Monday, March 15, 2021

Weekend Wrap - Players Championship Edition

I hope Texas is taking notes, because Florida has really been delivering the goods.  We'll just skim the surface this week at the Honda, saving our strength for March Match-Play Madness.

The Fifth of Four - It's a great event, though I take far too much enjoyment from the fact that it isn't quite what Kubla Jay and his minions need or want it to be.  We'll start at the top, with the winner, though I'll excerpt this header without yet having read his premise:

Players 2021: Justin Thomas wins like Hogan, Lee Westwood's close miss and Bryson's topped shot for the ages

Not sure what he has here, but we've been trotting out the Hogan comparisons for his buddy Tiger...

JT’s Hogan-esque performance

Only six times in the Players history has a golfer hit all 18 greens in regulation at TPC Sawgrass. Thomas was on pace to do that Sunday before his final approach came up a couple of inches short.

He didn’t mind.

Thomas is a maestro with an iron in his hand, and he was all week, but especially so on Sunday. To lose more than two strokes putting on the field in the final round and still shoot a 68 speaks volumes about how good his ball-striking was.

While Thomas made nothing with the putter early, the good iron work finally paid off with the birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie run in the middle of his round. The only one of those red numbers that came from outside of seven feet was on the par-5 11th, where Thomas reached the green in two then sank a 19-footer.

“I really felt like as soon as I started on 1 tee, I just was in a zone and in a focus that I felt like I could make the ball do what I wanted with it, and it felt like I could hit the putts exactly how I wanted,” said Thomas, who hit 27 straight greens before coming up short on 18 on Sunday. “Yeah, it was nice to get in that little head space.”

Actually, if you heard his post-round interview, he very much did mind....  

Now, about that drive on the last hole?   Funny thing is that your humble blogger once hit an identical drive and got the same fortunate treatment.  Like JT, what saved me was that I hit it so purely, so that the ball held its line.  Here was JT's reaction:

Still, there were nervy moments coming down the stretch—a two-putt from 48 feet for birdie on 16, an anxious five-footer to save par on 17 after blasting his first putt from across the green by the hole, and a hooked 5-wood off the tee on 18 that somehow bounced straight up the fairway rather than into the water.

“I thought it was very 50/50 on if it was going to be dry or in the water,” Thomas said of his tee shot on 18. “The only thing I knew is that I just absolutely smoked it. Obviously the farther up you get the better chance you have, and I knew that if you’re able to kind of get that little like downslope that I did or that I kind of hit on, it can kind of get rolling. But I mean, that’s the kind of stuff that happens when you win tournaments.”

There's so many little hollows and hummocks, it's a miracle that nothing kicked the ball left...

JT has had a no-good, awful stretch in the public eye, as Mike Bamberger recounts:

You go from high school to college to the start of your career, riding your magic carpet. Man, it’s fun. Justin Thomas always looked like he was having a ball. Nicklaus said to him, “Call me
Jack.” Tiger and JT each call the other Princess. JT is in with the in crowd. The idea that golf can make you feel all alone was foreign to him. His father was around. His caddie, his girlfriend, his sponsors, his touring brothers.

And then came this year, when life came barreling in. That is, Justin Thomas’ grownup life. By most appearances (because appearance matters more in golf than in most things), Thomas kind of looked like his regular, confident self. But he wasn’t fooling himself. His mind was so cluttered he couldn’t do what he was born to do.

Thomas does not go to Riviera and play in Tiger’s tournament and miss the cut. But he did. Thomas does not collect a massive appearance fee to play in a tournament in Abu Dhabi and miss the cut. But that’s what he did. Thomas used a homophobic slur directed at himself and the veil was lifted. Turns out, he is not perfect. Tiger, Justin’s mentor and friend, crashed a vehicle and is living these days in a hospital room. Thomas knows — he must — that Tiger’s life is nothing like perfect. Thomas’ golf-pro grandfather died. You can’t freeze time.

Suddenly, the world beyond the PGA Tour was right in Thomas’ face, and it was messy. Golfers don’t like messy. The game is hard enough when everything is in its proper place.

