Illini Golfers in the Pros

#676      
Pieters and Detry both finished tied for 40th at +6. Both earned around $47K. Detry joins Hardy in the field at the Schwab Invitational in Fort Worth this weekend, while Pieters will head to DC for a LIV event.

Also, Thomas Pieters officially qualified for the U.S. Open today by being in the world top 60. Detry and Hardy will probably have to qualify via sectionals, meaning they are on even footing with ADC and Jackson Buchanan...
Detry played his final 3 holes at -1. Pieters played his final 3 holes at +4!
 
#677      
Cool little story this week with Steve Stricker having his daughter as his caddie(instead of his wife). Story and video below

Watched part of the 1st Round today and this marks the 46th consecutive round he has shot par or better on the Champions Tour. Jerry Kelly also has an active streak 4-5 rounds behind Stricker, otherwise 41 was the longest until these guys beat it this season. Amazing....


 
#678      

WWWWRocU

Herndon, VA
Stricker now on the final green hoping to close out a one stroke victory in the Senior's major...

Now going to a playoff with Padraig Harrington...
 
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#681      

FlyNavy

Los Angeles
The final PGA University standings are out. While Ludvig Aberg ran away with first (and a TOUR card), two Illini gained exemptions:

Adrien Dumont De Chassart finished 3rd (behind Aberg and Biondi), earning fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour status for the rest of 2023. He also will be exempt into the final stage of Q-school.

Tommy Kuhl finished 15th, and will be fully exempt for PGA Tour Canada for the entire 2023 season as well as an exemption to the second stage of Q-school.

PGA University Final

I'll be curious to see whether AdC stays in the US or goes back to Europe. Best of luck to both as they embark on their professional careers!
 
#682      
I'll be curious to see whether AdC stays in the US or goes back to Europe.

I will put the article below but this is what he has said about it.......


Though Dumont de Chassart would prefer to stay in the United States and work his way on tour via the Korn Ferry Tour, his Plan B is to head back to Europe, where he expects to receive a few starts on the Challenge Tour, the DP World Tour’s developmental circuit. Either way, the end goal is the same.

“Hopefully on the PGA Tour,” Dumont de Chassart says about where he sees himself in a few years. “Playing golf in the States is the place to go. The level is there, and you’re in an environment where people are practicing hard, working hard and winning.”


 
#683      

FlyNavy

Los Angeles
I will put the article below but this is what he has said about it.......


Though Dumont de Chassart would prefer to stay in the United States and work his way on tour via the Korn Ferry Tour, his Plan B is to head back to Europe, where he expects to receive a few starts on the Challenge Tour, the DP World Tour’s developmental circuit. Either way, the end goal is the same.

“Hopefully on the PGA Tour,” Dumont de Chassart says about where he sees himself in a few years. “Playing golf in the States is the place to go. The level is there, and you’re in an environment where people are practicing hard, working hard and winning.”


Thanks for posting that, great read!

I remember that Pieters got his TOUR card a while back, but did not enjoy much success in his only PGA Tour season, shifting back to Europe where he got a few more wins. In contrast, Detry is second among rookies this year in the Fedex Cup standings, and has a real chance at ROY and a Top 70 finish (which is what is required for the playoffs starting this year).

With full status already granted, it's hard to pass up the Korn Ferry Tour. Plus the state hosts 2 KFT events in July in addition to the John Deere Classic (I'm guessing AdC, Kuhl and maybe Buchanan will get sponsor exemptions this year). Europe appears to be the backup plan.
 
#684      

FlyNavy

Los Angeles
Today, in the 36-hole Springfield, OH sectional qualifier, Nick Hardy started with a 71 (+1), then bounced back with a 61 (!), good enough to grab the third of five spots in next week's U.S. Open. He will join Thomas Pieters in the tournament. Congrats Nick!

Also of note, Jackson Buchanan shot a -9 in Georgia, falling two strokes short of a playoff for a U.S. Open spot. He will be the second alternate, so there's still a chance he gets in.
 
#686      
PGA Tour and LIV are.......MERGING

Thoughts from the golf fans here? My first reaction is...yuck. LIV solved a problem that didn't exist for me - top players not maximizing their earning potential. As a fan, I was happy with how things were.

The thing I enjoy the most about the PGA is watching the life-changing event of a guy getting his first win. The drama of that, or even when a guy is in position and falls short like Denny McCarthy last weekend, is riveting for me. LIV just seemed like a lot of guys who had already made it enjoying the fruits of their success - good for them but not compelling for me.

The Saudi money was never a big thing for me. It's hard to take the moral high ground with corporate money swilling around in so many places, so I think it was a mistake for folks like Brandel Chamblee to hit on that so hard. I also didn't mind the shotgun start. A decent number of PGA events are influenced by early/late waves on Thursday and Friday, so I think it's more fair to even that out with a shotgun. The advantage is random, though, and the shotgun limits the size of the field. It would be weird to not finish on 18 also.

Team golf, I think, is just stupid. The occasional team event is fun, but it's largely an individual sport. Team tennis failed for the same reason a long time ago. There's no regional affiliation with teams, other than the Aussies or whatever, but that's hard to sustain.

It's too bad some of the younger top guys jumped to LIV. I wish they had just let it die on the vine.
 
#687      
LIV has the $$$$ and about 4-5 good golfers

PGA Tour has stronger fields, more potential for growing players in Korn Ferry and big name TV deals

Combine them together and all comes down to one thing....$$$$. They will say growing the game of golf....all BS

DP World Tour probably gaining the most from all of this
 
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#688      
I feel terrible for the guys who were loyal. Jay can F right off. “It’s your tour” BS. As for LIV I think the team event sucks, no cut sucks, that’s what makes golf challenging/you have to earn a living! Also I’m not terribly fond of terrorists so blatantly taking their money and saying you’re growing the game….f that too
 
#689      

whatahack

St. Peters MO
It will be interesting how McElroy, Monahan and Chambliss etal will have to walk back some of the comments they've made, especially now that the crowded prince is chairman.

I'm guessing nothing will be said and move on as if it never happened
 
#691      
Monahan is the one with the blood on his hands.....go read what he sent out to the players this morning. Paraphrase most of it......

Basically saying for the unity of the game(ok barf)....than I will stay as commissioner and some of my other cronies will stay in their positions

Getting a huge financial backing from who else....than we still have to figure out a number of things

Than if any of the players have questions/comments can talk to him at this weeks tourney


There should be no trust between the guys who stuck around the PGA and Monahan. He burned that bridge not the players! Majority of the commissioners of professional sports leagues are total A-holes and Monahan might have went straight to the top.
 
#693      

DReq

Always Illini
Central Illinois
So will any of the Tour event sponsors pull out with this? I am guessing none will because $$$$ but I would love to see some Tour events go away and support for the PGA dwindle. Most of those sponsors could put together an event without the PGA financially.
 
#694      

whatahack

St. Peters MO
Certainly off the title topic, but I have to wonder if this is the start of the middle east oil money taking over US sports like they have done with the premium league
 
#696      
So will any of the Tour event sponsors pull out with this? I am guessing none will because $$$$ but I would love to see some Tour events go away and support for the PGA dwindle. Most of those sponsors could put together an event without the PGA financially.

I tend to believe that capitalism isn't the worst way to resolve conflict, but that said:

1) you gotta realize that you vote with your $, especially if you want to spur change
2) most people don't care how the sausage is made as long as they get fed
 
#700      
I tend to believe that capitalism isn't the worst way to resolve conflict, but that said:

1) you gotta realize that you vote with your $, especially if you want to spur change
2) most people don't care how the sausage is made as long as they get fed
I wonder if there might be some anti-trust issues? It is one thing to have a single entity when it is a Pro Golfer's ASSOCIATION which is a not-for-profit vs. a single for-profit entity now. There is a very aggressive FTC these days and an administration that does not like the Saudis.