Back In The Saddle

I'm tanned, rested and raring to go....all we need now is some actual golf news.

I'm pleased to report that Employee No. 2 and her Smith & Nephew hip are getting on well.  And, as I learned from our first time through this protocol, once you go metal, you'll never settle.

Ryder Remonstrations - The big story during our hiatus was Davis Love's Monday presser announcing his first three captain's picks.  But perhaps the bigger story was this that broke just prior to the announcement:

CARMEL, Ind. – U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III will announce three of his four

wildcard picks Monday morning, but Phil Mickelson insinuated Sunday that the decision has already been made. 

Perhaps even weeks ago. 

Mickelson said that the difference with this team is that the Americans have a "real game plan" which suggests that Love isn't waiting until the 11th hour to make a decision. 

“We know who is going to be playing with who, when they’re going to be playing, what matches,” Mickelson said.

So the purpose of the task force was what exactly?  And because that wasn't enough nonsense, Phil gave away the goods on the brains behind the operation:

And crucial to that game plan, apparently, is assistant captain Tiger Woods.

“I am so happy to see how well he has thought this through,” Mickelson said of Woods. 

“I can’t believe our conversations just this week, how detailed he is and the pairings, the possibilities, the players. Not just what matches they’re going to play, but where on the list. He has got us really a good, solid game plan that is easy to buy into and get behind. I’m very impressed.”

Wow...where on the list!  That's so granular.....   I would have gone with playing better, but a "real game plan" is good as well.

Now we've gotten a fair way into this without naming names, so let's see who the Tour Confidential panel predicted Davis would take:

Shipnuck: Na, Moore, Berger. When you’ve won only one Ryder Cup this century it’s time for some fresh blood.

Perhaps that wasn't wide....  But since you brought it up, Alan, what about Kevin Na screams Ryder Cup to you?

But when Joe Passov is the voice of reason, perhaps it's time for some fresh blood in the media center:

Passov: I don’t think all of the clever plotting and strategizing have made one bit of difference for the U.S. team in terms of captain’s picks in recent years. So much emphasis on chemistry, recent form, rah-rah patriotism, whatever. I’d pick the next three guys in line--and then the fourth. If that’s Bubba Watson, J.B. Holmes, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar, so be it. We have a points system in place, and these guys earned their spots. Pick 'em and let 'em play.

OK, so you might have heard that Davis went way outside the bun and took J.B., Kooch and Rickie, leaving Bubba without a chair when the music stopped.  Alex Miceli explains:

Love did explain that Fowler’s record was discussed, that in some cases when paired in foursomes and four-balls was at times paired with players that didn’t play well and Fowler did and either got a halve or a loss. 

The captain chose to look at Fowler’s intangibles and his ball striking. 

Love went on to explain that if you watched the BMW Championship on Sunday you would see he’s hitting good putts they’re just lipping out. 

“His strokes gained tee to green have just been solid for a while and you saw it at Bethpage, except for that last nine, which is driving, it wasn’t putting,” Love said in support of his Fowler pick. “He’s just solid. And we’re making a team of 11 guys for this year we’re not really looking at the past.”

Well, when you look at Rickie you pretty much have to focus on the intangibles, because, well, you know.....  But as Alex notes, Bubba has the better numbers, so sighting Rickie's seems like a misdirection.

This other guy offers a theory, and he does have some credentials on the subject of marginal captain's picks:

Lee Westwood believes Bubba Watson's stark omission from America's Ryder Cup team boils down to US captain Davis Love not considering him a team player. 

The twice Masters champion is on the brink of missing out at Hazeltine after Love overlooked the world's seventh ranked player when he named three of his wildcards on Monday. The fourth and last wildcard will be named in 10 days. 

'You hear Davis talk about chemistry and how players are going to be in a team setting, so when he leaves out someone ranked so highly it does seem like it's because the captain can't see where he fits in, with regard to pairings and stuff like that,' said the Englishman.

