In honor of the ladies, we're playing the ball down here at Unplayable Lies...
Alabama Getaway - Hard to imagine, but I believe that to be the first Grateful Dead reference in this blog's long history... Yanno, for those of you keeping a scorecard. Should we actually get to the golf?
SHOAL CREEK, Ala. – The first time Ariya Jutanguarn saw the front nine at Shoal Creek was midway through Round 1 of the U.S. Women’s Open. Her golf clubs didn’tmake it from Michigan to Alabama until Tuesday, and with the course closed all day due to the fallout from Tropical Storm Alberto, she was content to watch Thai dramas on her computer. With the golf course closed half the day on Wednesday due to electricity in the area, she could only get out for the back nine.
No problem. Jutanugarn trusted the advice of caddie Les Luark and blindly played the front nine in 2-under 34. After only nine holes of practice for the week, Jutanugarn posted a 5-under 67 on a soggy and steamy Shoal Creek to take a share of the lead with Sarah Jane Smith and Jeongeun6 Lee.
Michelle Wie, Danielle Kang and amateur Linn Grant are two back at 3 under.
With the course playing exceptionally long, Ariya is as good a bet as any....
But the real story is that they were able to get the golf in without incident:
Plenty of players came into the first round worried about playing the ball down in the muck, particularly with so many rough patches in the fairways due to uncharacteristically tough winter and spring seasons. Nearly five inches of rain fell at Shoal Creek dating back to late Sunday afternoon. Since 1895 the USGA has never implemented a lift, clean and place policy at one of its championships. And they weren’t starting now.
There were mud balls. And it played long with virtually no rollout – Kang hit a 5-iron and a couple 4-irons into par-4s – but in most cases it was better than expected. The fact that Round 1 began on time and remained uninterrupted by weather delays was nothing short a miracle.
I got only the briefest look at the coverage, and the course looks like downtown Beirut. But it's the golf that matters at this juncture, so well done, folks. Michelle Wie had this as well:
“It’s incredible that we played today and got a practice round in yesterday,” said Wie. “The greens staff did an amazing job. I mean the greens were perfectly fine. The fairways are fine. You would not have known that it rained so much.”
A couple of other notes before moving on to the lads. First, the Fox broadcast is with limited commercials courtesy of Rolex. This is from the press release:
Beginning in 2018, Rolex will be the exclusive presenting partner of coverage for eight USGA championships on FOX Sports and FS1, including the U.S. Women’s Open, the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Amateur. Rolex’s commitment will ensure an uninterrupted broadcast of these events, providing golf fans hours of continuous live golf action as history unfolds.
The good news is more golf being shown. The downside is equally obvious, more Joe Buck. Shack had this note:
This is going to test the bladders of announcers and certainly will put the focus on sponsor Rolex, to the point we may grow tired of their ads. But from a viewing standpoint the new commercial-free approach begins with Thursday's U.S. Women's Open.
It's not actually the announcers' bladders that are of greatest concern here, but Geoff will understand better in about thirty years. I'll check back with him then.
Lastly, America's Sweetheart is back:
When Lucy Li teed it up in her first U.S. Women’s Open in 2014, she was as much anovelty as she was a novice, an 11-year-old who earned the right to play at Pinehurst No. 2 but was really expected to compete. She wore fun, non-golf clothes, ate ice cream during a press conference, sat down in the fairway when she was hot and tired, shot 78-78 to miss the cut and spent the weekend following eventual champ Michelle Wie around. It was all very cute and impressive at the same time. To be that young and in the position she was in allowed everything to appear to be a victory.
Four years later, the vibe feels far different for a 15-year-old Li as she teed it up on Thursday in her second Women’s Open. She’s by no means a veteran—she remains the youngest player in the field—but she’s no deer in the headlights, either. She’s the No. 1 girls junior golf, the 2016 Junior PGA champion, who has played in the U.S. Women's Amateur, will play next week for the U.S. in the Curtis Cup and earned an invitation to play in the ANA Inspiration last March. She missed the cut with rounds of 70-76, but made an impressive. Still inexperienced by tour pro standards, Li feels like she belongs at Shoal Creek.
Over the hill. Might have to take a run over to Quaker to see her in the Curtis Cup....
Memorial Mishigoss - From the game story:
After getting over a nagging wrist injury, it's been a slow climb back for HidekiMatsuyama, who showed some signs of life in his most recent start, finishing T-16 at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Hardly anything newsworthy for a player that amassed four victories and well over $12 million in earnings in his last two seasons on the PGA Tour, rising as high as No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
On Thursday, Matsuyama looked to get fully back on track at Muirfield Village, the site of his first victory in 2014. Jack's place proved to be the slump buster he needed, as he carded a seven-under 65 highlighted by an five-hole stretch of six-under par on his final nine, giving him a share of the Memorial Tournament lead with Abraham Ancer and 19-year-old Joaquin Niemann.
For the record, nagging wrist injury is redundant, especially for golfers.
As for that other guy, it ended OK:
Tiger Woods said he had tightness in his lower back Thursday morning during the firstround of the Memorial, a rare admission of discomfort dating to the period prior to the first of his surgeries more than four years ago.
While Woods has detailed his struggles over the past few years, he rarely did so while they occurred and was typically less than forthcoming.
I would have gone with "much less than", but whatevah.
But Woods said he had difficulty getting loose as he played his first seven holes in 4 over par at Muirfield Village Golf Club before rebounding to shoot even-par 72 in the first round of the Memorial Tournament. He is 7 shots behind leaders Abraham Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Hideki Matsuyama.
"I wasn't rotating very well today, back was tight, and just, it is what it is some days,'' Woods said. "And I made a few tweaks in my swing, my setup, and lo and behold, I was able to make some good swings on my back nine and turned the whole thing around.''
I've been reliably informed that "It is what it is" all days.... Apparently the glutes activated, so he had that going for him....
Good comeback for sure, though it sounds like this will be something he has to live with going forward....
Next up is this week's installment of The Duf Abides, a recurring series:
DUBLIN, Ohio — As Jason Dufner arrived at the 10th tee to begin their Thursday round, playing partner Tiger Woods came up to check out his snapback du jour, a greenmesh number casually tilted that said "Columbus" on front. Woods shook his head."Duf, you’re a real beauty," he said.
The last time the two played together, Dufner rocked a hat that read "Boss" across the front, a lid he'd found sitting at Rickie Fowler's house. Plenty of people took notice, including Jarvis Woodson, watching from Ohio.
"We realized right around the time of the 'Boss' hat that he didn't have a sponsor, so I did a little research and next thing you know I reached out to his agent and here we are," Woodson said. His company, MSF Real Estate Capital, has signed Dufner to a one-week hat deal. The company has been based in Columbus, Ohio for 34 years and some of this week's hats are designed accordingly.
The Crew being, well let Duf tell it:
At his Tuesday defending champion's press conference, Dufner sported a lid that read "Save The Crew," referring to the Columbus-based MLS team that may be relocated to Austin, Tex. Dufner, himself an Ohio native, related to the cause.
"I wouldn't say I'm extremely passionate about soccer, but I can identify with what they're going through, being from Cleveland, losing the Browns, I think that was in the early '90s," he said.
Duf: Not extremely passionate about soccer? Sheesh, that's just a shocker....
This gut also might need a new hat deal, but that's not the reason is round is borderline newsworthy:
“I’m going to stay away from that stuff,” Glover said Thursday. “I made some statements
I actually Zudy so you don't have to. the last couple weeks. I’m just going to have to refer to that stuff and I would prefer to talk about today, if that’s okay?”
Glover had previously asked for privacy concerning the matter, but after shooting 5-under 67 with six birdies, it was tough to avoid the question of how, despite recent events, he managed to get himself to T-5 on the first-round leaderboard at Muirfield Village.
“It’s another round, really,” Glover said. “I mean, it’s nothing different. I’ve played here a bunch, I’ve played a lot of golf, and just wanted to play well and have a good attitude. That was the mindset today.”
I would think that things would be calm at home after a 67, but there's enough pressure in this game with a supportive and sane spouse....
Zudy does "No code enterprise apps", so I'm gonna guess that Duf's sponsor is getting better value for their cash.
Our last item features a serendipitous bit of timing. Just yesterday, Alan Shipnuck was insisting the the kids are all right... well, that Jordan will be OK. As you know, not only has Jordan not been Living Under Par™, but when he had himself under par in the literal sense, the center did not hold:
Spieth saw a 2-under start through five holes derailed because of double bogeys at Nos. 6 and 8, and made the turn Thursday at Muirfield Village in 2-over 38.
But that wasn’t even the worst part.
After hitting his tee shot well long and left at the par-3 eighth, Spieth took relief from a cart path. As he prepared to hit his shot, Spieth turned to the crowd and asked them to put their phones away.
“If everybody could do me a huge favor and not video this shot,” Spieth said. “Thank you. Sometimes it’s cool to actually watch. Please, no phones. Can’t have any going off in this shot.”
The PGA Tour now allows fans to take photos and videos during tournament rounds, as long as they have their phones on silent. And while Spieth was simply asking and some fans did laugh, his tone and body language rubbed many the wrong way on social media.
Apparently Jordan didn't get the memo.... It's just as cool outside the ropes, and Millennials gonna millennial. He finished with a 3-over 75, and while Alan says he's gonna be fine, he didn't specify a time frame.
Be The Ball - A change at the top at Bridgestone:
Angel Ilagan, the outspoken golf outsider that was named president and CEO of Bridgestone Golf U.S. less than two years ago, is out. The company announced Thursday
I know why the guy on the left is smiling.... that Ilagan and the company “have made a mutual decision to part ways.”
Shigeru Nakayama, a veteran leader of the global Bridgestone Sports brand and the former head of Bridgestone Golf in the U.S., will return to serve as as acting president and CEO.
According to figures for golf ball sales at on- and off-course golf shops from Golf Datatech, Bridgestone Golf’s market share in golf balls in the U.S. initially grew more than 50 percent under Ilagan’s leadership and was the No. 2-selling ball brand behind Titleist. In the latest numbers from April, its share has dropped 20 percent (returning essentially to where it was when Ilagan started) and in past months it has fallen into third and sometimes fourth, well behind the well-established No. 2 brand Callaway. This flattish performance comes at a time when others (Callaway, TaylorMade and Srixon) took advantage of the departure of Nike from the ball business in August 2016, about the same time that Ilagan started on the job. On the club side, Bridgestone’s share has remained nearly non-existent.
Give credit where credit is due... As far as equipment is concerned, they're fully non-existent.
Most are commenting on this unusual stance for a manufacturer:
He also touched the golf ball industry’s veritable third-rail by suggesting the ball was going too far in the pro game and that he believed bifurcation was a viable solution. He told golf.com last November, “We need to do something about the golf ball. I just think [the ball] is going too far. With the game progressing as it is, I think the 8,000-yard golf course is not too far away. That’s pretty scary.
“...I think there is an option to have a ball that is played on Tour, and a ball that is played casually.”
Although in terms of shear stupidity, the high-water mark was his comment that Tiger was worth more as an endorser than as a player.... I know, but he had signed him and wasn't getting much of a return during his recovery from surgery.
Without any success at moving equipment, I can't imagine that their ball business can be profitable.
Book It, Danno - They're real and they're spectacular..... The Dunes, of course, and they're mammoth:
The Pacific Coast of Oregon and the middle of nowhere Wisconsin wouldn't seem to have too many similarities. But in discussing why great golf works at Bandon Dunes, and how David McLay Kidd took inspiration from his successful breakthrough coursemore than 20 years ago, you arrive in tiny Nekoosa, Wis.
Kidd’s Mammoth Dunes at Sand Valley opens Thursday, less than four years after having walked the site and being rewarded the design job from Mike Keiser. Keiser gave Kidd his shot at Bandon Dunes and also found Sand Valley, whose Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw course won Golf Digest’s Best New course in 2017. Kidd’s new course is a top contender for the honor in 2018, along with Streamsong Black and some others, but regardless of the outcome, the design represents a shift in philosophy from Kidd and his design team that started 10 years ago after a return to Bandon Dunes.
