championship tour edition felt

Championship 3030 Tour Edition Cloth

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This 24-ounce weight worsted is the most durable tournament-quality fabric in the industry. Tour Edition will outlast its leading competitor by a minimum of 30% under comparable playing conditions. Tour Edition’s formula, construction, finishing process, and extra weight make it practically puncture-proof. Fewer dings and tears result in a smoother playing surface throughout the life of the fabric. Tour Edition is finished with Championship’s exclusive active sheering and vacuum decating processes resulting in the smoothest playing surface possible.

Installers across the country have found that Tour Edition stretches a bit more than other worsted fabrics making it easier to install than other worsted fabrics. Tour Edition is crafted using a 2-ply construction making them fast, accurate, and the most divot resisting tournament grade fabric in billiards.

Its cost is much less than the competition’s (before factoring in the money you save with fewer recoveries).

• This cloth is 70% wool  /  30% nylon blend.
• Available in 17 colors : Championship Green, Dark Green, Olive, Red, Olive, Bottle Green, Electric Blue, Euro Blue, Navy, Burgundy, Steel Grey, Merlot, Wine, Black, Charcoal, Championship Blue, Lilac
• If ordering for a Carom/Billiard table with no pockets, please inquire about availability and pricing.
• Our clothes are shipped pre-cut (bed cloth and rail cloths).

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Added to your cart:

Installation options, white glove installation - $599.

White Glove Installation offers you our highest level of service and convenience and gives you peace of mind that from shipment to delivery to installation, your table will be handled by professionals.

We'll arrange for the pool table to be delivered to one of our approved installers in your area. After they've received the pool table and have inspected it to ensure nothing has been damaged in transit, they'll contact you to arrange a delivery and installation date and time. You just need to be present for the installation and our experienced installer will handle the rest. You'll be enjoying your new pool table the same day!

Watch our White Glove Installation Video

No installation / shipping only - included.

With this option, freight arrives at your curb. You are responsible for unloading the pool table components from the truck (up to 1000 lbs), checking them for visible damage and arranging professional installation.

NOTE: Unless you are or know a professional pool table installer, we highly recommend choosing White Glove Installation

By selecting this option, I acknowledge that:

• My location has curbside access for a 40' tractor/trailer (or I'll arrange to pick up the table components at a nearby freight depot).
• I am responsible for unloading the pool table components from the truck (which will require at least two people) and checking them for visible damage.
• If I or my qualified installer damage the table or assemble the table incorrectly, the Spencer Marson Warranty will be voided.

Championship Tour Edition Cloth

Championship Tour Edition is a worsted tournament grade fabric ideal for tournament, home-use and commercial. Tour Edition feautures 2-ply, 24-ounce construction making this a great cloth for any application. Fast, accurate, most divot resisting tournament grade fabric in billiards. Set includes cloth for table and rails.

Colors can vary from screen to screen, email or call us if you'd like to request samples

Call (800) 959-3947

Similar products, save up to 10% on vector cues.

Save up to 10% on Vector with discount code: VECTOR10

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The Silver Accessory Kit comes with 2 two piece cues, ball set, bridge cue, table cover, chalk, wall rack, tally balls and cup, ball racks, table brushes and 6 cue wall rack.

The Gold Accessory Kit includes 3 Vector Caliber C2 cues, 1 Vector JB1 break cue, Spencer Marston Hot Shot ball set, heavy duty beveled black 8/9 ball racks, deluxe black horsehair brushes, black maple bridge cue, matching black 6 cue roman rack, Tweeten tip repair kit, Vector Tip Tool, BCA rule book, and your choice black or brown heavy duty table cover.

Platinum Kit

The Platinum accessory kit includes 3 Vector Caliber C10 cues, 1 Vector JB1 break cue, a set of Aramith Premium Balls, heavy duty beveled black 8/9 ball racks, deluxe black horsehair brushes, black maple bridge cue, matching black 7 cue deluxe roman rack, Tweeten Tip repair kit, 6-in-1 Tip Tool, Aramith® ball cleaner, talc bag, BCA rule book, and your choice black or brown heavy duty table cover.

Cloth Options

Championship Saturn, Our Standard Cloth

Standard cloth is included with any table we sell, and is intended for recreational play. The cloth is susceptible to spills and stains. Since pilling will occur over time, standard cloth will need occasional brushing to remove the fuzz/loose fibers.

Worried About Spills and Stains? Get Championship Invitational with Teflon TM Cloth

The next step up is cloth that is soaked in Teflon TM solution (vs. just sprayed on top) that makes it resistant to spills and stains. If a spill does occur, the liquid beads up, so it’s much easier to clean up. This cloth also needs regular brushing to remove fuzz/loose fibers.

Want the Cloth Professionals Use for Fast, Accurate Play? Upgrade to Simonis 860 Cloth

If you’ve watched professional tournaments or played in high-end pool rooms, you’ve seen or played on Simonis 860—the finest billiards cloth you can buy. The tightly woven, no-nap, high-thread-count cloth doesn’t pill, fuzz or shed fibers, which ensures consistent ball spin and straight ball rolls for faster and truer play. If you’re an intermediate to advanced player, this is the cloth for you—it plays fast! Simonis cloth’s tight weave naturally repels liquid spills and stains and prevents penetration of dirt and chalk.

To upgrade to Simonis cloth , select a free standard cloth when you configure your table. When we call to confirm your order, let us know you’d like to upgrade, and we’ll discuss color options and pricing.

Custom Embroidery

Adding custom embroidery to your new table is one of the best ways to define your new table as your own. Choose from one of our attractive fonts and one of our 27 colors to proudly display text centered on the end rail of your table.

Custom Pocket Options

You can customize the pockets of your table to match your own room style. Choose a pocket design from any of our tables here to replace the standard pockets with your own personal selection.