Well, a portion of that larger world, and a portion most of us would be well-advised to ignore.  But I'm appreciative that Mike added the "directed at himself" part, because most are merely referencing that JT used a homophobic slur, which to me conveys something else entirely.   

Geoff was struck by some of the Augusta-ready shots Thomas trotted out:

As I noted here with the Masters in mind, seeing a notorious left-to-right player hit such distinct draws is one thing. Doing it under pressure on holes that give him fits may have been the final round highlight. (With a tip of the cap to the tracer.)

I'm always shocked they can move the modern ball that much.... I suspect we'll see that one on No. 10 at ANGC, so hold that thought. 

Shall we see what those Tour Confidential poseurs think?

1. Justin Thomas won the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, edging out Lee Westwood (yes, runner-up again!) by a stroke; Thomas, who now has 14 PGA Tour wins, played the weekend in 12 under par, a Players Championship record. What most struck you about his performance?

Zephyr Melton: How ridiculously hot Thomas can get. He was plodding along in neutral for most of the front nine, but one laser long iron on the 9th flipped a switch. That four-hole stretch

in five under catapulted him from three back to two ahead in what felt like an instant. Once Thomas gets cooking, he’s a force.

Josh Sens: That was a ball-striking clinic, obviously. But it was also a clinic that yielded pretty much nothing over the front nine. The patience Thomas showed while waiting for his putter to warm up was almost as impressive as the lasers he kept hitting.

Alan Bastable: I’m still thinking about his tee shots on 16 and 18. First the low, knuckling, stinger draw on 16: I’m not sure Thomas hit it quite on the screws, as David Feherty described it, but it was still a thrill to watch. The perfect shot shape for that hole. Then, my gosh, that drive on 18. Thomas smoked it, but it had no business staying dry. Thomas later called it a 50/50 ball — nope, it was more like a 20/80, maybe even a 10/90. If his Titleist doesn’t catch that little upslope in the fairway, it keeps veering left into the water, which could have quite easily cost him the tournament.

Jonathan Wall: Justin Thomas called it “probably one of the best rounds of my life, tee-to-green.” It’s almost impossible to disagree after he gained more than 12 shots on the field from tee to green for the week. Everyone knows Thomas for his swagger on the course and his ability to pull off incredible shots in crunch time, but he’s pound-for-pound one of the best ball-strikers on the planet. The entire week was a reminder that Thomas is nearly impossible to beat when he’s firing on all cylinders.

Michael Bamberger: The heart he showed in his play and in victory remarks. Growing up before our eyes.

Dylan Dethier:  His honesty about having to focus on his mental well-being in recent weeks. He spoke about “talking to people” in an effort to address the way he was feeling, and it sounded like taking that first step — reaching out to someone — was the most difficult part. Credit to him for sharing.

Well said, but all I can think about is Augusta...  Setting up quite nicely, methinks.

Now, about that Steve Sands interview...  I don't know, we've become a bit more of a confessional people than I like, but here's Mikey Bam's favorable take on it:

Steve Sands of NBC Sports, a superb interviewer, asked Thomas about his grandfather on Sunday
nigh. Holding back tears, Thomas said, “I wish he could have been here.”

Thomas has now seen death at close view. He surely knows that Tiger Woods is lucky to be alive. He knows like never before that words have power, the power to hurt and the power to heal. He surely knows that life’s not easy and it’s better that way.

The win was the 14th of his career and, alongside his 2017 PGA Championship win, his most meaningful.

“God-dang, man,” he told Sands after the interview. “Why’d you have to do that to me?”

It wasn’t Sands. It was this thing called life.

First, does anyone else find Steve Sands a "superb interviewer"?  A little treacly for my taste generally, but was this really necessary?  From my seat all he did was trigger a predictable emotional reaction, but is that reaction that Justin should have to share with a camera in his face?   And then, to make matters worse, Sands asked the same question (and really, not so much an actual question as just a Pavlovian trick to make them cry) to Mike Thomas....  Yeah, superb is absolutely the adjective that springs to mind.

