THE 2022 BMW CHAMPIONSHIP has a repeat champion in Patrick Cantlay who won in 2021 at Caves Valley. (R) Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey, it is still ranked #1.
The Gog Blog by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy on the 18th tee at the Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey.
PATRICK CANTLAY has won it again, he is your 2022 BMW Championship, champion.
Cantlay now has a strong chance to win the Fed Ex Cup playoffs two years in a row. Because he is the first player to defend his title in a Fed Ex Cup playoff event.
But he could also be the first player to win the Fed Ex Cup playoffs, in back to back years with a strong showing in Atlanta.
Cantlay’s comments about PGA Tour events having weaker fields because of the LIV series of golf was interesting. But what was surprising was all the talk because Tiger flew in for a meeting with Rickie Fowler. So what’s the point of Tiger flying in, did it change anything. Not likely but time will tell.
Players made comments saying commissioner Woods. But is Woods lobbying for the job, maybe he should retire and take on the position. There is talk about a new business model for the tour, with money coming in from the UK. Might we see a change at the commissioner position. Some publications are already calling out Jay Monahan, saying he is “commissioner for now.” Monahan getting let-go would be the right move.
The final round of the BMW Championship saw BMW having to come up with another scholarship for a deserving caddie. Because Viktor Hovland’s hole-in-one on the par-3 second hole earned a scholarship from BMW. It was the sixth ace during the BMW, when that happens, BMW contributes a scholarship to the WGAESF. Great job BMW.
SPEAKING OF THE BMW the release came out this week about future BMW Championship sites for 2025 and 2026. Chicago was NOT selected. But for those of you thinking this has something to do with the LIV Series of Golf coming to Rich Harvest Farms, you have guessed wrong.
Because it has everything to do with the Presidents Cup coming to Medinah Country Club in 2026. Plus the fall out effects of spending big dollars for hospitality in 2026. But after a run of one BMW Championship in the Chicago area over a span of six years. One would think the 2027 BMW comes here during the last year of their contract.
But the feeling is that Chicago is being abandoned by the Western Golf Association (WGA). But I don’t totally agree with that-at least for now. Starting in 2027, there needs to be renewed commitment to Chicago, regardless of who is the sponsor. OR EVEN what the state of professional golf is by that time.
THE LIV SERIES OF GOLF is coming to Jerry Rich’s Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove September 16-18. But by then the field could be really good, as reports have as many as 5 Top 30 players making the move to LIV at the end of the Fed Ex Cup playoffs. But more Top 50 players will join LIV after the President’s Cup next month. I’ll have plenty more coming on the LIV Series of Golf by next weekend.
PINE VALLEY GOLF CLUB in Pine Valley New Jersey is really good. Because now that I have played the course, I can tell you the club is worth the #1 ranking it has had for years. A future column on Pine Valley is coming next week.
THE U.S. SENIOR WOMEN’S OPEN this week at NCR Country Club in Ohio. I had a chance to play the golf course, NCR South last year and it’s a really good Dick Wilson design. The ladies will enjoy the golf course. I’m rooting on our two local players Nicole Jeray of Mistwood Golf Club and Jamie Fischer from Conway Farms. Fischer grew up only a few blocks away from the club. So this is like a home game for her.
CONGRATULATIONS TO SAM BENNETT from Texas on winning the U.S. Amateur championship 2 Up over Ben Carr at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey. I’ve had the pleasure to talk twice one-on-one with Bennett in recent years, and he is a good kid. Bennett showed up at the Palmer Cup at Rich Harvest Farms only days after his father passed away, urged on by his family to do so. Bennett responded by winning the Team USA award voted on by his teammates. He told me that meant a lot to him. I wish Bennett the best moving forward in his golf career.
THE ILLINOIS PGA SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP tee’s off Round 1 today at Makray Memorial Golf Club in Barrington. Defending champion Andy Mickelson of the Mistwood Golf Club heads up a small but strong field of 108 players. According to record and stat guy Tim Cronin of the Illinois Golfer, it’s the smallest field going back to 2007. Maybe even longer than that. In 2019 the field was 133 players, from 2007 through 2012 it was larger than 150 players. Where are all the Illinois PGA professionals ?
Golfers on Golf will be onsite to provide coverage. The Gog Blog returns all week long. RS