![\"\"](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/IMG_9194.jpg\")
Jean Van de Velde gives Golfweek senior writer Adam Schupak a lesson at his golf academy in Punta Mita in Mexico. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
All the golf world\u2019s eyes will be on Marco Simone Golf & Country Club this week for the 2023 Ryder Cup. Before you get your first look at the course on television or online coverage, check out the following photos of each hole to see what the U.S. and European teams face.
\nMarco Simone opened in 1989 with a layout by David Mezzacane and Jim Fazio, but that course doesn\u2019t exist anymore. The whole layout was renovated and rerouted in 2018-2020 by a team from European Golf Design led by Dave Sampson, with American architect Tom Fazio II serving as a consultant.
\n\nThe current hilly layout \u2013 155 feet of elevation change in all \u2013 was designed with the Ryder Cup in mind, with several drivable par 4s. It will play to a par of 71 with a yardage of 7,181 yards for the biennial team competition.
\n", "content_text": "All the golf world\u2019s eyes will be on Marco Simone Golf & Country Club this week for the 2023 Ryder Cup. Before you get your first look at the course on television or online coverage, check out the following photos of each hole to see what the U.S. and European teams face.\nMarco Simone opened in 1989 with a layout by David Mezzacane and Jim Fazio, but that course doesn\u2019t exist anymore. The whole layout was renovated and rerouted in 2018-2020 by a team from European Golf Design led by Dave Sampson, with American architect Tom Fazio II serving as a consultant.\n\nMarco Simone yardage book\n\nThe current hilly layout \u2013 155 feet of elevation change in all \u2013 was designed with the Ryder Cup in mind, with several drivable par 4s. It will play to a par of 71 with a yardage of 7,181 yards for the biennial team competition.", "date_published": "2023-09-26T08:00:58-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-25T23:14:29-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/Marco-Simone-No.-1-USATSI_21500734.jpg", "tags": [ "Italy", "Marco Simone", "Marco Simone Golf and Country Club", "photo gallery", "Photos", "Rome", "Ryder Cup", "Tom Fazio", "2023 Ryder Cup", "DP World Tour", "Euro Tour", "PGA Tour", "Professional" ], "summary": "Check out these hole-by-hole photos of Marco Simone headed into the 2023 Ryder Cup. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?post_type=listicle&p=778397190", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/2023-ryder-cup-yardage-book-marco-simone-italy-course-guide/", "title": "Check the yardage book: Marco Simone for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy", "content_html": "Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome \u2013 site of the 2023 Ryder Cup between teams from the U.S. and Europe \u2013 originally was designed by David Mezzacane and Jim Fazio and opened in 1989.
\nThe layout was completely renovated in 2018-2020 by a team of European Golf Design led by Dave Sampson in conjunction with Tom Fazio II, a leading American architect and the son of Jim Fazio \u2013 Tom Fazio worked for his dad on the original layout. The renovation included a complete rerouting of the hilly layout with the Ryder Cup in mind. With 155 feet of elevation change across the course, the holes were laid out to favor match play, with several drivable par 4s.
\nMarco Simone \u2013 a public-access layout with tee times available on the course’s website \u2013 will play to a par of 71 with the scorecard showing 7,181 yards. It\u2019s likely the host European team will adjust yardages in attempt to benefit itself. The rough has been reported to be deep and thick heading into the Ryder Cup, putting an emphasis on accurate tee shots to relatively tight fairways.
\nThanks to a yardage book\u00a0provided by StrackaLine\u00a0\u2013 the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world \u2013 we can see exactly the challenges the players face at the Ryder Cup. Check out the maps of each hole below.
\n", "content_text": "Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome \u2013 site of the 2023 Ryder Cup between teams from the U.S. and Europe \u2013 originally was designed by David Mezzacane and Jim Fazio and opened in 1989.\nThe layout was completely renovated in 2018-2020 by a team of European Golf Design led by Dave Sampson in conjunction with Tom Fazio II, a leading American architect and the son of Jim Fazio \u2013 Tom Fazio worked for his dad on the original layout. The renovation included a complete rerouting of the hilly layout with the Ryder Cup in mind. With 155 feet of elevation change across the course, the holes were laid out to favor match play, with several drivable par 4s.\nMarco Simone \u2013 a public-access layout with tee times available on the course’s website \u2013 will play to a par of 71 with the scorecard showing 7,181 yards. It\u2019s likely the host European team will adjust yardages in attempt to benefit itself. The rough has been reported to be deep and thick heading into the Ryder Cup, putting an emphasis on accurate tee shots to relatively tight fairways.\nThanks to a yardage book\u00a0provided by StrackaLine\u00a0\u2013 the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world \u2013 we can see exactly the challenges the players face at the Ryder Cup. Check out the maps of each hole below.", "date_published": "2023-09-25T07:00:36-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-25T17:34:26-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/lede-S.S.-Golf-Marco-Simone-Championship-_Fairway07.jpg", "tags": [ "Italy", "Marco Simone", "Marco Simone Golf and Country Club", "Rome", "Ryder Cup", "StrackaLine", "Tom Fazio", "Yardage Book", "2023 Ryder Cup", "Architecture", "Courses", "Courses", "Euro Tour", "PGA Tour", "Professional" ], "summary": "Marco Simone, a par 72 that will play 7,268 yards for the Ryder Cup. is a public-access layout with tee times available. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?post_type=listicle&p=778380346", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/jean-van-de-velde-british-open-qa/", "title": "Q&A: Why is France's Jean Van de Velde, who nearly won the 1999 British Open, teaching golf in Mexico?", "content_html": "I flew to Mexico for a golf lesson from a Frenchman.
\nThat\u2019s where Jean Van de Velde, the affable golfer who once nearly had both hands on the Claret Jug but let it slip away in dramatic fashion is living and working these days, heading up the Jean Van de Velde Golf Academy at Punta Minta, located on the southernmost point of the Riviera Nayarit, 30 miles northwest of the resort city of Puerto Vallarta.
