EDITORIAL – WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON FUTURE GOLF TOURNAMENT SINCE PGA TOUR AND LIV GOLF MERGER

On June 6, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced to the world that the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF agreed to drop lawsuits against each other and work collaboratively for the good of the game.  What does this mean for the future of professional golf?
 
According to Sports Illustrated, “The PGA Tour would control the structure of golf moving forward – including whether PIF’s LIV Tour continues operations, and if so, in what form. The Tour has promised a ‘good-faith’ evaluation of LIV’s viability, though potential penalties for LIV players who apply for PGA Tour reinstatement have already been discussed. The parties have set a deadline of the end of 2023 to reach a deal, and that condensed timeline means that 2024 could be a transition year for the sport. The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Tour’s assets would all go into a separate company, of which the Tour would have controlling interest. PIF would then be an investor in that company with the right of first refusal for future investments.”
 
Reading into this, it sounds like LIV may or may not exist going forward, and if it does still exist, it’s not likely to be in its present form.  LIV’s current business model includes selling its teams as franchises, and at this point in time there doesn’t seem to be much interest.  It’s no secret the Saudis want to get into professional golf as a major player, and at the moment, LIV just isn’t resonating enough.
 
Going forward and based on what Sports Illustrated reported, since the PGA Tour has assets in professional golf far and above what the Saudis have, it looks like the PIF will provide funding in return for a chance at greater returns in professional golf in the future.  This may include having PGA Tour events in Saudi Arabia, for example.  But the Saudis have made it clear this is a business venture, not a charity, and they expect a good return on their investment.  Time will tell how exactly this will happen.  And part of that certainly will include welcoming back LIV players to the PGA and DP Tours.  

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – MILAN NORTON AND NICK HORODESKY

By Cy Frederic
I have been a USGTF certified golf teacher since June 2022. I have been coaching the middle school golf program at my school, Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 2012. I have been coaching the varsity girls golf team since 2022.
The two students for the Student Spotlight are Milan Norton (8th grade) and Nick Horodesky (7th grade). Milan finished tied for second in the national Drive, Chip and Putt competition at Augusta National in 2019 in the girls 7-9 competition. She also the 2022 Middle School City Champion playing for Faith Lutheran, and is the 2023 co-MVP for Faith Lutheran. Nick is the 2022 and 2023 MVP for Faith Lutheran. He is the 2022 Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association (SNJGA) 11-12 player of the year, and won the Jim Foley World Stars championship in 2022. In addition, he was the 2020 TPC Summerlin junior club champion, and was part of the SNJGA Border Wars Elite Travel Team. He is also an IMG qualifier for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
In my tenure as the middle school golf coach, I have also acted as commissioner for our self-made league, the Southern Nevada Middle School Golf League. What started out as just two schools in 2008 has grown to 12 schools this past season. From April to May we orchestrate weekly nine-hole league matches across the Las Vegas valley for over 150 5th- through 8th-graders.

“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER JAKE PARKER

By Jake Parker
I started learning to play golf when I was 10. My father was my coach, my practice partner, my playing partner, my mentor, my financier, and my ride to the golf course. We studied the game together. Every aspect: the swing, the players, the equipment, etc. At that time, my father became my toughest competitor. We competed through my teenage years and then into my 20s. My game, through his help, developed, and I began to finally conquer my goal of winning against my father. My father and I also had many discussions about me becoming a professional golfer.
In college, I was on the University of Montana Tae Kwon Do team. While representing the University of Montana, I won a gold medal at New York University, a silver medal at UC-Berkeley, and a bronze medal at Princeton. This led me to opening my own Tae Kwon Do school, where I have spent the last 20 years developing athletes and passing along what was given to me. I played golf recreationally, played local tournaments and enjoyed every round that I could with my dad.
My father passed away on June 7, 2020, at the age of 70. This was a turning point in my life. Although I had accomplished every Tae Kwon Do goal from medaling at state, to U.S. collegiate nationals, to U.S. nationals, I had not begun to accomplish any of the golf goals my father and I talked about, and this weighed on me. Through patience and prayer, Jason Miller, a USGTF graduate and a member of the Ranch Club in Missoula, Montana, entered my life. He sent an email to the general manager, Nick McKethen, asking and explaining that he had a student that was preparing for the USGTF and the playing ability test, and asked if there was any way he could help out. His response was, we are very excited for him and he can access the golf course Monday-Thursday and play two 18-hole rounds in exchange for coming out to the golf course twice a week to chip balls from the fescue back into the driving range and drive around fixing ball marks on the greens.
My first day at the Ranch Club did not include chipping golf balls from the fescue back into the driving range or fixing ball marks on the greens. Rather, I helped set up a tournament, taught two junior camps with Mike Barnett, a Montana PGA hall of famer, then wrapped up the tournament. At the end of my first day, I was officially hired as an employee at the Ranch Club and have been there for the last 2 1/2 years.
When I graduated from the USGTF November 12, 2021, I was offered a teaching position at the Ranch Club. I accepted gratefully, and since then have been involved in coaching private lessons, junior camps, ladies fundamentals (including to my wife, my general manager’s wife and our head pro’s wife), Special Olympics athletes, and the Loyola High School golf team. After teaching my first golf lesson, I knew I couldn’t wait to teach my next!
I am blessed to have a very supportive wife, Alicia, and son Jackson, who hold me up and encourage me! They also have a passion for the game. On days when I am not coaching Tae Kwon Do or golf, we loop as a family. We share personal goals and we all help each other achieve them.

