Category: Headlines

John Merchant, the first African American member of the USGA Executive Committee, and a 2010 inductee into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame died March 5, 2020, at the age of 87. Merchant, a prominent attorney, was born in Greenwich, Conn., where he practiced law for over 50 years.  A pioneer in every sense of the word, Merchant’s professional, community and golf contributions are well-documented. They include his involvement in the early days of The First Tee program, organizing a series of symposiums for golfers of color from around the country, and advising golf entrepreneurs seeking to further the… Read More »

Five-time LPGA Tour winner Michelle Wie (West) is slated to cover the Players Championship March 9-15, as a contributing analyst for Golf Central Live.  Their team includes among other notables, Notah Begay, David Duval, and Brandel Chamblee. Wie’s golfing career began at a very early age of 10 when she qualified for a USGA amateur championship at 10; won the U.S. Amateur Public Links shortly thereafter, and then turned professional at age 15.  In 2009, the Hawaiian-born Korean American beat out a number of top-ranked lady pros to win the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, followed by a second win at the… Read More »

Coming off a last-place showing two weeks ago at the Genesis, it is obvious that he is dealing with a lingering back injury. Tiger has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill eight times, and according to those close to him, it’s heartbreaking that he has withdrawn from one of his favorite stops on the PGA Tour. Woods, 44, has played in fewer tournaments in recent years to reduce stress on his body as back problems threatened to derail his career. He has chosen to focus on majors and other high-profile tournaments, a strategy that paid off when he… Read More »

Although winless on the PGA circuit since his 2016 victory at the Australian Open, Harold Varner III, has continued to move up the 2020 leaderboard ladder.  Last September Varner tied for 19th place at A Military Tribute at Greenbrier, and later that month tied for 17th at the Safeway Open. Several weeks ago, Varner, who turns 30 later this year, placed a lone 13th at the Genesis Open, which finished him “in the money” – Greenbrier’s overall tournament purse was more than $9 million. At the recent Honda Classic, Varner tied for 15th on Day One, shooting even par for… Read More »

By Herschel Caldwell Nomination and eventual induction into the hall of fame in any endeavor of life represents the total body of one’s life work, and that work being recognized as worthy of the highest life award. Each of this year’s inductees have been examined, vetted, and determined by a committee of their peers, and deemed worthy of the honor. So as humbling as being selected is, it demands that one examine his or her chosen life work and somehow feel a sense of belonging and that, in some small way, their efforts in life to achieve a benefit for… Read More »

His golf struggled a little but his travel and living arrangements are never shy of first class. By Herschel Caldwell It was a year ago when the golf world and Tiger himself had no idea of the state of his game as it relates to professional PGA standards. The year of 2018 witnessed one of the greatest sports come back in history with a historic win at the year ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. The Tour Championship win marked Tiger’s 80th PGA Tour victory putting him even closer to Sam Snead’s record of 82 professional PGA Tour victories. Given Tiger’s… Read More »

The rising star of Harold Varner III continues to shine. By Herschel Caldwell The winning score on Sunday, November 11, 2018, at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico was 262, turned in by PGA Tour veteran and Ryder Cup member Matt Kuchar. Kuchar’s 22 under par performance was good enough for a one-stroke victory over Danny Lee and a check for $1,296,000. Five shots back at 17 under par was Varner, this spread of strokes may seem a lot to the casual fan of golf but when you consider the possibilities of different scores over 262 vs…. Read More »