As has been rumored for some time, the AP's Doug Ferguson confirms that the WGC Match-Play event has found a long-term sponsor and a new slot in the schedule. More on the implications of that last bit in a sec, but here's the gist of it:
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - (AP) -- The PGA Tour is completing plans to bring
the Match Play Championship to Austin, Texas, starting in 2016.
Three people aware of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Texas-based Dell will be the title sponsor of the World Golf Championship event that features the top 64 players from the world ranking. They spoke on condition of anonymity because an announcement has not been made.
The Match Play would be held next year on March 23-27, the week after the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the week before the Shell Houston Open. The Masters is April 7-10 in 2016, which could be ideal for international-based players to stay in America in the weeks leading to Augusta National.
Subject to a vote of the membership, the event is to be held at Austin Country Club. I have no knowledge of the venue, but here's Shack's take:
The venue, Austin Country Club, should be great fun for match play theatrics (dreadful for spectators, players will cry foul, but there will be many wonderful blimp shots). Particularly if Pete Dye's riverside holes are used as the closing stretch. Either way, it's a fascinating choice but one driven by the sponsor and the chance to go to a thriving city.
OK, but it's not Dove Mountain, so we've got that going for us.... and I'm guessing we won't get snowed out. Win-win, so far. Here's Geoff's thoughts on the schedule:
The west coast swing was already hurt by moving the match play as its anchor event. But now that the PGA Tour is going to move this to a March date situated between Bay Hill and the Shell Houston Open. This could hurt Bay Hill's field and makes clear the PGA Tour is far more excited about closing the deal on a new sponsor rather than being considerate of the ones they already have. Because as much as we love having match play, raining on Arnold Palmer's parade in any way seems mildly rude, if not downright short-sighted.
Good to know it wasn't just an anti-west coast swing thing!
Lots to unpack there, so let's dive in. Commissioner Ratched's treatment of his business partners (sponsors as well as the venues) has long been the first in my multi-count indictment, and it goes way back and has resulted in the loss of important and/or enjoyable events such as The Western Open (the second oldest professional event in the U.S.) and The International. As an amusing tangent, I noticed on last year's broadcast that the Tour is now trying to tie the BMW event that's part of the FedEx Cup to the history of The Western Open, as if they suddenly realized the error of their ways.
As for the scheduling implications, I think first and foremost it seals the deal on the fate of the West Coast swing. Stick a fork in 'em folks, they're done. I don't think Geoff would disagree, as I'm guessing that he just considered that a fait accompli, but I think it's worth reinforcing. Finchie has now beefed up the Fall with both the fed Ex Cup and the wraparound schedule and now Florida/Texas as well, so something has to give. But it seems a strange business model to pull the rug out from under that portion of your schedule with the best venues, richest history and typically the most robust television ratings.
But I'm not sure that I see the implications he does for Bay Hill. I assume this will be the schedule for the run-up to Augusta:
Honda - PGA National
WGC - Doral
Whatstheirname - Inisbrook
Arnie - Bay Hill
Dell WGC Match-Play
Shell Houston
Magnolia Lane
The good news is that the Texas event in San Antonio is now presumably linked to the Texas swing, so we're free to ignore it. No doubt that's a jam-packed schedule, but I'm not sure that two WGC's bookending Bay Hill hurts it, as it ensures that all top-ranked international players will be in the 'hood. Of course they may want to take off a week and they'll have the choice of either Bay Hill or Innisbrook, but the West Coast sponsors would take that in a heartbeat.
And we do need to acknowledge that much of the Bay Hill event's weakness is self-inflicted, as it's just not a very interesting golf course, easily the worst of the Florida swing. The draw of the event is the King himself, and prospects for this tourney after we lose him seem dubious. But I think the far more important issue is how Finchie has orphaned the West Coast, a really unfortunate turn of events.
I can't help but wonder if AT&T knew this before they re-upped for ten years.
Fasten your seat belts, Dear Reader, as this morning's news cycle will allow us an extended visit to the seamy underbelly of our game. And coming off an impromptu day off from blogging, you know there will be snark to spare....
November, Redux - Back in November we had good fun with Dan Jenkins' parody interview with one Eldrick Woods, We weren't overly impressed with the source material, but iit was Team Tiger's response at Derek Jeter's Players' Tribune that warranted a failing grade in Public Relations, all captured with my usual je ne sais quoi here. I'm sure you've had countless opportunities to refer back to that timeless post in the intervening months...
The look-back is occasioned by this from the Golf Writers of America:
2015 GWAA WRITING CONTEST RESULTS
NON-DAILY COLUMNS – 1, Dan Jenkins, Golf Digest, My fake interview with Tiger; 2, Jerry Tarde, Golf Digest, Hannigan shook things up; 3, Alan Shipnuck, Sports Illustrated, The case for Johnny Miller.
That's really quite unfortunate, not least because the Tarde and Shipnuck pieces deserved far better than Miss Congeniality. I'm a huge fan of the man and second-rate Jenkins can often be good enough to win awards. But this was third-rate at best, noteworthy only because of the Tiger hissy-fit.
As an exit question, do we think the GWAA would have dissed The Striped one thusly if his game were in better shape?
Of Veej I Singh - A recycled line I'll grant you, but one of which I was particularly fond. We've seen our old friend Vijay quite a bit lately, acquitting himself reasonably well against the far younger flat bellies.... well, that is, until we get a look at the cross-handed chipping.
But we've heard precious little about Veej's ongoing attempt to reclaim his lost honor by using deer antler spray suing the Tour for something or other. Pete Madden in SI provides the timely update:
According to documents made public this week, Singh deposed two Champions Tour golfers, including 1989 British Open winner Mark Calcavecchia, in his ongoing lawsuit against the PGA Touralleging "disparate treatment" following his admitted use of deer-antler spray, which contained IGF-1, a banned substance under the Tour's Anti-Doping Program Manual. The PGA Tour said Singh wants to depose as many as nine more players on the senior tour even though the court's Jan. 30 deposition deadline has passed.
