Mike Weir’s never-give-up attitude is paying off once again
Before Mike Weir begins his time on PGA TOUR Champions in May, he threw back the clock on the Korn Ferry Tour. On a leaderboard chalk full of golf’s up-and-coming stars, many of whom are half of Weir’s age, the 2003 Masters champion was holding his own.
That never-give-up attitude has never left Weir, even when it seemed like his game had.
“My mindset was, ‘go as low as you can,’” says Weir of his T17 finish at the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic. It was Weir’s highest result at a PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament since 2014.
“As I approach the (PGA Tour Champions) I’ve felt a different energy and I think being around the guys at the Presidents Cup, playing with young guys on the Korn Ferry Tour, you feel like you can compete at that level. I feel good and it energizes you.”
Canada’s @MikeWeir has not recorded a top-20 finish since 2014.
He’s currently T3 at the LECOM Suncoast Classic, one off the lead.
Less than three months from joining @ChampionsTour. pic.twitter.com/Ik3Mb8AL08
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) February 16, 2020
Weir was one of Ernie Els’ captain’s assistants at Royal Melbourne in December, and this year he’s had an open schedule playing on the Korn Ferry Tour before he turns 50 in May.
The eight-time PGA Tour winner says he’s been working with a swing coach, Mark Blackburn, a trainer, Jason Glass, and a sports psychologist, Rich Gordon. It doesn’t sound like Weir, who is off on a ski trip before returning to action in a few weeks on the Korn Ferry Tour, is slowing down any time soon.
“Golf’s a game where you have to have everything working well. You have to have your mind in the right place. The balance in my life is good,” he says. “All those things I’ve been working hard on are paying off.”
Things were bleak for Weir just a few years ago as he battled a myriad of injuries and was in a bit of no man’s land with respect to his status on the PGA Tour.
The Korn Ferry Tour has special exemption category for golfers 48-49 before they turn 50. Since Weir has earned more than $28-million in his PGA Tour career, he was one of the highest-earners trying to play the Korn Ferry Tour out of that special category. He could pick and choose his schedule. But prior to getting to that magic number, Weir tried teeing it up wherever he could – including in Europe and Australia.
But at no point did he think of giving up.
“Even when I was really struggling I never thought that. I know what kind of player I am and I know that wasn’t what I was showing on the golf course,” he explains. “There were a number of things I had to iron out through injury and getting back through mobility and technique. I took it as a big challenge.”
Drew Weaver, who played with Weir for the first two rounds at the LECOM Suncoast Classic, says Weir had a great attitude and a renewed perspective since last year. The two met in 2007 when Weaver played The Open Championship as an amateur. At that point, Weir was 40th in the world.
“He still has a ton of game,” says Weaver. “His chipping has always been incredible and his ball-striking was great. It was nice to see him play as well as he did tee-to-green.”
Part of Weir’s inspiration – aside from the jolt he got from playing on the Korn Ferry Tour like Weaver or being in the Presidents Cup team room – is to see how well his fellow Canadians are doing on the PGA Tour.
He was travelling all day Sunday during Nick Taylor’s win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but he got to his hotel in time to watch Taylor play No’s 17 and 18 and seal the deal. The tournament, where Weir finished runner-up twice – in 2005 and 2009 – is an important one, Weir says, and he was thrilled to see a Canadian lift the trophy.
JERSEY CITY, NJ – SEPTEMBER 28: (L-R) Mike Weir of Canada and Captainís Assistant of the International Team and Adam Hadwin look on during the Thursday foursomes matches of the first round of the Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club on September 28, 2017, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Scott Halleran/PGA TOUR)
Taylor’s win got him into the Masters. For just the second time ever, there will be a foursome of guys waving the red-and-white at Augusta National.
“For a number of years it’s just been myself and one other guy and sometimes two. You get more numbers there, you have more chances to win,” Weir says.
And, he’s not counting out the potential for another addition.
Weir points to the success Australian and South African golfers have had on the major championship stage.
“We have that kind of talent,” says Weir. “Someone is going to break through here and win a major championship sooner rather than later. It’s been a long time since I’ve won so we’re due for someone else to do it.”
While it’s unlikely Weir will be competing at other majors other than the Masters – never say never, though – he’s got a strong focus on where he will be moving forward.
