The Limerick Summary: 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Winner: Seamus Power

Around the wider world of golf: Jordan Smith won the Portugal Masters on the DP World Tour; Combrinck Smit won the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final on the Sunshine Tour; Vanderbilt and Auburn won the East Lake Cup Men's and Women's Team titles, respectively; and Harrison Crowe won the Asia-Pacific Amateur.

My Twofer Tuesday picks didn't do so well but I'm okay with that. I had Ryan Armour (MC) and Aaron Rai (T54). Given the unpredictability of this event, what with the shorter track, wild weather swings and lack of big names, I didn't really expect much.

• Top10s: 32 for 107 (21 Top5, 11Top10)
• Winners: 5 for 54
• Top20s: 48 for 107

Another unpredictable event in Bermuda. After a day or two of calm weather, the wind and rain came up and players struggled. On Sunday it seemed it would come down to one-time winner Seamus Power and rookie Ben Griffin, tied to start the day.

But then the pressure hit them and both struggled down the stretch. Griffin suffered the most, going +6 in five holes. Thomas Detry and Patrick Rodgers put up good runs but it was a little too late... although Detry certainly made 'em look when he posted just one off the lead.

In the end Power's -1 round was enough to hold on and get the win. It's his second PGA Tour win and, not surprisingly, his second Limerick Summary. I guess good things come in pairs. Congrats, Seamus!

He struggled to finish the round
But Seamus, he never got down.
One shot under par
Was his worst score by far
For the week, but he still got the crown.

The photo came from this page at pgatour.com.

Rory's Driver Move (Video)

I include this video so you can see what Rory does. I will simply warn you: Rory lives in a gym. If you go at this too hard, you can hurt yourself. You've been warned!

Relax Your Wrists Before Your Round (Video)

It's simple but it's sooo cool. Mike Malaska shows you a slick little drill to get your wrists ready for your round... and impress your friends.

Using the Rope Drill to Improve Your Driving (Video)

The Rope Drill is so simple that it's often taken for granted. But Russell does a really good job of explaining how to use it to get the results you need to improve your driving. In my opinion, an extremely useful video.

Sand VS Clubface (Video)

A super simple concept that you need to have clear in your head. When playing from the bunker, the ball goes where the sand goes, not where the face is pointed; the face angle determines how deep the clubhead digs into the sand. Get this straight in your mind and your sand play will improve immediately!

The 2022 DP World Tour's Season Is in the Final Stretch

The Portugal Masters is the 41st of 43 events on the DP World Tour this year. This is the last event that counts toward the DP World Tour Rankings... and the last week to guarantee a Tour card for next season.

While the FedExCup has three events in its playoff series, the DP World Tour Rankings have only two — the Nedbank Golf Challenge (a 64-player field) and the DP World Tour Championship (a 50-player field). So the Portugal Masters is the make-or-break event for a lot of players, and most of them will be in the field this week.

The Portugal Masters has been held at the Dom Pedro Victoria Course (designed by Arnold Palmer) every year since its first back in 2007. It's a par-71 track measuring 7191 yards and the event has a prestigious list of winners, to which Thomas Pieters added his name last year.

GC will have live coverage starting Thursday morning at 8am ET. Time is passing quickly for 2022 and this is when the final scramble starts... and you don't want to miss any of it!

Twofer Tuesday: Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Twofer Tuesday heads for the beaches of Bermuda and the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Port Royal GC in Southampton, Bermuda is a bear at times. While it's a par-71 of only 6828 yards, the winds and hills make it a challenging venue. But it's the kind of place that doesn't favor the big hitters.

Lucas Herbert won here last year but he's not in the field this time around.

Let's face it. This event isn't loaded with big name players. I don't know if this is the reason, but this event has the lowest purse in the remaining four events. That makes it a good chance for a winless player to break through, like Herbert did last year.

