Sheep Ranch: "Home to moody atmospherics unlike those of any other Bandon course."

Golf’s Josh Sens had the tough task of trekking to Bandon Dunes in a time of pandemic to scout out the new Sheep Ranch, debuting June 1. The Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design replaces Tom Doak’s previous iteration of the course and features dramatic clifftop holes but little sand.

Sens writes:

It’s silly to think that Sheep Ranch will be anything but Bandon’s most sought after tee time throughout this year, and likely beyond, and that’s not due to its newness alone. The seaside holes are a powerful magnet, as is the uniqueness of the design and setting, with unruly grass bunkers in lieu of sand bunkers, and dead trees known as snags that look like ghostly gunslingers, dotting the property here and there. The Sheep Ranch is home to moody atmospherics unlike those of any other Bandon course.

Will design aficionados find cause to ding it? Maybe so. Some might gripe about the lack of bunkers (what, no sand to frame your tee shots?) or the cozy confines of the routing, which, compared to some of Bandon’s other courses, lessens the sense that you’re on a journey, transitioning from one world to the next. But design aficionados assessing courses can sound like art-house critics reviewing Marvel movies: out of touch with popular tastes.

The story includes this embeddable video element. For a larger version hit the link.

Report: 2020 John Deere Classic To Be Cancelled, PGA Tour Looking For Replacement Option

Billed as the first PGA Tour event to welcome back spectators, ESPN.com’s Bob Harig reports that the 2020 John Deere Classic is going to cancel its July 9-12 playing. The state of Illinois’ restrictions on gatherings of 50 or more and the tournament’s desire to go forward with fans to fund it’s generous charitable contributions, appear to be the reasoning for cancelling.

This at the end of Harig’s piece also got my attention:

The PGA Tour is trying to replace the John Deere for this year only and there is some consideration to having an event at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which is at tour headquarters.

July in Ponte Vedra. That would mean the PGA Tour is hoping to go from Fort Worth, to Hilton Head, to Cromwell, Connecticut, to Detroit to Ponte Vedra(?) to Dublin, Ohio. Ambitious, to say the least.

**A PGA Tour statement:

2020 John Deere Classic canceled due to area restrictions, related concerns

Tournament set to return in 2021; PGA TOUR looks to fill July dates with another event

SILVIS, ILLINOIS and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – Citing ongoing local and state-related challenges related to gathering restrictions, the John Deere Classic, title sponsor John Deere and the PGA TOUR announced today that the 2020 tournament, scheduled for July 9-12, has been canceled. It is set to return to the PGA TOUR schedule in 2021 with its 50th playing. 

As a result of this decision, the PGA TOUR announced that it will fill the week vacated by the John Deere Classic with a new tournament. The TOUR will provide details in the near future on the venue and location.

“Because of the ongoing health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the difficult decision was made to cancel the 2020 John Deere Classic,” said tournament director Clair Peterson. “While we considered several alternatives for the Classic, this was the choice that made the most sense for our guests, the players and the Quad City community at large.”

“We understand and respect that the Quad Cities market has dynamics and challenges that prevent the playing of the John Deere Classic in 2020,” said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer. “As we’ve seen through the years, the community support for the John Deere Classic is unwavering and I have no doubt the event will return stronger than ever in its 50th playing in 2021.”

Despite the cancellation, the John Deere Classic will continue its Birdies for Charity fundraiser for 2020. Last year, $13.8 million was generated in support of 543 local and regional charity organizations, bringing the tournament’s all-time total to $120 million since the first playing in 1971. Ninety-nine percent of that has come since John Deere assumed title sponsorship in 1998. 

This year’s John Deere Classic would have been the Quad Cities’ 50th PGA TOUR event and the 21st played at TPC Deere Run. Dylan Frittelli is the defending champion.

European Tour Emphasizes UK Event Cluster, "Golf For Good" Theme In July Return

European Tour Chief Keith Pelley and his team rolled out a “reshaped” season with a six-tournament UK swing in July and August followed by a rescheduled Rolex Series in the fall. The European Tour shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 8th.

While also the rollout is similar to the PGA Tour’s upcoming approach emphasizing health and safety, the European Tour model of putting events in a “cluster” with a community-focused theme offers a start contrast to the U.S. tour’s return the week of June 8th.

