The weeks (5) of suffering are over: we’ve arrived at another major! Before we move on to Kiawah Island, let’s round up the weekend that was in golf.

“When I was a kid, I was on Dallas”

Despite the wind, and the rain, and the preferred lies, the AT&T Byron Nelson finished up on Sunday. Battling the elements at TPC Craig Ranch, K.H. Lee stood tall in the final group to collect his first PGA Tour victory. Lee shot four rounds of 67 or better and birdied his 71st and 72nd holes to seal the three-shot victory. Results

Unless you’re a die-hard golf fan (or Shotgun Start listener), there is a fair chance you are unfamiliar with Mr. Lee’s body of work. Twenty-nine years old, he is a part of a talented young South Korean contingent that includes Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im. Lee kept his PGA Tour card in each of his first two seasons but has struggled to record high finishes consistently. Earlier this year, though, he fell just one shot short of Brooks Koepka at TPC Scottsdale. Now No. 59 in the Official World Golf Ranking, the former husky adolescent appears finally to have found his footing on the PGA Tour.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again 477 times

The last time Richard Bland hoisted a trophy after a professional event, it was 2001, and he had just won the Challenge Tour Grand Final. That earned him a spot on the European Tour, where, over the next two decades, he would make 477 starts without a victory. The 478th time turned out to be a charm. This past Saturday at the Betfred British Masters, 48-year-old Bland defeated 24-year-old Guido Migliozzi in a playoff to become the oldest first-time winner in Euro Tour history. Results

It was a tense final round at the Belfry. Bland holed a 25-footer on his 72nd hole to post the number that Migliozzi would later tie, and on the playoff hole, he had to negotiate a dodgy lie with a fairway wood on his second shot. Afterwards, though, it was all relief and tears. While being interviewed by Sky Sports reporter Tim Barter, who also happens to be his instructor, Bland was often at a loss for words.

Just three years ago, the Englishman lost his card. Many golfers would have called it a career at that point, but he went back to the Challenge Tour and, by 2020, regained his place on the big tour. As the outpouring of congratulations on social media after his win indicated, Richard Bland has long been a sympathetic figure. Now he’s an inspirational one.

Quick Hooks

Greyson Sigg started the Visit Knoxville Open with a blistering 61 on Thursday but found himself chasing Stephan Jaeger in the final round. A Sunday 66 was enough to overcome Jaeger’s three-shot lead, earning Sigg his first KFT win of the season and assuring him PGA Tour status in 2021-22. Results

Dicky Pride Monday-qualified for the Mitsubishi Electric Classic and proceeded to win the damn thing on the PGA Tour Champions. Pride’s 71-67-67 was three better than the rest of the field in Georgia. Results

At the AT&T Byron Nelson, Jordan Spieth (T-9) collected his seventh top 10 in nine starts. He’s in solid form heading into the PGA Championship.

The tumultuous story of Phil Mickelson and the U.S. Open will add another chapter at Torrey Pines. Well outside the qualification criteria for the event, Mickelson accepted a special exemption from the USGA to play the elusive championship in his hometown. Full Story from Brentley Romine

The Latest from The Fried Egg

Someone Better – Contributor Jamieson Cox documents the highs and lows of being a Rory McIlroy fan.

Shotgun Start: Happy days for Dick Bland, Dicky Pride, and the Husky Boy

Before Andy and Brendan get together in Kiawah on Monday, they chat for this truncated episode that begins with an apology tour. Then they celebrate the Husky Boy and his triumph in North Texas. There’s also reaction to another strong week from Sam Burns and Jordan Spieth. There’s a mini debate about whether the Nelson could now take the crown for the worst event on Tour, with a few other contenders thrown out there. The Shaggy Kang-Jon Rahm tiff is also covered. Then they’re on to the Dicks, namely Dick Bland, who’s victory at the British Masters will be one of the stories of the year in golf, and Dicky Pride, who went from Monday qualifier to winner on the Champions Tour. There’s also a question of if Mitsubishi got what they expected from the top 10 at TPC Sugarloaf when they signed up to be this senior tour sugar daddy. News hits on Phil accepting a special exemption to the U.S. Open and Jay Monahan teaming up with Bubba Watson at a Florida member-guest event. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Pro Shop

Thank you to everyone who came out and made the 2nd Annual Steam Shovel such a fun event! If you’d like to attend one of our upcoming events at Meadowbrook (MI), Rolling Green (PA), Davenport (IA), or Blue Mound (WI), register in our pro shop. Spots are filling up quickly, but we hope to see you out there this summer! TFE Events Home