Contents

Welcome from the editor

As you read this, know that golf has had an excellent winter/ spring semester in 2021. High marks. Justin Thomas is the PLAYERS champion. Jordan Spieth is a winner again. So is Rory McIlroy. And our newly crowned Masters champion hails from Japan. (Imagine the incredible potential of that sentence!) COVID-19, we all hope, will one day soon become a small speck in our rearview mirror, its high costs never forgotten. Fans are returning to events in limited numbers. In Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and Augusta, Georgia, and Charlotte, and Dallas, there were some roars to accompany winning putts. We’re not all the way back, but we are getting there. Golf is hot. People are playing lots of rounds. New folks to the game want to see what all the chatter is about. The first tee at the club has golfers lined up on weekday afternoons. We could look back at this time as one that sparked some growth, and that’s a good thing. On page 38, writer Michael LoRé brings us up to date on some trends we are seeing in our game. I don’t know many folks who love golf more than writer Jim McCabe, so he was a natural to tackle a fun story on golf’s ironmen through the years (pp.52-59). Sure, Sungjae Im plays an awful lot, but he is following some colorful pioneers, such as Dana Quigley, who for years refused to let the PGA TOUR Champions to tee off without him. PGA TOUR University no longer is some faraway concept. Soon, we will see the fruits of the program, which will identify a number of good collegiate players who will be rewarded for finishing out their college careers. Writer Sean Martin (PGATOUR.COM) gives us insight on players we need to watch (pp.102-105).

2020-21 FedExCup Season THE PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GOLF, PART 2 COVERS THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON.

143 Introduction: the Final Stretch by DAVID BARRETT T he second half of the season, 2021, is once again a build-up to the exciting climax that the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions always deliver

144 the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide

Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio June 3 - 6

145 Palmetto Championship at Congaree Congaree Golf Club, Ridgeland, S.C. June 10 - 13

146 U.S. Open

Torrey Pines (South), San Diego, Calif. June 17 - 20

148 Travelers Championship

TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn. June 24 - 27

149 Rocket Mortgage Classic Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Miss. July 1 - 4

150 John Deere Classic

TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill. July 8 - 11

151 Barbasol Championship

Keene Trace Golf Club, Nicholasville, Ky. July 15 - 18

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

Finally, golf and class seem to run nicely together. One player who always has impressed us with the way he represents himself and his tour is Brandt Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup champion. Believe it or not, that mop-haired kid we watched move from Vanderbilt to the PGA TOUR, has turned 40. Not only is he a nine-time winner on TOUR, but he is a husband and a dad to two growing children. Making a career and family work is something players have to figure out, and Brandt and Mandy Snedeker have a system that runs like a fine-tuned machine. Writer Helen Ross brings us a family-themed Q&A with Snedeker (pp.120-23). We hope that summer and autumn bring you lots of fairways and greens, and as hot as golf is, hopefully some space on the tee sheet, too. Make it the golf summer of your life. And keep watch as we build toward the FedExCup Playoffs. It has been a great season, and the finish promises great excitement.

Jeff Babineau, Editor, Oviedo, Fla. w w w.p gat our.com

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U.S. Open, p.146 Champion (2020): Bryson DeChambeau June – December 2021  PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE  19

05/07/2021 10:38