Tiger Woods’ cool soccer dad moment, an ex-gang member’s redemption story and the craziest mini-golf hole-in-one ever

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we almost pulled off a bigger upset than Mikey Madison over Demi Moore at the Oscars. We almost won … a Golf Writers Association of America award. Not for The Grind, mind you, but for a more serious piece on Ben Hall, an incredibly brave journalist who nearly died covering the war in Ukraine. That story finished T-2 with Golf Digest legend Jerry Tarde in the short profile category. Elsewhere, our Joel Beall, who we complimented last week for his new book, was the “Anora” of the show, winning two first-place prizes (Golf Digest’s Mike Stachura also won one) for fantastic stories on Grayson Murray and Tony Finau.

I mean, leave some for the rest of us, buddy! It’s tough to win these things, but it’s even tougher with Joel winning multiple ones every year. Golf writers of this era feel like golfers at major championships during Tiger’s peak. Anyway, congrats to Joel. Again. OK, let’s talk some actual golf now.

WE’RE BUYING

Joe Highsmith: Before Sunday, this guy was known for two things: Making the most holes-in-one in a PGA Tour season (three) and wearing a ridiculously big hat. Well, now he’s known for winning the Cognizant Classic (formerly the Honda Classic) by shooting a pair of 64s over the weekend at PGA National (more on that later).

Congrats to Joe, who became the first player since Brandt Snedeker nine years ago at Torrey Pines to win a PGA Tour event after making the cut on the number. Just an incredible comeback story. Although, he’s got nothing on this next guy …

Ryan Peake: The newest winner of the New Zealand Open came from four shots back entering the final round, but that’s nothing considering he had already come back from spending five years in prison. Once a star junior golfer who teamed up with Cam Smith at 17 to win the Trans-Tasman Cup in 2010, Peake then got wrapped up in an Australian motorcycle gang called the Rebels. Shortly after he turned 21 he was sentenced to five years in prison for assault and after serving his time he dove back into the game four years ago with the help of coach Ritchie Smith. And now at 31, he’s got a spot in the British Open, a sweet-looking trophy and an even sweeter looking garment. Who needs the green jacket when you’ve got the red cape?

If there’s ever a "Sons of Anarchy" reboot, this would make for a helluva episode. I look forward to winning Joel Beall’s 2025 GWAA first-place winning story on this guy whenever he decides to write it.

Lydia Ko: We’ve long known of Ko’s brilliance on the course, but apparently she’s a bit of a soothsayer off it. Ko dreamed she had won the HSBC Women's World Championship only to wake up on Sunday morning before the final round. But her dream came true as she shot 69 to win by four shots to collect the 23rd LPGA Tour title of her Hall-of-Fame career:

“To win here in Singapore and get all the love, not only this year but for the years I’ve come, means a lot," Ko said after. "It’s exciting to add Asia’s major to my major collection.” She didn't add to her cape collection, but she'll take it.

WE’RE SELLING

Wins being all that matter: Sometimes we get too caught up in trophies (or RINGZ in the NBA) and we forget about other great performances. So while full congrats are in order for Highsmith and Peake and Ko and Dylan Naidoo who won the South African Open on the DP World Tour, I still want to give flowers to Dale Whitnell and Jake Knapp. Those guys didn’t win on Sunday, but they did things earlier in the week that will be remembered longer. Whitnell made not one, but TWO holes-in-one during the same round, something that’s only been done a handful of times in pro golf history:

Congrats, Dale. But do you have to buy double the drinks after the round if you do that? Anyway, not to be outdone, Knapp shot only the 15th sub-60 score in PGA Tour history:

A muddy triple bogey sunk Knapp on Sunday, but he’ll always have that insane round. That being said, I’m also selling …

PGA National playing so easy: There were a few reasons for this and the weather-related ones like lack of wind are out of the tournament’s control. But the overseeding job that softened the course and the soft pin positions despite that lack of wind all led to an unrecognizably red leaderboard at PGA National. Highsmith’s pair of 64s over the weekend? Unheard of. Same with a pair of 63s on Thursday and, of course, Knapp’s 59. All were still amazing accomplishments, but we share Billy Horschel’s feelings that it was a “little disappointing” to see PGA National play so easy.

Golf tournaments have certain identities or, at least, I think they should. And PGA National with its BEAR TRAP isn’t supposed to be a pushover. Especially when there are plenty of pushovers the rest of the PGA Tour season.

