The 2016 PGA: Baltusrol In July, Major And Olympic Preview!

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So soon after The Open--particularly one we'll never forget--and at a parkland course short on memorable holes, and played in July to accommodate America's obsession with football, all adds up to make it hard for many including the SI/golf.com gang to get excited about the 2016 PGA Championship.

From the roundtable:

Bamberger: Yes, the PGA risks getting overlooked. But this year less than others. It's the lead up to the Olympics!

Shipnuck: You jest, Michael, but it will add a little extra juice and another needed talking point. We all know the PGA is the least prestigious of the majors, and as long as it’s going to boring tracks like Baltusrol, that won’t change. But the Olympics are the de facto 5th major this year—Sorry Players—and will continue the mojo for this blockbuster summer.

Bamberger: I don't jest. Not about this!

Shipnuck: Good, because these Olympics are life and death. Perhaps literally!

Ritter: Only if you drink the water in Rio, Alan! (Or, leave your hotel.) As for the PGA, Balty has produced some great winners, including Phil in ‘05 and Jack twice. If it gets a few high-wattage names in the mix on Sunday, it'll draw its share of eyeballs, even in a busy summer.

Probably more than had the event been moved to the early fall to help with the congested schedule. But football won that match before it even teed off.

David Fay filed some terrific Golf Digest thoughts on the history of Baltusrol and what makes it such a great club, even if you find the course a little uninspired on TV. And he addresses that silly wall installed by Robert Trent Jones at No. 4. **See Rick Wolffe's much appreciated clarification on the wall in comments below.

Alan Pittman offers this black and white photo tour of the club.

Phil's Baltusrol Defense: Changes In Game Means Change In How To Attack The Course

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With the PGA Championship's return to Baltusrol, the spotlight will be on the course's defending champion, Phil Mickelson (Jason Day is of course the actual title defender).

In an unusually candid as-told-to with Mark Cannizzaro, Mickelson mentions the role of Baltusrol retiring pro Doug Steffen in helping him learn the green, Joe's Pizza for his favorite local pie, Wednesday golf at Pine Valley again with Jerry Tarde and other fun insights.

But for those wanting to know how the Open Championship runner-up plans to attack the course, Mickelson admits to a big change in approach worth noting.

I have to play it shorter off the tee and straighter and then more aggressive into the greens. A lot of times before, I couldn’t be aggressive into the greens because I was in trouble. But I could get away with that because my length off the tee was more of an advantage than it is now.

Now I have to be more conservative off the tee so I can then be more aggressive into the greens. You have to adapt as a player. During my 30s, length was key for me and there wasn’t as much rough as there is today and I was pretty wild. One of the things I’ve had to do as a player is adapt and become more consistent off the tee, and I’m in the process of that right now.

My anticipation of playing Baltusrol this time around is going to be much more methodical. I can’t overpower a golf course like Bubba Watson or Dustin Johnson. I’m going to give up strokes off the tee to them. Dustin gains 2 ¹/₂ strokes on the field. So I have to make up three shots elsewhere — chipping, putting, iron shots, whatever.

USOC Threatens #Rio2016 Hashtagging Companies

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Darren Rovell with one of the more amazing point-missing exercises in the social media area, as the United States Olympic Committee has notified companies who are not official sponsors that they must pretend the Games are not happening.

In a letter send to sponsors of athletes, Rovell says the USOC warns of stealing intellectual property.


"Commercial entities may not post about the Trials or Games on their corporate social media accounts," reads the letter written by USOC chief marketing officer Lisa Baird. "This restriction includes the use of USOC's trademarks in hashtags such as #Rio2016 or #TeamUSA."

This is fun too...

The letter further stipulates that a company whose primary mission is not media-related cannot reference any Olympic results, cannot share or repost anything from the official Olympic account and cannot use any pictures taken at the Olympics.

Social media is largely a reminder and branding service that merely threatens to remind people to watch or enjoy the exploits of an athlete. While you can understand their need to protect the Team USA sponsors, it's got to be tempting for some to test the bounds of this to see just how far the USOC will go to "protect" its turf.

Review: Trump Turnberry

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I made two visits to Turnberry around The Open at Troon, and as The Donald prepares to accept the nomination, I hope you can set your views aside and just appreciate what he and his family have done to replinish and update Turnberry.

