Tiger Woods may be adding an unexpected PGA Tour stop to his pre-Masters schedule

iger Woods has kept his pre-Masters schedule close to his Nike sweater vest, but it's usually pretty easy to figure out. We expected Woods would begin his season at Torrey Pines and that he'd tee it up at Riviera since his TGR Live company is running the Genesis Open. It also seems likely that he'll play the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he's won eight times, and the Honda Classic, where he can basically walk to the course. After that, though, it gets a bit trickier.
Woods' low world ranking makes it extremely unlikely he'll be eligible for either World Golf Championship before the year's first major. So if he's looking to make another start before heading to Augusta, it would probably have to come at a PGA Tour stop he's never previously visited. Enter the Valspar Championship.
Earlier this week, the Tampa tournament released its tentative field list and Woods was included on it for the first time since the tournament began in 2000. Woods hasn't committed to playing in the event March 8-11, but he's listed under "UNDECIDED (Possible)":

"Really, this is the best chance," Valspar tournament director Tracy West told the Tampa Bay Times. "Actually, about winter of last year we thought perhaps maybe, but then that didn’t happen. But if there was ever a time. I stay in constant contact with his agent, Mark Steinberg. We are still on the possibility list. At least we are not a no."
Clearly, Woods' appearance is by no means a lock, but West added she expects to hear something shortly after the Genesis Open so that her event will have some time to prepare for golf's biggest draw should he commit. A policy introduced by the PGA Tour in 2016 that requires players to tee it up in one tournament they haven't played in the previous four years each season. However, Woods, as a lifetime tour member, is exempt from that rule.
If Woods plays the Valspar Championship, he'd likely make his final Masters tuneup the following week at Bay Hill. Stay tuned. (Golfdigest)

Goats, The New Level of Caddie in New Oregon Golf Course

"You haven't lived until you've played golf with a goat as a caddie." This is something no one has ever said or even thought, but it doesn't necessarily make it untrue. And now, one Oregon resort will allow golfers to give goats a try on the course.
The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca announced the opening of a new seven-hole course called "McVeigh's Gauntlet" in 2018. As if that name wasn't cool enough, golfers will have the option of taking trained goats as caddies when they take on the seven-hole track. Hey, if goats have been allowed to infiltrate yoga, then why not golf? Goats. So hot right now.

According to the resort, the caddies are raised right on the ranch. And they'll be equipped with a special pack that will allow them to carry drinks, golf balls, tees and even a few clubs.
“We’re taking the golf experience at Silvies Valley Ranch to a new level in 2018,” says Silvies owner Dr. Scott Campbell. “We’ve been developing an unprecedented caddie training program with our head caddie, Bruce LeGoat, to ensure that he and his team are ready for the opening of The Gauntlet this summer. We’re truly redefining both goat and golf operations at the ranch. Can you think of another course where its caddies were literally born, raised and fully educated on-property? We will get you a caddie who really knows the course and won’t give you any bad advice – and they work for peanuts!”
Or whatever snacks are in your bag. Better keep an eye on those snacks. (golfdigest)

All of the UK’s links golf courses could disappear by 2100

An alarming report from the UK’s leading environmental organisation charity has found that every links golf course in the UK is in danger of disappearing in less than a century due to climate change.

The Climate Coalition says golf faces an ‘unexpected threat’ from even a slight rise in sea levels, and Open Championship venues such as St Andrews and Royal Troon could be under water by 2100.

The report, which adds that six of the UK’s seven wettest years on record have occurred since 2000, predicts that “golf courses will crumble into the sea”.

“Climate change is already impacting our ability to play and watch the sports we love,” said the report, adding that extreme weather is a factor in declining participation and lost revenue.

Last year we reported on the 455-year-old Montrose Golf Links, which was investigating the possibility of a crowdfunding campaign to raise £5 million to install rock armour alongside three of its seaside holes, following 25 years of coastal erosion.

Chris Curnin, director at Montrose Golf Links, said: “As the sea rises and the coast falls away, we’re left with nowhere to go. Climate change is often seen as tomorrow’s problem – but it’s already eating away at our course.

“In a perfect storm we could lose five to 10 metres over just a couple of days and that could happen at pretty much any point.”

There was as much as 20 per cent less playing time for courses across the greater Glasgow area in 2016-17 compared to 10 years earlier, the report suggests.

“These findings should cause great concern among golf’s authorities,” said BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter.

“The game was founded on the links turf of the British seaside and provides golf in its most authentic form – as well as sums in excess of £75m to local economies on an annual basis.

“But the sport has recognised its precarious position at the hands of mother nature, with a number of green initiatives adopted in recent years.

“This report might also impact on discussions aimed at limiting driving distances because it highlights potential dangers in the maintaining the current trend of lengthening golf courses.”

“It is a fact that increased rainfall and extreme events are causing more disruption in recreational golf,” added Richard Windows of the STRI.

One in six Scottish golf courses are on the coast, where they are at the most risk of erosion due to rising sea levels, added the report.

Steve Isaac, director of golf course management at the R&A, said: “There is no question it is becoming a huge factor.

“I believe golf is more impacted by climate change than any other sport aside from skiing.

“We are feeling it now with increases in unplayable holes, winter course closures and disruption to professional tournaments.

“And the future threats are very real.”

Professor Piers Forster, director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds, added: “Climate change is already affecting the historic game of golf in its birthplace.

“Without cutting the carbon emissions driving climate change, sea levels will rise by over a metre and extremely wet winters will become the norm,” he warned.

“Many aspects of our lives including the game of golf would struggle to adapt to such a changed world.”

The Climate Coalition, which is made up of groups ranging from the National Trust and the Women’s Institute to WWF, the RSPB, Greenpeace and Oxfam, is releasing the report as part of its ‘Show The Love’ campaign, which celebrates things people love but that could be lost due to climate change. (Alistair Dunsmuir, The Golf Business)

Reasons to motivate for upcoming European golf

Amazing how 31 days can lift the mood. Yet after just one month of the year there is much to be positive about the state of golf on this side of the Atlantic. Here are five reasons for European golf fans to be cheerful for the rest of 2018:

5. Kemp shows it’s not too late.

Finally, the good-news story of the month goes to England’s John Kemp. For 30 years he was happy to be a proper amateur in every sense of the word. Unlike the vast majority of players in the amateur ranks funded by golf associations – professional amateurs – Kemp held down a full-time job but still managed to play amateur golf at the highest level.

The Woburn Golf Club member qualified for and played in two British Opens, won three British Mid-Amateur Championships, the English Mid-Amateur, the Sunningdale Foursomes and many other tournaments. He decided to enter the 2018 European Senior Tour Qualifying School on a whim to see if his game was good enough to play with Europe’s over-50s. It is.

Kemp took the second of five cards and will play this year’s European senior circuit, now called the Staysure Tour. One of those events will be on his home course. The Travis Perkins Masters is held over Woburn’s Dukes course. Don’t be surprised if the quiet, unassuming Englishman makes some noise this year.

4. Chinese and Indian players excelling

Ernie Els predicted back in 2008 that Indian and Chinese golfers would be major influencers on golf’s world stage. Wins for 22-year-old Li Haotong and Shubhankar Sharma, 21, in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Maybank Championship prove The Big Easy is a pretty good soothsayer. Haotong took down McIlroy to win in Dubai. Sharma stormed home with a closing 62. Each man has won twice on the European Tour. Haotong will play in this year’s Masters while Sharma is in the British Open. Will they lead the vanguard in their home countries by becoming future major winners? It’s going to be fun to find out.

3. Tommy Fleetwood is the real deal.

Despite Fleetwood ending the 2017 European Tour as European No. 1, there were small doubts that he might be a flash in the pan. Other players have followed up banner years by dropping off the radar. Not Fleetwood. He proved he’s the real deal with his Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship victory. To outscore McIlroy and Dustin Johnson on Day One, and then shoot 30 on the back nine on Sunday to defend his title, shows Fleetwood has the game to contend for major titles.

2. European Tour golf is quicker than the PGA Tour.

The conclusion of the Farmers Insurance Open proved yet again that pace of play in Europe is quicker than the PGA Tour. Six hours for Alex Noren, Ryan Palmer and J.B. Holmes to complete the final round, punctuated by Holmes’ disgraceful 4 minutes, 10 seconds to play his second to the 18th, was a poor advert for the game.

While play could be a lot quicker in Europe, it never reaches the Farmers Insurance nadir. That’s not just my take, but the opinion of players who play both tours. Ask the PGA Tour-based Europeans and they’ll tell you European Tour officials are more strident on pace of play than PGA Tour officials. If the Holmes incident wasn’t final proof that professional golf needs a shot clock – something I’ve been promoting for 20 years – then I don’t know what is.

1. Rory’s definitely back.

Fears Rory McIlory would continue to suffer from a poor 2017 season didn’t take long to evaporate. Third in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and second in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic proved the former World No. 1 made the right move to take a three-month break following last October’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

McIlroy looked like he’d never been away. More importantly, he’s noticeably fitter than at any point in his life. That was obvious from the moment he walked into the interview room for his pre-tournament press conference in Abu Dhabi. I’ve been watching McIlroy compete since he was 14, playing in the 2004 British Boys’ Championship at Royal Liverpool. I did a double take when he walked into the room. He’s more athletic looking than I’ve ever seen him. Seems he’s really serious about making the next 10 years of his career better than the previous decade. That’s fantastic news. (source: Golfweek)