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Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
PGA Tour star who has wife with 23-year age gap could win £2.6m at Rory McIlroy's expense
PGA Tour star who has wife with 23-year age gap could win £2.6m at Rory McIlroy's expense Tommy Fleetwood has never won a title on the PGA Tour, but that could all change this weekend as the Travelers Championship continues to unfold at TPC River Highlands Rory McIlroy is playing well at the Travelers Championship (Image: Getty Images ) Tommy Fleetwood could win £2.6million at this weekend's Travelers Championship should he achieve his first win on the PGA Tour. The 34-year-old Southport-born star has never tasted success on the Tour, despite holding professional status for 15 years now. However, that could all change on Sunday should Fleetwood improve on his fantastic start at TPC River Highlands. Fleetwood currently sits at T7 after the opening round of the Travelers, with an incredibly respectable score of four-under-par. For context, that's just two strokes behind career Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy, who is T3 at six-under. And as he is just four shots behind joint-leaders Austin Eckroat and Scottie Scheffler, he may find himself embroiled in a battle for the ages to clinch the Travelers by the end of Sunday's play. With four top 10 finishes to his name in 2025 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, the Truist Championship, the RBC Heritage and the Genesis Invitational, it seems as though a win is incredibly close for Fleetwood at present. However, he'll face stiff competition in seeing such a feat at the Travelers, given the achievements of McIlroy and Scheffler this year. McIlroy added a long-awaited Masters title to his collection of trophies in April to become the sixth man in history to achieve all four major championships. He has also won twice on the PGA Tour. Article continues below However, McIlroy's form has dwindled ever so slightly as of late, settling for a T47 at the PGA Championship, missing the cut completely at the Canadian Open and seeing a T19 placement at last weekend's US Open. World No. 1 Scheffler, meanwhile, won the PGA Championship in May before adding another win to his name at the Memorial earlier this month - and seems to be the man to beat this weekend. Tommy Fleetwood has impressed at the Travelers (Image: Getty Images ) Should Fleetwood fend off stiff competition, he will be awarded a hefty £2.6m payday for lifting the title at the Travelers - adding to his incredible £21.7m career earnings on the PGA Tour thus far. It's clear that Fleetwood's wife of eight years, Clare, will be cheering on the Briton this weekend as he shoots for the first win on the Tour. Fleetwood and Clare initially met in 2015 when the golfer switched to Hambric Sports Management, instantly hitting it off before a romantic relationship developed off the greens and the fairways, despite initial apprehension from Clare given she is 23 years his senior as well as his manager. The two eventually began courting before tying the knot in 2017, and have been happily married ever since. It comes after McIlroy has seemingly had a change of attitude at the Travelers this week. Tommy Fleetwood has been married to Clare since 2017 (Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror ) Article continues below The 36-year-old faced criticism for his actions at the US Open, spotted throwing his club in frustration and smashing up a tee-box marker in frustration as the greens and fairways of Oakmont Country Club got the better of him. Meanwhile, McIlroy decided to snub the media during his opening rounds, while claiming that he had "earned the right" to pick and choose his engagements with reporters. However, McIlroy has seemed cheerful this week thus far, telling the media after his opening round: "Yeah, it was good. I said yesterday, this is a nice tonic compared to last week in terms of it's a slightly more benign golf course and the penalty for missing isn't quite as severe. "You can give yourself plenty of chances for birdies, which Keegan [Bradley] and I did today. Yeah, overall it was a good start to the tournament, and I think when you're in a two-ball like that and we can sort of feed off one another a little bit, too, that's nice, as well."
