Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf: December 2021 - May 2022

2021 FEDEXCUP CHAMPION Patrick Cantlay’s big splash at East Lake

THE NEW 2021-22 SEASON FedExCup Charles Schwab Cup Korn Ferry Tour

INTERNATIONAL TOURS Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Forme Tour

ESSENTIAL FEATURES

DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

Golf’s ongoing push to diversify • Hottest golf video games • Ron Green Jr.: To each his own swing •

INTERVIEW Bernhard Langer: Chasing History at 64

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Commissioner’s Welcome

images: Getty Images

O

WELCOME

n the behalf of the PGA TOUR, it is my pleasure to welcome you back for another exciting season of PGA TOUR competition. There is simply nothing like the PGA TOUR, and that is a credit to you—our fans around the world—for supporting and inspiring our athletes each week.

Last summer, despite continued challenges due to the pandemic, we successfully completed our Super Season of 50 events plus the Olympic Games. There was no shortage of drama along the way as we saw the likes of Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm in the winner’s circle throughout the year with Patrick Cantlay taking home the FedExCup title.

Also last year, we gradually re-incorporated many of the critical aspects of PGA TOUR events that benefit the communities in which we play. That included the return of spectators. My thanks to everyone who attended a PGA TOUR event and did so in a safe and responsible fashion.

As we embark on the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Season, our fans have a great deal to look forward to: XX For the first time in history, all 50 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking were PGA TOUR members at the outset of the 2021-22 season. This means you’ll be seeing the world’s best on the biggest stages, week-in and week-out.

XX PGA TOUR LIVE has a new streaming partner in ESPN+ that will feature four live streams per day with more than 4,300 hours of live coverage scheduled for 2022, more than triple the PGA TOUR LIVE coverage from previous years. Along with our renewed partnerships with CBS and NBC/Golf Channel, all of

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the TOUR’s media companies share our innovative vision for the future which will be a major win for our fans.

XX An expanded strategic partnership with the European Tour, now known as the DP World Tour, features three co-sanctioned events in 2022 including the Genesis Scottish Open, the Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship.

XX Among the 47 official PGA TOUR events are three FedExCup Playoffs events to be played in August. The kickoff event, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, will be played for the first time in Memphis, Tennessee at TPC Southwind. One week later, the BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware will feature the top 70 in the FedExCup standings. And the top 30 will square off once again at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia with the FedExCup title on the line.

XX In September, the 14th Presidents Cup will be contested at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. On the heels of a thrilling 2019 event at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia, Captains Davis Love III (United States) and Trevor Immelman (International) are charged with leading their respective squads in this biennial event.

Our athletes look forward to this season with energy and ambition. For that, and much else, we are grateful to you—our fans—for your continued support.

Sincerely, Jay Monahan PGA TOUR Commissioner December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 7

22/12/2021 12:57

Erik van Rooyen earned his first PGA TOUR victory at the Barracuda Championship at Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood Golf Course on August 8, 2021 in Truckee, California. “It had been a difficult 18 months for me on the golf course,” said van Rooyen, “… I had not been able to put four good rounds together. So, to win, under that kind of pressure allowed me to move forward with so much confidence.”

Following his playoff victory on the 18th hole green, Tony Finau is congratulated by Cameron Smith. Despite battling difficult conditions, Finau persevered and claimed his second victory on the PGA TOUR at THE NORTHERN TRUST, the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, at Liberty National Golf Club on August 23, 2021 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Abraham Ancer became the first Mexican to win a World Golf Championships title after an extraordinary final round at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational on August 8, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. “It was really surreal, something that I’ve been working for since I was a little kid. Definitely a dream, come true to win on the PGA TOUR,” Ancer said.

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Joseph Bramlett with his PGA TOUR card after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship at Victoria National Golf Club on September 5, 2021 in Newburgh, Indiana. Despite an earlier back injury that put his career in doubt, Bramlett had no intention of pursuing any other profession. “To be able to come full circle and get my first victory here is very great,” said Bramlett.

DEFINING MOMENTS A selection of six spectacular highlights recording moments of triumph (for full reports, see pp.66-74)

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

Trevor Werbylo had an incredible summer that saw him named Forme Tour Player of the Year and earning membership onto the Korn Ferry Tour.

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Lucas Herbert celebrates after winning the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on October 31, 2021 in Southampton, Bermuda. “I felt like I grinded really well early and I had the right attitude going into the day that it wasn’t going to be easy,” Herbert said. “You just knew it was going to be one of those days where you had to battle really, really hard.”

21/12/2021 13:47

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CAUSES Most of these overuse injuries are related to the volume of golf being played or to inefficient golf mechanics. The higher handicap golfer uses his arms more to generate the golf swing. The professional player will activate more the lead arm and not the trail arm. This is consistent with a more superior swing technique that involves pulling the club through with the lead arm as opposed to the higher handicap golfer pushing the club through with the trail arm.

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TREATMENT The treatment consists of improving the golf swing mechanics, use of bracing, and eccentric strengthening exercises. Counter force bracing has been shown to decrease the muscle activity that decreases the load on the tendons. The pressure is most commonly needed on the outside (lateral) aspect of the lead arm and the inside (medial) aspect of the trail arm.

The counterforce brace has been shown to decrease pain in the short term and long term (Kroslak et al).

The key is utilizing a brace that applies the pressure in the correct location, does not irritate the skin, and is lightweight. As a sports medicine physician it is desirable to allow my patients to be able to continue their activity/sport without fully stopping.

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CONTENTS

PGA TOUR Essential Guide

CONTENTS INTRODUCTIONS 7 8

Commissioner’s Welcome,

54 JAY MONAHAN

Defining Moments A photo selection of six spectacular highlights recording moments of triumph

14

Editor’s Welcome,

25

Tournament Schedules

61

JEFF BABINEAU

66

38

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

42 46

BY JIM MCCABE

Long and Winding Road BY KEVIN PRISE Surviving a unique two-year Korn Ferry Tour season provided extra satisfaction for the 25 talented players who made the grade

Valiant Victories BY JEFF BABINEAU, BEN EVERILL, LAURY LIVSEY, JIM MCCABE, DOUG MILNE, KEVIN PRISE Defining Moments series: magical, career-altering triumphs shines light on a cross-section of grand 2021 performances

FEATURES 30

The Can-do Spirit

For veteran TOUR players, battling the young guns requires a dose of humor, steely determination, and packing the right attitude

Cover Story: FedExCup Triumph

78

BY DOUG FERGUSON

An Entertaining Season for International PGA TOURs BY LAURY LIVSEY

In the heated FedExCup race, the best players rise to the top. In the Playoffs, no player proved tougher than Patrick Cantlay, the 2020-21 FedExCup champion

Entertaining, but arduous, too, as the International Tours overcame schedule upheavals, travel restrictions and Hurricane Ida disruption

Ageless Champions BY STAN AWTREY When TOUR players reach age 50 and join PGA TOUR Champions their ambition, dedication and will is as strong as ever

On the Tee, guest comment

How Golf’s Virtual Reality is enhancing the gaming experience.

46

BY RON GREEN JR

The Game that Honors Individuality—Golfers have their own styles, their own strengths, their own ways

Bringing Home Golf’s Virtual Reality

BY JEFF EISENBAND

A new realism is enhancing the gaming experience, with stimulating simulation of star PGA TOUR players and iconic courses now reaching a dynamic level W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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CONTENTS

WELCOME

118

Ryder Cup: Powerful Play from Team USA

FROM THE EDITOR

We were promised that the PGA TOUR’s 2020-21 season would be different, and historic, and memorable, and it checked every one of those boxes. There were big events happening at a frenzied pace— and the golf fan was the beneficiary. In an 11-month window, men’s golf staged six major championships, not four. We welcomed the return of more fans, were treated to a terrific FedExCup Playoffs run, and for good measure mixed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo (played in ’21) and a Ryder Cup in Wisconsin. Golf’s cup runneth over.

Here’s what was extra interesting about the campaign: If the 2020-21 season were viewed as a giant pie, amazing how so many top players were able to walk off with a hefty slice of it. The game’s top talents divided up the bounty.

Hideki Matsuyama won a Masters for Japan, and Phil Mickelson collected a sixth major, winning the PGA Championship just shy of his 51st birthday. Patrick Cantlay stepped up to win his first FedExCup, and Justin Thomas (THE PLAYERS), Jon Rahm (U.S. Open), Collin Morikawa (The Open Championship) all had big moments. So, too, did Xander Schauffele (Olympic gold) and the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

For fans who love the PGA TOUR, we hope this edition of the PGA TOUR Essential Guide spreads the wealth, as well. We’ve offered up some timely subjects, featuring bylines both new and familiar.

Contributor Stacy M. Brown takes a look at where golf is heading with its inclusion and diversity efforts. Doug Ferguson gives us insights into the TOUR’s newest FedExCup champion, Patrick Cantlay. Stan Awtrey writes about some new faces making an impact on PGA TOUR Champions, and Jim McCabe catches up with a few veterans from the “regular” TOUR to see how they’ll keep up with those rising young guns.

Columnist Ron Green Jr. visits the art (and individuality) of the golf swing. Dave Shedloski tells you all about the TOUR’s new media deal, Scotland’s Ewan Murray chronicles a new alliance with the European Tour, and Jeff Eisenband brings you news of some cool new video games. When the Beatles wrote and sang “When I’m Sixty-Four” all those years ago, little could they envision what Bernhard Langer would be doing at that age. He is amazing, a Charles Schwab champion again. Helen Ross delivers an in-depth Q&A with him.

Finally, the late year brings us seasons of thanks and joy. As we ended 2021, Tiger Woods was back on the scene, even teeing it up with his son at the PNC Championship.

Thanks and joy to all.

Jeff Babineau, Editor, Oviedo, Florida 14

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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82

Player interview—Bernhard Langer BY HELEN ROSS

Blessed with a winning combination of talent and longevity, Bernhard Langer is in determined pursuit of PGA TOUR Champions history

86

92

96

100

116

118

One Year Later BY STACY M. BROWN The PGA TOUR’s quest toward Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion • Billy Horschel APGA event merges mentorship with opportunity

Rites of Passage BY KEVIN PRISE AND SEAN MARTIN Talented young players are reaching out to join the professional ranks using PGA TOUR University as their springboard

A Bonanza for Fans BY DAVE SHEDLOSKI The PGA TOUR’s new media rights deal invests heavily in expanded coverage of its athletes to enhance the fans’ viewing experience

Great Escapes—Golf Adventures Enticing golf vacations in Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bermuda

The Win-Win Alliance BY EWAN MURRAY A new partnership between the PGA TOUR and the European Tour has many significant benefits for the Tours’ players and fans

Ryder Cup: Powerful Play from Team USA

BY JEFF BABINEAU

With the U.S. Team losing nine of the previous 12 Ryder Cups, there was much to prove, and the day of reckoning had arrived

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In the Zone Products • Services • Announcements W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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Contents

2021-22 FEDEXCUP SEASON

THE PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GOLF, PART 1

137

Talor Gooch celebrates his first PGA TOUR victory by winning The RSM Classic.

COVERS THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON.

128 Introduction: the Season Ahead

by DAVID BARRETT

Changes and additions to the PGA TOUR tournament lineup assure fans a fascinating opening half of the FedExCup season

129 130 131 132 133

134

Fortinent Championship Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course), Napa, California September 16 - 19

Sanderson Farms Championship Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi September 30 - October 13

Shriners Children’s Open TPC Summerlin Las Vegas, Nevada October 7 - 10

The CJ CUP @ SUMMIT The Summit Club, Las Vegas, Nevada October 14 - 17

ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Chiba Prefecture, Japan October 21 - 24

Bermuda Championship Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda October 28 - 31

The CJ Cup became Rory McIlroy’s 20th PGA TOUR victory.

135 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba

El Cameleón Golf Club at the Mayakoba Resort, Playa del Carmen, Mexico November 4 - 7

136 137 138

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

139 140

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141

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas November 11 - 14

The RSM Classic Sea Island Resort, St. Simons Island, Georgia November 18 - 21

Sentry Tournament of Champions The Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii January 6 - 9

Sony Open in Hawaii Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii January 13 - 16

The American Express PGA West (Stadium Course, Nicklaus Tournament Course) and La Quinta Country Club, La Quinta, Calif.

January 20 - 23

Farmers Insurance Open Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla, California January 26 - 29 December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 15

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Contents

Justin Thomas sparked a one-stroke victory in the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship.

152

The Valspar Championship was a first PGA TOUR victory for Sam Burns.

154

The PGA Championship became Phil Mickelson’s sixth major championship victory.

168 142

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

143

Waste Management Phoenix Open

144

The Genesis Invitational

146

The Honda Classic

Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach, California February 3 - 6

TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona February 10 - 13

The Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California February 17 - 20

PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida February 24 - 27

148 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida March 3 - 6

150

Puerto Rico Open

Grand Reserve Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico March 3 - 6

152

THE PLAYERS Championship

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida March 10 - 13

154

Valspar Championship

Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Florida March 17 - 20

156

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas March 23 - 27 w w w.p gat our.com

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158 Corales Puntcana Championship Puntacana Resort & Club Corales Golf Course, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic March 24 - 27 159

Valero Texas Open

160

Masters Tournament

162

RBC Heritage

163

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

164

Mexico Open

165

Wells Fargo Championship

166

AT&T Byron Nelson

168

PGA Championship

170

Charles Schwab Challenge

TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course), San Antonio, Texas March 31 - April 3

Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia April 7 - 10

Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina April 14 - 17

TPC Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana April 21 - 24

Vidanta Vallarta, Vallarta, Mexico April 28 - May 1

TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, Potomac, Maryland May 5 - 8

TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas May 12 - 15

Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma May 19 - 22

Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas May 26 - 29 December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 19

21/12/2021 14:04

CONTENTS

2022 PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai—a first PGA TOUR Champions victory for Darren Clarke.

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GOLF, PART 1 COVERS THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON.

172

173

173

174

174

Introduction BY DAVID BARRETT

Managing Editor Charles Ford

The new season has 28 tournaments, with one new tournament, the ClubCorp Classic, with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship the climax of the season

Editor Jeff Babineau

Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

Production Director Joanna Harrington

Hualalai Golf Course, Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii January 20 - 22

Production Delicia Tasinda

Tournament Editor David Barrett Editorial Emmanuel Berhanu

Design Friyan Mehta

Chubb Classic Tiburon Golf Club (Black Course), Naples, Florida February 18 - 20

175

Cologuard Classic Omni National Tucson Resort, Tucson, Arizona February 25 - 27

175

Hoag Classic Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, California March 4 - 6

176

Trophy Hassan II Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco March 18 - 20

Steve Stricker shot a final-round 67 to nail his Chubb Classic victory.

176

173 177

177

Rapiscan Systems Classic Grand Bear Golf Club, Saucier, Mississippi April 1 - 3

ClubCorp Classic Las Colinas Country Club, Irving, Texas April 22 - 24

Insperity Invitational The Woodlands Country Club, The Woodlands, Texas April 29 - May 1

Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide 2021-22, Part 1, is published by BH Sports under license from PGA TOUR, Inc. Tel: (312) 572 7728 Email: tourgolf@bhsports.net © BH Sports, 2022. All rights reserved.

All material in the Official PGA TOUR Essential Guide 2021-22, Part 1 is wholly copyrighted, and reproduction, without the written permission of the Publisher, is strictly forbidden.

The information in this publication is carefully researched and produced in good faith, however, neither the Publisher nor the Editor can accept responsibility for any errors.

Printed in the USA PUBLISHER’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks to the following at PGA TOUR:

Mitsubishi Electric Classic TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Georgia May 6 - 8

Mark Stevens, Director, Business Public Relations; Kristen Fuller, Director, Licensing & New Ventures; Connor Stange, Communications Specialist; Danielle DuBois, Specialist Licensing & Merchandising.

Regions Tradition Greystone Golf & Country Club, Birmingham, Alabama May 12 - 15

KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship Harbor Shores Resort, Benton Harbor, Michigan May 26 - 29

2021 FEDEXCUP CHAMPION Patrick Cantlay’s big splash at East Lake

THE NEW 2021-22 SEASON FedExCup Charles Schwab Cup Korn Ferry Tour

INTERNATIONAL TOURS

180

The Last Word

BY JEFF BABINEAU

For laid-back Texan Scottie Scheffler, patience will pave a path to winning days 20

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Forme Tour

ESSENTIAL FEATURES • • •

DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

Golf’s ongoing push to diversify Hottest golf video games Ron Green Jr.: To each his own swing

INTERVIEW Bernhard Langer: Chasing History at 64

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COVER: PATRICK CANTLAY FedExCup Champion, 2021

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

172

172

Publisher & CEO Kevin J. Harrington

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SCHEDULES 2022

2021-22 PGA TOUR® SEason The PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf, part 1, covers the first half of the season

DATE

The PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf, part 1, covers the first half of the season

TOURNAMENT

LOCATION

SEP 16 - 19

Fortinet Championship

Silverado Resort and Spa North, Napa, Calif.

SEP 30 – OCT 3

Sanderson Farms Championship

Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Miss.

OCT 7 - 10

Shriners Children’s Open

TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev.

OCT 14 - 17

THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT

The Summit Club, Las Vegas, Nev.

OCT 21 - 24

ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Accordia Golf Narashino CC, Chiba, Japan

OCT 28 - 31

Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, Bermuda

NOV 4 - 7

World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba

El Camaleon Golf Club, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Nov 11 - 14

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open

Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas

NOV 18 - 21

The RSM Classic

Sea Island Resort (Seaside), Sea Island, Ga.

JAN 6 - 9

Sentry Tournament of Champions

Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii.

JAN 13 - 16

Sony Open in Hawaii

Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii.

JAN 20 - 23

The American Express

PGA WEST (Stadium), La Quinta, Calif.

JAN 26 - 29

Farmers Insurance Open

Torrey Pines (South), San Diego, Calif.

FEB 3 - 6

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.

FEB 10 - 13

Waste Management Phoenix Open

TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Ariz.

FEB 17 – 20

The Genesis Invitational

The Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif.

FEB 24 – 27

The Honda Classic

PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

MAR 3 – 6

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard

Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla.

MAR 3 – 6

Puerto Rico Open

Grand Reserve Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

MAR 10 – 13

THE PLAYERS Championship

TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

MAR 17 – 20

Valspar Championship

Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead), Palm Harbor, Fla.

MAR 23 – 27

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas

MAR 24 – 27

Corales Puntacana Championship

Corales Golf Course, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

MAR 31 – APR 3

Valero Texas Open

TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course), San Antonio, Texas

APR 7 – 10

Masters Tournament

Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.

APR 14 – 17

RBC Heritage

Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, S.C.

APR 21 – 24

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La.

APR 28 – MAY 1

Mexico Open

Vidanta Vallarta, Vallarta, Mexico

MAY 5 – 8

Wells Fargo Championship

TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, Potomac, Md.

MAY 12 – 15

AT&T Byron Nelson

TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas

MAY 19 – 22

PGA Championship

Southern Hills CC, Tulsa, Okla.

MAY 26 – 29

Charles Schwab Challenge

Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas

2021

images: Getty Images

2022

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SCHEDULES 2022

2022 PGA TOUR Champions® The PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf, part 1, covers the first half of the season

DATE

TOURNAMENT

LOCATION

JAN 20 - 22

Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

Hualalai GC, Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii

FEB 18 - 20

Chubb Classic

Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.

FEB 25 - 27

Cologuard Classic

Omni Tucson National, Tucson, Ariz.

MAR 4 - 6

Hoag Classic

Newport Beach CC, Newport Beach, Calif.

MAR 18 – 20

Trophy Hassan II

Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco

APR 1 - 3

Rapiscan Systems Charity Classic

Grand Bear Golf Club, Biloxi, Miss.

APR 22 - 24

ClubCorp Classic

Las Colinas Country Club, Irving, Texas

APR 29 – MAY 1

Insperity Invitational

The Woodlands CC, The Woodlands, Texas

MAY 6 - 8

Mitsubishi Electric Classic

TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga.

MAY 12 - 15

Regions Tradition

Greystone G&CC, Birmingham, Ala.

MAY 26 - 29

KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

Harbor Shores Golf Club, Benton Harbor, Mich.

2022

2022 Korn Ferry Tour The PGA TOUR Essential Guide to Golf, part 1, covers the first half of the season

DATE

TOURNAMENT

LOCATION

JAN 16 - 19

The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay

Sandals Emerald Bay GC, Great Exuma, Bahamas

JAN 23 - 26

The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club

The Abaco Club on Winding Bay, Great Abaco, Bahamas

FEB 3 – 6

Panama Championship

Club de Golf Panamá, Panama City, Panama

FEB 10 – 13

Country Club de Bogota Championship

CC de Bogota – Lagos, Bogota, Colombia

FEB 17 – 20

LECOM Suncoast Classic

Lakewood National GC Commander, Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

MAR 17 – 20

Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by MISTRAS

Le Triomphe G&CC, Broussard, La.

MAR 24 – 27

Lake Charles Championship

The CC at Golden Nugget, Lake Charles, La.

MAR 31 – APR 3

Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf Club

The Landings Golf Club – Deer Creek GC, Savannah, Ga.

APR 13 – 16

Veritex Bank Championship (KFT Livestream)

Texas Rangers GC, Arlington, Texas.

APR 28 – MAY 1

Huntsville Championship

The Ledges, Huntsville, Ala.

MAY 5 – 8

Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation

The Grove, College Grove, Tenn.

MAY 12 – 15

Visit Knoxville Open

Holston Hills CC, Knoxville, Tenn.

MAY 19 – 22

Advent Health Championship

Blue Hills CC, Kansas City, Mo.

MAY 26 – 29

NV5 Invitational presented by First Midwest Bank

The Glen Club, Glenview, Ill.

26

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE December 2021 – MAY 2022

T6 Events Schedule.indd 26

images: Getty Images;

2022

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21/12/2021 14:10

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Castle Connolly is the leading provider of Top Doctors featured in magazines around the country, and we are excited to congratulate our 2022 Top Doctors.

Castle Connolly has been the trusted source for patients seeking best-in-class healthcare providers for over 25 years. Physicians included on www.CastleConnolly.com have been selected based on peer-nominations by licensed MDs and DOs nationwide, and undergo a thorough review of credentials by Castle Connolly’s physician-led research team. Doctors cannot and do not pay to be selected as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor.

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Haroon F. Choudhri MD, FAANS

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Scott P. Leary MD

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ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY Nirschl Orthopaedic Center 1715 N George Mason Drive, Medical Office C, Ste 504 Arlington, VA 22205

nirschl.com

703.525.2200

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Congratulations to these physicians, who are among the Castle Connolly Top Doctors recognized for 2022.

08/12/2021 11:07

FedExCup Champion, 2020-21

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FedExCup Champion, 2020-21

FedExCup Triumph In the heated FedExCup race, the best players rise to the top. In the Playoffs, no player proved tougher than Patrick Cantlay, the 2020-21 FedExCup champion

By Doug Ferguson

P

atrick Cantlay made up for a lot of lost time in the short span of eight days.

He earned the reputation as a clutch putter and along the way picked up a new nickname—”Patty Ice”—that described his game and his personality. He beat the past two U.S. Open champions with a pair of shots that will become part of FedExCup Playoffs lore. The reward was a $15 million payoff and a reminder about a PGA TOUR post-season format he still doesn’t particularly like: Winning the FedExCup was never supposed to be easy.

Pressure points

images: PGA TOUR

Patrick Cantlay closed out the 2020-2021 FedExCup Playoffs with an epic run. He outlasted Bryson DeChambeau in a memorable six-hole playoff at the BMW Championship, then edged Jon Rahm to win the TOUR Championship in Atlanta. w w w.p gat our.com

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Pressure is everywhere for every player, whether that’s Bubba Watson or Jason Day trying to get past the opening FedExCup Playoffs event (they didn’t) or K.H. Lee needing a par on the final hole of the BMW Championship to make it to the TOUR Championship (he made bogey from the fairway).

“I think it’s probably the most cut-throat golf that we can have in terms of pressure,” Xander Schauffele said.

Cantlay felt it before he hit a single shot, more from a bad memory than what was ahead.

Two years earlier, he shot 22-under par at Medinah and still finished three shots behind Justin Thomas heading into Atlanta.

Cantlay at least had the No. 2 seed, meaning he started the TOUR Championship two shots behind. But then he had his worst week at the wrong time and tied for 21st.

The new format wound up, costing him some $2 million, so pardon his skepticism.

“In this new format … you can have one bad week in Atlanta and it’s your whole FedExCup finish,” Cantlay said leading up to THE NORTHERN TRUST at Liberty National, where he tied for 11th.

December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 31

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FedExCup Champion, 2020-21

Best players deliver

bb Bryson DeChambeau (left)

Magical nine holes Cantlay looked to be outmatched against muscleman Bryson DeChambeau at Caves Valley

outside Baltimore for the BMW Championship.

DeChambeau struck a pose—head bowed, right arm flexed—when he holed a 12-foot birdie putt to take the lead on the 16th hole.

The next nine holes for Cantlay, three in regulation and six in a playoff, were magical.

He holed putts of 8 feet for par, 8 feet for bogey and 20 feet for birdie for a 66 to force a playoff. He holed 6-foot par putts on the 18th twice in the playoff to stay alive. And then he ended it with a 20-foot birdie putt. It was the first PGA TOUR event in nearly 60 years in the Baltimore area, and a big crowd got its fill of drama.

Cantlay and Rahm The TOUR Championship was no less special, this time coming down to Cantlay and Jon Rahm, the No. 1 player in the world, who started four shots behind Cantlay as the No. 4 seed. He closed that gap to two shots going into the final round, and

images: Getty Images

and Patrick Cantlay gave fans a thrilling bonus with a six-hole playoff at the BMW Championship, with Cantlay escaping with the trophy.

The FedExCup Playoffs move quickly for a sport that generally doesn’t. Points are quadruple in value for two tournaments (previously three until 2019) before everything goes on the line at Georgia’s East Lake Golf Club in the TOUR Championship. Even with so many possibilities, the last seven years have shown that cream still rises.

Cantlay was the latest FedExCup champion— joining Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy (twice), Justin Rose, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth—who was no lower than No. 4 in the World Ranking.

The best players have to play their best golf, and more times than not, they have delivered.

Cantlay had to do better than most.

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21/12/2021 14:29

when Cantlay had to scramble and make a 6-foot bogey putt on the 17th hole, the margin was one.

“Patty Ice” delivered his biggest and best drive down the par-5 18th, and a memorable 6-iron from 218 yards that rolled out to 12 feet. He only needed two putts for the oneshot victory.

Though he began his week with a four-shot cushion over Rahm, Cantlay offered no apologies, and Rahm wasn’t looking for any.

“Patrick played great golf, and he was four shots ahead of me [at the start]. And even though I might have been the better man over the week, he earned it,” Rahm said. “That up-and-down after missing from 17, the second shot from 18 to almost make it is even more impressive. I think you can say he won this.”

The grand prize The difference between Cantlay and six FedExCup champions who preceded him is a major championship on his record. Winning the PGA TOUR’s grand prize, and the manner in which he did it, puts him in the conversation as a favorite 34

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE December 2021 – MAY 2022

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aa World No. 1 Jon Rahm

(left) congratulates Patrick Cantlay following Cantlay’s hard-earned victory at East Lake.

“I think the biggest thing is, it’s given me great perspective” — Patrick Cantlay

for the coming years.

Until then, the final piece of this puzzle showed what Cantlay, who turns 30 in March, has been capable of all along.

He was the No. 1 amateur in the world who shot 60 in the Travelers Championship after his freshman year at UCLA. And then he suffered a back injury so severe he didn’t play for nearly three years and wondered if he ever would again.

He made it through the death of his best friend and caddie, Chris Roth, who was struck by a car as they walked down the street to dinner.

“I think the biggest thing is, it’s given me great perspective,” Cantlay said. “Growing up, I felt like I got better and better in golf, and life got better and better. And then it got as bad as it could have been. I felt as low as I could have been for a little while. Coming out on the other side of that, I feel like I am a better person having gone through those dark days.”

He was at his best over the final two weeks of the FedExCup. Even under the most severe pressure, Cantlay played as though he had ice in his veins. 

images: Getty Images

FedExCup Champion, 2020-21

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PGA TOUR Champions

AGELESS CHAMPIONS

When TOUR players reach age 50 and join PGA TOUR Champions, their ambition, dedication and will is as strong as ever

By Stan Awtrey

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PGA TOUR Champions

T

images: PGA TOUR

he first tee at the TPC Sugarloaf is a good place to watch the professionals begin their round at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. A couple sets of aluminum bleachers sit behind the teeing ground and a small hill on the left side provides an ideal vantage point. A nice gallery had gathered on a pleasant morning to watch the players start their day.

The golfers step up, one after another, and whistle driver after driver—most of them straight and long—down the fairway. After watching Ernie Els and John Daly blast away, local patron Dale Wilson could stand it no more. He turned to his friend, gave him a light nudge and voiced what everyone else was thinking.

“These guys are still good,” he said.

Yes, those same players who competed on the PGA TOUR when the marketing slogan was “These guys are good,” are still making birdies and wowing crowds today as members of PGA TOUR Champions.

Top talent In fact, the star power never has been brighter on the 50-plus circuit.

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aa His final putt holed,

Monday qualifier Dicky Pride exudes boundless joy at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf following his first PGA TOUR Champions triumph.

__

A couple of old pals, Phil Mickelson and tournament host Jim Furyk, celebrate Mickelson’s victory at the inaugural Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS in October.

winner (Phil Mickelson), the 2022 Presidents Cup captain (Davis Love III), the captains of the 2021 Ryder Cup (Steve Stricker and Padraig Harrington) and major champions Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and Mike Weir. All but Mickelson have shifted to play the PGA TOUR Champions exclusively this season.

“It’s probably the only birthday as you’re getting older that you’re looking forward to,” said Harrington, who turned 50 in August.

In addition to the talent at the top, the depth of the senior circuit never has been more evident.

The combined 2020-21 season produced 14 firsttime winners, the most in a single season in PGA TOUR Champions history, eclipsing the old record of 11 set in 1999.

Veterans such as the ageless Bernhard Langer (see also, pp.82-84), Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Jerry Kelly, Retief Goosen, Kevin Sutherland and Darren Clarke remain relevant and competitive. And the list of rookie winners from 2020-21 includes K.J. Choi, Alex Cejka, Brett Quigley, Shane Bertsch and Cameron Beckman, who each had long careers on the PGA TOUR. There was even a feel-good winner in Dicky Pride, who got in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic field via a Monday qualifier and came away with his first senior title.

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21/12/2021 14:31

PGA TOUR Champions

Turning 50 This season a pair of successful Australians will join the PGA TOUR Champions on a fulltime basis—Stuart Appleby, a nine-time winner on the PGA TOUR, and Robert Allenby, a four-time winner. Both became eligible late in the 2020-21 season. Others turning 50 this year who could have an impact include five-time winner Brian Gay (December 2021), 2009 PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang (January 2022), 1997 Open Championship winner Justin Leonard (June 2022) and four-time PGA TOUR winner Notah Begay III (September 2022).

Positive new chapter Els, a four-time major winner, is sold on his PGA TOUR Champions membership. He played almost exclusively on PGA TOUR Champions and claimed

bb Four-time major champion Ernie Els, shown on his way to victory at the 2020 Hoag Classic, has found a new home on PGA TOUR Champions.

two victories last season (2020 Hoag Classic and 2020 SAS Championship). Els had not won since the 2012 Open Championship until his Hoag Championship victory. It was enough to convince Els that he was playing the right set of tees.

“I really like it out here,” Els said. “I think I’ve done what I could do out here on the regular TOUR. I’ll play every now and again if I get in the field on past champions status or something like that, but mostly on PGA TOUR Champions.”

Furyk kept a foot in both Tours last season and still produced three wins in PGA TOUR Champions events (2020 The Ally Challenge, 2020 PURE Insurance Championship, 2021 U.S. Senior Open).

He even hosted a PGA TOUR Champions event, the Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS tournament in Jacksonville—where Harrington made his senior debut.

Like Els, the 2003 U.S. Open champion will play almost exclusively on the senior circuit.

“I’m excited about it and I’m kind of liking the new chapter and being part of PGA TOUR Champions,” Furyk said.

The big question remains: What will Phil do?

Just when Mickelson appeared to be fading as a contender on the PGA TOUR, he went out and won the 2021 PGA Championship weeks before his 51st birthday to become the oldest winner of a major championship. Chances are that Mickelson will cherry pick his PGA TOUR Champions events, just as he did last season when he won four times.

“It’s a decision that all players have to make for themselves,” says Furyk, “Everyone has to do what they’re comfortable with. I don’t think what Phil does really is turning any trends or tides.

He’s a little bit of an outlier as it is. Phil’s always been—in our age group—leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the crew. … I don’t think he’s starting a trend where guys aren’t going to want to come play the PGA TOUR Champions. There’s going to be a few guys here and there who may wait until they’re 52 … but most guys, when they turn 50, they’re kind of ready.”

The 2022 season will also debut the new World Champions Cup, a three-day competition between three six-man squads representing Team USA, Team Europe and Team World. A series of nine-hole matches, both singles and teams, will be contested in November at an undetermined site.

The innovative format will showcase the skills of senior players from around the world on a stage that has not previously existed. Furyk (Team USA), Els (Team World) and Clarke (Team Europe) will serve as playing captains.  40

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images: Getty Images

Innovative event in 2022

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21/12/2021 14:31

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GUEST COMMENT

ON THE TEE

THE GAME THAT HONORS INDIVIDUALITY … Golfers have their own styles, their own strengths, their own ways

By Ron Green Jr. Jack Nicklaus pounded the ball and Lee Trevino swept across it with a motion that belongs in a museum that recognizes the best ballstrikers of all time.

P

ut Bryson DeChambeau, Sebastian Munoz, Tony Finau and Will Zalatoris side by side on a practice tee and watch them work. Watch the way DeChambeau attacks the ball the way a world-class weightlifter attacks 500 pounds on a bar.

