Ever wondered where players like Ian Poulter, Justin Thomas and Harold Varner III get those incredible belts?
If you’ve ever wondered where PGA Tour players get their timeless belts, we found the spot — and it’s epic. House of Fleming in Atlanta, Georgia, makes alligator belts and exotic skin accessories.
Robert Fleming Childs, known also as Gator Bob and Bobby Belts, didn’t start this business with golfers in mind, and it wasn’t until teaching professional Butch Harmon asked for a couple of belts for a student of his in 1996. That student was Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods was the first golfer to sport House of Fleming belts and now these magnificent, handcrafted belts can be seen on players like Ian Poulter, Justin Thomas, Harold Varner III, Dustin Thomas, Shane Lowry, Phil Mickelson and in every major championship.
Justin Thomas hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round of the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational golf tournament at TPC Southwind in a pink belt. (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
Childs didn’t come from an affluent background. It took maxing out a credit card in 1982 shopping for skins in France and a lot of hope to produce one of these belts. Childs had a vision of what his belts could be, but he never imagined they’d be worn by some of the best players in the world.
House of Fleming gets their materials imported from Italy in about every shade and finish under the sun. When you walk into the building you see exotic skins of all colors laid out and boxes of remaining skin pieces from previous projects. In addition to belts, he makes yardage books, shoes, purses, wallets, and coasters — and doesn’t say no to requests often.
Childs doesn’t spend money on marketing or trying to get his belts into top retailers across the company. His success comes from word of mouth. One of Bob’s favorite projects was when some of the 2020 Ryder Cup Team asked him to make specific Ryder Cup-themed belts as gifts for everyone.
Saturday is for the … wait for it … wait for it … the walk-up music.
It’s Saturday at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which means it is finally time for a tournament tradition unlike any other.
Players have feasted on beignets, chargrilled oysters, jambalaya and all the other delicacies that make Nawlins a non-stop party.
But Saturday is for the … wait for it … wait for it … the walk-up music.
New Orleans is a city with its own soundtrack – the tournament usually coincides with the Jazz Festival, but it starts a week later this year – and you don’t have to go very far to hear live jazz in the French Quarter. Sometimes, all you have to do is stand on Bourbon Street.
We think first tee tunes should be a more regular thing – maybe not at the staid British Open but who doesn’t love hearing a little diddy when a batter steps into the batter’s box at a baseball game? For now, we’ll settle for this one-hit wonder at the Zurich and appreciate the time and thought the players gave to what apparently can be a challenging exercise – just ask Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa. (This list was curated before the cut was made on Friday night.)
Here are a few of our favorites with the entire list at the bottom:
The rumor mill still has Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter involved with the LIV.
You would think by now that the idea of the LIV, the Saudi Arabia-backed golf league that wants to rival the PGA Tour, would have slipped quietly away. The biggest names in golf have turned their backs on the idea, saying they will stay with the profitable PGA Tour. And one of golf’s biggest names and one of its best all-time players, Phil Mickelson, is in a kind of self-exile from the game at the moment over why and how he supported the idea of the LIV.
But with all of that weighing against the LIV and its commissioner Greg Norman, the LIV still manages to make some news. This week the news is a batch of names who are recognizable but far from the elite of the tour that the LIV pursued earlier in the year.
The rumor mill still has European stars Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter involved with the LIV. The other names aren’t necessarily new, but they are intriguing. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson is among those names, and so are Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak.
In what seemed like a response to the rumors, Watson posted his summer schedule on Twitter, without mentioning the LIV and without listing any of the LIV tournaments on his agenda.
Planning out my summer… for those interested here’s a look at my upcoming tournament schedule… pic.twitter.com/AUiQVztjKB
Was that just a way to turn off the rumors, or had Watson been persuaded to change his mind because of backlash to even the rumor of him signing with the LIV? Several players seemed to pledge their support to the PGA Tour in February after Phil Mickelson’s comments on the league were leaked and Mickelson was hit with a huge backlash.
Watson’s name is particularly interesting because he has embraced Augusta National, home of the Masters, by not only playing in the tournament as a past champion but showing up at the pre-tournament Drive, Chip and Putt event each year.
If you believe Norman, still the face of the LIV, he was left off the invitation list to the Masters this year he believes because of his backing of the LIV. Would Watson want to risk that in his career?
Greg Norman at the 2020 PNC Championship in Orlando. (Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press)
It’s probably not fair to say the other names wouldn’t particularly be missed if they stopped playing PGA Tour events, because most players have their fans who love to see them play. But Na and Kokrak are far from Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, some of the names the LIV expressed interest in early in the planning stages. McIlroy never supported the LIV, Johnson was among those saying no as recently as February and Tiger Woods has given the LIV concept a flat-out no.
The league that won’t go away
So why does the LIV live on? Part of it is the PGA Tour has been instituting many changes in the last year, and some of them seem to be direct responses to the threat of the LIV. Those changes include increased purses at most tournaments, the institution of a Players Impact Program that gives bonuses to important and popular players and even talk of a new Fall Series team concept, kind of along the lines of what the LIV has proposed.
The other reason the LIV lingers on is Norman himself. For now at least, Norman has refused to accept defeat, even in the face of the best and biggest names in the game giving the LIV the cold shoulder. In a series of interviews this week, Norman doubled down on his belief that the PGA Tour can not ban players from its tournaments for signing up with the LIV, and that he believes the LIV will play on no matter who is in the field. He added that better players will eventually want to play for the LIV’s money, knowing they can beat the golfers signed up for the league.
The PGA Tour and the status quo in golf can feel good about the Masters last week, the cementing of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler with a Masters victory and the idea that Tiger Woods remains the biggest and most appealing attraction in golf. The LIV wasn’t even an afterthought at Augusta National.
Will there be a death blow for the LIV in the coming weeks? Norman certainly seems intent on keeping the league around, even at the cost of careers and legacies.
Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for the Palm Springs (Calif.) Desert Sun, part of the USA Today Network. He can be reached at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com or (760) 778-4633. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @larry_bohannan. Support Local journalism. Subscribe to The Desert Sun.
Poulter sported the colors of Ukraine to show his support for the besieged country.
During the opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, three-time PGA Tour winner Ian Poulter sported the colors of Ukraine to show his support for the besieged country. It is no secret that Ukraine is hurting while under attack. In fact, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that Russian forces had used cluster bombs and that the organization had “seen reports of the use of other types of weapons which would be in violation of international law.”
Poulter, who has a dozen wins on the European Tour, was asked about his style choice.
Q:I can’t help but notice the color choice that you have there. Is there a reason for the color choice today?
Ian Poulter: Yeah, I think it’s hard, when you flick the news on right now and obviously you see the devastation that’s going on around the world and you feel for the people in Ukraine, just wearing a similar color today in respect to those suffering over there is the least I can do.
Just everyone’s probably thinking of all those families that are affected right now.
Ian Poulter of England plays a shot during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Arnold Palmer Bay Hill wearing colors of Ukraine. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Q:What made you think of it? Have you done that before?
IP: It’s hard not to think of it, right? You wake up in the morning and you want to read the news, and you go home at night and you want to read the news. I’ve got quite a few clothes in the closet, so I found a couple of colors that I think would kind of give them a little bit of respect.
Hopefully, just the thoughts and prayers for the families out there.
Q: The idea that you’re out here playing golf, it’s tough with what’s going on in the world?
IP: It just seems like every time you think there’s light at the end of the tunnel, something else comes along. It brings it into perspective pretty quickly. We just play a silly game of golf while others are in the world suffering.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a member of the PGA Tour, the folks at Netflix are about to show you.
On Wednesday it was announced that Netflix would air a PGA Tour docuseries that would take fans behind-the-scenes and show what life on Tour is really like.
“This partnership with Netflix presents the PGA Tour and the four major championships an opportunity to tap into a completely new and diverse audience,” said Rick Anderson, the Tour’s Chief Media Officer. “This documentary will give fans an authentic look into the real lives of our athletes, and what it’s like to win — and lose — during a season on the PGA Tour.”
Filming is underway and will continue throughout 2022.
Confirmed players (alphabetically): Abraham Ancer, Daniel Berger, Cameron Champ, Joel Dahmen, Tony Finau, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Harry Higgs, Max Homa, Viktor Hovland, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Kevin Na, Mito Pereira, Ian Poulter, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Bubba Watson.
Keita Nakajima, the world’s No. 1 amateur, will also be featured.
“We are thrilled to bring golf’s leading organizations and players together for this first-of-its-kind partnership and unparalleled window into life on the Tour,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix Vice President of Unscripted and Documentary Series. “Our members will love getting to know the players and personalities as well as the iconic venues along the way. Even the most devoted golf fans have never seen the sport quite like this.”
The Poulters are in the holiday spirit playing golf with a few marshmallows.
This past weekend, Ian Poulter brought his son, Joshua, to the PNC Championship. What were they there for? Just to watch the greatest golfer of all time tee it up with his son, Charlie. Turns out, Josh is a bigger Charlie fan than Tiger. Who knew.
However, it was Ian this time with a club in hand, pitching marshmallows in his living room. The twist: trying to hit the delicious candy into Josh’s mouth. A few years ago, we saw Jordan Spieth try a similar feat when he flopped a marshmallow to himself and made a diving catch.
“This picture fills me with joy seeing our next generation grow to love this game.”
ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s not every day that a PGA Tour pro shows up to a tournament he isn’t competing in to watch another pro play. But that’s what Ian Poulter, winner of 17 professional tournaments including three Tour titles, did on Saturday.
The resident of nearby Lake Nona Golf Club brought his son, Joshua, to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club for one reason and one reason only: to let Joshua get a close-up look at Tiger Woods and his son Charlie. Apparently, Charlie was the bigger draw for young Joshua.
“A joy to meet Charlie Woods this morning at the PNC Championship,” Poulter tweeted. “Joshua has followed him with interest and looks up to Charlie just like we look up to Tiger Woods. This picture fills me with joy seeing our next generation grow to love this game. The future of golf is exciting.”
A joy to meet Charlie Woods this morning at @PNCchampionship Joshua has followed him with interest & looks up to Charlie just like we look up to @TigerWoods . This picture fills me with joy seeing our next generation grow to love this game. The future of golf is exciting! 🙏🏼👍🏼👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/qKHGrqqpvS
The Poulters showed up at the course in time to see Team Woods warm up on the range for the first round of the team event. Ian shot a video of Tiger’s swing on his phone and waited for the right moment to say hello and give him a bro hug.
Father and son also walked the first three holes of the round watching Tiger and Charlie, and Justin and Mike Thomas from inside the ropes before ducking out.
Cool to see Poulter making the effort to ensure his son could have a memorable experience with both Tiger and Charlie. In short, another example of game respect game.
NAPLES, Fla. — The Shark is feeling great about his new job and what comes with it.
Greg Norman, 66, the QBE Shootout founder and host recently became the CEO of a new Saudi Arabia-backed golf league, of which he will serve as commissioner.
The Asian Tour had announced an allegiance that would result in 10 new marquee events on the tour in the next 10 years, with the Saudi-funded golf league having an investment of more than $200 million.
“What we’ve done already is an indication of our commitment to the game of golf through the Asian Tour investment,” Norman said Thursday ahead of the Shootout. “I can’t remember the last time anybody wanted to come out and invest a couple hundred million dollars into an Asian tour, a tour in general from the outside. I think that’s a testament to our commitment of where we want and how we want the game of golf to grow.”
Greg Norman takes a swing during the QBE Shootout Pro-Am on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021 at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Fla. Caitlyn Jordan/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network
Norman did not give a specific update Thursday on the proposed league itself.
“Anytime Greg Norman’s involved, I mean, that’s the guy I looked up to,” said Bubba Watson, who is playing with LPGA Tour star Lexi Thompson in the Shootout this week. “There’s so many guys I looked up to. That’s one of the reasons we’re here, right? Greg Norman has pushed this event, QBE. He’s pushed it from the player side, but also from the charity side. That’s why we’re here supporting Greg and what he’s committed to the game of golf.
“…. Greg’s going to try to do some great things if that league does happen.”
On Thursday, LIV Golf Investments named Atul Khosla as its COO. Khosla had been chief corporate development and brand officer for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and previously had been COO of the MLS’ Chicago Fire. Sean Bratches had been appointed Chief Commercial Officer for LIV Golf.
“Our C-suite (or major executive team) has been very, very special to say the least, and it’s a testament to our business model, it’s a testament to our commitment to the game of golf and our C-suite, which is deep and very experienced not only in sport, team sport, not only in business, but right across the board,” Norman said. “Our C-suite starting in London to where we’re going to be in West Palm Beach is solid. Really, it is a commitment by them of, like I said, believing in the product, believing in the business model and believing in the players.”
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“We have an incredible opportunity to create a unique new platform that elevates the game of golf for all professional players and engages golf fans across the world,” Khosla said in a release. “I look forward to being a part of the LIV Golf Investments team to help bring this vision to life and transform the game into an international sport.”
The Shootout itself continues to only expand its footprint in Southwest Florida, with the addition of a Live Fest concert in 2019. That returns on Saturday, after a year off due to the pandemic.
“We have really tried to figure out how to give back as much as we can and hence the LiveFest Saturday night, hence the growth of what we’re doing after the gala dinner tonight with another concert for everybody,” Norman said. “That’s part of giving back and it’s become hugely, hugely popular. I believe we’re sold out come Saturday night, so that again is a testament to the community and the golf course. The benefactors of that, the community, golf course, fans, players and then charity, CureSearch.”
Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida.
As for the Saudi addition to the Asian Tour, Norman pointed to his experience in that part of the world, mainly due to his golf design companies and other business.
“I see what has been needed there,” Norman said. “I see the development of the game of golf, and all through the Pacific Rim there, specifically Vietnam. I see it in Thailand, I see it in Singapore, I see it in Japan.
“We’ve got Hideki Matsuyama, who used to be the Asian amateur, now the U.S. Masters champion. I just want to be able to allow these players more of an opportunity to get the growth and the development they do need to be where they want to be, be a Hideki Matsuyama coming through the Asian ranks and coming up and winning a major championship let alone the U.S. Masters.”
A couple of weeks ago, Golfweek obtained a memo that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan had sent players to update them on the 2022 schedule and included millions added to purses, and the FedEx Cup going up to $75 million.
Monahan did not specifically discuss the Saudi golf league in the memo, but did point out what he had seen as disinformation about the percentages of player purses. Saudi league backers had reportedly been saying players only get 26% of revenues, but Monahan said in the memo that 55% of the Tour’s revenues will be going back to players in 2022.
And just to add another wrinkle to all of it, on Nov. 29, the Saudi International, which is also part of the Asian Tour, released its preliminary list of players, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Louis Oosthuizen, for the event Feb. 3-6. PGA Tour players would need to get a release from the tour to be allowed to play in the tournament, which is not part of the golf league Norman is heading up.
Shootout players Jason Kokrak, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Ian Poulter and Bubba Watson also were on the list.
“It’s one of those things where I love to travel and I wanted to travel somewhere else,” Watson said. “And Saudi Arabia, they’re trying to change. They started with women’s golf, started supporting the women’s golf and then they started supporting men’s golf. There’s women’s tournaments already that they sponsor. Trying to grow the game. They’re trying to change industry over there, bring golf, bring tourism to Saudi Arabia with the beautiful beaches that they already have.
Bubba Watson takes a swing during the QBE Shootout Pro-Am on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021 at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Fla. Caitlyn Jordan/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network
“It will be interesting to go over there and play, but also see the beauty of other parts of the world that God’s created. I can’t wait to get over there. Hopefully the Tour lets us go. Again, you know, the charity dollars is what’s most important, so the more money I can get in my hands, the more I can give away. So it’s an honor and a privilege if they let me go over there and play.”
McDowell said he will wait to hear about Monahan’s decision.
“I’m on the list of guys that were given permission to ask for a release, and then it gets plastered all over the media like I’m a bad guy; I’m just doing what I was told to do, which was ask for a release,” he said. “Listen, it’s really up to Jay Monahan, however Jay wants us to handle the situation. I’m just going to wait and find out what Jay wants. First and foremost, I’m a PGA Tour player until further notice. That’s the bottom line.”
“I’m down to play right now, so …” Poulter said.
Na declined to answer a question about it.
