Fractured Friday

I need to be careful to stay hydrated when blogging in such heat....  A cart might be a good idea, as well.

Oh, The Drama! - Who says Thursdays on Tour are soporific?

Woods kept every one guessing until shortly before his tee time whether he would actually make a putter change. He spent 90 minutes after his Wednesday pro-am round

playing musical chairs with multiple putters before he committed to the change. Late in the session, before making his final decision, he returned to stroking some putts with his trusty Newport 2.

"It just didn't feel right, wasn't looking right," he said. "So time for it to sit on the bench a little bit. I'm sure it will come back eventually, just one of those things."

I get it completely.  No matter how trusty a putter, it occasionally needs a time out to remind it that its gamer status is always at risk.

 Shall we put it under the microscope, as we do with his new girlfriends?

Enter TaylorMade's TP Black Copper Ardmore 3 mallet ($220), which Woods used on

the practice green on Tuesday as he prepares for the Quicken Loans National in D.C. The putter has a similar plumber neck hosel as Tiger's normal gamer but features a mallet-style, fang-like design that's become popular on Tour in recent years (Justin Thomas, Henrik Stenson and others use similar designs from different manufacturers).

Other features of Woods's potentially new putter include TaylorMade's Pure Roll polymer insert with 45-degree grooves for a smoother roll, a single sightline and adjustable sole weights. Whether or not Woods's new flatstick stays in the bag remains to be seen, but the fact that he's not only considering a move away from his beloved Scotty Cameron blade but that he's open to a completely different design indicates a pretty clear lack of overall confidence on the greens.

The funny thing is that this happens in parallel to my own consideration of a move from a blade to a mallet, and this one looks pretty damn good.  

How are you feeling about the change, Tiger? 

For the time being, he's "very committed" to his new mallet.

In the instant case, the scare quotes seem appropriate.  So, what could go wrong?

Lee Trevino, the six-time major winner, was never shy about changing putters and at the Greenbrier Classic media day in 2016, he may have given the most colorful explanation of why golfers change putters and the spark they are seeking. 

"When you get a new putter in the pro shop it is like a kitten. They are born with their eyes closed and you get on the putting green and you make everything,"Trevino said. "Then, in about four days, the kitten opens its eyes. It recognizes you and you putt just as bad with that one as you did with the old one."

That Trevino fellow has a way with words.... So, how did it go?

The putter switch worked in the opening round of the Quicken Loans National — just not for Tiger Woods. 

Andrew Landry stuck a Ping Dale Anser putter in his bag this week and made seven birdies en route to a bogey-free 7-under 63, tied with J.J. Spaun for the lead at TPC Potomac. Spaun, as a matter of fact, switched putters too, back to his old faithful — a Scotty Cameron by Titleist Newport 2 knock-off of the model made famous by Woods, his golfing idol. 

"It's like the same look, the same stampings, but my name," Spaun said.

Billy Horschel's 64 was nearly as spectacular. He hit 17 greens and made nearly 155 feet of putts after cutting his PXG putter down to 33 1/2 inches.

So, Tiger's putter swap helped J.J. Spaun and Billy Horschel... It really is a new Tiger, happy to take one for the team.

Rocco And The Rockies - The round bellies struggled in the opening round of their Senior U.S. Open:

Jerry Kelly’s renowned body language was in sync with the twists and turns of the East Course at The Broadmoor, or so it seemed by how he separated himself slightly from the 

The Kelly Lean.

field in the first round of the U.S. Senior Open on Thursday. 

Kelly, 51, posted a four-under-par 66 on a hot, windy day in Colorado Springs, Colo., to open a two-stroke lead over Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, Kevin Sutherland, Rocco Mediate and Deane Pappas of South Africa. 

The Broadmoor is located at the base of Cheyenne Mountain, contributing to the difficulty of the course by the havoc it creates on the greens. Putts are said to break away from the mountain, except when they don’t, and the contours shrink the size of the targets.

But the bigger headlines are for the comments of this guy:

It turns out the 2008 U.S. Open runner-up is not a fan of the complaints about the third-round setup at this year's U.S. Open at Shinnecock.

When Mediate was asked after his first round of the U.S. Senior Open about the fact that

course setup is a hot topic, Mediate did not hold back. 

"Truthfully, it's all been a bunch of bulls--, what I've heard, complete horse s---. I'll say it again if you want me to," he said. 

"Here's the deal, two weeks ago: If you don't like how it was set up, A, hit better shots; B, don't come. Don't come. Someone will take your place. It's real, real simple. Now you're getting me mad. They're talking about, well, you just shot 10 feet right of the pin, rolled into the bunker. Hit it left of the pin, then, okay? Because everybody's got to play the golf course." 