Watch the fluidity of Munoz’s shoulder turn, the remarkable power Finau generates without getting his hands above shoulder height on the backswing, the way Zalatoris can create so much leverage with such efficiency. They are the beauty of golf on the PGA TOUR and everywhere else. Chasing a shared goal— conquering the unconquerable game—DeChambeau, Munoz, Finau and Zalatoris have found individual ways to go about it.

Like stacks of color cards in paint stores, shading from light to dark, from subtle to bold, golfers and their golf games are the same way. The PGA TOUR is living proof. * * * * * There is no one-size-fits-all on the PGA TOUR, and there never has been. Ben Hogan did it differently than Sam Snead who did it differently from Byron Nelson. Arnold Palmer slashed at the ball, Jack Nicklaus pounded it and Lee Trevino swept across it

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with a motion that belongs in a museum that recognizes the best ballstrikers of all time. It’s a game that honors individuality even if the goal is the same for everyone. It’s why Jim Furyk can swing a club the way he does and Dustin Johnson can swing it the way he does and they can both win tournaments. * * * * * In today’s game, there is more information available to players than ever before. Science has infiltrated the sport and it has been impossible to ignore. There was a time when swing weights and shaft flexes were all that anyone cared about. Now players and those around them are fluent in launch angles, ball speeds and spin rates. They do deep dives on statistical data that would impress an engineer. Some thrive on the numbers. Others glance at them. * * * * * There is still a ‘to each his own’ aspect to golf on the PGA TOUR. Just because Rory McIlroy does it one way doesn’t mean Patrick Cantlay should do it that way. Spend a few minutes observing the practice tee at a PGA TOUR event and it’s like a parade. There is w w w.p gat our.com

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GUEST COMMENT

something different—maybe it’s big, maybe it’s small—with every player down the line. Even their divot patterns can be unique, some bunched into a tight square, others creating a long, thin line of disgorged turf, and others created more by happenstance. * * * * * In the 2020-21 TOUR season, Brian Gay, Matt Jones, and Stewart Cink—each in their 40s—won tournaments, not to mention Phil Mickelson, a month shy of 51, winning the PGA Championship.

At the same time, Joaquin Niemann wasn’t old enough to legally buy a beer when he won at the Greenbrier in 2020. In what other sport can two generations compete against each other the way they can in golf? * * * * * No one personifies the individuality of professional golf more than DeChambeau, who has demonstrated a different way to prepare and play. DeChambeau’s approach—from the singlelength irons to the strength training to his everlasting pursuit of more distance—works for him. If Tiger Woods brought an increased attention to physical fitness and strength to the TOUR, DeChambeau has altered the notion of what is possible for other players. It’s not a path many are likely to follow with such passion, but DeChambeau expanded the frontier. * * * * * That’s not how Jordan Spieth will ever play the game, or Kevin Na, or Patrick Reed. They have their own styles, their own strengths, their own ways. The PGA TOUR is like a continuing story with an immense cast of characters, the plotline and the stages changing from week to week, month to month. It asks a simple question: Whose turn is it this week? The beauty is seeing how the characters get there. 

Phil Mickelson was almost 51 when he won the 2021 PGA Championship.

Tiger Woods brought an increased attention to physical fitness and strength to the PGA TOUR (Arnold Palmer Invitational presented By Mastercard, 2018).

• Ron Green Jr. is a senior writer for Global Golf Post.

He has written about golf for more than 30 years and is approaching 90 major championships covered.

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

Joaquin Niemann wasn’t old enough legally to buy a beer when he won at the Greenbrier in 2020.

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Advertorial

The new golf game on trend, with fans’ questions and illuminating answers from the 2K experts

Tee off on 17 PGA TOUR licensed courses including TPC Sawgrass

What’s made PGA TOUR 2K21 unique from other golf video games?

2K: PGA TOUR 2K21 is built around the belief that golf is for everyone.

Striking a balance between accessibility and complexity, we’ve developed a game that is fun yet challenging no matter one’s experience. With six levels of difficulty, rookies can take advantage of real-time tutorials, tips and shot suggestions, while veterans can master their games with advanced features including Pro Vision, Distance Control, Shot Shaper and Putt Preview.

On top of this flexible gameplay, PGA TOUR 2K21 allows for ultimate self-expression and customization. Players can create their own MyPLAYER and deck them out in the freshest fits and equipment from brands they love like adidas, TaylorMade Golf, Callaway Golf, and COBRA PUMA GOLF. With the Course Designer, players can build their dream custom course from thousands of options and then share it with the entire community.

How has the PGA TOUR presence strengthened the game?

2K: Partnering with the PGA TOUR has enabled us to deliver an authentic and realistic experience to our players. We worked with our partners at PGA TOUR to secure 17 licensed courses, many of which are home to legendary tournaments. PGA TOUR 2K21 also features 12 licensed pros, including Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau, so players can go head-to-head against some of the best golfers on tour.

Why has the Course Designer become such a craze among fans?

2K: The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, both from the community course designers themselves as well as the players able to enjoy their work. Not only have the created courses shown the creativity of our players, but they’ve also added additional mileage to the game, especially with online multiplayer.

We recently partnered with a group of international course designers who have created some really impressive courses that are being introduced to the multiplayer playlists. Each month features a different theme and we think our community is going to love these unique new courses.

2k_advertorial_r2.indd 1

Play against Justin Thomas and 11 other top pros on your way to becoming the next FedExCup Champion

How has online play, specifically the PGA TOUR eSeries, ushered in a new era of competitive golf gaming?

2K: As golfers and PGA TOUR fans ourselves, the eSeries has been really exciting to see. Watching pro players, including Colin Morikawa, Carlos Ortiz, and Matthew Fitzpatrick enjoy our game, plus tying online competition to the real-life schedule of PGA TOUR events is a dream come true!

But we’ve taken the social experience to the next level outside of the eSeries too. With Online Societies, players can run their Clubhouse with full seasons and tournaments while earning bragging rights on the course.

How has the release of the Baller Edition opened up a new chapter in PGA TOUR 2K21?

2K: With over 2.5 million players around the globe, we recently released PGA TOUR 2K21 Baller Edition to welcome even more golfers to our Clubhouse. The Baller Edition features all the goodies in the Standard Edition plus new gear and more than enough bonus content to let players hit the virtual links with swagger. We’re excited to see everyone on the green.

For more information and online purchase, go to: pgatour.2k.com

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PGA TOUR gaming partners

“It’s really cool to see how the pros play each of these courses and the conditions they play it and try to bring that experience into the game side.” — Shaun West, Senior Producer, PGA TOUR 2K.

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PGA TOUR gaming partners

Bringing Home Golf’s Virtual Reality A new realism is enhancing the gaming experience, with stimulating simulation of star PGA TOUR players and iconic courses now reaching a dynamic level

By Jeff Eisenband

A

s Patrick Cantlay held off Jon Rahm at the TOUR Championship and lifted the FedExCup trophy, only few on the PGA TOUR could relate to his joy. But on couches around the world, millions of gamers understood Cantlay’s grind.

After all, they’d done it virtually—some multiple times.

While the PGA TOUR experienced its “superseason” in 2021, the world of golf gaming reached its most dynamic point. Whether a gamer picks up a console, a PC or a cell phone, goes to an arcade or wants to take a full swing, PGA TOUR courses—in virtual form—are readily available. In some cases, even the PGA TOUR tournaments have an open digital invitation.

Expanding the experience

images: 2K

Much of the buzz in 2021 came from PGA TOUR 2K21, a simulation game published by 2K Sports that debuted in August 2020. The title was actually a continuation of The Golf Club series, which included six TPC courses and a PGA TOUR career mode in its The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA TOUR, released in August 2018.

With a more extensive PGA TOUR license for PGA TOUR 2K21, the most recent game includes 17 official courses, including 10 in the TPC Network. The likeness of 12 PGA TOUR players, w w w.p gat our.com

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including cover athlete Justin Thomas, are present in the game. PGA TOUR 2K21’s career mode starts in Q-School, with gamers playing their way onto the Korn Ferry Tour and then onto the PGA TOUR, where the FedExCup Playoffs await.

It is one thing to beat the computer, but it’s another to beat real-life competitors. Starting February 2021, PGA TOUR 2K21 rolled out the “PGA TOUR eSeries,” a 13-event competitive slate played across all compatible systems: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows and Stadia. Each event, starting with the Waste Management Phoenix Open and ending with the TOUR Championship, was played on the virtual course corresponding to that week’s in real life (IRL) course. All events were free-to-play with virtual currency awarded to top performers.

“Personally, while I was putting my rounds together, I was often watching the event live on television at the same time,” says Shaun West, Senior Producer, PGA TOUR 2K. “It’s really cool to see how the pros play each of these courses and the conditions they play it and try to bring that experience into the game side.”

PGA TOUR 2K21, which has sold 2.5 million copies, has seen a 1500% increase in daily active users compared with The Golf Club 2019 at the same stage of the game’s lifespan.

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PGA TOUR gaming partners

Tiger Woods partnership While PGA TOUR 2K did not release a new game in 2021, the series did make an announcement suggesting major innovations in the future. In March 2021, 2K Sports revealed it had signed an exclusive, long-term partnership with Tiger Woods. The deal makes Woods an Executive Director and consultant with PGA TOUR 2K, while giving the game exclusive rights to his name and likeness. PGA TOUR 2K will also partner with Woods’ TGR Foundation.

“He’s one of the few athletes, you mention his name, regardless of if you follow golf or not, you have an idea of who Tiger Woods is,” West says. “I think it’s important to understand how we can use that opportunity to bring in people who don’t traditionally pick up a golf game and try to continue to grow our audience to a wider range of players.”

aa Jon Rahm with the Full

Swing simulator, showing Torrey Pines, South Course.

bb The iconic Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Club & Lodge, an image from the most realistic golf video game experience to date, the PGA TOUR 2K21 Baller Edition.

“It all started with our PGA TOUR players who have our simulators in their homes, from Tiger to Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and many more ...”

—Ryan O’Keefe, Full Swing Senior Director, Marketing

Gaming enhancements Meanwhile, just two weeks after PGA TOUR 2K’s Tiger Woods announcement, Woods’ previous long-term video game partner, EA Sports, announced its return to the golf gaming space for the first time since 2015. With a release date to be determined, EA Sports PGA TOUR includes similarities to PGA TOUR 2K—both are simulation games with a career mode featuring events such as THE PLAYERS Championship and FedExCup 48

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PGA TOUR gaming partners

Playoffs—but EA Sports’ title has also secured the rights to all four major championships and one LPGA major, The Evian Championship. A “Road to the Masters” game mode will give players access to virtual experiences specific to Augusta National, while users will be able to try their hand at multiple amateur events, including the U.S. Amateur in partnership with the USGA. EA Sports PGA TOUR also hopes to take a major new step in data in golf video games, as ShotLink, the same data collection tool used by the PGA TOUR, will be integrated into the new gameplay.

EA Sports had produced golf games from 1990-2015 with 16 games from 1998-2013 coming under the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR branding. EA Sports’ last game, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR, was released in July 2015.

Golf Shootout Meanwhile, in arcades, Golden Tee Golf is leveling up with its own PGA TOUR upgrade. Incredible Technologies and the PGA TOUR recently announced a partnership bringing Golden Tee PGA TOUR to life.

While Golden Tee has been a staple of arcades since 1989, this is now the first time PGA TOUR branding is entering the Golden Tee universe.

Golden Tee PGA TOUR Edition includes three PGA TOUR courses, along with more than 80 other Golden Tee courses, and is slotted for a rollout in early 2022 (with a possible limited advance rollout).

Likewise, PGA TOUR Golf Shootout is a PGA TOUR-licensed mobile game that includes five TPC courses. And like the simulation games, PGA TOUR Golf Shootout includes a FedExCup feature that is used as a ranking system as players collect points based on success.

images: Donald Miralle; 2K; EA sports

Virtual tournament practice When it comes to virtual golf, it is not only the fans who want digital access to real PGA TOUR courses. The pros want it, too. Full Swing, one of the leading golf simulator brands, has a PGA TOUR license that comes with a variety of PGA TOUR courses. This partnership is a way to satisfy everyone from its amateur users to its FedExCupchampion clients.

“It all started with our PGA TOUR players who have our simulators in their homes, from Tiger to Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and many more, who asked if we could give them a chance to practice on courses that they play on Tour,” says Ryan O’Keefe, Full Swing Senior Director, Marketing.

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aa EA Sports’ “Road to the

Masters” game mode will give players access to virtual experiences specific to Augusta National.

been overwhelmingly positive, from Tiger talking about what an ‘advantage it is to play it,’ to Gary Woodland saying it’s like ‘getting extra practice rounds in before getting on-site.’”

In 2022, Full Swing plans to add even more championship courses to its platform. O’Keefe also says Full Swing is working on peer-to-peer online play, allowing two users to play against each other from different simulators in different locations.

Sensing the glory For golf fans, playing the game they love continues even after leaving the course for the day. Whether it’s on a console system, in arcadeform or on a simulator, connecting with the sport in a digital sense has never been so easy.

Only the best in the world can tee it up on the PGA TOUR. But anyone can chase golf glory, virtually.  December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 49

21/12/2021 14:33

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18/11/2021 11:42

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Mike Dachowski Golf Course Superintendent, Shelter Harbor Golf Club

Extraordinary Is Your New Ordinary Willow Best Friend

When you can count on your turf to be at its best, others can count on you to be at yours.

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Your golfers want a greener course. You want a little more time in your day. Stressgard® goes beyond disease control to deliver both, allowing you to maximize your potential on and off the golf course. So whether that means finding time to be a better superintendent or spending time with your best friend, Stressgard delivers. you can count on your turf to be at its best, others can count on you to be at yours.

For turf you and your golfers can count on in conditions you can’t, look to Stressgard.

Your golfers want a greener course. You want a little more time in your day. Stressgard goes beyond disease control to deliver See the science behindyour the extraordinary at thestressgardexperience.com. both – allowing you to maximize potential on and off the golf course. So whether that means finding time to be a better Superintendent, or to spend time with your best friend – Stressgard delivers.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. Environmental a Division of Bayer CropScience 5000 CentreGreen Way,in Suite 400, Cary, NC 27513. For additional information, call toll-free 1-800-331-2867. environmentalscience.bayer.us. Not all products are For turf Bayer you andScience, your golfers canLP. count on conditions youproduct can’t, look to Stressgard. registered in all states. Bayer, the Bayer Cross and Stressgard are registered trademarks of Bayer. ©2021 Bayer CropScience ES-0321-SGFT-0117-A-R2

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PGA TOUR insight

The Can-do SPIRIT For veteran TOUR players, battling the young guns requires a dose of humor, steely determination, and packing the right attitude

By Jim McCabe

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PGA TOUR insight

I

t is an essential traveling companion, this ability to find levity at those times when the golf scores are high and the enthusiasm low.

Jason Bohn, thankfully, is saturated in good humor, so on a week of tough travel, rougher weather, and after a day at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in late October 2021 when the bogeys outnumbered the birdies, 4-1, he was a perfect antidote to frustration that hung in the air.

“Do I have time to run in?” Bohn asked the bus driver, who gave him five minutes before he shuttled a dozen players, caddies, and media folks to a waiting ferry.

Bohn got the OK from his colleagues and was back swiftly with two cold beverages. He used the short ride to the ferry to engage the bus driver, a native Bermudian, in a discussion about the price of those beverages, though.

The driver laughed heartily. His suggestion: “You should buy at the convenience store.”

Bohn said it was too late. He had just spent all his money for the two beers at the clubhouse.

“Then get a job. I will put you to work,” quipped the bus driver.

“I’ll take it. I need a job,” said Bohn, and by now many of his colleagues were laughing merrily. Wind had gusted to 40 mph. Scores had landed in the mid-70s. So, yes, this lightheartedness helped.

images: GETTY IMAGES

Young, stronger, longer Like Bohn, who is 48, they, too, are in their 40s and engaged in an occupation where younger, stronger, and longer were the ingredients being used for the grandest success on the PGA TOUR these days.

Graeme McDowell wasn’t on that bus ride, but he smiled when the story was recounted. The Northern Irishman has a firm grasp of the landscape and knew exactly why he had traveled to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship (Oct. 28-Nov. 1), the sixth tournament to the start of the 2021-22 season.

“I’m here trying to do my job. I’m well aware of my mortality out here on this Tour as I get into my 40s,” said the 42-year-old McDowell, who makes sure to pack something before even his clubs when he comes to these tournaments.

“The right attitude!” he said. “You need to treat this for what it is—a fantastic opportunity.

The main focus is to knuckle down and put some FedExCup points on the board. But it starts with attitude.” w w w.p gat our.com

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aa Graeme McDowell

brought a great attitude to Bermuda: “You need to treat this for what it is—a fantastic opportunity.”

__

Jason Bohn, who jokingly was offered a new job at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course.

Challenging times The 2010 winner of the U.S. Open can back up his words, because in 2019, a few months shy of his 40th birthday, McDowell won his fourth PGA TOUR title at the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic.

When it was suggested that having a good attitude is perhaps more of a challenge for veterans in their 40s, McDowell waved that off.

“Generally, it is a challenge on the PGA TOUR for guys like me, surrounded by 20-somethings who can bomb it,” he said.

“There’s no doubt the landscape is changing.

But the Jim Furyk-style players … I looked at him and said, ‘If he competed into his 40s the way he did, there’s no reason why I can’t.’ ” December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 55

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PGA TOUR insight

McDowell hardly was alone in his quest to get momentum going early in 2020-21. Bohn’s mates on the bus ride to the ferry in Bermuda included Jonathan Byrd, Ben Crane, D.A. Points, and J.J. Henry, all of them between 44 and 46.

Luke Donald, who was just a few weeks shy of his 45th birthday, teed it up, and so did Jason Dufner, 44.

Henry, 46, a three-time winner on TOUR, concedes that the pool of great young players is deeper than ever. But he doesn’t bemoan the way they crush it.

“When I was young, I was one of the longer guys out here. That’s the way it goes. But I know why I’m here . . . ” and with a smile Henry pointed to the golfer carrying his bag through the lobby.

It was Brian Gay, who at 49 was defending his championship in Bermuda.

Clearly one of those “Jim Furyk-like” players McDowell spoke about, Gay is in his 23rd season. While PGA TOUR Champions beckons (Gay turned 50 Dec. 14), Gay still grinds away with the younger set (he was T12 in his title defense in Bermuda) and does so by embracing a philosophy that McDowell employs.

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aa Brian Gay (left), in his

23rd season, defended his 2020 Butterfield Bermuda Championship title with grit and determination.

Five-time PGA TOUR winner Ben Crane (right), at 45, saw enough good signs in Bermuda to “keep pushing.”

“Thankfully,” said McDowell, “there are courses like the PGA Nationals, the Harbour Towns, the Colonials and these fall events in Bermuda, Mayakoba (where McDowell won in 2016) and Sea Island where, if I show up and play my ‘A’ game, I can compete and win golf tournaments.”

Keep pushing Byrd endorses that mantra and was encouraged by a third-round 65 in Bermuda, the sort of day that validates his decision to chase after players nearly half his age. Crane, who has played sparingly the last two seasons because of back pain, said he arrived in Bermuda “to see if I can play golf at this level.”

If the answer is no, Crane might consider surgery, but everything he did in Bermuda (T67) told him to keep pushing, keep the competitive juices flowing.

Just don’t forget the attitude, said McDowell.

“The PGA TOUR doesn’t owe me. That’s a big part of my overall attitude at the moment— nobody owes me anything,” said McDowell.

“Anything that is going to come my way now is because I’m going to earn it. I’m going to grind it out.” 

images: Getty Images

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18/11/2021 15:44

Is your asthma treatment plan off course?

See what could open up for you with FASENRA.*

FASENRA is an add-on treatment for people 12 and older with severe eosinophilic asthma. It’s not a rescue medication or for other eosinophilic conditions.

Results may vary.

*

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not use FASENRA if you are allergic to benralizumab or any of the ingredients in FASENRA. Do not use to treat sudden breathing problems.

FASENRA may cause serious side effects, including: • allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your FASENRA injection.

Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get your injection. Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction: o swelling of your face, mouth and tongue o breathing problems o fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure) o rash o hives Before using FASENRA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • are taking oral or inhaled corticosteroid medicines. Do not stop taking your corticosteroid medicines unless instructed by your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine to come back.

• have a parasitic (helminth) infection.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if FASENRA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with FASENRA. o There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to FASENRA during pregnancy.

Healthcare providers can enroll patients or encourage patients to enroll themselves by calling 1-877-311-8972 or visiting www.mothertobaby.org/fasenra.

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FASENRA is only 1 maintenance dose every 8 weeks.† Helps prevent asthma attacks, lower daily oral steroid use, and improve breathing.*

You have injection options with FASENRA: Your doctor can administer FASENRA at their office.

You can self-administer anywhere with the FASENRA Pen.‡

Visit FASENRAfits.com to see how FASENRA can fit into your life.

The first 3 doses are given on day 1, week 4, and week 8.

Before you self-administer, make sure your doctor shows you how to do it. †

‡

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if FASENRA passes into your breast milk.

Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use FASENRA. • are taking prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.

Do not stop taking your other asthma medicines unless instructed to do so by your healthcare provider.

The most common side effects of FASENRA include: headache and sore throat. These are not all the possible side effects of FASENRA. APPROVED USE FASENRA is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of asthma in people 12 years and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. FASENRA helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and may improve your breathing. Medicines such as FASENRA reduce blood eosinophils. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that may contribute to your asthma.

FASENRA is not used to treat other problems caused by eosinophils and is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. Tell your healthcare provider if your asthma does not get better or if it gets worse after you start treatment with FASENRA. It is not known if FASENRA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information on adjacent page.

FASENRA and FASENRA Pen are registered trademarks of the AstraZeneca group of companies. ©2021 AstraZeneca. All rights reserved. US-58642 10/21

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I M P O R TA N T

I N F O R M AT I O N

Read this brief summary carefully before using FASENRA for the first time and each time you use a new dose. There may be new information.

This summary does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment.

What is FASENRA? FASENRA is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of asthma in people 12 years and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines.

When added to other medicines for asthma, FASENRA helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and may improve your breathing.

Medicines such as FASENRA reduce blood eosinophils. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that may contribute to your asthma.

• FASENRA is not used to treat other problems caused by eosinophils.

• FASENRA is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. Tell your healthcare provider if your asthma does not get better or if it gets worse after you start treatment with FASENRA. It is not known if FASENRA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.

Do not use FASENRA if you are allergic to benralizumab or any of the ingredients in FASENRA. Before using FASENRA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • are taking oral or inhaled corticosteroid medicines. Do not stop taking your corticosteroid medicines unless instructed by your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine to come back • have a parasitic (helminth) infection • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if FASENRA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with FASENRA. ° There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to FASENRA during pregnancy.

Healthcare providers can enroll patients or encourage patients to enroll themselves by calling 1-877-311-8972 or visiting www.mothertobaby.org/fasenra.

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if FASENRA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will use FASENRA and breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use FASENRA. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Do not stop taking your other asthma medicines unless your healthcare provider tells you to.

How will I use FASENRA? • FASENRA is injected under your skin (subcutaneously) one time every 4 weeks for the first 3 doses, and then every 8 weeks.

• FASENRA comes in a single dose prefilled syringe and in a single dose autoinjector.

• A healthcare provider will inject FASENRA using the single-dose prefilled syringe.

A B O U T

F A S E N R A

• If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give the injection of FASENRA, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and give the injection using the FASENRA PEN. Do not try to inject FASENRA until you have been shown the right way by your healthcare provider. See the detailed “Instructions for Use” that comes with FASENRA PEN for information on how to prepare and inject FASENRA. • If you miss a dose of FASENRA, call your healthcare provider.

What are the possible side effects of FASENRA? FASENRA may cause serious side effects, including: • allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis.

Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your FASENRA injection. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get your injection. Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction: ° swelling of your face, mouth and tongue ° breathing problems ° fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure) ° rash ° hives The most common side effects of FASENRA include headache and sore throat.

These are not all the possible side effects of FASENRA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

How should I store FASENRA? • Store FASENRA in the refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).

• FASENRA may be stored at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) for up to 14 days.

• Once removed from the refrigerator and brought to room temperature FASENRA must be used within 14 days or thrown away.

• Store FASENRA in the original carton until you are ready to use it to protect it from light.

• Do not freeze FASENRA. Do not use FASENRA that has been frozen.

• Do not expose FASENRA to heat.

• Do not use FASENRA past the expiration date.

• Keep FASENRA and all medicines out of the reach of children.

What are the ingredients in FASENRA? Active ingredient: benralizumab Inactive ingredients: L-histidine, L-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, polysorbate 20, ,-trehalose dihydrate, and Water for Injection The information provided here is not comprehensive.

Ask your healthcare provider for additional information about FASENRA. You can also contact the company that makes FASENRA (toll-free) at 1-800-236-9933 or at www.fasenra.com.

FASENRA and FASENRA Pen are registered trademarks of the AstraZeneca group of companies. © 2021 AstraZeneca LP. All rights reserved.

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KORN FERRY TOUR: THE 25

LONG AND WINDING ROAD The stage-by-stage climb to achieve full PGA TOUR membership always has been a tough challenge. Surviving a unique two-year season provided extra satisfaction for the 25 talented players who made the grade

By Kevin Prise bb With a clutch closing par,

A

n unprecedented two-year Korn Ferry Tour season (due to COVID-19) concluded with “The 25” graduates receiving their PGA TOUR cards in a festive ceremony at the Regular Season-ending Pinnacle Bank Championship in August.

Another 25 TOUR cards were awarded via the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals, rounding out a promising class that included the likes of Greyson Sigg, Lee Hodges, Brandon

Wu, Chad Ramey, Sahith Theegala—and even Will Zalatoris. The slender Texan made waves via a runner-up at the Masters Tournament as a PGA TOUR Special Temporary Member, but will be noted in history as a member of the 202021 Korn Ferry Tour graduating class.

These newest TOUR members weathered a pandemic and a marathon campaign to earn their cards, leaving no doubt regarding their merit.

images: PGA TOUR

Justin Lower (Canal Fulton, Ohio) secured the last PGA TOUR card at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

Lower logged top-45s in the first two Finals events and secured his first PGA TOUR card with a T15 at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in Indiana.

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KORN FERRY TOUR: THE 25

A long-haul season “You’ve worked your butt off for what was a mega-season,” said Korn Ferry Tour Class of 2016 member Xander Schauffele in a video message to the 2020-21 graduating class. “You should give yourselves a mega-pat on the back for grinding through it, and it may never be done again.

Consider yourself a one-off for this mega-season, and be happy that you got your card.”

The 50th and final TOUR card was not determined until the 72nd hole of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, the last leg of the Finals staged at the traditionally demanding Victoria National GC outside Evansville, Indiana.

Dream chaser The player on the bubble was Justin Lower, a 32-year-old career grinder who has played various mini-tours across the United States, chasing his dream and sometimes wondering if that elusive TOUR card would ever come.

In December 2017, Lower made birdie at the final hole of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament to earn guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour 62

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starts for the first time.

In September 2018, Lower missed a 7-foot putt at the 72nd hole of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship that would have secured his first TOUR card. His good friend and frequent trivia buddy Jim Knous was the beneficiary, earning the final spot.

On the final hole of the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Championship, Lower’s stakes were defined once again. He faced an up-and-down from a tight lie, approximately 30 yards short of the flagstick. Get up and down for par, and the 25th TOUR card via The Finals 25 would be his. Make bogey, and he would finish a handful of points shy of a TOUR card.

Lower clipped his pitch perfectly. The ball checked and settled at tap-in range. A PGA TOUR card, finally, would have Lower’s name on it.

aa Joseph Bramlett proudly

displays his 2021-22 PGA TOUR card following his victory at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

Bramlett, from Las Vegas, recorded top-30s in the first two Korn Ferry Tour Finals events before breaking through for his first KFT title at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship (see also p.71).

“Keep grinding” In a testament to his character, Lower provided a message to Taylor Montgomery—the odd man out who finished No. 26—in his post-round interview on Golf Channel, just minutes after signing his card. w w w.p gat our.com

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KORN FERRY TOUR: THE 25

aa Sahith Theegala, a former

images: PGA TOUR

standout at Pepperdine University, earned his first PGA TOUR card with back-to-back top-6 finishes in the last two Korn Ferry Tour Finals events. Theegala, 24, made the most of his new status, tying for eighth at Sanderson Farms in his second 202122 PGA TOUR start.

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“Taylor Montgomery, if you’re listening … I’ve been in your spot before, and I know it’s not any fun,” said Lower, his voice breaking. “You’re a heck of a player, and just keep grinding. Good things will happen.”

Montgomery entered the Regular Seasonending Pinnacle Bank Championship at No. 24 on the Regular Season Points List, only to miss the cut and finish No. 26. He entered the Korn Ferry Tour Championship at No. 14 on the three-event Finals Points List, only to miss the cut and finish No. 26.

Montgomery, who turned 27 on Jan. 30, will return to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022 determined to make amends for a pair of near-misses and looking to break through to earn his first TOUR card.

He’ll be joined by a contingent of hungry veterans such as Paul Haley (No. 27), Roberto Diaz (No. 29) and Erik Barnes (No. 31), all of whom demonstrated strong form throughout the marathon 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour season only to narrowly miss their TOUR cards.

Stage by stage Returning pros will be joined in 2022 by those who navigated the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying

Tournament—a multi-stage event known as Q-School that rounds out the following season’s Korn Ferry Tour membership.

Q-School began across seven pre-qualifying sites in August and early September, proceeded to First Stage across 13 sites in mid-to-late September, and then moved to Second Stage across five sites in mid-October.

Players who advance through Second Stage are assured Korn Ferry Tour membership for the following season, with Final Stage (November 4-7 at The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia) contested to determine Priority Ranking.

As medalist at Final Stage, Zack Fischer earned fully exempt status for the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season; finishers 2-10 and ties receive 12 guaranteed starts before entering the reshuffle; and finishers 11-40 and ties secured eight guaranteed starts before entering the reshuffle.

Curtis Thompson, co-medalist at Final Stage of 2019 Q-School, proceeded to earn his first TOUR card via the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List.

His lead offers a solid blueprint for this year’s Q-School contingent to follow.  December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 63

21/12/2021 14:39

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DEFINING MOMENTS

VALIANT VICTORIES Our series of magical, career-altering triumphs shines light on a cross-section of grand 2021 performances

TODAY IS YOUR DAY Abraham Ancer, World Golf ChampionshipsFedEx St. Jude Invitational

By Ben Everill There was a point during the final round of the World Golf Championships—FedEx St. Jude Invitational during which Abraham Ancer could be forgiven for thinking, ‘Oh man, not again.’

Ancer, small in stature but huge in heart, is a ballstriking machine from Mexico who was four shots off the lead on the back nine at TPC Southwind, and headed for another close call.

But Ancer’s caddie, Benji Thompson, kept repeating what he had said from the moment they teed off four shots adrift of Harris English: Today is your day.

And while it took one of the craziest Sundays of the season, the short statement would become a reality—the day would indeed be Ancer’s. Ancer would survive a playoff against Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Sam Burns to grab his first PGA TOUR win, and become the first Mexican player to win a World Golf Championships event.

Since winning the 2018 Australian Open, Ancer had jumped on the radar as an international player to watch. A runner-up finish at THE NORTHERN TRUST in the 2019 FedExCup Playoffs and a solid showing in the Presidents Cup later that year solidified that before he slipped into the narrative of being a serial contender, but non-winner.

Ancer had four top-10s in 2019, and twice was a runner-up.

In 2020-21 he had five top-5s, including another second-place showing (Wells Fargo Championship), before he crossed 14 time zones from the Tokyo Olympics to take his place in Memphis.

English (5-over 40 on the back nine), Bryson DeChambeau (6-over 41) and Cameron Smith (3-over in his last four holes) all faltered down the stretch, but Ancer was rock-solid and finished tied with Burns (64) and Matsuyama (63)—two players who had gone super low earlier in the afternoon before the wild winds and Sunday nerves were dialed up.

On the second playoff hole, Ancer stuffed his approach to 6 feet, only to watch Burns hit his shot closer. Knowing he needed 66

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competitors who make sacrifices, practice diligently and play fearlessly to steer their way into being champions.

Abraham Ancer hoists the Gary Player Trophy after winning in a playoff at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Championship. On a wild final day, Ancer performed steadily, picking up his first PGA TOUR victory.

his putt, Ancer was clutch and sent the ball home. And moments later, when Burns’ effort to extend the playoff lipped out, history was Ancer’s.

“It was really surreal, something that I’ve been working for since I was a little kid. Definitely a dream, a dream come true to win on the PGA TOUR,” Ancer said. “And to do it on a big stage like a WGC event was really, really cool, man. It was a crazy round.” 

images: PGA TOUR

R

emarkable moments and extraordinary victories are what make Tour events thrilling for the fans, and not least for the winning

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DEFINING MOMENTS

Erik van Rooyen of South Africa found his form in the nick of time, with his lateseason victory at the Barracuda Championship propelling him into the FedExCup Playoffs.

LET THINGS HAPPEN

images: Getty Images

Erik van Rooyen, Barracuda Championship

By Doug Milne Coming into the 2021 Barracuda Championship, South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen wasn’t exactly riding a wave of momentum. The firstyear PGA TOUR member had missed the cut in six of his previous eight starts and was outside the top 125 in the FedExCup. “I was well aware of the position I was in going into the Playoffs, knowing that I’ve only got eight rounds left to make that cut,” van Rooyen said. “I think the poor form coming into the week reiterates that patience is key. I was forcing things there for a long time. Ironically, with this game, when you do that, it tends to go the other way.”

Under the Modified Stableford scoring format, a pointsbased system, van Rooyen collected just seven points in Round 1, leaving him nine points off the lead. Early signs indicated that things weren’t coming to him at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California.

Or, were they?

Van Rooyen would follow with 17-10-16 points over the next three rounds, resulting in a tournament-record 50-point total and five-point victory over Andrew Putnam. With his first career PGA TOUR title, van Rooyen earned 300 FedExCup points and moved w w w.p gat our.com

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from No. 139 to 78th in the standings. Most significantly, he earned a two-year exemption to the PGA TOUR. “It’s massive. It had been a difficult 18 months for me on the golf course and I hadn’t been playing well,” van Rooyen said.

