Major(s) News & Notes, February 6, 2025
LIV gets USGA validation. Plus, Masters notes, Tida Woods, Sergio's perplexing PGA invite, Africa Amateur, pricey St Andrews home, Quotables, Listens, This, That and Reads.
Days to The Masters’ Honorary Starter’s tee shot: 63
Days to the Chevron Championship start: 77
Days to the PGA Championship’s first tee shot: 98
Days to the U.S. Women’s Open first tee shot: 112
Days to the U.S. Open’s first tee shot: 126
Days to the Women’s PGA Championship: 133
Days to The Open’s first tee shot: 162
Days to the Women’s Open first tee shot: 175
Days to the Walker Cup flag-raising ceremony: 211
Days to the Ryder Cup opening session: 232
Who knew we had so many budding wordsmiths on the PGA Tour? I remember the glory days when they’d take to the Notes app, rant or apologize for something, then screen shot the missive for Twitter, only to delete the post by breakfast.
Today’s “what can’t they do” pros now churn out typo-free, TOUR-in-all-caps letters to the membership world, and while I know you cynics see signs of an obvious marketing-controlled effort to win back fans tired of phoniness and greed, I just see men of letters channeling their inner Herb Wind.
The Quad staff voted 12-11 to spare you analysis of the latest resurgence of the written word from once seemingly illiterate pro golfers since we only cover majors here. Nor would never speculate on stuff like, oh, just joking here, a landing spot for TPC Gaza Strip. Because scents of spring arrived this week via the Masters Media Guide and 2025 U.S. Open qualifying news.
USGA Invites LIV Golfers
After years of LIV golfer complaining about a lack of access to majors, the USGA granted the league a significant endorsement with spots into the next two U.S. Opens.
Wednesday’s announcement of exemption categories for June’s national championship led with the big news while even carving out a 2026 exemptions.
“For the 2025 championship, a full exemption will be awarded to the top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 19, 2025.”
“In addition, a local exemption will be awarded to the top 10 players from the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of April 7, 2025.”
The exemption will be based on play in the first seven LIV events of 2025.
This is the first time LIV enjoys an official path for players to reach a major and based on the 2026 plan, suggests the USGA does not see the Saudi Arabian league going away any time soon. For the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills:
The top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the Final 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 18, 2026
The top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 18, 2026
The validation should be seen as great news for the league given LIV’s abandonment of Official World Golf Ranking status while sticking to 54 hole with fields dotted with circus freaks. But it being a tour built on grievance I can imagine that there will be complaints.
To be determined with the LIV invites: how this impacts the number of Final Qualifying spots in the U.S. Open field. The loss of even one to LIV would be a shame and dreadful precedent. We’ll find out in June.
The full list of exemption categories can be seen here.
Masters Tweaks
The Masters Media Guide is typically the first chance to see what’s been updated, altered or modified (but not announced) at the TUAO. The booklet indicates no changes to hole yardages from last year, meaning Augusta National will weigh in at 7,555-yards for the second consecutive year.
As far as other course changes, the guide only notes how “Hurricane Helene causes historic damage in September to the Augusta community and Augusta” but gives no specifics. However…
A close look at the course and hole-by-hole depictions acknowledge the untimely passing of tall pines near the 8th fairway bunker, behind the 11th green, and between the 15th and 16th greens.
The Par 3 course has also remained at 1,090 yards after a significant redesign for the 2023 Masters.
On the course scoring tabulation, the 1942-2024 average dropped to 73.994 to 74.008.
In the record keeping area, Hole No. 2 has now moved into the 18th slot as the easiest hole in tournament play after a 4.658 scoring average in the 2024 Masters and lowering the all time average to 4.773. The 13th now moves into No. 2’s slot as the 17th toughest hole with a 4.774. Looks like these two will be duking it out for years to come!
On the toughest hole front, Nos. 10 and 11 remain at the top. The 11th continues to play as the most difficult at a 4.304 average over the eighty years of record-keeping, up from 4.303. The 10th is losing its grip with a stunning plunge from 4.299 to 4.298 and despite playing tough in 2024 (4.248 average in ‘24, up from 4.133 in 2023. (Said No. 10 when reached by The Quad for comment: “Just remember I haven’t been lengthened with a tee in downtown Augusta like No. 11. Personally, I think the putting green needs to move but then you get near the wine cellar, and well, we know that’s not moving.”
The guide says “The Par 3 Contest will be held on Wednesday, April 9, with coverage beginning at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN+. Live coverage and programming will also air on ESPN.” This is a change from the past when the Par 3 Contest has been set for 3-5 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The expanded weekend U.S. network window now matches on Saturday and Sunday. Times remain as previously announced: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET exclusively on Paramount+ and 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. CBS & Paramount+.
The 2030 Masters will be played April 8 – 14.
Tida Woods
A longtime staple of galleries during the 15 major championships won by her son, Tida Woods passed away this week at age 80. The sad news was announced on social media by Tiger, who called her his “biggest fan” and greatest supporter.
“Without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible,” Tiger said in the statement.
Kultila “Tida” Woods met her future husband Earl in 1968 while he was on a military tour. They settled in Los Alamitos, California and Tida gave birth to Tiger on December 30, 1975.
“My mom doesn’t get enough credit,” Tiger said last year when accepting the Bob Jones Award at Pinehurst with his mom in the audience. “Mom has been there my entire life. She’s always been there through thick and thin. This award, I accept it in humbleness and just unbelievable regard for the past recipients, but I also accept it for my mommy, too. She has allowed me to get here.”
Tiger ended the speech saying, “She allowed me to do these things, chase my dreams, and the support and love – I didn’t do this alone. I had the greatest rock that any child could possibly have: my mom. Thank you, Mommy.”
