A heads up to y'all that tomorrow is a travel day, as Employee No. 2 and I head home. One more trip west before it's officially golf season.... Though, if we don't get some snow, I'm not sure what the point is.
Vanna, I'd Like To Purchase a Mulligan - Who says golf isn't a contact sport? Certainly not NBC analyst Paul Azinger:
Entering Sunday’s final round at the Honda Classic, three Englishmen were right in the mix. Tommy Fleetwood held a one-stroke lead, while Luke Donald and Lee Westwoodwere tied just a single shot back. For Fleetwood, who has never won on U.S. soil, this was a potentially monumental day. But Azinger missed the mark in making that point.
“There’s a lot of pressure you know, you’re trying to prove to everybody you’ve got what it takes and these guys know you can win all you want on that European Tour, the international game and all that, but you have to win on the PGA Tour,” he said. That European Tour. Uh oh. The international game and all that. Not good.
He continued.
“Westwood took offense to that actually yesterday when asked about that. Two wins on the PGA Tour but he’s all, ‘Oh I’ve won 44 times all over the world,’ but it’s not the PGA Tour, though.
“And they know that and I think Tommy knows that. It puts a little pressure on Tommy — but this is where they want to be, isn’t it? They want to come here, they want to prove that they can win at this level.”
I don't see what all the fuss is about. I mean, it's not like he called someone by the wrong pronouns...
As if on cue, the Eurotrash rose in righteous indignation:
Fans of the European Tour immediately took to social media to register their complaints with Azinger. The Telegraph‘s James Corrigan called him an “ignorant tool.” RTE’s Greg Allen called it “crass analysis.” The Score’s Adam Sarson called it “s—-y.” Those were the kinder comments.
To be fair, Curmudgeonly James Corrigan calls pretty much everyone an ignorant tool, not that I have any problem with that. Of course, this guy isn't exactly typecast to play the adult in the room:
OK, I get the guys defending their tour, but this seems like it's plagiarized directly from the Koepka playbook. Had Zinger avoided the unfortunate "THAT European Tour" I'm unsure whether this would have generated any pushback at all...
I happen to be so old that I remember when truth was considered a valid defense:
Using the Official World Golf Ranking as a barometer for field strength is a slippery slope, especially since stats guru Mark Broadie has pointed out its bias against the PGA Tour. However, analytics site Golf Data shows that European Tour events, on the whole, are weaker than their PGA Tour brethren. In fact, out of Fleetwood’s five Old World wins only one would have been better than the weaker-than-usual Honda Classic field. Even that, the 2018 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, is equivalent to a “lower tiered” PGA Tour event, according to Golf Data. It is a position that isn’t new; a 2017 study by Golf Data found on average players performed 0.95 shots better relative to the field on the European Tour than on the PGA Tour, which accumulates to approximately four shots per event. The depth simply isn’t there.
This is not to demean the European Tour, or those who play on (or cover or watch) it. It has its own magic and allure, boasting a handful of flagship events that are world-class affairs. It's also easy to chalk up the European golf sector as a sensitive bunch, but fans, no matter the sport, are provincial. That’s part of the contract: Pick your team, defend it to the death. Even if, deep down, you know you’re on the losing side.
Yeah, but our Poults is unswayed by actual facts. But while I think the comments mostly uncontroversial, we can also agree that it wasn't the week to be bragging on field strength:
This is best understood as Ryder Cup battlespace prep, a field in which the Euros rule.
Lie Down With Fleas... - An historically-weak field at The Honda? Cheating allegations swirling around a "Top-5 player"? No problem for the suits in Ponte Vedra Beach, as they've got our future under control:
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The Action Network and the PGA TOUR todayannounced the launch of GolfBet, a first-of-its-kind, golf-focused betting content platform. GolfBet will be powered by The Action Network and hosted at www.actionnetwork.com/golf, and also will be available within The Action Network app. Through the strategic partnership, the PGA TOUR will provide GolfBet content distribution via TOUR digital platforms, footage rights to support GolfBet video content, and official TOUR data to ensure that GolfBet and The Action Network offer golf fans and golf bettors the most accurate data and compelling content available.