From the EuropeanTour.com story outlining the dates, venues (eh…) and “Golf for Good” theme.

The ‘Golf for Good’ initiative will be launched at the new ‘UK Swing’ in July and August, six weeks which will culminate in £500,000 from the European Tour being distributed equally between charities local to the tournament venues and charities chosen by the leading ten players in a mini Order of Merit which will run across the six tournaments.

Pelley felt compelled to explain the cluster in case the rest of Europe felt left out.

“Without question we have had to think differently about the remainder of our 2020 season which is reflected in today’s announcement. As golf’s global Tour, diversity is ordinarily one of our biggest strengths, but in this instance it has become one of our biggest challenges.

“Initially, therefore, based on the expert guidance we received, playing in clusters, in one territory, is the best option in terms of testing, travel and accommodation.

“I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank Betfred, Close House, Marriott, The Forest of Arden, Hanbury Manor, The Celtic Manor Resort and The Belfry for sharing our vision for this ‘UK Swing’ and we look forward to returning to tournament play in July with this innovative stretch of six events.

Still remaining to be lifted are travel bans that could throw a wrench in the rollout, though according to Iain Carter of the BBC, Pelley is confident the bans will be lifted.

The tournaments depend on a lifting of government quarantine measures affecting travellers coming into the UK. There is confidence this will not prove a barrier to the tour, which has seen no play since early March.

"In terms of the UK we are very encouraged and very optimistic that the hotels will be operational by the time we play at the end of July and that we will be able to get some dispensation for our players in terms of quarantine," Pelley added.

"And that is absolutely critical for us."

The sensitivity aspect in the return statement is admirable and in contrast to the PGA Tour, where purses have not been touched and charitable efforts have yet to be outlined (though undoubtedly will).

One tournament not mentioned: the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. Brian Keogh with Pelley’s insistence it remains a priority event to reschedule and the various complications with firming up a schedule spot.

Here is the graphic accompanying the European Tour story:

DVR Alert: Shell's Wonderful World Of Golf Featuring Sarazen v. Cotton At The Old Course

Mercer Baggs highlights some upcoming Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf re-airs coming up on Golf Channel and I noticed one in particular that got me excited: Gene Sarazen vs. Henry Cotton at the Old Course.

The airing of this 1962 match is May 29th at 11 am ET.

There is a dreary version on YouTube, so I’m looking forward to seeing it on a bigger screen.

"Will the PGA Tour's fine line of testing protocols be enough when play returns?"

With exactly two weeks the PGA Tour restarts its season at Colonial, Rex Hoggard wonders if the organization’s threading of “an impressive needle” to balance testing issues is enough. Particularly as the grim total of 100,000 deaths in the U.S. was reached and COVID-19 testing in some markets remains an issue.

The Tour’s plan to bring all of the required diagnostic tools and testing supplies to each event alleviates what would be a bad look in communities where tests aren’t readily available, but it also talks to the limitations of the policy no matter how detailed or well-designed.

Within the Tour’s testing “bubble” are players, caddies and essential personnel, like rules officials, but the vast majority of volunteers, media or the staff at local hotels would not be tested. Instead, they would be screened with thermal readings and questionnaires.

The potential blind spot in the Tour’s testing protocols is a misgiving that at least one top player gave a voice this week.

“An asymptomatic person could operate within a tournament,” Adam Scott told the Australia Associated Press. “If they're not showing symptoms, and I somehow picked it up inside the course, and I'm disqualified, I'm now self-isolating [in that city] for two weeks. I'd be annoyed if that happened.”

I’m a bit surprised at this point that we’ve heard very little from the PGA Tour on two fronts.

First, why exactly volunteers and media are not being tested after Scott raised his concerns?

And second, what is the Tour doing to try and ease the blow of lost charitable dollars to upcoming events? Or, tell us how, as a non-profit organization enjoying significant tax breaks because of charitable giving, is doing with these returning events to promote testing, wellness, a carefully conceived return to normalcy and, or, what they are doing give back to the communities visited.

The Match Founder, Phil Talk How It Came Together, Possibilities For Future Playings

The LA Times’ Arash Markazi talks to producer Brian Zuriff, founder of The Match, as well as Phil Mickelson about this year’s hit event.

