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ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GOLF THE NEW SEASON AHEAD FedExCup Charles Schwab Cup Web.com Tour
OVERVIEWS
2015-16 FedExCup Winner Charles Schwab Cup Winner PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada PGA TOUR China Presidents Cup 2017
CELEBRATING A LIFE
DUSTIN JOHNSON 2015-16 PGA TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tribute to Arnold Palmer
BERNHARD LANGER 2016 CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPION
Thank You.
WESLEY BRYAN 2016 WEB.COM TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
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RORY MCILROY 2015-16 FEDEXCUP CHAMPION
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Meet
Jaya A Georgia girl’s seizures lead to a rare diagnosis Seven-year-old Jaya and her best friend Miss Minnie have a quite story to tell about the journey they’ve taken together at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Jaya was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, and treatment elsewhere was unsuccessful. So when she came to Wolfson Children’s Walter and Michelle Stys Neuroscience Institute, she met a pediatric neurosurgery team that would be by her side with a plan of care. From the first meeting with her neurosurgeon and several MRIs to the eight-hour surgery and her recovery, Jaya had Miss Minnie by her side, too.
Jaya’s brain tumor was removed and came back.
Jaya will continue to be monitored but the likelihood of her tumor returning is small. That means she has lots of tea parties and dress-up time with Miss Minnie ahead. A good friend is always there for you – and so is the pediatric neuroscience team at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
That’s when her family turned to the team at Wolfson Children’s Hospital to get rid of it for good.
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Wolfson Children’s Hospital is ranked as one of the 50 Best Children’s Hospitals in the nation for Neurology & Neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report.
26/10/2016 15:15
Wolfson Children’s Hospital
Jacksonville, Florida
Kids like Jaya deserve cutting-edge care delivered with compassion. Our pediatric neuroscience team understands the medical needs of our patients, 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, neurosurgery, endovascular surgery, radiation oncology, neuroradiology, neuro-oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, thanks to our collaborations with Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville, the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville and UF Health Proton Therapy Institute.
A neurological disorder can be overwhelming for the whole family. We offer you the peace of mind of working as a team to offer specialized care for the most complex neurological medical
With the expertise and technology available at Wolfson Children’s, the pediatric neurosurgery team was able to remove Jada’s entire tumor.
issues including: • Brachial Plexus Conditions • Cerebrovascular Conditions • Epilepsy • Neuro-Oncology (Brain and Skull-Base Tumors)
The latest technologies and treatment options such as proton therapy, help us diagnose and treat kids with the most complex disorders of the brain and spine. Learn more by calling 904.202.NEURO or visit wolfsonchildrens.org/neuro.
• Spasticity • Sleep Disorders • Spine Conditions
As a not-for-profit children’s hospital, we accept all children, regardless of their ability to pay for care. With help from charitable donations, Wolfson Children’s provides world-class care for children like Jaya with the latest technology and treatments. To help, visit wolfsonchildrens/waystogive.
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cOmmISSIONER’S TRIBUTE
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PGA TOUR MOURNS LOSS OF ARNOLD PALMER
e lost a great friend and giant in our sport with the passing of Arnold Palmer. There is no way to adequately express the immense sense of loss that we all felt with this news. He obviously meant so much not only to the PGA TOUR, but also to the entirety of golf by lifting it to newfound visibility and popularity. It is not an exaggeration to say there would be no modern-day PGA TOUR without Arnold Palmer. There would be no PGA TOUR Champions without Arnold Palmer. There would be no Golf Channel without Arnold Palmer. No one has had a greater impact on those who play our great sport or who are touched by it. It has been said many
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times over in so many ways, but beyond his immense talent, Arnold transcended our sport with an extraordinarily appealing personality and genuineness that connected with millions, truly making him a champion of the people. The fact that his popularity never waned more than a quarter century after his last competitive victory speaks volumes to the man, the icon and the legendary figure he was. More than his words, Arnold’s actions spoke to his unequivocal love of golf and belief that no individual can be or should be bigger than the game. Arnold totally gave of himself to support golf and its growth. He has
served as a role model for generations of PGA TOUR members in ways large and small. The game, and all of us involved with it, are so much richer for having had the fortune to have Arnold willingly serve as its global champion and ambassador. Beyond being an invaluable friend of the TOUR who generously gave of his time, opinion and support, Arnold was a wonderful personal friend and was someone who was always there for me with advice, support and guidance. We will all miss him so. ■ Tim Finchem, PGA TOUR Commissioner PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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CONTENTS
Essential Guide
CONTENTS Rory McIlroy
Jordan Speith Wesley Bryan
Hideki Matsuyama
INTRODUCTIONS 9
Commissioner’s Tribute to Arnold Palmer
13 Editor’s Welcome, Bill Fields
FEATURES 19 Tournament Schedules 25 FedExCup Review: Rory’s Story
A spectacular shot led to a special ending at the TOUR Championship for Rory McIlroy
32 Young Players: A Wave of Golfers Is Wasting No Time We take a look at a selection of the new talent that has been making a mark on the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour
43 PGA TOUR Champions: Fresh Format, Familiar Winner
In the first year of the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, a new system posed no problem for Bernhard Langer, who at 59 claimed his third straight season-long title on PGA TOUR Champions
46 True Grit on the Web.com Tour
Determination and perseverance are essential qualities for players wanting a piece of the action on Tour, with some great examples emerging during 2016
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51 Golf at the Rio Olympics: In Full Bloom
Justin Rose won the men’s competition as golf made an exciting return to the Olympic Games after more than a century
57 The International PGA TOURs
The three international PGA TOURs—PGA TOUR China, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada—see the continuing development of professional golf on the international circuit, as well as being a significant opportunity for players climbing the professional ladder
67 PGA TOUR: Reaching Out
PGA TOUR LIVE makes Twitter history as part of an exciting debut year of coverage for golf fans
74-86 Celebrating a Life: Arnold Palmer
A champion in and for the game, 62-time PGA TOUR winner Arnold Palmer lifted golf to new heights with an energizing, everyman’s touch
91 Epic Golf Adventures
Our regular travel section looks at some of the leading clubs and resorts that aim to deliver a memorable golf experience
119 Presidents Cup 2017
After a riveting conclusion to the 2015 Presidents Cup at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, it’s impossible to predict the outcome of the 2017 edition
126 Fit to Win
We caught up with second-year TOUR player Patrick Rodgers, who explains his diet and how it helps his performance w w w.pgatour.com
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contents
Welcome
images: us pga tour; getty images
from the editor
I’m old enough to have covered golf for more than 30 years, and my thumbs don’t navigate a smartphone’s tiny keyboard with quite the speed of my younger colleagues. But with experience comes perspective, and a seasoned point of view can come in handy. Having caught the tail end of Jack Nicklaus’ PGA TOUR career, including his remarkable 1986 Masters victory—has it really been 30 years?—the virtuosity of Nick Faldo and Greg Norman and the whole Tiger Woods era, that’s a lot of memorable golf. In working on this edition of the PGA TOUR Essential Guide—which looks ahead to the first half of the 2016-17 season as well as examining the season that concluded with the TOUR Championship a couple of months ago—I found myself reflecting on the evolution of the TOUR over the last several decades. The death of one of the game’s true icons, Arnold Palmer, on Sept. 25 at age 87, whom we pay tribute in these pages, contributed to reflection on then and now. I first met Davis Love III when he was in college in the early 1980s at the University of North Carolina, and, after a wonderful career, he is in the World Golf Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 along with Henry Longhurst, Meg Mallon, Lorena Ochoa and Ian Woosnam. The distinguished group will be honored in New York City during the 2017 Presidents Cup, which will be held at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. When Love arrived on TOUR in the mid-1980s, he wowed with prodigious drives using a persimmon-headed, steel-shafted club and a wound ball. Dustin Johnson turns heads off the tee today with much different equipment. But when Johnson, the PGA TOUR’s 2015-16 Player of the Year, won his first major championship, the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in June, the essence of excellence remained the same as for Love and previous generations. Under high pressure during the final round, including the uncertainty of an unusual ruling, Johnson stayed calm, cool and collected and persevered. Johnson’s three victories were highlights in the season just past, but the powerful South Carolina native was far from the only headliner. Jason Day went wire-to-wire at THE PLAYERS Championship, providing more evidence of how talented he is. Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson had an epic final-round duel in The Open Championship at Royal Troon, with the Swede shooting 63 to Mickelson’s 65 to win his first major. Justin Rose and Inbee Park won gold medals in golf’s exciting return to the Olympics. Stars also shined in the FedExCup Playoffs, which were being played for the 10th time. Following victories by Patrick Reed at The Barclays, Rory McIlroy at the Deutsche Bank Championship and Dustin Johnson at the BMW Championship, McIlroy saved his best for last at the TOUR Championship. Trailing by three strokes with three holes left, McIlroy holed out for an eagle on No. 16 and then won a playoff over Kevin Chappell and Ryan Moore to claim the FedExCup. Palmer had passed away earlier that day, but it was the kind of golf he would have loved. Bill Fields, Editor Fairfield, Conn.
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ToURNAmeNTS: THe NeW SeASoN 2016-17 129
the New Season highlights A change in an international direction highlights the first part of the 2016-17 PGA TOUR schedule
PGA ToUR eVeNTS 2016 130 135 138
Safeway open Silverado Resort & Spa, Napa, Calif., October 13-16
CimB Classic TPC Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 20-23
World Golf Championships-hSBC Champions Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, China, October 27-30
142
Sanderson farms Championship
146
Shriners hospitals for Children open
148
ohL Classic at mayakoba
150
the rSm Classic
Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Miss., October 27-30
TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev., November 3-6
Mayakoba Resort (El Cameleón Golf Club), Playa del Carmen, November 10-13
Sea Island Resort (Seaside Course, Plantation Course), Sea Island, Ga., November 17-20
2017 152 154
tournament of Champions Kapalua Resort (The Plantation Course), Kapalua, Hawaii, January 5-8
Sony open in hawaii Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii, January 12-15
156
CareerBuilder Challenge
160
farmers insurance open
PGA WEST (Stadium Course, Nicklaus Tournament Course), La Quinta CC, La Quinta, Calif., January 19-22
Torrey Pines Golf Course (South and North), San Diego, Calif., January 26-29 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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CONTENTS
Jason Day
162 165
169 173 176
Rickie Fowler
Adam Scott
Waste Management Phoenix Open TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course), Scottsdale, Ariz., February 2-5
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore), Pebble Beach, Calif., February 9-12
194
Masters Tournament
198
RBC Heritage
183
202
The Honda Classic
World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship
206 THE PLAYERS Championship
Valspar Championship Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Fla., March 9-12
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play
190
Puerto Rico Open
192
Shell Houston Open
Eagle Point Golf Club, Wilmington, N.C., May 4-7
TPC Sawgrass (THE PLAYERS Stadium Course), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., May 11-14
210
AT&T Byron Nelson
212
DEAN & DELUCA Invitational
214
the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide
Golf Club of Houston (Tournament Course), Humble, Tex., March 30-April 2
TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas, Irving, Tex., May 18-21
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Tex., May 25-28
Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio, June 1-4
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS 2016
Coco Beach Golf & Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, March 23-26
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TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La., April 27-30
204 Wells Fargo Championship
Austin Country Club, Austin, Tex., March 22-26
14
Zurich Classic of New Orleans
PGA National Resort & Spa (The Champions Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., February 23-26
Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Fla., March 16-19
186
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, S.C., April 13-16
TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks), San Antonio, Tex., April 20-23
Club de Golf Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico, March 2-5
181
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga., April 6-9
200 Valero Texas Open
Genesis Open Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif., February 16-19
Tony Finau
216
Toshiba Classic
Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif., October 7-9
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CONTENTS
Bernhard Langer
Rocco Mediate
Publisher & CEO Kevin J. Harrington Managing Editor Charles Ford Editor Bill Fields Tournament Editor David Barrett Deputy Editor Samantha Coles
217 SAS Championship
Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, N.C., October 14-16
217 PowerShares QQQ Championship
Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks, Calif., October 28-30
218 Dominion Charity Classic
The Country Club of Virginia (James River Course), Richmond, Va., November 4-6
218 Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Desert Mountain Club (Cochise Course), Scottsdale, Ariz., November 11-13
2017 219 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Hualalai Golf Course, Ka’upulehuKona, Hawaii, January 19-21
219 Allianz Championship
The Old Course at Broken Sound, Boca Raton, Fla., February 10-12
220 Chubb Classic
The TwinEagles Club (Talon), Naples, Fla., February 17-19
220 Tucson Conquistadores Classic
Omni Tucson National Resort, Tucson, Ariz., March 17-19
221 Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic
Fallen Oak, Biloxi, Miss., March 31-April 2
221 Mitsubishi Electric Classic
TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga., April 14-16
223 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf
Big Cedar Lodge (Top of the Rock, Buffalo Ridge Springs Course), Ridgedale, Mo., April 21-23
223 Insperity Invitational
The Woodlands Country Club, The Woodlands, Tex., May 5-7
224 Regions Tradition
Greystone Golf & Country Club (Founders Course), Birmingham, Ala., May 18-21
224 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship Trump National Golf Club, Sterling Va., May 25-28
Sub Editor Annalisa D’Alessio Art Editor Friyan Mehta Editorial Assistant Hanaa Foura Production Director Joanna Harrington Production & Administration Ellie Hicks Adam Linard-Stevens Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide 2016/2017, Part 1 is published by BH Sports under license from PGA TOUR, Inc. Tel: (312) 572 7728 Email: tourgolf@bhsports.net © BH Sports, 2016-17. All rights reserved. All material in the Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide, 2016/2017, Part 1 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: Chris Smith, Senior Director of Corporate Communications; Mark Stevens, Senior Manager of Communications; Kristen Fuller, Director, Licensing & New Ventures; Kathie McCarthy, Specialist, Licensing & New Ventures; Rob Knox, Senior Graphic Designer, PGA TOUR Creative Services N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 - M AY 2 0 1 7
LAST WORD 225 Indelible Mark
Many memories came forth when Arnold Palmer passed away at age 87, including the time a boy saw the iconic golfer play for the first time
PGA TOUR O
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ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GOLF THE NEW SEASON AHEAD FedExCup Charles Schwab Cup Web.com Tour
OVERVIEWS
2015-16 FedExCup Winner Charles Schwab Cup Winner PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada PGA TOUR China Presidents Cup 2017
CELEBRATING A LIFE
DUSTIN JOHNSON 2015-16 PGA TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tribute to Arnold Palmer
BERNHARD LANGER 2016 CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPION
Thank You.
WESLEY BRYAN 2016 WEB.COM TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
RORY MCILROY 2015-16 FEDEXCUP CHAMPION
COVER: Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide 2016/2017, Pt 1
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SCHEDULES 2016/2017
DATE
TOURNAMENT/TELEVISION
GOLF COURSE
LOCATION
OCT 13-16
Safeway Open Golf, LIVE, Radio
Silverado Resort and Spa (North)
Napa, CA
20-23
CIMB Classic Golf
TPC Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
27-30
Sanderson Farms Championship Golf, Radio
Country Club of Jackson
Jackson, MS
27-30
World Golf Championships–HSBC Champions Golf
Sheshan International Golf Club
Shanghai, CHINA
NOV 3-6
Shriners Hospitals for Children Open Golf, Radio
TPC Summerlin
Las Vegas, NV
10-13
OHL Classic at Mayakoba Golf, Radio
El Camaleon Golf Club
Playa del Carmen, MEXICO
17-20
The RSM Classic Golf, Radio
Sea Island Resort (Seaside, Plantation)
Sea Island, GA
JAN 5-8
Tournament of Champions Golf, Radio
Kapalua Resort (Plantation)
Maui, HI
12-15
Sony Open in Hawaii Golf, Radio
Waialae Country Club
Honolulu, HI
19-22
CareerBuilder Challenge Golf, LIVE, Radio
PGA WEST (TPC Stadium, Nicklaus Tournament Course, La Quinta Country Club)
La Quinta, CA
26-29
Farmers Insurance Open Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
Torrey Pines Golf Club (South, North)
San Diego, CA
FEB 2-5
Waste Management Phoenix Open Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course) Scottsdale, AZ
9-12
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
Pebble Beach GL, Spyglass Hill Pebble Beach, CA Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore Course)
16-19
Genesis Open Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
Riviera Country Club
Pacific Palisades, CA
23-26
The Honda Classic Golf, NBC, LIVE, Radio
PGA National (The Champion)
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
MAR 2-5
World Golf Championships–Mexico Championship Golf, NBC, LIVE, Radio
Club de Golf Chapultepec
Mexico City, MEXICO
9-12
Valspar Championship Golf, NBC, LIVE, Radio
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead)
Palm Harbor, FL
16-19
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard Golf, NBC, LIVE, Radio
Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Orlando, FL
22-26
World Golf Championships–Dell Technologies Match Play Golf, NBC, LIVE, Radio
Austin Country Club
Austin TX
23-26
Puerto Rico Open Golf
Coco Beach Golf & Country Club
Rio Grande, PUERTO RICO
MAR 30-APR 2
Shell Houston Open Golf, NBC, LIVE, Radio
Golf Club of Houston (Tournament Course)
Humble, TX
6-9
Masters Tournament ESPN, CBS
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta, GA
13-16
RBC Heritage Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head, SC
20-23
Valero Texas Open Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks)
San Antonio, TX
27-30
Zurich Classic of New Orleans Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
TPC Louisiana
Avondale, LA
MAY 4-7
Wells Fargo Championship Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
Eagle Point Golf Club
Wilmington, NC
11-14
THE PLAYERS Championship Golf, NBC, LIVE, Radio
TPC Sawgrass (THE PLAYERS Stadium Course)
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
18-21
AT&T Byron Nelson Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas
Irving, TX
25-28
DEAN & DELUCA Invitational Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
Colonial Country Club
Fort Worth, TX
JUN 1-4
the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Golf, CBS, LIVE, Radio
Muirfield Village Golf Club
Dublin, OH
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PGA TOUR® 2016-17
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Powerful. Precise. Productive. Too Bad It Can’t Play Golf. Bring Power to Your Performance In business, as in golf, there are few gimmes. The right skills, tools and knowledge make the difference. Konica Minolta is proud to be the Official Multifunction Printer of the PGA TOUR.® Our bizhub® multifunction printers give select tournaments along the PGA TOUR the power to manage their print workflow. We can bring the same seamless integration to your business workflows and, in conjunction with our Managed Print Services, help you reduce costs and streamline print processes. We offer a secure, smart and efficient solution. It’s just another way Konica Minolta gives shape to ideas and helps you improve your business’ game.
Official Sponsor of the PGA TOUR © 2016 KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS U.S.A., INC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. KONICA MINOLTA, the KONICA MINOLTA logo, bizhub and Giving Shape to Ideas are registered trademarks or trademarks of KONICA MINOLTA, INC. All other product and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or organizations.
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SCHEDULES 2016/2017
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS® 2017 DATE
TOURNAMENT/TELEVISION
GOLF COURSE
LOCATION
JAN 19-21
Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Golf
Hualalai Golf Course
Ka’upulehu-Kona, HI
FEB 10-12
Allianz Championship Golf
The Old Course at Broken Sound
Boca Raton, FL
17-19
Chubb Classic Golf
The TwinEagles Club (Talon)
Naples, FL
MAR 17-19
Tucson Conquistadores Classic Golf
Omni Tucson National Resort
Tucson, AZ
MAR 31APR 2
Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic Golf
Fallen Oak Golf Club
Biloxi, MS
14-16
Mitsubishi Electric Classic Golf
TPC Sugarloaf
Duluth, GA
21-23
Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge Golf
Big Cedar Lodge (Top of the Rock, Buffalo Ridge Springs Course)
Ridgedale, MO
MAY 5-7
Insperity Invitational Golf
The Woodlands Country Club
The Woodlands, TX
18-21
Regions Tradition Golf
Greystone Golf & Country Club (Founders)
Birmingham, AL
25-28
KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship Golf, NBC
Trump National Golf Club
Sterling, VA
WEB.COM TOUR 2017 DATE
TOURNAMENT/TELEVISION
GOLF COURSE
LOCATION
JAN 5-11
The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic Golf
Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Club
Great Exuma, THE BAHAMAS
The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic Golf
The Abaco Club
Great Abaco, THE BAHAMAS
Club Colombia Championship by Servientrega
Country Club de Bogota
Bogota, COLOMBIA
13-19
Panama Claro Championship
Club de Golf de Panama
Panama City, PANAMA
MAR 20-26
Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER
Le Triomphe Golf & Country Club
Broussard, LA
APR 17-23
United Leasing & Finance Championship Golf
Victoria National Golf Club
Newburgh, IN
24-30
El Bosque Mexico Championship
El Bosque Country Club
Leon, Guanajuato, MEXICO
MAY 1-7
Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship
Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales)
Punta Cana, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
15-21
BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation Golf
Thornblade Club, Furman University Golf Club, The Preserve at Verdae Golf Club
Greenville, SC
IMAGE: US PGA TOUR IMAGES: US PGA TOUR
19-25 FEB 6-12
KEY
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PGA TOUR LIVE - LIVE
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PGA TOUR Radio - Radio
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COVER STORY
RORY’S STORY A spectacular shot led to a special ending at the TOUR Championship for Rory McIlroy, whose Playoffs victory at East Lake Golf Club earned him the 2015-16 FedExCup title as an exciting season came to dramatic conclusion
Rory McIlroy poses with the TOUR Championship trophy after a victory that brought him the FedExCup title.
By Bill Fields
R
ory McIlroy had come tantalizingly close to winning the FedExCup twice before— he was second in 2012 and third in 2014—and as the 2016 TOUR Championship wound down Sept. 25 at East Lake Golf Club, it looked as if the 28-year-old would experience more of the same. Arriving in Atlanta No. 6 in the FedExCup standings, McIlroy knew he had to win the TOUR Championship to have a chance of claiming the coveted season-long prize with which he had flirted. And he also had to have some help. The top five players in the standings entering the last event (Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, Jason Day and Paul Casey) would control their fate with a TOUR Championship win. Johnson, the points leader, shared the 54hole lead at East Lake with Kevin Chappell, two strokes ahead of McIlroy and Ryan Moore, making McIlroy’s task that much tougher; a solo second-place finish would be enough for Johnson to win the FedExCup if someone outside the top five won the tournament. With time running out in the final round, McIlroy was being outshined by his fellow competitor, Moore, who was in the process of shooting a 64. As McIlroy surveyed his 137-yard approach on East Lake’s par-4 16th hole, he trailed Chappell by three shots and Moore by two. But great players produce great moments when they need them. McIlroy sank his approach for an eagle-2. The game was on. “I knew I needed to do something,” said McIlroy. “Fortunately, I holed a wedge shot and got myself in position to have a chance to win.” (Continues page 26)
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Despite the spectacular shot, McIlroy’s job was a long way from finished. For the first time in the TOUR Championship, the nines at East Lake were reversed, with No. 18 a par 5 instead of a difficult par 3. Moore barely missed an 8-foot birdie putt to end regulation, and he and McIlroy, after matching 64s, were bound for a playoff with Chappell, who also closed strong with a 66, the trio finishing at 12-under-par 268. Chappell was eliminated when he couldn’t equal birdies by McIlroy and Moore on the first extra hole, where McIlroy couldn’t capitalize on a 6-foot eagle opportunity. Johnson, who closed with a 73 and tied for sixth, was an extremely interested spectator at that point, his FedExCup fate dependent on the playoff outcome. “I was up in the locker room watching it,” Johnson said. “Obviously, I was pulling for Ryan, but still if Ryan would have won and I would have won the FedEx, it still wouldn’t have felt right just because I didn’t win the TOUR Championship. I knew I controlled my destiny, and it just didn’t happen today. Everything was just a little bit off.” Moore was relentless in the playoff. “He’s gritty, he’s a competitor,” McIlroy said. “He doesn’t quite have the length some of us do, but he definitely makes up for it in different 26
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areas of his game. I was really impressed with him today.” Moore forced McIlroy to have to make a 7-foot par putt on the third extra hole to stay alive. On the fourth playoff hole, Moore sank a sizable par putt, but McIlroy responded with a 15-foot birdie to finally put him away and achieve an important goal. “I’ve been close a couple of times and haven’t quite been able to get it done,” said McIlroy, who finished with 3,120 FedExCup points, 740 ahead of Johnson. “So to finally knock this one off and sort of check this off the list, it ranks up there. To shoot 66-64 on the weekend to win the TOUR Championship and ultimately win the FedExCup, that ranks up there with some of my best performances on the golf course.” Although Moore, one of only 16 players who have advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs in all 10 seasons of the FedExCup, came up short, his fine effort was rewarded that night when 2016 United States Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III selected the Washington native as his final captain’s pick on a team that would defeat Europe the following week and snap a threematch losing streak in the biennial competition. “Honestly, I was having a blast out there,” Moore said of the final round. “Rory and I had a great time. It was just back and forth all day. (Continues page 28)
Above [l-r]: Patrick Reed won The Barclays and was second in the FedExCup standings when he got to East Lake. Dustin Johnson finished second in the FedExCup race after a final-round 73 resulted in a T6 at the TOUR Championship.
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COVER STORY
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victory of 2015-16 to go along with his U.S. Open title at Oakmont Country Club and World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. With a dominating, 23-under performance at Crooked Stick, Johnson won for the 12th time in his PGA TOUR career and took the lead in the FedExCup. After the season, Johnson was rewarded with PGA TOUR Player of the Year honors for his overall outstanding year. In the finale at East Lake, however, McIlroy became the first player in FedExCup history to win four events in the Playoffs. He joined Johnson, Scott, Jason Day (who had to withdraw from two Playoffs events because of a back injury), Jordan Spieth and Russell Knox in winning multiple times on TOUR in 2015-16. “D.J. didn’t have his best day today,” McIlroy said on Sunday evening at East Lake, “and I needed stuff like that to happen. But after 2012 and 2014, it feels a little bit sweeter that I’ve been able to get it done. A lot of things had to go my way today and, thankfully, they did.”
The final-round pairing of Ryan Moore and Rory McIlroy play the seventh hole at East Lake Golf Club.
images: getty images; Us Pga tOUR
Chappell was playing great too. Coming down the stretch, it was fun. It’s a position I want to be in more often, and I was surprised, actually, how comfortable I was. I wasn’t getting too nervous or jittery out there.” The taut final round at East Lake ended an exciting edition of the FedExCup Playoffs. Reed prevailed at The Barclays, outdueling Rickie Fowler in front of a large and lively final-round gallery at Bethpage State Park’s renowned Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. When Fowler stumbled late on Sunday, Reed beat Sean O’Hair and eventual PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Emiliano Grillo by one stroke. McIlroy opened strong on Labor Day at TPC Boston, making birdies on six of his first 12 holes to shoot 65 and defeat Casey by two strokes at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Jimmy Walker, winner of the PGA Championship, and Scott were third and fourth, respectively, three and four strokes behind. In the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf in Carmel, Ind., Johnson collected his third
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07/10/2016 11:36
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Model: Jolaina Peltier
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Photographer: Brady Pappas
Meg Campbell Golf
Made in NYC For so long women’s golf clothes have been a feminized version of what is available for men, and not a reflection of what is in fashion. We’ve created a line that performs both on the green as well as in the club. We like to refer to our line as country club chic. At Meg Campbell Golf we see no reason to sacrifice style for function. All of our fabrics are made with wicking and UV protection. Let our clothes keep you cool and dry while you play and keep you looking sophisticated and stylish for whatever the day brings. We want to bring a bit of the runway to the fairway, and we invite you to join us. Check us out online and this spring/summer at luxury boutiques and pro shops.
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YOUNG PLAYERS
YOUTH IS SERVED:
A WAVE OF GOLFERS IS WASTING NO TIME These under-30 guys are good, with hot form and strong pedigree. We take a look at a selection of the new talent that has been making a mark on the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour
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By Tim Murphy n June of this year World Golf Hall of Fame member Hale Irwin noted how the young players of today are rapidly becoming the mainstay of the professional game: “There’s still a lot of interest in the professional tour and I think the youth movement, if you want
to call it that, is a big part of the reason,” Irwin said. “The spectators are seeing the great competitive nature of these young guys.” Here are some of the young golfers who are winning tournaments and attracting interest.
ZAC BLAIR Age: 26 Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah Height/Weight: 5-6/155 Best PGA TOUR finish: Third at the 2016 SONY Open in Hawaii On a PGA TOUR increasingly populated by tall, long-hitting athletes who could turn heads at the National Football League’s annual scouting combine, this relatively diminutive former Brigham Young star is an intriguing exception. Blair, whose dad (James) played on the PGA TOUR sporadically, mostly in the mid-1980s, has made his mark more with persistence and driving accuracy than power and par-5 dominance. In
his first two years on TOUR, Blair has had particular success negotiating the twists and turns of Waialea CC, home of the Sony Open in Hawaii. The four-time winner at BYU was T6 there in 2015 and finished at 19-under 261, one shot out of the Fabian Gomez-Brandt Snedeker playoff in 2016. Blair is also known for standing tall after a low moment during the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship, where he was disqualified for using a non-conforming club. In Tweets expressing his regret, Blair displayed humor and resolve. He shared a link to a classic Woody Austin putterbending meme and offered this: #GottaDoBetter.
TONY FINAU Age: 27 Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah Height/Weight: 6-4/200 Best PGA TOUR finish: Won the 2016 Puerto Rico Open Ever since he turned pro at 17 in 2007 to participate in the Ultimate Game, a match-play event in Las Vegas with a $2 million purse, it was evident the long hitter’s path to the PGA TOUR would be an unusual one. There was no elite junior pedigree and no testing his game against the best up-and-comers at college events—just the hard-knocks life of a mini-tour player. Prior to earning full 32
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status for the 2014 Web.com Tour via the Qualifying Tournament, Finau’s biggest break was finishing second on Golf Channel’s “Big Break” five years earlier. A three-shot victory at the Web.com Tour’s Stonebrae Open positioned Finau for a 2014-15 PGA TOUR card. As a rookie—and as the TOUR’s first player of Tongan and American Samoan ancestry—Finau played admirably. He posted five top-10s and finished 43rd in the FedExCup standings. Last season, after missing four of five cuts coming in, Finau won the Puerto Rico Open when he birdied the third playoff hole against Steve Marino. w w w.pgatour.com
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YOUNG PLAYERS
BRANDEN GRACE Age: 28 Birthplace: Pretoria, South Africa Height/Weight: 5-10/171 Best PGA TOUR finish: Won the 2016 RBC Heritage That this winner of seven European Tour titles would be one of the PGA TOUR’s most solid players in 2015-16—his first season as a TOUR member—surprised only those who hadn’t been paying attention. A season earlier, when he earned his card by finishing in the top 125 as a non-member, Grace displayed ample game on big stages under trying conditions. At Chambers Bay, with three holes to play in regulation, he held a share of the U.S. Open lead with eventual champion Jordan Spieth. Weeks later he was solo third at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. The sturdy, globetrotting South African got 2016 off to an impressive start with a victory in January at the European Tour’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. Although the win virtually ensured Grace would be part of that tour’s Race to Dubai conversation, it was dwarfed by his PGA TOUR campaign during which he won the RBC Heritage, posted top-fives and made it to the BMW Championship, finishing 41st in the FedExCup standings.
EMILIANO GRILLO
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
Age: 24 Birthplace: Resistencia, Argentina Height/Weight: 5-9/175 Best PGA TOUR finish: Won the 2015 Frys.com Open in a playoff It’s a little soon to be comparing him with major-winning countrymen Roberto De Vicenzo and Angel Cabrera, but the Argentine and PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year for 2015-16, suggests those conversations might be warranted sooner than later. Two weeks after securing full playing privileges with a victory at the 2015 Web. com Tour Championship, Grillo won the Frys.com Open in a playoff with Kevin Na. It was only Grillo’s eighth TOUR event and first as a member. Over the next 11 months, on his way to the TOUR Championship and an 11th place finish in the FedExCup, Grillo established himself as a player to watch. He was one of 14 golfers to make the cut in all four majors, compiling an aggregate that trailed only Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. At the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he finished a respectable T8. Finally, aided by a T2 at the FedExCup Playoffs-opening The Barclays, Grillo made it to East Lake, just one of two rookies (Si Woo Kim the other) to reach the 30-man finale. w w w.pgatour.com
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WEB.COM TOUR
WESLEY BRYAN Age: 26 Birthplace: Columbia, S.C. Height/Weight: 5-10/175 Best Web.com Tour finish: Won the 2016 Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER, El Bosque Mexico Championship presented by INNOVA and Digital Ally Open Name recognition shouldn’t be a problem for this rookie. Before he became the 21st Web.com Tour golfer to win three events in a season and earn an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR in August 2016, Bryan and brother George had become adept at getting people to notice them. Since 2014 Bryan Brothers Golf has been cranking out entertaining and often commercially successful trick-shot videos, which have been viewed millions of times and attracted thousands of social-media fans. Fortune.com saluted the pair’s marketing prowess with a story headlined: “5 Branding Secrets From the Golf Brothers Dominating Social Media.” Bryan celebrated his late-season promotion by sharing the 36-hole lead at the John Deere Classic (before posting a T8) in his first event as a PGA TOUR member. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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YOUNG PLAYERS
SMYLIE KAUFMAN Age: 24 Birthplace: Birmingham, Ala. Height/Weight: 6-2/175 Best PGA TOUR finish: Won the 2015 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open When you’re a PGA TOUR rookie, there’s nothing wrong with generating attention because you have an unusual name. But as Kaufman—first name Carter, middle name Smylie—can attest, there are better ways. You could, for example, win your second event as a PGA TOUR member. Or you could fire the best third round at the Masters and play in Sunday’s final pairing with the whole world watching. Or you could compete in three of the four FedExCup Playoffs events and win more than $2.5 million for the season. Kaufman, known by the name his family gave him to honor a late relative (Smylie Gebhart) who was an All-American defensive end at Georgia Tech, did all of those things. He won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open thanks to a closing 61. He and Jordan Spieth had the last fourth-round tee time at Augusta National (where both took their lumps). And he was a stroke or two shy of playing in the TOUR Championship. In other words: Smylie made a name for himself.
CHENG TSUNG PAN Age: 25 Birthplace: Taipei, Chinese Taipei Height/Weight: 5-6/145 Best Web.com Tour finish: T2 (playoff loss) at the 2016 LECOM Health Challenge A first-team All-American for the Washington Huskies in 2015 and ranked No. 1 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking two years before that, Pan aspires to play Augusta National Golf Club one day. Given his impressive track record, odds are it won’t be long before he does so in front of large galleries with a green jacket on the line. After winning twice on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada in 2015, Pan needed only one season on the Web.com Tour to earn a spot on the PGA TOUR. He notched six top-10s and finished No. 11 on the Regular Season money list. Pan’s summer was highlighted by a playoff loss at the LECOM Health Challenge and playing for Chinese Taipei in the Rio Summer Olympics (T30).
SI WOO KIM Age: 21 Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea Height/Weight: 5-11/182 Best PGA TOUR finish: Won the 2016 Wyndham Championship The Web.com Tour doesn’t lack for examples of its ability to develop talent, but adding this baby-faced South Korean to its success stories isn’t a bad idea. In 2013, months after he’d become (at 17 years, five months and six days) the youngest graduate of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament, Kim flunked golf’s school of hard knocks. He played in eight TOUR events—six after he turned 18 and became eligible for full membership—and missed seven cuts and withdrew once. Fortunately, Kim is as resilient as he is skilled. After making but four cuts in 19 events on the Web. com Tour in 2014, he came of age the next year: He won an event and earned a second crack at the PGA TOUR by finishing 10th on the Web.com Tour money list. Kim’s 201516 return to the TOUR included a playoff loss at the Barbasol Championship, a victory at the Wyndham Championship and a berth in the TOUR Championship at East Lake. The fast learner was back on the fast track.
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SEAMUS POWER Age: 29 Birthplace: Waterford, Ireland Height/Weight: 6-3/200 Best Web.com Tour finish: Won the 2016 United Leasing & Finance Championship This East Tennessee State honors graduate doesn’t need to use his accounting degree to count the ways 2016 was a breakthrough. First, there was his victory at the United Leasing & Finance Championship, which made him the first player from Ireland to win on the Web.com Tour. Power’s achievement was built on a bogey-free, closing 67, which left him a shot clear of three golfers. Next was joining Padraig Harrington to represent his homeland at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Power didn’t medal, but his T15 in a 60-man field was not insignificant. Finally, there was his earning his PGA TOUR card for 2016-17. Two years removed from the eGolf Tour, Power’s leap to golf’s biggest stage was impressive. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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YOUNG PLAYERS
BROOKS KOEPKA Age: 26 Birthplace: West Palm Beach, Fla. Height/Weight: 6-0/186 Best PGA TOUR finish: Won the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open
OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS Age: 23 Birthplace: Dallas, Texas Height/Weight: 6-1/190 Best Web.com Tour finish: Won the 2016 Air Capital Classic presented by Aetna in a playoff The latest in a long line of accomplished Georgia Tech golfers (including Larry Mize, David Duval, Stewart Cink, Roberto Castro and Matt Kuchar) to earn his place on the PGA TOUR, Schniederjans has a résumé that suggests he’ll do Yellow Jackets proud going forward. The 2014 Mark H. McCormack Medal winner for his run atop the World Amateur Golf Ranking followed up a 2015 that included a T12 at The Open Championship, his last event as an amateur, with a dandy stay on the Web.com Tour in ’16. Schniederjans had seven top-25s on his way to finishing No. 6 on the Regular Season money list. His playoff victory over J.J. Spaun and Collin Morikawa in June clinched his PGA TOUR card for 2016-17.
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The former Florida State AllAmerican, who earned his way onto the PGA TOUR in 2014 after learning the nuances of the pro game in Europe, didn’t win in 2015-16—but there were other types of victories. The most significant was qualifying for Davis Love III’s U.S. Ryder Cup squad despite tearing ligaments in his right ankle after the U.S. Open. After sitting out midsummer events to rest his ankle and falling out of an automatic qualifying spot, Koepka put on one of the gutsiest performances of the season when he played through the injury and gamely finished T4 in the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. The double Ryder Cup points Koepka gained at the year’s last major effectively guaranteed he’d be playing for Team USA at Hazeltine National. Koepka’s grit is rivaled by his consistency. In each of his two seasons as a fully exempt TOUR member, the powerfully built ex-Seminole has won more than $3 million and made cuts at an impressive rate: 20 of 23 as a rookie in 2014-15, 18 of 21 in 2015-16.
JAMIE LOVEMARK Age: 28 Birthplace: Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Height/Weight: 6-4/215 Best PGA TOUR finish: T2 (playoff losses) at the 2009 Frys.com Open and the 2016 Zurich Classic of New Orleans The only thing surprising about this long-hitter’s breakthrough season in 2015-16 was that it did not happen sooner. By the time he was 21, Lovemark had been an AJGA standout, an NCAA individual champion, a Walker Cupper and a two-time All-American. A playoff loss at the 2009 Frys.com Open (just his fourth PGA TOUR event as a pro) and Web.com Tour Player of the Year honors in 2010 buttressed the thinking that the former USC star was on golf’s fast track. But then injuries and stretches of inconsistent play intervened, and Lovemark became a regular commuter between the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour. But 2015-16 was different—and promising. After regaining his card by finishing 12th on the 2015 Web.com Tour’s Regular Season money list, Lovemark registered three consecutive top-10s, beginning with The RSM Classic. Then, in early May, the Jupiter, Fla., resident posted a T2 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he lost to a Brian Stuard birdie on the second playoff hole.
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YOUNG PLAYERS
PATRICK RODGERS Age: 24 Birthplace: Avon, Ind. Height/Weight: 6-2/165 Best PGA TOUR finish: T2 at the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship He may have been one disappointed Hoosier when he missed qualifying for a spot in the 2016 BMW Championship at Crooked Stick by a shot (it’s not often that the PGA TOUR sets up shop in his native Indiana), but this Reggie Miller and Indianapolis Colts fan could take consolation in another solid season on TOUR. Rodgers, who turned professional in 2014 after a spectacular amateur career, had three top-10s in 2015-16. His best finish was a T3 in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. This two-time Walker Cupper and three-time All-American at Stanford (where he set the Cardinal standard for career scoring average and equaled Tiger Woods’ school-best 11 victories) has shown flashes of brilliance since winning the Web.com Tour’s Colombia Championship presented by Claro in February 2015. Within four months of taking that title, Rodgers contended at the PGA TOUR’s Wells Fargo Championship, which was soon followed by his earning Special Temporary Membership for the rest of the season.
