Weekend Wrap

Anchors away and all, I don't need no stinkin' broomstick....

Honda Hoedown - After Saturday's bizarre doings, Sunday proved to be quite anticlimactic, though a certain Aussie with movie-star good looks will  be offering no mea culpas:

In a tight duel with Sergio Garcia for the entire round Sunday at PGA National, Scott

stayed out of the water and closed with an even-par 70 for a one-shot victory. It was his first title since Colonial in May 2014, and his first time winning with a conventional putter since the 2010 Singapore Open.

The timing of his victory also was a big statement for the 35-year-old Australian.

Scott won in just his third start since a new rule took effect that bans the anchored stroke typically used for the long putter that he had the past five years. Scott switched back for good at the Presidents Cup. This was his 10th start since then, and only twice has he finished out of the top 10.

Adam deserves credit for accepting the rule change with grace and a good attitude, no doubt helped by the fact that by the fact that it went into effect after a year of dreadful putting with the broom.

He also benefited from his pairing with Sergio, who never pressed him all day.  A bit more on that in  a sec, but first a little typically Aussie cheekiness:

But as he said last week when he finished second in the Northern Trust Open and again this week, he has no issues now and said he thinks he will be a better putter going forward because of the switch. 

The good-natured Scott also revealed he sent a long putter to Peter Dawson, former chief executive of the Royal & Ancient who was instrumental in the anchoring ban becoming a rule.

Is that the putter with which he won The Masters?  Look for it on E-bay soon...

The Tour Confidential confab tackles the issue of why Sergio gets the vapors when he's near a lead on Sunday, and they all answer along the same lines.  here's a couple of examples:

Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I agree--there must be a mental disconnect there for Sergio. Such a talent. But he also has more moving parts in his swing and in his putting stroke than most elite players and under Sunday pressure that creates problems. 

Josh Sens, contributing writer, GOLF Magazine (@JoshSens): Hard to believe is right, but it’s sure looking like it’s going to be the lingering legacy. The back nine today was pretty much his career in microcosm. It’s not just reflected in the stats. Garcia himself has been very open about his own mental frailties, which to my mind makes him all the more compelling to watch (and an easier guy to root for), even if part of me is wincing as I wait for the meltdown. I’d love to see him win a big one, but even the final birdie he made today on 18 was emblematic of the bigger picture and suggestive of why he probably never will. He drained that putt right at the very moment when it no longer mattered.

I'm gonna go with, "Because he's Sergio."  And like Josh says, it adds a level of drama to the proceedings knowing that he's fighting more demons than most.  I could almost see myself rooting for him, though at such times this image invariably pops into my head:

Now, to be fair, he didn't actually spit, he just let it go down....and he perfectly "flushed" it, so no need for any clean-up.... Glad we cleared that up.

But do we think Sergio helps himself with these comments Saturday night:

"There's something that I don't like, and when I hear guys say, 'Oh, yeah, you won in Vietnam, or you won in Qatar, but you haven't won on the PGA Tour,' it feels like, you know, those wins don't mean anything and it's such a wrong comment," Garcia told GolfChannel after his third round at PGA National on Saturday. "Every win, every victory is difficult. It doesn't matter, even if it's against your father in your home course. Every single victory is tough. The victory in Vietnam wasn't easy. I had to play well to get that. And the victory in Qatar, same thing." 

According to Garcia, victories on the PGA Tour don't carry more weight than victories elsewhere. 

"A win is a win. It doesn’t matter where it is. To me at least, they all mean a lot and a PGA Tour win doesn’t mean more than others. They all mean a lot."

I'd say that Sergio's play on Sunday confirms that he himself doesn't believe that... and that shirt he wore Saturday should have drawn a two-shot penalty for ugliness.

Be a man Sergio, handle it like Smylie Kaufman did....in case you missed it, after rinsing a ball in The Bear Trap he deftly snapped his club over his knee.  The video is unavailable, as the Ponte Vedra Family likes it.  No fun to be had out there, it wouldn't be prudent.

Though they did let us see this, Gary Woodland with the half-Stenson:

Ah, a Jockey man I see....kind of funny that we debate allowing them to wear shorts in practice rounds...

My Thai - A noted under-achiever had herself a week out of the spotlight:

CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) -- American Lexi Thompson won her seventh LPGA title

after a final-round 68 that completed a six-stroke victory over In Gee Chun of South Korea in the final round of the LPGA Thailand at the par-72 course at the Siam Country Club on Sunday.

The 21-year-old from Florida hit an eagle on the 10th to go along with three birdies and a lone bogey for a 20-under-par total of 268 to become the first American winner of the tournament.

"I never like to count it as a win until it's over. I just try to play aggressive and play my best out there," said the No. 4-ranked player whose four-shot advantage at the start of the final round was reduced to one after the Korean opened with three straight birdies.

Kind of curious that timing, you'll agree, since I've referred to Lexi previously as the Adam Scott of the LPGA.... Ron Sirak on Morning drive noted that she had a good week with the putter, and  is she putts well she can run away from the field.  Of course the obvious question is whether it's a one-off or she's actually improved.

