Unplayable Lies: Midweek Musings

I had plans to play yesterday, but thought I could get a few items up for you before leaving... I was wrong.

Meet The New Boss - Along with your GHIN update comes a New Augusta National Chairman, the first that has actually teed it up in their little April get together. He seems enthusiastic:

The first time Fred Ridley drove down Magnolia Lane was in 1976. He was a 23-year-old amateur who had been invited to play in the Masters Tournament as the defending

Anyone recognize the other guy on the left?

U.S. Amateur champion. Never before had he set foot on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National; he had only seen the Masters on television.

On Monday, more than 41 years after that initial trip, Ridley made the drive for the first time as chairman of Augusta National and the Masters Tournament.

“When I drove down Magnolia Lane yesterday as my first day as chairman of the club, I promise you that I did so with the same excitement and anticipation that I had over 41 years ago,” Ridley said Tuesday during a teleconference. “I’m very grateful to have this opportunity.”

Wouldn't you be? No doubt, he's hitting the right notes:

Ridley, 65, is now two days into his role as the seventh chairman in Augusta National’s history. The Lakeland, Fla., native, a lawyer, former USGA president and previous Masters chairman of the competition committees, views his most prestigious job yet as more of a custodial position.

“It’s not something that I own. It’s not something that I possess,” Ridley said. “And that’s because the only legacy that matters here is the legacy of Mr. (Bobby) Jones and Mr. (Clifford) Roberts. They are the ones who established the mandate of constant improvement, which is going to drive me and my goals as chairman of the club, and I feel that if I follow that mandate, I’ll be in a position when my time is over to pass this honor on to my successor even stronger than it is today.

The first time an incoming Chairman fails to mention Bobby Jones is when you'll know the apocalypse is upon us.... We can only hope he means it.

He does get to that missing name, though I fear that these comments are being way over-interpreted:

One question posed to Ridley on Tuesday was the golf course and if Ridley had plans any significant changes to it. (Earlier this year, Augusta National purchased land from nearby Augusta Country Club for what is believed to be expansion of the tee on the par-5 13th hole.)

Ridley didn’t address specifics but he did talk about the original design philosophy of Jones and Alister MacKenzie, that strategy and skill were equal components in how the golf course should be played.

“We will take whatever action, whatever course of action is necessary to protect the integrity of Augusta National golf course,” Ridley said.

In the immortal words of Vladmimr Ilyich, Что делать? For those of you that don't speak Russian, that translates as What is to be done?

I just think that expecting an individual club, and I completely get that this is no ordinary club, to save us is too big an ask....

For those pining for Augusta in April, yanno, all of you, there's Geoff's comments here, as well as Mike Bamberger's thoughtful suggestions for Fred here. They range from the substantive:

VI. LEAVE THE COURSE BE

Enough with the lengthening. If you think they hit the ball too far, give them a limited-flight ball to play with. Don't take it out on the course. It doesn't matter if 13 is called a par-5 or a par-4. It's one of the most spectacular holes in the world, exactly as it is today. We would urge you to leave it.

I couldn't agree more about No. 13.... Far better to change par than move that tee box an inch...

But there's even more existential issues:

VIII. RETURN THE DURKEE FAMOUS SAUCE TO THE CLUBHOUSE TABLES DURING THE TOURNAMENT

Somewhere, Arnold will be smiling.

Please don't make me choose between rolling the ball back and that.... Talk about Sophie's Choice!

BFF's Trending - If one occurrence is an anecdote....what the heck is this?

I Think…

It’s more of a trend than a coincidence that three top-20 players, all in their 20s, parted ways with their caddies this year and put one of their BFFs on the bag. Rory McIlroy

was the first, trading out J.P. Fitzgerald for childhood mate Harry Diamond at the WGC-Bridgestone in August, saying “sometimes to preserve a personal relationship you have to sacrifice a professional one.” Along the same lines, Jason Day sat down father-figure Col Swatton in September but retained him as swing coach. Day’s replacement was Luke Reardon, his roommate at a golf academy in Australia who was working roof construction near Day’s home in Ohio before lifting Jason’s tour bag at the BMW Championship. Day framed it as McIlroy did, not wanting on-course tension to turn his relationship with Swatton into a toxic one. “I love him too much not to have him in my life,” Day said. In a lower profile but producing more immediate results is the chemistry between Tyrrell Hatton and Jonathan Bell. Since turning their friendship into a work relationship at the British Masters, the Hatton-Bell team has produced a third, an eighth and back-to-back wins, vaulting the 26-year-old Englishman to 17th in the world. This after a long season with Chris Rice caddieing that included missed cuts in four majors.

And he doesn't even mention Phil with brother Tim on the bag. But Hatton explains the logic to us:

That’s an understatement. As Hatton noted after winning the Dunhill, “It’s good fun having Jonathan on the bag.” Sometimes that’s all it takes, having somebody the same age who you can relate to, somebody that listens to the same music and somebody who simply represents a change."

How is it that these guys just happen to be available on short notice? If you're the BFF of a touring pro are you automatically on standby?

We've Seen This Movie - After having our hearts broken repeatedly, wouldn't you think we'd tone down the excitement. But no, it's Tiger swinging a driver....

Woods has been cleared "to resume full golf activity with no restrictions," Bob Harig of ESPN reported. "He got a nice report and is allowed to proceed," Woods' agent Mark Steinberg told Harig. "He can do as much as he needs to do. Tiger is going to take this very, very slowly. This is good, but he plans to do it the right way."

As opposed to the former "right way", which turned out not-so-right. And Hank Haney can't help himself:

We’re not sure how many of those who replied are swing experts, but one of them most assuredly is, Woods’ former instructor Hank Haney, who weighed in with this: “That’s a swing he could win with, it’s not across the line and stuck inside coming down, a little stiff looking but it’s good enough.”

For those that can't help themselves, Sam Weinman has the history.... Where's George Santayana when we need him...

Did Someone Mention History - Happy Birthday to The Open Championship, which began 157 years ago in 1860 at Prestwick. From Golf History Today:

The 1860 Open Championship was a golf competition held on this day 157 years ago at

Prestwick in Ayrshire, Scotland. The inaugural event was contested on the 12 hole Prestwick Golf Course over thirty-six holes on a single day. Until his death in 1859, Allan Robertson was regarded as top golfer in the world. The 1st Open Championship was to grant his successor.

James Ogilvie Fairlie was the principal organizer of this inaugural Open Championship. In a proposed competition for a “Challenge Belt”, Fairlie sent out a series of letters to Blackheath, Perth, Edinburgh, Musselburgh and St. Andrews, inviting a player known as a “respectable caddie” to represent each of the clubs in a tournament to be held on 17 October 1860.

Respectable caddie seems an oxymoron, as they were an unsavory lot.... A short video of the winner's great-grandson:

Willie also had a brother named Mungo, one of the great golf names of all time.... I'm like a broken record, but if you have any interest in how this all evolved, do yourself a favor and read Tommy's Honor. I'm glad for the Alan Robertson citation, because he's the most consequential figure in our game that has been lost to our collective memory, but he gave Old Tom his start.

That Prestwick course had quite the daunting opening hole:

Can you appreciate the audacity of a hole that length in the mid-19th century?

Horsing Around - You've heard that there are horses for courses, but have you heard of the H-O-R-S-E Course? If not, click through to this from Shack and watch the spectacular drone flyover....

That bunkering is sublime.

Ryder Cup Fever - I know, it's a bit early..... But I don't remember this photo:

They don't tell us the year, but that guy looks colorful even in B&W. The news peg is next year's captains recreating this shot:

I've never noticed this in prior years, but do the captains always go to the same barber?

Pat Perez, Up Close and Potty-Mouthed - Turns out it's not just his diet and workout schedule that are non-conforming:

Regular readers know I have something of a fetish when it comes to capturing on-course audio during golf tournaments. It’s a relatively simple, inexpensive way for networks to

create a better experience for viewers.

There is one downside to this audio, and it can be summarized in two words: Pat Perez. Even while cruising to a four-shot victory, Perez kept Golf Channel’s announcers on their toes.

“Pat should have to, but as is customary, we’ll apologize for the language right there,” anchor Rich Lerner said after Perez punctuated a poor bunker shot with an f-bomb on No. 6 Sunday.

Perez went to his favorite expletive again on No. 11 when a poorly struck tee shot barely cleared the water. “As Rich said, maybe we shouldn’t have to, but we will apologize for Pat Perez and his comments he made there,” said tower announcer Phil Blackmar.

After Perez missed a birdie putt on 15, Lerner said, “He might have as many expletives as birdies by the end of the day.”

Well, he grew up playing junior golf against that Woods guy, who's been known to drop an F-bomb or two.

'Dem Bones - John Strege is on Golf Channel's newest personality:

Jim (Bones) Mackay proves he can carry a mic as effectively as a bag

The longtime caddie remains one of golf's most respected voices. He's just talking to a new audience.

He's a likable guy that we want to succeed, though thus far he's been more competent than inspired. He's sticking tightly to his script, noy necessarily a bad idea as he learns the ropes.

But methinks they're over-thinking things here:

Mackay has not yet been assigned a grouping with Mickelson in it, notwithstanding the

fact that from a golf fan’s viewpoint, it would qualify as must-see TV, to resurrect an old NBC slogan. Roy has not ruled it out in the future. “I think the day will come when enough time has passed to do it,” Roy said.

His concern in the near term is the potential for a distraction caused by the vocal few in a crowd who consider “mashed potatoes” imperative to a tournament sound track and might be inspired to weigh in on the Mickelson-Mackay parting.