Pebble Blues: Even Korn Ferry Players Passing Up Clambake For Panama's Level 4 Status

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With Level 4 State Department status (“Do Not Travel”) you’d think going to Club de Golf de Panama might be low on the list of Korn Ferry Tour members. But every dollar counts when you’re trying to secure a PGA Tour card and money made at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am doesn’t mean a thing toward your season long effort so, not surprisingly, players are opting to take on the double whammy of crime and COVID over the Monterey Peninsula.

In that sense, this is a win for the KFT structure and speaks to the player determination to get their card. But passing up what was once a signature Tour event where the prominent and powerful gather is also quite surreal to see. Some good news: the worst crime areas cited by the Department of State are a decent distance from the KFT’s Panama Championship. They’ve got that going for them.

The AT&T has seen its field depleted by all the waivers granted to play the Saudi’s PIFSIPSIA stop on the Asian Tour. So with three courses and pro-am slots needing a pro, the opportunity exists to play Pebble Beach, Spyglass and MPCC like never before. Yet it appears the AT&T is headed toward a Charlie Beljan late-add at this pace. And some lucky big spender is guaranteed to get Grayson Murray for three rounds. Enjoy that!

Special Saudi Edition Of Pros Say The Funniest Things Begins! First Up: Monty

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We know the grow-the-games will be flying this week when top player descent on Saudi Arabia for the PIFSIPSIA cash grab and audition for those two peas in a pod, Greg Norman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. I anticipate some fabulous rationalizations. But I did not expect Monty earn the week’s first eye-roll.

Andrew Wright summed up Monty’s contribution from a BBC interview at the Dubai Desert Classic.

"It's a shame it's come to this,” Montgomerie told BBC Sport. “We used to work well with the Asian Tour and now we are at loggerheads because of money. It's a problematic issue. It's that horrible, evil word, money. The mighty dollar ruling people's hearts and minds. 

“We never played the game for money on the European Tour when I first started out. I was trying to see how much better I could get as a golfer. Now it's all about that evil word, money. Let's hope the European Tour is closer to the PGA Tour than we've ever been before and we can fight it off."

Ah yes, Monty just played to see how much better he could get while wearing logos on his shirt. Adorable.

Patrick Newcomb Wins APGA Tour Event To Farmers Insurance Invitational

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l have some reading to do because as the press release says below, the “APGA Tour is a non-profit organization with the mission to prepare African Americans and other minority golfers to compete and win at the highest level of professional golf, both on tour and in the golf industry.”

And the winner of the televised APGA Tour stop finishing Sunday at Torrey Pines has Korn Ferry Tour status, so why he is eligible is also unclear.

GolfDigest.com’s Tod Leonard was on hand and writes:

The APGA is a tour that was founded to give minorities more opportunities to play professional golf, but it has not closed the door on anyone either. Tour officials estimate that about 15 percent of the competitors are white, and Newcomb is one of those golfers. He qualified for the Farmers Invitational by finishing fourth on last year’s APGA money list, having started to play the tour in 2021 because it offered more events than other circuits during the pandemic.

I’m just going to leave it there and let you read Cameron Morfit’s game story at PGATour.com or the press release below, or below that, the funeral winning putt.

Patrick Newcomb wins the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational®

Newcomb edges Tim O’Neal with birdie on the final hole

 LA JOLLA, CA – With a birdie on the 36th hole at Torrey Pines South Course at APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational®, Patrick Newcomb earned his first APGA Tour victory at a landmark event for the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour which included the Tour’s first ever nationally televised broadcast on GOLF Channel and the largest purse ($100,000) and winner’s check ($30,000) in APGA Tour history.  

Newcomb, who qualified for the Farmers Insurance Invitational via his ranking in the 2021 APGA Tour Lexus Cup standings, earned 2022 Korn Ferry Tour status through qualifying school.  The 31-year-old flew to San Diego on Thursday following a T40 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club. Newcomb credits being able to play on the APGA Tour through the pandemic in 2020-2021 for the development and improvement of his game that earned him Korn Ferry Tour status this year. 

“That's one thing that I've talked about at other tournaments when they've asked me. The opportunity to play, they kept going and we were playing fantastic tracks every week, good talent. I know me and Timmy go way back, me and Tim O'Neal. Willie Mack, we're good friends, too. A lot of the guys out here, I've known them for a long time and it's good competition. It really kept me going,” Newcomb said. “The guys on the APGA Tour have been great, and have welcomed me with open arms. They had no issues with me coming and playing. It's been a fantastic atmosphere. What they're doing is great for guys to grow their game has been fantastic.”

