Weekend Wrap

Hope everyone enjoyed some late season golf this fine weekend.  Not too many more weekends to wrap, but we'll stick with it until the bitter end.

Viktor's Alley - Quite the backstory with the broken driver and all, but we'll see if the Norwegian sticks with the shorter driver shaft until January 1st (after that it'll be mandatory):

A funny thing fate. Consider Viktor Hovland, some driving range shenanigans and a shattered driver.

A day before this week’s World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, Hovland lent the club to Danny Lee for a swing, Lee snapped it, and Hovland was stuck using a backup of James Hahn’s. It was also a touch shorter, but after a few swings, in the bag it went.

A Thursday 67, followed by a Friday 65, a Saturday 62 and a Sunday 67 tell you what a stroke of serendipity it might have been.

“I guess I did him a favor he’s doing just fine,” Lee tweeted on Sunday morning.

Indeed. While there’s no way of knowing what a longer driver might have done this week, the shorter one Hovland employed did the job, affording him more control off the tee at the tight at El Camaleon Golf Club. In the end, in the defense of his title he won last year, Hovland finished at 23-under, which was four better than Carlos Ortiz and five better than Justin Thomas.

I actually watched more of the Thursday-Friday coverage than I did over the weekend, as football took precedence (I did flip periodically to the Golf Channel coverage, but there was little doubt to the outcome).

Golf.com's Tour Confidential panel has been delivering diss after diss to Mr. Monahan, frequently failing to so much as acknowledge the weekly Tour event in their writer panels.  I do have good news for Jay, though, as this week the panel at least give evidence that there was a Tour event, though obviously not one warranting their attention.  They use it instead for a further installment of our favorite parlor game:

1. The top of the leaderboard at this week’s World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba was a who’s who of future stars, as Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff, Scottie Scheffler and Joaquin Niemann were among those in contention, with Hovland eventually

winning. From what you‘ve seen in 2021, which player in the 25-and-under men’s set has the most upside?

Josh Sens: With two top 10s in his first three major starts, Will Zalatoris seems destined for the stratosphere. Even with that jerry-rigged putting method. But I’ll give a slight edge to Sam Burns. Such an impressive ball-striker and clearly has the mental makeup for the biggest moments. No obvious weaknesses in that man’s armor.

Dylan Dethier: If we’re talking about that age range for the entire Tour, Collin Morikawa is the guy — he has the benefit of a two-major head start and a stupid-good irons game. You can’t go wrong with any of the guys in the mix on Sunday, especially now that Matthew Wolff has regained his footing. But of those, Hovland’s game seems most reliable tee-to-green and he’s a very good putter, too. When his short game cooperates, you see weeks like this one.

James Colgan: Call me crazy, but when things break right, Scottie Scheffler has a jaw-dropping game. He’s a ways behind most of the other names in that list — for starters, he’s 25 years old and still looking for his first PGA Tour win — but if we’re talking purely about upside, I dig Scottie.

Nick Piastowski: As much as I want to say Wilco Nienaber because of his ridiculous length, I’ll go with Morikawa. I don’t necessarily think he’s the most talented of the bunch — and that’s more of a statement of his company than a knock on him — but the experience of already winning two majors will do him well going forward.

This to me is funny because yesterday's leaderboard featured Mr. Justin Thomas, so I gather that Class of 2011 is no longer a thing?  Or is it no longer a thing because of how Mr. Thomas played yesterday?

The Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious League - On Friday I served up an exhaustive post on recent developments in the Premiere/Super League, only to realize that I had neglected to included several significant thoughts.  I know, but I still maintain that the posts are well worth the price tag...

The first is this Josh Sens offering, in which he is the first to attempt to analyze the legal footing under Jay Monahan:

Could the PGA Tour legally sanction players who defect to a rival tour? Here’s what experts say

As you know, we've heard all sides argue that the law is on their side, so it's a little surprising that no journalist has analyzed these claims thus far.  Or, at least it would be, were we not familiar with how sports journalism is practiced. 

In his quest to prevent players from jumping ship, how much legal leverage does Monahan have?

That question gets into the area of antitrust law, which, though no small subject, essentially comes down “only two rules,” according to Craig Seebald, a partner and antitrust specialist with Vinson & Elkins, an international law firm.

“We worry about monopolization,” Seebald says. “And we worry about what’s called conspiracy.”

