Golfing News & Blog Articles

Phil Mickelson was seven-under through eight of his ZOZO Championship holes Saturday before posting 67 at Sherwood, but more noteworthy was the way he walked back his early week comments on Houston. Or was that some post-Commissioner-text-message breakdancing?

Anyway, a few days after questioning a pre-Masters Houston Open appearance because 2000 spectators were going to be allowed, Mickelson has had a change of heart. Maybe.

From Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com:

He told GolfChannel.com this on Saturday: “That’s not a deciding factor. I’m sure the Tour will do a great job of making it safe.”

He went on to mention a bunch of first world dilemmas he faces in this all important scheduling decision. They involve rye grass. Carts. Other things. In case you care.

Another strong month for rounds played, this time up 25.5% according to Golf Datatech.

From their summary:

Entering October, play was up 8.7% nationally versus the same period a year ago. That reflects a year-to-date increase of about 29 million more rounds, even with the loss of about 20 million rounds during the spring due to Covid-related shutdowns.

Every state in the continental U.S. has seen increases in play of at least 2% for each of the past three months. A major drop in precipitation helped fuel a 46% September rounds-increase in Minnesota, while other Midwest states also saw notable increases: Illinois (+35%), Wisconsin (+29%), Michigan (+27%), Indiana (+27%) and Ohio (+26%).

Tony Finau has returned to action after a positive COVID-19 test and what sound like the worst known symptoms experienced by a PGA Tour player since the pandemic has begun.

After carding a second round 64 at Sherwood to land T6 (-11) in the 2020 ZOZO Championship, Finau spoke to reporters about the experience.

I was present for much of Finau’s chat and he’s both a testament to the PGA Tour’s testing program, but also to the role players who have tested positive can play in spreading an enlightened message about mask wearing and distancing.

From Bob Harig’s ESPN.com story on Finau that is very much worth your time.

Finau, 31, said he started to experience flu-like symptoms on Oct. 3. Two days later, he drove from his Salt Lake City home to the tournament in Las Vegas. He was tested the following day, with the positive result forthcoming.

"For the first five days, it got worse," said Finau, who was required by the PGA Tour to quarantine in Las Vegas for 10 days -- with a $75,000 stipend provided. "I had massive headaches, body aches. I didn't feel like doing anything. It got me really good -- fatigue-wise. I'm very active. Work out quite often. Always playing golf or with my kids and quite active. It knocked me down. There's no question about it.

"For those 10 days, I didn't feel like doing anything. I obviously didn't get to practice. I lost my taste and smell after about four days. Still don't have it back. That kind of sucks; I'm quite a foodie. It was not the experience I thought I was going to have. Most guys are asymptomatic. They say if you're young and healthy, it's not a big deal. I think I gained some respect for the virus."

It was the coolest day in months around southern California but still comfortable enough for short sleeves.

Sherwood Country Club is immaculate.

There are five par-5’s.

The ball goes forever and there isn’t a snap hook in sight.

Oh, and the players have never been more athletic, intelligent, etc...

TT has he/she/it/they have been known—aka Tiger Tracker—has become a staple of GolfChannel.com’s presence on social media. The 8-year-old account had become the go-to for fans to track Woods’s every move and could even, at times, become a tad cultish as those who questioned the anonymous Tweeter’s wisdom.

Nonetheless, at 438,800 Twitter followers, it was Golf Channel’s second most-followed account but easily its most beloved. While not profitable, TT was quite good at the whole “engagement” thing MBA types mention as vital to their businesses.

But with the channel laying off most staff and sending a small number to Connecticut to put a bare bones channel on the air until an inevitable move of PGA Tour coverage to Peacock, layoffs have apparently eliminated those behind the beloved Twitter follow.

Tiger Tracker has not posted since September 23rd and sat out Tiger’s opening two rounds in his 20200 ZOZO Championship defense. Fans have been inundating both the official account and folks like myself wanting answers.

How revered is the Tracker? Even Golf Channel’s official account briefly wondered where TT was during Thursday’s opening round before the delete button was struck.

Some are counting down to the rescheduled fall Masters to savor a tradition most definitely not like any other we want to do again. Others, well, are looking forward to Bryson DeChambeau highlighting previously unknown design dimensions to Augusta National.

