Tag: PGA Tour

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PGA Tour

The Green Mile

By Scott Messner

This Week on the PGA Tour – 2023 Wells Fargo Championship

Wyndham Clark lost his overnight two-shot lead two holes into the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, falling into a tie with Xander Schauffele. From there, Wyndham carded 5 birdies and all pars until a meaningless bogey on the 18th hole, for a four-shot victory over runner-up Xander. It was Wyndham’s first professional victory of any kind, and his first PGA Tour win in 134 starts.

The Wells Fargo Championship was first played in 2003. The Champions for Education foundation was founded to operate the tournament and be its charitable arm. The foundation has raised over $27 million for charities making a positive impact on education. Please consider volunteering at the Wells Fargo Championship in 2024 if you are near the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte has hosted the tournament every year except 2017, 2020, and 2022. The tournament was played at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 2017 as Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship that year. The tournament was canceled in 2020 due to Covid. Quail Hollow had the privilege of hosting the President’s Cup in 2002, so the Wells Fargo Championship was played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Maryland.

The 16th through 18th holes at Quail Hollow Club are referred to as The Green Mile. Sunday’s CBS telecast stated that the 17th hole was playing the hardest on the course, the 18th hole the 2nd hardest, and the 16th hole the 6th hardest.

The Green Mile is in reference to the Stephen King book and subsequent movie starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. It takes place in the death row of a Louisiana prison in 1935. The Green Mile refers to an inmate’s last walk to their execution. As Tom Hanks’ character Paul Edgecomb, a supervisor of the prison’s death row cell block E, puts it, “They usually call Death Row the Last Mile, but we called ours the Green Mile because the floor was the color of faded limes.”

I do not read Stephen King and I’m not a big movie watcher, so I never watched The Green Mile until this Sunday night after the Wells Fargo Championship. I had of course heard of the film but didn’t realize its supernatural aspect. Michael Clarke Duncan’s character John Coffey is a gentle giant on death row after being charged with the rape and murder of two girls. He has Christlike abilities such as healing and knowing what is in people’s hearts.

There are many memorable lines in the film, including John Coffey telling Paul Edgecomb that “You can’t hide what’s in your heart.”

John Coffey is a Hollywood Jesus. Our true redeemer, our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, tells us in the gospel of Luke that there is nothing hidden that is not known.

Luke 12:2-3
2
 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 
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 Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. 

God knows what is in our hearts. Live your life with a pure heart.

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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – 2023 Mexico Open

By Scott Messner

Tony Finau won the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta this past Sunday with a winning score of -24, three shots better than runner-up and defending champion Jon Rahm. On Saturday, Jon tied his career low round and set the Vidanta course record with a 61 to get him into contention for the final round. It wasn’t enough as Tony played superbly all week, recording only three bogies the whole week and none in the final round.

The Vidanta Vallarta Course in Vallarta, Mexico is hosting the Mexico Open from 2022 through 2024. The course was designed by Greg Norman and plays as a “bomber’s paradise” for the tournament, with wide open landing areas and forgiving rough.

Though the Mexico Open has only been an official PGA Tour event since 2022, it has a long history. First played in 1944, the list of past champions contains many big names including Ben Crenshaw and Lee Trevino.

It is one of six national open tournaments featured on the PGA Tour. The other five are the Puerto Rico Open, RBC Canadian Open, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and the Genesis Scottish Open.

An open golf tournament by definition is open to anyone. You or I could enter a U.S. Open qualifying tournament, provided we work hard to get our handicap index down to 1.4 or less and pay the required fee. The closest 2023 U.S. Open qualifier to me took place on yesterday, Tuesday, May 2nd at Bishops Bay Country Club in Middleton, Wisconsin. Four golfers qualified from the field.

National open golf tournaments stir up a lot of interest for golf in their country. The Mexico Open has been a big part of growing golf in Mexico. Top Mexican professional and collegiate golfers receive sponsor exemptions. We enjoy cheering on our country’s representatives in sporting competitions. Imagine the feeling of being able to qualify for your national open golf tournament. We may never play golf well enough to be eligible to play in our country’s open, but we can immerse ourselves in the tournament by becoming a volunteer. Check out volunteer opportunities at the Mexico Open.

