It was how he and his handlers handled it all. I mean, who in his thinking mind gives a speech about the horror of beheading and immediately runs off to play golf and yuk up on the golf course? Oh, right. Bam does.

It was typical of how the White House handlers handle everything including the things for which the U.S. should be lauded. Instead we always end up looking hapless and heartless.

Remember, we are the country that took the initiative and stepped up to the plate militarily to save the thousands of trapped Yazidis facing a religious holocaust by the savages of the Islamic State. We’re the ones who saved countless Yazidi women and girls from being captured, raped and thrown back like garbage on the street.

The world didn’t care what we did because we didn’t know how to even applaud ourselves.

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This lede from Oliver Brown in The Telegraph earlier this week, while incredible in nature, doesn’t do justice to what Rory McIlroy is on the precipice of.

Here’s what Brown said:

“If Rory McIlroy’s appearance last weekend at his beloved Manchester United taught us anything, it was that money could not buy him taste.”
As Brown points out later, though, McIlroy is poised to become the rare golfer who actually gets rich because of on-the-course play.

McIlroy has accumulated $8.4 million on both tours with a lot more up for grabs over the next few weeks.

“Should McIlroy repeat his 2012 feat of winning two of the four playoffs, as well as the $10 million cheque that fractionally eluded him then, his on-course earnings would pass $20 million for the year,” said Brown.

“Tiger Woods, in a record-shattering 2000 season where he won three of the four majors, accumulated $21.2 million if figures are adjusted for inflation, which leaves his heir presumptive well-poised to enjoy the most lucrative year in golf there has ever been.”

He didn’t even mention the Race To Dubai which, if McIlroy wins would bump things up another few million.

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After starting in a share of 16th today, Ko’s round, which included six birdies and three bogeys, saw her move to a share of fourth place at five-under for the tournament.

The North Shore product was four shots back from leader Brittany Lincicome (-9), while Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson are in a share of second at six-under.

Ko will have been pleased with her round after she opened with a frustrating two-under 70 yesterday that included five birdies and three bogeys.

The world No 2 is still searching for her maiden major crown and a win this week could also push her to the top of the world rankings.

“Winning would be great, but I’m just going to take it day by day,” Ko told the LPGA Tour before the tournament.

“If it goes my way, great, and then I become world No 1, it’s even better. But I’m not going to think about it. I’m just going to try and enjoy it and try to think of it as a normal, another LPGA event.”

The tournament is intriguingly poised at the mid-way stage given the big names who are near the top of the leaderboard.

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While his troublesome back was a bit stiff, his game, on the other hand, was far from being in good health in Thursday’s first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

He signed for a 3-over-par 74 and is nine behind clubhouse leaders Lee Westwood and Kevin Chappell.

“The man looks like he needs to play some golf,” said Padraig Harrington, who was grouped with Woods and Phil Mickelson. “He looked kind of raw.”

Woods wouldn’t disagree.

Just four days removed from being forced to withdraw in the final round of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational when he dislodged something in his back after landing on his right leg with a thud in a bunker, Woods never found a comfort level on the massive ballpark here despite optimal scoring conditions featuring cloud cover, moderate temperatures and little wind.

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It looked like it was coming undone — all of it, really.

After a front-nine 32 in which Rory McIlroy didn’t play particularly well he started the back nine with a double bogey at the 10th and a bogey at the 11th.

“It was too good to be true,” we thought of McIlroy potentially winning three straight tournaments and two straight majors. We’d had Good Rory for long enough, here comes Bad Rory.

Except Bad Rory left as quickly as he appeared and Good Rory birdied five of the last seven holes en route to a 66, one off the PGA Championship lead held by Ryan Palmer, Lee Westwood, and Kevin Chappell.

Rory McIlroy had it pretty easy on Thursday at Valhalla. (Getty Images)Rory McIlroy had it pretty easy on Thursday at Valhalla. (Getty Images)

“I was really annoyed,” McIlroy told TNT of his back nine start. “It sort of knocked me off track a little bit. To come back the way I did it was great, I really needed that. It could have been a couple better but 66 on the first day is a solid start.”

Even with the 3 over start to his back nine, it could have been a whole lot better. McIlroy narrowly missed birdie putts on Nos. 16 and 17 and an eagle on No. 18 by about an inch.

“I know where my game is,” McIlroy said. “I’m very confident with it. I’m really happy with everything. I try to read as little as possible. I have three more rounds to play and hopefully they’re as good as they were today.”

Here’s a full look at his card:

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No worries.

By the time he walked off the 18th green, there was little doubt he was still the man to beat at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy ripped off four straight birdies on the back side and closed with another at the 18th hole, shooting a 5-under 66 at Valhalla that left him one shot off the lead Thursday.

Friday’s second round coverage begins with live streaming on TSN.ca at 8:30am et/5:30am pt while TSN’s coverage begins at 1pm et/10am pt.

Coming off wins at the British Open and Firestone, McIlroy came into the final major of the year as an overwhelming favourite. Even with a major blunder at the 10th, where he knocked his second shot over a fence and took double bogey, he was right on the heels of Lee Westwood, Ryan Palmer and Kevin Chappell.

“I’m really happy with everything,” McIlroy said. “I’ve got a good thing going right now. I’m trying to ride that momentum as much as I can.”

Then there’s Tiger Woods, who can’t seem to get anything going.

