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Webb Simpson back to defend at Waste Management Phoenix Open, where big crowds 'will definitely be missed'

Webb Simpson back to defend at Waste Management Phoenix Open, where big crowds 'will definitely be missed'

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
Webb Simpson back to defend at Waste Management Phoenix Open, where big crowds 'will definitely be missed' https://ift.tt/2YA28TQ

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When you think of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, two things come to mind: the 16th hole and the sheer number of fans. Both will be back this year, but different. So will defending champion Webb Simpson.

“I think playing out here for a while, you realize kind of how Tiger and Phil and these guys really use the crowd to their advantage,” said Simpson, who beat Tony Finau in a playoff a year ago. “The environment Tony and I played in last year on Sunday, the playoff. … it’s so fun to be in that energy and to hear the noises, and all day you’re hearing roaring on 16 or boos.

“This tournament, at the end of the week, we always feel like we just played a major because we’re so tired.”

While greatly reduced in numbers, the event will be one of the few PGA Tour stops to have spectators this season. Tournament officials quickly sold out of its general-admission allotment so a few thousand fans will be roaming the grounds at TPC Scottsdale. But it won’t be the hundreds of thousands that usually flock to the course.

“That will definitely be missed this year, maybe more than any other golf course we play,” Simpson said. “We’re going to realize what we’re missing, and so we’re going to hopefully be back to normal next year, I hope, because this tournament is kind of in a league of its own when it comes to the energy and the loudness.”

Phoenix Open Webb Simpson

Webb Simpson reacts after making a birdie putt to force a playoff with Tony Finau at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Photo: Michael Chow/USA TODAY Sports Network)

The arena at No. 16 is back, but it looks a little different. The walk from 15 green to 16 tee though will be a similar experience.

“It’s fun to feel that kind of nervous energy walking through the tunnel and knowing you’re about to enter into an environment that we’ll never have again for the rest of the year. It will definitely be missed. But maybe a little stress-free this year compared to every other year.”

Stress-free, perhaps, but all those fans and all that noise can lead to sharper focus.

“Players have this weird way about them that the tougher and more chaotic an environment, the more they focus and they hit good shots. There’s been some amazing shots over the years there,” Simpson said. “I don’t think it’ll affect the scores really at all. I just think the overall energy on 15, 16, 17 with the lack of fans there is going to be different and kind of a letdown.”

Six weeks after sporting the blue tunic and hoisting the trophy in Scottsdale, Simpson was tied for 7th after a first-round 64 at the Players Championship. That night, the PGA Tour canceled the tournament and froze everything because of the oncoming global pandemic. The Tour returned in June and in the second week back, Simpson won again, this time at the RBC Heritage.

Right before Christmas, he contracted COVID-19. He competed soon after that in the Sony Open in Hawaii and while COVID didn’t totally knock him for a loop, the effects are still lingering.

“My taste is like 75 percent back. That was definitely a lot worse than I anticipated, not being able to taste food. Smell was fine,” he said. “I’m a coffee guy, and I just missed being able to smell and taste my coffee in the morning. Now that it’s coming back, I have a greater appreciation for it.”

Simpson says he also a greater appreciation for how the pandemic has affected life outside the ropes.

“Being back here a year later, so much has happened, obviously. It’s been sad to see what coronavirus has done to the world. A lot of mixed emotions. I’ve been super proud of the PGA Tour and the fact that we’ve been able to play and be safe while we’re doing it and give people something to watch on TV. I’m just thankful, thankful to have a job. I know so many people right now are hurting, financially, physically, people have lost loved ones to this disease. I’m thankful to be here but you’re also a little bit sad and burdened because you know we get to go play golf today, a lot of the world is hurting and suffering.”

Nick Hardy survives Monday playoff

The Phoenix Open Monday qualifier needed two days to complete because of the large number of entrants. And then it needed a playoff to determine the final spot.

Mark Anguiano and Vince Whaley each shot 8-under 64s at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale while the third and final spot came down to Anirban Lahiri and Nick Hardy, who both shot 65s. On the second playoff hole, Hardy drained an 8-footer and then watched Lahiri miss from three feet, ending the suspense.

Hardy, who turned 25 last week, will be playing in his ninth PGA Tour event as a pro. He finished tied for 14th after shooting all four rounds in the 60s two weeks at the Sony.

