Wasted: Phoenix Open Set For Stellar Finish And You Can Bet CBS Will Be Late To The Party

It's one of those traditions we longtime West Coasters have never grown accustomed to: a college basketball game running into CBS's scheduled golf coverage, condensing the broadcast window when the PGA Tour is getting it's best ratings, playing its most compelling events and often on the best courses.

The problem has been exacerbated since Golf Channel began providing lead-in coverage, leaving us with a scheduled half-hour break that has been shortened to 15 minutes in 2018 (undoubtedly after no one was buying that a half hour was needed to switch the graphics over).

Saturday's 2018 Waste Management Open telecast started at 12:46 due to the Kentucky-Missouri NO OVERTIME game running 45 minutes long, meaning an hour of golf was lost unless a viewer wanted to stream the telecast online.

The absurdity continues Sunday as two Big Ten powerhouse programs having below-average seasons are likely to spill into WMPO coverage. Remember, the madness continues next week when leaders at Pebble Beach are playing the most beautiful stretch of holes in golf as Michigan and Wisconsin inevitably run long.

The practice has grown old with viewers, who bombard social media with complaints that did successfully shorten the re-entry into the earth's television window atmosphere. Providing Golf Channel coverage up to the allotted time only picks up ten additional minutes. The lost time to college games running long should be treated

The obvious remedy?

Scheduling the games to start a half-hour earlier might mean--gasp--that a blowout ends a few minutes early and CBS can't deliver that strong "lead-in". To a sponsor like Waste Management, are those lingering fans as important than a happy TV audience seeing their ads?

Staying on Golf Channel until the basketball is complete would be trickier, but doable in just the same way Golf Channel picks up CBS broadcasts that have run past network coverage windows.

Either way, Sunday at the WMPO should be a dandy featuring 12 players within 3 strokes of Rickie Fowler's lead. Storylines include Phil Mickelson's shot at his first win since 2013, Fowler finally breaking through at TPC Scottsdale, Bryson DeChambeau picking up his second win, and Jon Rahm lurking a shot back.

Brentley Romine sets it all up at Golfweek.

“It’s anyone’s tournament tomorrow,” said Rickie Fowler, the 54-hole leader by a shot at 14 under. “Yeah, I have a one-shot lead, but this tournament is not going to be given to anyone.”

There are plenty of players ready to earn it, including Tour winners Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Daniel Berger and Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner in Phoenix. The task of winning this week? The difficulty is tougher than trying to score a front-row seats in the grandstands on the 16th hole.

Sunday's tee and telecast times, college basketball permitting.

Newell Elected Next USGA President, Distance Issue On USGA Annual Meeting Minds

We all must thank Golf World's Ryan Herrington for attending and reporting on the USGA Annual Meeting so that the rest of us can only dream of mingling in a sea of navy, grey, officials from wannabe U.S. Open courses, and many others working to not say anything construable as interesting. Because you know how rumors get started!

New President Mark Newell replaces Diana Murphy and he sounds aware that the USGA's focus on sustainability is going to be pressured by distance increases.

“When you combine [distance] with the effect of the size of golf courses on the economics of the facilities, on the environmental issues that come from that and, in some cases, on the effect on just the enjoyment on golfers, it’s something we need to look hard at,” Newell told Golf Digest. “That’s what we’re planning to do. We have been, and we’re going to be focused on what that situation is and how we can deal with it.”

Herrington says the end of February will yield a joint USGA/R&A distance study update. Last year's said there wasn't anything to see here.

There was also this from Herrington's report:

In addition to the bigger picture issues, there are other practical matters the governing body is preparing to address. Among Saturday’s announcements was the formal transition of the USGA Members Program, established in 1975, into a newly formed USGA Foundation, charged with helping increase the ability for golfers to invest and contribute financially to the game.

To paraphrase our late, great friend Frank Hannigan, you're no one in golf if you don't have at least two foundations.

In conjunction, the association is launching a multi-year campaign “Driving Golf Forward” to help fund innovation and research while boosting inclusivity within the sport.

PSA makers rejoice!

The full release on Newell's appointment is here, along with a discussion hosted by Mike Trostel.

Mark Newell Elected as 65th USGA President
Other elected volunteers include World Golf Hall of Fame member Nick Price

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Feb. 3, 2018) - Mark Newell of McLean, Va. has been elected to serve a one-year term as the 65th president of the United States Golf Association (USGA). The election took place at the Association’s Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, Fla.

