Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – Organizers of the four major professional golf championships and the PGA Tour disclosed new plans for 2020 through a series of announcements on Monday … The Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open announced new dates, while the Open Championship has been cancelled … Other PGA Tour events have been or will be rescheduled into slots vacated by the majors and the Olympic … more details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

The current suspension in the tour schedules means has left as many as 20 former Yellow Jackets with no place to play for at least the next month or longer. The All Pro, SwingThought and G Pro Tours, at which several recent Tech graduates compete, also have postponed upcoming events.

MASTERS WEEK

This week would have been the traditional Masters week, with 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize, veteran Tour pro Matt Kuchar and Yellow Jacket senior Andy Ogletree would have been in the field to compete at Augusta National Golf Club. Golf Channel’s Will Gray offered a look at the likely field if the event is played in November.

Golfweek magazine asked many Tour pros to describe the scariest downhill putt at Augusta National. Kuchar’s answer: “The first hole to the front-left pin. Anything from the middle to the back of the green really scares me. It could go off to the right, off to the left. That’s an under-the-radar one where the putt can so easily get away from you.”

With the season’s first major postponed, and thanks to the Masters Tournament’s YouTube page, you can watch full final-round broadcasts from Augusta National Golf Club. Check out these, from 1983-87. Click here for the full collection, from 1968-2019. But you can watch the final round of the 1987 Masters, won in dramatic fashion by current PGA Tour Champions veteran Mize, right here.

LETTER TO YOUNGER SELF
Stewart Cink, who received the NCAA’s Silver Anniversary Award in January, reads a letter to his freshman self in a terrific video message. Watch here.

2020 NCAA Silver Anniversary award recipient Stewart Cink reflects on his experience with @GTGolf by writing a letter to his freshman self. pic.twitter.com/QMwG503pxe

— NCAA (@NCAA) February 21, 2020

ON COURSE AND ON STAGE

As J.T. Griffin got older, his chosen career path narrowed to two options: athlete or rock star. One has worked out pretty well. The other, he’s still in the process.

After starting the year with conditional Korn Ferry Tour status via a T41 at Final Stage of Q-School, Griffin has parlayed results of T10-T36-T7-T9 into essentially a full-time opportunity for the balance of the season.

You could say he also has conditional status as a musician. He jumps on stage occasionally with his friend Cody Marlowe, an Atlanta-based rocker cut from the likes of Tom Petty. During the last few weeks, he’s been trying to improve his piano- and guitar-playing skills.

#ProJackets – As J.T. Griffin got older, his chosen career path narrowed to two options: athlete or rock star. https://t.co/T87uIS7XRJ

— Georgia Tech Golf (@GTGolf) April 3, 2020

Meanwhile, see what else are some of Georgia Tech’s alumni professional players doing with their time.

Things are getting weird around here. Thanks for the encouragement @maxhoma23. pic.twitter.com/Aj6gqDF6Vn

— Chesson Hadley (@chessonhadley) April 4, 2020

Things are going well at the moment.

Definitely throwing my name in the hat for teacher of the year after my first hour. pic.twitter.com/5pLvGNtyh1

— Chesson Hadley (@chessonhadley) April 2, 2020

UPCOMING EVENTS (subject to change)

• PGA Tour:  Charles Schwab Challenge • May 21-24, 2020 • Colonial Country Club • Fort Worth, Texas. • Purse: $7,500,000 • FedEx Cup points: 500
• Korn Ferry Tour:  Evans Scholars Invitational • May 21-24, 2020 • The Glen Club • Glenview, Ill. • Purse: $600,000
• PGA Tour Champions:  American Family Insurance Championship • June 5-7, 2020 • University Ridge Golf Club • Madison, Wis. • Purse: $2,400,000
• Mackenzie Tour:  Canada Life Open • May 28-31, 2020 • Seymour Golf and Country Club • Vancouver, B.C. • Purse: $200,000
• PGA Tour Series – China:  tba
• All Pro Tour:  United Way Charity Golf Championship • May 6-9, 2020 • Hardscrabble Country Club • Fort Smith, Ark. • Purse: $140,000
• SwingThought Tour:  Gateway National Golf Links • May 6-7, 2020 • Madison, Ill.
• G Pro Tour:  tba

WHAT’S NEXT

Following is a summary of the announcements made by the various golf organizations, taken from PGATour.com. All of the organizations made holding events contingent on counsel from health officials and recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Augusta National has identified November 9-15 as the intended dates to host the 2020 Masters Tournament, which was previously scheduled for April 6-12 and postponed on March 13. For more information, and comments from Chairman Fred Ridley, click here.

The U.S. Open, previously scheduled for June 15-21 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, has been officially rescheduled for September 14-20 and is confirmed to remain at Winged Foot. For more information and comments from USGA CEO Mike Davis, click here.

The R&A cancelled The Open in 2020, and the Championship will next be played at Royal St. George’s in 2021. The Open was due to be played in Kent, England, from July 12-19. For more information and comments from The R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers, click here.

The PGA of America has rescheduled the PGA Championship for Aug. 6-9, and it will remain at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California.  The PGA Championship was originally slated for May 11-17 but was postponed on March 17. Furthermore, the PGA reconfirmed the Ryder Cup remains as originally scheduled, September 22-27, at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.  For more information and comments from PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, click here.

While collaborating with the PGA of America to find a viable date for the PGA Championship in August, the PGA TOUR worked with its host organizations and title sponsors to move the regular season finale – the Wyndham Championship – and all three FedExCup Playoffs events one week later, starting the week of Aug. 10 and concluding with a Monday, Sept. 7, Labor Day finish for the TOUR Championship.

The TOUR will seek to reschedule tournaments into the weeks formerly occupied by the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the Men’s Olympic golf competition in June and July.  The TOUR will make further announcements about this potential, as well as its fall schedule, in the coming weeks.  For more information and comments from PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, click here.