Major(s) News & Notes, September 8th, 2022
Phil's Masters optimism. Plus, more U.S. Opens for LACC, Fitzpatrick's looper let him have it, Europe adds a Ryder Cup showcase, Reed's by the rules book judge and Reads!
Days to the 2023 Masters first tee shot: 211 days
Days to the 2023 PGA Championship 253 days
Days to the 2023 U.S. Open first tee shot: 283 days
Days to the 2023 Open Championship first tee shot: 316 days
The chippiness arrived on cue at Wentworth! Predictable 54-hole jokes are flying. And Keith Pelley’s railing on about LIV’s propaganda machine (Murray/Guardian) along with his former little buddy Sergio (Corrigan/Telegraph). This should at least make the BMW PGA Championship weekend pairings worth scrutinizing (DP’s and LIVsters are not intermingling the first two rounds).
Meanwhile, in the world of real golf, I offered some Labor Day homework but many of you were (thankfully) enjoying summer. If you did not vote yet, here’s the first-ever Quadrilateral subscribers poll to punctuate 2022’s incredible majors. There was a strong early UK vote. So Americans don’t pass up this chance. (Thanks for all of the handwritten notes suggesting this poll reaffirmed your faith in humanity.)
This week’s News & Notes starts with Phil Mickelson’s optimism at receiving a Masters invite, curiously aided by another odd PGA Tour decision. Then, future venue news out of Los Angeles, Matt Fitzpatrick reveals the turning point of his U.S. Open-winning season, news of a new Ryder Cup audition event, more Herb Kohler tributes, Patrick Reed draws a less-than-ideal Judge and a bunch of Reads. Here we go!
Mickelson Expects To Be At The Masters And The PGA Tour Is Helping
LIV defectors who resigned their PGA Tour memberships were getting ahead of any possible suspensions honored by the major championships. But the players who held on to their memberships remain suspended and created an intriguing dilemma for Augusta National Golf Club. Should the club honor PGA Tour suspensions, those retaining memberships might have been easier to dis-invite, assuming the club considered such an option.
This week the PGA Tour confirmed the denial of membership renewals to those suspended, all but ensuring invitations to former Masters champions and 2023 qualifiers now free of ties to Cult Ponte Vedra. Maybe that’s why Mickelson sounded so bullish on a 2023 return in an interview with SI’s Bob Harig:
PM: “I believe wholeheartedly I’ll be at Augusta. I thought my conversations with (Masters chairman) Fred Ridley (last spring)—which I will keep between us—were extremely classy. I have the utmost respect for him and the leaders of the majors. There’s been to date no threat at all. I’m not saying that couldn’t change. I just don’t see how that could benefit anybody. I believe they are wise enough and great leaders who can see that.’’
Down Phil, down!
LACC To Host ’32 U.S. Women’s Open, ’39 U.S. Open Pending Vote
The L.A. Times’ Sam Farmer reports on 2023 U.S. Open host Los Angeles Country Club landing two more majors pending a member vote next month.
Farmer says the club has agreed to host the 2032 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2039 U.S. Open.
In a statement to The Quadrilateral, the USGA offered this regarding Farmer’s reveal:
"As we are with several prospective host venues, we are engaged in a conversation with Los Angeles Country Club about future USGA championships. Many of these discussions include potential long-term partnerships that create the opportunity to collaborate and invest in the player, fan, partner and community experience.”
Oh we know. The U.S. Open is currently committed officially and unofficially (Winged Foot 2028, Riviera 2031) through 2035 along with many years far beyond.
In other 2023 U.S. Open news, Justin Suh earned a spot in next year’s field as leading points earner on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour. Suh was a two-time first team All American playing golf for nearby USC.
Fitzpatrick Credits Foster For Setting Him Straight
After a Masters T-14, Matt Fitzpatrick missed the cut at Harbour Town and was apparently handful. Soon after caddie Billy Foster gave the boss a ring and, according to this piece by John Huggan at GolfDigest.com, let Fitzpatrick have it.
Sitting with his parents at dinner, Fitzpatrick’s phone rang. On the line was his caddie, fellow Yorkshireman Billy Foster.
