Tour plans constant testing, limiting access for golf return
Players, caddies and key personnel will be tested once a week at tournaments and have their temperatures taken every day as part of a PGA Tour plan to limit the risk of the new coronavirus when golf resumes next month in Texas.
The plan offers a glimpse into significant changes for golf’s return, from the elimination of pro-ams to designated hotels to the availability of charter planes that get players and their caddies from one tournament to the next.
The first trial is scheduled for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Fort Worth on June 11-14.
The key components are testing, social distancing on and off the golf course and creating what the tour referred to as a “bubble” of essential people that will be tested at tournaments.
“We’re not going to play if we can’t do it in a safe and healthy environmental for all our constituents,” said Tyler Dennis, the tour’s chief of operations.
He also said the tour will not go forward with its testing if it takes away from resources in the city where it plays.
Players and caddies will be sent pre-travel tests, and they will be given the RT-PCR test for COVID-19 when they arrive at tournaments. The test, authorized last month by the Food and Drug Administration, involves a nasal swab. Results typically take a couple of days, and the tour is hopeful of using local labs for a quicker turnaround.
Anyone who tests positive will have to withdraw from the tournament and self-isolate for 10 days, provided there are no further symptoms and they get two negative tests 24 hours apart.
The tour said it would give players and caddies a stipend to pay for the self-isolation. Andy Levinson, the senior vice-president for tournament administration, said the tour would pay for all testing material.
Beyond testing, the tour is recommending players stay in a designated hotel and practice social distancing as if they were still at home by avoiding eating at restaurants or meeting at bars.
On the golf course, players are to handle their own clubs and let their caddies rake bunkers and remove the pins, wiping down both after they’re done with them.
Another change: No shaking hands after the round.
Along with no fans for at least the first four tournaments, the tour is not allowing family members and only limited support staff, such as trainers and instructors. All would be subject to the same level of testing – a health questionnaire and thermal screening every day.
Levinson estimates key personnel – players, caddies, officials, clubhouse staff – amounts to 400 people.
For the charter flights, all passengers must take a viral test 24 hours before leaving, and then be tested again when they arrive at the next event.
The tour said about 25 players remain overseas and recommended they arrive at least two weeks ahead of the tournament to meet the federal 14-day quarantine requirement.
A player hotel will be designated, although players would be allowed to stay in RVs if they have them, rental homes the tour approves and their own homes if they live in the area.
Four tournaments without fans will be Colonial, the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, the Travelers Championship in Connecticut and the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. The tour said it will decide after that whether it’s safe for a limited number of fans.
Woods, Mickelson, QBs to donate $10 million to virus relief
HOBE SOUND, Fla. – The next match involving Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson involves a $10 million donation for COVID-19 relief efforts, along with plenty of bragging rights in a star-powered foursome May 24 at Medalist Golf Club.
Turner Sports announced more details Thursday for “The Match: Champions for Charity,” a televised match between Woods and Peyton Manning against Mickelson and Tom Brady.
Medalist is where Woods plays when he’s at home. Manning and Brady said they have played there before – Manning running out of golf balls before reaching the 18th, Brady posting a 106.
The format will be better ball for the front nine and modified alternate shot on the back nine, meaning both players hit tee shots and they take turns from there.
You know I had to come in hot with a little trash talk, but as usual, he got the better of me ?
Looking forward to getting back to golf and teaming with @TomBrady against @TigerWoods and Peyton.
Even more excited to raise money for those in need during these difficult times. pic.twitter.com/jp1ten4UqH
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) May 7, 2020
It will be simulcast on May 24 at 3 p.m. EDT on TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN, along with pre-match coverage available on the Bleacher Report app.
WarnerMedia and the four players will collectively make a charitable donation of $10 million to benefit various relief efforts locally and nationally. Turner said the match includes a partnership with the “All In Challenge,” an initiative that provides food for those in need.
