Golfing News & Blog Articles

Trump Turnberry

Peter Baker reports on the Presidential COVID-19 briefing that also included a question about yesterday’s New York Times story regarding Trump Turnberry, The Open and Ambassador Woody Johnson.

“No, I never spoke to Woody Johnson about that, about Turnberry,” Mr. Trump said. “Turnberry’s a highly respected course, as you know, one of the best in the world. I read a story about it today, and I never spoke to Woody Johnson about doing that, no.”

Johnson took to Twitter to fend off allegations from another story, but it’s not clear if he was referring to Trump Turnberry here:

I have followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times. These false claims of insensitive remarks about race and gender are totally inconsistent with my longstanding record and values.

There are too many layers to go into with this PGATour.com (unlabeled) sponsored content, or give-back, or whatever it is. I’ll start by having your top writer take out the trash as just one thing that comes to mind.

But there is actual comedy in a story looking at how pros paid to play the Callaway Mavrik driver (I know, what a scoop!). Given that exactly one year ago Xander Schauffele and Callaway were in the hot seat over an illegal driver, and that we’re seeing some freakish driving distances of late, you’d think this might be a good time to lay low.

SponCon here we come:

Henrik Stenson, the 2013 FedExCup champ and six-time winner on the PGA TOUR, noted in the July-August 2020 issue of Golf magazine that “the ball speeds off of MAVRIK are really high, and I noticed that almost immediately when I first tried it. If I hit it dead center or if I miss the sweet spot, I still know that I’m going to get the speed and distance I’m looking for.”

Having that confidence that a non-center strike can still be an effective shot is a huge advantage for any players, particularly those at the top level. And particularly on fairway woods, which can often be a pesky club to figure out – and a club that many weekend amateurs try to avoid as much as possible.

76er Matisse Thybulle has been posting warts-and-all videos from the NBA bubble in Orlando. Thanks to reader BB for highlighting volume 4 that shows how NBA quarantine golf looks. In a nutshell: you’ll feel very good about your game seeing what’s taking place down there—albeit with clubs not made for some of the best and tallest athletes in the world.

I’ve embedded a version that starts at the golf portion, but if you are one of those plot zealots who just has to see their reality shows from the start, you can go here.

Now, call me crazy, but the PGA Tour is back. It’s working.

Even with fields too absurdly big that in weeks like this one at the 3M, where you half expect to see a Mexican Mini Tour great like Club Pro Guy turning up, the PGA Tour is functioning. (For those counting at home, it’s a 197 from a record 803 strength-of-field drop this week).

Yes, there have been the inevitable hiccups, new rules on the fly, tweaks to COVID-19 guidelines and other madness that comes with a pandemic. But CBS and Golf Channel ratings keep getting better by the week at a time of year they always go down, and in spite of having no fan energy.

Increasingly, without locker rooms or droplet spewing contact to probably doom the return, along with Sanford providing on-site testing separate of local labs prioritizing sports leagues in other markets, PGA Tour golf is looking like one sport that can keep going pretty safely despite the ongoing pandemic.

So let’s see if we can screw that up!

Beth Ann Nichols with news that the Women’s British Open is now the AIG Women’s Open, aligning the “branding” with the R&A’s Open Championship.

The event is set for August 20-23rd at Royal Troon and will be sponsored by AIG through 2025.

“AIG proudly stands as allies with these accomplished players, and with women in business and society,” said Peter Zaffino, President & Global Chief Operating Officer, AIG in a statement. “In the face of challenging global circumstances, we are pleased that our increased support of the AIG Women’s Open will enable these dedicated professionals to compete and break down barriers that will provide a lasting example for future generations.”

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said the new name reflects the championship’s growing stature and broadening international appeal.

The use of “British” in the title was inconsistent with the R&A’s other major professional championship and the push since 2014 to call the Open Championship, The Open.

As the PGA of America gets ready to host the first major of 2020 at TPC Harding Park, they will be following the PGA Tour’s guidelines with one key exception, ESPN.com’s Bob Harig reports: negative COVID-19 test results.

