Major(s) News & Notes, May 9th, 2024
Getting ready for Valhalla and the PGA. Plus, CBS and ESPN roll out extensive coverage plans, FIGJAM goes all FAAFO, the Royal and Ancient names a new Captain, This, That and Reads.
Days to the PGA Championship first tee shot: 7
Days to the U.S. Women’s Open Presented By Ally first tee shot: 21
Days to the U.S. Open first tee shot: 35
Days to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: 42
Days to the Open Championship first tee shot: 70
Days to the AIG Women’s Open Championship: 105
Here’s what we know as the 106th PGA Championship arrives in Louisville where Jack Nicklaus’s Valhalla design hosts its fourth major:
This will be the first PGA Championship played in the spring after August editions in 1996 (Mark Brooks), 2000 (Tiger Woods) and 2014 (Rory McIlroy).
The design is the same other than new turf and the edition of four significant new tees stretching it to a whopping 7,609 yards. (More details on this in a forthcoming Quad.)
A few players have gone early for scouting trips including two-time champion Justin Thomas and four-time champion Tiger Woods, who memorably captured the 2000 PGA at Valhalla.
Woods has a full plate. On Wednesday it was revealed the PGA Tour Enterprises did what committees do best: formed a subcommittee! Or a task force. According to the AP’s Doug Ferguson, he is the lone player on a five-member subcommittee that will be involved in negotiations with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia as the Tour and PIF approach the one-year anniversary of their framework agreement announcement.
The Louisville area was under a severe weather watch as The Quad went to press Wednesday night.
The once-promising tournament week forecast has taken an unattractive turn.
The top two Masters finishers are not playing this week’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, site of next year’s PGA. Scottie Scheffler is on baby watch as wife Meredith is expecting any minute now. Runner-up Ludvig Aberg withdrew from the Wells Fargo to rest an injured right knee but expects to be ready for Valhalla.
Scheffler remains the overwhelming betting favorite. From Oddschecker:
Defending Champion Brooks Koepka is among the 16 LIV players recovering this week after two events in Australia and Singapore. Should he repeat, Koepka would become the fourth golfer to win at least four PGA Championships, joining Walter Hagen (5) Jack Nicklaus (5) and Woods (4).
Valhalla is no longer owned by the PGA of America and is currently not scheduled for any future championships after a successful run of three PGA’s, a Ryder Cup and two Senior PGA’s.
A new ownership group purchased Valhalla in June, 2022. Headed by ISCO Industries CEO Jimmy Kirchdorfer and three partners, the group has battled with longtime members. The disputes were documented last March by Tim Sullivan, writing for Golf Digest.
Stroke play tournaments at Valhalla come down to the last hole. Brooks and Woods won their PGA’s in playoffs, McIlroy captured his by a stroke. The 2004 Senior PGA saw Hale Irwin win by one shot, while the 2011 PGA finished with Tom Watson beating David Eger in a playoff.
The course is green! A flyover tour shot recently:
That should be enough for now to warm everyone up to what will hopefully be another thriller at Valhalla. I’ll have more on the course as we get closer and also after I get a look at it Monday.
This week’s News & Notes look at the extensive plans of CBS, ESPN and Sirius XM, then we note another sad moment in Phil Mickelson’s social media history, a new Royal and Ancient Golf Club Captain is named, and we wrap with This, That, and Reads. Onward!
CBS At The PGA
Before dumping a crazy amount of numbers, times, feeds and names, here are the main windows American audiences need to know for watching the PGA Championship:
May 16: ESPN+ 7 a.m.-noon. ESPN Noon-8 p.m.
May 17: ESPN+ 7 a.m.-1 p.m. ESPN 1 p.m.-8 p.m.
May 18: ESPN+ 8 a.m.-10 a.m. ESPN 10 a.m.-1 p.m. CBS 1 p.m.-7 p.m.
May 19: ESPN+ 8 a.m.-10 a.m. ESPN 10 a.m.-1 p.m. CBS 1 p.m.-7 p.m.
As the PGA Championship enters year five of its current TV deal, there is some ESPN expansion of coverage since last year. But first, CBS.
The network returns for the 34th consecutive year with Jim Nantz hosting the network’s coverage from the 18th “super tower.” He’ll be joined by lead analyst Trevor Immelman, hole announcers Ian Baker-Finch and Frank Nobilo, and on-course reporters Dottie Pepper, Colt Knost and Mark Immelman. Amanda Balionis handles reports and interviews. Once again, Sellers Shy produces along with Jim Rikhoff, and Steve Milton directs along with Bob Matina. Chris Svendsen and Bryan Kosowski serve as replay producers. David Berson oversees his first major as the news President & CEO of CBS Sports, replacing the retired Sean McManus. Harold Bryant is Executive Vice President, Production.
CBS will have a whopping 125 cameras and 150 microphones positioned throughout Valhalla. They record nearly 500 channels for replays, and once again lead the industry with a consistent, complete technology offering:
Fly Cams – At the practice facility, the par-5 18th green, and the par-4 13th green / par-3 14th tee. The cameras now also oscillate.
Bunker Cameras – A collection of robotic bunker cameras will showcase unique 360-degree greenside perspectives of the par-3 14th and par-5 18th holes.
Aerial Coverage – Multiple drones will be in use as a live camera source.
Aerial Coverage II - The Goodyear Blimp returns for broader aerial views.
Shallow Depth-of-Field Cameras – CBS will deploy a shallow depth-of-field Steadicam, along with two Atlas (mini shallow depth-of-field) Steadicams.
Falcon 360 – An immersive 360-degree camera will showcase panoramic views of Valhalla.
Player Walk-and-Talk – Missing at The Masters this year, it returns to the PGA.
Toptracer – Toptracer broadcast technology will be incorporated into the practice facility in addition to all 18 holes (including tee box “high tracer” vantage points).
Toptracer RF – Toptracer will outfit four RF mini cameras to provide ball-tracking graphics and statistics on a player’s shot from the fairway.
ARL Virtual Eye Side Slab Flight Track – Virtual Eye technology returns with coverage on every hole, as well as the practice facility. Virtual Eye uses Toptracer ball tracing capabilities on tee shots to provide an overhead slab view of the hole.
PinPoint Wind Analysis – Numerous anemometers measuring wind speed, direction and daily wind trends will be placed around the course to capture wind data.
GOLFTEC OptiMotion Swing Analysis Technology – Making its PGA debut, the swing breakdowns utilize GOLFTEC’s OptiMotion technology to present viewers with biomechanical swing data.
More Blockie - On Saturday, May 11 at 2:00 PM, ET CBS and Paramount+ will air “One Moment in Time: Michael Block’s Miracle in May,” followed by a “PGA Championship Preview” on Sunday, May 12 at 2:00 PM, ET.
The full CBS schedule:
ESPN At The PGA
The Worldwide Leader will deliver a whopping 230 hours of live PGA play across ESPN and ESPN+ during the week, highlighted by Thursday/Friday action and morning play on the weekend. An alternate ESPN2 feed featuring No Laying Up returns for a second year with expanded offerings.
Streaming coverage once again includes Featured Groups and Featured Holes, with a new ESPN Bet stream marking the most aggressive effort of any major championship to cash in on the degeneratiscenti.
Scott Van Pelt will anchor live play coverage on ESPN and ESPN+ with David Duval serving as lead analyst. Former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy will also provide analysis for part of each day while Bob Wischusen and Dave Flemming also serve as anchors at times over the four days. Curtis Strange works as a hole announcer, while the on-course reporters are Andy North, Billy Kratzert, Suzy Whaley, Ken Brown and John Maginnes. Michael Eaves and Marty Smith will conduct player interviews and Jeff Darlington contributes something likely NFL-related.
On streaming coverage, Featured Groups announcer teams consist of George Savaricas and Scott Verplank; Will Haskett and Jeff Sluman; Peter Burns and Carl Paulson; Taylor Zarzour and Mark Brooks; Wes Durham and Colin Swatton; Chantel McCabe and Steve Melnyk; Eric Rothman and Paul Stankowski; and Dave Feldman and Mark Wilson.
On-course reporters for Featured Groups will be Ned Michaels, Ken Brown, Andy North, Graham DeLaet, Steve Scott, Ewan Porter, Matt Every and Gary Christian.
Announcers for the Featured Holes stream on ESPN+ will include Matt Barrie, Geoff Ogilvy, Justin Kutcher, Mark Donaldson, Jane Crafter, Shane Bacon, John Maginnes and Suzy Whaley.
Noteworthy tweaks, upgrades and expansion of coverage:
Four additional hours of ESPN television coverage of the first and second rounds starting at noon ET each day and continuing until 8 p.m. ET. an hour earlier than previous years, and continuing until 8 p.m.
As in past years, traditional coverage starts even earlier on ESPN+ at 7 a.m. until switching to ESPN both days.
A fifth group will be followed as part of Featured Group coverage on ESPN+ on Thursday and Friday this year, for a total of 10 groups.
No Laying Up alt feeds now cover four days instead of two.
ESPN BET at the PGA Championship debuts Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on ESPN2 followed by PGA Championship with No Laying Up from 1-3 p.m. on ESPN2. The weekend hours are 9-1 and 11-1 respectively.
ESPN+ will stream Featured Holes coverage is centered around holes 13-14-18 at Valhalla starting at 7:45 a.m. and running through the conclusion of play.
The weekend mornings start with five hours of live play between ESPN+ (8-10 a.m.) and ESPN (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.).
Weekend Featured Group coverage on ESPN+ consisting of four morning groups will be dependent upon tee times and cut size, but is slated to stream through the conclusion of play. Same goes for ESPN+ Featured Holes coverage of Holes 13-14-18.
I think they have it covered.
SiriusXM At The PGA
SiriusXM and Westwood One provide live look-ins during its programming in the morning and early afternoon each day to give subscribers live coverage.
Brian Katrek and Taylor Zarzour anchor the live daily coverage, with Johnson Wagner serving as lead analyst.
On-course reporters include Maureen Madill, Dennis Paulson, Drew Stoltz, Andres Gonzales and Mark Carnevale, while Jason Sobel will conduct pre- and post-round interviews with players in the field. The weekend will start with David Marr III hosting “PGA of America Radio” live from 9-10 am ET.
Immediately following each round, Gary Williams hosts two hours of post-round coverage.
FIGJAM Deletes FAAFO Post
Over the weekend, the always curious Phil Mickelson could have been out sightseeing in Singapore. Instead, he was holed up responding to Tweets while leading his lowly Hy Flyers to a ninth-place finish and decided to re-issuing old, tired and pathetic threats of LIV player boycotts.
Apparently realizing the strategy will not work or having gotten wind of several PGA Championship invites to LIV golfers, Mickelson subsequently deleted his reply to Flushing It Golf.
FIGJAM suggested the majors FAAFO if they did not find a way to work with LIV. As family newsletter, I’ll let you tap into Google for the acronym translations.
R&A Announces 2024-25 Captain
Ian Pattinson will drive off as Royal and Ancient Golf Club Captain on Friday, September 20, 2024.
A retired solicitor who practiced in the City of Cambridge, he’s a former Cambridge University Golf Club captain who plays to a 4.9 Index. Pattinson’s father, Reg, twice played in The Open was the inaugural Senior Amateur Championship in 1969.
Pattinson became a Member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1989 and has served as Chairman of the Rules of Golf and the Equipment Standards Committees and was the first-ever Chairman of the World Handicap Board. From 2018 to 2022, he was Chairman of the General Committee and Chairman of the R&A Group boards and served as a Rules Official at all of the majors and Women’s Open, along with leading amateur events, including the Walker and Curtis Cup.
He is a board member of the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation and a Trustee of Ely Cathedral Charitable Trust who holds memberships in The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Royal West Norfolk; Merion, the Oxford & Cambridge Golfing Society and the Senior Golfers’ Society.
Pattinson’s wife Jan is a two-time past Lady Captain of Royal Worlington & Newmarket.
This And That
2025 European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald made a scouting trip to Bethpage Black with Vice Captain Edoardo Molinari.
The PGA of America and PENN Entertainment announced a multiyear sports betting partnership making ESPN BET the “Official Sports Betting Sponsor” of the PGA Championship through 2026. As part of the deal, next week’s PGA will feature the ESPN BET Members Lounge located adjacent to the green on the par-4 13th hole available only to ESPN BET account holders with “special ESPN BET offers for patrons on site.” Sports betting is legal in Kentucky.
The USGA recently submitted a grant application to Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program seeking $2.3 million in grant funding to pay for new roads, staging grounds, and an improved admission experience to accommodate larger crowds at the 2025 U.S. Open. The expansion also includes purchasing $1.5 million worth of land. (Dieto/Triblive.com)
The USGA and several private donors have made a $1 million commitment to fund the Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program (GAP) for the next five years. The program includes Sandhills Community College in the Pinehurst area and a new program at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in the Myrtle Beach area. “As we look toward the next 25 to 50 years in golf, our Green Section teammates clearly heard the industry’s desire to further develop skill sets of golf course maintenance personnel and the professional training needed to advance a more sustainable sport,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA. More on the program can be read on its home page.
Reads
🤮 Natasha Turak on Saudi Arabia insisting NEOM is moving ahead despite reports of swelling budgets—$2 trillion!—and major cutbacks as a result. What a loss for humanity.
I hate to leave you with that shocker but I don’t want any Quadrilateraliabans booking NEOM trips only to find out the Steamboat-level powder will never make to the indoor ski slopes.
Can or will the coverage include a wind direction and speed optic to help the viewers. At the Masters the wind was the story and viewers did not have a clue about impact on the shot, when the player eventually hit it.
Where is Smylie Kaufman in the long list of on-course reporters?