3. Justin Thomas missed the cut at the 3M Open, a tournament he added to aid a late push to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He’s still outside the top 70 with one more late addition, the regular-season ending Wyndham Championship, up next. If he fails to qualify,he won’t have any starts remaining before Ryder Cup auto qualifiers and captain’s picks are finalized. If Thomas has another underwhelming showing at the Wyndham, is there a chance these late additions to his schedule could do more harm to his chances than good?Colgan: Thomas’ spot on the U.S. team was in a precarious position the second he shot 82 on Thursday at the Open Championship. If he misses the cut in two of the weakest Tour fields of the year to miss out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the harm will be entirely self-inflicted. His playing schedule has nothing to do with that.Melton: Not sure we can point to the schedule as a valid reason for JT’s precarious Ryder Cup position. He’s just been playing flat-out bad golf this year. After the disaster at Hoylake, he pretty much had to add these events to his schedule. His MC last week is just another poor performance in a long list of them in 2023.Rogers: JT fired an 81 on Friday at LACC and an 82 on Thursday at Royal Liverpool before heading back to the U.S., only to miss the cut at the 3M Open. I’m sad to say I don’t think we’ll be seeing him at the Ryder Cup this year. Then again, I love a good personality hire so wouldn’t hate to see him in Rome.
In the legal profession there's an old saw that suggests that bad cases make bad law. Here, bad questions make bad answers, and Zephyr Melton is the poster child struggling with the basics of cause and effect. That "more harm than good" is the culprit, because why does the questioner think JT is playing these two events? Isn't it most likely that JT has been told that he needs to show Zach some kind of form to stay in the mix? And he has shown Zach exactly the kind of form our guys usually show for away Ryder Cups, though that's the problem that got us to this point.
Or, yanno, it could just be that half-ass beard....
I do plan on a full Ryder Cup roster analysis, but that won't he today.
Dateline: France - Dispatches from the world of made-up majors:
4. Celine Boutier claimed her first major title and became the first-ever French golfer to win the Evian Championship, lapping the field by six. How did she make this one look soeasy?Colgan: A little bit of home cooking never hurt. I’m sure playing in front of her countrymen and women was all the boost she needed to outright lap the field, and good on her for it.Melton: When you’re hot, you’re hot. Brian Harman showed us as much at Royal Liverpool, and Boutier caught some of that lightning in a bottle and took it to France. The good vibes of competing at home didn’t hurt, either.Rogers: Colgan is right. It was awesome to see hundreds of fans screaming Boutier’s name as she came down the 18th fairway on Sunday, and I think knowing that everyone there was on her side must’ve helped. That plus some insanely good golf.
Wasn't home cooking supposed to carry Tommy Lad across the finish line the prior week? But this was the odder note from the week:
5. Speaking of the Evian, Carlota Ciganda was disqualified when she refused to sign her scorecard after a slow-play penalty, and she later took to social media to plead her case, saying she was penalized for taking too long on a 10-footer on the final hole (when the group behind wasn’t even on the tee on the par-5). Ciganda, who has been dinged for slow play before, added: “I wish everyone gets treated the same and they don’t pick on the same players all the time!” Should there be some leeway given to players if, like Ciganda said, they aren’t currently holding anyone up? And do you think she has a point about focusing on certain players?Colgan: When I was growing up, my parents had a favorite saying: “Reputation is earned in drops and lost in buckets.” If Ciganda doesn’t want extra attention for her slow play, I recommend she take a long look in the mirror. And as for the asinine suggestion it isn’t slow play if isn’t holding another player up, let’s not give oxygen to bad ideas.Melton: I sympathize with Carlota’s frustrations as she’s been on the receiving end of a couple costly slow-play penalties, but it’s about time she does some self reflection. She’s long been known as one of the slowest players on the LPGA Tour, so it’s to be expected she’s under the microscope. It’s unfortunate that her slow play has cost her so dearly, but I’m glad the LPGA is serious about policing pace-of-play issues.Rogers: Let’s compare the issue of slow play on tour to speeding on the highway. Just because we all do it doesn’t mean you can’t still get pulled over. If you don’t want to get pulled over, don’t speed! Same thing goes for slow play, especially when the player has been dinged before. Also, I think the idea that you shouldn’t be penalized for slow play if you aren’t holding anyone up is a very bad one.
