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European Meltdown: Rory Rips Shirt After Losing Lead

Rory McIlroy lost his lead.
Then he lost it.
In a bizarre scene on Sunday during the DP World Tour Championship, McIlroy tore apart his golf shirt following a final round in which he lost his one-shot lead entering the day and tumbled to a tie for sixth. The incident was first reported by the Telegraph’s James Corrigan, and you can read his report here.
Seeking his third victory in the European Tour’s season-ending event, and second overall following what he termed earlier this week as a “year of exploration,” McIlroy unraveled shortly after putting out for bogey on the 18th on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, his third bogey in four holes. On his way to signing for a two-over 74, Corrigan reported, McIlroy ripped his shirt, and the tear left his chest exposed in parts.
Rory McIlroy rips his shirt in rage as he suffers calamitous meltdown in Dubai@jcorrigangolf has all the latest https://t.co/IDkT7i4McP— Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) November 21, 2021
From there, Corrigan reported, McIlroy was driven away and skipped television interviews.
McIlroy’s collapse began on the 15th, where he suffered an unfortunate break. Tied at that point with eventual winner Collin Morikawa, and left with just a short wedge into the par-4, McIlroy hit the pin with his shot, and his ball kicked backward and into a greenside bunker. He bogeyed after failing to get up and down.
“Oh, what a bad break,” an announcer said on the Golf Channel broadcast. McIlroy deeply sighed.
Two holes ahead, Morikawa birdied the par-3 17th on a 20-foot putt, and he tacked on another birdie on 18, completing a five-birdie-over-seven-hole finish. McIlroy, meanwhile, three-putted from 30 feet on 16 for another bogey, and he parred 17.
On the par-5 18th, McIlroy sliced his tee shot; needed to hit a provisional, which he hooked into the water; and found the first, only to hit that one, too, into the drink. He finished with a six, and the rage was on.
Some times you can be too accurate…
An awful break for @McIlroyRory on 15.#DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/nGHdWSrprD— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 21, 2021
Morikawa’s win gave him not only the victory, but the top spot in the season-long Race to Dubai, the first time an American has claimed the honor. For McIlroy, the finish caps a wild two months for the four-time major champion. At the end of September, he lost his first two matches at the Ryder Cup and was benched at the biennial event for the first time in six appearances, only to come back and win his Sunday singles match and give an emotional interview afterward.
“I’ve never really cried or gotten emotional about what I’ve done as an individual; I couldn’t give a s***,” McIlroy said on NBC amid tears. “This team, to what it means and what it’s part of, all that is just phenomenal. As I said, I’m disappointed that I didn’t contribute more this week, but in two years’ time, we’ll go at it again. I love being a part of it, and I can’t wait to be a part of more.”
After a few weeks off, McIlroy came back to win the CJ Cup in October, his second win on the PGA Tour this season. He’s scheduled to play next at next month’s Hero World Challenge.
“Getting into contention in one major this year isn’t good enough for me,” McIlroy said ahead of this week’s tournament. “I’ve done way better than that before and I know I can again, especially with how I’m playing and feeling like I’ve got my golf game back, basically. So I’m excited for those four events next year and excited about the road ahead because I really feel like I’m on the right path.”
This article originally appeared on Golf.com.