Mickelson beat Woods in a playoff under the lights in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend in 2018. This time, they are bringing in two of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks to add to the entertainment.
The announcement came with a video interview by TNT’s Ernie Johnson of the four players, in which Brady said he wanted Woods as a partner until Manning’s father called to switch the teams.
The match will be held one week after live golf returns to television for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the PGA Tour and other tours around the world. Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will play a charity match against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff at Seminole Golf Club, one of Florida’s most famous courses that will have a televised event for the first time.
2020 RBC Canadian Open cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
– Golf Canada and RBC will now pivot all efforts towards planning for a celebrated return of the RBC Canadian Open in 2021 –
TORONTO – With continued public health concerns as well as international travel and government restrictions due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the PGA TOUR, in consultation with Golf Canada and RBC, has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 RBC Canadian Open.
The event was scheduled for June 8-14 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility. The cancellation of the 2020 RBC Canadian Open also includes the RBCxMusic Concert Series which was scheduled to take place June 12-13 at Richview Collegiate Institute, featuring headline performances by The Chainsmokers and Keith Urban.
“The RBC Canadian Open has always been a rallying point for Canadian golf and while we share in the crushing disappointment with our fans, players, volunteers and many event partners, our primary responsibility is the safety of our people and our communities,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “It is now our full intention to push forward together with RBC, the PGA TOUR, the City of Toronto and our host clubs with the goal to bring the 2021 RBC Canadian Open to St. George’s Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility.”
“Our foremost consideration is the health and safety of everyone in our community, including the players, spectators, our staff and volunteers, the media and the thousands of supporters who contribute to the success of our event,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “The international travel restrictions, required quarantine measures and government mandates were critical factors that contributed to the decision to cancel our event this year. We have no doubt that the incredible momentum we’ve built together with our partners will make the 2021 RBC Canadian Open a world-class experience.”
Golf Canada and RBC would like to thank golf fans across the nation for their understanding and in particular, our many corporate partners, ticket and hospitality purchasers, as well as the countless volunteers for their continued support through this unprecedented time.
Golf Canada, the PGA TOUR and RBC have continued to monitor the guidelines provided by federal, provincial and municipal government health authorities in order to prevent the spread of the virus within our communities. With this decision, Golf Canada and RBC will now turn their focus towards the 2021 RBC Canadian Open.
Dating back to its inception in 1904, the cancellation of the 2020 RBC Canadian Open marks only the seventh time that Canada’s National Open Championship has not been conducted, including wartime cancellations from 1915-18 as well as 1943-44.
All corporate hospitality buyers will be contacted by their Golf Canada sales representative over the coming days to plan forward for 2021 and individual ticket purchases made via Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded within the next 30 days. The same refund policy applies for RBC clients who purchased RBCxMusic Tickets.
For more information, visit www.rbccanadianopen.com.
Corey Conners making the most of time at home during social distancing
Like most people, Corey Conners is finding new and different ways to fill his time while observing physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That means playing as the Toronto Maple Leafs in NHL 20 on his brand new XBox, reading books, cooking with his wife Mallory, exercising and cleaning. Conners even put on the cowboy boots he won at last year’s Valero Texas Open and walked around the house for some “positive energy.”
“It’s been great to spend time with my wife at home, we don’t really get to spend extended periods of time at home so we’ve enjoyed it,” said Conners on a conference call on Wednesday, with his cowboy boots beside him. “I don’t really have a plan at this point for getting back out into competitive mode and practising.
“I think I’ll wait another other week or two, since it’s been great for my body and mind to start a refresh and reset.”
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 1, 2020
Conners, from Listowel, Ont., and his wife considered returning home to Canada after the PGA Tour cancelled the rest of The Players Championship on March 12 but ultimately decided to stay at their home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
That day the PGA Tour also cancelled the Valspar Championship, the Dell Match Play, and the Texas Open in San Antonio where Conners had hoped to defend his crown.
