The 28-year-old American golfer is a mini-tour pro and was rewarded with a Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption by Woods to participate in the third PGA Tour signature event. Although the tournament offers the last finishing golfers a $52,000 paycheck, having a chat with the 15-time major champion was greater than money for Johnson.

Chase Johnson Shares His Experience Of Meeting Tiger Woods At Genesis Invitational

On Friday, the Ohio-born golfer shot a four-foot par putt that got him inside the cutline to proceed into the weekend’s play. Making it inside the cutline already guaranteed him at least a $52,000 paycheck which would be his career-best earning in a single tournament.

However, Chase Johnson was not concerned about the money. All that got him excited was Tiger Woods taking some time off to meet him at the back of the locker room to have a chat. Although he met with the 82-time PGA Tour champ before, that meeting was quick and very short. This time he talked to him about golf stuff and got his father, Mel, to meet the legendary golfer.

As quoted by Golf Digest, the 28-year-old American golfer said,

“My dad… he nearly lost it.” Johnson said, “He was, like, ‘Anybody get a picture of that?’ He was very excited, and I was excited, too. I met my idol.”

Chase Johnson was looking like young Tiger Woods when he competed at the Firestone Country Club. Since then, he had been seeking autographs from the 15-time major champion. When asked if he received an autograph from Woods, he replied.

“Didn’t get it.” Johnosn added, “Had a glove, but didn’t have a Sharpie. I was asking around, anybody got a Sharpie? There were 20 people there and no one did. Tiger said, don’t worry, we’ll take care of you by the end of the week. Obviously, there were unforeseen circumstances.”

Chase Johnson currently plays on the APGA Tour and has made his fifth start on the PGA Tour. Although he could not get an autograph from his idol Tiger Woods, his golfing journey has just begun. If he performs well, who knows, he might turn out to become a great golfer like his idol.

The post ‘Anybody Get A Picture Of That?’: Golf Pro Finally Gets To Meet His Idol Tiger Woods At The Genesis Invitational appeared first on The SportsRush.

While speaking in an interview with Golf Digest, the 54-year-old accepted his wrongdoings and said that he was not in his senses.

“I made serious mistakes.” Cabrera added, “I refused to listen to anyone and did what I wanted, how I wanted, and when I wanted.”

Later on, in the same interview, Angel Cabrera wished to clean up his image with whatever he had in his control.

“I’m going to work as hard as I can to clean up my image. I want to recover the stature I had as an athlete,” the former Masters champion said, “Golf is everything to me. It’s my life. I have to continue.”

Angel Cabrera is known for his impeccable golf swing and a habit of smoking cigarettes before each hole. However, his life has been full of criminal cases lodged against him. Back in January 2021, Interpol issued a red notice against the two-time major champion as he left Argentina without permission from the authorities. He was charged with multiple cases such as illegal intimidation, physical assault, and theft.

Until June 2021, the former Masters champion served his time in the Brazilian jail. Cabrera was then transferred to his home country to complete his extradition. In July 2021, he was found guilty of the charges and was punished for two years of imprisonment. Later, in November 2022, he was again found guilty of physical assault and was sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment in the Argentine jail.

When Will Angel Cabrera Make His PGA Tour Return?

The two-time major champion made his comeback to competitive golf with the PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s Coast Open earlier in December 2023. Now, he is all set to make a return to the PGA Tour-sanctioned event, the Hassan II Golf Trophy. The tournament is scheduled to take place between February 22 and February 24, 2024.

JUST IN: Angel Cabrera is returning to the PGA TOUR Champions Tour this week in Morocco. It’s the 54 year old’s first start in a PGA TOUR affiliated tournament since his release from prison and a sign he may be on to a Masters start. (First reported: @dougferguson405) pic.twitter.com/NiiVvZe6Is

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) February 19, 2024

Since Angel Cabrera does not have a visa, the Hassan II Golf Trophy in North Africa (the country does not require a visa) was the best choice to make his comeback. The tournament will be played at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam and will have a prize purse of $2,000,000.

The former Masters champion will hope to perform well and try to clear his image at the upcoming PGA Tour Champions event.

