Morning 9: Boutier wins epic playoff | 2 KFT professionals suspended | Lee dominates in Saudi Arabia

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Good Wednesday morning, golf followers, because the PGA Tour takes a uncommon week off from motion.

1. Annika an ANGC member?

Adam Schupak for Golfweek…”Annika Sorenstam, winner of 10 ladies’s majors and 72 LPGA Tour titles, was just lately fitted for a inexperienced jacket.”

• “In line with a number of sources who spoke to Golfweek on the situation of anonymity, Sorenstam, 53, formally grew to become a member at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership earlier this month when the membership opened for the present season. A spokesperson for Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership declined to remark. Mike McGee, Sorenstam’s husband and supervisor, additionally declined to remark.”

• “Augusta Nationwide has historically cited membership as a personal matter and gone to nice lengths to maintain its membership record, which is believed to be within the neighborhood of 300 and features a group of among the wealthiest and strongest businessmen — and since 2012 ladies — personal.”

2. Remaining 10 Grant Thornton Invitational groups introduced

Through PGATour.com…”Event officers right this moment introduced the remaining 10 groups that can compete within the Grant Thornton Invitational set to debut Dec. 8-10, 2023, on the Tiburón Golf Membership in Naples, Florida.”

• Charley Hull and Justin Rose

• Megan Khang and Denny McCarthy

• Céline Boutier and Harris English

• Andrea Lee and Billy Horschel

• Mel Reid and Russell Henley

• Cheyenne Knight and Tom Hoge

• Madelene Sagström and Ludvig Åberg

• Allisen Corpuz and Cameron Champ

• Ruoning Yin and Nick Taylor

• Leona Maguire and Lucas Glover

3. Jackson Van Paris breaks by way of at St. Andrews

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Jackson Van Paris was a can’t miss junior participant. Constantly within the combine within the greatest occasions, whilst a 14-year-old on the 2019 U.S. Beginner, the place he received a match to almost break Bobby Jones’ document because the youngest to take action. Winner of two AJGA invitationals and the distinguished Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in 2020. In similar breath as, and infrequently forward of, contemporaries reminiscent of Gordon Sargent, Preston Summerhays and David Ford.”

• “Faculty golf, although, hadn’t come almost as simple for the Pinehurst, North Carolina, native – that’s, till just lately.”

• “Now a junior at Vanderbilt, Van Paris notched his first faculty particular person win Tuesday on the St. Andrews Hyperlinks Collegiate. Van Paris carded simply three bogeys over two rounds round St. Andrews’ Jubilee Course, a tricky format made tougher by chilly and windy circumstances, and his 9-under whole left him three pictures away from runner-up and Vanderbilt teammate Cole Sherwood.”

4. Extra USGA championships for Pinehurst

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”Six extra USGA championships shall be heading to Pinehurst within the close to future, underlining the USGA’s dedication to creating the North Carolina mecca one of many governing physique’s anchor websites.”

• “The USGA introduced Tuesday that the 2027 U.S. Ladies’s Beginner, 2032 U.S. Junior Beginner and U.S. Women’ Junior, 2038 U.S. Beginner, 2044 U.S. Ladies’s Beginner and a future U.S. Adaptive Open have been added to Pinehurst’s internet hosting slate.”

• “Bringing extra championships to a venue like Pinehurst is a testomony to the USGA’s dedication to our long run partnership with the resort and our promise of increasing the presence of our group within the space,” stated John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer of the USGA. “Pinehurst’s wealthy {golfing} heritage and dedication to excellence make it the right setting for all the USGA’s world-class occasions. Their dedication to our Open championships is unbelievable, and now we’re in a position to shine a light-weight on the beginner recreation right here as properly.”

5. Morikawa’s putter shaft swap

GolfWRX for PGATour.com…”Previous to Summer time 2023, nevertheless, Morikawa and Sweeney seen that the differential between the light-weight TP Soto blade putter head, and the heavy graphite shaft, might be affecting his really feel. Morikawa didn’t need the stiffness of the shaft to vary, although, as a result of he appreciated the consistency it added to his stroke.”