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/2MRQlNW
WGC's move from Mexico to Bradenton will shine spotlight on Concession Golf Club

WGC's move from Mexico to Bradenton will shine spotlight on Concession Golf Club

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
WGC's move from Mexico to Bradenton will shine spotlight on Concession Golf Club https://ift.tt/3tnjdib

SARASOTA, Fla. — What the huge international golf tournament coming to eastern Manatee County at the end of the month lacks in physical spectators it will more than make up in television viewers, according to the head of the Bradenton area visitors bureau.

The annual PGA Tour World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, at The Concession Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, Feb. 25-28, won’t have a huge in-person audience. The only people allowed on-site to watch will be event sponsors and people affiliated with the athletes.

But millions of people worldwide are expected to watch from home.

The Golf Channel will carry the tournament Feb. 25-26, and PGA Tour Live and NBC Sports will pick up coverage Feb. 27-28. NBC will sell its platform internationally, meaning the tournament will be broadcast in 120 countries and 800 million households worldwide.

“The demographic viewership aligns perfectly with our target market,” Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, told members of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council at the board’s Monday meeting.

Falcione asked the council to recommend that Manatee County commissioners allocate $250,000 of tourist development tax funds toward the tournament, which will be used to promote the area on screen with signs and shots of the destination’s many amenities to cut in between putts and commercials.

The motion to do so, by Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, was approved unanimously by the council and now will go to Manatee County commissioners for approval.

“I think this is what we’re here for,” Bryant said.

Normally, an event of this size would draw about 12,000 on-site spectators. But broadcasting this event around the world will be further evidence that the Sarasota-Bradenton area can host more major sporting events, Falcione said.

The area has hosted several high-profile events, including the 2017 World Rowing Championships, the 2018 World Rowing Masters Regatta and the 2019 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, all at Nathan Benderson Park.

The park, on the border of Sarasota and Manatee counties, is also set to host the International Dragon Boat Federation’s Club Crew World Championships in 2022, which could feature roughly 7,000 athletes and 14,000 spectators.

The Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic will be played the week before the Mexico Championship across the street from The Concession Lakewood National Golf Club.

“The one thing about getting a world caliber event is this will brand not only The Concession as a world championship golf course, but it will also brand our region. … and show another event this region is capable of hosting,” he said.

The WGC-Mexico Championship was moved to the U.S. this year because of COVID-19 concerns. The final roster of players will not be available until shortly before the event, Falcione said, but last year’s winner was Patrick Reed, and competitors included Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

Golfers such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have won the tournament in past years.

Introducing the area to potential travelers is especially important now, as local tourism data indicate growing interest in travel.

Information from Research Data Services, a Tampa-based data analytics service provider, shows that people are looking forward to going on vacation in 2021. They’ve started to make statements like “I’m going on vacation this summer,” something no one surveyed has really said at all since COVID-19 started, Anne Wittine, director of data analysis for Research Data Services, said.

Wittine told the tourism development council that potential travelers have started to bring up the vaccine when they’re asked about planning trips.

“One person categorized themselves as a caged animal, and another as a horse at the starting gate, who’s nervous, but ready to get out,” she said.

While interest in attractions and destinations known for big crowds has waned since COVID-19 hit, interest in outdoor activities like hiking and going to the beach has grown, Wittine said. That bodes well for Manatee County, she said.

Hotel occupancy was 57.3 percent in 2020, down 18.4 percent from 70.2 percent in 2019. The average daily room rate fell by 5.6 percent from $172.90 in 2019 to $163.18 last year. Revenue per available room fell by 22.4 percent from $124.20 to $96.38, Research Data Services data show.

Floridians made up a large share of Manatee County’s tourism base in 2020, as people stayed closer to home if they did decide to book a quick getaway. The number of visitors from Florida to Manatee County increased by 58.1 percent last year, Wittine said. But in December, 49 percent of visitors to the area were from out-of-state.

“Out-of-state markets are starting to come back. That’s an encouraging sign,” she said.

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Rising to the Moment

Rising to the Moment

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
Rising to the Moment https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Aon Risk Reward Challenge to Award $1 Million to the Best Course Strategists on the LPGA and PGA TOUR

Due to COVID-19, risk management is front and center in our everyday lives. In a very different playing field, on a much smaller scale, golfers calculate risk-reward scenarios each time they tee it up. Strategic thinkers on the golf course make informed decisions to maximize their performance. 

