When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
I drooled a few times watching how Donald Ross’ Pine Needles has been transformed by Kyle Franz. This week’s U.S. Women’s Open site takes about 15 minutes to get through and while it would be fun to see the before shots, it’s best we just focus on the present as the world’s best women prepare to descend on Pinehurst.
Enjoy!
As the NCAA men’s championship has been cut to 15 teams and decides the individual title Monday, carve out a few minutes for Brentley Romine’s oral history of the 2012 matches at Riviera.
With the rise of several players who participated and the success of the team match format, Romine has done a fantastic job documenting the epic Texas-Alabama finale. This one happened before Golf Channel started doing full coverage but Romine has enough recollections, images and even YouTube clips to capture what was a match play classic. The premature celebration by Alabama coach Jay Seawell has not, well, aged particularly well.
It’s a three parter and you’ll see my name pop up in there Part 3 but only because UT’s coaches left no stone unturned. But I don’t ever want to hear crap from a Longhorn again.
ESPN.com’s Tom VanHaaren reports on the first grand scale NIL deal signed for a junior golfer.
Cobra Puma has inked 12-year old Xeve Perez to a deal, joining his proud partners at Easypost, JumboMax and OnCore.
One of the agents working with Perez is Brett Falkoff, who also represents PGA Tour players, including Bryson DeChambeau.
"He hits the ball further than any 12-year old I have ever seen, and when it comes to his short game, he already has hands like a professional," Falkoff said in a statement. "His larger-than-life personality and well-mannered demeanor will set him apart, and we feel that combined with his work ethic and passion for the game, it's only a matter of time before he takes the golf world by storm."
I haven’t a clue how this ends well except for the adults cashing in on a kid. But maybe he’ll surprise us hitting it “further” than any 12-year-old in the game’s history.
The second effort of California Assemblymember Cristina Garcia to usher in the development of golf courses into affordable housing has failed.
The bill would have required a developer to allocate just 25% of the housing developed on green spaces into affordable units.
Defeating AB-1910, formally entitled “Publicly Owned Golf Courses, Conversion to Affordable Housing,” has been a significant priority of the California golf community since introduction in February 2021 of its precursor bill AB-672. Since December 2021, defeat of AB-672 and AB-1910 has involved 1000’s of letters/e-mails to California Legislators and individuals and golf clubs and organization writing over 250 policy letters to State Assembly Housing, Local Government, and Appropriations committees. Both AB-672 and the virtually identically worded AB-1910 died in the State Assembly’s financial watchdog Appropriations Committee, in January and May, respectively.
A busy week winds down (maybe) with final PGA Championship items, pairing sheet stupidity, the U.S. Women's Open gets good news, a bunch of U.S. Open and Open qualifying news and much more.
It’s free Thursday’s at the Quad so everyone can enjoy. But of course, subscribing is free. And while we’re in the heart of major season, this is a year-round venture, as explained here.
Led by the super-duo of Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck, the Stanford women take on Oregon in today’s NCAA Women’s final. Adam Woodward and Lance Ringler preview what should be a stellar all-Pac 12 match.
The Cardinal women are profiled and trailed at a recent even in a tremendous film by No Laying Up. It’s directed by D.J. Piehowski and edited by Matt Golden, and a tremendous piece of work!
2013 Walker Cup matches
Adding to the already stellar lineup, National Golf Links follows its successful hosting of the 2013 Walker Cup with the 2030 Curtis Cup matches. Fantastic news for the women’s game.
For Immediate Release:
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (May 25, 2022) – National Golf Links of America, in Southampton, N.Y., has been named the host site of the 46th Curtis Cup Match, to be held June 7-9, 2030. This will be the third USGA championship conducted at National Golf Links, which has previously hosted the 1922 and 2013 Walker Cup Matches.
“We are thrilled to return to National Golf Links, one of America’s finest golf courses and a true cathedral of the game,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director, Championships. “The club has been such an integral part of Walker Cup history, so for its leadership to offer to host a Curtis Cup speaks volumes about their commitment to the amateur and women’s game. We cannot wait to work with their leadership in the effort to stage another memorable Match.”
