🏌🏻Use These Excuses For A Bad Shot

Good Morning! Round 3 of the John Deere Classic is in progress and it’s heading towards a fascinating finish - catch all the live action on Golf Channel and Peacock.

And, before you head out to the golf course this weekend, don’t forget to check out our exclusive tips (driving range) on how to improve your ball striking.

Today’s Trivia: Who has the most runner-up finishes at The Open Championship? Answer at the end of the email.

⛳ This day in history: On this date, in 1956, Australia’s Peter Thomson won his third straight Open Championship, at Royal Liverpool, by three shots over Flory Van Donck of Belgium. Thomson would go on to win two more Opens.

TOP STORY
Spieth Prepares For A Late Surge @ John Deere

Jordan Spieth's 4-under 67 on Friday helped him survive the lowest cutline in John Deere history. Fans will remember his weekend charges to playoff wins in 2013 and 2015 and will be rooting for more magic as he takes the tee in Rounds 3 and 4.

At 6-under 136, he’ll start eight shots back of the leaders, a deficit three shots higher than he faced in his two John Deere Classic wins.

🚀Rai Back In the Mix: Aaron Rai fell a shot short last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, but he’s quickly gotten up and brushed himself off. After opening with a 6-under 65 on Thursday, the Englishman fired a terrific 8-under 63.

He shares the lead with C.T. Pan after Round 2.

🎯Sungjae in Contention: Sungjae Im opened with a solid 5-under 66 and bettered it by two shots on Friday, heading into the weekend with a 7-under 64. He’s two back of the leaders and is the most experienced winner of the 17 players inside the top 10.

🚫Big Names miss Cut: The 36-hole cut at the John Deere came in at 5-under 137, with 77 players making it to the weekend. A number of notable names failed to make it to the weekend including Nick Dunlap, Matt Kuchar and Kevin Kisner among others.

Watch Round 2 Highlights

TWEET
Worth Mentioning

WEEKEND READING
Use These Excuses For A Bad Shot

Playing Golf this weekend? Whether it's a freak gust of wind or a spike mark, it always helps to have something else to blame - here are a few excuses you should keep at your disposal.

⛳️ Mother Nature: She can be a cruel mistress. Just as you reach the top of your backswing, a rare atmospheric event occurs—a gust of wind, a sudden burst of sunlight, a squirrel biting into a nut, a temperature dip, or a rogue raindrop hitting your bald patch. We've all played with people who are distracted by everything, whether it's birds chirping or a butterfly flapping.

⛳️ Spike Marks: It's amazing how one tiny spike mark can make the green look like a World War I battlefield. Sure, you could repair it, but you don't want to mess it up, and you figure it won't matter anyway. You're already in your own head.

⛳️ Mud Ball: The dimples on your ball are designed for a true flight. But a lump of sod on one side ruins that. Without Winter Rules to help, you must hit it and hope for the best. If you fail, at least you have a perfect excuse.

⛳️ Slipping: The golf swing is one of the most athletic moves the body can make. Balancing speed, control, and stability is a feat, so a slip is a real tragedy. No one saw it, of course, and it's the height of summer, but it definitely happened!

⛳️ Wrong Yardage: Using the wrong club often happens because we have the wrong yardage. Blame your playing partner for measuring the tree behind the flag instead of the pin. Next time, take matters into your own hands.

Read the full article.

DRIVING RANGE
Perfect Ball Strikes

In today's video, we bring to you drills that will help you improve your ball striking.

Advertise in Golf Reporter.