He says he has no plans to play more Korn Ferry Tour events after he turns 50, but he’ll mix in a few before May. He’s also playing the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on the PGA Tour before heading to Augusta. Canadian fans will see Weir at the RBC Canadian Open in June, too.
HAMILTON, ONTARIO – JUNE 06: Nick Taylor of Canada shakes hands with Mike Weir of Canada and David Hearn of Canada after their round in the first round of the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club on June 06, 2019 in Hamilton, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, he’ll celebrate the graduation of his eldest daughter from university in late-April. His youngest daughter has just begun university herself, so Weir is becoming an empty nester like most parents his age.
But most parents don’t have the opportunity to re-start their career at 50 with a renewed sense of optimism (or a Green Jacket).
“I’m not saying there wasn’t frustrating moments, but my brain doesn’t work that way,” says Weir of the last few years. “I always believed that I was going to find a way to get better and get it done and find a way back out of it.”
Golf Canada names 2020 Team Canada Young Pro Squad
OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the nine athletes who have been selected to the 2020 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.
Comprising the 2020 Men’s Young Pro Squad are returnees Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.), Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver, B.C.) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) along with new additions Chris Crisologo (Richmond, B.C.) and Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.). Crisologo, 23, and Savoie, 25, will make their Young Pro Squad debuts after graduating from the Men’s Amateur Squad.
The Women’s Young Pro Squad will be represented by a trio of returning athletes in Jaclyn Lee (Calgary, Alta.), Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.), and Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.).
Click here to read Team Canada Young Pro Squad player bios.
Now in its seventh year, the Team Canada Young Pro Squad helps to bridge the gap for top-performing amateurs transitioning into the professional ranks. Since the inception of the Young Pro Squad in 2014, current and former team members have accounted for 43 wins across various professional golf tours including PGA TOUR wins by Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners as well as a record nine LPGA Tour wins by Brooke Henderson.
New for 2020 is the amount of coaching the Young Pro Squad will receive. After talking with past players, one of the areas Golf Canada was committed to improving on was the amount of contact time with coaches. That time will double in 2020.
Men’s and Women’s National Squad coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro athletes. Both Ingram and Mullally are PGA of Canada members and Ben Kern Coach of the Year past recipients.
Golf Canada is also pleased to announce the addition of Team Canada assistant coaches Jennifer Greggain (Chilliwack, B.C.) on the women’s side and Andrew Parr (London, Ont.) on the men’s side who will provide coaching support to athletes on the Amateur Squads. Greggain, the 2018 PGA of Canada Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year, brings an accomplished competitive resume including two years as a member of the LPGA Tour while Parr, a PGA of Canada apprentice professional and Team Canada graduate played professionally on both the Mackenzie Tour and European Tour.
The athletes will also have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff, which includes physiotherapist Greg Redman and Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood supporting the men’s team. The women’s team will be supported by physiotherapist Andrea Kosa and mental performance consultant Christie Gialloreto.
Funding for this program, in large part, comes from the Golf Canada Foundation with generous contributions from founding partners RBC and Canadian Pacific, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and Bear Mountain Resort – the Official Training Centre of Golf Canada’s National Team program.
Focusing on Volunteerism- Ross Harwood
Residence
Saskatoon
Club
Riverside Country Club
Handicap
26
Rounds per Year
30
Left/Right
Right
Years with Golf Saskatchewan
10
Service
Rules Official, Course Rating
How did you get involved with Golf Saskatchewan?
“One of the fellows at Riverside was talking about the Rules and Course Rating process so he suggested I should try that and see how it worked. I went to the course and just kept going at it.”
What do you like about volunteering?
“I find it very interesting, it’s a great exercise of judgement, your observation skills, once you see certain things. You work as a team so there is a teamwork aspect to it and then you need to negotiate your thoughts. You may have seen something or not seen something that someone else does so you work your way through those kinds of things to get as close as you can to the right answer. We get to see parts of our beautiful province that you otherwise wouldn’t get close to. I’ve discovered some real jewels and little places that make it all worthwhile. It’s just a great experience.”
What do you get out of volunteering?
“In some ways it is a challenge, I’m an auditor and auditing is terribly boring but what it requires the exercise of professional judgement. If I knew then what I know now when I used to teach my students at the firm I’d have gotten them involved in something like this. It does require judgement; you must weigh the situation and find an appropriate outcome for the situation and level of difficulty. It’s a lot more than meets the eye.”
What would you say to others about volunteering, not only for Golf Saskatchewan but any organization?