The post Why Was Former Masters Champion Angel Cabrera Jailed? appeared first on The SportsRush.

The upcoming event has a history of around 80 years with the first edition being played in 1944. Initially, the tournament was part of the Tour de las Americas schedule. Later on, it moved to multiple tours until ultimately being part of the PGA Tour calendar in 2022.

Take a look at the 2024 Mexico Open’s prize purse breakdown:

Top Players To Watch Out For At 2024 Mexico Open

The upcoming Vidanta event is all set to return for its third edition on the PGA Tour this week. As of now, a total of 132 players are announced to be on the field. However, the numbers can vary before the tournament starts as multiple sponsor exemptions can come into play.

World No. 24 and the reigning champion Tony Finau is the top-ranked player from the Official World Golf Rankings in the upcoming 2024 Mexico Open. Also, he is on the top of the power rankings released by the US-based Tour. The American golfer has a scoring average of 64.83 in the last starts at Vidanta Vallarta.

Nicolai Hojgaard, who is currently ranked 34th in the World, is also on the field. He stands in second spot in the power rankings and will be an exciting talent to watch out for. DP World Tour player Thorbjorn Olesen is also set to make his first PGA Tour start of the 2024 season. Just last month, he won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, therefore, is ranked third in the power rankings.

The two-time PGA Tour winner, Emiliano Grillo, is the third player from the top 40 in the World to be on the field. He is currently the World No. 40 and is placed fourth in the power rankings of the 2024 Mexico Open. Meanwhile, the fifth-ranked power player is  Stephan Jaeger. If he proceeds to the final two rounds at Vidanta Vallarta this week, the German would record his 22nd consecutive cut on the US-based Tour.

Since most of the top OWGR players are unavailable this week, the 2024 Mexico Open will be a great opportunity for many young players to make a mark on the PGA Tour. It will be really intriguing to see if Tony Finau can defend his title at Vidanta Vallarta and become only the third player to do so in the history of the tournament.

The post 2024 Mexico Open: Exploring Course, Prize Purse, Field And Top Picks Of The Next PGA Tour Event appeared first on The SportsRush.

pic.twitter.com/iImcP4pNn6

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) February 19, 2024

A recent social media post questioned the fans to write their notions about changing ‘one moment in golf history’. As the question popped up, several fans wrote their thoughts and one wanted to erase LIV Golf from the golf memory. What did the golf community write? Let’s find out!

Fans showered their diversified views in an intriguing social media question

The social media post came up from the page of NUCLR GOLF. As soon as the question regarding changing ‘one moment in golf history’ was asked, the fans showered with their various remarks in no time.

A fan suggested removing LIV Golf and undoing the creation of the circuit that shattered the golf world.

Creation of LIV

— jake prince (@jakeprince) February 19, 2024

Another empathetic fan wanted to go back in time and stop Tiger Woods‘ 2021 car accident.

Tiger’s car accident

— Hugues Leterme (@HuguesLeterme) February 20, 2024

Joining the voice of the previous follower, another cybercitizen joined in to express a similar sentiment.

That Tiger never had his car wreak.

— Eric Lantrip (@TheQuePasaKid) February 20, 2024

A golf enthusiast and fan of Ernie Els wished the golfer to have won the 2004 Masters.

2004 Masters. Phil missing the putt on 18 and Ernie winning the playoff!

— Wikus Struwig (@wikus_struwig) February 20, 2024

Amid the empathetic remarks, a fan took a jab at Tiger Woods and wished that the GOAT had never joined the tour.

Tiger joining the tour

— COO (Chief Optics Officer) (@DripGene) February 19, 2024

A fan hoped that the former NBC announcer Paul Azinger was never appointed to the role.

The hiring of Paul Azinger as an announcer.

— Total Browns move (@TotalBrownsMove) February 20, 2024

One of the golf fans wished that the merger talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf had never taken place.

Jay monahan taking Greg Norman’s phone call for LIV to coexist with the PGA!

— Andrew johnson (@_Solomonisland_) February 20, 2024

A Phil Mickelson fan wished that the golfer should have not hit a shot off the driver at the 2006 US Open.

