Mexico Open Is Now A PGA Tour Event In Parternership With Grupo Salinas And A Greg Norman-Designed Course

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The organizers of the WGC Mexico City Championship are back, minus the city and the WGC moniker, announcing a PGA Tour stop in late April. The new location is Puerto Vallarta’s Vidanta Vallarta resort. Conspicuously left out of the press release: the course to be played.

However, the resort did confirm that players will be teeing up on The Norman Signature Course. As in, Greg Norman, the man currently helming a possible global golf tour hostile to the PGA Tour’s interests. I’m sure it’s just part of a slow drip approach to revealing this exciting news.

For Immediate Release:

Vidanta Vallarta in Vallarta, México to host Mexico Open

Grupo Salinas, PGA TOUR continue commitment to promote golf in Mexico

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – The PGA TOUR and tournament host, Grupo Salinas, announced today that Vidanta Vallarta in Vallarta, México will host the 2022 Mexico Open, April 25-May 1, 2022, previously listed on the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule as the Mexico Championship.
The Mexico Open, which dates back to 1944 and is considered Mexico’s national championship, will appear on the PGA TOUR schedule for the first time as an official FedExCup event, offering 500 FedExCup points to the winner and a purse of $7.3 million. The field of 132 players will include 12 sponsor exemptions, with a minimum of four players from Latin America.

Since 2017, Grupo Salinas partnered with the PGA TOUR to stage a TOUR event in Mexico – the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship – with efforts to inspire and grow the game in the country, especially among juniors. Starting in 2022, the Mexico Open will continue Grupo Salinas’ commitment, uniting the PGA TOUR with the history of professional golf in Mexico in the form of the Mexico Open.

The new name and tournament venue were announced during a press conference in Mexico City, Mexico, featuring Fernando Lemmen-Meyer, President of the Mexican Golf Federation; Iván Chávez, Executive Vice President of Grupo Vidanta; John Norris, Senior Vice President of Tournament Business Affairs of the PGA TOUR, and Benjamín Salinas Sada, Vice President of the Board of Directors of Grupo Salinas. Also in attendance were PGA TOUR members Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer. Both Ortiz (2020 Vivint Houston Open) and Ancer (2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational) captured PGA TOUR events during the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season, becoming just the third and fourth citizens of Mexico to win on the PGA TOUR. Ancer, who played for the International Presidents Cup Team in 2019, recently qualified for his third straight TOUR Championship in 2020-21, finishing ninth in the FedExCup. 
“At Grupo Salinas we are honored to host a world-class event in our country, reaffirming our commitment to grow golf in Mexico and to generate new interests and passions around this sport, especially in younger generations,” said Benjamín Salinas Sada, Vice president of the board of directors of Grupo Salinas. “For this reason, we are convinced of the importance of taking this type of events to other locations within the country and thereby sending a clear message; golf is not owned by just a few, it belongs to everyone: that is what we will always defend at Grupo Salinas.”

The press conference highlighted the progress of The First Tee México program, a non-profit organization, launched by Grupo Salinas in 2017, which has promoted golf and its values ​​for the development of Mexican young generations. The First Tee Mexico has grown to include nine chapters and has made a positive impact on more than 250 young people through the game of golf, promoting key societal values such as honesty, respect, trust, integrity, perseverance and teamwork. 

“We’ve worked closely with Grupo Salinas since the inception of the Mexico Championship in 2017. As tournament hosts, Grupo Salinas has been first-class in every respect – making this stop a favorite among our players while entertaining fans in Mexico and around the world,” said John Norris, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of Tournament Business Affairs.

In the United States, the event will be broadcast live on CBS, Golf Channel, PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ and Sirius XM PGA TOUR Radio. 

"If only you could break away from the constraints of having someone else tell you how many holes you must build."

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CNN’s Sean Coppack filed an excellent story and video feature on “how Iceland could reshape the world of golf". I could not embed so you’ll need to hit the link to watch.

There are some amazing reveals and scenery, but this on a course called Brautarholt, whose founder Gunnar Palsson shares words of wisdom about 12 holes. Or whatever is the right number for a site.

"This used to be agricultural land, but that had been declining," Palsson tells CNN Sport. "This land has been in the family for hundreds of years and there were some generational shifts and we decided to build a golf course."

Opening originally as a nine-hole course in 2011 before expanding to 12, Brautarholt was designed by renowned Icelandic architect Edwin Roald.

