Lisa Keightley will leave her position as England Women’s head coach at the end of the summer after deciding not to pursue the option of a contract extension.
Keightley was appointed in late 2019, and guided England to the final of the 2022 ODI World Cup. She also oversaw runs to the semi-finals of the 2020 T20 World Cup and Commonwealth Games, where England were beaten in the bronze-medal match on Sunday.
She will continue to coach the team until the end of the home season, with limited-overs series against India scheduled next month. It is understood the decision to part ways was mutually agreed on before the Commonwealth Games.
The ECB will now begin the process of recruiting a new head coach ahead of the next Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in February.
Although England failed to defend the World Cup they won in 2017, and missed out on successive T20 titles, Keightley’s period in charge was marked by an injection of younger talent into the side, with Sophia Dunkley establishing herself as a first-choice pick and the likes of Issy Wong, Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp coming through.
Jonathan Finch, the ECB’s director of England women’s cricket, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the commitment and passion Lisa has shown over the last two-and-a-half years in the role. We have seen increased competition for places over the Last 12 months and the squad Lisa leaves is an exciting blend of youth and experience.
“Leading an international team is challenging at the best of times. It is more challenging during a pandemic, and Lisa has been able to continue the development of the team during what has been the toughest period we have faced off the field.”
Clare Connor, ECB interim chief executive, said: “I’d like to place on record our sincere thanks to Lisa for all her efforts across the last two-and-a-half years.
“Lisa was always a fierce opponent when she represented Australia, and she’s brought that same pride, passion and will to win into everything she’s done with the England Women’s team.
“The team have enjoyed working with her immensely and I know they’ll join me in wishing her all the very best for her next challenge.”
Keightley’s departure follows that of her senior assistant and fellow Australian, Tim Macdonald, who announced in June that he would be leaving after the Commonwealth Games to take up an assistant coaching post with the Perth Scorchers and Western Australian men’s teams.
Alastair Clarkson is expected to make a decision on his coaching future before the end of the home and away season.
That is according to Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary who believes the former Hawthorn master coach is set to soon make a call.
SEN’s Sam Edmund reported on Tuesday that Clarkson is already sounding out assistant coaches as he looks to his next role in the game.
Additionally, Cleary believes a call will be made between North Melbourne and GWS very soon, while essentially ruling out any interest from Port Adelaide.
“The only sentiment I get is that Alastair Clarkson is likely to make his decision before the end of the home and away season,” Cleary said on SEN Breakfast.
“I think we’re going to know by next Friday. I think we’ll have a better understanding or a decision from Alastair Clarkson as to where he goes.
“If Port Adelaide wants to get into that race they may need to make a call on Ken Hinkley but I think that’s looking increasingly unlikely.”
Clearly it was asked if the Kangaroos are “all-in” on Clarkson.
He believes they are and that the pursuit is being heavily led by club president Sonja Hood.
“Yeah absolutely (they’re all-in),” he added.
“They’re not talking to one other coach.
“They haven’t even formed a sub-committee. The interesting part of this is Sonja Hood is leading the whole scenario where usually in this situation, you compare it to the Giants, with their CEO Dave Matthews being at the forefront of this.
“What that means is Ben Amarfio will leave question marks if it is Alastair Clarkson who comes in. The fact that Sonja as president has been driving this singlehandedly.
“Let’s see if Alastair Clarkson lobs at Arden Street and what that means for Ben Amarfio, the CEO, given he’s had not much of a part to play in this pursuit.”
Both the Roos and Giants are in the market for a new senior coach having parted ways with David Noble and Leon Cameron respectively during the 2022 season.
Australian women’s cricket captain Meg Lanning will take a period of indefinite leave, effective immediately.
Key points:
Lanning made the decision for personal reasons
Cricket Australia says it supports Lanning’s decision
Lanning captained Australia to its win at the Commonwealth Games
Cricket Australia (CA) said Lanning made the decision for “personal reasons”, with no timeline set for her return.
