Weekend Wrap

I know, but it's the traditional Monday morning post title....  How 'bout dem Eagles?

No More Dropping a Dime - I guess this is for the best:

Attention all armchair golf rules officials who study video replay in search of infractions: your dedication to your craft is impressive. It's just not needed anymore. 

Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, tournament officials will no longer field or consider your call-ins as part of rules decisions. All video reviews will be handled by one or more tournament officials assigned to the task. 

"The message we're putting out to fans is, What you've seen, we've seen. Have confidence in us running the event," said Thomas Pagel, USGA senior director of rules and amateur status. "We want you to be a fan. Enjoy watching the world's best players. Let the rules be handled inside the ropes between the players and officials." 

The change in protocol, announced jointly Monday by the USGA and the R&A, follows the recommendations of a working group led by the governing bodies and consisting of the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour and the PGA of America.

I'm guessing because the cost in this is something a bit ephemeral, but not unimportant.  I'll explain in a sec...

 That bit about us having confidence in them is pretty rich, though....  Let me remind you of two items that stick in my craw:

• When DJ's ball moved on the green at Oakmont in 2016, the rules officials had to make their way in from the far reaches of the golf course to the clubhouse to watch the You and I were celebrating the fifth anniversary of our 4K TV's, but the USGA couldn't be bothered to have a rules official watching the video stream;
• For Tiger's infamous 15th hole drop at the Masters, the man in charge of rules for the competition had been warned about the drop, but chose to ignore it based upon his personal feelings about the source.  That guy has gotten quite the promotion recently, though his organization is conspicuously absent from this announcement.

On to the Tour Confidential panel, and Mike Bamberger with a cogent explanation of the loss in this action:

Michael Bamberger: I agree, John — the rules are complicated, because the playing field is outdoors and so irregular. The more eyes on the players and their golf balls, the better the chances of the player turning in the most accurate scorecard he or she can. This move does not serve that goal. It does make life easier for tournament officials — Tell 'em we're not home! — and Tiger Woods and many others who have struggled with the weirdness of a guy on his lounger calling in a rules violation. But it was a TV viewer who attempted to save Woods at the 2013 Masters from signing an incorrect scorecard. (It so happens the caller was a former rules official, but that's a side note.) This change makes life easier for rules officials and makes golf sound like it is more in step with other sports, but it's a step away from the very essence of the game, that the player has a desire to turn in a wholly accurate scorecard. The player should not want to get away with anything and should welcome people watching, the more the better. The underlying principle of golf's rules is what Reagan used to say, Trust, but verify. At the TV compound at any Tour event there are a dozen or more screens showing live golf. If the officials are going to monitor the public broadcast, they should be monitoring that footage as well. The governing bodies are throwing in the towel here. They should have doubled-down on an education campaign.

Our game may simply be incompatible with 21st century life, but that obligation of the player to post an accurate score is what separates us from the animals...  yanno, like football players.

This guy, that Mike was responding to above, hits on the issue that all of us had:

John Wood: I don't have a complicated opinion here, it's just the right call. This always amazed me anyhow: I've been caddying for 22 years now and feel like I'm pretty well connected out here, and if I saw an infraction on TV I wouldn't have a clue who to call. How these guys can not only get the correct number but do it in a timely enough fashion to reach the officials I'll never know. Golf rules are complicated enough to allow an outside agency influence with how they're enforced.

Nobody has ever admitted to knowing the number to call....  But John, just ask Lexi, they don't have to be all that timely.... next day is plenty good.

I think Alan hits on most golfer's reaction:

Alan Shipnuck: Given the endless screw-ups by various tournament officials through the years it's hard to have any confidence in them, but oooo-kay. This does eliminate one of the things that non-golf fans use as a cudgel against the rest of us, which is the absurdity of an over-served dude on his couch potentially having a huge impact on the competition. So, just eliminating that blowback makes me feel fine about this decision.

Equally aggravating, one has to get past the headline and deep into the body of the article to find this possible more significant rule change:

As part of the announcement, the governing bodies also approved a new local rule, available Jan. 1, that eliminates the two-stroke penalty for filing an incorrect scorecard as a result of an infraction that a player was unaware of.

Oh, Thank God.  Mike Bamberger makes this quite excellent intellectual point on thos one:

Bamberger: There's a built-in weakness to this new local rule because it diminishes the player's responsibility to know. Now in those peculiar situations where you truly couldn't know you were breaking a rule, that would be one thing. Your ball moves while you are throwing grass in the air, for instance. But under this local rule, the player has much less incentive to know the rules, know what's going on with his or her ball, because if he or she gets called on it later, the player can say, I didn't know. I don't get it. The path here, with both these rules changes, is for the player to assume less responsibility. Golf is supposed to be about owning it.

This is so true and we'll rue the day, but the reality is that players were paying double the price for the rules officials' failure to do their jobs...  So, we're going to ignore the rules violations and avoid the pile-on penalties,  and hope that we'll never have to see Lexi cry again...

But, per Phil we will have at least one more year of players purposely moving their marks to avoid spike marks....

Design Stuff - Geoff's been doing double-duty on his blog and in the Golf Channel studio on subjects of interest...  First, he has way too much fun with the awkward categories used by the golf mags to rate courses:

As the golf industry no longer churns out courses or even sees consistency in the renovation market, Golf and Golf Digest struggle to present their annual year-end "Best New" awards with any consistency. Or logic.

Golf's is an odd list given the international courses few in its U.S.-based readership will play. Then there is the blessing of Streamsong Black as the year's "best new course of the year" and Sand Valley as the year's "best new course you can play." Even though Streamsong is a resort you very much can play, with the Black opening in September.

So a course that opens in September 2018 is the Best New Course of 2017?  Was this voted on by rules officials?  Specifically, these are the categories:

BEST NEW COURSE YOU CAN PLAY

BEST NEW COURSE OF THE YEAR

BEST NEW PRIVATE COURSE/INTERNATIONAL COURSE

RENOVATION OF THE YEAR

BEST NEW COURSE YOU CAN PLAY (HONORABLE MENTION)

SPECIAL CITATION: Spectacular New Short Courses

Given the way that the architects are fighting over table scraps, I'd have added a Miss Congeniality... 