Broadly defined, the first is when an entity uses unfair practices to gain or maintain a stranglehold on a market; the second is when two or more entities work together to thwart competition through, say, price-fixing or some other conspiratorial shenanigans.

I do agree that I had thoughts along these lines when Keith Pelley jumped into Jay Monahan's loving embrace:

Regarded in that light, Seebald says that the Tour could be treading on fraught legal terrain if it takes aggressive steps to prevent players from competing on a rival circuit, whether by imposing or threatening to impose fines, suspensions or some other disciplinary action. Such moves might be regarded as an attempt to squelch competition, which could trigger an antitrust claim. The same is true if the Tour were seen to be colluding with another organization to stifle an outside challenge. It’s no secret, for instance, that the PGA and European tours have strengthened their ties in recent years. That relationship could, in theory, raise a legal risk.

“I would be concerned if it looked like (the two tours) were discussing or coordinating their reaction to screw the Saudi tour,” Seebald says. “That potentially could be an issue.”

Though this feels like mostly an intellectual discussion for a number of reasons, including some pretty serious jurisdictional issues.  But also because of the timing involved:

An antitrust claim could be filed by an individual player, multiple players or the rival tour itself. It could also come from the U.S. government. The Federal Trade Commission, which administers antitrust and consumer protection legislation, has trained a wary eye on the PGA Tour before. In the early 1990s, the agency took a long hard look at two Tour rules in particular: one that requires players to get permission from the commissioner to participate in non-Tour events, and another that places the same condition on appearances on televised golf programs.

In 1994, following a four-year investigation, FTC attorneys determined that both rules violated antitrust laws and recommended that federal action be taken to have them nullified.

That no such action was ever taken owed in part to a vigorous lobbying campaign by the PGA Tour under then-commissioner Tim Finchem. Flexing its muscles inside the Beltway, the Tour exerted enough pressure by political proxy that the FTC’s commissioners wound up backing down, despite the findings of their staff.

That four years, remember, wa sonly the length of the investigation.  It might have been twenty if it was litigated...

Our operative assumption should be that the legal environment will be found to feature many shades of gray, ensuring endless litigation and/or lobbying to resolve.  That state of affairs always favors the entrenched parties and those with the deepest pockets.... 

That TC panel spared a thought here as well:

5. Our Josh Sens reported this week that the Tour could be treading on fraught legal terrain if it takes aggressive steps to prevent players from competing on one of the proposed rival circuits, whether by imposing or threatening to impose fines, suspensions or some other disciplinary action. Such moves might be regarded as an attempt to squelch competition, which could trigger an antitrust claim. According to lawyers, the same is true if the Tour were seen to be colluding with another organization to stifle an outside challenge. It’s no secret, for instance, that the PGA and European tours have strengthened their ties in recent years. That relationship could, in theory, raise a legal risk. With that in mind, should a rival tour become a reality, would you expect Monahan to follow up on his threat of banning players who defect?

Sens: I would fully expect Monahan to take the same stance. For starters, it has worked before. What’s more, as one attorney I spoke with told me, antitrust cases can take years and years to settle, so Monahan and Co. aren’t likely going to be forced into a different stance any time soon.

Colgan: I expect he would follow up with that rule, or at least attempt to. But goodness, isn’t a lifetime ban to an “independent contractor” — as the Tour insists its players are — a bit hypocritical? I expect pros will ask the Tour to stop with the lip service and redefine the org’s relationship with its players.

Dethier: Yeah, I guess so. I’ll defer to Sens’ legal counsel and Monahan will defer to his, but one thing is for sure: He’ll do whatever he can to protect his product.

Piastowski: Yeah, I could see it — but none of us want to see the ugliness that could ensue from bans, lawsuits, etc. We suffer enough from work stoppages and the like in other pro sports — baseball may be heading toward another in just weeks — so let’s hope things get resolved here.

What will we see?  What we've already seen, which is called bifurcation.... 

Jay will continue to threaten the players with serious consequences, while quietly bribing those he's most scared of losing....  Can you say PIP program?  I thought you could...

While Nick is correct that a protracted dispute or litigation could be ugly, let me similarly posit that Jay's actions will inevitably entail its own ugliness.  For instance, on Friday we had the aforementioned Justin Thomas extolling the benefits of competition, which was a poorly concealed exclamation of glee at the filthy lucre on offer.  But am the only one that can see past my nose to where such programs inevitable lead?  Yeah, the guys will cash the checks but there's always a few guys that don't get what they expect, and then the grievances come out....  The slope is very slippery.

The second item I forgot...well, it's Monday so let's focus on results, this time from the ladies:

Former world No. 1 Lydia Ko shot a final-round 65 at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, one day after tying the course record, to finish at 23 under for a five-shot victory.

“When I was out there I was just trying to play the best golf I can,” said Ko, who notched her second win this season after a four-year drought. “I knew a lot of the top names were playing well and this is a golf course where there’s a fair amount of birdies, so I just tried to have my share of them, have fun out there and enjoy the experience at Royal Greens.

“It helps going into the final round and you have a four-shot cushion, as we could possibly shoot the same score but I still have those shots from the last three days. I birdied the first hole then holed two really good putts for par on two and three and I think that kind of set my momentum and I just tried to not look back and keep going forward. I’m delighted to have won.”

What, you think I inserted this item only because of my inappropriate feelings for Lydia?  Even though it really hasn't been the same since she ditched the glasses...

There's quite a different reason for including that game piece.... Anyone?  Bueller?

Eamon Lynch gets it:

Eamon Lynch: Why aren’t women criticized like the men for taking Saudi money? It’s need vs. greed.

The silence that greeted the Ladies European Tour playing in Saudi Arabia this week—at least

relative to the censure faced by men who do the same—reflects two realities: the inattention given women’s golf in general and the LET in particular, and the principle that everyone bails water on a sinking ship.

The inaugural Saudi Ladies International in 2020 was the first professional women’s sporting event held in the kingdom. It’s $1 million prize fund commands attention on a tour where many purses are under $250,000, and where the woman ranked 10th on the money list has earned less than $160,000 this year. Compare that to the LPGA tour, where the equivalent paltry purses are five times as lucrative (many ten times so) and where 10th on the money list is good for $1.1 million.

The funniest part is how little the Saudis are getting for their money.  For instance, this event's results are not to be found at Golf.com, GolfDigest.com or Golfweek.com.  Not much of a PR push, eh?

I actually think it would be a better world if we'd stop obsessing over athletes not conforming to our own political and other beliefs.  So we might want to give DJ and other s a pass for playing in the Saudi event, though I certainly agree that it wouldn't be prudent to allow them to control a major golf tour.  Arguably the Asian Tour doesn't qualify, but we also know this fight isn't over the Asian Tour.

Reading Is Fundamental - The TC panel also comes late to the argument over green-reading books:

2. The PGA Tour, according to a report in Golf Digest, will adopt a local rule officially restricting the usage of green and yardage books beginning in early 2022. According to the report, which appears to include a screenshot from a memo shared with PGA Tour players and staff, green and yardage books in their present form will be outlawed from golf’s biggest professional tour. (The rule will not apply to the amateur game.) In their place, the Tour’s competition committee will authorize the creation of its own “committee-approved” yardage books, which the memo says will include traditional green information, but will not allow the raw information on slopes and grades that many have argued serves to undermine the skill of green-reading. Do you agree with the move?

Sens: For the most part, this seems like a window-dressing distraction from the more pressing need, which is to rein in the ball. As for the yardage books, the only strong opinion I have about them is, if you’re going to use them, use them quickly, or be prepared to be penalized for slow play. Chop, chop. Keep it moving.

Colgan: Green-reading should be a skill. The rules, as they were, turned green-reading into a science. Ask yourself, would you view hitting the same way if players knew the pitch that was coming? The change was a good thing for golf, and a really good thing for truly skilled players around the green.

James, why would I need to ask myself that question when I saw the Astros win their tainted World Series? 

Dethier: Yeah, this is great. I like it from a strategic perspective, and I like it from an entertainment perspective, too. The less time we spend watching golfers with their heads buried in books, the better.

Piastowski: Yeah, I agree with the move. Who marks up the book the best doesn’t have much to do with the actual action of putter to ball. (That said, I do feel very bad for the folks who have made this a skill — the caddies.) And I also agree with Josh — as I’ve mentioned a handful of times in this space, if golf is going to make green-reading books all the same, why not make the ball the same, too?

Not unanimous, but obviously a favorable reaction with which I agree on both substantive (green-reading is a skill) and optics (watching a player read a book is seldom appointment TV),.  Though I think these guys have missed a larger issue, to wit, the dynamics between the governing body and the major tour.

