We are home safely from Nova Scotia, and I might still do a wrap-up post on Cabot. It's quite a place and I've a few thoughts for which I hadn't previously found time.
There's also a new piece up about the infamous 2014 presser at Gleneagles that I'll save for a stand alone rantalicious post.... and I've already posted on the FedEx Cup format.
But for now, let's work our way slowly back into regularly scheduled programming by catching up on some news that broke while we were away....
Reality Intrudes - Two stories that will put our little game in perspective, the first is one that of course you've heard:
Celia Barquin Arozamena, who completed her college career at Iowa State earlier this year, was killed Monday at a golf course in Ames, Iowa.
The 22-year-old was found dead Monday morning at Coldwater Golf Links after golfers located a golf bag with nobody around it on the course and law enforcement was called in in regards to the suspicious circumstance.
Ames police officers found Barquin Arozamena’s body at the course and determined in its investigation that she died after being assaulted.
Collin Daniel Richards, 22, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Barquin Arozamena, according to police.
I'll not presume to have any words appropriate to this horrific loss of life, only to note that the perpetrator was well known to authorities. But do read this as well, and I do really feel for that foursome that let her play through only to come upon her golf bag.
Max's Moment - This is a sad story as well, though with redemption at the end. We'll start at the beginning, this Golf Digest profile of Attica inmate Valentino Dixon, who became a fan in a certain sense, of our game:
Although Dixon has never hit a ball or even stepped foot on a course, the game hooked him when a golfing warden brought in a photograph of Augusta National’s 12th hole for the inmate to render as a favor. In the din and darkness of his stone cell, the placid composition of grass, sky, water and trees spoke to Dixon. And the endless permutations of bunkers and contours gave him a subject he could play with.
“The guys can’t understand,” Dixon has said. “They always say I don’t need to be drawing this golf stuff. I know it makes no sense, but for some reason my spirit is attuned to this game.”
Crazy, but good on him. Here's a peak at some of the work:
But here's the redeeming part:
It took about a hundred drawings before Golf Digest noticed, but when we did, we also noticed his conviction seemed flimsy. So we investigated the case and raised the question of his innocence.
The case is complicated, but on the surface it involves shoddy police work, zero physical evidence linking Dixon, conflicting testimony of unreliable witnesses, the videotaped confession to the crime by another man, a public defender who didn’t call a witness at trial, and perjury charges against those who said Dixon didn’t do it. All together, a fairly clear instance of local officials hastily railroading a young black man with a prior criminal record into jail. Dixon’s past wasn’t spotless, he had sold some cocaine, but that didn’t make him a murderer.
Golf Digest’s 2012 article led to further national spotlights on the case by NBC/Golf Channel, CRTV.com, Fox Sports, the Georgetown University Prison Reform Project and others. Alongside this, Dixon’s daughter, Valentina, led a grassroots campaign to raise money for her father’s legal fees by selling his artwork online. Still, the gears of the legal system refused to turn. As of Christmas 2017, appeals exhausted, Dixon’s petitions for pardon or clemency drew no response from New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s office.
But now suddenly, a vacated conviction—which means innocence—a far more lofty legal victory. Why now?
Max seems to me to be unnecessarily modest, as it was his belief and advocacy that got the ball rolling. There aren't many opportunities to save a life, but he made the most of this. Alas, the redemption we feel is tempered by the disgraceful performance of the authorities, and the realization that there must be so many more of these cases.
Enough with the downers, onto some truly insignificant nonsense....
Shoot Me Now - Shack's header says it all:
PGA Of America Sifts Through USGA Trash Bin Again And Finds Plenty Of Chances To Visit Congressional, Including A Ryder Cup, PGA
Say by reasons of historical insignificance you owned the rights to one of golf's major's, a goldmine that funds the organization. However, the event has something of an identity crisis, little to distinguish it from the riffraff of everyday professional golf. Would you address that problem by taking your event to the abandoned venues of your principal competitor?
And this is no one-off, as this excerpt from the press release documents:
The landmark agreement will route the Ryder Cup (2036), PGA Championship (2031), KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (2022, ’27), KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship (2025, ’33), PGA Professional Championship (2029) and the Junior PGA Championship (Girls and Boys, 2024) to the Nation’s Capital and Congressional’s Blue Course during a 15-year stretch from 2022 to 2036. Congressional will also host an annual PGA HOPE national event, introducing golf to veterans, for the duration of the contract.
It's the Medinah of the East Coast, one of America's "great golf courses", yet every time we see it it's gotten a substantive facelift. Though I agree with this from Geoff:
Pencil in a trip to D.C. eighteen years from now for a Ryder Cup, another east coast PGA Championship in 2031, and yet another construction project at Congressional, this time by Keith Foster. At least the last bit of news offers some encouragement.
I'll add one other upside... the course should play better in May and September than in hot, humid August. Less awful, more accurately....
Not. Gonna. Happen. - John Strege is reviewing the resumes of those hoping to replace Johnny Miller:
Love him or hate him, Miller, 71, set a high and entertaining bar, and should he decide to retire after the Ryder Cup, as he has hinted he might do, his will be a tough act to follow.