“I have promoted it, one of my partners was retiring a couple years ago, I suggested to him he might want to get on this rating team. He was moving to B.C., so he was going to do it there. It is a great way to see the courses of the province. It’s not Mickey Mouse work, it’s meaningful and needs to be done right.”
DeLaet drives the green on Moose Jaw based podcast
Three Moose Jaw based golf fans who started a podcast termed Drive the Green recently celebrated their 100th episode. The trio hit an ace landing Saskatchewan golf hero Graham DeLaet for the episode.
The Hillcrest members were able to chat with the Weyburn product for almost 30 minutes where DeLaet spoke about growing up in southern Saskatchewan, his college days at Boise State and his pro career that has allowed the two-time Saskatchewan amateur champion to collect over $11 million in career earnings.
Although the 38-year-old didn’t start practicing and taking the sport very seriously until college, he grew up loving the game and usually played a couple rounds a day growing up at the Weyburn Golf Club. DeLaet was a typical Saskatchewan kid, he grew up wanting to be a hockey player, golf was great to fall back on.
“I think I was always super excited to get back on the golf course every spring,” he told Drive the Green. “I had a couple good buddies in Weyburn, and we’d play golf everyday, 36 holes, sometimes 54. We weren’t really practisers; we would just go out and play.”
DeLaet continued to play golf and hockey until he was 18 and graduated from high school. A back injury put his hockey dreams aside and he began searching for a golf scholarship. Boise State, in Idaho came calling and the “rest is history” he explained on the podcast.
“I fell in love with the city, I met my wife (Ruby) here, I still live here. It worked out well. I see so many kids chasing the big schools, the big-time programs or they want to play in the warm weather which I totally get, but this worked out so well for me here. I was able to step in as a true freshman right out of the gate and never missed a tournament in my whole career. You really get to learn how to play golf playing in tournaments,” he said.
Building confidence through out his time at Boise, DeLaet realized the chance at a pro career was there. He then increased his practice time but enjoyed the team aspect making the long days more enjoyable. College golf took DeLaet to the PGA Tour but his time in Weyburn is still a huge part of him, and his game.
“No one likes to play in the wind,” he responded when asked about Saskatchewan weather. “We would all rather play in Palm Springs where it’s perfect everyday however on days when it’s pumping I always knew I had an advantage. You are a product of your environment for sure, not only the wind in southern Saskatchewan but at Weyburn Golf Club, our greens on the old nine were tiny, turtleback greens so it just took precision golf shots.”
DeLaet beamed about the state of Canadian golf including the wire-to-wire win for Nick Taylor at Pebble Beach last week. He praised Taylor, Corey Conners, and Adam Hadwin’s current play. When it comes to DeLaet’s own career, representing Canada at the Olympics was his career highlight. He admitted he didn’t play the best in Rio in 2016 but his greatest memory came away from the course during the opening ceremony.
“Just being there was a special thing. The thing I will always remember about that experience is how much it meant to all the other athletes. Not that it didn’t mean anything to me because it did, I was super proud to be there. If I didn’t play well that week I was going to Greensborough for a $7.5 million purse the next week, it wasn’t the end of the world. When you walk through the opening ceremonies and the tears that are pouring out people’s eyes and the emotions that are coming out because they worked so hard for four years to get to the pinnacle, that was by far the best part of the Olympics,’ he said.
He pointed to his President’s Cup appearance as a near second in career highlights.
DeLaet has been close to a PGA win in his career, but a victory still eludes him. He said he’s content and satisfied with his success to date, but collecting that trophy is his driving force.
“I know that I was always a good enough player and I am good enough now to get it and it just never happened for whatever reason. That’s one thing still driving me, going through injuries, rehab, training to get back out there, it’s that win man. That’s just what I need to feel real content about my career,” he explained.
The second reason he’s continuing to work hard at 38 is for his twin kids, Roscoe and Lyla. They are four years old now, DeLaet wants to provide memories for their children whether it’s in the clubhouse or on a PGA course.
DeLaet is currently ranked 220 in the FedEx Cup standings. He’s played five events this year making two cuts along the way.
You can hear the entire Drive the Green podcast here. (Warning-Contains strong language)
5 guidelines to build your romance through golf
On the occasion of Valentine’s Day, let’s get all the bad, frequently offensive, jokes out of the way first.
To speed up the process, I will provide just the punch lines to a couple of the hoariest groaners.