And Golf Digest had this head-scratcher:

Still not enough new courses to warrant New Public and New Private categories, so the 15 new courses nominated for consideration competed in a single Best New Courses race. But with 85 remodeled courses nominated, we decided to split our Best New Remodel survey into three categories to reflect the wide range of projects in today’s design industry. Major Remodel involves a total redesign with little regard to the original architecture. Renovation improves a design but sticks to the original routing. Restoration strives to honor the original architecture. What about “blow-up” jobs, where an existing course is so drastically altered (“blown up”) that it hardly resembles the original? That was up to each architect and individual club to decide whether to compete as a Best New candidate or Best Major Remodel.

I read that in the print mag a day or so ago and it seemed confusing...  and I'm a geek that likes this stuff.

Do catch the video embedded at the end of the post in which Geoff and Matt Ginella give their criteria for ranking courses....  also, this video of the two guys picking the architect whose courses they'd want to play for the rest of their lives.... 

And this explainer on USGA greens is good as well...

Oh Rory! - One last quick shot, this query from the TC panel:

3. According to The Guardian, Rory McIlroy will stick with his long-time friend Harry Diamond as his caddie for the 2018 season. Diamond also caddied for McIlroy at the end of last season after he split with J.P. Fitzgerald. Like this move?

Oy vey!  Let's see what the writers think:

Shipnuck: Sure, why not? Rory likes to keep things simple — the likes of Bones, with all of his data, would probably drive him crazy. Now that Rory is a married guy life on the road is, presumably, a lot more boring. Might as well have his best friend along to have some fun with. 

Sens: Sure. I trust that Rory knows himself and his game well enough to have a good sense for whether his caddie is the right fit for him. If he feels good about it, that should be good enough for the rest of us.

Sure, this is a great move.... except it dramatically lowers my expectations for Rory in 2018 and beyond.  I can't think of a player that would benefit more from a strong hand on the tiller more than Rory, but he can't see it....  I don't have the time to find that old anonymous tour pro feature from before The Masters, but expect to continue to see Rory bombing greens with wedges....Sheesh!

Udder Stuff

Sorry, readers, but what a week....  This alien life form that has seized control of my chest and sinuses is a fierce mother, and yesterday's travel was no picnic.  But you could have had it worse, you could have been the unfortunate soul stuck in middle seat next to me on Flight 1642....

I'm going to throw some stuff at you relatively quickly (in fact, I already have a post up), and hope it all makes sense....

Do You Have It In Green? - A pressing issue this week is that Jordan Spieth's green jacket doesn'tr fit him so well:

The green jacket is the most sought-after attire in sports. And yet, owning that magnificent garb doesn't prevent its wearers from committing a fashion faux pas. Just

ask Jordan Spieth. 

Speaking with the Associated Press' Doug Ferguson, the three-time major winner admitted he doesn't know his jacket size. An issue that reared its head following his 2015 Masters triumph. 

“I never got it tailored, so it’s huge,” Spieth said to Ferguson. “I never trusted anybody, never wanted anyone to go do it. I didn’t give them my size originally. I wore the one off the green that day, and I never gave it back to them to tailor or anything."

These kids today.... Given the control freaks at the club, you'd think they'd measure everyone in the field before balls are in the air....  But as I understand things, they grab a member's jacket in the approximate size for the ceremony, though it's never been clear to me when they get their own to take on tour for the next year.

One of the games old hands adds this recollection:

OK, but from 1963 (when he won his first) until 1998, how many different jacket sizes might Jack have needed?  And, at the risk of ruining my appetite, that jacket that was way too big for '63 Jack had to have been a tent....

Golf and Technology, an Awkward Fit - A couple of items to hopefully amuse, first a really puzzling decision from Far Hills, NJ:

The USGA issued a decision Wednesday that expands the possibilities of how technology is used in competition. 

Responding directly to Arccos, the GPS-based stat-tracking platform, the USGA ruled that Arccos Caddie—a feature in the company's Arccos 360 App for smart phones that uses stored data to give strategy recommendations to a golfer on the tee based on your past performance—is permitted during competition, as long as it stays on Tournament Mode and only discerns information with yardage, just as the USGA ruled on distance-measuring devices with Rule 14-3.

"Based on the information provided and our understanding that the Arccos 360 is incapable of gauging or measuring any parameter other than distance, use of the Arccos Caddie application in conjunction with the Arccos 360 application, as submitted, has been evaluated and it has been determined that the use of the Arccos Caddie application is permitted under the Rules of Golf when a Committee establishes a Local Rule permitting the use of distance measuring devices (see Decision 14-3/0.5). However, please note that in the absence of such a Local Rule, use of the Arccos System during a stipulated round is contrary to Rule 14-3."

Is this wise?  My sense is that they've limited it's capabilities sufficiently as to make it useless, but also complicated things greatly.  I can't imagine that the people using such an app care whether it's legal or not (and I'm OK with that), but they also won't understand what features cross the line.... Yet there's a headline that says Arccos Caddie is kosher.

Confused by the term Jailbreak Technology?  Welcome to the club, but here's a somewhat interesting backgrounder from an interview by gearhead Dave Dusek:

David Dusek: What got you and your team thinking about adding posts to the inside of a driver and connecting the crown and sole? 

Alan Hocknell: Well, it certainly did not start out as something that provided an obvious

ball-speed advantage. It was a completely different thing. 

We had the Big Bertha Alpha driver (in 2013), which had a gravity core in the center of the head. The gravity core sat vertically inside a carbon tube that was connected to the crown and sole. We didn’t have any other drivers that had that kind of internal structure, and in that form it did not provide a ball-speed advantage. It was just there to house the gravity core.

But in computer models, we did notice that it did something a little different, in terms of the way the head did or did not flex. It had an extra stiffness in the middle. We could have ignored it and said to ourselves, “Well that’s interesting, but let’s move on,” but we do have a group of people who are looking, full time, at things we don’t understand. We put this on their list, then used computer systems to manipulate it a little bit.

