Thursday, July 16, 2020

Bonus Thursday Content

My scheduled Governor's Cup match was cancelled, so what would you kids like to talk about?  Really, Bryson?  Is there anything left to say...

Dateline: Dublin, OH - Earlier this week we had comments from R&A majordomo Martin Slumbers to the effect that his organization and the USGA would be back on the sitance beat as soon as we're through with this pesky virus.  Jay Monahan has this in response:
Q. Jay, two things. Obviously the discussion most of the time seems to be on COVID, but the other part of the equation has been a lot on the length of Bryson DeChambeau. I know that you've had what I assume is the policy in the past of saying you're very comfortable with the golf ball, where it's going, so forth and so on, but slowly but surely you're starting to hear the critics say, this is something that we have to address again. Just to confirm, what is your position on the length issue?
JAY MONAHAN: Well, my position hasn't changed. You asked really two questions. You raised Bryson, I think, what Bryson has done. Bryson was able to use the time off in a way that I don't think anybody could have envisioned, and what he's done has been
remarkable, in a short period of time. I go back to what he accomplished at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, and there's a ton of focus on how far he's hitting the ball, and rightfully so, and how he has disrupted himself to be able to put himself in the best -- himself and his game to put himself in the best position to compete and to win, but look at his putting statistics, finest putting week I believe on TOUR this year, and to me it was a great demonstration of his skill.

As it relates to distance, I think the fact of the matter is that we always have looked at distance. We look at it over a longer term horizon, not in a short-term horizon, so if you look at our data right now, average driving distance is up slightly year to date, it's down relative to two years ago, and I think that the USGA and the R&A came out with their report, they issued that report, they said that they're going to work with their industry partners, including us, to identify solutions.

That process has obviously stalled. When it takes itself back up, we're going to be a part of that conversation and make certain ultimately that we represent what we think is in the best interest of PGA TOUR, our players and our fans.

But I think that any time you have a player that is doing what Bryson has done, I think it does call attention to driving distance. But I think you have to look at the manner in which he prepared himself to do that, and some of the remarkable things that he's doing in the process, some of which other players talked about over the last couple days
 That's a lot of words to effectively say, "Nah, nah, you can't make me."

This from the latest Distance Insight Reports might offer a bit more context:

That "stability through Regulation" is delightfully Orwellian...  I totally get it that Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia, yet I still think they're hitting too damn far.

Jay has internalized the lesson that chicks dig the long ball, and he will zealously defend those perceived interests.  That doesn't mean that the rest of us have to looks at the shiny object to which he points.  Most interesting to me is that they asked the beast himself, and he had thees thoughts:
Q. I wanted to ask, Slumbers talked about the fact that they're going to have to address what's going on, and you seem to be now the newest poster boy for this. Would you be upset if they rolled things back in regards to equipment because you've shown them that you can hit the ball as far as you can hit it?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Hmm. No, I wouldn't. No matter what rules they give me, I'm going to try and do my best to maximize my athletic ability. They can't take working
out away from me. I know that. At least as of right now. Whatever -- look, 1998 the COR test was put in stone where you couldn't have a certain number off the face, and they've used that ever since. It's now a CT test. The ball speeds coming off the face are what they are, and they really haven't changed that much. If anything, the clubs have gotten longer, the shafts have gotten stiffer, and we can swing it faster with more control. Back in the day, the shafts were a little more flexible, and LA Golf Shafts has provided me with a shaft that's super stiff, super stable and allowed me to swing at the speeds while retaining the same control with the face.

Yeah, it's a lot of work on my end, too, to gain strength and to swing it hard, to train. It's a lot of hard work. People don't realize how hard I've worked to get here. It's been working out for at least an hour every single day for the past five, six months, fixing my body when it breaks down. I have to go, okay, I've got to go fix my body and work out and train in the right way to be able to tolerate all these forces going through my body and out of my body.

