Jack And Ernie Among Those Challenging Clubs To Give Back During COVID-19 Crisis

/
Screen Shot 2020-04-19 at 8.05.20 PM.png


Victor Garcia at FoxNews.com explains the ClubsHELP cause supported by Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Kris Tschetter and others to push golf and country clubs to give back to their community front line workers.

From Garcia’s story:

According to the organization, "Clubs HELP encourages clubs and members to connect with hospitals in their respective local areas to provide a much needed support network in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic."

The nationwide foundation has golf clubs that "adopt" local hospitals to give them the support and supplies.
"Barb and I are proud to be part of a children's hospital in Miami, one that bears our name with 17 outpatient clinics," Nicklaus said in the video. "And we have many, many workers down there. They all need our help too.  The workers at these hospitals have worked tirelessly, put through lives on the line for their work with COVID-19 virus."

"They need our help. We need to raise money," Nicklaus added. "We need to raise money the best we can."

Here is the signup page at ClubsHELP.

Jack Nicklaus issuing his challenge to Nicklaus-designed clubs and others:

Ernie Els’ message:

Hoag Classic Win: Ernie Els Injects Champions Tour With Much Needed Jolt

/
Screen Shot 2020-03-08 at 8.59.05 PM.png

Sunday at Newport Beach Country Club played out like an old-style PGA Tour Champions event, with Hall of Famers battling successful ex PGA Tour players and a few journeyman, including a Monday qualifier. And just in time for a Tour that has not gotten support from the legends as much in recent years, Ernie Els appeared rejuvenated by his first pro win in over six years (2013 BMW International).

Andrew Turner with the LA Times story on Els’ Hoag Classic win coming just weeks after a playoff loss in the season opener.

“I didn’t have that free-flowing feeling,” said Els, who shot four-under 67 in the final round. “I had to work hard for it, and that’s a good thing to do, to work hard for something. You don’t want something falling in your lap. I’m glad the first one’s over with, and we can move on now and it gets more comfortable after this.

“After being in a playoff in Hawaii, coming close to winning there, I didn’t want to mess this one up. I had a great opportunity, and I wanted to try and take that.”

Along with Els, having Couples still playing well and maybe a more Davis Love participation, it could be the boost PGA Tour Champions needs.

Els polished off the win with a classy bunker shot at 18:

Els Grateful For Castle Stuart's Width

/

Nice little zinger from Ernie Els to Graeme McDowell about the supposed ease of Scottish Open host Castle Stuart, as reported by Alex Miceli.

“Been to Muirfield a couple of times now so I kind of know what I need to do,” Els said Wednesday in a press conference before the pro-am. “I’m trying out two new drivers from Callaway and thank goodness, according to Graeme (McDowell), we have a lot of width in the fairways.”

Ernie On Muirfield: “There is rough, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it’s unfair."

/

Comments were attributed to Ernie Els on Wednesday about Muirfield but he hadn't played the course until Thursday, telling PGATour.com's Sean Martin that setup looks good to him. And at 25-1 as the last man to win at Muirfield, that's good news to punters.

“I love the course,” Els told PGATOUR.COM on Friday. “I think it’s set up very similar to 1992 and 2002. The rough is good, the fairways are good, some of the holes have been lengthened.”

Richest Event In World Is Not Rich Enough Apparently

/

The inaugural non-WGC Tournament of Hope in South Africa has been "postponed" due to "economic climate."

For Immediate Friday News Dump Release:

February 1, 2013 - The International Federation of PGA Tours and the Sunshine Tour announced today that the Tournament of Hope, scheduled for the week of November 18, 2013, has been postponed.

The Tournament of Hope is an event to be contested in South Africa with a primary eligibility category of the top 50 players in the world, supplemented by the individual money lists and Orders of Merit of the various Tours that make up the International Federation of PGA Tours.  The Tournament of Hope is also to be the centerpiece of a proposed worldwide AIDS awareness effort, to be coordinated by the Sunshine Tour.

“We are confident that the initial enthusiasm for the Tournament of Hope remains in South Africa and among other potential international sponsors,” said Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour, speaking on behalf of the Sunshine Tour and the International Federation of PGA Tours.  “We are hopeful that, with an improvement in the economic climate, we will be able to conclude all arrangements for a successful staging of the Tournament of Hope at a future date.”

Further announcements concerning the Tournament of Hope will be made periodically.

The entire thing was a bit complicated from day one and up until last February when its status was finally decided.

It all started with a Presidents Cup scheduling brouhaha when the European Tour scheduled the 2011 South African Open the week of the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

Ernie Paying A Compliment: "The R&A want to have the same kind of scores winning today as you did back in the 1920s."

/

Martin Dempster talks to Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen about R&A Chief Inspector Architect Dawson's changes to the Old Course.

Louis, the last man to win the Open at St. Andrews, not surprisingly had no idea what Dempster was asking about. Els, the 2012 Open Champion, tried to defend the changes but in doing so unknowingly offered the worst indictment possible.

“Most of the courses we’ve played in the past ten or so years have changed, including Troon, Royal Liverpool and Sandwich. In fact, they’re making changes to all of the courses on the rota in a bid to make the challenge as tough as possible.”

A course designer himself, Els added: “The only thing that bothers me a bit about it is that, when the wind changes direction sometimes on these courses, it can be tough to get to the fairway from some of these new tees.

Quibble, quibble! These pros today are so spoiled. Go on...

“But I think these courses do need to change. The R&A want to have the same kind of scores winning today as you did back in the 1920s."

Psssst....Ernie, that's about the most cynical, small-minded thing a governing body charged with ensuring skill is rewarded can end up doing! Especially one constantly touting their lack of concern for winning scores far under par.