Blake Wagoner just made an early case for round of the year.
Playing as an individual this week for the Sun Devils, the senior signed for an opening-round 9-under 63 on Tuesday to take the early lead at the Amer Ari Invitational at Hapuna Golf Course in Waimea, Hawaii.
Wagoner put the college-golf world on 59 watch after making birdie on six of his opening seven holes. The Cornelius, North Carolina, native made a pair of pars to make the turn at 6-under 30 and added two more pars to start his back nine.
Additional birdies on Nos. 12, 14, 16 and 17 and his lone bogey of the day on the par-4 18th propelled Wagoner to the top of the leaderboard, three shots clear of Washington’s Noah Woolsey at 6 under.
2021 Golfweek West Coast Junior Open https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
The 2021 Golfweek West Coast Junior Open is set to return May 22-24 to Ak-Chin Resort’s Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, AZ. The event will be ranked by the World Amateur Golf Rankings and the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings.
The tournament is open to any player age 13-19 who is not affiliated with a college golf team, so long as eligibility requirements are met.
This is the first tournament of the 2021 Golfweek Junior Tournament Series. Top finishers win automatic exemptions into the prestigious Golfweek International Junior Invitational Nov 6-7 in Florida.
Virginia holds off Wake Forest down the stretch at UCF Challenge for season-opening win https://ift.tt/39FqbqK
ORLANDO, Fla. – How badly were Virginia golfers itching to get started this season? Senior Beth Lillie joked she’d have ridden her bicycle the 800 miles from campus to Orlando to tee it up in the season-opening UCF Challenge if she had to. It’s that kind of thinking that figured heavily into Virginia’s gutsy performance down the stretch against ACC foe Wake Forest – a team that topped many a “favorites” list – for an early spring trophy.
Crave the hard days. That’s a mindset Virginia learned from Bob Rotella, a Charlottesville, Virginia-based sports psychologist with whom the team often works. Tuesday certainly fit into the category, with a biting Florida chill and strong wind gusts.
“One of the things (Rotella) said is we should crave days that are hard because it’s the best opportunity to gain strokes on the field,” Virginia head coach Ria Scott said. “You should crave days that are hard, you should crave holes that are hard because those are where you can make a difference.”
Scott encouraged her team to look at the final round as a clean slate. Virginia was 11 shots off Houston’s lead entering the final round, but last February, in the next-to-last tournament the team played before COVID shut down the spring season, the Cavaliers made up nine shots in nine holes to win the IJGA Collegiate Invitational, an event Scott hosted at Guadalajara Country Club, Lorena Ochoa’s home course.
It took four qualifying rounds back home in Charlottesville to set the UCF Challenge lineup. The weather was hit-and-miss. That was another experience to draw on.
Virginia and Wake Forest players stand at the 18th green at the UCF Challenge.
“We woke up and we were like, it’s just like a qualifying day in Charlottesville,” Scott said. “We’ve had to qualify in pretty similar conditions and low temps over the last couple of weeks. We just kept feeding it to them that there’s no one more prepared for this than you. You’ve seen it, you’ve played in it.”
Virginia made the turn in 1 under on Tuesday to move to the top of the leaderboard, slightly ahead of Wake Forest and Houston. But the Cavaliers managed to play the back nine in even par to maintain the only under-par team score of the day. Even as Wake Forest counted nine back-nine birdies, Virginia was too far ahead and at 5 under total, won the tournament by one shot.
Sophomore Celeste Valinho, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, had been looking forward to this tournament. She couldn’t wait for warmer temperatures and Bermuda greens. As it turned out, she only got one of those things.
Valinho made the turn on Tuesday in 2 over, and was so frustrated with her play on the front nine – no putts falling and “some dumb pars” – that she wasn’t even focusing on the leaderboard. Valinho stopped worrying about making birdies and started thinking about hitting greens. She figured she’d go from there. She made eagle on the par-5 13th and birdied the par-5 18th for a closing 72.
“Everybody just stormed me – great putt, we’re in the lead,” she said of walking off No. 18. “That’s going to matter a lot.”
Ultimately it did, and Scott called Valinho the unsung hero of the week.
Valinho struggled to get through qualifying as a freshman, admitting that it was stressful for her. She’s done a better job approaching qualifiers as regular rounds, and she carried that thinking over to the UCF start. She’s also worked hard to control her body language.
“Everyone always told me your body language matters so much,” she said. “I was always like yeah, how does slapping your leg really matter that much? It really does.”
.@UVAWomensGolf has a one-shot edge on Wake Forest with last players on final hole. Team watching as Jennifer Cleary stuffs it on 18. pic.twitter.com/VEqHbD5K8H
Individually, Valinho tied her senior teammate Beth Lillie for third place. Riley Smyth tied for seventh and Jennifer Cleary finished T-10.
