The PGA Tour plans to start the new year with spectators. There just won't be very many. And the views, while as gorgeous at Kapalua as anywhere, will be limited.
That doesn't set the tone for the rest of the West Coast swing, where three tournaments already have announced there will not be spectators, two of them pro-am events.
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was the most recent to announce a spectator-free event for Feb. 11-14, though it will carry on with its pro-am of corporate titans, entertainers and athletes.
Angela Stanford waves to volunteers after making a birdie on the 17th hole during the final round of the LPGA Volunteers of America Classic golf tournament in The Colony, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. (AP PhotoRay Carlin)
“Unfortunately our ’21 event will be unlike any of the previous editions of the tournament since Monterey County remains in a tier that will not permit live audiences at professional events in California,” said Steve John, CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.
That follows decisions by The American Express in the California desert, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and the Sony Open in Honolulu.
As for the Sentry Tournament of Champions, a limited number of tickets will be available. The Houston Open had a limit of 2,000 a day in November, making it the first domestic PGA Tour event with spectators. Kapalua isn't releasing the number of ticket sales, though organizers don't expect more than about 200 or 300 people.
Cameron Champ tees off on the second hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (Curtis ComptonAtlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
The Aloha Club ($900 for four tournament days) provides unobstructed views of the 18th hole and the ninth green, and it includes food and beverage, along with parking. The Kama'aina Aloha Club is a daily ticket ($125) that offers a view of the 18th hole and a place to buy food and drinks.
Both tickets do not allow access to the rest of the Plantation Course.
The Phoenix Open, the rowdiest of all PGA Tour events, is still trying to piece together a plan for fans, except that it won't be near the 600,000 or more fans it typically attracts during the week.
Patrick Reed reacts to his shot on the second hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (Curtis ComptonAtlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Scott Jenkins, the tournament chairman for 2021, told Golf Digest the plan is to build a single-story structure for fans on the par-3 16th hole, down from what amounted to stadium seating. He described the situation as “fluid.”
“I’ve stopped trying to predict the future in our COVID world,” Jenkins told Digest. "We’d love to have fans. We’re the ‘People's Open.' We also understand that the safety of our fans, players and volunteers is the most important thing.”
HBCU DONATION
The PGA Tour has donated $500,000 to five historically Black colleges and universities, as part of its intent to be part of the solution in improving the racial culture in society.
That amounts to a $100,000 donation to the women’s golf at Delaware State; men’s and women’s golf at Tennessee State; men’s and women’s golf at Wilberforce University in Ohio; and the Bowie State Golf Classic, an annual golf event because the Maryland school does not have a golf team.
The other was at Prairie View A&M, and the $100,000 for the men’s and women’s golf team is in the name of Mack “Pops” Champ. That’s the late grandfather of Cameron Champ, who last month donated $40,000 through his foundation to establish two golf scholarships in Mack’s name.
THE HALL WAIT
Tiger Woods had to wait 19 months to try to defend his title in the Masters, so waiting two years for induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame shouldn't be a problem.
Woods, retired PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, four-time LPGA major champion Susie Maxwell Berning and golf course developer and pioneer Marion Hollins were elected during The Players Championship in March, two days before golf shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The induction ceremony had been scheduled for 2021, presumably during The Players Championship. Now it will move to the same week in 2022. Among concerns was the state of the pandemic and whether fans — or how many — will be allowed during the Florida swing.
"Given the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, moving the ceremony back a year will give us a better opportunity to properly recognize and honor this important class,” said Greg McLaughlin, CEO of the World Golf Foundation.
THE RACE FOR REED
Patrick Reed has a chance to make European Tour history as the first American to win what now is called the Race to Dubai. So does Collin Morikawa, the 23-year-old PGA Championship winner, who has yet to play in continental Europe.
They are among the leading five players going into the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, with Reed leading by 460 points over Tommy Fleetwood and Morikawa trailing by 546 points.
Reed reached the top in this pandemic-shortened season with a victory in the World Golf Championship in Mexico City, a tie for third in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, along with a pair of 13th-place finishes in majors (PGA, U.S. Open) and a tie for 10th in the Masters.
While no American has ever topped the European Tour points list, it’s rare for anyone outside Europe to win the Harry Vardon Trophy. Only five players born outside Europe have won, most recently Ernie Els of South Africa in 2003 and 2004. Retief Goosen won the previous two years. Bobby Locke won three times (1946, 1950 and 1954), while a fourth South African, Dale Hayes, won in 1975.
The only other winner from outside Europe was Greg Norman of Australia in 1982.
SOLVING SUNDAY
Justin Thomas has not finished worse than a tie for 12th in his last six tournaments dating to the Tour Championship and including the U.S. Open and Masters. The most recent was a tie for 12th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, but he left Mexico with questions about his weekend.
“I played really terribly, to be honest, the last three, four, five Sundays having a chance to win,” he said. “So I’ve got to figure that out.”
He was five shots behind at Shadow Creek and closed with a 74 in the CJ Cup to finish 12 shots behind. At Sherwood for the Zozo Championship, his one-shot lead became a one-shot deficit when he shot 69. His trouble at the Masters came more on Saturday, when he had a share of the 36-hole lead and shot 71, falling six shots behind Dustin Johnson. And he went into the final round at Mayakoba four shots behind after a 62 on Saturday, only to shoot 69 and finish six back.
It’s not all bad. He’s giving himself chances. He was done in on Sunday at Mayakoba by a double bogey on the 10th hole.
“One swing away from, even with a bad round, finishing top 5,” said Thomas, who opened with a 72. “A lot of positives to look at, but definitely not pleased with how the week turned out.”
DIVOTS
NBC is adding another caddie to its golf broadcast team. John Wood, who most recently worked for Matt Kuchar, will work Golf Channel telecasts and select tournaments on NBC. He starts at Kapalua. Jim “Bones” Mackay works primarily NBC events. ... Juli Inkster, who tied for eighth in 2003, is the last defending U.S. Women’s Open champion to finish in the top 10. ... David Howell, a two-time Ryder Cup players, has been appointed to the European Tour board.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Angela Stanford's victory in the Volunteers of America Classic was only the fourth time in the last 10 years that a player in her 40s has won on the LPGA Tour. Stanford has done it twice.
FINAL WORD
“I don’t know if I could say that without getting fined.” — Brooks Koepka, when asked to describe his year.
Notah Begay III is competing in a tournament for the first time in nearly 10 years, and the score isn’t what matters to him.
His appearance on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour in Arizona has been a mixture of inspiration and appreciation.
Begay, a four-time PGA Tour winner and now an on-course reporter for NBC Sports, was on the broadcast crew for the APGA Tour event on the Sunday after the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
Camilo Villegas, of Colombia, hits out of a bunker on the seventh green during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Friday, April 15, 2022, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP PhotoStephen B. Morton)
“I was impressed by the caliber of play out there. I wanted to get to know more about the tour, the players, and what their objectives are going forward,” Begay said. “There’s no better way than to be a part of it.”
Back injuries cut short his career. Begay’s last tour event was in August 2012 at the Reno-Tahoe Open. He wasn’t sure what to expect on the Champions course at the TPC Scottsdale, though he acquitted himself nicely with a 1-over 72 on Monday and was tied for 16th in the 51-man field.
The final round was Tuesday.
Jennifer Kupcho, center, jumps in the water with her husband Jay Monahan, right, and caddie David Eller after Kupcho's win in the LPGA Chevron Championship golf tournament Sunday, April 3, 2022, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
Begay has always been about access, which includes his NB3 Junior Golf Tour, in which kids compete in tournaments throughout New Mexico and surrounding states, culminating with regional and national championships. Financial assistance is available.
“We didn’t say ‘no’ to one player,” Begay said. “This game has been saying ‘no’ for a long time.”
The APGA Tour began in 2010, established to prepare Black golfers and other minorities to compete and build careers on tour or in the golf industry. It has gained momentum in recent years with sponsor exemptions at PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour events, and with a schedule that is starting to include TPC courses for its 36-hole events.
Patrick Cantlay watches his drive down the ninth fairway during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sunday, April 17, 2022, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP PhotoStephen B. Morton)
The one at Torrey Pines on Sunday — the PGA Tour event ended on Saturday this year to avoid conflicts with NFL conference championships — was the first one to be televised live.
Begay was working and watching.
“I’ve been doing some research, just seeing the records they’ve had and where they come from,” he said Sunday evening. “I’m just trying to be more informed.”
Plus, the competition might serve him well. He turns 50 in September and will be eligible for the PGA Tour Champions.
PRESIDENTS CUP
The leadership for the International team in the Presidents Cup now represents every continent that make up the team facing the United States.
International captain Trevor Immelman (South Africa) announced Tuesday his four assistant captains will be K.J. Choi (South Korea), Geoff Ogilvy (Australia), Mike Weir (Canada) and Camilo Villegas (Colombia).
