Thursday Threads

I was thinking that I'd take the day off, but why deny my readers their daily amusement....

Rory, The Yin and the Yang - Being a public figure is no picnic, and it's perhaps even more intense when one hails from a smallish country starved for prominance in the sports firmament.

You, Dear Reader, have never heard of Mary McKenna, but he's big (or, more accurately, was big) in the fishbowl that is Ireland... a little intro:

There was a time when Irish women’s golf got huge coverage and names such as Philomena Garvey, Kitty MacCann and later Mary Gorry, Claire Hourihane and Mary

McKenna were household names from Malin Head to Skibbereen. 

Mary McKenna is still a household name in golfing circles but one wonders what the name recognition factor would be for Paula Grant, Mary Doyle or Danielle McVeigh, or for 2016 Curtis Cup stars Maria Dunne and Olivia Mehaffey or even our Olympians Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow. 

Post Rio, it’s possible that the names Leona and Stephanie will ring a bell with the sports nuts and the young girls they are inspiring to fly the flag. 

A former president of the Irish Ladies Golf Union, Miss McKenna is thrilled to see how Irish women’s golf has blossomed competitively over the past 20 years.

I know, I see those eyes drooping.... bear with me a sec.  After reviewing Rory's unfortunate comments at the Open Championship and his fear of mosquitoes, here's the money quote:

“The problem is the coverage we get in the press,” Mary says of the women’s game. “Stephanie was joint second after the first round in the Canadian Open and yet RTE covered every other golf tournament on the planet and there wasn’t a word about it at 8am news the next morning.

“If they are covering it, people get to know about and come to watch it. They become interested in it. But all we get is Rory, Rory, Rory. I mean Rory has let us down so badly it is not funny. 

“His remark about not being in the game to grow the game — Come on, Rory. Where is your head?

Now those comments of Rory's were ill-considered, but media coverage is hardly his doing....  But you're never going to make everyone happy, and I have no dog in this hunt, I'll just note that this is my adjacent browser tab:

Is Mencap a more worthy cause than supporting Irish girl's golf?  I have no idea and am not so much as Googling the organization.  I'm just shining a brief light on the dilemma a figure like Rory faces...

Trick Shot Fails - This one came and went before I could blog it....  But it's a pretty epic fail that might amuse you:

 Metal spikes might have helped....

The Tiger Beat - Paul McGinley is a smart, interesting observer of the golf scene, though his comments here about Tiger seem unnecessarily churlish:

Ryder Cup legend Paul McGinley has dismissed Tiger Woods ’ comeback as “showbiz” froth – and warned the former world No.1 will never dominate golf again. 

McGinley, who sank the decisive putt for Europe 14 years ago and captained the side to an emphatic win at Gleneagles in 2014, says the new generation of big hitters are no longer afraid for the Tiger cult – and they all “want a piece of him.”

Hmmmm....why the bitterness?  But do continue to dig:

“Personally, I think the reaction to the way he played in the Hero World Challenge was

over the top. - his performance level was here (waist-high) and the reaction was up here (above the head). 

“He has further to jump if he is to get back to the top level, where he was, and can he do it at 41 years old? Nobody has ever done it before at his age – there have been sporadic performances, like Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters at 46, but it’s not as if he was dominating the game then. 

“Tiger’s a little bit like a footballer who reaches 32: He can still play the odd great game, as Steven Gerrard did at Liverpool, but can he do it day after day? That’s the big hurdle."

Is it "Over-the-top" to wonder what the greatest player of our generation might have left in the tank after two back surgeries and a year away from the game?  

More substantively, is there anyone out there that expects a 41-year old man to dominate the game?  Paul is correct that players in their forties have rarely competed consistently, with Vijay, quite the late-bloomer, and Snead being the notable exceptions.

The more common model is for them to recapture the magic intermittently, but that could be plently exciting, no?  But w eall knew the harder part would be after the debut, when the expectations would rise.  Setting straw men on fir can be fun, but the pleasure fades quickly....

 Alan Shipnuck addresses a similar question in his weekly "Ask Alan" feature...  Apparently I'm not the only one to react to the lame alliteration, as he ledes thusly:

Welcome to another #AskAlan. Hey, I didn't come up with the name, I just work here.

Glad we see things the same way, so whatcha got for us? 

