THE BAER NINE OF THE SCHAUMBURG GOLF CLUB NOW HAS 7 OF 9 holes opened for play, with the last two hoes 17 & 18 opening shortly. Details can be found at Schaumburggolf.com or call the club at (847)-885-9000. THE NEW DRUMLIN putting course at Erin Hills will open on August 1st. Visit ErinHills.com or call (866)-772-4769.      _____________________________________________________________________

Golfersongolf.com presents-The Gog Blog by Rory Spears. Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy with the JUG at Wrigley Field.

SHANE LOWRY congratulations you are the Champion Golfer of the Year. For 2019, enjoy. Ireland loves you.

What a display of golf to win by the margin that you did.

Royal Portrush comes away a winner as well. Looking solid on TV, and proving worthy of a return by the R&A in the years to come, with another Open.

Or is it the British Open, the Open Championship, or just ‘The Open’. Every few years there seems to be a new name on this major of golf.

RORY MCILROY…nice second round 65. But another bad first round. So bad you missed the cut and went home on Friday. Because 79 doesn’t get it done at majors. Besides, what’s up with bad first rounds at majors. Fix that please.

TIGER WOODS looks beyond fixable. What started with a very accurate call-out from Padraig Harrington about his preparation, was piled on by Paul Azinger. Saying Woods might never win again. Woods looked old, and broken down with a bad-back that looks ready to go out at any moment.

After missing the cut, Woods said he was “tired and wanted to go home.” Yep-2, yeah-2 comeptitive rounds in a month, and he is tired. Several national and tabloid writers took issue with that. Because that’s not how you say it. Hard to grow the game one writer suggested, when old and broken TW comes across like that.

PHIL MICKELSON doesn’t look much better. His 15 pound weight loss from fasting didn’t help. Cut-Cut-Cut.

NO-MORE 36 holes in one day plans. Doesn’t work even in July. It’s one thing to have to play 36 holes, when you have to make up a rain-out. But what two tournaments learned the hard way this past week is that, you don’t schedule 36 up-front. Because you are asking for issues, be it high heat or more rain.

Mistwood Golf Club got lucky to survive their 36 hole Illinois Women’s Open day. In fact some players in the IWO, said they like that format. Because they were used to it from college. But those fall and spring college tournaments, have plenty of issues from scheduling in that manner. Besides numerous finishings of Round 2 the next day, many of these events lose one full round all together.

THE WWGA had to reduce it’s 36 hole championship final to 18 holes. The CDGA had to reduce their 36 hole final day of the Illinois State Amateur to 18 holes. Oops and more Oops. As for three tournaments in one week, that’s another story.

THE NEW WGA HEADQUARTERS

THE NEW Western Golf Association (WGA) world head quarters is taking shape over in “The Glen”.

Located along the east side of Patriot Drive, and just north of the Glen Club. This new state of the art-looking facility should help continue to grow the number of caddies, that the WGA is putting into college. The WGA does appear to be on schedule to hit that 1,000 per year mark. That they wanted to reach by next year. Let’s hope they do.

DO YOU HAVE your tickets yet for the BMW Championship It’s less than 30 days away.

I AM back on the road this week, making a return to Eagle Ridge in Galena for the first time in 11 years. I’ll have more from there as the week goes on. Stay clicked in.

AS MUCH AS I AM looking forward to the Fed Ex Cup Playoffs, it seems weird that the majors are finished for the year. Hard to say whether I like the new schedule or not. At this point in time, not-so-much.

IN ABOUT 10 days, the Schaumburg Golf Club will have all nine holes open for play on the Baer Nine, and 18 of 27 holes will be complete. I can’t wait to go tee it up there. You should too, if you haven’t done so already. Early reviews are very good. See Schaumburggolf.com for updates.

I have a full story on the Schaumburg Golf Club coming up in the next issue of Chicagoland Golf, due out around August 1st. Pick up a copy in your local pro shop or golf retail store.

IT’s COOLED off outside, go play some golf. I’m back from on the Ridge tomorrow. RS