Calc? As I once said of former Yankees catcher Franco Cervelli, if he's on steroids then he's using them wrong. Per Madden, here's the current status of Veej's discovery:
So far, Singh has deposed 13 witnesses:
Six PGA Tour representatives
Richard Young, the lead draftsman of the World Anti-Doping Code
David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency
Dr. Oliver Rabin, the World Anti-Doping Agency's science director
Rodney McDonald, vice president of Tour Operations at Cleveland Golf, Singh's former equipment sponsor
Now we get the reason for the Calc deposition. Of course we can't help but wonder about the second, unidentified round belly, as well as whether that first grouping might include Commissioner Ratched.
One last excerpt:
According to the Tour, Singh has proposed calling an additional 11 witnesses, including nine Champions Tour golfers, Cleveland Golf president Todd Harman and Dr. Anthony Butch, the director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory that tested the bottle of deer antler spray Singh provided to the Tour.
Shack has some fun with the thought of awkward pairings when Veej tees it up on the Senior Champions Tour. As I've repeated ad nauseum, my interest is in shining a healthy dose of sunlight on the Tour disciplinary actions.
Back9, The Recriminations - Everyone's favorite golf network has suspended operations, temporarily for sure, so let's play America's favorite forensic game, where did the money go? From the Hartford Courant:
Back9 said it has raised more than $40 million in startup capital. That includes more than
$5 million from the state Department of Economic and Community Development. It first received a $100,000 grant and $250,000 loan from the Small Business Express program, and then received two more loans under the Manufacturers' Assistance Act program, a program that is open to far more than manufacturers. The first loan was in 2012 for $750,000, and the second loan was in 2013 for $4 million.
The company has not paid any interest back on the largest loan, because payments were deferred until 2017 and 2018. On the smaller loan, it pays $1,850 monthly.
And it's hard to see where things went wrong with this kind of sure thing business plan:
In 2013, when Back9 had a ribbon cutting at its offices in the Phoenix Building with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in attendance, the company said it was developing TV shows such as a golf-dating program called a "Hole Lotta Love" and "Extreme Golf," which would feature celebrities and athletes playing golf in unusual locations like rooftops and the desert.
The network began original TV programming from its $9 million studio at Constitution Plaza in September. The company paid DirectTV $7 million to carry the channel, a lawsuit alleged.
Hole Lotta Love? I might have used that in a parody of a golf network business plan...In a just world Gov. Malloy would have some serious 'splainin' to do for burning $5 million of the taxpayers' money, but I ain't holding my breath.
This was an obvious train wreck from Day One, and if DirectTV's $7 million check cleared, they seem to be the only winner to be found. And I haven't even mentioned the name Bosworth....
The New Golf - A few days ago Shack had some good fun with this:
The headline is the same old thing we've read ad nauseum over the last few years:
"Millionaire entrepreneur explains why cycling — and not golf — is the new sport of choice for young professionals."
He subjects it to a good old-fashioned Fisking and lands a couple of body blows. I wanted to blog it but, if you've ever seen your humble correspondent in spandex, you'll understand my hesitation. But Shack follows up with the truly terrifying video below:
Egads, not on my golf course you spandex-clad freaks!
Rio Loco - No exploration of the underbelly of our game could possibly be complete without a brief detour to Rio, where the hopes and dreams to grow our game go to die. The new-to-me Keely Levins tells us that the Occupy Golf movement is growing their game:
Like the more famous Occupy Wall Street, this group is attempting to make its point -- in particular about the environment and money -- peacefully.
The environmental issues are straightforward: The golf course is being built on a section of land that was formerly part of the Marapendi Municipal Natural Park. The more than 610 acre park is used for leisure and environmental education -- which is where the issues come in. According to Occupy Golf's website, there are more than 300 endangered species that live on the park's land.
I couldn't resist that first paean to the OWS degenerates. Let's just say that Keely obviously wasn't in lower Manhattan at that time...
As for the second bit, 300 endangered species seems a bit hyperbolic, no? And I will remind you that this is in a city that dumps raw sewage into the ocean, so perhaps there might be, you know, higher environmental priorities? But as we engage with these social justice warriors, it inevitably turns out that their interests are more, shall we say, political and economic:
The other problem Occupy Golf wants to solve is who's in charge of developing the course, and what exactly they're building. Here's where things get shady: Occupy basically says that the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, gave the land and permission to build on it to a wealthy Brazilian developer, Pasquale Mauro, who, according to Occupy Golf, is "a known deed falsifier." Furthermore, buildings previously located in the areas weren't allowed to be more than six stories tall, but Mauro has been permitted to build condos around the course as tall as 22 stories.
Aside from its uneasiness with Mauro, Occupy Golf also isn't pleased with any private party building the golf course and the accompanying buildings because any subsequent revenue is going to go to that individual. If it had been set up to generate public revenue in a not-for-profit structure, the organization claims, the city could retroactively handle some of the economic burden hosting the Olympics is inevitably going to cause.
Oh yeah, it would have been much better if the notoriously corrupt Brazilian or Rio government undertook the project. What could go wrong? Perhaps the local authorities should demonstrate that they can meet the city's seage needs before going into the golf business....just sayin'.
OK, so the existence of socialists in Brazil is a dog-bites-man story....no surprises there. But see if you're as amused by this penultimate 'graph as I am:
Occupy Golf's Facebook page has been up since late November, and it has garnered more than 7,000 followers. A video of a forceful police encounter is featured on the page, along with photos of police interacting with protestors -- not always in the most peaceful of ways.
OK, it appears that there's good reason we're unfamiliar with Keely's work, that being that Golf Digest apparently still has editors (though how this one got through is troubling). Keely led with the premise that this is a growing and peaceful movement, directly contradicted for those with a high enough pain threshold to make to the bottom of her piece.
OK, much non-Ryder Cup stuff has been piling up...let's focus on closing some browser windows, shall we?
Right on Cue - Monday night I was in pre-bedtime channel flipping mode and decided to check out the Back9 Network, the sure-thing golf lifestyle network. This was their engrossing programming:
No one at the Back9Network is speaking publicly and only this statement was issued:
“Due to a temporary shortfall in capital, Back9Network has suspended its operations. Management and the board of directors are planning next steps and will continue their efforts to secure long-term, operating capital. The company will keep the public informed with any new developments.”
