When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
The Quadrilateral has lumped the nine men’s and women’s major venues of 2022 into one package and done what any self-respecting publication would do: rank them. I should probably also rank where this year ranks on the list of great venue years but one ranking is enough for now. Too many exciting venues sporting shiny new paint jobs to celebrate!
A special Thanksgiving edition of the weekly News & Notes is available to all so check it out here.
As always, I’d point you to The Quadrilateral info site to answer questions (though it’ll be getting a year-end refresh soon), or the subscribe option for The Quadrilateral. Thanks to all for the support and Happy Thanksgiving!
Rory McIlroy reiterated the importance of majors as the PGA Tour focuses on financial incentives. My thoughts on this dichotomy are shared with a very profound solution.
Plus, Inverness and Olympic Club news, Slumbers on model local rules and media, capped off by some Reads.
Then the Quad dives into how major venues fared in Golf Mag's World Top 100, followed by a Frisco update, and some non-golf reads.
So much is at stake in the coming months and it’s a pretty stunning change from not that long ago when the “league” idea was declared dead.
This week’s News and Notes already landed via email but here is the weekly free edition brimming with joyful anecdotes about the biggest events in golf. Included this week are some thoughts on the sneaky-huge ramifications of PGA Tour players taking initiative on the skill discussion, plus notes on Ryder Cup shirts of yesteryear, next year’s Women’s Open finally securing official tournament dates, a dreamy view of the Old Course up for sale and more.
As always, you can get a better understanding of what The Quad is about here or sign up for free here.
I had to leave a few lesser notes on the cutting room floor but there’s always next week! In the meantime, we have plenty to chew on with the 46-inch Local Rule reactions ensuring widespread adoption in 2022's majors. But Phil doesn't agree and I speculate as to why.
Plus, a cow pasture wants the '31 Ryder Cup, Masters job offerings and a whole bunch of good reads both on golf and not
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It’s still staggering to think the PGA Tour could not find a sponsor for a New York playoff stop. And yet it’s not after so many majors, Presidents Cups and playoff events in a short time. But this matters because the majors got pulled in on many fronts and, well, just check it out.
Plus a couple of Ryder Cup notes. It’s free every Thursday! Sign up!
A tragic and senseless-beyond-comprehension story of Pinetree Country Club Director of Golf Gene Siller responding to an armed trespasser driving onto the course. Two others were also murdered and the gunman remains at large.
Plus a quick roundup and links to The Open Final Qualifying results.
This one’s for all but if you like what you see, signing up is free.
Here is the R&A’s produced piece on Sam Forgan, who made it through qualifying to reach Royal St George’s.
A terrific performance by Nellie Korda to win the KPMG Women’s PGA for reasons other than being just 22:
It comes just weeks after a bad missed cut in the U.S. Women’s Open
Arguably too fast of a golfer at times, she dueled with Lizette Salas, a wonderful player and amazing story, but a very slow one.
Beth Ann Nichols’ Golfweek story filed from Atlanta Athletic Club included this:
At 22, Nelly came into the KPMG Women’s PGA, her 26th major start, the undisputed best player on the LPGA without a major. By week’s end, kids lined the barricades that led from the 18th green up to the clubhouse shouting her name.
On a sweltering Sunday, Nelly fulfilled the promise she’d shown from a young age, becoming the first American to rise to No. 1 in the world since Stacy Lewis in 2014, ending a drought that stretched 2,678 days. She also became the first American to win an LPGA major since 2018, when Angela Stanford won the Evian Championship.
“I’ve put in a lot of work and to finally get a win,” she later said on the 18th green, “or two wins under my belt, or three wins, sorry.”
Spectacular shot by @NellyKorda! 🔥#KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/2HLFvVqNhj
— KPMGWomensPGA (@KPMGWomensPGA) June 27, 2021
In all of the talk gender equity discussions of late, purses get most of the focus. But a closer look at the ANA Inspiration, U.S. Women’s Open, Women’s Open Championship or KPMG PGA shows room for growth in statistics.
Granted, the priorities have been on just funding the events, trying to get more network coverage and upgrading to quality venues. Now that those things are happening and more cash is great, there is a glaring disparity in available stats for women’s events versus the men. With incredible advancements like ShotLink and a similar system developed by the USGA/Augusta National, it’s time to have real data at women’s majors. Because whether it’s for bettors or simply the increased interest, context and sophistication that comes with compelling stats, talk of raising the women’s game bar must include data.
So it’s nice to read the first step with KPMG continuing their pretty relentless push at bettering the Women’s PGA this week at Atlanta Athletic Club. As Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols writes, “it’s not ShotLink, but it’s a quantum leap in the right direction.”
The KPMG program will be similar to what’s on the European Tour, with caddies recording shots, club selections and the lie of every shot. They’ll turn in a special scorecard after every round and get paid a stipend for the efforts. KPMG is covering that, too.
Overall strokes gained and strokes gained by game area (off the tee, approach, around the green, putting) will be available as well as deeper insights into individual strokes gained by 25-yard increments and individual shots taken. Players, fans and media will know how close players hit it on average from certain distances. There will be shot dispersion charts, average birdie putt length and performance indexing over time against the field.
Phil Casey talks to Premier Golf League co-founder Andy Gardiner about the hopes of starting in January 2023 with players who would still like to earn world ranking points and possibly defect without repercussions.
Choice and other offshoots of that theme play a big part in the PGL approach this time with obvious restraint of trade issues in mind. Gardiner says:
"We went through establishing what the law says and how it applies to the players, we now know the position and that's why we are reaching out to the community to say 'There's a nice way of doing this, a great way of doing it, which is to make sure everybody gets a fair share'.
"All we've ever wanted is the ability to compete for the services of these guys in a fair and effective manner.
"I think we will be able to provide the players with the peace of mind they require, hopefully in the next couple of months, with a deal which says 'rght guys, you've now got the freedom to choose'.
"And you can choose another Tour that pays more, because that's just the case, and you can also choose it on the basis that's it in the best interests of the game long term and other parts of the game are involved in this.
"In other words there is no controversy, it's not as difficult a decision as the guys back in '68 had to make."
1968 being the year Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, among others, led players away from the PGA of America to form the PGA Tour.
The recent Saudi-led offshoot of the Premier Golf League concept prompted an unusual outpouring of PGA Tour and European Tour support from the other Five Families. It will be interesting to see if the PGL’s latest iteration prompts similar statements from Augusta National, the PGA of America, USGA and R&A.
*Whoops, sent this one out only to the paying folks. I send the first round’s notes to all subscribers. The link above though should give you access.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