That new "Yo, Gear Guy!" column that we've feature before has an this interesting header:

Yo, Gear Guy! What's the biggest difference between a modern driver and one from 2012?

Get that?  A 2012 driver is no longer considered modern..... Tough crowd, though in the body of the piece the actual question was far more sensibly constructed:

Gerry A Cassel Jr on Facebook: What are the biggest differences between a driver from 2012 and today? Do the updates really justify spending the big bucks to upgrade?

Who doesn't ask this ate every demo day at their club?

Yes, the improved designs and technologies in today's new drivers do for many players justify an upgrade. While some might argue that since COR and ballspeed limits, which are regulated by the USGA, were maxed out years ago, there's no real reason to upgrade, I'd strongly disagree. Modern drivers offer a variety of new technologies including vastly improved clubface designs, aerodynamics, custom tuning options, and multiple clubhead options (some like Ping have three variations of the G400 that provide significantly different performance), that weren't available five or six years ago. My recommendation is to see the proof for yourself by taking your old gamer to a custom fitting studio and putting it up against the latest and greatest. Though it's possible you'll come away feeling OK with your current club, it's much more likely you'll see improvements in distance, dispersion, and consistency that convince you to make an upgrade.

I am not now have I ever been a gearhead, but that answer troubles me slightly...  My superficial understanding is that most of the recent changes have involved reduction of spin.  While that's mostly a good thing, there's a fundamental trade-off between lower spin and forgiveness of the clubs... 

Perhaps I'm emotionally scarred from my own recent experience.  The last couple of times I've hit drivers on a launch monitor I've been unable to get the ball airborne and to draw it, and I'm not exaggerating...  the problem with fittings is that the guy that shows up for a half-hour on the monitor might not be the guy you're used to seeing....  Now a demo that you can take out a few times on your regular track, so you can see where you hit it on No. 7, I like that much more.

There's a few other interesting themes in this week's column, most notable to me being the lead item on grip size....  seems to be a feature with some staying power.

One last amusing technological note, this one from Down Under:

Tom Colella was employed by an Australian water management company called Aroona Alliance in 2016 when he ran into a problem. He wanted to skip work to play golf, but his company tracked his location using GPS on his PDA device, which he was mandated to carry. So Colella put his electrical knowledge to the test, according to nakedsecurity.sophos.com.

He took an empty bag of Australian chips called Twisties and placed his PDA in the empty foil bag. By doing so, Colella had made a DIY Faraday cage, a device that blocks electromagnetic current. As long as his PDA was in the bag, his employer couldn't track his location, and he could play golf whenever he wanted.

But the inventive Aussie abused this loophole, playing as many as 140 rounds when he was supposed to be working. The abuse led to his downfall. Eventually, the company caught on, and called Colella into a meeting where his ruse was unveiled and he was fired.

Isn't his real mistake getting greedy?  But I do hope we was smart enough to not post his scores....

Architecture Week -  At Golf Channel, of course....  I haven't been watching, but Shack has embedded a few of their videos....  I especially like this one of Geoff, Charlie Rymer, Gary Williams and Matt Ginella discussing how it all went bad when Tour players started designing courses...

Of course it's a complete hot mess, because who has always designed golf courses?  The best players around, from Old Tom and Willie Park to James Braid and C.B. Macdonald.....

I'm also reminded of the story of Bill Coore looking for work and being told to pair up with a Tour player......Coore picked a good one for sure, and guys like Geoff Ogilvy will do as well, as opposed to those for whom it's clearly just a business opportunity.  No question that ties to real estate developments plays a role, but perhaps my biggest surprise is that the name Trent Jones isn't uttered.

Also enjoy Geoff and Matt Ginella's Dream 18's..... Silly fun, though I could almost get the sense that Matt liked Pebble Beach.  

Before I go, Golf Digest has a gallery of best new courses, including this obvious choice with a fun back story:

This is the fifth course that the design firm of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw has done for resort maven Mike Keiser, and the first not close to an ocean. No matter. It’s still on a thousand acres of rolling sand hills in Central Wisconsin, and Coore and Crenshaw were carte blanche to route their course. (Rumor has it Coore routed a hole outside the property line and Keiser reluctantly bought that additional parcel.) Given the name, many conclude Sand Valley is a combination of Nebraska’s Sand Hills Golf Club and New Jersey’s Pine Valley. But Sand Valley has its own personality, with some dual fairways, mammoth sand spits, enormous greens and even a hidden putting surface.

Now aren't you glad they expanded that airport?  It looks pretty spectacular....

The Ball, Further Thoughts

It does seem to have everyone's attention, doesn't it?  It may not lead to action...in fact, it likely won't.  Though it does seem that it may be a last chance.

Mike Bamberger pens a column with several interesting observations, though his underlying premise, a separate ball for the majors, seems more likely to set back the cause.  First this:

I don't view the weekly play on the Tour as "entertainment" but as a series of athletic competitions that, cumulatively, help us to identify who are the best players in the game.

In the 1970s, when most Tour golfers used balata balls and most recreational players used rock-hard, long-flying Top-Flites or something like them, there were (effectively) two different games. In terms of competition, and shot-making, I believe the game played by Trevino, Watson, Nicklaus and Co. was superior to today's smash-and-gauge game, but that is of course a subject on which reasonable people will differ. Age is a factor, too.

That's a great reminder of how things have changed....  the new balls have rendered the choice between distance and feel moot, because they spin so much less.  That said, it's always been two different games, even with the same equipment.

Let's let him make his case for a major ball....excuse me, a Major Ball:

For millions of us, the most interesting events of the golf year are the four major professional championships. (The Ryder Cup is a separate category.) What makes these weeks so special is what playing in them, let alone contending or winning, means to the players, and the demanding, interesting and often time-honored courses on which they are played.

