Lee Hodges From Korn Ferry Beats Tour Regulars At Sea Island

Davis Love III put together a little warm-up competition last week at Sea Island.

The Back 2 Golf Challenge was a two-day, 36-hole competition that was foremost a team event, featuring PGA Tour players paired with guys from the Korn Ferry Tour.

There was also an individual competition as well.

On Saturday, Korn Ferry Tour member Lee Hodges birdied the 36th and final hole to edge Jim Furyk and Harris English for individual honors.  He finished 10-under par.  English finished runner-up after rallying with four birdies over his final four holes.  Furyk finished solo third.

The team title went to J.T. Poston an Ben Kohles.  They tore it up, shooting 18-under for the two rounds.

Hodges said coming down the stretch, needing birdie to win, made it feel real.

“Exactly,” Hodges said.   “The last couple of holes I was like, ‘this feels like an actual tournament.’ I made birdie at 15 and saw I was tied and thought it was time to go.”

Hodges, 24, is in his second full season on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“It was just nice to get some juices flowing again,” Hodges added.  “It gives me a lot of confidence going into the restart.”

Sea Island Resort donated $5,000 to the Coastal Georgia Foundation’s Emergency Needs Fund in Hodges’ name.

Furyk, Love III Weight In On Ryder Cup Minus The Fans:

Two former U.S. Ryder Cup captains have put in their two center regarding the still-upcoming Ryder Cup, planned for September at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

“I can’t imagine any tournament without fans, first of all. In my career, we’ve done it one day at the 2012 AT&T National. Especially one that the home and away (fans) are such a big part of it,” said Davis Love III, a two-time captain who will serve as one of Steve  Stricker’s vice captains.  “Now, I agree with the sentiment that I’d rather play with no fans than not play at all. I don’t know if you can do that with the Ryder Cup, but I’d rather play Colonial and Hilton Head with no fans than not play at all, because so many people will watch it on TV.”

Furyk, U.S. captain two years ago in Paris and another Stricker vice-captain, said it was tough to think about the matches with no fans.

“It’s hard to imagine. I’ve had to try to imagine it because that question has been asked, but it’s just hard to envision,” said Furyk.  “Like every player whose ever played in a Ryder Cup, the pressure of playing for your country, and the pressure of playing for a team, and the pressure of that atmosphere is phenomenal.

“When I walked down those long steps in Paris and I got booed the entire way down those steps, it was pretty damn cool,” Furyk went on.  “To walk into an arena as a villain without ever saying a word or opening your mouth, some of their players almost felt bad and kind of half apologized for it.  I was like, ‘That’s what this event is about.’ It wasn’t mean spirited, it was fun. It was the Ryder Cup.”

LPGA Tour Looking Forward To Fans For Its Restart:

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine set the table for spectators at Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament in July.

That was good news for the LPGA Tour as it looks to restart is schedule a week later at the Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.

“It’s meant the world to us,” Marathon Classic tournament director Judd Silverman said of DeWine’s announcement. “It meant the difference between having a tournament and not having a tournament.”

One good thing is that the LPGA Tour doesn’t draw crowds the size of PGA Tour events.

“We expect we will be allowed to have our normal amount of spectators,” Silverman said.

Silverman said spectators will have their temperatures taken, with thermal scans, upon entering the tournament grounds. They’ll also be asked to bring masks, with the tournament providing masks for fans who don’t have them. Also, there will be no bleacher seating.  The Marathon will also hold a Wednesday pro-am.  “We’re raising money for 25 northwest Ohio children’s charities,” Silverman said. “Our goal this year is between $600,000 and $700,000.”