With restored greens, Roy Kizer Golf Course is once again open

Those peeking through the trees at Onion Creek Soccer Complex in southeast Austin have spotted a sight for sore eyes the past two weeks — golfers again walking Roy Kizer Golf Course for the first time in about six months.

Although the official grand reopening of the course will take place on Sept. 29, the course has been open for walkers (no carts) since Sept. 8 after a greens resurfacing project. The new greens are firm and fast, as should be expected after such a project, and add to the charm of the links-style course that sits adjacent to Jimmy Clay Golf Course, all near McKinney Falls State Park.

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The course is named for Roy Kizer, a long-time golf course superintendent at Lions Municipal Golf Course who retired in 1973. Designed by Randy Russell — who also has a number of other area courses in his portfolio like Manor’s ShadowGlen, Star Ranch in Hutto and the UT Golf Club — the layout includes 35 acres of lakes and 22 acres of wetlands.

The reopening ceremony will take place from 7 to 10 a.m. and according to a release from the city of Austin, will feature a live radio broadcast, golf, music, giveaways and breakfast for all attendees.

Austin’s Omar Uresti earns winning point at PGA Cup

PGA Life Member and Austin native Omar Uresti, a two-time PGA Professional Champion, earned the clinching point for the United States, 4 and 3 over Great Britain & Ireland’s Simon Lilly, to help secure a 15.5-10.5 road win in the 30th PGA Cup at Foxhills Resort and Club in Surrey, England. It is the Americans' first overseas victory since 2009 and the team's second Llandudno International Trophy win. In the overall series, which dates to 1973, it’s the 19th win for the U.S.

For Uresti, who was on the losing end of the competition in both 2015 and 2017, delivering the winning margin of victory made for a moving experience.

“It means a lot,” said Uresti. “It feels great to finally come over here and win. As they say, ‘Third time's a charm.’ I am a little bit more emotional than I expected. … Excitement, joy, almost tearful joy.”

The event also marked another landmark for Suzy Whaley, who became the first woman to not only captain the men’s PGA Cup team but win it, too. She was also captain of the victorious United States Women’s PGA Cup team in its inaugural event in 2019.

“I have been able to do a lot of amazing things in my career, and this ranks right at the very top,” said Whaley.

The PGA Cup originated in 1973 at Pinehurst Country Club in North Carolina as an outgrowth of the PGA Professional Championship. Structured after the format of the Ryder Cup, with match-play competition between the U.S. and Europe, the PGA Cup features the top PGA Club Professionals from both sides of the Atlantic.

The United States holds a 19-7-4 advantage in a series. The U.S. won the event in 2019 at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, using a miraculous final day rally.

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Jordan Spieth has become Team USA's 'crafty veteran'

After a three-year hiatus, the Presidents Cup is back in action.

Normally held biennially on odd-numbered years, the Presidents Cup schedule was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic after the Americans won the 2019 matches in thrilling fashion, 16-14, at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia.

With the four-day event set to begin on Thursday at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., Kevin Chappell remembers being as nervous as he’s ever been as a Presidents Cup rookie in 2017. He cherished the chance to develop a more intimate relationship with his fellow teammates in the team room and learn what makes them tick.

“One thing I’ll always remember from that week is Jordan Spieth is the most mature person in every room he’s in, or at least that week he was,” Chappell said. “When he was talking, everybody was listening and taking notes. That’s something I could really pull from. His insight and demeanor is second to none. The guy was just unfazed.”

Spieth, a former University of Texas star, will be the first to say that wasn’t the case as a Presidents Cup rookie in 2013 at Muirfield Village.

Steve Stricker, his partner when Spieth made his debut representing Team USA in the pro ranks, carried Spieth, who was out of several holes, for the first nine holes.

“Steve came up to me and said, ‘When are you finally going to start playing?’” Spieth recalled.

Moments such as that broke the tension, and Spieth has quickly established himself as the backbone of America’s side.

“I’ll never forget Jordan in 2013 bopping into the team room on Monday with shorts and a T-shirt on and started throwing ping pong balls around. And my wife Robin said, ‘Who is that kid?’ I go, ‘That’s the future of our team right there,’ and he has been,” said U.S. captain Davis Love III. “In 2017, Steve Stricker had a little team meeting every night, and Jordan jumped up — I think it was either Tuesday or Wednesday — and he said, ‘Hey, hey, this has been real fun celebrating.’ I think Justin had just won the FedEx Cup, and we had a big time riding the boats in New York. And he goes, ‘Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. It’s going to be windy tomorrow. We’ve got to get ready. This is going to be a tough match.’ From then on, guys have seen him kind of as a leader. We had some little meetings last night. He’s a very smart guy. He’s a very confident guy. And that’s what we need is guys to step up.”

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LIV players pining for world golf rankings inclusion

Despite an understanding that they’d likely be omitted from the current Official World Golf Ranking if they left for the startup LIV Golf circuit, players for the Saudi-backed league sent a letter to OWGR Chairman Peter Dawson asking for inclusion in the current system.

The letter, which was sent to the media, opened by noting that players depend on the OWGR “not just to qualify for the most important events, including the Majors and Olympics, but to tell us where we stand among our peers,” adding that “trust in the OWGR has been widespread and well-deserved.”

The note was signed by the 48 players who competed in the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago (which was won by Cam Smith), as well as Bubba Watson.

Inclusion in the OWGR is a significant talking point for LIV as CEO Greg Norman — who is meeting with members of Congress this week on Capitol Hill to discuss the upstart circuit that features 54-hole tournaments, no cuts, shotgun starts and massive paydays — has touted it as the last major hurdle for the circuit to climb.

“If we get the OWGR points, then everything else takes care of itself,” Norman said in August.

Without the points, however, players continue to slide out of the picture for major tournaments, For example, as the note pointed out, Dustin Johnson was ranked 13th on OWGR shortly before he announced he would play in LIV tournaments. He is now 22nd, despite finishing eighth, third, second and first in the first four LIV events. Johnson won the event in Boston, defeating 15 players who had finished either first or second in the four majors, yet continued his slide.

Tim Schmitt is the managing editor for Golfweek, golf coordinator for the USA Today Network and lives in Round Rock. Golfweek’s Adam Schupak also contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: City of Austin's Roy Kizer Golf Course reponed after renovations