Hey, it was 70 degrees out and that blogging I didn't do was in shorts...
It's Not You, It's Me - There's not much left to cling to in this crazy, mixed-up world when you here that these two couldn't make a go of it:
Phil Mickelson and his longtime swing coach Butch Harmon are parting ways.
“I’ve learned a great deal from him in our eight years together,” Mickelson said in a statement to Golf.com. “It’s just that at the moment I need to hear new ideas from a different perspective.”
Gee, and I thought he was hearing voices at the Prez Cup when he put that second ball in play... Now, while that Costanzaism is a continuing leitmotif here at Unplayable Lies, I hasten to add that contra-Tiger, these two are behaving like adults:
In a statement issued by Mickelson’s camp, Harmon said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Phil and we’ve had great success together. Helping him win the Open Championship in 2013 was one of the pinnacles of my career. I see nothing wrong with him seeking advice from another source. We’re great friends and always will be.”
Despite the split, Mickelson remained complimentary of his former coach, noting, “Butch is one of the great teachers in the history of the game and I believe he deserves to be in the World Golf Hall of Fame.”
C'mon guys, throw a poor blogger a bone... how am I supposed to have any fun with this? But do you remember the episode where Jerry convinces George that he should do the exact opposite of his instincts? Yanno, the one where he marches up to the babe in the diner, introduces himself as unemployed and living with his parents in Queens and she swoons? This could be from that script:
So when Phil Mickelson flew to Las Vegas last week and met Harmon for breakfast at Rio Secco, there weren’t any surprises. The highs of the 2010 Masters victory and that incredible, unforeseen British Open win in 2013, not to mention walking off arm-in-arm after winning the Players in 2007, were now history. At 45, Mickelson wanted to make some more history, so it was time to make a change.
I might have gone with the voice mail message that he wanted to see other instructors, but it's always nice to see gracious behavior, especially since they live in a small fishbowl. More to the point I'd love to hear Phil talk about what he's looking for... He's frequently wrong and never in doubt, but it's always interesting...
And this just in:
Several sources have confirmed to GolfDigest.com that since amicably parting with Harmon last week, Mickelson has been working with Grayhawk instructor Andrew Getson, a respected but low-profile Aussie who has built an impressive clientele in six years at the club. The 41-year-old Getson certainly speaks Tour player -- he played ten years on the Asian, Australasian and Nationwide tours, and as a teenager was mentored by teachers Steve Bann and Dale Lynch at same Victoria Institute of Sport program in Australia that produced Geoff Ogilvy and Aaron Baddeley.
All of this mature behavior is taking a toll on your humble blogger, but see if you can spot the howler in this 'graph:
Getson isn't a household name -- he doesn't publicize the fact that he's taught players like Kevin Streelman and Bill Clinton, and he has no social media presence -- but he's a thinker and range rat with a playing pedigree, all qualities the unapologetically experimental Mickelson surely finds attractive.
Yeah, it's quite the mystery why he wouldn't share word of his work with Bill Clinton... I'm gonna have to ponder that one for a bit.
Mouth of Babes - Once again I'm just going to excerpt an item and let you play world-class blogger and find the bit of interest. In this case it's a presser with Boo Weekly as part of the mus-see Sanderson Farms Classic:
Q. How have you come to view the wraparound season and the importance of trying to get out to a big jump in the fall?BOO WEEKLEY: Honestly, this wraparound season sucks. It does, seriously.Q. It's long?BOO WEEKLEY: It's just, it's stupid. I still ain't figured out this FedEx -- what does this FedExCup stuff do? It ain't doing nothing, but it is what it is. It's supposed to be the players tour. It's Tim Finchem and them's tour is what it is.It's aggravating having to play this much, but yet it's important to come out and try to get a good start. I mean, it's good for the rookies, I think. It gives them something they can up can out and get their feet wet before they actually get into the bigger tournament. I think that's a good thing.Q. Does it just feel like a warn out extension?BOO WEEKLEY: It's just golf after golf after golf. Ain't no time for hunting and fishing, man. You know, you've got to come in here and bring my rods over here to go fishing, but you can't go fishing because you get out there and next thing you know somebody's aggravating you, and you can't actually enjoy going fishing.
Now we're back in my sweet spots, yanno where heads are exploding inside the gates of Fortress Ponte Vedra. It's just stupid.....and Boo knows stupid!
Who Says They're Not Building New Courses? - Shack traveled down the Coast to file this report on golf's newest venue:
The San Diego Padres have teamed with Callaway to turn Petco Park into a 1,002-yard, nine-hole par-3 course Thursday through Sunday. After getting an exclusive first look late Tuesday, I’m pretty sure the 1,500 or so golfers with tee times are in for the experience of a lifetime.