So in regards to whoever is saying we're going to have to look at equipment, I've got no problem. I'm, again, just going to look at my game and how I can improve it in the best way possible, no matter if they roll the ball back there's still going to be a percentage difference. Even if it gets rolled back there's still going to be a gap. Whether it's closer now, it is what it is. I'm not really worried about it. I'm just going to keep trying to make those athletic gains so that I can be the best golfer that I can possibly be.
My amusement comes from the widely varying reactions to these comments in the golfing press.  I myself have deliberately avoided the video, but here's Shack's reaction:
How refreshing to see Bryson DeChambeau tackle a question about distance, equipment rules changes and Martin Slumbers’ recent remarks with both class and wisdom. 
Many players might bristle or give signs of a narcissistic blow. Mercifully, DeChambeau is confident that the recent advantage he’s gained would likely remain if the governing bodies ever did something to lessen the role of technology over skill. He seems fine with any rule change and willing to take responsibility for adjusting to the rules. Many a lesser man would have taken all of this personally.
I must admit that that's how I took Bryson's comments, though given that I first read them on Geoff's blog, it would be fair to ask whether my opinion had been influenced by Geoff's.  Hey, all evidence aside, I'm only human and I;m genetically-predisposed to agree with the guy, except when he's in pandemic panic mode.

But where we see resolve and acceptance, this writer (or perhaps only the headline writer sees something else entirely:
With golf leaders again talking about rollbacks on distance, a steadfast Bryson DeChambeau retorts, 'They can't take working out away from me"
Given that they've closed virtually every gym in the country, I wouldn't get cocky.

Though, while you'd think it would be obvious, the point perhaps needs to made that under any regulatory regime, Bryson would still be longer than the other guys.  He is simply generating more clubhead speed, and at the same time hitting it amazingly straight, and that advantage doesn't evaporate with a rolled-back golf ball or any other changes contemplated.

Some additional notes that relate, including this guy going his own way:
That seems wise to me, as DJ has one of those perfect golf bodies...  Why?
This is an interesting piece well worth your time, as it makes the following counter-intuitive argument:
Through a variety of hands-on techniques, Roskopf helped DeChambeau reduce muscle tightness and pain, and once the activation was body-wide, there was a solid biomechanical foundation in place. That meant DeChambeau could start adding muscle in earnest. “He’s stronger now through greater ranges of motion,” said Roskopf, “and he’s gained clubhead speed and ball speed. His flexibility has actually improved since he first came to me in 2016.”

For Roskopf, that’s the key component. DeChambeau can add strength and mass all he wants now—he’s mentioned getting as high as 270 pounds—as long as flexibility isn’t sacrificed. There’s no longer a worry about any underlying physical problems. They’ve already “melted the ice.”

Got it, the ice has melted.  Greater strength combined with greater flexibility is the Holy Grail...  though I'd still skeptically add that time will tell whether his skeleton can support this over the long term.

Lastly on this topic is this:
Now the world No. 7 DeChambeau gets his toughest test. He’ll have to step up his game as the Memorial has nine of the top-10 and 18 of the top-20 players in the world in the field. And the course features gnarly, thick rough; firm greens; quick fairways; and rows of dense trees. 
DeChambeau said bring it on. Plus, he’s won here before – in 2018 – though that was some 50-60 pounds ago.
Thus far, his golf ball has enjoyed the aerial view down on those rows of dense trees, so not sure why this week would be any different.  Plus he's been hitting a ton of fairways, so I'm thinking that we'll need to get lucky with the weather for the course to play #firmandfast.  This doesn't smell like it'll work out for us:


I'm thinking that they'll need to give the course lots of water, so bombs away.

