The PGA Tour will sweep through Torrey Pines Golf Course over the coming weekend for the annual, but likely last, Farmers Insurance Open. Farmers Insurance announced earlier this month that it will end its 16-year sponsorship of the event after this year’s tournament. San Diego’s PGA tournament is not alone in losing its sponsorship – Sony is not renewing its sponsorship for the tournament at Waialae Country Club in Hawaii, as is Genesis for the tournament at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, Schwab for the tournament at Colonial in Fort Worth, and Wyndham for the tournament at Sedgefield in Greensboro, N.C. The Century Club, which organizes the annual tournament at Torrey Pines, has signaled that it expects the event to return in 2027 with new sponsorship.
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Although the PGA tournament at Torrey Pines won’t have a new title until next year, one Carlsbad-based golf company has made a name change ahead of this year’s event. Callaway Golf Company announced Jan. 16 it was returning to its original moniker, dropping the Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. name to reflect its recent divestment of its Topgolf entertainment segment. Although the company returned to a previous name, the Callaway opted for an all-new ticker on the NYSE, “CALY.” Before its Topgolf merger in 2022, the company traded under the ticker “ELY” in honor of company founder Ely Callaway Jr. The name change is the third in its history, since its founding in 1982 as Callaway Hickory Stick USA.
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Loren Ishmael Guerra, a caddie at Goat Hill Park Golf Course in Oceanside, has made the roster of this year’s recipients of Evans Scholarship recipients. The Chick Evans Scholarship Program is supported by the Western Golf Association and provides student caddies with excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character with $125,000 to attend one of 28 partner universities nationwide. The San Marcos High School senior’s final university placement will be determined this spring. Guerra is the third caddie from Goat Hill Park to earn the Evans Scholarship. The first two recipients were twins Ada and Annabelle Lee, who are currently sophomores at the University of Washington. More than 12,575 caddies have graduated from the program since its founding in 1930 by Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.
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Scripps Research chemistry professor Benjamin Cravatt is the inaugural recipient of the Chemical Society of Taiwan’s Chi-Huey Wong Chemical Biology Award. The award includes $20,000 and is named for Scripps Family Chair Professor at Scripps Research and former President of Taiwan’s Academia Sinica Chi-Huey Wong, who is known for studying sugars in the body to advance vaccine research and improve understanding of how cells communicate. Cravatt’s research has centered around studying what proteins do inside living cells. He will travel to Taiwan later this year to formally receive the award and deliver a keynote address.
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Two vessels in San Diego’s oldest family-owned maritime fleet, Flagship Cruises & Events, are now officially historic. Flagship’s vessels, Silvergate and Cabrillo are now officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the company announced Jan. 16. Before the completion of the Coronado Bridge in 1969, the Silvergate – built in 1940 – ferried commuters between San Diego and Coronado, especially to Naval Station North Island during the war. The Cabrillo – built in 1964 – is an example of the craftsmanship of the Star & Crescent Boat Company and was designed by renowned naval architect Oakley J. Hall to serve passengers on San Diego Bay. Both vessels are still operating today.