Newell will lead the 15-member volunteer USGA Executive Committee, which provides strategic direction and oversight to the Association's full-time management and staff.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve the game of golf as USGA president, and to champion our staff’s work to lead, grow and sustain our sport,” said Newell upon his election. “We are at an exciting time in golf’s evolution, and our collective focus on ensuring its future has never been stronger.”

Newell, now in his eighth year with the Executive Committee, has chaired the Rules of Golf Committee since 2013. During that time, he has been a leading force behind the USGA’s joint initiative with The R&A to modernize golf’s Rules. He also chaired the USGA Handicap Committee and spent four years as co-chair of the USGA/R&A initiative that led to the development of the World Handicap System, which is scheduled to debut in 2020.

The other members of the 2018 Executive Committee were also elected at the Annual Meeting, with four new additions: three-time major champion and former world No. 1 player Nick Price of Hobe Sound, Fla.; Kendra Graham of Winter Park, Fla.; Sharon Ritchey of Asheville, N.C.; and Paul G. Brown of Brookville, Md.

Current members of the Executive Committee who were elected to continue their service to the game are: J. Michael Bailey, of Sandy, Utah; Stephen E. Beebe, of La Quinta, Calif.; J. Stuart Francis, of Burlingame, Calif.; Robert D. Kain, of La Quinta, Calif.; Martha Lang, of Shoal Creek, Ala.; Gregory B. Morrison, of Duluth, Ga.; Clifford J. Shahbaz, of Portland, Ore.; and William B. Siart, of Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Two current members of the Executive Committee were also elected to serve as officers: Mark Reinemann, of Pinehurst, N.C., as secretary, and Thomas Barkin, of Atlanta, Ga., as treasurer.

Richard A. Shortz, of Los Angeles, Calif., was elected to serve as USGA general counsel. Robert Weber will retire as general counsel.

The USGA Women’s Committee, which advises the Executive Committee on matters pertaining to women’s golf and supports women’s amateur championships, has appointed Pam Murray of Richardson, Texas, as chairman and Courtney Myhrum of Pittsburgh, Pa., as vice chairman for the 2018 term.

Other members of the 2018 Women’s Committee are Jan Berry, of Madison, Ala.; Debbie Bizal, of Evansville, Ind.; Barbara Byrnes, of Mesa, Ariz.; Carol B. Graybeal, of Chatham, N.J.; Jean Mulcahey, of Hydes, Md.; Delia Nava, of The Woodlands, Texas; Nancy Rees, of Rye, N.Y.; Mary Shepperd, of San Diego, Calif.; Peggy Span, of Houston, Texas; Kathryn Washburn, of Mill Valley, Calif.; Ginny Waller Zanca, of Memphis, Tenn.; and Patti Zeeman, of Lake Bluff, Ill.

Golf Channel Says 2018 Starts With Most Watched January Yet

As the Wall Street Journal sorts through the reasons for another NFL ratings drop (thanks reader John), golf continues a positive start to 2018 with this news from

For Immediate Release:

GOLF CHANNEL POSTS MOST-WATCHED JANUARY, CAPPED BY MOST-WATCHED SUNDAY IN NETWORK HISTORY
 
Golf Digital Wraps Best January Ever for Minutes Streamed and Page Views
 
ORLANDO, Fla. (February 2, 2018) – Golf Channel posted its most-watched January ever with an average of 116,000 viewers per minute in Total Day, up 23% vs. last year and up 10% vs. the previous high in January 2013, according to data released by The Nielsen Company. This builds off December 2017 being the most-watched December ever for Golf Channel. Additionally, January’s success was mirrored across Golf Digital, which posted its best January for minutes streamed (22.6M) and page views (78.5M), up 34% and 19% respectively.
 
Sunday, January 28 was Golf Channel’s most-watched Sunday on record. During the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open playoff between Jason Day and Alex Noren from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday – airing opposite The Grammy Awards – Golf Channel was the No. 1 Nielsen-measured cable network for Total Viewers, up 24% vs. second place (ESPN). The playoff was also Golf Channel’s most-watched PGA TOUR telecast ever.
 
“Golf is carrying a lot of momentum into 2018 with a deep roster of developing stars across the professional tours, a superstar making his return to competitive golf and a rapid evolution in the many ways golfers are participating in and consuming the game,” said Mike McCarley, president, Golf, NBC Sports. “It’s especially promising to see record viewership — and it’s only January.”
 
