Preserving Arnold Palmer's Legacy
+ Tiger Woods wins the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program with little effort
Joie Chitwood III: ‘That red cardigan is special’
While Chitwood's roots are in racing, the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament director understands the need to 'preserve, protect and perpetuate' Palmer's legacy
Writer’s Take: Joie Chitwood wasn't just a nice guy whose first name I kept typing wrong. He's lived a unique life. One thing I learned was that if you're ever a human battering ram in a stunt show and you're clinging to a car hood that bursts thru a flaming wall of boards — that have gasoline on 'em) — just make sure the boards don't end up on you. Otherwise, it's not as hard as it looks, according to Chitwood.
He is proof that if you're a leader, and a key part of that is being motivated and not taking ‘No’ for an answer. That works in any profession. It's a secret of success. He jumped from auto racing to golf pretty seamlessly. I thought that was impressive. And he respects the hell out of Arnold Palmer's legacy, which is good enough for me.
— Gary Van Sickle
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NAMES | NEWS | NUMBERS
BUSINESS
▪️PTGAA, Club Champion partner on a referral program in which PGTAA members can earn up to 12.5% in commissions from their referrals' purchases. … The PGA Tour and GolfWRX announce a content and sales agreement that will increase equipment coverage at PGA Tour events through 2026. GolfWRX will leverage the PGA Tour to develop an enhanced equipment content strategy, while the PGA Tour will represent sales and marketing opportunities for both properties. … Golf Datatech releases January 2022 retail sell-through figures for both the apparel and equipment categories. The independent research company also reports that weather played a large factor in why rounds were down over 12% in January compared with January 2021. … Tagmarshal integrates with Golf Genius so that courses utilizing both platforms will have direct access to Golf Genius live scoring and leaderboards via Tagmarshal’s 2Way cart GPS screens. … Club Champion acquires UK-based Golf Principles. The North American clubfitter and club builder increases its footprint and consumer access to tour-level fittings worldwide. … The PGA Tour signs NoBull, an athletic footwear, apparel and accessory brand, to a multiyear partnership to be the official training apparel and footwear of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions, and the umbrella sponsor of PGA Tour Active through 2027. … Majors Challenge touts its golf-only, flexible and simplistic platform for fantasy golf leagues. … The NFL Alumni Association announces its 2022 NFL Draft pro-am schedule as Las Vegas joins Akron/Canton to host NFL Alumni Draft Pro-Am and Experience events featuring NFL greats.
COURSES
▪️Monarch Beach Golf Links and Gamble Sands, along with Troon, announce the Best of the West sweepstakes. … Three Go Golf Kauai courses — Princeville Makai Golf Club, Poipu Bay Golf Club and the Ocean Course at Hokuala — rank among Golfweek’s and GolfPass’ best courses for 2022. … A trio of Arcis Golf clubs — public facility Arrowhead GC and private clubs The Pinery Country Club and The Club at Pradera — are voted among the Best in State by readers of Colorado AvidGolfer magazine.
PEOPLE
▪️First Tee – Greater Richmond announces its board of directors, including Patty Merrill as the board’s first female chair. … Landscapes Unlimited promotes Tom O’Connor to project manager. O’Connor will focus on $20,000 to $2M-plus projects from Florida to Texas. … The PGA of America names Zach Johnson as the United States Ryder Cup Team Captain for the 44th Ryder Cup in 2023. Johnson, 46, played in five Ryder Cups (2006, ‘10, ‘12, ‘14, ‘16) and served as a U.S. Vice Captain in the last two Ryder Cups. … Sepp Straka wins the Honda Classic to become the first Sqairz brand ambassador to win on the PGA Tour. … The Golf Writers Association of America announces the winners of its 2022 GWAA Writing Contest. The seven category winners were: Daily Columns — Shane Ryan, “Call off the dogs, Brooksy,” GolfDigest.com; Non-Daily Columns — Jerry Tarde, “What the caddie bow says about us,” Golf Digest; Special Projects — Michael Bamberger, “A new day in Augusta,” Golf.com/Golf Magazine; Game Stories — Ryan Lavner, “History-making Mickelson shines, GolfChannel.com; News Stories — Dylan Dethier, “Tiger’s press conferences point to his future,” Golf.com; Daily Features — Gary Van Sickle, “Reed keeps losing battle for integrity,” MorningRead.com; Non-Daily Features — Dylan Dethier, “What makes Schauffele tick?” Golf Magazine. … Dormie Network names Jon Chapman as general manager and Brad Wilson as head golf professional at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Ind. …
Charlie Mechem, former commissioner of the LPGA, selects Read the Greens to create and implement a public relations campaign for his new book, "Arnie and Jack," which will be published in mid-April. … OnCore Golf signs 11-year-old Xavier 'Xeve' Perez to a long-term partnership. Perez will play the brand's four-piece Vero X1 golf ball and will wear the OnCore logo on his apparel. … The PGA of America expands its PGA Career Services Department by adding four new recruitment specialists — Kate Drimel, of St. Paul, Minn.; Caleb Hung, of Seattle; Leila Mackie, of Philadelphia; and Dylan Gladney, of Dallas. The specialists will support its PGA Career Services team, which seeks to cultivate new PGA Members and golf industry executives. … The R&A appoints Zane Scotland as a diversity ambassador to support the development of initiatives that encourage more people from ethnically diverse communities into golf. …
The R&A announces an initial squad of 12 players who are in contention to be selected for the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team that will compete in June at Merion Golf Club. The players chosen for the tryout are Rosie Belsham, of Whitley Bay, England; Beth Coulter, of Kirkistown Castle, Ireland; Hannah Darling, of Broomieknowe, Scotland; Louise Duncan, of West Kilbride, Scotland; Anna Foster, of Elm Park, Ireland; Annabell Fuller, of Roehampton, England; Charlotte Heath, of Huddersfield, England; Caley McGinty, of Knowle, England; Emily Price, of Ludlow, England; Lauren Walsh, of Castlewarden, Ireland; Amelia Williamson, of Hunstanton, England; Lottie Woad, of Farnham, England.
EDUCATION
▪️Troon launches a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion scholarship at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and will annually award a $25,000 scholarship to a UMES student enrolled in the PGA Professional Golf Management Program or Hospitality Management Program.
GEAR
▪️Weatherman Umbrella releases the latest golf umbrellas in the Arnold Palmer Collection that pay tribute to holes he designed at Bay Hill Club and Lodge and to his favorite tea-and-lemonade drink, the Arnold Palmer.
INITIATIVES
▪️Webber Marketing & Consulting partners with the American Junior Golf Association to develop opportunities for minority golfers. Benefits of the partnership will include paid internship opportunities, scholarships and employment opportunities. … NextLinks partners with SknVue, a nonprofit organization promoting awareness and early detection of skin cancer, to support the "Skn in the Game" campaign. NextLinks will sponsor the SknVue Skn in the Game golf tournament, while SknVue will provide NextLinks with educational materials to educate visitors at its facilities. … XXIO and PGA Magazine partner on PGA Magazine’s Women Leaders program that creates in-person and virtual networking opportunities to help grow women’s golf and connect leaders in the industry.
REAL ESTATE
▪️KB Home opens Villages at Tour 18, a single-family home community in Humble, Texas, situated alongside the Tour 18 golf course.
DESIGN NOTES
The latest news and notes in golf course architecture.
➡️ Tripp Davis broke ground in January on an overhaul of Atlanta Athletic Club’s Riverside course. While not as renowned as its sibling Highlands course that has played host to multiple majors, Riverside did host the 1990 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Betsy King. It is part renovation of the older infrastructure (irrigation, grasses, subsurface drainage) and part redesign, notably on the stretches of 3-5 and 12-14 that will bring the Chattahoochee River more into play. To work on Bobby Jones’ old home club is a “dream come true” for Davis, an Atlanta native. Expect a late 2022 re-opening.