As disappointing as that was for Conners, the postponement of some other dates he had circled on his calendar have hit harder.
He had qualified to play the Masters for the third time in his career but the major has been postponed to an unknown date, likely in October. He was also likely going to represent Canada at the Tokyo Olympics, but the Games have been pushed back to 2021.
“That was a big goal of mine the past couple of years, trying to give myself a chance to be on that team,” Conners said of playing at the Olympics. “I played well enough that I was in a good position to make the team but, you know, things happen out of my control, so it’s still motivating me.”
The RBC Canadian Open, currently scheduled to be played June 11 at Toronto’s St. George’s Golf and Country Club, is also in danger of being cancelled. Toronto Mayor John Tory announced on Tuesday that the city was cancelling its permits for all public gatherings up until June 30.
Although the edict didn’t apply to sporting events held on private property – like the Canadian Open – it did bring an end to the planned concert series held on the Friday and Saturday night of the tournament when the Chainsmokers and Keith Urban were to play on the property of a nearby school.
Golf Canada issued a release after Tory’s announcement saying it respected the city’s decision and would have an announcement on the fate of the Canadian Open within the week.
“I’m really looking forward to getting there, if we can play, but we’ll have to see,” said Conners. “I’d be really disappointed if it gets delayed but obviously it’s not an easy decision and there’s very valid reasons for things getting cancelled or postponed.
“I’ve been looking forward to it all year really, and it’s so much fun to play in front of the Canadian fans. The support’s incredible at their RBC Canadian Open, so if it gets played, I’ll be very happy to get in the mix but if not, we’ll wait until next year.”
In the mean time, Conners is content to putter around the house and keep reading books like “Pound The Stone” by Josh Medcalf and playing Forza Racing and “chell” (NHL 20) but he admits not yet ready to play online against other gamers.
“But I’m going to get pretty antsy shortly, I think, and want to get back out there,” Conners said. “I’ll love to see what the PGA Tour decides, when we’re able to start playing tournaments again, then kind of make a plan from there.”
RBC Canadian Open Statement re: City of Toronto Decision to pull all city permits as a COVID-19 precaution
Today, the City of Toronto made the decision to cancel all permits and access to City services for events through June 30 due to ongoing developments with COVID-19.
We appreciate the factors that led to this decision, in particular that all city resources are being directed to support our communities during this unprecedented health crisis. The health and safety of everyone who supports the RBC Canadian Open – and our community as a whole – will always come first, and we respect the City’s decision.
Together with the PGA TOUR, we are assessing this recent development along with other challenges posed by COVID-19 to determine the best course of action for the RBC Canadian Open. We will make further announcements in the coming week.
A relaxed McIlroy looks to continue winning ways as golf’s top player
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – It’s been quite the stretch of golf for Rory McIlroy since last year’s RBC Canadian Open.
McIlroy, who is the defending champion at The Players Championship this week at TPC Sawgrass, rode the momentum from his win in Florida to Hamilton and onwards to topping the FedEx Cup standings for the second time.
He went on to win Player of the Year honours on the PGA Tour.
Although McIlroy hasn’t seen much of Canada – he went to Toronto for four days after playing the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in 2015 to see his friend Nail Horan (yes, the lead singer of uber-popular boy band One Direction) play a concert and he said he would love to see Vancouver one day – he certainly made a big impact a year ago.
The 30-year-old blitzed the field at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, finishing with a 9-under 61 Sunday. He topped Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson, who tied for second, by seven shots. It was a crowning of sorts for the young Ulsterman, as, for a week, he was the King of Canada.
Right back at ya, @McIlroyRory!
Cheers, champ ? pic.twitter.com/WIotjSqxvm
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 10, 2019
McIlroy has been the king of the golf world for a little longer than just a week, however.
As of this week at The Players, McIlroy has been on top of the world golf rankings for a clean 100 weeks in his career.
“I’m very proud to think that I’ve spent two years of my career at the top of the World Rankings. It’s a pretty nice feeling,” said McIlroy on Tuesday at Sawgrass.
Although he admitted reaching No. 1 this time around was anti-climatic – he essentially got to the top spot via a mathematical formula and not by a particular accomplishment – he said he still managed to find time to celebrate the milestone with his caddie and best friend, Harry Diamond, who took over McIlroy’s bag in 2017.
“We’ve been on that journey together from sort of injuries and not playing my best all the way back to the top of the world,” said McIlroy. “So it was important for me to sit down and have a few drinks with him and be like, you know, ‘we’ve done this, this was our journey and we did it, two guys that grew up in Holywood, Northern Ireland, playing golf together,’ and that we’ve done this is something that was really cool.”
Indeed, McIlroy has had much to celebrate over the last 12 months, including his victory at the RBC Canadian Open.
In an interview in January, McIlroy said, for the first time in his life, he’s feeling very settled. He turned 30 in 2019 and has a new home base in South Florida with his wife, Erica. He took a holiday over Christmastime for the first time in forever, he said. He’s trying to travel less. He’s enjoying the little things in life like a good book and a nice bottle of wine.
After winning the FedEx Cup last year, he gave himself the opportunity to think back to the year-that-was and recognize his accomplishments.
“This year it was very nice to enjoy downtime. I played a lot (in 2019) and I played well and I wanted to enjoy some time and reflect on a good year I feel very settled, very balanced, it’s been nice to spend time at home and do that as well.”
McIlroy comes into this week at The Players playing some magical golf. So far this season McIlroy has finished T3-1-T3-T5-5-T5.
Still, McIlroy is not one to be complacent.
“I think the only way to not win is to concentrate on the results,” he said. “So if I can just concentrate on what I’m doing and what I’m doing well, what I maybe need to improve on a little bit, just break the game down into different sections but really just try to make it as simple as possible, if I can do a few different things in my golf game just a little bit better, those thirds and fifths will hopefully turn into wins.”
No one has ever defended their Players Championship title, but if anyone could make it happen – and considering how well he’s playing coming into the week – it would be McIlroy.
“If there’s been no one to defend, it would be a nice time to start and have someone do that,” said McIlroy. “A lot of similarities between this year and last year in terms of how I’ve played the first few events of the year, given myself some chances, haven’t quite been able to capitalize, and obviously it would be wonderful to replicate what happened last year.”
PGA TOUR announces landmark domestic media rights portfolio
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – Marking the culmination of a long-term strategic planning process designed to best serve fans through traditional broadcast, Over-the-Top streaming (OTT) and emerging technologies, the PGA TOUR today announced its new nine-year domestic media rights portfolio for 2022-2030.
“Following a comprehensive process of studying the market, talking to all interested parties and analyzing our various options, we’re excited to announce that we have entered into new agreements with our existing partners ViacomCBS and Comcast/NBC Sports Group, while establishing a new long-term relationship with Disney and ESPN+,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “We were extremely pleased 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.”
Financial details will not be disclosed, but Monahan continued, “The nine-year deals will put us in a position to significantly increase player earnings, deliver more value to our tournaments and sponsors, and ultimately allow us to continue to grow our charitable footprint. Additionally, we are now able to reinvest in our sport in a way never before possible, including production, personnel and technology, and are well positioned to best serve and grow our fanbase in the years to come.”
Broadcast & Cable Television
CBS and NBC will maintain weekend coverage of most FedExCup tournaments, with CBS averaging 19 events and NBC eight events each season through the life of the agreements. Under the new schedule, one network will televise all three FedExCup Playoffs events each year, starting with NBC in 2022 and generally alternating with CBS, creating powerful, three-week coverage of the conclusion of the race for the FedExCup.
