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The post The best trick you’ll see at the PGA? Abraham Ancer with a ball marker appeared first on Golf.

“We’ve seen everything,” his coach, Boyd Summerhays said. “Let’s go.”

We’ll start with that second quote first. By now, dear golf reader, you probably have seen everything. You know your golf, and you know your golf shenanigans. You saw the headline above, saw the word “trick” and thought, you know, I’ll give this one a go, but I’m ready to be triggered if it’s nothing extraordinary. Summerhays, no less a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, was right there with you. 

Only, follow the dialogue there. Finau had seen it. He’s top 20 in the world, too. You can call him an authority. 

And he was asking Abraham Ancer for an encore. 

So during Tuesday’s practice round for this week’s PGA Championship, while waiting to hit a tee shot at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla., Ancer pinched the stem of his white, plastic ball marker with his right middle finger and thumb, twisted it into the air, then caught it with his right hand. 

And there, in the palm of his hand, the ball marker spun, like a top, for 5 seconds.

“I mean, golly, look at that,” Finau said. 

Ancer, Finau, fellow pro Jason Kokrak, Summerhays, their caddies and various others laughed. Summerhays filmed it and posted the stunt on Tuesday to his Instagram story, where he also wrote: “@abrahamancer dem hands.”    

“Oh, you got to zoom in to appreciate it,” Summerhays said in the video. “Oh, that’s nice.”  

Ancer then tossed the ball marker up before it finished spinning, caught it, and play continued. It’s here where we would be remiss if we didn’t reshare one of our favorite spins. 

At the PNC Championship last December, Tiger Woods took a ball with his right hand, flipped it forward, and it near-instantly checked on the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club practice green a yard or so ahead of him. A few seconds later, he did it a second time. 

Tournaments

A day later, I slowed down a replay to 1/16 speed to watch. Pinching the ball between his thumb and his index and middle fingers, Woods twisted his right elbow and wrist upward as he flicked both forward to create the backspin on the ball. (Think of the motion used for a curveball in baseball.) Notably, too, he held his hand palm up for a second afterward. The first ball went no more than a yard, bounced, rolled maybe an inch and stopped. The second ball rolled less than the first. 

And Brandel Chamblee did a double-take. 

“I’ve seen Tiger do some amazing things, as we all have, but I’ve never seen him do what he just did,” the Golf Channel analyst said on Golf Central Pregame. “I’ve never seen anybody do what he just did. I don’t even know how he did it. I mean, I’ve heard of the ball spin too much, but he’s throwing these balls out on the green and snap ’em back — I’ve never seen anybody do that.”

“Is he pretty proud of himself right there — like, check this out?” analyst and former player John Cook said.  

“I would be if I could do that,” Chamblee said. 

You can watch that video below.

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Take 2020, for example. I was paired with eventual winner Dustin Johnson in the final Sunday group, and it gave me immense confidence to build on. Some people say that winning the Masters boils down to putting, but trust me: You have to be sharp with every part of your game there.

That said, putting is critical, not only at Augusta but anywhere you play. I placed 41st and 29th in Strokes Gained Putting my first two years on Tour, and it helped me nab a win and a rank inside the OWGR Top 20. I try not to complicate things: I work on four moves to get the job done. Follow suit and you’re almost guaranteed to shoot lower scores. 

Keep reading below and let’s get started. 

1. Go for a square setup

I get that putting is personal, and that it’s important to be comfortable at address. I’m also aware that many great putters throughout history have adopted highly personalized setups, but, unless you have tons of time on your hands to repeat a unique address, I recommend setting up square. It’s something you can practice with alignment rods. Simply get your shoulders, hips, knees, toe line and putterface to point in the same direction. It’s easy to do, and, once you have it, it’s very easy to repeat. For my money, a consistent setup you can replicate time and again is a huge confidence booster.

2. Keep your elbows in tight

Sloppy elbows can wreak havoc on your stroke and really disrupt your timing and pace. Do what I do: 1) Stand tall and tuck your elbows into your sides while making the final adjustments on your grip; 2) without moving anything else, bend from your hips and sole the putter on the ground behind the ball. “Connecting” your elbows to your body like this makes it much easier to keep your stroke on line when you begin your motion; it almost naturally squares you up so you know exactly where you’re aiming.

