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Morning 9: Mickelson and the Premier Golf League | Monahan: Us or them | Bryson on slow play warning

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6 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt
Email me at ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.
January 30, 2020
Good Thursday morning, golf fans. Who will get the most cheers at the 16th at the WMPO today?

 
1. Phil & the PGL folks
Not totally surprising for a man for whom money is “No. 1, 2, 3, and 4” (per John Feinstein).
  • Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”Phil Mickelson said at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open that the idea of the Premier Golf League, an upstart rival circuit to the PGA Tour, was “intriguing.” However, Mickelson couched his remarks, noting he didn’t know much outside the general concept.”
  • “On Wednesday, Mickelson sounded more enlightened after reportedly playing in the Saudi International pro-am with the backers of the PGL.”
  • “I had the chance to spend time with and play with the gentlemen in charge of trying to start a new premier league,” Mickelson told a group of reporters at Royal Greens Golf Club in King Abdullah Economic City, according to the Scotsman. “It was fascinating to talk with them and ask some questions and see what their plans are-where they started, how they started, why-and just got their background, which was very interesting.”
  • “I haven’t had the chance to put it all together and think about what I want to say about it publicly, but I do think it was an informative day for me to have the chance to spend time with them.”
2. “Us or them”
Further reporting on Commissioner Monahan’s Monday letter to PGA Tour players, via Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…
  • Procedural challenges for players wanting to compete on the PGL: “Players are limited to three conflicting event “releases” under the Tour’s current regulations and the letter references “strict enforcement of the Conflicting Event and Media Rights/Release rules.” The letter also warns players that under Tour regulations “a member cannot have a financial interest in another player,” which is one of the fundamental features of the Premier Golf League’s team ownership concept.”
  • And strong words from the commish: “If the Team Golf Concept or another iteration of this structure becomes a reality in 2022 or at any time before or after, our members will have to decide whether they want to continue to be a member of the PGA Tour or play on a new series,”
3. I got this
Josh Weinfuss at ESPN…”Amy Bockerstette returned to the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale Wednesday, about a year after she made a par on the famous hole that catapulted her to instant celebrity, and walked off the green with a donation that’ll help kick-start her foundation.”
  • “Bockerstette, a disabilities advocate with Down syndrome, received a $25,000 check from the Thunderbirds, the civic organization that hosts the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and Waste Management for her I Got This Foundation, in a ceremony alongside PGA Tour golfer Gary Woodland, with whom she played the hole with last year.”
4. JT targeting Olympic gold
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker…”Earlier this week, World No. 1 Brooks Koepka and former No. 1 Dustin Johnson expressed a certain amount of ambivalence when the topic of playing in the Olympics came up during the European Tour’s Saudi International.”
  • “Justin Thomas? He had a different response when asked about the possibility of competing for the United States in Tokyo this summer.”
  • “There’s no scenario for me [to skip it],” Thomas said on Wednesday from the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “It’s just different. It’s once in every four years, and you have the opportunity to do it.”

 
5. Bryson: Slow play warning had “no impact”
“Hell no,” he said when asked whether the slow play warning prompted his closing run of bogeys…
  • Via Golf Channel’s Will Gray…”DeChambeau was looking to successfully defend his title in Dubai, and he held a share of the lead with four holes to go. But he closed with bogeys on each of his final four holes to finish in a tie for eighth, four shots out of a playoff.”
  • “Television cameras caught DeChambeau receiving a slow play warning from officials during the closing stretch, and the American told GolfChannel.com on Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open that the warning stemmed from a slow time on the greens.”
  • “They let me know on 12, I think, that it took me 86 seconds to hit a putt,” DeChambeau said. “But we were in position, so there was no reason for me – I mean, we would have waited on the next tee had I gone 15 seconds faster. We were pretty much almost waiting on the next tee anyway.”
6. Rahm to No. 1?-doesn’t seem to matter much to him
Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…”Being No. 1 in the world, it’s a consequence of good golf,” Rahm said with a shrug, which might explain why he’s focused less on how the ranking will look on Monday than on how the leaderboard appears Sunday night. “I got to take care of business this week and it’s not going to change my mindset. Obviously, it’s a goal in every player’s mind to be No. 1 in the world, and it is a goal of mine at some point, but I still got things to do to, take care of every day and make the right putts and hit the right shots for that to really happen. So I’m just going to focus on what I have to do starting tomorrow.”
7. LPGA cancels China event
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”The LPGA’s spring Asia swing will be one tournament short in 2020. The upcoming Blue Bay LPGA, held on China’s Hainan Island, has been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the situation, who spoke to Golfweek on the condition of anonymity because it hasn’t been officially announced.”
  • “The event was scheduled to take place March 5-8, immediately following the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore. The tournament was not held in 2019 due to the transition of moving it on the calendar from the fall to the spring. The event had a $2.1 million purse. Gaby Lopez won the title in 2018.”

Full piece.

8. Woodland on Bryant
Via Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker…”It’s been an emotional week,” Woodland said. “When I think of Kobe now, I think of the images of him with his daughter, with Gigi, on the basketball court, talking to her, getting back into the game because of her and the love she had for it.”
  • “I’ve looked up to Kobe my whole life. I grew up in that generation with him dominating, so I’ve always wanted to be him, the way he worked on the basketball court, I wanted his work ethic. … Looking at him the last couple years, I want to be like him as a father. I want to be able to spend time with my kids.”
  • “Which is why on Tuesday Woodland brought his son onto the golf course with him for the first time during his practice round. Bryant’s passing was a cruel reminder of the fragility of life.”

Full piece.

9. The Gear Dive: Brandel Chamblee
I’d like to call your attention to the latest installment of The Gear Dive, wherein our Johnny Wunder sat down for an hour-long conversation with the singular Brandel Chamblee.

 

Related Topics:

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Caroline

    Jan 30, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    Yes, it figures Mickelson will follow the dollar. After missing the last two cuts and shooting off his mouth about how good he is playing maybe building a tour he can compete on makes sense to him…Champions tour is to much of a gamble for him at 50, you know those older guys may make him look stupid, loosing to the younger guys gives him an alibi for his lack of skill now. Good Idea may be for him to dump Callaway and find a club company that can fit his erratic swing and let him find the fairway once in awhile…..

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

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4 weeks ago

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Jul 29, 2025

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GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

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4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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WITB

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