Stick the proverbial fork in'em, folks...it's all over but the recriminations. I forget how much money the State of Connecticut threw at this boondoggle, but this is what happens when governments think they're venture capitalists.
I do hope that Jeff Rude and the other legitimate golf writers/commentators got enough money up front to make it worthwhile.
Tiger Stuff - as the old adage goes, opinions are like a********s, in that everyone gets one as original equipment. Though I've always suspected that the Shark snuck back into the line a couple of times. Of course he's got this to say about Tiger:
In a “Today Show” interview on NBC with longtime pal Matt Lauer, the former World
No. 1 also expressed doubts that Tiger Woods can make the climb back to the pinnacle of the game.
“Quite honestly, I doubt it,” Norman said. “Not top form. Not the way he was from 2000-on for that period of eight or nine years. I think his body is starting to show a lot of letdown. He’s hit a lot of golf balls. He has a lot of power and flexibility, and when you add power and flexibility, something’s got to give.”
Norman also said it’s more difficult for a golfer to rebound from mental challenges than physical ones, and at this juncture mentally, Norman said Woods is “a little unraveled.”
“Imagine with what we've seen since December of last year,” Norman said, “with his short game (and) chipping, imagine standing over the back of the 12th green at Augusta National, and you've got to chip it down there, Rae’s Creek right in front of you, or the back of the 15th of Augusta National . . . all those gremlins are going to be sitting in his head.”
Hmmmm...gremlins in the mind at ANGC? Greg, you sure you want to go there? This is a complete pile on weeks after the fact, but I just couldn't resist the shear amusement factor of The Shark using that specific venue to frame the problem.
According to GolfWorld's Tim Rosaforte, swing guru Butch Harmon -- who was with Tiger Woods for eight of his 14 majors and now works with Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler -- would help Woods again. The caveat: Woods would need to call Harmon.
“Tiger probably wouldn’t ask,” Harmon said. “At my age, 71, I’m kind of on the end of my run anyway. If he wanted, I’d be more than happy to spend a couple hours and give him my opinion. I don’t think he would ask because it goes against his pride.”
Take a moment to savor the amusement in that little bit of schoolyard tauntage, and do bear in mind that these two esteemed gents can barely stand being at opposite ends of the same driving range. So file it in the ain't-gonna-happen circular, but this is the best part:
“I have no idea what biomechanics is,” Harmon said. “And I’m being serious.”
None of us do, Butch. More's the pity...
Riv's Tenth, A Brief Post-Mortem - Shack and the AP's Doug Ferguson typically set up shop in the bleachers at No. 10 to watch to watch (some of) the best player sin the world deal with a very unusual challenge. This year hilarity ensued, per Doug:
No one summed up the 10th hole at Riviera as well as Ryo Ishikawa of Japan.
"Fun hole to watch. Tough to play," he said during the opening round of the Northern Trust Open.
True that. Really fun to watch, though. Here's the gist of Doug's piece:
More than one player trudged off the 10th believing the joy had been sucked out of the
315-yard hole. There was ample evidence, especially on Thursday and Sunday with a far right pin, of shots that had plenty of spin taking a hard hop and catching enough of the slope to roll off the green, either in the collection area of in a bunker.
The response from Riviera superintendent Matt Morton? Welcome to our world.
With all the chatter about so much sand from so many bunker shots building up the green, Morton said the real culprit was a long drought creating firm conditions.
"The main difference is three firm years in a row," he said. "During the Northern Trust Open, it's usually wet and you deal with rain. We're in a drought. You're seeing three years of dry, firm conditions. We've been able to showcase the hole the way members play in the summer."
That's what typically happens to create a set-up issue, a combination of natural and designed changes combined with unexpected issues. Here's Geoff's diagnosis:
On Morning Drive we discussed the reaction from those who watched the CBS telecast and the criticisms of their announce team, and as I tried to explain, there was a combination of dry conditions, excessive green speed and the tacky changes by the Fazio design team to help Riviera not get a U.S. Open. The perfect storm exaggerated certain misfortunes. Sadly, the hole's reputation seems to have taken a bit of a hit, but don't blame George Thomas and Billy Bell.
The tragic mistake was of course bringing in Fazio thinking he was the ticket to an Open, that ultimately went to the Hanse/Shackelford-restored LA Country Club North Course, another George Thomas classic that was more, shall we say, lovingly restored.
But the real reason for the post-mortem is these GIR numbers from Geoff:
Thursday (back left): 4.201 47%
Friday (middle left): 4.007 60%
Saturday (middle front): 3.880 43%
Sunday (back left): 4.227 57%
All rounds: 4.087 52%
Note that the easiest of the hole locations on Saturday and the one most unprotected by bunkers but also most tempting to players, had the lowest green in regulation percentage.
Wow! All of 315 yards and the best players can only hit the green half the time. Lastly, I can't let this pass without rebuttal, from Alex Myers:
Riviera's 10th: Can you imagine if this hole was part of a brand new Donald Trump course? It would be labeled the most tricked-up hole in America. But even though it's part of such a classic design, more players like Bubba Watson are expressing their displeasure thanks to recent changes that have made the hole unfair. The best example of this, of course, was Ryan Moore, who lipped out for an ACE, but had to settle for a par when his ball trickled 50 feet from the hole and off the green. Sorry, but that's ridiculous.
I guess his Mommy called him to dinner before the playoff? Much as I've always relied on Bubba Watson for insightful architectural criticism, can we not agree on the design brilliance of a 315-yard Par-4 that has remained relevant and challenging in the era of ProV1's and 460cc titanium drivers? That's not to deny or sweep under the rug the set-up issues we've discussed all week, but perhaps Alex will enjoy watching the play from Firestone, to call out only one dreadful PGA venue, more than the Riv?
MJ, Clarified - Boy am I relived to know that His Airness is still happy at the hyper-exclusive Bear's Club:
Just because His Airness might like to build his own Florida golf club doesn't mean he isn't happy with the one he’s got.
In an email to Golf.com, Michael Jordan acknowledged that the prospect of developing his own golf course “intrigues” him. But he denied that his interest was driven in any way by dissatisfaction with the Bear’s Club, the luxe Jupiter club where he belongs.
Peace in our time and all... He's got the time and the money to do whatever he pleases, but no reason to make enemies when he'll be there for years even if his project goes forward.
