Stars Chasing Bay Hill Leader

 👋 Hey Golf Fans,

Justin Thomas kicked off his season at Bay Hill but missed the cut. He joined a number of top draws to pack their bags early, as you can find here. Meanwhile, a few favorites made it to the weekend, with Daniel Berger leading the pack. We take a look at the current state of the leaderboard. Then, talk about Jim Furyk's bold call, the LPGA's commendable move, and more.

Onward…

The Friday carnage at the Arnold Palmer Invitational is what we call “absolute cinema” these days. The only downside? It booted some bigwigs out the door early. And those who stayed were left to nurse painful mistakes at the end of the day. Take Scottie Scheffler.

He missed a 10-foot par putt on the 18th. After tapping in for a bogey, Scottie fished his ball from the cup. Guess what he did next? Yep, chucked it straight into the lake with some choicest words. Catch the rare Scheffler meltdown here.

He carded a 71, now lurking 10 shots behind 36-hole leader Daniel Berger, who is eyeing a first win in five years. His 9-under 63 ballooned the lead to five. Per Justin Ray, in the last 20 PGA Tour seasons, players leading by five shots after 36 holes have won 20 out of 30 times. Promising signs.

Berger's nightmare might turn out to be an in-form Akshay Bhatia, who lit up Friday with a 6-under 66. Meanwhile, Ludvig Aberg shook off a mid-round hiccup for a 71, tying for third with Collin Morikawa (71) and Sahith Theegala (67).

Rickie Fowler is lurking seven back in solo sixth after twin 69s. A strong finish here would somewhat secure his spot at the Masters. A fourth or better vaults him into the top 50.

Xander Schauffele (71) and defending champ Russell Henley (69) are parked at T7. Rory McIlroy was treading water through the turn, then caught fire with four birdies on the back nine to sign for 68 and jump to T9. He’s now part of a crowded 4-under crew with Chris Gotterup, Cameron Young, Min Woo Lee, and others.

All seem to be fighting for second place. Unless Berger slips on the moving day.

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Advice: Jim Furyk is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of unpopular opinions. But the U.S. Open champ delivered one, nonetheless. Furyk wants the driverhead size reduced. Why? Modern-day driverheads are pretty forgiving; pros can make contact anywhere without losing significant distance. Furyk wants to stop that. Before this bold take, he was known for several things, most notably his two sub-60 rounds and his peculiar swing. So peculiar, even Ernie Els tried to copy that… only to fail hilariously, as you will see below.

But now, Furyk will be probed further. Expect some questions directed his way when he returns as an analyst for Golf Channel next week.

Violations: Mississippi State University (MSU) racked up eight Level III violations in 2025, including one each for the men's and women's golf teams. Three men's golf recruits on an official visit played a round worth $150 each, footed by MSU, blowing past the $60 entertainment cap. But the most ridiculous one involves the women’s golf team. They practiced for an extra hour one week. Can you guess the “punishment”? Find out here.

Sweet: Winners of this year's U.S. Women’s Amateur, Women’s British Amateur, Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and the NCAA Championship will get exemptions into the LPGA’s Portland Classic. This is the first time all four winners will get a chance to tee off in the same LPGA event. Keep an eye on Kiara Romero, the current World No. 1 amateur, who bagged a T7 last year in Portland. Her smooth swing will give Nelly Korda tough competition—check it out here.

Monday’s Results: 48.31% of you said Brooks Koepka is not nearing a PGA Tour victory.

It’s that time of the month again when we give a shout-out (and something more special) to our most active reader. Cheers to those who found their name at the top of the leaderboard. To those who didn’t, you still have a chance to climb.

We’ve explained the scoring system below.

• Poll votes: 1 point

• Comments: 3 points

The most-engaged reader every month gets an exciting reward from us. The most active reader of the quarter has a bigger prize in store. Now that you know, your comments not only matter to us but also benefit you, what are you waiting for?

You hit slices because your trail shoulder gets ahead in the downswing, forcing your swing arc to cut across the ball with an open clubface. But you probably know that already. What you don’t know is how a simple setup change can fix both issues.

• Stand in your regular address position. Now, use your upper body to drag the clubhead along the ground to just inside your trail side. This is your new starting position.

• This forces your shoulders to stay slightly close at address. Naturally, the club travels in an in-to-out path on the downswing.

• Now, imagine a wall directly in front of the golf ball. Aim to hit the wall with the toe of the club instead of the heel. You need to engage your hands and arms to make it happen—watch top golf coach Chris Ryan demonstrate how.

How to Hit a Perfect Draw

“Incredibly Generous”: Pro Inbebted to Jon Rahm For Saving His Life →

Bryson DeChambeau’s Caddie Change Sparks Speculation →

PGA Tour Risks Upsetting Augusta National With Fifth Major Debate →

Every round of golf with your buddies packs an extra layer of context, which roughly means “lame excuses” for a bad shot. If that sounds like someone you know who points a finger at everything (it’s always the wind) except his own mistakes, that’s the point. We’ve got something you can forward to that friend.

A sleek list of some banal and some absolutely creative excuses for a topped shot or a shank. This includes setting a reminder every two holes that, well, you never swung a club as a kid. Or you’re just battling LOFT (check out what that acronym stands for)!

Use one from us as well: “My foot slipped.” You think that can’t happen? Well, here is your proof.

Essentially Golf brings you handpicked, well-thought-out, and not-to-be-missed recommendations to make your weekend more fun.

🎥 Watch — Fleetwood and Morikawa go head-to-head in a 9-hole match play.

🛍 Buy — Blue Tees Playmaker GPS Watch is your perfect on-course companion.

👕 Wear — Ribbed Neck T-shirt is a clean, athletic fit with our logo in the back.

🤌 Unwind — Nightcap uses rum and syrup to add some kick and sweetness.

📅 Attend — Treefort Music Fest at the end of the month for some me-time.

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