Weekend Wrap

I'm under a bit of time pressure, so let's nt waste any of it on platitudes....

Welcome Back, Potter - It's hard not to root for a guy that looks like he should be wearing a plumber's belt:

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — For all of you golf fans out there feeling bad about yourselves because you don't know much about Ted Potter, Jr. — the new King of the 

A red shirt on Sunday?  Why hasn't anyone else tried that?

Crosby — don't despair, because his colleagues are equally clueless. Asked on Sunday if he could share any anecdotes about Potter, Kevin Na said, "Sorry, I don't know anything about him." Paul Casey added, "I have nothing for you. I honestly couldn't pick him out of…no I don't want to say that, because it might come across wrong. I'm sure he's a lovely fellow. I just don't know him." 

It turns out that Potter is a badass cleverly disguised by a doughy, placid exterior. He roared into contention with a third-round 62 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, of which Casey says, "That was a sh*t-hot round. I came in freezing to death having shot level par and felt okay about that. I don't think anybody saw a 62 out there."

A particularly lively game story from Alan Shipnuck, including details of Potters rather unusual career arc...  Also a good, punny title, which I might have stolen.

Most will focus on the three all-time greats that he beat, but Potter is a guy with talent whose career has been derailed by injury.  It's a surprise for sure, but not a shock.

Did you enjoy your week of amateur hijinks?  Like Phoenix the prior week, I've made my peace with it and will even credit CBS for some Saturday restraint.  Just when I thought we wer going to get through the entire broadcast without a Ray Romano sighting.... If he had decapitated Jordan would he still get invited back?  Of course they couldn't resist handing Tony Romo a microphone, which became a tad awkward when he had to mark his ball...

But I choose to be grateful for the absence of their prior excesses, yanno, like the couch on the 17th tee.... Joel Beall files this affidavit in defense of Bill Murray:

If Deane Beman had his way, the Bill Murray Experience would have ended as soon as it 

started. It was 1993, and the then-commissioner was furious. Murray, in his second appearance at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, had dragged an older (albeit willing) woman from the gallery for a quick soiree in a bunker, one that ended with her flailing into the sand. 

Coupled with other antics, like Murray yelling “Hurry Up!” towards former Vice President Dan Quayle—let it be known slow play is far from a modern issue—Beman had seen enough, calling the funny man’s behavior “inappropriate and detrimental.” Never one to fall in line, Murray fired back. “It’s a Nazi state out here,” he joked. “He’s trying to ban us from the tournament because it’s too much fun. He’s out of touch. He’s just another screwhead too big for his britches.”

I wouldn't have guessed that that bunker-waltz was in the Deane Beaman era, would you?  But Bill certainly has figured out that older women are always so grateful....  

Though I suspect that this little factoid wouldn't survive much scrutiny:

As he nears 70, Murray might not be the showman of yesteryear, but he continues to

resonate in a way unmatched by anyone in the game. A tournament official relayed a tale that one year the gate was down from the previous season, a shock given Tiger Woods was in the field for the first time in awhile. The next winter, ticket sales were back up as Tiger once again skipped the event, and the team came to the realization that it was Murray, not Tiger, that connected with the people.

They couldn't say that on the Internet if it wasn't true....

TV-guy Martin Kauffman has his own take on how to fix the event:

I come here today, however, not merely to criticize, but rather to share my wisdom on how to fix this hot mess. Here are a few suggestions on how to do that: 

Reboot the cast

Stop inviting back the same tired cast of characters. Josh Duhamel? Ray Romano? Some of the pros in the field weren’t even born the last time Huey Lewis had a hit record. Let’s institute a rule: If amateurs can’t make it to Sunday on their first three attempts, they can’t return for at least three years. Take some lessons and work on your short games. Meanwhile, the organizers can use the opportunity to refresh the field with some A-list star power. 

No chance, no TV

Stop showing amateurs who have no chance of making the cut. That means you, Heidi Ueberroth. And you, Larry the Cable Guy. If you’re not in the hunt, you’re not on TV.

But I beg to differ with him on Dirty Harry:

Make our day

Stop bringing Clint Eastwood into the 18th tower. Eastwood, 87, is still making movies, and his mind is still sharp. But his annual appearances in the booth are cringe-worthy. When Rory McIlroy nearly made eagle at 18 Saturday, despite a penalty stroke, Nantz said excitedly, “Clint, have you ever seen anything like this?” Eastwood didn’t respond. I’m a big believer in adhering to traditions, but there has to be a limit. Eastwood reached his limit at Pebble Beach about a decade ago.

See, that's why there's horse racing...  Even though we couldn't see his lips move, I took Clint's reaction to mean, "Jim, you're such a dickhead."   And really, who else will say this to Jim?

I was surprised to see Rory make it to the West Coast after playing in the Middle East, though it didn't work out well for the lad.  But somehow Dave Shedloski got the pig to sit still for multiple applications of lipstick:

PEBBLE BEACH — His first visit to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am wasn’t a total loss. Rory McIlroy spent some quality time with his father, played three stellar American

golf courses and soaked up some of the most gorgeous weather in memory in an event famous for its climatic conniptions. 

Forgettable was his golf game, and then mostly just his putting. McIlroy wasted countless scoring opportunities with a raw display of the doldrums, and failed to make the cut. A one-under 214, which included an even-par 72 Saturday at Pebble Beach Golf Links, the four-time major winner was two strokes shy of qualifying for a fourth round. 

Among the five top-10 players in the World Ranking in the field (Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day are the others), McIlroy was the only one dismissed early. He didn’t look all that broken up, even as he departed the proximity of breathtaking Stillwater Cove knowing he wasn’t going to be back Sunday.

I'll duck into this week's Tour Confidential panel for their discuss of Rory:

4. Earlier in the week Jason Day discussed Rory McIlroy's ability to lap a field when on his game, but questioned his desire a bit, saying, "I think the biggest thing for Rory is the desire part, how much do you really want it, because he has the tools to be kind of Tiger-esque." We've seen others question McIlroy's desire in the past, and though he answered definitively on his own Wednesday, Rors missed the cut at Pebble. Is Day's perception of Rory's desire a fair observation?

Bamberger: I have the opposite impression of McIlroy, that he may want it too much, and he is seeking balance in his life because he has seen up-close (Tiger Woods) what can happen when it is not there. 

Ritter: Rory has had a lot going on off the course — a lawsuit against his old management company, high-profile gear changes, injuries and a wedding among other things. I think Rory's slump is more attributable to distractions, and poor health, rather than desire. I put no stock in the Pebble MC. This still looks like a Revenge Season for him. 

Zak: I'd be careful calling it a slump, or looking into his Pebble performance too much. He'd never played the event before. Whether or not Day is on to something, it does seem a bit irresponsible (and not to mention hypocritical) for him to question another player's desire. Until Rory comes out and says "Nah, didn't really want to play" during a big event, I'll go on assuming he's got plenty of desire to win professional tournaments.

Is a revenge season like revenge porn?

Did you happen to catch his 5-putt?  I know I'm over-interpreting that best-buddy as caddie thing, but does that sound like a guy rededicated to his craft?

Tony Romo, Tour Player -  You know how much I love these stories:

Tony Romo is used to facing criticism. No position in sports grabs as much attention, and 

all the good and bad that comes with it, like quarterback. That he was the field general for America's most popular team only brightened that spotlight. And, for the most part, Romo handled that pressure with aplomb. A good thing, as a new, and slight different, wave of judgement is likely heading in his direction. 

Romo, who resumed his pursuit of competitive golf following his NFL retirement, has received an invitation to play in the PGA Tour's Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on March 22-25. The tournament is an alternate event, one that sits opposite the WGC-Match Play.

Romo is a good stick, though from what I saw at Pebble he's not that good of a stick....  We went through this with Steph Curry, and I just am skeptical that there's sufficient benefit to justify taking a spot in the field away from a guy fighting for his career.

But for those arguing that sponsors have the right to do anything they want, submitted for your approval is this gem:

An amateur named Julio Bell sparked outrage on social media this week after he entered a Web.com tour event on a sponsor's exemption only to shoot 93-105. Bell's entry in the Club Colombia Championship in Bogota, Colombia technically ended in a DQ (circumstances around the DQ were not immediately clear) and a storm of criticism.

While some golf fans support stars like Steph Curry using sponsor's exemptions to enter tournaments, many are unhappy with someone like Bell (who only started playing golf a few years ago) taking the spot of another player who they consider more deserving. But Bell was apparently a local favorite, according to tweets from spectators at the course, with a large gallery following him in support.

"Who they consider more deserving?"  Sheesh, I have a hard time coming up with anybody less deserving....

Rumor has it that this guy paid his way in, and you'd think the Tour could easily put an end to that.  I don't envy the sponsors, because I think they inevitably don't get much of a return, but this is not OK.

I've got much more for you, but it will have to keep until tomorrow.