Athletes! Waialae Gets Last Minute Internal OB To Prevent Shortcut

18th at Waialae From Google Earth

The jocks have come flying out of the gates early in the season, fresh off their wintertime speed work to make up for equipment that all leveled off years ago. Couple that with a missing 18th green Sony Open grandstand, and PGA Tour officials installed in-course out-of-bounds Wednesday evening at Waialae. The goal: stop players from driving down the 10th fairway and having a short iron into the green.

From Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com story:

The out-of-bounds stakes run from adjacent the 10th green all the way back up the hole to within 30 yards of the 18th green. Someone must have forgotten to tell Rory Sabbatini, though—or he simply hit a bad tee shot—because he ended up going out of bounds and made bogey on the hole.

A year ago, Brendan Steele was clinging to a one-shot lead on the final hole when he over-hooked his approach and his ball landed on the 10th. He got a free drop because the grandstand was in his line of play but could only make par. When Smith birdied the hole, it forced a playoff, with Smith taking the title on the first extra hole.

After seeing the stakes on Thursday, Steele believes his ball still would have been in bounds, although he thinks the stakes will be an appropriate deterrent.

“But if you know it's out-of-bounds, you probably don't hit it over there, either,” Steele said.

Internal OB is always a last resort. It’s particularly unusual when it has to be installed the Wednesday prior to a tournament starting Thursday and on a course the Tour has visited annually since 1965.

But this is life in the world of launch angle golf.

One other eyebrow-raiser from Wacker’s story involves the Redan-ish 17th, which was softened last year after Tom Doak’s restoration and is playing tougher this year for a different reason. From Cameron Smith, last year’ runner-up:

“I think 17 and 18 are the biggest ones,” Smith said. “With how firm [17] green gets, sometimes you can use that grandstand as a bit of a backboard to a back pin. So I think it makes the hole tougher definitely for sure.”

The notice posted regarding the 18th:

Late on Wednesday @PGATOUR Officials placed internal OB stakes left of the dog leg par five 18th hole because players in practice rounds were hitting tee shots into the 10th fairway jeopardizing players on that hole. They notified everyone this morning. pic.twitter.com/d0q7FUlWtv

— Todd Lewis (@ToddLewisGC) January 14, 2021

AT&T Pebble Beach: Pro-Am Format Taking The Year Off Due To COVID-19

A wise call. And cue the calls for “good riddance” ignoring that it’s annually one of the highest-rated events on the calendar that attracts interest from non-hardcore fans, not to mention major charitable contributions due to the pro-am.

The field remains at 156 but the tournament will only be contested at Pebble Beach and Spyglass this year. Nick Taylor is the defending champion.

For Immediate Release:

2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to be played without traditional pro-am format 
Tournament will continue to maximize local charitable impact with support of title sponsor AT&T

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The PGA TOUR, in conjunction with AT&T, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Pebble Beach Company, today announced that the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will be played without the traditional multi-day pro-am format due to local COVID-19 circumstances in the Monterey Peninsula. The professional portion, featuring 156 players, will be played as scheduled, February 8-14, 2021, and will be held on only two courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course.

“We are incredibly grateful for the commitment of our title sponsor AT&T, corporate partners, PGA TOUR, Pebble Beach Company, Monterey Peninsula Country Club and volunteer community,” said Steve John, Tournament Director and Monterey Peninsula Foundation CEO. “While we will truly miss watching the actors, musicians, athletes and other amateur participants that make this event so special, we are pleased to continue on with the professional competition, enabling the Foundation to support nonprofits in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties. Our charitable giving will target basic needs like food insecurity, educational inequities and health inequities brought on by the pandemic.”

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2021, had previously announced spectators will not be on-site at this year’s event. Through the unwavering support of AT&T, the second-longest running title sponsor on the PGA TOUR, the tournament will continue to maximize charitable contributions in the area. Since 1947, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has generated more than $176 million for charities in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties.

“While the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am may look different, AT&T is proud to continue our legacy of supporting the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and is committed to ensuring a positive impact on the local charities who benefit from the tournament proceeds each year,” said Lori Lee, CEO of AT&T Latin America and Global Marketing Officer. “It’s unfortunate that we won’t be hosting the amateur portion of the tournament, but the safety of the fans, the players and the volunteers is our top priority. We look forward to welcoming the fans and the amateur players back next year.”