Golf Channel’s comprehensive slate of tournament coverage rounds out record-setting January:
·       LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Bahamas Classic Round One became the tour’s most-watched Opening Day in 9 years.
·       PGA TOUR Champions saw 2nd best Opening Day in 5 years at Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
·       Web.com Tour’s Round One from the Bahamas Abaco Classic was the tour’s most-watched telecast since July 2016.

PGA Tour Going Against The (Sports) Grain On Pace Of Play

The European Tour introduces a shot clock tournament this year in response to a growing sense the pro game takes too long. And while we have not seen the slow play "personal war" predicted by Chief Executive Keith Pelley when he took the job in 2015, the European Tour continues to suggest that it sees where the world is headed: toward shorter, tighter windows for sporting events.

Major League Baseball is working desperately to shorten games. Bold proposals will be floated at the upcoming owners meetings, even to the point of experimenting with radical plans for extra innings. This comes after the first wave of pace initiatives did not go far enough.

The NBA has already limited timeouts at the end of games and cut TV timeouts. The end of a game moves better.

The NFL attempted to address fan concerns about their long games but only made a half-hearted attempt at picking up the pace. At least they tried.

Even professional tennis is experimenting with a much faster product for the "NextGen".

The PGA Tour avoids enforcing its pace of play rules and, as we saw at Sunday's 6-hour Farmers Insurance Open that was tainted by J.B. Holmes, this is a tour rallying around a player who openly defied (paying) fans, his playing partners and common sense. He knew he could not be penalized so why rush?

We could blame the PGA Tour's slow-play apathy to now-retired Commissioner Tim Finchem's disdain for penalty strokes and his obsession with vanity optics (such as players taking off their caps to shake hands). Those concerns of the Commissioner's office about a player's brand taking hit made enforcement impossible for the tour's referees, who also face pressures in moving fields around from faster greens and distance-driven log-jams on half-par holes.

There was hope new Commissioner Jay Monahan would follow the progressive lead of colleagues like Adam Silver (NBA) or Rob Manfred (MLB) and realize that younger fans are far more interested in action sports that take less of their time. But forget the kids. Who can watch a sport that takes over five hours and featuring players who have no regard for anyone else but themselves? Imagine paying $55 to watch a guy not play ready golf and playing only when he absolutely feels ready.

By signaling this week he sympathized with the supposed plight of Holmes, Monahan confirmed he will not use the power of the Commissionership to speed up play. All Monahan had to do was suggest that with high winds and pressure, it was a tough spot but the fans were right to believe this was a less-than-ideal look for the sport, particularly at a time millions of non-golf fans had tuned in for the Grammy's.

Instead, Monahan made it hard to believe his tour is interested in gaining new fans or in addressing the concerns of longtime fans that some of today's players are just too slow to watch. The Holmes incident captured on camera what paying fans all-too-often see during a PGA Tour event: a player taking much longer than their allotted 40 seconds.

Meanwhile, the European Tour is forging ahead with pace-related initiatives on multiple fronts designed to draw in new fans and intrigue those bored with the sport. While some of the measures are extreme and a middle ground with the PGA Tour position is the ideal, at least the European Tour is building off of the prevailing view after golf's 2016 return to the Olympic Games: the professional sport is woefully ill-equipped to compete in the global sports marketplace at its current pace, scale and preferred format. The pro game will fade into irrelevance if it does not adapt in a world that loves sport more than ever, just in smaller doses.

Uh-Oh: Rickie "Disappointed" By 16th Hole Heckling

Even though it's widely declared a great thing once a year, not everyone loves the gladiator pit of noise that is TPC Scottsdale's 16th hole.

Michael Bamberger called it awful this week at Golf.com.

And while players who don't care for the event generally just stay away, Rickie Fowler has been a supporter of the Waste Management Open. So to see him mention his disappointment at hecklers there during his morning round 66, suggests the language and commentary may be edging into dangerous territory.

From Will Gray's GolfChannel.com report, that also features a bit of a rebuttal from Jon Rahm.

But there were still a few comments from the gallery that caught the ear of Fowler, who shares the early lead after a 5-under 66. He was “disappointed” with some of what he heard from the tee box.

“I may be somewhat of a fan favorite, but they weren’t holding back,” Fowler said. “I was a little disappointed with some of the stuff that was said, and I don’t want much negativity. The normal boos for missing a green, that’s fine, but leave the heckling to a minimum and make it fun, support the guys out playing.”