Roald has attracted plenty of attention in recent years with his "why 18-holes?" movement, a philosophy that suggests golf course design would be improved if architects worked to create the best course for the space they have, rather than cling onto the "antiquated" notion that every course must be 18-holes long.

"When you have limited resources, you are forced to use what nature has given you," Roald told Links magazine in 2017. "If only you could break away from the constraints of having someone else tell you how many holes you must build.

"It is the same as writing books, or making movies. Imagine if all books had to be exactly 200 pages, or a film had to last 95 minutes. Would they be as good?"

A Year Later, Cleeve Hill Hosts A "Not Closing" Party

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Just a year after facing closure, the wild hilltop links that’s seen design work by Old Tom Morris and Alister MacKenzie celebrated its salvation and future of better care thanks to “Nick & Sam” of Cotswold Hub.

Congrats to all on saving this spectacular place in the game and for enjoying your work. A short video from the day by Cookie Jar Golf, who brought attention to the courses plight with a mini doc (embedded below).

World No. 1 Amateur Earns His Way Into Masters, The Open

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Keita Nakajima is the third Japanese golfer to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship after beating Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho in a playoff.

The 21-year-old Nakajima is now headed for the 2022 Masters where a practice rounds seems inevitable with defending champion Hideki Matsuyama.

Nakajima’s win caps off a stellar year for Japan golf. Besides Matsuyama’s historic win, Nasa Hataoka lost in the U.S. Women’s Open playoff and More Inami was the silver medalist in Tokyo.

Final round highlights and the trophy ceremony attended by Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley and R&A Chief Martin Slumbers:

Kenyon Points Out The Inconsistency Of New Green Reading Rules

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The pending rule change attempting to restore certain skills by killing off green reading books and other gizmos has run into some criticism. And the point is a legitimate one but I have an easy solution.

Short game specialist Phil Kenyon argues in an Instagram post at the oddity of going after levels and other machinery possibly used to test green conditions. This seems like an effort to cut down on the number of people on greens, devices on greens or, if you’re a bit forward thinking, players bringing Stimpmeters or moisture-reading devices into the practice round equation. The entourages also add unnecessary traffic on the greens. Mostly, the art of golf’s rugged individualist scouting out things on their own is in danger.

Still Kenyon makes this point:

So you can take a TrackMan or quad or range finder on to the course and check how certain shots or holes “play” yardage wise but you can’t take a level onto a “practice” putting green to calibrate your feel for slope.

What a ridiculous rule. It’s stupid in fact. It serves no purpose. It’s indeed skill limiting.

I actually don’t think the governing bodies understand the complexity of the scenarios in front of them.

Is using a level in practice hurting the game more than how far the ball goes or the speed of play ?

There is an inconsistency here. Tee to fringe players can max out the technology and outside sources to gain insight, but once on the greens they must revert to conditions of a decade ago.

The easy solution: lose the launch monitors on the course. Oh, and stop providing slope-adjusted yardages in official books.

As for the ball going too far and slow play, well those two go hand in hand.

Kenyon’s full post:

Forget Disneyland, The Braves Are Going To Augusta

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Thanks to reader GS for Jeff Passan’s look back at the Atlanta Braves’ improbable late season turnaround and behind-the-scenes anecdotes that included this:

The celebration at Minute Maid differed by the square foot. In one area, Pederson was running up to Terry McGuirk, the Braves' chairman, and yelling: "We're going to f---ing Augusta! Hell yeah! I f---ing told you." McGuirk, a member at Augusta National, had told players that if they win a World Series, he can swing getting them a tee time.

Saudis Add Key Executives; Norman Teases Australia Stop And Questions PGA Tour's Attempt At A Counter

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A couple of reveals in the tussle between the upstart Asian Tour co-sanctioned Greg Norman helmed league.

ESPN.com’s Bob Harig reports that two executives with impressive careers in sport have joined the team, headlined by former PGA Tour and Augusta National executive Ron Cross. Also signing on as Chief Commercial Officer is a former ESPN executive, Sean Bratches, a key figure in F1 who managed their commercial operations until 2020.

Cross most recently worked at the PGA Tour as senior vice president of corporate affairs. Before that, he was special assistant to commissioner Jay Monahan and at one time prior to working at Augusta National he was executive director of the Players Championship. Cross also worked as a senior director at Augusta National for eight years and helped with various grow-the-game initiatives including the Drive, Chip & Putt, the Asia-Pacific Amateur and the Latin-America Amateur.

Bratches was executive vice president of sales and marketing and served on the board of directors at ESPN before becoming managing director of commercial operations for Formula 1.

Rex Hoggard spoke to Cross for a GolfChannel.com story explaining how thins ended with the PGA Tour for the former top advisor to Commissioner Jay Monahan.

When Jay Monahan took over as PGA Tour commissioner in 2017, Cross returned “back home” to where he started his career in golf. “I thought I’d retire at the Tour, but unfortunately the pandemic hit,” he said. As the pandemic hurt the circuit’s business his position was “eliminated” in December 2020.

Cross holds no hard feelings towards the Tour. He understands better than most the reality of a global pandemic on nearly every business. But he also understands – again, better than most – that the product can always be better.

“Continuous improvement,” he said, “that’s what we learned from [the late Clifford Roberts] and Mr. Payne at Augusta. It’s what everybody in golf strives for. You want to make the experience better for fans, for players, for clients, for volunteers.”

Besides teasing an Australia event, Greg Norman responded to an AP story suggesting the PGA Tour is looking at several options as possible responses to disruptor Tours and the coming demise of WGC’s.

Ferguson writes:

The PGA Tour is contemplating a “global series” in the fall with big purses, no cuts and appearance money based on a player’s FedEx Cup standing. It is looking into another bonus program for the top five going into the Tour Championship.

Norman’s reply at Australia Golf Digest:

“Isn’t that their fiduciary responsibility, to be doing that every year?” Norman asks. “Shouldn’t that be the precedent they set, rather than being reactionary to somebody else’s proposal? I shake my head because I’m just so perplexed about it all. I’ve been involved in golf for 40-plus years, and I think I’ve come up with some pretty good ideas based off a few observations. They’re not ‘Greg Norman’s observations’, they’re simply observations the sport should be seeing for itself.”

Norman was kind in his assessment given that the ideas floated merely compound an issue some top players would like to see change: the creation of an off-season.

Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes, November 4, 2021

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This week’s News and Notes already landed via email but here is the weekly free edition brimming with joyful anecdotes about the biggest events in golf. Included this week are some thoughts on the sneaky-huge ramifications of PGA Tour players taking initiative on the skill discussion, plus notes on Ryder Cup shirts of yesteryear, next year’s Women’s Open finally securing official tournament dates, a dreamy view of the Old Course up for sale and more.

As always, you can get a better understanding of what The Quad is about here or sign up for free here.

Sportico Estimates Highest Paid Athletes Of All Time: Tiger, Arnold, Jack In The Top 4

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Based on inflation adjusted earnings and some guestimating about endorsement income, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus landed in the top 4 of Sportico’s list of highest paid athletes of all time.

Phil Mickelson landed 11th and Greg Norman 15th. Not bad for a niche sport.

Dress Code Not Helping At Saudi Laudies International

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Remember ladies, you can eat at restaurants now according to Greg Norman so whatever discomfort you suffer adhering to the Saudi dress code is a small price to pay for the privilege of eating out.

Darren Walton of AAP reports world No. 5 Minjee Lee’s comments prior to this week’s Saudi Ladies International about coping with heat while adhering to the local dress code.

“We have to cover our legs so we don’t show too much skin so it just feels like we’re in like body suits in really hot heat.

“(Dress) below the knees for women. No sleeveless (tops), no shoulders showing.

“It’s just a respect thing but it does feel hot.”

Competing by the Red Sea in King Abdullah Economic City, Lee suspects the unique challenge will be as much psychological as physical.

“Mentally, because you’re always sweating and you never really cool down, that will be the main challenge,” the world No. 5 said.

“I just played nine holes and I was cooked. But 18 holes, I mean, it’s going to take, what, five hours to go around this golf course?

“So it will be testing all parts of your mental strength, I think.”

Foreign Players Entering U.S. For PGA Tour Events Must Be Vaxxed, Tour Has 83% Compliance

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Nice scoops by Rex Hoggard to report on the updated CDC policy for players entering the U.S. in the coming months and hoping to play—vaccination and a negative test will be needed.

Plus, he reports the PGA Tour spokesperson said they are up to 83% vaccination for the combo of players, caddies and essential staff.

McKellar Podcast With Lawrence Donegan And Mark Cannizzaro

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McKellar’s podcast is back and Lawrence Donegan and Mark Cannizzaro included yours truly in a discussion about Golf Saudi’s infusion of cash into the Asian Tour. We explore the possibility of anarchy should top players take some huge cash offers, plus the flaw in the concept and some of the people who’ve signed on to support the effort to remake professional golf.

Listening options: Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your pods.

