The big tour hits the Mainland, and those separate-but-equal tours get back to business as well. So, shall we?
When The Hope Has Little - I never quite understood why AMEX wanted to be associated with the most moribund event on the Tour's schedule, yet here we are. Denied their raison d'être Pro-Am, this obviously can't be one on which the investment will be judged. And yet, judge we will...
It's always amusing when the name at the top of the leaderboard is entirely new to us. In this case, it's a guy who wasn't even supposed to be in the field:
LA QUINTA, Calif. – As it turns out, Jon Rahm had an impact on the first-round leader board of the American Express after all.
Rahm, the No. 2 player in the world rankings, withdrew from the tournament Monday after injuring himself in the gym. His replacement in the field was Brandon Hagy, who plays an occasional round of golf with Rahm in the Phoenix area.
Hagy took full advantage of his late entry into the tournament at PGA West in La Quinta with an 8-under 64 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, good for a one-shot lead at the end of the day over Byeong Hun An.
“I’ll have to say thank you,” Hagy said, with a smile, of his entry into the tournament because of Rahm’s withdrawal.
We shan't devote too many pixels to him, as watching the inevitable regression to the mean can be painful. But, amusingly, the guy nipping at his heals seems equally unlikely, at least given recent form:
Missed cuts. A neck injury. A practice-round nightmare. Then a 65 to open American Express
Ben An missed five of seven cuts in the fall portion of the season, battled a nagging neck injury earlier this week, and lost so many balls during one of his pre-tournament practice rounds that he needed to borrow golf balls from fellow South Korean native Seong-Yul Noh to play the final few holes.
And it turns on a dime, so good luck with that betting on golf thing...
The event is way short on compelling reasons to tune in, but the best one is the 2021 debut of a number of our Tour studs... or, in this case perhaps, former Tour studs. One of those, a Mr. Brooks Koepka, gave an optimistic prognostication earlier in the week, though I found this a bit more detailed on that nagging knee injury:
“My whole season last year was, for the last year and a half, it’s been an injury,” he said. “Icouldn’t shake it, tried to play, adjust my schedule, tried to play through it and injuries attract other injuries and that kind of sums up the season.”
Koepka’s woes date back to 2019, when he re-injured his surgically repaired knee on wet concrete at the CJ Cup. Months later, Koepka tore a labrum in his hip compensating for his knee, which only worsened the issue. In September, he withdrew from the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in order to give his body more time to heal from a series of platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) injections.
And this update:
By November, he emerged a new man, racking up consecutive top-10 finishes (as many in a two-week stretch as he had all year prior). And now, at the beginning of the new year, Koepka says he’s finally beginning to put the injury that destroyed his 2020 season (a partially torn patellar tendon) behind him.
“Went and actually had another round of PRP on my knee about two weeks ago, just to make sure,” he said. “They did an ultrasound on it, they said there’s barely any tear on it, so there’s a lot of progress, came a long way, a lot of hard work, but just excited where it’s probably the best I felt maybe since 2018.”
He certainly didn't look right last year, so we'll see how he gets out of the gate now. he has set typically modest goals for the year:
The only difference between Brooks Koepka and the rest of us? His goals for the new year look a bit different.
“A couple wins and a couple majors,” he said.
Honestly, that's far from the only difference... There's Jenna, for instance. Brooksie posted an even par 72 yesterday, so he'll have to step on it a bit just to hang around for the weekend.
Then there's our Phil, whose comments earlier in the week were very un-Phillike:
“I’m excited to start the year and see if I’m able to continue playing at the highest level. If I am, I’m going to really try to play more events on the PGA Tour and make a push hopefully for theRyder Cup,” he said. “But if I don’t play well early on, I’ll start to re-evaluate things and maybe play a few more events on the Champions tour because what’s fun for me is competing, getting in contention and trying to win tournaments.”
“I find myself just internally motivated because of my love to compete and my love to try to bring out the best in me,” he said. “It’s the ability to play and compete against the best in the world that gets me in the gym every morning at 6 or 7, that gets me on the range working on my game, on the putting green working on my putting. That challenge of trying to play and compete against the best is what really drives me, and so I need to have that or else I feel I might get complacent.”
On the one hand, that makes complete sense... But, on the other hand, who are you and what have you done with Phil? these guys are wired such that they can't ever admit defeat, so the concession that he might be competitive is really quite startling... Early returns, alas, are not favorable, as Phil signed for a 74 and headed straight to the range.
And he did at least generate some chuckles with this reaction to a Tony Finau bomb in the charity Pro-Am:
Scenes From The Gender Wars - The ladies are holding their season-opening event, The Diamond Resorts Classic, featuring a Pro-Am that likely rankles the folks at American Express. I have little interest in this event, but seeing this leaderboard on the ESPN homepage had me curious as to whether a certain Asian country was under some sort of draconian lockdown:Come for the @TonyFinaugolf bomb ... stay for @PhilMickelson's reaction. 😂 pic.twitter.com/VH7ACJdS3h
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 20, 2021
2021 Par 3 Contest Cancelled
Augusta National Golf Club’s recent 2021 tournament update included plenty of information but left out one downer: there will be no Par 3 Contest even with limited galleries planned.