It is a wonderful thing for golf that these four events have special status in the game. It is a shame that a course like Merion, all stretched out to nearly 7,000 yards, had to be manipulated almost to the point of being unrecognizable in an effort to provide a challenge to the modern player when the U.S. Open was held there in 2013. It is a shame that Augusta National will likely again lengthen its iconic par-5 13th hole, which now plays like a shortish par-4 for the game's longest players. It is a shame that this year's venue for the U.S. Open, Erin Hills, had a series of long, uphill hikes from green to tee, turning the walking experience into a tedious slog. It is a shame that an iconic hole like the par-4 Road Hole at St. Andrews, with a mere breeze in your face, no longer requires an elite player to hit a driver in play and to try to hold that heinous green with a three-iron.

Well, yes and no....  He bemoans the fact that Merion can no longer hold a U.S. Open, but they stopped going there after the 1981 even (which, ironically, I attended all four days).  And Pebble, a supposedly historic venue, didn't get its first Open until 1972.  In fact, the first waves of the USGA outgrowing venues had as much to do with hospitality tents as driving distance....

More to the point, if we believe that the ball must somehow be "rolled back", is that more likely to happen just for the four majors or for the professional game in toto?  That's been my logic in discussing Augusta National potentially saving us from this mess, and this seems just a variant of that....  If the guys are to be forced to adjust, at least give them the benefit of using it for all tourneys...

Here's where he gets specific:

Each manufacturer could make its own model. I wouldn't pretend to know what you would have to do to create a ball that does not go so far, but the basic starting point would be this: The Dustin Johnson-Justin Thomas-Jon Rahm drive in still conditions that now goes about 360 yards would max out at about 310. Those monsters would keep all the relative advantage they have earned. Length, after all, is an important component of the game. But the 480-yard par-4 would no longer be a hybrid-wedge. The majors would be more interesting and more demanding. They would only be elevated. Maybe the U.S. Open could return to Merion without pulling at every body part.

If Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Mike Davis, Fred Ridley of Augusta National and others would get behind this idea, it would have a chance. But if the ball manufacturers — particularly the biggest of them, Titleist — are not, it will never have a chance.

So, if DJ, JT and JR are hittin' it 310, Luke Donald's gonna be hammerin' it about 240, and still hitting maybe two fairways per round.  Of course, he's uniquely afflicted with that dreadful condition known as Luke Donald Disease....

If you're wondering why that second graph was included, Mike reached out to Wally Uihlein, who had this in response:

"PGA Tour driver club head speeds range from 100-130 mph (approximate range).

PGA Tour ball speed with driver ranges from 150-190 mph (approximate).

PGA Tour launch conditions with driver range from 8 degrees to 13 degrees (approximate).

And USPGA Tour spin rates, with a driver range, from 2000 rpm to 2500 rpm (approximate).

You want Dustin Johnson or Jason Kokrak to play the same spec ball as Brian Gay?

And why? To make the majors more special? Huh?

When you land on the specification, let us know. Because one type player will be favored and one type player will be harmed.

And the ghost of Leonard Decof will have a field day."

Wally, shame on you, I will not allow any Gay-bashing on this site....

But is the range of driver club head speed really that wide?  I'm a decent single-digit player, and my driver moves in the mid-to high nineties....  Can you make a living out there at 100 mph?

You'll have to click through to find out who Leonard Decof, is, but the question seems to be whether a rolled-back spec can be....well, specified, within which the manufacturers can design balls in a range of spin and other parameters.  I'm not smart enough to know the answer to that....

Leftovers

I'm unfortunately playing hurt...I've been whacked by a nasty chest and head cold, which has also kept me indoors.  If I say anything more stupid than typical, and that's setting the bar pretty damn high, it's from insufficient oxygen.... or something.

Golf Does Politics - I refuse to lead with you-know-who, as I'm a bit burned out there.... But golf's bizarre relationship with our political class can sometimes cause embarrassment, necessitating reminding you of this quote from a galaxy far, far away:

"Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made." - Otto von Bismarck

True that.    So, here's Item No. 1:

The tours weren’t talking, the lobbyists fretted and not until late Saturday were some of golf’s biggest organizations assured their tax-exempt status was safe. 

That status was preserved in advance of the Senate vote on their version of the Tax Cuts And Jobs Act. The PGA Tour and LPGA Tour faced major changes to their 501 c(6) tax-exempt status. 

The Senate’s language amended the tax law to eliminate the words “professional sports leagues” from the 501(c) tax code and specifically prevent such organizations from using non-profit status when filing tax returns. Never clear in the effort was who wrote the clause and whether it was directed at golf or, more likely, the NFL, whose tax status was highlighted in an Oct. 10 tweet by President Donald Trump

As noted, this applies to pretty much every sports league, but just the leagues themselves.  One can see how this seemed logical initially, as league infrastructure was small and most revenues accrued to the franchises.  But with licensing , streaming and massive television revenues, the optics seem especially troubling...

That said, it's not likely that much in the way of additional tax revenues would be realized and there's other aspects of their tax treatment, including the amortization of player contracts, that deserve greter scrutiny as well.

Our second item on this theme involves one of our faves:

A tiny airport in central Wisconsin that’s seen an influx of private jets since a Republican donor’s world-class golf course opened nearby would get $4 million in improvements

under funding slipped into the state budget this week. 

The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee approved the funding after the developer of the Sand Valley Golf Resort, Michael Keiser, donated $25,000 to the state Republican Party in February, records reviewed by The Associated Press show. 

That donation was three weeks after Gov. Scott Walker released his budget without funding for Wisconsin Rapids’ Alexander Field. Keiser has given at least $65,000 to Walker and Wisconsin Republicans since 2012. 

“It sure looks like Mr. Keiser’s campaign contributions to Scott Walker and Republicans teed up millions in taxpayer-funded improvements to help bring corporate jet ferried golfers to his Wisconsin courses,” said Mike Browne with the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now. “Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue to have to deal with crumbling roads and bridges and delayed projects as these same Republicans take a budget mulligan and refuse to fix the state transportation funding crisis.”

I for one am shocked that there's gambling politics in Casablanca Wisconsin.... The first thing you need to know is that despite anything you might have heard about Wisconsin, Nice, politics there is a blood sport, at least when elected officials have an "R" after their name.  Here's just one example of how the art has evolved....

