by Somehow or another we are more than halfway through the month of June. Which means we are almost halfway through 2020. Is time moving fast? Is it moving slow? Who knows. All we know is that today is Wednesday and this is the newsletter. Please continue.
We’re on to Ohio
The LPGA Tour announced that it will return with two events in northwest Ohio this summer. Inverness Club will host the three-day LPGA Drive On Championship July 31-August 2 before the tour moves to Highland Meadows Golf Club for the Marathon LPGA Classic.
Unlike the PGA Tour, the 2020 LPGA Tour barely got off the ground. The ladies made it to mid-February before their Asian swing was canceled. When they return on the final day of July, many of them will have gone nearly six months without playing an event.
Not only is this great news for women’s professional golf, but it also means we get televised golf at Inverness! This Donald Ross design, recently restored by Andrew Green, is a phenomenal championship venue. Inverness has held four U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, and it’s on tap for the 2021 Solheim Cup. So when the LPGA Tour makes its return, it will do so in style.
The U.S. Open Victory Club
Golf fans scored a huge win with the addition of a tournament at Inverness Club, host of eight USGA championships. Well, wouldn’t you know it, the USGA just launched the U.S. Open Victory Club! This free membership comes with exclusive access to past events, the opportunity to provide feedback for future U.S. Open sites, and special member events. Whether you want to learn more about Inverness’s first U.S. Open in 1920 or relive Gary Woodland’s win at Pebble Beach, the U.S. Open Victory Club has you covered.
From now until June 28, new members will get 25% off U.S. Open gear at the online shop. Sign up here.
San rcico
Get it? Fans are missing. San Francisco public health officials approved plans for the PGA Championship to be held at TPC Harding Park August 6-9, but spectators cannot be in attendance.
Assuming there are no further changes, the 2020 PGA Championship will be the first major any of us watch without fans on the grounds. We got our initial taste of professional golf sans galleries at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and while it was different, it was plenty dramatic for a regular tour event. Of course, majors are a different ballgame. Imagine if Jordan Spieth completes the career grand slam, and the telecast brings us the sound of a few volunteers clapping. But that’s our world right now. There are plenty of fan-less golf tournaments between now and August for us all to get used to it.
Quick Hooks
The PGA Tour takes to Harbour Town Golf Links this week. Almost all of the top players from the Charles Schwab Challenge made the trip for the Tour’s second event of the summer. Tee Times
The Korn Ferry Tour will be FEELING THE WARMTH OF THE SAND at the World Golf Village’s King & Bear course this week. The tournament runs Wednesday-Sunday. Tee Times
Speaking of the Korn Ferry Tour, check out this Q&A with Shad Tuten and learn more about the player who finished runner-up at the Korn Ferry Challenge last week.
The 3M Open will happen in July but will not have fans on site. The Minneapolis-area event was scheduled to be the third post-quarantine event with spectators. Full Story from Rex Hoggard
Justin Rose has ended his 10-year partnership with swing coach Sean Foley. Full Story from James Corrigan
The Latest from The Fried Egg
Paulie’s Picks: RBC Heritage – For the second week in a row, the Tour is visiting a ball-striker’s paradise. Check out Paulie’s fantasy picks HERE.
Shotgun Start… has a plethora of content for you.
First, a rare Tuesday episode featuring a preview of the upcoming RBC Heritage, a discussion of a possible grandstanding spot at Harbour Town (which won’t offer the same forgiveness this time around), and a truly awful ad read.
Next up, an SGS Spotlight on the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont, which dives into Tiger’s otherworldly ball-striking, Bubba’s entrance onto the world stage, and Angel Cabrera’s overall awesomeness.