Family members, agents and managers will not be permitted at Harding Park, but up to two coaches as well as a physical trainer and an interpreter (if necessary) will be allowed, subject to COVID-19 testing. No one will be allowed onto the grounds prior to getting a negative result, and all of the testing will be done away from Harding Park, starting on Aug. 2.

In recent weeks, the PGA Tour has allowed players continuing to test positive after experiencing some symptoms to play, or, in the case of some players, who’ve experienced no symptoms (and may have received a false positive test result.)

The Scotsman’s Martin Dempster channels what most of us feel about these pandemic-era returns as the European Tour begins its reboot to 2020 with a six week UK-run of events, starting with the British Masters at Close House, a course renovated by host Lee Westwood with Scott Macpherson.

Regarding the European Tour’s efforts to return, Dempster writes:

The tour has spent £2 million plus in developing a health strategy for the rest of the year, and I have every faith that it will be a proper “bubble” compared to what the PGA Tour, at the start at least, had for its return last month.

Dr Andrew Murray, the circuit’s chief medical officer, has been one of Keith Pelley’s key advisors as he plotted these careful first steps and the Aberdonian will be ensuring that everything is carried out exactly how it needs to be at the moment.

“Although golf is back, as Keith Pelley has said, these will not – and should not – feel like normal golf tournaments,” said Murray. “It’s good that we are all back to work in a familiar environment, but things will be completely different with all the measures that we will be putting in place as part of our health strategy.”

Amateur Mike Muehr of Virginia had to WD due to a change in quarantine rules

Thanks to all who sent Greg Mattura’s story on amateur Mike Muehr having to WD from the 100th New Jersey Open despite being in contention, all because he’s from Virginia. The state was added to New Jersey’s 14-day quarantine list Tuesday and officials phoned Muehr to inform him that even after two rounds, he must withdraw.

Golfers making the cut to Wednesday's final round will be required to withdraw if in the past two weeks they have visited states added to the list: Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Virginia, and Washington.

"A very difficult decision for us to make, but the decision already has been made," Kevin Purcell, executive director of the New Jersey State Golf Association, said late Tuesday afternoon. "The policy was in place, and there's already been people who have withdrawn from the event because they had played in the states that had been on the list at that time."

The New York Times’ Mark Lander, Lara Jakes and Maggie Haberman report that President Donald Trump asked his appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom to help steer The Open Championship back to Trump Turnberry Resort.

The course last hosted The Open in 2009 as Turnberry resort, and was purchased in 2014 by Trump, subsequently renovated, impressively upgraded (my review here for GolfDigest.com), and has since not returned to The Open rota.

According to the reporting, American ambassador and New York Jets owner Robert Wood Johnson IV, was advised against any attempt at intervening by his deputy, Lewis Lukens, who later was removed from his position.

Whether the idea ever got to the R&A, hosts of The Open, is unclear. However, according to the report…

But Mr. Johnson apparently felt pressured to try. A few weeks later, he raised the idea of Turnberry playing host to the Open with the secretary of state for Scotland, David Mundell.

In a brief interview last week, Mr. Mundell said it was “inappropriate” for him to discuss his dealings with Mr. Johnson and referred to a British government statement that said Mr. Johnson “made no request of Mr. Mundell regarding the British Open or any other sporting event.”

CBS Sports Scores Highest Viewership Since Return to Live Golf with Final Round Coverage of @MemorialGolf pic.twitter.com/daT0UlvUCF

A few things stand out with the 2020 Memorial final round ratings: it scored an increase in viewership in July over the normal May dates. Generally fewer people are watching television this time of year.

Also, the final round 2.09 was registered going up against NASCAR. Furthermore, Tiger Woods was only briefly part of the rain-delay interrupted CBS window.

Golf Channel also did well with Tiger in the early weekend coverage provided by the CBS crew that has pulled off the return under complicated working conditions:

Record Viewership @MemorialGolf:

Sunday (1-3:30 pm): 1.47 million avg viewers, most-watched @GolfChannel lead-in telecast ever at this event & most-watched since 2019 Genesis Open in February.

