Italy's Renato Paratore extended his bogey-free run to 56 holes to retain a one-shot advantage after the third round of the British Masters at Close House in Northumberland.
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There were glimmerings of possible Premier Golf League activity recently when Jon Rahm was overheard discussing something team-driven to Viktor Hovland (perhaps influencing why the world No. 2, on the cusp of moving to No. 1, did not make the Memorial Featured Group coverage).
Now The Guardian’s Ewan Murray reports several interesting developments: formal offer letters have been sent to players, the European Tour issued a soft non-denial denial over possible partnership discussions, hundreds of millions in guaranteed money are on the table despite the global pandemic, and Murray even references the PGA Tour’s new TV deal possibly funding “commercial incentives” to players.
Those who have been linked with the breakaway include Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Paul Casey. The PGL declined to comment on recent events when approached. Yet whether the PGL can convince elite golfers to offer a commitment against the PGA Tour in particular remains to be seen. As part of a recently agreed broadcasting deal, the PGA Tour agreed to offer commercial incentives to players who provide the greatest value.
The idea of directly paying some players would be a new path for the PGA Tour after remaining principally an independent contractor-driven organization.
Meanwhile in Europe, Chief Keith Pelley has been largely dismissive of the concept even though his Tour and the PGL seem like a potential partnership fit, particularly now that the pandemic has hit the Tour especially hard. This week’s British Masters is playing for 1,250,000 Euros.
Tiger Woods, who tied for 40th at the Memorial Tournament last week, will skip the World Golf Championship event next week in Memphis, Tennessee.
Do you want more spin from your wedges? Sure, we all do.
Forgive us for making this sound like an infomercial, but it’s a fact that most golfers would kill for a bit more wedge spin, especially on those delicate little shots around the green. If you’re one of the nine golfers selected to test Cleveland Golf’s new ZipCore wedges, you might just find what every other golfer is looking for.
There’s plenty of tech packed into these wedges, and playability is at the forefront of the design. To that end, Cleveland doesn’t just promise more spin, but also more consistent spin. Doesn’t that sound good?
Testers Wanted
We are looking for nine dedicated golfers who will provide an in-depth, four-to-six-week commitment to testing the ZipCore wedges.
Testing is open to golfers in the U.S.
With the PGA Championship in less than two weeks, player quarantining is a looming issue for the three postponed 2020 majors. Each may see defections on the international front, with potential questions about the legitimacy of the event without players either able to reasonably gain entry or get situated to play.
The PGA is in very good shape after a recent contender in several majors, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, put in two weeks and then went golfing in the Hamptons before turning up at this week’s 3M Championship.
Other major winners whose situations remain unclear: Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari, along with Lee Westwood.
Eddie Pepperell is the first player to pass up his exemptions to the PGA at Harding Park and the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
Three tours, three famous golfers, all teed off and each stopped mid-round for reasons both normal and abnormal.
Most alarming with a major championship looming and having recently recorded a win at the Travelers was Dustin Johnson, who posted 78, talked about his round at the 3M and never mentioned a bad back that was cited for his WD.
From Brian Wacker at GolfDigest.com:
Johnson made no reference to his back in the post-round interview before pulling out of the tournament 30 minutes later.
What it means for him moving forward remains to be seen. Johnson has twice won at TPC Southwind, site of next week’s WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, and the 2019-’20 season’s first and only major, the PGA Championship, is the following week. Though it’s unlikely he will miss any time.
“He absolutely plans to play,” Johnson’s agent, David Winkle, told Golf Digest in a text message. “He was experiencing some tightness in his back, which requires rest and treatment, both of which he’ll get the next few days."
Johnson missed the cut at last week’s Memorial Tournament with rounds of 80-80.
Richy Werenski broke a tie with Michael Thompson with his ninth and last birdie on a warm, windy afternoon at the 3M Open, which he leads after the opening round thanks to a 63.
Nick Watney, who tested positive for the coronavirus on June 19, shot 66 to share the first-round lead at TPC-Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.It is the first time he shot in the 60s since March.
Tony Finau has split with longtime caddie Greg Bodine. "On a personal level I love the guy and on a business level, I felt it was time for a change in my situation and something just different," he said.
Italy's Renato Paratore produced a fine round of five-under-par 66 to lead at the halfway stage of the British Masters at Close House on Thursday as host Lee Westwood battled to make the cut.
Dustin Johnson withdrew following an opening-round 78 at the 3M Open on Thursday, citing a back injury.
The PGA Tour will begin to expand access to tournament events, beginning with next week's WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
There aren’t many guaranties in life, are there? Risk is constantly lurking and buyer’s remorse – even if it’s only fleeting – always checks in to see how you’re doing.