“After a busy couple of years, I’ve made the decision to take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself,” Lanning said in a CA statement.
“I’m grateful for the support of CA and my teammates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time.”
The announcement of Lanning’s decision comes only days after she led Australia to victory at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
CA said it would support Lanning, with a decision on her participation in the Australian domestic season to made in “due course”.
“We’re proud of Meg for acknowledging that she needs a break and will continue to support her during this time,” CA’s women’s cricket head of performance Shawn Flegler said.
“She’s been an incredible contributor to Australian cricket over the last decade, achieving remarkable feats both individually and as part of the team, and has been a brilliant role model for young kids.
“The welfare of our players is always our number one priority, and we’ll continue to work with Meg to ensure she gets the support and space she needs.”
Lanning was due to play in The Hundred tournament in England and Wales, where she was to represent the Trent Rockets.
There simply couldn’t be a better time for Richie Mo’unga to prove he has the mental fortitude, writes Gregor Paul. Photo / Photosport
OPINION:
By Gregor Paul in South Africa
Last November, Richie Mo’unga didn’t manage to be the man the All Blacks needed in a crisis.
His big shot came in the last test of the year in Paris, where – with Beauden Barrett – he was handed the No 10 jersey against France and asked to produce the play-making magic that had seen him light up Super Rugby for the fifth successive year.
The All Blacks needed a win to bring their season to a respectable close and to dampen the sense of uncertainty that was developing about their attack game.
They needed a creative hero, a tactical mastermind to produce the definitive blueprint of what the All Blacks were trying to do with the ball.
And as much as the All Blacks needed to provide themselves, so too did Mo’unga. His talent has never been in question.
He’s got every trick in the book and other than his defence, where he is prone to slipping off the odd tackle, he has the game to be a long-term All Black.
A great All Black even, except that for whatever reason – lack of opportunity perhaps – he’d never been able to produce his Super Rugby form in the test arena.
All Blacks first-five Richie Mo’unga in action against France. Photo / Photosport
There were moments, maybe the odd game even where he looked more like his Super Rugby self, but there was no consistency – no sense of Mo’unga having come to terms with what it takes to play well at the highest level.
There were maybe signs it was starting to happen for him earlier in 2021 when he was the preferred No 10 and ran Australia ragged in successive weekends at Eden Park.
Covid proved to be a cruel blow, however, as just as he was starting to build a little momentum, his second child came along and by the time he was able to get into Australia for the Rugby Championship and serve his mandatory quarantine, Barrett had grabbed back the No 10 jersey.
Paris was Mo’unga’s single biggest opportunity to win back his place.
But cometh the hour, there was no sign of the man. A feverish crowd, ecstatic to be back at Stade de France without Covid enforced restrictions, helped sweep a young and dynamic French team to a memorable victory.
It was a win built on the calm, poise and occasional brilliance of their young No 10, Romain Ntamack and his ability to inject himself into the game, to be the central figure and own the big moments, highlighted that his All Blacks opposite didn’ Don’t play badly so much, as simply not really play at all.
Of all the things that went wrong in Paris that night, nothing was more disappointing than Mo’unga’s lack of desire or ability to impose himself.
If he had tried and failed, so be it, but it was as if he hid a little bit, got stage fright and didn’t want to be cast as the central figure in a story that wasn’t a happy one for the All Black’s.
Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga after a Super Rugby clash between the Blues and the Crusaders. Photo / Photosport
History, it would seem, is about to repeat in one sense. Barrett, having been tipped upside down in a horror challenge in Mbombela, is unlikely to play this week and never in the All Blacks modern history have they needed to win more than they do now.
And if Paris was a cauldron, goodness knows how to describe what Ellis Park will be on Saturday, with 60,000 South Africans baying for blood now that they can sense they are facing an All Blacks side that may be in its last throes before a radical reset .
There simply couldn’t be a better time for Mo’unga to prove he has the mental strength for the white-hot intensity of world rugby’s toughest encounter.