Dinner at Jack's, The Backlash - Before we dive into the cognitive dissonance, a little perspective

from the man himself:

As for the Ryder Cup dinner, Nicklaus said he enjoyed telling stories and was flattered to be part of it -- although he wonders how much influence it will be when the Ryder Cup rolls around in September. 

"I can't imagine how them coming over to have dinner at an old man's house is going to help any," he said.

Something we should all keep in mind....I'll also recommend this Derek Lawrenson take on the evening from a location deep within the enemy camp:

So that's 3 of the 4 major
food groups.

There have been a number of captains on both sides who have organised well-meaning bonding events in the past and to be frank, almost to a man they have proven a disaster. 

Not this one. Not when Nicklaus sends out an invitation — as Sportsmail revealed last month. Dustin Johnson wasn’t even playing in the event Nicklaus was hosting last week, the Honda Classic, but he flew in. One vice-captain, Tom Lehman, flew 2,500 miles from Arizona to be there while another, Jim Furyk, drove six hours from his home in Ponte Vedra.

Why anyone would turn down dinner at Jack and Barbara's is a mystery....

There were a few absentees. World No 1 Jordan Spieth had a good excuse since he’s in the midst of a manic run leading up to his defence of the Masters in April while Patrick Reed had to visit a sick family member. But virtually everyone else was there, from legends like Tiger and Phil Mickelson to certainties like Rickie Fowler and Johnson, to wannabes who just felt privileged to be asked, like Ben Martin, Zac Blair and John Huh.

Huh?  Sorry, couldn't resist, but what was he doing there?  There's lots of happy talk about changing the culture, none of which would matter if they could, you know, make a few putts.

But Shack picks up on a thought I had, which was to wonder if anyone was overlooked.... 

This week's dinner at the Nicklaus home was notable for who was not invited: Justin Thomas. I didn't think much of who wasn't there until Tim Rosaforte explained the absence of Thomas today on Morning Drive. Even though Thomas won a tour event last fall (CIMB Classic), is ranked 40th in the world, and has spoken of his priority in winning a Ryder Cup over a major, he was outside the top 40 in Ryder Cup points when invitations were sent in mid-February. No invite for you Mr. Budding Star! 

Keegan Bradley, who has dropped to 88th, was invited because he was inside the top 40 when the invites were sent out, reported Rosaforte. He also noted that Thomas gave him a "whatever" when asked to comment on his reaction to not getting invited. (Whatever, in millennial-speak, lands somewhere between bummed and heartbroken and angry.)

So, Keegs, Zach Blair and John Huh got invited, but no Justin Thomas?  Here's Shack's coda:

If the Team USA leadership isn't more careful going forward, what seemed like a logical effort to create a "team" could actually fracture relations. And since we now know that you can lose two holes in one team match, it appears the first major initiative from the Ryder Cup task force and captain Davis Love has put Team USA two down after one.

And a note to Justin.... if you really want a spot on the Ryder Cup team, winning a major is a good way to make that happen.

But I've never worried about the guys getting along... now making some putts, that's a different matter entirely.

Adventure Golf Travel -  As some of you know, I take a particular pleasure in finding my way to some of the more out-of-the-way destinations in our game, such as Machrihanish and Askernish most recently.  But I'm a piker compared to this guy....

In a Nutshell: Pyongyang Golf Course is North Korea’s only golf course. As an avid golfer, I just had to play it. Made famous thanks to Kim Jong-Il’s miracle score, I added an 18-hole visit to my itinerary and it turned out to be a round I’d never forget. Inspecting a supermarket, coming within arms-reach of Kim Jong-Un’s luxury yacht and running an impromptu North Korean golf clinic — this was my day at Pyongyang Golf Course.

You will want to read the whole thing, as we don't get reports from the hermit Kingdom all that often.  here's a little more:

Bizarre, surreal and exclusive, Pyongyang Golf Course sits between a rock and a hard place, providing a morally conflicting spot of fun within an otherwise dark, oppressive nation of well publicised human rights violations. Situated across arguably the most secretive border on earth, the course is guarded by well over ten million active, reserve and paramilitary personnel and requires express permission to visit — Augusta eat your heart out. Technically a public course, you won’t find a soul here, it’s played only by a handful of the regime’s elite, and well…open to tourists both crazy enough to find themselves within North Korea and who want to play golf. Apparently that’s rare. 

But most famously to foreigners, Pyongyang Golf Course holds an interesting place in North Korean legend. Seemingly off limits to mere mortals; as the myth goes, it was here Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Il redefined golf as we know it, shattering the PGA tour record of 59 in his first ever round with a score of just 34 strokes. His feat was witnessed by a handful of state officials, the news shared to the people of North Korea. It even included five hole in one’s.

That'll put the Pine Valley Police Department to shame....  I think I most enjoyed the bit about getting lost trying to find the golf club.   And how about this Google Earth view of the golf course?

That white thing in the top-center of the frame is Kim Jong-Un's yacht.... When your boat can be seen from earth orbit it's really more of a cruise ship.

Read the whole thing, as it's a wild ride.