No one – not even Lillie – is biking home from Orlando. The Cavaliers piled in the team van instead, which is how they’ll travel all spring. Lillie felt it was a win just getting to play the UCF Challenge, let alone bring home a trophy.
“It just shows all the work we have put in even when things are uncertain and unclear, which is such a testament to the team and everything,” she said.
Lillie won the Donna Andrews Invitational in June. She flew back to her Fullerton, California, home and since a top-10 finish at the Southern California Women’s Amateur in August, hasn’t teed it up in competition until this week.
“I did feel a little bit rusty the first day here,” she said. “Like ooh, gotta get back in the mindset. But it clicked back in the second day.”
Lillie relished going head-to-head with Wake Forest. The memory of Virginia’s Guadalajara comeback rang in her brain, too.
“We did it there once so we felt like we could do it again,” she said. “I think we kind of consider ourselves, no matter how good we all think we’re playing, we kind of consider ourselves underdogs and that’s a good mindset going into a hard day like today with wind. You just have to go tough it out.”
Justin Thomas has 'tremendous opportunity to learn and grow' after homophobic slur https://ift.tt/3tf6duK
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Last night, Justin Thomas spoke with the leadership of his equipment sponsor, Titleist, who is sticking by him despite his use of a homophobic slur during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January. The end result? The company invited him to participate in its diversity and inclusion training.
“It’s stuff like that to where just like they’re wanting themselves to get better, they are offering me if I want to be a part of that, too,” Thomas said. “It’s stuff like that that kind of has really kept me upbeat and kept me in a great mood and kept me very optimistic about the growth that I can have.”
But there has been plenty of fallout from Thomas’s poor word choice. Clothing company Ralph Lauren cut ties with Thomas and Citi denounced his language and announced via an Instagram post that he will be required to donate a “meaningful portion” of his deal to LBGTQ causes.
Thomas returned to action last week wearing brand-less apparel at the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and missed the cut. He makes his seventh start of the 2020-21 PGA Tour season this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for Thomas. The question remains, how will being humbled in a moment that clashed sharply with his previously spotless public image impact his play between the ropes?
Justin Thomas at the 2021 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in United Arab Emirates. (Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images)
“When you take a wolf and you humble him that wolf is never the same type of hunter again,” said Golf Channel analyst Arron Oberholser. “I think JT is one of those guys who truly has a conscious, has truly been affected by this and it could take a while for him to really get his edge back. I think his edge has been taken away to a certain extent. He might be able to get back there, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”
Thomas may be able to tap into his close friendship with Tiger Woods, who endured an even more public humiliation more than a decade ago and returned to World No. 1 as well as winning the Masters in 2019 for his 15th major championship, for advice on how to grow from the experience.
“Tiger had to embrace a completely new way of thinking about the world and he did and he came back and he did it a different way with a bad back and a different outlook,” Oberholser said. “JT has tons of runway to be able to do the same thing.”
While acknowledging that it’s a small sample size, Oberholser noted that Thomas had never finished worse than ninth in his three previous overseas non-Tour sanctioned tournaments before missing the cut in Abu Dhabi.
“Do you think coming off a third (at Sentry Tournament of Champions) if things hadn’t happened in Hawaii, would he have missed the cut at Abu Dhabi? Not a chance in hell. I’m absolutely convinced. This has affected him big time,” Oberholser said.
Thomas doesn’t disagree.
“Clearly it’s been a distraction,” he said. “I mean, I think that kind of speaks for itself. But the biggest thing that I’ve learned from it is that I made a mistake and that I have a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow from it, just like I do in my golf game, just like I do in my everyday life. This is a part of my everyday life, and I have the opportunity to try to turn this into a positive and learn and grow from it as much as I possibly can.”
On paper, TPC Scottsdale would seem like a safe landing place for Thomas to try to get back on track this week. He’s finished third the past two years at the Phoenix Open and his high ball flight, ability to maneuver it both ways and elite iron play should make him a perennial favorite at a course that rewards all three of those skills.
“I love watching him play when he gets going,” said tournament defending champion Webb Simpson. “I feel like he actually gets more comfortable and more excited to play when he’s 7-, 8-under. There’s like a hyper focus, and I saw that in Tiger over the years.”
Thomas has long been a fan of the Tom Weiskopf-Jay Morrish layout. He’s making his seventh consecutive start here in the Valley of the Sun.
“I feel like if you really have control of your ball you can go around here with very minimal mistakes and make a lot of birdies, but at the same time it is a place that if you’re not playing well, it can expose you, and I think that’s why I’ve had a little bit of both,” he said.
If one club has held Thomas back from tasting victory in the desert, it likely has been his driver.
