Peter Kuest is the latest example of how 2 weeks can change a golfer’s career
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
GULLANE, Scotland (AP) — One of the more famous axioms in golf is that players tend to make 80% of their money in 20% of their tournaments.
That usually means a good year. And it can be a PGA Tour card.
The latest example is Peter Kuest.
When he tied for 14th in the AT&T Byron Nelson in May, it was a nice check for a good week. But consider the last two weeks. He was a Monday qualifier for the Rocket Mortgage Classic and tied for fourth. That got him into the John Deere Classic, where he tied for 17th.
Now he has special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, meaning he can accept unlimited exemptions the rest of the year. There likely will be plenty of openings for him in the fall.
He received one of those exemptions this week in the Barbasol Championship.
Kuest is only the latest example. Earlier this year, Akshay Bhatia finished second in Puerto Rico and fourth in the Mexico Open, and he is on his way. Ryan Gerard was fourth in the Honda Classic and tied for 11th the next week in Puerto Rico, sending him on his way to special temporary membership.
Also becoming special temporary members this year are Min Woo Lee, Ryan Fox and Nicolai Hojgaard. To get full status for 2024 would require them finishing equal to No. 125 in the FedEx Cup this year.
A couple of good weeks seem to go a long way.
A WORD ON COLLEGE
Allisen Corpuz might be the first U.S. Women’s Open champion with an MBA.
Corpuz decided to stay at USC for a fifth year during the COVID-19 pandemic and earned a master’s degree in global supply chain management.
She was asked what advice she would give juniors who were thinking of turning pro before going to college.
“School, it’s never going to be a bad decision,” Corpuz said. “No matter how good you are, I think golf … there’s always a chance you get injured. You never know what’s going to happen. You go to school, at least you’ll have the whole team behind you, and I just think it gives you a lot of time to grow.”
Michelle Wie West turned pro right before her 16th birthday but is as proud as her degree from Stanford as winning the U.S. Women’s Open. Rose Zhang turned pro after her sophomore year and plans to finish her degree at Stanford.
“I was definitely not as smart as I am now at 18, and I know I wasn’t ready,” Corpuz said. “I’m sure there are girls that are, but they’re very far and few between. It’s just a chance to really grow as a person, have some fun and then start working.”
BACK TO BIRKDALE
The timing was peculiar, but not the location. The Royal & Ancient announced Tuesday the British Open will be going back to Royal Birkdale in 2026.
Such announcement usually comes during the week of the British Open.
It will be the 11th time for Royal Birkdale to host the Open, most recently and perhaps notably in 2017 when Jordan Spieth lost the lead while taking a drop on the driving range, only to go birdie-eagle-birdie to rally past Matt Kuchar and get the third leg of the Grand Slam.
The Open will be at Royal Liverpool in England next week, followed by Royal Troon in Scotland in 2024 and Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland in 2025.
BIG MOVE
Allisen Corpuz picked a good time to win her first LPGA Tour event. It was a U.S. Women’s Open. It was at Pebble Beach. And it moved the 25-year-old from Hawaii to No. 3 in the Solheim Cup standings.
The 2023 matches are the last full week of September in Spain.
The leading seven Americans automatically qualify for the Solheim Cup. Corpuz previously played in the Curtis Cup in 2021 and was a two-time member of the Palmer Cup.
Along with her Solheim Cup standing, she moved to No. 6 in the women’s world ranking.
ANNIKA TOUR
Annika Sorenstam retired from full competition in 2008 and has stayed busy in golf. Now she’s adding to the list: The Annika Foundation will partner with the Women’s All Pro Tour starting next year.
The tour will be renamed the “Annika Women’s All Pro Tour”
The circuit began in 2019 by offering 72-hole events. In the last two seasons, 75% of the leading 10 players on the money list have graduated to the LPGA Tour or Epson Tour. Grace Kim won twice on the Women’s All Pro Tour in 2021. She won this year on the LPGA Tour.
“I am thrilled to embark on this journey with the Women’s All Pro Tour,” Sorenstam said. “I firmly believe the best way to improve your game and prepare for the next level is by playing on a tour with great competition. By joining forces with the WAPT, we have a unique opportunity to further solidify an incredibly important platform that has already advanced the professional playing careers of so many talented players.”
BACK TO THE BLUE MONSTER
LIV Golf is headed back to the Blue Monster for its final event his year.
The LIV Golf League Team Championship originally was scheduled for Saudi Arabia at the end of the year. Instead, LIV Golf Jeddah will be held Oct. 13-15 at Royal Greens, and the finale will be the following week at Trump National Doral.
The points leader after Jeddah will win the individual title.
DIVOTS
Matt Kuchar is among three players who have been added to the British Open field through the reserve list, which is based on the world ranking. … The Visa Argentina Open, which dates to 1905, will be part of the Korn Ferry Tour in 2004 and stay on the schedule through at least 2029. It will continue its tradition of awarding the winner a spot in the British Open. … Steph Curry has been selected for the Ambassador of Golf Award, which honors a person who has fostered the ideals of the game. Curry in 2021 launched Underrated Golf, a circuit built around the principle of provide equity, access and opportunity. … Canadian Pacific Kansas City is extending its title sponsorship of the Canadian Women’s Open for at least four years. It has been title sponsor since 2013.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Hyo Joo Kim was the only player from the top 10 in the women’s world ranking who earned a top-10 finish in the U.S. Women’s Open.
FINAL WORD
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career. I’ve made a lot of bad decisions in my career, too. But I think I’ve learned from them, hopefully, and I think that my story wouldn’t be what it was if I hadn’t made those mistakes.” — Michelle Wie West.
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