To that end, Aon, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement, and health solutions, collaborated with the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour in 2019 to launch the Aon Risk Reward Challenge (ARRC). The season-long competition had a winner-take-all, $1 million payout for each Tour. Pros were required to complete a minimum of 40 rounds. The player’s two best scores (per designated hole) counted at each tournament. Ultimately, two worthy champions were crowned—Brooks Koepka (PGA TOUR) and Carlota Ciganda (LPGA Tour). “An equal prize across both the LPGA Tour and the PGA TOUR is a key aspect of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. These players face the same challenges each week, so there is no reason not to be rewarded equally,” said Eric Andersen, President, Aon. 

Following an exciting inaugural season, the ARRC was set for another stirring year in 2020. Then, the global pandemic hit. Remarkably, the PGA TOUR played through the pandemic. Canadian Nick Taylor edged Max Homa for the top spot and a $1 million prize. However, the LPGA Tour was forced to pause its season for 5 1/2-months. Rather than staging a truncated ARRC, Aon worked closely with the LPGA Tour to redirect the prize money and support a brand-new event, the Drive On Championship, which kicked off the LPGA Tour’s return to play in July. “For Aon, it was important for us to find an approach that would positively impact the players. We felt this new event, in the midst of several canceled tournaments and playing opportunities, supported their wellbeing, particularly during this unprecedented time,” said Andersen.

In 2021, players on both Tours can, once again, look forward to competing for the $1 million, winner-take-all prize. Several Risk Reward holes will be holdovers from previous years with a sprinkling of new ones. The featured par-3s, par-4s, and par-5s are a mix of hidden gems and instantly recognizable holes. At this week’s PGA TOUR Waste Management Phoenix Open, the players will navigate the drivable par-4 17th hole at TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course). Next week, the contestants will take on the legendary par-5 finishing hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am). Later in February, the LPGA Tour pros will experience a superb risk-reward hole, the par-5 15th at Lake Nona G&CC (Gainbridge LPGA).

For the complete list of Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes, check out https://www.pgatour.com/aon-risk-reward-challenge. Fans can also keep tabs on the competition, and see how their favorite golfers are doing, through social channels and broadcast coverage.

Previous champions of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge—Ciganda, Koepka, and Taylor—executed their game plans at elite levels throughout the season. Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, Aon ambassador, NBC/Golf Channel On-Course Analyst, and former caddie for Phil Mickelson knows a thing or two about peak performance. “With this newer generation of players, analytics is becoming a bigger part of the game. They’re making decisions based on data on how well others did when laying up, or playing to a front left pin, or back right pin,” Mackay said. “The [Aon] Risk Reward Challenge is the tournament within the tournament. On the all-important Risk Reward holes, you’d caddy as you would at the end of a regular PGA Tour event. You’d say, ‘Hey, we have a lot on the line here. Let’s think about doing this.’ You’d also be much more likely to suggest a quite aggressive shot to your player if you need to make something happen,” added Mackay. No doubt this year’s ARRC winners will prevail due to their strategic preparation, smart data-driven decisions, strong caddie-player relationships, and the ability to optimize opportunities.

We’ll give Andersen the final word. “At Aon, we use data and analytics to develop insights to help our clients make better decisions. And a round of golf is a series of strategic decisions, where calculated risk can bring a player a step ahead of the competition. We’re thrilled to partner with the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR and hope the players and fans continue to enjoy the Aon Risk Reward Challenge’s unique program this season.”

To learn more about the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, please visit https://www.pgatour.com/aon-risk-reward-challenge

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/3tn9zMv
Webb Simpson to USGA/R&A on next steps to handle distance concerns: 'It's not an equipment problem'

Webb Simpson to USGA/R&A on next steps to handle distance concerns: 'It's not an equipment problem'

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
Webb Simpson to USGA/R&A on next steps to handle distance concerns: 'It's not an equipment problem' https://ift.tt/3jbRyvZ

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Count Webb Simpson as firmly in the camp of those who don’t think golf needs to roll back the golf ball.

Discussing the USGA/R&A announcement Tuesday that it is considering the reduction of maximum club length (outside the putter) from 48 to 46 inches available and a potential use of a Local Rule that specifies the use of clubs and balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances, Simpson didn’t hold back.

“My first problem I have with the driver length is if a 6-foot, 10-inch really good golfer comes out, like are we really going to tell him he can’t use anything longer than 46 (inches in length)? So, that’s my only problem with the length of the driver,” said Simpson, speaking in his pre-tournament interview at the Waste Management Phoenix Open where he is the defending champion. “But I’ve been kind of saying for the last few years, I don’t think equipment is the problem. I do think – Jack Nicklaus hit it a lot farther than Bobby Jones, and then the guys after Jack are going to hit it farther than Jack. Distance was never really that big of an issue when Jack was playing and hitting it 300 yards.”

To hear Simpson, a Titleist ambassador, tell it, the bigger issue is golf course architecture.

Waste Management Phoenix Open: Leaderboard

“We need more doglegs. We need tighter fairways. We need longer rough. We need smaller greens. We need more firm greens. All those things I just named save money, saves water, saves land that you have to build a golf course. We know that 8,000-yard golf courses are not the answer. Brooks Koepka shot 16 under at Erin Hills (at the 2017 U.S. Open),” he said.

Note to Simpson: amateur golfers don’t need more bunkers, firmer greens, more trees, or thicker rough.

“Lengthening courses is not the issue. Bunker placements, dog legs, tree placements. I even think at Augusta on 13 we don’t need that tee 40 yards back. What they need is a mid-sized tree 20 yards in front of the tee box and five feet left of the tee box because the issue right now is guys can tee it up on the right and they can even cut it, some of these guys, over the tree. Well, if you put a tree there guys can’t do that.”

“I don’t think an equipment rollback does anybody any good when we can change the way golf courses are designed and it’s better for amateurs, it’s better for pros, and there are plenty of golf courses on the PGA Tour that have stood the test of time because of the way they’re designed,” he continued. “Equipment advances don’t really pay off or pay a dividend on those courses, and I just feel like these tweaks we could make are really not that hard and they’re cost effective.”

Simpson’s comments on course architecture begged the question of whether he thinks the PGA Tour needs to pick venues better suited for the modern game.

“I just think the PGA Tour needs to take a harder look, as well, about where we’re going in the game,” he said. “You take a golf course, a perfect example, No. 10 at Quail Hollow (home of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte), my home club, the bunker is 300 yards to carry it. Well, if you can carry it 300 yards, which I would say roughly 30 to 35 guys on the PGA Tour now can carry that far, their fairway is roughly twice the size of a guy who can’t carry it 300.

“My idea was, hey, flip the bunker, just flip it, and now the amateurs, they have a wider fairway. Shorter hitters have a wider fairway. The bombers can still hit driver but now it’s 330 to carry; nobody is carrying that bunker. You’ve made the hole harder for the more advantaged guy who hits it forever, but it’s still in his court to hit driver if he wants to, and you’ve made it easier for the amateur. So, that little tweak I think is where some of these TPCs the PGA Tour could say, hey, we’re going to make this harder but we’re not going to add length. We don’t need length. We need more bunkers, we need more trees, like I said. I think it’s almost more of the major championships, where they’re going. They want to make them hard. Well, make them hard by doing the things that I’ve said with trees and bunkers. …

“I think there needs to be more of that kind of outside-the-box thinking than simply let’s make courses longer and limit the distance. The Dustin Johnsons and the Bryson DeChambeaus of the PGA Tour with limited equipment are still going to be the bombers if this happens, and I think we’ll have the same problems. We’re very adaptive out here. We’re going to figure it out, and I think they’ll have the same issue again in 20 years.”

While the USGA and R&A have served as the long-time shapers and administrators of the Rules of Golf, Simpson said the PGA Tour should have more than just a seat at the table for any changes aimed at impacting the professional game.

“I think their voice should be very loud,” Simpson said. “I respect the USGA and R&A a great deal, and I know that their intentions are great, but I don’t think an equipment rollback is what we need. I think we need to tweak our golf courses.”