Dateline: Mamaroneck, NY - Jay Monahan apparently get the memo about staying in his own lane, and offered this up on an event he doesn't even control:
JAY MONAHAN: You know, obviously we've canceled -- we're not going to have spectators and we're not going to have pro-ams through the TOUR Championship in
Atlanta. Right now you look at the PGA TOUR schedule, the next event up is the U.S. Open, and I know that the USGA continues to work with the state of New York and is making plans to return fans. If I had to guess, that would be the first week that we would do so.

I think to give a little more texture to your question, we're spending a lot of time in each of the subsequent tournaments or each of the tournaments in the fall working on a number of different ways to stage the event, which includes full capacity, partial capacity, and obviously the way that we're operating now, which is no spectators, and that will be largely dependent on what we hear from the communities where we play.
 What is this "We" you speak of?

As I noted above, it doesn't take our Geoff much to go into "We're all gonna die" mode:
As noted yesterday, New York’s newly imposed quarantine restrictions on visitors from pretty much any place with a population seem like a bigger issue for mid-September’s rescheduled U.S. Open at Winged Foot. That said, even a small crowd would make a huge difference in giving the event a major championship field—if safe to do so. Oh, and help move some 2020 merch.
Two months is an eternity, but I had though that the USGA had thrown in the towel on spectators.  It does seem unlikely in the present moment, but I'm glad if they're still trying.

But since Geoff mentioned merchandising, did you catch this?
Back to you, Mr. Slumbers... Will 2021 Open Championship merchandise carry the 2020 date?  If not, anyone that scored some early swag will have quite the collectors' item.

Tiger, Delayed -  Since the reboot, folks have been wondering when we would see the Striped One.  Your humble correspondent did admittedly surrender for a brief moment to the Harbor Town Head Fake, but the answer was always self-evident.  Tiger would play where Tiger always plays...

But see what you think of his explanation:
“I just felt it was better to stay at home and be safe,” he said. “I’m used to playing with
lots of people around me or having lots of people have a direct line to me, and that puts not only myself in danger but my friends and family, and just been at home practicing and social distancing and being away from a lot of people.”

“I’m used to having so many people around me or even touch me, going from green to tee,” Tiger said. “That’s something that I looked at and said, well, I’m really not quite comfortable with that, that whole idea. Let’s see how it plays out first and let’s see how the Tour has played out, how they’ve started, and I feel that I’m comfortable enough to come back out here and play again, and I’m excited to do it.”
What the hell?  Maybe this made more sense in the original Cablinasian, but this was an opportunity to play without the crowds impinging his personal space.

The real answer is that he didn't play because he didn't want to play.  Forget any sense of obligation to the Tour, tournament sponsors or anyone not named Tiger...  The sad part is that he could have helped an event or two and he would have enjoyed the low-key atmosphere, but I'm sure he gave it little serious consideration.

For those with a Tiger Jones, he goes at 1:17 p.m. off the first tee, which means that he'll dominate the Golf Channel coverage window.  Of course, paired with Rory and Brooksie, his group will rarely be off-camera.

Checking In On The Ladies - The gals have been hardest hit for sure, but plans are afoot to get back to business:
The LPGA Tour’s long wait to restart is finally, almost, over. The LPGA Drive On Championship, set for July 31-Aug. 2 in Toledo, Ohio, will be the first LPGA event played since February. To get ready, Commissioner Mike Whan and his team took cues
from what the PGA Tour has done in its five weeks back. On Wednesday, Whan said collaboration with the PGA Tour has been consistent and valuable to the LPGA’s restart.

The PGA Tour has not staged pro-ams since its return, but they are the financial lifeblood of the LPGA. So, the tour is planning on having them, and the first will be at the Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio, the second event of the LPGA restart.

On that Tuesday, there will be an off-site pro-am at Inverness—the site of the Drive On Championship being held a week prior—and then a pro-am on-site at Highland Meadows on Wednesday. Amateurs playing in pro-ams will be tested before coming on-site to play. The formats will also change: no more scrambles, with the goal being to keep three amateur players and an LPGA Tour player from congregating at one spot, for every shot. To reduce the number of people present, amateurs aren’t allowed to have caddies and ride in carts. The LPGA players will walk.
Making them play their own balls might be a human rights issue, but there could be no LPGA events without the Pro-Ams.  But you also see the logic failures, as if it's safe for the professionals to walk with a caddie, why not the paying customers?  I get that they'll skew older, but as long as they're all tested...