Mikelson not hitting driver on 18 in 2006 US Open.

— Charles Hilliard (@cshilliard) February 20, 2024

Another golf fan urged to see Arnold Palmer secure his Grand Slam after winning the 1968 PGA Championship.

Arnold Palmer secures the Grand Slam, wins the 1968 PGA.

— Greg Marthaler (@GregMarthaler2) February 20, 2024

Thus, it is quite evident from the fans’ reaction that many built-up regrets are there which have been gathered throughout the years. Henceforth, as soon as the social media question was asked, they finally found a medium to vent their feelings out.

The post “Creation of LIV” – Fans React On Recent Social Media Question Of Changing ‘One Moment In Golf History’ appeared first on The SportsRush.

Before Thomas, he had served Phil Mickelson for 25 years and whenever he found the six-time major champion resting, he would go back to NBC and take up his hobby as a reporter. He was also the voice of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Is Bones’ passion the only reason behind him now preparing to work as a lead analyst at the 2024 Mexico Open or there’s more?

Why has Justin Thomas’ caddie been chosen as the lead golf analyst for the 2024 Mexico Open?

The NBC Sports golf analyst, Paul Azinger, left a place vacant for the job after his contract expired. Ever since he departed, the media house has been looking for a replacement but has not yet found a permanent employee. Thus, a lot of different individuals have been taking up the role.

Kevin Kisner was the voice of The Sentry and the Phoenix Open. Paul McGinley was in the Hero World Challenge last year as a commenter and analyst. Then, Curt Byrum was handling the business at Sony Open in Hawaii, and Brandel Chamblee took up the role at American Express. 

Get ready to hear Jim “Bones” Mackay as lead analyst next week for NBC at Mexico Open. Told he’s committed to caddying for JT, who is taking the week off, and NOT throwing his hat in the ring to be permanent replacement for Zinger. Story here: https://t.co/uJTtgygnXC

— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) February 18, 2024

Thus, Justin Thomas’ caddie, Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay has been chosen for the 2024 Mexico Open. However, the caddie has made it clear that his choice should not be interpreted as his career choice. He loves his caddie job and is devoted to his master. He was alongside the American golfer at the 2022 PGA Championship and also carried his bag at the recently concluded Genesis Invitational where he missed the cut.

At the 2024 Mexico Open, Bones will be an on-course reporter on Thursday and will share the booth with other commentators on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Apart from him, NBC has not disclosed any other name for the job role at Vidanta Vallarta. So, it is still a mystery who will take up the mantle at the Players Championship which the media house will cover as well. 

Also, Justin Thomas, who will not participate in the 2024 Mexico Open, might next appear at the Cognizant Classic. Thus, the caddie-golfer could be next seen at the end of February. 

The post Justin Thomas’ Caddie To Join NBC Sports As Lead Analyst At 2024 Mexico Open appeared first on The SportsRush.

LIV’s David Puig has qualified for The Open Championship after winning on the Asian Tour, shooting consecutive 62s at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open. pic.twitter.com/odDnguHHyB

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) February 19, 2024

Before the Open Championship commences in July, 11  more tournaments will determine the players qualifying for the final major of the 2024 calendar. David Puig sealed his place with a two-shot victory which had back-to-back 62s on the weekend. The result was unexpected, given that the LIV Golfer struggled to get into the weekend, and made 18 birdies over the ending 36 holes. His concluding rounds were bogey-free and that helped him to go up on the leaderboard. So, how did the golfer cherish his hard-earned position?

David Puig is excited for the Open Championship

As Puig joined a press conference, the Spaniard reiterated how he struggled through the first two rounds, and then the result was nothing less than a treat for him. 

“It feels great, weird feeling for sure. We almost missed the cut. I was kind of playing good, but I kind of messed up. We actually finished round two good, and the weekend was insane. I mean, 18 birdies, no bogeys, in 36 holes was unbelievable. And getting that Open spot is super cool. I came here for that.”

When David Puig joined LIV, he was ranked 2819 in the OWGR. After his win at the Malaysian Open, he’s now ranked 141st. Another win, will likely see him into the top 100 and invited to the PGA Championship alongside his spot in the Open he earned yesterday.