There is nothing wrong with identifying with your country, applauding its virtues and recognizing its shortcomings, but we should seek Jesus first. Paul reminds us in Acts that God made all nations, and they are His.

Acts 17:26-27
26
 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons and the boundaries of their dwellings, 
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 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 

Nations will rise and fall. Love and support your country, love and support one another in your community, remembering we serve our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

By Scott Messner

In the PGA Tour’s sole team event, Davis Riley and Nick Hardy shot a 65, the second lowest final round, to win the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a final score of -30. Davis hit his tee shot on the 207 yard par 3 14th hole to within a few inches setting up a tap-in birdie and holed a 33 foot putt from off the green on the par 3 17th hole for another birdie. It was the first PGA Tour win for both Davis and Nick and includes a two-year tour exemption.

The host course is TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana. The course opened in 2004, has hosted the Zurich Classic since 2005, and is yet another course designed by Pete Dye. Going back to the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, five of the last seven weeks on the PGA Tour have been on Pete Dye designed courses. It is a testament to the incredible golf course designer that Mr. Dye was.

Tournament host Fore!Kids Foundaton and title sponsor Zurich Insurance Group have raised over $18 million for over 40 charities in southeastern Louisiana. Fore!Kids Foundation provides healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. Checkout the volunteer opportunities at this year’s Zurich Classic and prayerfully consider donating your time at next year’s tournament!

By switching to a team format in 2017, the tournament has built up excitement in a format the players enjoy. The players play fourball in the first and third rounds, with each player playing his own ball and the team taking the lowest score of the two players for each hole. The players play foursomes in the second and fourth rounds, with the players playing one ball as a team and alternating shots.

Does team golf sound like fun to you? A great team event that high handicap and beginner golfers can join in on are golf scrambles. Almost all golf charity events and golf business outings are in the scramble format. Each person plays his own ball for each shot with the team taking the best shot of the foursome on each shot. There is a decent chance the team will take one of your shots, no matter what your skill level.

ESPN+ on course commentator John Maginnes made the comment that the first and third rounds of the tournament, the fourball rounds, are like the honeymoon of a marriage. You’ll see a lot of birdies and not many bogies being recorded for the team. The second and fourth rounds, the foursome rounds, is marriage when the kids are sick, and your mother-in-law is coming to visit. For the record, I love my mother-in-law. 😊 These rounds are much more difficult to score in, as the team is playing one ball instead of two, so both players need to be on their game every shot.

When playing fourballs, with each player playing his own ball and taking the best score, one player can carry the other for quite some time if they are playing well. In foursomes, players need to be there for each other, picking each other up from the other’s mistakes. You’ll see the real character of the teams when neither player has their game during foursomes.

Marriage is a lot like that. It will be filled with many good times. At times you may have a season of struggles, but Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Mark that God has joined husband and wife together as one.

Mark 10:7-9
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 “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, 
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 and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 
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 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” 
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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – 2023 RBC Heritage

By Scott Messner

Tied for the lead after regulation with Jordan Spieth at -17, Matt Fitzpatrick hit his 9-iron approach shot to within a foot on the 17th hole, the third playoff hole, winning the 2023 RBC Heritage with his tap-in birdie. It was his first regular PGA Tour event victory and backs up his major win at the 2022 US Open. Matt has been vacationing with his family to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina since he was six years old. He first appearance at the RBC Heritage was in 2014 where he made the cut and finished tied for 23rd as still an amateur.

This was the 55th playing of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing and has been played at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island since Arnold Palmer won the first tournament in 1969. The list of other past champions contains some of the greatest names in golf including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, and 5-time winner Davis Love III.

The tournament is hosted by the Heritage Classic Foundation. Since its inception in 1987, it has donated $50 million dollars to over 80 charities in South Carolina, supporting education, emergency housing, food insecurity, animal shelters, and much, much more. If you live in South Carolina, one of the unique ways you can support the foundation is through the purchase of Heritage Classic Foundation vanity license plates for your vehicle. Will you be within one and a half hours of Hilton Head during the tournament week? If so, sign up to join the waiting list to volunteer at the 2024 RBC Heritage!

