By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.
For comments: [email protected]
Good Tuesday morning, golf fans. |
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1. 5 players earn PGA Tour card at Q-School
ESPN report…”Five players earned PGA Tour cards in the final stage of PGA Tour Q-school on Monday, including Hayden Springer, who played with the memories of his 3-year-old daughter, Sage, who died last month.”
- “Springer finished in a tie for fourth place at 8 under par, which earned him one of five PGA Tour cards handed out in the nerve-racking four-day event that was postponed until Monday due to rain in north Florida.”
- “Harrison Endycott was the medalist with a 15-under total of 265, earning $50,000. Trace Crowe (11 under), Blaine Hale Jr. (9 under) and Raul Pereda (8 under) also earned promotions to the PGA Tour.”
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2. Intrigue for Tiger’s year ahead
Yahoo’s Jay Busbee…”Woods used a cart at the PNC Championship, which he won’t be able to do at future PGA Tour events. He also had the joy of walking with daughter Sam as his caddy, and flashed a bit of the old Woods game as he worked his way back into playing shape.”
- “A lot of things are aching a lot more than my ankle, which is the way it goes,” he said. “It’s been nice to knock off a lot of the rust and some of the doubt that I’ve had because quite frankly I haven’t hit a shot that counted in a long time.”
- “Going forward, Woods believes he’ll be able to play roughly one tournament a month, potentially beginning in February with the Genesis Open and then rolling forward with The Players, the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. How well he’ll play is anyone’s guess, but the fact that he’ll be on the course at all is an improvement over most of the past few years.”
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3. “Best week”
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”While Tiger Woods and son Charlie dominate many of the headlines at the PNC Championship, Will McGee once again won plenty of hearts. Walking down the 18th fairway on Sunday, the 12-year-old turned to his mother, Annika Sorenstam, and said, “Slow down, Mommy, I don’t want this moment to end.”
- “No one loves the PNC more than young McGee, who doffed his cap for the crowd around the 18th green after hitting a beautiful bunker shot. He’d caught it thin out of another bunker on the last hole during Saturday’s round and wanted revenge.”
- “McGee shed many tears on that final hole. When asked why he felt so emotional, McGee said, “Probably because I have to wait a year to do this again.”
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4. 19-year-old wins on Asian Tour
Golfweek’s Todd Kelly…”Denwit Boriboonsub of Thailand made his first Asian Tour title Sunday his third win in three weeks.”
- “The 19-year-old shot 7-under 64 to win the Saudi Open on Sunday to finish at 18 under and win by three shots over LIV Golf’s Henrik Stenson. The season-ending tournament was held at the Riyadh Golf Club.”
- “Boriboonsub won the Aramco Invitational two weeks ago on the Asian Development Tour and then claimed the Thailand Open.”
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5. Tiger stonewalls Nike split question
Our Matt Vincenzi…”On Saturday, the 15-time major champion was asked by a reporter, “There’s been a lot of chatter the last month or so on your relationship with Nike, and where that’s going. Can you give any clarity to that?”
- “I’m still wearing their product,” Woods replied.
- “When the reporter asked a follow-up question, he received the same answer again.”
- “I’m still wearing their product,” Woods repeated.
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6. Hovland sounds off
Golf Digest’s Dave Shedloski…”Viktor Hovland, the reigning FedEx Cup champion, said recently that he remains committed to the PGA Tour, at least for the foreseeable future. But his support extends only to the golf course and not to management, which he calls “arrogant” and has done “a damn bad job” in handling the fracture in the game with the launch of the rival LIV Golf League.”
- “Speaking on Discovery’s FORE podcast in his native Norway, Hovland, 26, expressed “doubt” that he would follow recent convert Jon Rahm to LIV amid reports that Hovland was getting ready to jump. Having committed to six early-season PGA Tour events, including the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champion in Kapalua, Hawaii, Hovland indicated that his allegiance was strictly personal and related to his development as a player.”
- “If I had gone to LIV, I don’t think I would have become a better golfer, and then it is, in a way, end of discussion,” said Hovland, the No. 4 golfer in the world, citing LIV’s 54-hole, no-cut format. “You need the competition with 150 players and a cut. If you don’t play well enough, you’re out. There is something about it that makes your game a little sharper.”
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7. New Old Tom Morris tribute cometh
Golf Digest’s John Huggan…”At least before driving the green became almost routine for elite players, the clock face on the side of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club clubhouse that sits directly behind the first tee has been hailed as the optimum line off the 18th tee on the Old Course at St. Andrews. In other words, a wee bit left of center and well away from the out-of-bounds fence that runs up the right side of golf’s most famous closing hole.”
- “Well, that long-established bit of local knowledge may soon be about to change.”
- “If all goes to plan, a slightly “braver” target a few yards to the right of the clock will be an option for players in the AIG Women’s Open next August. Led by the Old Tom Statue Project Group (the clue is in the title), a monument to commemorate four-time Open champion Old Tom Morris will, subject to planning permission from Fife Council, be in place on The Scores embankment to the rear of the R&A clubhouse.”
- “The genesis of the idea came about by accident,” says Ronald Sandford, chair of the TSPG. “There was a move afoot a few years ago to hold an annual ‘Old Tom Morris Golf Day.’ Two friends and I volunteered to represent the Crail Golfing Society and did so at places like Tain, Lossiemouth and, maybe 10 years ago, Rosapenna in Donegal. It was at Rosapenna that we came across a magnificent statue of Old Tom.”
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8. New addition to Phil’s LIV team
Adam Woodard for Golfweek..”Phil Mickelson has exchanged one former U.S. Amateur champion for another.”
- “After James Piot was relegated from the LIV Golf League following the 2023 season, Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC have signed Andy Ogletree for 2024. The roster is now complete as Ogletree will join Mickelson, Cameron Tringale and Brendan Steele.”
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9. PNC Championship photos
- ICYMI, WITBs include Lee Trevino and Sir Nick Faldo!
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