Majors over FedEx: Golf Writers Association votes Collin Morikawa male player of the year
As usual, the Golf Writers Association valued majors over the FedEx Cup when it was announced that Collin Morikawa was voted the male player of the year, edging out Jon Rahm.
The PGA Tour members voted FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay as the player of the year in September.
Morikawa won the Open Championship, while Rahm won the U.S. Open.
Dustin Johnson was named the Tour player of the year by his peers in 2020 after he won the FedEx Cup, but no majors (he won the Masters two months later), while the GWAA went with PGA champion Brooks Koepka.
Morikawa got 48 percent of the GWAA vote and Rahm 37 percent. Morikawa was fourth at the U.S. Open and eighth at the PGA, won a World Golf Championship and was 3-0-1 at the Ryder Cup.
Nelly Korda, who won four events, her first major and Olympic gold, was named the female player of the year with 72 percent of the vote and Phil Mickelson won senior player of the year with 59 percent of the vote.
Charity near pre-pandemic levels
The PGA Tour is getting back to the charity dollars its events were able to raise before the pandemic.
The Tour recently announced it had raised more than $173 million in charity in 2021, for an all-time total of $3.37 billion since 1933. The Tour raised a record $204.3 million in 2019 to surpass $3 billion.
That was the same year a record $9.25 million was raised through The Players Championship, enabling the tournament to surpass $100 million since it began on the First Coast in 1977.
Barring any further COVID-19 variants, all Tour events for the 2021-22 season are on track for full capacity, hospitality and sponsorships, which should result of charity dollars approaching pre-pandemic levels.
One promising sign was this week's announcement that the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, the charitable arm of this week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, became the first PGA Tour event to surpass $200 million in donations. The total dates back to 1947, with the money going to nonprofit organizations in the Monterey area.
“To reach this significant milestone speaks to the support of our title sponsor, partners, fans, and volunteers,” said Clint Eastwood, chairman of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, in a statement. “The tournament has had a lasting and incredibly positive impact on our local communities.”
Crouch off to strong start
A.J. Crouch of Jacksonville earned his Korn Ferry Tour status the hard way. He made five of eight cuts on the 2021 PGA Tour Latinoamerica, then got into the Korn Ferry qualifying tournament when he made the cut in all four starts on the Forme Tour, with one top-10 that pushed him to 12th on the points list.
From there it was on to Savannah’s Landings Club last November, where he shot 64 in the final round to finish in a tie for 14th, getting him conditional status.
Crouch was able to get spots in the first two Korn Ferry events in The Bahamas and took advantage, tying for sixth at Great Exuma and tying for 22nd at Great Abacos. Oddly enough, he shot 9-under 279 in both tournaments but conditions were a bit tougher at Exuma.
Crouch, a Bolles and University of Florida graduate, is in the field this week in Panama. He’s 11th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list and has earned $32,098.
Welch contends
Former Jacksonville University player Jessica Welch shot 1-under 215 last week to finish solo fifth at the Rio Pinar Women’s Championship, an East Coast Women’s Pro Golf Tour event at the Orlando course. Two plays from China finished on top, Siyun Liu (9-under) and Mohan Du (7-under). … David Duval and Jim Furyk are among the players who have committed to the PGA Tour Champions Chubb Classic Feb. 18-20 at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples. Duval made his PGA Champions debut two weeks ago in Hawaii, finishing in a tie for 34th in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. ... With Jordan Spieth missing the cut last week at Torrey Pines to break a streak of 20 made cuts in a row, defending AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am champion Daniel Berger now has the Tour's longest active streak with 13. However, Berger withdrew late Wednesday because of a back injury.
PGA TOUR
Event: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Thursday-Sunday, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, Monterey Peninsula.
At stake: $8.7 million purse ($1,566,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner.
Defending champion: Daniel Berger.
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m.); CBS (Saturday, 3-7 p.m.; Sunday, 3-6:30 p.m.).
Area players entered: Jonas Blixt, Jonathan Byrd, Lanto Griffin, Brian Harman, Russell Knox, David Lingmerth, Davis Love III, Tyler McCumber, Keith MItchell, Trey Mullinax, Doc Redman, Greyson Sigg, Jared Wolfe.
Notable: Also playing are Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Jason Day, Kevin Kisner and Justin Rose. ... Will Zalatoris and James Hahn have withdrawn because of positive COVID-19 tests. . … Berger shot 65 in the final round and beat Maverick McNealy by two shots and Spieth and Cantlay by three. ... Berger withdrew on Wednesday because of a back injury.
ROAD TO THE PLAYERS
When: March 10-13, Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
Defending champion: Justin Thomas.
Days until first round: 37.
Events until Players: 6.
Players trivia: The average final-round score for the last 20 winners of the tournament is 68.95.
Tickets/info: theplayers.com.
LPGA TOUR
Event: Drive On Championship, Thursday-Saturday, Crown Colony Golf and Country Club, Fort Myers.
At stake: $1.5 million purse ($270,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: First-year event.
TV: Peacock (Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m.; Saturday, 3-5 p.m.).
Area players entered: Marina Alex, Mel Reid.
Notable: Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda and Lexi Thompson lead the field for the 54-hole event.
KORN FERRY TOUR
Event: Panama Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Panama Golf Club, Panama City, Panama.
At stake: $750,000 purse ($135,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Davis Riley.
TV: None.
Area players entered: Chris Baker, Chandler Blanchet, A.J. Crouch, Taylor Dickson.
Notable: Riley beat Roberto Diaz by one shot in 2020. The tournament was not played last year because of the pandemic.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Golf Writers Association votes Collin Morikawa, Nelly Korda, Phil Mickelson top honors
