This is a bit complicated, so stay with us. In a letter brief to the Northern District of California San Jose division, both LIV and the PGA Tour entered joint statements with their legal positions regarding a discovery dispute (essentially, the extent of what LIV is entitled to inquire about in the ongoing antitrust suit between the two parties). LIV originally sought all communications the tour may have had, with anyone, ever, about the circuit. The tour responded by noting this is an impossible ask and is burdensome to answer. As a counter, the tour proposed a limit on the inquiry to those who can speak on behalf of the tour while also limiting the number of people and parties that may have been part of the conversations.

The list in question is still robust, with nearly 200 names of individuals and organisations. That list includes the governing bodies, other golf tours, broadcasters, sponsors, vendors, agents and agencies and, yes, golfers. Most of the golfers in question are those that are LIV members or are among the sport’s best players.

But also listed among the golfers is one Anthony Kim.

The former wonderkid is now 37 years old and hasn’t played competitively since 2012 due to injuries. However Kim, like many professional golfers, was rumoured earlier this year as a possible LIV target, and his name appearing on this list won’t extinguish those whispers.

Now, as legal sources noted to Golf Digest, it’s worth pointing out that Kim’s inclusion on the list does not mean the tour has necessarily discussed LIV with Kim or that he’s received an offer. Rather, the agreed-upon list seems to indicate that these are the most important or most relevant golfers to the subject at hand. In total 71 individuals were listed under “golfers,” including no longer active players like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

Last week the tour filed a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

A tentative date for summary judgment in the initial antitrust case in the San Jose court is set for July 23, 2023, where the tour will likely seek to dismiss the case. The trial date is expected to begin on January 8, 2024.

You may also like:
Rory McIlroy’s remarkable consistency
Ananad wins 24th Dubai Duty Free Seniors Cup
Chacarra hunts more success on Asian Tour International Series in Egypt
LIV Golf announces team line-up for Miami
General wins EGF medal
Golf Digest Middle East Oktoberfest back with a bang
Olivia Cowan is true to her word
Rory’s emotional return to world No. 1
Paul takes dramatic first DP World Tour title
Team action returns to Jeddah
Lydia Ko shines once again
McIlroy one round away from world No. 1
Rahm has a round to remember
PGA Tour sues Saudi PIF
LIV Golf boss issues statement on majors
Rory shines at CJ Cup
Number-crunch – all the stats following LIV Golf Jeddah
John Rahm responds to Mickelson comments
Koepka is last man standing in Jeddah
Lexi halts drought at Aramco Team Series New York
LIV Golf Team Championship: How it works
LIV Golfer Otaegui on brink of history on DP World Tour
Sergio: I want to play where I feel loved

The post How Anthony Kim is being dragged into the LIV Golf-PGA Tour legal battle appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Daniel Rapaport
The Ryder Cup affords golf fans the unique opportunity to watch a generation’s best players join forces. The results aren’t always positive—looking at you, Mickelson/Woods 2004—but when the pieces fit just right and the putts start to fall, magic happens. Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal projected an air of impassioned invincibility. Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth exuded a youthful bravado. Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari made golf look impossibly easy and irresistibly enjoyable.

Those power duos inspired a thought experiment: Say you’re the captain of an all-time Ryder Cup team. Ages do not matter, nor do physical concerns like distance or equipment. You can choose any two Americans and any two Europeans to play together, regardless of era. Who would you take? (And no, you can’t use Seve more than once). Our answers are as follows.

[divider] [/divider]

Ryder Cup Rewatchables: Henrik Stenson’s Cup Clinching Putt in 2006

[divider] [/divider]

Seve Ballesteros/Ian Poulter

Their competitiveness alone would be enough to kill a horse. Ballesteros, part of the European “Famous Five” that played a role in elevating the Ryder Cup to the massive institution it is today, endeared himself to his teammates and incensed his opponents with his hard-nosed, combative style and his sheer unwillingness to lose. Poulter hasn’t matched Ballesteros’ record in golf tournaments not named the Ryder Cup, but the Englishman has emerged as a spiritual offspring of sorts, serving as the emotional spark for the six teams he’s played on and compiling a 14-6-2 overall record with a 5-0-1 singles mark. There’d be fist pumps and guttural yells, belly laughs and probably an awkward moment of contention with the Americans. It’d be delicious.

Paul Azinger/Justin Thomas

The American answer to the above pair. Azinger and Ballesteros clashed in the 1989 and 1991 Ryder Cup, with the Spaniard accusing the Floridian of lying after a particularly testy face-off at Kiawah Island. Azinger refused to back down from Ballesteros, beating him 1 up on European soil in the first singles match in ’89 but losing both his matches alongside Chip Beck to the Ballesteros/Olazabal powerhouse in ’91. Azinger’s overall record is a pedestrian 5-7-3, but this is less about wanting to win and more about wanting to watch him and Seve go at it. Thomas, on the other hand, is off to a 4-1-0 start in his Ryder Cup career after he was a rare bright spot for the Americans in Paris. He relished the chance to face Rory McIlroy in the first singles match and beat him, too. There’s not a more competitive player on this year’s American side and his fiery tendencies should play well in the many Ryder Cups in his future.

