Your Friday Frisson

Only 52 weeks until the Masters...

So, how will we amuse ourselves?

Bryson's Boo-Boo - Playing ping-pong, of all things:

Bryson DeChambeau’s return from injury was brief. The 2020 U.S. Open champion will undergo surgery on his hamate bone in his left hand, according to his agent, Brett Falkoff.

“We look forward to a smooth recovery and rehab process,” a statement read. “Bryson looks forward to returning as soon as he is cleared to do so.”

The surgery, which is scheduled for Thursday, was first reported by Sports Illustrated.

DeChambeau missed about two months earlier this year battling two different injuries: the hand injury and a torn left hip labrum. He also missed a title defense at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Answering your next question:

The surgery means DeChambeau will likely miss the PGA Championship in May. The next major is the U.S. Open June 16-19, which would be a more realistic return target.

Mighta been interesting seeing a healthy Bryson's lines at twisty Southern Hills.but he hasn't been the same guy for a while now.  The optimistic scenario is that he just needs to get himself healthy.  The darker one envisions him as the Pete Reiser of golf.

The Issue of the Current Moment - Butch Harmon takes on the existential issue of the day::

Is Scottie Scheffler a truly great player or just on a serious heater?

Butch is in semi-retirement these days, but he's seen an elite player or two: 

“I wouldn’t say he’s the type of player to say that he’s the best driver in the world, he’s the best iron player. What he is, is he’s really good at everything. He doesn’t really have a weakness,” Butch said. “He’s on a run right now that’s unbelievable. It feels like only guys like Tiger Woods get on runs like this. Whether he can continue that, I don’t see any reason why he can’t.

There's actually several thousand of them, each as good as the other.

“He has a wonderful demeanor, he has a wonderful work ethic, he’s got a great coach in Randy Smith,” Butch continued. “Right now. he’s got everything going for him. Everything’s going his way.”

I don't disagree with Butch, but history says they do it until they don't, and it's mostly of shorter duration than it seemed in the moment.

But, serious heater.

 Grizzled veteran Mike Bamberger has this take on the Masters champion:

The real genius of Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is between his ears

 Given my own bias, it's an unpromising lede:

There’s an odd and interesting page in Michael Murphy’s Golf in the Kingdom where Shivas

Irons, the book’s protagonist, makes an unlikely list he calls “men who knew.” (It was a more sexist time.) Among the names on his roll, he includes Calamus the Gymnosophist, Sherlock Holmes, Picasso — and Ben Hogan, the great Texas golfer who won the Masters twice and started the Tuesday-night Champions Dinner.

Well, the time has come to add another golfer from Texas to this list: Scottie Scheffler, winner of the 86th Masters on Sunday, by a field goal over Rory McIlroy. Scheffler knows.

GITK is pretentious, impenetrable claptrap, but whatev:

Scheffler, at 25, knows things about golf that the great Hogan, who won his first major at 34, never figured out. Hogan’s genius was for puzzling through the game’s deep complexities. Scheffler’s genius is to keep it simple.

See ball, hit ball. See hole, putt to its high side. Wear clothing with one logo on it. Nike will pay you enough. Don’t go chasing waterfalls or paydays or turbo-charged souped-up drivers. Scheffler knows: what got him here is more than good enough.

He hasn't been around long enough to be corrupted, Mike.  Next thing you know he'll be signing with LIV Golf...

This guy should be good for years to come. He’s big, strong, limber, sound of mind and body, married, religious, close to his family, simple in the best way. Looking at Scheffler, he brings to mind a 1950s Big 10 linebacker who, done with school and the gridiron, takes his talents first to the driving range and then to professional golf, telling his fraternity brothers, “Beats selling insurance!” Scheffler brings to mind Mike Souchak and Jim Thorpe and Hale Irwin, to cite a threesome of college football players who took their strength and athleticism to the PGA Tour.

He does seem to have a demeanor perfect for our maddening game.  But that footwork is a wee bit funky to invite Hogan comparisons from me, and his putting prowess is a somewhat recent addition to the arsenal.  This game is hard, and guys can only make it look easy for so long.

So, with fond memories of the late Dan Jenkins, I'm willing to stipulate that a bad marriage seems unlikely.  There's still injury though...

The Non-Denial Denial - In a matter that has featured a masterpiece of the genre Non-apology Apology, I guess I should have seen this coming.  First, a brief reminder:

Earlier this week, the Telegraph reported that the Saudi Golf League was on the verge of launching a $225 million tour. The timeline for the announcement was kept vague—"the coming weeks"—but the four names listed in the article as signees or near-signees were Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Kevin Na.

