Thursday, April 18, 2024

Thursday Threads - Masters Leftovers Edition

It's getting close to time to move on.... But not just yet.

Augusta In The Rearview Mirror - As we emotionally distance ourselves from Magnolia Lane, we may find time to consider the women's first major of the season, A/K/A The event that the Lords of Augusta destroyed.  But first, some last bits for your consideration, mostly from Shack and Dylan Dethier.

Two independent voices of differing generations that work as a Point-Counterpoint debate.  For Instance, their takes on our Eldrick, first Dylan:

6. Tiger Woods walked 72 holes.

After a terrific performance in the first two rounds to make his record-setting 24th consecutive Masters cut (with five shots to spare!), things took a negative turn on the weekend for Tiger
Woods.

That’s been the story in Woods’ recent major starts. At last year’s Masters he made the cut and then withdrew on Saturday night. At the PGA Championship in 2022 he withdrew on Saturday night, too. And although he gritted his way to a 47th-place finish at the 2022 Masters, he hobbled through the final round using his driver as a walking stick.

So in many ways Woods’ 82-77 weekend didn’t feel like progress. But in terms of his body holding up for four days? It’s at least a step in the right direction. We’ll see whether that trend continues.

OK, but a bit of a low bar, no?  Don't get me wrong, I'm OK if his time has passed, but the Tiger dead-enders can't be sated....

Geoff trisects the world into Winners, Cut-Makers and (Point) Missers, and places the Striped One in that middle category (and, no, I can't explain the parenthesis):

Tiger Woods. A remarkable 24-consecutive cuts made sets the new record after a tremendous performance that required a rapid Thursday-to-Friday turnaround. But 82-77 on the weekend was painful to see. The stiff back and lack of golf conditioning remains an issue even as he appears to walk better, has all of the shots and can out-navigate the kids around a complex course. At least Tiger treated amateur Neil Shipley to a once-in-a-lifetime final round by making the low amateur feel welcomed while making Oakmont feel bad about all of the tree removal. Oh, and the Sunday Red Sun Day Red logo remains weird but good job jettisoning the S.D.R. initials that teed up the haters to hate.

Could someone explain the Oakmont reference?  

In a perfect world, this would be a learning experience for those running our game.  Here we are reveling in Tiger's made cut record and extolling is Friday grind in pursuit thereof, quite the shock when you realize the idiots in charge don't want there to be cuts any longer.... I completely understand that we cannot grow our game if Cantlay has to risk missing a cut.  It's just so maddening that to save golf we have to destroy it, but I'm sure Patrick has the fans' interest at heart.

But, and they both seem loathe to say it out loud, it's hard to retain any hope that the man can be competitive if he has to walk 72 holes.  Don't shoot the messenger....

Shall we see how they come down on the defending champion?

8. The defending champ didn’t like giving up the green jacket.

Jon Rahm is one of golf’s great competitors, so it’s not surprising that he’d be upset by the idea of giving up his green jacket. But as he put the finishing touches on a T45 finish he expressed some regret about not putting the fight to the World No. 1.

“There’s a lot of things that contributed to me not having my best week, and one of them I think was obviously on the greens, which is not easy. Never really had the pace of the greens, and a couple too many three-putts,” he said. Were there positives? Sort of.

“It’s been nice to have some receptions walking up to some tees no matter what my score was and seeing the appreciation. But when you don’t have your best week, it’s hard to have to stay now to put the jacket on somebody else and never really ever have a chance.”

I think they call  that a first-world problem....But I think Geoff came closer to the Spaniard's rage against the machine:

Jon Rahm. He came into the tournament embracing the perks of defending and put together what
sounded like an incredible evening. He earned raves from the past champions—until Ray Floyd had heard enough of Tom Watson and everyone called it a night. Then Rahm turned surly. “It's been nice to have some receptions walking up to some tees no matter what my score was and seeing the appreciation,” he said Sunday after a final round 76. “But when you don't have your best week, it's hard to have to stay now to put the jacket on somebody else and never really ever have a chance.” Coulda been worse Jon! You could have been enlisted to slap Pimento on white bread on the night shift. And while Rahm never looked as miserable as runner-ups forced to sit through cabin ceremonies of yesteryear—a cruel tradition now expired—it wasn’t the most jovial jacket awarding by outgoing champion Rahm. So much for $400 million delivering 24/7 happiness.

Neither mentions those passive-aggressive comments to Spanish media, the bigger issue being that their prize acquisition seems quite miserable with his decision, notwithstanding the $400 million large.

I'll add this apparent category error from Geoff:

LIV. Seven of 13 representatives made the cut, two managed to tie for T6, but only Bryson DeChambeau genuinely threatened the lead. Unlike last year when two players tied for second and made us question the PGA Tour’s run-up as the ideal Masters prep, cracks are turning into grand canyons after LIVsters Rahm and Phil Mickelson admitted expansion to 72 holes is just a matter of time. Not helping LIV’s street cred: DeChambeau suggested only Doral provided LIV players a big time prep test this year. And LIV dropping its OWGR application was highlighted by Chairman Fred Ridley in rejecting the league’s fantasy of seeing top players receive major exemptions.

How was this week anything but a disaster for LIV?  From chief clown Greg Norman's pathetic trolling from outside the ropes to Bryson's weekend fade, their thirteen top players weren't competitively relevant this week.  They can scream all they want about OWGR points, but this week doesn't make a case for that.

More importantly, the rumors of disaffection keep hitting, including Rahm, Smith and Koepka, among others....And no mater the extent to which Norman stalks Rory, literally, he just keeps saying, "You're not my type".

here's a couple that belong together.  Mid-Sunday, I got a text (you'll know when in the proceedings) that referenced the contenders throwing up on themselves, which isn't really fair (not that fairness and golf belong in the same sentence.  But I agree with Dylan's take on Max Homa:

4. Max Homa got a bad bounce.

I was behind the 12th tee for Max Homa’s tee shot peering over the shoulders of about 6,000 of my new best friends so it was a little tough to tell exactly what had happened when Homa’s ball flew the green other than it didn’t seem good. Once Homa started searching — and then measuring club lengths for a drop — it seemed extra not-good. But it wasn’t until I got back to the media center that I saw a replay of the bounce. What a rotten break! If it flies a yard further it hits the slope and comes back down. If it flies a yard shorter it doesn’t trampoline forward. A little left or right and it dodges that nasty patch of ivy. Brutal!

Turns out Homa felt the same way.

“The honest answer? Is it didn’t feel fair,” he said of the bounce. “I hit a really good golf shot, and it didn’t feel fair. I’ve seen far worse just roll back down the hill. But yeah, the professional answer is these things happen.”

These things do happen. That’s the game. But it’s tough when they happen while you’re in second place at the Masters on the back nine on Sunday, down one shot to the best player in the world. I’m not here to tell you that was the difference — even if you assume the bounce cost Homa two shots, he lost by seven — but it would have stretched the drama just a little longer.

I don't if "bad bounce" is the perfect term, but for Aberg as well it was a small mistake in just the wrong time and place, which to me is the essence of Augusta.  I was actually hoping to hear from Max as to club selection, because I suspect that he tugged it a titch as well....  