But it has the aroma of a hatchet job, at least to this reader.  First and foremost, Mike Kesier is not an especially political person, remember that he got his first resort off the ground in the People's Republic of Oregon, not exactly a Republican stronghold.  And he's a Chicago guy as well...  Of course he gave to the R's in Wisconsin, because they're the ones in power.

Plus, one needs to read to the bottom of the piece to find this little nugget:

The state Department of Transportation had planned to pay for the airport upgrades in 2021, but it would be moved up to this year to meet the demand caused by the added air traffic due to the golf course, Krug said.

The man is investing tens of millions of dollars in your state, which will employ your residents and pay healthy sales and other taxes.  Do you not want him to succeed?

Thoughts and Prayers -  Tour player Morgan Hoffman takes to Derek Jeter's Player's Tribune to share some horrible news:

Even though the type of muscular dystrophy that I have doesn’t pose an immediate threat to my life, there is a good chance that it will shorten it. I don’t know when that will happen, because there’s no way to gauge the speed at which the disease will spread.

But please know this: This disease won’t keep me from achieving my dream of winning on the PGA Tour — and it shouldn’t keep anyone else from chasing their dreams either.

I hope he wins one soon.....

Tour Doings -  A bit of this and that from professional golf....

You'll no doubt be relieved to hear that this guy nailed his audition:

Tim Mickelson will join his brother as a full-time caddie this season, leaving behind his role as rising star Jon Rahm's agent. Phil Mickelson split with his longtime caddie Jim

"Bones" Mackay in June, with Tim filling in for Bones since. Bones and Mickelson worked together for 25 years. Bones has moved on to a new role as an on-course reporter for NBC/ Golf Channel.

"Coach Mickelson will always be important to me and has done many good things to support my career, and I wish him and Phil well in their new partnership," Rahm said in a statement. The Spaniard is currently ranked fourth in the world.

He didn't play very well after the change, but no doubt a small sample size.  I suspect nepotism was involved, though perhaps he truly was the best candidate.

Additionally, Shack has posted that Sony has re-upped for the Oahu event through 2022, but sees something between the lines:

It may be nothing but the press release announcing the Sony Open extension through

2022 notes a "new agreement commencing following the 2018 event. Whether this suggests the possibility of a date move remains to be seen, but the Sony has been mentioned as a fall bridge event between mainland and Asian stops.

Worth noting as well: Waialae Country Club has hosed the event every year since 1965.

Once again we get a hint of the Tour changing that which works unnecessarily.  Prime time coverage from Hawaii in January is a no-brainer.....  so sure, guys, move it to November.

I still want my Western Open back.

I was going to to blog some of the Tiger detritus, but I'm feeling pretty spotty.  Can you live with a rain check?

Weekend Wrap

Didja watch any golf?  Yeah, I thought you might have.....  The reviews are in, shall we cycle through some blurbs (H/T Shackelford):

Steve DiMeglio:

There are no issues with his surgically repaired back.

No issues with his swing speed.

No issues with his power.

Nope, after a 72-hole romp around Albany Golf Course, there remain few issues ahead for Tiger Woods, few questions as he heads into the new year.

Doug Ferguson:

Woods made a return to golf that was solid with his health and his game, and he headed into the holidays thinking about a schedule for 2018.

Ben Everill:

Tiger Woods is back – again.

The future looks bright for Woods after the 79-time PGA TOUR winner successfully negotiated all four rounds at the Hero World Challenge in his long-awaited comeback from back surgery.

Rex Hoggard:

For four days, Woods drove the ball as well as he has in a decade, putted better than his final statistics might suggest and largely controlled his golf ball with the notable exception of his opening loop on Saturday.

Brian Wacker:

For four days, Woods drove it as well he has in 10 years, mostly looked good with the putter and, save for his opening nine on a blustery Saturday, largely controlled his ball.

And Bob Harig:

The power he unleashed with his driver -- and some of the other shots he launched into orbit with his 2-iron -- was a remarkable sign of renewal, especially if you understand where he has been since the first of four back surgeries in 2014 and all the struggles he has had keeping the ball in play.

Woods had no trouble keeping pace with Thomas, who ranked eighth in driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2017 by averaging nearly 310 yards off the tee.

How do you like my speed-blogging so far?  My only real quibble is with the first guy, in that we shouldn't pretend that we know what's going on with the back.  But I'd love to know what kind of swing and ball speed he was showing last year, because my addled memory thinks we were saying many of the same things then.

In addition to doing my blogging for me, Geoff had these amusing thoughts as well:

If Tiger were Star Wars then 1997 would be his Episode IV A New Hope, 2000 his Empire Strikes Back and the 2016 World Challenge, in hindsight, his version of stilted Episode 1.

Egads!  This may be the first time he's ever sucked up to millennials...and this:

First, let's get an hygiene point out of the way before we get to the reviews: Tiger, under no circumstances, should ever sport facial hair of any kind again. No goatees, no fu manchu's, no modified-fu manchu's and certainly no soul patches. Clean shaven for this comeback, the man looked ten years younger! Oh, and he still has no major titles won with any of his assorted growths from over the years, FYI.

Heh.  That YouTube golfer his kids like so much never had any facial hair, so maybe that'll sway him....

Shall we see what the learned Tour Confidential panel thought:

1. Tiger Woods made his much-anticipated return at the Hero World Challenge, putting up scores of 69-68-75-68 to finish tied for ninth in the 18-man field. At one point Friday afternoon, he (briefly) held the outright lead, and his week featured booming drives, flushed irons and club-twirls galore. Successful first step?

Sean Zak: Raving success. Pessimists will say this course wasn't challenging enough, but it was. Use Tiger's competition as the litmus test and you'll see he beat eight elite players on a course where he beat just two a year ago. I won't even get started about his impressive length. 

Michael Bamberger: Yes, completely. He's been through a personal hell, major surgery, the chip yips and a bunch of other things. He played well and carried himself well and talked like a person who knows there's a mountain in front of him and he's just starting the climb. It was impressive.