That last name surprised your humble blogger, but he's now assured us it isn't so:

"I haven't signed anything," he said. "I haven't signed anything. It's amazing how rumors ... you know, people come up with rumors and they write things."

 I haven't signed anything either, but folks aren't leaking my name to the Telegraph.

As to whether he had considered the offer—for weeks, Na has been wearing the Saudi Golf flower log on the collar of his shirt—he didn't deny it.

"As an athlete," he said. "You always look at your options, that's all."

I saw a bit of him at the Match Play, But I didn't notice that he was wearing Saudi swag, as that oversized WAAC logo kind of blinds the viewer...  I stand corrected.

Now, you say you didn't sign anything?

Norman said there will be a full field of 48 players when the series launches June 9-11 at the Centurion Club outside of London. The organization has put off its plans to have players join as a competing league to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for now.

Because there's nothing to sign for now.... But does he intend to be in London in early Jne?  Magic eight-ball says  "Yes, unless instructed to pledge fealty elsewhere."

Though this bit seems a bit surprising:

Greg Norman on Thursday was set to invite a number of top-ranked amateurs to participate in the LIV Golf Invitational Series tournaments that begin in June, with the idea of providing a path to the pro game for young players.

More ams presumably meaning that the full $25 million large will be split among a smaller group of professionals.  It just keeps growing the game, no?

WTF, Tiger - He must be feeling rejuvenated, because he's announced a playing commitment:

Tiger Woods has added another start to his itinerary.

The 15-time major champion, who tied for 47th in last week’s Masters in his first official start in more than 500 days, will play in the JP McManus Pro-Am, a two-day event in Ireland beginning 10 days before The Open Championship.

Following the final round at Augusta National Golf Club, Woods told Sky Sports he would play in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews, the Home of Golf. However, Woods did not commit to playing the PGA Championship in May at Southern Hills Country Club in Oklahoma; Woods won the 2007 PGA there. Woods said he’d try to play.

Tiger, you told us you'd be on the Hogan schedule, but I'm pretty sure Ben didn't play corporate outings.  Sheesh! Is it me or is that just appalling?

In other Big Cat sightings, there was this procedural note:

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson submit entries to 2022 U.S. Open field

Means didleysquat.

Masters Leftovers -  Good, but not great, Masters ratings that Geoff dissects here.  I'll not tarry, just serve up this one nugget:

Sunday’s final-round coverage on CBS is the most-watched golf telecast on any network since the final round of the 2019 Masters, when Tiger Woods captured his fifth green jacket, averaging10.173 million viewers and up +7% versus last year.

That comparison to '19 is notwithstanding the fact that the 2019 round was played and broadcast in the morning.

Respectable, given the absence of the bold-faced names on the leaderboard (I know, true even though the No. 1 ranked player ended up winning), low drama, bad weather and high scoring.  

Geoff has a Masters wish list in a Quad post of the freebie kind, and it starts with a curious jeremiad:

Augusta National could easily develop and sell a small radio device for those who would like to

listen along as Mike Tirico, Curtis Strange and the rest of PGA Tour Radio’s team calling the final round action in crystal clear FM. Perhaps the over-ear device available at tennis tournaments and some golf events would do, though something more Masters and usable year-round would be dreamy. Such a device would not distract from the tournament or reduce the coveted patron interactions. We know this from American Express distributing such a device at the U.S. Open.

I still remember bringing my Sony Watchman TV to the ‘86 Masters and informing those around us in the 13th hole grandstand of Nick Price’s Saturday charge. No one had their Masters viewing experience tainted by such information. The roars were put into context and the experience was better

And this affects me how?   I'm sure it's a great idea, but they'll have to check with Clifford Roberts and get back to you.

Staying on the important stuff:

A Crow’s Nest Beer-On-Tap Offering Nationwide, While Supplies Last. The club is building awareness of its $5 craft beer as if, dare I say it, they have grander aspirations. The best item in

Masters merch this year might have been the $18 Crow’s Nest bottle opener. Out on the course, hoarders were prioritizing the green Crow’s Nest cup in their peculiar quest to accumulate. While it’s hard to imagine the club selling the beer, imagine if the ultra-cool Crow’s Nest tap handle (trust me, it’s sweet) was at 19th hole’s across the world? It could be a clever springtime limited edition beer to raise tournament awareness. Too commercial and tacky for Augusta National, you say? Well if trick shot specialists can roll around on the greens and chuck frisbees around Amen Corner to attract new audiences, why not pander to the sophisticated beer drinking audience with a hoppy, Belgian-inspired brew featuring hints of Meyer lemon? And if you can sell Taste of the Masters for two pandemic-altered tournaments, this is hardly too commercial.

