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January 17, 2020 - 5:00 am EST 5 years ago

The Pin Sheet – January 17, 2020

Chris Chaney Chris Chaney
The Pin Sheet – January 17, 2020

Welcome to The Pin Sheet, a quick guide for your day in golf that pairs beautifully with our Clubhouse Newsletter.

Between this daily aggregation and the Newsletter, you’ll find everything you need to know that’s going on in the world of golf to be the most well-informed player in your foursome.

Without further ado, now on the tee…


Today’s Clubhouse Newsletter

Caddie’s Getting Paid Sponsorships

Caddies on the European Tour are being compensated for the exposure they can provide for the first time this year. Following in the footsteps of a caddie lawsuit on the PGA Tour in 2015 seeking $50 million a year in sponsorship dollars. However, the European Tour Caddies Association are making immediate headway.

“This is not for the guy who caddies for the seventh-ranked player in the world, since he does very nicely,” Sean Russell, the chairman of the European Tour Caddies Association, told The New York Times. “This is for the guy who caddies for the 157th-ranked player. If you do the math, that caddie probably earned 12,000 euros (about $13,000) in bonus payments over the fixed fee for the week that covers expenses. If you’re earning a 12,000-euro bonus you’d be better off stacking shelves.”

The caddie association currently represents about 130 caddies on the European Tour and will work in conjunction with sponsors — Maui Jim and Sport Mobile, a phone service aimed at professional athletes are already signed up — to provide additional income for the loopers.

Arnie Stamp To Be Unveiled At API

A ceremony celebrating the release of the Arnold Palmer stamp was announced on Wednesday. The King will have his stamp released in October 2020, but it will be officially unveiled at a ceremony on March 4 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

As part of its nationwide stamp program, The King will be recognized with a stamp that shows James Drake’s action photograph of Palmer at the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

“To have my father celebrated in this way is a true honor,” Amy Saunders, Palmer’s daughter and chairwoman of the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, said. “It’s something I think he would be proud of as both an individual and as an American, and it’s a wonderful way to preserve his legacy.”

According to the release, Palmer was selected for the Forever Stamp campaign “for his positive impact and compelling story, rising from humble beginnings to become a globally revered champion.” The U.S. Postal Service said, “With drive and charisma, he helped transform a game once seen as a pastime for the elite into a sport enjoyed by the masses.”

Phil Will Play The Champions Tour Post-Bombs

Phil Mickelson is happy right where he is, thank you very much. Despite the almost-50-year-old being eligible for the PGA Tour Champions later this year, he’s not planning on teeing it up with the over-50 crowd until he feels like he can’t compete with the young guns on the PGA Tour. 

“I haven’t thought too much about it and I won’t until I see how the first six months (on the PGA Tour) of this year go,” Mickelson said Wednesday at The American Express. “It’s nice to have the option to move over to another tour, but it’s also nice to have the challenge of competing out here.”

“When I stop hitting bombs I’ll play the Champions Tour, but I’m hitting some crazy bombs right now. No, I still have speed, there’s no reason I couldn’t play out here. I hit the ball every bit as far.”

Mickelson is making his first start of 2020 on the PGA Tour this week at The American Express. He turns 50 on June 16.

Koepka Challenging In Abu Dhabi 

Brooks Koepka hasn’t played competitive golf in almost three months, but that didn’t stop the World No. 1 from putting up a bogey-free 6-under par 66 in the first round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. 

He enters day two in the desert two behind Renato Paratore and Shaun Norris.

Leaderboard.