No real arguments with these guys, but Joe Passov goes off on one of his typical long and winding roads:

Joe Passov: If we’re to believe the folks broadcasting the event, the fact that Tiger got his ball speed up to 180 seemed to be the biggest news. And yes, he was banging it out there with JT. Funny, last time I checked, the final score, after adding up each hole, was what mattered ... but, yes, hugely successful first step. Incredible to see him swinging and walking pain-free. The fact that he contended for awhile and rebounded beautifully on Sunday made it all fantastic. The buzz is back.

Joe, you ignorant slut....  we get that he didn't win this week, but all most of us care about is whether he can compete with these guys in the future, say early April?

Unsurprisingly, the panel is going to milk this subject further:

2. Woods's four rounds were encouraging, but he still had some rough spots. According to his former coach Hank Haney's count, Woods required two chips from short range on seven holes over his first three rounds. Is this an obvious sign that he hasn't yet vanquished his chipping woes?

Berhow: I don't know if I'd say he has the dreaded "chip y---," but lots of other players had trouble chipping off Albany's tight lies and slopes as well, but with Tiger, everyone sees every single shot. It was by far the worst part of his game, but he's got time to work on it.

Bamberger: His bad shots looked bad, but not the kind of bad that's going to derail a career or a comeback. And by "comeback,” I mean contend now and again and win on some of those occasions. Johnny Miller won at Pebble at age 46 as a full-blown yipper.

Yeah, Mike is probably correct about the realistic upside for a guy in his 40's, even when that guy used to be Tiger Woods.  There was this dissent:

Sens: I'm less optimistic than the rest of you about this. I don't believe tight lies and grain alone can account for all of his struggles around the greens this week. Rust doesn't either. He's had plenty of time to work on his short game. I'm with Haney. The yips don't just go away. It sure looked to me like Tiger is still wrestling with them.

I agree that the yips don't go away, I just don't think we know whether that's the correct diagnosis...  But while he's had nothing but time to work on his short game, it's also fair to note that that wasn't in competition....  The chipping and his speed on putts were obviously the two weakest parts of his game and will deservedly be closely scrutinized when next he pegs it.

Want more?  Of course you do, but I shan't make you beg:

3. Based on what you saw from him in Nassau, have your expectations changed for Woods in 2018?

Zak: My expectations have undoubtedly changed, and significantly so. I was very pessimistic. I was not convinced the guy could drive the ball well anywhere, even at wide-open Albany. But then he goes out and hits all but one fairway on Sunday ... and keeps up with Justin Thomas at every turn? This is the greatest ball-striker of all-time, people! Woods is past his career prime, but a bunch of 120-yard shots into greens is still birdie central.

Bamberger: Not really, except now it is easier to see him playing a full schedule. He's no different than any other golfer: he needs to play to have a chance, and the more he plays (within reason) the more chances he will have. I'm trying to say he looks healthy physically.

That's not one of Mikey Bams' better efforts, as health was Issue No. 1....  Of course our expectations and anticipation have change, likely too much so considering those Masters odds....  

And this inevitable query:

4. Will Tiger win next year?

Before we dive in, can we just take a moment to enjoy that non-ridiculous question....  But the gangs answers might surprise you:

Zak: No, because the Tiger Schedule is always so difficult. Torrey, the majors, etc., all have difficult fields. I expect multiple top 15s, though.

Sens: See above on chipping. Winning is hard enough these days for a player without a single weakness. Tiger can be the picture of health all year but if there are little hobgoblins in his head anytime he pulls a wedge around the green, it's going to be next to impossible to beat a field of the world's best. I hope that's not the case, but those demons are frightfully hard to vanquish.

But these were my two favorites:

Berhow: A Tour event, no, but he will win a Ryder Cup singles match.

Ritter: If his body allows him to practice and play as much as he likes, I think he might win the 2018 Hero World Challenge. Before that, maybe a close call or two.

Of course I like them because Tiger would hate them....  But it's damn hard to win out there.

Brentley Romine takes a shot at Tiger's pre-Masters schedule, though down't add much to our understanding.  It only gets harder, because the West Coast swing comes with early-morning tee times under cold conditions, and anyone that's ever dealt with back issues knows how tough those can be.  I'll add a personal; plea for him to not fly to the Middle East to collect a large appearance fee, but that's likely wishful thinking...

You'd expect him for sure at the Honda and Bay Hill, but to me Torrey is the key.....  

As for the guy that won, there was this:

5. While Tiger drew the crowds and headlines, Rickie Fowler went out on Sunday and shot a course-record 61 to win the Hero by four shots; he also finished second

at the Mayakoba earlier in the fall. One NBC analyst said on the air that he expects 2018 to be to Fowler what 2017 was to Justin Thomas. Agree?

Berhow: We have been waiting for Rickie to take that step for quite some time, and he hasn't. He had that phenomenal 2014 where he was top five in all four majors, and we thought THAT was the launch pad. A Players victory came after it, but still no majors. I expect Fowler to win in 2018, maybe even twice, but I don't expect him to catapult to a JT-like season. 

Zak: It feels cliche to say yes because, as Josh says, we've asked this question before. That being said, Fowler just came off one of the best seasons, statistically speaking, that he's ever had. He's clearly not backing off that. I think that's his new norm, and I think he uses it to win three Tour events in 2018.

Yes, Rickie was on fire and looked in complete control...  That said, nothing that happens in December should change our view of any player.... especially not at an 18-player tourney.  Rickie is proof of how hard it is to win out there....  I do think he;ll win a major and I certainly wouldn't be surprised if it's sooner rather than later....

Just one more that has me puzzled, then I have to go:

6. Hideki Matsuyama was at the center of a controversial kerfuffle at the end of the second round. He hit a chip up the slope on the 18th hole that came up short of the green, and as the ball rolled back toward him, Matsuyama stamped down his divot, which could have been interpreted as him attempting to improve his lie. Officials spoke to Matsuyama, who said he didn't intend to improve his lie, and no penalty was assessed. You good with that ruling?

Berhow: If Hideki said he didn't try to do it, I believe him. That's the golfing code, anyway, right?! Plus, it's an unofficial event with 18 players. I'm not losing sleep over it.

