Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf: June - December 2021 by Magazine

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP Justin Thomas’ Triumph

SUPER SEASON FedExCup PGA TOUR Champions Korn Ferry Tour

INTERNATIONAL TOURS Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Forme Tour

GOLF’S UPWARD TREND Industry Insights

INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVE Brandt Snedeker

YOUNG PLAYERS Making an Impression

JUNE - DECEMBER 2021

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COMMISSIONER’S WELCOME

WELCOME

PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, shown taking part in the trophy ceremony at THE PLAYERS Championship in March.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

s the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to the communities in which we play— where we are invited guests each week—and health and safety remain our No. 1 priority. There have been no shortcuts for our organization, and the cooperation, guidance and support we have received from all constituents—especially our players—has been nothing short of phenomenal throughout. These groups are the reason we were among the first professional sports leagues to return to competition last summer, and they are also responsible for the upward trajectory the TOUR and the game of golf as a whole are experiencing. With that as a backdrop, we are extremely proud of what the PGA TOUR has accomplished over the last 12 months, both on and off the course. Highlights include:

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 Remarkable competitive friction from the world’s best players on a weekly basis, starting with our Return to Golf in June 2020 (with two wins and a runner-up in the three FedExCup Playoffs events, Dustin Johnson was simply dominating as he was crowned the 2020 FedExCup champion);  A reimagined 2020-21 campaign, a Super Season of 50 events culminating with the 15th edition of the FedExCup Playoffs;  Innovative solutions in creating positive charitable impact in our tournament communities;  A new focus on affecting real change in the areas of social and racial injustice with a $100 million, 10-year pledge to these efforts;  A strategic partnership with the European Tour;  Record engagement and consumption from our fans across every media platform;  The gradual and responsible return of spectators to PGA TOUR events. JUNE – DECEMBER 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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COMMISSIONER’S WELCOME

In March, Justin Thomas captured THE PLAYERS Championship, the TOUR’s flagship event, becoming just the fourth player since 1960 to win 14 times on the PGA TOUR before turning 28, joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller. Other Season of Championships winners to this point have included Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters Tournament), Bryson DeChambeau (2020 U.S. Open), Rory McIlroy (Wells Fargo Championship) and Hideki Matsuyama (2021 Masters Tournament). Hideki’s win—the first major championship title by a Japanese male golfer—is sure to inspire millions in his home country and is well-timed as the Tokyo Olympic Games are just around the corner. We’ve also witnessed the re-emergence of Jordan Spieth (Valero Texas Open) in the winner’s circle for the first time since 2017; the continued brilliance of young stars Collin Morikawa (World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession) and Viktor Hovland (Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN) and established veterans like Brooks Koepka (Waste Management Phoenix Open), Patrick Reed (Farmers Insurance Open), Patrick Cantlay (ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD), Billy Horschel (WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play) and Sergio Garcia (Sanderson Farms Championship). On PGA TOUR Champions and the Korn Ferry Tour, adjustments were made to their respective schedules due to the pandemic, with both 2020 seasons extended through the fall of 2021, allowing us to crown the Charles Schwab Cup champion and the next class of Korn Ferry tour graduates. PGA TOUR Champions has enjoyed an incredible influx of talent over the last year, with legends Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Jim Furyk all spending time—and winning—on the over-50 circuit. Off the course, the efforts of so many allowed the PGA TOUR and its tournaments to generate $160 million in charitable giving in 2020. While that number was not a record, it’s certainly one we took an incredible amount of pride in, given the impact of the pandemic, the many cancelations across our Tours and the overall economic climate. Charity is at the heart of everything we do—no matter the circumstances—and we proudly continue to make a positive impact in supporting and improving our local communities. With a pledge to be a part of the conversation and the solution to racial and social injustice plaguing our country, we continue to rely on the tenets of what we do in these challenging and difficult times—helping to positively impact lives in the communities in which we play and amplifying those who are working toward positive change. As a result, the TOUR last fall announced a $100 million, 10-year pledge to support the work of nonprofit organizations that are leading efforts to advance equity and inclusion. Progress to this point has included enhanced support for the APGA, an organization with whom 8 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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we’ve partnered for eight years in their mission to prepare African-American and other minority golfers to compete and win at the highest levels of professional golf. We also established a new partnership with the 100 Black Men of America to bolster their work with youth mentoring, health and wellness, economic empowerment and social justice and increasing engagement with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Change won’t happen overnight, but we can listen, we can learn and we can use our platform to amplify and assist those who are making positive change in the world. Our landmark strategic alliance with the European Tour was announced in November 2020—wherein the PGA TOUR now owns a minority financial interest in European Tour Productions. This new partnership allows our Tours to better collaborate on a structure that meets the needs of professional golfers worldwide through tournament schedules, playing opportunities, prize money growth, fan engagement and global media rights. The extraordinary fan engagement and media consumption we experienced on our platforms and those of our partners in our Return to Golf has carried into 2021, and we are wellpositioned as we head into 2022 with our new nine-year media agreements with Comcast/NBC Sports Group, ViacomCBS and ESPN+ alongside our international media partner Discovery and its GolfTV platform. This portfolio of partners is poised to build, innovate and expand content options as we seek to further grow and diversify our fan base. And last, but certainly not least, the gradual return of spectators has been a critical next step for our organization. As compelling as our competitions were last summer, there was something missing. We noticed it. Our tournaments, communities and partners noticed it. Our players certainly noticed it. No cheers, no ovations, no high fives, no autographs. While this didn’t affect how our athletes performed, at heart, they are entertainers and they missed each and every one of our fans cheering them on. And while we are not claiming victory by any stretch, we will continue to work with our tournaments and government officials to continue to welcome our fans back in a safe, responsible manner. The PGA TOUR has played a significant role in helping to restore a sense normalcy at a time when it was needed most. Using this momentum, we are excited about the continued opportunity for our athletes and our tournaments to entertain, inspire and create more indelible moments for our fans around world.  Sincerely, Jay Monahan Commissioner PGA TOUR

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Branden Grace (left) and Sergio Garcia (right) share a joke during a practice round ahead of THE PLAYERS Championship.

Lee Westwood on the 18th hole green during the final round.

“The things that I felt out there today and those last couple holes is something that I haven’t felt in a really long time …” — Justin Thomas, THE PLAYERS Champion

THE PLAYERS CHAMPION 2021, JUSTIN THOMAS

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Fans watch the golf action on the fifth hole during the final round.

Bryson DeChambeau acknowledges the fans, on the 18th hole green during the final round.

MOMENTS FROM THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, 2021 Justin Thomas poses with his girlfriend Jillian Wisniewski and the THE PLAYERS Championship trophy.

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Justin Thomas celebrates with his caddie Jimmy Johnson after making his par putt on the 18th hole green as fans applaud during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship.

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BUBBA WATSON ADDS ELEGANCE TO HIS DRIVE WITH NEW MARATHON COACH

aving travelled the country as a professional golfer for nearly 20 years, Bubba Watson has experienced his share of magnificent surroundings. But it was only recently that the two-time Masters champion decided to have some of his favorite

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luxuries and creature comforts custom designed just for himself and his family into an elegant home away from home on wheels. Watson’s vision of a luxury RV came to life in April when he took delivery of his new quad-slide

Marathon/Prevost H3-45 coach. It’s a spectacular, one-of-a-kind drive (and ride), the motorcoach equivalent, if you will, of the 424-yarder Watson lasered down the 16th fairway at the Bridgestone Invitational a few years back.

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Just like that other-worldly drive, professional golfers to the benefits of the on the road that way, as opposed to the Watson’s new Marathon Coach has to luxury RV lifestyle. hotel,” Pharris says. “They’re not living be seen to be truly appreciated. From “My whole selling point with out of a suitcase all of the time.” the custom exterior paint with metallic delivering luxury, on-site tour Founded in 1983, Marathon blue accents to the comfortable, accommodations is players can have Coach is the world’s largest and most contemporary interior, the luxury styling a greater sense of stability and a home experienced luxury bus-conversion certainly meets the expectations of a life by getting a motorhome, and living company, turning shells built by Prevost 12-time tournament champion. And, with room to spare, “It’s easy to see why so many people think of RVs as their home away from Watson’s family can also join him on home but, like a lot of people, I didn’t really understand until I gave it a try.” his travels. ~ Bubba Watson All of this begs the question: What convinced Watson to become the latest in a line of pro golfers to embrace luxury RVing on the road? “I never really considered getting an RV until a few years ago,” says Watson. “Wish I had done it sooner. It is so much nicer than I imagined. I used to worry if my hotel room would have a comfortable bed or a funny smell. Not anymore. With my RV, I know exactly what to expect at every tournament, and it is really nice. It’s easy to see why so many people think of RVs as their home away from home but, like a lot of people, I didn’t really understand until I gave it a try.” Watson’s first try sealed the deal. It came during the Arnold Palmer International at Fort Wilderness at Disney, where Lee Pharris, owner of Pros Home on Tour, convinced the Watsons to stay in a coach built by Marathon’s Quebecbased partner, Prevost. Pharris has a long track record of successfully introducing

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into lavish traveling residences. In its nearly four decades in business, Marathon Coach has produced more than 1,300 custom bus conversions worldwide, by far an industry record. The company has earned its standing by producing innovative luxury coaches that meet and exceed their owners’ exacting standards for quality and design then backing them with an unwavering commitment to exemplary service after the sale. That commitment is demonstrated in countless ways and is no more indicative than in Marathon Coach’s commitment to operate sales and service facilities in Oregon, Florida and Texas to best serve its family of valued owners and future customers. Watson and his wife, Angie, are among the more recent owners to experience Marathon Coach’s exceptional quality and service. Once they made the decision to buy, the Watsons connected with Marathon Coach sales representative, Kasey Hess, and Marathon’s design teams, who guided Watson and his wife Angie through the tailoring process. “The Watsons were so great to work with,” says Hess. “Creating a ‘home on the road’ for Bubba, Angie and the kids became a great project.” The Watsons and Marathon Coach designer Brenda Kraft customized their interior together. “The challenges that come with an RV are quite different than residential design,” Kraft says.

“From our years of experience making a small space feel larger, we know that scale is everything. In such a limited space, every choice matters. “If design isn’t thought out thoroughly, you can quickly get a lot of visual noise from too much going on, like patterns, lines and colors. Knowing where to place eye-catching elements and where to use a ‘quieter’ material is so important. It takes a judicious eye and a lot of experience to walk the line between too much and not enough when every fabric, leather and tile in the world is at your disposal.” Because Watson isn’t the first professional athlete Hess has worked with, he knows first-hand how dramatically a Marathon Coach enhances the life of someone who spends so much time on the road. “The pros who’ve established the motorcoach lifestyle are able to stay near the courses they’re playing and bring their families along; they are basically taking their homes with them,” Hess says. “It provides a sense of normalcy and consistency from week to week.” There’s no telling what all the benefits of Bubba Watson’s luxurious new home will add to his already great game. It remains to be seen, for example, whether there’s another 424-yard swing in his future. But as long as he owns his Marathon Coach, he’ll always have a spectacular drive. █

We are the world leader in luxury motorhomes, and we take pride in our workmanship, craftspeople and clients. Since 1983, family-owned Marathon Coach has produced over 1,300 Prevost luxury motorhomes for customers across the globe. These unique works of art are complete with almost every modification imaginable, including our many industry patented amenities. Whether you desire to pursue the luxury RV lifestyle or need a luxury motorcoach tailored to your business interests, Marathon Coach offers the quality and service you desire.

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Contents

PGA TOUR Essential Guide

contents Congaree Golf Club, Hole 2, see pp.70, 71, 145.

Introductions 7 Commissioner’s Welcome, Jay Monahan 19 Editor’s Welcome, Jeff Babineau 25 Tournament Schedules

by Ward Clayton

A stellar performance, with a strong challenge from three shots behind, gave Justin Thomas a well-earned victory

38 A Healthy Prognosis by MICHAEL LORÉ

A year of the coronavirus pandemic has sparked an unexpected and remarkable increase in the popularity of golf

47 On the Tee by DAVE SHEDLOSKI

The long ball impresses—but doesn’t always rule

52 For the Love of Golf by JIM MCCABE

There are players who, for the love of the game, play a remarkable number of tournaments—they are the ironmen

images: James Haefner Photography

62 Tokyo Olympics 2020 by CHRIS SMITH

Current enthusiasm for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games is sure to overcome the new challenges

68 Golf Adventures

Enticing golf vacations in Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Jamaica, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, and Oklahoma

86 Awesome Lineup of Champions by STAN AWTREY PGA TOUR Champions finds itself in a great place to resume life in a post-COVID world

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102 Promising Prospects by SEAN MARTIN

Talent and determination are the essentials for young players making their way to the big stage

Answer the Challenge

30 COVER STORY: THE PLAYERS

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The latest young players making an impact are driven to increase their standings by pushing forward at every opportunity

109 International PGA TOURs

Features Championship

92 Seize the Day! by KEVIN PRISE

by LAURY LIVSEY

A global pandemic altered dramatically the PGA TOUR’s International Tours in 2020, resulting in 2021 Tours having a different look and a different feel

112 The Will to Win by JEFF BABINEAU, CHRIS REIMER, ALAN SHIPNUCK, KEVIN PRISE, BEN EVERILL

Defining Moments series: thrilling anticipation for the fans and career-defining landmarks for the players

120 Brandt Snedeker’s Balancing Act by HELEN ROSS

A less recognized skill that many pros develop is balancing the pressures of the tournament circuit while devoting time to a young family

125 Winning Opportunities by MICHAEL LORÉ

For the PGA TOUR, and very much on trend, the commitment is to deliver new opportunities for a fun and responsible betting experience

132 A Cut Above by BRADLEY S. KLEIN

An inside look at the hard work and expertise that keeps championship golf courses in pristine and tantalizing condition

136 In the Zone

Products • Services • Announcements June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 17

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Contents

Welcome from the editor

As you read this, know that golf has had an excellent winter/ spring semester in 2021. High marks. Justin Thomas is the PLAYERS champion. Jordan Spieth is a winner again. So is Rory McIlroy. And our newly crowned Masters champion hails from Japan. (Imagine the incredible potential of that sentence!) COVID-19, we all hope, will one day soon become a small speck in our rearview mirror, its high costs never forgotten. Fans are returning to events in limited numbers. In Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and Augusta, Georgia, and Charlotte, and Dallas, there were some roars to accompany winning putts. We’re not all the way back, but we are getting there. Golf is hot. People are playing lots of rounds. New folks to the game want to see what all the chatter is about. The first tee at the club has golfers lined up on weekday afternoons. We could look back at this time as one that sparked some growth, and that’s a good thing. On page 38, writer Michael LoRé brings us up to date on some trends we are seeing in our game. I don’t know many folks who love golf more than writer Jim McCabe, so he was a natural to tackle a fun story on golf’s ironmen through the years (pp.52-59). Sure, Sungjae Im plays an awful lot, but he is following some colorful pioneers, such as Dana Quigley, who for years refused to let the PGA TOUR Champions to tee off without him. PGA TOUR University no longer is some faraway concept. Soon, we will see the fruits of the program, which will identify a number of good collegiate players who will be rewarded for finishing out their college careers. Writer Sean Martin (PGATOUR.COM) gives us insight on players we need to watch (pp.102-105).

2020-21 FedExCup Season THE PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GOLF, PART 2 COVERS THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON.

143 Introduction: the Final Stretch by DAVID BARRETT T he second half of the season, 2021, is once again a build-up to the exciting climax that the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions always deliver

144 the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide

Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio June 3 - 6

145 Palmetto Championship at Congaree Congaree Golf Club, Ridgeland, S.C. June 10 - 13

146 U.S. Open

Torrey Pines (South), San Diego, Calif. June 17 - 20

148 Travelers Championship

TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn. June 24 - 27

149 Rocket Mortgage Classic Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Miss. July 1 - 4

150 John Deere Classic

TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill. July 8 - 11

151 Barbasol Championship

Keene Trace Golf Club, Nicholasville, Ky. July 15 - 18

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

Finally, golf and class seem to run nicely together. One player who always has impressed us with the way he represents himself and his tour is Brandt Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup champion. Believe it or not, that mop-haired kid we watched move from Vanderbilt to the PGA TOUR, has turned 40. Not only is he a nine-time winner on TOUR, but he is a husband and a dad to two growing children. Making a career and family work is something players have to figure out, and Brandt and Mandy Snedeker have a system that runs like a fine-tuned machine. Writer Helen Ross brings us a family-themed Q&A with Snedeker (pp.120-23). We hope that summer and autumn bring you lots of fairways and greens, and as hot as golf is, hopefully some space on the tee sheet, too. Make it the golf summer of your life. And keep watch as we build toward the FedExCup Playoffs. It has been a great season, and the finish promises great excitement.

Jeff Babineau, Editor, Oviedo, Fla. w w w.p gat our.com

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U.S. Open, p.146 Champion (2020): Bryson DeChambeau June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 19

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Contents World Golf ChampionshipsFedEx St. Jude Invitational, p. 156 Champion (2020): Justin Thomas

THE NORTHERN TRUST, p.160 Champion (2020): Dustin Johnson

The Open Championship, p.152 Champion (2020): Shane Lowry

Royal St. George’s Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, England July 15 - 18

154 3M Open

TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn. July 22 - 25

2021 PGA TOUR Champions 168 Introduction by DAVID BARRETT A combined 2020/21 ushers in both new events as well as the much anticipated climax of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship

155 Barracuda Championship

168 Principal Charity Classic

156 World Golf Championships-

169 American Family Insurance Championship

Tahoe Mt. Club (Old Greenwood), Truckee, Calif. August 5 - 8

FedEx St. Jude Invitational TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn. August 5 - 8

158 Wyndham Championship

Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C. August 12 - 15

160 THE NORTHERN TRUST

Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, N.J. August 19 - 22

162 BMW Championship

Caves Valley Golf Club, Owings Mills, Md. August 26 - 29

166 TOUR Championship

East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga. September 2 - 5

20 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa June 4 - 6

University Ridge Golf Club, Madison, Wis. June 11 - 13

169 Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio June 24 - 27

171 DICK’S Sporting Goods Open En-Joie Golf Club, Endicott, N.Y. July 2 - 4

171 U.S. Senior Open Championship

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

152 The Open Championship

Omaha Country Club, Omaha, Neb. July 8 - 11

172 The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex

Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course), Berkshire, England July 22 - 25 w w w.p gat our.com

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CONTENTS

173

174

175

Shaw Charity Classic Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club, Calgary, Alb., Canada August 13 - 15

Shaw Charity Classic, p.172 Champion (2020): Wes Short, Jr

Publisher & CEO Kevin J. Harrington

Boeing Classic

Managing Editor Charles Ford

The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, Snoqualmie, Wash. August 20 - 22

Editor Jeff Babineau Tournament Editor David Barrett

The Ally Challenge Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Grand Blanc, Mich. August 27 - 29

Production Director Joanna Harrington

Ascension Charity Classic

Production Assistant Delicia Tasinda

Office Coordinator Adam Linard-Stevens

Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Mo. September 10 - 12

Design Friyan Mehta Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide 2020-21, Part 2, is published by BH Sports under license from PGA TOUR, Inc.

Sanford International Minnehaha Country Club, Sioux Falls, S.D. September 17 - 19

175

Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Fla. October 8 - 10

PURE Insurance Championship Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, Calif. September 24 - 26

Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS

176

Boeing Classic, p. 173 Champion (2020): Brandt Jobe

176

SAS Championship Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, N.C. October 15 - 17

Dominion Energy Charity Classic The Country Club of Virginia, Richmond, Va. October 22 - 24

177

TimberTech Championship

Tel: (312) 572 7728 Email: tourgolf@bhsports.net © BH Sports, 2021. All rights reserved. All material in the Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide 2020-21, Part 2 is wholly copyrighted, and reproduction, without the written permission of the Publisher, is strictly forbidden. The information in this publication is carefully researched and produced in good faith, however, neither the Publisher nor the Editor can accept responsibility for any errors. Printed in the USA PUBLISHER’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks to the following at PGA TOUR: Mark Stevens, Director, Business Public Relations; Connor Stange, Communications Specialist; Kristen Fuller, Director, Licensing & New Ventures; Ivie Teston, Coordinator, Licensing. Thanks also to the European Tour and The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews for their cooperation.

The Old Course at Broken Sound, Boca Raton, Fla. November 5 - 7

IMAGES: TODD KOROL/SHAW CHARITY CLASSIC; GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

172

Charles Schwab Cup Championship Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix, Ariz. November 11 - 14

178

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE JUNE – DECEMBER 2021

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The Last Word

by JEFF BABINEAU

Modest in victory, Hideki Matsuyama’s Masters’ triumph has had a resounding impact on young players in Japan as well as internationally

COVER: JUSTIN THOMAS THE PLAYERS Championship winner, 2021

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SCHEDULES 2021

2021 PGA TOUR® SEason The PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf, part 2, covers the second half of the season

TOURNAMENT

LOCATION

JUN 3 - 6

the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide

Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio

JUN 10 - 13

Palmetto Championship at Congaree

Congaree Golf Club, Ridgeland, S.C.

JUN 17 - 20

U.S. Open

Torrey Pines (South), San Diego, Calif.

JUN 24 - 27

Travelers Championship

TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn.

JUL 1 - 4

Rocket Mortgage Classic

Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Mich.

JUL 8 - 11

John Deere Classic

TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.

JUL 15 - 18

Barbasol Championship

Keene Trace Golf Club, Nicholasville, Ky.

JUL 15 - 18

The Open Championship

Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, England

JUL 22 - 25

3M Open

TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn.

AUG 5 - 8

Barracuda Championship

Tahoe Mt. Club (Old Greenwood), Truckee, Calif.

AUG 5 - 8

World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.

AUG 12 - 15

Wyndham Championship

Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C.

AUG 19 - 22

THE NORTHERN TRUST

Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, N.J.

AUG 26 - 29

BMW Championship

Caves Valley Golf Club, Owings Mills, Md.

SEP 2 - 5

TOUR Championship

East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.

images: Getty Images

DATE

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SCHEDULES 2021

2021 PGA TOUR Champions® The PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf, part 2, covers the second half of the season

DATE

TOURNAMENT

GOLF COURSE

JUN 4 - 6

Principal Charity Classic

Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa

JUN 11 - 13

American Family Insurance Championship

University Ridge Golf Club, Madison, Wis.

JUN 24 - 27

Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship

Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio

JUL 2 - 4

DICK’S Sporting Goods Open

En-Joie Golf Club, Endicott, N.Y.

JUL 8 - 11

U.S. Senior Open Championship

Omaha Country Club, Omaha, Neb.

JUL 22 - 25

The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex

Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course), Berkshire, England

AUG 13 - 15

Shaw Charity Classic

Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club, Calgary, Alb., Canada

AUG 20 - 22

Boeing Classic

The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, Snoqualmie, Wash.

AUG 27 - 29

The Ally Challenge

Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Grand Blanc, Mich.

SEP 10 - 12

Ascension Charity Classic

Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Mo.

SEP 17 - 19

Sanford International

Minnehaha Country Club, Sioux Falls, S.D.

SEP 24 - 26

PURE Insurance Championship

Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, Calif.

OCT 8 - 10

Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS

Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Fla.

OCT 15 - 17

SAS Championship

Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, N.C.

OCT 22 - 24

Dominion Energy Charity Classic

The Country Club of Virginia, Richmond, Va.

NOV 5 - 7

TimberTech Championship

The Old Course at Broken Sound, Boca Raton, Fla.

NOV 11 - 14

Charles Schwab Cup Championship

Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix, Ariz.

2021 Korn Ferry Tour DATE

TOURNAMENT

GOLF COURSE

JUN 3 - 6

REX Hospital Open

The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation, Raleigh, N.C.

JUN 10 - 13

BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation

Thornblade Club, Greer, S.C.

JUN 17 - 20

Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics

Crestview Country Club, Wichita, Kan.

JUN 24 - 27

Live and Work in Maine Open

Falmouth Country Club, Falmouth, Maine

JUL 8 - 11

TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes

TPC Colorado, Berthoud, Colo.

JUL 15 - 18

Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS

Panther Creek Country Club, Springfield, Ill.

JUL 22 - 25

Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper

Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo.

AUG 5 - 8

Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank

Oakridge Country Club, Farmington, Utah

AUG 12 - 15

Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna

The Club at Indian Creek, Omaha, Neb.

AUG 19 - 22

Albertsons Boise Open

Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho

AUG 26 - 29

Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship

OSU Golf Club (Scarlet Course), Columbus, Ohio

SEP 2 - 5

Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance

Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, Ind.

26 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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images: Getty Images

The PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf, part 2, covers the second half of the season

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05/07/2021 10:44

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Meet

Alley Mae A second opinion leads to rare diagnosis for a Georgia baby.

As a first-time mom, Charla was concerned about a bump growing on the back of her 4-month-old daughter’s head, and mentioned it to the pediatrician. Charla never could’ve imagined that the bump she felt, first thought to be a fluid-filled cyst, would lead to a diagnosis of a rare brain tumor.

The bump on the back of Alley Mae’s head grew to the size of a golf ball before it was removed using an innovative new surgical approach.

Wolfson Children’s Hospital Jacksonville, Florida

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A friend recommended Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville to the Georgia mom. There, Charla and husband Blake met the Neuro-Oncology Center team who would be by her side through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Pediatric neurosurgeon Philipp Aldana, MD, recommended a newer procedure for Alley Mae, using fluorescence-guided neurosurgery only available at a few children’s hospitals in the country. In an 8-hour surgery, Dr. Aldana was able to remove the tumor while sparing normal brain tissue. While Alley Mae will need monitoring for a period of time, the Hilliards are relieved their daughter’s prognosis is excellent and that she has a second shot for a normal childhood.

15/06/2021 14:58

Kids like Alley Mae deserve cutting-edge care delivered with compassion. Our Neuro-Oncology Center team understands the medical needs of our patients and families, as well as the emotional ones, and works hard to help children feel at ease while they’re here. At Wolfson Children’s, we bring together the expertise of world-renowned pediatric specialists in neurology, hematology/oncology, neurosurgery, endovascular surgery, radiation oncology, neuroradiology and neuro-oncology, thanks to our collaborations with Nemours Children’s Health System, the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville, and the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute.

With the expertise and technology available at Wolfson Children’s, the pediatric neurosurgery team was able to remove Alley Mae’s entire brain tumor.

The latest technologies and treatment options give children with brain, spine and nervous system tumors the best chance of cure and quality of life. Learn more by calling 904.697.3600 and asking for our Jacksonville Neuro-Oncology team. Visit wolfsonchildrens.com/neuro-oncology for more information.

Childhood Cancer Expertise A diagnosis of childhood cancer can be overwhelming for the whole family. Wolfson Children’s offers you peace of mind, knowing we are working as a team to offer cutting-edge technology and the latest evidence-based practices. Our advanced cancer therapies include: • CAR T-Cell Therapy • FACT-Accredited Hematopoietic Stem Cell Program • Proton Radiation Therapy • Fluorescence-Guided Neurosurgery Technology • MRI-Guided Laser Interstitial Thermotherapy (LITT) • 70+ Clinical Trials • MIBG – Coming in Fall 2021

As a not-for-profit children’s hospital, we accept all children, regardless of their ability to pay for care. With help from financial support, Wolfson Children’s provides world-class care for children with the latest technologies and treatment. To help, visit HopeStartsHere.com.