“There were glimpses the previous six months, but I had not been able to put four good rounds together. So, to win under that kind of pressure allowed me to move forward with so much confidence.”

Van Rooyen became the sixth consecutive first-time winner of the Barracuda Championship, the TOUR’s longest active streak, and the third player from South Africa to win on TOUR in the 202021 season, joining Branden Grace (Puerto Rico Open) and Garrick Higgo (Palmetto Championship at Congaree).

Amidst his stretch of missed cuts, van Rooyen remained upbeat.

He and his wife, Rose, welcomed their first child, Valerie, to the world just a month before his win.

“Valerie was obviously way too small to have any understanding of what just happened, but my wife was my rock. She is absolutely amazing,” van Rooyen said. “She was pretty much a single parent for most of that first month. So, the win went out to my wife, Rose, and little Valerie.”  December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 67

21/12/2021 15:02

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DEFINING MOMENTS

THE BEST ON THE BACK NINE Tony Finau, THE NORTHERN TRUST

By Jeff Babineau That loud exhale you heard all the way down the New Jersey Turnpike in the waning daylight of August? That was Tony Finau, winning once again after a five-plus year victory drought, collecting his second career PGA TOUR title with a hard-earned triumph at THE NORTHERN TRUST. Finau faced all sorts of challenges over a wild final nine at Liberty National in the 2020-21 FedExCup Playoffs opener, first and foremost, trying to fend off World No. 1 Jon Rahm. Finau needed his best late and summoned it, shooting 30 over his final nine, posting a final-round 65, then beating Australian Cameron Smith in a one-hole playoff.

After 143 starts and 1,975 days between victories—his lone PGA TOUR triumph had been the 2016 Puerto Rico Open—Finau didn’t mind having to go an extra hole.

“I’ve played really nicely in big tournaments, but to turn in a 30 on the back nine of a Playoff event, trying to chase down the best

player in the world, those are all things that will go in the memory bank,” Finau said.

Finau took control with a key late stretch: He stuffed a wedge tight for birdie at the par-4 12th; made eagle-3 at the 580-yard 13th, which he reached with a big drive and a flushed 6-iron to 3 feet; and then rolled in a 25-footer for birdie at 14. He would add one last regulation birdie at the short 16th.

THE NORTHERN TRUST victory gave Finau a huge lift. It moved him to No. 1 in the FedExCup Playoffs, inside the top six in the Ryder Cup rankings, and pushed him to No. 9 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Best of all, finally—finally!—he did not have questions to answer about yet another close call.

“You know, this is really cool for me,” Finau said. “It’s been a long time, five years. Everybody knows it. So I’m just going to really enjoy this.” 

images: Getty Images

After far too many close calls on the search for his second TOUR title, Tony Finau broke through to seize THE NORTHERN TRUST, making a back-nine charge before prevailing in a playoff.

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DEFINING MOMENTS

THE SINGLE MINDED

images: PGA TOUR

Joseph Bramlett, Korn Ferry Tour Championship

By Kevin Prise As Joseph Bramlett held aloft the champion’s trophy at the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, he took a moment to reflect.

For the 33-year-old, the title represented a weight lifted—his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned title in 169 starts. By accruing the most points across the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals Points List, he would be fully exempt for the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Season.

The victory also brought things full circle.

Back in 2013, Bramlett finished a respectable T14 at Victoria National GC—now site of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship—before incurring an injury at the following week’s Utah Championship that would change the course of his career.

While warming up at Willow Creek Country Club, his back flared up. He knew immediately that something wasn’t right.

The ultimate diagnosis was lateral spine dysfunction, leading to trips to approximately 15 different surgeons across the United States.

The pain was so severe that attempting golf swings could render him immobile for days at a time, but surgery never moved into the realm of consideration.

Surgery could end his career. Bramlett was a professional golfer, and he had no intention of pursuing any other profession.

Exercise and rehabilitation provided Bramlett the strength to compete in three Korn Ferry Tour events in early 2016, but it wasn’t sustainable.

His swing, as it stood, fostered instability that triggered pain.

So the California native rebuilt his swing, focusing on footwork and stable hip movement to take stress off his back. He returned to the Korn Ferry Tour full-time in 2018 and earned his PGA TOUR return via the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Finals—receiving his card on the 18th green at Victoria National GC. Finishing No. 146 in the 2020-21 FedExCup standings necessitated a return to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. With a four-round total of w w w.p gat our.com

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20-under at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, punctuated with a final-round 65 at Victoria National, Bramlett created another defining moment in southern Indiana.

He continues a career that he will never take for granted. 

aa Having worked hard to

overcome troubling back issues, Joseph Bramlett is a champion again, winning the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing and Financing.

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DEFINING MOMENTS

Trevor Werbylo took over the top spot on the Korn Ferry Tour’s Points List with his victory at the Fuzzy Zoeller Classic, and stayed at No. 1 for the rest of the year.

MESSAGE OF INTENT Trevor Werbylo stepped off the University of Arizona campus in May 2021. Armed with an exemption on the Forme Tour based on his PGA TOUR University ranking, the Tucson native pulled into Jennings Mill Country Club in June as a first-year pro with a big game and a how-do-you-pronounce-that last name. From the start, not once did Werbylo (WHIR-buh-low) play or act like a rookie; fellow players quickly learned Werbylo could go low, and seemingly was always below par.

In that season-opening Forme Tour event outside Athens, Georgia, Werbylo finished regulation tied with Sam Saunders only to lose in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff. Inadvertent though it may have been, Werbylo sent a message about what he was capable of doing. He then delivered another seven weeks later when he won The Fuzzy Zoeller Classic at Covered Bridge Golf Club. It was there in Southern Indiana, with a two-time major champion and tournament namesake watching, that Werbylo took over the top spot on the Tour’s Points List, a position he maintained the rest of the year.

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Sustaining that lofty spot wasn’t easy, though, as a certain player—also a former Pac-12 Conference golfer—put a scare Werbylo.

Corey Shaun, who played collegiately at UCLA, got hot as the season wound down. The Illinois native and California resident posted a win, a runner-up and a tie for fourth in his final three tournaments, shooting in the 60s in every round. That translated to a 66.27 stroke average, which qualified as sizzling. The points piled up, as well.

In the end, Shaun’s heroics weren’t enough as he finished 36 points behind Werbylo. One fewer stroke somewhere at the season-concluding Forme Tour Championship at Huntsville Golf Club outside Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, would have earned Shaun 190 points instead of the 115 he actually collected. Instead of passing Werbylo, who tied for 17th in Pennsylvania, Shaun finished in second place.

Still, both players are off to the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour with games fortified on the Forme Tour. 

images: Getty Images

Trevor Werbylo, Korn Ferry Tour’s Points List

By Laury Livsey

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DEFINING MOMENTS

SERIOUS FUN Lucas Herbert, Butterfield Bermuda Championship

By Jim McCabe If it’s true what Mark Twain reportedly said about this idyllic island 700 miles off the U.S. coast—“You can go to heaven if you want.

I’d rather stay in Bermuda”—then he’d likely have approved of the way Lucas Herbert and his merry men embraced their week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Herbert certainly was the one who orchestrated crucial birdie putts at the 12th and 14th holes in a closing 69 for 15-under 269 to win by one over Danny Lee (71) and hard-charging Patrick Reed (65).

But, oh, how caddie Nick Pugh, swing coach Dom Azzopardi, and physio Nick Thomas cried and laughed and hugged and showed a joy that was to be admired.

“I think we have so much fun,” said Herbert, whose first PGA TOUR win came not far removed from triumphs at the 2021 Irish Open and 2020 Dubai Desert Classic. “You’ve got to enjoy your job, and we have a lot of fun traveling all together.”

It would be easy to suggest that Pugh, Azzopardi, and Thomas only basked in the joy of Herbert’s come-from-behind win. That

would be wrong, because even after 40 mph gusts kept Herbert to an opening 70, five off the lead, the merry men embraced the ferry ride to the hotel in Hamilton. They marched over sun-drenched Port Royal GC and they smiled their way through sideways rain Sunday.

All for their love of this team odyssey and the faith they have in the 25-year-old Aussie.

“He does things on a daily basis that only the great players in the world do,” said Pugh, he of the long, thick beard that was very real and not a Halloween costume.

From where he stood, which was T-12, five back, Graeme McDowell saw a rising global star who plays fearlessly and enjoys life robustly. Which is convenient, because Herbert sets up shop at Isleworth CC, just across town from McDowell’s “Nona Blue” restaurant in Orlando.

“We’ll have to get him the 10 percent discount added on,” said McDowell with a wink.

Herbert, of course, would need a reservation for four. Merry men would be with him. 

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INTERNATIONAL TOURS

AN ENTERTAINING SEASON Entertaining, but arduous, too, as the International Tours overcame schedule upheavals, travel restrictions and Hurricane Ida disruption

By Laury Livsey

I

The COVID effect

Biggest challenge When players walked away from Estrella del Mar Resort in Mazatlán, Mexico, in March 2020 following the first event of the season, little did they know that it would be the last PGA TOUR Latinoamérica tournament they would play for almost nine months. The effects of COVID-19 dramatically affected golf throughout the world, and among PGA TOUR-affiliated Tours, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica may have had the biggest challenge—trying to navigate a reworked schedule that took players to five different countries—no small task in the Age of COVID. The reimagined season in Latin America (with two tournaments in the U.S.) consisted of eight tournaments, with Brandon Matthews clearly the best player. He owned a pair of wins and a steadiness that allowed him to rise above everybody else.

“Obviously this year has been great. I won twice and played some really good golf,” PGA TOUR Latinoamérica’s Player of the Year said.

“I’m very thankful for the officials and everybody who runs this Tour. I believe we are the only International Tour to finish a full season. To give us the opportunity to succeed is really important, and has been amazing for us.”

Joining Matthews on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour will be Conner Godsey, Sam Stevens, Alvaro Ortiz and M.J. Maguire, the second-through-fifth Points List finishers.

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bb Brandon Matthews, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Player of the Year.

COVID-19 prohibited PGA TOUR Series-China from holding any events, and with PGA TOUR Canada players challenged to travel into Canada without forced quarantines, the PGA TOUR created the Forme Tour, a U.S.-based series of tournaments for PGA TOUR Canada members.

Meanwhile, PGA TOUR Canada held eight events of its own for players already living in Canada, those not subject to the travel restrictions.

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

t was not only the longest season in PGA TOUR Latinoamérica history, it was also the most entertaining campaign. A worldwide pandemic, a reworked schedule and a season ending in the same country where it all began 500-plus days earlier has a way of providing plenty of drama.

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INTERNATIONAL TOURS

Overcoming Hurricane Ida At times it became confusing, which Tour was which and who was playing where. Things became even more cloudy—literally—when Hurricane Ida destroyed part of The Ridge at Back Brook in New Jersey, the Forme Tour’s season-ending venue, a week before the tournament was to begin. Mother Nature caused officials to scramble to find a place to play. Ultimately, they did, landing in suburban Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, a deal that came together in five days with the Tour and the golf course.

“It’s difficult to adequately thank the members at Huntsville Golf Club, who graciously offered their course to our players during our significant time of need,” said Forme Tour Executive Director Greg Carlson.

“We were certainly disappointed not to play our inaugural season-ending tournament at The Ridge at Back Brook. To find a replacement as quickly as we did was nothing short of remarkable, and I speak for our staff and all the Forme Tour players in saying how grateful we were to the club and its members.”

Even with every plot twist, ultimately the International Tours achieved their primary goal: giving players competitive playing opportunities on high-quality golf courses and that coveted path to the Korn Ferry Tour.

Forme Tour On the Forme Tour, Trevor Werbylo looked like a veteran campaigner despite being less than 30 days removed from college and amateur golf when he played in his first Forme Tour tournament. He went on to win Player of the Year honors by 36 points on the strength of a win and a runner-up finish (see p.72). He will play the 2022 season on the Korn Ferry Tour along with the other top-five points-earners: Corey Shaun, Turk Pettit, Andrew Yun and Mac Meissner.

PGA TOUR Canada Callum Davison of British Columbia won Player of the Year honors in Canada. Davison, who hits full-swing shots cross-handed, was a twotime winner, the only PGA TOUR Canada player with multiple victories. He will be exempt on PGA TOUR Canada in 2022.

Scott Pritchard, PGA TOUR Canada’s Executive Director, watched the pandemic force him to cancel the 2020 season. He was only too happy to stage tournaments in Canada a year later, with fans coming out to enthusiastically w w w.p gat our.com

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support the Tour at all eight Tour stops.

“It was incredibly heartening to not only be able to play, but to do it on first-class golf courses,” said Pritchard. “We look forward to 2022 as a year when things return to what we had become accustomed to, but we will always look back on 2021 with fondness because of the uniqueness of what we all collectively faced.” 

aa Trevor Werbylo (top),

Forme Tour Player of the Year. aa Callum Davison of British Columbia won Player of the Year honors in Canada.

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THE TOUR PLAYER INTERVIEW

RACING FATHER TIME Bernhard Langer, blessed with a winning combination of talent and longevity, is in determined pursuit of PGA TOUR Champions history. At age 64, he harbors no intentions to slow down

By Helen Ross

B

ernhard Langer’s abundant talent cannot be overlooked. After all, he won three times on the PGA TOUR, including two Masters, and 61 times worldwide during a World Golf Hall of Fame career before joining his old pals on the over-50 circuit.

Even so, the records that Langer continues to set on PGA TOUR Champions—winning his sixth Charles Schwab Cup in November (which made it five of the last seven); leading the money list 11 times, and capturing 11 major championships, among others—are nothing short of phenomenal.

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aa Bernhard Langer posing

with the Charles Schwab Cup has become an autumn tradition on PGA TOUR Champions. Langer won his record sixth Schwab Cup in November.

The 64-year-old became the oldest winner in PGA TOUR Champions history last fall and bettered his age—by a shot—for the first time in competition at the season-ending Charles Schwab Championship. With 42 PGA TOUR Champions victories, Langer needs four more victories to eclipse Hale Irwin for the most wins all-time, too.

Langer, who has increasingly shown his playful side on social media of late, including a video where he dressed as a greenkeeper and pranked Jim Furyk, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson, recently took some time out for this Q&A with the PGA TOUR Essential Guide. w w w.p gat our.com

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TOUR Guide: Are there ever any days when you wake up and you say, ‘I don’t want to play golf?’

LANGER: No, usually not, because I pace myself. … My limit is usually three in a row, sometimes two in a row. So then there comes a point in time where I go, I just need to take a break. I need to go home to different scenery, put the clubs away for a few days so I can come out fresh again.

TOUR Guide: What would you do if you did put the clubs away?

LANGER: I come home and there’s piles of things to do, whether it’s around the house or I enjoy going to the fitness center or to the swimming pool with my grandson. … I enjoy watching soccer on TV—Bundesliga, especially, or the Champions League—which I can’t do when I’m out here because it’s usually on when I’m playing myself.

So, things like that, just anything but golf for the first few days, and then I get back into it.

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

TOUR Guide: You’re 64, an age when most people are eagerly anticipating retirement.

What keeps you out here?

LANGER: I love the game and I love the people that are out here. I’m used to this kind of lifestyle.

I’ve been doing it since I was 18, a very long time.

And now when I come home, the kids are gone, so I’d come home to an empty house, I mean, my wife and I. So obviously we now have three grandkids at this point in time and I hope that there’ll be more in the future. So that’s a new phase of life, which is very enjoyable and fun, but that’s not a full-time job. And so, I’m going to enjoy this as long as I can. I always said as long as I’m healthy, and I have fun doing it and I’m good at it, or have some success, I will continue. And if one or two of those things are not there, then it’s time to pack it up.

TOUR Guide: How do you keep playing at the level that you do, though?

LANGER: You try to be the best you can be every single day. You try and fine-tune. It’s one percent here, it’s a half a percent there and just try and get the best out of Bernhard Langer that I can get out of him. I don’t play golf like John Daly or Ernie Els or some of those guys, or Phil Mickelson. I can’t hit it that far. So, I have to play my game and play it to the best of my knowledge and get the best score out of every round that I can possibly get. I often say every day you have a range from, let’s say, 65 to 75, you know? So, when I finished the day, I’d hope that it would be a 65 to 68 and not a 74 or 75. And so you’ve got to be brutally w w w.p gat our.com

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aa Bernhard Langer, a devout family man, shown at the 1993 Masters with his wife, Vikki, and three of their four children (son Jason had yet to arrive).

honest with yourself in this game and look at your performance and say, well, I’ve really struggled here. I’ve struggled there. I need to be better here and there. Instead of some people saying, well, I was unlucky here. Or that was a bad break, or if I would have made that putt, or if I could have done this better—if, if, if. But let’s work on it and make sure next time it is better.

TOUR Guide: How do you relax?

LANGER: Well, I relax with being around family.

I love my grandkids … COVID was good to us in terms of grandkids. And how else do I relax? I enjoy playing Ping-Pong. I like watching sports on TV, whether it’s anything, really. I enjoy nature. I love snow skiing. I love going out for walks and my favorite time is just before the sun goes down.

I just love the sunsets and nature and the birds and the trees and things like that. So, I enjoy going for walks and bike rides. … I’m an outdoors guy.

TOUR Guide: Do you have a favorite moment or memory from your golf career?

LANGER: No, not one favorite because I’ve been so blessed and so fortunate to have many, and it would almost be wrong to say this one was better than the other 20 or something like that. … It’s like a process. So, it was very important for me to win my first professional event. And then win my first whatever TOUR event, and then win my first Masters. But the second Masters was just as good December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 83

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THE TOUR PLAYER INTERVIEW

as the first Masters for different reasons. And even the (PNC) Father-Son tournament, which is … meaningless in the world of golf; it was very meaningful to me playing with my kid and winning it and that kind of thing. So, it’s hard to compare them all. Then the Ryder Cups—I’ve had tremendous memories from the Ryder Cups—one as a captain and 10 as a player. But it’d be hard to say, well, that was better than winning the Masters, so that’s why I can’t answer that.

TOUR Guide: Do you ever get tired of people asking you about the longevity aspect of your career?

LANGER: It’s always brought up. … Same question, how’d you do it? What keeps you motivated? How come you’re still good in your 60s when most guys are done at 55 or whatever, and I’m not sure I can answer that. I can only tell you what I’m doing and how I feel. I’ve been probably blessed with good genes. … And I think if you’ve been blessed with good genes and you’ve been blessed with hand-eye coordination and sporting ability—I was always good at every sport pretty much when I was younger—and you work at it, I think that’s a good combo for success.

bb The 2019 TimberTech Championship in Boca Raton, Florida, played not far from home, proved a family victory for the Langers. Jackie Langer John was on the bag for her father’s triumph.

You’ve got to make choices. And at the time I made a choice to play elsewhere.

TOUR Guide: Do you ever think about what retirement looks for you?

LANGER: More and more now, yeah, but I’m not there yet. Like I said, I’m going to hopefully spend time with my grandkids. I think I’m going to be involved in my church or with fellow believers of Jesus Christ and some Bible studies, all to serve and give back, probably playing some golf and Ping-Pong, a little bit of skiing with friends; social golf, which I haven’t done a great deal. … so those kinds of things, and I do enjoy playing cards every once in a while. When I go to Germany there’s a card game (Schaffkopf) that I really enjoy. 

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images: Getty Images

TOUR Guide: Is there a way to compare your PGA TOUR career with your PGA TOUR Champions career?

LANGER: I don’t really compare it. You try to be the best every day you go out there and I just look back and I’m extremely blessed to have had the career I’ve had. I had an amazing career coming out of Germany on the European Tour. And I tried to play the U.S. tour a little bit, the European Tour and worldwide—I was one of those like Gary Player. I was everywhere. … Most of the American players play in the U.S. full-time and they might go and do one trip somewhere. I was all over the place and certainly in Europe, that was always my focus. I sometimes wondered what would have happened if I had just played maybe three or four years in a row on the PGA TOUR, only in my prime, but we’ll never know because I didn’t. I chose not to, but I don’t really compare my career here and my career there.

I certainly probably had a better PGA TOUR Champions career … than I did on the PGA TOUR. I mean, there were times when I led the money list, I think once or twice through April, but then I would leave to go to Europe and play over there.

So, then I finished 30th or 50th or whatever on the PGA TOUR money (list), that’s because I never played again the rest of the year, but that’s okay. w w w.p gat our.com

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PGA TOUR INITIATIVES

ONE YEAR LATER The PGA TOUR’s quest toward Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

By Stacy M. Brown

T

he PGA TOUR has been working diligently since 2014 to ensure that when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), the game is very much in the fairway.

The TOUR began its “DE&I” initiative in 2014, launching its employee resources groups in 2016, and established the Inclusion Leadership Council in 2019. Following the unrest that swept the nation in the wake of the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis in 2020, the PGA TOUR pledged $100 million to support equity and inclusion efforts in golf.

That commitment has reverberated through historically underserved communities.

The APGA Tour In 2021, the TOUR strengthened its commitment to the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour (APGA), whose mission is to increase the number of opportunities for African Americans and other minorities who aspire to a career in golf. And, thanks to their partners at United Airlines, the TOUR recently announced that the 51 current men’s and women’s golf programs at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the country would receive a $10,000 grant.

“The path to professional golf has never been stronger for Black golfers,” said Ken Bentley, the co-founder and CEO of the APGA Tour.

Doors are open PGA TOUR officials continue to demonstrate that it is essential for individuals of all backgrounds to feel welcomed and that every door remains open.

“When it comes to golf, we can all admit that there’s still a long way to go with diversity and inclusion, but the PGA TOUR has been making efforts to change this,” said Henry Davis, the founder and owner of Adept Golf, a golf product reviews website.

“I think the steps that the PGA TOUR has taken are making a big impact.”

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Those steps include new relationships with the Black Press of America, represented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).

The PGA TOUR and the PGA of America have entered memorandums of understanding with the NNPA to bring the sport to African Americans and other communities of color.

The agreement also promises to raise more awareness and keep African Americans informed about all the game offers.

images: PGA TOUR

Landmark meeting In 2021, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan met with NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. at the BMW Championship in Maryland.

Dr. Chavis is a renowned civil rights leader who got his start as a 14-year-old working under Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

As a member of The Wilmington Ten, an activist group, Dr. Chavis spent nearly a decade as a political prisoner in a North Carolina jail fighting for equal rights for African Americans.

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__

Tim O’Neal at an APGA Tour event in 2020.

“Golf has taken me to a lot of places all over the world. Where would I be without golf?”

aa Tiger Woods, the iconic

figure who has done so much to open up the game to minorities, competing at THE PLAYERS Championship, May 2018.

Commissioner Monahan was captivated by Dr. Chavis, and his lifelong fight for freedom, justice, and equality. The meeting was historic; Monahan became the first commissioner from one of America’s major professional sports organizations to agree to an exclusive one-onone interview with the Black Press.

While a full-on effort has continued, the Commissioner agreed that golf still had a long way to go toward its goal of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Monahan reflected on how the sport hadn’t fully capitalized on opening up the game to minorities during Tiger Woods’ meteoric rise in the late 1990s and 2000s.

“Tiger became must-see TV whenever he was playing—the PGA TOUR’s version of Michael Jordan with a record-tying 82 PGA TOUR wins,” Monahan said. “It’s important to have people from all fields that you can identify with and aspire to—in sports or otherwise. And Tiger was that for the game of golf.”

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Finchem, has focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, the youth development organization teaches life skills to youths and teens, empowering them to use golf to build the strength of character.

“When I was a kid, other kids made fun of me mainly because I was the only Black kid playing golf,” said professional golfer Tim O’Neal, a threetime winner on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

The Jackson State University graduate overcame the ridicule by winning 16 collegiate championships and the 1997 Georgia Amateur.

In June, O’Neal captured the 2021 John Shippen National Invitational in Detroit. That tournament honors Shippen, the first Black man to play a professional golf event in America. O’Neal’s victory earned him a spot into the PGA TOUR’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.

“Golf has taken me to a lot of places all over the world,” O’Neal said. “Where would I be without golf?”

O’Neal, 49, also is a product of First Tee, which now reaches nearly 4 million youth, ages 5 to 18, each year. The program has reached out to youths in underserved and underrepresented communities.

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aa Commissioner Jay

Monahan (right) meeting with the Black Press of America’s President, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., and staff at the BMW Championship.

recreational golfers are African American, more than 2.5 million junior golfers identified as nonwhite—a sure sign of progress.

“Leveling the playing field and achieving equity in all aspects of society, including sports, has been the driving force in my life,” said Lamell McMorris, a PGA REACH Gateway Board Trustee. “I want all communities to have access to the sport that I care about so deeply, especially those from under-resourced communities.”

Monahan quoted former PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman to describe the importance of the game’s outreach to minorities when he said, “I consider us to be more than a sports league; we’re a public trust, and it’s our job to balance the interest of players, community tournaments, and the game of golf.”

Monahan also noted that the PGA TOUR already has surpassed $3.2 billion in charitable giving since its founding. The TOUR Commissioner added that this charitable history also drives the resources the TOUR has put into HBCUs and other mostly-minority institutions.

“We still have a long way to go—and a lot to learn,” Monahan stated. “Our goal is to weave diversity and inclusion into all fabrics of the PGA TOUR, and that’s what we’ve been working diligently to do.”  w w w.p gat our.com

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PGA TOUR INITIATIVES

Willie Mack III, who earned $25,000 for his victory in the inaugural APGA Tour Invitational.

In July, staged at THE PLAYERS STADIUM COURSE, Horschel organized the APGA Tour Invitational presented by Cisco, a 36-hole limitedfield tournament offering an $80,000 purse.

BILLY HORSCHEL APGA EVENT Merging mentorship with opportunity

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

By Jeff Babineau Billy Horschel, a six-time PGA TOUR winner, loves his Tour, but knows it could be even better. Sooner than later, he would like to see more minority golfers competing alongside him. He realizes that if golf truly is to diversify, new heroes need to be created to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

Horschel, passionate about giving back, has stepped up to do his part. He and his management team organized the Billy Horschel APGA Tour Invitational presented by Cisco, a 36-hole limited-field tournament offering an $80,000 purse that was staged at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in late July. Willie Mack III of Flint, Michigan, captured the inaugural edition, shooting 69-69 to win by four shots. Mack earned $25,000 for his victory.

“I was excited when I heard about this event, not only for me, but for everybody else,” said Mack, 32, who played on the weekend at a pair of PGA TOUR events in 2021 (Rocket Mortgage Classic, John Deere Classic). “To play for that kind of money, and play in this environment, it’s really special.”

Horschel’s event involved much more than 36 holes of competition. There was a pro-am, a lengthy clinic and questionand-answer session by Horschel, and an expansive networking

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opportunity with corporate executives such as CEOs Jeff Dailey (Farmers Insurance) and Chuck Robbins (Cisco). The gathering was as much about connections as it was chasing birdies.

“Maybe they’ll sponsor you,” Horschel said, referring to the corporate attendees at the event. “If that dream [to play] doesn’t come to fruition, those people who you have met, who you have created this relationship with, more than likely are going to be there to help you if you need to figure out that next path in life.”

Mack, who slept in his car when finances got tight, never has given up on his dream, and continues to get better year over year. He was the APGA’s Player of the Year for a third season, and made four PGA TOUR starts, twice making the cut. Mack has played golf with successful TOUR pros such as Horschel and Rickie Fowler, all of whom have been encouraging, telling Mack he has the talent to make it.

“These guys got a lot of talent,” Horschel said, “and all they really need is a little bit of mentorship and some financial backing. I think we’re going to see – hopefully in the next five, 10 years – a lot more minorities out on the PGA TOUR, which would be a great thing for the game of golf.”  DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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JetASAP’s New Intelligent Charter Guide App Is The Private Charter Guru You Need To Help Book Your Next Trip

We all know by now that Covid pretty much turned the world upside down, and private aviation was no exception. In the good old pre-Covid days, charter pricing and availability stayed fairly consistent, with ample supply usually available without issue. While a lot of people flew privately, many who could do so chose the airlines instead, believing private jets to be an extravagant expense. Then along came a pandemic that made avoiding other people the new normal, and suddenly private aircraft charter didn’t look so bougie anymore. When it comes to protecting loved ones, cost becomes a relative thing, and with that, charter demand went through the roof. Fast forward to today, and the situation is even worse, with charter supply tighter than ever. The would-be airline travelers discovered that flying privately provides a level of comfort, security and health safety you just can’t get anywhere else, and the charter world hasn’t been the same since.

So what’s a private flyer to do with surging prices and spotty supply that changes faster than the weather?

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They need an experienced guide to show them how to take control of their travel by giving them direct access to charter operators and their ever-changing availability, as well as by showing them what they should realistically pay depending on the circumstances of the moment.

Enter JetASAP. Though the company has been around for well over a year now matching flyers directly with operators, Covid quickly changed how charter is bought and sold.

JetASAP followed suit by adapting their service to help both flyers and operators better understand market conditions to make better decisions. Using state of the art machine learning algorithms developed in-house, the company’s new service offers flyers real-time guidance on general pricing by aircraft category for any given trip. The company’s service tracks hundreds of variables to provide pricing guidance based on real-time supply and demand. According to Lisa Sayer, the company’s founder and CEO, such guidance is paramount in the post-Covid world with flyers confused as to what they

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should pay given price fluctuations. Many veteran flyers are shocked at times by prices that seem out of step with what they previously paid for a similar trip, and as a result, they try to shop around more, only to often end up empty handed. Recalibrating expectations is the key to finding the right aircraft, and that’s exactly what the company’s charter guide is there to do, regardless of where flyers may ultimately end up booking their trips.

Beyond pricing guidance, the service allows flyers to post trip requests and receive live quotes sent directly by operators. Each quote includes a real-time pricing rating to indicate the level of value being offered, and prominently displayed buttons make it easy to quickly call or email an operator to ask a question or book a trip. For those who prefer to browse to see what might be available, the company also offers flyers the ability to scroll through flight availability sent directly by operators as the company receives it. If something looks interesting, contact buttons are available to directly reach out to the operator. Finally, if you just want to find operators

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in your area, the company also offers a comprehensive charter operator guide in the app that makes it fast and easy to quickly search for operators by location, aircraft size or safety rating.

In the coming days, the company will also be introducing their automated trip match service, which constantly compares flyer requests with charter availability to help operators fill in empty legs which are created by other trips. When a match is found, the service immediately alerts the flyer and provides the operator’s contact information and trip details for easy booking.

Flying privately may be a much bigger challenge than ever these days, but with JetASAP’s guidance, things just got a lot easier.

For more information, visit www.jetasap.com, or download the app from the Apple App Store.

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PGA TOUR U

RITES OF PASSAGE Talented young players are reaching out to join the professional ranks using PGA TOUR University as their springboard

By Kevin Prise and Sean Martin

T

he PGA TOUR University program took effect in spring 2021, providing graduating college seniors an opportunity to jump-start their careers via a variety of exemptions across Tours.

Top talent Finishers 1-5 on the inaugural PGA TOUR University Ranking were awarded Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the Regular Season—beginning at the BMW Charity ProAm in early June—as well as exemption into Final Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.

This esteemed list included Florida State’s John Pak, Georgia’s Davis Thompson, Oklahoma State’s Austin Eckroat, Arizona State’s Kevin Yu and Oklahoma’s Garett Reband.

The contingent made a quick impact, highlighted by Yu assuming the 54-hole lead in just his second Korn Ferry Tour start after graduation, proceeding to a T5 finish at the Wichita Open. The native of Chinese Taipei quickly proved that finish was no fluke, finishing runnerup in a playoff at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes in mid-July.

In all, Yu recorded five top-25s in eight Korn Ferry Tour starts, finishing No. 93 on the Points List as the class of the Class.

Q-School quality The top five proceeded to Final Stage of Q-School, contested in early November at The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia, to better their position in the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Priority Ranking. (All players who compete at Final Stage are assured Korn Ferry Tour membership for the following season.)

Finishers 6-15 on the PGA TOUR University Ranking are awarded membership on one of the PGA TOUR’s developmental Tours, as well as direct access into Second Stage of Q-School.

These players proved their mettle quickly, as No. 9 Trevor Werbylo won the Forme Tour Order of Merit to earn fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour status in 2022.

No. 8 Mac Meissner finished fifth on the Forme Tour Order of Merit to earn direct access to Final Stage, while the other three members of the top-10—No. 6 Quade Cummins, No. 7 Michael Feagles and No. 10 Jonathan Brightwell¬—all successfully navigated Second Stage.

With the majority of the inaugural PGA TOUR University Class having proceeded to the professional ranks, the attention now turns to Year 2.

Stakes at Play For 2022 graduating seniors, the same stakes are at play—finishers 1-5 on the PGA TOUR University Ranking upon the conclusion of next spring’s NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships will earn direct access to the Korn Ferry Tour, with finishers 6-15 earning access to the PGA TOUR-sanctioned developmental Tour of their choosing.

As of late November, Texas A&M’s Sam Bennett held down the No. 1 spot on the PGA TOUR University Ranking, with the likes of Texas’ Pierceson Coody and Oklahoma’s Logan McAllister in close pursuit.

Here’s a selection of college seniors who could be primed to make a quick jump into the professional ranks via PGA TOUR University.

“These players proved their mettle quickly …”

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SAM BENNETT Texas A&M The tattoo on his left wrist provides priceless advice for Sam Bennett before each shot.

“Don’t wait to do something,” it reads, along with the date of June 12, 2020.

Those words are from a handwritten note from Bennett’s father, Mark. This was the final advice Mark gave his son before Alzheimer’s left him unable to communicate. It took Mark 15 minutes to write the five words that were later transposed onto Sam’s wrist.

“He was one of the reasons why I started playing golf,” Sam Bennett said. “Because I wanted to impress him.”

His father would be proud, as Sam reached No. 1 in the PGA TOUR University ranking after the fall, earning a start in the Dubai Desert Classic in January. It’s a long way from small Madisonville, Texas, where Sam grew up on a hardscrabble, nine-hole course.

No matter where his game takes Sam, his father always will be close to him.

“I’ve got a new pre-shot routine,” Sam said.

“I just look at (the tattoo) and I say, ‘Don’t wait to do something.’”

