November's Australian Open At Kingston Heath To Be Rescheduled

11th hole at Kingston Heath (Geoff Shackelford)

No Kingston Heath later this year. Best case: January to March is an option.

For Immediate and Disappointing Release:

AUSTRALIAN OPEN RESCHEDULED

The Australian Open will not be played in 2020.

Golf Australia operations manager Simon Brookhouse remains very hopeful that the national championship, the fifth oldest in professional golf, will still be played this summer.

“These are very challenging times for all Australians and the uncertainty the global pandemic has caused makes it very difficult to be definitive in relation to future dates at this time,” Brookhouse said.

“We will continue our positive ongoing discussions with our major stakeholders which include the Victorian Government, our corporate partners, the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and other international tours about potential dates. However, it must be noted that there are many unknowns at the moment, which is problematic.”

The 105th edition of the Australian Open was to have been held in November, with multiple dates having been on the table. But Brookhouse said public health considerations had been the main reason behind making the decision to postpone.

“Then, when you consider the rescheduled major championships, particularly the Masters from 12-15 November, assembling the customary world-class field was also becoming increasingly difficult,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it is not a simple matter of whether or not we could co-ordinate any international stars to visit. The uncertainty of the quarantine requirements for any players coming from outside Australia needed to be considered. These requirements would undoubtedly have an impact on our homegrown heroes before they would be able to consider playing, too,” he said.

“With all that in mind, we would like to think we could still play the Australian Open this summer and will work with the host, Melbourne’s Kingston Heath Golf Club, to find a date suitable for all.

“However it may have to be in the January-March 2021 window with so many variables still to play out.”

The decision means the Australian All Abilities Championship, which features the top 12 players on the World Rankings for Golfers with a Disability, will also be delayed as the tournament is played as part of the Australian Open field.

Brookhouse said Golf Australia and its event partner, Sportfive, would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates when any additional information is available.

3M Ratings Up 14%, Beating Last Year's WGC FedEx On Similar Weekend

The lack of a star-studded leaderboard still didn’t hurt CBS and Golf Channel’s numbers too terribly, as the 2020 3M Championship win by Michael Thompson saw a 14% increase over last year’s event captured by Matthew Wolff.

According to CBS, the overall run of “return” events is up 25% over last year. A nice increase even given that 2019 ratings were down.

CBS Sports’ @PGATOUR Coverage Continues to Score Viewership Increases, this time with @3MOpen pic.twitter.com/4tC756tBNi

— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) July 28, 2020

The 3M’s ratings also highlight just how dismal the numbers were for a strong field at the 2019 WGC FedEx St. Jude, won by Brooks Koepka and which aired on a comparable weekend:

DraftKings Transitions From PGA Tour's "Official Daily Fantasy Game" To "Official Betting Operator"

The most discernible difference beyond the new name and first use of “Betting” appears to be more access to video for DraftKings. For those with aspirations, the release also indicates others can become “Official Betting Operators” so bookies of the world, don’t get too discouraged by this release:

DraftKings becomes PGA TOUR’s first Official Betting Operator

Expands DraftKings’ rights to include betting in addition to daily fantasy

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA, and BOSTON – The PGA TOUR and DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG), have announced an expansion of their multi-year content and marketing relationship today that now designates DraftKings as the first “Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR.” In July 2019, DraftKings became the TOUR’s first “Official Daily Fantasy Game of the PGA TOUR” as part of a multi-year, exclusive arrangement.

From ODFG to OBO in Ponte Vedra meeting parlance.

“The PGA TOUR couldn’t be more pleased with growing our collaboration with DraftKings,” said Norb Gambuzza, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President, Media and Gaming. “The growth in consumption and fan engagement we have seen over the last year in our DraftKings Daily Fantasy games has been tremendous. The expansion of the relationship to now include sports betting is a natural evolution and one which fully supports and promotes the PGA TOUR’s objectives of reaching and engaging new segments of fans while introducing them to our players, tournaments and media platforms.”

