Masters low amateur Andy Ogletree to miss several months after hip surgery

QUINCY, Mass. — You could have been misled by the solitude, especially with an unseasonably warm March sun pouring so much brilliance down upon it. But Presidents Golf Course – an oasis of comfort amid the fear and unsettledness that blankets our world – was empty Saturday and the punch to my gut was real. RELATED: Golf in these times: California | Where things stand, watch to expect for TOUR and fans | Why bonds of golf are so vital Just don’t think the quietness is an indictment of people shutting out golf. Rather, it is the noise inside Dana Smith’s pro shop – the constant ringing of the phone – that is a screaming testament to how much people want to embrace this magnificent game, how utterly true it is that we need golf to throw a blanket of unity on us. Imagine, then, how much it pained the head golf professional at Presidents to hear caller after caller ask, “Are you open?â€� only to respond in agony: “No, we’re closed.â€� Mind you, Smith is firmly committed to this decision, one that has been made by a multitude of golf course operators in the Greater Boston area and even on golf-happy Cape Cod. With Massachusetts officials having been proactive in the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus – shut-downs and shut-in requests started a week ago – Smith and many others felt it is the safe and consistent thing to do. Not that they don’t wrestle with their emotions. “I get it. I think being outside, playing golf makes sense,â€� said Smith. “But everywhere you turn there are (potential risks) that hit you like a two-by-four. So …â€� It’s quiet in my golf neighborhood, painfully so given that we’ve seen grass for months and haven’t touched a snow shovel for a deliriously great stretch of time. Temperatures reached 65 degrees Friday and after Presidents opened March 8, Smith saw a constant parade of smiling faces before play was shut down seven days later. Cheers to those who have golf 12 months a year, but oh, how the first rounds of spring golf at your local muni warm spirits like nothing else in parts of the country like Boston. Presidents is where Francis Ouimet pulled off some magic in 1913. It was known as Wollaston Golf Club back then and the 20-year-old one-time caddie tossed down a tidy 69 to beat the heralded John Anderson in the semifinals of the Massachusetts Amateur Championship. In the 36-hole final, ol’ F.H. Hoyt never knew what hit him, as Ouimet, “driving on average 225 yards,â€� according to the Boston Globe account, delivered a 10 and 9 knockout. He was a local hero and a few months later, he crossed the street from his home in Brookline and set golf afire in the United States, beating Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the U.S. Open. Yes, he’s the only player to win the Massachusetts Amateur and U.S. Open in the same summer (insert smiley emoji to reflect state pride here) and sure, the latter is what he’s known for. But every trip to Presidents – 18 holes jammed into about 90 acres – I’m reminded of the Ouimet footsteps we are blessed to walk in. With that thought in the back of my mind, and with the temperature tickling 50 degrees, the urge to drive up to Presidents was impossible to resist. As I pulled onto the road into the facility, reality jumped in my face. The gate was down. Closed. So disconcerting. Then, a most wonderous sight. Three young boys lugging golf bags, meandered to an opening in the fence, ducked under a metal gate, and walked onto the quiet, deserted golf course. Never did trespassing seem so appropriate and the decision was made – in no way would I betray their actions; instead, I would sit there quietly and revel in their passion. Coming Wednesday: PGATOUR.COM’s Rob Bolton covers a mini-tour event in Arizona.

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From South Korea to South Carolina, albeit eventually and out of necessity. After three years contested on Jeju Island at the southern tip of the Asian country, THE CJ CUP has been held in the United States since 2020 due to ongoing challenges related to the pandemic. This year’s host is Congaree Golf Club in The Palmetto State. RELATED: Play Pick ‘Em Live | The First Look If the stage for THE CJ CUP at South Carolina sounds familiar, it should. Keep reading beneath the projected contenders for a brief history of the worthy track, how it should test and more. POWER RANKINGS: THE CJ CUP Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama, Billy Horschel and Tyrrell Hatton will be among the notables reviewed in Draws and Fades. The PGA TOUR’s first (and only prior) stop at this week’s host course was for the Palmetto Championship at Congaree in June of 2021. Garrick Higgo prevailed, and after gaining entry via a commissioner exemption no less. To put the timing of that tournament into perspective, it was two seasons ago and it marked the first anniversary of the Return to Golf after the three-month shutdown due to COVID-19. The TOUR’s return to Congaree is for a much different competition. Whereas the Palmetto Championship hosted a full field of 156 with a 36-hole cut, THE CJ CUP at South Carolina reserves room for only 78, and there is no cut. Officially, eight spots are saved for golfers from South Korea – five KPGA members and three via the Official World Golf Ranking – but there are 14 natives or golfers with South Korean heritage committed thanks to the growing depth of talent among members. Of those who competed in the Palmetto Championship, 19 are back this week. Higgo did not qualify. Congaree Golf Club was designed by Tom Fazio. He and his team sought out to replicate the kind of layout that you’d find in Australia’s Sandbelt region in Melbourne. So, there isn’t a relevant sightline that isn’t consumed with sand and/or native area. Congaree is a par 71 with three par 5s and it tips at 7,655 yards. Rough essentially is a rumor on the property, but what little there is has been allowed to scale to four inches. Champion bermuda greens are average in size and prepped to run as far as 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. Hot and humid conditions dominated for the first three rounds here in 2021, but the elements this week will be considerably different, as you’d expect four months and change later in the year. Thursday’s daytime high won’t eclipse 70 degrees. It will warm gradually thereafter but the highest temperatures will settle in the mid-70s. Rain is not expected and winds will be light, so Congaree is poised to be pure. The host course averaged 71.743 for the 156-man field in 2021. That slotted it as the second-hardest of all non-majors in the super season of 2020-21 and about a half-shot higher than third-hardest Riviera Country Club, host of 120 golfers for The Genesis Invitational. Because of its length, Congaree will reward distance off the tee, but the fairways are generous, so it’s more of a second-shot exercise than it seems. Taut games on approach and with the shortest sticks will define the final leaderboard. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Draws & Fades WEDNESDAY: Pick ‘Em Preview SUNDAY: Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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