Weekend Wrap

We'll always have the Hero World Challenge, but otherwise the professional golf season sleeps with the fishes.  We'll give it a proper post mortem, assessing the events in order of significance.

Shoot-out At Tiburon - Sixty-three has always been a significant number in our game, at least as far back as Johnny at Oakmont.  But this is simply sick:

Jin Young Ko entered the final round at the CME Group Tour Championship holding a share of the lead. She shot a bogey-free final-round 63. And she needed every single one of those strokes to win.

Ko’s four-round total of 23-under 265 proved to be just enough to hold off hard-charging Nasa Hataoka, who birdied three of her last four holes to post 22 under.

Ko was well compensated for her efforts. With the win, became the Race to the CME Globe Champion, going back-to-back and earning the largest check in LPGA history: $1.5 million.

With the win she also became Rolex Player of the Year by a narrow margin over Nelly Korda, finishing with 211 points to Korda’s 197.

Ko and Nelly started the day tied (along with two others), presaging a showdown of the two biggest talents in the game.  But while Jin Young was pressured, it wasn't by Nelly who, while shooting -3, looked like she was struggling to break eighty.

And while shooting 63 to win a significant, season-long title is great stuff, that's not the sixty-three that has me amazed:

But Ko’s ballstriking was relentless. Not just week-in, week-out, very-good-at-golf relentless — this was next level. Ko wrapped up Sunday’s round by hitting all 18 greens in regulation. Saturday, she hit all 18 greens in regulation. Friday, she hit all 18 greens in regulation. In total, she hit a preposterous 63 greens in regulation to finish the week. There is no known comparable streak in professional golf.

Does not compute.  If I played mini-golf I'm unclear as to whether I could hit twenty greens in a row...  You'll be asking, is it a record?  Damned if I know:

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) November 21, 2021

The Tour Confidential panel did actually acknowledge the ladies season-ending event, and placed it reasonably highly.  If you think about the other stories that have broken in the last 24 hours you'll understand that their lead question was previously committed.  But the boys argue the question of the hour, JY v. Nelly:

2. Jin Young Ko fired a final-round 63 to win the CME Group Tour Championship by one shot and with it, the largest check in LPGA history. With the win, Ko also claimed Rolex Player of the Year and reclaimed World No. 1, taking both titles from Nelly Korda. Who had the better season — Ko or Korda?

Zak: Nelly won a major championship and Ko didn’t. Need we say more?

Dethier: Korda also won a gold medal. I’m a sucker for the big events, so I’ll give Korda the nod. She put it pretty well post-round with this quote: “I could come out of this thinking, Hey, I didn’t win an award. It wasn’t that good of a year. But if I look back, it’s like, ‘Jesus, I’ve done a lot.'”

Sens: To answer Sean’s rhetorical question: We need not say more.

Bamberger: Nelly Korda won a major and one a gold medal. Do I need to say more than S&S already have? (Sean-’n-Sens.)

I was thinking about that very subject as I watched on tape, specifically as to how much weight that major should have.  The simple fact is that the majors aren't quite as dispositive for the ladies as they are for the men, an interesting contrast.  Certainly they've stayed up nights to diminish the importance thereof, as I can prove with one word, "Evian".  Though it's also likely a function of the LPGA actually controlling their majors, as distinct from the men, and inevitably promoting a series of ebents in which the majors are merely the slightly more important weeks.

The flip side is that their season-ending event seemed a logical coda for that which preceded it.  The pairing of the two best players felt logical and earned, rendering the "showdown" meaningful.  Are you taking notes, Jay?

One last bit from the TC gang:

3. Ko finished her week by hitting a preposterous 63 greens in regulation in a row. Yeah, you read that right: After missing the green at No. 9 on Thursday in her opening round, Ko hit every single green in regulation the rest of the week. Can you think of any ball-striking feat that matches this one?

Zak: No. That’s laugh-out-loud preposterous. Think of how much easier this game becomes when you don’t have to hit a single nervy short-game shot. Just putts. That’s it. It’s incredible.

Dethier: Good grief, no. Tiger Woods was so good with his irons that I’m sure he has put together some incredible stretches of dart-throwing. But I’d be surprised if anyone has ever shown this kind of consistency. I’m thrilled if I can hit two irons on target in a row. This is a whole new level of consistency combined with precision.

Sens: Tiger not hitting a single bunker over the course of an entire British Open on the Old Course in 2005. That was certainly up there, especially when you take into account the quirks of that style of golf.

Bamberger: Not readily, but Big Jack, in the first round of the 1975 Masters, hit every green on each of the par-3s and par-4s in regulation, and reached each of the par-5s in two. He shot 68 with two putts on every green. He played with Curtis Strange, then one of the best amateurs in the world. Curtis saw up close how much better a person could play the game.

All well and good, but four writers lauding her ball-striking, yet a game story and two Q&A's and the single most amazing factoid has not been mentioned.  She did this nursing a season-long wrist injury, one that precluded a single full-shot warm-up swing:

The amazing part of her impressive play was the fact that it came while Ko was also suffering

through pain in her left wrist. It returned this week in Florida and was so strong that during Thursday’s first round, Ko’s caddie, David Brooker, asked her if she wanted to withdraw.

Ko pushed through, taking medicine and spending 30 minutes each day with the physio. Afterward, she went through a limited warmup, putting and hitting no more than 52-degree wedges before ultimately heading to the first tee.

“First hole, the fairway is really narrow from the tee shot,” Ko said. “So I had a lot of pressure.”

So much for our carefully calibrated warm-up regimen...  I've long been amused at myself on this score.  At home I arrive a full hour before my tee time, but when in Scotland or Ireland?  Yup, just directly from the car to the first tee.

Being Rory McIlroy -  The irony, she burns....  But first, the happy bit:

Collin Morikawa made history Sunday, becoming the first American to win both the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai title after his victory in the European Tour’s season-

ending tournament in Dubai.

Morikawa started the final day three shots back of Rory McIlroy and then started Sunday’s round with six straight pars. Morikawa got his first birdie on the day on No. 7.

Then on the back nine, he caught fire, making birdies on five of his last seven holes, including 17 and 18, to close with a 66 to claim a three-shot win over Matthew Fitzpatrick and Alexander Bjork.

What a start to the kid's professional career.  I'm still trying to assess his upside, which will logically depend on his putter.  But there's little doubt that, when he has a good week on the greens, he'll be at or near the top of the leaderboard.

So, Rory.  was uncharacteristically crowing early in the week:

‘I’ve got my golf game back’: What Rory McIlroy has found that has him excited

“Getting into contention in one major this year isn’t good enough for me,” McIlroy said. “I’ve done way better than that before and I know I can again, especially with how I’m playing and feeling like I’ve got my golf game back, basically. So I’m excited for those four events next year and excited about the road ahead because I really feel like I’m on the right path.”

I'm happy for you and I don't mean to pry, but which major was it you contended in? I actually don't remember him being relevant anywhere, but Google informs that he finished T7 at Torrey Pines. I guess, defined loosely, that qualifies, though only loosely.

Although this bit struck me as, well, odd:

“Yeah, I feel I’m a big boy now,” McIlroy said Thursday. “I’ve been around the block a bit, and if I have problems or struggles, I should be able to sort them out myself. Instead of look to others to fix my problems, I’m going to take responsibility a bit, and that’s what I did after the Ryder Cup. Put my head down and spent a lot of time just on the range and just figuring out, OK, what is it I do well, and what do I need to get back to.”

Here's a pro tip, Rory.  Proving you're a big boy is best accomplished by, you know, doing big boy stuff.  

I did turn on Golf Channel before heading out to play, but caught the broadcast after play had concluded, and just assumed Rory did his usual Sunday fade thing.  Bot no, Rory had something far more special for the viewers though, to be fair (Ed: Why start now?), it all began with one of those horrible breaks:

McIlroy’s collapse began on the 15th, where he suffered an unfortunate break. Tied at that point

with eventual winner Collin Morikawa, and left with just a short wedge into the par-4, McIlroy hit the pin with his shot, and his ball kicked backward and into a greenside bunker. He bogeyed after failing to get up and down.

“Oh, what a bad break,” an announcer said on the Golf Channel broadcast. McIlroy deeply sighed.

Two holes ahead, Morikawa birdied the par-3 17th on a 20-foot putt, and he tacked on another birdie on 18, completing a five-birdie-over-seven-hole finish. McIlroy, meanwhile, three-putted from 30 feet on 16 for another bogey, and he parred 17.

On the par-5 18th, McIlroy sliced his tee shot; needed to hit a provisional, which he hooked into the water; and found the first, only to hit that one, too, into the drink. He finished with a six, and the rage was on.

OK, I don't actually expect much from Mr. McIlroy these days, but that had to be difficult to watch.  And you'll be thinking rationally if you concluded that this epic meltdown is irony referenced above after his crowing about having his game back....  Rational, but incorrect.

For that we need to roll the tape back to earlier last week, when Rory was asked about his reaction to Greg Norman's involvement with the Saudi "Super League."  He delivered quite the diss to his South Florida neighbor, indicating that the Shark's involvement made him less willing to consider the initiative, quite the personal rebuke.  Imagine my shock then to see Rory, in the immediate aftermath of that humiliating meltdown, copying the Naked Shark's signature move:

Rory McIlroy lost his lead.

Then he lost it.

In a bizarre scene on Sunday during the DP World Tour Championship, McIlroy tore apart his golf shirt following a final round in which he lost his one-shot lead entering the day and tumbled to a tie for sixth. The incident was first reported by the Telegraph’s James Corrigan, and you can read his report here.