Shack had this related note:

Sharp edges. The Quad always supports the installation of graceful surface drainage to add interest over unnatural catch basins to move the heavy stuff into Rae’s Creek. This year we saw a
new swale around the sixth green similar to work at the 11th and 17th or even the since-softened 13th hole work of the 1980s. Naturalists Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones would recoil at the steepness of some of the slopes given how they largely discourage the ground game and force a lob wedge recovery instead of providing options. Rory McIlroy diplomatically described the biggest change he’s seen to the course over his 16 years: “There's a lot of sharpness to the edges of the green compounds that didn't used to be there, which makes it -- the right of the 11th green, which makes it just a little trickier to chip to and just penalizes the misses a little bit more, which ultimately, I think, is a good thing.” But “sharpness” is more Pete Dye than Alister MacKenzie. Steep slopes up to a green take away the skill of hitting a nifty little bump-and-run option adored by the original architects.

That explains much of what I saw during the week, but funny that it happens without any discussion thereof prior to the event.

Earlier this week we noted seemingly strong ratings for the early rounds.  But, upon further review:

Ratings. I wrote too soon. A 20% overnight ratings drop for the final round continues a season-long trend where—who’d a thunk it—entitlement, greed, the power game, heavy turnover, slow play, NBC/Golf Channel’s diminished reach and continued strong recreational numbers appear to have accelerated 2024’s narrative. There are caveats: the Masters streaming experience remains superior to anything in sports and is not accounted for in the ratings. This means many of those golfers playing might have had the telecast playing on their cell phones. CBS averaged just 9.6 million Sunday with a peak of 12.6 million as Scheffler clinched the win. Saturday saw a healthy 8.2 million average viewers. Also, SBJ’s Josh Carpenter notes that Nielsen’s numbers last year saw a bump due to “out-of-home” viewing, suggesting this year did not enjoy a boost from all of the heathens with one eyeball glued to the golf at Easter family brunch.

That's still a boatload of folks watching our silly game, but if you can't retain your audience at the Masters.....It's going to be a long, dismal year.

I agree with Geoff here, though for unexplained reasons this in included with the Cut-Makers:

Tinkerers, blamers-of-team-members, wannabe future captains of industry (with the initials P.C.), and current selectors of the next Ryder Cup captain. Rough week for the PGA Tour’s irreplaceable assets who’ve devoted too much time to board meetings and firing members of their “teams” in bids to avoid introspection. A bunch of guys should double down on what they’re not as good at these days: playing golf. Hopefully the rough week for the PGA Tour’s well-compensated but under-delivering stars humbled them into submission and will let grown-ups sort out the current mess.

It's been the story of the entire PGA Tour season.  We are reliably informed that professional golf is entirely about a handful of players, then said handful are conspicuously absent from leaderboards.  It may be that the product is the game, not Patrick, or is that just crazy talk?

Given Geoff's misclassification of that Perfect Penis, who is deserving of his contempt?  I agree this was quite the odd story:

Zach Johnson. The vulgar salutation to Amen Corner patrons applauding his triple bogey tap-in was unbecoming of a former champion. Funny, but unbecoming. And sure, there might have been
a few lubricated jeers mixed in with stock golf claps that are not ideal but no reason to tell patrons to F off. One dubious-sounding Reddit post claims the 2007 champion was heckled when arriving at the tee, but the one-liners cited sounded identical to February’s Scottsdale heckling that prompted his meltdown there (Johnson also gave a new spin on that episode last week). Unfortunately for Zach, the incredibly nice and golf-knowledgable people who attend the Masters, (A) would like to return year so they never heckle, (B) are generous in applauding anything short of someone falling on their face, and (C) Amen Corner patrons sit far away from the 12th green and often lose track of how many shots a player has taken if they are at all distracted by action on the 11th green or the 5 p.m. Crow’s Nest sales cutoff. Par putts at 12 sometimes get the same applause as a birdie putt. It’s the dynamic of the Corner. Still, Johnson put himself in position for quote of the year when, after the incident, he offered this beauty. “If I've said anything, which I'm not going to deny, especially if it's on camera, one, I apologize, and two, it was fully directed towards myself entirely because I can't hear anything behind me. Does that make sense?” Oh it does. Especially since it was on camera.

This gave drives us to madness, but his competitive prime is long behind him and he's supposed to an elder statesman of some sort, so the absence of class is noticeable...

I had heard about his histrionics, but not about the Sergio homage:

Tyrrell Hatton. Spitting on the greens? This isn’t a LIV stop. A T9 means you’ll be back but not before hearing from the Chairman’s office. Let us know what he says and be thankful Clifford Roberts is no longer around.

Did he use the "nothing but net" defense?  Amusingly, most of Hatton's vitriol was directed at on e certain hole, and Geoff seems to agree (on the substance, not the expectoration):

15th hole. Before the tournament we focused on the front nine’s increasingly defensive nature. But with this year’s extreme winds, the two back nine par 5s played much tougher than normal.
The setup crew kept the greens playable through Friday’s winds without calling in the hoses. That’s a tribute to the prep crews knowing the course, the weather and the data. But the 15th was all just a bit much. Even with more sunlight hitting the fairway after some selective right side pine pruning, the tee shot remains too difficult given a combination of narrowness, right-to-left fairway tilt and the left side’s fortified forest. The green complex has also grown too severe. The closer cut this year accentuated the pond’s influence and led to a lot of double bogeys. Throw in the crazy winds, extreme green speeds and pros hitting never-had-a-chance wedge shots and the hole was more of a survival test than risk/reward fun. Final stats: 5.007 average, 1 eagle, 37 birdies, 14 doubles and two others.

A couple last bits from Dylan.  I am not now nor have I ever been a gearhead, but this is probably of greater significance that we can appreciate:

5. Bryson DeChambeau’s irons story is insane.

Arguably the wildest storyline of the week. Let’s keep this very basic. As I understand it, for all of modern golfing history the faces on irons have been flat. Until this week.

In Bryson DeChambeau’s new iron set (more here), the irons don’t have flat faces; they have the bulge-and-roll profile you’d recognize from your driver. They weren’t approved by the USGA until the beginning of Masters week; DeChambeau’s team literally spent the weekend handcrafting them to pass inspection. And then DeChambeau — who has a poor Masters record — used these 3D-printed irons to shoot a first-round 65 to take the outright lead. He ultimately finished T6, which is significant for his career. But these irons feel like an even bigger story than that. And this week felt like the beginning.

How much of an advantage is that?  I'm still trying to understand how we should view Tiger's 15-shot Margin at Pebble in 2000, given that he was the only guy in the field playing a solid-core ball.  I suspect we'll hear more on this going forward.

I'm amused that Dylan's longest bit is this one that he doesn't know what to say about:

7. Rory McIlroy tried something different.

But maybe not as different as he’d have us think.

Rory McIlroy arrived on Tuesday of the Masters and was the final contestant to register. “I play 25 weeks a year, and there’s no point in doing anything different this week compared to other weeks, I guess,” he said. That was this week’s declared strategy.

The temptation, then, is to say that McIlroy tried not to take this week too seriously, but that’s not
quite right either. He flew to Augusta two weeks before the event for a scouting trip. He flew from Florida to Las Vegas just to get a golf lesson. He added an event, the Valero Texas Open, to play the week before the tournament. And when he arrived at the Masters, he came with a skeleton crew — essentially just his caddie and his agent — got his practice in and skipped the par-3 contest while his family stayed home.