Oh and I’m sure another objective not mentioned was an oversight: making more money.

By becoming the first to join the TOUR’s Official Betting Operator program, DraftKings will have rights in the United States to use PGA TOUR trademarks, rights to advertise within TOUR media and TOUR partner platforms, plus content and video rights allowing DraftKings’ Sportsbook solution to create pre-game and post-game betting programming, as well as distribution of highlights to users who have placed bets.

"DraftKings and the PGA TOUR have continued to make history with the innovative additions to our agreement which began last year,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer of DraftKings. “We are excited to further our relationship with the PGA TOUR as their first Official Betting Operator as well. Golf has been an especially important outlet for fan engagement over these past few months, and this latest collaboration is a significant next step for both the golf and gaming industries.”

Several of the most popularly bet PGA TOUR events in DraftKings company history have occurred since the TOUR’s return in June. Currently, in terms of sports betting, golf is DraftKings’ fourth most popular sport.

And probably moving up again soon.

Fans can access DraftKings Sportsbook and PGA TOUR DraftKings Fantasy Golf in legal states by visiting www.draftkings.com or by downloading the DraftKings app via iOS and Android.
Following the Supreme Court’s repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, the TOUR instituted an integrity program in collaboration with Genius Sports to protect its competitions from betting-related corruption. Later that year, the TOUR announced a global partnership with IMG ARENA to license its official, live scoring data to betting operators all over the world. 

In July 2019, following an update to its sponsorship policies in the gaming category, the TOUR partnered with DraftKings to relaunch “PGA TOUR DraftKings Fantasy Golf” with exclusive intellectual property to differentiate DraftKings in the daily fantasy space. This past March, The Action Network and the PGA TOUR announced the launch of GolfBet, a first-of-its-kind, golf-focused betting content platform.

The PGA TOUR and DraftKings are Platinum Members of the National Council on Problem Gambling, committed to industry-leading responsible gaming practices.

Platinum status!

The PGA TOUR also runs its free-to-play fantasy games, including PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, PGA TOUR One&Done, and PGA TOUR Champions One&Done. 

People bet on Champions golf? Lord have mercy.

These games and related content can be found at https://www.pgatour.com/fantasy.html.

It should be noted that this announcement could be viewed as pretty unseemly in a time of pandemic, economic hardship and only 18 states currently offering legal sports betting.

Cowen On Koepka's Struggles: "We don’t need excuses, we need to sort it out."

In his weekly Daily Mail column, Derek Lawrenson catches up with instructor Pete Cowen who is clearly feeling better after suspecting in March he had contracted COVID-19.

The guru to the star golfers is in Memphis this week to work with Brooks Koepka find his game. Koepka has a strong track record in Memphis and is the two-time defending PGA Champion next week.

Cowen does not see Koepka’s balky knee as a hurdle to success.

‘When you get an injury as bad as that you’re never 100 per cent right again,’ said Cowen. ‘But I don’t think it’s a problem. That’s finding excuses for the fact he’s swinging it badly. We don’t need excuses, we need to sort it out.’

Cowen believes it is more a question of attitude. ‘When he’s at his best, he’s bulletproof. He doesn’t care what other people are doing, he just puts results on the board,’ he said. ‘The US Open at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 was a classic case in point. With his caddy Ricky Elliott, I was talking it through with him, how he played every hole in the final round, he was all over the place at times. But he had belief he would win. He had body language that said, “I’m going to get the job done”. That’s what we need to get back.’”

Milbank: “President Trump is not playing enough golf”

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank thinks President Donald Trump could use more time on the golf course to apply the game’s values to the COVID-19 fight.

Above all, though, golf is a game of honor. If you hook your tee shot into the woods, you look for the ball for five minutes, then assess yourself a penalty stroke if you can’t find it. That may be the hardest lesson of all for Trump. According to those who have played with him, Trump doesn’t take a penalty stroke; he simply gives himself a “mulligan” — a free do-over. It lowers his score, but it’s cheating.

