1. Pros, Romo turning up for Texas fundraiser?
Ryan Herrington at Golf Digest…“As the PGA Tour eyes a June restart for 2019-’20 season in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a handful of tour pros anxious to compete again will reportedly get that opportunity much sooner.”
- “According to GolfChannel.com, officials at Maridoe Golf Club outside Dallas are organizing a 54-hole fundraiser that will be played next week and include the likes of Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler, Harry Higgs and, possibly, Jordan Spieth.”
- “The event, set for April 28-30, is expected to have a 72-player members-only field. However, members at the nearly three-year-old private facility in Carrollton, Texas, include the aforementioned tour pros, along with former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo and former NBA guard Deron Williams, who are both expected to compete.”
2. Tiger talks MJ
Tiger Woods’ personal interviewer, Henni Zuel, video chatted with the 15-time major champion, who was, once again, inside what appears to be a padded cell…
- Daniel Rapaport for Golf Digest transcribed a few morsels…On playing golf with Michael Jordan the day of a 1997 playoff game: “They were playing the Knicks in the ECF. I went up there and hung out with him for a few days. It was neat to be a part of…The mindset-I can relate to that. I can relate to the intensity.”
- “On whether he’s ever known an athlete as competitive as him:”I would say 1A, 1B, myself and Michael. He’s more, I think, outwardly competitive than I am. But I have my tendencies to be a little competitive at times.”
3. ShotLink a top priority for the Tour?
Geoff Shackelford…”GolfDigest.com’s Joel Beall and friends took a comprehensive look…at everything required to get a scaled back PGA Tour event to be played in a time of pandemic.”
- “Combined with the Commissioner saying testing is paramount with the continued testing shortfall and the likely need for some from certain locales to 14-day quarantine before turning up in certain regions, and the chances seem remote of a June restart.”
- “As a fan of ShotLink, this part struck me as an odd priority given the tight working space for a ShotLink truck crew and the need for some volunteers to run the system.”
- “‘However, there are areas the Tour has identified as essential, chief among them Shotlink. The Tour’s proprietary data content is key for scoring, stats and its gambling relationships, such as with daily fantasy site DraftKings. A fully-operational Shotlink system, according to multiple officials, ranks only behind the players in tournament priority.'”
- “Outside of scoring, I’m not sure how eager fans and players are to have that information versus a simple return to play when it’s safe to do so. Especially if setting up Shotlink impacts COVID-19 testing for those more in need.”
4. Golf as one of the safest sports?
Golf Digest staff report here…”In consulting a series of infectious disease specialists, all of whom are still learning more about the virus themselves, several consistent themes emerge. The good news? Golf is relatively safe, especially during a time when so much else seems rife with hazard. “Golf has got to be one of the safest sports under the current circumstances,” said Dr. Charles G. Prober, a professor of pediatrics (infectious diseases) and of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University.”
“But since nothing is without risk these days, we put a series of common golf-specific questions to three experts, Dr. Prober of Stanford, Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Senior Scholar at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Health Security, and Dr. J. Trees Ritter, DO, Fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Their responses should help you understand what should and shouldn’t be off limits, and where uncertainty remains. Above all, they might provide assurance that a golf course, navigated properly, can still be a refuge.”
“Can I contract the virus just walking by other golfers at the course?…“This you shouldn’t sweat. Though the virus’ main form of transmission is through person-to-person contact, all three experts emphasized just walking by other players on the course or in the parking lot was not a significant risk. “The virus doesn’t teleport from one person to another. It has to have some mechanism to get there,” Adalja said. Yes, an infected golfer could emit respiratory droplets by sneezing or coughing in your direction, but that’s why the doctors all cited the now-standard practice of maintaining a six-foot gap as a precaution. “More is better, but these respiratory droplets really don’t spread much more than spitting distance,” Dr. Ritter said. “When you’re outside, the risk is even lower.” Of course, the most important advice in this context is to tell anyone who is sick or symptomatic to stay home.”
5. Two more cancellations
Golf Digest’s John Strege…”The golf schedule took another COVID-19 hit on Friday, when the United States Golf Association announced that it has canceled the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior.”
- “Our primary focus when making determinations around championships continues to be the safety and well-being of everyone involved,” John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of Championships for the USGA, said in a news release. “While we are incredibly disappointed to have to make the decision to cancel our two junior championships, we know it is the right one.”
- “Part of the concern with moving forward with the tournaments is holding qualifiers in areas where large gathering are prohibited.”
6. What course matches with the Match 2?
Craig Dolch, Special to USA Today Network…“The Medalist in Hobe Sound, Florida, is home to many of the world’s top golfers.”
- “It also may be home for next month’s charity golf match between Tiger Woods-Peyton Manning vs. Phil Mickelson-Tom Brady.”
- “A Medalist member confirmed Friday the Hobe Sound-based course has been approached by event organizers about hosting the event, probably on Memorial Day weekend (May 24). Turner Sports will air “The Match: Champions for Charity” on TNT.”
- “The Medalist makes sense. Woods, a Jupiter Island resident, is among the many superstars who are members at the club co-founded by Greg Norman in 1991. Brady recently joined nearby Seminole Golf Club and Mickelson is moving to Jupiter Island this year.”
7. Another mini-tour win for Cejka
Golf Channel’s Will Gray…”Even with most of the professional golf world still on hiatus, veteran Alex Cejka continues to rack up trophies.”
- “The 49-year-old German has won four times on the European Tour and has earned more than $12 million in his PGA Tour career, including a win at the 2015 Puerto Rico Open. But with those circuits frozen by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cejka has stayed busy by making the rounds on the Arizona mini-tour circuit. The latest highlight came Sunday when he made a furious final-round rally to capture the 54-hole Parker Open in Parker, Ariz.”
- “Cejka was trailing by six shots with six holes remaining, but played the next four holes in 6 under including a hole-in-one on the 198-yard 14th and an eagle on No. 16. A closing 68 got him into a playoff with Ed Olson at 14 under, which Cejka won on the first extra hole.”
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