Unplayable Lies: Midweek Musings

Your call....would you like to start in Phoenix. LA or Jeddah? Doesn't much matter, it all seems to be the same story....

The Ash Heap of History - Well, the enduring image of the week in Scottsdale was a heap of something, mostly beer cans and bottles. You wouldn't be human if you weren't at least a little troubled by the weekend scene at No. 16. First, in his Monday Finish feature, Dylan Dethier takes a a logical path, first with this acknowledgement that, in the words of Stephen Stills, there's something happening there:

Mayhem at No. 16

You’ve seen the highlights by now. Aces. Chip-ins. Shirtless dancing men. Not every hole should be like No. 16 at Waste Management, but as a cathedral for a particular type of gluttonous, no-holds-barred, excessive spectating experience, this hole’s tough to beat.

Not exactly clear, though how could it be through the haze of potables consumed...

But he does draw a line in the sand a bit later:

Beers as projectiles

There’s a bunch of hand-wringing about how far is “too far” when it comes to the debauchery at the WMPO. Well, I’m here to draw the exact line: It’s all good until a player gets pegged with an
actual beer. And it sounds like we were bumping up against that line over the weekend. Justin Thomas said “the beer-throwing gets a little dicey sometimes.” And Carlos Ortiz, whose hole-in-one inspired plenty of celebration on Sunday, said he was dodging beers left and right.

“A lot of people cheering for you and then you start trying to watch out for your head because I got actually nailed pretty hard on the back with a beer can, and then after that I was just trying to just avoid all the cans I could.”

Call me old-fashioned, but I want my golfers to complete their rounds un-concussed. Beyond that, play on!

C;mon, Dylan, the only thing missing from No. 16 is a medical tent and the invocation of the concussion protocol....

Good luck to Dylan in poking the eye of the pro-beer-can-as-projectile lobby, but I see issue sin squaring that circle, as per Dylan earlier in his feature:

The PGA Tour’s product

Last week, Phil Mickelson came after the Tour, citing its “obnoxious greed,” alleging restrictive media rights and generally portraying the folks in Ponte Vedra as the Evil Empire. This week, Charley Hoffman turned a gripe with the Rules of Golf into an all-out tirade against the Tour, citing the incident as evidence why it soon might cease to exist. All of this comes in the context of massive reported sums offered to high-profile pros to jump ship to a new breakaway tour.

In other words, it was high time for the PGA Tour to showcase its best product. But on the weekend in Arizona, reports of the PGA Tour’s demise felt greatly exaggerated; the WM Phoenix Open was a wild, wonderful week filled with aces, beer showers and hundreds of thousands of delighted fans. Sunday presented a host of U.S. Ryder Cuppers doing battle with a young, lovable underdog, 54-hole leader Sahith Theegala, making just his 11th PGA Tour start. Paying players a boatload of money is easy. Creating the atmosphere at TPC Scottsdale? Not so much.

Sorry, I just can't take any pleasure in that when Charley Hoffman was treated so rudely...

Joking aside, this is an event that has always been on the edge, but Saturday and Sunday was just too much, too often. I was almost willing to abide the reaction to Ryder's Saturday ace because it was so unexpected. But by Sunday the reaction was expected (even encouraged), and accompanied run-of-the-mill chip-ins as well, so welcome to our future at No. 16.

Martin Dempster, writing from the home of golf, is not an "on the one hand..." kind of guy:

It’s a disgrace that the tournament organisers have not come out and condemned such behaviour
at a golf event and don’t give me that nonsense about “golf had a brief glimpse of a crowd and players having fun”.

“Refine rather than reject” was the suggestion from another person to comment on the hot topic and that just about hits the nail on the head.

Bottles and cans should be instantly banned at next year’s event and plastic cups be used instead for that consumption of alcohol, which is clearly part of why so many people want to be around that green in the first place.

Refine rather than reject seems to be the new Mend It, Don't End it. Dempster makes a case I've not heard elsewhere, that the eruption affected play above and beyond the effects of the delays:

According to him, there was “no material damage to the green”, but that wasn’t the case after we witnessed the same reaction to Mexican Carlos Ortiz making a hole-in-one there in the closing circuit.

Sharing the lead at the time, Patrick Cantlay’s birdie putt was tracking nicely until it bobbled badly and ended up a couple of feet short of the hole. His ball had hit a dent on the green left by a can or bottle.

Given the loss in the playoff, he's basically making the case that this cost him the win. Seems like cosmic karma adjusting for the cheap win he got at The Memorial, no?

My prediction is that the build-out of No. 16 next year will mirror modern baseball stadia, with netting around the whole structure.