If you lose Rickie, Scottsdale, maybe you've lost the plot...

Justin Thomas, Commissioner Jay Monahan Have J.B. Holmes' Slow-Playing Back

It's hardly a shocker that someone who speeds up a shot in hopes of taking advantage of a backstopping ball on the green has no problem with J.B. Holmes pitching a tent, even when at the expense of his playing partner and the PGA Tour product.

But that's Justin Thomas' view of last Sunday's debacle.

Brentley Romine, writing for Golfweek from the Waste Management Open, includes this from the current PGA Champion and Player Of The Year:

“I have J.B.’s back all day on that situation,” Thomas said Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “It bothered me and I hate it for him. I went up to him (Tuesday) and told him … it was a great tournament for him, but I have a hard time saying I wouldn’t do anything differently than he did.

Again, nothing bad times and a penalty stroke now and then wouldn't fix. Or a "spirit of the rules" class.

Sadly, Commissioner Jay Monahan missed an opportunity to address speed of play, essentially confirming he will continue the do-nothing approach of his predecessor Tim Finchem.

From The Forecaddie's report from TPC Scottsdale where Monahan played the Wednesday pro-am and made excuses for Holmes taking over 4 minutes to play a shot:

“As it relates to J.B. … He was in the heat of the moment. It’s really hard to win out here. You’re trying to think through how you can get on the green in two with that amount of wind. I think he thought it would subside quickly, and it subsided and picked back up, and I think he said what he needed to say.”

There you go boys, take all the time you need until you get the wind you like.

PGA Tour's New 9&9 Pro-Am Already A Hit

The Forecaddie reported last week that Tiger Woods practically moon-walked at Torrey Pines last week upon hearing that PGA Tour events could mimic the LPGA's longtime policy of nine hole pro-am rounds for players.

As Brentley Romine reports for Golfweek, everyone at the Waste Management Open was praising the first official day of 9&9, including Jordan Spieth:

“I’m a fan as long as the sponsors are enjoying it, too,” Spieth said. “They’re the reason we are here. A lot of times we get caught up in what the players want and we forget about why we actually have this. … I thought it was a good idea when it was proposed last year, just within the PAC because I thought the sponsors might actually enjoy it more. The opportunity to have somebody very engaged for nine holes and you get another guy fully engaged for nine holes versus sometimes it just gets long and for us players, it’s fantastic because I’ve got the rest of the day now that I can go out there and get work done."

Updated Plans For Woods-Designed Chicago Park District Course

The Chicago Park District presented an refined vision that merges Jackson Park and South Shore golf courses, reports Lolly Bowean for the Tribune. The project, with players from Mark Rolfing to Tiger Woods to Mike Keiser to Barack Obama, could be a future host of PGA Tour events if it happens.

Community concerns were behind the revised routing and presentation. Cost is still very much an issue:

For more than a year, there has been a push to transform the two golf courses into a PGA Tour-worthy course. Constructing the new course would cost about $30 million and it would take another $30 million to make infrastructure improvements, said Michael Kelly, Park District general superintendent and CEO. At the public hearing, officials said much of the money would come from private donations, but a firm spending plan was not presented.

And there was this, where I'm pretty sure the writer innocently left out the key word "public":

Beau Welling, who is helping design the course for TGR, said the reason Tiger Woods wants to complete the project is because he sees it as an opportunity to improve a course that serves the public, not just elite athletes.

“I’ve never seen him so excited about a project,” Welling said at a news conference before the public meeting. “Tiger Woods is really about meaningful projects that have impact,” he said later. “It’s really about the community. Tiger Woods grew up on golf courses … this is a very special thing (for him).”

The updated routing:

Brandel Says He Can Fix Tiger's Driver Woes In Two Minutes

I'm fairly certain this is a lesson that won't be happening, but in the Golf Channel Podcast with Will Gray this week, Tiger-love/hater Brandel Chamblee proclaims that he's got the fix for Tiger's wayward driving.

From the online transcript dutifully posted by G.C. Digital, in case you're wondering, Tiger:

“And so I know that he’s trying to move off the ball, and he’s trying to stay tall. And if he does that, well, it’s game over. It’s game over. … I mean, I’m convinced, honest to God, if Tiger walked out here tomorrow, I would have Tiger driving the ball straight in two minutes. Two minutes. Two minutes. Because there’s no way he can’t do – all he needs to do is move three inches to the right in his backswing. That’s it. It’s game over from there. He can’t mess it up. But he doesn’t. He stays centered, and he drops down, and he turns left, and it’s like one bleeds into the next which causes another problem, which causes another problem, which requires another compensation. And you’ll never drive it good there. Never ever, ever. No one ever has; no one ever will."