This is so impressive… pic.twitter.com/6iqPeaddZL

— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) February 19, 2024

This was David Puig’s second triumph on the Asian Tour after the win at the International Series Singapore, a tournament that he won by five shots. The next qualifying event for the Open Championship will be the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Puig jumped to a career-high rank of 141st as a part of his Asian Tour triumph. He was ranked 2819th on the Official World Golf Rankings when he joined the LIV Golf. Thus, if he keeps proceeding in this manner, he could be in the top 100 and play in the PGA Championship. As of now, Puig does not qualify for the US Open or Masters through his rank. 

Although LIV Golf has faced rejection from the OWGR board, its players are finding ways to get into the majors through other events. Thus, it is to be seen who is going to be the new installments in the field of upcoming events. 

The post LIV Golf’s Young Gun Wins Asian Tour Event To Earn An Invite To The Open Championship appeared first on The SportsRush.

The American golfer revealed that he was heading back to the North West to join his family. As Zalatoris joined the press conference, he expressed how holding up his feelings was tough before breaking up in tears at the presser. 

Will Zalatoris reveals his emotions after the loss of a family member 

As Zalatoris unraveled his feelings at the Genesis Invitational press conference, he said, 

“I didn’t say anything all week, but I – sorry…I lost a family member on Thursday and she was…all week. It was very unexpected. This whole week was for her. My family can’t be here no matter what would have happened, but very proud of how I played.”

Added to that, he continued, “Just shows you life’s short and appreciate the moments, how lucky I am to be out here. Every week I’ve been getting better, so I knew I just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Bigger than golf.
@WillZalatoris was playing with a heavy heart after losing a family member earlier in the week.

“She was with me all week.” pic.twitter.com/9LC3rpyQpS

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 18, 2024

This was the athlete’s best finish after starting his season with a missed cut and landing up T34 and T13 in the next two events. He was a runner-up at the 2021 Masters and also at the 2022 PGA Championship and US Open. But Zalatoris doesn’t want to land in second place next time and is targeting the upcoming events for better outcomes.

At one point on Sunday at the Genesis Invitational, Will Zalatoris was leading the leaderboard. Thus, the golfer has confidence in his club, and in the coming days, he will make progress. His last round saw four birdies over the eighteen holes as he finished with a 2 under 69 score on Sunday.

The post Will Zalatoris Breaks Down In Tears As He Reveals “Unexpected” Loss Of Family Member At Genesis Invitational Press Conference appeared first on The SportsRush.

Riviera Country Club has been hosting the tournament since 1973. But the prestigious tournament has almost 100 years of history. Interestingly, a total of 25 past champions are all set to get inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. So, winning this tournament is of course a huge achievement.

So, let’s look at what all the winner of the Genesis Invitational shall receive:

Massive World Ranking Points

Winning the tournament at the Riviera Golf Course means the winner receives 68.5 world ranking points in the Official World Golf Rankings. Any other PGA Tour event offers around 58 points, but the Tiger Woods-hosted tournament gives 10 extra points which has a significant effect on the players’ rankings.

Loads Of FedEx Cup Points

Every golfer on the PGA Tour is competing with so much enthusiasm and dedication to earn a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoff event that is scheduled later in the year. The winner of the Genesis Invitational will receive a whopping 700 FedEx Cup points giving a great push to the player in the standings.

PGA Tour Exemption

The player who wins at the Riviera Golf Course this Sunday will receive a three-year exemption on the leading US-based Tour. Getting an exemption does help a golfer relax and take some time off to focus on what he wants to do in the near future.

Invite to Masters Tournament and PGA Championship

The winner of the Genesis Invitational will get a direct entry to two of the four major golf tournaments, the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship. Isn’t it great that winning a single PGA Tour event offers entry to two major tournaments!

Big Prize Money Paycheck and PGA Tour Title

This needs not mentioning that the winner at the Riviera Golf Course will earn a prestigious PGA Tour title. Not just the title, but he will also receive a huge prize money paycheck worth $4 million. Interestingly, the paycheck is comparatively bigger than all the four major champions of last year.

