Rory McIlroy’s climb back to the top of the golf world began with an empty stomach. Six months and three weeks prior to winning the CJ Cup on Sunday to take his place again as the No. 1 rankedgolfer in the world, the four-time major winner missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open in late March. That same Friday night, he also missed dinner. The tournament hotel was so busy McIlroy decided it was easier to skip food than wait hours for it.“I guess there was some party on Friday night [in the hotel], and I was feeling pretty bad,” McIlroy recalled on Sunday at Congaree Golf Club. “I went to order room service and they said it would be a 2½-hour wait. I missed the cut and went to bed on an empty stomach, and I was like, let's just wake up tomorrow and start again.”Ninth on the Official World Golf Ranking at the time—before the OWGR became the point of contention it is these days—McIlroy’s fasting session prompted a mid-year rebuild that culminated in Ridgeland, S.C., with the 34-year-old Northern Irishman winning his 31st professional tournament, his 23rd career PGA Tour title and his third of 2022. A final-round 67 included four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine that allowed McIlroy to bogey the final two holes and still win by one over Kurt Kitayama with a 17-under 267 total. And it put him back as the best player in the world for the first time since July 2020.
So, you're saying he was hungry? Got it...
He got a bit emotional, which seems a tad misplaced to this observer:
A minute later, Lewis wanted to know about meaning.At “the golfing world,” it hit.“Um, it uh.” HIs voice cracked.McIlroy put his right arm behind his head.“Means a lot. I’ve worked so hard over the last 12 months to get myself back to this place. I feel like I’m enjoying the game as much as I ever have. I absolutely love the game of golf and I think that when I go out there and I play with that joy, it’s definitely showed over these last 12 months.“Yeah, it feels awesome. I’m looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it’s a big achievement. I’m really proud of myself right now and I want to go and enjoy this.”
To me, being World No. 1 isn't an achievement in and of itself, it's the result of actual achievements, of which he's had a run. But, and it's a big but, not the really important kind...
The Tour Confidential panel had these thoughts:
1. In an entertaining back-nine back-and-forth on Sunday, Rory McIlroy reclaimed World No. 1 and won the CJ Cup over Kurt Kitayama. For McIlroy, it marked another strongfinish — over his past five starts now, he’s won twice, tied for second, finished fourth and tied for fourth. How much do you suppose his role of de facto PGA Tour leader off the course has inspired his resurgent play on the course?James Colgan: Cause and effect? I don’t think so. Rory was the best player on the PGA Tour before he became the de facto president of it. But the success has certainly affirmed that position. Golf has never needed a star of his stature more than right now. Good on him for delivering it.Jack Hirsh: It’s interesting because up until the Canadian Open, there was kind of a feeling the responsibility was weighing McIlroy down a bit. Now he’s the hottest player in the sport. I think clearly he was motivated when the first LIV event teed off, as evidenced by his dig at Greg Norman when he won at St. George’s. Of all the players who could have won the FedEx Cup last season, the first when the Tour had a legitimate rival, McIlroy had to be the best-case scenario for the Tour. I guess what I’m saying is it’s clear he’s motivated to back up his words off the course in support of the Tour with his play on the course.Claire Rogers: Like James said, I’m not sure they’re cause and effect. I do think they’re both a result of him growing up a lot both on and off the course. Call it maturing or perspective or whatever you want, but McIlroy has reached a new level of poise in front of the media. His thoughtful answer to Tom Kim’s question was the perfect example of it, and I think we’ll only see his role of de facto PGA Tour leader off the course grow as he continues to play well.
He is on a bit of a heater, which inconveniently comes at a time when we're still six months away for that one event of utmost importance....
Rory is a popular guy to begin with, and his éminence grise role ensures that his triumphs, especially that FedEx Cup win, are extremely popular. But, that said, doesn't it also remind us that for the one that really mattered at St. Andrews, where it was the forces of good against the forces of evil, he let it slip through his fingers.... Frustrating because it seems that, the more he wants it, the worse he plays.
Before moving on, let's just note the implications of this event on future scheduling issues. They turned up a surprisingly strong field in South Carolina, and perhaps we'd do well to understand why. Remember, this event is actually supposed to be held in South Korea, but kind of exceeded expectations with its relocation. Although, even with the strong field, I expect that the Golf Channel broadcasts will struggle to show even a recognizable viewership, going up against the NFL, NCAA Football and the baseball playoffs.
You Ko, Girl! - If a woman born in South Korea wins an event there broadcast in the dead of night, does it make a sound?
If there was any doubt before, there shouldn’t be now — Lydia Ko is officially back.Ko, a former world No. 1 and teenage sensation, claimed her second victory of 2022 early Sunday morning as she ran away from the field in Korea for a four-shot victory at the BMW Ladies Championship. After going five years with just one victory between 2016 and 2021, the 25-year-old has now won three times over the past 18 months. The win also moves her into a tie for 30th on the LPGA all-time wins list.“I think this is probably the best I’ve played,” Ko said. “I think when I was No. 1, I had just more wins in that season. [But] I don’t think I’ve had as many top tens and top ten percentage.”