Maybe that’s why he has such trouble with the pandemic. He can get away with cheating on the golf course. But covid-19, as we have seen, does not allow mulligans.

Hey at least for a change a prominent columnist sees golf as a plus!

Great Listen: Fried Egg's Podcast Stories, The Ball

Fine, fine work by The Fried Egg’s Garrett Morrison to present the history of the golf ball in fresh fashion and format. I highly recommend all three episodes and his effort to educate audiences to the remarkable strife and conflict the matter of selling golf balls has delivered to golf.

I learned a lot and felt unabashedly reassured that some form of golf ball regulation would be a really good thing for the game. But that’s me. I’m guessing even those who do not agree and place the perceived profit impact of a few companies over what’s best for the sport, will still feel more intelligent after listening.

Check out wherever you get your podcasts or listen here:

2020 PGA Marks ESPN's Debut: You'll Want That ESPN+ Subscription Dialed In

Without having seen CBS’s schedule, little imagination is still not required to tally up and realize ESPN, with CBS, will essentially provide wall-to-wall coverage from Harding Park. That’s a product of the new long-term rights schedule for next week’s PGA Championship. Notice just how much ESPN+ (only available via streaming that milliennials still don’t pay for), is handling coverage, including early in the week and even when CBS is taking over. While the Worldwide Leader will have nice-sized cable broadcast windows all four days, this is still my nice way of reminding hardcore fans to get your affairs in order: namely, your streaming subscriptions.

And while you’re at it, the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle is the better deal. Everyone could use some Mandalorian in their lives.

Video: Preview Of The 2020 PGA And Harding Park Without Fans

We’re a week away from the first major championship of 2020 and Ron Kroichick previews what a fan-free major will look like. While this one is particularly tough to look at given the fan energy we would have seen at a true muni, I will say, the views through the property and the Cypress will shine based on the video below. So there’s that.

Nice work here by the PGA of America imagineers to make the best of a difficult situation…

Knee-High Rough Or Rollback Distance?

Because I’ve heard enough “just the grow” rough proposals over the years and didn’t need another blog post pointing out the silliness, you didn’t see a post about Ernie Els saying “knee high” rough was an answer.

But the Golf.com Confidential gang decided to take up the topic and we have three ball rollbacks to one endorsement, if my math is correct…

Bamberger: Only with the F&F part. The game lacks balance now. There’s too much emphasis on the tee shot. It’s certainly not the players fault. But foot-high rough doesn’t make golf more interesting, it makes it less interesting. We want to see all manner of shots, including the recovery shot. Tiger became Tiger on the basis of his recovery game, his iron play, his driving game, his chipping game. His everything. 

Sens: I agree to a point. Problem is, there comes a point where defending through course conditions alone leads to flat-out goofy setups, and then you’re not making it more fair for anyone. At that point is where I start to think: rolling back the ball is the better long-term solution.

Wood: Of course, he’s correct. I would love to see firm fairways, hard greens, deep rough every single week. But It’s not going to happen. There’s no way for tournaments to collude to make course setups more difficult, with more emphasis on hitting fairways. And here’s why:  the tournaments are in competition with each other to attract players. When a player is choosing a schedule, they’re just like anyone who plays golf: a major factor in deciding where they play is choosing someplace they enjoy. They know a handful of times a year, namely U.S. Opens, the Masters, they’re going to have to play courses with less room for error. But week-in, week-out, they won’t do it. And to be honest with you, I don’t think the networks would enjoy it either. Long drives sell. The ratings just simply wouldn’t be as good if the guys who can hit it 350 are hitting 4-irons off every tee.  

Shipnuck: John’s point is well-taken, and amplify’s Michael’s: the setup Ernie is advocating sounds dreadfully boring. Who wants to watch the best players chipping out sideways? It’s fun at a few select majors, but every week would be a snooze. And the problem with resting everything on firm/fast setups is that it’s an outdoor game, and rain showers are common in the spring and summer. To test players with the current benign Tour setups we need courses that are 9,000-10,000 yards, but that requires an obscene amount of land, water and maintenance hours. The only real solution is obvious: throttle back the equipment. But Ernie and many others are paid to subvert that point.

