Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

In the last several years the rising stature of Omni Hotels and Resort has been both noticeable and striking. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, the company was founded in 1958 as Dunley Hotels, and operates 50 properties in the United States, Canada and Mexico -- totaling over 20,000 rooms and employing more than 23,000 people.

Golf is clearly front and center with several properties providing top tier offerings. Among the more noted courses are Omni Bedford Springs, in PA; Omni LaCosta Resort & Spa in CA; Omni Mount Washington Resort, NH; Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in TX and The Omni Homestead Resort, VA, among several others.

In March 2020, plans were approved for the PGA of America's Omni Hotel & Resort in Frisco, TX -- just outside of Dallas. The hotel will be located on just over 30 acres of land with 500 hotel rooms and more than 45,000 square feet of meeting space.

The PGA of America will be moving from its national headquarters in North Palm Beach, FL and basing its central operations out of Frisco, TX. Plans to stage major golf events are already in the works 36 holes of golf will be included with the project and the main championship course will be designed by renowned architect Gil Hanse. Plans to host the 109th and 116th PGA Championships are scheduled for 2027 and 2034 respectively. The hosting of a possible Ryder Cup Match in the near future is also expected.

Omni Hotels & Resort is also moving forward in showcasing its Carlsbad, CA, location at LaCosta Resort & Spa. The original 36-hole design by Dick Wilson was a long time stop on the PGA TOUR and will feature an updated Champion Course by Hanse commencing in 2022. The facility is already signed to stage the NCAA men's and women's championships from 2024-2026 and could very well become the permanent site for collegiate golf's preeminent event.

To better understand the momentum generated by Omni Hotels & Resorts, an interview with Dan Surette, Chief Sales Officer was completed.

Background:

Dan Surette is chief sales officer at Omni Hotels & Resorts where he leads the brand’s sales strategy. Appointed to the role in 2019, Surette is responsible for creating and driving innovative sales, branding, communications and business development strategies to increase awareness, capture market share and build revenue for the brand.

With more than 30 years of experience in the industry and 20 years of senior-level sales leadership experience, Surette worked at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc, for more than 15 years -- most recently as vice president of North American sales and field marketing. Surette previously worked with Hyatt Hotels Corporation for more than a decade -- serving in various sales and marketing roles of increasing responsibility.

You wake up in the morning -- what's your driving passion?

Today, I am focused with our teams on growing our business again post-COVID. The hotel and travel business was decimated and Omni Hotels & Resorts was no exception. We are excited to see some leisure and groups begin to come back and having the vaccines available this early is positive news for our business.

All golf facilities worldwide have been impacted by the pandemic -- how did 2020 fare for the various Omni golf properties?

As mentioned, COVID-19 swiftly and significantly impacted the hospitality industry. We temporarily suspended operations at 44 hotels within a portfolio of 51. With very low volumes in group and business travel, we’ve seen a rise in leisure travel -- albeit still significantly down due to the pandemic.

Resorts lend themselves well for leisure travel, and as such, our golf resorts were some of the first to reopen in May and June. Additionally, with new social distancing measures and activities on the rise, golf became a very popular sport this year. That said, our golf rounds have remained strong for the last 7 months.

What key lessons have been learned given the circumstances all properties are facing?

We’ve learned that we can pivot very quickly, and we’ve had to do that quite a bit this year. We’ve shifted our focus drastically from group and business travel to leisure and it will remain that way for the next 18-24 months, most likely. We also believe in safe travel, which is why we created and put a lot of effort and training into the Omni Safe & Clean initiative.

Who is your ideal customer?

Because of the great function space and features we have at our resorts, we have always had a nice balance of leisure and group guests. We find a large percentage of our meeting and catering event attendees take advantage of the tremendous golf, spa and other amenities while staying with us. We love that we have a wonderful repeat percentage of families and multi-generational groups that will return year after year.

What strategies are you implementing marketing wise to both keep your loyal customers and to capture those who may have interest in what Omni is doing?

As previously mentioned, we’ve shifted our marketing focus from group and business to leisure. We’re creating unique, individualized experiences for small groups. For example, micro-weddings are on the rise and our team is executing those flawlessly. Two other examples are Here Comes Omni: Road Ready RV and a Platinum Status upgrade offer with Select Guest (Omni’s loyalty program). The Road Ready RV gave us an opportunity to meet with clients in various cities, give back to Feeding America AND demonstrate that you can host groups safely. With the Platinum Upgrade offer, we aimed to capture and engage consumers who were (hotel) brand-agnostic.

Plenty of companies routinely tout the importance of service. What defines the essence of service to you and the approach followed by Omni?

The “Power of One” is our service philosophy and is one of the things that distinguishes Omni from the rest. This simple philosophy is our belief that every single guest interaction is an opportunity to delight a guest and deliver a memorable experience. And, we give our associates the power to determine what this means for each guest because it’s different for everyone.

Omni will play a central role in the forthcoming Omni PGA Frisco Resort -- how will that involvement add to the company's overall profile and brand?

Omni PGA Frisco Resort is a game-changer for Omni Hotels & Resorts, adding to our incredible portfolio of golf courses across the country. Having architects like Beau Welling and Gil Hanse creating these championship courses, this resort will be one of the best in the country.

This resort and its golf facilities will be the new modern home of American golf and we’re working directly with PGA of America to appeal to golfers of all levels. Omni’s involvement in this project really solidifies our long-term commitment to the game of golf and our leisure guests and clients who are looking for this offering.

In the short and long term what are the biggest happenings for Omni and how does the company expect to handle each? What potential challenges do you foresee?

Next year is a big year for Omni. We’re opening two hotels, and recently opened another this past October. Omni Oklahoma City Hotel opens in January, following by Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport in the summer. Opening hotels during the middle of the pandemic is a challenge, but we are well-suited for success given our ownership structure.

In the long term, we are looking forward to travel fully rebounding. When it comes to golf, definitely looking forward to Omni PGA Frisco Resort and also the Gil Hanse redesigned Champions Course at Omni La Costa where we will host the NCAA Championships in 2024-2026.

For more info go to:

www.omnihotels.com

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This Week	Last Week	Player	Avg. Pts	Total Pts	Pts Lost (2019)	Pts Gained (2019)	Events Played
1	1	Dustin Johnson	12.67	506.8	-247.52	463.54	40
2	2	Jon Rahm	9.98	469.15	-256.03	328.72	47
3	3	Justin Thomas	9.17	421.99	-245.24	334.56	46
4	4	Rory McIlroy	7.14	321.47	-289.48	143.43	45
5	5	Bryson DeChambeau	7.1	333.77	-225.13	313.98	47
6	6	Webb Simpson	7.02	287.75	-181.14	235.02	41
7	7	Collin Morikawa	7.01	280.32	-70.04	272.75	37
8	8	Xander Schauffele	6.9	324.24	-213.38	247.98	47
9	9	Patrick Cantlay	6.22	248.84	-176.72	149.21	39
10	10	Tyrrell Hatton	6.14	288.73	-116.05	247.02	47
11	11	Patrick Reed	5.86	304.97	-186.06	238.11	60
12	12	Brooks Koepka	5.33	223.95	-292.96	89.3	42
13	13	Daniel Berger	4.82	202.36	-61.79	217.07	42
14	14	Viktor Hovland	4.66	195.69	-45.47	178.8	42
15	15	Matthew Wolff	4.61	184.41	-38.53	168.51	34
16	16	Matthew Fitzpatrick	4.58	238.12	-131.01	175.67	55
17	17	Tommy Fleetwood	4.2	218.36	-187.91	111.55	52
18	18	Sungjae Im	4.19	217.9	-109.51	185.23	70
19	19	Tony Finau	4.1	213.45	-185.03	158.07	54
20	20	Hideki Matsuyama	4.1	213.06	-135.13	134.06	54
21	21	Adam Scott	4.06	162.51	-144.24	92.96	34
22	22	Louis Oosthuizen	3.94	185.23	-129.85	117.94	47
23	23	Abraham Ancer	3.68	191.2	-110.6	158.29	56
24	24	Paul Casey	3.57	171.34	-151.68	92.94	48
25	25	Kevin Kisner	3.43	178.59	-108.65	136.87	52

