After being canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19, the Latin America Amateur returns to Dominican.
After being canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Casa de Campo will host the seventh edition of the Latin American Amateur Championship from January 20-23, 2022. This will be the third time the world-renowned Teeth of the Dog course in La Romana will be the venue. This Pete Dye design annually ranks as one of the best courses in Latin America.
With a goal of furthering the game of golf in South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, the Masters Tournament, the R&A, and USGA founded the event. Past winners include Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, and Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz.
The winner will receive an invitational to the 2022 Masters Tournament, and an exemption into the Open at St. Andrews. On top of that, he will be fully exempted into the Amateur Championship, U.S. Amateur Championship, and all other USGA amateur events he is eligible for.
The runner-up, on the other hand, will be exempt into final qualifying stages for the Open and U.S. Open.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome the region’s top amateurs back to Casa de Campo, as the Latin America Amateur Championship returns to form,” said Andres Pichardo Rosenberg, president of Casa de Campo. “Teeth of the Dog is both a beautiful and challenging championship venue, and our team relishes the opportunity to continue our wonderful partnership with the Masters Tournament, The R&A and the USGA and showcase the ever-expanding talent in our region.”
The six-time major winner thinks making drivers shorter to battle distance gains is a mistake.
Friday afternoons are a classic time for organizations to drop pieces of news that they hope will fall between the cracks and go unnoticed, but Phil Mickelson was happy to chat about some news he has been hearing with regard to distance and possible rule changes related to drivers.
Before heading to the first tee at Cave’s Valley Golf Club for his 2:19 tee time in the second round of the BMW Championship, the Hall of Famer and six-time major winner told his 766,000+ followers on Twitter that he has heard rumblings that the United States Golf Association is planning to shorten the maximum length of drivers.
Right now, the maximum length for a driver is 48 inches. The vast majority of drivers that are sold at retail are between 45 inches and 45.5 inches in length, and most professional golfers and elite players use clubs in that range too. Bryson DeChambeau has talked about using a 48-inch driver in competition but has not done so yet. Kramer Hickok has also experimented with a longer driver.
Word is USGA is soon rolling back driver length to 46inches.This is PATHETIC.1st it promotes a shorter more violent swing (injury prone,) doesn’t allow for length of arc to create speed,and during our 1st golf boom in 40 years,our amateur gov body keeps trying to make it less fun
There are a handful of longer drivers sold, like Xxio’s Prime driver, which are made for slower-swinging players who struggle to generate speed and distance. The Xxio Prime comes standard at 46.5 inches.
In theory, a longer driver can allow golfers to create more clubhead speed, which in turn can create more ball speed and distance. But even that theory is not universally accepted.
In a 2016 Golfweek story on driver length, Club Champion co-founder and master fitter Nick Sherburne said, “We have never found a direct correlation between length and clubhead speed.” he added “Some people swing longer clubs faster, but some people swing shorter clubs faster. It really depends on the proper fit. What I tell people is, now that the USGA has restricted clubmakers with regard to size, COR (coefficient of restitution, the springiness of the face) and all this stuff, to get more ball speed you’ve got to hit it in the center of the face.”
That’s the real tradeoff when it comes to length. As clubs get longer, more golfers struggle to hit the ball in the center of the face, so even if they get more speed, the strike of the ball is less efficient, mis-hits are exaggerated and they lose control.
Mickelson’s followers on Friday afternoon were clearly not happy to hear him report the rumor.
In February, the USGA and the R&A announced they were going to start studying different changes and modifications to equipment rules that could reign in distance. The USGA and R&A also asked for feedback from manufacturers and industry insiders regarding several things as they relate to distance, including club length and conformance testing methods.
Over the past few years, Golfweek has spoken with several club designers and engineers and been told that making drivers slightly shorter will not significantly reduce distance for PGA Tour players Why? Elite golfers swing fast and are good at hitting the sweet spot, and even with modern 3-woods like TaylorMade’s SIM2 Titanium (43.25 inches), Ping’s G425 Max (43 inches), Callaway’s Epic Speed (43.25 inches) and Titleist’s TSi3 (43 inches), they often hit shots up to 280, 290 or even 300 yards. If they used a 460 cubic centimeter driver head on shafts that length, many experts think pros would still hit drives well over 300 yards.
The USGA and R&A’s comment period regarding its areas of interest is scheduled to end on November 2.
Jack Bigham beats Italy’s Riccardo Fantinelli on the first extra hole at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal, England.
England’s Jack Bigham beat Italy’s Riccardo Fantinelli on the first extra hole of the scheduled 36-hole final to win the 94th R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship on Sunday at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal, England.
Bigham had seized an early lead in the final, but Fantinelli battled back and the morning 18 ended with a tie. Neither player could gain a large lead in the afternoon’s back and forth, and Bigham birdied the 36th to send it to the playoff.
Fantinelli topped his tee shot on the first hole of the playoff, and Bigham made par to win the championship. Bigham also was the leader in stroke-play qualifying of the event.
“I was playing great in the stroke play and just continued all the way through to the final,” Bigham said. “I was a little bit sloppy in some areas today, but I managed to get the job done. It is my only win, and I am so happy as it was in my last junior event as well.”
The victory earned Bigham berths in next year’s British Amateur Championship, the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship and final qualifying for the British Open at St. Andrews.
For the first time ever, a ballot system for tickets will be used in 2022 for the British Open.
The R&A has announced a ballot will be held for tickets for the 2022 British Open at the Old Course at St. Andrew’s in Scotland.
It will be the historic 150th edition of the oldest championship in golf and it’ll be the first time ever that tickets will be distributed this way.
A video posted on the Open Championship’s official website says that “because millions of golf fans want to be there,” the ticket ballot will be the fairest and most inclusive way to give those interested a chance to attend.
The promo video also states that the ballot will make sure the “crowd includes fans of every age, fans from every continent.”
The application process is free but you are required to create an online account for “The One Club, The Open’s free-to-join membership programme.”
The ballot process is now open and closes Oct. 4, 2021. Fans can apply for up to four tickets per day for all eight days of the championship.
If you’re lucky enough to have your name drawn, you will be expected to purchase all the tickets you applied for.
Based on multiple reports, golf fans should expect word soon that the 2025 Open will be at Royal Portrush.
The 150th Open Championship will be at the Old Course at St. Andrew’s in Scotland in 2022.
The next three after that have also been officially announced.
Based on multiple reports in the United Kingdom, golf fans should expect word soon that that 2025 British Open will return to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
“I’m delighted it’s coming back to Northern Ireland and the smart money is on 2025,” North Antrim MP Ian Paisley, vice-chair of the All Parliamentary Group for Golf at Westminster told the BBC at Sandwich, England, at this week’s British Open. He added: “I would like to think that there will be an official announcement about Northern Ireland and Royal Portrush next year.”
Royal Portrush hosted the Open for the first time in 1951, but didn’t host it again until 2019, when Irishman Shane Lowry was the champion. It will come as no surprise to Lowry, who said at his winner’s press conference, “I’d be very surprised if it’s not back here in the next 10 years.”
That it will happen sooner rather than later likely will be well received.
“That’s great. That’s a lot sooner than I thought it would be there,” Rory McIlroy told Golf Channel. “That’s only six years with one of those years missed, last year, so that’s great. We’re nearly to 2022, we’re not that far away so it’s something to look forward to.”
McIlroy made an 8 on his first hole in 2019 at Portrush and went on to miss the cut.
“I’ll try to cut that first-hole score in half and go from there,” he quipped to Golf Channel.
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson has withdrawn from the 149th British Open at Royal St. George’s Golf Club.
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson has withdrawn from the 149th British Open at Royal St. George’s Golf Club hours after the R&A announced that 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama will not be playing either.
According to the R&A, Watson withdrew, “after being identified as a close contact of an individual testing positive for Covid-19.” He will be replaced in the field by Branden Steele.
On Twitter, Watson, who made his debut in 2009 at Turnberry, had played in 11 consecutive British Open tournaments, wrote that he has been vaccinated against the coronavirus and has passed all of the required pre-travel tests, but that he is not comfortable flying and potentially risking the safety of other people around him.
In addition to having their name etched on the Claret Jug and possessions of the priceless trophy, the winner of the British Open will receive more than $2 million in prize money for the first time in the championship’s history.
In addition to having their name etched on the Claret Jug and possession of the priceless trophy, the winner will receive more than $2 million in prize money for the first time in British Open history.
The Champion Golfer of the Year will receive $2,070,000, to be exact, at the championship July 15-18 at the famous Kent links in England.
The R&A announced the total purse will be $11.5 million, an increase of $750,000 over the total offered in 2019 when Shane Lowry banked $1.935 million for his triumph at Royal Portrush. (The 2020 edition was canceled due to COVID.)
“We have increased the prize fund for the Open this year and believe that it fully reflects the championship’s stature in world sport,” said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A. “As the only men’s major championship played outside of America, the Open has a global role to play and we are determined to continue to attract the top players. We are further enhancing the status of our professional championships at the same time as making good progress towards our investment of £200 million over 10 years in growing golf around the world.”
