Golf notebook: WGC Match Play alters format
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange
--For the second consecutive year, the World Golf Championship's match-play event has a new name and a new venue, and the format was tweaked.
The tournament was played at Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz., in 2014, then at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco last year. It will be played as the WGC Dell Match Play at Austin (Texas) Country Club next week -- another change since last season it was held in May when Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland claimed the title.
From its inception in 1999 until last year, it was a single-elimination tournament, but in 2015, PGA Tour officials initiated a round-robin format that assured all 64 players would participate in the first three rounds.
However, matches that were tied after 18 holes went to sudden-death playoffs, and several players had no chance of advancing past the third round even though they still had to play those matches.
Henrik Stenson of Sweden recently announced that he will not play next week, in part because he did not like the new format since he had no chance of advancing even before his third-round match in 2015. He lost a first-round match in a playoff before winning in round two.
This year, each player will receive half a point if a match is tied after regulation play and there will be no playoffs until the tournament moves to the round of 16.
"We anticipate a very good reaction from the golf course, and yes, a lot of the players, or most of the players we talked to were in favor of a few tweaks from last year, and actually I think the tweaks are going to help the competitive nature of it," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said.
The top 64 players in the World Golf Rankings are eligible, and any openings will be filled by the next highest ranked player. Jim Furyk will not play because he is recovering from left wrist surgery.
--Rickie Fowler always has had a flair for the dramatic.
Fowler, from Murrieta, Calif., made a hole-in-one on that was worth $1 million for Els for Autism, Ernie Els' charity foundation.
The 113-yard ace came at the end of the day at the Cigar Aficionado-Wine Spectator Pro-Am at Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where Fowler had finished his round, changed from golf shoes to sneakers and used a club borrowed from Luke Donald.
"This man is my hero," Els told the audience after grabbing Fowler in a bear hug and lifting him off the ground as the crowd roared its approval.
Said Fowler: "It doesn't happen very often, and it's pretty cool to do it for Ernie and the foundation."
Els, known as "The Big Easy," and his wife, Liezl, established their foundation in 2009 after discovering that their son Ben, now 12, is autistic.
The foundation raised enough money to build the Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter, Fla., which opened last August. The center includes an educational program for 300 students ages 3-21, in addition to applied research, medical and professional service programs.
The $1 million Hole-In-One Challenge was sponsored by SAP and Ketel One Vodka, and the payout will come from an insurance policy.
Fowler was the 17th player to shoot for the ace, following the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley, Louis Oosthuizen, Nick Price, Retief Goosen, Donald and Els.
--The PGA of America announced that the contract of chief executive officer Pete Bevacqua was extended through December 2021.
Bevacqua has served as CEO since November 2012, and his contract was set to expire in November 2018. The PGA of America's board of directors approved the extension at its annual meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
"Pete is an exceptional leader who has made a major impact as CEO," said Derek Sprague, president of the PGA of America. "He created a bold vision for the PGA with the long-term strategic plan we are now implementing.
"One of Pete's strengths is that he's a well-rounded executive. He understands the golf industry and the important role the PGA professional plays in the game and he can also negotiate complex business and championship agreements.
"He finds the right partners and alliances to grow the game and support our members. Pete's leading role in the formation of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship is a great example of his leadership and vision. We're fortunate to have Pete's leadership ensured through 2021."
The PGA of America's long-term strategic plan focuses on serving the PGA's 28,000 members and growing the game.
Bevacqua came to the PGA of America following an 11-year run at the United States Golf Association and nearly two years with CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency. He joined the USGA in 2000 as in-house counsel after working at the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell, and later served as the managing director of the U.S. Open Championship, followed by a four-year stint as the USGA's first chief business officer.
"It is a great honor to continue in this role with the PGA of America," Bevacqua said. "I'm grateful to the members of the board for their ongoing support and for the confidence they've placed in me."
A native of Bedford, N.Y., Bevacqua began his life in golf as a 10-year-old caddie at Bedford Golf & Tennis Club.
--Pat Perez expected to be playing in the Valspar Championship last week.
Instead, the 40-year-old will miss the rest of the PGA Tour season after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
"I've been competing at this level for 15 seasons now and want to be out there for at least 15 more," said Perez, who first noticed the problem during the second round of the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif., in January. "It took everything I had just to get through Saturday's round."
Perez, who claimed his only PGA Tour victory in the 2009 Bob Hope Classic, missed the cut in eight of his 11 tournaments this season. His best result was a tie for 41st in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
--Valspar Corporation extended its title sponsorship of the Valspar Championship by three years through 2020, the PGA Tour announced in conjunction with Copperhead Charities, the tournament's beneficiary.
The original agreement covered 2014-17 for the event that is played on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla.
"Since becoming the title sponsor in 2014, Valspar has been instrumental in the tournament's significant growth, including the areas of corporate sales and charitable giving," PGA Tour deputy commissioner Jay Monahan said.
"Valspar also has proven to be extremely creative in the way it has incorporated its brand and products into the Valspar Championship and playing up the theme of having the Tour's 'Most Colorful Tournament.' We are obviously thrilled that Valspar has decided to extend its sponsorship through 2020, as well as its marketing relationship with the Tour."
New to Valspar's marketing relationship this season has been its sponsorship of the Caddie Hat Program on the PGA Tour. Approximately 160 caddies wear Valspar-logoed headwear during PGA Tour events.
The Valspar Championship has been part of the PGA Tour schedule and held on the Copperhead Course since 2000, and this year marked the 40th anniversary of Copperhead Charities hosting a professional golf tournament in the Tampa Bay area.
Those events have generated more than $34 million for local charities.
