U.S. Open Final Qualifying, a one-day 36-hole marathon to complete the field for next week’s 123rd U.S. Open, will be staged at 10 sites across the U.S. and Canada today.
Known as the “longest day in golf” for its grueling format, Final Qualifying is the last step for the qualifiers from a record 10,187 entrants to seek spots in the U.S. Open on June 15-18 at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course. The number of qualifiers will vary at each site based on strength of field.
According to a report by Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig, both Ryder Cup captains – America’s Zach Johnson and Europe’s Luke Donald – and 14 LIV Golf members will be among those seeking U.S. Open exemptions.
For background and players to watch at each site, click HERE.
For the USGA scoring hub, click HERE.
Rob Carr, Getty Images
Endeavor, a sports and entertainment giant, took a hard look at making a $1 billion investment in launching LIV Golf – before the Saudi involvement – ultimately declining at the urging of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, CEO Ari Emanuel said on Freakonomics Radio.
The potential investment, which was brokered by eventual LIV Golf signees Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, would have replaced the eventual backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, according to the report.
Endeavor Holdings Group, formerly known as William Morris Endeavor-IMG and based in Beverly Hills, California, is the parent of Ultimate Fighting Championship, Professional Bull Riders and the IMG and WME talent agencies.
The PGA Tour is the defendant in a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by LIV Golf, which alleges, among other things, that the PGA Tour colluded against the upstart tour. READ MORE
The Saudi backers of LIV Golf could face further disclosure of their U.S. activities after Gitcho Goodwin, a Boston public-relations firm that had worked with the rival tour, recently filed a registration statement with the Foreign Agents Registration Act, according to a Wall Street Journal report. READ MORE
TAP-INS
U.S. rounds played increased 7.8 percent in April from the same month last year, boosting the year-to-date gain to 3.1 percent compared with the first four months of 2023, according to research by Golf Datatech. READ MORE
Lisa Cornwell, a PGA Tour Live anchor, has published a tell-all book detailing her rocky seven-year tenure at Golf Channel, which ended with her firing and her subsequent complaints lodged with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. In the recently released exposé “Troublemaker: A Memoir of Sexism, Retaliation, and The Fight They Didn’t See Coming,” Cornwell offers pointed criticism of Golf Channel commentator Brandel Chamblee and network management to Sports Illustrated’s Farrell Evans. The book is available on Amazon.com. READ MORE
Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Florida, will host two USGA championships within the next decade: the 2027 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 2032 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. READ MORE
Black Desert Resort Golf Course in Ivins, Utah, will host an LPGA tournament beginning in 2025, the women’s tour announced. The tournament name and dates were not disclosed. READ MORE
The DP World Tour signed a media-rights deal with DAZN, an over-the-top sports streaming service, to broadcast in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the tour announced. READ MORE
France’s Gwladys Nocera, a 14-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, has been named captain of Europe’s Junior Solheim Cup team. The European girls will play the U.S. on September 18-19 at La Zagaleta in Spain ahead of the Solheim Cup one week later at nearby Finca Cortesín on the Costa del Sol. READ MORE
England Golf, the governing body for the nation’s amateur game, has collaborated with Stadium Golf Tour to offer nine-hole golf experiences at some of the country’s iconic stadia. Three dates have been confirmed for the tour: June 8-11 at Twickenham in London; July 6-9 at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes; and October 12-15 at West Ham London Stadium in London. READ MORE
Compiled by Steve Harmon