As I've shared many times,. in watching professional golf I invariably find myself rooting for either the old guy or the guy that needs it most. No conflict there, at least this weekend.
Good Things Come... - Is there anyone that needed this more?
The talk around the golf course before the final round of THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK was the winner was going to come from the penultimate group. A snap poll of media and volunteers nearly all said as such. They were right. Sort of.
Because when pressed who would win from said group, not one person stumped for Jason Kokrak. Instead it was Xander Schauffele or Jason Day who were garnering the love. A few people dissented and said Russell Henley would keep hold of his overnight three-shot lead and win from the final group.
Perhaps we didn’t ask the right people because it was Kokrak who reigned supreme after perhaps the putting performance of his career helped him to a final round 8-under 64 that lifted him to 20-under and ultimately a two-shot win.
With just a little research we would have known Kokrak is part of at BetMGM-sponsored crew who often play Shadow Creek – one of the more exclusive courses in the U.S. While the majority of players in the field this week had never played the course or had less than a handful of rounds at the place, Kokrak guesses he’s been out here “north of 20 rounds.”
“I have played quite a few rounds here at Shadow Creek so I know the greens pretty well, I know the little intricacies of this place. Not like some of the local caddies, but it is definitely a place that I feel comfortable at,” he said.
And he played with that sort of familiarity, leading the field in Strokes Gained: Putting for the first time in his now 10-season career. His caddie David Robinson was also instrumental in the result. It was he who suggested a change to a longer 36-inch putter recently and it was Robinson who is in charge of the green reading in the duo.
Rory, you might want to be taking notes here. A consistently bad putter and green-reader finds a caddie sufficiently strong in that area and trusts him. Or, yanno, Kokrak could just put his childhood best friend on the bag... but then he'd not be likely to do this:
Kokrak “gained” 10.293 strokes on the field with his putting.
Christopher Powers has four takeaways on offer, including this about we mused recently:
Jason Day gives the haters more fuel with latest WDAfter shooting a six-under 66 to get into contention on Saturday, Day withdrew after playing just one complete hole on Sunday. The Aussie made a triple-bogey 7 on the opening par 4, thenpulled out, citing neck pain. According to the PGA Tour’s Ben Everill, Day couldn’t move his head or neck prior to the round, but tried to give it a go until he ultimately called it quits.Sadly, this has become a large part of the story of Day’s career, which, even if it ended today (it’s not ending today), would still be damn good. Twelve PGA Tour victories, one major (2015 PGA), a Players Championship (2016) and a short stay at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking. Yet when it’s all over, barring another major or two, most will remember how often he was seen being carted off the course. Sunday marked Day’s 11th official WD from a PGA Tour event dating back to 2009. It also marked the third time he’s done it on the weekend since 2014. It’d be nice to see him at full health and back to his peak, 2015-’16 form, but his body might not allow that to happen.
But he sure fills out that golf shirt nicely which, after all, is what matters most.
And this on that guy obliquely referenced above:
Xander Schauffele wouldn’t go away, until he didAs Kokrak’s journeyman, underdog story was playing out, Xander Schauffele was happily trying to step in as the spoiler. He went birdie-for-birdie with Kokrak, creating a match-play-likeatmosphere after the third member of their group, Jason Day, withdrew on the second hole with a neck injury. At the par-3 13th, the momentum appeared to completely swing in Schauffele’s favor when he drained a 46-foot bomb from the fringe for birdie, his third straight. That tied him with Kokrak at 19 under, setting up an intense two-player race to the finish.As it turned out, that wound up being Schauffele’s final birdie of the day. The four-time tour winner played the last five holes in one over, failing to birdie the par-5 16th or par-5 18th. He finished with a six-under 66 to lose by two, giving Schauffele his sixth runner-up finish since his last win at the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions. There’s little doubt Schauffele will win many more times, including at the biggest events. But he’d be the first to tell you that that’s six runner-ups too many.
Not so sure he'd agree with that last bit, as these guys tend to focus on how often they contend, understanding that they won't get it done every time. But the X-man seems to this observer a victim of the expectations game, which just might have over-interpreted his performance in the majors and other big-time events.
We'll detour briefly into this week's Tour Confidential panel, who oddly have time to discuss the venue, but put their chips on the pass line on the bigger issue of the week:
3. The golf world got a televised glimpse of Shadow Creek during the first edition of The Match, in 2018. But this week’s CJ Cup, won by Jason Kokrak, offered a more extensive reveal of what is one of the world’s most shielded courses. What did you take away from observing the best players in the world take on the best course in Vegas?
Best course in Vegas? Seems an awfully low bar...
Sens: It reminded me of the paradox of Shadow Creek: that a course that looks so unlike the rest of Vegas could only really exist in Vegas. Also: It’s as pretty on TV as it is in person.
Is it pretty? Seems awfully contrived to this viewer...
Bamberger: I was there for Match I and was surprised. Looks like a very playable, enjoyable course if you play it from the right tees. It’s an excellent illustration of what you can do in golf, given an unlimited budget for bulldozers.
Yeah, and that unlimited budget isn't just for the 'dozers, but for recurring maintenace as well.
Zak: My takeaway is that it really just fits perfectly in the PGA Tour ecosystem. Fast greens, decent rough you can still swing through, 20-under gets it done. Ho-hum.Dethier: I was struck by the reaction the players and caddies had to the greens. They loved the greens. Loved ’em! Compared ’em to Augusta. Said they were the purest they’d ever played on Tour. They were smooth and fast and fun to watch the players negotiate. But in all, the rhythm of a PGA Tour event can tend to make every course seem somewhat same-y, so Shadow Creek can blend in with other fun Sunday finishes on less mystical courses.
You guys are funny. This is a place at which three foursomes is a big day, so why wouldn't the greens be perfect?
Shipnuck: The whole place is a metaphor for golf in America. Didn’t do much for me.
What he said.
Quite obviously the big issue at this week's event was the crossing of the gambling Rubicon, about which Jason Sobel has this:
As Jason Kokrak stood over what was undeniably the most critical tee shot of his entire life Sunday afternoon, a graphic appeared on the Golf Channel telecast. The MGM-sponsored player, already staked to a one-stroke lead as he prepared to play the 18th hole in The CJ Cup, was the obvious BetMGM favorite at this late point in the final round. But that graphic told us he was an underdog against playing partner Xander Schauffele on that particular par 5.
About 15 minutes later, Kokrak had not only won his first career PGA TOUR title with a final-hole birdie, but he’d also cashed bets for those who believed in him before the tournament, during the event and, yes, with one hole left to play.
And you know what? It all just felt so … normal.
Normal? Shack had this screen grab:
The big guy is looking for his first win in 233 starts on tour, and we're focused on the odds for this specific hole? Back to Sobel:
From repeated mentions of the outright board to the explanation of live props, the integration of betting odds not only didn’t feel out of place, but it felt like the natural extension of all dialogue about the tournament, going hand-in-hand with the usual analysis and forecasting.
While bettors received what they’ve been clamoring for with a greater emphasis on gambling to help tell the stories, there weren’t even many quibblers from the “old school” crowd who often cringe at such mentions.
In fact, I spoke with several friends, acquaintances and social media followers who aren’t big bettors, but they still thought live odds were an interesting prism through which they could view the dynamic shifts from one birdie to the next.
I’ll be completely honest here: I always knew this would happen.
And I’ll be honest again: I never thought this would happen so soon.
And this is that outright board:
The concern comes from the association with gambling, both in the Phil Mickelson-Billy Waters sense, as well as it just being unseemly for the Tour to be promoting an activity that functions as a regressive tax on the poor. But, as the kids are wont to say, developing...
Shack is similarly on board with this, though not quite as taken with this initial rollout:
On paper, a lightly watched fall event from Las Vegas without fans was the perfect spot to start incorporating sports betting into a PGA Tour event. While the early round execution was as laughably awkward—but befitting of the low budget Korn Ferry-style broadcast effort by Golf Channel—the real eye-opener came during Sunday’s CJ Cup final round.Jason Kokrak had a one-stroke lead over Xander Schauffele as they arrived at the par-5 18th. And this wagering opportunity—where legal—came from BET MGM as they waited on the tee:The announcers ran with the bet and instead of a rather traditional conversation about what needed to happen (Xander must make birdie…no kidding!), this side bet of who would win the hole became mildly interesting and fueled good pre-tee shot conversation.
Mildly interesting? Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations...