“We believe that golf fans and sports bettors alike are in search of a deeper level of information that has not existed until the launch of GolfBet,” said Norb Gambuzza, PGA TOUR’s SVP Media & Gaming. “The Action Network is the perfect partner to create this type of content platform to educate and entertain fans about responsible betting on golf while bolstering the overall gaming ecosystem. We are bullish that GolfBet content and the growth of sports betting will drive fan engagement and expand our overall audience.”
A deeper level of information than that available from Mumbles Faldo? Certainly.... And who among us hasn't been losing sleep over the state of the gaming ecosystem?
Doesn't this sound exciting?
“In a typical PGA TOUR season, there are approximately 1.2 million golf shots taken across our schedule,” Gambuzza said. “This represents a massive opportunity for in-play betting, new types of markets for operators who have access to official PGA TOUR data, and tremendous opportunities for content generation. We think that The Action Network has the unique expertise to develop a diverse array of tools, analysis, and other content which will help fans and bettors understand, access, and enjoy these new betting opportunities as the market evolves.”
A massive opportunity, perhaps? But for whom?
Geoff's take on this is worth your while for all the usual reasons, plus a bonus tout for Nadal in the Derby.... C'mon, Geoff, stay focused on the matter at hand.....
But he closes with a word of caution about the feasibility of this all:
Besides the obvious concerns about fan interruptions intended to influence a wager, I’m still not clear on whether there is time to look at data AND bet on a live shot.
As someone who watched 2019’s The Match with an eye on live bettering, it was clear that even with just two players, between sharing a pertinent stat and execution of the shot, making a bet would require a fast connection and easy method to make a selection. Maybe that will come within the PGATour app or on The Action Network at some point.
I love ya, Geoff, but at times you can be charmingly naive. Don't you see that this is exactly why JB and Bryson's dreadful pace of play is a feature, not a bug?
I find the Tour's aggressive pursuit of legalized gambling unseemly and off-putting, another example of the trend of our governing organizations seemingly uncomfortable with the appeal of their core product. They don't seem to believe that we can be interested in a golf tournament on its own merits and, given the product they're producing, they just might have a point.
Deja Vu All Over Again - We have our first domino falling:
The 2020 Olympics golf tournament has its first confirmed no-show: Dustin Johnson. The world No. 5 plans to focus instead on the FedEx Cup playoffs rather than pursue a gold medal in Tokyo in July.
Johnson’s manager, David Winkle, confirmed the decision to Golfweek on Monday. “Dustin gave the Olympics a great deal of thought and we discussed the pros and cons of him participating at length,” Winkle wrote in an e-mail.
“At the end of the day, it’s a matter of personal preference and priority. As much as he would be honored to be an Olympian, the FedEx Cup Playoffs are also very important to him. Having had a few close calls in the Playoffs, he really wants to win them before his time is done and feels that he wouldn’t be giving himself the best opportunity to do so if he added a lengthy international trip just prior to their beginning (and shortly after returning from two weeks in Europe).”
Alan Shipnuck hardest hit....
That sound you hear is the rending of garments, but why would anyone be surprised or, quite frankly, care? Yeah, the focus on the FedEx Playoffs is rich, but the simple fact is that Olympic golf is a bad joke. Why should you expect DJ to care about it, when you haven't created a credible competition?
As Shack notes, the schedule is a disaster:
With Brooks Koepka on the fence and Tiger Woods signaling that his schedule will be very limited, the men’s portion of Olympic golf is staring down a no-show narrative. Again. And it’s only March.Beyond the Olympics and possible pandemics, a rush of scheduling-based defections should warrant a condensed schedule reconsideration. At least, in Olympic years. Again.
But as much as I advocated an irony-rich diet, is Super Tuesday the best moment to discuss reliving 2016? I'm great with it, just concerned that my liberal friends will find their heads exploding...