As a segue into the also-rans, I do hope you tuned in early enough to see the carnage at No. 4.  No. 4 is typically considered a birdie hole, but not when you drive it like this:

Bryson DeChambeau hit a cold top and Lee Westwood a wild slice, sending Players into disarray

You can go months without seeing these guys hit shots this badly, but the two back-to-back were a jolt to the system, and it was obviously anyone's tournament after that.  Amusingly, neither of these was the worst shot of the day.  That honor goes to Brendon Todd:


Is ProTracer a gift from the gods, or what? 

As for the runner-up, the old guys need to conserve their energy:

Westwood runs out of gas

It took 17 holes, but Lee Westwood finally cracked.

First, knowing that he needed a birdie, he hit an average-at-best wedge to the middle of 17 green, 48 feet left of the flag. Then, he ran his first putt seven feet past. Finally, he missed the one coming back, too.

After making every putt inside 10 feet all day—many of which were to save par or to avoid
turning bogey into double—to keep his chances afloat, the player with a sometimes unfair rep of choking came up empty again when the pressure was at its zenith.

The truth is, though, Sunday was less about that moment on 17 as it was the holes before it when Westwood had continuously put himself in one bad spot after another, particularly on the par-5 second, where he inexplicably clipped a tree and found the water up the right side after trying to squeeze an iron off the pine straw. Then there was the one he fanned into a hazard on No. 4, where his driver face was wide open at impact.

Westwood will turn 48 next month, but he aged a little quicker on Sunday after being in contention in the final round for a second straight week.

“[Saturday] I felt like my legs were just starting to get a bit tired and weak, and today I just didn’t feel like I had my legs under me,” Westwood said. “I was hitting shots I don’t normally hit. The ones right off 2, 4, and 11 were poor shots. Couldn't quite find the strike.”

He didn’t sound too down about it, though: There’s always next week, which includes a trip up to Augusta National with his son Sam.

That's a veteran move to go to Augusta instead of the Honda. 

The TC panel had some thoughts as well: 

2. A week after battling Bryson DeChambeau down the stretch at Bay Hill, Westwood continued his fine form at Sawgrass, taking a two-shot lead into the final round before coming up just short. Regardless of what happens between now and September, has Westy already earned himself a spot on the 2021 European Ryder Cup team?

Melton: If he keeps this stellar play up going into the summer, I don’t think there’s an way he’s left off the team. Already a member of seven (!) winning European teams, Westy would be a terrific veteran presence on that squad.

Sens: Oh, he will be on that team. Book it.

Bastable: Oh, hell yeah. And send him out first, like William Wallace doing his thing. Westwood’s good form is no flash in the pan. He’s been golfing his ball beautifully for a long run now. Don’t forget, he won in Abu Dhabi early in 2020. Would be so fun to see him battling in Wisconsin — and who knows, maybe in Italy in 2023, too!

Italy?  I don't imagine he's quite locked it up yet, not that I've looked at the points standings.  Because of their two-tiered selection process, that International Points List is quite competitive, though he might now be ahead of Rory.

Wall: Padraig Harrington would be insane to leave him off. The team needs some veteran leadership and Westwood brings that and more to the table. He very well could earn a spot outright the way he’s playing.

Bamberger: You telling me there are 12 players more deserving than he? Not possible.

Dethier: He’s now back inside the top 20 in the world, which is incredible. Westwood’s entire approach has been aspirational the last two weeks, not only in the golf he has played but the way he has responded to coming so close and falling just short.

Wow, top twenty?  He's awfully close for sure... I'm still trying to get my head around the concept of a Ryder Cup Wag also looping...

The TC panel went off on some tangents for sure:

3. Whether or not the Players should be considered a major is not a debate we’ll settle in this forum, but here’s a related topic: Given the strength of field and toughness of the Stadium Course, where does the Players rank against the majors in terms of difficulty to win?

Sens: Two words. Craig Perks. Ok. A few more words. It’s an impressive title but you can’t compare it to the difficulty of winning a major because, well, a major isn’t on the line.

Josh, I've got three words to hollow out your deuce.  Andy North.  Twice.  See, anyone can play..... There's no such thing as a tournament that doesn't generate an embarrassing winner or two, it's just the nature of our game.   

Bastable: That sounds like the assessment of someone who’s never played 16, 17 and 18 on the Stadium Course with $2.7 million on the line! Look at Thomas on Sunday — he looked to be in total control, then almost blew it with one (solid!) swing on the 18th hole. Put another way: With a one-shot lead to protect, would you rather play 16, 17 and 18 at Augusta National, or the final three holes at Sawgrass? If you’re the nervy type, your answer is not likely to be the latter.

Melton: Above the PGA, but below all the rest. The U.S. Open is a brute each year, slipping on a green jacket requires nerves that not many mortals possess, and the Open is always a battle not only against the course, but the elements as well. Sawgrass’ finishing stretch (and fat paycheck) makes it a nervy Sunday, but still not quite on the level of the other three.

Wall: I’m with Z. It’s probably on the same line as the PGA Championship, but no way I’m ranking it above the Masters, U.S. Open or the Open Championship. It’s a great tournament on the schedule. Just feels wrong comparing the event and venue to the real four majors.

Bamberger: You can iron it to death. You don’t have to hit driver long and in play. It’s a different kind of test.

Dethier: Different test is right. It’s a testament to Thomas’ approach game that he won, and a testament to DeChambeau’s off-speed pitches that he contended. Statistically, there’s a certain randomness to contending at the Players that puts it in a different category in my mind — but everyone is playing the same course and there’s no question that the field is major in strength. It’s behind the majors, but it’s a hell of a show.

It is a different kind of test, but a good one for its kind.  But how amusing is it that none of them can acknowledge what's right in front of them, that the easiest to win is the Masters.  Once, that is, you have a tee time... But, to Dylan's point, give the nature of this test, it makes JT (and Bryson's) performance this week all the more impressive.

This one really doesn't warrant the rehashing:

4. Ahead of the Players, Bryson DeChambeau said he was thinking of playing the 18th at Sawgrass by hitting his tee shot left and into the adjacent 9th fairway, which would eliminate some of the difficulty of the water on the closing hole. The PGA Tour nixed it, making left of the lake internal out of bounds on 18. How likely are we to see more on-the-fly course setup decisions by the Tour to neutralize either DeChambeau’s distance or creativity?

Melton: It depends on whether or not Bryson tips his hand. If he had kept his strategy a secret, nothing would have stopped him from bombing the ball to the 9th all week.

Zephyr, you might want to Google "Lon Hinckle".  He seems to think that they couldn't designate the ninth internal OB during the tournament....  heh, that's a good one. 

Sens: Bryson learned from that. He won’t be letting his strategy slip in advance, so we won’t be seeing much prevent defense from the Tour. Likely none at all.

Wall: I still feel like this was an opportunity missed by the Tour to bring some additional eyeballs to the telecast during the week. Bryson is already cagey about changes he’s making to his gear and swing, so I’m hoping he keeps quiet and throws the Tour a couple massive curveballs along the way. Keep ‘em on their toes.

Bastable: Yeah, agree with Wall. Also, here’s the thing: No way that route makes the hole easier this week. First, hitting a tee shot over to 9 is no gimme. There’s a sizable tree that Bryson would have needed to negotiate. From there, he’d have faced a blind shot over corporate skyboxes to a green fronted by water. I’m not buying that’s an easier play than a wedge from the 18th fairway. So in short, yeah, it’s silly that the Tour banned the option. Will we see more of this? Yes, more than likely.

Bamberger: It’s fine for the course to be set-up as the architect meant it to be played.

Dethier: In general, in-course O.B. should be avoided at all costs. In this specific case, I was disappointed not to see DeChambeau tempted by the play in competition. Also, for safety reasons I understand why the Tour legislated the way they did. All three of those things can be true at the same time. I just hope Bryson keeps thinking outside the box and that we’re surprised when he plays diagonally at some point.

