5. Woods to skip Wells Fargo
Golf Channel’s Nick Menta…”Tiger Woods will not play in next week’s Wells Fargo Championship, according Charlotte, N.C. sports radio station WFNZ.”
- “Woods had until 5 p.m. ET Friday to commit to the tournament.”
- “An appearance at Quail Hollow seemed a natural fit in the event he was looking to make a competitive start between the Masters and the PGA Championship. Woods won the event in 2007 and made his return to the Charlotte stop last May after a six-year absence, finishing tied for 55th.”
6. E. Molinari outs slow play offenders
Golf Digest’s Ryan Herrington…“In a similar vein, Edoardo Molinari looks to be another pro golfer willing to become a disruptor on the issue. The 38-year-old Italian has frequently taken to Twitter to bemoan the lack of enforcement against slow pokes. Upset with the pace of play at this week’s European Tour event, the Trophee Hussan II in Morocco, he took it upon himself to see if he could stir things up and potentially create some action.”
- “Edoardo Molinari: It’s time that professional golf does something serious for slow play…5h30min to play 18 holes on a golf course without rough is just too long…way too long! #stopslowplay”
- “Edoardo Molinari: I didn’t think I was going to cause such a debate with this tweet, however…if the above tweet about slow play gets 1,000 retweets I’ll post the updated list of players being timed and fined on the @EuropeanTour in 2019 as of last Monday!#stopslowplay”
- “Sure enough, 1,300 retweeted him, and the former U.S. Amateur champion (and brother of reigning Open championship Francesco) made good on his threat promise, revealing the list that the European Tour does not make public but does share with its members.”
7. A win for women
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”The USGA got it right in giving Lewis a place in this year’s field. In fact, the organization said in a statement that it’s taking a fresh look at its policies, most notably the impact maternity leave has on its exemption categories.”
- “In lieu of a modified policy for 2019, the USGA offered spots to both Lewis and Brittany Lincicome, who had originally planned to defer her exemption to 2020 and is now considering her options.”
8. Sobering up and the gift of golf
Some pretty cool stuff here, as reported by the Manchester Ink Link…
- “Officer Justin Maguire got to know Mark Yphantis quite well over the years. The 58-year-old Manchester resident drank heavily and Maguire often arrested him. Maguire says despite these unfortunate encounters, he liked Yphantis and had learned they shared the love of golf.”
- “About a year and a half ago Maguire decided to challenge Yphantis. He told him if he could sober up, he’d take him golfing.”
- “In January, Yphantis went into rehab and today he is more than 100 days sober.”
- “On Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Maguire delivered a set of golf clubs to Yphantis. The clubs were donated by Golf and Ski Warehouse. On April 26, 2019 Maguire followed up with a gift certificate for 10 rounds of golf donated by the Derryfield Country Club.”
9. “50-50 chance”
Golf Digest’s Keely Levins…“It seems paradoxical to think that something that benefits women’s golf overall might hurt one of the LPGA’s flagship events. Yet that appears the potential result of the successful launch of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Or more precisely the scheduling of the event the same week as ANA Inspiration, the first major championship on the LPGA calendar.”
- “Officials with the 48-year-old Rancho Mirage, Calif., tournament and the LPGA are expected to meet next month to discuss the long-term implications of the overlapping events, specifically lower TV ratings and lower on-course attendance. IMG runs the tournament, and listening to the company’s Chris Garrett, who serves as tournament director, it sounds like there’s a reasonable chance that the event could change dates to avoid competing for attention.”
Featured image c/o the Manchester Ink Link |