I Saw It On TV - Boffo ratings all week, including this from Sunday:
2019 U.S. Open: 5.2, Up 44% And Best Rating Since 2013
Hmmmmm...2013, huh? I guess Justin Rose really is the straw that stirs the drink. A paper straw for sure, not one of those evil plastic straws.
The buried lede is that Fox has actually upped its game in the five years they've been televising this event, actually delivering on that which they promised when the contract was first awarded.
Geoff had a Golfweek item buried in the Sunday avalanche of coverage that documented how they've fine tuned the product:
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Fox Sports promised to push the technological boundaries with its U.S. Open coverage. Never have the efforts been more noticeable and at times, jaw-dropping, than in 2019 at Pebble Beach.
While mics in cups have continued to catch player audio — but no longer the annoying sound of balls hitting the cup bottom — the network’s greatest advances in golf occurred in the form of repeated incorporation of mind-blowing live drone shots and a major advance in TopTracer technology.
It was annoying through the shear repetitiveness, but I assume the solution was merely to cut the sound when players are holing out. But yes, they pick up so much good audio...
The stated purpose of the Shack item was to talk about their spectacular drone footage:
To get the never-before-seen views off the coast of Pebble Beach, Fox originally set out to use a tethered drone off shore by taking advantage of technological breakthroughs since 2015.That’s when a drone off the coast of Chambers Bay proved limiting in how long it could stay in the air and how much it informed viewers.But according to telecast director Steve Beim, the plan to use a tethered drone with its longer power supply was dashed late in preparations when kelp beds offshore prevented getting close enough to make a difference.Instead, the Fox boat and drone operated by Kaze Aerial were freed up to roam the entire coastline with a restriction of 400 feet, though they’ve stayed much lower with shots of Pebble Beach and completely out of view of all. The result?
Some of the most stunning images ever seen on a sports broadcast, delivering scene-setting landscapes and even action that capture the grandeur, scale and surreal qualities of Pebble Beach.
If pebble is the most felicitous meeting of land and see, this was the most felicitous meeting of technology and subject. And awfully helpful to have this in the quiver given local meteorological conditions:
The drone shots have proven handy as the marine layer has restricted the blimp’s effectiveness, but it’s the drone’s seagull-level view that delivers a sense of not just the scene, but in several cases, punctuates this amazing meeting of golf and nature. The high point may have been watching Phil Mickelson tee off at the 11th hole Friday, as producer Mark Loomis kept the live drone shot instead of a jarring and unrevealing close-up of Mickelson from the tee. Throw in the dynamic cliffs and an ability to see the ball leave Mickelson’s club, what was an otherwise ordinary moment made any longtime viewer feel fortunate to be watching something so undeniably groundbreaking.
And combined with ShotTracer?
Phil under par? Are you certain that's not old footage from 2010?
Great job, guys. I didn't see much of the Thursday-Friday coverage for obvious reasons, but I also think I'm developing a resistance to Joe Buck's voice as well.... Any chance you guys might buy out CBS' Tour contract?
Predictions Are Hard... - Especially about the future, I hasten to add. As you guys know, I take a contrarian, decidedly minority view of Pebble Beach. It's not exactly that I think it sucks, it's more that it's not nearly as great as it should be.
Shack takes a tongue-in-cheek look at that 2027 U.S. Open, but provides enough markers for those concerned about the path forward. For instance:
Will anyone put a driver in their bag?
This year’s pre-tournament buzz centered around how many holes would require driver. But as a new wave of 5-9, 150-pound super jocks continue to overtake pro golf and the governing bodies cave to their marketing departments instead of regulating distance, players in the 2027 U.S. Open ponder whether to add a sixth wedge to their bag over carrying the big stick. Just days before the event and citing pressure on their business model, equipment manufacturers successfully lobby the USGA for a local rule mandating players carry at least one of their drivers, now priced at $750. But 58-year-old Phil Mickelson, playing on a special exemption, bucks the trend and carries three drivers.
A 7,000 yard golf course in 2027 won't just seem like a pitch-and-putt....
Hole location sheets optional
With Pebble Beach’s greens continuing to shrink and just 2,000 square feet on average by 2027, the USGA course setup team only has to move holes a few feet either way each day. In continuing with their sustainability efforts, they require players to request printed hole locations sheets.
Please tell me he's kidding on this one:
The 18th green will be 50 yards from where it is now.
Don’t you dare think the Pebble Beach Company paid $28 million for 1498 Cypress Drive in 2018 to have backyard barbecues for U.S. Open interns, as was the case leading up to the 2019 tournament. No, this purchase will give them the chance to move antiquated Lodge buildings back 60 yards or so and then extend the 18th to keep the iconic hole as golf’s last legitimate three-shotter. The Coastal Commission will drag out approval, but the Jim Nantz-designed green opens just weeks before the 2027 U.S. Open.
Did Jim actually design the green, or are they just using the green in his backyard?
To The Victor... - Quite the coming-out party for sure, though he wasn't exactly onknown to us previously. But really, why the hate?
U.S. Open 2019: Viktor Hovland, the smiling assassin, is Dustin Johnson 2.0
Here's the bit on how well he played:
Hovland was an amateur at Pebble Beach— his final tournament with that status before turning professional next week — but he played like nothing of the sort.
The Oklahoma State product and defending U.S. Amateur champ finished T11, and in the top 10 in SG: Driving (7th) and in SG: Approach (5th) for Sunday’s round.
Incredibly, he also led the championship field in SG: Driving by almost two strokes over the course of four rounds. He played with Brooks Koepka his first two days, shooting 69 with six birdies on Thursday. He bettered that score by two on Sunday, making another six birdies en route to a 67. It was enough for low amateur in his second-straight major start.
“It’s obviously cool to perform like that,” Hovland said. “I hope that this will feed or I can feed off of this going into my professional career.”
he'll start his professional journey this week in Hartford, though do we still call them the "defending champion" when they won't be there to defend? Perhaps the quaint term "Holder" might work better in such circumstances?
Why the DJ comparison?
Hovland, like his teammate Matt Wolff, is part of the generation redefining golf. His swing is ultra-new school, born in an age of power and athleticism, modeled not after the smooth-swinging greats like Sam Snead and Ernie Els, but Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson.
Hovland’s lead wrist is in a flexed — traditionally-defined “bowed” — position at the top, with a closed clubface.
His arms are extended up and away from his body, with the clubface what most would consider a closed position. The resemblance to Dustin Johnson at the top of his backswing is uncanny, as you can see below.
Whew, that's a relief.... I subscribe to the this theory of our game:
Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course... the space between your ears.
Bobby Jones
In DJ's case, those five-and-a-half-inches are an open floor plan.... Let's hope the similarities end there for young Victor.
For those who care about such things, it appears that Hovland will join the Ping staff.
It's Great To Be With a Wiener.... - Anyone but me old enough to remember those epic Luis Tiant commercials?
Shack had previously thrown out a winners and losers effort, though it mostly included oddball stuff such as this:
Fans on siteMost elements of the fan infrastructure and experience were impressive and noticeably better than previous U.S. Open’s here. But monster shuttle bus lines suggested the USGAand Pebble Beach Company sold too many tickets on a course with so many one-sided viewing holes. Also pointed out by irritated fans: empty VIP ticket areas behind many greens as nearby grandstands featured wedge-shot long lines.
On-course WiFiUSGA chief commercial officer Navin Singh and new partner Cisco promised a “first-of-its-kind course wide Wi-Fi network that gives us speed and confidence to dynamically deliver content and new personalized digital experiences to our fans.” For this writer, the network was impossible to get on at times.
Hard to get too worked up over the WiFi situation on Stillwater Cove, no?
Dylan Dethier has the more trenchant version thereof, as he names names.... Who cares about the winners, we go straight to the losers:
Sure, “losers” might sound a little harsh. But these guys have brighter days ahead; they can take it!
Rory McIlroy. That double bogey on No. 1 Sunday was a bummer on a day when it felt as though someone like Rory could emerge from the back to put pressure on the final pairing — which is what Koepka did. McIlroy essentially opted out with his opening 6, showing that he’s still playing sensational golf but missing one tiny something.
You'd not have liked Rory's chances at this venue early in the year, but when Pebble presented soft and with virtually no wind? Rory now heads to Portrush, a quasi-home game in which he'll face unusual scrutiny and pressure.... Can't wait to see how he kicks away the Masters next April.
Phil Mickelson. This felt like his last big chance to win the U.S. Open, didn’t it? Short golf course, soft setup, high confidence entering the week. But Mickelson shot 5-over on the weekend and never played a serious role. Then again, if we’re grading on “most improved” from Shinnecock, he’d be right near the top.
I'm sorry, was Phil in the field at Pebble?
But this might be my fave:
Sweater vests. The truthers emerged quickly after Patrick Reed’s epic, efficient club-snap asking one question: “Why is Patrick Reed playing with his shirt untucked?!”
You'll have to click through for the video, but I'll just note that Patrick's white pants seems the more significant crime against humanity. And Patrick, you might want to start working on those Presidents Cup points....Not sure I like your chances of a Captain's pick, especially since the Captain will likely need to use one on himself.
Don't Know Much About History - His name was bandied about all week, though I don't recall Fox doing a feature on him. Only four men have won four U.S. Opens, and Willie Anderson is by far the least well-known of these.
It was a period when the nascent U.S. golf world was dominated by transplanted Scots, and Willie himself was a North Berwick boy. Here's a rather dry account of his life from his local Hall of Fame.
Willie famously won his three-in-row, but perhaps even more amazingly won four out of five:
Tournament RecordU.S. Open : 1901,1903,1904,1905Western Open : 1902,1904,1908,1909Southern California Open :1899
The counting of "Majors" is a senseless exercise in this era, but the Western Open was easily the second most important event for a U.S.-based professional.
And obviously adapted well to change:
Anderson is the only player to win the US Open using two different balls, the gutta percha and the rubber core.
This was the era in which golf professionals were considered among the deplorables, and in winning that 1901 Open at Myopia Hut Club, Willie laid down a marker for future pros:
At the 1901 US. Open played at Myopia Hunt Club near Boston, Massachusetts, Willieand Alex Smith posted a 72-hole score of 331, to tie the tournament. In the first 18-hole play-off in Open history, Anderson won by one stroke, 85-86. At that championship, the American media picked up on Anderson's quote when he growled " No, we're no goin tae eat in the kitchen." Willie was furious when told the professionals could not enter the clubhouse. The players were eventually allowed to eat in a specially erected tent.
The professionals at this time were looked on as short in social graces and long on alcohol in take. Their reputation as harden drinkers of crude liquor was often justified. In 1898, the winner of the U.S. Open, Fred Herd, the brother of Scottish Professional Sandy Herd, was refused permission to take the trophy away, until a deposit was secured. The authorities were concerned the trophy would be pawned for drinking money.
One reason that Anderson is lost to history is that he died at a tragically young age, likely as a result of those habits that made him unwelcome in the clubhouses of his era.
Oh, The Glamour - Modern professional golfers live quite the charmed life, with private planes, courtesy cars and large entourages.... Well, those we know only by their first names certainly do, but what about the huddle masses?
I couldn't pick Chip McDaniel out of a police lineup, though this is likely a typical tale of the grind:
Monday qualifying for a PGA Tour event is one of the most difficult tasks in all of golf, as it typically requires a low score on an unfamiliar course to earn one of four spots in a field of often more than 100 players.
Never mind trying to do it fresh off a red eye from the West Coast after playing in your first U.S. Open.
Chip McDaniel’s wild, 18-hour odyssey to this week’s Travelers Championship began when he finished his final round at Pebble Beach—the 23-year-old former University of Kentucky standout had to survive sectional qualifying in Springfield, Ohio, just to earn a spot in the field there—around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, closing with a six-over 77 to end his week at 13 over and in 78th place.
That’s when the adventure started.
From there, McDaniel took a 2 p.m. shuttle that got him to the airport in San Francisco 2 1/2 hours away in plenty of time for his 9 p.m. overnight flight to Boston. After landing, McDaniel and his caddie, Wildcats teammate Jacob Cook, hopped in a rental car and headed 90 minutes south to Ellington Ridge Country Club for the Monday qualifier, stopping at a McDonald’s for breakfast along the way.
“It was a pretty wild day,” McDaniel told Golf Digest. “I slept pretty much the entire five-hour flight but, man, I was still loopy when I got there.”
Not that it showed. McDaniel, who doesn’t have status on any tour and is ranked 805th in the world, piped his opening tee shot, birdied the first hole and went on to shoot 67.His reward? A nine-for-three playoff.
I'll leave you in suspense, but the playoff had plenty of drama as well.
Hartford seems like a good call the week after a U.S. Open at Shinecock or The Country Club..... After Pebble or Torrey Pines, not so much.
My original pan was to gently segue to some non-Open content... As Mike Tysone astutely noted, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth". So, not that I've taken such a blow, but see you tomorrow?
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