Davis Riley is becoming quite adept at leading the Memorial Tournament. For the second successive year, Riley, 26, has held or shared the first-round lead. On Thursday, Riley shot a 5-under 67 and his first-round mastery puts him in some rather heady company. Others to hold multiple 18-hole leads/co-leads at the Memorial Tournament are Lanny Wadkins (1979, 1983), Davis Love III (1993, 1998), Rory McIlroy (2011, 2014) and Hideki Matsuyama (2015, 2018).

IN THIS ISSUE

> 'Golf Innerview with Ann Liguori' podcast: Michelle Wie | Listen
> Marine veteran Ben Wilson serves new mission through golf | Read
> Jim Nantz to assist on Tepetonka Club's short course design | Read
> PGA Professional Spotlight: Danny Ackerman | Read

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

June 9 will mark the anniversary of the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event. Since then, more players have jumped from the PGA Tour, two (Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka) have won half of the four majors played, and the league still does not receive world ranking points. How have your opinions of LIV Golf changed, if at all?

Send replies on this question or other topics and questions you would like to have asked to shall@buffalogroupe.com. For a response to be published, you must include your first and last name, along with city and state of residence. Read last week's responses.

GOLF INNERVIEW WITH ANN LIGUORI
Michelle Wie West on role of host for LPGA's Mizuho Americas Open
Former U.S. Women's Open champion joins host Ann Liguori to talk about serving as host for the new Mizuho Americas Open, life after her playing career and the need for more progress on Tour
[Listen | More 'Golf Innerview with Ann Liguori' episodes]

BEHIND THE GOLF BRAND
How On Point Golf has grown so rapidly
Founder Briston Peterson joins host Paul Liberatore to discuss his company's wild ride as a manufacturer of three-dimensional ball markers
[Listen | More 'Behind the Golf Brand' episodes]

DRIVER$
How the USGA is managing equipment innovation
Co-hosts Jon Last and David Klein provide an inside look at the USGA’s equipment standards department
[Listen | More 'Driver$' episodes]

Uneekor: Announces a Father's Day promotion for its most powerful launch monitor, the Eye XO2. Customers can receive a discount of $2,000 off when using the promo code "EYEXO2SPRING" at checkout through June 30.

Women’s Golf Day: Founder Elisa Gaudet rang the New York Stock Exchange's opening bell on May 31. Gaudet was joined on stage by representatives from Acushnet, Titleist and FootJoy, as part of a new week-long Women’s Golf Day celebration, which will conclude on the anniversary of the first Women’s Golf Day, June 6.

V1 Sports: Collaborating with Valleaire Golf Club in Hinckley, Ohio, to deliver mobile on-demand instruction and swing analysis tools directly to golfers where on-site instruction does not exist. V1 Golf has provided QR code stations at Valleaire to connect golfers of all skill levels to golf improvement tools through the V1 Golf app and on-demand coaching through its mobile app.

USGA: Hires 20 students from underrepresented communities for its 10-day Pathways Internship Program, held during U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club in Los Angeles. Launched in 2022 as the Lee Elder Internship, the career training program returns as part of the USGA’s four-pillar U.S. Open community engagement strategy that aims to utilize USGA resources and expertise to propel a healthier future for the game.

> LIV Golf faces renewed scrutiny after a foreign agent registration
[Louise Radnofsky / Andrew Beaton | Wall Street Journal | Read ($)]

> Michelle Wie West, Rose Zhang make LPGA history, ink massive sponsorship deal with Delta
[Jack Milko | SB Nation | Read]

> FootJoy is bringing back old school golf shoes, outdated or not
[Julius Oppenheimer | Hypebeast | Read]

DANNY ACKERMAN
General Manager, Oglebay Golf

The First Call: What is your favorite instructional tip to share with a golfer?
Danny Ackerman: Always like sticking to the basics — grip, posture and plane.

TFC: What is the best advice you have received on your career path?
DA: Run your business as if you were reaching into your own wallet to either add staff or make a purchase. If you follow that logic you'll run a successful golf business. Don Padgett, past president of the PGA, told me that 28 years ago and I've never forgotten.

READ MORE >

PGA Tour: Memorial Tournament
Site: Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio.
Television [ET]: Today, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-6 p.m. (CBS).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

LPGA Tour: Mizuho Americas Open
Site: Liberty National, Jersey City, New Jersey.
Television [ET]: Today, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 5-8 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 5-7:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard | GCSAA Fact Sheet

DP World Tour: Porsche European Open
Site: Green Eagle Golf Club, Hamburg, Germany.
Television [ET]: Today, 7-11 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 7-11:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard

PGA Tour Champions: Principal Charity Classic
Site: Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa.
Television [ET]: Today, 7-9 p.m. (Golf Channel-Tape Delay); Saturday-Sunday, 2:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).
GCSAA Fact Sheet

> Assistant Golf Professional
Palmetto Hall Plantation
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina | Info

> Academy Coach
Operation 36 Golf Academy
Raleigh, North Carolina | Info

> Board and Past President Administrative Assistant
PGA of America
Frisco, Texas | Info

> View a complete listing of jobs

Make Golf Your Career is a golf industry DE&I initiative launched by Make Golf Your Thing that allows job seekers to search, find and apply for opportunities throughout the industry in one place.

JULY
25-27: GCBAA Summer Meeting, Lake Geneva, Wisc. | Info

AUGUST
19-22: African American Golf Expo and Forum, Louisville, Ky. | Info

> View complete calendar

To submit events for the calendar, please include the event name, date, location and informational link to info@firstcallgolf.com.