My skepticism aside, I do have the sense that folks like this gent don't actually get it:
Let's replace throwaway sponsor-fueled graphics (you know the ones) that permeate the slow times of golf telecasts - that no viewer absorbs and no commentator sells. Odds not only spark $ interest, they help tell a story in real time. There's a productive balance to be found. https://t.co/GddLtjbxjz
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) October 19, 2020
Isn't that adorable... he thinks this will replace those FedEX Cup infomercials and awkward sponsor interviews? No, no, no...that's not how any of this works. This is in addition to that which causes us to frantically hit the mute button.
Water Seeks It's Own Level - No one stays undefeated for long in golf, but this guy is two for two at the moment:
It was a Sunday southpaw skirmish in the final round of the Dominion Energy Charity Classicand the man they call Lefty emerged victorious.
Playing in his second PGA Tour Champions event after winning his debut back in August, Mickelson outdueled fellow Masters champion Mike Weir at Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course in Richmond, winning the 54-hole event at 17 under after an impressive 7-under 65 in the final round. All three rounds were played on the weekend due to excessive rain on Friday.
The 50-year-old senior circuit rookie entered Sunday play three strokes behind Weir and got off to a hot start, making birdie on four of his opening seven holes. He took a one-shot lead on the par-3 13th with a par after Weir made bogey and extended the lead to two with a birdie on No. 15. A tap-in birdie on No. 16 moved him to 16 under for the tournament and Lefty never looked back, ending his week with a birdie on No. 18.
This is why we have a senior tour. Of course, Phil invoked the A-word:
“It’s fun for me to come out here and play well and this is a good start for me as I try to build a little bit of momentum heading to Augusta in about a month,” said Mickelson. “I put a new driver into play this week, trying to get a little more pop, a little more carry. It was a little wayward at times, but it was also effective in allowing me to play this course the way I wanted to, which was aggressively. So there were some good things that came of it, and I also identified some areas I’ve got to work on. All in all, it was a really fun, successful week.”
Just a little wayward? Just Phil being Phil...Back to the TC gang:
4. Phil Mickelson won again on the Champions Tour (two for two!), shooting a final-round 65 at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic to win by three over Mike Weir. How much can we read into Phil’s form by his sterling play on his senior circuit? Asked another way, in your mind, is he more of a Masters threat than he was six weeks ago?
Just to clarify, he couldn't be less of a threat than he was six weeks ago...
Sens: Winning can never be a bad thing, and a confident Phil heading into Augusta can’t be written off entirely. But I don’t see how edging the likes of Mike Weir and Paul Goydos in a three-day event on a benign setup gives him any better odds of beating Bryson and the boys over four days at Augusta. I hope he’s in it down the stretch, but I don’t expect him to be.
At least one of the guys Josh cites is in the field at ANGC...at least for Thursday and Friday.
Bamberger: With all due respect to the senior tour and Phil’s ability at golf, Phil’s win at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, against that field, on that course, is like Cody Bellinger facing 70 mph fastballs at a batting cage in Torrance. It tells you something about what he might do in the bigs. But not much.
Zak: I don’t think he can play mistake-free rounds these days, but the Champions Tour allows him to fire at flags and quickly make up for the mistakes. Not so much on the PGA Tour, or Augusta. A champs Tour win doesn’t mean anything for beating the top 20 players in the world, sorry!
Dethier: He keeps talking about how aggressively he can play on the senior circuit, which he clearly likes. One place that approach could actually serve him well is at Augusta, where a free-swinging approach married with precision on a few select shots is a recipe for success. I’m not predicting Lefty will win the Masters, but I don’t think we should ignore his success altogether, either.
Shipnuck: I think it’s more meaningful for Phil than almost any other player. He’s such an emotional golfer so the boost in confidence and self-esteem is huge. Augusta National is already where he’s most dangerous and now even more so.
Just because Phil believes, that doesn't mean we need to go along for the ride....
ZoZo Rising - The boys are headed to LA and a place a certain guy has had some success, as the TC panel contemplates:
1. Tiger Woods will make his first start since the U.S. Open at this week’s Zozo Championship, at Sherwood CC, near Los Angeles. Woods is the defending champion of the Zozo, which last year was played in Japan, but in 2020, he has had just one top-10 finish, which came at the Farmers, back in January. What’s the biggest difference between Tiger’s game now vs. where it was a year ago?
Silly to frame it about his game, when the issue is his body...
Josh Sens: Aside from being a year older, which is no small thing for an athlete in his 40s … hmm. Not a lot of TIger sightings lately, but the ones we’ve had have shown him reallystruggling with his putter, a strange look for Woods. Maybe more worrisome, though, is that we’ve seen him walking gingerly more often than he played so well at the Zozo and then the Presidents Cup.