She's still only 25, although that's AARP-qualified in the context of the LPGA Tour.
This is a silly bit from the TC panel:
5. On the LPGA Tour, Lydia Ko won the BMW Ladies Championship for her 18th career victory, continuing a strong season. “This is probably the best I’ve played, the most consistently I’ve played,” Ko said. That being said, can Ko get to 25 victories?Colgan: The LPGA gets younger and better every single week, but there’ll always be room for players with her short game to find wins. I think 25 is not just a possibility, but a probability.Hirsh: *Checks Notes* Lydia Ko is my age (25)? I think there’s obviously a fear of burnout given she started her pro career at age 16 (when she had already won on the LPGA Tour). However, Ko has already gone through some ups and downs in her career and could just be entering her prime. She could choose to walk away at any time, of course, but I think the better question is whether she could win 25 times before she turns 30?Rogers: I’ll be surprised if Lydia Ko doesn’t get to 25 victories. Her first win was a decade ago, she’s at the top of her game right now and she’s only 25. I could see her getting to 20 wins before the end of 2023.
Isn't the more pressing question whether (and when) she'll get to nineteen?
More substantively, where does her game fit into the younger and stronger fields of her Tour? She's still a bit of a short-hitter, compensating with those impressive sort-game skills. But she hasn't been much of a factor in their majors recently, so is she a top-level player, or just one that can pick off a win here and there? I don't actually know the answer, but it's one reason to tune in.
Fauxpology Tour - Shockingly, this might well be the first time I'm quoting this particular source:
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.Karl Marx
I only mention this because that TC panel took on the Majed Al Sourer walkback:
2. LIV Golf, along with the PGA Tour’s fight against the Saudi-backed series, was profiled in a lengthy story by the New Yorker. Among the newer revelations was a comment from Majed Al Sorour, the head of the Saudi Golf Federation and managing director for LIV Golf, who said: “If the majors decide not to have our players play? I will celebrate. I will create my own majors for my players.” Al Sorour, through a statement, later issued a statement in response, saying in part: “I had a casual conversation with a New Yorker reporter at LIV’s Boston event a few weeks ago, during which I expressed my frustration at the unfortunate blackballing of LIV Golf players by the PGA Tour. When it comes to the majors, tournaments that stand alone and are independent of LIV, I have the utmost respect for the majors.” Our question is simply this: What’s your takeaway here?Colgan: My takeaway is, primarily, that the president of the Saudi Golf Federation should have a better grasp on his “casual” conversations, particularly when they’re with reporters from the New Yorker. Everything else struck me as pretty standard rich guy hyperbole.Hirsh: Seems the go-to response for LIV execs and players when they don’t like the perception of a comment is to say the conversation was off the record (See Mickelson, Phil). Credit our colleague Sean Zak for this idea, but I’m not really sure who has “casual conversations” with New Yorker reporters. The way our profession works is everything is on the record until someone says otherwise, and it’s clear between the two parties. Important to note that Sorour never said he didn’t say what he was quoted as saying. I think he was intending to build up LIV further in the event its players are unable to compete in the majors, but obviously, it came off as a dig at the majors. It’s not a great look when the bodies that run the majors are the ones who will decide if LIV events get ranking points.Rogers: There seems to be a lot of miscommunication when it comes to golf-related interviews lately. I think it’s safe to assume that if you are speaking to a journalist such as, say, Alan Shipnuck or someone from the New Yorker, unless something is “off the record,” it’s fair game. The “I’ll create my own majors” comment did make me laugh, though.
This is just a fun bit on so many levels. There's the thuggish threat to Fred Ridley and others, that the stock-in-trade of the Saudis... Should Fred receive an invitation to the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, I'd suggest that he send his regrets.
One of your humble bogger's recurring motifs on this subject has been that, whatever you think of the PGA Tour, the Saudis simply can't be the answer. This I think makes that point well, because they're fully prepared to tear the golf ecosystem to the ground for their own purposes, so why would we allow that? Of course, that begs the question Phil's nihilism as well...
But there's also an epic level of incompetence on display, the simple inability to handle the press without stepping into guano seems a bridge too far for these guys. And that's just comedy gold, making us parse what's an interview and what might be a casual conversation with a reporter. Yeah, I can see where you should run the golf world...