Bernhard Langer/Henrik Stenson

Two stone-cold ball-striking assassins. Langer, another Famous Fiver, played on 10 Ryder Cup teams and ranks third all-time in points won with 24—despite his Ryder Cup career being most closely associated with his missed five-footer at Kiawah in 1991. Stenson, known affectionately as the Ice Man, has gone 10-7-2 in his five Ryder Cup appearances. Think of this duo as the anti-Ballesteros/Poulter; while those guys are making miraculous up-and-down pars and infuriating their opponents with their celebrations, Langer/Stenson would wear you out with fairways and greens, and hardly smile as they polish off a 4-and-3 victory.

Tiger Woods/Jack Nicklaus

Who wouldn’t want to watch the consensus best and second-best players of all-time—we’ll let you decide the order—tee it up together? Nicklaus and Woods are two different men with two different styles of competing, but it’s what they share that makes this such a tantalizing what-if: prodigious length, flawless execution under pressure and a propensity for making huge putts in massive moments. Give prime Jack Nicklaus 2021 equipment and we’re willing to bet he could keep up with early 2000s Tiger Woods, who was the longest player on the planet. No U.S. captain could ever quite figure out a perfect partner for Woods—he’s an awful 9-19-1 in non-singles matches—but something tells us he and the Golden Bear would click just fine. Real recognize real, as the kids say.

Arnold Palmer/Phil Mickelson

Palmer became universally loved for his daring style, legendary kindness and an ability to naturally mingle with fans. No one is Palmer, but when it comes to fan adoration and go-for-broke style, Mickelson is about as close as we’ve got. Palmer’s Ryder Cup career came mostly during the non-competitive years of the 1960s and 1970s, so we’d love to see how he’d react to the spirited dynamic now that continental Europe is involved. The galleries following this one would be good for a few holes, because even the most hostile European crowd wouldn’t be able to root against Lefty and The King. Damn, that has a nice ring to it.

Jordan Spieth/Lee Trevino

They’d simply never shut up, and it’d be hilarious to witness. Spieth’s constant narration of his round and his Michael! shouts to his caddie would pair beautifully with Trevino’s aimless musings and classic one-liners. Plus, Trevino’s ball-striking combined with Spieth’s short-game magic could produce an unrivaled foursomes duo. They’re also both from Texas, albeit from vastly different backgrounds—Spieth grew up at the country club, Trevino working on the cotton fields. Something tells us these two would have loved playing with each other.

Tommy Fleetwood/Francesco Molinari

Stuart Franklin

They were already good pals going into the 2018 Ryder Cup, but they left it joined as one: Moliwood. The two won all four matches rather easily in Paris—including three over Tiger—and could not have enjoyed themselves more in the process. Yes, we know, the point of this exercise is to pair two players of different eras … but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. #MoliwoodForever.

Anthony Kim/Patrick Reed

You could put Anthony Kim with anyone and they’d probably make it on this list. That’s how much we miss AK, who was so perfectly in his element at the only Ryder Cup he played, in 2008, when he went 2-1-1 and crushed Sergio Garcia in singles. He was Captain America before Captain America, so to speak. And while Reed’s Ryder Cup reputation has taken a hit with a poor performance in Paris (and his blabbering afterwards), early career Patrick Reed was an absolutely all-time Ryder Cup character. Pairing a 23-year-old AK and a 23-year-old P-Reed would be a whole mess of chaotic brashness in the best way possible. If only.

The post 8 all-time pairings we wish we could have seen appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

WE’RE BUYING

Masters invites: ’Tis the season for a lucky few golfers to get the greatest piece of mail ever. No matter who you are, it never gets old. And it never gets old watching reactions like this:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael Thompson (@michaelthompsongolf)

By the way, we’re already inside 100 days until the Masters. Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed that patrons will be back in April. And if I’m lucky enough to go, fingers crossed I’ll be able to chew again by then. As Dustin Johnson noted, those Augusta National sandwiches are incredible.

Valentino Dixon: While we’re on the subject of Augusta National, a rendition of the famed 12th hole by our favourite artist wound up in the hands of Barack Obama:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama)

It’s the latest chapter in Dixon’s tragic, yet inspiring journey. The man who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit and was freed thanks in part to Golf Digest’s Max Adler, is now creating art that’s hanging in the home of a former President of the United States. Amazing. Speaking of Christmas gifts …

Josh Allen: In his third NFL season, the Buffalo Bills QB hasn’t just morphed into an MVP candidate, but one of the best teammates you could ask for. Just look at how he treated his offensive line for Christmas:

Bills QB @JoshAllenQB’s gift to his offensive linemen this year: a set of Callaway golf clubs and lessons at Crag Burn Golf Club pic.twitter.com/QCRsxPagFm

— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) December 22, 2020

Just give this guy the MVP right now. What a great gesture. And a smart one as well for team bonding. Yep, the future looks bright in Buffalo. Speaking of bright futures …

Charlie Woods: Yeah, yeah, it’s been a couple of weeks, but how cool was seeing this young dude playing with Pops? And playing so well? The kid made his first eagle on national TV! And gave us the moment of the tournament with this familiar-looking fist pump:

?Charlie Woods fist pump ?

