THE FRENCH LICK RESORT-French Lick Indiana-Ready to host your next play and stay. Visit FrenchLick.com Golf-Hotels-Spa and Sportsbook/Casino (Must be 21). Home of this coming weeks Senior LPGA Championship. The Symetra Tour returns in 2022.    _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.

THE 2021 Fed Ex Cup Playoffs are underway, with this weeks Northern Trust.

But today they will not be held, because of incoming weather from a major storm coming up the east coast.

So final round play will begin at 7:30 AM on Monday morning. Arlington Heights native Doug Ghim shot a third round 8 under par 63, to move 39 spots up the leaderboard. Ghim needs to move up 13 spots in the Fed Ex Cup points race to make the field at the BMW Championship at Caves Valley this coming week.

THIS WEEKS SENIOR LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP on the Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort will be missing a champion.

Because defending champion Helen Alfredsson who won the trophy in 2019, forgot to enter on time.

So in spite of an extra year to get her entry into the LPGA, Alfredsson forgot to enter on time. Because of her late entry, she was denied a spot in the field by the LPGA. For Alfredsson as the old saying goes, wait until next year.

NORTHBROOK/CHICAGO based KemperSports has announced that Kevin Lind has hired as the General Manager of the 9-hole Vernon Hills golf course. Lind previously worked as the Golf Operations Manager at White Pines in Bensenville.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS has announced it’s 2021-2022 Men’s golf schedule, and the season will begin on September 4th, at the Indiana University Invitational. Two weeks later Illinois will host it’s annual invitational at Olympia Fields Country Club. The championship will have a strong field with several schools that are ranked among the best in the country. So for more details see FightingIllini.com

HARRISON OTT of Brookfield Wisconsin, who plays college golf at Vanderbilt University won the recent Wisconsin State Open. Ott’s winning score of 12 under par (275) gave him a 4-shot victory over Zach Burry of Appleton. Ott became the first amateur to win back-to-back titles in more than 60 years. For more details visit WPGA.com.

THE FIRST TEE of GREATER CHICAGO is hosting an open house on Tuesday August 31st from 4-7 Pm in it’s new clubhouse at the Waveland Golf Course in Chicago. Email the FirstteeChicago.org with any questions.

GLENN HICKEY SR-VP of Callaway Golf has released a statement saying the company is working as hard as possible, through delays in it’s Far Southeast Asia supply chain, to maintain it’s service levels. Covid-19 and Covid-19 protocols are creating delays in both apparel and equipment. More details at Callawaygolf.com.

JIM FURYK JOINS WILLOWBROOK based CLUB CHAMPION. “MR.58” Jim Furyk a former Western Open Champion and current Ryder Cup Vice-Captain, has joined Club Champion as a brand ambassador for the club fitting leader.

“I couldn’t be where I am in my golf career if it weren’t for properly-fitting clubs that work with my swing and not against it,” said Furyk. “Club Champion is best at what they do and I’m proud to work with a place that can give any golfer the ability to improve their game through better-fitting equipment.”

Furyk joins fellow Major champion winners Jordan Spieth and Lexi Thompson on the Club Champion ambassador team.

Club Champion offers over 50 brands and 50,000 hittable club combinations in every store. But by the end of 2021 Club Champion will have over locations nationwide.

“Adding Jim to our impressive roster of ambassador talent is amazing,” said Nick Sherburne, founder of Club Champion. “Jim has been a dominant force for over 30 years. He’ll continue to be a great advocate for the game and for the benefits of club fitting. But to help your game, learn more at Clubchampiongolf.com.

SO YOU need a great putter. But you need it at a great price.

LAB Golf Putters are running a “Blemished” putter sale.

So you can save $200 or more, depending on what kind of blemish you would like.

Because you can build you own DF 2.1 putter, or you can take your pick of already pre-built blemish putters.

BUT once these blemished putters are gone, they are gone.

Supplies are limited. If you have questions please email to outlet@labgolf.com.

THE Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) will host it’s 29th Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship August 23-24, at the Bloomington Country Club.

The 54 hole championship begins tomorrow, with 36 holes. But at the end of play on the first day, the low 35 scores and ties, advance to a final 18 holes on Tuesday.

The field is 78 players, and has 23 exempt players. Three qualifiers were held to fill out the field. 208 players went through qualifying. But all players must be 25 years of age or older. Handicaps must be 7.4 or less. John Ramsey is the defending champion and has returned to defend his title. The golf course plays just over 6,500 yards and to a par of 71 (36-35). Details at CDGA.org.

CLELVELAND GOLF has released it’s new Launcher XL Halo Irons, a hybrid-style club for better game improvement.

The clubs have now been launched for orders with graphite shafts. But orders with steel shafts launch on September 17th.

Cleveland Golf General Manager Brian Schielke says the new Halo Irons will make the game more fun for all golfers.

“Most of us don’t have a lot of confidence standing 170 yards from a green with a long iron in our hand,” said Schielke.” But with a Launcher XL HALO you can swing easier, feel confident, and be surprised on how forgiving these clubs are. These irons will become your go to clubs.” But for more information see ClevelandGolf.com.

TITLEIST releases the NEW U-505 utility club, and more from the T200 long irons.

AVAILABLE starting this Thursday August 26th these new U-505 Utility Clubs and T-200 long irons will be in the golf shops globally. But also available this week is the new family of Titleist T-100, T100s, T-300 Irons. The T-100 Performance and Technology. The T-100s for speed. The T-300’s the ultimate game improvement iron.

“The new U-505 is the direct result of tour player feedback from the original U-500 and U-510 utility irons,” said Josh Talge, Vice President of Titleist Golf Club Marketing. “The U-505 combines the best of both and the result is our highest performing and most playable utility iron yet. But the new T-200 Long Irons offer similar high launch and speed with the look and feel of an iron set at the top of the bag.”

Titleist staff players who have added the T200’s to their bag at the British Open included Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Charley Hoffman, Garrick Higgo, Adam Scott and Bernd Wiesberger. Titleist promotes both models by saying, better Tungsten, better clubs and better launch. For more details on prices, shafts and grips. Visit Titleist.com

THE GOG BLOG SPEAKS OUT-returns tomorrow. RS