Friday Fragments

Not much to report from warm, dry Utah....  But did you catch the guys in sweaters at PGA National?  It seems we got the good weather there, which turned as soon as we left town.  Of course, our next powder day is anticipated for January 2021....

Honda Happenings - Beginning with the leaderboard from hell:

Harris English and Tom Lewis lead 

English, who entered the tournament ranked No. 1 on the PGA Tour in bogey avoidance and second in greens in regulation, was 3-under after three holes thanks to a birdie on the first and an eagle on the third. Lewis, who won the Korn Ferry Tour Championship last year, also eagled the third and added birdies on the seventh and 18th. 

Five golfers — Zach Johnson, Cameron Tringale, J.T. Poston, Lee Westwood and Brian Stuard — are a shot behind after 67s.

The XFL has been drinking the Tour's milkshake recently, and this week promises to be more of the same.   Which makes sense, considering that the XFL has bigger names playing....

More importantly, I'm old enough to remember way back when the Honda was the ascendant Florida event.  Yanno, back in, say, 2017.  Golf.com's summary certainly is comprehensive, even answering questions exactly no one is asking:

How can I watch Round 2? 

You can watch Friday’s action on Golf Channel from 2-6 p.m. ET.

Haven't we suffered enough?

There were some big numbers out there, it seems:

As for Brooks Koepka, he found out what the wind can do on the sixth hole after he put the ball in the water twice for his first triple bogey in 447 holes. 

But while the Bear Trap contributed to the course being ranked the fifth toughest to play on Tour last season, none of those holes provide the challenge the par-4, 479-yard No. 6 does, and did on this year’s first round. 

Koepka is the first to attest, having the lone triple bogey on the hole. But 16 others carded a double bogey on a hole that played more than a half stroke over par, which, if it continues at the same pace, would become the single toughest hole on the Tour so far this year. 

“There’s a lot of water out here,” Koepka said. “If you’re going to find the water twice on a hole, you’re going to make a big number.” 

Fowler said the direction of the wind made No. 6, “a significantly harder driving hole.”

We're calling that a dodo these days...  What, oh I guess you haven't read Shipnuck's mailbag yet:

#askalan Why are there terms for better-than-birdie, like eagle or albatross, but there are no terms for worse-than-bogey? They are just called a double bogey or a triple; why not a pigeon or a cuckoo? -@elgransenor1 

Because making doubles and triples is already so painful do you really want the added insult of having to tell the officious scorekeeper in your group, ”Put me down for a dodo.”

Have these proposed terms been focus-grouped with millennials?   

My favorite moment thus far was Jim Furyk's pro-am partner:

WATCH: Jim Furyk played with his swing doppelgänger in the Honda Classic pro-am

All good fun, perhaps the best part being that Alas, Poor Furyk himself posted video of  the crazy swing... which at points might have some superficial similarities:

Though at other points, not so much:

Take a stab in the dark as to which of these cashes checks on Tour.

I also liked this series of questions:

“Does it ever become exhausting — you can’t help but see how many little ones are dressed like Rickie and they just love you and they want to meet you and get your autograph? Does it ever just become exhausting to see them all out there? Do you want to make them all happy, if you know what I mean?” 

It is, of course, an unanswerable question for Fowler. As flattering as it must be to have thousands of fans screaming your name, tracking your footsteps, wearing your clothes, of course it must become exhausting. But for Fowler, what’s the use in saying so? Whatever hassle the attention creates is well worth it. 

“No, it’s obviously a great position that I’m in,” he said. “No, I mean, it makes your day better, if anything, to see the support and see what kind of impact that I’m able to have on people at times. I try and make that be a good impact.”

And this follow-up:

The reporter followed up to ask if Fowler had any explanation as to why, exactly, he thinks he has started this phenomenon. Fowler, who has maintained that perfect edgy-yet-squeaky-clean persona over the course of his career, cited his authenticity — but also admitted he wasn’t really sure. 

“I don’t know. To be honest, we didn’t try and do anything different or out of the ordinary as far as for who I am,” he said. “I feel like kids are really good at picking apart if someone is genuine or not, seeing if they’re fake or for real, and I feel like I’ve always, as far as me knowing and the people that I’ve grown up with from friends and family, I am who I am. This is who I’ve been growing up to playing junior golf, college golf, and on Tour. I’d like to say I haven’t changed.”

The kids I can understand, it's the grownups dressing like Rickie that requires a team of Viennese shrinks to unravel.   For instance, this was the Swedish team from Yale Stogel's Pro-Am at Pinehurst back in 2013, long before Rickie won that first major:

  

What?  You're saying that Rickie still hasn't won a major?  Wow, that's just so sad...

Golf In The Time of Corona - It's getting a little scary out there....  We've seen the ladies' events take quite the hit, unfortunately scheduled to be in Asia at the wrong time.

The Euro Tour got into the act in, of all places, Oman:

Two European Tour players, Lorenzo Gagli and Edoardo Molinari, who had been

quarantined on Wednesday over fears they had contracted the coronavirus and forced to withdraw from this week’s Oman Open, were instated to the tournament on Thursday. 

Upon arriving at the tournament, Gagli had been exhibiting flu-like symptoms and was assessed by the tournament’s medical staff. In consultation with the Omani Ministry of Health, Gagli was tested for coronavirus and quarantined as a precaution, according to the European Tour. 

Gagli was sharing a hotel room with Molinari. While Molinari was showing no signs of illness, he too was quarantined.

 Sharing a hotel room?  Egads, way TMI...

There's been speculation about the Tokyo Olympics for obvious reasons, though the folks on that infamous cruise ship off the coast might have inadvertently scored cheap lodging for the event.  But folks might need to consider the potential impact on an event closer both in terms of calendar and geography:

Days after San Francisco's mayor declared a state of emergency over coronavirus concerns, the PGA of America—set to host its PGA Championship in the city in May—acknowledged the organization is keeping tabs on the matter. 

“We are carefully monitoring the situation as it relates to the 2020 PGA Championship in San Francisco," the PGA of America said in a statement to Golfweek. “We will follow the guidance of public health authorities and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved.” 

TPC Harding Park is scheduled to host the PGA Championship beginning on May 14. 

Though San Francisco has not had a confirmed case of the virus, mayor London Breed put crisis measures into action because “the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness.” However, earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it identified an infected Californian who hadn't traveled outside the country or been in contact with someone who had, meaning it could be the first instance of the virus spreading throughout the community.

The irony is that Harding Park was selected specifically because it was an Olympic year.  The PGA of America had not yet committed to moving to May, but needed the flexibility at that point to slot this in at an unknown date, and Northern California offers such flexibility.

Why worry about San Francisco?  Well, when they speak of community above, this may be the underlying means:

Fecal transmission may be behind coronavirus’ rapid spread

Now fecal hygiene is a personal matter for most of us.  But in The People's Republic of San Francisco, they've taken this socialism thing to it's logical extreme, with the streets awash in the Comrades' excrement...  Good luck with all that, folks!

Despite the absence of any golf relevance, I was amused to see this company finally feeling the effects:

Corona beer sales taking hit because of coronavirus outbreak

In the early stages of the pandemic they were professing to be unaffected by the name of the virus.  Thank God we have Tony Romo's Corona Hotline for those with concerns....

Rota Ruminations -  This is the biggest takeaway.... Repeat after me, there is no such thing as a rota:

“It’s not a rota, it’s a pool of 10 courses,” Slumbers said by way of explanation.

That seems a distinction without a difference to most of us, Marty....  What distinction does exist, might relate to the fixed schedule involved...  Anyway, here's the underlying story:

Seven years after its 10th and most recent visit to the Ayrshire links in 2016, the 152nd Open Championship will be played over Royal Troon in 2023. 

