Greenbrier Recap: HyFlyers show fight in West Virginia, shift focus to Chicago
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. - A major jump up the season-long team standings wasn’t in the cards for HyFlyers Golf Club in the mountains of West Virginia, but there were some positives to draw from as the 2024 season begins to wind down.
The team finished T10 at LIV Golf Greenbrier and provided fans plenty of highlights – including a history-making albatross – but finds itself in 12th place in the season-long standings.
The team entered the week mathematically eliminated from challenging for a top-3 seed and a bye in the final event. But all is not lost. Following next month’s LIV Golf Chicago, the HyFlyers will be among the 10 teams that will play in the Day 1 quarterfinals at the season-ending Team Championship in Dallas.
It wasn’t the best of starts for the HyFlyers, who stood in eighth place after Friday. Captain Phil Mickelson found his groove and helped lead the way with a 3-under 67, which was matched by teammate Cameron Tringale. Brendan Steele added a 2-under 68, and Andy Ogletree’s even-par 70 went down as a non-counting score.
Saturday saw fireworks and improved play. The highlight came when Steele made the first albatross in LIV Golf League history at the par-5 17th. He holed his second shot from 284.8 yards.
“We lasered it at 285 and I hit a 4-wood,” said Steele, who had a counting score of 4-under 66. "We were trying to be aggressive, get it up there and have a chance for a 3. It flew all the way back to the hole and landed really soft and just kind of trickled in, I guess. Really cool. Obviously wasn’t expecting that.”
Ogletree also stepped up on Saturday with a bounce-back 4-under 66 while Tringale shot 3-under 67. Mickelson played well but his 2-under 68 wasn’t needed as a counting score.
The team entered Sunday T7 and had plenty of confidence to make a move but couldn’t quite keep pace as the birdie-fest continued. HyFlyers GC shot a combined 8-under on Sunday to finish at 27-under for the week.
Tringale entered the week six spots outside of the Lock Zone at No. 30. The Lock Zone assures a spot in 2025 and starts at No. 24. But Tringale turned it on and led the team for most of the week, capping it with a stellar 7-under 63 on Sunday to finish T11. Tringale also moved up to No. 26 in the individual standings.
Steele provided quality play and finished T25 while Ogletree ended the week T33. Mickelson, who showed flashes throughout, finished the week at even par.
The team will have nearly a month off before heading to LIV Golf Chicago (Sept. 13-15) at Bolingbrook Golf Club. That’s where the 2024 Individual Champion will be crowned before everyone’s attention shifts to the Team Championship Dallas the following week.