Whether he plays brilliantly or terribly probably doesn’t matter. What he does, is that he pushes himself to be on the ball, that he wants to take responsibility for igniting an attack game that has, for most of this year, been more ZX81 than MacBookPro.
The ideal scenario for him and the All Blacks is that he not only shows an appetite to be in the thick of the big moments, but he also wins a few.
That he shines a little and plays with the some of the innovation and intuition that so readily comes when he’s with the Crusaders.
The benefit of that, would be to finally ignite a real battle between him and Barrett for the No 10 role.
In the first half of last year, the head-to-head between these two was hyped to high heaven, but nothing eventuated and maybe the saddest thing about the demise of the All Blacks is that these two great players haven’t managed to drive each other to higher levels.
Mo’unga, if he starts at Ellis Park, will have a chance to end the Phoney War and see if he and Barrett can start forcing each other to deliver their best.
Nick Kyrgios made history at the Citi Open on Sunday by becoming the first man to sweep the singles and doubles titles in the 53-year history of the ATP 500 event. But the Aussie also made a bit of history with his flawless serving performance in the singles competition.
With 64 consecutive service holds, Kyrgios was never broken on his title run, saving all 10 break points against him. He hit 96 aces on the week, including a tournament-high 35 in the quarter-finals against Frances Tiafoe — a 6-7(5), 7-6(12), 6-2 victory in which Kyrgios saved five match points.
The last time a player won an ATP Tour title without dropping serve was in June, when Taylor Fritz won Eastbourne with 51 straight holds. The last player to do so with at least 64 service holds was Kenneth Carlsen, who claimed the 2002 Tokyo title behind 70 consecutive service games won. Ivo Karlovic was the last man to win an ATP Tour title with at least 60 service holds and no breaks; I have held 61 times in winning the 2013 Bogota crown.
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For the 2022 season, Kyrgios leads the ATP Tour with a hold rate of 94.42 per cent, winning 423 of his 448 service games across 34 matches, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Only John Isner (91.52%), Reilly Opelka (90.83%) and Hubert Hurkacz (90.13%) join him above the 90 per cent threshold.
Kyrgios’ 538 aces on the season are fifth on the ATP Tour, while his 79.17 break-point save percentage (95/120) tops the Tour. The Aussie has won 79.25 per cent of his first-serve points on the year (fourth) and 56.35 per cent of his second-serve points (third).
After winning a seventh-straight gold medal in the men’s hockey at the Commonwealth Games, it must be asked: are the Kookaburras the greatest team to ever perform on this stage?
Put nationalism and individual events to the side for a moment. For sheer excellence and dominance sustained over the history of the Commonwealth Games, it’s hard to argue that any other team across any sport, comes close.
In Birmingham, the Kookas’ juggernaut rolled on with a thumping 7-0 win over India in the gold medal match.
The Kookaburras stand triumphant with their gold medals.(Getty Images: Elsa)
It all started in Kuala Lumpur 1998, when hockey was brought into the Games. There, the Kookaburras dropped a pool stage match to South Africa.
It remains the only game they’ve ever lost.
That’s a total of 41 out of 42 matches won over 24 years, scoring 33 goals and conceding two in the seven gold medal deciders.
“It’s a great team dynasty, really proud of the history that we have,” co-captain Aran Zalewski said.
“Every team that comes is a different team, new venue, new players, a lot of first time Commonwealth Games guys here, second time Commonwealth Games guys, so we know that we have to come out and perform, and we pride ourselves on performing well here.”
But the Kookas are more than just a series of impressive stats.
With such a crowded sporting scene in Australia, we sometimes don’t appreciate the full spectrum of talent we have across a whole range of sports, including hockey, which only tends to attract mainstream attention at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games.
But it’s time we actually sit back and fully appreciate what the Kookaburras have brought to men’s hockey, and Australian sport, over the last two decades – and the path this current generation is forging.
“We really just enjoy being on tour and spending time together, and I think that’s the best thing about this team,” Zalewski said.