Which was a bit of a surprise. For long enough, it was easy to predict which of the

courses on the Open rota would take its place in the 10-strong lineup. By that measure, Muirfield—which last saw an Open in 2013—was the short-priced favorite for three years hence. But Royal Troon it is, at least partly because 2023 is the centenary of the first Open played there, Englishman Arthur Havers beating Walter Hagen by a shot to claim the claret jug. 

Just as significant in that decision, however, is the increasing emphasis the R&A puts on the commercial and economic aspects of golf’s oldest major. In other words, money’s voice is getting ever louder within the game’s most famous clubhouse. And there are consequences of that fact. With the obvious exception of St. Andrews, courses in Scotland have historically attracted the lowest crowds. Which does not augur well for the likes of Muirfield, Carnoustie and, in particular, Turnberry, where the narrow approach road makes access difficult, never mind any of the continuing politics that come with President Trump’s ownership of the picturesque resort.

Via Alistair Tait, here are the numbers involved:

Could the real reason be that Troon can deliver more fans than Muirfield and Turnberry? Exactly 173,134 people turned up at Troon four years ago compared to the 142,000 who attended Muirfield in 2013. Turnberry delivered 123,000 fans for the 2009 Open

Championship. 

“We’re looking at the Open,” Slumbers said. “It’s growing. The size of crowds is growing. We’re heading into Royal St George’s in just five months now. The previous record for size of crowds at Royal St George’s was 183,000. We will be through 200,000 come July.”

I've noted the issues with Turnberry for many a year, it's really in an out-of-the-way spot that will limit crowd sizes.  The surprise for me is Muirfield, which is proximate to Edinburgh and features commuter train service.   

There's also big news from Royal Liverpool, d/b/a as Hoylake:

“We are very much looking forward to returning to Hoylake for The Open in 2022 and

the enhancements being made to the 17th and 18th holes will help to produce a thrilling and dramatic climax to the Championship for players and spectators. 

“We are particularly excited about the introduction of the new par 3 where the elevated green will be set back against the Dee estuary to create a spectacular penultimate hole for the Championship. We are grateful to the Club and its members for all their hard work and support.”

Hmmmm, tell us more about this new Par-3:

The most significant change at the 12-time Open venue will see a brand new par-3 built, with construction already well underway. 

The new par-3, called ‘Rushes’, looks sensational, with a modest length of just 139 yards playing to a raised green looking out to the Dee Estuary. 

It will play as the 17th hole during the 2022 Open Championship and has been built with close consultation with the R&A and golf course architect Martin Ebert.

Sounds great, though many of you will be puzzled by that yardage for sure.  Ironic, as these same changes are lengthening the 18th hole (hole numbers at Hoylake remain an enduring mystery, as they've long changed the routing for Opens and Amateurs) to in excess of 600 yards.

But shame on me, as I've long had a hankering to do a post on the wonderful and intimidating short Par-3's in the links world.  Thing is, these holes go against everything you'll think you know about links golf, requiring the aerial game.

Perhaps the most famous of these is the ninth at Royal Lytham & St. Annes:

It's as short as can be, think nine-iron or pitching wedge.  Obviously the ground game is not available here, so you'll have to loft it high, controlling distance and spin.  But add in the typically windy conditions, and short little holes like this become quite the test of ball-striking...  Strike it pure, it can be an easy par....  But miss it just a little, adding all sorts of spin to your ball, and it can go anywhere.  Like, for instance, here:

These are not Macdonald Short Holes, but a specifically linksy version thereof.  The Dee Estuary in the background will remind many of us of the Eden Estuary in the background of the Eden Hole (Old Course No. 11), but that's a much longer tee shot.  And probably a more severe green, though we'll have to wait a few years to know for sure.

Alan In Full - Let me put the settings on auto-pilot, as we coast to the finish on Shippy's mailbag.  First, a series of PReed inspired queries:

I believe that cheating is something that comes from your soul. Do you believe in “once a cheat, always a cheat,” or is redemption possible?? #AskAlan -@JSwinging 

This is a question for a philosopher, not a sportswriter! Human nature is so complicated and fascinating, and the complexities don’t end when a man or woman — flawed like all of us — turns pro. If you think of the young Vijay Singh, hitting balls all day under a mango tree in Borneo, you can imagine the desperation he felt to make it to the big leagues, and how he might be tempted to, say, turn a 5 into a 4 with the stroke of pencil. No doubt many pre-med majors, feeling a similar pressure, have cheated on a big test. Are they bad people, or did they just make a mistake? Can they be forgiven? Do they deserve to be? Everyone will answer these questions differently based on their own life experiences and personal credos. But for redemption to be granted the first step is to admit you screwed up. Sports fans are a forgiving bunch. So are sportswriters. But don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining. That’s why fans and scribes are so infuriated by the Astros… and Patrick Reed. For him to say he didn’t feel the sand — twice! — is simply not credible, as Brooks Koepka helpfully underlined. Imagine if Reed had said, “You know, I was feeling a lot of pressure, and my mind went blank, I’m not sure why I did that but I obviously messed up and I’m really sorry and I’m going to do better going forward and in the meantime donate all of my Hero winnings to Bahamas relief efforts.” I think many fans would salute him for coming clean and cut him some slack. But Reed’s defiance — the shoveling at the Presidents Cup was particularly grotesque — shows that, for now, he is well beyond redemption.

As you know, I don't think we should get hung up on whether Patrick knew what he was doing with those sand castles...  His reaction told us all we know about the darkness in his soul...

But I think Alan errs in lumping us in with generic sports fans, because I think most golf fans are more understanding than, say, baseball fans.  I think that because we all play the game as well as watch it, and we know what can happen out there.  But, and Alan nails this part, the minimum requirement is genuine contrition, and that's not apparently in Vijay's or PReed's bag.

But for the grace of God, my family could have been ripped apart after my mother’s death. Don’t you think Reed’s family should be out of bounds to journalists and fans? -@JoeGunter 

Well, his wife was his caddie for years. Now her brother is on the bag, and the looper’s antics at the Presidents Cup got him booted off the bag for a day. Reed’s wife and mother-in-law are sometimes wilding-out on social media. So, the family he married into have made themselves an inescapable part of the story. As for Reed’s own estranged family, they were escorted off the grounds at the 2014 U.S. Open and they believe it was because Justine called security on them; that’s a pretty public event. (John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships, said USGA officials removed Reed’s parents after consulting with the police who said that the couple was making “intimidating movements” toward Justine.) Reed’s mom has engaged with writers and golf fans on social media, so it’s hard to say they are seeking privacy. Reed won the most coveted tournament in golf while his family was a couple of miles away, watching on TV in their Augusta home because they were not made to feel welcome at The National. Tiger’s wins in 1997 and 2019 were defined by familial hugs, just as Phil’s triumph in 2010 was made unforgettable because he won it for his cancer-stricken wife. It would have been impossible to write about these tournaments without this family context. After all, it is the human element that makes sports so riveting. To fully understand the meaning of Reed’s Masters win it was necessary to know about all the unpleasantness that he somehow plays through.

Praytell, what is the purpose of that first sentence in the question?   

Alan might have handled it more succinctly, but the question of course is which family?  Justine and her brother have made themselves enemy combatants, and so are undeserving of the protection of the Geneva accords.  

The parents?  That's a far more difficult subject, one that I could argue either way.  On the one hand, they would seem deserving of a zone of privacy.  On the other, both at Pinehurst and in their willingness to speak after the Masters win, they seem anxious to tell their story.

More importantly, I don't see how one can understand Patrick Reed without knowing of his alienation from his own family.  

Hey Alan, have you ever noticed a player commit a rules violation up close and personal that went undisclosed? #AskAlan -@GoranBarnes 

I’ve seen plenty of drops from hazards that looked a little generous but few things in golf are more subjective than where a ball crossed an unseen line a couple hundred yards away, so you can’t really say those were outright rules violations. I’ve also witnessed the exact scenario that Peter Kostis described of Patrick Reed, whereby a player puts a couple different clubs behind the ball to “assess” the lie and in doing so the grass gets pushed down, making the ensuing shot easier. Again, this is a very grey area — intent is everything, and that can not be seen without an x-ray of the soul. Most rules violations are exceedingly subtle, and without replays they’re hard to detect. So in all my years of prowling Tour events I can’t say I’ve glimpsed anything egregious.

Excuse me, Alan, that is not in least a gray area... where you see a pro assessing his lie, I see a jerk improving his.  Is there a legitimate purpose in a player touch the grass in the immediate proximity to his ball?  It seems we're excusing the inexcusable, no?

Alan, it seems to me that you've described plenty of conduct that's egregious.  Why not call it that?  Even on the drops, see Kang v. Dahmen for what happens there...  I'm actually of the belief that the vast majority of the guys want conduct themselves appropriately, bu there's no reason for the rest of us not to turn our guns on the minority that don't.

This is good and consistent with my question after the Kostis story broke, to wit, what should we expect of on course reporters:

Where are you on Peter Kostis’ position that reporters are there to report on the story as opposed to being a part of the story? I agree w/Peter wanting media to avoid getting dragged into controversy. If you saw Reed or anyone improve a lie/violate a rule, what would you do? -@KeithKHorton 

This is a fraught issue. Just ask my friend and wingman Michael Bamberger, who reported a blatant Michelle Wie rules violation nearly two decades ago and still occasionally takes flak for it. Kostis is correct that it’s best for reporters to avoid becoming the story, but I think the sanctity of a professional tournament is bigger than that. If I witnessed a violation I would certainly report it … but probably from my burner under an assumed name, so as not to get dragged into a needless controversy. When a player breaks the rules they should pay the price, not the person (player, caddie, spectator, scribe) who happens to witness it.

And just last week Alan was denying the existence of his burner Twitter account... But Alan, you don't actually need to remind us that your burner is under an assumed name....  It's understood, just be forewarned that Pierre Delecto is taken...

Here's a couple ripped from the headlines:

How will the budding friendship of Bryson and Patrick bolster USA’s chances in the 2020 Ryder Cup and beyond, and how would you like to see either or both of them in the 2020 Olympics? -@GolfingBrock 

This budding bromance is actually a huge development for Team USA. Both Reed and DeChambeau are so young and talented they are going to figure in many more Ryder Cups. Managing their, uh, quirks and finding willing playing partners figures to be one of the toughest tasks for every future American Ryder Cup captain. But if all that unorthodox mojo can be contained within one pairing, and if these spiky personalities can bring out the best in each other, well, a huge problem has been solved. As for the Olympics, I can think of a few more cuddly ambassadors to represent the Stars and Stripes. (Lolz.) But Reed and DeChambeau are each, in their own way, among the most compelling figures in the game. With golf still fighting for its place in the Games I’d rather have Bryson and PReed in Tokyo than some other blander, more boring Yanks.

First, I think this way over-interprets that 18th green reaction in Mexico.  I also think we're being unfair to Bryson...  Yeah, he's got some quirks that warrant discussion, but not remotely like the toxicity from that other guy.

But for sure, after winning a WGC it seems a lock that Reed will qualify automatically for Whistling Straits, and that means we'll need a partner for him in the team formats.  Well, format, as he should never play in alternate shot...  

Can and should the Tour suspend Cryson for his antics slamming down spike marks? He needs to be slapped several times by someone who he respects and the Tour needs to let him know his behavior isn’t acceptable. #AskAlan -@TheGhostOfHogan 

A suspension would be a stern reaction but I think it’s warranted. Every time pro golf goes to Mexico City or Saudi Arabia or some other far-flung destination we are force-fed

pablum about how the players are growing the game. It follows that the all these new fans in golf-starved markets are watching closely to learn the mores and etiquette of the game. So the good people of Mexico City and far beyond have now been taught that when you make a terrible stroke and badly miss a putt the appropriate reaction is to smash up the green in absurd attempt to prove that the poor grass is at fault, not the player or his weird technique. In general, it feels like golf is at an inflection point, where we are being forced to examine difficult questions about the rule of law and the fundamental nature of the equipment and playing fields. Some things are worth preserving so I think the time has come for the Tour to take a harder line on player misconduct.

I just watched it for the first time, and am unclear whether he actually damaged the greens.  Obviously not a great look, though I'm always a little reluctant to outlaw emotion, even when that emotion is frustration.  I like seeing the human side of these guys, though the tamping ritual seems quite lame now that they're actually allowed to do it before they putt.

This is cute:

What will Bryson serve at the 2021 past champions dinner in Augusta? Protein shakes? Kombucha? Will every asparagus stalk be the same length? -@DS_Maples323 

All excellent choices. One dessert we’re not likely to see: humble pie.

Imagine how YUUUUUGE he'll be by then....  

I haven't had a chance to note the kid's win last week, but he's worth watching:

I think that I’m in man-love with Viktor Hovland. I think he’s going to be a European mainstay for two decades in the Ryder Cup. How worried are you now with him, Rory and Jon Rahm looking like dynamite? -@GolfJoss 

It’s impossible not to like this Hovland character. His game from tee-to-green is simply awe-inspiring and what a fun, fresh character he is. No doubt he’s going to be a force in the Ryder Cup. Rahm, too, even though his Paris debut was quite shaky until he outlasted a sore, stiff and exhausted Tiger in singles. And Rory is Rory — he has been spectacular and disappointing, sometimes during the same Cup. (His 11-9-4 record is solid but not commensurate with his all-world talent.) As I know from experience, it’s folly to predict the Ryder Cup too far in advance. Cornerstones crumble, heroes rise and fall, captains make inexplicable decisions (see Furyk, J.), unbeatable golfers drown balls at Augusta and never recover (Molinari, F.). But I can say with some certainty it’s going to be fun to watch Hovland for many years to come.

Well, you do realize, Joss, that we're in an era of American Ryder Cup dominance....  Alan might never live down that prediction, though he's been an awfully good sport about it in the aftermath.  

Have a great weekend, and we'll meet back here on Monday morning.

Back In The Saddle

A poorly-timed hiatus...  Anyone remember back in the day when His Lordship Barrack Obama was looking for a golf game in Westchester County over a Holiday weekend?  Willow Ridge turned him down, and it made national news.  Of course I was in Scotland or Ireland at the time, and unable to cover the story.

Patrick's win feels the same.  The kind of story I was put on this earth to cover, yet I was temporarily indisposed as it broke.

Men In Black - Let's start with the Tour Confidential gang's coverage:

1. After a week during which scathing remarks from both Brooks Koepka and Peter Kostis put Patrick Reed back under the white-hot spotlight, Reed fired back with his clubs, shooting a final-round 67 at the WGC-Mexico to win by one. The victory was Reed’s eighth PGA Tour title and second WGC, and on Sunday he outplayed three of the top four players in the world. The victory doesn’t quite bump Reed into the top five in the World Ranking (he’s now 8th) but if you were compiling your own ranking of the top five players in the world, would Reed make your list? 

Dylan Dethier: Sigh. Allow me to kick things off in support of Team Reed: He’s finished in the top six in four of his last six PGA Tour starts. He’s finished in the top 25

in 17 of his last 21 Tour starts (10 top 10s in that span). He’s on a heater AND he’s consistent AND he plays a lot. I’d put Reed somewhere behind Misters McIlroy, Rahm, Koepka and Thomas. Who comes fifth? It’s not necessarily Dustin Johnson. You could make a strong case that Tiger Woods belongs in there, though he’s almost a category of his own. But throw Johnson in a pool with Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Reed and I’d listen to an argument for fifth-best in the world. Reed’s probably playing the best golf of his life.

Dylan, all the cool kids (or maybe it was only Shipnuck) are using "Le Sigh" these days, but I fear that you've given this question more attention than it deserves.

Luke Kerr-Dineen: No, because he’s not in the top five in the Official World Golf Ranking. Reed is quite streaky, which gives me pause, but credit where it’s due: eight Tour wins including a Masters speaks to his immense quality. And when he’s got something to prove, he only rises to the challenge even more.

Let me see if I follow you, Luke.  He's not a top five player because he's not a top five player?   

I guess I should excerpt Mikey Bams, both because of the answer itself, as well in anticipation of further thoughts from the conscience of our game:

Michael Bamberger: Is it really a thing to be a top-five player? I don’t think so, but Reed does, going back to his win at Doral in 2014, when he said he considered himself a top-five player, even if the official lists showed otherwise. The question itself is a triumph of marketing, that we even care to debate it. It feeds into FedEx Cup points fever, I suppose. I’ll say this: if you were going to make a five-man team and play for something meaningful, like your mortgage, it would be hard to leave Reed off the squad, even though you might want to.

I have a couple of reactions.  First, I think it's pretty clear that Patrick is not literally one of the top five players in the world, though not all that far off the pace.   LKD's point about streakiness is an area where he does come up short.  Contra Mike, I wouldn't want him on my roster during those periods when he's wandering in the wilderness.  Ironic being LKD, because Patrick's driving will remind one of that other Luke....

But, while there's no paucity of reasons for dumping on the jerk, I've never understood the furor over this specific comment.  I always took it as aspirational, indistinguishable from the kinds of things a Koepka or Tiger might say....  On the other hand, beating the Christmas rush in hating this guy might be a good call.

2. Seemingly every time Reed’s character comes under fire — Koepka told SiriusXM that Reed built “sand castles” at the Hero World Challenge, while Kostis alleged on the No Laying Up podcast that he witnessed Reed improve his lie at least four times at Tour events — he seems to thrive between the ropes. Is there another golfer in modern Tour history who has more effectively turned negative energy into positive results? (Bonus points if you can also explain how Reed does it.)

Really?  I guess you missed the team portion of the Prez Cup?

Though I find the question a bit silly, in that it describes the organizing principle of Patrick's life.   He goes through life repelling family, teammates and peers, and thus has gotten pretty good at playing among the havoc of his own making.

This response is spit-out-your-coffee funny:

Kerr-Dineen: It’s not quite the same, because there was never as much negative energy his way, but I’d agree Rory tends to play his best golf when he’s in alpha dog, something-to-prove mode. It’s not a coincidence he won his last majors the year he called off his engagement and played his best golf since at the 2016 Ryder Cup, when he seemingly took on the entire crowd himself. Honorable mention to Brooks, who seems to need to have a chip on his shoulder in order to play well.

Rory?  Where have you been since 2014?  That citation of the Rory-Patrick singles match at Hazeltine is priceless given that, after the fireworks on the front nine, Rory curled up in the fetal position.  So, yeah, he was in alpha dog mode, for all of eight holes.

Bamberger: Tiger, by miles. He turned his father’s hurt — the racism his father lived with — and turned it into I’ll-show-you. That’s turning a negative into a positive. What Reed seems to do comes from a totally different place, but the basic concept is the same. That we-we-we thing is in act, one Tiger didn’t even pretend to play in his prime. They are both effective by saying, from some deep place, it’s me against the world.

I like his close, because it is me against the world for a professional golfer.  And we see the Tigers and Koepkas playing this game, sometimes amusingly.  For instance, I thought Tiger really silly in calling out Abe Ancer at the Prez Cup.  Of course Abe meant nothing but respect in his comments, but that's the least of it.  You're Tiger-friggin'-Woods, why would you care what Abe Ancer said?

But I do have a question for the writers?  Given that which we've heard from Peter Kostis and seen with our won eyes, why do you believe the scorecard Patrick submitted?  I recently listened to Carlos Correa tell us what a clean player Jose Altuve is, yet I had trouble accepting that testimonial?  Was I wrong to be so cynical?

Mike Bamberger is the go-to source on all things related to integrity, and his thoughts on Patrick are worthy of consideration:

My view (this space is reserved for columnizing) is that Reed has to earn back my trust. That stance is not based on anything that happened with his parents years ago (he is

estranged from them) or when he attended the University of Georgia, where he was thrown off the golf team for various incidents. It’s not because of his over-the-top body language while helping the U.S. win the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, and it’s not because of his inane remarks about his pairings after the U.S. loss at the 2018 Ryder Cup in France.

It’s because of what he did in that Bahamian waste bunker. That afternoon, he made a mockery of golf’s underlying principle: Play the ball as it lies. 

Reed flattened a small sloping, inconvenient hillock of sand behind his ball with two practice swings. It got him a two-shot penalty but only because a Golf Channel camera let others see what Reed could see for himself. The player knows way more in these situations, typically, than a camera does. The players are golfing savants. That’s how they got on Tour in the first place. They can see it, and they can feel it.

I think this is well-argued, though I find it helpful sometimes to accept the premise offered.  For instance, I don't know whether Mike is actually right about a professional golfer knowing that his club is moving sand...  But play along and assume he didn't know...  then watching that video would come as quite the shock wouldn't it?  The reaction is all wrong, even accepting Patrick's take on things.

Of course, here's Mike's underlying point:

Reed is an impressive talent. I have always found him approachable. I have seen him in airports, in hotels, in locker rooms, in player parking, in pro-ams. He’s engaging. He’s alive. I don’t doubt that he’s had hardships in his life about which we don’t know. There’s much to admire about him. 

But he’s a professional golfer. His scorecard has to be sacred. All those other things take a distant second seat to that. But we don’t really know to what degree he values tournament golf’s most important principle, that the returned scores are 100 percent trustworthy.

And I would argue, to the contrary, that Patrick's comments after the Albany incident answers every one of Mike's questions.  Alas, in the negative...

In his remarks to reporters after his victory on Sunday, Reed was asked if he liked the feeling of the world being against him. 

“I’m used to it,” the winner said. “At the end of the day, all I can control is me and what I do on and off the golf course.”

Well, it's what you're doing on and off the course that is the issue.  I don't know whether Patrick is a capital-C cheater, or just very loose with the interpretation of the rules, though that may well be a distinction without a difference....

There have been quite a few "Silencing the critics" articles since his win, as well as this one:

Patrick Reed attacks a week of controversy at Mexico Championship with play (and headphones)

No word on whether said headphones had active noise cancellation, though Patrick went on his own noise cancellation protocol after the event:

Apparently it's easier to shush the haters at altitude. Although, Team Reed went on a Twitter blocking rampage following the victory, targeting everyone from fans to members of the media to fellow tour pros:

Nobody blocks Eddie.... Along with Max Homa, he's the best follow out there.

Before a typically graceful segue into our next item, allow me to fire up the Waybac Machine to March 2018.  Our hero is playing Bay Hill and calls in a rules official:

Patrick Reed was playing in the group in front of Woods for the second straight Sunday, and he became embroiled in a situation after launching his approach into an area of trees behind the 11th green. As captured by a fan video, Reed got into a lengthy discussion with an on-site rules official before being told that he would not receive the free relief he was requesting. 

"I guess my name needs to be Jordan Spieth, guys," Reed said, drawing laughs from a few gallery members.

It will simply have to remain one of life's enduring mysteries why Jordan didn't want to play with him in Paris.  I may not be sure whether Patrick is a Capital-C cheater, but I am dead certain that he's a Capital-A A*****e.

PGL Follies - The more thing change, the more they stay the same....  Brooks had some mildly interesting comments, including this obvious point:

Forget the PGA Tour, nobody’s ever accused Brooks Koepka of being overly loyal to the sport of golf. So it should come as no surprise that given the opportunity to voice his

support for the PGA Tour earlier today at the Honda Classic, Koepka declined. 

“I’m just going to play where the best players play, simple as [that],” Koepka said. “It doesn’t matter. I want to play against the best, I think everyone wants to play against the best.”

Ya think?  But that only emphasizes the prisoner's dilemma aspect of this thing, and the mess that a split verdict might provide.

The better nuggets are to be found in this lengthy GQ profile of the man.  Yes, I did say GQ.... First, on his issues with our game:

“One thing I'd change is maybe the stuffiness. Golf has always had this persona of the 

No stuffiness here.

triple-pleated khaki pants, the button-up shirt, very country club atmosphere, where it doesn't always have to be that way. That's part of the problem. Everybody always says, ‘You need to grow the game.’ Well, why do you need to be so buttoned-up? ‘You have to take your hat off when you get in here.’ ‘You're not allowed in here unless you're a member—or unless the member's here.’ Really? I just never really liked the country club atmosphere. I know that drives a lot of people away from liking me. But just 'cause this golf club has such prestige and the members are all famous and have a lot of money…like, why can't I show up and just go play the golf course? Why do I have to sit in my car and wait for the member?

Brooks Koepka, man of the people....  He's not the only guy that has an issue with the stuffiness of certain clubs, but I don't think they actually lock you in your car.

But wait, he's not done:

When we pulled up to the security hut at Medalist, something happened that hadn't even occurred to me as being possible. Medalist was closed for the day, and there wasn't any way Brooks or Ricky (or Dan) would be permitted access to the driving range or golf course. I've been denied access to enough golf courses in my life that it didn't really shock me in the moment, but as we drove 30 minutes in the opposite direction to another club, I let the indignation creep in. A golf course just denied access to the No. 1 golfer in the world, as though it were a perfectly ordinary thing to do, which apparently it was. Still, I tried to imagine the security guard at Yankee Stadium denying Derek Jeter batting practice. Or the high school A.D. with the keys to the gym denying LeBron James a shootaround. Wild. And precisely what Brooks had been referring to when he was lamenting all the things that golf gets so absurdly wrong at this critical juncture for the game. What side of society do you want to be on? The one that makes sense? The one that's open and inclusive? Or the one that's rigid, pedantic, exclusionary, stuffy—all for the sake of, what, the enforcement of rules for the sake of rules? It was a buzzkill.

OK, have you considered the fact that the club was just, you know, closed?  They do that occasionally....

But, apparently Brooks is immune to irony.  He hates the stuffiness and exclusivity of these clubs, but apparently they should open their gates instinctively for the No. 1 golfer in the world....  Not so much against exclusivity, he just wants to be on the list...

He takes on more opportunity to remind us that he's Brooks Koepka, and we're not:

“A lot of good things have come from it,” he said. “The Tour has been incredible to us, the way things have developed over the years. We have to see where things go. It’s all very new and it’s all very fast.” 

But what if the PGL makes him an astronomical offer to be one of its new team owners? 

“I know you’re going to write this the wrong way, but it doesn’t matter if somebody gave me $200 million tomorrow,” Koepka said. “It’s not going to change my life. What am I going to get out of it? I already have so much that I could retire right now, but I don’t want to. I just want to play golf. It’s not going to change anything. Maybe the only thing I do is buy a plane. That would be it. I don’t see anything that would change my life.”

Well, who wouldn't want a plane?  But he'd do himself some favors if he could close that mouth at a certain point.

One of the recurring themes of this PGL story is the acknowledgement, that changes need to be made to the PGA Tour, without providing any sense of what changes exactly?  Here's a priceless Billy Ho offering on this:

But Horschel, a new member of the PGA Tour's Player Advisory Council, also added a third element to the current dynamic. Even those who have no interest in jumping ship, the PGL concept has sparked a conversation about the direction of the Tour. 

“I have no desire [to play on the PGL]. What [Tour commissioner Jay Monahan] has done is great. He understands that the Tour in its current form isn’t viable in the future,” Horschel said. “Changes are going to have to be made. What changes? I don’t know. The business model is great, it’s what we do with the players and the product. We may have to make some tweaks to the product to continue to be able to garner the money that we want.”

The business model is great, with only that pesky little bit about it being nonviable.... OK, there's a reason Billy is better known for his octopus pants than the clarity of his logic....

Gary Woodland as well:

“I think competition is good,” said Gary Woodland, who is represented by the same agent as Woods, Mark Steinberg. “I think the tour will be better for it. I think it will force the tour to make some changes. 

“It’ll be interesting. There’s still a long way to go and a lot to do in a short period of time, but I think the [PGA] Tour has realized it has to make some changes. I think the top players are getting together and trying to get things done. There’s a lot of things that could be done better out here to take care of the top players but also the bottom guys. I think there’s a lot more money for everybody. Hopefully that pushes the envelope.”

Got it.  We're gonna take care of the top guys, as well as the bottom guys.  No conflict there... Just remember, when they tell you it isn't about the money....

It's for sure about the money, but let's not forget the schedule....  Shack is all over this, with the weak fields at both the Mexico City WGC and the Honda.  When Tour pros give up no-cut events and home games, questions must be asked.  Shack has the weak ratings from Mexico City, now a result of Nascar and NBA, as well as that juggernaut XFL.  More troubling is this on the impact of the proposed change to the NFL schedule:

Major changes to the NFL regular season and playoff structure were presumably anticipated in the pending PGA Tour media rights deal, Which, presumably, is an $8 billion over ten years deal that will presumably be announced at The Players. 

Full NFL membership voting is around the corner and ratification would mean a 17-game schedule, a possible Labor Day weekend start (and perhaps why the Tour Championship vacated that weekend). The Super Bowl could eventually move closer to President’s Day (if not the Sunday prior), impacting a key stretch of West Coast games and undoubtedly influencing whether NFL players will be able to tee it up in the Crosby. Now this is getting serious! 

(Though that is not why some players, including Russell Wilson, are opposed.) 

While a 17 game schedule won’t happen until 2021 at the earliest, the NFL seems prepared to expand the playoffs for the 2020-21 season. Jeremy Schilling has been following this and explained today how early season tournaments, already drawing small audiences when going up against NFL games, will suffer continuing to insist on weekend finishes. In the immediate future, the Sentry Tournament of Champions appears to be most in line for increased competition with the expanded playoffs.

Inevitable NY Times headline:

NFL expands Schedule: Women, Minorities and PGA Tour hardest hit

The PGL's Andy Gardiner has come out from behind the curtain and made himself available to discuss his initiative.  I don't find the proposal as compelling as Geoff but, before a brief discussion thereof, I want to highlight this comment:

He said that because whether it was Gardiner, his agent or just Woods’ overall vision telling him what is becoming increasingly clear: the professional golf model is broken. And when Woods retires, it may recede into a very small corner of the sports universe.

Ummm...even with Tiger, golf is a small corner of the sports world.  I think our game gets itself into trouble when it forgets that salient detail...

That Q&A with Geoff can be found here, though as I reread it I'm finding it less interesting.  I'll let you sort through it it, the standout is this bit:

GS: How would you describe conversations you’ve had with the various tours? 

AG: So if you forgive me, Geoff, I won't talk about those conversations. I will say that, and in fact, I think the first paragraph of the letter of the PGA Tour put out to its members in relation to us, they said that we hadn't sought to engage with them directly. And that is true, but it's a timing thing. And there have been several guys who have sought to make an introduction over the last 12 months. The conversation hasn't happened because there was a time and a place, and I believe that we're very close to that time, and we should be able to find a place. I would travel anywhere in the world to have that conversation at any time. What I do want to do is make sure that if it ever comes to pass, then we have a good understanding of how other elements of the game would like that to happen so that we're best placed to make it a successful conversation. But yes, it is our strong desire, and I think that it's achievable.

So, you're expecting Jay to allow you to drink his milkshake?  I see nothing that would prevent that from being a successful conversation...

And one last bit, really just because he keeps asking for it:

‘This one cuts deep’: Greg Norman miffed by Rory McIlroy’s Premier Golf League opposition

Greg might want to see someone over these anger issues, but it all goes back to the 1990's:

That “Greg Norman thing” was the World Golf Tour, a globetrotting golf series, somewhat similar in structure to the PGL, that Norman proposed in 1994. With a TV

deal in place and the support, Norman believed, of many players, the concept seemed to have legs. But it foundered in the face of savvy PGA Tour maneuvering and vocal opposition from the King. Shortly after Norman announced his plan for the global series, Palmer came out publicly against it. Norman, who had what he describes as a close relationship with Palmer, was devastated. 

“I was blindsided, I felt backstabbed,” Norman said. “I’m listening to Arnold, with [then-PGA Tour commissioner] Tim Finchem standing beside him, chest puffed out for a 5-foot-4 guy, and I’m thinking, ‘Are you kidding? Why are you saying this?’” 

Actually, Norman had a pretty good idea why. 

The Aussie superstar was convinced that Palmer had been swayed by his management company, IMG, which owned and operated multiple PGA Tour events and had little interest in seeing a rival to the Tour succeed. 

“The Tour got to IMG and then IMG got to Arnold is my belief,” Norman said. “Nobody has spoken to me about it, but it is my understanding and my observation of the sequence of things.” (Palmer’s former spokesman, Doc Giffin, told GOLF.com that he recalls Palmer discussing Norman’s proposal with Palmer’s contacts at IMG and with the Tour after talking to Norman about it, “but I don’t think his opposition to it was influenced by either entity.”)

I absolutely love the gratuitous pokes at Nurse Ratched's puffed out chest, though it should come with a mandatory irony alert.  Because, needless to say, when it comes to puffed out chests, the Aussie is due a lifetime achievement award.... there's also the little vanity issue that has him constantly showing us his bared chest.

But Greg, you were taken by surprise that Nurse Ratched wanted this for his own?  As Kathleen Turner famously said, "You're not very bright, are you"?  I think it's great that he insists on revisiting this history, blissfully unaware of the unflattering portrait it paints....

Journalism 101 - My standards for sports journalism are pretty low, but not THIS low.  If you take a gander at the Golf.com homepage, you'll see a bunch of equipment-relate stories.  There's this:

How we completely reimagined ClubTest 2020 with the help of a robot and human testers

And this:

ClubTest 2020: 28 new game-changing drivers tested and reviewed

Before forking out $600 on that new driver they're so high on,. you want to know about this:

 Golf Magazine Names True Spec Its Best Fitter, Neglects To Mention Key Fact

 Hmmm, and what might that be?

…that the operation is owned by…the owner of Golf Magazine.

Nothing to see here....

It's good to be back with you, but I'll leave you good folks there.  Hope to see you all tyomorrow...

Your Friday Frisson

Before we get to our regularly-scheduled programming, a schedule note for my dear readers.  Employee No. 2 and I head to Florida on Sunday for a short stay with friend.  Some golf will be played, but no laptop will be toted.  

We head from there directly to Utah, and I expect to be back at the keyboard on Thursday.  I will have my cousin there as well as the bride, so I'm not a position to promise anything.  But since I usually wake up at 3:30 a.m. the first few days there, I'm liking your chances.

Reed My Lips - Are you the slightest bit curious as to how the world has reacted to the Kostis allegations?  I have to admit, I was surprised at the gracious manner in which Patrick himself took question after question and patiently explained his thought process and actions.  

Did I have you there?  Because, he was a dick as he pretty much always is :

Three days after Brooks Koepka blasted Patrick Reed in a radio interview for having improved his lie in a bunker during the Hero World Challenge in December, Reed said on Thursday at the WGC-Mexico Championship that he was “of course” aware of

Koepka’s comments. He also said he essentially had no response to them. 

“I mean, I said what I have to say about what happened in the Bahamas,” Reed said. “At the end of the day, all I'm trying to do is go out and play good golf and trying to win a golf championship and hopefully run Rory down.” 

The comments from Reed came after an opening two-under 69 at Club de Golf Chapultepec, where he trails leader Rory McIlroy by four.

Of course, asking Patrick about Brooks' comments when the far more damning Kostis allegations are out there is journalistic malpractice, but also about what we've come to expect.

But here's the part that's oh so special:

When a follow-up question was asked — if Reed was at all bothered that the topic of what happened in the Bahamas keeps coming up and following him — an official from the PGA Tour ended the interview, saying that Reed was only there to talk about golf.

Because Patrick's penchant for improving his lie has nothing whatsoever to do about golf....

Shack has caught up to the cool kids, and again makes this analogy:

Golf Needs To Get Ahead Of Its "Banging Scheme" Before It's Too Late

Those following the Houston Astros debacle in baseball that was not properly handled by Commissioner Rob Manfred would likely agree that had more been done early on to stop the shenanigans, there would less of a crisis than the one now facing Major League Baseball. 

I’m also confident in saying that had Patrick Reed been disqualified and suspended for conduct unbecoming a pro golfer following his Hero World Challenge lie improvement, there would not be an appetite for more Reed bashing that we see today.

It is interesting when issues like this hit simultaneously, though I'd caution Geoff not to go too far with this.  The games and circumstances are so different that the analogies will inevitably break down.  But there is one aspect in which MLB and the PGA Tour are exactly identical, that there primary interest is to reveal as little as possible and to cause the issue to go away as quickly as possible, regardless of the underlying facts.

I'm expecting that baseballs are going to be aimed at heads in April because of the players' frustrations, though they have themselves to blame as well.  The reaction of Patrick's peers, though, may take a little time to discern....  Cam Smith had a tough go yesterday, +2 for the day, but is it remotely possible that no reporter has asked him for a reaction?  Or are those PGA Tour officials blanketing the room?  I've scanned Golf.com, Golf Digest and Golfweek, and find no evidence of another player being asked about Patrick's lie management program.  Come to think of, I had been reliably informed that democracy dies in darkness...

But I do want to circle back to Geoff's comment that Patrick should have been DQ'd at The Hero.  First, I just don't get how he thinks this might have gone down or that it would have been appropriate.  This was handled in the way that such things are handled, the player is brought in to watch the video and the stipulated penalty is applied.  Yes, it wasn't a good look, but as a one-off there's simply no predicate for a DQ.

But setting aside what should have been done, isn't it better the way it played out?  Patrick was afforded an opportunity to explain himself to the public, and to give us a sense of his personal relationship to the rules of the game he plays.  And the world heard his take, and revolted in horror....Guys, it really doesn't get any better than this.

There was one minor...well, perhaps not so minor, a complication, that being the Prez Cup the following week.  This incident became a flash point, and we can all understand the instinct to rally around a teammate under attack.  What do they think in their heart of hearts?  Interesting question, and I'd propose we start with the captain...after Tiger, I'd make a beeline for Webb Simpson.  

Alas, there's a complication....  Because, as Shack notes, our hero Patrick isn't the only one that's perfected that move:

After watching players regularly put a club down behind the ball, change clubs, do it again and test how their club sits (even on tight turf), I can only conclude that no one has told a generation of golfers: “that’s a bad look to be, uh, banging at the ground. Some people might even think you are improving your lie.”

As Geoff would say, Le Sigh.  Way too much of that going on out there for sure... Is there a valid reason for placing one's club on the turf behind the ball?  Of course, even Geoff can be a tad naive:

While it took a long time to get backstopping under control, perhaps someone in golf will begin talking to players immediately when they are seen banging away at the grass and pressing into the ground behind their ball. It might just prevent an integrity crisis the sport does not need.

OK, you think backstopping is under control?  That's a good one, Geoff.

But as I understand the current state of play, the only ones being talked to are reporters that ask embarrassing questions.... As the wise man said, Le Sigh.

Charley, Unplugged - A funny Will Gray interview with Charley Hoffman, who happens to be head of the Tour's Players Advisory Counsel.  It's funny mostly for this header:

PAC chairman Charley Hoffman rips PGL over 'Saudi money' influence

Did he?  Perhaps I shouldn't have called it a Will Gray interview, because it's really a Will Gray article covering an interview Charley gave to Matt Adams, and of course your humble blogger is too damn lazy to listen to the tape....  But per Will, mostly what I see are thoughtful comments such as these:

"I think it's intriguing that another group of people are willing to dump a bunch of money and try to guarantee us money, get some of the best players in the world to come over

and play. I just don't think there's any sustainability or really any traction, personally," Hoffman said. "I haven't dug deep enough into any of that to see if it is. I don't know if I would like to be owned by some Saudi money over there, but if something was a life-changing amount of money they offered me, you'd have to look at it as an independent contractor. Because there's no guarantees that I'll have a PGA Tour card in three or four years."

"As an athlete, any guaranteed money is very intriguing," Hoffman said. "But I've grown up playing this game that there is nothing given to you, and you earn every penny of it. And I think that a lot of golf fans really enjoy watching that."

I think that last sentence is the crux of the matter.  When you remove context, you're left with Tiger v. Phil at Shadow Creek....  We might be disappointed that in some big-time event it comes to Chez Reavie vs., I don't know, Charley Hoffman, but there's also a sense that they earned their place.  

In addition to Charley speaking like an adult about the PGL, I'll remind you that he's long been one of Employee No. 2's favorite players....   

All I've worked myself into a bit of a blogging box canyon, well it's all Shack's fault.  His item on Charley concludes with this:

More surprising is Hoffman’s take on the USGA and R&A, makers of golf’s rules that are mostly played by on the PGA Tour. Given that Hoffman sits on the PGA Tour Policy Board and chairs the Player Advisory Council, I thought he might be more open to the governing body efforts. 

After the usual stuff about athletes, technology, everyone loving hit it “further”, no big deal if you just have to add a few tees, etc… Hoffman suggests he’s already one vote opposed to doing anything.

“I am not really for whatever the USGA’s trying to prove or do.” 

So much for an open mind to the Distance Insights Study! Certain golf hats do have a way of altering perspectives.

I assume that thes comments are found in the Matt Adams interview, because CTR:F: usga on that Will Gray piece yield zero results.

But yeah, I love the open mind.  But, in an attempt to tie together my first two items, how do you come down on this "Play it as it lies" bit, Charley?  Or is that just something the USGA is trying to prove?

Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia - I couldn't pick Bob Mennery out of a police lineup, but reporters aren't the only ones being silenced by the suits in Ponte Vedra Beach:

Social media funnyman and announcer-we-all-wish-we-had Bob Menery vowed to bring his act back to golf after multiple PGA Tour takedown notices. He did so with a fun post of Genesis Invitational highlights and it got taken down again after Menery’s various social accounts were served an unfriendly notice. 

In a world where the PGA Tour is eager to add young viewers, the focus on Menery’s efforts is surprising. He has 2.3 million followers, including Justin Thomas, Graeme McDowell, Phil Mickelson, Matthew Wolff, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Luke Donald, among others. Not to mention some of the biggest names in sports who don’t mind Menery’s roasting of both athletes and announcers.

The post, as of this post, has received nearly 3,000 comments. Good engagement!

Le Sigh.  And I had been reliably informed that he came in peace:

Please, Bob, that wouldn't be prudent....

What exactly do these idiots think they're accomplishing?  Sight unseen, that Premier Golf League is suddenly looking pretty good.  But an irony alert, Rory is zealously guarding his freedom, for which I don't blame him in the least, whereas the guys running the Tour that offers him said freedom are behaving like crazed fascists.  It's a guy trying to have some fun on social media...Lord knows we can't allow that.

Alan In Full - I expect next week's mailbag to be all-Patrick, but shall we dive into the current edition?  This is probably the most substantive Q&A:

Q: Is network coverage of golf really that bad, or is the Twitterverse so insulated it’s much ado about nothing? What can be done to improve it? – @kevin_demsky

Well, Kevin, those two things in no way conflict with each other...

The answer to the first question: both. There is no doubt the networks are failing to deliver a satisfying product. I hate to sound like an old fogey but some of this is generational. In the old days, TV golf was expected to be genteel, the perfect background to a mellow weekend afternoon. Ken Venturi was the perfect voice for this era, never saying anything of deep substance but lulling us into a pleasant nap with his dulcet tones. (Think IBF without the Aussie accent.) The media environment has changed massively in the past decade-plus, but golf coverage has remained pretty much the same. This is infuriating to millennials, who have grown up being able to curate their own non-stop content streams, and these youngish pundits are leading the charge in blasting the current golf coverage. Much of the criticism is warranted, clearly. In 2020, the coverage gap is inexcusable, especially when tournaments are getting decided in the darkness, as on Sunday at Riviera. At this point, you would expect that every fan at home should be able to watch every shot from every player. This will happen at this year’s Players, proving the technology exists; what’s missing is the will to give the fans what they want. The Tour needs to drastically rethink how its product is being presented, both on the traditional TV networks and through its own offerings. The endless criticism on Twitter has made this a much more urgent issue, and I salute the muckrakers who are going to force change.

All of this being said, criticizing the TV coverage has become as much of a sport as the golf itself. Sometimes on the weekend, I tune out from Twitter just so I can get lost in the golf and get away from all the shouting. After all, a man needs to nap occasionally!

First and foremost, we can talk deep into the night about what a golf broadcast can and should be, and Alan's generational points re important (especially as relates to Twitter mobs).  But CBS is an order

of magnitude worse than NBC and Fox, after dramatically restructuring their personnel to meet changing needs....  Davis Love seems an awfully nice man, but the next interesting thing he says will be the first.

Of course, the problem we face is that they're delivering exactly that which PVB wants, or perhaps what CBS thinks PVB wants.  But look at what we've covered in one silly little blog post...  Take down orders to social media accounts and enforcers in the locker room to protect Patrick's delicate sensibilities....  So, Jay, do we ever talk about that damning video of Patrick at the Barclays?  Or you expect to us to pretend that these guys are all angels?  Because, Jay, I'll always be an avid golfer and will always love the game.  But your version of the game may not be to my taste.

Could the PGA Tour benefit from an All-Star Weekend? Top players by ranking and fan voting, various skills challenges, rookies and shooting stars round, All-Star round with ace/birdie/eagle opportunities on an easy course set-up. – @GoranBarnes 

This would be great fun. The no-brainer time to do it is Players week, when the Tour is eager to showcase the players and prove it can be fun. The only institutional resistance I can see is that it might take away from the, ahem, gravitas of the event. But the PGA Championship is an actual major, and the early-week long-drive contest there has proven to be a hit. Why not expand upon this fan-friendly idea?

No, no, no.... simply wouldn't be prudent to show professional golfers having fun.

Great question and the answer fine, yet I have one little reservation.  Has anyone asked the players?  Because you might just find out that they would tank this because it takes them out of their comfort zone....

