It wasn't the Sunday that most expected, but it certainly ended as it began....
Brooks in Full - Just when we thought he was going to go full-Norman on us....
After three days of appearing impervious to pressure and unperturbed by the unforgiving tapestry that had beguiled his fellow competitors, the resolute and muscular golfer began unraveling like a $3 souvenir t-shirt. His only saving graces were a seven-shot lead heenjoyed at the start of the day and a late hiccup by his only challenger, World No. 1 (and good friend) Dustin Johnson.
In the end, Koepka had just enough cushion and certitude to hang on to successfully defend his PGA title and register the kind of historic result that had appeared a fait accompli when he opened the championship with an impeccable 63 on Thursday. It wasn’t the prettiest or most poetic performance in the final round, but his four-over 74 was adequate to deliver his fourth major victory in his last eight starts—an authoritative statement even if his finish was not.
“I don’t think I would have dreamed this,” said Koepka, who finished at eight-under 272, and with the wire-to-wire victory put an indelible mark on the game (not to mention everyone on notice) that he is the best player in the world, a distinction he holds unequivocally by surpassing Johnson as No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Cushion vs. certitude? Here I think it was likely the cushion that determined the outcome, and perhaps a reminder that that cushion was something he himself created.
Alan Shipnuck tries to convince us that Brooks is the hero we need:
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka may not be not the superstar we want but he is the one we need. In this permissive era of wayward bomb-and-gougers, his tight,precise game is a welcome antidote. The essence of major championships is controlling your golf ball and we can now safely say that few have ever done it better than the 29-year-old Koepka.
Even before this week the two-time defending U.S. Open champion was a golfer of historical importance. Now he is a player for the ages, after three days of record-smashing dominance and then a brawling finish at Bethpage Black. His triumph at the 101st PGA Championship gives Koepka his fourth major championship victory in his last eight tries, matching the career haul of Old Tom Morris and leaving him just one behind the likes of Lord Byron and Seve Ballesteros.
With his overwhelming power and delicate touch and a life organized around peaking at the most important tournaments, Koepka is redefining how the modern game is played. Make no mistake, this is not a hot streak. Koepka is now the new standard, and his outsized influence is already being felt by the vanquished.
Can anyone help me understand what Alan is going for here, because it sure eludes me? For instance, comparing his haul to that of Old Tom and Byron is just bizarre to the max. Old Tom, who had exactly one major to play each year beginning when he was 39 years old (and maybe a century before we called them majors)? Or Lord Byron, who only played until he had earned enough money to buy that farm?
I get his point that few might have done it better, given the evolution of the game.... But certainly others did it as well and for far longer....
Mikey Bams takes a different tack:
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Memo to anybody whoever saw Tiger Woods play Sunday golf in a major with a big lead: Golf’s hard.
“Golf’s hard,” Ricky Elliott, Brooks Koepka’s caddie, said when it was all over.“It was hard,” said Harold Varner III, who played with Koepka in the final round. “Hard course. Sunday at a major. The weather came up. It was just hard.” He shot 81, and he’s one of the 100 or so best golfers in the world.
As for Koepka, the winner of this 101st PGA Championship, we know he knows golf’s hard. He started the day with a seven-shot lead. He won by two. The only reason he won at all is because golf is hard. If golf — especially golf on Sunday, at Bethpage Black, for the PGA Championship, on a dank and windy day — were easy, a handful of players might have stepped right over him.
When the shouting was over and the Wanamaker Trophy hoisted, you kept hearing the words hard and challenging and stressful. This was big-league golf.
“This was the most stressful,” Koepka said in his winner’s press conference. Most stressful victory. Likely most stressful anything. Four bogeys in a row when you’re trying to win the thing — 11, 12, 13 and 14 — that’s the very definition of golfing stress.
Golf is hard, and Bethpage this Sunday was hard to the fourth power....
To me the two most curious shots were Brooks' on No. 14 and DJ on No. 16.... Mike finds an antecedent for the former:
Experience is a funny thing. It can often help you — and hurt you, too. When Koepka stood on the tee of the par-3 14th hole, he and his caddie debated whether to hit an 8-iron or a 9-iron. What went unsaid was what happened on the short par-3 12th hole at Augusta on Sunday, when Koepka hit a 9-iron in the water, a shot which might have cost him the tournament. Yes, this was a different hole, in a different tournament, under different conditions. Sunday on 14 at Bethpage there was not a bit of conscious thought about what went wrong Sunday at 12 at Augusta. But the facts, the shots played, are baked into the golfer’s experience. Koepka drilled an 8-iron on 14 that flew about 170 yards, into the wind. From where he was, way over the green, in a fluffy lie, he did well to make bogey.
Interesting take... Still, it was quite the jolt to see where that tee shot landed.
The Tour Confidential panel was of course convened last evening, and led with a Man vs. Superman query:
1. Brooks Koepka has done it again, winning his fourth major title in eight tries — although he didn’t exactly slam the door on his chasers. Koepka bogeyed five of his last eight holes to edge his buddy Dustin Johnson by two. Was this the first real sign we’ve seen of a usually unflappable Koepka leaking oil down the stretch, or simply a brutal Black Course biting back?
Those two are hardly mutually exclusive, and said oil leaked on a particularly brutal stretch of holes. Also, really difficult playing with a big lead and expectation of winning, especially for all four days.
Sean Zak: I think it has way more to do with a brutal Black Course in wicked conditions. That wind was no joke Sunday, and this course is tough as it is. The field proved that during calm Thursday and Friday rounds. Koepka leaked a bit, yes, but he still turned it on and parred 15 and 16, two brutally tough holes, under the gun.
Josh Sens: What Zak said. The Black Course was brutal today, and Koepka was pretty much his bloodless self.
Jess Marksbury: Gotta say, today’s round tempers my enthusiasm just a touch. After those first two rounds, I was looking for Brooks to win by 10 — or at least break Rory McIlroy’s 2012 margin-of-victory record of eight shots. Koepka showed a little chink in the old iceman armor. But he bounced back when he needed to, so ultimately, that’s all that matters.
Well, when you've lost Jess... Really, I guess she didn't get the memo about how hard this game is...
Michael Bamberger: Human. And it makes Tiger’s career look more Supermanish than ever.
John Wood: Both? While it would have been awe-inspiring to see Brooks win by 8 or 10 or even Tiger numbers, it showed more guts and resilience to win like he did on what was a brutal test Sunday at Bethpage. He was like a golfing Seabiscuit. He was out front, and had no one to test him but history, the course, and himself. But when Dustin nearly caught up and Brooks saw him eye to eye, he regained himself and his game in time to close it out the last four holes. A lot of guys, heck, most of them, wouldn’t just almost give up their big lead during a slide like that. They would go all out and cough up ALL of it and right now we’d be talking about Norman at the Masters vs. Faldo or Van de Velde at Carnoustie. We aren’t.
Dylan Dethier: Human. The dude made four bogeys in a row on the back nine and missed a kick-in on No. 17! But that show of humanity should serve to remind us just how unbelievable his play was the rest of the week. Also, playing defense on a seven-shot lead on the Sunday of a major is an incredibly weird place to be. It was great theater watching him try to hang on.
Seabiscuit? A little before my time, but did he make four birdies in a row to lose a big lead as well?
Shall we see what else they have for us?
2. Koepka has now recorded back-to-back wins in the last two U.S. Opens and PGA Championships, a feat that has never been done before. On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being “You can’t be $%#&! serious” and 10 being “Game on!” how likely is it that Koepka will match Tiger Woods’ major total of 15?
Zak: It’s so unlikely. Soooooo unlikely. Because, you know, only two men have ever done that. I’ll go with a 2 on that scale, very nearly a 1. And yes, I considered a 0, but had to avoid it out of sheer respect for what he’s done.
Sens: Such a long way to go. Too early to say “game on.” But given how Koepka responds when publicly doubted, no way I’m saying “You can’t be bleeping serious.” Plenty will have to go perfectly, though. He’ll need to stay healthy, interested and immune to the slumps and bumps that have affected every great player before him. And that’s a lot to ask. I’ll give it a 3.
Marksbury: It’s easy to hop right on the Koepka bandwagon in the wake of his recent accomplishments. Right now, he kind of feels like he could get in the 8-10 zone pretty easily. But 15! No way. Golf is a fickle game. Look at how Spieth and McIlroy have stalled. I need to see a bit more. My answer is 3.
What Brooks has done since the summer of 2017 qualifies as Tigeresque for sure. Now, let's give this a rest until he shows us that he can do it for another eight years....
Bamberger: Close to zero. Tiger had more game, more to prove, more OCD, more everything. Winning was everything to him. He’d do whatever he needed to do to get there.
You sure about that OCD thing? Because if you told me that Brooks was on the spectrum I wouldn't be shocked...
Wood: Let’s just appreciate what he’s doing now, and not expect that kind of perfection. Nobody will ever win like Tiger again. Winning is HARD. Winning majors is HARDER. Didn’t we think Duval would keep winning once he won one? And Freddy Couples…How about DJ, who still sits at one? And Rory, who everyone had penciled in for 10-12 after his early first four. I’m not knocking these guys in the least. Brooks is making it look easy now, but you never know when or why the spigot gets turned off.
Dethier: This is a bridge too far. Health, interest, competition, statistical regression…there are so many factors pushing against it that I’m near-zero on this, too. But that’s not to take away from an incredible major run that Koepka’s currently on.
Ritter: Agreed. Koepka’s performance this week had shades of vintage Tiger — build a lead and slam the door — but it’s too early put him on track to surpass Tiger’s career records. It’s a 1 out of 10 for me.
We all succumb to this temptation, but Woodie has a useful note of caution. Also, keep in mind that Koepka got a very late start...
Shall we move on?
Miss Congeniality - What to make of our DJ, always a bridesmaid?
3. Dustin Johnson became the eighth golfer to complete the “runner-up grand slam” in majors, but could have applied more pressure to his buddy Brooks. After climbing to within one of the lead, he made back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17. What’s your takeaway from DJ’s deflating finish?
Zak: He made one bad swing during the ultra-important holes (15-17) and that bad swing didn’t come until the 17th tee. I think he was epically good, and some bad luck or bad decision-making kept him on the wrong side of history. I’m not worried about DJ at all. Brooks had this thing won for a longgg time.
Sens: Conditions were so tough today and DJ was so solid in them. I wouldn’t hold those back-to-back bogeys against him. With that said, DJ has short-circuited a few times majors in his grasp (Pebble; Chambers Bay; Whistling Straits, for instance). A small sample size, to be sure, but I think it’s fair to say that he doesn’t have the same killer instinct as his workout partner.
Marksbury: I can’t imagine that he really believed he might win today, even after drawing so close. At the end of the day, you could say he blew it, but I’d rather look at it as a spirited run he should be commended for. Just too little too late. Would have loved to see all this transpire with Koepka and DJ in the final group together.
This seems mostly a no-fault near miss.... though that second shot on No. 16 requires more understanding of how it went sideways.... But we see this all the time in sports, a player or team climbs back from a deep deficit, only to fall back after making it close.
Bamberger: My takeaway is that for pure golf talent, Dustin Johnson is the best in the game. John Daly once was, too. So was Fred Couples. And it’s a great, great starting point. But Bernhard Langer is here to tell you, it’s not the ending point.
Obviously he's talented out the yin-yang.... That said, I think the biggest weakness in his game is around the greens, and that's what got him on Nos. 16 and 17.
Wood: I gotta agree with Jess. Starting the day, you’ve got a huge mountain to climb, and although the course is extremely difficult, the pressure is not what it would have been had he started the day tied or one back. Nobody expected him to win, and when that’s the case, you can kind of go out and play with a lot of freedom. Mistakes aren’t a huge fear when you’re 6 or 7 back. So he climbs and scraps and claws and gets a little help from Brooks to make it close, and only in the end does he fall back. Like Jess said, it’s commendable.
Dethier: In the last 15 pairings, just one player shot a round under par: Dustin Johnson. He played the round of the day, given condition and circumstance. It was reminiscent of Fleetwood’s 63 at Shinnecock last year: a virtuoso performance that did everything but stick the landing.
Ritter: Conditions were brutal, but DJ’s worst swings came late when he had a chance to win. I think he might’ve been surprised to actually have a shot at it. This one hardly qualifies as “letting one get away,” but if DJ could’ve somehow played those last three holes in even par that might’ve been enough to steal it.
This one doesn't deserve to be in the hall of shame with Pebble and Whistling Straits. On the other hand, a runner up grand slam is just so very DJ, no? Of course it takes second place to those two players that lost all four majors in playoffs.... Anyone know those two names with the benefit of Google? Most will get know that Norman accomplished this with great elan....
The first to do it was Craig Wood, notably the victim of Gene Sarazen's albatross at Augusta....
Tiger Scat - Yeah, it was over way too soon.... Alan Shipnuck had this take after the trunk slammer:
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Tiger Woods owes us nothing. He has already given so much.If he wants to snub Quail Hollow so he can bask in the afterglow of his Masters win a bit longer, he deserves that. If Woods feels it’s prudent to blow off practicing the day before the PGA Championship begins to marshal his energy, who are we to object? And yet, it’s impossible not to feel a little let down by Tiger’s lethargic play at the PGA Championship. On Friday he made six agonizing bogeys en route to a three-over 73. It marks the first missed cut of this final act of his career.
Afterward, Woods refused to second-guess his minimal preparation. Pressed on the point, he said, “You know, I’m the Masters champion and 43 years old and that’s a pretty good accomplishment.”
Fair enough, but is that the standard you want us to use?
I was taken aback when I heard him say that as the Wells Fargo approached he just didn't have the grind in him.... He's human and we can all understand the emotional hangover of that comeback win.
The dilemma is obvious, though. If he is serious about the chase for No. nineteen, he can't be be mailing it in for any of them, which is what he did this week.
The TC gang had some thoughts on next as well:
4. Tiger Woods was the pre-tournament favorite but never contended en route to missing the cut at the PGA. Does this performance change how you feel about Woods’ chances at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach next month?
Zak: It doesn’t change how I feel, but it should change how many other people feel, including some in this TC panel. He is very, very fallible, and the PGA should recalibrate our expectations. We cannot expect him to contend everywhere he goes. This is not to say he’s isn’t still great and one of the best 10 players in the world, but it should remind us of his age, his body, his rest, his swing, his flippant driving ability, and how his time off means…time as as father, not a practicing golfer.
Sens: No change of mind here. Like a few others in this space, I never saw Tiger as the pre-tournament favorite here. That was irrational exuberance in the wake of the Masters. The Black Course, stretched out and shaggy, was nowhere near as suited to his game as Augusta, which allowed far more wiggle room off the tee. Pebble should be a different story. A second shot course and a sweet fit for Tiger, as he has shown several times before. I’d be shocked if he’s not in the mix.
I always like Pebble better for him this go-around, and certainly the extra month of reaction after the emotional win in April can't hurt. But Tiger very rarely shows up unprepared, which seems to be what he did this week.
Bamberger: I’d be surprised if Woods does not contend at Pebble, because of his iron play, and his track record there, and how he plays with the red ass.
Are we still allowed to say red ass? I'm thinking it has to be racist...
Ritter: Once Tiger skipped the Wells Fargo and endured a shortened week of practice at Bethpage, the writing was on the wall that he was going to be out of form. I think he’ll content at Pebble, but only if he’s able to compete in at least one event before then, like the Memorial.
Let's see if he shows up in Columbus and, if so, how he plays....
This piece from earlier in the week compares Brooks and Tiger, and is mostly a bit silly. But it had one moment that I found delightfully amusing, a comment from Brooks:
From a 2015 interview with Golf Digest: “To be honest, I’m not a big golf nerd. Golf is kind of boring, not much action. I come from a baseball family.”
Because baseball is so action-packed?
Hold That Thought Until 2024 - Having watched the entire proceedings on TV, these crowds are becoming really tiresome. Every shot is followed by a raspy-throated, over-served bum shouting inanities into the open microphones. My kingdom for a little actual wit.....
First, we'll stay with the TC guys:
5. The fans came alive at Bethpage Black on the weekend, and they’ll surely be out in force for the 2024 Ryder Cup. Asked what he thinks they’ll be like in ’24, Rory McIlroy said, “No comment.” Koepka simply said: “Good luck, Europe.” What can we expect from the Bethpage faithful that week, and is there any cause for concern?
Bamberger: Bring in the horses, just like they do at Yankee Stadium.
Zak: We can expect Rory to lose his mind, I’d think. He did it at each of the last two Ryder Cups, both home and away. I think Rors will be the European stalwart he always is — and as an aside, I still think Bethpage is great for him — but damn, these crowds will be on his ass. They will try so hard to get under his and his comrades’ skin. And I think, to be blunt, it will create a shameful scene.
I'm not as certain as Sean that Rory will be on that team...
Marksbury: Loud is fun, ugly is not. Let’s hope there will be some measures in place to control the rowdies. If we can keep it civil — but LOUD! — it will be epic.
Wood: I love the New York crowds. You’ve gotta have thick skin, but if you play along, they’ll love you right back. To be honest, I’m a bit worried about the 2024 Ryder Cup. We had a few instances of personal insults at Hazeltine, and, heck, Minnesotans are so nice. I really think whoever gets the nod as left-handed Captain for the U.S. in 2024 will need to get out in front of this. Partisan is fantastic. Boisterous and patriotic is awesome. Mean is not. And shoot me for being the messenger, but I think the PGA of America has to look at banning alcohol sales that week. But it’s a long way off. I’m sure by then The Ryder Cup will have calmed down by then. (Sarcasm.)
You're not the only one, Woodie....As for that left-handed captain, whoever could he envision?
But does anyone but me see a further issue? The Forecaddie does:
So how will Bethpage work with a Ryder Cup setup? The rough will be down and some of the fairways may get widened. At the pace we’re on, the 1st hole will be a drivable par-4 and hopefully the PGA changes the 7th hole back to a par-5.
The routing presents some issues for moving around quickly, so the Man Out Front won’t be surprised if captains are driving heavy-duty off-road carts around this massive property. As for logistics, the PGA of America will need many more grandstands and concessions on the other side of Round Swamp Road, where most of the golf will be played on holes 2 through 14 and where PGA fans waited in long lines to get a $15 adult beverage.
Then again, the Man Out Front thinks this could be how the PGA solves concerns about adult beverage consumption.
They American side wants the Ryder Cup to be a birdie-fest, which is quite obviously not in the DNA of Bethpage Black (nor Whistling Straits, though to a lesser extent). To make it play that way seems curious, no?
That should eb enough to keep you folks satisfied until tomorrow....
No comments:
Post a Comment