“No way! The last time I tried that shot, I made double bogey!”
“But you don’t understand. It’s my wife’s funeral.”
On a related note this February 14, let’s officially bury the term “golf widow.”
With that out of the way, let’s move on.
Golf, and I speak from personal experience, can strengthen romantic relationships.
Even the dating web site eHarmony recognizes that, listing “15 reasons to date a golfer.” Among them, “golfers strive for emotional balance,” “they know how to make conversation,” “golfers understand they must forget mistakes and move on,” and “committed golfers are in it for the long haul.” Finally, these relationship experts point out, “you’ll be spending countless hours together in pristine park-like settings. Not a bad way to nurture romance.”
They might have mentioned etiquette, balance, equity and all those other fundamental values in the game. As well, the rules would be worth mentioning.
Not the new Modernized Rules of Golf, although those certainly have their place in the actual playing of the game.
If you want golf to help forge and strengthen a romantic bond, you would be well advised to follow these guidelines which I have learned (often the hard way, particularly No. 1) over three decades of golfing with my beloved.
- If you’re not asked, then shut the hell up. If your partner is having an off day, fight the misguided impulse to offer your well-intentioned but worthless opinion. First, you most likely don’t have the foggiest idea of how to rectify the situation. Second, even though they love you, they now are so frustrated that you are only exacerbating the eventual meltdown. And they have easy access to a selection of deadly metal implements. If you are going to follow only one rule, make it this one.
- Take a golf vacation together. Sitting on the beach is all fine and good, but getting out on the course and sharing some conversation and laughs is far better.
- Nine and dine. Whether it’s an organized weekly couples’ league or just an impromptu outing for just the two of you, nine holes followed by a leisurely dinner and drinks is a wonderful way to unwind and catch up.
- Don’t take it too seriously. Sure, you want to play your best but the object of the exercise is to enjoy each other’s company.
- Include family. If you’re lucky enough to have kids or grandkids, invite them to play a few holes with you. Or maybe it’s your brother and sister-in-law or other relatives you love but don’t get to see often enough. Golf is a great excuse to reinforce those family ties.
I speak from experience, as I mentioned earlier. My wife took up golf after I did and fell for it as hard, or maybe harder, than she fell for me. We’ve done all things listed above, from golf vacations to couples’ nights to including family.
And while the pure meaning of Valentine’s Day is focussed on your one and only, and my wife and I have spent many delightful hours golfing together, I can tell you that one of my everlasting memories is the sight of our son and his grandfather golfing together.
That’s something else I truly love.
Golf Canada releases 2020 championship schedule
OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce its 2020 championship schedule which includes 29 amateur and professional competitions hosted at member clubs across Canada.
The 2020 schedule is headlined by Golf Canada’s premier professional championships – the RBC Canadian Open from June 8-14 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont. (in partnership with Islington Golf Club), and the CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, B.C., from Aug. 31 – Sept 6.
The competition calendar includes eight National Amateur Championships, eight NextGen junior competitions and the World Junior Girls Championship.
Golf Canada conducts the country’s premier amateur and professional golf championships as part of its mandate to promote the sport and support the development of the nation’s top talent through world-class competition. In 2020, Golf Canada will celebrate its 125th anniversary with activities and celebrations planned throughout the championship season.
“Competing in a national championship is an incredible accomplishment for each of the more than 3,000 talented Canadian and international golfers who take part in our competitions,” said Golf Canada’s CEO, Laurence Applebaum. “The depth of talent, engagement among thousands of volunteers, the quality of our host venues and the committed support of corporate partners who have aligned their respected brands with our properties have been core to 125 years of excellence in conducting golf competitions. We are excited to welcome the next wave of Canadian golf champions.”
Golf Canada’s championship season kicks off May 12 with the U.S. Open Local Qualifier at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. and concludes in October with the 7th edition of the World Junior Girls Championship at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.
To view Golf Canada’s 2020 championship schedule including all host venues, registration requirements and volunteer opportunities please click here.
The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be celebrating its 125th anniversary at The Glencoe Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Alta., from Aug. 3-6. A field of 264 players will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after 36 holes. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2021 RBC Canadian Open, as well as an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive an exemption into local qualifying for the 2021 U.S. Open, and if applicable, the U.S. Junior, U.S. Mid-Amateur or U.S. Senior Amateur Championships. The 2020 event marks the first time the championship will host the 264-player field on the same property (Forest & Meadows courses) since the field expanded in 2010. The inaugural Canadian Men’s Amateur was held in 1895 – the year of Golf Canada’s founding – and has been conducted every year since (excluding times of war between 1915-1918 and 1940-1945).
