Chad Niemi is an entrepreneur and avid golf fan. In the following article, Chad Niemi breaks down the recent PGA highlights, from Phil Mickelson promising he’s at peace about never playing on the PGA Tour again to the highlights of the Farmers Insurance Open, avid supporters like Chad Niemi have had a fun-filled January.
The PGA Tour is the nonprofit organizer of professional golf tournaments across the United States and North America. And it’s been a busy start of the year for them and fans’ much-loved golfers.
Phil Mickelson is Relaxed About Never Playing on PGA Tour Again
Chad Niemi says that January 2022 saw Phil Mickelson remain a fan-favorite on the PGA Tour after his iconic victory in 2021’s PGA Championship. But it appears a lot can change in just one year.
After calling out the PGA Tour and the people behind LIV Golf, the 52-year-old sportsman spoke with a Sports Illustrated interviewer about being “at peace” with never playing on a PGA Tour again.
That said, Mickelson is still putting for another couple of major wins, mentioning he’s in every major until 2026 and has a chance to achieve his goals reports Chad Niemi.
Calling his statements about PGA Tour and LIV Golf a “short-term disruption for long-term gain,” Mickelson believes that his previous contentious year will be near-on forgotten in five or ten years.
Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed Golf it Out in Dubai
Golf enthusiasts will undoubtedly be aware of the ongoing struggle between LIV Golf and PGA Tour for the world’s best players. After all, many consider the somewhat-petty struggle wonderfully entertaining.
And it seems these fans would be right.
The last weekend in January saw LIV and PGA players duel it out in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, giving onlookers quite the show.
The now-dubbed “tee gate” was the first spectacle, wherein Patrick Reed, a LIV Golf player, threw a tee at Rory McIlroy during practice.
Following that debacle, Henrik Stenson, the former captain of the 2023 Ryder Cup European team, played Luke Donald, the golfer who replaced him, in the third round on Sunday.
Although, it was a much less eventful situation than some may have hoped, with Donald telling reporters that “it was just like playing a normal round.”
But for Reed, Chad Niemi reports the same round was far from ordinary. He again became entangled in a rules incident when his tee shot wedged itself in a palm tree.
McIlroy clinched the 54-hole lead, which sent him to Monday’s final round against Reed.
After a tense round, McIlroy made a 15-footer final hole, earning him his first Rolex Series title and third event victory.
A PGA Pro Purchases Second-Hand Legendary Clubs
Kelly Kraft, the 2011 US Amateur champion, rocked up to the Farmers Insurance Open with a bag brimming with 2013 Callaway Legacy Black clubs.
Upon hearing that Kraft purchased them second-hand on eBay, Callaway Golf’s tour content manager, Johnny Wunder, added a picture of the irons to his Instagram, noting his respect for the golfer reports Chad Niemi.
Follower reactions were more than enthusiastic, with some speculating that Kraft may be trying to become another on the PGA Tour’s winner list who’ve used Blacks.
The PGA Tour Embraces Max Homa’s Quick-Witted Humor
Chad Niemi says that in its continued back-and-forth with LIV Golf, PGA Tour may have found its hero — Max Homa, well-known by the golf fandom on Twitter for his funny, quick-witted personality.
Homa brought his humor into “tee-gate” with a tweet on January 26, 2023, and poked fun at Reed during his miked-up time on CBS Sports during the third round of the tournament.
PGA Tour finally appears to be embracing Homa’s fun-loving personality, but the 32-year-old has shown himself to be one of the best golfers in the world these past few months.
On Saturday, January 28th, fans saw him collect his sixth PGA Tour victory at Torrey Pines, with all six wins happening since 2019.
The Best of the PGA Tour This January
While the McIlroy-Reed situation certainly revved fans up, other players stood out to reporters during the tournament.
Brent Grant, a PGA Tour rookie, earned his first top-25 finish with an impressive eagle, resulting in ESPN accolading him for best approach.
Another rookie, Kyle Westmoreland, got the best tee shot award, with Michael Thompson awarded for his seemingly ever-rolling chip.
Chad Niemi claims that the Farmers Insurance Open was indeed a marvelous spectacle to behold.