The 2020 U.S. Open Champion provided this Instagram story update on his rest, training and speed work in advance of the Masters (embed above).

As the PGA Tour visits Sherwood Country Club below, Wayne Gretzky has listed his Richard Landry-designed and Lenny Dykstra-redecorated estate for $22.9 million, reports the LA Times’s Jack Fleming.

Overlooking the course hosting this week’s ZOZO Championship, the home has quite a history.

It’s actually Gretzky’s second time selling the home. The NHL Hall of Famer was the compound’s original owner after having it built in 2002, but five years later, he sold it to former baseball star Lenny Dykstra for $18.5 million.

The sale kicked off a dramatic saga that saw Dykstra lose the property to foreclosure after declaring bankruptcy, at which point it sold at auction on the steps of the Ventura County Courthouse for $760,712 (with the winning bidder taking on about $12 million in debt owed on the property).

Then, two years ago, Gretzky reunited with the home, shelling out $13.5 million for the promontory estate. That’s $5 million less than the price at which he had sold it to Dykstra roughly a decade earlier; if he gets his price this time around, he stands to make $9.4 million in profit.

Never one to be entirely consistent, former PGA and Open Champion John Daly took in the 2020 Presidential debate as a guest of Donald Trump. Along with buddy Kid Rock, the pair had to be asked to pull up masks, as mandated by the debate commission, Des Bieler reports.

Not long after the two settled into their seats at Belmont University’s Curb Event Center, they were reportedly asked to put on masks. Daly and Kid Rock complied, but to judge from a number of photos taken of them, they weren’t always assiduous in keeping them pulled up.

Daly, diabetic and battling bladder cancer, was a mask advocate in April and withdrew from the PGA Championship over California’s COVID-19 infection rate.

His post last night from the debate:

Beyond blessed to watch one of best @realdonaldtrump #Trump at #PresidentialDebate2020 #Debates2020 with my boy @kidrock TRUMP MTHA FUCKAS 🚂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

You want something fresh and different in golf broadcasting? Of late it’s been slim pickings after CBS’s run this summer, but huge points go to LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan for working as an on-course reporter.

Whan covered round one of the LPGA Drive On Championship near Lake Oconee and pulled off a veritable miracle in modern golf: on-course, mid-round interviews.

From Beth Ann Nichols’ Golfweek report on the Whan experiment:

Whan even conducted mid-round interviews, asking players what they would do if they were commissioner for an hour.

“Hire Mike Whan back!” said Kang, who looked more nervous than usual with a mic in her face.

The video:

Nothing against the fall or even the ZOZO, rather miraculously rescheduled despite the sponsor having no place in the American market. But this is typically not a time of year you see players bend clubs, blow off the media, tell dad to lose the tips, or grind on the range until dark.

Day one at Sherwood saw a bit of everything and the stunning scoring you might expect with perfect conditioning, a healthy purse and players seeking momentum into the rescheduled Masters (November 12-15).

A stout 24 players posted 68 or better, with leader Sebastian Munoz 64 despite two bogies and a double. He leads by one over the sizzling Tyrell Hatton and Justin Thomas who finished his round eagle, birdie, birdie.

While spectators are not allowed, local boy Matthew Wolff did have family and friends moving around the property as he predicted Wednesday. Imagine the pride of walking off the fourth tee with Tiger Woods:

Wolff opened with a 69 that included a lost ball at the par-4 14th. He drove the first green, hit the oak next to the surface and made a 17'10” putt for eagle.

Thanks to all who sent in John Hawkins’s Morning Read look at the pending downscaling of Golf Channel and demise of GolfChannel.com. I held off on posting the story while awaiting comment on the recent building closure and ensuing disappearance of all studio shows. While a network spokesman has not able to give an answer about what was happening, channel listings do show Morning Drive and Golf Central returning next week. At least, for the time being. (Before a scaling back when the network moves to Stamford, Connecticut for “geographic consolidation” and tax breaks with one studio show covering pre and post games.)

Multiple sources say the headquarters, closed to ensure safe working conditions after a class action suit was filed against the neighboring Lockheed Martin facility, will reopen next week, while GolfChannel.com has received a very slight reprieve from the expected year-end shuttering first reported on by The Athletic.

