Stark invades Erin Hills, Scheffler wins (again)

Check every week for the uninviltered thoughts of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest themes in this sport and join in the conversation by tweeting us to @golf_com. This week, we discuss the open win of women in the USA Maja Stark, another trophy for Scottie Scheffler and a new (old) format for the Tour Championship.

Maja Stark won Open Womens Open in Erin Hills, taking a lead with a kick in the last round and holding out Nelly cord and Rio Takeda to win by two and claim her first major title. What made you more impressed you about Stark’s main triumph?

Sean Zak, elderly writer (@sean_zak) :: Her Sunday. She had every reason to tighten. Her partner playing was hanging. They were playing slowly. She cheated on a par-5. Nelly Cord was following him. But she played so stable, in her bubble. Good selection of shot. Good caddie. Good crashes, too. All added.

Zephyr Melton, Assistant Editor (@Zephyrmelton) :: Its endurance was extraordinary. Sleeping in a 54 -hole bullet is never easy, but she treated the pressure beautifully. She has some serious intestines to join a Sunday as she is shaking.

Josh Schrock, Assistant Editor (@Schrock_and_Awe) :: I agree with both. How many times have we seen the players enter Sunday with their first supremacy in a large and completely melted? She did not fall even though she didn’t have her best things throughout the day. But when the moment called it, it hit some extraordinary shots and did not give Chas a chance after it took it with three strokes in the nine rear.

Cord has four 10 best this season, but it is still without a win, and at this time last year it already had six wins. While it may be impossible to repeat its start until 2024, what are you keeping it this year? Any reason to worry?

Zakth: Putter. She was the only player in the first 13 places that ended up negative in strokes won: Setting. But it has been a strong place throughout the season, so we will call it a one -week stream in complicated USWO greens. But she will find something similar in three weeks at the KPMG women’s PGA Championship in Texas.

Melton: If you look at her strokes the statistics, the only thing that is thrown out is cutting it. Last season, it was the fourth in SG: around green. This season, it is all the way to the 90’s. She has simply not been able to save before this year so often. It will simply show that the borders are thin razors.

Jumper: It is a flat plane. She was the best player to green in Erin Hills but Putter was a problem. I reminded me a lot of losses of Rory Mcilroy in Lacc. He was the best player that week, but he just couldn’t get anything to drop and dedicated it to him.

Erin Hills waited in her first US Open since Brooks Koepka shattered her in her 2017 debut, though this week, USGA leader John Bodenhamer, said to our sean zak“I think both USGA and Erin Hills were simply disappointed in 2017 in the sense that people did not see this place in its full glory.” How do you think Erin Hills performed as an open US test this week? And would you like to see more turning opening in it?

Zakth: Well, I’m biased! I thought the course finally got its opportunity to send balls in bad directions. To be strong enough to make Greens Green a reward on its own. Approaching the hole was difficult! Now imagine as if it were smelling. Although I feel like we have said “imagine if there was smell” for a decade about this course. Guess will have to wait for the four amateur balls of 2027.

Melton: Are we sure the wind blows here? So far, they are 0 for 2! Even without much breeze this week, I was impressed by the place. Saturday was extremely entertaining to see and showed what kind of test Erin Hills can offer if things break their way.

Jumper: Maybe we will get the wind next time? Despite, I thought Erin Hills was a proper test, especially with some of the ridiculously complicated USGA places released at the weekend. I hope Erin Hills opens a SH.BA, but if not, how about the PGA Championship simply becoming home for open courses in the US like Erin Hills and Chambers Bay? Next to an identity!

Scottie Scheffler defended his title in Memorialpulling to nine back to win for the third time in its last four beginnings. Although, as the host Jack Nicklaus said, Scheffler really didn’t have to do “anything special” in the back, as all the contenders made mistakes before him. Has Scheffler’s predominance created over the past two years almost a tiger -like effect that shakes the field knowing that they should be perfect?

Zakth: Absolutely. Ben Griffin – Man of the moment! – accepted as much as last week when he won. He said he was planning Scheffler by shooting a Sunday 62, because this is what you have to plan! I’m waiting for someone standing on his way soon.

Melton: Sometimes the best golf is the boring golf, and Scottie has perfected it. Perhaps some other players have to get a page from his book and play a little more “conservative”. It seems to be a strong strategy. Of course, it’s not as easy as Scottie makes it look.

Jumper: Absolutely. As Jordan Spieth said on Saturday, you know that Scheffler will not go back so that you force you to play Golf Pedal to try and catch it. He is accurate and accurate and never removes himself from war. To beat it, you need to beat it. I would like to see any of the best players really really a fight in Oakmont.

One of those aforementioned contenders memorial was Ben griffinwho won the Zurich team event in late April, won Charles Schwab Challenge a week ago and ended solo second this week. Did the entrance prove to this position after his victory last Sunday for this run is not unclear and he should be in Ryder Cup’s conversation in the fall? Or should we still classify this as a heater?

Zakth: Ben Griffin is in a heater, no doubt. But to deserve a look, he must hold a form until July. That’s how it goes! There are many boys who will want the same look, but we are four months away from Ryder Cup’s shooting. That’s a long time.

Melton: Bethpage is a long way out. Let’s save Ben Griffin for Ryder Cup speak until August at least. I will have to see more than a four-week heater to feel comfortable sending it to the horned nest that is Ryder Cup.

Jumper: We have a lot of golf remaining, as Zephyr noted. He has to take a look, but I wouldn’t be excited by sending it there against a European team accumulated based on a beautiful May. He is in the conversation because we have not really seen Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau or other expected members of Team USA to this point.

PGA Tour announced a Review in his tour championship (again)And starting this year, it will remove the “starting stroke” format it has used since 2019 and will return to its previous 72-hole hook format with everyone starting at the same time. Why may change may not be surprising given the criticism that the previous format taken, are you surprised that the tour turned into an older format and did not create anything new?

Zakth: I think this was a bit from a bridge in a future format that controls some other boxes. Like the game in the match in the game. Or the game match in the hook game! For now, it’s pulling the players … and the TV. A little more than those two things matter.

Melton: Am I surprised that PGA Tour was not created with his product? No, not at all.

Jumper: PGA Tour is about bridges. Tell me when we reach the end of the bridge and if there is any creativity at the end of it. But I’m happy to see the initial shocks go.

Ok, we’ve asked a million times, but let’s do it once again: what is your tours championship adjustment?

Zakth: Let’s get weird. Top 32 Advance to TC. Nr. 32-17 face matches, no. 9-16 waiting to play the winners. That is right, no. 1-8 get a double bye and will take over the winners of the second round matches. Eight people who progress through it play a two -round blow play Sprint to set up a champion. If you have done it in TC but rank it in 24th place, you have to play three good rounds and then two more for the money really. If you have rightly advanced in TC ranked fourth, you will only need to win that match to reach the Stroke Play Sprint. All confused yet?

Melton: Is there a need for “adjustment?” Will anyone ever care who FedEx Cup’s champion is? No amount of intervention will make casual fans take care of nothing but four diplomas.

Jumper: I will cut it from 30 to 24 to make it even more exclusive (we need to cut some fat around) and then give eight key players a Bye and make the only match elimination game from there. They also need to rotate the course to get several different vibrations outside the East Lake. Will the Cup make the FedEx an indispensable event? Eh. But we need a match -match tour now that the WGC is gone and it adds to the drama and the actions I am told is what they want.

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