HAROLD VARNER III Age: 26 Birthplace: Akron, Ohio Height/Weight: 5-8/170 Best PGA TOUR finish: T5 at the 2015 OHL Classic at Mayakoba As the first African-American to earn his way onto the PGA TOUR via the Web.com Tour, this Charlotte, North Carolina native knew that there would be no flying under the radar as a rookie during 2015-16 PGA TOUR season. If this uniqueness added pressure to this former East Carolina Pirate’s debut year, it didn’t prevent him from recording four top-10s in 28 events, comfortably qualifying him for the FedExCup Playoffs. Varner, whose powerful drives helped him waste little time demonstrating he was ready for the TOUR. At the 2015 OHL Classic at Mayakoba, his fourth PGA TOUR event since earning his card by finishing No. 25 on the Web.com Tour’s Regular Season money list, Varner notched a T5, the first of seven top-25s as a rookie.
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J.J. SPAUN Age: 26 Birthplace: Los Angeles, Calif. Height/Weight: 5-8/165 Best Web.com Tour finish: Won the 2016 News Sentinel Open presented by Pilot He may be a West Coast guy, but after earning his 2016-17 PGA TOUR card in his rookie season on the Web.com Tour, Spaun may just have a soft spot for Kansas. This passionate L.A. Dodgers fan and season-pass holder to Disneyland finished No. 3 on the tour’s money list thanks, in large part, to big finishes in Wichita and Overland Park, Kan. In June this former San Diego State Aztec lost in a playoff at the Air Capital Classic presented by Aetna. In August he burst into contention at the News Sentinel Open presented by Pilot outside Kansas City with a second-round 62. On Sunday, his birthday, Spaun celebrated his first Web.com Tour victory after five finalnine birdies lifted him past Sam Ryder.
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Fresh Format, Familiar Winner
PGA TOUR ChAmPiOns
In the first year of the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, a new system posed no problem for ageless Bernhard Langer, who at 59 claimed his third straight—and fourth overall—season-long title on PGA TOUR Champions By Bill Fields
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ith each season of excellence on PGA TOUR Champions, Bernhard Langer keeps displaying what is possible when a great player has an enduring desire to be the best.
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An enduring chAmpion One of these years, it’s reasonable to conclude, Langer’s performance is going to diminish. One of these years, someone else is going to be better. One of these years, his dominance is going to end, because over the Tour’s 37-year history, 85 percent of victories have been by golfers between 50 and 55. But that year wasn’t 2016, when Langer, who turned 59 years old on August 27, produced one of the most consistent seasons in PGA TOUR Champions history and won the Charles Schwab Cup as the season-long competition concluded with a new Playoff format. w w w.pgatour.com
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pressure At the finish
Above [l-r]: Bernhard Langer holds the new Charles Schwab Cup trophy after winning his fourth season-long competition; Paul Goydos won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Desert Mountain; Colin Montgomerie was Charles Schwab Cup runner-up.
Paul Goydos captured the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship (Nov 13) on the Cochise Course at Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, parlaying a firstround 62 into the biggest win of his PGA TOUR Champions career. Langer was right on his heels, however, playing his last 24 holes in 10 under and closing with a 6-under 64 to edge Colin Montgomerie in the season-long Schwab race with Goydos finishing third.
consistent winner The list of Langer’s accomplishments on PGA TOUR Champions is staggering. He won the Schwab Cup in 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016—no one else in the 16-year history of the competition has won it more than twice. With $3,016,959 in earnings he won the money title for the eighth PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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time in the last nine years and is only the second player (Hale Irwin, 2002) to win more than $3 million in a season on PGA TOUR Champions. By winning four times during 2016—Chubb Classic, Regions Tradition, Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship and Boeing Classic— Langer moved into a tie with Lee Trevino for second-most victories (29) in PGA TOUR Champions history, trailing only Irwin (45). His two 2016 major wins give him seven triumphs as a senior, one behind Jack Nicklaus’ record total of eight. “To win the money list eight times out of nine is just incredible,” Langer said at Desert Mountain. “It’s hard to do. To win four Schwab Cups, to do the things I’ve done out here the last [decade] is pretty amazing. I have to pinch myself sometimes. I came out here hoping to be one of the top-five players, top-10 players. But the way things have gone is pretty incredible.”
OvercOming injury Langer’s 2016 achievements came despite having to modify his putting technique when anchored strokes were banned at the start of the year. (Langer, along with another of PGA TOUR Champions’ five multiple winners this season, Scott McCarron, still used a long putter but moved the handle off his chest.) Langer also was forced to miss the second event of the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, the PowerShares QQQ Championship won by Tom Pernice Jr., because of a knee injury.
Championship, with Langer (2,000 points) leading McCarron (1,800), Montgomerie (1,600), Joe Durant (1,440) and Miguel Angel Jiménez (1,280). The top five controlled their destiny with a win at Desert Mountain, and all three dozen players had a mathematical chance at winning the Charles Schwab Cup. “The goal was to create end-of-year drama and a Playoff-type atmosphere over a threeweek stretch,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Greg McLaughlin, “and we’ve been successful in accomplishing that.” Montgomerie was in second place with one round to play in Scottsdale, two strokes ahead of Langer. Besides winning, the Scot could have captured season honors with a runner-up finish as long as Langer was T3 or worse. Montgomerie could only match par on the final nine of the last day of the season, while Langer closed strong. “I have a great team,” Langer said after winning the $1 million bonus annuity. “I’ve got a good coach in Willi Hofmann, a good caddie [Terry Holt], good family support and my faith. All that, combined with reasonable health, lets me do stuff that not a lot of people can do.”
“Confidence is a great deal in golf. Success breeds confidence; confidence breeds success.” — Bernhard Langer, Charles Schwab Cup winner, 2016
Bernhard Langer’s 64 in the season’s final round typified his clutch play during 2016.
Langer’s cOnfidence When Langer finished the season with a 64 at Desert Mountain, it was his 21st straight round under par. And he hasn’t failed to break par since shooting even-par 71 in the final round of the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in August. Just how consistently good was Langer during 2016? In addition to his four victories, he had four runner-up finishes and 18 top-10s in 21 starts. His worst finish was T13 at the American Family Insurance Championship. “Confidence is a great deal in golf,” Langer said. “Success breeds confidence; confidence breeds success.” Langer paced PGA TOUR Champions during a 23-event Regular Season, which concluded with the SAS Championship. Seventy-two players qualified for the first Playoffs event, the PowerShares QQQ Championship at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., where Pernice won for the first time since 2014. Then 54 players advanced to the Dominion Charity Classic at The Country Club of Virginia, where McCarron defeated Tom Byrum in extra holes.
creating end-Of-seasOn drama There was a points reset for the 36 players who advanced to the Charles Schwab Cup 44
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The serenity that comes from the meeting of land and lake, nature and humanity, in perfect harmony, has settled here. The only thing to distract from the game is the majesty of the life that surrounds you. There is a stillness in the air, awaiting the swing. And all of the world silently roots for you. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Quarry Oaks, Ashland, NE
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True GriT on The
Determination and perseverance are essential qualities for players wanting a piece of the action on Tour, with some great examples emerging during 2016
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esley Bryan was “bored and broke” as he struggled through the early years of a professional career, so, with his brother George, he turned to trick-shot videos to make ends meet before his game came around and he advanced through Web.com Tour Q-School last December. Ryan Brehm wasn’t having much success either in the early stages of his career, so he took a job as men’s head golf coach at his alma mater, Michigan State, in the early part of the decade, to maintain a steady income as his game developed.
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willing to give up the dream of competing at the highest level. Their jobs kept them around the game they loved, and they continued to work at fine-tuning their skills whenever they had the time. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. Bryan and Brehm each advanced through all three stages of Q-School to earn their Web. com Tour cards for the first time, and once they arrived on Tour, they were grateful for the opportunity and didn’t waste it. Bryan, a University of South Carolina alum, won three times (Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER; El Bosque Mexico Championship presented by INNOVA; Digital Ally Open) to earn a direct promotion to the PGA TOUR, and he also emerged as the Regular Season money leader.
Ryan Brehm qualified successfully at Web. com Tour Q-School last December.
Ryan Brehm made the most of an opportunity after returning to competition after coaching in college.
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Web.com Tour
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Brehm hovered near the top 25 on the money list all season, and broke inside just in time with a victory at the Regular Season-ending WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft Heinz, moving to fourth on the final Regular Season money list and thereby earning his first PGA TOUR card for the 2016-17 season.
DREAM FULFILLED Stories of perseverance like those of Brehm and Bryan permeate throughout this year’s Web.com Tour Regular Season graduating class, as the usual mix of up-and-comers and seasoned veterans secured PGA TOUR cards for the 2016-17 season by finishing in The 25. The graduates continued on to the four-event Web.com Tour Finals in the quest to better their Priority Ranking, but the dream was realized on the day of the final round in Portland, where The 25 were presented their PGA TOUR cards in a ceremony on the 18th green. Bryan wasn’t in attendance. He took an off-week after a whirlwind summer that allowed for PGA TOUR starts at the John Deere Classic and Wyndham Championship after his Three-Victory Promotion.
“Stories of perseverance like those of Brehm and Bryan permeate throughout this season’s Web.com Tour Regular Season graduating class, as the usual mix of up-and-comers and seasoned veterans secured PGA TOUR cards …” But for Brehm, whose TOUR card was in doubt entering the final round before he secured the title with a closing 68, the emotion was fresh as he processed the knowledge that a life dream had been fulfilled. “It’s been a wave of emotions,” said Brehm in the aftermath of his victory in Portland. “Everything from thinking 20 years into the future, to trying to zone in to exactly what you’re doing on the course. I’m just thrilled. I’m thrilled to be in this position. What a week. Wow!”
PROMISING GRADUATES Bryan locked up a TOUR card with his second victory of the season in April, but that didn’t make the achievement any less satisfying. After splitting time between mini-tours and trick-shot shoots for a few years, the 26-year-old decided in the summer of 2015 that it was time to devote the majority of his focus to practicing and improving. It paid off at Q-School and throughout a roller coaster of a season that saw him employ no fewer than 10 caddies including his brother George, Callaway Golf social media manager Chad Coleman, and even Tennessee Titans kicker Ryan Succop. “If you had told me nine months ago I was going to be in this position, there’s no chance I was going to believe you,” w w w.pgatour.com
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Bryan said after his playoff victory at the Digital Ally Open. “Wins are hard to come by. Fast forward, here we are now … it’s hard to see how far things have progressed, given I was sitting in my house with no status anywhere, going to Q-School. Now Bryan and Brehm are on their way to the PGA TOUR, as part of a promising graduating class that includes youngsters like Trey Mullinax, Dominic Bozzelli and Ollie Schniederjans, and veterans like Ryan Armour and Brad Fritsch. They won’t take the opportunity for granted.
Wesley Bryan (left, with his brother George) went from trick-shot king to Web.com Tour star in 2016.
Wolfson Children’s Hospital: the new beneficiary With TPC Sawgrass undergoing renovations the Web.com Tour Championship relocated from Dye’s Valley Course up the road 11 miles to Atlantic Beach Country Club for 2016 and 2017. The Web.com Tour Championship also has a new beneficiary in Wolfson Children’s Hospital, as proceeds will benefit the only full-service tertiary hospital in North Florida, which is located in Jacksonville. Wolfson Children’s Hospital, a part of Baptist Health, has been recognized as one of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, and it provides care for all children regardless of their ability to pay.
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RIO OLYMPICS
In Full Bloom
Justin Rose won the men’s competition as golf made an exciting return to the Olympic Games after more than a century
By Gordon Simpson
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hey say sport is only about winning and nobody ever remembers who finishes second, or third, for that matter. Try telling that to Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar, who finished in the slipstream of England’s Justin Rose in Rio de Janeiro as Olympic golf experienced a spectacular reawakening from its 112-year slumber. The Olympic Games stimulates the senses like no other sporting event. Corroborative evidence of its unique appeal was available just moments after a podium rendition of “God Save the Queen” which confirmed Rose’s coronation as the first Olympic champion since 1904. (Inbee Park of the Republic of Korea then captured the women’s golf gold ahead of New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and China’s Shanshan Feng.) As the trio awaited the post-tournament media conference, Rose, Stenson and Kucher
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enjoyed a moment of quiet reflection—three gnarled veterans of the pro game, unable to resist the compulsion to caress and stroke the fabled Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals as they might cuddle a newborn infant. “I am just so proud of this medal,” declared Kuchar, whose belligerent Sunday afternoon charge came so close to landing a different color of metal. Rose and Stenson, the two Europeans who had contested an epic battle for Olympic glory playing together in the final group, were no less starry-eyed. This was about honor, not money. It was about placing national pride above personal achievement. It was about telling the world that golf was back where it belonged, with a compelling Olympic tournament and a gifted but modest champion worthy of Baron de Coubertin’s original values.
Olympic men’s golf gold medalist England’s Justin Rose (center) flanked by silver medalist Henrik Stenson of Sweden (left) and Matt Kuchar (right), who won bronze for the United States.
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Yes, it took 112 years for golf to find a new Olympic champion, but it was unquestionably well worth the wait to find a 21st century successor to Canadian George Lyon. In front of a sellout gallery of 12,000 at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course—a glowing testimony to the brilliant work of American designer Gil Hanse—Rose repelled the challenge of the new Open Championship winner Stenson by getting up and down for a sublime birdie at the last. The resolute Swede, who knew he needed to hole a 25-footer of his own to force a play-off, three-putted to collect silver with Kuchar, the best finisher of a potent United States quartet, taking the bronze after a course record-equalling last round of 63. As he accepted the applause of the packed grandstands, which created the look and feel of a major championship, Kuchar was engulfed by his excited U.S. compatriots, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed. Such was the intense bonding effect which the Olympics had on the 60 competitors in the men’s and women’s fields. Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, struggled to articulate his achievement. Eventually he blurted out: “Olympic gold medalist—it sounds absolutely incredible. I am thrilled to have ‘Olympic Champion’ on my résumé. It was just the most magical week.” Certainly, Rose displayed magician-like qualities en route to victory, including a hole-inone on the fourth hole of the opening round. It was a timely stroke which pitched Olympic golf firmly into the global media spotlight and thrust Rose into a challenging position, just four behind leader Marcus Fraser of Australia, who opened with an 8-under-par 63. Fittingly, it was a Brazilian, 44-year-old Adilson da Silva, who had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot. From then on, the event just got better. Belgium’s Thomas Pieters emerged from the pack to challenge Fraser at the halfway stage, a second-round 66 lifting him into second place on 133, one behind Fraser (63-69) and one in front of the improving Stenson (68-66). Rose made a decisive burst with a thirdround 65 for a 12-under-par total of 201. Stenson chiselled out another steady 68 for 202 with Fraser at 204, while Watson (207) and Padraig Harrington (208) made a late bid for a medal. On an afternoon reminiscent of the last day of a major, Rose’s 67 secured the gold medal with a 16-under-par total of 268. Stenson 52
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took silver with a fourth-round 68 for 270 and Kuchar’s 63 brought home the remaining medal on 271 while Pieters deserves an honorable mention for his fourth-place finish. Stenson recognised the quality of the golf and admitted: “When you’re in good position to try and win, you always kind of feel a little disappointed afterwards. But at the same time, we said that all along in the Olympics, you’ve got some pretty good consolation prizes.” Watson perhaps summed it up best by declaring: “This is the Olympics. This is the greatest sporting event that you can ever be associated with. Look at these athletes that are here; this is every sportsman in the world’s dream to be here, and I’m a kid in a candy store. This is a dream of a lifetime.” In decades to come, people will remember who came second and third behind Rose. And for the other competitors they, too, will have cause to remember a week which sets them apart from every golfer in more than a century. They became Olympians. ■
Justin Rose finished at 16 under for a two-stroke victory in Rio, where golf returned to the Games after 112 years.
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06/12/2016 16:37
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THE INTERNATIONAL PGA TOURS
The InTernaTIonal Tours The three international PGA TOURs—PGA TOUR China, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada—see the continuing development of professional golf on the international circuit, as well as being a significant opportunity for players climbing the professional ladder
PGA TOUR China By Laury Livsey China’s Zecheng Dou has been a fixture on PGA TOUR China since its inception in 2014. Heading into the 2016 season, though, the one thing the teenager from Henan hadn’t done—either as an amateur or as a professional—was win. In 2014, at the second event in the circuit’s history, the Buick Open, Dou, then 17, finished second behind winner Sam Chien, serving notice that despite his age, he could play. Dou would continue to perform well, contend but then not walk away with a shiny trophy, not in any of his subsequent starts as an amateur and not in his one PGA TOUR China start after he turned pro in September 2014. The 2015 season brought more of the same. Dou had plenty of success, just not the kind with which golfers measure themselves. Dou recorded numerous top-10s and even a playoff loss at the Nine Dragons Open. But still, no wins. w w w.pgatour.com
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So if a guy who hasn’t even turned 20 can have a bucket list, winning a professional tournament was certainly at the top of Dou’s 2016 goals. In the season-opening event, the Henan Open, Dou appeared that he would finally break through, taking a six-shot lead into the final round. But a Sunday performance seemed to indicate that Dou would again leave a tournament disappointed after he made only one birdie against seven bogeys, including five on the back nine. Yet his final-round, 6-over 78 was enough to get him into a playoff with proven winner and countryman Xinjun Zhang, and on the second extra hole, Dou finally had his elusive victory, knocking out Zhang. That win seemed to put his game into fifth gear. Since then, Dou has dominated all the storylines in the 2016 season. Dou added titles at the United Investment Real Estate Wuhan Open, the Suning Estate (Continues page 59)
Zecheng Dou’s first PGA TOUR China victory was followed by more success in a stellar season.
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IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES /uS PGA TOuR /PGA TOuR ChInA/LIu ZhuAnG
Nanjing Zhongshan Open and the Yulongwan Yunnan Open. His four titles are the most by a player in a season, the most by a player in a career, and he became the first golfer to surpass the ¥1-million mark in a year. He’s the third-ranked player in China and has moved inside the top 200 on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. This season, through 11 tournaments, Dou has clinched the Order of Merit title and will have full status on the 2017 Web.com Tour. He’s earned 1,127,040 (approximately U.S. $185,000), giving him a 471,645 lead over No. 2, American Charlie Saxon. “I learned a lot losing in that playoff,” Dou said of his disappointing 2015 Nine Dragons Open loss. “That helped my career for sure.” While Dou has controlled the headlines for most of the season, he’s hardly been alone in a year when PGA TOUR China competition has never been stronger. Saxon broke through and won in Beijing, at the Ping An Bank Open, in September, and Alex Kang, another American, No. 4 on the Order of Merit, was completely dominant in Chengdu in June when he shattered scoring records with 61-62 in the second and third rounds. Kang’s 29-under total led to a six-stroke triumph at the Cadillac Championship. Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul picked up his second career victory this year, and while he hasn’t won, the resurgence of Hong Kong’s Shun Yat Hak, at one time the No. 1-ranked junior golfer in the world, has been interesting to watch. “I’ve had a couple of quiet seasons,” Hak admitted, after struggles on the Mackenzie TourPGA TOUR Latinoamérica By Kevin Prise Nate Lashley failed to keep his Web.com Tour card despite a few strong weeks in 2016, finishing No. 105 on the money list, but don’t tell the 33-year-old that this represents real adversity. No, the former Arizona Wildcat has experienced hardship much greater than shortcomings on the golf course. Lashley’s parents, Rod and Charlene, and girlfriend Leslie Hofmeister were killed in a plane crash in May 2004 as they were returning home to Nebraska following the NCAA West Regional in Oregon— where they had traveled to watch Nate play. Success in golf has not come easily for Lashley, as he spent a season on the Web.com Tour in 2006 and took 10 years just to get back, but his determination to make it at the game’s highest levels remains. The proof is in how he responded to his failure to keep his Web.com Tour card. After a season in which he made eight cuts in 12 starts with three top-25 finishes, Lashley (Continues page 61) w w w.pgatour.com
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PGA TOUR Canada since turning pro following his freshman season at Georgia Tech. “But coming back to China to play, where I feel at home, has helped with my confidence.” And it’s showed. The 22-year-old had no PGA TOUR China playing status when the season began, and he had to open-qualify his way into tournaments. His top-10 finishes (tie for eighth, tie for second and fourth) in each of his last three summer events just kept propelling him into one tournament after another. Unlike Hak, Saxon arrived totally unfamiliar with Asia. “I really didn’t know what to expect when I came to China having only [PGA TOUR] Latinoamérica experience from the four events I played down there early in the year,” Saxon explained. “I was impressed from the get-go. The thing I like is that no matter what city we play in, we get a pretty good crowd turnout. That helped me when I played in a Web.com Tour event this summer. It settled me to know that what I see on the Web.com Tour is not any bigger than what I experienced in China. I feel like China has prepared me well. So from a career standpoint, playing over here has been really, really good.” Saxon, a former University of Oklahoma golfer, has positioned himself well to return to the U.S. with 2017 Web.com Tour membership due to his win and four other top-10 finishes. For good measure, Saxon also has a runnerup performance, in Argentina, on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. Count on these guys ensuring that November would be an interesting month as another PGA TOUR China season comes to an end. ■
Shun Yat Hak of Hong Kong, a former top-ranked junior, saw his game return to form in 2016 on PGA TOUR China.
American Anthony Paolucci was all smiles after winning the 85 Abierto OSDE del Centro presentado por FiberCorp.
Three straight top-10 finishes moved Corey Conners into strong position on the money list late in the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season.
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decided to pack up for south of the border and spend the fall slate on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. He knew that if he could play well and move up the money list, he could finish high enough to earn a trip to Final Stage of Q-School (the top 10 on the Order of Merit earn a trip directly to Final Stage) – or even better, secure the top spot and fully exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2017. So far, things have gone according to plan. Lashley won back-to-back PGA TOUR Latinoamérica events in September, the San Luis Championship and Copa Diners Club International, and added a T5 finish at the 63 Aberto de Brasil the following week. At of the end of October, Lashley led Los Cinco by a narrow margin over Guillermo Pereira of Chile, putting him in the pole position to earn a full Web.com Tour card for the first time. With several events left on the calendar though, including the season-ending Latinoamérica Tour Championship, Lashley knew he couldn’t relax. “Winning twice in a row and moving up this much is wonderful,” said Lashley following his second title, which came in Quito, Ecuador. “This gives me a really big leg up on Q-School. Hopefully I can play the year out and finish No. 1 and then go play well on the Web.com Tour.” Nunez and the rest of the chasers, including promising Canada-born talent Corey Conners, have no plans on making things easy for Lashley. Conners, a 2014 Kent State University graduate, has found his groove in the fall with finishes of T8-T8-T2 that have moved him to fifth on the money list. The 24-year-old generated buzz in the golf world for his runner-up finish at the 2014 U.S. Amateur, which gained him entry into the 2015 Masters, where he missed the cut despite a second-round 69. Conners struggled in six PGA TOUR starts in 2015, missing six cuts, but has grown into his game as a professional as he’s focused on one Tour for an entire season for the first time in his young career. As an additional feather in the cap, his runner-up finish at the Aberto de Brasil came at the Olympic Golf Course in Rio, where Justin Rose captured Olympic gold by one shot over Henrik Stenson approximately a month prior. Other players to watch in the fall were Anthony Paolucci, Justin Hueber, Tom Whitney and Jorge Fernandez-Valdes. w w w.pgatour.com
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Paolucci, who had a prominent junior career and played collegiately at the University of Southern California, stood 14th in Los Cinco at the end of October, his season so far highlighted by a victory at the 85 Abierto OSDE del Centro presentado por FiberCorp in April. Hueber held Web.com Tour status this season but finished 125th on the money list, and he returned to PGA TOUR Latinoamérica for the fall calendar well-positioned to break into the Top 10 on the Order of Merit, thanks to a victory at the 69 Avianca Colombia Open presentado por BBVA in February. Whitney played collegiately at the Air Force Academy and then spent four years on active duty before turning his attention to professional golf in May 2014. He entered the November portion of the calendar at ninth on the money list, his season highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Roberto De Vicenzo Punta del Este Open Copa NEC in October. Fernandez-Valdes, 24, spent the past three seasons on the Web.com Tour before losing his card with a 107th-place finish on the 2016 Regular Season money list, as he made just five cuts in 20 starts. The Argentina native made a quick move up the money list with a two-stroke win at the Aberto de Brasil, though, and stood No. 24 on Los Cinco as the Tour moved into its November slate. ■
Tom Whitney finished fourth at the Flor de Cana Open presented by The Mortgage Store.
Jorge Fernandez-Valdes of Argentina won the 63 Aberto de Brasil.
Nate Lashley won backto-back events to lead Los Cinco as the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season wound down.
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American Dan McCarthy won four times and topped the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit.
well in the tournaments in his home province and his appearance at the Bayview Place Islands Savings Open in Victoria was no different. “My goal was to play every hole as committed to every shot and see where it gets us,” he said. That’s exactly what he did—and the results were stunning. His worst round for the week was 67, and he threw in two rounds of 64. Needless to say, Cornelson wasn’t outplayed by anyone that week. The biggest challenge Cornelson faced for the week came not from other players, but from within. So even with a significant lead in the final round of the Bayview, Cornelson wanted to stay focused. He finished with a 5-under 66, including a chip-in birdie on the final hole to run away with the tournament at 20-under par. Cornelson was the top Canadian on tour, winning the Dan Halldorson Trophy as the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year award, and finishing fifth on the Order of Merit. The Top 5 players—McCarthy, Mackenzie, Taylor Moore, Aaron Wise and Cornelson—have status on the Web. com Tour for 2017, with McCarthy exempt for the year. Mackenzie Tour graduates continue to make their mark on the PGA TOUR. Tony Finau earned his first PGA TOUR victory at 2016 Puerto Rico Open while the three previous Mackenzie Tour Players of the Year – Mackenzie Hughes (2013), Joel Dahmen (2014) and J.J. Spaun (2015) – have gone on to earn their PGA TOUR cards. It is proof the concept of using the Mackenzie Tour as a springboard to greater things is working. The tour expects to have a 12-tournament schedule in 2017 (while aiming for 14 events), including an event in Quebec. As McCarthy, 31, says, the Tour was intended to teach the next generation of players the ropes as they move toward the PGA TOUR. “I’ve played a lot longer than a many of the young guys out here on this tour, but I’m still learning,” McCarthy says. “And I’ll continue to learn.” ■
Former Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada member Tony Finau won the 2016 Puerto Rico Open on the PGA TOUR.
Adam Cornelson was the top Canadian on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada in 2016 and fifth on the Order of Merit.
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES / US PGA TOUR
Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada By Robert Thompson His fellow tour pros call him “The Machine,” and he used the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada as a springboard to the Web.com Tour. After all, Dan McCarthy hits otherworldly drivers off the deck, and drops putts from places others can only dream about. And the players on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada speak in hushed tones about the incredible season McCarthy had. They are in awe of what he accomplished, particularly since he wasn’t widely known until he started piling up the trophies and four wins, along with a runner-up finish in only 11 events. “I’d never heard of him until this year,” says veteran Brock Mackenzie, who finished second on the Order of Merit. “But when you make every putt you see, I guess it is easy to win.” Practically every player on the Mackenzie Tour had a story this year of McCarthy’s putting, and how he wins—repeatedly. Consider this: McCarthy, an American who has bounced around since turning pro in 2007 and who played something called Golf Swingers Minor League Tour at the start of the year, won four times on a tour with only 12 events (of which McCarthy only played 11). There’s nothing minor-league about that winning percentage. In his first three wins he was a remarkable 65 under par. “He’s the best putter out here,” says Ryan Williams, one of the Tour’s top Canadian players. And the best putter in Canada this year punched his ticket to the Web.com Tour for 2017, receiving fully exempt status for winning the order of merit. But he’s not alone in heading to the Web.com Tour. In a year when fire canceled one event (Fort McMurray) and destroyed the clubhouse of another (Cape Breton Open), while another event (the Niagara Championship at the terrific Cherry Hill Club near Fort Erie, Ont.) was added part way through the season, several players had breakthrough years. Perhaps none more than Adam Cornelson, the Canadian from Langley, British Columbia. He entered the year with no status on the Tour, having to go back to qualifying school after a marginal showing in 2015. “For where we are, to get to the PGA TOUR is really difficult,” says Cornelson. “I looked at myself and thought here I am, 28 years old. Is this really what I want to do?” With that in mind Cornelson went to assist his father’s business, doing landscaping during the rainy season in British Columbia. If ever there is something that helps a person clarify their perspective, it is working in the mud in December in B.C. It didn’t take long for Cornelson to reconsider his future. “I was working in eight-degree weather in December cutting down trees,” Cornelson says. “Suddenly, practicing and working on my game in Arizona didn’t look that bad.” He played solidly at Qualifying School, finishing in a tie for ninth, and guaranteeing his return to the Mackenzie Tour. Cornelson had always played
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Serious Fun. No Data Plan Required. This is Taylor. Competitive by nature, she’ll try anything...mobile gaming to darts. But golf? “That’s different,” she says. “Too hard to play, and just not very fun.” Until today. A friend coaxed her out onto a golf course and gave her a Vector Tee.
Like magic, all her shots went straight. “Wow. I didn’t know golf could be so fun.” The Vector Tee offers the accuracy infrequent golfers like Taylor need to make better shots, avoid embarrassment, and actually enjoy the game.
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The Vector Tee: Driving the golf ball made simple Like many of you , there are times when I hate the game of golf and wonder why I keep on coming back... but I always do. I’ll hit seventeen terrible tee shots just to get that one beautiful shot. You know the feeling: the force up your arms as the club contacts the ball in the sweet spot, a metallic crack like thunder, and finally the beautiful arc as the ball travels straight and true down the fairway. With the Vector Tee, you can have that feeling with every drive. The secret is the built-in ball. I got the idea from playing pool. In pool, when two balls touch, they are called “frozen.” Pool players immediately recognize this shot. No matter where the first ball is hit, we know where the second ball is going — on a straight line drawn between the center of the balls. I wondered if this would work with two golf balls and it did. After a couple years of development and testing, we finally have the Vector Tee. The response has been overwhelming positive. Average golfers have thanked me for making golf fun. Even pros have told me, “It’s a blast to use, and I can bring my significant other on the course and just enjoy a day together doing something I love.” No, it’s not legal for tournament play, but for many of us, that doesn’t matter. Finally, we can get on the golf course and have some serious fun.
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The Vector Tee. Serious Fun. Available now at Base2golf.com, Amazon.com and, soon, a store near you. Available in royal blue, hot pink (shown), and smokey grey.
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2016 tournament overview
PGA TOUR LIVE Makes Twitter History as Part of Exciting Debut Year of Coverage for Golf Fans
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audiences engage with our live programming as we explore deeper relationships with these platforms in the future.” The PGA TOUR streamed more than 14 hours of PGA TOUR LIVE coverage on Twitter and Facebook Live during the opening rounds of The Barclays and Deutsche Bank Championship, the first two events of the FedExCup Playoffs. In addition to the global live stream, the TOUR held a fan vote on Twitter to determine which groups PGA TOUR LIVE would follow during certain rounds. The PGA TOUR LIVE stream on Thursday and Friday mornings bolstered the viewing options available during broadcast windows on Golf Channel, CBS and NBC during the FedExCup Playoffs.
John Swantek (right) and analyst Dennis Paulson on the set of PGA TOUR LIVE.
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s the PGA TOUR was celebrating the 10th season of the FedExCup Playoffs, PGA TOUR LIVE celebrated its first full season of coverage by conducting a global live stream test on Twitter and Facebook Live during the opening two rounds of The Barclays. It was the first sporting event to stream live on Twitter, marking an important milestone for both platforms. “PGA TOUR LIVE has been a tremendous success in its first year,” said Luis Goicouria, Senior Vice President, Digital Platforms and Media Strategy. “Taking this new step with Twitter and Facebook Live provided a free preview of premium PGA TOUR LIVE coverage for our fans around the world, while also providing an understanding of how our social
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“We are very pleased with the results of the PGA TOUR LIVE stream on Twitter and Facebook Live,” said Rick Anderson, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President Global Media. “We are especially thrilled by the amount and intensity of positive feedback from our fans on both Twitter and Facebook Live.” In addition, at The Barclays at Bethpage State Park (Black Course), and continuing until the FedExCup champion was determined on Sept. 25 at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta, PGA TOUR LIVE provided nearly 150 hours of Featured Group and Featured Hole coverage as well as studio programming. As the Playoffs were whittled to 100 players for the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, 70 for the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., and the final 30 for the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club, fans had access to PGA TOUR LIVE’s extensive coverage across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android phones and tablets and PGATOURLIVE.com. PGA TOUR LIVE is the PGA TOUR’s firstever, Over-The-Top subscription service that was unveiled on July 30, 2015. Fans can subscribe to PGA TOUR LIVE at PGATOURLIVE.com, or download from the App Store or Google Play. PGA TOUR LIVE is priced at $5.99 per month or $39.99 for the entire year and is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android smartphones and tablets or any computer via PGATOURLIVE.com. In addition to its exclusive live coverage of the TOUR’s biggest stars at more than 30 tournaments, including the entire FedExCup Playoffs, PGA TOUR LIVE features integrated statistics, round replays, simulcasts of CBS weekend coverage, and access to PGA TOUR video archives. PGA TOUR LIVE was developed in partnership with BAMTech, MLBAM’s technology arm.
distributing PGA TOUR LIVE coverage and will stream from more than 30 TOUR events each year through 2018. “The distribution agreement with Perform is another step toward better serving golf fans in Japan,” Anderson said. “As PGA TOUR LIVE evolves, we will continue to look for innovative ways to market our players, tournaments and the game of golf on a global stage, and further engage with our fans, driving them to the high-drama action captured by our broadcast partners.” “We’re passionate about providing fans with access to the best sports at an affordable price,” said James Rushton, CEO at DAZN. “PGA TOUR golf is a fantastic addition to our product in Japan. Now our subscribers can enjoy watching golf’s superstars compete throughout the year, live and prime time on DAZN.”
PGA TOUR LIVE as it appears on desktop (top) and Apple TV (bottom).
» Visit pgatourlive.com for a full schedule.
PGA TOUR LIVE SIGNS KEY INTERNATIONAL STREAMING DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT IN JAPAN In an equally important milestone, the PGA TOUR signed a key international media distribution agreement in Japan. Perform Group acquired the rights to stream PGA TOUR LIVE coverage on “DAZN,” Perform’s new live sports streaming service which launched in August in the Japanese market. Beginning at The Barclays, DAZN Japan began 68
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Thank Thank Thank You. You. You. arniesarmy.org arniesarmy.org arniesarmy.org
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hedge Old school elegance on or off the course.
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ARNOLD PALMER TRIBUTE
The PeoPle’s Pro A champion in and for the game, 62-time PGA TOUR winner Arnold Palmer lifted golf to new heights with an energizing, everyman’s touch By Ron Sirak
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ny conversation about the greatest golfer of all time would be very spirited with Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods among those championed. But if the topic turned to the most important player of all time, there’d be only one clear, consensus answer: Arnold Palmer. He truly was the once and future king. Arnold’s contributions to professional golf span decades. In 1960, his bold style of play and movie-star good looks elevated the profile of the game through the relatively new media of television. In 1968, he helped form what became the PGA TOUR. And in 1980, he was key to the success of what evolved into PGA TOUR Champions for golfers 50 and older. Palmer and his friend Mark McCormack created modern sports marketing and player management when a handshake deal led to the formation of International Management Group. And Arnold was a central figure in the development of the charitable aspect of the PGA TOUR, a legacy continued by the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. He also started Golf Channel in 1995 as the first single-sport cable network in the United States. But even more important than his contributions to the professional game were his contributions to the game itself. If Walter Hagen was the guy who got pros into the clubhouse at private clubs, it was Palmer, more than any single player, who knocked down the door to those clubhouses and brought golf to the masses. He was the people’s pro. Bobby Jones was admired. Ben Hogan was respected. But Arnold Palmer was loved. And a new breed of golf fan, a new breed of golfer— the common man and woman—adored him. For them, his success in golf made the American Dream seem possible. This may be Arnold’s single most important contribution. In the years after World War II, those who worked for a living found they had something new on their hands: free time, the weekend. They also had a few extra bucks in their pocket and, thanks to the GI Bill, some were able to buy a home in something new called the suburbs. Then along came Arnold. He was one of them, the son of a country club employee, not a country club member. There was nothing textbook about his swing or his attacking style of play. With those Popeye forearms and massive hands, he looked like an athlete. He looked like he worked for a living. And TV brought him into their living rooms. Arnold’s father, Deke, was the superintendent and pro at Latrobe Country
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Club, 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. I was born and raised in New Castle, Pa., 70 miles north and west of Latrobe. My father was one of those Arnold brought to the game. He drove a ladle crane in a steel mill and played fast-pitch softball. Arnold legitimized golf for him. He made it feel like a sport. My dad started playing golf in 1955 at age 35. That was the year Arnold got the first of his 62 PGA TOUR wins at the Canadian Open. I was 5 years old and soon I‘d walk with my dad in the evening—swinging my cut-down 5-iron, the head held to the shaft by a weld spot applied by a guy at Dad’s plant—as he looked for lost balls he could use when he played. By 1960, when Arnold won his second Masters and the U.S. Open, pretty much every steel mill and factory in Western Pennsylvania had a nine-hole golf league. Workers changed out of their dirty clothes and teed it up, the grit of the day’s work still visible beneath their fingernails. In an era before all-sports TV and the Internet, the most-asked question on many Monday mornings was: “How’d Arnold do?” as sports pages were scoured over a cup of coffee. Arnold liked to say: “Home is not where you’re from; it’s who you are.” And he never stopped being that guy from Western Pennsylvania, returning to Latrobe every summer. He also liked to tell young players: “Don’t forget, you didn’t make golf; golf made you. Give back to the game.” And he never wavered in that obligation. With a smile, a thumbs up and an autograph you could actually read, he made everyone who crossed his path feel special. For millions of Americans, Arnold put golf on the same level as football, baseball and basketball. He transformed it from an activity to a sport. And the game grew. He became the single greatest grow-the-game program golf has ever known. There are many reasons Arnold Palmer is The King, but that is probably the most important. Arnold leaves behind a legacy as a champion in the game, but also as a champion for the game. For us Baby Boomers, he was the face of golf—and remained so for the generations who followed. To the very end, he never stopped being the people’s pro.
Arnold Palmer’s athletic style caused many to become interested in golf.
ESSENTIAL PALMER Born: Sept. 10, 1929 Died: Sept. 25, 2016 Major championship victories: 7 (Masters: 1958, ’60, ’62, ’64; U.S. Open: 1960; Open Championship: 1961, ’62) PGA TOUR victories: 62 (fifth all-time) PGA TOUR Champions victories: 10 (five majors) Professional victories: 95 Ryder Cup appearances: 6 (1961, ’63, ’65, ’67, ’71, ’75; U.S. went 6-0; 22-8-2 career individual record); Playing Captain (1963), Captain (1975). World Cup appearances: 6 (1960, ’62, ’63, ’64, ’66, ’67; U.S. went 6-0) Amateur victories: 26 (including 1954 U.S. Amateur) Honors: Congressional Gold Medal (2009); Presidential Medal of Freedom (2004); World Golf Hall of Fame (1974); Bob Jones Award (1971); PGA TOUR Lifetime Achievement Award (1998); Payne Stewart Award (2000); Old Tom Morris Award (1983); PGA Player of the Year (1960, ’62); PGA TOUR Leading Money Winner (1958, ’60, ’62, ’63); Vardon Trophy (1961, ’62, ’64, ’67); Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1960).