“Good harmony, and we all want to challenge each other. It’s not all roses, we have to get the best out of each other and raise the tension at times.
“And we do that, and we’ve got a level of respect and trust and value that allows us to do that.”
Near flawless final caps off seventh heaven
The casual observer could look at the 7-0 score line in the final and think it was an easy romp.
But India is one of the best teams in the world – having won bronze at last year’s Tokyo Olympics – while the Kookas memorably claimed silver in a penalty shootout heartbreaker.
The reality is the Australians didn’t let India get into any flow, stifling them from the opening whistle in a masterful performance. It was an emphatic statement after they were nearly knocked out in the semis by England.
The crowning moment was the second goal – perfection for purists, as the Kookaburras whizzed out of danger on the edge of their circle, with six players involved in beautiful interplay, finished off by a Nathan Ephraums tap in.
The Aussies responded to their slim semi-final win over England by putting five past India in the opening two quarters.(Getty Images: Elsa)
The defense was just as entertaining to watch as the goal fest. When caught in their quarter, which wasn’t often, they played patiently, backing their skills to slip through a crowd of Indian players, and getting out of trouble.
Even while leading 5-0 and the game already won, Matt Dawson thrust himself in the line of fire to block an Indian shot.
It was characteristic of every player’s effort in the decider: they play hard, they play every ball, and they play to win every single moment, no matter the score.
Ockenden wins his fourth gold medal
It may sometimes seem unfair to single out individuals after any performance in a team sport, but when it comes to the Kookaburras for the past 16 years co-captain Eddie Ockenden has been at the center of it all.
He now joins former skipper Mark Knowles with four Commonwealth Games golds.
Ockenden made his international debut for the Kookaburras in 2006.(AAP: Brendon Thorne)
“I’m really proud to have that, and it’s really good part of our history but it’s our team now, it’s our time,” Ockenden said.
“I’m just incredibly proud to have played with some of the guys I played with across all those four and just incredible friends, great teammates, great players.”
Zalewski says Ockenden is a much-loved member of the team.
“The best thing about Eddie we can draw on so many experiences. And just having someone that’s so calm under pressure, such a humble guy and just such a good fella, really.”
In Birmingham, he remained a bedrock in defence, the cool head needed in all situations, and at these Games he was not only a leader of the Kookas, but the unofficial captain of the entire Australian team, as the opening ceremony flag-bearer.
Ockenden (right) was Australia’s flag-bearer alongside Rachael Grinham at the Birmingham Opening Ceremony.(ABC News: West Matteussen)
He’s not comfortable with the spotlight remaining solely on him though, preferring to praise the players who have come in, particularly in the wake of major changes following the Rio 2016 Olympics where they finished sixth.
“The way we didn’t stagnate or drop even when we had new guys, we really improved surprisingly quickly and got to that amazing level, and I even think Tokyo last year, that was just the start.”
Australia’s all-time games record holder continues to rack up the caps: he’s now just a few shy of 400, and at 35, he doesn’t look like stopping any time soon.
“I’m feeling really good and fit, I’m just going to give myself a chance to make the squads and push for the team because it’s really tight for spots and it’s an incredible squad that we’ve got,” he said.
“There’s a lot of guys back in Perth [where the team is based] that could be here today, so it’s a really tight squad and I’ll just keep putting my name forward and doing my best.”
While Comm Games are nice, the Olympics are the ultimate prize for hockey players, and Ockenden hasn’t managed gold on that stage yet.
Paris is only two years away – so will he be there?
“Now you say ‘yeah, I’d like to go’, but it’s a bit more into it than that,” he said.
“It’s hard leaving my family all the time. You have to make sure your body is good, and your form is good, and then I think we’ll just see how it goes.”
And if the Kookaburras can continue building to gold in Paris, with Ockenden at the helm, that could take them from Commonwealth Games legends to Australian sporting immortality.
Grace Harris only needed one line to sum up Australia’s celebrations after clinching the first Commonwealth Games T20 gold medal at Edgbaston.