Zuriff explains how Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were the choices to play with Tiger and Phil, and says he’d like to keep aiming for future editions on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Mickelson said he’s gotten plenty of outreach from big names about future playings with more charity in mind.

“I think you could showcase guys like Steph Curry and Michael Jordan or Tony Romo and Patrick Mahomes, who are all good golfers, elite talents and have great personalities. Those personalities are going to come out with this event. Or you could have someone who loves the game and is competitive but is really entertaining like Larry David and Bill Murray. I think that could shine.”

As the tweet above notes, Curry is already raising his hand and seems a natural fit depending on his schedule.

In other Phil/Match news, Mickelson confirmed on Dan Patrick’s show that he’d be open to wearing a microphone in competition based on the positive reaction to last Sunday. From Will Gray’s GolfChannel.com story on that interview:

"I would be open to the idea because of how it's being received, and some of the insight and so forth," Mickelson said. "But you don't have the play between individuals. I had a partner, and Tom and I could talk back and forth. And maybe you could get some of that with the caddie, but having a partner is much more intimate and you have much better conversation."

The full chat:

Gareth Bale: “A lot of people have problems with me playing golf"

An unbylined Reuters story quotes Real Madrid star Garreth Bale revealing to Erik Anders Lang just how much his passion for golf has been an issue for his career.

“A lot of people have problems with me playing golf,” Bale told U.S golf podcast The Eric Anders Lang Show.

“I don’t know what their reason is because I’ve spoken to doctors and everybody’s fine with it. The media has this perception that it’s not good for me, you should be resting, it can cause you injuries.

“(U.S. basketball player) Steph Curry plays maybe on the morning of a game. If I play two days before a game, it’s like ‘what’s he doing?’”

Here is the Apple podcast link to Lang’s discussion with Bale, where he talks about life on Real Madrid, how golf is his escape and how he replicated three famous par-3’s in his Wales backyard (it’s rather impressive!). Or the YouTube version:

More On The Match Ratings: A Younger Audience For The Old Guys

Media and tour executives insist golfers must get younger to attract the demographic coveted by advertisers. That means hyping young players, encouraging them to turn pro earlier and overall, declaring anyone under 30 to be capable of curing cancer while breaking 70 on a daily basis and delivering young eyeballs.

So as more numbers roll in from The Match: Champions For Charity, it’s noteworthy that four guys in their forties—and one about to turn 50—attracted a record rating on cable, robust sales, and even a younger audience than the previous week’s younger foursome for TaylorMade Driving Relief.

First, a recap on the participants, starting with The Match:

Tom Brady 42

Tiger Woods 44

Peyton Manning 44

Phil Mickelson 49

And the TaylorMade Driving Relief foursome:

Matthew Wolff 21

Rickie Fowler 31

Rory McIlroy 31

Dustin Johnson 35

According to Showbuzzdaily.com, almost 1/3 of The Match 2’s audience was in the coveted 18-49 demo and the number was even better on on TruTV, also meaning there are people of any age group who know how to find TruTV:

About 30% of The Match’s audience landed in the 18-49 demo despite the 44.5 average age of the participants.

The numbers for TaylorMade Driving Relief with a foursome averaging 29.5 years:

That’s 25% of the almighty buyers for a younger, supposedly more millennial-friendly group of golfers. And a grand total of (at least) 860,000 fewer viewers 18-49. While not a huge difference in the percentage department, The Match did rout Driving Relief in overall audience and even took chipped away at NASCAR’s ratings.

Given the sometimes blatant ageism in golf and view that young participants translate to a young audience, The Match’s overall dominating win should be noted. But probably won’t.

In other ratings news, Sunday night’s Tiger Slam documentary debut following completion of The Match on Golf Channel failed to land in cable’s top 150 shows.

I discussed what made The Match a success with myself on the latest Shack Show:

NGF: 97% Of U.S. Courses, 80% Of Retail Now Open

The latest COVID-19 update from the National Golf Foundation features quite a bit on the retail sector now that 97% of U.S. courses have reopened for play.

Over 80% of golf retail stores are now open, though only 12% of golfers surveyed say they’ve visited.

This longer story highlights some of the retail sector findings.

And here is the update on the course side, where the 97% number is up from 44% in early April.