"Let me ask you this question, too," Mediate continued. "Remember the one about the golf course changed from the morning — have you ever played one that didn't? Of course it's going to change. That's what it's supposed to do. Sometimes it can get softer in the afternoon. Sometimes it gets firmer. What I heard that week made me want to throw up, basically. Just shut up, play. Because I guarantee you that trophy, that beautiful trophy they give away, this week and two weeks ago, is way worth the crap you have to go through to win it. It is. I haven't done that yet, but it is. I had this much on it. It was worth the try."

Perhaps Rocco didn't hear that Phil was angry and frustrated.  I'm sure he would acknowledge that that trumps all else....

Our favorite guy in the field had a predictably tough day:

John Smoltz strikes out in U.S. Senior Open first round

I'm OK with that punny header, but only because he was a National League pitcher.

He had this to say about making it there:

“It's probably the No. 1 thing that I've ever accomplished,” said Smoltz on Tuesday. “I'm proud of all my accomplishments from a team aspect, but as an individual, I haven't had anything anywhere close to this.”

As Shack notes at that link above, he got in a practice round with Fred Couples, so it'll be a good week for the guy, even if it ends later today.

We'll Always Have Paris -  The Euro Tour is at Le Golf National this week for the French Open, a venue we'll see for a little exhibition match in September.  The U.S. sent a small reconnaissance party, the key word being "small":

If the U.S. Ryder Cup team was looking for an in-depth report on this year’s Ryder Cup layout from Justin Thomas, it’s in for a surprise. 

Thomas will probably just say: “What you see is what you get.” 

The World No. 2 is the only potential U.S. Ryder Cup player in this week’s $7 million HNA French Open at Le Golf National, the 2018 Ryder Cup venue. There’s nothing he really needs to tell his teammates. 

“It’s a great test of golf,” Thomas said. “It’s all right in front of you. It’s not like there’s any hidden tricks or anything like that.” 

Thomas’s main insight on Le Golf National could be said of most courses. 

“Hit the fairways,” Thomas said. “It’s a very big premium out here. It’s a lot of 3-woods, a lot of 5-woods off tees, just trying to find the fairway. It’s not rock hard out there, but it’s firm enough to where you kind of get some balls chasing. I could see this golf course if it’s a lot softer, it could play very long, so you have to hit some drivers and a lot of 3-woods. 

“Get the ball in the fairway. Once you’re there, you’re able to attack on some holes.”

Of course, it could be much firmer in September, if a certain Dane thinks that's to their advantage.  Though the referenced Dane says not to worry:

“If I tricked it up from where it is now we would end up having no event because no one

would want to play,” Bjorn said. “It’s tough. It’s as tough as it gets for a regular tour event golf course. To try and trick it up for the Ryder Cup is not really my job. 

“It’s a great golf course. Does it favor us or favor them? I’m not a strong a believer in that kind of scenario.” 

There’s been talk Bjorn would narrow the fairways to try to take driver out of the hands of the U.S. players, who in general are longer off the tee. The veteran Dane says Le Golf National will be no narrower this week than it will be for the Ryder Cup. 

“It’s not particularly much narrower than it’s ever been,” Bjorn said. “It’s pretty much where it’s always been. Once you have great golf courses like this one, you’ve got to be careful you don’t overthink it and overdo it too much in the sense of that’s the golf course that’s there, that’s the course they’ve got to go out and play.

The high water mark for set-up trickery was Seve ending the fairway on the 17th hole at Valderama in 1997.  It wasn't pretty, but it worked.  You'd think that Bjorn would want it firm, though that's in no way trickery or unfair.  Pace Rocco, hit better shots.

You might recall that taking the Ryder Cup to France had absolutely nothing to do with the size of the check being cashed...  Non, Non, Monsieur, how could you suggest such a thing?  Any thoughts that this will help grow golf in France are quite silly, as noted in this Pravda interview with French golfer Michael Lorenzo-Vera:

What is the general French perception of golf?

If you say to people in France that you play golf, they will say: “No, but really. What’s your real job?” Golf is not a good thing here. It’s for rich people and spoiled kids. That’s

the image we have. Actually, we are trying to work on that. People like Alex Lévy are trying to make the game look more fun. But it’s a lot of work. I am just trying to be really nice to everyone. 

What do the French think about hosting the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National?

People don’t care about the Ryder Cup. Honestly, nobody knows there’s going to be a Ryder Cup in France. Only the golfers know. That’s it. There won’t be many French there. There will be so many more from England or Spain. Golf is a very private thing for people in France. Private courses for only rich families or rich people — that’s it.

So, how big was that check?

Before we leave, JT had this as well:

“Obviously I have never played a Ryder Cup yet so it is a little difficult to say what the atmosphere should be,” Thomas said. “But from the sounds of it, every one is great. You could say it is kind of a three-day hatred thing, or even a week-long hatred. 

“We (the Americans) have a lot of great relationships with players on the European team, and the media as well, and vice versa. But I am friends with a lot of Europeans that for that tournament they will hate me, and that is just how it is. 

“It is nothing personal. It’s just we take a lot of pride in our country and what we’re doing, just like the Europeans do. The fans need to be respectful, but there is nothing wrong with being passionate and getting into it. We only get one every two years so may as well make it count.”

Fortunately, that's actually not the case any longer.  Back in the day there was actual hatred, think Seve and Azinger.  Or, really, anyone and Zinger....

We're actually in a far better place, where we've retained the intensity without the underlying hatred....  Really, if the hatred persisted, I'd be even more worried about Bethpage in '24.

Please Phrase Your Answer In the Form of a Question -  I missed it because of my Engineers' outing, but our little game played The Palace this week:

OMG, we got Final Jeopardy!  I assume they can edit this out in post-production for the French market release....

Spot On - We're all over them when they eff-up, so let's take a moment to appreciate this simply perfect tribute:

Thomson, a World Golf Hall of Famer, died last week at 88 after a four-year battle with

Parkinson’s disease. 

In a fitting tribute, Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland, flew to Melbourne for yesterday's service and brought with him the fabled claret jug to display out front of the service.

"It was something we least expected and, frankly, left us stunned with awe," Thomson’s wife, Mary, said. "Peter would say it was his greatest honour ever."

Thank you for making the trip, Mr. Slumbers.

RIP, Phil Rodgers - Another of the real characters of the game, a man whose fortunes intertwined with Jack Nicklaus' for the entire arc of their lives.  From Jerry Tarde's remembrance:

His death this week hit me harder than you’d think—I haven’t seen Philamon Webster Rodgers in 10 years—because I always connected him to Jack Nicklaus, flip sides of the 

At the '64 Open Championship.

same vinyl record. He was yin to Jack’s yang. 

Back in 1983, I spent a week with Phil while he was an outpatient at La Costa’s fat farm on a 600-calorie-a-day diet, sort of. We ate and drank and played golf. He gave me a lesson and a sand wedge he designed, still in my garage. We hung out at SeaWorld in San Diego, where he told me he wanted to come back as a sea otter. “They only do two things—eat abalone and play. I’m one of the great players in the world,” he said. 

Even further back, Nicklaus and Rodgers were the dominant rookies on the tour: chubby, cocky and supernaturally talented with brilliant amateur careers. Jack always had that Teutonic discipline born of an Ohio pharmacist. Phil was Bohemian, the loudest guy in the grillroom, sandaled and Southern Californian. 

“Jack was like me,” Rodgers said. “Very similar to me. Our personalities are not that far off.” 

Nicklaus demurred when I asked: “As kids in amateur golf, we were both very competitive and after each other’s throats all the time. Through this we became friends,” he said.

 This might be the biggest surprise in the piece:

“Phil claims that the big break of my career was when he put a ball into a tree on the 17th hole at Oakmont in the 1962 U.S. Open,” Nicklaus told me. “Phil could have won that Open; he took an 8 on the hole.” Rodgers added that he four-putted another hole and still finished only two strokes out of the fateful playoff between Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Nicklaus won, made the cover of Time Magazine, and yang edged past yin forever. 

“Jack hit the ball at least 35 yards farther than I did,” Rodgers would recall. “On the 13th hole at Augusta, I hit a good drive down the right and had a 3-wood to the green. Jack hit one of his towering draws over the corner and had a [expletive] 9-iron left! We didn’t play in the same world. Maybe I got to respect his ability too much and admired him to the point that I didn’t think I could beat him.”

Towering, I get.  But a draw?  Jack?  Who knew?

Good Luck With That, Sir - Max Adler and the Undercover Pro have quite another take on this #liveunderpar nonsense:

Most rounds I don't play with security. You only get a police escort if you're paired with a big-name player or in the last few groups on Sunday. Not that a couple badges with

guns is a guaranteed deterrent. Earlier this year, I was playing with Jason Day when three guys in their early 20s stepped across the rope and started walking with us. Our caddies moved to the middle, and the two patrolmen behind us quickened their pace. These punks didn't yell, but you could tell they were lit. They start mouthing hateful things to Day, mentioning his wife. Now, I'm not sure why anyone would target Jason, who's one of the nicest guys you'll meet out here, but I guess some people feel the price of their ticket entitles them to that most special experience of getting hammered and harassing a pro golfer. Day keeps his cool, just says to the patrolmen, "I think it's time for these fellas to go home," and that was that. The world saw Justin Thomas get a fan tossed coming down the stretch when he won at Palm Beach this spring. But the truth is, it happens every week.

Our security on tour does a fantastic job—they handle tons of problems and threats we never even see or hear about—but one stupid fan can still rattle you. You make three birdies in a row, then a drink gets poured on you as you're walking through a grandstand. Rhythm gone. It definitely took me a few seasons to learn to not let it affect my game. At least not too much.

I believe that it was Jean-Paul Sartre that put it best, when he noted at the climax of No Exit that, "Hell is Other People".   Of course, we're going to need another word to describe other people with alcohol....

Have a good weekend, but please be careful in the heat.