When JJ Spaun stood over a 64-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, few could have predicted what would come next. The ball meandered across the slick green, trickling over every contour, picking up speed at the crest, and then—like it had GPS—dropped center cup. Spaun dropped his putter, raised his arms, and the crowd erupted. With that single stroke, he claimed his first major title in one of the most dramatic finishes in U.S. Open history.
But how does Spaun’s putt stack up against other legendary finishes in the tournament’s storied past? Let’s break down some of the most iconic moments and see where this one lands.
1. Payne Stewart – 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst
Perhaps the most iconic putt in U.S. Open history came from Payne Stewart, who nailed a 15-footer for par on the 18th to win by one over Phil Mickelson. The pose—fist pump and outstretched leg—has since been immortalized in a statue at Pinehurst. What made it legendary wasn’t just the putt—it was the context: Stewart’s final major before his tragic death just months later.
Verdict: Iconic and emotional. Spaun’s putt was longer, but Stewart’s was more poetic.
2. Tiger Woods – 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines
Woods drained a 12-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate—while basically playing on one leg. That tournament went to sudden death after an 18-hole playoff, and Tiger prevailed. This was peak Tiger drama, pain and all.
Verdict: Spaun’s putt was longer, but Tiger’s win was sheer willpower and mystique.
3. Jack Nicklaus – 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach
With a 1-iron shot that hit the flagstick on 17 and a crucial birdie putt on 18, Jack sealed a dominant win. His precision and timing under pressure showed why he’s the GOAT.
Verdict: Not a putt for the win, but a signature finishing statement from Jack. Spaun’s was more electric in terms of pure putter drama.
4. Ben Hogan – 1950 U.S. Open at Merion
Hogan’s 1-iron into the 18th fairway and the par to force a playoff—just 16 months after a near-fatal car crash—remain legendary. He won the playoff and completed one of golf’s great comeback stories.
Verdict: Larger-than-life comeback. Spaun’s putt had more flair, but Hogan’s win was heroic.
5. JJ Spaun – 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont
Let’s not underestimate what Spaun accomplished. The pressure was immense. He wasn’t the favorite. And on the most treacherous greens in golf, he buried a 64-foot bomb—a putt most players would be happy to lag to within 5 feet—to win the U.S. Open outright.
Verdict: For distance, surprise, and drama, Spaun’s putt may be the most shocking winning stroke in U.S. Open history.
Final Thoughts
JJ Spaun may not have the résumé of a Nicklaus or Woods, but for one Sunday afternoon in June 2025, he created a moment that will live in golf lore forever. Spaun’s putt was longer than Stewart’s, more unexpected than Tiger’s, and more dramatic than any final-hole finish in recent memory.
In terms of pure clutch putting? It might just be the greatest walk-off in U.S. Open history.
Blog
The Zen of the Shank: Finding Inner Peace in Your Worst Shots
Find your inner peace even when you aren’t playing well.

Ah, the shank. That glorious, unpredictable misfire that sends your pristine golf ball screaming sideways, often directly into the unsuspecting shins of your playing partner, or perhaps, with a touch of poetic irony, into the very lake you’ve been trying to avoid all day. Most golfers, bless their earnest little hearts, view the shank as a catastrophic failure, a blight upon their scorecard, a testament to their inherent lack of coordination. They curse, they throw clubs, they contemplate a career in competitive thumb-wrestling. But not I. No, my friends, for I, Ty Webb, have found enlightenment in the humble shank.
You see, the shank is not a mistake; it’s a revelation. It’s the universe’s way of reminding you that control is an illusion, that perfection is a myth, and that sometimes, the most direct path to your goal is, in fact, a wildly indirect one. Think of it as a philosophical detour, a sudden, unexpected journey into the unknown. One moment, you’re aiming for the green, a paragon of precision and intent. The next, your ball is ricocheting off a tree, narrowly missing a squirrel, and landing, by some divine comedic intervention, closer to the hole than your perfectly struck drive ever would have. Is that not a miracle? Is that not a sign that the golf gods, much like life itself, have a wicked sense of humor?
The key, my dear apprentices of the links, is acceptance. Embrace the shank. Welcome it with open arms, like a long-lost, slightly inebriated relative. When that familiar, sickening thwack echoes through the air, do not despair. Instead, take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Feel the gentle breeze on your face. And then, with a knowing smile, open them and observe the chaos you have wrought. Is it not beautiful in its own chaotic way? Is there not a certain freedom in relinquishing control, in allowing the ball to choose its own destiny, however bizarre that destiny may be?
Some say the shank is a sign of poor technique. I say it’s a sign of a vibrant, untamed spirit. A golfer who never shanks is a golfer who has never truly lived, never truly explored the outer limits of their own golfing absurdity. They are content with mediocrity, with predictable trajectories and mundane outcomes. But you, my enlightened few, you understand that the true joy of golf lies not in the score, but in the story. And what a story a good shank can tell.

So, the next time you feel that familiar tremor of a shank brewing, don’t fight it. Let it flow. Let it be. For in the heart of every shank lies a lesson, a laugh, and perhaps, just perhaps, a path to a lower score you never saw coming. After all, as the great philosopher Basho once said, “A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.” And a golf game without a shank? Well, that’s just not golf, is it?
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Meet The Canadian Open Qualifier Tied To ClickIt Golf!
“This week was incredible,” he said. “A dream come true.”

Josh Goldenberg doesn’t plan to quit his day job. But he had a great time dabbling in his old career.

He gave up on pro golf, then qualified for his first PGA Tour event.
Read the full story here
https://golf.com/news/josh-goldenberg-rbc-canadian-open/?amp=1
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