This Week In Lost Opportunities - While we're on the subject of unfortunate venues, how will we ever pass the time until 2021?
“We’re thrilled to add Quail Hollow Club to the growing list of exceptional venues to
host The Presidents Cup,” said Finchem. “Charlotte is a major hub of business in the Southeastern United States with a growing economy and broad base of sports fans, and The Presidents Cup matches perfectly as we look to bring it to exciting, emerging markets and allow a new fan base to experience the competition, pageantry and international goodwill that the event represents. Quail Hollow Club has been a player favorite since the PGA TOUR returned there in 2003, and we’re confident players, fans and sponsors from around the world will find Charlotte, the Carolinas and the course itself a remarkable setting for The Presidents Cup.
This is more uninspired than dreadful... It's an OK golf course that the players like well enough, but with an annual Tour event and the 2017 PGA Championship (in sweaty August, no less) it's seems like an unforced error. Can't we find something more interesting for a relatively low-footprint event? Something perhaps more suited to match play? Who am I kidding?
I couldn't bring myself to watch yesterday's Ryder Cup press conference....Forgive me, but with no snow in the Wasatch Range, I feel I've suffered quite enough. Shockingly, Davis Love III was really chosen as captain...I know, there goes any hope that it was a bad dream. We'll let Dave Shedloski set the table:
Europe has won eight of the last 10, prompting the PGA of America to form a task force
in which PGA officials joined with former Ryder Cup players and captains. The 11-member task force, which included Love, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, eventually settled on Love as the perfect choice to oversee sweeping changes to how the U.S. will approach the Ryder Cup in 2016 at Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minn. - and beyond.
“In my 20 years I've had 10 captains that have brought 10 totally different viewpoints,” said Mickelson, who holds the record for most Ryder Cup appearances. “Some have been great, some haven’t, but they have been random from year to year. As a player that’s very difficult to decipher those leadership styles. We have got to have continuity.
I'm getting a little whiplash here, as first it was about redemption, then pods and now continuity... So, how does the New/old Cap'n. think about this:
“It's a new business model, a new team building model that comes from being given an opportunity by the PGA of America to come together and use all of our veteran experience to build a new team culture and consistent plan for the future,” Love added. “So 2016 will be a collaborative effort of many individuals from the task force, past Ryder Cup Captains, veteran players of the Ryder Cup to create the best environment for our team to be totally prepared to compete at Hazeltine National.”
All that veteran experience would be of the losing kind, of course. But I'm glad to see that Davis has had enough time to earn an MBA in the intervening years since 2012. And it's hard to see what could go wrong with this:
Interestingly, Mickelson, 45, and Woods, 39, both former PGA champions and near locks to be Ryder Cup captains eventually, will be at Hazeltine even if they do not qualify for the team. They join Love and PGA officers Pete Bevacqua, Derek Sprague and Paul Levy on a Ryder Cup committee that is an outcrop of the Ryder Cup task force.
Because you never know when you'll need a camel...Shack, who has long referred to Asst, Captains as cart-drivers, had this little quip:
It was another a fine day for the Golf Cart Industrial Complex, as the task force has decided lock in four vice captain’s. Tom Lehman goes into 2016 as one of the four. Nothing screams excitement like two losing captains to turn this ship around!
Now, sports fans, where would we set the odds of Eldrick being at Hazeltine if he's not on the team? I'm guessing that Lindsay will have a race or his kids will have the week off from school, and I actually can't blame him too much.
"We wanted somebody that is well-liked and respected who does not have such a strong
ego to where he won't listen to a number of different viewpoints," Mickelson said. "But also, he's going to be under a lot of scrutiny so somebody that is confident enough to take on the scrutiny that comes about in 2016.
"When you look at how unselfish he is, when you look at how much he's willing to take the hits but give other people the credit. And you look at laying a blueprint for the next 20 years and building the foundation for the future Ryder Cups and the continuity from year to year, passing on that knowledge, sharing that knowledge of being involved in the next Ryder Cup and the Cup after that, there's nobody who is as unselfish, there's nobody who can take the hits, who can pass the credit who has past experience to work off of. If those are all the things you want, there's only one guy that fits that bill."
Oh, you mean someone you can push around? OK, now there are some actual changes above and beyond the MBA-speak, including what will forever be known as the Horschel rule:
Eight of the 12 members of the team will be named on points earned following the conclusion of The Barclays, which is two weeks later than in the past. A new timetable for the captain's picks was announced, too. Three of the four picks will be announced after the conclusion of the BMW Championship, affording an extra two weeks for the decisions. And the final captain's pick will be made at the conclusion of the Tour Championship the following week.
Because I'm a professional blogger I can explain that last bit, as it allows for not one but two painfully awkward broadcasts from the SNL studio announcing captain's picks. Win-win, baby!
Snark aside, it's always made sense to push back the selection process, and no one has ever understood why Tom Watson wanted to surrender a Captain's pick. But it's not quite the gimme you assume, because while the aforementioned Horschel was seemingly the hottest gun the west after winning the last two events, I'm guessing he was also quite worn out.
I did get an unseemly chuckle out of this from Rex Hoggard:
Lost in that structure, however, are the fall events in the PGA Tour’s wrap-around schedule. Money earned in events like the McGladrey Classic, which is hosted by Love, will not count toward the Ryder Cup selection system.
Commissioner Wraparound could not be reached for comment. Shack is declaring victory as he explains:
I've entered full Ryder Cup burnout mode, so under doctor's orders, my reading to Task Force's self-congratulatory press conference announcing Davis Love as 2016 Ryder Cup captain.
There is good news in this drama. The Task Force is done. Gone! No mas. It's tied with the PGA of America Hack Golf Task Force for most Task Force meetings in organization history (2).
No more conference calls, no more pretending to care, no more taking Tiger and Phil away from their short game practice and no more wondering if Team USA should go back to four picks (they did!).
Errr...not so much Geoff, as the full Task Force seems to have been replaced by that smaller committee noted above, a marked improvement in that there's fewer members that Bevaqua needs to steamroll.