PIERCESON COODY Texas

IMAGES: PGA TOUR; STEVEN SPILLMAN

The grandson of a Masters champion, Pierceson Coody has benefitted from both the wisdom of a man who competed against Nicklaus and Palmer and the expertise of the scientifically minded coach who helped Bryson DeChambeau reach new heights.

Charles Coody won the 1971 Masters by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller. His twin grandsons, Pierceson and Parker, are stalwarts on this season’s strong Texas team. The Coody boys have been trained since they were young by Chris Como, refining their game at the same biomechanics lab in Como’s living room that DeChambeau used for his incredible distance gains.

Pierceson became the No. 1 amateur in the world in April, thanks in part to a victory at the prestigious Western Amateur. “All you’ve got to do is believe in yourself,” Charles recalls telling Pierceson. Simple, but sage, advice. w w w.p gat our.com

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RJ MANKE Washington A change of scenery has brought out RJ Manke’s best.

Manke played his first four years at Pepperdine. He was a member of the Waves’ 2021 NCAA title team, an All-American and Pepperdine’s Scholar Athlete of the Year, graduating with a 3.65 grade-point average in business administration.

Manke moved closer to home to play a fifth and final year of college golf, transferring to the University of Washington. His mother and father met while attending the school, and Manke had two siblings graduate from Washington. Manke is a two-time Washington Amateur champion.

He’s had an immediate impact on his new school, tying school records for lowest 54-hole score (195) and lowest final round (63) in his first event.

He finished in the top 3 in all five of his fall starts for Washington—including two wins and two runners-up—and led the nation with a 67.4 scoring average. 

ALEX FITZPATRICK Wake Forest

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IMAGES: JAYLYNN NASH; SCOTT EKLUND/RED BOX PICTURES

When Matt Fitzpatrick won the 2013 U.S. Amateur, he made history as the first Englishman in more than a century to hoist the Havemeyer Trophy. The victory also provided a heart-warming family moment, as his 14-yearold brother was on the bag.

Matt has gone on to a successful professional career that includes two Ryder Cup appearances and seven European Tour wins.

And now his younger brother is making a name for himself. Alex Fitzpatrick was a firstteam All-American for Wake Forest in 2021. He has represented Great Britain & Ireland in the past two Walker Cups.

The similarities may end there. While the elder Fitzpatrick makes up for a lack of length with an efficient, analytical style, his younger brother fits the mold of the modern player.

“People who know us both must laugh,” Matt once said. “In so many ways, we are complete opposites.” w w w.p gat our.com

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“

I never thought I’d hear the words, ‘you have cancer,’ but I did...

I’m grateful to share my story, and with support from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I’ve found my path forward.

”

Jenn Harrington with her husband, pro golfer Scott Harrington

BLOOD CANCERS CAN IMPACT ANYONE

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) knows no one expects or plans for cancer— not even pro golfers. Pro golfer Scott Harrington’s wife, Jenn, has battled Hodgkin lymphoma twice. But now, two years into remission, Jenn and Scott can look to the future.

LLS CAN’T DO THIS VITAL WORK WITHOUT YOU

Contact Vanessa White, Chief Advancement Officer, at (914) 821-8849 to invest in a future without blood cancers.

www.LLS.org

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15/11/2021 11:52

PGA TOUR initiative

A BONANZA FOR FANS The PGA TOUR’s new media rights deal invests heavily in expanded coverage of its athletes to enhance the fans’ viewing experience

By Dave Shedloski

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he PGA TOUR’s new television deal commenced in January 2022. And viewers have liked what they’ve seen, with more golf shots, more choices, better production quality and the integration of new features.

The TV coverage landscape will feel familiar with CBS, NBC and Golf Channel renewing their rights agreements with the PGA TOUR for nine years, taking them through 2030. But on the digital/streaming front there is something new with ESPN assuming the direct-to-consumer rights via its ESPN+ platform, where PGA TOUR Live has been offered as part of the ESPN+ subscription service. A major upgrade of that deal—and this is a bonanza for golf fans—is an increase in live feeds from one to four. In essence, that is four PGA TOUR “channels” on the ESPN+ platform. PGA TOUR Entertainment remains the producer of those feeds.

ESPN, which handles early-round coverage of the Masters and the PGA Championship, last owned rights to PGA TOUR events in 2006.

Creative content “That is the most significant change that viewers will feel immediately,” said Rick Anderson, the PGA TOUR’s Chief Media Officer. “They’re going to be able to have this experience as an ESPN+ subscriber to be able to tune in to four live feeds going on.

So, multiple feature groups, multiple feature holes, and anything that all the creative people can think of in terms of content.”

Anderson added that as an extension of the expanded digital platform offerings, the TOUR is in a position, through Discovery (which in 2019 acquired international direct-to-consumer content rights), “to customize the product for markets outside the U.S. in a way that we’ve never been able to before.”

Compelling coverage Comcast, which owns NBC and Golf Channel, will broadcast the most TOUR coverage, primarily through early-round coverage on Golf Channel. Meanwhile, CBS Sports, which has been broadcasting PGA TOUR golf consecutively since 1963, retains its position as rights owner of the majority of weekend TOUR broadcasts. A notable change on the broadcast side is that NBC and CBS will alter weekend coverage of the FedExCup Playoffs, with NBC leading off in 2022, a scheme not unlike the rotating of Super Bowl coverage among NFL partners.

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PGA TOUR initiative

partners to enhance the viewing experience.

The use of data, via the PGA TOUR’s ShotLink scoring platform, has been an element to golf coverage for years, but the TOUR is committed to presenting that collected information in new ways to add more graphics, which in turn brings further context to each broadcast.

Tracing technology—the ability to clearly display the shape and direction of each shot— has been a boon to golf coverage, and now the

bb Tracing technology—the ability to clearly display the shape and direction of each shot—has been a boon to golf coverage.

PGA TOUR seeks to enhance that feature with more statistics and data. Likewise, there are more possibilities for graphically enhancing 3D imaging of each hole on the golf course and making coverage more compelling.

A major win for fans “We were extremely pleased,” PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan said when the new media deals finalized, “with the interest we received from the market—both with incumbents and other media companies—and are excited that our current partners shared our vision for the future, and we are equally excited to be back in business with Disney and ESPN+.

These new deals will be a major win for our fans, bringing an elevated commitment from all three partners to help us expand and innovate our content and its delivery.”

Popular gaming Another initiative, which will be phased in more slowly and with great vigilance is incorporation of statistics into betting content. The PGA TOUR has embraced the growing popularity in gambling, striking a number of deals that more than anything protects its product by taking control of the expanding sports wagering environment.

The PGA TOUR is taking a “careful approach,” Anderson said, to incorporating betting data into content across linear and digital platforms. The TOUR began integrating live odds and other betting content into digital and streaming content in 2020 and in the 2021-22 season-opening event, the Fortinet Championship, Golf Channel and TOUR Official Betting Operator PointsBet began experimenting with airing live odds in the telecast.

Long-term deals

images: dreamstime

There are plenty of other ambitious plans on the TOUR’s plate, for instance, in addition to the new TV deal, the PGA TOUR is deeply involved in its stake in European Tour Productions. The TOUR acquired a 50 percent interest as part of its strategic alliance announced in August (see story, page 20).

“We are excited to have long-term deals that really provide great stability and opportunity for more growth for the sport, [and] better coverage for our players,” Anderson said. “It just puts us on such a solid ground to take our sport forward for the next nine years, and gives us a chance to focus on innovation and really improving what we do to make everything better for our fans.”  w w w.p gat our.com

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Meet

Kai

Life-changing surgery gives this remarkable 6-year-old a shot to score on the soccer field.

When 6-year-old Kai Salinas dribbles a soccer ball, you hardly notice the way his right leg moves just a little differently than the left.

The Jacksonville, Florida, boy was diagnosed at 3 months old with cerebral palsy (CP), likely the result of a stroke while he was still in the womb.

BEST

CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS

Wolfson Children’s Hospital Jacksonville, Florida

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Like many children with CP, Kai also experienced spasticity in his right leg, with constant muscle tightness leading to restricted movement and discomfort. Though Kai could walk, he would frequently trip or stumble. When physical and occupational therapies, medication and injections in his calf and arm muscles were no longer effective, Kai was deemed a candidate for a surgery called selective dorsal rhizotomy.

During the procedure at Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville, pediatric neurosurgeon Nathan Ranalli, MD, made an incision in Kai’s back to selectively snip around half of the nerves connected to the spastic muscle group. This released the muscle tightness in Kai’s leg to allow more freedom of movement and less pain.

The results were almost immediate. Now, Kai is back to running around his backyard, practicing his soccer skills so he’s ready to join a team next season.

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Kids like Kai deserve the latest innovative treatments, delivered by a team of compassionate caregivers. The Cerebral Palsy and Spasticity Center at the Wolfson Children’s Stys Neuroscience Institute brings together a multidisciplinary team of pediatric experts, including physiatrists (physical rehabilitation physician specialists), neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and occupational therapists.

Together, they provide the highest level of coordinated care for children and support for the whole family. Wolfson Children’s evaluates and treats infants, children and adults with spasticity, posture and motor skill impairment due to cerebral palsy, and other neurological conditions thanks to our collaborations with the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, and Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville

Cerebral Palsy and Spasticity Expertise A diagnosis of cerebral palsy and spasticity can be daunting for the whole family. Wolfson Children’s offers parents peace of mind by providing an array of treatments to help manage your child’s condition as he or she grows. Our treatment options include: • Infusion pump implants • Leading-edge surgery

Kai was up and moving shortly after surgery.

Learn more by visiting wolfsonchildrens.com/neuro or calling 904.633.0780.

• Rehabilitation • Oral medication • Botox injections • Electrical stimulation • Constraint therapy • Bracing and casting

As a not-for-profit children’s hospital, we accept all children, regardless of their ability to pay for care. With help from financial support, Wolfson Children’s provides world-class care for children with the latest technologies and treatment.

To help, visit HopeStartsHere.com.

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Great

TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

Escapes

The magnetic charm of those beautiful golf courses becomes ever stronger as we plan our golf vacations for the warmer months ahead

S

tepping out onto immaculate greens where many of golf’s heroes have thrilled fans, this is one of the big draws that will often be the decider for our summer golf adventure. Within the U.S. and other destinations close by, we have the choice of a vast range of golf adventures, giving us both climate and golf challenges to suit all. In this issue of the TOUR Guide we revisit some classic courses and clubs (many offering attractive package deals), as well as taking the road less traveled.

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Sawgrass

NORTHERN FLORIDA

The sun rises on the 17th green, Stadium Course, and (above) a view of the immaculate course at TPC Sawgrass, where leisure golfers are welcome.

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s the world headquarters of professional golf, the public courses at TPC Sawgrass offer an unparalleled experience. If you’re looking for the ultimate Florida golf vacation, TPC Sawgrass offer two immaculately maintained golf courses, both designed by Pete Dye. As the first true “Stadium Course,” the golf course is designed to improve the overall on-site fan experience and is the permanent home of THE PLAYERS Championship. With its signature island green, the 17th hole is one of the most widely recognized golf holes in the world.

While championship tees stretch the Stadium Course to 7,245 yards, there are four other yardage options to suit any players’ game.

The Dye’s Valley Course was the former host to the Korn Ferry Tour Championship as well as prestigious events such as the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, the NFL Golf Classic, and the final stage of PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying School. TPC Sawgrass

features a Mediterranean-style 77,000 square foot clubhouse, which is a majestic centerpiece for the club, providing TOUR-standard hospitality to members and guests alike. The course is also connected to the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa which offers guests stay & play golf packages, including THE PLAYERS Stadium Package currently priced at $768 per person (offers and rates are subject to change) which includes one-night accommodations at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, breakfast at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse on day of play, and one round on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course.

The PGA TOUR’s TPC Network is comprised of over 30 premier private, resort and daily-fee golf properties made by golf’s most revered architects.

Each property has hosted, or has been designed to host, TOUR-sponsored golf events, which gives casual players a reassuring quality benchmark, giving you opportunities to test your skills on the same courses where the world’s best compete.

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

San Antonio T

TEXAS

PC San Antonio features 36 holes designed by two highly respected golf course architects: Pete Dye, considered by many the most influential golf course architect of the past five decades; and World Golf Hall of Famer, Greg Norman. Working with PGA TOUR player consultant Bruce Lietzke, Dye crafted the par 72, 7,106-yard Canyons course, while current PGA TOUR player Sergio García assisted Norman with the design of the par 72, 7,435-yard Oaks course, which hosts the PGA TOUR’s Valero Texas Open.

Signature wide fairways, stately oak and cedar trees, and panoramic views of the adjacent Cibolo Canyons, these create a beautiful and enjoyable challenge for scratch golfers and novices alike.

The course is a model of environmentally sound methods and practices, beginning with two well-planned, eco-friendly layouts. A closed-loop irrigation system ensures the protection of the Edwards Aquifer, and supports the TPC Network’s vision of all courses designated as Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Systems.

TPC San Antonio’s hacienda-style clubhouse serves as the focal point for dining and hospitality, featuring an exclusive members-only area including a Members’ Grille overlooking The Oaks course, along with well-appointed, full-service men’s and women’s private locker rooms. Situated in the Clubhouse overlooking the 18th green of The Oaks course, 18 Oaks offers a fine-dining experience showcasing traditional steakhouse fare; the restaurant also serves breakfast and lunch.

The course is also connected to the 4-Diamond AAA, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, which is the city’s premier luxury destination in the Texas Hill Country. Offering a variety of stay & play packages, one of the current offers is “Bigger in Texas,” currently priced at $637 per person (offers and rates are subject to change).

This package includes a three-night stay at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, two rounds of golf on either The Oaks course or The Canyons course, complimentary use of Practice Facility prior to play, and bag transfer and storage.

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One of San Antonio’s two courses, the Oaks course, designed by Greg Norman, with player consultant, Sergio García.

In front of the San Antonio hacienda-style clubhouse is the Pete Dye designed par 72, 7,106-yard Canyons course.

Holes 16 and 17 of the Canyon course.

Bermuda grasses were specially selected to provide optimum playing conditions.

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

Scottsdale

ARIZONA

images: pga tour

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et in the Sonoran Desert and with panoramic views of the McDowell Mountains, TPC Scottsdale showcases 36 holes along with upscale amenities that let everyday golfers experience “a day in the life” of a PGA TOUR player. As Arizona’s professional golf headquarters, TPC Scottsdale offers an unparalleled sporting experience. The club has two championship courses and 36 professional-level holes—including the Stadium Course, designed

by Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf, and the Champions Course, designed by Randy Heckenkemper. Home to the PGA TOUR’s fanfavorite Waste Management Phoenix Open, the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale has hosted some of contemporary golf’s greatest moments since opening in 1986. The course is also home to the Toro Restaurant & Rum Bar that has a menu infused with distinct flavors of South and Central America.

Nearby accommodations are at the longest running AAA Five Diamond resort in Arizona, the Fairmont Scottsdale. Here guests can indulge in locally inspired creations at five award-winning restaurants and bars. The Well & Being Spa is where guests can relax at any of the six pools. Stay & play packages are offered year-round, such as the Championship Package, which includes a three-night stay at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, along with two rounds on the Stadium Course and much more, priced at $969 per night (offers and rates are subject to change).

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aa The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale is considered one of the most exciting tournament settings in professional sports.

bb The Stadium Course, named as “one of America’s best courses,” and TPC Scottsdale as a “Top 50 Resort Destination in North America.”

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BY TIGER WOODS & TGR DESIGN BOOK YOUR STAY & PLAY PACKAGE AT BIGCEDAR.COM

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MISSOURI Big

C

redit to the guys running Big Cedar Lodge—they’re always planning expansions and new facilities to enhance our vacation stay.

They even ask us to pardon their progress!

What they’re packing in is an impressive choice of golf options: Payne’s Valley, Ozarks National, Buffalo Ridge, Top of the Rock, Mountain Top. If you’re planning on playing Top of the Rock, then you can use the Buffalo Ridge Driving Range if you wish to warm up before playing (and we’re reminded that Buffalo Ridge is 16 minutes away from Top of the Rock by car). The terrain of the Ozarks region means that Big Cedar guests can utilize multiple clubhouses. You should also be aware that the golf courses are not all connected which means that playing multiple rounds in the same day may mean driving from one course location to another.

However, for guests staying on the Big Cedar property, you’re offered complimentary shuttle service between the golf courses and your rooms.

No doubt the big attraction for your golf vacation is the recent Payne’s Valley course, built as a tribute to golf legend and Ozarks native, Payne Stewart. To create this exceptional course, it was Tiger

Cedar

TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

Woods who shared the dream concept with conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder, Johnny Morris.

The 19th hole is where Morris let his imagination run wild and it shows why he’s earned the reputation as “The Walt Disney of the Great Outdoors.” Morris envisioned this bonus hole as an epic expression of his vision of nature golf as fitting tribute to Payne Stewart. “Tiger Woods and I have been fishing and golfing friends for 20 years,” says Johnny Morris, “and we have long dreamed of designing and building a truly special experience for golf and conservation right here in the Ozarks.”

It may be surprising to learn that the Ozarks National region is less than a day’s drive from the hometowns of more than a third of all Americans. But if you’re not up for a longish drive, more and more low-cost flight options are arriving on a daily basis through the Branson Airport, Springfield-Branson National Airport, and other airports offering private flights.

images: pga tour

Top of the Rock golf course, Big Cedar, Missouri.

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After an exciting night of hearts, diamonds, and spades, don’t forget your clubs.

You’ll have an amazing time playing both on and off the course when you combine a golf trip with a stay at one of Mississippi’s many casino resorts. Plan your adventure today at VisitMississippi.org/CasinoGolf. #WanderMS #VisitMSResponsibly

Beau Rivage Resort & Casino | Biloxi, Mississippi

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

MISSISSIPPI

The Preserve•Kirkwood

IMAGES: MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Kirkwood National, with a championship 18-hole course, is a popular stay-and-play choice.

The Preserve golf course, in Mississippi’s river region, is a Jerry Pate par-71 design with environmental certification.

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ffordable packages and accommodations, along with good year-round golf weather, make the Magnolia State attractive for individuals and groups of all golf skill levels. And you have your pick of more than 140 courses—designed by prominent names such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Jerry Pate, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III and Bob Cupp, to name just a few. The courses are located throughout the state’s five distinct regions: hills, delta, pines, capital/ river and coastal.

The Preserve Golf Club in the river region features 18 holes that are a classic amongst the finest golf courses. Conceived by award winning golf course architect Jerry Pate, this par-71 championship layout has been granted membership of the Audubon International Signature Program (which means the property has received an environmental certification, having followed comprehensive sustainable resource management principles when developing and managing the Club’s footprint)—and the Club says, “This enables guests to experience golf the way nature intended.”

Close by is the Palace Casino Resort with its luxury accommodations, spa, gaming attractions, and access to The Preserve Golf Club course.

It’s well worth checking out the Resort’s frequently updated and numerous package deals. One such package includes one-night hotel accommodations at Palace Casino Resort, together with one round of golf at The Preserve Golf Club. Special rates are available for playing additional rounds at The Preserve.

Southeast from nearby Memphis just off route 22, is the course at Kirkwood National, which opened in 1995 to much acclaim.

Kirkwood’s championship 18-hole, par 72 course can play as short as 4,898 yards from the ladies red tees or up to 7,129 yards from the championship black tees. The fairways are Bermuda Grass with Champion Bermuda greens, allowing a consistent roll across the subtle undulations of the putting surfaces. The fairways wind naturally through the woodlands, giving a feeling of seclusion that gives players a relaxing and unhurried golfing experience.

Some have visited Kirkwood National Golf Club & Cottages for a golf vacation and liked it so much they decided to stay and settle down. And there are lots still available, offering something for every lifestyle. There are choices from single-family home sites ranging in size from one-fifth to almost an acre, with prices starting at $18,000, to home sites both on and off of the golf course.

But if you’re on the move for your short-stay vacation, The Cottages at Kirkwood offer first-class accommodations right on the golf course. Each cottage has four bedrooms, each with private bathroom, and its own spacious common area. You can rent a single room or an entire cottage.

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BERMUDA

Port Royal•

Port Royal’s spectacular par 3, 235-yard Hole 16. There are four teeing areas, allowing golfers of all standards to play this hole.

T

he Atlantic island of Bermuda lies a thousand miles north of the Caribbean. The subtropical climate gives pleasant ambient temperatures year round, with neither the strong heat of the Caribbean nor the chill of northeast U.S. The closest mainland to Bermuda is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, on the U.S. east coast, 650 miles due west. This makes taking a cruise ship from, for example, New York to Bermuda a popular choice—with both departure from New York and arrival at Bermuda’s King’s Wharf in Royal Naval Dockyard, adding some memorable moments of excitement to your golf adventure in Bermuda. Cruise ships from Miami also visit the island.

“No clubs … no problem,” is the warm welcome offered to cruise ship passengers by Bermuda’s Port Royal golf course, with a Summer Cruise Ship Special offer of $150 which includes

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“everything to play golf—green fee, golf cart, clubs, 6 balls, and golf shoes.”

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1970, Port Royal golf course features ocean views from almost every hole. The 6,828-yard par 71 course underwent an extensive $14.5 million renovation in 2009, spearheaded by original design team member Roger Rulewich. This is where the popular Butterfield Bermuda Championship takes place each year in October (see p.134).

The 16th hole is one of the most visually spectacular oceanside holes—this is Port Royal’s signature hole. Widely regarded as one of the greatest par 3s in golf, the 16th hole is 235 yards of crescent-shaped terrain with nothing but the Atlantic Ocean between the tee and the pin—it also offers an w w w.p gat our.com

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Turtle Hill•Belmont Hills

TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

images: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Play where the pros play—the 16th tee during the third round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course.

exhilarating challenge. The 235-yard par 3 plays over an ocean inlet to a long but narrow green perched high above the water on a peninsula, with the ocean to the left. The challenging aspect is one that many of Bermuda’s great golf courses have in common—namely, the additional challenge of frequently strong coastal winds.

Speaking about his Butterfield Bermuda Championship win in October, Lucas Herbert was impressed with the course: “look at that eighth and ninth and 16th and 17th holes here this week, just pretty amazing views off the coast. Stayed at a really nice hotel … Got a ferry pretty much every day to the golf course.

Like pretty nice spot to be.”

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yacht marina. If this is your vacation base, you’ll have the choice of several nearby courses, including the Belmont Hills Golf Course with an 18-hole par 70, 6,100-yard course and Tuckers Point Gold Club with an 18-hole par 71, 6,440 yards.

Turtle Hill Golf Club is also pioneering FootGolf in Bermuda, the newest sport to come to the island. FootGolf is played by kicking a soccer ball into large golf cups ranged on the golf course, in as few shots as possible. It’s a fun activity if you want to give your golf swing a break.

To sum it up, Bermuda is the perfect island destination if you’re planning an adventurous vacation away from the mainland—from the subtropical climate to local culture and places of historical interest—and not least, Bermuda’s great golf courses that should be on everyone’s bucket list.

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Here to get you back in the swing of things.

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BermudaBermuda has longhas been a celebrated haven for long been a celebrated haven for golf enthusiasts and professional golfersgolfers alike.alike. golf enthusiasts and professional Come take a swing on our pristine fairways, soak soak Come take a swing on our pristine fairways, in the breathtaking views and of and course, end end in the breathtaking views of course, your round with a signature Rum Swizzle. your round with a signature Rum Swizzle.

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

St. Lucia T

he French and British fought over the possession of St. Lucia—in the western string of Caribbean islands known as the Windward Islands—for 200 years. However, the happy legacy of this conflict is that British customs and traditions prevail, along with a decidedly French influence that permeates in the local accent and also in the refined cuisine.

The St. Lucia Golf Club offers a real golfer’s treat, with a championship course designed by John Ponko, a member of the Robert Trent Jones team in the 1970s. The 18-hole par 71 course plays over a 6,685 yards of challenging terrain of great scenic beauty. The course has a USGA rating of 74.3, taking well into account the strong winds, numerous water hazards and fast greens. The course itself has a charming natural splendor that’s enhanced by the resident tropical wildlife.

The clubhouse is situated just 5 minutes from Pigeon Island and Rodney Bay, and within 30 minutes of the hotels north of

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Castries. Aside from the conveniences of a full driving range, golf carts and Callaway rental clubs and shoes, you can also look forward to enjoying all of the anticipated amenities of a wellstocked bar, pro shop and full service restaurant.

Guests staying at any of the three Sandals resorts in St. Lucia can make best use of two golf courses carefully designed to play at any skill-level. The Sandals La Toc Golf Club is an executive style 9-hole, par 33 course, which is both fun and challenging.

La Toc is located directly on the resort.

The redesigned 18-hole, par 71 Sandals St. Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate has a Greg Norman-designed championship course with a layout featuring 7,000+ yards of terrain with dramatic elevation changes with undulating greens.

Both Sandals golf courses in St. Lucia have a backdrop of lush Caribbean vegetation that is a particular feature of the island’s remarkable natural beauty.

images: Saint lucia tourism authority

CARIBBEAN

St. Lucia, a Caribbean gem for those seeking a new and memorable golf adventure.

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THE CARIBBEAN’S PREMIER GOLF EXPERIENCE

Great Exuma, The Bahamas

Gros-Islet, Saint Lucia

Regency La Toc, Saint Lucia

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

PLAY IN PARADISE

JAMAICA:

For those who dream of teeing off into endless beauty, fantasy becomes reality

SAINT LUCIA:

at Sandals Resorts with four signature courses across the Caribbean including

Sandals St. Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate — Gros Islet Sandals Golf & Country Club at Sandals Regency La Toc — Castries

Sandals Golf & Country Club — Ocho Rios

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The Bahamas, Saint Lucia and Jamaica. Sandals Emerald Bay is home to an 18-hole, championship golf course named The Bahamas’ Best Golf Course at the World Golf Awards and the annually contested as Korn Ferry Tour’s “Bahamas Great

THE BAHAMAS: Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Course — Great Exuma

Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay”.

The Bahamas's Best Golf Hotel

Enjoy a Luxury Included Vacation and swing into paradise with complimentary ®

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*Visit www.sandals.com/disclaimers/7101 or call 1-800-SANDALS for important terms and conditions. Sandals® is a registered trademark. Unique Vacations, Inc. is an affiliate of Unique Travel Corp., the worldwide representative of Sandals Resorts. 7101/1221

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Punta Cana W orld-class golf in a Caribbean setting has instant appeal— which is exactly what the Dominican Republic offers. The island has an idyllic year-round tropical climate, along with stunning and varied natural landscapes. There are also outstanding backdrops for the golf courses that host some of the biggest names and organizations in national and international golf events.

June is the hottest month in Punta Cana with an average temperature of 82 while the coldest month is January at a balmy 77.

The wettest month is September with an average of 5 inches of rain.

Golf vacationers can play in the scenic surroundings of Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, Playa Grande, La Romana, Juan Dolio, Jarabacoa, Santiago, Bonao and Santo Domingo. Here golfers enjoy pristine courses, with expert advice from caddies steeped in Dominican Republic local knowledge. There are six courses on the coast and 20 courses inland, including one designed on a river cliff and another situated in the mountains.

With three miles of magnificent white-sand beaches and 45 holes of championship golf, the 15,000-acre Puntacana Resort & Club is home to one of the Caribbean’s great beach and golf experiences, accessible via its own Punta Cana International Airport. The Resort offers understated elegance, privacy and personal service, making this a favorite among international leaders and celebrities.

Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2010, Corales is an exclusive 18-hole course with six Caribbean oceanside holes.

Designed along the natural cliffs, bays, ocean coves and inland lakes, Corales Golf Course is a fine golf experience and exhilarating challenge that culminates with “The Devil’s Elbow,” Corales’s last three holes. The Devil’s Elbow features a striking No. 18, which demands a dramatic forced carry over the cliff-lined Bay of Corales.

Apart from being one of the premier Punta Cana golf courses, the 700-acre Corales residential community has a private enclave of luxurious homes and golf-view estate lots as part of the extensive Puntacana Resort & Club.

La Cana Golf Club is a 27-hole course consisting of three nines: Tortuga, Hacienda and Arrecife. Fourteen holes have views of the Caribbean ocean, making the P.B. Dye design a favorite of golfers from all over the world. The course keeps in line with Puntacana Resort & Club’s efforts to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

La Cana Golf Club was the first course in the Caribbean to use paspalum, a grass that can be watered with seawater.

La Cana Golf Club is open to all homeowners of the Puntacana Resort & Club as well as to all registered guests of Tortuga Bay, The Westin Puntacana Resort & Club, Home & Apartment Rentals and The Four Points by Sheraton at Puntacana Village.

images: us pga tour

The second fairway of the Jack Nicklaus Course at Punta Espada Golf Club in Cap Cana.

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TRAVEL • GOLF VACATIONS

PUERTO RICO Coco Beach

images: Getty Images

H

ere you can play where the pros play.

Coco Beach Golf Club is home to the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open. The 36-hole course was designed by Tom Kite and caters to golfers of all abilities with four different tees ranging from 5,300 to 7,587 yards. The layouts feature seashore paspalum grass, white silicasand bunkers and challenging water hazards.

Located at Coco Beach on Puerto Rico’s northeastern coast is the Gran Meliá Golf Resort. Against the backdrop of El Yunque rainforest, the villas and pavilions of Gran Meliá rise from an oceanfront landscape of gardens, pathways and pools. Here you can also build your vacation around the Coco Beach championship course. The resort is geared up to ensure you have a relaxing Caribbean vacation in privacy and in luxurious surroundings that include contemporary art and magnificent architecture.

This first-class Golf Club features two 18hole courses, Championship and International, and a spectacular 46,000-square foot Clubhouse with meeting facilities, a restaurant and a lounge. There are sometimes offers that allow hotel guests discounted green fees, tee times, private lessons and club storage, and during the high season (December through

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May), guests can experience different options, including twilight games, junior games and group packages for 12 or more players.

Golf rates are subject to change and don’t include transportation from the hotel to the course. Group reservations may be reserved up to a year in advance, while tee times may be reserved 60 days in advance. 

aa The view from the

12th green at the Coco Beach Golf Club.

bb The scenic walk to the second fairway at the Coco Beach Golf Club.

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PGA TOUR and European Tour

THE WIN-WIN ALLIANCE

A new partnership between the PGA TOUR and the European Tour has many significant benefits for the Tours’ players and fans

By Ewan Murray

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PGA TOUR and European Tour

T

hose who spent years pontificating about common sense as attached to a formal tie between the European Tour and PGA TOUR tended to ignore one key point. Such a concept was, in fact, widely discussed at executive level long before the November 2020 announcement that confirmed a strategic alliance for the Tours. In no way was this a situation borne out of panic of short-term thinking; it had been on the table for a considerable period of time, if perhaps accelerated by the high level of mutual respect between Keith Pelley and Jay Monahan.

Nothing between Monahan, now a European Tour board member, and Pelley, the chief executive, is at all forced. Two of golf’s most prominent figures are on the same page as a matter of course.

Future directions Still, external factors have to be recognized. The European Tour had earlier been approached by a number of private equity companies, all of whom acknowledged its strength and influence across golf’s environment. Inevitably, there would come a point whereby Pelley and his board had to decide upon future direction.

The impact of the pandemic also cannot be ignored. The PGA TOUR and European Tour felt collective responsibility to kick-start and sustain elite golf as we all entered a new world. Against that backdrop, it made no sense whatsoever to act as competing Tours whereby, for example, scheduling conflict could arise.

A landmark moment “When we announced the Strategic Alliance at the end of 2020, we said it was a landmark moment for global golf’s ecosystem that would benefit all members of both Tours,” Pelley said.

“We have demonstrated that through three co-sanctioned events in 2022, as well as the strengthening of the Irish Open for our members, but what we have announced so far is definitely just the beginning. There is considerable collaboration behind the scenes between our two Tours, with both organizations committed to working together for the betterment of our sport globally.”

images: Getty Images

A trio of tournaments Pelley is correct to emphasize Ireland. The country’s national open will have its prize purse boosted to $6 million for 2022. This nearly doubles the amount that was available at Mount Juliet in 2021. The PGA TOUR is working closely w w w.p gat our.com

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aa “ … the PGA TOUR and

the European Tour are both stronger than at any time in our history, as we are positioned to grow— together … ” Jay Monahan, PGA TOUR Commissioner

__

“… both organizations [are] committed to working together for the betterment of our sport globally.”

Keith Pelley, European Tour Chief Executive

with the European Tour in respect of further commercial opportunities for the Irish Open.

Genesis, a current sponsor on the PGA TOUR, is the new title sponsor of the Scottish Open held immediately before the 150th Open Championship at the Old Course. That pre-major date is secure through at least 2025. “Adding an existing, strong title sponsor in Genesis to our Strategic Alliance in the form of the Genesis Scottish Open—to be sanctioned by both Tours— is a significant step for the global game,” said Monahan. “Coupled with their support of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera, we’re incredibly proud to forge a deeper relationship with this premier brand across the global game.”

The Genesis Scottish Open is among the trio of co-sanctioned tournaments; the Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship also have been included in both the FedExCup and Race to Dubai. Fifty European Tour members have access to the Barbasol and Barracuda, a move not possible before the strategic alliance. The further sharing of playing opportunities feels inevitable.

Monahan is understandably upbeat with regards the future. “I am pleased to say that the PGA TOUR and the European Tour are both stronger than at any time in our history, as we are positioned to grow—together—over the next 10 years faster than we have at any point in our existence,” Monahan said. Quite the claim.

This alliance is already therefore bearing considerable fruit.  December 2021 – MAY 2022 PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE 117

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RYDER CUP, 2021

POWERFUL PLAY FROM TEAM USA With the U.S. Team losing nine of the previous 12 Ryder Cups, there was much to prove, and the day of reckoning had arrived

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RYDER CUP, 2021

I

t was a few days before an official shot would go into the brisk autumn air at the 43rd Ryder Cup at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits, and Tony Finau was making a prescient observation: To the U.S. side, there was something that felt “bigger” about this Ryder Cup. September’s match wasn’t as much about three days and recapturing a single Cup as it was about setting a new standard to atone for poor U.S. results over three decades. (The U.S. had lost nine of the previous 12 Ryder Cups.) Too often the U.S. team had shown up only to get buried in the avalanche of its past. Wisconsin was a fresh start.

