Hello, friends, and welcome to the first Masters since the outbreak of golf’s civil war.No, Jim Nantz isn’t going to say that. But he might think it. A lot of people probably will.How could the thought not cross a golf fan’s mind in advance of the game’s most prestigious invitational?As they have each spring, since 1934 — aside from a pause during World War II and an autumn one-off during the pandemic — the greatest players on the planet will soon gather at Augusta National Golf Club to compete for a green jacket and a place in history.Same as always, except not exactly.There’s no getting around it. A conflict has erupted in the men’s professional game, and this year’s Masters field will feature foot soldiers from both sides of the fight.Not that bad blood is apt to spill into the open. Not at Augusta. No grounds in golf require more decorum. Everyone is on their best behavior. The tumult of the world doesn’t tend to make it down Magnolia Lane.
Friends? There certainly will be many in that room Tuesday evening, but the more interesting bits are those that only pretended to be friends..... That Tiger-Phil handshake ought to be a fun moment, though I'm guessing that the Big Cat and Sergio will just circle each other....
Josh gets at the rifts involved:
One that stands out is Tuesday evening of Masters week, when past winners of the tournament swing open their lockers, slip on their green jackets, stride into the Founders Room on the second floor of the clubhouse and assume their usual spots for the most exclusive meal in golf.Though there is no assigned seating at the Masters Champions Dinner, there are customary place settings. Ben Crenshaw camps out at the head of the table, next to the club chairman and the defending champ. Tiger takes up a post alongside Mark O’Meara. Ray Floyd rubs elbows with Fred Couples, while Nick Faldo and Vijay Singh flank Gary Player, whose fellow South Africans Trevor Immelman and Charl Schwartzel cluster with the Aussie Adam Scott. So go the unofficial arrangements, shaped by age, geography and disposition.
And Phil? Sergio? PReed? I'm actually wondering who would sit willingly with the latter even before the LIV thing made him an even bigger pariah.
At 52, Mickelson has said that he still has a few major victories in him. No tournament means more to him than the Masters; sitting out the event in 2022, as he chose to do, could not have been easy for him. Just as his absence was big news last year, so will his presence be this year, as he returns to Augusta for the first time since becoming the poster child for LIV.
Well, obviously something means more to him than the Masters.... It's funny that Josh has used last year's event as a framing device, but not as relates to this one guy. As of last April, most folks were taken in by that Phil Fauxpology and thought he was off remaking himself into the man he wanted to be. Your humble blogger nailed this one, having actually understood that the only actual apology was to the Saudis.... The good news is that he already was the man he wanted to be, but the even better news is that we only have to endure him four times per year.
This one doesn't add much either:
Well said, because to this observer that conjures images of Sergio losing his head in the sand, ironically in Saudi Arabia....
It was an obvious question and one that CBS Sports’s Chairman Sean McManus knew he wasgoing to be asked during the network’s annual pre-Masters conference call – it’ll be the 68th consecutive year for CBS broadcasting the Masters! – with sports writers. And McManus, who has been reticent in discussing LIV, gave a good answer.“We’re not going to cover up or hide anything,” he said. “As I’ve said often, our job is to cover the golf tournament. We’re not going to show any different treatment for the golfers who have played on the LIV Tour than the other golfer. If there is a pertinent point or something that we feel we should bring up in our coverage Saturday or Sunday or on our other coverage throughout the week, we’re not going to put our heads in the sand.”
How else could they play it? But this says more about Golf Channel than the current mess:
“I don’t think there’s any way around it. This would be the first time that I can recall that Tiger Woods will very likely, certainly on Monday night barring any breaking news with respect to his health, first time that I can remember that on ‘Live From,’ we likely, underline likely, will not lead with Tiger Woods, but instead the presence of LIV Golf, the 18 players that are set to tee it up there,” said Golf Channel host Rich Lerner. “At this point not knowing what may be said or how LIV players may or may not interact with PGA Tour players, without knowing that at this point, our goal going in at this point is to cover LIV at least initially through the competitive lens.
At least we've got that going for us...
Sunday's Tour Confidential had one on this topic that I kept in my hip pocvket for today:
Masters week is creeping closer, meaning we’re also nearing what could be one of the most awkward Masters Champions Dinners in recent memory when PGA Tour and LIV golfersbreak bread together. Fred Couples has pulled no punches expressing some of his grievances, and just last week Ben Crenshaw said while he doesn’t anticipate much animosity, “it’s going to be difficult” at times and expects a few tense moments. How do you think golf’s most famous dinner will go down, and should some of the longest-tenured champs feel any pressure to make sure things go smoothly?Melton: I would imagine the dinner will go smoothly, but with some awkward moments. I’d imagine the vibe will be similar to an awkward holiday dinner. Fireworks seem unlikely — no one wants to embarrass the green jackets.Hirsh: I’m just waiting to hear what Tiger’s awkward joke is that everyone will be forced to laugh at.Marksbury: I don’t think there’s any reason to believe things won’t go smoothly — this is Augusta National, after all! There are mini-groups of buddies who sit together every year. I don’t think any of those relationships have been irreparably damaged over the last year. My guess is players will gravitate toward their familiar comfort zones, and all will be well.
