Colonial Officially Secure Through 2022
/Doug Ferguson with the official word of Charles Schwab rescuing the PGA Tour's venerable Colonial stop through 2022. Sensational news!
When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Detroit Golf Club Poised To Land PGA Tour Event In 2019?
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That's what the Detroit News' Tony Paul reports, though no agreement is finalized. The rumor mill has been suggesting a Quicken Loans event in the Detroit area is inevitable, so for me the pleasant surprise is the selection of Detroit Golf Club.
With two Donald Ross courses and a delightfully old clubhouse, it's a grand and bold selection. There is plenty of space, though it'll be tough to see what happens to the short, delightful South Course around tournament time. For architecture geeks it'll be a great chance to go look at some very special Ross green complexes.
Anyway, from Paul's report, on what sounds like an inspired choice if it all comes together.
The tournament likely would debut in 2019, and be held at Detroit Golf Club, making it the first PGA Tour tournament to be played within the city limits.
A high-ranking employee at Detroit Golf Club declined comment when reached by The Detroit News on Monday.
A title-sponsor candidate would be Dan Gilbert's Quicken Loans, which sponsored The National in the Washington, D.C., area from 2014-17, but pulled out after last season’s event. Quicken Loans had told the PGA Tour that its priority is a tournament in Detroit.
The event would likely replace The National, which seems destined for its final playing in the greater Washington D.C. area this June 28th to July 1st.
Venues Matter, Volume 3,909: Wilshire v. TPC San Antonio
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Sweet-Swinging Jin Young Ko tees off at Wilshire's 7th, playing 92 yards for the final round to a front and far left hole location.
It's been a long time since a course has elicited as many texts, Tweet responses and consistent commentary. They all went something like this: "Wilshire looks great! Fun viewing! Great crowds!"
Perhaps it was the prime-time placement of the LPGA Tour action from stately and cool Wilshire Country Club. Maybe it was that ingeniously placed crane shot, conspiring with the late light to make Wilshire and surrounding old Hollywood look so darn cool. And just possibly all of that, with enthusiastic commentary from Gannon/Stupples/Cockerill/Foltz/Abbott juxtaposed with the already-tired-looking and soulless TPC San Antonio served as yet another remind of golf in a classy old course in the city center is way better than rural TPC golf.
Wilshire won the week 8&7 over TPC San Antonio.
All of this should sting at PGA Tour headquarters but won't, even though the Valero Texas Open used to be played at a beloved city-center course with Tillinghast ties and big crowds. The PGA Tour chases the money and worries about the fallout of going to antiseptic, suburban, bloated venues later. Or the events just die and no one examines the ties between venues with soul and those where even a novice detects the joylessness.
As the PGA Tour pursues a mind-bogglingly short-sighted position in favor distance advances that will all but rule out quaint, city-center courses on a more human-scale like Wilshire, they will have no one to blame when the numbers speak volumes.
Sure, the PGA Tour will still out-rate the LPGA Tour this week because a network broadcast still always wins. But only three of the world top 30 could find their way to San Antonio, while LA's new LPGA stop drew 21 of the world 25. For perspective, the upcoming Zurich Classic and its two-man team format has landed 10 of the world's top 14 thanks almost entirely to the fun format change.
The Valero will change dates next year to a pre-Masters slot. But major changes in the TPC San Antonio design and maintenance will be needed to build upon what Houston did in the pre-Masters position. Though as I noted in last week's Alternate Shot, the Valero should be careful what it wishes for in demanding the pre-Masters date. Houston's venue offered no masterpiece, but it also didn't make players want to hurl their drivers.
As Eamon Lynch notes for Golfweek, the May calendar spot is not helping the Valero, nor is the stagnant nature of PGA Tour golf. But really, it's all about the venue for players, fans, television and ultimately, the sponsors footing the bills.
That same poll declared the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio the fourth-worst stop on the schedule, suggesting that being named for a corporation isn’t the most objectionable thing about it. The Greg Norman design (presumably he confessed to it under interrogation) hosted last week’s Valero Texas Open. It is one of the Tour’s oldest and most respected events and raises huge sums for charity. Yet players look forward to TPC San Antonio much as a condemned man does the gallows.
