Home for a short stay, them back to the Wasatch for one final trip.... Quite the wacky weather, as I expect Bobby D. to be on the course in shorts this weekend.
Oh, THAT Gig Economy - This almost never happens... Legislators in Sacramento target Uber, Lyft and other mainstays of the gig economy, and hit Joe LaCava:
What unsettles Saunders is the chatter he’s been hearing in recent months on the course and in the caddie shack. The conversations focus on a new California state law and itspotential impact on Saunders’ profession. Widely referred to as the “gig worker bill,” California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which went into effect on Jan. 1, seeks to extend benefits and protections to independent contractors by requiring companies that hire them to reclassify them as employees.The legislation wasn’t drafted with golf in mind. Its main targets were gig-economy giants such as Lyft, Uber and DoorDash. But like many of laws, AB5 has come with unintended consequences; golf is one of many industries caught in its crosshairs.
For caddies, the legislation stands to cut two ways.
OK, not literally Joe, because his boss doesn't make him work often enough to have issues under that law.... But as to his two ways, not so much:
While employee status would have obvious upsides, like health care coverage, retirement accounts and guaranteed salaries, loopers are wary of the prospect. They worry it will cramp their finances and freedoms, that they’ll be forced to punch a clock while getting paid a barebones hourly wage.
What Josh either doesn't know or can't be bothered top include in his piece, is that this is part of a long-term threat to the profession. That threat comes principally from state tax authorities, seeking to make caddies employees for the purpose of withholding payroll taxes.
For those of us more familiar with the human condition, it's obvious that at the point at which caddies are required to pay taxes is the point at which we no longer have caddies... AB5 is a little different, because the legislators are attempting to protect a major constituency. In that effort, they've amusingly hurt all sorts of folks on their own side, such as freelance journalists, but who among us doesn't enjoy a little blue-on-blue action? Isn't that why the Good Lord gave us popcorn?
Hall Pass - I'm inclined to quote Robert Conquest's third law of politics here:
3. The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.
Admittedly, I'm unclear as to which cabal is involved, but there simply must be an explanation as to the World Golf Hall of Fame's Beclownment Program... I mean, Jan Stephenson? It's even better than it seems, because we have Golf Channel beclowning themselves with this header:
Tiger Woods, Dottie Pepper, Tim Finchem among World Golf Hall of Fame finalists
Geez, what's that first guy ever done in this game? But how do you think he feels being on that list? But Dottie Pepper? Maybe if they'd engrave "Chokin' dogs" on the plaque, but that's about her only enduring contribution to the game...
But buried among the poseurs and sycophants, speaking to you, Nurse Ratched, is an actual nominee that made an outsized contribution to our game. See if you can suss it out:
Johnny Farrell, Padraig Harrington and Tom Weiskopf join Woods among the male finalists. Susie Maxwell Berning, Beverly Hanson and Sandra Palmer join Pepper among the women. Marion Hollins joined Finchem as a finalist in the contributor category.
Sort of a trick question, because there's more than one. But here I refer to the estimable Marion Hollins, who is part of the DNA of three of the most iconic golf courses in the world:
The key to deciphering the mystery of how Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie metmight lie with Marion Hollins.The accomplished golfer and businesswoman knew both men.
With her role in helping develop courses such as Pasatiempo and Cypress Point, she had a huge impact on MacKenzie's career because she recommended him for the course design jobs.
Hollins won the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur and traveled in the same social circles as Jones, and she knew him well enough to get him to play on Pasatiempo's opening day. Jones invited Hollins to play an exhibition match at his home course, East Lake in Atlanta, during one of her visits to the East Coast in the early 1920s.
As Alice Dye is forever linked to the watery 17th at Sawgrass, so Marion is linked with an even more watery golf hole:
Hollins also played a role in the creation of the par-3 16th hole at Cypress Point.
MacKenzie was planning on making the hole into a short par-4 because it would require a long carry over water as a par-3.
"He said it's too long, the guys won't go for it," said Casey Reamer, the head pro at Cypress Point. "With that she teed the ball up in the dirt, took her driver, took one long, beautiful swing, and knocked it all the way over and it landed right in the center of where the green is today. She said if a girl goes for it, the guys will go for it.