Flashback: Tim Finchem Predicted There Would Be More Than 50 Million Golfers By 2020

Adam Schupak considers the condition of the golf industry and there are plenty of cautionary signs despite full tee sheets after COVID-19 lockdowns. Check out the piece as there are several interesting components to consider if you are in the industry, including the issues facing courses reliant on more than green fees.

But in the piece reminded us that this was the year we were going to have 50 million golfers and NFL style ratings. At least, in a now-buried presentation Tim Finchem from November 17, 2000.

Actually, he predicted 55 million golfers and a billion rounds a year (slide above).

The Old Course Reopening On Wednesday To Yearly Ticketholders

Given its age and lack of significant closures (except Sundays), there is something symbolic and reassuring to know the Old Course and other St Andrews courses reopen Wednesday.

GolfDigest.com’s Joel Beall with the particulars, just in case you were thinking of trying to get on the ballot.

It will not be business as usual. The letter states that “at this time all courses are available for Yearly Ticket holders only.” Tee times will be made in 12-minute intervals with two golfers per tee time.

There will also be no walk-ups, so if necessary there is a track and trace record of who is on the links.

Last week Scottish Golf confirmed that May 29 would be the earliest return date for Scottish courses. However, a number of courses, especially those in Edinburgh, are targeting June 8 for re-opening.

In other St Andrews-adjacent news, one of the all time great golf pros is hanging up his spikes, and now Crail gets just its second pro in club history.

From Martin Dempster’s story on Graeme Lennie deciding to retire year’s end, to be replaced by David Snodgrass.

“The messages of congratulations have been truly 
overwhelming and humbling. I am extremely passionate about Crail GS and the local community and I am very excited for the 
journey ahead.

“Crail is an incredibly special club, with two amazing courses, a friendly and supportive membership and it is a dream come true to become the next head professional.”

Lennie is retiring after 
34 years, during which time he has helped establish the club as one of Scotland’s favourite golfing destinations. It was also his close friendship with renowned course designer Gil Hanse that led to the American designing Crail’s Craighead Links that opened for play in 1998.

For those dreaming of a St Andrews area itinerary, please keep the courses at Crail in mind. You’ll enjoy this view even more in person:

And the 14th hole on Hanse’s Craighead course:

McIlroy: Players Make The Ryder Cup, Says A Majority Aren't On Board Without Fans

In an interview with BBC Sport NI (video version at the link), Rory McIlroy reiterated this desire to see the Ryder Cup postponed if it can’t be played with fans.

Worse for organizers wanting to keep the matches on schedule to the benefit of sports fans and the European Tour’s health and the 9-person Quail Hollow Marching and Chowder Society, McIlroy said his “personal hunch” is that Ryder Cup is headed to 2021.

"I think the majority of players would like to see it pushed back until 2021 so that they can play in front of crowds and have the atmosphere that makes the Ryder Cup so special.

"The players are the ones that make the Ryder Cup. If they are not on board with it and don't want to play then there is no Ryder Cup.

"I see it being pushed back until 2021 and, honestly, I think that will be the right call."

In recent weeks several people (Harrington here, McGinley here) who have reason to know what a postponed Ryder Cup might do for the European Tour’s long term prospects, have suggested a Cup without fans would be better than postponement. Presumably to keep the 2022 edition on schedule as much as any one component.

It’s a bit surprising that McIlroy did not take those hints at heart.

The Match Shows Golf Can Be Played Without Fans And Still Captivate

I remain bullish on the idea of the Ryder Cup going forward this year as a tonic of sorts without huge galleries and instead focusing on a stripped-down competition. After The Match and those record-setting ratings, I’m even more confident that a fan-free (or very limited gathering) would be the right thing this year for the biennial matches.

The Match 2, Champions For Charity, confirmed that people will watch something with no fans. In record-setting numbers, actually.

Big caveat: this is as long as the lack of cheering is made up for with production values and other differentiating elements that take us inside the ropes. A day later, it’s clear this sense of tagging along with the group was why The Match worked despite the dreary day at a largely forgettable course free of fans: it felt like we were there, glitches and all.

Sally Jenkins wrote for the Washington Post about the fan-free element in a column headlined: “No crowds meant you could hear the players at the Match II, and some of it was revealing.”

She writes:

Still, it was tremendously entertaining — and informative — to listen to the one-upping asides and to watch the interplay among four men who have been famously buttoned-up competitors. And who normally show their personalities only in marketing campaigns.