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26	26	Jason Kokrak	3.43	168.05	-69.92	136.92	49
27	27	Cameron Smith	3.33	166.47	-97.69	148.12	50
28	29	Harris English	3.25	168.95	-35.29	156.99	55
29	28	Marc Leishman	3.22	148.21	-134.47	118.09	46
30	30	Ryan Palmer	3.13	134.66	-62.07	126.5	43
31	31	Scottie Scheffler	3.11	161.57	-52.15	136.21	53
32	32	Victor Perez	3.04	133.67	-71.04	86.35	44
33	35	Shane Lowry	3.03	154.66	-138.52	70.31	51
34	34	Christiaan Bezuidenhout	3.01	156.68	-57.55	129.68	55
35	33	Justin Rose	2.99	143.47	-221.49	77.23	48
36	36	Lee Westwood	2.89	132.9	-73.15	120.92	46
37	38	Matt Kuchar	2.87	140.73	-152.89	92.79	49
38	37	Kevin Na	2.85	130.97	-107.81	75.56	46
39	39	Gary Woodland	2.81	137.53	-159.55	58.51	49
40	41	Bernd Wiesberger	2.74	128.85	-81.1	47.47	47
41	40	Tiger Woods	2.72	108.96	-173.24	19.08	24
42	42	Billy Horschel	2.7	140.39	-112.63	100.45	53
43	43	Jason Day	2.58	116.09	-97.78	98.8	45
44	44	Bubba Watson	2.51	110.39	-92.92	98.39	44
45	45	Joaquin Niemann	2.49	129.71	-62.74	95.96	56
46	46	Sergio Garcia	2.47	121.04	-97.68	82.69	49
47	47	Brendon Todd	2.43	111.62	-38.38	71.37	46
48	48	Ian Poulter	2.29	114.62	-92.82	80.41	50
49	50	Mackenzie Hughes	2.27	115.69	-34.73	116.49	51
50	49	Matt Wallace	2.25	116.89	-112.25	75.15	61
51	51	Erik van Rooyen	2.2	114.31	-75.48	69.39	56
52	53	Kevin Streelman	2.18	113.46	-55.36	101.06	55
53	52	Rickie Fowler	2.16	92.85	-124.52	49.12	43
54	54	Corey Conners	2.14	111.14	-66.44	74.48	57
55	56	Robert MacIntyre	2.11	105.33	-55.49	59.32	50
56	55	Chez Reavie	2.09	108.5	-97.1	53.89	56
57	59	Russell Henley	2.08	102.13	-32.11	95.37	49
58	58	Andy Sullivan	2.08	99.91	-42.58	83.82	48
59	57	Will Zalatoris	2.05	81.82	-11.56	84.41	37
60	60	Sebastian J Munoz	2.03	105.64	-46.34	76.98	60
61	62	Carlos Ortiz	2.02	105.25	-34.92	81.15	55
62	61	Adam Long	2.02	105.08	-50.92	90.97	59
63	63	Lanto Griffin	2.01	104.61	-44.66	80.42	54
64	65	Joel Dahmen	1.96	101.94	-59.52	84.16	56
65	64	Henrik Stenson	1.96	82.2	-86.86	12.98	42
66	67	Phil Mickelson	1.95	79.84	-79.01	69.39	41
67	66	Danny Willett	1.94	101.06	-97.2	31.89	54
68	68	Dylan Frittelli	1.9	98.71	-51.08	72.93	59
69	70	Sami Valimaki	1.87	74.73	-15.75	73.08	39
70	69	Lucas Herbert	1.87	74.63	-45.65	82.32	39
71	72	Cameron Champ	1.81	92.44	-61.6	61.56	51
72	71	J.T. Poston	1.81	93.9	-59.09	59.49	57
73	73	Tom Lewis	1.79	87.94	-78.88	56.58	49
74	74	Chan Kim	1.77	70.72	-36.28	26.87	34
75	75	Byeong Hun An	1.74	90.59	-87.41	49.03	54
76	76	Shugo Imahira	1.69	86.09	-87.96	14.23	51
77	79	Aaron Rai	1.69	82.68	-34.88	68.58	49
78	77	Adam Hadwin	1.68	77.17	-73.54	35.22	46
79	81	Martin Kaymer	1.67	78.35	-45.92	57.47	47
80	83	Graeme McDowell	1.65	82.55	-56.31	74.88	50
81	80	Talor Gooch	1.65	80.62	-32.8	73.74	49
82	77	Jordan Spieth	1.65	77.32	-78.68	37.01	47
83	82	Thomas Detry	1.63	84.87	-46.91	61.21	52
84	85	Thomas Pieters	1.62	68.17	-60.02	37.86	42
85	88	Martin Laird	1.62	69.65	-18.61	61.84	43
86	84	Sunghoon Kang	1.61	83.54	-63.14	60.53	56
87	86	Rasmus Hojgaard	1.59	71.34	-19.27	56.28	45
88	87	Jazz Janewattananond	1.57	81.43	-82.9	29.66	58
89	89	Doc Redman	1.56	66.87	-25.96	51.43	43
90	90	Garrick Higgo	1.54	61.74	-13.71	61.03	35
91	91	Brian Harman	1.53	79.32	-45.23	57.32	58
92	92	George Coetzee	1.52	79	-31.48	65.28	55
93	93	Ryo Ishikawa	1.5	61.47	-41.12	21.61	41
94	94	Alex Noren	1.49	77.6	-73.57	57.65	52
95	95	Siwoo Kim	1.49	77.42	-60.94	58.18	59
96	99	Jim Herman	1.49	68.38	-17.03	62.67	46
97	96	Zach Johnson	1.48	63.5	-32.74	59.29	43
98	98	Brandt Snedeker	1.47	73.53	-88.09	39.64	50
99	97	John Catlin	1.47	76.22	-34.81	66.65	52
100	101	Max Homa	1.47	74.72	-48.75	57.65	51
101	102	Sam Horsfield	1.46	67.07	-32.42	59.19	46
102	100	Rafa Cabrera Bello	1.44	75	-97.88	33.39	58
103	105	Cameron Tringale	1.44	63.31	-23.49	47.26	44
104	103	Mike Lorenzo-Vera	1.42	56.66	-51.03	21.2	35
105	108	Andrew Landry	1.41	70.65	-39.68	71.45	50
106	110	Michael Thompson	1.41	64.63	-33.65	59.31	46
106	106	Tom Hoge	1.41	73.06	-30.07	64.85	64
108	104	Shaun Norris	1.4	72.98	-63.69	27.95	53
109	112	Matthias Schwab	1.39	70.71	-50.32	28.9	51
110	111	Lucas Glover	1.37	71.29	-57.9	38.56	52
111	109	Charles Howell III	1.37	71.14	-73.94	35.08	53
112	107	Francesco Molinari	1.36	54.49	-152.9	5.66	30
113	114	Matt Jones	1.36	70.66	-43.73	35.89	56
114	113	Rikuya Hoshino	1.36	59.78	-47.62	32.63	44
115	117	Robert Streb	1.36	70.64	-25.88	59.83	54
116	120	Marcus Kinhult	1.36	63.73	-46.02	26.38	47
117	115	Jorge Campillo	1.35	70.42	-55.92	47.64	52
117	116	Rory Sabbatini	1.35	70.42	-53.43	35.87	54
119	121	Nate Lashley	1.35	64.71	-43.93	37.35	48
120	119	Antoine Rozner	1.35	67.32	-25.93	46.73	50
121	118	Harry Higgs	1.34	69.86	-34.31	49.74	58
122	124	Brendan Steele	1.34	62.77	-28.11	70.86	47
123	122	Takumi Kanaya	1.33	53.37	-12.99	34.85	17
124	123	Romain Langasque	1.31	62.79	-47.28	36.29	48
125	125	Aaron Wise	1.3	59.65	-52.78	44.1	46
126	126	Branden Grace	1.28	66.72	-60.55	61.41	59
127	133	Laurie Canter	1.27	54.46	-9.69	48.86	43
128	127	Taylor Pendrith	1.26	50.23	-12.33	45.02	36
129	131	Eddie Pepperell	1.25	49.96	-76.13	24.51	40
130	128	Harold Varner III	1.25	64.88	-45.56	43.82	53
131	129	Keegan Bradley	1.24	64.63	-93.1	39.73	54
132	131	Adri Arnaus	1.23	63.87	-49.62	41.85	53
133	130	Kurt Kitayama	1.22	55.12	-53.27	18.54	45
134	140	Callum Shinkwin	1.2	50.22	-14.89	40.34	42
135	138	Benjamin Hebert	1.19	55.78	-45.96	21.01	47
136	139	Nick Taylor	1.18	60.32	-34.72	56.69	51
137	134	Paul Waring(Feb1985)	1.18	47.16	-48.39	11.73	40
138	136	Stewart Cink	1.17	46.85	-32.12	42.32	40
139	135	Mark Hubbard	1.17	60.87	-29.18	44.21	56
140	137	Danny Lee	1.16	60.38	-54.74	31.55	52
141	142	Scott Piercy	1.16	55.66	-53.19	35.59	48
142	141	Sepp Straka	1.15	59.77	-31.68	50.22	57
143	143	Renato Paratore	1.14	59.37	-23.31	48.68	54
144	144	Charley Hoffman	1.14	57.99	-41.87	47.98	51
145	145	C.T. Pan	1.13	58.87	-66.85	25.94	53
146	147	Tyler Duncan(Jul1989)	1.13	58.8	-27.22	36.3	64
147	148	Wyndham Clark	1.13	58.75	-32.93	40.28	55
148	149	Joachim B Hansen	1.13	58.69	-35.23	35.88	53
149	146	Joohyung Kim(June2002)	1.13	45.11	-23.96	28.15	33
150	151	Richy Werenski	1.11	57.73	-31.03	51.98	52
151	150	Troy Merritt	1.11	57.72	-40.76	40.05	53
152	152	Daniel van Tonder	1.1	48.34	-20.42	40.81	44
153	153	Adrian Otaegui	1.1	57.07	-39.57	52.13	56
154	158	Sam Burns	1.08	51.91	-35.52	45.52	48
155	154	Francesco Laporta	1.08	45.34	-29.28	14.44	42
156	155	Emiliano Grillo	1.07	55.83	-60.12	42.87	54
157	156	Yuki Inamori	1.07	44.01	-26.62	39.42	41
158	157	Brad Kennedy	1.06	42.31	-34.8	21.66	36
159	159	Justin Harding	1.05	54.51	-71.73	28.83	60
160	163	Gunn Charoenkul	1.04	46.64	-30	20.43	45
161	161	Wilco Nienaber	1.03	41.31	-3.81	43.96	33
162	165	Kalle Samooja	1.03	49.46	-29.35	32.9	48
163	162	Masahiro Kawamura	1.03	53.4	-33.52	39.3	60
164	160	Joost Luiten	1.02	52.98	-42.26	27.8	52
165	164	Henrik Norlander	1.01	52.47	-25.96	42.35	54
166	166	Maverick McNealy	1	51.83	-19.74	50	53
167	167	Haotong Li	0.99	48.73	-73.84	20.66	49
168	169	Peter Malnati	0.99	51.63	-24.92	44.46	52
169	171	Jamie Donaldson	0.99	39.58	-7.46	32.27	35
170	172	Brandon Wu	0.99	39.41	-4.51	39.05	20
171	168	Ryan Moore	0.98	39.19	-49.98	20.09	37
172	170	Min Woo Lee	0.98	39.16	-21.01	31.41	35
173	178	Bud Cauley	0.97	43.43	-29.72	34.43	45
174	173	Junggon Hwang	0.96	38.55	-41.96	-	34
175	175	Robby Shelton IV	0.96	50.06	-31.77	29.2	55
176	176	Kristoffer Ventura	0.96	40.37	-21.83	23.87	42
176	174	Luke List	0.96	49.99	-49.81	41.05	52
178	184	JC Ritchie	0.96	38.31	-31.03	31.54	40
179	181	Ondrej Lieser	0.96	38.28	-8.14	33.49	20
180	182	Vaughn Taylor	0.96	48.8	-44.85	17.45	51
181	177	Zhang Xinjun	0.95	49.49	-39.04	24.71	58
182	180	Dean Burmester	0.95	49.32	-32.33	44.86	57
183	183	Wil Besseling	0.95	40.74	-15.1	27.75	43
184	179	Keith Mitchell	0.94	48.74	-58.41	28.73	54
185	185	Brian Stuard	0.93	48.27	-39.17	24.84	60
186	190	Jordan L Smith	0.92	45.9	-40.01	28.77	50
187	193	Joakim Lagergren	0.92	43.14	-27.2	24.82	47
188	187	Matthew NeSmith	0.91	47.53	-18.52	38.63	54
189	198	Marcus Armitage	0.91	39.16	-6.57	43.55	43
190	189	Austin Cook	0.91	43.7	-24.64	34.52	48
191	195	Gavin Green	0.91	46.26	-31.61	38.33	51
192	199	Richard Bland	0.91	42.55	-17.62	27.07	47
193	188	Mikumu Horikawa	0.9	45.18	-36.59	18.42	50
194	191	Hudson Swafford	0.9	36.08	-14.99	35.14	38
194	199	Matthew Jordan	0.9	42.39	-19.82	25.29	47
196	201	Adrian Meronk	0.9	41.4	-19.16	24.59	46
197	192	Sebastian Soderberg	0.9	43.99	-35.85	17.43	49
198	186	Andrew Putnam	0.9	44.82	-82.02	8.23	50
199	194	Brandon Stone	0.89	46.51	-37.08	39.3	54
200	196	Denny McCarthy	0.89	46.18	-39.05	27.22	57

Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

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The USA has the most golfers and the most facilities globally. After a spring lockdown impacted much of the country there was a major surge in people playing the game and many facilities have experienced a surge in overall rounds and dollars. Nonetheless, much of that increase was tied to golfers playing in and around their home areas.