"And it became a par-3. She was instrumental in that, and hence, one of the greatest par-3s in the world."
But her most enduring contribution (as if Cypress and Pasatiempo are chopped liver) is recounted by David Owen, who literally wrote the book on The Masters:
Hollins, in addition to providing the original model for Augusta National, made one small direct contribution to its golf course—as I myself discovered in the late nineties, while I was researching my book “The Making of the Masters.” In 1931, Roberts complained to MacKenzie, in a letter, that MacKenzie wasn’t spending enough time in Augusta during the construction of the course. The main reason was that MacKenzie had money troubles of his own, including the fact that Augusta National had stopped paying him. But in his place he sent Hollins, who at that point was more than flush. “She has been associated with me in three golf courses, and not only are her own ideas valuable, but she is thoroughly conversant in regard to the character of the work I like,” he wrote to Roberts. “I want her views and also her personal impressions in regard to the way the work is being carried out.” Roberts was unhappy not to have MacKenzie himself, and he said that Jones would be unhappy, too. But MacKenzie defended Hollins in another letter, to the engineer who was supervising construction of the course. “I do not know any man, who has sounder ideas,” he wrote, and added, “She was most favourably impressed with it.”
That New Yorker profile, written in advance of last year's first Augusta National Women's Amateur is highly recommended (as is David's book).
Not that this should necessarily be competitive, but I can't help considering those two candidates in the contributor category. Without Hollins, we wouldn't have Pasatiempo, Cypress Point and Augusta National.... Without Nurse Ratched, we wouldn't have the FedEx Cup and DJ's jet-ski accident. So, any guesses as to who will get in first? Yeah, now you know why I'm so depressed...
Nothing To See Here - Good news, sports fans:
IOC: 2020 Tokyo Olympics will not be postponed due to coronavirus
Not yet, anyway.... But I was surprised by this header:
Augusta National says Masters will go on in face of coronavirus, encourages fans to be cautious
Ummmm, Fred, aren't you supposed to refer to them as "patrons"?
As you know, my mind travels a solitary path, and has me wondering as to the ANGC equivalent of this:
Iranians licking religious shrines in defiance of coronavirus spread
Drinking the water from Rae's Creek? In this era of community transmission, perhaps Patrick was ahead of his time with his Table for One?
Sun, Still Rising In The East - Ewan Murray of the Guardian interviews Rory ahead of the API with, shall we say, predictable results:
“I don’t want to come across as sort of elitist but I think some smaller fields [would help], maybe a few more events with no cuts,” said the world No 1 when considering
Now, about those pasty legs.... how the game can be modified. “There’s so many tournaments and there might be an over-saturation in a way. You look at the NFL and they play 18 games a year, 20 games a year max, and people want it all the time.
“I know football’s different than golf and all that, but I think being a golf fan these days can get quite exhausting following so many different tournaments, different tours, all that stuff. So maybe streamlining it a bit might be a good place to start a conversation.”
Yeah, I'm always taken by surprise by a dog-bites-man story....
But the amusement comes from the foreigner not understanding how over-exposed the NFL is... His diagnosis is correct, he just got there in a circuitous routing...
Interestingly, Adam Scott has a different take:
Adam Scott, who has been supportive of the PGL plan, has not altered that approach despite McIlroy’s view. “I’m still very positive about the concept of what it could be, for sure,” the world No 7 said. “It doesn’t mean I think it’s going to happen necessarily.
“Everyone sees it from somewhat of their own agenda. Being an international player, the thought of a world tour sounds really great. Maybe less so for someone based in Florida who doesn’t have to necessarily travel as much. I don’t think my sentiment has changed at all. I still think it’s fantastic.”
fair enough, though Adam is old enough to remember when they took the WGC match-play event to Australia. It turned out that most of the international guys also live in Orlando and don't like to travel. Maybe for a no-cut event, but not for a one-and-done opportunity...
The tell that the PGA Tour has screwed the pooch is in the weak fields for the Mexican WGC and Florida events. If guys aren't showing for a no-cut money garb in Mexico City, the obvious conclusion is that there's not enough money on offer...
