Italy's Ryder Cup Actually Seems Like It's Going To Happen

An extra year will have have helped agronomically. Financially? We’ll never know from Guy Kinnings in this 2023 Ryder Cup update via GolfDigest.com’s John Huggan, but mere talk of all systems go is huge progress for an event circled by some as likely to move.

The renovated Marco Simone Golf Club is on track to open the other nine holes currently growing in giving them a full renovated course for the event (by European Golf Design).

“There has been lots of speculation regarding the course, but right now there are nine holes open for play,” Kinnings said. “The other nine holes are looking good and will be ready later this year, in time for the Italian Open in September. So that answers the Will it be ready for the Ryder Cup? question. Does that mean everything will be perfect? No. But the pandemic hasn’t stopped the grass from growing, although some of the areas around the course won’t quite be as they will be by 2023. So it will not be ‘Ryder Cup ready’ by September [when it hosts the Italian Open]. But it will be in good shape. I think people will be pleased with what they see. And the extra year allows us more time to fine-tune everything for the Ryder Cup.”

Huggan notes that European Tour players will get three Italian Opens over the course before the Ryder Cup. Now we just need to get 2021’s played and a captain picked.

The first tee scene will not be like Le Golf National (above) but Kinnings suggests sunny weather will make up for that based on European Tour surveys of fans. Shocking.

Links: A Preview Of 12 New Courses Likely To Open In 2021

The Shark Club In Hollywood, Florida

After very few course openings in 2020, this year appears to have some intriguing projects likely to welcome golfers in some form. Erik Matuszewski surveys the globe and it’s very much an international list, including Tom Doak’s St. Patrick’s Links (County Donegal, Ireland), Gil Hanse’s Ballyshear Links (Bangkok, Thailand), Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s Brambles (Middletown, Calif.) and Greg Norman’s The Shark Club (Hollywood, Fla.) featuring a Seth Raynor influence…if you put one of his designs in a hot shirt press.

Another complete re-do, this real estate conversion project took the 180-acre footprint of the former course at the Diplomat Golf & Tennis Club and shrunk it to 120 acres for a “throwback design” that has a Seth Raynor influence with straight lines, geometric angles, and a host of raised greens. While there’s a lot of water, Greg Norman’s design team says this par-70 layout that’s just under 6,500 yards will be like nothing else in the South Florida market.

I can’t disagree based on that photo.

International Golf Federation President Annika Sorenstam Has Some Explaining To Do

Much has been made of Justin Thomas regrettably invoking a homophobic slur at the 2021 Sentry TOC. Even more was made—almost embarrassingly so given world events—of Thomas’s plight after Ralph Lauren suspended their relationship with the star golfer late Friday.

“RLX” is the golf clothing component among Ralph Lauren’s family of brands. They have created a faux lifestyle via shrewd marketing. The private company pay models and even golfers to conjure up a perception and ideal life. Their goal is to move merchandise to a large audience. They have every right to end a deal if someone they pay puts them in a bad light.

Fans will decide what they think of him and cynics will question the passion of RLX in dropping him at 7 pm ET on a Friday night, the dumpiest of news dump hours. Given RLX’s advertising in the major golf publications, you won’t hear much criticism of their timid timing or wishy-washy language.

For his part, Thomas apologized and has likely wiped the term from his repertoire. There are plenty of other companies—Citi, Titleist, Footjoy, Netjets, Woodford Reserve, etc…—willing to stand by the world No. 3. He’s also assuredly paid a handsome PGA Tour fine for his language and will find a new clothier for this week’s European Tour stop in Abu Dhabi and beyond. He will make his next mortgage payment.

A far more complicated case golf and negative attention surrounds Annika Sorenstam.

The all-time golf great and ambassador of the women’s game recently was elected president of the International Golf Federation and is also one of four deciding votes for entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame (alongside Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Nancy Lopez).

The IGF is an amalgamated organization fronting all of golf’s major families—the R&A, USGA, Augusta National Golf Club, PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour—to represent golf on the world stage and grow the game.

Just hours after January 6th’s insurrection and riots at the Capitol resulting in five deaths, Sorenstam went ahead with an appearance at the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from outgoing President Donald Trump. She is an admirer, golf partner and longtime supporter of Trump but was apparently unmoved to cancel on the 7th, unlike New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick a few days later. There has been widespread condemnation of Sorenstam and Player for accepting the medal.

Trump will award Presidential Medals of Freedom to golfers Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player today -- after Trump inspired a mob to ransack the capitol, leaving four dead. Principled Trump staffers resigning. Annika, Gary, what are you doing?

