This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Last weekend produced a substantial boost for professional golf.

No less a win by an amateur on the professional stage in the California desert where the American Express Tournament has been held, under various sponsors, for more than 60 years.

An amateur hadn’t won a professional tournament since 1991 when Phil Mickelson did it long before he disgraced himself in my eyes for bolting for the LIV tour (which supposedly is based on growing the game, a patently false notion).

The win last weekend was authored by Nate Dunlap, now a sophomore at the University of Alabama. 

His status as an amateur meant he didn’t win any money, but he did win a two-year exemption into the PGA Tour events when he chooses to go pro.  Plus, he got into several major tournaments – the Players, the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Given the incentives, he could choose the pro route very soon, though, after his win, he decided to withdrawn from the Farmers Insurance Open on the California coast this week and head home instead with his family.

In general, golf’s reputation has suffered recently with its dalliance with the Saudi Investment Fund, which involves tainted money to fund the LIV tour.  At the moment, the deadline for a deal linking the Saudis to the pro tour has passed, but the two sides – the Saudi’s who bankroll LIV and the PGA Tour — are continuing to negotiate.

Tough news emerged just this week as PGA Tour President Jay Monahan went overseas to meet with the Saudis.

News broke that Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the chairman of LIV Golf, could be facing a $74 million lawsuit.

According to GolfWeek, legal papers were sent to Al-Rumayyan at various addresses in Saudi Arabia, New York, and London.  The allegation is that the 53-year-old “carried out the instructions” of current Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with “the malicious intent” of “harming, silencing and ultimately destroying” the family of the Kingdom’s former intelligence chief, Dr. Saad Aljabri.  It is the Aljabri family that is seeking $74 million in damages.

Who knows what Monahan thought as he set out to meet with Al-Rumayyan.

But, back to golf’s reputation enhancement:

• AN AMATEUR VICTORY FOR THE AGES:  Dunlap, a Birmingham native and sophomore on the University of Alabama golf team, became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour in more than 30 years!

He was behind by one shot coming down the stretch with five-time PGA Tour winner Sam Burns before a birdie on the 16th hole gave him a tie for the lead, at least for the moment.

Surprisingly, at the same time, Burns, a tour veteran with five wins to his credit, hit balls into the water on holes 17 and 18 at the PGA West Stadium Course. He posted double bogeys on both holes to forfeit his chance to win.

Dunlap made pars on both holes, including a tough up-and-down on 18 to secure the memorable victory.

He was born in Huntsville, Alabama, and was a golf prodigy growing up in Birmingham.  Dunlap won the United States Amateur in 2023 making him the second person in history to win both the United States Amateur and United States Junior Amateur.  Only Tiger Woods had done so previously.

• THE OTHER ALABAMA UNIVERSITY GRAD IN THE FINAL THREESOME:  It was Justin Thomas, who seems to be on his way back after a down year in 2023 – at least a down year for him.

He paid credit to his Alabama counterpart, Dunlap, for coming up big on a big stage, even as he watched Dunlap from only a few feet away in the final threesome.

• AMERICAN EXPRESS WOWS AGAIN:  It took a 13 under score after three rounds for the pros to make the cut.  Yes, 13 under!

On his last hole on day three, one of the amazing feats occurred when pro Shane Lowry sunk his second shot on a par four to go from 10 under to 12 under.  TV commentators said that meant he made the cut on the number.  But, it turned out the cut went one lower and Lowry – not to mention a lot of other good golfers – were out.

The three courses for the AmEx – La Quinta Country Club, the Nicklaus Course at PGA West, and the Stadium Course, also at PGA West – came off looking great on TV.  Because they were great.

Various commentators said the greens at all three courses were the best the pros would play all year long.

For me, the good news was that I live about three blocks from the La Quinta CC course, so it was an easy walk for me to see the tournament first-hand, something I look forward to doing every year.