Around The Commonwealth
DRIVE , CHIP AND PUTT and Phil Mickelson tied for second and Reed tied for fourth , meaning four of the top six finishers are currently on the tour . Questions about what LIV success ( with its absence of OWGR points ) means for future Ryder Cup teams will linger , as European captain Luke Donald found out in the run-up to the Waste Management Open in February .
“ We have all this talk about potential deals with the PGA Tour , with the DP World Tour , with the PIF ,” Donald said . “ I have no idea what ’ s going to happen , and for the next seven months , I don ’ t really need to know what ’ s going to happen because qualification for the Ryder Cup won ’ t start until then .”
What should fans watch out for at this year ’ s Masters ? A quick rundown :
• Rahm took less risk than other LIV converts when it came to moving over . His Masters victory last year and his U . S . Open win in 2021 left him with exemptions into just about every major through the end of the decade . He ’ ll play at least four events in the leadup to Augusta — LIV stops in Saudi Arabia , Hong Kong and Miami , along with the Players Championship in mid-March . As of mid-February , he was the betting favorite at + 750 , just above Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy at + 800 . The books certainly believe he ’ ll have little drop off despite playing mostly in 54-hole no-cut events .
• No one had a more disappointing 2023 Masters than McIlroy , who shot 72-79 to miss the cut for the second time in three years . He continues in his quest to complete the career Grand Slam .
• One player who will be missing is Bernhard Langer , the 66-year-old two-time champion who planned on making this his final tour of Augusta before tearing his Achilles in training in January . Have we seen the last of the affable German in Georgia ?
• No amateur has won the Masters , but Sam Bennett put a scare in the field last year , posting a pair of 68s before fading on the weekend to finish tied for 16th , the best finish by an amateur since Ryan Moore finished 15th in 2005 . The candidates to break through in 2024 include Santiago De la Fuente ( Latin America Amateur ), Stewart Hagestad ( U . S . Mid-Amateur ), Christo Lamprecht ( British Amateur ), Neal Shipley ( U . S . Amateur runner-up ), and Jasper Stubbs ( Asia-Pacific Amateur ). Shipley is a former James Madison University golfer and two-time winner of the Fox Puss Invitational at Lynchburg ’ s Boonsboro Country Club .
ROYCHOUDHURY TAKES ON DRIVE , CHIP AND PUTT CHALLENGE
Following in the footsteps of her sister Emerson , Maeve Roychoudhury will participate in the Drive , Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National on Sunday , April 7 . Golf Channel will televise the event . Maeve qualified for the finals last summer at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania and will compete in the girls 12-13 division , as Emerson did in 2022 . Courtesy of Drive , Chip and Putt , here ’ s a quick Q & A with Maeve .
HOMETOWN : Leesburg CLUB : The Club at Creighton Farms SCHOOL / GRADE : Cornerstone Christian Academy , 7th Grade HANDICAP INDEX : 4.5 FAVORITE GOLF COURSE : Ocean Course at Kiawah FAVORITE GOLFERS ( M / F ): John Daly / Lydia Ko
VG : How did you become interested in golf ? MR : Watching old videos of Jack Nicklaus play that my dad showed me and watching the Short Game TV show . It ' s so cool that my family and I have become friends with Avery Zweig who was on the Short Game !
VG : Who introduced you to golf ? MR : My dad would take me and my sister to the golf course all the time and he would reward us with Hubba Bubba bubble gum and Nestle chocolate milk when we had good practice sessions .
VG : What do you like most about playing golf ? MR : I love bombing drives , playing well , making long putts and winning tournaments !
VG : What ’ s the most difficult thing about golf ? MR : To recover after hitting a bad shot or come back the next day after having a bad round . I ' ve always had trouble controlling my emotions on the golf course , but I ' ve gotten a lot better at keeping my emotions in check over the past year , which has improved my scores .
VG : Favorite major championship memory ? MR : I watched the John Daly 30 for 30 on how he won the PGA Championship , and I thought it was so cool how he just showed up without practicing and won the whole darn thing . Now that ' s a slay !
VG : What would you serve at your Champions Dinner at Augusta National ? MR : Five Guys - it is my go-to victory dinner ! My order is a cheeseburger with pickles and ketchup , fries with vinegar , and a chocolate , peanut butter , and banana milkshake to top it off .
VG : What do you want to be when you grow up ? MR : I want to be a marine biologist because I am fascinated by sharks . vsga . org M ARCH / A PRIL 2024 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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