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ARNOLD PALMER TRIBUTE
REMEMBERING ARNOLD PALMER A personal recollection by Dave Shedloski
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he phone call came in early March of 2015, and I should have marked the date. But I was too stunned and excited and awed. And stunned. Did I mention stunned? Alastair Johnston, the longtime representative for Arnold Palmer, was on the other end, and he explained to me that golf’s most beloved figure was thinking about writing one more book. “Okay, I can do a cool story on that,” I thought. Then came the offer to help the King with the project. Stuttering ensued. But I collected myself and told him I needed to think about it. (Pause.) Okay.
A mArvelous send-off Thus began a year-long project that culminated 78
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in the Oct. 11 release of A Life Well Played – My Stories. Sadly, Mr. Palmer passed away Sept. 25 in Pittsburgh while awaiting cardiac surgery, but the book is a marvelous send-off, delivering one final blast of the charisma, charm and uncanny insight from an individual who was a transcendent hero to so many in and out of golf. The small 258-page book, published by St. Martin’s Press, features wonderful stories and anecdotes mixed with bits of new insights and his special brand of wisdom. The endeavor took a year—from the time spent researching to final read-through and edits—but the most special segment of time for me was the week I spent in Latrobe, Pa., Arnold’s hometown, probing his memory, listening to reminiscences and enjoying the opportunity to simply spend some largely
Arnold Palmer collected his thoughts and wisdom in a final book published shortly after his death.
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uninterrupted hours just chatting with one of my sporting heroes. He was kind, patient and eager to be helpful, a reflection of the values he exhibited throughout his career. He also showed his mischievous, sardonic side.
Sharing hiS thoughtS Knowing that I live in Columbus, Ohio, and have ties to my boyhood idol Jack Nicklaus (I wrote two books with the Golden Bear, in 2000 and ’05), Arnie would needle me. “You’re Jack’s guy,” he’d say, grinning, indicating that he didn’t mind one bit. That only made his faith in me even more meaningful. One afternoon, as I took a seat at his usual spot in the grillroom at Latrobe Country Club— a large, round table closest to the bar and just outside the door of the men’s locker room— Arnie was nudging his wife Kit while pointing in my direction. “That’s the guy who has been grilling me,” he said, wearing an impish grin. Then the smile dissipated and he turned a serious eye back to Kit. “You know, I don’t know why I’m doing this.” Without missing a beat, she replied, “Because you still have something to say,” she said, reminding him of his desire to share his thoughts on his wonderful life and career in a way that could be both instructive and inspiring. His lips tightened. He nodded his head in agreement.
ongoing role in helping Pebble Beach prepare for the 2019 U.S. Open. He always had an eye on the future, even as he delved into his rich past.
pure “arnold palmer” To say that I am humbled to have been afforded such an opportunity doesn’t begin to express my gratitude to Mr. Palmer and his family and to his team, including Johnston, Doc Giffin, his longtime executive assistant, and Cori Britt, all of whom played a huge role in the final product. But make no mistake, this book is pure “Arnold Palmer,” the King who never sought to be anything more than a great golfer and a good person, just as his father, Deacon, always wanted.
“ … one final blast of the charisma, charm and uncanny insight from an individual who was a transcendent hero to so many in and out of golf.” Family and friends celebrated Arnold Palmer’s life at an Oct. 4 service in his hometown of Latrobe, Pa.
Images: Us Pga TOUR
alwayS a freSh perSpective It was a challenging task for both of us, but the results speak for themselves. And, truly, he did have ruminations to share, which he expressed best at the end of the book when he noted: “Though I have written a number of books in the past, this one was particularly important to me, because, as I delved into the process, I realized just how much I still wanted to say to my friends in golf and to fans of the game in general. Going through the exercise of getting it all down has been personally satisfying. …” It was timely, too, after Mr. Palmer’s passing. Perhaps, given the health-related challenges of the past few years, he sensed that he might not see the book published. Which only makes it more special to his vast army of loyal supporters. Many subjects that he covered are familiar to longtime Palmer fans, but he was able to provide fresh perspective on them, share a lesson or additional information. Sometimes he would struggle to remember a certain episode only to return to it later with a burst of insight. One afternoon in particular remains one of the most special days of my career, one I will never forget. We talked for nearly three hours, largely uninterrupted. It was not so much an interview as just a loose conversation ranging from his mother’s influence on him as a boy to his
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THROUGH THE YEARS
Arnold Palmer received the PGA TOUR Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 for his enduring achievements.
ARNOLD PALMER Through the Years
Our photographic tribute presents a selection of moments in the life of a great sports figure, one of the most memorable and popular players golf has known
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THROUGH THE YEARS Right: Arnold Palmer won 10 times on PGA TOUR Champions and helped boost the popularity of the 50-and-older circuit that started in 1980.
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; US PGA TOUR; ALAMY
Below: Arnold Palmer was longtime host of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, where Tiger Woods enjoyed eight victories including this one in 2008.
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LY T H A M & S T. A N N E S
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“ On the Old Course at St. Andrews: This is the origin of the game, golf in its purest form, and it’s still played that way on a course seemingly untouched by time. Every time I play here, it reminds me that this is still a game.” -ARNOLD PALMER
© www.scottishgolflibrary.com – Iain Lowe
L U X U RY G O L F T R AV E L • S I N C E 19 77 www.adventures-in-golf.com | USA Toll Free: 1-877-424-7320 | From Outside USA: 603-424-7320
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through the years Right: Happy homecoming: Arnold and Winnie Palmer after returning to the U.S. following his 1961 Open Championship victory. Below: Arnold Palmer played on six winning U.S. Ryder Cup teams from 1961 (shown) through 1973, compiling a 22-8-2 record. He captained the Americans to two victories, in 1963, when he was a playing captain, and 1975.
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“The fundamental problem in golf is the difference between what a player feels and what is real...” James Sieckmann, Golf Magazine Top 100, Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor.
Live View Golf Dramatically Accelerates Swing Learning Through Body Awareness
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s a group, golfers are voracious consumers of technical swing information. However, the typical golfer’s handicap remains fairly static with relatively little change from year to year. According to Patrick Parrish, co-founder of Live View Golf and 30 year teaching veteran, the reason the majority of golfers fail to break 100, 90, or 80 has nothing to do with a lack of knowledge. Instead, what most golfers lack is awareness of their own movements. Because much of the golf swing happens behind a player’s back it is almost impossible to know if the objective of making a particular swing is being met.
In order to change a player’s swing, it is imperative to monitor each movement to insure that the intended swing matches the actual swing. James Sieckmann, Golf Magazine top 100 and Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor and author of several golf instruction books, states that “The fundamental problem in golf is the difference between what a player feels and what is real... “ Without an objective reference, most players imagine what the correct swing feels like and attempt to make swing changes based on this imaginary feel without any understanding of what the real feeling is. According to Patrick, this approach is “a little like closing your eyes and trying to drive your car based on what you imagine the road in front of you to look like. Without actual verification, driving with your eyes closed is a guaranteed disaster.”
elite players is the mirror. Because the feedback in a mirror is instantaneous, players can verify the real club position against their internal swing feel and make very fine distinctions as to what the intended swing position really feels like. This “real” feeling is what enables elite players to strike a ball correctly and consistently in actual play.
Live View Golf: The Modern SwingMirror For all the benefit that mirrors provide, however, they are not without their flaws. The biggest issue with using mirrors is that they are bulky and fragile and as a result mirrors are not common on most driving ranges. In order to package the benefits of kinesthetic awareness provided by mirrors into a light and portable solution, Patrick Parrish teamed up with one of his student’s parents to create a solution using live wireless video. The result is the Live View Golf Camera.
Live View Golf provides the benefit of real-time feedback for a player’s swing using a modern live streaming wireless camera. The Live View Golf Camera connects to any iOS or Android device and pairs with a proprietary app, making it possible for a player to see their own swing from any angle while staying in posture. The app also provides additional benefits by transferring swing analysis tools back into the live video feed, thereby creating templates that make learning a new swing as simple as tracing lines and matching body positions. Live View Golf is today’s The Mirror Doesn’t Lie. portable solution to greatly accelerate In order to bridge the gap between feel swing changes by increasing body and real, a key learning tool for many awareness during the swing.
The Live View Golf Camera Advantage 1. Live View Golf places the view directly behind the strike zone so that the player does not loose posture to look back into a mirror. Because the camera can show the swing from any angle, it gives the player complete awareness over their movements while staying in posture. 2. Live Swing Tools allow the player to draw plane lines or stationary posts that can be used in the live feed as precise reference for the intended swing. These swing guides can act as templates making the learning process as simple as following and matching the lines. 3. Because Live View Golf is based on modern video technology, it is easy to record and play back any swing in slow motion or frame-by-frame.
To learn more about Live View Golf, visit www.liveviewgolf.com
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FOR OVER 20 YEARS, THE INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR GOLF ACADEMY HAS BEEN HOME TO THE WORLD’S TOP PERFORMING JUNIOR GOLFERS. At IJGA, we believe in developing the whole person- the athlete, the student, and the young adult. The students here are fascinating young adults whose passions extend well beyong the golf course; they are simply some of the brightest, most committed and consistent athletes in the world. Making our home in Hilton Head, SC since 1995, IJGA students have achieved nearly 100% college placement and earned over $51 million dollars in scholarships. You may know some of our alumni on the professional tours- Richy Werenski, ShanShan Feng, Pablo Larrazabal, Stephanie Meadow- to name a few, but there are countless others that have left IJGA and gone on to have successful careers at Division I colleges, such as Georgia Tech, Princeton, Dartmouth, Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, University of Alabama, and Boston College. As the offi cial Academy of both the Faldo Series and the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, IJGA is an international brand known for helping junior golfers reach their goals of playing at the next level. Find us online at www.ijga.com to learn more about our Full-Time, Post Grad, Camp, and Custom Training Programs.
VISIT WWW.IJGA.COM/LEARNMORE FOR MORE INFO
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HERE IT IS.
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Travel
EPIC GOLF AdvEnturEs
Our regular travel section looks at some of the leading clubs and resorts that deliver a memorable experience
T
he attractions of playing golf in a beautiful location are among the chief motivators for those seeking short-break or luxury vacations. The golf tourism industry worldwide accounts for in excess of $20 billion annually, and the great
benefit for those planning a golf vacation in 2017 is that this popularity means that the top destinations have become intensely competitive, which in turn means increasingly high resort standards and keen, competitive pricing.
MEXICO’s
Magic The Mazatlán coastline features unique buildings.
One of the most popular destinations for golf vacations, Mexico has invested heavily in its resorts and spas, with a particular focus on luxury golf properties.
ChOOSE yOuR SEASON High: December through April
images: istock
Low: May through November For sun seekers, an average 300 days of sun a year is guaranteed, with a temperature range of 75 to 85 degrees. w w w.pgatour.com
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ESTRELLA DEL MAR, MAZATLÁN, PACIFIC COAST On the coastal edge of the Pacific Ocean we find the region of Mazatlán. Like many other destinations in Mexico, there’s always a choice of luxurious beach resorts mixed with fascinating
local culture, together with the rich history of the region. One especially attractive venue for golf on vacation is Estrella Del Mar, where a popular meeting place is the Clubhouse. Here you can dine in style, while just outside there’s a putting green and driving range where you can warm up before setting out on the championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., one of only three courses done by the acclaimed architect in Mexico. Some of the holes have great ocean views, while
No. 18 is a beautiful finishing hole with the ocean just behind the green. The accommodations offered are luxurious, tastefully designed and decorated, with several of the bedrooms and suites offering panoramic ocean views. Getting there (Mazatlán) … Mazatlán International Airport (also known as General Rafael Buelna International Airport) is served by American Airlines (from Dallas, Phoenix and Minneapolis) and by Delta (from Los Angeles). PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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Stay Exquisite Experience a modern sanctuary in natural splendor at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort. Nestled in a captivating setting near one of the world’s most alluring beaches, immersing guests in unsurpassed luxury.
Š2016 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, St. Regis and their logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates.
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort Punta Mita Riviera Nayarit Mexico t. +329 291 5800 stregis.com/puntamita
Stay exquisite at more than 40 St. Regis hotels and resorts worldwide. @stregishotels
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TRAVEL
CHOOSE YOUR SEASON High: December through April Low: May through November For sun seekers, an average 300 days of sun a year is guaranteed, with a temperature range of 75 to 85 degrees. The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort is located on the Riviera Nayarit. The resort is surrounded by pristine water. Guests will be able to stay in private villas and relax by the pool in this 1,500-acre resort.
IMAGES: ST REGIS PUNTA MITA; EL CAMELEON
ST. REGIS PUNTA MITA RESORT Located on the Riviera Nayarit is the 1,500-acre resort and residential community of Punta Mita (meaning “gateway to paradise”). Here you’ll find enclaves of private villas and residences, as well as two Jack Nicklaus signature Golf Courses. The Punta Mita Resort is surrounded by white sands, pristine waters and lush tropical flora, all of which adds to the resort’s luxurious ambiance. Close to the resort and easily accessible are two w w w.pgatour.com
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par-72 championship 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses, named “Pacifico” and “Bahia.” Pacifico features eight ocean-facing holes and a stunning par 3 on a natural island, while No. 13 runs along a quiet lagoon. The course can be played from 5,037 yards up to 7,014 yards with a choice of five sets of tees. The optional par 3 hole “Tale of the Whale” will challenge even the most avid golfers. The tee shot starts from the coastal shoreline and carries from the black tees 194 yards over the Pacific Ocean to an island green.
Getting there … Punta Mita is approximately 26 miles from Puerto Vallarta International Airport. The airport is served by AeroMéxico, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, US Airways and United Airlines. The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort can make arrangements for your ride from the airport to the resort, which takes about 45 minutes. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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THE BEST COMMUNITY TO LIVE IN MEXICO
Yucatan Country was created as the most impressive and exclusive gated community of the Yucatan Peninsula; located in Merida which is currently considered the safest city in Mexico. Distinguished by the f ine architecture of it’s luxurious Clubhouse, which hosts 5 restaurants, as well as tennis, soccer, paddle courts and other f itness academies, pools and breathtaking views of the golf course.
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TRAVEL
YUCATÁN PENINSULA, CARIBBEAN COAST Tracking east to the Caribbean seaboard is the Yucatán Peninsula, once one of the more isolated areas of Mexico but today an area offering some great golf courses as well as the chance to visit some fascinating historic Mayan sites. Cancún is a perennial favorite for those taking the relatively short hop from the U.S. to find sun, sandy beaches and of course, golf.
MAYAKOBA, EL CAMELEÓN GOLF CLUB Mayakoba is an ecologically diverse region of crystal clear lagoons, mangrove forests w w w.pgatour.com
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and white sandy beaches. Situated here is the upscale resort of El Camaleón, part of a community of luxury hotels, and host of the PGA TOUR’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba. The resort has an impressive 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman. The 7,039-yard course bends through three distinct landscapes—tropical jungle, dense mangroves and oceanfront stretches of sand with holes bisected by massive limestone canals, with some challenging hazards along the way. In 2016 the OHL Classic at Mayakoba proudly celebrated it’s 10th anniversary. The tournament also made golf history in 2007 when it
became the first PGA TOUR event to be contested outside of the United States or Canada. The OHL Classic at Mayakoba takes place around mid-November each year (see also, pp.148-49).
A scenic view of one of Mayakoba’s white sandy beaches.
Getting there (Mazatlán) … OHL Classic at Mayakoba offers free transportation from Playa del Carmen and Cancun to the tournament grounds and back.
El CameleÓn’s 18-hole course was designed by Greg Norman. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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Royal Hideaway Playacar is a luxury 5-star hotel (part of Leading Hotels of the World), located on the white sands of an idyllic beach on the Riviera Maya. The hotel, which caters to adults only, has no fewer than six international cuisine restaurants, offering guests an all-inclusive experience. A short distance away is the Hard Rock Golf Club Riviera Maya (previously known as Playacar Golf Club), surrounded by natural fauna and flora. There is a first-class practice area with a driving range, large putting green for chipping and pitching, and greenside bunker areas. 96
The Club’s pride is the 18-hole golf course designed by Robert von Hagge (1994). The par 72 Playa del Carmen course measures more than 7,000 yards, and is regarded as one of the most challenging courses in the Riviera Maya region. For those who are new to the game or want to fine-tune their game, there is also the certified Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf. Getting there (Cancún) … The Golf Club at Playacar is located in the Playacar residential area and is approximately one hour away from the Cancún Hotel Zone. The Cancún Hotel Zone is about 20 minutes from Cancún’s International Airport. Direct flights from the U.S. are available with United, Delta and American Airlines.
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A panoramic view of Royal Hideaway Playacar.
The luxury 5-star hotel is surrounded by natural fauna and flora.
images: royal hideaway playacar
CANCÚN, PLAYA DEL CARMEN COAST, ROYAL HIDEAWAY PLAYACAR
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Advertisement Feature
The Ultimate Golf Experience at Puntacana Resort & Club Corales Golf Club
Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2010, Corales is an exclusive and dramatic 18-hole course with six Caribbean Oceanside holes set along the natural cliffs, bays, ocean coves and the inland lakes and coralina quarries, Corales Golf Course rates among the World’s finest Golf Experiences. The exhilarating challenge culminates playing the Devil’s Elbow, Corales’s last three holes. The Devil’s Elbow features the striking eighteenth hole with a dramatic forced carry over the cliff lined Bay of Corales, an inspired capstone to a memorable and breathtaking golf experience. The Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship was the first Web.com Tour tournament in the Dominican Republic and first played on any of the islands in the Caribbean. The 2017 tournament will be played May 1 – May 7, 2017.
la Cana Golf Club
La Cana Golf Club is a 27 holes golf course consisting of three nines; Tortuga, Hacienda and Arrecife. This golf course features 14 holes with ocean views of the crystal blue Caribbean Sea. Designed by P.B. Dye, this course has become a favorite of golfers from all over the world, and keeping in line with Puntacana Resort & Club’s efforts to be as environmentally
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friendly as possible, La Cana Golf Club was the first course in the Caribbean to use paspalum, a grass seed that can be watered using sea water. Golf Magazine has compared La Cana to Pebble Beach and declared it the “number one course in the Caribbean.” Puntacana Resort & Club is home to the Caribbean’s ultimate beach and golfing experience, with 3 miles of magnificent white sand beaches and 45 holes of championship golf, set on 15,000 acres of land. Accessibility, via our very own Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), privacy, unparalleled personal service, the understated elegance and timeless vision of Oscar de la Renta, which defines the uniquely Dominican experience of staying at Puntacana Resort & Club, makes it a favorite among international leaders and world renowned personalities. Our hotels in Dominican Republic include the AAA Five Diamond Award winning boutique hotel Tortuga Bay, The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, and Four Points by Sheraton at Puntacana Village. Home and Apartment Rentals ara also available at The Estates Experience.
809-959-2222 | golf@puntacana.com For more information, visit www.puntacana.com
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Travel
Tropical treat
No. 11 on the Corales Golf Course, designed by Tom Fazio.
images: puntacana resort & club; corales golf club
Dominican Republic
Choose youR season June is the hottest month in Punta Cana with an average temperature of 82 while the coldest month is January at a balmy 77. The wettest month is September with an average of 5 inches of rain. w w w.pgatour.com
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The Dominican Republic’s world-class golf in a Caribbean setting is hard to argue with. The island has an idyllic year-round tropical climate for golf, along with stunning and varied natural landscapes. There are also outstanding backdrops for the world-class courses that host some of the biggest names and organizations in national and international golf events. Golf vacationers can play in the scenic surroundings of Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, Playa Grande, La Romana, Juan Dolio, Jarabacoa, Santiago, Bonao and Santo Domingo. Here golfers enjoy pristine courses, with expert
advice from caddies steeped in local knowledge. There are six courses on the coast and 20 inland, including one design on a river cliff and another in the mountains.
PunTaCana ResoRT & CLuB With three miles of magnificent white-sand beaches and 45 holes of championship golf, the 15,000-acre Puntacana Resort & Club is home to one of the Caribbean’s great beach and golf experiences, accessible via its own Punta Cana International Airport. The Resort offers understated elegance, privacy and personal
service, making this a favorite among international leaders and celebrities.
CoRaLes GoLF CLuB Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2010, Corales is an exclusive 18-hole course with six Caribbean oceanside holes. Designed along the natural cliffs, bays, ocean coves and inland lakes, Corales Golf Course is a fine experience and exhilarating challenge that culminates with “The Devil’s Elbow,” Corales’s last three holes. The Devil’s Elbow features a striking No. 18, which demands a dramatic forced carry over the cliff-lined Bay of Corales.
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The Corales hosted the Web.com Tour’s first tournament played on any of the Caribbean islands. As part of a three-year agreement, the 2017 tournament will be played May 4-7. Apart from being one of the premier Punta Cana golf courses, the 700-acre Corales residential community has a private enclave of luxurious homes and golf-view estate lots as part of the extensive Puntacana Resort & Club.
LA CANA GOLF CLUB La Cana Golf Club is a 27-hole course consisting of three nines: Tortuga, Hacienda and Arrecife. Fourteen holes have views of the Caribbean Sea, making the P.B. Dye design a favorite of golfers from all over the world. The course keeps in line with Puntacana Resort & Club’s efforts to be as environmentally friendly as possible. La Cana Golf Club was the first course in the Caribbean to use paspalum, a grass that can be maintained using seawater. La Cana Golf Club is open to all homeowners of the Puntacana Resort & Club as well as to all registered guests of Tortuga Bay, The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, Home & Apartment Rentals and The Four Points by Sheraton at Puntacana Village. Getting there … From the U.S. it’s easy to reach the Dominican Republic. Cities including Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and Houston offer direct flights, so you can plan tee times for the day you arrive or depart. No. 9 is among one of the six oceanside holes at Corales Golf Club. No. 5, La Cana Golf Club, viewed from above the Caribbean Sea. 100
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DR TOTHETEEDR TOTHETEE # #GoDomRep GoDominicanRepublic.com
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Teeth of the Dog La Romana
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Coco Beach Golf Club
Wyndham Grand Rio Mar
El Conquistador
Hilton Ponce
Puerto Rico’s Dream Courses Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club Coco Beach Golf Club Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Dorado Beach Resort & Golf Club El Conquistador Resort, A Waldorf Astoria Resort Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar Beach Resort, Golf & Casino Four Points by Sheraton Caguas Real Hotel & Casino Gran Meliá Golf Resort Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort The St. Regis Bahia Beach Wyndham Garden Hotel & Casino at Palmas Del Mar Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa
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Where everything you need meets everything they dream of doing on a tropical island in the Caribbean. Nothing else in the U.S. compares. 1.800.875.4765 MeetPuertoRico.com
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Travel
World-class
Gran Meliá Golf Resort is situated against a backdrop of the El Yunque rainforest.
Here you can play where the pros play. Coco Beach Golf Club is home to the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open. The 36-hole course was designed by Tom Kite and caters to golfers of all abilities with four different tees ranging from 5,300 to 7,587 yards. The layouts feature seashore paspalum grass, white silicasand bunkers and challenging water hazards.
ChOOSE yOuR SEASON Hugely popular in the winter months due to the tropical climate, the high season is December through May. 104
GRAN MELIÁ GOLF RESORT Located at Coco Beach on Puerto Rico’s northeastern coast is the Gran Meliá Golf Resort. Against the backdrop of El Yunque rainforest, the villas
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and pavilions of Gran Meliá rise from an oceanfront landscape of gardens, pathways and pools. Here you can also build your vacation around the Coco Beach championship course. This resort is geared up to ensure you have a relaxing Caribbean vacation in privacy and luxurious surroundings that include contemporary art and magnificent architecture. This first-class Golf Club features two 18-hole courses, Championship and International, and a spectacular 46,000-square foot Clubhouse with meeting facilities, a restaurant and a lounge. Hotel guests receive discounted green
fees, tee times, private lessons and club storage. During the high season (December 2016 through May 2017), guests can experience different options, including twilight games, junior games and group packages for 12 or more players. Golf rates are subject to change and do not include transportation from the hotel to the course. Group reservations may be reserved up to one year in advance, while tee times may be reserved 60 days in advance. Getting there … The resorts are 30 minutes from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.
IMAGES: GrAnd MElIÁ Golf rESort
Puerto rico
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All Season Paradise
AMIDST THE COUNTLESS SHADES OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
the magnificent Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico beckons guests from around the globe. Perched at the edge of El Yunque National Rainforest, Gran Meliá Golf Resort Puerto Rico offers superlative luxury in the splendor of the tropics, with exclusive privileges at the adjacent Coco Beach Golf & Country Club, with two world-class 18-hole international and championship golf courses. Proud host resort of the Puerto Rico Open.
Timeless luxury with an avant-garde flair
Contact 787-657-1040, reservaspr@melia.com or visit granmeliapuertorico.com
B R A Z I L ( 2 0 1 6 ) • C H I N A • I N D O N E S I A • I TA LY • M E X I C O • P U E R TO R I C O • S PA I N • V E N E Z U E L A
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O U R G R E AT E S T C O U R S E S A R E O P E N T O T H E P U B L I C
that's Hospitality
Fallen Oak — Biloxi, Mississippi
Mississippi is a golfer’s paradise. Home to more than 140 pristine and challenging courses, the “Hospitality State” welcomes weekend duffers, seasoned professionals and everyone in between. Away from the links, more good times await. From dawn until deep into the night, you can experience memorable dining, shopping and
Let us help you plan your next shot right here in Mississippi.
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attractions across our state. Rest at one of our many boutique hotels, relax at our world-class spas, or just soak in some of our soul-stirring blues in Mississippi’s temperate climate.
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Play Away! Golf vacations on our home turf are always a popular choice. There are many of the finest courses in the world and plenty of places to play throughout the year.
IMAGES: dAncInG rAbbIt Golf club
MISSISSIPPI Affordable packages and accommodations, along with good year-round golf weather, make the Magnolia State attractive for individuals and groups of all skill levels. You have your pick of more than 140 courses—designed by prominent names such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Jerry Pate, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III and Bob Cupp, to name just a few. The courses are located throughout the state’s five distinct regions: hills, delta, pines, capital/river and coastal. w w w.pgatour.com
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Fallen Oak is a Tom Fazio design exclusive to the Beau Rivage Resort (Coastal), and it is also one of many courses close to a casino. Further north in Choctaw (Pines), the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club features two courses with challenging terrain, the Oaks and the Azaleas. Designed by Fazio and Pate, Dancing Rabbit’s 36 holes are placed among ancient pines and hardwoods, situated adjacent to the Pearl River Casino Resort. Old Waverly Golf Club in Northeast Mississippi (Pines) is nationally renowned and is steeped in tradition, having hosted the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open. It joins Fallen Oak as a bucket-list course for many keen golfers.
Oaks course, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club.
U.S.A.
A sister course to Old Waverly, Mossy Oak (Pines) opened in September 2016. The course is dotted with mature oaks along open fairways and slight elevation changes. Mossy Oak is located across the street from Old Waverly, the latter featuring on-site golf cottages for stay-and-play packages. Getting there … For the delta and hills regions you would arrive at the Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tenn. For the central, pines and capital/river regions, it’s the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in Jackson, Miss., and for the coastal region, the GulfportBiloxi International Airport in Gulfport, Miss.
ChooSe your SeaSon Mississippi experiences a temperate climate yearround, with ideal golf conditions in the fall, spring and early summer. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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In Minnesota, golf brings you to unexpected places. It might be through hidden forests or by golden ponds. The shores of Lake Superior or the banks of the Mississippi. And if the fairway turns into a deer crossing, Well that’s just par for the course.
P L A N YO U R M I N N E S O TA G O L F VAC AT I O N AT E X P L O R E M I N N E S O TA .C O M C A L L 1 –8 8 8 –8 47– 4 8 6 6 F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N
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TRAVEL
MINNESOTA
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The state of Minnesota was highlighted when the United States beat Europe in the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. The state had never hosted the Ryder Cup before, and fans from all over the world were treated to dramatic golf, great weather and warm hospitality as the Americans won the competition on October 2 for the first time since 2008. For many in search of a memorable golf vacation, the 2016 Ryder Cup helped put a focus on what is already a popular activity in Minnesota. The state has more than 500 courses and ranges as well as having some of the highest numbers of golfers per capita in the country. Add to this the affordable green fees, beautiful settings and exceptional course quality, and you get a state that’s tailor made for golf. Minnesota’s wide variety of places to play range from city and suburban courses to rugged north woods terrain and sweeping Mississippi River Valley vistas. Some areas, including the Twin Cities, Brainerd Lakes area and the North Shore and Iron Range in northeast Minnesota, have lots of courses to draw serious and casual golfers alike. Ninety percent of the state’s courses are open to the public, including a handful of Golf Digest’s Top 100 public courses in America. Of those, some 20 resort courses have the added bonus of stay-and-play packages, while virtually every Minnesota course has hotels, resorts or campgrounds nearby.
CHOOSE YOUR SEASON Many are surprised to learn that Minnesota’s golf season can last six months or more, stretching from April to November some years. Summer is the most popular time to play thanks to the long days and warm air, and fall brings the added bonus of changing colors, smaller crowds and pleasant temperatures.
Playing at The Preserve golf course at Grand View Lodge. The Wilderness at Fortune Bay golf course.
Minnesota has over 500 golf courses and ranges.
Getting there … Minnesota has two international airports: Minneapolis−St. Paul International Airport and Rochester International Airport, while to the south of the state is St. Cloud Regional Airport. w w w.pgatour.com
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THREE RESORTS. 10 COURSES. ONE DESTINATION.
Boyne Highlands Resort Arthur Hills • Hole #13
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Bay Harbor Golf Club The Quarry • Hole #6
Boyne Mountain Resort The Monument • Hole #18
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Bay Harbor Golf Club The Links • Hole #7
N ORTHERN MICHIGAN
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TRAVEL
Boyne’s 36-hole resort, Boyne Mountain.
BOYNE, MICHIGAN Boyne Highlands Home to 10 premier courses spanning three properties— Boyne Highlands Resort, Boyne Mountain Resort and Bay Harbor Golf Club—Boyne has long been synonymous with the game in northern Michigan. It all started 50 years ago when founder Everett Kircher hired architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to put Boyne Highlands on the map as more than a ski destination. The Heather Course opened to critical acclaim and, to this day, is still considered one of the state’s best layouts. The Heather has since been joined by three more 18-hole courses at Boyne Highlands, all crucial to its recent ranking as the country’s “No. 1 Golf Resort for Value” by Golf.com. The Arthur Hills course bears all the markings of its namesake designer. Wide,
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bunker-dotted fairways and fascinating green complexes create a deceptively challenging track amid a breathtaking setting. In a state known for being the home of Motown Records, the Donald Ross Memorial course is, in essence, a “greatest hits” compilation. In a single round, players experience holes replicating ones on courses that have hosted three Ryder Cups, eight U.S. Amateurs, 11 PGA Championships and 14 U.S. Opens. The Moor is regarded by many as the most challenging of Boyne’s 10 courses, thanks to its diverse collection of dogleg holes. The par-5 18th is a great finisher in the classic Boyne tradition—with a final testing water hazard to clear.
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CHOOSE YOUR SEASON From May through September high temperatures are in the 70s and 80s—perfect for golf. With an annual average snowfall of 113 inches, the Boyne region is also an extremely popular ski destination.
second resort—36-hole Boyne Mountain. A spectacular mountainside setting greets golfers on The Alpine, annual host of Michigan’s best players for the Tournament of Champions. Sister course, The Monument, borrows from the sketchbooks of architects such as Donald Ross, Alister Mackenzie and Pete Dye while paying homage to the game’s most important influencers. With holes dedicated to key players and contributors, “fun” is the operative word from the opening tee shot high atop Boyne Mountain to the 18th’s signature island green.
IMAGES: BOYNE GOLF
Bay Harbor Twenty minutes west and occupying an awe-inspiring position on the Lake Michigan waterfront is Boyne’s third golf property, 27-hole Bay Harbor Golf Club and the Inn at Bay Harbor, which is a Marriott w w w.pgatour.com
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Autograph Collection hotel. Designed by the aforementioned Hills, Bay Harbor’s courses—The Links, The Quarry and The Preserve—are typically played in pairs to form three unique 18-hole routings. Perched on cliffs atop the lake, The Links is reminiscent of Ireland’s famous seaside courses. Miles of shoreline form a beautiful backdrop, with undulating fairways and slick putting surfaces framed by scrub-covered dunes. The Preserve features stately trees towering over native grasses, wildflowers and wetlands, all within earshot of Lake Michigan. Its par-3 ninth hole emerges from the forest to a coastline setting, leaving a lasting visual impression. Widely heralded as one of the world’s most unlikely locations for golf, The Quarry winds its way through an immense, abandoned shale
quarry. Impressive gorges surrounded by stone cliffs, natural ponds and a gentle waterfall are hallmarks. Finally, just across U.S. 31 is Boyne’s 10th course: Crooked Tree Golf Club. Carved through centuries-old hardwoods on bluffs high above Bay Harbor, Crooked has undergone a recent renovation of Nos. 16-18 to further enhance playability. Boyne’s on-property includes award-winning spas, waterfront dining, sandy beaches, Avalanche Bay—Michigan’s largest indoor water park—and adventure sport venues. These attractions are supported by the historic lakeside resort towns of Charlevoix, Harbor Springs and Petoskey, plus the charm of Mackinac Island. Getting there … Boyne’s three properties are about one hour from Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport
Boyne Mountain Resort, Bay Harbor Golf Club and Boyne Highlands Resort make Michigan a choice destination for golfers. Boyne Highlands is home to 10 premier courses.
(TVC). Served by United, Delta and American, it’s an easy connection from Midwest hubs like Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis. Pellston Regional Airport (PLN) is another option and just 30 minutes away from the resorts, but flight options are more limited. Finally, Michigan’s largest airport, Detroit Metro (DTW), is about a four-hour drive southeast on Interstate 75 and served by flights from around the globe. For those with private planes, there are two more options: Boyne Mountain’s pilot-friendly airport and Harbor Springs Airport, which is only five miles from Boyne Highlands.
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Tee-off surrounded by the natural wonder of the Sedona red rocks on this award-winning, Tom Weiskopf-designed, destination golf course. Enchantment Resort guests have exclusive access to the awe-inspiring, private Seven Canyons Golf Club.
Book your escape today, 866.988.5606, www.enchantmentresort.com, or contact your Personal Travel Advisor.
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Travel No. 4, Seven Canyons Golf Club.
IMAGES: EnchAntMEnt rESort; SEvEn cAnyonS Golf club
EnchantmEnt REsoRt and sEvEn canyons Golf club, aRizona The vermillion-colored rock formation of Sedona, Arizona, is the impressive setting of the upscale Enchantment Resort. One of the key attractions of the many this resort has to offer is the nearby Seven Canyons Golf Club. With its premier amenities and world-class golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf, access to this exclusive members-only club is one of the benefits guests can enjoy when staying at the Enchantment Resort. The highly acclaimed 18-hole championship course is ideal for golfers of all levels. A throwback to some of the great golf courses designed in the early 1900s, Tom Weiskopf created his Arizona w w w.pgatour.com
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masterpiece at Seven Canyons in the middle of Sedona’s dramatic red rocks. The par-70 course measures just short of 7,000 yards from the championship tees—not long by modern standards—and harks back to the renowned courses of yesteryear such as Pine Valley, Shinnecock Hills and San Francisco Golf Club. Weiskopf’s ingenuity was challenged by a parcel of land thought by some to be too small for a truly great championship layout. However, without any working drawings, his design incorporated a “core golf” concept that minimizes buildings adjacent to the course. Seven Canyons puts a premium on exceptional shot-making, with small greens, narrow landing areas, classic-style bunkering, natural water features and constant changes in elevation.
Both properties, Enchantment Resort and Seven Canyons Golf Club, are situated within the secluded Boyne Canyon, at an elevation of 4,600 feet, comprising 200 acres of stunningly beautiful scenery—an ideal location for those seeking a unique southwest golf vacation, linked, perhaps, to a Grand Canyon excursion, a two-hour drive north. Getting there … Guests of Enchantment Resort have the option of flying into the local Sedona Airport by charter or private aircraft, or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport which is about a 2-hour scenic drive to the resort, or there’s the Flagstaff Airport which is about 50-minutes north of Sedona by car.
choosE youR sEason Sedona has a moderate four-season climate that can be enjoyed year-round. With over 300 days of sunshine a year and occasional light snowfalls in the winter, the average temperatures range from the mid-70s to low-90s in the summer and fall, and from the 30s to mid-60s in the winter and spring.
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Go from private runway to championship fairway
Play Canada’s Premier Oceanfront Resort • 3 Miles of Atlantic Seafront • World Class Golf • Spa • Sport Shooting • Tennis • Private Airstrip • Deep Water Marina Residential Ownership Opportunities Executive Towns, Custom Homes & Homesites
foxharbr.com • 1-877-359-9419
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Travel
Rugged charm
Canada
NOVA SCOTIA
IMAGES: ShAwn AndErSon
The Fox Harb’r Golf Resort & Spa is considered a premier Canadian oceanfront resort, offering an elite golf experience on a championship course that blends Scottish links and traditional parkland golf along the Northumberland Strait shore, with spectacular views across to Prince Edward Island. The resort is a luxurious escape that is rich with charm and history, restaurants, wineries and a range of other activities. The 1,150-acre natural wonderland’s remote north shore location should have strong appeal if you’re looking for a great golf experience and a healthy dose of nature at its best. Accommodations range from suites and executive suites to executive townhomes in New England style. You can visit Dol-ás Spa for innovative treatments such as Swiss cellulotherapy, or explore the various activities at the Sporting Lodge where you can try your hand at clay shooting, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding or tennis by the ocean. The Cape Cliff Dining Room serves fresh w w w.pgatour.com
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A panoramic view of Fox Harb’r, Nova Scotia.
The oceanfront resort offers a great golf experience with scenic views. No. 16, Fox Harb’r course, Fox Harb’r Golf Resort & Spa.
seafood dishes alongside fine wines from the resort’s own vineyard. Getting there … A short drive from Halifax, Nova Scotia, the resort can also be reached by sea to the deep-water marina or by air to the private jetway.
ChOOSe yOur SeASON Nova Scotia weather rarely gets extremely hot or extremely cold, but the daily temperature does fluctuate both by time of day and by your proximity to the ocean. Summer is mid-June to mid-September, with temperatures ranging from the 70s to 80s. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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HARMONY. MASTERED FROM CHAOS.
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THE PRESIDENTS CUP
GreAt expectAtions By Dave Shedloski
IMAGE: GEtty IMAGEs, Us PGA tOUR
A
fter a riveting conclusion to the 2015 Presidents Cup at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, where the U.S. Team held off a furious International rally to win by one point, it’s impossible to predict the outcome of the 2017 edition when the two sides meet at Liberty National Golf Club for the 12th edition of the biennial matches. “If this next one isn’t down to the wire, I’d be very surprised,” said International Team Captain Nick Price. The Americans will
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take their handsome 9-1-1 advantage, which includes victories in the last six meetings, into the 2017 matches scheduled for Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J. Designed by the late Bob Cupp with World Golf Hall of Fame member and 1992 U.S. Open champion Tom Kite, Liberty National is just the fourth course in the U.S. to host the Presidents Cup. The others: Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va., in 1994, 1996, 2000 and
2005; TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, 2009; and Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, 2013. Located along the New York Harbor, Liberty National is considered one of the more picturesque courses in America, offering striking views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Manhattan skyline. The golf club fittingly opened on July 4, 2006, and hosted the PGA TOUR’s opening FedExCup Playoffs event, The Barclays, in 2009 and 2013.