Championship Tour Edition Billiard Cloth

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Championship Tour Edition 3030 Pool Table Felt

• Product Type: Table Felt

Championship Tour Edition 3030 Pool Table Felt - Choose Color

Championship Tour Edition 3030 Billiard Cloth, pre-cut bed and rails! This 24 Ounce Weight worsted is the most durable tournament quality fabric in the industry. Tour Edition will outlast its leading competitor by a minimum of 30% under comparable playing conditions. The Tour Edition formula, construction, finishing process and extra weight make it practically puncture proof. Fewer dings and tears result in a smoother playing surface throughout the life of the fabric. Tour Edition is finished with the Championship exclusive active sheering and vacuum decating processes resulting in the smoothest playing surface possible. Championship Fabrics stand up to hard commercial use, yet satisfy the most discriminating professional and amateur players. Highlights of Championship Value

• Complete Selection of Worsted and Woolen Fabrics in Pre-Cut Beds and Rails
• Spots Included With All Fabric Products
• No Hidden Defects
• Playing Surface Identified
• Soft Fold With Cut Beds and Rails
• 66 inch Widths

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Please call 1-800-400-4CUE with any questions

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• 11lb–25lb Orders: $30.00
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• 71lb–100lb Orders: $150.00
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Championship 3030 Tour Edition Cloth

From a small bedroom apartment in Chicago with nothing more than a telephone, D & R Industries burst onto the billiard industry scene in 1963.

And after 25 years of distributing fabrics and supplies, a commitment was made to become the premier source for high quality billiard fabrics.

A team consisting of engineers, textile professionals and seasoned billiard aficionados work together to create the “Championship Line” of fabrics. Manufactured since 1990, Championship now sells more billiard fabric than all of its major competitors combined.

In April of 2011, Championship acquired the MBS Group brands, positioning themselves as Full-Line Distribution leaders.

We are proud to be at the forefront of the billiard industry for over 60 years.

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Whether you’re looking to buy a specific product, order a new set of Dynaspheres billiard balls or find a Championship Certified Installer near you, submit your information and we’ll get back to you soon.

If you’re interested in becoming a Master Installer , please learn more about our program and submit an application.

Download logos, marketing materials, product specifications, and information on how to enroll in our Master Installer certification course.

It’s been a pleasure for us to deal with Championship all these years. The selection, the service, the shipping is second to none. If you’re doing business in the Billiard Industry, they’re the ones you want to work with .

Steve Orner – Owner Jay Orner & Sons

We are a very proud distributor of all Championship’s products. We’ve built a nice business and following because of what we carry.

Nick Varner HOF ’92 – Owner Owensboro Billiards

My job is based on quality work and it starts with quality products. I am a proud distributor of all Championship’s products and use Tour Edition on all my tables.

Chris Wilson – Owner The League Room

July 20, 2023

In loving memory of Fred Michael Cohen

September 28, 2022

Silver Cup Chalk

Bill dunne | vice president of sales.

Championship, LLC 840 Industrial Drive Bensenville, IL 60106

800-323-2852 toll-free 847-674-5245 facsimile

[email protected]

Championship’s Silver Cup Manufacturing Facility 3110 Antioch Road Macon, GA 31206

Championship West Office 470 East Warner Road, Suite 5 Chandler, AZ 85225

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• Felt Colors

Championship 3030 Tour Edition Pool Table Felt

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Recommended for 8', 8'OS and 9' tables.Tournament grade 24 ounce (70% wool, 30% nylon) worsted fabric. Official Pool Table Felt of the BCA National 9 Ball Tournament! Championship 3030 Tour Edition pool table felt is the most durable tournament grade pool table felt in the industry. Tour Editions formula, construction, finishing process and extra weight make it practically puncture proof. Tour Edition is finished with Championships exclusive active sheering and vacuum decating processes resulting in the smoothest playing surface possible.

Returns and Refunds

Customers should examine all packages for damage upon arrival and note with the carrier any visible damage to the product packaging., items that cannot be returned.

• Labor, shipping cost, delivery and/or installation services
• Consumable goods such as chalk, felt, shuffleboard powder, etc.
• Items that are damaged, abused or appear to be misused
• Items that are missing parts or accessories
• Items that have been personalized
• Special order items

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Added to your cart:

Installation options, white glove installation - $599.

White Glove Installation offers you our highest level of service and convenience and gives you peace of mind that from shipment to delivery to installation, your table will be handled by professionals.

We'll arrange for the pool table to be delivered to one of our approved installers in your area. After they've received the pool table and have inspected it to ensure nothing has been damaged in transit, they'll contact you to arrange a delivery and installation date and time. You just need to be present for the installation and our experienced installer will handle the rest. You'll be enjoying your new pool table the same day!

Watch our White Glove Installation Video

No installation / shipping only - included.

With this option, freight arrives at your curb. You are responsible for unloading the pool table components from the truck (up to 1000 lbs), checking them for visible damage and arranging professional installation.

NOTE: Unless you are or know a professional pool table installer, we highly recommend choosing White Glove Installation

By selecting this option, I acknowledge that:

• My location has curbside access for a 40' tractor/trailer (or I'll arrange to pick up the table components at a nearby freight depot).
• I am responsible for unloading the pool table components from the truck (which will require at least two people) and checking them for visible damage.
• If I or my qualified installer damage the table or assemble the table incorrectly, the Spencer Marson Warranty will be voided.

Product Description

Championship Tour Edition is a worsted tournament grade fabric ideal for tournament, home-use and commercial. Tour Edition feautures 2-ply, 24-ounce construction making this a great cloth for any application. Fast, accurate, most divot resisting tournament grade fabric in billiards. Set includes cloth for table and rails.

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Felt Facts: Simonis vs. Championship Pool Table Cloth

Pool Tables

Last Updated March 10th, 2023

Pool table cloth has evolved several times over through the years. Lately, more and more attention to detail and advanced technology has taken over which benefits all of us who love playing pool. There are two pool table felt brands that stand out from all the others – Simonis and Championship felt. 

While each is built on many years of experience, there are characteristics that make them quite different. We’ll break that down, but let’s start with the general information about pool table cloth.

What is Pool Table Felt Made Of?

The majority of pool table cloth is created mainly from wool, and mixed with either nylon or polyester . The best performing table cloth is a wool and nylon combination, which is what Simonis and the best Championship models of cloth are made from. We’ll talk more about these two great brands shortly.

Pool table felt falls into two different widely known categories – “ Woolen” felt and “ Worsted” felt. Most of today’s quality cloth falls under the Worsted category.

Woolen vs. Worsted Felt – What’s the Difference?

Understanding the Woolen and Worsted distinction can be a little confusing, but we’ll make it simple.

Woolen felt is produced from the traditional, older method of twisting long and short wool fibers together while Worsted felt is formed from the more modern method of weaving wool yarn together with only the long fibers.

With Worsted felt, the short fibers are combed out previous to the cloth being finished. This results in a lighter, tighter and faster cloth that most pool players prefer playing on. Since woolen felt does not have the short fibers removed, this creates a fuzzy feel on a pool table over time, and can eventually have a negative influence on how the balls roll.

Woolen felt characteristics :

• Plays slower
• Long and short fibers twisted together
• Crate a fuzzy (nappy) finish
• Harder to clean
• Requires brushing to maintain

Worsted felt characteristics :

• Plays faster
• Long wool fibers tightly weaved in and out
• Create a smooth, thin finish
• Much easier to clean
• No brushing required

Does Pool Table Felt Color Matter?

Pool table cloth color absolutely matters, for a couple reasons:

• You want a cloth color that complements the surroundings of your pool table.
• Some people’s eyes are sensitive to certain colors – pick a color that doesn’t feel uncomfortable to look at.

You want a felt color that you’ll be comfortable with for a long time. It would be a bit annoying playing on a pool table that you don’t like the look of.

How Many Pool Table Felt Colors Are There?

There are up to around 30 colors of pool table cloth available to choose from , but it will depend on what brand you go with. Simonis states that they have 28 colors available, and it depends on what model of cloth you choose. According to Championship , they have 29 colors available.

There won’t be any shortage of colors if that’s what you care about most when picking your cloth.

Should You Match Chalk Color and Pool Table Cloth?

Yes, you should always try to match your pool table chalk with your pool table color. This makes it easier to keep your pool table as clean as possible for as long as possible.

Traditionally, the most common pool table felt color is green, and the most common chalk color is blue. Those colors are similar enough that the chalk won’t make your table look too messy, as long as you clean your table every so often.

You’ll want to make sure your table color and chalk color don’t contrast too much. Having a bunch of blue or red chalk marks on a tan table, for example, will create a messy situation.

If you clean your table, any temporary chalk stains won’t damage the table, but can create issues long term if the chalk never gets removed from the felt.

Best and Worst Pool Table Felt Colors

Green and tournament blue pool table cloth are widely known to be the best, and most common colors, for good reason. Green is right in the middle of the color spectrum, and blue isn’t very far off. This makes these colors much easier on the retina of our eyes.

Bright colored cloth or extremely dark colors are the worst options for most tables. A brighter red is likely one of the worst felt colors because red is at the end of the color spectrum. It’s more intense, and strains the eye. In addition, any bright color is going to reflect more light in all directions, which means even more discomfort when looking down at the table.

While we can make recommendations on felt color for your table, it ultimately depends on personal preference.

Someone who uses their pool table more for eye candy can likely get away with using a felt color that’s not as common. For those who play a lot, it would be best to use green or blue.

The Best Two Pool Table Felt Brands

Now to the good part – some more specifics about a couple of the best felt options on the market: Simonis and Championship.

Simonis table cloth is a staple of the billiards world, and has been around since the 1600s. It’s widely regarded as the best pool table felt for several reasons:

• High standards for accuracy, consistency and durability
• Over three centuries of cloth-making experience
• Environmentally responsible
• High brand loyalty

All Simonis cloth options are worsted constructed. As a reminder, worsted felt is made using only long fibers, making for a less fuzzy surface.

Simonis prides themselves in their green manufacturing practices which makes for a low environmental impact – something most of us can probably get behind. Simonis cloth provides a true roll and is very smooth, thanks to the finely combed wool yarn used.

The two most popular models of Simonis felt are the 860 and the 760 models. The 860 has a HR (high resistance) variation as well that is just a bit faster than the standard 860. The HR line is also a bit heavier and is arguably the most durable commercial pool table cloth available on the market. Read more about the HR offering here !

Simonis 860 felt was originally developed for 9-ball and has a slightly slower speed than the 760 blend, due to the higher wool content. The wool characteristics, combined with the high thread count helps create a cloth that won’t burn balls or wear out quickly. The 860 is nap-free and doesn’t shed threads either! Available in 28 colors and 66-inch or 78-inch widths, the Simonis 860 offers more options and an incredible value for beginner or seasoned pool players.

Simonis 760 has the same characteristics as the 860, just with a slightly lower wool content. Due to this fact, the 760 plays slightly faster, and you don’t have to pay extra for more speed! This felt is the same price as the 860 version and is available in 15 colors. Simonis also offers a 760 SR line that is sold exclusively through Olhausen dealers only (U.S. and Canada). The SR line is stain-resistant and available in 12 colors.

Simonis 860 and 760 cloth prices : $258 (7ft) to $370 (9ft)

*pricing taken from Seyberts.com

Championship

Championship table cloth has a great reputation for being one of the top cloths available. It offers premium performance at a fairly affordable price, and prides itself on several key highlights:

• Worsted and Woolen options
• Silver Cup chalk included with every pre-cut
• No hidden defects
• Fabrics that are backed or unbacked
• No seams in backing
• 66-inch widths

As mentioned above, they offer Worsted and Woolen models of cloth, but we will discuss the two worsted cloths we see on tables most often: Tour Edition and Pro-Am .

Tour Edition felt is Championship’s highest quality tournament grade fabric. It is considered one of the fastest pool table fabrics available and has divot-resisting characteristics to ensure top notch performance and longevity. The Tour Edition comes pre-cut, and works great for all types of tables – tournament tables, home tables, or even coin operated tables. This cloth is a 70/30 wool/nylon blend which stretches easier than other respected worsted cloth options, making it a breeze to install.

Tour Edition cloth price : $214 (7ft) to $311 (9ft)

Pro-Am felt is very similar to Championship’s Tour Edition felt, but is a bit lighter in weight. It is a 2-ply construction and is another long-lasting option from Championship. This cloth is made for tournament, commercial and personal use. It is also pre-cut for 7ft, 8ft, or 9ft pool tables. If you’re leaning towards the Pro-Am, we recommend shopping at Seyberts.com as there are no listings on Amazon, and Seybert’s treats their customers right.