York, PA Golf Club Owner Calls Police On Supposedly Slow Golfers
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Then it gets appreciably worse, as an unbylined AP story notes of Grandview Golf Club apologizing to a group of five black women--known as Sisters of the Fairway--who were harassed by the course co-owner and his father for not playing fast enough.
At the second hole, a white man whose son co-owns the club came up to them twice to complain that they weren’t keeping up with the pace of play. Thompson, an attorney and the head of the York chapter of the NAACP, told the newspaper it was untrue.
On the same hole, another member of the group, Sandra Harrison, said she spoke with a Grandview golf pro, who said they were fine since they were keeping pace with the group ahead of them.
Despite that, the women skipped the third hole to avoid any other issues, she said.
And there was this dreadful image...
Thompson said the man from the second hole, identified as former York County Commissioner Steve Chronister, his son, club co-owner Jordan Chronister and several other white, male employees approached the remaining two women and said they took too long of a break and they needed to leave the course.
156 Starts Later, Moriya Jutanagarn Joins Sister As An LPGA Winner
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Moriya Jutanagarn
If you pitched the Hugel-JTBC L.A. Open inaugural story to an executive from one of the studios up the street from Wilshire Country Club, the verdict would have been something like: "na, too good to be true."
You had the big sister of a top player always playing second fiddle and in her 156th start, holding off a legend of the sport and a sweet-swinging star-in-the-making in Jin Young Ko (with both nearly acing a final hole that created the hoped-for theater.) Just off the green was the year-younger little sis, bawling like a baby at the sight of big sister finally winning on the LPGA Tour.
Throw in some beautiful late light, huge crowds, a fantastic setting dotted by the Hollywood sign and a tournament that wasn't even on a schedule a few months ago, and you have a special week for LA's return to the LPGA schedule.
As Beth Ann Baldry writes, Moriya Jutanagarn's win was one for the family, who were all on hand to enjoy a special day at a special course.
Ron Sirak notes for LPGA.com that Moriya's win makes the Jutanagarn's the second sibling set to win on the LPGA Tour, joining the Sorenstam's.
Inbee Park made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes as Jutanagarn played nearly flawless golf, but as I wrote for Golfweek, Park regains the world No. 1 ranking for the third time despite multiple layoffs from the sport.
Many players expressed their delight for Moriya winning on such a big stage against such a strong field (21 of the world top 25), who has long played second fiddle to a more famous sister. But the media outpouring of pleasure tells you just how long overdue the win is, and how admired Moriya is for her dedication to craft.
Golf Channel, which did a beautiful job delivering great sound and pictures of Wilshire CC, offers this final round highlights package helmed by Terry Gannon and Karen Stupples:
Weekend Instagram Roundup: Landry Looks Good In Boots, Kid Rock Goes Kite, Ariya Cries More Than Moriya, Sand Valley On Earth Day
/Andrew Landry's Valero Texas Open win was an emotional one for his family, who've saw him come close to winning earlier this year and have witnessed no shortage of struggles, Mike McAllister writes for PGATour.com.
Also impressive of Andrew to take a few minutes away from his celebration to piece together a #LiveUnderPar graphic and image to make for Tweet No. 70 from his account. These Guys Are Good!
The winner's boots will definitely look better with a pair of jeans...
Moriya Jutanagarn wasn't near as emotional as her sister upon winning the inaugural Hugel-JTBC L.A. Open with a strong final round that required holding off the almighty Inbee Park.
Kid Rock sports some retro glasses and displayed way more than anyone wanted to see of his mid-section during the Bass Pro Shops Pro-Am and Rain Dance.
Sand Valley celebrated Earth Day with a message about their efforts.
Wilshire's Par-3 Closer Should Make For A Fun Finish
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The LPGA Tour's Hugel-JTBC L.A. Open wraps today on a perfect Sunday with a pretty tightly packed leaderboard.
There is also the fine play of Rio Olympian Aditi Ashok, who at six back is probably too far back today, but remains one of the more inspirational stories in pro golf, writes Beth Ann Nichols.