\nWho can forget the way he squandered a three-stroke lead on the last hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie and lost to Scotland\u2019s Paul Lawrie in a three-man playoff?
\nVan de Velde kept his chin up and dealt with defeat with class and a smile on his face. In October, we met for a golf lesson and a talk about the game he loves. It could\u2019ve continued for hours, especially if we started drinking a good bottle of his wine, but unfortunately he had pick up duty and had to run off to fetch his son. Suffice it to say, he\u2019s still active in the game as an instructor, television broadcaster, tournament operator and wine merchant among other things. One of the more fascinating parts of our talk occurred when we talked about the golf swing as he tried to straighten out my penchant to hook it and more recent struggles with a block to the right \u2014 \u201cThat\u2019s when you load too much on the left on the backswing,\u201d he said.
\nJean Van de Velde gives Golfweek senior writer Adam Schupak a lesson at his golf academy in Punta Mita in Mexico. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
\u201cI\u2019m a guy who looks at what the golf ball does to identify what system you\u2019re in. Whether it is a draw or a fade, as long as you control that shot it\u2019s OK. What matters is repetition,\u201d he said. \u201cThen you decide, OK, this is what you do, and maybe with a little effort this is where you can be. Do you want to embark on that journey or learn to control the system you\u2019re already in? I\u2019m not the guy who is going to try to transform you just for the sake of it just because I have one swing thought in my head. Do I have a few preferences? It\u2019s like the salt and the pepper in a recipe. At the end of the day, you need to have the ingredients.\u201d
\nDuring his playing career, Van de Velde worked with legends in the teaching world from John Jacobs to David Leadbetter to Butch Harmon.
\n\u201cDavid tried to re-make a few things,” Van de Velde said. “We tried to work on my takeaway. I was bringing the club a little too inside, I was crossing the line, my body had completed the turn and my arms were still moving. It\u2019s all fine as long as you have the right timing, but when things go wrong again, where do you start? How do you get back on track as fast as you can? He said, \u2018This is what I think,\u2019 but at the end of the day it was my decision. He didn\u2019t burn me with an iron and you\u2019re going to do it. I implemented a few changes so I could swing in a way that was going to be more reliable. I did believe and I still do that he and Butch and John Jacobs and a few others were a big influence on me and they were right in their analysis.\u201d
\nHe continued: \u201cTechnique and teaching, I\u2019ve always been very interested and read a lot of things and been lucky to be around some great thinkers on the swing. I believe the swing is made up of little imperfections. If you look at me swinging, I always had my hands behind at address, but I always started with a forward press. Do you want to change that or look at what goes together and make it happen? In 1999, I had control of my system and I putted pretty well. That year you see what I did at the Open but the best golf I played was in 2000 \u2014 by a mile. I played 18-20 times in America and finished 60th on the money list. I played I think 10 times in Europe and was 20 or 30th. In my life, I tried not to reinvent things. I used what others had done and adapted to myself. I told Bernhard Langer that I was going to try to play both tours and he said, \u2018Just be careful. I tried that and it was complicated.\u2019 I knew playing in the U.S. was going to have an expiration date. My kids were already in school in Geneva. It was hard to say, you know what, I\u2019m going to play in America. Who\u2019s around me? Who do I rely on? It wasn\u2019t easy. It\u2019s different now. The guys start playing in college golf and they make their lives straight away in the U.S. They are already structured whether it is Viktor Hovland or Jon Rahm.\u201d
\n![\"\"](\"https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/IMG_9190.jpg\")
Jean Van de Velde attempts to fix the ball flight of Golfweek senior writer Adam Schupak, saying, “It ain’t going left, Sunshine,” after he straightened him out. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
Van de Velde suggested I do a drill where I held the club with the face a few degrees open at address. In his disarming style, he said, \u201cyou\u2019re on the range. It doesn\u2019t matter. Let\u2019s see what happens.\u201d
\nI swung and the ball flew right at the flag where I was aiming.
\n\u201cIt ain\u2019t going to go left, Sunshine,\u201d he said. \u201cNot possible.\u201d
\nIn that moment, Jean Van de Velde became my latest golf guru. Here\u2019s more from Van de Velde on the Ryder Cup, what went wrong with budding French star Victor Dubuisson and the time he stuck Jose-Maria Olazabal with the tab for a dozen or so bottles of fine wine from the Augusta National wine cellar.