Pro-Am cloth price : $190 (7ft) to $270 (9ft)

Which is Better – Simonis or Championship?

Most experienced players choose Simonis over Championship because the company simply has centuries of experience, and their cloth typically lasts longer than Championship.

That said, both felt options are great.

You will likely see Championship felt being affected faster by things like climate or humidity.

Simonis has faster cloth , and it is generally understood that playing on fast tables will help create a more consistent stroke and make players more skilled in the long run. A faster cloth also means less effort is required when trying to get the cue ball to spin.

Championship cloth may be a great option for someone who owns a pool hall or more public establishment that attracts lots of beginner pool players. They would likely enjoy playing on slightly slower tables, and would probably be more familiar with that speed anyway.

We hope this article has helped you in your search for your pool table felt replacement, and we welcome any and all feedback on how our information could be improved. Take care, and happy shooting!

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Another top-10 finish gives Byeong Hun An spring in his step ahead of PGA Championship

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Korea’s Byeong Hun An will have a spring in his step and a hot putter in his bag as he prepares for a return to the PGA Championship, the year’s second major, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, this week.

“My game felt good all week,” said An. “Hit it pretty solid, I drove the ball really well and that's what you need on this golf course. Putted pretty decent this week, putted actually pretty good. I saved a lot of pars out there. It wasn't playing easy as the scores (show). I mean, apart from Rory's, it's a pretty tough swing out there. But I'm very happy with my game. I had a shaky start, but I grinded my way through and I made some birdies on the way in.”

An, a former U.S. Amateur champion, can’t wait to return to the PGA Championship as it will be his first appearance in the tournament since 2021. The PGA Championship holds great significance for Asian golf as Korea’s Y.E. Yang emerged as the first male Asian golfer to win a major at the 2009 edition at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

With An’s putting, which has often been his Achilles heels previously, being on point these days where he ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting at Quail Hollow and gained nearly eight strokes against the field, he is feeling rather upbeat to test his game against the world’s best at Valhalla. “Yeah, a lot (of confidence). Every week, I feel like my game's there, just need some looks here and there, make some putts,” he said.

Byeong Hun An sends in 18-footer for birdie at Wells Fargo

“But putting definitely showed up this week. I like playing these type of golf courses. It's pretty tough, you've got to grind your way through and you can't really bail out on any of the shots. I also had a good finish last week, I've been playing well this season and this third place definitely helps.”

His solo third is off the back of a T4 outing in THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson last weekend, which extended an exciting run of form for An. He had lost his PGA TOUR card in 2021 before rebuilding his game under coach Sean Foley. While he is still seeking a first PGA TOUR win, his terrific form has seen him rise to sixth place in the FedExCup standings to solidify his bid to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship – which is exclusive to the top-30 – for the first time in his career.

Ranked a career-high 23rd in the world now, An is also a strong contender to qualify and represent Korea in the Paris Olympic Games in August and also make the International Team for the Presidents Cup against the U.S Team at Royal Montreal in Canada in September following a debut appearance at Royal Melbourne in Australia in 2019.

Golf | Rory McIlroy dealing with another distraction…

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Golf | Rory McIlroy dealing with another distraction on eve of PGA Championship

Mcilroy has all the momentum he could want as he tries to end a drought in the majors that has lasted a decade, but his wife of seven years filed for divorce on monday, right after he won at quail hollow.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rory McIlroy has all the momentum he could want heading into the PGA Championship as he tries to end a drought in the majors that has lasted a decade.

He also has a major distraction.

McIlroy is coming off two straight victories, one of them with Irish pal Shane Lowry in New Orleans, the other an exquisite back nine at Quail Hollow to rally past Xander Schauffele last week in the Wells Fargo Championship.

The PGA Championship is at Valhalla, site of his last major championship 10 years ago. And if that wasn’t enough, rain has pounded an already soft course with more showers expected, the conditions that favor power and aggressive play, right up McIlroy’s alley.

The distraction is an impending divorce from his wife of seven years (the former Erica Stoll), a stunning turn of events in so many ways. There was no public hint of any trouble, and most peculiar of all is the timing.

The petition to divorce in Palm Beach County, Florida, came on Monday – the day after he won at Quail Hollow and the day before he made his way to Kentucky for the PGA Championship, the news breaking a day before he held a pre-tournament news conference.

McIlroy put out a statement from his management team Tuesday confirming the divorce and saying he wanted to “ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.”

McIlroy’s team asked that his news conference be limited to 10 minutes – less time than it took the PGA of America to craft an introduction reminding the media of his desire not to talk about it.

McIlroy gave long answers to five questions about Valhalla, his confidence level, his approach to playing well. That led to fewer questions, a total of seven. The shortest answer came when he was asked about his energy level and how he was feeling.

“I’m ready to play this week,” McIlroy said.

It’s not like this PGA Championship was short on subplots in the first place.

Scottie Scheffler’s wife had their first child on May 8, and the world’s top-ranked player arrives having not competed in three weeks since winning for the fourth time in his last five starts. Only four players since 1960 have won the first two majors of the year.

Brooks Koepka is coming off his first win of the year on LIV Golf and is the defending PGA champion, hopeful of joining Tiger Woods as a four-time winner.

“I’m just looking forward to a major championship,” Koepka said. “That kind of gets my excitement going.”

Woods is playing, too, still believing at age 48 he has another major in him, while acknowledging that it doesn’t help to have played so little golf. This will be his third tournament of the year, and one of them (Riviera) lasted only 24 holes.

And then there’s McIlroy, a player who is not unfamiliar with distraction. He long has been the loudest voice opposing LIV Golf, going back two years before a circuit funded by Saudi Arabian money even began. And then he changed his tune and cared only about unification.

McIlroy was on the PGA Tour policy board, then he left the board. He thought he had a path back onto the board until that was shut down last week. He has a lot going on.

And then came news of the divorce, leading to curiosity how this will affect his game.

It didn’t seem to bother him at Quail Hollow, not with that eight-hole stretch he played in 8 under in the middle of his round for a 65.