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15/06/2021 14:58

COVER STORy

THE PLAYERS Championship A stellar performance, with a strong challenge from three shots behind, gave Justin Thomas a well-earned victory By Ward Clayton

30 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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COVER STORY

ustin Thomas calls it “head space,” the mindset that every professional golfer must navigate to simply be competitive on the PGA TOUR, much less contending at THE PLAYERS Championship, the TOUR’s marquee event. The 27-year-old Thomas was searching for that proper focus in mid-March at TPC Sawgrass, as 2021 had carried the 2020 pandemic effect forward with what the native Kentuckian called “a crappy couple months.” In March 2020, on Friday the 13th, the pandemic latched on and threw the world into chaos, including cancellation of THE PLAYERS after one round. The fast-charging Thomas was thrown further off-kilter as the calendar turned to 2021 because of interference that had nothing to do with birdies and bogeys. In January, he was chided for uttering an insult on a live mic during tournament play in Hawaii; he apologized profusely and said he’d grow from the experience. In February, his grandfather and longtime mentor Paul Thomas, a PGA professional, died at age 89. That was followed on Feb. 23 by an auto accident in Los Angeles in which good friend Tiger Woods was badly injured. “I’m doing OK. I have definitely been better,” Thomas said prior to THE PLAYERS. “At the end of the day I’m like an iPod Nano; I just keep shuffling.”

Justin Thomas plays his approach after a massive 5-wood around the bend on the 18th hole during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship.

bb Thomas poses with the trophy after his clinching par on 18 sealed his first PLAYERS title.

Stellar play Westwood was enjoying his recent stellar play, put in place by consultation with psychologist Ben Davis for the last couple years to “control the things I can control” and the inclusion of his girlfriend, Helen Storey, as his caddie since 2018. Westwood could be seen smiling in the midst of battle, a reaction rarely seen in recent years from the European Tour’s four-time Player of the Year.

images: PGA TOUR

Front runners That persistence during a week of glorious weather at TPC Sawgrass was shared by two other contenders, long-hitting American Bryson DeChambeau and 47-year-old revitalized Englishman Lee Westwood, on a “Round 2, the rematch” tour, as Westwood called it. For the second consecutive week, they faced off in the final pairing on Sunday after DeChambeau had edged Westwood by a shot at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Westwood held a two-stroke lead as the last two combatants headed out in the final tee time at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday. Touted for his intriguing approach to the game and extraordinary length off the tee, DeChambeau was out to prove his game translated to any course, particularly one as plotting and penal as Pete Dye’s seminal design in Ponte Vedra Beach. “I can play on golf courses that don’t really suit me. That’s a big lesson,” said DeChambeau, the FedExCup leader and the TOUR’s longest driver. w w w.p gat our.com

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COVER STORy

“I think Helen is a big part of it,” said DeChambeau, known for his analytical mind toward golf. “She’s keeping him steady and level-headed and she’s a rock. Keeps his mind focused on the right things, and she’s been awesome for him, and that’s one of his secret weapons, I think.”

The open door As the final pairing drew the majority of the focus, one group ahead stood Thomas. DeChambeau and Westwood scuttered around the water-laden course early in their final rounds, exemplified by their shocking play on the short par-4 fourth. DeChambeau topped his tee shot into a penalty area, cracked a 4-iron on his third shot and scrambled for a double bogey. Westwood’s tee shot sailed wide right into water and he made bogey. That tentative play opened the door for Thomas. He was roaring up the leaderboard, bouncing back from a 1-over-par first 27 holes that had him aiming to simply get inside the even-par cut line. A third-round 64 had Thomas focused on winning his first PLAYERS. That emphasis kicked into high gear near the turn on Sunday when he two-putted for birdie on the par-5 ninth; sank a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-4 10th; made a 19-foot eagle putt on the par-5 11th (following a laser-like 4-iron from 240 yards); and tapped in for birdie on the short par-4 12th after driving over the green. In playing four holes in 5-under, he seized the lead at 14-under. A missed 4-foot par putt on the par-4 14th was offset by a two-putt birdie from 47 feet on the par-5 16th and two strong closing pars to stroll home in 32. Only a wedge approach that stopped on the front collar on the home hole kept Thomas from hitting all 18 greens in regulation (27 consecutive through 17) during his final-round 68 that he claimed as “one of the best rounds of my life tee to green.”

Thomas’s surge DeChambeau and Westwood couldn’t keep pace with Thomas’s back-nine surge. Westwood crept within one but three-putted the 17th for bogey before a birdie on the final hole gave him second alone. DeChambeau eagled No. 16 to pull within two, but couldn’t make a birdie on the final two holes, tying for third with left-hander Brian Harman at 12-under. Thomas’s “head space” was cleared via a number of avenues. His father, Mike, his only 34 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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COVER STORY

instructor, helped get his game in gear as he also mourned the family’s loss of patriarch Paul. Much like Westwood, Thomas consulted with a psychologist. He texted and spoke with Woods from the Los Angeles hospital room of the TOUR’s all-time wins co-leader. His girlfriend, Jillian Wisniewski, was terrific support. Thomas also cited inspiration from the world’s No. 1 player, Dustin Johnson. Thomas was in the group as Johnson shot 8080 and missed the cut at the 2020 Memorial Tournament. Johnson then rebounded to win the TOUR Championship, FedExCup and Masters Tournament, displaying an attitude that influenced Thomas with an “If he can do it, why can’t I?’ type thing.”

Lifted by the fans But even more so, Thomas was lifted by the presence of fans after competing for months during the pandemic at near-empty TOUR events. It may have only been 20 percent of capacity, but it was meaningful. “It’s like having a money game with your buddies and then it’s like playing in front of 10,000 people,” Thomas said. “The things that I felt out there today and those last couple holes is something that I haven’t felt in a really long time because of all this. It’s just bizarre. The hair on my arms and neck and legs were standing straight up walking to 17 green … But it felt great. That’s why we all play. That’s why we all do this.” 

__ Bryson DeChambeau

acknowledges the fans on the 18th hole green during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. A winner one week earlier at Bay Hill, DeChambeau tied for third.

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

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England’s Lee Westwood hits his second shot on the 10th hole during the final round. Westwood went on to finish second on back-to-back Sundays.

June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 35

05/07/2021 10:47

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Golf trends

A HEALTHY PROGNOSIS

A year of the coronavirus pandemic has sparked an unexpected and remarkable increase in the popularity of golf By Michael LoRé

very aspect of life was seemingly put on pause in March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic was officially declared. Companies told employees to work from home indefinitely, restaurants halted dine-in service, gyms and fitness studios went virtual, and countless businesses were forced to close their doors. The sports industry also felt the wrath of COVID-19, with the NBA suspending play on March 11 that year. Like a set of dominoes, the NHL, MLS, MLB, NASCAR, UFC and PGA TOUR all began to shut down one by one. With people confined to their homes, fitness and entertainment options—especially those that could be done safely—were limited. What rose from the ashes wasn’t a phoenix, but instead it was birdies and eagles.

The golf boom Golf experienced a boom, which the industry hadn’t seen at such a scale since Tiger Woods burst onto the scene in 1996 resulting in a 13.9% increase in play from 2019 with approximately 500 million rounds played in 2020—60 million more than in 2019. Play at private clubs was up 19.9% year-overyear, while public facilities experienced a 12.4% increase in rounds, according to Golf Datatech. “People saw the value in golf again and got out there to play with family or close friends in their ‘bubble’,” said Erik Matuszewski, Editorial Director at the National Golf Foundation. 38 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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Golf took an initial hit in March and April as government officials enacted stay-at-home mandates and anxieties around the pandemic grew. But as temperatures began to rise in May and June, so did interest in golf; there were double-digit percentage increases in rounds played each month for the remainder of the year, with a 56.6% increase in November 2020 compared to the prior year.

Increasing demand With an increase in interest came the need for equipment, whether it was experienced golfers investing more money into their game or new entrants into the sport seeking their first set of clubs. U.S. equipment retail sales topped $1 billion from July through September, an alltime Q3 record since Golf Datatech started its trend tracking in 1997. “There weren’t a lot of activities available during a pandemic and lockdown, but golf was one of the sports that remained open,” said Nick McInally, Vice President of Global Marketing at Callaway Golf. “People were able to enjoy an activity while being socially distant and responsible. There was a point where you couldn’t even get a tee time. “A lot of people said, ‘I want to invest time in me and upgrade my equipment.’” Callaway reported a record consolidated net sales of $375 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, a 20% increase from Q4 of 2019. Callaway and other golf brands and manufacturers as well as private clubs and public courses needed to pivot in order to w w w.p gat our.com

05/07/2021 12:16

Golf trends

images: Dreamstime

Exercise and fresh air have given golf a huge upswing in popularity during the many months of coronavirus restrictions.

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June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 39

05/07/2021 14:20

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Golf trends

Approximately 500 million rounds were played in 2020, some 60 million more than in 2019.

Investing in technology Many courses switched to single-rider carts—if carts were even offered at all—to minimize contact between players, while installing physical safety barriers and utilizing contactless and mobile technology to protect staff and customers. Of the managers and owners surveyed as part of a “GolfNow” study in September, 47% of facilities now believe investing in technology is a high or very high priority compared to 27% pre-pandemic. 42 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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“[The pandemic] not only showed people’s built-in desire to get out, get exercise and enjoy themselves, but it also showed the flexibility and adaptability of the industry.” - Nick McInally

“[The pandemic] not only showed people’s built-in desire to get out, get exercise and enjoy themselves, but it also showed the flexibility and adaptability of the industry,” McInally said.

Increased sports betting Not only was golf a safe, socially distant outdoor sport at a time when many others were limited, the rise of sports betting and golf-entertainment venues, such as Topgolf, also contributed to the game’s growth before and during the pandemic. Topgolf, which merged with Callaway, reported more than half of its 23 million guests in 2019 identified

images: Dreamstime

continue to meet this unprecedented demand that certainly no one predicted at the onset of the pandemic.

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05/07/2021 12:16

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Golf trends

“18-34 year olds represent 25% of on-course golfers, but 40% of offcourse participants.” — Participation Report 2019 by the National Golf Foundation

interact with the game in an effort to expand audience growth. Golf is the fourth-mostpopular sport for daily fantasy at DraftKings, whose golf sportsbook handle has grown 10 fold year-over-year.

Top priority With as many question marks surrounding the future of the pandemic as the success of the golf industry in 2021 and beyond—though January rounds were up 21.4% from 2020— retention remains the top priority. Courses, clubs and companies are doing their best to not only introduce people to golf, but to get those interested to invest further. “We’ve got some real excitement and momentum behind the game,” McInally said, “but how do we make sure it’s not just a blip in time?” 

images: Dreamstime

as non-golfers. The National Golf Foundation’s 2019 Participation Report showed that 18-34 year olds represent 25% of on-course golfers, but 40% of off-course participants. “These folks are extremely engaged,” Matuszewski said. “When you look at offcourse—golf simulators, entertainment venues, etc—it is this very accessible, very engaging, approachable on-ramp to the traditional game. We’ve seen no significant cannibalism of on-course green grass golf; in fact it helps the traditional game because it provides that comfort level. These new forms of off-course golf really enhance that because they provide that additional access to golf that encourages people to play on a golf course.” The PGA TOUR announced four Official Betting Operator partners between July and August, helping casual and diehard golf fans

44 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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Caring for children ages newborn to 18, the Wolfson Children’s Stys Neuroscience Institute brings together experts in a wide range of fields to diagnose and treat complex neurological conditions, including: • Brachial plexus injuries

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GUEST COMMENT

Introducing a guest comment series

ON THE TEE

THE LONG BALL IMPRESSES, BUT DOESN’T ALWAYS RULE Dave Shedloski

images: getty images

Bryson DeChambeau led the field in driving distance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with an average of 321.1 yards. It was something the fans had been clamoring to see.

When B ryson D e Chambeau launched a 370-yard drive that carried a huge lake on the par-5 sixth hole at Bay Hill Club during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, he thrust both arms in the air triumphantly as the crowd that had salivated over witnessing the blast cheered wildly. j j j j j It was something DeChambeau had promised he would attempt. It was something fans had been clamoring to see. The bulked-up Californian pummeled another the next day that traveled 377 yards on his way to rallying past Lee Westwood for his eighth career victory. Of course he won. He led the field in driving distance with an average poke of 321.1 yards. The long ball also helped carry him to victory in the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where his driving distance average of 325.6 yards was the longest ever by a winner. (His short game was pretty sharp, too.) j j j j j It was that performance last September that prompted Rory McIlroy, already one of the game’s longest hitters, to experiment with his swing early in 2021 to produce “ludicrous speed,” to borrow a term from Mel Brooks’ film “Spaceballs”— w w w.p gat our.com

T9_Guest Column_v3.indd 47

which, come to think of it, sounds like the next step in the distance chase. Another blaster, Tony Finau, also has tinkered with the more-is-better approach to tee shots. Ditto for Dustin Johnson, who can introduce his driver to a golf ball with stunning results. j j j j j Here’s the shocking thing, though: more might look better, especially to the guy you leave 35 yards behind you, as DeChambeau did to Justin Rose repeatedly in April during their first two rounds together in the 85th Masters, but it doesn’t always translate into a view from the top. In fact, it seldom does. (Rose, by the way, beat DeChambeau by six shots over those first 36 holes.) j j j j j More than midway through the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season, DeChambeau was the only player to win while leading the field in driving distance, which he accomplished at Bay Hill. (He ranked seventh overall in his U.S. Open triumph.) In fact, seldom did the driving distance leader even finish in the top-10. Meanwhile, five players in that same span were 50th or higher the week they won, while Hideki Matsuyama ranked 47th off the tee at the Masters but sauntered off with the green jacket. June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 47

05/07/2021 12:18

GUEST COMMENT

What gives? Well, as Jack Nicklaus once said, “I used power to my advantage, but not at the expense of compromising my ability to score or sacrificing advantages I might have in other areas.” Other areas being proper golf-hitting fairways and greens. Nicklaus often has spoken of how well he “managed” his game, and he managed to win 18 majors along the way. j j j j j Observers think that DeChambeau is changing the game, but he shakes that off, though he allowed that, “I think I’m definitely changing the way people think about the game.” He knows he is not the first player to understand the benefits of greater distance, but he’s the first to put on 40 pounds of muscle in pursuit of it. “Now,” he added, “whether you can do it, that’s a whole different situation.” Right. It might be a fool’s errand. McIlroy admitted as much when discussing how displeased he’s been with his game early

in 2021. Emulating DeChambeau had its consequences. “That was sort of the infancy of where these swing problems have come from,” McIlroy said in March. “So it’s just a matter of trying to get back out of it.” j j j j j Well, as one wise player noted, “There are different ways to do things. … Find your own way, find your passion. Like Arnie said, ‘Swing your swing.’” That same player went on to say, proudly, that his short game and scrambling ability are big keys to his success. “I think I have a lot of creativity.” So said Bryson DeChambeau.  • Dave Shedloski is one of the most recognized writers in golf. For more than 30 years he has contributed to the leading golf publications, including the PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf, Golf Digest and Golfweek. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.

48 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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images: pga tour

“I used power to my advantage…” — Jack Nicklaus

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05/07/2021 12:18

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THE PGA TOUR’S IRONMEN

FOR THE LOVE OF GOLF There are players who, for the love of the game, play a remarkable number of tournaments—they are the ironmen By Jim McCabe

urbulence was in the skies, so civility at the airport terminal was teetering on chaos. “We started seeing the cancel notices going up and knew there was trouble,” said Dana Quigley. He was at the airport in Rhode Island on a Sunday in mid-July in 2005, scheduled to fly to Newark to catch an overseas flight to Scotland for the Senior British Open. “Scheduled” being the key word, because when his flight to Newark was canceled, Quigley had to scramble. Quigley could get to Newark Monday morning, but the best the airline could guarantee were seats on a Tuesday night flight. “That meant getting to the tournament on Wednesday,” said Quigley, who didn’t see that he had any options, except to make three phone calls and announce that the streak had come to an end.

Quigley announced. “I called my mother, who was sad and just asked why. Then I called my kids (Nicole and Devon) and they both cried. The third call was to Dr. Bob Rotella, who said, ‘Thank God.’ ” Quigley still laughs at Dr. Rotella’s reaction, 16 years later. “Dr. Bob was always asking me to take a week off,” said Quigley. “He’d say, ‘Take the pressure off yourself.’ I would say, ‘Doc, if I take a week off, I’ll play 36 or 54 holes a day at Bear Lakes. What kind of rest is that?” Somehow, the years have played through and Quigley is 74. Some things have changed: He is long retired from competition. Some things haven’t changed: He still plays every day, though he keeps it to 18 holes.

A new ironman The backstory Quigley, then 58, had played in 264 consecutive PGA TOUR Champions tournaments dating back to 1997, or 278 in a row if you only went by the events for which he was eligible. But they would have to play on without him at Royal Aberdeen,

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And some things truly catch his fancy: For instance, Sungjae Im, the 2019 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year who has quickly gained a reputation as a modern-day ironman. (He led the TOUR with 35 starts in 2018-19 and his 26 in the pandemicshortened 2019-20 campaign was behind only the

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THE PGA TOUR’S IRONMEN

images: Getty Images

Dana Quigley played in 264 consecutive PGA TOUR Champions tournaments.

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05/07/2021 12:21

Side-Saddle The Future of Putting

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Is Side-Saddle Legal? Yes - as of 2020 our putters, set-up and stroke conform with The Rules of Golf. So long as you use a legal putter according to The Rules of Golf, stand to the side of your line of play and use a non-anchored stroke you can putt side-saddle in any type of competition. The Blaze Putter is the best Side-Saddle Putter on the market. It is extremely well made and has a fantastic feel. I really like the additional weight on the putter as they serve as a nice alignment aid as well. Although the lie angle on the putter is flatter than some other side saddle putters, you can still hold this putter very upright with no problems at all. This putter has truly transformed my putting!! — Matthew Joseph — Great putter! Almost 50 years playing golf (34 as a professional) and I wish I would have learned to putt this way at the start. It makes sense and is very simple. Quality product and a quality company. Make sure and watch the videos. It takes a little practice to get used to side-saddle, but once you do there is no turning back! — Kelly DeShaw —

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THE PGA TOUR’S IRONMEN

images: PGA TOUR

Miller Barber, golf’s famous Mr. X, enjoyed traveling to tournaments so much that his wife once joked he was “happiest when he’s got a motel key in his pocket.”

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Charles Howell III, here at the 2021 Genesis Invitational, reasons that his life as a professional golfer provides him with ample free time during the year.

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THE PGA TOUR’S IRONMEN

27 played by Lanto Griffin and Patrick Rodgers.) Taking note of Sungjae Im, Quigley said, “Bless that young man’s heart. I love what he’s doing. He hasn’t been brain-washed into thinking that three weeks is the most you should play. Three weeks? Where did that science come from?”

Borderline maniacal In the history of the PGA TOUR, Quigley is not alone in his belief that golfers should play golf, lots of golf. While perhaps he took it to a level that was borderline maniacal—seriously, 264 tournaments in a row?— Quigley would have been given Miller Barber’s stamp of approval. “Mr. X,” as Barber was called, is documented as No. 1 for combined starts (1,314) on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions. “It was pure agony for him sitting at home with a tournament going on,” Bruce Lietzke once said of Barber. “I think Miller’s wife (Karen) put it best: ‘Miller is happiest when he’s got a motel key in his pocket.’ ” Two beloved PGA TOUR characters who have passed, Barber and Lietzke were unlikely friends because their competitive passions were polar opposites. Barber played 30 or more tournaments 14 times in his career; Lietzke went that many just once and averaged just 18.7 tournaments per his last 10 years on the PGA TOUR.

A player’s drive Like Barber and Quigley, Paul Goydos could appreciate Im’s mentality. Goydos was a rookie in 1993 and over his first 11 years played in 30 or more tournaments six times. During that stretch he averaged 29 and told reporters once that perspective had much to do with it. He was, after all, a substitute schoolteacher before he made it in pro golf. Substitute teachers don’t get courtesy cars, free equipment, and have the luxury to skip weeks; they feel blessed to have seven-figure purses to play for. So why skip? “There’s something to be said for somebody out on TOUR who actually had a real job,” said Goydos’ longtime friend, Pat Burke, a onetime PGA TOUR member.

aa Despite the pandemic,

South Korea’s Sungjae Im played 26 events in the 2019-20 PGA TOUR Season. He doesn’t look upon what he does for a living as a job. He just wants to play more golf.

images: Getty Images; US PGA TOUR

Shared sentiment Charles Howell III has never attempted to play every tournament, a la Quigley, but he shares the man’s sentiment. “If I play 28 tournaments, that means I’m off 24 weeks a year,” said Howell, who averaged 27.95 tournaments for the first 20 full years of his career (2001-20). “That’s pretty good.” There are PGA TOUR members who agree with w w w.p gat our.com

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Paul Goydos, seen here at a 2021 PGA TOUR Champions event in Tucson, was a former schoolteacher who enjoyed playing a high number of events each year on the PGA TOUR.

Howell and have more than 30 starts a year to back it up. But Quigley is right; there is a healthy list of players who think three straight weeks is tops, and that being an ironman isn’t a goal. Im, 23, is not yet on that list, however. Asked at the TOUR Championship in 2020 what he’d do if he won the $15 million jackpot, the South Korean smiled. “Keep playing more,” he said. “I’m just so happy to be on the PGA TOUR and just to play golf. I don’t really look at it as work. It’s more of a chance to just go out and do what I love—play golf.” Dana Quigley couldn’t have said it better himself.  June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 59

05/07/2021 12:21

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OLYMPIC UPDATE

images: GETTY IMAGES

“ … a good opportunity to do something I’ve never done before.” — Rory McIlroy

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OLYMPIC UPDATE

TOKYO 2020

Following the introductory success of golf in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, current enthusiasm for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games is sure to overcome the new challenges By Chris Smith

othing is ever basic or simple when it comes to a global event as grand as the Olympic Games, but the COVID-19 pandemic made sure that the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo would be unlike any other in history. From the yearlong delay until 2021, to the abundance of protocols and restrictions implemented to assure a safe environment for the athletes and however many fans would be allowed, planning and preparations would become an ongoing exercise in reaction and response. Fortunately for golf, it proved to be as adaptable as any of the 32 sports, and likely more so. It already had proven worthy of the challenge of returning as an Olympic sport after more than a century when preparations included the imposing, time-sensitive task of building a world-class golf course from scratch in Rio de Janeiro. Despite that and such issues as the Zika virus and security concerns that kept some top athletes away, golf’s debut was an unmitigated success, with six medalists representing six different countries and large, enthusiastic crowds following both the men’s and women’s competitions. Moreover, the athletes themselves had glowing things to say about the entire experience.

Building on success With this as the background, the International Golf Federation, through the support of the sport’s leading professional tours and organizations, prepared to build upon the Rio success with the added benefit of going to a sophisticated golf-loving country in Japan. It was the perfect setup for a triumphant return to further strengthen golf’s standing as a viable Olympic sport. But then came the pandemic and the global shutdown. All sports—much less life itself— w w w.p gat our.com

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came to a virtual standstill. In golf, the PGA TOUR’s signature championship, THE PLAYERS, was canceled midstream. As weeks passed, it became abundantly clear that the Summer Olympics could not be held in 2020 and were postponed for one year.

Golf excelled The ensuing months defied any sense of normalcy, but focus ultimately turned to reestablishing a footing and sports began thinking about a return in some form. This is where golf excelled. PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, in particular, was cited for his leadership in coordinating regular virtual strategic meetings with golf’s leadership and for implementing groundbreaking testing and protocols to assure the TOUR’s safe return well before most other sports were able to do so. These extensive safety and testing protocols have served as a model for other sports to follow and in consultation with the tours, the IGF has utilized and refined these practices to createassure a safe environment for the athletes and fans at Kasumigaseki Country Club. “We realize these Olympic Games obviously will be different in many regards due to a pandemic that has impacted virtually every facet of our lives,” said IGF President Annika Sorenstam. “Not only has it affected our own preparations and the manner in which every sport will be conducted, but in some cases, it is impacting an athlete’s decision on whether to even participate. But in many parts of the world, we also have seen sports come back and play an important role in helping to regain some sense of normalcy, and I’m extremely proud of the role professional golf has played as a leader in this regard.” June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 63

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OLYMPIC UPDATE

“A very select group of people can say they’ve been Olympians throughout their life.” — Jon Rahm

These Games will be restrictive out of necessity, and that includes athletes not being able to attend events outside their own. Admittedly, it puts a damper on the Olympic experience. But the opportunity to represent one’s country and medal is enough motivation in itself. “It’s just going to be one of those things 10, 15 years from now you’re going to look back at the Olympics in 2021 and it’s going to be a weird year,” Justin Thomas said. “I know I’d kick myself forever if I didn’t do this, and especially with this being kind of in the twoyear trial run for golf. Who knows what could happen in the future?” “It’s not ideal,” said Rory McIlroy, who will play for Ireland, “but it’s still a good opportunity to do something that I’ve never done before … I’ve been around now for a long time, so it’s sort of rare to be able to do something for the first time again. I’m sort of looking forward to that.” 64 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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Jon Rahm added, “I’ve had the pleasure of being able to win gold medals in European Championships and championships for Spain as an amateur, and I would love nothing more than to be able to do it as a professional, as well. Especially because up until four years ago that wasn’t an option, so to be called an Olympian, it’s a very unique feeling. A very select group of people can say they’ve been Olympians throughout their life, and if you can get a medal, that would be amazing.” So, for many of the world’s best, it remains a meaningful objective to compete as an Olympian, even in a year of unprecedented restrictions. “Despite these exceptional circumstances,” Sorenstam concluded, “we are confident that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will provide all our athletes with a unique, memorable and rewarding experience in front of some of the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable golf fans in the world, and will serve as an inspiration to young golfers around the world.” 

images: GETTY IMAGES

Powerful motivation

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Bahía Beach Resort and Golf Club, home of the St. Regis Bahía Beach Resort, a five-star, five-diamond resort community is situated in Puerto Rico’s northeast coast, just 25 minutes away from San Juan. The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., one of the world’s preeminent golf course architects and designated as a Certified Audubon International Signature Sanctuary. Proclaimed as one of the best and most beautiful golf courses in the Caribbean, this exclusive stretch of green is a true statement of perfection. For tee time reservations and more information please contact: Golf Shop 787 809 8950 or via email teetimes@bahiabeachpuertorico.com BAHIABEACHPUERTORICO.COM

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Golf

TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

ADVENTURES The golf vacations we’ve done without for so long are now very much on the wanted list

olf vacations are back! We’re starting to move on from those “strange times we’re living in,” when many aspects of life simply ground to a halt due to COVID-19. And most welcome, too, is the news that recreational golf has seen a big upswing in popularity over the last 12 months (see the report, pp.38-44), with fresh air and exercise a necessity during the pandemic months.

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Many golf resorts and clubs have made best use of the down time to enhance facilities and add new attractions, with the result that they are already are seeing record bookings from the many of us who long to return to play golf on some of our favorite and most beautiful courses. The following destinations in our “Golf Adventures” series will guarantee you a warm welcome.

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The best of

TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

Even PGA TOUR players find it difficult to concentrate at Grand Reserve Country Club in Puerto Rico with the breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean just yards off the green.

PUERTO RICO

ituated in the foothills of El Yunque National Forest, the 5-star Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club is part of the St. Regis collection of properties and has all the luxury amenities for which St. Regis is famous. The 18-hole golf course (6,890 yards) was the first design project in Puerto Rico for Robert Trent Jones Jr. The course has holes 15 to 18 bordering water features, as the course takes a circuitous route around the lakes before emerging onto the Atlantic coast for the final holes. The course is managed by Troon Golf and is certified as a Silver Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International. If you’re looking for a short break, the resort currently has a 3-day special “Escape Golf

Package” deal on offer through December 20. For over 60 years, the Puerto Rico Open has attracted golf vacationers to the island. The tournament has been part of the PGA TOUR event line-up since 2008. It’s known as one of the most fun events of the TOUR season, taking place annually in February at the Grand Reserve Golf Club. The Tom Kitedesigned course has seen many TOUR players, including Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau and Bryson DeChambeau. So here’s your opportunity to stay and play where some of the TOUR’s best have played. Package deals are available for those planning to celebrate in tropical style at the Grand Reserve Golf Club and Hotel.

images: Getty Images

The Puerto Rico Open receives attention from all varieties of “fans.”

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS The sun sets over the golf course, holes 15, 16 and 17, at the Congaree Golf Club.

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Just right

images: Edward C Robison III; World Golf Tour

outh Carolina long has been a magnet for golf fans and vacationers, being a state with more than 350 attractive golf courses. Of the many attractions is the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. And it’s the Ocean Course that’s the big pull. This is rated the No. 4 public golf course in the U.S. and is also ranked 25th among the “100 Greatest U.S. Golf Courses,” as well as having an impressive tournament backstory. A further accolade came this year when The Ocean Course hosted the PGA Championship (May 20-23, when fans watched Phil Mickelson triumph). Those who know the course well will tell you the par-72 layout designed by Pete and Alice Dye serves as a true test of skill. Not only is the unobstructed coastal view impressive—10 holes run along the water—but the fresh breezes blowing in off the Atlantic also add to the many challenges. In addition, there are four other courses by leading designers: Osprey Point (Tom Fazio), Oak Point (Clyde Johnston), Turtle Point (Jack Nicklaus), and Cougar Point (Gary Player). In June, the resort opened additional new accommodations, four new two-story, four-bedroom cottages tucked right beside the Ocean Course clubhouse and overlooking the driving range,

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SOUTH CAROLINA Atlantic Ocean views from the Kiawah Ocean Course and Clubhouse, the venue for the 2021 PGA Championship.

with the ocean serving as the backdrop. The Cottages at the Ocean Course serve as luxury accommodations for a fully immersive and highly curated golf experience for those visiting the Ocean Course. Groups staying in the Cottages have a dedicated concierge who will stock the properties with your favorite beverages and snacks, also arranging transport, tee times, dining experiences (including exclusive private wine- or spiritspaired chef’s dinners), and other recreational activities. The new luxury Cottages are arranged with two guestrooms upstairs and two down (each with private ensuite bathrooms) with a shared living room and bar downstairs. Both floors have porches that give sweeping views of the course and the Atlantic Ocean.

A new event on the PGA TOUR schedule is always a thrilling development— especially for the local area— introducing not only new fans to the tournament but also showcasing the many golf vacation opportunities in the region. The announcement that the new Palmetto Championship at Congaree tournament (see also p.145) would take place June 10-13 created excitement in Jasper County. Governor Henry McMaster said: “We have the opportunity to tell the South Carolina success story in a new way to new people and showcase our state and its successes to the world.” During the Palmetto Championship media day at Congaree, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Ty Votaw commented, “It’s a

great story for South Carolina, for its tourism and economic development.” As a vacation destination, Congaree has much to offer in addition to great golf opportunities. The Congaree National Park, for example, is the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the country. Bottomland hardwoods include species that thrive in forested wetlands. The short (53 miles) but wide Congaree River supports a forest wilderness trail that can be explored by boat or canoe, using a Park campground as a base either for overnight or multi-day stays. There are rangers on hand to give guidance about the area’s natural and cultural history, providing information about the people who have used the land since prehistoric times. June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 71

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Looking for the perfect golf getaway? Mississippi has your hole-in-one.

signature celebrity golf designs. Authentic cuisine served with genuine hospitality. Gaming and sportsbook opportunities galore. World-class resorts and spas. Unrivaled beach and delta sunsets. And a musical heritage we love to share in visitors 365 days a year. Start planning your getaway today at visitmississippi.org.

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Play away

images: Russell Kirk/Golflinksphotography.com

f the 140 or more courses in Mississippi, known as the Magnolia state, there are many designed by prominent names such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Jerry Pate, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III and Bob Cupp. With golf vacationers always keen to find new challenges, there’s an impressive array of choices here, where the varying terrain has helped these big-name designers create some of their masterpieces. Shell Landing Golf Club is a championship-level course in Gautier, designed by Davis Love III, making innovative use of the interesting and diverse topography. The Shell Landing course also has the benefit of being located on the waterfront along the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast. The course features five sets of tees, water hazards, slopes, bunkers and doglegs. Even the most experienced players are pleased to discover this course is a challenge to play! The public course is considered one of the best, and one of the most scenic, in Mississippi. Approximately 90 miles northeast of Jackson, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is built on the ancestral lands of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Located in the heart of the state’s Pines Region, the club features two courses with challenging terrain, the Oaks and the Azaleas. Designed by Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate, these 36 holes are situated adjacent to the Pearl River Casino Resort. Dancing Rabbit is a public facility that offers several golf packages designed for individuals or small groups. Designed by Bob Cupp, Mallard Point Golf Course in Sardis is operated by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. It’s located on the southern shores of Sardis Lake, about an hour south of Memphis. This is an 18-hole, tree-lined championship course with native grasses, giving players plent of challenges. For accommodations, the course also has villas for rent adjacent to the clubhouse.

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MISSISSIPPI Shell Landing Golf Course, rated one of the best courses in Mississippi.

Dancing Rabbit Golf Course, located in the heart of the state’s Pine Region.

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BY TIGER WOODS & TGR DESIGN BOOK YOUR STAY & PLAY PACKAGE AT BIGCEDAR.COM

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Mountain scenery

TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

MISSOURI

hat Tiger Woods wants, he says, is for a course “to play firm and fast, with contours that move the ball around.” Do conditions need to be perfectly green? “Brown is okay,” Tiger says of the turf conditions. “It doesn’t have to be perfectly

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green. I want the ball running, I want it traveling, I want it moving on the ground. We have some amazing elevation changes, some amazing slopes and I think we can create some interesting options and enjoyment for a lot of players.”

bb A grand view of Table Rock Lake at Top of the Rock, set in the Ozark Mountains.

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

Here, Tiger was talking about his vision for his first public course design, which is Payne’s Valley at Big Cedar Lodge, a course named in honor of late Missouri legend Payne Stewart, who was Woods’ Florida neighbor. As an 82-time PGA TOUR winner, Tiger Woods has very precise ideas about what makes a great golf course, ideas that he can turn to reality through his golf course design firm, TGR Design. The recently opened Payne’s Valley is a standout example, with its inviting layout, beautiful water features, large fairways and greens, and a spectacular and unique 19th hole. Set in the Ozark Mountains, Big Cedar Golf is a vast spread of every amenity vacationers could want, and it continues to grow, discreetly adding new amenities and accommodations. The scenery and mountain views are spectacular, such as Table Rock Lake at Top of the Rock, which is the highest elevation in Taney County near Branson, Missouri.

“… This property at Buffalo Ridge is even grander than what anyone can imagine. I’m shocked … every time I come here I am amazed” — Tom Fazio

Buffalo Ridge is another championship course at Big Cedar, a course that has been transformed by the guiding hands of visionary conservationist Johnny Morris and renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio. An attractive aspect of the course is that Morris and Fazio have redesigned the layout to bring players into closer contact with nature, which includes native grasses and free-ranging North American bison from nearby Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. There’s also a great practice facility at Buffalo Ridge Springs, featuring an extensive driving range, set just beneath the clubhouse. Overlooking a vast, sloping hillside, the range makes best use of a vast amount of open space. With views of the peaks and valleys of the Ozark Mountains, practicing at Buffalo Ridge Springs is a most enjoyable vacation experience. A course-style chipping green is also available, with room for pitching and sand practice along with two putting greens.

images: Edward C. Robison III

Buffalo Ridge Springs, Big Cedar. The attractive par-3 10th hole sits on the edge of a pond.

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DIGITAL EDITION

AVAILABLE NOW COURTESY OF THE PGA TOUR, THE DIGITAL EDITION IS GIFTED FREE.

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

Get lucky in

OKLAHOMA

aa The WinStar Golf

Academy has the latest training facilities, along with customized instruction courses.

bb Both Scissortail and Redbud courses offer players a variety of compelling challenges, with a total yardage from 4,900 to over 7,200 yards.

acation rentals have become a popular option for families and buddies trips. In the state of Oklahoma, for example, there are houses near the waterfront and homes with pools, condos and studios, a base that gives vacationers freedom to explore and take in a variety of activities. An evening at the casino, perhaps? Or maybe more? WinStar World Casino and Resort offers all those options, including a very good golf course. The designer? D.A. Weibring, a five-time PGA Tour winner. “We wanted to build a golf course that was not only visually striking, but that was good for everybody,” Weibring said. “Our philosophy is to build a playable golf course for every skill level. We want golfers to be able to bounce the ball onto the green and play golf on the ground. But I wanted it to have a balance and not only be attractive for the beginning golfer, but also a better player as well.” Across more than 350 acres and situated between the blackjack oaks and the shores of the Red River are WinStar’s Scissortail and Redbud courses. These courses offer a total

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

yardage from 4,900 to over 7,200 yards. And the attention to detail doesn’t end on the courses— the 10,000-square-foot WinStar Golf Clubhouse also houses a state-of-the-art locker room, a pro shop featuring top-of-the-line gear and the Legends Bar & Grill. The Scissortail Course at WinStar Golf Club is just one half of WinStar World Casino and Resort’s full championship golfing experience. The D.A. Weibring and Wolfard Golf Design course has 4,843 to 7,192 playable yards, depending on your skills level. With green Tifsport fairways and velvet-smooth MiniVerde Bermuda greens, WinStar’s 18-hole Scissortail Course uses the natural formations of the Red River Valley to make a fun and challenging golf experience. The Redbud Course at WinStar is the other half of WinStar World Casino and Resort’s comprehensive championship golf offering. This course, also designed by D.A. Weibring and Wolfard Golf Design, has many different playable yardages, catering for all skills levels.

“We wanted to build a golf course that was not only visually striking, but that was good for everybody ... to build a playable golf course for every skill level.” — D.A. Weibring

WinStar’s 18-hole Redbud Course has challenging holes—ranging across 4,968 to 7,116 playable yards—woven through the attractively rugged and rolling hill landscape. The course also makes best use of the native grasses of the Red River Valley. Currently on offer from WinStar are WinStar Golf Academy packages that will help you tune up your skills through expert tuition, utilizing many of the same tools used by the pros. And there’s an array of tuition options, from a onehour lesson ($125) through 5, 10 or 15 lessons, topping out at $1,000. In addition to the two championship 18-hole golf courses, WinStar also has a spa, bars and shopping areas. And here you’ll find the Casino has an enormous array of electronic and table games. Topping off your golf vacation experience, the Resort provides a range of accommodations at the WinStar World Casino Hotel and also many dining choices at no fewer than 19 restaurants that offer fine dining and global cuisine.

The WinStar World Casino and Resort has a variety of attractions, including two 18-hole golf coures, a golf instruction academy, and the world’s largest casino.

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MASTER YOUR SWING

ACE OUR GREENS

L E T T H E G O O D T I M E S R O L L AT W I N S TA R G O L F. C O M

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W I N S TA R G O L F AC A D E M Y Train like the pros all season long with our expert instructors and cutting-edge technology, designed to hone your swing and lower your score. TrackMan Golf Launch Monitor • Science and Motion Putting Analysis Master Club Fitting • Indoor hitting bays • K-Motion 3D technologies One-on-one consulting with seasoned instructors

W I N S TA R G O L F C L U B Sprawling across more than 350 acres in a resort-style setting, nestled between the sandy shores of the Red River and the rugged blackjack oaks, lie our two championship, 18-hole golf courses, Scissortail and Redbud. Both were designed by D. A . Weibring to provide an engaging, enjoyable challenge for golfers of all skill levels. And after you’ve aced the course, head to the world’s largest casino to hit aces on our tables. Before you book, watch a complete flyover of both Scissortail and Redbud at WinStarGolf.com W I N S TA R . C O M • E X I T 1 | I - 3 5 AT T H E R E D R I V E R | T H AC K E R V I L L E , O K • G A M B L E R E S P O N S I B LY • 1 - 8 0 0 - 5 2 2 - 47 0 0

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Favorite choices

TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

CARIBBEAN

aa One of the Caribbean’s

best-known golf courses is Half Moon, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.

bb The course was later modernized by Roger Rulewich, who expanded several greens and renovated bunkers.

Golf Getaway Package to the Bahamas could be just the ticket. The Ocean Club (minimum 5-night stay) currently offers accommodations on Atlantis Paradise Island, with one round of golf, cart, practice time, Golf Store and F&B credit. The Tom Weiskopf-designed Ocean

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Club Golf Course has a great a mix of challenges and scenic beauty. This 18-hole, par-72 championship course stretches over 7,100 yards on Atlantis, Paradise Island Oceanside’s peninsula, where crosswinds challenge even the most experienced players. Moving south to Jamaica, one of the Caribbean’s bestknown golf courses is Half Moon. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., and opened in 1962, the course was later modernised by Roger Rulewich, who removed non-native trees, expanded several greens and renovated bunkers, creating a masterpiece that has plenty of game-raising challenges. Routed through a retired sugarcane estate, the course follows the toe of the slopes of the hills overlooking Half Moon. The bow-tie classic layout has multiple sets of tees, along with well-

bunkered greens contoured to accommodate surface drainage. The overall length ranges from 5,035 to 7,120 yards. Finding the short grass off the tee can be a challenge, as 26 shallow-faced fairway bunkers are scattered throughout the layout. These bunkers require well-struck tee balls to be sure of finding the short grass. Also, with constant trade winds blowing off the Caribbean Sea, this creates both up-wind challenges and downwind opportunities. This is a beautiful championship course that tests both scratch and novice golfers alike. And if you’re on a mission to empty your bucket list of must-play golf courses, just five minutes away are the White Witch and Cinnamon Hill golf courses, all of which add to Jamiaca’s many attractions as one more topchoice golf destination. 

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JAMAICA

SAINT LUCIA

BAHAMAS

LUXURY, MEET LEGENDARY THE CARIBBEAN’S PREMIER GOLF EXPERIENCE

Great Exuma, The Bahamas

Castries, Saint Lucia

SANDALS ® RESORTS GLOBAL GOLF AMBASSADOR

For those who’ve dreamed of teeing off into endless beauty, fantasy becomes reality at Sandals Resorts with four exclusive courses across the Caribbean.

PLAY PARADISE

Greg Norman’s signature designs can be found on two islands, including the newly reimagined Sandals St. Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate with three nearby resorts, and The Bahamas’ award-winning Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Course located on resort. This 18-hole course preserves the landscape’s pristine beauty and natural barriers and is recognized as one of the most scenic ocean-side golf courses in the Caribbean.

Sandals Golf & Country Club - Ocho Rios

JAMAICA: SAINT LUCIA: Sandals St. Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate— Gros Islet Sandals Golf & Country Club at Sandals Regency La Toc — Castries

THE BAHAMAS: Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Course — Great Exuma

Enjoy multiple rounds with pro-level amenities and inclusions, from top-of-the-line equipment rental and complimentary green fees to cart and caddy access*, then unwind like “The Shark” with top-tier Love Nest Butler Suites®, 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining and more to offer for the love of golf on this legendary, Luxury Included® Vacation.

TO BOOK, CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR OR

1-800-SANDALS SANDALS.COM/GOLF

The Bahamas's Best Golf Hotel

*Visit www.sandals.com/disclaimers/6788 for important terms and conditions. Sandals® is a registered trademark. Unique Vacations, Inc. is an affiliate of Unique Travel Corp., the worldwide representative of Sandals Resorts. 6788/0621

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Charter Flying – A New Vision JetASAP brings a new approach to jet charter – not only affordable, but also easy to use. We asked Founder and CEO Lisa Kiefer Sayer for the facts. What’s the story behind JetASAP? After selling charter for more than 20 years and having multiple clients reach out to me asking the best way to directly book private charter, I realized there had to be a different way for flyers to access charter provider availability. The tipping point came when I sold a charter flight to a broker for $25,000 and then subsequently discovered that they had re-sold the trip for $40,000 to the flyer. I started JetASAP one month later since that experience confirmed for me that the aviation industry needed a new option in the charter marketplace. My vision was a marketplace where private flyers could post confidential trip requests and have operators respond directly to them with live quotes generated by their sales representatives rather than the automated quote estimates that most platforms currently generate, and which are typically not immediately bookable. I put together a team of seasoned former charter operators who shared my vision and then spent about a year building out the mobile app and web-based operator platforms. The key to making it work right out of the gate was to mimic the current charter booking process to make the experience familiar for both flyers and operators. Since our launch in September 2020, the rate at which the company has grown is confirmation that the value of a direct marketplace is shared by flyers and operators alike.

them. With the ability to arrive moments before departure without need of passing through airport security or navigating large airport terminals, flyers are able to shave hours off of the time typically spent traveling commercially. Health and security are also major advantages since flyers always know who they are traveling with and are able to avoid busy airport terminals or crowded aircraft. Finally, for those flying for business, increased productivity is another great advantage since flyers can meet with colleagues or work in complete privacy.

What sort of destinations are available? Private aircraft are able to use any commercial or private airport worldwide that meets each aircraft’s performance requirements. Oftentimes, there is a private airport located far closer to a flyer’s destination, as many are located near city centers where most meetings take place, and the resulting reduced distance saves flyers even more time when commuting to and from the airport. Additionally, locations which are difficult to reach by commercial aircraft such as Aspen, CO or Ocean Reef in Key Largo, FL are easily accessible by private aircraft. In the United States alone, there are approximately 500 commercial airports but more than 5,000 public airports which accommodate private aircraft.

What are the main advantages of private jet charter?

Is private jet charter as expensive as it sounds?

Flying privately offers several distinct advantages, with saving time being chief among

While flying privately will always be more expensive than flying commercially, when

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factoring in the cost of a flyer’s time, as well as the alleviation of health and security concerns, the differential is not as large as one might expect, and especially when traveling in a group. Add to this the rise of point-to-point pricing that is often available in the on-demand charter market, and private charter can be a costeffective option in many instances. JetASAP contributes further to reducing the cost differential by connecting retail flyers directly with charter operators.

Is jet charter suitable for private as well as business flyers? Private aviation is absolutely used for both personal and business travelers. In fact prior to COVID-19 last year, the majority of private flights were business related. Post-COVID, things rapidly changed and personal travel quickly eclipsed business travel. However, as the country and rest of the world begin to open up post-pandemic, business travel will once again likely dominate private travel.

What choice of aircraft is available? The JetASAP marketplace offers thousands of aircraft in every category from over 700 operators across the U.S. and soon, globally as well. Every category of aircraft can be found, including piston and turboprop aircraft, light, midsized, super midsized, heavy and ultra-long range jets, VIP airliners, and specialty 30 seat aircraft used for tours and sports teams. All charter operators on the JetASAP platform charter the whole aircraft and do not offer individual seats or shared flights at this time.

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What are the problems of traditional jet charter methods? The main problems associated with traditional jet charter methods are accessibility and transparency. Prior to JetASAP, there was no simple way to directly access multiple charter operators quickly in order to secure the best option since charter market access gateways are only made available on a B2B basis. Regarding transparency, as the industry is dominated by third party brokers or even direct operators that also operate a broker division, flyers are not privy to the true price of the trip, and they are often not made aware of the operator or aircraft details until they have booked the trip. This lack of transparency can create an incentive for brokers to selectively offer flights which maximize their commission revenue. There are several companies which offer jet cards and membership programs that offer hourly pricing and/or guaranteed availability with transparency, but such companies typically require a substantial cash outlay which is not controlled by the flyer.

How does JetASAP set out to solve these problems? JetASAP solves these problems by allowing a flyer to submit a trip request directly to over 700 operators with one click of a button, select the best the option, and then directly book with the operator, as well as directly pay them, all with complete transparency throughout the entire process.

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Each quote received displays the operator’s name, FAA certificate number, aircraft registration number, and contact information. The flyer also has the ability to directly chat confidentially with operators at any time via the app.

you don’t pay to use the APP, you just pay for the ride. We will be introducing premium paid service tiers for both flyers and operators in the coming days, though the company will always offer a free tier for both.

How does JetASAP work?

Does JetASAP allow me to contact operators directly?

JetASAP offers flyers the ability to easily create and submit a trip request in seconds via a mobile app. Each request is then sent directly to over 700 charter operators who can respond with live quotes that may be booked immediately. If the flyer has any questions, they can confidentially chat with an operator in real time on demand. Once they are ready to book, flyers are able to request a contract directly from the operator, and operators have the choice of using a digital version of their contract which flyers can sign right in the app, or they can send a link or actual contract for flyers to sign outside of the app. Thereafter, flyers and operators can share information such as passenger details and trip itineraries via the app, or they can choose to do so outside of it if they prefer. JetASAP is all about options to make sourcing, selecting and booking private charter travel as simple and transparent as possible for both flyers and operators.

Of course! Offering direct contact with operators is the sole purpose of JetASAP’s existence.

Are operators that participate on the JetASAP platform safe? All operators that provide trip quotes via the JetASAP platform are duly licensed from the FAA or their appropriate government entity if based in another country. The platform is also integrated with the two primary U.S. based private charter safety audit companies, ARGUS and Wyvern, in order to automatically retrieve and display such ratings in the detail section of each quote viewed by flyers. For more information and to request an access code to enter the app for the first time please visit www.JetASAP.com.

Is JetASAP really free? How does it make money? JetASAP is completely free for both flyers and operators to use. Think of it this way, when you call for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft,

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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

AWESOME LINEUP OF CHAMPIONS PGA TOUR Champions finds itself in a great place to resume life in a post-COVID world By Stan Awtrey

Debuting on PGA TOUR Champions in 2020, Furyk claimed two victories, The Ally Challenge and PURE Insurance Championship. Here, Furyk tees off from the fourth hole during the final round of the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

images: Getty Images

he latest influx of newcomers on the 50-plus circuit has created the most excitement for senior golf since Jack and Arnie made it cool to lean against the nylon ropes and watch vintage competitors with their classic swings go head-to-head. Four-time major champion Ernie Els, who joined PGA TOUR Champions as a full-time player in 2020, had a sense of wonder in his voice as he read through a list of his colleagues who have made the commitment to play in the Over-50 division: Former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk. Former Masters champion Mike Weir. Former PGA Championship winner Rich Beem. K.J. Choi, former winner of THE PLAYERS Championship. : And, from time to time, six-time major winner (and former PLAYERS champion) Phil Mickelson. “It’s going to get quite competitive here very soon,” said Els. “And there’s more to come, so it’s going to be exciting in the years to come for the Champions Tour.”

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aa Phil Mickelson won the

Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National, becoming the 20th player to win in his PGA TOUR Champions debut; Mickelson also won the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

“I think it’s a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed the camaraderie, I’ve enjoyed the competition, I’ve enjoyed getting in contention.” — Jim Furyk

Popular champions These are good times for PGA TOUR Champions, where the addition of popular, recognizable major champions such as Furyk, Weir, Beem and Mickelson make the circuit more intriguing to both casual and hard-core golf fans. Els, Furyk and Mickelson already have dipped their toes in the victory pool; each has come away with two victories. U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker already has five PGA TOUR Champions victories and two senior major titles. His European Ryder Cup counterpart, Padraig Harrington (who turns 50 in August), is expected to play PGA TOUR Champions when his captain’s duties are completed this fall. Aussies Stuart Appleby (May 1) and Robert Allenby (June 12) are another pair of compelling rookies who soon will hit 50. “We’re getting stronger and stronger,” Fred Couples said. “It’s intriguing to me to see these guys playing and how well they’re playing.” June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 87

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Bernhard Langer joined PGA TOUR Champions in 2007. Since then he has claimed 41 victories, the latest being the Cologuard Classic in 2020.

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Plenty of drama Throw in the existing stalwarts such as ageless Bernhard Langer, reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion Scott McCarron, Kevin Sutherland, Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Jerry Kelly and the race to the finish promises plenty of drama. “It is absolutely positive for our Tour and positive for them, too,” Langer said. “Ernie is full-time committed. Retief is full-time committed. Padraig told me he’s coming out. It’s a great Tour and the guys are realizing it. Sooner or later I think Phil will play a bunch. It’s just a matter of when.” Most eyes are on Mickelson, who won the first two PGA TOUR Champions events in which he entered. Mickelson hinted he won’t completely stop playing the PGA TOUR until he is convinced he can no longer compete with the young folks. That may be sooner rather than later since Mickelson entered 2020 with one top-20 finish in a major since 2017.

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

The right move It didn’t take Els very long to make the decision to play almost exclusively on PGA TOUR Champions. He quickly became convinced he made the right move and enjoyed feeling like a rookie, discovering new venues and rejoining his old friends. “Every week it’s just been a nice new experience for us,” Els said. “Just the way they play out here, the way the players treat each other with respect. We still needle each other like we used to back in the day but there’s a mutual respect out here. When you’ve made it to the Champions Tour, you’ve done something right in your career and you should enjoy it.” Furyk voiced similar thoughts. He said, “I’ve enjoyed the transition. I think it’s a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed the camaraderie, I’ve enjoyed the competition, I’ve enjoyed getting in contention.” Furyk even will host an event—the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS tournament, October 8-10 in Jacksonville, Florida. (See p.175) Langer, who turns 64 in August, 2021, remains the standard for consistency and excellence on PGA TOUR Champions. In 17 starts dating to January 2020, Langer has 12 top-10s and has only one finish outside the top 25. He has 41 career wins, leaving him four victories short of matching Hale Irwin for the most among senior players. w w w.p gat our.com

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bb Ernie Els debuted on PGA TOUR Champions in 2020, winning the Hoag Classic [below], and the SAS Championship. Els recorded 19 tournament victories on the PGA TOUR.

“Every week it’s just been a nice new experience for us. Just the way they play out here, the way the players treat each other with respect.” — Ernie Els

“I really don’t know how much longer I can do this,” Langer said. “I’ve never been this old before. The clock is ticking. It won’t be forever, that’s for sure.”

2020/2021 events combined Because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, PGA TOUR Champions did not crown a Schwab Cup champion in 2020. Fourteen events on the schedule were cancelled. Officials opted to combine the 15 events from 2020 with the 25 events in 2021 to create one combined season to determine a new champion. The top 72 players on the points list will qualify for the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, a threetournament series that concludes in November at Phoenix Country Club. An exciting addition to the 2022 schedule is the World Champions Cup, an annual matchplay event that will feature three six-player teams— Team USA, Team Europe and Team World—in a three-day competition to be held at a course in the United States. Furyk (U.S.), Clarke (Europe) and Els (World) have already agreed to be captains. 

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YOUNG PLAYERS

SEIZE THE DAY! The latest group of young players making an impact are driven to increase their standings by pushing forward at every opportunity By Kevin Prise

Will Zalatoris (seen here at the World Golf ChampionshipsDell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club) showcased his game on a world stage with a runner-up finish at the Masters Tournament.

The 25 The 25 PGA TOUR cards will be awarded at the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna in August, with dozens of Korn Ferry Tour pros striving to better their position on the Points List as the spring and summer progresses. There is, however, one alternative way to secure a TOUR card prior to the Pinnacle Bank Championship—a Three-Victory Promotion. Through 27 events of the combined 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour season, three players had earned two victories—Davis Riley, Jared Wolfe and Stephan Jaeger. Each has all but secured a TOUR card via The 25 and can play aggressively throughout the latter portion of the season as they eye instant promotions to the TOUR.

Heading for TOUR promotion Each of the three players mentioned above brings his own distinct backstory to the table. Riley, 24, fits the Zalatoris mold as a rising standout who could be poised to contend on the biggest stages for years to come. The University of Alabama golfer spent 2020 as Zalatoris’ roommate in Dallas, and he also followed Zalatoris’ path on the Korn Ferry Tour Monday qualifying circuit in 2019, eventually converting nonmembership to full status before making an impact in 2020. The Mississippi native won twice last year, at the Panama Championship in February and TPC San Antonio Championship at the Oaks in July, as he readies to make the jump to the TOUR.

A world stage The Korn Ferry Tour Points Leader (as of mid-April) showcased his game on a world stage at the Masters Tournament. Zalatoris contended throughout the weekend en route to a solo-second place finish, in the process surpassing 1,000 non-member FedExCup Points in the 2020-21 PGA TOUR season. Zalatoris remains ineligible for the FedExCup Playoffs, however, as he would need a TOUR victory in order to automatically attain full TOUR membership before the 2021-22 season. 92 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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Wolfe, 33, has grinded on various developmental tours. He collected three victories on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica before breaking through on the Korn Ferry Tour with a victory at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar in January 2020. The Murray State product proved that was no fluke with a September victory in howling Sunday winds at the Wichita Open Supporting Wichita’s Youth. The Kentucky native has yet to make a single PGA TOUR start. That should happen no later than autumn. Jaeger, 31, has proven himself as a ferocious competitor throughout his Korn Ferry Tour career, as he continues to chase down Jason Gore’s all-time mark of seven Korn Ferry Tour titles. His victories at the Albertsons Boise Open in September and Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin in April moved him one shy of that mark, and also one away from an instant TOUR promotion. 

images: GETTY IMAGES

he Korn Ferry Tour’s current and one-time, combined 202021 season lends itself to that great opportunity when a KFT member could reach unprecedented heights on the Official World Golf Ranking before gaining full PGA TOUR membership. Enter Will Zalatoris.

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Stephan Jaeger won the Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin Resort Raven Golf Course in April and moved on top of the Korn Ferry Points List.

Jared Wolfe has won twice this season (The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar and Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics).

Davis Riley (seen here playing a shot from the bunker on the 15th hole during the final round of the Emerald Coast Classic in April) headed into June trying to win a third time to earn a Three-Victory Promotion on the Korn Ferry Tour.

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ON THE RISE Several other promising players are waiting in the wings, hungry to make an impact as the 2020-21 season moves toward September

Lee Hodges The University of Alabama product demonstrates an easygoing demeanor and is not afraid to poke fun at his fellow pros, including former Crimson Tide teammate Davis Riley. Hodges isn’t afraid of contention, either. He recorded 12 top-25s in his first 23 starts of the 2020-21 combined season, including a victory at the 2020 WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by KraftHeinz, where he received a prescient text from Justin Thomas on the morning of the final round: “It never takes as low as you think.” Hodges carded a steady 71 and took the trophy at Pumpkin Ridge GC. The 25-year-old hails from Ardmore, Alabama, describing his hometown as of the one-stoplight variety, and he’s motivated to make his hometown proud as he eyes his first TOUR card. Through 27 events, Hodges was No. 5 on The 25.

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YOUNG PLAYERS Brandon Wu got off to a hot start on the Korn Ferry Tour, and appears on the fast track toward a PGA TOUR card.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Brandon Wu The Stanford alum gained attention at the 2019 U.S. Open, where he missed his graduation ceremony by virtue of making the cut, and then received his diploma on 18th green Sunday at Pebble Beach. The native of Scarsdale, N.Y., looks to be on the fast-track to Korn Ferry Tour graduation as well, with a victory at last summer’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance among three top-two finishes in his first 11 starts. Wu, 24, began the 202021 season with conditional status after a T61 finish at Final Stage of Q-School in December 2019, eventually earning his first start on his number at the 2020 Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper last July. He took advantage with a T9 finish to better his position in the reshuffle, and he hasn’t slowed down.

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Greyson Sigg This Georgia Bulldog has displayed continued evolution throughout his five-year professional career, cultivating his consistency through three full seasons on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada before taking his talents to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020. The native of Augusta, Georgia, made the cut in his first 11 starts, and he has produced 15 top-25s in his first 22 starts, including a runner-up finish at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, one shot short of Brandon Wu. Sigg, 26, enjoys unplugging when he departs the golf course—fishing and video gaming are among his pastimes—but he maintains a steadfast determination to maximize his potential. Through 27 events, he ranked ninth on the Points List as he aims to secure his first TOUR card.

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Hayden Buckley

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All it takes on the Korn Ferry Tour is one opportunity, and Buckley Illustrated this point at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in February, the Tour’s return to competition after a four-month winter break of sorts. This Missouri Tiger hung around early-week in west Florida as an alternative, and he arrived at Lakewood National GC on Thursday morning unsure of whether he would have a tee time. He warmed up in the dark, then learned Brandon Hagy had withdrawn. Buckley took Hagy’s spot and then proceeded to win the tournament, earning full status and moving to within striking distance of The 25. The Mississippi native thrives with a chip on his shoulder—he was lightly recruited out of high school and arrived at Missouri on a 2 percent scholarship—and his game continues to ascend.

Alternate Hayden Buckley didn’t know if he would get into the LECOM Suncoast Classic in February. He not only got in, he won, earning full KFT status and moving within striking distance of The 25. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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Nick Hardy

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

The affable Chicagoland native demonstrated his firepower with a career-low, final-round 60 at the Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin in March, refusing to abandon focus despite teeing off in Sunday’s first group. The resultant T17 finish marked 13 top-25s in 26 starts for the University of Illinois standout, as he eyes his first TOUR card via the combined season. The 25-yearold also made waves on TOUR as a Monday qualifier during the Korn Ferry Tour’s offseason, with made cuts at the Sony Open in Hawaii (T14) and Waste Management Phoenix Open (T42). Hardy’s earliest golf memory is receiving a golf ball from Billy Andrade in Tucson, and his trend line suggests that he’ll be making plenty of memories for fans in the coming years.

Nick Hardy teed off in Sunday’s opening group at the Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin Resort Raven Golf Course in April and posted a course record 60.

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YOUNG PLAYERS

Taylor Montgomery He continued to build a comfort zone as his rookie Korn Ferry Tour season progressed, with 10 top-25 finishes in 22 starts, including two runner-up finishes. Montgomery, 26, out of UNLV, has plenty of distance off the tee—averaging more than 300 yards—but also demonstrates a refined touch around the greens, ranking second in putting average through 27 events. The Las Vegas native enjoys the outdoors, listing riding fourwheelers as a hobby, and has built a competitive mindset from spending time around famed Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, where his dad, Monte, is the general manager. Montgomery was 17th on the Points List through 27 events, positioned to chase his first TOUR card through the spring and summer months.

In his rookie Korn Ferry Tour season, Taylor Montgomery impressed with 10 top-25 finishes in 22 starts, including two runner-up finishes. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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Jenn Harrington with her husband, pro golfer Scott Harrington

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BLOOD CANCERS CAN IMPACT ANYONE Every three minutes, someone in the U.S. has their life turned upside down by a blood cancer. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) knows no one expects it. Pro golfer Scott Harrington’s wife, Jenn, has battled Hodgkin lymphoma twice and it changed their lives. But now, two years into remission, Jenn and Scott can finally look to the future. LLS helps provide families affected by blood cancer with hope.

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pga tour u

PROMISING PROSPECTS Talent and determination are just two of the key the essentials for young players making their way to the big stage By Sean Martin

he pathway to the PGA TOUR never has been clearer. Thanks to PGA TOUR University, the best players from the 2021 collegiate class will start their pro careers with status on the Korn Ferry Tour. This pioneering group will be the first to reap the rewards of PGA TOUR University.

Rite of passage Q-School used to be the rite of passage that nearly every prospective pro had to pass through. Previous generations never would have considered letting collegiate players bypass that six-round stress test. Times have changed, however, and young players continue to show that they’re ready to compete once they step off campus. The continued success of the under-25 set is what made PGA TOUR University possible. And now its first class is finally here. The top five players in the PGA TOUR U standings after May’s NCAA Championship will go straight to the Korn Ferry Tour (players must complete four collegiate seasons to be eligible). The next 10 players will receive status on the TOUR’s international circuits.

PLAYERS ON THE MOVE Florida State’s John Pak has been atop the standings since they debuted last year. The two-time Walker Cup participant also was the low amateur in last year’s U.S. Open 102 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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after making the cut at Winged Foot. His accurate iron play should serve him well at the next level. “His ball just doesn’t move,” said Trey Jones, his college coach at Florida State. Jones also coached Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger. Davis Thompson, another member of the winning 2021 U.S. Walker Cup side, has been right behind Pak in the rankings. Thompson should be comfortable in the pro ranks, having lived around TOUR pros for several years now in St. Simons Island, Georgia. He plays often with Harris English and Brendon Todd, and was paired alongside them at Winged Foot when he was the U.S. Open’s early leader. Thompson also finished T23 in the TOUR’s RSM Classic in 2019. Both Pak and Thompson will try to follow in the footsteps of Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff, all of whom cracked the top 25 of the World Ranking less than two years after turning pro. Will Zalatoris, recent runner-up at the Masters, is an example of how beneficial this new system can be. PGA TOUR U didn’t exist when Zalatoris turned pro and when he missed at Q-School in 2018, he was without a place to play in 2019. Talent always finds a way, however, and Zalatoris played his way onto the Korn Ferry Tour and then the PGA TOUR. PGA TOUR U will help top collegians avoid similar pratfalls. w w w.p gat our.com

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Here are six players who finished in the top 15 of PGA TOUR U and are in a position to reap the rewards QUADE CUMMINS Oklahoma Cummins, a first-team All-American in 2020, returned to Oklahoma for another season after players were granted an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It looks like a wise decision, as he’s in position to reap the rewards that PGA TOUR U offers. He put his name in the Sooners’ record books with his runner-up finish at last season’s Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic. His final-round 62 was a school record, as was his 54-hole total of 20-under 193. He was a member of the Sooners’ 2017 NCA A title team and played in the 2021 Walker Cup, the first Sooner to play in the match since Anthony Kim in 2005. In December, he and Walker Cup teammate Austin Eckroat made the cut in the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN. Cummins finished in 67th place. He’s also the winner of the 2016 Oklahoma Amateur Championship and 2019 Pacific Coast Amateur.

AUSTIN ECKROAT Oklahoma State

images: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

Eckroat showed he’s ready to follow in the long line of Oklahoma State alums who have played the PGA TOUR after finishing T12 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN in December. His final-round 65 made him the third amateur since 1983 to shoot 65 or better in the final round of a non-major. Eckroat was an All-American in all three seasons in Stillwater; he was a second-team selection in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and played in the Walker Cup. He was a freshman on the Cowboys’ 2018 NCA A title team that also featured Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland. Eckroat was the medalist at the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur, shooting consecutive 66s to match the tournament’s scoring record. w w w.p gat our.com

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GARRETT REBAND Oklahoma After setting a school record with his 69.4 scoring average in 2020, Reband decided to return to the Sooners for 2020-21. Reband was a first-team All-American in 2020. Reband has rebounded nicely after breaking his hand last June. Three pins were placed in the bone and Reband couldn’t touch a club until August. He missed an entire summer of amateur competition, including the U.S. Amateur. When he returned to campus, Reband’s swing speed dip to 115 mph from the low-120s. A switch to arm-lock putting earlier this year has helped him. “Ever since, I’ve been rolling it the best I ever have in college,” he told GolfChannel. com after winning the National Invitational Tournament in March.

ANGUS FLANAGAN Minnesota

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Angus Flanagan’s amateur career came full circle with his appearance for GB&I in the Walker Cup at Seminole. It was a visit to the revered course that led the Englishman to the University of Minnesota. Flanagan and his father played Seminole, the famed Donald Ross design in South Florida, in 2016. They met head professional Bob Ford during their visit. Ford mentored Minnesota head coach Justin Smith while Smith was playing professional golf. Flanagan won back-to-back titles this spring at the Boilermaker Invitational and Git-R-Done Husker Invitational. He also was co-medalist at the 2019 Big Ten Championship. Outside of collegiate competition, he was medalist at last year’s Western Amateur and won the 2020 Minnesota Open. w w w.p gat our.com

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BENJAMIN SHIPP N.C. State When Benjamin Shipp was a youth, his instructor would have him hit a moving golf ball. Perhaps that’s why Shipp makes hitting a stationary one appear so easy at times. “One of my habits since I was a kid was on my downswing, I would get kind of stuck, I wouldn’t be releasing the club as I was turning,” Shipp told Golfweek. “If I do that when he is (rolling) the ball to me, I have no chance of hitting it.” Shipp’s most impressive performance came at this year’s Schenkel Invitational. He won by 11 shots to earn his fourth career victory. Shipp followed his dominant Schenkel triumph with another victory a week later at the Hootie Intercollegiate at Bulls Bay. That win helped him move into the all-important top 15 in the PGA TOUR U rankings. 

JOVAN REBULA Auburn Jovan Rebula is the nephew of World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els. He is also a strong player in his own right, as proven by his victory in the 2018 British Amateur. He was only the second South African, after Bobby Cole in 1966, to win that title, which earned Rebula starts in three majors. Rebula, who also won the 2019 SEC Championship, said PGA TOUR U was the reason he returned to Auburn for a fifth season. Els also encouraged him. “It’s almost a no-brainer to come to college right now, with this opportunity that’s been created,” said Rebula. He’s one of the best players to come out of Auburn, being named an All-American in three of his first four seasons and setting the school’s single-season scoring record (70.2) in 2020. w w w.p gat our.com

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Is your asthma treatment plan off course? See what could open up for you with FASENRA.*

FASENRA is an add-on treatment for people 12 and older with severe eosinophilic asthma. It’s not a rescue medication or for other eosinophilic conditions. Results may vary.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not use FASENRA if you are allergic to benralizumab or any of the ingredients in FASENRA. Do not use to treat sudden breathing problems. FASENRA may cause serious side effects, including: • allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your FASENRA injection. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get your injection. Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction: o swelling of your face, mouth and tongue o breathing problems o fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure) o rash o hives Before using FASENRA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • are taking oral or inhaled corticosteroid medicines. Do not stop taking your corticosteroid medicines unless instructed by your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine to come back. • have a parasitic (helminth) infection. • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if FASENRA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with FASENRA. o There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to FASENRA during pregnancy. Healthcare providers can enroll patients or encourage patients to enroll themselves by calling 1-877-311-8972 or visiting www.mothertobaby.org/fasenra.

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FASENRA is only 1 maintenance dose every 8 weeks.† Helps prevent asthma attacks, lower daily oral steroid use, and improve breathing.*

You have injection options with FASENRA: Your doctor can administer FASENRA at their office. You can self-administer anywhere with the FASENRA Pen.‡

Visit FASENRAfits.com to see how FASENRA can fit into your life.

The first 3 doses are given on day 1, week 4, and week 8. Before you self-administer, make sure your doctor shows you how to do it. †

‡

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if FASENRA passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use FASENRA. • are taking prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. Do not stop taking your other asthma medicines unless instructed to do so by your healthcare provider. The most common side effects of FASENRA include: headache and sore throat. These are not all the possible side effects of FASENRA. APPROVED USE FASENRA is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of asthma in people 12 years and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. FASENRA helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and may improve your breathing. Medicines such as FASENRA reduce blood eosinophils. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that may contribute to your asthma. FASENRA is not used to treat other problems caused by eosinophils and is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. Tell your healthcare provider if your asthma does not get better or if it gets worse after you start treatment with FASENRA. It is not known if FASENRA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing information on adjacent page. FASENRA is a registered trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies. ©2020 AstraZeneca. All rights reserved. US-42947 7/20

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I M P O R TA N T

I N F O R M AT I O N

Read this brief summary carefully before using FASENRA for the first time and each time you use a new dose. There may be new information. This summary does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment. What is FASENRA? FASENRA is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of asthma in people 12 years and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. When added to other medicines for asthma, FASENRA helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and may improve your breathing. Medicines such as FASENRA reduce blood eosinophils. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that may contribute to your asthma. • FASENRA is not used to treat other problems caused by eosinophils. • FASENRA is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. Tell your healthcare provider if your asthma does not get better or if it gets worse after you start treatment with FASENRA. It is not known if FASENRA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age. Do not use FASENRA if you are allergic to benralizumab or any of the ingredients in FASENRA. Before using FASENRA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • are taking oral or inhaled corticosteroid medicines. Do not stop taking your corticosteroid medicines unless instructed by your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine to come back • have a parasitic (helminth) infection • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if FASENRA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with FASENRA. ° There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to FASENRA during pregnancy. Healthcare providers can enroll patients or encourage patients to enroll themselves by calling 1-877-311-8972 or visiting www.mothertobaby.org/fasenra. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if FASENRA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will use FASENRA and breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use FASENRA. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Do not stop taking your other asthma medicines unless your healthcare provider tells you to. How will I use FASENRA? • FASENRA is injected under your skin (subcutaneously) one time every 4 weeks for the first 3 doses, and then every 8 weeks. • FASENRA comes in a single dose prefilled syringe and in a single dose autoinjector. • A healthcare provider will inject FASENRA using the single-dose prefilled syringe.

A B O U T

F A S E N R A

• If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give the injection of FASENRA, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and give the injection using the FASENRA PEN. Do not try to inject FASENRA until you have been shown the right way by your healthcare provider. See the detailed “Instructions for Use” that comes with FASENRA PEN for information on how to prepare and inject FASENRA. • If you miss a dose of FASENRA, call your healthcare provider. What are the possible side effects of FASENRA? FASENRA may cause serious side effects, including: • allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your FASENRA injection. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get your injection. Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction: ° swelling of your face, mouth and tongue ° breathing problems ° fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure) ° rash ° hives The most common side effects of FASENRA include headache and sore throat. These are not all the possible side effects of FASENRA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. How should I store FASENRA? • Store FASENRA in the refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). • FASENRA may be stored at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) for up to 14 days. • Once removed from the refrigerator and brought to room temperature FASENRA must be used within 14 days or thrown away. • Store FASENRA in the original carton until you are ready to use it to protect it from light. • Do not freeze FASENRA. Do not use FASENRA that has been frozen. • Do not expose FASENRA to heat. • Do not use FASENRA past the expiration date. • Keep FASENRA and all medicines out of the reach of children. What are the ingredients in FASENRA? Active ingredient: benralizumab Inactive ingredients: L-histidine, L-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, polysorbate 20, ,-trehalose dihydrate, and Water for Injection The information provided here is not comprehensive. Ask your healthcare provider for additional information about FASENRA. You can also contact the company that makes FASENRA (toll-free) at 1-800-236-9933 or at www.fasenra.com. FASENRA is a registered trademark and FASENRA Pen is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies. © 2019 AstraZeneca LP. All rights reserved. Manufactured for: AstraZeneca LP, Wilmington, DE 19850 11/19 US-30267

For more information, visit FASENRA.com Or call 1-800-236-9933

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INTERNATIONAL TOURS

INTERNATIONAL PGA TOURS ANSWER THE CHALLENGE A global pandemic altered dramatically the PGA TOUR’s International Tours in 2020, resulting in 2021 Tours having a different look and a different feel By Laury Livsey

GA TOUR Latinoamérica took a ninemonth pause, but its wraparound season is ongoing, with a late-June projected conclusion. PGA TOUR Series-China continues on hiatus, while for member of PGA TOUR Canada there are definite changes.

Forme Tour There was a seismic shift April 21 when the PGA TOUR announced the formation of the Forme Tour, a U.S.-based Tour for PGA TOUR Canada members unable to play this summer in Canada because of continued restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border. In lieu of a summer in Canada, the Forme Tour will conduct eight tournaments in the Eastern part of the U.S.: in Georgia, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The season kicked off in Athens, Ga., June 23-26. “We are excited to offer this opportunity to our PGA TOUR Canada members, and our commitment is to provide competitive playing opportunities as we help our members move forward in their careers,” said Greg Carlson, Executive Director of the Forme Tour, who previously filled the same role for seven years for PGA TOUR Series-China.

Good moves Canada certainly isn’t left behind. The Mackenzie Tour will continue as a Tour in Canada for those players already living in the country and facing no coming-or-going issues. w w w.p gat our.com

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“After canceling the 2020 season due to the pandemic, we realized we couldn’t go another year without providing a Tour for our members to play. These players are anxious to compete and grow their careers, and moving the Tour to the U.S. was the best decision, allowing us to conduct much-needed events for them,” said Mackenzie Tour Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “Canada-based players will play in 72-hole Mackenzie Tour events, and these tournaments in Canada will continue to support local charities and local economies.” The revamped Mackenzie Tour will move from East to West during the summer, while Forme Tour members will alter their collective mindset and travel plans, knowing 2022 Korn Ferry Tour status is up for grabs at season’s end. “It’s a privilege for our company to align itself with the PGA TOUR in support of these gifted and hard-working U.S. and international players whose careers have been shortened due to COVID-19 restrictions,” said Dr. Stephen Liu, Chairman and Founder of Forme, a science-driven, wellness-technology company that manufactures therapeutic, wearable attire that assists people with their posture. A year later, COVID-19 seemingly abating, players on the PGA TOUR’s International Tours have a lot of reasons to smile.inspiration to young golfers around the world.  June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 109

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INTERNATIONAL TOURS

PLAYERS TO WATCH Here are four standout players ready to make the next big leap in their professional careers:

Luis Gagne The fact that Luis Gagne’s college roommate, Sam Burns, is a three-year PGA TOUR member and recent winner of the TOUR’s Valspar Championship doesn’t make Gagne the least bit envious. It actually drives him to get to where his buddy currently resides. Gagne took a step toward achieving that—and impressing at the same time—when he won the Forme Tour’s Qualifying Tournament in Howey-inthe-Hills, Florida, in early March. The former LSU All-American is exempt on both the Forme Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, with both Tours offering him a path to the Korn Ferry Tour. A summer ago, Gagne, a native of Costa Rica who grew up in Orlando, didn’t have many playing options. This year he has multiple. “I’m really excited to have somewhere to play a full season and to make a schedule,” he said.

Alvaro Ortiz, the current PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Points List leader, picked up his first Tour title earlier this year, winning the Mexico Open in March. The younger brother of the PGA TOUR’s Carlos Ortiz, Alvaro already has played in multiple PGA TOUR events, including the Masters Tournament, and it’s looking more and more as if he’ll be playing the 2022 season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Ortiz doesn’t look back on last year and all the COVID-19related problems with disappointment. “I was playing good golf. I won the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Q-School, and I got my PGA TOUR Canada card in Q-School too,” he said. “Fortunately, the LOCALiQ Series was eight tournaments. I know all the players were super grateful for the opportunity to have a place to play when we didn’t think we would.” 110 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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Alvaro Ortiz

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INTERNATIONAL TOURS

Hayden Shieh In his rookie Mackenzie Tour season of 2019, Hayden Shieh finished 28th on the Order of Merit, using a pair of top-fives to elevate his position. In 2020, he did just about everything but win on the LOCALiQ Series, a set of tournaments for players from the International Tours, solid options when their seasons in China, Canada and Latin America were either canceled or delayed. Shieh was runner-up in both the Alpharetta Classic and The Classic at Callaway Gardens, and added one additional top-10 to finish fourth on the points list. The former Santa Clara golfer also has PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour starts on his resume.

Alejandro Tosti The former University of Florida golfer and native of Argentina used some of the downtime caused by the global pandemic to finish his course work and earn his bachelor’s degree. He also played a little golf, winning three mini-tour events in the U.S. The winner of the 2019 Termas de Rio Hondo Invitational title continues to look to add to his victory resume. Currently in ninth place on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Points List, Tosti is in solid position to make a run at the top five as the season draws to a close. He knows that would mean 2022 Korn Ferry Tour membership. Tosti has also proven he can go low. He shot a 62 and a 63 at the 2020 Estrella del Mar Open, and in December, he opened 63-63 at the Puerto Plata Open in the Dominican Republic. w w w.p gat our.com

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DEFINING MOMENTS

THE WILL TO WIN Every PGA TOUR tournament produces moments of thrilling anticipation for the fans. For the player, the pinnacle of such anticipation is frequently a career-defining landmark. Here are six such moments

SOME OLD-SCHOOL ENGLISH

“The shot I hit into 18 was awesome. I can really feed off that for years to come …”

Sentry Tournament of Champions, January 7-10, 2021 By Jeff Babineau

Harris English had waited seven years and 192 starts to taste victory on the PGA TOUR once more. He certainly could hold on for one more hole. His eagle putt to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions on the 72nd hole at Kapalua Resort’s postcard-ready Plantation Course slid past the hole. Low side. A shame, really, seeing that the 3-iron that Harris hit to get in that position from 273 yards was one of the best shots struck all week. He and Joaquin Niemann, who’d charged Sunday with a 9-under 64, headed back up that steep hill to the tee at the bending, par-5 18th, and with one more birdie, Harris had his longawaited victory. This one was pretty sweet. “I love being in that, coming down the last nine holes and knowing what you have to do,” English said. “The shot I hit into 18 was awesome. I can really feed off that for years to come, and being able to do stuff like that when you’re under the gun is so much fun to do.” Just when Niemann appeared to be running away, English put together a late run to get his attention. A birdie at the 11th was followed by three more birdies over his next four holes, and Harris caught Niemann at 25-under with one last birdie in regulation. English came out of the University of Georgia carrying high expectations. He’d won a Korn Ferry Tour event before he turned professional, and owned two PGA TOUR victories by age 112 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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24. Then leaner times hit. After barely keeping his card (No. 125) in 2018, he slid to 149th the following season, leaving him with limited playing status in 2019-20. For a man thennearing 30 once seen as a world-beater, it was a humbling reality. At Kapaula, English had climbed all the way back, rewarded for all the work he’d put in. “I had a good feeling about today,” he said.

aa Harris English had his

long-awaited victory after defeating Joaquin Niemann of Chile in a playoff during the final round of the Sentry Tournament Of Champions.

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DEFINING MOMENTS

ALL TO PLAY FOR

APGA Tour, January—August 2021

“This [APGA Tour] is a great Tour for us to continue to improve as we all chase the dream of playing professional golf.”

images: getty images

By Chris Reimer Every player on the APGA Tour has a story to tell. J.P. Thorton was introduced to the game through an inner-city program in Memphis, Tennessee. He’s gone on to hold jobs in just about every corner of the golf space, from club fitter to golf coach at Topgolf, to PGA TOUR caddie and beyond. You name it, he’s done it. Rovonta Young (winner of the APGA TOUR’s event in St. Augustine, Florida, this year) grew up with, and learned the game from, his grandfather, with his mother deployed while serving in the military. Jarred Garcia’s victory in Port St. Lucie (Florida) came just as economic issues were close to forcing him to give up playing professionally after both his parents lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kamaiu Johnson, who dropped out of school in the eighth grade, was given a golf club and invited to a driving range when a woman saw him swinging a stick outside of his grandmother’s apartment in Tallahassee, Florida. He was a winner last year on the APGA Tour and finished second in the season-long points race. Johnson was given a sponsor exemption to play in his first PGA TOUR event at the Farmers Insurance Open in January. When he arrived on site, he received the heartbreaking news that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw. When news hit that Johnson’s dream of playing on the PGA TOUR had been cut short, he received additional sponsor exemptions to three more PGA TOUR events: the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and the Honda Classic. The up-and-down story continued as Johnson’s play did not live up to his hopes for those three weeks and he missed the cut in each of the three starts. “It would be easy to see these results as a negative, but I learned so much in my time on the PGA TOUR. Playing in those events has only fueled me to work harder, keep improving, learn from my experiences and continue to chase my dreams,” Johnson said. w w w.p g atour.com

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As Johnson returned to the APGA Tour this spring, he kept true to those words by winning at TPC Las Vegas in April. “The APGA Tour is special because we all come from similar places but have different stories,” Johnson said. “This is a great Tour for us to continue to improve as we all chase the dream of playing professional golf.”

aa Kamaiu Johnson plays a shot

on the third hole at Spyglass Hill Golf Course during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February.

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Art Style Collectables Luxury Travel www.artsandcollections.com

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DEFINING MOMENTS

BERGER’S BOLD PLAY DIALS UP A VICTORY

“I think the biggest thing is playing fearlessly.”

AT&T Pebble Beach ProAm, February 4-7, 2021

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By Jeff Babineau In a golfer’s career, there are those time-halting moments that serve to shape and define it. Daniel Berger stood in the fairway on the famous par-5 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links, late on a Sunday, tied for the lead in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He knew it was his time. “I’ve been in this situation before, coming down the last hole, having to hit a good shot,” Berger said. “Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t, but you really have to be bold, and I feel like I did that today.” Berger needed birdie to slip past young Maverick McNealy, who’d made five birdies on his back nine and shot 66. Berger was 253 yards from the flagstick. With the wind off the right, and Stillwater Cove to his left, Berger didn’t want to hit a draw. Instead, he decided to take a 3-wood and hold off a cut into the wind. He took a rip and hit “the 3-wood of my life,” his ball finishing 30 feet from the hole. Anyone who knows Berger, a player who oozes confidence, needn’t ask if he made the putt. Eagle, final-round 65, and a two-shot victory. “I think the biggest thing is playing fearlessly,” Berger said after sealing his fourth PGA TOUR victory. “You can step up there and be concerned with all the different outcomes and all the different places that ball can go, but in the end it’s just golf, it’s just a golf shot, and if you can step up there and kind of free your mind and be fearless, then you have such a better opportunity to hit a good shot.” Berger lives in South Florida, and he and Pebble Beach weren’t always a scheduling match. People told him the course would be a good fit; his magical Sunday at Pebble marked his third consecutive top-10 there. He promises not to be a stranger. w w w.p g atour.com

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Daniel Berger celebrates his eagle putt to win on the 18th green during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 115

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HOMETOWN THRILL: FROM FAN TO CHAMP AT THE RIV The Genesis Invitational, February 18-21, 2021 By Alan Shipnuck Oh, no. Not that. Anything but that. You can’t miss a 3-footer on the 72nd hole to blow a chance to win one of the most glamorous tournaments on Tour, in your hometown, with god and Tiger Woods looking on. That’s as bad as it gets. No, it’s worse than that. It’s nightmare fuel. This exact fate befell Max Homa at The Genesis Invitational, and the ensuing sudden death felt more like an extended wake after Homa hooked his tee shot on the first extra hole (Riviera’s fraught 10th, the drivable par 4), stymying his ball against the trunk of a greenside tree. No one would have blamed Homa if he jumped into the nearest barranca just to make the suffering stop. But somehow, some way, Homa gathered himself and played one of the shots of the year, a hooded sand wedge that tickled the bark and sent his ball trickling onto the edge of the green. He made par. One hole later he won the second tournament of his career when hard-luck Tony Finau made a week-ending bogey.

“I’ve been watching this tournament my whole life. Wow! I didn’t think it would be like this.” images: getty images

Max Homa defeated Tony Finau in a playoff to win The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, a place where he watched other PGA TOUR pros compete when he was young.

Homa, who grew up 30 miles from Riviera, in Valencia, and attended The Genesis as a fan throughout his childhood, was overwhelmed in victory, saying, “I’ve been watching this tournament my whole life. Wow! I didn’t think it would be like this. … The City of Champions: Dodgers, Lakers, now me. It’s a weird feeling.” Homa was equally starstruck by the mere presence of Woods, his boyhood hero who is now the host of The Genesis, as the charitable proceeds benefit his eponymous foundation. Woods didn’t compete due to back surgery—his car accident occurred two days after the tournament concluded—and Homa admitted he was too nervous to approach the living legend to say hi. But, in a delicious twist, it was Woods who presented the new champ with a hard-earned trophy. “You’re not supposed to miss a 3-footer in front of Tiger Woods,” Homa said. “I saw him yesterday and was too scared to talk to him. But he’s forced to talk to me now.”

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A MAN WITH A PLAN

MGM Resorts Championship, April 15-18, 2021 By Kevin Prise Peter Uihlein long has been known for his creative, dynamic short game—as noted by good friend Roberto Diaz, who nudged Uihlein by a stroke at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Chitimacha Louisiana Open in late March. Uihlein had grown frustrated, though, with his full-swing consistency. In the 2019-20 PGA TOUR season, the former Oklahoma State standout ranked No. 161 in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, and finished 166th in the FedExCup standings. But the Massachusetts native had a plan. Last winter, he installed a simulator in his house, allowing for quick tune-ups whenever he had a few minutes to spare. A more well-rounded Uihlein entered the new year, and after a runner-up finish in Louisiana, he captured his second Korn Ferry Tour title at the inaugural MGM Resorts Championship at Paiute in early April, carding 16-under 272 to finish four strokes clear of David Lipsky and Jamie Lovemark.

The victory moved Uihlein within striking distance of earning back stronger TOUR status via The 25 this summer— he is playing this season on a conditional TOUR category, splitting time between the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour. Uihlein parlayed his Vegas success into the following week, teaming with fellow Massachusetts native Richy Werenski to finish third at the TOUR’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Suddenly, Uihlein moved within striking distance of earning full TOUR membership via the top-125 on the FedExCup at season’s end. (He stood 159th in FedExCup points through May.) Two paths to the same goal for the short-game wizard whose entire package is rounding into fine form. “I’ve been trying to get a lot shallower,” reflected Uihlein after his victory at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (Sun Mountain). “I did some little things in the offseason, installed a simulator, and now if I’m home and want to hit balls at nine at night or seven in the morning, I can keep the minor things in check.”

“If I’m home and want to hit balls at nine at night or seven in the morning, I can keep the minor things in check.”

A red-hot finish from Peter Uihlein left him four strokes clear of David Lipsky and Jamie Lovemark to win the MGM Resorts Championship at Paiute Golf Resort.

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THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING Zurich Classic of New Orleans, April 22-25, 2021 By Ben Everill Marc Leishman owed Cameron Smith. So while many were surprised to see Leishman chip in for an incredible birdie at TPC Louisiana’s 16th hole on Sunday at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Smith wasn’t at all shocked. He knew his mate would find a way. The underlying ethos of an Australian is never to let down your mates. And, just as importantly, it’s always with a laugh. Yes, the small nation has always been big on fun, and punching above its weight in the sporting realm. This Down Under duo, affectionately known as Team Mullet thanks to Smith’s incredible hairstyle (which was cleaned up by Leishman and some clippers pre-tournament), captured the support of local fans by embracing the spirit of the week. Leishman added a mullet wig and they arrived on the tee to “The Mullet Song.” Ultimately, they found the sweet spot by having a great time while competing at their best in the PGA TOUR’s team event. The bond of the two, and their caddies, had long been strong, but when they all rented a house together this took it to another level.

So back to that birdie. It came amid pressure after Smith’s tee shot took a bad kick into water. Leishman dropped, then chipped in, tying the Australians for the lead with South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. Three holes later, the Aussies won in a playoff. Smith—also a winner in New Orleans four years earlier with Jonas Blixt—had been the better player throughout the tournament, but Leishman knew his moment would come, and he had better be ready. He was. “I said, ‘Boys, why don’t we just make it,’” Leishman said of the team’s tactical conversation. “The power of positive thinking is a pretty good thing.” He thought of the 2019 World Cup, when he left a bunker shot in the sand during Sunday’s final-round charge. Smith duly holed out the next shot, propelling them to a runner-up finish. Finally he could pay his mate back. The shot dropped, and this time, it forged a path to victory. 

“I said, ‘Boys, why don’t we just make it.’”

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Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith edge out South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel in a playoff to capture the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana.

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PLAYER INTERVIEW: BRANDT SNEDEKER

BALANCING ACT

Juggling the demands of tournament golf while devoting time to a young family is a skill many pros work hard to develop. Nine-time PGA TOUR winner Brandt Snedeker gives us personal insight

raveling with kids to play golf around the world doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes they get sick and throw up on airplanes when you’re headed to Hawaii, or Australia. Or they wake up crying in the middle of the night in a hotel room when dad has an early tee time the next morning. Like many pros on the PGA TOUR, Brandt Snedeker and his wife, Mandy, have learned to make it work. Once their children—Lily, who is 10, and Austin, 8—were old enough to go to kindergarten, the family’s lifestyle changed. Mandy and the kids now spend most of the school year in Nashville, Tennessee, while Snedeker, a nine-time PGA TOUR winner and 2012 FedExCup champion, remains the family’s road warrior. It isn’t easy being away from his family for weeks on end, but the 40-year-old makes sure the time they get to spend together counts, as he explained recently in this exclusive interview with the PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf.

Q: Has being a father helped you as a golfer? SNEDEKER: I tell people all the time, I won one time out here before I had kids, and I’ve won eight times since. Granted, I’ve been on TOUR for probably 10 years now since I had kids and five before, but my kids give me a great perspective on, ‘Okay, golf is done the minute Daddy gets home from the golf course, and we’re on to being a family and having fun and doing those kinds of things.’ 120 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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Mandy and Brandt with their then-11-month old daughter, Lily, on the 18th green after the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open in early 2012.

Q: I’m sure there have been times when the kids don’t want you to leave. That must be difficult. SNEDEKER: I think we’ve all had those stages, those stories of being on the road for two weeks, coming home for a day-and-a-half to be able to see your kids, and them grabbing your leg when you’re walking out or sitting on your luggage as you’re getting ready to leave, going, ’Please don’t leave me. Please don’t go yet.’ It rips your heart out because you’re like, ’Oh my gosh, it’s the last thing I want to do.’ But it’s one of those things where you just sit down and try to explain to them,’ This is what Daddy does for work. A lot of dads, they might work 9-to-5, but when I have a week off, I’m home. I’m taking you to school. I’m picking you up, I’m spending more quality time with you than a lot of dads do. ... Our normal is just different, and just trying to explain to them that it’s not a choice that Daddy makes willingly.’ I try to do my best to make sure I’m never on the road for more than two weeks. If I am on the road for more than that I definitely get home or bring them out or do something to be able to see them. Those kinds of conscious decisions have changed a lot. My schedule is definitely a more finite thing than it used to be. It used to be play-it-by-ear. Now, with kid stuff going on and making sure I spend time with them, it’s more of a finite thing, understanding that they’re going to have to come first some of the time and scheduling is taking a back seat to that.

images: PGA TOUR

By Helen Ross

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PLAYER INTERVIEW: BRANDT SNEDEKER

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Austin and Lily Snedeker leap into their dad’s arms after he had just won the 2018 Wyndham Championship.

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PLAYER INTERVIEW: BRANDT SNEDEKER

Q: Do they understand what you do? SNEDEKER: They do now. The first time they really understood was when I won the Wyndham Championship in 2018. Lily was in second grade at the time. Austin was in kindergarten. They were there on the weekend when I won, they really grasped what Daddy did for a living. It was the first time together they’d seen me win and actually been there, so that was cool. That’s a great memory for me, a great moment. Definitely now, especially with friends and stuff, their friends asking them, ‘Where’s your dad playing this week? What’s going on?’ If I play good, then their friends say they saw me on TV or whatever it is.

images: Getty Images

Q: You say Austin is into baseball, basketball and golf, and Lily loves horseback riding. I imagine there have been plenty of events you’ve had to miss? SNEDEKER: Oh, for sure. I’ve missed baseball games. I’ve missed dance recitals. I’ve missed just about every major function at my kids’ school. I’ve missed parent-teacher conferences every year for the most part. … I’ve missed a bunch of Austin’s golf tournaments. Mom’s had to caddy for him, not me. I get the play by play when he gets done: ‘He would have done way better if you were here. I had no idea what I was doing.’ ... So yeah, there’s just no way around it. Unfortunately, in our job you’re going to miss a lot of stuff. You’ve got to have a great wife and a great spouse that’s able to support you and not make you feel bad about it, but say, ‘This is what Daddy’s got to do so we can live our lives the way we live it. He’s got to play golf, and he’s going to miss some things from time to time, but he’ll be here for some things, as well, too.’

bb “… It was the first time together they’d seen me win and actually been there, so that was cool. That’s a great memory for me …” —Brandt Snedeker, on his memories of the 2018 Wyndham Championship

… By the end of the week, I’m like, ‘Gosh, my wife is a saint for doing all this stuff.’ I don’t know how she does it because it’s hard work. They’ve got so much stuff going on and with school, it definitely takes somebody who’s really on top of things like that. My wife does a great job. I try to give my kids a hard time, like, ‘Do you understand that if I was in charge of your social calendar, you guys would do absolutely nothing? You better thank your mom every day for what she provides for you guys.’ Q: Do the kids ask you about bringing home more trophies? SNEDEKER: Of course, yeah. My kids get on me about stuff that happens on the golf course, in a funny way. … My little son Austin, today, was like, ‘Dad, you didn’t take your hat off when you were shaking hands during the round. That’s very disrespectful.’ I’m like, ‘I know, buddy. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I appreciate that.’ Little things like that from the kids. I always tell them, ‘When Daddy wins, we’re going to do something special together,’ whether it’s taking a trip or whatever it may be. We always celebrate together. So, I need to keep up my end of the bargain. I haven’t done that in a while, but hopefully I can do it soon. 

Q: When you’re home and not playing, do you practice every day? SNEDEKER: Typically, now that I’m older, I’ll take a couple of days off at the beginning of the week just to decompress and let my body try to rest up. Then, as the week goes, I’ll start picking it up, playing more and practicing more as the week goes on. I’m the chauffeur when I’m home with the kids. I try to drive them to as much stuff as possible, so take them to and from school and to practices and try to be around them and help them with homework or study for tests or whatever it may be. I’m trying to be around as much as possible because when you’re on the road, you miss a bunch of that stuff. It sounds corny, but I like doing that. w w w.p gat our.com

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GOLF & GAMING

WINNING OPPORTUNITIES For the PGA TOUR, and very much on trend, the commitment is to deliver new opportunities for a fun and responsible betting experience By Michael LoRé

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

nlike an 11-on-11 NFL game or 5-on-5 NBA matchup featuring one ball on one field or court, a PGA TOUR event is more complex. A seemingly endless number of groups are teeing off, walking down the fairway, hitting iron shots, blasting out of bunkers, and putting at any given time across 18 holes on a 7,200yard course practically from sunup to sundown Thursday through Sunday, 40-plus weeks a year. With all those golf balls in the air at the same time, collecting, analyzing and distributing that data may seem like a daunting task, but the PGA TOUR has a solution: ShotLink powered by CDW.

Justin Thomas raises the trophy at THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The fun of betting on players while they’re in action is the latest attraction for fan participation.

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golf & gaming

Interactive in-play betting Launched in 2001, the data-collecting system is able to track every shot, helping golfers analyze performance, architects design courses, officials organize tournaments, and fans place wagers. In 2018, IMG ARENA was named the TOUR’s official data distributor for media and betting. BetMGM signed an agreement in March 2021 to utilize IMG’s Golf Event Centre, a front-end sports betting solution designed to revolutionize the golf betting experience by enabling interactive in-play betting. “I see golf and baseball as two of the properties that probably have the greatest upside when it comes to sports betting,” said Scott Warfield, PGA TOUR Vice President of Gaming. “I believe that because of the amount of content each has and the pace of play, which in the past has been viewed as a negative. The game is perfectly slow for in-play betting. “That’s where the trend is headed and I think golf, with balls in the air from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and an orderly pace of play, lends itself perfectly to that in-play phenomenon.”

“I see golf and baseball as two of the properties that probably have the greatest upside when it comes to sports betting.” — Scott Warfield, PGA TOUR Vice President of Gaming

Growing popularity

bb A volunteer enters yardage data into the ShotLink system during the final round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links.

In-play betting At the cornerstone of this undertaking is IMG ARENA and the Golf Event Centre. The industryfirst product offers fast, comprehensive shot-byshot data and markets live streaming for in-play betting and interactive course visualizations. “The PGA TOUR is a fantastic partner. We are completely aligned on our vision and goals, as you can see from the product offering developed,” said Max Wright, IMG ARENA Senior Vice President of Commercial. “… As leaders in our fields, both parties are constantly looking at what comes next, finding new ways to evolve and improve the golf betting experience and levels of fan engagement. “There is a significant demand for betting on golf around the world. Our research shows that 37 percent of golf fans are active sports bettors and we are jointly committed to delivering a fun and responsible gambling experience. 

images: Getty Images

In-play betting is prevalent abroad, with approximately 70 percent of bets in Europe made in-game, and this is growing in popularity in the United States with 21 states and Washington, D.C. permitting sports betting. Warfield is bullish on the idea of sports betting being an avenue for young, casual golf fans to have an entry point to the PGA TOUR. Hypothetically, an 18-year-old college student watches the final few holes of THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP because the golfer he bet on is still in contention. Especially

if he won, the hope is that this fan would watch more tournaments, potentially betting on them, and then maybe attends a local event and gets more ingrained in the TOUR. “I think the core fan will be the ambassador for this activity in the short term,” Warfield said. “If you’re asking me longer term how am I going to judge success, in 2030 the fan base is more diversified, younger, larger and we point to one of the reasons why being the growth of sports betting. … It’s not going to happen overnight— this isn’t a light switch—but we’re trying to put the fundamental pieces in place now and develop the relationships now so that five, seven, 10 years from now, we’re really starting to see the fruits of our labor.”

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When you can count on your turf to be at its best, others can count on you to be at yours. Your golfers want a greener course. You want a little more time in your day. Stressgard® goes beyond disease control to deliver both, allowing you to maximize your potential on and off the golf course. So whether that means finding time to be a better superintendent or even a super parent, Stressgard delivers. For turf you and your golfers can count on in conditions you can’t, look to Stressgard.

See the science behind the extraordinary at es.bayer.us/stressgard. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS Bayer Environmental Science, a Division of Bayer CropScience LP. 5000 CentreGreen Way, Suite 400, Cary, NC 27513. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-800-331-2867. environmentalscience.bayer.us. Not all products are registered in all states. Bayer, the Bayer Cross and Stressgard® are registered trademarks of Bayer. ©2021 Bayer CropScience LP-0620-GLF-0159-A-1

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AGRONOMY - INSIGHT

“You’re balancing the desire for speed with the need to make sure the greens don’t get so fast that you lose valuable hole locations because of the classic slopes.” — Sam MacKenzie, Director of Grounds, Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club

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AGRONOMY - INSIGHT

A CUT ABOVE Just how is it that those greens are kept in such pristine and tantalizing condition through the season? Here’s an inside look at the hard work and expertise that make it happen By Bradley S. Klein

here’s a reason those courses you see on television—TPC Sawgrass, Riviera Country Club, Quail Hollow Club—are so beautiful to the eye. It’s almost as if every blade of grass is perfectly in place. The emotional effect on a golfer can be tantalizing, which is exactly the intent of the conditioning and setup. For that, you can thank the combined efforts of the home-field superintendent and a team of PGA TOUR agronomists. It’s not magic. Just a lot of hard work, along with data, technology and attention to detail. You don’t get your fairway heights down to 0.350-inch by winging it.

A veteran’s knowledge

images: PGA TOUR

Mackenzie Hughes celebrates after making a par putt on the 18th hole green during the final round of the BMW Championship.

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Nobody knows this better than a veteran greenkeeper such as Tom Brodeur. He has been at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts (the every-other-year home for THE NORTHERN TRUST), for 20 years, ever since the first dirt was turned on site. He has overseen maintenance there for 17 PGA TOUR events, the last 13 of those as part of the FedExCup Playoffs. “It helps having a late summer event when rainfall is light and Brodeur pretty much can control the moisture. “The players like firm, fast conditions,” he said. “And they are very observant of conditions. After all, this is their profession. And dry, firm turf is actually healthier, anyway.” With 1,600 irrigation heads spaced 70 feet apart in the fairways, Brodeur has precise control over how much—or how little—water to apply. “Usually, on a five- to six-minute run at night,” Brodeur said, “plus daytime hand watering. That’s all.” His club cooperates by keeping carts off the course starting a month before the tournament. That reduces the need for watering, since cart

traffic is tough on grass and usually requires lots of water for recovery. The staff expands dramatically, from 26 at peak season to 60 for tournament week, thanks to volunteers from area courses. Target green speeds usually run about 12 on the Stimpmeter for practice rounds, up to 12.5 once the first ball is struck and sometimes as high as 13 for the final round. To achieve that, the crew usually will mow twice in the morning, plus roll, then cut again once late in the day with another roll. The whole time, Brodeur is monitoring not only for speed, but also for moisture content and firmness. As for smoothness of ball roll, there is one unmistakable index—the players themselves. “When Dustin Johnson shoots 60, like he did in the second round of THE NORTHERN TRUST in 2020,” said Brodeur, “we know the greens are smooth.”

Consistent conditions Superintendents at courses holding PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and Korn Ferry Tour events work closely with PGA TOUR staff agronomists to ensure consistent conditions during tournament week, and year to year. Sometimes, their job is to plan well ahead. Six years ago, for instance, when Austin (Texas) Country Club secured the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, PGA TOUR competition agronomist Tom Bastis advised the club to initiate overseeding of tees and fairways “just in case” a cold snap shut down regrowth of their Bermudagrass and left the course dormant for the lateMarch tournament window. The advice proved prophetic this March when an unexpected mid-February freeze struck Texas. The course showcased dormant Bermudagrass rough for this season’s WGC event, but there was a full June – December 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 133

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AGRONOMY - INSIGHT

“When Dustin Johnson shoots 60, like he did in the second round of THE NORTHERN TRUST in 2020, we know the greens are smooth.” — Tom Brodeur, Golf Course Superintendent, TPC Boston

A careful balance The 2020 BMW Championship at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club was not superintendent Sam MacKenzie’s first big championship. His 36-hole club on Chicago’s South Side had been home to the 2015 U.S. Amateur, won by Bryson DeChambeau. But this was MacKenzie’s first big PGA TOUR event, and he came away impressed with how the agronomic setup team paid respect to the particular character of the club’s Willie Park Jr.-designed North Course. “With any championship golf course,” MacKenzie said, “you’re balancing the desire for speed with the need to make sure the greens don’t get so fast that you lose valuable hole locations because of the classic slopes.” 134 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE June – December 2021

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Tournament week proved dry, warm and windy, with anticipated rains never materializing. The course showed its edge, with players having to negotiate 6-foot putts with a bit of curve. Jon Rahm and Johnson played off at 4-under 276, and Rahm’s decisive putt (66 feet, which broke 10 feet left to right), testifies to the difficulty of the resulting challenge. Yet it was a test that the players responded to favorably.

Tech and knowledge Setting up a golf course for the world’s most demanding and closely watched stage is not a cookie-cutter formulation. It entails respect for the design and character of the golf course, and it utilizes the most advanced techniques that modern agronomy can offer. Week after week, that standard is achieved on the PGA TOUR. Small wonder that viewers at home look on in awe at the results. 

images: PGA TOUR

stand of healthy, lush overseeded ryegrass for the tees and fairways. The championship went off smoothly on that basis.

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GOLFERS, WATCH YOUR STEP Tips to Protect Your Foot and Ankle from Injury By Ashley Fluger, CSCS, TPI • W arm up before you play with a cat-cow stretch and a 90/90 side-lying peel to increase mobility and prep for the golf swing. An exercise such as a side plank helps with proximal stability around the hips and core, which is also critical for the rotational moves golfers make with each swing. People with a history of ankle injury may benefit from additional warm-up exercises such as dead bugs, glute bridges and lateral band walks, as well as using a foam roller. efore beginning your game, take a few slow practice • B swings to roll through your feet and ankles. Stretch your calves, once with a bent knee and once with a straight knee, before you start and again halfway through. • Wear proper, well-fitting footwear. Your feet should not slide inside your shoes as you swing. If you have bunions, consider being evaluated by a foot specialist for an orthotic or shoe insert. If you have a foot condition that is exacerbated by walking, consider using a golf cart. hen hitting on uneven terrain or out of the sand, make • W sure your feet make solid contact with the ground by hinging at your hips with soft knees in an athletic position. Ashley Fluger, CSCS, TPI, is an exercise physiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery’s Tisch Sports Performance Center. She graduated top in her class from Indiana University with a degree in Kinesiology and completed the Sport Essentials Certificate Program from Columbia University. Ashley has extensive knowledge in both exercise science and sports performance.

The foot is an anatomical marvel, supporting the weight of the entire body with every step. The foot is crucial for force absorption when playing sports and overall daily movement. The foot is crucial for force absorption when playing sports and overall daily movement. Most importantly for golfers, the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the foot and ankle work together to transfer force in your swing. Here’s how to keep this intricate network safe from injury. • First, if you injure your foot or ankle during the game, stop playing and don’t resume until the pain goes away. If the problem persists, see a doctor. 136

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“Before my asthma was under control, I probably still played golf four times a month, but I had to use a cart. There was no way I could walk. I played from the cart and when I couldn’t use a cart, I just didn’t play.” Seth Dickman, 41, of Freemont, OH, went from completing triathlons to not being able to carry his golf clubs due to serious breathing problems. “I’m a strong driven person. It limited my ability to do everything I wanted to do.” Seth needed answers. A blood test revealed that he had an elevated number of eosinophils (e-o-sin-o-phils), also known as an elevated e-number. Eosinophils are a normal part of the body’s immune system, but when too many get activated in people with asthma, they can cause inflammation in the airways making it difficult to breathe. This type of asthma is known as eosinophilic asthma— or e-asthma. According to an analysis of data from the CDC, nearly seven out of 10 adults with asthma may have e-asthma.1

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Do you know your e-number? When his allergist prescribed a targeted medicine as part of his treatment plan, he was able to breathe better which helped him do more and his asthma got better. Seth is now back to playing golf twice a week, can carry his clubs and is taking his daughter with him. “My daughter, 11, really loves to play, too, so it’s a good excuse for me to get out of the house with her.” Knowing your e-number is important, especially if you: • often use your rescue inhaler to control asthma symptoms • wake up at night due to asthma symptoms • have had to take oral steroids like prednisone for your asthma • have had asthma attacks that required emergency care If you have experienced any of the above, you may have e-asthma and should talk to an asthma specialist about getting to know your e-number. • For more information, visit www.easthma.com. 1 Although not defined by clinical guidelines, eosinophilic asthma was considered an eosinophil count of 150 cells/μL or more for this CDC survey analysis. US-39354 4/20

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The past year has sometimes proved challenging to enjoy that time outdoors. Rules on social distancing have limited opportunities. Golf provides a great way to enjoy nature and connect while following local guidelines. As soon as communities allowed, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) hosted golf clinics to help build new skills in veterans, boost confidence and bring veterans together safely. Navy veteran Misty Taylor has found support through golf. “I have a core group, and we always play together. I look forward to seeing my buddies. It doesn’t matter how bad our golf game is; it’s always the best time.” According to a WWP survey of the wounded warriors it serves, more than half (52%) agreed their mental health is worse since socially distancing themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are or know a wounded veteran who served after 9/11/2001, connect with WWP at 800.997.2586.

As crucial as BEMER is for a professional like Mike, amateur players stand to gain just as much: • Muscular strength for more distance • Energy and endurance for 36-holes of weekend golf • Minor pain relief for increased rotation and ball-striking consistency • Muscle conditioning for going low on the back 9 • And more... Better Circulation. Better Health. Better Golf. Mike uses BEMER to keep his performance high and his scores low, and so can you. Learn more at: life.bemergroup.com/golf *Mike Weir is a paid BEMER ambassador. Individual results may vary, and testimonials may not reflect the typical person’s experience and are not intended to represent that anyone will achieve the same results. These spokespeople may have been compensated for their testimony. **BEMER does not provide any medical advice or services. This device is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It should not be used for any purpose other than as described in the user manual. Please consult your own healthcare provider if you have any medical issues. 139

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THE NEXT GENERATION of Golf DraftKings is the PGA TOUR’s first official Betting Operator, opening the way to deliver a new era for golf and sports betting.

Innovation As the next generation of golf gets underway, technological innovation and progressive adoption of legalized sports betting will be fundamental to its future. Professional golfers themselves even recognize the value of aligning with this industry as Bryson DeChambeau demonstrated by becoming the face of DraftKings golf ahead of last years’ Masters. While this type of mainstream sports betting brand exposure is not yet widespread, the dynamic between sportsbooks and golf has already gotten off to a promising start with DraftKings and the PGA TOUR leading the way. Appeal The PGA TOUR has embraced regulated sports betting, particularly in naming DraftKings as its first “Official Betting Operator” and this validation speaks to both a culture shift and greater level of openness. Golf is steeped in tradition with a dedicated audience, and the PGA TOUR understands the impact of sports betting to broaden appeal and drive engagement for

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tournament overview

THE FINAL STRETCH

The second half of the 2020-21 season sets the stage for the exciting climax that the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions always deliver

he stretch drive of the PGA TOUR Season, leading to the FedExCup Playoffs, begins at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio, June 3-6. Players will find a course that has been extensively changed since last year, with several new tees, several greens moved to different locations, and changes in bunkering. The following week brings a replacement tournament for the RBC Canadian Open, which was canceled for 2021 due to logistical challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Palmetto Championship at Congaree will be held at Congaree Golf Club, an acclaimed Tom Fazio design in Ridgeland, S.C. Then it’s off to the West Coast for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, Calif., which also hosted the Farmers Insurance Open in January. The middle of July features The Open Championship, which returns after being canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. It will be held at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in

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Sandwich, England, which last hosted the event in 2011. The week ending August 1 is on off week on the PGA TOUR schedule, as many players will be competing in the Olympics golf event in Tokyo, Japan. The World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Tennessee and Wyndham Championship in North Carolina wrap up the FedExCup Regular Season, with the top 125 players moving on to the FedExCup Playoffs. Those start with THE NORTHERN TRUST, which returns to the New York City area at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey. Next comes the BMW Championship, which will be held for the first time at Caves Valley Golf Club outside Baltimore. The season builds to an exciting finish as the top 30 players meet in the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club outside Atlanta, where the winner will be crowned as FedExCup champion. — David Barrett, Tournament Editor

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JUNE 3-6, 2021

the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide

Location & Course Information

MUIRFIELD VILLAGE GOLF CLUB, DUBLIN, OHIO

Patrick Cantlay is joined by tournament host Jack Nicklaus following Cantlay’s playoff victory over Collin Morikawa.

Jack Nicklaus designed Muirfield Village in 1974 to fulfill his dream of bringing a world-class tournament to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. He has tweaked nearly every hole over the years, and since the 2020 Memorial has overseen an extensive renovation adding 153 yards. Yardage: 7,543; par 72

Notable Course Features

Changes to the course in 2021 included several new tees moved back and/or to the side. Five new greens were built, three of them 15 to 20 yards farther down and two to the left of the old green; other greens were expanded or recontoured. Most green/tee changes were on the first 11 holes; the biggest change down the stretch was adding 37 yards to the par-5 15th hole, while regrading the fairway and green areas to improve visibility and bring water to the right of the green more in play.

Quick Facts

Field: 120 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $9.3 million Winner’s Share: $1,674,000 FedExCup Points: 550 to the winner Winner Exemption: 3 years

Charity Benefit

The primary beneficiary is Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus and its Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The tournament has an alliance with the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.

HOW PATRICK CANTLAY WON

CHECK THIS OUT

Patrick Cantlay forged a tie with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and ended up winning a playoff on the first extra hole with a 12-foot par putt while Collin Morikawa bogeyed. Cantlay and Morikawa began the final round tied for the lead, in odd circumstances. Jon Rahm had to withdraw due to a positive test for COVID-19 on Saturday evening when he would have had a six-stroke lead through 54 holes. Cantlay ranked in the top five in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (third), Approach the Green (fifth) and Around the Green (third).

 Winner Patrick Cantlay won the Memorial Tournament in 2019 and runner-up Collin Morikawa won a tournament at Muirfield Village in 2020 when the Workday Charity Open was played there the week before the Memorial.  Cantlay became the seventh multiple winner of the Memorial, joining Tiger Woods (5), Kenny Perry (3), Jack Nicklaus (2), Hale Irwin (2), Greg Norman (2) and Tom Watson (2).  Jon Rahm equaled the largest 54-hole lead at the Memorial (6 strokes, Tiger Woods, 2000) and the lowest 54-hole score (198, Scott Hoch, 1987).

Media Coverage

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Patrick Cantlay

275/-13

550

$1,674,000

Golf Channel/CBS

Collin Morikawa

275/-13

315

$1,013,700

Social Media

Scottie Scheffler

277/-11

200

$641,700

Branden Grace

278/-10

140

$455,700

Patrick Reed

280/-8

115

$381,300

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LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE JUNE – DECEMBER 2021

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IMAGES: PGA TOUR

Patrick Cantlay, U.S.

21 20

2021 Champion

“I thought I did a good job of staying focused, and it really felt like a battle between me and Collin all day and that’s just kind of how it played out.” – Patrick Cantlay

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JUNE 10-13, 2021

Palmetto Championship at Congaree

Location & Course Information

CONGAREE GOLF CLUB, RIDGELAND, S.C. Opened in 2017 and designed by Tom Fazio, Congaree is already rated among the top 100 courses in the U.S. Located inland, 40 miles north of Hilton Head Island, the course was created on sandy soil and cut from a forest of live oaks dotted with marshes and water hazards. Yardage: 7,515; par 71

Notable Course Features

2021 Champion

Garrick Higgo, South Africa

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.3 million Winner’s Share: $1,314,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Charity Benefit

The tournament benefits the Congaree Foundation, whose Global Golf Initiative brings promising high school students of limited means from the U.S. and the world to a program at Congaree which prepares them for college, and potentially for college golf. The foundation also has local partnerships with the Lowcountry Food Bank and the Boys & Girls Club of Jasper County.

Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS

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“I didn’t have my ‘A’ game off the tee, but I like that sometimes. I like not having to play perfect golf. I enjoy scrambling and making a couple putts, which I did, which was awesome.” – Garrick Higgo 21 20

The course has variety, with shorter holes mixed in among longer ones. The third and 15th are par 4s of 360 yards with sandy waste areas in play. Expanses of sand also feature prominently on the long par-4 eighth, listed at 540 yards, followed by the 510-yard par-4 ninth. The 18th is a dogleg right, a 445-yard par-4 with a threefingered bunker guarding the right and front-right of the green.

Making only his second PGA TOUR start, South Africa’s Garrick Higgo emerged from a Sunday pack of contenders to capture the Palmetto Championship at Congaree.

HOW GARRICK HIGGO WON

CHECK THIS OUT  The Palmetto Championship at Congaree was a substitute tournament on the schedule for the RBC Canadian Open, which was not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Winning his second PGA TOUR start, Higgo became the first player to win in one of his first two starts since Jim Benepe won the 1988 BMW Championship in his TOUR debut.  Higgo owns three victories on the European Tour, including two wins in his last three starts. His first start on the PGA TOUR resulted in a T64 at the PGA Championship three weeks before the Palmetto Championship at Congaree.

South Africa’s Garrick Higgo, a 22-year-old playing in his second PGA TOUR event, came from six strokes behind with a final-round 68 for a victory that earned him TOUR membership. The key holes for Higgo were an eagle on 13, birdie on 14, and 10-foot par-saving putt on 17. He emerged with the win when 54-hole leader Chesson Hadley bogeyed the last three holes for a 75.  Higgo ranked third in Greens in Regulation Percentage, hitting 54 of 72 greens.  Higgo won despite ranking T53 in Driving Accuracy Percentage (64.29).

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Garrick Higgo

273/-11

Doc Redman

274/-10

154.16

$411,233

Hudson Swafford

274/-10

154.16

$411,233

Chesson Hadley

274/-10

154.16

$411,233

Tyrrell Hatton

274/-10

154.16

$411,233

Bo Van Pelt

274/-10

154.16

$411,233

Jhonattan Vegas

274/-10

154.16

$411.233

$1,314,000

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JUNE 17-20, 2021

U.S. Open

Location & Course Information

TORREY PINES GOLF COURSE (SOUTH COURSE), SAN DIEGO, CALIF. Torrey Pines was designed by William F. Bell on land overlooking the Pacific Ocean and opened in 1957. The longtime home of a PGA TOUR event, the course underwent a renovation by Rees Jones in 2001, with extensive lengthening and some greens shifted closer to penalty areas. It hosted the U.S. Open in 2008, won by Tiger Woods. Yardage: 7,652; par 71

Notable Course Features

The course is a stern test, with a score of 1-under par reaching a playoff in the 2008 U.S. Open, but the par-5 18th hole provides a birdie opportunity. At 568 yards, it can be reached in two, but with a pond fronting the green it requires a drive in the fairway and a wellstruck approach to get there.

2020 Champion

Bryson DeChambeau, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes Purse: $12.5 million (2020) Winner’s Share: $2,250,000 (2020) FedExCup Points: 600 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The USGA Foundation is focused on four impact areas essential to golf’s health and future: enhancing the on-course experience for all players; creating a healthier relationship between the courses and the environment; celebrating traditions; preparing future leaders. The USGA is also committed to making the game more accessible for juniors, beginners and those with disabilities.

Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC

Social Media @usopengolf @usopengolf @USOPEN

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At Winged Foot in September, Bryson DeChambeau became only the third player to win a NCAA individual title, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open, joining Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

“Even through the rough, I was still able to manage my game and hit it to the correct sides of the greens, and kept plugging away.” – Bryson DeChambeau

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

20 20

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

HOW BRYSON DECHAMBEAU WON Bryson DeChambeau was the only player to break par in the final round, shooting a 3-under 67 as he pulled away for a sixstroke victory at 6-under 274. At even-par through eight holes, DeChambeau had moved one stroke ahead of 54-hole leader Matthew Wolff. When both eagled the par-5 ninth hole, DeChambeau with a 40-foot putt, it became a two-man race. Wolff bogeyed the 10th and DeChambeau birdied the 11th to go ahead by three. Displaying a combination of length off the tee and an outstanding short game, including a great par save on the 14th, DeChambeau parred the last seven holes, while Wolff made a bogey and a double to finish with a 75 while still claiming second place. DeChambeau opened with rounds of 69-68 to trail 36-hole leader Patrick Reed by one. A 70 in the third round kept him in second place, two behind Wolff.  DeChambeau led the field in Driving Distance – All Drives (314.0 yards) and was second in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (1.332 per round).  DeChambeau ranked first in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (1.888 per round).  DeChambeau was No. 1 in Par 3 Scoring Average (2.88) and Par 4 Scoring Average (3.98).  DeChambeau ranked third in Scrambling, saving par 65.38 percent of the time when he missed the green in regulation. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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CHECK THIS OUT  Bryson DeChambeau became the 12th player to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open, and only the third to win the U.S. Amateur, NCAA Championship and U.S. Open, joining Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.  DeChambeau’s 67 in the final round was 7.902 strokes better than the field average and the only subpar round on Sunday. There were 21 subpar scores in the first round, three in the second and five in the third.  At 6-under 274, DeChambeau was only the

third player to post an under-par 72-hole total in six U.S. Opens at Winged Foot. The others were matching 4-under 276s by Fuzzy Zoeller and Greg Norman in 1984 (Zoeller won a playoff).  Runner-up Matthew Wolff was seeking to become the first player since Francis Ouimet in 1913 to win the U.S. Open in his first appearance. The 21-year-old’s first two major championship appearances resulted in a T4 at the 2020 PGA Championship and a second at the U.S. Open.

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Bryson DeChambeau Matthew Wolff

274/-6

600

$2,250,000

280/E

330

$1,350,000

Louis Oosthuizen

Harris English

282/+2

210

$861,457

283/+3

150

$603,903

Xander Schauffele

284/+4

120

$502,993

Matthew Wolff plays his shot from the third tee during the final round. Wolff finished second in his first appearance in the U.S. Open.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JUNE 24-27, 2021

Travelers Championship

Location & Course Information

On the heels of shooting 61 on Saturday, Dustin Johnson closed with a 67 to hold off Kevin Streelman at the 2020 Travelers Championship.

TPC RIVER HIGHLANDS CROMWELL, CONN.

Originally built in the 1920s, the course joined the PGA TOUR’s TPC Network in 1984 after a redesign by Pete Dye. In 1989, it was renamed TPC River Highlands after further design work by Bobby Weed. Yardage: 6,841; par 70

Notable Course Features

The signature stretch is Nos. 15-17, which plays around a lake. The 15th is a drivable par 4 of 296 yards with water to the left, while 16 is a par 3 playing over the lake. The 17th is a strong dogleg-right par 4 with the lake to the right on the tee shot and a water carry on the approach.

2020 Champion Dustin Johnson, U.S.

Quick Facts

HOW DUSTIN JOHNSON WON

Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS

Social Media

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CHECK THIS OUT  While claiming his 21st career title, Dustin Johnson made it 13 consecutive seasons with a victory on the PGA TOUR.  Johnson ranked T79 after a first-round 69, the lowest first-round position by a winner at the Travelers Championship since 1983.  The week’s low scoring included a 60 in the first round by Mackenzie Hughes and 61s in the third round by Johnson and Brendon Todd.  Runner-up Kevin Streelman, who won the event in 2014, ran his string to 14 consecutive rounds in the 60s at the event.

Dustin Johnson moved into contention with a third-round 61 and took the title with a 67 on Sunday. Johnson grabbed the lead from 54-hole leader Brendon Todd with three consecutive birdies starting at the eighth hole and managed to hold on down the stretch to finish one ahead of Kevin Streelman.  Johnson was only T47 in Driving Accuracy, but sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (1.505 per round).  Johnson didn’t miss a putt inside 7 feet all week and ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting (1.498 per round).

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Dustin Johnson

261/-19

500

$1,332,000

Kevin Streelman

262/-18

300

$806,600

Will Gordon

263/-17

Mackenzie Hughes

263/-17

162.5

$436,600

Kevin Na

264/-16

110

$303,400

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Charity Benefit

The Travelers Championship has generated more than $44 million for charity since 1952, and in 2020 generated $1.6 million for 115 charities throughout the region even while being held as a television-only event. One recipient was 4-CT, an independent nonprofit that has funded statewide COVID-19 relief efforts; another was the University of New Haven’s Tow Youth Justice Institute, which helps educate and train police officers so they can improve relationships with the communities they serve.

“It was definitely strange playing with no fans, but you can still feel the pressure.” – Dustin Johnson 20 20

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.4 million Winner’s Share: $1,332,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

$436,600

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JULY 1-4, 2021

Rocket Mortgage Classic

Location & Course Information DETROIT GOLF CLUB DETROIT, MICH.

The two courses at Detroit Golf Club were designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1916. The tournament is held mostly on the North Course, with one hole from the South Course utilized. The course was renovated in preparation for the inaugural tournament in 2019, with several new tees added. Yardage: 7,340; par 72

Drive for show and putt for dough? Rocket Mortgage Classic champion Bryson DeChambeau became the first player in the ShotLink era to lead a field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Putting.

Notable Course Features

2020 Champion

Bryson DeChambeau, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,350,000 FedExCup Points: 300 to the winner

Charity Benefit

All proceeds benefit the tournament’s “Changing the Course” initiative. The vision of this multi-year campaign is to ensure every Detroit resident has access to the Internet, technology and digital training they deserve within five years.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

“I was able to accomplish a win while playing a completely different style of golf.” – Bryson DeChambeau

HOW BRYSON DECHAMBEAU WON

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A shallow, grass-covered ditch that is not a penalty area runs down the length of the 18th hole on the left side of the fairway and then guards the right side of the green. The 455-yard par 4 played as the toughest hole in 2020.

After continuing to bulk up during the COVID-19 interruption to the PGA TOUR, Bryson DeChambeau won with a power game, shooting a final-round 65 to come from three strokes behind. When 54-hole leader Matthew Wolff rallied on the back nine after a poor start, DeChambeau responded with birdies on the last three holes to win by three.  DeChambeau ranked first in Driving Distance at 350.6 yards on measured holes and first in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (1.668 per round).  DeChambeau ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting (1.958 per round) and didn’t miss a putt inside 7 feet.

CHECK THIS OUT  Bryson DeChambeau became the first winner during the ShotLink era to lead the field in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Putting.  DeChambeau posted his seventh consecutive top-10 finish, with his first victory in that span.  DeChambeau ran his streak of rounds in the 60s to nine in a row, making it 14 out of 16 rounds in the 60s after the PGA TOUR’s return to golf following the COVID-19 hiatus.  DeChambeau’s 23-under total for 72 holes was a personal best, but two strokes short of Nate Lashley’s 25-under in the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Bryson DeChambeau

Matthew Wolff

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

265/-23

500

$1,350,000

268/-20

300

$817,500

Kevin Kisner

270/-18

190

$517,500

Golf Channel/CBS

Ryan Armour

272/-16

108.75

$300,000

Social Media

Adam Hadwin

272/-16

108.75

$300,000

Tyrell Hatton

272/-16

108.75

$300,000

Danny Willett

272/-16

108.75

$300,000

@RocketClassic @rocketclassic @RocketClassic

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JULY 8-11, 2021

John Deere Classic South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli shows off the hardware he earned with a final-round 64 at the 2019 John Deere Classic. He became the 23rd player to make the John Deere Classic his first PGA TOUR victory.

Location & Course Information TPC DEERE RUN SILVIS, ILL.

TPC Deere Run opened in 2000, designed by former PGA TOUR professional D.A. Weibring and Chris Gray, on the site of a former Arabian horse farm by the Rock River. Yardage: 7,268; par 71

Notable Course Features The signature hole at TPC Deere Run is the par-3 16th, named “Mother Earth.” The 158-yard hole is one of the prettiest in the Midwest, adjacent to the Rock River with bunkers protecting its flanks. It offers a chance for birdies as the players hit the finishing stretch, playing to a 2.852 average in 2019.

2019 Champion

“I knew that I had to come out and make a bunch of birdies today, so nothing was going to change, whether I was four shots back or one shot back.” – Dylan Frittelli

Charity Benefit

In 2020, the John Deere Classic helped raise $12.2 million for 465 local and regional charities even though the tournament was canceled because of COVID-19 pandemic concerns. This year the tournament returns to its Birdies for Charity program, with additional funds donated from tournament revenues and the John Deere Foundation.

HOW DYLAN FRITTELLI WON

Golf Channel/CBS

Social Media

@JDCLASSIC @johndeereclassic @johndeereclassic

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CHECK THIS OUT  Dylan Frittelli became the ninth player to win his first start at the John Deere Classic, and the first since Sean O’Hair in 2005.  Frittelli was the 23rd player to make the John Deere Classic his first PGA TOUR victory, and the second in a row (Michael Kim, 2018).  Frittelli was the second South African player to win the event, the first being David Frost (1992, 1993).  Russell Henley’s 61 was a tournament record for the final round. Previously it was 62, on three occasions, at former site Oakwood Country Club.

Dylan Frittelli played the first 11 holes in 6-under and added a birdie on the 17th to give himself a two-stroke cushion as he completed a finalround 64. Frittelli started the round two strokes out of the lead and passed the four players ahead of him while staying ahead of Russell Henley, who shot a final-round 61 and finished second.  Frittelli made only one bogey all week, on his 10th hole of the second round.  Frittelli ranked second in both Strokes Gained: Around the Green (1.211 per round) and Strokes Gained: Putting (1.865 per round), and missed only two putts inside 10 feet.

Media Coverage

150

19 20

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.2 million Winner’s Share: $1,116,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

LEADERBOARD 2019 Player

Pos

Dylan Frittelli Russell Henley

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

263/-21

500

$1,080,000

265/-19

300

$648,000

190

$408,000

Andrew Landry

266/-18

Collin Morikawa

267/-17

Chris Stroud

267/-17

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

(No event in 2020) Dylan Frittelli, South Africa

$264,000 122.5

$264,000 W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

05/07/2021 12:02

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JULY 15-18, 2021

Barbasol Championship

Location & Course Information

KEENE TRACE GOLF CLUB (CHAMPIONS TRACE) NICHOLASVILLE, KY. The Champions Trace Course was built in 1987 and designed by noted architect Arthur Hills. In preparation for its first Barbasol Championship in 2018, four new tees were built and about 300 trees were removed. Yardage: 7,328; par 72

Notable Course Features

The 18th hole is not a particularly long par 4 at 429 yards, but it is challenging with water all the way down the right side, and approach shots played into a small green. In 2019, it played as the third toughest hole on the course.

2019 Champion (No event in 2020) Jim Herman, U.S

Charity Benefit

The tournament was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a special charity day was held in October, raising $205,000 for the tournament’s charity partners. The event’s charitable arm, Caddie127, supports philanthropic organizations that benefit and empower women and children.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage Golf Channel

Social Media

@BarbasolChamp @barbasolchamp @barbasolchamp

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“I always wanted to win a second one. And here we are.” – Jim Herman 19 20

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $3.5 million Winner’s Share: $630,000 FedExCup Points: 300 to the winner

Jim Herman made his lone top-10 of the 2018-19 season count as he posted a one-stroke triumph over Kelly Kraft at the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky. The tournament was not played in 2020.

HOW JIM HERMAN WON

CHECK THIS OUT  Jim Herman’s 72-hole total of 262 was a tournament record, breaking the mark of Grayson Murray (263 at the RTJ Trail Grand National Course in 2017).  Herman became the fourth player in the event’s five years to either win by one stroke or in a playoff.  Herman’s victory was his first top-10 finish of the season.  The field made 144 eagles, which was the most at any tournament on the PGA TOUR since 1990 (single-course events).

After a couple of lean years, Jim Herman found the touch again and posted his second career victory. The then-41-year-old took the 54-hole lead with a third-round 62 and held on with a 70 in the final round. Kelly Kraft moved in front with final-round birdies on 14 and 15, but bogeyed 16 and 17 to finish one behind.  Herman made two eagles on the way to a 62 on Saturday, both on putts of 10 feet.  Herman led the field in Greens in Regulation Percentage (87.50) and was second in Strokes Gained: Putting (2.035 per round).

LEADERBOARD 2019 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Jim Herman

Kelly Kraft

262/-26

300

$630,000

263/-25

165

$378,000

Sepp Straka

265/-23

105

$238,000

Austin Cook

266/-22

72.5

$154,000

Matt Jones

266/-22

72.5

$154,000

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JULY 15-18

The Open Championship

Location & Course Information

ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S GOLF CLUB, SANDWICH, KENT, ENGLAND The course was designed by club founder Dr. William Laidlaw Purves in 1887 in the mold of links courses in Purves’ native Scotland. The routing remains largely unchanged, though many blind shots were eliminated over the decades. The course hosts the Open for the 15th time. In preparation for the 2021 Open, bunkers were enlarged, reconfigured or eliminated on several holes. Yardage: 7,211; par 70.

In the final round Shane Lowry carded a 1-over 72, placing him at 15-under for the tournament and six strokes clear of the field to clinch his first-career major championship victory.

Notable Course Features

The 545-yard 14th hole has out of bounds tight all the way down the right side. Contenders Bernhard Langer (1993) and Dustin Johnson (2011) both hit shots out of bounds in the final round, Langer on the drive and Johnson on the second shot. A ditch runs across the fairway at the 330-yard mark, keeping long hitters from bombing a driver in dry conditions.

2019 Champion

(No event in 2020) Shane Lowry, Ireland

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $10.75 million (2019) Winner’s Share: $1,935,000 (2019) FedExCup Points: 600 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The R&A supports the development of golf through the Working for Golf program, with emphasis placed on encouraging junior golf, on the promotion and progression of the sport in emerging golfing nations, and on the provision of more public golf courses.

Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC

Social Media

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“It was just incredible to walk down 18, with the crowd going wild. I just couldn’t believe it was happening to me.” – Shane Lowry W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

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IMAGES: ALAMY; PGA TOUR

HOW SHANE LOWRY WON Ireland’s Shane Lowry claimed the title when The Open Championship returned to Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years at Royal Portrush. Lowry took a fourstroke lead into the final round thanks to third-round 63. After three days of relatively low scoring, conditions toughened on Sunday with wind and rain. With the weather worsening later in the day, the last 24 starters didn’t break par and Lowry won by six strokes with a 1-over par 72. Lowry moved ahead by six strokes with three birdies in a four-hole stretch starting at the fourth. Despite bogeys on three of the next four holes, he never led by less than four strokes the rest of the way. Lowry opened the tournament with a 67 to trail by one stroke and after another 67 shared the 36-hole lead with J.B. Holmes. On Saturday, Lowry shot 30 on the back nine for his 63, with birdies on Nos. 15, 16 and 17.  Lowry shot 31 on the front nine of the second round, with birdies on four of the first five holes.  Lowry ranked first in Greens in Regulation Percentage at 79.17 percent. He hit 17 greens in the third round.  Lowry ranked third in Scrambling, saving par on 73.3 percent of his missed greens. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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CHECK THIS OUT  Shane Lowry’s six-stroke victory margin was the largest at The Open Championship since Louis Oosthuizen won by seven in 2010.  Lowry’s 54-hole total of 197 set an Open Championship record, and matched the second best ever at a major (David Toms, 196, in the 2001 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club).  Lowry’s 63 in the third round was one off the Open Championship record (Branden Grace, 62,

2017) and was the 12th round of 63 in the event.  Lowry became the first player to collect his first two PGA TOUR victories at a major and a World Golf Championships event (2015 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational).  Lowry, who won the 2009 Irish Open as an amateur, joined four others as winners of the Irish Open and The Open since 1960 (Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy).

LEADERBOARD 2019 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Shane Lowry

269/-15

600

$1,935,000

Tommy Fleetwood

275/-9

330

$1,120,000

Tony Finau

277/-7

210

$718,000

Brooks Koepka

278/-6

135

$503,500

Lee Westwood

278/-6

$503,500

“It’s where you want to be as a golfer, I hope I’m in that situation again ...”

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JULY 22-25, 2021

3M Open

Location & Course Information TPC TWIN CITIES, BLAINE, MINN.

Opened in 2000, TPC Twin Cities was designed by Arnold Palmer, with Minnesota native Tom Lehman as a consultant, and hosted an event on PGA TOUR Champions from 2001 to 2018. Lehman supervised changes in 2018 to ready the course for PGA TOUR competition. Yardage: 7,431; par 71

Michael Thompson holds the 2020 3M Open trophy after his closing 67 at TPC Twin Cities. The victory arrived seven years after Thompson’s first PGA TOUR victory.