Playing just four days after his back flared up at Firestone, forcing him to withdraw, Woods proclaimed himself fit but sprayed shots all over the course on the way to a 74 that left him tied for 111th late in the day.

“That wasn’t very good,” said Woods, who made only one birdie — and had to hole out from the fairway to do that. “A lot of bad shots.”

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None of that mattered. Few noticed who was there and considered how much quality championship golf they might have played in the last five years.

What mattered was who was not there, and that was made evident by the swarm of about 60 members of the news media encircling an empty parking space reserved for Tiger Woods.

After days of supposition that Woods would never set foot in Louisville during the 96th P.G.A. Championship because of his injured back, Woods, a four-time P.G.A. champion, was expected to arrive for a practice round.

The other players in the field took notice and played along. Fowler paraded in front of the assembled news media members, preening for the cameras. As he walked by, Mahan deadpanned, “Something going on over here?”

Photo

Woods on the driving range before a practice round. Credit Luke Sharrett for The New York Times
When Woods had last been seen in a golf course parking lot, on Sunday, after back spasms caused him to withdraw from the Bridgestone Invitational, he could barely walk and was certainly not driving himself. But around 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Woods arrived at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz S.U.V. and emerged looking fit and supple.

Like someone getting ready for a round at the local municipal course, Woods pulled his golf shoes from the back of the car and leaned on the bumper to tie them. Then it was off to the practice range, still followed by a jostling, restless media mob.

The Golf Channel broadcast and remarked on nearly every move, including Woods’s pauses to sip from a water bottle.

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Woods, who pulled out of Sunday’s final round in Akron with a back complaint, officially had until 5pm to register, but provisions allow for injured players to sign up on arrival – so long as the PGA of America is informed.

Woods’s camp apparently did so yesterday and he now has until his 8.35am tee-time tomorrow to decide if he will play. Woods withdrew after eight holes of the final round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron on Sunday clutching his lower back. It was a worrying sight considering it was only Woods’s 10th competitive round since returning from the surgery on his spine he underwent in March. Woods flew back to his south Florida home that afternoon and was apparently seen by medics immediately. ..

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With regard to media reports that Dustin Johnson has been been suspended by the PGA TOUR, this is to clarify that Mr. Johnson has taken a voluntary leave of absence and is not under a suspension from the PGA TOUR.

Original Text

It turns out that Dustin Johnson’s problems off the golf course are significantly worse than anyone might have imagined.

Johnson announced Thursday that he was taking a leave of absence from professional golf for personal reasons, and according to a report from Michael Bamberger and Michael Walker of Golf.com, he has been suspended by the PGA Tour for six months after failing a drug test with cocaine in his system:

According to the source, Johnson has failed three drug tests: one for marijuana in 2009 and two for cocaine, in 2012 and 2014. He was previously suspended for the 2012 failed test, but that suspension was never made public. Under the PGA Tour’s drug-testing policies, the Tour is not required to announce any disciplinary actions against players who test positive for recreational drugs.

However, the pair state that the PGA had not commented on the report at the time, and Johnson’s attorney denied the claims of the source:

The PGA Tour released a curt statement wishing Johnson well and saying it looked forward to his return. When asked directly about Johnson’s failed drug tests and suspension, Ty Votaw, executive vice president of the PGA Tour, said Friday that the Tour would have no further comment. …

… The suspension means Johnson, 30, will miss the PGA Championship — the season’s final major takes place next week in Louisville, Ky. — and also the PGA Tour’s lucrative FedEx Cup playoff series. Johnson’s agent, David Winkle of Hambric Sports Management, notified the PGA of America on Thursday that his client will also not be competing in the Ryder Cup in Scotland this September. Earlier this week, when asked if Johnson was about to be suspended by the PGA Tour, Winkle texted an SI reporter, “Don’t believe everything you hear.”

This report comes less than 24 hours after Johnson issued a statement, via Steve DiMeglio of USA Today, that he was taking a leave of absence for personal reasons:

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The lifelong United supporter will most likely show off the trophy at the club’s opening home game of the season, the visit of Swansea City on 16 August.

After claiming his third major – to follow the US Open and USPGA – at Hoylake, which is on the Wirral on Merseyside, McIlroy joked: “Even being a Manchester United fan I got great support this week and I want to thank everyone for that.”

The quip drew good natured boos from fans at the course. McIlroy can expect a raucous reception at Old Trafford.

On Tuesday McIlroy turned up to meet Northern Ireland’s political leaders minus the jug which he said needed cleaning after a night out celebrating. On Monday night the jug had taken pride of place on the table of a Belfast nightclub as McIlroy, 25, partied with friends.

It was nowhere to be seen as he stopped by for an informal chat with Northern Ireland’s first minister Peter Robinson and deputy first minister Martin McGuinness.

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He’s at least contemplating a return to golf’s oldest championship.

“Ask me tomorrow, I could be going,” Stricker said during the U.S. Open. “Ask me another day, I could be going home. I’m leaning toward not going. I’m thinking about throwing in Greenbrier and then the John Deere. It’s a long trip and I’m not too fired up about it. But then I look at it, and it’s a major. And I should be going there.”

Stricker operates under a different set of rules these days. It’s unfair to label him as an American who doesn’t want to travel. He reached a stage in his career where he doesn’t always travel inside his own country.

Feeling as though he owed it to his family to be at home more often, he drastically reduced his schedule last year and became a part-time player. He plays the John Deere Classic the week before the Open because it’s the closest he has to a hometown event — and because he won it three years in a row.

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