— Thomas L. Friedman (@tomfriedman) January 7, 2021

There are many more opinion pieces out there but I found this from Swedish writer Martin Hardenberger to be a powerful summation of Sorenstam’s decision making and responsibility to the game. The English translation:

And here, by distancing himself and the entire Gulf from Trump and what he stands for, they could also have struck a blow for democracy and everyone's equal rights.

But they did not.

Of course, Annika and Gary had nothing to do with Wednesday's invasion of Congress, but when the rest of the United States was in mourning, they had Thursday coffee with the man and instead linked up with Trump and one of the biggest shame spots in the country's history.

For a person who not only dominated competitive golf but also crowned a senseless career by playing against the men, reducing gender gaps and working for golf as a more inclusive sport, it is nothing short of remarkable.

When we did not even talk about Trump being accused of sexual harassment by no less than 26 different women.

After the medal ceremony, I was commissioned to call for reactions. Among other things, I got hold of Helen Alfredsson.

“When you have a voice, it is important to stand up for things that are more important than yourself, such as democracy. Many young people look up to sports stars. If a sports star stands for something positive, it is easier for that young person to be influenced in the right direction.”

With the events of January 6th aging ever more poorly as more evidence surfaces and major corporations flee from anyone supporting the insurrection, Sorenstam has been silent. Active on social media until recently, she has shared nothing about receiving the medal or explained her view of Trump’s role inciting the riot. As a longtime follower, I can see that Sorenstam appears has deleted numerous re-Tweets demonstrating her support of Trump leading up to and after the election.

Her last Tweet features 554 replies and the reaction to her acceptance of the medal is overwhelmingly negative.

Her husband, Mike McGee, deleted his Twitter account entirely after the January 7th visit to Washington. It would have taken days to scrub @JMikeMcGee of the various conspiracy nonsense and hydroxychloroquine peddling. Given the role Sorenstam plays as IGF President, it was the only move for McGee to make.

Sorenstam appears to be hoping the entire thing will go away even as she is leading golf’s top organizations? Even though the mission of the IGF is to improve the game’s image with the world and the job is of some importance given the planned Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Sorenstam is scheduled to play this week as a celebrity in the LPGA Tour’s 2021 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in an event featuring celebrities, athletes and LPGA winners from 2018-2020. She is an ambassador of the event and will hopefully address her positions. This Mike Bianchi profile in the January 16th Orlando Sentinel quotes Sorenstam on a few topics and mentions the medal ceremon, but does not appear to address the topic with her.

I reached out to the IGF about Sorenstam receiving the medal on January 7th. This statement from a spokesperson was already posted on the blog in coverage of the Player/Sorenstam medal ceremony (an that remains hidden from public reporting with no official photographs or releases documenting what happened at the White House).

Here is the initial IGF statement:

The International Golf Federation is extremely proud that Annika Sorenstam has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom along with Gary Player and the late Babe Zaharias, each of whom not only excelled at golf but transcended our sport as role models, mentors and philanthropists.  

As noted when she was named as the IGF’s new President in December, Annika is universally respected as a generational talent in women’s golf who, since retiring from competition, has dedicated herself to promoting women’s golf at all levels through her foundation. We are extremely proud of Annika and all that she has accomplished. 

Following the groundswell of outrage over the rights and subsequent impeachment of President Trump, I asked the IGF for comment. I received this statement on January 15th:

As an International Federation, the IGF recognises the importance of the autonomy of sport from politics and that the IGF must always remain politically neutral. That said, the IGF does not condone any forms of violence or illegal acts, including those committed by individuals that were viewed by the world during the breaching of the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021. 

The spokesperson was also asked about the Twitter account scrubbing. It was made clear the IGF “absolutely did not urge Annika to delete any Twitter posts.”

I also reached out to the World Golf Hall of Fame spokesperson on January 7th and Callaway, longtime sponsor of Sorenstam, and have not heard back.

In scrubbing Tweets and hunkering out of the limelight, Sorenstam may have recognized the error of her ways in accepting the medal only hours after the attempted insurrection. As an American citizen now, Sorenstam is more than entitled to her views under the First Amendment. But if she is to continue on voting for Hall of Fame members and representing golf to the world as IGF President, Sorenstam needs to clarify where she stands on the events of January 6th. Otherwise, it is hard to imagine how she can adequately represent golf and its leading organizations on an international stage.

Golf Channel Turns 26 And Viewers Share Less-Than-Happy Birthday Wishes

Twenty six years after Joe Gibbs and Arnold Palmer announced Golf Channel’s launch, an innocent and well-meaning social media staffer posted video from that great day on both Twitter and Instagram .

What ensued was an onslaught of negativity about the channel’s direction. Click on the Tweet and you can read the replies, though the above embed gives you a pretty good idea of the direction the remarks took.

