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Arnold Palmer's grandson dishes on his new career post-retirement

Arnold Palmer's grandson dishes on his new career post-retirement

USA Today02-03-2025

Arnold Palmer's grandson dishes on his new career post-retirement
When Sam Saunders announced on social media in August that he had played his final round as a professional golfer after a 15-year career, the 37-year-old grandson of Arnold Palmer didn't make clear what he planned to do next other than to say 'he was excited for the next chapter in his life' and 'would always be involved in this great game of golf that has given him so much.'
Saunders, who made more than 150 career starts on both the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, didn't have to look too far to start the next chapter of his life. In November, he joined the Arnold Palmer Group, whose mission is to build upon his grandfather's legacy and philanthropic efforts, as vice president of partnerships.
'It's been a learning process,' he told Golfweek. 'We have so many good things going between the tournament (Arnold Palmer Invitational), Arnold and Winnie Palmer Foundation and the Arnold Palmer Cup (a Ryder Cup-style competition between college players from the U.S. and an international team representing the rest of the world). We have some exciting things coming in Latrobe (where Palmer was raised and the family owns the golf course and club where his father worked and taught him the game). I played an individual sport my whole life so for me to be part of a team and help in any way that I can to help these great people that are working for the organization has been pretty cool.'
Palmer, who won eight majors and died in 2016, was one of the most beloved golfers in the history of the game. His daughter, Amy, who is the mother of Saunders, serves as chairperson of APG and Roy Saunders, Sam's father, is a vice president of the company too. (Among the assets the family owns is Bay Hill, where the API is held.) Sam Saunders had been a supporter and ambassador of the tournament in the past, and said he wasn't sure exactly what his role would be when he retired in August, but called it a natural progression to become more involved.
'It's good to still be very much involved in the game of golf. I love golf and I just want to help it grow and still be a great game in the future,' he said.
Being home more with wife Kelly and sons Cohen, 16, and Ace, 11, was the primary reason that he hung up his spikes after enduring the worst season of his professional career. He had made just four cuts last season on the Korn Ferry Tour and missed the cut in nine of his last 10 starts. Asked how he's been enjoying retirement, he laughed and said, 'It's been hardly that.'
Saunders flew to Orlando on Friday to prep with tournament organizers for the annual tournament at Bay Hill Lodge & Club that bears his grandfather's name and begins on Monday. He will assume a larger role doing everything from pro-am appearances to media availability to a broadcast role during the early TV window on Golf Channel, the network his grandfather co-founded, on Saturday and Sunday, something he has dabbled in before. Saunders said he will also do TV for the upcoming telecasts of PGA Tour opposite field events in the Dominican Republic and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
'It's nice to stay connected to the game of golf and that's just another way to stay connected,' he said.
And Saunders said he still is training as if he could compete in the future and didn't shoot down the possibility he could resume his playing career again.
'I don't ever close doors completely,' he said. 'My grandpa left a lot of things behind and I would love to assist in the future, but in no way do I feel like I've closed the door at ever competing in golf again.'

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2025 Travelers Championship offers a relaxed birdie-fest after the U.S. Open grind
2025 Travelers Championship offers a relaxed birdie-fest after the U.S. Open grind

USA Today

time34 minutes ago

  • USA Today

2025 Travelers Championship offers a relaxed birdie-fest after the U.S. Open grind

2025 Travelers Championship offers a relaxed birdie-fest after the U.S. Open grind After the grind at Oakmont, TPC River Highlands offers a friendly atmosphere, a stacked field, and a course that yields low scores. CROMWELL, Conn. – Golf fans who were white-knuckled last week watching the U.S. Open, squinting their eyes as Oakmont Country Club battered, bruised, and at times, humiliated the game's best players, might want to keep their seatbelts buckled. Not because the 2025 Travelers Championship will be another grindfest. Quite the opposite. If the U.S. Open is like pushing a broken lawn mower on a hot summer day, then the Travelers Championship, this week's PGA Tour Signature Event at TPC River Highlands, is like sitting under an umbrella on the porch, cold beverage in hand, admiring the freshly-cut grass. Here, players will transition from survival mode to chill mode — and maybe enjoy a little New Haven-style pizza. This year's Travelers Championship field boasts 18 of the top 20 players on the Official World Golf Ranking, a $20 million purse, with $3.6 million going to the winner, along with guys who are ready to shoot low scores. Really low scores. TPC River Highlands contrast is the charm In 2022, Xander Schauffele went 63-63 on the weekend to win at 261 (19 under). In 2023, Keegan Bradley shot 62-63 over the first two rounds and finished at 257 (23-under par). Last year, Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim tied at 22-under after four rounds, with Scheffler winning in a playoff. These are not scorecards you see at Oakmont, Winged Foot or Pinehurst No. 2. TPC River Highlands, which plays to a par of 70, is one of the shortest courses on the PGA Tour — measuring just 6,844 yards — and it rewards precision, imagination, and hot putters. A 65 here doesn't raise eyebrows, but a 71 does. Last year, Cameron Young shot 59 in the third round, but folks in the Nutmeg State are still buzzing about Jim Furyk's all-time PGA Tour scoring record, a 58 he carded in the fourth round back in 2016. That's not a typo. Fifty-eight. He birdied half the holes and never looked like he broke a sweat. 'We're at a point in the schedule when guys are competitively sharp,' said Tony Finau. 'This is not early in the season, this is not the middle of the season, we're coming to the end of the season. We've got three majors under our belt, a lot of Signature Events under our belt and a lot of competition. So, everybody is sharp and everybody is playing great golf. Now that the Travelers is a Signature Event, this is an event that a lot of guys circle on their calendar. They want to play well here and win.' Year Champion Round 1 Score Final Score (To‑Par) 2024 Scottie Scheffler 65 (−5) 258 (−22) 2023 Keegan Bradley 62 (−8) 257 (−23) 2022 Xander Schauffele 63 (−7) 261 (−19) 2021 Harris English 65 (−5) 267 (−13) 2020 Dustin Johnson 69 (−1) 261 (−19) 2019 Chez Reavie 65 (−5) 263 (−17) 2018 Bubba Watson 70 (E) 263 (−17) 2017 Jordan Spieth 63 (−7) 268 (−12) 2016 Russell Knox 67 (−3) 266 (−14) 2015 Bubba Watson 62 (−8) 264 (−16) Average 65.1 263 (-17) Travelers Week has appeal for Scottie Scheffler, other stars Despite being an event that comes after one of golf's four majors, the Travelers has carved out a spot as a can't-miss tournament on the calendar. 'When I think about the Travelers in general, I think of how fun it is, how fun the week is for me and for my family,' said defending champion Scottie Scheffler. 'It's a week in which the players and our families and our caddies get treated as good as we do all year. If you ask any caddie on tour what's his favorite event, it's probably going to be the Travelers Championship.' Top-ranked players have been showing up for years thanks to strong relationships tournament organizers have made with them, but chartered flights from West Coast U.S. Open venues have helped, too. So has the event's elevation to Signature Event status, but perks and amenities still abound, like the pizza truck in the practice area, which makes custom pies to complement the espresso and ice cream bar that is there all week. 'I think the most welcoming thing here is the hospitality, how nice everyone is treated and how sort of comfy everything is here,' Xander Schauffele said recently. 'Our caddies have courtesy cars this week, and that's the extent of how Travelers has gone to make everyone feel comfortable, and I think it's an awesome thing.' Rain fell on TPC River Highlands on Tuesday, with a chance of more showers dampening and softening the course on Thursday as temperatures rise through the 70s and into the high 80s. By Saturday and Sunday, golfers and fans at the Travelers Championship will get to enjoy classic New England summer conditions, with temperatures near 90 degrees with plenty of humidity. Regardless, coming just a few days after the pressure and stress of the U.S. Open, the Travelers Championship will provide a welcome, albeit challenging, relief.

Thrilling new food options are giving this 25-year-old Bay Area mall a second wind
Thrilling new food options are giving this 25-year-old Bay Area mall a second wind

San Francisco Chronicle​

timean hour ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Thrilling new food options are giving this 25-year-old Bay Area mall a second wind

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Miguel Ángel Jiménez Signs with Newton Golf Company Following Tour Win Using Newton Fast Motion Shaft
Miguel Ángel Jiménez Signs with Newton Golf Company Following Tour Win Using Newton Fast Motion Shaft

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Miguel Ángel Jiménez Signs with Newton Golf Company Following Tour Win Using Newton Fast Motion Shaft

Jiménez's Victory marks second Tour win for Newton shafts CAMARILLO, Calif., June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN -- NEWTON GOLF Company (Nasdaq: NWTG) ('NEWTON GOLF' or the 'Company'), a technology-forward golf company with a growing portfolio of golf products—including putters, golf shafts, golf grips, and other golf-related accessories—announced today that Miguel Ángel Jiménez, one of the most accomplished players on the PGA TOUR champions, has officially signed with the brand and will play its shaft technology moving forward. The multi-time Tour winner validated the partnership immediately by capturing a victory at the Principal Charity Classic using the Newton Fast Motion shaft, introduced in April 2025. Jimenéz secured his 16th PGA TOUR Champions title with a birdie on the first sudden-death playoff hole, marking the second professional Tour win for the Newton Motion shaft brand. 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To watch the product promo video, Click Here To download high-resolution press photos, Click Here Investor Alerts Stay updated with the latest from Newton Golf! Sign up for investor alerts at to receive company news and strategic developments directly to your inbox. For more information, visit About NEWTON GOLF At Newton Golf, we harness the power of physics to revolutionize golf equipment design. Formerly known as Sacks Parente, our rebranding reflects our commitment to innovation inspired by Sir Isaac Newton, the father of physics. By applying Newtonian principles to every aspect of our design process, we create precision-engineered golf equipment—including Newton Motion shafts and Gravity putters—that delivers unmatched stability, control, and performance. Our mission is to empower golfers with scientifically advanced tools that maximize consistency and accuracy, ensuring every swing is backed by the laws of physics. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or the future financial performance of Newton Golf Company (the 'Company') and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "continues," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected benefits of the reverse stock split, the Company's ability to maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements, the potential for increased institutional investor interest, the Company's future growth strategy, expansion of its product portfolio, anticipated financial performance, and future business prospects. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations and projections based on information available as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, general economic, financial, and business conditions; changes in consumer demand and industry trends; the Company's ability to successfully implement its strategic initiatives; competition in the golf equipment market; supply chain disruptions; regulatory compliance and legal proceedings; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company cautions investors that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those projected. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Media Contact: Beth GastBG Public Investor Contact: Scott McGowanInvestor Brand Network (IBN)Phone: 310.299.1717ir@

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