As a little-known mid-20s architect from Scotland, Keiser picked Kidd to design his first course at what is now one of the world’s most well known golf resorts. Since then, Kidd realized he had deviated from what he knew instinctively from growing up as the son of a greens superintendent, playing Old Tom Morris and James Braid courses in Scotland. What did Kidd get right at Bandon? And how could he learn from those successes? Having received some criticism for some of his later work—the most extreme of which was fellow designer Tom Doak giving Kidd’s Castle Course at St. Andrews the only “0” on his 1-10 scale on his Confidential Guide to Golf Courses—Kidd took his two lead designers, Casey Krahenbuhl and Nick Schaan—back to Bandon Dunes to draw specifics on what succeeded. The result? A shift in design philosophy that is most embodied at Mammoth Dunes.
First of all, there's a theory that Keiser thought he was hiring Kidd's far better-known father, but ended up with the spawn. Admittedly, it turned out great for all involved. Kidd had seemingly gone off the deep end with His Castle Course in St. Andrews, but is now back in the fold.
More importantly, the similarities between coastal Oregon and central Wisconsin are actually quite profound, though only one overlooks the Pacific. The place looks spectacular and the header references a trip, which begs to be booked.
Don't Try This At Home, Folks - Gents, this may be a good time for you to close the browser tab and get on with your day.... I promise that I'll understand and not hold a grudge, as what follows might have you crossing your legs and refusing to leave your home.
The item comes courtesy of Dr. Michael J. Young, who explains far more about a certain part of the mail anatomy than seems necessary:
On this night, I was awakened around 11:30 p.m. for a consultation. I could predict a long night ahead of me, along with a stressful remaining weekend, within 10 seconds of hearing the reason for the interruption of my REM sleep: A 43-year-old man had suffered a fracture of the testicle.
It can fracture? Who knew?
The testicle is surprisingly resistant to injury, despite its exposed location, front and center, and despite being shielded by very little. (Scrotal skin is quite thin, and there's nosignificant layer of muscle or fat for protection.) With a predilection for just hanging, the testicle would appear ripe for injury. But it is the very lack of resistance, the ability to be pushed aside in a compliant scrotal sac, that allows the testicle to avoid a significant injury when struck.
Most males who have gone through puberty have at one time or another felt the nauseating ache that comes with being hit firmly in the testicle. The pain, indescribably significant, causes one to bend over and drop to one's knees, barely able to utter a sound through the suffering. Embryologically, the testicle takes its origin in the vicinity of the kidneys, and throughout gestation (pregnancy) it gradually moves into the scrotum during normal fetal development. The nerves and blood supply to the testicle have their origin up high in the posterior aspect of the abdomen. An injury to the testicle, from a sudden kick or blow, can consequently cause the pain to be experienced by the poor victim where the nerves originate. So with this type of injury, not only is there the local pain from the scrotum and testicle being struck but also the excruciating abdominal pain.
I assume some scrtal sacks are more compliant than others, but this is all way too much information, no? You'll no doubt have guessed how this happened:
Our conversation led to the man revealing how the injury had occurred: He was hitting golf balls at a local driving range.I knew the range quite well; I'd hit balls there hundreds of times. It was double-tiered, curved to allow balls to be aimed toward the middle. There were numerous light poles, for those of us who just can't get in enough practice during daylight. Apparently, the man practicing next to the patient hit a nasty slice with his driver. The man hit his ball so badly, with such force, that it ricocheted off a light pole and hit my patient smack in the scrotum.
Please tell me he was playing a Chrome Soft? I know, driving range Rock-Flites or the equivalent, thereof...
But wait, there's more.... one last catch:
But wait. According to my patient's story of woe, he'd been injured in the middle of the day, and it was now nearly midnight. I asked why it had taken him so long to go to the ER.
"I had to finish my bucket of balls," he replied.
I didn't see that one coming...
Unplayable Lies: Come for the trenchant insights into the state of golf, stay for the testicle blogging.....
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