ClubCorp Sells After All: For $1.1 Billion To Apollo Global

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Reuters' Greg Roumeliotis reports that the publicly-traded company owning 206 clubs and serving over 400,000 members, including at Mission Hills and Firestone, has sold to Apollo Global Management.

It's an all-cash, $1.1 billion deal netting shareholders $17.12 a share, a 31% premium over Friday's closing price. 

DallasNews.com's business writer Paul O'Donnell noted this:

Sunday's announcement comes about three months after ClubCorp's board said it would not seek a sale. Longtime CEO Eric Affeldt announced at the same time that he would be retiring. A month later, the company added two new directors at the behest of activist investor FrontFour Capital Group LLC, which had been critical of ClubCorp's management.

Rahm Wins Irish Open, Lexi Rule Surfaces Too

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After a temperamental U.S. Open, Jon Rahm once again showed he can put rough weeks behind him by dominating the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

This quote from Alistair Tait's Golfweek account suggests someone is very confident heading into The Open, and his updated odds reflect similar confidence from punters.

“That makes two for two, shooting 65 in the final round,” Rahm said. “Obviously, it’s a very different tournament here for me. I’ve been saying I haven’t played my best golf, and today, for 15 holes, I played the best golf I can ever play on the golf course with the weather that we had. Obviously, the bonus of holing out on four was great, but man, this is a nice feeling.”

The round was highlighted by a hole-out at the fourth.

As for the ball mark issue and changes in the rules, here is Tait's account with this from rules official Andy McFee on why the rules are more forgiving:

“One of the points in the new decision is that the outcome depends a lot on what the player says and his explanation of the events,” McFee said. “Jon said: ‘I knew I marked it to the side and then I was trying to make an effort to put it back to the side.’ He’s definitely made the effort.

“We’re talking about the difference between the ball being lifted at 10 o’clock on the ball marker and put back at 11 o’clock which is not a problem.

“The new decision the R&A and USGA crafted, with the full knowledge from the PGA Tour and ourselves, is all about trying to eliminate these fine margins and get to a position where if a player has made a reasonable judgement then the game will accept it if it’s slightly wrong.

This screen grab shows his ball was closer to the hole and not in the same location:

In other news, the Irish Open will again play at a links next year, heading to the newer of two courses at Ballyliffin. Liam Kelly reports.

Poll: Should The Governing Bodies Drop The Anchoring Ban?

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Bernhard Langer's recent brush with anchoring at the U.S. Senior Open prompted a pre-round visit with rules officials from the USGA. There was also overwhelming outrage on social media and coverage from Fox Sports addressing concerns of a possible rules violation. The issue summed up here by Brandel Chamblee, who coverage this week may have prompted the latest response:


At the very least, Langer is taking things right up to the edge of the anchoring ban. At the worst, he's openly resisting the rule knowing that the genteel world of golf would never actually prosecute a player of his caliber.

This all prompted an unusual Friday news dump with statements from Langer, fellow Champions Tour long putter user Scott McCarron and the USGA. Here is what was said:

The "integrity" language here from the USGA would suggest that actually enforcing the rule is now almost impossible given the introduction of intent.  With this in mind and knowing there are seniors whose golfing lives were made miserable by not being able to anchor, perhaps it's time to drop a rule that will not be enforced?

The SI/Golf.com gang contemplated massaging or changing the rule in this week's discussion that included caddie John Wood.

Given the potential rules changes for 2019, should the governing bodies consider abandoning a rule that started in 2016 after much debate?

The poll and your votes please:

As part of the rules revisions, should the governing bodies drop the anchoring ban?
 
pollcode.com free polls

Ratings: Follow Up To Silliness Of Competing Golf Tournaments

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Paulsen at SportsMediaWatch.com scrutinzed ShowBuzzDaily.com's ratings roundup and noted that the KPMG Women's PGA Championshp fared well against final rounds of the PGA Tour and U.S. Senior Open.

The 0.6 rating on NBC was up slightly even though it featured a much longer telecast this year.

Final round coverage of the Women’s PGA Championship, the second major of the LPGA Tour season, earned a 0.6 final rating and 840,000 viewers on NBC Sunday afternoon — flat in ratings and up 1% in viewership from last year, when NBC aired just 90 minutes of coverage (0.6, 829K), and up a tick and 21% respectively vs. 2015 (0.5, 695K).

It was the largest audience for the tournament in at least five years, and likely further back.

The KPMG beat the U.S. Senior Open telecast but as this chart shows, all of the events on at the same time diverted eyeballs and, as noted here, would have been better served with more coordinated finish times and/or days for the benefit of all.

Davis At 53 Shoots 63

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With technology changing the game in favor of those reared on certain size clubheads and shafts, it's rare to see an old guy use modern clubs and a little hard work to stay relevant. Sorry Vijay!

Will Gray of GolfChannel.com on 53-year-old Davis Love's opening 63 at the Greenbrier Classic that leaves the two-time Ryder Cup captain two back of Sebastian Munoz heading into round two.

The round came as a bit of a surprise:

The 53-year-old has only made 13 of 24 cuts since his Wyndham victory while battling injuries, and he hasn't cracked the top 40 in 18 months. But that drought could end this week on a course where Love tied for ninth in 2013.

"I've been working really hard the last couple weeks on trying to fix my swing to kind of swing around a stiff back and stiff hip," Love told reporters. "I put a lot of time into hitting balls and trying to get back to hitting it solid. I've given up on hitting it a long way. I'm just saying, 'I've just got to hit it straight.' This is a perfect golf course for me."

In The Takeaway, PGATour.com's Teryn Schaefer recaps Round 1 of the Greenbrier where Phil Mickelson made his first start without Bones on the bag and Love highlights.

Bones Trades In His Bib For A Headset

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Jim "Bones" Mackay, not to be confused with another McKay, has raked his last bunker but is probably reserving the right to tell a spectator "no cameras" after signing a multi-year deal with Golf Channel/NBC.

For Immediate Release:

“BONES” JOINS NBC SPORTS GROUP

Veteran PGA TOUR Caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay Becomes On-Course Reporter, Starting with The Open at Royal Birkdale; Adds Unique Perspective from 25-Year Partnership Alongside Phil Mickelson’s Hall-of-Fame Career

ORLANDO, Fla., July 6, 2017 – NBC Sports Group today announced that Jim “Bones” Mackay officially will join the network’s live tournament coverage as an on-course reporter, adding his unique perspective to Golf Channel and NBC’s coverage of The Open, FedExCup Playoffs and Presidents Cup in 2017. The multi-year agreement will fold Mackay into NBC Sports’ tournament coverage team with a full schedule of events on Golf Channel and NBC in 2018.

“For years, I have admired the fashion in which the NBC Sports team goes about covering the game and I am thrilled to be joining the team,” said Mackay. “During my years as a caddie, I had the opportunity to watch Tommy Roy work his magic in the production truck, and walk the fairways with Notah Begay, Roger Maltbie and Mark Rolfing. To join them and be a part of the coverage of some of golf’s biggest events – starting with The Open – is an opportunity I’m very grateful for, and I’m eager to add my take to help illustrate the strategic decisions golfers face inside the ropes.”

“Bones’ keen observations and ability to draw insight from personal experience will bring an original perspective to our coverage and complement our already well-respected broadcast team,” said Tommy Roy, lead golf producer for NBC Sports. “The player-caddie dynamic in golf is often one of the most compelling and unique narratives being captured during our coverage.

Bones has a career’s worth of experience being immersed in the most pressure-packed situations on golf’s biggest stages working alongside Phil, one of the most cerebral champions in the sport.”