NBC Sports Group also will continue as the TOUR’s cable partner, with GOLF Channel providing all early-round coverage and early weekend coverage of every FedExCup event each season, along with PGA TOUR Champions and the Korn Ferry Tour. Further strengthening the ties, the TOUR and NBC Sports will expand their collaborative content and programming relationship.
Another central component of the new agreements will see the PGA TOUR assume responsibility of the onsite production area and technical infrastructure each week, enabling the TOUR to more efficiently aggregate, distribute and develop content for its various platforms worldwide. CBS and NBC will still use their own production and announce teams, led by their producers, directors and production personnel.
Additionally, the TOUR and its media partners will collaborate on creating more sponsorship and marketing opportunities, inside and outside PGA TOUR golf coverage, including access to the vast resources of ViacomCBS, Comcast/NBC Sports Group and Disney and ESPN+.
“We’re excited to extend NBC Sports’ historic partnership with the PGA TOUR as its foundational media partner. We will continue to utilize our extensive platforms to showcase golf with unparalleled live tournament coverage, comprehensive news and high-quality content. Golf is a part of NBCUniversal’s DNA across our broadcast, cable, streaming and digital properties – nowhere more so than GOLF Channel,” said Pete Bevacqua, President, NBC Sports Group. “With more live golf coverage than all other U.S. media companies combined, our relationship with the PGA TOUR also includes THE PLAYERS and Presidents Cup, as well as elevating the PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry TOUR and LPGA Tour via our world-class coverage.”
“Extending our successful long-standing relationship with the PGA TOUR was a top priority, and we are thrilled to add nine more years to this terrific partnership,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “As the PGA TOUR’s primary broadcast network, we are excited to showcase over two-thirds of all broadcast network coverage of the PGA TOUR, expand our schedule with all three FedExCup Playoffs events in alternate years, and to increase our use of PGA TOUR content across all CBS Sports platforms, with even more expansive content exclusivity. For over 60 years the PGA TOUR, its tournaments and sponsors have been outstanding partners. We look forward to many more years of growth and success together.”
PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+
For the first time, the TOUR’s digital rights were negotiated concurrently with its linear offering and will have a new, exciting, direct-to-consumer home: ESPN+. As a result of the new agreement, PGA TOUR LIVE – the TOUR’s subscription video service that was launched in 2015 – will live exclusively on ESPN+ beginning in 2022 and will be dramatically expanded to include multiple live content channels nearly every week of the FedExCup season.
Jimmy Pitaro, President, ESPN and co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks said, “We are looking forward to working with the PGA TOUR to bring current and future golf fans the next generation of TOUR coverage. ESPN+ will offer golf fans unprecedented access and storytelling at an incredible value on the industry’s leading sports streaming platform.”
Rick Anderson, Chief Media Officer, PGA TOUR added, “The relationship with Disney and ESPN+ gives the TOUR the opportunity to expand and diversify audiences, and the TOUR and ESPN will work together to bring new and unique content to our fans.”
ESPN+, the leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN, has grown quickly to reach 7.6 million subscribers (as of February 3, 2020) and the new relationship will provide a significant growth opportunity for PGA TOUR content via ESPN+’s digital reach, innovative platform and young and diverse audience.
PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will bring fans more access to the 30,000-plus golf shots hit each week on the PGA TOUR by delivering more than 4,000 hours of live streaming coverage annually. PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will include live coverage from 36 tournaments – from the TOUR’s Hawaii events in January all the way through the year – with at least 28 events having four full days of coverage, with four simultaneous live feeds each day. PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will also feature on-demand replays of PGA TOUR events, original golf programs, edited speed round recaps and more.
All of this will be available to ESPN+ subscribers as part of the base subscription, alongside more than 12,000 other live sporting events, an unmatched lineup of studio programs, original series and documentaries, along with a library of other, on-demand programming.
ESPN+ is available through the ESPN App, (on mobile and connected devices), ESPN.com or ESPNplus.com. It is also available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+ at a discounted price.
