Thursday Threads

Another 12" reported this morning.... so let's not waste time on pleasantries....

Alas, Poor Captain Furyk - It's official, we have our man.... and I have it on good authority that he's all part of the plan.

Jason Sobel makes the case:

Armed with a self-made swing and no-nonsense personality, Furyk has never been as awe-inspiring as Tiger Woods, or as beloved as Phil Mickelson, or even as admired as his 

predecessor Love, whom he has already named as his first vice captain. 

What he lacks in affability, he more than makes up for with intelligence and sincerity and respect from his peers, qualities that should make him a strong captain for next year's festivities at Le Golf National in Paris.

Oh, he's likable enough...  But I almost feel that I need to explain to Jason why he's not as awe-inspiring as those other guys.... 

And Rex Hoggard notes the unanimity of approval of the choice:

Past U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup players were unanimous in their praise of the 17-time PGA Tour winner as a level-headed but fierce competitor who brings a brand of leadership that he already has displayed as a team member and with which they are comfortable.

I'm shocked....shocked I tell you.  I'm sure the U.S. intelligence community will have some vicious rumors to share of him being compromised in a Russian hotel room, but since every player interviewed might be one hoping for a captain's pick, we don't need the reminder that the sun rises in the East.

This got even sillier, though:

After Mickelson, who assumed something of a playing vice captain role last year and is

likely slated to captain the ’24 team at Bethpage in New York, Furyk is the most obvious choice to continue the work that began with last year’s victory (and make no mistake, those involved view the ’16 matches as only the beginning).

“Phil and Amy [Mickelson] are big time leaders and Jim and [wife Tabitha] are big time leaders as well,” Spieth said. “That really is important in a Ryder Cup team room, having both sides, having leadership together as a couple.”

Tabitha?  How awkward, after she humiliated him in that Web.com commercial....

Mike Bamberger is sold:

But none of that should be held against him, and he was an excellent choice. Yes, Fred Couples might have been a much more popular pick with golf fans. Given the success he

enjoyed last year at Hazeltine, Love could have been asked to come back for a third stint. Phil Mickelson, also 46, is still trying to make Ryder Cup teams and Tiger Woods, at 41, is too young. Their day is coming. The Ryder Cup Task Force, mocked as it was in certain quarters, didn’t determine that the process of captain selection had to be completely reinvented. Had that been the case, men such as Mike Krzyzewski or Tony Dungy might have been considered. Furyk was hired for the job--it’s not a paying gig--because he is actually ideal for the job.

Furyk has appeared on nine Ryder Cup teams (only Mickelson, with 10, has appeared more). He was only on two winning teams, and his own record is 10-20-4, but, as the saying goes, you learn more from losing than from winning. He bleeds the colors. He’s hyper-articulate, an important quality for a modern Ryder Cup captain when dealing with reporters, sponsors and fancy-pants guests. He’s a tough person, straight-forward and honest, not a game-player, and the players will know where they stand with him. He is also an excellent listener and will seek out the opinions of his players.

Mike, can you and Jason compare notes next time...  'cause I'm getting whiplash on affability/articulation thing....  As for learning from losing, I agree up to a point.  The point being when you learn enough to you know, start winning.... Any day now.

And we've got one more bit of mixed signals....  first Bob Harig:

So that left Furyk ... with one little wrinkle. 

Fred Couples remains enormously popular with many players, and he had a successful, three-time run as Presidents Cup captain. Many believe he should have gotten the Ryder Cup job at some point, but that was seemingly impossible before -- nobody was a Ryder Cup captain if they had been a Presidents Cup captain first. 

That mindset has changed with the task force/committee, and Couples might have gotten the job two years ago. He wasn't part of the group in Minnesota, but on some level, he was considered for 2018 -- if for no other reason than to be in the mix should Furyk qualify for the team as a player. In 1963, Arnold Palmer was the last playing captain for Team USA.

 So, Freddie, please keep your phone on for the next two years....  Except:

With nine Ryder Cups as a player on his resume, Jim Furyk will be the most experienced

captain in Ryder Cup history. Now the question remains: Will he be the first playing captain in more than half a century? 

Furyk was asked that on Wednesday after he was formally announced as U.S. captain for the 2018 Ryder Cup at PGA of America headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. And after a long pause, this was his response: 

"I don't want to say no, but also, my main focus and what I'm really interested now, is being a captain," said Furyk, who plans on playing a full schedule of 18-20 events this year. 

In a Golf Channel interview following the press conference, Furyk added:

"If this time next year, I'm in the talk, if I'm in the top eight [on the points list], then I think it's time to have that discussion."

On second thought, Freddie, it's not gonna happen for you....

 Strange Bedfellows - Ron Sirak tells us that there's trouble in paradise... shocking because those shotgun marriages usually worl out so well (OK, no more metaphors for a bit):

When the 12-year deal between the United States Golf Association and Fox Sports was announced in 2013, it rocked the golf world because Fox had never televised the sport

and because of the price tag, reported by Golf Digest at $1.1 billion—$93 million a year. But after two years of losses that sources say are in the tens of millions for Fox and some bumpy coverage situations, the unavoidable question arises: Is this what Fox and the USGA had in mind when they signed the landmark contract? 

According to sources familiar with the situation, tensions between the USGA and Fox increased after the network's aggressive handling of rules controversies at the 2016 U.S. Open and the U.S. Women's Open. There was also significant dissatisfaction within the USGA, sources say, over the fact that Fox and its cable arm Fox Sports 1 (FS1) did not take advantage of a West Coast venue for the Women's Open to push the broadcast deep into East Coast prime time, bringing the women's game much-needed exposure.

Boo-Friggin'- Hoo!  I have only one question for the USGA, did the check clear?