In addition, a pro-am will be conducted Wednesday morning to support local charitable giving. The ‘Every Shot Counts’ pro-am will allow participants the opportunity to help drive grantmaking by targeting four key initiatives. Just as every shot counts, every dollar contributed will be invested by Monterey Peninsula Foundation in critical areas brought on by the pandemic. Over the last five months, the PGA TOUR has successfully hosted Wednesday pro-ams, an integral part of tournament week. With a limited number of amateur participants, the pro-am is conducted in accordance with a comprehensive health and safety plan, including COVID-19 testing.

Since the tournament moved to the Monterey Peninsula in 1947, the final action has unfolded on the iconic holes of Pebble Beach Golf Links. The tournament plans to return to the traditional pro-am format – conducted over three courses – in 2022.

“This was a very difficult decision, but the right one given the recent surge in COVID-19 cases,” said Bill Perocchi, Chief Executive Officer of Pebble Beach Company. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have put the health and safety of our guests, employees and community first. We know this will create challenges for many local charities this year, but we are confident that the incredible giving associated with this event will continue well into the future. We appreciate the support from Monterey County and the State of California in helping to ensure a safe and successful professional tournament, as well as from our partners at AT&T, the PGA TOUR and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.”

The 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which was won by Nick Taylor in 2020, will be broadcast by CBS, Golf Channel, PGA TOUR LIVE, DIRECTV’s “PGA TOUR Experience” and PGA TOUR Radio. Fans also can follow along the tournament’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

“The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am’s lineup of celebrities competing with the PGA TOUR’s best players with the Monterey Peninsula as the backdrop has been a perfect marriage of sports and entertainment since 1947,” said Tyler Dennis, Executive Vice President and President, PGA TOUR. “The PGA TOUR and our partners have maintained that the health and safety for all involved with our events and the communities in which we play is our No. 1 priority, and for that reason – together with AT&T, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Pebble Beach Company – we feel strongly this decision, while difficult, was the right call to make given the current environment. We thank our title sponsor AT&T for their support of this reimagined event and for the positive impact that will continue in the region through the charitable initiatives of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.”

Waste Management Down To 5000 "Extremely Limited Number Of Socially Distanced Fans"

Originally slated for 8000 and down to 5000 fans now, is anyone really going to feel comfortable given the Waste Management Open’s (A) method of counting attendance figures (B) inevitable desire to maintain the party atmosphere (C) potential to set a terrible example and set back efforts to welcome back fans safely.

Either way they march on eager to push the boundaries with apparent PGA Tour blessing and now, just 5000. Josh Frigerio reports.

"We remain hopeful we can host an extremely limited number of socially distanced fans at “The People’s Open”, and in light of the current COVID climate, we have decided to further reduce our attendance to fewer than 5,000 fans each day," Tournament Chairman Scott Jenkins said in a statement.

Another oddity?

The Tour stop in Arizona sits between four events in California. Which, as GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard notes in this not particularly subtle questioning of the upcoming effort to play in California, is the state most facing incredible strain on medical resources.

This was once an issue for the PGA Tour in visiting a region as part of its restart, but so far has not led to pivot in scheduling in 2021.

Los Angeles Times, Jan. 11, 2021: “Darkest days for L.A. doctors, nurses, EMTs: ‘The way most people leave is by dying’”

Despite an ongoing stay-at-home order and aggressive lockdown rules, health officials in Los Angeles are bracing for what they believe will be a post-New Year’s transmission peak in “a few weeks.” The Genesis Invitational, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation and is seen as the anchor of the Tour’s West Coast swing, is scheduled for Feb. 18-21 at Riviera Country Club. How that timing fits in with the ongoing crisis and a potential peak in COVID-19 cases remains to be seen, but the Tour and Levinson remain resolute.

Following seven months of competition since last June’s restart across dozens of states and international boundaries, the Tour is confident with its plan and its place in every community where it plays.

“In every state where we go, we work very closely with the local authorities - whether that’s health officials, local leadership, governor’s offices - and make sure they understand what our program entails to the point that they are comfortable with us conducting our events,” Levinson said. “Our program is designed to take every step possible to mitigate risk, the environment in one state or another doesn’t change that.”

The Tour’s protocols, which have been widely applauded, won’t be changing but given the current crisis in California, the scrutiny on those protocols is sure to intensify.

The Genesis made official that no fans will be at Riviera this year.