Saturday (12:30-3 pm): 1.24M viewers, #2 sports telecast of the day in all key demos. pic.twitter.com/aiVdVJW7QE

Sunday, Jon Rahm won the Memorial Tournament despite a 71st hole penalty assessed for causing his ball to move.

If I were PGA Tour Commissioner this is the email I’d sent to PGA Tour players regarding the increasingly problematic tendency to excessively ground the club behind the ball in any kind of lie.

Dear Greatest Athletes In All Of Sport,

It’s been an incredible run since the Return To Golf (© pending) started and I want to thank you for your continued use of a mask when getting Chipotle take-out. Amazing first step. Don’t hesitate to extend that face covering stuff in hotel lobbies or if you have not taken up the special NetJets offer we’ve highlighted (CODE: FLYINGCOMMERCIALSUCKS).

Meanwhile, our positivity rates are as low as the scores you’ve been shooting. Yes, that’s an unfortunate segue to the point of this email you will not read.

Quite the rosy picture of PGA Tour finances in a time of pandemic from John Feinstein at GolfDigest.com:

Other sponsors are accepting their fate of fanless events in the near term for several reasons: They know that the tour’s carefulness is understandable, the tour has picked up the entire tab for purses since play started again, and the tour is apparently in a position to cover full purses at least until the end of the calendar year, if need be. Normally the tour pays for half of each week’s purse.

“You have to understand, they went 10 weeks without paying out purses, so they’re a little more flush than usual,” one source said. “Plus, they have an emergency fund that they can use, and their new TV deal [starting in 2022] will give them a 70 percent boost overall. You add that all up, and they’re in pretty good shape, even if this lasts a while longer.”

Equally important to the local tournament organizations, the tour has also pitched in to make sure the charities that normally receive money from the events are still getting their normal donations, or close to those numbers.

Below are a two super posts from the European Tour featuring archival shots celebrating Jon Rahm’s rise to the No. 1 world ranking, starting with the tweet and retweet from Henrik Stenson:

Impressive play @JonRahmpga ! Can you sign my shirt next week? 😘 https://t.co/pmqw5Me3EP

And this Instagram post of where he started the game:

Where @jonrahm started his journey to World Number 1 ☝️

A post shared by European Tour (@europeantour) on Jul 20, 2020 at 1:35am PDT

Lot to unpack from 2020 Memorial week and to help with the Tiger Woods portion I called up ESPN.com’s Bob Harig.

Here’s the Apple podcast link and of course, you can listen here via iHeart where you can subscribe as well.

A weird final day at the 2020 Memorial will be remembered as the day Jon Rahm became the —- player to be the world’s No. 1 golfer, and his 16 hole hole chip in. Followed by a post-round two-stroke penalty for causing the ball to move (but before he signed his scorecard).

Mike McAllister at PGATour.com with the definitive account of what happened once Tour rules officials started looking at the video and before Rahm signed his winning card.

The shot in question was his second from the rough just off the green at the par-3 16th. As Rahm was at address, the ball moved slightly. Rahm then holed the shot, but slow-motion replays showed the label on the ball moving slightly.

“I didn’t see it,” Rahm said. “You know, I promised open honestly and I’m a loyal person and I don’t want to win by cheating. … The ball did move. It’s as simple as that.”

Rahm was first asked about the potential of a penalty during his post-round interview with CBS prior to reaching the scoring area. Slugger White, PGA TOUR Vice President of Rules & Competition, then showed the replay to Rahm and the penalty was assessed prior to signing his scorecard.

The chip-in becomes a bogey and a 9-under-par winning score over Ryan Palmer, who badly missed the previous week’s cut over the same golf course.

After, Slugger White made clear quite assertively that this was a 9.4 violation and HD had nothing to do with the call.

“The rule is 9.4,” White said. “It was a ball at rest by the player, moved, and since he didn't put it back, he was assessed a general penalty, which is two strokes. That's pretty much the bottom line. …

“When he put the club down behind the ball, it moved ever so slightly to the left, so it changed positions. He accepted it like a gentleman and the man that he is, and we just went on with it.”