Does Phil do a presser? Yeah, I'm taking the under on that one....
Forget the LIV nonsense, there is great news on a far ore important front:
After being unavailable during the 2022 Masters, Augusta National’s Peach Ice Cream sandwich was seen on menus at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which gets underway Wednesday at Champions Retreat Golf Club.
It’s not getting harder to become a Tour member…it’s just getting better for the best players. The Tour has made no changes to the number of golfers who will have a Tour card in their wallets next year. One hundred and twenty five is still the magic total. When that list of 125 is locked into place — that’s changing.
In other news, it also hasn't gotten any harder to be an AARP member or to get an extended warranty for your car, which has the same relevance for the rabbits of the world...
We have lost track of the Fall, and this clarifies a bit:
The fall will determine the top 125When the Tour’s regular season has ended, and the FedEx Cup has played out, players ranked 51st to 70th will have next year’s job security locked in, but will have more incentives to play that fall. The top 10 players during a series of fall tournaments will play their way into the first two designated events in 2024 (likely Pebble Beach and Riviera). Beyond that, players ranked 71st or worse will be encouraged to play in the fall to maintain their place above the water line, which is set at No. 125. For example, James Hahn finished 117th last year. Hahn would take his 400 FedEx Cup points and move on to the fall, hopeful to rack up enough points to make sure he doesn’t drop down to 126th. The fall will exist as a secondary playoffs, if you will, to determine who can confidently start to build a schedule for the next calendar year. The pressure will be on — whoever finishes 125th will have no issues. Whoever finishes 126th will drop down the Priority Ranking, beneath the incoming players from the DP World Tour, graduates from the Korn Ferry Tour and Q-School. Put simply, finishing 126th is actually like finishing 171st or worse. The fall is important! The Tour shared this infographic with its membership Monday evening.
Yeah, that guy that falls to 126 might want to look into selling aluminum siding....
And then there's the....swings:
Swing, swing, swing…swing, swing.A popular term golf fans will have to get used to is Swing. Full Swing, half-swing, West Coast Swing. The new schedule will include many “swings” between designated events, little two- or three-tournament bursts where points are gained for further access into the big events. There is bound to be a swing in January and a swing before the Masters and a swing through the Texas events in May. When the designated event stretch passes, the swing points reset. On to the next swing.This is how the Tour keeps its hottest players playing its most important events. If Joel Dahmen finishes in the top 5 at the Sony Open, then finishes T16 at the AmEx and polishes it off with a T8 at Torrey Pines, he’ll have played better golf than most non-winners at those tournaments and will be close to the top of the West Coast “swing” qualification. Had he not already been exempt, he would probably earn his way into the reportedly designated Pebble Beach Pro-Am. That designated field would be filled as such:
Are your eyes glazing over? It's not enough to get the best players, they're going to get the hottest players as well. Of course there has to be fall-out, but those top twenty likely assume they'll be bulletproof, either through their OWGR or, as a last resort, those four sponsor's exemptions. My sense is that the disposition of those sponsors exemptions will become a hot-button issue as the rank and file watch themselves boxed out of the big-money events.
Alan To The Rescue - As I had warned on Monday, this week is a bit of a staycation from blogging, so a Shippy mailbag is just what the doctor ordered. Shall we lede with some Augusta stuff?
What Sunday final pairing are you hoping for at Augusta? @FeralgolferThere is only one correct answer to this, and it’s Rory-PReed: Tour vs. LIV, good vs. evil, etc. Despite what happened in Dubai, I think Reed is more game for this kind of death match. It reminds me of the Fred Couples-Corey Pavin matchups in the ’90s, when the grittier, guttier finesse player somehow seemed to have the advantage despite being miles shorter off the tee. The earth will stop spinning on its axis if we get this on the back nine on Sunday at the Masters.
Which is the pairing I dread the most.... How the LIV guys before is going to be way over-interpreted, but let's hope PReed's form has permanently abandoned him.