The 107th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship takes place July 21-24 at one of Golf Canada’s founding clubs, The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île Brizard, Qué. The champion will earn an exemption into the 2020 CP Women’s Open, as well as an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive exemptions into the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, if applicable.
Rivershore Estates & Golf Links will host the 82nd Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 10-13 in Kamloops, B.C. The winner will earn an exemption into the 2021 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
The 66th Canadian Junior Girls Championship will take place July 28-31 at Club de golf de Lorette in Loretteville, Qué. with the winner earning an exemption into the 2021 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
The 18th Canadian University/College Championship will be held May 25-28 at Club de Golf Les Quatre Domaines in Mirabel, Qué. The national championship features both a team and individual component featuring Canada’s top university and college talent.
The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur will be held Aug. 18-21 at Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B., with the champion earning entry into the 2021 RBC Canadian Open.
The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship will be held Aug. 25-27 at the Golf Château-Bromont in Bromont, Que. The winner will earn an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and 2021 U.S Senior Women’s Open.
Pheasant Glen Golf Resort located in Qualicum Beach, B.C., will host the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship from Sept. 15-18, with the winner earning an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur.
The NextGen Championships round out Golf Canada’s schedule with eight regional junior competitions. The series will run from May through September in conjunction with the respective Provincial Golf Associations.
The Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event will be held on Aug. 29 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. Twenty-four of the nation’s top-scoring juniors compete for the title of their respective age group (8 and under, 9-11, 12-14, 15-18).
An accomplished field of international competitors will take to Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., from Sept 28 – Oct. 3, for the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship. The event will welcome 26 countries playing as three-member squads competing for both a team and individual title. New for 2020, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2021 CP Women’s Open.
The Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event will be held at Islington Golf Club in Toronto on Sept. 21. The one-day event is a celebration of the success of all Golf Fore the Cure events held nationwide during the 2020 season. To date, the fundraising efforts of thousands of golfers have totaled more than $6.8 million for breast cancer research since the program’s inception in 2003.
Saskatchewan golfers start strong down south
A handful of Saskatchewan college students opened their spring seasons this week with good results.
The Southern Arkansas University (SAU) duo of Kade Johnson and Roman Timmerman started where they left off in the fall season. The Yorkton and Saskatoon products tied for fourth place at the Houston Open on Monday and Tuesday. The pairs’ three round score of 219 helped the Muleriders finish second in the team competition at the Golf Club of Houston.
SAU is back in action on March 9 and 10 when they host the Arkansas Classic.
In Brunswick, Georgia Saskatoon’s Marc Sweeney should have crossed paths with Kindersley golfer Brody Istace. Sweeney show a two-round score of 149 (76, 73) at the 10th annual Winter Invite over the last couple days. Sweeney placed tied for 19th. Sweeney and his University of South Carolina Beaufort teammates placed third out of 16 teams.
Istace is in his second year at Columbia International University (CIU), the Rams also competed in the Invite. Istace shot rounds of 83 and 87 leaving him in 74th position. The Rams placed ninth as a team.
The Sand Sharks will meet SCAD Savannah in a match-play event on Feb. 14. CIU will host their first-ever regular season tournament on Feb. 24 and 25.
Connor Scissons and the Arizona Christian University Firestorm were competing in Phoenix, Arizona this week. The Saskatoon born player placed in a tie for 22nd at the ACU Spring Invitational. Scissons carded rounds of 71 and 76 at the Moon Valley Country Club.
The Firestorm played great over 36 holes and picked up a second-place finish in the team competition. The men’s golf team will be back on the course March 4 against Otterbein.
For more information on Saskatchewan players at college click here.
Canada’s Nick Taylor goes wire to wire to win Pebble Beach Pro Am
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Canada’s Nick Taylor faced increasingly windy conditions, a hard-charging Phil Mickelson, and his own struggles in the back nine to come out on top at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Taylor led by as many as five strokes heading into the back nine before bogeys on holes 11 and 12 followed by a double bogey on No. 14 seemed to give Mickleson a window on Sunday. But Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., remained unperturbed for birdies on Nos. 15 and 17 for a 2-under 70 round and a four-stroke win over Kevin Streelman, with Mickleson fading to five shots back with three bogeys on his back nine.