Various companies in the vacation lane space have engaged various strategies demonstrating viability and ensuring overall safety when traveling to key destinations.

Wyndham Destinations is a major player with locations throughout the USA and a number of the facilities do offer golf as a major element in their offerings. Kevin Maciulewicz shares his thoughts on how Wyndham is moving ahead on a number of different levels and how 2021 will be vastly different than what took place in 2020.

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Background --

In October 2013, Kevin Maciulewicz joined Wyndham Destinations, bringing with him more than 25 years of leadership experience in the hospitality industry. He currently serves as Senior Vice President of Resort Operations for Wyndham Vacation Clubs, the vacation ownership business line of Wyndham Destinations. In this role, Maciulewicz is responsible for ensuring overall customer satisfaction, as well as building brand loyalty through on-site experiences across a portfolio of more than 200 resort locations in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.

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The Maciulewicz Story --

Golf has been in my life since childhood. Growing up outside of Boston, I vividly remember my father taking me to a par 3 course, Stoneybrook Golf, by my home. It wasn’t quite like Christmas Eve, where I wouldn’t sleep at all, but my excitement would grow the night before our Stoneybrook visits and I would fall asleep visualizing the perfect tee shot. While I loved being outdoors and was always very competitive, the best part of golfing for me was spending one-on-one time with my father. I will always cherish those memories.

Later in life, as I became a parent and my two boys were growing up, golf allowed my kids and I to get out on the course and connect – just as I did with my dad. In today’s digital environment, some parents would consider virtual exchanges with their kids a point of personal connection.

For me and my sons, however, there is nothing better than 18 holes on a beautiful day. I have been in the hospitality industry for over 30 years and golf has been part of my life for even longer. For many, golf is an important part of their vacation experience, and merging these two important aspects of my life – hospitality and golfing – to create amazing vacation memories for my family and others is certainly my passion.

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With 2020 drawing to a close -- what's been the outcome operationally across the board with various properties in dealing with the pandemic since March?

Very early on during the pandemic we made the difficult decision to shut down our 230 vacation club resorts. As we closed each resort, we created skeleton crews for each site based on the size of the resort led by the general managers. It was important to have leaders on site who could make local decisions quickly during this phase.

Now, nearly all of our resorts are open, except in areas where local government mandates require we close until certain criteria are met. Before welcoming our owners and guests back to our resorts, we launched our Vacation Ready program – an enhanced set of cleaning methods and standards to minimize risk and maximize safety at our resorts. These best practices were created in partnership with Ecolab to ensure the proper hygiene and infection-prevention processes were in place prior to our owner and guests’ return.

Vacation Ready – as well as many other protocols – have assisted in putting our guests at ease and allowing them to relax on their vacation.

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How much of a rebound are you anticipating in 2021?

We had very high demand at the majority of our resorts throughout the summer and we are certainly seeing a willingness to get back on vacation. Right now, the number of bookings we’re receiving across our resorts for 2021 looks promising. We’re noticing that our owners want vacations booked now, even if that means traveling later.

Currently, the demand for vacations booked from March 2021 through August 2021 is strong, as we know families are getting back to their travel plans for Spring Break and summer vacation.

What key lessons are being learned during this ordeal?

Primarily, we’ve learned that having the right team in place at our resorts is crucial to navigating unprecedented events. We’re extremely proud of our regional vice presidents and general managers for their steadfast leadership. From maintaining resorts with a skeleton crew, to getting resorts Vacation Ready, to welcoming back our owners and guests, these field leaders as well as all of our associates have been the backbone of our company throughout this tough year.

Although Wyndham Destinations is a large company, we have always been very agile and able to adapt. Working with all areas of the business, the Resort Operations team was very quickly able to create Vacation Ready, communicate properly to our owners and guest and retrain our teams on all of the new processes.

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Staffing issues are generally important topics -- even without the pandemic -- what impact has the present situation caused and how are you dealing with it?

The hardest aspect of staffing during the pandemic is timing. Typically, we begin to hire more associates in February and March, ahead of our busy summer season. This year, we began to shut our resorts down during this timeframe, meaning we had to hold off on our staffing “ramp-up”.

These circumstances certainly put our teams to the test over the summer when local ordinances allowed us to reopen in most locations and resort occupancy rates quickly grew, and I could not be prouder of the amazing efforts our teams made across our resorts to provide first-class vacations.

Millennials are a growing force in the broader tourism / hospitality sectors. In what ways are Millennials different from say Baby Boomers which have, until most recently, been the dominant group economically?

What we’re seeing from Millennial and Gen Z travelers is the desire to travel more frequently, with more space and amenities and be able to experience a taste of the local lifestyle. There is certainly an evolution within the vacation ownership industry to develop in city-center destinations and provide a wider range of vacation locations beyond the traditional beachfront or mountain resort.

With this new generation of travelers, experiences are key, and desired vacation destinations are becoming more and more about cultural immersion. Experiencing the things that make a destination unique, such as outstanding dining options and plenty of sightseeing opportunities, are a higher priority for this new group than staying in a scenic suite overlooking the ocean. We’ve recently expanded our portfolio of properties to include cities like Portland, Nashville and Atlanta as a result of this shift in demand.

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So many companies throughout the tourism, hospitality and lodging sectors tout the importance of customer service. Define the term and the approach followed by Wyndham.

At Wyndham Destinations, we really thrive on the concept of “Hospitality with Heart,” and the idea that vacations deliver some of life’s best memories. Our team is here to help make the most of those vacations. They go to work every day to provide outstanding vacations and memories to all our owners and guests. Seeing families together or individuals simply relaxing during these turbulent times makes all the hard work worth it.

Given the evolving needs of customers -- what issues are you now seeing that previously were not in the radar screen and what is Wyndham doing with that in mind?

In a post-pandemic world, guests will still want the reassurance that they are safe on vacation. We are looking at pandemic era protocols, like Vacation Ready, and developing a long-term strategy to enhance our procedures to allow our owners and guests ongoing peace of mind while staying with us.

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In terms of dialoguing with customers how much effort, and in what form, is the company doing in terms of generating meaningful customer feedback?

Throughout the crisis, transparency has been -- and remains -- a key element in communication with our customers. As the pandemic unfolded, our senior leadership regularly updated owners and guests on the status of resort closings with email communication going out in lockstep with local and federal health officials’ recommendations.

