Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2020 - 3

EDITOR'S
LE T T ER
It's a Mad World
As our world keeps changing, golf feels like a
salve for the soul.
T
" As summer
opens, we
are still reeling
from the
repercussions
of COVID-19
and the
unfamiliar
rhythms of the
golf season. "
he Governor ordered us to stay at
home and we mostly complied. The
Minnesota State High School League
cancelled spring athletics when it became evident
that students wouldn't be returning to
the classroom to finish the school year. For
high school seniors it was an incalculable
loss; no chance to participate in their favorite
school athletics or activities, or go to prom,
or walk the stage and pick up their diploma.
For senior golfers, it meant no spring golf season,
no high school rankings, no Mr. and Ms.
Minnesota Golf award, no chance to play in
the state high school tournaments.
As summer opens, we are still reeling from
the repercussions of COVID-19 and the unfamiliar
rhythms of the golf season: no USGA
qualifiers, in fact, no USGA amateur or open
championships except the men's and women's
U.S. Amateurs, and men's and women's U.S.
Opens, the latter two postponed until later in
the year. The U.S. Junior Amateur, scheduled
for July 20-25 at Chaska Town Course and
Hazeltine National, cancelled.
3M Open organizers announced this
year's tournament, July 23-26 at the TPC
Twin Cities, will be conducted without spectators
in accordance with safety guidelines
due to the pandemic. Last year, Matthew
Wolf, a tour rookie with an idiosyncratic
hitch in his backswing, spectacularly eagled
the par-5 18th hole to win by one stroke over
Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa.
DeChambeau, who was watching in the
media flash area, looked dumbfounded.
That year, the 3M event donated more
than $1.5 million to local non-profits. Hollis
Cavner, the 3M Open executive tournament
director, remains excited about the prospect
of hosting the event this year sans spectators.
After a three-month hiatus, the PGA Tour
returned to televised golf June 11-14 at
mngolf.org
The Colonial National Invitational in Fort
Worth, Texas. DeChambeau, who says he's
gained 20 pounds and two shirt sizes during
the break, drives his ball over the hazards
and bunkers, making them " obsolete. "
His goal? To hit more wedges into greens.
He had a chance to tie for the lead at 18, but
couldn't convert a short birdie opportunity
and finished tied for third (Daniel Berger
beat Morikawa in a one-hole playoff).
Weirdly, there were no spectators.
Peter Kostis, a long-time CBS golf reporter
and analyst whose high-profile separation
from CBS's golf team along with Gary
McCord came last fall, told the No Laying
Up podcast: the Tour and its broadcast partners
are more interested in marketing the
product than the quality of the telecast. Like
other major league sports, the Tour wants to
control the brand and control the message.
Kostis, who began his career as an assistant
pro giving lessons, said in a later podcast,
this time with McKellar Golf, that " professional
golf is not [the only game]. Golf is
muni golf, it's public golf, it's private golf. It's
where people actually pay to play golf, not
where people are paid to play golf. "
Since recreational golf got off to a belated
start, and tournament golf wasn't permitted
until June 1, my home club excised half of
its tournaments. So, given the sudden free
time (no cabin and the prospect of yard
work held little appeal), I joined a second
club. The combined schedules fit together
like hand in glove, and given the tragedy of
George Floyd's death and ensuing madness,
golf feels like a salve for the soul.
See you on the tee.
W.P. Ryan, Editor-in-Chief
Summer 2020 MINNESOTAGOLFER
3
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2020

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