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/36yN7pC
Opinion: In a battle of golf's rules versus golf's spirit, the spirit took the loss this weekend

Opinion: In a battle of golf's rules versus golf's spirit, the spirit took the loss this weekend

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
Opinion: In a battle of golf's rules versus golf's spirit, the spirit took the loss this weekend https://ift.tt/3iWR7Fu

Golf may be the only sport that talks about “the spirit of the game.”

When a defensive end lays a late hit on a quarterback, no one talks about the spirit of football. The player accepts the penalty — if indeed a flag is thrown at all — and they move on with the game. We’ve seen flagrant fouls on basketball players that are called and even seen players ejected. But no announcers talk about “the spirit of basketball.”

Baseball does have its unwritten rules, but they seem more about whether to throw a 90 MPH fastball into someone’s ribs or thigh. And yes, there is some talk about steroid users and the Hall of Fame.

But it is in golf, with its etiquettes and traditions and protocols, where talk is about how the spirit of the game is as important as the letter of the law, the actual rules of the game. And that’s one of the great things about the sport. The spirit of the game does set the game apart from other sports because it is believed that there is something beyond the rules that makes the game special. It is the idea that sportsmanship walks hand in hand with the rules.

It is the calling of a penalty on yourself. It is the acknowledgment of great play by an opponent. It is seeing the opponent as just that, not as an enemy.

The spirit of the game versus the rules of the game showed up again last weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, and it showed up because of a familiar figure in such battles, Patrick Reed. Reed won the tournament by an impressive five shots, but it was the debate over how Reed handled a rules decision in the third round that dominated talk. Note that this is about a rules decision, not a rules violation.

No violation, but not much vindication

In the end, Reed, a past Masters champion and the 2014 American Express winner, was judged by PGA Tour officials not to have violated the rules of golf concerning an embedded ball on the 10th hole. A rules official even verified for Reed that the ball was indeed embedded.

What Reed and PGA Tour rules officials couldn’t do was silence the questions over how Reed had violated the unwritten rules of the spirit of the game. He should have called a rules official early. He should have not put the ball in his hand as long as he did. He should have notified his playing partners. He should have just handled the matter with more delicacy than he did.

And there is the problem, at least for this weekend. By the rules of the game and by the judgment of tour officials, Reed was justified in his actions. By the spirit of the game and because of his past actions, Reed wasn’t given the benefit of the doubt among those who might have been looking for him to violate a rule anyway.

The uproar on television and social media — well, at least as much uproar as can be generated for a golf controversy – has lasted far longer than it would have in other sports. “Play on” is what other sports would say, the rules were followed. But even fellow players such as Xander Schauffele and Lanto Griffen used phrases like “I wouldn’t have put myself in that position,” or “it’s sad,” to describe the Reed situation.

The worst thing that you can be branded as in golf is being a cheater. But pretty close is being called someone who doesn’t abide by or respect the spirit of the game.

Reed walked away from his five-shot victory with $1.35 million, but with players and fans chatting about his behavior and at least one sports betting site providing refunds for gamblers who didn’t bet on Reed to win, something that speaks to the integrity of the game itself.

In that regard, it was a bad week for the spirit of the game, and that’s never a good thing.

Larry Bohannan is golf writer for the Palm Springs Desert Sun. He can be reached at (760) 778-4633 or [email protected]. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @Larry_Bohannan. 

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/2LipJFK
With new coach at the helm, Louisville men converted a last-minute opportunity to a top-5 in front of the TV cameras

With new coach at the helm, Louisville men converted a last-minute opportunity to a top-5 in front of the TV cameras

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
With new coach at the helm, Louisville men converted a last-minute opportunity to a top-5 in front of the TV cameras https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It’s difficult to know much about a team – even if it’s your team – until competition starts. Given that, the past two weeks have been loaded with discovery for Ryan Blagg.

Blagg assumed the head coaching role at Louisville in May after longtime coach Mark Crabtree retired after 21 seasons. A pandemic is an odd time to change jobs and by the time Blagg took over the role, college golf had already been silent two months. The ACC didn’t compete in the fall, either.

Many college teams still haven’t competed yet this spring, but Louisville’s men already have two tournaments under their belt. Blagg’s eyes have been wide open.

“I learned more about them those two weeks than I did the entire fall,” Blagg said of starts at the Seminole Intercollegiate at Camp Creek and the Southwestern Invitational.

