Rory McIlroy cuts practice short at the PGA with a blister on his right toe

Rahm’s quest for a PGA title can complete the Spanish Grand Slam

Jon Rahm arrives at Aronimink seeking his third major title and with an equally important task for his fellow Spaniards. Spanish players have won every major but the PGA Championship, the one tournament keeping the proud country from the Spanish Grand Slam. Rahm won U.S. Open (2021) and Masters (2023). Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal each won the Masters twice, while Ballesteros was a three-time British Open champion. Sergio Garcia also won the Masters. Rahm is at a loss to explain the lone missing major title for Spain, considering the talent of his countrymen. “It does mean a lot. It’s not only that, but statistically for whatever reason it’s our poorest performance across all majors,” Rahm said Tuesday. “I don’t know why, but it is something that is in my mind obviously, having one left. It would be wonderful to close that fourth leg of the Grand Slam. Even though every major is extremely special in that way, to tie it all together with the greats of the past of Spain would be quite unique.”

Scheffler took the bait and bought a fishing team

Scottie Scheffler is casting a wide net, on and off the golf course. Scheffler, who is defending his PGA title this week, also has interests off the course, such as owning a professional fishing team. The world’s top-ranked player bought the Texas Lone Stars Angling Club in 2024. The team is part of the Sport Fishing Championship and competes in saltwater tournaments. “I’m definitely interested in other things ... The fishing team is really fun,” Scheffler said. “That’s something really interesting for me. I love being able to see that. I would like to be able to go to one of them one day. Something like that for me is really fun.” Scheffler said he only gets involved in things he believes in and is passionate about. Asked whether his ownership has made him a better fisherman, he was brutally honest. “No. I’m still terrible,” he said.

They think that they shall never see a tree ...

Golf course architects have been trending toward tree removal when restoring century-old courses. Not everyone is a fan. “I’ve been making this joke for the last few years where I see a lot of golf courses coming in saying, ‘Look, 100 years ago, this golf course was like this, there was no trees,’” Jon Rahm said. “Well, in the back of my mind, they planted those trees with the future vision of having those trees in play, and now you’re taking them all out.” Rahm said he appreciates the thinking of healthier turf by allowing for sunlight and better air circulation with the wind aiding overall conditions. But a lack of trees can make it easier, especially if players come into the greens from rough with a shorter club. Rory McIlroy said the removal of trees at Aronimink eliminates a lot of strategy off the tee, and Xander Schauffele offered an illustration. “This week you’ll see guys kind of gouging it towards the green,” Schauffele said. “If there’s a tree there, you’d be chipping out sideways. This is the type of rough where you can’t get a ball to curve at all. You just grab a high-lofted club and hit a knuckleball and have it kind of trundle somewhere.” \\\_ AP golf: