Weekend Wrap

It's a Postmodern Monday, one in which we wrap a weekend that itself didn't wrap....

Mayakoba Mon Amour - It's a Manic Monday in Mayakoba, or something:

A little more than a year ago, Brendon Todd (above) was thinking about giving up golf after being beaten down by a long battle with the full-swing yips. He was stuck in a

miserable slump that at one point saw him miss 37 of 40 cuts and plummet outside the top 2,000 in the world. Instead of quitting, he worked his way back, and two weeks ago in Bermuda found himself shooting a closing 62 en route to the second victory of his career and first since 2014. 

Now he’s in position for another. 

Todd was 20 under par and tied for the lead with Vaughn Taylor with four holes left in regulation at the Mayakoba Golf Classic when play was halted because of darkness on Sunday night. 

Inclement weather on Thursday had left everyone playing catch up the rest of the week. Players completed the first round on Friday, the second round on Saturday and attempted to play the third and fourth rounds on Sunday, knowing they were unlikely to get everything finished. The final round will resume at 7:30 a.m. on Monday.

A perfect illustration of the limits of late-season golf.  Having lost Thursday to heavy rains, there simply wasn't enough daylight to get the full filed through 72 holes by dusk on Sunday.

But the header might, you know, be guilty of over-promising:

Tight leader board leaves potential for dramatic Monday finish at the Mayakoba Golf Classic

You're likely expecting snark in response to that header, and it would be so very easy to note that drama hasn't previously visited those names atop the leaderboard.  But it so happens that watching actual drama, real golfers playing for their professional futures, can be the most compelling of moments.   

A couple of notes from the week, one quick and the other decidedly not...  No doubt you heard that El Tucan got a bag for the week, Rob Oppenheim's as it so happens:

Carrying new bag, El Tucan narrowly misses cut in Mayakoba title defense

It must be my fault for derisively calling them luggage-toters, but caddies don't actually win (or lose) golf tournaments.  Seriously, I thought you guys knew something about this here game.

 But did you happen to hear about Russell Henley's week?  Quiet the unusual trunk-slammer it was:

After shooting a two-under 69 in the second round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Russell Henley did what many of the tour's "nice guys" do: he went into his bag to grab a 

few golf balls to sign and hand out to fans. Nice gesture, one that should be met with some good karma from the golf gods. Instead, it got Henley in a world of trouble with the rules. 

While sorting through the balls, it came to Henley's attention that he had accidentally used a ball other than his usual Titleist Pro V1x during the round. This is a violation of the PGA Tour's One Ball Rule, not a part of the Rules of Golf, but is usually only adopted for professional golf tournaments as well as high-level amateur events. The rule requires players to use the same ball throughout the round, meaning Henley violated the rule if he did not use the same Titleist Pro V1x model that he began the day with. 

"It was a small dash, a different way it was marked that would have been easy to overlook," said PGA Tour Rules Official Brad Fabel. "He came to us and said he didn’t know how it had gotten in his bag."

But this one is weird, trust me on that:

“When I get done with a ball, my caddie will mark through it with a line so I don’t re-use them,” Henley said in a phone interview on Sunday. “He gave me two balls to sign and the Pro V1x part of it was facing up at me and I just looked at it and there’s a little dash beside the Pro V1x. I was like, ‘Hmm, that’s weird, is that what all my balls look like?’ I was caught off guard.”

Henley, who said he uses the 2017 model of the Pro V1x ball, went to his bag and compared it to the other nine balls in there and noticed that one was not like the others. The rest didn’t have the dash. He’d never even hit the offending ball, which he said is a Titleist prototype. When asked how it got in his bag, Henley guessed that he may have picked the ball up by accident while putting to the same hole on the practice putting green as another Titleist ambassador.

So, if he never even hit it?  It turns out that there's a bit of misdirection in that:

“I called PGA Tour rules official Brad Fabel over because something was wrong and I wanted to voice it,” he said. “I told them the scenario that I probably played it, but I don’t know. It looked scuffed up and it had a line through it, but I couldn’t tell you what number ball I used yesterday on No. 4,” Henley said. “I change balls every four or five holes, whenever I hit a wedge and there’s a scuff on it or something. I think I changed around No. 4, 9 or 10 and 14 or 15.” 

Fabel brought in Slugger White, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competitions, who phoned the USGA for clarification. It took the better part of an hour before Henley received the verdict. 

“They told me that based on what we know and the high probability I used it, we’re going to take the average of the number of holes you typically used it, which is four,” Henley said. 

He was assessed eight penalty strokes – two per hole for Nos. 9-12 – turning what had been a 69 into signing for a 6-over 77.

That line through the ball means he must have used it, so it seems they came to the most logical of conclusions, though no one will be too happy with this state of affairs.  It's hard not to agree with Henley here, for sure:

“Well, that sends me home,” Henley said at the time. Indeed, it did. He caught a 6:15 p.m. flight and arrived home after midnight. 

“Do I think eight shots is extreme in this situation? Absolutely,” said Henley, who said he was still processing the unusual circumstances. “I think there should be a max of four. I hope eventually we can have some conversations and change the rule. I came from such an innocent place, you could call it a careless place, and given there was no intent I think it’s a pretty harsh rule. It can be debated both ways and I’m aware of that. It’s unfortunate when you’re playing well and in contention, like I was, to you’re missing the cut. It’s tough to swallow.”

Thanks for the update on his travel arrangements, and no doubt he has our sympathy....  he also has our respect for his comportment in the matter.  It's far from analogous, but compare and contrast with last week's Billy Mayfair story, wherein the latter conspicuously failed to uphold his end of the bargain.  Henley will not have to avoid direct eye contact with his peers....

How about one of those effortless segues into this week's Tour Confidential?  I thought you'd see it my way:

1. Russell Henley was penalized eight strokes at the Mayakoba Golf Classic for violating the One-Ball Rule. Henley used a slightly different Titleist ProV1x model for holes 9-12, and that violation of Rule 20-3 cost him two strokes per hole (he missed the cut). This comes days after a bizarre Billy Mayfair rules controversy was reported by Michael Bamberger, and in a calendar year when a considerable number of rules infractions have made headlines. Almost a year after the governing bodies made sweeping changes to the rule book, are the rules still too complicated?

Josh Sens: No. There are too many of them for the average player to expect to know them all offhand. But overly complicated? There’s nothing especially murky or obscure about the rules that have been violated recently. Where things have gotten muddy is in how certain people have responded to those violations. But that has to do with the complexities of human nature, not the rules themselves. 

Michael Bamberger: With Josh. Casual golf cannot be played with obsessive following of the rules. Serious tournament golf requires it. What Henley did show is that he could not live with himself had he known he played in violation of the rules. There’s a sound reason for that rule. If you want to get rid of it, start a petition, but you won’t get far. Henley set the right example.

What he said.  These guys are professional golfers, for Chrissakes...  Well, excluding Mayfair, of course.

Dylan Dethier: When I caddied for Martin Trainer at the Valspar earlier this year, we were having breakfast just before 6 a.m. on Friday when Henley walked by and heard mention of the name Joel Osteen. He stopped dead in his tracks, pulled up a chair and talked to us for some 20 minutes about the prosperity gospel and contradictions in megachurch culture. “I’m sorry, guys,” he said at the end. “I didn’t mean to ruin your breakfast.” Agree or not, I learned that day that Russell Henley is a man of principle. Credit to him for calling his own fouls here, because he was in relatively innocuous violation of a rule that makes sense. 

Josh Berhow: The rules are complicated, but as a pro golfer it’s your job to know the rules. (And credit to Henley for reporting himself.) But when we are playing with our buddies we aren’t arguing over the leaf rule, mulling over drops near a sprinkler head or announcing what ball we’re hitting on the first tee box. (“B1, homie,” is what I fondly remember Tiger telling Henrik Stenson at the 2017 Hero.) But yes, the rules can be a little tough to understand, but there’s only a small percentage of amateurs who actually take all of them seriously in the first place. It’s a different ballgame for the pros. They need to know.

I've never had much use for the argument that golf's rules are needlessly complicated, given that it's usually based upon comparisons to other sports, none of which are played through 200 acres of unkempt nature.  That said, our rules-makers didn't distinguish themselves, creating more confusion (notably in the rule about caddies lining up their players) and addressing non-problems such as the language of golf.  But the distinction between the Henleys and Mayfairs of the world come through, so we're good.

Fleetwood Back - From what, remains unclear, but he did something rare yesterday:

Expectations have only grown for Tommy Fleetwood since he began asserting himself as one of the European Tour’s rising stars in 2017, with no one holding the 28-year-old

Englishman to a higher standard than the man himself. Which is why there was a crack in Fleetwood’s voice Sunday after he closed out a playoff victory over Marcus Kinhult at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. 

“I’m just really proud,” said an emotional Fleetwood, having shot a Sunday 65 at Gary Player Country Club in South Africa to overcome a six-stroke deficit and win his fifth European Tour event, but first since January 2018. “It’s just really, really cool to win a tournament.” 

And nerve-wracking, too. Fleetwood’s charge in South Africa was not without its moments of stress...and good fortune. His final round included three eagles and three back-nine bogeys, a lucky kick off a sprinkler head and a deft chip on the first playoff hole to set up a par putt.

Just this weekend, Employee No. 2 announced that Tommy is her new favorite golfer.   Given that her prior fave was Lumpy, I'm unsure how to react, though the TC panel has some thoughts:

5. Tommy Fleetwood won the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Sunday to claim his fifth career European Tour victory, yet the 28-year-old has four runner-up finishes and no wins in 62 starts on the PGA Tour. Why do some of Europe’s best players — i.e. Fleetwood, Casey, Poulter, Monty, etc. — thrive on the Euro Tour but struggle to win on the PGA Tour? 

Bamberger: Let us not forget Seve! Also Langer. Also Westwood. As Tiger said when he missed the cut at the British Open this year, “I just want to go home.” They prefer home. Most people do. 

Sens: I was going to say the same — home cooking. Who doesn’t love it? Plus, the fields here are generally the deepest in the world, which is why those guys cross the ocean to play in them in the first place. 

Ummm.... Home cooking is found for almost all of these guys in Orlando.  Seriously, I'd also add that two of those guys won two Masters each, so some are not exactly like the others.  

Dethier: There’s a depth-of-play issue (every single guy on the PGA Tour is intimidatingly good) and a style-of-play issue (you don’t see much in the way of linksy Tour designs) but it’s also just a statistical issue. By my count, Fleetwood has nine top-fives on the PGA Tour. Statistically, those same performances that result in runner-ups on Tour can be wins on the Euro Tour. He may not be an overachiever, but he’ll win before long. 

Berhow: Winning is hard, regardless of which tour you are on. But forget winning just a regular event on the PGA Tour, Tommy Fleetwood has to be one of the few major-less pros ready to claim one of the big ones soon. It almost happened at Shinnecock.

Maybe, but he needs to show me more than that one week of strong play.  

Before we move on, I agree that this was quite the lucky break....Though nothing I haven't seen before.  

Of Young Ladies and Golf - The LPGA is to be commended for giving the girls flexibility, but the filthy lucre beckons:

The rush to turn pro continues to be an ongoing theme for men’s and women’s college

golf—followed by the inevitable coach quotes saying how happy they are for the players.  

With four of five 2019 LPGA Q-Series participants deciding to turn pro instead of finishing the 2019-20 season—and Andrea Lee undecided—the situation stinks for women’s college golf and next spring’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur losing five marquee players. There is also the mixed record of players leaving school early and the societal pressures to rush into a pro career.

Beth Ann Nichols fills in the gaps for us, as last year's success looks more like a one-off:

Last year the LPGA allowed players to defer their tour status until after the spring semester. Jennifer Kupcho and Maria Fassi were the first ones to try that route. Both

enjoyed outstanding springs (Kupcho won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and Fassi won the NCAAs) and went on to keep their tour cards despite playing only half a season. 

On one hand, the deferral system could be viewed as a rousing success. But it’s also possible that no one with a top-20 finish at Q-Series defers again. 

Why? Because it’s a huge risk. Missing the first five months of the season presents a massive mountain to climb for a rookie. Kupcho killed it this year. She’s currently 38th on the money list with $502,123. Fassi, however, finished 98th on the money list and made only 11 starts. The difference between Fassi kicking back in November and heading to Q-Series was a mere $6,117.

Beth Ann ends up advocating for a return to the status quo ante, in which amateurs are not allowed to compete at Q-school.  I'm not convinced, though at least the LPGA, unlike a certain organization located in Ponte Vedra Beach, is trying to not adversely affect the amateur game.

On this subject, a new-tome Golf Magazine writer offers suggestions to boost the prospects of the LPGA, including this obvious but perhaps misguided thought:

1. MORE NETWORK EXPOSURE 

The LPGA appears on the networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) just five weekends a year.

The other 435 hours of LPGA coverage airs on the Golf Channel, which isn’t an optimal scenario for exposing new viewers to the tour and its uber-talented players. 

“On Golf Channel, I get an audience of people that have already bought the Golf Channel,” Whan says. “They have made golf part of their cable package and part of their life, but I don’t really get a chance to show off my brand to the casual fan that may not see us day in and day out and now know what the LPGA is today.” 

Those five weekends of network coverage, Whan adds, are “still a long way from my vision of at least half of our events having some sort of network exposure. Because then we would introduce our sport to this larger audience on a pretty regular basis.” 

Give the commissioner credit for setting a high bar. Whether he achieves it is another matter. Television is like any other industry. It’s all about the bottom line, and the bottom line to would-be network partners and their sponsors has been that the LPGA isn’t worth significant investment. That attitude needs to change, and that’s where the PGA Tour comes in.

Mike has made this a cornerstone of his development plans, but I wonder if it's as simple as all that.  he seems to believe that casual viewers will, in the course of channel scrolling, come upon his girls and, inevitably mesmerized by the fluid beauty of Lexi Thompson's swing, will become fans of the game.  Does that actually happen in the real world?

The problem with network exposure is that your audience doesn't know where to find you....  Is it more likely that Mike can find growth in the audience from casual TV viewers, or from convincing the guy watching the PGA Tour to watch the ladies as well?  Discuss among yourselves...

You''ll Need a Bigger Blog - Clearly our bandwidth is insufficient for this subject:

10 parts of the golf broadcast we wish we could skip

 I know CBS has been gone since mid-August, but only ten?

Hard to argue with this, at least until Dude Wipes moves beyond Duf's hat and sponsors an event:

The painful interview with the tournament sponsor CEO on Sunday afternoon 

These exchanges stop the coverage cold. Just have Jim Nantz read the community impact numbers like he's spouting off an "NCIS" promo and get on with it.

No more painful than that which passes for banter with Sir Nick...

But please, a Tour professional plying his trade is always appointment TV:

J.B. Holmes’ plumb-bobbing 

Little-know fact: Video of J.B. lining up a putt has been deemed cruel and unusual punishment by The Hague.

I didn't say an appointment for what....  But, admittedly, all it takes is a pairing with Brooks to make it the best show in town.

Back To The Woke Olympics - In which the TC panel makes the grave error of taking Suzy Whaley seriously:

2. PGA of America President Suzy Whaley said on last week’s Drop Zone Podcast that golf’s universal scorecard needs to change and we need “a new set of norms.” She suggested instead of having options for different tees at the top and others at the bottom (often women’s), all of them should be at the top and golfers can pick which one they want based on the color/yardage that suits their game. What other golf conventions would benefit from a rethinking/refresh?

This should be good....

Sens: Where to begin? Claiming honors on the tee in casual golf. Long pants required, no matter the weather. Having to buy a clubhouse full of drinks if you make an ace. Mulligans — sorry, but you’re hitting three. Before any of that, though, can I please just change my shoes in the parking lot?

Josh, psychotic much?  Railing against the staid traditions of the game is defensible, but then a mulligan is beyond the pale?  You're causing whiplash, but maybe Mike can make sense of it all:

Bamberger: She is so correct. If you become a slave to your USGA handicap, you miss the fun of mixing and matching what tees to play from on any given hole. This is maybe not a convention, but American golfers think they cannot advance past the ball of the player who is farthest from the hole. That is absolutely the biggest contributor to our sluggish pace. You should ALWAYS be advancing toward your ball, while being alert for the players who may now be behind you. Safety first, yes, but you can do both.

Mike, she wanted also to put triple-bogey on the card, for those challenged by simple math.  Is that also correct?

Prez Cup Bits -  I need to get moving, so a quick couple of bits from the TC gang:

3. Recent Presidents Cup captain’s pick Patrick Reed said the Ryder Cup controversy he started in 2018 in Paris has been “put to bed,” and there’s no lingering issues heading to Royal Melbourne. Any reason to doubt Captain America? 

Bamberger: The very question is un-American. You cannot doubt the man. His name is Captain America! 

Sens: Excellent dodge, Mr. Bamberger. Forgiven? Maybe. But forgotten? I can’t imagine. I don’t see Tiger Woods agonizing about a lot of his decisions in Australia. But one that is likely to give him at least a bit of pause is, Who should I stick with Reed? In that sense, I wouldn’t call the matter entirely put to bed. 

Dethier: If they win, it’s (closer to becoming) water under the bridge. If things get tight, and Reed struggles with his partner? His presence comes under a microscope. Passing judgment on a one-week team event is rarely fair, but it’s pretty fair that the guy who publicly called out his captain and team just 13 months ago would take the brunt of the scrutiny. 

Berhow: Yes, there are several reasons to doubt him. Just look at his track record. But winning is really all that matters here, so if Reed does his job and doesn’t cause any drama, there’s no reason to think we won’t see him at Whistling Straits next fall.

Yeah, always good when the perp tells you it's over.  Or, given the venue this week, when the perp tells us what is and isn't a story.  And that track record?  It's very impressive indeed.

4. Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Kevin Kisner and Phil Mickelson are just a few of the players who were denied a Presidents Cup captain’s pick by Tiger Woods. Which of these players — or another one not mentioned here — is most likely to bounce back and make the 2020 Ryder Cup on his own via qualifying? 

Sens: I’ll go with Fowler. Mickelson has age working against him. Spieth is dealing with serious hobgoblins. And Rickie’s got more firepower than the very talented and feisty Kisner. 

Bamberger: Spieth. Hobgoblins be damned. 

Sens: I mostly just wanted to say hobgoblins. Thanks for taking up the cry. 

Dethier: According to Wikipedia, “Hobgoblins are humanoids that stand nearly 6’6″ tall on average, a little taller than orcs.” That’s some serious baggage to deal with. The correct answer is Rickie Fowler, who would have made this team had he not gotten married (and picked up a subsequent bacterial infection). But Collin Morikawa may be as reliable an answer as any of the above. 

Berhow: Wow, this got weird. Anyway, the answer here is quite obviously Jordan Spieth. No chance he misses two team events in a row. He’ll be eating cheese curds in Sheboygan in no time.

I never realized there were so many Jordan Spieth dead-enders....  Maybe, but I'm not liking anything I see in his game, and am more inclined to see him never again scaling the heights.  

I'll hope to see you here tomorrow.