The World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in Riviera Maya, Mexico, featured a handful of big name players in the field. Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and Billy Horschel — all in the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking — lived up to their well deserved reputations by at least advancing to the weekend. Only Tony Finau, No. 14 in the world, didn’t get the job done.
He’s not the only notable name that isn’t moving on or will have a chance to make a run at the title. Here’s a closer look at some of the notables who failed to make the top 65 and ties and are heading home from the Yucatan Peninsula empty-handed.
It took shooting 3-under 141 at Detroit Golf Club for 75 players (top 59 and ties) to survive the 36-hole cut.
Before we get to the sad news of those who are going home empty-handed this week, let’s take a moment to congratulate PGA Tour veteran Nick Watney, who ended a streak of 12 consecutive missed cuts that began at the Valero Texas Open in April. That was the week before the Masters for context. After missing the cut at the 3M Open, Watney said enough was enough and flew to Las Vegas to see instructor Butch Harmon, who quickly found a fix.
“If nothing was wrong and I was just playing terrible, that would have been kind of frustrating to me,” Watney told Golf Digest. “But you go to Butch and he says, ‘Oh, wow, this is pretty messed up,’ you’re like, ‘OK, good. Let’s fix it.’ I mean, where do you go from there if everything looks fine?”
Watney, 41, entered the week at No. 116 in the FedEx Cup standings. He made birdies on five holes in a seven-hole stretch on Thursday en route to posting an opening-round 5-under 67. He made three birdies in shooting even-par 72 on Friday. He’s got a tee time for the weekend.
But not everyone was so fortunate. It took shooting 3-under 141 at Detroit Golf Club for 75 players (top 59 and ties) to survive the 36-hole cut.
Five teams are tied for the day’s best score of 9 under.
AVONDALE, La. — Another day of best ball, another day to make a bunch of birdies.
It was a morning to make a move at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and the World No. 1 took full advantage.
Scottie Scheffler and Ryan Palmer, the greatest recruiter on the planet, started with a par, but then went on to birdie four of their next six holes. After turning with a 4-under 32, the Texans put circles on the first four holes of their back-nine scorecard to get to 8 under for the day.
The pair played the next four holes at even par, then Scheffler was able to grab one more birdie at the par-5 18th.
Other teams to shoot 9 under were Callum Tarren/Davis Skinns, Scott Piercy/Sean O’Hair, Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson, and Adam Schenk/Tyler Duncan. All four fired 63s, although Tarren had to overcome an interaction with a gator on his way to the clubhouse. The four teams sit at 17 under for the week.
Will Zalatoris walks down the ninth hole fairway during the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
Also at 17 deep are Will Zalatoris and Davis Riley. During their third-round effort, Zalatoris made all eight of their birdies, including one at the last, on the way to an 8-under 64.
All this may be too late as the leaders are pulling away just halfway through their third rounds. The lead is 21 under as of 3:25 p.m. ET.
“Word out there is I’m chasing ringers, but I kind of put it out there, they’re asking me to play,” said Palmer.
It’s safe to say that Ryan Palmer was never afraid of approaching the prettiest girl in school and asking her to dance.
Since the Zurich Classic of New Orleans switched from the typical 72-hole stroke-play individual format to a two-man team competition in 2017, Palmer has partnered with Jordan Spieth (2017-18), Jon Rahm (2019, 2021) and this week, he will play with fellow Texas native, reigning World No. 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler for the first time.
It’s led to some good-natured ribbing from his fellow pros, that Palmer, No. 86 in the world, has continued to upgrade partners the way some techies trade up for the latest-greatest model of a certain phone, as all three of Palmer’s partners have been ranked No. 1 in the world. Justin Thomas teased Palmer on Twitter, wondering what’s the average world ranking of his three partners in the event played annually at TPC Louisiana.
But Palmer, 45, wants to set the record straight on his partner-picking prowess.
“Word out there is I’m chasing ringers, but I kind of put it out there, they’re asking me to play,” he said.
To Scheffler, partnering with Palmer made all the sense in the world. He noted that they both work with the same trainer, Troy Van Zieben, and swing coach, Randy Smith, who teaches out Royal Oaks Golf Club, where Scheffler was a member, and play matches at home regularly with the likes of Spieth and former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo. Palmer recalled meeting Scheffler when he was just in high school.