J.B. is more than happy to play with Bubba, and since there might well be a redneck pod....Of course Lee's on the other side, so perhaps he's just, you know, playing us....

Shack posted on this feature later than most, but the comments about the jilted one seem particularly poignant:

EUROPEAN TAKES: "His head is his weakness. He talks a lot about 'energy levels.' He

has to feel energized to perform. And because of his personality, he finds that difficult to do. In a Ryder Cup, where you play multiple matches in a short period and there's a lot of pressure, you can see him getting mentally fatigued quite quickly. And so his performance level drops off." ... "His driving is long but wild. So there is always the potential for him to hand a hole to his opponent. He can go out and beat you, 5 and 4, but you could do the same to him. I wonder how much fight he has in him when he's 2 down after five. Is he coming back? Probably not. He'll more than likely fold up." ... "He's easily upset, too. The crowd can get to him. He doesn't like being touched. So he has so much vulnerability."

AMERICAN TAKE: "If he's into it, if he loves the golf course, he isn't easy to beat, but the question is, can you get him into it? Attitude is everything with Bubba, because he has all the shots. If I'm Europe, I'm pointing out all the trouble at Hazeltine and letting Bubba chew on that."

Now there's two ways to understand Davis' play, either that:

1.  He's in the doesn't want/is reluctant to take Bubba camp; or
2. Bubba has already been told that he'll be picked on the 25th.

The first would be an Olympic-level snub, given that Bubba is the 7th ranked player in the world, with two majors and a win this season.  So, I'm going with No. 2....though with a caveat.  If Ryan Moore, Kevin Na or even perhaps Kevin Chappell should win the damn thing, all bets are off.  If Daniel Berger or Justin Thomas win, well, you see the issue....

This supports that contention:

Bubba Watson will join members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team for an informal practice session this weekend at Hazeltine National, Golf Channel insider Tim Rosaforte reported Thursday.

Though this, a mere two 'graphs later, should temper the Bubbameister's confidence:

Six to eight members of the U.S. squad are expected to tee it up with three or four players who are not on the team, Love told Rosaforte. One of those players is Watson. Daniel Berger, Justin Thomas and Jim Furyk are the others expected to join the outing who are not currently on the team.

If I were Bubba, I'd plan on playing well....

This Week in Golf Architecture -  A couple of totally unrelated yet interesting stories broke during our time apart.  We'll start with this as relates to a Macdonald-Raynor classic:

A proposal to construct a top-notch golf facility in nearby Woodbridge, Connecticut and upgrade the well-known Course at Yale is currently awaiting consideration by the University and the city of New Haven. 

The proposal, spearheaded by investor and Yale Corporation Senior Fellow Roland Betts ’68, was first introduced this July to the administration of the town of Woodbridge. It suggests that Redan Reserve LLC, the company of which Betts is the chairman, transform the existing golf course at the Country Club of Woodbridge into a “championship [top-100] ranked golf course.” 

The plan would also include a partnership with the University in which Redan would restore and operate the Course at Yale as well as construct a lodging facility of approximately 80 rooms on its nearby land. According to the proposal, hotel operations would be provided by The Study in New Haven.

Betts is best know for his Chelsea Piers development that was two blocks from my long-time residence,  He was a client of Theresa's gallery for many years, and it will make all the right heads explode to note that he was George W. Bush's roomie at Yale.

Best known for its famed Bairritz green, probably the most severe of its kind, it's a gem that well deserves a refresh.  There aren't many Macdonald-Raynor designs (see Ran Morrissett's review here in which he makes clear that this is more the work of the latter) that the public can play, so we need to cherish this fine example.  Now, about that 18th hole....

This seems like strange bedfellows:

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, Woods could be involved in a Chicago

golf course project involving Bandon Dunes owner Mike Keiser. NBC/Golf Channel's Mark Rolfing told the Tribune the Woods hiring is "not a done deal," but Keiser believes the 14-time major champ "is on board" and that he may waive his design fee since the course will benefit the First Tee of Greater Chicago. 

