This is actually a bonus post, as our Play for Pink outing was postponed. That helps a different cause, my own... Not only is my game in the dumpster, but so is my driver shaft, which snapped on the 15th tee yesterday.
Tedious Is As Tedious Does - Shack posted yesterday on the Bedminster pressers, making it clear that it didn't happen on his watch:
I'm very happy to be at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open starting Thursday where the controversies will extend to who should have won the daily photo caption contest and whether Keith Pelley will sport the red or blue frames.
Can't blame you there, Geoff, though I do hope Keith saves the red for Sunday.
But he presents two accounts of the media center, suggesting that we should hope to land somewhere in the middle. Curious that, but see what you think. First, Steve Eubanks from the Global Golf Post:
No wonder they hate us. Journalists today are among the most reviled professionals in the world and not without cause. According to recent surveys from USA Today, only 4percent of the public have a “very positive” view of the media and 70 percent think that the media displays a purposeful bias.
If you attended or watched the pre-tournament press conferences at the U.S. Women’s Open, you’d have to ask: Who makes up the 4 percent?Every player and official who came in for interviews on Tuesday was hit with the same battery of questions. Do you think this championship should have been moved because of President Trump’s statements about women? What do you think of President Trump? Is it appropriate that our women’s national championship is held at a Trump property? Do you think the president should stay away from this event? One reporter even asked a couple of players and USGA officials what their position was on sexual assault.:
Well, the tentacles of the pro-sexual assault lobby reach everywhere....
Then Christine Brennan of USA Today throws down the gauntlet:
But when you’re in business with Donald Trump, the man who appeared on the infamous Access Hollywood videotape bragging that he could sexually assault women without having to worry about the ramifications, your values start to fade.
Your principles waver. Your admirable efforts to try to attract women and girls to a game with a long history of discriminatory and exclusionary practices run head-long into your need to prostrate yourself at Trump’s feet.
And so, in what was a truly remarkable moment in sports news conference lore, three supposed leaders of the USGA sat dumbfounded, unable to utter even one word against sexual assault, while the fourth, a spokeswoman, said the foursome was there to talk about “the golf competition,” but would be happy to discuss the “important question …afterwards.”
Afterwards turned into one hour, then two. Finally, nearly three hours later, a spokesman emailed this to me:
“The USGA has a longstanding policy on harassment. This policy governs not only the conduct of our employees, but safeguards staff, players and fans at all USGA events. Our Staff Code of Conduct prohibits any workplace harassment, including but not limited to, sexual harassment or sexual assault.”
I do hope she's working on her Pulitzer speech, because such hard-hitting journalism can not be allowed to go unrewarded.
One example is worse than the next, so Geoff's hoped-for middle ground doesn't seem any more appealing. I'm working myself up to a first class rant, though Steve Eubanks saves me the effort:
What the inquisitors don’t seem to realize is that, for the players in the field, it wouldn’t matter if this golf course was owned by the Apostle Paul or Uday Hussein. They couldn’t care less. This is the biggest tournament in the women’s game. Of course, it’s about the golf.
What was done on Tuesday in Bedminster was not news. It was not journalism. This was advocacy, the advancement of an editorial position without any foundation or context. The stories were written before the reporters showed up. All they needed were a couple of quotes to slug into place.
It was embarrassing, enraging and, sadly, expected.
It's even worse than that.... It's virtue signalling at its worst. They think that the ladies should sacrifice this career opportunity for their cause, but they sacrifice nothing. And it's their cause!
The most interesting piece on this subject comes from Karen Crouse of Pravda, whose knowledge of our game has been found wanting. I'll give her some props in a sec, but I did a spit-takes when I saw here leded:
ONEIDA, Wis. — The man, part of the same generation as President Trump, approachedthe American Cristie Kerr, a two-time major winner and former women’s world No. 1, in front of the clubhouse at Thornberry Creek, where the L.P.G.A. last week held its first event in metropolitan Green Bay.
He told Kerr that it was his first time watching in person some of the best female golfers in the world, and that his view of them had been forever changed by what he saw.
“You girls look heavier on TV,” he said.
Oh my God, the body image issues.... And to Christie, of all players.
But here's the part that will make her a pariah in the newsroom:
In his life before politics as a real estate mogul, Trump practiced inclusivity, inviting players, including Kerr, to his courses for informal rounds during which he dispensed business advice. For a few years, he hosted the players at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., during the L.P.G.A. Tour’s season-ending ADT Championship at Trump International Golf Club. In 2006, the tournament became the first women’s event to offer a $1 million first-place prize.The staunch supporter of women’s golf — and her own career — is the Trump that Kerr knows. She said she did not recognize or condone the behavior of the commander in chief who posts on Twitter disparaging comments about women and who has been accused of harassing women.
Wow, an actual three-dimensional portrait of the man.... this won't stand.
It's the self-righteousness that is so exhausting, as they think they're performing some great public service, when all we want to do is watch some golf. Really, who are these 4%?
And, as Alan Shipnuck tells us, the golf came as a relief:
BEDMINSTER, New Jersey — A storm blew through the U.S. Women's Open on Thursday afternoon, and no, we're not talking about the arrival of a blustery President.
Really, the camera adds 15 pounds. That will happen sometime in the coming days. This was a deluge accompanied by thunder and lightning, temporarily halting a first round that was otherwise a welcome respite to a contentious week. After a seemingly endless string of awkward press conferences, ill-conceived newspaper columns and the general unease that has accompanied this trip through Trumplandia, the golf at long last took center stage.Shanshan Feng earned a one-stroke lead by torching a softened Trump National Golf Club Bedminster with a six-under 66 that included a mere 31 strokes on her opening nine holes. Amy Yang is alone in second with a 67 while royalty resides at 68, in current world number one So Yeon Ryu and her predecessor Lydia Ko.
In The Mood - Part II - Does anyone remember Mr. Lu? Shack continues getting us in the mood with this highlight reel from the '71 Open Championship:
Trevino reminisces here about that week:
Lee Trevino has fond memories of Royal Birkdale, the wind-whipped links in northwest England that next week will play host the 146th Open Championship. He edged Taiwan’s Lu Liang-Huan, aka Mr. Lu, to win the ’71 Open at Birkdale by a stroke and in two other Opens there finished 5th (’83) and 15th (’91).
Rich memories all, even if Trevino came home from those weeks feeling less than flush.”Every time I went over there for the Open I lost money, every damn time,” Trevino said in a phone interview this week. Airfare, accommodation, caddie fees, carousing. It all adds up.
There was lots of carousing, but some nuns hit the motherlode as well....
And the '61 version, won by The King:
It was Arnie that got the American players making the trip, despite the costs involved. Here's my photo of the plaque commemorating his win. Oh, and don't miss Kel Nagle's curious headgear....
And these never get old...
Strange Daze - A bit of a curious story of broadcast rights, given the timing:
Sky Sports has lost the rights to the US PGA Championship, which takes place at QuailHollow next month, in what marks an embarrassment to the broadcaster just days after it announced the launch of a dedicated golf channel.
The PGA of America, which runs the tournament, confirmed that Sky’s deal – which had run for a decade – has not been renewed because a completely different media model is being pursued. While the details of that are unknown, there could still be an element of live broadcast, via another outlet.
Sky has pitched itself as the home of television golf in the UK, owing to its live coverage of the PGA and European Tours. Last year, Sky became the live broadcaster of all four majors.
There could still be an element of a live broadcast? So, what's the plan, Stan?
“We had a good partnership with Sky but the 2017 US PGA Championship will not be on Sky,” said the PGA of America’s chief commercial officer, Jeff Price. “It was a multi-year deal that was up. Ultimately one of the key things for us is scale of distribution and obviously with all the new platforms that consumers are engaging with, we want to make sure we reach all of them.”
Price’s comments intriguingly suggest a move away from the traditional television rights scene, a matter that will be of fascination to golf insiders. Social media will inevitably play a key part, with the possibility of a television highlights package also in the works.“Broad distribution, multi-platform distribution is the key objective for us,” he said. “I’m not in a position yet to share all the details but we want the ability to engage golf fans of all ages across all platforms.
“We want the broadest distribution we can possibly have and are very excited about the plan we have in place.”
They may be excited, but they don't seem able to articulate what that plan might be with the event a mere month from now.
Dundonald Doings - I've got it on in the background, and there are even shadows. Here's a take on Round One:
Rickie Fowler picked up where he left off at the Scottish Open, shooting a 5-under 67 to leave the 2015 champion tied for the lead midway through the first round at DundonaldLinks on Thursday.
The American, who didn't defend his title last year because of scheduling issues arising from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, showed great links course management in making five birdies and not dropping any shots.
Unlike playing partners Rory McIlroy (74) and Henrik Stenson (72), whose play was erratic in a light breeze off Scotland's west coast, Fowler only found trouble once in his round when he drove right on the par-5 3rd hole and into a burn. He chipped out from an awkward stance and managed to make the first of three straight birdies.
Questions dog both of these guys, though Rickie is in the far better place as of now. Earlier this week, the Tour Confidential panel was asked their level of concern about Rory"
Zak: I think there is nothing alarming about what Rory has done this year. Absolutely nothing. We should only be alarmed if we expect him to have top-10 stuff all year long. In reality, he missed the cut (at an event where he plays host) for the fourth time in five years. He missed the cut at a new U.S. Open course when his driver failed him. All of this came after extended time away from the game as he rehabbed his rib injury. A missed cut when Rory is at his best is alarming, but he's been far from normal for much of the season. If he didn't have top 10s from earlier this season when he was healthy and playing frequently, then I'd be alarmed.Ritter: I toss this one on the same pile as his U.S. Open: he's working his way back from a rib injury and still rusty. This may not be the Summer of Rory, but he'll eventually be fine.
Sens: As a general rule, I don't waste much emotional energy getting alarmed about multi-zillionaires. But there's been a Whack-a-Mole strain to Rory's game of late. One week, it's the putter, and just when you think he's got that nailed down, something else pops up. Then again, that's golf. Of course it's not too late for Rory. He could find the answer at any minute.
He seems like quite the hot mess to this observer... It's true that he's never been the most consistent golfer in the world and that he's coming back from the injury, but elite players should be making cuts with their eyes closed.
And in a bit of cosmic timing, Rory just teed off at Dundonald with a quick and urgent, "Fore Left".
Alan, Asked - This week's mailbag garners only a gentleman's C, though it does have its moment:
"Take away the Pro-V1, adjustable woods, all hybrids, and wedges over 56 degrees, what is the world top 5?" -Buck (@buck_rivets)
1. Phil Mickelson2. Dustin Johnson3. Jordan Spieth4. Luke Donald5. Tiger Woods
Which is funnier, Luke or Tiger? Remember, the modern ball spins far less, which would cause Phil even more trouble off the tee, is it would Luke, albeit fifty yards behind Phil and DJ.
This is a pretty fair rendition of the slippery slope issue:
"Is it really that hard to mark your ball properly on the putting green? #AskAlan" -Dan (@DanZimgolf)
Apparently! More interesting than the sloppy marking has been the fallout. It reallycomes down to two competing worldviews: it's not that big a deal and golf is already way too persnickety vs. the rules are sacrosanct and anything that abides the slightest fudging of the rules will send the game straight to Hades. I'm somewhere in the middle, skewing toward the traditionalist point of view. I've been to many golf tournaments – LPGA, Web.com, Symetra, college – where there are entire holes without a single spectator, and no Big Brother in the form of TV cameras. The only thing that preserves the sanctity of the competition is every player's strict adherence to the rules. Once you start introducing wiggle room it becomes an ultra slippery slope. Does one inch on a short putt make a difference to a player of Jon Rahm's caliber? No. Was he going to win the tournament even if he missed that putt? Yes. But as soon you start letting things slide it become a troubling precedent.
Short answer: No!
"Rahm, Tommy F. etc., the European Ryder Cup team is looking tasty - agree? #AskAlan" -Andrew (@a_h_davies)
I do. Think back to this time a year ago: Fleetwood and Rahm weren't even in the conversation; Thomas Pieters was still a tantalizing what-if; Alex Noren was a good-but-not-great player; Sergio Garcia was limping to the end of a largely disappointing career. All five now look like stalwarts for Paris in 2018, alongside the sport's alpha, Rory McIlroy. Of course, three of this half-dozen will be Ryder rookies. And what of the rest of the team? Both Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson were overburdened at the last Cup – how much will these warriors have left? Can Martin Kaymer be the player he used to be? Among the many talented young Englishmen, will any of them go to the next level? I still think the stacked, confident, cohesive U.S. team will be a heavy favorite but at least Europe is building a stronger, younger core to make things interesting.
Rahm smells like an RC stalwart, but I'm not convinced that Tommy Fleetwood is anything more than this year's Alex Noren. They still will have depth issues, but it wouldn't be any fun if it's not competitive.
This will have you second-guessing your career choices:
"Is being a media member as cool as it seems to an aspiring writer?" - Sean (@seanrgorman)
In a word, yes. Put it this way: if you won the lottery, all you'd want to do is have all-access at the biggest sporting events and play the world's greatest golf courses, right? Maybe for kicks you'd spend a few hours a day talking smack on Twitter. Well, that’s pretty much my *job*. Praise be.
Bastard!
Have a great weekend.
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