3. Start your stroke with your left shoulder

The quickest way to lose tempo and manipulate the putterhead off-line is to power the start of your stroke with your hands. Things just get too wobbly. I picture starting the putter back using the back of my left shoulder. (Sometimes I’ll practice with my hand on my shoulder to remind myself, as I’m demonstrating here.) This technique may sound a little different, but when you try it you’ll notice how it keeps everything super steady — from your body to the putterface — from start to finish.

4. Aim close, not far

Like most golfers, I see break relative to the hole, as in “This putt needs to start two inches outside-right of the cup.” The mistake most players make is that they then focus on and try to aim their putter toward a spot two inches outside the right. Easy to do from three feet, but not 30, where a lot of putts for recreational golfers originate. Instead, focus on a spot just two feet in front of you that’s on the line you’ve chosen, and then simply roll the ball over that point. If your speed is right, you’ll always be around the hole.

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The post Why Mark Wahlberg is so drawn to golf, and what it’s like to play with him appeared first on Golf.

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Nearly six years ago, the Hollywood star — and golf fanatic — had a backyard short-game facility installed. Fittingly, it’s a blockbuster.

Built by Back Nine Greens, the setup features a mini-constellation of rollicking greens, deep alabaster bunkers and multiple chipping and pitching areas.

The entire property is ringed by canyons, and the farthest tee is etched high up on a slope. It plays a little more than 120 yards, but not just any guest is allowed to hit from it. Only Wahlberg’s closest pals enjoy that privilege.

Among them is PGA Tour winner Abraham Ancer, Wahlberg’s friend and business partner in the premium tequila company, Flecha Azul. On a sun-splashed afternoon not long ago, Wahlberg and Ancer took a break from talking shop and clambered up to the nosebleed tees, where they competed in an impromptu game of closest to the pin.

Who came out victorious? Watch their showdown here:

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The post Big shots: Abraham Ancer and Mark Wahlberg teamed up in the tequila business — and are having a blast appeared first on Golf.

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*****

Pro golfers and celebrities have been ham-and-egging it since the days of Bing Crosby and his Clambake. But they aren’t just pairing up in pro-ams anymore. There’s real business at hand — mixed with legit camaraderie. Witness the scene on this sun-kissed afternoon in Beverly Hills, where Abraham Ancer and Mark Wahlberg are whacking pitching wedges on the sprawling grounds behind Wahlberg’s home.

Even in street clothes, there’s no mistaking Ancer, the bantam-built 30-year-old Tour pro whose face has become a fixture on Sunday broadcasts. Wahlberg, for his part, would stand out anywhere, a Hollywood star, still ripped at 50, his box-office biceps straining the sleeves of his T-shirt. True to reputation, an entourage surrounds him, including several handlers and an HBO film crew. With the cameras whirring, Wahlberg cedes the stage to Ancer.

Or, rather, the tee.

“Let’s see it, pro,” Wahlberg says.

Blanketed in artificial turf, the elevated perch where their group has gathered doubles as the launchpad for a short par-3 that plays across the back edge of the actor’s estate. Wahlberg had the hole installed five years ago, part of a tricked-out backyard that, in addition to a pro-level skate park and hoops court, includes a chipping area and multiple practice greens. Its grounds ripple with dramatic undulations. Its fake grass looks Augusta-real.

Club in hand, Ancer steps up, waggles, swings. The shot takes off with the oomph of perfect impact.

“That’s such a great sound,” Wahlberg says, as Ancer’s ball covers the pin.

The get-together has the makings of a casual practice session. But, even as they take turns lining up shots, Wahlberg and Ancer are also talking shop. More than playing partners, they are business partners, an A-list golfer and a golf-obsessed A-lister whose overlapping interests make them emblematic of a larger trend.

Lifestyle

Long gone are the days when the game’s best players limited their off-course ventures to architecture and one-dimensional endorsement deals. Though it’s tough to pinpoint when the groundswell started, it’s fair to say that it was underway by the late 1990s, when Ernie Els opened a winery and Greg Norman started selling everything from steaks to investment funds.

