Respectable Northern Trust, Women's Open Ratings On Busy Sports Weekend

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With a rain-delayed, Dustin Johnson 11-stroke runaway and loads of competition, CBS should not have drawn any audience for the 2020 Northern Trust Open. Instead, Sunday’s respectable 1.52 and 2.279 million average viewership is miraculous given competition with the NBA and NHL playoffs, the Indy 500, NASCAR and regional MLB action.

As always, the full listing and context can be found at ShowBuzzDaily.

A few other observations:

—The AIG Women’s British drew poor numbers on Golf Channel, particularly given the recent spike in morning golf viewing. The miniscule 245,000 average for the Sunday morning final round makes the one-hour handoff numbers on NBC (.64/886,000) that much more impressive.

—One hour shows on NBC gave the women network exposure and a tighter broadcast window that led to the decent .62/897,000 average.

**CBS offered this ratings summation of their season and 11-week restart run:

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2020 PGA TOUR season scored big with viewers, as the network delivered its best viewership average and highest-rated PGA TOUR season since 2015.

Overall, CBS Sports’ coverage of the PGA TOUR season was up +17% in viewership and +21% in national household rating/share vs. last year, averaging 2.495 million viewers and a 1.7/5 rating/share for the 14 events, respectively.   

 Since the return to live golf in June, which began at the Charles Schwab Challenge and concluded with THE NORTHERN TRUST, CBS Sports’ PGA TOUR viewership was up +22% vs. the comparable events last year, averaging 2.381 million viewers. The national household rating/share was up +23%, scoring a 1.6/5 rating/share. 

Women's Open: Popov Takes The Improbable Troon North-Troon Double

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Sophia Popov’s rise from almost quitting to Symetra and Cactus Tour player, to Lyme disease sufferer, to caddie a month ago, to Open Champion, is the stuff of history. Maybe only Ben Curtis posted an equally improbable major win in the 2003 Open. (The Golf.com Confidential crew debated this very topic.)

From Beth Ann Nichols at Golfweek:

With no grandstands and fans to wave to as Popov came up the 18th fairway with a three-shot lead, she turned to her caddie, boyfriend Maximilian Mehles, and told him that the calming seaside views reminded her of a scene from Lord of the Rings.

It wasn’t the electric atmosphere that the Symetra Tour player deserved, but Popov knew that her performance this week inspired people more than she’ll ever know.

“I think that’s why I broke down on the 18th hole,” said Popov, “because it’s been something I couldn’t have dreamed of just a week ago, and it’s incredible that golf allows for these things to happen because, you know, I think the difference between two players any given week is never that big … and the hard work they put in is the same.”

In May, Popov won a Cactus Tour event at Troon North, named for Royal Troon and co-designed by Tom Weiskopf, 1973 Open winner at Troon.

Alistair Tait was there and admitted to shedding a few tears over seeing someone go from obscurity to major winner.

More importantly, hopefully this wonderful advert for women’s golf will entice sponsors to dig into their coffers to back the women’s game. Once again, the world’s best women proved they can pen heart felt stories that resonate with golf fans.

I’ve been there, done that, in the royal & ancient game. Yet there I was on Sunday afternoon with tears running down my face as I watched Popov pull off the unlikeliest of victories. I wasn’t alone. Hardened people in the game were also shedding tears. Trish Johnson admitted as much during TV commentary, and she’s a 19-time Ladies European Tour winner who played in eight Solheim Cups.

Now, there is one catch. It’s an issue for the Masters this fall as well: the postponed ANA Inspiration’s field will not include Popov, who could return to southern California where she played college golf at USC. The ANA field was frozen in place and as a non-LPGA member going into this week. Nichols with this commentary for Golfweek:

Because the LPGA’s majors are out of order due to COVID-19, Popov’s five-year exemption won’t start until 2021. An LPGA official explained that since the ANA field was basically filled when the tour had to shut down, they’ve chosen to honor that field. The only exemption adjustment was changing the cutoff for top 20 on the money list.

But because Popov, 28, isn’t an LPGA member (she missed out on her card by a single shot last fall at Q-Series), her $675,000 earnings won’t count as official money.

The victory does put Popov into the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in October. It does not, however, get her into the U.S. Women’s Open in December.

Popov’s last post pre-tournament social media post documented her first (and ONLY practice round!) look at the Postage Stamp:

Your highlights options come in either a sixty second version or a much longer edition:

Popov’s emotional post-round acceptance speech in front of Troon’s clubhouse.

Rich Lerner reflected on Popov’s win in the world of amazing sports upsets. 

Today In The Struggle To Play It As It Lies, Files: R&A Clears Thompson Of Breach

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The ongoing trend of top players fiddling, pushing, mashing, digging and generally meddling immediately behind their ball continued Thursday at Troon.

This time it was Lexi Thompson in the AIG Womens’s Open who appeared to push aside some meddlesome Marram, but was cleared by the R&A of a Rule 8.1 breach because the grass returned to its original location. From Beth Ann Nichols’ report:

Yesterday, as part of its normal TV review procedures, The R&A viewed Lexi Thompson’s actions prior to playing her second shot at the 16th hole in round one of the AIG Women’s Open. 

Following a discussion between Chief Referee David Rickman and the player prior to her signing her scorecard it was determined that, although the player had moved a growing natural object behind her ball, it had returned to its original position. 

Thompson posted rounds of 78-75 and will miss the cut.

Here is the video:

In the last year we’ve had Reed, Kuchar and Rahm incidents, a chance to reset the demise of play it as it lies, and a need for someone to explain to players how bad this looks.

But I have good news! In the era of sports betting, with the PGA Tour now advertising prices on telecasts, the gamblers will eventually warrant a crackdown if the tours want that hard-earned betting money.

Today In The Distance Debate: Why A Workable Solution $eems Unlikely

MorningRead.com’s Gary Van Sickle looks at all of the distance forces in play and not to be a spoiler, but there is money involved. And a lot of people who will take the cash over supporting what might be the right thing for golf’s sustainability and interest.

I was pleased to see he mentioned a slightly larger ball, though I’m not sure from some informal Callaway Magna testing that the distance fallout would be as great for hacks as Van Sickle thinks:

The laws of friction will reduce its flight. That’s been done before. The British “small ball” was used in the United Kingdom until late in the 20th century, and it went farther than the slightly larger American model. Another bump on ball size could do the trick, although amateurs would protest vehemently.

Another option would be to limit ball dimples and their shapes, in hopes of taking another percentage point or two off ball flight and by giving golf balls more curve than today’s forgiving models. We’re in a golden age of golf-ball technology. The old balls, when mis-hit, curved way off-line. Not anymore. More spin would bring more skill back.

Slumbers on R&A Hosting The Women's Open This Week

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A question I’ve seen asked a fair amount with this week’s AIG Women’s Open and two men’s majors to go: why didn’t they reschedule The Open for the fall?

Given that events are proceeding without horrible travel restrictions and other constraints, it’s a fair question. But the R&A had pandemic insurance and there was this, in Ewan Murray’s Guardian story quoting Chief Executive Martin Slumbers suggests the R&A only recently saw an opportunity to play this week at Royal Troon:

“But if I’m really honest, it was probably only a month or so ago that we were really comfortable that we could get this away. It has been an enormous effort by an enormous number of people, and our thanks go to not just our partners but the government both in Westminster and Scotland who have been tireless in helping us try and make a statement of putting this championship on.”

So Not Everyone Loves Links Golf: England's Charley Hull Confirms Her Longing For Tree-Lined Courses On Open Eve

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As the AIG Women’s Open Championship kicks off at historic Royal Troon, one of England’s great hopes admitted she is not fan of links golf.

Ewan Murray reports for The Guardian from Troon on Charley Hull’s forthright assessment of links golf:

The prospect of Charley Hull ending her wait for a major title this weekend at Royal Troon has diminished after the 24-year-old admitted her indifference towards links golf. Hull risked offending those immersed in the ancient form of the sport by admitting she will visualise holes at the famous Ayrshire venue lined with trees during the Women’s Open when it begins on Thursday.

“I’m not the biggest fan of links golf,” said Hull. “I like playing with my friends and stuff as a bit of fun but I find it hard to score around sometimes. I like parkland golf courses and American-style.”

“I just try to picture the fairways being tree-lined because I like really, really tight golf courses. I like to feel like tunnel vision, where this is kind of open and flat and it’s hard to pick your lines because it’s hard to pick out the fairways sometimes. So you’ve just got to be really focused.”

Well then, we’ll be looking elsewhere with our investment strategies this week.

Laura Davis Teeing Off First In The Open, But About That Wind Forecast...

Slow play is a focus as the women turn up at Royal Troon for a major and, other than Laura Davies going out first to set the pace, the forecast calls major gusts by 9 am. So how long golf can be played remains to be seen.

From Beth Ann Nichols story on Davies, playing in her 40th Open, also working this week for Sky’s broadcast team.

“I played 18 holes yesterday morning at 7:30, basically on my own, in two hours and 15 minutes,” said Davies, “played every hole properly, chipped and putted on quite a few. I’m not saying we can get ’round in two hours and 15 minutes, but we should be ’round in under four, as long as the weather is not crazy. If the weather is crazy then obviously you get up on those holes around the turn, anything can happen. You can spend half an hour on the tee if you’re unlucky.”

The weather on Thursday doesn’t look promising, with wind gusts of up to 55 to 60 mph predicted around 9 a.m. Tournament Troon will look nothing like what they’ve faced in the practice rounds thanks to what they’re calling, “Storm Ellen.”

Martin Dempster points out how the R&A is preparing for delay scenarios, including shortening of the tournament or a 36-hole Sunday. A Monday finish is not in the cards.

In the event of a “significant amount of playing time” being lost on the first two days, the number of players making the cut could be reduced from the intended top 65 and ties, something that would be beneficial if the target was to play two rounds on Sunday.

“I don’t think it’s going to be easy for the next two days,” predicted Slumbers, both in terms of the challenge facing the players and the R&A’s team of rules officials. “We are easing the golf course as much as we can to make it as playable because we want a spectacle. But we have not taken the full teeth out of the golf course.”

For American viewers, the tournament airtimes:

Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         5:30-8:30 a.m. / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live) / 1:30-4:30 a.m. (Friday replay)

Friday             5:30-8:30 a.m. / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live) / 1:30-4:30 a.m. (Saturday replay)

Saturday          9 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Sunday replay)           

Sunday            8 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 12:30-3 a.m. (Monday replay)

NBC (Eastern):

Saturday          Noon-2 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            Noon-1 p.m. (Live)

Women's Open Headed To Carnoustie, Muirfield, Walton Heath, St Andrews, Porthcawl

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The R&A has lined up some incredible future hosts for the AIG Women’s Open, including surprise of all surprises, Muirfield in 2022. The home of the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is not currently penciled in for a men’s Open but is still in the rota after relenting and agreeing to admit female members.

Also of note: all but Walton Heath can be classified as a links, steering the championship to primarily links courses after a mix or predominant number of inland courses. Wales will also be hosting its first Women’s major with Porthcawl’s berth.

The full press release:

WORLD-CLASS VENUES ANNOUNCED FOR THE AIG WOMEN’S OPEN THROUGH TO 2025

19 August 2020, Troon, Scotland: The R&A has underlined its commitment to enhancing the AIG Women’s Open’s status as a leading major sporting event by announcing five world-class venues for championships being played from 2021 to 2025.
The future championship venues for the AIG Women’s Open are:

  • 2021 – Carnoustie

  • 2022 – Muirfield

  • 2023 – Walton Heath

  • 2024 – St Andrews

  • 2025 – Royal Porthcawl

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “With our partners at AIG, we have a real ambition to grow and elevate the AIG Women's Open for the benefit of the world's leading golfers and so we are excited to confirm our intention to play the next five championships at these renowned courses. 

“It has truly been a collaborative effort from all the venues involved to make this schedule possible and the flexibility that they have shown in adjusting their own calendars has been vital in allowing us to confirm our plans for the championship through to 2025.

“We are grateful for their support, particularly during a time when golf has been impacted by the on-going pandemic, and we look forward to working with these venues to deliver an outstanding experience to be enjoyed by everyone involved in the AIG Women’s Open.”   

Peter Zaffino, President and Global Chief Operating Officer, AIG, commented, “AIG is pleased to partner with The R&A to increase visibility and engagement in women’s professional golf by enhancing the global stature of the AIG Women’s Open. We proudly welcome the involvement of these venerable courses, which will be fitting hosts for these accomplished golfers as they compete at the highest level.”

Muirfield, Walton Heath and Royal Porthcawl will be hosting the women’s major championship for the first time.

Muirfield has a prestigious history of hosting major championships, having held The Open on 16 occasions. It also hosted The Curtis Cup in 1952 and 1984 as well as the Vagliano Trophy in 1963 and 1975.

Walton Heath has been a venue for the Ryder Cup, the Senior Open presented by Rolex and the British Masters.

Royal Porthcawl has held The Amateur Championship on seven occasions and was the venue for the Walker Cup in 1995 when Great Britain and Ireland defeated a United States of America team featuring Tiger Woods. It has also hosted the Senior Open presented by Rolex, the Curtis Cup and the British Masters.  

The Old Course at St Andrews will stage the championship for the third time after Lorena Ochoa and Stacy Lewis won the title over the world famous links in 2007 and 2013. The AIG Women’s Open will return to Carnoustie for the first time since 2011 when Yani Tseng successfully defended her title. 

The AIG Women’s Open will take place from 16-22 August 2021 at Carnoustie with tickets now on sale via 
aigwomensopen.com.  

Adult tickets will start from £20 with children aged 16 years or under before the Championship admitted free of charge. Spectators aged 24 years or under will be entitled to purchase youth (16-24 years) tickets. A £5 Mastercard discount is available per transaction.

All future championship dates will be announced in due course.

For more ticket and championship information please visit 
aigwomensopen.com.
 

Getting Ready For The Women's British Open At Royal Troon

The AIG Women’s British Open weather forecast positively stinks and I’m well aware the masochists will adore that. And while a links hosting a major should get some Mother Nature support, I also hope the players also get to display their skill at Royal Troon hosts its first women’s Open.

Players have been posting their enthusiasm even as August feels like January so far this week.

Morgan Pressel did what most golfers would do, posted her first shot at the Postage Stamp. Isn’t it wonderful that the hole which has menaced the all-time great male golfers finally takes on the best of women’s golf this week. And we get to watch! Granted, with aggressively placed billboards I’m certain Macdonald Smith never faced. But, if it pays the bills in St Andrews, we’ll ignore the commercially excessive slalom effect so close to play. Ish.

Christina Kim is digging the view from the 8th tee, another perk of the Postage Stamp, though few appreciate the opportunity as they face down 126 yards of wee terror!

Golfer and vintner Cristie Kerr is digging Troon’s history and taking us inside the clubhouse where this week’s winner will add a club to the collection:

A plane landing at nearby Prestwick airport. Surely the crew will then drive forty minutes south for overnight lodging at a four star hotel. Anything but the Adamton Country House, the closest the R&A has come to a media hotel turned internment camp.

Course setup is on the R&A’s mind given the forecast and, eh em, well, we won’t revisit St. Andrews in 2015.

As for flyovers and other fun stuff to dig into, here is the R&A’s course flyover prior to the 2016 Open:

For some fun, head back to 1923 when Arthur Havers edged Walter Hagen by one. Note how much sandier the dunes are. I know what Old Tom would say!

Finally, there is Gene Sarazen’s return to Troon in 1973 and this…

"At some point somebody is going to have to do something. Why not now? What's holding everybody up?"

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"At some point somebody is going to have to do something. Why not now? What's holding everybody up?" Slessor adds.

Since another year will pass before the USGA and R&A decide to (maybe) address distance, I was glad to see Tom Pilcher’s piece on the topic and a reminder of my favorite solution: a larger ball. (Thanks to reader Tim for sending.)

That came from European Golf Design’s Jeremy Slessor. FYI, European Golf Design is a collaboration of the European Tour and IMG, so they deal with distance issues, oh, hourly.

"When I started in the design and construction industry in the mid-1980s, we were putting in fairway bunkers at about 230-240 yards. We're now putting them at 300-350 yards," said Slessor, whose company were behind Ryder Cup courses at Celtic Manor (2010), Le Golf National (2018) and Marco Simone (2023).

Slessor spoke highly of the Hong Kong Open, where the 6,700-yard course and its small greens are always a test for the game's best.

And…

"The simple thing is to make the ball bigger. The pros should play that ball, and the manufacturers can use all their research and development to make the longest-flying big ball."

The 'small' ball (1.62 inches in diameter) was barred from competition in 1990, replaced by the standard ball (1.68 inches in diameter).

"At some point somebody is going to have to do something. Why not now? What's holding everybody up?" Slessor adds.

What’s holding everybody up? Fear, placing commerce over the game they are supposed to serve, and general point missing by select committee types who fearfully place commerce over the game they are supposed to serve.

Callaway brought back the Magna ball last year and it’d be worthy of a serious study to determine the impact on average golfers and professionals.

USGA, R&A Delay Next Phase Of Distance Research, Again

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Way back in July the voters here overwhelmingly feel there is no better time than now to expedite the inevitable plan of action, the R&A and USGA have announced a second pandemic-related delay of their Distance Insights Project.

For Immediate Release:

UPDATE FROM THE R&A AND THE USGA ON GOLF’S DISTANCE INSIGHTS PROJECT

10 August 2020, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, NJ, USA:  On 18 March 2020, The R&A and the USGA announced that the release of research topics related to the next phase of the Distance Insights Project would be delayed to allow the wider golf industry to focus on its response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Given continued health concerns and the impact on golf worldwide, The R&A and the USGA are now targeting March 2021 for the release of equipment research topics. We will continue to monitor the recovery of the golf industry and may update this target date accordingly. In accordance with the Equipment Rulemaking Procedures, the time for golf equipment manufacturers and other interested parties to participate in this research will also be amended to account for the delay.

