by Ladies and gents, it’s happening. The TaylorMade Driving Relief match gets underway at Seminole Golf Club on Sunday afternoon. Real. Live. Golf. Feels great to type. Today’s fun fact is that we’re very excited.
News and updates
- The PGA of America announced Quail Hollow Club as the host of the 2025 PGA Championship. Quail Hollow hosted the same event in 2017, so there will be just eight years between PGA Championships at the Tom Fazio-renovated course. With this announcement, the PGA of America has locked in the venues for its flagship championship through 2031. Press Release
- Tommy Fleetwood says he doesn’t plan to travel to the United States for extended periods this summer. Back in March, after the cancellation of the Players, Fleetwood returned to his native England. He is still weighing his scheduling options for the rest of this year. Fleetwood’s uncertain situation mirrors that of many of the PGA Tour’s international members. Full Story from Rex Hoggard
- Scottsdale Open Results
The Storylines
Preview: TaylorMade Driving Relief
This Sunday afternoon, for the first time since the opening round of the Players Championship, live golf will be on your TV screen. Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will take on Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff in a team skins match at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida.
Television schedule
2-6 p.m. ET on NBC and Golf Channel
Format
All money earned during the match will go to charities. McIlroy and Johnson will play for the American Nurses Foundation while Fowler and Wolff will represent the CDC Foundation. Each team will start with $500,000 for each charity, and additional amounts will be raised via the skins. Full details on the format can be found HERE
Venue
Seminole Golf Club. Widely considered one of Donald Ross’s greatest designs, Seminole makes its TV debut on Sunday. To gain a deeper understanding of the course, read Andy’s article on Ross’s routing and listen to his podcast with architect Bill Coore and PGA Tour pro Zac Blair on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify.
Holes to watch for
All photos by Jeffrey Bertch (linkslandphoto)
No. 4 – One of two par 4s at Seminole that ride the western ridge of the property, this long par 4 is a real test. Playing uphill, it features one of the most intricate greens on the course.
No. 6 – Doubling back along western ridge, this shortish two-shotter should be fun to watch. If tee position and wind direction permit, the players could try to push their tee shots up by the green. Otherwise, the cross bunkers will force them to lay back and make a full wedge stick on a tricky target.
No. 17 – This devilish short par 3 presents a do-or-die scenario down the stretch. With the wind whipping and a big-money skin on the line, the already tiny green will seem even smaller.
Players
Rory McIlroy
- No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking
- Best known for his hit podcast with the former host of TRL
- Quote: “That walk from 16 green to 17 tee is 50 to 100 yards too long.”
- Fun fact: Gerry McIlory, Rory’s father, is a member at Seminole. Rory lives right up the road and is a frequent guest.
Dustin Johnson
- No. 5 OWGR
- Best known for TikToks with his girlfriend Paulina Gretzky
- Quote: “I made some putts and hit some good shots.”
- Fun fact: According to a source, Dustin no-showed at the 2017 Seminole Pro-Member and has not been back since.
Rickie Fowler
- No. 27 OWGR
- Best known for outgrowing all-orange Sunday outfits
- Quote: “Turkey. Vulture.”
- Fun fact: Rickie has a strong record at Seminole. He and partner Buddy Mariucci won the pro-member in 2011 and ’12, and they routinely finish top 5.
Matthew Wolff
- No. 110 OWGR
- Best known for sucking the soul out of Bryson DeChambeau at the 2019 3M Open
- Quote: “People would probably rank my swing as bad, but it works, so I keep on using it.”
- Fun fact: During his sophomore season at Oklahoma State, his final year of college, Wolff won six of OSU’s 12 tournaments. He never finished worse than T-18 and placed outside the top 10 all of three times. He also notched a cool T-6 in his sole appearance at the Seminole Pro-Member.
Of course, it doesn’t matter who wins on Sunday. We’re just excited to see live golf on a one-of-a-kind course, and we’re happy that a couple of worthy organizations will benefit from it. See you all on Twitter.
The Latest from The Fried Egg
The Yolk with Doak, Episode 21: Linksland, Mike Strantz, and environmentalism
This episode of the Yolk with Doak features the final part of the conversation Andy and Tom had this past January in Traverse City, Michigan. They discuss a variety of topics, including the challenges of building on linskland, Mike Strantz, Woking Golf Club, stymies, and how golf might mesh with environmentalism. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify.
Shotgun Start: An ebullient Seminole match preview, PXG apparel critiques, Flashlights to bygone PGAs
This joyous Friday episode starts with praise and thanks for the return of golf this weekend with the skins match at Seminole on Sunday. Brendan and Andy begin their preview with some reflective thoughts on why they’re so happy about this event and the larger meaning and impact it could have, for the obvious priority of raising money for Covid charity, but also for the game of golf. They preview some key holes to watch at Seminole, revel in the aesthetics of these players carrying their own bags in a world-class setting, and make a friendly wager (that wager leads to a lengthy diversion and critique of the new apparel offerings from PXG). A news segment touches on Rory committing to play the first three PGA Tour events, the PGA’s return to Quail Hollow, the Medalist Match TV crew including Sir Charles, and initial thoughts on the new PGA Tour video game (and its course rota). Then, in honor (or dishonor) of what would have been PGA Championship week, there are two short Flashlight segments to the year the PGA switched to stroke play and the year the PGA melted under the August sun in South Florida. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify.
Pro Shop
With golf on TV this weekend, you’re going to need a comfortable garment. Play your morning 18 in a B. Draddy Tommy Polo and keep it on for the skins match. Unless, that is, you’re smelly after your round. Please change if you smell. Shop today!