“I’ve been horizontal, may not have been asleep,” Harris quipped from Birmingham moments before crossing live into Channel 7 studios in Australia on Tuesday morning.
On the field, in the dugout, on the bus and out on the town in Birmingham, it was scenes of pure elation for the Australians as soon as Jess Jonassen claimed India’s last remaining wicket to secure the gold.
First order of call for the Australians was to rush into the team room to don their decorative ‘podium jackets’ before walking out alongside silver medalists India, and bronze medalists New Zealand.
Speaking minutes after the ceremony, Alana King said it was unlike anything she’s experienced before in cricket.
“It’s not just cricket, it’s Team Australia,” she said.
— Australian Women’s Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) August 7, 2022
“It’s pretty special standing on a podium, we’ve never done something like that ever.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Jonassen, who took two wickets in a thrilling final over to deny India the 11 runs they needed for victory.
“We’ll never get the opportunity to win the first ever women’s cricket gold medal for Australia ever again,” she said.
“To be a part of history and a part of a bigger team is super special, I’m so proud to have been a part of it.”
Lanning, Healy, Mooney and Haynes celebrate winning gold at Edgbaston // Commonwealth Games Australia
With gold medals around their necks and Australian flags draped around their shoulders, the Australians team took their time mingling with friends, family and fans in the stands.
Rachael Haynes was quick to spot her son Hugo in the crowd, Darcie Brown’s family made the trip from Adelaide, the Lannings and Harris’ were also at Edgbaston and Alyssa Healy was able to celebrate with her mum, husband Mitchell Starc and brother-in- law Brandon Starc, who won a silver medal in the men’s high jump at Birmingham.
Another familiar face in the crowd was former longstanding Aussie coach Matthew Mott, who watched the thrilling contest with former player turned commentator Mel Jones.
As the sell-out crowd slowly trickled out of Edgbaston, the Australians made their way into the team room to continue the celebrations.
The music was turned up and the gold medalists turned their attention to the other members of Team Australia going for glory.
A few players tuned into the final few minutes of the Australian Diamonds’ victory against Jamaica and some were glued to an iPad showing Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in the beach volleyball gold medal match.
All the while, a stack of radio and live television requests were filtering through from back in Australia where fans were waking up to news of the win.
Then, in the team room adorned with posters of the team’s values such as ‘team-first, fearless, evolve’ on the wall, it was time to sing the song.
As the lights went off at Edgbaston, the party continued in the team bus with King leading the charges and taking control of the playlist.
Australia sing the team song after beating India in the gold medal match // Commonwealth Games Australia
Just as it did in New Zealand after Australia won the ODI World Cup, Freed From Desire got a strong run.
With a couple of hours sleep under her belt after a visit to notorious Aussie pub ‘The Walkabout’, Healy fronted up in excellent form for the live cross with Channel 7 to reflect on the magnitude of what the team had achieved.
“I look back on yesterday, and I just think, how did we do that?” Healy told Hamish McLaughlin.
“How did how do we do that? How did we win? And it’s actually our sports psychologist Pete (Clark) who said to me, ‘I think it’s two things’.
“He said ‘we never ever give up and we never turn on one another when things get down’.
“And I think that’s exactly what makes this team so great.
Alana King, Shelley Nitschke and Beth Mooney after the medal ceremony // Commonwealth Games Australia
“You could see it yesterday when the chips were down, we got around one another, we rallied and we managed to find a way to win.
“I think that’s what makes this team so good.
“And it’s so good to be a part of knowing that each and every one of your teammates has got your back even when things aren’t going that great.
“I think that’s probably one of the most remarkable victories I’ve been a part of and one that I can probably watch back at some point and be so proud of this group for.”
This is becoming a joke now. Someone is having a lend. The fix is in, surely. Collingwood wasn’t supposed to be this good. They were supposed to be eating humble pie. They were supposed to be resetting. They started the season as a curiosity. They’re now a legitimate premiership contender. In so many ways, they don’t make sense. Their stats don’t make sense. Their percentage doesn’t make sense. All you can do is suspend your disbelief, and simply enjoy them.
