I had almost convinced myself that a day off from blogging was in order, until I remembered that I have a rare Friday game this week. Ergo, better give the non-paying customers something about which to muse.
Great Frost Delays In Golf History - Since ditching match play, the PGA Championship has been desperately searching for its identity, as U.S. Open-lite has certain limitations, not least when those U.S. Open-lite's are contested on hand-me-down U.S. Open venues. Such as, yanno, Oak Hill.
But I don't think stealing the identity of another major is quite the ticket, and this sartorial choice is protected intellectual property of the Open Championship:
Pretty funny photo to this observer. Matthew Fitzpatrick looks to be about fourteen to my eye, but put him in a beanie and that teal pullover and he looks more like he's about eight.
This was the state of last evening (I haven't found any updates as of 6:55 a.m.):
PGA Championship 2023: A frost delay seems highly likely for Thursday's first round
NOTE: Just turned on ESPN and they are delayed more than an hour. Michael Collins made a Winter X-Games in telling us that it's now 31 degrees with a wind chill of 26.
The subject of May v. August came up earlier in the week, with Seth Waugh offering these seemingly judicious comments at that presser that Geoff amusingly caricatured:
Men In Loafers: PGA Of America Press Conference
“We think we’ve added more courses than we’ve taken away by moving to May,” PGA CEO SethWaugh said Tuesday.When asked what he thought about the potential for Northeastern courses to host more PGA’s, Waugh gestured outside the interview tent and pointed to the blue skies.“How are we looking out there right now? The course is perfect,” he said. “It’s an outdoor sport, and we’re obviously going to go back after this championship — we haven’t hit a ball yet, so we’ll see how it all plays out and then come back and think about it for ourselves and see what the club wants to do and other clubs.”
Fair enough, and God knows that May is far more agronomically interesting than August, although I'm not sure I love having to go from July to April without meaningful golf (although Unplayable Lies as a seasonal blog could be interesting, you don't mind giving up that bit of ski blogging I do).
Not sure how Alan Shipnuck's endeavor at The Fire Pit Collective is working out, as there's been precious little new content. There's a new Bamberger piece up just today, but Alan's mailbags have been the only new content since the Masters. In any event, there is a new mailbag as well, and Alan tackles this schedule issue:
Which is more unpleasant: the PGA in August where it could be 100 degrees in Tulsa/Atlanta or the PGA in mid-May where it could be 55-60 degrees in Rochester? #AskAlan@BradleySmith328Is this a serious question?! Swamp-ass versus having to wear a light sweater? Now, Wednesday at Oak Hill has been downright cold, but the tournament rounds should be a delight. I’m team May forever.
The overnight low was supposed to be 35 degrees, so I'm hoping that Alan and others threw in a fleece piece or two.
Waugh's comments were reasonable and he's relatively new in the gig, but this concept of tailoring venue choice for the May calendar date has your humble blogger doing spit takes. Why? Because when they were playing in August, this is where the PGA took us:
- Atlanta Athletic Club
- Quail Hollow
- Valhalla
- Kiawah
- Southern Hills
- Shoal Creek
- Bellerive
- Congressional
Jordan Spieth played nine more practice holes at Oak Hill Country Club on Wednesday, and the three-time major champion says his injured left wrist feels good enough for him to play in the PGA Championship.Spieth, the 10th-ranked player in the world, pulled out of last week's AT&T Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas, because of the injury. On Wednesday, he said he hurt his wrist at home in a "random" accident."I feel good," Spieth said. "I wouldn't play if I didn't think I was in good enough shape to be able to play."
"It's nasty," Spieth said. "There's nothing that separates this and a U.S. Open. This is the U.S. Open. It's gnarly. The fairways are firm [and] narrow and the rough is thick. As far as difficulty, it feels like a U.S. Open golf course, and par is a nice score is what it seems. Obviously, we played the last two days in a lot of wind, so that will make a difference."Spieth is playing with Ireland's Shane Lowry and Norway's Viktor Hovland in the first two rounds in a featured group. The trio is scheduled to tee off in the first round at 8:22 a.m. ET. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 40s.
This isn't a venue that anyone thought would favor Jordan, but let's hope he comes out of the week no more damaged.