Interestingly, you learned that even in a goofy golf situation and unshaven, Woods remains a fairly laconic and methodical sort. Whereas Mickelson, on the other hand, was a real surprise. You never knew he had quite this much effusiveness in him, with his almost epicurean love of a “tasty” contest on every hole. Mickelson’s willingness to explain and instruct the game — and his clear enthusiasm for doing so — was the highlight of the event. And it was something the PGA and networks should consider giving the audience a lot more of.

Uh, we can’t even get them to do a short interview so instruction out of players is unlikely, but certainly Sky has shown with its on-range instruction elements at majors, that there are ways to re-think the show. And with ratings like The Match delivered, it’s very easy to imagine how this might be a significant wake-up call in reconsidering how golf is broadcast.

**Charles Barkley discussed microphones on players during an appearance on Dan Patrick’s show Tuesday.

I think more players will do this , and if they are happy with we analysts talking direct to them, this could be huge! @PGATOUR https://t.co/tW3oea6FHD

— Sir Nick Faldo (@NickFaldo006) May 26, 2020

Overnight? Champions For Charity Scores Golf's Largest Cable Rating...Ever

John Ourand reports that second most important number from The Match: Champions for Charity: 5.8 million average viewers, making it the most watched golf broadcast in cable history. (The $20 million raised the most important number.)

While still an overnight, it easily bests the previous week’s relief fund match that drew a 1.5 and total of 2.3 million viewers across three channels, including a 1.5 rating on NBC and a .24 on Golf Channel).

More incredibly, this means The Match 2 out-rated any major championship round on cable.

Given a so-so promotional run-up, a slow start to the show (caused in part by a slight weather delay) a dreary day to watch, and a long telecast, the rating is a stunning statement about the remaining star power of the contestants.

Huge TV numbers for “The Match:” Champions for Charity:

* 5.8 million viewers; most-watched golf event in cable TV history, TNT says.

* Peak of 6.3 million viewers (5:45-6p ET).

— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) May 25, 2020

Paulsen at SportsMediaWatch.com also added several thoughts, including this on the staggering numbers.

Since the majority of sporting events were called off on March 11-12, it ranks at best seventh among sportscasts — behind the first two nights of the NFL Draft, at least three episodes of the ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance” and the previous weekend’s NASCAR race at Darlington (6.32M).

Viewership more-than-doubled the previous weekend’s “Driving Relief” charity event on the NBC family of networks, which saw Rory McIlroy compete against Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff (2.35M).

“The Match” ranks as easily the most-watched golf telecast on any network this year, with the caveat that the season’s first two majors — the Masters and PGA Championship — were postponed. Notably, it averaged more viewers than the final rounds of last year’s PGA Championship (5.0M) and British Open (3.7M).

Remember, The Match did not benefit from the reach of a broadcast network in garnering that rating.

Winners And Losers From The Match 2: Champions For Charity

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods returned for a second edition of The Match. The weather was awful, the course a tricky one to maneuver for crews and two legendary quarterbacks were thrown onto national TV with golf clubs. What could go right?

Yet…

Winners

Phil Mickelson – When he’s on and invested, he’s a master entertainer. He dropped only one early groaner followed by high energy and fun. The 11th hole drive and commentary falls into the first team all-legendary TV category. It should be a Callaway commercial. Now interrupting this post for an embed:

Phil goes over the tree line and drives the green on the par-4 11th. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Knib2gL8lx

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 24, 2020

Tiger – There will be plenty of wondering what might have been at the Masters, PGA and U.S. Open given his ballstriking performance. Then again, the break may have been Either way, good to see him looking and playing well. He wasn’t excessively chatty but did deliver one especially fun zinger.

The legendary quarterbacks – They played incredibly well given the circumstances and in particular, Tom Brady’s painful struggle to find his swing. Peyton Manning delivered strong energy, one extra-special zinger and charmingly dated Top Gun references, while Brady delivered the shot that’ll be seen on every national highlight show. The Brady hole-out, also worthy of interrupting this blog post:

Hole-out from the fairway ...