A bridge allowed automobile traffic to Hilton Head Island beginning in 1956. Soon after, real estate developer Charles E. Fraser developed Sea Pines Resort. The resort has four golf courses including the Harbour Town Golf Links. Pete Dye designed the course along with the help of Jack Nicklaus. It is a classic Pete Dye design with plenty of risk/reward holes, narrow fairways and one of the smallest average green sizes on the PGA Tour, second only to Pebble Beach. The development of Sea Pines Resort, and the several other resorts that followed, cemented the South Carolina Lowcountry as a tourist destination.

Maybe surprising to some, I had never heard of the geographical area around Hilton Head Island referred to as the Lowcountry before this year, where it was mentioned several times on the coverage.

Photo by MoodyGroove at the English Wikipedia

When I hear RBC Heritage and specifically Harbour Town Golf Links, I always think lighthouse. The circular Harbour Town yacht basin, inspired by a harbour in Portofino, Italy, is home to the Harbour Town lighthouse. It was built during the first RBC Heritage, with its frame being up behind the 18th green to see Arnold Palmer’s winning putt, and was completed in 1970. The red and white striped icon is 93 feet tall and has 110 steps.

Some dismissed the need for a lighthouse, yet it has become the most recognized landmark on Hilton Head and serves as a private aid for navigation.

God’s living word of the Bible serves as a guide helping us to navigate our lives.

Psalm 119:105
105
 Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path. 

Read the Bible and allow its wisdom to lead your life.

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PGA Tour

This Week on the PGA Tour – 2023 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play

By Scott Messner

This past Sunday brought an end to an era on the PGA Tour. Designated events, select PGA Tour tournaments with bigger purses to compete with LIV Golf, have replaced the World Golf Championship events on the schedule. The World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match Play event at the Austin Country Club in Austin, Texas, was most likely the last World Golf Championship. 

The WGC Match Play has been played at various venues since 1999, and it has been in Austin with Dell as the title sponsor since 2016. Since being in Austin, the tournament has raised over $6 million in charitable donations for the Greater Austin Area, with Dell Children’s Medical Center and The First Tee as two of the multiple beneficiaries. Volunteer at a PGA Tour Event near you and make a difference in your community!

This year’s two semi-finals consisted of 1st seed Scottie Scheffler vs 13th seed Sam Burns and 3rd seed Rory McIlroy vs 15th seed Cameron Young. I was probably not alone, but I was hoping for a final showdown between world number one Scottie Scheffler and world number three Rory McIlroy. Scottie and Rory ended up meeting, but in the consolation match. 

Both semi-final matches went to extra holes. In a see-saw match which saw Scottie Scheffler down three holes early and Sam Burns down two holes on the back nine, Sam came back and birdied the 21st hole to win the match. Cameron Young was up early in his match with Rory McIlroy but found himself down from the 6th hole through the 17th hole. He rallied to birdie the 18th hole and first extra hole to win the match.

The championship match failed to deliver an exciting finish to match the semi-finals, as Sam Burns birdied his last four holes and eight of his last ten, winning easily 6&5 over Cameron Young. It was Sam’s first appearance in the Dell Technologies Match Play, while Cameron was looking for his first PGA Tour win. Seeing Sam and Cameron in the final was an example of the beauty of match play, where anyone in the field has a legitimate shot at winning the title. Hopefully the PGA Tour finds a way to get a new match play event on the schedule.

Rory McIlroy led the whole way in the consolation match and won 2&1 over Scottie Scheffler.

In stroke play tournaments, players play their own game, playing the course, trying to shoot the lowest score possible, then seeing how their score stacks up against other competitors. A common theme heard on the network coverage was that in match play, a competitor will many times alter their game from playing against the course, to playing their opponent. There are occasions when that happens, but for the most part the PGA Tour players are playing their same game, just going out trying to shoot the lowest score possible. 

Rory McIlroy alluded to that during his on-course interview on the 6th hole of his Saturday quarterfinal match against Xander Schauffele.

Many times, the world wants us to live our lives according to its ways. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, he tells us not to conform to this world, but through the Holy Spirit discern what is pleasing to God.

Romans 12:2
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 Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

When the world gets loud, it’s reassuring to know we have God’s living word in the Bible to rely on.

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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
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 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 – 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. 
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 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. 😊