Thursday Thoughts

We remain precipitationally-challenged, so how much time do you have?

A Dissenting Opinion - Mike Bamberger is a traditionalist in the best sense of that term, and he's not a fan of this week's....errr.....event or, more accurately, one individual hole therein:

This is the other week. This is the week when that hole represents the ongoing attempt to degrade ye olde game. 

Maybe we should be asking, as we did on Tour Confidential the other day, if the party that is that hole this week is enough? Why don't we have the fellas, when they get to the 16th hole on Sunday for the Waste Management Open, in the hours leading up to The Big Game, play to a hole that is not the perfect circle it normally is, measuring 4.25 inches in diameter. Why not reconfigure it in the shape of a clown's nose? Why not require the players to use rubber-coated balls in various fluorescent colors? Aces could be rewarded with free rounds, not just for the player but his entire family.

Degrade?   That's giving it far too much credit, methinks.

Maybe I'm looking at it all wrong. For starters, I don't believe that the golf played on the PGA Tour is an "entertainment product," even though it is sometimes highly entertaining. I feel the Tour — the actual weekly series of golf events — is a year-long athletic competition that serves to identify the best players in the game. It should be (and typically is) us looking at them. Number 16 at TPC Scottsdale in the WMO is all about us. Look at me, look at me, look at me! Blech. I can't stand it.

Well, it is the 21st century, and you might have heard that ye olde game is in its death throes. 

Do give him a full hearing, as the game would do well to follow Mike's guidance.  I do think that incongruity with the roots and nature of the game that makes this kinda, sorta work as a one-off.  Mostly I'm grateful that the contagion has been, well, contained in Scottsdale....

That Long? - Brandel Chamblee remains the gift that keeps on giving, at least for golf bloggers.  In the present instance, he took to a Golf Channel podcast to announce that he could fix Tiger's driving in two, make that TWO, minutes:

“And so I know that he’s trying to move off the ball, and he’s trying to stay tall. And if

he does that, well, it’s game over. It’s game over. … I mean, I’m convinced, honest to God, if Tiger walked out here tomorrow, I would have Tiger driving the ball straight in two minutes. Two minutes. Two minutes. Because there’s no way he can’t do – all he needs to do is move three inches to the right in his backswing. That’s it. It’s game over from there. He can’t mess it up. But he doesn’t. He stays centered, and he drops down, and he turns left, and it’s like one bleeds into the next which causes another problem, which causes another problem, which requires another compensation. And you’ll never drive it good there. Never ever, ever. No one ever has; no one ever will."

Brandel, please stay by your phone...  I'm sure Tiger will be ringing you any minute now.

H/T to Shack for the perfect photo, presumably dug out from somewhere deep in his archive.

9 & 9, A Hit - I refer, of course, to the newly-mitigated Pro-Am format on Tour, used yesterday for the first time.  Do you know how the players feel about Pro-Ams?  Here's an old-timer's take:

Tour pros would rather go through an IRS audit than play in a pro-am. Publicly they say they love meeting interesting people and how great the pro-ams are. In truth, they loathe them. They're out there for six hours, see countless bad shots and hear the same stale jokes. TOM WEISKOPF

But, Wednesday is not about them, as Mr. Spith makes clear:

Jordan Spieth is a fan of the 9&9, as well. He said with the new format, he’s able to partake in the pro-am and still have time in his day to practice. But he adds that it

ultimately only matters if the sponsors like it. 

“I’m a fan as long as the sponsors are enjoying it, too,” Spieth said. “They’re the reason we are here. A lot of times we get caught up in what the players want and we forget about why we actually have this. … I thought it was a good idea when it was proposed last year, just within the PAC because I thought the sponsors might actually enjoy it more. The opportunity to have somebody very engaged for nine holes and you get another guy fully engaged for nine holes versus sometimes it just gets long and for us players, it’s fantastic because I’ve got the rest of the day now that I can go out there and get work done.

Jay Monahan played in the Pro-Am this week, and had this:

“All the players like it and I think all the sponsors like it,” Monahan said. “Anytime you play 18 holes, it’s hard to keep 100-percent energy level. (With this new format) you get 100-percent energy level from the pro on the front nine, you get 100-percent energy level on the back nine. Our experience, you had Phil bring our guests to the 10th tee to introduced them to Brandt, so if you wanted to see Brandt and Phil interacting and have that experience, it was really positive.

You guys know how my mind works, all I can think of is some delightfully awkward hand-offs.  Phil to Tiger no longer qualifies, yanno the bromance, but how about Phil handing his group off to Tom Watson.  Or Grayson Murray handing his group off to....well, anybody.  Or, on a topical note, J.B. Holmes keeping Alex Noren waiting on the 10th tee..... Feel free to suggest your own.

Did Someone Mention J.B.? -  Another effortless segue for your delectation.... Is this blog worth your subscription fee, or what?

J.B. has a vigorous defender:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – In the wake of slow-play critics taking aim at J.B. Holmes,

another Kentuckian, Justin Thomas, made it clear what side of the debate he is on. 

“I have J.B.’s back all day on that situation,” Thomas said Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “It bothered me and I hate it for him. I went up to him (Tuesday) and told him … it was a great tournament for him, but I have a hard time saying I wouldn’t do anything differently than he did.”

But, what does he mean by that last bit?  Shall we let him dig deeper?

“If you put me in 18 fairway and I need an eagle to win the golf tournament or to have a chance to win the golf tournament, I mean I knew the exact position he was in and I would do the same thing,” Thomas said. “If I have a 5-wood in my hands – and he hits it pretty similar trajectory to me – that thing’s going to go high. And into the wind, he’s into about a 10- to 15-mph wind, that wind gusts at all, like it was, when he was waiting for the gusts to go down, that ball’s in the water. Three-wood, as long as he hits it, has no chance. You saw where (Alex) Noren hit it and J.B.’s probably longer than Noren, so and then he’s got no chance. 

“So he’s debating what to do, what to not do. I get it, 4 minutes, 10 seconds is a long time, but nobody behind him, last hole, you need a ‘3’ to win the golf tournament, you need to take as long as you can.”

Of course, this is the guy that thinks he has an inalienable right granted by his creator to play quickly and use another ball as a backstop....

While we're on the subject, in his weekly mailbag Alan Shipnuck gives his take:

Alan, I'm wondering why it never occurred to J.B. Holmes to turn to Alex Noren and offer to let him go ahead and hit. My understanding is it's not against the rules to do that unless it gives either player an unfair advantage. I think in the spirit of good sportsmanship that's the least J.B. could of done. - Ron (@Mintzgolf)

Holmes certainly could have offered that courtesy, just as Noren could have asked to hit. Or Noren could have simply gotten fed up and pulled the trigger on his own accord – there's no penalty for playing out of turn in stroke play. But Holmes is clearly a taker, not a giver, and he was thinking only about himself at that point. Poor Noren didn't know J.B. was going to take so long – he was left to wait and seethe, like the rest of us. It probably would have felt awkward to have to shout across the fairway to Holmes, and then it puts the onus on Noren to go through his routine quickly while the whole world is now waiting on *him*. It was just a messy situation all around.

Yeah, as per the Shack-Matt Adams video, that was never a possibility....Surprisingly, though, Alan does provide a modified limited defense of the decision:

Do you believe J.B. Holmes that he was playing for the hole-out? Or do you think he was playing for a check and came up with that after the fact? - Tom (@tdaveniii)

J.B.'s explanation has the ring of truth. Remember a few years ago when Phil was facing a similar scenario and he asked Bones to tend the pin from 100 yards out? The greens at Torrey were quite firm this year and Holmes said he would've needed a 3-wood to get home, so that kind of screaming, lowish shot would almost certainly have bounced over the green, leaving him with a chip down a frighteningly fast putting surface. He felt he had a better chance of spinning in a full wedge shot, and I'll buy that. Holmes lives in Kentucky and has already made enough money to buy half the state – I don't think he was trying to protect third place.

Beg to differ, respectfully of course.  There's little doubt that J.B. faced a difficult situation, most thinking he was between his 3 and 5-wood.  Going back to JT's comments above, J.B. is one of these guys that's very long with his driver, but more average through the bag.  Nonetheless, we can agree that J.B. would have had to take something off the three-wood, but then again I'm under the impression that he's a professional golfer and capable of doing so (plus he's notoriously a cutter of the golf ball).

But, to accept Alan's premise, doesn't he have a better chance of sinking that chip down the "frighteningly fast" putting surface than a wedge from ninety-yards.  That chip is only frightening if you're worried about making a big number.... And remind me, where did Jon Rahm hole out from last year?

My Least Favorite Golf Project - A new routing and additional information has been released for Tiger's proposed Southside Chicago project.  First this:

For more than a year, there has been a push to transform the two golf courses into a PGA Tour-worthy course. Constructing the new course would cost about $30 million and it would take another $30 million to make infrastructure improvements, said Michael Kelly, Park District general superintendent and CEO. At the public hearing, officials said much of the money would come from private donations, but a firm spending plan was not presented.

First question, is there nothing better that we can do with $60 million large?   And this is just priceless:

Beau Welling, who is helping design the course for TGR, said the reason Tiger Woods wants to complete the project is because he sees it as an opportunity to improve a course that serves the public, not just elite athletes. 

“I’ve never seen him so excited about a project,” Welling said at a news conference before the public meeting. “Tiger Woods is really about meaningful projects that have impact,” he said later. “It’s really about the community. Tiger Woods grew up on golf courses … this is a very special thing (for him).”

Well that's all that matters, isn't it?  But you know who's not embracing this project, that very same community:

The Chicago Park District presented an updated vision for merging the Jackson Park and South Shore golf courses at an open house Wednesday night, saying the latest design was modified based on community concerns. 

While the new design would add more pedestrian trails, modify the configurations between holes and relocate the public pavilion clubhouse, it also would still require closing a major street to vehicle traffic and cutting into a lakefront nature sanctuary as well as other elements that have concerned the community.

It's downright laughable, isn't it?  Can you imagine if Trump proposed to build a golf course that cut into a nature sanctuary?  What about the environment?  We're all gonna die....