\n", "content_text": "I flew to Mexico for a golf lesson from a Frenchman.\nThat\u2019s where Jean Van de Velde, the affable golfer who once nearly had both hands on the Claret Jug but let it slip away in dramatic fashion is living and working these days, heading up the Jean Van de Velde Golf Academy at Punta Minta, located on the southernmost point of the Riviera Nayarit, 30 miles northwest of the resort city of Puerto Vallarta.\nWho can forget the way he squandered a three-stroke lead on the last hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie and lost to Scotland\u2019s Paul Lawrie in a three-man playoff?\nVan de Velde kept his chin up and dealt with defeat with class and a smile on his face. In October, we met for a golf lesson and a talk about the game he loves. It could\u2019ve continued for hours, especially if we started drinking a good bottle of his wine, but unfortunately he had pick up duty and had to run off to fetch his son. Suffice it to say, he\u2019s still active in the game as an instructor, television broadcaster, tournament operator and wine merchant among other things. One of the more fascinating parts of our talk occurred when we talked about the golf swing as he tried to straighten out my penchant to hook it and more recent struggles with a block to the right \u2014 \u201cThat\u2019s when you load too much on the left on the backswing,\u201d he said.\nJean Van de Velde gives Golfweek senior writer Adam Schupak a lesson at his golf academy in Punta Mita in Mexico. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)\n\u201cI\u2019m a guy who looks at what the golf ball does to identify what system you\u2019re in. Whether it is a draw or a fade, as long as you control that shot it\u2019s OK. What matters is repetition,\u201d he said. \u201cThen you decide, OK, this is what you do, and maybe with a little effort this is where you can be. Do you want to embark on that journey or learn to control the system you\u2019re already in? I\u2019m not the guy who is going to try to transform you just for the sake of it just because I have one swing thought in my head. Do I have a few preferences? It\u2019s like the salt and the pepper in a recipe. At the end of the day, you need to have the ingredients.\u201d\nDuring his playing career, Van de Velde worked with legends in the teaching world from John Jacobs to David Leadbetter to Butch Harmon.\n\u201cDavid tried to re-make a few things,” Van de Velde said. “We tried to work on my takeaway. I was bringing the club a little too inside, I was crossing the line, my body had completed the turn and my arms were still moving. It\u2019s all fine as long as you have the right timing, but when things go wrong again, where do you start? How do you get back on track as fast as you can? He said, \u2018This is what I think,\u2019 but at the end of the day it was my decision. He didn\u2019t burn me with an iron and you\u2019re going to do it. I implemented a few changes so I could swing in a way that was going to be more reliable. I did believe and I still do that he and Butch and John Jacobs and a few others were a big influence on me and they were right in their analysis.\u201d\nHe continued: \u201cTechnique and teaching, I\u2019ve always been very interested and read a lot of things and been lucky to be around some great thinkers on the swing. I believe the swing is made up of little imperfections. If you look at me swinging, I always had my hands behind at address, but I always started with a forward press. Do you want to change that or look at what goes together and make it happen? In 1999, I had control of my system and I putted pretty well. That year you see what I did at the Open but the best golf I played was in 2000 \u2014 by a mile. I played 18-20 times in America and finished 60th on the money list. I played I think 10 times in Europe and was 20 or 30th. In my life, I tried not to reinvent things. I used what others had done and adapted to myself. I told Bernhard Langer that I was going to try to play both tours and he said, \u2018Just be careful. I tried that and it was complicated.\u2019 I knew playing in the U.S. was going to have an expiration date. My kids were already in school in Geneva. It was hard to say, you know what, I\u2019m going to play in America. Who\u2019s around me? Who do I rely on? It wasn\u2019t easy. It\u2019s different now. The guys start playing in college golf and they make their lives straight away in the U.S. They are already structured whether it is Viktor Hovland or Jon Rahm.\u201d\nJean Van de Velde attempts to fix the ball flight of Golfweek senior writer Adam Schupak, saying, “It ain’t going left, Sunshine,” after he straightened him out. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)\nVan de Velde suggested I do a drill where I held the club with the face a few degrees open at address. In his disarming style, he said, \u201cyou\u2019re on the range. It doesn\u2019t matter. Let\u2019s see what happens.\u201d\nI swung and the ball flew right at the flag where I was aiming.\n\u201cIt ain\u2019t going to go left, Sunshine,\u201d he said. \u201cNot possible.\u201d\nIn that moment, Jean Van de Velde became my latest golf guru. Here\u2019s more from Van de Velde on the Ryder Cup, what went wrong with budding French star Victor Dubuisson and the time he stuck Jose-Maria Olazabal with the tab for a dozen or so bottles of fine wine from the Augusta National wine cellar.", "date_published": "2023-07-23T07:00:25-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-07-23T08:33:18-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Adam Schupak", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/shoop007/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c770dcffbdb4a77bab2df2cc7e89690f?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Adam Schupak", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/shoop007/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c770dcffbdb4a77bab2df2cc7e89690f?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2018/07/lede-gettyimages-1218884.jpg", "tags": [ "1999 British Open", "1999 Ryder Cup", "Carnoustie", "Jean Van de Velde", "Punta Mita", "Victor Dubuisson", "British Open", "DP World Tour", "Euro Tour", "Golf Life" ], "summary": "Who can forget the way he squandered a three-stroke lead on the last hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie? " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778361593", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/06/06/ra-martin-slumbers-liv-pga-tour-dp-world-tour-merger/", "title": "R&A boss Martin Slumbers 'pleased' by LIV-PGA Tour-DP World Tour merger", "content_html": "Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A, weighed in Tuesday on the announcement that LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour plan to merge under the umbrella of one new for-profit company that is yet to be named.
\nThe R&A governs the sport of golf in most of the world outside the United States and Mexico. The R&A (originally part of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club but now an independent governing body) is separate from the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour. The R&A conducts the Open Championship, known by many in the U.S. as the British Open. In cooperation with the USGA, the R&A determines the Rules of Golf.
\nIt was not made clear if the R&A had been aware of the merger ahead of Tuesday’s statement. Many professional golfers have expressed surprise upon hearing the news. The USGA had not made any statements about the planned merger as of early Tuesday afternoon.
\n\nThe full statement from Slumbers, who has been head of the R&A since 2015:
\n\n\n\u201cWe are pleased that an agreement has been reached which will help men\u2019s professional golf move forward in a collaborative, constructive and innovative fashion. We care deeply about golf\u2019s future and are committed to ensuring that the sport continues to thrive for many years to come. This agreement represents a huge step toward achieving that goal for golf and we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally.\u201d
\n
Best Father’s Day golf gifts: Serious golfer | Gifts for less than $100 | Personzlied golf gifts
\n", "content_text": "Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A, weighed in Tuesday on the announcement that LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour plan to merge under the umbrella of one new for-profit company that is yet to be named.\nThe R&A governs the sport of golf in most of the world outside the United States and Mexico. The R&A (originally part of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club but now an independent governing body) is separate from the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour. The R&A conducts the Open Championship, known by many in the U.S. as the British Open. In cooperation with the USGA, the R&A determines the Rules of Golf.\nIt was not made clear if the R&A had been aware of the merger ahead of Tuesday’s statement. Many professional golfers have expressed surprise upon hearing the news. The USGA had not made any statements about the planned merger as of early Tuesday afternoon.\n\nThe full statement from Slumbers, who has been head of the R&A since 2015:\n\n\u201cWe are pleased that an agreement has been reached which will help men\u2019s professional golf move forward in a collaborative, constructive and innovative fashion. We care deeply about golf\u2019s future and are committed to ensuring that the sport continues to thrive for many years to come. This agreement represents a huge step toward achieving that goal for golf and we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally.\u201d\n\nBest Father’s Day golf gifts: Serious golfer | Gifts for less than $100 | Personzlied golf gifts", "date_published": "2023-06-06T13:49:58-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-06-06T14:37:33-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-29-at-10.00.11-AM.png", "tags": [ "Liv merger", "Martin Slumbers", "PGA Tour merger", "R&A", "Video", "DP World Tour", "Euro Tour", "Golf", "LIV Golf", "PGA Tour", "Professional" ], "summary": "The R&A said \"we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally\" as to professional golf's new (...)" }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778361534", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/06/06/greg-norman-liv-golf-pga-tour-merger/", "title": "Greg Norman long believed LIV Golf, PGA Tour should come together: 'One hundred percent I do'", "content_html": "The PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf, who have been embroiled in a year-long bitter rivalry, have agreed to merge, they each announced Tuesday morning.
\nThe tours, including the DP World Tour, signed an agreement that would combine their commercial businesses and rights into a new company. The move is thought to be a big win for the sport, which had become divided.
\n“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV \u2014 including the team golf concept \u2014 to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.
\n\u201cGoing forward, fans can be confident that we will, collectively, deliver on the promise we\u2019ve always made \u2014 to promote competition of the best in professional golf and that we are committed to securing and driving the game\u2019s future.”
\n\n\n\nWith @PGATOUR and @livgolf_league agreeing to combine, what will the new organization look like?
\nSaudi PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan break down the details with @davidfaber. pic.twitter.com/z62iNxNd5Y
\n— Squawk on the Street (@SquawkStreet) June 6, 2023
The tours have been embroiled in a year-long bitter rivalry that has included insults being hurled back and forth by LIV commissioner and CEO Greg Norman and Monahan along with several lawsuits. As part of the new deal, those lawsuits will be dropped.
\nNorman, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, was behind the creation of LIV Golf. The league, financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has come under fire for what detractors say is a form of “sportswashing,” with Saudi Arabia attempting to distract from its atrocious human rights violations.
\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\nFrom the start, Norman was seeking collaboration from the PGA Tour and told The Palm Beach Post last summer he believed a LIV-PGA Tour merger was in the future.
\n“One hundred percent I do,” Norman said when asked if he believed the two tours could come together. “Jay Monahan, if he had the decency to take our meetings right from the get-go, none of this stuff would be in place today. The game of golf would be in a much better place. The Tour would be in a much better place. European golf would be in a much better place.
\n“In the world of business if you got a competitor coming to challenge you, understand what your competitor’s got by sitting down and signing an NDA, having a conversation and see (what) works for us.”
\nBest Father’s Day golf gifts: Serious golfer | Gifts for less than $100 | Personzlied golf gifts
\n", "content_text": "The PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf, who have been embroiled in a year-long bitter rivalry, have agreed to merge, they each announced Tuesday morning.\nThe tours, including the DP World Tour, signed an agreement that would combine their commercial businesses and rights into a new company. The move is thought to be a big win for the sport, which had become divided.\n“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV \u2014 including the team golf concept \u2014 to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.\n\u201cGoing forward, fans can be confident that we will, collectively, deliver on the promise we\u2019ve always made \u2014 to promote competition of the best in professional golf and that we are committed to securing and driving the game\u2019s future.”\n\nWith @PGATOUR and @livgolf_league agreeing to combine, what will the new organization look like?\nSaudi PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan break down the details with @davidfaber. pic.twitter.com/z62iNxNd5Y\n— Squawk on the Street (@SquawkStreet) June 6, 2023\n\nThe tours have been embroiled in a year-long bitter rivalry that has included insults being hurled back and forth by LIV commissioner and CEO Greg Norman and Monahan along with several lawsuits. As part of the new deal, those lawsuits will be dropped.\nNorman, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, was behind the creation of LIV Golf. The league, financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has come under fire for what detractors say is a form of “sportswashing,” with Saudi Arabia attempting to distract from its atrocious human rights violations.\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\nFrom the start, Norman was seeking collaboration from the PGA Tour and told The Palm Beach Post last summer he believed a LIV-PGA Tour merger was in the future.\n“One hundred percent I do,” Norman said when asked if he believed the two tours could come together. “Jay Monahan, if he had the decency to take our meetings right from the get-go, none of this stuff would be in place today. The game of golf would be in a much better place. The Tour would be in a much better place. European golf would be in a much better place.\n“In the world of business if you got a competitor coming to challenge you, understand what your competitor’s got by sitting down and signing an NDA, having a conversation and see (what) works for us.”\nBest Father’s Day golf gifts: Serious golfer | Gifts for less than $100 | Personzlied golf gifts", "date_published": "2023-06-06T11:44:53-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-06-06T12:27:23-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/04/1483445018.jpg", "tags": [ "Greg Norman", "Jay Monahan", "Liv merger", "PGA Tour merger", "DP World Tour", "Euro Tour", "Golf", "LIV Golf", "PGA Tour", "Professional" ], "summary": "Norman, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, was behind the creation of LIV Golf. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778358729", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/05/28/golf-matteo-manassero-challenge-tour-dp-world/", "title": "Former can't-miss-kid Matteo Manassero tastes victory on Challenge Tour 10 years after his biggest win", "content_html": "What a long strange trip it has been for Matteo Manassero to return to the winner\u2019s circle.
\nOn the weekend of the 10-year anniversary of his BMW PGA Championship victory, the 30-year-old Italian claimed his maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Copenhagen Challenge.
\nManassero, a four-time DP World Tour winner and the youngest player to win three times on the European circuit, shot a bogey-free final-round 66, which was good enough for a one-shot victory at 12 under par and his first title since winning the 2020 Toscana Open on the Alps Tour.
\nBorn near Verona, he started playing golf at age three with a set of plastic clubs. At 16, he became the youngest winner of the British Amateur Championship in 2009 before taking the silver medal for low amateur in the 2009 British Open Championship. Manassero climbed as high as 25th in the Official World Golf Ranking and seemed destined for greater things. But the short-hitting Italian chased distance gains and lost control of his swing and his game. He entered the week No. 575 in the world.
\nManassero started the day six shots behind overnight leader Matias Honkala, but made a three-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to secure his first DP World Tour-sanctioned victory since his heroics at Wentworth in 2013.
\n\u201cThere are a lot of emotions,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has been 10 years now since I won on Tour so I guess May is a good time of the year for me.
\n\u201cMy wife never caddies for me but this week she was here, so it\u2019s been the perfect week and as good as any other I\u2019ve ever had.\u201d
\nManassero started strongly in the final round with back-to-back birdies from the second hole before tacking on another at the eighth. With Honkala dropping back and South African teenager Casey Jarvis also picking up shots, Manassero was in a three-way share of the lead. However, he rose to the top with birdies at the 14th\u00a0and 15th\u00a0before the clincher at 18 to be crowned champion at Royal Golf Club by one stroke ahead of Jarvis. Manassero enjoyed the moment after being lost in golf\u2019s wilderness for a decade, a can\u2019t-miss-kid who has been one of the biggest disappointments in the professional game.
\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of down periods during those ten years but I\u2019m still here and now I\u2019m holding the trophy, which means I\u2019ve done a lot of good things as well in that period of time,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the past maybe I didn\u2019t enjoy enough of the good times, but I definitely will now.
\n\u201cI came into this week with doubts about my game and I wasn\u2019t feeling great. This golf course isn\u2019t a course that you can afford not to be feeling great but sometimes you grind, and it doesn\u2019t happen and sometimes all of a sudden it clicks.
\n\u201cGolf is strange and hard to understand at times, and probably we shouldn\u2019t try too hard to understand it.\u201d
\nManassero improved to fifth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings up from 40th\u00a0position, while Jarvis moves up to second from 15th\u00a0place.
\n\n\n\n", "content_text": "What a long strange trip it has been for Matteo Manassero to return to the winner\u2019s circle.\nOn the weekend of the 10-year anniversary of his BMW PGA Championship victory, the 30-year-old Italian claimed his maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Copenhagen Challenge.\nManassero, a four-time DP World Tour winner and the youngest player to win three times on the European circuit, shot a bogey-free final-round 66, which was good enough for a one-shot victory at 12 under par and his first title since winning the 2020 Toscana Open on the Alps Tour.\nBorn near Verona, he started playing golf at age three with a set of plastic clubs. At 16, he became the youngest winner of the British Amateur Championship in 2009 before taking the silver medal for low amateur in the 2009 British Open Championship. Manassero climbed as high as 25th in the Official World Golf Ranking and seemed destined for greater things. But the short-hitting Italian chased distance gains and lost control of his swing and his game. He entered the week No. 575 in the world.\nManassero started the day six shots behind overnight leader Matias Honkala, but made a three-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to secure his first DP World Tour-sanctioned victory since his heroics at Wentworth in 2013.\n\u201cThere are a lot of emotions,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has been 10 years now since I won on Tour so I guess May is a good time of the year for me.\n\u201cMy wife never caddies for me but this week she was here, so it\u2019s been the perfect week and as good as any other I\u2019ve ever had.\u201d\nManassero started strongly in the final round with back-to-back birdies from the second hole before tacking on another at the eighth. With Honkala dropping back and South African teenager Casey Jarvis also picking up shots, Manassero was in a three-way share of the lead. However, he rose to the top with birdies at the 14th\u00a0and 15th\u00a0before the clincher at 18 to be crowned champion at Royal Golf Club by one stroke ahead of Jarvis. Manassero enjoyed the moment after being lost in golf\u2019s wilderness for a decade, a can\u2019t-miss-kid who has been one of the biggest disappointments in the professional game.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of down periods during those ten years but I\u2019m still here and now I\u2019m holding the trophy, which means I\u2019ve done a lot of good things as well in that period of time,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the past maybe I didn\u2019t enjoy enough of the good times, but I definitely will now.\n\u201cI came into this week with doubts about my game and I wasn\u2019t feeling great. This golf course isn\u2019t a course that you can afford not to be feeling great but sometimes you grind, and it doesn\u2019t happen and sometimes all of a sudden it clicks.\n\u201cGolf is strange and hard to understand at times, and probably we shouldn\u2019t try too hard to understand it.\u201d\nManassero improved to fifth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings up from 40th\u00a0position, while Jarvis moves up to second from 15th\u00a0place.\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMore\t\t\tPGA Tour\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\tPhotos: Arena already under construction at famed 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale\n\n\t\t\t\n\tRyder Cup 2023: Photos of every hole at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome\n\n\t\t\t\n\tPGA Championship star Michael Block has earned another appearance in this California tournament", "date_published": "2023-05-28T14:19:19-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-05-28T15:11:25-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Adam Schupak", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/shoop007/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c770dcffbdb4a77bab2df2cc7e89690f?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Adam Schupak", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/shoop007/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c770dcffbdb4a77bab2df2cc7e89690f?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/05/1493997683.jpg", "tags": [ "Challenge Tour", "DP World Tour", "Matteo Manassero", "Video", "DP World Tour", "Euro Tour" ], "summary": "\u201cGolf is strange and hard to understand at times, and probably we shouldn\u2019t try too hard to understand it.\u201d " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778351655", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/05/09/john-bland-obituary-south-africa-dies-age-77-golf/", "title": "South Africa's John Bland, five-time PGA Tour Champions winner, dies at 77", "content_html": "South African golfer John Bland, who won twice on the DP World Tour before coming to prominence in the U.S. on PGA Tour Champions, has died. He was 77.
\nBland’s death was announced by the Sunshine Tour, of which he\u00a0claimed\u00a0the circuit\u2019s Order of Merit title four times and he ranked fifth in career wins with 21. He died Tuesday at a hospital in George, South Africa \u201cafter a battle with cancer,\u201d the Sunshine Tour said.
\nBorn Sept. 22, 1945, in Johannesburg, Bland turned pro in 1969 and won his first of 36 titles at the 1970 Transvaal Open. He won the South African PGA Championship in 1977 over Gary Player, one of three victories that year and a total he matched again in 1983 when he claimed the European Tour\u2019s Benson and Hedges International over Bernhard Langer.
\n\n\n\nBeloved South African professional golfer John Bland, who won 36 titles in a celebrated career, passed away shortly after 6am on Tuesday 9 May 2023.
\nBland (77) passed away in a hospital in George after a battle with cancer, with his family and his bulldog Handsome by his side.\u2026 pic.twitter.com/4tZic37Gu5
\n— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 9, 2023
In a professional career that spanned more than 40 years, he didn\u2019t compete in the U.S. until turning 50 but quickly proved his mettle with five senior titles and more than $7 million in earnings. He won in his second start as a Monday Qualifier, earning exempt status for a year and went on to be named Senior PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1996 after winning four times and finishing third on the money list. Some of his best duels were with Jim Colbert, who finished second to Bland in four of his five victories on the circuit. Bland also won three times on the European Senior Tour.
\n“It\u2019s so hard to post the utterly devastating news that John Bland, my traveling companion of so many years and mentor has passed away,” fellow South African golfer Tony Johnstone tweeted. “He was so much more than a friend and words don\u2019t express the true meaning of ‘brother’.”
\nBland is survived by his wife, Sonja, three children \u2013 John-Mark, Bonney and Candice \u2013 and three grandchildren. He died with family and bulldog Handsome by his side.
\nThe Sunshine Tour said Bland was \u201cone of the most loved and respected South African sportsmen.\u201d
\n", "content_text": "South African golfer John Bland, who won twice on the DP World Tour before coming to prominence in the U.S. on PGA Tour Champions, has died. He was 77.\nBland’s death was announced by the Sunshine Tour, of which he\u00a0claimed\u00a0the circuit\u2019s Order of Merit title four times and he ranked fifth in career wins with 21. He died Tuesday at a hospital in George, South Africa \u201cafter a battle with cancer,\u201d the Sunshine Tour said.\nBorn Sept. 22, 1945, in Johannesburg, Bland turned pro in 1969 and won his first of 36 titles at the 1970 Transvaal Open. He won the South African PGA Championship in 1977 over Gary Player, one of three victories that year and a total he matched again in 1983 when he claimed the European Tour\u2019s Benson and Hedges International over Bernhard Langer.\n\nBeloved South African professional golfer John Bland, who won 36 titles in a celebrated career, passed away shortly after 6am on Tuesday 9 May 2023.\nBland (77) passed away in a hospital in George after a battle with cancer, with his family and his bulldog Handsome by his side.\u2026 pic.twitter.com/4tZic37Gu5\n— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) May 9, 2023\n\nIn a professional career that spanned more than 40 years, he didn\u2019t compete in the U.S. until turning 50 but quickly proved his mettle with five senior titles and more than $7 million in earnings. He won in his second start as a Monday Qualifier, earning exempt status for a year and went on to be named Senior PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1996 after winning four times and finishing third on the money list. Some of his best duels were with Jim Colbert, who finished second to Bland in four of his five victories on the circuit. Bland also won three times on the European Senior Tour.\n“It\u2019s so hard to post the utterly devastating news that John Bland, my traveling companion of so many years and mentor has passed away,” fellow South African golfer Tony Johnstone tweeted. “He was so much more than a friend and words don\u2019t express the true meaning of ‘brother’.”\nBland is survived by his wife, Sonja, three children \u2013 John-Mark, Bonney and Candice \u2013 and three grandchildren. He died with family and bulldog Handsome by his side.\nThe Sunshine Tour said Bland was \u201cone of the most loved and respected South African sportsmen.\u201d", "date_published": "2023-05-09T09:50:58-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-05-09T23:50:31-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Adam Schupak", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/shoop007/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c770dcffbdb4a77bab2df2cc7e89690f?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Adam Schupak", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/shoop007/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c770dcffbdb4a77bab2df2cc7e89690f?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/05/1223587.jpg", "tags": [ "John Bland", "Obit", "obituary", "South Africa", "Champions Tour", "DP World Tour", "Euro Tour", "Golf", "PGA Tour Champions", "Professional" ], "summary": "John Bland won multiple titles in South Africa and on what is now the DP World Tour. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778286732", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/07/28/report-luke-donald-to-replace-henrik-stenson-as-2023-european-ryder-cup-captain/", "title": "Report: Luke Donald will replace Henrik Stenson as 2023 European Ryder Cup captain", "content_html": "Englishman Luke Donald will replace the sacked Henrik Stenson as captain of the European team in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, according to a report in the Telegraph.
\nStenson was canned two weeks ago after announcing he would join LIV Golf, the rival tour backed by Saudi Arabian royalty and clouded in controversy for that country\u2019s poor record of human rights abuses and other atrocities. Stenson begins play on that tour today at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey. The longtime independent contractor has expressed disappointment in losing the honorary Ryder Cup job after breaking his captaincy contract that forbid him from playing on a rival tour by signing a lucrative contract with LIV Golf.