Additionally, we conducted an owner pulse survey to determine how often our owners wanted to hear from us and what type of information was most important. Overall, our owners were pleased with the information they were receiving and the frequency of the updates. One tangible new feature that came out of the survey was a COVID-19 resource page that includes all of the information our owners have asked for via call centers, surveys and social media platforms in one, easy to locate place.

Growth opportunities -- whether new locations or other elements of importance are always a topic of interest. What growth areas do you see happening for Wyndham?

We’re continuing to invest in growth areas for the company that are going to pay off for us in the long run. We just announced that we’ll be opening the first timeshare resort in downtown Atlanta in 2022. It’s an amazing location across from Centennial Park, which will be extremely popular with our owners. And it will be a great location to showcase why timeshare ownership with Wyndham Destinations is the best way to vacation.

We’ve also just opened an expansion of one of our Orlando resorts, and we’re nearing completion of our newest WorldMark by Wyndham resort in Moab, Utah, which sits just outside the entrance to Arches National Park. In our recently launched Panorama business, which covers our global vacation exchange, leisure travel and travel technology brands, we’re continuing to reimagine and refocus the offerings in that portfolio to address growth opportunities and new travel services around the world.

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The biggest challenge -- short and long term for Wyndham -- is what and how do you envision each being dealt with?

Short term, the biggest challenge for us was providing a comfortable environment for our returning owners and guests and establishing the right/most effective cleaning protocols.

Long term, the continued reinvention of the product to meet the needs of today's traveler is an ongoing focus of ours. Our new remote check-in protocol, for example, completely revolutionizes our check-in process by giving owners the personalized service they expect from Wyndham Destinations, while enhancing safety through a fast, contactless process.

We installed tablets with our proprietary resort management systems that can access guest information and create their keys anywhere on the property, so if the owner wants to do a drive-through check-in from their car, or meet us outside the lobby, or at their suite, we’ll be able to help safely, quickly, and efficiently get them checked in and get them on vacation.

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Reigning European Number One Lee Westwood will defend his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title in the company of a host of former winners as Tommy Fleetwood, Martin Kaymer and Shane Lowry all confirmed their participation in the first event of the 2021 Race to Dubai season.

The stellar line-up will join Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas in the world-class field assembling for the first Rolex Series event of the year at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 21-24, 2021.

Westwood's victory in Abu Dhabi meant he became the first active golfer to win across four separate decades and he now has 25 European Tour wins to his name. The former World Number One entered the final day with a one-shot lead and, while he was briefly caught, he was never passed, carding a 67 to get to 19 under and finish two shots ahead of countrymen Matthew Fitzpatrick and Fleetwood, and Frenchman Victor Perez, to win his second Rolex Series title.

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Following golf's hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 47-year-old played a big part in the European's Tour return to action, hosting the Betfred British Masters at Close House in July before going on to make history at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

The Englishman birdied two of the last three holes of the season to secure solo second place and became only the sixth player to win the Harry Vardon Trophy three times or more, while also becoming the oldest winner of the Race to Dubai.

“Winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship was a very proud moment for me and set the tone for what would be an extraordinary 2020 season,” said Westwood. “Not just winning my second Rolex Series title but also proving to myself that I still have what it takes to win at the highest level on the European Tour. It was the perfect start to a memorable year.

“I'm excited to come back to Abu Dhabi Golf Club and defend such a prestigious title, and with Ryder Cup points to play for, I know the competition will be fierce and we will have some of the best players in the world coming to this iconic golf course.”

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The 2019 Open Champion Lowry, who won his maiden Rolex Series title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship earlier that year, also has a Ryder Cup place in his sights as he targets a first appearance in the biennial contest.

“To win a Rolex Series event was very special,” said Lowry, who trailed Richard Sterne by four strokes with seven holes to play in 2019 before lifting the Falcon Trophy. “It gave me a lot of confidence going into the rest of that season and set the platform for what happened at Royal Portrush just a few months later.

“It's a fantastic golf course and the facilities really are world class. It's an iconic venue and an iconic championship, I'm really looking forward to coming back.”

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World Number 17 Fleetwood, a two-time Rolex Series winner at the 2017 Open de France and 2019 Nedbank Golf Challenge, successfully defended a title for the first time in his career when he won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2018.

The Englishman's victory at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in 2017 kick-started a run of form which saw him finish that year as European Number One and make a memorable Ryder Cup debut at Le Golf National in 2018.

“I have very special memories of this tournament,” said Fleetwood. “The win in 2017 was the culmination of a lot of hard work behind the scenes and to come back the following year and defend was a fantastic achievement. Abu Dhabi has so much to offer us as golfers, both on and off the course, and I always love spending time with my family here to start my season.”

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Kaymer, a three-time winner of the event, won by a tournament-record eight strokes with his third success in 2011 and will look to start his 2021 Race to Dubai season with an event close to his heart.

“The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has brought me so much joy over the years,” said the two-time Major winner. “Any victory is special because it is such a difficult thing to achieve, but to have success on three occasions at this golf course is something I am truly proud of and I can't wait to come back in January to start my year with another world-class Rolex Series tournament.”

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His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome back defending champion Lee Westwood to Abu Dhabi for our award-winning Championship in Abu Dhabi, and some of our wonderful past champions in Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Martin Kaymer.

“Lee's remarkable performance last year is something that we all remember fondly and is consistent with the sporting excellence that we associate with our tournament. Abu Dhabi is a global capital of world sport and the presence of players such as these only strengthens that position and reinforces our esteemed reputation.”

Abdulfattah Sharaf, CEO of HSBC UAE, commented: “The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is one of golf's premium tournaments with an unwavering ability to attract the world's best golfers. We are thrilled to welcome back our defending champion Lee Westwood along with a host of star names who have previously lifted the Falcon Trophy. Together our ambition is to come back stronger in 2021 and this star-studded field will help achieve our ambition to inspire the next generation to always strive to be the best.”

First staged in 2006, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is hosted at the iconic Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the 16th consecutive year from January 21-24, 2021.

Viktor Hovland and Tony Finau are the latest top ranked international stars to confirm their entry into the third edition of the Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers, Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, 4 – 7 February 2021.

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Hovland is undoubtedly the rising star of world golf and at 23 years old, he sits at a career high ranking of World No.14 following his second PGA Tour win earlier this month. Hailing from Norway, Hovland turned professional in 2019 having finished as low amateur in both The 2019 Masters and the 2019 US Open and having reached the pinnacle of the Amateur World Rankings. His transition into the professional ranks has been equally as impressive and he will make his debut in Saudi Arabia as he too joins the ranks of the European Ryder Cup hopefuls looking to secure their place at Whistling Straits.

Adding to the star-studded European contingent are Martin Kaymer, Matt Wallace, Bernd Wiesberger and Danny Willett while Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood and defending Champion Graeme McDowell were announced last month.