With the Big 3 of Rory, Scottie and Jon peaking at the right time, how much money will you spend to watch a final four pairing of Rory/Scottie, then Jon/Tiger at Augusta? #AskAlan @DeyAlcaldeWell, I didn’t even include Tiger in the question above because I’m trying to be real. Obviously a Tiger-Phil final pairing would make all of our faces melt. But in your Final Four I’d sub in Cam Smith for Scheffler; I think he’s more fun to watch, and the guy’s short-game genius is uniquely suited to Augusta National. But it is indeed exciting that so many top players appear to be peaking with Augusta upon us.
Tiger? yeah, that's asking a bit much.... But that last sentence is kind of curious, no? Because those PGA Tour alpha dogs have been playing well, but the LIV show ponies haven't...well, shown. They are playing in Orlando this week, so we'll see how that one plays out. But I quite agree with Alan that Cam is the guy to watch.....
This is perhaps the most interesting subject touched upon:
How much will the small amount of competition the LIV players have had going into the Masters hurt their chances compared to PGA Tour players? Can’t imagine going from a no-cut event where they play music and guys are in shorts to the pressure of Augusta. How can you be prepared? #AskAlan @legalshieldrobThis is certainly a fundamental question—Dustin Johnson has played only 22 competitive rounds going back to last July! (Others have supplemented the LIV events with starts on the Euro or Asian tours, or both.) It helps that there is a LIV event this week, so all of those players will get some reps. Fairly or not, this Masters sets up as a referendum on LIV’s very existence. If a handful of its players contend, or (gawd forbid!) one wins, we can retire this line of questioning for the foreseeable future. But if the LIV guys collectively struggle, it will be an inescapable talking point… at least until the PGA Championship.
The fundamental issue is a bit deeper than Alan touches upon, because most of these guys went to LICV specifically to avoid the grind, so the conclusion seems quite obvious. Equally obvious is that a guy like Cam hasn't forfeited all of his golf skills since last July, so a small sample size could result in just about anything happening....
A couple of match-play mopes:
How can Golf Twitter get the Swilican Patio torn down in less than 24 hours yet we can’t save the Match Play? I know the PGA Tour has their excuses, but you would think/hope the fans’ opinions matter? @ZitiDoggsGolfAwww, it’s so adorable you think the fans matter. Unfortunately, these decisions are driven primarily by TV and sponsors, and this year’s Match Play was case in point. For four days it provided thrills and chills, lighting up Golf Twitter, but Sunday afternoon was an absolute snooze. I haven’t seen the championship match’s TV ratings, but they promise to be abysmal. Some of this could be solved with a little creative thinking: The final match should be a closeout, so as soon as the match ends the players start a new one over the remaining holes for half the cash. Maybe the six guys who get eliminated from the Elite Eight stick around and on Sunday afternoon play as two-man teams, with a round-robin format featuring six-hole matches that are alternate shot, worst-ball scramble, etc. But in its current iteration, the final day of the Match Play is often a letdown and that, ultimately, is what killed it.
Because there were no terrific peni involved with that patio..... Seriously, if there were a constituency for the match-play among those top players, don't we think Jay would have figured it out?
I’m going to miss the Match Play and definitely miss Austin CC. It’s one of the few courses on Tour that makes me say, “I want to play that course!” Which courses on Tour give you that same feeling? #AskAlan @AriSlater1978A bunch on the West Coast swing (lol): Kapalua, Pebble Beach, Spyglass, MPCC, Riviera. Some others are sprinkled later in the year: Colonial, Muirfield Village, Detroit CC, Sedgefield, Port Royal. But, uh, that’s kind of it.
I don't have quite the same reaction as these two, but it was a perfect venue for this specific event. The only thing wrong was the date, just too close to the Masters for comfort.... But as good as it was, you'll notice how unimportant it is to anyone with actual influence. Just remember that, when it came time to step up and save the event, Jay responded with radio silence....
Who is the best golfer without a major championship win? @justapedn_cobRecency bias would suggest Sam Burns, but Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Billy Horschel and Will Zalatoris all have to be in the conversation. A crucial piece of this is that said player has to be ascendent, so guys like Lee Westwood, Paul Casey and Matt Kuchar have aged out. Also, the dreaded title of Best Player Never to Have Won a Major has to be earned through some heartbreak in the majors. Zalatoris has endured that but can claim only one career win. With eight Tour victories in the last 5½ years, plus a FedEx Cup title, Cantlay has the best resume but he has never been there at the end of a major, which is disqualifying. I’m going with Schauffele, who can boast a bunch of Tour wins and, crucially, six top-five finishes in a major. Of course, some folks would consider an Olympic gold medal on par with a major championship, but that’s a different question!
That's easy, it's Rory. At least he has no majors in the modern era....
The only folks that consider an Olympic medal a major are those without a major... Seriously, you think those designated events have a BS field, take a look just at the American players that weren't at the Olympics.