The low uppercut. A Woods special. pic.twitter.com/KhJPSC1Sw4

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 20, 2020

He’s also already getting kids all over the country into the sport:

My motto for 2021: pic.twitter.com/nx5AnSlsX1

— Alex Myers (@AlexMyers3) January 1, 2021

OK, so my daughter had no interest in watching one second of the PNC Championship, but she’ll get there. Hopefully. In any event, no matter how Charlie’s golf career winds up going, he’s already got better highlights than 99.999 percent of golfers. And after performing so well under such pressure, those sixth-grade finals are going to be a breeze.

WE’RE SELLING

People knocking people getting excited about Charlie Woods: Unfortunately, much of Golf Twitter clutched its collective pearls and couldn’t allow themselves to just enjoy this. “He’s just a kid! Stop putting all these expectations on him!” First of all, who exactly was seriously saying Charlie is going to win 100 PGA Tour titles and 25 majors? No one! Also, if the most private person on the planet wanted to trot his son out there for the world to see, then that’s all you need to know. It was awesome to watch. End of story.

People knocking Kyle Berkshire’s chances: In case you haven’t read or heard it (Subscribe to our Local Knowledge Podcast, please!), I put together a story about the reigning World Long Drive champ’s decision to pursue a second career as a tour pro.

And so far, about 90 percent of comments are that the 24-year-old is wasting his time or has no chance. Look, would I bet on him making it to the PGA Tour? No. But I think it’s pretty cool that a guy who dropped out of college before cracking the starting lineup would put so much on the line to give this such a serious try. And considering Berkshire’s staggering length and the importance of distance in today’s game (SEE: DeChambeau, Bryson), now seems like a good time to give it a go. At the very least, it should be fun to watch. So good luck, Kyle, and bombs away.

This shirt:

It’s actually a hilarious concept. Get a shirt to memorialize a golf buddy’s worst blowup hole. But it instantly gave me nightmarish flashbacks to the double bogey I made on the 10th hole at Mid Pines during the final round of last year’s HGGA Championship. And the triple bogey I made on the 14th hole when I was still in the hunt. I am such a choker it’s not even funny. But this shirt on someone else kind of is. OK, maybe I’m buying.

This jackass:

Very sorry for a Bledge and the RCP team. Course in outstanding nick despite this. Let’s hope the Kent Constabulary catch them? pic.twitter.com/swxd9BO5qh

— Tim Checketts (@CheckettsTim) December 28, 2020

Now that is someone who deserves to spend a long time in prison.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour is back! And it’s calendar-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions is more loaded than it has been for a long time. Almost all of 2020’s winners accepted their invite and because of the weird season, anyone in the top 30 of the final FedEx Cup list got invited as well. So it’s not really a “tournament of champions” this year, but a tournament of champions and really good players.

Random tournament fact: All told, 17 players got the nod who normally wouldn’t, and 42 of the 45 players eligible accepted. A vacation in Hawaii to play for a big purse against a limited field with no cut? Merry Christmas, indeed.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Kyle Berkshire will win a major by the time he’s 25: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds
—Charlie Woods will win a major by the time he’s 25: 825-to-1 odds (Actual odds!)
—Charlie Woods was the coolest kid in school when he returned from winter break: LOCK

PHOTO(S) OF THE WEEK

There were a couple of Anthony Kim sightings recently. First, with longtime swing coach(!) Adam Schriber:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Adam Schriber (@adam.schriber)

And then the funniest one yet. A sighting in which the person taking the photo didn’t even realize it was an AK sighting, but focused on former Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops instead:

taking a picture of Bob Stoops that accidentally includes Anthony Kim is like taking a selfie on a hike and getting Bigfoot in the shot pic.twitter.com/eIhhtzQxBA

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) January 2, 2021

That’s how long he’s been gone. Crazy. Also, many have pointed out the comparison to seeing Big Foot, but there’s one key difference. Anthony Kim is REAL. And he was spectacular. And as much as I’m happy to see he’s still out there, each sighting is a sad reminder of what could have been.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Check out Austria’s Matthias Schwab playing golf on his skis:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Matthias Schwab (@matthiasschwab)

How has this dude not won on the European Tour yet? Anyway, love the concept and the Hosung Choi-esque follow-through. See? It really works!