I blog without fear or favor, but I actually was more outraged by that accompanying picture above than the tossed beer cans, notwithstanding the involvement of two of my favorite players. While ask.com is unable to tell me how to un-see the images, we have his word that it's a one-off:

ZM: Did you expect all your fellow players to be talking about your little celebration so much?

HH: Yeah, definitely. There’s a lot of regret in what I did for that exact reason. But I can use it as a motivating factor. If I play good golf this week and the next few weeks, people will hopefully forget — I know they won’t, but hopefully they will.

ZM: So, safe to say never again with that celebration?

HH: That will never ever happen again. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but it certainly will never happen again.

He got that right...eventually. But my biggest gripe is that he was talking about it all week, so it scores low on spontaneity. That said, this did make me laugh because it was from such an unexpected party:

The 30-year-old spent much of a blustery day at Riv’ grinding on the range in preparation for his second career start here, but he waded through plenty of interruptions. Everyone from swing instructors to gear reps approached Higgs to chat about his antics in the desert. And even some fellow pros got in on the action.

As defending Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama readied to hit balls next to Higgs, he turned and lifted his shirt in jest.

“You know it’s bad when Hideki comes up to you on the range and lifts his shirt,” Higgs said. It was that kind of day at the course for the hefty cult hero, but as we found out, Higgs’ celebration is bound to be a one and done.

I for one did not have Hideki shirtless on my bingo card.

Lastly, Shack seconds my prediction:

Oh it’s here to stay. Just with chicken wire around the grandstands next year and really good WiFi so you can gamble on the madness. Live Under Par lives, baby!

I don't think it can be said enough, this was Jay's image for the Tour as per the Live Under Par promos.

You think I mentioned Charley just by happenstance?

It’s a good thing for Charley Hoffman that the people running golf don’t chop people up for leveling public criticisms.
— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) February 12, 2022

Don't be giving our Jay any ideas...

Today In Saudi Hijinks - Lots of moving parts, so we'll just pick a few to sort through. Jay had to love this, though I found it a tad more equivocal than most did:

The Champion Golfer of the Year did, however, make his feelings more clear than ever on the
potential for a Saudi Golf League.

“I'm all for the PGA Tour,” he said. “I've been a pro for two and a half years. My entire life I've thought about the PGA Tour, I've thought about playing against Tiger, beating his records, whatever, something that might not even be breakable, but I've never had another thought of what's out there, right? I've never thought about anything else, it's always been the PGA Tour.”

“Right now you look at the best players that I see and they're all sticking with the PGA Tour and that's where I kind of stay and that's where I belong. I'm very happy to be here. I've played I think three events this year, feels like I've played nothing and part of that was designed in the fall to only play two events. But after missing a lot of the West Coast Swing, I decided to go over there and play on the DP World Tour. I miss being out on the PGA Tour. I miss seeing these guys, I miss playing out here and I just want to compete against the best in the world and right now that's where it is. I'm very happy, I'm very thrilled to be here.”

The problem is that there seemed to be a "For now" left dangling at the end of every sentence. Of course, isn't that the case, whether or not it's said out loud. The other quite part said out loud was that there isn't anything concrete to which he could respond, but Jay would be wise to not take too much comfort there.

So, no granular proposals to Collin, so is it possible that the Saudi's are copying Harvard's admission policies? Because this was awfully granular, though the source might result in a spit take:

PGA Tour player ____________ claims that 17 players have signed on to the proposed Super Golf League.

_____, speaking Tuesday on the Stripe Show podcast, did not identify any specifically by name. However, _____ alluded to the group not being short on star power.

"You’re going to see a lot of big names jump over there. I think there’s already been 17 guys that have jumped over, and I can’t say who they are, but there’s going to be some big names going over there," ____ said on the Stripe Show podcast. "Look, I mean, from what I’ve heard the money’s very, very appealing. You’re only gonna have 12-14 events. Those events are gonna have purses. You’re not going to have to deal with missing a cut anymore; there’s only going to be 40 players. And 10 of those 14 events will be in the States. Signing bonuses, huge, huge purses—it’s going to be very appealing for some of these guys. Yeah you’ll see some big names for sure.

”While _____ asserted his belief that tour players should be receiving a bigger slice of the tour’s profits, he went on to say that those jumping to the SGL are “money hungry.”

So, that's a first, I've elided the name of the player making the claim, because i want you think about who might be close enough to things to be counting heads and the like (and I'm guessing you won't suss it out from the photo). I'll even give you a clue that his parents seem to be Seinfeld fans...

Anyone? Bueller? It's none other than former PGA Tour Canada player of the year, Kramer Hickok. Who would have first-hand knowledge of Saudi offers and acceptance how?

