Meet the man on a Monday mission

Editor’s note: World Golf Hall of Fame member Davis Love III, who won THE PLAYERS Championship in 1992 and 2003, provides his thoughts on the tournament’s move next year back to March when the PGA TOUR reworks its 2018-19 playing schedule. THE PLAYERS Championship has always been close to my heart. My dad hosted the very first one in 1974 at Atlanta Country Club. I was 10 at the time and I always tell people that I sold lemonade at the first PLAYERS. So that was pretty cool. We moved to Sea Island, Georgia, a few years later and we came down to watch the tournament when it was played at Sawgrass Country Club. Then when the Stadium Course was first built at TPC Sawgrass, we got to go down and play it, which was pretty neat. It’s so amazing to come all that way from a little kid watching the first one to winning it – twice, even. I kind of count those as my majors, along with the PGA Championship, of course. I think people have realized with the buildup to THE PLAYERS and the strength of the field, that it’s a tough, tough tournament to win. Both my wins came when THE PLAYERS was played in March — just like it will be again next year. I think it’s great that our showcase event is moving back to March. I think it’s nice to be the first major of the season. It’s nice to be in its own slot. THE PLAYERS obviously belongs in that rotation as a major or the biggest non-major, if you will. So it’s nice to start with that in Florida. I liked the golf course better back in March, too. It can be blustery. It can be different weather. But I think the golf course plays better that time of year. It’ll be firm. The more you get into the heat of the summer, it seems to soften up a little bit, whether it’s the rain or humidity or whatever. For those of us who live in the area, we like the spring. March is when it starts warming up but it’s not humid, so it’s a good time of year to play golf. There’s so much buildup for the majors. It’s great for golf to have them all spread out now from March all the way to the FedExCup Playoffs. Every month has something really, really big. So I think it’s perfect. And THE PLAYERS is first, which I think is very good strategy. I also think it’s good for the PGA to get away from being jammed up with The Olympics and too close to the FedExCup Playoffs, so I think everything has its own space now. Scheduling is the hardest thing we ever had to deal with as members of the Policy Board. I think now they’ve got it kind of laid out for the future that the fans can really understand that we’re on the West Coast in January and February, and then in March the big ones, the majors, start and the FedExCup Playoffs are in their own month. We’re not up against football and so I think it’s all going to work great. We’ll have a great Florida swing leading up to THE PLAYERS. I’m happy with it being back in March. I think it’s going to be great. The players are all excited about it, too. I can tell you that without hesitation. The players are excited about THE PLAYERS moving back to March.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Although his intention was never to cheat, Adam Schenk acknowledged Saturday that he and caddie Mark Carens did violate the new caddie alignment rule that resulted in a two-stroke penalty. Schenk was told by a PGA TOUR rules official prior to teeing off in the third round of The Honda Classic that he would be assessed two strokes for the rules infraction that occurred on the par-3 17th in Friday’s second round. The rule, 10.2b (4), prevents a player’s caddie from deliberately standing in a location on or close to the player’s line of play behind the ball once the player takes his stance. The TOUR issued a statement explaining the Schenk ruling: “The penalty occurred as a result of Adam’s caddie standing behind him once he took his stance but not taking any action subsequently that would absolve him of penalty, for example backing out of his stance.� Schenk originally made a bogey on the hole, with the score changed to a triple bogey prior to the third round. After shooting a 2-under 68 on Saturday, Schenk will enter Sunday’s final round at 4 under, three shots off the lead held by Wyndham Clark. Schenk said he received the news about 40 minutes prior to teeing off. He viewed video on an iPhone. “I broke the rule, so the intention was never to cheat, obviously,� Schenk said after finishing his third round. “I haven’t had much time to think about it. … What’s done is done, I guess.� The specific shot was from the greenside bunker. He and Carens had been discussing the best options for salvaging a bogey, fearing his shot might roll off the green into the water on the other side. “I don’t even know if he was exactly behind me or close,� Schenk said of Carens. “I don’t even know. There wasn’t a great place for him to stand there because if he was right, he was in the bunker.� Added Carens: “I didn’t even think I was behind him. When he was about to hit, then I got out of the way. There was no intent of lining him up or anything like that.� Schenk blasted out to 13 feet – “One of the greatest shots ever,� Carens said – and two-putted for bogey. Schenk said he was upset when he was informed of the rules violation Saturday. He then told Carens, “Let’s just forget about it and just try and play a good round of golf.’� Schenk birdied two of his first four holes and kept a clean card through the difficult Bear Trap to stay in contention. “Sometimes I get upset, I play better, and I shot a couple under today,� Schenk said, “so maybe I would have played worse if I didn’t have the penalty.� Schenk’s penalty is the latest in a string of penalties resulting from new rules instituted in 2019 by the USGA and R&A. On Thursday, Alex Cejka was disqualified for violating a rule limiting greens-reading books. That same day, Justin Thomas had to play part of his round without use of his 9-iron for fear of violating adjusted rules involving damaged clubs. “The rule changes are what they are,� said Schenk, who is making the 41st start of his PGA TOUR career. “They’re fine. Everybody has got to play by them, and I just unfortunately didn’t. But like I said, the intention was never to cheat.� Carens felt terrible about his involvement. “It’s like a caddie’s worst nightmare,� he said. “At least I’ll never do it again.�

Click here to read the full article…