USGA Announces "Long-Term Relationships" With Oakmont And Merion

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For Immediate Release even though most of these are not immediate! My analysis for The Quadrilateral is here and due to this breaking news, open to all.

USGA ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB AND MERION GOLF CLUB

Venerable Pennsylvania courses to welcome 10 more U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships; Oakmont named second U.S. Open anchor site

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Aug. 11, 2021) – As part of its commitment to stage golf’s greatest championships at the nation’s most iconic venues, the USGA has awarded five more U.S. Open Championships and four U.S. Women’s Open Championships to two of the country’s most storied golf courses, Oakmont Country Club and Merion Golf Club, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

As part of the announcement, the USGA has also committed to bring its national championships to the Keystone State with greater frequency, beyond the now 18 championships scheduled to be played in the commonwealth between now and 2050.  

This week’s U.S. Amateur at Oakmont marks the 88th USGA championship conducted in Pennsylvania, the most of any state and the latest in a relationship between the state and the USGA that began with the 1899 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Philadelphia Country Club and continued with the 1904 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Merion and the 1919 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont.

“Oakmont and Merion are iconic in every sense of the word – they’re in rare company in golf and continue to test the best in the game,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director, Championships. “We’re making history and kicking off a new era for our national championships in Pennsylvania, and we couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead.” 

Oakmont Country Club, which was previously announced as the host site for the 2025 U.S. Open, will host the 2028 and 2038 U.S. Women’s Opens, the 2034, 2042 and 2049 U.S. Opens, the 2033 Walker Cup Match and the 2046 U.S. Women’s Amateur. It will become the second U.S. Open anchor site named by the USGA, in an effort to return to iconic venues with deep and meaningful USGA championship history every five to six years. Pinehurst Resort & Country Club was designated an anchor site last year.

Including this week’s U.S. Amateur, Oakmont has hosted 17 USGA championships, identifying winners such as Dustin Johnson (U.S. Open, 2016), Paula Creamer (U.S. Women’s Open, 2010), Ernie Els (U.S. Open, 1994), Patty Sheehan (U.S. Women’s Open, 1992), Johnny Miller (U.S. Open, 1973), Jack Nicklaus (U.S. Open, 1962), Ben Hogan (U.S. Open, 1953), and Bob Jones (U.S. Amateur, 1925).

“Our members and all of Pittsburgh are so excited to host the USGA and the best players in the game at Oakmont, which we believe is one of the most exacting tests of golf anywhere in the world,” said Ed Stack, president of Oakmont Country Club. “It is the perfect venue to identify the best golfers around the globe, in concert with the USGA’s mission for championship golf. The new champions who will be crowned over the next 30 years will join a distinguished list of past champions and etch their names in golf history. We are proud and humbled to showcase Oakmont Country Club, Pittsburgh, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with a number of USGA championships through 2049.”

Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, which was previously named the host site for the 2022 Curtis Cup Match and the 2026 U.S. Amateur, will host four additional Opens – the 2030 U.S. Open, 2034 U.S. Women’s Open, 2046 U.S. Women’s Open and 2050 U.S. Open, with additional championships to be named in the future.

Merion, a key long-term strategic partner of the USGA, has hosted 18 USGA championships – the most of any site – and is synonymous with legendary championship moments. Bob Jones won two of his five U.S. Amateur titles at Merion (1924, 1930), while Hall of Famers Ben Hogan (1950) and Lee Trevino (1971) are among the five U.S. Open champions to have hoisted a trophy there, joining Olin Dutra (1934), David Graham (1981) and Justin Rose (2013). In total, Merion has hosted six different USGA championships, including the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Amateur, Curtis Cup Match and Walker Cup Match. 

"Starting with its formation, the desire to host significant championships has been at Merion’s core. It is no wonder Merion has hosted more USGA championships than any other club in America,” said Buddy Marucci, championship chair for Merion Golf Club. “Our friendship with the USGA dates to its first decade and has produced some of the most incredible moments in golf history. We are thrilled to celebrate those moments by announcing four more Open championships, and we look forward to bringing the best players in the world to compete on Hugh Wilson’s timeless masterpiece.” 

