Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns in Memphis.
PGA Tour, Getty Pictures
Good day associates and welcome to this week’s version of the Rogers Report! Between the PGA Tour Playoffs and the AIG Ladies’s Open on the Previous Course, we’re shaping as much as have a really thrilling week in golf. The Ladies’s Open has me feeling very nostalgic for final fall, when the GOLF crew headed to St. Andrews for 10 days to doc the Notre Dame males’s and girls’s golf groups on the St. Andrews Collegiate, and naturally discover the realm. I had by no means been to Scotland earlier than that journey, and now I can’t wait to return someday. In case you’re ever over there, I wrote all concerning the issues you are able to do whenever you aren’t teeing it up right here. Ensure to cease at Jannettas Gelateria. No must thank me.
Okay, on to the final week in golf.
Bear Burns and Bennett Scheffler
Greatest friends Sam Burns and Scottie Scheffler every welcomed new kids to their households earlier this 12 months, and Bear Burns and Bennett Scheffler had been the celebs of the present on the FedEx St. Jude Championship final week. The boys had been born only a few days aside, which is type of the dream for the Burns and Scheffler households. A second technology of greatest friends! We’ll kick issues off with Bear Burns (nice identify, by the best way), who accompanied his dad to work throughout a apply spherical in Memphis.
Bear watched “Uncle Xander” tee off, after which was handed over to the two-time main champion whereas his dad teed off.
Bear Burns resides the life and he has no thought (but). He’s received a front-row seat to observe the very best golfers on the earth.
Bear’s buddy Bennett Scheffler appears to be doing fairly nicely, too. Little Scheffler received a fantastic view of his dad teeing it up on Friday because of an help from Sam Burns.
I do know they are saying it takes a village to lift a baby, and it’s so candy to see a village of PGA Tour bros serving to one another out and taking care of one another’s children. The Lion King-esque second jogged my memory of when Jordan Spieth held up his son, Sammy, on the 2022 Presidents Cup. We want extra of those lovely moments in golf, please!
FedEx St. Jude Championship content material kings
Once I consider golfers who create nice content material, I consider Bryson DeChambeau and Min Woo Lee. I normally take into account Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele to be a bit bit extra on the intense aspect on the golf course, however they actually rose to the event final week in Memphis. And due to that, I declare them the early contenders for Playoff Content material kings this 12 months.
They already received shouted out for his or her healthful child content material on this article, however there’s extra. The 2 had a humorous interplay within the flash zone, the place gamers discuss to media — and I assume Xander Schauffele, relying on the day — after their spherical.
Schauffele has actually picked up on some media tips over time. I doubt he really recorded Scheffler’s solutions, however he knew to carry his telephone up, and searching the half is half the battle.
However that wasn’t all. Schauffele had some enjoyable with the PGA Tour’s social crew over the weekend as nicely. As somebody who is understood to joke round at work, I respect these guys’ determination to be severe on the golf course after which a bit extra relaxed after. There’s room for each!
My favourite a part of overlaying occasions is seeing the gamers present some character, and that’s precisely what Xander and Scheffler did final week. I’m all in on this and hope it continues. It makes golf extra enjoyable. I assume it’s simpler to chill out a bit when one in every of you has gained two majors this season and the opposite has six wins this 12 months, however my level stays.
Scottie Scheffler’s candy gesture
Oh look, one more reason to admire Scottie Scheffler!
The World No. 1 and his caddie, Ted Scott, took a while to speak with nine-year-old Liliana on the 18th inexperienced in Memphis on Sunday. After going by way of a liver transplant, chemotherapy and radiation, Liliana is now again house along with her household and returning to a little bit of normalcy.
I’ve seen gamers meet with younger golf followers throughout apply rounds, however Liliana served as an honorary flag holder on the FedEx St. Jude Championship, so she met Scheffler proper on the 72nd gap on Sunday. What an superior reminiscence for everybody concerned.
The return of Shota Hayafuji
Hideki Matsuyama’s crew was robbed leaving the Paris Olympics, and it left his caddie and coach with out their passports. They needed to return to Japan to get new ones, so Matsuyama had Ryo Hisatsune’s looper on the bag final week.
For these of you who aren’t aware of Shota Hayafuji, enable me the privilege of providing you with some info on this man. He first went viral for displaying respect to Augusta Nationwide with a bow on the 18th inexperienced when Matsuyama gained the 2021 Masters.
Hayafuji additionally received some consideration when he sat above the 18th inexperienced at Riviera and smoked a vape whereas ready for the ultimate teams to complete on the Genesis Invitational. Matsuyama was about to win the occasion, and there Hayafuji was, taking in all of the motion.
It’s truthful to say I’ve grow to be a giant Shota Hayafuji fan over time, so I used to be tremendous bummed to listen to what occurred to him after the Olympics. Certain, Matsuyama performed simply tremendous with out his man on the bag and gained final week, however I missed Hayafuji’s presence on the market.
So I used to be very happy to study that each one is nicely for Hayafuji. He’s again in america this week and able to loop for Matsuyama on the BMW Championship.