Newcomb started the day with a two-stroke lead after an opening-round 4-under-par on the North Course. On Sunday, tied for the lead with APGA Tour veteran Tim O’Neal as he stepped off the 17th green, Newcomb’s tee shot on the par-5 18th hole sailed right and took a fortunate bounce. 

“I drove it fantastic all day long, maybe missed two fairways all day, and then I hit the worst tee ball ever,” said Newcomb, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. “I actually got a great break; it bounced on the cart path. And I couldn't get to this green in two, I'm not long enough, got a great break to go for it. It was one of the worst shots I've hit in a long time. Honestly, it's really weird. But I got a great break and it went down the cart path and gave me an extra like 40 yards off the tee.”

With the extra distance, Newcomb decided to go for the green with his second shot, finding the greenside bunker to the left of the traditional Torrey Pines South Course Sunday pin placement. O’Neal laid up and followed with a near perfect approach, leaving him with a birdie putt. Newcomb’s up-and-down combined with O’Neal missing his birdie made Newcomb the first winner of the 2022 APGA Tour season. 

After O’Neal, Marcus Byrd finished alone in 3rd at 4-over-par with 2021 APGA Tour Player of the Year and Lexus Cup winner Willie Mack III, Trey Valentine and Kevin Hall all finishing T4. 

Byrd, who played alongside Newcomb and O’Neal in the final group, was in contention until a double-bogey on the 16th hole. 

 “It was a privilege and an honor to be able to play here and playing in these conditions,” said Byrd, 24, who was the 2019 Conference USA Player of the Year. “I can't thank Farmers and everybody enough for putting on this event, it was an awesome experience. I think it's good preparation for the goals that we have set and for us to get to the level that we want to get to. I just think it's a huge benefit to be able to play a golf course like this, learn and do things that you need to do to get better.”

Established in 2010, the APGA Tour is a non-profit organization with the mission to prepare African Americans and other minority golfers to compete and win at the highest level of professional golf, both on tour and in the golf industry. This is accomplished through professional tournaments, career development and mentoring sessions. 

Earlier this week, in addition to announcing the purse for the event, Farmers Insurance® announced a five-year extension of its relationship with the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and the renewal of sponsorships for APGA Tour players Kamaiu Johnson and Willie Mack III. The extensions and the announcement of the increased purse support Farmers ongoing commitment to the APGA Tour and its focus on the growth of the game. In 2021 Farmers expanded their relationship with the Advocates Foundation, which focuses on career and wellness youth programs, announced sponsorship of the Black College Golf Coaches Association (BCGCA) and added a three-tournament APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series to the APGA Tour season with events in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Hovland Heads To No. 3 In World After Dubai Triumph

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Highlighting world ranking status is not normally my thing but it’s mighty impressive to see Viktor Hovland win for the sixth time in less than two years and rise to No. 3 in the world upon winning the Dubai Desert Classic.

He had help from Rory McIlroy who needed to par 18 to join a playoff with Hovland Richard Bland. But found the water on his approach to the par-5 en route to a bogey six.

From Ewan Murray’s Guardian story:

Onlookers will speculate over whether McIlroy was correct to take on the last green from 260 yards. He had miraculously saved par from a bush on the previous hole, perhaps rendering a further dice with danger unwise. The counterpoints relate to McIlroy’s regular – and regularly successful – policy of being aggressive and that he was hardly planning to mis-hit a fairway wood. McIlroy did not become essential viewing by playing percentages.

The McIlroy approach:

Hovland’s eagle at the 17th helped vault him into a tie and eventual playoff win over Bland:

What We Learned From The 2022 Farmers

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The PGA Tour returned to the site of last June’s U.S. Open and always one of the top events of the year. Saturday’s finish did not disappoint, with Luke List finally capturing a win after 207 starts and reigning ROY Will Zalatoris continuing to impress.

Notes on them and other major contenders playing in Dubai and Boca are in this edition of The Quadrilateral.

Final round highlights from the PGA Tour:

Farmers Initially Balked At Saturday Finish, Now Seems Here To Stay

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Loads of good stuff can be found in this Bryce Miller column about the new and, apparently, permanent Saturday finish as long as the Farmers Insurance Open finishes on AFC/NFC Championship Sunday.

“Do you really want to know?” Farmers Insurance CEO Jeff Dailey told the Union-Tribune on Friday at Torrey Pines, when asked about his initial feelings. “It was presented as a choice at first. Do you go with Wednesday through Saturday? Or do you go to NBC and keep the Thursday-Sunday format?

“My initial, ‘upset’ reaction was, let’s go to NBC. Then cooler heads prevailed.”

Does this mean cooler heads prefer CBS to NBC?

Miller says the loss of the pro-am caused by a quick turnaround from the previous week cost the Century Club $1 million. But ultimately Farmers wants ratings and Saturday’s later finish is their best chance for the largest audience.

Without a Sunday round, the television was shifted later to create near-primetime finishes on the East Coast on Friday and Saturday — a first for a regular PGA Tour event. Golfers began to see benefits, from avoiding pro-am obligations that allowed them to focus on the first difficult course of the season, to an extra open day on the weekend to see family and more easily travel.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “It’s important to us that the ratings are strong, but we still get a tremendous amount of business benefit because we use this as motivation for our top agents around the country. That business benefit for us is probably stronger than a few incremental ratings points.

Andrew Relinquishes His Honorary Membership In The Royal And Ancient

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The former Duke of York and former Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews Captain has added the club to the list of places he’s no longer associated with in an official capacity.

From the R&A’s Martin Slumbers to members of the club:

I wish to advise Members that today, the Club received notification from The Duke of York’s office that the Duke will relinquish his Honorary Membership of the Club. In doing so, he sent best wishes for our continued good work. We respect and appreciate the Duke’s decision. Other than confirming the facts, neither the Club nor The R&A will make any further public comment on this matter.

The Guardian’s Ewan Murray suggests there is “relief” at the news and notes this about the former captain:

“The Prince drove into office on 18 September 2003 and was Captain during the year in which the Club celebrated its 250th anniversary. Describing his feelings towards the role he said, ‘It is an enormous privilege, an honour and a dream come true for me to be invited to become the Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, especially in this, its 250th anniversary year.’

“A painting, specially commissioned by the club to mark its anniversary, shows The Duke of York driving into office. Painted by Anthony Oakshett, it contains over 600 individuals and was completed in 2006.” The status of the portrait following Andrew’s relinquishing of his membership is unknown.

At the 2010 Open the former Duke gave a neverending and impassioned speech in favor of technology.

Writers: Morikawa, Korda, Mickelson 2021 Players Of The Year

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Full disclosure, I voted the Male Player of the Year was the the toughest category given the similarity in years between Morikawa and Rahm. But over the calendar year he had a slight edge if you ignored the Memorial mess. Previously, PGA Tour players voted Patrick Cantlay their Player of the Year and the PGA of America’s point system gave Jon Rahm the 2020-21 player of the year.

For Immediate Release:

MORIKAWA, KORDA, MICKELSON VOTED GWAA PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

HOUSTON (January 27, 2022) -- Collin Morikawa, Nelly Korda and Phil Mickelson have been named respective winners of the 2021 player of the year awards by the Golf Writers Association of America.

Morikawa, who turns 25 on Feb. 6, was voted Male Player of the Year for the first time. Korda, 23, earned Female Player of the Year honors for the first time. Mickelson, 51, who has never won the GWAA’s Male Player of the Year award, was voted Senior Player of the Year for the first time.

Morikawa, ranked second in the Official World Golf Ranking to Spain’s Jon Rahm, received 48 percent of the vote to 37 percent for runner-up Rahm.

Morikawa won twice in a sensational 2021 season, highlighted by his victory in the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s, where he shot 67-64-68-66 and edged runner-up Jordan Spieth by two shots. He also won the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession.

Morikawa tied for fourth at the U.S. Open, tied for eighth as defending champion at the PGA Championship and tied for fourth at the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition in Japan. He led the PGA Tour in greens in regulation (79.17%) and capped the season by going 3-0-1 in the Ryder Cup, helping the U.S. to a resounding 19-9 victory over Team Europe at Whistling Straits.

“It is an incredible honor to be named by the Golf Writers Association of America as their Male Player of the Year for 2021,” Morikawa said. “I have a deep appreciation for the journalists dedicated to promoting our great game, and to be recognized amongst the names of past winners is humbling.”

Korda won four times on the LPGA Tour and added six more top-10 finishes. Her victories came in the Pelican Women’s Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the Meijer LPGA Classic and the Gainbridge LPGA.

In August, she struck gold in Japan, winning the Olympic Women’s Golf Competition. She also was a member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team. Korda received 72% of the GWAA vote.

"It is a huge honor and privilege to be voted Female Player of the Year,’’ Korda said.  “I am extremely grateful to be the recipient of this year's award alongside all the other incredible past honorees. Thank you to the entire team at the Golf Writers Associate of America.  It truly means a lot to me to receive this recognition and it will be something I will forever cherish." 

