With plenty of family watching, Colorado Academy graduate Mark Hubbard finished in a tie for 12th at last week’s The American Express in La Quinta, Calif.
But Hubbard, who grew up in Colorado and now resides in Texas with his wife and kids, was surrounded by so many at the tournament due to tragic reasons.
Many members of Hubbard’s family, including his brother, Nathan, lost their homes in the California wildfires. About 20 people in Hubbard’s family have been affected by the devastating fires.
“There’s just been so much loss and heartbreak with everyone and with people close to me,” Mark said after Friday’s round. “It’s been tough, but like anything else it puts stuff in perspective, and it definitely makes it easier to realize that this is just a dumb game and none of this really matters at all.”
Nathan, who co-hosts the Fairway Rollin’ podcast on The Ringer, commented on his experiences during the wildfires on an episode last week.
“The first thing to say is we’re all OK. We got everybody out,” he said. “It was close. We lost four houses across my extended family in the Palisades fire, but we didn’t lose anybody.”
Hubbard was playing in the Sony Open when the fires began in California. While knowing what his family was dealing with, he finished in a tie for 21st.
Golf has provided a bit of a distraction for Hubbard, but it’s impossible for him to keep his mind off of his family.
“It’s a nice escape to be out there and not thinking about other stuff,” Hubbard said. “Selfishly, it’s been horrible for them, but I’m getting to see a ton of them more than I would normally, so it’s been just great to see them and to try and be there for them.”
Mark, who won several CGA titles, is in the field this week at the Farmers Insurance Open being played at Torrey Pines in San Diego. He is still searching for his first PGA Tour win. He had three top 10s and made 26 cuts in 2024 and is currently ranked 31st in the FedEx Cup standings.
Several fires are still burning in the Los Angeles area. The fires reportedly have burned more than 40,000 acres and almost 16,000 structures. The death toll is currently at 28 people.
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‘Full Swing’ Season 3 set to debut Feb. 25
Netflix’s “Full Swing” returns in February.
On Wednesday, the streaming service announced Season 3 of the golf documentary will premiere Feb. 25 and spotlight some of the best players in professional golf.
Included is Denver native Wyndham Clark. Clark was featured in Season 2 (episode 3) of last season’s series. The episode featured Clark’s U.S. Open win at Los Angeles Country Club and focused on mental health within the game of golf.
“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t really have anything to hide,” Clark said last year. “I also think it’s part of my calling in both golf and in life to kind of share my story.
Clark will be an important part of the upcoming season, along with stars like Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy.
“Season three brings even more drama, with a lens on Scottie Scheffler’s history-making run, Rory McIlroy’s emotional rollercoaster in and out of competition, Bryson DeChambeau’s evolution from anti-hero to fan favorite and Keegan Bradley’s quest to write his own redemption arc from last year’s dramatic letdown,” Netflix said in a press release.
According to the press release, Clark will be partly featured for his partnership with Mark Wahlberg on the Municipal clothing line.
But what other storylines will include Clark? It could be his homecoming at the BMW Championship, his duel with Scheffler at The Players or his play at The President’s Cup.
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What they’re saying
“Basically, I had no intentions of being a pro. Bobby Jones was my dad’s hero and sort of my hero. As I grew up, I was sort of following his footsteps a little bit. I won the second (Amateur) at Pebble Beach in ’61 and all of a sudden there was a bunch of rumors.”
—Jack Nicklaus, who turned 85 on Tuesday, about how he struggled with his decision to turn pro. Nicklaus won 18 majors and 73 PGA Tour events overall during his career.
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This week in golf
PGA Tour
FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
Site: San Diego.
Course: Torrey Pines GC South (Yardage: 7,765. Par: 72) and North (Yardage: 7,258. Par: 72).
Prize money: $9.3 million. Winner’s share: $1.674 million.
Television: Thursday, 1-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf), 3-6 p.m. (CBS); Saturday, Noon-2 p.m. (Golf), 2-6 p.m. (CBS).
Defending champion: Matthieu Pavon.
European tour
RAS AL KHAIMAH CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
Course: Al Hamra GC. Yardage: 7,378. Par: 72.
Prize money: $2.5 million. Winner’s share: $416,667.
Television: Thursday, 1:30-6:30 a.m. (Golf); Friday-Saturday, 1:30-6 a.m. (Golf); Sunday, 1-6 a.m. (Golf).
Defending champion: Thorbjorn Olesen.
Ryder Cup standings
United States
The top six eligible players following the BMW Championship on Aug. 17 will make the team.
Captain: Keegan Bradley
Player Points
1. Xander Schauffele 9718.46
2. Scottie Scheffler 9145.56
3. Bryson DeChambeau 6993.00
4. Collin Morikawa 4638.13
5. Brian Harman 2379.15
6. Patrick Cantlay 2245.16
7. Wyndham Clark 2228.21
8. Billy Horschel 2091.22
9. Tony Finau 1867.88
10. Russell Henley 1737.93
Europe
The top six ranked players after the Betfred British Masters ending on Aug. 24 will qualify for Team Europe.
Captain: Luke Donald
1. Tyrrell Hatton 922.84
2. Rory McIlroy 888.07
3. Rasmus Højgaard 736.53
4. Matt Wallace 516.120
5. Niklas Nørgaard 511.17
6. Paul Waring 465.13
7. Julien Guerrier 375.80
8. Thorbjørn Olesen 373.48
9. Jorge Campillo 343.32
10. Dan Bradbury 320.07
