Were we not entertained? Just a couple of weeks ago Golf.com's Dylan Dethier was extolling the chaos of Concession... Oops, forgive me, The Concession, so one assumes he parked himself at No. 17 yesterday.
Before we go there...
I love this cold open, in that it reminds me of George Costanza epic tale of marine biologist redemption, which of course begins with, "The sea, she was angry....":
Welcome to the 2021 Players Championship. Hopefully, you brought enough golf balls.The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was playing angry on Thursday, collecting golf balls like it was trying to make up last year’s lost tournament. No one was safe as the scoring average of nearly two over par was the highest opening round in 14 years. And we mean no one.
They do sell golf balls in the pro shop, so no worries...
Amusingly, this guy might be best remembered for an iconic 17th hole meltdown, but he has as good a record on this track as anyone:
Sergio Garcia is still the King of TPC SawgrassThis is the most unpredictable golf tournament on the calendar—unless you’re betting on Sergio Garcia getting into the mix at some point. The 2008 Players champ made two eagles on his way to an opening 65 to grab a two-shot lead on Brian Harman. Garcia looks like he’ll have no problem making the cut here for a 17th straight time and the 19th time in 21 tries, an amazing accomplishment when you see some of the Jekyll-and-Hyde performances of other stars through the years. It’s no wonder that with another high finish, Sergio can overtake Tiger Woods for the most Official World Golf Ranking points earned in the event’s history.
The only thing that almost stopped Sergio was him nearly being late for his tee time after misjudging the time. But after how things turned out, he may want to try jogging before every opening tee shot. We know the guy enjoys running on a golf course.
So, what else was of interest? I'm thinking about a Patrick Reed-Viktor Hovland singles pairing at Whistling Straights:
Viktor Hovland is the most honest man in golfWell, he’s up there, at least, after calling a penalty on himself after his first round had concluded. What was the rules infraction? The ol’ moving your ball in the wrong direction when you’re trying to move it back on the green after moving out of the line for a playing partner. And it’s aTWO-stroke penalty!Just brutal. But what a stand-up guy, huh? Crazy enough, this turned out to be his second rules imbroglio of the day. Love that word, imbroglio. And I feel like it’s only used with rules stuff. Imbroglio! As fun as using that word is, though, actually being involved in a rules imbroglio is not so fun.And yet, through all that, Hovland still shot even par. And he handled himself with total class. As if we needed another reason to root for the current Golf Digest cover boy. Keep doing what you’re doing, Viktor. But yeah, you probably want to avoid any more rules imbroglios if you want to win this week.
Well, imbroglio is good, though I've personally always been draw to kerfuffle. Feel free to use either...Although to be fair, I'm not sure either quite fits in these two cases. The first case is curious just because of the confusion sewn by a rules official:
Hovland found the fairway at the 11th, leaving himself with 258 yards to the pin. He then proceeded to hit “a thin little heel shot” into the water right of the green. That’s when things got a bit messy.
Neither Hovland nor his playing partners, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay, knew for certain if the ball crossed the hazard before going in the water. If it didn’t, Hovland would have to drop back in front of the water and hit a full iron. If it did, he’d have a short wedge shot. That’s when a rules official stepped in and, according to Hovland, told him that he heard on his radio that it looked like the ball hit one of the wood planks surrounding the penalty area, and therefore did not cross. Hovland didn’t agree, but since no one was absolutely sure, including Thomas, they had to go with that ruling.
You have to first laugh at this, because we have this problem every day of the week. They don't because there's a million people out there telling them what they saw.... Except, there's a teensy-weensy problem, shades of Patrick at Torrey, because these eyewitness accounts turn out to be fake news:
Not surprisingly, Hovland accepted the worst situation possible without only a minor fight. Turns out, he didn’t need one, as someone with “PGA Tour Live” got the attention of the official stating they had video evidence of Hovland’s ball hitting the grass and crossing the hazard. Case solved.
First, have we not had enough erroneous reports like this? But we're at an event that has been publicly beating their chest that, on that very day, every single human being on the planet can watch every single shot being struck at Sawgrass. So, Mr. Rules Official with a fancy walkie-talkie? Why would you think we car what some unidentified voice on your channel thinks he saw? And has anyone gone to that guy or gal and told them to keep their trap shut next time?
Forgive a slight digression, but is this progress? Just a reminder that JT has articulated the theory that he is allowed under the rules of golf to run to his ball and play it before his playing partners can mark their balls on the green in order to use them as a backstop:
“Once we were able to see it on TV to have some kind of confirmation, then everyone was OK with it,” Thomas said. “I don’t feel comfortable just saying, Yeah, you’re good, just to say it, you know what I mean? We all want to protect the field out here, and everyone’s going to do the right thing, and Viktor would definitely do the right thing. But I didn’t see enough to be able to say yes it did or didn’t.”
JT, do I have this right? You understand your obligation to protect the field from Norwegians, but not necessarily from yourself? Actually, maybe JT should play Viktor in singles. Mind you, I don't actually have any real problem with JT, though he and others of his generation have shown an odd blind spot on the backstopping thing.
On the second incident, the one that cost him two strokes, I want to make clear that only one person on the planet realized it had happened:
After Hovland completed his round, it came to light that the young Norwegian had yet another rules snafu just four holes later on the 15th. Hovland self-reported that he had failed to replace his ball marker after moving it to get out of playing partner Justin Thomas’ line. Instead of moving it back to the original spot, he moved it another putterhead length in the opposite direction.
Hovland obviously earns our trust, though am I the only than thinks this self-reporting of penalties has entered the travesty stage?
Steve Stricker had a pretty good day, no? Actually, I'd suggest it was a staggeringly good day, at least for a guy that woke up in.....Naples:
Steve Stricker doesn’t need much time to prepThe 54-year-old wasn’t even in Ponte Vedra Beach on Thursday morning, but after Justin Rose’slate WD—and thanks to Rose having an afternoon tee time—Stricker was able to take a last-minute flight to get to TPC Sawgrass on time. His experience at the Pete Dye course paid off as Stricker shot an opening 70 to find himself in a tie for 12th place when play was suspended due to darkness.
Oddly enough, Stricker has never won a PGA Tour event in Florida, something I asked him about at this very event a few years ago. Not surprisingly, he didn’t like that question too much. Anyway, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain has another chance to end that Sunshine State drought, and so far, so good. He even had no problem with No. 17, rolling in a 15-footer for birdie. As for the rest of the field on the infamous par 3? Well, not so much …
Hold that thought on No. 17....
Oh, the inhumanity! Man, was there some carnage.... None perhaps more shocking than this guy, though I've been unable to confirm that all sharp objects have been removed from his rental home:
There were shades of Royal Portrush. And if you're familiar with his start at the 2019 Open Championship, that's not a good thing.
Rory McIlroy last lifted the Players Championship trophy here in 2019, so he is technically the defending champion. And his title defense couldn't have started much worse.
McIlroy's opening-nine 43 at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday was the ugly result of double-bogeying his first hole of the day (No. 10) and making a quadruple bogey on 18. He'd go on to shoot an ugly first-round 7-over 79.
The four-time major champion hasn’t been right since the tour restarted after the COVID-19 hiatus, which started here with the cancellation of the Players Championship after one round. Rory has struggled to combat a violent pull-hook left miss recently. It happened twice last week at Bay Hill, when he hooked two into the water on No. 6 on Sunday. It happened again, twice, on 18 at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday. He double-crossed his tee ball into the drink, then took a drop, then sent his approach into the drink. Another drop. He then found the green and proceeded to three-putt from 60 feet.
His play on 18 does evoke Bay Hill No. 6 from last Sunday, though the accompanying photo reminds more of the 10th hole at Augusta... But it's hard to argue against the Portrush reference, as Rory is saving his worst golf for the moments when he wants it the most.
Not that this is new data, but does Rory have Brad Faxon's cell number?
It wasn't just the ball-striking, though for the Northern Irishman. McIlroy had 34 putts on Thursday, and he finished his round losing 3.895 strokes/putting.
This deeper dive has other alarming metrics:
This season, McIlroy’s iron play, usually a strength, has been poor. His strokes gained/approachis the worst it has been in any of the last five years. Breaking it down further, his proximity to the hole ranks 170th on tour, at 38 feet, 9 inches. To put that in perspective, when McIlroy won four times in 2019 he was, on average, four feet closer to the hole and ranked 29th on tour in the statistic.Getting even more granular, there are also some alarming numbers when it comes to McIlroy’s short game. From 125-150 yards, he ranks 174th and from 50-125 yards he’s 137th. His scrambling hasn’t been sharp either, with McIlroy getting up and down 59.1 percent of the time, good for just 114th on tour.
He is quite the hot mess... and with the clock ticking inexorably towards Augusta Daylight Time.
Other carnage featured names that figured in pre-tourney handicapping, including Tony Finau (78), Xander Schauffele (76) and defending champion (we kid) Hideki Matsuyama (76). It's a bit of a cheap shot to see how headers age, but this from Wednesday was ill-advised for sure:
Rickie Fowler looks to break out of slump, 'be patient' at Players Championship
Rickie shot a patient 77, leading one to assume he'll soon be an inpatient.
Shall we dive into No. 17? First, a precis of the carnage:
Late in the first round of the Players Championship (play was suspended by darkness), 35 balls had found the water surrounding the 17th. It is the second-most single-day total in thetournament's history, with the ugliest number being 50 in the first round of 2007.
At the end of the day, the 17th was playing well over par (3.33) and as the second-toughest hole on the course, behind only the perenially difficult 18th. Only 63.45 percent of the field had hit the green in regulation, with some missses that didn't go into the water having trickled dangerously into the rough or onto the runway that serves as a walkway to the green.
First, I'm surprised with that many balls in the water that the scoring average was only 1/3 stroke over par. But have you ever seen that many balls on the walkway? Obviously a brutal hole location with a super hard green.
The guys inevitably felt that this green reacted differently than others on the course:
But several golfers suggested that the 17th green, which was redone this summer, is firmer than the rest. That conditioning, they said, likely contributed to the number of balls that landed on the green and ended up in the water long.
“Seventeen’s definitely firmer,” said Gary Woodland. “And that back pin, that’s just — it’s back there again tomorrow, too. It’s tough. But that green is definitely firmer than the rest of them.”
Justin Thomas landed his wedge shot pin-high only to watch it bounce into the water.
“It played really, really short,” he said. “I mean, that green is substantially firmer than the rest of them, I would say. I had a 5-iron on 2 today that rolled out probably eight paces and then I had a pitching wedge on that hole that rolled out like six. So that, it doesn’t add up, and they were very consistent over the course except for that hole.”
You don't land it pin-high to THAT pin under any conditions. Better, I think, to just aim for the middle of the green and deal with your 40-footer....
Some of the meltdowns are worthy of closer inspection. Paul Casey had this double-dip (a second George Costanza reference for the observant):
Before the 17th ➡️ T4
After the 17th ➡️ T54
Paul Casey finishes the hole with a quad. pic.twitter.com/DGPhGt9BQn
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 11, 2021
And this guy had a world-class quintuple:
Kevin Na also added an 8 in particularly dramatic fashion: He hit three balls in the water, his fourth attempt hung up on the edge of the rough and then he chipped that in to avoid double digits. Na did avoid officially posting a big number; he promptly withdrew on his way ’round the turn, citing a back injury.
Three balls in the water? I say wow, but Ben an says, "Hold my beer":
Tag a buddy who would card an 11 on No. 17. pic.twitter.com/ywPC1AKuzW
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 11, 2021
Na and An? Dylan picks up on that coincidence:
If you take Na and flip it around, you get “An.” That’s sometimes called a semordnilap — when one name reversed makes another. Ben An made 11 at No. 17. That’s called an octuple-bogey. But while Na followed his big number with a WD, An followed his with an admirable sense of humor.
That's a new concept to me, but Eamon Lynch mistakenly called it a palindrome just last week:
A palindromic pairing at Bay Hill. pic.twitter.com/ADjnBkNvXy
— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) March 6, 2021
Hope you realize the error of your ways, Eamon.
Did you notice something in the Case and An videos? There was a bit of a split verdict among the players that found water as to where to play from next. Though unanimity in the broadcast booth:
“If I ever hit it in the water, I would always just re-tee,” Azinger said.
“You’re hitting a good full shot from the tee,” Leonard said.
When Fleetwood found the water on his tee shot later in the day and opted to re-tee, Azinger expanded on his reasoning:
“I like this decision. With the pin where it is, the angle from the drop zone is terrible.” Azinger said. “And you just hit the shot so you know what you did wrong.”
I certainly don't love the angle to that pin from the drop zone, but what do the data say?
On paper, the numbers are on the drop zone’s side.