The American team enjoyed a narrow victory in the 2015 Presidents Cup at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
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THE PRESIDENTS CUP
Heath Slocum and Adam Scott were the winners those two years. A flag-raising ceremony on Aug. 26, 2014, officially kicked off the run up to the 12th Presidents Cup, which is part of a 25-year partnership between Liberty National and the PGA TOUR, which will bring up to 10 PGA TOUR events to the venue over the course of the agreement. Ticket sales were launched Sept. 29 for the general public, and to ensure an optimal and enjoyable experience for spectators, attendance will be limited to 25,000 per day. The par-72 course measures 7,387 yards, but the established routing of the layout will be altered for the matches. The par-4 fifth hole, measuring 427 yards with water on the left and out of bounds to the right, will serve as a challenging opening hole. The competition will proceed in regulation from there and then pick up at No. 1. The final hole, No. 4 in the usual order, is a long par 3 that can measure up to 200 yards. “In match play, this is going to be a great order and a great setting for the fans I think as matches are starting to 122
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finish around 14-15,” said rookie U.S. Captain Steve Stricker, who was an assistant in the 2014 and 2016 Ryder Cups and also was on the staff under Jay Haas in the ’15 Presidents Cup. “It’s nothing tricky there. You have to drive it straight, and the greens are pretty severe with a lot of movement. Just solid golf is what you need to have, and both teams are capable of that.” Very little separated the U.S. and International teams in 2015 in Incheon, South Korea. The first Presidents Cup staged in Asia came down to the last hole of the last match when Bill Haas, son of the captain, shouldering the added pressure of being a captain’s pick, defeated native son Sangmoon Bae, 2 up for a 15½-14½ decision. The Americans entered the final day with a one-point lead that they had clung to since the second day after bolting to a 4-1 advantage in Day 1 foursomes. That early edge proved to be enough for the Americans to hang on as the Internationals made it the closest Presidents Cup since a tie in South Africa in 2003. Nevertheless, the International Team still seeks its second win after
taking the 1998 competition at Royal Melbourne in Australia, also site of the 2011 Presidents Cup (a 19-15 U.S. win). “I think we have a wonderful chance, but it’s going to be a challenge with that New York/New Jersey crowd getting behind the U.S. team,” Price said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, but we have unfinished business from Korea. We have to find a way to get over the hump. Fortunately, we should have a pretty experienced group—Jason Day, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Hideki Matsuyama, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace. We’ll be ready to go when the bell rings on Thursday.” Stricker’s team is likely to include Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler, to name a few. “We’ve obviously had success in this event, but we can’t take that for granted, because Nick’s team is very talented,” Stricker said. “I think the last match [in Korea] is indicative of what we can expect. It’s going to be tight. Muirfield Village [in 2013] wasn’t easy either. We’re looking forward to a great week.”
IMAGE: GEtty IMAGEs, Us PGA tOUR
Captains Steve Stricker (left) and Nick Price will lead their teams at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J.
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NOW IS A GOOD TIME
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1 As of March 31, 2016. Information refers to all insurance and retirement business of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company and its subsidiaries. Empower Retirement refers to the products and services offered in the retirement markets by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company (GWL&A), Corporate Headquarters: Greenwood Village, CO; Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company of New York, Home Office: NY, NY; and their subsidiaries and affiliates. The trademarks, logos, service marks and design elements used are owned by their respective owners and are used by permission. AM74680-1016
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Essential Planning
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Professional player Robert Streb is encouraging his own generation to adopt a winning attitude to financial planning Most of us have had a role model at some point in our lives. And many of us at an impressionable age have looked up to one particular professional golfer or another. The attraction often lies in these players’ charismatic ways, winning skills and life skills, both on and off the tournament circuit. These players are, almost without exception, good planners. Earlier this year professional player Robert Streb, age 28, teamed up with Empower Retirement. You might ask why this young professional has an interest in retirement planning. The answer is that both Streb and Empower Retirement share the view that most young professionals in his age group and in all walks of life need to be encouraged to think ahead and plan for retirement. “My generation has seen some real ups and downs with the economy. I’m in my late 20s now, and I’ve seen some of my friends really struggle to find jobs during a tough economic time. Many people my age also saw the impact of the big downturns in the stock market and housing prices on people we care about,” said Streb. “This is not a generation that’s going to sit back. We’re not going to wait for someone to do the work for us. My wife, Maggie, and I understand the importance of having money saved and how savings can grow over time. I think in general my generation has an appreciation for savings and living within one’s financial means.” Speaking about his link with Empower Retirement, Streb said: “I wanted to partner with Empower for a lot of reasons, but the primary driver was our shared vision. I believe in the value of preparation. It’s essential to success on the golf course and in life. Empower works every single day to help prepare people for their retirement, and that’s something I can relate to and support.” Streb added, “If I can encourage folks to follow my lead and start taking responsibility for their long-term future finances, then I hope I will have added something truly beneficial to their lives.” With Robert Streb as an ambassador representing his generation,
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SPORT, FITNESS & HEALTH
FIT TO WIN I
t is widely known that golfers have become increasingly aware of the benefits of implementing a fitness plan into their practice routine. Personal trainers are a common sight at all PGA TOUR events and the majority of golfers utilize the Player Performance Centers, the TOUR’s mobile fitness and therapy centers that travel to each event. The facilities are staffed by professional physical therapists, chiropractors and athletic trainers who assist players in rehabilitative and preventive care, as well as personal conditioning programs. Equally as important is having a nutrition plan, especially for golfers who spend the majority of their time traveling around the world. Second-year PGA TOUR player Patrick Rodgers is a great example of the new breed of 126
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young golfer who uses fitness and nutrition in his preparation to compete at the highest level on TOUR. Growing up idolizing Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers, Rodgers himself played basketball through his freshman year at Avon High School outside Indianapolis. In golf Rodgers was a two-time state high school champion in Indiana. In three years at Stanford University, Rodgers equaled the all-time school record for wins held by Tiger Woods (11). Last season, Rodgers recorded three top-10 finishes on his way to finishing No. 74 in the final FedExCup standings. Rodgers spent some time with the Essential Guide detailing his nutritional plan and how he keeps a good balance while spending more than half the year on the road.
Since he was just a teenager, Patrick Rodgers has believed proper nutrition helps him play his best golf.
images: getty
Health and fitness is key to a successful sports career, including professional golf. Making a nutrition plan is today considered one of the essentials on the PGA TOUR. We caught up with second-year TOUR player Patrick Rodgers, who explains his diet and how it helps his performance
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SPORT, FITNESS & HEALTH
Q. How long have you been into nutrition? I’ve known I wanted to play on the PGA TOUR since I was probably 10 years old, so I was searching every way I possibly could to figure out how to get better. By the time I was 12 or 13 I was eating energy bars on the course and just trying to figure out how to gain a little bit of an edge over the guys who were maybe bigger and stronger than me. It felt like eating a lot on the course and doing things right nutritionally was a benefit. Q. What made you aware of the benefits of proper nutrition? I went to the Titleist Performance Institute when I was around 12 years old. I learned about fitness and nutrition and that convinced me that it was something I needed to be doing if I was serious about being a professional. Q. Explain your nutritional plan. It’s just as important as fitness training. I think what you put into your body, especially on the course is the most important thing. We’re out on the course for a long time and miss a lot of meals. So, for the morning rounds I try to eat a lot, a big healthy breakfast and then I try to eat in small amounts a lot of times throughout the round. On the course I eat simple stuff like almonds or a peanut butter sandwich, mainly food that doesn’t spike your sugar. But probably the most important thing is to eat a lot and to eat often, just to sustain your energy level. Q. What do you eat for breakfast? I eat the same thing for breakfast every day. I eat a whole-wheat bagel with almond butter and Special K protein cereal with almond milk. Q. What is the key to eating out? We’re spending so much time out on the road I think the most important thing is making the right choices at restaurants. It’s easy to indulge at nice restaurants and eat stuff you’re not supposed to throughout the course of the season. Q. What is your go-to meal on the road? On the road I try to eat fish as much as I can. I really enjoy a juicy steak at a good steakhouse so it’s a challenge to not eat too much red meat. Q. Do you have tips for others that travel a lot and how to continue a consistent diet? It is important to have discipline. It’s very easy to overeat at restaurants. A lot of times you could have a five-course meal if you go to a nice restaurant. So, it’s important to make the right choices, the choices that you would make if you were at the grocery store. With a lifestyle on the road it is important to try to continue the same things that you would have at home. It may be tough but it’s definitely worth it for a healthy lifestyle. w w w.pgatour.com
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Q. How is your cooking? I cooked a lot in college. I’m lucky now to have a girlfriend, Katie Reed, who cooks for me and makes a lot more delicious meals than I could ever make.
Patrick Rodgers had three top-10 finishes and was 74th in the FedExCup standings in 2015-16.
Q. Not to put you on the spot, but what is your favorite dish that your girlfriend makes? Katie makes an unbelievable homemade chicken parmesan. She makes the breading herself and makes real tomato sauce with diced tomatoes. She spoils me on that one for sure. Q. What’s your one weakness? Gosh, I love Firehouse Subs. I always order the Italian sub at Firehouse. It’s probably not the healthiest thing ever, but it is incredibly delicious. I try to stay away from desert and sweets as much as I can. Q. There are many tasty traditions at PGA TOUR tournaments. Does one stand out that is too good to pass up? The milkshakes at the Memorial Tournament are to die for!
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2016/17 2016/2017 TOURNAmENT tournament OvERvIEw review
The SeaSon ahead
A change in an international direction highlights the first part of the 2016-17 PGA TOUR schedule
image: US Pga TOUR; geTTY imageS
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he World Golf Championships event that has been played in Miami since 2007 moves south of the border and will be called the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. This marks the first year of a seven-year agreement with Grupo Salinas to sponsor the tournament, which will be played at the venerable Club de Golf Chapultepec. Also on the move, but only for one year, are the Wells Fargo Championship and Quicken Loans National. With the PGA Championship scheduled in August for the tournament’s usual site, Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, the event moves to eastern North Carolina for 2017 at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington. The Quicken Loans National will visit TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm for one season before returning to Congressional Country Club in 2018. Two events on the first part of the schedule have new sponsors. The season-opening tournament in October became the Safeway Open, and the event at Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles in February 2017 becomes the Genesis Open, with former sponsor Northern Trust moving to the East Coast to take over the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs in August, becoming THE NORTHERN TRUST played in 2017 at Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, N.Y. The second Playoffs event at TPC Boston will also have a new name
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in the Dell Technologies Championship, while the BMW Championship will return to Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois. The schedule again started with seven events in the fall. In addition to the sponsorship change at the Safeway Open, there was a shift in dates with the Asia swing of the CIMB Classic and World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions moving a week earlier. The 2017 portion of the season begins as usual with two events in Hawaii, followed by five events on the West Coast Swing in their traditional order. Then the TOUR moves to Florida with The Honda Classic, then to Mexico for the WGC-Mexico Championship before returning for two more Florida events. The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play is next in late March in its second year in Austin, Texas. That’s followed by the Shell Houston Open, once again played the week before the Masters. There are no changes to the schedule from there through the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide in early June, with THE PLAYERS Championship once again highlighting the May schedule in the second weekend of that month.
FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy was a multiple tournament winner during the 2015-16 season.
James Hahn will defend his Wells Fargo Championship title at Eagle Point Golf Club in 2017.
David Barrett, Tournament Editor PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
October 13-16, 2016
Safeway Open Location
Course Information Built on what was once the estate of a Civil War general, Silverado has two 18-hole courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in the 1960s. It was given a fresh update in 2010 after two-time major winner Johnny Miller and business partners bought the property. Silverado served as site of the tournament starting in 2014 after hosting PGA TOUR events from 1968-80 and a PGA TOUR Champions event from 1989-2002.
Yardage 7,166; par 72
2016 Champion Brendan Steele, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel
Tickets In 2016, Good Any Day tickets were $40, 5-Day tickets were $100. Children 15 and under were free with a ticketed adult and there was free admission for Active and Retired Military.
Social Media Twitter: @SafewayOpen www.facebook.com/ SafewayOpen
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“You’ve got to really make something happen, especially when the conditions are soft. I wanted to be aggressive and I didn’t want to just kind of coast in.” —Brendan Steele
Johnson Wagner shared third place, two strokes behind the winner.
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HOW BRENDAN STEELE WON
Napa, Calif. Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course)
A year after losing the lead with a 40 on the back nine on Sunday, Brendan Steele gained redemption with a final-round 65 for a one-stroke victory. This time Steele finished in style with birdies on the last three holes, a two-putt at the par-5 16th, an 18-footer at the 17th, and a 7-footer at the 18th. That enabled Steele, who began the final round four strokes back, to overtake 54-hole leader Patton Kizzire and claim his second career PGA TOUR victory. Kizzire bogeyed the 12th and had to settle for all pars from there to wrap up a round of 70 as errant driving led to par saves instead of birdie chances down the stretch. Scott Piercy had a three-stroke lead after opening with 62-67, but dropped back with a thirdround 73 and ended in a four-way tie for third, two strokes back. Steele made seven putts of 15 feet or longer, including three in the final round when he gained 3.43 strokes on the greens. Steele was 10 under on the par 5s to rank T1 in Par 5 Scoring Average at 4.38. Steele ranked fifth in Driving Accuracy Percentage at 64.29 percent. w w w.pgatour.com
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 13, Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course).
Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6 million Winner’s Share: $1,080,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit Golf Charities Foundation, Inc., is the new host organization for the tournament. All net proceeds are donated to local, regional and national organizations.
check this out
X Brendan Steele became just the second winner in the last six years of the event who had previously won on the PGA TOUR (Sangmoon Bae, 2014). Steele’s lone previous victory was the 2011 Valero Texas Open. X No player has won the Safeway Open more than once in its 10-year history.
X Kevin Na has finished T3, second, and seventh in the last three Safeway Opens. X Scott Piercy’s 62 in the first round was the best by two strokes in the four years the tournament has been at Silverado.
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Brendan Steele
1
71
67
65
270/-18
500.00
$1,080,000.00
Patton Kizzire
2
64
71
66
70
271/-17
300.00
$648,000.00
Paul Casey
T3
64
68
71
69
272/-16
133.75
$288,000.00
Michael Kim
T3
73
67
65
67
272/-16
133.75
$288,000.00
Scott Piercy
T3
62
67
73
70
272/-16
133.75
$288,000.00
Johnson Wagner
T3
65
67
70
70
272/-16
133.75
$288,000.00
images: getty images
South Korean Michael Kim had three strong rounds in a row to finish T3.
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Scrambling for pars during the back nine on Sunday, runner-up Patton Kizzire lost by one shot.
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Player
67
The finishing stretch at Silverado North features birdie opportunities. The 16th and 18th are par 5s that, while not pushovers at 571 and 575 yards, offer the chance for long hitters to get home in two or others to make a birdie with a good wedge shot. The 17th is a short par 4 of 375 yards offering a wedge approach.
fan eXPerience
leaDerBoarD 2016
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notaBle course features
Fan enhancements were highlighted by live music from national recording artists after play on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. All ticketed fans were welcomed into special areas, including the Safeway Food & Wine Pavilion, a 20,000 sq. ft. tent featuring gourmet food, wine tasting and Starbucks with viewing decks. Other spots were Beers Fore Birdies, with discounts whenever a player made a birdie on the 16th hole; the Spirits Lounge; the Brew Loft; and the Citi Cardmember Club, a hospitality venue overlooking the 18th green for Citi cardmembers. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
October 20-23, 2016 u
CIMB Classic
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia TPC Kuala Lumpur (West Course)
Course Information Formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, TPC Kuala Lumpur features two courses, East and West, opened in 1991. The course was extensively redesigned in 2008 by Parslow & Winter Golf Design, with the West Course lengthened to around 7,000 yards. The course, liberally dotted with water hazards and bunkers, is known for its excellent condition with Seaside Paspalum grass on the fairways and greens. The East Course is also a championship-quality venue that hosted an LPGA event in 2016.
Yardage 7,005; par 72
2015 Champion Justin Thomas, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
Tickets In equivalent U.S. currency, tickets cost about $19 Thursday and Friday, $28 on the weekend, or $54 for a season badge. There is a discount for holders of CIMB cards. For information, please visit www.cimbclassic.com.
“This is a huge win for me, because I’ve never really played with a lead like that, and was able to close it off. So I’ll be able to hopefully build on that going forward and look forward to coming back next year.” —Justin Thomas
India’s Anirban Lahiri led after 54 holes and tied for third.
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HOW JUSTIN THOMAS WON
Location
Just when the third round was looking like a disaster, Justin Thomas birdied the last five holes to pull within four of the lead, putting him in position to win on Sunday. Thomas, the 23-year-old defending champion, led through 36 holes after starting 64-66 at TPC Kuala Lumpur, but fell way back with a bogey-double bogeybogey start to the back nine that put him 4 over for the round. The birdie run enabled him to escape with a third-round 71, and he regained the lead by making birdies on four of the first five holes on Sunday. Thomas benefited from the trouble of 54hole leader Anirban Lahiri, who made a quadruple bogey on the par-5 third hole. To his credit, Lahiri went birdie-eagle on the next two holes but he would finish four behind Thomas and one behind runner-up Hideki Matsuyama.
Derek Fathauer was T3, the best finish in his PGA TOUR career.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
Justin Thomas plays a shot on the 14th hole at TPC Kuala Lumpur during his successful title defense.
Field: 78 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7 million Winner’s Share: $1,260,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
Tournament proceeds are distributed to charities through the CIMB Foundation. The Foundation’s initiatives are aimed at empowering communities in a transparent, measurable and accountable way to enable them to stand on their own. The focus is on the areas of community development, sports, and education.
X Justin Thomas followed in the footsteps of Ryan Moore (2013, 2014) by successfully defending his CIMB Classic title. Those two are the only winners in the tournament’s four years as an official PGA TOUR event. X Thomas’ winning total of 265 was three strokes higher than his tournament record 26-under 262 in 2015.
X Thomas was the first player to successfully defend a title on the PGA TOUR since Matt Every at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (2014, 2015). X For the second straight year, Justin Thomas opened with a top-10 finish and a victory in the first two weeks of the season.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Justin Thomas
1
64
66
71
64
265/-23
500.00
$1,260,000.00
Hideki Matsuyama
2
69
64
69
66
268/-20
300.00
$756,000.00
T3
64
70
68
67
269/-19
162.50
$406,000.00
T3
66
66
65
72
269/-19
162.50
$406,000.00
Marc Leishman
5
69
65
71
66
271/-17
110.00
$280,000.00
Hideki Matsuyama finished second, three shots back.
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Marc Leishman’s closing 6-under 66 moved him into fifth place.
The 16th hole is a par 4 of only 318 yards, which depending on tee placement and the player’s power offers the tantalizing choice to try to drive the green. But a large pond practically hugs the left side of the putting surface, making accuracy paramount if the bold play is chosen. Others can safely lay-up off the tee and try to make birdie with a wedge approach.
fan eXPerience
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Derek Fathauer Anirban Lahiri
notaBle course features
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check this out
The Public Village includes the exhibition tents of the Public Expo, a variety of food vendors in the Food Pavilion, the Family Fun Zone, a merchandise tent and a concert stage featuring live music at the Fairway Fest after play on Saturday and Sunday. Close by are a couple more special venues, the Heineken Green Experience and the Fifty Six Degrees Whiskey Lounge. w w w.pgatour.com
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www.artsandcollections.com
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
October 27-30, 2016
World Golf ChampionshipsHSBC Champions
Location Shanghai, China Sheshan International Golf Club
Course Information Set in the shadow of the Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan, Sheshan International is a Nelson & Haworth design that integrates the natural forests, existing streams and a quarry with man-made lakes and strategic bunkering. Millions of yards of cubic dirt were moved to create one of the most dramatic and hilly courses in Shanghai.
Yardage 7,199; par 72
2016 Champion Hideki Matsuyama, Japan
Media Coverage
“It’s a great victory for me and hopefully this will be a great victory for Japan and encourage others to play golf. Hopefully, it is big in Japan and will make a difference there.” —Hideki Matsuyama
Golf Channel
Tickets For information and purchases, go to www.hsbcgolf.com
Daniel Berger, 2014-15 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, tied for second.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
Open Championship winner Henrik Stenson closed with a 65 to finish T2.
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Rory McIlroy’s finalround 65 moved him into a tie for fourth place.
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HOW HIDEKI MATSUYAMA WON
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama became the first Asian player to win a World Golf Championships event as he rolled to a sevenstroke victory at Sheshan International. The 24-yearold led by three strokes after starting with rounds of 66-65 and maintained that margin with a thirdround 68. He stayed three ahead thanks to a 15-foot par putt on the fourth hole of the final round, then birdied the fifth to go in front by four and never looked back as he shot 33-33—66. Matsuyama didn’t make a bogey his last 45 holes, finishing by making a par 5 on the 18th despite a second shot into the water. It was his 10th victory worldwide, including the Japan Open two weeks earlier, and third on the PGA TOUR. Daniel Berger finished with a 69 and was tied for second with Henrik Stenson, who closed with a 65. Defending champion Russell Knox was in second place through 54 holes but finished T9 after a 74. Matsuyama had a wild first-round 66 with only four pars while collecting 10 birdies and four bogeys. Matsuyama led the field with 29 birdies, including streaks of three straight birdies in the first, second and fourth rounds. After making six bogeys in his first 27 holes, he made none in his last 45. Matsuyama was first in Putting Average, with 1.537 putts per green in regulation. Matsuyama led the field in Par 4 Scoring (3.70) and Par 5 Scoring (4.31). PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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Field: 78 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $9.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,620,000 FedExCup Points: 550 to the winner
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quick facts
No. 18, Sheshan International Golf Club.
charity Benefit
The primary beneficiary of all World Golf Championships events is The First Tee. Proceeds of the HSBC Champions also go to grassroots golf development programs in Asia. HSBC has a long-term view of sponsorships and is proud that its investments are helping to accelerate golf’s growth in Asia, where the game has come a long way in the last 30 years.
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notaBle course features
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Hideki Matsuyama
1
66
65
68
66
265/-23
550.00
$1,620,000.00
Daniel Berger
T2
66
70
67
69
272/-16
257.50
$787,000.00
Henrik Stenson
T2
69
71
67
65
272/-16
257.50
$787,000.00
Bill Haas
T4
67
67
70
69
273/-15
127.50
$372,000.00
Rory McIlroy
T4
71
66
70
66
273/-15
127.50
$372,000.00
check this out X Hideki Matsuyama’s seven-stroke victory margin was a tournament record, breaking the old mark of three set by Martin Kaymer (2011) and Dustin Johnson (2013). X Matsuyama tied the tournament record with a three-stroke lead through 54 holes, matching Johnson (2013). X Matsuyama tied the record for most career PGA TOUR victories by a Japanese player with three, matching Shigeki Maruyama.
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X Matsuyama’s 265 total was one off the tournament record of 264 set by Johnson in 2013. Haotong Li’s T7 was the best-ever finish for a player from China on the PGA TOUR. X At 24 years, 8 months, 5 days, Matsuyama became the youngest winner of the HSBC Champions. X Matsuyama ran his streak of consecutive rounds in the 60s on the PGA TOUR to 10.
fan eXPerience
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Player
This year’s Village incorporated the Tournament’s Superhero theme and offered spectators six activities where they could test their Superhero powers. There was a cycling race to test power, a buzz wire to test how steady they remain under pressure, a shooting challenge to test accuracy, an interactive tee-peg game to test levels of concentration, a photo experience where they can dress up as a superhero, and a swing simulator that uses technology to measure whether they hit the golf ball out of the sweet-spot of the driver.
images: geTTY
leaderBoard 2016
A unique element of Sheshan International is the dramatic quarry that forms a hazard on the 16th and 17th holes. The 16th is a 288-yard par 4 where the choice is between a safe lay-up off the tee or a bold shot over the quarry directly at the green. The 212-yard, par-3 17th plays over the quarry, which also guards the right side of the green.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
October 27-30, 2016
Sanderson Farms Championship Location Jackson, Miss. Country Club of Jackson
Course Information The Country Club of Jackson, founded in 1914, is a private club with 27 holes originally designed by Dick Wilson in 1962. John Fought redesigned 18 holes in 2008, the Dogwood and Azalea nines that are used for the tournament. The $3.5 million redesign included new green complexes, new and replaced bunkers and wider fairways.
“My opening 73, I was making unforced errors, I guess as a rookie would probably do. I told my caddie and my teacher that if I can slow down and eliminate the errors, I think I’ll have a good shot.” — Cody Gribble
Yardage 7,421 yards; par 72
Cody Gribble, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel
Tickets For ticket information, go to www.sanderson farmschampionship.com. In 2016, children 17 and under were admitted free with a paid adult (one child per adult).
HOW CODY GRIBBLE WON
In just his second start as a PGA TOUR member, and his eighth overall, Cody Gribble rode a red-hot back nine to victory. Gribble birdied Nos. 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17 for a 31 on the back nine and a final-round 65 as he broke away from what had been a tight race to win by four strokes. Gribble had finished T8 at the Safeway Open in his first PGA TOUR start as a member, but wasn’t in good shape at the Sanderson Farms Championship when he opened with a 73. He made up for that with a 63 in the second round and after a thirdround 67 trailed co-leaders Chris Kirk and Luke List by one. Kirk and List both shot 70 in the final round to tie for second with Greg Owen (68). Gribble had one bogey in his final 56 holes, going bogey-free in the second and fourth rounds. Gribble led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting with an average of 2.200 strokes per round. Gribble led the field in Scrambling, saving par on 80.0 percent of the greens he missed.
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2016 Champion
Chris Kirk, a 54-hole co-leader, was T2 as his strong play in the event continued.
England’s Greg Owen, who tied for second, broke 70 three of four rounds.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
Golfers warmed up for the first round on a misty morning at the Country Club of Jackson.
Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $4.2 million Winner’s Share: $756,000 FedExCup Points: 300
charity Benefit Friends of Children’s Hospital, a nonprofit organization benefiting Batson Children’s Hospital, part of Children’s of Mississippi, is the primary beneficiary of the Sanderson Farms Championship. The tournament host organization Century Club Charities also donates to other local charities in Mississippi and since 1986 has raised more than $11 million.
notaBle course features
X Gribble was the third straight player to make the Sanderson Farms Championship his first career TOUR victory (Nick Taylor, 2014; Peter Malnati, 2015). X Chris Kirk has finished in the top 10 in his last four starts at the Sanderson Farms Championship (Won-2011, T10-2012, T9-2013, T2-2016).
X Cody Gribble’s four-stroke margin of victory was the second best in tournament history behind Frank Conner (five, 1988). X Gribble’s 72-hole total of 268 is the best in the three years the event has been played at the Country Club of Jackson. The best overall was Scott Stallings in 2012 at Annandale Golf Club with 264.
The signature hole is the 479-yard, par-4 16th. Swampland protects the entire left side and also crosses the fairway about 80 yards short of the largest green on the course. A long approach must avoid the swamp on the left and a large bunker on the right. The hole was the toughest on the course in 2016.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
1
73
63
67
65
268/-20
300.00
$756,000.00
T2
67
70
65
70
272/-16
116.66
$313,600.00
Luke List
T2
71
66
65
70
272/-16
116.66
$313,600.00
Greg Owen
T2
67
67
70
68
272/-16
116.66
$313,600.00
Lucas Glover
T5
66
69
68
70
273/-15
60.00
$153,300.00
Hiroshi Iwata
T5
66
70
69
68
273/-15
60.00
$153,300.00
Xander Schauffele
T5
67
70
70
66
273/-15
60.00
$153,300.00
images: getty images
Hiroshi Iwata of Japan shared fifth place at 15 under.
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fan eXPerience
Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, was T5.
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Cody Gribble Chris Kirk
16 20
check this out
The BankPlus Fan Pavilion, with an upgraded ticket, offers premium concessions and a sports bar atmosphere. The Mac Haik Tailgate, Kids Zone, Autograph Zone, and Expo are open to all ticket holders. Special events include a youth clinic on Monday, University Day on Saturday (fans wear their favorite team colors), a “Pink Out” for Breast Cancer Awareness on Sunday (fans wear pink), and a non-denominational church service Sunday morning.
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Here’s To The Greatest Game In The World Sharp Looks For On And Off The Course From Elevate
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Learn more at: www.elevatesport.info
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Ogden Layton
Salt Lake City 2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW Sandy
Santa Rosa Roseville Carson City Vallejo 80 Sacramento
Tonopah
Salinas Fresno Reedley
Pebble Beach
California
Long Beach Anaheim Coachella Oceanside Escondido 10 Encinitas
Flagstaff
40
Prescott Parker Blythe
Winslow
Prescott Valley Payson 17
Gallup
Las Vegas, Nev. TPC Summerlin
170˚
Guadalupe
29
Davenport
25
Portales
Carrizozo
Silver City
Dumas
Alamogordo
Pampa
Oklahoma City
Canyon
Lawton 44
Clovis Plainview
Winfield
Lubbock
Miami
Bixby
Midwest City
40
Norman
Denton
75
Marion
Lima
Indiana Muncie Ohio
44
Joplin
Nixa
Fayetteville
Fort Smith
Paris
Farmington
Mount Vernon
Evansville
55
R.
70
Searcy Cabot
Kettering
Clarksville
Jackson
40
Athens
Washington D
Oxford
Cullman Tupelo 65
55
Grenada
Greenville Indianola El Dorado Yazoo City
Tuscaloosa
77 64
79
Harrisonburg
Charleston
C
Virgi West Virginia Lynchburg Pet Beckley Salem
Bluefield
Roanoke Danv
Martinsville Eden
81
Winston-Salem Green Knoxville High Point Cary Maryville
Chattanooga
Asheville
77
Gastonia
Charlotte
Monroe Spartanburg
Greenville Dalton Clemson 85 Gainesville Athens Buford 59 Aiken Orangeburg Marietta Monroe 20 Oxford
HOW ROD Birmingham PAMPLING WON Decatur
75
Tennessee Murfreesboro
Columbia Lawrenceburg
Memphis Corinth
Nashville
Balti
Fairmont Morgantown Lancaster
Kentucky Lexington Berea OwensboroCampbellsville
Union City Dyersburg
40
Pine Bluff Arkansas
Texarkana Camden
64
76
Columbus
Madisonville Ohio Somerset Paducah Glasgow Hopkinsville Middlesborough
Jackson Sikeston
Jonesboro
Hot Springs
Arkadelphia
Durant
Missouri
Poplar Bluff Kennett
Little Rock
Cornin
Harrisbu Akron Greensburg Pittsburgh 70
Frankfort Winchester
Louisville
Missouri R. Arnold
Springfield
Tahlequah
Duncan
Gainesville
Kokomo
Hannibal
Jefferson City
Bartlesville Tulsa Claremore
Ardmore
Bloomington
Macomb
Fort Wayne
Wabash
Springfield Indianapolis Dayton
Lebanon Pittsburg
35
Wichita Falls
Levelland
Roswell
35
Emporia
El Dorado
Oklahoma Edmond
Gary
Kankakee
55
Peoria
Kansas City
Olathe
Hutchinson
Arkansas City Ponca City Enid
Woodward
Hereford
Salina
Wichita
Liberal
Amarillo
40
Hays
Dunkirk
96
Illinois Greensburg 55 Terre Haute Cincinnati Bloomington Saint Effingham Huntington 70 Charles 65 Columbia Wildwood Saint Louis
Saint Joseph
Atchison
Topeka
Great Bend Garden City Arka Dodge City nsas R.
Springfield
Mosquero Las Vegas
Estancia
Kansas
Leoti
Clayton
Socorro
Osborne
70
La Junta
25
Taos
Santa Fe
Reserve
180˚
Deming
3
170˚
160˚
150˚
140˚
Las Cruces
19
Artesia
El Paso
Nogales Sierra Vista 130˚
15
Russia
Keokuk Maryville Kirksville
Beatrice
Ro Buffalo
Simcoe Port Huron
Ionia
Leeds
Hoover
Atlanta
Griffin
95
Columbi
Huntsville
Macon
Augusta
Nort Cha
Australia’s Montgomery 47-year-oldOpelika Rod Georgia Vidalia Columbus Hinesville Savanna Canton Selma Pampling hadn’t won on the Meridian Eufaula Shreveport Troy Albany Douglas Tyler Nogales Alabama Jackson Socorro Ciudad Ozark PGA TOUR in 10 years, but Natchitoches Palestine Pecos Moultrie Cananea Brookhaven Caborca Brunswick Waco Course Information Enterprise Dothan Nacogdoches Natchez Mississippi Hattiesburg Van Horn Juarez San Angelo Gatesville he ended that droughtCrestview at TPC Valdosta Kingsland Jacksonv A r c t i c O c e a n Sonora Pineville McComb Lufkin Juarez Nuevo Casas Grandes Fort Stockton Killeen Temple College TPC Summerlin was Mobile Texas Bogalusa De Ridder Barrow Aconchi Summerlin thanks to four Sonora Destin Station Marfa Hammond Biloxi Round Rock Tallahassee Saint Augus Chihuahua Baton Rouge designed by notedHermosillo Pensacola Sanderson Taylor Palatka Gulfport birdies on the last six holes Beaumont Gainesville Florida Dayton Mexico Austin Houston Lafayette R Kenner io G El Terrero Edgew architectA lBobby Weed aska New Orleans Baytown Deltona for a two-stroke victory over ran Morgan City San Antonio Oscar Soto Maynez de Titusv Houma Sugar Land Pasadena Louisiana Coahuila Uvalde Orlando Fort Yukon major Ciudad Delicias with two-time El Campo Brooks Koepka. Pampling Galveston Empalme Kissimmee Me Eagle Pass Victoria Nome Freeport Kilauea Chihuahua S Tampa Guaymas champion Fuzzy Zoeller Clearwater Vicam Mana opened the tournament with Port Lavaca Fairbanks Ciudad Delicias Piedras Bartow Beeville Poipu Obregon Bradenton Saint Petersburg as consultant. Ciudad Opening in a 60 and led by one through Waialua LaieMelchor Muzquiz Negras Alice CNavojoa anada WaikaneCamargo Ciudad Ingleside Sarasota North Port Sabinas Venice Kalaupapa Anchorage Laredo 36 holes, but fell one behind 1991, the strategic Huatabampo Corpus Christi Hidalgo Del Parral Cordova layout Honolulu Haiku Coral Spring Kaanapali Nuevo Laredo Bamocha Lucas Glover through three was carved from a swath MakenaMonclova Nuevo Naples Hialea Los Mochis Kaupo Juneau G u l f On o f Sunday, M e x i c oPampling rounds. Hawi Leon McAllen of rugged desert terrain, H a w a i i Harlingen Ciudad Constitucion Honokaa Homestea Guasave Puako Monterey Gomez Palacio Torreon regained the lead with a Sinaloa meandering throughPrince Rupert Pacific Ocean Brownsville Hilo Durango Kailua Guadalupe Unalaska 0 500 Miles front-nine 31, but fell one Saltillo 0 100 Miles Pahoa La Paz Baja California Sur arroyos and canyons. Culiacan Yerbanis Key Wes Montemorelos Punaluu 0 500 Km Ocean Milolii 0 100 KM behind again with bogeys on San Fernando Zacatecas Miguel Auza Tamaulipas Numerous water features Las Animas 10 and 12. The Aussie rallied 115˚ and an abundance of 110˚ 105˚ 100˚ 95˚ 90˚ 85˚ with birdies on 13, 14, and honey mesquite and U n i t e d S t a t e s 15 to forge a tie with Glover, pine trees contrast Toll Roads and Bridgeswho birdied State Capitals International Boundaries Major 13 Rivers and 15. Still Interstate Highways State Boundaries Lakes dramatically with the Cities 500,000+ tied going to the last two U.S. Highways Cities 100,000-499,999 raw landscape features. holes, Glover bogeyed them Cities 50,000-99,999 Cities 10,000-49,999 to fall to third while Cities 0-9,999 0 125 Miles 250both Miles 500 Miles Yardage Pampling wrapped up the 0 125 KM 250 KM 500 KM 7,255; par 71 title by holing a 32-foot birdie putt on the 18th. Pampling made a key par 2016 Champion save on the par-5 16th on Rod Pampling, Australia Sunday after a drive into deep rough and a lay-up third shot. Media Coverage Pampling ranked first in Golf Channel Strokes Gained: Around-theGreen and second in Strokes Tickets Gained: Approach-the-Green. Good Any One Day Pampling had two eagles tickets were $35 and “The young guys win enough, so I’m glad I can put in the first round, including a weekly badge cost my hand up for the old guys.” ––Rod Pampling a hole-out from 130 yards $100. Military and first on the sixth. responders received complimentary admission, while youth 18 and under Runner-up Brooks Geoff Ogilvy’s T4 were admitted free with a Koepka finished two was his best finish in ticketed adult. 1
˚
Hastings
Milwaukee
Hamilton
Lansing Chatham ie 86 Racine Holland Jamestown Er ake Battle Creek Detroit Erie Windsor L 90 Meadville Williams Evanston Toledo Pennsy Cleveland 80 90 Chicago 76 Youngstown South Bend 88 Elyria Joliet
Clinton
Ottumwa
35
Phillipsburg
Oakley
Raton
New Mexico
40
Pueblo
Conejos
Clifton
Tucson
2
Baja California 70
Saint Francis
Fountain
Del Norte
Durango
8
Ensenada
Fort Morgan
76
Beaver Dam
Lake Onta
Niagara Falls
Guelph
Michigan Bay City Saginaw Flint
Janesville
Iowa Iowa City
Council Bluffs
Cadillac
Manitowoc Sheboygan
Rockford
Cedar Rapids 80
Lincoln
Imperial Kearney
Castle Rock
Canon City
Albuquerque
San Diego Calexico Phoenix Tempe Tijuana MexicaliLocation
Greeley
North Platte
80
Mason City
Des Moines
Omaha
La Crosse
Madison
Waterloo
City
Carroll
Norfolk
Taylor
Colorado Springs
Rio Rancho
Glendale Scottsdale
Santee
Sterling
Yankton Vermillion Missour i R. Sioux
43
Oshkosh
16 20
Pacific Ocean
Arizona
Kingman
Nebraska
Albert Lea 35
Spencer
Winona
Shriners Hospitals for Children Open Colorado
Montrose
Farmington
Henderson
Cheyenne Platte R.
Boulder
Ainsworth
Scottsbluff Mullen
25
70
Cortez
do R.
Colora
Los Angeles
Meeker
Moab
Kanab
Mesquite
Wheatland
Laramie
Sioux Falls 29
Valentine
Rushville
Denver November 3-6, 2016 Lakewood Aurora Monticello
Saint George
Vegas 15
Santa Clarita Pasadena
Oxnard
Beaver
Cedar City
Bakersfield
Lompoc
Nephi
Lusk
S t a t e s
Fort Collins
Grand Junction
Pioche
Independence
Visalia Avenal El Paso de Robles 5 Porterville Las Morro Bay Wasco Delano Ridgecrest Shafter Santa Barbara
15
Vernal
Provo
Manti
Goldfield
Hollister
Santa Maria
Utah
80
Green Rock Springs River
Orem
Payson
Ely
Nevada
San Oakland Modesto Francisco San Jose Santa Cruz Monterey
Eureka
U n i t e d
Logan
90
Martin
90
R.
Malad City
Great Salt Lake
Winnemucca Susanville Red Bluff 80 Elko Chico Paradise Ukiah 5 Lovelock Reno Yuba City Truckee Sparks
White River
Hot Springs
Casper
Rochester
Brookings Mitchell
R.
Redding
Riverton
Appleton
Marshall
Huron
Ohio
Pinedale
Weaverville 84
25
R.
Pocatello
86
Rapid City
Thermopolis
Idaho Falls
Blackfoot Twin Falls
Missi ssipp i
Snake R.
Alturas
Mis siss ippi
Klamath Falls
Yreka Eureka Arcata
2
Hobbs
Carlsbad
Lamesa
Andrews
Abilene
Fort Worth
Plano
30
Rockwall
Dallas
Burleson Midland Big Spring Stephenville Corsicana Odessa Brownwood 20
20
Mount Pleasant Minden Kilgore
Dublin
75
85
Monroe
Statesboro
16
20
95
49
65
10
59
70˚
55
35
10
45
10
10
10
10
16
10
16160˚
60˚
159˚
158˚
157˚
156˚
Kauai
22˚
35
155˚
95
37
22˚
45
Niihau
Oahu
Bering Sea 170˚
75
Molokai
21˚
49
45
21˚
Lanai
Kahoolawe
57
Maui
85
30
20˚
20˚
2
Hawaii
50˚
1
Pacific 180˚
160˚
150˚
140˚
50˚
Social Media
19˚
160˚
15
45
159˚
158˚
5419˚
40
157˚
156˚
57
155˚
shots back at 18 under.
more than two years.