It was all so different last year. At times, watching them play was like undergoing root canal work. Their president of more than two decades finally stepped down. His replacement lasted six months. The coach, a champion of the game, was let go. They’d completely botched the trade period. The head of football, list manager, several assistants, and a number of board members were all gone. Their most important player was arrested in his dressing gown. The club was in disarray, and facing its biggest fear – irrelevance.
But with apologies to Rudyard Kipling (and Ross Lyon), it’s never as good and never as bad as you think. In Craig McRae, they had a cool head, a fresh start, and some clean air. McRae has always seen himself as a career coach. He’s played and coached at Brisbane, Richmond, Hawthorn, even at Melbourne Storm – all successful clubs. There’s a lot of Leigh Matthews in him. He’s process driven, even tempered, and not a man to get caught up in the noise. One of his players said on Friday that the atmosphere around Collingwood is like a country footy team. A weight has lifted.
An hour before the Western Bulldogs game in May, fans were greeted with a three-word notification: ‘Late out – Pendlebury’. They were unmoored that night, and the Dogs were in a mood. But the Pies haven’t lost since. On Friday night, they faced their biggest test: Melbourne, the reigning premiers. The Demons’ Ed Langdon – mixing his metaphors and pushing his luck, suggested the Magpies were all duck, no dinner, and a “one trick pony”. But they won again. Walking away from the MCG, the prevailing question was once again was: How on earth does this side keep winning?
For many, it comes down to effort. A common trope in football analysis is that the losing team didn’t bring the required effort. You could buy a parrot, organize accreditation, train it to chirp ‘where was the effort? what do theand stand for? and what’s in their DNA?’ and the bird would be bigger than Howard Cosell by the next trade period. Granted, there is something maniacal about this Collingwood side. Three of Jamie Elliott’s four goals came from chase-down tackles. Their fierce pressure was personified when Braydon Maynard nearly disembowelled Alex Neal-Bullen in the final term.
But there’s also some very smart footballers in there, some masters of managing time and space. The way the Magpies changed lanes and angles negated the influence of Steven May and Jake Lever. And for a team that’s built on rolling the dice and attacking through the corridor, they also know when to slow down, bottle up and neutralize. On Friday, for five excruciating minutes, up against one of the best ruck and on-ball combinations in football, the ball barely left a 30-meter radius.
Collingwood are also completely unfazed when things don’t go their way. They’ve done a lot of work with the club psychologists on embracing the chaos of the game. It’s exactly what Richmond were doing in 2017, when McRae and Justin Leppitsch were both prominent. Embracing vulnerability, as opposed to ‘power stances’ and being rated by your teammates, would appear to bring out the best in young athletes.
The career of Mason Cox is a textbook study in embracing imperfection. He has brought so much to Collingwood, and to the competition. Sometimes, when he’s flopping and floundering about, he can resemble a freestyler in a bathtub. But when he’s in his flow state, he’s more than a novelty, more than a ‘great story’. He can sink your season. For coaches, for ruckmen, and for defenders, Cox is incredibly hard to counter because he doesn’t play like anyone else. He drifts and ambles about, stoops over, reaches up, dinks it sideways. He grows into games. You can sense the helplessness and bewilderment in his opponents of him – ‘I’m being toweled by a Texan engineering student in swimming googles!’
The events of the past week didn’t exactly paint football in its best light. It wasn’t a good week for the governing body, and for the association that’s supposed to look after its players. But the return of Ben Cunnington, the farewell to Josh Kennedy and the extraordinary Collingwood win were reminders of the sport at its best. “This group’s got some belief, doesn’t it?”, McRae said on Friday night. Over on Fox Footy, Nathan Buckley insisted that we’ve underestimated Collingwood all along, and that this win was five years in the making. His former assistant Brenton Sanderson said there was a “beautiful mystique” to them.