“When he gets nervous or he gets going bad, he hits a pull,” Oberholser said, citing Thomas’s reluctance to hit driver at No. 14, a drivable par-4 at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort, home of the Sentry Tournament of Champions. “Everyone to a man hit driver off the tee while JT hit iron or 3-wood and bunted it every day and used his wedge. Why? Because I don’t think he trusts the driver fully when trouble is on the left. It’s a scary shot for him. And what’s on the left coming down the stretch in Phoenix?”
Water galore. When Thomas was asked about if the trouble on the left side of many of the back nine holes had made it difficult for him to win at TPC Scottsdale, he said, “I didn’t until you just brought it up, so now I’m thinking about it.”
He added: “But I do love the golf course. I think and hope it really is a place that I’ll win multiple times in my career. I would like to get it out of the way soon so I can stop guessing and hoping.”
Waste Management Phoenix Open fantasy golf power rankings https://ift.tt/3tmS4vt
TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course in Arizona hosts this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. The field includes six of the top-nine golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings and odds for the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Was off last week for the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego following a T-21 finish at the American Express. He gained 1.29 strokes per round from tee-to-green in a T-4 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
29. Si Woo Kim (+6600)
Followed up his victory at the American Express with a missed cut last week. He’s hitting his irons very well and TPC Scottsdale offers the type of risk-reward opportunities where he often succeeds.
28. Byeong Hun An (+10000)
Putting continues to hold him back and he lost another 2.84 strokes per round with the flat stick last week in a T-75 finish. His irons are dialed in, and he should leave himself some shorter putts on the Stadium Course’s relatively unguarded greens.
27. Henrik Norlander (+10000)
One of five co-runner-ups last week while ranking second among those who made the cut in SG: Tee-to-Green.
26. Sebastian Munoz (+10000)
Makes his 2021 debut on the mainland following a T-17 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and a T-65 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Debuted in this event with a T-47 finish last year.
25. Sam Burns (+8000)
Tied for 18th last week following a missed cut at the American Express. He’s averaging 0.93 SG: Off-the-Tee per round through 18 measured rounds on the season and fits TPC Scottsdale’s bomber profile.
24. Billy Horschel (+5000)
Has plenty of experience here with 1.20 strokes gained on the field over 30 career rounds on the Stadium Course. He tied for ninth last year but leaned a little too heavily on his putter.
23. Brooks Koepka (+5000)
Three straight missed cuts for the former world No. 1 and four-time major champion. He won this event in 2015 but finished outside the top 40 each of the next two years and hasn’t played since 2017.
22. Louis Oosthuizen (+5000)
Playing here for the first time since a third-place finish in 2017. He was fifth in the field with 2.40 SG: Tee-to-Green that year.
21. Brian Harman (+6600)
Twenty-six career rounds played at TPC Scottsdale but with an average of just 0.31 strokes gained on the field per round. He’s 24th in the Golfweek rankings and is 14th in the field by that measure.
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20. Russell Henley (+6600)
Strung together four top-10 finishes over a six-event stretch from mid-August to late October last year. Began 2021 with a T-11 at the Sony Open but missed the cut at the American Express before taking last week off.
19. Cameron Champ (+8000)
Averaging 0.79 SG: Off-the-Tee per round. He gained 1.75 strokes off-the-tee last week but lost a dreadful 4.72 per round with the putter en route to a missed cut.
18. Corey Conners (+6600)
An expert ball-striker who gained 1.04 strokes per round off-the-tee in this event last year but lost 0.79 strokes per round on the greens. His putting has been much improved through his first 24 rounds of the 2020-21 Tour season.
17. Jason Day (+6600)
Missed the cut last week with an uncharacteristically poor putting performance. He was still strong off-the-tee.
16. Carlos Ortiz (+6600)
Was in contention last week for his second win of the 2020-21 season until a final round of plus-6, 78. He tied for 25th last year for his best result in four tries.
15. Matthew Wolff (+6000)
Will be a risky play this week after citing a hand injury for his withdrawal following an opening-round 78 last week. Missed the cut last year but gained 1.24 strokes per round off-the-tee over 36 holes.
14. Gary Woodland (+5500)
The 2018 champion is coming off a T-48 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open in which he lost a staggering 1.46 strokes per round off-the-tee. He’ll need to be much better than that this week, but he usually is.
13. Bubba Watson (+5000)
Has been excellent in all ball-striking categories early in the 2020-21 season. Through 13 measured rounds, he’s averaging 2.63 SG: Tee-to-Green and 1.11 SG: Off-the-Tee. Only one golfer in the field has more rounds played here than his 52.
12. Will Zalatoris (+4500)
Up to 12th in the Golfweek world rankings following another top-10 finish last week. His iron play is well-suited for this week’s venue, as it was for Torrey Pines and Winged Foot.
11. Scottie Scheffler (+4500)
The reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year missed the cut in both the Farmers Insurance Open and the American Express following a T-13 in the Tournament of Champions. He debuted with a missed cut here last year, but he gained 1.00 strokes per round off-the-tee.
10. Ryan Palmer (+4500)
One of last week’s co-runner-ups with 2.61 SG: Putting per round. A poor performance with the flat stick caused him to miss the cut last year, as he gained strokes off-the-tee and from tee-to-green.
9. Harris English (+3000)
Hasn’t finished in the top 10 here since a third-place finish in 2016. He missed the cut last week with 4.07 strokes lost per round from tee-to-green three weeks removed from his Tournament of Champions victory.
8. Sungjae Im (+3300)
Struggling to string together a complete four rounds following a T-5 at the Tournament of Champions. Tied for 34th last year and won The Honda Classic just four weeks later.
7. Hideki Matsuyama (+2500)
Won here twice during a dominant stretch spanning 2016 and 2017. He withdrew in 2018 due to injury but finished T-15 in 2019 and T-16 last year.
6. Daniel Berger (+2200)
Three top-10 finishes in six appearances in this event, including a T-9 early in his resurgent 2020 campaign. He relied on his putting last year, but he’s also a premier ball-striker.
5. Xander Schauffele (+1100)
Three appearances here with no finish worse than his T-17 in 2018. He shared second place last week with 2.06 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.
4. Webb Simpson (+1600)
The defending champ hasn’t played since tying for fourth at the Sony Open. He followed the same schedule last year with a third-place finish in Hawaii.
3. Justin Thomas (+800)
Returns to the USA following a missed cut at the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the heels of a third-place finish at the Tournament of Champions. He finished third in Phoenix each of the last two years.
2. Jon Rahm (+650)
No. 3 in the Golfweek rankings following a T-7 result last week. Three top-10 finishes in five career appearances at TPC Scottsdale.
1. Rory McIlroy (+1100)
No. 1 in the field and No. 2 on Tour in SG: Off-the-Tee through 18 measured rounds on the 2020-21 season. He makes his debut at this event, but he’s a natural fit for the desert-style course.
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Waste Management Phoenix Open: Thursday tee times, TV information https://ift.tt/3cmD8Ye
The PGA Tour’s West Coast swing moves from San Diego to Arizona this week for the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Defending champion Webb Simpson highlights an impressive field at TPC Scottsdale for a slightly different “People’s Open.” The famous party on the par-3 16th won’t be nearly as packed, but fans will be in attendance. World No. 2 Jon Rahm, No. 3 Justin Thomas, No. 4 Xander Schauffele and No. 6 Rory McIlroy will also be teeing it up this week.
From tee times to television information, here’s everything you need to know for the first round of this week’s event in Phoenix.
Tee times
1st Tee
Tee time
Players
9:20 a.m.
Kyle Stanley, Sam Ryder, Scott Harrington
9:30 a.m.
Camilo Villegas, Lucas Glover, Rory Sabbatini
9:40 a.m.
Joel Dahmen, Tom Hoge, Will Gordon
9:50 a.m.
Sungjae Im, Ryan Palmer, Russell Knox
10 a.m.
J.T. Poston, Keith Mitchell, Zach Johnson
10:10 a.m.
Max Homa, Satoshi Kodaira, Patton Kizzire
10:20 a.m.
Hudson Swafford, Jason Dufner, Jimmy Walker
10:30 a.m.
Brian Gay, Richy Werenski, Austin Cook
10:40 a.m.
Sebastián Muñoz, Pat Perez, Kevin Streelman
10:50 a.m.
Ryan Moore, Henrik Norlander, Adam Schenk
11 a.m.
Brian Stuard, Scott Stallings, Mark Hubbard
1:40 p.m.
Louis Oosthuizen, Harold Varner III, Scottie Scheffler
PGA Tour Live: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Twitter: 11-12:15 p.m.
RADIO
PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-6 p.m.
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The show will go on: 149th Open Championship will be held with or without fans https://ift.tt/3jdeBX9
It was the only men’s major not played last year during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
This time around, there is every intention to play the Open Championship, and that means with or without fans.
According to a report by Sky Sports, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said the 149th Open will be contested at Royal St George’s in July. The report quotes Slumbers as saying he “strongly believes” the tournament needs fans to be in attendance and that he’ll see how the limited numbers at April’s Masters Tournament goes.
“We will play the Open this year,” Slumbers told Sky Sports News. “Clearly at this point there are multiple scenarios. … I think there’s a very good possibility we will be able to have spectators, but we will have to wait and see how many.”
Postponing the event a year also pushed back the 150th Open at St. Andrews to 2022.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