Schedule Musings - That TC panel and the estimable Eamon Lynch take on different aspects of the PGA Tour's scheduling conundrums, first the former:
3. On the PGA Tour, next year’s four additional elevated events were announced, with the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the RBC Heritage, the Wells Fargo and the Travelers joining the previously announced tournaments that will receive $20 million purses and the promise that the Tour’s top players will be in the field. With that portion of the schedule now set, who are the winners and losers?Colgan: Winners: The WMPO, hotels in Scottsdale on Super Bowl weekend (where both the WMPO and Super Bowl will be played simultaneously) and … the RBC Heritage? Losers: The Canadian Open, the Farmers and the people paying for hotels in Scottsdale on Super Bowl weekend.Hirsh: Obviously the winners are the elevated events and specifically the city of Phoenix. All of these tournaments will be getting the PGA Tour’s best 20 players, and Phoenix will be getting that and the two best NFL teams in the same weekend for the Super Bowl. Make your hotel bookings now. The losers will be the Honda Classics and other tournaments sandwiched in between elevated events. The Honda sits between back-to-back elevated events before and after, and what was once a rising Tour stop, given its proximity to many pros’ homes in South Florida, may not have many big names this season. We expect there will be four elevated events rotating around each season so we can only hope the tournaments that get the short end this year will get their turn in the elevated sun soon. Part of this issue also runs around the fact the Tour had to work with a schedule that was mostly set already. With a year to set up the schedule, we will likely see a radically different look in 2024.Rogers: I’m not a football gal so I’ll let James and Jack cover the WMPO and Super Bowl overlap in Scottsdale and instead focus on the Travelers. Cromwell, Connecticut is winning big time here. I’ve been to the Travelers a handful of times, and it has some of the kindest, most engaging volunteers I’ve come across. It’s had a smaller-tournament feeling to it for as long as I can remember, so I’m excited for it to become one of the can’t-miss stops on the PGA Tour. The losers? Fan parking lots. Good luck, folks.
Wow, talk about avoiding the elephant in the corner....
To read both the question and responses, you'd think the Tour merely picked four lucky parties from among their candidates.... Do there writers understand that these are transactional? The four weren't chosen based on their worthiness, but rather because they were willing to fork over what's necessary to support the higher purses.
Is anyone asking whether they'll get enough value to support the higher payments? This is a massive change to the Tour protocols, and really has the effect of screwing folks like Honda, which certainly isn't the terms and conditions that were in effect when the sponsorship deal was executed. The Tour hasn't been a faithful partner even before the LIV threat, but the folks at Honda should know they're on their own....
Eamon takes a crack at the Black Hole of Calcutta:
Are they?
Winter comes early on the PGA Tour. Late August, usually. There’s an unseasonable interlude every couple of years thanks to a Ryder Cup, or a brief glimpse of sunshine from an elite field, like at this week’s CJ Cup, but this is a mostly desolate stretch for those among us who neither know nor care who is pitching for the Patriots against Auburn.Which isn’t to say there’s no product. The CJ Cup is the fifth of nine PGA Tour events in the post-playoffs fall, all of which have provided fans worthy winners and ample entertainment while benefitting communities, sponsors and players alike. But that owes more to the happenstance of competition than because fall golf is considered appointment viewing.Throughout the nine years in which the Tour has used a wraparound schedule, it has maintained a painfully democratic insistence that every tournament has equal stature, an understandable position to adopt when corporations are signing checks for the privilege. Fans know it’s not true though. Fall events have come to be defined by who chooses to work, or more often, not work. With 15 of the world’s top 20 golfers in action, this week’s CJ Cup is an outlier. Next week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship feels like a Head Start program for journeymen and rookies by comparison.
The whole issue is the FedEx Cup, which has unintentionally calcified the Tour's scheduling options. No one with secure playing privilege will show up if no FedEx Cup points are awarded, but hos do you rationalize some of these events getting such points with their weak fields?
Whatever slender prospects fall tournaments had of drawing stars to compete, they’ll have none at all with the coming reconfiguration of the calendar, which commits the Tour’s upper crust to 20 starts between the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January and the Tour Championship in August. Yet a by-product of that change may finally bestow a semblance of identity on this long-maligned portion of the schedule.
Beginning this season, just 70 players will qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs and secure cards for the new calendar-year season of 2024, down from 125. The rest will join a shootout for ’24 status in the fall events, a Hunger Games-style scrap with a cast that includes up-and-coming talent and recognizable names searching for redemption. Under this new dispensation, the old dead zone from East Lake to New Years has life, and something meaningful at stake: future employment, earned via tournaments and the resurrected Q-School. The fall can finally be welcomed for what it offers rather than dismissed for what it lacks.
Does Eamon not remember that this is what the Fall Finish used to be, and it wasn't half bad? You had actual golfers playing for their careers, and that can be compelling. Caveat, it was actual golfers, but not the ones people know, so no one will watch. There's nothing especially wrong with that, except for the minor bit about screwing your sponsors that signed up for something very different.
The irony of LIV threatening the organizations that run majors is that Nurse Ratched and the Tour have mostly been doing the same thing, just more cooperatively and less effectively. It drives the PVB folks mad that they don't control the majors, and they've tried to "elevate" the Players and the FedEx Cup to "major" status, as per our old "Fifth of Four" bit.
But it's not clear to me that Jay is jiggy with such a downgrading of the Fall, because that leaves quite the void for others to fill. It's a difficult time, because there's no U.S. TV rights that will fund it, but those Saudis seem willing to fund just about anything....
I'll need to leave you here, Dear Reader, but we'll have more as the week unfolds.
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