Out with OLD! In with the NEW! FRED ALTVATER You are a Golfaholic if: You look at the four inches of snow outside your office window and dream you were in Florida playing golf. I hit some of the worst shots you’ve ever seen. But I go find it and hit it again. It’s managing those shots and not letting it bother you, then going and hitting the next one............ The December issue marks the end of a fantastic Year of Golf! Tiger Woods, smack in the middle of his remarkable return to prominence on the PGA Tour, was involved in a horrific car crash and spent most of the year undergoing a grueling rehabilitation. The ever-young Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island at the age of 51, becoming the oldest player to win a major title. Team USA finally won the Ryder Cup in a convincing fashion at Whistling Straits, but the LPGA women lost to Europe in the Solheim Cup at Inverness. 2022 promises to be even better. Both the LPGA and PGA Tour have increased prize money. The ladies will be playing for a total of $87 million and the men’s tour has increased the FedEx Cup payout to $18 million. For Ohioans, the Solheim Cup held at Inverness was one of the biggest sporting events the Buckeye state has ever seen. Kudos to Tournament Director Becky Newell and her staff. Everything went off without a hitch, except for the fact that the Europeans handed the Americans a 15-13 loss. Ohio golf courses continue to see record levels of golfers coming out to play. With supply chains stretched to maximum capacity, equipment companies can’t keep up with demand. COVID was still a minor issue in 2021, but the golf industry, as a whole, benefitted greatly. Women and juniors continue to find golf attractive and are a key component of the overall growth. With the January 2022 issue, Ohio Golf Journal will be entering its eighth year and we are excited to see who wins the majors, what new names appear to dominate and return to playing the game we love so much. Hope I see you on the Back 9. ~ Dustin Johnson Ohio Golf Journal
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ2Nzk4