Gabby Herzig

Matt Berninger traded his notebook for a baseball. And the words kept coming For The National’s frontman, the way forward was written on rawhide.

A new story I'm pretty pumped to share. It's about words, and our pastime, and changing your traumas by changing your patterns.

On Matt Berninger, and the baseballs of writing:

I made a 12 during the biggest golf tournament of my life. Here’s what I learned The Athletic's Gabby Herzig recently competed in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. She gained a deeper appreciation for the sport she covers.

morning read from @gabbyherzig.bsky.social that I deeply enjoyed — and the comments are generally lovely, to boot. www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Thank you Meg!

Tommy Fleetwood in a light blue polo celebrating with both hands in the air after winning the PGA Tour. Quote attributed to Fleetwood reads: "I can be proof that if you do all the right things and you just keep going, that it can happen."

From @theathletic.com: Tommy Fleetwood's win on Sunday was a long time coming. His arc, with 30 top-five finishes in eight years on the PGA Tour but zero wins, has been a relatable one because of how difficult it often felt to watch, our columnist writes. nyti.ms/4oQeZfy

Inside Tommy Fleetwood’s triumphant Tour Championship win Fleetwood learned from heartbreaking losses this summer, recognizing what he needed to do to win on the PGA Tour for the first time.

Tommy Fleetwood finally did it. On Sunday, he wasn’t just a winner on tour, he was *the* winner on tour.

I followed Tommy until I couldn’t anymore, as he went through all the stops, all the emotions of victory. For @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...

The latest sports scam:

Fans of a golfer are contacted by a fake account, lured to WhatsApp/Telegram, offered VIP access, dinner or investments for crypto or gift cards — then ghosted once payments stop.

Inside the social media scheme turning fans against athletes: http://dlvr.it/TMVp5j

One more story from the last of his kind Why is Art Spander, nearly blind and unable to type his own stories, still covering events at 86? Because he is the job. And because of Liz.

New for @theathletic.bsky.social and @nytimes.com

Art Spander has seen everything. The Miracle on Ice. Kirk Gibson. The Catch. But nowadays? The view is changing and time is moving.

On the life and love of a true original:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/643...

NFL executive Brian Rolapp leaving for PGA Tour CEO position Rolapp, responsible for the NFL's massive media rights deals, will lead the PGA Tour's for-profit arm.

NEWS: Brian Rolapp of the NFL is expected to be announced soon as the PGA Tour’s new CEO, sources confirmed to @gabbyherzig.bsky.social and @andrewmarchand.bsky.social:

He will lead the tour’s new for-profit arm, PGA Tour Enterprises.

More details:

What is Oakmont’s church pew bunker? History behind distinctive U.S. Open course feature The church pews — 13, long grassy tufts which act as islands within a seemingly endless pit of sand — were never part of the original design

You probably did not know that Oakmont’s famed church pews (possibly maybe probably) trace back to a course 20 miles outside Philadelphia and a pioneering woman in golf course architecture

Required pre-US Open reading from @gabbyherzig.bsky.social:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/641...

Dreaming in darkness: Luke Clanton’s journey to becoming the PGA Tour’s next big star

Plastic greens. A trip to Augusta National. Meditation in the dark.

Over several interviews these past two months, I learned about how Luke became Luke Clanton.

On the PGA Tour’s next star, for
@theathletic.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/athletic/640...

It still isn’t 🤣

Thank you Mitch

What’s it like to play Augusta National the day after Rory’s Masters win? I found out I have post-round depression, and in an attempt to alleviate it, here are answers to your questions about my day at Augusta National.

What’s it like to play Augusta National the day after Rory’s win at the Masters?

I found out.

3,200 words of Q&A on a day that simply felt fake.

I have never been so happy to share a scorecard with a 9 on it: www.nytimes.com/athletic/628...

Now read @gabbyherzig.bsky.social on Justin Rose's Indian summer
www.nytimes.com/athletic/627...

And @brodymiller.bsky.social on Angry Jon Rahm
www.nytimes.com/athletic/627...

And the great Justin Ray www.nytimes.com/athletic/627...

And today's live action
www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...

Scottie Scheffler’s air of inevitability is on display again at the Masters After Scheffler rolled in a 62-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fourth hole Thursday, visions of another green jacket began arriving.

It's already inevitable. A Sunday that ends among familiar shadows, a long walk up Augusta’s 18th, a hat brim pushed up off his forehead, a final putt, a final roar, and a 44 Long.