\nDonald \u2013 a four-time Ryder Cup player (2004, \u201906, \u201910, \u201912), five-time PGA Tour winner and six-time DP World Tour winner who played college golf at Northwestern \u2013 was long rumored as a potential captain at some future Ryder Cup. The former World No. 1 served as a vice captain in the past two Ryder Cups and is playing this week\u2019s Rocket Mortgage Classic on the PGA Tour in Detroit.
\nAccording to the report, Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari will keep their gigs as vice captains in Rome.
\nWhile there was much speculation on who might replace the canned Stenson as captain, as of yet it doesn\u2019t appear the top Euro players themselves are in any rush to jump to LIV Golf. Potential team members such as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick, among others, have not joined LIV, with several having pledged a commitment to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Most of the former European Ryder Cuppers who have jumped to LIV, such as Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, are seen by many as being well past their primes and unlikely candidates to have competed in Rome. Of those who have left to compete for LIV’s Greg Norman, only the aging Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey were considered potential contenders to compete in Rome.
\n\n\n\n", "content_text": "Englishman Luke Donald will replace the sacked Henrik Stenson as captain of the European team in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, according to a report in the Telegraph.\nStenson was canned two weeks ago after announcing he would join LIV Golf, the rival tour backed by Saudi Arabian royalty and clouded in controversy for that country\u2019s poor record of human rights abuses and other atrocities. Stenson begins play on that tour today at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey. The longtime independent contractor has expressed disappointment in losing the honorary Ryder Cup job after breaking his captaincy contract that forbid him from playing on a rival tour by signing a lucrative contract with LIV Golf.\nDonald \u2013 a four-time Ryder Cup player (2004, \u201906, \u201910, \u201912), five-time PGA Tour winner and six-time DP World Tour winner who played college golf at Northwestern \u2013 was long rumored as a potential captain at some future Ryder Cup. The former World No. 1 served as a vice captain in the past two Ryder Cups and is playing this week\u2019s Rocket Mortgage Classic on the PGA Tour in Detroit.\nAccording to the report, Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari will keep their gigs as vice captains in Rome.\nWhile there was much speculation on who might replace the canned Stenson as captain, as of yet it doesn\u2019t appear the top Euro players themselves are in any rush to jump to LIV Golf. Potential team members such as Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick, among others, have not joined LIV, with several having pledged a commitment to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Most of the former European Ryder Cuppers who have jumped to LIV, such as Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, are seen by many as being well past their primes and unlikely candidates to have competed in Rome. Of those who have left to compete for LIV’s Greg Norman, only the aging Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey were considered potential contenders to compete in Rome.\n\n\tList\n\t\n\t\tHow it started vs. how it's going: Here's what pro golfers said before about LIV Golf, and what they're saying now\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tView\n\t\t\t\t20 items", "date_published": "2022-07-28T09:56:15-04:00", "date_modified": "2022-07-28T11:14:28-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2022/07/USATSI_4869666.jpg", "tags": [ "2023 Ryder Cup", "European Team", "Henrik Stenson", "Italy", "LIV Golf", "Luke Donald", "Euro Tour", "Golf", "PGA Tour", "Professional", "Ryder Cup" ], "summary": "The Englishman, a four-time European Ryder Cup player, is reported to take the helm for Rome. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?p=778273813", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/06/01/liv-golf-series-pga-tour-equipment-companies-sponsorship-silence/", "title": "Golf equipment makers are silent so far on future of sponsorship deals with PGA Tour players who intend to play first LIV Golf event", "content_html": "In the hours following the announcement that Dustin Johnson and several other PGA Tour and international players intend to compete in the new LIV Golf Series\u2019 first tournament June 9\u201311 near London, the equipment companies that supply those players with gear have remained mum about player relationships and sponsorship deals.
\nThat leaves it unclear if equipment makers will continue to support players on the new Saudi Arabia-backed tour. The LIV tour released its initial player list Tuesday evening, and as of Wednesday morning many of those players are still featured on the websites of companies such as TaylorMade Golf, Callaway Golf and Ping.
\nWhen asked by Golfweek\u2019s David Dusek via email Tuesday night if former world No. 1 Johnson will continue to wear TaylorMade hats and use branded bags, a TaylorMade representative responded, \u201cWe have no comment to make at this time.\u201d That response also included Sergio Garcia\u2019s use of a TaylorMade bag. Other companies such as Ping and Adidas did not respond to initial emails seeking comment.
\nOne sponsor of Johnson has responded. RBC Bank noted its disappointment that Johnson will play in the LIV event near London and skip the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open the same week. ESPN reported later Wednesday that RBC confirmed it had cut ties with Johnson.
\n\n\n\nA statement from the RBC Canadian Open on Dustin Johnson\u2019s decision to play in LIV golf event pic.twitter.com/BSahB3UeaX
\n— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 1, 2022
Meanwhile, another player who will compete on the LIV Tour, former U.S. Open champion and longtime RBC partner Graeme McDowell, was spotted at an event in England on Wednesday without the RBC logos on his shirt. He also was dropped by RBC, the bank confirmed.
\nAll this comes on the heels of UPS dropping its relationships with Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen, who committed to play the LIV circuit.
\nThis initial non-reaction from the equipment companies follows Callaway\u2019s sponsorship \u201cpause\u201d with Phil Mickelson several days after his comments about his motivations to join the LIV circuit were published by author Alan Shipnuck in February. Those comments included calling the Saudi backers of the new series \u201cscary motherf——\u201d and explained he was interested in documented Saudi human rights offenses less than in gaining financial leverage on the PGA Tour, which he called obnoxiously greedy.
\nMickelson wasn\u2019t included on the initial player list for the opening LIV event, although it\u2019s possible he still might play. Mickelson has not played the PGA Tour since those comments and has visited his parents\u2019 home in California during the week of the recent PGA Championship, where he was defending champion.