Salty Spieth: Jordan Spieth will not be playing in this week’s PGA Tour signature event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, after not receiving a sponsor's exemption from the tournament. And here’s what he had to say about that: “I'm bummed not to be [at Bay Hill] next week," Spieth said. "It's been a great, great place for me, and I really wish I was getting that start, but I needed to play better injured golf last year, I guess."

Sorry, Jordan, but as someone who has already received TWO sponsor's exemptions into signature events this year, you are the last player who gets to complain. And I don’t think signature events should even have sponsor's exemptions. The whole point of these events—and what supposedly separates the PGA Tour from LIV as a meritocracy—is that you have to earn your way into them. They are perks for playing well. And injured or not, Spieth didn’t do that last year.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour season continues the Florida Swing with the Arnold Palmer Invitational, AKA that one they play at Bay Hill, AKA that one Tiger Woods used to win every year. Well, one of the ones Tiger Woods used to win every year. Bay Hill is one of three venues where Woods has won eight times. Elsewhere, the DP World Tour stays in South Africa, the LPGA remains in Asia, and LIV Golf heads to Hong Kong. Once again, there's a lot going on!

Random tournament fact: Scottie Scheffler has won the API two of the past three years. So, it’s basically like most tournaments on the PGA Tour.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Someone will make two aces in one round at Bay Hill: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds

—Scottie Scheffler will win the API again this week: 3-to-1 odds (Actual odds)

—Scottie Scheffler (majors) and Joel Beall (GWAAs) aren’t done winning: LOCK

TWEET OF THE WEEK

We feel ya, Calc. And judging by Yankee Stadium prices, you’re going to want to stay away from the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black this fall.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (ON-COURSE DIVISION)

A buddies trip to Pebble Beach. A hole-in-one on No. 7. It just doesn’t get any better than this:

That must have been one helluva celebration in the Tap Room after. Hope they didn’t have a flight home to catch that night!

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (KINDA ON-COURSE DIVISION)

This is it, this is the craziest (and best) mini-golf hole-in-one of all time:

If that was even the same hole. Regardless, what an unbelievable result.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (ON-COURT DIVISION)

Unfortunately for this Michigan Man, there was no lucky bounce off the scorer’s table with this embarrassing full-court putt attempt:

We’ve seen some amazing full-court putt attempts of late, but that is beyond brutal.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

Death, taxes and Steph Curry doing golf celebrations during games he’s making a disgusting amount of three-pointers.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION (BOYFRIEND-GIRLFRIEND DIVISION)

The best part of Jake Knapp’s 59 may have been the reaction from his girlfriend, Makena White. That included her pretending to stick a microphone in his face to get Jake’s comments on his historic round:

Classic.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION (FATHER-DAUGHTER DIVISION)

When Tiger Woods isn’t playing the role of the greatest golfer in history, he’s just a normal soccer dad. And here he was rooting on his daughter’s team over the weekend:

Congrats to Sam Woods and the rest of her squad on winning the state title! And congrats to her proud papa.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION (BROTHER-SISTERS DIVISION)

Speaking of family pride, Luke Clanton making the cut at the Cognizant Classic to earn his PGA Tour card was awesome. But even better was seeing the reaction from his family—in particular his two sisters:

Aww.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Just ask Romo how much money he’s given to Scottie Scheffler in money games they play in Dallas. And if it’s not in six figures then I’ll be shocked." —Wyndham Clark comparing other pro athletes who are “Country Club good” to PGA Tour pros on a recent episode of "The Rich Eisen Show." Wyndham is quickly becoming one of the most quotable golfers out there.

THIS AND THAT

Congrats to my New York Golf Club for showing some guts and qualifying for the inaugural TGL playoffs after a tough start. Meanwhile, league founders Tiger and Rory both missed the playoffs. Speaking of awkward … Laurie Canter, who finished runner-up in South Africa to move into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time, is the first former LIV golfer to qualify for a PGA Tour event (the Players Championship). First of many, we’re guessing. … The USGA announced that Pine Valley will host the Walker Cup. In 2044. To put how far off that is, Jordan Spieth will be eligible for the PGA Tour Champions by then. … Speaking of older golfers, I had the pleasure of coming on Dan Rapaport's great new weekly show, "Dan on Golf," to discuss the PGA Tour record for wins shared by Tiger Woods and Sam Snead:

Dan told me to bring the receipts, so I did. Literally. … And, finally, a special shout-out to Mary Kate Morrissey on finishing her brilliant year-long run of playing Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway:

On the bright side, she’ll have a lot more time to hit the greens now that she’s not being painted green on a daily basis.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Will The Grind I still be around in 2044?

How much money has Romo lost to Scheffler on the course?

Did Lydia Ko dream about who is winning this week yet?