Today in Golf – Celebrities at Pebble Beach, Nick Faldo Controversial Comments and more

Golf News

Hey, golf fans! We are here to bring you the latest golf news from around the globe. Let’s kick things off with a bit of controversy.

Read the Rules

Patrick Reed has responded to a disputed rules incident during the third round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic when his ball was lost up a palm tree. Reed’s tee shot on the driveable par-four 17th hole ended up trapped in a palm tree on the day’s penultimate hole. The American stated he was “100% positive” the ball identified was his, allowing him to take a penalty drop near the base of the tree instead of returning to the tee. However, TV replays looked to show the tee shot finished in a different tree than Reed felt his ball was in.

The 2018 Masters champion went on to bogey the hole before finishing 11 under and four shots behind McIlroy at the close of Sunday. On the other hand, Reed was in stunning form on Monday, tying McIlroy’s score. McIlroy, on the other hand, defeated his competitor when the Dubai Desert Classic concluded this morning, ending on -19, one shot ahead of the American following a birdie on the 18th. If Reed had been sent back to the tee on Sunday, his path to the title would have been less nerve-racking.

Following the encounter, Reed retaliated. “Some individuals thrive on controversy,” Reed wrote on Twitter. “However, what happened on the 17th hole at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic was unimportant. “I was asked to describe the precise markings on the ball I was playing, not to identify the tree my ball struck.” “Perhaps it’s time we get back to playing some golf!” he added. The statement comes a week after Reed was embroiled in further golf news nicknamed “tee gate” when he was ignored by Rory McIlroy on the driving range earlier in the week and flicked a tee at the Northern Irishman as he walked away.

LIV Life

LIV Golf is again making golf sports news headlines as they have set a 14-event program for the 2023 league season, with events taking place in seven different nations as part of an extended schedule. All of the tournaments are held on weeks other than the men’s majors and the Ryder Cup, and they have avoided any conflicts with the PGA Tour-enhanced events and Rolex Series competitions on the DP World Tour. “We received wonderful feedback globally from fans throughout our beta-test year, with one resounding theme: LIV Golf’s team concept, innovations, and festival-like events are offering a one-of-a-kind golf experience,” said LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman.

“Last year, remarkable courses that hosted some of the world’s premier championships helped establish the groundwork for the future of golf. For our formal league launch, LIV Golf’s calendar includes great venues and championship sites that will usher the sport into a new age.” From February 24-26, LIV will play at El Camaleon Golf Club in Mexico, and from March 17-19, it will visit The Gallery Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona.

Former President Donald Trump’s golf course in Washington D.C. has joined LIV Golf’s schedule for the second season of the Saudi-backed breakaway. Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., will be one of three of the former president’s courses to host the rebel series in 2023, following his Bedminster and Miami venues, both of which were part of the original circuit. Trump was observed waving to the audience and treating the golf tournament as his political rally at both rounds held at his facilities in 2022.

Fal Play

In more of the latest golf news, Sir Nick Faldo thinks that players from Europe who have signed with LIV Golf should no longer be involved in the Ryder Cup, whether as players or captains. So many European success stories from the last two decades, such as Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Sergio Garcia, have signed with the Saudi-backed tour and, in Faldo’s opinion, have burned their bridges with the team tournament. “They shouldn’t be there because they’ve left and you have to move on,” Faldo explained.

“Their tour is pointless.” That was just one of several comments Nick Faldo made about LIV Golf. Faldo didn’t hold back while discussing the future of players who defected to LIV. “It’s a competing tour. If you work for a company for 20 years and then quit working for a competitor, your photo will not be on the wall. You’ve progressed. Okay, off you go.” They made that decision knowing full well what it would cost them.

The PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe jointly manage the Ryder Cup. Although the governing organizations have not decided on this year’s competition, which will be hosted at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, they have clearly stated their position. Henrik Stenson was sacked from his Team Europe captaincy last summer for joining the LIV Golf Tour and was replaced by Luke Donald. Faldo, who has competed in 11 Ryder Cups, believes that LIV Golf has provided Team Europe with a unique opportunity to identify new youthful talent. This contingent will become the organization’s core for years to come. “Europe needs to identify a new generation of younger players who can compete in more Ryder Cups.”

Celebs at the Beach

The PGA golfers aren’t the only celebrities congregating on the Monterey Peninsula this week for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Athletes, movie personalities, and musicians are among those participating in this pro-am that stretches back to the days of Bing Crosby and his pals. This week is one of only two occasions each year for amateurs to compete in an official competition with PGA TOUR players. And they get to do it on one of the world’s most famous and gorgeous courses, Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Famous golfers like Jordan Spieth and Matt Fitzpatrick are joined by Arrested Development actors Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, country musicians Darius Rucker and Eric Church, rapper Macklemore, and even Bill Murray. There are plenty of current and departed NFL stars, including Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, the Bears’ Ron Rivera, and the 49ers’ Harris Barton and Steve Young. Former soccer great Gareth Bale, three-time World Series champion Buster Posey, and former NBA player Pau Gasol enter the field.

That’s it for this edition but check back soon for more of the latest news on golf.