\nNone of the players on the field list have made such outlandish publicized comments, possibly making it easier for equipment makers to ride out any potential controversy as the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf Series engage in battle and players jump ship.
\n\n", "content_text": "In the hours following the announcement that Dustin Johnson and several other PGA Tour and international players intend to compete in the new LIV Golf Series\u2019 first tournament June 9\u201311 near London, the equipment companies that supply those players with gear have remained mum about player relationships and sponsorship deals.\nThat leaves it unclear if equipment makers will continue to support players on the new Saudi Arabia-backed tour. The LIV tour released its initial player list Tuesday evening, and as of Wednesday morning many of those players are still featured on the websites of companies such as TaylorMade Golf, Callaway Golf and Ping.\nWhen asked by Golfweek\u2019s David Dusek via email Tuesday night if former world No. 1 Johnson will continue to wear TaylorMade hats and use branded bags, a TaylorMade representative responded, \u201cWe have no comment to make at this time.\u201d That response also included Sergio Garcia\u2019s use of a TaylorMade bag. Other companies such as Ping and Adidas did not respond to initial emails seeking comment.\nOne sponsor of Johnson has responded. RBC Bank noted its disappointment that Johnson will play in the LIV event near London and skip the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open the same week. ESPN reported later Wednesday that RBC confirmed it had cut ties with Johnson.\n\nA statement from the RBC Canadian Open on Dustin Johnson\u2019s decision to play in LIV golf event pic.twitter.com/BSahB3UeaX\n— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 1, 2022\n\nMeanwhile, another player who will compete on the LIV Tour, former U.S. Open champion and longtime RBC partner Graeme McDowell, was spotted at an event in England on Wednesday without the RBC logos on his shirt. He also was dropped by RBC, the bank confirmed.\nAll this comes on the heels of UPS dropping its relationships with Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen, who committed to play the LIV circuit.\nThis initial non-reaction from the equipment companies follows Callaway\u2019s sponsorship \u201cpause\u201d with Phil Mickelson several days after his comments about his motivations to join the LIV circuit were published by author Alan Shipnuck in February. Those comments included calling the Saudi backers of the new series \u201cscary motherf——\u201d and explained he was interested in documented Saudi human rights offenses less than in gaining financial leverage on the PGA Tour, which he called obnoxiously greedy.\nMickelson wasn\u2019t included on the initial player list for the opening LIV event, although it\u2019s possible he still might play. Mickelson has not played the PGA Tour since those comments and has visited his parents\u2019 home in California during the week of the recent PGA Championship, where he was defending champion.\nNone of the players on the field list have made such outlandish publicized comments, possibly making it easier for equipment makers to ride out any potential controversy as the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf Series engage in battle and players jump ship.", "date_published": "2022-06-01T11:14:38-04:00", "date_modified": "2022-06-01T19:56:55-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "David Dusek", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/golfweekdusek/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7841f2678745824f9baec8bd55acb431?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "David Dusek", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/golfweekdusek/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/7841f2678745824f9baec8bd55acb431?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2022/05/USATSI_18252328.jpg", "tags": [ "Adidas", "Business", "Business of Golf", "Callaway", "Golf Equipment", "LIV Golf", "LIV Golf Invitational", "LIV Golf Invitational Series", "Ping", "TaylorMade", "Video", "DP World Tour", "Equipment", "Euro Tour", "Golf", "PGA Tour", "Professional" ], "summary": "It remains unclear if equipment makers will continue to support players headed to the new Saudi Arabia-backed tour. " }, { "id": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/?post_type=listicle&p=778270585", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/pga-championship-jim-bones-mackay-steve-williams-caddies-majors/", "title": "PGA Championship: With Jim 'Bones' Mackay back in pursuit at Southern Hills, who are the most successful caddies in men's majors of all time?", "content_html": "Jim \u201cBones\u201d Mackay is at it again, carrying the bag and helping to strategize for Justin Thomas in this week\u2019s PGA Championship as Thomas has climbed the leaderboard. Bones has five major titles to his caddie credit, making him one of the most successful loopers of all time in golf\u2019s biggest events.
\nBut, he doesn\u2019t have the most wins.
\nBelow, find a list of some of the caddies who have looped for the most men’s major championships. The list includes some caddies you might have heard of, and plenty who worked in the era in which caddies received almost none of the credit and were often expected to \u201cShow up, keep up and shut up.\u201d
\nBut most of them can claim plenty of credit in helping their golfers earn big titles. Then check out the Caddie Hall of Fame, from which some of this information has been obtained.
\n", "content_text": "Jim \u201cBones\u201d Mackay is at it again, carrying the bag and helping to strategize for Justin Thomas in this week\u2019s PGA Championship as Thomas has climbed the leaderboard. Bones has five major titles to his caddie credit, making him one of the most successful loopers of all time in golf\u2019s biggest events.\nBut, he doesn\u2019t have the most wins.\nBelow, find a list of some of the caddies who have looped for the most men’s major championships. The list includes some caddies you might have heard of, and plenty who worked in the era in which caddies received almost none of the credit and were often expected to \u201cShow up, keep up and shut up.\u201d\nBut most of them can claim plenty of credit in helping their golfers earn big titles. Then check out the Caddie Hall of Fame, from which some of this information has been obtained.", "date_published": "2022-05-20T18:40:44-04:00", "date_modified": "2022-05-21T08:17:51-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Jason Lusk", "url": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/author/jllusk/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0ef9fa589fc62892cabe2c57919bc689?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "image": "https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2022/05/USATSI_18310987.jpg", "tags": [ "2022 PGA Championship", "Caddies", "Jim \"Bones\" Mackay", "Justin Thomas", "Phil Mickelson", "Southern Hills", "Steve Williams", "Euro Tour", "PGA Tour" ], "summary": "Caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay is in pursuit of his sixth major title, but who has more? " } ] }