If you care, and I certainly don't, here's the new routing:

The last thing the local residents need is a harder golf course....  By all means spruce up the existing 27 holes, but let's all be clear as to who wants to go forward with this project.  The local community is refusing to play its assigned subservient role, but they realize they will lose their golf course and promises of low greens fees will prove to be unexpectedly unsustainable.

 More Alan - More good stuff from his mailbag linked above:

Most intimidating tee in golf: Augusta 1, Old Course 1, Merion 1, Cypress 16, Phoenix 16? #AskAlan - @ScottMichaux 

You seem to be mixing genres here, because the 16th at TPC is an easy hole but for the fact that 100,000 yahoos are waiting to rain abuse (and empty beer cups) if you're a pro who hits a mediocre shot. Meanwhile, CPC hasn't been used for tournament play in decades. So I will say that for amateurs the 16th hole at Cypress has to be the toughest shot on the planet. You've waited your entire golfing life to play it and there's a good chance you'll never get another crack at it. The internal pressure is immense. And you're holding a 3-wood or maybe even a driver and the nearest drop spot is Waikiki. It's intimidating as hell! But when the Walker Cup is played at Cypress Point, those mashers will be hitting irons on 16, to what is, in fact, a very large green, so I think they'll handle it OK. For the pros, I think the first hole at Augusta National is the toughest tee shot there is. It's maybe the hardest hole on the entire course: you're in the shadow of the clubhouse where the ghost of Bobby Jones resides, thousands of fans are crowding the tee box and it's the first swing of the day at the f'ing Masters. Serious pucker factor.

A truly egregious category error, but Alan's answer makes it fun.  One can lay up on the 16th at Cypress, but it's really awkward and still leaves a fullish wedge in:

The tee is to the left in the photo above, and the player goes towards that lone tree.  It's quite a thing, and I can't wait for that Walker Cup.

How many players on the PGA Tour will be penalized for slow play in 2018? #AskAlan - Paul (@golffoodaddict) 

The same number who get penalized every year, which is to say…zero.

Though I could argue that after J.B.-gate they'll find some Tour rabbit to penalize, as happened last year at the Zurich.

Is the Players the fifth major? #FirstToAsk - Alan (@BigAlFishes) 

Go to your room, you're grounded.

And never write Alan again.

My buddy and I are betting on Phil and Tiger as to who has a better year. Using FedEx points. I have Phil. Money on line. Thoughts? - Michael (@MayMasters) 

You've clearly made history here as the first people ever to use FedEx Cup points as the basis of a bet, so there's that. Even if you're not using the wraparound season and focusing just on 2018 results, Phil has a decided advantage because he'll almost certainly play more events, including the WGCs with their bloated FedEx payouts (though he needs to make some hay in the coming weeks to ensure that he stays in the fields for Mexico City and the Match Play). Tiger's play at Torrey was wildly entertaining but I don't think it's sustainable – he has to find some consistency with his long game if he's going to post more solid finishes. Of course, Phil is driving it almost as poorly right now. This to me is the critical difference: Tiger is deeply motivated and willing to grind like it's 1999, whereas Phil these days seems all too happy to coast to middling finishes at everyday Tour events while he consolidates all of his interest around the majors. In conclusion, I'm afraid you're screwed.

 You and your friend need to go to #FirstToAsk's room as well....  Oh, and get a lfe, as well.

With Tiger not being able to drive it on the planet would he ever go back to a steel shaft in the big stick? - Forrest (@wannabgolfer) 

It's not a bad idea. Tiger should also consider going back to a driver that's 43.5” long, which he wielded early in his career. The guy still has plenty of pop and the rest of his game is coming together – if he can drive it in the fairway things are going to get very interesting.

Interesting thought, though I'd expand it like Alan did to also include stiffer shafts.  My sense is that he was so out of sync, hitting it first downs offline that i isn't that simple.  

Does Brooks Koepka end up the next Anthony Kim? Hand/wrist injuries seem to be career killers. #AskAlan - Brian (@brianros1) 

AK also blew out his achilles. And his big mistake was trying to play through a series of thumb injuries, which led to compensating moves in his swing, which led to the driver yips. Further, a lot of AK's problems were cultural – he hated the buttoned-down culture of the Tour and always felt like an outsider. I agree with your thesis that the kind of injury Koepka has sustained can linger for far too long, but I think he's smart enough to take off the time he needs and not come back until he's healthy and ready to play his best. And he has none of the other baggage that AK did.

What I find most interesting here is people's continued fascination with AK....  He's the Nessie of the golf world.  But hand and wrist injuries are really troubling, the problem being that it's tricky to know how long to give them.  

Now that the season is underway, what's your realistic dream scenario for Sunday at Augusta? #AskAlan - Josh (@J_Decker84) 

Sudden-death playoff between Tiger, Phil, Rory, Rickie, Jordan and DJ. Which means that Patton Kizzire is going to win by six shots.

Some folks will feel left out, Alan.... Good luck getting them to sit for an interview.  Especially Patton... 

That's a rich, full day of content, no?