“He wanted to have a word,” Fitzpatrick says. “I had no idea what was coming. He basically told me my attitude was a disgrace in that event, which he has said before. But for whatever reason, this time really stung. And I listened. I pay Billy to tell me things like that when necessary. He’s been around for so long I’d be stupid not to take heed. And I did. What he said really hit home.”
Eight weeks and several sessions with his sports psychologist later, Fitzpatrick was the U.S. Open champion.
Hero Cup: A Ryder Warm-Up In Abu Dhabi
Luke Donald will oversee a pre-2023 Ryder Cup event between GB&I and continental Europe. Sponsored by Hero and Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman & CEO of Hero MotoCorp, the 10-man team match play contest will be “aimed at giving European players experience in the format.”
The event will take place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, January 13-15, 2023.
According to the announcement, Donald will be selecting both teams in consultation with two buggy drivers to be named later. From the announcement:
Donald will work with both teams in Abu Dhabi and will keep a close eye on the action inside the ropes across the three days, with the contest consisting of one session of foursomes, one session of fourballs and one session of singles matches, with all 20 players taking part in each session.
Donald suggests the concept was his idea to better prepare the possible 2023 team for September 29 to October 1 in Rome.
“One of the first things I was keen to do when I was appointed as Ryder Cup Captain was to reinstate a team match play contest to give playing and leadership experience to future Ryder Cup players, vice-captains and Captains.
“I spoke to a number of former Ryder Cup Captains who were strong advocates of how similar events in the past have benefited players who were pushing to make Ryder Cup teams, as well as their own captaincy journey.”
The captaincy journey. Ryder Cupspeak season has arrived!
Reed Lawsuit Judge Is A Rules Stickler
The judge assigned to Patrick Reed vs. Brandel Chamblee/Golf Channel turns out to be a rules stickler. As in, the Rules of Golf.
From Josh Sens’ too-good-to-be-true item on Judge Alfred H. Bennett.
So reverent is the judge toward the game’s regulations that he carries a copy of the Rules of Golf in his bag. He’s not afraid to break it out in the name of fair decisions.
I can’t wait to hear the judge analyze Patrick’s version of play-it-as-it-lies.
More Kohler Tributes
Joe Passov on Herb Kohler perfecting destination golf, among other things in his rich life.
Jerry Tarde explains how Herb Kohler became golf’s Grand Old Man
Reads
🏌️ Erik Matuszewski on numbers showing recreational golf continuing to thrive.
💧 Larry Bohannan on the historic western drought and what people are doing about it in the desert.
💪 Ellen Gammerman on the latest CEO flex: washboard abs.
💵 Lucas Shaw on NBCUniversal needing to find $1 billion in cuts. Pray for our friends at what’s left of Golf Channel and NBC Sports. It appears Comcast’s internet business finally faces real competition, writes Jared Newman.
🏇🏼 Bill Finley says Flightline’s Pacific Classic win Saturday was the best U.S. performance since Secretariat’s epic Belmont win. The John Sadler-trained horse beat the Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammar by 19 1/4 lengths and recorded a 126 Beyer, the second best ever. (View the full race called by Trevor Denman.)
😇 Shohei Ohtani is not good at something: golf.
🏈 And as the NFL kicks off tonight featuring the World Champion Rams, Wil S. Hylton profiles the journey for Ravens kicker Justin Tucker into becoming the NFL’s best.
Subscriber reminder: still time to vote on 2022 majors,
Geoff
Geoff: I have been a fan of your writing for several years and I subscribe to the Quadrilateral.
As are many of us I am really tired of the pettiness displayed by Monahan, Norman et al. Monahan acts like a spoiled child who is over his head and Norman appears clueless.
The top 50 players should be allowed to play wherever and whenever. Phil was right but his methods were suspect.
The thought of Tiger Woods being the moral conscience of golf is a real joke !
What happens OWGR-wise if BMW is cut to 36 or 54 holes?
Aside from that, I could not give a hoot about Phil, Poults, PR etc.....what they endorse, what they shoot, what they wear.