“You learn so much about your team in a tournament format, just getting to see them under pressure and walking with them. Just getting to see their strengths and weaknesses and learn them better.”

For those who don’t know the story, Louisville was the last team into the Southwestern, a Golf Channel-televised event at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, California. Louisville had just wrapped the all-ACC Seminole tournament near Destin, Florida.

Blagg’s men had been home a day and were ready to ship out Phoenix for a spring-training trip the next day. Blagg got a call from Southwestern host Michael Beard, Pepperdine’s head men’s golf coach, at 7:30 p.m., the night before his team was supposed to leave.

“Hey, can you make this work?” Beard asked.

The hurdle was in COVID testing. Blagg’s athletic department helped him wade through the red tape and Beard helped expedite the COVID attestation process. It all fell into place, and Louisville still got in a round at Grayhawk Golf Club, site of this spring’s NCAA Championship, plus a round at Papago Golf Course across town before arriving at North Ranch.

“We had to have some luck go along our way making sure we tested negative,” Blagg said.

Louisville entered the Southwestern off an eighth-place finish at Camp Creek. The Cardinals couldn’t get it under par until the final round, when they went 11 under and had the low round of the day.

“We were just too little, too late and so I was thinking we would play well (at the Southwestern),” Blagg said. “I honestly thought we would go out there and have a chance to compete to win the golf tournament. That we would probably be in contention and see what we could do from there.”

The Cardinals put up opening rounds of 8 over and 5 under, good to remain in contention. Then Blagg looked at the forecast and saw bad weather rolling in. That would bode well for Blagg’s men, and ultimately they kept pace in a brutal final round to finish fourth overall at 21 over (11 back of winner San Diego State).

“Not every golfer has that in their bag – that grind and that grit,” Blagg said. “When things get tough, they don’t fight back. And our guys do that. I thought it would be good for us and it was right.”

Matthias Schmid, a senior from Germany who owns two European Amateur titles, garnered plenty of time in front of the cameras for Louisville. Schmid ultimately finished in a tie for third, with senior teammate John Murphy right behind him in a tie for 16th.

Schmid returns with a formidable resume. He led the country in birdies as a sophomore and has earned All-America honors the past two seasons. Blagg is still learning his game, but sees a bag full of tools. He’ll often stand on a par 3 and watch others who can’t hit the ball as far as Schmid take longer clubs into the green. Schmid will come in with more club and flight the ball down.

“He’s not just this long ball hitter,” Blagg said. “He’s got a lot of gears.”

Blagg spent the past seven years as the assistant coach at Baylor. This season is different not just for his new role, but because of the way COVID impacts all of athletics. There are no team outings. Depending on the state in which a tournament is played, a team can sometimes huddle in a deserted corner of a hotel to eat to-go dinners. That was the case in Florida, but not allowed in California.

“Although you do spend a lot of time talking at dinner, I found this refreshing,” Blagg said. “I think the guys are getting more rest now. Because the coaches are going to get the take-out food, the guys can relax at the hotel, we bring it to them.”

Still, a steak dinner isn’t quite the same in a box.

This season isn’t likely to get any less weird any time soon. Blagg felt his nerves tested already as he awaited negative COVID results from his players. Having already traveled to Arizona, it would have been difficult to get a player back home should he test positive for COVID.

“When I got that call saying we tested negative, that was huge,” he said.

And so the season moves onward for Louisville.

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/2MONFRe
New golf equipment for 2021: Drivers

New golf equipment for 2021: Drivers

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
New golf equipment for 2021: Drivers https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

With the first month of 2021 now complete, most of the major equipment companies have released their flagship drivers for the year. In the first few weeks of January, new clubs were debuting nearly every day, or at least that’s how it felt to Golfweek’s equipment insider, David Dusek, who covered them all.

The trend that started to emerge in 2018 and 2019 is continuing, with several companies now using multi-material constructions to save weight in specific areas and shift it to other spots in the head to improve performance. We are also seeing more and more drivers that not only deliver great ball speed on well-struck shots, but also protect ball speed on mis-hits on the heel and toe. And finally, today’s drivers are more stable than ever, with several featuring extra mass in the back of the head to boost the moment of inertia.

Below are several new offerings from major brands.