Geoff, did you watch much golf while on property?

He does get to some more interesting stuff:

Drop the fairway mow toward the tees and keep cutting back the second cut. It’s what Bobby Jones would have wanted. I have supporting quotes galore from…Chairman Ridley’s press conference last week!

They can't hear you....

Thoughts on a typically overlooked hole:

3rd Hole. The pivotal hole of 2022 saw something unusual happen in the run-up to this year’s tournament. At some point between the creation of the 2022 official yardage book and

tournament, the fairway cut left of the bunkers was returned to second cut.

I could still see the lefthand fairway outline last week but how, for whatever reason, the club decided to tighten things up for Masters week. It may have been done for patron access and had nothing to do with architecture. Still, the intent was another sound step in the direction to create multiple ways of playing the 3rd hole.

My wish list would start with getting the width back, lop off the first three bunkers that are Jack Nicklaus creations, and keep expanding the fairway just past the bunkers. This would heighten all of the different ways to play the third. There really is a difference between laying up in the fairway center and up the left side.

A few years ago Tom Weiskopf insisted that the Nicklaus trio took away a lay-up he loved to the back right pin by playing just short of the top bunker and getting a good enough view that was not available in the fairway center or when hitting over the bunker. More options would not make the hole easier. The third would become more complex and maybe even introduce debate over how best to play it.

Old-timey photos included.

Some of this was on the broadcast, but you'll want to make the trip upstairs:

 Awkward - Davis has been doing Prez Cup stuff, some of which you may well have heard:

Davis Love III has two helping hands.

Love named Fred Couples and Zach Johnson as two of his vice captains Wednesday for the upcoming Presidents Cup. The matches pitting the U.S. against The Internationals will be played Sept. 20-25 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Love, who was a captain for the U.S. in the Ryder Cup in 2012 and 2016, can name two more vice captains to the squad.

All according to the master plan...

Err, not so much:

Davis Love III said Wednesday that the succession plan for U.S. team captains is in flux after Phil Mickelson’s controversial remarks cast doubt on his future viability.

“Fred’s good in the locker room, in a practice round, as a captain – I thought he would have been a great Ryder Cup captain,” Love said. “He could still be Ryder Cup captain.

“We may have to fill a gap somewhere now. Our order is kind of messed up right now. So maybe Fred would be a great home game [captain] in New York.”

They could do a lot worse than Boom-Boom.  I'd actually rather Couples than Tiger....

In other Prez Cup news there's this curious announcement:

The PGA Tour announced Wednesday evening a long-term commitment to hosting the Presidents

Cup in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The biennial event has marked the 2028 and 2040 matches to visit the Sandbelt region. The area has already hosted the cup three times in the event’s history in 1998, 2011 and 2019, with the 1998 edition the lone International victory since the matches began in 1994. The Internationals led going into the final day in 2019, only to watch the Americans complete a Sunday comeback to retain the cup.

Did you see what they did there?   We're going back to where we've been three times previously, sorta, kinda:

All of the previous three Australian matches were held at Royal Melbourne, universally recognized as one of the premier clubs in the world. While the venerable site is considered a favorite to host again, the tour said an official announcement on a host would be announced at a later date.

A favorite?  What the hell does that mean?  The vaunted PGA Tour is now awarding events without knowing on what friggin' golf course it's to be played.  Mind you, there's no shortage of great places and I've no objection if they go to Kingston Heath, but it seems a tad loosey-goosey.  Maybe the members of Royal Melbourne are concerned that by the time 2040 rolls around the Prez Cup might be owned by, well, let's just say the Asian Tour.  2028, as well, come to think of it

Tweet of the Day - Tongue firmly in cheek: 

Tiger now has 11 FedEx Cup points to rank 234th. And with his 47th-place finish moved up to 745 in the OWGR https://t.co/Tkc1epYL2l

— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) April 11, 2022

I have no quibble with Tiger playing a corporate outing instead of the FedEx Cup.   No question it's the purer golf event, since they all start with the same score.  I know, a low standard, indeed.

That's a wrap, kids.  Catch you next week.