I'm surprised that Mike is so readily accepting of internal OB, as he'll see quite a lot of it going forward.

After meandering with those two subjects, the TC gang finally heads in a more anticipated direction.  To wit, Mr. McIlroy:

5. After missing the cut by 10 shots at the Players, Rory McIlroy gave a startlingly candid answer when asked what has most frustrated him about his recent struggles. In short, McIlroy said it’s the fact that his problems have stemmed from trying to add speed to keep up with a certain long bomber. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t anything to do with what Bryson did at the U.S. Open,” he said. “I think a lot of people saw that and were like, ‘Whoa, if this is the way they’re going to set golf courses up in the future, it helps. It really helps.’” McIlroy added: “Probably like October of last year, I was doing a little bit of speed training, started getting sucked into that stuff, my swing got flat, long and too rotational.” How many other players at the top of the game — whether they’d admit or not — do you suppose have been influenced by DeChambeau to the degree that McIlroy has been?

Melton: More than we think. DeChambeau’s brand of play is dominating media discourse, and with fans back and clamoring to see the long ball, it will take tremendous discipline not to try to emulate him.

Sens: Agreed. Rory is no short knocker. The fact that even a bomber of his scale has been swayed by Bryson suggests speaks volumes. There have got to be many others out there like him, whether they can muster Rory’s honesty or not.

Wall: Plenty! Just look at the players who’ve started using graphite shafts in their irons and putter. These gear accessories were almost non-existent before DeChambeau came along. Hell, he merely hinted about bringing a 47- or 48-inch driver to the Masters and players started testing both lengths in droves. He’s a major influence on Tour, from an equipment perspective, whether players want to admit it or not.

Bastable: Oh, Rory! Have to say, his remarks left me mystified. One of the greatest drivers the game has ever known felt compelled to pop open the hood and move around parts to keep up with a guy with three fewer majors titles? Hard to figure. Rory doesn’t need more distance, just more consistency. Are others similarly influenced? No doubt. But I can guarantee you there’s at least one player who’s not: Dustin Johnson.

Bamberger: I doubt many at all. Bryson’s length gain came by changing his body. How many would want to do that or could, to anything like that degree?

Dethier: Bryson has affected plenty of players, but many of them just on the margins. McIlroy hits it so far that he seemed resistant to ceding the distance title to DeChambeau, but for golfers like Justin Thomas or Paul Casey, who hit it far but not the farthest, keeping up with Bryson is unattainable, so they can chase speed on their own agenda. Hopefully McIlroy gets back to becoming the best golf version of himself.

This broke after Rory's missed cut on Friday, so I've not had a chance to blog it yet.  But the split verdict among the Confidentilistas is indeed interesting.

 But if Rory doesn't arrange for adult supervision soon, he can kiss his career bye-bye.  This is the very definition of madness, as every one of us knows that Rory is plenty long.  They're always trying to get better, which means longer, but at the margins.  That he could have messed up his swing chasing after a shiny object is just maddening and oh so typical for the guy.

The defects in his game, however, manifest from 150 yards and in.  There he demonstrates little ability, or even interest, in fixing.  But I have to give credit where due... Having the best driver of the ball in the game screw up his swing trying for more might mean we've hit peak Rory.

6. The island-green par-3 17th at Sawgrass wreaked havoc, as it so often does, at this Players; in the first round alone, the hole sunk 35 tee shots, Byeong Hun An made an 11 and one group of three when 3-for-3 with water balls. Put on your designer cap and give us an architectural tweak that would make the hole even better.

Melton: Take away the walkway behind the green and make it a true island green. “Peninsula green” is a more accurate description as things stand now.

Bamberger: That’s great, Z. With you!

And the players get to the green how?  Perhaps a little putt-putt?

Sens: Look back at some older clips. Even from Tiger’s better-than-most putt. There used to be a wider collar and taller grass fringing the green. I’d bring that back. A number of reasonably good shots this week trickled right through that firm apron. Or rolled straight off the back. It would be fairer and more interesting to see those shots hang up on the edge and require a chip rather than a third from the drop zone.

