Latest news with #LannyWadkins
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
PGA Championship Winner Throws Scottie Scheffler Under the Bus
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. It appears that tempers are running high in the golf world over the issue of the PGA Championship's non-application of the 'preferred lies' rule. In response to recent criticism, a former champion of the event responded in a rather heated manner. The X account of the popular media outlet Fried Egg Golf reported that Lanny Wadkins, winner of the 1977 PGA Championship, sent a message on the subject to Golf Channel renowned announcer Rich Lerner. Lerner read the message during the broadcast, surprising more than one viewer: "Show some damn talent," the message reads, "drive the ball lower where it won't pick up mud and it skids, we did that many times." Rich Lerner just read a text from 1977 PGA champion Lanny Wadkins: "Show some damn talent, drive the ball lower where it won't pick up mud and it skids, we did that many times." — Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) May 16, 2025 Although the message does not specifically mention any names, it is hard not to associate it with World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, who criticized the decision, stating that playing without enforcing the preferred lies rule cost him several strokes in the first round. "When I look at golf tournaments, I want the purest, fairest test of golf, and in my opinion maybe the ball today should have been played up. You shouldn't be punished for hitting it in the fairway," Scheffler said after the first round. One can understand the shock that Wadkins' words caused among fans, considering Scheffler is arguably the best player professional golf has seen since Tiger Woods was in his prime. His ball-striking skills are among the PGA Tour's all-time records. Scottie Scheffler of the United States swaps clubs with his caddie Ted Scott on the eighth hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 15, 2025 in... Scottie Scheffler of the United States swaps clubs with his caddie Ted Scott on the eighth hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 15, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina MoreNumerous fans noted in various social media posts that golf courses in general, and Quail Hollow in particular, are noticeably longer today than they were when Wadkins played. This fact causes players to avoid playing short if they want to stay in contention. Lanny Wadkins won 21 PGA Tour events between 1972 and 1992, including the aforementioned 1977 PGA Championship. He also had 17 top-10 finishes in major championships, including four runner-up finishes. Scottie Scheffler had a rollercoaster first round at Quail Hollow, carding an eagle, four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey for a 2-under 69. He is one of the heavy favorites to win the title, and will start the second round at 1:47 pm Eastern Time, grouped with Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. More Golf: Michael Block Nearly Recreates PGA Championship Magic at Quail Hollow
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Lanny Wadkins Vision For TPC Craig Ranch's $22 Million Renovation
A D6 Caterpillar tractor bulldozes the practice green at TPC Craig Ranch to kickstart Lanny Wadkins ... More course renovation of the home of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Invited Ten minutes after the trophy ceremony at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson wrapped, a Caterpillar D6 rumbled across the practice green at TPC Craig Ranch—breaking literal ground on a $22 million renovation with a roar. It was a high-octane show of force from country club giant Invited, which is doubling down on one of its flagship properties and has clearly tired of those ho-hum photo ops with gold-plated shovels. After 21 years, the McKinney, Texas, course was due for a major makeover—one that promises sharper teeth, revamped bunkers, and reimagined green complexes to elevate the experience for both members and top-tier pros. Lately, the latter had grown used to torching the place. On Sunday, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler went so low he could've won a limbo contest. The Dallas native steamrolled the field, his 31-under 253 tying the PGA Tour's lowest 72-hole score on record (since 1983). Overseeing the renovation of the 21-year-old track is World Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins, who, fittingly, notched 21 PGA Tour wins during a career that also included eight Ryder Cup appearances. The former player, TV broadcaster, and now architect's focus is on refining the course's character without compromising its core identity. In practical terms, that amounts to reshaped and, in some cases, repositioned greens, upgraded sand traps, and new turf varieties. Rowlett Creek, which crisscrosses the course over a dozen times, will also factor larger. The net effect, Wadkins hopes, is a course that requires increased shot making prowess for professionals while keeping things a lot more copacetic when attacking the course from more forward tee markers. While the original routing by Wadkins' longtime friend and fellow major champion Tom Weiskopf will largely remain intact, the upgrades are intended to create a more engaging experience. 'I think we are going to give them something unique. This is a big, big property and we would like it to feel a little more intimate,' Wadkins explained. 'The routing is staying the same—so you'll have the same golf course, it's just going to be much improved and the bunkering and green complexes are going to be different.' 'I think it will be something they will never get tired of playing. That's what I'd like to see, a golf course where the members really have fun, every single time they go out there,' he added. As far as the pros go, they'll need to do their homework and study up on TPC Craig Ranch as if they were cramming for a calculus quiz. 'They are going to have to play some serious practice rounds and pay attention to some things because we are moving a few of the green complexes—No. 3 and No. 4 off the bat and No. 5 probably. No. 7 is going to be moved a little bit left. They're basically the same overall holes but when you start moving green complexes and changing the shot quality—the greens will be smaller and the bunkers tighter—that's one thing they'll notice right off the bat. They're going to have to be a little more exact with their approach shots.' As for scoring expectations for the 2026 edition of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Wadkins isn't turning Craig Ranch into a player slayer—he is simply tightening things up and making the view from the tips no picnic. 'I would love to see the winning score 12 to 15 under. That would be what I would hope for, but with today's guys I don't discount anything. I hold the tournament record at Riviera which is one of the hardest courses, at 20 under, so stuff happens. When guys get going like Scottie did, nothing slows them down. If they hit every fairway they're going to shoot some numbers.' Go-To Designer Wadkins has become Invited's go-to architect, having already put his indelible stamp on Westlake Country Club in Austin, Braemar outside Los Angeles, and the Hills Course at Stonebridge Ranch. But Craig Ranch marks his highest-profile assignment yet. 'As he's been getting into it more, now that he's retired from being a commentator on the Golf Channel and before that CBS for many years, he's really done a lot more than just putting his toes in the water, Bob Morse, president and chief operating officer of Invited, said. 'I think he's going to get a lot of accolades for when we are done Craig Ranch and I think that will be his most high-profile golf course due to the fact that it's a tour stop.' When the course reopens in November, the initiation fee for new members will jump to $125,000—making Craig Ranch the priciest club in Invited's extensive portfolio. Does that high price tag add pressure to deliver a showstopper? 'Not really,' Wadkins says. 'We know what we're doing, and that's Invited's gauge, not mine. I've been tasked with making sure it gets done—and gets done right. My partner Kurt Bowman and I have high goals and high hopes for what we can accomplish out here.' Wadkins isn't trying to reinvent Craig Ranch, but he is putting serious spit-shine on the rolling land to take it to the next level. It's an approach he believes his ole buddy Weiskopf would have truly appreciated. 'I hope he would be happy with what we're going to do,' he said. 'I wish I could sit and talk to him about it. He was a special, special friend.'
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Check the yardage book: TPC Craig Ranch for the PGA Tour's CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas
Check the yardage book: TPC Craig Ranch for the PGA Tour's CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas – site of this week's The CJ Cup Byron Nelson on the PGA Tour – opened in 2004 just north of Dallas with a design by former Tour player and noted architect Tom Weiskopf. The private TPC Craig Ranch will play to 7,569 yards with a par of 71 for this week's AT&T Byron Nelson. Several holes have been lengthened since the 2024 event, and Lanny Wadkins will renovate the entire course following this year's tournament. Thanks to yardage books provided by PuttView – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week at TPC Craig Ranch.