As far as I can tell, there are no 'chalk' picks this week. (Although you could do worse than pick 2019 winner Brian Gay, who is in the field.) But I like my picks.

• Ryan Armour
• Aaron Rai

GC's coverage begins Thursday at 1:30pm ET. What can I say? It's a chance to watch guys playing golf along an ocean beach at a time when the weather on the mainland is getting colder. Why wouldn't you want to watch?

The Limerick Summary: 2022 CJ CUP

Winner: Rory McIlroy

Around the wider world of golf: Lydia Ko won the BMW Ladies Championship on the LPGA; Yannik Paul won the Mallorca Golf Open on the DP World Tour; Steven Alker won the Dominion Energy Charity Classic on the Champions Tour; Deyen Lawson won the Nexus Advisernet WA Open on the Australasian Tour; Dylan Naidoo won the SunBet Challenge on the Sunshine Tour; and Olivia Cowan won the Hero Women’s Indian Open on the LET.

My fortunes have turned, at least this week! For my Twofer Tuesday picks I had Rory McIlroy (1) and Jon Rahm (T4). I finally got another winner plus another Top5. Cool!

• Top10s: 32 for 105 (21 Top5, 11Top10)
• Winners: 5 for 53
• Top20s: 48 for 105

He stumbled a bit at the end but Rory played so well in the middle of the final round that he built the necessary cushion to grab his 23rd PGA Tour win.

Rory also successfully defended his 2021 CJ CUP win, albeit on a different course.

And then he grabbed the #1 spot on the OWGR to top it all off.

I don't have any more words to describe what Rory's done over the last ten months. He's got three wins plus the FedExCup. And that's not counting the close calls he's had.

But I do have words to say congrats on another win and another Limerick Summary. You're really racking those babies up, Rors!

He’s back on the top of the heap!
Is the Number 1 Rory’s to keep
While youngsters take aim
At the McIlroy claim
As the best? The climb up’s pretty steep!

The photo came from this page at pgatour.com.

A Drill for Relaxing Tension (Video)

A simple shoulder-to-shoulder drill for reducing tension before you swing.

Improving Your Scores With Ball Position (Video)

While most teachers would say there's a 'best' ball position for optimal results, the simple fact is that most of us don't have optimal swings... and it takes a while to develop one. In this video Russell Heritage explains (1) how to change your ball position so you get better results with your existing swing and (2) how to use ball position to create drills that teach you that optimal position. There are good reasons to do both, and this video will help you do the right thing for the right reason.

Aim Your Clubface First! (Video)

You've heard this before but Ali Taylor gives you a simple procedure for aiming the ball properly time after time... so here it is. What else do I need to say?

The Champions Tour Playoffs Begin

The Champions Tour begins its three event Playoff series this week at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

So the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs kick off in Virginia with a 72-player limited field event, although only 68 are entered. One of those watching this week will be Fred Couples, who shot that amazing 60 last Sunday to blitz the field at the SAS Championship. He qualified; he just decided to take the rest of the season off.

Not taking the season off is Bernhard Langer, the defending champion and only two-time winner of this event. He's only two wins from tying Hale Irwin's record win total of 45, a mark previously thought unreachable. But he's not only the Tour's oldest winner, he's also PGATOUR.COM's top pick in the Power Rankings for this event.

GC's tape-delayed coverage begins Friday at 7pm ET. Let's face it, the big story this week is whether Bernhard Langer can defend his title and move within one win of Irwin's record. With the strong competition on the Champions Tour this year, it should be quite a show!

The Defending Champion Returns to Defend

Jin Young Ko returns after several weeks of rehab to defend her title at the BMW Ladies Championship on the LPGA in Korea.

She says it's not quite back to full strength but Jin Young told reporters it wasn't bad enough that she could blame poor play on it. We know from the past that she plays well after extended time off, but we also know that 2022 hasn't seen the game we've come to expect from her. It'll be interesting to see how her wrist holds up.