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/3pGhP7S
Jack Nicklaus to build his first golf course in Saudi Arabia at Qiddiya

Jack Nicklaus to build his first golf course in Saudi Arabia at Qiddiya

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
Jack Nicklaus to build his first golf course in Saudi Arabia at Qiddiya https://ift.tt/39EP7Pa

Jack Nicklaus has signed on to build his first Signature course in Saudi Arabia, located about 40 minutes from the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Nicklaus and his eponymous design company are creating the course, which will be framed by the Tuwaiq Mountain range, for a private club within a residential community in the Qiddiya development. Nicklaus said he has been involved in the planning and expects to break ground this year.

Nicklaus Design has built more than 425 courses in more than 45 countries, but this will be the first foray into the Middle East for the 18-time major champion.

“I am excited by this project and my first golf course design in the Middle East,” Nicklaus said in a media release announcing the project. “To be selected as one of the first international designers to work in the Kingdom is a great honor.

“I’ve already spent time looking at the topography of the land, images of the backdrop and terrain, and discussing with our design team a strategy for the course. The design will fully integrate the natural environment and the beautiful Qiddiya landscape, bringing together green spaces and mountainous terrain to form a picturesque canvas for both a beautiful and challenging golf course.”

The media release said construction on the Qiddiya development began in 2019 and will feature a high-end resort hotel and spa plus homes. Qiddiya – called Saudi Arabia’s capital of entertainment, sports and the arts in the media release – hopes to attract international golf championships to the new course.

“By being involved in this project, we hope to promote the development and enjoyment of the game in the Kingdom,” Nicklaus said in the release. “We not only want to entice Saudi residents to take up the great game of golf, but we also hope this presents employment opportunities for citizens of the Kingdom that are within or related to the golf industry. This mirrors the vision of Qiddiya.”

Qiddiya also plans to build a second course at the development and is seeking designers for that layout.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman announced the plans for the project in 2017, and Qiddiya Investment company was born. The media release states the company has a “dual economic and social purpose: to advance economic diversification and unlock new professional pathways while enriching lives of the youth in the Kingdom.”

“The underlying philosophy behind this entire development is to introduce a new, active lifestyle to the people of Saudi Arabia,” Qiddiya Investment Company CEO Philippe Gas said in the media statement. “This project has been carefully planned to ensure an unmatched resort experience for both golfers and regular guests. We expect the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and residential offering to provide the most entertaining challenge for golfers and the most appealing homesteads for residents seeking an extraordinary lifestyle.”

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Report: TaylorMade Golf for sale, parent KPS could be asking $2 billion

Report: TaylorMade Golf for sale, parent KPS could be asking $2 billion

Golfsolutions February 02, 2021
Report: TaylorMade Golf for sale, parent KPS could be asking $2 billion https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The New York Times reported Tuesday that KPS Capital Partners wants to sell TaylorMade Golf, which it acquired in 2017 from Adidas for $425 million. The potential asking price could exceed $2 billion.

The Times reported in its DealBook that New York-based KPS has hired Morgan Stanley to run the sale of the golf equipment brand based in Carlsbad, California. Spokespeople for Morgan Stanley and KPS declined to comment to the Times on the report. No potential buyers were listed in the report.

TaylorMade is the sponsor for many noted PGA Tour players including Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy.

A possible sale would come on the heels of a strong year for golf. Analytics company Golf DataTech reported the sport’s recreational participation in the United States surged 13.9 percent in 2020 versus 2019 as players sought outdoor opportunities during the coronavirus pandemic.

Retail sales of golf equipment also surged in 2020, Golf Datatech reported, with $2.81 billion in revenue. That was a 10.1 percent increase over 2019. It gave 2020 the third-highest annual total since Golf Datatech began tracking the industry, trailing only $2.91 billion in 2008 and $2.87 billion in 2007.

“While the global pandemic wreaked havoc on many segments of our economy, the golf industry experienced a significant boost in rounds played and equipment sales,” John Krzynowek, a partner at Golf Datatech, said in a release announcing the surge in rounds played. “On the equipment side, sales increased by low single digits in both 2018 and 2019, but the double-digit gains in 2020 can only be attributed to the pandemic and golf being a respite for so many.”

The German-based Adidas sold the company to KPS to narrow its focus to soft goods and footwear in the golf retail space.

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/3cyztGZ