Cue up those Curtis Strange tapes circa 1985 showing a nice three inch backswing slide, drink plenty of water and call Brandel's office if you have any more issues.

J.B. Holmes: "I don’t understand what the big hoopla is all about."

Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte caught up with J.B. Holmes following the Farmers Insurance Open fiasco that saw the Kentucky-native set up shot on the last hole of regulation.

Besides not realizing how long he was taking even as fans were lightly heckling, this assertion that Alex Noren could have just one ahead and played suggests J.B. may be unfamiliar with how things work. This isn't a line at Starbucks where you can't decide between a latte and an Americano and just tell the person behind you to go ahead.

“If it bothered Alex, he could have said something and he could have hit,” Holmes said. “If I messed him up, I apologize. He still made a good swing. He smoked it. (Hitting 3-wood over the green and through the tunnel, next to the CBS booth.) I don’t understand what the big hoopla is all about. I was just trying to give myself the best chance to win the tournament. I didn’t want to mess anybody up.”

Another lay-up in the rough.

Video of Rosaforte's full Morning Drive report,

Holmes talked to Golf Channel's Chantel McCabe and reiterated most of the comments above, especially the surprise at the reaction. He reiterated that he would not do anything differently. Note that he was aware he had not been put on the clock during the round, freeing himself to pitch a tent in the fairway since he had no previous bad time (a second bad time would have resulted in a penalty stroke).

The two most disturbing quotes: "it's not like it took a half hour to hit the shot" and "this happens on tour, it's just not always on camera."

Matt Adams and I debated on Golf Central and you know how I feel, nothing here that can't be fixed by a few penalty strokes for a second bad time.

Golfweek Architecture Summit Celebrates Sand Hills, Restorations

Bradley Klein reports on Golfweek's 2018 gathering of panelists and while no Q&A kidnapping video style webcast fed on the Conde Nast servers, the gathering drew Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, Kyle Phillips, David McLay Kidd and others to talk design, restoration and other topics for the assembled voters.

Klein says the goal was "to assess an entire era, one characterized by a return to classic-era, ground-game basics."

At an opening session, architects Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, David McLay Kidd and Kyle Phillips drew inspiration from the landmark, low-impact, naturalized design of Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb., the 1995 design by Coore and Crenshaw that all but launched the back-to-basics design movement.

There was also this on the restoration side, making me even more eager to see Inverness again:

Designer Andrew Green talked about a very different restoration path taken at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Donald Ross’ 1919 design was highly studied after holding U.S. Opens in 1920 and 1931 – during which time its holes were extremely well documented and photographed. Green was brought in to fix some bunkers, but the project grew in scope thanks to the availability of adjoining land on which to build some retro-holes.

“For a club of that age to have extra property is unheard of,” Green said. The result, undertaken in 2017 without ever closing the existing 18-hole course, was to undo four ill-fitting modernist holes and eliminate them while restoring some of the old features and allowing the terrain to come through again. Green called it “what Mother Nature created and Donald Ross revealed.”

Tuesday In Non-PGA Show Instagram: Tiger, Joaquim, Emirates

A nice slow mo side view of Tiger starting his practice round Tuesday at Torrey Pines. Remember, it was 7:20ish and 45 degree, ish.

Joaquim Niemann will be delaying his pro debut for good reason after winning the Latin America Amateur Championship and multiple perks, including a Masters invitation.

Check out 18 years then and now at Emirates Golf Club, host to this week's Dubai Desert Classic. Make sure to get to the second image via the right hand arrow.

Patrick Koenig with a shot of Hammock Beach and an other-worldly par-3.

I posted today's ho-hum sunset from the not-so-ho-hum cliffs of Torrey Pines.

How's it looking? 🐅

39.2k Likes, 840 Comments - PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Instagram: "How's it looking? 🐅"

Congratulations to @joaco_niemann on winning the @laac_golf in Chile! #LAAC2018 #golf #instagolf #golfing #golfing #golflife

63 Likes, 3 Comments - The R&A (@therandagolf) on Instagram: "Congratulations to @joaco_niemann on winning the @laac_golf in Chile! #LAAC2018 #golf #instagolf..."

