NoTrust: Ilini Golfer Qualifies, Spieth Helps Win $50K For UT

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Neither news item will impact your life a bit, but it's still neat for Charlie Danielson to come from University of Illinois to qualify for the Northern Trust Open after a 68 in Monday's collegiate showcase.

University of Texas kept up its good Riviera karma, earning another $50,000 for a program that won the 2012 NCAA's at the course. Jordan Spieth and friends won the pro-am portion of the gloriously warm winter day to kick of tournament week.

The full PGA Tour press release:

Charlie Danielson wins Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase, earns tournament exemption in this week’s field

University of Texas wins $50,000 for the school’s golf program
 
LOS ANGELES – Charlie Danielson shot a bogey-free 3-under 68 in today’s second Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase, the low score of the 14 collegians in the field – and the only player under par – earning the University of Illinois senior an exemption into this week’s Northern Trust Open at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.  In just the second iteration of the event, top PGA TOUR pros played alongside 14 standout collegiate golfers from across the country and two amateurs, representing their respective universities.  The professional and the two amateurs (not the collegian) teamed up in a best-ball competition and competed for the Collegiate Showcase Trophy and a donation of $50,000 to the university’s golf program.  That portion of the competition was won by the University of Texas, represented by PGA TOUR player Jordan Spieth, with a score of 10-under 61.
 
Each collegian played his own ball.  Danielson, playing with former University of Illinois star Scott Langley, finished three strokes ahead of Will Zalatoris from Wake Forest, last year’s winner of the Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase, and Jonathan Garrick from UCLA and will be making his first start in a PGA TOUR event.
 
“This was one of the cooler events I’ve had since I’ve been in college,” Danielson said following his round. “It means a lot to play this week at the Northern Trust Open because I was fortunate enough to be able to come on the trip because our team had such a great year. And to come play with donors and coach Small, it was a treat. To play in my first PGA TOUR event and have it be at Riviera, here at the Northern Trust Open, I am just grateful for the opportunity.”
 
Danielson, a senior at the University of Illinois, is a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection (2014, 2015). He reached the round of 16 at the 2013 U.S. Amateur at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. Danielson is also a three-time PING All-American and won the 2014 Les Bolstad Award for having the lowest season stroke average in the Big Ten. In the fall, he finished in the top 10 in all three of Illinois’ tournaments, including two top-5 finishes, and he led the team in stroke average.
 
“He’s a great player,” said Langley, Danielson’s PGA TOUR playing partner for the day. “He’s definitely going to be out on the PGA TOUR someday.”

A few images of Spieth and Texas's Beau Hossler, who had a gallery of a 100 braving the warm, dry weather for a rare chance to watch the World No. 1 golfer coming off of one of golf's all time greatest seasons.


Nike's Golfers Are Best Prepared For On-Stage Flooding

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I know I should know who all five of these Nike golfers are, but I’ve only got Lovemark (far left), and Rodgers/Finau on the right.

Apparently this was a gathering for non-Rory tour players to discuss how cool they are. Because nothing is more cool than declaring your coolness. And, rolling up your pants to prepare for a tsunami. 

Flashback: Scalia's Dissenting Opinion In PGA Tour v. Martin

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The late Supreme Court Justice, who died in his sleep while on a Texas hunting trip, dissented along with Clarence Thomas against Casey Martin in his battle with the PGA Tour over cart usage. The rest of the court voted for Martin.

That's right millennials, the PGA Tour sued a handicapped-at-birth guy to stop him from taking a cart, even though he could barely walk. Charity is not always at the heart of Tim Finchem.

Anyway, Justice Antonin Scalia's dissent was an entertaingly crafted piece of writing, even if it was the questionable view at the time or in hindsight:

Having concluded that dispensing with the walking rule would not violate federal-Platonic "golf" (and, implicitly, that it is federal-Platonic golf, and no other, that the PGA TOUR can insist upon) the Court moves on to the second part of its test: the competitive effects of waiving this nonessential rule. In this part of its analysis, the Court first finds that the effects of the change are "mitigated" by the fact that in the game of golf weather, a "lucky bounce," and "pure chance" provide different conditions for each competitor and individual ability may not "be the sole determinant of the outcome." Ante, at 25. I guess that is why those who follow professional golfing consider Jack Nicklaus the luckiest golfer of all time, only to be challenged of late by the phenomenal luck of Tiger Woods. The Court's empiricism is unpersuasive. "Pure chance" is randomly distributed among the players, but allowing respondent to use a cart gives him a "lucky" break every time he plays. Pure chance also only matters at the margin--a stroke here or there; the cart substantially improves this respondent's competitive prospects beyond a couple of strokes. But even granting that there are significant nonhuman variables affecting competition, that fact does not justify adding another variable that always favors one player.