The announcement was made on Wednesday at Oakmont, supported by representatives from both clubs, as well as several legislators, including Pennsylvania Senate Pro Tempore Jake Corman, Pennsylvania State Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Pennsylvania State Representative Carrie Lewis DelRosso. 

“Golf – an $84 billion industry – is one of America’s favorite pastimes, and Pennsylvania is proud to enter into this new partnership with the United States Golf Association,” said Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development Dennis Davin. “When visitors come to our state to watch or play golf, they’re staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, and shopping at our small businesses. We look forward to hosting new visitors at our world-class golf courses, generating tourism revenue and creating new opportunities for golf fans for years to come.”

The U.S. Open Championship alone drives $500 million in economic impact annually to communities across America and delivers $70 million to golf programs and events that grow and advance the game worldwide each year. Programs funded through the U.S. Open and USGA include The First Tee and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, as well as an annual investment of $10 million in the economic and environmental sustainability of golf courses.  

The announcement affirms Pennsylvania as one of golf’s most active regions. The commonwealth boasts 671 golf courses and a thriving $2.3 billion golf economy that employs more than 50,000 statewide, as reported by the National Golf Foundation. The vast majority – 480 in total – are open to the public or are municipally owned. Charitable giving through golf events raises more than $131 million annually, supporting countless local causes for veterans, homeless shelters, healthcare research, children’s programs, scholarships and more. Annual golf tourism spending accounts for more than $700 million. 

Pennsylvania golf is supported by the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association. They are both USGA-designated Allied Golf Associations that welcome hundreds of thousands of golfers to play and enjoy the game in cities and towns across the commonwealth, the majority of whom are recreational amateur golfers who play for the love of the game. They also conduct qualifiers for all 14 USGA championships each year, giving competitive male and female golfers of all ages the chance to compete for a national title. 

Many of golf’s greatest champions have called Pennsylvania home, including Arnold Palmer (Latrobe), Carol Semple Thompson (Sewickley), Johnny McDermott (Philadelphia), Buddy Marucci (Villanova), Jay Sigel (Bryn Mawr), Jim Furyk (West Chester), Nathan Smith (Brookville) and Betsy King (Reading). 

A complete list of current/future USGA championships in Pennsylvania follows*:

Oakmont Country Club (Oakmont, Pa.)
2021 U.S. Amateur 
2025 U.S. Open 
2028 U.S. Women’s Open 
2033 Walker Cup Match
2034 U.S. Open
2038 U.S. Women’s Open
2042 U.S. Open
2046 U.S. Women’s Amateur 
2049 U.S. Open 
 
Merion Golf Club (Ardmore, Pa.)
2022 Curtis Cup Match
2026 U.S. Amateur
2030 U.S. Open 
2034 U.S. Women’s Open 
2046 U.S. Women’s Open 
2050 U.S. Open
Additional USGA championships to be announced later 

Additional Future USGA Championships in Pa.
2022 U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club
2024 U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club
2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Philadelphia Cricket Club

*New USGA championship announcements in bold

OWGR To See "Enhancements" A Year From Now

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After must moaning from the PGA Tour, the Official World Golf Ranking governing board has announced a planned update for August 2022. Details are vague but will not give points for all players making a cut to provide “greater differentiation of performances” and a “Field Rating” calculation.

Exciting stuff, I know. But more vital to carrying on with your day: the Players now gets 80 points to the winner, while the majors award 100.

For Immediate Release:

Official World Golf Ranking Governing Board announces updates to the Ranking System

Modified system for the 23 Eligible Golf Tours to go into effect Week Ending 14th August 2022.

London, United Kingdom – The Governing Board of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) today announces enhancements to the Official World Golf Ranking. The updated system will incorporate modern statistical techniques which will allow all eligible players and events to be more accurately evaluated relative to each other.

Over the last three years, OWGR has coordinated an independent analysis of the Ranking and its system to ensure it is meeting its key objectives of publishing a transparent, credible and accurate ranking based on the relative performances of participating players. The results of this analysis have led to the changes announced today, including distribution of Ranking Points to all players making the cut to provide greater differentiation of performances; and use of a Field Rating calculation based on a statistical evaluation of every player in the field, rather than just those in the field among the current Top-200 of the Ranking.