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Hovland commented, “My first full year as a professional, even given all the Covid-related difficulties, has been really amazing. I would never have dreamt that I would already have two PGA Tour titles and winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic was the perfect way to finish up the year. As a European, trying to get my first European Tour victory will definitely be high on my agenda for 2021 and of course, trying to win my place on the European Ryder Cup team.  I’ve only played in about six European Tour events in total so I am excited to add some into my schedule and the Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers has the most impressive field of players already confirmed so I think it’s going to be a huge week. ”

US Ryder Cup star World No.18 Tony Finau joins a strong list of American players flocking to the Kingdom with World Number One and 2020 Masters Champion Dustin Johnson, 2020 US Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau, five-time Major winner Phil Mickelson and 2018 Masters Champion Patrick Reed already confirmed in the field.

Finau commented, “I was unable to make my debut in 2020, so I’m really looking forward to being there alongside an especially world-class field in February. I’ve heard nothing but positive things from my fellow players about their experiences at the tournament and their visit to the Kingdom. It should be a great week and I am excited to go. ”

With a line-up that looks set to ensure that the Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers will be one of the strongest events on the 2021 European Tour schedule, Golf Saudi is looking to build on the momentum resulting from hosting two extremely successful weeks of Ladies European Tour events last month as interest and participation in golf continues to grow in the Kingdom.

Majed Al Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said:

“We fully appreciate and endorse the strength and value the best players in the world create, and from the outset made it our mission to consistently attract the strongest fields for the Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers.”

“2021 is another step on our journey of aligning Saudi Arabia with the highest-profile events in world golf. We continue to shine a light on our growing passion for the sport, but also the strategic measures being taken to ensure we develop a vibrant and sustainable golfing nation. Our partnership and relationship with professional golf and the world’s best players is a central tenant within our long-term investment plans. We can’t wait to welcome them to the Kingdom and to crown our third Champion.”

On Christmas Eve last year, Peter Alliss left me a voice-mail, mostly about how unfortunate we had been in trying and failing to arrange a pre-Christmas lunch – “we’ll think of it as a pleasure postponed,” he said. Among other things he said “thanks for the friendship”, which sounded somewhat prematurely valedictory, and it was in the sense that we had quite a few conversations during this past year. But, mostly because of coronavirus, we never did make that lunch nor meet up in 2020. As you will know, he passed away at home on December 5.

Peter would have been 90 on February 28. For many years, he held the record for being the heaviest baby born in Europe. “My mother wasn’t a big lady,” he would say. “She couldn’t ride a bicycle again until Christmas.” That record was 14 stone 11 ounces; he would have grinned at the typo and consequent non-sequitur that appeared in the Daily Telegraph: “a baby who weighted 4lb 11oz but grew up to bear the lightest of touches”.

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Peter was a terrific golfer. In October 1958, he won the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Opens – a remarkable hat-trick. Five times he finished in the top-10 in the Open Championship. His first autobiography, Alliss Through the Looking Glass, published in 1963, is a tremendous read, not least about his first two experiences of the Ryder Cup.

At Wentworth in 1953, if he had beaten Jim Turnesa, Great Britain & Ireland would have won the match for the first time since the Second World War. Alliss was 1 up with three holes to play. He missed from three feet to lose the 16^th, drove out-of-bounds on the 17^th and with a three-foot putt for a five at the last for a half, he missed again – “a ridiculous, incredible, childish, delinquent six. I don’t quite know how I lived through the next 15 minutes of my life”. He knew he had become ‘the man who lost the Ryder Cup’.

He wasn’t picked for the match in America in 1955 but he was in the victorious GB&I team at Lindrick in 1957. The triumph was achieved while he was still playing his singles against Fred Hawkins. “[Dai] Rees and [Ken] Bousfield came charging up to me saying: ‘Don’t worry, don’t worry, it’s all over, we’ve won the Ryder Cup, we’ve won.’ Don’t worry, they said! There I was, wrestling with Fred Hawkins, wrestling with Wentworth, wrestling with the fact that I might be the only man in the team not to win his singles match, not to win a single point in two Ryder Cup appearances, and don’t worry, they said.” Hawkins won at the 17^th. Alliss was the only man on the team to lose his singles.

He played in eight matches in total, a personal highlight being the beating of Arnold Palmer in the singles in Atlanta in 1963. But soon the ‘yips’ began to inflict his putting stroke, perhaps most horribly at the Masters in 1967 when he took five putts from six feet on the 11th. Nevertheless, he was picked for the 1969 Ryder Cup match at Royal Birkdale. He contributed just a half-point from a foursomes, but it was significant. The match finished a tie. From there the sticks were pretty much stowed away and it was into the BBC commentary box with Henry Longhurst.

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He described his style of commentary as “I’m talking to someone stuck in a tiny flat on the 23^rd floor of some high-rise in Bermondsey.” In essence, that was a trick he picked up from Longhurst: the reality is you are broadcasting to millions, but you imagine your audience is just the one. He delivered some great lines, to take simply one example, this talking about Tiger Woods after he had shot an 81 in the third round of the Open in 2002. “You can’t trust anyone these days. It’s like turning up to hear Pavarotti sing and finding out he has laryngitis.” The smooth gentleness of his timbre prompted John Cleese (who for 16 years was married to the former wife of a PGA Tour pro) to say: “I always thought that I could cope with the ending of the world if only Peter was commentating on it.”

You will have seen the obituaries, which also covered his work in golf-course design. He was never offered the captaincy of the Ryder Cup team, which was something of a slight, nor a knighthood. Perhaps the latter was down to an earlier rejection of an OBE, this on the grounds that his father, bearing in mind how gongs were handed out around the War, told him he felt that OBE stood for ‘Other Bugger’s Efforts’.

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Nick Faldo, the greatest British golfer not called Harry Vardon, said of Alliss on Twitter: “He had that gift of being able to wax lyrical at great length about anything, could probably talk about the colour of his front door for five minutes and somehow work the Archbishop of Canterbury into the story! RIP Peter” He had commentated on Faldo winning three Masters’ green jackets and did the commentary, from home, as Dustin Johnson won at Augusta last month.

Obviously no one will miss him more than his wife, Jackie, and the other members of his family. But it is a loss felt by all who knew him and by millions who didn’t but were very happily familiar with that mellifluous voice and trademark turn of phrase. We will not see or hear his like again. I understand that he wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea (who is?) but, my goodness, if you enjoyed hearing golf stories from someone who knew their stuff, there was no one better to enjoy a glass with.

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You can follow Robert Green on Twitter @robrtgreen and enjoy his other blog f-factors.com plus you can read more by him on golf at robertgreengolf.com

Indoor putting practice: Left side is King

by Dan Frost

So you've eaten your Christmas dinner, you've watched the Queen's Speech and now it's time for the traditional family game.

Why don't you add a golfing twist this year and have a bit of fun with a putt-off. Putting is the one part of your game you can still improve even if the weather is poor. Below is a simple drill that you can do indoors or outdoors, just five minutes a day will improve your stroke and guarantee you win the putt-off challenge!

Maintaining the symmetry of the relationship of the left shoulder; arm and putter shaft is one of the easiest ways to transform the consistency of your stroke. Most club golfers tend to break down their wrists through impact in an attempt to redirect an already failing stroke.

Indoor putting practice: Left side is King

To build a solid action, try this drill.