Prize money
Place
USD
Place
USD
1
$2,070,000
36
$60,500
2
$1,198,000
37
$57,500
3
$768,000
38
$54,750
4
$597,000
39
$52,750
5
$480,000
40
$51,000
6
$416,000
41
$49,000
7
$357,000
42
$46,500
8
$301,500
43
$44,500
9
$264,000
44
$42,000
10
$238,500
45
$39,500
11
$217,000
46
$37,500
12
$192,500
47
$36,000
13
$180,750
48
$34,500
14
$170,000
49
$33,000
15
$157,750
50
$32,250
16
$145,000
51
$31,500
17
$138,000
52
$31,000
18
$131,500
53
$30,500
19
$126,000
54
$30,000
20
$120,000
55
$29,500
21
$114,500
56
$29,100
22
$108,500
57
$28,800
23
$103,000
58
$28,600
24
$97,000
59
$28,400
25
$94,000
60
$28,200
26
$90,000
61
$28,000
27
$86,500
62
$27,900
28
$83,500
63
$27,800
29
$80,000
64
$27,700
30
$76,000
65
$27,500
31
$73,250
66
$27,300
32
$69,500
67
$27,100
33
$67,250
68
$26,900
34
$65,250
69
$26,700
35
$63,000
70
$26,500
Prize money shall be allocated only to professional golfers.
If more than 70 professional golfers make the cut for the final two rounds, additional prize money will be added. Prize money will decrease by $125 per qualifying place above 70 to a minimum of $13,500.
The prize money doesn’t stop there, as even those professionals who miss the cut are paid. The leading 10 professionals and ties who miss the cut earn $8,000; the next 20 professional golfers and ties take $6,500; and the remainder of professional golfers and ties are paid $5,350.
Remarkably, Laird Shepherd was 8 down after 17 holes but won the 18th then chipped away at the remaining deficit all afternoon.
As the U.S. Open plays out at Torrey Pines in San Diego, Laird Shepherd has earned one of the first spots in the next iteration of this championship.
Thousands of miles away from the California coast, Shepherd put together an epic comeback in Nairn Scotland to win the R&A’s Amateur Championship. His spoils include a likely invitation a start in this summer’s Open Championship in addition to a likely invitation to next year’s Masters and a spot in the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
The Englishman battled compatriot Monty Scowsill in the 36-hole final on Saturday at Nairn Golf Club. Remarkably, he was 8 down after 17 holes but won the 18th then chipped away at the remaining deficit all afternoon. He clawed his way back to win in 38 holes.
This is Shepherd’s fourth start in the Amateur Championship. The 23-year-old has passed part of the past year working in a call center amid COVID lockdowns. How his fortunes changed over the course of a single afternoon.
“It’s an amazing, amazing feeling,” Shepherd told the R&A. “To come back from eight down through 17 holes, I mean I was honestly more concerned about not making an embarrassing record-breaking defeat. Monty played so good in the morning, so composed, and I didn’t really have my game. To turn it around was unbelievable.
“The tears are probably for the tough times I’ve had over the last few years. It’s never nice as an athlete when you feel like you are going backwards, like I was.”
After canceling the Open Championship in 2020, this year’s edition is not only on schedule but could be well-attended. The R&A announced on Saturday that up to 32,000 fans will be able to attend each day at Royal St. George’s, according to a …
After canceling the Open Championship in 2020, this year’s edition is not only on schedule but could be well-attended.
The R&A announced on Saturday that up to 32,000 fans will be able to attend each day at Royal St. George’s, according to a release. That’s 80 percent of the typical 40,000 spectators allowed on the site.
“As a result, we can now confirm that we will be able to welcome up to 32,000 fans on each championship day of the 149th Open at Royal St. George’s and that this will include those existing ticket-holders and hospitality guests who have already purchased tickets,” the R&A said in a statement.
Postponing the event a year also pushed back the 150th Open at St. Andrews to 2022.
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“These fans will play a huge role in creating a very special atmosphere as the world’s best players compete for the claret jug and we look forward to welcoming them to Royal St. George’s,” said Martin Slumbers, the R&A’s chief executive.
The swing coach and former CBS golf analyst feels the root of the distance debate is misunderstood and equipment should not be changed.
After years of looking at golf swings through the trusty Konica Minolta BizHub Swing Vision camera, I have learned to see things differently than most people. So, with the distance debate raging once again, it should come as no surprise that I see things differently than a lot of people.
About a year ago, the U.S Golf Association and the R&A announced that they feel distance and the trend toward bigger golf courses is a long-term problem for the game, and they want to take steps now to reduce the impact of distance on golf.
I live and teach in Scottsdale, Arizona, so I understand that water is a precious resource, and no one would argue that using more fertilizers, chemicals and water and increasing the cost of maintaining golf courses is a good thing. Still, I think one of the central premises of the USGA and R&A’s argument for reducing distance is entirely backward.
Most people think golf courses in the United States got longer over the last few years because technology advanced and equipment got better allowing players to hit it farther. The courses had to get longer to keep the shot values and the challenge, right? I think it’s the other way around: Equipment was forced to get better and enable golfers to hit longer shots because courses got longer.