By the time McIlroy wrapped his second round he’d faded to four over par, inside the cut line but fully 10 shots behind Scottie Scheffler, who’d played in his group. Their third was Åberg, who’d wind up second. A ho-hum weekend left McIlroy T22, which is where he’s been spending this season; five of his six PGA Tour finishes in 2024 have been between T19 and T24.

“I guess it’s more the same of what I’ve shown this year. It’s not as if it’s been a down week in comparison to the way I’ve been playing. It’s just a matter of me trying to get my game in a bit better shape going towards the rest of the season,” McIlroy said post-round. He doesn’t feel far off, he added, because “all these disappointing weeks are 20ths, 25ths. They’re not terrible weeks by any stretch, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.”

McIlroy was the subject of more headlines away from the Masters than at the Masters; on Monday various sites ran with a report that he was considering an $850 million offer from LIV that spread like wildfire across social media. His manager Sean O’Flaherty ultimately denied the reports to the Irish Independent. “Fake news. Zero truth,” he said.

Vanna, I'd like to buy a clue....  Rory will try anything, except actually addressing the profound weaknesses in his game or hiring a caddie that can actually read greens.  I'll make a bold prediction, to wit, that he'll continue to mumble about how close he is....  I know just call me Nostradamus.

Shall we give the ladies a moment?

Houston, We Have An Opportunity - It's a significantly diminished event, having lost its connective tissue to the early days of women's professional golf.  But there's the one lady that could bail them out:

5 things to know about the Chevron Championship, where Nelly Korda looks to extend her winning streak to five

I just have to note that, not only did the Lords of Augusta poop on the old Dinah and its pre-Masters date but, in making Harbor Town a Signature Event Money Grab, they've been further damaged by the PGA Tour.

Amusingly, Nelly is not one of her five items, but it's all anyone cares about at this juncture.  Yeah, this girl had a day on the big stage, but won't draw any eyes to TV's:

From Augusta to LPGA debut

Florida State’s Lottie Woad sent an email to her professors letting them know that she’d won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and would be headed to an LPGA major.

“I hope you can excuse me,” she wrote.

The Englishwoman, who birdied three out of the last four holes to win at Augusta National, is one of four amateurs in the field at the Chevron, and while she has no set goals for the week, she’s enjoying an up-close view of players she’s long watched on TV. Her putting coach also works with England’s Charley Hull, and they snapped a picture together.

Woad said it was cool how many pros reached out on social media to say they’d watched and offer congrats.

“There is a picture on Instagram of Justin Rose in front of the TV like with me holing the putt,” she said. “He’s definitely one of my idols, so seeing him watching it and supporting me was really cool.”

It's a nice story, but if you think PGA ratings have been dreadful, these will be measure in the dozens...

This would be great, if it weren't golf:

Is there another player, perhaps besides Lydia, that moves the needle even slightly?

The ladies have to find their own audience, and I very much hate the woke calls for equal purses.  That said, Augusta National went out of their way to damage the women's best professional event, and have never been held to account for that.

That's for today and probably this week.  Enjoy your weekend.

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Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Tuesday Tastings - Masters Hangover Edition

Often it's the second day f blogging that offers the deepest insights, though a quick pass through the major golf websites portends disappointment.  I guess the golfing press was focused on paying their taxes or consumed by the WNBA draft....

Let's see what we can come up with for you...

The Man In Green - Let's lead with ESPN's wrap up post:

Answering golf's biggest questions after Scottie Scheffler's Masters win

Big questions like Jason Day's vest?

The actually start with this one:

What's the ceiling for Scheffler?

This guy begins reasonably enough:

Schlabach: I honestly don't think Scheffler has a ceiling right now. Over the past two years, he has matured tremendously as a golfer. He admitted Sunday that playing golf will become less of a
priority after his wife, Meredith, gives birth to their first child later this month.

But Scheffler also said that he will always care deeply about winning golf tournaments -- almost wanting to win too much. I think capturing a second green jacket is confirmation that he's the best golfer in the world. He has won nine times since February 2022, but only one of them was at a major championship.

Now, he has won two green jackets. I don't think it's a question of whether Scheffler will win another major championship. It's a question of how many he's going to win and how long it's going to take him to pile them up.

But then the sound of his own voice becomes so intoxicating that he simply can't control his fingers on the keyboard....

Honestly, is it too early to talk about him winning a potential Grand Slam this season?

That's a hard YES!  The proper time to discuss Scottie's slam would be after he wins at Pinehurst, having also won at Valhalla.  But thanks for asking.

He is the best player in the world that just accomplished what I think may be the hardest thing n this maddening game, winning when you're expected to win.  That said, it's still golf, as the guy playing valet to Scottie in the above photo could attest.

We featured Ted Scott yesterday, who had this to say about teaming up with his new boss:

Scott had seen Scheffler play up close at the 2021 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where
Scheffler paired with Scott's old boss, Bubba Watson. And that was because nobody else wanted to play with Watson, according to Scheffler. A chance encounter, one might call it.

A few months later, Scott and Watson split, and Scheffler came calling. Scott's life has since changed in a big way, and he had no idea that would be the case when he took he job.

"When he called me, I had no idea he was that good," Scott said Sunday at Augusta National. "We [Scott and Bubba Watson] were his partner in New Orleans. I was like, yeah, he's a good player, and he's a great guy. I'd love to hang out with him.

"After two weeks, I was like, this guy is really good. Now it's like, wow, he is really good. I'm surprised, too."

This exchange from the 13th fairway was interesting:

Scott praised his boss' patience and his experience around Augusta National, though he did get a touch aggressive on the 13th hole when he didn't really need to. He was ahead by three strokes but decided to go for the green anyway from the rough. Naturally, he hit a piercing 4-iron to the safe side of the green and two-putted for birdie from 75 feet.

"He just seemed focused on doing Scottie Scheffler things," Scott said. "That's what he said on 13. He goes, should we go for it? I said, absolutely. Why don't we do what we do and what we're good at. He's the best ball striker in the world.

"He hit an unbelievable 4-iron, which is just incredible to that small target. Those targets seem big when you're caddieing for Scottie Scheffler. That's how good he is."

I wasn't so sure in the moment that was such a good call, but that's why he's the Augusta legend.....

I'll admit that I was hoping that Meredith would drop the kid yesterday, because how cool would it be to have your father win a Masters on your birthday.... But it's a grueling gauntlet after you win,. two green jacket ceremonies, multiple press availabilities and dinner with the members..... So, while we think he then rushed home to his bride....

We don't judge here at Unplayable Lies (Ed: Yeah, that's a good one), but does Scottie seem a dive bar kind of guy to you?

Mr. Shackelford does give Scottie his props, including this bit:

His power off the tee proved to be a noticeable asset on the weekend, but it’s his old-soul course management and self-confidence that carried the day. Scheffler joins legendary company as a two-time Masters champion by age 27: Nicklaus, Ballesteros and Woods.

But also has a bone or two to pick from the second hole:

The only blemish to his week was another concerning bout with the spirit of the rules. A subset of our world admires someone who stretches the boundaries of decorum in a quest for victory, but
Scheffler’s second hole issues Sunday probably should have been more closely scrutinized by tournament officials and CBS. Scheffer dropped forward from a crosswalk after what looked like another tense conversation with an official. Then, after airmailing the green, he failed to consult his playing partner or an official after possibly causing his ball to oscillate after persistent club grounding behind the ball. The patrons absolved him but they are not running the tournament. As with his 18th hole incident in 2022, the second hole situation highlighted Scheffler’s pushy persistence with officials and a disappointing lack of concern for how disappointing his spirit-pushing behavior comes across.

Don't know what to do with that rant.  I saw the drop and reacted similarly, though I didn't catch the interaction with the rules official.  As for the action behind the green, I'm with Geoff that this banging of clubs behind their balls has to come to an end.  I'm clueless as to why he would do that on a tight Augusta lie, though it simply can't be a Patrick Reed-inspired attempt to improve his lie.... But, Geoff, if all his ball did was oscillate, why is that a problem?

Men Not In Green - Not a good week for the LIVsters, much to your humble blogger's pleasure.  This item covers how each of the baker's dozen finished, including these five lost souls:

Missed cut: 6 over and worse

Sergio Garcia: 7 over

Bubba Watson: 10 over

Charl Schwartzel: 11 over

Dustin Johnson: 13 over

Adrian Meronk: 14 over

Folks are most surprised by DJ, though should they really be?   Don't know if you caught any of Sergio, but he had it coming just for those yellow pants on Thursday....  In fact, he owes Jason Day a thank you note.  His play makes this tweet look silly, as do the shorts:

The glass-half-full reaction is that the fledgling tour had two guys finish T6, which isn't so awfully bad.  The official Unplayable Lies reaction is that the best LIV could do was nine strokes off the winning score..... that doesn't sound as good, does it?

The serious issue is one we discussed last year, does the LIV schedule properly prepare these guys for the big events?  I made the case back then, but Phil, Brooks and Reed made my arguments seem weak.  But let's flip back to that ESPN item, specifically their assessment of the week's losers:

Uggetti: Several golfers finished below Jon Rahm this week, but plenty of golfers finished above him, too, including Scheffler, who beat Rahm by 20 shots. As a defending Masters champion, it's never easy to be the one who has to put the green jacket on the winner knowing full well you did not retain it.

But for Rahm, the dilemma goes beyond Butler Cabin. He showed up to Augusta having played less golf in the lead-up than any other year because of his departure to LIV Golf. It was unclear how much his game would suffer, if at all, from playing in 54-hole events and not tournaments like the Genesis Invitational, where he had also won in 2023.

Rahm looked sluggish, never seeming to find the ideal form to compete, let alone contend. It's difficult to repeat as a Masters champion, but it's also not a great sign that Rahm will leave Augusta and have to wait a week before heading to Australia and Singapore to play against worse fields in order to get ready for the next major in mid May.

The man doesn't seem very happy, does he?  And how about this hot take:

The Spaniard’s dire performance led to a withering take-down from respected Daily Mail journalist Oliver Holt, who wrote: “He played his final round wearing the air of a man who is beginning to realise he has made a horrible mistake. He was the king of the world and all of golf stretched out before him, waiting to be conquered. And then he sabotaged it all.

“He ruined his legacy by turning his back on mainstream golf at the height of his powers and joining a tour with a 54-hole format, where the lack of intensity seems to have left Rahm singularly unprepared for a return to the demands of more competitive golf.”

One of the amusing side notes to this is the acute sensitivity of the LIVsters to perceived slights, as if their rejection of the Tour that made them fabulously wealthy shouldn't affect them.  Interesting theory, but even this guy is whining about microaggressions:


"Yes, I have noticed hostile attitudes," Rahm said. "But I expected it, my friends have continued
to be my friends, but some with whom I had a very cordial relationship have not even looked at my face."

Rahm gave no indication of who he was referring to. Though one man we can definitely rule out is Scottie Scheffler, who Rahm was chuckling with during the green jacket ceremony following Scheffler's victory. No ill will there, it would appear.

Rahm says he was much more surprised by who it was that iced him as opposed to the icing in general.

"If someone changes their opinion [of me] it's your issue, not mine," he said. "I knew what was going to happen but I didn't know who."

I told you we would end up hating all these guys....  He sticks a shiv in their back and still expects them to adore him...Good luck with that.

But, gee, he gets iced by unnamed PGA Tour members, so wouldn't your first guess be the Artist Formerly Known as Patty Ice?

The writer of the El Mundo article, Hugo Costa, alluded to the fact that Rahm did have a "good relationship" with both Max Homa and Patrick Cantlay prior to leaving for LIV and that those two "could have had gestures of contempt" toward the Spaniard at the Masters. Rahm did not call out anyone by name.

To me, the funniest part of this is that the whine was apparently only for a Spanish audience..... Do they know we have the Internet? 

Did you catch Greg Norman's appearance in the gallery on Thursday and Friday?  Funny that he wasn't to be seen over the weekend, when his guys went South, but it gives Eamon Lynch a chance to review some history:

For nigh on 40 years, numbers have had a painful way of exposing Greg Norman’s shortcomings at Augusta National. Some have been small, like the 5 he carded on the last hole in 1986 to finish runner-up. Or the six bogeys he made in the final round a year later on his way to finishing runner-up. Or the 11-shot swing he authored in ’96 that turned a six-stroke lead into a five-shot defeat as he finished … well, you know.

A cheap shot perhaps, but he certainly has it coming... But more numbers as well:

Each competitor in the field at the Masters gets eight passes to be used for family, friends and
hangers-on, though Augusta National sets some parameters on who they may be used for. Players also have the option to purchase four additional badges. With 13 LIV golfers competing this week, that represents dozens of opportunities for one of them to bring their boss to the tournament as thanks for allowing them to grow the game.

Ridley knew that Norman couldn’t be trusted if admitted, that a man prone to grandstanding and grievances would likely use the Masters to platform his pettiness. This year has proved those fears justified.

The Great White Pilot Fish told the Washington Post that he’s here to support his guys. “I’m here because we have 13 players that won 10 Masters between them,” he said. “I’m here just to support them, do the best I can to show them, ‘Hey, you know, the boss is here rooting for you.’”

Yet none of those thirteen had a ticket to spare for the boss?  Curious.

But Eamon seems to think him a stalker:

For three straight days, Norman has appeared at Augusta National wearing his trademark straw hat, doing all he can to ensure he is noticed. And he wants to be noticed by one man in particular. On Wednesday and Thursday, he rode the rope line in view of Rory McIlroy, one of his more vocal and consistent critics. Even if McIlroy wasn’t in pursuit of the career grand slam, Norman would be about as welcome in his field of vision as glaucoma. Norman knows this, yet has opted to act as the unofficial troll of the Masters.

Perhaps we'll get to Rory later, but Norman on the rope line reeks of desperation, no?  I've been critical of Tiger and Rory for calling out Norman on the grounds that they're punching down.  Norman is irrelevant in my opinion, a figurehead that is best ignored.... Perhaps Eamon should have ignored him as well. 

One last LIV bit, also from Eamon Lynch, with an unlikely premise:

Lynch: Where have you gone Patrick Reed? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you!

Not just the nation Eamon, but the whole bloody world.

This 88th Masters is again serving as a canary in golf’s coal mine, this time by highlighting what is missing. Which is friction, villainy, antagonism, jerks.

Wry observers and social media commandoes will say there’s plenty of the above, but what
matters is where it manifests. The PGA Tour’s boardroom is fertile terrain, for example, but behind-the-scenes bickering isn’t core to the product. Inside the ropes, men’s professional golf has become a drama lacking compelling characters. In a sport that we’re told is struggling, an astonishing number of people are actually getting better off — players, agents, executives, bot farmers. Only the fans are making do with less. A lot less.

Only one LIV player has been competitively relevant so far at Augusta National, but competitiveness is immaterial to entertainment and engagement. Bryson DeChambeau ranks among the most polarizing players the sport has ever produced, simultaneously admirable in his devotion to the craft, endearing (almost) in his absence of self-awareness, and exasperating in his buffoonery. His presence is additive to the proceedings. His presence on the leaderboard is a bonus.

The same applies to Patrick Reed, who has taken a break this week from legal combat. And to Brooks Koepka, softened some by fatherhood but still exuding a carefully cultivated air of pouty menace. Even to Sergio Garcia. Last week he posted to social media a photo with LIV guys and a caption stating, “We’re coming for that green jacket,” only to find himself closer to a straitjacket after finishing the second round bogey-bogey-bogey-double bogey to miss the cut by one.

There's something to this argument, though I find it so amusing how all the a*****es jumped.

But I think Eamon is burying the lede here.  Isn't the real problem that we now also hate the guys that stayed behind?   The aggressive sense of entitlement and the exclusion of so many of their peers from the money grabs puts the lie to it being a game for gentlemen.

Men Not In Green, Ever - Could our Rory have had a worse week?  OK, maybe it was all about seeing Norman stalking him, but those Friday winds exposed Rory and the profound shortcomings of his game.  He drives it like a God, but the closer he gets the greens the more he resembles youre humble blogger.

Those ESPN guys had these thoughts, starting with the guy that's conceded the Slam to Scottie:

Is Rory ever going to complete the career Grand Slam?

Schlabach: I'm still a believer in Rory finally winning a green jacket and becoming only the sixth men's golfer to complete the career Grand Slam in the Masters era. I don't think his performance
at Augusta National was a result of him buckling under pressure or wanting a green jacket too much. His current form just isn't great, and he knows it.

McIlroy carded a 1-under 71 in the first round and a 6-over 77 in the second. He didn't play well in the windy conditions, but he wasn't the only one who struggled. He has just one top-10 finish in seven tour events, so his results weren't great coming into Augusta National.

After Sunday's round, McIlroy said he was confident he can turn things around before he plays the final three majors. He's scheduled to play in this week's RBC Heritage and with Shane Lowry in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event April 25-28. It sounds like Rory is going to keep grinding to figure things out.

"Yeah, probably not the right time to be analytical at the moment, but I think as well if you're really going to make wholesale changes it's hard to play a lot of golf and make them at the same time," McIlroy said.

"I don't feel like I need to make wholesale changes. That's why I'm playing a lot. But if the time comes that I need to make wholesale changes with my golf swing and really try to reassess, it could be a six-month to a year process. ... I don't think I'm there yet, but there may come a time where I need to address that and really go back to the drawing board."

So, Dear Reader, which is lamer?  Rory's denial or Schlabach's blind acceptance thereof?  It's bene ten long years in the desert and he continues to play his worst when he wants it the most, so keep on keeping on.  I continue to over-interpret the childhood bets friend on the bag, but you'd think he'd feel some urgency one of these days, no?

Uggetti: Everything about McIlroy's experience and talent indicates that he will win another major. Whether it can be at Augusta is a whole other question.

As the four-time major winner talked about this week, he has tried almost every different approach coming into the Masters -- arriving early, arriving late -- and though he has done everything from finish in the top-10 to miss the cut the past few years, he has yet to come close to winning.

"All I can do is come here and try my best," McIlroy said after his 1-under round Saturday. "That's what I do every time I show up. Some years it's better than others. I've just got to keep showing up and try to do the right thing."

Though McIlroy leaves Augusta with a tie for 22nd, there are several opportunities this year for him to add to his major total. He heads to Valhalla for the PGA Championship next, the site of his last major win in 2014. Familiarity hasn't done much for McIlroy at Augusta -- or elsewhere for that matter -- but his game is simply too good to not result in another major.

I'm curious to see how McIlroy approaches Augusta next year after another disappointing result. Will he play more? Will he play less? Will he see another swing coach? Or can he simply stay the course? This year, McIlroy was a firsthand witness to how Scheffler was able to conquer Augusta for the second time in three years.

McIlroy needs only one, but perhaps the key would be winning a major before Augusta. Of course, that's easier said than done, but if McIlroy can win at Valhalla or Pinehurst or Royal Troon, maybe some of the pressure surrounding this week can dissipate and allow him to freely chase after the coveted fourth major on his résumé.

I'm laughing at how bad these guys are at their job.  Everything about his experience says he'll win another major, except that he keeps playing like crap in them.  For, yanno, a decade now....  Did you see him at Portrush?  

His point in that last 'graph is interesting.  I agree that perhaps heading into Augusta '25 would be easier with another pelt, I just view it as a low-probability event.  But, if you think he could grab one of the next three, to me there's one that's the obvious fit.  Which is why I find this really strange:

Against perhaps better judgment, I'll pick McIlroy to win The Open at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland on July 18-21. McIlroy's major drought will be nearly 10 years long by then -- he last won at the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla -- and it has to end at some point.

He tied for fifth at Royal Troon in 2016 and for sixth at Royal Liverpool during Brian Harman's breakthrough major win in July 2023. He tied for fifth at the 2016 Open at Royal Troon and had two top-six finishes in the past two Opens.

Perhaps?  Did you not see Rory in the wind on Friday?  Have you ever been to the West Coast of Scotland?

If Rory were to win one of these, to me it's the next one that jumps out.  Les because of 2014, than because it's got the best possibility of being in Rory's sweet spot, low wind and soft.  Obviously were the event still in August, I'd like his chances far more.

But that takes second place to this prediction:

As far as the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina on June 13-16, I'll go with Norway's Viktor Hovland, the reigning FedEx Cup champion. I know his game was a mess at the Masters, but his game sets up perfectly for Pinehurst No. 2. Hovland hits the ball long and accurately off the tee, and he's one of the best ball strikers in the world with an iron in his hand. There's plenty of time for him to get his form back in order before the U.S. Open.

Really?  

Let me know how that pick works out for you....

I will have to leave you here, as breakfast is being served.  I'll will likely skip tomorrow and see what Thursday brings us.   

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Monday, April 15, 2024

Weekend Wrap - The Scott/Scottie Two-Step Edition

Well, that wasn't the back nine I was expecting.... Shack sets it up here:

The 2024 Masters somehow went zooming for Amen Corner with four thoroughbreds rounding the turn enjoying legit shots at winning. Sixty minutes later attendants up the hill were zipping shut all
but Butler Cabin’s Scottie Scheffler size 44 Green Jacket and sending the rest back into cold storage.

The ingredients for a classic back nine shootout were quickly extinguished by the kerplunk of 11th green pond water and Scheffler’s knack for shrugging off the silly setbacks that come with playing a super-crispy, tiny-fine-line Augusta National. And while there were lingering memories of Scheffler’s four-putt to cap off his 2022 win as a reason to keep watching until the end, most patrons and their overdressed garden gnomes were on the way off property once Scheffler struck a 14th hole approach within inches as the competition wilted on an 86-degree day.

“I tried not to let my emotions get the best of me this time,” Scheffler said after posting a final day 68 and an 11-under par total for a four-stroke win over first-time major championship participant Ludvig Aberg. “I kept my head down. I don't think I even took my hat off and waved to the crowd walking up 18. I did my best to stay in the moment, and I wanted to finish off the tournament in the right way. And I got to soak it in there after 1-putting instead of 4-putting, which was a little bit better.”

Yanno, I hate when a guy repeats, because it takes all the drama out of finding a jacket that fits... 

I was texting with an extended family member most of the week, and his wrap-up text spoke of the contenders "throwing up on themselves", which I think is a bit harsh (OK, maybe fair for Morikawa).  I think Geoff is closer to the issue, which is that Aberg and Homa's demise was caused by modest mistakes that were severely punished by the the firm conditions and severe contours of the golf course.  

Geoff does a relatively deep dive on Ludvig's miss, which I like mostly because I mangled to Hogan quote yesterday:

After an optimal 305-yard drive down the left side of the 11th, Aberg’s 216-yard approach started
at the center of the green, drew too hard, and ricocheted off the pond bank.

“I've been playing that same shot all week where I basically aim just right of the right edge of the green and try to draw it in there,” said the 24-year-old. “It came out a little bit too far left and the wind caught it and hit it in the water. It was probably one of the few swings this week where I really put it in a bad spot where I knew I couldn't miss left and I missed it left.

“But overall, I think a lot of the other things I did this week kind of oversees that one shot I think.”

I wouldn't worry on that score, Ludvig, you made millions of fans this week.  Not only did you play out of your gourd, but your preternatural calm and bemusement at the setback made quite the impression on this observer.

But I promised that Hogan payoff:

Not to be that guy—particularly since the classy-sweet-swinging-happy-go-lucky-uber-talented-kid-loving-gem-of-fellow Aberg appears to be a gift the spoiled pro game doesn’t deserve in the jackwagon era—but there is a reason Ben Hogan’s adage holds.

“If you ever see me on the 11th green in two, you’ll know I missed my second shot.”

Your humble bloggers has long worried about fans affecting play, though admittedly said concern relates more to legalized gambling than this kind of incident:

Yeah, that's the ticket:

They have a million rules at Augusta National, but apparently the five-second rules isn't one of them....

Shall we get to the winner?  

Scottie In Full -  I'm ranking this as a so-so Masters.  It felt to me that the course had its customary bite (Morikawa, Aberg and Max might agree), but was stingier with the birdies and (especially the) eagles, leaving the viewer pining for Augusta roars.  The only one of those I can recall from yesterday was from Scottie almost canning it on No. 9...

But redeeming the week is Scottie being such a worthy champion, and the inspired play from the runner-up, and anticipation of his career arc.  Let's sample some reactions, beginning with the Tour Confidential gang:

1. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the Masters, picking up his second green jacket and, in the process, his third win in his last four starts. Have we officially entered the Scottie Scheffler era in pro golf? And, if so, just how dominant can his run be?

Josh Sens: It was kinda seeming like the Scheffler era before the tournament even began, as he was pretty much winning or contending in every event he entered. The odds on him as a favorite
coming into the Masters further underscored that point. They weren’t exactly what they were for Tiger Woods at his peak, but they were close. And rightly so, because we haven’t seen this kind of dominance since Tiger. How long can he maintain it? He’s going to win plenty more. But he’s also about to become a dad for the first time. We’ve seen it before. Things can change when golfers start changing diapers. Let’s talk after the PGA Championship in May, when he’s a few weeks into sleep-deprived fatherhood.

Jessica Marksbury: Good point, Josh. It sure feels like the Scheffler era — and it’s much-deserved. His all-around game is so good, so steady, it’s hard to find a reason to see an end in sight. As far as a potential change in priorities when his child arrives, well, he already seems pretty tuned in to what’s most important in life. Maybe that’s his real superpower. But as Josh said, time will tell on that front.

Zephyr Melton: It’s Scottie’s world and we’re living in it. If he keeps putting like he has over the last six weeks, we could be in for a run like Rory in 2014, Spieth in 2015 or DJ in 2017. (And maybe even better?) All I know is that Scottie is a cut above everyone else in pro golf right now. We could be in for a historically dominant run.

Nick Dimengo: Scheffler has the mental fortitude to be absolutely dominant for the foreseeable future. It’s tough for me to go to Tiger-level dominance, but when he locks in like he did on Sunday, at this moment, no golfer in the world can match him.

I'm not in love with their use of the "D-word", because that's standard no golfer can meet.  But his ball striking and head are so solid that it seems he'll be somewhere on every leaderboard.

2. What impressed you most about Scheffler’s final round or week?

Sens: How effortless it looked, even when he didn’t have everything dialed in. His distance
control with his irons was a bit off early Sunday, but no matter. His short game picked him up. So it goes with Scheffler. To make another Tiger comparison, he can win with his B game. Or, as a friend observed, astutely: he’s the Nikola Jokic of golf. Doesn’t seem like he’s doing much but then you look up, and he’s got another triple-double. Or, rather, a second green jacket

Marksbury: Not to belabor the Tiger comparisons, but Woods was always lauded for his mental toughness, and the more we see Scheffler compete under pressure, the more impressed I am with his ability to remain unruffled, at least on the outside. It’s easy to forget that this thing was tied with the back nine looming. But Scheffler’s talent and patience and poise outpaced his competitors by a wide margin.

Melton: His decision-making. As Sens noted, it didn’t look like Scottie has his A-game, and he still destroyed the field. He did that by keeping himself out of trouble and knowing where to miss. Scottie is not only one of the most talented golfers, he’s one of the smartest, too.

Dimengo: His focus! Sure, my colleagues pointed out other traits that he did better than anyone else, but we saw ANGC chew up and spit out the best players in the world – yet Scottie was unfazed by it all. Add in the uncertainty of his wife potentially going into labor, and, sheesh, this guy’s mental strength is on steroids!

Sorry Josh, but this never looked effortless....  But the Tiger comparison is apt, because he was scraping it around early in the day and was patient enough to allow himself time to settle in.  

I might suggest that his faith plays a role in that, though that will make heads explode in some quarters, but it doesn't hurt that golf isn't the most important thing in his life.

A couple of other notes about the winner, including this interesting peak behind the curtains:

The Masters finished with a shocking twist: Everyone left happy except the winner

Pretty sure that Justin Thomas didn't leave happy, but still...

This is actually the quote that caught my eye:

IN A STRANGE TWIST befitting this strange game, the guy who sounded the least satisfied as he wrapped up at Augusta National might have been Scheffler himself. He’d played so well and won by such a wide margin that his competitors figured there was nothing they could have done; that was part of the reason for their collective good cheer. But as he sat in front of the assembled media for his winner’s press conference, the dominant World No. 1 was asked about satisfaction and admitted he hasn’t yet achieved it.

“I feel like playing professional golf is an endlessly not-satisfying career,” he said. “For instance, in my head, all I can think about right now is getting home. I’m not thinking about the tournament. I’m not thinking about the green jacket. I’m trying to answer your questions and I’m trying to get home.

“I wish — I wish I could soak this in a little bit more. Maybe I will tonight when I get home. But at the end of the day, I think that’s what the human heart does. You always want more, and I think you have to fight those things and focus on what’s good.”

That middle bit is just so damn true... He's got an elevated reason for wanting to get home, but it's a nice bit of self-awareness, because the game eats us all up.

The other bit relates to his looper, paying off my header:

Two years ago, when Scheffler won his first Masters, he made the special trek from the 18th green to the scoring area with Meredith. It’s often a victory walk reserved for players and a loved
one — Tiger Woods made the walk with his son, Charlie, in 2019 — as they split a sea of cheering patrons en route to just the first of many post-round obligations (and celebrations).

But with Meredith back home, Scheffler wasn’t about to go it alone. After handing out a few hugs, he stopped and waited. Then he looked back behind him.

“Hey, Teddy!” he yelled.

Teddy is Ted Scott, Scheffler’s trusty caddie who was also on his bag for his 2022 Masters win. Scott isn’t new to these celebrations, either. Besides winning with Scheffler two years ago, he won two Masters titles with Bubba Watson in 2012 and 2014.

Scott was still hugging family members when he caught up with Scheffler, who wanted Scott to make the walk with him.

Ted is now himself a legend, at least at Augusta National:

Scott, with the No. 18 flag stick attached to his left shoulder, elevated himself into Augusta lore on Sunday, becoming the fifth caddie to earn four-plus jackets.

The serene looper from Lafayette pulled even with Nathaniel “Iron Man” Avery (four with Arnold Palmer) and Stevie Williams (three with Tiger Woods, one with Adam Scott).

Only Willie Peterson (five with Jack Nicklaus) and Pappy Stokes (five with four players) have more.

Those early holes were tough, so I do like scenes such as this:

Speaking outside the scorer’s building, Scott praised his player, saying, “He overcame my bad caddying. On the first four holes, I couldn’t get him on the green.”

When Scheffler hit the fifth green in regulation, Jonathan Jakovac — Collin Morikawa’s caddie — turned to Ted and said, “Good job, man. You finally got him on the green.”

“Thanks, man,” Scott replied.

Yanno, I took some pleasure in it being a mostly a*****e-free leaderboard, which exchanges like this confirm.   I would have been perfectly happy to have any of those four guys in the last two groups win.

On Tiger - To this observer, Tiger had a Dickensian week, encompassing both the best of  and worst of times.  He provided some feel-good moments, but it's a bit difficult to sweep the ugliness of the weekend golf under the rug, no?

So, what did folks think, beginning at the usual place:

6. Tiger Woods set the record for most consecutive cuts made at a Masters (24) but finished last among the players to make the cut. How would you sum up Tiger’s week? And would you expect better or worse from him in the final three majors of the year?

Sens: I thought it was pretty impressive that he got through to the weekend, with his bum leg on
such a hilly course in that blustery weather. He was willing himself around Augusta. It seemed like it was going to be just a matter of time before the conditions and the course caught up to him. And so it was. Woods obviously isn’t just going out there trying to make cuts. But I think that would count as a kind of victory in the rest of the year’s majors, with the Open Championship being his best chance to actually contend, though I wouldn’t bet on that either.

Marksbury: Tiger Woods has always been the king of clutch moments, and, as a golf history buff, I have to believe he knew exactly what he was playing for in Rounds 1 and 2, and he played some seriously good golf to do it. Once he owned the consecutive-cuts record outright, though, maybe actually contending was just too much to bear. Given what he’s been through physically, I think finishing 72 holes is a win in itself. And I think he could still surprise us on a track that’s easier to walk.

Melton: I was impressed he made the cut, but his body just isn’t in a place where he can be competitive for 72 holes. Funny as it sounds, I expect him to have a solid week at this summer’s U.S. Open. Pinehurst No. 2 is a relatively flat course, and there’s no rough to speak of. The greens are Augusta-esque in that they require so much imagination to navigate, and I think that’ll play right into his hand. I could see him having a good week in the sand hills this summer.

Dimengo: Kudos to Tiger for even sticking it out after his dreadful Saturday. The fact that a buddy asked me if I thought he’d withdraw seems comical now – because I don’t think Woods would ever do that at Augusta, given its history and his understanding of it – but it probably crossed other fans’ minds. That said, this is his favorite major, and this is the course he knows better than anyone else, so it’s hard for me to expect too much more from him in the other 3 majors. But tournaments are more interesting when he makes the cut, so just give me that and I’ll be happy.

I share the respect for his Thursday-Friday grind, especially given the extra holes he had to play in the Friday winds.   he drove the ball beautifully and, while his iron play wasn't perfect, his short game filled in the voids nicely.

The sad reality is that he doesn't seem to have 72-holes in him.  I know this is a more arduous walk than many, but 82-77 is hard to rebut.

Tiger himself seems to have adjusted his personal standards:

The 88th Masters was Woods’ 26th. He finished in 60th place, last among those who made the weekend. In terms of competitive relevance, physical power, intimidatory aura and leaderboard
position, he was as far from the player he once was as it seems possible to get. And yet the man who famously said “second sucks, and third is even worse” was able to find small successes on that bottom rung.

“It was a good week. It was a good week all around,” he said. “I think that coming in here, not having played a full tournament in a very long time, it was a good fight on Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately, yesterday it didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted it to.”

It was a good fight, but reality is a harsh mistress.

Good on him for making this guy's day/life:

“Playing with Tiger, Sunday at the Masters, the whole week, I think I have to win one of these
things to kind of top this week,” Shipley said after a final-round 1-over 73 to finish at 12 over for the week.

“Today being out there with Tiger, we were chatting. We talked a lot about just golf, Charlie and just normal things. He’s such a normal guy and really cool. He was great to me all day. Couldn’t be more appreciative of him just being awesome today, and it was just really cool to be around him and just the attention he gets and the roars. The crowds were phenomenal.”

Obviously the Tiger dead-enders want to discuss his chances in the coming majors, and color me skeptical on that score.  In fact, one texted me about his good vibes at Valhalla, which is great until your realize it was twenty-four years ago....

The one positive is that the next two majors should feature hot and steamy weather (I don't actually know how hot Louisville is in May, but has to be better than Rochester), which should be to his liking.  Pinehurst, where Tiger does have a 2nd place finish as well, is an easier walk....

All of that said, I do want to lay down a marker.  The Masters is different than the others, because if a former champion bows out he's not replaced in the field.  But that doesn't apply for the other three majors, in which he'll be inevitably taking a spot from another player.  I know he's Tiger Woods and he's earned some latitude here, but it's always a matter of where the line should be drawn.  To be clear, he's still working off exemptions from the 2019 Masters, so all is good for now.

But it's one thing to be an elderly former champion in the field, it's quite another to be an elderly champion incapable of walking 72 holes.  He walked the 72 holes at Augusta which is an accomplishment, and he does seem to be walking a little better after last year's ankle surgery.  But, at a certain point, if he's shooting in the 80's on the weekend, is it fair for him to take up a spot?  Just something to keep an eye on....

What else caught my eye this weekend?

JT In Remission - Geez, that push to get on the Ryder Cup team doesn't seem to have survived into 2024.  It would be hard to identify a finish worse than that on Friday:

With four holes remaining in his second round on Friday, Thomas sat at even par for the tournament, well within the cutline that was projected to fall at five over par. Datagolf.com reportedly calculated his odds of making the cut at the time at 99.9 percent.

So, you're saying there's a chance?

But then Thomas closed with an improbable collapse. On the par-5 15th, Thomas made a double-bogey 7 after pulling his drive and hitting his second shot into the water. On the par-3 16th came another double when he hit into a greenside bunker, left his second shot 44 feet from the hole and three-putted. On the par-4 17th, he lipped out a six-footer for par after pushing his drive and hitting his approach over the green. Then on the par-4 18th, a pulled drive led to a punch out to the fairway and one more double bogey. Thomas signed for a seven-over 79 that not only left him outside the cut, but also helped move the cutline from five over to six over par, and allowing 11 more players to advance to the weekend.

Hey, I'm just glad that Bones didn't have to see it....

Except, that he would have seen this one:

Thomas’ stumble was an ominous bit of déjà vu; a year ago in the second round of the Masters, the two-time major winner played his last eight holes in six over to also miss the cut by one. In the process, be helped move the cutline from two over to three over, allowing good friend Tiger Woods to extend his consecutive made-cuts streak to 23 and match the tournament record held by Fred Couples and Gary Player. (Tiger broke that record on Friday when he made his 24th straight cut).

Meanwhile, this is the fourth time in his last five major starts that Thomas, who recent parted ways with caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay, has failed to make the weekend.

he and his good friend Jordan are in a world of hurt, and it seems that we might see a Prez Cup without either of these stalwarts.

Sharp Dressed Man - Cue up your ZZ Top for the funniest bit of the week, wherein Jason Day sartorially beclowns himself.  First, he shows up Thursday in Tim Herron's pants.  there was a moment where the wind was whipping his pants such that he was unable to putt, though I'm unable to find that video right now.

This doesn't quite capture how baggy they were, but it's the best I can find on short notice:

As you would expect, social media had thoughts:

And this:

But wait, there's more, because this is how he showed up for his second round:


Apparently his rental house doesn't have mirrors.... It's pretty funny, but can you imagine if he had done that before Clifford Roberts died?

This Q&A has me doing spit takes:

Q. Have you heard any—is it OK with the green jackets, the designs and the things that you've been wearing? They can be a little bit restrictive.

JASON DAY: Are you talking about like Augusta in general? Yeah, they asked me to take it off—the vest off yesterday.

Q. The busy one?

JASON DAY: Yeah, the busy one. Respectfully, you do that because it's all about the tournament here, and I understand that. I respect the tournament. That's what we're here to do is try and play and win the green jacket.

Q. Did they explain to you why they'd like you to take it off? The logo is too big?

JASON DAY: I don't know. I didn't ask. They said, can you take it off? I said, yeah, no worries.

Q. What were you trying to do?

JASON DAY: I wasn't trying to do anything. They just scripted me in it, and I was wearing it.

Q. That's what happens, you're given your outfits by your sponsors?

JASON DAY: Yeah, they send you the scripting and say, this is what we want you to wear Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and I'm like, okay.

Q. If they asked you to remove it, it came from who?

JASON DAY: It came from Augusta National.

Q. Like a green jacket?

JASON DAY: I don't know if it was a green jacket. I don't know who it was. They asked, and I respectfully took it off.

I had actually seen that scripting before the tournament started, and that vest was an obvious issue...

I get that he has respect for the club, but if Malbon ships you that vest and you say OK, then you have no respect for yourself....

Exit Strategy - Gotta get going, but just a few more bits to mull over, first this from the TC panel:

7. Ten years from now, what will you remember most about the 2024 Masters?

Sens: The crazy winds, the difficulty of the conditions and Tiger shooting 82.

Marksbury: The wind, for sure!

Melton: The crispy conditions and Scottie’s dominance.

Dimengo: How mortal ANGC made the best players look. From the wind to the mishits to the higher-than-normal scores, the event was wild from start to finish.

I don't think this Masters created memories that will have that kind of shelf life, but I certainly had never seen sand whipping out of bunkers like we did on Friday.  That image of Tiger trying to putt out on No. 18 with sand blasting his face was a first for this observer.  

This is food for thought later this week, methinks:

5. With golf’s PGA Tour vs. LIV divide, much has been said and written about this week’s field being the best we’ve seen in months. Did this week feel any more meaningful given the fracture in the game?

Sens: I dunno. The Masters always feels meaningful. I’m not sure the tournament itself felt significantly different. But like the other majors, it does remind us of what the pro game has lost the rest of the year.

Marksbury: Absolutely! The best players all in one place. That’s the meaning we’ve been missing, and we appreciate more and more as it’s become more rare.

Melton: Maybe not more meaningful, but it did remind me how much having a fractured pro game sucks. It’s a shame we only get to watch guys like Bryson, Reed and Phil play against the world’s best with something meaningful on the line four times a year.

Dimengo: Totally! But I couldn’t agree with Zephyr more: Only getting to see the best players compete against one another four times a year just isn’t fair. Get this thing figured out, fellas, because golf fans deserve better drama no matter what event it is!

OK, but to me the accompanying message is that it matters where the best players play.  And no place is more important than Augusta....

I haven't touched on the tough week for the LIVstrers or Greg Norman's silly appearance, so that'll be fodder for this week's follow-up posts.  For now, I'll just note that early TV ratings seem good:

Judging by the early ratings from Augusta National, there would appear to a notable appetite for reconciliation. ESPN reported that its Thursday’s broadcast of the Masters earned the highest opening-round ratings since 2015. According to the network, the broadcast averaged 3.2 million viewers during its 3 p.m. to 8:06 p.m. ET coverage window (extended through to sunset and the stoppage of play after the round was delayed 2½ hours at the start), up 28 percent from 2023. The peak audience was 3.8 million. By comparison, last year’s first round averaged 2.5 million.

A day later, ESPN reported that Friday's second-round average was 3.6 million, up 69 percent from 2023. The audience peaked at 3.9 million viewers at around 5:30 p.m., roughly the time Tiger Woods finished Round 2. The combined two-day average of 3.4 million viewers was the best for the Masters since 2018.

Is the appetite for reconciliation, or is it for Augusta?  Obviously the combination is appealing, but don't we think most of those people would have tuned in even without the baker's dozen LIVsters?

Predictions are hard, especially about the future:

4. A bunch of good, young, green-jacket-less players battled atop the leaderboard on Sunday. Which one is most likely to win a Masters next, and why?

Sens: Ludvig Aberg. The power game. The poise. The putting. He’s obviously got all the shots to handle Augusta. And by all appearances, he has the mindset for it, too. Sure, there was that one
big miss on his approach on the 11th. But sheesh, it was his first major and he beat everyone but the best player in the world.

Marksbury: For sure, Josh. I don’t want to double up on Aberg, so I’ll go with Homa. He’s raised his game in a big way over the last couple of years, and finally broke through to contend at Augusta, where his previous best finish was T43. I also really liked his Zen state of mind this week. To paraphrase, he basically said, I can only be as good as I am. And that’s enough for me. Love that! I have to believe he’ll get his major eventually — and maybe it will be a Masters.

Melton: There’s only one correct answer here, and it’s Ludvig Aberg. Not only was this his first Masters, this was his first major! And he finished second, only being bested by the best player in the world. Ludvig has already won on both the PGA and European Tours, and now he’s proven his game holds up in majors, too. He looks to be golf’s next superstar, and it’s hard to imagine a future in which he doesn’t win a green jacket.

Dimengo: For the sake of diversity, I’m going Cam Young. I know, he finished T9 and didn’t really make a run at this Masters, but this dude is so good that he seems to be learning the ropes before getting his own major title. Now, he just needs to learn how to put four straight days together to make it happen.

I agree that Cam Young seems to be regaining his footing, but there isn't much bandwidth for anyone but the young Swede right now.  There's a reason I led this post with him, though it's still golf, which means we'll inevitably expect too much too soon from him.

Hope you enjoyed your Masters weekend and we'll have more thoughts as the week progresses.

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