A measure that presented a threat to municipal golf courses in California was halted last week in that state legislature’s Assembly Appropriations Committee after steady pressure from members of the Southern California Golf Association.
The bill, AB 672, would have taken away park status protections from municipal golf courses, with the intent of encouraging their conversion to low-income housing developments.
“Upping the social, political, and environmental value proposition of the game to non-golfers – that’s the work the golf community needs to get about doing and doing now,” a news release from the SCGA said.
Seven-time major champion Karrie Webb will return to LPGA Tour competition this week for the first time in two years at the Gainbridge LPGA in Boca Raton, Florida.
Webb, an Australian who lives nearby in Boynton Beach, Florida, joins a field with 16 of the top 25 players in the world, led by defending champion Nelly Korda and major champions Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson.
“We are honored to have Karrie Webb joining the field and are excited to welcome the world’s best players back to Palm Beach County,” said Lesley Baker, the tournament’s executive director. “We are equally as excited to welcome back fans to the tournament this year.”
Webb last played a regular LPGA Tour schedule in 2017. This week she joins fellow World Golf Hall of Fame member Laura Davies at the first full-field event for the 2022 LPGA Tour season.
After a 2020-21 season in which he won twice and finished 24 times, Bernhard Langer was named the winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA Tour Champions player of the year.
Langer also won the Arnold Palmer Award given annually to the circuit’s leading money winner ($3,255,499).
“I’m honored to win the Jack Nicklaus Award … I’m humbled and surprised because our tour is incredibly competitive, and there are many deserving candidates,” Langer said. “To earn this award through a vote by my fellow peers is very rewarding.
“These last two years have been challenging for all of us, but I set out at the beginning of 2020 to win the Charles Schwab Cup and to have the opportunity to lift that trophy again was very fulfilling.”
TAP-INS
Sadom Kaewkanjana, Yuto Katsuragawa, Joohyung Kim and Sihwan Kim secured places in the Open Championship with their finishes at the Asian Tour’s SMBC Singapore Open (READ MORE). … Dick Ferris, who served as chairman of the PGA Tour’s policy board between 1993 and 2007, died last Sunday at age 85 (READ MORE). … Bronte Law, who has victories on the LPGA and Ladies European tours, is named an England Golf ambassador (READ MORE). … The PGA Tour announced the extension of the title sponsorship of the American Express tournament in La Quinta, California, through 2028 (READ MORE).
Staff and Wire Reports