It’s not just that they get to hit tee shots onto the 2016 All-Star game field dotted with bunkers, trees and colored target greens. Or that they get to hang out in one of baseball’s best stadiums with their buddies for $50 that includes a hat, parking and the chance to test Callaway wedges (luxury package buyers paying $200 get a Padres-logoed wedge).
OK, enough about the swag, how does it play?
The paying customers will be greeted in the VIP lounge area behind home plate where, once their tee time arrives, they’ll be allowed to warm up in the Padres indoor batting cages. From there they walk through the team locker room, then down the tunnel toward the Padre dugout where The Links At Petco Park opens with a tee shot from home plate surrounded by a protective tent. Just stepping into the batters box is a dream come true for any baseball fan, but getting to hit a 110-yard shot toward the center field fence? It’s a rush every golfer lounging through a mid-summer game has dreamed about.
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| Oh those first-tee jitters.
Just a cool idea, and seemingly well-executed. I'd take this over a dozen "Grow the Game" initiatives from the powers that be...
In video of the unembeddable ilk, you can see Geoff's Morning Drive preview at the bottom of this post, and/or watch Paige Spiranac hit a tee shot here. I'm pretty sure which link Maggot will avail himself of....
Nothing To See Here - Are you among those that held out hope that Martin "Golden" Slumbers, new majordomo of the R&A, might boldly tackle the distance issue? Good luck with that, as I can only assume that Peter Dawson has passed on all his secrets about The Treatment of Open Championship venues:
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It ain't just a river in Egypt...and do savor this priceless bit from our own Nurse Ratched:
"I do think if we get to a point where 75 percent of the field is hitting it where Dustin [Johnson] is and it gets a little boring, and we see signs of it affecting the integrity of the sport, it's a different matter," Finchem said. "Right now, I agree totally. We shouldn't do anything."
Slumbers also said distance "isn't getting out of control."
"It's a single-digit number of players who hit over 320 [yards]," he said. "The average is in the mid-280s -- this is run and carry. As long as it stays within those parameters, I'm celebrating skill."
Wait, I thought it was all the time the guys are spending in the gym? I'm so confused...
HSBC Hijinks - You might be aware that the boys are in China for a WGC moneygrab...perhaps you even remember Bubba's amazing bunker shot to get himself into a playoff last year. Though with the stupid wraparound schedule, last year was actually this year and this year is actually next year...Got it?
Tournaments in Asia seem to be ground zero for silly photos of golfers. Submitted for your approval, the new Fab Four:
I'm pleased to also report that Rory made his tee time, which had been in some doubt:
A bad club sandwich might force Rory McIlroy out of the WGC-HSBC Champions on Thursday in Shanghai, China. Rory asked out of the Wednesday pro-am after feeling stomach aches as he was warming up on the range.
It didn't and he shot a 4-under 68, good for a T16. But the best is his amusing tweet:
I'm reliably informed that that is a poop emoji....Thanks for sharing, Rors.
We Have a Winner - And a whiner as well... the reactions to Stevie Williams' tell-all have been appropriately harsh, but this is my fave from the estimable Peter Alliss:
Oh, the humanity! Bonus points for anyone old enough to remember the source of that.
The Jokes, They Write Themselves - What could possibly go wrong with this?
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR and Microsoft have entered a three-year relationship that will focus on utilizing Microsoft solutions to create new ways for fans, players and broadcasters to engage with the PGA TOUR. The solutions will be designed to instantaneously mine the TOUR’s vast video library and statistical information to enhance and simplify the way data is interpreted, providing fans, players and commentators new and engaging ways to access insight as never before.
Isn't Microsoft solution an oxymoron? Want more corporate speak?
“The PGA TOUR is thrilled to enter into this relationship with Microsoft which, at its core, is designed to produce deeper, richer and more immersive content for our fans to consume across all of our platforms,” said Tom Wade, the PGA TOUR’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We also look forward to partnering with such an iconic global company to continue to improve the presentation of our sport to our fans.”
Over the next several months, the PGA TOUR is primed to adopt Windows 10, Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office to make data analysis easier to interpret and understand for every golf fan, as well as players and broadcast commentators. Microsoft will create innovative solutions by helping the PGA TOUR analyze information faster and more efficiently, giving fans instant access to insight about players, courses and conditions.
“Through its collaboration with CDW on ShotLink, the PGA TOUR has been on the cutting edge of technology innovation and real-time insights around historical information, drives, putts and course conditions for golf fans everywhere,” said Chris Capossela, Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We believe the TOUR’s commitment to our Windows 10 platform and Microsoft Cloud offerings will enable fans and broadcasters to access ShotLink and other PGA TOUR content in ways that have not been previously possible across all digital devices.”
I'll be back in a minute, as I need to take a shower.
I'll just leave you with the inevitable three-finger salute, CTRL:ALT:DEL. Trust me, you're gonna need it...
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