New faces.

“We have a team with no scar tissue,” said Finau, who’d only been part of one previous Ryder Cup. Six of his 2021 teammates were rookies, at least in name, among them the 2020-21 FedExCup champion (Patrick Cantlay), a two-time major winner (Collin Morikawa) and an Olympic Gold medalist (Xander Schauffele). “There’s only a handful of us that has even played in a Ryder Cup, and the few of those, we have winning records.”

A resounding romp

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

What would follow along the shores of Lake Michigan was a dominating display for American golf. The U.S. squad won four of the five sessions, tying the fifth.

The result: a resounding 19-9 romp over Europe, establishing a modern-day record for winning margin. The U.S. team seized early control in the opening foursomes session and never did let go. Most Ryder Cups offer wide swings in momentum, but the closest Europe ever got to having any was an afternoon four-ball session that it would split, 2-2, late on Day 2. By then, the U.S. already had constructed a massive 9-3 advantage.

Homegrown U.S. Captain Steve Stricker had vowed that his team would not be out-prepared this time, and received buy-in from every team member to show up a week early to optimize familiarity with Whistling Straits, a venue most had not seen since the 2015 PGA Championship, if at all.

__

A champagne celebration breaks out for Team U.S.A. following a 19-9 victory over Team Europe in the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

bb Collin Morikawa (left) gets a congratulatory hug from U.S. teammate Bryson DeChambeau after Morikawa clinched the winning half point on the 18th green against Viktor Hovland in Sunday Singles.

11 players in the Official World Golf Ranking to Europe’s one (No. 1 Jon Rahm)—and then rose to meet its potential.

This victory was emphatic and thorough.

Dustin Johnson, at age 37 the “old man” on the U.S. side (and playfully called “Grandpa” by his younger teammates), performed flawlessly, finishing 5-0. Rookies Cantlay and Morikawa each finished 3-0-1; Bryson DeChambeau and rookie Scottie Scheffler went 2-0-1.

The U.S. side entered Sunday’s Singles session with an 11-5 lead—no team ever had rebounded from a final-day deficit that large to win. Any dreams of a European comeback were dashed quickly. Scheffler, who drew the assignment of facing Rahm in the day’s third match, birdied five of his first six holes. His teammates took notice.

Scheffler would roll, 4 and 3.

“It was amazing to see that,” said Johnson, who knocked off Englishman Paul Casey to finish his perfect week. “That was the only thing I was looking at, to be honest.”

For the U.S., the 43rd Ryder Cup marked the kind of week where pretty much everything went in their favor. The celebration will be short, as a taller task awaits as the Ryder Cup moves to Rome, Italy, in 2023. The U.S. has not won the cup on foreign soil since 1993. 

Emphatic victory This was the first Ryder Cup since 1993 that did not have Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods on the U.S. side. Mickelson was alongside Stricker as an assistant captain; Woods, rehabbing from his February SUV accident, was busily texting players from home, offering support. The U.S. brought in a top-loaded squad—it boasted nine of the top w w w.p gat our.com

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SPONSORED FEATUREs

In the zone

Try not to squeeze the club too tightly. Your grip should be strong and stable, but comfortable.

PERFECT YOUR SWING!

By Lucy McLeod B., Physio, DPT, CHT Golf is one of America’s favorite sports. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and it’s also a great way to maintain fitness, enjoy the outdoors, and socialize.

But golf can sometimes cause aches and pains. Golfer’s Wrist refers to pain that occurs either during or after play, in the wrist, hand, or forearm, and this often develops gradually over time.

Common causes The most common cause of Golfer’s Wrist is irritation or inflammation in the tendons or ligaments in the wrist. It might develop due to poor technique, faulty equipment, poor conditioning, or a sudden increase in the amount of golf played.

Some tips to help prevent Golfer’s Wrist include: • Using correctly fitted clubs. Clubs that are too heavy, too large, or too small can affect your grip and cause wrist pain.

• Try not to squeeze the club too tightly. Your grip should be strong and stable, but comfortable.

• Avoid “flicking” your wrist at the end of the swing.

• Stretch your wrists and fingers before and after you play.

• Strengthening exercises for your wrists and forearms (for

example, using weights or resistance bands) can help improve your strength and endurance.

• Some golfers find that wearing gloves helps to keep a comfortable grip.

• Progress playing time gradually. It can take your body a while to get used to increased playing volume, particularly if you haven’t played for a long time. You could start with nine holes instead of 18 or spend time at the driving range first, before playing a whole round. Build up playing time slowly and steadily.

Ask an expert Consulting with a pro is a great way to ensure your equipment, grip, and technique are ship-shape. If you have pain in the wrist that is affecting your game, an Orthopedist, Sports Medicine Physician, and/or Certified Hand Therapist may be able to help.

See you on the green!

Lucy McLeod B., Physio, DPT, CHT, at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) attained her Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree from the University of Newcastle, Australia, and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Arcadia University in Philadelphia, Pa. She is also a Certified Hand Therapist and a member of both the Australia Hand Therapy Association and the American Society of Hand Therapists.

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SPONSORED FEATURES

IN the ZONE

PERFECT GREENS BY BAYER Best management advice

The Green Solutions Team is part of Bayer’s commitment to helping you produce the most healthy and resilient turf.

If you‘re a golf course superintendent aiming for consistently beautiful, playable turf, where do you look for trusted products?

Bayer has the innovative solutions and agronomic expertise to help give you the edge.

Key products There are key products to manage turf pests, weeds and diseases, and you can get helpful recommendations from the experts on the Bayer Green Solutions Team.

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Bayer products are scientifically proven and developed in partnership with turf maintenance experts. Whether it’s a fungicide, herbicide, insecticide or growth regulator, Bayer has the solutions you need to deliver consistent results.

The Green Solutions Team is part of Bayer’s commitment to helping you produce the most healthy and resilient turf.

Through educational seminars, timely communications on pest outbreaks and regular technical updates, the Green Solutions Team brings golf course superintendents the support they need to deliver a superb job.

Look out for social media posts to keep you completely up to date on Bayer products such as Tetrino™, an exciting new

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Tetrino is a single insecticide designed as the complete solution for two pests: white grub and annual bluegrass weevil. It sets a new standard for control of the many tough turf pests. Flexible application timing allows you to take a preventive or early curative approach to pest control, whichever works for your team. You can find out more at es.bayer.us/Tetrino.

Top five turf diseases Densicor fights the top five turf diseases with one simple solution. It provides next-level control of dollar spot, brown patch, anthracnose, gray leaf spot, snow mold and other harmful turf diseases across your course, and all without thinning your turf.

Excellent turf safety With its ultra-low use rate and excellent turf safety profile, applying Densicor means you can spray less and cover more acres regardless of your climate. Find out more about the simpler approach to fighting turf diseases at es.bayer.us/Densicor. https://environmentalscience.bayer.us/turf-andornamentals-management/golf-course-management 121

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SPONSORED FEATUREs

In the zone

Do you know your e-number?

“Before my asthma was under control, I probably still played golf four times a month, but I had to use a cart. There was no way I could walk. I played from the cart and when I couldn’t use a cart, I just didn’t play.”

Seth Dickman, 41, of Freemont, OH, went from completing triathlons to not being able to carry his golf clubs due to serious breathing problems.

“I’m a strong driven person. It limited my ability to do everything I wanted to do.”

Seth needed answers. A blood test revealed that he had an elevated number of eosinophils (e-o-sin-o-phils), also known as an elevated e-number. Eosinophils are a normal part of the body’s immune system, but when too many get activated in people with asthma, they can cause inflammation in the airways making it difficult to breathe. This type of asthma is known as eosinophilic asthma— or e-asthma. According to an analysis of data from the CDC, nearly seven out of 10 adults with asthma may have e-asthma.1

When his allergist prescribed a targeted medicine as part of his treatment plan, he was able to breathe better which helped him do more and his asthma got better. Seth is now back to playing golf twice a week, can carry his clubs and is taking his daughter with him. “My daughter, 11, really loves to play, too, so it’s a good excuse for me to get out of the house with her.”

Knowing your e-number is important, especially if you: • often use your rescue inhaler to control asthma symptoms • wake up at night due to asthma symptoms • have had to take oral steroids like prednisone for your asthma • have had asthma attacks that required emergency care If you have experienced any of the above, you may have e-asthma and should talk to an asthma specialist about getting to know your e-number.

For more information, visit www.easthma.com.

1 Although not defined by clinical guidelines, eosinophilic asthma was considered an eosinophil count of 150 cells/μL or more for this CDC survey analysis. US-39354 4/20

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SPONSORED FEATURES

Move Better, PLAY BETTER The golf swing is one of the most complicated actions in all of sport. Less than 1.5 seconds of controlled chaos. You wind your body from a static start, load at the top of the backswing, stop to reverse direction, and then unwind to smack that ball with all the gusto you can possibly muster. The players you see on TV every week work full time to make the golf swing more ‘control’ than ‘chaos’—on the range and in the gym.

STEP 1

Matches for Meals™ is a new and exciting golf program for children aged 8-13. They will compete in teams of 12 alongside their coach.

MFM has created a unique website where coaches can set up matches with other coaches from around the world. There is a proprietary texting application that translates instantly, meaning that there is no language barrier for coaches or players. Imagine 21st century pen pals!

STEP 2

IN the ZONE

Golf Helps Feed THOSE IN NEED

Consistency in the golf swing is challenging because it involves unfamiliar motions.

Movements we don’t do every day. The key is to get the right ‘feel’ to become ‘real’ in your body for more speed and distance. That’s what golf fitness training is all about.

Left, expert Coach Joey D shows a simple movement progression you can put into your fitness training mix to help create more stability and balance.

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart holding a club out in front of you horizontally at shoulder height.

This program has a participation cost of $100 per player for 10 matches. There is no travel cost as the teams play matches on an area the size of a regular soccer field. Every time a match is played MFM donates 200 meals to Feed My Starving Children™ a 501(c)(3) non-profit. MFM is teaching social responsibility to all participants. MFM is actively seeking sponsors and donations with plans to start some time in 2022.

Stay tuned!

Step 2: Take a big step back with your right foot.

www.matchesformeals.org STEP 3

Step 3: Slowly rotate your upper body toward the left, while maintaining a very upright posture. Hold this position for a second and then rotate through to your right.

Do ten reps, alternating between stepping back with the right leg and stepping back with the left leg.

When you are ready for more, join Coach Joey D and the team of experts for great golf fitness workouts for players at any level at hititgreat.com 123

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SPONSORED FEATUREs

In the zone

A Golfer’s Paradise By its very nature, golf is a game that brings people together. It’s a game that keeps us fit and engaged and a fun way to spend time with friends and family. We hope you continue to find moments of joy through this wonderful sport.

With more than 75 percent of golf courses open to the public, many have seen new faces with more couples, families and friends playing together. Golf is one of the most popular

recreational sports in the country. It is a lowimpact activity that offers a variety of health benefits – mind, body and spirit – for people of any age. There is also the social aspect of the game with the ability to have conversations about shared interests on course that appeals too many.

PGA TOUR Superstore (PGATSS) is the country’s leading specialty retailer for golf.

It isn’t an exaggeration to call PGA TOUR

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SPONSORED FEATUREs

In the zone

Superstore a paradise for golfers. Each store offers the largest selection of apparel, equipment and accessories from men, women and juniors. The company spans across the US and recently announced the acceleration of opening brick-and-mortar locations beginning this year, as well as significant investment in the digital space.

Whether you are looking for new attire to wear either on or off the course, the latest clubs from leading equipment manufacturers, speakers to listen to music on the course or the latest at-home training aids, we offer something for everyone’s game.

Inside PGA TOUR Superstore, beginners and golf enthusiasts alike can work on their swing in customer-friendly, interactive simulators, including the state-or-the-art STUDIO and practice bays. Guests can also practice putting on each store’s custom-made putting greens.

Commitment to World-Class Customer Experience At PGATSS, we have never taken the customer for granted and are committed to ensuring the customer experience in our stores is the benchmark in our industry.

This focus has helped enable PGA TOUR Superstore to double our market share in recent years and continue on a trajectory to double the size of the business over the next five years.

The game is shedding its stodginess and has become more appealing to new consumers.

More families are playing together. Nearly half a million women have come into the game and junior girls golf is the fastest growing segment in the sport. This is being reflected across our stores all around the country as we are seeing new customers coming into our stores.

Giving Back to Others As a values-based organization, we are steadfast in our commitment to be a positive influence in our communities. Across the country our Associates volunteer their time through our Community Caddies program and through our Community Grant program all of stores support local nonprofits with financial and in-kind donations.

We also firmly believe in the purposeful impact sports can have in developing and supporting youth. The non-profit organization, the First Tee is committed to opening more doors to more kids across its network, especially inviting those who are in underserved communities to have access to new programs and opportunities. For more than a decade we have supported the First Tee and we are excited to have launched our annual Leadership Series and Summit with an intended purpose of growth, education and coming together to make a difference.

Thank you for your patronage You may visit PGA TOUR stores across the country or shop online at www.pgatoursuperstore.com or pick up your selected items at your local PGA TOUR Superstore.

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SPONSORED FEATUREs

In the zone

In the Footsteps of a Champion Shoes are a critical performance tool in your golf equipment.

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The two-time major winner, and also with six championship victories, Bernhard Langer made a significant change to Athalonz golf shoes.

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Serving Those Who Served at Sawgrass More than a hundred golfers, including veterans, took part in the TPC Sawgrass Charity Golf Tournament Benefitting Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) on Veterans Day, at the world famous PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

For event founders George Eubank and his fiancée Kate Miller, it connected two Northeast Florida institutions in WWP and TPC. “Our goal was to raise funds and awareness for Wounded Warrior Project and its mission while connecting warriors to supporters in the community,” George said. “It’s very humbling to be a part of that.”

Army veteran Sean Karpf attended the event.

“The volunteers, everybody that contributed to make that day happen, that’s what makes it so special,” Sean said.

The money raised supports WWP’s free programs and services. Warriors and their families never pay a penny for any WWP program or service; they already paid their dues on the battlefield.

Learn how you can support wounded warriors at woundedwarriorproject.org

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SPONSORED FEATURES

Golf Daddy is excited to bring to your attention our handstitched AAAA Cabretta Leather Glove. AAAA is a grade above the competition which translates to a superior feel, response and durability. This gloves base is built with a 3-piece leather construction where simplicity promotes stability. Further accented for comfort with flex fit knuckles and a soft foam wrist to encourage flexibility when addressing the ball or powering through your swing. Engineered at an industry standard 4mm thickness, it delivers a seamless transition between brands.

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tournament overview

THE SEASON AHEAD

Changes and additions to the PGA TOUR tournament lineup assure fans a fascinating opening half of the FedExCup season

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With the Presidents Cup being staged at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in 2022, the Wells Fargo Championship (May 5-8) moves to TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm for this year.

The PGA Championship (May 19-22) will be held at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa.

The last time it was played there (2007), Tiger Woods won.

The latter portion of the schedule includes some significant changes, most notably the Genesis Scottish Open (July 7-10) joining the PGA TOUR for the first time, co-sanctioned with the European Tour as part of the strategic alliance between the two tours.

The season concludes with the three FedExCup Playoffs events. These Playoffs will be kicked off for the first time at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, as the FedEx St. Jude Championship (August 11-14)—which has been a Regular Season event held in Memphis since 1958, and now moving to the Playoffs— followed in succeeding weeks by the BMW Championship, which rotates to Wilmington, Delaware, and the TOUR Championship in Atlanta.

images: Getty Images; PGA TOUR

T

he first portion of the PGA TOUR’s 48-event schedule for 2021-22 features a true Florida swing, anchored by the TOUR’s flagship event, THE PLAYERS Championship, March 10-13. This is preceded by The Honda Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, and followed by the Valspar Championship, switching from its April/ May date in 2021.

The fall portion of the schedule included two new sponsors, the season-opening Fortinet Championship in Napa, California, and the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, in Mexico. THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT moved from South Korea to Las Vegas for the second consecutive year, while the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP returned to Japan.

The West Coast swing has one change, with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Feb. 3-6) and Waste Management Phoenix Open (Feb. 10-13) trading spots as the Phoenix event remains in its traditional date of Super Bowl week.

The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play follows the Florida events, with the Masters highlighting the April schedule. The Mexico Open (April 28-May 1) joins the PGA TOUR for the first time.

— David Barrett, Tournament Editor

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

SEPTEMBER 16-19, 2021

Location & Course Information

SILVERADO RESORT AND SPA (NORTH COURSE), NAPA, CALIFORNIA

Fortinet Championship Max Homa birdied three of his final six holes to cap off a finalround 65 and edge Maverick McNealy in the Fortinet Championship.

The North Course at Silverado was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1967 and was extensively redesigned by World Golf Hall of Famer Johnny Miller in 2010 after he and his business partners bought the property.

Yardage: 7,123; par 72

Notable Course Features

The finishing stretch at Silverado North features good birdie opportunities. The 16th and 18th are par 5s that, while not pushovers at 571 and 575 yards, offer long and sometimes medium hitters the chance to get home in two. The 17th is a short par 4 of 375 yards offering a wedge approach.

2021 Champion

“I had full control today. I had a really good warm-up, hit my wedges really well.”

– Max Homa

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7 million Winner’s Share: $1,260,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Net proceeds from the Fortinet Championship benefited non-profit organizations in the areas of STEM, women and minorities in technology and veterans reskilling programs. A Monday pro-am raised proceeds for the Cameron Champ Foundation, which supports programs for underserved and underrepresented children.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage Golf Channel

Social Media

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21 20

Max Homa, U.S.

HOW MAX HOMA WON

Trailing by three strokes, Max Homa holed a 95yard wedge shot for an eagle at the 12th hole to pull within one, then birdied three of the last six holes to claim the victory over Maverick McNealy.  The 30-year-old Homa shot a pair of 65s on the weekend to claim his third career victory.  McNealy shot a closing 68 with a double bogey on 17 and eagle on 18.  Homa played Nos.16-18 in 9-under for the week.  Homa’s 65s matched the best score of the day on both Saturday and Sunday.  Homa accumilated over 108 feet of putts during the final round.

CHECK THIS OUT  The tournament came down to a battle of California natives, two alums of colleges in the state: Max Homa played at Cal, and runner-up Maverick McNealy at Stanford.  For the second consecutive year, the winner shot 65-65 in the last two rounds, Homa following Stewart Cink. The 130 total for the weekend is the lowest since the event moved to Silverado in 2016.  McNealy made his professional debut at this event in 2017. The third-round co-leader fell short in his bid to become the sixth player to win his first PGA TOUR title at the Fortinet Championship, which dates to 2007.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

Max Homa

1

Maverick McNealy

2

1

2

3

4

Total Score

67

72

68

64

FedExCup

Earnings

65

65

70

68

269/-19

500

$1,260,000

270/-18

300

$763,000

Mito Pereira

3

67

67

70

68

272/-16

190

$483,000

Talor Gooch

T4

69

70

66

68

273/-15

122.5

$315,000

Marc Leishman

T4

69

71

68

65

273/-15

122.5

$315,000

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

SEPTEMBER 30 OCTOBER 3, 2021

Sanderson Farms Championship After rounds of 68-66-6567 to finish at 22-under at the Sanderson Farms Championship, Sam Burns celebrates his second PGA TOUR victory.

Location & Course Information

COUNTRY CLUB OF JACKSON, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI Founded in 1913, the Country Club of Jackson is a private club with 27 holes originally designed by Dick Wilson in 1962. John Fought redesigned 18 holes in 2008; the Dogwood and Azalea nines are used for the tournament.

Yardage: 7,461; par 72

Notable Course Features

Sam Burns, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7 million Winner’s Share: $1,260,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The primary beneficiary is Friends of Children’s Hospital of Mississippi, the state’s only hospital dedicated solely to the treatment of sick and medically fragile children. Through 2020, Century Club Charities raised more than $19 million for Mississippi charities.

HOW SAM BURNS WON

Media Coverage

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Sam Burns

1

68

66

65

67

266/-22

500

$1,260,000

Nick Watney

T2

65

66

71

65

267/-21

245

$623,000

Cameron Young

T2

67

65

67

68

267/-21

245

$623,000

Golf Channel

Hayden Buckley

T4

67

65

70

66

268/-20

108.75

$280,000

Social Media

Andrew Landry

T4

68

68

66

66

268/-20

108.75

$280,000

Trey Mullinax

T4

70

66

64

68

268/-20

108.75

$280,000

Henrik Norlander

T4

68

66

70

64

268/-20

108.75

$280,000

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CHECK THIS OUT  Sam Burns made his professional debut at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2017, receiving a sponsor exemption after an outstanding career at Louisiana State University.  Following six years when the Sanderson Farms Championship was the first PGA TOUR victory for the winner, the last two have been won

by Sergio Garcia (2020, his 11th victory) and Burns (his second).  PGA TOUR rookie Sahith Theegala led or shared the lead through the first three rounds before finishing T8 with a closing 71.

Sam Burns, who lives two-and-a-half hours away in Louisiana, feels right at home in the Sanderson Farms Championship. The 25-yearold claimed his second PGA TOUR victory, and second in the calendar year 2021, taking control with four birdies in a five-hole stretch starting at the 11th on the way to a final-round 67.  Burns had a streak of five consecutive birdies in the third round starting at No. 10.  Burns ranked first in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, enabling him to win despite being 57th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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2021 Champion

“This is one of my favorite events on Tour. God willing, I’ll be able to play here for the next 20 years.” – Sam Burns 21 20

The signature hole is the 479yard 16th (the toughest on the course in 2021). Swampland protects the entire left side and also crosses the fairway about 80 yards short of the largest green on the course. A long approach must avoid swamp on the left and a large bunker on the right.

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21/12/2021 16:50

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

OCTOBER 7-10, 2022

Shriners Children’s Open

Location & Course Information TPC SUMMERLIN, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

With birdies on nine of his first 13 holes in the final round, Sungjae Im pulled away from the field to secure the title in his 100th PGA TOUR start.

Noted course architect Bobby Weed designed TPC Summerlin with player consultant Fuzzy Zoeller in 1991. The strategic layout was carved from a swath of rugged desert terrain, meandering through arroyos and canyons.

Yardage: 7,255; par 71

Notable Course Features

The four-hole closing stretch features classic risk-reward challenges, starting with the drivable par-4 15th. The par-5 16th is reachable in two, guarded in front by a pond. The last two holes don’t offer as many birdie opportunities, with water in play on the par-3 17th and par-4 18th.

2021 Champion Sungjae Im, S. Korea

Quick Facts

Charity Benefit

The tournament supports Shriners Children’s, a unique pediatric health care system that has improved the lives of more than 1.4 million children since its founding in 1922.

Hospitals and clinics are located in 22 different areas across North America, serving children who need specialized medical care. Many of these children attend the tournament, with some having the opportunity to meet the golfers.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

21 20

Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7 million Winner’s Share: $1,260,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

“To be honest with you, I didn’t know I birdied five in a row. I was just focused on every shot and trying not to make mistakes.” – Sungjae Im

HOW SUNGJAE IM WON

CHECK THIS OUT  At 23 years, 6 months, 10 days, Sungjae Im was the second youngest winner of the tournament, behind Tiger Woods in 1996 (20 years, 9 months, 6 days).  Im’s 72-hole total of 270 matched the tournament record set by Ryan Moore (2012) and matched by Webb Simpson (2013).  Im collected his second career victory in his 100th PGA TOUR event. His first win (2020 Honda Classic) came in his 50th start.  Matthew Wolff finished second for the second consecutive year after losing in a playoff in 2020. He has shot in the 60s in all 12 of his career rounds at TPC Summerlin.

Sungjae Im birdied nine of the first 13 holes in the final round, including five in a row starting at No. 9, on the way to a 62 and a four-stroke victory. Im trailed by three through 54 holes, but by the end of his birdie burst had opened up a five-stroke lead. Pars the rest of the way brought him his second career victory.  Im had four straight birdies starting at No. 12 on the way to a 63 in the first round.  Im led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (2.622 per round) and Greens in Regulation Percentage (86.11).  Im secured seven birdies in eight holes around the turn for a 9-under 62.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Sungjae Im

1

63

65

70

62

260/-24

500

$1,260,000

Golf Channel

Matthew Wolff

2

64

67

65

68

264/-20

300

$763,000

Social Media

Marc Leishman

T3

67

67

68

63

265/-19

145

$371,000

Rory Sabbatini

T3

65

66

70

64

265/-19

145

$371,000

Adam Schenk

T3

64

65

66

70

265/-19

145

$371,000

@ShrinersOpen @shrinersopen @shrinerschildrensopen W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

OCTOBER 14-17, 2021

THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT

Location & Course Information

Rory McIlroy started his new season in grand fashion, shooting 62-66 on the weekend to collect his 20th PGA TOUR victory.

THE SUMMIT CLUB, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

The Tom Fazio-designed course at The Summit Club, which opened in 2017, is a parkland layout with a desert backdrop.

The course features elevation changes, immaculate fairways, and views of Las Vegas and surrounding mountains from many elevated tees.

Yardage: 7,431; par 72

Notable Course Features

2021 Champion Quick Facts

Field: 78 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $9.75 million Winner’s Share: $1,755,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

THE CJ CUP annually donates to the CJ Welfare Foundation.

The main objective is to support children’s education. In recent years, contributions have been made toward providing more opportunities and help for the growth of young Korean golfers via the ‘Bridge Kids’ program.

Through this tournament, CJ also expects to play a bridging role in developing Korean men’s golf into world class level.

HOW RORY MCILROY WON

CHECK THIS OUT  For the second consecutive year, the tournament was played in Las Vegas instead of its usual home in South Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic (in 2020 it was at Shadow Creek).  Rory McIlroy won in his season debut for the first time in his career.  McIlroy’s 72-hole score of 25-under 263 was a tournament record for the event that started in 2017.  Collin Morikawa, a member of The Summit Club, shot 62 on Sunday to finish second, but the low round of the week was a final-round 61

by Emiliano Grillo.

Rory McIlroy trailed by nine strokes at the halfway point before rallying with rounds of 62-66 to seize his 20th PGA TOUR victory. In the final round, McIlroy passed 54-hole leader Rickie Fowler on the 10th hole and holed a 35-foot eagle putt on the 14th to solidify his position and enable him to hold off Collin Morikawa, who shot a closing 62 to finish one stroke back.  McIlroy ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting (1.504 per round) and second in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (1.361).  McIlroy had three eagles on the week, helping to overcome a first-round triple bogey.

Media Coverage

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Rory McIlroy

1

68

67

62

66

263/-25

500

$1,755,000

Collin Morikawa

2

67

70

65

62

264/-24

300

$1,053,000

Rickie Fowler

T3

66

66

63

71

266/-22

162.5

$565,500

Keith Mitchell

T3

62

64

73

67

266/-22

162.5

$565,500

Golf Channel

Sam Burns

T5

67

68

66

66

267/-21

96.25

$342,468.75

Social Media

Talor Gooch

T5

67

68

70

62

267/-21

96.25

$342,468.75

Adam Scott

T5

68

63

67

69

267/-21

96.25

$342,468.75

Aaron Wise

T5

66

67

68

66

267/-21

96.25

$342,468.75

@thecjcup @thecjcup @PGATOURTHECJCUP 132

21 20

Rory McIlroy, N. Ireland

“I think part of the emotion at the end was probably to do with the last few months in terms of searching to try to get better and the realization that I don’t need to search for anything, it’s all right here.” – Rory McIlroy

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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The 18th hole is a 580-yard par 5 with a severely undulating green, but the 18th didn’t prove resistant to scoring by the pros. It played to a 4.293 average in the tournament, with 24 eagles and 182 birdies against 95 pars and 10 bogeys.

21/12/2021 16:51

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

OCTOBER 21-24, 2021

Location & Course Information

ACCORDIA GOLF NARASHINO COUNTRY CLUB, CHIBA PREFECTURE, JAPAN

ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP Hideki Matsuyama achieved one of his biggest goals, winning in his home country in front of cheering Japanese fans.

Opened in 1965, Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club is a 36-hole facility. The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP is played on an 18-hole composite course.

Yardage: 7,041; par 70

Notable Course Features

2021 Champion

Hideki Matsuyama, Japan

Quick Facts

Field: 78 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $9.95 million Winner’s Share: $1,791,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Proceeds from the 2021 event were donated to Chiba Prefecture, First Tee of Japan and the Japan High School and Junior High School Golf Association.

The donation included proceeds from a charity raffle held on ZOZOTOWN in the weeks following the tournament.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

“It was one of my biggest goals to win in front of the Japanese fans here in this country.

So happy that I was able to accomplish that.” – Hideki Matsuyama 21 20

Like most courses in Japan, Accordia Golf Narashino has two greens on each hole, generally played in different seasons of the year. In 2021, the two greens at the fifth hole were each used on different days during the tournament. In the 2019 PGA TOUR debut of the course, two greens were used on the fourth hole.

HOW HIDEKI MATSUYAMA WON

Hideki Matsuyama gave fans in his homeland of Japan plenty to cheer about as he fashioned a five-stroke victory. Leading by one through 54 holes, but trailing by one through 10 holes of the final round, Matsuyama birdied Nos. 11, 13 and 15 to move back in front. Ahead by two coming to the last hole, he made an eagle to win by five as Cameron Tringale bogeyed to fall into a tie for second.  Matsuyama had two eagles in a final-round 65, at Nos. 6 and 18.  Matsuyama led the field in Greens in Regulation, hitting 59 of 72.

CHECK THIS OUT  Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama became the fourth international winner of the Masters since 2011 to also win in his home country in the same year (South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel/2011 Joburg Open; Australia’s Adam Scott/2013 Australian PGA Championship; Spain’s Sergio Garcia/2017 Andalucia Valderrama Masters).  Matsuyama finished second to Tiger Woods in the first year of the tournament, 2019, which was the first PGA TOUR event in Japan.  With seven career PGA TOUR victories, Matsuyama moved within one of South Korea’s K.J. Choi’s total of eight, the most by an Asian player.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup Points

Earnings

Hideki Matsuyama

1

64

68

68

65

265/-15

500

$1,791,000

Brendan Steele

T2

66

68

70

66

270/-10

245

$875,600

Golf Channel

Cameron Tringale

T2

67

66

68

69

270/-10

245

$875,600

Social Media

Mackenzie Hughes

T4

70

68

69

67

274/-6

115

$411,266.67

Matt Wallace

T4

65

69

70

70

274/-6

115

$411,266.67

Sebastián Muñoz

T4

70

66

68

70

274/-6

115

$411,266.66

@zozochamp @zozochamp @ZOZOCHAMPIONSHIP W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

OCTOBER 28-31, 2021

Location & Course Information

PORT ROYAL GOLF COURSE, SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1970, Port Royal features ocean views from nearly every hole. The course underwent an extensive renovation in 2009 spearheaded by original design team member Roger Rulewich.

Yardage: 6,828; par 71

Butterfield Bermuda Championship Australia’s Lucas Herbert, bolstered by middle rounds of 65-65, became the first international winner of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Notable Course Features

The 16th is one of the most visually spectacular holes in golf, and also extremely challenging.

The 235-yard par 3 plays over an ocean inlet to a long but narrow green perched high above the water on a peninsula, with the ocean to the left.

2021 Champion

“You just knew it was going to be one of those days when you had to battle really, really hard. Under par was going to be a great score.” – Lucas Herbert

Charity Benefit

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship Birdies For Charity program is a matching fund program that benefits charities on the island of Bermuda. Organizations receive every penny they raise, plus up to a 10 percent match on every donation. In 2019, the tournament managed to raise over $225,000 through the program for local charities.

HOW LUCAS HERBERT WON

CHECK THIS OUT  Australia’s Lucas Herbert became the first international winner of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in the event’s third year.  Herbert won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open earlier in 2021 and became the first Aussie since Adam Scott in 2008 to win individual titles on the European Tour and PGA TOUR in the same calendar year.  Taylor Pendrith set the tournament 18-hole record with a 61 in the second round, breaking the mark shared by Scottie Scheffler and Brendon Todd (both 2019).

Lucas Herbert came from four strokes behind with a 69 on a windy day to claim a victory early in his rookie PGA TOUR season. With 54-hole leader Taylor Pendrith shooting 76 and Danny Lee making a double bogey on No. 12 after taking the lead, Herbert went in front with a birdie on 15 and held on to win by one over Lee and fast-finishing Patrick Reed (65).  Herbert took advantage of calmer conditions in the middle rounds with a pair of 65s.  Herbert needed only 50 putts in the last two rounds, 24 on Saturday and 26 on Sunday.

Media Coverage

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Lucas Herbert

1

70

65

65

69

269/-15

500

$1,170,000

Danny Lee

T2

67

67

65

71

270/-14

245

$578,500

Golf Channel

Patrick Reed

T2

68

69

68

65

270/-14

245

$578,500

Social Media

Patrick Rodgers

4

68

64

69

70

271/-13

135

$318,500

Taylor Pendrith

T5

70

61

65

76

272/-12

105

$251,062

Scott Stallings

T5

74

68

68

62

272/-12

105

$251,062

@Bermuda_Champ @butterfieldbdachamp @ButterfieldBDAChamp 134

21 20

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $6.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,170,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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Lucas Herbert, Australia

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21/12/2021 16:52

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

NOVEMBER 4-7, 2022

WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CHAMPIONSHIP AT MAYAKOBA

Location & Course Information

EL CAMELEÓN GOLF CLUB AT THE MAYAKOBA RESORT, PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO Designed by Greg Norman in 2006, El Cameleón is notable for the way it traverses three landscapes: mangrove jungles, limestone canals and an oceanfront stretch. The course has hosted the event since its 2007 inception.

Yardage: 7,017; par 71

Notable Course Features

El Cameleón has an element that won’t be found elsewhere, a cenote, a naturally formed pit with limestone walls.

It is incorporated into the fairway on the seventh hole, a 554-yard par 5. The pit is marked as a penalty area but has a section where it is possible to play out of sand.

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.2 million Winner’s Share: $1,296,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The tournament donates significant funds and raises awareness for charities. These include Amigos de Sian Ka’an and the Aitana Foundation.