Was Taylor really as steely as he seemed, though?
“On the inside? Probably not,” said Taylor with a laugh. “I did feel calm all week and today, but I definitely started feeling some nerves middle of the back nine with really difficult holes and making some bogeys.
“Phil was making bogeys alongside me so it’s not like I was making bad bogeys, it didn’t feel like. It was just playing so difficult.”
That winning putt to become the first Canadian champion at the @attproam ???? pic.twitter.com/TRX0ZlCtFe
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) February 10, 2020
Playing as the final pairing of the day, Taylor had Mickleson and his legion of fans in lockstep with him through the storied course. A partisan crowd was clearly hoping that Mickleson would win a record sixth tournament at Pebble Beach, his home course.
Both players had a disastrous No. 14 – Taylor double bogeyed and Mickleson bogeyed – but Taylor recovered with his two late birdies and Mickleson didn’t shoot below par again.
“It’s disappointing certainly to have not won, but I got outplayed,” Mickelson said. “I mean, Nick played better than I did. He holed a couple of great shots. That eagle on 6, the putts he made on 4, 5 and 7 … he just really played some great golf.”
Never count out Nick ???? pic.twitter.com/pDd7wBHSgA
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) February 9, 2020
Instead, Taylor won a PGA Tour event for the second time of his career and set himself up for an exciting 2020 season.
He’ll now join Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners and Mike Weir at the Masters, the most Canadians to ever play at Augusta. He also joins Hadwin and Conners as a potential member of Canada’s Olympic team at this summer’s Tokyo Games. Canada’s two highest-ranked male players in the world golf rankings will compete in the Olympics.
Winning at Pebble Beach guarantees Taylor a full exemption for the 2021 PGA Tour season.
Taylor also made a little bit of history.
Having won the Sanderson Farms Championship in November 2014, Taylor joined Mike Weir and Stephen Ames as the only Canadians in the modern era to win twice on the top men’s tour.
He’s also the first player to lead all four rounds at Pebble Beach since Mickleson accomplished the feat in 2005.
“It’s a unique week with having three different golf courses to play on,” said Taylor. “Each day is a new challenge, totally different. I think that helped a little bit. I won the Canadian junior championship before I went to college, pretty sure I went wire-to-wire there but it doesn’t happen very often to have a great start and back it up with another good round.
“It’s very rare and makes for a tiring week. Now I know 0.1 per cent of what Tiger Woods does every single day, having to talk to media and stuff like that.”
Taylor and Mickleson – who finished the day 2-over 74 – weren’t the only players to struggle with the wind.
Dustin Johnson shot a 78. Matt Every, in the third-to-last group, shot 80. Jason Day closed with a 75.
The best round and best finish belonged to Jordan Spieth, who chipped in to save par on his final hole for a 67. It was the low round of the day and enabled Spieth to finish in a tie for ninth. That narrowly moves him back into the top 50 and makes him eligible for a World Golf Championship in Mexico City in two weeks.
Streelman also left with a trophy. He teamed with Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald to easily win the pro-am for the second time in three years.
Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., shot a 3-over 75 to finish tied for 55th at even par.
Lofgren loving iron prize
Last week the Maple Leaf Junior Tour handed out a couple prizes for young golfers who signed up for membership prior to their early bird deadline.
One of those prizes was a set of Tiger Woods Taylormade P-7TW irons valued at $2,600. The lucky winner was Saskatoon’s Taylor Lofgren. Lofgren, 17, said he was scrolling through phone last week when he received an Instagram notification regarding the MJT draw.
“I hear P-7TW irons for the grand prize and I went into a shock type feeling, is this really about to be my name called? You have to be kidding me right now?” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “Just an insane experience, I loved it.”
Ever since Lofgren found out he was the grand prize winner of entrants across Canada he has been on pins and needles waiting for his prize to arrive.
“I have been on every site you can think of looking into these things. It’s kind of been my obsession the last few days. It’s hard to get my mind off them,” he chuckled.
Lofgren was introduced to golf by his dad around nine years old when he got his first set of clubs. He said the game became more serious to him when he was about 13. He said playing Maple Leaf events has several benefitting factors.