The question then becomes, by whom will he be followed? Let the speculation begin.Several names immediately come to mind and are familiar to golf viewers, and in no particular order include David Feherty, Brandel Chamblee, Frank Nobilo, David Duval, Geoff Ogilvy, Justin Leonard, Colin Montgomerie and even Paul Azinger, currently with Fox Sports.
I think Feherty's stock has actually fallen with his move to NBC, and the couple of times they've put him in the tower he seemed uncomfortable.
The best talent on that list is Monty, who is surprisingly good for such a prickly personality. But Strege is playing a long game with us, as he's really floating this trial balloon:
So we turned to an authority on televising golf, Terry Jastrow, who emphatically insists there is an obvious choice.
“The preemptive No. 1 answer to it, which is the home run, I’d launch an all-out assault on Phil Mickelson,” Terry Jastrow said.
We did not see that coming.
Some of us did, though we're none too pleased about it. First, as I hinted above, I'm about to write a longer post in which I take our Phil to the woodshed, do if this were a lawsuit I'd have to recuse myself.
But I don't see Phil being interested in the grind for the long terms. It's quite the grind, requiring more disciplined preparation that is visible to the viewer. It also requires an immersion into the work of others, which is not something I'd expect Phil to embrace. So, I'll stick with Monty, and I'll guess that you didn't see that one coming.
Confidentially Speaking - Spared from the tyranny of the week-to-week, last Sunday's Tour Confidential opened with a go-for-the-jugular question:
1. Pairing suitable games and personalities is a key job for Ryder Cup captains (our Jeff Ritter took a stab at this task earlier this week), but so is knowing which players to bench. With just two weeks until the matches commence, who are each team’s weakest links? And how do you see that affecting strategy?
Guaranteed to make enemies, so of course I love it:
Sean Zak: Weakest American…might be Jordan Spieth? The correct answer is probablyPhil Mickelson, but Spieth has struggled this year, as we all know. His one top-10 finish since Augusta came at Carnoustie, where his putting woes were neutralized with easier greens. If I’m looking for someone who should probably sit a match or two, it’s him. As for the Euros, it’s probably Thorbjorn Olesen. He played his way onto the team, but he’s never played under Ryder Cup pressure. I’d expect him to sit out the alternate-shot format (at least on Day 1).
Alan Shipnuck: I agree with everything Sean said but the funny thing is if Jordan holes a few putts early in his first match and gets his confidence flowing he could turn out to be a dominant force. Given his age I imagine Phil is slated to play only three matches anyway. Europe has six Ryder rookies so it’s tough to single out Thunder Bear. I think Garcia is the key guy for Euro strategy — they want to give him a chance to be the Sergio of old but if his season-long slump continues they can’t go to him too often. So much hangs on how his first match goes.
So much of merit there. Phil would likely be a weak link if he's put out there in foursomes, but I've been reliably informed that Captain Furyk is his own man and the fact that Phil got him his job.....Oh, never mind.
But it's so true about Jordan and how quickly it could change.... or not. That's why I wonder if the marriage with Patrick will survive....and, as I've noted previously, I don't think we need to worry too much about Thunder Bear in a home game.
This was probably the only other interesting query:
5. Tadd Fujikawa, 27, became the first male professional golfer to come out as gay, doing so in an Instagram post last week. What kind of influence do you see Fujikawa’s announcement having on the golf world?
At least it's an interesting subject, but to me there was no reaction..... Which I think is just what we'd like.
Rather than share more drivel, we'll use this as a segue to Alan Shipnuck's mailbag feature, which was supposed to be a Ryder Cup free zone. Except, for this:
Does Reed deserve all the hate? Is he just complicated like Bubba? If we give Tiger multiple second chances then don’t we owe it to the other players as well? – Mary (@Mergett1_mary)
Does Reed get that much hate? I think it’s more like benign eye-rolling, or mild poking of fun. The well-documented estrangement from his family is awkward and unusual butdo fans hate him for it? I don’t feel that; more like it just adds to the widespread belief that he’s a different kind of dude.Certainly Reed’s life is complicated but he himself is not – he’s a good ol’ boy who loves BBQ, his cowboy boots, his wife, and making birdies. Bubba certainly has more layers. There is a central conflict between Bagdad Gerry, the God-fearing, small-town family man who does lots of admirable philanthropy, and Augusta Bubba, who loves fancy watches, fancy cars and other trappings of success. Add in his social anxiety and attention-deficit disorder and you get some highly unpredictable behavior. Tiger is certainly a template for forgiveness, and I think Reed and Watson benefit – for all their little controversies and gaffes and rough edges, I think both remain pretty popular.
I'll assume that he's accurately reflecting that which he sees out there on tour, though I think he ignores the strong vitriol that we've heard from Patrick's teammates at both Georgia and Augusta State. That's not nothing....
This one might be most interesting for its choice of photo:
If you could go for a beer with Rory, Jordan, Justin (Thomas, not Rose) or Dustin (Johnson, not Gee) who would it be and why? – @MarkTownsendNCG
Rory. He’s a great talker, deep thinker and has an edge, but, at the same time, is a pretty relaxed dude.