Just Tom being Tom. pic.twitter.com/ITxotmL3rr

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 24, 2020

Justin Thomas, Charles Barkley, Brian Anderson—Three guys who either never or rarely do golf were the stars mostly because they knew when to chime in and when to let the players shine.  Thomas’s knowledge of the course and quick adoption of the medium was impressive, particularly confidently and succinctly he delivered his points.  

Turner – They clearly learned from The Match 1 and improved under brutal working conditions. Pile on awful weather, physical distancing requirements, an untested format and losing the Goodyear blimp to rain, and Champions for Charity should have been an unmitigated television disaster. Early on, things appeared headed that way but the energy and pace issues were a result of a 45-minute rain delay and the dreaded energy sapping format known as best ball golf. Strong graphics and tracer work was also turned in by producer Jeff Neubarth and director Steve Beim’s crew.

Sound – Of course there were a ton of issues, but even those turned slightly comical when players were zooming off the tee and unable to hear questions posed to them. The unintentional icing-out effect was cute. But given the crappy conditions and difficulties posed by trying to have players wear both a microphone and IFB for sound, the overall performance was beyond admirable. A nod to the announcers for laying out well for player dialogue after maybe overdoing the silence early on.

Modified Alternate Shot – Once this format took over on the back nine, the pace completely changed. I fear a lot of viewers were lost due to the front nine’s sluggish best-ball format. Their loss, but no one could blame them. Instead, point the finger at best ball.

Cart cams – what seemed like a huge optics nightmare—grown men and rich athletes whizzing around in their personalized decked-out carts—turned into a positive with cameras situated on the inside and the ability (sometimes) to converse with them. And was it me or where those carts moving a bit more rapidly than your normal buggy?

Charity – A whopping $20 million was raised by the assorted sponsors, pledges and viewers. 

Medalist’s drainage – Given the rain and being situated on a swamp, to see the ball rolling and the greens retain speed after being under water when TNT came on the air, a miracle really.

Ernie Johnson - He’s a national treasure and great Barkley foil, but wasn’t able to make it for reasons he explained in this emotional piece that ran early in the show:

Ernie Johnson gave us the best thing you’ll see all year long...#TheMatch pic.twitter.com/FKTgsmIfC4

— Kevin Gray Jr. (@CTSportsRadio) May 24, 2020

Losers

Tom Brady’s Under Armour pants – They split in the fabric—not the seam— and the big reveal came as he went to pick up his hole-out. They’ll be shipping those to UA headquarters for forensic analysis. **Brady later Tweets a suggestion they were NOT UA pants.

Even Brady had fun with it after the match:

Pants wanted in on social distancing I guess... https://t.co/PJBPyFWowI

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May 25, 2020

Tiger’s “shorts” - No, they were not cut off rain pants. And they were predictably mocked on Twitter.

Most golf television golf commentators — The freedom of the Turner crew demonstrated how locked up and stale most golf broadcasters have become trying to cheer-lead in a losing battle to fend off PGA Tour censors, agents and other assorted overmeddling point-missers.

Best-ball – It just takes forever. And rarely is the format that good. Granted, the front nine best-ball format of Champions For Charity was better than two-man Skins (!?), but that’s not a high bar. Remember, the Scots have it right even if they may grovel at the “modified” notion. More alternate shot please.

Caddies – it was a rough two weeks for the bagmen of the world. First the lads carried their clubs around Seminole and it was the highlight. Then, even in awful conditions, the loopers left at home were not really missed. Sorry!

That Weird Mid-round Intermission – I’m sure there were logistical and bill-paying reasons but the mid-round intermission was a huge buzzkill.

Florida – In a statement to GeoffShackelford.com, the local Chamber of Commerce: “We are still investigating whether that was the Bahamas or somewhere in South Carolina, not our state for sure.”

Taylor Made Driving Relief – The PGA Tour Entertainment/NBC/Golf Channel precursor was well-intentioned and fine in the grand scheme. But with a pair of buzzkill guest appearances, and despite a better venue and weather, ended up feeling a bit too much like an empty make-good vessel than a chance to lose ourselves in a few hours of fun.

While both of these fundraising events faced hurdles created by the COVID-19 and The Match 2 obviously featured more dynamic participants, the latter provided escapist entertainment and generated four times the funds. So while there should be no winners, Champions For Charity takes this one 6&5 despite having a similar number of pre-planned obligations, promos and an A-Rod appearance. The Match 3? Why not!