As Geoff notes, the schedule does not allow for a meaningless exhibition on the far side of the globe, but the problem is way more fundamental than that. You've taken the Hero World Challenge and changed the name to Olympic Golf, but otherwise not provided a reason for us to consider it important. Shockingly, even DJ, never the sharpest knife in the drawer, can see that and responds accordingly. He will, in the next news cycle, be accuse of chasing the filthy lucre....
As for that schedule, there's news there as well:
The Honda Classic will have a new spot on the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing next season, asource familiar with tournament operations on the Tour has told Golf Digest.
Next year, the Honda will be played March 15-21 and take place after the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. This year, the Honda precedes those two events.
According to the source, the sequence of tournaments following the Genesis Invitational, the final event on the West Coast swing, will be the WGC-Mexico Championship, API, Players and Honda. As part of the shift, it’s expected that the Valspar Championship, also held in Florida, will move to a late April date.
Hmmmm....seems like the Tour might be choosing sides:
A move to a new slot on the schedule could help the Honda, a tournament that has been on the PGA Tour schedule since 1972 and has one of the longest-running title sponsors, attract more of the game’s stars to an event that boasts a long and distinguished list of past champions.
Yeah, but that puts the King's event in an awkward schedule slot, after the Mexico WGC, but before The Honda and Players....
Anyone remember my thoughts before the schedule contraction? I called Arnie's event as the weak link on the schedule, and considered it an actual candidate for contraction... It's the weakest golf course and with the King no longer there to receive homage from the players....
As background for this discussion, here's the Honda's strength of field numbers from recent years:
Year Honda Strength of Field2015 4662016 4462017 3872018 3752019 2982020 261For perspective, the 2019 and 2020 strength of field’s were well less than half the WGC Mexico City.
The 2018 to 2020 API strength of field: 443-545-568.
Something of a zero sum game, for sure. Now do the Olympics.
Now He Tells Me - Mike Bamberger has a fun feature on a delightful Par-3 course in an unlikely location:
On the Monday after the Honda Classic, some of the most famous golfers in the world gather at the Seminole Golf Club, the oceanfront Donald Ross masterwork, for a club event called the Member-Pro. That presents an annual issue for Raymond Floyd, as he is both a member and a pro. As the pitching coaches say when you have three good left-handed starters, it’s a nice problem to have.If you got in a boat on the beach at Seminole and sailed south about 20 nautical miles—past Lost Tree Village, the gated community where Jack Nicklaus lives, past Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s private club—you would eventually see another true oceanfront course, designed by Raymundo himself, which he did at no charge. It’s a muni! It’s owned and operated by the town of Palm Beach.There’s no other course quite like it. It comprises 18 par-3 holes, representing all the popular wind directions, on 39 acres smack-dab between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. It would be impossible to put a price tag on the property—a half billion? Probably far more, but the town’s not selling, not now, not ever. That would be like Honolulu selling Waikiki Beach.
About 12 years ago, Floyd inherited a 1961 18-hole Dick Wilson course that had become a financial drain on the town. “I took a course that was losing money, changed the routing and everything about it, and now it makes so much money it carries everything the town’s rec department does,” Floyd said in a telephone interview while the fourth round of the Honda Classic was underway. Floyd lives a couple miles south, at a golf development called Old Palm, where there’s a course he designed.
You guys know I'm not exactly a go-to source on South Florida golf, but until last week I didn't even know this place existed. A you can see from the photo, it's tucked in between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercoastal, quite the piece of real estate.
But here Mike is just being mean-spirited:
The course has a grass driving range where I’ve hit a thousand balls over the past 35 years. You’d sometimes see Jesper Parnevik and other pros there. Chuck Will, a longtime CBS golf director, lived down the street and played it regularly. That street—South Ocean Boulevard—bisects the course. The restaurant at the course, with a view of the ocean, has the second-best pizza in Palm Beach County. Out of self-interest, I am not sharing the PBC pizza I rank ahead of it.
A grass driving range? OK, if we go next year we'll have to work it into the itinerary:
Upon Further Review - I've decided that that ranking of fun golf courses in GB&I did not receive the credit it deserved. There was simply too much gold buried within...
