Golf

Jon Rahm almost took out a female member of the broadcast team after tossing his club in frustration at the Memorial Tournament on Friday ... leaving the golf star apologizing profusely.

The incident happened after the Spanish pro hit an approach shot on the par 5 11th hole at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio ... and while he made it to the green, Rahm was clearly not pleased -- throwing his wedge and nearly hitting a woman holding a microphone on the fairway.

The TV worker appeared to dodge out of the way to avoid contact, but Rahm immediately regretted the move and apologized.

Rahm -- the former #1-ranked golfer, who's currently second in the world -- has been known to be an emotional player ... but his actions could end up resulting in a fine.

Rahm went on to continue his round as usual ... two-putting his way to par on the 11th.

PGA Tour star Hideki Matsuyama just got disqualified from the Memorial Tournament ... and it's all 'cause officials say he had too much paint on one of his clubs.

Tourney officials just announced the decision during the middle of the Masters champ's first round in Dublin, Ohio ... explaining the white marks that were put on his 3-wood's face to help him with his alignment were a no-no.

Players, according to PGA Tour senior tournament director Steve Rintoul, are allowed to have some markings on their clubs ... but the Wite-Out-like substance that was applied to Matsuyama's broke the rules.

"What was done there, with that substance ... was a coating that was not only in the grooves, but was very thick along the face," Rintoul said. "And now he's applied a substance to the face which renders the club non-conforming."

Rintoul said because Matsuyama used the wood on the first shot of the tournament's first hole, he was DQ'ed. He was 3-over par at the time he was informed of the decision.

The disqualification is the first of the 30-year-old's PGA Tour career.

Josh Allen shanked a ball so badly during Wednesday night's 'The Match' -- he drilled a fan in the back of the head ... but, thankfully, the guy somehow wasn't severely injured.

The wayward tee shot happened on the sixth hole of the event at Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas ... when Allen pushed his ball some 20 yards to the right of the green.

In video of the swing, captured by John of @BackNineBullies, on the 190-yard par 3, you can hear the ball crashing down right on a spectator's noggin.

The fan immediately crumpled to the ground in pain, yelling out, "Wow! I got it! Oh, my God!" ... although, fortunately, he ended up ultimately being all right.

Allen eventually made his way up to the fan ... and apologized repeatedly for the shot -- and signed a golf ball, a glove and a football as a mea culpa.

We're told the spectator needed some ice and had a big bump on his head -- but he appeared to finish up the event just fine.

As for Allen, his game never quite looked good during 'The Match' -- he nailed fans continuously throughout the round -- and he and Patrick Mahomes went on to lose to Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

"The Match" is starting off hot ... with Patrick Mahomes opening up a barely healed wound, clowning his own golf teammate Josh Allen over the Bills' BRUTAL overtime playoff loss to the Chiefs!

The two QBs are back on the green for the first time since the AFC divisional round ... taking on Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in a celebrity golf match.

But, before the round began, the four superstar signal-callers were asked a series of questions from fans on social media... one question being, "Josh's biggest fear?"

Mahomes' (super cold) response ... "A coin toss."

OUCH!!! And, Allen must have felt it too 'cause his reaction was priceless!!!

Of course, KC beat Buffalo during their January playoff game, with a trip to the AFC Championship game on the line, scoring 25 points in the last 2 minutes of regulation, forcing OT.

The Chiefs won the coin toss ... and the rest is history. KC advanced, but ended up losing to the Bengals.

Another fan asked Allen if it's true he throws up before every game.

Allen confessed ... saying, "I do throw up before every game."

And, with all the pressure of The Match, is it possible he might blow chunks before he tees off?

"If I start thinking about it, I get a little queasy."

There's more -- Brady dropped an "F" bomb right off the bat ... with the hot mic picking it up.

Allen also hit a spectator in the hand on the second hole ... so yeah, this is nothing short of entertaining.

Pro golfer Bart Bryant -- a 3-time PGA Tour winner -- was tragically killed in a car crash on Tuesday. He was 59 years old.