➡️ Following a restoration/renovation hybrid from Raymond Hearn, Midlothian Country Club will likely reopen in spring 2022. Venue for the 1914 U.S. Open, won by Walter Hagen, the Chicago-area layout dates to 1898. Hearn endeavored to preserve the original routing, while bringing back strategies, angles and green complexes from the original design. He also added tees, removed trees, renovated and restored bunkers and improved drainage.
➡️ Justin Thomas’ first foray in architecture is a collaboration with the Jack Nicklaus design team on the creation of Panther National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The centerpiece of a new upscale community, Panther National will include a championship layout, a nine-hole, par-3 course and expansive practice facilities. “I started drawing golf holes on napkins as a kid, so this is something I have wanted to do for a long time,” Thomas said. The championship course is expected to open in late 2023.
➡️ Revealed officially on Feb. 16, Augusta National Golf Club has made two significant hole changes ahead of the 2022 Masters. Of the par-4 11th, “Masters tees moved back 15 yards and to the golfer’s left. Fairway recontoured and several trees removed on right side.” The hole will now play 520 yards. At the par-5 15th, “Masters tees moved back 20 yards and fairway recontoured.” The 15th will now play 550 yards, bringing overall course yardage to 7,510 yards. In addition, 13 yards have been added to the back of the 18th tee box, but it will not change the yardage of the hole. For nearly 25 years, Tom Fazio has assisted the club with design changes, though neither the club nor Fazio will comment on the present work.
BOOKMARKED
📖 How pro golf’s Saudi threat compares to a 1968 player mutiny
[Nick Lozito | Substack]
📖 The history and evolution of Riviera’s 10th
[Geoff Shackelford | The Quadrilateral]
📖 An Arkansas hunting lodge that’s changing the game
[Russell Worth Parker | Garden and Gun]
📖 The business of college golf
[Jared Doerfler | Perfect Putt]
ON THE TEE
A look at what’s coming in the week ahead.
Players Championship Edition
⛳️ The 40th playing of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass next week will see Justin Thomas attempt to defend his title.
⛳️ Thomas shot a final-round 64 last year and hit 17 greens in regulation to win his 14th PGA Tour title.
⛳️ Uncertain is whether Bryson DeChambeau will tee it up for the first time since withdrawing from the Saudi Invitational in early February, citing injuries to his left hand and hip as reasons.
⛳️ The Tour’s flagship events boasts 48 of the top 50 in the world, with only Phil Mickelson and Harris English missing. Mickelson suggested in a statement last week that he might be taking some time off, while English has an injury.
⛳️ The 144-player field also has the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings.
⛳️ English, Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods are the only qualified players to not commit to the championship.
⛳️ If not otherwise exempt, the winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented and the Puerto Rico Open will qualify for The Players.
⛳️ The purse has been increased to $$20 million, with $3.6 million to the winner.
⛳️ No one player in the tournament’s history has ever won successive Players Championships.
THE STYLE LINKS
Two of Scandinavia’s most progressive and innovative apparel brands — J. Lindeberg and Ecco Golf — collaborated to design a limited edition Biom C4 men’s golf shoe. The shoe has an interesting curved zip that hides a speedlace system. It’s a very fashion-forward-looking shoe with performance features such as waterproof Gore-Tex and Mtn grip outsole traction.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
TUNING IN
PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational
Television: Today-Sunday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30-6 p.m. (NBC).
PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open
Television: Today, 2:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 2:30-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).
LPGA Tour: HSBC Women's World Championship
Television: Today, 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).
European Tour: Magical Kenya Open
Television: Today-Sunday, 5-9:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).
PGA Tour Champions: Hoag Classic
Television: Today, 5-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 4:30-7 p.m. (Golf Channel).
THE GOOD LIFE
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