Trump: We're Still In The Rota!

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I'm not sure what's more impressive: Donald Trump declaring that he's still in The Open Championship rota, or Alex Miceli getting The Donald on the phone in the midst of a presidential campaign.

Either way, Trump sees Turnberry still very much in the rota despite reports of the R&A cooling to the idea.

“I haven't been told that at an all, no,” Trump said Friday by phone about Turnberry being taken off the British Open rota, which first was reported by London’s Independent. “We're working together with the R&A on the design. We have redesigned it, and it's almost completed. It will be opened in July and, no, I haven't heard that at all.”

At all?

Golf Industry Show Wrap: More Affordable Sustainability?

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The annual Golf Industry Show wrapped in San Diego and the mood certainly seemed positive. Perhaps it was the location--not Orlando--because I sensed the good vibes ran deeper than normal.

So many of the products and folks we talked to for Golf Channel's Morning Drive gave the impression that forward-thinking ways are finally leading to affordable sustainability solutions.

There were also a few first world solution solvers, like grass on top of irrigation heads and drones to detect turf health.

Here are the four GIS pieces shot and produced by Donald Goertz and hosted by yours truly.

Offbeat tech.

New tech.

Overview and Rhett Evans interview.

Electric Avenue (electric only products):

Perth: World's First "Recognizeable" Course Is Spared

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Jamie Buchan reports the various cuts that were decided on in Perth, where the golf course operational deficit was a mere drop in the bucket. Councillors agreed and spared the historic North Inch, which was facing closer over a fairly small amount of money.

However, proposals to axe the historic North Inch golf course – to save about £100,000 a year – and a reduction in public transport costs were rejected.

GolfPunkHQ also has this story on sparing the course, accompanied by a splendid aerial of the course where golf was played five hundred years ago.

Dale Concannon Tweeted this image depicting the early golf scenes at North Inch:

AT&T Saturday Preview: Hide Your Cell Phones From Bill Murray

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Another brutal CBS-produced Golf Channel telecast aired Friday from the otherwise-glorious-looking Pebble Beach. The whole mess reminded us that no plug is off-limits to producer Lance Barrow. (We even got a FedEx VP briefcase going for 3 minutes on the greatness of the FedExCup. In February.)

And I won't even get into all of the other B-listers and missed great rounds from Phil Mickelson (Jason Sobel report here) and Sung Kang (Mike McCallister's PGATour.com report here).

However...there could be drama at AT&T Saturday in between shots of the PNC Chairman and favored CBS Pacific Grove eateries when Bill Murray returns, except with apparent issues (at times) with fans wanting selfies.

A few of you up at the tournament sent in reports, and Gossip Cop was brave enough to report on Murray heaving some cell phones off a restaurant balcony Thursday night.

On Thursday night, Murray was at the restaurant Vesuvio, where Justin Timberlake was throwing a party for his 901 tequila, when a number of fans bombarded the comedic actor and started repeatedly taking flash photos of him. Murray, who’s usually very accommodating, became annoyed with the too-close-for-comfort fans, and grabbed some of their phones and tossed them over the restaurant’s second floor rooftop

Oy Vey: Ryder Cup Team Dinners, Tiger Wants A Fishing Trip

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Since this was revealed earlier in the week, I've been trying to ponder how this is not embarrassing overkill and failing.

It was Nick Faldo's sigh at the topic during today's telecast that didn't help matters. Granted, he's not the Winston Churchill of captains, but still, here goes: Davis Love is planning a Ryder Cup team bonding dinner at the Honda Classic. Oh, and assistant captain Tiger Woods, who wouldn't have been caught dead at any kind of Ryder Cup bonding exercise in his prime, is suggesting a...fishing trip?

Go Europe!

From Doug Ferguson's AP notes column:

"We're going to have a dinner during the week of Honda, and then we'll probably have two or three more," Love said Wednesday. "So I'm going to be a little bit more focused this time on the start, work my way through the points list and make sure that we've got everybody covered — not wait until the Memorial Tournament when we have a clothes fitting to talk to the guys for the first time."

USA, USA!

And this is just nauseating...

Love also said another vice captain, Tiger Woods, suggested getting together away from the golf course, perhaps a fishing trip to hang out and talk shop.

"I think if we all get to know each other a little bit better in March and April and May, rather than waiting until August and September, we're going to be better off," he said.

Or not.