In the stands, the Collingwood army was loud. In previous years – when crowds were allowed – there was a sullen din at Collingwood games. They really weren’t much fun to watch. Friday felt like a Preliminary Final crowd. They sang that song with gusto. They sang it like they couldn’t quite believe their luck. This song, every one of them would have told you on Friday night, will never end.
A federal judge has denied a request by three LIV Golf Series players, including Australian Matt Jones, for a temporary restraining order allowing them to play in this week’s $US75m PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoffs.
US District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman made the ruling after a hearing at San Jose on the lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California. The news came on a dramatic day in which Aussie world No.2 Cameron Smith was reported to have signed on for the Greg Norman-led rebel tour.
Jones and Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford had sought the chance to compete in the FedEx Cup playoff opener, the St. Jude’s Championship, that begins Thursday in Memphis.
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Terse Cam refuses to address LIV rumors | 00:43
All three were among those suspended by the PGA Tour after they teed off in their first event of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series in June. The ruling upheld that ban.
“We’re disappointed that Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones won’t be allowed to play golf,” LIV Golf said in a statement. “No one gains by banning golfers from playing.” Gooch was ranked 20th in FedEx Cup points with Jones 65th and Swafford 67th. The top 125 players in season points qualified for Memphis with 70 players advancing to next week’s BMW Championship and the top 30 reaching the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Had they been able to play and reached the Tour Championship, the trio would have earned berths in next year’s Masters and US and British Opens.
But LIV Golf players could not show irreparable harm since they will be allowed to play LIV Golf events when those resume next month in Boston.
While LIV Golf players claim they are independent contractors, the PGA Tour argued they were members and the tour can punish members who violate rules, such as playing in LIV events.
Smith tightlipped on rumored defection | 05:10
“With today’s news, our players, fans and partners can now focus on what really matters over the next three weeks, the best players in the world competing in the FedEx Cup playoffs,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo obtained by The GolfChannel.
LIV Golf has lured away such top stars as Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson with guaranteed money and record purses of $25 million at events.
Jones, Gooch and Swafford were among 11 LIV Golf players who filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, who had been among the 11 players in the lawsuit, has dropped out of the case, his manager said.
Some players at Memphis warned of a frosty reception for LIV golfers had they been allowed to tee off after departing for richer prize money as well as trying to knock PGA players out of their own playoffs.
“Going to be a pretty icy Thursday morning if those guys play,” 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover told The Golf Channel. “They want their cake and eat it too.”
Rory McIlroy is sixth in the FedExCup and coming off a break following his third-place finish in The Open. Most players would be thrilled to have played so well in the majors. In addition to contending at St. Andrews, where he held the 54-hole lead but couldn’t buy a putt in the final round and was passed by Smith, McIlroy was second at the Masters, eighth at the PGA Championship and T5 at the USOpen. McIlroy has high standards, however, and the fact is her ran his majorless streak to 31. Now, though, his opportunity to make history could serve as some consolation; no player, not even Tiger Woods, has won the FedExCup three times.
Patrick Cantlay goes into the Playoffs at FedExCup No. 5. No player has ever successfully defended his FedExCup title, but with a TOUR-leading 10 top-10 finishes this season, including a victory with partner Xander Schauffele at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans , Cantlay is in the mix to do just that. If he gets hot like he did last summer, watch out. He’ll also be looking for his first individual victory of the season.
Tony Finau, who won the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic, will look to make it three wins in three starts this week. That would make him the hottest player since Scheffler won four times in six starts in the spring. Also, Finau has unfinished business at TPC Southwind, where he admittedly hasn’t played well – his best is a T27 in 2019.
Then there’s Collin Morikawa, who’s looking to win in the Playoffs to avoid the first winless season of his career. Former Wake Forest teammates Cameron Young and Will Zalatoris also will be looking to nab a win before season’s end. Each is seeking his maiden victory after knocking on the door multiple times this season, including close calls at the majors.
Scheffler (Masters), Smith (The Open), Justin Thomas (PGA Championship) and Matt Fitzpatrick (US Open) would love to cap their major-winning campaigns with the FedExCup.