I agree it's an odd one and I'm blissfully unfamiliar with Carlotta's history in the regard, but I'm also about worn out with the entitlement mentality of today's players, including that it's apparently seeped down to a third-rate player on a 4th-rate tour. Whatever the respective merits of the argument, a ruling had been made and her score on the hole was as the rules official decided. She therefore willfully signed for a score lower than she actually made, which could be called cheating (I know she was missing the cut in any event), but is really just the petulance of a child. Let's hope it comes with a sufficiently adult fine.... or, really, it should lead to a suspension.
Dateline: Wales - I wish I had made time to watch more of this (caught an hour of it on tape yesterday), because the old guys got the weather we had been promised in Liverpool:
It is one of British golf’s hoariest clichés, tritely trotted out whenever meteorological conditions veer into something substantially worse than ideal: “The winner this week was the golf course.”But it is a cliché for a reason. And the reason is Senior British Open weeks like this one at cold, wet and windy (gusts up to 40 miles per hour) Royal Porthcawl on the shores of an endlessly choppy Bristol Channel. In short, this wonderful but often wild Welsh links, aided and abetted by mother nature, kicked some experienced butt.The winning score is revealing of a tortuous four days. At the end of a final round that began with only one player, Alex Cejka, not already over par, the German eventually emerged as the new champion after closing with a five-over 76 that included a lost ball off the first tee and only three birdies. Cejka’s five-over-par 289 total was matched Padraig Harrington, who somehow got himself around in 75. Four over par after only four holes, the Irishman played the last 14 holes in a remarkable even par.
A great one-word Tweet:
Carnage.#SeniorOpen | #Rolex pic.twitter.com/Zd247FX1wR
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 30, 2023
They basically had four days of that weather, so quite the test of survival skills. Cejka prevailed on the second playoff hole, and has become a force among the senior set.
Dateline: Liverpool - I'm so late to the party on that Jay Monahan memo, that I'll further delay and discussion thereof. Instead, Alan Shipnuck has one of his mailbags up that is mostly Open Championship leftovers, so let's riff on that:
Why does it feel so different (actually boring) when a guy like Brian Harman dominates as opposed to a Tiger or Rory big win? #AskAlan @AriSlater1978Because when it’s Woods or McIlroy we know we are witnessing something historic that will be discussed and celebrated for as long as golf is played. Harman has been a good player for years but it’s very likely he had a career week at exactly the right moment and this win will not enjoy historical significance. Nothing wrong with that! He was clearly the best player on a demanding test and Harman deserves all the kudos. But any fan apathy can be traced to the different meaning we apply to a winner based on his standing in the game.
This shoulda come with an irony alert, because those in charge of our tours (as distinct form the organizations that control the four majors) are actively attempting to avoid such trauma to the viewer. But when you hold actual golf competitions with legitimate fields, guys like Harman win, and even guys with far lesser resumes win (can you sat Todd Hamilton?). But we can't have that, can we?
After the numerous shouts of “spicy meatballs” and “shiver me timbers” and the lukewarm response (being nice) that B. Harman received on the weekend, can we finally retire the idea that Open fans as the most “respectful” and most “knowledgeable” fans in the game? @fakePOULTERFunny thing is that the 2006 Open at Hoylake was the first time I became aware of how intrusive and bothersome cell phones could be at a live sporting event—that tournament was a mess with bleating phones and yahoos taking pictures and other tomfoolery. I think Open galleries have always been overrated, but at the risk of wading into a particularly touchy subject, I have observed that the fans in England skew considerably rowdier than those in Scotland. On the whole I think the typical Open Championship crowd is less obnoxious than a U.S. Open crowd, but the gap is much, much smaller than folks seem to think.
Sounds about right, though I'd speculate that, of the English venues, Liverpool might be the rowdiest of that sunset....
Is it a “thing” in Rory’s head at this point? @TheNo1OGGolferWell, over the last nine years he has won numerous national opens and FedEx Cups and Race to Dubais and a Players and gawd knows what else, so clearly McIlroy’s inability to win a major championship is metaphysical. But the more exacting setups of the majors do expose the flaws and inconsistencies in his putting and wedge game. It’s such a repetitive topic, but it continues to fascinate all of us because there is something Shakespearean about a mega-talent who can win everything except the tournaments he wants the most.
Alan is spot-on about the flaws in Rory's game, and I'd just add that Rory benefitted from a run of soft majors back in that 2011-14 time frame, each of his wins being in ridiculously soft conditions, even at Hoylake in 2014. But what puzzles me is that he never seems to take any heat for failing to address those obvious weaknesses, as well as the boyhood best friend on the bag. Rory is just soft and seemingly content, so the anti-Tiger, no?
This one is profoundly silly:
If Brian Harman can win a major, Tiger can win another one. Next five years are critical in this discussion, right? @markoGpoloThe only difference is that Harman can walk, and he does not have a fused spine or a surgically repaired Achilles, ACL, lumbar disks or sundry other body parts. Also, Harman is a decade younger. And has not just gone through yet another embarrassing public scandal. And he can work out and practice as much as he wants. In conclusion, I’d say there are pretty substantial differences between these two golfers. Tiger may still have some magic in his hands, and presumably his competitive instincts remain intact, but it’s hard to imagine his broken body will ever let him contend again across four longs days of tournament golf and all the toil it takes to prepare his game for that cauldron.
I can't see it, though I also couldn't see that 2019 Masters....
How does LIV rate this first full season of majors? Obviously, Brooks won the PGA and contended at the Masters but outside of him, no one was ever seriously a threat to win. Maybe guys do need more reps in advance of the big ones? @BreedsMNGolfMickelson put a charge into the Masters, Bryson made a strong run at the PGA Championship and Cam Smith played well at the U.S. Open, but point taken. For all of their success on LIV, Dustin Johnson and Talor Gooch were huge disappointments in the majors, and the supporting cast of characters were non-factors. But Koepka’s win changed everything, a thunderbolt that echoed from Riyadh to the Seminole grill room. Overall, I’d give LIV a B+ in the majors.
Fair enough, but absent Brooks being healthy it seems mostly a nothingburger.
To me, Cam Smith is the poster child, as we was really the only ascendant talent signed by the bonecutters, and he did nothing. Of course, it's a sample size of one, so it means exactly nothing.
It looks like professional golf is really trending in the wrong direction. Even when we finally get weeks with a field containing everyone, nobody seems happy about any of it, from any angle. Just some growing pains? Or is it the new normal? #AskAlan @derekenglesHmmm, you must be new to Golf Twitter, where, traditionally, no one is happy about anything! And that has only been accentuated in this complicated, divisive era. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
A wise man predicted at the start of this drama that we'd end up hating them all, and that seems an especially good call...
Any advice for an avid golf fan whose favorite player(s) is someone other than Rory?!?! With most media outlets, the broadcast booth, golf podcasters, journalists, etc. all gushing, covering, and rooting for Rory—should I just convert? Grab a Guinness and learn to enjoy??? @kylelabatThe answer is obvious: Become a die-hard LIV fan and then you can root against McIlroy with gusto.
It's been quite tedious, though I'd think any Sunday with Rory in contention at a major would provide sufficient schadenfreude to satisfy @kylelabat.... It's certainly worked for your humble blogger.
Putting the over/under on career wins for Harman at 4.5. What are you taking? @LoopersProShopOver! That will only take two more victories. Dude has been a top-10 machine forever and now he’s playing with house money—I think he’ll easily win more than two tournaments.
Recency bias much? Dude hadn't won since 2017, and now we're assuming he'll be a different guy? Could happen, but rarely does...
