The calm before a U.S. Open storm
+ Phil Mickelson is back in the news — and it's not good; Nelly Korda is a bona fide needle mover; Yale Golf Course reopens and it's a beauty. Also, something looks different.
Editor’s note: Since The First Call | Extra launched as a weekend edition, our goal has been to fill it with as much quality content as we possibly could—much like The New York Times’ motto, “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” However, Substack has limitations on how much content can fit into a single post, which literally and figuratively cramped our style a little.
The first change was to break out Home Front (golf real estate) and Design Notes (course architecture news) into their own sections. They will still be a part of this edition, but moving into dedicated posts / sections allows more room for growth. This week’s Design Notes, for example, features multiple notes and images rather than just one of each.
Also, instead of opening with a poll question followed by nine topical questions from Mike Purkey, we are turning his most compelling question into the weekly poll itself. We also encourage you to click the comment button to offer your own takes and thoughts on any other questions.
That’s it for now. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to email me at shall@buffalogroupe.com.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
:: Stuart Hall, Senior Editor
THE STARTER
⛳ Phil Mickelson, according to reports, was kicked out of The Farms Golf Club outside San Diego for inappropriate physical contact with a female employee. This, on top of an SEC probe of Sable Offshore, of which Mickelson is accused to touting with inside information. Have we seen the last of Lefty on any tour?
⛳ Nelly Korda won the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club, having won both women’s majors this year. She was already a star in women’s golf but has she become one of the biggest stars in the game, men or women?
⛳ NBC reported that 2 million fans watched the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open, a 78% increase over last year. How much of that increase is due to Korda?
⛳ Will the U.S. Open feature the usual suspects like Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy? How about Brooks Koepka, who won at Shinnecock in 2018? Would that be so far-fetched?
⛳ J.T. Poston won the Memorial Tournament in a playoff over Ryan Gerard. Has someone confused the Memorial with the John Deere Classic?
⛳ More and more players are complaining about the difficulty of Muirfield Village Golf Club, site of the Memorial. Is Jack Nicklaus using his frustrations about the golf ball to make the golf course unreasonably difficult?
⛳ Paul Azinger wants to be the general manager of the U.S. Ryder Cup apparatus. Isn’t it about time the PGA of America listens to Azinger?
⛳ Steve Stricker says he would welcome LIV players to the PGA Tour Champions with open arms. Is he just being practical that the Tour needs the likes of Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Mickelson? (Well, maybe not Mickelson.)
:: Mike Purkey
FEATURES
A Gothic masterpiece revived: Yale Golf Course reopens
Gil Hanse breathes new life into the legendary 1926 Macdonald-Raynor design, restoring its massive greens, deep bunkers, and historic scale for public and university play.
:: Bradley S. Klein | Read
Muni golf dilemma: Community asset or profit-driven business?
The First Call readers debate whether cities should subsidize municipal courses to keep the sport accessible, or run them as self-sustaining businesses to protect local taxpayers.
:: TFC Inbox | Read
BOOKMARKED
Good reads that are sometimes about golf, but not always.
📖 You spend your life chasing the way the World Cup made you feel when you were 11
I wish I could say I enjoyed covering Japan & South Korea 2002 as much as the World Cups of my childhood.
:: Paul Howard | Irish Times | 06.05.2026 | Read
📖 Two tickets, two brothers, one father
The Knicks are in the finals, and what it means to be a Knicks fan, and a McEnroe, and how they’re kind of the same thing.
:: Kevin Jack McEnroe | Serenity Side Down | 06.02.2026 | Read
LIFESTYLE
THE STYLE LINKS
U.S. Open swag is everywhere and flying off the internet shelves.
:: Janice Ferguson | IG: @janiceferguson_thestylelinks
19TH HOLE
“Course of Life” podcast co-host Alex Lauzon closes each episode with the guest sharing a favorite 19th hole food and beverage experience.
Peyton Cranford, golf content creator and cart girl: “It might sound bougie but I love a good French Dip. And I’m a southern girl so I love an Arnold Palmer — sweet tea and lemonade mixed to drink.”
:: Alex Lauzon | Co-host of “Course of Life” podcast
BUSINESS
THE FIRST CALL
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Industry press releases | Industry press release videos | TFC / PR Newswire feed
Golf Industry Job / Internship Board
Love reading The First Call. Intelligent Insights get you thinking !
Enjoy Mr. Purkey's "observations". Pithy, frequent logical deductions, thought provoking at times. Great read!