National Golf Links of America, which opened in 1909, was designed by renowned golf course architect Charles Blair Macdonald, who guided the course’s development over its first 30 years. Macdonald’s tenure included the inaugural Walker Cup Match in 1922. Led by playing captain William C. Fownes Jr. and with a side that included Bob Jones, Charles “Chick” Evans and Francis Ouimet, the United States won the first Match, 8-4. National Golf Links of America was the home club of George Herbert Walker, USGA president in 1920, when the event was conceived, and the man who donated the trophy. The Walker Cup Match returned to National Golf Links in 2013, when the USA Team defeated GB&I 17-9.
“We’re thrilled to be able to welcome back the USGA, The R&A and some of the finest amateur players in the world,” said Michael X. McBride, chair of the Golf Committee for National Golf Links. “George Herbert Walker truly valued the camaraderie and level of play involved in team competition, and for National Golf Links to now be involved in support of the women’s amateur game is a special moment for all of us associated with the club.”
Upcoming Curtis Cup Match Venues
2022 Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.
2024 Sunningdale Golf Club, Sunningdale, England
2026 Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles, Calif.
2028 TBD
2030 National Golf Links of America, Southampton, N.Y.
National Golf Links will become just the fourth club to host both the Walker Cup Match and Curtis Cup Match, joining Merion Golf Club, The Minikahda Club and Quaker Ridge Golf Club. Merion will host the upcoming 42nd Curtis Cup Match, its second time hosting the Match, from June 10-12.
The 2030 Curtis Cup Match will be the 78th USGA championship held in the state of New York, third-most among all states. The state last hosted the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, and will next host the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough.
The Curtis Cup Match is contested by two teams of eight female amateur players, one from the USA and one from Great Britain and Ireland, which is composed of England, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It consists of six foursomes (alternate-shot) matches, six four-ball matches and eight singles matches over three days of competition. The USA leads the overall series, 30-8-3.
A tremendous piece of work from the CBS team and writer John Hopkins, who also narrated this tribute to photographer David Cannon. It was shown to the audience for Cannon’s award acceptance before an enjoyable Q&A with Jim Nantz. Enjoy!
And the Q&A with Jim Nantz where Cannon takes us through the creation of some of his best images…
I’d say more here but it’s a long one! There was plenty to chew on from a great week in Tulsa.
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The love-hate relationship between Jack Nicklaus and Howard Milstein has reached full ugliness. Morning Read’s Alex Miceli dropped a bombshell during third round play of the PGA: Nicklaus Companies, owned by Milstein, is suing Jack Nicklaus for breach of contract, tortious interference and breach of fiduciary duty. The complaint was filed eight days ago in New York.
Milstein is also the owner of Golf Magazine/Golf.com/8 a.m. ventures in addition to the Nicklaus Companies.
The most alarming allegation: Milstein alleges Nicklaus had to be talked out of taking a brand-killing Saudi payday. This is rich since Milstein’s Golf has featured some suspicious Saudi spon-con style praise and a glowing rollout for a Nicklaus design there.
But the suit also comes just days after Nicklaus told Michael Bamberger that he turned down an offer to take the job now occupied by Greg Norman.
Nicklaus said. “I turned it down. Once verbally, once in writing. I said, ‘Guys, I have to stay with the PGA Tour. I helped start the PGA Tour.’”
Was Nicklaus trying to get his side out before the suit hit? Or is Milstein just trying to distance himself from the Saudi’s after his operation flirted with the Kingdom for a little apparent sponcon?
Screen captures from the suit, courtesy of NLU’s Big Randy:
This lawsuit is so good. Jack really, really wanted that LIV money! Which makes his quotes earlier this week look disingenuous AF. #Allegedly https://t.co/D2gHFpDBc4 pic.twitter.com/R00slTEYj4
— Big Randy (@BigRandyNLU) May 21, 2022
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His new appearance has allowed for Mickelson to go out and attend his niece and nephew’s games…from an adjoining field.
“I wish you could see him now,’’ Mary Mickelson said. “He’s relaxed, he laughs all the time. He’s not on the phone with people that are calling him for this and that, and please play in this tournament, and it’s hard when you have to say no, when you don’t have the time to spend. But he has taken a lot of time with our family.”
And this from Charles Barkley:
“I talked to Phil and I told him, ‘Hey, man, how long are you going to hide out? It’s time for you to come out,’ ’’ Barkley said. “Phil is my friend and always will be my friend. That does not mean he did not screw up. But the notion that he’s got to stay in his house for the rest of his life is just (expletive).”
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