That set of universal truths is why we think this week’s announcement by the Edison Wedge company is sorta-kinda newsworthy. The Edison Wedge guaranty is as risk-free of a demo program as you’ll find in golf.
In essence, Edison’s Terry Koehler is channeling his inner Don Corleone and is making you an offer you can’t refuse.
Play Until You Know
Edison is Koehler’s newest venture. Over the past 30 years, with stints at Reid Lockhart and his own companies at Eidelon, Score and Ben Hogan, Koehler has become known as the “Wedge Guy.” Edison launched its forged wedges earlier this year and to get the enterprise moving, Koehler is keeping the Edison Wedge guaranty simple: Order a set of Edison wedges custom-built to your specs and try them at your home club for as long as it takes.* If you like ‘em, keep ‘em. If you don’t, send them back for a full refund.
What’s the catch?
New mom Michelle Wie West has been appointed to be one of Pat Hurst's assistant captains for Team USA at the Solheim Cup next year in Ohio.
You don’t need to be a golf savant to understand that hitting the ball farther leads to lower scores. It’s a simple reality at every level of the game.
And if you want to increase distance, you have to find a way to swing the club faster.
SuperSpeed Golf believes its OverSpeed training system has benefits for any level of golfer because it isn’t geared toward any specific demographic. The basic premise is that every player can access more speed than he/she is currently because of how our brain receives and communicates certain information.
The more scientific explanation deals with overspeed training and how this works to change the way your brain and muscles receive information. Specifically, the SuperSpeed system generates a neurological reset and trains your brain and muscles into believing you can swing the club faster. It makes the body move faster than normal during training to permanently increase the neuromuscular reaction speed of the body.
In plain English: swinging a training stick faster than normal causes your brain to remember this faster speed, and even start expecting it.
That’s the question Bob Harig asks at ESPN.com with the Tradition Unlike Any Other slated for a COVID-19 detour November 12-15th and an increasingly likelihood that spectators will be a tall task. Particularly to a club made up of CEO’s in industries or sports where they could be exposed to criticism for endorsing the Masters played one way, while conducting their businesses differently.
Harig concludes with this:
A Masters without spectators would be a huge disappointment. Ultimately, if it comes to that, it would seem Augusta National still wants a 2020 Masters. There are still enormous worldwide television rights fees to collect. A November Masters without spectators would still be compelling to a worldwide television audience. And if the PGA Championship can be played without fans, so can the Masters. Then you hope for the best in April.
But don't try to argue that it doesn't matter. The atmosphere at Augusta National helps make the tournament. Just imagine Tiger Woods winning last year ... in virtual silence.
Trump Turnberry
Peter Baker reports on the Presidential COVID-19 briefing that also included a question about yesterday’s New York Times story regarding Trump Turnberry, The Open and Ambassador Woody Johnson.
“No, I never spoke to Woody Johnson about that, about Turnberry,” Mr. Trump said. “Turnberry’s a highly respected course, as you know, one of the best in the world. I read a story about it today, and I never spoke to Woody Johnson about doing that, no.”
Johnson took to Twitter to fend off allegations from another story, but it’s not clear if he was referring to Trump Turnberry here:
I have followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times. These false claims of insensitive remarks about race and gender are totally inconsistent with my longstanding record and values.
— Ambassador Johnson (@USAmbUK) July 22, 2020
There are too many layers to go into with this PGATour.com (unlabeled) sponsored content, or give-back, or whatever it is. I’ll start by having your top writer take out the trash as just one thing that comes to mind.
But there is actual comedy in a story looking at how pros paid to play the Callaway Mavrik driver (I know, what a scoop!). Given that exactly one year ago Xander Schauffele and Callaway were in the hot seat over an illegal driver, and that we’re seeing some freakish driving distances of late, you’d think this might be a good time to lay low.
SponCon here we come:
Henrik Stenson, the 2013 FedExCup champ and six-time winner on the PGA TOUR, noted in the July-August 2020 issue of Golf magazine that “the ball speeds off of MAVRIK are really high, and I noticed that almost immediately when I first tried it. If I hit it dead center or if I miss the sweet spot, I still know that I’m going to get the speed and distance I’m looking for.”
Having that confidence that a non-center strike can still be an effective shot is a huge advantage for any players, particularly those at the top level. And particularly on fairway woods, which can often be a pesky club to figure out – and a club that many weekend amateurs try to avoid as much as possible.
76er Matisse Thybulle has been posting warts-and-all videos from the NBA bubble in Orlando. Thanks to reader BB for highlighting volume 4 that shows how NBA quarantine golf looks. In a nutshell: you’ll feel very good about your game seeing what’s taking place down there—albeit with clubs not made for some of the best and tallest athletes in the world.
I’ve embedded a version that starts at the golf portion, but if you are one of those plot zealots who just has to see their reality shows from the start, you can go here.