Interestingly (OK, I'm playing a little loose with that term), despite all the MBA-speak about business models and continuity, there's a notable absence of names associated with said concepts. There's supposed to be four Vice-Captains, but Lehman was the only name I saw in all the press. I'll concede Stricker who's a mortal lock for Whistling Straits in 2020. But all America is desperate to know who the sacrificial lamb is for 2018 in France.
I was so excited about my Lydia that I forgot to use my traditional Monday morning post title... we'll do our wrap today, and hopefully an extra 24 hours improves our perspective.
Life Imitates Art - Don't scoff, that title is far more appropriate than you might realize. but we'll lede with the raves...First up is Martin Blake and Mark Hayes with their notes on the week, which included this:
Lydia Ko hit more greens in regulation than any other player in the field, 64 of 72, which tells you a lot about her method.
Amazingly, she hit exactly sixteen greens every day, and these aren't necessarily the easiest greens in the world to hit. Here's how Shack describes the accomplishment:
Keep in mind that while not a "hilly" course, there is never a flat stance at Royal Melbourne. Many of the greens are elevated, heavily contoured, firm and incredibly fast. After watching PGA Tour pros struggle with Riviera's firmer-than-normal greens, I can only marvel at Ko's consistency at such a demanding course.
Only as long as you don't want my seat. Derek Lawrenson has also apparently drunk the Kool-Aid:
The world’s most extraordinary woman athlete? Those who love athletics and tennis and all the other sports in which women are achieving amazing things will have their favourites, no doubt.
But if there is anyone right now who is coming close to matching the feats of the remarkable Lydia Ko, I’ll be most impressed.
Indeed, the only thing that might cost her marks is that she is barely a woman at all. She is only 17, for heaven’s sake, and yet ruling the world in a sport in which a player’s prime years are usually considered to be around twice her age.
It is exciting because the biggest weakness in her game, the absence of length, is likely to be mitigated as she approaches her late teens (and how funny is that). I'm as guilty as anyone of feeding the hype, but it really would be nice to let her career unfold unburdened by expectations.
Her next challenge is to get in the mix at majors, but when she does you have to like her chances...
But first our Lydia is off to play in her home of New Zealand, and one has to love this story:
Bohyun Park, a 12-year-old, just qualified for the New Zealand Open. She shot a 2-under-par 70 to take one of the last spots available in the event that starts Thursday. We know what you're thinking: 'This sounds a lot like the next Lydia Ko.'
This young girl is the same age as Lydia was when she played in her home country's open (Lydia finished seventh), plays out of the same golf club and has the same coach. Best part of all, she's using an old set of Lydia's sticks.
But there is a dark side...first the glasses, and now this:
And there are the less obvious ones, such as a new Callaway driver (it's going well), some subtle swing changes (they are going well, too), more focus on physical training, and even the addition of some ink on a wrist.
Yes, the teen is "tatted up". The date of her first LPGA Tour win as a pro, at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in April last year, is now inked on her right wrist.
"My parents were there and I felt like it was a very memorable win so I got that tatted up."
Oh, the Tart! In my first post on Lydia linked above I embedded this video, though I did note that he might be referencing a different Lydia. Now I realize he was just a tad early:
It was a pleasing juxtaposition that the L.A. Open coincided with the Academy Awards.
But while Sunday’s Oscars were a monument to star power, the golf tournament across town was all about the stage. Without the likes of a Tiger, Phil or Rory trodding the boards, Riviera Country Club dominated the conversation, and the telecast. It’s not easy to follow on the schedule the golf porn that is Pebble Beach, but Riv is the perfect counterpoint, an unending series of glorious holes without the distraction of all those ocean views. Riviera, built in 1926 by George Thomas, was celebrated from the beginning. The great Jazz Age architect Alister MacKenzie described it as being “as nearly perfect as a man could make it.” The late Jim Murray, the bard of Los Angeles, was a Riviera member, and ages ago he declared the place “a shrine of the sport. A citadel of the game.”
That meets the definition of Praise from Caesar.... Meanwhile, James Hahn is making friends with his self-effacing humor. First there was this:
After college, he couldn't make it in golf. So, much of 2006, he sold shoes at Nordstrom in Walnut Creek and Pleasanton.
"I was pretty good at it," he said. "Sold a lot."
He was asked if he is a shoe guy.
"I don't think we can afford Nordstom's," he said. "We are more Foot Locker kind of people."
He and his wife are expecting a daughter in the next few weeks, but I'm thinking they can now afford Nordstrom's. But this was my fave:
Hahn, who said it was both amazing and "kind of cool" how many people don't know him, laughed about an incident Sunday.
"I was signing hats after the round," he said, "and I asked some guy, 'Is there a playoff?' He said, 'Yeah, yeah. It's Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey and some other guy.'
"I said, 'Cool, here's your hat.' "
I didn't think there was anyone that didn't remember the Gangham-style dance at Phoenix...just good to see him known for winning as well. And Alan Shipnuck had this in his H&Z feature:
3. Riv. This classic course looks great in any conditions but it was particularly fascinating as a firm, fast, fiery test. It was utterly fitting that when sudden death reached the 10th hole the action suddenly resembled chess as much as golf.
Amen to that.
I've got more but there posts unfortunately don't write themselves. So let's get this puppy posted and I'll try to be back with more later...
The body cried out for a day off, and the mind conspired to grant that request on a day with great golf to watch... so your humble correspondent watched an aggregate forty-one holes of golf yesterday:
The final two holes of Saturday's play from Riviera with my first cup of coffee;
All eighteen holes of coverage of the ladies' event from storied Royal Melbourne;
The 18 holes of Round Four from Riviera, followed by the three-hole playoff.
That may be too much golf for even your humble correspondent, but because of the venues it was quite glorious.
New Zealand's Lydia Ko made her second start as world No. 1 a winning one, shooting a
final-round 2-under 71 for a two-stroke victory over South Korea's Amy Yang in the Women's Australian Open.
The South Korean-born Ko finished with a 72-hole total of 9-under 283 on the composite course at Royal Melbourne. Yang shot a final-round 72.
More importantly, I may be coming to grips with the absence of the beloved glasses...Maybe I'm not too old to deal with change.
I don't actually buy the concept of Lydia as the best player in the world, because I'm old-fashioned enough to believe that you should show something in the biggest events before earning that title, and The Race to the CME Globe isn't one of those. But then again, she should be a junior in high school...