Twenty-six years ago today, Arnold Palmer and Joe Gibbs took a leap of faith.

Happy anniversary, Golf Channel. 🎉 pic.twitter.com/C7tyYyj7PM

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) January 17, 2021

Adding to the toxicity—besides the obvious bare bones start to 2021 following mass layoffs at the Orlando operation—the cancellation of Feherty.

David Feherty took to Twitter regarding the outpouring of support he’s received and viewers expressed almost unanimous displeasure at the cost-cutting move. (Click on the Tweet and you can read the replies).

Hey Fehertwits! Thank you for an amazing reaction since my show has ended. The last ten years have been a dream, thanks to the incredible people who agreed to be on this show, and all the men and women from NBC/Golf Channel. Stay tuned, you never know what might show up!

— David Feherty (@Fehertwit) January 17, 2021

State Of The Game 109 With Phil Blackmar

Longtime pro golfer-turned-television commentator Phil Blackmar penned this blog post looking at the enlargement of the game.

For better or worse, the biggest version of golf is here. Everything about the game is bigger. Bigger heads, longer shafts, longer drives, wider and longer holes, bigger courses. Even the professional players are bigger. In the ongoing, and often contentious distance debate, equipment advances bear the brunt of causation. “Romanticists”, as they are often called, long for the older game which valued curve, angles, accuracy and distance (yes distance), risk reward, and more. The game they relish was a smaller game founded in the equipment and golf course architecture of year’s past.

Guilty!

So Rod Morri, Mike Clayton and yours truly had him on State of the Game to discuss the ongoing matter of whether bigger is better.

As always, you can find State of the Game at your favorite podcast players or listen here:

PGA's 2022 Decision: Brookline, The Old Course And...?

From golfmajorchampionships.com

In the latest edition of The Quadrilateral, subscribers will already have seen my case that the PGA of America needs to consider how their 2022 PGA site will look next to The Country Club and Old Course.

If bizarro favorite Liberty National gets the call, that means Jersey City, Brookline and St Andrews? No offense to Jersey City, but probably not the place to play in a year you’re going to the home of Ouimet and the birthplace of golf.

WGC Mexico Heading To Bradenton, Needs Sponsor And Probably, A Future Home

According to multiple sources WGC Mexico is relocating to FL (likely Naples) for 2021, and then likely internationally in ‘22 and ‘23 as part of Euro Tour strategic alliance. 3 year deal w/ new sponsor.

Announcement likely this wknd. T’s and P’s up for Grupo Salinas & Geronimo.

— Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) January 8, 2021

Tron Carter at NLU had the details first and while the WGC Mexico City is headed to Bradenton’s The Concession due to COVID-19 related “logistical challenges”, the PGA Tour’s press release would suggest the relationship with Grupo Salinas is both continuing and, probably over.

For Immediate Reading Between The Lines:

Due to logistical challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship will not be played in Mexico this year, the PGA TOUR announced in a memo released to players. This year’s event will be conducted Feb. 25-28 at The Concession Golf Club in the Bradenton-Sarasota area in Southwest Florida. There will be no change to the tournament’s eligibility requirements.

The tournament will now kick off a four-week Florida Swing that also features the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, THE PLAYERS Championship and The Honda Classic. 

“The PGA TOUR is grateful for its continued partnership with Grupo Salinas as we navigate the unique challenges created by the pandemic,” said Ty Votaw, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President, International. “While we work toward returning to Mexico in 2022, we are appreciative of the collective effort to bring this event to a worthy venue in The Concession Golf Club, which is renowned as one of the top courses in the state of Florida.”

Returning to Mexico in 2022, so, why all the past tense usage…

For the past four years, the PGA TOUR and Grupo Salinas have fulfilled their commitment to grow golf in Mexico and Latin America, introducing the sport to thousands of new fans. In only four years, The First Tee Mexico, a non-profit organization for children and youth development, now has nine chapters throughout the country and will continue to provide educational programs and support based on key societal values such as honesty, integrity and teamwork. 

With two sold-out editions, the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship has shown to be a world-class event featuring the best players from across the globe.  

This is the part where they are supposed to mention looking forward to welcoming back the world’s best in 2022.

By bringing and hosting the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, Grupo Salinas has reaffirmed its solid commitment to promote Mexico’s compelling attributes and image before the world, reaching nearly one billion households within over 200 countries and territories. 
 
Given the one-year relocation from Mexico City, the TOUR is working to secure a title sponsor for the 2021 event.  

They fulfilled their mission and they won’t sponsor in 2021. We’ll see if 2022 happens there, or as Carter noted in his original Tweet, this WGC travels to another part of the world as part of the European Tour strategic alliance.

