Advertisement

Arizona golf notes: Grant takes over top spot in Solheim standings; Rahm leads FedEx list

Todd Kelly
·3 min read

Following her tie for 16th at the Amundi Evian Championship, the fourth of five LPGA majors in 2023, former Arizona State standout Linn Grant has ascended to the top spot of the European team’s Solheim Cup standings.

Grant, who won her first LPGA tournament two weeks ago, is rising fast in the Rolex Rankings as well, checking in at No. 20.

Fellow ASU alum Carlota Ciganda is fourth on the European squad standings. A five-time Solheim Cupper, Ciganda was disqualified from the Evian for signing an incorrect scorecard, a situation that arose out of a slow-play penalty assessed on her final hole of her first round. After being put on the clock and then being penalized the two shots, she refused to acknowledge the penalty and signed her card without adding the two shots, leading to her disqualification.

Jon Rahm maintains lead in FedEx Cup standings

Former ASU golfer Jon Rahm has maintained his spot atop the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs standings with one regular-season tournament left.

Rahm is not playing in this week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. In fact, most of the Tour’s big names are taking the week off in preparation for the three-week playoffs, starting with the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis in two weeks.

Rahm is likely to be the only former Sun Devils golfer in the playoffs. Kevin Yu is 94th in the standings while Chez Reavie is 98th.

Jon Rahm ackowledges the crowd during the third round of the Open Championship.
Jon Rahm ackowledges the crowd during the third round of the Open Championship.

Thomas Lehman makes PGA Tour debut

Thomas Lehman, son of veteran pro golfer and Scottsdale resident Tom Lehman, made his PGA Tour debut last week at the 3M Open near Minneapolis. Lehman, originally from Minnesota, was at TPC Twin Cities with other family members rooting on his son, who got into the field on a sponsor exemption. Thomas opened with a 76 but rebounded to shoot a 68. However, that only got him to 2 over and he missed the cut by six shots.

Seven Arizona teens ready for Junior PGA

The fields are set for the 47th Junior PGA Championships in Hot Springs, Arkansas. There are 156 boys and 156 girls in the two divisions, with seven golfers from Arizona participating: Adam Miller of Phoenix, Alexis Vakasiuola of San Tan Valley, Ashley Shaw of Litchfield Park, Dylan Boenning of Phoenix, Gracie McGovern of Scottsdale, Owen Bolles of Chandler and Tyler Spielman of Cave Creek.

Previous participants of the Junior PGA include Tiger Woods, Rose Zhang, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Lexi Thompson, Yuka Saso, Scottie Scheffler and Inbee Park.

O’Neal part of TV milestone

Former Tempe Corona del Sol and ASU golfer Blair O’Neal will be part of TV history this week when the 400th episode of School of Golf debuts.

The golf instruction show started a decade ago on Golf Channel and is now exclusively on Golf Pass, part of the NBC Sports family. The milestone episode, according to NBC Sports, will feature co-hosts Martin Hall and O’Neal “building new tips and drills as they recall some of the best instruction and visited some of golf’s most famous venues over the course of 400 School of Golf episodes.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona golf notes: Grant atop Solheim standings; Rahm leads FedEx list