One interesting aspect to majors is that of course knowledge, whereby the more experienced players come in with perhaps a slight edge. We saw Jason Day back in the winners circle last week, and that's gonna affect a guy's preparation for the following week. So how is Jason preparing? Interestingly, he isn't:
Jason Day on his practice round plan to not play a practice round. “I most likely probably won't see the course today. I'm just not fighting anything, I just want to make sure that I'm mentally prepared and mentally ready for tomorrow. No matter how well I prepare, even if I go out and play a practice round, if I come in tomorrow tired and exhausted, it won't do me any favors, so I'm just going to try and take it easy. It's not the first time I've come into the major championship not playing a practice round.”
He is, however, rocking the beanie....
Dinner At Six - It just might be the photo of the year, as the PGA has copied the Masters tradition of a Champions Dinner on Tuesday night, and a certain image has spawned a million memes:
Let's dispense with the obvious first reaction of, what the eff is Jay doing there? Seriously, obvious the Five Families have long congregated (per Phil, colluded) at the majors, but would you have thought Jay would be invited to this dinner?
Geoff plays meme aggregator:
- GolfMagic.com rounded up the best social reactions so we don’t have to:
"Collin looks like he's working on his 10th vodka soda."
"Phil: 'It's a sure thing, bet the over.'
"Divided by tours, forced by majors."
"Is Phil an Undertaker now?"
"Phil looks like some weird sports agent pitching his agency. I always feel like I need to wash my hands after seeing him."
"You could convince me every single person has been Photoshopped into this."
"Collin, once you buy in to the premium coffee subscription, you can find as many people you want to buy in and sell coffee for you. You'll be your own boss!"
"We're going to shotgun starts next year. Don't tell anyone"
"Jay and Phil look like sworn enemies who will eventually join forces to launch a speculative real estate venture."
"It's like Morikawa tried to crash a wedding but ended up at an accountants convention."
The undertaker bit was quite popular, though I think the visual bits work better:
Of course, the man is a five-tool athlete, so he's had his hand in financial indiscretions as well:
You Heard It Here First - Remember those more innocent days back in the late winter/early spring? LIV (what, you thought we'd get through this without it coming up?) was holding events in the U.S. and Nielsen would announce ratings early the next week indicating two guys in Peoria tuned in. Then later the same week LIV would announce that 3.3 billion people streamed their coverage, and we'd uncritically accept those estimates. Something like that, right?
But I hinted a couple of times that it's gone awfully quiet on that front, which didn't make me at all suspicious about their viewership, because they are relentlessly growing our game. So, obviously I've got some for you, but let's begin with LIV's commitment at the time the CW deal was announced:
Days after LIV signed its agreement with the CW in January, Staeger told GOLF.com the league would “certainly” provide publicly available viewership information, adding public data was “critical to all of our plans.”
Will Steiger is LIV's Chief Media Officer, and he certainly wouldn't lie to us, would he?
After viewership dip, LIV Golf has quietly stopped reporting TV ratings
No one seems ready to say where things are headed for LIV Golf. Apparently not even LIV Golf.Six events and three months into its sophomore season, LIV has quietly stopped publicly reporting its TV ratings, reversing course on an early-season strategy, and a sign that the league could be struggling to generate sufficient viewer interest. The decision means there is no reputable viewership data on the upstart league, which has argued publicly available Nielsen data measuring its broadcasts is inaccurate.LIV sources confirmed to the Hot Mic that the league would not be reporting viewership data from its U.S. broadcasts moving forward but declined to explain why. In LIV’s most recent ratings report in late March, the league showed audience numbers slumping by 24 percent week-over-week, from 537,000 average viewers in its season-opening broadcast in Mexico to 409,000 in its second event in Tucson, Ariz. LIV has conducted four events since Tucson, including a pair in Australia and Singapore that were shown on tape delay in the United States. LIV has not released data on any of those four events.
That refusal to explain why will just have to remain one of life's enduring mysteries.... But, can you feel the game growing?
LIV Redux, Ryder Cup Edition - This was a bit of a howler from Zach:
Zach Johnson on Captain’s picks prospects this year. “It's funny you say that because I was talking about that just the other day with some of my vice captains. We're at a point right now where when it comes to -- it's not even a discussion item. There's maybe a couple guys that have come close to securing their spot in the top 6, but when it comes to picks, it's not even on my radar.” 🥴
Next thing is he has some swamp land you might be interested in...