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Props to Brooks Koepka and Jena Sims for coming up with the most creative Christmas card of the season:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jena Sims (@jenamsims)

THIS AND THAT

Jon Rahm made huge equipment news by switching from TaylorMade to Callaway. I guess rocketing to World No. 1 faster than almost anyone in history wasn’t good enough. … Speaking of equipment, shoutout to Ryan French, AKA Monday Q Info on Twitter, for helping out high school and middle school golf teams in need this year. Here’s more info:

Goal in 2021 is to help 12 high schools or middle school teams in need. 1 is going to be my hometown girl's team, so will need 11 others. If you are a coach or know of a team in need please DM me, I will try to help the teams that are in need the most. Going to do 1 per month.

— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) December 28, 2020

And finally, congrats to Kiawah’s Ocean Course for securing a second major championship of 2021. In addition to May’s PGA Championship, this year’s HGGA Championship—AKA my annual golf trip—will also be held there. What an honor for this spectacular venue!

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What hole will I choke away this year’s HGGA?
Where will we see Anthony Kim next?
Why didn’t I listen to my dentist as a kid?

The post Brooks Koepka’s creative Christmas card, inspirational holiday gifts and the funniest Anthony Kim sighting yet appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

These days, AK sightings are few and far between, which makes each one more special than the last. Our latest AK-in-the-wild photo dropped on Friday, and it sent Golf Twitter into its usual frenzy. Here’s the photo, posted by Kim’s longtime swing coach Adam Schriber with the caption “2021 is going to be special”:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Adam Schriber (@adam.schriber)

What does it mean? Who knows. Like everything with AK, it’s left to our collective imaginations. We haven’t seen him play professional golf in eight years. Are we to believe that THIS picture of all pictures means he’s coming back? We’d advise not getting your hopes up.

And still, Golf Twitter is ready to be hurt again:

An Anthony Kim teaser photo on the first day of 2021 is too much

— Chris Chaney (@Wrong_Fairway) January 2, 2021

ANTHONY KIM COMES BACK AND WINS THE US OPEN https://t.co/o3XGQTN6Xb

— #3PuttClub (@3puttonly) January 3, 2021

This is a picture of Anthony Kim and the guy who coached him when he was on Tour and I know it means nothing but I’m going to tell myself it means something and don’t they have some space in the Tournament of Champions field? https://t.co/sNCClrhcg9 pic.twitter.com/EqaiXMWN4n

— Ben Coley (@BenColeyGolf) January 2, 2021

By the way, this wasn’t the only photo of AK making the rounds. Here he is (allegedly) with former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops:

taking a picture of Bob Stoops that accidentally includes Anthony Kim is like taking a selfie on a hike and getting Bigfoot in the shot pic.twitter.com/eIhhtzQxBA

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) January 2, 2021

Again, we have no idea what it all means (Kim was probably in Dallas watching his Alma Mater drill Florida in the Cotton Bowl), but we do know that if AK makes a comeback in 2021, things are officially looking up.

The post Latest Anthony Kim sighting sends Golf Twitter into its usual frenzy appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
Before word that Nick Watney had withdrawn after testing positive for COVID-19, changing the mood late Friday afternoon at the RBC Heritage, Round 2 had a little bit of everything. There was plenty of Bryson DeChambeau, some more Jordan Spieth heartbreak and a ton of cut-line drama. Harbour Town rarely disappoints during a normal year, and it’s certainly not disappointing with its strongest field ever this week. Separating the Watney news (but in no way diminishing its potential ramifications), here are our takeaways from an action-packed Friday in Hilton Head.

Is Webb Simpson the best player in the world right now?
Pre-Coronavirus most would agree that either Rory McIlroy or Jon Rahm was the best player in the world at the time. But I’d put Webb Simpson’s last 12 months up against either of them. In fact, let’s do that right now.

Since the 2019 U.S. Open (this week last year), European Tour starts included:

Webb Simpson: 14 starts, 13 cuts made, 1 win, 3 runner-ups, 1 third-place finish, 10 top 20s
Rory McIlroy: 18 starts, 17 cuts made, 2 wins, 10 top-5 finishes, 13 top 10s
Jon Rahm: 19 starts, 17 cuts made, 3 wins, 10 top-5 finishes, 14 top 10s

If Simpson had turned one, maybe even two of those second-place finishes into firsts, there’d certainly be a case he’s the best player in the world right now (BPITWRN). He has a great chance to become the BPITWRN this week, as he leads Bryson DeChambeau by one at 12 under entering the weekend. He’s seven clear of McIlroy and eight ahead of Rahm, who each are just barely going to make this week’s cut. Simpson rolled in more than 180 feet of putts on Friday, and ranks first in the field in strokes gained/putting through 36 holes.

DeChambeau, who played alongside Simpson and clipped him by a shot on Friday (64-65), called his putting performance “inspiring.” High praise. They’ll be paired together again on Saturday, when DeChambeau will also be gunning for the BPITWRN crown. Speaking of …

I’m addicted to Bryson DeChambeau
I realise I’m not alone here. But it still feels good to admit I have a problem in writing. I wrote about him twice today, and technically this makes a third time. Honestly, I could have stretched out two or three more posts on him if I wanted to, but then I’d be entering stalker territory.