Feherty's Talk Show Is A Wrap After Ten Years On Golf Channel

GolfDigest.com’s Joel Beall with details of the long rumored, and now officially sad news: Feherty is a wrap.

David Feherty will continue as an NBC golf team member and old episodes will be available on Peacock.

It’s not entirely clear what killed the show beyond the recent cost slashing and having exhausted the lists of pro golfers worth hearing from.

“I don’t know what the reasons were for the decision. I think it was a combination of things,” Feherty said via telephone from his home in Dallas. “We haven’t been able to shoot any episodes because of COVID. The Golf Channel move. I don’t know. Maybe it was just time.

“I think a lot of people are going to be surprised that it got canceled. It always sort of amazed me the [number of] people that watched. Ten years is a whole lot more than I thought I would do. I loved doing it.”

When asked about the decision to pull the show, a spokesperson for Golf Channel did not offer a specific explanation.

Malnati: "When people say, oh, this golf course is all about angles, that's not true."

After a Sony Open first round 62, was asked about a recurring Waialae Country Club theme: is this one of the last courses where a more strategic, accurate player can win?

The full exchange, though the last question answered is the best part addressing the idea that there are any preferred “angles” of attack left in modern golf:

Q. Talking to a few guys about this week, as the game goes to distance, are there places you can't win?

PETER MALNATI: Where I can't win? I hit it far now. I'm longer than average I think.

Q. Are you longer than Cam Champ?

PETER MALNATI: No. But he's pretty long. There's not places I can't win. There's probably conditions in which I can't win. But like golf courses, I've never been to Augusta. Augusta probably ain't going to suit me great but I putt it really well and I hear you have to do that there.

Q. You do. You have to do it everywhere. What conditions are you talking about, do you think?

PETER MALNATI: When it's super wet and we're doing everything through the air -- one of my favorite things to criticize, a weird way to say something, I absolutely hate it when I'm watching golf on TV, which is rare, and I hear the commentators say, oh, this course is all about angles.

Golf, on TV -- that's rarely ever true. Have you ever watched golf on TV? Like, look at the way Jason Day hits it. Angles don't mean anything when you fly it to the hole. Like just fly it to the hole and land it next to the hole. Angles aren't important. So when people say, oh, this golf course is all about angles, that's not true. Like that doesn't matter.

And so there's places that are the big, wide open course when is they get really soft like it's going to be tough to hit three clubs longer into a green and compete. But when the ball is bouncing and going crazy places, like here, I hit several drives ShotLink will say they went 320 plus. Like when the ball is bouncing like that, I can play anywhere.

Also note that Malnatti makes clear he doesn’t watch much golf on TV. Why do pro golfers always like to let us know that?

The bigger point here though: angles as we knew them hardly matter in the launch angle era. Unless a new angle can be created with a 12 degree launch angle and 320 yards of carry. Just ask Waialae’s 18th hole.

Major(s) News Week: January 15, 2021

A new edition of The Quadrilateral is out to subscribers.

A wrap-up of majors news, including the historic pivot from Donald Trump plus other random notes, heavily tilted toward The Masters just 84 days from now.

Learn more here or just go ahead and subscribe here. The options; Free, $5 a month, $49 a year or a $150 founding membership that includes a free subscription for a friend.

Angel Cabrera Arrested In Rio After Landing On Interpol's Red Code List

What a couple of weeks it’s been for famous golfers.

We had Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player accepting the medal of freedom others turned down following the Capitol carnage, Justin Thomas’ homophobic slur picked up on Golf Channel sound, Donald Trump was impeached (again) for inciting an insurrection, and now an arrest in Brazil.

Two-time major winner Ángel Cabrera was arrested by Brazil’s federal police and faces extradition to his home country of Argentina on domestic assault related charges.

AP’s Mauricio Savarese reports fromn Sao Paulo:

Two federal police officers based in Rio separately confirmed to The Associated Press that Cabrera was the man arrested. Both agreed to give the information only if granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the topic publicly.

The police statement said the arrest was authorized by Brazil’s top court and the man would be held until his extradition to Argentina. Officials in Argentina have charged the suspect with assault, theft, illegal intimidation and repeated disrespect to authorities, the statement said.

Argentine media reported earlier in January that Cabrera’s former wife, Silva Rivadero, had filed two charges against the golfer. The reports also said that Cecilia Torres, another former partner, claimed Cabrera had punched her, threatened her and attempted to run her over with his car in 2016.

Cabrera did not play the November Masters after having wrist surgery in the U.S.

A Sun report suggested he may have still been here but turned up, naturally, in Brazil.

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.