Michael Bamberger: The biggest difference is that a year ago, he was six months removed from his 15th major and now he is 18 months away from his 15th major. It weirdly looks like semi-ancient history right now, not because of Tiger or his golf, but because the world is going in so many other directions at the moment. That doesn’t mean he can’t suddenly play good golf again. Because he can. Last year, he won that Zozo out of nowhere. But throughout his career, Tiger has tapered, like an Olympic swimmer. Those days are over.
That ZoZo win did come as quite the shock, after he showed up unprepared and seemingly uninterested at the three majors following the Masters.
Sean Zak: This time a year ago, I had no confidence in him. He had put together a pretty lame summer of golf. And then he won. So the difference is that I relearned to never doubt him.Dylan Dethier: I am wholly confused. This year, we’ve seen Tiger look good — like, really good — and then look fully ordinary just a few holes later. (And yes, all Tour pros do this to an extent, but the swings have been un-Tiger-like.) I’m more confused than I was a year ago.
Alan Shipnuck: Last year’s Zozo was one of the best putting weeks in a career full of incredible putting. And in the year since, the wand has been hurting Tiger like never before. It’s that simple – but it’s not. Woods has looked less explosive and athletic than ever before. We never really know what’s going on with his body, but it feels like he’s more limited than even a year ago.
I'm at a point that I expect nothing from the man. Though I also don't rule out the possibility of him surprising us, I just think the likelihood of his body cooperating for four straight days is diminishing appreciably.
But I Didn't Get Them Anything - They've been partying like it's 1860 in Ayrshire. This is from Prestwick Golf Club, the venue for the first Open:
160 years ago today the 1st Open Championship was played @prestwickgc (17 October 1860) A simple stone cairn to the west of Prestwick's clubhouse marks the spot where the first Open Championship tee shot was struck in 1860. It identifies the opening hole of the original 12-hole course and the place where modern golfing history began. The tournament had been arranged following the death of Alan Robertson of St Andrews in 1859. Robertson was one of the first golf professionals to make a living from playing for bets, caddying, ball and club making and instruction, and was considered the best golfer at the time. In fact, he was so good that tradition has it he never lost when playing for money. Following his death, the members of Prestwick Golf Club agreed a competition should be held to see who would follow Robertson as the Champion Golfer. In due course, the first Open Championship was held at Prestwick on October 17, 1860 and played according to the Rules of Prestwick Golf Club. Eight professional players competed for the prize of a red Morocco leather belt with silver clasps and an ornamental silver buckle. The impressive girdle cost £25 and was paid for by the club's members. It eventually rested on the hips of Willie Park of Musselburgh who recorded a score of 174 for 36 holes (three rounds of 12 holes) bettering Old Tom's tally, who represented Prestwick, by two strokes. #theopen #prestwickgolfclub #birthplaceoftheopen @therandagolf #golfstagram #1stopen
- Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States of America, making him the first Republican to hold the office.
- In 1860, there were only 33 American states, as opposed to the 50 that exist now, while the population of the USA was approximately 31 million. Today, the US population is over ten times as great, at 330 million.
- Queen Victoria was just over 23 years into her reign as Queen of the United Kingdom. She would remain on the throne until 1901, when she was succeeded by Edward VII.
- Anton Chekhov, the Russian playwright regarded as one of the greatest writers of short stories in history, was born in the Russian port city of Taganrog.
- Life expectancy in the United Kingdom was approximately 40 years, roughly half of what it is today
On a tangentially-related note, I assumed that this story must come from Musselburgh:
WATCH: Golfer chases after his ball – into a live horse race
Turns out your humble blogger was wrong, which happens every decade or so. It actually comes to us from New Zealand:
The history of our game in the late 19th century was a struggle for primacy among Prestwick , Musselburgh and St. Andrews. As noted above, a Musselburgh man won that first Open, but the larger battle did not go their way. However, Prestwick remains far more than a museum piece, to me a must play for traveling golfers.
And as long as we're in Scotland, I might as well embed this wonderful image of the Auld Grey Toon at night:
This is art. https://t.co/8XNi41eGPm
— Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) October 11, 2020
I shall leave you here. I do have some scheduling issues later in the week, but we can discuss those tomorrow.
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