“PRO” FILE – TOURING PROFESSIONAL WYNDHAM CLARK

Established stars Rickie Fowler, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Cam Smith were all in contention to win the 2023 U.S. Open, and it seemed certain that one of them would take home the trophy. An interloper named Wyndham Clark was tied for the lead after the third round, but surely, with such big names around him, he was certain to fold, right?

Wrong. Clark held the steadiest of them all and won the title, defeating a stellar list of challengers. But to many, this is not all that surprising. Clark came from a pedigreed collegiate background, first having competed at Oklahoma State before transferring to Oregon. He has long been considered ultra-talented, but it took him a while to show it. He first earned his PGA Tour card in 2018, but up until this year, only did enough to keep his card and little more.

Then, he had a breakthrough at the Wells Fargo Championship in May, winning for the first time. His Open title validated the belief that many had in him, but ironically, one of the non-believers was himself. He started seeing mental coach Julie Elion in January, who instilled in him a belief he was as good as others believed he was. So far this year, Clark has seven top-10 finishes to go along with his two victories. It remains to be seen if Clark will become one of the game’s enduring stars, but no one who knows him will bet against this happening.

REGIONAL TOURNAMENT UPDATE 7-1-2023

Northeast – Nick Verdes won the USGTF Northeast Region Championship played June 15 at Mountain View Golf Course in Ewing Township, New Jersey. Verdes fired a stellar round of 69 to win the event by six shots. Jonathan Dorfmann won the 50-59 division with a 76; Steve Pezzino captured the 60-69 division with an 81, and Peter Palmisano took home the 70+ title with a 76. Dorfmann, Palmisano and Ken Kim, who earlier this year won the Southeast title, all finished tied for second overall.
Central – The USGTF Central Region Championship will be played Sunday and Monday, September 24-25, at Walden Ponds Golf Course in Hamilton, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. The entry fee of $250 includes two tournament rounds, range balls, and prize money which includes not only tournament finishes but any side games. To enter, please call region director Tony McMullin at (513) 479-6895.

NEWS FROM HONG KONG

By Steve Mak
Hong Kong SAR, also known as ‘”the Pearl of the Orient,” Is famous for its beautiful harbor views, multicolored splendor of fireworks, bright lights, skyscrapers, delicious foods and cooking arts, temples and the Buddhist Statue (The Big Buddha). Hong Kong SAR is located geographically in the southern tip of China and is one of the world’s most significant financial centers and commercial ports.
Due to the limited supply of land, Hong Kong SAR has only six golf courses, for which only one is a public course. But luckily, right next to the border is the Guangdong Province of China, which has 50 to 60 golf courses, including the world’s biggest golf club – the Mission Hills Golf & Country Club. The traffic time is only one to two hours of driving and is convenient for golf lovers to play there.

LAS VEGAS MASTERS CLASS

Seven Certified Golf Teaching Professionals® earned their Master Golf Teaching Professional® credentials June 12-14 in the certification course held in Las Vegas, Nevada, under the tutelage of Bill Rice. Participants were: James Draper III, Martinsville, VA; Jake Parker, Missoula, MT; Jason Miller, Missoula, MT; Liu Chunhui, Diamond Bar, CA; Richard Forde, Barbados; Ki Moon, Bellevue, WA, and Tom Alley, Henderson, Nevada.
Comments from the participants included, “I was certified by Bill 13 years ago, and it’s refreshing to see he’s the same positive, comedic person. His passion for teaching and the game of golf is refreshing and a pure joy.” – Alley. “I really like that the program is so focused on becoming a better teacher of golf. I believe it’s more detailed, nuanced, and specific in that way and it makes it very special.” – Miller.
The next Masters class will be held December 11-13 in Fort Pierce, Florida.

LUXOR SIGNED AS HOST HOTEL FOR US GOLF TEACHERS CUP® 2023

The Luxor, one of the Las Vegas Strip’s most famous hotels, has been signed as the host hotel for the 27th annual United States Golf Teachers Cup® 2023 to be played October 9-10, at the Revere Golf Club. Rates for the following nights are as follows: Saturday, $259; Sunday, $99; Monday, 79; Tuesday, $89.
Participants may book by clicking onto https://book.passkey.com/go/FUSG1023LX.
The tournament website is https://www.usgtf.com/uscup.