The project, which would create a championship golf course out of two existing public tracks, Jackson Park and South Shore courses, is not a done deal yet, either. Although the involvement of Keiser and Woods would help in the development that would have some holes along the lakefront and be just steps away from the Obama Library. Having the support of the golf-loving President wouldn't hurt, either.

The oddest part of this story is that Mike Keiser doesn't do "championship golf courses."  Or at least he hasn't to date.... His courses at Bandon and elsewhere are too short and too wide-open to fit that term, so I await details on the logic of this project.

Keiser is from Chicago, so that part makes perfect sense, but Ben Crenshaw has also been seen walking the site.  But there's no shortage of incoherence in the reports, such as this from booster Mark Rolfing:

"The three things that concern me about golf: It's too hard, it takes too long and it costs too much," said Rolfing, a DeKalb, Ill., native and Northern Illinois alumnus. "The goal is to work on all of these areas, and the vision is to create a model for the future of sustainable, urban golf."

So you're worried about cost and time, and your solution is a 7,600 yard course?  Got it...  And this:

The project calls for an 18-hole layout, steps from the Barack Obama Presidential Center, that would be difficult enough to challenge the world's best at an event such as the PGA Tour's BMW Championship, while playable enough for residents and tourists. Some holes would be built along the lakefront with the potential for an "island" green.

I guess they think that last bit is a positive?

This Week In Other Tiger Rumors -  It would be pretty hard to top this one:

Tiger isn't the kind of guy to go into pocket, but I could see a private equity buyer throwkng him a few points for the endorsement value.  I'm just a tad skeptical that that will move a lot of product, as he's kind of old news.

And on the subject of excessive endorsement deals, this seems unwise:

Nike has signed the best golfer in the world -- again. 

Sources tell ESPN.com that the world's largest shoe and apparel company has signed Jason Day to wear its shoes and apparel, including its hat. 

The move became possible when Nike suddenly announced last month that it was leaving the equipment business. Day, whose contract is up at the end of the year with TaylorMade-Adidas, is happy with his equipment, so he re-signed with TaylorMade. Those who have TaylorMade clubs usually get paired with Adidas shoes and apparel. But that has changed as Adidas, amidst continued consumer pressure in the golf business, is selling its golf businesses. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but one source said the No. 1 golfer in the world will get paid north of $10 million a year. Day's agent Bud Martin of Wasserman did not return a call seeking comment.

Day may well be the best player on the planet, but do we really think he can move that many schmatas?   But the real concern is with Day's fragility, as it's hard to have confidence that he'll actually be out there.

DJ, The Reviews Are In - The player formerly known as Wolverine has shown signs of living up to his potential, as winning an Open at Oakmont will do that.  But despite running away from the field at Crooked Stick, curmudgeonly James Corrigan takes DJ to the woodshed:

If and when Dustin Johnson wins the $10 million bonus at next week’s Tour Championship, perhaps the PGA Tour should announce him as the Phlegm-X champion instead of the FedEx champion. 

After Sunday’s gobsmacking and gob-emptying performance in Indiana, the world No 2’s reputation as the game’s biggest hitter is in danger of being updated to ‘biggest spitter’ as well. 

It is a shame that so many viewers’ enjoyment of the latest Johnson masterclass was marred by a feeling of disgust, as the languid American repeatedly expectorated.

Granted, golf has bigger problems with its image at the moment, from slow play to the unwelcoming nature of some of the more high-profile clubs, but still, this is an issue that needs sorting out.

Corrigan reviews a little history on this subject, but somehow omits, perhaps because he's a Euro homer, the sin qua non of the genre:

It never gets old, does it?  I'll leave you here with a warning that tomorrow's schedule is uncertain.  But we'll be seeing each other regularly from now on, assuming there's someone still out there.