Weekend Wrap

Wow, a lot of ground to cover...  I'll take them in the order in which I prioritized the viewing thereof.

A Walk In The Park - For much of the afternoon we were treated to the thought that the U.S. Women's Open might be won by a 17-year old amateur.  One bad swing was all it took:

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) -- After weeks of uncertainty, the U.S. Women's Open stopped being about President Donald Trump, his course and his views toward women

and it turned out to be what the USGA wanted: a good tournament on a good course. 

Not surprisingly, the best player this week won, making up for a bad weekend in this event a year ago. 

Sung Hyun Park shot her second straight 5-under 67 on Sunday and won a final-round battle with front-running Shanshan Feng and teenage amateur sensation Hye-Jin Choi at Trump National Golf Club for her first LPGA Tour victory. 

The 23-year-old Park birdied the 15th to move into a tie for the lead and the 17th to open a two-shot edge after Choi made a double bogey to squander her chance of becoming the second amateur to win the event.

It was never about any of those things, but it's so like our impartial media to push a bogus narrative.  The only thing missing was a Russian golfer with Donald, Jr.'s love child....

The Tour Confidential panel weighed in as usual, and the girls even got the first two queries:

1. What, you thought he actually wouldn't show? President Donald Trump went straight from Paris to his Bedminster, N.J., club to spend three days at the U.S.

Women's Open. Was the president an unwanted distraction? Or did his appearance give a much-needed boost to the event?

Alan Shipnuck: Totally disagree - the sitting President of the United States turned this tourney into a big deal with his presence, both here and in the Twitterverse. And all things considered he kept a low-profile and let the players have the stage. 

Michael Bamberger: I agree with Alan. I thought he would be a big distraction, but he really wasn't. At all. It was actually amazing, how little buzz his presence created.

That was certainly my impression, though Fox couldn't get enough of that red hat through bullet-proof glass.  And this:

2. Between the ropes, the dominance of the South Korean contingent was the story of the week. Sung Hyun Park finished at 11 under to win her first major title by two, edging out amateur Hye-Jin Choi, also of Korea. Overall, eight of the top 10 finishers were Korean. Can you recall a single nation so thoroughly owning a major leaderboard?

Bamberger: Maybe at early British Opens. But not since.

Sens: It definitely grabs your attention--a remarkable sign of dominance in this modern era of global golf. But it is hardly unprecedented in the history of the game. Take one randomly selected example. The 1971 U.S. Open at Merion. Look at the top 12 finishing spots on the leaderboard. All Americans.

Shipnuck: But in those examples, Josh, I'm guessing Americans were the overwhelming majority. There were only 28 Koreans in this field, which makes their feat even more impressive.

Perhaps that red hat should be amended slightly, to "Make American Women's Golf Great Again".  Trademark pending....

Mike Whan and his crew must have been feeling lonely this week, and you might have missed that they amended the LPGA dress code.  I know, just think of it as the ultimate Friday afternoon news dump.... with the world obsessed over something Trump might have said, the LPGA wants the slutty look to be banished....   I know, mixed feelings and all....  We want them to look professional, though the underlying profession can sometimes be in doubt.

Alan Shipnuck gets a couple of comments, though I believe it was Freud that noted the importance of considering the source:

4. "The only point I agree with is that there should not be low-cut tops, but I've never really seen that be an issue," says Sandra Gal. "I think racerbacks look great on women and I think short skirts have been around forever, especially in tennis, and I don't think it's hurt that sport at all, considering they play for the same prize money as the men. Our main objective is clear: play good golf. But part of being a woman, and especially a female-athlete, is looking attractive and sporty and fit, and that's what women's tennis does so well. Why shouldn't we? I've talked to a few other players and, like me, they don't agree with it, either."

That's easy for Sandra Gal to say, as she looks good in just about anything....  Not that I have the slightest clue as to what a racerback might be.  But this caught my eye:

5. Christina Kim offered a counter-argument: "I may sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but this is our place of business and I think players should look professional. Do you really need ventilation for your side-boob? It's not going to make your score better."

Her side-boob?  God no, though I do worry about structural support....

Dundonald Denouement -  Miss Choi wasn't the only youngster to spit the bit at a critical juncture:

IRVINE, Scotland – Rafa Cabrera-Bello probably can’t believe his luck. He won his first tournament in five years thanks to a little help from England’s Callum Shinkwin. 

The Spaniard set a new course record of 8-under 64 at Dundonald Links to finish at 13-under. He then beat Shinkwin in a playoff for the $7 million Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. However, the tournament should never have gone to extra holes. 

Shinkwin had his first European Tour win in the bag standing on the par-5 18th hole with a one-shot lead. His tee shot split the fairway and then his dreams of the $1,166,660 first-place check disappeared. 

The 24-year-old Englishman missed the green left with his second shot, with a bunker between him and the flag. He hit a poor chip shot that didn’t find the green, left his putt from off the green six feet short and missed the par putt. 

Muchas gracias, said Cabrera-Bello. 

The Spaniard won at the first extra hole, the par-5 18th, with a good drive and a 275-yard approach to within 15 feet. He two-putted for birdie and the win after Shinkwin left his eight-foot birdie putt short.

It's pretty much a right of passage for a young player, but who knew it had been five years for Rafa... He'll make some fantasy rosters for this week, but I suspect he'll be more of an issue at next year's Ryder Cup.

A Deere in the Headlights - I didn't watch a single minute of it, but I guess we can dispense with wondering about the state of his game:

SILVIS, Ill. -- Third-round leader Patrick Rodgers knew that it would take a ton of

birdies Sunday to win the John Deere Classic. 

Bryson DeChambeau took that advice to heart. 

DeChambeau overcame a four-stroke deficit to beat Rodgers by a stroke for his first PGA Tour title -- and a spot next week in the British Open. 

The 23-year-old DeChambeau birdied four of the final six holes at TPC Deere Run for a 6-under 65 and an 18-under 266 total. In 2015, the unconventional former SMU star became the fifth player to win the NCAA individual title and U.S. Amateur in the same year.

Weak field, but a win is a win....  and the game is more fun with him around.

Though this might be the most memorable image from a forgettable event.

In The Mood - Part III -  It's Open Championship week, so let the linksapalooza begin.  First, Shack provides this video of the 1976 version at Birkdale, in which a certain unknown Spaniard burst into our consciousness:

Notice how brown the course looked?  Do yourself a favor and read this longish Guardian piece on that '76 event.  If only for the atmospheric B&W photos:

Britain sweltered in record temperatures during the summer of 1976. Office workers cavorted in the fountains of Trafalgar Square. Fire swept across Surrey heathland. Snow

machines were deployed to spray melting Cumbrian roads. West Yorkshire police

officers were ordered on health grounds not to wear ties between 6am and 10pm. The Automobile Association reported a record number of overheating engines. At the Henley Regatta, gentlemen were permitted to take off their jackets for the first time in 137 years. Even the EEC’s butter mountain began to melt. Metaphorically speaking, that is, with dairy cattle slaughtered because of the lack of grass, but you get the general drift. Phew, what a scorcher!

No doubt you've heard of the Golf Channel Films production The Summer of '76, which premieres tomorrow night.  Shack has a Q&A with Rich Lerner, if you're so inclined.  No excerpts, I'll just throw in a bonus photo from the Guardian item:

Add this to your "It's different over there" file:

It's been that way since the formation of the Birkdale Artisans – a golf club within a golf

club – in 1931. The chief role of the artisans – a dying breed of work-to-play member at some of the UK's most established courses – is to back-up the greenkeeping team, 

helping ensure the course looks immaculate, with regular raking of the 123 bunkers and repairing considerably more divots high on the list of duties.

In return, these unsung heroes of Birkdale receive courtesy golf at certain times on the world- famous links. Not a bad deal, eh?

Each and every single one of the 32-strong working members has no doubt, as secretary Stephen 'Stan' Matthews told us: "Rumour has it, this is the most exclusive golf club in the country. If you want to become a member, it's sort of not what you know, it's who you know!" 

"Generally, we're local lads living within a 15-mile radius of the golf club, local working tradesmen – I'm on the greenkeeping staff myself."

Maybe that's why I love it over there....  

It's early in the week for the "Whoja like?" conversation, but this from the TC panel is worth noting:

4. This week the golf world's attention will shift to Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, for the British Open. The active streak of first-time major-winners is now at seven—Day, Willett, DJ, Stenson, Walker, Sergio and Koepka—which is the second-longest run of that kind since the Masters began in 1934. Which major-less player has the best chance to join the group at Birkdale?

Zak: You have to love Ian Poulter's chances, especially at a course he loves and where he has had success in the past. We don't include him in the best player to never win a major (BPTNWM) conversation, but he's playing some of the best golf in his life (Sunday Scottish Open collapse be damned).

No, no, a thousand times no....  Apparently Sean Zak, despite a byline at Golf Magazine, is unaware that the Open Championship is a stroke-play event....  Also that Ian Poulter pretty much sucks at golf, per the standards of the day.

The other names proffered are more predictable, Rahm, Rickie, Hidecki, Thomas and Casey. Those last two don't excite me.  I don't know of any reason to think that JT has a skill set that matches the test of golf and the latter surely must have reached his sell-by date, no?

Phoenix Rising -  There's much of interest in this locally-sourced item:

It’s been brought to my attention from within the Valley business community that there is work being done behind the scenes to TRY to attract the greatest spectacle in golf to our busy sports landscape, The Ryder Cup. What a coup IF it’s pulled off.

Additionally, The PGA Championship could be in play for the Valley. The “Major” is moving from August to May in 2019, which would allow Scottsdale the chance to bid on the event.

TPC Scottsdale would be the venue.

Think of the atmosphere at 16? Think of the drama of the last four holes on a Sunday.

Ryder Cup tickets are limited to 40-thousand fans per day, but given the success of the Waste Management Open, could that number be increased IF the event came here?

Those scare quotes are the funniest thing I've read in some time....  I'm sure the PGA of America will be swayed by their use.... 

The second notable item is the assertion that the move is a done deal....  Perhaps, but there's little reason to think this source is breaking the news.

Lastly, I think the chances of a PGA Championship at this venue asymptotically approach zero percent....  A Ryder Cup makes far better sense, though if the PGA-Tour romance is that far along, wouldn't you expect them to go to Sawgrass first?  

OK, I lied.....But in a good cause.  I get the gaudy WM attendance figures, quite an achievement for the organizers.  But for two of the three days of a Ryder Cup there are exactly four matches on the course at a time....  

There's more, but we'll leave it until tomorrow.