Twitter: @ShrinersOpen Facebook: www. facebook.com/ shrinershospitalsopen 146
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X At age 47, Rod Pampling became the oldest player to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The only other winner over age 40 was Wes Short Jr., who was 41 in 2005. X Pampling set the tournament record for the lowest start by a winner with a 60, previously held by Ryan Moore with a 61 in 2012.
X Pampling became the fourth player to open with a 60 and win a PGA TOUR event, joining Mike Souchak (1955 Texas Open), Steve Stricker (2010 John Deere Classic) and Phil Mickelson (2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open). X In the previous five years, the winner of the event was under age 30.
Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Rod Pampling
1
68
71
65
264/-20
500.00
$1,188,000.00
Brooks Koepka
2
62
67
70
67
266/-18
300.00
$712,800.00
Lucas Glover
3
68
65
65
69
267/-17
190.00
$448,800.00
Harris English
T4
67
67
67
67
268/-16
115.00
$272,800.00
Francesco Molinari
T4
70
68
69
61
268/-16
115.00
$272,800.00
Geoff Ogilvy
T4
67
67
66
68
268/-16
115.00
$272,800.00
Four 67s left Harris English T4 after 72 holes.
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Italy’s Francesco Molinari charged up the leaderboard with a final-round 61.
Shriners Hospitals for Children, a system of 22 facilities that provide specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding medical teaching programs, is the tournament’s primary beneficiary. This system has the largest full-time staff of pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. Every year, Shriners Hospitals for Children selects two national patient ambassadors to the represent the patients who receive treatment. This year the amazing stories of Marius Woodward and Karolina Nogues were highlighted at the tournament to help demonstrate the ability of Shriners Hospitals for Children to impact and change lives. Karolina was born in 2000 with a significant limb-length discrepancy, while Marius, born in Romania, was 8 when a family altercation resulted in a terrible house fire. Their stories, which can be found on the tournament website are a true inspiration. The tournament also welcomed special guest and Shriners Hospitals for Children patient Tommy Morrissey. Tommy was born without his right forearm, but has become an avid golfer at age 5. He took part in a clinic and a long drive contest with PGA TOUR pros and hit the opening tee shot.
fan eXPerience
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images: getty images; shriners hospitals for children open
LeaderBoard 2016
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Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.6 million Winner’s Share: $1,188,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
check this out
60
charity Benefit
quick facts
Tommy Morrissey hit the opening tee shot at the 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
All tickets have access to The Hill, a 10,000-squarefoot entertainment pavilion overlooking the 16th, 17th and 18th holes with a center bar, plenty of HDTVs, and upgraded food and beverages for purchase. Lee’s Shank Shack is another enue offering specialty cocktails. There are two Fan Enhancement Zones with a nine-hole Putt-Putt experience, food trucks and more; a Social Media Lounge; and the Patriots’ Outpost for military and their families. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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November 10-13, 2016
OHL Classic at Mayakoba Location Playa del Carmen, Mexico El Cameleón Golf Club at the Mayakoba Resort
Course Information Designed by Greg Norman in 2006, El Cameleón Golf Club at the Mayakoba Resort is notable for the way it traverses three different landscapes: mangrove jungles, limestone canals and an oceanfront stretch. The diverse course has hosted the OHL Classic at Mayakoba since its 2007 inception when the event made history as the first PGA TOUR co-sponsored event to be contested outside the U.S. and Canada.
Yardage 6,987; par 71
2016 Champion Pat Perez, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel
“I was seeing the line great on the greens. I thought I could make them all, and I just had confidence. I had an entirely different attitude than I would have had a few years ago.” ––Pat Perez
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HOW PAT PEREZ WON
In just his third tournament back after missing nearly eight months due to shoulder surgery, 40-yearold Pat Perez scored his second career PGA TOUR victory. Perez pulled within a stroke of the lead thanks to a third-round 62 and then shot a 67 in the final round to pass Gary Woodland and take the title. Perez jumped out early in the final round as he played the first three holes in 2 under to make up four strokes on Woodland. Adding three more birdies, Perez shot a 5-under 31 on the front nine to take a three-stroke lead over Scott Piercy. Perez played the back nine in 1 over, but nobody could catch him, with Woodland rallying late in the round for a 70 and second place, two behind Perez’s winning 21-under 263 total. On the par-36 front nine, Perez had a 32 on Friday, a 29 on Saturday and a 31 on Sunday. Perez ranked just T-49 in Driving Accuracy Percentage, but was T-11 in Greens in Regulation Percentage. Perez was T-3 in Putting Average with 1.600 putts per green in regulation and didn’t have a three-putt.
Tickets For ticket information, please visit www. ohlclassic.com
Chez Reavie went low (63) in the third round to be a factor on Sunday.
Gary Woodland, the 54-hole leader, closed with a 70 to finish second.
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T21.OHL Classic.indd 148
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
A tournament milestone was noted at the 18th tee.
Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7,000,010 Winner’s Share: $1,260,001.80 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The OHL Classic at Mayakoba is committed to supporting local, national and international charities. The event donates significant funds and raises awareness for selected charities and has donated more than $2 million to philanthropic causes, positively affecting the communities of Playa del Carmen and Cancun.
check this out
X Golf’s growth in Latin America has been swift, led by the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, which celebrated its 10th anniversary. X Perez’s 9-under 62 matched the tournament record in relation to par set by Roland Thatcher in 2008 with a 61 when the course played to a par 70.
El Cameleón has a feature that won’t be found anywhere else in the world, a cenote, a naturally formed pit with limestone walls, incorporated into the heart of the fairway at the seventh hole, a 554-yard par 5. It is positioned to come into play on the tee shot for the long hitter trying to reach the green in two.
X Perez became the fifth consecutive winner of the event to come from behind in the final round. The last 54-hole leader to win was Johnson Wagner in 2011. X At age 40, Perez became the second oldest winner of the tournament behind Fred Funk, who won in 2007 at age 50.
leaderBoard 2016 Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Pat Perez
1
68
66
62
67
263/-21
500.00
$1,260,001.80
Gary Woodland
2
64
65
66
70
265/-19
300.00
$756,001.08
Russell Knox
3
68
65
67
66
266/-18
190.00
$476,000.68
Chez Reavie
T4
70
67
63
67
267/-17
115.00
$289,333.75
Kevin Streelman
T4
65
73
64
65
267/-17
115.00
$289,333.75
Scott Piercy
T4
65
66
66
70
267/-17
115.00
$289,333.74
images: getty images
Three rounds in the mid-60s helped Kevin Streelman to a T4.
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fan eXPerience
Scott Piercy finished at 17-under 267 to share fourth place.
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Player
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notaBle course features
The Coralina Beach Club was open to all spectators, as were a Sponsor Expo, Merchandise Shop, Autograph Zone, and Fan Zone. Upgraded tickets allowed entrance to the Heineken El Camino near the 10th green or the Banorte Fiesta Club on 18. The BMW Shootout after play on Saturday gave 12 randomly selected fan entrants a shot from 175 yards to win a BMW 330e iPerformance with a hole-inone, or use of it for a year with closest to the pin.
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November 17-20, 2016
The RSM Classic Location
St. Simons Island, Ga. Sea Island Resort
HOW MACKENZIE HUGHES WON
Course Information
Sea Island Resort has three courses, with two of them hosting The RSM Classic. The Seaside Course is an oceanside layout at the southern tip of St. Simons Island with nine holes originally designed by English architects Harry Colt and Charles Alison in 1929 and nine originally designed by Joe Lee in 1973. Tom Fazio did a redesign in 1999 that tied the two nines together into the course’s current form. The Plantation Course, which co-hosts the first two rounds, is also the result of a redesign of two original nines, this one done by Rees Jones.
Yardage
Seaside Course: 7,005; par 70 Plantation Course: 7,058; par 72
2016 Champion
Mackenzie Hughes, Canada
Media Coverage Golf Channel
Tickets
Grounds tickets were $35 daily Thursday to Sunday and $125 weekly, with all tickets sold through www.rsmclassic.com. Youth 17 and under were admitted free with an adult ticket holder, military received up to two complimentary tickets, and veterans up to two discounted tickets.
Social Media
Twitter: @TheRSMClassic Facebook: www.facebook. com/TheRSMclassic 150
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T22.RSM Classic.indd 150
“It was so hard every night leaving the golf course being the leader and dealing with those things for the first time. Winning is a tremendous feeling.” ––Mackenzie Hughes
Camilo Villegas was part of a five-man playoff after shooting 17-under 265.
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Host Course
Seaside Course and Plantation Course
PGA TOUR rookie Mackenzie Hughes led from wire to wire, but he had to survive a five-man playoff and a Monday morning finish to win The RSM Classic. Hughes shot a first-round 61 and led by one, two and one strokes after the first three rounds. A final-round 69 left him in a tie with Blayne Barber, Billy Horschel, Camilo Villegas and Henrik Norlander. Horschel missed a two-foot par putt to drop out after the first playoff hole, and the playoff was suspended by darkness after the other four all parred two extra holes. On Monday morning, Hughes was the only one to par the par-3 17th, holing an 18-foot putt from the fringe and watching the others miss from closer distances. Hughes didn’t make a bogey on his first 46 holes, then made a triple bogey on the 11th hole of the third round. He recovered with three birdies down the stretch in that round. In the three measured rounds, Hughes was first in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green and third in Strokes Gained: Putting. He saved par on 17 of the 20 greens he missed in regulation on the week. w w w.pgatour.com
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 18, Sea Island Resort (Seaside Course).
Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6 million Winner’s Share: $1,080,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The tournament beneficiaries are the Davis Love Foundation and the RSM US Foundation. Tournament proceeds are combined with a Birdies For Love program, leading to a total donation of more than $2 million in 2015.
check this out
X Mackenzie Hughes, who came up through the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and Web.com Tour, was the third straight player and fourth in the seven years of The RSM Classic to make it his first career victory, joining Tommy Gainey (2012), Robert Streb (2014) and Kevin Kisner (2015). He was the first TOUR rookie to win the event.
X Hughes’ first-round 61 was one shot above the tournament record of 60 by Gainey in 2012. Hughes set the tournament mark with a 128 total for the first 36 holes and tied the record with 196 for the first 54. X Hughes became the first Canadian to win on the PGA TOUR since Nick Taylor (2014 Sanderson Farms Championship) and the 13th all-time.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
61
67
68
69
265/-17
500.00
$1,080,000.00
63
68
68
66
265/-17
183.75
$396,000.00
Billy Horschel
T2
66
66
65
68
265/-17
183.75
$396,000.00
Henrik Norlander
T2
67
67
66
65
265/-17
183.75
$396,000.00
Camilo Villegas
T2
66
67
64
68
265/-17
183.75
$396,000.00
images: getty images; us pga tour
1 T2
Billy Horschel was out after the first hole of the playoff, which was completed Monday morning after darkness halted play Sunday.
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Blayne Barber’s opening 63 made him a player to watch all week.
Natural features such as marshes and sandy waste areas figure prominently in the Seaside layout. Both come into play on the course’s signature hole, the par-4 13th, which bends between a marsh on the left and a sandy area along with conventional bunkers on the right, with a stunning backdrop behind the green. At 408 yards, players are tempted to take a bite out of the dogleg left to set up a birdie chance, but too far left means a visit to the hazard.
fan eXPerience
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Mackenzie Hughes Blayne Barber
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notaBle course features
Admission to the Mellow Mushroom Chill Club cost a $10 donation to the Davis Love Foundation, and included a pizza slice and a beer. Monday was Youth Day with special activities from 2 to 4 p.m. and free admission. A Saturday night concert featured country artist Cole Swindell, with an extra ticket required except for holders of a weekly ticket booklet. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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January 5-8, 2017
Tournament of Champions Jordan Spieth, 2015 Player of the Year, began the calendar year 2016 in impressive fashion, posting a 30-under 262 total to cruise to victory at The Plantation Course. Spieth led by four strokes after two rounds of 66-64, extended it to five with a thirdround 65, and ended up with an eight-stroke margin over Patrick Reed after a closing 67. Defending champion Reed pulled within three strokes midway through the final round, but Spieth pulled away with birdies on 9 and 10, and by the time Reed made his first and only bogey of the week on 15 it was essentially over.
Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore carved The Plantation Course into the hills of the West Maui Mountains on a former pineapple plantation. Opened in 1991, the course offers wide fairways and challenging greens with plenty of slope, while trade winds add to the challenge. Views of the ocean and nearby Molokai are abundant.
Yardage 7,452; par 73
2016 Champion Jordan Spieth, U.S.A.
Media Coverage Golf Channel
Tickets “I didn’t think I would shoot 30-under. I figured winds would be up, greens would be quicker where if you short-sided you would be in a bit more trouble. The winds just never came.” ––Jordan Spieth
Brandt Snedeker closed with a 67 to tie for third.
Spieth had as many eagles as bogeys, with two of each. He had seven birdies in every round for a total of 28. Spieth’s short-game was superb as he ranked first in both Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (3.59 strokes for the week) and Strokes Gained: Putting (7.64). Spieth hit 17 greens in regulation in both the first and second rounds, but ended up just T11 in that category because he hit only 11 greens in the third round. He made up for it by needing only 23 putts in the third round.
Brooks Koepka’s week was highlighted by a third-round 63.
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T23.Hyundai Tournament of Champions.SC.indd 152
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; US PGA TOUR
Course Information
Good-Any-One-Day grounds tickets are $30 in advance. Wednesday tickets are $15 advance, $25 at the gate, Thursday through Saturday $25 and $35, and Sunday $28 and $38. A weekly ticket costs $70 advance, $80 at the gate. Up to three 18-and-under spectators are free with every one paid adult. Complimentary and discounted military ticketing is provided through Birdies for the Brave.
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HOW JORDAN SPIETH WON
Location Kapalua, Hawaii The Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort
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01/12/2016 09:57
2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 14, The Plantation Course.
Field: approx. 32 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6 million Winner’s Share: $1,200,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The Tournament of Champions raised more than $350,000 for Maui charities in 2016 and has donated more than $5.6 million to Hawaii charities since coming to Maui in 1999. The 2017 charities are Boy Scouts of America Maui City Council, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, Hale Makua Health Services, the J. Walter Cameron Center, Ka Lima O Maui and the Lahainaluna High School Foundation. Tournament of Champions history. Gene Littler won by 13 strokes at Desert Inn in Las Vegas in 1955 and David Duval by nine at Kapalua in 1999. X Spieth has finished second and first in his two appearances in the event (2014 and 2016) and has posted his last six rounds in the 60s on the par-73 Plantation Course.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Jordan Spieth
1
66
64
65
67
262/-30
500.00
$1,180,000.00
Patrick Reed
2
65
69
67
69
270/-22
300.00
$688,000.00
Brooks Koepka
T3
69
68
63
71
271/-21
162.00
$381,000.00
Brandt Snedeker
T3
67
72
65
67
271/-21
162.00
$381,000.00
Runner-up Patrick Reed had a final-round 69 for a 22-under total.
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T23.Hyundai Tournament of Champions.SC.indd 153
Rickie Fowler broke 70 each day en route to fifth place.
notaBle course features
fan eXPerience
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X Jordan Spieth’s 30-under total for 72 holes was the second-best ever on the PGA TOUR, but not a tournament record. Ernie Els holds the tournament and PGA TOUR record of 31 under, set in 2003 at Kapalua. X Spieth’s eight-stroke victory margin matched Els (2003) as the third-best in
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check this out
The last two holes at The Plantation Course are long on yardage, but both play downhill. While the 549-yard par-4 17th is annually one of the toughest on the course, the 663-yard 18th plays so much downhill that most of the field can reach the large green in two, setting up excitement down the stretch with potential for birdies and eagles.
The Tournament of Champions is one of the best for allowing fans to get “up close and personal” to its elite, champions-only field. A highlight of the week is the Aloha Kick-Off prior to the first tee time of the first round featuring a Hawaiian blessing and entertainment.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
Location Honolulu, Hawaii Waialae Country Club
Course Information
Sony Open in Hawaii HOW FABIAN GOMEZ WON
Fabian Gomez made seven birdies in a row starting at the sixth hole of the final round but still needed more heroics to walk away with the title. Gomez began the final round four strokes behind, surged to the front with his birdie streak that didn’t require a putt longer than 12 feet, but slipped back with bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14. Gomez finished strong with birdies on 17 and 18 to finish with a 62 for 20-under 260, a total that was matched by Brandt Snedeker with a birdie on 18. Zac Blair finished one back after missing a 10-foot eagle putt on the 18th. Gomez and Snedeker played the 18th twice in the playoff, Gomez scoring a winning birdie with a long two-putt the second time.
Yardage 7,044; par 70
2016 Champion Fabian Gomez, Argentina
Media Coverage Golf Channel
Tickets Good Any Day tickets are $20 in advance; a season badge is $60. Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult ticket holder. All military and dependents are admitted free. Veterans are provided free tickets via Veteran Tickets Foundation.
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Seth Raynor designed Waialae Country Club in 1927, creating a strategically challenging layout with fairways that zigzag along numerous doglegs and are lined with stands of coconut, monkey pod and kiawe trees. Nestled in the quiet neighborhood of Waialae-Kahala, the course offers numerous views of the Pacific Ocean. Desmond Muirhead oversaw a redesign in 1992.
January 12-15, 2017
“I really don’t remember making seven birdies in a row before. Maybe four or five, but not seven.”––Fabian Gomez
Brandt Snedeker made a playoff with this birdie putt on the 72nd hole.
Gomez had a 30 on the front nine Friday, a 31 on Saturday and a 30 on Sunday. Gomez ranked second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green and also was good at converting as he ranked fifth in Strokes Gained: Putting. Gomez hit only 50 percent of the fairways to rank T60, but he was first in Proximity to the Hole on approaches from the rough.
England’s Greg Owen tied for fifth.
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01/12/2016 09:59
2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 16, Waialae Country Club.
Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6 million Winner’s Share: $1,080,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The Sony Open in Hawaii is the principal fundraising event of Friends of Hawaii Charities. Through a charity partnership with The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the Friends have generated more than $16 million over the past 18 years benefiting more than 350 Hawaii charities, primarily in the areas of intervention, health, and education.
X Fabian Gomez tied the low final round in tournament history with his 62, matching Ernie Els (2005), Rory Sabbatini (2006) and Retief Goosen (2010). It set the tournament record as lowest final round by a winner. X Gomez’s streak of seven straight birdies was two shy of the PGA TOUR record held by Mark
Calcavecchia (2009 RBC Canadian Open). X With his second career victory, Gomez became the fourth Argentinian to win multiple PGA TOUR events, joining Roberto De Vicenzo (5), Angel Cabrera (3) and Jose Coceres (2). The other Argentinians with victories are Andres Romero and Emiliano Grillo.
leaderBoard 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Fabian Gomez
1
64
65
62
260/-20
500.00
$1,044,000.00
69
Brandt Snedeker
2
63
65
66
66
260/-20
300.00
$626,400.00
Zac Blair
3
65
65
64
67
261/-19
190.00
$394,400.00
64
67
65
68
264/-16
135.00
$278,400.00
63
66
66
70
265/-15
105.00
$220,400.00
Greg Owen
T5
69
65
67
64
265/-15
105.00
$220,400.00
images: pga tour; getty images
4 T5
Kevin Kisner couldn’t gain ground with a closing 70 and shared fifth place.
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At par 70, the layout features only two par 5s, but they are the final hole of each nine and they are usually reachable in two if there are prevailing winds. In 2016, there were 48 eagles on the 506-yard ninth and 14 on the 551-yard 18th. The signature hole is considered to be the par-3 17th, which measures 194 yards and runs its full length along the ocean.
fan eXPerience
Si Woo Kim finished fourth at 16 under par.
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Si Woo Kim Kevin Kisner
notaBle course features
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check this out
A Tuesday feature is the Pro-Junior Challenge on holes 10, 11 and 18. On Wednesday is the Military Caddie Program, where 30 active duty service members caddie for a pro on the 18th hole in the pro-am. All week is the Sony Product Tent, where fans can check out the company’s new products and innovations.
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January 19-22, 2017
CareerBuilder Challenge Location PGA WEST La Quinta, Calif.
Course Information The Pete Dye-designed Stadium Course at PGA WEST took over as the host course in 2016, having previously served that role in 1987, hosting the Skins Game in 1986-91 and the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament six times. The challenging layout includes plenty of bunkers and water, most notably a 20-foot-deep bunker to the left of the green on the par-3 16th, the island-green “Alcatraz” par-3 17th and the water-lined par-4 18th.
Yardage Stadium Course 7,113; par 72 Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course 7,159; par 72 La Quinta Country Club 7,060; par 72
2016 Champion Jason Dufner, U.S.
2017 Tournament Ambassador Phil Mickelson
“The 17th was definitely a turning point for me. I’m lucky that the luck has turned a little bit this week and come in my direction.”—Jason Dufner
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HOW JASON DUFNER WON
Host Course Stadium Course at PGA WEST
Jason Dufner finished regulation with two unlikely par saves, then prevailed over David Lingmerth in a playoff. Dufner got a big break on the par-3 17th when his ball ended up in a bare spot among rocks that border the water surrounding the green, and he was able to get up and down. He drove into a fairway bunker on the par-4 18th, laid up to 107 yards, and made an 11foot par putt to tie Lingmerth at 25-under 263. Dufner prevailed in sudden death with a par when Lingmerth found water with his approach shot on the second extra hole, the 18th. Dufner led entering the final round, but needed to recover from a 37 on the front nine to shoot a 70 while Lingmerth was coming from five strokes back with a 65. Dufner shot a 29 on the front nine (his second nine) at La Quinta Country Club in the third round and a 30 on the front nine at the PGA WEST Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course in the second round. Dufner led the field in birdies with 30. Dufner didn’t have a threeputt all week as he ranked fifth in Putting Average.
Media Coverage Golf Channel
Tickets Daily tickets start at $20; parking fee is $10.
Andrew Loupe didn’t shoot higher than 68 in securing a T3.
David Lingmerth rallied from five shots back in the final round to make a playoff.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
Please in a photo of No. 9,sub Stadium Course. PGA West Stadium course
Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $5.8 million Winner’s Share: $1,044,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
Since its inception in 1960, Desert Classic Charities, the charitable entity that organizes the CareerBuilder Challenge, has contributed more than $57 million to the Eisenhower Medical Center and surrounding Coachella Valley nonprofit organizations, focusing on structured and mentoring programs for children, social services and food and shelter for the less fortunate.
notaBle course features
X With 26 birdies through three rounds, Dufner had a chance to match or beat the PGA TOUR record of 32 for a 72-hole event shared by Mark Calcavecchia and Paul Gow, but he settled for four in the final round and a total of 30. Note: Reed had 32 subpar holes at this event in 2014, 30 birdies and two eagles.
X Jason Dufner led or shared the lead after every round (shared after the first round). The only other player to do that since the tournament went to 72 holes in 2012 was Patrick Reed in 2014, who led outright after every round.
The 165-yard 17th has an island green requiring a longer tee shot than the famous 17th hole at Sawgrass. The PGA WEST “Alcatraz hole,” surrounded by rocks instead of railroad ties, gained its own fame when Lee Trevino aced it during the 1987 Skins Game. But the 195-yard 13th and 223yard sixth, also guarded by water, were the toughest par 3s at the Stadium Course in 2016.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Jason Dufner
1
64
65
64
70
263/-25
500.00
$1,044,000.00
David Lingmerth
2
68
68
62
65
263/-25
300.00
$626,400.00
Andrew Loupe
T3
66
66
67
68
267/-21
145.00
$301,600.00
Phil Mickelson
T3
68
65
66
68
267/-21
145.00
$301,600.00
Kevin Na
T3
71
66
62
68
267/-21
145.00
$301,600.00
images: getty images
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Phil Mickelson, who won the tournament in 2002 and 2004, tied for third.
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fan eXPerience Kevin Na got a share of third place on the strength of a thirdround 62.
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check this out
Two key fan areas will provide many attractions including food trucks, an upscale hospitality lounge, merchandise, events, entertainment, and a wide range of activities. Theme days include Patriot Day on Saturday, and Kids Day on Sunday.
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CONSIDER HIM OUR FINAL FILTER.
Gensac-la-Pallue spring water, filtered through limestone, and the highest-grade wheat from the Picardy region of France are the two ingredients chosen with care by our creator and cellar master Franรงois Thibault, who validates the quality of every batch of Grey Goose.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
January 26-29, 2017
Course Information The North and South courses at Torrey Pines were both designed by William F. Bell and opened in 1957 on bluffs above the Pacific Ocean, providing some stunning views. The North Course underwent a complete renovation by Tom Weiskopf in 2016, with tees and greens rebuilt and entirely new bunkering. The more demanding South Course was redesigned by Rees Jones in 2001, with 400 yards added and changes made to the greens, resulting in the course hosting the U.S. Open in 2008.
Yardage South: 7,698; par 72 North: 7,258; par 72
2016 Champion Brandt Snedeker, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets Grounds tickets for tournament days are $50 for adults, $35 for seniors, $15 for youth (13-17), and free for kids 12 and under. Active Duty, Retired and Reserve military are admitted free along with dependents. Weekly badges cost $150.
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“Because of the way the weather blew in, the way the wind blew and made those last five holes play so tough on those guys, I feel bad for them. They got the raw end of the stick this morning.” —Brandt Snedeker Freddie Jacobson was T4 after a closing 76, which was nearly two shots better than the final-round scoring average (77.901).
HOW BRANDT SNEDEKER WON
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Location San Diego, Calif. Torrey Pines Golf Course
Farmers Insurance Open
Brandt Snedeker shot a phenomenal 3-under 69 in howling wind and occasional rain, finishing his final round before play was suspended, and ended up the winner when players finishing their rounds on Monday faced conditions just as bad or worse. Snedeker’s score was the best by three strokes in a two-day round when only seven players shot better than 75. Snedeker began the final round six strokes behind and trailed Jimmy Walker by one when play was suspended. With the Monday start delayed by the removal of debris from fallen trees, the wind picked up again and blew in a different direction so that the closing holes played upwind. Walker made four bogeys on the eight holes he played Monday, leaving K.J. Choi the closest challenger, who finished one back with a 76. Snedeker made only one bogey in the final round, on the first hole. He shot a 4-under 32 on the back nine. Snedeker just made the cut on the number at 143, and was T24 through 54 holes before conquering the elements in the final round. Snedeker was only T57 in Driving Accuracy (41.07 percent of fairways), but T14 in Greens in Regulation and fourth in Putting Average. w w w.pgatour.com
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 11, Torrey Pines South Course.
Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.7 million Winner’s Share: $1,206,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The Farmers Insurance Open annually contributes more than $3 million to charities, schools and military through its funding and in-kind programs. Its primary program, Champions for Youth, provides a fundraising platform, awareness and resources to 12 San Diego charities directly serving at-risk and underserved youth and their families.
X The victory was Snedeker’s second at the Farmers Insurance Open (2012); he also has two runner-up finishes (2010, 2013) and a total of six top-10s in 10 starts. X The final-round scoring average of 77.901 was the highest final-round scoring average for a PGA TOUR event (non-major) since 1983.
X Due to high winds, the course was closed to the public for safety at the tournament’s Monday conclusion. The last time that happened was at the 2012 Quicken Loans National. X The Monday finish in 2016 was only the second in Farmers Insurance Open history. The other was in 2013, when Tiger Woods won the event for the seventh time.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
1
73
70
70
69
282/-6
500.00
$1,170,000.00
2
68
67
72
76
283/-5
300.00
$702,000.00
Kevin Streelman
3
69
69
72
74
284/-4
$442,000.00
Freddie Jacobson
T4
69
69
71
76
285/-3
$286,000.00
Jimmy Walker
T4
69
71
68
77
285/-3
$286,000.00
images: getty images
Kevin Streelman finished in third place, two strokes behind.
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The extremely difficult final-round conditions were evidenced by K.J. Choi, who shot 76 but still finished second.
Measuring 570 yards, the 18th hole is reachable in two shots, but the second must be well-struck or it could find the small pond in front of the green. Even laying up can be dangerous, as approach shots can spin off the green into the hazard. The pond is known as “Devlin’s Billabong” from Bruce Devlin making a 10 in 1975.
fan eXPerience
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Brandt Snedeker K.J. Choi
notaBle course features
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check this out
The SERVPRO Fan Village is the epicenter of the action with showcase areas like the Michelob ULTRA 19th Hole, with a mega LED screen; the Champions for Youth Zone; an Official Merchandise Tent; and a fan-friendly expo. It also has The Fringe Presented by Harrah’s Resort SoCal with live music after play Thursday to Saturday (upgraded ticket needed for The Fringe during play). Another area is The Grove, highlighted by the Grey Goose Lounge. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
Location Scottsdale, Ariz. TPC Scottsdale
Course Information
Waste Management Phoenix Open HOW HIDEKI MATSUYAMA WON
Yardage 7,261; par 71
2016 Champion Hideki Matsuyama, Japan
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets General admission tickets are $40 daily Wednesday through Sunday (admission is free Monday and Tuesday thanks to Ford Free Days courtesy of the Arizona Ford Dealers). Ages 17 and under are free all week when accompanied by an adult. First responders and active, reserve or retired military are free along with one accompanying individual.
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“The putt I made at 18, the 72nd hole, was probably the best putt I have ever made in my life.”––Hideki Matsuyama
Boo Weekley charged into contention with a third-round 65.
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The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale was designed by the renowned design team of Jay Morrish and 1973 Open Championship winner Tom Weiskopf specifically to serve as the stage for the tournament. Built in 1986, the Stadium Course offers a collection of challenging risk-reward holes that incorporate strategic bunkering and water hazards. Weiskopf oversaw a renovation of the course in 2014. The location of the property provides spectacular views of the McDowell Mountains and the Sonoran D esert.
February 2-5, 2017
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, runner-up a year earlier, took the title this time in a playoff after Rickie Fowler lost a late lead. Fowler was two ahead going to the short par-4 17th hole, but knocked his drive over the green and into the water, leading to a bogey and a two-stroke swing when Matsuyama birdied. In a dramatic finish to regulation, both birdied the 18th, Matsuyama from 18 feet and Fowler from 10. After both parred 18 to start the playoff, both birdied 18 again on the second extra hole. They then went to the 10th hole, where both parred, and the 17th, where Fowler hooked a 3-wood tee shot into the water for a bogey as Matsuyama made par to claim his second PGA TOUR title. Danny Lee had a three-stroke lead through 54 holes, but shot a 73 to finish fourth while Matsuyama and Fowler both had 67s. Matsuyama led the field in Greens in Regulation, hitting 77.8 percent including 16 greens in both the third and fourth rounds. Matsuyama ranked first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and 29th in Strokes Gained: Putting. New Zealander Danny Lee was fourth, three strokes out of a playoff.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 18, TPC Scottsdale.
Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.7 million Winner’s Share: $1,206,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The Waste Management Phoenix Open and the tournament host Thunderbirds raise money for charities, most of which provide programs that benefit youth. In the 81-year history of the tournament, the Thunderbirds have raised more than $111 million, including more than $9.3 million in 2016.
X The four-hole playoff was the longest since the tournament moved to TPC Scottsdale in 1987, topping three-hole playoffs in 1988 (Sandy Lyle over Fred Couples), 1996 (Phil Mickelson over Justin Leonard), and 2009 (Kenny Perry over Charley Hoffman). X Hideki Matsuyama of Japan became the first international-born winner of the Waste
Management Phoenix Open since Australia’s Aaron Baddeley in 2007. Others since the event moved to TPC Scottsdale in 1987 were Scotland’s Sandy Lyle (1988), Fiji’s Vijay Singh (1995, 2003) and Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik (1998). X It was the second career PGA TOUR victory for 23-year-old Matsuyama, both in playoffs (2014 Memorial Tournament over Kevin Na).
leaderBoard 2016 Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Hideki Matsuyama
1
65
70
68
67
270/-14
500.00
$1,170,000.00
Rickie Fowler
2
65
68
70
67
270/-14
300.00
$702,000.00
3
67
67
71
66
271/-13
190.00
$442,000.00
4
67
66
67
73
273/-11
135.00
$312,000.00
Boo Weekley
5
71
68
65
70
274/-10
110.00
$260,000.00
imageS: US Pga TOUR; geTTY imageS
Harris English Danny Lee
Harris English finished third at 13-under 271.
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In his traditional Sunday orange, Rickie Fowler shot 67 and lost in a playoff.
The short par-3 16th, just 163 yards, has become the most renowned and exciting during the tournament. This is the first tournament hole in golf completely surrounded by grandstands and skyboxes, which are filled by 16,000 fans each day, the reason why it has become known as “the most exciting hole in golf.”
fan eXPerience
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Player
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check this out
notaBle course features
The Coors Light Birds Nest is an entertainment tent with live music Wednesday to Saturday evenings. On Tuesday morning the R.S. Hoyt Jr. Family Foundation Dream Day Activities include speeches by TOUR pros, a trick shot show and a junior golf clinic presented by PING. Celebrities are featured Wednesday at the Annexus Pro-Am and Phoenix Suns Charities Shot at Glory. Saturday is a “Green Out,” with everyone encouraged to wear green to support the eco efforts of the tournament. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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THE VERY BEST IN GOLF.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB.
LOOKING FOR THE BEST IN GOLF? LOOK FOR TPC ® . Of the world’s 34,000 golf courses, only 34 exceed the standards of the PGA TOUR ® at every turn. For design. For agronomy. For providing a professional level of golf and service to every devoted golfer. Play with the confidence of a champion. Play TPC. TPC .
For tee times, golf vacations or memberships visit playtpc.com. TPC Sawgrass Home of THE PLAYERS Championship
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
February 9-12, 2017
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Location
HOW VAUGHN TAYLOR WON
Course Information
Prominent amateur golfers Jack Neville and Douglas Grant designed Pebble Beach Golf Links, which opened in 1919. Changes to the scenic and iconic layout over the years have included William Fowler converting the 18th hole to a par 5 and Jack Nicklaus creating a new fifth hole in 1998. Pebble Beach has hosted one PGA Championship and five U.S. Opens with a sixth s cheduled for 2019.
Yardage
Pebble Beach GL 6,828 yards; Par 72 Monterey Peninsula CC 6,873; par 72 Spyglass Hill GC (Shore Course) 6,960; par 72
2016 Champion
Vaughn Taylor, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets
Advance daily tickets are $60 Monday through Friday and $70 for the weekend; a weekly badge costs $150. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Active duty, reserve and retired military can register for up to two complimentary tickets.
“I didn’t think it was going to happen. I worked so hard and just kept getting knocked down and knocked down. I just can’t believe it actually happened today.”—Vaughn Taylor
After opening with a 65, Freddie Jacobson finished T4 at 14 under.
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Pebble Beach, Calif. Pebble Beach Golf Links (host course)
Vaughn Taylor hadn’t won a PGA TOUR title since 2005, had lost his exempt status and was coming off a withdrawal from a Web.com Tour event in Colombia due to illness. Then he turned his career around at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he got into the field as the first alternate out of the past-champion category and made up a six-stroke deficit with a final-round 65 to score his third career PGA TOUR victory less than a month before his 40th birthday. Taylor birdied four holes in a row coming down the stretch in the final round, the last one with a 30-foot putt on No. 16 to take the lead. Third-round leader Phil Mickelson came to the 72nd hole one behind and had a five-foot birdie putt to force a playoff, but missed. Mickelson settled for an even-par 72 in the final round. Taylor had streaks of four straight birdies on the back nine in both the second and fourth rounds. Taylor had eight birdies in the second round and nine in the fourth, leading the field with 25 birdies on the week (plus one eagle). Taylor ranked T2 in Greens in Regulation, hitting 54 of 72.
Hiroshi Iwata’s fast start (66-66) helped him to T4.
Social Media
Twitter: @attproam Facebook: www.facebook. com/attproam w w w.pgatour.com
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2016/2017 tournament overview
Field: 156 professionals Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.2 million Winner’s Share: $1,296,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit Monterey Peninsula Foundation is the nonprofit organization that stages the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. It gives grants to organizations and programs that demonstrate the greatest possible effect, with areas of interest including youth, education, health, human services, arts, community and environmental programs.
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X Vaughn Taylor came from six strokes behind after 54 holes to win; the last player to come from six back to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was Phil Mickelson in 2012. X By finishing second, Mickelson missed a chance to tie Mark O’Meara for the most victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (five).
Mickelson and Sam Snead have four wins, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller have three. X Taylor also won the pro-am portion of the event with partner Gregg Ontiveros. That marks the sixth time since 1987 that the champion also won the pro-am portion, the last Brandt Snedeker in 2013.
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Vaughn Taylor
1
70
68
67
65
270/-17
500.00
$1,260,000.00
Phil Mickelson
2
68
65
66
72
271/-16
300.00
$756,000.00
Jonas Blixt
3
67
69
67
69
272/-15
190.00
$476,000.00
Hiroshi Iwata
T4
66
66
69
72
273/-14
122.50
$308,000.00
Freddie Jacobson
T4
65
69
68
71
273/-14
122.50
$308,000.00
Jonas Blixt shot in the 60s each round en route to third place.
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Runner-up Phil Mickelson was bidding for his fifth AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title.
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Pos 1
Pebble Beach Golf Links is famous for its holes that run along the Pacific Ocean, and while the par-5 18th is one of the most recognizable holes in the world, holes 8-10 comprise the most difficult stretch. The 418-yard eighth plays over a chasm on the second shot, while the ninth and 10th are 466 and 446 yards, respectively.
fan eXPerience
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
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notaBle course features
Players from the San Francisco Giants and 49ers take part in the Chevron Shoot-Out on Tuesday, while celebrities take their shots at the Facebook Million Dollar Hole-in-One for Charity on Tuesday and 3M Celebrity Challenge on Wednesday as well as the proam portion of the tournament. The Triangle Plaza is a raised deck with views of holes 6, 8 and the coastline open to all spectators, with an AT&T Fan Enhancement Area. For kids, there is the Chevron STEM Zone, a 3,600 square feet area of interactive science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) demonstrations.
images: getty images
quick facts
No. 18, Pebble Beach Golf Links.
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Golf taught me: Perseverance Respect Confidence All of the above
In elementary schools, on golf courses and at youth centers across the country, The First Tee is teaching life-enhancing skills that empower young people to make decisions for their future. Get involved today. www.thefirsttee.org
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GOLF AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
GIVE IT A SHOT.
LOOKING FOR THE BEST IN GOLF? LOOK FOR TPC ® . Of the world’s 34,000 golf courses, only 34 exceed the standards of the PGA TOUR ® at every turn. For design. For agronomy. For providing a professional level of golf and service to every devoted golfer. Play with the confidence of a champion. Play TPC. TPC .
For tee times, golf vacations
TPC Summerlin
or memberships visit playtpc.com.
Host of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
PGA Tour - TPC Summerlin.indd 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
February 16-19, 2017
Genesis Open Location
HOW BUBBA WATSON WON
Course Information
Bubba Watson birdied the 16th and 17th holes in the final round to win at Riviera for the second time in three years. Watson trailed by two strokes when he hit his tee shot to five feet on the par-3 16th, and when he made the birdie putt and Jason Kokrak bogeyed the 15th behind him, they were tied. Up ahead, Adam Scott joined the tie for the lead when he chipped in for a birdie on 18, but the longhitting Watson got a go-ahead birdie after reaching the 590yard par-5 17th in two. Watson led entering the final round, but with nine players within two strokes through 54 holes it was a tight battle. Kokrak went out in three-under 32 on the front nine Sunday, but an even-par back nine left him with a 68, the same as Watson, while Scott shot a 67.
The George C. Thomasdesigned Riviera Country Club was instantly acclaimed as one of the best courses in the U.S. when it opened in 1927, and it has retained that standing. Set on a flat site inside the Santa Monica Canyon, much fill dirt was used and shaped into a natural looking landscape in the strategic design mold. Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore did a renovation in 1992 and Tom Fazio has supervised some changes, including lengthening many hol es, since 2002.