This might be the untold story of LIV:
Burns is the last big name (ish) GSE guy not to defect? What to make of this? @Hammbear2024Oooh, you have struck a rich vein here. The management agency GSE Worldwide has sent a whopping 11 players to LIV. Meanwhile, Mark Steinberg’s Excel Sports Management has not a single LIV client. (Well, it did dump Thomas Pieters as soon as he signed.) In my LIV Tour book, I will go into the agent wars in great detail; Steinberg’s role in all of this is fascinating. I hate to be a tease—actually, I love it!—but I gotta save this stuff for the book, Woodward-style.
On the one hand, that part of the story has been left uncovered. On the other hand, given his Phil bio and that Alan feels he can't be critical of the Saudis because of Abu Ghraib, I probably won't feel compelled to take that trip with him.
This is quite the weird take:
#Askalan With all the talk about the golf ball, has there ever been consideration for golf courses installing local rules on certain holes where driver or woods are not allowed? They can make rules for grounding clubs in waste areas, etc., so why not clubs? Fixes the problem immediately. @RyanMacCWI have to say I’ve never thought of this solution. But I can’t endorse it because such a rule would fundamentally alter how the game is played—I certainly don’t want a golf course mandating which clubs the best players in the world can and can’t use. And what about short hitters who need a driver or 3-wood on these hypothetical holes? Restricting the ball by 5 percent seems simpler to me.
The better question is about limiting themselves to the ball.... Obviously other options include the head size and characteristics of the driver, although I certainly understand keeping it simple.
How much stock is put into how players do in individual match play events when it comes time to pick for the Ryder Cup? Not suggesting guys like Morikowa or Zalatoris should get left off the team because they didn’t play their best last week, but do captains look at results in these events? #AskAlan @BigManLeroyHenIt’s a factor, but only minimally. I mean, Kevin Kisner won the Match Play in 2019 and Billy Horschel prevailed in 2021, and both were snubbed for the ’21 Ryder Cup team. More important factors would be a player’s form leading into the Ryder Cup, previous Cup experience and his ability to be a good teammate.
That last bit deserves way more attention, though not at this moment.... It doesn't hurt to have match-play street cred, but it's far more important to be good at the golf thing. There's only the one match-play event and it's on a quasi-funky course that features dormant rough, so you really don't want to attach too much significance to what happens there.
LIV is going this week to a course that by all accounts does not enhance prep for Augusta. Why doesn’t LIV go to courses like Bandon Dunes/Cabot Cove for the first few years? They won’t get a lot of fans on site, but LIV should be focusing on gaining market share. Cool courses would help. @KeithKhortonThere has been so much to digest around LIV’s launch that there has been almost zero discourse about the quality of the venues, or lack thereof. Let’s just say that this week’s host venue in Orlando, Orange County National, is not going to be mistaken for Riviera. I agree with your premise but there is one flaw: The Bandons and Cabots of the world would have to want the LIVers. Many courses have turned them down already, and it would be a surprise if a traditionalist like Mike Keiser, with his allegiance to the USGA, would ever entertain the thought. But I agree that LIV should push hard for unique and interesting venues, which have been lacking so far.
Can we declare a moratorium on taking professional events to Bandon? Keiser doesn't want them and the courses aren't suitable, and we should be thankful for that. They've grabbed a couple of decent venues from the Tour (Mayakoba and, sadly to your humbler blogger, The Greenbrier) and the Tour obviously pushed them into bed with Trump. Otherwise, it's a dreary lot though, as Alan correctly noted above, the Tour's roster of venues isn't much to speak of either...
How much money is lost annually betting Rory at Augusta? @LoopersProShopTrillions of dollars. But not as much as was lost on Tiger from 2006 to ’13.
Good answer, though trillions seems a tad high.... There's going to be a lot of money on Rory this year as well, though I'd want to see a soft golf course and low winds before going that direction.
In honor of Bamberger’s newest hitting the shelves, can you give us your all-time desert island top 5 golf books? @luke_peacockDown The Fairway, Bobby JonesThe Bogey Man, George PlimptonThe Dogged Victims of Inexorable Fate, Dan JenkinsGolf In The Kingdom, Michael MurphyTo The Linksland, Bamberger
I did like Mike's prior book, and who doesn't love Jenkins? But I remain unconvinced that anyone could actually get through the impenetrable Golf in the Kingdom, and I'll call BS on anyone that tells me they consider it profound.
In fact, the second half of the Bamberger book, which I reviewed here but can't find in the moment via Google, was exactly that which the Murphy book should have been....
That's it for now, I'll catch you down the road.
No comments:
Post a Comment