Past Parallel 10.7.24
⛳News and Notes
🏌️♂️Tyrell Hatton birdied the 18th hole to win the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland. The pro-am event took place over three courses, St. Andrews Old Course, Kingsbarn, and Carnoustie. The event presented a strong field and closed out what has been an exciting month of golf on the DP World Tour. Headlines were made early in the week, as PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan played together in the first round. Of course, speculations around a PGA Tour/PIF deal getting done resulted from the pairing, but realistically it was as much a publicity stunt more than anything.
🏌️♂️The Kornferry Tour Finals concluded in Larry Bird’s backyard at the French Lick Resort in Indiana. Braden Thornberry won the event to clinch his card, while Matt McCarty, who is already playing on the PGA Tour due to a battlefield exemption (winning 3 times on KFT), finished 1st on the points list. You can read about the 30 newest PGA Tour members HERE, as this list is always full of personalities and unique stories. On a personal note, it was nice to see Taylor Dickson and Trevor Cone, two class of 2011 North Carolina natives, earn their cards. Cone has bounced back and forth between the PGA Tour and KFT, while this will be Dickson’s first time as a full Tour member.
🏌️♂️Kevin Yu won the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, beating Beau Hossler in a playoff. Keith Mitchell led the majority of the weekend, but three-putted 18, missing a 4-footer, leaving himself out of the playoff by a shot.
🏌️♂️October 1st at Crystal Downs Country Club, also know as Benzie Day, is a day that deserves recognition. On this day, Crystal Downs, one of America’s most elite clubs, opens it’s doors to Benzie County, Michigan, locals through a lottery for a steep greens fee of $10 😉. The greens fees go towards a scholarship fund, and members support the event by providing soup and food for players. There is quite a contrast between the tiny county’s year round locals and the club’s wealthy, summer nesting members, but Benzie Day brings the two groups together.
There needs to be better access to private golf courses in America, as the current private model is intrinsically flawed, especially compared to other countries like Scotland, Ireland, and Australia. Benzie Day represents a small, but much needed, bright spot in American private golf.
😎Four-Ball
🎵Music- Leon Bridges seems to be back in the groove with his new album, Leon. I specifically enjoyed the tracks Laredo, Panther City, Never Satisfied, and Ivy. His Fall Tour is also centered around smaller, more intimate venues which I’m thrilled about. Bridges seemed to have gotten a little too mainstream in recent years, and some of his tours represented that. Sounds like he’s getting back to his roots with this new album and tour.
🎵🎧Music/Podcast- I’ve always loved Stevie Wonder, ever since I had an old cassette of his when I was very young. The Wonder of Stevie is a new, 6 episode, podcast series covering Wonder’s greatness in the 1970’s. The series was produced by Questlove and the Obamas. I’ve just started listening and can’t wait to continue this week.
✍️Writing- Kyle Porter, golf writer, announced he was leaving CBS Sports to fully work his own venture, Normal Sport. Since the announcement, Normal Sport has already provided unique content through a Rory McIlroy Q&A, Part 1 of which was released this weekend. There are some tremendous nuggets from Rory in Part 1. I applaud Kyle for going out on his own, and hope this is a continuing trend in golf journalism to create more independence in covering the sport. Subscribe and find the Rory Q&A Part 1 HERE.
🌀🏔️🌍Happenings- The grassroots support provided from North Carolinian’s to Western NC following Hurricane Helene has been tremendous. I’m truly a proud North Carolina native. Being a golf centered newsletter, I’d figure I’d share a way to show support for WNC through a golf focused business. Carolina Pines Golf is a talented photographer and based of out of NC. CPG has offered 20% off his prints for the month of October with 100% of proceeds going towards WNC relief. Check out his website HERE and use code “WNC” at checkout. I love his work and he has a ton of NC golf courses available.
On that note, there are so many businesses, organizations, and communities providing relief to WNC. Please find meaningful, positive ways to contribute and continue to help our beloved mountain communities heal.
Content for the Curious
🎧Fried Egg Golf- Match Play and Professional Golf
✍️ Golf Digest’s Joel Beall- Why is Tony Finau Being Sued?