Gone to Play Golf

ROME — It didn’t sound like Rory McIlroy had any doubts in his mind. And he does know a thing or five about winning Ryder Cups. Seven times the Northern Irishman has been part of Old World squads charged with taking on the New World from across the Atlantic; only twice has he ended up

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterOct 1, 2023, 08:04 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — European star Rory McIlroy and American caddie Joe LaCava reportedly met at the Ryder Cup to clear the air Sunday, one day after

Yet on Monday, the 19-year-old Alabama sophomore came inches away from accomplishing something even more unique: Becoming the first golfer to shoot a 59 in college competition. Dunlap was playing with his Crimson Tide team in the Hamptons Intercollegiate at Maidstone Club in East Hampton, N.Y. After shooting a three-under 69 in the morning round,

Oct 3, 2023, 09:24 AM ET Rory McIlroy said not having the “big personalities” of LIV golfers Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter at the Ryder Cup allowed others to step into leadership roles and gave younger players room to grow at the tournament. Garcia, Westwood and Poulter were absent from Europe’s victory over

ROME — In the face of the obvious truth that European golfers were much better at executing their shots than the Americans over the past three days at Marco Simone, it’s time now to take stock of the latest home blowout in the Ryder Cup and ask the deeper “why?” Here are seven critical reasons

Oct 1, 2023, 11:09 AM ET Tommy Fleetwood secured the final half point against Rickie Fowler to hand Europe a victory in the Ryder Cup on Sunday at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy. The Europeans entered Sunday’s play with a 10½-5½ lead; no team had ever lost a five-point lead on the final day

ROME — He has no tell, forever stoic against the chaos that surrounds him and his eyes concealed by shades. The only noticeable stress is the gray in his beard from watching the things Jordan Spieth has done. But every man has his breaking point, and caddie Michael Greller reached his Saturday, on the 16th

Oct 2, 2023, 06:51 PM ET Xander Schauffele, an automatic qualifier for the United States team at the 2023 Ryder Cup, could have been removed from the squad in a contract dispute, his father told the Times of London. The golfer wanted to make three amendments to the player participation and benefit agreement but was

Xander Schauffele earned the chance to play on the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team, grabbing the last of six automatic qualifying spots to secure his second start in the biennial event. But according to a story in the Times of London on Monday, his place on the roster was in jeopardy ahead of the match

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterOct 1, 2023, 01:50 PM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — Zach Johnson indicated he wouldn’t change a thing about America’s preparation and plan for

ROME — Rickie Fowler conceding Tommy Fleetwood a two foot, eight-inch putt for the win on the 16th hole was a strange technicality which both ended the Ryder Cup, and sparked some controversy with viewers at home. I get that, but I also don’t agree with it. I was on the 16th green when it

Associated Press Oct 1, 2023, 08:14 PM ET ROGERS, Ark. — Hae Ran Ryu completed a wire-to-wire run to her first LPGA Tour title, a three-shot victory Sunday at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. The 22-year-old rookie from South Korea had four birdies and an eagle in her last nine holes at Pinnacle Country Club

It was a packed leader board at the 2023 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, but Hae Ran Ryu bombarded Pinnacle Country Club with birdies and an eagle on the back nine to take home her first LPGA Tour trophy. She is the 49th player from South Korea to win on the LPGA Tour and took home

Tom Hamilton Close Tom Hamilton Senior Writer • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Mark Schlabach Close Mark Schlabach ESPN Senior Writer Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of

ROME — The Europeans had a nickname for their American counterparts during the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club near Chicago. They called them the “Ice Princesses.” They were cold and calculating and clinical. They were all business. They seldom interacted with the large American galleries, opting to concentrate on their mission. It worked

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterOct 1, 2023, 01:50 PM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — Rory McIlroy needed this Ryder Cup win. The regrets of Whistling Straits have fueled

It goes without saying that the biggest event in golf this week is taking place in Rome. However, Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim might argue that it’s taking place in Hangzhou, China. In fairness, the two South Koreans might have a point, too. While the Ryder Cup is one of the biggest events in

Sunaadh Sagar Oct 1, 2023, 02:59 AM ET Gold should have been hers. Aditi Ashok walked away from the 18th hole at the end of Round 4 of the women’s individual golf event at the 19th Asian Games with a silver medal, and the feat of becoming the first Indian woman to medal at the

ROME — Saturday was an up-and-down day for both teams at the Ryder Cup. Not the morning the U.S. team wanted—or needed—but some impressive signs of grit during the afternoon session leaves the American, trailing Europe 10½-5½, with a small chance to make an enormous comeback. Yet the best place to start recapping Day 2

Associated Press Sep 30, 2023, 09:05 PM ET ROGERS, Ark. — LPGA Tour rookie Hae Ran Ryu shot another bogey-free 7-under 64 to push her lead to two strokes Saturday in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, leaving Lexi Thompson six strokes back with a round left. Ryu played her final nine at Pinnacle Country Club

ROME — You could argue that a report card should come after an event is actually over, but as with Whistling Straits two years ago, we find ourselves in a position where the event is tipping toward a conclusion before anyone hits a shot in Sunday singles. This time it’s the Europeans who have run

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 30, 2023, 03:07 PM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — European star Rory McIlroy had to be ushered into a car by teammate Shane Lowry during a heated argument in the parking lot

ROME — Swagger has no kinship with self-awareness. It only lives in the moment. In the 11th match of the 44th Ryder Cup, the U.S. team finally put a win on the board when rookies Max Homa and Brian Harman defeated Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka, 4 and 2, in Saturday’s third foursomes match. The

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterSep 30, 2023, 06:39 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler will miss the Saturday afternoon fourballs at the Ryder

ROME — It wasn’t until 2:01 p.m. local time that the U.S. Ryder Cup team gained its first faint glimmer of hope. Justin Thomas holed a nine-footer for birdie, and America had its first lead of the day. Yep, that’s right. Five hours and 26 minutes after the 44th Ryder Cup had begun, there finally

Sep 29, 2023, 08:19 PM ET South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu made five birdies in a six-hole stretch to rush out to the first-round lead at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Friday in Rogers, Arkansas. Ryu shot a 7-under 64 at Pinnacle Country Club, with a group of nine players one stroke back at

As golf fans witnessed, Friday at the Ryder Cup was an absolute disaster for the U.S. But according to Zach Johnson, things are even worse than they seem for the Americans. After falling behind 6½-1½ after the opening day, the U.S. captain revealed that in addition to playing against Europe, his squad is also battling

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterSep 29, 2023, 08:45 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Ludvig Aberg‘s career is on a rapid rise. In May, he played his final college tournament at the

The Americans had life. At least, in one Friday morning match. The scoreboard in Rome was a sea of blue already at the 2023 Ryder Cup, but the final foursome on the course was up in the air with two holes to play after the Americans won the 16th hole to claw to within one.

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 29, 2023, 06:15 AM ET Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy — If there was any silver lining for the United States team after Friday’s opening session of the 44th Ryder Cup team at Marco