The National
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Rory McIlroy trails by two as Scottie Scheffler holds share of lead
Masters champion McIlroy had finished tied for 19th at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course – but ended the weekend on a positive following a three-under-par final round, which was the joint best of the day. The Northern Irishman – who saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before then missing the cut at the Canadian Open – had been looking to build some momentum at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell as focus turns towards the Open at Royal Portrush. Rory McIlroy made an impressive start in Cromwell (Jessica Hill/AP) World number two McIlroy landed a birdie at the second and then sank two more ahead of the turn at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of 2025. After picking up another couple, a further birdie at the 17th – from the best part of 30 feet having hit a fine recovery shot out of the rough and over the water onto the green – saw him finish six under with 64 to sit in a tie for second, two shots behind early clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat. American Eckroat hit a fine eight-under round, which included an eagle at the par-three 13th and a sixth birdie at the 18th. Scottie joins Eckroat atop the leaderboard with a 62 (-8) of his own!👏 — TravelersChamp (@TravelersChamp) June 19, 2025 Scheffler was one of the late starters paired alongside newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun – who unlike his playing partner endured a perhaps expected tough round to finish three-over following successive bogeys on the closing two holes. There was, though, no such trouble for Scheffler, who never looked back after three birdies from the opening four holes. The American – who landed a third major title with the PGA Championship crown at Quail Hollow during May – then picked up an eagle on the 13th and another birdie at 15, before a bogey at the 17th was the only blemish on his eight-under 62. McIlroy's playing partner Keegan Bradley is also at six-under, having dropped a shot at the 12th, alongside Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion. 'Overall it was a good start to the tournament, and I think when you're in a two-ball like that and we can sort of feed off one another a little bit too, that's nice as well,' McIlroy said after his opening round. 'I just want to see some good golf and see some better shots. I think if you concentrate on that and you are concentrating on your quality of golf and concentrating on just trying to play to the best of your ability, the result will take care of itself. 'There's no point in thinking about the result right now. I'm just trying to play as good as I can and make good swings, and if I do that enough, more than likely I'll find myself in a position to have a chance to win.' England's Tommy Fleetwood carded a first round of 66 to sit in a group tied for sixth. Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, runner-up at Oakmont on Sunday, finished one over following a double-bogey six on the 17th. Jordan Spieth WD during the first round of the Travelers Championship with a neck/upper back injury. — PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 19, 2025 Jordan Spieth withdrew during his first round because of a neck/upper back injury. 'I may have just slept wrong and then something came along. I don't know what caused it,' he said. 'I think it was just a random one-off that unfortunately got worse and bad enough on a Thursday that I didn't feel like I could continue.'
Rhyl Journal
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Rory McIlroy two shots off early clubhouse leader at Travelers Championship
The Masters champion had finished tied for 19th at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course – but ended the weekend on a positive following a three-under-par final round, which was the joint best of the day. The Northern Irishman – who saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before then missing the cut at the Canadian Open – had been looking to build some momentum at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell as focus turns towards the Open at Royal Portrush. World number two McIlroy landed a birdie at the second and then sank two more ahead of the turn at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of 2025. After picking up another couple, a further birdie at the 17th – from the best part of 30 feet having hit a fine recovery shot out of the rough and over the water onto the green – saw him finish six under with 64 to sit in a tie for second, two shots behind early clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat. American Eckroat hit a fine eight-under round, which included an eagle at the par-three 15th and a sixth birdie at the 18th. McIlroy's playing partner Keegan Bradley is also at six-under, having dropped a shot at the 12th, alongside Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion. ANOTHER 🐦 at the 18th gets him in the clubhouse with a 62 (-8)!! He's our early round one leader. 🫡 — TravelersChamp (@TravelersChamp) June 19, 2025 'Overall it was a good start to the tournament, and I think when you're in a two-ball like that and we can sort of feed off one another a little bit too, that's nice as well,' McIlroy said after his opening round. 'I just want to see some good golf and see some better shots. I think if you concentrate on that and you are concentrating on your quality of golf and concentrating on just trying to play to the best of your ability, the result will take care of itself. 'There's no point in thinking about the result right now. I'm just trying to play as good as I can and make good swings, and if I do that enough, more than likely I'll find myself in a position to have a chance to win.' Out of position? Not for Rory McIlroy. He is 6-under @TravelersChamp 👀 📺 @PGATOURLIVE on ESPN+ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 19, 2025 England's Tommy Fleetwood carded a first round of 66 to sit in a group tied for sixth. Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, runner-up at Oakmont on Sunday, finished one over following a double-bogey six on the 17th. World number one Scottie Scheffler, defending his Travelers Championship title, has been paired with newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun in the later starters.