You Can't Make This Stuff Up - On cue after the release of the USGA's thrilling new catch phrase brand platform, comes news that tickets for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot remain available. Not exactly shocking, though it does come in the face of decreased supply:
The number of tickets for the 2020 U.S. Open will be capped at 25,000 per day. It’s a reduction from the maximum of 30,000 tickets sold each day of the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
“We’ve surveyed our fans over the last eight or so years and some of the feedback we’ve gotten indicates that it was a little too crowded, so we took that to heart,” said Charlie Howe, who is the USGA’s championship manager for the 120th U.S. Open.
Per Ian Faith, the U.S. Open's appeal is becoming increasingly selective...
But this about Saturday availability, from Shack, is the amusing bit:
If you were hoping to attend Saturday, the only option is the Corona Beer Garden—not to worry 38%, it won’t infect you—at $225.
I have it on reliable authority that a new brand platform has announced, and henceforth it will be the Covid-19 Beer Garden.
Tour Access - I'd like to hear a reaction from the kids themselves, but just the attention to the amateur game is notable:
The PGA Tour policy board approved a new measure to help pave the way for topcollege players to earn status on various tours.
According to a source familiar with the policy board’s meeting Tuesday at Bay Hill, the new program, called PGA Tour University, will grant players status on the Korn Ferry Tour based on a college ranking system. Only seniors who have completed their college eligibility will be considered.
The top 5 eligible players in the ranking will earn Korn Ferry Tour status following the conclusion of the NCAA season.
College players ranked below the top 5 will also have the chance to earn varying degrees of status on the Mackenzie Tour, PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour Series-China based on their ranking.
It seems that every action of the Tour (and also the USGA) has been to force the kids to come out sooner, so this is good to see. Is it sufficient? I have no clue, but anything that lets the kids stay in school with the knowledge that there's a path to the Tour almost has to be for the better.
Alan, Asked - They obviously can't decide when to drop Alan's mailbag feature, available this week for Thursday low-aerobic blogging. I know it isn't all about me, but this is the part of the week when I'm most in need of content....
A couple of queries that fit together:
The criticism over Azinger by several corners of the golf world — after two months of CBS being blasted for being too vanilla — is whiplash-inducing. Would Johnny Miller even get hired today? – @johnschwarb
It’s true that commentators (and players) are often damned-if-they-do-damned-if-they-don’t. Honest/blunt opinions get turned into clickbait headlines, and the blowback makes folks gun-shy and encourages them to offer milquetoast quotes — and then they get criticized for being boring. I loved that Zinger put that out there. His job is to offer opinions, and that was a spicy one, which led to a great afternoon on Golf Twitter. I think there was a touch of condescension in his comments, which is what rankled the Europeans. But stirring the pot is always entertaining and can turn out to be enlightening, so I hope Azinger keeps his edge. Johnny Miller would be great in any era. I think social media actually helped grow the cult of Johnny, because his pithy remarks didn’t disappear into thin air but rather got lots of run in Twittersphere.
Yeah, well battlespace prep is a long game... And this:
Is the European golf media the most dish-it-out-but-can’t-take-it, cheerleading contingent in journalism? (I’m sure they call themselves The Media because they were doing it first.) – @ScottMichaux
Welcome to my world! I’ve been forced to fend off those chaps for years. The Euro press is certainly always on high alert for any slight of their boys, real or perceived. I’m still not sure how much of their reflexive indignation is genuine and how much is performance art. Either way, I love it. The golf world in general and Ryder Cup years in particular would be much more boring without these kerfuffles. Gawd save the Queen!
That's a good lesson in how to take it, because these guys are in the entertainment biz... That said, we're under no obligation to be polite when they whine...
This hits a topical subject:
Rather than rewarding terrible shots hit into the grandstands with free drops, can’t the Tour stake the stands red and make that drop include a stroke? Or even use white stakes and really make the pros shy away from that shot? Might save a noggin, too. – @FrankFite
Ummm Frank, in what sense is the shot terrible if they hit exactly where intended? Probably the single most misunderstood aspect of the elite game, and also the one in which they play in easier conditions than we do.