While you can’t be with us at Riv this year, the ROARS will return pic.twitter.com/Qybox4a1dz

— The Genesis Invitational (@thegenesisinv) January 12, 2021

Props To Sony Open: COVID-19 Testing All Volunteers At This Week's Event

The PGA Tour’s Sony Open tees off in its traditional spot following Kapalua and Jim Mendoza looks at how the event has prepared to host players (but no fans) in the COVID-19 era.

This was particularly impressive:

Pro-Am players and volunteers will also undergo COVID-19 tests.

“We’re proud to say are one of only two events on the PGA Tour this year that will test every single volunteer,” Stosik said.

The tournament usually needs about 1,500 volunteers, but fewer are needed for the 2021 open.

“We’ll be close to 800 or 900 this year. One of the areas where we actually need more volunteers is in ShotLink,” Stosik said.

Earlier this week Jhonattan Vegas tested positive for the virus and will quarantine in Honolulu but results from the volunteer testing have not been reported. That would be of interest, not at the expense of folks should they have it, but to show that the testing possibly helped prevent someone from unknowingly spreading COVID-19.

Is The Golf Industry Ready To Build On Its Unexpected Boost?

Former PGA of America President Ted Bishop isn’t sure as a course operator and in part one of his look offers some super thoughts.

From his Morning Read piece quoting Barney Adams:

Adams added: “The question now becomes, How can the industry keep these people? Frankly, I don’t know. I think cheapening the game with gimmicks is short-sighted and will not work. Whatever can be done to establish the purity and essence of golf will keep a significant percentage. When the bars open, normalcy returns. Industry people need to be extremely vigilant and see what works.”

As a golf professional and an operator, I need help in figuring out how to capitalize on this unprecedented surge in golf, and right now the industry is not providing it.

Your local golf pro is on the front line. In my conversations with many around the country, the sentiment is the same: 2020 was a bizarre year. It caught everyone off guard. COVID-19 protocols forced operations to change on the fly. Tee-time pressure and course access became huge challenges at public and private facilities. Outings, weddings, parties and large gatherings were lost, leaving courses to replace those revenues with membership sales, green/guest fees and golf car rentals. Golf became a business built on volume in 2020, and no one saw that coming.

While the volume idea sounds amazing given declines in play, Bishop goes on to touch on the issues that raises for courses and those built to survive on a variety of revenue sources. Check out the piece and part two when it arrives.

NYC Cites Lack Of Major Events Lured To Ferry Point In Terminating Management Deal

While other contracts with the Trump Organization were cancelled over the Capitol insurrection, New York City’s announcement related to Trump Golf Links Ferry Point specifically cited a contractual issue. Namely, the failure to lure major events (it’s not clear if that means majors or just significant tournaments).

The PGA recently cancelled the 2022 PGA Championship at a Trump golf course.  In its contract with the Trump Organization to run Ferry Point Golf Course, the City called for a championship level golf course that would attract major championship events.

 The termination process for each location is detailed in each of the City agreements. The Carousel is currently closed and termination will be effective 25 days after the City’s termination notice is delivered. The Agreement for the Wollman and Lasker Rinks terminates after 30 days written notice. The process for terminating the Ferry Point Golf Course is more detailed and is expected to take a number of months.

According to GolfDigest.com’s Joel Beall, the Trump Organization will be fighting back and asking for lost revenues.

Eric Trump, son of President Trump and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, challenged the city’s decision in a statement to New York media outlets.

"Yet another example of Mayor de Blasio’s blatant disregard for the facts. The City of New York has no legal right to end our contracts and if they elect to proceed, they will owe The Trump Organization over $30 million," the statement said. "This is nothing more than political discrimination, an attempt to infringe on the first amendment and we plan to fight vigorously."

According to the Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell, the course lost money again last year in Trump filings.

The course opened in 2015, but has failed to meet the Trump Organization’s profit projections: In the year ended in March 2020, the course lost more than $670,000, according to filings with the city.

In the most recent state rankings from Golf Digest and Golf, Trump Ferry Point did not crack the top 25 and top 30 in either listing. Granted, it’s the toughest neighborhood in America for great architecture, but given the interest in hosting major events and the dramatic site, it’s clear the course has not been a hit with panelists.

The course website remains up as of now, with quite the video montage of the clubhouse opening ceremony featuring Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Jack Nicklaus.

Today In Much Needed Distractionary Content: Cookie Jar Golf Takes Us To Musselburgh, East Lothian

As the classy purveyors at Cookie Jar Golf understate in their description for the latest video, “The game of golf owes a lot to this little stretch of East Lothian linksland. “

Longtime readers know of my affinity for Musselburgh and the entire East Lothian region for its incredible variety of links and importance in fostering the game.