Past 🆚 Present The difference of 18 years in Dubai. #ODDC18

8,803 Likes, 277 Comments - European Tour (@europeantour) on Instagram: "Past 🆚 Present The difference of 18 years in Dubai. #ODDC18"

That early morning Florida fire sky. 🔥☁️@hammockbeach #lifeathammockbeach

1,951 Likes, 19 Comments - Patrick Koenig (@pjkoenig) on Instagram: "That early morning Florida fire sky. 🔥☁️@hammockbeach #lifeathammockbeach"

Let me contribute to the onslaught of goodnight from @torreypinesgolf @farmersinsopen posts. It's just so pretty!

246 Likes, 10 Comments - Geoff Shackelford (@geoffshac) on Instagram: "Let me contribute to the onslaught of goodnight from @torreypinesgolf @farmersinsopen posts. It's..."

Michael Bamberger On T. Bone Burnett, Golfer

One of the world's best music producers is also a golfer who is old enough to have seen Ben Hogan during his Shady Oaks days.

Michael Bamberger of Golf.com speaks to the legendary T Bone Burnett about his youth in Fort Worth and his views on the game.

His hometown is a recurring theme. In one email he wrote about how he grew up playing at Fort Worth's Shady Oaks Country Club, where Hogan lunched daily:

"Hogan would sit in the clubhouse at a table in the window above the range. It was always a possibility that he would be watching the cats out there trying to dig a swing out of the dirt. You got used to that.

"But some days, you would be hitting balls on the range and suddenly feel a presence behind you. You would look back and Mr. Hogan would be standing there looking at you. You would turn back around and try to forget he was there and keep hitting balls. After a few shots, maybe a particularly solid one, you would look again, and he would have vanished."

CBS Rolling Out Some Golf Refreshments

After three weeks of exclusively Golf Channel broadcasts, the PGA Tour turns over the keys to CBS for the next five weeks (Honda Classic is on CBS this year due to the Olympics on NBC) and plans to roll out a few refreshments to its broadcasts.

The Forecaddie with details of the two big boosts--Amanda Balionis becoming a full-time interviewer after an extensive tryout last year, and we're getting 18-hole Trackman data. 

There is also a special request for a sooner golf debut from Tony Romo. 

Random Weekend Fun On Instagram: 1-21-18

Tommy Fleetwood picked up where he left off in 2017 by defending in Abu Dhabi. Love the passion in this image.

Sergio Garcia won the Singapore Open in the first asking with an all new bag of Callaways, including the Chrome Soft X and new Toulon putter.

The Euros are feeling better about their prospects at the Ryder Cup already, counting down the days after wins by Rahm, Fleetwood and Garcia to kick off the year.

Sugarloaf Social Club posted a fun hipsters treasure map to the PGA Show floor.

Jack Nicklaus turned 78 and the PGA Tour posted the best gallery of images capturing the birthday boy.

And I want to be 3 years old again.

He's done it again 👊🏻 @tommyfleetwood_1

11.5k Likes, 56 Comments - European Tour (@europeantour) on Instagram: "He's done it again 👊🏻 @tommyfleetwood_1"

Couldn't ask for a better start to the year than winning the #SingOpen2018 with the new @CallawayGolf equipment! Excited for what comes next! This one was for Grandpa Akins!

18.4k Likes, 236 Comments - Sergio Garcia (@thesergiogarcia) on Instagram: "Couldn't ask for a better start to the year than winning the #SingOpen2018 with the new..."

🗓 Tick tock...⠀ #RyderCup #TeamEurope

2,263 Likes, 49 Comments - Ryder Cup Team Europe (@rydercupteameurope) on Instagram: "🗓 Tick tock...⠀ #RyderCup #TeamEurope"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Like a treasure map, but for golf prom.

223 Likes, 13 Comments - Sugarloaf (@sugarloafsocialclub) on Instagram: "⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Like a treasure map, but for golf prom."

⏩Swipe thru ⏩ 10 rarely seen photos of the man they call the Golden Bear. Happy birthday @jacknicklaus!

12.1k Likes, 39 Comments - PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Instagram: "⏩Swipe thru ⏩ 10 rarely seen photos of the man they call the Golden Bear. Happy birthday..."

Which way to the golf course? Never to young to start driving a golf cart.

131 Likes, 12 Comments - Dennis Sales Golf (@dennissalesgolf) on Instagram: "Which way to the golf course? Never to young to start driving a golf cart."