When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Phil Mickelson Receives (Much-Deserved) U.S. Open Special Exemption
/A six-time runner-up with the U.S. Open returning to his hometown, this was a no-brainer use of the special exemption.
Glad everyone got on the same page…
USGA Announces Special Exemption for Phil Mickelson into the 121st U.S. Open Championship
Five-time major winner to play in his 30th U.S. Open
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (May 14, 2021) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that Phil Mickelson has received a special exemption into the 121st U.S. Open Championship, which will be conducted June 17-20 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif.
“Phil Mickelson’s incredible USGA playing record and overall career achievements are among the most noteworthy in the game’s history,” said USGA CEO Mike Davis. “We are thrilled to welcome him to this year’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.”
Mickelson, 50, is a six-time U.S. Open runner-up, most in championship history, and has recorded ten top-10 finishes in 29 appearances. He won the 1990 U.S. Amateur Championship and was a member of the 1989 and 1991 USA Walker Cup Teams and the 1990 USA World Amateur Team.
“Winning the U.S. Open has been a lifelong and elusive dream, and I’ve come close so many times,” said Mickelson, a San Diego native. “You can’t win if you don’t play. I’m honored and appreciative of the USGA for the opportunity and look forward to playing in my hometown on a golf course I grew up on.”
Mickelson seeks to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods and become just the sixth in history to win all four majors. Among Mickelson’s 44 career professional victories are five major titles – the 2004, 2006, and 2010 Masters Tournaments, the 2005 PGA Championship, and the 2013 British Open Championship. In addition, Mickelson has represented the USA on 12 Ryder Cup teams and 12 Presidents Cup squads.
Mickelson is the sixth player since 2010 to receive a special exemption into the U.S. Open. The list includes Tom Watson (2010), Vijay Singh (2010), Retief Goosen (2016), Jim Furyk (2018), and Ernie Els (twice, in 2018 and 2019). Hale Irwin is the lone player to win the U.S. Open playing on a special exemption, doing so in a 19-hole playoff over Mike Donald in 1990 at Medinah (Ill.) Country Club to claim his third U.S. Open title.
The 121st U.S. Open will be the third USGA championship to be played on the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course, which hosted the 1998 U.S. Amateur Public Links won by Trevor Immelman, and the 2008 U.S. Open memorably won by Tiger Woods in a 19-hole Monday playoff over Rocco Mediate. The U.S. Open will be the 85th USGA championship conducted in the state of California. Two weeks earlier, the 76th U.S. Women’s Open will be played at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Quadrilateral: Major(s) News & Notes: May 6th, 2021
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As the PGA nears The Quadrilateral has you covered with news, notes and expensive resale market ticket links.
The weekly edition is for all followers of the newsletter. Here are past issues and the signup page.
Quadrilateral Major(s) News And Notes: April 29, 2020
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This week’s open-to-all newsletter seems to have urged the flacks of the world to lecture me and of course, plenty of “grow the game” declarations and just all out meltdowns from the influencer set.
Oddly none of the USGA’s paid promoters seem bothered by the $160 U.S. Open ticket price reported on in the newsletter along with several PGA Championship notes.
Phil Unsure About A Torrey Pines U.S. Open Special Exemption
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You have to admire Phil Mickelson’s willingness to qualify and lack of desire to accept a 2021 U.S. Open special exemption. But with six runner-up finishes and as a native of San Diego, he’s a no-brainer based on any number of factors, from his career to the number handed out in the past to other legends.
According to this from ESPN.com’s Bob Harig talking to Mickelson after his Valspar opening run, the stance has at least moved from not wanting one to unsure.
"I don't know; I just don't know the answer to that right now," Mickelson told ESPN after shooting 2-over-par 73 at the Valspar Championship. "I'm scheduled to go through qualifying the day after the Memorial [Tournament in Ohio]."
As Harig notes, the USGA usually makes any such announcements in mid-May. The first was given to Ben Hogan in 1966 and most recent was to Ernie Els at Pebble Beach in 2019.
Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes, April 22, 2021
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Subscribers already have today’s edition in their inbox covering a nice mix this week involving three majors and the Ryder Cup. Though a couple of stories aren’t so nice. Edgy, we’ll call them.
The weekly edition is free but commenting and other exclusive editions are for subscribers. All of that is explained here at The Quadrilateral.golf.
Kiawah is going to provide some good preview content in the coming weeks so join the Quad for the ride.
More On The 2021 U.S. Open Spectating Possibilities
/No one expects a full U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and certainly not at Olympic for the women’s edition where the course sits in two counties and fans were not looking likely at all just a few weeks ago. But there are signs that the USGA is in a wait and see mode before setting any kind of number, with some flexibility to add.
From Bob Harig’s ESPN.com story:
"One of the reasons we are not going to make any official comment on numbers is because we anticipate it will continue to change and evolve over the coming weeks. But it's all positive movements. We are planning based on what the guidelines are there today, but realizing it's such a fluid situation that changes day by day. Unlike a year ago, the changes are in a positive way."
Spectator capacities at pro sporting events in California are dictated by a county's risk tier, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego allows up to 33% capacity, but that can increase to 67% if everyone is vaccinated or tested. That system is expected to be discontinued on June 15, which is Tuesday of U.S. Open week.
Getting near 67% would be pretty robust galleries but it’s unclear if that number is attainable due to potential limits created by parking spaces or a lack of “build out” on site.
2021 RBC Heritage Ratings Down A Bit Compared To '19
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With a Stewart Cink runaway the RBC Heritage was down a bit across the ratings board according to ShowBuzzDaily’s Weekly Sports wrap up.
The LPGA’s Lotte Championship and Champions Tour Chubb Classic also landed on the list, which is better than not at all.