Streeter Lecka

I’m not going to regurgitate Shane’s takes, but his point about Bryson making us think is so spot on. No matter what he does, people are going to hate on it, but he’s in their brain 24/7/365. The “real estate” joke is way overused online, but Bryson really does have beachfront property in a lot of people’s heads.

He might win this weekend (if he can hole some putts he might win by 10). He might fall apart. He might shoot even par back-to-back and finish T-27. Whatever he does, it’s appointment television right now, and that’s not up for debate.

Here’s wishing AK was still in the mix
This has been said before, but pro golf is in such a great spot right now. Tiger Woods is still competing at a high level, Phil Mickelson can still dial it up on occasion and there are an endless amount of exciting young(ish) players that contend on a weekly basis. Last week it was Daniel Berger, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, DeChambeau and, until he stalled on Sunday, Spieth. Heading into the weekend at Harbour Town, it looks like Brooks Koepka, DeChambeau (again) and Dustin Johnson will try to chase down Webb Simpson. Even McIlroy snuck in a late run on Friday to give himself a chance to make a move tomorrow, albeit a small chance. It’s hard to ask for much more out of golf’s return so far.

But if I may, I’d love for Anthony Kim to still be among the game’s elite, mixing it up in a stacked field like this one. The folk hero turned 35 today, and I was legitimately stunned by that news. Not long ago, he was the next big thing with the picture-perfect swing and an abundance of youthful exuberance. Now, he’s five years from being 40 and he’s most likely never returning to the sport on the pro level. It makes me sad. I speak for many in saying we miss him now more than ever.

Brooks Koepka is the bet this weekend
Over on the BetMGM Sportsbook, DeChambeau is the clear favourite at +350, while Simpson is close behind at +400. For a pair of guys who have had a few too many runner-up finishes over the last year, that’s not enough value.

Streeter Lecka

The value lies with Koepka, who is at +1100 and has a little bit of experience in closing out big-time golf tournaments. This is not a major, but the strength of field is enough to label the RBC Heritage as a big-time tournament. Koepka was locked in on Friday, as locked in as he’s looked in some time now. Unfortunately, he ended his round on a sour note, bogeying the final hole to finish with a five-under 66. That put him three back instead of two, but it made his odds much more attractive. He’ll be getting a look from this degenerate tonight, I promise you that.

Collin Morikawa is a machine
As he’s proven over last 12 months, Morikawa is far more than a cut-maker. He already has one PGA Tour win, almost added a second last week and has three other top-seven finishes to his name. But his cuts streak to begin his professional career might be just as impressive as those finishes. On Friday, he appeared almost certain to make it 22 straight, and he did so by making two clutch birdies late in his round to reach five-under, one shot clear of the cut line. The kid is NAILS. Period, stop.

Just as I finished typing that, Slugger White blew the horn for a weather delay while Morikawa was making his way to the 18th green, where he’s facing a 25-footer for birdie. Barring a meltdown of epic proportions, Morikawa can three-putt his way to the weekend if he’d like. Once he does that, he’ll be three made cuts away from matching Tiger Woods record of 25 straight made cuts to begin his pro career. If he four-putts, then my ability to mush things could be considered a legitimate superpower.

The post Webb Simpson’s ridiculous run continues and four other takeaways from Day 2 at Harbour Town appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

WE’RE BUYING

Sungjae Im: Tales of this young man’s ball-striking were not exaggerated. He is the real deal. And he won’t turn 22 until the end of the month. Congrats to Im on picking up his first PGA Tour title at the Honda Classic. And the Presidents Cupper did it in rather impressive fashion by firing at the flagstick on both of the vaunted Bear Trap’s par 3s. Those shots that set up two clutch birdies were so impressive that runner-up Mackenzie Hughes paid his playing partner the ultimate sign of respect:

Mackenzie Hughes perfectly sums up Sungjae’s Sunday at Honda.

(Wait for it.) pic.twitter.com/K92B2FINk2

— Skratch (@Skratch) March 1, 2020

Transatlantic Twitter war: With so many awful things going on in the world, it’s great having Golf Twitter getting up and arms about something an announcer said. Here’s the clip that nearly reignited the Revolutionary War:

Is paul Azinger a complete moron??? 'THAT' tour…. and a wobble of the head at @WestwoodLee s amazing wins on the #europeantour .
Who the hell is Mark Wilson also.??? pic.twitter.com/l2G1niQ5bX

— SHanny (@HansonStuart) March 1, 2020

Was Azinger’s tone condescending? Yes. Did he (and others involved in NBC’s broadcast) focus too much on the fact that Tommy Fleetwood, a five-time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup star, has yet to win on the PGA Tour? Probably. But like it or not, it is a fact that the PGA Tour is the better tour and that Fleetwood has yet to win on it. And it’s a fact that Fleetwood is well aware of and agrees with:

From Fleetwood’s own mouth. His words, not ours. Not trying to devalue winning tournaments around the world. Winning anywhere is extremely hard. But these guys know that winning in the US is a step in their careers. That’s all. Not sure what all the fuss is about. pic.twitter.com/2lNhflNNIT

— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) March 1, 2020

And as rough as it was seeing Fleetwood find the water on the 72nd hole and blow a chance at the maiden PGA Tour title, European Golf Twitter would have been insufferable. Although I do love seeing British slang like “bollocks,” “wanker,” and “shiite.” I need to start incorporating those words more.

