Fore! Things: Chris Kirk's Comeback, Hall of Fame Finalists and a Qualifier's Big Week
More Weekly Read: The Road to the Masters Ramps Up | What's Next for the Honda Classic? | RIP, Brooks vs. Bryson | Qualifying for LIV Golf
Fore! Things
1. Chris Kirk’s victory at the Honda Classic was his first since 2015 and came after considerable personal trauma that saw him deal with alcoholism and depression. Kirk had a third at the Sony Open and a tie for third at the American Express earlier this season.
2. With his solo fourth at the Honda, Ryan Gerard became the first Monday qualifier (he made it through a playoff on Tuesday) to finish in the top five of a PGA Tour event since Doc Redman was second at the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
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3. This week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational has 44 of the top 50 players in the world, the most for any tournament since last year’s Open at St Andrews.
4. For the first time in 2023, there will also be an opposite event as the Puerto Rico Open is also taking place.
Fore! More Things
1. The annual Pro-Member at Seminole Golf Club has again attracted some of the biggest names in golf with 12 of the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking expected to compete. Among those teeing it up are Jon Rahm, Max Homa and Rory McIlroy, who is playing with his dad, Gerry. Tony Finau is partnering with Tom Brady.
2. The World Golf Hall of Fame named its finalists for induction with those chosen to be announced the week of March 6, Players Championship week. Among them was Tom Weiskopf, who passed away last year due to pancreatic cancer and who many believe should already be in the Hall. A winner of 16 PGA Tour titles including the British Open at Royal Troon in 1973, a year when he won seven times overall. Weiskopf also forged a prolific and respected golf design career and was a TV analyst for several years as well – his 1986 commentary of Jack Nicklaus on the 16th hole of the Masters (along with rookie Masters broadcaster Jim Nantz) among his all-time classics.
3. After Charles Howell III's victory in Mexico, the LIV Golf League now takes a two-week break and returns on March 17 for the LIV Tucson event at Dove Mountain, where the PGA Tour used to play the WGC-Match Play. The event is opposite the Valspar Championship. Two weeks later it plays in Orlando opposite the Valero Texas Open.
4. There are 38 days until the first round of the Masters.