40 Years After Caddyshack, Trying To Understand How Caddyshack 2 Happened

Forty years to the day of Caddyshack’s theatrical release, the author of its definitive book tells us about the eventual debacle that was Caddyshack 2.

Writing for SI.com, Chris Nashawaty gives you the impression that a film on the making of Caddyshack 2 might have been far more entertaining than what some say is the worst sequel ever.

On Jan. 18, 1988, the Caddyshack II cast and crew descended on Rolling Hills Golf Club in Davie, Fla.—the same location used for the original. Right away, nothing felt right. Not only was Mason’s golf swing an abomination even after working on the set with a pro, but he also couldn’t remember his lines and was gorging himself at the craft services table—so much so that the wardrobe department had to keep letting out his pants. Aykroyd decided that his gonzo military character should speak in an odd, high-pitched whinny (which, he later claimed, was based on the voice of Iran-Contra figure Oliver North, and which the producers absolutely hated). Mason and his onscreen love interest, Dyan Cannon, had zero chemistry and couldn’t be bothered to hide it. And as for Chevy Chase . . . well, he was Chevy Chase.

Thompson Wins The 3M Open And Gives Great Interview Too

As Ryan Herrington notes at GolfDigest.com, there was a nice show of emotion from Michael Thompson after winning the 3M Open by one over Adam Long. With the win he gets in the upcoming PGA and U.S. Open, enjoys a two-year exemption and upgrades to the WGC FedEx this week.

The full interview with CBS’ Amanda Balionis.

What it's all about. ❤️🏆

An emotional Michael Thompson discusses why winning the @3MOpen means so much. pic.twitter.com/8ulQJBQaiB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 26, 2020

2020 Betfred British Masters: Paratore (Speedily) Wins European Tour's Restart Event

There is something especially comforting having the day start with some European Tour golf, even if the field won’t go down as one of the all time great assemblages in golf history. Those who tuned into the Betfred British Masters on Golf Channel were treated to a freakishly good (and fast) performance from 23-year-old Italian Renato Paratore, who played bogey-free for the first 62 holes.

The good news was flowing from Close House, including a triumphant return of European Tour play, a sponsorship extension and positive reviews from most players. But after the final round, host Lee Westwood opened up about his concern for traveling to the U.S. for upcoming majors and as The Guardian’s Ewan Murray notes, it was not the intent to overshadow the proceedings. But he probably did.

Either way, just one of many examples where Paratore wasted little time moving in when it’s his turn:

And he wastes no time! https://t.co/Ovl08gwULa pic.twitter.com/JuZmTbxnWJ

— Geoff Shackelford (@GeoffShac) July 25, 2020

The final round highlights:

Report(s): White House Lifts International Quarantine Rules For "Players caddies and essential personnel"

Reports from Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com, Bob Harig at ESPN.com and Brian Wacker at GolfDigest.com say a PGA Tour email to players confirms international players, caddies and essential personnel are not subject to quarantine rules, immediately. The stories all report that the new guidance was a direct result of White House intervention.

From Harig’s report:

According to the memo sent by PGA Tour executive Tyler Dennis, players, caddies and essential personnel are now exempt from quarantine rules "as these groups are subject to COVID-19 testing and screening through the Tour's rigorous health and safety protocols throughout a tournament week. This update replaces the 14-day quarantine period currently in place."

Lee Westwood is one of the last top players to have not made the voyage to the U.S. in advance of the upcoming PGA, and will not be despite the rule change. Harig notes this quote after Westwood completed hosting this week’s British Masters.