Step 1: Take an alignment stick and place it up the inside of your left forearm to just above your elbow.

Indoor putting practice: Left side is King

Step 2: Hold the stick in place by applying your right hand in a grip like formation. I am using the left below right grip here, which I favour, but if you are orthodox in your grip (right below left) feel free to do this in the same style.

Indoor putting practice: Left side is King

Step 3: All you need to do now is rock your shoulders while keeping the cane touching the inside of the left arm as you rehearse the stroke.

Indoor putting practice: Left side is King

Step 4: Once you have a good feeling of control over the cane introduce your putter alongside so that the putter pushes the cane against the arm.

Originally posted in 2011

Lee Westwood has been named the 2020 European Tour Golfer of the Year, winning the prestigious annual award for the fourth time in his distinguished career.

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The 47-year-old Englishman began the season with victory in the year’s first Rolex Series event, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January, and ended it by winning the Race to Dubai after finishing runner up to Matt Fitzpatrick in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai earlier this month.

In between those two standout performances, he showed remarkable consistency, missing only one cut in 15 European Tour appearances and recording six consecutive top 20 finishes from the ISPS Handa UK Championship in August to the Scottish Championship presented by AXA in October.

The ten time Ryder Cup player also hosted the Betfred British Masters for the second time at Close House in July, with the tournament marking the full resumption of the European Tour’s 2020 season following a three month pause due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

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Westwood made history in Abu Dhabi when he became the first active golfer to win across four separate decades by claiming his 25th European Tour title.

The former World Number One entered the record books again in the Middle East at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai as he birdied two of the last three holes in the season-finale to secure solo second place, becoming only the sixth player to win the Harry Vardon Trophy three times or more since the European Tour came into existence in 1972.

He was previously crowned European Number One in 2000 and 2009, with the span of 20 years between his first and most recent Harry Vardon trophy surpassing the previous record of 15 years held by Seve Ballesteros. His longevity was further underlined by the fact he also became the oldest winner of the Race to Dubai at the age of 47 years, seven months and 20 days.

Westwood has now added his fourth European Tour Golfer of the Year award to that list of achievements, having also claimed the honour in 1998, 2000 and 2009. He was chosen as the 2020 recipient by a panel comprising members of the golf media. 

Lee Westwood said: “I am very honoured and extremely flattered to have been named European Tour Golfer of the Year as I know the competition for the award this year would have been extremely high. 

“Thank you to the media for voting for me and also huge congratulations again to everyone at the European Tour who did a tremendous job this year managing to put on a full International schedule under such difficult times. 

“I never forget that I am extremely fortunate to do a job which I love, and which has sent me around the world playing in the most amazing places and meeting some wonderful people, so to win this award is very humbling.            

 “I am looking forward to the 2021 season, the 28^th season of my career, which I will start by defending at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.” 

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of the European Tour, said: “Lee has been an incredible ambassador for golf and for the European Tour, not just throughout 2020 but also across his entire career.

“His performances and his professionalism are matched by his longevity and his commitment to European golf. For Lee to call shortly before our resumption and ask what he could do to help the Tour is testament to the person and the player he is. 

“To then go on to become the European Tour’s Number One player for a third time, 20 years after he first achieved that accolade, was a storybook way to end this most challenging of years. Lee is therefore a thoroughly deserving winner of the European Tour’s Golfer of the Year award.”

Panel Member James Corrigan, Golf Correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, said: “Lee Westwood is the worthy recipient on his golf alone - winning the Race to Dubai having prevailed in Abu Dhabi and racking up another seven top 20s. Yet the fact that he lifted his third Harry Vardon Trophy as a 47-year-old, 20 years after his first, makes his candidature all the more irresistible.

“He has been incredibly loyal to his home circuit and as Matt Fitzpatrick said in Dubai: “Lee is the definition of this tour.” 

December 19-20
Ritz-Carlton GC, Orlando, Florida
$1,085,000
Round 1

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Justin Thomas and his father, Mike, started the final round in a tie for sixth place at 10-under, four shots behind the leaders. They birdied the first seven holes on Sunday and made seven more to finish with a 57, 25-under overall and win the Willie Park Trophy.

“This is a real highlight and the most normal part of this crazy year and we had so much fun out there," said Justin. "My dad played great today and made a lot of putts which made it easy on me.”

“It helps to have the world number three as a partner, but I think we ham and egged it really well!”

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Justin enjoyed watching his father sink the final putt.

“A part of you didn't care who won. We were here as father and son to enjoy a special moment.”

Justin and Mike Thomas become the fourth team to win the PNC Championship in their first start following Raymond Floyd (1995), Stewart Cink (2013) and Angel Cabrera (2017); and the first to win with a father playing as partner.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Vijay Singh, playing with son, Qass, made nine straight birdies on Nos. 2-10 en route to a second consecutive 12-under 60 to finish second one shot behind the leaders in Singh's fourteenth start. In 13 previous starts before this week, T2s in 2006 and 2013 marked Team Singh's best finish.

Tiger Woods and his 11-year-old son Charlie finished seventh at 20-under after closing with a 62.

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“It was incredibly special for us to have the opportunity to spend this quality time together and they are memories we will have for our entire lives. He's not going to appreciate this at 11 years old. I didn't when I was with my dad. As the years go by, you start appreciating it more.”

They offset one bogey with eagles at Nos. 5 and 14 (both par-5s) and birdies at Nos. 3, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 18.

Lee Trevino (81), playing with son, Daniel, is the only player to have competed in all 23 Championships. He followed birdies on 10 of his first 13 holes with an eagle at the par-5 14th en route to a 13-under 59 and tournament best T3 finish.

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Making his second start in the PNC Championship (T9/2018), first round leaders Matt Kuchar and 13-year-old son, Cameron, shot an 8-under 64 Sunday to finish T5.

In his bid for a record-tying fifth PNC Championship title (Raymond Floyd), defending champion Bernhard Langer posted a final-round 8-under 64 to finish T12 at 17-under 127 playing with daughter, Jackie.

Gary Player, the oldest competitor in this week's PNC Championship field at 85, followed a 6-under 66 Saturday with a 9-under 63 in Sunday's final round to finish at 15-under 129 with grandson, James; Player was making his sixth start in the event.

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Pos.	Player	To Par	R1	R2	Total
1	Team Thomas	-25	62	57	119
2	Team Singh	-24	60	60	120
T3	Team O'Meara	-23	62	59	121
T3	Team Trevino	-23	62	59	121
T5	Team Kite	-22	64	58	122
T5	Team Kuchar	-22	58	64	122
7	Team Woods	-20	62	62	124
8	Team Daly	-19	62	63	125
T9	Team Furyk	-18	62	64	126
T9	Team Lehman	-18	61	65	126
T9	Team Norman	-18	61	65	126
T12	Team Janzen	-17	67	60	127
T12	Team Langer	-17	63	64	127
T14	Team Duval	-16	61	67	128
T14	Team Price	-16	65	63	128
16	Team Player	-15	66	63	129
17	Team Sorenstam	-14	65	65	130
18	Team Watson	-12	65	67	132
19	Team Calcavecchia	-11	67	66	133
20	Team Harrington	-9	69	66	135

December 17-20
Tiburón Golf Club, Naples, Florida
$3,000,000
Round 1, Round 2, Round 3

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Jin Young Ko started the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship one shot behind Sei Young Kim and made birdie on the first hole.