Asia-Pacific Amateur Kicks Off With Winner Earning A Spot In The Masters, The Open

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Just a reminder to American audiences that the 12th Asia-Pacific Amateur kicks off Wednesday after a one year hiatus. It’s also the first playing since Hideki Matsuyama, a former two-time winner of the event captured the Masters.

They’re playing the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, which is most famous for its clubhouse and a floating tee. No one in the field cares where they’re playing with the winner earning and invitation to the Masters and The Open at St Andrews.

You can follow the scoring here.

Coverage times:

USGA, R&A Early Coverage Headed To USA Network; Is Golf Channel's End Near?

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Sports Business Journal's shocking reveal suggests the end is near for Arnold Palmer's bold vision.

As I explain in this Quadrilateral item, it may be too late to save the channel. But man, what are the USGA and R&A thinking as they get relegated to the place where reruns go to die?

**And the press release…

Premier League, NASCAR, INDYCAR, USGA and The R&A Golf Championships, and College and Olympic Sports Among Premium Properties and Events Moving to USA Network 

USA Network to Feature Premier League Tripleheader on January 1, 2022

USA Network Was #1 Sports and Entertainment Cable Network Throughout the Recent Tokyo Olympics

NBC Sports Content Also Moving to CNBC, Peacock and Other NBCUniversal Platforms

NBCSN to Conclude Programming on Dec. 31, 2021

LOS ANGELES, Calif. and STAMFORD, Conn. – November 2, 2021 – Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, USA Network broadens its slate with the addition of premium NBC Sports events, including coverage from the Premier League, NASCAR, INDYCAR, the Olympic Games, USGA and The R&A Golf Championships, college and Olympic sports, horse racing, cycling and more. In addition, CNBC, Peacock, and other linear platforms will also host a wide variety of live sports.

USA Network will kick off the 2022 sports calendar on Saturday, Jan. 1 at 7 a.m. ET with a New Year’s Day Premier League tripleheader, beginning with Arsenal hosting defending champion Manchester City. 

“We are excited to transition the cable coverage of many of our premium sports events to USA Network, Peacock, and other widely-distributed NBCUniversal platforms, which will give us a significant boost in television homes and will put us in an even stronger position as we grow our business,” said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports.

“USA has always been home to big, iconic characters - on reality shows like ‘Chrisley Knows Best,’ premium scripted dramas like ‘Chucky’ and ‘The Sinner,’ and of course the high-octane energy of our WWE personalities – and larger-than-life pro athletes will fit right in,” said Frances Berwick, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming. “We expect this expansion of our live sports offering will both engage existing fans and bring in new communities to USA, further cementing the network as a top destination for the best and broadest entertainment in all of its many forms.”

During the recent Tokyo Olympics, USA Network televised live coverage of track & field, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and softball, and ranked as the #1 sports and entertainment cable network in primetime with an average of 1.6 million viewers. In September, the Manchester United-Newcastle match featuring the return of Cristiano Ronaldo ranked as the most-watched Premier League game on USA Network.

NBC Sports Programming on USA Network in 2022

  • Atlantic 10 basketball

  • Horse Racing

  • IMSA

  • INDYCAR: Two races

  • NASCAR: Cup and Xfinity Series races

  • Olympic sports

  • Premier League

  • The R&A – The Open, AIG Women’s Open: Early round and weekend lead-in coverage

  • The Winter Olympics

  • Tour de France

  • USGA – U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open: Early round and weekend lead-in coverage

Note: Many of these sports will continue to have programming on the NBC broadcast network. In addition, all linear coverage can be streamed via authentication on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. (*All PGA TOUR events remain exclusively on NBC or GOLF Channel.)

PGA Tour Adds Green Reading Books Restrictions Effective January 1, 2022

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PGA Tour Memo To Players

This one is a little embarrassing for the USGA and R&A, who tried to limit green reading books by reducing their size and only prompted players to the silly cheat sheets closer to their face. But in a rare and welcomed moment of product introspection, the PGA Tour Advisory Council took bold action to all but limit their use in PGA Tour events.

Brian Wacker first Tweeted the message sent to players:

Enforcement of this should be interesting as players tuck books into leather covers and spotting “Committee Approved Book” may be tricky. But otherwise, it’s a welcome change and one that should have happened sooner in the name of protecting skill as well as pace of play.

Presumably the USGA and R&A will follow suit since they provide players yardage and green reading books at their majors.

The Masters does not allow surveying of their surfaces and therefore green reading materials have not been an option. The PGA of America will presumably follow suit but given their tendency to play an outlier role, there are no guarantees.