Category: PGA Tour

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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – The 2023 Valspar Championship

By Scott Messner

Taylor Moore shot a final round 67 on Sunday, for a total score of -10 to win the 2023 Valspar Championship by one stroke. It was the 29 year-old Moore’s first win on the PGA Tour.

The tournament has been played on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida since its inception in 2000. The final three holes are named the Snake Pit and are a formidable test for the world’s best golfers. Taylor birdied the 16th hole with a 25-foot putt and scored pars on 17 and 18, playing the Snake Pit at one under par.

The not-for-profit organization Copperhead Charities, Inc., operates the Valspar Championship with the help of over 2,000 volunteers. This year they will go over the $50 million mark in money raised for primarily Tampa Bay, Florida area charities. The 2022 Valspar Championship raised $1.75 million for nearly 70 local charities. Make a positive impact in your local community! Volunteer at a local PGA Tour event!

This is the tenth year that Valspar, a leading paint brand, has been the title sponsor of the tournament. Playing off Valspar’s vibrant color offerings, the tournament bills itself as “the most colorful PGA Tour tournament in the world”. The tournament also plays off the fact it is around spring break week and is the last tournament of the PGA Tour Florida swing. It makes every effort to provide fun and entertainment for the whole family. 

Part of the fun is allowing players to put a nickname or social media handle in place of their last name on the back of their caddie’s bib, provided it’s not for advertising merchandise. The Valspar Championship is the only PGA Tour event that allows this. Runner-up Adam Schenk had his dog’s name Bunker on the back of his caddie David Cooke’s bib. Rory Sabatini’s caddie Dean Elliot had “PLEASEMAKEAPUTT” on his bib. J.T. Poston was paired with Justin Thomas the first two days. J.T. Postman’s caddie Aaron Flener wore “The Other J.T.” on the back of his bib.

One of the funniest had to be Max McGreevy’s caddie Brett Swedberg with “Mr. 89” on the back of his bib. This was a bit of self-roasting by McGreevy, who followed up a first round 69 with a second round 89 during the Players Championship the week before.

Max shooting an 89 one day after shooting a 69 helps remind all of us that we are going to shoot a wide range of scores, especially as beginner or high-handicap golfers. His attitude shows us to handle adversity out on the course. Your bad shot, bad hole, or even bad round is over and done with. If a professional golfer can laugh off a bad round, us amateurs should certainly be able to!

The Bible tells us in Proverbs that too much discouragement leads to a sorrowful heart.

Proverbs 17:22
22
 A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. 

No matter what is thrown at you, do not let anything in this world steal your joy of Jesus!

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PGA Tour

How to Watch the PGA Tour on the Cheap

By Scott Messner

The way many of us watch television has changed significantly over the past few years. For decades, the majority of TV viewers were cable or satellite subscribers. The number of cable or satellite subscribers has been steadily declining over the past several years and will continue to do so.

The percentage of viewers streaming content through the Internet has now surpassed cable customers. Streaming allows us to determine when and where we watch shows and movies. It also allows us to pay for content from many different sources, paying only for what we want to watch on a month-to-month basis, instead of paying for a multi-year contract of cable or satellite, which includes so much content we may never watch.

I still enjoy watching golf, specifically the PGA Tour, but I wanted to avoid paying for a live TV streaming service that costs, as of this writing, over $60 a month. Thankfully there are ways you can still watch a lot of the PGA Tour without the need for live TV.

First and foremost, you can do what one in five viewers do, and watch broadcast TV. Buy an indoor HDTV antenna for $20 or less and pick up local station signals over the air. CBS will air weekend coverage of 23 PGA Tour events in 2023, including 11 of the 17 designated tournaments. NBC will air weekend coverage of 8 PGA Tour events in 2023. That’s quite a few hours of golf!

You may have the desire to watch more golf. Or you may not be able to receive good over the air signals in your location. I may be able to get NBC by investing in a better antenna, but with my current setup I can only get CBS and Fox. Or you may, like me, enjoy watching first and second round coverage on Thursday and/or Friday. In any of these cases, you’ll need to look at streaming options. 

With NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service for $4.99 a month, you can watch all 8 of the PGA Tour events on NBC, plus 26 more! Coverage from all 4 rounds of the tournaments is many times included.

ESPN+ streaming service is the current home of PGA Tour Live. For $9.99 a month, you get coverage of over 35 PGA Tour events in the 2022-2023 season! This includes main coverage feeds of many of the rounds, especially the first and second rounds, and featured group and feature hole feeds of all four rounds. I initially thought I’d miss not seeing all the golfers by watching a featured group feed, but there is much to be learned from watching the same golfers traverse the whole course. 

With all these options, if you enjoy watching professional golf, you can watch a large amount of it for $15 a month. You’ll also get a great deal of content besides golf on both Peacock and ESPN+.

God provides for us through his abundance. By being good stewards of what He provides for us, we can do more with it, helping others.

When Jesus fed 5,000 men, probably over 10,000 total people when including women and children, with five loaves and two fish, there were still twelve baskets of leftovers. Even with all the abundance, he instructed his disciples to gather up the leftovers.

John 6:12-13
12
 When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.” 
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 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.
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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – The 2023 Players Championship

By Scott Messner

Scottie Scheffler won The Players Championship this past Sunday with a score of -17. Scottie took control of the tournament early in the final round and coasted through the back nine to a five shot victory over second place Tyrrell Hatton. With the win, Scottie once again regained the number one spot in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Although it lacked an exciting finish, The Players Championship still gave us several other memorable storylines. Tyrrell Hatton finished his final round with five birdies in a row for a 29 on the back nine. Tom Hoge shot an opening round 78 in route to barely making the cut, then stormed back with a course record 62 in the third round, ending the tournament in a tie for third. 

Since its inception, The Players Championship has raised over $100 million for 300 charities in northeast Florida. Make a positive impact in your community. Volunteer at a PGA Tour event near you!

Of course, you cannot talk about The Players Championship without talking about The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. It was built in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida as the permanent home for the championship and has hosted it since 1982.

The course was designed by renowned golf course architect Pete Dye, who designed dozens of courses, including Whistling Straits in my home state of Wisconsin. One statement heard several times over the course of the tournament was how The Players Stadium Course does not favor one style of play over another, as any player in the field has a chance to win if they can string four good rounds together. Scottie Scheffler did just that as he was the only player with all four rounds in the sixties. 

The signature hole at The Players Stadium Course is the par 3 17th, the island green, one of the most recognizable holes in all of golf. Pete Dye has credited his wife Alice with the idea of the island green, who commented “Why not just make an island green?” when he was pondering what to do with the 17th hole. 

Craig ONeal – Flickr

While there were several balls hit in the water on the 17th hole this year, especially during the windy finish of the final round, three players, Hayden Buckley, Aaron Rai, and Alex Smalley each scored a hole-in-one on the 17th hole during the week.

The well-known phrase “No man is an island” was written by English cleric John Donne just about 400 years ago in 1624. It is a great reminder for Christians that we are all connected to each other, all members of the church body.

The book of Ecclesiastes tells us the benefits of cooperatively working with others, building each other up instead of toiling alone.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
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 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 
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 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up. 
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 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? 
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 If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Don’t be on an island. Find brothers and sisters to team up with, serving others in the ways of Jesus.

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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational

By Scott Messner

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida served up an extreme test for the top golfers in the world this past Sunday, with tough conditions usually saved for major championships. With the tournament being another designated PGA Tour event bringing out 27 of the top 30 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, it sure did not disappoint. Five players were tied at -8 with two to three holes to play. Kurt Kitayama survived a triple bogey on the 9th hole and took the lead with a birdie on the 17th hole, winning the tournament by one stroke with a score of -9. It was Kurt’s first win on the PGA Tour to go along with his two previous wins on the DP World Tour.

The main charitable beneficiary of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard is the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation. Mastercard and The Arnold Palmer Invitational have raised millions of dollars for local charities since their partnership began in 2004. Arnold and Winnie Palmer encouraged fans, affectionately known as “Arnie’s Army”, to donate to children’s causes for decades. The Arnold and Winnie Palmer Foundation creates opportunities for children to live a “Life Well Played” through support of organizations such as Children’s Hospitals, The First Tee, and Canine Companions.

Get involved and volunteer at a PGA Tour event near you!

Although Arnold Palmer passed on in 2016 at the age of 87, his presence is still obviously very much felt around Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Since leasing the course in 1970 and buying it in 1975, Bay Hill as almost been as synonymous with Arnold Palmer as Latrobe Country Club, the course he grew up on. Probably the most endearing thing you hear said of Arnold Palmer, said again during the broadcast this past weekend, is that he treated others in a way he would want to be treated. He stated this trait, along with manners and politeness, were instilled in him by his father. We should always remember to teach our own children the same values.

Imagine a world where all of us follow Mr. Palmer’s example and put others before ourselves. 

King Solomon prayed to God for wisdom to lead his people. In Proverbs, Solomon writes we should pursue a good name through righteousness and kindness over riches.

Proverbs 21:21
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 He who follows after righteousness and kindness finds life, righteousness, and honor. 

Look for opportunities to show kindness, love, empathy, and compassion to others today. Make this world a better place one encounter at a time. 

Next week is THE PLAYERS Championship, which some have nicknamed the 5th major, from TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida!

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PGA Tour

This week on the PGA Tour – 2023 Honda Classic

By Scott Messner

Chris Kirk won on the PGA Tour for the first time in almost eight years on Sunday at The Honda Classic, played on the Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Chris made birdie on the first playoff hole, the par 5 18th that he just bogeyed to end regulation, for the win over Eric Cole.  Chris and Eric were tied at the end of regulation with a score of -14.

Chris’s win put an exclamation point on his comeback after taking a seven month leave of absence from the PGA Tour in 2019 for alcohol abuse and depression. After finding sobriety, he has fought on the course to first retain his PGA Tour status and now return to the winner’s circle.

https://twitter.com/Chris_Kirk_/status/1125764305113239552?cxt=HHwWgMC2sfiqwp8fAAAA

A lot can be learned from the way Chris handled his issues. His coming out publicly gives a great example to not hide our problems, but admit them and find the help we need. There is no reason to fight a battle alone.

This year’s tournament marked the end of an incredible 42-year run, the longest on the PGA Tour, for Honda as the title sponsor. Since Children’s Healthcare Charity became the host organization and the event moved to PGA National Resort and Spa in 2007, almost $46 million in charitable donations have been made to the South Florida area.

The primary beneficiary is the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, established by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus in 2004. Its goal is to provide families access to world-class pediatric healthcare and supports the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

Volunteer at a PGA Tour event near you! Your seemingly simple gift of time can make a positive impact in your community!

Of course, the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation is not the only tie Jack Nicklaus has to the Honda Classic. The Golden Bear redesigned the Champion Course in 2014 and the three-hole stretch of 15, 16, and 17 have been named “The Bear Trap” in recognition of him.

What makes The Bear Trap so daunting? Much of it has to do with the water lurking on every hole, waiting to punish a bad shot.

Beginner, high-handicap, and many other golfers are terrified of water. A good reason for that is golf balls do not float! Something often heard is to pretend the water is not there, but I’m not sure that’s the best advice. No amount of pretending is going to make the water go away. You are still going to have to trust your shot. Trust you can hit the ball over or away from the water.

The apostles also had a fear of water during a storm. They woke Jesus in a panic. Jesus asks them why they are afraid and where their faith is.

Matthew 8:25-26
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 The disciples came to him and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!” 
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 He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

We will all face trials in life. Put your faith in Christ Jesus.

Next week there are TWO PGA Tour events! The Arnold Palmer Invitational is being played at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida. The Puerto Rico Open is being played at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – 2023 Genesis Invitational

By Scott Messner

Jon Rahm continued his recent success by winning The Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California on February 19th, 2023. Rahm’s final score of 17 under par was two shots better than Max Homa’s 15 under par. 

Like Scottie Scheffler at The WM Phoenix Open last week, not only did Jon win the tournament, but with the win ascended back to the number one Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). He’s won an astonishing five of his last nine professional starts. 

The beneficiary of all tournament proceeds is the TGR Foundation, the charity of tournament host Tiger Woods. The TGR Foundation supports students from underserved communities through educational resources and career training. As an added bonus for golf fans, we were able to see Tiger tee it up this week. Woods made the cut and finished at one under par in a tie for 45th place. Sign up to volunteer at a PGA Tour event if there is one near you!

The Riviera Country Club has almost one hundred years of history and is one of the most unique courses on the PGA Tour. It was designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and opened in 1927. 

It is one of few courses on the PGA Tour that has kikuyu grass. It’s a spongy grass that provides great lies in the fairway but big challenges from the rough. Kikuyu grass is actually an invasive species that was brought to California for a variety of reasons, including erosion control and possibly was brought to Riviera for the polo field. It eventually overtook the golf course.

The designer, George C. Thomas Jr. (1873-1932), was a nationally known rose breeder who bred over one thousand varieties of roses in his lifetime. He also raised English setter dogs and helped found the English Setter Club of America. While he didn’t design many golf courses; three on the east coast and twenty-something in California, many of his courses have stood the test of time and are revered today.

George C. Thomas Jr. did not charge a fee for his design of The Riviera Country Club or any other of his other designs. He was an amateur architect and designing courses was almost a hobby. In fact, the CBS crew over the weekend discussing Thomas called his golf design work a passion. I will not speculate as to why George Thomas did not charge for his design services, but I wonder how many of us always look for something in return, instead of freely giving the talents we have been given.

In James 1:17, James the Just, brother of Jesus, reminds us that all good and perfect gifts, including all our talents, are gifts from God Almighty, creator of the universe.

James 1:17
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 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow. 

Use your gifts and talents freely, serving others in the ways of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, all for the glory of God.

The PGA Tour leaves the west coast and heads to the PGA National Resort Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for The Honda Classic starting February 23rd, featuring The Bear Trap! 

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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – 2023 WM Phoenix Open

By Scott Messner

This past Sunday, February 12th, Scottie Scheffler won the 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open by two strokes over Nick Taylor at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Last year, the WM Phoenix Open and The Thunderbirds raised $10,500,000 for Arizona charities.  Since Waste Management became the title sponsor of the Phoenix Open in 2010, the tournament has raised a staggering amount of money for local charities, over $110 million. Do you live near a PGA Tour event and want to serve through volunteering? Since the money raised stays local, the easiest way to volunteer is to check the PGA Tour schedule and go to the website for the tournament you’d like to volunteer at.

Scottie Sheffler’s final round 65 was bested only by Beau Hossler’s 63. Not only did Scottie win $3.6 million in the first full field PGA Tour designated event, but he also recaptured the number one Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), overtaking Rory McIlroy. 

A major turning point was on the iconic 163-yard par 3 16th hole. All three players in the final group missed the green, with Scottie missing long and left. He pitched on leaving himself a 15-foot putt for par which at the time was to maintain a one stroke lead. With over 16,000 fans watching, he drained the putt to save par, and ultimately take a two-shot lead to the 17th hole after Nick Taylor missed his par putt.

Take away the huge crowd and crazy environment, and the 16th hole is just a shorter length par 3 with a couple bunkers. Although I struggle to make 15-foot putts anywhere, I have a much higher chance alone on a practice green than in front of thousands of vociferous spectators. Professional golfers like Scottie Scheffler rely on their experience in those situations – they’ve been there before. 

The 16th hole at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course has been dubbed “The Coliseum”. The loud fans and frenzied environment remind many of the ancient venue in Rome, where many early Christians were martyred for refusing to acknowledge the gods of the Roman Empire. Their faith in Jesus delivered these early Christians through their trials, just as it does for so many who are persecuted in the world today.

The Bible tells us through the apostle John that we have overcome the world through faith in Jesus. 

1 John 5:4-5
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 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith. 
5
 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Be bold in your faith. Serve others, allowing the light of Jesus to shine through you. Exercise your faith, grow in your faith, allow God to use you in amazing ways for His glory.

Next week is The Genesis Invitational from The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California! We hear some guy named Tiger is playing. 😊

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PGA Tour

Thoughts from the Valero Texas Open

By Shooting 90

I enjoy watching the PGA Tour on TV. Outside the majors, Ryder Cup, or Olympics, life’s busy schedule usually prevents me from watching extensive coverage of each event, although I usually at least try to catch the back nine of the final round.

Beginner and high handicap golfers can learn both things to do and things not to do from watching professionals on TV. I plan to share my thoughts on each tournament I watch.

This week was the Valero Texas Open, played on the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio. It was an enjoyable final round to watch with Andrew Landry and Trey Mullinax both battling for their first PGA Tour victory.

It was also great to see Zach Johnson, with 12 PGA Tour wins but none since the 2015 Open, in the final group on Sunday. Zach could never get it going on Sunday, shooting an even par 72 and finishing 5th in the tournament.

There’s been a lot of talk again about “rolling the ball back”, forcing pros to use limited distance balls. Some feel that the combination of club technology, ball construction, and player conditioning has allowed players to hit the golf ball too far, rendering many courses unusable for tour events.

Although the AT&T Oaks Course measured 7435 yards, which puts it middle of the pack for course lengths, it was referred to as a shot maker’s course. There are shorter courses on tour including Riveria Country Club and Harbour Town, which require precise shot making and do not necessarily benefit long bombers of the golf ball.

I’m not convinced the golf ball needs to be rolled back, especially when a shorter hitter like Zach Johnson can compete on tour. Zach can compete not just on the shorter, shot making courses, but just about any course on tour.

What Zach Johnson lacks in distance he more than makes up for in his short game and putting, especially his wedge game. In fact, even the long bombers have an incredible short game. You’ll see pro golfers occasionally spray it all over off the tee, but every one of them has an exceptional short game.

This is a great lesson for beginner and high handicap golfers. While it is important to work on your swing speed to build up your distance, and putting the ball in play off the tee is also very important, but you will make the most progress on lowering your scores by focusing on your game from 100 yards and in. That includes your wedges and putting.

So, when you are at the practice range, it is important to work on your driver and irons but spend the majority of your time spilt between your wedges and putter. Create the best short game you possibly can.