Li's China Open Victory A Win For HSBC's Grassroots Support

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While the Volvo China Open didn't sport the greatest field in the tour's history, a tip of the cap to HSBC for getting to see the first European Tour winner from its CGA-HSBC China Junior Program, the only sanctioned program for aspiring players in the country currently hostile to the game.

"Grow the game" has become a tired and obnoxious phrase wheeled out way too often in the name of trying to justify greed or pandering, but when the results are tangible like this, I say let 'em pat themselves on the back. Especially after Haotong Li contended at last fall's WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai and looks to be headed toward big things.
 
From Giles Morgan, HSBC's man in golf:

“Haotong Li’s win clearly demonstrates just how far golf in China has come over the last decade and what an exciting future the game has. It’s an incredible story of human ambition and shows exactly why HSBC supports golf and why our junior programs are so important to our sponsorships around the world. A win for any golfer in their home nation is inspiring but for this to happen in China for a 20 year old is really special.”
 
“For HSBC he is proudly one of our own. Haotong was first inspired into the game as a youngster by attending our tournament, HSBC Champions in Sheshan and now he has the potential to inspire a new generation. He graduated through the ranks of the CGA-HSBC Junior Golf Program, a development program we started nine years ago with the ambition of supporting future champions. Today we have realised that ambition. We saw glimpses of his potential at WGC-HSBC Champions last year and now he’s advanced into the winner’s circle and we’re delighted for him. For Li and golf in China this is only the start. The CGA-HSBC Junior Golf Program offers a proven pathway to the very top of the game and I’ve no doubt with this victory many more will be inspired to make that journey.”

As Will Gray notes at GolfChannel.com, with this win Li likely vaults into the top place for one of China's male Olympic golf exemptions.

Nice setup:

A star in the making 🌟 #VolvoChinaOpen

A video posted by European Tour (@europeantour) on May 1, 2016 at 10:30am PDT

 

Full highlights from his win:

Report: Tiger May Have Checked Travelocity.com For British Open Pricing Comparison

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And he just loved the prices he saw at the Premier Inn!

Now, we're all excited that Tiger may come back soon and it seems like he is just waiting to feel close to 100%. Shoot, he's even claiming to have an itch to play again, which is 3/4th's of the battle at this point for someone who has been grinding away for twenty years now.

But as much as I respect the reporter and news organization in question (Andrew Both, Reuters), the idea that Tiger has booked a room in Columbus for the Memorial as the presumed location of his comeback sounds a bit premature given reports had him coming back this week or next. Quail Hollow is out and The Players seems highly unlikely at this point given Tiger's comments (Alex Myers' report here).

To put it another way: I know people who ate a cake reserved by Tiger for his Masters week entertainment. The man has people, they play, they book and they prepare in case the Big Cat decides to show up.

The swing at this week's pre-Tiger Jam clinic: 

 

Golf Boosting U.S. Olympic-Related Ad Spending By 10%?

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Paresh Dave and Steve Battaglio of the LA Times detail some particulars of the NBC-Snapchat partnership announced for the 2016 Rio Olympic games.

Deep in the story there was this interesting factoid that suggests golf is having an impact on the bottom line. Oh, and rugby too, I guess:

NBC already has topped $1 billion in ad sales for this year's Olympics, a mark it passed only just before the opening ceremony in 2012. The rights to broadcast from Rio de Janeiro cost NBC an estimated $1.2 billion.

The Olympics are expected to boost overall spending on U.S. television ads by $703 million in 2016, or about 10% more than the games did in 2012, according to ad research firm Magna Global. The firm attributed the increase to the addition of two sports (golf and rugby) to the games this year.

DII School Bans Team From Trump National Doral; Coach Endorses The Donald

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Brentley Romine with the story of Division II Barry University barring its golf team from practicing at Trump Doral because the school's mission statement clashes with the campaign rhetoric of the resort's owner.

Forget your political views for a moment, and note that Trump Doral was providing some free golf to a Division II school. In an era when more and more clubs sadly close their doors to local college and high school teams, it's pretty impressive that a high end resort course was still providing some free golf to a Division II school.

Anyway, coach Jimmy Stobbs tells Romine that he has no opinion...well, not really...

“We were very appreciative of the opportunity to play on the outstanding courses that aided in the player development. Barry University administration has an issue with Mr. Trump that now affects the golf team in many ways.

“I will keep my opinion of the decision to myself, but for the record, my wife and I both voted for Mr. Trump in the Florida primary, and we will again in the general election.”

John Daly At 50: An Appropriately Fun Retrospective

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Kind of glad Herb Wind didn't have to do a New Yorker piece on this birthday.

John Daly gets a more appropriate retrospective from the SkratchTV gang. Oh, and Fuzzy owes Long John $150k according to USA Today's Josh Peter, money that will be well spent no doubt.

PS - Long John, two majors...shouldn't he be on a World Golf Hall of Fame ballot?

Early Photos Of Trump Turnberry Reveal Shocking Twist!

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Some of you may know I find the links golf move toward immaculately manicured jacuzzi bunkers to be a depressing evolution of seaside bunkering. Especially given what the old photographs show and the vitality of naturalness in links golf.

So imagine my shock and joy in seeing the first photos emerging from Trump Turnberry showing off the finished product. No more bathtub bunkers. Architects Mackenzie and Ebert deserve most of the credit, especially since they convinced The Donald to go this route.

Exciting stuff from Turnberry, which reopens soon and will be getting a full inspection from yours truly this July:


And click on the lower left photo to see the new par-3...

 

European Tour Winning Battle Of The Bridgestone?

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The news of Rory McIlroy choosing to play the European Tour's 100th French Open June 30-July 3rd instead of the WGC Bridgestone (where he's a former winner and where the European Tour will not be a co-sanctioner this year), allowed ESPN.com's Bob Harig to point out the ugly scheduling showdown between tours.

And based on McIlroy's decision, Harig says the PGA Tour's decision to hold its ground on the WGC date (or having the event at all this year) has backfired.

This WGC's traditional date is prior to the PGA, which wasn't going to work. So what to do?

Move it to a time on the schedule that clearly rankles a so-called partner in these events, the European Tour? Clearly the two sides discussed the situation, with the European Tour expressing its unwillingness to bend on its schedule. And the PGA Tour did it anyway?

McIlroy won't be the only top player to skip Akron. Henrik Stenson is also not going, meaning he will miss two WGCs this year. And defending champion Shane Lowry has a brutal decision to make as a European Tour member who dearly wants to be part of the Ryder Cup team but can't earn any points at the Bridgestone.