By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

There will be some duos trying to make an impression on US Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker when the US PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans begins today and all this action can be viewed on DStv, SuperSport live from the comfort of living rooms, despite the partial lock downs.

SuperSport is the ultimate destination for Golf fans, with an unparalleled selection of action from around the world. All the breath taking action is on channel 233 throughout the four days.

The pair event, with 160 players in all, features a four-ball (best ball) format in the first and third rounds and a foursomes (alternate shot) format in the second and final rounds.

The field will be cut to the low 33 pairs and level after two rounds at TPC Louisiana.

It’s a perfect chance for some US players to show Stricker how they mesh with other talent, knowing Stricker has six captain’s choices to fill out the lineup for the September matches against Europe at Whistling Straits.

The six US points leaders in quest of automatic Ryder Cup spots include top-ranked Dustin Johnson, reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, PGA Championship winners Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka.

Fifth-ranked Schauffele is playing with a familiar Presidents Cup partner in 10th-ranked Patrick Cantlay as the event’s highest-ranking duo looks ahead to the Ryder Cup against Europe on home soil.

“We have the Ryder Cup this year and Pat and I are good friends,” Schauffele said. “We play almost every week at least once and we figured it was a bit of a no-brainer.”

Cantlay, third at the 2019 PGA in his best major finish, would like the chance to reunite with Schauffele after they won twice in foursomes and lost twice in four-ball at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia.

“It should be great,” Cantlay said.

“Like Xander said, we struck up a pretty good friendship at Presidents Cup and played well too. So we figure we would play this week.

“It’s the only team event other than those big team events at the end of the year, so it should be really fun and we’re really looking forward to competing.”

 

“We definitely feel like we could have been more successful, but we definitely meshed and clicked really well,” Schauffele said.

“Our games matched up and our mentalities aligned and I think Stricker, he knows that I would love to play with Pat and vice versa.

“Yes, it’s a Ryder Cup year, but I think it’s more so Pat and I are buddies and we’re definitely trying to win this golf tournament.”

Ryder Cup qualifying will run through the BMW Championship in August. Among the leaders of those chasing a spot on points are major winners Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson and long-hitting Tony Finau.

“Every week is an opportunity to show the captain who you are, the state of your game and the state of your overall self in certain situations,” Finau said.

“Who knows? You could be looking at a team that is representing the US in the Ryder Cup later this fall.”

Finau is playing in New Orleans with Cameron Champ, helping develop a bond that could be on display again in September.

“I definitely think this week is going to be fun regardless of how we play,” Champ said. “Whenever you can play golf stress-free with your partner it makes things a lot easier and obviously a lot more fun too.”

Morikawa, who defends his title in next month’s PGA Championship, makes his event debut alongside compatriot Matthew Wolff.

“Matt’s an awesome guy. We feed off each other’s energy,” Morikawa said. “That’s what’s great. You got to have good chemistry out here and I think we really do.”

Irish golfer Seamus Power withdrew after testing positive for Covid-19 and was replaced by Zack Sucher as the partner of Canada’s David Hearn.

MultiChoice Kenya Managing Director, Nancy Matimu said: “No rival can compete with SuperSport’s coverage. Our viewers on DStv can see all their favourite golf stars dominating courses across the world. Visit www.dstv.com to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream matches on the DStv App.

ZURICH CLASSIC SCHEDULE:

Thursday April 22: 10.30pm-1.30am

Friday April 23: 10.30pm-1.30am

Saturday April 24: 8pm-1am

Sunday April 25: 8pm-1am

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The tempo is increasing, headed for fever-pitch and SuperSport viewers on DStv have not been left behind in the ongoing action from the RBC Heritage golf in Washington which began on Thursday and runs to Sunday April 18, 2021.

SuperSport is the ultimate destination for Golf fans, with an unparalleled selection of action from around the world. All the breath taking action is on channel 233 throughout the four days.

Cameron Smith blitzed Harbour Town Golf Links for a nine-under par 62 on the competition’s opening day on Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead in the RBC Heritage over former British Open champion Stewart Cink.

Smith defied difficult afternoon winds to fire nine birdies, matching Cink at eight-under when he holed out from a bunker at the 17th and seizing the solo lead with a four and a half-foot birdie putt at 18.

“Everything just came together,” Smith, chasing a third US PGA Tour title, said. “It was a great day on the green. I was hitting my irons really good.

“I had lots of good looks, and I just took advantage of them.”

Smith’s five front-nine birdies included three in a row at four, five and six. After a birdie at the 12th he kept the momentum going with a solid up and down at the 13th and added a three-foot birdie at 15 before his closing brace.

He said after the pressure of Masters week last week, chipping on the Harbour Town layout in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, was “almost like a breeze.

“I was so scared almost last week on every chip shot, and I feel like I can be really aggressive around here,” said Smith, who tied for 10th at the Masters won by Hideki Matsuyama.

Cink, who turns 48 next month, enjoyed “a very smooth round” after a disastrous start at the 10th, where he said his tee ball into the lake “was probably one of the worst opening drives I ever hit in my life.

“You’d think that’s a bad way to start, but in a way it’s a wake-up call,” said Cink, who was feeling a Masters hangover in a different way.

“After playing in the Masters and being super-focused and intense, to come here and be lazy on the first shot was kind of like a slap in the face and it got my attention.

“And so we were really good and clean the rest of the way, and no more mistakes,” said Cink, who had seven birdies and an eagle to position himself for a run at a third Harbour Town title to go with victories in 2000 and 2004.

Cink was two strokes clear of England’s Matt Wallace and American Collin Morikawa on 65. Wallace had six birdies in his six-under effort while Morikawa, gearing up for the defense of his PGA Championship title next month, had seven birdies and a bogey.

Americans Charles Howell, Billy Horschel and Harold Varner shared fifth on five-under 66.

Will Zalatoris, who finished runner-up to Matsuyama at Augusta National by one stroke, carded a three-under 68.

World number one Dustin Johnson, coming off a missed cut at Augusta National in his defense of his Masters title, said he played better than his one-under 70 showed, although a three-putt bogey and a double-bogey on the par-three fourth were lowlights.

“I need to just clean it up a little bit tomorrow,” Johnson said.

MultiChoice Kenya Managing Director, Nancy Matimu said: “No rival can compete with SuperSport’s coverage. Our viewers on DStv can see all their favourite golf stars dominating courses across the world. Visit www.dstv.com to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream matches on the DStv App.

 

Golf programing on DStv Kenya:

Thursday April 15, 2021:

10pm-1am Channel 233

 

Friday April 16, 2021:

10pm-1am Channel 233

 

Saturday April 17, 2021:

8pm-1am Channel 233

 

Sunday April 18, 2021:

8pm-1.30am Channel 233