“I remember hitting balls, and he was 5 foot nothing,” Palmer said. “I’ll never forget when he came back from school, from Texas his freshman, sophomore year, and he was almost 6’2″, and I was like, my goodness, who’s this guy?”
Palmer, a 19-year Tour veteran who won the Zurich Classic alongside Rahm in 2019 for one of his four Tour titles, approached Scheffler about partnering up for the New Orleans staple in February after Rahm informed him that he was planning to skip the event this year. Scheffler had played with Bubba Watson previously, but Palmer knew that Watson was planning to join forces with Harold Varner III this time. Palmer also had a feeling that Scheffler would be itching to get back to work after the Masters and wouldn’t sit out until the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas next month.
“I knew he wouldn’t play in Hilton Head, wasn’t going to Mexico, wasn’t playing the week before the Nelson (at the Wells Fargo Championship), so I was like there’s no way he takes four weeks off. He can’t. That’s kind of how I put it,” Palmer explained. “The thing that really sealed it was I sent a picture of me and Jon with the trophy, but I (Photoshopped) his face on it.”
At the time, Scheffler had just notched his first victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He has since won four of his last six starts, the hottest stretch of golf since Jason Day achieved a similar run in 2015.
“It was pretty easy, when he asked me to play,” Scheffler said of pairing with Palmer. “It’s not like he started chasing me last Saturday.”
Palmer joked that Scheffler had to win twice.
“After he won twice, we firmed it up,” Palmer said. “That was the joke behind it. You’ve got to be a multiple winner for me to come to you.”
Scheffler’s torrid run was topped off by winning the Masters on April 10. Former President George Bush sent him a congratulatory letter, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott messaged him on social media and Olympian Michael Phelps mentioned him in an Instagram story. Scheffler has only worn his Green Jacket around the house.
“When my wife asks me to do stuff at home, sometimes I’ll grab it out of the closet and look at her, huh, really? It hasn’t worked yet,” he said.
After lounging around the house for five days, Scheffler started practicing for this week on Saturday and then celebrated Easter with his family.
“Monday I was just itching to get back out on the golf course,” he said. “So I guess Ryan was right, taking four weeks off in the middle of the season is too long for me.”
On a balmy, blustery day, a pair of Texas veterans showed what it takes to navigate those conditions.
SAN ANTONIO — Organizers of the Valero Texas Open have long been planning a birthday party for Friday night, one with an impressive guest list that includes past champions Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino and former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman, who won the event in 1969.
The cause for celebration is the tournament’s 100th anniversary, which makes it the longest-running event still played in the same city.
Since a birthday party of this magnitude is sure to come with plenty of candles, it seemed appropriate that Friday’s conditions included a healthy dose of wind to help extinguish those candles.
On a balmy, blustery day, a pair of Texas veterans showed what it takes to navigate such conditions as native son Ryan Palmer and adopted favorite Dylan Frittelli had little trouble shooting up the leaderboard while others struggled at the TPC San Antonio Oaks Course.
When the day was done, Palmer — who played at Texas A&M University and lived in San Antonio for three years — was atop the leaderboard, posting a bogey-free 66 that put him at 10 under through the second round.
Frittelli, a former star at the University of Texas who now makes his home in Austin, kept pace with Palmer, also finishing the day with a 66. He sits in a tie for second with Matt Kuchar and Kevin Chappell at 8 under.
When asked about how he felt, Palmer said an invigorated game off the tee had him feeling right at home.
“Awesome,” he said. “Bogey-free on this golf course is good any day, but when you throw in the winds we had, it makes it that much more special. I’m excited with the way I’m driving the ball again. I spent the last month and a half really struggling and my results have kind of shown. I’m able to take the left side of the golf course out of play now and I brought it here this week and it’s showing.
“My driver’s back to where it was a year ago, my game’s where it was I feel like a year ago, my mind and it’s showing.”
Ryan Palmer waits to take a putt on the 18th hole during the second round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Lucas Glover was another player who finished the day with a 66 and he sits three shots behind Palmer. He said the winds were just enough to mess with players on Thursday and even more difficult on Friday, but he felt the gusts were more consistent in the second round and that helped him find his way.
“Light and variable, you’re like all right, it’s not much wind, but yesterday it was enough to where it bugged you and it was just tricky I would say, coming out of different spots,” Glover said. “Today, we knew where it was going to be. I guess we’re all somewhat type A, we like to go ahead and plan ahead and know where it’s going to be, so easier to do that when we know where it is.”
Another player who survived the day was J.J, Spaun, who is 7 under heading into the weekend. But Spaun fell victim to the winds late in his day, dropping three shots on his final four holes.
“It was kind of blowing all day, but then it picked up heavier,” Spaun said. “It just made it tougher to hit fairways and keep you guessing. Most of it was like crosswinds, too, so you know, if you started too far in one direction, you can short-side yourself. It definitely picked up our last seven, eight holes.”
Wind or no wind, Palmer was just happy to be in a comfort zone, with temperatures near 90 — like they would traditionally be — while enjoying a little Texas love.
“I love it,” he said of the event. “I like it because it’s not easy. It’s a ball-striker’s golf course and if I’m driving it well, I feel like I’ve got a good chance. With the old driver back in the bag, I’m able to hit tee shots I’m used to seeing and not worry about missing in certain areas and it’s showing off this week.”
The Masters lights up the golf world every April, its spiritual setting warming hearts around the globe. Among the awakening are the players who take to the architectural gem framed by an explosion of colors. To the man, they love to talk about the unparalleled tournament between the Georgia Pines at Augusta National Golf Club.
The gathering every spring is matchless, from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt competition through the ceremony at Butler Cabin.
Ahead of the 86th Masters, Golfweek conducted its annual survey, this year getting takes on many things Masters from 25 players, nine of whom have won a green jacket, 12 major champions in all.
Among those who have not won the Masters, who is most likely to win a green jacket?
“Probably Rory. He’s playing really well, and the course fits his eye and he’s one of the best players in the world.” – Abraham Ancer
“Bryson DeChambeau has the game the way he hits it. If he gets his driver in play, on some of those holes, it’s a distinct advantage.” – Ryan Palmer
“Let’s go Brooks Koepka. His game fits the course well, he’s long off the tee, able to kind of work it both ways, and has won majors.” – Matt Kuchar
“Rory McIlroy. He’ll figure it out eventually.” – Matt Fitzpatrick
“Justin Rose. He has been close, and he has one arm in the jacket.” – Justin Rose
“There are quite a few candidates. But I believe that today, not because he’s Spanish, but I believe that Jon Rahm has the game to achieve it. The reason why is, one, his short game is very good. Chipping and putting are something that you really need at Augusta. And with his combination of strength, consistency and the short game required to be able to win the Masters, he can do it. But he’s one of them; five, six players can win their first one.” – Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal
“Jon Rahm. Pretty self-explanatory. Great short game, great iron player, great driver. Great player. And Cameron Smith is going to win it one day.” – Marc Leishman
“Probably the top of the list right now who’s playing some decent golf is Rory McIlroy. Collin Morikawa probably will.” – Jason Day
“You have to go deep into stats and see how people perform on sloping courses and undulating greens. I’d like to throw my name into that hat. It’s a second-shot golf course. You add Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa.” – Xander Schauffele
“There’s a lot of people that you can call out. Gosh, I mean, as a sports as a sports fan, I want McIlroy to win one, right? There are just things that you want to happen not only as a sports fan, but now as a friend, as well. I’d love to be there when he wins.” – Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson
“I would say the course to an extent seems tailormade for Bryson DeChambeau, as far as where he can carry it, his ball flight, right to left, so the course should be the easiest tee to green for him than anyone else, so that’s why I would say that.” – 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States reacts to his putt on the 14th green during the first day of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 23, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“It’s hard to bet against Jon Rahm or Patrick Cantlay. Both so consistent, both great putters, great ball strikers. One of those two guys I think will be right in the mix.” – 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir
“Rory. I can’t believe we’re standing here right now and the only major championship he hasn’t won is the Masters. No doubt that the pressure continues to build for him, but he’s going to do one year. His game is tailor made for Augusta.” – Graeme McDowell
“It’s tough to not pick Collin Morikawa. Or Jon Rahm. I know that’s a cop-out answer since they’re No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, but both of those guys could win, and it wouldn’t shock me.” – Will Zalatoris
“Cam Smith. He’s got an unbelievable short game. And he putts it really well. He’s a really good iron player as well. Really good distance control. We think of guys that have won the Masters and they’ve been guys who are really good iron players, or at least have good control of their distances and guys that have imagination in short game, and they putt well. He checks the boxes off.” – Billy Horschel
“That’s brutal. There are a lot of guys. I say Xander Schauffele. He can work it both ways. Drives it great. Just always in the mix of majors.” – Kevin Kisner
“I mean, I’d love to, but I think Rory McIlroy is on the cusp of winning and that’s the only major he hasn’t won. Winning the Masters has to be one of his top goals and he’s got to be gunning for it. And honestly, his game sets up perfect for that course. So I think it’s just a matter of time. I don’t know if he’s putting too much pressure on himself to win that one, but it’s gonna happen.” – Harris English
What is your first vivid memory of the Masters?
“I have many memories, but the one that stands out is Tiger chipping in on No. 16. That crazy chip-in.” – Abraham Ancer
“Watching Tiger. I remember he was on the right side of 7 once and he played a massive high slice and it spun back to like tap-in range.” – Matt Fitzpatrick
“I was always allowed to stay up late even though it was a school night in England. And I think it was on the BBC back in the day. And they had this theme music that I remember. And watching Nick Faldo back in the day.” – Justin Rose
“I’ve watched the Masters forever, but my best memory is when I first went to the Masters in 2009. I was able to go to the practice rounds and watched the pros go at it. It was pretty sweet.” – 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed
“It was watching Tiger chip in on 16. You can’t forget that.” – Xander Schauffele
“It wasn’t my first memory, but I was an amateur playing alongside Tiger Woods in 1998. When I got introduced I was so nervous I barely got the ball to stay on the tee. My hands were shaking so much. I’ll never forget that.” – Matt Kuchar
“Thinking back it would be Tiger’s chip-in against Chris DiMarco in ’05. I’m sure I watched plenty of Masters before that, but that’s the memory that sticks out.” – 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth
“It obviously wasn’t my first memory but finishing second the first year I played was special. That was probably the biggest one for me. I’ll never forget that week.” – Jason Day
“My dad took me in ’05 and the first shot I ever saw was Tiger putting on seven. It was a 30-footer with about 8-feet of break, and he made it and I’m like, ‘OK, I know this guy’s good, but he’s not God.’” – Will Zalatoris
“Tiger winning in ’97. I do remember the ’96 Masters and watching that and because I was a big Greg Norman fan, the whole unfortunate collapse and everything sucked. But Tiger winning, and how he won, stands out.” – Billy Horschel
“Greg Norman losing in 1996 because I was a Greg Norman fan. I was a kid and we went to my dad’s friend’s house to watch and they had just teed off when we left and by the time we got there his lead was gone and I was like, ‘Oh, boy, even the best can lose big leads in a hurry.’” – Kevin Kisner
“I don’t remember Jack in ’86 because I was only 6. I remember watching Nick Faldo win in a playoff in ’89 and that god awful sweater he was wearing. And I’ll never forget Freddie in ’92. That was so cool because you thought he was destined to win and then the shot on 12 when it didn’t roll into the water was unbelievable.” – Brandt Snedeker
“It was around the time when I was getting into golf and Tiger was dominating in 1997 and then later and how he was blitzing that course. I remember watching all those and getting goosebumps. I was at the Masters in 2004 when Phil won on 18. I was there on Sunday with a friend. So I watched him make the putt on 16 and we were left of the lake. The crowd went crazy. We watched him on 17. And then we watched him tee off 18. And we’re like, well, we’ll stay here on 18 tee because if he doesn’t make birdie, they’re coming back for a playoff. And then we heard the roar. That’s a pretty great memory.” – Harris English
Names not playing the weekend include the legendary Bill Murray.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Missing the cut is bad enough.
Missing the cut on the Monterey Peninsula just makes it worse.
Driving away with the spectacular views fading in the rearview isn’t easy. Missing out on a final round at Pebble Beach has to hurt. And of course, not making a paycheck isn’t fun.
But after three Chamber of Commerce days in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, spread out over the stunning layouts at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, and the Monterey Peninsula, many had to say goodbye.
The cut came in at 4 under, with 77 players making it to Sunday.
Here are some of the players among those who bid adios.
Can Tony Finau finally get it done at Torrey Pines?
It’s time to get into the meat of the season. The Hawaiin swing is always fun, it’s nice to see the desert every once in a while (we’ll be back there next week), but once the schedule turns to Torrey Pines it’s officially golf season.
If it feels like we were just here, we were. Not only is the Farmers Insurance Open held at Torrey Pines every season, but the U.S. Open was held there as well. World. No. 1 Jon Rahm, who finished outside the top 10 in a golf tournament for the first time in seemingly five years at the American Express last week, took home the trophy for his first major championship win last June.
Our arrival at Torrey means another thing: The season of big ballparks is here. It’d be extremely surprising if the likes of a Branden Todd type won the Farmers (Todd took a ricochet shot there, but just trying to paint the picture).
Course(s)
Torrey Pines (North)
7,258 yards
Par 72
Torrey Pines (South)
7,765 yards
Par 72
The field will play each course over the first two days of the tournament, but once the cut is made, the weekend rounds will be played exclusively on the South Course.
Another quick programming note: Tournament days are Wednesday, January 26 – Saturday, January 29 (Tour doesn’t want to compete with the NFL on Sunday, and after last Sunday, it’s tough to blame them).
Weather
Day
Conditions
Percent chance of rain
Wind & Direction
Tuesday
Partly Cloudy
9 percent
8 MPH (S)
Wednesday
Partly Cloudy
2 percent
7 MPH (WNW)
Thursday
Sunny
0 percent
10 MPH (NNW)
Friday
Partly Cloudy
0 percent
8 MPH (NNE)
Saturday
Mostly Sunny
1 percent
9 MPH (NW)
Sunday
Sunny
2 percent
9 MPH (WSW)
Key stats
Total driving: The North Course is not only the easier of the two venues (by a wide margin, in fact), but each player will only see it once. Success at the South Course is more vital to a player’s success this week so we’ll focus there. The South is a tight piece of property, with punishing rough, and for the cherry on top, is LONG. Because of all that, we’ll be targeting guys who are studs off the tee box.
Strokes Gained: Approach: Data Golf has approach play second to only driving distance this week. There will be a lot of long irons into greens and the guys will have to take advantage of opportunities when they find themselves with wedges in hand.
Data Golf information
Course Fit (compares golf courses based on the degree to which different golfer attributes — such as driving distance — to predict who performs well at each course – DataGolf): 1. Congaree Golf Club, 2. Quail Hollow, 3. Corales Golf Club
Percent chance to win (based on course history, fit, trending, etc.): 1. Jon Rahm (11.1 percent), 2. Justin Thomas (6.4 percent), 3. Bryson DeChambeau (4.5 percent)
Latest Twilight 9 episode
Listen to this week’s show where Andy and I recap The American Express/LPGA TOC/DP World Tour’s HSBC Championship, discuss Rahm’s viral video, and preview the Farmers Insurance Open.
Matthew Wolff (Top 20): Miss
Scottie Scheffler (Top 10): Miss
Talor Gooch (Top 20): Miss
Adam Hadwin (Top 20): Miss
Seamus Power (Top GB+Ireland): Hit (+220)
Overall, down 1.8 units in the desert. Tough week, but we can bounce back.
+2.69 units on position plays in 2022.
Tony Finau – Top 20 (+135)
Tony Finau lines up a shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the American Express at the Stadium Course at PGA West on January 22, 2022, in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Finau is second to only Rahm in cumulative scoring at the Farmers since 2017 (Rahm -51, Finau -46). He didn’t have his best stuff at the Amex last week finishing in a tie for 40th.
However, his worst finish at the Farmers is T-24 (2015) and has since signed for four T-6 performances or better.
Maverick McNealy – Top 20 (+230)
Maverick McNealy of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the first round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba on the El Camaleon course on November 04, 2021, in Playa del Carmen. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
McNealy is off to a great start this season with five finishes of T-27 or better (including a solo 2nd to Max Homa at the Fortinet).
He doesn’t have a long resume at the Farmers Insurance Open, however, he’s two for three making the weekend including a top 20 finish in 2020 (T-29 in 2018).
Ryan Palmer – Top 20 (+300)
Ryan Palmer hits his tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club. (Photo by Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)
Palmer’s last start came at the Sony Open where he finished T-12. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open last year, but at Farmers, Palmer has finished T-21 or better in four consecutive starts (including 2 runner-ups). He’s 45 but still averages 307 off the box, long enough to keep up at Torrey.
Will Zalatoris – Top 20 (+155)
Will Zalatoris plays a shot on the 16th hole during the second round of The American Express at the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West on January 21, 2022, in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Coming off a top 10 in the desert, Willy Z finished T-7 here last season. Seems to play better at tough venues, evidenced by his top 10s at Augusta, Bay Hill, Kiawah Island, Winged Foot, and Torrey last season.
Joaquin Niemann – Top South American (+250)
Joaquin Niemann plays his shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the RSM Classic golf tournament at Sea Island Golf Club – Plantation Course. (Photo: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
Niemann is three-for-three making the cut here. His ball-striking is always good, the issue is the putter. If he’s tightened up his short game over the last few months (hasn’t made a start on Tour since the RSM in November) he should play well.
Luke List – Top 20 (+300)
Luke List hits from the second hole tee box during the second round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. (Phot: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
His last four starts at the Farmers, starting in 2018: T-12, T-40, T-36, and T-10. In his last seven starts on Tour: five starts of T-22 or better including four T-17 or better finishes with two of those being top 10s.
AKA: He’s playing really good golf and is headed to a venue where he feels comfortable.
Some rules violations hit harder than others, while others just make you scratch your head.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all on the golf course, something else comes along to baffle fans, players, and rules officials alike.
The rules of golf can come up and bite you (pun intended: see fire ants below), if you’re not paying attention. Other times, weird things just happen. Further still, sometimes golfers simply don’t know a particular rule.
New rules of golf were rolled out on Jan. 1, 2019, but most of what trips golfers up continues to be of the tried-and-true variety.
As we get set to close out the year that was 2021, here’s a rundown of some of the memorable moments that involved rules violations.
Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio, Beth Ann Nichols, Adam Schupak and Adam Woodard contributed to this article.
NAPLES, Fla. — The parent company of Seascape at Naples, an assisted living center, has a program it calls its “Wow Moments” where it tries to connect its residents to something in their past or that’s an interest.
Friday, one of those happened at the QBE Shootout at Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort.
Anthony “Tony” Torre, a 97-year-old who has been at Seascape a few months, came to the PGA Tour event and got to meet some of the game’s stars. And some caddies.
Torre has something in common with them. He was a caddie growing up in New York, and one time got to caddie for none other than Gene Sarazen, one of five golfers to win the career Grand Slam, at the Glens Falls Open, a PGA Tour event that was played from 1929 to 1939.
According to Torre, when the tournament was coming up — back in those days, pros simply picked up their caddies at the club where the event was going to be played — there was an “A” list of caddies, and then others that the club professional submitted to the tour pros to pick from.
Torre, who grew up in Schenectady, New York, was one of the others — but not when the tournament started. He won an A list slip from one of those caddies in a craps game. And Sarazen ended up being his pro.
Tony Torre, a 97-year-old Naples resident, seated, once caddied for golf legend Gene Sarazen at a tournament in New York. Torre now lives at Seascape at Naples, and is seen chatting with PGA Tour pro Ryan Palmer (in white shirt) and his caddie James Edmondson (far right) at the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. Greg Hardwig/Naples Daily News.
Sarazen, who grew up in Harrison, New York, didn’t win the tournament, but finished second or third; he was second in 1938 and third in 1939. Torre got $50, a set of kroydon irons, and golf shoes from “The Squire” who later ended up spending the last several years of his life in Marco Island.
Friday, Torre got to meet one of the lengthier player/caddie relationships on the tour, chatting with pro Ryan Palmer and caddie James Edmondson, who have been together for 20 years. He also met Lexi Thompson and Bubba Watson.
Torre talked with Edmondson and Palmer about Sarazen coming up with the idea for the modern sand wedge.
Torre recalled having to go out and shag balls when the pros practiced.
“He started out at 60 yards, then 80 yards, then 100 yards, and then 150,” Torre said.
Gene Sarazen, in the middle with the golf club, and fellow pro Juggs McSpadden, far right, give a clinic at Bartlett Country Club in Olean, New York. Tony Torre, a 97-year-old Naples resident who caddied for Sarazen in a different tournament, is in the middle of the photo, wearing sunglasses above another man in sunglasses.
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/