She didn't appear to play especially well, struggling with her speed on the greens early and benefiting from a couple of misses from short range by Amy Yang. But sometimes appearances can be misleading, as a course like RM demands exacting precision on where to set down your ball that seems boring from a distance.
But see what you think about this Aussie writer's assessment:
In a tournament where only 11 players finished under par, Ko showcased a brilliant
combination of deadly accurate ball striking and mental strength to be the only person to record four rounds in red figures, the last a near-flawless two-under 71 that outclassed her main Sunday challenger, South Korea's Amy Yang, who finished two shots behind as runner-up at seven-under.
With the world at her feet, Ko's goal for 2015 will be to win a major – or several – something that would take her status as the world's best to another level, and on Sunday's evidence, she is well placed to do so after conquering Royal Melbourne in conditions and on super-fast greens that many players have said this week you only see at a major.
Comparisons to Tiger Woods, in terms of her accomplishments at such a young age, will only grow after Ko closed out this event in a controlled yet aggressive manner, something she admits she had not been able to do in past Australian Opens.
I was tempted to call BS, but what I really think is that he's way early with such a call. Not only is Lydia younger, but she's winning in a completely different fashion. She gives up quite a bit of yardage to her peer group, so it's exciting to think about how good she might become as that length differential mitigates.
But to speak of multiple majors before she's actually contended in one is just nonsense....this game has humbled too many, and it's not necessarily helpful for her to have the No. 1 ranking prematurely.
The Riv Shines - I loved it, how about you? There are some dissenting voices to be found, voices that we respect, but what a great week of strategic golf. For the second time in four years we saw a playoff go to the great stage that is the tenth hole, and were rewarded with great shotmaking. I think John Srege has it right:
The Riviera Country Club, 12 miles west on Sunset Blvd. from the Dolby Theater at
which the Oscars would be held later in the day, sparkled in the gloom of a wet Sunday afternoon, its difficulty worthy of its pedigree.
“A shrine of the sport. A citadel of the game,” the late great Los Angeles Times columnist and Riviera member Jim Murray called it. Until the USGA went to Torrey Pines in 2008, Riviera was the only Southern California course ever to host a U.S. Open, back in 1948, when Ben Hogan won for the third time in 18 months on what came to be known as Hogan’s Alley.
It was more of a demolition derby down the stretch, as Casey, Spieth, DJ, Sergio and too many to mention made critical errors down the stretch. And that doesn't include the alter kockers, as when Retief, Veej and Angel lost it, they looked like twenty handicappers.
But firm and fast is the ultimate test in our game, and that's what the Riv provided this week. And how about those pitches that James Hahn and DJ hit on No. 10 in the playoff, the beauty being that those were shots they wouldn't dare even try in a stroke play event. And of course the delicious irony that the guy that put is ball in the correct spot, Paul Casey, was the guy eliminated on that hole.
That dissenting voice noted above is of course the Shackmeister, who had these comments:
Riviera was tough. Major tough. The firm greens almost reached 13 feet on the
Stimpmeterafter morning mowings. The poa was turning grey. The old girl required intense precision like never before.
Granted, some of the 2015 Northern Trust Open difficulty came from contrived elements. The fairway widths were down to nothing, with a few laugh-out-loud-to the naked eye landing areas (1, 3, 5, 8, 12, 15, 17, 18), no doubt the club's desperate last attempt to compensate for not getting the U.S. Open it so wanted and won't get by presenting bacon strip fairways.
That said, the rough surrounding those fairways was entirely manageable and rarely the hack-out stuff we saw at Torrey Pines a few weeks ago. But with all sorts of elite and rising players fighting for the lead and a chance at history, the same story of late emerged: elite players unable to hold leads. Or even elite players unable to make 5 on par-5s from the fairway...with a wedge for their third shots.
Forget the stimp, it was the firmness of the greens that made it such a severe test, as anticipating and controlling that first bounce was the challenge. And while I'd agree about some of the landing areas, the key was limited rough that gave the guys options.
But I don't think Sergio and DJ failed the test because of the contrived set-up, they failed it because at crunch time they hit poor shots.
As is often the case when I watch golf, I found myself rooting down the stretch for the player for whom a win would make the biggest difference, in this case obviously James Hahn, a man that has paid some dues:
Hahn’s story is one of perseverance whether it is being nearly broke, falling so close to
winning his Tour card, or selling shoes to make ends meet at two Nordstom’s department stores in Northern California in 2006.
“I was pretty good at it,” Hahn said.
Hahn, best known for his "Gangnam Style" dance on the 16th green at the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open, was one of the seven players to lead during a wild final round that had more traffic on the leaderboard than the I-405 freeway.
Paul Casey was a close second, both because I pegged him as the best of his class of English players (Westy, Donald and Poults) many years ago, his constant struggles with injuries as well as this:
Watching somebody shank the ball is usually something of a somber, awkward affair. But it's always slightly more encouraging when a tour player hosel-rockets one into nowhere. We start thinking: Maybe the rest of us aren't so bad, after all.
Webb Simpson is one of the few tour players with a reputation for hitting the odd shank, and now we can add Paul Casey to that list. Casey hit a stone-cold shank on Rivera's 13th hole on Sunday from 155 yards.
Of course he pitched it over a tree to eight feet and made a rather routine par.
As for Sergio, he has a long-demonstrated ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in some very strange ways, as Shack informs:
It won't mean much to non-Angelenos, but back nine leader Sergio Garcia hit quite possibly one of the worst drives I've seen a professional strike in some time, leaving himself 10 paces behind Dave Stockton's infamous drop-kick hit in 1974 with a tiny persimmon driver. Stockton roped a three-wood in to the green and made birdie to beat Sam Snead. (Sergio did see the plaque but as you might surmise, did not stop to read what it said.)
Sergio hit comically bad drives on both 17 and 18, but it was his chipping that I felt really cost him the tourney. He continued to use his sand wedge to disastrous effect all week, as if a guy who won a British Amateur at Muirfield couldn't handle a bump and run. Go figure.
Apologies for the delayed blogging this morning, but I treated myself to breakfast with Lydia Ko this morning. While the snow gods have been treating us quite harshly, the gods of televised golf have given us a veritable feast.