Read the entire piece to see the miscalculations on both sides...  Fox overpaid terribly for the property, but the USGA blaming them for the Oakmont rules fiasco is pretty rich.

Repeat after me, only ten more years of Joe Buck!

The above is part of the Golf Digest money issue, as is this on what people in golf make.  We've seen these before, and we know how they begin:

Tim Finchem

Outgoing Commissioner, PGA Tour

$5,655,352

•

Wally Uihlein

President and CEO, Acushnet (owner of Titleist and FootJoy)

$4,978,638 (includes base salary of $995,200, plus bonus and other incentive pay)

•

Oliver (Chip) Brewer III

President and CEO, Callaway Golf

$4,305,268 (includes base salary of $750,000, plus stock awards and other incentive pay)

•

Jay Monahan

Incoming Commissioner, PGA Tour

$2,116,875

That's a relief, as I was a bit worried about Wally.... this list differs in that they include the basket of deplorables of the golf world:

"Larry the Looper"

Caddie at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., since 1976

$80 a bag today (versus $8 a bag in 1976)

•

Groundskeeper

National average

$10.41 per hour

•

Demo-day rep

Estimate $200 per event

•

Tournament volunteer

PGA Tour

$0 (Typically free admission, food and sometimes a free round after the tournament.)

They're only getting $80 per shoulder at Baltusrol?  Mark, how do live with yourself?

The Deal Is Dun -  One of the great places in our game has a new owner:

One of the best-known golfing pubs in Scotland has been sold to a group of golf lovers from Canada and the United States who fell in love with it during visits to the sport’s

cradle. 

The Dunvegan Hotel in St Andrews is a popular watering hole for players and caddies after a round in the Fife town. 

After being owned and managed for more than 20 years by Jack and Sheena Willoughby, it was put up for sale last year for just shy of £3 million, attracting interest from around the globe.

A deal has now been sealed with Forth Bridge Capital LLP, which is a consortium of golfing enthusiasts from Canada and the USA.

I remain curious about what seems a ridiculously low price for such a premiere property.  I have to assume that they don't own the real estate and that it's not a particularly attractive lease.

By all means do not miss this Alistair Tait tribute to the venue and its proprietors:

Anyone who is anyone in the game has frequented “The Dunny” over the years, from politicians to major champions to celebrities. The pictures on the walls and ceilings – yes, ceilings! – are testimonies to the guests of honor. Sheena didn’t just welcome patrons with open arms, she was quick to grab her camera whenever anyone remotely famous popped in the door. Everyone from former U.S. President George H.W. Bush to Tiger Woods, not to mention celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, Hugh Grant and Kevin Costner. 

Sheena brought Scottish charm to the establishment, while Jack ensured American visitors felt right at home. The Texas A&M alumni made sure his Aggies were never too far from his heart, often welcoming fellow alumni who couldn’t help notice the Aggie pennants on the walls.

The scene outside the Dunny during the second round of the 2015 Open.

As one walks off the home green after a round on The Old, the only relevant question is, "The Dunny or The Jigger?"  And there's no bad answer...

All Things Rory - The Ulsterman opened his 2017 season in South Africa with a 67, about which I shall no feign interest.  There is a surprising level of interest in his clubs, though:

Rory McIlroy made clear Tuesday that the equipment he has in his bag at his 2017 debut could change by the end of the year.

For this week’s South African Open, McIlroy will use Callaway woods and irons, Titleist wedges and balls, and an Odyssey putter. The world No. 2 is among a number of players who decided to make an equipment change after Nike announced last year that it would no longer produce clubs. 

“They are picked for this week but that could change week to week,” he told reporters Tuesday. “This is my first event with those clubs, so we will see how it goes this week. 

“You never really know until you have a card in your hand, and at the end of the day, the person swinging the club is more important than the club itself.”

You mean it's the Indian, not the arrow?

I'm not much of a gearhead, but it's of some interest to see how the guys go about things when not contractually obligated.  Also I'll grant that Rory is one of the few guys that can move the needle....

Rory also had this, which initially seemed like way too much information:

“I am in competitive mode,” he said, “but we also wanted to go into the bush for a few days, which might have made me a little rusty, but I can shake that off before Thursday. I am here to play well and get my confidence up.”

Oh, they went on safari?  My mistake....

But shouldn't this be making bigger waves:

In the BBC Sport interview, McIlroy said he’s not expecting he’ll compete in Tokyo. 

“More likely than not, I won’t be going to the Games in 2020,” McIlroy said. “Just because of my personal feelings towards, not the Olympic Games, the Olympic Games are great and I think golf included in the Olympics is fantastic. But for me, it’s just something I don’t want to get into, and you know that’s a personal choice and hopefully people respect that decision.”

Good luck with that, Rors.   It's a long way off, so no need to over-react...

Payback Is A B-word - But he seems like such a nice fellow....

Outgoing President Barack Obama's membership inquiry into an exclusive Maryland

club may be rejected because of his policies over Israel and the club's large Jewish population, according to a New York Post report. 

The Obamas will continue to live in Washington, D.C. after his term is up. The 44th President of the United States has been shopping for membership as a private citizen, and Woodmont Country Club is on that list. But after his government's recent remarks and stances on Israel, The Post is reporting that many members of the club are reluctant to offer Obama membership, complimentary or otherwise. Members pay an $80,000 initiation fee and $9,673 in annual dues. 

"Can you imagine how angry I would be if I had paid $80K to have to look at this guy who has done more to damage Israel than any president in American history?" a Washington Jewish organization official told The Post anonymously. "After the UN vote and attack on Israel, I think it probably hurts the club. If there is a club that excludes Jews, he would probably be more comfortable around those folks."

You know the drill....RACISTS!

I've got more, but did I mention that there's a new 12" of snow?