As we dip our toe back into the blogging thing, I'll caution you that I've been drinking heavily... At least heavily for me.
It was a grand adventure, though not helpful to my day job at all. Open Sunday found us travelling form the Loire Valley to Dijon, catching sporadic updates from Carnoustie. One said update coincided with Tiger taking the lead after the tenth hole, which as I understand things broke the Internet. But if Tiger broke the Internet, can someone explain who broke the Yankees while I was sans WiFi?
The Open, A Retrospective - In no particular order, some fallout from the week:
First, the Tiger effect lives:
NBC SPORTS’ FINAL ROUND COVERAGE OF THE 147TH OPEN:TIES BEST OVERNIGHT RATING AT THE OPEN IN 18 YEARS, SINCE TIGER WOODS’ CAREER GRAND SLAM CLINCHING WINSunday’s Final Round on NBC (9a-2p ET) from Carnoustie Golf Links earned a 5.0 Overnight Rating. This ties it for the highest-rated Final Round Overnight at The Open since Tiger Woods completed the Career Grand Slam with his win in 2000 at the Old Course in St Andrews (7.4, ABC); and tying Tiger Woods’ win in 2006 at Royal Liverpool (5.0, ABC).NBC Sports’ coverage in 2018 was up 38% vs. 2017, Jordan Spieth’s win at Royal Birkdale.The Open becomes the highest-rated Final Round for any major championship since 2015(excluding The Masters) with Jason Day’s win at Whistling Straits at the PGA Championship (5.1)
The gist is that the Open Championship will likely be the second-highest rated final round of a major, despite the morning broadcast window.
The irony, she burns! The USGA was motivated to hop into bed with Fox due to their coveting The Masters' TV ratings.... Their move has been financially lucrative, but the ratings are more akin to those of Memphis and San Antonio....
Withering Heights - Shack has some deserved fun with this Tim Dahlberg column on our hero, the header of which tells all:
This version of Tiger Woods seems like a nostalgia act
OK, the guy did finish T6 yanno, and that's worth more than a participation ribbon.... But do tell.
Woods had the tournament in his hands after hitting a brilliant fairway bunker shot to make par on No. 10. He walked to the next tee with a one-shot lead.
In hand? This is a classic of the genre, as he makes very good points, but buries them in nonsense such as that.
Another major would have validated years of struggles. A tie for sixth means nothing.
As Shack notes, the difference between validation and purgatory is all of three strokes, but apparently Dahlberg didn't get the memo that golf remains hard.
Shack had this in his wrap-up column at Golfweek:
5. Tiger Woods is rounding into his old self
No, he’s not 2000 Tiger. He probably never will be as dominant given the number of top players and his life priorities. Lost in the focus on his back-nine mistake at the 11th hole and struggles at the 12th, was his righting of the ship and his mostly outstanding rhythm under intense pressure in high winds. Woods did not press as he fell behind and made a magical birdie save at the par-5 14th to remain within shouting distance of Molinari. The difference in his overall game since January is profound and he’s a good bet to win for a ninth time at Firestone.
I think reality lies enigmatically between those tow extremes, rendering the near-term future quite interesting. I think Geoff's case is quite convincing, that the level of play has improved dramatically, and the results are quite encouraging...
And yet.... Tiger's inability to finish off a round is quite troubling and inexplicable, given his quals as arguably the best closer in golf history. Let me refer you back to this January 2014 post, which I think holds up quite well four-and-a-half years on (please click through only if you're not put off b blurry photos and typos).
My conclusion is that 2018 Tiger reminds me very much of 2013 Tiger, really 2009-2013 Tiger.... The putter woes, the weekend woes and Par-5 woes remain very much in place, but let's remember that he won five times in 2013. I do know that seeing him take the lead at Carnoustie, my first instinct was to remind folks that the man has struggled to get his Thursday rounds to the clubhouse.... I was right in this instance, but who knows what might happen next time....