The distance from there to the pin is only 83 yards. From between 75 and 100 yards, the PGA Tour’s GIR average is more than 79 percent, with an average proximity of about 17 feet. But, of course, context matters, and Azinger’s right: The angle from drop zone to pin here really is terrible and has no room for error short, left or long. That said, the decision to use the drop zone itself is as much the issue as choosing the line to take. That’s why my advice would be, if you just dunked one in the water on 17, go up to the drop zone and don’t get cute with that pin. Forget about the flag; pitch it somewhere below the hole and try to make the putt.
Not actually the numbers I was anticipating. How hard would it be to take the players that rinsed one, and tally the average score for those re-teeing vs. those using the drop zone? Too hard, apparently, for our golf media....
I can tell you from personal experience that the look from that drop zone is really awkward...
A few other odds and ends before we wish you a good weekend. Folks are predictably still reliving last year's events, including this Zephyr Melton rehash. It leads with Kubla Jay's Squawkbox appearance, and mostly elides the indecision and vacillation the Tour's leadership demonstrated. Perhaps the most striking part in hindsight is how normal everything was in the early part of the week, as evidenced by this photo:
The next morning, Monahan held one final press conference for the week as he outlined what went into the decision to finally shutter the Tour’s marquee event. If he looked tired on Thursday, he looked exhausted on Friday. It had no doubt been one of the most hectic weeks of Monahan’s life, and this was the last opportunity he had to speak directly to the media.
“We’re obviously incredibly disappointed to suspend the PGA Tour’s season for our players and our fans,” he said. “I’ve said all along, the health and safety of everyone associated with this organization is our No. 1 priority. We tried to be as thoughtful and measured as possible during this dynamic and challenging time. We took all the steps within our control and felt comfortable proceeding.”
Got that, plebes? The Commish ain't worried about you, and you should factor that in to your arrangements.
You're Not Very Bright. I Like That in a Man.... Whether it's tempting the Lords of Augusta or threatening the Global Home, why are you telling us this?
After Round 1, DeChambeau said was mildly dismayed but made it clear he was at peace with the ruling.
“I understand it,” he said. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. Knowing that now, I won’t ever say any lines that I’m taking anymore. But that’s okay. I understand it.”
He did the same about the 13th at Augusta, so we'll see how that one plays out. But Lon Hinkle didn't do no bragging, he just took the line he wanted.
Of course, he hit an iron off the 18th tee. When you can do that, why would you consider a 310-yard forced carry? Yup, say it all at once class, "Because he can".
One last Bryson bit of no real relevance. But kids, be nice on Twitter, yanno, just because:
i'm pretty sure bryson could say the same about you https://t.co/0wWIXH0IHd
— James Corrigan (@jcorrigangolf) March 8, 2021
Heh.
I neglected to blog this story for no particular reason, but the header tells us all we need to know:
Brooks Koepka's knee injury puts Masters start in doubt
Oddly it's his right knee this time, but he gives evidence of being one of those guys that just can't stay healthy, so adjust your fantasy rosters accordingly.
Just to make matters worse, Robert Gamez is going the loud and proud route:
I shot 92 on the PGA Tour last week. Here’s why it won’t keep me down
Shame is a very useful emotion, and removing it from public life is not to our benefit. Who thought such a piece was to his credit is a mystery, as we really shouldn't be encouraging this kind of behavior. But Robert has a little cry over this bit, to which the rest of us respond, Thank God:
I am sad about one thing, though: I’ll likely never get another chance to play Bay Hill in tournament competition.
You see, the Tour has a new rule that states in order for players to compete in a specific event —
including past champions — they must maintain a scoring average no worse than three strokes higher than the field’s scoring average for the year. I found out in an email I received from the Tour on Tuesday, moments before I was to play a practice round, that this rule would apply to next year’s tournament.
I proceeded to shoot 79 on the first day, which included a 35-foot birdie putt on 18. Then came the 92. I missed the cut by a mile and declined to sign my scorecard. Why? Easy. I didn’t want the Tour to use that score against me. Yes, my first-round 79 will put me way over the scoring-average limit to earn an invitation back to Bay Hill in 2022, but I didn’t want my average to be any higher than that. I guess it was a protest of sorts, a futile attempt to keep my invite to a tournament I deeply love.
Robert feels that he should be allowed to shoot 92 and still be in the field next year. Robert Friggin' Gamez has been made to feel entitled to a spot in this field because of a lucky shot 31 years ago... Is that not a warning shot across the bow on these past champion exemptions?
Please go away.... Quietly, if possible.
Should be a good week at Sawgrass, and I'll look forward to parsing it all with you on Monday morning.
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