In the decades since, it has only picked up pace. The trail blazed by the business-minded likes of Norman, a former world-number-one-turned-one-man-conglomerate, is trod today by a long parade of Tour-pro entrepreneurs, their side hustles and holdings spanning from brewpubs and bourbon labels to putt-putt venues.

Over the same period, athletes and entertainers who once turned to golf as a privileged escape, if they bothered with it at all, have deepened their investment in the game. What they have invested isn’t just their time.

This intermingling of opportunities and interests has given rise to an eclectic mix of golf-celebrity enterprises, so that we now live in a world where Peyton Manning is part owner of a cult-favorite nine-hole course, Steph Curry’s production company has a content deal with NBC/Golf Channel and Bubba Watson owns a candy shop.

In this expanding ecosystem, Ancer and Wahlberg have grown close, a bond they formalized into a business deal in August of this year when Wahlberg bought in on Flecha Azul, the top-shelf tequila company that Ancer cofounded. The brand speaks to each man in different ways.

For Ancer, who was educated in the United States but raised just across the border in Reynosa, Mexico, traditional tequila is a cap tip to his heritage and an antidote to the cut-rate stuff that masquerades widely as the real thing. “I take pride and responsibility in showing people how good tequila can actually be,” he says.

For Wahlberg, a former brawler from South Boston, Flecha Azul fits the clean-sipping lifestyle of the person he’s become. He was also taken by the backstory of the brand and its cofounders.

“They’re self-made guys,” Wahlberg says of Ancer and his Flecha Azul partner, Aron Marquez. “I don’t knock anyone for coming from wealth or privilege. But I do have an appreciation for people who have created their own destiny, like Abe and Aron.”

As Ancer tells it, the Flecha Azul concept was almost preordained. It started taking shape on the day he first met Marquez, the CEO of Wildcat Oil Tools, at the 2018 Fort Worth Invitational, where the two were partnered in a pro-am. Barely finished with first-tee introductions, Marquez pointed to Ancer’s bag and noted the Mexican flag emblazoned on it.

“That was it. We were off and running,” Ancer says. “The more we talked, the more we realized how much we had in common.”

Not only did they share a nationality, portions of their childhoods also had overlapped. Both were born to families of modest means and grew up border-straddling, supported by parents who patched together jobs to make ends meet. During summer breaks from high school, in Odessa, Texas, Marquez picked onions, pooling money he would use to help put himself through college. Ancer knew Odessa. It was where he starred in junior college, an undersized overachiever who’d been bypassed by all the big Division I schools.

In a single season at Odessa, Ancer made such a splash — nabbing medalist honors in six events and winning the Jack Nicklaus Award for best junior college player in the country — that he was snatched up the next year by golf powerhouse Oklahoma. To top off the connections, Oklahoma was where Marquez studied business before building a successful company from scratch.

Both men had come a long way. But what struck them as their round unfolded was how close they felt to their beginnings.

“We were just spitballing back and forth, talking tacos, tequila, all the things we loved about Mexican food and culture,” Ancer says. “It was maybe a few holes in when Aron goes, ‘You know, we should start something together.’”

Within months, they did.

The tequila Ancer and Marquez had in mind was not the kind you slug and regret later. It had to be the real deal, made from 100 percent blue agave in one of the five regions of Mexico that qualify for the “tequila” designation.

“It’s not like you can just say, ‘Okay, let’s buy land and start distilling,’” Ancer says. “The plants take years to grow, and the process itself takes time. The culture of tequila is as pure as it gets. You have to go to the right places and then find people who do it right.”

Ancer’s childhood friend made a gentle introduction to a family in Jalisco who had been producing tequila for nearly 100 years. The family wasn’t big on working with outsiders. But, in time, a friendship formed. Recipe testing followed. In March 2020, more than two years after they’d hatched the concept, Ancer and Marquez popped the top on their first bottle of Flecha Azul. They chose the name in part for its simplicity (“We wanted words that were easy for everyone to pronounce,” Ancer says) but also for its symbolism: Flecha is the Spanish word for “arrow,” a projectile that only flies forward after being pulled back. The idea is that there’s power and value in the past — in humble roots, in tequila made according to tradition. Keep the product pure. No extra sugar. No additives at all.