And then there was 2014, when he was engaged to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. The wedding invitations had just been sent when McIlroy broke it off with a phone call. The news came out at the BMW PGA Championship, Europe’s biggest event. He wound up winning for the first time that year, then captured two majors and a World Golf Championship.

McIlroy had not played at Valhalla since he won in near darkness in 2014, managing to squeeze in a practice round between spells of showers.

He won in January in Dubai, but his record on the PGA Tour had been paltry until a few weeks ago – just one top 10. But he looked free and fun winning with Lowry in New Orleans. He looked to be at his best at Quail Hollow.

McIlroy thought back to last summer when he ran off eight straight top-10 finishes, including a victory in the Scottish Open.

“It doesn’t seem like that long ago that my game has felt this good,” McIlroy said. “But I would say from a technical standpoint, some of the shots that I hit last week … when I can see those three-quarter shots and those wedge shots starting on the right line, that obviously gives me a lot of confidence.”

The course is longer than it was in 2014 – 7,609 yards, sure to play every bit of that as soft as the fairways have been – though McIlroy said it felt like the same place.

Now it’s a matter of conjuring the same feeling.

“I think it’s all about confidence and momentum, and I have a lot of confidence and quite a bit of momentum coming into this week,” he said. “It’s just about trying to keep that going.

“I think this is a golf course that allows you to play with freedom because it’s a big golf course. The corridors are wide, not too dissimilar to last week at Quail Hollow, so you can open your shoulders up off the tee and try to take your chances from there.”

McILROY LESS CONFIDENT ABOUT PGA TOUR, LIV MERGER

McIlroy called Jimmy Dunne’s departure from the PGA Tour’s policy board a “huge loss,” adding that his confidence in the tour getting a deal done with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to reunite men’s professional golf is as low as ever.

Dunne, one of the architects of the framework agreement the PGA Tour signed with the PIF on June 6, resigned from the board Monday. In his resignation letter, the Wall Street dealmaker said his vote and role had become “superfluous” because player directors outnumbered independent directors on the board.

Woods was added as a sixth player director to the board in August. There were five independent directors, including Dunne.

“Yeah, honestly I think it’s a huge loss for the PGA Tour, if they are trying to get this deal done with the PIF and trying to unify the game,” McIlroy said.

“Jimmy was basically the relationship, the sort of conduit between the PGA Tour and PIF. It’s been really unfortunate that he has not been involved for the last few months, and I think part of the reason that everything is stalling at the minute is because of that.”

In Dunne’s resignation letter, he wrote that “no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with PIF.” Dunne said he hadn’t been involved in talks with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and others since June.

The PIF is financing the rival LIV Golf League.

“It’s really, really disappointing, and you know, I think the tour is in a worse place because of it,” McIlroy said. “We’ll see. We’ll see where it goes from here, and we’ll see what happens. But you know, I would say my confidence level on something getting done before last week was, you know, as low as it had been. And then with this news of Jimmy resigning and knowing the relationship he has with the other side, and how much warmth there is from the other side, it’s concerning.”

Last week, McIlroy was named to a newly formed transactional committee that will handle negotiations with the Saudis. McIlroy had hoped to return to the policy board – player director Webb Simpson had offered to step down to allow him back on – but other directors were “uncomfortable” with bringing him back.

Woods, who is also on the transaction committee, said the tour had made some progress in negotiations with the PIF.

“It’s ongoing, it’s fluid,” Woods said. “It changes day to day. Has there been progress? Yes, but it’s an ongoing negotiation, so a lot of work ahead for all of us with this process. And so, we’re making steps, and it may not be giant steps, but we’re making steps.”

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I Was Sent Rory McIlroy's Limited Edition PGA Championship Golf Shoes...And I Never Want To Take Them Off!

B eing one of the newer members of the Golf Monthly team, I was excited to learn that I would be receiving my first pair of golf shoes to test out. My intrigue and excitement peaked when I heard that the product in transit to my address was in fact Nike's Limited Edition PGA Championship Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 NRG Golf Shoes - due to be worn at this week's PGA Championship by none other than Rory McIlroy himself. 

When I opened the box, it was love at first sight - it's quite the change in look from the original colorways. The barrel-aged bourbon browns and smoked streaks of razor-sharp oranges provide a playful nod to Kentucky, where the PGA Championship host-venue Valhalla Golf Club is situated. 

Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 NRG Golf Shoes | Available at Carl's Golfland Now $210

Rory McIlroy's limited edition shoe is available at a variety of retailers right now. Additionally there are loads of sizes to choose from going from 3.5-16 in men's and 5-17.5 in women's sizes.

Read our full Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 Golf Shoes Review View Deal

The wood grain graphic on the Swoosh logo and the tree trunk-inspired outsole ooze class, giving a strong sense of sophistication and style. Immediately after putting them on, I felt an aura of confidence emerge... and I didn't want to take them off! They're quite unlike any other shoe I've worn. 

The technology packed into this shoe certainly helped my golf game as the Tour Flex Pro from Softspikes, in three key forefoot spike locations, and Silver Tornado spikes in the lateral and heel offered exceptional traction. The grip was fantastic, and I felt in full control during my swing – even as I tried to step on an ill-advised 4-hybrid when out of position.

Cushiony foam under the heel delivers a smooth, comfortable ride , while the full-grain leather adds to the shoes gravitas, amplifying the theme of grandeur. As I walked the fairways and greens, I felt as though I had a spring in my step due to the perfect cocktail of comfort, stability and pride in what I was wearing. Interestingly, this also had a positive impact on my golf game, demonstrating the power that a little confidence can bring to your performance.

There have been also been a number of subtle feature introductions that improve the wearer's experience, without detracting from the overall look. Nike have added an internal strap inside the shoe, which is different from the mesh-like interior of the Tour 2, for example. While some golf shoes need to be worn a few times before you reach that peak comfort level, that was certainly not the case here. The stitched Zoom Air unit delivers exceptional feel, while the foam heel delivers a gliding sensation which makes walking the course a breeze.

The Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 NRG Golf Shoes are, in my opinion, the perfect combination of traditional, well-performing golf shoes and modern, stylish flair. Having owned plenty of golf shoes that fall into one of the two camps, this is the first pair that really bridges that divide.