The best men in the world (at least a few of them) have been battling George Thomas' classic Riviera at max firmness, and the distaff tour is finding similar conditions in the famed sand belt of Australia. And kudos to Golf Channel for giving us 18-hole coverage that aired overnight. My Lydia and Amy Yang are nip and tuck on the back nine, and I see no reason to try to set an edge in extremely firm conditions.
I found yesterday's play at Riviera among the most pleasurable golf to watch this side of a proper links. Whether it's the drought or the fine efforts of the greens staff, the course is a magnificent test, with the possible exception of the famed tenth hole. And with heavy rains in the forecast for today's final round, I'm very glad I saw the course at its finest.
Retief Goosen made only two pars on the back nine Saturday at Riviera and survived a
day of wild shots and bad breaks for a 2-under 69 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Northern Trust Open.
The 46-year-old Goosen wasn't sure how his nerves would hold up because he had not been a 36-hole leader in more than four years, and he is approaching the six-year anniversary of his last victory. Those nerves were tested at Riviera, which is getting increasingly difficult on the greens.
Goosen was flawless on the front nine before he strapped in for a rough ride over the final two hours. He hit a tee shot into the trees on the 12th and 13th holes, both times making bogey. He had to make an 8-foot bogey putt to stay in the lead.
And then he recovered with a chip-in from 35 feet on the par-3 16th for birdie, and then a two-putt birdie on the downwind par-5 17th.
Goosen was at 8-under 205, two shots clear of Graham DeLaet of Canada, who had a 70.
Doug omits to mention that one of the "routine" pares on the incoming nine required an 85-foot two-putt. I'm not sure it's quite fair to expect Retief's game to hold up after so many days with the lead, but the tougher today's conditions the more I like his chances.
But we've all been witing for DeLaet to break through, and my golf radar indicates this could be as good a chance as he'll find. Or not...
But the golf world is buzzing over three specific shots yesterday, the first referenced by Ferguson above, Goosen's tee shot on the short Par-3 sixteenth stuck on a tongue above a bunker, leaving him a routine chip, well routine if it were out of normal grass. We all tire of the announcers' endless focus on the Kikuyu grass, but in the video below watch Goosen's wedge stop abruptly as it enters the grass (the chip is at the 2:15 mark of the highlight video below):
The second shot generating buzz was Sergio's escape from a bunker on the tenth hole. The difficulty being that he was, in fact, playing the 13th hole at the time. Someone named Adam Sarson felt compelled to tweet an artist's rendition of the par, seen below:
Here's Sergio's description of the par:
Q. Have you ever had a better 4 than the one on 13?
SERGIO GARCÍA: Yeah, I would put it in my top three. I would say so. I've had some beauties I guess.
Q. Your caddie said you had a 4‑iron out of the trap ‑‑
SERGIO GARCÍA: 3‑iron.
Q. How would you describe the gap you had to hit?
SERGIO GARCÍA: Unfortunately I had the TV tower, which if I would have been off the bunker, it would have been nice. It would have given me a better angle. But because I was in the bunker ‑‑ if I took full relief off the TV tower I was going to be up against the lip so I had pretty much no shot.
I probably had a couple yards, I would say between the TV tower and the trunk of the tree. The difficult part about it was that I was in a little bit of a downslope in the bunker, ball a little bit above my feet, having to hit like a low, low cut that went underneath the branchs. So it just clipped one little branch.
But I was thrilled to, I mean, I would have been happy with five, so four was a bonus.
You got that? A 3-iron from the bunker....not that many 3-irons out there any more. Shack has the video here, worth a look just to hear Feherty's description of the shot's difficulty.
The third and most discussed shot was Ryan Moore's almost ace on No. 10, which ties in nicely to our previous discussion as to whether the hole's set-up was too severe:
Well, he did push it a titch... I think we can all agree that a ball traveling at that modest speed, especially afyer catching some lip, should at the very least stay on the putting surface. Moore was unable to get up-and-in for birdie, and we can all agree he deserved better.
Shack discussed the Fazio changes to this hole in this 2009 post, which is getting lots of hits today. Moore later hit the flagstick on No. 16, but there he got his birdie.
I'll cover Lydia's win a bit later, as I'm off to the Valley to run some errands.
As I get to work this morning, the taped coverage of the ladies event from Australia is on....Royal Melbourne and Lydia make nice background music but please, no spoilers...
Riviera Wrap - As noted yesterday, I always liked Retief Goosen's game and presence, and Doug Ferguson makes the "Horses for courses" argument:
Retief Goosen handled the tough conditions at Riviera so well on Friday that it brought back some fond memories.
Sure, he's a two-time U.S. Open champion, and the Northern Trust Open drew some comparisons to golf's toughest test with its firm, fast conditions. For now, Goosen was just thrilled to be in the lead going into the weekend at any tournament.
Now Retief seems to be keeping his expectations in check, probably for the better:
"It's been such a long time since I've last been in contention," Goosen said. "Who knows how my game is going to hold up? But I'm feeling good. My back is feeling great. So if the nerves can hold, just continue to make good golf swings and make a few good putts, who knows?"
It's a young man's game, so watch for the putting stroke to get a little hinky under pressure, but one never knows, do one?
But mostly folks have been enjoying the memories of the 2012 NCAA Championship held at Riviera, specifically the match between current protagonists Jordan Spieth and Justin Hicks:
As if Justin Thomas could ever forget what happened at Riviera Country Club’s 15th hole in their match at the 2012 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship, Jordan Spieth was happy to remind him.
“He’s sent me like three different pictures of that hole already,” Thomas said.
Flashback to when Spieth of Texas holed his second shot to all but ice their head-to-head match and help the Longhorns edge Thomas’ Alabama team 3-2 in the match play final.
“4-iron, rolled around the back of the green and went in,” Spieth recalled at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “He hates when I bring that up.”
I suppose final group Sunday would be too much to expect? And if you missed it, Jordan's prodigious drive on No. 18 is worth a gander.... It was quite the cool second shot from the bunker I thought:
Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/02/20/3499675_moore-among-early-leaders-at-riviera.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
Tiger Stuff - No doubt you've by now heard that he will not be with us next week at The Honda, which is likely for the best. Though it leaves only Bay Hill as a tune-up for Augusta, if that's even in his plans.