"Does Tiger contend in the majors in 2017? If so, prediction on how many he will win?" -@BeatSC

OK, let's get the obligatory Tiger question out of the way early. It's a very interesting slate of major championships this year: the U.S. Open at Erin Hills, a long, quirky, untested track; the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, maybe the truest test in the rota; the PGA at Quail Hollow, where Woods had some success in the old days but more recently some notable struggles. Quail Hollow will be narrow and choked with rough, while Erin Hills demands a ton of drivers off the tee. Given that Tiger's driving has been a weakness for years, neither would seem to suit him. Birkdale is a thinking man's course that plays short. At the Hero Woods's iron play was the sharpest part of his game, so the Open is probably the best fit among the summertime majors. Though who knows how Tiger's body will be holding up by then after months of grinding? Given his track record at Augusta National you have to say that the Masters is the most likely place for Woods to contend. 

It's looking like Woods's early season schedule will be Dubai, Riviera, Honda and Bay Hill -- that's only four tournaments to piece together his game ahead of the Masters. Hard to imagine he can find it by then. To answer the question, I certainly don't see him winning a major, but his best chance to at least get in the mix will be at the Masters and British Open.

I got a prediction for ya, @BeatSC, zero!   Alan's analysis is on the mark, though I will remind that we're a bit unclear as to what kind of track favors Tiger right now.  It wasn't all that long ago that we thought he'd struggle at places like Hoylake and Southern Hills, so who really knows?  But I do agree that Erin Hills seems a stretch....

Of perhaps greater import, does Alan know something the rest of us don't?  Conspicuous by its absence in that last 'graph is Torrey Pines.... I can't imagine him giving that a miss, so perhaps it's just an oversight.

Before we move on, other noteworthy Q&A's from Alan:

"Your early guess for POY in '17?" --Anna (@AnnH247)

Let me answer by asking a few questions of my own: Matsuyama has already peaked, right? Can Spieth recapture that certain magic he had in 2015, even as he's giving up so much yardage off the tee to other guys in the top 5? Will Rory's putting (and interest) hold up across a long season? Can JDay remain healthy? The only guy who has more answers than questions is Dustin. I think 2016 was just the beginning and next year he will be an even more dominant force. And so he's my (admittedly very early) pick for POY.

Good questions for sure....  as well as a reasonable guess when he finally gets around to it.  But our game is notoriously fickle, so let's just enjoy the unknown.

And this is intriguing:

"Will you be employed in 2017?" --Paul (@ghostofhogan)

In fact, I'm going to be busier than ever in January. I'll share further details soon but we have exciting things in the works: something that will be a must-read for every dimplehead on the planet. Stay tuned!

Kinda passive-aggressive, no?  I guess that guy really hated the lame alliteration.... But as a card-carrying dimplehead, I'll certainly stay tuned.

What Took So Long? - Exciting news from the Windy city... well, news in any event:

The Daily Herald reports that Bill Murray and his brothers are opening a "Caddyshack" sports restaurant in Rosemont, Ill. The clan already owns one golf-themed restaurant in

St. Augustine at the World Golf Village. 

Though the comedian has a rich and storied career, Bill's role as Carl Spackler in "Caddyshack" is arguably his most iconic performance. The movie, which was co-written by his brother Brian, was inspired by the brothers' experiences as loopers at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka, Ill. The Murrays were inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame last summer. 

The restaurant news is the latest in Murray's 2016 golf adventures. He played in the Celebrity Ryder Cup match, was paired with Jordan Spieth at a pro-am, opened a new clothing line, and took $5 from President Obama in an Oval Office putting contest.

The Dalai Llama was unavailable for comment.

 A Slow News Day - Putting the silly into Silly Season is this scientific ranking from the usuallly Josh Sensible:

The 14 Most Athletic Golfers of All Time, Ranked

I have a bad feeling about this.....  For instance:

13. LEXI THOMPSON

As happens with a lot female athletes, Thompson's image has been sold to the public largely on the basis of her sex appeal. But those swimsuit photos have a way of distracting from the fact that Thompson is a fitness and workout fanatic, known for pounding range balls for three hours a day -- before squeezing in 18. Is she pretty? Sure. But she's also a power player who led the LPGA in driving distance in 2014.

See, there is such a thing as bad publicity....  Though at least he didn't go for Shanshan Feng....

This one is excerpted only for the wonderful 1994 photo:

7. ERNIE ELS

Before settling on golf in his childhood home of South Africa, the Big Easy made rugby and cricket look, well, easy. He was also an accomplished junior tennis player, capturing a prestigious regional title at the age of 13. But never mind sports. Let's talk blood sports: in a 2016 GOLF.com survey, Els was chosen by fellow Tour pros as the player they'd most want to have their back in a bar fight.

But his choice for Number One is an outrage.... as is the lack of respect for Lumpy.  

First World Problems -  Here's the header:

DJ's Kid Wants Nothing To Do With Santa

 I have a question.... was Tatum breast-fed?  Because if the answer is yes, I fear that all of life, Christmas included, will be a significant disappointment to the young man.