Lee Westwood: For one thing, it’s always nice to see a late-career revival. For another, I loved Westwood’s “Ask your parents” response when he gets asked about what it was like in the 90s. And finally, yes, I had a little money on the man, both to win (sigh) and finish top 10 (cha-ching). Our Christopher Powers dubbed Lee’s 2019 Open Championship run “Westy’s Last Stand,” but he’s still got plenty in the tank.

Rickie Fowler’s schedule: The PGA Tour star said he spends 25 to 30 days per year with sponsors, including shooting commercials. I’m totally buying it because his face is everywhere during a golf broadcast and he looks like a NASCAR driver with all those sponsors on his shirt. He’s also over 30, married, and out of the top 25 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Hey, you’ve got to pay the bills somehow.

WE’RE SELLING

Tiger’s new schedule: Tiger Woods skipping the Arnold Palmer Invitational isn’t reason for his fans to panic, but the latest indication that the rest of his career will consist of a very limited schedule is still sad. In an effort to avoid back-to-back starts, Tiger is opting not to play at a place where he’s won eight times and possibly the spot that gives him the best chance for a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour title. But Woods is far more concerned about increasing his major total, and considering he also skipped this event last year, maybe this isn’t the worst news. . .

Andrew Redington

Brooks Koepka’s responses: I love Blunt Brooks or Candid Koepka as much as the next guy, but in the span of a few days he claimed he once made a hole-in-one at Augusta National and forgot about it later that day, said $200 million wouldn’t change his life, and insisted he played well two days in a row despite not coming close to making the cut at the Honda Classic. As the guy ventures further and further into too-cool-for-school territory, we’re starting to take some of his remarks with a huge grain of salt.

Being quarantined: Edoardo Molinari and Lorenzo Gagli were initially pulled from the Oman Open and placed in solitary confinement by the European Tour out of fear they had the Coronavirus. Fortunately, they didn’t, but it didn’t sound like a fun experience:

For everyone asking, I am absolutely fine. No symptoms at all, no fever, no cold, nothing wrong at all…just very bored and annoyed. Hopefully this nightmare will be over soon!

— Edoardo Molinari (@DodoMolinari) February 27, 2020

Both players were eventually reinstated and Gagli even finished T-10. But yeah, that couldn’t have been a great feeling.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour continues its Florida Swing with the Arnold Palmer Invitational, AKA that place where Tiger Woods used to win every year, but now skips every year. It was more fun when he was winning every year.

Random tournament fact: Last year, Francesco Molinari became the first player in PGA Tour history to sink the winning putt with the flagstick in.

?? @F_Molinari's clutch birdie on the 72nd hole @APinv is even more exciting when called by @GOLFTV's Italian broadcasters. ? pic.twitter.com/uFE5INGzNq

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 10, 2019

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Zinger will say, “That European Tour” on this week’s broadcast: 1-MILLION-to-1 odds
—Francesco Molinari will win this week: 90-to-1 odds
—Francesco would rather miss another cut than be quarantined like his brother: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

This guy just keeps on going:

Stan Badz

That’s a remarkable 41st career PGA Tour Champions title for Bernhard Langer (hence, the pose), bringing him within four of Hale Irwin’s record. That also pushed the 62-year-old past $29 million in earnings on the senior circuit. He made $10 million on the PGA Tour. Remarkable.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (MUSICAL DIVISION)

Our man Sam Harrop is back with another fantastic song parody. This time, it’s a plea for Anthony Kim to come back:

Not quite sure how one is supposed to follow-up something like that Tony Finau video, but, well…here's where I ended up.

And, if all else fails, I'm pretty sure I speak on behalf of the entire golf community when I say, AK – we want you back.

RTs appreciated, as ever ? pic.twitter.com/Q7VS1PmHtk

— Sam Harrop (@sam_golf) February 27, 2020

This is beautiful—and important—work. Well done, Sam. And hope you’re listening, AK.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (FAIL DIVISION)

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9K5NqxJM3v/?utm_source=ig_embed

LOL Luke McDonald?! The guy is a former World No. 1 for crying out loud! Where’s the respect?!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m not even sure that he’s polarizing. I’m not sure there’s too many people on the other side, you know what I mean? I mean, ‘there is no God’ was the first thing I said after he’d won last week. There is no God, you know, that’s proof of it right there. Amazing. I mean, he is amazing. He’s Captain Oblivious, just can let everything run off his back. I’ve never seen anything like it.” —David Feherty on Patrick Reed. My word! Tell us what you really think, David!

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

Turns out, Mike Trout can smoke a golf ball even harder than he hits a baseball:

Mike Trout hitting rockets isn’t exclusive to the baseball field. pic.twitter.com/tuEyIzxqQ5

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 2, 2020

Decent athlete, that one.