“There’s a reason everybody has a bad tequila story,” Ancer says. “That’s because there’s a lot of bad tequila out there.”

Wahlberg could tell a few of those stories. But they’re from a past life. For years now, he’s been known as a fitness fiend, even by aerobicized Hollywood standards. His commitment to the gym is matched by his energy for entrepreneurship. Wahlberg’s business interests — which include a burger chain, a clothing company and a cluster of car dealerships — are myriad enough to have inspired an HBO docuseries, Wahl Street.

In the throes of a pandemic that battered a couple of his ventures, Wahlberg says he wasn’t looking for another investment. But then a business colleague dropped off a sample of Flecha Azul. Wahlberg is not a monk. He likes to unwind, but without the morning-after repercussions. He would drink more wine, he says, if it didn’t mean “consuming a lot of fluids and a lot of sugar.”

“Then I tried the tequila,” he says. “It’s elegant. You’re sipping it. You enjoy it. And then I feel fantastic the next day when I wake up.”

Usually, that’s before the roosters. A father of four with a full slate of business obligations, Wahlberg isn’t one for wasting daylight. That means predawn workouts and sunrise rounds. He used to be a regular presence on the celebrity pro-am circuit, but six hours of hit-and-giggle are more than he can take. Around L.A., at two of the premier clubs where he is a member, he’s famous for sprinting through 18 in half the time it takes to watch one of his movies.

“Unfortunately, unlike Abe, I cannot make a living playing golf,” Wahlberg says. “And I have a lot I want to get done so I can get back to my wife and kids.”

Early speed-golf outings are not conducive to cocktails on the course, but Wahlberg says he wouldn’t want them anyway.

“I’ve seen guys who are fall-down drunk winning local tournaments, but I don’t see them winning on national TV,” he says. “So those aren’t really the examples for me.”

Ancer, on the other hand, makes a fine role model, and on this sun-kissed afternoon at Wahlberg’s estate, the actor is watching the pro in admiration. The two have played a handful of rounds together, though never quite at Wahlberg’s preferred frenzied pace.

“That’s just crazy,” Ancer says.

Today’s laid-back get-together is more his speed — a chance to smack some balls but also talk some business, a task that Ancer enjoys as a cerebral balance to his go-go life on Tour.

“I love the creative challenge,” he says. “You’re always bouncing around ideas, trying to work out problems.”

Flecha Azul is not the only outlet for Ancer’s entrepreneurial drive. In addition to having ties to Black Quail Apparel and a distribution deal with equipment-maker Miura, he is also the co-owner of a driving range in San Antonio. But the tequila is the one that flows most freely from his life outside of golf. And it’s about to start spilling forth in much greater volume. Currently available in just a handful of states, Flecha Azul is set to roll out nationally over the next few months. This means work lies ahead.

At the moment, though, it’s all about relaxation. Ancer whacks a few more wedges, then gives the tee to Wahlberg, who hits left-handed with a solid, compact swing.

“That’s right on plane,” Ancer says. “There’s not much to fix than to get more chance to practice.”

On it goes like this, the two men taking turns, chatting, laughing. Wahlberg proposes playing closest to the pin (see video above). A friendly contest breaks out between a couple of guys who thrive on competition. It’s not hard to envision their tequila taking off. But, judging from the arc and dispersion of their shots, neither the Hollywood stalwart nor the soaring Tour pro will want to quit his day job soon.

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Ancer is the latest high-profile name to join a PGA Tour staff that already includes Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele. Financial terms were not disclosed, but it’s understood Ancer will use a Callaway driver and Odyssey putter as part of the — two pieces of gear he already had in the bag when he won the 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

“I’m excited to officially join Callaway, and after playing their equipment over the past several years, I feel really confident about making the switch,” Ancer said. “The performance from their drivers is always impressive, their putters are outstanding, and I’ve developed a strong relationship with their Tour Team. This is a great fit for me, and I can’t wait to get this new year started.”

