We'll laugh, we'll cry, but mostly we'll close browser tabs... Hey, sometimes it is all about me.
A Deserved Retirement - This broke a few days ago, but I've not had time to blog it. The most prominent member of the first family of golf is scaling back:
Butch Harmon, golf’s most celebrated instructor, is retiring from teaching on the PGA Tour, the Forecaddie has learned from several sources.
Harmon recently told his stable of players that he is “done on Tour” and that he wants to cut back on traveling, according to two associates close to the coaching legend. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Harmon turns 76 on Aug. 28. He plans to continue teaching at his home in Las Vegas, where he lives with his wife, Christy, but will not be a regular presence out on Tour going forward.
The son of 1948 Masters champion Claude Harmon, Butch has been the most prominent teacher in the game for more than a quarter-century. He famously guided Tiger Woods to eight major championship wins before they split in 2003. He has also coached many other high-profile stars, including former world No. 1 Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els.
And fired by most of those names, which is how these things go. For fans of alt history, one is left to wonder about Tiger's career had he not split from Butch. My suspicion if that we've not seen the last of Butch, which is a very good thing.
OK, one tab closed.... Next?
Staying In His Lane - I think Jay is correct on this issue:
Jay Monahan made clear the PGA Tour has no plans to get into golf rule-making anytime soon.Speaking before The Players, the PGA Tour commissioner doubled down on his memo from March 4, effectively telling his players to stop publicly complaining about golf’s revamped rules.“We have two fantastic professional governing bodies of the game,” he said Wednesday. “We have always played by their rules and we will continue to play by their rules. And we are not going to be playing by our own rules. We think that the game is best served with everybody playing by the same rules and the same standards. We think it’s a source of inspiration for the game.”
I don't know your preferences, but I could call it a huge can of worms or a slippery slope.... Jay alos had this:
“I think what’s happened here the last few weeks has just exposed a weakness in our working relationship, which happens when you’ve got a lot of different organizations,” Monahan said. “So we’re going to tighten that up, and we’re going to move forward in a way that is going to be good for the game and certainly is going to get us to the right place over time with these new rules.”
You'll quickly see the brilliance of my ignoring this browser tab, as today we have this development courtesy of Mike Bamberger:
2. Now HiringThe USGA is in the final stages of making a hire for a new and senior employee who will oversee and seek to improve the USGA’s relationship with the PGA Tour and the LPGA. A guess is that if you are reading this you will know the person’s name when it is revealed, which should happen well before the Masters.
I've no idea of the who, what, where, etc. of this, nor how it might differ from the PGA Tour's presence "in the room" as the rules were rewritten. But given that the USGA demonstrates a frustrating inability to understand how things are done in the real world, this can't be a bad thing.
The Excitement Builds - We have our posse, what Shack calls cart drivers:
Ernie Els finalized his coaching roster for the 2019 Presidents Cup Tuesday ahead of the matches in Melbourne, Australia.
Els announced the addition of K.J. Choi (Korea), Mike Weir (Canada) and Trevor Immelman (South Africa), rounding out the four assistant spots having already selected Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy.
Personally, I'm just shocked that Mike Weir was available....
And this:
Getting representatives from all over the world was important for Els, who also indicated he’s going to lean heavily on statistics when it comes to selecting the pairings and creating a strategy against the Americans.
“I’ve seen what other captains have done in the past,” Els said. “In this instance, I really wanted to try and start a new thinking process around the pairing system. I’m using a lot of data, a lot of science into what we’re going to be doing in December in Australia, and I wanted to get guys who have played a lot of Presidents Cups like myself.”
You heard it here first, but the Yanks better come prepared to play. This is the very site of their one loss in the event, and the December date means that most will not be tournament sharp.
More Mike Bams - That bit above came from Mike's list of seven things he wants to talk about, or whatever they call it. Good stuff usually, and he has a couple of offbeat items about his mates pegging it that you might enjoy:
5. Taking a Slide IMy fellow typists Alan Shipnuck and Dylan Dethier and I slipped out for a game last week at Timuquana Country Club, located in an old Jacksonville neighborhood called Ortega. It’s the Old South there, with a Donald Ross course next to the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, where Bobby Jones was once stationed. The course is flat, simple and excellent. David Fay, the retired USGA executive, calls it a “sipping whiskey kind of course” and next month it will host the USGA’s Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. I played (this is not my norm) 23 holes with one ball. Also, one plastic tee. Which is kind of odd, because this is also a wooden-tee kind of course.
I don't even drink brown liquor, but I like that David Fay bit....
And this as well:
4. Taking a Slide IIThe same threesome congregated on another night for an after-work spin (11 holes) at the Jax Beach Muni. Another fine course. Also, you have to admire course operators with a sense of humor, as they are so rare.
Kinda reminds me of the 4077 MASH, no? Though quite surprising to see that bottom sign in these Orange Man Bad days.
The Copperhead - It's the best golf course played on the Florida swing, possibly exempting TPC Sawgrass. But the schedule compression has no doubt negatively affected the field, so many will prefer to watch the first weekend of that Madness thing.
Pat Ralph has four things of interest about the golf course:
The origin of the course: While Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club was built in 1970, theCopperhead Course would not come about until 1974. It was the second of four courses to be built at Innisbrook, as the Island Course was first constructed in 1970. Copperhead was originally a 27-hole track before nine of the holes were used for the development of the Highlands North Course, the third course to be built at Innisbrook. The fourth and final course to be built was the Highlands South Course. Copperhead rated as the sixth-most difficult course on the PGA Tour in 2018.
And this:
Most difficult hole: Nicknamed “The Moccasin”, the intimidating par-4 16th hole runs 475 yards. Its scoring average at 4.300 is the highest of any of the par-4’s, and it is the longest par-4 on the Copperhead Course. In addition, the fewest number of birdies and pars on any of the par-4 holes occur at the 16th tee. On the other hand, the 16th hole had the most double bogeys or worse on the Copperhead Course in 2018. With water stretching the entire right side of the fairway, the 16th hole was rated as one of the 30 toughest holes and 20 most difficult par-4’s on Tour last year. The key to this hole is off the tee, as a well-hit driver will set one up with a long second shot to the wide green.
I'm not a fan of the animal-themed stretch of holes, but at least they're pretty good golf holes in this case. Once you're on the fairway it's a reasonably straight-forward affair, but the fairway is just about wide enough to hold a golf ball.
Interestingly, in the field via a sponsor's invite is Ashkay Bhattia. A precocious 17-year old, he's the highest ranking junior golfer in the world, though he seems to have not gotten the memo about respecting your elders:
This will be his first PGA tournament. No teenager has won the Valspar Championship. Very few have entered. No amateur has won a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson in 1991.
Don’t tell Bhatia that.
“It’s another tournament to me,” said Bhatia, who received a sponsor’s exemption. “I’m not here to just show up and make the cut. I’m here to win.”
To be sure, Bhatia already has a Tiger Woods-like amateur career. He finished 2018 as the world’s top-ranked junior player. He is ranked ninth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
OK, it may be a weak field, but it ain't that weak....it also seems we might se ethe kid on tour soon:
“I’ve never liked school,” Bhatia said. “I’ve never been very smart. I have the worst attention span when it comes to it. I love being outside, playing golf and competing. So my dad just said, ‘Ya know what, let’s not go to college.’ I said ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’ I’m in eighth grade, of course I’m going to say no to school.”
Not very bright? You'll fit right in out there....
All Alan - We'll cede the reminder of this post to Alan Shipnuck, though I'll have my usual snark locked and loaded:
Last month after his win, everyone was saying that DJ is head and shoulders above everyone else talent-wise. Today everyone is saying it about Rory. Settle this once and for all, who has the most talent in professional golf today: DJ, Rory, or someone else? #AskAlan -Dave (@djlettieri)
Your question begs another: what is talent? I could argue Brian Gay is the most talentedplayer on Tour – he hits it so short, and sometimes crooked, but his unique *talent* for scoring has helped him win a handful of tournaments and make a great living.
But you’re employing the word the way most people do, in which talent is an ephemeral mix of power, soft hands, scoring ability, flair, swagger, and the ability to make the difficult look easy. I think by this definition DJ and Rory are the clubhouse leaders, though Brooks and JT warrant consideration.
But do we factor in the ability to win the big one, or is that a separate thing? If I had to pick one player to shoot a 65 on a tough course to save my life, I’d take Dustin. If I had to pick one to close out a one-shot lead in the final round of a major championship, I’d choose Brooks. If this quartet of talented players all have their B-games, who wins? Probably Dustin. If they are at their absolute best across four rounds who wins? Rory. He’s more explosive than Brooks and a flintier competitor than Dustin.
But McIlroy is also the worst putter of the bunch, even though he has improved significantly over the last year working with Brad Faxon. Is putting part of the talent discussion, or is that a dark art that must be considered separately? We’re falling down the rabbit hole here.
Maybe we should look to the scoreboard for answers. Rory now has four major championship victories, a Players and a FedEx Cup. Thomas is four years younger, so maybe he can close the gap. But for now we’ll let the results answer the question. The meaning of talent can be debated, but trophies are definitive.
Yeah, I had Brian Gay as well.... Not. Impossible question....I would just say that DJ is likely the most athletic player out there, but that is a different animal entirely.
Why were all the millionaire-Golf Channel-talking head-Boomers so visibly annoyed/confused by Zen Rory talking about not being defined by golf? Can they really not understand that these kids watched Tiger get literally destroyed by his 100% devotion/obsession and they are rightfully trying to avoid his same fate? -Jill (@Jalawsons)
McIlroy was as impressive after his victory as during. His meditative press conference was a tour de force of perspective and hard-earned wisdom. He said he pursposefully didn’t offer a lusty celebration on the final green because he doesn’t want to get too high in victory, which will help not get too low in defeat. He no longer wants to be defined by his results; this should allow him to enjoy better ones.
But McIlroy’s stoic demeanor harkened back to Koeopka’s non-celebrations at Shinny and Bellerive. If the victor doesn’t exude joy it’s hard for the rest of us to feel it, too. Tiger always gave it up: fist-pumps, tears, megawatt smiles. Those were the rare moments when he let us in, when we could feel how much he cared. Those Golf Channel guys had been on-site for a whole week, investing lots of hours and emotions in making the Players the be-all-end-all. I guess they felt cheated by Rory’s withholding. But I agree with your thesis that McIlroy’s healthy outlook should help him in the long run.
It seems that the approach is working for Rory, which is all that matters. That said, it's an early call, because while a Players Championship is a nice title, the one he needs is still three weeks away.
More Rory?
Would you be more surprised if Rory never won another major or if he got to 10? -@WillKnights3
Both would be surprising, but 10 is a monstrous number. Only two players in history have taken six major championships in their career, and both are legends: Trevino and Faldo. McIlroy would have to have their entire careers from this point forward to get to ten. Having turned pro so young, he has sustained a lot of wear and tear for a guy about to turn 30. And McIlroy has talked openly about wanting to have kids – that is likely to happen soon, and that’s a huge adjustment for any vagabond golfer. I’d love to see him make a run at it but 10 seems out of reach.
Ten? That's gotta be the liquor talking.....Given that the Vegas line would have the over/under somewhere around 5.5, the under at ten would be a mortal lock. I wouldn't be surprised to see Rory pick off another major, one where he gets soft conditions with no wind (though the PGA's move to May might limit those opportunities), it wouldn't shock me in the least if he never bags another.
This is by far the silliest question of the week:
Would the U.S. have had a better chance to win in Paris with Furyk playing? -@theAleMarcoli
Given his abysmal Ryder Cup record, probably not. But he’s a template for what the U.S. needed – a gritty, precision player – which is why last fall I was advocating so hard for Zach Johnson as a captain’s pick. Le sigh.
Actually, I'm not sure which is the more ahistorical, the question or the answer. The best part is I don't even to call Alan an ignorant slut, just take a look at the very next Q&A:
#AskAlan Is Jim Furyk a Hall of Famer? -Paul (@BillsMafia3233)Yes, if for no other reason than the induction ceremony has become a TV-driven spectacle, and the Hall needs warm bodies for programming. Therefore, every marginalcandidate is going to get in. Furyk’s credentials are certainly borderline: a mere 17 PGA Tour wins; minimal overseas success; only one major championship…on the worst U.S. Open course in recent memory. His lifetime record in playoffs is 4-8, his Ryder Cup record an astonishing 10-20-4. But he does have some strong secondary credentials: led Arizona to its only national championship; a 59 and 58 on the PGA Tour; the 2010 FedEx Cup; and fourth all-time in money earned, which speaks to his numbing consistency. There is also the Freddy factor. Couples’s resume’ is so thin (15 wins, one major) that, since his induction in 2013, pretty much every very good player that follows can stake a claim to the Hall.
Like many, I consider Furyk an over-achiever, and I don't much care about the Hall for reasons Alan makes clear. But just spare a moment of thought for the prior question, that a guy with a 10-20 Ryder Cup record was what was missing in Paris. On the flip side, however, perhaps a different captain would have seen the folly in sending Phil out in foursomes.
I'm going to save the remainder of Alan's column for tomorrow. See you then?
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