Golf Blog:

Mar 7-Mar 10: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard

Mar 7-Mar 10: Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, FL. Francesco Molinari carded a sizzling bogey-free final-round 64 to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He only needed a par on 18th to secure the win, but instead, he finished the final round win with a 44-foot birdie putt on #18 to win with a two-stroke margin better than #2 finisher, Matthew Fitzpatrick.

March 7, 2019, Tiger gets the well deserved Arnie, Jack treatment

Tiger gets the well deserved Arnie, Jack treatment

      The annual PGA Tour event at Riviera Country Club that is now run by Tiger Woods’ foundation will get a big upgrade beginning in 2020, putting in the same status as tournaments associated with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. The Genesis Open will receive “elevated status,’’ which means it will have a significantly higher purse, offer a three-year PGA Tour exemption to the winner (up from two years), with an invitational field that will be reduced to 120 players.
       The Arnold Palmer Invitational, which the late golf legend founded in 1979 at this Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida, and the Memorial Tournament, which Nicklaus began in 1976 at his a course he designed near his Columbus, Ohio, home, are events that operate in a similar fashion. Both have 120-player invitational fields with purses higher than a regular PGA Tour stop.
       As PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said, it is a great way to honor Woods – an 80-time PGA Tour winner – as well as celebrate his philanthropic efforts. 

March 7, 2019, Pebble Beach Golf Courses, Have you played any?

Pebble Beach, California is known for its beautiful and challenging golf courses.

Have you had the good fortune to play any of these Pebble Beach golf courses? Cypress Point Club, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Dunes Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Shore Golf Course, Pebble Beach Golf Links - Golf Links Course, Pebble Beach Golf Links - Peter Hay Par Three, Poppy Hills Golf Course, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, or The Links At Spanish Bay.

March 7, 2019, Matt Kuchar, cheap-gate caddie mess

The cheap-gate caddie mess…

In November, Kucha won the Mayakoba Classic near Cancun, his first victory on the PGA Tour in four years. Kuchar hired a local caddie, David Ortiz, 40, who regularly works at the resort and makes up to $200 a day. Kuchar and Ortiz struck a deal in which the caddie would be paid $1,000 if the golfer missed the cut, $2,000 for making the cut, $3,000 for a top-20 finish and $4,000 for a top-10. There was no provision for a victory, and afterward, Kuchar paid Ortiz $5,000 in cash.

Kuchar won $1,296,000. A regular, full-time caddie with a standard deal would expect to be paid 10 percent, or $129,000

March 7, 2019, Matt Kuchar, cheap-gate caddie mess, and the beat goes on

The cheap-gate caddie mess continued…

Most are in agreement that Ortiz did not deserve that much, as he does not travel the circuit full time. But as Kuchar – who has over $47-million in career earnings—was on his way to another victory last month at the Sony Open, word began to circulate that Ortiz was unhappy with the payment. Social media started to run with it and earlier Golf.com spoke with Ortiz, who through a translator, said he had been offered an extra $15,000 but turned it down, believing he was entitled to a total of $50,000. 

Kuchar announced he paid the requested $50,000 saying, "In any transaction, all parties should come out feeling like they’ve won, and certainly, in David’s case he did not feel like he won in that situation and I needed to make that right. It’s as simple as that.’’

Feb 28-Mar 3, 2019, The Honda Classic,

Feb 28-Mar 3, 2019, The Honda Classic, PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Keith Mitchell's 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole at The Honda Classic secured for him his first PGA TOUR victory.

Feb 21-Feb 24, 2019 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship

Feb 21-Feb 24, 2019 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, Club de Golf Chapultepec, Mexico City, MX. Dustin Johnson made his sixth World Golf Championships title look easy. He finished with a 5-under 66 for a five-shot victory over Rory McIlroy in the Mexico Championship. 

Feb 21-Feb 24, 2019 Puerto Rico Open

 Feb 21-Feb 24, 2019 Puerto Rico Open, Coco Beach Golf & CC, Rio Grande, PR. Martin Trainer won the Puerto Rico Open, his first PGA Tour victory. He closed with a 5-under 67 for a three-stroke victory Aaron Baddeley, Daniel Berger, Roger Sloan and Johnson Wagner all of whom tied for second place.

Feb 14-Feb 17, 2019 Genesis Open

Feb 14-Feb 17, 2019 Genesis Open, Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, CA. J.B. Holmes overcame a four-shot deficit in the final round to win the Genesis Open. Holmes carded a final round 70, (-14 overall). He finished one stroke better overall than 2nd place finisher. Justin Thomas coughed up a final round 75 to finish alone in second place (-13 overall).

Feb 7-Feb 10, 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Feb 7-Feb 10, 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach GL, Pebble Beach, CA. Phil Mickelson finished with a final round 65 (-19 overall) to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He played his final two holes on Monday due to weather delays and darkness on Sunday. Paul Casey finished in second place, 3 strokes off the pace (-16 overall).