Ryder Cup Implications - Staying with Shack's takeaways, he had this rather obvious point:
4. Europe overjoyed to have Molinari win
The crowds were obviously rooting for Tiger Woods, but Molinari had strong backing here as a predominantly European Tour player. But something else was in play: the Europeans are terrified the matches will not be close. The Ryder Cup obsession here has never been stronger and with veteran stars of recent Cups struggling, the Europeans were thrilled to have Molinari become Champion Golfer of The year.
Of course. Yanks had won the prior five majors, which means absolutely nothing come September. And yet....
This guy thinks it's all over except for the fat lady singing... though if you've seen him in a golf shirt lately, you'll no that he can fill that role as well:
With just two months left before the Ryder Cup in Paris, the teams are taking shape, and Colin Montgomerie loves the European team’s chances.
Monty spoke to reporters before the Senior British Open this week, and he was asked about his confidence level in the squad Thomas Bjorn will lead in late September. “Very confident. Very, very confident,” Montgomerie said.
This, of course, follows Francesco Molinari’s impressive two-shot win at the British Open at Carnoustie. “Amazing what an Open victory does to a team mentality, and not just him,” Montgomerie said. “It was him and McIlroy, and Rose came through very well, and you put all those three together with Molinari’s win, Thomas is probably looking at the best team that we’ve had assembled for, well, almost ever.”
Best team almost ever? I'm going to need a ruling from the judges on that one, or an Oxford comma at the very least. I'll remind that Ray Floyd famously introduced his 1989 team as the Twelve Greatest Golfers in the World, only to see the matches halved and Europe retain the cup.
But news flash, the U.S. will have the stronger team on paper and the deeper roster, and the Euros will punch above their weight class. The result? We'll just have to watch and see, won't we now?
On the Yank-centric front, Rex Hoggard and Shack do a deep dive, with Shack providing this helpful update of the point standings after The Open Championship:
My educated readers don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing, yet my wet index finger is raised.
The eight automatic qualifiers are determined after the PGA, leaving a mere two weeks for Webb Simpson to mercifully regress to his mean. Admit it, he's a nice player and guy, but we'll never trust that putter in Paris....
Ideally, you'd like to see one of those bubble guys take Furyk off the hook, and by "one of those bubble guys" I really mean Phil.
Here's Rex Hoggard's take on the current state of play:
Depending on what transpires over the next two weeks, it’s a safe bet that Phil Mickelson, currently No. 10 on the points list, and Matt Kuchar, No. 12, are on the short list of potential picks. Both players bring a wealth of experience to a team that’s trending young.
I'm resigned to the fact that Phil will be on the roster, but Kooch to me is somewhat short of a mortal lock. He hasn't been a factor anywhere this season, and further think that age and experience isn't much of a consideration. Kooch would do well to have some urgency the next few weeks, though I have one further suggestion for NBC. Should he not be picked, I'd scoop up looper John Wood to add to the broadcast team....
After the nod to the guy we discussed up top, Rex sorts through the bubble boys:
Kevin Kisner, who finished second at The Open and is finding his form at the perfect time, could be a good fit, as could Brian Harman, another fairways-and-greens type whose reputation as a fierce competitor would fit in well with Furyk’s no-nonsense approach. Kisner and Harman rank 13th and 15thon the U.S. points, respectively.
Given his play at Carnoustie, Furyk will also give Xander Schauffele (No. 11), the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year who also finished runner-up last week in Scotland, a close look; and Zach Johnson (No. 18), a veteran on five U.S. Ryder Cup teams, would be a popular addition to the team room.
The guy that jumps out at me is Brian Harman, a fairways and greens kind of guy and easily the best putter of the group.
Finau and DeChambeau leave me cold, especially after the latter spit the bit and behaved poorly. Bubba is the guy who supposedly doesn't travel well....
Schedule Thoughts - Shack had some further thoughts in that piece linked above:
2. A year from now the major season will be over
When the Claret Jug is raised on July 22, 2019, the world will say goodbye to the first British Open played in Northern Ireland since 1951. We will also say addio to the major season. There is no concern in these parts about The Open losing stature and what an annual send off it will be. But there is already no shortage of grumbling from players, broadcasters and the people around professional golfers that the the intensity level from March to July will be taxing. Maybe too taxing.
yeah, methinks that'll be a bit weirder than folks realize.... The PGA is quite easily the least interesting of the four, so it all might come to a more rousing crescendo....