LPGA
As part of its Strategic Alliance with the LPGA, the PGA TOUR also successfully negotiated rights agreements that will see the LPGA Tour continue as anchor programming on GOLF Channel, along with expanded exposure for LPGA Tour events on NBC and CBS each year, beyond the U.S. Women’s Open, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and AIG Women’s British Open, which are already on network.
Specifically, the TOUR secured the long-term extension of the LPGA/GOLF Channel partnership (2022-2030) with ancillary programming, including a season preview, season review and Road to the CME Group Tour Championship. In addition, GOLF Channel will provide dedicated programming for the Symetra Tour each year, as well as enhanced marketing and promotional assets and expanded benefits for LPGA sponsors.
As part of the agreement, the LPGA maintains control of all of its media rights outside the United States and receives expanded digital content rights.
“This agreement is an important milestone in the strategic partnership between the LPGA and the PGA TOUR and a great example of the collaboration happening among golf’s biggest stakeholders,” said LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan. “Thanks to the enhanced agreement with GOLF Channel and increased network coverage on NBC and CBS, more viewers in the U.S. and around the globe will experience the quality and diversity of the LPGA Tour. This gives us a domestic broadcast partner to help deliver another decade of unprecedented growth and provides a foundation that will springboard the women’s game into the future.”
“The LPGA is a very important industry partner, and we are proud that our strategic alliance has enabled these results,” said Monahan. “I’m so impressed with Mike Whan’s leadership and the world-class talent of the LPGA’s athletes, and it’s exciting to know that when fans want to watch professional golf at the highest level, they are going to see both Tours on the same platforms – with the same partners – for the foreseeable future.”
Evolution Media Capital, a division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), served as the media advisor to PGA TOUR.
Toronto’s Albin Choi ready to retire as professional caddie while on top
Toronto’s Albin Choi plans to retire as a professional caddy with a perfect record.
Choi has been caddying at Old Palm Golf Club to start the 2020 season as he heals up a wrist injury. He was presented a new challenge when Sungjae Im asked Choi to caddy for him at last week’s Honda Classic he was happy to help out.
Im went on to win his first-ever PGA Tour event and with Choi’s wrist almost healed, he’s quitting caddying while he’s ahead.
“I’m just I’m just super thrilled with the result,” Choi said on Tuesday. “One-for-one record which everyone jokes about, you know? I should probably be retiring on that note as a caddy. Keep that streak.”
Im and Choi had become friends during the Canadian’s five seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour. Im is South Korean and Choi thought it was beneficial for his friend to have a caddy fluent in his native language, even translating for Im in the winner’s news conference.
“I know he’s had some trouble with other caddies with language barriers and such, but having somebody that he could communicate with this week, I think he was happy with that,” Choi said. “I’m glad I could help him out a little bit.
Well said, @AlbinChoi ?? https://t.co/FbmkVhGh8j
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 2, 2020
“Whether I’m caddying or whether I’m playing, I just want to do the best job that I can.”
The fourth round saw Im in the final pairing with Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., a player that Choi is more than familiar with. Choi and Hughes forged a friendship as juniors, with three consecutive Canadian amateur titles between them, and were then members of Golf Canada’s inaugural young pros squad in 2014.
“I’m pretty sure that’s never happened before,” Hughes said of a PGA Tour event having two Canadian amateur champions in the final group.
Choi won the Canadian amateur title in 2010 before coming second behind Hughes in 2011, before Hughes won again in 2012. Both Hughes and Choi were glad to reconnect and make Canadian golf history.
“It’s always nice to see a familiar face,” said Choi, who pointed out that Hughes’s caddy Jace Walker, from St. Thomas, Ont., is also Canadian. “The whole week was just a great experience and I had a lot of fun with it.”
Choi expects he’ll be 100 per cent within the next month and will start entering Monday qualifiers and other tournaments.