She made six more, including a run of three from the 12th to the 14th, her longest run of the week, and only one bogey at the 9th to close with a 66, 18-under for the tournament, and win her seventh LPGA title.

"I still can't believe it, that I'm here, that I won this tournament," said Ko.

Ko has held the World number 1 spot since July 2019 and moves to $5,600,824 in career earnings, the 71st player in LPGA history to earn over $5 million.

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The $1.1 million prize money also puts her at the top of the money list for the year, in spite of playing in only four tournaments after spending most of the year in South Korea due to the pandemic and competing in six tournaments on the Korean LPGA.

Hannah Green made five birdies to close with a 67 and tied for second place with Sei Young Kim at 13-under.

Kim's three bogeys and three birdies lost her the tournament but were enough to secure the Rolex Player of the Year.

Kim earned 118 points with two wins this season at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Pelican Women’s Championship presented by DEX Imaging and Konica Minolta, and captured three more top-10 finishes at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions (T7), Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio (5th) and Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G (T5).

“It feels great. I'm very proud of it. Yeah, it's great because me and Paul, we working hard and we been great this year,” said Kim, who was named the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year in 2015. “I'm very thankful to all who is around me, like parents and then my coach and my trainer, Mr. Moon, and yeah, my family. Yeah, I'm very thankful to all of them.”

Danielle Kang, who finished T30 at 3-under won the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average of 70.082

"Feels like a pretty solid accomplishment in 2020, to be honest," said Kang. “At the end of the round, I looked at my caddie and said, ‘We won the Vare.’ That is an accomplishment in all cases,” said Kang, who hit 13 of 14 fairways today and 14 greens in regulation. “This one feels like a really good mark in my career, that I was able to do it and accomplished it. I can look back on the 2020 season and at the Vare Trophy, and that’s part of it.

“To be part of the legends [list to win the Vare Trophy], I just want to make them proud moving forward as well, because they left this game for us and they left this stage for us, and I wish that I can do that for the future.”

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First round leader Lexi Thompson closed with a 2-under 70 and tied with Lydia Ko for fifth place at 11-under.

"Definitely a good ending to the year and to the week," said Thompson.

The tournament was closed to ticketholders but Thompson still had a few fans following her on Sunday and welcomed the familiar sight.

"It was nice to have a few people out there supporting us. I think the fans make the game, so hopefully we'll get back to that in 2021."

The 2020 LPGA season was only 18 tournaments-long due to the 5 month hiatus caused by the pandemic. Next season should feature 34 events starting in January with the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

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Pos.	Player	To Par	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total
1	Jin Young Ko	-18	68	67	69	66	270
T2	Hannah Green	-13	69	68	71	67	275
T2	Sei Young Kim	-13	67	69	67	72	275
4	Mina Harigae	-12	70	69	69	68	276
T5	Lydia Ko	-11	74	65	69	69	277
T5	Lexi Thompson	-11	65	71	71	70	277
T7	Austin Ernst	-10	69	69	69	71	278
T7	Georgia Hall	-10	69	69	68	72	278
T7	Brooke M. Henderson	-10	73	68	66	71	278
T10	Ariya Jutanugarn	-8	72	70	71	67	280
T10	Cristie Kerr	-8	68	74	66	72	280
T10	Anna Nordqvist	-8	68	72	70	70	280
T13	Perrine Delacour	-7	70	71	68	72	281
T13	Charley Hull	-7	72	69	66	74	281
T13	Minjee Lee	-7	68	73	66	74	281
T13	Brittany Lincicome	-7	72	71	71	67	281
T13	So Yeon Ryu	-7	71	73	69	68	281
T13	Madelene Sagstrom	-7	72	72	68	69	281
T19	Celine Boutier	-6	71	71	70	70	282
T19	Christina Kim	-6	73	72	69	68	282
T19	Cheyenne Knight	-6	71	72	68	71	282
T19	Nelly Korda	-6	72	66	74	70	282
T23	Katherine Kirk	-5	72	68	72	71	283
T23	Xiyu Lin	-5	71	72	66	74	283
T23	Gaby Lopez	-5	71	71	70	71	283
T23	Sarah Schmelzel	-5	71	69	69	74	283
T23	Jenny Shin	-5	73	72	68	70	283
T28	Cydney Clanton	-4	70	68	72	74	284
T28	Jennifer Kupcho	-4	70	72	70	72	284
T30	Danielle Kang	-3	71	75	70	69	285
T30	Jessica Korda	-3	75	74	70	66	285
T30	Caroline Masson	-3	67	71	74	73	285
T30	Yealimi Noh	-3	73	69	70	73	285
T30	Amy Yang	-3	73	73	69	70	285
T35	Brittany Altomare	-2	73	73	71	69	286
T35	Jodi Ewart Shadoff	-2	70	73	70	73	286
T35	Inbee Park	-2	71	71	71	73	286
T38	Nasa Hataoka	-1	73	70	75	69	287
T38	Moriya Jutanugarn	-1	70	73	69	75	287
T38	Megan Khang	-1	67	71	75	74	287
T38	Stephanie Meadow	-1	70	76	69	72	287
T38	Azahara Munoz	-1	73	75	69	70	287
T38	Linnea Strom	-1	74	71	70	72	287
T44	Carlota Ciganda	E	68	74	77	69	288
T44	Mi-Rim Lee	E	73	73	69	73	288
T46	In Gee Chun	1	73	74	75	67	289
T46	Stacy Lewis	1	71	75	74	69	289
T46	Leona Maguire	1	73	72	69	75	289
T46	Robynn Ree	1	74	72	69	74	289
T46	Lizette Salas	1	71	72	76	70	289
T46	Alena Sharp	1	73	76	76	64	289
T46	Jennifer Song	1	74	70	74	71	289
T53	Sarah Kemp	2	72	73	73	72	290
T53	Nanna Koerstz Madsen	2	66	77	73	74	290
T53	Andrea Lee	2	71	72	73	74	290
T53	Jasmine Suwannapura	2	70	74	73	73	290
T53	Emma Talley	2	72	74	74	70	290
T53	Lindsey Weaver	2	74	74	70	72	290
T59	Pernilla Lindberg	3	76	74	68	73	291
T59	Mel Reid	3	74	73	70	74	291
T61	Ashleigh Buhai	4	69	77	70	76	292
T61	Maria Fassi	4	68	76	78	70	292
T61	Anne van Dam	4	71	77	72	72	292
64	Maria Torres	5	76	75	69	73	293
65	Kelly Tan	6	72	74	72	76	294
66	Yu Liu	7	74	77	69	75	295
67	Hee Young Park	8	73	76	71	76	296
T68	Bianca Pagdanganan	9	73	79	76	69	297
T68	Angela Stanford	9	75	72	76	74	297
70	Kristen Gillman	11	75	77	72	75	299
71	Brittany Lang	15	76	78	75	74	303
72	Natalie Gulbis	24	77	78	77	80	312