TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Shaun Norris, the very last player to be paired with Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship, headed house to South Africa to see his youthful small children, acquire a brief split from touring and determine out the place his entire world travels should consider him.
One solution is the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational collection, which has his interest.
Norris, who is No. 66 in the earth with 10 profession victories, mentioned he has signed up for the inaugural function in two weeks outside the house London.
Nonetheless to be decided is whether or not he goes, or even if he’s in the industry. Norris, substantially like absolutely everyone else, isn’t confident and has not read anything at all.
“I’ve entered,” he claimed. “I’m just ready to see what will take place. I’m not completely persuaded or determined on going but. I’m just hanging back and mainly tests the waters.”
The funds and the little agenda are pleasing to the 40-yr-outdated.
Norris has victories on the Sunshine Tour, Japan Golfing Tour, Asian Tour and the European tour in his job. This calendar year by itself, he has played tournaments on four of the six main golf circuits, earning his European tour card by successful a co-sanctioned function in South Africa.
He has alternatives. He also has two kids, a 3-calendar year-outdated boy and a daughter born two months ago in Pretoria.
“I noticed her for a week and then I experienced to leave,” Norris explained. “She’s smiling. We do online video contacting just about every day. But it is tough.”
Which is a massive cause why he is curious about LIV Golfing.
“If it does do the job out for me, at my age, you get started to want to glance soon after your family and keep at dwelling,” Norris mentioned. “All this hard touring participating in Europe, the U.S., Japan, I barely get to see my young ones. We’re trying to determine out a way to make it less difficult. If it arrives down to have to do that, you never ever know. But I’m not speeding into any decisions.”
He returns next 7 days for the U.S. Open up, exempt by successful the Sunshine Tour Order of Benefit. The very first LIV Golfing function is June 9-11 at Centurion Golfing Club, a week just before the U.S. Open up outdoors Boston. The up coming just one is scheduled for Oregon on July 1-3, a 7 days before he is to perform the Scottish Open and the British Open up.
“If you can perform out 15 or 20 weeks of the 12 months and the rest of the time is spent at residence? Which is an perfect way of life, in particular as the father of two,” he mentioned.
Other than for 2020, when the agenda was disrupted by the pandemic, Norris has averaged 27 tournaments a 12 months, with a substantial of 34.
So what is holding him back again from signing up for a series of $20 million functions with $4 million for the winner?
“I just want to see how the tours are likely to deal with it,” he said. “Are they likely to wholly ban you from the excursions? Wonderful you? I do not want to get myself in a complete mess the place I cannot get out of it. We know there are a bunch of players totally dedicated. Let us see what takes place.”
Norris mentioned neither the Sunshine Tour, which just started out back up yet again, nor the Japan Golfing Tour is “not bothered” by members taking part in. He is a European tour member. As tempting as the money and program is, Norris can see why the PGA Tour and European tour are resisting.
“The PGA Tour has designed one thing for 50 many years to get to wherever they are. And here’s Saudi, wanting to start out exactly where the PGA Tour is now,” he said. “They’re generally throwing income at it. I can thoroughly comprehend why the PGA Tour is sensation how they’re sensation, and the European tour. You really don’t want to have a tour just choose in excess of like that.”
Key CONSOLATION
Mito Pereira cared only about successful the PGA Championship, and to close with a double bogey to end one shot out of a playoff was devastating.
It can be a tiny consolation but Pereira, who was No. 100 in the globe and received a distinctive invitation to the PGA for his second important, is certain of enjoying the next 4.
He moved to No. 49 in the entire world in the past match in advance of the U.S. Open up (best 60) and British Open up (best 50) applied the ranking to come to a decision which players are exempt. His tie for third gained him a location in his initial Masters subsequent April. And the PGA Championship usually takes the prime 15 and ties from the prior yr.
Fork out Raise
The Evian Championship was elevated to a fifth significant on the LPGA Tour in 2013, and the majors represented the largest purses in women’s golf. Evian led the way that year with a $3.25 million purse.
With boosts across the board, the 5 majors have a lot more than tripled the prize revenue to a whole of $32.8 million.
The U.S. Women’s Open is the richest in women’s golf at $10 million. The Women’s British Open very last 12 months introduced a different bump so the prize dollars will be $6.8 million at Muirfield (which right until lately was an all-male club).
Evian was the newest, saying a $2 million improve that delivers the total purse this 12 months to $6.5 million, with a $1 million payoff going to the winner.
“Elevating the purse of this big championship tends to make a powerful statement about the value and status of the women’s sport,” LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan explained.
The Chevron Championship purse in California was $5 million, whilst the KPGA Women’s Championship purse very last yr was $4.5 million. It has not announced the purse for this year’s match at Congressional.
In addition to the $1 million for the winner, the Evian will pay out everybody in the industry, even a stipend for these who overlook the slice.
BEN HOGAN AWARD
Texas Tech junior Ludvig Aberg of Sweden has won the the Ben Hogan Award, honoring the best men’s university golfer based mostly on school, amateur and professional activities above the last 12 months.
Aberg is the initially winner from Texas Tech and the 3rd Ben Hogan Award winner from a Significant 12 Convention college in the very last 5 years, joining Viktor Hovland of Oklahoma Point out (2019) and Doug Ghim of Texas (2018).
He was selected in excess of Sam Bennett of Texas A&M and Eugenio Chacarra of Oklahoma Condition.
Aberg, the No. 2 participant in the globe newbie ranking, received the Huge 12 Championship and The Status as section of his 9 straight finishes in the top rated 15. A runner-up at the European Novice final summertime, Aberg tied for 30th in the Scandinavian Mixed on the European tour and tied for 51st in the Bermuda Championship on the PGA Tour.
The award arrives with an exemption to play the Charles Schwab Problem at Colonial following year.
DIVOTS
The PGA Is effective Collegiate Championship will be held up coming 12 months at Shoal Creek, the Alabama club that invited its initially Black member in 1990 so it could host the PGA Championship. … Bubba Watson, in a tweet to congratulate PGA winner Justin Thomas, exposed he has a torn meniscus and will be out for four to six weeks. That usually means Watson won’t be going as a result of U.S. Open up qualifying. … Inbee Park has withdrawn from the U.S. Women’s Open up next week. … Harris English, who hoped to return to aggressive golf at the PGA Championship, withdrew from Colonial. He experienced operation on his remaining hip and has not played given that the 2nd entire week in January. … Soon after 3rd-area finishes the last two weeks, MJ Daffue of South Africa is the most current Korn Ferry Tour participant to have plenty of points to be among the the 25 gamers who get PGA Tour cards upcoming yr.
STAT OF THE Week
The final four big champions had been all in their 20s and amongst the prime 10 in the globe when they gained.
Remaining Word
“Now I comprehend when individuals view me on Television how nervous they get.” — Joaquin Niemann as he watched Chilean buddy Mito Pereira consider to gain the PGA Championship.
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