• “So, Morikawa – and Sweeney – needed an additional stiff putter shaft, however with an ultra-lightweight development to higher match along with his TP Soto blade putter head.”

• “The merchandise that Morikawa examined included a Mitsubishi Diamana P-135 shaft, which makes use of the identical weave and supplies that the corporate makes use of in its flagship merchandise, and the shaft is designed to cut back torque and enhance stability all through the stroke.”

• “He appreciated it, however the shaft was nonetheless too heavy.”

• “That’s when Mitsubishi bought into re-design mode and constructed Morikawa a 1-of-1 prototype. In line with the corporate, its designers have been in a position to retain the identical stiffness because the heavier mannequin, whereas decreasing the burden of the shaft to 105 grams.”

6. Nelly nonetheless looking out

Kent Paisley for Golf Digest…”Oddly sufficient, this season, Korda doesn’t have a win of her personal, however has posted seven high 10s in 15 begins, has been the No. 1 participant on the planet twice, and has represented the U.S. in each the Worldwide Crown and Solheim Cup. With 4 occasions remaining, Korda is staring down the potential of a winless 12 months throughout a non-COVID impacted season for the primary time since her rookie season in 2017.”

• “I feel the season has been up and down,” Korda defined. “There have been actually good finishes. Originally of the 12 months golf felt very easy. Simply was top-10-ing, after which I bought injured and the momentum of my season actually shifted. So sort of a bit of bit disappointing clearly, however that’s golf, proper? You sort of must journey the wave of it. You bought to place your head down and generally work.

• “I’ve been doing that, and I’m hoping for a momentum shift going into this week after which the final two in Florida as properly. However, yeah, undoubtedly a little bit of an up and down 12 months, which, , they’re sports activities, so I really feel like athletes are all the time sort of in a highlight, so when we’ve unhealthy days they’re actually magnified too. So sadly I’ve undoubtedly had a number of of these this 12 months, however hoping to vary that momentum.”

7. LIV stated no?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”In line with DP World Tour participant Eddie Pepperell, LIV Golf rejected a possible take care of Jon Rahm previous to the 2023 season because of the Spaniard’s asking worth being astronomical.”

• “Whereas talking on “The Chipping Forecast” podcast, Pepperell stated LIV approached about fifteen gamers asking what their potential worth could be to depart their present tour to hitch LIV.”

• “I heard that Jon Rahm… I heard that LIV had approached 15 gamers this 12 months asking them for a tough determine as to what would get them throughout and I used to be instructed that Rahm’s determine was so prohibitively giant that LIV rejected it. So, make of that what you need.”

• There was some hypothesis that the reigning Masters champion could be open to becoming a member of LIV over the previous few years. Rahm has defended his fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia’s determination to hitch LIV and stated he believes the 43-year-old needs to be included within the Ryder Cup sooner or later and known as Garcia’s ban “silly”.

8. Bubba on the up?

Eric J. Wallace for the Palm Seaside Put up…”Bubba Watson might not have been in a position to catch Bryson DeChambeau and Crushers GC on the LIV Golf crew championship on Sunday, however a stellar final-round efficiency at Trump Doral Miami proved he’s nonetheless bought the sport to be a star in the way forward for the Saudi-backed league.”

• “Watson shot 67 and his crew, the pink-clad Vary Goats, completed 9-under and two pictures away from the crew championship behind DeChambeau’s victorious Crushers GC.”

• “I’m excited. I went bogey-free on the Blue Monster,” Watson stated. “The entire objective was to play stable golf and assist the crew. And I did.

• “What a 12 months. The Vary Goats got here out of nowhere. We performed nice and simply have to enhance a bit of bit.”

9. Brooks: Persons are afraid to be sincere

• “The 33-year-old made the admission in an interview with Golf Month-to-month, saying: “I don’t care what different individuals suppose. Persons are afraid to be sincere. These days, we attempt to put it softly so it doesn’t sound too unhealthy, however you possibly can’t inform me that’s not what I did.”