There is a fundamental tension here in that fans want to be as close to the action as possible, which means ringing every green with grandstands. If there is a natural hazard on a hole and a guy plays away from it, is it fair to ding him a penalty stroke when he misses the green by 10 yards? An easy solution is to emulate what the R&A did at Royal Portrush, where the drop circles were in gnarly rough, making ensuing recovery shots much, much tougher. A bad lie seems like a commensurate punishment for hooking a shot into the stands.
Agreed, though if the USGA does that at Winged Foot heads will explode....Maybe Phil is correct to pass on that special exemption...
Is Tommy Fleetwood the European Tony Finau, or is Tony Finau the American Tommy Fleetwood? – @tombagjr
Neither is a bad thing! Ryder Cup heroics, lofty spots in the World Ranking, even an occasional victory. The frustration with both players is that because they can make the game look so easy, we expect them to win more often. The Jordan Spieths and Justin Thomases – to say nothing of the Tiger Woodses — have warped expectations, in that top talents are now presumed to be winning consistently in their early 20s. Both Tommy Lad and Big Tony are following a more old-school template. Guys like Tom Watson didn’t arrive on Tour as finished products but spent years contending, failing, learning and evolving before finally busting out. Finau is 30 but came to competitive golf a little late in life. Tommy just turned 29. Both have plenty of time to achieve their awesome potential. Here’s hoping.
It's a bit unfair, but Tommy Lad is merely a guy that can't win in the U.S.... Tony, alas, can't win anywhere except Puerto Rico...
Career wins for Sungjae: over-under 4.5? – @coop_a_loop80
I can answer this faster than it takes Im to complete his backswing: way over.
The kid is only 21, so duh!
Can you tackle the touchy subject of the ever-increasing bad behavior at golf events when alcohol, college students and some level of entitlement are involved? – @BillSpies1
I’ve been saying for years they should stop selling alcohol at Tour events, or drastically curtail it. Unfortunately, in this age of reality TV and social media saturation, it’s not enough for many folks to just watch a sporting event — they want to be part of it in some way. Alas, this fuels the bellowing at the players, as does alcohol. It is the intimacy of golf that makes it such a thrilling spectating experience, but this delicate environment must be protected. I’m sure some bros will be like, I’m not going to any sporting event where I can’t pound a few beers. Honestly, they won’t be missed.
Golf is a thrilling spectacle? As the kids say, interesting if true....
But good job in ignoring that 800-lb. elephant in the corner, legalized gambling...
Here's one on a story I meant to blog...
Golf Channel moving to Connecticut — where do you come down on this move? Will there be loss of jobs? Changes to content? – @KeithKHorton
I’m mostly tuned in to the human costs. I have a lot of friends — and a few frenemies — at the Channel so I’m bummed for them. Uprooting your life/family is never easy. And this gives management an impetus to part ways with chunks of the staff, too. No doubt there will be attrition at a place that has already been in cost-cutting mode. As for viewers, this move can’t be a good thing. Florida is one of the centers of the golf universe — Connecticut sure ain’t. Whether it’s players dropping by the studio or waves of staffers covering the Florida Swing, Golf Channel always benefited from its central location. Going forward, the whole operation will be a little more out of touch. Looking down from on high, Arnie can’t be happy.
It seems unnecessary for sure... unless, of course, they know they're in a bad spot in the renewal of the Tour's rights packages.
And this hot take:
Will anyone opt out of the Tokyo Olympics due to the Coronavirus? As you did (and continue to do) with Zika in Rio in 2016, will you shame any player who refuses to go? – @RealCanadianDan
Zika was always transparently a B.S. excuse, as Rory McIlory admitted after the fact. Coronavirus is a different kettle of fish and potentially much more of a concern. But we’re still four months away from the Olympic teams being finalized. Hopefully by then, the spread of the disease has been contained and the threat greatly diminished. If guys don’t want to play in the Olympics, they should just be honest about it, like DJ. I think he’s making a horrendous decision, but at least he’s being transparent.
Alan as the conscience of our generation is amusing, but his Olympic boosterism isn't a big factor for the players. In my humble opinion, he'd do better to articulate why DJ is making a terrible decision...Of course, the problem with that is the underlying argument, that Olympic Golf matters. Alan desperately wants it to matter, but he's undermined by the facts on the ground....
See you all tomorrow?
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