With this being the first pair of limited edition golf shoes I have ever owned, the challenge will be living up to the lofty new standard set by this incredible pair of kicks.

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Local Guys Bought the Valhalla Club, and Now They’re Hosting a Major

A group of Kentucky businessmen are trying to give the P.G.A. Championship a Louisville feel, complete with nods to Churchill Downs.

By Paul Sullivan

The quality of a major championship venue is defined by its champions, and Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this week’s P.G.A. Championship in Louisville, Ky., has a list of past winners that stands out at every level.

Tiger Woods won the 2000 P.G.A. Championship at Valhalla, and Rory McIlory won it there in 2014 . Hale Irwin won the 2004 Senior P.G.A. Championship at Valhalla, and Tom Watson won it there in 2011. At the 2008 Ryder Cup , the United States squad, led by Paul Azinger, beat the European Team.

Even on the junior side, the course has hosted elite players. Akshay Bhatia , who at 22 has two PGA Tour victories, won the 2018 Boys Junior P.G.A. Championship there. Anna Davis, now 18, won the 2021 Girls Junior P.G.A. Championship at Valhalla and went on the next year to win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

What its new owners, a group of Kentucky businessmen who bought Valhalla in 2022, said it didn’t have was a club presence to go with its illustrious championship history. So when the P.G.A. of America, which runs the championship, decided to sell Valhalla, the new owners moved in to change that.

“We couldn’t let it go to an out-of-town golf management firm,” said David Novak, the co-founder and former chief executive of Yum Brands, which owns Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. “We felt they’d be more interested in making money than building Valhalla’s reputation.”

The “we” in this instance is an ownership group that consisted of community leaders: Jimmy Kirchdorfer, the chief executive of ISCO, a piping company; Junior Bridgeman, a former basketball player at the University of Louisville and the N.B.A. who owns hundreds of franchise restaurants and a Coca-Cola bottling plant; and Chester Musselman, a hotel owner based in Louisville.

Novak had the golfing bona fides to unite the golf world behind him. He had been a member of Valhalla since 1990, when he moved to Louisville to become president of Kentucky Fried Chicken, now KFC. And he also had won the Seminole Pro-Member tournament and was the oldest winner of the club championship at Shinnecock Hills in New York, a frequent site of major championships.

“In Louisville, we don’t have many iconic properties,” Novak said. “There’s Churchill Downs, the [KFC] Yum Center where Louisville plays and Valhalla. We wanted to make it better. We said, ‘Dwight Gahn built it and started the club, then the P.G.A. bought it, and then we bought it.’”

So, what will fans see this year that’s different? It is now a venue that aims to create a Kentucky-inspired golf club that also borrows from the business success of its ownership group. Novak has brought in chicken sandwiches inspired by KFC’s Colonel Sanders, and Bridgeman helped create a dessert that plays off Wendy’s Frosty treat.

Bridgeman, who also owns Ebony and Jet magazines, likened his participation in the ownership group to those storied magazines.

“Valhalla was somewhat like Ebony magazine,” he told the Golf Channel last week. “When we heard that it might be for sale, it wasn’t so much looking at it as an investment. It was more something that we felt was important to the city of Louisville, important to the community and important to the state. We thought that we could do some things with Valhalla to get it where it probably should be and by that I mean as far as rankings in the top courses in this country.”

There was an economic factor, too. The new owners saw a vibrant Valhalla as a path for tourism dollars to the city.

“We felt we had an opportunity to not only preserve our championship history but to get it again,” Novak said. “The P.G.A. Championship brings in close to $150 million to the city. We know the community supports the golf, and we could make it better.”

The changes started with the image of the club. The partners wanted it to exemplify Kentucky, known for horse racing, bourbon and bluegrass.

The clubhouse was the start. It now looks like Churchill Downs. Inside there’s a room to commemorate all the champions, like Woods and Davis, who have won significant tournaments at Valhalla, but with the name of the horse that won the Derby the same year of their tournament victory. The gate into the club — along Bluegrass Way — looks like a horse farm gate. And, yes, there are horses on the property, too.

And the holes on the championship course follow the horse theme. No. 1 is called the Post; No. 18 is Photo Finish.

“I’ve always believed the most important thing you can do is know what you stand for,” Novak said. “We wanted to build the Valhalla brand. The first thing we did as an ownership group was we got together with our team and thought, what will we stand for?”

Not everyone has embraced the group’s definition of reality. After the group bought the club at the end of 2022, it altered the rules on initiation fees, causing some members to quit the club.

Disagreements at private clubs are nothing new. Still, the ownership team, which said it funded the renovations without assessing members, is ready for its close-up this week.

“I had complained about what Valhalla could be,” Novak said. “My daughter convinced me to buy the club. She said you have all these ideas about the course, and you love these guys. I’ve had more fun doing this. We’ve done this together.”

Paul Sullivan , the  Wealth Matters  columnist from 2008 to 2021, is the founder of  The Company of Dads , a work and parenting site aimed at fathers. He is also the author of  The Thin Green Line : The Money Secrets of the Super Wealthy and  Clutch : Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t.  @sullivanpaul More about Paul Sullivan

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Can Rory McIlroy make headlines for the right reasons at 2024 PGA Championship? TV pundits weigh in

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Just two days after picking up his 26 th career PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship, Rory McIlroy made headlines on Tuesday for the wrong reason – filing for divorce from his wife of seven years citing the marriage as “irretrievably broken,” requesting “shared parental responsibility” of their daughter, Poppy, and “establishing a parental plan, including a timesharing schedule.”

McIlroy released a statement through his manager saying he would not be making any comments about his private life and the closest he came to answering a question on the subject during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday ahead of the 106 th PGA Championship asked him about his energy levels and, on a personal level, how he was doing?

“I’m ready to play this week,” he said before moving on.