North Wales Chronicle
10 hours ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Rory McIlroy trails by two as Scottie Scheffler holds share of lead
Masters champion McIlroy had finished tied for 19th at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course – but ended the weekend on a positive following a three-under-par final round, which was the joint best of the day. The Northern Irishman – who saw his driver ruled as 'non-conforming' ahead of last month's PGA Championship before then missing the cut at the Canadian Open – had been looking to build some momentum at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell as focus turns towards the Open at Royal Portrush. World number two McIlroy landed a birdie at the second and then sank two more ahead of the turn at the final PGA Tour Signature Event of 2025. After picking up another couple, a further birdie at the 17th – from the best part of 30 feet having hit a fine recovery shot out of the rough and over the water onto the green – saw him finish six under with 64 to sit in a tie for second, two shots behind early clubhouse leader Austin Eckroat. American Eckroat hit a fine eight-under round, which included an eagle at the par-three 13th and a sixth birdie at the 18th. Scottie joins Eckroat atop the leaderboard with a 62 (-8) of his own!👏 — TravelersChamp (@TravelersChamp) June 19, 2025 Scheffler was one of the late starters paired alongside newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun – who unlike his playing partner endured a perhaps expected tough round to finish three-over following successive bogeys on the closing two holes. There was, though, no such trouble for Scheffler, who never looked back after three birdies from the opening four holes. The American – who landed a third major title with the PGA Championship crown at Quail Hollow during May – then picked up an eagle on the 13th and another birdie at 15, before a bogey at the 17th was the only blemish on his eight-under 62. McIlroy's playing partner Keegan Bradley is also at six-under, having dropped a shot at the 12th, alongside Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion. Out of position? Not for Rory McIlroy. He is 6-under @TravelersChamp 👀 📺 @PGATOURLIVE on ESPN+ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 19, 2025 'Overall it was a good start to the tournament, and I think when you're in a two-ball like that and we can sort of feed off one another a little bit too, that's nice as well,' McIlroy said after his opening round. 'I just want to see some good golf and see some better shots. I think if you concentrate on that and you are concentrating on your quality of golf and concentrating on just trying to play to the best of your ability, the result will take care of itself. 'There's no point in thinking about the result right now. I'm just trying to play as good as I can and make good swings, and if I do that enough, more than likely I'll find myself in a position to have a chance to win.' England's Tommy Fleetwood carded a first round of 66 to sit in a group tied for sixth. Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, runner-up at Oakmont on Sunday, finished one over following a double-bogey six on the 17th. Jordan Spieth WD during the first round of the Travelers Championship with a neck/upper back injury. — PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 19, 2025 Jordan Spieth withdrew during his first round because of a neck/upper back injury. 'I may have just slept wrong and then something came along. I don't know what caused it,' he said. 'I think it was just a random one-off that unfortunately got worse and bad enough on a Thursday that I didn't feel like I could continue.'
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Jeeno Thitikul edges clear as heat takes toll at Women's PGA
Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand shot a four-under-par 68 to take an early one-shot lead at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas (Stacy Revere) Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul fired a four-under-par 68 to edge into a slender lead as searing heat and humidity tested players in the opening round of the KPMG US Women's PGA Championship in Texas on Thursday. The 22-year-old, who is chasing her first major victory after seven top-10 finishes, reeled off six birdies to move into a one-shot lead. Advertisement Jeeno's only blemish on an otherwise flawless opening round was a double-bogey six at the par-four fourth hole of PGA Frisco's 6,404-yard Fields Ranch East layout. The rising Thai star, who has already amassed 18 wins as a professional including five on the LPGA Tour, said she had taken a patient approach after shrugging off her early double-bogey disappointment. "I think like all the majors, I have told myself just to be really patient," Jeeno said after her round. "I definitely know that I'm going to miss a shot or make a bogey during the day. "Don't be like, moody ... I told myself be patient and focused on the next shot." Advertisement Jeeno was one shot clear of Australia's Minjee Lee, who had a roller coaster round that included seven birdies and four bogeys en route to a three-under-par 69. Lee was satisfied with her round but admitted the searing temperatures in the high 90s (Fahrenheit) were challenging. "I just kept telling my caddie, can you give me another water, can you give me another water," Lee said. "I don't think we could have enough (water) out there. It's really hot." Japan's Rio Takeda, South Korea's Lee So-mi and American Yealimi Noh were a further shot back after carding two-under-par 70s. Advertisement World number one Nelly Korda, meanwhile, is four off the pace after an opening level-par 72. Korda also admitted she had found the heat a struggle. "It's hot; I'm still cooling down right now," Korda said. "I'm pretty happy with my first round in the conditions. "It definitely takes a toll on you, the Texas heat." Auston Kim, who posted a one-under-par 71, said the heat had been more of a challenge than anything the twists and turns of the PGA Frisco layout had offered. "I think the most difficult thing is dealing with the heat," Kim said. "There were times I had to lock in really hard just because the heat is taking a toll on you. You kind of want to just get into a daze and it's hard to focus. Advertisement "The heat was probably the hardest part, and then hitting the fairways. I had to chop it out of the rough twice today, including on the last hole. "I thought I was going to make double for sure, but I managed to make a really good bogey." rcw/bb
