What the heck is going on around here...
This week I'm joined by 3 of the best Instructors and PGA Professionals in our game Tom Patri, Tom Wildenhaus, and Nancy Quarcelino plus aspiring Tour Pro and Trackman Golf Rep Andrew Strother.
TP and I try to make sense of what's going on in the game with Jon Rahm signing with LIV when the proposed partnership deadline is still weeks away. Has Patrick Cantlay gone all Alexander Haig on the PGA Policy Board? Why has yet another tournament sponsor pulled out? Could we be headed for tournament specific golf balls at USGA & R&A hosted tournaments if the PGA Tour and PGA of America hold fast to not adopting the rolled-back ball. If so, who's going to produce that ball? As usual we try to solve the world's problems in segment one.
Tom Wildenhaus is a 2 time South Florida PGA Professional of the Year. He has also spent over 2 decades at one of the top courses in Florida, Olde Florida Golf Club. We discuss the high expectations of one of their founding members, Mike Ditka. We also hear about the wonderful things the section has done for people away from the game of golf and some of the tremendous junior talent that has come up through the section as well.
Nancy Quarcelino is not only annually named one of the Top 50 LPGA Teachers by Golf Digest, she has now reached Elite status. We talk about that recognition. I also get her thoughts on the new influx of money into the LPGA Tour, a return to mixed team events like the Grant Thornton tournament, the recent loss of her friend and University of Kentucky women's golf coach Betty Lou Evans, working with our mutual friend Dr. Alison Curdt, and how incredibly talented Minjee Lee is.
Andrew Strother is one of the great people you get to meet in our game. After playing high school golf in rural Kentucky he went on to the University of Kentucky and graduated with a triple major in finance, marketing, and communications. He didn't play college golf but did help establish club golf at UK. In his late 20s, he decided to give professional golf a try after competing in long-drive contests. Andrew talks about his grind to get through Q-School to play on the Mexican Tour, his Top 30 finish in the Colorado Open, and caddying at the Barbasol Championship earlier this year.