Mickelson made the most of just six starts on the PGA Tour Champions in the 2020-’21 wraparound season, winning four times. He won the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic and the Constellation Furyk & Friends and capped his season by winning the Schwab Cup Championship.

And, of course, he won the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island to become the oldest-ever major champion. He received 59 percent of the vote.

“I’m very appreciative of that honor,” Mickelson said of his Senior Player of the Year Award. “I had a really fun time playing some Champions tour events and last year was a really special year, obviously winning the PGA Championship and playing and competing in the Champions tour events, and having success was really special. Being able to spend time with so many guys that I grew up playing with, I’m just honored.”

David Hill Brought In To Help Norman-Backed League Change Golf On TV

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James Colgan spoke to longtime and now former Fox Sports head David Hill upon joining LIV Golf as a consultant on the TV side. Presumably to help on the production side of a proposed Saudi-backed golf league.

Hill plans to carry out Greg Norman’s vision to get a younger viewing audience should the league be a go, something the Shark seems consumed with given the demographic of golf. The Shirtless one failed with his last get-younger, revolutionary concept with Verizon billed as a game changer and turned out to be nothing more than music-playing carts geared at millennials. So no where to go but up!

From the Golf.com story:

“What Greg has done is taken all that energy that he’s renowned for and pushed it into making golf for today,” Hill said. “His main hope is to take the excitement of golf to areas where it’s not represented, especially in the Asia area and China.

“The reason he’s so adamant about this is because the average age of people who watch a golf telecast is 65. That’s the average age. And that tells you that the golf audience is on a downward ski slope. What Greg wants to do — because he’s so passionate about the sport — he wants to reverse that trend and hopefully produce golf that appeals, for the first time many decades, to a much younger demographic than watches now.”

I’d settle for a league and a broadcast deal first. Baby steps.

Quadrilateral: Major News & Notes, January 27, 2022

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Toughest Courses To Putt…Torrey Pines?!

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As the Farmers kicks off on its special Wednesday start, Data Golf posted the list of toughest greens to putt and Winged Foot continues to influence plenty of statistical categories. Hardly a shocker. But this week’s Farmers Insurance Open host and 2021 U.S. Open site Torrey Pines made the list twice. Much of this is the inevitable influence of “poa” and some of it highlights how a set of thoroughly unimaginative greens can wreak as much havoc as those with strong slopes (Augusta National).

Maybe without green reading books they’ll putt better?

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Announces Field, Celebs As Best They Can

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There are tough jobs and then there is the task of dressing up this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, deserted by a number of stars and former champions given waivers to pursue PIFSIPSIA riches.

Certainly it’s not all bad, with great adds to the Pro-Am field in Mia Hamm and Mookie Betts. Otherwise, I’m not sure Der Bingle would know what to do with this…

MONTEREY, Calif., Jan. 25, 2022 – The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is poised to welcome back its unique vibe at this year’s tournament as spectators return to line the courses to watch the world’s top players join with celebrities, several making their debuts, in the popular pro-am format. The four-day tournament tees off Thursday, Feb. 3 with play on Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore course.

United States Ryder Cup teammates Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger, set to defend his AT&T title from a year ago, headline the professional field. Cantlay and Spieth finished tied for third place behind Berger who dramatically eagled the 72nd hole on Sunday to punctuate his victory. Other top professionals appearing are Matt Fitzpatrick, Kevin Kisner, Justin Rose and Maverick McNealy, the Stanford graduate who was runner-up to Berger in 2021.

Celebrities making their tournament debut include:

  • Mia Hamm – two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion;

  • Mookie Betts – Dodgers’ outfielder and first player in MLB history to win MVP Awards and World Series titles with different teams before age 30;

  • Lukas Nelson – country rock musician and son of Willie Nelson;

  • Canelo Álvarez – professional boxer who has won multiple world championships in four weight classes from light middleweight to light heavyweight;

  • ScHool Boy Q – American rapper and songwriter from South Central Los Angeles; and

  • Scott Eastwood – actor and producer.

Returning favorites in the celebrity field include Macklemore, Don Cheadle, Josh Duhamel, Kira Dixon, Huey Lewis, Ray Romano, Alfonso Ribeiro, Darius Rucker, and Jake Owen as well as former NFL stars Steve Young, Larry Fitzgerald and Alex Smith.