Yardage 7,322; par 71
2016 Champion Bubba Watson, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets Advance tickets cost $19 for Monday to Wednesday, $49 Thursday and Friday, and $59 for Saturday and Sunday before Feb. 10, with a discount if purchased before Jan. 3. Youth age 17 and under are admitted free, and so are active duty and retired military. Veterans receive a 25 percent discount.
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Pacific Palisades, Calif. Riviera Country Club
“I looked at the leaderboard and saw that nobody was running away with it, so I knew that I still had a shot if I could make some good swings and good putts down the stretch, and somehow it worked out.” ––Bubba Watson
With a dramatic finish, Adam Scott was T2.
Watson made only five bogeys all week, matching the lowest total in the field. Watson ranked third in Strokes Gained: Approach-theGreen with 1.694 per round. Watson ranked fourth in Scrambling, saving par 16 of the 21 times he missed the green.
Dustin Johnson had his fifth top-four finish in seven years at Riviera Country Club.
Social Media Twitter: @GenesisOpen Facebook: www.facebook. com/GenesisOpen w w w.pgatour.com
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2016/2017 tournament overview
Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7 million Winner’s Share: $1,260,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
chARitY BeNeFit Partnering with new title sponsor Genesis, the global luxury car brand, the Tiger Woods Foundation serves as host organization and primary benefiting charity. Proceeds from the Genesis Open benefit the foundation’s college access programs in Southern California including the Tiger Woods Learning Center and Earl Woods Scholarship Program.
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X Adding to his 2014 victory, Bubba Watson became the 16th player to win the event more than once. The record of four is shared by Macdonald Smith (1928, 1929, 1932, 1934) and Lloyd Mangrum (1949, 1951, 1953, 1956). X Watson’s winning total was 15-under 279 in both of his victories at Riviera.
X Dustin Johnson has finished 2-T2-4 in the last three years at Riviera and was T4 in 2012 and T3 in 2010. X K.J. Choi, who finished T5, has never missed the cut in 16 appearances in the event. He has finished in the top 10 five times, with a best of T3 in 2009.
leADeRBoARD 2016 Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Bubba Watson
1
68
67
68
269/-15
500.00
$1,224,000.00
66
Jason Kokrak
T2
68
64
70
68
270/-14
295.00
$594,400.00
Adam Scott
T2
68
68
67
67
270/-14
295.00
$594,400.00
Dustin Johnson
4
68
66
68
69
271/-13
135.00
$326,400.00
K.J. Choi
T5
69
67
67
69
272/-12
105.00
$258,400.00
Marc Leishman
T5
68
67
68
69
272/-12
105.00
$258,400.00
Buoyed by a secondround 64, Jason Kokrak tied for second place.
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K.J. Choi’s long affinity for the tournament showed with a T5 finish.
The 315-yard 10th hole is one of the most intriguing holes on the PGA TOUR. Depending on tee placement and how long a hitter the player is, it often sets up as a drivable par 4. But the green is small and set at an angle, so it is very difficult to hit, and shots from around the green are often very challenging, making the decision to go for it a difficult one.
FAN eXPeRieNce
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Player
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NotABle couRse FeAtuRes
The Genesis Showroom on 14 is an interactive fan exhibit featuring the latest vehicles from Genesis. The Promenade features various local food trucks, interactive games, a Travis Mathew exhibit and a videoboard, while The Boulevard has interactive sponsor exhibits, tournament merchandise, and a public bar; there is also the Grey Goose 19th Hole Lounge near the 10th tee. Saturday’s schedule features a junior clinic and a post-round concert.
images: getty images
quick FActs
No. 18, Riviera Country Club.
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© 2016 PGATOUR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Player appearance subject to change.
Matt Kuchar Class of 2006
The Path to the PGA TOUR.
®
Before a golfer captivates millions with his swing and goes on to be a legend, he must first prove himself on the Web.com Tour. Every year the Web.com Tour awards 50 PGA TOUR® cards producing some of the world’s best golfers. Former Web.com Tour players account for three out of every four current PGA TOUR cardholders and over 450 PGA TOUR victories.
Wesley Bryan Class of 2016
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American Honda Motor Co.indd 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
February 23-26, 2017
The Honda Classic Location Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. PGA National Resort & Spa The Champion Golf Course
Course Information Originally designed by George and Tom Fazio in 1981, the Champion Golf Course was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1990 and again in 2014. The course has hosted the 1983 Ryder Cup, 1987 PGA Championship, the Senior PGA Championship from 1982-2000 and The Honda Classic since 2007. With water in play on 16 holes and strategic bunkering, it is one of the sterner tests on the PGA TOUR.
Yardage 7,140; par 70
“At the end there was definitely a sense of relief and just satisfaction, and quite happy that was over and I managed to hang on. It could have gone any way.” —Adam Scott
2016 Champion Adam Scott, Australia
Golf Channel/NBC
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
Tickets Advance grounds tickets are free Monday, $20 Tuesday, $30 Wednesday, and $50 Thursday-Sunday, with a Good Any Single Day ticket going for $55. Discounts are available when buying two or four tickets. A weekly ticket booklet costs $150. Admission is free for military and for kids 15 and under accompanied by a ticketed adult.
HOW ADAM SCOTT WON
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Media Coverage
Adam Scott came out on top in a tight head-to-head battle with Sergio Garcia to win by one stroke. The pair were tied and four clear of the rest of the field through 54 holes, so on a tough day for scoring they weren’t seriously threatened while Scott shot a closing 70 and Garcia a 71. Scott shot 65-66 in the middle rounds, the latter coming despite a quadruple bogey on the par-3 15th hole, where he hit two balls in the water. Scott opened the final round with a birdie and had at least a share of the lead all day, but never by more than two shots. He retained a one-stroke lead when both bogeyed 16 and went ahead by two when Garcia bogeyed 17, enabling Scott to withstand a Garcia birdie on the final hole.
Scott had eight birdies in the third round, more than offsetting a quadruple bogey on No. 15. Scott led the field in Greens in Regulation Percentage at 76.39, and was solid down the stretch as he hit the last eight greens. Scott was second in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green with 1.921 per round. Blayne Barber shared third, four strokes behind the winner.
Former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell was fifth after a closing 69.
Social Media Twitter: @TheHondaClassic Facebook: www.facebook. com/The-Honda-Classic/
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
QUICK FACTS
No. 1, The Champion Golf Course.
Field: 144 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 Honda Classic donated a record $3.212 million to local children’s charities in 2016. That included a $1 million grant to the tournament’s main beneficiary, the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. The grant jumpstarts a campaign to build a new dedicated pediatric emergency department at Jupiter Medical Center as part of the facility’s Nicklaus Children’s Hospital partnership.
Adam Scott was the first player to win on the PGA TOUR despite making a quadruple bogey during the week since Phil Mickelson at the 2009 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. With the victory by Australia’s Scott, international players have won The Honda Classic seven of the 10 times it has been played
since moving to PGA National. No player has successfully defended The Honda Classic title since Jack Nicklaus in 1978. Since moving to PGA National in 2007, the winning total has been double digits under par only twice: Camilo Villegas, 13 under in 2010 and Rory McIlroy, 12 under in 2012.
LEADERBOARD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Adam Scott
1
65
66
70
271/-9
500.00
$1,098,000.00
70
2
65
69
67
71
272/-8
300.00
$658,800.00
T3
70
66
69
70
275/-5
162.50
$353,800.00
Justin Thomas
T3
69
69
68
69
275/-5
162.50
$353,800.00
Graeme McDowell
5
71
69
67
69
276/-4
110.00
$244,000.00
Justin Thomas broke 70 each round to finish T3.
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The 54-hole co-leader, Sergio Garcia birdied the final hole Sunday to finish one behind Adam Scott.
The Champion Golf Course is known for a three-hole stretch nicknamed “The Bear Trap,” all prominently featuring water hazards. Water guards three sides of the green at the 179-yard 15th and again at the 190-yard 17th. On the 434-yard par-4 16th, water runs the entire length of the hole and must be carried with the second shot on the dogleg right.
FAN EXPERIENCE
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Sergio Garcia Blayne Barber
NOTABLE COURSE FEATURES
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CHECK THIS OUT
Saturday is Tire Kingdom Family Day, featuring the Kids Club at the Honda Pavilion with interactive fun and games, contests and lots of prizes. There is a junior clinic on Tuesday, a kids’ autograph zone and fireworks on Friday and Saturday. Adults can enjoy the Michelob ULTRA Terrace, and a Concert Series on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. w w w.pgatour.com
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© 2016 PGATOUR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PLAYER APPEARANCE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
JASON DAY 2016 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER
TICKETS AND TRAVEL PACKAGES AVAILABLE AT THEPLAYERSCHAMPIONSHIP.COM MAY 9-14 TPC SAWGRASS PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
March 2-5, 2017
World Golf ChampionshipsMexico Championship Location Mexico City, Mexico Club de Golf Chapultepec
Course Information The tournament moves this year to Club de Golf Chapultepec, a course with a long history. The course was designed by Scottish brothers Willie and Alex Smith and opened in 1921, with a redesign in 1972 by Gene Clifford. It was the primary site of the Mexican Open from its 1944 inception to 1960, and 18 times in all, with winners including Roberto De Vicenzo (1951, 53, 55), Ben Crenshaw (1981), and Jay Haas (1991). Most of the holes are tree-lined, with strategic bunkering and water hazards; the course features many elevation changes and views of the Mexico City skyline.
Yardage 7,330; par 71
2016 Champion Adam Scott, Australia
Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC
Tickets For ticket information, go to worldgolfchampionships.com
Social Media
“I think after the second double bogey, winning was kind of far from the front of my mind. At that point, I took a moment to think about just gaining some traction on the round before it slips away.” —Adam Scott
Runner-up Bubba Watson closed with a 68 to finish one back.
Danny Willett, who was T3, had three rounds in the 60s.
Twitter: @WGCMexico Facebook: www.facebook.com/ WGCmexicochampionship
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
Fifth-place finisher Phil Mickelson was part of a star-studded leaderboard.
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Rory McIlroy led after 54 holes but had a rough patch in the middle of the final round en route to a T3.
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HOW ADAM SCOTT WON
Adam Scott survived a nightmare start to conjure up a mid-round charge to win his second World Golf Championships event. Scott, who a week earlier captured The Honda Classic, began the final round tied for second, three strokes behind Rory McIlroy. The Australian hit approach shots into the water on the par-4 third and fifth holes for a pair of double bogeys that dropped him to 3 over for the round and six behind McIlroy. Scott proceeded to birdie six of the next nine holes, while McIlroy played the same stretch in 3 over in a stunning turnaround that left Scott three ahead of McIlroy and two ahead of Bubba Watson. When Watson birdied 17 and finished at 11 under it made for some nervous moments for Scott at 12 under playing the 18th, where his approach stopped on the bank inside the water hazard. But he pitched to seven feet and made the putt to win by one. McIlroy shot a 74 to finish two back, tied for third with Danny Willett (69). All seven of Scott’s birdies in the final round were from inside 10 feet, and five of them inside five feet as he birdied all four par 5s and hit close approaches on three par 4s. Scott ranked T1 in Par 5 Scoring Average at 4.38 for the week. Scott ranked first in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, gaining 11.41 shots for the week with approach shots. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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quick facts
No. 14, Club de Golf Chapultepec.
Field: approx. 65 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $9.75 million Winner’s Share: $1,755,000 FedExCup Points: 550 to the winner
charity Benefit The Mexico Championship took the first steps in launching The First Tee Mexico, a program that develops affordable learning facilities and provides young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop through golf and character education. Since 1999, the World Golf Championships series has distributed nearly $60 million to charities worldwide.
Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Adam Scott
1
66
73
69
276/-12
550.00
$1,620,000.00
68
Bubba Watson
2
69
69
71
68
277/-11
315.00
$1,018,000.00
Rory McIlroy
T3
71
65
68
74
278/-10
170.00
$483,000.00
115.00
$342,000.00
Danny Willett
T3
68
69
72
69
278/-10
Phil Mickelson
5
67
72
70
70
279/-9
$483,000.00
check this out X Adam Scott earned his second career victory in a World Golf Championships event, also having captured the 2011 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. The only players with more than two are Tiger Woods (18), Dustin Johnson (three) and Geoff Ogilvy (three). X Adam Scott became the fifth international player to win this event since it began in 1999 and the second Australian, joining Geoff Ogilvy (2008). 178
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X Four of the top five finishers owned major championships at the time—Adam Scott (one major), Bubba Watson (two), Rory McIlroy (four) and Phil Mickelson (five)—while the other would win his first major the following month, Danny Willett at the Masters. X The United States had 23 of the 65 players in the field, followed by Australia (eight), England (seven), South Africa (four) and Sweden (three). A total of 20 countries were represented.
Club de Golf Chapultepec gets off to an interesting start as the first hole is a 316-yard, downhill par 4. It is drivable, but to get to the green the tee shot must fade around a group of trees on a hole that bends to the right. By contrast, the three par 5s are very long, particularly the 625-yard, uphill sixth. The other hole that is a par 5 as the members play it, No. 8, will play as a 525-yard par 4 and will be one of the toughest on the course. It is preceded by another hard hole, the 235-yard par-3 seventh where a pond guards the front and right of the green. There are chances for birdies down the stretch on the 575-yard par-5 15th, 403-yard par-4 16th, 172-yard par-3 17th, and 388-yard par-4 18th, but both par 4s play uphill and there is water on 17.
images: geTTY images; us pga Tour; club de golf chapulTepec
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
March 9-12, 2017
Valspar Championship Location
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HOW CHARL SCHWARTZEL WON
Palm Harbor, Fla. Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club (Copperhead Course)
Course Information Designed by Larry Packard in 1972, the Copperhead Course is a favorite of PGA TOUR players because of its straightforward shotmaking examination. The undulating terrain is unusual for a Florida course and complements a challenging strategic layout accentuated by lakes, ponds and abundant trees. During a 2015 restoration, the greens were rebuilt and bunkers reshaped.
Yardage 7,340; par 71
2016 Champion Charl Schwartzel, South Africa.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC
Tickets
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
For information, go online to www. valsparchampionship. com. Kids 15 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult, while active duty and military retirees receive two free tickets. Military veterans are eligible for up to two discounted tickets per day at $25 each.
“At the beginning of the week I thought to myself if you do get a chance to win, you better not back off. You’ve got to take the shots on and live with the consequence.” ––Charl Schwartzel
Third-round leader Bill Haas closed with 72 and lost in a playoff.
Charl Schwartzel conquered a tough Copperhead Course with a final-round, 4-under 67 to come from five strokes behind and beat 54-hole leader Bill Haas in a playoff. Schwartzel, who hadn’t won on the PGA TOUR since his lone victory at the 2011 Masters but had two recent wins in his native South Africa, trailed by three with six holes to play. A 64-foot birdie putt on 13, an up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 14th and a 25-footer for birdie on 17, along with a par save from a difficult spot on 16, were enough to bring him into a tie after 72 holes. Schwartzel won on the first extra hole when Haas bogeyed. Amateur Lee McCoy (69) was the only player in the last nine groups other than Schwartzel to break par in the final round and finished fourth. After hitting only three of 13 fairways in the first round and just two in the second, Schwartzel rebounded to hit eight fairways in the third round and 10 in the fourth. While ranking 52nd in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, Schwartzel was third in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green. Schwartzel led the field in birdies with 18, including six in the final round. Amateur Lee McCoy had a strong performance, finishing fourth.
Social Media Twitter: @ValsparChamp Facebook: www.facebook. com/valsparchampionship
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quick facts
Jordan Spieth putts on the 18th green of the Copperhead Course.
Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.3 million Winner’s Share: $1,098,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
Copperhead Charities, Inc., the non-profit organizing group of the Valspar Championship, generated more than $2.1 million in charitable donations in 2016, an increase of nearly 20 percent from the previous year as more than 150 area charities benefited. The total contribution by Copperhead Charities since 1977 is more than $36 million.
X International players have scored nine victories in the 16 times the Valspar Championship has been played, including Charl Schwartzel in 2016. He joined K.J Choi (2002, 2006), Retief Goosen (2003, 2009), Vijay Singh (2004), Carl Pettersson (2005), Luke Donald (2012) and John Senden (2014). X Schwartzel was the seventh winner in the
last nine years of the Valspar Championship to come from behind in the final round, setting a tournament record by rallying from five back. X Schwartzel’s 7-under 277 matched the second-highest winning score in tournament history, behind Sean O’Hair in 2008 (280) and tying John Senden in 2014.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Charl Schwartzel
1
70
69
67
277/-7
500.00
$1,098,000.00
71
Bill Haas
2
71
67
67
72
277/-7
300.00
$658,800.00
Ryan Moore
3
70
69
69
71
279/-5
190.00
$414,800.00
Lee McCoy (a)
4
74
71
66
69
280/-4
Graham DeLaet
T5
72
66
68
75
281/-3
105.00
$268,400.00
Charles Howell III
T5
67
72
70
72
281/-3
105.00
$268,400.00
A consistent week resulted in a thirdplace finish for Ryan Moore.
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Charles Howell III shared fifth place at 3 under.
The 16th through 18th holes on Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course are known as the “Snake Pit.” The toughest of the three, and one of the toughest on the course statistically, is the 16th. The 475-yard dogleg-right hole features water on the right side and produced more double bogeys or worse (32) than birdies (25) in 2016.
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Player
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Special areas for spectators include the Hooters Owl’s Nest, the Jabil Family Fun Zone, the Michelob ULTRA 19th Hole, Frenchy’s Pool Party, the Fan Expo Area, the Pinch a Penny Birdies for the Brave Patriots Outpost and health screenings available from Tampa General Hospital. A Saturday or Good Any Day ticket gets you into the Valspar LIVE! concert with Toby Keith on Saturday evening following play. w w w.pgatour.com
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
March 16-19, 2017
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard Location Orlando, Fla. Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Course Information Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Arnold Palmer’s signature design, is a demanding, strategic course that requires length off the tee and accuracy into tricky greens. Originally designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee in 1961, the layout featuring numerous water hazards and has been substantially redesigned by Palmer over the years to modernize the challenge for the game’s top players.
Yardage 7,419; par 72
2016 Champion
“Even though the front side wasn’t good for me, don’t panic, just be patient with yourself and when you get that opening, like I did on 17, make sure you take it.” ––Jason Day
Jason Day, Australia Golf Channel/NBC
Tickets Any One Day grounds tickets start at $50 and a weekly grounds badge at $110. There is a 10 percent discount on all tickets (including upgraded ones) when using Mastercard. Children 12-and-under are free, and a youth ticket for ages 13-17 starts at $15. Tickets are complimentary for active duty and military retirees and one guest; veterans and one guest can get tickets for $25 each.
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Media Coverage
HOW JASON DAY WON Jason Day led at the end of each round, but trailed standing on the 17th tee on Sunday before emerging with the victory. Day had a two-stroke margin through 54 holes, but after an even-par front nine that included three bogeys, he was tied for the lead. Kevin Chappell, playing ahead of Day, went in front with a birdie on 16 and stayed ahead with a par save on 17. But while Chappell was in the process of bogeying the 18th after a bad drive, Day made a 12-foot birdie putt on the tough par-3 17th to trade places on top of the leaderboard. Day then got up and down from a bunker on 18, sinking a four-foot putt, to complete a round of 70 and take the title. It was Day’s first win of 2016 and fifth in his last 12 PGA TOUR starts.
Day played the par 5s in 10-under to rank T5 despite bogeys on two of them in the final round. Day ranked only T29 in Greens in Regulation, but was first in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green. Day averaged 25.0 putts per round to rank T2.
Henrik Stenson shared third place after a final-round 71.
Runner-up Kevin Chappell led going to the final hole on Sunday.
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quick facts Field: approx. 120 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8.7 million Winner’s Share: $1,566,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
check this out
ties), joining Mike Nicolette (1983), Paul Azinger (1988) and Fred Couples (1992). X Since 1988, only three players have shot four rounds in the 60s at the Arnold Palmer Invitational: Kevin Chappell (2016, finished 2nd), Matt Every (2015, won) and Bart Bryant (2008, 2nd).
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Jason Day
1
68
65
70
70
271/-17
500.00
$1,134,000.00
Kevin Chappell
2
66
68
67
69
272/-16
300.00
$680,400.00
Troy Merritt
T3
67
69
67
71
274/-14
162.50
$365,400.00
Henrik Stenson
T3
67
66
70
71
274/-14
162.50
$365,400.00
Zach Johnson
5
70
70
68
68
276/-12
110.00
$252,000.00
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Two-time major champion Zach Johnson closed with 68-68 to finish fifth.
The closing hole at Bay Hill has been known for producing incredible drama. The par 4 measuring 458 yards requires a second shot to a narrow kidney-shaped green that wraps around a lake, leaving a long carry over rocks and water when the flagstick is on the right side. While plenty of players have seen their hopes drown on no. 18, Robert Gamez famously holed out for eagle with a 7-iron in 1990 to beat Greg Norman by a stroke.
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Troy Merritt liked this bunker shot on No. 14 en route to a T3.
notaBle course features
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X The purse for the 2017 Arnold Palmer Invitational is $8.7 million, a boost of $2.4 million over last year. Additionally, in 2015 the winner began receiving a three-year PGA TOUR exemption instead of two. X Jason Day became the fourth wire-to-wire winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational (no
The Mastercard Club is open to all cardholders, featuring a fun atmosphere, a full bar for purchase, and daily player appearances. The Qkr! With Masterpass app gives exclusive access to signed tournament memorabilia, 10 percent off food and drinks, and the ability to skip the line at concessions.
images: us pga tour; getty images
This will be the first Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard without Arnold Palmer, who died Sept. 25, 2016 at age 87. The tournament, held at Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge since 1979, will dearly miss its legendary host, whose graciousness and genuine nature were enjoyed by spectators, players and volunteers alike.
Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation is the host organization of the tournament. The foundation includes Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, and provides financial support to institutions and organizations that support the well-being and development of children and youth, support health and wellness initiatives, and strengthen communities and the environment.
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Gary Player | Class of 1974
Arnold Palmer | Class of 1974
CELEBRATE
Jack Nicklaus | Class of 1974
THE
GAME’S BEST! WORLD GOLF VILLAGE | ST. AUGUSTINE, FL | WORLDGOLFHALLOFFAME.ORG
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
March 22-26, 2017
World Golf ChampionshipsDell Technologies Match Play Location Austin, Texas Austin Country Club
Course Information Austin Country Club, hosting for the second year, was founded in 1899, but its current course was built on new property in 1984 and designed by Pete Dye. As configured for the tournament, a stretch of holes on the back nine is in the “lowlands” close to Lake Austin while the rest of the course is higher and more typical of Texas Hill Country. The course features deep pot bunkers and dramatic elevation changes, with a Texas accent added by extensive use of limestone slabs, quarried on site, to build revetments for tees, greens and fairways. The course is designed so that aggressive play to target areas providing the best angle of approach or best birdie chance on the green often requires flirting with the ample hazards.
Yardage 7,073; par 71
2016 Champion Jason Day, Australia
Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC
“It was a very, very strange week. But glad to gut it through and get the win. I was getting therapy before my rounds, after my rounds, between my rounds.”—Jason Day
Tickets Tickets went on sale in September and were expected to sell out in advance.
Louis Oosthuizen reacts to a shot during his semifinal victory.
Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello finished third after winning the consolation match.
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Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy finished fourth.
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Jason Day (right) was forced to the 18th hole only once, in a semifinal win over Rory McIlroy (left).
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HOW JASON DAY WON
Despite a back problem that prevented him from playing a practice round, and nearly caused him to withdraw on the second day, Jason Day made it through seven matches and walked away with the title at Austin Country Club. Day tweaked his back on the last hole of his victory in the first day of round-robin play, and only at the last minute on Thursday morning did he decide he could play in the second round. He ended up going 3-0 to advance to the weekend, where he negotiated two days of two matches, ultimately defeating Louis Oosthuizen in the final, 5 and 4. Day’s toughest match was earlier that day in the semifinals where he edged Rory McIlroy, 1 up, in a matchup of the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds. A day earlier, Day assured he would take over the No. 1 spot in the World Ranking, but his victory meant that he did so in style. Day was forced to the 18th hole in only one match, the 1-up victory over McIlroy, which Day clinched by making a 12foot par putt to halve the final hole. In the final, Oosthuizen won only one hole (the first, with a par) and made only one birdie as Day cruised to a 3-up lead at the turn on the way to victory. On Saturday, Day beat Brandt Snedeker in the fourth round, 3 and 2, and Brooks Koepka in the quarterfinals by the same margin. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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Field: 64 players Format: 18-hole match play, with four-player pool play preceding singleelimination match play Purse: $9.75 million Winner’s Share: $1,620,000 FedExCup Points: 550 to the winner
charity Benefit The primary beneficiary of the World Golf Championships is The First Tee. The Dell Technologies Match Play also contributes to several Austin beneficiaries: Austin Parks Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin area, The First Tee of Greater Austin, Helping Hand Home for Children and Keep Austin Beautiful.
leaderBoard 2016 Player
Pos FedExCup Points
Earnings
Jason Day
1
550.00
$1,620,000.00
Louis Oosthuizen
2
315.00
$1,018,000.00
Rafa Cabrera Bello
3
Rory McIlroy
4
$660,000.00 140.00
$530,000.00
X Jason Day (2014, 16) became the third multiple winner of the Dell Match Play, joining Tiger Woods (2003, 2004, 2008) and Geoff Ogilvy (2006, 2009). X Day’s victory made it nine wins for international-born players in the 18 years of the event. In addition to two wins each for Australians Day and Ogilvy, the others are Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke (2000) 188
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and Rory McIlroy (2015), Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (2007), and England’s Ian Poulter (2010) and Luke Donald (2011). X Day’s 5-and-4 victory over Louis Oosthuizen was the largest margin in the championship match since Tiger Woods defeated Stewart Cink, 8 and 7, in 2008 when the final was 36 holes.
The signature hole is the par-5 12th, which plays downhill to a green that sits hard by Lake Austin, with the iron arch of a bridge adjacent to the course as a backdrop. It’s reachable in two strokes, but water awaits an errant shot, making it an excellent risk/ reward hole for match play. That’s followed by another hole that can produce birdies or penalty strokes, the short par-4 13th featuring a green that juts into the water. The lakeside stretch concludes with the long par-4 14th where pars will be hard earned and the lake hugs the entire left side.
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notaBle course features
Spectators are allowed to park their boats on Lake Austin to view the tournament, under certain regulations. On-course amenities include a Fan Zone with simulators and local Austin food, bleachers on the first tee and signature back nine holes, a merchandise tent and Kid Zone.
images: geTTY images, pga Tour
quick facts
A large gallery watches play on No. 6 at Austin Country Club.
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“To be here and to win the FedExCup ... is very special.” - Rory McIlroy, 2015-16 FedExCup Champion
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
March 23-26, 2017
Puerto Rico Open Rio Grande, Puerto Rico Coco Beach Golf Club
Course Information Located in the picturesque foothills of El Yunque National Park, Coco Beach Golf Club boasts two 18-hole courses, the Championship Course and the International Course. Designed by former U.S. Open champion Tom Kite, the Championship Course winds through lush tree groves and over waterways and lakes near the ocean.
Yardage 7,506; par 72
2016 Champion Tony Finau, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel
Tickets For information, visit the tournament website at www. gotopuertoricoopen. com. Children 12 and under will receive free admission as will active duty and retired military.
Social Media
“Even though that putt slipped by in regulation for the win, I knew I still didn’t lose the tournament. I needed to refocus.” ––Tony Finau
Ian Poulter tied for third place, one stroke out of a playoff.
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HOW TONY FINAU WON
Location
Tony Finau missed a six-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have won outright, but birdied that same par-5 hole three times in a sudden-death playoff, the last one giving him a victory over Steve Marino. Finau got up and down from a greenside bunker on the third extra hole, while Marino was on the fringe in two but took three to get down. It was the first career victory for the 26-year-old Finau in his second year on the PGA TOUR. He began the final round one behind Ian Poulter, jumped into the lead by playing the first 10 holes in 4 under, but bogeyed 11 and 15 to shoot a 70 to fall into a tie with Marino, who birdied 18. Poulter had a 72 and tied for third with Web.com Tour player Rodolfo Cazaubon, one stroke back. Finau was long and straight off the tee, ranking fourth in Driving Distance and T14 in Driving Accuracy Percentage. Finau made only three bogeys all week, the fewest of anyone in the field. Finau was second in Par 4 Scoring at 3.88.
Canadian Nick Taylor was T5.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 18, Coco Beach Golf Club (Championship Course).
Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $3 million Winner’s Share: $540,000 FedExCup Points: 300 to the winner
charity Benefit The main charity for the tournament in 2017 is the Ricky Martin Foundation, whose mission is the wellbeing of children around the world in critical areas such as education, health and social justice. The foundation builds partnerships between international organizations, the private sector, local non-profits and individuals to address the welfare of children.
X Tony Finau was the fourth straight player to make the Puerto Rico Open his first career PGA TOUR victory, joining Scott Brown (2013), Chesson Hadley (2014) and Alex Cejka (2015). X Future world No. 1s Jason Day (2009) and Jordan Spieth (2013) both had runner-up finishes
at the Puerto Rico Open early in their careers. X Puerto Rico native Rafael Campos led after 18 and 36 holes before finishing T8. The last time a player of Puerto Rican descent led after a round on the PGA TOUR was Chi Chi Rodriguez at the 1979 Tallahassee Open, which he won.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Tony Finau
1
70
67
70
276/-12
300.00
$540,000.00
165.00
69
Steve Marino
2
70
67
69
70
276/-12
Rodolfo Cazaubon
T3
70
70
69
68
277/-11
$324,000.00 $174,000.00
T3
71
66
68
72
277/-11
92.00
$174,000.00
T5
71
69
67
71
278/-10
60.00
$109,500.00
Andres Romero
T5
70
73
68
67
278/-10
60.00
$109,500.00
Nick Taylor
T5
70
71
67
70
278/-10
60.00
$109,500.00
images: getty images
Rodolfo Cazaubon closed with a 68 to finish T3.
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The par-4 13th is a hole of relatively modest length (410 yards), but ranked as the second most difficult on the course in 2016. It features a lake running the entire length of the hole on the right and another water hazard wrapping around most of the green that makes for a challenging approach shot. The 21 double bogeys or worse in 2016 were more than on any other hole.
fan eXPerience
Scott Brown tied for fifth place at 10 under.
17 20
Ian Poulter Scott Brown
notaBle course features
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check this out
Special events start with a junior clinic on Tuesday and are highlighted by live music after play on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The Mingle party tent is a gathering place Thursday through Sunday, and there is also a kid zone with games. There will be plenty of food choices with food trucks on site Thursday through Sunday.
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March 30-April 2, 2017
Shell Houston Open Location Humble, Texas Golf Club of Houston (Tournament Course)
Course Information Formerly known as Redstone Golf Club, the Golf Club of Houston opened in 2003 with the course now known as the Member Course, designed by Jim Hardy and seven-time PGA TOUR winner Peter Jacobsen. The Tournament Course, designed by Rees Jones, was added in 2006. Former PGA Championship winner David Toms assisted Jones in creating a challenging layout that moves through cypress, oak and pine trees.
Yardage 7,441; par 72
2016 Champion Jim Herman, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC
Tickets Good-Any-Day grounds tickets are $40 in advance, $45 after March 2. Up to three children, age 13-andunder, are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Active duty and retired military personnel receive complimentary tickets. .
“I feel like I’ve gotten better every year and that was a positive thing, but you never know if you’re going to win.”––Jim Herman
Daniel Berger climbed to T5 with a closing 66.
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HOW JIM HERMAN WON
At age 38, Jim Herman earned his first invitation to the Masters, qualifying at the last minute by winning the Shell Houston Open the week before Augusta. Herman was ranked No. 191 in the world and hadn’t won in 105 previous PGA TOUR starts, but he shot a final-round 68 for a one-stroke victory over Henrik Stenson (68). Herman was tied for the 54-hole lead with Jamie Lovemark, and when he reached the 16th hole he was still tied, this time with Stenson. Then came the biggest stroke of the tournament, and Herman’s career, when he chipped in for a birdie on No. 16 from thick grass near a bunker. He parred the last two holes to clinch the victory. Dustin Johnson finished two back after a 69 that included a double bogey on the 11th hole. Herman made only one bogey in the final 36 holes and for the week ranked T4 in Scrambling. Herman ranked second on Proximity to Hole on approach shots at 31 feet, 8 inches. Herman ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting (1.644 strokes per round) and missed only three putts inside 10 feet all week. Dustin Johnson was third, two shots behind Jim Herman.
Social Media
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QUICK FACTS
Jordan Spieth drew a crowd teeing off on No. 1 in the final round.
Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7 million Winner’s Share: $1,224,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
CHARITY BENEFIT
CHECK THIS OUT
In the last eight years, the tournament has produced four playoffs and three times the winning margin has been one stroke. The only victory by more than one stroke was Phil Mickelson in 2011. Russell Henley has finished seventh or better in each of the last three years: T7 in 2014, fourth in 2015 and T5 in 2016.
LEADERBOARD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Jim Herman
1
69
69
67
68
273/-15
500.00
$1,224,000.00
Henrik Stenson
2
69
71
66
68
274/-14
300.00
$734,400.00
190.00
3
65
71
70
69
275/-13
4
71
72
68
65
276/-12
Daniel Berger
T5
67
74
70
66
277/-11
105.00
$258,400.00
Russell Henley
T5
70
68
68
71
277/-11
105.00
$258,400.00
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
Henrik Stenson lost by a shot in what has become a tradition of tight finishes at the event.
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The par-4 18th hole, which measures 488 yards, is both challenging and dramatic. A lake borders the entire left side and comes into play on both the tee shot and the approach to the green. It annually ranks among the toughest 50 holes on the PGA TOUR and played to an average of 4.391 in 2016.
$462,400.00 $326,400.00
Russell Henley, who was T5,kept up his strong play on the Tournament Course.
FAN EXPERIENCE
17 20
Dustin Johnson Rafa Cabrera Bello
NOTABLE COURSE FEATURES
17 20
Jim Herman became the fourth player to earn an Augusta invitation with a victory at the Shell Houston Open since the tournament moved to the week before the Masters in 2007. The others were Johnson Wagner (2008), D.A. Points (2013) and Matt Jones (2014).
The Houston Golf Association has generated more than $64 million for local charities since 1974. The HGA’s charitable programs include The First Tee of Greater Houston, which reaches more than 300,000 young people annually through an in-school program and seven green-grass facilities; the HGA Academic Scholarship program; and the HGA Junior Golf Program. Net proceeds also support the Chinquapin Preparatory School, Cenikor Foundation, and Project Joy and Hope.
The Champions Pavilion along the 18th fairway is open to all ticketholders. It features table seating, shade, big-screen TVs, and close proximity to concessions. Upgraded tickets give access to the SHO Club 16, with a cash bar and premium food service; or the Greenskeeper, an open-air skybox on 17 with a climate-controlled lounge and food and beverage included during play. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
April 6-9, 2017
Masters Tournament
Location Augusta, Ga. Augusta N ational Golf Club
Yardage 7,435; par 72
Tickets
For information, visit online at www.tickets.masters.com. Long-hitting Dustin Johnson shot a final-round 71 to tie for fourth.
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When Bobby Jones retired from competitive golf after winning the Grand Slam in 1930, he set his sights on building his dream course. Aided by his friend, New York investment banker Clifford Roberts, the perfect site was found in Augusta, Ga., on a former tree nursery. “It seemed that this land had been lying here for years just waiting for someone to lay a golf course upon it,” Jones later wrote. Jones collaborated with architect Alister MacKenzie on the design of Augusta National Golf Club, building a strategic layout that was immediately acclaimed upon opening in 1932. There was some discussion with the USGA of holding a U.S. Open there, but that didn’t work out since the club was closed during the summer months. So Roberts came up with the idea of holding an invitation tournament in the spring, hosted by the legendary Jones. With Jones interrupting his retirement to play in the event, the inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament (as it was then named) in 1934 drew more press coverage than any tournament outside of the U.S. Open. By the time Gene Sarazen won in 1935 in spectacular fashion, fueled by a double
eagle on the 15th hole, the tournament (which would officially become the Masters in 1939) had already become a rite of spring. Sarazen’s victory was only one example of Augusta National bringing out the best in the game’s greatest players, as it has continued to do throughout Masters history. Byron Nelson won his first major there in 1937 and added another Masters in 1942. Sam Snead and Ben Hogan claimed five of the six Masters from 1949 through 1954, Snead three and Hogan two. Arnold Palmer, with his swashbuckling style, used Augusta National as his main stage, becoming the first to win the Masters four times, in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964. Jack Nicklaus came along and did Palmer two better, claiming six green jackets from 1963 to 1986. South Africa’s Gary Player, also made a mark with Masters titles in 1961, 1974 and 1978. He heralded the rise of international players in golf, and especially in the Masters. England’s Nick Faldo with three titles (1989, 1990, 1996) led a vanguard of Europeans who captured 11 Masters from 1980 to 1999. Just before the turn of the century the game’s next dominant player arrived, and
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
Course Information
Augusta National Golf Club was designed by Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones, opening in 1932. Laid out on the site of a former tree nursery, the course features elevation changes; large, undulating greens; and relatively few but strategically placed bunkers. The course has undergone many changes throughout its history to continue to provide a strong test for Masters competitors.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
like Palmer and Nicklaus before him he made his mark on Augusta National. In his first professional season, Tiger Woods broke Nicklaus’ Masters scoring record with an 18-under 270, and ran his green jacket total to four with wins in 2001, 2002 and 2005. Recently, left-handers have had a strong run, Phil Mickelson winning three times (2004, 2006, 2010) and Bubba Watson two (2012, 2014). But the biggest noise in the last three years has been made by Jordan Spieth, who sandwiched T2 finishes in 2014 and 2016 around a record-tying 72-hole performance in a 2015 victory. These historic events take place on a course that is designed for high drama. The second nine, in particular, often produces large swings on the leaderboard as it can yield low scores to outstanding play but also can deal harshly with a player whose game is faltering or who tries to produce hero golf but is slightly off. A few examples: Player and Nicklaus shooting 30 on the closing nine to storm to victory in 1978 and 1986; Greg Norman (1996), Rory McIlroy (2011), and Spieth (2016) letting it slip away with closing nines of 40 or higher. w w w.pgatour.com
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After England’s Danny Willett slipped into a green jacket (above), he was in demand for autographs (above, left) later in the season.
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HOW DANNY WILLETT WON
Defending champion Jordan Spieth appeared to be cruising to victory when he birdied the last four holes of the first nine on Sunday to turn in 32 and take a five-stroke lead. Then came one of the most stunning turnarounds in Masters history. Spieth bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11, and followed by hitting two balls in the water to make a quadruple bogey on the par-3 12th. While that was happening, England’s Danny Willett birdied 13 and 14. Playing the 15th hole, Willett, whose best previous finish in a major was a T6 in the 2015 Open Championship, suddenly led by three. The margin quickly became one when fellow Englishman Lee Westwood, playing with Willett, chipped in for an eagle on the par-5 15th while Willett was making a par. But there was a two-stroke swing the other way on the par-3 16th, where Willett made a seven-foot birdie putt while Westwood three-putted for a bogey. Spieth would rally with birdies on 13 and 15, but a missed birdie try from six feet on 16 and a bogey on 17 ended his bid as he finished with a 41 on the closing nine for a 73 and a tie for second place at 2-under 286 with Westwood. Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey and J.B. Holmes shared fourth at 287. Willett reached 5-under with his birdie on 16, and stayed there with a wonderful chip to save par on 17 and a two-putt par on 18. The 28-year-old was playing in only his second Masters, and wouldn’t
have even been on hand if his wife had not given birth to their son a week earlier instead of closer to the due date of Masters Sunday. Willett’s final-round 67 included five birdies and, more importantly, no bogeys, as the four-time winner on the European Tour scored his first victory in the U.S. Spieth not only missed a chance to join Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90), and Tiger Woods (2001-02) as the only players to win two years in a row, he missed out on becoming the first to lead from wire to wire in consecutive years. Spieth held the advantage largely on the strength of an opening 66. He followed with rounds of 74 and 73 in difficult scoring conditions, good enough to keep him in front despite two double bogeys on the second nine of the third round. Smylie Kaufman (one behind) and Bernhard Langer and Hideki Matsuyama (two back) were his closest pursuers entering the final round, but they fell back on Sunday while Willett made his move from three back through 54 holes. X Willett’s 67 matched the best round of the day on Sunday, also shot by Paul Casey (T4) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (T7). X Willett was only even par on the par 5s, but made up for it by ranking T1 in Par 3 Scoring Average (2.88) and first in Par 4 Scoring Average (3.93). X Willett had fewer bogeys (eight) than anyone in the field. X Willett ranked T6 in Greens in Regulation (48 of 72) and T4 in Putts per Round (28.50). He had only one three-putt all week.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
REMEMBER THIS?