Hughes expects that his longtime friend will be competing in the PGA Tour in no time, even texting Choi on Sunday night to tell him he wants to play with him in a final group soon.
“I know how good of a player he is. He had my number most of the time when we were playing amateur golf and coming up through the ranks,” Hughes said. “He was a very good player and still is. I’m hoping that someday soon he’ll join myself and (Corey Conners) out there.”
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., are the only Canadians in the field this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club in Orlando.
Perspective helps Canadian Mackenzie Hughes excel at Honda Classic
Canadian Mackenzie Hughes never lost faith in his game, even as he struggled through five consecutive missed cuts to start 2020. But Hughes’ professional troubles paled in comparison to the suffering of his friend Daniel Meggs, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 29 on Feb. 23, three weeks before his wife’s due date.
Hughes, who is also 29 and a father, honoured his friend by writing “DM” on his golf balls at last week’s Honda Classic. That added a dose of perspective every time he teed his ball up, helping Hughes finish second at the PGA Tour event and challenge Sungjae Im for the title.
“It wasn’t a tactic to, you know, help me play better golf, it was more just a reminder that life isn’t always fair and that the days that we have are meant to be lived and to be enjoyed,” said Hughes on Monday. “I kept thinking to myself what (Meggs) wouldn’t give for another round of golf and to see us, his family.
“I just thought it was a nice way to remember him but also keep things in perspective and remind myself that golf is not life.”
The memory of Meggs wasn’t the only thing that kept Hughes grounded as he shot a 5-under 275 overall to finish a shot behind Im and one ahead of Tommy Fleetwood. He was also thinking of his wife Jenna and his son Kenton, who were waiting for him at the 18th hole of the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
“I came off and I was a bit disappointed and knew I had a good finish but wanted one shot better,” said Hughes, a native of Dundas, Ont. “But it’s just one of those things that, again, brings you back to what’s important and what’s actually going to bring you joy at the end of the day.”
“Kenton’s unconditional love and affection is what keeps me going. It’s just infectious.”
All week Hughes was surrounded by friends from his days as a junior and an amateur.
On Tuesday, he and fellow Canadians Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., threw a barbecue. They were joined by a handful of other golfers and caddies, who were Kent State University grads, Canadian, or somehow associated with either camp.
Hughes, Conners, Dave Markle, and Marc Bourgeois – all Canadian and Kent State alum – took a group shot together that Hughes sent to Herb Page, the head coach of Kent State and a product of Markham, Ont. That prompted a long phone call between Hughes and Page and later an inspiring text message from the coach that simply read “The hard part is over” after his former pupil was the only Canadian to make the cut.
That stuck with Hughes and he followed up his 71 and 72 in the opening rounds with back-to-back 66s.
“It was like ‘I’ve been fighting that monkey for a little bit this year’ and then to go there on Saturday for our tee time I was like, ‘All right, let’s just go play golf,”’ said Hughes, who had missed the cut nine of 11 times this season, with a tie for 55th a the Houston Open in October his best result before the Honda Classic . “And it was a really nice two days, to say the least.”
Finishing second moved Hughes 157 spots up the rankings from No. 223 to a much more comfortable 66th, just two points behind No. 65 Talor Gooch.
“It just gives me a bit of a shot in the arm going forward,” said Hughes. “I just know that, like I’ve been saying all along, that the game was not really as far off as it seems. I just need build on the momentum for this week and try and keep adding up those points.”
Canada’s Hughes rallies to finish solo 2nd at Honda Classic
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Moments after getting his first career PGA Tour win, Sungjae Im took a moment to reflect on what it means.
Not for himself – for his homeland, and for those dealing with a virus that has the world on edge.
The 21-year-old South Korean started fast and finished stronger Sunday, winning The Honda Classic by one shot over Mackenzie Hughes and two over Tommy Fleetwood for his first victory in 50 tries on tour. But before he could be whisked back to the course to collect the trophy, Im made sure to speak out about the coronavirus and tell those in South Korea – where nearly 4,000 cases have been confirmed – that he was thinking of them.