McIlroy, who turned 35 last week, has made plenty of headlines between being embroiled in PGA Tour policy board politics and serving as a de facto spokesman for the PGA Tour in its fight with LIV Golf, but the one headline he hasn’t made for a nearly a decade is as a major champion. It was at the 2014 PGA Championship here at Valhalla Golf Club in August that McIlroy captured his second Wanamaker Trophy and fourth major title. He was 25, the third-youngest to win four major titles since 1900 (Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus), the No. 1 player in the world, and his future seemed boundless.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP : How to watch | Tournament hub

“I thought at that point in time that we might see Rory win 10 major championships. He had limitless ability, unbelievable length, could do everything, and was making it look really easy,” said ESPN’s Andy North. “Life changes. You get married. You have kids. You have other business obligations. Your focus becomes not as singular on golf as it should be, and every single good player has gone through that. Rory has had an amazing career. I personally thought that he might win more than he has, which that’s scary because he’s won plenty.”

During the 35 major starts since his last win, McIlroy has recorded 20 top-10 finishes including 10 appearances in the top five, the most of any player in the last decade.

“To not at the very least fall into one is unfathomable,” said CBS Sports lead analyst Trevor Immelman.

When McIlroy left the PGA Championship a year ago after finishing seventh, his confidence was shot. The cameras for the Netflix documentary “Full Swing” captured McIlroy in an uncharacteristic fit of rage in the locker room.

“My technique is nowhere near as good as it used to be. I almost feel like I wanna do a complete reboot … It’s the only way I feel like I’m gonna break through,” McIlroy complained to his manager and caddie.

Speaking on Wednesday during his press conference, he said, “I felt like my game wasn’t in really good shape after Oak Hill. Sort of needed to reset, work on a few things.”

Rory McIlroy works out on the driving range during a practice round of the 2023 PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill Country Club. (Photo: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports)

One year later, McIlroy’s game is in a much better place. The world No. 2 was a non-factor in his latest quest to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April, but enters the PGA having teamed with Shane Lowry to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and winning last week in Charlotte with a closing 65 to blow past 54-hole leader Xander Schauffele. The last time McIlroy played here he was oozing confidence, having won his two previous starts heading into the PGA, and that symmetry hasn’t gone unnoticed.

McIlroy, for one, downplayed the significance of his success here 10 years ago and what it could mean for his bid to win a fifth major title.

“It’s hard to rekindle those feelings and those memories. I can vaguely remember, you know, coming here off the back of winning The Open and the old WGC at Akron,” he said. “But you know, I think it’s all about confidence and momentum, and I have a lot of confidence and quite a bit of momentum coming into this week.”

McIlroy said that he’s found a driver he loves and his tee game has been as good as ever. That should come in handy at a big, brawny course softened by recent rainstorms like Valhalla.

“I think this is a golf course that allows you to play with freedom because it’s a big golf course. The corridors are wide, not too dissimilar to last week at Quail Hollow, so you can open your shoulders up off the tee and try to take your chances from there,” he said.

If McIlroy can quiet all the noise in his life and find safe harbor between the ropes and keep playing with the swagger of the Summer of 2014, he could finally capture that elusive fifth major. ESPN’s Curtis Strange tabbed it a big week for McIlroy.

“If he could win a major championship, then the energy that it would create within him to do more might be phenomenal,” he said.

Story originally appeared on GolfWeek

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Talor Gooch sees his PGA Championship invitation as evidence sanity may prevail in LIV/PGA split

Will Graves

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Taylor Gooch hits his tee shot on the third hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Matt York)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Talor Gooch wasn't planning to be at Valhalla this week. He and his wife, Ally, had scheduled a trip to Las Vegas to take advantage of a break in the LIV Tour schedule.

Then Gooch checked his inbox and found an invitation to the PGA Championship. Just a simple note. No politics, just tacit recognition from the PGA of America that it was serious about assembling the best 156-player field for golf's second major of the year.

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For Gooch, among the first wave of defectors to Saudi-backed LIV and winner of the league's individual championship last year, it offered hope that at least when it comes to the sport's biggest stages, sanity may ultimately prevail.

“This is the first time that LIV play has been recognized, which I hope is a step in the right direction,” Gooch said after wrapping up a practice round on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old, wearing a white hat of the “Smash” team he represents on LIV and Jordan low golf shoes shaded with the black and orange of his alma mater, Oklahoma State, signed autographs and posed for selfies while walking off the ninth green.

It all felt normal, a welcome reminder for Gooch of what the game can still be.

While the future of any reconciliation between LIV and the PGA Tour remains very much in the air — Gooch said anyone who knows how things will turn out is guessing — he believes how the PGA, the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open view LIV players potentially can speed up the process.

“I think the majors have a chance to be on the forefront of that and that’s why it’s so cool seeing what the PGA of America did because they were the first to say, ‘You know what, we’re going to rise above all this; we’re going to hopefully be that beacon of hope for the rest of the game.’” he said.

A total of 16 LIV players will tee it up on Thursday. The other 15 have exemptions or fit PGA's criteria in some other way, be it through a top 100 world ranking or recent performances at majors. Gooch — currently ranked 668th in the world because LIV events don't qualify for ranking points — is the only one who received an invitation strictly for what he's done at LIV, where he won three times in 2023.

The PGA Championship likes to boast it has the best field in golf.

“We are not bound to world rankings,” PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said. “We are not bound to special invitations.”

So Gooch happily switched up his plans, trading Sin City neon for Kentucky Bluegrass. He hopes to play well, though he admitted he's not quite where he was in 2023.

Just don't expect him to alter his schedule going forward to chase a spot in the majors. He has declined to try to get into the U.S. and British Opens through qualifying, and he has no plans to play elsewhere in the world to make it to Augusta National as Joaquin Niemann did .

Gooch enjoys that there's an actual offseason in LIV, in part because it allows him to spend time with Ally and their two children back home in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

And in part because it lets him expand his horizons.

Like, say, running a Professional Bull Riding team.

Gooch is the owner of the Oklahoma Wildcatters , who begin their inaugural season in the PBR this summer. Gooch, who admits he's never been on a bull, was turned on to the reality TV series “The Ride” that profiles some of the top bull riders in the world.

That led to one discussion, then another until Gooch found himself writing a check to own one of two expansion teams that will push the number of PBR clubs to 10.