Ancer is currently ranked 17th in the Official World Golf Ranking and plans to open this season this week in Maui at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Yuka Saso burst onto the scene last year with her victory at the U.S. Women’s Open, equaling Inbee Park as the youngest winner in the tournament’s history at 19. Ranked 8th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Saso is set to put in play Callaway woods, irons, wedge and an Odyssey putter when she returns to the course at the LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

“I’m so happy to join Callaway, and to work with their outstanding Tour team as I start the next phase of my career with their equipment,” Saso said. “From their drivers to their golf balls, the performance really stands out to me in testing and out on the course. I feel confident that this is the best setup for my game, and I’m looking forward to a great year.”

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.

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His game was fun to watch, and as a teacher, a few things stuck out to me that we can all learn from.

1. Phenomenal footwork (and balance)

Ancer seemingly hit every fairway, and his irons were amazing. Every shot sounded pure and took off like a laser straight towards the pin. Ancer plays Muira irons (an affiliate company of GOLF.com) and I know first-hand how hard he works getting the details of his equipment squared to an exacting degree. You could see it pay off.

As for his technique, on every shot he hit, his maintained his balance to perfection. Often amateurs will hit a shot and fall off to the side by the time they get to their follow through. Ancer’s footwork was quiet throughout, and his weight shifted seamlessly from foot to foot during his swing no matter the club. Take note, golfers.

2. Aggressive chipping motion

Abraham’s bread-and-butter is around the greens, though. His routine is a big part of his chipping and pitching success: He sets the club behind the ball, then places his hands on the club and steps into the shot. Once he’s set up in an athletic position with good posture, two things stood out: Speed and flow.

Abrahm has a very dynamic and aggressive move with his body on his forward swing. There was no sign of deceleration. He set the club with his wrists, kept his backswing short, then used his body to make crisp contact, without any sign of jerky tempo.

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Irons

Ancer uses a bag of mixed brands, including a Callaway driver, TaylorMade fairway woods, a Srixon driving iron, Miura irons, a Miura wedge, two Artisan Golf wedges, an Odyssey putter and a Titleist golf ball. While Ancer doesn’t have a full bag equipment deal, he does have a unique partnership with Miura.

For more information on the clubs Ancer used this week to win, check out his full specifications below.

Driver: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond LS (Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Blue 60TX shaft), 8.5 degrees

All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Callaway Epic Speed Driver

$529.99

OUR TAKE: It’s good to have options. With Callaway’s new-look Epic Max and Epic Speed, testers found two equally appealing packages: One geared for those who need a bit more forgiveness and another for the better player craving a penetrating launch. “I could put both in the bag,” said a tester. “Both were fantastic on misses, and the flatter flight of the Speed was very consistent. I could totally see myself throwing in a strong-lofted Speed and Max 5-wood to launch it high. That sounds really appealing.” Don’t be surprised if other golfers follow suit. THE DETAILS: While the new Jailbreak system in the driver is sure to garner the most interest, it’s actually not the only club receiving a complete makeover. The Epic fairway woods feature Jailbreak A.I. Velocity Blades that are spread wider apart to stiffen the structure, allowing the C300 maraging steel face cup to flex at impact. The forward CG location on Epic Speed, combined with a new leading-edge design, promotes a strong ball flight with less spin. An oversized head and shallow face make Epic Max an ideal option for a wider handicap range. Launch and spin can be altered depending on where the two sole weights (2 and 14 grams) are positioned. Check out 150+ reviews from our gear experts in the ClubTest 2021 collection

Buy Now

View Product

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max (Project X Evenflow Riptide shaft), 15 degrees