So whatever Monahan and the Tour ends up deciding regarding releases for players to play in the Saudi International, which is opposite the PGA Tour’s Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, remains to be seen. And there will be plenty of players and others in the golf world watching.
Meanwhile, Norman just plans on plugging ahead with his new venture.
“‘I’m very, very passionate about that,” he said. “I’m not going to lose focus on that at all. I stay finely tuned with my C-suite people on the same thing about our future and about how we want to get to certain milestones in our life and obviously for our investor.
“They’ve invested for a reason, they invest for a reason because they see golf and sport as an asset class now and you’ll see it all around the world, whether it’s in IPL cricket or whether it’s even the NFL, NBA, NHL, you see it in all different leagues, people invested in sport in general.”
The belief those who have already joined Norman only reinforces that to him.
“So at the end of the day you can only bring those people in who actually have full faith in what you’re doing,” Norman said. “And I love it, I think it’s great for the game of golf. They see the advantage of it, they’re looking forward to the journey ahead and I think from a mutual respect in the situation, the game of golf is going to be the benefactor and the players are going to have the opportunity of independent contractors to go play both tours and I think that’s fantastic.”
Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/
On Monday when the tournament released a list of confirmed players for the 2022 on Feb. 3-6 at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, all eight appeared on the list alongside a few other notable names.
Two-time winner Dustin Johnson, 2020 champion Graeme McDowell, Abraham Ancer, Lee Westwood, Tommy Fleetwood, Henrik Stenson, Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak will be joined by Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Adri Arnaus, Rafael Cabrera Bello, Paul Casey, Jason Dufner, Shane Lowry, Joaquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Harold Varner III, Jhonattan Vegas and Bubba Watson in Saudi Arabia in 2022.
The PGA Tour previously said it would deny waivers for its members to take part in the Saudi International. In past years the Tour granted releases to its members for the first three Saudi Internationals when it was a European Tour event. Last summer the PGA and European tours announced a strategic alliance, which removed the event from the European Tour schedule and was widely interpreted as a joint effort to stymie any rival tours.
The PGA Tour has not granted releases for members to play the Saudi International. The Tour has until 30 days before the first round to decide on waivers. Per previous reporting, players who compete without a waiver would likely only face a fine.
In its first year as part of the Asian Tour schedule, the 2022 Saudi International features the strongest field in the history of the tour. The Saudis previously made a $100 million investment in the Asian Tour.
“History will reflect upon how developments like the Saudi International and Golf Saudi’s partnership with the Asian Tour helped see in a new era in the professional game,” said Cho Minn Thant, CEO of the Asian Tour, via a media statement. “With the right guidance, it’ll be the sport that benefits most, with more top athletes from across a wider geographical spectrum present at the very top level and more interest from a more diverse and committed group of stakeholders.”
Since the inaugural Saudi International in 2019, the tournament has been widely criticized as part of the government’s effort to “sportswash” its human rights abuses, same as LIV Golf Investments, the new golf venture backed by the Public Investment Fund which operates on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia.
“Whilst this is a product of many factors, there is no denying the massive impact the best players in the world can have on creating multi-generational interest in the sport. This is why we place such importance on securing the strongest field possible, each and every year,” said Majed Al-Sorour, CEO and Deputy Chairman of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, via a media statement. “While we do not allow ourselves to be distracted from our long-term objectives by any external voices, we have been encouraged by strengthening discussions around the importance of fresh competition and innovation in the professional game.
“We are strong advocates for this, as we see it as the only way to achieve golf’s true global potential and realize the game’s considerable untapped value. All we will say is it is better for the sport if the competition remains healthy and respectful, as opposed to hostile, as all parties look at new ways to benefit this great game.”
Unfortunately for patrons, many of the recognizable names struggled.
HOUSTON — Although there wasn’t a top-10 member of the Official World Golf Ranking on hand for the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open, a number of prominent players were in the field as the tournament made its second appearance at the revamped Memorial Park Golf Course.
Unfortunately for patrons, many of the recognizable names struggled and were forced out after the second round of action, which wrapped up Saturday morning. Instead, the improbable duo of Martin Trainer and Kevin Tway were the leaders at the tournament’s midpoint, while others were sent packing.
Here’s a look at some of the players who weren’t around for the final two rounds of action, and what happened along the way.
