The First Call 09-28-2022

FIRST THOUGHT

Sam Burns arrives at this week's Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, as the reigning champion, but that does not bode well for his chances of a repeat win. The reason has nothing to do with the fact that Burns, a four-time PGA Tour winner, is still riding high from helping the United States win the Presidents Cup up the road in Charlotte, North Carolina, last week. It's that six of the last eight Sanderson Farms winners have been first-time PGA Tour winners — Nick Taylor (2014), Peter Malnati (2015), Cody Gribble (2016), Ryan Armour (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Sebastián Muñoz (2019).

> Question of the Week: Should LIV Golf events be awarded Official World Golf Ranking points — why or why not?

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

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

> Phil Mickelson among four more LIV Golf players dropping out of suit against PGA Tour
[Bob Harig | Sports Illustrated | Read]

> The story of the mutiny at the 1996 Presidents Cup. Of course, it includes Greg Norman
[Adam Schupak | Golfweek | Read]

> Course management group over now-'deplorable' North Carolina Donald Ross design responds to criticism, blames city
[Sarah Honosky | Asheville Citizen Times / Golfweek | Read]

> Where is the incentive? The PGA Tour is planning changes to the LatinoAmerican and Canadian tours, and not everyone is crazy about it
[Ryan French | Fire Pit Collective | Read]

THE INDUSTRY

Sports Illustrated publisher, The Arena Group, acquires Morning Read

Addition of content, real-time sports coverage expected to increase audience for sports site

Kayla Kipp becomes GCSAA’s first female certified turf equipment manager

Kipp serves as the equipment manager in the Turfgrass Management Department for Nemacolin's Mystic Rock and Shepherd’s Rock courses and is one of 15 in the world to hold this certification

Korn Ferry Tour announces Magnit Championship

Inaugural tournament will be held August 17-20, 2023 at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson Township, New Jersey

Puma Golf, Palm Tree Crew deliver their latest collaboration

Collection will be available at the Puma NYC flagship store starting Oct. 3 to celebrate Kygo’s show at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 6

Mark Williams wins 2022 Most Valuable Technician Award

Equipment manager at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate in Overland Park, Kansas, receives 13th annual award, presented in partnership with Foley Co.

Elliott Pope earns top award in GCSAA Scholars Competition

Twenty-three students will receive scholarships for golf/turf management or related fields

Tagmarshal, Pacific Northwest PGA to host Sept. 29 webinar

Mike Fosnick, director of operations for Premier Golf, will discuss how his company uses technology to automate on-course operations and increase efficiency

deWiz adds Southern California PGA Section to coach partnership program

Company's new wearable tech aids in golf instruction by delivering easily accessible swing data, remote swing monitoring and instant feedback

Rancho San Lucas GC renamed Solmar Golf Links

New name, logo part of rebranding initiative for Los Cabos, Mexico destination

Landscapes Golf Management to provide advisory services to Riverside GC

Private Grand Island, Nebraska, club to receive guidance on best management practices

Academy of Golf Art welcomes Craig Snyder as newest member

Snyder turned to painting golf landscapes in 2019 after years of sketching and drawing golf courses and original golf hole designs

The Preserve GC readies for two prestigious amateur events

Carmel, California, club to host the 30th Stocker Cup and the Cal Poly Invitational, featuring 13 colleges

Lizette Salas among latest commits to LPGA Mediheal Championship

Nearly 20 LPGA Tour professionals with Southern California roots entered into the field, including UCLA, USC and Pepperdine alums

First Tee's Bryson Hughes, Megan Meng win Pure Insurance titles

Three First Tee teens ace holes 5, 7 and 17 at host Pebble Beach Golf Links

Selected: By U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Stacy Lewis, Angela Stanford as an assistant captain for the 2023 U.S. Solheim Cup Team. Stanford, the 2018 Amundi Evian Championship winner and a six-time member of the U.S. Team, joins Morgan Pressel and Natalie Gulbis as assistant captains who will work with Lewis at the Solheim Cup, which will be held at Finca Cortesin in Spain, Sept. 22-24, 2023.

Announced: By LIV Golf, details for the LIV Golf Invitational Series Team Championship, Oct. 28-30 at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami. The event will feature a seeded three-day, knock-out tournament featuring both match play and stroke play, while the 12 teams will compete head-to-head for a $50 million purse.

#QOTD

"Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard."

— Guy Kawasaki

ICYMI

Design Notes: Davis Love III returns to UNC to renovate Finley Golf Course

Dan Hixson refreshes Ryder Cup venue Portland GC; Chris Wilczynski finishes bunker work at Dayton, Ohio’s Community GC; Tom Fazio’s Briggs Ranch in Texas enjoys a green refurbishment

TUNING IN

DP World Tour: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Site: St. Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links, Kingsbarns Golf Links, St. Andrews, Scotland.
Television: Thursday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel); Sunday, 6:30 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel).

PGA Tour: Sanderson Farms Championship
Site: Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 3:30-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel).
GCSAA Fact Sheet

LPGA Tour: The Ascendant LPGA
Site: Old American Golf Club, The Colony, Texas.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 12:30-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m. (Golf Channel).
GCSAA Fact Sheet

CALENDAR

OCTOBER
11-13: Golf Inc. Strategies Summit, Kiawah Island, S.C. | Info
26: Fore Hire Virtual Job Fair | Info

NOVEMBER
6-9: International Association of Golf Administrators, Point Clear, Ala. | Info

JANUARY
23-25: Golf Business Conference, Orlando, Fla.
24-27: PGA Show, Orlando, Fla. | Info

FEBRUARY
6-9: GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, Orlando, Fla. | Info
10-12: West Michigan Golf Show, Grand Rapids, Mich. | Info

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

THE LAST CALL

As-built plan of the Valley Club circa October 1929 pic.twitter.com/TEmm6ZVD18
— Alister MacKenzie Institute (@DoctorMacKenzie) September 27, 2022