The third hole at Pinehurst No. 2 (Courtesy of Pinehurst Resort)
Consider this: Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Augusta National, Shinnecock Hills, Pinehurst No. 2, Oakmont, Pebble Beach, Winged Foot and Merion were all built before 1932 during the golden age of golf course design. They demand creativity, the ability to hit shots in different directions and dictate golfers maintain control of the ball at all times. Their designers, men like Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross, Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor, George Crump and Harry S. Colt, concentrated on making amateur golfers solve problems and think. That’s why those layouts can be so challenging. Riveria Country Club, which hosted last week’s Genesis Invitational, is another example of a classic venue with an original, unique style. The players loved it again this year, as they do every year.
Peter Kostis
Unfortunately, starting in the mid-1960s, when courses started being ranked by publications based on their difficulty, things changed. Golf course architects felt that to make courses harder, and therefore more prestigious, they had to make them longer. The people who wrote the checks for those courses also started coveting those rankings and the chance of hosting elite events. They wanted bigger, longer courses too, and in the 1970s, developers learned to love bigger venues because they created more room for houses.
But a huge reason why golf courses got longer in the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s, which rarely gets discussed, is the rise of “player architects.” During the golden age, designers made courses to challenge amateur players like themselves and members of local clubs. When big-name players and former pros started designing courses, they typically prefer to build things that challenge the world’s best players. In their minds, that means the course has to be stretched to “championship length”. All of this happened while we were using Persimmon woods and balata golf balls.
For years, I’ve said that if you want golfers to learn how to hit the ball farther, put them on bigger courses. They’ll learn, they’ll figure it out. That’s precisely what happened. As courses got longer, players started to emphasize length more than shot shaping and accuracy. Like Formula One race teams that modify their cars to suit that specific week’s track, golfers developed swings and manufacturers made equipment that launched the ball higher and made it spin less, maximizing distance to attack long straight holes.
So, in my opinion, that’s the origin of this issue, and it is essential to understand that if we are going to consider potentially changing the game.
To put all the blame on manufacturers and advancements in technology is wrong. Consider this: In 2019, Bryson DeChambeau had a driving distance average of 302 yards. Last season it jumped to 322 yards, and heading into last week’s Genesis Invitational, his driving distance average was up to 329 yards. Now, with all due respect to the companies that make Bryson’s driver and golf ball, there has not been a game-changing technology advancement over the last two years that can account for his 27-yard increase off the tee over 24 months.
So, while technology is better, it is just one thing that elite golfers now rely on to hit the ball farther. Improvements in fitness and nutrition, better coaching, launch monitors and better custom fitting are also helping pros hit the ball farther. Are the USGA and R&A planning to govern those things too?
While I don’t have a problem changing the maximum length of clubs from 48 inches to 46 inches, I don’t understand why the USGA and R&A want to change how they test golf balls. They recently proposed optimum testing between launch angles of 7.5 degrees and 15 degrees with varying amounts of backspin (2,200-2,500 rpm).
No one, not even Bryson, Rory or Bubba, can hit a ball with a 15-degree launch angle and only 2,200 rpm of spin, yet, under proposed test conditions, if a robot can and the ball goes too far, the ball will be deemed non-conforming. Personally, I think this is a way for the USGA and R&A to lay the groundwork for a ball rollback.
There is also a proposal to adopting a Local Rule that would allow tournaments to mandate that elite golfers use distance-reducing equipment in specific tournaments. Ultimately, that would be expensive for brands and recreational players. Think about it, pros like Adam Scott, Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods would not have to pay for distance-reducing gear, but manufacturers would have to spend a lot of money to research, develop and manufacture those clubs and balls. In 45 plus years of teaching, I have never had a student say that he or she wants to hit the ball shorter, so I can’t imagine weekend players will buy that stuff. That means brands will pass the added costs associated with reduced-distance gear on to consumers in the form of higher prices on the clubs and balls that amateurs want to play.
By the way, if the ball is rolled back or changes are made that reduce distance for everyone and golfers all move to more-forward tees, what are local clubs expected to do with abandoned areas? I have yet to hear the USGA or R&A’s thoughts on that. There are about 40,000 golf courses worldwide, and I would suspect all of them would still need to water, mow and maintain those areas to some degree, so golf’s “footprint” would not shrink by much.
Look, for obvious and terrible reasons, golf attracted a lot of new players in 2020. Many people also returned to the game because it’s fun, safe, challenging and a great way to spend time with your friends. Why on Earth would we want to make it tougher just for the sake of maintaining the challenge for pros on 50-75 courses around the world?
If the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, European Tour and all the other professional tours ceased to exist because the style of golf was boring and fans didn’t want to watch it anymore, “golf” would continue. The sport is in a great place. Please be careful to not mess it up.