Hyperbole, of course.

But not really.

On Scottie Scheffler:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/627...

How do you get over losing the Masters? Hypnosis, exposure therapy and ‘whatever helps’ "So many things have happened in my career and my life that I can sort of laugh about it now. But it’s still there.”

Is scar tissue real?

Ahead of the Masters, I talked to Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and top performance psychologists about confronting past failures — and the lengths players will go to process them.

Rory: “I’ve been put in hypnotic states.”
www.nytimes.com/athletic/626...

Why does Scottie Scheffler dominate the Masters? He’s ‘an incredible handyman’ Scheffler will try this week to become the first golfer to win back-to-back at Augusta National since Tiger Woods 23 years ago.

“I would equate Scottie Scheffler to an incredible handyman."

Why does Scottie thrive at Augusta National? It's a three-part answer, but it all starts with his full set of tools.

First 2025 Masters preview for @theathletic.bsky.social, here: www.nytimes.com/athletic/626...

Yasir al-Rumayyan, Donald Trump to meet with PGA Tour officials Thursday: Sources Jay Monahan, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott are also expected to attend the meeting at the White House, sources briefed on the plans confirmed.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Jay Monahan and Tiger Woods are all meeting with Donald Trump in the White House today.

News from @gabbyherzig.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/614...

They built golf’s most raucous party. Now they need everyone to be cool

In 2024, the WM Phoenix Open lost the plot.

Event leadership has made big changes, but they’ve also cultivated a raucous party culture for years.

Can “The People’s Open” really dial things back? www.nytimes.com/athletic/611...

Rory McIlroy and a Sunday at Pebble Beach, where it all feels possible

Rory McIlroy and a Sunday at Pebble Beach where it all feels possible: www.nytimes.com/athletic/610...

Jordan Spieth is back on the PGA Tour. His coach hopes ‘this is a different Jordan’ The famously impatient Spieth will have to be comfortable with baby steps after wrist surgery. A 2-under 70 on Thursday was a start.

The Jordan Spieth comeback. His coach, Cam McCormick speaks on the possibility of a psychological transformation post-surgery: www.nytimes.com/athletic/610...

Ahead of 2025 debut, Scottie Scheffler details how he hurt hand in ‘stupid’ kitchen accident making ravioli After injuring himself while making ravioli on Christmas, top-ranked player makes belated PGA Tour return this week at Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Scottie Scheffler’s account of his unfortunate homemade ravioli incident: www.nytimes.com/athletic/609...

The PGA Tour’s slow play problem is again golf’s biggest tension point. What can be done? When a respected voice called out tour pros amid a 5 1/2-hour round last week, everyone was listening.

I’ve been at the A T&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am all week for @theathletic.bsky.social. Here’s a thread of my coverage so far.

First: Slow play is again the biggest tension point in golf. What can be done? www.nytimes.com/athletic/609...

The search for an all-time scorer that time forgot The unwritten history of Finell White, who went from Harlem playgrounds to South Carolina countrysides and rewrote the record book

There's a list out there on the internet, one tallying h.s. basketball's highest single-season scorers. The name on top isn't a familiar one. It's one that was without a story.

That's where we begin...
www.nytimes.com/athletic/607...

The brand new TGL is just one event old, and Gabby and Mark already have suggestions! 🏌️‍♂️

@gabbyherzig.bsky.social thinks tour exemptions could be a potential incentive, but who would YOU want to see added to the teams? 🫵

Q&A: Kevin Kisner on the Ryder Cup, NBC and what he wants from PGA Tour stars Kisner will still play PGA Tour events in 2025 but is envisioning this season as a fork in the road moment for himself.

Kevin Kisner was just announced as an assistant captain for the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team.

I called up Kiz to talk about his new role, broadcasting for NBC and what he wants to see from the PGA Tour's top stars. New Q&A for @theathletic.bsky.social:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/604...

For golf writer Steve DiMeglio, the beat was far more than just a job Golf reporter Steve DiMeglio, who died this week at 63, had distinct status in the professional golf ecosphere.

Steve DiMeglio was funny, unpretentious and a master bullshitter. Happy to have called him a friend. Happy, too, that he's remembered here so perfectly by the great Michael Bamberger: golf.com/news/golf-wr...

BREAKING: The PGA Tour is in advanced discussions to revamp the Tour Championship format into a bracket-style event, sources tell @gabbyherzig.bsky.social.

It could be reimagined as early as this year.

Details: www.nytimes.com/athletic/603...