsburgh. The Clara star has had his best season to date on the 37-year-old Lowry's career-high of 10th position on the OWGR came just last month after his Advertisement READ MORE ON GOLF He's now down four places after the US Open test at Oakmont, where he finished +17 after 36 holes - having started the week at number twelve on the world ranking table. But he'll have the chance to one again rise up into the top-10 as the PGA Tour's 'Signature' Lowry finished T9 at the venue after last year's event, he gets his tournament under alongside Denny McCarthy at 6:05pm Irish local time on Thursday. The 2025 Travelers Championship is the last signature event of 2025, and there's no shortage of star power. Advertisement Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion - and favourite - while The Travelers purse is $20 million, with $3.6 million going to the winner in addition to 700 FedEx Cup points. Watch Bob MacIntyre's classy reaction after JJ Spaun holes winning putt at US Open No, there is not a cut at the Travelers Championship. All 72 players will play all four rounds. All the action will be live on Sky Sports from Thursday afternoon. Advertisement
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
US Open winner JJ Spaun makes £2.6m choice straight after amazing win at Oakmont
JJ Spaun will be back in action at the Travelers Championship, just days after winning his first major at the US Open, with the 34-year-old set to compete for the £2.6million top prize JJ Spaun is not wasting any time after his US Open victory, as he's set to compete in the Travelers Championship. The 34-year-old golfer bagged his first major on Sunday at Oakmont Country Club, along with a hefty £3.1million prize money. The notoriously challenging Pennsylvania course proved difficult for many, including Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, who failed to challenge for the trophy. Spaun managed to distinguish himself from the rest, being the only golfer to finish the event under par. Despite the magnitude of his recent win, Spaun isn't taking a break. Instead, he's jumping straight back into competition at the Travelers Championship, reports the Mirror US. He's lined up to compete for the £2.6m top prize at the last PGA Tour signature event of the season on Thursday. With a line-up of 72 players, including every eligible player from the top 22 in the world, Spaun will start the event at TPC River Highlands ranked 8th in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), having climbed from 25th prior to the US Open. Last year's champion, Scheffler, will be hoping to defend his 2024 title after defeating Tom Kim in an exciting playoff. This will also be the first signature event where the world No. 1 will compete against Rory McIlroy since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. The Northern Irishman is set to tee off this week after skipping the event last year. Since winning the Masters in April, the 36-year-old has been experiencing a turbulent period. In contrast, an emotional Spaun reflected on his win and confessed: "I never thought I would be here holding this trophy. I mean, I've always had aspirations and dreams. But a few months ago, I never knew what my ceiling was. "I never knew how good I could be, but I'm just proud that I've been resilient in my career and pushed through a lot of things and just trying to be the best golfer I can be. And, you know, I'm happy to display that today at Oakmont. "I don't think I did keep my composure, honestly, with all the breaks I was getting. So this time I kind of leaned on that whole experience where I came back after the delay at The Players and I just kept pushing." "I'm super fortunate to just have a good support system around me and encourage me and support me in ways that a lot of people don't notice," he added. "So I'm just proud of how I battled, and I'm super proud to be the U.S. Open champion."
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Rory McIlroy first to qualify for Team Europe at Ryder Cup
Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the 12th tee during the final round of the US Open. PHOTO: REUTERS LONDON – Rory McIlroy became the first player to qualify for Europe for the 2025 Ryder Cup, the team announced on June 16, with the Masters champion set to make his eighth consecutive appearance in the biennial event. The Northern Irishman sealed his spot through the European Points List, a qualification pathway based on performances in DP World Tour and co-sanctioned events, as he has enjoyed four victories so far since last August. "It's always a huge honour to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, so it means a great deal to have qualified for my eighth in a row and to be part of Luke's team again at Bethpage," McIlroy said. "Winning a Ryder Cup away from home is one of the biggest challenges there is in golf. We know it is going to be tough in New York, but we are all looking forward to that challenge in September and the opportunity to potentially do something special." The 2025 Ryder Cup will be held at Bethpage Black in New York from Sept 26–28, with European captain Luke Donald set to round out his 12-man squad later this year through six automatic qualifiers and six captain's picks. The 35-year-old McIlroy completed a long-sought career Grand Slam at Augusta National in April, on top of victories at the Dubai DP World Tour Championship in November, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and The Players Championship. A top-20 finish at the US Open over the weekend was enough to mathematically guarantee his place on the team. The veteran has been a Ryder Cup mainstay since his debut in 2010, helping Europe to five victories in seven appearances. Meanwhile, US Open winner J.J. Spaun jumped to No. 8 in the Official World Golf Rankings released on June 16, a meteoric rise from 109th to begin the season. Spaun began last week ranked 28th in the OWGR before he scored a two-stroke victory over Robert MacIntyre of Scotland with consecutive birdies in his final round at Oakmont Country Club on June 15 to win the US Open. Spaun, 34, has five career victories and held the 54-hole lead at the Sony Open and Players Championship earlier this year. He found the water on the island hole, No. 17, at TPC Sawgrass and lost a three-hole playoff to McIlroy at The Players. The US Open was his first win since the 2022 Valero Open and put him ahead of the six players ahead of him in the OWGR in earnings this season (US$9.644 million). Only No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (US$15.174 million) and No. 2 McIlroy (US$14.221 million) have taken home more this season. Americans Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Russell Henley occupy the No. 3-6 spots and Sepp Straka is seventh. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
