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| Monday Dec 11, 2023 |
The inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational, the first co-sanctioned PGA Tour and LPGA Tour event since 1999, had quite the international vibe atop the final leaderboard on Sunday. From Down Under, Australian Jason Day and New Zealand's Lydia Ko partnered to win by a stroke over Canadians Corey Conners and Brooke Henderson. Sweden's Ludvig Aberg and Madelene Sagström paired to finish third, while Americans Denny McCarthy and Megan Khang, along with Tony Finau and Nelly Korda tied for fourth.
IN THIS ISSUE
> TFC Inbox: Best golf story of 2023? That's debatable | Read
> The golf ball rollback is here, so deal with it | Read
> Design Notes: Andrew Green transforms Texas’ Vaquero | Read
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
What are your thoughts on the decision by the USGA and R&A to roll back the golf ball?
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 the city and state of residence.
> Read responses to last week's question.
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While there were plenty of compelling stories throughout the year — including PGA pro Michael Block's showing at the PGA Championship — readers of The First Call gravitated toward one that may roll into 2024
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Get your holiday shopping started with this selection of golf and lifestyle products. Updated with True Linkswear
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PGA Tour: Words Alive, a non-profit beneficiary of the Farmers Insurance Open, has been named the 2022-23 PGA Tour Charity of the Year. Words Alive, which provides research-based reading programs, was founded in 1999. The Charity of the Year award comes with a $30,000 grant from the PGA Tour.
Piza Golf: Designs a Pitch and Putt short course that has opened at Club Regatas, a social and sports club located in Lima, Peru. The was designed to International Pitch and Putt Federation specifications so that it could be recognized on the International Circuit.
Bear the Palm: A family-owned company based in Charleston, South Carolina, launches a junior golf apparel line. The company's first collection features matching child and parent polos and is inspired by the Lowcountry with such regional designs as oysters, blue crabs and marsh scenery. For a limited time, consumers can receive a 15% discount on purchases.
PGA Tour: Jim Coleman, with more than 15 years of service at The Classic in The Palm Beaches (formerly The Honda Classic) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was selected as the 2022-23 PGA Tour Volunteer of the Year. With the award, the PGA Tour will donate $10,000 to the charity of Coleman’s choosing — the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the long-time primary beneficiary of The Classic in The Palm Beaches.
PGA Tour: The BMW Championship and WM Phoenix Open share the 2023 PGA Tour Tournament of the Year honor. Both tournaments received the award for a fifth time. Hosted by the Western Golf Association, the BMW Championship is the oldest non-major on the PGA Tour schedule. The tournament also won Best On-Site Staging for a record fourth time. The tournament's sole beneficiary is the Evans Scholars Foundation, which has received more than $44.5 million to fund caddie scholarships. An additional $5 million is projected from the 2023 event. The WM Phoenix Open is hosted by The Thunderbirds and since WM took over as title sponsor in 2010, the tournament has raised more than $124 million for Arizona charities, including a record $14.5 million generated in 2023. The tournament also earned the tournament award for Best Title Sponsor Integration.
> Lydia Ko delivers big moment to win mixed team event with Jason Day
[Associated Press | Read]
> PGA Tour selects Fenway group among private investors. More talks planned with Saudis
[Doug Ferguson | Associated Press | Read]
> Costco’s $499 Kirkland Signature irons sold out in just hours
[Ryan Barath | Golf.com | Read]
> Opinion: Jon Rahm’s greed isn’t the PGA Tour’s biggest problem. It’s the guys who want Saudi-sized money for staying
[Eamon Lynch | Golfweek | Read]
"When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself."
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The decision by the USGA and R&A is likely to cost your game about 5 yards in distance, which, TFC's Gary Van Sickle surmises, is less than what you've gained from technological advances through the years
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Todd Quitno and Nathan Crace team up to renovate Illinois’ Merit Club; Missouri’s Big Cedar Lodge to add a Morris family-designed par-3 course
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DRIVER$: INSIDE THE GOLF INDUSTRY
Setting the pace
Tagmarshal CEO Bodo Sieber joins co-hosts Jon Last and David Klein to discuss pace of play optimization and how to improve the economic engine of golf facilities
[Listen | More 'Driver$: Inside the Golf Industry' episodes]
BEHIND THE GOLF BRAND
Taking golf indoors may be the next best thing
Renee Delgado, Indoor Golf Shop founder and CEO, joins host Paul Liberatore to discuss how his company began and how its positioned within the growing golf simulator industry
[Listen | More 'Behind the Golf Brand' episodes]
THE MODGOLF PODCAST
Embrace a "give first" mindset to start a business, then scale
Gary Guerrero Jr. joins host Colin Weston to discuss how he laid the foundation for his two companies — Lag Shot Golf and Scratch Golf Academy — and what he learned along the way
[Listen | More 'The ModGolf Podcast' episodes]
> Videographer Player Content
PGA Tour
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida | Info
> Human Resources Business Partner
USGA
Liberty Corner, New Jersey | Info
> PGM Intern
Stonewall Links
Elverson, Pennsylvania | 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.
JANUARY
23-26: PGA Show, Orlando, Florida | Info
29-February 1: GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, Phoenix, Arizona | Info
MARCH
4-8: Club Management Association of America World Conference and Club Business Expo, Las Vegas, Nevada | Info
To submit events for the calendar, please include the event name, date, location and informational link to info@firstcallgolf.com.