And this:
1. PGA Championship is going to have a tough act to follow
While a Molinari win might be hard to list with with 1960 at Cherry Hills or the 1986 Masters, Carnoustie gave us a clash of golf’s micro-generations and intrigue each of the four days. The players were engaged in ways only a firm, fast and strategic test could muster. The course brought Jordan Spieth out of his slumber, Rory McIlroy out of his mechanical ways, Justin Rose out of his links troubles and Tiger Woods out of his major contention vacation. Will hot and humid Bellerive, where the greens are struggling, stand a chance of creating anything remotely as thrilling? Probably not.
It's Bellerive in August, so what could go wrong? That St. Louis will host the final August PGA is beyond ironic.... Only the PGA of America would go to St. Louis in August and Rochester in May.
Udder Stuff - Another loss for our game, Bruce Lietzke, this one far too early:
When word circulated a little more than a year ago about Lietzke’s cancer, it was a jolt tohis friends, and one could make the case that few players of his era were as beloved as this big man who never took himself too seriously. He was once asked to compare his golf game to one of the many cars he kept at his farm. “An old El Camino,” he laughed. “Half ugly, half decent. It fits me more than anything.”
“He was a classic, and that’s the right word,” said Rogers, who along with Jerry Pate – Lietzke’s brother-in-law – and two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw accompanied Lietzke for some early hospital appointments more than a year ago. Curtis Strange visited and kept in touch with Rogers, and the Wadkins boys – Lanny and Bobby – were part of the close circle, too.“In the end,” said Rogers, “the Good Lord felt 67 years was enough, that he was satisfied Bruce deserved eternal peace. It’s a good place to be.”
In a game filled with nice guys, one of the nicest. RIP.
Update Your Resumes - A rather unusual career move broke while I was under the influence:
PETE BEVACQUA NAMED PRESIDENT OF NBC SPORTS GROUP
New Role Will Oversee Programming, Marketing, Digital, NBC Sports Regional Networks, and all Golf Businesses
STAMFORD, CONN. -- July 24, 2018 -- NBC Sports Group today named Pete Bevacqua to the newly created position of President, NBC Sports Group. In this role, Bevacqua will oversee several key areas, including programming, marketing, digital, the NBC Sports Regional Networks, and all Golf businesses under the NBC Sports umbrella. He’ll report to Mark Lazarus, Chairman of NBC Broadcasting and Sports, and will begin his new role in September.
“With the expansion of NBC Sports Group over the last seven years, and our continuing investments in new and existing businesses, adding Pete to our already strong management team will help us organize for future growth,” said Lazarus. “We are thrilled to have someone with his experience and reputation join our organization.”
NBC already has the Ryder Cup, but when does CBS' contract for the PGA Championship run through?
Alex Miceli does a deep dive on the move, focusing on the unresolved issues facing the organization. First the good:
As the PGA’s coffers overflow with money, Bevacqua leaves the organization of nearly 29,000 club professionals in better financial shape than he found it. Bevacqua’s signature deal came last year, when the PGA renewed its contract with NBC for the biennial Ryder Cup through 2030. The deal is worth $440 million, according to sources.
That's a lot of benjamins for a three-day event every other year, half of which have an early broadcast window. Am I the only one that smells a pay-for-play angle here?
Then the inconclusive:
Bevacqua also worked a deal with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to move the PGA Championship from August to May, beginning next year. The move was necessary so that the Tour could end the FedEx Cup playoffs before the NFL season, which dominates American TV viewers’ attention. The recently released 2018-19 Tour schedule, in which the playoffs trim from four to three events, ends Aug. 25, which would not have happened without the PGA of America’s cooperation with its annual championship.
When the PGA Championship move was announced, there was no disclosure about any benefits that the PGA of America might receive from the PGA Tour, but some sort of recompense is likely.
Likely isn't the same as actual, but am I the only one that smells a get-out-of-Dodge before the ramifications become clear angle here?
And the pending:
One will be the reported move of PGA headquarters from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to Frisco, Texas, near Dallas. The next CEO surely would want a say in the decision. Considering that it took more than five months for Bevacqua to be named CEO, the move to Frisco might be on life support while waiting for the PGA’s new boss. It still could be an issue for the new CEO, if a move is determined to be necessary.
Another issue is the PGA Championship’s broadcast contract with CBS that expires next year. The new CEO would expect to have some input on a new deal. I’m sure that Mike Whan, the LPGA’s commissioner, wishes that he weren’t saddled with the current contract with Golf Channel that was negotiated by his predecessor.
Am I the only one that smells... Oh, never mind. remember, this organization's mandate is to represent the club professionals, yet its revenue stream is dependent upon the professional game. Odd, at the very least....
Considering The Source - Or, in this case, the sources.... The Guardian and environmental activists maintain about the same fidelity to facts, so we're gonna need a bigger grain of salt. This just in, neither of the aforementioned parties likes Donald Trump:
The spectacular dunes system picked by Donald Trump for his golf resort inAberdeenshire has been “partially destroyed” as a result of the course’s construction, documents released under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed.
Scottish Natural Heritage, which has been under pressure for years to speak out on the issue, now acknowledges that serious damage has been done to the site of special scientific interest (SSSI) at Foveran Links on the Menie estate, north of Aberdeen, since the course opened in 2012, the documents show.
Yes, I'm sure they do, but are they credible?
“Construction of the new golf course involved earthworks, planting of trees, greens and fairways, drainage, irrigation and grass planting,” states one of the reports released by Scottish Natural Heritage inspectors. “This has affected the natural morphology of the dunes and interfered with natural processes. Most of its important geomorphological features have been lost or reduced to fragments. Nearby marine terraces have also been reduced to fragments.”
“These documents show that considerable damage has been done to Foveran Links, and that it is very unlikely that it will retain its SSSI status,” said Bob Ward, the policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, who obtained the reports under FoI. Ward has also asked the Scottish government to investigate whether proper environmental monitoring has been carried out at the site since 2012.
Oh dear, marine terraces as well.... I bring no qualifications to this item, other than an understanding of how the outrage machine works, but all of its hallmarks are to be found, such as:
He also claimed that, when completed, the land there would be “environmentally enhanced and better than it was before”. The Trump Organization said last year its environmental approach to the course had been “first class”.
That view is disputed by conservationists. “It’s been ruined from a virgin, undeveloped wilderness site into something that’s relatively manicured,” said Dr Jim Hansom, a specialist in coastal ecology at Glasgow University. He told a recent BBC Scotland documentary the site had lost the key features that led to it being given protection. The decision to approve the course was met with anger by conservation groups. “It appears that the desires of one high-profile overseas developer, who refused to compromise one inch, have been allowed to override the legal protection of this important site. And we fear this sets a precedent that will undermine the whole protected-sites network in Scotland,” Aedán Smith, head of planning and development at RSPB Scotland, told the Times.
Anger is their default position whenever anybody tries to build anything, so I'll need just a little more data than is provided herein.
But Trump is also taken to task in this very article for not producing the number of jobs promised, a fair criticism until you gaze from the shore to those ugly and useless wind turbines.
Scotland remains a far poorer country than most folks realize, and a period of lower oil prices has exacerbated those concerns. I'd prefer to live in a world where projects are evaluated through a cautious assessment of the offsetting economic and environmental concerns, but this isn't such a world.
To me the tell is their treatment of Mike Keiser and the application to build Coul Links up near Dornoch. The environmental lobby and the media, but I repeat myself, made a transparent decision to equate Keiser, a man that satisfied the environmental concerns of The People's republic of Oregon, with Trump. The fact that they didn't want this built is a classic dog-bites-man story, since they don't want anything built... And yet, people need employment and the economy of Scotland is highly dependent upon tourism.
I don't know how history will judge this project and the elected representatives that approved it. But we all know enough to not take these folks' word for it.
See you tomorrow.
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