“Over in Korea right now, I know a lot of people are dealing with the coronavirus,” Im said. “And it’s kind of a huge deal with everybody. But I’m just glad as a Korean player that I can deliver some good news to the countrymen back home … to do something for the country and make everybody proud.”
Im shot a 4-under 66 on Sunday, finishing at 6 under to match the second-highest winning score since the Honda moved to PGA National in 2007. He was the tour’s rookie of the year last season, plus has played more tournaments and more rounds than anyone since the 2018-19 season began nearly a year and a half ago.
And now, he’s a winner, picking up $1.26 million this week and becoming the Honda’s 10th international champion in the last 16 seasons.
Im birdied four of his first five holes, then birdied two of the final four – after sticking tee shots on the tough par-3 15 and 17th holes within 8 feet both times – to finish off the victory.
Hughes, a Canadian who made the cut on the number Friday, shot his second consecutive 66. Playing alongside Im, he was part of some serious fireworks on the last two holes and missed a birdie putt at the par-5 finishing hole that would have gotten him into a tie for the top spot.
“I love being in the mix,” Hughes said. “I love having a chance to win, and yeah, it sucks to come up one short, to fight that hard all day. I just kind of thought I was going to do it. But still proud of the way I fought this week.”
Fleetwood (71) was alone in third and is still seeking his first PGA Tour win. He started the day one shot clear of the field and started birdie-birdie to get to 7 under at that point – matching what was the low score in relation to par of the week.
Then PGA National did what it usually does, that being not let anyone run away from the pack.
Fleetwood made bogey on the par-4 6th and couldn’t get up and down from a greenside bunker on the par-4 8th, giving back what was left of his lead at that point. Fleetwood birdied the par-3 17th to get within one, but his approach at the par-5 finishing hole found the water to all but seal his fate.
“I was going well,” Fleetwood said. “My swing wasn’t there today. It wasn’t like a comfortable day … things weren’t quite there, but I hung in well.”
Once Fleetwood’s attempt at a miracle hole-out after a drop from 120 yards on 18 didn’t fall, Im could finally exhale as the winner. He hugged his caddie in the locker room, where he watched the last 20 minutes or so on a monitor.
“I’ve been in this spot many times. … I just felt like the experience really helped,” Im said through a translator.
Some of Im’s best moments have come when no one has been looking.
This picture says it all.
Mini-Mac and all of Canada is proud of you @MacHughesGolf ??? pic.twitter.com/4B4zFKzM6Q
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 1, 2020
He was third at the Zozo Championship in Japan last October, a finish totally overshadowed by Tiger Woods tying the PGA Tour record of 82 career victories. And in November he went 3-1-1 to tie for the best showing by a player on the International team at the Presidents Cup, but the U.S. team captained by Woods rallied in singles on the final day to win the trophy at Royal Melbourne.
But this time, he was on centre stage and embraced the moment.
Hughes, of Dundas, Ont., and Im went to the par-3 17th green – the end of the “Bear Trap” three-hole stretch – in wildly different spots. Im stuck his tee ball to just inside of 8 feet, while Hughes had nearly 55 feet left from above the hole.
Line it up! Never a doubt for @MacHughesGolf ? pic.twitter.com/HjNRMvfQuW
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 1, 2020
Hughes rolled in his most improbable birdie to an enormous roar, pulling into a tie with Im at 5 under.
If Im was worried, it didn’t show.
Im took a couple looks at his downhill line, took his putter back just a couple of inches and watched the ball roll in for a birdie that allowed him to reclaim his lead at 6 under – which, he hoped, created a bit of relief at home.
“Right now, all I can do is pray for the best and just hope moving forward that not many more people get affected,” Im said. “Hopefully, this virus can calm down and sort itself out very soon.”