But this was the more interesting bit, which Dylan Dethier gives the full forensic audit:
7. Zach JohnsonAdmission: It’s tough to evaluate LIV golfers for the Ryder CupQuote: “Really difficult for me to judge that. Again, I don’t know the golf courses they’re playing. Never seen them. I’m not there on foot in person.”What it means: Zach Johnson, this year’s U.S. Ryder Cup captain, was asked about Dustin Johnson — specifically whether he’s one of the top 12 American golfers at the moment. His answer was revealing in the sense that he seemed to key in on the idea that it’ll be tough to use LIV results to determine form ahead of choosing his Ryder Cup team.In some ways it makes sense; Johnson’s admission lines up with the OWGR’s assessment that it’s difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison.In other ways it’s a slightly odd admission given it’s not as though Johnson is watching every potential Ryder Cup candidate in person on the PGA Tour. I’m sure he gets snippets here and there, but plenty of insights will come from TV and from data. One site that includes LIV golfers, DataGolf, currently has Dustin as the 11th-ranked American. Koepka is slightly further down the list but his Masters T2 has him on some people’s radar, too. Captain Johnson was similarly non-committal about his chances.“It’s one week, at a major venue, at the Masters Tournament,” he said. “[Koepka] played great. But there’s a lot of golf. There’s still a lot of golf between now and then.”
This header at Golf Digest was just as bad:
Unknowingly? Tough to evaluate? Guys, they're not invited. Am I the only one that gets that?
Alan's Got Mail - Just gonna riff on some Alan bits and then wish you an enjoyable weekend and PGA:
Given this course setup, I’m thinking we’re going to see many layup shots out of the rough. Do you agree, and how do you think this is going to connect with the players and fans? @ChuckAnfieldI have mixed feelings about thick, penal rough. I do like that it demands accuracy and puts some fear into the players. Across 72 holes it can become oppressive…and that’s a good thing, as major championship golf is supposed to push players to the breaking point. But the most thrilling shot in golf is the creative, do-or-die recovery shot after an errant drive, and juicy rough robs us of that. It takes no skill or imagination to slash a ball 100 yards down the fairway, and around the greens, tangly grass greatly reduces the variety of shots that can be played. Alas, there is not a golf course on the planet that is long enough to truly challenge the pros, so rough has become something of a necessity. There will indeed be a lot of layups this week and I don’t think that particularly serves the fans, but in a weird way all that long grass is necessary for the integrity of the tournament.
This is the modern dilemma, I'd only add green speeds and firmness to his discussion. Remember, we had an Open Championship where play was stopped because of friggin' wind moving the balls on the greens, whereas play continued that day for recreational golfers.
This gets a tad bawdy, but a funny framing:
Marry, F*ck, K*ll: Oak Hill, L.A.C.C., Royal Liverpool. @luke_peacockMarry: Los Angeles Country Club. It’s not easy, but you’d never get tired of playing such a thought-provoking design with thrilling green complexes.F*ck: After walking around the revitalized Oak Hill I’m dying to play it…once.K*ll: Royal Liverpool. I love links golf, but there are dozens of other courses in England alone I’d rather play than than this flattish, somewhat unimaginative track.
Yeah, I expect LACC will be great.
Honest answer… what are you firing if you were to tee it up at Oak Hill on Thursday?? #AskAlan @KQuinleyIf the course was empty and I was playing with buddies, there’s no chance I, a rusty 8.1 index, would break 100 from the tips; 110 would probably be a good score. If I had to play in front of 30,000 people alongside disapproving pros, any number under 200 would be in play.Winning score? I’m saying -6. @TonyAnd69299239Close! If the USGA was setting up the course this week, I think plus-3 would win. The PGA of America is more merciful so I’ll say 5 under.
We always think the tracks are brutal, then they start firing at pins and gong low.
Have you seen this?
Can they get Jason Dufner a new plaque? @MGallagher1977Are you kidding?! That plaque is more famous than Dufner his own self.
I agree that it's pretty damn epic:
Although I'm slightly disappointed that his recent sponsor didn't get its due:
I kind of like the thought of Dude Wipes being immortal, but we should probably ask Duf himself what he thinks.
If Jason Dufner had been a good putter, could he have won 4 or 5 majors? I think he could have—he was as good a ball striker as any of the current players on Tour. (I realise he’s still on Tour.) @EoinMurphyej1Four or five major championship victories is an epic total. It’s true that few major winners have ever looked as shaky over a 4-footer as Dufner. He was so pure from tee-to-green that if Duf had been even an average putter he’d have been dangerous at many majors. The golf gods are cruel.
Great ball-striker, 4-5 majors is crazy talk.
1 v. 1 this week. Brooks vs. Rory… who would you take? @JNickerson33Koepka, in a heartbeat. He’s playing great, and this course and this setup feel a lot like Bethpage in 2019, when he won his second PGA Championship. I’m still reflecting on how emo McIlroy was in his pre-tournament press conference. He’s trying to cosplay as something he’s not: a dour, grindy, hyper-focused Tigeresque warrior. Rory plays his best when he’s jolly and loose and freewheeling. I get it, he’s tried all manner of reinvention during this brutal decade without a major championship, so might as well test out a new persona. But Brooks isn’t searching for anything—his game is locked in and he is comfortable in his own skin.
Geez, I wouldn't take Rory over those twenty club pros this week....
Beware the injured golfer?
Spieth? @GolfandFrogI respect the brevity. Maybe this wrist injury is the best thing that could have happened to our star-crossed protagonist. Jordan is always so in his head, but playing hurt will hopefully free him up not to worry about his swing and just go out and grind for a number. Whether his wrist can withstand all the pounding is unknown, but if so, I think he’s dangerous .
Never liked this venue and it's U.S. Open roots for Jordan....
Will a Jon Rahm victory clearly establish him as golf’s #1 player? @scabel1956He’s already there, but a Rahm win would turn him into a player for the ages. The only thing that would dislodge Rahm as golf’s big dog would be a Cam Smith victory: Taking a Players and two majors (and sundry other wins) in the span of 14 months would be an epic run.
Yeah, he's already there, now it's just about separation from Scottie. But two majors in a season is a big ask, two in a row is crazy talk.... I think.
Favorite meal in Rochester so far? @RocGolfGuyThey’ve been mostly utilitarian, but I found one of my favorite coffee shops anywhere: Java’s Cafe. Super cool vibe, diverse crowd, comfy chairs, the music is not too loud and last night there was a barista whom I’m still thinking about. Place is open til midnight! I wrote most of a chapter on the LIV/Tour book sitting there and couldn’t have been happier.Oak Hill looks ridiculously hard. Gil Hanse is currently working at Oakmont. Is there a new chase to be the hardest golf course? @JStewGolfGawd, let’s hope not. When someone calls a course hard and means it as a compliment, it makes me wonder about the course and the sanity of the golfer.
I agree with Alan, though I think we can make an exception for Oakmont, whose DNA is to be absurdly difficult.
The old story, possibly apocryphal, about Oakmont has a Tour player speaking with an Oakmont member at a U.S. Open and goes something like this:
Tour Player: Man, I can't believe how fast these greens are.
Club Member: Heck, that's nothing. You should hgave seen how fast we had them for the Member-Guest.
I suppose this is inevitable:
Any thoughts on how Phil will do this week? @pjd570The throwback performance at the Masters was massive for Mickelson’s confidence and sense of self. Oak Hill feels like a U.S. Open course, and Phil has one of the best U.S. Open records ever other than, ya know, failing to win one. These firm, fast fairways are hard to hit, which helps Mickelson, because he’s going to be in the rough anyway. And some demanding short-game shots are required as well. If his putter cooperates he’ll be dangerous.
I cannot remotely envision Phil being dangerous this week. or is that just wishful thinking?
Over/under on LIV players in the top ten? @msainopulos2.5. (Take the over.)
After DJ and Brooks, who?
Alan has some fun with this, though I actually think he drop-kicks the underlying question:
Do you think you’ll ever resign your position as lead PGA Tour honk of the corrupt golf media? #AskAlan @fakePOULTERI appreciate the cheekiness of this question, but I’ve been taking shrapnel as a LIV shill for the non-controversial opinion that Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka should be on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. These are strange times. The only thing that makes the golf media corrupt is that we sometimes get to play golf courses for free. But it’s a victimless crime!
I have my quibbles with Alan's LIV coverage, most notably his contagious case of whataboutism.
But the golf media aren't corrupt because they play free.... they're corrupt (indeed, perhaps all sports journalists are) because of their need for access.
One Last Bit - Longtime reader and friend of the blog Mark W. has been our go-to resource on all things R&A, but today he links us to a far more important update on a former Golf Channel personality:
Keep it classy, girl. I have mixed feelings about the intersection of golf and porn, but perhaps you kids can discuss amongst yourselves.
Have a great weekend and we'll have much to discuss on Monday.
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