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.