News
Tiger, Phil cut a promo | European Tour schedule reshuffle | WGHOF popularity contest

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1. Tiger-Phil promo
Oh boy. WWE’s got nothing on these two!
2. European Tour schedule shuffle
ESPN’s Bob Harig…”The European Tour on Monday released its 2018-19 schedule, with several changes occurring, many in response to the overhaul of the PGA Tour’s schedule.”
3. DL3 taking blame
Just when you thought the 2018 Ryder Cup was dead and buried…”I dropped the ball on two or three things that could have helped, and I apologized to Jim…I should have seen some of those things coming.” (Davis Love III to Golf Digest).
But what things!?
4. Best Young Teachers in America
GD’s biennial ranking is here…Here’s a look at a few who are new to the list.
JASON BARRY / 30
Mercer Oaks G. Cse., West Windsor, N.J.
$110/hr.
JASON BIRNBAUM / 36
Manhattan Woods G.C., West Nyack, N.Y.
$250/hr.
JESSICA CARAFIELLO / 35
Innis Arden G.C., Greenwich, Conn.
$140/hr.
SCOTT CHISHOLM / 33
Rolling Green G.C., Springfield, Pa.
$170/hr.
JOE COMPITELLO / 33
Plainfield C.C., Edison, N.J.
$175/hr.
SARA DICKSON / 31
The Country Club, Brookline, Mass. $130/hr.
GREG DUCHARME / 27
Michael Breed Golf Academy at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, New York City
$300/hr.
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5. A sister act not to be overlooked
Geoff Shackelford rightly points out how impressive the fact that both Korda sisters are now LPGA Tour winners is. Quoting Al Lunsford of the LPGA…
An associated question: What percentage of casual golf fans know Annika Sorenstam’s sister won a tournament?
6. Popularity contest?
Also from Shack commenting on a Reuters piece regarding the WGHOF… “Steve Mona said eligibility is not strictly based on playing record, as it shouldn’t be-Captaincy’s, course designs, influence as a media member and other influencer intangibles should help push some over the finish line.”
“But then there is this face-in-the-palms admission from someone paid lavishly to not to say stupid things….”The Fame element is part of it. Some people were just more popular than others when they were on tour.” (Mona)”
“Still not sure where that leaves us with Monty. But there you have it. A popularity contest. On the record. It’s cronyism gone public.”
7. Roberta Bowman
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…The LPGA Tour’s Executive Leadership Team welcomes a new member…”The LPGA has named former board member Roberta Bowman as its new Chief Brand and Communications Officer. Bowman will oversee communications, public relations, television, website/digital, social media, branding, marketing and the LPGA’s creative department in the newly created position.”
“Bowman served six years on the LPGA board. Whan called her a “true visionary” for the tour….Bowman spent most of her business career at Duke Energy in Charlotte, N.C., retiring in January 2012 as Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. She spent 25 years with the company, spending the bulk of the time as Chief Communications Officer and President of the Duke Energy Foundation.”
8. No ams allowed!
So says Randall Mell writing about amateur inclusion in the LPGA Tour’s Q-Series.
9. New Pro V1, Pro V1x debut on Tour this week
Our Gianni Magliocco…”On Monday, players were given a chance to practice with the final version before many put the ball in tournament play this Thursday. Titleist’s Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls have been the most popular golf balls on Tour for some time, and at last year’s John Deere Classic 126 of the 156 players in the field (81 percent) played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x ball.
The Las Vegas stop has become customary with the introduction of the new prototype additions from Titleist, ever since they introduced the original Pro V1 prototype at TPC Summerlin in 2000.
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News
Morning 9: Adler: Phil knows better | Up-and-down day for TW | New USGA prez

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By Ben Alberstadt
Email me at ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.
December 5, 2019 Good Thursday morning, golf fans.
**We’re looking for advertisers for 2020. Drop me a line if you’d like to talk about getting your message in front of the M9 readership.**
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1. Good news for Team USA? Reed, Woodland lead
BBC report on round one from Albany...”Gary Woodland and fellow American Patrick Reed share the lead after the first round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.”
2. Tiger opens with 72
Bad bookends a slow start make for captain Woods…
ESPN’s Bob Harig…”A good bit of work to get himself back in the tournament was blown away on the final two holes, as Woods finished with a bogey and double-bogey to shoot even-par 72 and finish 6 strokes back of leaders Patrick Reed and Gary Woodland and tied for 11th in the 18-player field.”
3. Adler: Phil knows better
Scathing stuff from Golf Digest’s Max Adler on Phil Mickelson’s decision to tee it up in KSA…
“Phil’s so smart, there’s no doubt he knows the definition of chiasmus. You know, “a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or modified form.” Phil being Phil is the chiasmic distilled essence of his being. Whether it’s putting two drivers in the bag or none, wheeling through a Krispy Kreme drive-thru in a green jacket, or smacking down Jake Owen on the dance floor with a wad of cash, the world recognizes “Phil being Phil” when we see it. And so does Phil. He wielded the technique Monday on Twitter in response to criticism for entering the Saudi International amid the human rights turmoil going on in that nation. “You do you booboo cuz ima do me” Mickelson replied to Guardian golf writer Ewan Murray.”
“Now, there are other prominent American golfers likely banking large appearance fees for participating in the second edition of the Saudi European Tour event-like Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau, and Brooks Koepka-but the heat is on Phil because presumably he should know better. A worldly man on the cusp of 50, knowledgeable on subjects as wide ranging as wine, dinosaurs and subcutaneous fat (and really almost any topic you care to bring up, many golfers say), should know that the staging of a popular western sport in a country whose values are so antithetical to our own comes with certain dilemmas that cannot be quickly dismissed. See the uproar between China and the NBA that’s now lasted over a month. Just last year Saudi Arabia directed the assassination of a dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, and so hosting a professional golf tournament is a stunt to rehabilitate its global image that the New York Times calls “Sportswashing”. Phil has to be aware of all this.”
4. Tiger on the pursuit of speed
Interesting stuff via Geoff Shackelford for Golfweek. “While Tiger has transformed professional golf in many ways, nowhere is his influence more substantial in encouraging a power game. This holds true even as the 43-year-old has transitioned away from using power to silence a field in his two 2019 victories.”
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5. New USGA prez
USGA media release…”J. Stuart Francis, of Hillsborough, California, has been nominated to serve as the 66th president of the United States Golf Association (USGA).”
6. Looking for a look in the eye
Golf Channel’s Will Gray…”After choosing himself with a pick, Woods is required to play in a minimum of two matches including a singles match on the final day. Els is playing this week in the Australian Open along with six International Team members, and he told PGATour.com that he’ll assess some intangible factors when weighing which players might be best-suited to go up against the reigning Masters champ.”
“I’ll analyze how the guys are playing and see who’s really got the look in the eye,” Els said. “There are a lot of guys who have put their hands up to want to play Tiger … but I will not put a guy in there that’s going to feel overwhelmed.”
…”The youngsters look up at him, but they definitely want to have a piece of him,” Els said. “So, we’ll see who I think can really play against Tiger the best and get the best result.”
7. No turtle polo for Bryson!
Golfweek’s Forecaddie…”But it’s the design that may turn a few heads, with the light blue-themed collection including the Slow Play Polo, Slow Play Tee and the Predators Polo. A turtle logo adorns the Slow Play Polo. Get it. Turtle. Slow.”
8. Leaney leads
Golfweek’s Todd Kelly…”Stephen Leaney shot a second-round 66 on Wednesday to take a four-shot lead at the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament Final Stage.”
9. Tiger outdrives Thomas…jabs the needle
Via the Golf Channel Digital team…”Well for the most part, it looked like Woods had a blast with buddy Justin Thomas on Wednesday, but it was particularly evident on the 11th hole, when the 44-year-old tournament host outdrove the 26-year-old Thomas by a mile, and then made sure to let him know it.”
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News
Morning 9: Woods turned down Saudi tourney, $3 mil payout | CBS shakeup continues | Bulked up Bryson

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By Ben Alberstadt
Email me at ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.
December 4, 2019 Good Wednesday morning, golf fans.
**We’re looking for advertisers for 2020. Drop me a line if you’d like to talk about getting your message in front of the M9 readership.**
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1. CBS shakeup continues
Via Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”Michelle Wie and Trevor Immelman are joining CBS Sports, as the network continues to retool its coverage for 2020.”
2. Woods passes on Saudi tourney
ESPN’s Bob Harig with TW’s explanation...””Woods, who begins play in the Hero World Challenge on Wednesday at Albany Golf Club, was offered in the neighborhood of $3 million to play the tournament each of the last two years. He declined.”
3. Bulked up Bryson
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker...”Two months ago, Bryson DeChambeau weighed just under 200 pounds and struggled to do 10 arm raises with a 10-pound weight. Now he’s up to 25-pound weights, and tips the scale at a brawny 225.”
