When you see Robert Garrigus and Tommy Gainey in this week’s Zurich Classic team championship, your immediate reaction might be — “How did these bums even get in the field?”
Well, they must be so hard up for players that someone at Zurich Insurace Group perhaps had a few too many vodkas on the rocks one night and figured it was a good idea of put Garrigus and Gainey in the field on a sponsor exemption.
Seriously?
Now what makes it even more questionable is the fact that we now have someone who has aligned themselves with The Great White Shark/Saudi Golf Fiasco, also known as the LIV Series. And that someone is world No. 1,043 — Mr. Garrigus.
Finally Commissioner Norman has a player! And this one, once again is totally underwhelming.
Garrigus has only past-champion status on the PGA Tour thanks to his one (yes one) victory. He’s asked the PGA Tour for a release to play in the Saudi Tour’s first event that will be played June 9-11 outside London. Odds are the PGA Tour will grant Garrigus that release. After all, it is an overseas event. It’s also the week before the U.S. Open that starts June 16 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
You can’t imagine any top players heading there given the U.S. Open date.
Which brings us back to Norman who has consistently over-promised and under-delivered for this rival golf league. Norman promised “elite” players and he has Garrigus (stop laughing!). He promised a nifty team format. Doesn’t have that.
Norman looks like he’ll be forced to fill out some of his fields with amateurs. Once again, Norman under-delivers.
Garrigus didn’t want to talk about his request for release from the PGA Tour. He simply expressed his gratitude for getting an exemption into the Zurich Classic so he can tee it up with Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey. Wow — dynamic team.
Garrigus’ last full season on the PGA Tour was in 2018.
As for this London event, some other PGA Tour players who don’t get into the U.S. Open may request releases — and they’ll probably get them. The Tour set a precedent when it let eventual winner Harold Varner III and others play in the Saudi Invitational earlier this season.
As for the events that will be played in the U.S.? Now that’s where the showdown will occur and that’s when the PGA Tour is going to put its foot down.
Stay tuned for more good stuff.
The Dalys Get A Deal With Hooters:
You may or may not recall that John Daly used to park his bus at the Hooters in Augusta, Ga. during Masters week and used to sell John Daly “stuff” to innocent Masters attendees.
Well, now John and son John II have themselves a deal with Hooters.
The elder Daly can do it because he’s a professional and the younger Daly, an upcoming player at the University of Arkansas, can participate and get money thanks to the NCAA’s NIL program that allows college athletes to benefit from use of their images.
Of course the Hooters chain said it was “thrilled” to have Daly-and-Daly as their ambassadors. The pair will be involved is all sorts of marketing for Hooters especially on social media and digital channels.
Note to John II — you might want to lay off the beer and wings unless you want to look like your pops.
