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
Player moves and Zach gets the Ryder Cup nod lead off this edition.
Plus, distance talk, the fairway landing area on Augusta National's 11th, Oakland Hills update, women's major notes, Rory's Masters approach and Reads. Never have I been more thrilled to deliver some old school notes and observations.
As always, Thursdays are guaranteed free for all Quad subscribers and looky-loos.
Plus, a very historic Augusta National image sells and I’ve got a few more details on the recent course work courtesy of John Boyette, who debuts a much needed pre-Masters newsletter.
Plus, Masters v. Super Bowl tickets, Old Course-adjacent real estate moves and a bunch of Reads.
How much is there to talk about in the major world? Too much to get it all in this week’s News & Notes before Substack’s algorithms told me I’d hit capacity. But hopefully you’ll enjoy the news, notes and opinion offered this week.
As always, a reminder that this can also be received in your inbox free of charge despite the high cost of stamps!
I thought it was time for the first of several pre-Masters, pre-Chevron player rankings but decided the silly season vibe meant we’re not ready just yet.
But silly did not necessarily equate to boring, as I round up here in The Quadrilateral, with notable work by players at the American Express, Abu Dhabi, Hilton Grand Vacations TOC, Singapore Open and Latin America Amateur.
A preview for all and full roundup for the loyal subscribers.
Southern Hills after a recent storm (Southern Hills)
Busier than most news and notes edition of The Quad, so much so I had to cut some non-golf reads from the end. But you’ll survive because there is plenty to read about it, including upgrades to the U.S. Women's Open going noticed by a variety of parties, including some on the PGA Tour wanting an upgrade. Plus, Ryder Cup captaincy news, the Latin America Am returns, Keita Nakajima, Rory, CBS plans more tech improvements and lots of other major stuff.
You can see all of The Quad’s recent posts here on the new homepage, read about the newsletter here, or subscribe for free here.
The event returns after a year off and will offer the winner a spot in The Masters, The Open at St Andrews, The Amateur and the U.S. Amateur.
ESPN2/ESPNEWS (United States), Fox Sports (Australia), SuperSport (Southern Africa), TSN (Canada), Sky (New Zealand), GolfTV throughout Europe, SBS Golf (Korea) and Sky Sports (United Kingdom).
All times ET:
First Round Thursday, January 20 12-2 p.m.
Second Round Friday, January 21 12-2 p.m.
Third Round Saturday, January 22 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Final Round Sunday, January 23 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The Quadrilateral has lumped the nine men’s and women’s major venues of 2022 into one package and done what any self-respecting publication would do: rank them. I should probably also rank where this year ranks on the list of great venue years but one ranking is enough for now. Too many exciting venues sporting shiny new paint jobs to celebrate!
The next logical starter based on his history with the Masters has been invited by Chairman Fred Ridley to participate starting in 2022. The full statement from Augusta National Golf Club:
Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, announced today that two-time Masters champion Tom Watson will join Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as an Honorary Starter beginning Thursday, April 7, 2022, at the 86th Masters Tournament.
“I am honored that Tom has accepted our invitation,” said Ridley. “I look forward to commemorating his love for the game and impact on the Masters with his millions of fans across the globe as he hits a tee shot alongside two of the Tournament’s other all-time greats, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.”
Watson won the 1977 and 1981 Masters Tournaments and finished runner-up three times in his 15 top-10 showings at Augusta National. He is one of 17 players to win multiple Masters Tournaments, and his 72.74 scoring average ranks fifth in Tournament history.
After competing in the Masters as an amateur in 1970, Watson made 42 consecutive starts from 1975-2016, the fifth-longest streak in Tournament history. His 58 subpar rounds are second all-time behind Nicklaus (71), and he holds the record for most consecutive years with at least one subpar round (21, 1975-1995).
“Augusta National in April is one of my favorite places to be,” Watson said. “With the many fond memories of both watching the Masters as a youngster and then competing in the Tournament for so many years, I am greatly honored to join my friends and fellow competitors, Jack and Gary, as an Honorary Starter in this upcoming Masters. In both of my victories, Jack was on my heels. And when Gary won his third Tournament in 1978, I was there to help him put on the Green Jacket. Moments like those stand out in my career, and the opportunity to share the Honorary Starter tradition with Jack, Gary and the Masters patrons will be very special.”
The tradition of Honorary Starters at the Masters began in 1963 with Jock Hutchison (1963-1973) and Fred McLeod (1963-1976) performing the duties. Other Honorary Starters include Byron Nelson (1981-2001, non-consecutive), Gene Sarazen (1981-1999), Ken Venturi (1983), Sam Snead (1984-2002), Arnold Palmer (2007-2016), Nicklaus (2010-present), Player (2012-present) and Lee Elder (2021). The introduction of the Honorary Starters and ceremonial tee shots historically precede the first tee time of the Tournament’s first competitive round, signaling the official beginning of Masters competition. The 86th Masters Tournament is scheduled for April 4-10, 2022.
Bifurcation begins Thursday at Kapalua. While reducing driver shaft length will likely only annoy Phil or Bryson, the player-driven ban on various green reading materials could impact a lot of top players. The bifurcation so many have desired has arrived! It’s a party! With killer views and Kona winds.
As always you can read more about The Quadrilateral here or subscribe here.
This week’s edition looks at how USGA Presidency history was made this week, twice.
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Keita Nakajima is the third Japanese golfer to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship after beating Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho in a playoff.
The 21-year-old Nakajima is now headed for the 2022 Masters where a practice rounds seems inevitable with defending champion Hideki Matsuyama.
Nakajima’s win caps off a stellar year for Japan golf. Besides Matsuyama’s historic win, Nasa Hataoka lost in the U.S. Women’s Open playoff and More Inami was the silver medalist in Tokyo.
Final round highlights and the trophy ceremony attended by Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley and R&A Chief Martin Slumbers:
🏆 @keita_nakajima2's winning round in under 6️⃣0️⃣ seconds 👇
— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) November 6, 2021
🏆 中島啓太の勝利のラウンドは6️⃣0️⃣ 秒未満で👇 pic.twitter.com/kcRxSwUdof
Here's what our Champion @keita_nakajima2 had to say after becoming the first reigning World Number One to win the AAC 👇#CreatingHeroes pic.twitter.com/NuakYLh0eG
— Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (@AAC_Golf) November 6, 2021
Just a reminder to American audiences that the 12th Asia-Pacific Amateur kicks off Wednesday after a one year hiatus. It’s also the first playing since Hideki Matsuyama, a former two-time winner of the event captured the Masters.
They’re playing the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, which is most famous for its clubhouse and a floating tee. No one in the field cares where they’re playing with the winner earning and invitation to the Masters and The Open at St Andrews.
You can follow the scoring here.
Coverage times:
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
