Rickie Fowler: ‘I’ll take a major’ over an Olympic gold medal

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“As golf prepares for its return to the Olympics after a gap of just over 100 years, [Rickie] Fowler was asked if he’d prefer to become a gold medallist or major champion. ‘I’ll take a major,’ he replied without even a hint of hesitation, Martin Dempster of the Scotsman writes in this look ahead for Fowler. “He was then asked to pick between a major and a Ryder Cup win at Hazeltine in September. ‘That one’s tough,’ he admitted, having been involved in the task force set up by the PGA of America in the wake of the US losing eight times in the last ten matches to the Europeans. ‘We want the Ryder Cup. I know the guys are fired up about that and it is definitely a goal.’”

The PGA Tour and Commissioner Tim Finchem are attempting to put together a test event on March 8 on the new Olympic course in advance of the Olympic Games in Brazil and so far are coming up short, Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press reports. Basically, they want tour players to provide feedback on the course, but, “We've got a good list of players who are, quote, interested in coming,” Finchem said, “but we don't have a long list of players who are committed to coming.” Among those invited who declined: Jordan Spieth.

Zac Blair, who threatened to win the Sony Open in Hawaii on Sunday, is a golf addict. “Blair’s zeal for the game hasn’t weakened since golf transitioned from a passion to a profession,” Sean Martin of PGATour.com writes in this profile of Blair. “Tour players talk about the importance of getting away from the game during the weeks they aren’t competing. Blair, 25, can’t relate. When he’s home, he’s the ringleader who arranges the tee times and games with friends from Utah’s tight-knit golf community. Blair plays almost daily, often more than 18 holes. Three rounds in one day isn’t unheard of. He also can be seen competing in small tournaments around Utah; he won last year's Sand Hollow Open one week after his season ended at the BMW Championship.”

“Imagine a day when more than 90 golf courses in the Coachella Valley will be on non-potable water, either canal water from the Colorado River or recycled water,” Larry Bohannan of the Desert Sun writes. “Imagine none of those golf courses using water from the desert’s aquifer, leaving that water strictly for domestic use. That possibility is not a dream, according to John Powell, board president of the Coachella Valley Water District. It is, in fact, a long-term goal, Powell said Monday at the Coachella Valley Golf Industry Summit…conducted by the CareerBuilder Challenge and other golf-related organizations, [and] held at PGA West on the first day of the PGA Tour event.”