Sahith Theegala hit a birdie from 4.5 meters on the 18th hole of the QBE Shootout which lifted him and teammate Tom Hoge to victory. The two champions finished at -34 total and -10 (62 strokes) in 4-ball bests, becoming the first rookie team to win the QBE Shootout in the last 11 years.
Just one shot away, with the “risk” of the playoffs, were Ryan Palmer and Charley Hoffman. Both missed a birdie putt from just over 3 meters at the Tiburon Golf Club. The two scored a 65 on the day and a -33 final.
Sahith Theegala, results
Theegala was coming off a strong rookie season on the PGA Tour, during which he reached the TOUR Championship. Hoge, who won his maiden title at Pebble Beach last February, delivered most of the early lap results, giving a great balance to the team.
Harris English and Matt Kuchar, looking for a 4th QBE Shootout win, finished two strokes behind (-32) after a 62 on the day. Max Homa and Kevin Kisner made a 63 and finished fourth. The top player on the LPGA Tour was Nelly Korda, who partnered Denny McCarthy with a 62 to finish in fifth place.
The QBE Shootout is an “unofficial” team event on the PGA Tour calendar. Started in 1989 as the RMCC Invitational, it is hosted by Greg Norman. The tournament was soon renamed the Shark Shootout, after Norman’s nickname, and has gone under several names since.
The first eleven editions of the event were played at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California (until 1999), before moving in 2001 to the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida, where it is played on the Gold Course (designed by Norman).
The course is a PAR 72 that can reach 6,750 meters, but in an event like this, it’s not just the length that makes the difference. Friday 9 December will start with the traditional scramble (Louisiana), with results that last year reached 62 strokes.
The second round will be played with alternating shots (greensome formula). With both champions who will teeshot each hole, but only one ball will then be used to complete each hole. Last year there was also a 62 in the greensome formula.
The final competition on Sunday 11 December will be a 4PLM, whereby only the lowest score among team mates will count on each hole. Last year there was only one 68, but all other scores ranged from 60 to 65. The tournament record is 179 strokes or 37 under par.
It was set by pairing Harris English and Matt Kuchar in 2020. Their margin of victory was nine strokes and is still the biggest lead in tournament history. The two will also be in action this week to share a record $3.8 million in prize money.
The 12 teams that we will be able to follow on the pitch will be in detail: Charley Hoffman & Ryan Palmer: This is Hoffman’s sixth different partner, but three times he finished in 3rd place. This year he plays with Palmer, who finished third four times and could be a winning duo.
The two promise to make noise, given that the two forty-year-olds have not been protagonists for some time. Corey Conners & K.H. Lee: Presidents Cup teammates have played together before and could be the winning duo. Maverick McNealy & Lexi Thompson: Both are in great shape.
In her debut, McNealy will lean on the experience of her partner, but Thompson has only finished the event in the top five once in five starts. Nelly Korda & Denny McCarthy: experts call them “convincing debutants”
Korda is the No. 2 Rolex Ranking and an eight-time LPGA winner. Her skill in her approach is matched by McCarthy’s strength with the putt. Trey Mullinax and Scott Stallings: mature players who, due to their fluctuating form, could be classified in first or last place.
Max Homa & Kevin Kisner: One of two teams returning to the tournament, the two entered for the first time last year, finishing 5th. In the meantime they were teammates in the Presidents Cup, so they come back stronger.
Keith Mitchell & J.J. Spaun: Neither of them have competed before, but Mitchell’s ability to keep the ball in play on teeshots blends beautifully with Spaun’s overall poise. Tom Hoge & Sahith Theegala: this is also the first experience for the duo, but it is easy to imagine that we will see them again at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.
Steve Stricker & Cameron Young: Stricker is a two-time QBE champion and has won the last two editions of the PGA TOUR Champions. Young is coming off a solo third place finish at Albany. This is enough to be a threat to all other teams in the field. Brian Harman & Sepp Stra