This is the first occasion in which a full-time PGA TOUR caddie has been signed for a tournament broadcasting role. However, Mackay’s decision to join NBC Sports Group isn’t the first time he’s traded in a caddie bib for a microphone, as he – along with fellow caddie John “Woody” Wood – took part in Golf Channel’s live tournament coverage as on-course reporters at the 2015 RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Mackay caddied for Mickelson during a 25-year stretch that ultimately would encompass a Hall of Fame career, led by five major championships, 42 PGA TOUR wins, as well as representing the United States on 22 consecutive occasions as a member of Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams.

Steve DiMeglio at USA Today says Bones has long been a hardcore telecast watcher.

TV feels like a natural move for Mackay, who said he loves the game and was a golf rat as a kid.
“I would watch everything from start to finish. I would read golf magazines from beginning to end,” Mackay said. “I’ve always been fascinated by the game at this level. Certainly when I was lucky enough to get to caddie on the PGA Tour you take in everything around you.

“I loved watching what the TV guys do. It’s intriguing. I think it’s yet another fascinating aspect of the golf world.”

Kevin Casey notes at Golfweek.com that Bones is all-in, working the summer and fall's big events before moving to a full time role in 2018.

As Golf Channel announced, Mackay will work several big events right away. In addition to the Open, he’ll also be part of the team for the Presidents Cup and several postseason events culminating with the Tour Championship. The idea will be for him to move to a full schedule starting in 2018.

The Design Side Of Greenbrier's Recovery

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Tim Rosaforte's Golf Channel piece dealt with the human and maintenance side, and in this Golf.com story, Michael Bamberger addresses the role Keith Foster played in pushing the Old White course more toward its CB Macdonald heritage. The layout hosts the Greenbrier Classic starting Thursday.

He writes of Foster:

His first instinct was to say it could not be done. The golf course could not be reclaimed and restored in one year and open for play for the 2017 tournament. The hotel didn't even have hot water and locals suddenly rendered homeless were being put up in its plush rooms. The idea of a golf tournament seemed just...remote. But Jim Justice opened his checkbook and prodded Foster. "We just made one decision after another after another on the fly," Foster said in a recent telephone interview. If you know his name, it might be for the restoration work he has done at Colonial, Southern Hills and Philadelphia Cricket. "We did it the old way, hole by hole. We didn't get everything done the way we would ultimately like it, but it's most of the way there." On the resort guest-Tour player continuum, Foster said he was far, far far on the side of the everyday paying guest, while noting "we have our Bubba tees."

More On Portstewart's Distinctly Different Nines

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With extensive coverage of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, I'm sure we'll get to see much of Portstewart.

The aerials are stunning.

But in case you are watching and wondering more about the course, Alistair Tait at Golfweek has some observations from on site.

In particular, the front nine features the more dramatic dunesland and re-routings were even considered to showcase those holes more. Tait explains:

While Portstewart’s closing holes are well situated for tournament play, Moss said other routings were considered that would have given more television airtime to the Strand’s jaw-dropping front nine, which begins with that opening tee shot played from a seaside bluff.

In 1981 the club acquired some dramatic dunesland, and five years later it developed seven new holes, which became Nos. 2-8 on the Strand. Those holes were a big factor in making Portstewart a must-play for international visitors.

“Building those holes changed the whole dynamic of Portstewart Golf Club, because this was really dune country,” Moss said.

Phil Just Wants To Talk About The Good Times With Bones

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With his PGA Tour return at the Greenbrier Classic and last start before The Open, Phil Mickelson is understandably getting asked questions about his breakup with longtime bagman Jim "Bones" Mackay.

Will Gray at GolfChannel.com with the Facebook-like post spin about keeping focused on the good times. However Mickelson did suggest he is looking for something to ignire a still-sound game that has not been able to reach the winner's circle.