A few professionals have practically earned celebrity status based on the number of times they have played the event. Defending champions Davis Love III (2001, 2003) and Peter Jacobsen (1995), whose playing partner for many years was the beloved Jack Lemmon, each return for the 31st time. Tom Lehman is back for his 22nd year.

“There is always considerable excitement around the tournament but with the spectators and celebrities on hiatus last year, the buzz is even greater with their return for 2022,”said Steve John, CEO of Monterey Peninsula Foundation, host of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “It promises to be memorable for the players, fans, volunteers and the deserving charities that will benefit.”

2023 Drive, Chip And Putt Registration Open

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No experience necessary for what will be the 10th anniversary of this tradition unlike any other.

Nationwide qualifying starts May 1 with more than 350 local events capped off by the regionals and finals the Sunday prior to the Masters.

Register here.

Search venues by zip code here.

The impressive list of regional hosts:

  • Saturday, September 10 | Scioto Country Club (One of four courses to host the U.S. Open (1926), Ryder Cup (1931), PGA Championship (1950) and U.S. Amateur Championship (1968). Also hosted two U.S. Senior Opens (1986, 2016)

  • Saturday, September 17 | TPC Boston (Host of The Northern Trust PGA Tour playoff event in 2020)

  • Sunday, September 18| Castle Pines Golf Club (Host of The International on the PGA Tour for 21 years)

  • Sunday, September 18 | Oak Hill Country Club (Site of six USGA championships, including three U.S. Opens; and host of three PGA Championships, the 1995 Ryder Cup and two KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships. Oak Hill will also host the 2023 PGA Championship)

  • Sunday, September 25 | Pebble Beach Golf Links (Site of 13 USGA championships, including six U.S. Opens, and the future site of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open and 2027 U.S. Open; and host of the 1977 PGA Championship)

  • Sunday, September 25 | Desert Mountain (Site of the 2015 and 2016 Senior PGA’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup)

  • Saturday, October 1 | Medinah Country Club (Site of four USGA championships, including three U.S. Opens; and host of two PGA Championships and the 2012 Ryder Cup)

  • Sunday, October 2 | Champions Golf Club (Site of five USGA championships including the 1969 U.S. Open; and host of the 1967 Ryder Cup)

  • Sunday, October 2 | The Bear’s Club (Founded Dec, 31, 1999 by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus)

  • DATE TBA | Quail Hollow Club (Site of the 2017 PGA Championship and the host of the 2025 PGA Championship)

Same Old Story: Pretty Much No One Watches AmEx Final Round

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The former PGA Tour Commissioner once predicted golf would compete with the NFL in the popularity department. Maybe he meant NFL Network Gameday Final? Eh, the PGA Tour was thumped by that cable post game show, too. And by Sunday’s LPGA coverage on both NBC and Golf Channel.

But as long as AmEx is willing to sponsor, more power to them through 2028.

For reasons we’ll never fully understand, the PGA Tour tries to go up against NFL action in the early season non-network weeks and in markets where they probably might draw just as many spectators on weekdays as weekends. (This coming Sunday the first notable exception when CBS and Farmers wisely move the final round to Saturday).

For those wondering what might happen if these early events moved to a Tuesday-Friday schedule, note that the Friday broadcast out-rated Sunday’s AmEx final round, won by Hudson Swafford. But even that rating was beaten by all sorts of random stuff like X-Games Aspen and late Friday Big Ten basketball games.

Last year’s AmEx and LPGA TOC ratings for reference, all courtesy of ShowBuzzDaily.com.

Women Better Then Men Files: Hilton Grand Vacations TOC Results

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Check out Matt Vincenzi’s item at GolfWRX looking at the difference between the LPGA’s best and male amateurs playing from the same Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions tees. In particular, he notes the play of winner Derek Lowe and very good (+2.8) golfer Mardy Fish.

Golf Channel’s Tom Abbott pointed out that the amateurs and LPGA pro’s played under the same circumstances: “They played in the same groups, from the same tees, in the same conditions. The celebs had the advantage of playing a stableford format, which is slightly more freeing than straight stroke play, but as far as head-to-head tournament play goes, this was a pretty good comparison.”

Much to the dismay of the “A” player in the local men’s league, the professionals unsurprisingly came out on top. While the tournament’s champion, Danielle Kang, shot four consecutive rounds in the 60s, the amateurs in the event combined for a grand total of zero.

Additionally, former Red Sox pitcher and 0.2 handicap Derek Lowe, posted rounds of 76-72-75-72, the best of any celeb. It was an impressive performance from Lowe and resulted in a final score of +7, which was still 23 shots worse than Kang.