Seriously, how do all the golfers handle so much losing? The hype, the pressure, the criticism. It doesn’t seem like a glamorous job at all. @SusanSSLConsider Cameron Young: he’s already being billed as a star, he has contended at multiple majors, he might play his way onto this year’s Ryder Cup team, he has already made $11 million at age 26…and dude has never won a tournament in 47 tries! It’s a crazy profession in which success often has to be measured outside of victories; last week, Brian Harman was case in point. But if you learn to manage the hype and pressure and constant losing, greatness might be around the corner. At least, that’s the tantalizing promise that keeps so many golfers going.
Well, they are nicely compensated..... that has to reduce the sting a bit.
Alan, how much could Wyndham Clark and Harman potentially get from LIV in upfront money if they’re looking for a payday? Jimmy Dunne told Congress the PGA Tour was worried as about losing 5-6 top players per year. @KeithKhortonYour question assumes that the framework agreement falls apart and the PGA Tour and LIV Golf go back to being bitter rivals. In that scenario, the Tour would surely take on billions of dollars in (American) private equity money, its leadership having found religion that a for-profit structure is the only way to cash the checks that Jay Monahan has already written. LIV had a huge recruiting advantage when it was offering $25 million purses and the PGA Tour’s were hovering around $9 million. With the Tour’s elevated events now paying out $20 million, LIV will have to pay even more to attract top talent. I’d say Harman could command $75 million and Clark, 29, at least $125 million.
Ummm, Alan, are familiar with the actual definition of "profit"? Just because you change your tax status to For Profit doesn't ensure that the enterprise will actually generate a profit? The insanity of the current moment is that the PGAT Tour has decided to create a compensation system in excess of the economic value of its product, and to be dependent upon an economically irrational contributions from the Saudis. Alan just blithely assumes that a U.S. private equity firm will do the same, which only serves to confirm that Alan is out of his depth there.
The answer to this one is a simple "Yes!":
Is it more frustrating to be a Rory fan or Spieth fan? @wesleywhamondYes. But McIlroy, for sure. Jordan is so flighty and volatile that even when he’s playing well we all know it can’t last, so it’s easier to take joy in the occasional triumphs. Rory has reached a level of incredible consistency, giving himself a chance to win seemingly every time he tees it up. Thus all those tournaments that get away from him, particularly the majors, become more and more maddening. Is this fair? Probably not. But, to quote one of our great thinkers, it is what it is.
How about a Rory-Spieth singles match in Rome?
Without taking anything away from the winner, do lefties play a totally different course to right-handers? @tommywilkinsonNo, but the subtle differences can certainly be advantageous. Augusta National is the classic example in which many important drives (2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14) are dogleg lefts, allowing lefties to play the fades that modern drivers encourage. And the terrifying 12th hole, with its angled green, is much friendlier to left-handers, as a hook that sails long and right can catch the green as easily as a slice that finishes short and left. (Righties are severely punished in either scenario.)
And lastly....
Has there ever been a more forgettable major? @YourBossBillUmmm, apparently you have forgotten about Trevor Immelman shooting 75 on Sunday and still winning the 2008 Masters by three strokes? And Louis Oosthuizen’s ho-hum 71 in the final round of the 2010 Open… which he still won by seven strokes (below)! Must I go on?Just admit it! This Open was rubbish…. The course was the best thing. The rest was plonk! @antonmerckollThe only thing I’m prepared to admit is that plonk is now my new favorite word.
I still think that Matsuyama Masters was pretty dreadful, but to each his won.
Dateline: Pittenweem - i got a wee bit lazy at the end there, so just a few final notes and (mostly) pictures.
One of my obsession's in prior years has been the bales of hay (barley, more accurately), which I find visual catnip. As a result of the earlier trip I didn't expect to see any, though they came through for me at the very end, though the photo was from a moving vehicle:
We struck out in our Daily Ballot submissions, going naught for eight. Very frustrating, though we did head up to St. Andrews on our last day in country:
Respect:
That's Young Tom above, and Dad below:
And Allan Robertson, the forgotten man of Scottish golf:
The bride wants to consider St. Andrews as our base of operation for next year, so we looked at a couple of house from the outside. Bit of a shock as I find Pittenweem just perfect, though I've been reliably informed that change is good....
Back in Pittenweem, we had ourselves a bit of a haar:
No comments:
Post a Comment