The Open for the Ages is over and I’ll be honest, it was on too early in the morning for me to watch but I do look forward to watching even knowing the outcome.

From, Henry Dobereiner-Darwin-Longhurst or whoever crunched the umbers and divided it by the fan vote to produce an excuse to watch golf at St. Andrews and watch some links golf.

Nicklaus, the Champion over the Old Course in 1970 and 1978, trailed Woods by a single stroke with three holes remaining, but a birdie on the 16th lifted the Golden Bear back into a share of the lead.

Why, of course it did. And then Tiger three-putted the Road hole green…

Woods then bogeyed the 17th after missing the green to the left with his approach, meaning two closing pars were enough for Nicklaus to prevail with a final-day 68 and an aggregate score of 16 under.

A putt from 78 yards.
A full swing from 34 feet.

"Phil the Thrill" makes par. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/jCwFdzGvys

Since the designed hole debuted in 2012, Phil Mickelson has never been a fan of Muirfield Village’s 16th. I’m not sure anyone is.

Two years ago in the Memorial final round, only nine players hit the green in regulation.

It’s time for a change.

Turns out, that time started Sunday as crews were shown digging up greens at Muifield Village while the final round of the Memorial played out.

As far as weather delay reveals go, Jack Nicklaus definitely dropped the most shocking of all during round four of the 2020 Memorial. Thankfully, he and wife Barbara (who also tested positive but did not experience symptoms, are both ok and grateful.

From Doug Ferguson’s AP story:

Nicklaus said his wife had no symptoms, while he had a sore throat and a cough. Nicklaus said they were home in North Palm Beach, Florida, from March 13 "until we were done with it" on about April 20.

"It didn't last very long, and we were very, very fortunate, very lucky," Nicklaus said. "Barbara and I are both of the age, both of us 80 years old, that is an at-risk age. Our hearts go out to the people who did lose their lives and their families. We were just a couple of the lucky ones."

Ferguson also notes this:

Nicklaus said that by having the antibodies, "theoretically we can't get it and can't give it. That's a nice position to be in.''

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a June 30 update, said it does not know if people who recover from COVID-19 can be infected again. It also said that even with a positive test for antibodies, "you still should take preventive measures to protect yourself and others."

During Friday’s Memorial, Bryson DeChambeau made a mess of the 15th hole. While his 10 is not available to be watched on the PGA Tour app (brand protected!), most of the conduct unbecoming was captured nicely here in this roundup by Jay Rigdon at Awful Announcing.

Three elements were particularly troubling, starting with Dechambeau’s patting down of rough before and after taking a drop. While this dreadful practice continues to be commonplace way too often, this is just not a good look:

Bryson patting down the rough before dropping in the exact spot he just patted down. Is..... is that legal?

(via @BenSwantonGolf)pic.twitter.com/EY1G5A9ehq

Then there was his subsequent treatment of the PGA Tour rules staff members who were called out to issue a (correct) ruling. (Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier went through the shots here.)

This is DeChambeau’s conversation with the first official:

Seve and Nick Faldo are just a stroke back! Louis Oosthuizen is just two back with a tight grip on low nightmare. This board is stacked! Golf Channel has the broadcast from 6-9 am ET Sunday, with TheOpen.com and YouTube also options.

The game story writer is already prepping us to not expect a Tiger-Jack runaway.

While much attention will focus on Sunday’s final pairing, a host of star names remain firmly in contention just behind Woods and Nicklaus.

The penultimate group will feature Seve Ballesteros and Sir Nick Faldo, the Champions at St Andrews in 1984 and 1990 respectively. Ballesteros and Faldo are only a shot off the pace after round three, along with five-time Champion Golfer Tom Watson, who is out in the third-last group with Louis Oosthuizen.

The Champion Golfer of the Year at the Old Course in 2010, Oosthuizen is two behind the leaders with 18 holes to play. John Daly and Jordan Spieth will also start the final round on 10 under and play together in another intriguing match-up.