Tour commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed the sad news in a statement on Wednesday ... saying, "The PGA TOUR is saddened by the tragic passing of Bart Bryant and our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time."

Bryant went pro in 1986 ... but his career was troubled with injuries. He won his first PGA Tour in 2004 ... making him the oldest first-time winner at the Valero Texas Open in 9 years.

The Texas native then went on to win two more tournaments in 2005 ... the Memorial Tournament and the Tour Championship, the latter being a big win over Tiger Woods.

Bryant also won the Dicks Sporting Goods Open in 2013 and 2018.

Bryant's older brother, Brad, is also a former PGA Tour winner.

"The Bryants have been a part of the PGA TOUR family for over four decades," Monahan said.

"We are grateful for the impact and legacy he made on our organization and countless communities. Bart will be dearly missed."

Bryant is survived by his wife Donna, his two daughters, stepchildren and his brother. His first wife, Cathy, passed in 2017.

RIP

Here's the video you didn't know you needed to see ... John Daly belly flopping!!!!!

Yes, it happened ... and the entire moment was captured on video, further adding to the reputation of the legendary 56-year-old golfer.

To be honest, there's a lot we don't know about the clip. Where it happened? When? Why? But, it's John Daly belly flopping ... who cares about the details?!

The clip starts with another man attempting a belly flop from a small, wooden dock ... displaying terrible form.

Luckily there was an elite athlete (😬) on hand ... the 2x Major winner (PGA Championship in '91, Open in '95) showed everyone how to (properly) execute the flop.

But, Daly didn't just jump from the dock ... he climbed on top of a wooden bench and launched himself, fully committed to pulling off the move.

And, it was perfect! Big splash, loud crack, red belly.

Ah, what could have been.

Tom Brady was choppin' it up with Mark Davis at the Las Vegas Aces game on Tuesday ... a sight that would be a lot more frequent had the NFL superstar's free agency gone differently in 2020.

TB12 soaked in some WNBA action ahead of his big golf showdown against QBs Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in "The Match" ... and ended up sharing a moment with the Raiders owner.

Of course, Brady reportedly had LV on his shortlist of teams back when he left the Patriots in free agency two years ago ... and famously said in an episode of "The Shop" he was shocked a team (people assumed he was talking about the Raiders) chose to stick with "that motherf***er" (hi, Derek Carr) over him.

Anywho, TB12 was posted up with his sister and Jim Gray for the Aces' matchup against the Connecticut Sun ... a victory for the home team.

Brady was able to chat with players while at the game as well ... keeping cool, calm and collected just hours before hitting the links.

A couple of golfers in Florida unexpectedly encountered a real-life version of Gator Golf over the holiday weekend ... when an alligator straight-up snagged one of their balls on the green -- and then waddled off with it!

The cool (and scary!) moment was captured on video on Sunday ... when Mark Harb and some of his buddies were playing a round at the Ormond Beach golf club.

You can see in footage that Harb shot, as the crew was walking toward the green to putt their balls ... they spotted a gator right next to the flagstick.

"Adam just hit the green," Harb said while recording, "and a gator just had the ball in his mouth."

As Harb got closer, the large reptile bit at the ball, and then crushed it in its teeth repeatedly. The guys joked about it -- from a safe distance! -- saying, "have him just drop it in the hole."

But, doesn't seem that happened -- 'cause the gator kept on moving ... with the golf ball in its mouth.

Last time Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen stepped on a field together, they were battling in arguably the greatest NFL playoff game of all time ... a thriller that prompted the creator of "The Match" to call TV execs on the spot to set up Wednesday's round.

TMZ Sports talked to the creator, TV producer Bryan Zuriff ... and asked how he locked down four of the most famous/talented quarterbacks -- Mahomes/Allen ... and Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

"Literally after the game that day when they had that epic game, they scored like 28 points in 3 minutes. Probably the greatest game in football history. I texted the network and said, 'We gotta do something with these guys. This is the future of the NFL,'" Zuriff told us.