4. Reed’s mysterious irons
Andrew Tursky at PGATour.com with some recon (stay tuned to GolfWRX, as I believe we know “the company” and are in the process of confirming).
“When Patrick Reed came to the 2019 Hero World Challenge this week, he did so with a set of never-before-seen custom irons in the bag. As photos of the irons began to circulate on social media, equipment fans were left guessing as to who exactly designed the irons. The irons are stamped with his foundation’s logo, the word “Forged” and “Patrick Reed,” but what’s glaringly absent is a company name.”
Full piece (and see one of the clubs below…photo via Andrew Tursky)
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5. Phoenix Open, understandably, disappointed
Via Josh Weinfuss at ESPN.com…“The tournament chairman of the Waste Management Phoenix Open is “disappointed” that Phil Mickelson became the most recent PGA Tour golfer to decide to play in the controversial Saudi Invitational instead of the Arizona event, in which he participated for 30 years.”
6. Who else?
Via EuropeanTour.com…“Rahm was selected by a panel comprising members of the golfing media as the winner of the prestigious annual award after a superb season in which he won two Rolex Series events, defended his national Open title and became the first Spaniard since Severiano Ballesteros to finish the year as European Number One after sealing the Race to Dubai title in a dramatic finale to the 2019 campaign.”
7. Tiger’s ball testing process
If you’ve ever wondered how Tiger Woods tests golf balls, the ever-fortunate E. Michael Johnson got the exclusive to Tiger’s Bridgestone Tour B XS testing
8. Ohoopee!
Golf Digest’s Ron Whitten on one of the two selections for Best New Course: the eminently unique Ohoopee Match Club.
9. The part of Jon Rahm’s wedding day Jon Rahm is most looking forward to is…exactly what you think it is…
Crack work by Brentley Romine to ask the hard questions!
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News
Morning 9: Woods: “I have to do everything right” to catch Jack | Mickelson heading to Saudi Arabia…responds to controversy

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By Ben Alberstadt
Email me at ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.
December 3, 2019 Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.
**We’re looking for advertisers for 2020. Drop me a line if you’d like to talk about getting your message in front of the M9 readership.**
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1. Van Dam defends
In case you missed it over the weekend…
Julie Williams at Golfweek...”It was an impressive display of golf in the final round, particularly because van Dam had to overtake her Danish friend Nanna Koerstz Madsen to win her second title in this event. Interestingly, even Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez made an appearance in the gallery for the final round.”
2. Mickelson to play in Saudi Arabia
Never one to pull punches, Geoff Shackelford quotes Alex Myers’ report and added a bit of his own spice…
Shackelford then referred to the left-hander as “too enlightened, worldly and successful to be falling back on the “grow the game” sham.”
3. …and Phil responds
…via Twitter of course…
4. Hero Shot
Golf Channel’s Jason Crook…”Woods kicked off his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas by claiming the inaugural Hero Shot at Baha Mar, an event where he topped some marquee names hitting shots at a floating target from 130 yards away.”
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5. Tiger: “I have to do everything right” to catch Jack
Cassandra Negley at Yahoo Sports…“But when asked directly, he does think the record of 18 major titles held by Jack Nicklaus is attainable.”
6. Appreciate the GOATs
Perspective from Randall Mell at Golf Channel looking ahead to Saturday’s viewing schedule…
It’s a full day of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods playing live golf on Golf Channel and NBC.
And Woods? He seemed to escape Father Time’s 7. Tiger’s back-to-back stretch
ESPN’s Bob Harig on what Woods faces over the next fortnight…
8. Woods finally watches Masters win
More from Harig…”Some six months after winning the Masters, Tiger Woods finally sat down with his caddie, Joe LaCava, to watch the final round and relive the tense moments leading to his 15th major title on April 14.”
9. Chamblee heading to Q-School
Golf Digest’s Alex Myers...”Thirty-four years after going to Q School for the first time, Brandel Chamblee is headed back. This time around, though, he’s got a pretty good day job to fall back on.”
“The Golf Channel analyst will be in the field at TPC Scottsdale when the final stage of PGA Tour Champions Q School starts on Tuesday. Chamblee will be one of 78 golfers playing for five spots on the senior circuit in 2020.”
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Jamie
Oct 30, 2018 at 10:51 am
Thanks for acknowledging WGHOF cronyism. A black eye on the sport. Some of us have known of this popularity contest for a while.