TaylorMade SIM2 Max Fairway Wood

$299.99

OUR TAKE: “I love the high launch.” With that simple statement, one of our testers summed up exactly what TaylorMade was striving for with its new SIM2 fairways. While the overall look of the SIM2 fairways is comparable to the original SIM heads, our GOLF testers repeatedly commented on the higher trajectories they were seeing. “Even my mishits are towering, the ball just flies,” another tester said. “It feels lively and easy to hit off the ground.” THE DETAILS: It’s no accident our testers saw noticeable height increases with the SIM2 fairway woods. That was by design. While continuing to evolve its versatile V-Steel soles of last year, TaylorMade has redesigned the SIM2 heads to move weight lower to the ground for higher launch and more forgiveness. TaylorMade’s smaller and more workable SIM2 Titanium heads utilize 80-gram sole plates and a ZATECH Titanium Faces, whereas the SIM2 Max fairways are designed with C300 steel faces and have bigger heads for increased accuracy and distance Check out 150+ reviews from our gear experts in the ClubTest 2021 collection.

Buy Now

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5-wood: TaylorMade M2 2017 (Matrix VLCT shaft), 18 degrees

Driving iron: Srixon ZX (4-iron; Mitsubishi MMT shaft), 23 degrees

Irons: Miura TC-201 (5-PW; Mitsubishi MMT 105TX shafts)

$300

The Miura TC-201 incorporates progressive weighting in the sole which provides a lower center of gravity in the long irons for added height and higher trajectory on longer shots. Slightly changing to a higher center of gravity in the short irons creates a lower trajectory and more control on shorter shots.

BUY NOW

Wedges: Miura HB (52 degrees), Artisan Golf prototype (56 and 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

Putter: Odyssey White Hot No. 5

Golf ball: Titleist Pro V1

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

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And the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, finally, had a winner. 

On a day where seemingly no one wanted to raise the trophy, it was perhaps poetic that the player who did had never done it before on the PGA Tour. Ancer, as talented a golfer as there is in the game, yet without a win in 120 starts, won his 121st, dropping a six-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff to prevail at TPC Southwind. 

Ancer beat Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama in the extra holes. Had you foreseen this ahead of Sunday, there’s no need for you to read the rest of these words, as you’re very likely a psychic and know what’s coming. Ancer started the final round five shots behind Harris English, Burns was eight back and Matsuyama nine. Then each shot, in that order, 68, 64 and 63 to finish at 16 under. 

And those who had been ahead of them? Well … 

English led by three shots after 10 holes. And then? Then he double-bogeyed the par-3 11th after hitting his tee shot into the water. Then he double-bogeyed the par-3 14th after, yes, hitting his tee shot into the water. Then he completed the collapse with a bogey on 16. 

Bryson DeChambeau was two shots back to start the day. He was tied for the lead after just one hole after he birdied and English parred. And then? Then he shot a back-nine 41, which included a bogey on 10, a triple bogey on 11, a bogey on 15, and a bogey on 18. 

Cameron Smith was also two shots back to begin Sunday. He was tied for the lead entering 18. And then? Then he hit into the trees on his tee shot, tried to punch through a tiny gap and hit out bounds. He finished the hole with a double bogey. 

In the end, Ancer was a winner. Finally. 

The big takeaway 

It’s really hard to win. Like, really, really, really hard. Ask Ancer. Ask English, DeChambeau and Smith, too. 

How the lead changed hands (hang on!)

— Harris English begins the final round at 18 under and leads Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith by two shots, Abraham Ancer by four shots, and Scottie Scheffler and Ian Poulter by five shots.  

— English bogeys the 414-yard, par-4 1st after missing the green on his approach shot, and DeChambeau birdies it on a 20-foot putt, and the two are tied at 17 under after one hole. Smith is one back, Ancer is two, and Pouter three.

— Smith birdies the 387-yard, par-4 2nd, and he moves into a tie for the lead with English and DeChambeau. They are at 17 under, two ahead of Ancer, and three in front of Poulter. 

— Ancer birdies the 570-yard, par-5 3rd to pull within one of the lead. It’s his second birdie in a row. 

— English and DeChambeau birdie the 3rd to move to 18 under, one shot ahead of Smith, and two ahead of Ancer. 

— DeChambeau flubs a pitch on the 194-yard, par-3 4th after barely covering the water on his tee shot, and he drops out of the lead. English is at 18 under, one shot ahead of DeChambeau and Smith, and two ahead of Ancer. 

