PGA Follies

Polling shows dramatically diminished trust in our governing bodies, whether it's a refusal to curtail flights from Ebola-afflicted West Africa, to secure our border or even to set up a relatively simple consumer website.  What? Oh right, that's for another blog...

But in golf we're afflicted with much the same condition, no?  A lack of spine (could have gone with a different anatomical reference there) has led to advances in technology rendering 7,000 yard golf courses into virtual pitch-and-putts, anchored putting conveys no advantage until its used to win multiple majors and a money-grab by the ultimate governing body awards the television contract to an untested network more famous for colliding robots.  

So, how are things at the PGA of America these days?  Well, as we've previously noted, they've adopted the Clintonian-Obama trick of appointing a BLue Ribbon Task Force, because with manly words like "force" in it, it's got to be effective.  Steve Eubanks in the Global Golf Post is obviously channeling your humble blogger:

They’re calling it a “task force” because that sounds muscular and decisive but have no

illusions, this is deflection, a committee created to beat back criticism and kick the proverbial cup down the road. 

Asinger didn’t hear a word from the PGA until Tuesday afternoon last week when news broke of the possible task force.

Of course he also adds this:

“The PGA’s Ryder Cup problem is not one of communications or optics or who makes the most putts. The problem is cultural and systemic. And, unfortunately, that is not something a blue-ribbon panel is ever going to change.”

Cultural and systemic?   I'm milking this ongoing Peyton Place as shamelessly as anyone, but it's a friggin' exhibition.  But back to our think tank, per Bob Harig at ESPN:

GolfWorld.com reported Monday that current players Mickelson, Woods, Jim Furyk and Rickie Fowler would be asked to be part of the task force, as well as Steve Stricker -- who was an assistant to Watson this year -- and that former captains Raymond Floyd, Tom Lehman andDavis Love III would also be included. 

The goal of the task force is to examine all aspects of the Ryder Cup, including selections of captains and players as well as how the week of the competition would play out. PGA of America president Ted Bishop told Golf Channel that the task force would include 10 to 12 members.

Rickie Fowler?  He's like seventeen years old and has still never won a Ryder Cup match.  But of course you'll have noted a name missing, which Harig dealt with earlier in his article:

Azinger said Monday that he was approached by the PGA of America about being part of the panel that will evaluate everything related to the Ryder Cup but he feels it's too soon to make a commitment. 

"I'm just not ready to sit down and jump on a task force," Azinger said by phone. "I have a scheduled meeting with the PGA of America in early November and I just think it's too soon for me to commit to jumping on a task force."

Oh no, our latest Savior has commitment issues.  And Alex Miceli with the tip-in:

According to Azinger, the PGA of America reached out to him numerous times since the 

U.S. defeat at Gleneagles in Scotland, but Azinger said he was unwilling to serve on the committee. 

Instead, Azinger is working on a comprehensive plan, similar to what the Europeans have used with such recent success, that he hopes will take the U.S. Ryder Cup efforts far beyond the 2016 matches at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

 You know by now that I think there is far less to this European template than we pretend, and that silver bullet will prove ephemeral.  Though I don't think there's any contradiction with saying that there's no reason to be pessimistic about 2016, a home game and all.  

John Huggan, perhaps my favorite curmudgeon in the game, has a 12-point plan for U.S. redemption, though folks aren't going to like some of his suggestions.  Amongst the most controversial:

No wives or girlfriends

They have no business being at a Ryder Cup. They get in the way when they walk inside the ropes. They get in the way during team talks. They inevitably complain about stuff players don’t need to be thinking about. And kitting them out in silly matching outfits is a complete waste of money.

So Rickie was ahead of the curve?  But I do hope the PGA's task force gives this one all due consideration:

Make the players get tattoos

Preferably misspelled. And ban anything soppy like “mom”. “Kick Ass” or “Devil Dogs” is more like it. Make the players feel like members of the Dirty Dozen. No one should be clean shaven (see Thomas Bjorn). There should be no beer or, heaven forbid, soft drinks in the team room. Only whisky. And no clean glasses.

I'm certainly amused that he's hanging his hat on the Dane, because a team of twelve Bjorns we could beat.  But Hunter Mahan fans should specifically not click through.

Lastly, my high regard for Jaime Diaz is a matter of public record, so you should by all means give his Golf World profile of outgoing PGA of America Prez Ted Bishop a read, though I'll warn you I find it mostly unconvincing.  It's one of those digital mags that bloggers hate, so all I can offer is Shack's grab:

“Ted was the right person at the right time,” says Pete Bevacqua, the PGA of America’s

smooth 44-year-old CEO who Bishop says can reel him in almost in a fatherly way when he gets too worked up. “Ted did not shy away from being the most vocal president with a bullish voice in the industry that we needed. The way he’s wired helped us get things done that would otherwise not have gotten done.”

To me Diaz made the case that Bishop's vocal opposition to the anchoring ban and support of grow-the-game initiatives such as Hack Golf  and Foot Golf have increased the visibility and clout of the organization.

Ummm how?  he lost badly on the former issue, and looked particularly ineffectual with his doubling down after the ruling by asking for additional time for amateurs to adjust.  And on the latter, no doubt he got some coverage but how have these initiatives actually, you know, helped grow the game.

I was never a fan of the Watson pick, though I do credit him for remaining supportive of his captain and understand the dynamics that led to his decision.  But mostly he seems to favor the public gesture, especially letters to his members, over the more substantive action.  Diaz does note that while he and Peter Dawson have somewhat patched things up, during the anchoring debate the head of the R&A considered Bishop to be grandstanding, a subject our Peter knows something about.

But thanks for playing, Ted.