Jordan Spieth looked as if he would successfully defend until second-nine woes on Sunday.
Danny Willett got through No. 12 unscathed en route to closing 67.
When Jordan Spieth stepped to the 12th tee in the final round, his five-stroke lead of two holes earlier had already dwindled to one because of his bogeys on 10 and 11 and, up ahead, Danny Willett’s birdies on 13 and 14. But it was the par-3 12th that would doom Spieth. When the hole is located on the back right of the green as it traditionally is on Sunday, it’s risky to shoot at the flag because the angle of Rae’s Creek
bunker, and getting up and down from there for a quadruple bogey was small consolation. In the matter of a few shocking minutes, Spieth had gone from one ahead to three behind. “Buddy, it seems like we’re collapsing,” Spieth blurted to his caddie, Michael Greller. Shortly thereafter, Willett birdied 16 to put Spieth four in arrears. Spieth showed his character with birdies on 13 and 15, but the disastrous 12th proved to be too much to overcome as he finished three strokes back.
means that a pushed tee shot won’t carry the water. At the last second, Spieth decided to try to fade the ball toward the hole location instead of drawing it toward the center of the green. But a bad swing with his 9-iron sent the ball well to the right and into the creek. The hole turned into a major disaster when, after taking his penalty drop at 80 yards to set up a spinning shot that he felt he could get close, Spieth chunked a wedge into the water. He hit his next shot into a back
LEADERBOARD 2016 Player
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Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
Danny Willett
1
70
74
72
67
283/-5
Jordan Spieth
T2
66
74
73
73
286/-2
Lee Westwood
T2
71
75
71
69
286/-2
Paul Casey
T4
69
77
74
67
287/-1
FedExCup Points
Earnings
270.00
$880,000.00
126.66
$413,333.00
$1,800,000.00 $880,000.00
J.B. Holmes
T4
72
73
74
68
287/-1
126.66
$413,333.00
Dustin Johnson
T4
73
71
72
71
287/-1
126.66
$413,333.00
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65
lle
Huntington
Frankfort Winchester
Louisville
Vernon
64
Kentucky Lexington Berea OwensboroCampbellsville
Fredericksburg
Harrisonburg
Charlottesville
Virginia Richmond West Virginia Williamsburg Lynchburg Petersburg Beckley 64
Virginia Beach
Salem
Roanoke 85 Norfolk Danville 95 Martinsville
Bluefield 81
Elizabeth City
35
Henderson
Eden 2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW Greensboro Winston-Salem
sville
Nashville
City g
75
Tennessee Murfreesboro
Columbia Lawrenceburg Athens
Cullman pelo 65
mingham
oosa
Monroe Spartanburg
Atlanta
Hoover
Selma eridian
Alabama
85
Mobile
Vidalia
Columbus
Albany
Crestview Destin
Pensacola
Dothan
Hilton Head
Dublin
75
Ozark
65
Macon
Georgia Eufaula
Troy
Enterprise
lfport
Charlotte
Gastonia
Chattanooga
Opelika
oxi
Maryville
Raleigh 40
Lumberton
North Carolina Havelock
Jacksonville
Greenville Dalton Clemson 85 Wilmington Gainesville Huntsville Athens Buford Myrtle Beach 59 Aiken Orangeburg South Carolina Marietta Monroe 20 Oxford Augusta North Charleston Leeds Griffin
ntgomery
sburg
High Point Asheville 77
Knoxville
Greenville
Cary
95
Columbia
Decatur
n
79
Charleston
77
64
Madisonville Somerset ucah Glasgow Hopkinsville Middlesborough
s
Washington D.C. Annapolis Maryland
Ohio R
Bloomington
gham
Cincinnati
.
Kettering
Greensburg
ute
Charleston
16
Hinesville Douglas
Moultrie
Savannah
April 13-16, 2017
RBC Heritage 70˚
Atlantic Ocean
30˚
95
Brunswick
Kingsland
Jacksonville Tallahassee Saint Augustine
Valdosta
10
Palatka
Gainesville Florida Daytona Beach Deltona Edgewater
Location Titusville
leans
Orlando
Kissimmee Hilton Head Island, Melbourne S.C. Sebastian Clearwater Tampa HarbourBartow Town Golf Links Port Saint Lucie 95
Saint Petersburg
Bradenton
Sarasota
Venice
North Port
Grand Bahama
West Palm Beach
Course CoralInformation Springs Boca Raton
Mexico
85˚
Rivers
500 Miles
75
Abaco
Bahama Fortearly Lauderdale Hialeah Harbour is an Eleuthera NaplesTown Islands Miami New Providence masterpiece in the career Homestead Cat Island Nassau San Salvador of renowned architect Rum Cay Andros Key Westhelp from Pete Dye, with Great Exuma Long Island consultant Jack Nicklaus 80˚ 75˚ in his first design project. The course opened in 1969 in time for the first RBC Heritage and has been hosting the event ever since. Known for its small, undulating greens and treelined fairways, Harbour Town challenges the pros by putting a premium on “This event, it’s one of those weeks you have to grind it out. I was fortunate enough accuracy and shotmaking. 25˚
that I stayed patient and took advantage of the opportunities when they came my way.”—Branden Grace
Yardage 7,099; par 71
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets Daily grounds tickets are $65 in advance, $85 starting in April; weekly grounds badges go for $155 before April and $175 after that. Practice round tickets cost $40 in advance, $60 starting in April. Juniors age 15 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
HOW BRANDEN GRACE WON
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2016 Champion Branden Grace, South Africa
South Africa’s Branden Grace, 27, who had won 10 tournaments around the world and contended in majors, claimed his first PGA TOUR title with a two-stroke victory over Luke Donald and Russell Knox at the RBC Heritage. Playing in his first year as a PGA TOUR member, Grace trailed Donald by three strokes entering the final round. Grace birdied four of the first six holes, against a lone bogey, and added another birdie to forge a tie with a four-under 32 on the front nine. A Donald bogey at 10 and birdies by Grace at 12 and 13 put the South African in control. A 12-foot par putt on 16 was key for Grace, enabling him to survive a bogey on 17 as Donald couldn’t muster any birdies down the stretch and settled for his fourth runner-up finish at Harbour Town. Grace shared the first-round lead with a 66, then fell four back after a second-round 74 but managed to recover on the weekend. Grace was strong with his short game, ranking third in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green and 10th in Strokes Gained: Putting. Grace led in Par 4 Scoring Average at 3.86. Bryson DeChambeau had an outstanding pro debut.
A strong weekend lifted Kevin Na into T4.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
David Lingmerth plays a shot on the ninth hole at Harbour Town Golf Links.
Field: approx. 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,170,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The Heritage Classic Foundation, the general tournament sponsor, distributes revenue to a wide variety of charitable organizations, the arts, medical institutions and for college scholarships. Close to $34 million has been distributed to those in need throughout South Carolina and Georgia since 1987.
check this out
X The year before winning, Branden Grace received a sponsor exemption to the 2015 RBC Heritage and finished T7. X Grace became the 11th player to make the RBC Heritage his first PGA TOUR victory, but the first since Boo Weekley in 2007. X Grace missed the cut in the Masters the week
before the RBC Heritage, the second straight year that has been the case for the winner (Jim Furyk, 2015). X In the last eight years, Luke Donald has four runner-up finishes and two thirds in the RBC Heritage, but he has never won. He has held the 54-hole lead three times.
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Branden Grace
1
74
69
66
275/-9
500.00
$1,062,000.00
Luke Donald
T2
66
71
69
71
277/-7
245.00
$519,200.00
Russell Knox
T2
72
65
73
67
277/-7
245.00
$519,200.00
122.50
$259,600.00
Bryson DeChambeau
T4
70
69
72
68
279/-5
Kevin Na
T4
73
71
66
69
279/-5
images: getty images
Luke Donald picked up his fourth runnerup finish at the RBC Heritage.
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$259,600.00
A second-round 65 boosted Russell Knox to a T2 finish.
17 20
Player
66
The par-4 finishing hole measuring 472 yards is one of golf’s most famous with the red and white lighthouse sitting behind the green and a hazard running all the way down the left side that is especially in play on the approach shot. Last year the hole yielded only 23 birdies all week and played to a 4.415 average.
fan eXPerience
leaDerBoarD 2016
17 20
notaBle course features
RBC Heritage week is kicked off with a bang, as we celebrate the opening ceremony with a traditional cannon blast. Tuesday is Coca-Cola Youth Day including a putting contest and a family movie. Saturday is Plaid Nation Day, with contests on the Heritage Lawn and a concert following play. Throughout the week, key spectator activity areas include the Liberty Oak Expo and Heritage Lawn featuring promotions and giveaways as well as the Michelob ULTRA 19th Hole and the Merchandise Pavilion. To conclude the week, join PGA TOUR pros for Easter Sunday service on the 18th green followed by an Easter Egg Hunt on the Heritage Lawn stretching from the 16th green to the 18th fairway. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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April 20-23, 2017
Valero Texas Open San Antonio, Texas TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks)
Course Information TPC San Antonio is a 36hole facility that opened in 2010 with courses designed by Greg Norman (AT&T Oaks) and Pete Dye (AT&T Canyons). Sergio Garcia assisted Norman with the Oaks design, which incorporates the natural terrain and winds its way through stands of oak trees. The course balances narrower, treelined fairways with wider fairways offering multiple routes to the green.
Yardage 7,435; par 72
2016 Champion Charley Hoffman, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets For information, go to ValeroTexasOpen.com. Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, Veteran, and Retired Military and immediate family receive free admission and parking. First responders and one family member receive free admission and parking. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
“I’m 39 years old. You never know how many more chances you’re going to have to win on the PGA TOUR. To forfeit those last few weeks has been tough. I knew I’ve been playing well and dug deep.”––Charley Hoffman
A closing 70 put Billy Horschel in a logjam at T4.
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HOW CHARLEY HOFFMAN WON
Location
Charley Hoffman made a nine-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to defeat Patrick Reed by one stroke and end a period of frustration. In recent weeks, Hoffman had shot poor final rounds when in contention at the Valspar Championship, Shell Houston Open and RBC Heritage. This time he closed with a 69 that included a 3-under 33 on the back nine, enabling him to hold off Reed, who also shot a 69. Reed pulled within one with a birdie on 15, but missed birdie putts inside eight feet on 16 and 17. Both reached the vicinity of the green in two on the par-5 18th and birdied, Hoffman getting up and down from a bunker. Martin Piller had a brief two-stroke lead before a double bogey on 13; a lack of birdies down the stretch left him T4. Hoffman was fourth in Driving Distance (300.5 yards), helping him to rank eighth in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. Hoffman didn’t have a three-putt all week as he ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting. Hoffman ranked second in Back-Nine Scoring Average at 34.0, including 33s in the first and fourth rounds.
Kevin Chappell moved into a tie for fourth with a final-round 68.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 16, TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks).
Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.2 million Winner’s Share: $1,134,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit The Valero Texas Open raised $10.5 million for charities in 2016 and a total of $115.5 overall in charitable giving.The Birdies For Charity Program benefited more than 150 organizations in 2016.
check this out
X In 11 career appearances at the Valero Texas Open, Charley Hoffman has finished out of the top 15 only once. His victory was his fifth top10, and he has finished 11th three times. X Hoffman is 43 under par at the Valero Texas Open since it moved to TPC San Antonio in 2010.
X The average winning score in the seven years at TPC San Antonio is 10.9 under par. X Only three of the seven winners at TPC San Antonio have shot a final round in the 60s: Adam Scott (67, 2010), Martin Laird (63, 2013) and Hoffman (69, 2016).
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
1
66
71
70
69
276/-12
500.00
$1,116,000.00
2
65
73
70
69
277/-11
300.00
$669,600.00
Chad Collins
3
73
69
67
69
278/-10
190.00
$421,600.00
Ricky Barnes
T4
68
70
67
74
279/-9
104.00
$233,740.00
Kevin Chappell
T4
71
70
70
68
279/-9
104.00
$233,740.00
Billy Horschel
T4
70
72
67
70
279/-9
104.00
$233,740.00
Ryan Palmer
T4
68
70
72
69
279/-9
104.00
$233,740.00
Martin Piller
T4
70
68
71
70
279/-9
104.00
$233,740.00
images: getty images
Ricky Barnes’ finalround 74 dropped him into T4.
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Chad Collins had three straight rounds in the 60s to grab solo third.
The 591-yard par-5 18th was one of only a dozen par 5s on the 2016 PGA TOUR with an over-par scoring average. It is reachable in two for long hitters, but others have to lay up short of a creek that bisects the fairway in front of the green. Imprecision on either of the first two shots can leave a player fighting to make a par.
fan eXPerience
17 20
Charley Hoffman Patrick Reed
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notaBle course features
The slate of special activities at the Valero Texas Open includes Executive Women’s Day on Tuesday, A Night to Honor Our Heroes on Friday, a Children’s Golf Clinic on Saturday and the VTO After Party with live music following play on Saturday. Special venues include the Michelob ULTRA Backyard, Gatorade Fan Fest, Nationwide Family Zone, Tito’s Handmade Vodka Spirits Bar, First Responders Appreciation Pavilion and USAA Military Appreciation Pavilion and Bleachers. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
April 27-30, 2017
Zurich Classic of New Orleans Brian Stuard played all 54 regulation holes of the rainshortened Zurich Classic of New Orleans without a bogey, then added a par and a birdie in a playoff to claim his first PGA TOUR title. Stuard, who had conditional status based on his No. 128 ranking the prior year, earned a two-year exemption as he secured the victory with a 7-iron to two feet on the second extra hole, the par-5 18th. He also birdied that hole in regulation to reach a playoff with Jamie Lovemark and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An. Lovemark had a chance to win in regulation but three-putted 18 from 94 feet for a par. An had earlier birdied 18 to become the first to finish at 15-under, but dropped out with a bogey on the first playoff hole.
Course Information Renowned architect Pete Dye designed TPC Louisiana with assistance from two player consultants: former PGA Championship and THE PLAYERS champion Steve Elkington and Kelly Gibson, a New Orleans native. The layout is a grand representation of the natural local habitat, stretching along the Mississippi River delta and incorporating stately stands of cypress and oak trees. The design features more than 100 bunkers and five ponds that come into play. The course is part of Louisiana’s Audubon Golf Trail.
Yardage 7,425; par 72
2016 Champion Brian Stuard, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets A single day grounds pass costs $25 and a weekly badge is $75. Ages 17 and under are admitted free and active military also receive free admission.
Social Media
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HOW BRIAN STUARD WON
Location Avondale, La. TPC Louisiana
“I saw some signs last week that it was getting there, and then for whatever reason it seemed to click a little better this week. I think the biggest difference I noticed was off the tee.” ––Brian Stuard
Bobby Wyatt had the best final round of the contenders, 64, to charge into fourth place.
Stuard ranked T73 in Greens in Regulation, hitting 34 of 54, but led the field in Scrambling as he saved par every time he missed the green. Stuard led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. He had only 21 putts in the first round and didn’t miss a putt inside 10 feet all week.
Jhonnatan Vegas shared fifth place with two others.
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quick facts
Jhonnatan Vegas putts on the ninth green at TPC Louisiana.
Field: 80 two-player teams Format: Foursomes (first and third rounds), Four-Ball (second and fourth rounds) Purse: $7.1 million Winner’s Share: $1,022,400 for each player on winning team FedExCup Points: 400 to each player on winning team
charity Benefit The Fore!Kids Foundation, founded in 1958, has raised more than $30 million with golf events, including the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Proceeds from the tournament are contributed to more than 100 local and national charitable organizations.
neW forMat
check this out
Monday finish at the event was in 2004 when Vijay Singh beat Phil Mickelson and Joe Ogilvie in a playoff. X The Zurich Classic of New Orleans has been decided by one stroke or in a playoff in 11 of the last 14 years. Five of those have been in playoffs.
X Before it happened in 2016, the last Zurich Classic of New Orleans to be reduced to 54 holes was in 1985 when Seve Ballesteros finished two strokes ahead of Peter Jacobsen and John Mahaffey. X The third (final) round finished on Monday due to a suspension on Sunday. The last
LeaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Brian Stuard
1
68
69
201/-15
500.00
$1,260,000.00
245.00
$616,000.00
100.00
$255,500.00
64
Byeong Hun An
T2
68
68
65
201/-15
Jamie Lovemark
T2
67
66
68
201/-15
4
67
71
64
202/-14
T5
69
68
66
203/-13
$336,000.00
T5
71
67
65
203/-13
100.00
$255,500.00
T5
64
69
70
203/-13
100.00
$255,500.00
images: us pga tour; getty images
Chris Kirk Jhonnatan Vegas
Byeong Hun An of South Korea tied for second in what was a typically tight finish for the event.
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fan eXPerience
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Bobby Wyatt Jason Day
$616,000.00
Team golf returns to the PGA TOUR as the Zurich Classic of New Orleans switches to a two-man team format in 2017 with two rounds of Foursomes (alternate shot) and two rounds of Four-Ball (best ball). The field will consist of 80 teams, with each of the top available players from the PGA TOUR Priority Rankings who commits to the tournament choosing a partner, who must have PGA TOUR status unless given a sponsor exemption. Each member of the winning team will receive credit for an official victory.
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Jason Day (T5) had his best score of the rainshortened event in the final round.
Venues open to all ticketholders include the 19th Hole, Bridgestone Performance Center, Children’s Hospital Kids’ Zone, CDW Technoliner and the Grey Goose Lounge. The 19th Hole features music after the last putt on Saturday and Sunday. Upgraded tickets allow entry into air-conditioned tents at the Champions Club and ACME Oyster House.
13/12/2016 10:00
2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
May 4-7, 2017
Location Wilmington, N.C. Eagle Point Golf Club
Course Information The tournament moves to Wilmington and Eagle Point Golf Club this year, with usual Charlotte site Quail Hollow hosting the PGA Championship. Eagle Point is an elite private club with a national membership designed by Tom Fazio in 2000 and ranked 89th in Golf Digest’s Top 100 U.S. Golf Courses. The terrain varies from a North Carolina Sandhills setting to something akin to South Carolina Lowcountry with the Intracoastal Waterway coming into play on the middle holes.
Yardage 7,473; par 72
2016 Champion James Hahn, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets Advance grounds tickets cost $30 Monday to Wednesday, $50 Thursday and $60 Friday to Sunday, parking and shuttles included; a weekly badge is $165. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult ticket holder.
“The mind is a powerful thing, and it was going bad for a while. Just didn’t have the confidence.” ––James Hahn
Buoyed by a firstround 65, Andrew Loupe finished T4.
HOW JAMES HAHN WON
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Wells Fargo Championship
James Hahn had missed the cut in his last eight tournaments, but he turned things around dramatically at the Wells Fargo Championship and walked away with the victory. Hahn eagled the seventh hole with a 51-foot putt to key a 33 on the front nine of the final round and survived a 37 on the back and a three-putt bogey on 18 to reach a playoff with Roberto Castro, who bogeyed 16 and 17. Castro hit his tee shot into a creek on the first extra hole, making a bogey while Hahn won with a par. Justin Rose played the last seven holes 2 over to finish one back, while 54-hole leader Rickie Fowler was two back after a 74. Phil Mickelson also finished two back, lamenting a quadruple bogey on the 18th on Saturday. Hahn made three putts of longer than 30 feet during the week and ranked eighth in Strokes Gained: Putting. Hahn led the field in Par 4 Scoring Average at 3.88. Hahn moved from T13 to T3 with a 68 in the third round, matching the best round of the day.
Phil Mickelson rallied from a disappointing third-round finish to close with a 66.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
QUICK FACTS
No. 18, Eagle Point Golf Club, site of the Wells Fargo Championship in 2017.
Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,350,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
CHARITY BENEFIT
Champions For Education, the tournament’s host organization, has donated more than $19 million to local and regional charitable foundations in 14 years. With the tournament’s change of venue this year, all charitable donations will be made in the Wilmington area.
In the 14-year history of the Wells Fargo Championship, only five 54-hole leaders have gone on to win. The 54-hole leaders who didn’t win have averaged 73.77 in the final round, including Rickie Fowler’s 74 in 2016. Rory McIlroy (2010, 2015) is the only multiple
champion of the event, as 2012 champion Fowler failed to join him. Jason Gore followed an 83 in the third round with a 65 in the fourth round, an improvement of 18 strokes. That matched the record of Brendon de Jonge, who went 80-62 in the first two rounds in 2014.
Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
James Hahn
1
71
68
70
279/-9
500.00
$1,314,000.00
70
Roberto Castro
2
71
66
71
71
279/-9
300.00
$788,400.00
Justin Rose
3
70
70
69
71
280/-8
190.00
$496,400.00
Rickie Fowler
T4
71
68
68
74
281/-7
108.75
$287,437.50
Andrew Loupe
T4
65
71
74
71
281/-7
108.75
$287,437.50
Rory McIlroy
T4
73
69
73
66
281/-7
108.75
$287,437.50
Phil Mickelson
T4
69
70
76
66
281/-7
108.75
$287,437.50
Justin Rose’s consistent play earned him a third-place finish.
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Rickie Fowler was in control after 54 holes but closed with a 74 for T4.
The 580-yard, par-5 18th hole at Eagle Point could provide some drama at the finish of the tournament. It is reachable in two for long hitters, especially if they drive down the left side of the fairway to catch a downslope for extra roll. Going for the green in two is a risk-reward proposition because the putting surface is guarded by a pond on the right and a bunker short left.
FAN EXPERIENCE
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LEADERBOARD 2016
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CHECK THIS OUT
NOTABLE COURSE FEATURES
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In the PGA TOUR’s first event in Wilmington since 1971, fan enhancements include a player exhibition on Wednesday afternoon and the Wells Fargo social media hub. Upgraded ticket options include the Beach Club with seating at the 16th green, the Ocean Club with an air-conditioned dining area and a lunch buffet and beverages included, and the Premiere Suite with premium viewing on 18 along with a buffet and bar service.
01/12/2016 10:30
2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
May 11-14, 2017
THE PLAYERS Championship Location Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass
Course Information THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, designed by Pete Dye with input from his wife, Alice, and PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman, opened in October of 1980. The first course in the TPC Network is balanced with a combination of short, medium and long holes and a routing in which each proceeding hole is played in a different direction. The course has been renovated over the years, most recently in 2016 when five greens were expanded, a lake installed between the sixth and seventh fairways, all greens rebuilt and regrassed and all bunkers rebuilt. Most notably, the 12th hole was redesigned into a drivable par 4 to create the possibility of more drama early on the back nine.
Yardage 7,189; par 72
2016 Champion Jason Day, Australia
Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC
Tickets Daily Stadium Pass options from $20 to $65 are available Tuesday-Sunday and grant access to tournament grounds (golf course). Stadium Passes do not include parking or provide admission into corporate hospitality or upgraded areas. Free admission for kids 18 and under and for career military and dependents. Veterans can purchase two discounted tickets. A Weekly Stadium Pass ($195) provides access to the tournament grounds Tuesday-Sunday.
“I said 14-under was the average score and I ended up beating it by just one, which was nice. I’m just very pleased to be THE PLAYERS champion. I can’t say any more.” —Jason Day
Colt Knost tied the tournament record with a secondround 63.
Justin Thomas closed with a 65 to finish T3.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
Ken Duke’s thirdround 65 in very tough conditions moved him into contention.
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Matt Kuchar was among four players that share third place.
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HOW JASON DAY WON
Jason Day opened with a 63 in the first round, tying the course record, and went on to a wire-to-wire victory in THE PLAYERS Championship. Day followed with a 66, taking a four-stroke lead and breaking the tournament 36-hole record at 129. He stayed ahead by four with a third-round 73 on a day when the greens became treacherous. There were some dicey moments on the front nine of the final round when Day shot a 2-over 38 to let the field back into it. But making a nine-foot bogey putt on the par-5 ninth kept things from getting worse, and a 17-foot birdie putt on No. 10 sent him on the way to a 33 on the back nine for a 71 and a four-stroke victory over Kevin Chappell, who had a 32 on the back nine for a closing 69. Ken Duke was the closest to Day at the turn, two strokes back, but he played the closing nine in even par that left him with a final-round 72 and a share of third place, five behind. Day had 15 birdies and no bogeys in the first two rounds, including streaks of three straight birdies in each round. Day’s only struggles came on the front nine Saturday and Sunday, but for the week he played the back nine in 12 under. Day was first in Scrambling, saving par 85 percent of the time he missed the green, and first in Driving Distance at 311.6 yards. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 17 (foreground) and No. 16, THE PLAYERS Stadium Course.
Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $10.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,890,000 FedExCup Points: 600 to the winner
charity Benefit
Thanks in no small part to support from Morgan Stanley, PwC and Optum – the event’s Proud Partners – proceeds from THE PLAYERS benefit Northeast Florida charities and have totaled more than $84 million since the event moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977, including a record $8.5 million in 2016.
Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Jason Day
1
66
73
71
273/-15
600.00
$1,890,000.00
63
2
71
67
70
69
277/-11
330.00
$1,134,000.00
T3
74
67
65
72
278/-10
147.50
$504,000.00
Colt Knost
T3
72
63
74
69
278/-10
147.50
$504,000.00
Matt Kuchar
T3
71
67
72
68
278/-10
147.50
$504,000.00
Justin Thomas
T3
70
68
75
65
278/-10
147.50
$504,000.00
check this out X Jason Day became the fifth wire-to-wire winner in THE PLAYERS history, and the first since Hal Sutton in 2000. X Day became the fourth Australian (five times total) to win THE PLAYERS, joining Steve Elkington (1991, 1997), Greg Norman (1994) and Adam Scott (2004). X In the history of THE PLAYERS, which began in 1974, no player has won in consecutive years. w w w.pgatour.com
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X Day became the third player (four times total) to win THE PLAYERS as the No. 1-ranked player in the world, joining Greg Norman (1994) and Tiger Woods (2001, 2013). X The 63s shot by Day (first round) and Colt Knost (second round) tied the tournament record shared by Fred Couples (1992), Greg Norman (1994), Roberto Castro (2013), and Martin Kaymer (2014).
fan eXPerience
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Kevin Chappell Ken Duke
The back nine becomes even more dramatic with the redesign in the past year of the 12th hole, a par 4 shortened to drivable range at 302 yards. It joins the par-5 11th and 16th holes as eagle or two-putt birdie possibilities, but those and other holes also have the potential for disaster. The short par-3 17th, with its famed island green, is another hole that can produce birdies or double bogeys.
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Military Appreciation Day on Tuesday is capped by a free concert at the island-green 17th hole. For action inside the ropes, THE PLAYERS Stadium Course was built with the golf fan in mind, providing the chance to see every shot. Outside the ropes, all fans can enjoy a wide array of food options from food trucks to upgraded dining venues, a Kids Zone, a miniature replica of the 17th hole and other special venues.
images: Us Pga TOUR; geTTy.
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01/12/2016 10:36
2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
May 18-21, 2017
AT&T Byron Nelson Location
HOW SERGIO GARCIA WON
Course Information Jay Morrish, with help from Ben Crenshaw and Byron Nelson, designed the course in 1982. It has since undergone significant renovation under the guidance of PGA TOUR Champions player D.A. Weibring, who teamed with architect Steve Wolford and PGA TOUR players Harrison Frazar and J.J. Henry. The layout features large, undulating greens, tree-lined fairways and numerous creeks and ponds that come into play on several holes.
Yardage 7,166; par 70
2016 Champion Sergio Garcia, Spain
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets Daily grounds tickets cost $45. Admission is complimentary for patrons 17 and under. Active Duty, Military Reserve, National Guard, Military Retirees and veterans, with one guest, receive complimentary tickets.
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“The most important thing at the end of the day is how I played the last four holes and the playoff hole, knowing that you have to do something good to have a chance with some tough holes coming in.” ––Sergio Garcia
The 54-hole leader, Brooks Koepka lost on the first playoff hole.
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Irving, Texas TPC Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas
Sergio Garcia hit two balls in the water on the back nine but persevered to earn a spot in a playoff, where he defeated Brooks Koepka. Garcia recovered with a great third shot to make a par after driving into the water on No. 11, and got up and down for a bogey on 14 after an approach into the hazard. He trailed 54-hole leader Koepka by three at that point, but Garcia birdied the par-5 16th for a round of 68 while Koepka bogeyed 14 and 15 to finish with a 71. Koepka drove into the water on the first playoff hole, No. 18, as Garcia won with a par. Hometown favorite Jordan Spieth was second through 54 holes, but closed with a 74 to finish T18. Garcia shot a 29 on the front nine, his second nine of the day, in the first round, to shoot a 63. After not making a bogey in the first two rounds, Garcia had two on Saturday and four on Sunday, but he had six birdies in the final round. Garcia was T9 in Driving Distance and T4 in Greens in Regulation Percentage. w w w.pgatour.com
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 8, TPC Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas.
Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,350,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The Salesmanship Club, the host organization of the AT&T Byron Nelson, donates funds raised by the tournament to the Momentous Institute and its education and mental health programs designed to build and repair kids’ social and emotional health. In 2016, the tournament contributed $5.8 million to Momentous Institute, lifting the total since 1968 to $149 million. X By adding to his 2004 victory, Sergio Garcia became the first player to win the event more than once since it moved to TPC Four Seasons in 1983. X Garcia came from three strokes back to win. The tournament record is four, held by Lanny Wadkins (1973), Bob Eastwood (1985), John Cook (1998) and Keegan Bradley (2011).
X Garcia made his American professional debut at the AT&T Byron Nelson in 1999, finishing T3 at age 19. X The victory tied Garcia with Seve Ballesteros for most PGA TOUR victories by a Spaniard with nine. X Garcia hadn’t played at the AT&T Byron Nelson since 2011 due to commitments on the European Tour.
fan eXPerience
After play Thursday through Sunday, fans can head to the party atmosphere at Pavilion After Dark presented by Michelob ULTRA. For the kids, there is the Youth Golf Clinic presented by Under Armour on Tuesday and all week an air-conditioned KidsZone with arts and crafts, bounce houses and more. At the AT&T Digital Clubhouse, fans will be able to demo the latest AT&T products and services.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Sergio Garcia
1
66
68
68
265/-15
500.00
$1,314,000.00
63
Brooks Koepka
2
65
64
65
71
265/-15
300.00
$788,400.00
Matt Kuchar
3
65
67
65
69
266/-14
190.00
$496,400.00
(Six players at -13)
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Matt Kuchar’s finalround 69 earned him a third-place finish.
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new location Sergio Garcia’s iron game was strong as he ranked T4 in Greens in Regulation Percentage.
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check this out
The 2017 AT&T Byron Nelson will be played in Irving for the final time, celebrating 35 years of impact in the community. In 2018, the tournament will move to Trinity Forest Golf Club, a links-style Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore design near Downtown Dallas.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
May 25-28, 2017
DEAN & DELUCA Invitational Location
After making all pars on the front nine, Jordan Spieth had six birdies against a lone bogey on the back to shoot a 30 for a 5-under 65 and a three-stroke victory. Spieth led through 54 holes, but after nine holes Sunday had fallen behind Ryan Palmer and Harris English. Spieth regained the advantage with birdies on 10, 11 and 12, and after a brief wobble with a bogey on 13 clinched the tournament with another threebirdie run on 16, 17 and 18, the decisive blow a chip-in birdie on 17. It was the second win of the year and eighth of his career for the 22-year-old Spieth. English’s charge stalled with pars on the last six holes for a 66 that earned him second place.
Course Information Just five years after opening, this championship course designed by Perry Maxwell and John Bredemus hosted the 1941 U.S. Open. Built on the south bank of the Clear Fork of the Trinity River, Colonial is known as “Hogan’s Alley” because the legendary Ben Hogan won the tournament five times. The course is cut through pecan trees with classic hole shapes and features. Though the terrain is flat, the subtle turns and doglegs routed through the trees make it a great shotmaking test.
Yardage 7,209; par 70
2016 Champion Jordan Spieth, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets Come Any One Day tickets are $50 Wednesday through Sunday (Monday and Tuesday are free admission) and a weekly badge is $125. Kids 12 and under are free; Active, Reserve and Retired military personnel may claim up to four free tickets.
Social Media
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HOW JORDAN SPIETH WON
Fort Worth, Texas Colonial Country Club
“The front nine I hit some really nice putts that had they been just a rotation harder or a rotation softer, I would have had a couple of birdies there. The back nine I adjusted to the speed, and those midrangers had a chance to go in.” –Jordan Spieth
Despite closing with six straight pars, runner-up Harris English shot a finalround 66.
Spieth holed key par-saving putts in the final round from 32 feet on the eighth hole and 13 feet on the 14th. Spieth ranked second in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week and on Sunday made four putts of more than 20 feet. Spieth ranked first in Scrambling, making par or better 18 of the 21 times he missed the green.
Kyle Reifers was fifth, five shots behind the winner.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 18, Colonial Country Club.
Field: 120 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.9 million Winner’s Share: $1,242,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit The DEAN & DELUCA Invitational partners with charitable organizations in Tarrant County through the Birdies for Charity program. The organizations solicit pledges from individuals and corporations, and receive additional contributions from the tournament’s Matching Fund. A total of $11.5 million was distributed in 2016.
check this out
X Jordan Spieth became the fifth Texas native to win at Colonial, joining Ben Hogan (five victories), Lee Trevino (two), Ben Crenshaw (two) and Homero Blancas (one). X Spieth passed Tiger Woods with his eighth PGA TOUR victory before his 23rd birthday, trailing only Horton Smith (14).
X Spieth has played four times in the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational, with a final-round scoring average of 66.50 and finishes of T7, T14, T2 as well as a victory. X It was Spieth’s first victory in his native state. In 2015, he was runner-up at the Valero Texas Open, Shell Houston Open and DEAN & DELUCA Invitational.
leaDerBoarD 2016 Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
Jordan Speith
1
66
65
65
263/-17
500.00
$1,206,000.00
67
Harris English
2
67
69
64
66
266/-14
300.00
$723,600.00
Ryan Palmer
T3
66
67
66
68
267/-13
162.50
$388,600.00
Webb Simpson
T3
65
67
67
68
267/-13
162.50
$388,600.00
Kyle Reifers
5
66
67
67
68
268/-12
110.00
$268,000.00
images: getty images
Ryan Palmer shot in the 60s each round en route to a share of third.
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Former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson was T3.
Holes 3-5 at Colonial comprise the club’s “Horrible Horseshoe,” the most difficult stretch on the course that begins with a 483-yard par 4. Next is a par 3 of up to 247 yards that plays to an elevated green. It has never yielded a hole-in-one in the tournament. The fifth is a 481-yard par 4 that runs between trees and a ditch on the left and the Trinity River on the right.
fan eXPerience
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Player
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notaBle course features
Prince Street is the center of all the action. It features the Prince Street Marketplace, a store featuring DEAN & DELUCA products including specialty coffees, fresh juices, pastries, hand-crafted sandwiches and more. Prince Street also has the Colonial Grille, and expo and product sampling from the tournament’s Expo Partners. At the 13th hole, the Citi Cardmember club is an air-conditioned hospitality structure exclusively for cardmembers. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
June 1-4, 2017
the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Location
HOW WILLIAM MCGIRT WON
Course Information
William McGirt played a bogeyfree final round and emerged the victor on the second extra hole against Jon Curran to claim his first PGA TOUR victory at age 36. McGirt was tied for the lead with Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland through 54 holes in a tightly contested battle with 10 players within two strokes of the lead. McGirt had only one birdie in the final round, but he avoided the mistakes that plagued other contenders and shot a 1-under 71. Kuchar and Woodland shot 73s, Dustin Johnson had four bogeys on the back nine to finish one back, and Emiliano Grillo bogeyed the first four holes on the back nine after tying for the lead. Curran birdied the 17th to force a playoff, but bogeyed the second extra hole while McGirt missed the green but earned the winning par with a six-foot putt.
Opened in 1974, Muirfield Village Golf Club is the dream creation of Jack Nicklaus, who wanted to bring a world-class golf tournament to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Working with land planner Desmond Muirhead, Nicklaus designed a strategic course over 240 rolling, wooded acres that places a premium on accuracy as it winds through trees and over bunkers and water hazards. Nicklaus has tweaked nearly every hole over the years to make it a better test.
Yardage 7,392; par 72
2016 Champion William McGirt, U.S.
Media Coverage Golf Channel/CBS
Tickets For information, go to www. memorialbadges.com. Tickets are sold at the gate only on Monday-Wednesday ($35). Youth 18 and under are admitted free all week when accompanied by a ticketed adult (limit of four children per adult).
Social Media Twitter/Instagram: @MemorialGolf Facebook: www.facebook. com/thememorialtournament 214
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Dublin, Ohio Muirfield Village Golf Club
“When I stood over the putt [to win the playoff], I told myself this is what you’ve dreamed of doing your whole life. Hit the best putt you can, and see what happens.” —William McGirt
Dustin Johnson opened strong with a 64 but had troubles on Sunday’s final nine and slid to a third place finish.
McGirt’s lone birdie in the final round came on the par-5 fifth, which he played 5 under for the week. McGirt played the first five holes of the third round in 5 under on the way to a 64. McGirt ranked T7 in Greens in Regulation percentage and sixth in Scrambling.
Gary Woodland shared the 54-hole lead, but 10 players were within two shots.
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2016/2017 tournament overview
quick facts
No. 16, Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Field:120 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8.7 million Winner’s Share: $1,566,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner
charity Benefit
The Tournament’s 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 Foundation and also contributes to numerous other local organizations.
X William McGirt was the third consecutive player to make the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide his first PGA TOUR victory, joining Hideki Matsuyama (2014) and David Lingmerth (2015). X The Tournament was decided in a playoff for the third straight year in 2016. Prior to that, there hadn’t been a playoff since 1992.
X After the 2016 scoring average was below 71 for each of the first three rounds, it jumped up to 72.267 in the final round. X Six foreign-born players have won the event since 2004: Ernie Els (2004), Carl Pettersson (2006), K.J. Choi (2007), Justin Rose (2010), Hideki Matsuyama (2014) and David Lingmerth (2015).
leaDerBoarD 2016 Player
Pos 1
2
3
4
Total Score
FedExCup Points
Earnings
1
70
68
64
71
273/-15
500.00
$1,530,000.00
2
68
67
68
70
273/-15
300.00
$918,000.00
Dustin Johnson
3
64
71
68
71
274/-14
190.00
$578,000.00
J.B. Holmes
T4
71
68
67
69
275/-13
108.75
$334,687.50
Matt Kuchar
T4
66
66
70
73
275/-13
108.75
$334,687.50
Rory McIlroy
T4
71
66
70
68
275/-13
108.75
$334,687.50
Gary Woodland
T4
68
65
69
73
275/-13
108.75
$334,687.50
images: getty images
Jon Curran birdied the 17th hole to make a playoff, the third straight year the tournament has required extra holes.
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Rory McIlroy was 12-under-par for his last three rounds to finish T4.