Seeking his third victory in the European Tour’s season-ending event, and second overall following what he termed earlier this week as a “year of exploration,” McIlroy unraveled shortly after putting out for bogey on the 18th on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, his third bogey in four holes. On his way to signing for a two-over 74, Corrigan reported, McIlroy ripped his shirt, and the tear left his chest exposed in parts.

Which left him looking especially....well, is psychotic too strong?

 I hope he's not checking in with Twitter on that phone, as I'm guessing that crowd might be a tad harsh.

The Tour Confidential panel had some thoughts on this turn of events as well:

4. Collin Morikawa claimed the Race to Dubai with a win at the DP World Tour Championship on Sunday. Morikawa birdied five of his last seven holes to win by three shots. By contrast, 54-hole leader Rory McIlroy made bogey at 15, 16 and 18 to finish five shots back (and showed his frustration by tearing up his shirt afterwards). What’s one thing you learned about each Morikawa and McIlroy in their European season finale?

Zak: Didn’t necessarily learn this from Morikawa, but was reminded that no lead is safe with him around. Holding that guy down for four straight rounds when he’s playing well is damn near

impossible. As for McIlroy, he at least has a really strong fall to build off. He spent a lot of time in contention. He’s probably one of the six best players in the world right now, which is more than he could have said two months ago. Progress will have its peaks and valleys.

Dethier: Morikawa reminded me that some statistically “bad” putters can look like really damn good putters when they get hot. As for McIlroy? He may have perspective, he may be thoughtful, he may be reflective — but he’s still intensely passionate and he still plays golf and he’s been spending enough time in the weight room to tear up his shirt without working particularly hard.

Sens: I’m not sure there was much new to learn here. We’ve seen this kind of relentlessness from Morikawa before. And these kinds of wild swings from Rory. Is there a less predictable member of the Tour’s upper crust when playing with the lead? Seems that way. But I guess I’ll have to ask Mark Broadie to confirm.

On the contrary, Rory's Sunday's are drearily predictable.  If he's near the lead, he'll sink like a stone.  If he's in the middle of the pack, he'll go low and snag a signature back door top ten.

But for those keeping a scorecard at home, you'll have noticed only three writers excerpted above.  Michael Bamberger is one of my favorites, in fact I've occasionally referred to him as the conscience of our game.  Here he offers one of his typically unique insights, without which we can't fully understand that which our eyes have beheld:

Bamberger: That polyester shirts rip more readily and in a less linear way than cotton ones. Cotton has a grain to it, just as newsprint does. Polyester shirts are a glorified oil product that a million washes cannot disintegrate. As for Morikawa, it was further confirmation of what we’ve known about his for a while: one of the best players in the game, tee-to-green, and when he putts well better than that.

Thanks for sharing, mike.  I might now feel better about the Ulsterman's ability to rend a garment, though neither Mike nor anyone else has words that would make me feel more sanguine about the Ulsterman's golf game.  Feels like its' going to be a long winter for Rors.

It's A Wrap - Finally, our long national nightmare has ended.  I watched as much of it as you'll expect, but this header tells me all I need to know:

Talor Gooch, king of the fall, goes bogey-free Sunday to win first PGA Tour title at RSM Classic

So, he'd never won previously but he's the King of the Fall?  Hyperbolic much?

He's seemingly a good young player, but let's wait to see him do it when it counts.  The TC gang had this wrap-up of the rump season:

5. Talor Gooch claimed his first career PGA Tour victory with a three-shot win at the RSM Classic on Sunday. We still have the Hero World Challenge to play, but the conclusion of the RSM marked the end of the full-field Tour fall season. What’s one single moment you’ll remember from this stretch on Tour?

Zak: Call me a homer but I’ll remember for quite a while just how nervous I was during the Houston Open as a friend was grinding out his first time in contention in years. It wasn’t going well. It made watching golf difficult and gut-wrenching. I didn’t like it at all! But I supposed I had to like it in the end. A top 5 finish for Martin Trainer.

Dethier: I’ll remember a hilarious combination of wind and rain making for some terrific television at the Bermuda Championship. But let’s call that the runner-up moment. No. 1? I’ll remember Hideki Matsuyama making eagle at No. 18 to win the Zozo Championship in front of a supportive home crowd, bookending a terrific year for the Masters champion.

Bamberger: Rory’s grace after winning over Rickie Fowler, his Sunday playing partner and the event’s 54-hole leader. The power of Brian Morris’s two rounds in Bermuda.

In this case, I've held back a different writer's answer, which tells us everything we need to know about the Fall schedule:

Sens: Tiger’s social media post from this morning.

What I'll remember is golf's unique ability to bring us together.  While we often get lost in our political Balkanization and focus on the things that separate us, America came together and united in their desire to ignore meaningless Fall golf.  

I'm going to wrap here and hold that Tiger video for tomorrow.  I've got an Alan Shipnuck mailbag as well, so we'll make a fun morning of it.  Hope to see you then.