The matches are Sept. 22-25 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Choi, Ogilvy and Weir are serving as assistants for the third time. The newcomer is Villegas, whose lone appearance in the Presidents Cup was in 2009 at Harding Park.
“Although it has been over 10 years since I played the event, I still have fond memories that are unforgettable, so joining on the other side as a captain’s assistant will be a highlight of my career," Villegas said.
U.S. captain Davis Love III last week said Zach Johnson — the next Ryder Cup captain — and Fred Couples would be his assistants. He hasn't announced the other two, though Love said Tiger Woods could have any role he wanted. Woods was captain at the last Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in 2019 and chose not to return.
The International team has only one victory, in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, since the matches began in 1994. The 2003 event ended in a tie.
MISSION HILLS REPLACEMENT
Mission Hills lost the LPGA Tour’s first major to Houston under a new sponsorship deal. In its place will be a PGA Tour Champions event next year, the first tournament in the California desert for the senior circuit since 1993.
The PGA Tour Champions announced a partnership with healthcare company Grail to sponsor The Galleri Classic, named after Grail’s multi-cancer early detection test. The tournament will be March 24-26 on the Dinah Shore Tournament course at Mission Hills, which had hosted the LPGA Tour for 51 years.
That PGA Tour Champions was last in the Coachella Valley in 1993, when Raymond Floyd won the final edition of the Gulfstream Aerospace Invitational at Indian Wells. The PGA Tour has been in the Palm Springs area since 1960 in what began as the Bob Hope Classic and now is the American Express.
WHAT A HOOT
John Daly and his son now have an endorsement deal with Hooters.
Daly has had a long relationship with Hooters. John Daly II, a freshman at Arkansas, signed as a name, image, likeness ambassador. It’s the first NIL for Hooters. The company said Daly and son, who won the PNC Championship in December, will promote the brand through various marketing activities, such as social media and other digital channels.
“Hooters is the ideal place for me to go and unwind after a long day on the course or in the classroom,” Daly II said in a release. “I have seen my father’s great relationship with Hooters over the years, and I am proud to continue my family’s association with this iconic brand.”
The restaurant, which dates to 1983 in Florida, is famous for hiring young women as servers wearing skimpy uniforms. The menu specialty is chicken wings.
LPGA DEBUT
Just over a year after Anna Davis won her first AJGA title, the 16-year-old from San Diego County is about to make her LPGA Tour debut.
Davis earned national acclaim by winning the Augusta National Women’s Amateur three weeks ago as the only player to finish under par. She has received a sponsor exemption to play in the Palos Verdes Championship next week in Los Angeles.
The exemption came from Bank of America, the presenting sponsor of the Palos Verdes Championship. Bank of America also is one of the presenting partners of the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
Also getting an exemption was Wake Forest junior Rachel Kuehn, who won the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge last month at Palos Verdes Golf Club, the host course of next week’s LPGA stop.
Davis, the left-hander in a bucket hat, has put together an impressive year. After winning that AJGA title, she recorded a seven-shot win in the Girls Junior PGA Championship at Valhalla and was named to the Junior Solheim Cup and Junior Ryder Cup teams. She has finished among the top four in all five of her World Amateur Golf Ranking starts this year.
DIVOTS
Jordan Spieth and Under Armour have extended their partnership through 2029, meaning he will be with the Baltimore-based shoe and apparel company for at least the first 17 years of his career. Under Armour also is giving $1 million to the Spieth Family Foundation over the next eight years. ... Alexa Pano has turned pro and makes her debut on the Epson Tour this week in Utah. ... Texas teammates Cole Hammer and Pierceson Coody, along with Eugenio Chacarra of Oklahoma State and Sam Bennett of Texas A&M are among the 10 semifinalists for the Ben Hogan Award that goes to the top male collegian. Three finalists will be named May 5. Coody was a finalist last year. ... Augusta National Women's Amateur runner-up Latanna Stone, Amari Avery, Megha Ganne and Emilia Migliaccio were chosen to fill out the U.S. team for the Curtis Cup at Merion on June 10-12. They join Rose Zhang, Rachel Heck, Rachel Kuehn and U.S. Women's Amateur champion Jensen Castle.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Jordan Spieth was the seventh player this season to come from at least three shots behind in the final round to win on the PGA Tour.
FINAL WORD
“There always will be exceptions — Tiger still being able to win majors in his 40s, (Tom) Brady being able to win Super Bowls in his 40s. But I think in general, as a rule, careers will be shorter and guys will play better younger.” — Patrick Cantlay.
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