This is the first time I can remember players stepping up to protect the what they see as the integrity of their game, a pretty clear rebuke to the USGA.  Josh Sens above makes a common point that green-reading books might not be our highest priority, though I don't really agree with the point.  I think it's actually a separate issue deserving scrutiny and attention, and that we should allow for the fact that both issues should be addressed ( somewhat ironic to critique folks for doing something when for years we've been outraged that they haven't done anything).

But we obviously have profound process issues, and waiting for a top-down edict from the USGA has resulted in no action taken on the distance issue.  Ironically, to the extent that the USGA has shown any inclination to act on this issue, it's through encouraging others to implement local rules, which is what the Tour seems prepared to do, though on a different subject.  I'm not asserting that there's the will to roll back the ball among Tour players, but I am encouraged that they seem interested in the way their game is played on Tour.

Now the biggest irony is that the ban on green-reading books (and forgive the shorthand, it's less a ban thann a limitation) comes through a Players' Advisory Counsel headed by Rory McIlroy.  Because I can't think of a worse green-reader than Rory, so the guy most in need of the crutch is happy to outlaw it, something we don't see every day.

They next veer into an item I simply haven't yet had an opportunity to blog, a reaction from putting guru Phil Kenyon:

3. Also under the new rule, players and caddies will be allowed to include handwritten notes about greens and slopes, but must do so using only information gained from their own eyes, and not with the aid of levels or other slope-reading technology — which renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon blasted. “This last paragraph beggars belief,” he said. “So you can take a TrackMan or quad or range finder onto the course and check how certain shots or holes ‘play’ yardage-wise, but you can’t take a level onto a ‘practice’ putting green to calibrate your feel for slope. What a ridiculous rule. It’s stupid, in fact. It serves no purpose. It’s indeed skill limiting.” Does he have a point?

Sens: Kenyon is on the money in pointing out the hypocrisy. In my ideal Luddite world, none of it would be allowed. Gather all the info you can in your practice round the old-fashioned way.

Colgan: Yeah, that’s a pretty brutal addition to what is otherwise a pretty smart rule. Kenyon is about as knowledgeable as anyone in the sport on putting, so it seems like a rather significant oversight on the PGA Tour’s part that they didn’t include him in the rule-writing process.

Dethier: Sure, he has a point. It’s not wholly consistent, and I definitely think that tech should be allowed on the practice green, if it’s not obtrusive. But banning ’em on the course doesn’t really bother me. I’d think some players are welcoming this old-school move, too, or this wouldn’t be happening.

Piastowski: I agree with Kenyon. Ban ’em both, or keep ’em both.

Like the guys, I think Kenyon makes some points we should all consider further....  We've long struggled in golf with where to draw the line on facts (yardage but pe3rhaps also slope) versus advice.  I just don't go berserk at minor inconsistencies like some folk.

I never knew that Trackmen could be taken onto the golf course (mostly because I never considered it), but we've always allowed rangefinders with slope adjustments during practice.  I don't know where all this goes, but we're now at a stage where guys aren't playing practice rounds and aren't even bothering to read their putts, because everything they need is in a book.  We can't like that, can we?

WITB - I don't do too much gear blogging, because it can get awfully nerdy, but this will be a fine exit bit:

What’s in the bag?! Check out 2 wild equipment finds on tour

 When was the last time you saw one of these?

“Ancient” clubs exist on Tour as a reminder that we, the golfing public, don’t need the latest and greatest to go low. It’s all about comfort and confidence, friends. Which brings us to Eduardo de la Riva’s square Callaway FT-i 5-wood. This puppy was originally released in 2008 and features some massive gashes on the crown that almost look like homemade alignment aids. (They aren’t, to be clear.)

The club is completely beat and has seen better days, but Eduardo still can’t kick it to the curb. This is without a doubt one of my favorite clubs in professional golf. It has character for days.

Of course, like me, your first question might be to what extent is Eduardo de la Riva "on tour"?

De la Riva turned professional in 2001. He joined the European Tour via qualifying school for 2003, but failed to keep his card. Since then, he has played mainly on the Challenge Tour, occasionally qualifying for local European Tour events. His best position on the European Tour was T-2, three times. In 2011, de la Riva won the Order of Merit on the Peugeot Tour, a Spanish national golf tour.[1] On the Challenge Tour, he won the 2012 Fred Olsen Challenge de España.

I guess there's a reason they went with a lower-case "t" in that header....  

Not sure of the schedule this week, but we'll definitely be blogging anything of note.  Check back early and often....