In the interim, The R&A and the USGA will continue to monitor the effects of distance on the game. 

Beyond Equipment Rulemaking Procedures, the review of golf course design, set-up, and maintenance, as well as the availability and choice of appropriate teeing grounds, will continue, in support of golf’s long-term health.

Trump: Never Spoke To Ambassador About Helping Turnberry Get The Open

Trump Turnberry

Trump Turnberry

Peter Baker reports on the Presidential COVID-19 briefing that also included a question about yesterday’s New York Times story regarding Trump Turnberry, The Open and Ambassador Woody Johnson.

“No, I never spoke to Woody Johnson about that, about Turnberry,” Mr. Trump said. “Turnberry’s a highly respected course, as you know, one of the best in the world. I read a story about it today, and I never spoke to Woody Johnson about doing that, no.”

Johnson took to Twitter to fend off allegations from another story, but it’s not clear if he was referring to Trump Turnberry here:

Women's Open It Is, With A Sponsorship Extension

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Beth Ann Nichols with news that the Women’s British Open is now the AIG Women’s Open, aligning the “branding” with the R&A’s Open Championship.

The event is set for August 20-23rd at Royal Troon and will be sponsored by AIG through 2025.

“AIG proudly stands as allies with these accomplished players, and with women in business and society,” said Peter Zaffino, President & Global Chief Operating Officer, AIG in a statement. “In the face of challenging global circumstances, we are pleased that our increased support of the AIG Women’s Open will enable these dedicated professionals to compete and break down barriers that will provide a lasting example for future generations.”

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said the new name reflects the championship’s growing stature and broadening international appeal.

The use of “British” in the title was inconsistent with the R&A’s other major professional championship and the push since 2014 to call the Open Championship, The Open.

NY Times: Trump Instructed U.S. Ambassador To U.K. To Bring The Open To Turnberry

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The New York Times’ Mark Lander, Lara Jakes and Maggie Haberman report that President Donald Trump asked his appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom to help steer The Open Championship back to Trump Turnberry Resort.

The course last hosted The Open in 2009 as Turnberry resort, and was purchased in 2014 by Trump, subsequently renovated, impressively upgraded (my review here for GolfDigest.com), and has since not returned to The Open rota.

According to the reporting, American ambassador and New York Jets owner Robert Wood Johnson IV, was advised against any attempt at intervening by his deputy, Lewis Lukens, who later was removed from his position.

Whether the idea ever got to the R&A, hosts of The Open, is unclear. However, according to the report…

But Mr. Johnson apparently felt pressured to try. A few weeks later, he raised the idea of Turnberry playing host to the Open with the secretary of state for Scotland, David Mundell.

In a brief interview last week, Mr. Mundell said it was “inappropriate” for him to discuss his dealings with Mr. Johnson and referred to a British government statement that said Mr. Johnson “made no request of Mr. Mundell regarding the British Open or any other sporting event.”

The White House has declined to comment on President Trump’s instructions to Johnson.

The Times story probes whether the request would have been a violation of the “emoluments” clause and the importance of securing professional tournaments at Trump properties to the bottom line.

As recently as February, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said Turnberry remained in the rota even as courses in the vicinity (aka Troon) will have hosted two Opens since Turnberry last did. Slumbers cited something about crowd size. No one is really buying it.

Just over a week ago, Scotland on Sunday’s Martyn McLaughlin reported that the Trump organization is working on plans to significantly develop acreage adjacent to Turnberry.

Nicklaus Wins The Open After Woods Bogies Road Hole, Or So The Fantasists Say

The Open for the Ages is over and I’ll be honest, it was on too early in the morning for me to watch but I do look forward to watching even knowing the outcome.

From, Henry Dobereiner-Darwin-Longhurst or whoever crunched the numbers and divided it by the fan vote to produce an excuse to watch golf at St. Andrews and watch some links golf.

Nicklaus, the Champion over the Old Course in 1970 and 1978, trailed Woods by a single stroke with three holes remaining, but a birdie on the 16th lifted the Golden Bear back into a share of the lead.

Why, of course it did. And then Tiger three-putted the Road hole green…

Woods then bogeyed the 17th after missing the green to the left with his approach, meaning two closing pars were enough for Nicklaus to prevail with a final-day 68 and an aggregate score of 16 under.

Don’t spoil it for me by saying Jack threw his putter in the air. Judging by the choice to use 1978 Jack, I’m betting everyone is ok.

Anyway, the highlights, followed by the full broadcast: