The SI gang convened as usual on Sunday evening, and we risk offending them if we don't slice and dice their thoughts about our great game.
1. Patrick Reed, age 23, won the Doral on the heels of 24-year-old Russell Henley’s Honda win and 26-year-old Jason Day’s Match Play victory. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have yet to finish in the Top 10. Is the Woods/Mickelson era of golf nearing its end?
The Pros: General consensus that their careers are winding down, but still remain capable of playing at the highest level. Joe Passov almost saves his job by noting that they both had strong 2013 seasons, and that surely their skills haven't deteriorated that quickly.
Best Line: From Eamon Lynch referring to Tiger, "He will probably have a few more highs, but in career terms, he's closer to the boneyard than the bassinet."
My Take: To the extent that there's a typical career arc, I think that if we look at the greats we would find that as they age they win less frequently, but that late career majors (or close calls) are very typical. It's a grind week to week, and it's only human nature to conserve and focus energy on that which is most important. I also agree with Lynch that Phil still looks like he enjoys being out there, even when the golf is not up to his standards, whereas Tiger, not so much.
2. After his win at Doral, his second of 2014, Patrick Reed said he’s one of the top five players in the world. Do you agree?
The Pros: More of a split verdict than I would have imagined, based upon the fact that the guys at the top haven't done anything.
Best Line: Lynch, again, "He believes he is, which is probably all that matters."
My Take: No. Next question.
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| We don't usually feature photos in this Q&A, but as long as the SI gang included this great one of Patrick Reed on the 18th green on Sunday, would be selfish not to share. |
3. We heard a lot of Donald Trump-fueled hype about Doral's redesigned Blue Monster this week. How did the course ultimately measure up?
The Pros: This is an interesting set of answers that is all over the lot and warrants a click-through for those interested. Only Van Cynical was especially harsh, and most thought it a stern test without being tricked up. Lots of thoughts as to how much the Donald might have pushed Gil Hanse thinking he was hosting a U.S. Open.
Best Line: Alan Shipnuck, derailing the Eamon Lynch juggernaut, "It definitely looks better and provides a more interesting, strategic test. But it’s way more extreme than the typical Hanse design, and you gotta assume he was nudged in that direction by the blast furnace that is Trump’s mouth."
My Take: As Zhou Enlai apocryphally said about the French Revolution, it's too early to tell. There were definitely rough edges as when balls landed ten feet from a pin and ended up wet, but that may well be a function of the lack of time to grow in the grass. The wind conditions, combined with the Tour's seeming surprise at said wind conditions, is also a factor. I'm open to the concept that tweaks are appropriate, but would give it another year of play before doing anything major. And I would most certainly not lengthen the 15th hole or add water to the 17th, as Trump has suggested. Van Sickle made an appropriate comment about play by resort guests that is beyond our scope, but in any kind of wind they'll be out there for 6 hours.
4. Which famous golf course or Tour stop could most use a Gil Hanse/Trump National Doral-style makeover?
The Pros: Torrey gets three mentions and Colonial two.
Best Line: From Eamon Lynch, back on his game, "I'd suggest Tour venues tend to suffer more from a dispiriting sameness of setup than a deficiency of quality architecture."
My Take: Funny that, since in my inbox is an e-mail indicating that the USGA is planning to take the Open back to Torrey in 2021. Tiger will be 45, and we could start a pool as to whether he'll still be stuck on 14 then. The question is a bit difficult to answer, since the best of Hanse's (or Doak's or Coor/Crenshaw's) work creates interesting, strategic golf courses for a wide range of golfers. Creating a course that contains the world's best, is almost by definition to make it architecturally and strategically less interesting. But yes, Torrey is way overrated, though to do it right you'd have to blow up the routing, not just work within the existing corridors.
5. Ian Poulter called Hideki Matsuyama an “idiot” on Twitter after Matsuyama slashed the 13th green in anger with his putter and didn’t fix it. What do you think of players calling out each other on social media? Do you think Poulter would have done the same thing to a more established player (e.g., Tiger)?
The Pros: Most believed that he would not have been so in-your-face with a player higher on the food chain, and there was a nostalgic wish that it would have been handled face-to-face.
Best Line: From Josh Sens, "I think it's juvenile but entirely unsurprising. Asking a guy like Poulter not to vent his thoughts on Twitter is like giving a toddler a rattle and telling him not to rattle it. The impulse control just isn't there."
My Take: My favorite story of the week, especially in light of the fact that they were paired again on Saturday. But Poults had 5 more holes plus the locker room to address it, which would have been the right way for an experienced hand to deal with a newcomer.
6. Early in the week, the Seminole Member-Pro attracted all four of 2013's major champions. Outside of the PGA Tour and the majors, what’s the best event in golf?
The Pros: Everything but the kitchen sink. Nominees include the Walker Cup, U.S. Amateur, the Dinah Shore and two votes for the Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship.
Best Line: Eamon Lynch completing the Grand Slam, "Give me the Summer Solstice event at Bandon Dunes, where golfers walk all four terrific courses in one marathon day. I played two years ago. My first tee shot was (barely) airborne at 5:35 am, and the first cocktail went down right after the last putt, at 8:10pm."
My Take: A doff of the cap for a good question that warrants more thought. For now I'd go with the Walker Cup because they take it to such quality venues.
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