Major Championships will continue to award 100 First Place Points, while THE PLAYERS Championship will award 80. All other tournaments will award Ranking Points according to the strength and depth of their fields, with a maximum of 80 First Place Points.

“The Official World Golf Ranking owes a massive debt of gratitude to founders Mark H McCormack and Tony Greer, whose vision has done so much to shape the competitive landscape of men’s professional golf over the past 35 years”, said Official World Golf Ranking Chairman Peter Dawson. “Since 1986, the Tours eligible for inclusion have grown in number from 6 to 23 and the rankings have been continuously modified to accommodate this expansion and to improve accuracy. We are confident the further enhancements announced today will best position OWGR for the years ahead.”

Following a 12-month notice period, implementation is set for Week Ending 14th August 2022 at which point all future eligible tournaments will utilise the updated system. There will be no recalculation of past events, meaning the impact of the new methodology will be gradual.

Golf's Top 100 "Value" Courses, 2021 Edition

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It’s always fun to see Rustic Canyon ranked, but no list matters more than Golf’s Top 100 Value Courses with a green fee of $150 or less. So to place 4th and therefore best in California, is pretty neat.

Also fun to see recognition for some places I’ve been too or have heard great things about, like Wild Horse, Corica Park, Tanglewood, Aiken, Charleston Muni, Palatka and Presidio.

McGinley: “Time to put the hard hats on and prepare for three or four years of disruption.”

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The Daily Mail’s Derek Lawrenson speaks to European Tour board member Paul McGinley about the state of European Tour affairs as it relates to the Saudi Golf takeover bid and dilemma for players.

Warning of 3-4 years of “disruption,” McGinley said the European Tour is prepared to lose Asian Tour-tied events and even other Middle East stops.

'We're resigned to that kind of thing happening and the lawyers being involved,' said McGinley. 'If the Saudi event becomes part of the Asian Tour, will Jay Monahan (CEO of the PGA Tour) give the defending champion Dustin Johnson a release to get his $2million £1.4m) appearance fee, or Keith Pelley (CEO of the European Tour) grant releases for the leading Europeans to play? That's the path we're on, sadly.

'We've spoken to the Saudis on a number of occasions. We would love them to continue to be part of our tour but they see it a different way. They think golf is stale and want to come in as disrupters and change the whole DNA of the game.'

'The Saudi lawyers reckon the PGA Tour can't stop the players from joining and still being members but Jay is adamant that he can,' said McGinley. 'Unfortunately, it's looking like we'll end up with a massive legal case.'

But who will do the suing?

McGinley also defended the health of the European Tour post-infusion of PGA Tour money and the prospects of more domestic Europe events.

'We're not going to be eaten up by the PGA Tour. They came in with a proposal to accelerate the path we wanted to go down and it's left us in an incredibly strong financial position.

'We can help out with prize funds and the Americans are happy because the best young players can then feed into the PGA Tour. Ultimately, we'll get to where everyone wants to be. But we are going to have to suck up some disruption.'

Check out the full story as he touches on other topics of interest to European Tour fans.

R&A Secures Approval For Re-imagined Glasgow Golf Facility

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The Scotsman’s Martin Dempster reports on the R&A securing approval for plans to redevelop Lethamhill Golf Course into a nine-hole with putting greens, short-game areas, “adventure golf” and a lighted driving range. The main theme, however is to re-imagine an existing facility into something that may fine more appeal with more people, including new players and families. It’s a pretty bold but also overdue move by one of the governing bodies to go beyond mere messaging campaigns.

For Immediate Release:

THE R&A SECURES APPROVAL TO BUILD NEW COMMUNITY GOLF FACILITY IN GLASGOW

10 August 2021, St Andrews, Scotland: The R&A has secured approval for its plans to redevelop the existing public golf course at Lethamhill in Glasgow to create a brand new community golf facility in the north-east of the city.

Ownership of the site has now been transferred to The R&A by Glasgow City Council following agreement between the two organisations and preparations for the construction of the revamped venue will now begin this week.

The new development includes the creation of a nine-hole course, putting greens, short-game area, adventure golf and a floodlit driving range to allow visitors to enjoy a wide range of golf activities, including shorter forms of the sport.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “This is a vital step towards realising our ambition of creating a new golf facility which presents the sport in a fun, affordable and accessible way for the enjoyment of families, young people and community groups living locally.

“We are hugely excited about the potential of this project and will be making a significant investment in transforming the existing course at Lethamhill into a first-class venue where everyone feels welcome, no matter their age or ability, in which they can have fun exploring golf’s many different formats and connect with nature, outdoors in the fresh air.

“We believe that golf can be and should be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds and so this is a real opportunity for us to break down some of the unhelpful perceptions and barriers that exist and revitalise the way in which the sport is offered so that everyone feels they have the freedom to play and enjoy its many health and social benefits.”

Golfers have been provided with alternative arrangements by Glasgow Life to continue playing golf at nearby Littlehill until construction is completed and it is hoped that the new facility will open in the summer of 2023.

Councillor David McDonald, Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life, said, “Having worked closely with The R&A over the last year to understand and help develop their plans for the new facility at Lethamhill Golf Course, we are thrilled that construction is now set to get underway.

“The new offering will ensure the space at Lethamhill is used to its full capacity, offering activities for everyone from the individual golfer, through to families with young children. We’re looking forward to seeing the progression of the project, and continuing to work with The R&A to ensure the new facility provides key benefits to the local community.”

The agreement will also enable the Seven Lochs Partnership, which overseas the Seven Lochs Wetland Park that includes nearby Hogganfield Loch, to use the facility as its base and hub for the delivery of heritage learning and engagement activities, a free park events programme, volunteering and employability training linked to park management and maintenance.

Access to nearby Hogganfield Loch for leisure activities will be maintained for local users throughout the period of construction.

Councillor Maureen Burke, Chair of the Seven Lochs Partnership, said, “I am delighted to be part of this new partnership, which will bring much needed investment to the local area, creating new jobs and attracting visitors from across the city and beyond. As well as a fantastic new golf facility, the new centre will allow the Seven Lochs team to work with local schools to deliver outdoor learning, offer volunteering opportunities and employability training linked to park maintenance, and support a range of outdoor activities that help improve health and well-being in the local community.”

You can see a few more images of the indoor portion of the facility here. If I find a master plan or more views of the course I’ll include it here.

Today In Wildlife: Bears And Golf Courses

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More examples of golf courses providing a safe place for cubs and bears, though the second video making the rounds today suggests a golf bag can intimidate an otherwise large bear.

The first clip of cubs having fun is from North Carolina, though the course is not identified.

This clip is from British Columbia’s Swaneset Golf Course and Country Club:

Take That, Infomercials: Olympic Late Night Ratings Best Since 2019 President's Cup

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Before we get to the Olympic ratings news supplied by NBC/Golf Channel, just a reminder that this Thursday’s early morning Golf Channel viewing options cover a vast array of ailments starting at midnight PT/3 am ET: Squat into the best of you! is followed by 5 Makeup Tips 4 You before giving way to the last hour, one-two punch of greatest Must See TV since Cheers and Night Court: Stop Brain Fog and Arthritis + Neck Pain.

If nothing else, this should help a few Villages early-risers fall back to sleep. This middle of the night lineup airs just a bit later than the block last week showing third round women’s Tokyo Olympic golf and the week before that, men’s second round play.

Guess what?

Ratings were up big! But the men’s Olympic golf was down about 8 million American viewers compared to 2016’s final round picked up by NBC. So there’s that.

From Golf Channel PR:

  • Coverage of the down-to-the-wire final round of men’s golf on Saturday, July 31 delivered the best late night viewership in GOLF Channel history (878,000 viewers, Midnight-3:30 am ET), and ranked second among all networks in that time period (behind only NBC’s “Prime Plus” Olympics show).

Where, incidentally, the golf was not deemed good enough to show on NBC Prime Plus.

Last time, NBC gave around 90 minutes to the final round and had 8.8 million average viewers plus huge (very specific) streaming numbers.

  • Primetime coverage of the men’s golf competition averaged 565,000 viewers – marking GOLF Channel’s best four-day primetime stretch since December 2019 (President’s Cup).

Also worth noting: early 2016 coverage from Rio on Golf Channel drew a 1.22 rating and an average of 1.845 million viewers.

On the women’s side the numbers were pretty awful in Rio and so anything was bound to be better.

  • Coverage of the women’s golf competition averaged 345,000 viewers – a 26% increase over the same event in Rio in 2016. The final round on Friday, August 6 (595,000 viewers) increased 39% from comparable Rio coverage.

  • Last Friday’s final round of the women’s competition was GOLF Channel’s most-watched women’s golf telecast since August 2017 (Solheim Cup final round).

NBC did show a nice chunk of the women’s third round late Friday/early Saturday but did not show any of the exciting final round.

Quadrilateral Preview: U.S. Amateur Returns To Oakmont

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Oakmont’s third hole in 2016 (Geoff Shackelford)

Oakmont’s third hole in 2016 (Geoff Shackelford)

The last time we saw Oakmont, the USGA was having a rough Sunday and Diana Murphy capped it all off with a stirring trophy ceremony presentation since scrubbed from the interweb.

For the kind paying folks who subscribe to the Quadrilateral, I preview what to look for this week, the final before college golfers can cash in on name, image and likeness.

Slugger Has Given His Last Ruling And Driven His Last Cart Without A Roof

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Adam Schupak at Golfweek files a wonderful send off to Slugger White, longtime PGA Tour rules official, good player and nice fellow who had more early wake-up calls and listened to more lame player gripes than we’ll ever know.

On how it all started:

With career earnings of $32,279, White determined it was time to find another line of work to make a living. He was a finalist for a handful of club pro jobs in the northeast, but every time he was the bridesmaid.

“I look back and think, you know what, they really did me a favor,” he said.

It just so happened that then-PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman, a former player in his own right, was seeking former players to work in tournament operations. Longtime rules official Mike Shea called White to see if he would be interested.

“It kind of fell in my lap,” White said.

U.S. Women's Am Champ Survived 12-For-2 Playoff, Three Matches After Falling 2-Down

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You have to admire the resilience of U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion Jensen Castle surviving a playoff and several down moments, only to prevail in Sunday’s finale at Westchester CC. Oh, and she opened stroke play qualifying with a 79!

Adam Woodward’s game story from Harrison, New York included this:

After surviving a 12-for-2 playoff just to advance from stroke play, Castle was apparently meant to be a champion. For the third time in six matches this week, the Kentucky junior came back from 2-down, this time against Arizona junior Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou, to win the 121st U.S. Women’s Amateur, 2 and 1.

“It still hasn’t registered. I mean, it feels like just another tournament,” she said moments after the win on just one hour and 45 minutes of sleep. “But then I sit back and I’m like, ‘This is a USGA event with so much history.’ All the exemptions I didn’t even realize. I was just lucky I could play.”

David Shefter’s game story for the USGA official site touches on the incredible nature of Castle’s win given all of the holes she put herself in, becoming the Castle is the third No. 63 seed in USGA history to win a title since seeding began in the mid-1980s.

Castle defeated Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou, 2 and 1 in Sunday’s 36-hole final at Westchester CC.

DeChambeau Hears It From Fans But Does It Amount To "Psychological Abuse"?

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Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English unraveled during Sunday’s WGC FedEx St Jude, opening the door to Abraham Ancer’s playoff win over Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama. Getting put on the clock several times did not help the duo.

Seems Bryson heard it from fans and even pushed back some. I’m not sure it’s reached the level of “psychological abuse” GolfDigest.com’s Shane Ryan is claiming here, but he was there, and offered this account and it’s worth taking seriously:

Since then, it has evolved into fans calling DeChambeau various forms of Koepka's name, with "Brooksy" being a favorite. On the surface, this may sound ridiculous, minor, and even funny. In reality, when you follow DeChambeau for even half a round, and you see the faces of the people taunting him for a mean little thrill, it looks crueler and more intense than would come across on TV or in written reports. It clearly makes DeChambeau miserable, but he's locked into an unwinnable position where if he reacts, he looks thin-skinned and inevitably makes the abuse worse. Yet staying silent doesn't help, either. After staring down several fans throughout the course of play on Sunday—a long glare, accomplishing nothing, before he marched away—he finally broke down on the 17th tee when a female fan shouted, yet again, "Brooksy!"