3. AWARD SEASON
In case you were wondering, yes, Joohyung “Tom” Kim, who opened with a quadruple bogey and closed with a 9-under 61 to win the Wyndham Championship – by a gaudy five shots, no less – is eligible for the 2022 Arnold Palmer Award as PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year.
That makes five rookies in the top 40 of the FedExCup standings — Cameron Young (No. 9), Davis Riley (No. 23), Tom Kim (No. 34), Mito Pereira (No. 38) and Sahith Theegala (No. 39) – and a tight race for top rookie honors.
“Yeah, I still can’t really wrap my head around just what happened,” Kim said Tuesday in Memphis. “It’s been – it’s been a crazy month. Start of July I was planning on trying to get my card through Korn Ferry (Tour) Finals and now one month later I’m a PGA TOUR winner.”
With seven top-3s, including a runner-up to Cameron Smith at The Open and a T3 at the PGA Championship, Young is believed to be the frontrunner. That would be fitting: Will Zalatoris, who was one year ahead of Young at Wake Forest, won the honor last season. While nabbing the award out of Young’s hands would be a tough task, the strong fields of the FedExCup Playoffs make it possible, as a win or even high finishes in all three would surely make a statement to a player’s peers, who are the voters for the award.
The Playoffs will also bring clarity to the Player of the Year race. Scheffler is the favorite, of course, but Smith could surpass him with a strong sprint to the finish. Same for Thomas and Fitzpatrick, who’d have a strong case if they had both a major and the FedExCup on their CV.
4. CUP CALL
Players have this week and next to automatically make the US Presidents Cup Team that will take on the International Team at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club on Sept. 22-25.
It’s not an easy task; only six players will make it on points after next week’s BMW Championship, the second event of the FedExCup Playoffs. After that, US Captain Davis Love III will make his six picks the day after the TOUR Championship, Aug. 29.
Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas occupy the top five spots in the standings and would seem to be a lock.
Tony Finau won the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic to move into the sixth position and has said he wants to make the team on points, not as a captain’s pick.
The next six after that: Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Will Zalatoris, Billy Horschel, and Cameron Young. Who will get the call?
Homa won the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow and is having a nice year. Young, while playing with Love at the recent Rocket Mortgage Classic, tied the course record with a 63. Love has spoken admiringly of the sound the ball makes coming off Zalatoris’ clubs.
Meanwhile, Kevin Kisner (15th), Keegan Bradley (18th), and Maverick McNealy (19th) are among those outside the top 12 who have great match-play pedigrees and could make a late run.
The International Team’s eight automatic qualifiers also will be determined after the BMW, with four Captain’s Picks coming Aug. 29. The top eight in the current standings, which are based on the Official World Golf Ranking, are Cameron Smith, Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im , Joaquin Niemann, Joohyung Kim, Corey Conners, Mito Pereira and Adam Scott.
That leaves players like two-time AT&T Byron Nelson champ KH Lee; former Presidents Cup participants Adam Hadwin, Marc Leishman, Anirban Lahiri and Si Woo Kim; and former TOUR winners Sebastian Munoz, Mackenzie Hughes and Lucas Herbert jockeying for the four picks.
5. BUBBLE BOYS
In addition to the fight for the FedEx St. Jude Championship trophy we’ll see a battle to get into (or remain) in the top 70 of the FedExCup standings to qualify for next week’s BMW Championship.
Those on the bubble include …
No. 67 John Huh, the onetime PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year who finished T2 at the Wyndham Championship last week, his best finish in a decade.
No. 70 Trey Mullinax, who captured his first TOUR title at the Barbasol Championship earlier this summer and was striping it in a practice round with Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas, his former Alabama teammate, on Tuesday.
No. 71 Brandon Wu, a rookie who finished T8 at the Wyndham Championship in addition to two top-3 finishes this season.
No. 75 Chad Ramey, who captured his first TOUR title this season at the Corales Puntacana Championship.
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