Yet someone thought this was the very photo to reflect that deep thinker:
Rory does seem like a great guy to have a beer with, even if I don't tend to see him as a deep thinker....
From earlier, but on the same subject:
Looking ahead to next year: Is there more pressure on Rory to win at Augusta orthe Open at Portrush? #AskAlan –@JoshColey
Portrush for sure. I think part of Rory – maybe a big part – has already accepted that it’s not gonna happen for him at the Masters. For all his firepower, that course amplifies McIlroy’s weaknesses: putting and distance control with wedges. But he’s only going to get one shot at Portrush in what is supposed to be his prime so there will be a ton of pressure on Rory to make a run there.
The headline should be his contention that Rory has given up the ghost at Augusta, which I find hard to accept. It seems far more likely that Alan has accepted that on Rory's behalf, but I sus[pect the man himself remains blissfully confident based upon his seemingly automatic back door Top Tens.
As for Portrush, that's quite a thing. Northern Ireland is a very unique little enclave, about which I've learned only enough to know how little I understand. A home game for such a beleaguered people is beyond our ability to understand, but we should bear in mind that, despite his course record on the track, he's really not one of the better wind players. I don't know what he expects of himself, but I don't expect much of him there.
This on his tradecraft was good as well:
Do writers prepare advance copy for the deemed likely storylines, or scramble from their existing notes? – Paul (@LiveTweetGolf)
Yes to both. Assuming we’re talking about game stories at a major, it’s always good to have a plan, and you can bet on the outcome and write a big chunk of your story before the leaders even tee off: what brought the player(s) to this point, thoughts from caddies/swings coaches, scenes and observations that paint a picture of the week, etc. But things usually go pear-shaped and you have to scramble. That’s the fun part!
That's part of the skill set needed, as well as brevity.... A skill you might have noticed lacking in your favorite blogger.
How many major titles does Tommy Fleetwood finish his career with? #AskAlan – Andrew (@a_h_davies)
I’d put the over-under at 2.5.
I'll take the under, and I might go big. No disrespect intended, but Tommy will be 28 the next time he tees it up in a major, and could have a really nice career without winning a single one. Just scroll through a list of the great players with two or one majors and you'll see what I mean.
If Spieth, Koepka, and McIlroy dominated the majors like Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic dominate the tennis majors, would golf be more fun or less? – @David_Troyan
Both. Dominant players clarify the storylines and help draw in casual fans, because they are attracted to sustained excellence and don’t want to have to do the work to try to appreciate the Frankie Molinaris of the world. I think all of us would love the electricity of Rory going on another big run, and Spieth contending at a major is always high drama, so that would be good fun, too. And the historical element is cool – winning five or more majors gets you into very rarified air. But for us golf nerds, it’s always refreshing when a Frankie Molinari breaks through and we can focus on their particular gifts and backstory.
Well argued. But one of many reasons why golf is and always will be a niche sport....
As we finish the season: 1. Who is your biggest surprise player, 2. Who is your biggest disappointment, 3. Who will make the big jump next year? #AskAlan – Mark (@cottonmc)
1. I can’t say Bryson because I’ve been expecting this all along so I’m going with Webb Simpson. I know he’s won a U.S. Open but it had been five years since his last victory and not only did he dominate the Players but he backed that up with strong performances in the majors and fought his way onto a stacked Ryder Cup team.
2. It has to be Jordan. It seemed like he was battling his game practically every week, which accounts for the zero wins. But twice he caught a little magic and could have salvaged his year but stumbled badly. As electric as that 64 was on Masters Sunday, I can’t get over that Spieth came to the last hole with the green jacket potentially hanging in the balance and a) yanked his drive off a tree and b) missed a do-or-die 8-footer. And then at Carnoustie he made a mess of the final round to kick away the Open.
3. Matt Wolff. I’m all in on this guy. He’s already got a national championship and has won the first two tourneys of his sophomore year. I think he’ll turn pro next spring (if not sooner) and come out like gangbusters on Tour.
Good stuff and the Wolff kid is generating lots of buzz... I just wonder if 2019 might be a year or two early for that.....
As for Webb, I very much agree, and it's all the more enjoyable because he's such a good guy and was so unfairly hurt by the timing of the anchoring ban. Though I'm a bit surprised that his name didn't come up in that question about Ryder Cup weak links.
I'm shocked that this hasn't happened yet:
What’s your opinion on a Ryder-Cup type event for Champions Tour golfers? Langer and Monty vs Freddie and Lehman, et al. ? – @ShootingYourAge
I love it, because these guys already have so much history at the Cup. The old grievances would add some dramatic tension. And given their already fraying nerve endings, can you imagine the yippy strokes we’d see coming down the stretch? It would be riveting theater.
Can I recommend Kiawah as a venue? I guess The Belfry for the away games though, like the Presidents Cup, perhaps we can do away with those.
And lastly:
Based solely on the hype it received going into the round, what course is the biggest disappointment you’ve ever played? #AskAlan – Steve (@_SMisner)
Augusta National.
No surprise, at least to me. I'm actually wondering how the women's amateur event to be held there will come off.
I'll leave you there and see you when I see you...
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