Every element of the experience is exceptional. Granted, I'm happy at the Brora's and Cruden Bays of the world, but I don't knock the person with money wanting to enjoy a luxurious, five-star experience. Trump and his team, spearheaded by golf architect Martin Ebert, has delivered for that audience and brought new life to one of the world's most amazing resorts, as envisioned over 100 years ago.

My review at GolfDigest.com.

Rota Fun: Clubs May Be Getting Annoyed With Stingy R&A

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Lewine Mair in Global Golf Post considers the Muirfield situation and, it turns out, that the vote over female members might have been tainted by members feeling the R&A hasn't been generous enough.

Included in the overheard gripes: only one free pass per member. She also talks to a member at another rota course and it's not just the famous club in Scotland that feels the R&A, enjoying plenty of revenues, should be more generous with the courses hosting The Open.

Four-Ball: The USGA Is Headed Back To Chambers Bay

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It will be interesting to see if any modifications are made to the course or surrounding mounding...

For Immediate Release...

USGA Selects Chambers Bay as Site for 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship

The Home Course To Serve As Stroke-Play Co-Host

FAR HILLS, N.J. (July 20, 2016) – Chambers Bay, in University Place, Wash., has been selected by the United States Golf Association (USGA) as the site of the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. The dates of the championship are May 25-29.

The Home Course, in DuPont, Wash., which is cooperatively owned and operated by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) and the Washington State Golf Association (WSGA), will serve as the stroke-play co-host.

The 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball is the third USGA championship to be held at Chambers Bay, which is owned by Pierce County. The public facility also hosted the 2010 U.S. Amateur, won by Peter Uihlein, and the 2015 U.S. Open, won by Jordan Spieth.

“Bringing the USGA’s newest men’s championship to Chambers Bay underscores our strong relationship with Pierce County as well as with the PNGA and the WSGA, since it will be the third USGA championship there in a decade,” said Stuart Francis, chairman of the USGA Championship Committee. “We have a long history of returning to host sites with excellent golf courses, where we have conducted successful and memorable championships.”

Chambers Bay, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., opened in 2007. The Home Course was designed by Mike Asmundson and also opened in 2007. The Home Course was the stroke-play co-host for the 2010 U.S. Amateur, as well as the site of the final U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship in 2014, won by Fumie (Alice) Jo.

“We are thrilled to welcome the USGA back to Chambers Bay and the Pacific Northwest for the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship,” said Pat McCarthy, Pierce County executive. “Our community wrapped its collective arms around the record-setting 2015 U.S. Open and I’m confident we will host another successful championship in 2019.”

The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship is strictly for amateurs with no age restrictions. Partners comprising teams or sides will not be required to be from the same club, state or country. Entry is limited to individuals with a Handicap Index® not to exceed 5.4.

The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball will consist of 128 two-player teams each playing their own ball throughout the round. Each team’s score will be determined by using the lower score of the partners for each hole. After 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying, the field will be reduced to the low 32 teams for the championship’s match-play bracket (all matches contested at 18 holes).

In 2017, the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship will be conducted at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C., and in 2018, the championship will be conducted at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Fla.

The Open In The UK: 3 Million Fewer Viewers, Pricing Out Some?

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While the move to NBC actually expanded the number of homes for The Open, the shift from BBC to Sky Sports in the UK was expected to mean a drop in audience size.

John Westerby in The Times wrote about a variety of topics, including the Sky ratings. The drop is pretty staggering.

Peak viewing figures on Sunday were around 1.2 million, compared with the 4.7 who watched Johnson's victory on the BBC on the extra day at St. Andrews last year. The highlights package on BBC2 on Sunday attracted about 1.5 million viewers.

On Monday in Glasgow, I had a random chat with a 22-year-old fan who was raving about the final round drama. I asked why he didn't go and it was cost related. He was genuinely dejected by the lost opportunity. When returning my car, the representative also raved about the final round and said his father attended, sitting on 18 all day. I asked why he didn't go. Again, cost was cited.

This year's Open did include free entry for those under 16 and special pricing for those 16-21. There was also the camping village to appeal to the festival-goer mindset. But the £80 entry fee, coupled with £15 for parking, is cost prohibitive for many and probably explains the small crowds Thursday through Saturday.

Given the R&A's desire to be accessible to more young people, the combination of millions not seeing the golf and plenty more feeling like they're unable to afford the event, can't be positives for The Open.