In fact, 6 of the Top10 in the Rolex Rankings will tee it up in this invitational event. No less than 18 players have a mathematical chance of winning Rolex LPGA Player of the Year so expect to see some serious competition!

On a sadder note, Na Yeon Choi is calling it quits this week as she tees it up for the last time. She hasn't won since 2015 and has been a bit off her game this year. The player who has always tried to keep her life balanced and interesting has apparently decided to try something new, and I for one wish her luck. I hope she has a great tournament this week.

GC's live coverage from Korea begins Wednesday night (TONIGHT!) at 11pm ET. Will Jin Young Ko be able to shock us all again with a win after a layoff? Will one of the other players take a big step toward the 2022 POY? Tonight's the beginning of the final run at the title!

Twofer Tuesday: CJ CUP

Twofer Tuesday takes the red-eye from Japan to South Carolina for this year's CJ Cup at Congaree.

The pandemic has played havoc with the CJ CUP. This event has moved from South Korea (3 times) before the bug to Las Vegas (2 times) and now to South Carolina at the Congaree Golf Club. Congaree has hosted only one other PGA TOUR event, that other being the 2021 Palmetto Championship. That event was won by Garrick Higgo (who didn't qualify for this year's field).

Congaree has the look of a links course, almost like an Australian sand belt course or Pinehurst No. 2, dominated by vast firm stretches of sand. The ball should bounce and roll a lot. And it should coax some great golf out of the field.

The course is a par-71 measuring 7655 yards with three par-5s, and it's hosting a field of only 78. Needless to say, the field is pretty strong. And because of that, I'm going chalk again this week.

• Rory McIlroy
• Jon Rahm

Rory has a chance to reach #1 in the world with a win this week. And Rahmbo is finally back on form.

GC's live coverage begins Thursday at 3pm ET. I am so looking forward to this event. Congaree was an awesome venue the first time around; I expect no less this time.

The Limerick Summary: 2022 ZOZO Championship

Winner: Keegan Bradley

Around the wider world of golf: Adrian Otaegui won the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters on the DP World Tour; Fred Couples won the SAS Championship on the Champions Tour; Lexi Thompson won the Aramco Team Series New York on the LET; Matias Sanchez won the CKB WA PGA Championship on the Australasian Tour; Stephen Ferreira won the Blue Label Challenge on the Sunshine Tour; and in the NCAA's Jackson T. Stephens Cup, the North Carolina Men's Team and the Stanford Women's Team won the team competitions, and David Ford and Rachel Kuehn won the men's and women's individual titles, respectively.

For my Twofer Tuesday picks I had Tom Kim (T25) and Xander Schauffele (T9). Both men had a strong start but neither could keep the pressure on over the weekend.

• Top10s: 30 for 103 (19 Top5, 101Top10)
• Winners: 4 for 52
• Top20s: 46 for 103

Three men who hadn't won in around four years — Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler and Andrew Putnam — found themselves in a battle with each other to break their individual win droughts.

It's probably no surprise that the winner was actually determined by the front nine. All three men shot even par down the stretch.

It was close though. Keegan won by a single stroke, Rickie and Andrew tied for second.

Personally I think it was a great showing by all three. It's hard when you haven't won in years. But Keegan had probably had the worst time since his career had been disrupted by the anchored putting ban.

It was such an emotional win for Keegan that all I can say is congratulations... and welcome back to the Limerick Summary club!

Poor Keegan! He bided his time,
His putting stroke ruled as a crime;
He had to regroup.
But folks, here’s the scoop:
He’s putting like back in his prime.

The photo came from this page at pgatour.com.

Bye Bye, Hosel Rocket! (Video)

If you're shanking the ball enough to affect your game, watch this video from Mike Malaska. Stopping this shot is easy once you understand why you hit them. Just remember: Everybody hits a hosel rocket once in a while. It's nothing to worry about unless it becomes a habit.