It has donated more than $2.9 million to philanthropic causes since 2007, positively affecting the communities of Playa del Carmen and Cancún.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage Golf Channel

Social Media

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T29_World Wide Technology Championship.indd 135

“I wish I could putt like I did today more often. It was just a blast all week.”

– Viktor Hovland 21 20

2021 Champion

Viktor Hovland, Norway

Victor Hovland’s hot putting delivered a resounding four-shot victory at Mayakoba, as the 24-year-old became the first multiple winner of the event.

HOW VIKTOR HOVLAND WON

CHECK THIS OUT

Defending champion Viktor Hovland surged ahead with a 9-under 62 in the third round and comfortably held off any challengers as he closed with a 67 to win by four. The closest anybody got on the back nine was Scottie Scheffler at three strokes behind, but Scheffler then made a double bogey on the 14th hole. Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz finished strong to claim second.  Hovland had 28 birdies, including eight in the second round and nine in the third.  Hovland ranked first in Total Driving, thanks to a combination of T2 in accuracy and eighth in distance.

 Viktor Hovland not only became the first player in tournament history to successfully defend the title, he became the first multiple winner of the event that started in 2007.  Hovland’s 72-hole total of 23-under 261 set the tournament record, breaking Matt Kuchar’s 262 in 2018.  Norway’s Hovland was the fifth international winner in as many weeks on the PGA TOUR.  Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz was a runner-up for the second time at Mayakoba, having also done so in 2019. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer also gave the home fans a show, tying for seventh.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Viktor Hovland

1

67

65

62

67

261/-23

500

$1,296,000

Carlos Ortiz

2

67

65

67

66

265/-19

300

$784,800

Justin Thomas

3

68

65

64

69

266/-18

190

$496,800

Scottie Scheffler

4

67

64

70

66

267/-17

135

$352,800

Joaquin Niemann

T5

69

66

67

66

268/-16

105

$278,100

Matthew Wolff

T5

61

68

74

65

268/-16

105

$278,100

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tournament overview

November 11-14, 2022

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open

Location & Course Information

Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas John Bredemus redesigned an original nine-hole course into 18 holes in 1936. In preparation for the return of the Houston Open to the municipal facility in 2020 (it hosted in 1947 and from 1961 to 1973), Tom Doak did a complete redesign in 2019.

Yardage: 7,412; par 70

Notable Course Features

Jason Kokrak, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,350,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The tournament is primarily underwritten by the Astros Golf Foundation, with the Houston Parks & Recreation Department and First Tee of Greater Houston as the primary beneficiaries.

Other nonprofits benefit from the Birdies for Charity program.

“The putter was hot this week and I tried to give myself as many looks as possible.”

– Jason Kokrak

HOW JASON KOKRAK WON

check this out XX Jason Kokrak scored his second victory in the state of Texas in the 2021 calendar year, having also claimed the Charles Schwab Challenge title.

XX After going 232 starts before his first PGA TOUR victory, Kokrak won for the third time in a stretch of 27 starts over a 13-month period.

XX Scottie Scheffler, who finished T2, shot an 8-under 62 in the second round, the lowest score in the two years the event has been played at the redesigned Memorial Park (there were three 63s in 2020, none in 2021).

Jason Kokrak birdied four holes in a row, starting at No. 13 in the final round, to emerge from a pack of contenders. Six players held or shared the lead on Sunday before Kokrak took control for his third PGA TOUR victory. The 36-year-old shot a 31 on the back nine in a closing 65—the same nine where he had a 41 in a second-round 71.

XX Kokrak trailed by nine strokes through two rounds before a 66-65 finish.

XX Kokrak ranked second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (1.610 per round) and third in Strokes Gained: Putting (2.170).

Media Coverage

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Jason Kokrak

1

68

71

66

65

270/-10

500

$1,350,000

Scottie Scheffler

T2

72

62

69

69

272/-8

245

$667,500

Golf Channel

Kevin Tway

T2

67

64

73

68

272/-8

245

$667,500

Social Media

Kramer Hickok

4

67

67

70

69

273/-7

135

$367,500

Joel Dahmen

T5

70

69

70

65

274/-6

105

$289,687

Martin Trainer

T5

65

65

74

70

274/-6

105

$289,687

@HouOpenGolf @houopengolf @HouOpenGolf

136

21 20

2021 Champion

This win for Jason Kokrak was his third PGA TOUR victory, and his second in the 2021 calendar year (the first being the Charles Schwab Challenge).

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE December 2021 – MAY 2022

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The 16th hole is a 567-yard par 5 with a pond all the way down the right side leading to a green surrounded on three sides by water. The risk/reward hole yielded the fifth-most birdies on the course in 2021 (73), but also the third-most double bogeys or worse (12).

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

NOVEMBER 18-21, 2022

Location & Course Information

SEA ISLAND RESORT, ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA Sea Island’s Seaside Course has nine holes designed by Harry Colt and Charles Alison in 1929 and nine by Joe Lee in 1973, with a Tom Fazio redesign in 1999. The Plantation Course, renovated by Davis Love III and his brother Mark in 2019, co-hosts the first two rounds.

Yardage: Seaside, 7,005; par 70; Plantation, 7,060; par 72

The RSM Classic Talor Gooch celebrates his first PGA TOUR victory by winning The RSM Classic at Sea Island’s Seaside Course, finishing in style with a 64 on Sunday.

Notable Course Features Natural features such as marshes and sandy waste areas figure prominently in the Seaside layout. Both come into play on the par-4 13th, which bends between a marsh on the left and a sandy area along with conventional bunkers on the right, with a stunning backdrop behind the green.

Talor Gooch, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.2 million Winner’s Share: $1,296,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Through the Birdies for Love program, The RSM Classic commits to raising funds for charities that align with the missions of the RSM Foundation and the Davis Love Foundation.

Additionally, the Friends of Davis Love Foundation raises money for area charities via a raffle.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

21 20

2021 Champion

“I played really well this week. When you’re playing like that, the stress levels go down.”

– Talor Gooch

HOW TALOR GOOCH WON

Talor Gooch built a three-stroke lead with scores of 65-67 in the windy conditions of the second and third rounds, and ended up winning by three with a 64 in calmer weather on Sunday. The 30-year-old scored his first PGA TOUR victory by not making a bogey in the final round and making birdies on four of the first six holes on the back nine for a comfortable cushion.  Gooch made only two bogeys on the week, one each in the second and third rounds.  Gooch ranked T52 in hitting fairways, but was T4 in Greens in Regulation Percentage (83.33).

CHECK THIS OUT  Talor Gooch was the sixth consecutive 36-hole leader/co-leader to win The RSM Classic and the sixth of the last seven 54-hole leaders/coleaders.  Gooch was the seventh player in the 12 years of the event to make The RSM Classic his first career victory.  Gooch’s 22-under winning total of 260 tied the tournament record set by Kevin Kisner in 2015.  Two players tied the tournament 18-hole record of 60—Sebastián Muñoz in the first round and Tyler McCumber in the final round.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

Talor Gooch

1

Mackenzie Hughes

2

FedExCup Points

Earnings

64

65

67

64

63

68

70

62

260/-22

500

$1,296,000

263/-19

300

$784,800

Sebastián Muñoz

3

60

70

69

65

264/-18

190

$496,800

Golf Channel

Tom Hoge

T4

65

68

67

67

267/-15

108.75

$288,000

Social Media

Tyler McCumber

T4

69

68

70

60

267/-15

108.75

$288,000

Seamus Power

T4

63

69

67

68

267/-15

108.75

$288,000

Cameron Smith

T4

64

71

68

64

267/-15

108.75

$288,000

@TheRSMClassic @thersmclassic @TheRSMclassic

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JANUARY 6-9, 2022

Sentry Tournament of Champions Harris English held off hard-charging Joaquin Niemann in a playoff to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

The victory was the first for English since the 2014 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.

Location & Course Information

THE PLANTATION COURSE AT KAPALUA, KAPALUA, MAUI, HAWAII Opened in 1991, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw carved the Plantation Course into the hills of the West Maui Mountains on a former pineapple plantation. The course was refined and revitalized in an extensive 2019 enhancement.

Yardage: 7,596; par 73

Notable Course Features

The last two holes at the Plantation Course are long on yardage, but both play downhill. While the 550yard, par-4 17th is annually one of the toughest holes, the 677-yard 18th plays so downhill that most of the field can reach or get close to the par-5 green in two.

“I knew I needed to get it rolling, and that putt on 11 kind of opened the floodgates. Then I could start seeing everything go in.” – Harris English

Quick Facts

Field: 42 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8 million Winner’s Share: $1,600,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The tournament has generated more than $7.5 million for community charities since its move to Maui in 1999. The 2021 beneficiaries were Boy Scouts of America, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, Hale Makua Health Services, J. Walter Cameron Center, Ka Lima O Maui, Lahainaluna High School Foundation and Lahaina Junior Golf.

HOW HARRIS ENGLISH WON

CHECK THIS OUT  Harris English didn’t win a tournament in 2020 but qualified for the Sentry Tournament of Champions field when eligibility was extended to the top 30 players from the shortened 201920 season in addition to tournament winners.  English’s 25-under winning total was the fourthlowest in tournament history, behind Ernie Els (31-under/2003), Jordan Spieth (30-under/2016) and David Duval (29-under/1999).  Justin Thomas finished third, only one stroke out of a playoff, in his attempt to become the first repeat winner of the event since Geoff Ogilvy in 2010.

Harris English lost the lead to a charging Joaquin Niemann, who shot 64, but English rallied with birdies on four of five holes starting at the 11th. English bogeyed 16 and missed a 10-foot eagle putt on 18 to close with a 69 and a tie with Niemann, one stroke ahead of Justin Thomas. English won with a 6-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole.  English led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting at 1.71 per round, making nine putts longer than 15 feet.  English ranked third in Greens in Regulation Percentage at 86.11.

Media Coverage

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Harris English

1

65

67

66

69

267/-25

500

$1,340,000

Joaquin Niemann

2

69

67

67

64

267/-25

300

$782,000

NBC, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Justin Thomas

3

65

69

68

66

268/-24

190

$490,000

Social Media

Ryan Palmer

4

67

67

64

71

269/-23

135

$378,000

Sungjae Im

T5

67

68

67

69

271/-21

105

$280,500

Xander Schauffele

T5

69

66

70

66

271/-21

105

$280,500

@Sentry_TOC @sentry_toc @SentryTOC

138

21 20

Harris English, U.S.

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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2021 Champion

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21/12/2021 17:13

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JANUARY 13-16, 2022

Sony Open in Hawaii

Location & Course Information

WAIALAE COUNTRY CLUB, HONOLULU, HAWAII Seth Raynor designed Waialae Country Club in 1927, creating a strategically challenging layout featuring a number of dogleg holes. Nestled in the quiet neighborhood of WailaeKahala, the course offers many views of the Pacific Ocean.

Yardage: 7,044; par 70

Notable Course Features

The par-70 layout features only two par 5s, but they conclude each nine and usually are reachable in two with prevailing winds. The signature hole is considered to be the par-3 17th, which measures 194 yards and runs along the ocean.

2021 Champion Kevin Na, U.S.

Charity Benefit

The Sony Open in Hawaii is the principal fundraising event for Friends of Hawaii Charities.

Through a partnership with the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc., and with the support of title sponsor Sony Corporation Group, the event raised a record of $1.3 million for Hawaii’s non-profit community in 2021, even without spectators.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Social Media

@SonyOpenHawaii @sonyopenhawaii @sonyopeninhawaii W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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“I think more about winning since I’ve been winning more often.”

– Kevin Na 21 20

Quick Facts

Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.5 million Winner’s Share: $1,350,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Sparked by four birdies in the last six holes, Kevin Na captured the Sony Open in Hawaii, his fourth PGA TOUR title in as many seasons.

HOW KEVIN NA WON

CHECK THIS OUT  Kevin Na and Brendan Steele each shot 61 in the third round, marking the second time there were two 61s in the same round at Waialae Country Club (Zach Johnson, Bryce Molder in 2017/Round 2). The tournament record is 59 by Justin Thomas (2017/Round 1).  Na’s win gave him a victory in each of the last four seasons. He had won just once in his first 14 seasons.  Chris Kirk’s runner-up finish in his final start under a Major Medical Extension earned him enough FedExCup points (245) to remain exempt for the rest of the season.

Kevin Na moved into contention with a thirdround 61, then claimed the title with four birdies on the last six holes on Sunday for a 65 and a one-stroke victory over Joaquin Niemann and Chris Kirk. Na was three strokes behind until he birdied Nos. 13-15. He struck the decisive blow on the par-5 18th with a 5-wood from the rough to just over the green to set up a birdie.  Na had streaks of five consecutive birdies in the second round and four consecutive birdies in the third round.  Na ranked second in Strokes Gained: Tee-toGreen at 2.182 per round.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Kevin Na

1

67

66

61

65

259/-21

500

$1,188,000

Chris Kirk

T2

65

65

65

65

260/-20

245

$587,400

Joaquin Niemann

T2

62

69

63

66

260/-20

245

$587,400

Marc Leishman

T4

66

65

65

65

261/-19

115

$277,750

Webb Simpson

T4

65

65

67

64

261/-19

115

$277,750

Brendan Steele

T4

65

66

61

69

261/-19

115

$277,750

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JANUARY 20-23, 2022

Location & Course Information

PGA WEST (STADIUM COURSE, NICKLAUS TOURNAMENT COURSE) AND LA QUINTA COUNTRY CLUB, LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA

The American Express Si Woo Kim withstood pressure from Patrick Cantlay’s course-record 61 on the Stadium Course at PGA West to secure The American Express title, his third career PGA TOUR victory.

The Pete Dye-designed Stadium Course at PGA West hosts the final round, while three courses are used for the first three rounds.

The Stadium Course opened in 1986, a challenging layout with plenty of bunkers and water.

Yardage: Stadium, 7,147; Nicklaus Tournament, 7,181; La Quinta, 7,060; all par 72

Notable Course Features

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.6 million Winner’s Share: $1,368,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

All proceeds generated from The American Express are donated to local Coachella Valley charities by the Mickelson Foundation. Since the tournament’s inception, the overall charitable contribution is $63 million.

HOW SI WOO KIM WON

LEADERBOARD 2021

Media Coverage

Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Si Woo Kim

1

66

68

67

64

265/-23

500

$1,206,000

Patrick Cantlay

2

69

71

65

61

266/-22

300

$730,300

Cam Davis

3

68

70

66

64

268/-20

190

$462,300

GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Tony Finau

4

68

66

67

68

269/-19

135

$328,300

Social Media

Abraham Ancer

T5

69

65

73

66

273/-15

100

$247,900

Doug Ghim

T5

67

68

69

69

273/-15

100

$247,900

Michael Thompson

T5

67

72

68

66

273/-15

100

$247,900

@theamexgolf @theamexgolf @TheAmericanExpress 140

CHECK THIS OUT  Si Woo Kim claimed his third career PGA TOUR victory at age 25, his second on a Pete Dye-designed course. The other was the 2017 PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.  Runner-up Patrick Cantlay shot a 61 in the final round to break the Stadium Course record by two strokes.  Cantlay made the cut on the number and shot rounds of 65-61 on the weekend. His 18-under total for the final 36 holes tied the PGA TOUR record in relation to par for the final two rounds of a 72-hole event (Rocco Mediate/2003 Sentry Tournament of Champions).

Si Woo Kim withstood a charge from Patrick Cantlay with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes for a one-stroke victory. Cantlay posted a 61 in the final round for a 22-under total. Kim was 21-under with three holes remaining before making birdies from 4 feet on 16 and 18 feet on 17. A par on 18 delivered a 64 and his first win since the 2017 PLAYERS Championship.  Kim made only two bogeys in the tournament—none in the three rounds played at the Stadium Course.  Kim ranked T1 in Greens in Regulation Percentage, hitting 59 of 72.

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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2021 Champion

Si Woo Kim, S. Korea

“I tried to keep patient and I believed in myself and I got the chance on 16 and 17.”

– Si Woo Kim 21 20

The par 3s are especially demanding at the Stadium Course, with three of them ranking as the toughest three holes in 2021.

Toughest was the 223-yard sixth, with water front and right. The 195-yard 13th, with water left and front, ranked second. The island-green, 165-yard 17th was the third-most difficult, and produced the most double bogeys or worse (35).

W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

21/12/2021 17:42

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JANUARY 26-29, 2022

Location & Course Information

TORREY PINES GOLF COURSE, LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA

Farmers Insurance Open Patrick Reed pulled away from the field with a closing 68 to win by five strokes at the Farmers Insurance Open. He was the event’s first American champion since 2016.

The North and South Courses opened in 1957, designed by William F. Bell. The South Course, which hosts the final two rounds, was the site of the U.S. Open in 2008 and 2021 after a 2001 redesign by Rees Jones. The North Course underwent a complete renovation by Tom Weiskopf in 2016. Yardage: South, 7,765; North, 7,258; both par 72

Notable Course Features

2021 Champion Patrick Reed, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8.4 million Winner’s Share: $1,512,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Champions For Youth is the core charitable program of the Century Club of San Diego, the nonprofit that operates the Farmers Insurance Open. The tournament also supports the military through the Armed Services YWCA and first responders through selected nonprofits.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

“I was able to rely on the short game early and get in a groove there in the middle of the round.” – Patrick Reed 21 20

Measuring 570 yards, the 18th hole on the South Course is reachable in two shots, but the second shot must be well struck, or it could find the small pond that fronts the green. Even laying up can be dangerous, with approach shots at risk of spinning off the green and into the water.

HOW PATRICK REED WON

CHECK THIS OUT  Patrick Reed became the first American to win the Farmers Insurance Open since Brandt Snedeker in 2016.  Reed’s five-stroke victory margin matched the second largest winning margin in the event, behind Tiger Woods’ eight-stroke win in 2008.

Tom Watson (1977) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1979) were the others who won by five strokes.  San Diego native Xander Schauffele was one of five players who tied for second; it was his best finish in six starts at the Farmers.  Schauffele and Henrik Norlander, who also finished T2, were the only players with both weekend rounds in the 60s at the South Course.

Patrick Reed shared the lead after the first and third rounds and he was one stroke behind after the second, then he pulled away from the field with a closing 68 to win by five strokes. Reed and co-leader Carlos Ortiz were pursued by a group of five players two strokes behind through 54 holes.  Reed holed a 45-foot eagle putt on the sixth hole and was able to stay well clear of the pack down the stretch.  Reed eagled the sixth hole in both the third and final rounds.  Reed ranked first in Strokes Gained: Around the Green at 1.309 per round.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Patrick Reed

1

64

72

70

68

274/-14

500

$1,350,000

Tony Finau

T2

69

67

74

69

279/-9

167

$456,375

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Viktor Hovland

T2

70

65

73

71

279/-9

167

$456,375

Social Media

Henrik Norlander

T2

73

69

68

69

279/-9

167

$456,375

Ryan Palmer

T2

66

70

73

70

279/-9

167

$456,375

Xander Schauffele

T2

70

72

68

69

279/-9

167

$456,375

@FarmersInsOpen @farmersinsopen @FarmersInsOpen

W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

FEBRUARY 3-6, 2022

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Location & Course Information

PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS (HOST COURSE), SPYGLASS HILL GOLF COURSE, MONTEREY PENINSULA COUNTRY CLUB, PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA

An eagle at his 72nd hole set up by “maybe the best 3-wood of my life” to 30 feet lifted Daniel Berger to a two-stroke victory.

Prominent amateur golfers Jack Neville and Douglas Grant designed Pebble Beach Golf Links, which opened in 1919. Changes through the years have included Jack Nicklaus creating a new fifth hole in 1998. Yardage: Pebble Beach GL, 7,051, par 72; Spyglass Hill GC: 7,041, par 72; Monterey Peninsula CC, 6,958, par 71

Notable Course Features

Daniel Berger, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8.7 million Winner’s Share: $1,566,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Monterey Peninsula Foundation is the nonprofit organization that stages the tournament and also the PURE Insurance Championship on PGA TOUR Champions.

In 2022, the foundation will reach a fundraising milestone, surpassing $200 million in charitable contributions.

HOW DANIEL BERGER WON

Daniel Berger eagled the par-5 18th hole for a two-stroke victory over Maverick McNealy, hitting a 3-wood to 30 feet and making the putt. He also eagled the par-5 second hole with a 22-foot putt in shooting a closing 65.  Berger had four eagles in the tournament, all at Pebble Beach (where players played three rounds in 2021). He eagled the par-5 sixth during the second round and the par-4 third during the third round following driving the green.  Berger double bogeyed the 18th in the third round when he hit the ball out of bounds to fall two strokes out of the lead.

Media Coverage

 Daniel Berger’s final-round 65 was two strokes off the best final round by a winner at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Davis Love III, 63, 2001).  Berger was the fourth player on record (since 1983) to make four eagles during the event, joining Willie Wood (1990), Mike Weir (2001) and Nick Taylor (2017).  Berger won the week after former Florida State teammate Brooks Koepka won the Waste Management Phoenix Open. In 2017, Berger won the FedEx St. Jude Classic and Koepka won the following week at the U.S. Open.  Berger and runner-up Maverick McNealy both finished T5 in 2020.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Daniel Berger

1

67

66

72

65

270/-18

500

$1,404,000

Maverick McNealy

2

68

69

69

66

272/-16

300

$850,200

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Patrick Cantlay

T3

62

73

70

68

273/-15

162.5

$460,200

Social Media

Jordan Spieth

T3

65

67

71

70

273/-15

162.5

$460,200

Paul Casey

T5

68

67

71

68

274/-14

105

$301,275

Nate Lashley

T5

65

72

68

69

274/-14

105

$301,275

@@attproam @@attproam @attproam

142

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2021 Champion

“I knew it was going to be a tight finish and I just stepped up there and hit a great drive and hit maybe the best 3-wood I’ve ever hit in my life.” – Daniel Berger 21 20

Pebble Beach Golf Links is famous for its holes that run along the Pacific Ocean. While the par-5 18th is one of the most recognizable holes in the world, Nos. 8-10, all par 4s, compose the most difficult stretch.

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21/12/2021 17:46

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

FEBRUARY 10-13, 2022

Location & Course Information

Waste Management Phoenix Open

TPC SCOTTSDALE, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale was designed by Jay Morrish and 16-time PGA TOUR winner Tom Weiskopf specifically to serve as the stage for the tournament and opened in 1986.

Weiskopf oversaw a renovation in 2014. Yardage: 7,261; par 71

Notable Course Features The short par-3 16th, just 163 yards, has become the most renowned hole during the event.

It is the first hole in tournament golf completely surrounded by grandstands and skyboxes, with roughly 16,000 fans filling the stadium setting. The 16th at TPC Scottsdale on tournament week has become known to many as the most exciting hole in golf.

It is the first tournament hole in golf completely surrounded by grandstands and skyboxes.

Brooks Koepka, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8.2 million Winner’s Share: $1,476,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The Waste Management Phoenix Open and the tournament host Thunderbirds raise money for Arizona charities, supporting organizations that assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Social Media

@WMPhoenixOpen @wmphoenixopen @WMPhoenixOpen W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

T37 Waste Management Open.v3.indd 143

“I like the way I finished it off. Hit a lot of quality golf shots down the stretch.”

– Brooks Koepka 21 20

2021 Champion

A pitch-in for eagle at the par-4 17th hole—his second eagle of the final round—would lift Brooks Koepka to a finalround 65 and his second Waste Management Phoenix Open title.

HOW BROOKS KOEPKA WON

Brooks Koepka holed a 32-yard pitch shot for an eagle on the par-4 17th hole to surge into the lead on the way to a one-stroke victory. Koepka trailed co-leaders Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth by five strokes through 54 holes but made two eagles in a final-round 65 to claim his second Waste Management Phoenix Open title.  Koepka birdied Nos. 13-15 in addition to his eagle on 17 to play the last six holes in 5-under.

He was also 5-under on those holes in the third round and 15-under for the week.  Koepka ranked first in Greens in Regulation Percentage at 86.11.

CHECK THIS OUT  Brooks Koepka, who also won in 2015, became the 16th multiple winner of this event. Four players share the record with three victories apiece: Arnold Palmer, Gene Littler, Mark Calcavecchia and Phil Mickelson.  Koepka came from five strokes behind after 54 holes to win, becoming the third player in the last 34 years to claim a comeback victory in the event by at least that many strokes (2012/Kyle Stanley/8, 1988/Sandy Lyle/7).  Steve Stricker, 53, ended T4 in a bid to become the oldest-ever winner on the PGA TOUR (Sam Snead, 52, 1965 Wyndham Championship).

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Brooks Koepka

1

68

66

66

65

265/-19

500

$1,314,000

K.H. Lee

T2

66

66

66

68

266/-18

245

$649,700

Xander Schauffele

T2

66

64

65

71

266/-18

245

$649,700

Carlos Ortiz

T4

67

67

69

64

267/-17

115

$307,208

Jordan Spieth

T4

67

67

61

72

267/-17

115

$307,208

Steve Stricker

T4

65

66

69

67

267/-17

115

$307,208

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

FEBRUARY 17-20, 2022

The Genesis Invitational

Location & Course Information

THE RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB, PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA George C. Thomas designed The Riviera Country Club, acclaimed as one of the best courses in the U.S. when it opened in 1927. Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore did a renovation in 1992, and since 2002 Tom Fazio has supervised some changes, including lengthening.

Yardage: 7,322; par 71

Notable Course Features

The 315-yard 10th is one of the most intriguing holes on the PGA TOUR, often set up as a drivable par 4. The green is small and set at an angle, so it is tough to hit.

Shots from around the green are challenging, making the decision to go for it a difficult one.

2021 Champion Max Homa, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 120 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $12 million Winner’s Share: $2,160,000 FedExCup Points: 550 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The tournament benefits Tiger Woods’ TGR Foundation and its mission to help students pursue their passions through education.

Since 2016, the foundation has expanded the Earl Woods Scholar Program, welcoming students from under-resourced schools in Los Angeles each year.

TGR Foundation also expanded its programs through the Los Angeles community to serve middle and high school students.

Media Coverage

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Californian Max Homa fulfilled a childhood dream in winning The Genesis Invitational in a playoff against Tony Finau. He attended the tournament as a young child.

Social Media

@thegenesisinv @thegenesisinv @thegenesisinv

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“I’ve been watching this tournament my whole life. It’s why I fell in love with golf.

This feels like it just can’t be topped for me.” – Max Homa W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

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CHECK THIS OUT  Since 1998, the winning margin at The Genesis Invitational has been two strokes or fewer in every year but one (Dustin Johnson won by five in 2017). There have been nine playoffs in that span, including 2021.  Max Homa was the first California native to win the tournament since John Merrick in 2013.

James Hahn, the 2015 champion, grew up in California but was born in South Korea.  Sam Burns led through 18, 36 and 54 holes,

but came up short in his bid to become the fourth wire-to-wire winner in tournament history. The feat has been accomplished by Ben Hogan (1948), Lloyd Mangrum (1956) and Charles Sifford (1969).  Burns led by five strokes through two rounds, the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history.

His 130 total matched the 36-hole scoring record (Davis Love III/1992, Mike Weir/2004, Shigeki Maruyama/2004).

LEADERBOARD 2021

IMAGES: PGA TOUR GETTY IMAGES

HOW MAX HOMA WON Max Homa, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, claimed a victory in the tournament he attended as a spectator in his youth, winning a playoff with Tony Finau. Homa almost took the title on the 72nd hole with an approach to 3 feet, but missed the birdie putt and settled for a closing 66. That sent him to extra holes with Finau, who shot a final-round 64. On the first extra hole, the short par-4 10th, Homa’s tee shot ended up next to a tree, but he manufactured a shot to the putting surface and made a par. Homa won with a par on the second extra hole, No. 14. Sam Burns had the lead through each of the first three rounds and shot 31 on the front nine Sunday.

But Finau also went out in 31, and Homa shot 32 to stay close. That duo moved to the forefront when Burns struggled on the back nine.  Homa ranked T1 in Par 5 Scoring Average at 4.08, with two eagles and seven birdies on the 12 par 5s for an 11-under total.  Homa was second in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee at .848 per round and T3 in hitting fairways.

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Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Max Homa

1

66

70

70

66

272/-12

550

$1,674,000

Tony Finau

2

71

67

70

64

272/-12

315

$1,013,700

Sam Burns

3

64

66

74

69

273/-11

200

$641,700

Cameron Smith

T4

69

68

71

67

275/-9

140

$455,700

Matt Fitzpatrick

T4

66

71

69

71

277/-7

105

$344,100

Viktor Hovland

T4

71

69

70

67

277/-7

105

$344,100

Jon Rahm

T4

70

69

72

66

277/-7

105

$344,100

Tony Finau finished strongly, shooting 64, but lost to Max Homa in a playoff.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

FEBRUARY 24-27, 2022

The Honda Classic Matt Jones finished off a great week of ballstriking at PGA National’s windswept Champion course with a final-round 68 that delivered his second PGA TOUR title at The Honda Classic. He won by five shots.

Location & Course Information

PGA NATIONAL RESORT & SPA (CHAMPION), PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA Originally designed by George and Tom Fazio in 1981, The Champion course at PGA National was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1990 and again in 2014. With water in play on 16 holes and strategic bunkering, it is one of the sterner tests on the PGA TOUR. Yardage: 7,125; par 70

Notable Course Features

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8 million Winner’s Share: $1,440,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

HOW MATT JONES WON

The Honda Classic donated $5.1 million in 2021 to 100 South Florida philanthropic organizations, including $1.2 million to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Matt Jones

1

61

70

69

68

268/-12

500

$1,260,000

Brandon Hagy

2

69

62

76

66

273/-7

300

$763,000

Media Coverage

Russell Henley

T3

64

69

73

68

274/-6

125

$320,600

NBC, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Denny McCarthy

T3

68

65

74

67

274/-6

125

$320,600

Social Media

@TheHondaClassic @thehondaclassic @thehondaclassic

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CHECK THIS OUT  Matt Jones’ 61 in the first round tied the tournament 18-hole record (Brian Harman/ R2/2012) and his three-stroke lead through 18 holes was the largest since 1987 (Mike Sullivan, four strokes).  Jones’ five-stroke victory margin tied the tournament record (Jack Nicklaus/1977, Camilo Villegas/2010).  Australia’s Jones was the 11th international winner of The Honda Classic since 2005.  Brendan Steele (T3) finished in the top five for the second straight year, and has five top-15 finishes in his last six starts in the event.

Matt Jones shot 61 in the first round, led by three strokes through 54 holes, and shot 68 on Sunday to win by five strokes. Jones birdied two of the first three holes in the final round and stayed comfortably ahead as he offset three bogeys with three more birdies the rest of the way.  Jones birdied four of the first five holes in the first round and birdied the last three for his 9-under 61.  Jones ranked first in Strokes Gained: Tee-toGreen with 3.575 per round and second in Strokes Gained: Around the Green with 1.392 per round.

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C.T. Pan

T3

67

72

65

70

274/-6

125

$320,600

Chase Seiffert

T3

67

74

69

64

274/-6

125

$320,600

Brendan Steele

T3

73

65

71

65

274/-6

125

$320,600

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

2021 Champion

Matt Jones, Australia

“That’s the best I’ve hit it from tee to green, ever. To be able to do it on this golf course is amazing.” – Matt Jones 21 20

The Champion course is known for a three-hole stretch nicknamed “The Bear Trap,” prominently featuring approaches over water.

Water guards three sides of the green at the 179-yard 15th and again at the 175-yard 17th.

On the 434-yard 16th, water runs the entire length of the hole on the right and must be carried with the second shot.

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THE STAGE IS SET. THE STARS ARE HERE. D O N ’ T M I S S T H E A C T I O N AT P G AT O U R . C O M

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MARCH 3-6, 2022

Location & Course Information

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard

ARNOLD PALMER’S BAY HILL CLUB & LODGE, ORLANDO, FLORIDA Originally designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee in 1961, Bay Hill was substantially redesigned

by Arnold Palmer over the years to modernize the challenge for today’s top players.

Yardage: 7,466; par 72

Notable Course Features The closing hole at Bay Hill has been known for producing dramatic moments. The 458yard par 4 requires a second shot to a narrow kidney-shaped green that wraps around a lake. While a difficult hole, it has seen such heroics as Robert Gamez holing out for an eagle to win in 1990 and Tiger Woods three times making a birdie to win by one stroke.

2021 Champion

Bryson DeChambeau, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 120 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $12 million Winner’s Share: $2,160,000 FedExCup Points: 550 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation is the host organization of the tournament.

The foundation supports the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, and provides financial support to various institutions and organizations.

Media Coverage

NBC, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Social Media

@APinv @apinv @ArnoldPalmerInvitational 148

Bryson DeChambeau held off Lee Westwood to claim a one-stroke victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

“I took a lot of pride in knowing the fact that in these difficult conditions I can persevere and win a golf tournament, like I did at the U.S. Open.” – Bryson DeChambeau

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IMAGES: PGA TOUR

HOW BRYSON DECHAMBEAU WON Bryson DeChambeau matched the low round of a tough, windy Sunday at Bay Hill with a 1-under 71 to win by one stroke. DeChambeau trailed Lee Westwood by one through 54 holes, and the two staged a tight battle in the final twosome. DeChambeau bogeyed the first hole, birdied the fourth and sixth, and made 12 straight pars to close out the round. The birdie on No. 4 created a tie after Westwood had bogeyed the third. Both birdied the par-5 sixth, DeChambeau after a 377-yard drive with a daring line over water leaving him 88 yards from the hole.

Westwood lost the lead with a bogey on No. 7, regained a tie with a birdie at 12, and fell back again with a bogey at 14. DeChambeau’s string of pars included a holed 50-foot putt at No. 11 and a putt from just inside 6 feet on 18 to clinch the title.  DeChambeau also cut the corner over the lake with his drive on the sixth hole in the third round to set up a birdie.  DeChambeau led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee at 1.758 per round and Driving Distance at 321.4 yards.  DeChambeau ranked T2 in Greens in Regulation Percentage at 69.44.

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CHECK THIS OUT  Bryson DeChambeau was the first American to win the tournament since Matt Every in 2015.  DeChambeau became the seventh player to win both the Memorial Tournament, hosted

by Jack Nicklaus, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.  In five starts at Bay Hill, DeChambeau has three top-five finishes: (2nd/2018, 4th/2020; Win/2021).  Since 1983, DeChambeau is one of two players to lead the field in driving distance and also win.