— DeChambeau pitches in from 51 feet away to birdie the 475-yard, par-4 5th and pull back into a tie for the lead with English. They are at 18-under, one shot ahead of Smith, and two ahead of Ancer.      

— Ancer bogeys the 481-yard, par-4 6th to fall three behind. 

— DeChambeau nearly hits out of bounds on the 6th, gets cart path relief, then hits a tree on his second shot, and he bogeys the hole. Harris, meanwhile, birdies it after hitting his approach to four feet, and he is now at 19 under, one stroke ahead of Smith (who birdied the 481-yard, par-4 7th), and two strokes ahead of DeChambeau. Ancer and Sam Burns are four behind. 

— Smith bogeys the 173-yard, par-3 8th to fall two behind Harris with DeChambeau. 

— English birdies the 8th on a 31-foot putt to move to 20 under and three shots ahead of DeChambeau and Smith. Ancer and Hideki Matsuyama are five back. 

— Smith bogeys the 452-yard, par-4 9th after hitting his approach into the water, and he is now four shots behind English. 

— DeChambeau birdies the 9th on a 15-foot putt to pull within two shots of English. English is at 20 under, while DeChambeau is at 18, Smith is at 16 and Ancer and Matsuyama are at 15. 

— Smith bogeys the 155-yard, par-3 11th to fall five back of English. 

— DeChambeau hits his tee shot on the 457-yard, par-4 10th into the water, and he bogeys the hole to fall three shots behind English. English is at 20 under, DeChambeau is at 17, Matsuyama is at 16, and Ancer, Smith and Burns are at 15. 

— On the 11th, English hits his tee shot short and into the water, and DeChambeau hits his long and into the drink. English double-bogeys the hole, and DeChambeau triple-bogeys it. The leaderboard now stands this way: English at 18 under, Matsuyama and Smith at 16 under, Burns and Ancer at 15 under, and DeChambeau at 14 under. 

— Ancer birdies the 466-yard, par-4 13th to pull within two of English with Matsuyama and Smith.

— Smith birdies the 181-yard, par-3 14th on an 11-foot putt to pull within one of English. Matsuyama and Ancer are two back of the lead, Burns is three back, and DeChambeau four. 

— Smith bogeys the 382-yard, par-4 15th after missing a 7-footer for par, and he drops to 16 under with Burns, Matsuyama and Ancer, two shots behind English, who has hit his tee shot on the 14th in the water. 

— English hits his tee shot on the 14th into the water way right, and he double-bogeys the hole. Five players are now at 16 under and tied for the lead: English, Burns, Matsuyama, Smith and Ancer. DeChambeau, Daniel Berger and Paul Casey are two back.  

— English bogeys the 538-yard, par-5 16th after mishitting the green on his approach shot, and he drops out of the lead. Burns, Matsuyama, Smith and Ancer are at 16 under, while English is at 15 under, and Berger and Casey are at 14. 

— Smith hits his drive on the 447-yard, par-4 18th right and into the trees, then hits out of bounds on his second shot, and he would double-bogey the hole to drop to 14 under. 

— Ancer misses a 29-foot birdie putt on 18 to remain at 16 under. He is tied for the lead with Burns and Matsuyama, one shot ahead of English, and two ahead of Smith, Berger and Casey. 

— English misses a birdie putt on 18. Ancer, Burns and Matsuyama will move on to a playoff starting on the 18th. 

— On the first hole of the playoff, Ancer pars after missing a 30-foot birdie putt, Burns pars after missing a 27-foot birdie putt, and Matsuyama pars after lipping out an 18-foot birdie putt. They will replay the 18th for the second playoff hole. 

— On the second hole of the playoff, Ancer and Burns each hit to within about five feet on their approach shots, while Matsuyama hits to 24 feet. From there, Matsuyama just misses his birdie putt and pars, Ancer makes his birdie putt and Burns lips out. Ancer wins his first PGA Tour tournament.    

The final word 

“That was really crazy, to be honest. — Abraham Ancer’s first words to CBS’ Amanda Balionis after his victory.  

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The post Abraham Ancer wins WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational after three-man playoff, wild finish appeared first on Golf.