Among Tida’s many influences on her son’s legendary career: his decision to wear red on Sundays.
Christine Hauser penned a thorough recounting of Tida’s life for the New York Times.
Tiger’s tribute to Tida last year:
Sergio’s PGA Invite
The PGA of America has not announced Sergio Garcia’s invitation to the 2025 championship at Quail Hollow. And one look at his 2024 numbers in official world ranking events hardly justifies the apparent decision announced by LIV Golf and Garcia.
For those who can’t see the fonts above, that’s T21-MC-T12-MC in four ranking-point eligible events last year. However, Garcia finished third on the LIV 2024 season standings, one spot ahead of Tyrrell Hatton and he will certainly be in the PGA Championship thanks to his world ranking. So if this is basis for the decision to invite the world No. 471 then it would appear the PGA of America is giving LIV players what they’ve asked for: exemptions to top finishers on the LIV money list. At least the USGA was willing to just come out and say it.
Joaquin Niemann also revealed this week that he has been invited to the 2025 PGA. His invitation makes more sense given the Chilean’s success outside of the 54-hole exhibition tour world. He’s also been invited to the 2025 Masters.
The PGA of America has not confirmed the invitations. Must be a protecting privacy thing.
African Amateur: Open Berth On The Line
Player is underway in the second Africa Amateur Championship and Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational at Leopard Creek.
Tanaka Chatora of Zimbabwe opened with 65 to take a two stroke lead over Jack Buchanan.
In the women’s championship, Lisa Coetzer opened with a two-under-par 70 to take a two stroke lead over Bobbi Brown.
The winner of the men’s Africa Amateur earns exemptions into The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, The Amateur Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Championship along with other professional events in South Africa.
The winner of the Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational will earn starts in The Women’s Amateur Championship, Final Qualifying for the AIG Women’s Open, and other professional events in South Africa.
Viewing options around the world include Sky Sports (UK), NBC Sports App - Peacock (USA), TSN (Canada), SuperSport (South Africa) and Fox Sports (Australia). R&A TV will also provide a live stream to a number of selected countries and territories, along with daily highlights
Rough Comcast Numbers
Problematic numbers from Comcast usually means more punishment for viewers. A 12% stock slide arrived after worse-than-expected broadband customer base loss and leveling Peacock growth at 36 million subscribers.
Rival Charter Communications is doing much better and rumors of an unlikely merger have begun. Yet even CNBC’s Jim Cramer is talking down the Comcast stock.
With the forthcoming SpinCo break-up of NBC from non-Bravo cable outlets like Golf Channel, the question of “synergy” will be a big one for golf viewers.
“We’re definitely going to operate as two different companies, for sure, independent of one another,” NBC Sports EVP of golf Tom Knapp told Front Office Sports. “We will continue to be who we need to be, and have synergies with NBC, but clearly, we will be an independent business.”
So get ready for more Peacock shuffling between apps and channels. Because it’s not confusing or terrible enough now.
NBC’s rights deal with the USGA expires after the 2026 championship season and a year later with the R&A.
“Best View” Golf Home Will Be Listed At £7.25 million
This to-be-built mastersomething of the something era is wedged into the fork of St Andrews’s busiest intersection and is just a golfer’s stock shank from an ancient landmark atop a muddy runoff spillway where tourists pose at all hours of the day, whether or not they play golf.
Sorry. That was rude. Take it away, Times of London…
The property, called the Swilcan Townhouse, is part of an exclusive development of four townhouses, called Fairways, which will be built at the site.
Construction on the property is set to begin in May and will be completed by September 2026, in time for the Old Course to host the Open Championship the following year.
The 2,938 sq ft three-storey home will have three bedrooms and three bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows and bespoke interiors. It will also have a two-car garage, private gardens and a panoramic rooftop terrace, described as “the ultimate vantage point for the Open Championship”.
Unless you want to see the final putt.
This And That
Green chairs of the world: don’t even think of placing one of these in your golf bag: the “USGA Moisture Meter.” The new tool provides superintendents with precise and consistent data regarding “soil moisture, salinity and temperature.” The data instantly uploads into the USGA’s DEACON technology platform, creating a digital record that can be used to more efficiently manage water usage, plant health and golf course playability.
Quotable
Brooks Koepka on his Masters near finishes. “I wanted it so bad that that was the problem. I couldn't take my own advice. It's easy to say it, right? But in the moment I want to win Augusta, I've always wanted to do this and you've got the opportunity and it's right there in front of you. All you've got to do is finish 18 more holes. I got so far ahead. And when you get so far ahead you lose what's going on and it just became a disaster and a snowball effect and you're just going down and down."
2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover on something he’d like to see banned. “AimPoint, statistically, hasn’t helped anybody make more putts since its inception on the PGA Tour. Statistics have beared that out,” the six-time Tour winner said on his SiriusXM radio show. It’s also kinda rude to be up near the hole, stomping around, figuring out where the break is in your feet. It needs to be banned. It takes forever.”
Listens
State of the Game is back with Rod Morri and Mike Clayton discussing the usual array of hot topics!
On the latest No Laying Up, USGA CEO Mike Whan discusses an array of topics including the evolving distance stances of the PGA Tour and PGA of America.
Reads
🏌️ Adam Schupak on the passing of Peter Kuchar, dad, passionate fan and infamous caddie to son Matt.
🐢 Beth Ann Nichols on the LPGA’s aggressive new slow play policy that will dish out penalty strokes.
🇸🇦 Bob Harig analyzes the USGA’s welcoming of LIV Golfers to the U.S. Open.
⛳️ Richard Humphreys talks to Ben Cowan-Dewar about the growing Cabot collection of courses.
Thank you Lucas Glover for saying it.
Aim point is no bueno for the PGA Tour and all competitive golf
A new State of the Game!