 Of the total 7,352 drives hit on the sixth hole in the ShotLink era (2003-present), DeChambeau owns the three longest drives (377, 370 and 360 yards), including two in 2021 (377 and 370).  The scoring average of 75.486 in the final round was the highest at the event since 1980.  Lee Westwood’s runner-up finish was his best in 14 starts at Bay Hill.  The win at Bay Hill was DeChambeau’s eighth PGA TOUR victory.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Bryson DeChambeau

1

67

71

68

71

277

550

$1,674,000

Lee Westwood

2

69

71

65

73

278

315

$1,013,700

Corey Conners

3

66

69

71

74

280

200

$641,700

Andrew Putnam

T4

70

72

69

71

282

120

$391,375

Jordan Spieth

T4

70

69

68

75

282

120

$391,375

Richy Werenski

T4

71

69

69

73

282

120

$391,375

Bryson DeChambeau, 27, and Lee Westwood, who was a month shy of his 48th birthday, staged an exciting and tight battle in the final twosome.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MARCH 3-6, 2022

Puerto Rico Open

Location & Course Information

GRAND RESERVE COUNTRY CLUB, RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO Grand Reserve Country Club at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve has two courses, the Championship and the International, both designed by Tom Kite. The Championship Course winds through holes lined by palm trees, lush mangroves, and waterways. The course also features several oceanfront holes.

Yardage: 7,506; par 72 The 12th, 13th and 14th holes form a key stretch of formidable par 4s, annually ranking among the toughest on the course.

The 465-yard 12th has the most scenic setting, with the green featuring an ocean backdrop. The 459-yard 14th plays into the prevailing wind and is usually the toughest.

Quick Facts

Field: 120 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $3.7 million Winner’s Share: $666,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Since it began in 2008, the Puerto Rico Open has donated more than $2.5 million to nonprofit organizations in Puerto Rico. In 2021, the tournament gave to nine local non-profits that offer services to children and promote health and social welfare on the island.

“It was an emotional day. I thought about my father a lot out there, especially on the last tee shot.” – Branden Grace

HOW BRANDEN GRACE WON

Branden Grace finished eagle-birdie on the last two holes to score a one-stroke victory over Jhonattan Vegas. Grace holed out from a bunker on the 17th, where the tee was moved up to make it a drivable par 4, and got up and down from a bunker on the par-5 18th to finish with a 66. It was the South African’s second PGA TOUR victory, and 13th worldwide.  Grace birdied seven of his first 12 holes.  Grace was 9-under on Nos. 16-18 for the week with seven birdies, an eagle and four pars.  Grace ranked T3 in Greens in Regulation Percentage and hit 17 greens in the final round.

Media Coverage

CHECK THIS OUT  Branden Grace was the third consecutive player to win the Puerto Rico Open in his debut in the event (Viktor Hovland/2020, Martin Trainer/2019).  Grace’s victory came five weeks after his father, Peter, died of complications associated with COVID-19.  Jhonattan Vegas has finished T9 (2020) and second (2021) in the last two Puerto Rico Opens.  Puerto Rico’s Rafael Campos had a share of the 54-hole lead and finished T3, his third top-10 in the event (T8/2016, T10/2017).

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup Points

Earnings

Branden Grace

1

67

68

68

66

269/-19

300

$540,000

Jhonattan Vegas

2

68

68

69

65

270/-18

165

$327,000

Golf Channel

Rafael Campos

T3

66

69

67

70

272/-16

92.5

$177,000

Social Media

Grayson Murray

T3

71

66

65

70

272/-16

92.5

$177,000

Brice Garnett

T5

67

71

70

65

273/-15

62.5

$115,875

Andrew Putnam

T5

67

70

67

69

273/-15

62.5

$115,875

@PuertoRicoOpen @puertoricoopen @PuertoRicoOpen

150

21 20

2021 Champion

Branden Grace, S. Africa

A big finish by Branden Grace just five weeks after the death of his father led to an emotional victory in Puerto Rico.

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IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Notable Course Features

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MARCH 10-13, 2022

THE PLAYERS Championship

Location & Course Information

THE PLAYERS STADIUM COURSE AT TPC SAWGRASS, PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA Opened in 1980, THE PLAYERS Stadium Course was designed

by Pete Dye with input from his wife, Alice, and former PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman. The course has been renovated over the years, most recently in 2016.

Yardage: 7,189; par 72

Notable Course Features

The closing three-hole stretch provides one of the most dramatic stages in tournament golf. The 523-yard 16th offers an eagle opportunity, but has danger lurking in water to the right of the green. The island green 137-yard 17th is a wedge or 9-iron shot with even more danger. The 462-yard 18th, which bends around water to the left, was the second toughest hole on the course in 2021.

2021 Champion Justin Thomas, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $20 million Winner’s Share: $3,600,000 FedExCup Points: 600 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Proceeds from THE PLAYERS benefit Northeast Florida charities and have totaled more than $100 million since it began in 1974 and moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977.

Media Coverage

NBC, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Social Media

@THEPLAYERSChamp @theplayerschamp @THEPLAYERS 152

Starting at the par-5 ninth, Justin Thomas played a stretch of four holes in 5-under during the final round that sparked a one-stroke victory.

“It’s a tournament I’ve wanted to win, a tournament that I truly did feel like I was going to win at some point, and hopefully multiple times. I love the golf course.” – Justin Thomas

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

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CHECK THIS OUT  Justin Thomas’ 64-68 finish tied THE PLAYERS Championship record for lowest closing 36-hole total (132, Fred Couples and Rocco Mediate, 1996).  Thomas became the fourth player to win THE PLAYERS, as well as a major championship, a World Golf Championships event and a FedExCup title, joining Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy.  At age 27, Thomas became the fourth player since 1960 to win 14 times before turning age

28, joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller.  Thomas played the par-5s in 14-under for the week, tied for the lowest in tournament history (Geoff Ogilvy, 2004).  Thomas became the third player in the ShotLink era (since 2003) to win THE PLAYERS despite hitting a ball into the water on No. 17 (Matt Kuchar/2012 and Webb Simpson/2018).  2021 gave Lee Westwood consecutive runnerup finishes in THE PLAYERS Championship.

LEADERBOARD 2021

IMAGES: PGA TOUR

HOW JUSTIN THOMAS WON Justin Thomas played a stretch of four holes in 5-under during the final round to spark a onestroke victory. Thomas was three behind when he reached the ninth hole, just as he had started the round. He made a two-putt birdie on the ninth, a birdie from 6 feet on the 10th, made a 20-foot eagle putt on 11 and pitched close for a birdie on the short par-4 12th. After a bogey on 14, a two-putt birdie on 16 gave him a one-stroke lead over Lee Westwood, which Thomas preserved with a par on 18 after a tee shot that came dangerously close to the water.

Thomas was barely inside the cut line through nine holes of the second round before firing 33 on the back nine to make the weekend by three strokes.

He moved into contention with a 64 on Saturday before closing with a 68 for the title.  Thomas birdied the first four holes of the third round and had an eagle on 16 in his 64.  Thomas hit the first 17 greens in regulation in the final round, including three par-5s in two, before missing the 18th green by inches.  Thomas ranked first in Strokes Gained: Tee-toGreen at 3.218 per round.

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Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Justin Thomas

1

71

71

64

68

274/-14

600

$2,700,000

Lee Westwood

2

69

66

68

72

275/-13

330

$1,635,000

Bryson DeChambeau

T3

69

69

67

71

276/-12

180

$885,000

Brian Harman

T3

67

71

69

69

276/-12

180

$885,000

Paul Casey

T5

73

67

67

70

277/-11

115

$579,375

Talor Gooch

T5

71

68

71

67

277/-11

115

$579,375

A moment of emotional reflection for Justin Thomas following his first PLAYERS title.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MARCH 17-20, 2022

Location & Course Information

INNISBROOK RESORT (COPPERHEAD COURSE), PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA

Valspar Championship Fueled by a red-hot putting week, Sam Burns celebrates after claiming his first PGA TOUR victory by three strokes.

Designed by Larry Packard in 1982, the Copperhead Course features undulating terrain that is unusual for a Florida course and complements a challenging strategic layout. The course underwent a restoration in 2015.

Yardage: 7,340; par 71

Notable Course Features

Holes 16, 17 and 18 are known as the “Snake Pit.” The toughest of the three, and the most difficult hole on the course in 2021, is the 16th, a 475-yard par 4 that features water on the right side.

2021 Champion

“This week I just felt so much more confidence with what the golf ball is doing and the control that I had.” – Sam Burns

Quick Facts

Charity Benefit

Copperhead Charities, the nonprofit organizing group of the Valspar Championship, has generated more than $47 million since 1977, including $1.6 million in 2021. The tournament raises substantial sums through its Birdies for Tampa Bay program and other targeted donations to groups such as Tampa General Hospital, Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties, The First Tee, the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation and others.

HOW SAM BURNS WON

Media Coverage Social Media

@ValsparChamp @valsparchamp @ValsparChampionship PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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CHECK THIS OUT  Along with Keegan Bradley, winner Sam Burns set the tournament’s 36-hole scoring record at 130 and tied the 54-hole mark of 199. Burns’ 72-hole total of 17-under 267 was one higher than the record (Vijay Singh, 2004).  Burns played the par-5s in 15-under, tying the record set by Paul Casey in 2019.  At 24 years, 9 months, 9 days, Burns became the second youngest player to win the Valspar Championship (Jordan Spieth/2015/21 years, 7 months, 16 days).  Burns became the fifth TOUR player to claim his first PGA TOUR victory at the Valspar Championship.

Sam Burns and Keegan Bradley were tied at the top through 36 and 54 holes, and after some back-and-forth were tied again through 12 holes of the final round. After Bradley fell back with a double bogey on the 13th, Burns extended the margin with a birdie on the 14th and went on to claim his first PGA TOUR victory by three strokes.  Burns turned a solid start into a great round of 8-under 63 for a share of the lead with Keegan.  Burns played the par-5 first hole in 6-under for the week, making two eagles and two birdies.  Burns ranked third in Strokes Gained: Putting at 2.274 per round, and missed only two putts inside 10 feet all week.

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Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.8 million Winner’s Share: $1,404,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

Sam Burns

1

67

Keegan Bradley

2

64

2

3

4

63

69

68

66

69

71

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

267/-17

500

$1,242,000

270/-14

300

$752,100

Viktor Hovland

T3

69

69

68

65

271/-13

162.5

$407,100

Cameron Tringale

T3

69

67

67

68

271/-13

162.5

$407,100

Abraham Ancer

T3

67

70

66

69

272/-12

110

$282,900

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Sam Burns, U.S.

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FOLLOW THE 2022 SE ASON AT PGATOUR.COM/CHAMPIONS

© 2022 PGATOUR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PLAYER APPEARANCE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MARCH 23-27, 2022

World Golf ChampionshipsDell Technologies Match Play

Location & Course Information

AUSTIN COUNTRY CLUB, AUSTIN, TEXAS The current course at Austin Country Club was built on new property in 1984 and designed

by Pete Dye. As configured for the tournament, a stretch of holes on the back nine is in the “lowlands” close to Lake Austin, while the rest of the course sits on higher ground.

Yardage: 7,108; par 71

Notable Course Features The signature hole is the par-5 12th, which plays downhill to a green that sits hard by Lake Austin. It’s reachable in two shots, but the green is double-tiered and water on the left awaits an errant shot, making it an excellent risk/ reward hole for match play.

2021 Champion Billy Horschel, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 64 players Format: 8-hole match play, with four-player pool play preceding single-elimination match play Purse: $12 million Winner’s Share: $2,160,000 FedExCup Points: 550 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The tournament has generated more than $4.5 million for Austin-based charitable organizations in the five years since it moved to Austin. The primary benefiting charities are The First Tee of Greater Austin and Dell Children’s Hospital.

Media Coverage

NBC, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Billy Horschel raises the trophy in delight after edging Scottie Scheffler, 2 and 1, to capture the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club.

Social Media

@DellMatchPlay @dellmatchplay @dellmatchplay

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“It wasn’t pretty at all, but it was just one of those days where you knew you had to keep grinding it out.” – Billy Horschel W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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HOW BILLY HORSCHEL WON Billy Horschel had only one birdie against Scottie Scheffler in the final, but he mostly avoided mistakes and that was enough to produce a 2-and1 victory. Scheffler also only had one birdie, and that was on a conceded 35-foot putt on the second hole where Horschel was in a penalty area. Horschel evened the match with a birdie at the fifth and went 2-up when Scheffler bogeyed Nos. 7 and 9. They traded pars the rest of the way on a windy Sunday, except for the par-5 12th, which was tied with bogeys.

In the morning semifinals, Horschel prevailed over France’s Victor Perez despite making only two birdies; Perez made three bogeys on the back nine. Scheffler was on fire on Saturday with 15 birdies in 31 holes against Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm, then took out Matt Kuchar in the semifinals early Sunday before stalling in the final.  Horschel made it to Sunday with a 19th-hole victory over Tommy Fleetwood, thanks to a birdie on the 17th and Fleetwood driving out of bounds on the first extra hole.  In pool play, Horschel defeated Max Homa, lost to J.T. Poston, and defeated Collin Morikawa before beating Homa in a playoff after both finished 2-1-0.

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CHECK THIS OUT  Winner Billy Horschel and runner-up Scottie Scheffler both finished in the top five in the previous World Golf Championships event on the schedule, the Workday Championship at The Concession, where Horschel was second and Scheffler fifth.  Horschel won in his fifth start in the event; he had never advanced to the round of 16.  Scheffler was the second player to reach the final match in his tournament debut since Austin Country Club began hosting the event in

2016. Jon Rahm got there in 2017, and lost to Dustin Johnson.  Matt Kuchar won the consolation match to finish third. The 2013 champion and 2019 runner-up ran his total of match wins to 34, second-most in tournament history behind Tiger Woods (36).  Victor Perez was the second player from France to reach the semifinals. Victor Dubuisson made the championship match in 2014, losing in 23 holes to Jason Day.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

FedExCup

Earnings

Billy Horschel

1

550

$1,820,000

Scottie Scheffler

2

315

$1,150,000

Matt Kuchar

3

200

$740,000

Victor Perez

4

--

$574,000

In his Match Play debut, redhot Texan Scottie Scheffler made 15 birdies in 31 holes on Saturday against Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm, then took down Matt Kuchar in the semifinals.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MARCH 24-27, 2022

Location & Course Information

PUNTACANA RESORT & CLUB CORALES GOLF COURSE, PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Corales Puntacana Championship Joel Dahmen rode a hot Sunday start and a final-round 70 to his first PGA TOUR victory.

The Tom Fazio-designed Corales Golf Course opened in 2010 with six holes playing along the cliffs, bays and coves of the Caribbean Sea and inland holes dotted with lakes and coralina quarries.

Yardage: 7,666; par 72

Notable Course Features

Joel Dahmen, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $3.7 million Winner’s Share: $666,000 FedExCup Points: 300 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Proceeds benefit the Grupo Puntacana Foundation, formed to implement programs that protect the environment and that also improve the wellbeing of the local communities of Punta Cana in basic areas of human development.

HOW JOEL DAHMEN WON

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Golf Channel

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Joel Dahmen

1

67

71

68

70

276/-12

300

$540,000

Rafael Campos

T2

68

69

69

71

277/-11

135

$267,000

Sam Ryder

T2

68

72

70

67

277/-11

135

$267,000

T4

73

66

68

71

278/-10

72.5

$135,000

Graeme McDowell

T4

70

69

70

69

278/-10

72.5

$135,000

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Pos

Michael Gligic

Social Media

158

CHECK THIS OUT  Joel Dahmen had missed the cut in six of seven tournaments before winning the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship.  In two previous starts at the event, Dahmen finished T13 in 2018 and T12 in 2019, posting a round of 66 each year.  Dahmen was the third 54-hole leader/co-leader to win the event in its four years as a PGA TOUR event, the lone exception being Hudson Swafford in 2020.  Rafael Campos recorded his best PGA TOUR finish with a T2, while Sam Ryder’s T2 matched his career best (2018 John Deere Classic).

Joel Dahmen played the first seven holes of the final round in 4-under to break out of a 54-hole tie for the lead, then narrowly held on for his first PGA TOUR victory. The 33-yearold went 2-over the rest of the way but saved a couple of crucial pars down the stretch and beat Rafael Campos and Sam Ryder by one.  Dahmen shot 32 on the back nine of a thirdround 68 and 32 on the front nine of a finalround 70.  Dahmen ranked T3 in Putts Per Round (26.75) and fourth in Scrambling (saved par on 78.26 percent of missed greens).

Media Coverage

@CoralesChamp @coraleschampionship @CoralesChampionship

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2021 Champion

“I knew it was hard to win golf tournaments, but I can’t believe how hard it actually is.”

– Joel Dahmen

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

The last three holes play toward or along the Bay of Corales and are called the Devil’s Elbow. The 214-yard par-3 17th skirts the coast with a narrow green guarded by bunkers on both sides. The 501-yard par-4 18th wraps around the water, enticing players to bite off as much of a carry as they dare on the tee shot.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MARCH 31APRIL 3, 2022

Valero Texas Open With his 2021 Valero Texas Open triumph, Jordan Spieth won for the first time since the 2017 Open Championship.

Location & Course Information

TPC SAN ANTONIO (OAKS COURSE), SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Oaks Course, one of two courses at TPC San Antonio, was designed

by Greg Norman, assisted by Sergio Garcia, and opened in 2010. The course balances narrower, tree-lined fairways with wide fairways offering multiple routes to the green. Yardage: 7,494; par 72

Notable Course Features

2021 Champion Jordan Spieth, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 144 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8.6 million Winner’s Share: $1,548,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The Valero Texas Open has generated $187 million in charitable giving over the years. In addition to tournament proceeds, funds are raised by the Valero Benefit for Children and the Champions fore Charity program.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

“This is a monumental win for me. It’s been a long road. There were a lot of times that I didn’t know I would be here.” – Jordan Spieth 21 20

The 591-yard, par-5 18th provides a demanding finish even while affording a birdie opportunity. It is reachable in two for long hitters, but others have to lay up short of a creek that bisects the fairway in front of the green. Imprecision on either of the first two shots can leave a player fighting for a par.

HOW JORDAN SPIETH WON

CHECK THIS OUT  Native Texan Jordan Spieth won for the second time in Texas; the first was the 2016 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth.  Spieth became the fifth player in the last 40 years to reach 12 PGA TOUR victories before turning 28, joining Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas.  Spieth’s winning score of 18-under 270 was the second lowest since the tournament moved to TPC San Antonio in 2010 (Corey Conners 268/2019).  Charley Hoffman has more top-five finishes in the event since 2016 (five) than anyone.

Jordan Spieth ended a victory drought of more than three-and-a-half years thanks to a finalround 66. The Texas native, whose last win was the 2017 Open Championship, opened a three-stroke lead through 12 holes on Sunday, then answered a late move by Charley Hoffman with a birdie on 17 to win by two.  Spieth birdied four of the last five holes in the third round and two of the first three on Sunday.  Spieth had 23 putts in each of the first two rounds and had the fewest putts in the field with 98 for the week.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Jordan Spieth

1

67

70

67

66

270/-18

500

$1,386,000

NBC, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Charley Hoffman

2

75

66

65

66

272/-16

300

$839,300

Social Media

Matt Wallace

3

69

68

67

70

274/-14

190

$531,300

Lucas Glover

4

73

67

70

66

276/-12

135

$377,300

Anirban Lahiri

5

71

69

69

69

278/-10

110

$315,700

@valerotxopen @valerotxopen @valerotxopen

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

APRIL 7-10, 2022

Masters Tournament

Location & Course Information

AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

Hideki Matsuyama, who first competed at the Masters as a 19-year-old amateur, became the first male player from Japan to capture a major championship.

Designed by Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones on the site of a former tree nursery, Augusta National opened in 1932.

The course features elevation changes, large undulating greens and relatively few but strategically placed bunkers.

The layout has undergone changes throughout its history to continue to provide a strong test for Masters competitors.

Yardage: 7,475; par 72

Notable Course Features

The stretch of holes from 11 to 13, known as Amen Corner, has provided more than its share of drama over the years. The 505yard par-4 11th, with a green guarded by water on the left, is one of the toughest holes on the course. The 155-yard 12th is one of the world’s famous par 3s with its shallow, diagonal green fronted by Rae’s Creek. The 510yard par-5 13th is a dogleg left that provides birdie and eagle opportunities.

2021 Champion

Hideki Matsuyama, Japan

Quick Facts

Field: Approx. 90 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $11.5 million (2021) Winner’s Share: $2,070,000 (2021) FedExCup Points: 600 to the winner

Media Coverage CBS, ESPN

Social Media @TheMasters @themasters @TheMasters

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“It’s thrilling to think that there are a lot of youngsters watching in Japan today.

Hopefully, in five, 10 years when they get a little older, some of them will be competing on the world stage.” – Hideki Matsuyama W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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tournament overview

21 20

HOW HIDEKI MATSUYAMA WON

images: ALAMY; dreamstime

Hideki Matsuyama became the first male player from Japan to win a major championship, building a four-stroke lead through 54 holes and hanging on in the final round to win by one. Matsuyama shot a 65 in the third round, including a 30 on the back nine, to open up his advantage. The final round tightened on three occasions. Matsuyama’s lead was cut to one by Will Zalatoris early in the round, but Matsuyama’s cushion was back up to six through 10 holes. The lead was down to two through 15 holes when Xander Schauffele made four straight birdies on Nos. 12-15 and Matsuyama bogeyed the 15th. Schauffele dropped out with a triple bogey on 16, but Zalatoris got back to within two when he birdied 17 and Matsuyama bogeyed 16.

The 29-year-old from Japan finished with a one-stroke victory, a bogey on the 18th giving him a final-round 73.

XXMatsuyama had an eagle on a par 5 in each of the first three rounds: the eighth on Thursday, the 13th on Friday, and the 15th on Saturday.

XXMatsuyama ranked second in Scrambling, saving par on 72.73 percent of the holes where he missed the green in regulation.

“Hopefully I’ll be a pioneer in this [victory] and many other Japanese will follow.”

—Hideki Matsuyama

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check this out XX The 54-hole leader has held a four-stroke margin three times since 2015: Jordan Spieth (2015), Dustin Johnson (2020) and Hideki Matsuyama (2021).

XX Will Zalatoris finished second in his bid to become the first player to win his Masters debut since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. It was the second consecutive year a first-time player finished second (Sungjae Im, 2020).

XX Jordan Spieth, who finished T3, became the first player to birdie the par-4 10th hole in all four rounds.

XX Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama was the first international winner of the Masters since Spain’s Sergio Garcia in 2017.

XX Matsuyama’s final-round 73 snapped his streak of 10 consecutive rounds of par or better in the Masters.

XX Matsuyama was the eighth Masters champion to win with an over-par final round, joining Byron Nelson (1942), Herman Keiser (1946), Arnold Palmer (1958, 1962), Gary Player (1961), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Craig Stadler (1982) and Trevor Immelman (2008).

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Hideki Matsuyama

1

69

71

65

73

278/-10

600

$2,070,000

Will Zalatoris

2

70

68

71

70

279/-9

Xander Schauffele

T3

72

69

68

72

281/-7

180

$1,242,000 $667,000

Jordan Spieth

T3

71

68

72

70

281/-7

180

$667,000

Marc Leishman

T5

72

67

70

73

282/-6

115

$437,000

Jon Rahm

T5

72

72

72

66

282/-6

115

$437,000

Fans eagerly watch the action at Hole 10, Augusta National.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

APRIL 14-17, 2022

Location & Course Information

RBC Heritage Stewart Cink proved uncatchable after a pair of 63s to open the RBC Heritage, winning the tournament for the third time.

HARBOUR TOWN GOLF LINKS, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA Harbour Town was an early masterpiece in the career of renowned architect Pete Dye, with help from consultant Jack Nicklaus in his first design project. It opened in 1969, in time for the first RBC Heritage.

The course is known for its small, undulating greens and tree-lined fairways, placing a premium on accuracy. Yardage: 7,121; par 71

Notable Course Features

Stewart Cink, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8 million Winner’s Share: $1,440,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The Heritage Classic Foundation distributes revenue to a wide variety of charitable organizations in South Carolina, as well as for college scholarships. $4.63 million has been awarded to deserving students since the program began in 1993.

HOW STEWART CINK WON

Media Coverage Social Media

@RBC_Heritage @rbcheritage @RBCHeritage

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CHECK THIS OUT  Stewart Cink captured the RBC Heritage for the third time (he also won in 2000 and 2004), joining Davis Love III (five) and Hale Irwin (three) in winning three or more.  At age 47, Cink became the second oldest to win the event (Hale Irwin, 48, 1994).  Cink, who also won the 2020 Fortinet Championship, became the fourth player to win multiple PGA TOUR events in a season at age 47 or older—the other three players were Sam Snead, Julius Boros and Kenny Perry (twice).

Stewart Cink shot a pair of 63s in the first two rounds to build a five-stroke lead, stayed ahead by five with a third-round 69 and won by four with a steady 70 on Sunday. The 47-year-old led by at least three strokes throughout the final round, and clinched it with a birdie on 17.  Cink shot 30 on the front nine (his second nine) in the first round with an eagle and four birdies.  Cink was tied for first in Greens in Regulation (56 of 72) and second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (2.135 per round).

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

162

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2021 Champion

“It was pretty spectacular the first two days, like I could do no wrong, then the weekend was just a bunch of solid hitting, nothing exciting but enough.” – Stewart Cink

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Stewart Cink

1

63

63

69

70

265/-19

500

$1,278,000

Emiliano Grillo

T2

68

64

69

68

269/-15

245

$631,900

Harold Varner III

T2

66

68

69

66

269/-15

245

$631,900

Corey Conners

T4

67

64

72

68

271/-13

115

$298,791

Maverick McNealy

T4

71

67

66

67

271/-13

115

$298,791

Matt Fitzpatrick

T4

71

64

68

68

271/-13

115

$298,791

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

All four par 3s at Harbour Town feature water, which is especially in play on the 200-yard fourth, front and left, and the 192-yard 14th, front and right. No. 14 was the toughest hole on the course in 2021 and No. 4 the second toughest, accounting for 34 and 23 double bogeys or worse, respectively.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

APRIL 21-24, 2022

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Location & Course Information

TPC LOUISIANA, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Pete Dye designed TPC Louisiana with assistance from player consultants Steve Elkington and New Orleans native Kelly Gibson.

The course, which opened in 2004, stretches along the Mississippi River delta, incorporating strands of cypress and oak trees.

Yardage: 7,425; par 72 Australians Marc Leishman (left) and Cameron Smith went two extra holes to defeat South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel.

Notable Course Features

The signature hole is the 18th, a risk-oriented par 5. It is reachable in two shots, but water all the way down the right side adds an element of danger and 12 strategically placed bunkers come into play on the tee shot, lay-up area and approach.

2021 Champion

Quick Facts

Field: 80 two-player teams Format: Four-Ball (first and third round); Foursomes (second and fourth round) Purse: $8.3 million Winner’s Share: $1,494,000 FedExCup Points: 400 for each player on the winning team

Charity Benefit

The Fore! Kids Foundation, founded in 1958, has raised more than $40 million with golf events including the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Proceeds from the tournament are distributed to more than 100 charitable organizations and schools.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Media Coverage

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Social Media

@Zurich_Classic @zurich_classic @ZurichClassic

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21 20

Marc Leishman/Cameron Smith, Australia

“That back nine was brutal, but we hung in there and we won.”

– Cameron Smith

HOW MARC LEISHMAN AND CAMERON SMITH WON

CHECK THIS OUT  Cameron Smith became the first player with two victories at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans since it switched to a team format in 2017. He won with Jonas Blixt in 2017.  Both of Smith’s victories came in playoffs, the only two playoffs in the four years of the team format.  The Smith/Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen/Charl Schwartzel teams shot 63s twice in the best-ball format.  Richy Werenski and Peter Uihlein matched the low score of the alternate-shot final round by shooting 67 to claim third place.

The Australian duo of Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith won in a playoff after a back-andforth duel with South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel. Leishman and Smith fell one behind with a two-stroke swing on the 15th hole in the alternate-shot format of the final round, pulled even with a birdie on 16, and won the playoff when Oosthuizen drove into the water on the second extra hole, leading to a bogey.  The crucial birdie on the 16th hole came when Leishman chipped in after Smith’s tee shot on the drivable par 4 finished in the water.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup*

Earnings*

Marc Leishman/ Cameron Smith

1

63

72

63

70

268/-20

400

$1,069,300

Louis Oosthuizen/ Charl Schwartzel

2

63

71

63

71

268/-20

162.5

$436,600

Richy Werenski/ Peter Uihlein

3

65

69

68

67

269/-19

105

$285,825

*FedExCup Points and Earnings are for each player

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tournament overview MANUAL DE MARCA / MEXICO OPEN

COLORES DE LA MARCA

April 28-May 1, 2022

Location & Course Information

Mexico Open 04

PANTONE 361 C CMYK 77 0 100 0 RGB 67 176 42 HEX 43B02A

Vidanta Vallarta, Vallarta, Mexico

PANTONE 444 C CMYK 45 16 25 50 RGB 113 124 125 HEX 717C7D

Los siguientes Pantones® delimitan el

The Greg Norman Signature color para el uso principal de nuestra marca.

Course at Vidanta Vallarta opened in 2016. Paspalum grass covers the entire layout, which winds along the Ameca River and provides views of the Sierra Madre mountains A scenic view of the from almost every hole.

Greg Norman Signature Yardage: 7,456; par 71

Notable Course Features

The course has large landing areas, but sandy waste areas and numerous water hazards await to catch shots that stray too far. The water also adds a strategic element to many holes, as do the bunkers that dot the course.

Course at Vidanta Vallarta, where the Mexico Open will debut as a PGA TOUR event in April.

2021 Champion New event

Quick Facts

Field: 132 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $7.3 million Winner’s Share: $1,314,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner Grupo Salinas, the tournament host, will support First Tee Mexico. The First Tee Mexico is a non-profit organization for children and youth development, whose mission is to positively change stories of children in Mexico, providing educational programs that build character, promote values ​​and healthy options through golf.

The organization launched its first chapter in Puebla at Las Maravillas in November 2017 and quickly added a second in January 2018.

Media Coverage

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The 7,456-yard par 71 course features a total of 55 bunkers.

NEW EVENT The Mexico Open, which dates back to 1944 and is considered Mexico’s national championship, appears on the PGA TOUR schedule for the first time as an official FedExCup event. It takes the place on the schedule of the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, which is no longer being held. Grupo Salinas, which partnered with the PGA TOUR to stage the Mexico Championship, continues in that role with the Mexico Open. “At Grupo Salinas we are honored to host a world-class event in our country, reaffirming our commitment to grow golf in Mexico and to generate new interests and passions around this sport, especially in younger

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generations,” said Benjamin Salinas Sada, Vice President of the board of directors of Grupo Salinas. “We’ve worked closely with Grupo Salinas since the inception of the Mexico Championship in 2017,” said John Norris, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President of Tournament Business Affairs.

“As tournament hosts, Grupo Salinas has been first-class in every respect—making this stop a favorite among our players while entertaining fans in Mexico and around the world.” The tournament will be held at Vidanta Vallarta on the west coast of Mexico. The field of 132 players will include 12 sponsor exemptions, with a minimum of four players from Latin America.

images: PGA TOUR

Charity Benefit

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MAY 5-8, 2022

Wells Fargo Championship

Location & Course Information

Rory McIlroy celebrates his victory with his wife, Erica, and baby daughter, Poppy.

TPC POTOMAC AT AVENEL FARM, POTOMAC, MARYLAND With Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club hosting the 2022 Presidents Cup, the Wells Fargo Championship moves to TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. The original course, TPC Avenel, was redesigned in 2009 with input from architects Pete Dye and Tom Fazio and player consultants Davis Love III and Fred Funk.

Yardage: 7,139; par 70

Notable Course Features

Rock Run Creek runs through five holes on the back nine, including the 299-yard drivable par-4 14th, where it guards the right side of the green while a bunker sits to the left. The hole yielded 15 eagles when the course hosted the Quicken Loans National in 2018.

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $9 million Winner’s Share: $1,620,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

Founded in 2002, Champions For Education, the tournament’s charitable arm, has donated more than $25 million to charitable organizations over the years. In 2022, proceeds will go to organizations in the Wilmington and Charlotte areas.

IMAGES: PGA TOUR

Media Coverage

21 20

2021 Champion

Rory McIlroy, N. Ireland

“It’s tough to get over the line, especially if you haven’t done it in a while.”

– Rory McIlroy

HOW RORY MCILROY WON

CHECK THIS OUT  Rory McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship for the third time, having also claimed the title in 2010 and 2015. He is the only multiple winner of the event, which began in 2003.  McIlroy won despite hitting only 19 of 56 fairways; previously no winner of the event had hit fewer than 26 fairways.  McIlroy had missed the cut in his previous two stroke-play tournaments.  With four subpar rounds, Abraham Ancer ran his streak to 13 consecutive par-or-better rounds on TOUR.

Rory McIlroy ended an 18-month victory drought with a final-round 68 to come from two strokes behind at Quail Hollow and claim his 19th career PGA TOUR title. McIlroy, who trailed by eight strokes after a first-round 72, moved into contention by shooting 66-68 over the next two rounds. On Sunday, he birdied 14 and 15 to move in front and survived a bogey at 18 to win by one.  McIlroy ranked third in Greens in Regulation Percentage (75.00) despite being T76 in Driving Accuracy Percentage (33.93).  McIlroy ranked third in Strokes Gained: Putting at 1.736 per round.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Rory McIlroy

1

72

66

68

68

274/-10

500

$1,458,000

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Abraham Ancer

2

69

70

70

66

275/-9

300

$882,900

Social Media

Viktor Hovland

T3

69

72

68

67

276/-8

162.5

$477,900

Keith Mitchell

T3

67

71

66

72

276/-8

162.5

$477,900

Gary Woodland

5

67

69

70

71

277/-7

110

$332,100

@WellsFargoGolf @wellsfargogolf @WellsFargoChampionship W W W.P GAT OUR.COM

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MAY 12-15, 2022

AT&T Byron Nelson

Location & Course Information TPC CRAIG RANCH, MCKINNEY, TEXAS

TPC Craig Ranch opened in 2004, designed by Tom Weiskopf with player consultant D.A. Weibring. The course was the site of two Korn Ferry Tour Championships before it began hosting the AT&T Byron Nelson in 2021.