But how about this as Sign O' the Times?
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., July 15, 2020 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) today announced that Cambia Health Solutions has been named its Official Mask Partner. As the world’s leading female professional golfers return to play following an extended shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambia Health Solutions is helping to promote the health and safety of this year’s competition by providing face masks to players, caddies and staff across the LPGA and Symetra Tours. 
The use of cloth face coverings is recommended by the CDC when in public settings to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, along with other preventive measures, including social distancing, frequent handwashing, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently handled surfaces.
Of course, I'm old enough to remember when the CDC assured us that Masks provided no public health benefit...  I'm sure they got it right with one of those.


No, Next Question -  Mikey Bams with this provocative question:

I'm not sure "complicated" is the right word here, as Mike makes the relevant point:
Gary Purdum of the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C., wrote to say that “if we want to go to no rakes, I think we need to rethink the type of sand we put in bunkers. We’d need heavy coarse stuff that packs well, not bright, white, fluffy powder.”
I'm basically in Mike's corner on the larger issue that bunkers have ceased to be as hazardous, a word removed from our golf lexicon, as they should be.  But now is an awkward time to be suggesting that every golf course should replace their bunker sand.

We at Fairview might well have found the model for the golf world.  As I've noted, we rebuilt all our bunkers over the winter and obviously put in new sand.  However, with an under-sized maintenance crew all season, the new bunkers have not gotten the attention they need, and the sand has not fully compacted.  I'm getting lots of practice given how many balls are failing to leave the bunker on my first attempt...

The result is that our bunkers are tormenting our members, your humble blogger very much included.  I've always considered myself a fine bunker player, but at the present moment they have me quite whipped, and I consciously play away from them.  Isn't that what Mike is going for?


 Ready For Its Close-Up - If you're prone to jealousy, you might want to avoid this drone footage of all 18 holes at Cypress Point.  I'd call Cypress the best golf course you'll never play though that understates the case.  It's actually the best three courses you'll never play, as it features distinct parkland, dunes and oceanfront stretches of holes.


As you likely know, I was lucky enough to play Cypress twice in the 1980's, though that was long before I was enough of a golfer to appreciate it.  The drone footage can be seen here, I'll just torment you with some of the accompanying photos:


There are no captions, though that looks to me to be the tenth hole (but please, these are thirty-year old memories).

This is quite obviously the famous 16th green:


One of the most famous holes in all of golf, which likely wouldn't exist if not for Marion Hollins.

I need to get back there somehow, though the chances of that seem to be evaporating.

That 90's Show - The Backspin is gearhead central at Golf Magazine, and Jonathan Wall and Andrew Turskey have come up with quite the fun premise.  They are watching and commenting on some 1990's golf club infomercials, and you should click through and watch, if only to see the unintentionally hilarious infomercials.

First up, do you remember the Alien Wedge?  I actually remember this one, though it looks just as well, alien, upon further review.  As the guys make clear, the premise of the club, higher bounce, as proven out over the long haul.  Of course the sales pitch is that club will do anything, which had me a little puzzled as to how that extra bounce would be helpful playing of a cart path.

The Hammer X Driver I don't recall, but I assume the infomercial with its shots of the space shuttle logically came after the Challenger disaster...curious that, no?

They are quite amusing, and props to the guys for a fun series.

A perfect item on which to exit.  I'm supposed to play golf tomorrow, though the weather forecast is somewhat iffy.  So, I've no clue as to whether you should expect content here, but you might as well stop by to check.  No sense taking chances on missing anything critical.





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