Passov: Mr. Ritter, I agree completely with your assessment. I'm content to let it be, but if this were a full-field deal, I have to admit, I'd have a harder time with it.

Excuse me, gents, but where in the rule book does it differentiate based on field size?

The larger point is that the rules have become hopelessly muddled through the introduction of intent into the assessment.   I'm sure it happened in a fog for Hideki, as with any player, but it should either be or not be an infraction.... Just decide guys, but the Get Out of Jail Free Card of intent is quickly getting old....

There's 6" of actual show and a young man needing transportation to the airport, so can we agree that we'll get together again tomorrow?

Udder Stuff

Believe it or not, there's other stuff going on in our little fishbowl....

Twitter Spat du Jour - Ours is a game for gentlemen, though apparently that doesn't translate to Twitter....  Our Brandel is at it again:

After Billy Horschel got into it with Brandel Chamblee, how long would it take for the Golf Channel analyst to be involved in another Twitter throwdown with a player? 

The answer: 12 days.

That long?  Now Brandel has made a practice of blocking people, which has become something of a badge of honor for those lucky enough to incite Chamblee's ire.....  But at the risk of complicating the narrative, it's the placid Duf that seems to have erred:

Perhaps...just maybe, shut your effing mouth isn't intended to promote a good-spirited debate.  On the other hand, I haven't been sufficiently interested to dive in and see what Brandel said about Cook....

By all means go read the whole thing....  I actually think Duf comes off quite badly in this, though at least we get to see him showing some emotion.  Amusingly, he apologizes for the F-bomb, though we're all way too used to that by Now (and Brandel does reference the profanity).  But to my ear, it's the shut up that's more offensive....

But it's always fun to see golfers behaving badly, no?

News You Can Use - This is way above my pay grade:

Golfers who keep their eyes focused on where they want the ball to go have a higher chance of sinking a putt, Nova Scotia researchers have found.

A team based at St. Francis Xavier University observed that, contrary to common practice, golfers who looked up instead of down while putting were more successful.

By up they mean looking at the line, rather than at the ball.....

They held sessions over four days with 28 experienced golfers who tested the hypothesis with breaking putts — shots where the green slopes and golfers don't aim directly for the hole.

Forty per cent of the putts where golfers looked at the target line went in the hole — three per cent more than when they kept their eyes on the ball.

To put that in perspective, MacInnis said golfers typically make 33 putting strokes a round. 

"It doesn't sound like it's a big difference but if you think about it in golf terms … you're going to save one stroke a round and that's actually very meaningful for golfers," he said.

3% doesn't sound like much, though we'd all take it in a heartbeat....  the above link is to a story, the full study can be found here.   But don't blame me when your brain starts hurting....

'Tis the Season - Derek Lawrenson posts and engaging best and worst of column, but he certainly won't be getting any interviews with Far Hills crowd with this:

Worst Tournament 

Just when you think they can't possibly cock it up for a third year running, the United States Golf Association managed to debase yet another US Open. A shocking, soulless venue in the middle of nowhere and scoring so low the tournament's raison d'etre as the hardest major was lost completely. I recently had to fill in a survey from the USGA asking what I thought of them. It's fair to say they didn't score well.

C'mon, Derek, tell us what you really think.....

I think this is right:

Best Shot 

Isn't it amazing that one stands out from the millions played? Step forward Justin Thomas, and the three wood he struck from 310 yards with a 290-yard carry at the par-five 18th at Erin Hills to set up the eagle three that broke the scoring record at the US Open. Quite simply, only a handful of players have the skill set to even contemplate such a blow, much less pull it off.

That one took one's breath away.....

Best Tournament 

Commendations to The Open, with Jordan Spieth's eye-opening shenanigans plus the amazing, raucous crowd, and a vibrant yet sporting Solheim Cup. But it has to be the Masters for that unforgettable final-round duel between Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose. Everything we love about sport was on show: two men at the top of their game, culminating in a win for a deserving Spaniard who almost won a major as a teenager but, at 37, finally got there.

No doubt they're 1 and 1A, though I'd have gone with that madcap final round at Birkdale.  The Masters made good on an historical injustice, but The Open seems to me more about the future....  But good stuff at both.

Lastly this:

Worst Shot 

Has any golfer won The Open while hitting a shot as bad as the drive Jordan Spieth struck on the 13th at Royal Birkdale in the final round? It finished in such heavy rough that he decided to take a drop beside a club manufacturers' truck in an area not usually considered part of the golf course. The only reason it wasn't out of bounds is that no-one thought it would be necessary to mark off that area. The golf Spieth played thereafter was the mark of a true champion, but he was a lucky one, too.

Really?  I'm guessing that wasn't even close to Jordan's worst shot of the year....

Rory in Red -  This is quite the strange business story:

Superstar golfer Rory McIlroy's management and image rights firm last year recorded a pre-tax loss of $105.4m (€88.3m)

The paper loss stems from a non-cash writedown of $99m in the value of McIlroy's lifetime image rights.

The Northern Ireland golfer is unlikely to be too perturbed with the loss, with 'Forbes' magazine last year estimating that he earned $42.5m in 2016 - broken down between $35m from endorsements and $7.6m in winnings.

Mcllroy is taking a break from the sport having battled with injury for much of the year and hits the greens again on January 25.

The figures show that revenues at Rory McIlroy Management Services Ltd (RMMSL) last year totalled $21.7m - or $418,269 per week.

I have no clue as to how they have access to this information, the companies being private and all.  Though this comment is amusing:

"RMMS Ltd own and manage Rory's lifetime image rights. Each year, the directors review the value of these rights," said a spokeswoman for the four-time major winner. 

"The value the directors assign fluctuates in line with changes in Rory's operating environment."

His "operating environment"?   Isn't the change due more to, you know, his play?  Given his putting, perhaps zero would be a more supportable valuation....

But funny all the same....

The Reviews

It's Better in The Bahamas..... so far, at least, it's better than even last year.

