List snags the Sanderson 🐓

Happy Monday! And, apologies for the late afternoon send. I’ll blame it on a weekend away at a member-guest tournament with my brother-in-law, which ended on a high note, but started out tough.

The Pittsburgh-area course we played was treacherous. Thick fescue rough lined almost every hole and the greens (some of the most undulating I’ve ever seen) were lightning quick. On top of it, our 8-handicaps snuck us into the championship flight, which meant we played from the tips. The back nine alone was over 3,500 yards (par 35) and it had just rained 😅.

The format was better-ball — meaning, we played our own ball and at the end of each hole, we took the best score. And, handicaps were added as well. So, if our best score on a hole was 4, and we stroked on that hole because of our handicaps, we’d get a 3.

After day one, we were 6-over par and in dead last place.

But somehow, someway, we came out firing on day two. We hit fairways, made putts, and overall, there were good vibes across the entire group. We improved 12 shots, shooting a 6-under 64 (one of the lowest scores of the day).

I was pretty amped after the round, but I tell you this mostly because it reminded me of a few things that I wanted to share. They are:

1. Tournament golf is just different. You’re nervous on the first tee. It means more when you make a putt. It’s awesome, and something I haven’t done enough of since my competitive golf career ended in high school.

2. Tournaments are even better with a partner. Playing alongside my brother-in-law this weekend was so much more fun than being out there alone. We strategized on tee boxes, read putts together, and celebrated when the birdies dropped. It was our own mini Ryder Cup experience, and you can easily see why team competitions in golf elicit so much emotion.

3. Camaraderie is great too. Besides the golf itself, just being around a bunch of nice people — in our groups, at dinner, etc. — was a ton of fun. Most of the guys I met were dads with young kids, who didn’t fit in much practice (or sleep) before the tournament. We talked about the highs and lows of fatherhood, our sports teams, our jobs — you name it. Some of it was small talk, but for someone (like me) who works remote, it was refreshing to have those conversations and a good reminder to “get out there” more often.

In the end, we probably finished towards the middle of the pack. But hopefully, it was enough to get the nod again next year.

Alright. Onto the news…

List Snags the Sanderson

Ben Griffin, a vegan who stepped away from professional golf in 2021 to become a mortgage loan officer, had a putt just outside of nine feet on Sunday afternoon to win his first PGA Tour event at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Instead, the 27-year old rookie skimmed the right edge.

The bogey at 18 put Griffin into a five-man playoff alongside Luke List, Scott Stallings, Henrik Norlander, and Ludvig Åberg. As No Laying Up put it:

All five players were on (or near) the green on the first playoff hole, but it was List — ranked 182nd in putting this year on tour — who drained his 43-foot birdie putt for the win.

“It's been an interesting last hour,” said List, whose probability to win was just 3% after finishing his final round on Sunday. Commentators mentioned List had even given his hat away to a fan, thinking his day was done. Apparently, he then had to track down the kid to reclaim his cap before the playoff began.

“My ball-striking really wasn't there this weekend, but I was able to really scramble nicely and make some putts,” said List, who’s now snagged both of PGA Tour wins in playoff situations. “Just to have the opportunity to get in a playoff, I felt like, wow, okay, this is a gift.”

More notes from Mississippi:

• With the win, List, who resides in Augusta, Georgia, now gets to play the Masters in April.

• Ben Griffin bogeying two of the final three holes was heartbreaking and reminiscent of his collapse last year in Bermuda. Hopefully his strong play continues through the fall and into next year.

• What jet lag? Ludvig Åberg coming off an emotional week in Italy, keeping his commitment to play in Mississippi, and almost pulling off this victory was just awesome. I’ll be the hundred-thousandth person to say — this guy just continues to impress.

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More news

📺 ESPN secured the broadcasting rights for Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new virtual golf league (TGL), which kicks off with its first match on January 9. (CNBC)

🫶 Matt Fitzpatrick won this week’s DP World Tour event — the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship — while he and his mom Susan also claimed the pro-am title. (Golf Digest)

🐅 Tiger Woods is in Pebble Beach this week for one of his charity tournaments (the TW Invitational), and videos of him swinging has the internet buzzing. (Golf 365)

And finally…

The Korn Ferry Tour Championship was this weekend, which means life-changing moments for the 30 players who earned their PGA Tour cards for next season and total heartbreak for those outside the cut-line.

This year was especially emotional (and chaotic) after the 30th ranked player, Shad Tuten, was assessed a two-stroke penalty for an improper drop on Sunday. The penalty dropped Tuten to 32nd on the points list and allowed 35-year-old Rafael Campos to move into the 30th and final spot.

To try and understand how much all this means to players, take two-minutes to watch Campos after finding out he’d earned his Tour card:

Here’s a list of all 30 players who will graduate from the Korn Ferry to the PGA Tour next year, including Alejandro Tosti, fraternal twins Parker and Pierceson Coody, and former collegient star Norman Xiong.

That’s all for today! Thanks so much for reading y’all and if you enjoyed it, please share the Quick Nine with a friend or two. It would mean a lot!

I’ll see you back here on Wednesday for our Shriners Open preview. Get stoked! - Nick B.