Notable Course Features

Michael Thompson

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.6 million Winner’s Share: $1,188,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Charitable giving efforts will be $1.5 million directed toward local nonprofit organizations focused on supporting individuals impacted by COVID-19 and those fighting for social justice initiatives. The major charity partners for the tournament are M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Greater Twin Cities United Way, VEAP, Urban Ventures, Lake Street Council, YMCA Minneapolis, YMCA St. Paul and Science Museum of Minnesota.

HOW MICHAEL THOMPSON WON

Golf Channel/CBS

Social Media @3MOpen @3mopen @3MOpen

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 Michael Thompson was one stroke behind leader Richy Werenski after Round 1 and the two were tied for the lead after 36 and 54 holes. Werenski, who shot 70 in the final round, finished T3.  Thompson’s winning score of 19-under 265 was two strokes higher than Matthew Wolff’s winning total of 263 in the inaugural 3M Open in 2019.  Adam Long shot 63-64 on the weekend to finish second. His 127 total for consecutive rounds matched Wolff’s third and fourth rounds of 2019 (62-65).

Michael Thompson birdied the 16th and 18th holes en route to a two-stroke victory with a final-round 67 after holding a share of the 54-hole lead. The 35-year-old claimed his second PGA TOUR victory seven years after his first, with Adam Long finishing second and a nine-way tie for third, three strokes back.  Thompson made only three bogeys all week, none in a first-round 64.  Thompson ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting (1.819 per round) and fourth in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (1.855).

Media Coverage

CHECK THIS OUT

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Michael Thompson

265/-19

500

$1,188,000

Adam Long

267/-17

300

$719,400

Tony Finau

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

Emiliano Grillo

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

Max Homa

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

Charles Howell III

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

Alex Noren

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

Charl Schwartzel

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

Robby Shelton

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

Cameron Tringale

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

Richy Werenski

268/-16

103.88

$250,800

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

2020 Champion

“This is definitely a win for everybody who supported me through the years.” – Michael Thompson 20 20

Reachable with two good shots, especially when the tee is up, the 596-yard 18th hole offers the chance for a birdie or eagle. But with water in front of the green, it can also be punishing. In 2020, it produced more double bogeys or worse than all but one other hole (the ninth).

W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

05/07/2021 14:51

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

AUGUST 5-8, 2021

Barracuda Championship

Location & Course Information

OLD GREENWOOD GOLF COURSE, TRUCKEE, CALIF. Richy Werenski finished strong to edge 54-hole leader Troy Merritt. It was Werenski’s first PGA TOUR victory.

The Jack Nicklaus-designed course opened in 2004, situated on 600 acres of forest and meadowland amid gently rolling terrain surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains. This is its second year hosting the event. Yardage: 7,390; par 71

Notable Course Features

With eagles worth five points compared to two for a birdie in the modified Stableford scoring, the 578-yard par-5 sixth and 551yard par-5 12th provide the best opportunities, easily reachable in two at the 6,000-foot altitude. The sixth has water down the left side, while reaching the 12th requires threading a shot through the trees.

2020 Champion Richy Werenski, U.S.

Charity Benefit

The Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation oversees the charitable arm of the Barracuda Championship, with proceeds benefiting more than 100 local and regional charities. The event has donated more than $4.5 million to non-profits in its 23-year history. Additionally, the tournament participates in the Birdies for Charity pledge program and Birdies for the Brave, which donates to military and veteran non-profit organizations for every birdie made on a designated hole.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

HOW RICHY WERENSKI WON

20 20

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: Modified Stableford Purse: $3.5 million Winner’s Share: $630,000 FedExCup Points: 300 to the winner

“I wasn’t in a great rhythm early in the round, but I did a good job of just kind of snapping out of it.” – Richy Werenski

Richy Werenski finished strong with a pitch-in for a five-point eagle on the par-4 16th and a birdie on the finishing hole to take a one-point victory over 54-hole leader Troy Merritt.  Werenski came from seven points behind through 54 holes with 13 points in the final round to eight for Merritt.  Werenski had three birdies and an eagle on the back nine of the final round, shooting 5-under 30 had it been stroke play.  Werenski also had an eagle on the 12th hole of the third round and five birdies in the first eight holes in Round 2.

CHECK THIS OUT  Richy Werenski won the title three years after finishing T2, losing in a three-way playoff to Chris Stroud in his Barracuda Championship debut in 2017.  Werenski was the fifth straight winner of the event to make it his first PGA TOUR victory.  Troy Merritt finished second for the second consecutive year after holding the 54-hole lead both times.  Aaron Wise, who finished eighth, had the highest single-round point total of the week with 19 points in the final round. He made 10 birdies.

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Richy Werenski

+11

+13

+39

300

$630,000

Troy Merritt

+11

+14

+38

165

$381,500

Golf Channel

Fabian Gomez

+11

+16

+37

92.5

$206,500

Social Media

Matthias Schwab

+11

+13

+37

Scott Stallings

+11

+12

+35

62.5

$135,187.50

Robert Streb

+11

+35

62.5

$135,187.50

@CudaChamp @barracudachampionship @BarracudaChampionship W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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$206,500

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

AUGUST 5-8, 2021

World Golf ChampionshipsFedEx St. Jude Invitational

Location & Course Information TPC SOUTHWIND, MEMPHIS, TENN.

Opened in 1988, TPC Southwind was designed by Ron Prichard, with help from former major champions Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller. Built on a former dairy farm outside Memphis, the course features undulating fairways and natural water hazards. Yardage: 7,277; par 70.

Notable Course Features

The two par 3s on the back nine both feature water. The green at the 162-yard 11th hole is set on an island, with three bunkers and some fringe area giving a slight margin for error. The 239-yard 14th, with water front and right, annually is one of the toughest holes.

2020 Champion Justin Thomas, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 78 players Format: 72 holes Purse: $10.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,820,000 FedExCup Points: 550 to the winner

Charity Benefit

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been the beneficiary of PGA TOUR events in Memphis since 1970, with total contributions exceeding $48 million. Founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude treats children from all 50 states and around the world with no cost to families.

Media Coverage

Joined by his proud father and coach, Mike Thomas, Justin Thomas holds his WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational trophy. Only two players since 1960 (Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods) reached 13 career PGA TOUR victories faster than Thomas.

Golf Channel/CBS

Social Media @WGCFedEx @wgcfedex @WGCFedEx

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“I kind of got into a zone out there and I wasn’t worried about what everybody else was doing.” – Justin Thomas

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

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IMAGES: PGA TOUR; GETTY IMAGES

HOW JUSTIN THOMAS WON Justin Thomas stormed from four strokes back to win by three with a final-round 5-under 65. Thomas grabbed the lead with a 31 on the front nine, then fell into a five-way tie for first when he bogeyed the 12th hole. Daniel Berger and Tom Lewis had hot rounds going, but each made a late bogey to drop out of the lead, while 54-hole leader Brendon Todd bogeyed four of the last six holes. That left it to Thomas and defending champion Brooks Koepka. Thomas assumed command with birdies on 15 and 16, recovering from wild drives on both holes. Koepka birdied the 13th, fell two behind with a bogey on 16, recovered with a birdie on 17, then drove into the water on the final hole to end up T2 with Berger, Lewis and Phil Mickelson.  Thomas shot 31 on the back nine for a 66 in the third round and followed by shooting 31 on the front nine of the final round on the way to a 65.  Thomas ranked 55th in Strokes Gained: Putting at -.470 strokes per round. He made up for it by ranking first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (3.275 per round). He was second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (1.917 per round) and fourth in Stokes Gained: Around the Green (.782 per round). W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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CHECK THIS OUT  Justin Thomas was the fifth consecutive winner of the event to enter the week in the top three in the FedExCup standings and Official World Golf Ranking (he was No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, and moved to No. 1 in the OWGR with the win).  Thomas won the tournament for the second time, having captured the title in 2018 at Firestone Country Club in Ohio. The only other multiple winner of the event, which started in

1999, is Tiger Woods, who has won it eight times.  Brooks Koepka finished T2 in attempting to become the only champion to successfully defend other than Woods, who claimed titles in 1999-2001 and 2005-07.  At 27 years, three months, four days, Thomas became the third youngest player to reach 13 career PGA TOUR victories since 1960, behind Tiger Woods (age 23) and Jack Nicklaus (25).

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Justin Thomas

267/-13

550

$1,820,000

Daniel Berger

270/-10

192.5

$695,000

Brooks Koepka

270/-10

192.5

$695,000

Tom Lewis

270/-10

192.5

$695,000

Phil Mickelson

270/-10

192.5

$695,000

Brooks Koepka looks over a putt on the 17th green during the final round. He finished runner-up in his attempt to defend his 2019 win.

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AUGUST 12-15, 2021

Location & Course Information

Wyndham Championship

SEDGEFIELD COUNTRY CLUB, GREENSBORO, N.C. Founded in 1926, Sedgefield’s course was designed by Donald Ross and first hosted the PGA TOUR in 1938. After a 31-year absence, the Wyndham Championship returned in 2008 after a restoration by architect Kris Spence. Yardage: 7,131; par 70

Notable Course Features

Jim Herman’s red-hot weekend (61-63) in the TOUR’s regularseason finale in Greensboro, N.C., not only landed him his third PGA TOUR victory, but also vaulted him into the FedExCup Playoffs.

The toughest hole at the Wyndham Championship is the 507-yard 18th, a par 5 for members that plays as a par 4 for the event. The tee shot is downhill, leaving a difficult uphill approach off a downhill lie to a green with a significant back-to-front slope.

“I guess whenever you win, you never really truly expect it.” – Jim Herman

2020 Champion

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.4 million Winner’s Share: $1,152,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation makes donations in the areas of youth/ education, community and the environment. Beneficiaries include multiple children’s backpack programs, HV3 Foundation, the Paul Tesori Foundation, First Tee of the Triad, Carolina Core and recycling efforts.

HOW JIM HERMAN WON

Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS

Social Media

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CHECK THIS OUT  Jim Herman’s 124 weekend total matched the PGA TOUR record for the final 36 holes (Stuart Appleby/2010 A Military Tribute at The Greenbriar).  Herman played the par-5 fifth hole in 6-under for the week (birdie-eagle-birdie-eagle).  Patrick Reed, who finished T9, played the par-5 15th hole in 7-under for the week (birdieeagle-eagle-eagle).  Webb Simpson, who won the Wyndham Championship in 2011, has finished in the top three the last four years (third, T2, second, T3).

Jim Herman shot 61 on Saturday and came from four strokes behind with a 63 in the final round to win. He qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs after ranking 192nd entering the last event of the regular season. Herman played the first five holes in 4-under and took the lead with a birdie on the 17th hole while Billy Horschel was making a bogey on the 16th.  Herman made five straight birdies while shooting 29 on the back nine in the third round.  Herman was in the top five in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee (fifth), Approach the Green (fourth) and Putting (third).

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Jim Herman

259/-21

500

$1,152,000

Billy Horschel

260/-20

300

$697,600

Si Woo Kim

262/-18

133.75

$312,400

Kevin Kisner

262/-18

133.75

$312,400

Doc Redman

262/-18

133.75

$312,400

Webb Simpson

262/-18

133.75

$312,400

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Quick Facts

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Jim Herman, U.S.

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Tom Lehman, 2011 winner of the Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

AUGUST 19-22, 2021

THE NORTHERN TRUST

Location & Course Information

LIBERTY NATIONAL GOLF CLUB, JERSEY CITY, N.J. Opened in 2006, designed by Bob Cupp and Tom Kite on a former industrial waterfront site, the course has spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline. It hosted THE NORTHERN TRUST in 2009, 2013 and 2019 and the Presidents Cup in 2017. Yardage: 7,370; par 71.

Notable Course Features

The finishing stretch features a mix of holes, including birdie opportunities at the 150-yard par-3 14th and 325-yard drivable par-4 16th. Those are balanced by a couple of long par 4s, the 481-yard 15th and 490-yard 18th.

2020 Champion Dustin Johnson, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 125 players Format: 72 holes Purse: $9.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,710,000 FedExCup Points: 1,500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Children, families and organizations benefit from the tournament’s charitable contributions, which strengthen and improve the lives of citizens in local communities.

Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS

Social Media @TheNTGolf @thentgolf @TheNTGolf

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Dustin Johnson left little doubt as to who would be holding the trophy at TPC Boston, rolling to an 11-stroke victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST. It was his fifth career FedExCup Playoffs triumph.

“My ballstriking was unbelievable. I found something on Wednesday. I worked hard on my putting Thursday afternoon, and it paid off.” – Dustin Johnson

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

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HOW DUSTIN JOHNSON WON Dustin Johnson ran away with the tournament held at TPC Boston, shooting 30-under 254 to win by 11 strokes. A first-round 67 on a day he didn’t putt well left him T20. He played the first 11 holes of the second round in 11-under, including two eagles and a 9-under 27 on the front nine, and parred in for a 60 that gave him the lead. Johnson extended the margin from two strokes to five with a third-round 64. He capped the performance with a 63 in the final round, shooting 30 on the front nine to erase all doubt as to the winner.  Johnson’s second round was 9.53 strokes better than the field average.  Johnson had five eagles: two in the second round and one in each of the other rounds.  Johnson ranked first in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green at 3.028 per round. He hit all 18 greens in the final round and 65 of 72 for the week to lead that category.  Johnson ranked second in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee at .956 per round. He was second in Driving Distance (320.3).  Johnson led the field in Scoring Average on all hole categories: par-3s (2.63), par-4s (3.73) and par-5s (4.00). W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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CHECK THIS OUT  Dustin Johnson’s 254 total was one stroke off the PGA TOUR 72-hole record (253, Justin Thomas, 2017 Sony Open in Hawaii) and his 30-under total also missed the record by one (31-under, Ernie Els, 2003 Sentry Tournament of Champions).  Johnson won THE NORTHERN TRUST for the third time (also 2011, 2017), joining Vijay Singh (four) as the only players with at least three wins in the event that began in 1967.

 The victory was Johnson’s fifth in the FedExCup Playoffs, tying Rory McIlroy for the most.  Johnson’s 11-stroke winning margin was a tournament record by three strokes and the largest on the PGA TOUR since Phil Mickelson won by 13 at the 2006 BellSouth Classic.  Scottie Scheffler, who finished T4, shot a 59 in the second round to set the tournament 18-hole record.

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Dustin Johnson

254/-30

1,500

$1,710,000

Harris English

265/-19

900

$1,035,500

Daniel Berger

266/-18

570

$655,500

Kevin Kisner

267/-17

367.5

$427,500

Scottie Scheffler

267/-17

367.5

$427,500

Dustin Johnson with Harris English on the fifth hole during the final round.

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AUGUST 26-29, 2021

BMW Championship

Location & Course Information

CAVES VALLEY GOLF CLUB, OWINGS MILLS, MD. Caves Valley opened in 1991, designed by Tom Fazio on rolling terrain outside Baltimore. Some holes are tree-lined, but the corridors are generally wide. The course hosted the 2002 U.S. Senior Open and the 2017 Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. Yardage: 7,410, par 71.

Notable Course Features In preparation for the BMW Championship, seven new teeing grounds were added to increase the yardage by about 250 yards. Three new bunkers were installed and the existing bunkers restored. Some of the fairways were re-shaped and new collars around the greens were added. The nines will be reversed from their usual order for the tournament.

2020 Champion Jon Rahm, Spain

Quick Facts

Field: 70 players Format: 72 holes Purse: $9.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,710,000 FedExCup Points: 1,500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The sole beneficiary of the BMW Championship is the Evans Scholars Foundation. Since BMW first sponsored the event in 2007, the tournament has raised more than $35 million for the foundation’s full tuition and housing college scholarships for caddies.

Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC

Social Media

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Spain’s Jon Rahm capped a stellar weekend (66-64) with a clinching 66-foot birdie putt in sudden death against World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, earning the Western Golf Association’s J.K. Wadley Championship Cup at the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields.

“It’s been a roller coaster, but so much fun.” – Jon Rahm W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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tournament overview

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HOW JON RAHM WON Jon Rahm closed with rounds of 66-64 and then holed a 66-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Dustin Johnson. It was a wild finish at Olympia Fields (North Course) outside Chicago, with Johnson making a 43-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force a tie before Rahm sank his even longer putt in the playoff. Rahm started slowly with rounds of 7571. His third-round 66 could have been better but for a one-stroke penalty on the fifth hole when he picked up his ball from the green after forgetting to mark it. Starting the final round three strokes back and T6, Rahm birdied the first and fourth holes en route to a 33 on the front nine, and Nos. 10, 12, 15 and 16 on the back to post a 4-under 276 total and await the rest of the finishers. Johnson, the 54-hole co-leader with Hideki Matsuyama, matched that figure with a final-round 67. XX Rahm’s only bogey on the weekend came when he was assessed the one-stroke penalty for picking up his unmarked ball on Saturday. XX Rahm’s 130 total for the third and fourth rounds was five strokes better than anyone else. XX Rahm ranked T2 in Greens in Regulation Percentage at 70.83 percent and hit 17 greens in the final round. w w w.p gat our.com

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check this out XX Rahm has finished in the top five in three of his four starts at the BMW Championship. He was T5 in 2017 and 2019 in addition to his 2020 victory. XX Rahm has shot in the 60s in 14 of his 16 rounds, all but the first two rounds in 2020. XX Tony Finau finished fifth to record his fourth straight top-10 at the event (2017/T7, 2018/T8, 2019/4, 2020/5). XX Hideki Matsuyama, who finished T3, later became the first Japanese professional player to win a major championship—the 2021 Masters.

XX Playoff participants Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm were ranked 1-2 in the Official World Ranking, with Johnson remaining No. 1 despite Rahm’s win. XX Jon Rahm’s 75 in the first round was the highest opening round by a winner at the BMW Championship since Walter Hagen’s 75 in 1926. XX It was the highest opening round for a winner in a non-major on the PGA TOUR since Mark Calcavecchia’s 75 at the 2007 Valspar Championship.

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Jon Rahm

276/-4

1,500

$1,710,000

Dustin Johnson

276/-4

900

$1,026,000

Hideki Matsuyama

278/-2

487.5

$551,000

Joaquin Niemann

278/-2

487.5

$551,000

Tony Finau

279/-1

330

$384,750

Dustin Johnson reacts to sinking his putt at the 18th hole during the final round.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

SEPTEMBER 2-5, 2021

TOUR Championship

Location & Course Information EAST LAKE GOLF CLUB, ATLANTA, GA.

Tom Bendelow’s 1908 design gave way to a complete overhaul just five years later by Donald Ross, which is the configuration where Bobby Jones learned to play the game. George Cobb did a renovation prior to the 1963 Ryder Cup and Rees Jones restored the Ross layout in 1994. Yardage: 7,346; par 70

Notable Course Features

The reversal of nines from the way East Lake plays for members makes for exciting finishes on the tournament 18th. Listed at 590 yards, with an approach played over water, the par 5 is often set up around 570 yards to encourage players to go for the green in two shots.

2020 Champion Dustin Johnson, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 30 players Format: 72 holes, FedExCup Starting Strokes scoring system Purse: $60 million (FedExCup Bonus) Winner’s Share: $15 million

Charity Benefit

The TOUR Championship’s beneficiaries are East Lake Foundation, Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and First Tee of Metro Atlanta. With support of partners Coca-Cola and Southern Company, the event has raised more than $37 million for local nonprofits since 1998. Despite having no spectators, the tournament donated a record $3.56 million in 2020 thanks to special initiatives.

Media Coverage

At East Lake, Dustin Johnson capped off a torrid late-season run by winning the TOUR Championship – and FedExCup – for the first time in his career. He took a lead into the final round in four consecutive starts.

Golf Channel/NBC

Social Media @playofffinale @playofffinale @playofffinale

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“It was a grind out there. But I’m very proud to be the FedExCup champion.” – Dustin Johnson

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HOW DUSTIN JOHNSON WON

Dustin Johnson built a fivestroke lead with a thirdround 64, but was pressed in the final round before emerging with the victory. Closest pursuers Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas both shot 66s in the Labor Day finish; Johnson held them off with a 68 to win by three. Johnson started strong with birdies on three of the first six holes, but fell back with bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8. Schauffele and Thomas each got within two strokes during the back nine. A key for Johnson was holing a 21-foot par putt on the 13th, where Schauffele bogeyed to fall three behind. Johnson followed with four straight pars and then a birdie at the 18th for a final score of 21-under, including FedExCup Starting Strokes of 10-under as the points leader entering the tournament. Johnson had two victories in the three 2020 FedExCup Playoff events and lost a playoff in the other one.  Johnson won despite ranking 28th of 30 in hitting fairways (24 of 56), including just two of 14 in the second round. He was second in Driving Distance, enabling him to rank seventh in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee.  Johnson made five putts of longer than 20 feet during the week, and also holed a 24-footer from off the green.  Johnson ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Around the Green at .641 per round, while his short game helped him play the eight par-5s in 6-under, with five of the six birdies coming on up-and-downs from around the green. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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Hosting the 2021 TOUR Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, GA.

CHECK THIS OUT  Johnson held at least a share of the 54-hole lead for his fourth straight tournament, dating to the PGA Championship.  Xander Schauffele had the best cumulative four-round total at 15-under par, but he started seven strokes behind FedExCup points leader Johnson at East Lake in Starting Strokes.  Schauffele has played all 16 career rounds at East Lake in par or better, and finished second for the second straight year. He won the TOUR Championship in 2017.

 The FedExCup Starting Strokes scoring system gives the No. 1 player in the FedExCup standings a 10-under par starting score, descending to the Nos. 26-30 players at even par.  Dustin Johnson’s first win in the TOUR Championship was his sixth in the FedExCup Playoffs, the most of any player. He also has the most top-fives (13) and top-10s (21) in the Playoffs, which began in 2007. Rory McIlroy is next in FedExCup Playoff victories with five.

LEADERBOARD 2020 Player

Pos

Total Score

Starting Strokes

Earnings

Dustin Johnson

-21

-10

$15,000,000

Xander Schauffele

-18

-3

$4,500,000

Justin Thomas

-18

-7

$4,500,000

Jon Rahm

-17

-8

$3,000,000

Scottie Scheffler

-14

-2

$2,500,000

Justin Thomas (left) and Xander Schauffele (right) shot matching 66’s in the final round to finish T2.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JUNE 4-6, 2021

Principal Charity Classic

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

— David Barrett, Tournament Editor

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HOW KEVIN SUTHERLAND WON Location

WAKONDA CLUB, DES MOINES, IOWA

Yardage

6,831; par 72

Tournament Record 197, Gil Morgan, 2006; Jay Haas, 2012

Tournament 18-hole Record 62, Kirk Triplett, 2012; Kevin Sutherland, 2019

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.principalcharityclassic.com

Course Insight

The Wakonda Club was founded in 1922 and has been the site of several major amateur events, including the 1963 U.S. Amateur won by Deane Beman. William B. Langford designed the rolling parkland layout that features tree-lined fairways and several watery penalty areas. It underwent a major restoration following a flood in 1994 and has hosted the Principal Charity Classic since 2013.

Kevin Sutherland stormed back from eight strokes behind with a tournament-record-tying 62 in the final round and birdied the second extra hole to defeat Scott Parel in a playoff. Sutherland birdied eight holes on the back nine—all but the 16th—in shooting a homeward 28 for a 17-under 199 total. He made a 10-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole after Parel missed from 12 feet. (54-yearold Sutherland, holds the PGA TOUR Champions 18-hole record with a 59 in the 2014 DICK’s Sporting Goods Open.) Parel opened with rounds of 63-66 to lead the field by five strokes before a closing 70 that included a costly bogey on the par-5 15th. Jerry Kelly (final-round 66) finished one stroke back.

CHARITY BENEFIT The Principal Charity Classic benefits Tournament Charity Partners Blank Children’s Hospital, MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, United Way of Central Iowa and Variety—the Children’s Charity of Iowa. It also raises funds for other organizations through the Birdies For Charity Program.

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he 2020 and 2021 PGA TOUR Champions seasons have been combined into a single 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 15 tournaments having been played in the calendar year 2020. The Charles Schwab Cup Championship was played in 2020, but not as a season-ending event. The Charles Schwab Cup champion for 2020-21 will be crowned at this year’s finale, punctuating the three-tournament Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. The finishing portion of the season from June through November includes three majors. The Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship (June 24-27) will be held at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. The U.S. Senior Open Championship (July 8-11) is at Omaha Country Club in Nebraska; The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex (July 22-25) will be played at Sunningdale Golf Club in England. Two new tournaments make their debuts. The Ascension Charity Classic at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, originally scheduled for 2020, will be played September 10-12. The Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS, hosted by PGA TOUR Champions player Jim Furyk at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida, will be staged October 8-10. The Playoffs kick off in late October with the top 72 players qualifying for the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Virginia. The top 54 players move on to the TimberTech Championship in Florida. A field of 36 will then vie for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship title at Phoenix Country Club in November.

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Combined seasons usher in new events as well as the much anticipated grand stage of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JUNE 11-13, 2021

American Family Insurance Championship

Yardage

7,083; par 72

Tournament Record 199, Kirk Triplett, 2016

Tournament 18-hole Record

63, Esteban Toledo, Gene Sauers, 2016; Paul Broadhurst, 2017; Tim Petrovic, 2018; Kevin Sutherland, 2019

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.amfamchampionship.com

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Course Insight

Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed University Ridge in 1991 on a ridge overlooking the city of Madison, and the course is home to the University of Wisconsin golf teams. The front nine is wide open, rolling through a preserved prairie and marshland, while the first six holes of the back nine are cut out of a dense woodland before the course opens up again after the tee shot at the par-5 16th, which features three fairways and 16 bunkers. The course hosted the 1998 NCAA Women’s Championship and has been home to the American Family Insurance Championship since its 2016 inception. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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In a tournament in which homegrown players Jerry Kelly and tournament host Steve Stricker reached a three-way playoff (along with South Africa’s Retief Goosen), Kelly birdied the third extra hole to take the victory. “It really is truly awesome,” said Kelly about winning in Madison. “It’s about friends and family and to be able to do it in front of everybody … this is pretty sweet.” Kelly and Goosen both shot 66 in the final round for a 15-under total 201 matched by Stricker, who closed with a 67. Goosen missed a 3-foot birdie putt on the last hole of regulation and Stricker missed one from 8 feet, after Kelly had bogeyed the hole to drop into a tie. Stricker bowed out of the playoff with a bogey on the first extra hole, and Kelly won it with a birdie from 9 feet on No. 15, the third playoff hole, for his fourth Champions victory.

CHARITY BENEFIT The tournament benefits the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison. Other charitable organizations also receive proceeds from the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation.

HOW JERRY KELLY WON Location

FIRESTONE COUNTRY CLUB (SOUTH COURSE), AKRON, OHIO

Yardage

7,400; par 70

Tournament Record 261, Jack Nicklaus, 1990; Kenny Perry, 2013

Tournament 18-hole Record

62, Olin Browne, 2012; Fred Couples, 2013; Retief Goosen, 2019

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.bridgestoneseniorplayers.com

Course Insight

Firestone Country Club was established in 1929, with the South Course designed by Bert Way. Robert Trent Jones Sr. extensively redesigned it prior to the 1960 PGA Championship—the first of three times Firestone held that event. The layout is known for a collection of long and rugged par 4s and for the 667-yard 16th hole, known as “The Monster.” The course has hosted various PGA TOUR events over the years, including a World Golf Championships event in 1999-2001 and 2003-2018 before transitioning to hosting PGA TOUR Champions in 2019.

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Location

UNIVERSITY RIDGE GOLF COURSE, MADISON, WIS.

Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship

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HOW JERRY KELLY WON

JUNE 24-27, 2021

Jerry Kelly made a hole-in-one on the 12th hole of the final round to go ahead by three strokes and held on for a twostroke victory and his first PGA TOUR Champions major title. “Just to have a major out there is huge for me, not even getting that close on the PGA TOUR,” said the 53-year-old. Kelly holed a 5-iron on No. 12, giving him a cushion that allowed him to win despite a double bogey on the 18th. Kelly had consistent rounds of 68-70-70-69 for a 277 total and was one of only two players able to break par for 72 holes at Firestone’s South Course. The other was Scott Parel, who pulled within one stroke of Kelly’s lead with a third-round 67 before shooting 70 in the final round.

CHARITY BENEFIT The Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship raises funds and awareness for charities including Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Akron Children’s Hospital, The First Tee of Greater Akron, Summa Health System, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, United Way of Summit & Medina Counties and the LeBron James Family Foundation.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JULY 2-4, 2021

JULY 8-11, 2021

DICK’S Sporting Goods Open

EN-JOIE GOLF COURSE, ENDICOTT, N.Y.

Yardage

6,994; par 72

Tournament Record 195, Lonnie Nielsen, 2009

Tournament 18-hole Record 59, Kevin Sutherland, 2014

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information www.dsgopen.com

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Course Insight

En-Joie was created by George F. Johnson, owner of EndicottJohnson Shoe Company, and designed by Ernie Smith, opening in 1927. Johnson was a huge lover of golf and wanted his employees to enjoy the game, so be built the course as a recreational outlet for them. Course designer Dr. Michael Hurdzan renovated the layout in 1998-99. The course was the longtime host (1971-2006) of the B.C. Open on the PGA TOUR and has hosted PGA TOUR Champions since 2007. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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Doug Barron became the first player since 2012 to win on PGA TOUR Champions as a Monday qualifier, beating Hallof-Famer Fred Couples by two strokes with a 17-under 199 total. The 50-year-old Barron was playing in only his second Champions event. “I think any win is a surprise, but I’ve been playing so well for the last year,” said Barron, referring to his performance on the minitours and a T5 at The Senior Open Championship in his PGA TOUR Champions debut. Barron was tied for the lead after an opening 65 and moved ahead by two strokes with a 68 in the second round. Couples charged from five strokes behind with a final-round 63 and was tied for the lead when play was suspended by rain. When the action resumed, Barron broke the deadlock with 15-foot birdie putts on Nos. 15 and 17 for a closing 66.

CHARITY BENEFIT The tournament is operated by Broome County Charities, which has donated more than $18 million to charity over the years. The primary recipients are the UHS Foundation and Lourdes Hospital Foundation.

HOW STEVE STRICKER WON

Steve Stricker set a championship record with a 72-hole total of 19-under 261 to win by six strokes at Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame. The victory margin tied a record shared by Gary Player (1987) and Fred Funk (2009). Stricker tied the 18-hole mark with an opening 62, but it was matched by David Toms. Stricker went ahead by two with a 64 in the second round and built a six-stroke margin with a 66 on Saturday. The closest anyone got in the final round was when Jerry Kelly pulled within five strokes through 10 holes. Two holes later, Stricker chipped in for a birdie. “It was a pivotal moment, because anytime you lose some of your lead it gets your attention,” said Stricker, who closed with 69.

Location

OMAHA COUNTRY CLUB, OMAHA, NEB.

Yardage

6,711; par 70

Tournament Record 261, Steve Stricker, 2019

Tournament 18-hole Record

62, Loren Roberts, 2006; Kirk Triplett, Brandt Jobe, 2017; Steve Stricker, David Toms, 2019

Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC

More Information

www.usga.org/ championships/2021/u-s--senioropen.html

Course Insight

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Location

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HOW DOUG BARRON WON

U.S. Senior Open Championship

CHARITY BENEFIT

Omaha Country Club, founded in 1899, moved to its current site in 1927, the course designed by William Langford and Theodore Moreau. Extensively renovated in 1952 by Perry Maxwell, he rebuilt many green complexes and altered several holes. Keith Foster did a renovation in 2005. The layout makes good use of the elevation changes on hilly terrain, featuring tight fairways and challenging Maxwell greens.

The USGA Foundation is focused on several impact areas that are essential to the health and future of the game: enhancing the on-course experience for all players; creating a healthier relationship between the courses and the environment; celebrating traditions; and preparing future leaders.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JULY 22-25, 2021

AUGUST 13-15, 2021

The Senior Open Shaw Charity Classic Championship presented by Rolex

Tournament Record 263, Tom Watson, Carl Mason, 2003

Tournament 18-hole Record 62, Jim Colbert, 2003

Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC

More Information

www.pgatour.com/champions/ tournaments/senior-openchampionship-pres-by-rolex.html

Course Insight

The Old Course at Sunningdale was designed by Willie Park Jr. in 1901 and is consistently rated as one of the best inland courses in England. Course designer Harry Colt, who was a member at Sunningdale, added the New Course in 1923 and did revisions on the Old. The course features up-and-down terrain with strategic bunkering and fairways lined with heather and trees. It hosted the Senior Open in 2009 and 2015 and has also hosted the Women’s British Open four times. 172

Bernhard Langer won a record fourth Senior Open Championship with a final-round 66 to come from three strokes behind. “I never got to hold The Open Championship trophy, but this is the next best thing,” said the 61-year-old after securing his 11th senior major title and 40th career victory on PGA TOUR Champions. Langer shot 4-under 30 on the front nine to move into the lead over 54-hole leader Paul Broadhurst and added birdies on 13 and 14 to go ahead by four strokes. Even with two late bogeys, Langer finished with a 66 and a 72-hole total of 6-under 274 that was good for a two-stroke victory over Broadhurst, who closed with a 71. Retief Goosen and Tim Petrovic tied for third, three strokes behind Langer.

CHARITY BENEFIT The R&A (which runs the championship with the European Tour) supports the development of golf through the Working for Golf program to encourage junior golf, promote the progress of the sport in emerging golfing nations, increase coaching and provide more public golf courses and improved practice facilities.

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HOW WES SHORT JR. WON

Location

CANYON MEADOWS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA

Yardage

7,086; par 70

Tournament Record 191, Rocco Mediate, 2013

Tournament 18-hole Record

61, Fred Couples, 2014; Miguel Ángel Jiménez, 2015; Michael Bradley, 2019

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.shawcharityclassic.com

Course Insight

Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club opened in 1957. Otto Anderson designed the parkland layout, and members gradually changed it through the years, mostly by tree plantings. Since 2000, the club has implemented an extensive renovation program including a golf course rebuild, with all bentgrass greens, and a complete clubhouse remodel.

Wes Short Jr. got a fortunate bounce off a rock on the edge of a penalty area next to the 18th green and made a birdie to win by one stroke. Short’s second shot to the par 5 finished on the green after the deflection, and he two-putted, making the second one from 3 feet, to finish one stroke ahead of Scott McCarron. “It probably looked like 5, 6 feet, and I was glad it went in,” said 55-year-old Short of the putt that clinched his second Champions victory (both in Canada). McCarron, the two-time defending champion, eagled the 18th to tie for the lead, but it came after bogeys on 16 and 17. Short shot a final-round 66 and McCarron a 65, while 36-hole leader Steve Flesch had a 69 to finish third, two strokes behind.

CHARITY BENEFIT The Shaw Charity Classic’s Birdies for Kids program presented by AltaLink supports local charities, which solicit pledges based on the number of birdies in the tournament, supplemented by up to an additional 50 percent from the tournament. The event also supports several charity partners.

IMAGES: TODD KOROL/SHAW CHARITY CLASSIC; GETTY IMAGES

Yardage

6,618; par 70

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Location

SUNNINGDALE GOLF CLUB (OLD COURSE), BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND

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HOW BERNHARD LANGER WON

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

AUGUST 20-22, 2021

AUGUST 27-29, 2021

Boeing Classic

The Ally Challenge

Yardage

7,217; par 72

Tournament Record 197, Jerry Kelly, 2017

Tournament 18-hole Record

60, Kevin Sutherland, 2018

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.boeingclassic.com

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

Course Insight

The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, established in 1999, is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in the state of Washington. The course has dramatic elevation changes, with dense stands of towering firs framing wide fairways, picturesque water features and panoramic mountain views. The result is strategic diversity with a breathtaking backdrop. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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Brandt Jobe opened with five consecutive birdies and went on to shoot a final-round 63 to come from seven strokes behind and secure his second PGA TOUR Champions victory. Seattle native Fred Couples had a five-stroke lead after starting 65-63, but couldn’t hold on as he struggled to a 76 on Sunday and finished T3. “I kind of thought we were going to be playing for second,” said Jobe. “I birdied the first five holes and thought, ‘Well, at least that’s making a little noise.’” Jobe bogeyed the sixth, but birdied the eighth and ninth to shoot 30 on the front nine. He gained a tie for the lead when Couples bogeyed the ninth; Jobe went ahead by two strokes when he birdied 14 while Couples was making a bogey on 13. Jobe went on to birdie 17 and 18 for an 18-under 198 total to finish three strokes ahead of Tom Pernice Jr., who shot a finalround 65.

CHARITY BENEFIT The primary beneficiary of the Boeing Classic is the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, an international leader in autoimmune disease research.

HOW JIM FURYK WON Location

WARWICK HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, GRAND BLANC, MICH.

Yardage

7,085; par 72

Tournament Record 200, Jerry Kelly, 2019

Tournament 18-hole Record 63, Scott McCarron, 2018

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.theallychallenge.com

Course Insight

Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club opened in 1957, designed by James Gilmore Harrison on former farmland, with Joe Lee doing a redesign in 1967. The course was the site of the PGA TOUR’s Buick Open from 195869 and 1977-2009. Among current PGA TOUR Champions members, Vijay Singh (three) and Kenny Perry (two) were multiple winners in Grand Blanc. More than 100 trees that had overgrown fairways or bunkers were removed at Warwick Hills before the first Ally Challenge in 2018.it underwent an extensive renovation in 2013-14.

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Location

THE CLUB AT SNOQUALMIE RIDGE, SNOQUALMIE, WASH.

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HOW BRANDT JOBE WON

Jim Furyk won in his PGA TOUR Champions debut with a finalround 68 on a course where he had success in his PGA TOUR career. “I had a lot to draw upon and a lot of good shots that I’ve hit around this golf course. It’s just a place that makes me feel really comfortable,” said Furyk, who had a 2003 victory and two runner-up finishes at Warwick Hills. After a scrambling first-round 68, Furyk settled in and didn’t have a bogey in his 66-68 weekend. He trailed Brett Quigley by one stroke entering the final round, and it remained close on Sunday. Furyk first tied for the lead at the 10th hole and was still deadlocked when both birdied the 15th. Quigley bogeyed the last two holes for a 71 to finish two behind, tying for second with Retief Goosen (66).

CHARITY BENEFIT Net proceeds benefit non-profit organizations in the Flint area that provide individuals and the community with increased access to vital services, education and resources. The tournament raised more than $800,000 in 2020, with United Way of Genesee County the primary beneficiary.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

SEPTEMBER 10-12, 2021

Ascension Charity Classic

SEPTEMBER 17-19, 2021

Sanford International

NEW EVENT

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.ascensioncharityclassic.com

Course Insight

Norwood Hills was founded as North Hills Country Club in 1922, with 36 holes designed by Boston architect Wayne Stiles. The Ascension Charity Classic will be contested on the West Course, which hosted the 1948 PGA Championship, 2001 USGA Senior Amateur and 2018 USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur. The course has rolling, undulating fairways and strategic contoured greens requiring accurate driving and deft iron play.

CHARITY BENEFIT The Ascension Charity Classic began its countdown to the 2021 inaugural tournament by giving $75,000 to each of the event’s three primary beneficiaries: Marygrove, a residential facility for children and teens; Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis; and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. 174

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Location

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. MINNEHAHA COUNTRY CLUB

Yardage

6,729; par 70

Tournament Record 196, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, 2020

Tournament 18-hole Record

62, Scott Parel, 2020; Darren Clarke, 2020

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.sanfordinternational.com

Course Insight

Minnehaha Country Club was founded at an existing ninehole course in 1905, with the current course at a new site dating to 1922, designed by the team of William Langford and Theodore Moreau. The course has been frequently updated, including redesigns by Dick Nugent in 1976 and Robert Lohmann in 2014. The course borders the Big Sioux River on rolling terrain with tree-lined fairways.

Miguel Ángel Jiménez shared the first- and second-round leads after scores of 65-66, and ended up winning by one stroke with a closing 65. The 56-year-old Spaniard eagled the 12th hole for the second time in three days to take a two-stroke lead. “That hole is beautiful. Five-under par in three days,” Jiménez said. Still, he couldn’t shake the field as Steve Flesch eagled the 16th to gain a tie. Jiménez then birdied the 16th to go back ahead to stay, finishing with two pars in a bogey-free final round. Flesch claimed second place, one stroke behind, with a final-round 63. Steve Stricker, who shared the 36-hole lead, bogeyed the 17th and shot 67 on Sunday to tie for third with Bernhard Langer (65).

CHARITY BENEFIT In 2020, the Sanford International raised more than $270,000 for local charities and organizations, including Sanford Children’s Hospital. That was nearly double the amount raised in the first two years of the event, 2018 and 2019, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

Yardage

6,900; par 71

HOW MIGUEL ÁNGEL JIMÉNEZ WON

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Location

NORWOOD HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, ST. LOUIS, MO.

PGA TOUR Champions returns to St. Louis for the first time since 2001. The event was scheduled to debut in 2020, but it was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re thrilled to bring the Ascension Charity Classic to St. Louis, and particularly to North County at Norwood Hills,” said Miller Brady, PGA TOUR Champions President. “The St. Louis area is one of the great sports regions in the United States, known for its passionate, dedicated fans and history of charitable giving and community engagement. This combination of great sports fans, community engagement and charitable giving is what the PGA TOUR is all about, and this will quickly become one of our premier events.” Nick Ragone, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Ascension, said, “We wanted to host the Ascension Charity Classic at Norwood Hills because we know that it can serve as a catalyst to support the revitalization of North St. Louis County, including the Ferguson, Florissant and Jennings communities that neighbor the Norwood Hills Country Club. All proceeds will go to charitable organizations in the North County area that are working to build a better community.”

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2021

OCTOBER 8-10, 2021

PURE Insurance Championship

Location

PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS AND POPPY HILLS GOLF COURSE, PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF.

Yardage

Pebble Beach: 6,864; par 72 Poppy Hills: 6,898; par 71

Tournament Record

198, Bernhard Langer, 2017

Tournament 18-hole Record

63, Craig Stadler, 2004; Bernhard Langer, 2013; Scott McCarron, Kenny Perry, 2018

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

pureinsurancechampionship.com

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

Course Insight

Pebble Beach Golf Links has been the site of major championships and annually hosts a regular PGA TOUR event in addition to being the host site of the PURE Insurance Championship. The course was designed by California Amateur champion Jack Neville in 1919; with changes through the years, it remains true to the original concept. Poppy Hills, formerly in the rotation of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, is a tree-lined Robert Trent Jones Jr. design (1986); it underwent an extensive renovation in 2013-14. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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HOW JIM FURYK WON

Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS

NEW EVENT PRESENTED BY

Jim Furyk, who beat Jerry Kelly on the first hole of a playoff, joined Bruce Fleisher as the only players to win their first two starts on PGA TOUR Champions (Phil Mickelson would join that group later in the season). “It means a lot. It’s why you work so hard,” said Furyk, whose last of 17 PGA TOUR victories came in 2015. Furyk led after a firstround 64, then fell two strokes behind with a 73 in the second round. He opened the final round by going 5-under on the first six holes with three birdies and an eagle. Furyk parred the last 12 holes for a 67 and was tied at 12-under 204 by Kelly, who shot 65. Ernie Els missed a 3-foot par putt on the 18th and missed the playoff. Furyk set up his triumph with a wedge to 3 feet for a birdie on Pebble Beach’s famed 18th hole.

Timuquana Country Club’s course, set alongside the St. Johns River, opened in 1923 and was designed by Donald Ross. Several architects made changes through the decades, including Robert Trent Jones Sr. and David Gordon, each of whom added a pond. Bobby Weed did a restoration in 1996, eliminating many trees that had been planted and grown over the years. David Duval, a 13-time winner on the PGA TOUR, grew up playing Timuquana, where his father, Bob, was the club professional.

CHARITY BENEFIT

Monterey Peninsula Foundation, which also hosts the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, stages the PURE Insurance Championship to benefit The First Tee. A special aspect of the tournament is that First Tee participants from around the country are selected to partner with professionals.

Projects supported by the Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation include, among others, Operation Shower for military families; Blessings in a Backpack for children’s meals; Wolfson Children’s Hospital; Community PedsCare; the Monique Burr Foundation for child safety.

Location

TIMUQUANA COUNTRY CLUB, JACKSONVILLE, FLA.

Yardage

6,949; par 72

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

constellationfurykandfriends.com

Course Insight

PGA TOUR Champions player Jim Furyk is hosting this new event, which will benefit the Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation. “We are excited to partner with Jim, Tabitha and our friends at Constellation to bring this exciting new tournament to Jacksonville,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady. “The Furyks have been tremendous leaders in this community for so long, and I know Jim will be a great ambassador for this event, like the players before him who have hosted tournaments in order to give back.” Constellation, a Baltimorebased energy company, served as the title sponsor of the SENIOR PLAYERS Championship from 2007 through 2018. “Constellation is thrilled to build off its 20-year partnership with Jim and Tabitha Furyk through our shared value of giving back to the community in a meaningful way,” said Mark Huston, President of Constellation’s National Retail Business. “We look forward to rejoining PGA TOUR Champions with Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS to connect with consumers and promote sustainability through golf.”

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

OCTOBER 15-17, 2021

OCTOBER 22-24, 2021

Yardage

7,237; par 72

Tournament Record

194, Bernhard Langer, 2018

Tournament 18-hole Record 61, Tom Kite, 2003

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.saschampionship.com

Course Insight

The SAS Championship is played at a hybrid of the Highlands and Meadows courses at the 54-hole Prestonwood Country Club. The Meadows Course opened in 1988 and Highlands in 1993, both designed by Tom Jackson. Recent work has been done by Jack Nicklaus protégé Rick Robbins, including renovated green complexes planted with Championship Bermuda grass. 176

Ernie Els made a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to secure a one-stroke victory over Colin Montgomerie. Els began the final round three strokes behind 36-hole leaders Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Woody Austin. “I had 64 in mind. Then the conditions helped out and it became really tough,” said Els. The 50-year-old South African posted a 66 on a day when the scoring average rose by nearly two strokes over the first two days, scoring his second Champions victory in his 10th start. Els bogeyed the third hole, but birdied three straight starting at the sixth and played the last 13 holes in 7-under. He birdied the 17th and 18th for a 12-under 204 total to pass Montgomerie, who made pars at his last two holes and shot a final-round 70. Vijay Singh (70) was third at 206, while Austin (72) was T4 and Clarke (74) was T11.

CHARITY BENEFIT The host charity of the SAS Championship is the YMCA of the Triangle. The tournament annually contributes the singlelargest donation to Y Learning, a tutorial program for students in grades K-8.

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE JUNE – DECEMBER 2021

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Location

PRESTONWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, CARY, N.C.

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HOW ERNIE ELS WON

Dominion Energy Charity Classic

HOW PHIL MICKELSON WON Location

THE COUNTRY CLUB OF VIRGINIA (JAMES RIVER COURSE), RICHMOND, VA.

Yardage

7,025; par 72

Tournament Record

198, Miguel Angel Jimenez, 2019

Tournament 18-hole Record

63, Kevin Sutherland, 2016; Bernhard Langer, Vijay Singh, 2017; Miguel Ángel Jiménez, 2019; Mike Weir, 2020

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information www.deccgolf.com

Course Insight

The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course, one of three courses at the club, was designed in 1928 by renowned architect William Flynn. The front nine is more low lying, and the back nine goes into the hills and has more undulation. Architect Lester George oversaw a restoration in 2003-04, restoring strategic elements of the original design and redoing fairway bunkers. At the same time, new fourth, sixth and 18th holes were built.

Phil Mickelson made it two wins in his first two starts on PGA TOUR Champions, coming from three strokes behind with a final-round 65 to finish three shots ahead of Mike Weir. “I have a lot of fun playing out here because I can play aggressive,” said Mickelson of PGA TOUR Champions. “I can play the way I like to play and see a lot of the guys I haven’t seen in a while.” Weir, another left-handed Champions rookie, led by three after opening 6863. Mickelson took the lead on the front nine of the final round with four birdies on the first seven holes, lost the advantage over the middle holes, then stormed home with four birdies on the last six holes. Three of those were two-putt birdies, on the par-4 15th; par-5 16th; and par-5 18th. Weir fell behind for good with a bogey on the 14th on the way to a closing 71.

CHARITY BENEFIT The tournament’s primary beneficiaries are Virginia Values Veterans and the Raymond Fisher House, which serve military members and their families. Other local charities benefit from Birdies for Charity.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

SAS Championship

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

NOVEMBER 5-7, 2021

TimberTech Championship

THE OLD COURSE AT BROKEN SOUND BOCA RATON, FLA.

Yardage

6,807; par 72

Tournament Record

197, Bernhard Langer, 2019

Tournament 18-hole Record 60, Michael Allen, 2014

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information www.timbertech championship.com

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

Course Insight

Joe Lee designed The Old Course at Broken Sound in 1978. Gene Bates, with help from World Golf Hall of Fame member Johnny Miller, updated the layout in 2004 to make it more playable and yet more challenging with the addition of water areas and strategic bunkering along the undulating fairways. The course winds through oaks and pine trees, giving it a “Piney Woods” North Carolina feel that is popular with members and PGA TOUR Champions players alike. It has been home to the event since 2007. W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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Darren Clarke two-putted for a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to beat Jim Furyk and Bernhard Langer by one stroke and claim his first PGA TOUR Champions victory at age 52. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities the last few years, so it’s great to finally win one,” said Clarke. The Northern Irishman took a share of the 36-hole lead with a secondround 62 despite a one-stroke penalty for picking up his ball in the second fairway mistakenly thinking that lift, clean and place was in effect as it had been for the first round. In the final round, Clarke overcame a double bogey on the ninth hole with birdies on 10 and 11 before the birdie on the last hole gave him a 33 on the back nine and a closing 68. Defending champion Langer bogeyed 15 and 17 before a birdie on 18 gave him a final-round 67, while Furyk shot 68.

CHARITY BENEFIT The tournament’s primary beneficiary is the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation and the event also supports other local charities. Over the last 13 years, more than $1.7 million has been donated.

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Location

Charles Schwab Cup Championship

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HOW DARREN CLARKE WON

NOVEMBER 11-14, 2021

HOW KEVIN SUTHERLAND WON

Location

PHOENIX COUNTRY CLUB PHOENIX, ARIZ.

Yardage

6,853; par 71

Tournament Record 262, Vijay Singh, 2018

Tournament 18-hole Record 60, Jay Haas, 2012

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information www.schwabcup.com

Course Insight

A green oasis inside a desert city, Phoenix Country Club was founded in 1899 and moved to its current location in 1921. It’s a traditional course, all grass with no desert areas, designed by Harry Collis. The course hosted 43 PGA TOUR events, the last in 1986, and the Charles Schwab Cup Championship since 2017. Tom Lehman and John Fought did a redesign in 2002 that focused on redoing the greens while also adding and deepening bunkers.

Kevin Sutherland emerged as the winner after a marathon playoff, making a birdie on the ninth extra hole to beat Paul Broadhurst after a tie at 15-under 198, three ahead of the rest of the field. The playoff was suspended by darkness after six holes on Sunday, with both players making all pars, Broadhurst missing a birdie try from 6 feet on the sixth extra hole. On Monday morning, both birdied the eighth extra hole and Sutherland won with a 4-foot birdie putt on the ninth. The tournament was shortened from its normal 72 holes to 54, as it became a regular event in the 2020-21 season instead of a finale crowning a season-long champion. Sutherland, who won the event in 2017, took a five-stroke lead with rounds of 65-64, but needed to hole a 25-foot birdie on the 18th for a closing 69 and a spot in the playoff against Broadhurst. The Englishman made a Sunday charge with eight birdies and no bogeys for a 63.

CHARITY BENEFIT The Charles Schwab Cup Championship has raised more than $5 million since 2003. JUNE – DECEMBER 2021 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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THE LAST WORD

AN EMOTIONAL WIN Hideki Matsuyama’s Masters’ triumph will have a resounding impact on young players in Japan, as well as internationally By Jeff Babineau

AN EMBOLDENED FUTURE CHAMPION Matsuyama’s introduction on a world stage came at the very same tournament a decade earlier, when he was Masters’ low amateur at 19 years old. His week in Augusta in the spring of 2011 emboldened him, filling him with the confidence that he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the best players in the world. Ten years later, there he was, arms stretched high into the air after 2020 champion Dustin Johnson placed the champion’s green jacket on his strong shoulders. What will be the effect? It’s simply too early to tell. It could be incredible, frankly. Can you imagine if Matsuyama could pull off the double of adding an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo?

GIANT SPARK Matsuyama stepping forth as a major champion ignites a giant spark in a nation that already loves its golf. When Matsuyama was a youth, his heroes were baseball players. Now young Japanese boys 178

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Hideki Matsuyama’s triumph at the 85th Masters is expected to have a huge ripple effect on international golf.

who watched what Matsuyama accomplished at the Masters will wish and work to emulate him. They have a new license to dream. “Up until now, we haven’t had a major champion in Japan, and maybe a lot of golfers or younger golfers, too, thought, well, maybe that’s an impossibility,” Matsuyama said humbly after his victory. “But with me doing it, hopefully that will set an example for them that it is possible and that, if they set their mind to it, they can do it, too.”

JOY AND TEARS It did not take long for Matsuyama to get a grand taste of what the people of his country thought about his victory. Early Monday after the Masters, he was on a commercial flight from Atlanta to Chicago to Japan. He got to view the joy, and the tears, and the pride, first-hand. “It’s a very moving moment for all of us,” said Andy Yamanaka of the Japanese Golf Association. “I think a lot of people cried when he finished.” Now we will wait to see what happens, to see the potential of Matsuyama’s inspiration. Matsuyama told reporters at home that he was tired. He deserved his rest. Ever try to lift up an entire nation? It’s a big job.

IMAGES: ALAMY

he PGA TOUR hands out a beautiful trophy nearly every Sunday, but there are some victories that simply transcend, winning moments that generate more rings in the pond and carry bigger meaning. Only one man’s name was etched into the shiny silver Clubhouse trophy after the 85th Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in April, with Hideki Matsuyama joining a legendary roster of players who have won there. The names represent a stroll through history. Sarazen. Nelson. Snead. Hogan. Palmer. Nicklaus. Player. Ballesteros. Faldo. Woods. Mickelson. And now, Matsuyama. But this would be a triumph that belonged to more than one man. Japan still is celebrating one of its own breaking through to win a major championship on the male side. Two female players had won golf majors, but until Matsuyama prevailed on a brilliant weekend in Augusta, never had a golfer from Japan captured a championship that echoed so loudly around the globe. Matsuyama, 29, is an interesting study. He is a powerful player and a shy, reserved man who has carried the high hopes of Japan on his shoulders for years. He never has been enamored by the spotlight he plays beneath. Lots of golfers can shoot 72, sign a scorecard, and be left alone. Matsuyama lives under great scrutiny from a robust Japanese media, answering questions from as many as two dozen writers who follow and chronicle his every shot. (With COVID-19 restrictions, the media corps was reduced mightily at the Masters 2021; Matsuyama said it relaxed him.)

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