Midweek Musings

No need to go long, but a few items to kick around...

She's Gone - The lady knows how to milk a dramatic pause, but that makes five out of five:

The most decorated golfer in Stanford history has decided to leave early. 

Andrea Lee is now the second Stanford senior to quit before the spring season after

earning her card at LPGA Q-Series, joining Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela. 

Lee, who has topped both the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings and World Amateur Golf Ranking, informed her teammates of the decision on Tuesday afternoon. 

“I know the program is going to be taking a pretty big hit with both of us gone,” said Lee, who was still emotional about it when she called. “Honestly, I feel really sad about it, leaving my teammates and not giving us the best chance at possibility winning the national championship.”

I realize that in yesterday's post I may not have emphasized the issue of the ladies leaving mid-season, and how we feel about that.   Don't we think they owe the school and their teammates at least that?

But presumably the issue is to play the early season LPGA events in order to ensure that they retain their status.  Naturally you'd assume that they'd only go out if they had full status on the LPGA.  Your logic is impeccable, however your fact base is lacking:

While Valenzuela tied for sixth at Q-Series and will get into plenty of events, Lee’s share of 30th means she’ll have to rely on sponsor exemptions and Monday-qualifying for many of the early-season starts.

Never mind, she probably has enough sponsors' exemptions in the bag to make it work.

Geoff has these thoughts:

As for the LPGA, there will probably be players who turn pro and give them Tour a boost, but who are the two best known LPGA rookies right now? Jennifer Kupcho and Maria Fassi, who both played the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and deferred their LPGA status until the college season’s conclusion. Kupcho has made it to the 2019 season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

So, what's different or what's changed?  Perhaps Kupcho and Fassi had more confidence in their games...  Or, and this might lead me to be cast out as a heretic, perhaps that Augusta event isn't the same draw in subsequent installments?  Especially given their obviously depleted field.

 I think we all instinctively would like to see the youngsters stay in school for as long as possible.  Not so much because of the actual schooling involved, but the team environment and lasting friendships that result.  As we saw yesterday, it can be lonely out there....

He's Like Nostradamus Or Something - You guys have no doubt figured out that Alan Shipnuck's mailbag feature is like a life preserver for a drowning blogger, coming late in the week when I've lost my will to live.  Even milking it as I do, I had little interest in this Q&A from the most recent edition:

Golf under the lights, yay/nay? -@jviohl 

Yaaaaay. I wouldn’t want to see the U.S. Open decided by the shadow of a flagstick, but I think it’s good fun for an everyday event. It could be especially beneficial to push golf into prime time and attract more viewers. The Thursday/Friday broadcast windows are not helpful for those with office jobs — who among us wouldn’t want to watch live golf whilst eating supper?

OK, boomer, maybe in The Peoples' Republic of California.  But back in the civilized world, dinner is for Jeopardy....This story gives Alan's musings a ripped-from-the-headlines feel:

Most golfers, at some point in their lives, have rolled up their car to a putting green and blasted the headlights, hoping to get a few extra putts in on a summer's night. The PGA Tour qualifier into the RSM Classic took that concept a step further on Monday. 

A large field and slow pace at Brunswick Country Club translated to a late start for an 8-for-1 playoff, with the sudden death not teeing off until 15 minutes before sunset. Matt Atkins, Luke Guthrie, Andrew Novak, Jordan Niebrugge, John VanDerLaan, Adam Svensson, Erik Barnes and A.J. Morris all turned in five-under 65s to earn entry into overtime, and were split into two groups.

Here's what it looked like:

Should we consider this amusing, or just Mickey Mouse?  My instinct is to not care much, but then I remember that youngsters are playing for their professional lives.  And, a reminder, paying  meaningful price (certainly for them) to try to play their way into the event.  is it too much to expect the Tour to manage their affairs such that the kids can actually play in daylight?  At least the guy that survived gets it:

“I was excited and happy that I qualified,” Atkins told the Golf Channel, “but I felt bad because you hate to see anybody lose or not advance in that kind of fashion because it was an extreme situation.

I get that stuff happens, but I also get that these guys have one job...  at least on Mondays.

Billy Mayfair, Call Your Office -  Mike Bamberger goes back for a double-dip on the Russell Henley penalty with interesting results.  I'm not sure there's any great purpose served, as the fault lines have long been drawn.  But he shares some interesting stories that I think are worth your time.

First, Henley himself has been unusually candid in sharing his thoughts, in return for which I'd be happy to root for the man going forward:

As for living with the consequences of not calling a penalty on yourself, every golfer in

the world, straight up to Jack Nicklaus his own self, has something in their past. Henley remembers playing in a two-round junior event as a 12-year-old. He stepped on his ball in the second round and didn’t tell anybody. 

After 36 holes, he was tied for the lead. He and Harris English faced each other in a playoff. To this day, Henley is relieved Harris won. But he knows Harris shouldn’t have needed the extra golf in the first place. Live and learn. Not the cliché, the actual thing: live and learn!

It happens to us all and our in-the-moment reactions aren't always the purest, but that's where the live and learn part comes in.

But surely not God?

Nicklaus’s thing came in a long-ago British Open. He played a shot in a bunker. The ball didn’t get out. He thought the ball might have hit him after ricocheting off a bunker wall. A rules official standing there told Nicklaus that the ball didn’t hit him. Jack still has not let it go. The rules official might have been wrong. The golfer is responsible for his own card, and for calling penalties on himself. It says so right on the first page.

Yes, even God.

So we have this wonderful affirmation of the character-building aspects of golf, with Henley sharing all sorts of personal details and his inner demons.  And then Mike just has to ruin it:

The event with Henley has generated the usual high-minded discussion that comes whenever pros call a penalty on themselves. Before long, the conversation turns to how different golf is from every other sport, because of that act. It oversimplifies how it all really works. Golfers keep their cards, in accordance with the rules. But Big Brother is always watching, in case they don’t. It’s a classic example of trust, but verify. Imagine how accurate tax returns could be if we could all look at each other’s returns.

No, Mike, those things are not in slightest way similar.  And that's only an appealing vision of our collective future to fellow travelers....  If I'm paired with Mike in a tournament I have an affirmative obligation to protect the field.  As for Mike's tax return, as if that doesn't touch on our current political moment, it's just so horribly wrong to taint our game with that comparison.

No doubt I've given my end game away with my header.  First, on the off chance that it's not blindingly obvious, compare and contrast Henley's behavior and answers with Mayfair's.  Henley saw something and immediately consulted the rules officials, whereas Mayfair did everything in his power to avoid the cops.  Henley wanted to be able to live with himself, Mayfair just wanted to play the following week.

But we've also acknowledged that this happens to every golfer, and also that our reactions aren't always the best.  The best example is actually Vijay and his youthful rules indiscretion (for those unfamiliar with the story, John Garrity's fascinating and disturbing account is here) , for which he has maintained a policy of omerta.  Forgiveness and absolution are available, but it does require confession and remorse.  

But we've learned much, no?  We've learned that Russell Henley is wound a bit tightly, but that he does have a moral compass.  We've similarly learned that Billy Mayfair is prone to dissembling and taking the easy way out...But now, more interestingly, we'll see how he reacts to this shock to the system.  

Coals To Newcastle - Already boasting two of the best., the Auld Grey Toon adds to its embarrassment of riches:

A U.S.-based investment firm, AJ Capital Partners, announced plans today to renovate the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel, located just feet from the Old Course at St. Andrews.

As part of the renovation, AJ Capital is planning to build a 3,000-sq. ft. rooftop bar overlooking the Old Course’s historic 18th hole. 

“St Andrews is one of the most iconic destinations in the world, and our team is honored to embark upon bringing our unique approach to hospitality to this incredibly historic and inspiring community,” AJ Capital CEO Ben Weprin said in a release.

Wow, I'm gonna need some time to decide among The Dunvegan, The Jigger Inn and this new option.   Also weird that accompanying photo doesn't actually show the hotel, which is to the golfer's right of the 18th tee and fairway.

As for this...

Once completed, golfers will be able to enjoy a pint from an unmatched vantage point of arguably the most recognizable vista in golf, with historic Swilcan Bridge sitting in the backdrop of the Old Course’s finishing hole. 

In addition to the bar, 44 rooms will be added to the hotel, while the existing 70 rooms and restaurant facilities will also be upgraded. The renovations pay homage to St. Andrews and the Old Course’s legendary designer, Old Tom Morris. 

The project is expected to be finished in time for the 150th Open Championship at the Old Course in July 2021.

Yanno, you'd think that a major golf publication would carefully review that which they publish, if only to avoid ridicule.  You don't need much immersion in our little world to know that The Old Course was designed by either God or a bunch of sheep.  If you were with us in St. Andrews in August, you'll recall my outrage at the disrespect shown Old Tom, but that doesn't justify the ignorance of the more complicated and therefore more interesting history.

Nothing To See Here - When you think of the beasts that regularly send it on Tour, I'm guessing that Matt Kuchar isn't top of mind.  But I'd argue that that makes this account all the more concerning:

Matt Kuchar failed to defend his Mayakoba Golf Classic title, but it was still a good

week for the nine-time Tour winner. The respectable T14 showing was highlighted by a hole-in-one on the par-3 8th during the final round — and it came using a new Bridgestone Tour B X prototype golf ball in action for the first time this week. 

The Tour B X prototype has been gaining traction on Tour going back to September when Bryson DeChambeau switched balls after finding an additional 750 RPMs of spin around the green. In Kuchar’s case, a combination of distance and greenside spin led to the ball shakeup. 

During testing leading up to Mayakoba, Kuchar, who ranks 247th of 248 on Tour in driving distance (276.5 yards), found an additional 1.5 miles per hour ball speed with the ball, which equated to an additional 4 yards. With the rollout, Kuchar was consistently seeing an increase of 10.5 yards per drive.

We've been guided to believe that distance gains have largely moderated, yet this seems like rather a big jump if due just to a new golf ball.  Can't wait for that Distance Insights Report....

Facts On The Ground -  This seems wise:

The gap between the end of the 2018-2019 European Tour season and the start of the 2019-’20 schedule is still going to be only four days long. But the usual double-header

2018 Champion Aaron Rai.

that kicks things off is no more, at least temporarily. The Alfred Dunhill Championship will still take place next week at Leopard Creek in South Africa, but there will be no Hong Kong Open, at least in the immediate future. 

Citing the increasingly volatile political unrest currently prevalent in what was, until 1997, a British colony—students have been conducting anti-government protests over the past few months—European Tour executive director Keith Pelley announced on Wednesday the postponement of the event that has been part of the tour (and co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour) since 2002.

Of course, I'm old enough to remember when golf's future was inextricably tied to China.  

Prez Cup Stuff -  Can there possibly be anything new on the subject of Brooksie and another pick?  This guy thinks there is:

Five years ago, Billy Horschel got on what became a lucrative roll at the end of the PGA Tour season. He won the BMW Championship and Tour Championship in back-to-back

weeks to capture the FedEx Cup title. Two weeks later, the U.S. Ryder Cup team faced off against Europe without Horschel, however, because Tom Watson’s four captain’s picks had been announced after the second playoff event … right before Horschel’s tear. The picking schedule was adjusted for 2016, with one selection saved for after the Tour Championship to ensure a hot player didn't get left off the squad.  

That exact scenario is shaping up this year. Brendon Todd held off Vaughn Taylor, Carlos Ortiz and Adam Long on Monday morning to win the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Todd’s second straight victory after capturing the Bermuda Championship two weeks ago. Unfortunately for Todd, whose struggles with his swing saw him drop outside the top 2000 in the Official World Golf Ranking last year before this dramatic resurgence, there is no “Horschel pick” available to Presidents Cup captains. Tiger Woods already announced his four picks—Tony Finau, Gary Woodland, Patrick Reed and himself. 

The good news for Todd—and a few other players whom we’ll discuss in a second—is that an extra spot might open up.

The good news is that Tiger might have the chance to employ the Horschel rule to add a hot golfer to his team.  Golf writers aren't perhaps the deepest thinkers on the planet, but the issue seems pretty clear to this observer.  The importance of the Horschel Rule seems over-stated when, in the real world, it results in Billy Horschel actually playing on your team.  Seriously, that was gonna make the difference in 2014?

I know it's slow out there and Todd's story is wonderful, but I'm more likely to be on that team than Brendon Todd.  He won against two of the weakest fields of the year, just look at those names in the excerpted 'graph.

There is some interest in the current circumstances, revolving around when Brooks will decide and who Tiger might choose.  I think this he just made up:

Woods more-or-less confirmed that Fowler was the “first guy out” on the initial four

picks when he discussed how difficult it was to tell Rickie he was not on the team earlier this month. And while Fowler is four years younger than Todd, the five-time PGA Tour winner has worlds more experience in international events, having played on two Walker Cup teams, four Ryder Cup teams and two Presidents Cup teams. He’s been a fixture in U.S. team rooms and is the ultimate nice guy, meaning he could pair with just about anybody. And his putting prowess is always a major asset in match-play formats.

You might think that, but it's not based on anything Tiger gave you.  he and Rickie hand in Jupiter and play at the same club, so it was hard to say "No" to a friend.  That actually tells us nothing...

The closer we get to it, the more I assume any pick wil come from those in the field at the Hero World, which means the choice is among Rickie, Kiz and Spieth.  I've also heard nothing to update DJ's condition, but he's in the Albany field as well.

As for those names, you know who I wouldn't take.

Asking The Wrong Question - Bad headers are an occupational hazard, but this is really a doozy.  See if you agree:

Should pro get Open Championship invite for warm-hearted gesture?

No.  Next question.  But more importantly, the header provoked me to ignore the story, because who needs another bleeding heart account in this cutthroat golf world.  But, it just so happens that the story, very much a bleeding heart ilk, is really worth our time:

Earlier this week, Brandon Matthews and a golf fan with Down syndrome reminded us

all that there are things more important than wins and losses. 

As Nick Menta reported for Golf Channel, Matthews saw his chances of playing at The Open vanish when, while he was standing over an eight-footer that would’ve extended a playoff, he heard a yell from a golf fan in the crowd. The sudden sound caused him to flinch and miss the putt, ending his dream of playing at Royal St. George’s. 

Afterwards, the tournament director explained to Matthews that the person who yelled in his backstroke was a golf fan with Down syndrome who couldn’t contain his excitement. Matthews immediately asked to meet the fan, and when he did, gave him a heart-warming embrace.

Man, forget rooting for Russell Henley, Brandon Matthews is my new fave.  And it runs out that the writer of the header isn't really at fault (as the pic might have given away):

The story went viral, and on Monday, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt took a moment on his show to praise Matthews. He waxed lyrical about the golfer’s actions, and even floated the idea of awarding him an exemption into The Open for his “class” and humility following the incident.

Bad on you, SVP.  Props for publicizing the gesture and expressing your admiration, but that suggestion of an exemption threatens to ruin the story.  Its power comes from the individual realizing the bigger picture, and acting with compassion in a spontaneous manner.  The power comes from his putting aside his disappointment and sharing his humanity, and it loses its power to inspire if its donw for reward.

Let me also add that he was rewarded....   with the hug.