JJ Spaun Takes Massive Leap Up World Rankings amid U.S. Open Win
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. If there's one word to explain JJ Spaun's U.S. Open victory at Oakmont, it would be breathtaking! Battling through rain-soaked conditions, the PGA Tour pro overcame a nightmare start. Spaun carded 5 bogeys in his first 6 holes, only to storm back with a birdie-birdie finish that sealed his first major championship. His 65-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole was the defining moment, securing a two-stroke win over Scotland's Robert MacIntyre with a two-over 72. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) More Getty Images With the win, Spaun walked away with $4.3 million, Jack Nicklaus' medal, and a place in history. He became only the third player to finish first or second at THE PLAYERS Championship and then win the U.S. Open, joining Tiger Woods (2000) and Martin Kaymer (2014). He also became the fifth U.S. Open champion to finish birdie-birdie on the final two holes, following Ben Hogan (1953), Jack Nicklaus (1980), Tom Watson (1982), and Jon Rahm (2021). If this wasn't enough, Spaun's victory sent his Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) skyrocketing, jumping from 25th to 8th in just a week. Your new top 10 in OWGR Welcome JJ Spaun and welcome back Viktor Hovland — Capt. Marchy (@TheMaster_Plan_) June 16, 2025 But the biggest shift came in the Ryder Cup standings, where he now sits at third, surpassing Russell Henley, who had been sixth before Spaun's win. Golf Channel reporter Johnson Wagner, who had been tracking Spaun's performance, gave a big stamp of approval for his Ryder Cup spot, stating: "I think JJ Spaun and the Ryder Cup—I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to be the partner." The updated Ryder Cup standings now look like this: Scottie Scheffler Xander Schauffele JJ Spaun Bryson DeChambeau Justin Thomas Collin Morikawa Meanwhile, Ben Griffin, who had been desperate to prove himself at the U.S. Open, has lost his 7th position. The 2-time PGA Tour winner expressed his Ryder cup dream before stepping at Oakmont. "I don't want to be on a Ryder Cup team just to be on a Ryder Cup team. I want to be a stone-cold killer who's trying to beat the European team and win points." Now, after Spaun's stunning win, Grffin's path to the top 6 is suddenly much tougher, and unless he pulls off another big win, he'll need a captain's pick to make the team. More Golf: U.S. Open: What happened between JJ Spaun and his wife, Melody
Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
This Insane U.S. Open Stat Proves Oakmont Living up to the Hype
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The USGA loves to pick big-boy golf courses to host its annual U.S. Open. This year, for the 125th edition, the U.S. Open returned to Oakmont Country Club for the first time since 2016, and midway through the 72-hole event, the course is living up to the hype. Carnage is everywhere, and Oakmont does not care about golfers' OWGR (Official World Golf Ranking) placement. With just a handful of groups left to complete the second round, a stat will put into perspective how difficult Oakmont is playing this week. There are currently five players under par and only six at even or better. However, on the other end of the leaderboard, there are seven at +20 or higher. Since stat guru Justin Ray tweeted this initially, one more guy dropped a shot. Currently at Oakmont: 5 players are under par 6 players are at +20 or higher — Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 13, 2025 To take it further, there are 19 players at +15 or worse. The average score through two days of play at Oakmont is 74.65, almost five strokes worse than par at this track. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 13: Ludvig Aberg of Sweden takes a moment while playing the seventh hole during the second round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2025 in... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 13: Ludvig Aberg of Sweden takes a moment while playing the seventh hole during the second round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. More Photo byAnother wild stat is the wide gap between the best and worst scores on Friday at Oakmont. Sam Burns posted a 5-under 65, and George Duangmanee's 89 is the worst so far. That is a 24-shot difference, the largest gap in any single round in an Oakmont U.S. Open. The gap between the best round today (65) and worst (89, so far) is 24 shots That's the largest such gap in any single round in a U.S. Open at Oakmont. — Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 13, 2025 Denny McCarthy, who went 70-74 and sits at 4-over overall, perfectly put what it's like playing Oakmont this week. "Everyone seems like they're exhausted when they come in off the course just because it's a punch in the face," McCarthy said. "Even if you've played okay and grind it out and shoot a couple under to a couple over, it's still just a grind." Currently, there have only been 627 birdies or better and 1,692 bogeys or worse. These numbers will slightly change, but the point is that there have been over 1,000 more dropped shots than gained ones. Oakmont is notorious for high scores. Dustin Johnson won at 4-under overall. In 2006, Angel Cabrera finished with a +5 to win the tournament. Fans love carnage at these major championships, but when do these guys start waving the white flag? More Golf: Jon Rahm Falls Apart at U.S. Open, 'Too Mad' to Speak Over a Minute