Brandon Bates, who has served as an announcer for the PBR for 20 years, is the general manager. Two-time PBR champion J.B. Mauney will serve as the head coach. There's already been an expansion draft and the rest of the roster will be filled out through free agency and an NFL-style draft in the coming weeks.

Gooch sees some similarities between LIV and PBR, particularly when it comes to creating a team atmosphere in an individual sport.

“I’ve told people, ‘Imagine if the PGA Tour had started (the way) LIV (has) and we didn’t have this fracturing of a sport in different ways,’” Gooch said. “The team part would be killing it, crushing it, but the chaos has held that back as of now. ... PBR has potential to boom and be something really cool, be something to be a part of.”

And something for Gooch to do whenever his golf career ends. He's seen other professional athletes move into other arenas as owners. He saw no reason why he couldn't do the same. Rodeo and bull riding are big in Oklahoma, and sports of all stripes play an outsized role in the state's identity.

“We rally around our own you know,” he said. "It’s a crazy story for a longer talk, but it’s been a perfect storm.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Championship 8' Tour Edition Billiards Pool Table Felt Cloth - Electric Blue

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• • Fast, Accurate and Most Durable Tournament Cloth in the Industry

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8' Championship Tour Edition 3030 Electric Blue worsted tournament grade fabric. 2-ply construction. Fast, accurate, most divot resisting tournament grade fabric in billiards.

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Golf | Jordan Spieth gets another career Grand Slam…

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Golf | Jordan Spieth gets another career Grand Slam shot at PGA Championship

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The attention starts building weeks, if not months, ahead of the one major keeping Rory McIlroy from the career Grand Slam, the most elite club in golf. It’s like that every year, and it doesn’t make it any easier when he gets to the Masters.

Jordan Spieth should be able to appreciate the feeling. Except that he really doesn’t.

Now that McIlroy missed again at the Masters — his 10th straight attempt at getting the final leg — Spieth is next up with an opportunity to become only the sixth player in history to capture all four professional majors.

It feels like an afterthought going into the PGA Championship.

Scottie Scheffler will try to extend his dominance with a second straight major. Brooks Koepka is the defending champion and coming off a LIV Golf win in Singapore. Jon Rahm turned in a dud at the Masters and curious eyes will want to see at Valhalla if that was an aberration.

Oh yes, and Spieth goes for the career Grand Slam, a feat achieved only by Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

“These things, like winning a career Grand Slam, they happen kind of when I think there’s less focus and less of a spotlight on him,” said Jim Nantz of CBS, who has covered every PGA Championship since 1991. “And I think Jordan goes into this week without a whole lot of discussion about that possibility coming up at Valhalla.

“So maybe it is favorable in that sense mentally.”

Spieth isn’t surprised the attention is not that high, certainly not at the level McIlroy has faced the last decade each time he heads to Augusta National.

One reason is his game, which has not been great. Spieth has gone just over two years since he last won a tournament and has had only a few close calls since then. He comes into the PGA Championship having missed the cut in four of his last five tournaments that had a 36-hole cut.

“He’s got more accolades,” Spieth said about the Slam hype between him and McIlroy. “He’s been a better player over his career. Maybe that creates a little noise. He’s been a bit more vocal about it himself, so maybe that makes a little bit more difference.”

The other reason is the Masters, the only major held on the same course every year.

Sarazen is the only player with the career Grand Slam who completed it at Augusta National. But that was in 1935, long before the Masters was considered a major and 25 years before Arnold Palmer first brought a professional slam into the golf conversation.

McIlroy threw away a chance in 2011 when he lost a four-shot lead in the final round at the Masters. He played in the final group with Patrick Reed in 2018 and didn’t get it done. Reminders are everywhere when he returns.

That isn’t the case for Spieth. He goes to Quail Hollow one year, Bellerive the next. He has had seven cracks at getting the missing piece of the Grand Slam on seven courses.

“For me, it’s like the PGA Championship feels decently similar to a number of tournaments we play,” Spieth said. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s played on some of the biggest, best golf courses. But the identity is not the same as the other three. In my mind, you don’t need to find a different way to win, versus guys who don’t have some of the other ones.

“We play a few tournaments a year that could be PGA Championships if you change the branding and the grandstands.”

Only two other players lacked just the PGA Championship for the career slam — Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson.

Nicklaus referenced them last month when speaking of McIlroy’s chances at Augusta.

“Is Tom Watson good enough to win the Grand Slam? Absolutely. Was Arnold Palmer good enough to win the Grand Slam? Absolutely,” Nicklaus said.

He felt the same way about McIlroy before adding, “But they have got to do it.”

Spieth is 30 and would seem to have time on his side — but not history. Sarazen, Hogan and Woods won the final leg in their first attempt. Woods did it in the most spectacular fashion, winning the U.S. Open by 15 shots and a month later the British Open by eight. He was 24.

Player (1965 U.S. Open) and Nicklaus (1966 British Open) completed the Grand Slam on their third attempt after they had captured the third leg.

McIlroy already has had 10 cracks at the Masters since he picked up the third leg. Spieth has had seven tries at the PGA Championship since winning the third leg at Royal Birkdale in 2017.

He said it doesn’t weigh on him, at least not lately.

“I remember thinking about it in ‘17 because it was right after the Open and I was playing so well,” said Spieth, who tied for 28th at Quail Hollow.

He also said he gave the Grand Slam some thought in 2019 at Bethpage Black when he was in the final group going into the weekend with Brooks Koepka. That wasn’t really a fair fight. Koepka set the 36-hole record for majors (128), a record seven shots ahead of Spieth.

“But I don’t feel like it will build up over time, not like people talk about Rory’s building up over time,” Spieth said.

More focus is on a nagging injury to his left wrist that first surfaced right before the PGA Championship last year at Oak Hill. Spieth is trying to manage it. He also is spending more time than he imagined on the phone as part of the PGA Tour Enterprises board trying to figure out the best way forward with the Saudis.

Justin Thomas has two PGA titles — what Spieth wouldn’t do for one — and is surprised why his longtime friend doesn’t get much attention as he pursues the final leg.

“It should be the same amount of attention — you could say more because he’s younger than Rory,” Thomas said. “But that also could be a good thing. Going in under the radar is never bad.”

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