With player invitations arriving in mailboxes this week the unfortunate cancellation was revealed by the club and AP’s Doug Ferguson confirmed.
Given the smaller footprint of the Par 3 course that can crowd quickly, the club apparently decided a fan-free event would have been little fun to play or for ESPN to televise.
Just a tad on the late side to worry about the ESPN broadcast, which has been unwatchable for years now. A shame a bit of a surprise to announce it this early, but it's not a hill upon which anyone should die.
In contrast, these guys are of the "Go big, or go home" ilk:
Fingers crossed, the COVID-19 pandemic will have eased considerably before fall of 2021, and the rescheduled Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin will be able to welcome 40,000-plus fans each day.
That’s the plan as of now for operators of Destination Kohler, home to the Straits golf course and three other highly ranked layouts.
“The original plan is what we’re with right now (with) 40,000 to 45,000 spectators on site per day,” Michael O’Reilly, the director of golf operations at Destination Kohler, said Thursday in a virtual conference with reporters. “Right now, that’s what we’re planning for. Obviously, the PGA of America and Kohler Company, we’re going to adhere to state and local guidelines and recommendations.”
The juxtaposition of those two stories might seem odd at first, and there's a five-month gap from the one to the other. But it's curious to hear the Lords of Augusta fret about the limited confines of their short course, and then to contemplate 40-45,000 souls with only four matches to watch (on the first two days). Egads, good luck with that.
If we're discussing Whistling Straits, it's logical that minds would wander to... well, Marco Simone Golf Club of course. Lucky thing there is that the bar has been set pretty low, with folks just plain relived that they might actually have a golf course to play:
The same also might be said of the Marco Simone course, the subject of much gossip—mostly negative—since it was announced as the first Italian Ryder Cup venue. Still under construction,the European Golf Design layout will surely benefit from an extra 12 months of “growing-in” time.“There has been lots of speculation regarding the course, but right now there are nine holes open for play,” Kinnings said. “The other nine holes are looking good and will be ready later this year, in time for the Italian Open in September. So that answers the Will it be ready for the Ryder Cup? question. Does that mean everything will be perfect? No. But the pandemic hasn’t stopped the grass from growing, although some of the areas around the course won’t quite be as they will be by 2023. So it will not be ‘Ryder Cup ready’ by September [when it hosts the Italian Open]. But it will be in good shape. I think people will be pleased with what they see. And the extra year allows us more time to fine-tune everything for the Ryder Cup.”
That extra year is a help, for sure... Also helpful might have been choosing a venue that already existed, but these guys are way smarter than your humble blogger. Though, did they really need a study to know this:
One thing that may not have quite the same impact in Italy is the “first tee” experience that was one of the highlights of the 2018 matches. At Le Golf National, a huge grandstand offered unprecedented views of not only the opening shots but three other holes as well. That opportunity doesn’t present itself in Italy, although the European Tour staff will likely have some surprises. Meanwhile, Kinnings notes that two things will always be immutable factors in the success of a Ryder Cup in Europe.“We did an analysis after Paris,” said Kinnings with a smile. “How could it be even better? was the question. And you know what? The two things people like best are sunshine and winning. So while we will do everything we can to improve every aspect of the matches, it helps when the sun comes out and it helps when we win. So the weather is important. But winning and losing is in the hands of the captain and his players. All we can do is provide the perfect platform.”
Yet they accomplish all this without a Task Force...
But for those craving normalcy, this has to be especially concerning:
The Times of London, citing unidentified government sources, reported that the games will haveto be canceled. It quoted an unidentified senior member of the ruling government coalition.
“No one wants to be the first to say so but the consensus is that it’s too difficult,” the person said. “Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
The Times of London said Japan hoped to land the 2032 Olympics. The IOC has already awarded the 2024 Olympics to Paris and the 2028 version to Los Angeles.
The idea of Tokyo waiting a decade seems unlikely, given the cost of maintaining venues, negotiating new leases, and so forth. Tokyo has already spent about $25 billion to organize these Olympics, most of which is public money.
Several reports of a cancellation began to surface this month when the Japanese government put Tokyo and other prefectures under a state of emergency order to counter a surge of rising COVID-19 cases.
There's lots of pushback from the IOC and Japanese officials, and I personally find it unlikely that it won't be held in some manner, because of this:
He also said there is “no Plan B.”
Senior International Olympic Committee member Richard Pound said earlier in the week that the Olympics may be held largely without fans, making it a mostly television event.
The Switzerland-based IOC gets 73% of its income from selling broadcast rights and has seen its main revenue source stalled by the Olympic postponement. A largely TV-only event would suit the IOC better than a cancellation.
