Fox Rolls Out 2017 USGA Schedule, Walker Cup To Get 12 Hours

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The Fox Sports/USGA press release provides fantastic news for fans who love team events and the first chance for a national audience to see Los Angeles Country Club's North Course, home to the 2023 U.S. Open. Twelve hours of coverage was announced for the September event.

The overall package pledges over 140 hours of USGA coverage, though by my math it's actually 132.5:

US Open 38.5 hours
Senior Open 20
Women’s Open 20
Junior Am 6
Girls’ Junior 6
Women’s Am 15
Amateur 15
Walker Cup 12

With 54 hours devoted to amateur golf that's down from the 76 hours annually that was pledged when the USGA and Fox announced their partnership in 2013.

Stewart Hagestad Becomes First U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion Invitee To Make Masters Cut

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While the great Jay Sigel made a cut in 1988, never has a U.S. Mid-Amateur invitee made the Masters cut since the invitation began in 1989. Until 2017 when Stewart Hagestad, a 25-year-old from Newport Beach who did so comfortably with a 36-hole total of 147.

Brentley Romine at Golfweek.com on Hagestad's unforgettable finish, which was shown on the main ESPN broadcast (video below).

After clipping a pine tree with his drive at the par-4 18th, Hagestad cut a 3-iron from the second cut and landed it on the front part of the green. As the ball took a big bounce some 20 feet past the hole, the gallery seemed unfazed by the performance. But when the ball started coming back down the slope and toward the hole, the patrons’ cheers heightened, culminating in a loud cry when Hagestad’s ball just missed the cup.

Hagestad tees off Saturday at 12:40 pm ET with Brian Stourd, who he played the first two rounds with alonside 1987 Masters Champion, Larry Mize.

 

 

Global Golf Post Picks Up SF City Championship Fees (Again)

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Last year Randy Haag pointed out that male and female semi-finalists in the historic San Francisco City were paying high fees at the expensive post-renovation (TPC) Harding Park. So Global Golf Post picked up the costs in a kind gesture for one of the nation's oldest city championships.

Once again all 22 finalists competing at Harding in various male and female city championship flights won't have to pay green fees.

Nice going GGP!

Luck Will Have It! Aussie Curtis Wins U.S. Amateur

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Lucky because even Curtis Luck is a tough name for USGA President Diana Murphy to rearrange as only she can!

Not that he cares, as Luck wins golf's most prestigious amateur title and all of the perks that go with it. He becomes the third Aussie (Travis, Flanagan) and first wearer of a manbun to win the Havermeyer Trophy.

Sure, Luck dashed hopes for a trophy ceremony Grand Slam by President Murphy, but alas, the damage on the USGA leadership front has been done.

Ryan Herrington at GolfDigest.com writes about Luck's secret weapon on the bag, dad Curtis, who kept things light, allowing for a turnaround of epic proportions.

Rather than risk doing more damage with his putter, he conceded the par putt of his opponent, Brad Dalke, and walked off 1 down.

At that moment, Luck heard a voice offer some meaningful, albeit straightforward, advice.

“OK,” said Stuart Luck, Curtis’ 46-year-old father who doubled this week as his caddie, “now we need to play some good golf.”

The brief moment of levity—“He usually likes being very obvious with his statements out on the golf course,” Curtis would say later—helped the No.7 ranked amateur in the world shrug off the stumble and re-set himself.

Jeff Babineau at Golfweek.com notes in his game story that Luck will remain an amateur to enjoy the scheduling benefits that come with the title.

Luck, who will now stay amateur, can fill out his 2017 schedule with starts at the Masters (traditionally, the U.S. Am winner gets invited), U.S. Open and British Open, as well as traditional starts in PGA Tour events such as the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Memorial.

As for holding off on turning pro? As they say back home in Australia, no worries, mate.

“It was something I always was thinking might happen,” Luck said. “I’m very happy with staying amateur.”

Herrington also wrote about a fun touch by the Oakland Hills chef Dan Vallone.

Here are the USGA highlights.

And an interview with the winner.


The Case For Amateur Golfers In The Olympics...Isn't Strong

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No offense to all who have written in the wake of star WD's from the Rio Games who have suggested that this would not be happening if we had amateur golfers instead of pros.

