Morning 9: Wolff beats the pack | Application denied, Daly to walk at Portrush | Men & women played for the same trophy in France

• “…DeChambeau, playing one group ahead of Morikawa and Wolff, made eagle on the par-5 18th hole and took a 1-shot lead. Wolff’s approach landed on the edge of the green, but he powered a 26-foot putt off the pin and into the hole to take lead with an eagle of his own.”

• “Morikawa pushed his potential tying putt to the left and victory belonged to Wolff.”

• “Attended Oklahoma State, where he hit the clinching putt for the Cowboys’ 11th national title as a freshman and won the individual title this year at the 2019 NCAA Championship in May. With his win on Sunday, Wolff joined Ben Crenshaw and Tiger Woods as the only players to win the NCAA individual title and a PGA Tour event in the same year.”

• “Set a school record with six wins as a sophomore this season.”

• “Made PGA Tour debut at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open thanks to a sponsor exemption. Wolff finished T-50 at 3-under for the week.”

Full piece.

• “Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and England’s Andy Sullivan finished two off the lead, a shot clear of two more Englishmen in Eddie Pepperell and Robert Rock, and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello.

• Wiesberger and Rock earned places in the field at The Open Championship with their top ten performances, as did England’s Paul Waring, who finished at 12 under along with another Spaniard in Jorge Campillo.”

Full piece.

• “France’s Frederic Lacroix took the title, finishing two strokes clear of Italian Enrico di Nitto.”

• “It was the first professional event to see male and female golfers from two Tours play for the same trophy.”

• “…The 72-hole tournament featured players from the Ladies European Tour Access Series and the men’s Alps Tour.”

• “How interesting that, after the Royal and Ancient refused John Daly’s request for a buggy and told him to take a walk if he wants to play in the Open, the American has now decided that he is fit enough, after all, to give it a go next week.”

• “‘We believe that walking the course is an integral part of the championship and is central to the traditions of links golf,’ said the R&A, in a statement with which few right-thinking golfers would disagree.”

• “Daly, 53, has osteoarthritis in his knee and was granted permission to use a buggy at the US PGA Championship in May, to the consternation of virtually everyone else in the field. ‘Fingers crossed, I can make it through the pain at Portrush,’ pronounced Daly, in a tweet that cried out for a couple of emoji violins.”

Full piece.

• “Probably a lot,” he said when asked what he needs to work on. “I mean, there’s a lot of little … all the little things, all the little nuances. Not hitting my short irons close enough, not putting very well, driving it a little bit erratic.

• “So, there’s a lot of areas I can improve on.”

• “But while his current act is getting old, hold off on drawing the curtain to a close, for we have seen this show play out before. He has battled droughts many times, and while his advancing age allows one to question whether or not Mickelson can come of his latest malaise, his track record suggests otherwise.”

Full piece. 

• “Yeah, it’s been kind of an interesting time,” Elliott said at TPC Twin Cities, where Koepka is competing in the inaugural 3M Open. “Almost nobody has been there, so there are a lot of questions, a lot of guys looking for houses and such, where to eat. Non-stop really.”

• “He doesn’t mind the added attention. But being the current rock star, if you will, of the caddie fraternity makes things hectic. Case in point, he was talking to one of his caddie peers for a few minutes after Koepka shot an opening four-under 67. He turned around and there was a reporter seeking a few comments. Then Charley Hoffman tapped him on the shoulder. Hoffman is planning to arrive in Portrush next Saturday, so he asked Elliott to set him up with a local caddie for a few days until his regular caddie arrived. Elliott dutifully took Hoffman’s number. He’ll take care of it.”