"Good one!" he shouted back, but he looked bitter, and tired, and defeated, and the only thing you could feel for him in that moment was pity.

Dating to the days of the Morris’ vs. the Parks, golfers have been subjected to odd forms of heckling or abuse from fans. But it seems different now given a few factors: post-lockdown entitlement to be boorish and the specter of gambling.

The first part the PGA Tour has no control over other than booting fans who are abusive. The second part? I just don’t know how a bettor can trust the sport if a player can be so thrown off their game by hearing “Brooksy”. Imagine what will happen when there is real money on the line?

Anyway, the final round highlights of Ancer’s win, arguably the biggest by a Mexican golfer (though he was born in the U.S. but maintains duel citizenship):

Bryson's Rough Week Continues As Players Call Out Lack Of "FORE!" While Ryder Cup Vax Status May Become An Issue

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Bryson DeChambeau was asked last month about his propensity to not yell “FORE!” or signal to fans that an incoming Bridgestone was headed their way. His answer:

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I do shout fore. I don't know what you're talking about. There are plenty of people on the tee box that do shout fore. You're bringing up a very controversial thing, which is unfortunate, but 99 per cent of the time I do, and unfortunately people think I don't. But that's okay, they can say whatever they want.

But as Steve DiMeglio reports, the Return To Golf in Memphis has been a rough one and got worse after an errant tee shot headed for the crowd.

DeChambeau has only granted interviews to PGA Tour Live following his first two rounds. Two European Tour players who are not in the field, however, spoke up and took DeChambeau to task on Twitter for not yelling “Fore!” when one of his errant drives headed toward the gallery.

The players were all from the European Tour, now part of the Strategic Alliance. So, family.

And these two as well:

DeChambeau did find one supporter in Brandel Chamblee, who made this bizarre assertion:

After DeChambeau’s early week discussion about his COVID bout and vaccination comments, the topic appears to not be going away.

Quadrilateral readers may recall from this week’s edition my question about the prospects of a traditional Ryder Cup team room if there are vaccination holdouts. Given how team activities, team room laughs and passionate speeches are held up as a key part of players loving the event, it would seem necessary.

Well now we learn from Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch that just a day after DeChambeau’s comments, the PGA of America and Ryder Cup leadership “began reaching out to likely members of the team asking about their vaccine status and if they would be willing to be vaccinated in advance of the event.”

Only time will tell what the response is should a player say no.

But hey, at least he’s playing well in the final WGC to be played in Memphis.

Korda-Inami-Ko Win Tokyo Olympic Medals In Grand Fashion

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The women’s side of Olympic golf has prized participation and medals more than the men. No surprise then that the finish was a hard fought one despite Mother Nature’s best efforts to interfere.

American Nelly Korda held off all to capture the gold affirm her status as the world’s best. Rex Hoggard from Tokyo on Korda’s performance and how she dealt with the inconveniently-timed weather delay.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko took the bronze after losing a playoff with Japan’s Mone Inami, making her a two-time medalist. And Inami, the home country hope, tied Korda at one point before bogeying the last but still delivered her homeland its first-ever medal in golf.

Capping it all off was fourth place finisher Aditi Ashok, who first became known to the golf world by making it to Rio after being randomly drawn to the sport and now, nearly medaling in Tokyo. She was even praised by India’s Prime Minister, as Chuah Choo Chiang writes.

The final leaderboard.

Follow-Up: Protestors Camp Outside Winged Foot, Trump Thanks Club For "Love And Spirit" In The Room

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After NBC News revealed a controversial August 4th celebration of Donald Trump hosted by Winged Foot members, protestors said they planned to greet the former President upon his return to the storied club. And they did.

Trump issued a statement thanking the club for honoring him, with proof the gala went ahead along with pristine turf for the old autocrat:

The protestors out front can be seen, with more images here if you’re looking to see the Winged Foot entrance and initials in a new light.