The NBC/Golf Channel crew was available to the media in connection with their coverage of the Florida swing. What else would they be asked about, so here are the relevant comments. First, from Johnny Miller:
We've all witnessed Tiger Woods' short-game woes of late and we've all heard his go-to explanation. Woods has maintained a change in his full swing under new instructor Chris Como has resulted in a different "release pattern" on his chips.
But two major champions-turned TV analysts aren't buying it. At all.
"I think it's crazy," Johnny Miller said in a conference call ahead of NBC's coverage of next week's Honda Classic, which Woods is skipping for the first time in four years. "You know, when you pitch, all you do is just take it back and brush the grass. . . . It doesn't take a genius to just make a little arc and brush the grass and put it up there near the hole."
And David Duval:
"I think that's a false statement. I don't agree with that at all," he said. "I mean, chipping is chipping. To hit a solid contact on a 30-yard pitch, everybody does it the same way. That's just how you get the ball up; keep it low, get it running, whatever."
"Having known him a long, long time, it's hard to say, hard to watch. I had to live through a lot of it on my own, as well," Duval said. "I think that injuries have really broken him down, his physicality, and I think through that, mentally. And once you get scarred mentally, it's a hard thing to come back with. It's a funny thing how memory works -- I'm not a psychiatrist, they could explain it better. But replacing short-term memories is a very difficult, trying process, and that's what you have to do at this point, and it takes a long, long time."
And Johnny again:
"He must have some demons in his head," Miller said. "It's like somebody short-circuited his hand-eye coordination. . . . I don't know what's going on. I really don't. Only Tiger probably could tell you, and he won't tell you how it can get that bad when you're skulling it across the greens and chili-dipping about every other one."
C'mon guys, he just needs his reps so he can get his golf feels back. And, you know, activate his glutes...
Luke Kerr-Dineen chronicles Jack's statements about Tiger over the years, most recently this:
We're not sure if Jack Nicklaus has actually said it a million times, but it wouldn't be that surprising. Every now and again someone will corner the Golden Bear and ask him if he thinks Tiger will break his record of 18 major championships, and each time he says basically the same thing: Yes. "I still do. Why would I not think that?,"Nicklaus said on Friday. "He's too dedicated, he works too hard at it, he's got too much talent. He'll figure it out."
Given that there's no other acceptable answer, Luke closes with a seemingly simple request:
In conclusion: PLEASE STOP ASKING THIS MAN THE SAME THING!
Ryder Reax - I'm still chuckling over the task force and eagerly anticipating Tuesday's presser where we learn about how it's all about the future, templates, pods and God knows what else. Apparently, per Adam Schupak, the task force was necessary to air unresolved grievances about....the pin on 17?
Love fell on his sword then and now, but the captain can only take so much blame when
his players failed to earn more than 3 ½ points out of 12 during Sunday’s singles competition. When asked his biggest regret from Medinah, Love said, “There’s about 10. I learned a lot. I learned a lot from Darren Clarke the night after Medinah when we sat around and talked. I learned a lot in the process with the task force. Phil (Mickelson) and I hadn’t really talked about Medinah until the task force. What was great about it is we were very open and honest. He said, ‘What was with the pin on 17?’ I said, ‘I know.’ Why was the pin over on there? We needed it in the middle of the green. We can all hit it on the green. We let tradition stick it on the right. I’m not blaming anybody. I’m blaming myself. We won’t make that mistake again.”
Sure glad we cleared the air on that important issue (not that some of the pins weren't funky, it's just that as I recall both teams played to the same pins). Though the Clarke-Love confessional seems curious now...
But perhaps the strangest take comes from Minneapolis Star-Tribune sportswriter Patrick Reusse, who had this to say:
To me, Love always has come across as being put upon by having other human beings
on the planet – not the affable-grump type, but as the woe-is-me type.
I don’t know. He gets to me. When he was in contention down the stretch of golf tournaments that I was watching on television, I found myself rooting against Love in the same manner that all we righteous Americans root against Duke in NCAA tournament basketball games.
Davis acts like a guy who wants all the bounces. Duke’s coach gets most of the calls, and acts like a guy who thinks he deserves them all.
That's certainly not his reputation and the guys liked playing for him in 2012, rendering him an acceptable compromise choice. But we'll give last licks to the Merry Mex, who had this to say about our Phil:
“Tom Watson is a good friend of mine,” Trevino says. “I’ve got a hell of a lot of respect
for the guy, and I was really angry about the way they treated him [after his U.S. team was trounced at Gleneagles last fall]. I don’t know what went on behind the scenes, but the players have to understand he worked his butt off for two years and all they did was show up and go play.
“If Phil Mickelson wants to say what he said, it’s up to him. I thought it would have come out a lot better from someone like Patrick Reed, who went 3-0-1, instead of a guy who has been a part of so many losing teams. If I had a losing record in the Ryder Cup, I’d keep my mouth shut.”
But Lee, surely they can't play well without pods?
Silly Stuff: The Bryan Brothers are back:
And this guy might be swapping the large SUV for a subcompact:
First World Problems - Michael Jordan is fed up with The Bear's Club and isn't going to take it any longer:
Those sources say that Jordan has grown frustrated with pace of play at the club.
“Michael likes to play fast and he can’t stand it when people won’t let him through,” said a golf-industry insider who knows Jordan and who has spoken with several Bear's Club's members. “That happens enough out there that he’s gotten fed up.”
Now Jordan, unlike most of us, is in a position to do something about it:
According to the same source, who requested anonymity, Jordan has secured the option on a plot of land in nearby Hobe Sound, just south of the luxe Medalist Golf Club, which counts Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler among its members.
Jordan’s vision, the source said, is to hire a top designer and invite a limited number of like-minded golf buffs to join the club.
Tom Doak has been mentioned as his architect of choice, but Brad Faxon provides just a so-so review of the land:
“It’s got potential,” Faxon said of the property. “But it would take a lot of work. It has what looks like sandy soil but the land itself is flat and there’s none of the infrastructure you’d need for a golf course. If you did something there, it would have to be pretty special.”
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