The irony, of course, is the extent to which we've reconfigured the golfing calendar to accomodate the Olympics, as Geoff notes:
While much of golf seems focused on just the men’s and women’s majors played this year, do not forget the huge schedule sacrifices made in the name of Olympic golf. The PGA moved permanently to May and the prime month of July is built around Tokyo (again) this year.
To do that for an event able to include only four American men or Korean women, is the height of stupidity. But I've been reliably informed that Olympic golf is the last, best chance to save our game, so stay tuned.
PR Hits and Misses - Is Living Under Par™ still my life's goal? I anxiously await guidance from Jay Monahan on that primal existential issue, as the goading of unruly fab behavior has proven an awkward fit with the Covid era. Of course, it was stupid long before the pandemic, but you'll be amused to learn that the Tour hasn't lost its Midas touch.
Your humble blogger finds the Tour's embrace of legalized gambling inappropriate and off-putting, but at least there's no shortage of laughs (or hypocrisy):
PGA TOUR and AGA Align to Educate Fans on Responsible Gaming
TOUR to introduce golf-specific content campaign “Know When to Lay Up”
January 19, 2021, 10 AM ET
WASHINGTON – The PGA TOUR joined the American Gaming Association (AGA) as the newest Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly public service campaign partner to educate golf fans on responsible sports betting.
As part of the campaign, the TOUR will develop content that encourages its fans to “Know When to Lay Up” and bet responsibly. The co-branded responsible gaming content will appear on social and digital platforms along with public service announcements that will air on PGA TOUR Radio.
“A key pillar of the PGA TOUR’s sports betting strategy is responsible gaming and ensuring our fans are equipped with the appropriate resources so they are properly prepared and educated,” said Scott Warfield, VP of Gaming at the PGA TOUR. “By aligning with the American Gaming Association in support of its Have A Game Plan campaign we’re able to align our efforts and provide a consistent message focused on responsible gaming.”
Geoff does his Fisking thing, and is all over the Kenny Rodgers homage angle. The cognitive dissonance of reconciling Living Under Par™ and Know When to Lay Up™ is, however, above my pay grade.
But to me the poker tell is the bit on placement. This is such an important public service announcement that we're going to ensure that the twelve people listening to the PGA Tour channel on SiriusXM have it top of mind. But TV? Nah, that's expensive and would preempt important Cialis commercials.
But I love when we can compare and contrast, because the Tour leadership wasn't always so ham-fisted, as you know from the late, lamented These Guys Are Good™. It turns out that we have a birthday celebration, see if you can suss it from this photo:
Anyone? Bueller?
OK, thanks for playing, it's the PGA Tour's logo that has just celebrated its 40th birthday. Dean Beman explains the logic behind the logo:
About the logo’s design, Beman remembered, “There is no question in my mind as to what I said was that I want the name on it—PGA TOUR—and I want an active golf figure in it.” So what would the silhouette be doing? “I didn’t want him to be at address. That doesn’t denote motion. It has to be during the course of the swing or at the finish of the swing,” Beman added.
Of course, inquiring minds want to know, strike that, need to know, whose swing is it;
The TOUR’s marketing director at the time, Art West, knew that his namesake, basketball legend Jerry West, was the player depicted in the NBA’s logo, and West sees similarities between the NBA’s logo in the PGA TOUR’s now 40-year-old corporate symbol. He, too, agrees with his former boss, that the golfer in the logo isn’t anybody in particular. West still laughs today when he thinks about all the guesses, especially the belief it is of a certain legendary golfer from the 1950 U.S. Open. “It seemed everybody thought it was Ben Hogan hitting his 1-iron at Merion. No, no. It’s nobody. It’s just a golfer.”
In other words, a no-name, non-identified silhouette of “just a golfer.”
If you say so, though back in the day I remember there being something of a consensus that it was Steve Elkington. Anyone but me remember that?
There's two things that are great about this item. First, there's this:
At age 40, is it time for the logo to undergo a change? Haslam doesn’t think so—on balance. Just like the NBA’s logo has its silhouetted player with a hint that the player is wearing short shorts, a style that went away in the early 1990s, Haslam does concede the TOUR’s logo could receive a bit of freshening. “There are a couple of things that are kind of dated, which is the clothing and maybe some of the typography,” he adds.
However, he uses the New York Yankees’ logo from the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it school. He explains that the team—and baseball fans in general—have embraced the equity built by the interlocking “NY” because of the heritage and history behind the logo. It has always been the symbol of baseball’s most successful team and likely always will be. “It holds great value and leads to the heart and soul of the fans. The Yankees’ logo is built with pride, and it’s an emblem and a symbol of passion for the city and for the team.”
Fair enough, but you know what else wasn't broken? Yup, These Guys Are Good™.
But the seriously best part of this story is that they show all twelve finalist logos, and they're quite the comically sad lot, starting with this that should be a marker for Route 66
Good call, Dean. Or this version of the above that's even more dreadful:
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