Hawkins writes:

The layoffs were made public in June, to be conducted in a two-stage process, and that process is still shaking itself out. The coronavirus hasn’t made things any easier. Nor has a class-action lawsuit involving 11 Golf Channel employees and defense company Lockheed Martin, which owns a plant near the GC complex and is accused in a class-action lawsuit of instigating an “environmental nightmare” with its alleged mismanagement of hazardous toxins.

A source with close knowledge of the case confirmed today that the Golf Channel employee portion of the case has swelled to “about 100” plaintiffs from the 11 originally reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

Given the ongoing pandemic, the PGA of America will not hold the 2021 “Show” this coming January.

Instead a virtual show will take place. A cutting edge one at that.

The PGA Show’s Virtual Experience & Marketplace will drive business, education and networking through a cutting-edge, highly interactive virtual platform featuring:

New product launch events

Dynamic exhibitor showrooms

Golf Datatech reports over $1 billion of golf equipment sales in 2020’s third quarter, making it the highest Q3 on record and the best quarter since 2008. The sales are up 42% over the same period in 2019.

From their release: 

“The story keeps getting better as golf continues to surge coming out of the shutdown, and Q3 equipment sales suggests that 2020 will likely end up positive for the entire year,” said John Krzynowek, Partner, Golf Datatech, LLC. “Year-to-date sales for total equipment are now up 0.2% compared to 2019, and considering the size of the hole created by the shutdown in April and May this recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. While the US economy will not enjoy a ‘V Shaped Recovery’ in 2020, if golf continues on this trajectory we will be there soon.”

The category leaders in sales for September were golf bags at +19% and wedges at +18%, while golf shoes were +2%. Overall, the golf club category was +0.9% for the month, with balls and gloves trending slightly lower, -2.7%.

 Wait, they left out the part about the huge spike in $600 driver sales! Because that’s what grows the game! Or, more time for safe outdoor recreation.

After a successful late summer run of negative tests prior to the U.S. Open, Adam Scott becomes the third star player in as many weeks to test positive for the coronavirus.

PGA TOUR Statement on Adam Scott

PGA TOUR member Adam Scott has withdrawn from the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD after testing positive for COVID-19.

Scott, who last competed at the U.S. Open in September, will have the PGA TOUR’s full support throughout his self-isolation period under CDC guidelines.

“While it’s difficult news to receive – as I really looked forward to playing this week – my focus now is on recovery for the final stretch of the fall,” said Scott.

With the Houston Open benefiting the Astros* Foundation set to welcome 2000 fans a day at a hefty price, Phil Mickelson added another wrinkle to the imminent return of galleries.

The perennial week-before-a-major player says he’s not so sure about returning in front of galleries and risking exposure that could force a Masters WD.

Speaking before the ZOZO Championship, Mickelson said he’s mulling options.

“I think the PGA TOUR's done an incredible job, I mean an incredible job of getting the players to play and compete in a safe environment,” he said. “We've had a few people test positive. It has not spread from those people. They've kept everybody at a good social distance so if somebody does have it, it hasn't affected and carried through the Tour. I think they've done a phenomenal job of having us feel safe.I think that they will do a very good, safe job in having 2,000 people at the Houston Open. However, for me personally, I don't like the risk that having that happen the week before the Masters. I just feel like the week before the Masters, like that's a big tournament we have and I just don't want to have any risk heading in there. So it has made me question whether or not I'll play there.”

Mickelson later reiterated he would likely play the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Challenge in Phoenix as long as fans were not part of the equation.

The late Mickey Wright has left her entire estate and possessions to the USGA, news announced by the organization today.

Beth Ann Nichols got an exclusive look at Wright’s items and shared her observations in this Golfweek.com piece.

Wright carefully charted everything, from her calorie intake to a stock’s performance, the latter with hand-drawn graphs. She was particular about wanting her desk taken up to Far Hills. They also took the adding machine, a lamp, a 2014 Curtis Cup mouse pad and stacks of ledgers. She’d often write to the authors of the investment books she read seeking advice.

A green Titleholders jacket hung in her closet. One of her books, “Play Golf the Wright Way,” was opened up to a spread showing her driver sequence. Wright filled up notebooks with swing thoughts and kept dozens of VHS tapes of her golf highlights. She even had a professional studio preserve certain clips, giving future generations priceless footage of a swing Ben Hogan once lauded as the best in golf.

