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‘The schedule is very appealing’ – Adam Scott in talks with Saudi Golf League
You can now add Adam Scott to the list of big name golfers who are potentially exploring a move to the Saudi breakaway league.
When Scott was asked prior to this week’s Genesis Invitational about his potential interest in the Saudi league, the 41-year-old said he was “sworn to secrecy.” Other golfers such as Lee Westwood have said that they signed a nondisclosure agreement, so that might also be the case with Scott.
Scott, however, did say that he found the proposed schedule attractive:
“I think the schedule they’re proposing is very appealing to probably most golfers,” he said. “Depending what your goals are in golf, I think the schedule is very appealing. From that side of things, I would consider doing that, for sure. From a lifestyle side of things, yes.”
When asked about the money being offered to players to leave the PGA Tour, which has drummed up a lot of controversy, the Aussie said:
“I think it’s a bigger discussion than just a quick quote from me up here, to be honest,” he said. “I can understand obviously that angle. I think you can argue both sides of lots of things, but at the end of the day I think my general feeling on this at the moment is that it’s only a positive thing for professional golfers that there’s interest and money coming into the sport. And it’s also somewhat forced the PGA Tour to put more money into the professional golfers and we’re seeing that all around the world, too.”
Scott added:
“They’ve put money into the European Tour. The LIV Golf Investments has put money into the Asian Tour. So at the moment that’s good for strengthening the professional game. How everything else pans out, I don’t know, but at the moment I think it’s good that these things are happening for golf professionals.”
There are rumored to be close to 20 golfers already committed to the league, which received $200 million investment from the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund in order to potentially lure some big name golfers.
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SuperStroke acquires Lamkin Grips
SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”
“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”
Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.
According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”
CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.
“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.
Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history
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Tour Rundown: Pendrith, Otaegui, Longbella, and Dunlap soar
Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.
It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place
The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.
This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.
With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.
360° and in!
A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024
DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four
It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.
It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.
.@adrianotaegui birdies the 16th to tie the lead at -17 ?#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/p4tfE5DRJa
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2024
PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella
Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.
64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.
.@TBalla21 eagles 17, shoots 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KIA Open. pic.twitter.com/TTOL2LxSdh
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2024
PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win
Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.
The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.
Off the green? No worries for @ScottDu12500063
8-under solo leader @InsperityInvtnl pic.twitter.com/hoj5OujL5C
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 4, 2024
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Henry R Fitzgerald
Feb 23, 2022 at 12:28 am
Because all of you are such fine human beings, lol…
Henry R Fitzgerald
Feb 22, 2022 at 9:42 pm
The PGA Tour mafia wants to be the only game in town.
If Adam Scott wants to play the Saudi League, by all means.
Monahan and his capos are a shameful bunch.
geohogan
Feb 21, 2022 at 12:11 pm
The question now is how many of the sponsors of the players want to be associated with bodies in suitcases…Samsonite? Travelpro?
Will the pro golfers become, anti climate change leaders…with a resurgence of fossil fuel sponsors in golf.
Scott Adams
Feb 19, 2022 at 1:33 pm
Adam just wants to anchor his putter and continue to be an average player is all. Whats the big deal guys?
Dave
Feb 18, 2022 at 4:26 pm
I know how I feel..The PGA tour is a non-profit, and although they spend a fair amount on executive compensation, those executive salaries pale in comparison to money earned by top players. The fact is, you cant have a well run show, which you pay the producers pennies on the dollars going to players. Everyone needs to get paid for a quality product. Now, do they give the money to charity…not really, the money goes to promotion, it goes to player pension, it goes to lobbying…you know, for all of these players who want to piss an moan about money, who for the record, are some of the highest paid athletes in the world with the longest careers…and the most access to additional compensation, and a system that also supports the borderline pros with cash and long term security (pension system)…while retaining zero profit. Please…tell it to someone else…want to go to the other league, go right ahead, but as far as i am concerned…I wont use the ball you use, I wont buy the clubs…and I wont watch. Good Luck
Henry R Fitzgerald
Feb 23, 2022 at 12:24 am
I’m sure he cares, lol….
Greg
Feb 17, 2022 at 12:29 pm
How does your wife feel about you consorting with subhuman animals who descriminate against women and attack them in Yemen?
Unlike most dramaqueen dumbbox PGA Tour WAGs, Marie is a professional and doesn’t need you. Think carefully about this.
FtD
Feb 17, 2022 at 2:41 pm
Then you can call the USA a country of subhuman animals as well, as they are in bed with the Saudis on many things including maintaining that war in Yemen. So let’s just watch the European tour and Asian tour from now on.. oh wait, the UK, France, Germany etc. are also happy to drop bombs anywhere there are resources to be had (sorry, where to bring ‘democracy’) so let’s just watch the Asian tour. Not too many wars being fought by Asian countries in recent years.
Heinrich
Feb 17, 2022 at 8:23 pm
He probably does, as I do too.
And Adam lives in Switzerland where the people sit back and shake their heads at all this warmongering coming from dying economies ruled by tyrants. Don’t think they’d be too happy with Adam carpetbagging and consorting with killers at the same time.
Henry R Fitzgerald
Feb 23, 2022 at 12:26 am
Oh Greg, the PGA Tour saved a tee time for convicted wife beater and crackhead, George Floyd.
Spare me the fake outrage.
jgpl001
Feb 17, 2022 at 10:21 am
This is ridiculous – how much does Adan Scott need to earn at this stage of his career?
The average earnings for a PGA Tour player in the 2021 season ws $1.5M and the lowest player not to win an event was Brian Gay and he earned $916K
I for one, wouldn’t watch this Saudi Golf League nonsense if it was in my back garden
ErnestGoduria
Feb 17, 2022 at 3:22 pm
“Depending what your goals are in golf”
That’s your answer.
When you are in descending phase of your career, despite probably able to win again, the possibility to get huge money just joining a new league is all that matter.
Look at the rumoured players who are supposed to go… mostly in the same status, Poulter, Westwood, Stenson…plus some second lines who are just figures on main tours.
Probably they will sign also a few big boys, but in my opinion the node is the possible ban, which I’m not sure can be applied without long legal disputes that will probably end in favor of the players.