You remember that Scottie Scheffler won the Masters, that Tiger Woods returned to golf (while possibly saying goodbye to St. Andrews), that Phil Mickelson said some things he shouldn’t have said. But it’s been a busy year in golf, so big that perhaps you forgot all that happened. This brief quiz on the year that was in the sport will put your memory to the test.
The answers, with some context to jog your memory, come after the questions. No Googling or complaining that “You can’t wait to leave” if you’re having trouble. Keep it straight and take an honest swing.
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas became just the 11th and 12th players in PGA Tour history to do what?
A) Cross $50 million career earnings
B) Go undefeated at the Presidents Cup
C) Win at least 2 majors and 15 PGA Tour events before 30
D) Log at least one top-5 major finish in seven straight seasons
Answer: A. Spieth reached the milestone first with his win at the RBC Heritage, while Thomas—who captured his second Wanamaker at the PGA Championship—joined him later that summer.
Which player was hit with a slow-play fine moments after a gut-wrenching finish at a major championship?
A) Lexi Thompson
B) Mito Pereira
C) Will Zalatoris
D) In Gee Chun
Answer: A. After blowing a two-shot lead with three holes to play, allowing Chun to win the KPMG Women’s PGA, Thompson and Hye-Jin Choi were informed by LPGA officials that they’d been fined for slow play. The group was put on the clock with two holes remaining during the final round, a round that took nearly six hours to complete.
What iconic club manufacturer shut down operations this year?
A) Wilson
B) Ben Hogan
C) MacGregor
D) Ram
Answer: B. After a revival in 2015, the Ben Hogan Company closed this July. Former president and CEO Scott White told Golf Digest supply and financial constraints due to the pandemic were to blame.
“Beergate” happened at which event?
A) U.S. Open
B) PGA Championship
C) Presidents Cup
D) The Match
Answer: B. For those of you with lives, Beergate started when a photo of the concession prices at Southern Hills went viral. Those prices include $15 for a Kona Golden Ale, $18 for Michelob Ultra and $19 for Stella Artois. Wine was a steal for $13, though.
Which player asked a Masters official if the tournament would be playing preferred lies?
A) Dustin Johnson
B) Daniel Berger
C) Talor Gooch
D) Sergio Garcia
Answer: B. Following heavy rain in the area—and perhaps a nod to the PGA Tour’s penchant for lift, clean and place—Berger wondered if the field would be playing the ball up at Augusta National, unaware that the club considers the practice sacreligious. “He was kind of shocked that I even asked the question,” Berger recounted after shooting a solid one-under-par 71 to be tied for 10th after the first round. “It was a lot of water, so it was worth the question.”
Cameron Smith set a record at the Open Championship for …
A) Most one-putts made in single round
B) Most feet of putts made in single round
C) Most birdie putts of at least 30-feet made in single round
D) Most broken hearts from win for single tournament
Answer: B. Smith made an unofficial 253 feet during his second round at St. Andrews, topping the mark of Brent Geiberger at the 2006 Booz Allen Classic. However, we’ll also accept “D” as a correct answer.
What historic clubhouse was victim to a massive fire?
A) Chicago
B) Oakland Hills
C) Merion
D) Olympic
Answer: B. The clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club, site of more than a dozen major championships, suffered extensive damage after being engulfed in flames in February. In March the USGA announced a strategic partnership with the iconic Detroit-area facility that features a slate of eight championships, including the U.S. Open in 2034 and 2051.
Which of the following is not a LIV Golf team name?
A) Majesticks
B) Torque
C) Iron Heads
D) Leverage Play
Answer: D. At least for the moment; word is the LIV names may be undergoing rebranding.
The LPGA said goodbye to which site in 2022?
A) Pebble Beach
B) Pine Needles
C) Mission Hills
D) Inverness
Answer: C. Jennifer Kupcho was the last player to make the leap into Poppie’s Pond, as a new sponsor is bringing the former Dinah Shore event to Houston next year.
For just the second time in the past 10 years Bernhard Langer did not lead the PGA Tour Champions’ money list. Who did?
A) Steven Alker
B) Pádraig Harrington
C) Steve Stricker
D) Scott McCarron
Answer: A. Alker won four times on the senior circuit, highlighted by his first major at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
Tiger Woods caused a stir by wearing ___ at Augusta National.
A) An ivy cap
B) Non-Nike shoes
C) Aviators
D) A buttoned-down shirt
Answer: B. Woods wore FootJoy golf shoes in his return to professional golf, ultimately making the cut at the Masters.
What tournament turned down Greg Norman’s request for a playing exemption?
A) Open Championship
B) Australian Open
C) PGA Championship
D) Scotland Open
Answer. A. Past Open champions are no longer invited to play after age 60, putting Norman, 67, on the outs. Then again, Norman was also told he was not welcome to the Open’s 150th celebrations, a nod to his role in inciting golf’s civil war.
Who was named the youngest U.S. captain in Solheim Cup history?
A) Michelle Wie West
B) Stacy Lewis
C) Morgan Pressel
D) Lizette Salas
Answer: B. Lewis, who was tabbed as head of the American team in February, will be 38 when next year’s match takes place in Spain.
Which LIV Golf member was not part of the original antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour?
A) Phil Mickelson
B) Bryson DeChambeau
C) Brooks Koepka
D) Pat Perez
Answer: C. However, out of the 11 players that filed suit, only three remain—Dechambeau, Matt Jones and Peter Uihlein. Conversely, LIV Golf has joined as a plaintiff, with the PGA Tour countersuing the Saudi-backed entity.
The USGA and R&A created what modified local rule for next season?
A) The option for tournaments not to disqualify players for failing to sign a scorecard
B) Allowing a ball in a fairway divot to be moved
C) Turning out-of-bounds into a lateral hazard
D) Allowing preferred lies at all times in fairways
Answer: A. Model Local Rule L-1 reduces the penalty for players who fail to sign their card (certify their score in rules parlance) from disqualification to two strokes added to the last hole of the round.
Which player was disqualified from the Memorial for using a non-conforming club?
A) Billy Horschel
B) Hideki Matsuyama
C) James Piot
D) David Lingmerth
Answer: B. Tournament officials discovered early in the first round that Matsuyama’s 3-wood—with a face that had been covered in white paint—was in possible violation of the rules for applying foreign substance to the club. Under the new Rules of Golf, had Matsuyama not used the club before being notified, he could have continued on. However, Matsuyama used the 3-wood on his opening tee shot, leading to the DQ.