The best of the existing course rankings—Golf Magazine’s World Top 100 came out strong last year under Ran Morrissett’s fine-tuning to present a strong international list rewarding architecture over some obvious oddball inclusions.

The new U.S. Top 100 is coming out any day now and they’re already discussing it on GolfClubAtlas.com and is eye-opening.

The obvious theme of panelists from my first glimpse: restorations rooted in historical accuracy and fun are sending courses up the rankings, while half-hearted-or-worse-redos took big hits with the elite panel.

At first glimpse it’s hard not to notice the fall of name-brand, legendary layouts that present the golfer a mixed bag of design changes.

Since the last Golf U.S. list in 2018:

Derek Lawrenson explains the USGA and R&A’s new World Handicap in his weekly Daily Mail column and is not entirely sold, as well-intentioned as he found the new world order as of November 2.

For the amateurs who play a significant percentage of their golf outside their home course, the changes will be welcomed. It’s obviously simplistic to take an eight handicap at a straightforward inland course and think it translates to playing off the same mark at, say, Royal Birkdale. This more nuanced approach will make the necessary adjustments.

The reason I’ll get a couple of extra shots at my home course is that it has a high slope rating, meaning it is more difficult than your average track.

Why introduce this in the middle of a pandemic is a valid question. But when we’ve grown accustomed to the changes, it ought to make sense.

In the meantime, you can always take refuge in the cheerful conclusion reached by our handicap chairman: ‘Do not become overwhelmed by all the information, the calculations and the formulae: remember, the computer will do it all for you.’

I laughed out loud a few times during Golf Digest’s “Undercover Caddie” with Joel Beall tackling the tricky topic of PGA Tour events without fans.

While a few veteran stars maybe haven’t had their old home field advantage without fans giving them an extra adrenaline boost, it’s been apparent players have enjoyed not dealing with gallery inconveniences. The unnamed caddie acknowledges that the PGA Tour has “feels less like a professional sports league” and “more like a very serious member-guest that’s being televised.”

But says for caddies, life has been way easier and for players too, including Wednesdays.

OK, one thing is better: no pro-ams. Do you see brokers in the layup line at an NBA game? How about salesmen taking hacks in the batting cage at Fenway Park? Listen, the Wednesday events do a lot for charity. We meet some interesting people through them, and no, they’re not all chops. But if you’re asking if I’d rather my man prep for a tournament by (a) playing with fellow pros or (b) acting as a tour guide … I think you know my answer.

This reminds me: this week’s ZOZO Championship at Sherwood features a pro-am with players only obligated to play nine of the 18-hole round. And as odd as they are compared to other pro sports, they are integral to the PGA Tour’s business and most of all, the charities.

Returning to Sherwood Country Club for the ZOZO Championship, Tiger Woods was asked about the speed chase by players.

TIGER WOODS: Well, distance has always been an advantage. Now that we have the tools, that being the launch monitor, the fitting of the golf clubs, the adjustability. I think all that plays into the fact that you're able to maximize the capabilities of a driver. There's no reason why you can't pick up more yardage and guys have done that. They've changed shafts, they've changed lofts, they've changed weights on their heads and length of clubs. Driving is such a huge part of the game and it's so advantageous if you're able to get the ball out there. It just makes the game so much easier.

And this on distance was nice. Someone else has lost patience.

Q. Just one last question, and on the back of an earlier question about driving distance of the ball. As you know, the administrators are a little worried about where the game's going. Should they be worried?

TIGER WOODS: They should have been worried a long time ago, but the genie's out of the bag now. It's about what do we do going forward and how soon can they do it. I don't know if they're going--you're not going to stop the guys who are there right now. You can carry--guys are figuring out how to carry the ball 320-plus yards, and it's not just a few of them. There's a lot of guys can do it. That's where the game's going. There's only going to be a small amount of property that we can do, we can alter golf courses. I just don't see how they can roll everything back. I would like to have--like to be able to see that, as far as our game, but then we go back down the road of what do you bifurcate, at what level? So that's a long discussion we've had for a number of years, for 20-plus years now, and I think it's only going to continue.