Renovations over the past decade have made the finishing stretch one of the most arduous in golf. The par-3 16th was redesigned with a pond guarding the front and left of the green, the long par-4 17th was given new fairway bunkers, and the dogleg right par-4 18th has a new tee stretching the hole to 484 yards.
fan eXPerience
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William McGirt Jon Curran
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check this out
notaBle course features
Special activities on Wednesday are Military Appreciation Day (active duty, military reserve, National Guard, military retirees, veterans, spouse military receive up to four free tickets), Junior Golf Day (school field trips, treasure maps at the gates and a junior golf clinic), a Jack Nicklaus Golf Clinic, and the Memorial Honoree Ceremony. The Patron Village features the Golden Bear Club which requires an upgraded ticket for food and beverage in a sports-bar atmoshpere. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
October 7-9, 2016
Toshiba Classic
Tournament Record 193, Duffy Waldorf (2015)
Tournament 18-hole Record 60, Tom Purtzer (2004), Nick Price (2011), Duffy Waldorf (2015)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www.toshibaclassic.com
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; US PGA TOUR
Course Insight Located along the Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach and offering scenic views of the Pacific Ocean and Newport Bay, the course at Newport Beach Country Club is a strategic par-71 layout. Originally designed by renowned architect William Bell in 1952, it was enhanced by Harry Rainville in 1973. Ted Robinson further refined the course, including renovations to tees and bunkers in 1985 and 1998-2000. The course is known for narrow kikuyu fairways lined by mature pines and small greens with deceptive breaks. Several water hazards add to the challenge. 216
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Jay Haas lost a five-stroke lead entering the final round but ended up winning a playoff to become the second-oldest player ever to win on PGA TOUR Champions at age 62 years, 10 months, 7 days (the record is held by Mike Fetchick, who won the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational on his 63rd birthday). Haas opened with rounds of 64-63, but double bogeyed the fourth hole in the final round—his only over-par score on a hole in the tournament—and managed only three birdies in a 1-under 70. Bart Bryant grabbed the lead with birdies on 16 and 17, but his finalround 64 was marred by a three-putt bogey on the par-5 18th to finish in a tie with Haas, who birdied the first playoff hole (No. 18) to claim his second Toshiba Classic title. “Just to win, to know that I can do it again at 62, is pretty amazing,” Haas said.
CHARITY BENEFIT
Proceeds from the 2016 tournament benefited the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag Hospital. The tournament has generated more than $18 million to benefit Hoag and other charities in its 18-year history.
PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
WALK WITH LEGENDS. “Experience the most accessible, accommodating and engaging entertainment in professional golf.” - Fred Couples
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; US PGA TOUR
Yardage 6,584; par 71
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Location Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.
HOW JAY HAAS WON
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
October 14-16, 2016
October 28-30, 2016
SAS Championship
7,082 yards; par 72
Tournament Record 198, Mark Wiebe (2007)
Tournament 18-hole Record 61, Tom Kite (2003)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www. saschampionship.com
Course Insight The Highlands Course, one of three at Prestonwood Country Club, is ranked 27th in the state by the North Carolina Golf Panel. Opened in 1993, the course was designed by Tom Jackson, a Robert Trent Jones protégé. A renovation was completed in 2011 by Jack Nicklaus protégé Rick Robbins, who lives at Prestonwood. Not only were greens rebuilt to offer improved hole locations, but selected bunkers were replaced by collection areas and grass hollows. w w w.pgatour.com
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Doug Garwood shot a 64 in the final round to pass 36-hole leader Bernhard Langer and claim his first PGA TOUR Champions victory after two career runner-up finishes. Garwood, 53, began the day two strokes back, but by shooting a 6-under 30 on the front nine and adding a fourth consecutive birdie on the 10th hole took a four-stroke lead and stayed comfortably ahead as he won by four despite a bogey on the 18th. “Someone asked me last week, I think, when my last tournament win was, and I blanked,” said Garwood. “Now I won’t have so much trouble.” Langer shot a 70 in the final round after opening 67-67. The event determined the 72 players who moved into the inaugural Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, with no player earning the wild card that was available for a top-10 finisher outside the top 72 on the money list.
CHARITY BENEFIT
The host charity of the SAS Championship is the YMCA of the Triangle. In 2016 the event exceeded the $4 million threshold of donations to area youth educational initiatives, including the Y Learning Program.
Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
HOW TOM PERNICE JR. WON
Yardage
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Yardage
Location 16 20
Location Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, N.C.
HOW DOUG GARWOOD WON
PowerShares QQQ Championship
7,059; par 72
Tournament Record: 203, Tom Pernice Jr. (2016)
Tournament 18-hole Record 64, Tom Pernice Jr. (2016)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www.pgatour.com/ champions/tournaments/ powershares-qqqchampionship.html
Course Insight Located in a beautiful setting at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains, Sherwood Country Club was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1989. The course makes use of the natural elements of land elevations and valleys, waterfalls, running streams and unique rock formations to make for an aesthetically rich and strategically challenging layout. The par-72 course deviates from the norm with five par-5s balanced by five par-3s. The adjoining Lake Sherwood got its name when the area was used for the filming of “Robin Hood,” starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr., in 1921.
Tom Pernice Jr. edged Colin Montgomerie to claim the first tournament in the inaugural Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. The two were tied with five holes remaining before Pernice made birdies on 14 and 15 to go ahead by two. Pernice survived a bogey on 17 to win by one as Montgomerie made pars down the stretch. It was the first win since the 2014 Charles Schwab Cup Championship for the 57-year-old Pernice. “It’s been a little bit of an up-anddown year, but I just kept telling myself, ‘Keep working hard,’” Pernice said. “It’s not always how you start, but if you finish well you can have a great year.” The same applied to the tournament, as Pernice opened the first round with a bogey and double bogey before recovering for rounds of 69-64-70. Montgomerie also had a 70 in the final round. Scott Dunlap closed with a 67 to take third place.
CHARITY BENEFIT The Sherwood Cares Foundation has donated to 14 local charities, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley and The First Tee of Los Angeles.
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November 11-13, 2016
November 4-6, 2016
Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Yardage 7,029; par 72
Tournament Record 203, Scott McCarron (2016), Tom Byrum (2016)
Tournament 18-hole Record 63, Kevin Sutherland (2016)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www.pgatour.com/ champions/tournaments/ dominion-charity-classic.html
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. The course hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1955 and 1975. Architect Lester George oversaw a restoration in 2003-04, bringing back strategic elements of the original design and redoing fairway bunkers to bring them back into play. At the same time, new fourth, sixth and 18th holes were built. 218
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Scott McCarron birdied the first playoff hole with a sixfoot putt to beat Tom Byrum and capture the inaugural Dominion Charity Classic, the second event in the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. McCarron (67-67) and Byrum (65-69) were tied for the lead through 36 holes. Byrum jumped out to as much as a three-stroke lead on the front nine Sunday, but McCarron reeled him in with a steady round of 69 that was bogeyfree. McCarron closed it out with a playoff birdie on a par 5, the 18th hole, which was fitting as he birdied eight of the 12 par 5s in regulation on the week. “I thought that if I could take advantage of the par 5s, I could possibly have a great tournament, and I certainly did that for most of the week,” said McCarron.
CHARITY BENEFIT
The Virginia Values Veterans (V3) program is the beneficiary of the Dominion Charity Classic’s proceeds. The V3 program will use the donated funds through the Virginia Veterans Service Foundation to create employment opportunities for transitioning military service members by helping Virginia employers understand, design, and implement nationally recognized best practices in recruiting, hiring and retaining veterans.
PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
HOW PAUL GOYDOS WON Location Desert Mountain Club (Cochise Course), Scottsdale, Ariz.
Yardage 6,929; par 70
Tournament Record 195, Paul Goydos (2016)
Tournament 18-hole Record 60, Jay Haas (2012)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www.pgatour.com/ champions/charles-schwabcup-championship.html
Course Insight Surrounded by the rugged Sonoran Desert, the Cochise Course is a scenic and strategically challenging Jack Nicklaus-designed course, notable for its collection of risk-reward par-5 holes. The course, one of six at the club that opened in 1986, makes use of desert outcroppings and water hazards and is also made challenging by undulating greens.
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The Country Club of Virginia (James River Course), Richmond, Va.
HOW SCOTT MCCARRON WON
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Location
Paul Goydos opened with a 62, but still had to hold off Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie down the stretch in the final round to claim the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. After a second-round 67, Goydos led Montgomerie by two and Langer by four but by the 14th hole on Sunday, Goydos found himself tied with Langer. Goydos proceeded to birdie 14 from 10 feet with “probably the best putt I hit all week,” he said, and added birdies on 15 and 18 for a closing 66 and 15-under 195 total. Langer shot a 64 to finish second at 197 and capture the Charles Schwab Cup for the third year in a row and fourth time overall as he wrapped up a year when he won four times and never finished worse than 13th. Montgomerie was third at 199 after a 68 and finished second in the Charles Schwab Cup.
CHARITY BENEFIT
The Charles Schwab Cup Championship has raised more than $5 million for charities since 2003. The tournament also has a TICKETS Fore CHARITY program, allowing local charities to sell tournament tickets and keep 100 percent of the net proceeds.
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; US PGA TOUR
Dominion Charity Classic
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
January 19-21, 2017
Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
Hualalai GC, Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii
Yardage 7,107; par 72
Tournament Record 191, Loren Roberts (2006)
Tournament 18-hole Record 61, Loren Roberts (2006)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www.pgatour.com/ champions/tournaments/ mitsubishi-electricchampionship-at-hualalai
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
Course Insight Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Hualalai rests upon dramatic natural topography and winds through lava out-crops to provide a unique test for even the best players. “The inspiration came from the lava…to use those natural ups and downs, always keeping in mind that the ocean is the greatest influence here,” Nicklaus said. The course begins in a lush kipuka (oasis) and then flows down to a dramatic finish near the ocean, with the par-3 17th set on the seaside, offering the most dramatic and scenic hole. w w w.pgatour.com
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Duffy Waldorf holed a 20foot birdie putt on the 18th hole of the final round to emerge with a one-stroke victory over Tom Lehman at Hualalai. “When I got to it, it just looked good,” said Waldorf. “It looked like this putt doesn’t break at all…I felt like I needed to give it a run because Tom was in really good shape.” Lehman, playing in the same pairing, followed Waldorf’s putt with a birdie miss from 15 feet as Waldorf won for the second time in his last three tournaments. Both closed with 66. Waldorf finished at 18-under 198 and didn’t make a bogey in 54 holes, the fourth player in tournament history and second winner (John Cook, 2013) to do so. Tom Watson shot a secondround 65 to better his age by one and stand two strokes off the lead, but closed with a 71 to finish T11.
CHARITY BENEFIT Since the tournament’s inception in 1997, more than $1 million has been donated to various Big Island charities, including the Rotary Club of Kona, Kealakehe High School and Big Island Junior Golf programs.
Allianz Championship
HOW ESTEBAN TOLEDO WON
Location The Old Course at Broken Sound, Boca Raton, Fla.
Yardage 6,807; par 72
Tournament Record 198, Michael Allen and Duffy Waldorf (2014)
Tournament 18-hole Record 60, Michael Allen (2014)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www. allianzchampionship.com
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 hazards 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 Allianz Championship since 2007.
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Location
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HOW DUFFY WALDORF WON
February 10-12, 2017
Esteban Toledo began the final round in an eight-way tie for 10th, four strokes back, but shot a 67 and defeated Billy Andrade on the third hole of a playoff. While Corey Pavin and Tom Lehman, 1-2 heading into the final round, were falling back with a 75 and 72 on a cold, windy day, Toledo posted an 11-under total highlighted by three birdies on the first four holes of the back nine. Andrade had it to 12-under, but he bogeyed the 16th and missed a five-foot birdie putt on 18 and finished regulation in a tie. Three pars earned Toledo his fourth career PGA TOUR Champions victory, three of them coming in playoffs. “There’s a lot of stress and a lot of nerves [in playoffs],” said Toledo. “Sometimes I surprise myself how well I play in tough conditions.”
CHARITY BENEFIT
The Allianz Championship benefits Boca Raton Regional Hospital and other local charities. Boca Raton Regional Hospital is an advanced tertiary medical center, recognized as a leader in oncology, cardiovascular disease and surgery, minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, women’s health and emergency medicine.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
February 17-19, 2017
March 17-19, 2017
Chubb Classic
Tucson Conquistadores Classic
Location
Tournament Record 196, Bernhard Langer (2011), Kenny Perry (2012)
Tournament 18-hole Record 61, Tommy Armour III (2010)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www.theacegroupclassic.com
Course Insight Considered one of the finest private courses in Florida since it opened in 1999, the Talon Course at TwinEagles was designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son, Jack Nicklaus II. It is one of two courses on the property, joined in 2012 by the Steve Smyers-designed Eagle Course. The Talon features many Nicklaus staples, including generous fairways and well-protected undulating greens. Oaks and palm trees line the fairways, while lakes, bunkers, mounding and natural cypress hammocks accentuate the layout. The 457-yard 18th, with five fairway bunkers challenging the drive and a lake to the right and run-off to the left testing the approach, is one of the toughest finishing holes on PGA TOUR Champions. 220
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Bernhard Langer jumped to a four-stroke lead with an opening 62, extended the margin to seven with a second-round 66, and finished with a three-stroke win after closing with a 73. The 62 included two streaks of five straight birdies, on holes 3-7 and 14-18. Langer played a conservative final round that kept him in front, though it did get fairly close near the end when Fred Couples (66) pulled within two after a birdie on 17. After Couples bogeyed 18 it was essentially over. Langer won using a new putting stroke—but still with a long putter—after the anchored stroke he formerly employed was banned at the start of the year. “That gives me hope that I can still pursue this style and still do very, very well,” he said.
CHARITY BENEFIT
In the 29 years PGA TOUR Champions has been in Naples, more than $3 million has been donated to various charitable initiatives. The host organization is The First Tee of Naples/Collier; other charities supported include The First Tee of Philadelphia, Education Foundation of Collier County, Alzheimer’s Support Network, Make-aWish Foundation and the Allie Dowd Foundation.
PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
HOW WOODY AUSTIN WON Location Omni Tucson National Resort, Tucson, Ariz.
Yardage 7,143; par 72
Tournament Record 200, Woody Austin (2016)
Tournament 18-hole Record 63, Jim Carter (2016)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www. conquistadoresclassic.com
Course Insight The Catalina Course at Omni Tucson National Resort, designed by Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin, hosted more than 30 events on the PGA TOUR before it welcomed PGA TOUR Champions starting in 2015. Opened in 1963, the Catalina is a parkland-style design featuring eight lakes and 80 bunkers. The course is known for its very difficult par-4 18th hole, with water guarding both sides of the tee-shot landing area and an uphill approach shot to an undulating green.
Woody Austin shot a 31 on the front nine and holed out from a greenside bunker for an eagle on the par-5 15th hole, giving him a cushion that enabled him to bogey 18 after a drive into the water and still walk away with a closing 65 and his first PGA TOUR Champions title. The hole-out capped what the 52-year-old Austin, a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, called “the greatest bunker week of my career.” Jim Carter, winner of the 2000 Touchstone Energy Tucson Open on this course, finished one stroke back at 201. Bernhard Langer was third, two strokes back, after he followed a stretch of four straight birdies with bogeys on the last two holes.
CHARITY BENEFIT
The Tucson Conquistadores is the charitable organization that runs the tournament and donates net proceeds to youth athletic programs in southern Arizona. Since inception in 1962, the Conquistadores have contributed more than $30 million. The groups receiving donations include The First Tee of Tucson, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, Pima County Special Olympics and the Southern Arizona Community Sports Center at Curtis Park.
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
7,176; par 72
HOW BERNHARD LANGER WON
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Yardage
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The TwinEagles Club (Talon), Naples, Fla.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
March 31-April 2, 2017
April 14-16, 2017
Mitsubishi Electric Classic
Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic
7,151; par 72
Tournament Record 200, Tom Lehman (2011)
Tournament 18-hole Record 63, Fred Couples (2012)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www.2016mgrc.com
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; WILLIAM COLGIN
Course Insight Fallen Oak features woods, wetlands and elevation changes rarely seen on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Tom Fazio designed the course, which opened in 2006 and is part of the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. Fallen Oak features more than 4,000 oaks, magnolias, pines and other hardwood trees. Ponds, streams and wetlands enhance the beauty and the challenge. The fallen oak for which the course was given its name is perched on the right side of the fairway at the par-4 18th hole. w w w.pgatour.com
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Yardage
HOW MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ WON
Spain’s Miguel Angel Jiménez shot a final-round 64 to come from three strokes behind and win at Fallen Oak. Jiménez holed a putt from the fringe from 55 feet on the 10th hole to jump start a stretch of four straight birdies that enabled him to surge into the lead. “The 10th hole was probably the key,” said Jiménez. “The next three holes I hit beautiful shots and holed the putts.” Jiménez didn’t have a bogey in the final round—or in the final 30 holes—and added a birdie on 15 to stay one in front of Scott Dunlap, the 36-hole leader who also birdied 15 but three-putted 17 for a bogey and finished with a 69, to two strokes back of Jiménez’s 14-under 202 total. Jeff Maggert, Tom Pernice Jr., and Jerry Smith finished three strokes back at 207. Heavy rains caused a washout on Friday, with the entire field playing 36 holes on Saturday.
CHARITY BENEFIT
The tournament benefits local charities, including Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Charities can also participate in the Birdies for Charity program to raise additional funds.
Location TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga.
Yardage 7,179; par 72
Tournament Record 202, Miguel Angel Jiménez (2014)
Tournament 18-hole Record 64, Olin Browne, Bernhard Langer (2015), Woody Austin (2016)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www. mitsubishielectricclassic.com
Course Insight TPC Sugarloaf has 27 holes with the tournament course for the Mitsubishi Electric Classic consisting of the Stables and Meadows nines. Opening in 1997, the course hosted a PGA TOUR event each year through 2008 and PGA TOUR Champions since 2013. It was designed by Greg Norman, who guided the layout through stands of trees and used streams, lakes, large bunkers and the natural terrain to create a challenging test.
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Location Fallen Oak, Biloxi, Miss.
HOW WOODY AUSTIN WON
Woody Austin came from four strokes back and a T16 position to win the Mitsubishi Electric Classic with a final-round 64, prevailing in a playoff over Wes Short Jr. after both finished at 11-under 205. Short, the 36-hole leader, shot a 68 in the final round but missed a six-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation and lost the playoff when he bogeyed the second extra hole. Austin had a run of four straight birdies in a front-nine 32, then birdied 10, 15, 16 and 17 for a 32 on the back nine, finishing an hour before the last group. “I went in the clubhouse because I wanted to watch the CavaliersPistons game,” said Austin, who didn’t go to the range after regulation and parred both playoff holes. “I’m a sports junkie.”
CHARITY BENEFIT
The introduction of the Birdies for Charity program helped the Mitsubishi Electric Classic to raise $515,000 for local charities in 2016, bringing the four-year total to more than $1 million. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Gwinnett Medical Foundation and a host of other local charities benefited from the proceeds. PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
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“I’ve played a lot of nine-hole golf courses. I’ve never seen anything compared to this.” – Gary Player
Top of the Rock Golf Course Located in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, Big Cedar Lodge offers extraordinary stay and play experiences. Enjoy championship golf designed by Palmer, Nicklaus, Fazio, Player and Watson at Top of the Rock and Buffalo Ridge.
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ewan
Regina
Jaw
Winnipeg
Weyburn Estevan
Scobey
a
Jordan
na
Langdon
Lake Sakakawea
Mandan
Broadus
Rapid City
Cloquet
Brainerd
Hayward
South Dakota
Wisconsin
Saint Paul Minneapolis April 21-23, 2017 Watertown
29
Huron
Eagan
Marshall
Sault Ste. Marie Newberry
Lake Michigan Marinette
Merrill
75
117
Ottawa
Huntsville Bracebridge
Midland Harrisville Lake Huron
Ogdensburg Brockville
Plattsburgh
Vermont
White River Martin
Mitchell
90
Sioux Falls
90
Albert Lea
35
Winona
Oshkosh
La Crosse
Sheboygan
Beaver Dam
Cadillac
Belleville
87
Oshawa Lake Ontario
Spencer
29
Valentine
May 5-7, 2017
Milwaukee
Madison
Hamilton
Simcoe Port Huron
Ionia
New Hampshire Haverhill
91
Glens Falls
Insperity Invitational
90
Providence
Mason City
40˚
Ohio
R.
Missi
ssippi
R.
Yankton Vermillion Missou Ainsworth ri R. Sioux
2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
Augusta
95 Rhode Island Binghamton Meriden 96 Lansing Chatham ie 86 Dunkirk Corning Connecticut Racine Holland r Janesville Jamestown Scranton Stamford eE New Haven Battle Creek Detroit S t a t e s Rushville Lak 90 Erie Waterloo City Rockford Windsor Williamsport Meadville Newark Evanston Nebraska Patchogue heatland Toledo Scottsbluff Mullen Pennsylvania 80 81 Carroll Cedar Rapids Norfolk Cleveland 80 90 78 25 Clinton Chicago Taylor New York 76 Youngstown Allentown South Bend 88 95 Elyria Des Moines Iowa Joliet New Jersey mie Cheyenne Platte R. Gary Fort Wayne Iowa City Harrisburg Lansdale Trenton 80 Akron Omaha Davenport 76 North Platte 55 Kankakee 80 Greensburg Marion Wabash Ottumwa Council Bluffs llins Wilmington Philadelphia Pittsburgh 70 Lima Lincoln 81 Peoria 75 76 Greeley Sterling Imperial Kokomo 35 Kearney Bloomington Dover Baltimore 95 76 Fort Morgan 68 Indiana Muncie Ohio Columbus Keokuk Macomb der Hastings Maryville Beatrice 70 Fairmont Morgantown Denver Delaware Lancaster Kirksville Springfield Indianapolis Dayton 29 Saint Francis Kettering Phillipsburg Saint Joseph Annapolis od Aurora Illinois Washington D.C. Greensburg Atchison Hannibal Castle Rock Osborne 55 Terre Haute Cincinnati Maryland Fredericksburg 79 Harrisonburg 77 Colorado Springs Oakley Kansas City Bloomington Topeka Saint Effingham Charlottesville 70 Huntington 64 Charleston Hays 70 Charles 65 64 Fountain Saint Louis Columbia Wildwood Kansas Salina Virginia Richmond ity West Virginia Leoti Olathe Louisville Frankfort Pueblo Williamsburg Missouri R. Great Bend Winchester 35 Mount Vernon 64 Lynchburg Petersburg Arnold Beckley Jefferson Virginia Beach rte Salem Garden City Hutchinson Emporia Kentucky Lexington La Junta City Missouri 55 Evansville Owensboro Berea Arkan Dodge City Roanoke 85 Norfolk Bluefield Lebanon Farmington Campbellsville sas R Springfield El Dorado Elizabeth City R. Madisonville ejos 25 . 95 Danville io h Pittsburg Wichita O Somerset 81 Martinsville
Lusk
45˚
Lowell Boston Syracuse Albany Massachusetts Rochester 88 Springfield Franklin Brockton 90 Ithaca Buffalo Hartford 84 81
Oswego
Niagara Falls
Guelph
Michigan Bay City Saginaw Flint
Sussex
Saint John
Berlin Burlington Woodsville Portland Saco 89 91 Dover
Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge Rochester
Manitowoc
95
Montpelier New York Concord Watertown
Kingston
Orillia
Barrie
Toronto
.
eR
nc
e wr
DoverLa Drummondville St Windsor Maine Foxcroft Beloeil Sherbrooke Bangor Machias Hawkesbury Granby Waterville Ellsworth Belfast Newport Cornwall
Pembroke
11
69
Parry Sound
Alpena
Traverse City
Eau Claire Green Bay Appleton 43
94
Elliot Lake
Louiseville Joliette
Houlton
Montreal
North Bay Deep River
17
New Brunswick 65˚
Fredericton
Trois-Rivieres
Maniwaki
Sudbury
Cheboygan
Escanaba
Rhinelander
Sault Ste. Marie
Lake Superior
Marquette
Superior
Saint Cloud Coon Rapids
117
Haileybury
Ontonagon
35
Q u e b e c
101
Eagle River
Hibbing
Minnesota Duluth
Brookings
Hot Springs
Casper
Bemidji
Fargo
Jamestown
Pierre
Lake Oahe
90
Carrington
94
Dupree Gillette
Grand Marais
Fergus Falls 94 Mound City Morris Aberdeen
Bison
eridan
Grand Forks
Bismarck
Hettinger
Ekalaka
uffalo
Minnewaukan
La Malbaie Baie-Saint-Paul
155
La Sarre Amos
Iroquois Falls Timmins Porcupine Val-d'Or Kirkland Lake
17
11
Thunder Bay
Roberval
Kapuskasing Cochrane
Marathon Fort Frances
Baudette
29
North Dakota
Dickinson Baker
94
Morden Winkler Steinbach
Minot
Rimouski Bathurst Riviere-du-Loup Douglastown Edmundston La Pocatiere
Chicoutimi
Hearst
11
Dryden
Kenora
1
Mohall
Williston
Manning
Terry
sham
Crosby
Wolf Point Missouri R. Sidney
Lake Nipigon
Selkirk
Brandon 10
a
Hereford
zo
rdo
Pampa
Lubbock
Hobbs
and
hua 157˚
e
Coahuila 156˚
Eagle Pass
Lanai
57
uza 157˚
itals 000+
Milolii
00-499,999
9,999
99
5419˚
Zacatecas155˚
156˚
Houston
Natchitoches
Griffin
85
Lafayette
Baytown
Kenner
75
Eufaula
Vidalia
Albany
Ozark
Enterprise
Crestview Destin
New Orleans
Augusta
Hilton Head
Dublin
Columbus
Troy
65
10
10
Georgia
Macon
North Carolina
Jacksonville
Sugar Land
El Campo
Victoria
Pasadena
Morgan City
Louisiana Galveston Yardage
70˚
Wilmington
Atlantic Ocean
Myrtle Beach
South Carolina North Charleston Charleston
HOW MICHAEL ALLEN AND WOODY AUSTIN WON
Selma Meridian
Brookhaven Hattiesburg
95
Columbia
Atlanta
Leeds
Hoover
Dothan
Savannah
95
Brunswick
30˚
Location
Kingsland
Jacksonville Tallahassee Saint Augustine
The Woodlands Country Club, The Woodlands, Texas
10
Palatka
Gainesville Florida Daytona Beach Deltona Edgewater Titusville
Houma
Freeport Port Lavaca
Bartow Bradenton
Ingleside
Venice
95
Sebastian
North Port
Yardage
Grand Bahama
75
New Providence
2
57
7,002; par 72
Abaco
Las Animas
95˚
0 0
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90˚
125 Miles
125 KM
250 KM
250 Miles
85˚
Eleuthera
80˚
Bahama Islands
25˚
NassauTournament San Salvador Cat Island
Record
191, Bernhard Langer (2007) Rum Cay
Andros
Key West
100˚
HOW JESPER PARNEVIK WON
16
Hinesville Douglas
Moultrie
Valdosta
35˚
Havelock
40
Lumberton
Greenville Dalton Clemson 85 Gainesville Athens Buford Aiken Orangeburg Marietta Monroe 20 Oxford 59
Montgomery
Natchez Pineville McComb 59 Bogalusa 55 De Ridder Hammond Biloxi
Lufkin
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0
Punaluu
49
Charlotte
Monroe Spartanburg
Homestead
Hilo
Saltillo Pahoa
Kailua
20
77
Gastonia
Huntsville
Opelika
Canton
Asheville
Maryville
Chattanooga
Naples
TorreonHawaii
s
Tuscaloosa
Winston-Salem Greensboro Greenville Knoxville High Point Cary Raleigh
85
Kahoolawe
an
Palestine Nacogdoches
Temple
Beeville
MakenaMonclova Kaupo 30 Hawi Honokaa 20˚ Puako cio Maui
10
35
Alice
21˚
Haiku
Athens
Decatur
Birmingham
Grenada
Greenville Indianola El Dorado Yazoo City
Mount Pleasant Minden Kilgore
Tyler
Taylor
37
22˚
Arkansas
Tennessee Murfreesboro
Columbia Lawrenceburg
Cullman Tupelo 65
55
Monroe Location Shreveport
20
Corinth
Oxford
75
Woody Austin Orlando won for the Palm Harbour Melbourne Tampa Clearwater week second straight on Piedras 2,940; par 54 Port Saint Lucie Saint Petersburg Negras PGA TOUR Champions, this Sarasota West Palm Beach Laredo 6,988; par 71 Corpus Christi Coral Springs Boca Raton Nuevo Laredo time with help fromHialeah Michael Fort Lauderdale Nuevo Gulf of Mexico Leon McAllen Miami Harlingen Allen in the partnership Tournament Record Monterey Guadalupe Brownsville event. Allen made an 18-foot 156, Michael Allen/Woody Montemorelos Austin (2016) San Fernando birdie putt on the final hole Tamaulipas to give the duo a one-stroke U n i t e dTournament S t a t e s 18-hole victory over David Frost and Toll Roads and Bridges International Boundaries Major Rivers Record Interstate Highways State Boundaries Lakes Roger Chapman. “The key U.S. Highways 59, Charles Coody/Dale is making a few putts here Douglass (1990), Michael and there, and this week I Allen/Woody Austin (2016) had a partner who was able 45 (Par-3 Course), Billy to make some that I couldn’t Andrade/Joe Durant (2015) make and we had the Media Coverage absolute perfect partnership Golf Channel this week,” said Austin. Allen and Austin shot a 6-under 48 More Information on the Top of the Rock Par www.bassprolegends.com 3 in nine holes of modified alternate shot and nine holes Course Insight of better ball. A day earlier Top of the Rock, a Jack they took a one-stroke lead Nicklaus Signature Course, over three teams in a tight is the first par-3 course to host a PGA TOUR-sanctioned race by tying the tournament tournament. Perched in a record for a regulation 18beautiful setting high above hole course with a 59. Table Rock Lake, it features waterfalls, wandering creeks CHARITY BENEFIT and pristine lakes. Each The primary beneficiary of team in the two-man team event also plays one round the tournament is College of at Buffalo Ridge, a course the Ozarks, which charges originally designed by Tom no tuition but all students Fazio in 1999. Fazio and work on campus each Johnny Morris, owner of semester to help defray the Bass Pro Shops, revitalized cost of education. Proceeds the course in 2014 with new also go to America’s Wildlife water features, bunkers and Museum and Aquarium. other enhancements. Uvalde
155˚
30
Rockwall
40
40
Memphis
Jackson Alabama Top of the Rock Par 3, Mississippi Buffalo Ridge, Ridgedale, Mobile College Station Baton Mo.Rouge Pensacola Gulfport Beaumont
Killeen 35 Round Rock
Austin San Antonio
Melchor Muzquiz daneCamargo Sabinas Kalaupapa
Parral ai Kaanapali
Plano
Cabot
Nashville
Henderson
Eden
Glasgow Hopkinsville Middlesborough
Union City Dyersburg
Great Exuma
Long Island
75˚
Tournament 18-hole Record 62, Bernhard Langer (2007)
500 Miles
500 KM
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www. insperityinvitational.com
Course Insight Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin designed The Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course. The two men are responsible for the design and redesign of more than 250 courses in the U.S. and 16 foreign countries, but this was a “home course” for von Hagge, who lived in The Woodlands. Created in 1978, the course features integrated ponds, lakes and natural trees. It has hosted tournaments on all of the major tours, including the Shell Houston Open on the PGA TOUR and the LPGA’s Samsung World Championship.
16 20
Gr
Sanderson
Gatesville
Arkadelphia
Paducah
Clarksville
Jackson
Pine Bluff
Texarkana Camden
Dallas
Waco
Sonora
10
Marfa
Paris
Burleson 20 Stephenville Corsicana Brownwood
San Angelo Texas
Fort Stockton
Little Rock
Durant
Fort Worth
Abilene
Jonesboro
Searcy
Hot Springs
Ardmore
Big Spring
Odessa
Pecos an Horn
Fort Smith
Jackson Sikeston
Poplar Bluff Kennett
16 20
Midland
Norman
Denton
Fayetteville
Tahlequah 40
Duncan
Gainesville
Lamesa
Andrews
Carlsbad
Bixby
35
Wichita Falls
Levelland Artesia
Rio
Lawton 44
Plainview
Springfield
44
Joplin Creek Nixa Branson
Bartlesville Tulsa Claremore
Midwest City
Oklahoma City
Canyon
Clovis
Portales
well
Oklahoma Edmond
Dumas
Amarillo
Winfield
pi R .
Mosquero Las Vegas 40
Arkansas City Ponca City Enid
Woodward
siss ip
Liberal
Clayton
Mis
Raton
aos
Playing in his 23rd PGA TOUR Champions event, 51-year-old Jesper Parnevik claimed his first victory with a 12-under 204 total at The Woodlands. “I’m still in shock because when it’s been this long you don’t even remember how it is,” said Parnevik, whose last win on the PGA TOUR came in 2001. Struggling through injuries, he wasn’t able to play much in his 40s and even wondered if he would be able to play on PGA TOUR Champions. The Swede was the only player with all three rounds in the 60s as he finished with a four-stroke margin over Jeff Maggert, David Frost and Mike Goodes. Maggert, a resident of The Woodlands, was tied for the lead with Parnevik through 36 holes but managed only a 71 in the final round. Parnevik made five birdies on the first 12 holes to pull away as he shot a closing 67.
CHARITY BENEFIT
The tournament benefits Golfers Against Cancer’s funding of cancer research, the junior golf programs of the South Texas PGA, the Shriners Hospital for Children in Houston and the community service commitments of Interfaith of The Woodlands.
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2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
May 18-21, 2017
May 25-28, 2017
7,299; par 72
Tournament Record 265, Doug Tewell (2001)
Tournament 18-hole Record 62, Doug Tewell (2001), Tom Watson (2003), Brad Bryant (2009)
Media Coverage Golf Channel
More Information www.regionstradition.com
Course Insight The Founders Course at Greystone Golf & Country Club is in its second year of hosting the Regions Tradition. The layout, designed by architect Robert Cupp and two-time major champion Hubert Green, opened in 1991 and hosted PGA TOUR Champions’ Bruno’s Memorial Classic from 1992 to 2005, whose winners included World Golf Hall of Fame members Green, Larry Nelson and Hale Irwin. In a recent renovation, nine greens were reshaped or significantly modified, all of the existing bunkers were renovated, new fairway bunkers were added and three new tees were built. 224
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Bernhard Langer didn’t miss a single fairway in the final two rounds—he was 26-for-26—as he rolled to a six-stroke victory at Greystone. “My putter was hot and cold, my irons were hot and cold, but the driver was really the outstanding club,” said Langer. “It didn’t let me down, not one time the last two days.” Langer finished with rounds of 66-69-69-67 for a 17-under 271 total. Kenny Perry led after each of the first two rounds, with 64-70, but wasn’t a factor after a thirdround 74 as Langer took over to lead by four strokes through 54 holes. Olin Browne made a move in the final round, narrowing the gap to two strokes before Langer asserted himself and pulled away with birdies on five of the last seven holes. Browne took second place with his closing 67.
CHARITY BENEFIT
Children’s of Alabama, the only hospital in the state dedicated solely to the care and treatment of children, is the primary charity recipient of the Regions Tradition. Other charities have the opportunity to benefit through the Birdies For Charity program.
PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 2016/2017, Part 1
Location Trump National Golf Club, Sterling, Va.
Yardage 7,167; par 72
Tournament Record 265, Rocco Mediate (2016)
Tournament 18-hole Record 62, Kenny Perry (2012), Rocco Mediate (2016)
Media Coverage Golf Channel/NBC
More Information www.pga.com/seniorpga
Course Insight Trump National Golf Club began as Lowes Island Club before it was purchased by Donald Trump in 2009. The club has 36 holes, with the Championship Course, originally designed by Tom Fazio in 1994, hosting the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship for the first time. The course was redone into a Donald J. Trump Signature Course, with the removal of more than 450 trees opening up views of the Potomac River. The course stretches along lakes, marshes and the Potomac River, and also winds through a wooded valley laced with streams.
HOW ROCCO MEDIATE WON
16 20
Yardage
16 20
Location Greystone Golf & Country Club (Founders Course), Birmingham, Ala.
HOW BERNHARD LANGER WON
KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
Rocco Mediate opened by tying the championship 18-hole record with a 62 in the first round and wrapped it up by setting the 72-hole record with 265 at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich. The 53-year-old became the first wire-to-wire winner (no ties) since Jack Nicklaus in 1991 as he took his first PGA TOUR Champions title. It wasn’t a cakewalk in the final round, though, as Mediate was only two strokes ahead of two-time defending champion Colin Montgomerie before holing out from a greenside bunker for a birdie on the 17th hole. “As soon as it left the club, I knew it had a chance,” said Mediate. “It made a huge difference. If I make bogey there, who knows what happens?” Mediate ended up with a 66 in the final round to a 67 for Montgomerie, who finished three behind Mediate and three ahead of Bernhard Langer and Brandt Jobe.
CHARITY BENEFIT
Proceeds go to PGA Reach, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America, which includes PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), a year-round program that provides free golf instruction from local PGA Professionals for all veterans.
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; US PGA TOUR
Regions Tradition
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01/12/2016 10:55
the last word
IndelIble Mark Many memories came forth when Arnold Palmer passed away at age 87, including the time a boy saw the iconic golfer play for the first time By Bill Fields
images: Pga TOUR
l
ike a lot of golfers—and golf writers, for that matter—I wasn’t very old when I saw Arnold Palmer for the first time in person. Professional golf returned to my hometown area after a 20-year absence with the staging of the 1971 U.S. Professional Match Play Championship at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. I was 12, seriously afflicted with the golf bug, and could hardly believe I was getting a chance to be around the stars I read about and watched on television. On pro-am day, with a paper ticket tied to a belt loop, a Kodak Instamatic and a ballpoint pen in my pocket and a Thermos of sweet tea in hand, I got dropped off early at the spectator gate by my mother on her way to work. Palmer was just a couple of weeks shy of his 42nd birthday—which then was deep into athletic middle age—and had won his last major championship seven years earlier. There was no doubt, though, of Palmer’s place in the pecking order of this world I was glimpsing. There were plenty of neat creases and nice tans among the players, all of whom hit the ball with an authority that left me in awe, but Palmer, even to a kid who didn’t know much, stood out. His strong hands reminded me of those of a filling-station mechanic in town, minus the grime of a 10-hour day. His swing had a thrilling quality, its distinctive epilogue no less funky than some of the follow-throughs I witnessed at my local nine-holer. His neat signature would have gotten a high mark from Miss Blue, the third-grade teacher who taught me cursive. His manner was that of a man who loved his work—and the folks on the other side of the gallery ropes who made it possible. If I had known the meaning of the word, I would have said he had charisma. When Palmer died Sept. 25 at age 87, in a Pittsburgh hospital while awaiting cardiac surgery, my thoughts went back to the first time I saw him
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and thought how many others must be doing the same. As evidenced by so many recollections since his passing—from fellow legends to fans to reporters—his impression on golf and those around the game was indelible, an imprint made through moments large and small. He was a visor thrown with glee in Colorado, a knock-kneed putting stance at Augusta National, a frustrated grimace in California and a couple of goodbyes on an old bridge in Scotland. He was 62 PGA TOUR victories, but in adding up what he brought to golf, numerals aren’t enough. He was a man who into his 80s still loved going to the practice range to try and hit a ball far and sure and hated when age finally took away the joy. The man in the left seat of his jet’s cockpit for so many years possessed the right stuff to carry his sport to new heights, and it was a journey no one enjoyed more than he did. But from rabbit ears to live streaming, from checks cut to the penny to seven figures for a win, some things never changed: A man takes off his hat indoors, and you write your name so they can read it. Palmer was still writing congratulatory letters to tournament winners in the last few months of his amazing life, his famous signature looking much like it did when he gave me an autograph 45 years ago. Now as then, it wasn’t a chore but a pleasure.
Arnold Palmer delighted PGA TOUR player J.J. Henry with an autograph during the 2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
A 2016 Arnold Palmer signature on a 1960 magazine, when the legend was at his peak.
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