"It's just not the life I'm used to. I got out on the golf course and I am struggling for motivation a little bit. There is a lot more to consider. The two American tournaments, next week and the following week, I'm still concerned that America doesn't take it (the virus) as seriously as the rest of the world. It still seems to be one of the hotspots for outbreaks. I can control me not getting the virus and take all the measures I can, but somebody might pass it on. I don't really want to get ill with it and I'm slightly asthmatic. If I tested in Memphis I would have to stay there for two weeks... right now there are too many ifs."

Guardian: Premier Golf League Delivers Player Offer Letters, European Tour Talks Continue

There were glimmerings of possible Premier Golf League activity recently when Jon Rahm was overheard discussing something team-driven to Viktor Hovland (perhaps influencing why the world No. 2, on the cusp of moving to No. 1, did not make the Memorial Featured Group coverage).

Now The Guardian’s Ewan Murray reports several interesting developments: formal offer letters have been sent to players, the European Tour issued a soft non-denial denial over possible partnership discussions, hundreds of millions in guaranteed money are on the table despite the global pandemic, and Murray even references the PGA Tour’s new TV deal possibly funding “commercial incentives” to players.

Those who have been linked with the breakaway include Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Paul Casey. The PGL declined to comment on recent events when approached. Yet whether the PGL can convince elite golfers to offer a commitment against the PGA Tour in particular remains to be seen. As part of a recently agreed broadcasting deal, the PGA Tour agreed to offer commercial incentives to players who provide the greatest value.

The idea of directly paying some players would be a new path for the PGA Tour after remaining principally an independent contractor-driven organization.

Meanwhile in Europe, Chief Keith Pelley has been largely dismissive of the concept even though his Tour and the PGL seem like a potential partnership fit, particularly now that the pandemic has hit the Tour especially hard. This week’s British Masters is playing for 1,250,000 Euros.

As recently as June Pelley told the McKellar podcast that partnership conversations with the PGA Tour have never been stronger.

Intriguingly, Raine is also understood to have held talks with the European Tour. This at least infers an increased willingness to involve golf’s existing stakeholders in the PGL plan. When asked about such discussions, a European Tour spokesperson said: “For the past couple of years we have been proactively sought out by a number of private equity companies, all of whom recognise the strength and influence of the European Tour across golf’s global ecosystem.”

Hardly a denial.

The heightened efforts of the league’s backers were first reported here at GeoffShackelford.com in January and have been declared dead on arrival at various points after Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm all pledged their preference to play the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, another Raine Group-backed enterprise, the Premier Lacrosse League, makes its second season debut tomorrow in the United States on NBC.

International Watch: Pepperell Passing On PGA Due To Quarantine Rules

With the PGA Championship in less than two weeks, player quarantining is a looming issue for the three postponed 2020 majors. Each may see defections on the international front, with potential questions about the legitimacy of the event without players either able to reasonably gain entry or get situated to play.

The PGA is in very good shape after a recent contender in several majors, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, put in two weeks and then went golfing in the Hamptons before turning up at this week’s 3M Championship.

Other major winners whose situations remain unclear: Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari, along with Lee Westwood.

Eddie Pepperell is the first player to pass up his exemptions to the PGA at Harding Park and the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Ewan Murray of The Guardian explains Pepperell’s thinking and includes this quote implying some players have not bided by the quarantine rules:

“Under the current restrictions on travelling to America, I won’t go because you have to quarantine for two weeks going out there and that’s not something I am interested in doing,” said Pepperell. “I am still on the entry list in case they change the rules, but I am not interested in spending two weeks in quarantine.

“Some players have clearly gone out there and not abided by the rules, but should I play this event there is no way that I can do that if there is anyone that cares to look at it, they would know I have broken the rules and I am not going to do that. The fact that it is in San Francisco and it is so far away I am not that interested in taking a 12-hour flight, that is way down on the list of priorities.”

More problematic is September’s U.S. Open situation where the state of New York requires quarantining for those entering from 31 states, including California where the prior week’s PGA Tour event is played. International rules are the same.

And the Masters, which covets international participation? Good news? There is plenty of time between now and mid-November. The bad news? There is plenty of time between now and mid-November.