This could not have landed at a better time for those seeking much needed distractionary content. Video one focuses on Musselburgh, the second is a longer piece on their fall trip to East Lothian. Enjoy!

Sports Will Be Watching: Augusta To Welcome Back A Limited Number Of Patrons

Just a quick glance at today’s news and the sports world is still struggling with various pandemic related issues. The NBA is teetering on the brink of disaster with its non-bubble season. I’ll pause here to let you feign surprise.

And Major League Baseball is squabbling with the players union opposed to vaccination, so they’re going to play a full season and hope to welcome back fans asap. I’d expect more but then the Astros still have their 2017 banner hanging in their glorified Costco so…

Maybe that’s why I’m hoping the Lords of Augusta will have something more…anything.

My latest Quadrilateral letter to subscribers and still free as I ween you on this fun new writing format.

Thanks to all who have shown amazing faith in just four days since launching, I’m honored by your trust in my work and in Substack’s delivery.

Also, apologies to subscribers that I referred to the press release today as arriving on Monday. Yes, it was Tuesday, my apologies and the web version reflects that.

Every day feels like a Monday right now.

Masters: Limited Number Of Patrons In 2021, ANWA And Drive, Chip and Putt To Happen

Plenty of questions to ponder reading between the lines here and I’ve reached out to the Club for any illumination they can provide regarding what will be needed to attend and how they are selecting the lucky few.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, announced today that the Club intends tolimit attendance at the 85th Masters Tournament, scheduled for April 5-11, 2021. The Tournament will be conducted with similar health and safety standards to those previously instituted in November 2020. With these protocols in place, efforts are being made to include a limited number of patrons, provided it can be done safely.

“Following the successful conduct of the Masters Tournament last November with only essential personnel, we are confident in our ability to responsibly invite a limited number of patrons to Augusta National in April,” Ridley said. “As with the November Masters, we will implement practices and policies that will protect the health and safety of everyone in attendance. Nothing is, or will be, more important than the well-being of all involved. While we are disappointed that we will be unable to accommodate a full complement of patrons this year, we will continue our efforts to ensure that all who purchased tickets from Augusta National will have access in 2022, provided conditions improve.”

In addition, Ridley announced that the Club intends to conduct the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals as scheduled. Both of these competitions also intend to host a small number of patrons. Augusta National is in the process of communicating with all ticket holders of record, and refunds will be issued to those patrons not selected to attend.

Ratings Non-Shocker: NFL Playoffs Relegate PGA Tour To Bottom Of Ratings Barrel

For your definition of insanity files: the PGA Tour annually tries to play at the same time as NFL playoff games and no one watches. With expanded playoffs in 2021, the NFL added a game each weekend day and the Sentry Tournament Of (Some) Champions stood little chance.

Showbuzzdaily.com reports Sunday’s early coverage drew an average of a million viewers on NBC, but about 40% of those watchers did not head to Golf Channel for the conclusion.

Saturday’s third round coverage was out-rated by Thursday and Friday coverage. It landed in Saturday’s cable listings with a 1 am episode of Dateline and episodes of Ryan’s Mystery Play Date on Nick Jr network. Yikes.

The final round .39 on Golf Channel matched last year’s final round .39, but as the numbers show, the miniscule number from coveted demo is headed in the wrong direction.

One ray of good news?

Golf on NBC was not the lowest rated sports broadcast on linear TV. Not even close. Sunday’s early coverage drummed both Drone Racing AND Supercross 1Q1!

"A Different Order Of Magnitude" For Trump In Losing Major Championship Ties

There was no intention to neglect the blog this week for The Quadrilateral but as I mentioned in explaining the newsletter, major championship news happens year-round.

Today I recap Donald Trump’s not-surprising reaction to the PGA and R&A cutting all ties with the outgoing President and also have a lighter note on the 2022 betting race.

Yes, you can get a price on venues decided on by a board of golf professionals. What a world.

Slowing Down Golf Courses Is Not A Distance Debate Solution

Several sent along Dr. Chamblee’s latest distance elixir, his 43rd pivot on a topic Golf Channel’s lead analyst has adopted to the detriment of his otherwise compelling analysis work. And it hasn’t even brought a certain Massachusetts advertiser back into the fold.

I won’t waste much time highlighting his view that you slow down home runs by raising the infield grass, but that is the case being made to deal with today’s absurd carry distances. But remember, these are back to back sentences as they appeared on GolfChannel.com:

But there is also a graph which shows, quite clearly, players’ increased visits to the fitness van plots the line of the increased yardage gained over the last 40 years. I’d argue that one could also make a graph where the increased driving distance, to some extent, corresponds to the decreased fairway heights, which over the last 30 years have come down from being cut at 3/4 of an inch, to now being cut at 3/16 of an inch.

Yes, you read correctly: he went from players going to fitness vans to get their distance gains “to some extent” corresponding with lowering mowing heights.

Actually, no extent.

There was also a whopper of a misrepresentation that might have been fact-checked if they hadn’t fired most of the editors. Chamblee’s claim of most fairways getting cut at 3/16th of an inch was refuted by the USGA’s Championship Agronomist on Twitter:

Vast, vast majority of courses are not routinely cutting fairways below 1/4 inch, not even close. Not even at the Tour courses.

— Darin Bevard (@DarinBevard) January 6, 2021

This was all really a roundabout way to point out that last weekend’s Sentry Tournament Of Some Champions was hard to watch. The views and whale shots were as spectacular as ever, but Kapalua’s Plantation course was a sponge.

A Coore-Crenshaw design to played on the ground with the ball running had taken on a lot of rain leading up to the tournament, hasn’t played faster after the renovation designed to help it do so, and therefore called on little creativity or shotmaking. It played longer, yes, but it was also tough to find remotely compelling.

Every course plays better firmer and faster. Harvesting rough, slowing down fairways and attempting to mute technology-fueled gains via agronomy is not only a woeful idea, it goes against the very soul of a game built on firm ground.

Does anyone want to sacrifice a core principle of golf to avoid taking 10% of carry away from 1000 golf pros? Trying to watch lush and lifeless Kapalua should give you the answer.

R&A: No Return To Trump Turnberry Any Time Soon

This has always been the position since Donald Trump’s purchase of Turnberry but post events of 1-6-21 the R&A has codified its stance on what is one of the very best courses in their "rota”.

STATEMENT FROM THE R&A
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A:

“We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future. We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances.”

The Replacements: PGA Of America's Best Options For 2022

Another edition of The Quadrilateral because, as I forewarned back in Saturday night’s first edition, breaking news would warrant extra editions.

With the PGA of America leaving Trump Bedminster, I look at the options for a venue on short notice. It’s not as easy as you think.

The latest edition of The Quadrilateral. It’s free to subscribe. And if you weren’t here for Saturday night’s big rollout, the website FAQ page should answer most questions.

PGA of America President: "It has become clear that conducting the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the PGA of America brand"

In a video sent to the PGA of America membership not long after the organization board voted to terminate its contract with 2022 PGA site Trump Bedminster, Jim Richerson read this statement in a video sent to PGA of America members. (Thanks to all who forwarded.)

The key lines should the hostage be rescued and the video taken down:

“It has become clear that conducting the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the PGA of America brand and would put at risk the PGA of America’s ability to deliver our many programs and sustain the longevity of our mission. Our board has thus made the decision to exercise our right to terminate the contract to hold the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster. It was a decision made to ensure the PGA of America and the PGA professionals can continue to lead and grow our great game for decades to come.”

It’s a tad alarming the PGA “brand” was mentioned but we get the drift. Plenty of folks would have suggested the statement was relevant years ago. It took an insurrection attempt against the United States by the sitting president to put them over the edge. This is where we are.

The Trump organization has issued a statement as quoted in this ABCNews story:

"We have had a beautiful partnership with the PGA of America and are incredibly disappointed with their decision," said a spokesperson for The Trump Organization. "This is a breach of a binding contract and they have no right to terminate the agreement. As an organization we have invested many, many millions of dollars in the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster. We will continue to promote the game of golf on every level and remain focused on operating the finest golf courses anywhere in the world."

**CEO Seth Waugh also mentioned the brand and suggested the situation is not of the PGA’s own in comments to AP, as noted here

"We find ourselves in a political situation not of our making," Seth Waugh, the CEO of the PGA of America, said in a telephone interview. "We're fiduciaries for our members, for the game, for our mission and for our brand. And how do we best protect that? Our feeling was given the tragic events of Wednesday that we could no longer hold it at Bedminster. The damage could have been irreparable. The only real course of action was to leave."

Update on the 2022 PGA Championship from PGA of America on Vimeo.