On This Day In Golf

Internet Invitational Episode 1 is five hours long and still finds time to send half the field home. Four teams of 16, only two move on. No spoilers: whose team were you riding, Finch, Ruffels, Dalke or Bryan? @Internetinvite

Rahm and Hatton walked into Abu Dhabi tied for the most Rolex Series titles ever. Rahm walked out with six and a two-shot win over his buddy. First DP World Tour start since leaving LIV. Rory was docked two on Thursday for improving his lie. Give them back and he still loses by two.

Mexico went 42 years without a PGA Tour winner. Six years ago today Carlos Ortiz ended it in Houston: 65 on Sunday, two clear of world No. 1 Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama, in his 118th start. His little brother Alvaro tees off today in Los Cabos T5, six back. Home crowd and everything.

Chris Kirk went 63-72-65 this week. He's 0-for-8 converting 18-hole leads. Five back of James in Cabo with 18 to play anyway. Card still on the line. The golf got weird. He's still here.

Ben James has shot 65 or better 14 times in 13 starts since turning pro in June. No Tour pro has more since he showed up. Only other time he led going into a weekend was Canada. He shot 78 on Saturday. One up on Malnati in Cabo. We'll find out which guy tees it up today.

One guy has ever won this event two years in a row. Viktor Hovland, five years ago today: 67 on Sunday, 23 under, four clear of Carlos Ortiz. Two days after a sprinkler head ate his ball. Ben Griffin's defending at El Cardonal this week. He's 7 under, eight back going into Saturday.

Bogey-free 63 on a Tiger course. He's also 0-for-8 converting 18-hole leads, and he walked into Cabo at No. 110 in the Fall with three events left to keep a card. Chris Kirk's week has layers.

Five straight at the same tournament. Annika did it. Tiger never has. 21 years ago today she closed with a 64 at the Mizuno Classic and made LPGA (and PGA Tour) history. His max in one event is four. Tour's on Tiger's course in Cabo this week. Just saying.

Internet Invitational Ep. 4 twist: White clinches the Final 16, then Dave splits them into four teams and one whole squad goes home that night. Big John, Grant, Micah, Ruffels. Episode ends under the lights. Which team is gone before Monday? @Internetinvite

Internet Invitational Ep. 4: Sam vs. Big John, and the rulebook got more work than the putters. Sam flagged Big John's ball moving at address. Later he called the same thing on himself after Big John told him he was good. Pretty sure you saw it move. Call it? @Internetinvite

Internet Invitational, Ep. 3: the ninth at Buffalo Ridge started at $50K and rolled to $200,000 after three straight ties. Jake almost holes an 8-iron. Then Paige (@PaigeSpiranac) drains the downhill right-edge leftover for birdie — full point for White, $25K each for eight players. Her putter: a custom pink Swag Golf Vandal RAD. @swaggolfco @Internetinvite #InternetInvitational

Came home in 28 with a dying friend's initials on his ball, then eagled 18 to win. Erik van Rooyen, Nov 5, 2023, El Cardonal. The WWT Championship is back on that same Tiger-designed course this week, and so is he. #PGATour

Jon Rahm has won the DP World Tour Championship three times. Right now he's 51st on the Race to Dubai and only the top 50 get in. First start since leaving LIV is Abu Dhabi this week, and it's basically a qualifier. #RaceToDubai

Started the final round 4 back. Minjee Lee went out in 43, Hataoka shot 67 and won at home at 19. She's back at the TOTO Japan Classic this week trying to defend. #LPGA

Internet Invitational, three matches in: Wesley Bryan and Bobby Fairways are the only two still perfect. PFT and Callux are the only two without a point. Every player's record so far. @Internetinvite

Rory stood on the 18th tee in a playoff with the defending champ, hit driver and a 4-iron to 25 feet, then two-putted. That was Shanghai, seven years ago today. This week he's 3rd in the Race to Dubai going into Abu Dhabi, chasing a record-tying 8th title. #RaceToDubai

Internet Invitational Ep. 3 morning scramble, all eight matches on one card. The captains' match went one way. The rest of the morning mostly didn't. Is Green cooked, or is the afternoon a different tournament? @Internetinvite

Internet Invitational Ep. 3 handed each team exactly one Kevin Kisner shot for the whole Day 2 scramble. Hungover Kiz. Same match, same hole, both teams cashed it in. Where are you burning yours? @Internetinvite

Internet Invitational Day 2 drops at 1. 32 left, Ruffels vs Bryan, and here's everybody's Day 1 record. Both sides have four guys who went 2-0 and two who went 0-2. Who's carrying who to $4M? @Internetinvite

Internet Invitational, Ep. 2: sudden death on 18 at Ozarks National. Grant Horvat sticks a 9-iron from the sand to ~20 ft, then Big John (@Bigjohngolf), the 12th pick, drops the quick, downhill left-to-righter to send Team Ruffels to Day 2. Rebuilt from lidar. @Internetinvite