Of course, the Bills and Chiefs faced off on January 23, 2022 in the divisional round of the playoffs ... and the game was CRAZY. The lead changed hands 3 times in the final 2 minutes ... a period that saw 25 points scored.

Allen and the Bills ultimately had their hearts broken, losing the game to Pat and the Chiefs.

Bryan also talked about his partnership with TB12 ... who along with being a competitor, is also a producer of the event.

"Tom is an incredible partner. He goes the extra mile with everything he does. He's truly one of the great people to work with in the world. I'm very fortunate he's a producer with me and he's a great partner and is super passionate about golf," Zuriff says.

And, Bryan believes his event is having a big impact on the game of golf, and its popularity.

"I really think we are actually growing the game more so than traditional PGA tournaments that you see every week, because we're reaching the fans in different sports to come into golf, and all these athletes are playing golf."

Zuriff also told the story of how the original Match came to be (it came to him in a dream!) ... a story that involves both Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Phil and Tiger -- one of the best rivalries in the sport's history -- ultimately faced off in a match play style event in November 2018 for a reported purse of $9 million. Mickelson beat Woods.

Steph Curry and Peyton Manning have also played in The Match, among other sports stars.

The Match -- the 6th iteration -- goes down Tuesday evening on TNT!

Michelle Wie West is taking a step away from golf -- the 32-year-old superstar just announced she will no longer compete full time.

Wie West made the announcement on social media minutes ago ... saying she's stoked to put her focus on ventures away from the links.

"Excited to announce the next phase of my career as I'll be stepping back from playing on the @lpga_tour full time," Wie West said Thursday.

"I'm so grateful for the past 14 years I spent on tour, traveling the world and competing against the best in the game. Excited to spend more time now on projects that I always wanted to do but never had time for and to continually work to help golf become a more diverse and inclusive space."

Wie West was a phenom since going pro at just 16 years old ... becoming the youngest to qualify for an LPGA event, make a cut at a major and win a USGA adult championship.

Wie West will compete in the U.S. Women’s Open next week ... which she says will be her last full-time appearance on the tour.

The golf star says she's now joining Nike as an Athlete Collaborator to help design new products.

Josh Allen clearly doesn't believe Tom Brady really sank a hole-in-one on a golf course recently ... sayin' the Buccaneers star's video of the alleged ace was "bulls***."

The Buffalo Bills quarterback made his feelings clear with an Adam Sandler meme just minutes after Brady dropped a video of him apparently sinking the long shot.

In the GIF, Sandler stutters ... before spittin' out, "BULLS***!" -- a clear sign Allen believes Brady photoshopped it all.

TB12, though, sure did a good job sellin' the clip if it was indeed fake -- 'cause he captioned the video by saying, "This is why you film every shot on the course…"

He also celebrated his face off in the vid -- jumpin' around as if he had just won (another) Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, seems to be on the side of believing Tom's footage was real -- tweeting, "Not going to lie pretty impressive…"

Of course, all three NFL superstars are talkin' golf this week because they're now just days away from taking on each other -- along with Aaron Rodgers -- at this year's The Match tournament in Las Vegas.

Mahomes and Allen will face Rodgers and Brady -- and the guys have already trash-talked each other a bunch leading up to the event.

Pro golfer Aaron Wise was hit in the head by Cameron Smith's tee shot during the PGA Championship on Friday ... but somehow, he was able to brush it off and finish his round!!

Smith was teeing off on the 2nd hole at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma ... when his shot went far to the right -- forcing him and his caddie to yell "fore."

Unfortunately, Wise -- who was at the 7th hole -- didn't hear the warnings and was smacked right on his head.

Wise ended up kneeling on the ground with a water bottle placed on his head after the hit ... but he managed to get up after a few seconds.

"There was a little bit of ringing in my head and I was down on the fairway," the 25-year-old golfer said. according to golf reporter Garrett Johnston.

"That lasted for about 20 seconds. Then I felt pretty normal after that."

Talk about TOUGH!!

Wise completed his round 2-over 72 and is one over par in the tournament. Shortly after, he was checked by medical staff and is doing okay.

Wise wasn't the only one taking shots to the head -- ESPN's Sage Steele was also struck by Jon Rahm's tee shot on Thursday.

John Daly relaxed after the first round of the PGA Championship in the most John Daly way possible -- grabbing some wings at Hooters and hitting the casino.

The golf legend -- who is tied for 58th after shooting 2-over on Thursday -- posed with 6 Hooters girls in Tulsa just hours after hitting the links ... thanking the workers for their hospitality.

As it turns out, the dude didn't stop there -- he was spotted posted up at the slots on Thursday night as well ... with a Diet Coke and a pack of cigs sitting next to his machine.

Naturally, TMZ Sports had to hit Daly up to see if he had any luck at the casino ... and unfortunately, it just wasn't his day.

"The slots weren't hitting," Daly told us this morning.

Of course, Daly is known for his obsession with the wing joint ... and his love for the place eventually landed him a sponsorship with the chain.

We'll have to see if Daly's post-golf routine keeps him in the groove for round 2 -- he tees off at 12:25 PM Central time.

Deshaun Watson clearly ain't sweating the NFL investigation that's hanging over his head ... he just posted video showing he's out in the Bahamas golfing with his new teammates and enjoying life.

In the footage that Cleveland's new QB threw up on his social media page on Thursday, Watson can be seen draining a 30-foot-or-so putt while on a hole with a couple of Browns players.

The sun's setting. Watson's laughing. And, his teammates are fired up for him.

It looks like a great time -- especially considering Cleveland superstar Nick Chubb is also on the trip with the quarterback -- but, reportedly, this week was a big one when it comes to potential NFL punishment for Watson.

The 26-year-old -- who's been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 female massage therapists -- reportedly met with league investigators over the masseuses' allegations ... in what could be the last step before the NFL decides on a possible suspension.

No word on how the meeting went -- but the league has been investigating the claims against the star for over a year ... and is expected to make a decision on a potential punishment in the upcoming weeks/months.

Tiger Woods clearly felt a little claustrophobic to start the first round of the PGA Championship on Thursday ... 'cause the golf legend asked a cameraman to give him some space THREE times on the tourney's opening hole.

Woods had just teed off at the Southern Hills Championship Course in Tulsa, Oklahoma ... when a man holding a giant camera approached him to record him as he walked down the fairway to his ball.

Hot microphones picked up Woods almost immediately asking the guy to scram.

"Would you mind giving me some breathing space?" Tiger asked. "Please?"

The camera guy clearly didn't move too much -- which caused Woods to ask again more sternly, "Would you mind giving me some breathing space, please?"

Finally, after a few more feet side-by-side, Woods asked, "Could you back off a little bit and give me some breathing space?"

Apparently, the camera guy finally got the memo -- and moved far enough away from the 46-year-old.

The interaction was awkward ... but it apparently didn't bother Woods too much, 'cause the second shot he hit was a dart -- and he later went on to birdie the hole.

Foot meet mouth.

Golf legend Greg Norman, when confronted about the heinous murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 ... said, "we've all made mistakes.".

Norman, a 2x majors winner who spent over 300 weeks as the world's number 1 ranked player in the '80s and '90s, is the CEO of LIV Golf, the new Saudi Arabian-backed golf organization.

GN met with reporters at media day this week and was asked about the killing of the Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul, Turkey.

“Everybody has owned up to it, right? It has been spoken about, from what I’ve read, going on what you guys reported," the 67-year-old said.

"Take ownership, no matter what it is. Look, we’ve all made mistakes and you just want to learn from those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward.”

Of course, there was immediate backlash to the comments ... because that "mistake" was the brutal killing of an innocent man.

Norman also attempted to highlight the good things happening in the middle eastern country.

“This whole thing about Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi and human rights, talk about it, but also talk about the good the country is doing to change its culture," Norman said.

"There’s not many countries that can stand up and be proud of that. They can’t be proud of their past — there’s a lot of countries in this world that have a cross to bear too — but they are looking after the younger generation.”