This to me is a world-class question:

We almost had a Kang/Dahmen playoff at Riv. Where does that rank among the best current potential possibilities? – @WallDwarf 

Near the top, for sure. Other highly spicy options: Koepka-Reed, Cam Smith-Reed, Spieth-Reed … pretty much anyone and Reed! Brooks-Bryson. Brooks-Rory. Tiger-Phil. Tiger-Abe Ancer. Tiger-Sergio. Grayson Murray-Ben An. AK-Allenby.

This is the very reason I started the blog, as golfers behaving badly is what we do here.  The problem is that it's really Reed-Anybody, Allenby-Anybody and Grayson Murray-Anybody, because that's who those guys are....

Amusingly, I was just discussing that Dahmen-Kang cage match yesterday in conjunction with L'Affaire Reed, making the point that we can't even rely on rules officials to actually do their jobs.  

What do you think we as a country can do to raise the level of Joel Dahmen awareness? Apparently neither CBS nor Adam Scott on 15 knew he was out there. – @hwgt9 

I agree the dude is a breath of fresh air and deserves more coverage, though we’re doing our part at GOLF.com with this recent podcast. Given what we’ve heard lately from Peter Kostis, it’s easy to come up with a conspiracy theory that Dahmen is such a truth-teller the lords of Ponte Vedra Beach don’t want to give him a platform because he might, ya know, call out another pro for cheating or do something else that subverts the these-guys-are-gentlemen narrative. Here’s hoping Dahmen plays so well he can’t be ignored.

He has become one of my favorites out there, but the greater sin was CBS' treatment of Max Homa.  

 Now, here's one that will allow us to demonstrate our ignorance of current memes.  

What’s the golf equivalent of “F–k-Marry-Kill?” How about Scramble Invitation, Four-Ball Partner and Top Golf Hang? Start with David Duval, Luke Donald, and Hunter Mahan. – @paulkoehorst

Dear reader, did you know that F**k - Marry - Kill? is a thing?  I can't help but think that I need to get out more...From the definitive source on all such things:

fuck-marry-kill 

A game that is played in a group. One person gets three names chosen by the group. The names are people he/she knows or it could be celebrities. 

Then that person chooses which of those three he/she would fuck, marry, and kill.

Again, I'm having trouble seeing those alternatives as mutually exclusive...Also, while F-M-K might be a thing, I'm pretty certain that Hunter Mahan is no longer a thing....  And don't get me started on DD, who beclowned himself at Pebble, then made it worse by withdrawing.

Scramble: Hunter, because I’m assuming he can still smash it. Four-Ball: Luke, because I need a steady partner. Top Golf: Duval, because he’s a good talker and there are nets to catch foul balls.

Luke is steady?  Not until a cure for Luke Donald disease is found...

Dishing on Riv:

Given all the love for Riviera, and the challenges it presents to Tour players, why hasn’t it hosted more majors and why isn’t it ever in the discussion to host future majors? – @Tombagjr 

Some of this is economic – the ’95 PGA Championship had famously sparse crowds, and that scared away the governing bodies. The 2023 U.S. at LACC will be an important test of whether golf fans in Tinseltown will turn out for a big-time event when the weather is warm and there are so many other things to do. The ’95 PGA was also not an artistic triumph – the greens were soft (and bumpy), and the pros torched the course. And then there is the membership composition at Riv. It’s become more corporate over the years, and there doesn’t seem to be a big push internally to host a major championship, which comes with a ton of hassles for the venue. Add it all up, and there just hasn’t been the will to bring another U.S. Open or PGA Championship to Hogan’s Alley. If LA North is a home run in ’23, as expected, it could become another West Coast anchor for the USGA. And with the PGA Championship now in May, do we want to play tournaments at Riviera twice in the span of three months? Obviously not, which would mean moving the L.A. Open to another venue for a year or two, and the Riviera folks love being one of the few splashy events on the L.A. sports calendar in February. So, while I agree Riv would be a sensational venue, I’m not sure we’re going to see another major championship there.

According to Alan, it hosts the fifth major every year....

But the question is the kind of tortured logic I see far too much of...   Setting aside the fact that we get to see Riviera firmandfast once a decade, we have this here Tour event that's pretty damn good.  An historic venue that the big boys have played for almost a century, strong fields and even a little Tinseltown fairy dust sprinkled over the proceedings, but that's somehow wanting.  So we apparently have to ruin that which is working?  Tombagir, were you involved with trashing the Western Open as well?

It's good.  I look forward to it every year...so no way we can let that stand.

And another:

Is the 10th at Riviera a good, fair hole? – @MarVistaPete 

It’s good, but it’s not fair, and I’m OK with that. It’s a misnomer to call it a drivable par-4 when it’s become more of a long par-3, as many Tour players no longer need a driver to get home. But the green has become so severe it repels many good shots. That’s not fair, but it’s wildly entertaining. The rest of Riviera is eminently playable so I love how this hole gets in the heads of so many players. It adds a lot to the drama and fan experience, even as the green has begun to cross the line into unfair. I’ll allow it.

In Tom Doak's Traverse City, MI office, the word "fair" is known as the F-word, for reasons I'm sure you can appreciate.  It would be hard to identify a more elastic concept, and of course those building golf courses would quickly tire of being held to such a malleable standard.

But the tenth wasn't built as an unfair hole, the inevitable changes over the decades have caused that.  The shrinking of the green and the increasing severity of contours, combined with modern agronomy (Read: modern green speeds) have gotten us here.  You could "fix" those things, but the stroke average on the hole would approach 2.5 after doing so.  Yet another example of where we find ourselves in the elite game and, are you taking notes Charley, I don't exactly need the USGA to prove that for me.

And lastly:

You constantly hear, “He’s one of the greatest ballstrikers I’ve seen,” or “This really is a ballstriker’s golf course.” Can I just check, who is widely regarded as a poor ballstriker? I thought being a good ballstriker was kinda a prerequisite to being a professional golfer. – @golfbore1 

This is also one of my pet peeves. Everyone on Tour can strike it, though there is obviously a range from pretty well to awe-inspiring. Riviera is the ultimate quote unquote ballstrikers’ course – but Brad Faxon (one of the weaker ballstrikers ever to prosper on Tour) holds a piece of the course record, thanks to a mile of putts he made that day. Easier, more open courses are not considered ballstrikers’ courses, but blasting drives over bunkers and knocking down flags will always be an advantage. So, let’s all collectively agree to banish this term from the language.

Who's a bad ballstriker?  Jordan Spieth.  Luke Donald.  Really any great putter that's not winning regularly....

But I'm a little disappointed with Alan here, because one sloppy use of a term should not result in banishment of a legitimate descriptor.  Shall I use it in a sentence?  Adam Scott is a superior ballstriker, but struggles on the green.  Ya got a problem with that?

A ballstrikers golf course?  That's far more problematic usage, and boy can people be sloppy there.  And we have an example in front our noses, courtesy of Alan.  Is Riviera the ultimate in this category?  When firmandfast it might be, but when soft it's just another walk in the park....

In handicapping tournaments, something by the way I appear to be quite dreadful at, I focus on the ballstrikers in the presence of firm conditions and wind.  That to me is when the guys that can golf their ball have the greatest advantage as opposed to the guys that can roll their rock.  

My concern about the game and its future is that the delicate balance has been altered.  That range that Alan describes in his answer has dramatically narrowed due to modern equipment.  Distance of course is a huge factor, but I continue believe that less understood is the significance of how much less the ball spins today.  Jack was clearly the best of his era, and benefited to the extent that he could be blase about his short game.  Tiger the same, though with far less separation from the pack.  And for those arguing Tiger as the GOAT, this is exactly the argument I'd make.

OK, kids, have a good weekend.  I just want you to know that I'll miss you every bit a smuch as you miss me...