“I found there’s more to it than the competitive aspect although that’s very much there,” he said. “The community that surrounds the events is neat. A few things that stick out to me over the years is spending time with friends, sharing stories of rounds and bringing smiles to people’s faces despite how the round went. Plus I get to play courses I generally wouldn’t find myself at if it wasn’t for the MJT events is a bonus.”
Lofgren finished in 21st place at the provincial championship at the Evergreen Golf Course last year. His top finish was a 14th place spot at the OMT Championship at The Legends Golf Course. He hopes his final year of junior golf, that is already been kickstarted by the irons win is a memorable one.
“I’m looking to build on the closing MJT event and looking to get to that level shortly after the season starts. I’m looking to make my last year memorable both with the people I spend it with and how I perform. I’m pretty excited to get the season going,” Lofgren beamed.
Golf Needs to be Squashed
One of the best ways to solve a problem is to look at success models in other disciplines. Right now, golf has an equipment problem. The ball goes too far. And the powers that be are so afraid of blowback from commercial interests they think the problem can’t be solved. However, a solution compatible to all parties is right in front of us if we just open our eyes.
Squash is a tennis-like game played inside an open-wall court. The court is always the same but the player-ball relationship presents a problem. If a ball isn’t hit hard enough it will die when coming off the front wall and players will not be able to enjoy a rally. If the ball is struck too hard it has too much bounce becoming too easy to retrieve and high level players don’t get to display their full range of skills.
Squash’s solution is to designate one ball for elite players (pros) who are able to hit the ball harder and another for high level amateurs and yet another for beginners. There’s even a ball for five to seven year-olds for a total of six different balls. In order to keep track each grade of ball is defined by one or two Yellow, Red or Blue dots on the surface. We don’t need six different golf balls. We just need two. Pro Shops and manufacturers would be happy with that. They’d have more to sell.
It would seem that creating balls with fixed bounce properties would diminish the competitive edge one manufacturer might have over another. However, manufacturing competition does exist within the sport of squash. Manufacturers are able to differentiate based on longevity, consistency, feel and price.
Golf itself already has two different performance balls. The one used in long drive contests is designed just for those contests. It has maximum roll out properties so two types of game balls is not a stretch.
The PGA Tour needs to designate a ‘Pro’ style ball for its tournaments which would have more spin. Such a ball would spin further off line than a normal ball and thereby visit regions of the golf course normally reserved for hackers. Also, it would only travel maximum distance if it was stuck with maximum purity. This would make for exciting entertainment. A tour player needing to carry the water at Torrey Pines 18th to win a tournament might have his heart in his throat a bit more if he knew a hard but imperfect hit might flare up into the sky and not carry the water. That doesn’t happen to today’s new breed of bang and bash players. I just might buy a ticket to see that kind of drama.
I believe that if golf had not given up the Balata ball in the early 1990’s Tiger Woods would have won 10% more tournaments. He was the best striker of the golf ball. He was more precise than average. In fact today he often still is.
Accentuating talent and separating the field would be good for the game. Fans want dominant players like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. They don’t want the world number one to turn over every month. Long term heroes generate long term fans.
And if people love ‘Bubba Golf’ now because of the way Bubba Watson is able to curve the ball surely they’d be more attracted by a ‘Pro’ ball. There would be more Bubbas to watch.
As for enjoyment for the average golfer that’s never going to suffer. Amateurs can still pretend they’re playing on a level playing field by playing the current roster of over-performing balls just like amateur squash players do. They can also move up one or two tee decks which they often do today anyway. Those amateurs who truly want to measure themselves against the pros will always have the option of buying golf’s version of a Double Yellow Dot ball and hit away.
So squash has a successful model golf can imitate. The ball wouldn’t have to be rolled back. The manufacturers could create more types of balls and have more to sell. Teaching pros and pro shops would still be in the loop. Everyone wins. Of course that still leaves the driver as a factor in hitting a ball too far. However, the same principle applies. Look at success models in other disciplines and a solution will be found.
I believe that ultimately progress will be made when regulating bodies apply specific standards that are healthy for the professional game. Over time each amateur and each level of amateur competition will decide if they want to use the ‘Pro’ ball or one that provides a stepping stone toward professional level performance.
Everyone will be able to enjoy the game at his or her level and display skills we all want to see.
Bob Skura is the author of How Great Golfers Think.
One of his claims to fame is that in 2019 he shot his age – 68.
He readily admits he may not have done it without modern technology but would still like to be playing a softer ball.