I guess if we're rumor central, this would be the point to segue to those other rumors:

The lightning rod that is Bryson DeChambeau continues to be struck by rumors. The latest comes
from the “No Laying Up” podcast, which speculated Monday that DeChambeau is absent from this week’s Genesis Invitational because he has quit the PGA Tour. The podcast also suggested that DeChambeau may merely be out with an injury.

"In Saudi, [DeChambeau] said he is no longer playing on the PGA Tour,” the podcast said. “He told players that. That's what he said. I don't think all of the decisions have been made, so you can't, like, report on anything like that. But the information as I know it from very reputable sources that's where things stand as of now."

DeChambeau and his management were quick to refute the report. He said on Twitter that he’s missing the Genesis because he’s rehabbing injuries to his hand and hip that he either suffered or aggravated at the Saudi International.

Amusingly, it remains unclear as to whether he's quitting the Tour because of injury or to accept the Saudi's $135 million offer, or both. Whatever might be going on with his hips, back and wrists, one assumes he maintains enough physical strength to endorse checks....

I was actually more interested on Morikawa's (and Cantlay's) comments on another subject):

Collin Morikawa reportedly finished 11th in the PIP. He made clear he is not a fan of the PGA Tour’s incentive appropriations based on tossing Meltwater Mentions in the air and seeing what sticks.

This is what happens when you get Haas grads on the Tour who lose out on $3 million and ask them about upping the social media focused pool to $50 million.

“I think we're getting paid $50,000 for the year if we play 15 tournaments, I mean, that's $10 million right there,” he said. “When you're out here on the PGA Tour, you have 200 members or so, you have a million employees, you have a million people trying to do better for the Tour and everyone has their own opinion, but what is really best for the Tour?

“Are those two things, the PIP and the cuts made, or not cuts made, whatever we call it, 15 tournaments played? I don't think that's the best use of $60 million, but I don't have an answer for that. I probably should start thinking about this because I am in a position now to where I can help out and voice my opinion and hopefully be heard.”

. And from Patrick:

2021 FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay was asked about the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program. Always thoughtful with his answers, Cantlay had little problem explaining what he loathes about the social-media driven bonus pool.

“I think I'm old school in the respect that I would like the money to be doled out relative to play and I don't think the PIP does that,” last week’s runner-up said. “It may be the first departure that the Tour has had from rewarding good play to rewarding social media or popularity presence, so I don't like that departure.

“People are going to promote themselves on social media anyway and we've definitely seen that. The question is whether the Tour should also be incentivizing that.”

Finally, a couple who get what a radical departure this is. As Patrick notes, the social media plays would still happen and would presumably be rewarded with sponsorships and the like. But this is the Tour rewarding its faves, and that way lies trouble.

Eamon Lynch, who I imagine could work a bone-cutter with the best of them, has thoughts on how the PGA and DP should react (although he spends a fair number of pixels trashing Charley Hoffman, leaving little for the circling vultures):

It is time for the Tour to remind those players that there’s no barbed wire impeding the exit and to instead focus on stars who refuse to shake the Crown Prince’s pompoms as cheerleaders for Saudi
ambitions in golf, men who are driven by history, legacy and the plentiful rewards already available. That is a considerably more impressive roster.

Tiger Woods is out.

Jon Rahm? He’s out too.

Rory McIlroy. Ditto.

Brooks Koepka? Justin Thomas? Jordan Spieth? Out, out, out.

These are the players upon whom the future of the PGA Tour and the broader professional game will be sustained. Not Mickelson, and not the coterie of cash-poor, washed-up veterans eager for the Saudi’s insidious embrace.

For several years, Monahan’s response to this issue has been remarkably measured, an approach that lays bare the problem inherent in member-led organizations, where every hollering halfwit with a gripe must be treated like the chairman of the board. But excessive deliberation can become debilitating. A day must come—and soon—when the PGA Tour decides it will no longer be held hostage by a handful of players desperate for Saudi graft.

Let them go, if they really have the stomach for the gamble. The Tour will be no poorer for their departure.

Charley and Phil, for sure...

By the way, except for his amen to Charley's whine, have you noticed that Phil has gone quiet? He's allegedly off in Montana skiing, but he amusingly seems to have adequate Wi-Fi:

Since sounding off from a country where they do much worse than block people they don’t like, Mickelson’s comments have been analyzed from all corners. And the reaction to his Saudi-leaning ways has not been positive. Nor has he received much sympathy for his perceived lost revenues at the hands of the PGA Tour.

So while on a long-planned skiing trip in Montana, Mickelson took time out from his va-cay to go on a blocking binge. He reacted to various media members from outlets of all shapes and sizes, but also blocked every day fans, fun-loving influencers like Sam Harrop, and even one of more thoughtful young players, Meghan McLaren, who sounded very rational about Mickelson’s diatribe in the land of beheadings: