For all the talk of how much Dustin Johnson won this year playing eight LIV Golf events — just north of $35 million or roughly $4.4 million per start — $25,000 does not sound like a whole lot. On Wednesday, though, the Advocates Professional Golf Association, a nonprofit tour whose mission is to improve diversity in golf, received a financial commitment from Farmers Insurance for that very amount. The $25,000 will go toward prize and bonus money for the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale and it boosted the single-season payouts to $1 million — a first for the tour that was launched 2010.
 
> Subscribe: The First Call | Quick Reads (LinkedIn)| Weekend Edition (Substack)
> Follow: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter

> Question of the Week: In 2023, LIV Golf is hopeful its team model will lead to franchises being sold. Regardless of your opinion about LIV Golf, do you believe the franchise model is a viable option for golf?

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.

> Can LIV Golf be successful? Former PGA Tour boss Deane Beman can't see it
[John Hawkins | Sports Illustrated | Read]

> LIV Golf’s Greg Norman still hoping for cooperation with PGA Tour: ‘We did not create the angst’
[Bob Harig | Sports Illustrated | Read] 

> Attorney for LIV Golf's Patrick Reed files $250M defamation lawsuit against 'jackals' Fox Sports, AP, Shane Ryan
[Tim Schmitt | Golfweek | Read]

> The Rahm rule? Tour says players allowed to skip 1 elevated event
[Rex Hoggard | Golf Channel | Read]

> LIV Golf players have their coveted offseason, so what are they going to do?
[Rex Hoggard | Golf Channel | Read]

> Tiger Woods’ and Rory McIlroy’s new business? A bunch of sports legends are investing
[Sean Zak | Golf.com | Read]

Appointed: By Swing Control, a performance-based golf and lifestyle apparel brand, Read the Greens, Golf Media to promote its new fall apparel and 2023 spring collection. 

Announced: By the Metropolitan Golf Association, that Brad Tilley, 39, of Sleepy Hollow, New York, is the 2022 MGA Jerry Courville Senior Player of the Year, while Tyler Lee, 18, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, is the 2022 MGA Junior Player of the Year.

Selected: By the USGA, Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma, as the host site of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball. The club hosted the 1953 U.S. Amateur, won by future U.S. Open champion Gene Littler, and has held qualifiers for the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.

Released: By Kinona, new women’s golf outerwear items to its Apres 18 Collection, including a quilted golf skort and golf jacket, a hoodie dress, a sport skirt and wide-leg pants.

Announced: By the U.S. Disabled Golf Association, that the 2023 United States Disabled Open Championship will be held at PGA Golf Club’s Ryder Course in Port St. Lucie, Florida, May 8-10, 2023. The PGA of America will serve as presenting partner of the championship.

Honored: By the PGA of America, 12 PGA members during its National Awards on Nov. 1 in Phoenix, Arizona. The recipients were Tom Wildenhaus, director of golf, Olde Florida Golf Club, Naples, Florida (PGA Golf Professional of the Year); Jamie Mulligan, Southern California PGA Section member and CEO, Virginia Country Club, Long Beach, California (PGA Teacher and Coach of the Year); Joe Assell, Colorado PGA Section member, and president and CEO, Golftec (PGA Golf Executive of the Year); Tim Beckwith (posthumously), North Florida PGA Section member and most recently the director of golf, Sarasota National Golf Club, Venice, Florida, (Bill Strausbaugh Award); Dr. Rich Ballinger, PGA member (PGA Professional Development Award); Bryan DeMarco, head professional, Pine Barrens Golf Club, Jackson, New Jersey (Deacon Palmer Award); Joe Grohman, owner and operator, Joe Grohman Golf Foundation, Hobe Sound, Florida (Patriot Award); Thomas Yost, Sun County PGA Section member (PGA Player Development Award); Andrew Miller, Philadelphia PGA Section member and PGA director of instruction, LedgeRock Golf Club, Mohnton, Pennsylvania (PGA Youth Player Development Award); Caroline Basarab, Georgia PGA Section member and director of retail, Reynolds Lake Oconee, Greensboro, Georgia (PGA Merchandiser of the Year, Resort Category); Brian Tolnar, director of golf operations and recreation, Mill Creek MetroParks Golf Course, Youngstown, Ohio (PGA Merchandiser of the Year, Public Category); and Ian Brown, Illinois PGA Section member and director of golf, Butterfield Country Club, Oak Brook, Illinois (PGA Merchandiser of the Year, Private Category).

PGA Tour: World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba
Site: El Camaleon Golf Club, Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Television: Today-Saturday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Leaderboard

LPGA Tour: Toto Japan Classic
Site: Seta Golf Club, Shiga, Japan.
Television: Today, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Leaderboard

PGA Tour Champions: Timbertech Championship
Site: Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, Boca Raton, Florida.
Television: Friday, noon to 3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 6:30-9:30 p.m. (Golf Channel-Tape Delay); Sunday, 6-9 p.m. (Golf Channel-Tape Delay).
GCSAA Fact Sheet

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LINKS Magazine (@linksmagazine)