"I would say that after having not won for four years, knowing that my game is at a level that is good enough to win but not having done it, I think the one thing is an element of maybe being comfortable with my brother," he said. "Maybe he gets me a little more relaxed and takes a little pressure off me, and maybe I'll play my best that way. But there's no replacing Bones. He's phenomenal."

R&A Moves To Dollars, Increases The Open's Purse

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Read between the lines all you want, but the standout for me is the increase in purse that keeps The Open in line with the Masters and PGA/Players but behind the recently-increased U.S. Open ($12 million).

For Immediate Release...

PRIZE FUND ANNOUNCED FOR THE 146TH OPEN AT ROYAL BIRKDALE

5 July 2017, St Andrews, Scotland: The Champion Golfer of the Year will win USD1,845,000 at The 146th Open at Royal Birkdale.

The R&A announced that the total prize fund will be USD10,250,000.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We are operating in an increasingly global marketplace and have made the decision to award the prize fund in US dollars in recognition of the fact that it is the most widely adopted currency for prize money in golf.”

Prize money

Place    USD         Place    USD
1     1,845,000          36     53,500
2     1,067,000          37     51,000
3     684,000          38     49,000
4     532,000          39     47,000
5     428,000          40     45,500
6     371,000          41     43,500
7     318,000          42     41,500
8     268,000          43     39,500
9     235,000          44     37,500
10     213,000          45     35,500
11     193,000          46     33,500
12     172,000          47     32,000
13     161,000          48     30,800
14     151,000          49     29,500
15     141,000          50     28,900
16     129,500          51     28,200
17     123,000          52     27,600
18     117,000          53     27,200
19     112,000          54     26,800
20     107,000          55     26,400
21     102,000          56     26,000
22     97,000          57     25,600
23     92,000          58     25,500
24     87,000          59     25,400
25     84,000          60     25,200
26     80,000          61     25,000
27     77,000          62     24,900
28     74,000          63     24,800
29     71,000          64     24,700
30     68,000          65     24,500
31     65,500          66     24,400
32     62,000          67     24,200
33     60,000          68     24,000
34     58,000          69     23,800
35     56,000          70     23,600
Prize Money shall be allocated only to professional golfers.

If more than 70 professional golfers qualify for the final two rounds, additional prize money will be added. Prize money will decrease by USD 125 per qualifying place above 70 to a minimum of USD 13,500.

Non-qualifiers after two rounds: Leading 10 professional golfers and ties USD 7,200; next 20 professional golfers and ties USD 5,750; remainder of professional golfers and ties USD 4,850.

Rematch? Rory, Elkington Twitter Manspat On Hold...For Now

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Sad news for those hoping to see major champions collide on social media as Rory McIlroy has instructed his wife to change his Twitter password, effectively ending any hopes of another spat with Steve Elkington.

Alistair Tait with the details for Golfweek.com.

“I must have wrote that tweet and deleted it about five times before I actually sent it,” McIlroy revealed. “I sort of regret sending it.”

Oh regrets nonsense!

His reasoning for getting annoyed with Elkington could be chalked up to an interclub dispute. The Major Winners Club.

“It’s not what was said,” McIlory explained. “It’s who said it. Anyone that’s been in that environment should realise how hard golf is at times. That’s the thing that got to me more than anything else.

“If it was written by a member of the media or something I could let it slide, because I can sort of says to myself ‘they don’t really know how it is and the don’t know what you have to deal with.’ But a former player that has won a major and been successful? That’s sort of why it got to me and why I sort of retaliated a little bit.”

Video: How The Greenbrier Was Recovered Post-Flooding

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This powerful Golf Channel piece helmed by Tim Rosaforte, produced by Sarah Cordial and coordinating producer Kory Kozac, chronicles how West Virginia and the Greenbrier resort rallied together to recover from last year's tragic floods. Following a one year-hiatus, the Greenbrier Classic returns to the celebrated resort and while we'll hear plenty about it, this lengthy feature brings the magnitude of the flooding into perspective.