For instance, this ranking is simply an outrage:
No. 11 - Prestwick
Course Information
A century ago the legendary golf writer Bernard Darwin stated that “a man is less likely to be contradicted in lauding Prestwick than in singing the praises of any other course in Christendom”. How times have changed as nowadays, there are few courses as famous that attract more contention. Put simply, not all first-time visitors fully appreciate that this a links like no other.
Prestwick is in many ways a museum piece, a shrine to the days 150 years ago when it hosted the first Open Championship – and indeed 23 further ones between then and 1925. Not even its fondest admirers would deny that several of the holes would have no place on a contemporary championship course.
But then quite why they should is another question, and in any case who is to say that the modern version of the game is any better than that which the likes of Old Tom Morris, appointed keeper of the greens here in 1851, Willie Park and Young Tom Morris excelled at all that time ago?
Taken at face value, it is an extraordinary course, packed with holes that to the modern eye are nothing less than outrageous. Take the opening hole, which some believe would be better if it came at any other point of the round.
It is a museum piece, but one that I think I'd be delighted to play every day of my life (OK, maybe not the first hole, as the carnage would be profound). Obviously we don't want to be too serious about a ranking of fun, but there has to be a spot in the Top Ten for this cradle of our game.
Two spots lower is this joint, a name guaranteed to bring a smile to your humble blogger's face:
No. 13 - Brora
Course Information
Brora is one of the most northerly courses in Britain and represents all the attributes of a traditional Scottish Highland links. Established in 1923 and designed by James Braid over 194 acres of Scottish links land, the design which came to be known as ‘Braid’s Plan’ has hardly been altered to this day. The bent grass turf has a sandy feel which makes ball striking a delight.
Bent? That's actually quite a surprise, as a proper links typically feature strains of fescue....Of course, this might be it's most notable feature:
Commenting on the course at Brora, current society president and five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson said: “One of my favourite links is Brora on the Moray Firth, where the golfers share a precious piece of territory with a hundred or so woolly sheep. What could epitomise nature better than such a communion? I pray it will continue and last as long as the world.”
As do we all... of course, they've got Brora two spots above Dornoch, which will get some pushback.
Deeper into the list we find this gem of interest to your humble blogger:
No. 66 - Crail (Balcomie)
Course Information
Crail Golfing Society, the seventh oldest golf club in the world having been established in 1786, is located on the east coast of Scotland in Fife. It is less than 14 miles away from St Andrews and only five miles from Kingsbarns. It is home to two courses –Balcomie Links and Craighead. At the Balcomie, you’ll find exceptional views and a well crafted, traditional Scottish links course. Old Tom Morris created the Balcomie, so its design is governed by the natural lie of the land and the result sees plenty of holes play right up against the North Sea. It’s a breathtaking experience.The theatrical drama includes clifftop tees, pot bunkers, blind shots, turf walls and the constant threat of the swirling wind off the sea. The 447-yard par-4 5th, aptly called Hell’s Hole, is the headline act in a collection of magnificent holes.It’s the hardest hole on the course and rightly so. You have a daunting decision to make off the tee. Do you play safe, go straight and probably take three shots to reach the green, or do you cut off as much of the corner as you dare and risk coming up short on the beach? It’s a beautiful hole but beware its bite.
There are some lovely par 3s on the Balcomie. Arguably the pick of the bunch is the 14th, the Cave. Here, the tee box is high on the hillside and you presented with glorious views of the rest course, the golden sands and sea.
Once you put the camera away, the green looks a dot below and it’s fraught with danger. Not only is the out-of-bounds beach on the right side an imminent threat, but the green is encircled by pot bunkers. Balcomie is the premier course at Crail, and one not to be missed if you’re playing in the St Andrews area.
Anyone know anybody that belongs here? Oh yeah, a pretty good call, we think. It's a great place, though the course pushes the boundaries of quirkiness to the limits. But the property is spectacular, built on the corner of the North Sea and the Firth of Forth.
We'll talk more about this gem in July, as we head that way for our first visit as members.
I'll leave you here, but might well revisit this amusing and informative list again at some point. See you later in the week.
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