Batting lead-off, Josh Berow from the orphan Golf Magazine:

NASSAU, Bahamas — No one will confuse the first round of the Hero World Challenge for Masters Sunday. It's an unofficial PGA Tour event run by the Tiger Woods

Foundation. There are only 18 players competing on a less-than-taxing Albany layout, and the galleries are more U.S. Amateur than U.S. Open. 

But if you don't think Thursday's opening round meant a great deal to the tournament host, you would be wrong. 

Playing a competitive round for the first time in 301 days, Woods opened with a mixed-bag three-under 69. He hit big drives through the breeze and made long putts. He chunked chips (twice) and fist-pumped (also twice). He cussed like he used to in his world-beating heyday. Most important, though, he looked healthy. He didn't grimace after swings or gingerly bend down to pick up his ball. He joked with playing partner Justin Thomas on the tee box and in the fairway yet still exhibited his signature steely stare.

Well, it wasn't quite a vintage steely stare, but he was able to stare without back pain, so there's that. 

Steve Di Meglio noted another throwback move:

On the fourth hole of his latest comeback, the Tiger Woods of old showed up when he

chunked a short chip shot. 

Moments later, the Tiger of old showed up again when he buried a 20-footer for par on the same hole and uncorked the first fist pump of his comeback. 

While Woods called his ballyhooed return “up and down,” he produced far more roars than groans in Thursday’s first round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Course. In his first start in 10 months and just his fourth in two years, the former world No. 1 didn’t have any issues with his surgically repaired back and was a physical, powerful brute with driver in hand — regularly exceeding 320 yards off the tee.

C'mon, that was an old man's fist pump.....

But Doug Ferguson might be on to something:

Unlike a year ago, when Woods ended a 15-month hiatus from his ailing back, he didn’t show any fatigue at the end of his round or make any big numbers. His only regret was playing the par 5s at Albany Golf Club in 1-over par with two bogeys that stalled his momentum. 

Coming off a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth, Woods hit a 3-wood that rolled up on the green and then down a slope about 30 feet from the pin. It took him four shots from there, starting with a chip that didn’t reach the green and his first expletive loud enough for television to pick up.

OMG!  Forget the stares and fist pumps, if he's dropping F-Bombs he must really be back....

Bob Harig is clearly not grading on the curve:

So hitting 7 out of 13 fairways, 12 out of 18 greens and needing 28 putts was a solid

performance, even on a relatively benign Albany Golf Club course that saw 15 of the 18 players break par. 

"I was very happy I found the rhythm of the round by the second hole,'' said Woods, who made five birdies and two bogeys. "After I hit that 8-iron in there pin high (on the par-3 second), I felt I've got the rhythm. On 3, I smashed a drive down there and then hit a 2-iron about 265 into the wind, I just hit it on a rope, put it up there on the green. I knew I was back playing again.

Even I'm not that stingy with the praise....  It's really hard to see how the day could have gone much better.  He was busting it 320 off the tee, past that Thomas guy on occasion.  He had that one horrible drive blocked right-of-right, but he was known to do that back in the day as well...  The putter looked good as well...  He had the two zaftig chips and at least one sub-par bunker shot, but he posted a very credible score....

And Jeff Babineau had one more positive:

Tiger Woods stood over an 8-footer to save par on his final hole in his long-awaited comeback round on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge, and he never did see the majestic double rainbow that seemed to stretch across the entire island behind him. 

Typical Tiger. Some parts of his game may be rusty. His penchant for grinding is not among them.

Geoff had these thoughts (and also gets a hat-tip for the aggregation services):

A few shaky wedge shots that looked more rusty than yippy to me dropped the performance from an A to maybe an A-, but Woods otherwise looked like his persistent old self. The coverage noted the grinding and driving distance, regularly at 320 yards with the big stick.

I do agree that those wedges didn't look yippy, though with the wet grainy conditions it's a bit difficult to know.  The day was a home run, though I'll go out on a limb and suggest that he might just go the wrong direction today.  It is, after all, still golf....

But this is way over-interpreting 18 holes on a wide-open track:

Tiger’s Masters odds fell, from 66-1 to 33-1.

Sell, baby!

In other tourney news, this is a nice story:

In the Bahamas this week at the Hero World Challenge, Spieth chose someone else to step in for Greller. One of Spieth's buddies from his high-school golf team in Dallas, Eric Leyendecker, is filling in, and what from we've learned about Leyendecker's story, it's quite inspirational.

Leyendecker has overcome three battles with cancer at a young age. In the post below, he details a surgery to remove a tumor in his kidney, and includes a video taken by his buddy, Spieth. You can hear Spieth offering inspirational words to Leyendecker, "You look good." Listen to the video below with audio:

That video is obviously at the link.  he describes himself as having beaten cancer, which we can only hope is true.

Here's another player that is having to make do with a substitute caddie:

Kevin Kisner had to make a call to the bullpen early in his first round at the Hero World Challenge after his longtime caddie went down with a knee injury. 

Jimmy Piercy came to the Bahamas with his good friend, caddie Duane Bock, to watch Bock loop for Kisner at Albany Golf Club. When Bock’s knee “popped” on the fourth hole, Piercy got closer to this week’s action than he ever expected. Bock was transported to the locker room, where officials helped to elevate his leg, and Piercy stepped into action to carry Kisner’s bag.

Caddies: still not athletes....

Lastly, Shack has this video of Daniel Berger's eagle putt that you need to go watch if you didn't see it.   After watching it several times I've come to the conclusion that Reed's ball was just to the right of Berger's line so that if he pushed his putt slightly it might deflect it back on line....

But Geoff buried his lede.....  I believe it was on Tiger's chip on the fourth, though I might be wrong.  But Justin Thomas's ball was just past the hole and a titch to the left, and he hustled up to it and threw down a coin.  Wassup with that?  I know these guys are focused like a laser on pace of play, so it's unconscionable that he would waste that time...  He's also on record as having the right to hurry and play such a shot, but maybe said inalienable right doesn't extend to other players?

Or, perhaps a darker motive....  He refused to backstop the only black player in the field.... Since I don't believe in coincidences, it must be RACISM!  Just kidding, for those that have had their senses of humor surgically removed....

They re-pair the small field here, and Tiger goes with Henrik Stenson today.