Rory's Split Hand Grip Drill (Video)

If Rory likes it, it must be good! Pay close attention to how Russell shows you to grip the club. While he says he believes your lead hand squares the clubface, that's not true for a lot of you. So make sure you grip properly with BOTH hands, and check Thursday's post to make sure you're squaring the clubface on the way down. This drill is about solid contact and accuracy, so don't cheat on this drill. You'll only be cheating yourself of all the benefits it can give you.

How Long Should Your Backswing Be? (Video)

Ali Taylor has a drill to help you find the perfect length for your backswing. Some players are more flexible than others; a shorter swing may actually give you more distance because you'll hit the ball better and more consistently. It's worth experimenting to find the swing length at which you get the most consistent and longest shots. Hopefully this drill will help you find that sweet spot.

Squaring the Clubface for Distance (Video)

I'm posting this as a sequel to yesterday's post. While Ali Taylor's video can help you get more distance from less speed, I'm focused on the second half of the video, starting around the 5:00 mark, about squaring the clubface. The very clear explanation of how an open clubface looks during the downswing and what you want at that point, combined with a half-swing drill to help you prevent it and the balance drill from yesterday, could really help you get control of your swing and dramatically improve your scores.

A Difficult Driver Balance Drill (Video)

Yes, if you've ever tried this drill, you know it's HARD. But that's what makes it such a good drill for improving balance when swinging your driver. Keeping your balance is key to creating good impact, which in turn increases your accuracy and distance. A TIP: Put a bit more weight on your lead foot at the start of the drill and try to keep it there. It'll help you minimize upper body movement and make it easier to keep your balance.

Twofer Tuesday: ZOZO Championship

Twofer Tuesday leaps the Pacific Ocean for a week in Japan at the ZOZO Championship.

The Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan is one of those unusual venues. This par-70 layout has five par-3s and three par-5s, tipping out at 7079 yards. It's a parkland-style layout, and each hole has two greens. The course has proven to be both beautiful and challenging, with a premium on both course management and putting.

Hideki Matsuyama did both last year, winning the event by five after barely missing out on a medal at the Japan Olympics.

I'm not sure who to pick this week as, like last week, I have more than two favorites. So this is a fairly random pair because I'm not sure it's possible for any of my faves to be a bad pick. I'm just wondering if I'll miss the winner again this week.

• Tom Kim
• Xander Schauffele

I really hate not picking Hideki this week but Tom could be on a Scottie Scheffler-type run and I'm curious to see if he can pull it off. I'm basing my picks mainly on how players have done in the overseas events this year.

GC's live coverage starts Wednesday night at 11pm ET. It'll be fun to see Japanese golf again. We so rarely get to see it live here in the US!

The Limerick Summary: 2022 Shriners Children’s Open

Winner: Tom Kim

Around the wider world of golf: Jodie Ewart Shadoff won the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship; Steve Stricker won the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS on the Champions Tour; Jon Rahm won the acciona Open de España on the DP World Tour; amateur Jaravee Boonchant won the Epson Tour Championship; Pieter Moolman won the Fortress Invitational on the Sunshine Tour; and Kajal Mistry and Luke Clanton won the women's and men's divisions (respectively) of the NCAA's Jackson T. Stephens Cup.

For my Twofer Tuesday picks I had Sungjae Im (7) and Patrick Cantlay (T2). I'll definitely take that. I also mentioned that I wished I could add Max Homa (T20) and Tom Kim (1) to the picks as well. I really wish that now!

• Top10s: 29 for 101 (19 Top5, 10 Top10)
• Winners: 4 for 51
• Top20s: 45 for 101

Wow, what a shocker of an ending at the Shriners! Patrick Cantlay and Tom Kim had separated themselves from the rest of the pack and headed to the 18th tied for the lead, three shots clear.

And then Cantlay unexpectedly hit a wild hook, made two bad decisions and finished with a triple bogey. He all but handed the win to Tom.

But then again, it wasn't as if Tom didn't do what needed to be done. Have you realized what he's done in less than two months? This week, a full 72 holes without a single bogey? The first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 to win twice on the PGA TOUR before turning 21? Picking up those two wins in just four starts? And let's not forget that he wasn't even a Tour member on August 1!!! 

The Presidents Cup star is certainly on the rise. He picks up his second Limerick Summary in just four starts as well. Way to go, Tom!

Cantlay wanted to win more this year
So he said, “Guess I’ll get started here!”
But then Tom Kim hung ‘round
Till the last putt went down
For his second big win of the year.

The photo came from this page at golfweek.usatoday.com.

Talking About 7-Woods (Video)

I'm not going to be coy about this; I'm telling you upfront this video is about 7-woods. I will simply say this: When I got my first full set of clubs 40 years ago, it had a 7-wood in it. (Back then, a 20° fairway wood was called a 5-wood.) And I can truthfully say that it's always been the best club longer than a short iron in my bag. On days when no other club worked for me, my trusty 7-wood gave me usable shots. (There were days I even chipped with it.) So I echo Ali's advice — consider testing one out if you don't already have one.

Understanding Why Shot Shapes Matter (Video)

Russell Heritage doesn't believe you have to follow Hogan's approach to addressing the ball, but he thinks you can learn a lot if you understand why he was sold on his approach. If you pay attention, you may learn how shot shapes can do more than just curve the ball.

Wrist Hinge or No Wrist Hinge? (Video)

I know a number of you think Matt at the MrShortGame channel is a nut, and this video will set some of you off. But there are a lot of ways to FEEL the correct hinging motion in your wrists and Matt is using the feel of extension in your arms to create the proper hinging action. For some of you this simply won't work -- not because it's wrong but because it just doesn't feel right to your body. But if you're struggling to correctly hinge your wrists, Matt's method is worth trying. It will eliminate that cupped wrist that causes problems.

As for slowing down your hip turn in your downswing... I happen to believe in this move. Unless you have an incredibly fast swing, spinning out on the way down will hurt your accuracy without giving you any extra distance. Again, it will work for some of you and not for others, but it's worth trying to find out which group you belong in.

What Is Counterweighting? (Video)

I'm posting this because I'm sure many of you have never heard of counterweighting. I only knew about it because I once heard Jack Nicklaus talk about doing it with some of his clubs. Mike Malaska did this short video to explain it (yes, he heard Nicklaus say it too) in case you want to give it a try. It's an incredibly simple concept but it might make a huge difference in how your clubs feel.

The LPGA Makes It Four in California

The LPGA is back in California for the fourth time this season, this time at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship... but this time there's a change.

This is also the fourth playing of the MEDIHEAL, but this time it's moving from the Bay Area and the familiar Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City. This time they'll be playing at The Saticoy Club, which is in the hills of Somis CA on the Ventura County coast. This will be the first pro tournament held at this course and the first tournament held in Ventura County in over 20 years!

Last year's winner Matilda Castren was the first Finnish player to win on the LPGA Tour and she did it with a tournament record -14. But we could see another first-time winner since it appears that most of the top players in the CME points list are taking the week off, presumably to get some rest before hitting the season's final stretch.

However, there are a few players of interest in the field. Danielle Kang lives only 20 minutes from the course so this is sort of a home game for her, and she's been playing well since returning from that back tumor that sidelined her earlier this season. Atthaya Thitikul is the highest-ranked player in the field, looking for her third win of the season. And Lucy Li qualified for this event on Monday, so this is another chance for her to gain some LPGA experience. (And she's played pretty well so far in the events she's been in this year.)

GC's coverage is tape-delayed this week, so Thursday's broadcast doesn't start until 9pm ET. Still, counting this week, there are only four events left before the Tour Championship in November. And the POY race is pretty tight. This could be a big week for Thitikul.

Twofer Tuesday: Shriners Children's Open

Twofer Tuesday rolls into Las Vegas for the Shriners Children's Open... and hopes the roll of the dice is a bit friendlier to his picks this week.

Once again TPC Summerlin hosts this event, a par-71 measuring just over 7250 yards. If you're good on this course, you're really good. Scores are typically around 20-under. Defending champion Sungjae Im was 24-under.

Well, since we're in Vegas this week, forget subtlety. I'm going chalk, baby!

• Sungjae Im
• Patrick Cantlay

I wish I could take four picks this week. I'd add Max Homa and Tom Kim to my list. But two picks, them's the rules.

GC's live prime time coverage begins at 5pm ET on Thursday. PGA TOUR LIVE starts streaming at 9:30am ET. And don't listen when they say 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' — I know everybody will know if I made bad picks.

The Limerick Summary: 2022 Sanderson Farms

Winner: Mackenzie Hughes

Around the wider world of golf: Charley Hull won the Ascendant LPGA; Ryan Foxx won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour; Celine Borge won the Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic on the Epson Tour; Chan Shih-chang won the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on the Asian Tour; Ruan Korb won the Vodacom Origins of Golf on the Sunshine Tour; and Bryson DeChambeau nearly pulled off an upset when he came in runner-up at the PLDA World Championships on the Professional Long Drivers Association Tour.

For my Twofer Tuesday picks I had Sam Burns (T30) and Sahith Theegala (MC). Not so good, guys. Perhaps you should have taken another week off...? Still, I realize that having 4 winners in 50 tries is 8%... and that would be an amazing number if I was actually winning that many events, so I'll try not to gripe too much.

• Top10s: 27 for100 (18 Top5, 9 Top10)
• Winners: 4 for 50
• Top20s: 43 for 100

The final round at the Sanderson Farms Championship was probably a lot closer than anyone expected. Only Scott Stallings had an unexpectedly bad round; almost everyone else in contention moved up the leaderboard on Sunday.

Ultimately though, the battle came down to three men — Mackenzie Hughes, Sepp Straka and Garrick Higgo. And each man was looking to double his wins on Tour.

That's right, each had a single PGA Tour win.

The big talk going into the week had been about Hughes's work over the past year or so to increase his strength and clubhead speed, and to add a dependable fade to his game. But perhaps ironically, it was his short game — and particularly his proven putting touch — that finally won it for him.

He scrambled his way in when he began to miss fairways, finishing #1 in those stats at 91.67% for the week and 88.89% for Sunday's round. (I believe the actual number was 22 for 25. Amazing.) And after hitting a 105-yard putt from the fairway inside 4 feet to make a playoff, he canned two putts — a par from 5 feet and a birdie from 7 — to seal the win.

Mackenzie Hughes waited nearly six years to pick up his second PGA Tour win and just as long for his second Limerick Summary. It may have taken him a long time to get that monkey off his back, but I'm sure the floodgates for more Limerick Summaries is open now. Congrats, Mac!

All week, people talked about Hughes—
How he’d spent the year paying his dues
Building swing speed and muscle.
Now, ripe for a tussle,
His scrambling was what made the news.

The photo came from this page at pgatour.com.

More Distance with Less Flexibility (Video)

As Ali Taylor says, you don't have to be old to lack flexibility. Maybe you have arthritis, maybe some joint pain that reduces your ability to turn, maybe your muscles are just tight. There are ways to make up for some of that inability to turn. Take a good look at his video here and you might find something that will help you pick up a few mph with your swing, maybe even become a little more accurate.

Short Game Weight Shift Drill, Take Two (Video)

Mike Malaska did another short video about the same problem as yesterday's post, but with a different drill. You've probably seen this drill before -- you drop your trail foot back so it's on its toe, to force your weight onto your lead foot. But it got me thinking... suppose you used both drills at the same time? Would it really ingrain that feeling of moving your weight to your front foot? In either case, now you've got two drills to help you get your weight forward during short game shots.