By comparison, the 2019 ratings for Heritage week played in a similar calendar spot:
USGA: "Limited Number of Fans" At U.S. Opens, Vaccination Required For Out-Of-State Ticketholders
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Noteworthy here: proof of vaccination will be required for out of state fans, vaccination or negative test results for California residents at the U.S. Open (Torrey Pines) and U.S. Women’s Open (Olympic Club).
Not clear: how many fans will be welcomed.
For Immediate Release:
USGA to Welcome a Limited Number of Fans in June at 2021 U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Open Championships
Ticket information now available at uswomensopen.com and usopen.com
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (April 19, 2021) – The USGA announced today that the 2021 U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Open Championships will be played with a limited number of fans in attendance. The 76th U.S. Women's Open will be held at The Olympic Club (Lake Course), in San Francisco, Calif., from June 3-6, and the 121st U.S. Open will be held at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course), in San Diego, Calif., from June 17-20.
"Last year, we missed the energy that fans bring to our U.S. Open championships," said John Bodenhamer, senior managing director, Championships. "We are grateful to our local and state health and safety officials in California to be in a position to welcome some fans back this year to witness the greatest players in the world contending for these prestigious championships, while working to maintain the health and safety of all involved."
Those who have already purchased tickets to the U.S. Open will receive a direct communication from the USGA with additional details.
Information on tickets for each championship is available on uswomensopen.com and usopen.com.
The USGA will continue to monitor developments and guidelines in California and will update local policies and procedures on the championships' respective websites as required.
For both championships, the following guidelines will be in place:
Face coverings will be required for fans, staff and volunteers, and must be worn at all times, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status;
All fans, staff, and volunteers will be required to abide by social distancing guidelines;
State of California residents must show proof that vaccination against COVID-19 has occurred at least 14 days prior to the championships or that a negative test result has been received;
It will be mandatory for all out-of-state fans to provide proof that vaccination against COVID-19 has occurred at least 14 days prior to the championship;
Information regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccination verification will be made available on uswomensopen.com and usopen.com;
Sanitization stations will be available throughout the grounds, and spectators will be permitted to bring hand sanitizer.
The U.S. Women's Open will be held at The Olympic Club for the first time in its 76-year history. The storied venue has hosted five U.S. Opens, as well as five other USGA championships. Torrey Pines will host the U.S. Open for the second time; in 2008, it was the site of Tiger Woods' memorable Monday playoff victory over Rocco Mediate.
California Is Aiming To Fully Reopen June 15th, U.S. Open Tuesday
/Luke Money and Taryn Luna report for the L.A. Times and California’s plan to “fully reopen its economy June 15.”
The hope is only as good as a sufficient vaccine supply expected along with “stable and low hospitalization numbers.”
June 15th is Tuesday of the U.S. Open scheduled for Torrey Pines South.
U.S. Open Cuts Back Volunteer Force
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Not promising for U.S. Open spectating but also impossible to say without knowing how many are getting trimmed from work force:
We hope this note continues to find you and your families well and enjoying the beginning of spring.
The 2021 U.S. Open Championship will be contested with minimal volunteers on-site at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif. The decision to have limited volunteers was made in coordination with the State of California and San Diego County guidance for hosting a live outdoor event. Although this decision to scale the volunteer program did not come lightly, we feel it gives us the best opportunity to conduct the championship this year while ensuring the health and safety of all involved as our top priority.
We do have limited volunteer positions available and wanted to extend this opportunity to you to continue as a volunteer for the 2021 U.S. Open during the week of June 14-20.
Also you $195 uniform can be kept if opting out, a gulp, $350 value. I blame the water bottle.
If you choose to opt-out, you will have the option to keep the 2021 U.S. Open volunteer apparel package or receive a full refund of $195. The volunteer apparel package is provided by Polo Ralph Lauren. Each item is U.S. Open branded and items include two (2) polo golf shirts, one (1) wind jacket, one (1) piece of headwear, one (1) lapel pin, one (1) water bottle, and one (1) clear drawstring bag. The apparel package has a retail value of approximately $350 and will be shipped out later this spring. Please note we can NOT ship volunteer apparel packages outside of the continental United States and therefore will issue a full refund for all international volunteers along with those registered from Hawaii and Alaska.
All volunteer committee assignments will be finalized and communicated in April. With the reduced number of volunteers, we will attempt to assign each volunteer to one of his or her committee preferences; however, this might not be possible due to the requests for certain committees greatly outnumbering their respective staffing requirements. If the committee preferences you selected are full, we will assign you to another committee.
Major(s) News And Notes, March 25, 2021
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We’re just 14-day from The Masters and so it features prominently in this week’s free edition of The Quadrilateral.
But there are plenty of other notes, maybe a cringe or eye roll or two and hopefully just a bit more excitement about major championship season.
Major(s) Notes, March 11, 2011
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This week we learned Augusta National’s tax bill, major concerns for two major favorites, horrifying Masters radio news and a progressive maintenance plan for the U.S. Women's Open.
Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes For March 4, 2021
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The Quadrilateral’s weekly news and notes editon goes to all subscribers and while you can read it here, what fun is that when you can have it delivered free in a mobile-friendly edition for safe keeping. Or reading in line at Trader Joes.
You can read more on how The Quad will work as we near the first major, or at the Substack landing page where you can see past editions. I’ve got a few fun Q&A’s lined up for the coming weeks, some looks at Augusta National’s architecture and more as we near the season’s first major.
Also, if you’re enjoying Substack as much as I am, consider downloading their reader beta where you can read all of your favorite Substacks in one spot.
The (Current) Major Pecking Order, Part II
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The week-long wait is over and paying Quadrilateral subscribers have received The (Current) Major Pecking Order, Part II.
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