THIS WEEK IN PGA TOUR PRO-WAGS PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

FOLKS, we have a GRETZKY wedding alert!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Pk4xnHKlQ/?utm_source=ig_embed

Sorry, hope you didn’t get too excited. It was Ty getting hitched, not Paulina. But Paulina and DJ were there looking fancy. And The Great One was there making heartfelt toasts. And one of these days we’ll finally get the golf royal wedding we’ve been waiting for since 2013. Right? Maybe? Fingers crossed, because there’s going to be a lot of CONTENT when it does happen.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Phil Mickelson might be even better playing Pebble Beach on a simulator than he is at playing Pebble Beach in real life:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9MwYADjY2g/?utm_source=ig_embed

Speaking of content, please attempt that in the real tournament next year. Please.

THIS AND THAT

Sami Valimaki, 21, won his first European Tour title just 18 months removed from finishing up his required military service for Finland. Guessing the food in player dining is just a bit better than at his previous gig. . . . Dustin Johnson said he will not play in the Tokyo Olympics later this year, even if he qualifies for the U.S. team. Is this a hint of a July wedding? . . . Tiger Woods has been officially announced as a finalist for the World Golf Hall of Fame 2021 class. Fingers crossed he has the votes to get in. . . . And finally, I’m in the midst of a dental emergency stemming from a root canal I underwent two years ago. I will spare you a photo, but suffice it to say, THE GRIND has extra meaning behind it this week.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Who will deliver Tiger’s Hall-of-Fame introduction speech?
How many days a year did Maria Sharapova spend with sponsors?
How many days this year am I going to have to spend at the dentist?

The post A Transatlantic Twitter war, a heartfelt plea to Anthony Kim, and a Gretzky wedding (just not the one you’re thinking) appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
The PGA Tour makes its first of two stops in North Carolina this year for the Wells Fargo Championship, which returns to Quail Hollow in Charlotte. Last season, the event was held in nearby Wilmington at Eagle Point Golf Club as Quail Hollow prepared to host the PGA Championship.

This will be the 16th season of the Wells Fargo, and the 15th at Quail Hollow, which has produced a strong group of winners that includes Rory McIlroy (twice), Rickie Fowler, Anthony Kim, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods. This year should be no different, with 14 of the top 25 players in the world set to tee it up, including McIlroy, Fowler and Justin Thomas, who won the PGA at Quail Hollow in August.

Woods will also be in the field, marking his first appearance at Quail Hollow since 2012, when he missed the cut with rounds of 71 and 73. It’s his first start since the Masters, and he’ll be playing with a new set of irons. Woods will play alongside reigning Masters champion Patrick Reed and reigning U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka on Thursday and Friday.

TV Coverage
OSN Sports 3 HD will carry live coverage in the UAE from 9pm Thursday through Sunday.

Thursday Tee Times
All times ET. NOTE: The UAE is 8 hours ahead of EST. Add 8 hours to the times listed below. 

No. 1 Tee
7.00 a.m. (3pm UAE time) — Scott Stallings, Tom Hoge, Aaron Wise
7:10 a.m. — J.J. Henry, Anirban Lahiri, Trey Mullinax
7:20 a.m. — Nick Taylor, Jason Kokrak, Derek Fathauer
7:30 a.m. — Charl Schwartzel, Peter Malnati, Matt Every
7:40 a.m. — Ted Potter, Jr., Shane Lowry, Martin Kaymer
7:50 a.m. — Adam Hadwin, Rod Pampling, Billy Hurley III
8.00 a.m. — Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Tyrrell Hatton
8:10 a.m. — Chris Stroud, Mackenzie Hughes, Brian Stuard
8:20 a.m. — Austin Cook, Adam Scott, Davis Love III
8:30 a.m. — Ben Martin, Jamie Lovemark, Ross Fisher
8:40 a.m. — Troy Merritt, Michael Thompson, Blayne Barber
8:50 a.m. — Jonathan Randolph, Corey Conners, Dru Love
9.00 a.m. — Xinjun Zhang, Tom Lovelady, T.J. Vogel
12:10 p.m. — Danny Lee, Alex Cejka, Sung Kang
12:20 p.m. — Keegan Bradley, C.T. Pan, Keith Mitchell
12:30 p.m. — Geoff Ogilvy, Sam Saunders, Brandon Harkins
12:40 p.m. — Justin Thomas, Brian Harman, Rickie Fowler
12:50 p.m. —  (8.50pm UAE time) Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods
1 p.m. — Xander Schauffele, Charle Howell III, Tommy Fleetwood
1:10 p.m. — Andrew Landry, Bryson DeChambeau, Jonas Blixt
1:20 p.m. — Patton Kizzire, Hudson Swafford, Webb Simpson
1:30 p.m. — Lucas Glover, Jonathan Byrd, Ryan Blaum
1:40 p.m. — Chesson Hadley, Martin Piller, Richy Werenski
1:50 p.m. — Rob Oppenheim, Roberto Diaz, Joaquin Niemann
2 p.m. — Sam Ryder, Kyle Thompson, J.T. Griffin
2:10 p.m. — Talor Gooch, Adam Schenk, Carter Jenkins