Zane Bojack is just one of many who have written this in recent days, suggesting many of the emerging new talents in golf would have remained amateurs for the Olympics.

I think he has a point with the amateur game farewelling stars like American Bryson DeChambeau, Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick, Spain's John Rahm and Australia's Ryan Ruffels in the past 12 months.

If you don't know them yet, then you soon will as these athletes who've recently turned professional are the future of the game.

DeChambeau finished tied 15th in the recently completed US Open, Fitzpatrick took out the 2015 British Masters, John Rahm just finished third in a PGA TOUR event at Congressional and Ryan Ruffels turned pro at the ripe old age of 17.

These young guns should be the players competing for a gold in Rio, with the Olympics keeping them in the amateur game for longer.

Already there are fears Ruffels may have turned professional too early after missing the cut in seven events he has taken part in on the PGA Tour.

Unfortunately, the money to be made coming out of college is still there, as is the pressure to begin playing and earning status on various tours. I'm not seeing how an Olympic opportunity would change that or cause more to remain lifelong amateurs.

Here is the current World Amateur Golf Ranking top 20. All fine young golfers with immense talent but would anyone want to watch this field?

Bryson DeChambeau Goes With Cobra/Puma

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Hardly a shocker, given that Bryson DeChambeau's clothes last week discreetly sported a Puma logo.

Nonetheless he's officially on board wearing Puma's and using Cobra clubs for his PGA Tour debut at Harbour Town this week.

Mike Johnson and Mike Stachura with the lowdown on DeChambeau's club specs.

Ron Green Jr. reports that Bryson intends to keep wearing the Hogan cap and explains how that started.

“I put it on and won the event and looked at my dad and said, ‘I can’t stop this,’ ” DeChambeau said.

It’s also a nod to the late Payne Stewart, who wore a similar style.

During the news conference – two hours before the Cobra Puma
announcement – DeChambeau wore a more traditional golf cap. He saves the other style for game days.

“That’s my cape,” DeChambeau said. “So I only wear that for tournament days.”

Greg Moore with the irons the current U.S. Amateur champion is using this week:


And SkratchTV helped him unveil his Spackler. I'd give it an 8.

What's Going On With The World Amateur Golf Ranking?

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On the list of issues facing the sport how amateurs are ranked by the R&A's World Amateur Golf Ranking probably doesn't leap off the page as prime click bait.

Which is even more reason to check out Golf Bible's analysis of a lightly viewed press release announcing changes to how the rankings are tabulated. Namely, a two-year window is now considered to tabulate an amateur golfer's ranking, which can impact if the player is eligible for something like the Asia Pacific Amateur.

There has long been great discord within amateur golf ranks over the ranking, including at the moment when the current NCAA and U.S. Amateur champion, Bryson DeChambeau, is ranked third, yet lands a more logical first in the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking.

I'm guessing this would be example A as to why it has less credibility than it should, as Golf Bible writes:

Prior to last week’s announcement Jon Rahm was due this week to drop a huge number of points that he won for finishing tied 5th at the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Now he will stay at No. 1 I guess. Oppositely the SPWAR has more smooth and gradual changes because it applies points ageing.

[Somehow Rahm was awarded more points (30.250) by the WAGR for this high pro finish than DeChambeau got for winning either the US Amateur (19.875) or the NCAA Division 1 Championship (22.000) which explains why he is No. 1 if you were wondering].

Masters Berth: 2016 LAAC Set Up For Fun Finish

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With a Masters berth on the line, not even a large lead is safe. But just two shots separate the top four heading into Sunday's finale of the Latin America Amateur Championship at Pete Dye's spectacular Casa De Campo, Teeth of the Dog course.

The final threesome offers an intriguing setup, with last year's runner up and Florida golfer Alejandro Tosti paired with teaamate Jorge Garcia (Venezuela). They are chasing Campbell University golfer Gaston Bertinotti of Argentina. The U.S. collegiate aspect might be disappointing for some but also speaks to the role of NCAA golf these days in shaping players from all over.

As noted in this week's Forward Press by ESPN's Sean McDonough, Tosti's story is particularly compelling, though having a Venezuelan qualify would certainly open eyes in a country where the game has been mocked by its president, except when Johnny Vegas won a tour event.

The final round starts on ESPN2 at 11:30 am ET, with a highlights show at 5:30 pm ET.

Third round highlights: