by It’s been about 60 hours since we ate our last cheese curd, and we aren’t sure if our arteries have reopened yet. If a medical professional would please offer some advice ASAP, we’d really appreciate it.
Not the Fairmont
Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, and the Old Course at St. Andrews would make for a solid start to a Scottish golf trip. They’re also a pretty decent trio of tournament hosts. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which visits all three courses, gets underway on Thursday. Three European Ryder Cup players—Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and Tyrrell Hatton—will join their captain Padraig Harrington and assistant captains Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer on the trip across the Atlantic. They will play each course over the first three rounds before returning to the shadow of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse for one last lap around the Old Course. Tee Times
One of the highlights on the European Tour schedule, the Dunhill Links should be on the PGA Tour’s radar as a co-sanctioned event in 2022. The Tour has already recognized the ’22 Genesis Scottish Open, meaning FedEx Cup points will be given out there next summer. Giving the Dunhill Links the same designation would make a lot of sense. A central goal of the much-discussed “strategic alliance” between the PGA and European tours is to prop up outstanding European events and drive better fields to them. Who says no to highlighting the Home of Golf?
Ryder Cup postmortems
We’ll keep this brief because you’ve probably been worn down by the multi-week onslaught of Ryder Cup content, but we’re still interested in the question of where Team Europe goes from here. Obviously no one has all the answers just two days after the defeat. What’s clear, though, is that the European players’ passion for the event remains.
If you want to understand Europe’s situation and how they’ll adjust before the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, we recommend three pieces from other outlets: Sean Zak on Europe’s cohesiveness, Kyle Porter on Rory McIlroy’s relationship with the Ryder Cup, and John Huggan on the Europeans taking a big-picture approach. A new day seems to have dawned for the American team, but that doesn’t mean Europe won’t fight back.
The Must-Sees of Public Golf Architecture in America
Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club (Southern Pines, North Carolina)
$$$
In 2022, this 93-year-old Donald Ross course will host the U.S. Women’s Open for the second time. Whereas its sister course Mid Pines is compact and intimate, Pine Needles sprawls across a fine Carolina Sandhills property. The holes are draped over big slopes, making for some dramatic par 4s, such as the 2nd, 11th, and 12th. Today, Pine Needles’ excellent land shines through thanks to Kyle Franz’s 2017 restoration work. Franz gave the course back its sense of place by getting rid of the irrigated rough and installing natural-looking bunkers and wire grass.
Insider tip: With the U.S. Women’s Open coming next year, the resort won’t be doing its typical overseed. That means dormant Bermuda in the winter, which is the playing surface Ross envisioned. –Andy Johnson
Photo: Andy Johnson
Quick Hooks
Everyone’s favorite chicken-themed PGA Tour event, the Sanderson Farms Championship, begins on Thursday. Headlined this year by Will Zalatoris, Sungjae Im, Sam Burns, Corey Conners, and Ryder Cupper Sergio García, this former alternate-field tournament continues to draw deeper fields than expected. Tee Times
Two days after celebrating with Team USA at Whistling Straits, Bryson DeChambeau competed in the Professional Long Drive Association World Championships in Nevada, and he… well, he did really well! DeChambeau easily advanced through the first-day group stage to Wednesday’s field of 64 thicc bois. He hit multiple drives over 400 yards on Tuesday, but he’ll need to find an extra gear in order to contend for the title. Just by advancing, though, Bryson has shown that his newfound speed is no joke.
Garrett Rank, Stewart Hagestad, and Fried Egg contributor Andrew Bailey are in the final 16 at the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sankaty Head. Scoring
Aliea Clark, the 64th and final player to qualify for match play at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, headlines the Round of Eight at Berkeley Hall Club. Scoring
The Latest from The Fried Egg
Reflections on the 43rd Ryder Cup – After a week at Whistling Straits, Andy Johnson collected his thoughts on the golf course, Europe’s outlook, Bryson’s distance advantage, and more.
Our friends at the National Links Trust are hosting a Symposium on Municipal Golf in Washington DC November 8-10, and our own Andy Johnson will be a part of an architecture panel. Among other topics for the day are sustainability and community impact. If you’d like to attend, you can purchase your tickets HERE. Use code NLTFRIEDEGG for a discount on your ticket!
Paulie’s Picks: Sanderson Farms Championship – Don’t be too chicken to make the right pick in your fantasy golf league!
The Shotgun Start – The Asswagon breaks down and Kevin Clark of The Ringer joins to talk Bears-Browns. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify.
Pro Shop
It’s a wee bit chilly at the Old Course this week, and you know how much golfers love to play in hoodies these days. If you find yourself playing in cool temperatures this fall, grab a Shotgun Start hoodie and stay warm on the course!