I definitely had this thought on Thursday, when ball you thought had come to stop ended up in the ditch.  But I'm not sure folks actually want less chaos...Not actually sure that I do.

Wall: Add an additional tee box that forces players to take an entirely different angle to attack the green. I’m all for adding some fresh chaos to one of the best holes on Tour.

Isn't that exactly the logic of the drop zone?

Bastable: Water hazard in the middle of the green. Call it The Donut.

Dethier: Make the tee box an island, too. That shot should feel as isolating as possible.

If we're being silly, a bunker in the middle would work as well, since each bunker shot would necessarily be towards the water...  

Just a couple more items, then I'm heading for the exit.  My favorite times are invariably those when the quiet part gets said out loud.  Now, perhaps JT might beg to differ, but the improvement in audio capture is one of the best parts of a golf broadcast, and adds to our understanding of what goes on out there.  I'll also note that there was a specific warning to the players ahead of this week:

“REMINDER—Every shot will be captured and transmitted live this week through PGA Tour Live. Be mindful of what you say and do on course. Thanks.”

So, those microphones caught Jordan Spieth on the 11th tee:

Jordan Spieth had both a good day and not-so-good day on Saturday. He signed for 68 during the
third round of the Players Championship. Good. His private commentary on the tee of the par-5 11th at TPC Sawgrass, picked up by a boom mic, reached a level of candor that was high even for him. Not so good.

The comments came when he hit into the golfer in front of him, Rory Sabbatini, standing on the right side of the 11th fairway, preparing to play his second shot. As best you can see on the video of the shot, Spieth’s tee shot struck a tree, ricocheted left and nearly beaned Sabbatini, a famously fast-playing and outspoken veteran golfer from South Africa.

As best you can hear on the video, somebody, likely Spieth, offers a full-throated “Fore right!” After a little back-and-forth chat on the tee, Spieth says, “Is that Sabbatini? Oh, God. I couldn’t pick a worse person to hit into.”

Excuse me, Jordan.  That's the world's preeminent Slovakian golfer you just beaned, and there's gonna be repercussions...

Seriously, this is spit-take funny, but rather than rely on your humble blogger, let's let Mike tell us why:

The observation was funny because it was true. Also, because it narrowed the divide between them and us. Who among us hasn’t done and said something right along the same lines?

So, Sabbatini was the worst guy to hit into ?  Care to share with us why?  Well, some of us do know... Remember, this was the guy you looked for to identify the USGA's a******e group.

But that last bit Mike was good as well, and I do agree with it.  I agree so much with it that I'll just note that the same could be said about JT's remark as well.  

Last item for the day is the King's abdication:

No. 1-ranked Dustin Johnson said Saturday that he will not participate in the men's Olympic golf tournament in Tokyo this summer.

Citing the hectic schedule that surrounds this year's Summer Games, postponed from 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Johnson -- the reigning FedEx Cup champion -- said he prefers to concentrate on the PGA Tour.

"It's right in the middle of a big stretch of golf for me, so that was the reason I was kind of waffling on it a little bit,'' Johnson said from the Players Championship, where he is out of contention. "It's a long way to travel, and I think the WGC [World Golf Championship event] is the week right after it. The British is a couple weeks before.

"It's a lot of traveling at a time where it's important to feel like I'm focused playing on the PGA Tour.''

We had the same schedule last year, and DJ had planned to skip it for the same reasons, so none should be surprised.  Olympic Golf is not a serious event, so we shouldn't be surprised when players don't treat it as important...

But this from Brandel is just first class BS:

If I were a player, this is the kind of crap from the media that I'd not take lying down.   I would ask Brandel how many such obligations exist, and whether this one is a higher priority than the Ryder Cup?

But Brandel should lose the moralizing tone, and just take comfort in the fact that DJ will be in Memphis in August, which methinks is sufficient punishment for his lack of patriotism.

I'll see you all down the road....Have a great week.

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