Yardage: 7,468; par 72

Notable Course Features K.H. Lee captured his first PGA TOUR victory in style at TPC Craig Ranch, finishing birdie-birdie to win by three shots.

“In the rain delay, my goal was not to look at the leaderboard. I don’t want too much pressure, so I just relaxed.” – K.H. Lee

2021 Champion Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $9.1 million Winner’s Share: $1,638,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The Salesmanship Club of Dallas, the host organization of the AT&T Byron Nelson, donates funds raised by the tournament to Momentous Institute and its education and mental health programs designed to build and repair children’s social and emotional health. $167 million has been raised since 1968.

HOW K.H. LEE WON

K.H. Lee played the first eight holes of the final round in 5-under to move four strokes ahead of 54-hole leader Sam Burns. The lead was down to two when Lee bogeyed the 16th hole after a rain delay of more than two hours, but the 29-year-old South Korean birdied the last two holes to shoot 66 and win by three over Burns.  Lee didn’t make a bogey in the second and third rounds, and had only three bogeys on the week in shooting 25-under.  Lee ranked second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green at 2.070 per round.

Media Coverage

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

Social Media

@attbyronnelson @attbyronnelson @attbyronnelson

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K.H. Lee, S. Korea

CHECK THIS OUT  K.H. Lee was the second consecutive AT&T Byron Nelson Championship winner from South Korea, following Sung Kang in 2019. Three South Koreans have won the event, the first being Sangmoon Bae (2013).  Lee was the 12th international winner of the event since 2000.  Lee’s 25-under total for 72 holes was a tournament record relative to par.  Burns fell short in his bid to win a second consecutive PGA TOUR start, finishing second following his victory at the Valspar Championship.

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

K.H. Lee

1

65

65

67

66

263/-25

500

$1,458,000

Sam Burns

2

65

62

69

70

266/-22

300

$882,900

Daniel Berger

T3

69

67

67

64

267/-21

133.75

$395,381.25

Patton Kizzire

T3

69

64

71

63

267/-21

133.75

$395,381.25

Charl Schwartzel

T3

65

68

66

68

267/-21

133.75

$395,381.25

Scott Stallings

T3

67

71

63

66

267/-21

-

$395,381.25

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

The 18th hole is a reachable par 5 of 552 yards but, with nine bunkers in the landing zone, the tee shot must be accurate to give a chance to get to the green in two. A creek crosses the fairway about 15 yards short of the green, which is guarded by three bunkers.

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22/12/2021 11:21

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2020-21 KORN FERRY TOUR GRADUATES! Follow the action at KornFerryTour.com

@KORNFERRYTOUR ©2021 PGATOUR, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PLAYER APPEARANCE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MAY 19-22, 2022

PGA Championship

Location & Course Information

SOUTHERN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, TULSA, OKLAHOMA Southern Hills was designed by Perry Maxwell and opened in 1936.

The course has hosted three U.S. Opens, four PGA Championships and the 2021 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Architect Gil Hanse completed a renovation in 2019, restoring Maxwell features to the rebuilt greens.

Yardage: 7,546; par 70

Notable Course Features

As it has in other championships, the 18th hole ranked as the toughest in the 2021 Senior PGA. The 491-yard par 4 requires a demanding uphill approach shot, sometimes from a downhill lie, to a bunker-guarded and sloping green where twoputting can be a challenge.

2021 Champion Phil Mickelson, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 156 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $12 million (2021) Winner’s Share: $2,160,000 FedExCup Points: 600 to the winner

Charity Benefit

PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. Its mission is to positively impact the lives of youths, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf, via several flagship programs.

Media Coverage CBS, ESPN

Social Media

@PGAChampionship @pgachampionship @pgachampionship 168

Phil Mickelson poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after his two-stroke victory in the PGA Championship. For Mickelson, the victory marked his second PGA title, and sixth major championship.

“I believed for a long time that I could play at this level again. I didn’t see why I couldn’t, but I wasn’t executing the way I believed I could.” – Phil Mickelson

PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

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IMAGES: PGA TOUR

HOW PHIL MICKELSON WON A month shy of turning 51, Phil Mickelson became the oldest player to win a major championship, prevailing by two strokes over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. With rounds of 70-69-70, Mickelson led by one over Koepka and two over Oosthuizen through 54 holes. The action swung back and forth early in the final round, with Mickelson falling one behind after the first hole and immediately going ahead by two on the second hole where Koepka made double bogey. The margin went back to two again when Mickelson chipped in for a birdie on No. 5. The pair traded twostroke swings on the sixth and seventh. Yet another two-stroke swing on the 10th put Mickelson ahead by four.

Oosthuizen emerged as the closest challenger, pulling within three before a double bogey on the 13th left Mickelson five ahead. It wasn’t quite over, as Mickelson bogeyed 13, 14 and 17, but a par on the 18th gave him a 73 that was good enough to claim the title.  Mickelson made 22 birdies, with at least five in every round, to offset 14 bogeys and a double bogey.  Mickelson ranked first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and fifth in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green.

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CHECK THIS OUT  Brooks Koepka, who finished T2, has ranked T4 or better in 14 of his last 15 rounds at the PGA Championship. He won in 2018 and 2019.  Gil Hanse’s renovation of this year’s site, Southern Hills, included rebuilding all 18 greens and every bunker more in the style of original architect Perry Maxwell. Fairway bunkers were repositioned and most of the holes were lengthened. Drainage creeks that were formerly underground have been reintroduced, including one that comes into play on Nos. 10, 11 and 17.

 Phil Mickelson was age 50 years, 11 months, 7 days when he won. Previously, the oldest player to win the PGA Championship—and any major—was Julius Boros at 48 years, 4 months, 18 days.  Mickelson’s victory came 30 years, 4 months, and 11 days after his first PGA TOUR triumph at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open. It is the longest span between first and last victory, surpassing Raymond Floyd (28 years, 11 months, 20 days).

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Phil Mickelson

1

70

69

70

73

282/-6

600

$2,160,000

Brooks Koepka

T2

69

71

70

74

284/-4

270

$1,056,000

Louis Oosthuizen

T2

71

68

72

73

284/-4

270

$1,056,000

Paul Casey

T4

71

71

73

71

286/-2

120

$462,250

Padraig Harrington

T4

71

73

73

69

286/-2

120

$462,250

Harry Higgs

T4

72

71

73

70

286/-2

120

$462,250

Shane Lowry

T4

73

71

73

69

286/-2

120

$462,250

Phil Mickelson putts for a birdie on the 18th hole as the crowd watch on during the final round.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MAY 26-29, 2022

Charles Schwab Challenge

Location & Course Information

COLONIAL COUNTRY CLUB, FORT WORTH, TEXAS Perry Maxwell and John Bredemus designed the Colonial Country Club course in 1936. Built on the bank of the Trinity River, it hosted the U.S. Open five years later and an annual PGA TOUR event since 1946. Yardage: 7,209; par 70

Notable Course Features

Jason Kokrak celebrates with the winner’s plaid jacket and Leonard Trophy after capturing the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge.

“I didn’t really end it like I wanted to, but I think it shows that I’ve got a lot of grit and a lot of fight in me.” – Jason Kokrak

Jason Kokrak, U.S.

Quick Facts

Field: 120 players Format: 72 holes stroke play Purse: $8.4 million Winner’s Share: $1,512,000 FedExCup Points: 500 to the winner

Charity Benefit

The Charles Schwab Cup Challenge partners with charitable organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area through the Birdies for Charity program. The tournament also partners with Folds of Honor, First Tee Fort Worth and the Charles Schwab Challenge Military Home Donation.

HOW JASON KOKRAK WON

Media Coverage Social Media

@CSChallengeFW @charles_schwab_challenge @CharlesSchwabChallenge PGA TOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE DECEMBER 2021 – MAY 2022

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CHECK THIS OUT  Jason Kokrak won the Charles Schwab Challenge a year after missing a playoff by one stroke in a T3 finish.  Kokrak trailed Spieth by one stroke entering the final round; he was the 10th winner in the last 13 years to come from behind.  Kokrak became the first player over 35 to claim his first two PGA TOUR victories in the same season since Francesco Molinari (2018).  Spieth posted his third runner-up finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge to go with one victory (2016).

Jason Kokrak and Jordan Spieth pulled away from the field through 54 holes, then had some final-round struggles while staging a two-man battle for the title. Both made five bogeys on Sunday, but Kokrak answered with five birdies in an even-par 70 to win by two strokes. Kokrak bogeyed 15 and 16 before a key par save on 17 and a Spieth bogey on 18.  Kokrak ranked first in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee at 1.540 per round, and first in Driving Distance.  Kokrak ranked second in Greens in Regulation Percentage at 75.00.

CBS, GOLF, ESPN+, SXM

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2021 Champion

LEADERBOARD 2021 Player

Pos

1

2

3

4

Total Score

FedExCup

Earnings

Jason Kokrak

1

65

65

66

70

266/-14

500

$1,350,000

Jordan Spieth

2

63

66

66

73

268/-12

300

$817,500

Charley Hoffman

T3

71

62

72

65

270/-10

133.75

$366,093.75

Patton Kizzire

T3

67

65

71

67

270/-10

133.75

$366,093.75

Sebastián Muñoz

T3

67

65

70

68

270/-10

133.75

$366,093.75

Ian Poulter

T3

68

70

64

68

270/-10

133.75

$366,093.75

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Holes 3-5 at Colonial form the club’s “Horrible Horseshoe,” and were the toughest three holes on the course in 2021. The 483-yard, par-4 third hole was the second toughest. The 247-yard, par-3 third, which plays to an elevated green, was third. The most difficult hole was the 481-yard, par-4 fifth, which runs between trees and a ditch on the left and the Trinity River on the right.

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22/12/2021 11:37

Susie Maxwell Berning Tiger Woods

Marion Hollins

Tim Finchem

CLASS of 2022 Special Exhibit on Display

Explore artifacts and memorabilia from the life and careers of Susie Maxwell Berning, Tim Finchem, Marion Hollins and Tiger Woods.

PLAN YOUR VISIT TODAY. | World Golf Village | St. Augustine, FL | worldgolfhalloffame.org

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

JANUARY 20-22, 2022

Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS, 2022 The New Season

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Yardage

7,107; par 72

Tournament Record 191, Loren Roberts (2006)

Tournament 18-hole Record 61, Loren Roberts (2006)

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.pgatour.com/champions/ tournaments/mitsubishi-electricchampionship-at-hualalai.html

Course Insight

Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Hualalai lies upon dramatic natural topography and winds through lava outcrops to provide a unique test even for the best players. “The inspiration came from the lava…to use those natural ups and downs, always keeping in mind that the ocean is the greatest influence here,” Nicklaus said. The course begins in a lush kipuka (oasis) and then flows down to a dramatic finish near the ocean, with the par-3 17th set on the seaside, making it the most scenic hole.

Darren Clarke won his second consecutive start, shooting a final-round 64 for a 21-under 195 total, two shots better than Retief Goosen. Northern Ireland’s Clarke, 52, claimed his first PGA TOUR Champions victory at the TimberTech Championship in his last start of 2020 before a two-and-a-half month break. “I sort of broke through in Boca [at the TimberTech] and I liked the feeling of that,” Clarke said.

“I worked and practiced nearly every day in the break.” Clarke charged to the finish with a 6-under 30 on the back nine, making birdies on Nos. 10-11, 13-14 and 16-17, plus a key par save on the 15th. Goosen also had a 64 in the final round, but was two behind after starting 62-71. Clarke shot 63-68 in the opening rounds to tie for the 36hole lead with Jerry Kelly, who finished third after a closing 68.

CHARITY BENEFIT Since the inception of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in 1997, more than $1 million has been donated to various island charities, including the Rotary Club of Kona, Daniel R. Sayre Foundation and Big Island Junior Golf programs.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

— David Barrett, Tournament Editor

Location

HUALALAI GOLF COURSE KA’UPULEHU-KONA, HAWAII

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HOW DARREN CLARKE WON

T

he PGA TOUR Champions season for 2022 includes 28 tournaments and concludes with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona. The schedule features one new tournament, the ClubCorp Classic in Irving, Texas, and the return of three events that were not held in 2021. Players will compete for more than $62 million in prize money, the highest in PGA TOUR Champions’ 42-year history.

The ClubCorp Classic (April 22-24) debuts with a unique format that will match PGA TOUR Champions players with 50 of the biggest names in sports and entertainment, as well as a group of amateur golfers, all in separate competitions, but playing together. The three returning tournaments mentioned above are the Hoag Classic (March 4-6) in California; the Trophy Hassan II (March 18-20) in Morocco; and the Rapiscan Systems Classic (April 1-3) in Mississippi.

The season kicks off with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii, then the Chubb Classic in Florida, which returns to a February date after being played in April in 2021. The Cologuard Classic in Tucson is next, followed by the three returning tournaments in succession, and then the ClubCorp Classic, the Insperity Invitational in Texas and the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Georgia.

The first portion of the schedule culminates in May with the first two of the season’s five major championships: the Regions Tradition in Alabama (Greystone Golf & Country Club) and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Michigan (Harbor Shores). Sites for this year’s other PGA TOUR Champions majors: U.S. Senior Open (June 23-26), Saucon Valley (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania); Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship (July 7-10), Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio); and The Senior Open Presented

by Rolex (July 21-24), Gleneagles Hotel, Kings Course, (Auchterarder, Scotland).

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

FEBRUARY 18-20, 2022

FEBRUARY 25-27, 2022

Chubb Classic

Cologuard Classic

Location

TIBURON GOLF CLUB (BLACK COURSE), NAPLES, FLORIDA

Yardage

7,218; par 73

Tournament Record

196, Bernhard Langer (2011), Kenny Perry (2012), Scott Parel (2020)

Tournament 18-hole Record

61, Tommy Armour III (2010)

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information www.chubbclassic.com

IMAGES: BEN SOLOMON; GETTY IMAGES

Course Insight

Tiburon Golf Club, founded in 1998, has two courses designed by Greg Norman. The Black Course, which hosted the Chubb Classic for the first time in 2021, opened in 2001. It has a distinctive look and fits into its natural surroundings with fairways lined by pine straw and crushed coquina waste areas instead of traditional rough.

Tiburon’s Gold Course is home of the annual QBE Shootout, hosted

by Greg Norman, and the CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA Tour.

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Steve Stricker shot a finalround 67 to emerge from a pack of contenders and win by one stroke. Stricker trailed by one entering the final round, then built a three-stroke lead.

With the gap closing as others made birdies, Stricker missed an 8-foot birdie putt on 14 and three-putted for a par on 15. He made up for it with an approach to 3 feet on the par-4 16th for a birdie and a sand save for a par on 17 to preserve a two-stroke edge. Robert Karlsson and Alex Cejka birdied 18 to share second and cut the final margin to one. “I could have made it easier on myself,” said Stricker, 54, who claimed his sixth PGA TOUR Champions victory while also playing on the PGA TOUR. “It’s tough to win anywhere, and I’m happy to get it done.” Three-time Chubb Classic champion Bernhard Langer and two-time winner Fred Couples were in the mix until late bogeys.

CHARITY BENEFIT The official host charity of the Chubb Classic is The First Tee of Naples/Collier. The tournament also supports many other charities in Southwest Florida.

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presented by

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HOW STEVE STRICKER WON

HOW KEVIN SUTHERLAND WON Location

OMNI NATIONAL TUCSON RESORT TUCSON, ARIZONA

Yardage

7,218; par 73

Tournament Record 199, Tom Lehman (2017)

Tournament 18-hole Record 63, Jim Carter (2016), Steve Stricker (2017)

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.cologuardclassic.com

Course Insight

The Catalina Course at Omni National Tucson Resort, designed by Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin, hosted more than 30 events on the PGA TOUR before it welcomed PGA TOUR Champions starting in 2015. Opened in 1963, the Catalina Course at Omni National Tucson Resort is a parkland-style design featuring eight lakes and 80 bunkers.

The course is known for its very difficult 18th hole. Water guards both sides of the landing area, and the approach is uphill to an undulating green.

Kevin Sutherland came from four strokes behind with nine holes remaining to add a victory in Tucson to his two titles at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, including one three months earlier. “For some reason, Arizona’s always been good to me. I don’t know what it is about the air here, but I seem to enjoy it,” said Sutherland, who shot 4-under 69 in the final round for a 15-under total. Mike Weir had a two-stroke lead through 36 holes and extended it to four on the front nine. Sutherland birdied Nos. 10 and 12, then chipped in for the only birdie of the day on 16. Weir bogeyed the hole for a two-shot swing, and the players were tied. Sutherland went ahead for good with a birdie on the par-5 17th, and won by two.

CHARITY BENEFIT The Cologuard Classic aligns with the run-up to national Colon Cancer Awareness Month in March, furthering colon cancer awareness. Tucson Conquistadores host the tournament and donate net proceeds to youth athletic programs in southern Arizona amounting to more than $600,000 annually.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MARCH 4-6, 2022

MARCH 18-20, 2022

Trophy Hassan II

Yardage

6,606, par 71

Tournament Record 193, Duffy Waldorf (2015)

Tournament 18-hole Record

60, Tom Purtzer (2004), Nick Price (2011), Duffy Waldorf (2015)

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information www.hoagclassic.com

Course Insight

Located along the Pacific Coast Highway in scenic Newport Beach and offering views of the Pacific Ocean and Newport Bay, Newport Beach Country Club was designed by renowned architect William Bell in 1952. A strategic layout, the course underwent enhancements

by Harry Rainville in 1973. Ted Robinson further refined it with changes to selected tees and bunkers in 1985 and 1998-2000.

The course is known for its narrow Kikuyu fairways lined by mature pines and small greens with deceptive breaks. Water on several holes adds to the challenge.

174

Ernie Els, playing in his third PGA TOUR Champions event, birdied the 15th and 18th holes to record a two-stroke victory over Fred Couples, Glen Day and Robert Karlsson. “I had to work hard for it, and that’s a good thing,” said the Champions rookie. “You don’t want something falling in your lap.” Els led through 36 holes after rounds of 66-64, and he closed with a 67. Day took the lead with birdies on 14-17 before a bogey on 18 left him with a 64, while two-time Hoag champion Couples and 50-year-old Karlsson both shot 66. In the second round, Els had eight birdies and an eagle to offset two bogeys for a 64 in a round in which he hit 15 greens despite hitting only three fairways.

CHARITY BENEFIT Tournament proceeds benefit institutes of the Hoag Hospital Foundation, including the Hoag Cancer Foundation, the Sue & Bill Gross Women’s Pavilion, Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart and Vascular Institute and Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center.

Other local charities are also beneficiaries.

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Location

ROYAL GOLF DAR ES SALAM, RABAT, MOROCCO

Yardage

Maximum 7,633; par 73

Tournament Record 201, Brett Quigley, 2020

Tournament 18-hole Record 63, Stephen Ames, 2020

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.hassan2golftrophy.com

Course Insight

The Red Course at Royal Dar Es Salam, acclaimed as one of the finest courses designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones, opened in 1972 at the behest of Morocco’s King Hassan II. The layout was carved out of a cork tree forest not far from the center of Rabat, featuring Jones’ signature bunkering and a scenic par-3 ninth hole playing over a large lake to a peninsula green.

The course was renovated by James Duncan in 2016-17, with corridors widened by tree removal and greens enlarged to Jones’ original specifications.

Royal Dar Es Salam has previously hosted an event on the European Tour.

HOW BRETT QUIGLEY WON

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Location

NEWPORT BEACH COUNTRY CLUB, NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA

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HOW ERNIE ELS WON

Brett Quigley, who never won in 408 PGA TOUR starts, claimed a victory in his second start on PGA TOUR Champions.

“It’s been so long since I won a tournament,” said Quigley, whose last of two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour came in 2001.

“Just incredible. It’s weird, I had peace all week, I was pretty comfortable.” Quigley had a final-round 66 to catch Stephen Ames and win by one stroke at Samanah Golf Club in the first year of the event. Quigley, whose uncle Dana was an 11-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions, played a stretch of six holes on the front nine in five-under, boosted by an eagle. He birdied the 11th to go 6-under on the day and held on with a couple of par saves down the stretch, including a six-foot putt on the 18th to clinch the title. Ames opened with a 63 and led by three through 36 holes with a 69 in the second round before closing with a 70.

The event was not played in 2021.

CHARITY BENEFIT Proceeds from the tournament will support the First Tee of Morocco, established in 2019.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES

Hoag Classic

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22/12/2021 11:49

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

APRIL 1-3, 2022

Rapiscan Systems Classic

APRIL 22-24, 2022

ClubCorp Classic World Golf Hall of Fame member, Annika Sörenstam, is one of the celebrities confirmed to take part in the new event.

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HOW KEVIN SUTHERLAND WON

Location

GRAND BEAR GOLF CLUB, SAUCIER, MISSISSIPPI

Yardage

7,204; par 72

Tournament Record 200, Tom Lehman (2011)

Tournament 18-hole Record 63, Fred Couples (2012), Gene Sauers (2017)

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.rapiscansystemsclassic.com

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

Course Insight

Grand Bear Golf Club is a new site for the Rapiscan Systems Challenge. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1999. The secluded fairways of the layout wind through towering pines and natural cypress wetlands, with a wide variety of holes.

The Little Biloxi River skirts the front nine, and the Big Biloxi River plays a prominent role on the back nine as it borders Nos. 15-17.

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Kevin Sutherland survived a final-round 75 and a missed 2-foot putt on the second playoff hole that would have given him the victory that he eventually would earn with a birdie on the seventh extra hole over Scott Parel. The playoff was suspended until the next morning after the fifth hole due to darkness, leaving Sutherland to ponder the short miss. “It’s all good now,” Sutherland said after the victory. “Last night I didn’t sleep well. I was constantly thinking about the putt I missed. But I got a second chance.” Sutherland didn’t make a birdie in the final round, nor on the first six playoff holes.

He led Marco Dawson by three strokes through 36 holes after opening 65-69. Dawson closed with a 74, while Parel came from six shots back with a 69 to forge the tie.

This event was not played in 2020 or 2021.

CHARITY BENEFIT The Rapiscan Systems Classic contributes to charities in partnership with the Mississippi Gulf Coast through its Birdies for Charity program that aims to support local communities.

Location

LAS COLINAS COUNTRY CLUB, IRVING, TEXAS

NEW EVENT The ClubCorp Classic will join stars from PGA TOUR Champions with big names in sports and entertainment.

In the unique event, 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals will play 54 holes of stroke play for a $2 million purse, alongside 50 celebrities playing in a separate $500,000 tournament using a Modified Stableford format. There will also be an amateur competition, bringing members of ClubCorp clubs inside the ropes to compete in the action. The pros, celebrities and amateur will be paired together all three days.

The celebrities confirmed to compete include World Golf Hall of Fame member and 72-time LPGA winner Annika Sörenstam, 11-time MLB AllStar pitcher Roger Clemens and former NFL standout and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown. The amateurs will

advance through a regional and national qualifying system.

“We are excited to partner with ClubCorp to bring PGA TOUR Champions golf to the Dallas area at Las Colinas Country Club,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady. “I am confident our players will enjoy a tremendous week of competition in Irving, while providing local golf fans with a unique, incredible experience, and we look forward to making a positive impact in the greater Dallas community for years to come.”

The four-year agreement is in place through 2025, and tournament proceeds will benefit the Momentous Institute, First Tee Greater Dallas and First Tee Fort Worth.

CHARITY BENEFIT Las Colinas Country Club was designed by Joe Finger and opened in 1963. The course has been enhanced by a 2019 renovation that included new grasses, changes in bunkering, several new and repositioned teeing areas and several reshaped and recontoured greens.

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

APRIL 29-MAY 1, 2022

MAY 6-8, 2022

Mitsubishi Electric Classic

Yardage

7,002; par 72

Tournament Record

191, Bernhard Langer (2007)

Tournament 18-hole Record

62, Bernhard Langer (2007)

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.insperityinvitational.com

Course Insight

Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin designed The Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course. The two men are responsible for the design or redesign of more than 250 courses in the U.S. and 16 other countries, but this was a “home course” for von Hagge, who lived in The Woodlands.

Created in 1978, the course features ponds, lakes and trees.

It has hosted tournaments on all the major tours, including the Houston Open on the PGA TOUR and the LPGA’s Samsung World Championship.

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HOW DICKY PRIDE WON

Mike Weir claimed his first PGA TOUR Champions victory 11 days before his 51st birthday as he defeated John Daly in a tight battle. The event was shortened to 36 holes when play was washed out by rain on Friday and the first round wasn’t completed until Sunday morning. Daly took a two-stroke lead in the final round with an eagle on the par-5 13th. In the group behind him, Weir hit his second shot to 3 feet on 13 for a matching eagle. Weir fell back with a bogey on 14, but moved into a tie again when he birdied 15. On the 18th, Daly’s approach shot came up just short into the water, leading to a double bogey. Weir finished with the last of three straight pars for a 68 and 134 total, while Daly shot 69 for 136. “J.D. played great. It was unfortunate for him on the last,” said Weir.

“I hit the shots I needed.”

Tim Petrovic and David Toms, the 18-hole co-leaders with 65s, both shot 71 to tie Daly for second.

Dicky Pride qualified for the tournament on Monday and went on to shoot 67 in each of the last two rounds to win by three strokes. It was the first PGA TOUR Champions victory for 51-year-old Pride, who was making his 11th start. He won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in 1994 for his only PGA TOUR victory, that coming as a rookie.

“This one means a lot, because it was a lot harder,” said Pride.

“When I won in Memphis [in 1994], I was young, naïve, and ignorance is bliss.” After opening with 71, Pride’s 67s represented the low round of the day on both Saturday and Sunday as he finished at 11-under 205. He trailed by two strokes through 36 holes before surging to the front by playing an 11-hole stretch 6-under starting at the fourth hole. Second-round leader Paul Goydos (72), Stephen Ames (70) and Kirk Triplett (70) tied for second.

CHARITY BENEFIT Proceeds from the Insperity Invitational benefit several local Houston charities.

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Location

THE WOODLANDS COUNTRY CLUB, THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS

HOW MIKE WEIR WON

Location

TPC SUGARLOAF, DULUTH, GEORGIA

Yardage

7,179; par 72

Tournament Record

201, Stephen Ames (2017)

Tournament 18-hole Record

64, Olin Browne, Bernhard Langer (2015), Woody Austin (2016), Kenny Perry (2017), Scott Parel (2018)

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.mitsubishelectricclassic.com

Course Insight

Opening in 1997, TPC Sugarloaf hosted a PGA TOUR event each year through 2008 and PGA TOUR Champions events since 2013. The course was designed by Greg Norman, who guided the layout through stands of trees and used streams, lakes, large bunkers and the natural terrain, thus creating a challenging test.

The design was planned to fit harmoniously with its surroundings on the site of the former Rollins Farm.

CHARITY BENEFIT Benefiting charities are Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett; Metro Atlanta organizations also raise funds through Birdies for Charity.

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

Insperity Invitational

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TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

MAY 12-15, 2022

MAY 26-29, 2022

Regions Tradition

Yardage

7,249; par 72

Tournament Record 265, Doug Tewell (2001)

Tournament 18-hole Record

62, Doug Tewell (2001), Tom Watson (2003), Brad Bryant (2009)

Media Coverage Golf Channel

More Information

www.regionstradition.com

IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; PGA TOUR

Course Insight

The Founders Course at Greystone Golf & Country Club was designed

by Bob Cupp and two-time major champion Hubert Green, opening in 1991. The course hosted the Bruno’s Memorial Classic on PGA TOUR Champions from 1992 to 2005. The course has been the site of the Regions Tradition since 2016 after undergoing some changes—nine greens were either rebuilt or modified, and three new tees and several new bunkers were added.

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Playing in just his third PGA TOUR Champions event, 50-year-old Alex Cejka birdied the first playoff hole to beat defending champion Steve Stricker. “It’s incredible. I still can’t believe it. I have no words,” Cejka said. “I fought so hard. I think it’s everybody’s dream to win trophies, and I did it.” Stricker and Cejka were 1-2 heading into the final round, with Stricker one stroke ahead, and they pulled away, ultimately finishing four ahead of the field. Cejka trailed by three strokes at the turn after a front-nine 32 by Stricker, but after birdies on Nos. 12-14 and two Stricker bogeys, Cejka led by two. Stricker made his own comeback with birdies on 16 and 18, the latter on a 13-foot putt to force the tie at 18-under 270. Playing the par-5 18th again in the playoff, Cejka birdied from 10 feet while Stricker missed an 8-foot birdie.

CHARITY BENEFIT Children’s of Alabama, the only medical center in the state dedicated to the care and treatment of children, is the tournament’s main charity recipient.

HOW ALEX CEJKA WON Location

THE GOLF CLUB AT HARBOR SHORES, BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN

Yardage

6,852; par 71

Tournament Record 265, Rocco Mediate (2016)

Tournament 18-hole Record 62, Kenny Perry (2012), Rocco Mediate (2016)

Media Coverage Golf Channel/Peacock

More Information

www.srpgachampionship.com

Course Insight

Jack Nicklaus designed The Golf Club at Harbor Shores, which opened in 2010 on a site where an abandoned factory had been.

Home of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018, the course offers a diverse setting and a variety of holes. Three holes play through dunes with a Scottish feel and views of Lake Michigan; four holes wind through rolling hills, ravines and a hardwood forest similar to Northern Michigan; while 11 holes border the Paw Paw River, Ox Creek and associated wetlands.

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Location

GREYSTONE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (FOUNDERS COURSE), BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

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HOW ALEX CEJKA WON

KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

Alex Cejka won his second consecutive senior major championship, shooting a final-round 67 at Southern Hills Country Club to win by four strokes. “I can’t even describe how it feels to be here and touching the trophy. I’m just super blessed,” said the Czechborn senior rookie. Just as at the prior major, the Regions Tradition, Cejka was one stroke behind Steve Stricker through 54 holes. Whereas that event went into a playoff before Cejka prevailed, this time Stricker shot a final-round 77 and finished T11. After a birdie-bogey-bogey start, Cejka played the next nine holes in 4-under to take control. He offset a bogey at the 13th with a birdie at the 16th to post an 8-under 272 total. Tim Petrovic was second at 276 after a 67. K.J. Choi (68) and Retief Goosen (66) tied for third at 277.

CHARITY BENEFIT PGA REACH is the charitable foundation of the PGA of America. Its mission is to positively impact the lives of youths, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf.

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THE LAST WORD

THE TROPHY HUNTER For laid-back Texan Scottie Scheffler, patience will pave a path to winning days

By Jeff Babineau

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Scottie Scheffler, Houston Open, November, 2021 …

“He has that ‘go low’ gear, the crazy one that led him to shoot 62 in Houston.”

here are athletes in many sports—golf owns no monopoly on this—that are late bloomers, the wallflowers who idle along quietly for years and eventually bump into the throttle and find comfort moving at a higher speed.

There are plenty of athletes like that, the ones who tend to sneak up, and step up, when nobody seems to be looking or happens to be expecting it. And then there are the others, the destined ones, who stand out the way a giant rocket sits tall on a pre-dawn launch pad. Majestic flight isn’t a questioned possibility. It’s a destiny.

Solid performance

On his way Against Rahm, Scheffler made birdies on five of his opening six holes. He has that “go low” gear, the crazy one that led him to shoot 62 in Houston and 63 at Sea Island in the fall and reel off six birdies in seven holes against a world-class field to make himself felt on Sunday at the Hero World Challenge.

No doubt, Scheffler is on his way.

Randy Smith, the well-known instructor from Royal Oaks in Dallas who tutored Justin Leonard, among others, knew Scheffler was different the first time he ever watched him hit balls, when Scheffler had just moved to Texas and still was tiny enough “to walk under a card table.”

Shaping shots Granted, Scheffler was only 7 or 8, but what Smith was viewing as Scheffler hit balls was a youngster very aware how to shape shots certain ways. He made astute adjustments, and was keenly aware 180

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of his clubface. Smith later would watch Scheffler play high school basketball. The athlete in him is an asset. He loves the crowds.

“The thing about it is, he has not been at this very long,” Smith said. “He has accomplished a lot of things, and he’s been one, two, three shots away from winning several big events. A little more marination, a little more dealing with things … his Ryder Cup performance can do nothing but help his patience level on the golf course.”

Waiting game Ah, yes, patience. It can be a touchy word and puzzling concept with many young players who crave results as instantaneous as they get news on their phones. Scheffler is in no rush. It’s one of many lessons he has picked up and tucked in his top pocket. He’s a smart young man. Life is easy when you’re playing great. Right now, Scheffler is focused on grinding out better scores on those rare days when he’s not in “stripe show” mode.

Playing good golf when you’re uncomfortable? That’s a skill not everyone owns. “It’s something I feel I continue to improve on,” Scheffler said.

That, and so many other areas. Piece by piece. Patience. Those trophies don’t seem very far away. 

images: Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler still was searching for that first PGA TOUR trophy as the final hours of 2021 tumbled through the hourglass. A humble Texan and only 25 years old, he doesn’t seem overly concerned about that—nor should he be. He has shined at every level, from U.S. Junior Amateur champion to Texas Longhorns standout to 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year. As long as officials don’t change the width of the hole, the PGA TOUR promises much of the same.

No trophies, not yet, but here’s a sampling of what Scheffler showed in a very solid sophomore season: A runner-up finish (to Billy Horschel) at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin; third at the Memorial; a fifth-place showing at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational; finishes of T8 or better in three of the season’s majors (PGA Championship, U.S. Open, The Open Championship); and a second appearance at East Lake in the TOUR Championship.

Scheffler followed that with a splendid showing at his first Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, where Scheffler stepped out of a phone booth on Sunday and blitzed World No. 1 Jon Rahm in Singles.

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