No. 10 Tee
7 a.m.(3pm UAE time) — Retief Goosen, Whee Kim, Tyrone Van Aswegen
7:10 a.m. — Kevin Streelman, Bob Estes, Patrick Rodgers
7:20 a.m. — J.B. Holmes, Kelly Kraft, Kevin Tway
7:30 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey, James Hahn
7:40 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Daniel Berger
7:50 a.m. — Russell Henley, Aaron Baddeley, Stewart Cink
8.00 a.m. — Grayson Murray, Bill Haas, Louis Oosthuizen
8:10 a.m. — Ryan Moore, Greg Chalmers, Tony Finau
8:20 a.m. — Derek Ernst, Steve Marino, Peter Uihlein
8:30 a.m. — Francesco Molinari, Bud Cauley, Byeong Hun An
8:40 a.m. — J.T. Poston, Nate Lashley, Dylan Frittelli
8:50 a.m. — Bronson Burgoon, Ben Silverman, Ryan Ruffels
9.00 a.m. — Tyler Duncan, Denny McCarthy, Charles Frost
12:10 p.m. — Johnson Wagner, Shawn Stefani, Abraham Ancer
12:20 p.m. — Robert Streb, Scott Brown, Sean O’Hair
12:30 p.m. — Luke List, Ollie Schniederjans, Harold Varner III
12:40 p.m. — Jhonattan Vegas, Kyle Stanley, Fabian Gomez
12:50 p.m. — Vaughn Taylor, Smylife Kaufman, Nick Watney
1 p.m. — Brice Garnett, Hideki Matsuyama, Graeme McDowell
1:10 p.m. — Kevin Kisner, D.A. Points, Alex Noren
1:20 p.m. — Gary Woodland, Jason Dufner, Emiliano Grillo
1:30 p.m. — Rory Sabbatini, Martin Flores, Beau Hossler
1:40 p.m. — Cameron Tringale, John Peterson, Dominic Bozzelli
1:50 p.m. — Nicholas Lindheim, Lanto Griffin, Chris Paisley
2.00 p.m. — Andrew Putnam, Stephan Jaeger, Sam Burns
2:10 p.m. — Seamus Power, Joel Dahmen, Mito Pereira

The post 2018 Wells Fargo Championship tee times, viewer’s guide appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 2017 Open Championship is one we’ll never forget for many reasons, but the image that will undoubtedly stand the test of time is that of Jordan Spieth hitting a 3-iron from the range, next to a Titleist truck, over a huge mound, without really knowing the yardage, all after a 20-minute delay. It led to an incredible bogey save that sparked Spieth’s remarkable final five-hole stretch, ending with him lifting the claret jug.

Earlier this week, Spieth signed and sent the famous 3-iron back to Royal Birkdale, where it will be on display for years to come. In light of this news, we thought of some other indelible golf mementos that also deserve their place in history.

The 1999 U.S. Ryder Cup Shirt

Two words: Fire Flames.

All of the clubs Jean van de Velde used on the 18th hole in the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie

David Cannon

The driver, the 2-iron, the wedge, the putter, hell throw the shoes and socks in there, too.

Tiger Woods’ mock turtleneck

Icon Sports Wire

Among Tiger’s many accolades, perhaps the most impressive is that he won at Augusta while wearing a t-shirt. Truly remarkable.

Rory’s alarm clock from the 2012 Ryder Cup

Hero Images

Were iPhones not a thing five years ago? They literally change the time to whichever time zone you’re in.

Roberto De Vicenzo’s 1968 Masters scorecard

Bettmann

Yes, the Rules of Golf lacked common sense in 1968, and still do now. Shocking stuff.

Ian Woosnam’s 15th club from the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYV-csdgRv0

Not many know who caddie Miles Byrne is… but we do know he had one job.

Robert Allenby’s bar tab from Hawaii

Does this guy know how to party or what?

Dustin Johnson’s socks from his 2017 Masters fall

Image by cesarr t.

We are, of course, assuming that the staircase was one of those slippery hardwood ones.

The fire hydrant Tiger Woods’ crashed into

Caja Digital

Sorry, we had to.

Anthony Kim’s ‘AK’ belt

Sam Greenwood

Swagger on a billion.

Woody Austin’s Presidents Cup goggles

Scott Halleran

One of like three things the Presidents Cup is known for. Not sure what that says about the event.

Jordan Spieth’s divot from the 12th hole at the 2016 Masters

David Cannon

Can you frame grass? If so, probably going to need a large frame for this sod.

Martin Kaymer’s scarf thing

Hitting the slopes or playing in the WGC-Accenture Match Play? Hard to tell.

The post 13 other great golf mementos that deserve their place in history appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.