Winning the Genesis Invitational also has an even more interesting perk. The winner will achieve a feat that the legendary 82-time PGA Tour champ Tiger Woods has not done yet. Despite being the tournament’s host, the GOAT golfer is yet to win the title at Riviera Golf Course.

The post Here’s All The Perks You Get When You Win The Genesis Invitational appeared first on The SportsRush.

Will Zalatoris, who is the other tied second-ranked player, will play alongside fourth-ranked Luke List and will tee off at 02:04 pm ET.  The World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is ranked T20 on the leaderboard and will start his fourth-round play at 12:05 pm ET with his playing partner Max Homa.

Let’s take a look all all the tee times and pairs for the fourth and final round of the Genesis Invitational:

How Much Will The Winner Of The 2024 Genesis Invitational Get From The $20 Million Prize Purse?

The third PGA Tour signature event of the 2024 season offers a massive $20 million prize purse. The winner of the tournament gets a 20 percent share of the entire purse which is a huge $4 million paycheck. He will also receive 700 FedEx Cup points and 70 World Rankings points in the OWGR.

The Genesis Invitational gives a whopping $2.2 million to the player who would end up solo second on the leaderboard on Sunday. Meanwhile, the solo 50th-ranked player will receive a paycheck of $52,000.

Here is the entire prize money breakdown of the $20 million prize purse of the Tiger Woods-hosted tournament at Riviera Golf Course:

With Patrick Cantlay leading the charts with two strokes at the Genesis Invitational, he is most likely to record an outright win. However, the game of golf is quite unpredictable. So, until the last hole is played, it is difficult to say who will get their hands on the whopping $4 million prize money.

The post Here Are The Genesis Invitational Round 4 Tee Times appeared first on The SportsRush.

If the eight-time PGA Tour winner wins this week, he will become only the second wire-to-wire champion of the Tiger Woods-hosted tournament. The first and only player to win the tournament outright was Joaquin Niemann. He won the tournament in 2022 and topped the leaderboard in all four rounds. However, he was absent from the tournament since he joined the LIV Golf.

Meanwhile, considering Patrick Cantlay’s form at the Genesis Invitational, he is definitely a favorite to win the tournament. He is followed by Xander Schauffele with second-best odds of +275, as per BetMGM Sportsbook, for the final round at Riviera Golf Course.

Let’s see some top players with the best odds for the final round on Sunday:

1. Patrick Cantlay (+110)
2. Xander Schauffele (+275)
3. Will Zalatoris (+450)
4. Luke List (+1400)
5. Jason Day (+2000)

To win his ninth PGA Tour title, Patrick Cantlay must play safe and maintain a decent lead across all holes at the Genesis Invitational. If he manages to shoot a bogey-free round on Sunday, then he is surely going to become the second wire-to-wire champion at the Riviera Golf Course.

Analyzing Patrick Cantlay’s Performance In First Three Rounds Of Genesis Invitational

The 31-year-old has been sensational since day one of the Tiger Woods-hosted tournament at Riviera Golf Course. He shot a career-best 7 under 64 in the opening round to finish on the top of the leaderboard on Thursday. He was then followed by Cameron Davis, Jason Day, and Luke List by one stroke.

Patrick Cantlay was again phenomenal in the second round of the Genesis Invitational. He shot a brilliant bogey-free round of 6 under 65 on Friday and ended up as a 36-hole leader. Then, on Saturday, he tried playing safe but sank three birdies and two bogeys to score 1 under 70.

The former Ryder Cup star player is all set to start his final at 2:15 p.m. with tied second-ranked Xander Schauffele on Sunday at Riviera Golf Course. Despite having the best odds entering the final day’s play at Tiger Woods hosted tournament, he would have to be more cautious and keep a check on the leaderboard. It will be really interesting to see of the American gets his hands of whopping $4 million prize money.

The post Can Patrick Cantlay Win The Genesis Invitational To Become The Second Wire-To-Wire Champion Of The Event? Exploring The Leader’s Odds appeared first on The SportsRush.