Ashok had Saturday's shot of the day on the short par-4 14th:
It's been a very successful week at Wilshire based on the reviews of those watching Golf Channel's east coast prime time coverage. I explain here why this was a great get for the LPGA Tour and why more courses of Wilshire's architectural intrigue should be the tour's next frontier, especially as the PGA Tour endorses distance chasing and the road to 8,000-yard snoozefests.
Those who know Wilshire love its 10th hole and are irked by its use as the closing hole this week. But for legitimate logistical reasons, the dreaded par-3 finish may not be so dull after all. Here is my story for Golfweek on what to expect with this grand one-shotter.
A few more images:
The par-3 10th for members, the 18th for the Hugel-JTBC LA Open and note the fairway connection to the 17th hole this week.
Rear view
Yardage guide
Sergio Releases First Single Off The New Record: San Antonio Hurl
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Great to see Sergio Garcia getting back to his roots by shelving the big name producer and the lavish string arrangements for a stripped-down, acoustic version of his classic club right-handed club hurl.
Following a missed cut at The Masters, Sergio's first single off the new album pays homage to Lyle Lovett's classic: San Antonio Hurl. Reviewers will swoon over how little speed he's lost even as he shifts to a left-handed toss.
Mercifully this time around, he kept his Rogue driver--with groundbreaking Jailbreak Technology no less--out of a lake and instead deposited the wounded weapon into cedar-infested shrubbery.
The hurl took place in round two of the Valero Texas Open. Make sure to watch all the way through to :48 when analyst Billy Kratzert suggests the club hurl was "highly untypical of Sergio" while the Spaniard takes another lash at something in the shrubbery! He's living under par!
Garcia's new album is also expected to feature a duet with wife Angela, "Don't Go Breaking My Club."
Beverly CC Extends Membership To Former President Barack Obama
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There are many fine courses and clubs in the Chicago area, but it's still nice to see a facility with the history and architecture of Beverly Country Club's caliber welcoming the golf-loving former president of the United States to its roster.
Teddy Greenstein reports for the Chicago Tribune.
This was interesting:
Members refer to Beverly Country Club as “the United Nations” of golf clubs, a home to people of all ethnicities, races, faiths, political parties — and both sexes. The membership includes multiple Nobel Prize recipients and politicians such as Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Ald. Ed Burke.
The club features a Ron Pritchard restoration of a Donald Ross original.
Instagram: Kingston, Wilshire And Shinnecock
/It's a law firm!
In a Friday golf architecture-focused edition of Instagram shots I've enjoyed, we kick off with an unusual angle of (photographic) approach to Kingston Heath's 11:
A very LA Open-like weather day for the LPGA's return to the LA city limits. A few of my shots, just use the arrows to the right to see all...
The tents are going up, now it's just time for spring weather to rejuvenate the native grasses. One of golf's most beautiful par-4s:
Ko: Leadbetter Responds To His Critics
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Lydia Ko opened with a 70 in the Hugel-JTBC LA Open but the off-course discussion about her career trajectory continues. A few weeks after Kevin Van Valkenburg's ESPN The Magazine profile of Ko, where former instructor David Leadbetter's work is harshly evaluated by several golf observers, the famed instructor is pushing back.
Here is what might have prompted Leadbetter to respond, from Van Valkenburg's story:
Leadbetter helped Faldo remake his swing in the '80s, when he was the No. 1 player in the world, and he was Els' coach for nearly 20 years, when Els won three of his four majors. But he was also given the derisive nickname Lead Poison by tour players and media members after Wie, another teenage prodigy, failed to blossom. Wie, who recently won her first tournament in nearly four years, continues working with Leadbetter.
"Lydia Ko, from the time she was a child, everyone could see where she was headed," says Brandel Chamblee, a former PGA Tour player who now works as an analyst for the Golf Channel. "David Leadbetter completely changed the DNA of her golf swing. Why in the world would you do that? Because you want to put your stamp or signature on the masterpiece that is this kid?"
But Ko continued to play well before firing Leadbetter. She currently works with Ted Oh.
On his website, Leadbetter posted this rebuttal today. He targets Lydia's father and fatigue as key issues.
Along with all of this, her father, a non-accomplished golfer, heard rumors that she needed to change her swing and made suggestions to Lydia to change it - independently of her coaches. Sean Hogan traveled with her to the LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship during the last part of the season and observed Lydia being very confused [with her swing].
Amazingly enough, despite all of this, she had an excellent chance of remaining No. 1 in the world with a solid finish at the last tournament of the year. She shot 62 (10 under par) in the second round and things seemed to be on track. Her last round, unfortunately, was very average and she just lost out on winning the LPGA Player of the Year.
In this day and age, we have ways of measuring energy output in the swing. In the last quarter of the year, she had lost 20% of her energy which could only mean one thing - complete fatigue. Unfortunately, to the unknowledgeable, this can be misconstrued as experiencing swing issues.
What's More Embarrassing Files: The Rangefinder Usage Penalty, Or That You Were Using It From 40 Yards Out?
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At this week's Sage Valley Invitational the world's top junior players are not allowed to use rangefinders to gauge distances.
As Brentley Romine reports for Golfweek, first round leader Akshay Batia battled winds and a self-imposed mistake to post a first round lead-tying 68.
Cringeworthy that he mistakenly forgot the rules for the week and was penalized two strokes? Naw.
That he pulled out rangefinder from 40 yards...at least to old fuddy-duddies like me? Yikes!
Then, just like he is accustomed to doing in most of his junior and amateur tournaments, Bhatia reached in his golf bag, pulled out his rangefinder and shot his number.
40 yards.
But Bhatia quickly got a sinking feeling in his stomach. His playing competitor, Michael Sanders, asked Bhatia if he had just used his rangefinder. Knowing that rangefinders aren’t permitted this week at the Junior Invitational, Bhatia replied honestly.
“I knew I couldn’t use a rangefinder, but I decided to take it out for some reason and use it,” Bhatia said of the mental error. “… It’s my fault. I should’ve taken it out of the golf bag (before the round). It sucks, but I’m grateful I’m still in this position and not disqualified.”
Schwab To The Rescue! Colonial Appears Primed To Land Long-Term Sponsor
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Brad Townsend with great news for fans of the historic Colonial PGA Tour stop: Charles Schwab appears set to take over as the event sponsor in 2019.
There are still dots and crosses that could derail things, but as Townsend lays out, Schwab will have a nearby presence in a year and it appears to be a great fit. (The 2018 edition of the Colonial is sponsored by a combination of American Airlines, AT&T, XTO Energy and Burlington Northern.)
Most significantly to Colonial, Schwab and the potential for a longterm, mutually beneficial relationship, Schwab is building a $100 million campus in Westlake, north of Fort Worth, that could house up to 2,600 employees. The campus is scheduled to open in 2019.
Much like North Texas' other PGA Tour event, the AT&T Byron Nelson, Schwab would represent to Colonial a sponsor with a long, deeply rooted association with the PGA Tour.
Say It Ain't So: Fire At National Golf Links Of America
/There is no more historic clubhouse in America and certainly no club housing a more important collection of historic memorabilia than NGLA's.
So as we await word on the extent of damage--most reports seem to suggest firefighters kept the fire from spreading beyond a kitchen, an upstairs patio and the "birdcage" dining area added in 1916--we can only hope all of C.B. Macdonald's treasures and Jarvis Hunt's clubhouse design were not permanently damaged.
A 27East story seems to be the most complete in terms of details and some images.
A few fire photos followed by some clubhouse interior shots that capture the grandeur of this American treasure...
Instagram: The Great One At Wilshire, Big Cedar Lodge's "Range" And The Himalayas In April
/Wayne Gretzky turned up for the Hugel-JTBC L.A. Open pro-am at Wilshire.
Big Cedar Lodge, home of this week's Bass Pro Legends of Golf, has quite a "driving range":
The Himalayas/Ladies Putting Course at St. Andrews in April, courtesy of The Outpost Club:
