November 7, 2018

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The 2018 Ryder Cup played near Paris, France is complete. Le Golf National Albatros course, a Robert Von-Hagge original design, was a fitting setting with its stadium atmosphere for fantastique viewing for the fans. The USA got whooped by the Europeans! Well Played Euros! Enough said.

At Pebble Beach Golf Links, Ken Tanigawa secured his first win on the PGA Tour Champions at the PURE Insurance Championship. The 50-year old rookie played a Tour Edge Exotics CBX 3-wood to help garner his victory. First Tee youth played along side Champions Tour golfers. Matthew Sutherland, PGA Champions Kevin Sutherland’s nephew, a First Tee of Greater Sacramento student, won the title among 81 competitors from around the country. Congratulations to Ken & Matthew.

It was a Tway Day at Safeway. Kevin Tway, son of PGA Major Champion Bob Tway, won his first PGA TOUR event at the Safeway Open at Johnny Miller’s Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa, California at the age of 30. Bernhard Langer won the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina to take the lead of the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs.

At Incheon, South Korea, the home team prevailed in the UL International Crown played at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club to the delight of the fantastic supporting crowds of Womens Golf. England and the USA tied for second in the four day match play event with eight countries represented. Great Golf Ladies!

Dame Laura Davies won the LPGA Senior Championship at age 55 played at beautiful French Lick Resort in Indiana. Laura played a whole bag of Lynx clubs.
Brooks Koepka, a West Palm Beach native and FSU graduate, has won the PGA TOUR Player of the Year. With 2018 US Open & PGA Championship wins, he was a sure fit for the award. Congrats Brooks.

Justin Thomas won the Arnold Palmer Award(2018 money title) at over $8mm for the second year in a row matching Tiger’s feat in 2006 & 2007.

Mark Leishman unleashed a barrage of birdies to take charge in Kuala Lampur to win the CIMB Classic and start his quest in 2018-2019 season. The Australian tied the lowest score record using his Callaway Rogue clubs and Chrome Soft golf ball. Gooday Top Bloke!

Sergio Garcia won the Andalusia Masters at the Real Club Valderrama for the third time also playing a full bag of Callaway Rogues and Chrome Soft ball. Felicedades Sergio!

Woodie Austin won his fourth Champions Tour event at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond to take home the trophy from the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

Brooks Koepka has become the new #1 in the world with his win at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges in South Korea, kicking DJ to the curb.

Shanghai, China was the scene of the Inaugural Buick LPGA Shanghai where Danielle Kang won for the second time on the LPGA Tour. In Taiwan, Nellie Korda secured her first win at the LPGA Swinging Skirts Championship at beautiful Ta Shan golf club.

Xander Schauffele won his third PGA Tournament in a playoff versus Tony Finau In Shanghai, China at the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Back in the USA, Cameron Champ won the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi.

On the Champions Tour Road to the Charles Schwab Cup, Scott Parel took the 2nd leg at the Invesco qqq Championship at the Sherwood Country Club in California.

Johnny Miller announced his retirement. He has been at it a long time and his style will be missed. I had the good fortune of dining with Johnny at the Hyatt Orlando Airport and interviewing him a few years ago. I like his style and says what he feels commentary. He is really a good guy and loves to hunt and fish with his family. Have a great retirement Johnny. Paul Azinger will replace Miller as the lead analyst for NBC, who does not shy away from being controversial.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING! Good times for golf courses and golfers are now abundant in Central Florida. Many courses that were falling prey to poor management and tiny agronomy budgets are back in business with new greens, redone fairways and bunkers, improved irrigation and upgrades in their clubhouses. It is beginning to look like the early 2000’s again when new golf courses were popping up like weeds in the fairway. Now, it’s much improved courses to attract the local and visiting golfers.

I recently visited an unnamed golf course in Polk County. Upon arriving, I noticed all new landscaping in the parking lot and around the newly painted clubhouse. Inside the carpeting was being removed and new flooring was about to be installed. Playing the course was another matter. Tee boxes were still full of weeds and not maintained very well. The fairways were much better with mostly bermuda grass throughout. The greens were half bad and half good. Bunkers needed maintenance. When I returned to the clubhouse, I went in the Pro Shop to voice my opinion about all the new work around the clubhouse and lack of improvements on the course. I was directed to a board that had all the dates and next work to be done, which included irrigation work, new grass on greens, new sand in bunkers and so forth. There was a new menu and the service and food was much better than in the past. In November, I will return and maybe even mention the name of the club if what I read really happens.

Go Play a different course before the winter pricing kicks in. I think you might be pleasantly surprised on the conditions.

David J. Daubert – Editor