Is golf in need of a Tiger-like superstar?
+ Are Augusta National and the Masters close to perfection?; Good reads, food and drink; Mike Purkey's nine thoughts.
THE STARTER
🏌️ Scottie Scheffler won his second green jacket in three years with his four-stroke victory at the Masters. Is he a greater player or person?
🏌️ Ludvig Aberg was runner-up at the Masters in his major debut. Wonder what would have happened had he not rinsed his second shot at No. 11 on Sunday?
🏌️ Rory McIlroy denied a report that he was about to sign with LIV Golf for $850 million and a 2% ownership stake in the league. What, was it a lowball offer?
🏌️ Tiger Woods, who signed for 82-77 on the weekend after making a Masters record 24th consecutive cut, called it a “good week.” Is he whistling past golf’s graveyard?
🏌️ Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in the Rolex Rankings and the winner of four straight starts, wants women’s golf on live — not tape-delayed — TV. “We just need a stage,” she said. So, whose time slot should the LPGA Tour replace?
🏌️ Three LIV Golf players — Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Tyrrell Hatton — finished in the top 10 at the Masters, yet Brandel Chamblee called it “such a poor showing, as a group.” Is he right?
🏌️ Jon Rahm said he’d like to see LIV go to 72 holes and Phil Mickelson says he “wouldn’t be surprised” if that happens. But Talor Gooch, who won LIV’s individual title in 2023, says 54 holes is “more exciting” for fans. Which do you prefer?
🏌️ Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley says there’s no chance the par-3 12th will be lengthened, at least not on his watch. Is the 12th great as it is?
🏌️ Ridley is in favor of the golf ball rollback, which will be implemented by the USGA. He says he hopes Augusta National won’t ever be played at 8,000 yards. Is that an exaggeration?
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
Who is golf's next needle-mover?
There are plenty of viable candidates, but each seems to be lacking in one area or another.
:: Gary Van Sickle | Read
Are changes needed for Augusta National, the Masters?
While it is hard to find fault with the club's handling of the course and year's first major, readers of The First Call have a few tweaks in mind.
:: TFC Inbox | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are mainly about golf, but not always.
📖 The best coffee for the planet might not be coffee at all
Climate change is coming for your morning joe. Startups are betting that substitutes made out of date seeds and chickpeas are the answer.
:: L.V. Anderson | Grist | 04.10.2024
📖 MLB's next order of business? Saving pitchers
In 2023, baseball addressed its pace problem. Now, it’s trying to address its ace problem. After years of rising injury rates for hurlers, MLB has initiated a comprehensive study of pitching. Why have injuries become so prevalent? And what, if anything, can the league do to prevent them?
:: Ben Lindbergh | The Ringer | 04.02.2024
📖 America’s first Olympic breakdancer is ready to take gold
Victor Montalvo set out to be the best breaker in the world. Nobody ever thought that would mean spinning for a medal.
:: Brandon Sneed | Rolling Stone | 04.16.2024
SUBSTACKED
Crisp, tart, saucy.
:: Clare de Boer | The Best Bit | 04.18.2024
BUSINESS
WEEK IN REVIEW
1️⃣8️⃣ The industry’s names, news and notables that are making the headlines. | Read
PERFECT PUTT
Should Callaway sell its equipment business?
Publisher Jared Doerfler examines whether the company should sell off its equipment division.
:: Jared Doerfler | Read
Each Monday, Jared Doerfler breaks down the business of golf. Subscribe to Perfect Putt here.
ICYMI
This week’s editions of The First Call:
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday
TRAVEL
The First Call has partnered with SportGo Travel, an online booking service, to give you up to 50% off or more on hotel accommodations worldwide.
Whether you’re planning your next trip to a tournament, a buddies or girls golf getaway, or a family vacation, book your stay through SportGo Travel and save. Simply create your account and start planning.
LIFESTYLE
THE STYLE LINKS
Team Canada x Lululemon Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic team uniforms. Gotta love the service dog kit.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
19TH HOLE
Each episode of the “Course of Life” podcast closes with the guest sharing a favorite 19th hole experience.
Casey Ceman, LPGA Tour vice president of tournament business: “Here at Carlton Woods (host of the Chevron Championship) we had an event where they made an unbelievable spicy watermelon jalapeno margarita, so that's my answer right now.”
Editor’s note: Here is a recipe for a jalapeno watermelon margarita.
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host of “Course of Life” podcast
HOME FRONT
Palmetto Dunes | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Listing: 3 Armada Street.
Stats: 5,418 square feet | 6 bedrooms | 7 baths.
Price: $4,750,000.
About: Nestled in the golfing paradise of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Palmetto Dunes has been a beacon of opulence and golfing excellence for more than five decades. Palmetto Dunes embodies the essence of luxury living fused with the thrill of championship-level golf. At the heart of this prestigious resort lies a trifecta of meticulously crafted courses, each bearing the indelible mark of legendary architects — the Robert Trent Jones Course (designed by Robert Trent Jones), the Hills Course (designed by Arthur Hills) and the Fazio Course (designed by George Fazio).
Perched as a jewel in this crown of excellence is a stunning home, offering unparalleled proximity to the golf at Palmetto Dunes. Situated just a stone's throw away from the ocean, this home beckons with promises of luxury and comfort. The raised pool and outdoor entertainment area is irresistible. Privacy is paramount with covered dining and lounging areas, accompanied by a poolside wet bar and grill that offer a haven of tranquility. On the second level, owners are greeted by an additional outdoor dining area, a formal dining room, eat-in kitchen/bar and a living room adorned with the warmth of a crackling fireplace. The primary ensuite, boasting a lavish steam shower, invites you to unwind in ultimate comfort.
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN NOTES
Tom Doak's No. 10, Pinehurst Sandmines, opens
Pinehurst Resort opened its highly anticipated No. 10 course on April 3. Designed by Tom Doak, with Angela Moser serving as lead associate, No. 10 is the first new Pinehurst Resort course to be built in nearly three decades, since Tom Fazio’s No. 8 debuted on the site of the old Pinehurst Gun Club.
Located three miles south of the main resort clubhouse in Aberdeen, the new 18-hole No. 10 layout is draped atop ground that had once housed a Dan Maples-designed course called The Pit, which existed from 1985 until 2010. With natural ridgelines, intriguing landforms, towering longleaf pines, streams and ponds, Doak designed a course that complements the resort’s other courses through its contrasts.
"The site is topographically distinct and drastically different from anywhere in Pinehurst," Doak said. "It’s bigger, bolder and more dramatic. There’s about 75 feet of elevation change, and we worked our way up to it around the mid-point of the layout. You have expansive views from this apex over the rest of the course. It’s an unforgettable experience for golfers."
The new course incorporates rugged dunes that were mined at the location at the turn of the 20th century and feature the native sand and wiregrass that are characteristic to the area. Part of a 900-acre plot that the resort has branded, "Pinehurst Sandmines," Doak’s No. 10 is expected to be the first of several courses to grace the parcel.
"Tom Doak builds incredible golf courses on sand and we’re thrilled with what he created on No. 10," Pinehurst Resort president Tom Pashley said. "We’ve worked with some amazing golf architects who’ve embraced our natural aesthetic and Tom has exceeded our very high expectations."
"The number one thing that excited us about the project is working with the beautiful sand that’s native to this region,” Doak said at the onset, 16 months ago. “The sand, the wiregrass, the bluestem grass, and other native grasses that grow around the Sandhills create a fabulous texture for golf. It’s something most places just don’t have.”
READ: This week’s complete Design Notes
RELATED: Design Notes archive
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Let’s hope it isn’t a self-centered jerk like Tiger