Midweek Musings - Back In The Saddle Edition

Sorry for that hiatus, though truthfully only a little bit sorry.... Just not enough going on to warrant profound grief.  Ski season is officially over, so my heightened level of grief is reserved for that especially, since I've already missed one powder day.

Additionally, today is opening day for my Yankees.  Given the already bountiful injury reports, I'd better keep some grief in reserve for them.   

So, what's going on in our little golf fishbowl?  Not much, so we'll not tax ourselves too much...

The Malnati Effect - Always a guy that I instinctively liked, he seemed to strike a chord with his win in Tampa last week:

First there was the crying, and, boy, was Peter Malnati doing some good crying in the wake of his two-stroke victory Sunday at the Valspar Championship, his second win on the PGA Tour. His

first came 3,059 days and two children ago. And then there was his rallying cry; the lone player director on the tour’s policy board who truly represents the little guy used his temporary platform to remind anyone who would listen that the game is full of little guys who cherish signature moments as much or more than signature events.

And then Malnati, a 36-year-old journeyman ranked 184th in the world, was his most charming, authentic self unwittingly walking the walk. His victory at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., earned him his first invitation to the Masters Tournament. A childhood dream. He didn’t want to assume he’d be invited, but, he said, laughing, “I'll probably accept that invitation and go play the Masters. Yeah, I mean, I guess, yeah, that's cool. It hasn't sunk in yet at all because, I guess I'm going to be there in … when is it?”

Is that last bit perfect, or what?   I'm guessing that whatever is on his calendar for that week will be shunted aside, but who knows?   Of course the wife flying in wit the children completes the scene:

“You wonder if you’re ever going to do it again.”

The emotions come out as @PeterMalnati reflects on his second TOUR win @ValsparChamp. pic.twitter.com/Oc1ehqwjZ2

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 24, 2024

Thanks to Dylan Dethier, we can even celebrate it with a Venn diagram (bet you didn't see that one coming):

Golfers that wear bucket hats (3) and golfers that play yellow golf balls (4) are winners thanks to Peter Malnati’s (5) victory at the Valspar Championship. If stats guru Justin Ray doesn’t have the data on this one, I certainly don’t, but it’s not clear to me there’s been a non-white-golf-ball winner on the PGA Tour since Jerry Pate used an orange ball at the Players Championship in 1982. What better tournament to add a splash of color than the one sponsored by a paint company?

valspar venn diagram pic.twitter.com/ENUPVWA2IG

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) March 25, 2024

Pretty sure Dylan wouldn't have been born in 1982, so good on him for the history lesson...

Malnati himself takes a crack at why his reaction generated its own strong reaction:

“We can all probably remember when we were kids, and we were all kids at different times, but the things that moved us that we watched,” he said during his Wednesday press conference in

Houston. “I remember watching [Michael] Jordan and the ’97 Bulls, I remember watching Tiger in the 2000 Masters. I didn’t care one iota what Jordan’s contract was. I didn’t care one iota what the winner’s check at that U.S. Open was. And I think people are sick of that. I think people are just sick of the narrative in golf being about, you know, contracts on LIV, purses on the Tour, guaranteed comp on the Tour. I think people are so sick of that. They want to see sport, they want to see people who are the best in the world at what they do do it at a high level and celebrate that, celebrate the athleticism, celebrate the achievement.

“Obviously this is a business and to the top players who drive a lot of the value in this business, we’ve got to compensate them fairly, we’ve got to make that happen. But I think we’re doing that above and beyond, and the narrative, the storylines, the conversation needs to come back to the product on the course and what we do.

“I think for me that was like I just, I just feel like no kid dreamed when they were watching Jordan dreamed of having his salary, they didn’t care about that. They dreamed of being in that moment, hitting that shot. I think that’s what our fans care about too and that’s what they want to see.”

That's pretty good, though I'd really like him to articulate what he means by those three bolded words, because he's not just any Joe in the current moment.  In fact, he's in quite the impossible position.... The same Dylan Dethier has penned this item, and he asks this threshold question:

The multi-billion dollar question, then: Is he right? Is a story like Malnati’s the sort of thing fans crave? And should the Tour be structured to prioritize those stories?

I think Dylan has it backwards.... the Tour should not be structured to prioritize any specific outcome, but the recent effort is to preclude such stories, at least as relates to the big money events.  I would blue pencil Dylan's statement to reflect that the tour should allow for such stories.  Patrick, alas, begs to differ...

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that Dylan actually gets it:

On one hand, connecting Malnati’s emotional moment to the tournament’s sagging TV ratings misses the point. On Sunday, his coronation (which ran up against NCAA hoops) came just moments before the broadcast went off-air; viewers wouldn’t have known that his win is what they were waiting around to see. And it was pretty clear that the win did resonate with those who were watching, marking a win for the Tour, as it’s nice to leave your audience on a good note. They might consider coming back.

On the other hand, ratings have dipped fairly consistently in 2024. A story like Malnati’s is terrific as a part of the fabric of the Tour, but the Tour can’t be built around Cinderella stories; fans respond to meaningful tournaments at familiar courses featuring leaderboards comprised of players they know. When some of golf’s well-known players departed for LIV, it hurt the Tour they left behind, and even feel-good stories can’t immediately fill that void. This is the big leagues, after all, and Malnati himself recognized that on Wednesday: “Four days ago no one cared if Peter Malnati was in their field or not, really,” he said.

So what can we take from Malnati’s moment? It’s pretty simple, really, and it’s the same lesson we keep learning: Sports work when they matter. And they can’t matter to a viewer unless they matter to the competitors. LIV has big money and big stars and a reimagined format but has not produced many resonant moments. The Tour’s big-money Signature Events haven’t flopped but they haven’t soared, either. Outside of the majors, golf’s biggest events still need to feel bigger. Bigger consequences. Bigger meaning. Bigger moments on bigger stages that can inspire kids to want to imagine themselves in those moments on those stages. Moments that can be earned and aspired to and celebrated when achieved.

That’s Malnati’s lesson, then, as the Tour keeps thinking bigger: The little guy can still play an important role.

Dylan gives us a pretty lucid description of what's wrong with LIV, but then can't make the leap in logic to understand that turning flagship PGA Tour events into similar exhibitions will render them similarly lame.  

But while extolling the Big Leagues, Dylan forgets that the best stories on Tour this year are the Nick Dunlap and Malnati wins....  Now, they're more powerful stories combined with Scottie Scheffler remembering how to get the ball in the hole, but the Tour is committed to scripting outcomes, and that will be a spectator repellant.

It's Malnati's role as a Player Director, however, that adds juice to our current malaise.  He seems to get that we're over-compensating the elite guys as per this Sportico analysis, but he will inevitably be out-voted and intimidated by his fellow Player Directors.  

In a constant effort to close browser tabs, here's a Shack item from Links Magazine that should be a warning shot across the bow, but of course will be ignored:

Geoff Shackelford: Why We Don’t Need Professional Golfers

Here's a taste:

The more pro golfers squabble over obscene amounts of money, the less the public will care. And that’s just fine.

The verdict is in. A sport played in some form by 70 or so million around the globe does not hinge on the popularity of the few hundred or so professionals who believe they are centers of our universe. The numbers do not lie. Even with terrible weather in key regions, according to Golf Datatech, U.S. rounds played are up 3 percent over 2022 with magnificent spikes in female and junior participation. An unexpected pandemic bump has turned into a steady bounce even with offices demanding that workers return and less time-consuming threats like pickleball competing for recreational time.

Everyday golf has proved to be resilient, unmoored from the fortunes, grievances, and neuroses of those who play it for a living.

Geez, Geoff, I don't know know... What you say sounds logical, but I've been reliably informed that golf can only grow if Patrick gets paid, and I'm pretty sure those guys wouldn't lie to us, would they?

Professional golf should be one of the tent poles of the game, but not if the guys act like the flamers they've been the last three years.  Of course, the money grab is by the top twenty or so players, and it's those very guys that Jay & Co. think will draw us to our TV's.... You see the disconnect?

On a related note, Eamon Lynch had a recent piece under this header:

Lynch: The PGA Tour is facing the toughest decision with LIV Golf. Should players be making that call?

This is an interesting piece, though on that basic premise I don't think the estimable Eamon really delivers.  The obvious problem is that, if not the players, who would decide?  Jay still has his job because the powers behind the throne find it useful to allow him to play human lightning rod, but still...

While making good points, Eamon is undermined by bits like this:

The equity being distributed to players is an opportunity to reset the parameters of their role in Tour governance. They are shareholders, not owners.

Gee, Eamon, not sure how to break this to you, but what exactly do you imagine a shareholder to be?

Now, he does make some good points about their convoluted motivations:

If you ask John Henry — the leader of Strategic Sports Group, which just invested $1.5 billion in the Tour — he might argue that his product would be measurably improved if the aforementioned defectors were in the fold again. But despite the pablum about unifying the game and seeing the best compete together again, many Tour members are disincentivized to see that happen. Which is why active players should not be on this jury. What’s best for individual members — even a large constituency of them — isn’t necessarily best for the Tour’s commercial prospects. But convincing members of a “member-led” organization that their interests are not the same as the Tour’s interests is akin to persuading Irish republicans that their best future lies in allegiance to the British monarchy.

You really do want to read the whole thing which is chock full of good bits.  But this is really naive:

Ask folks if they’d rather see Jay Monahan or Patrick Cantlay make decisions about the direction of a multi-billion dollar enterprise, you’d likely hear a chorus of ‘Neither!’ Players will be compromised in many future decisions, executives were compromised by past calls. But at least executives don’t have their own competitive skin in the game.

This is why so many allegedly member-owned organizations lose their way.  The arguments about Patrick not having to take on Jon Rahm are perhaps unique to sports, but Eamon ignores how bloated and unresponsive the professional management team becomes over time.  Let's not forget that Jay cut a deal with the bonecutters (deal isn't the right word) without a single player knowing about it.  

But what may strike you most is how happy a certain defector seems:

Jon Rahm, one of Al-Rumayyan’s more expensive firestarters, offered a positive pitch for the Tour he left. “It was fun to watch, and what a finish. Jesus Christ, that was one that was fun to watch,” he said of the Players Championship, before admitting he has watched other tournaments that he’s no longer eligible to play, three of which he won last season. “It’s gut-wrenching to watch, but it made for great TV, and it was really fun.”

Picture the reigning Masters champion watching the action from home, then juxtapose that with the widely-circulated image of him playing a LIV event in Jeddah with not a spectator in sight. Asked about a subsequent LIV stop in Hong Kong, Rahm praised the people and the food. He is a competitor reduced to a concierge. His brave face notwithstanding, there was a poignant note in his comments about moving to LIV Golf. “It’s done. It’s past. It’s a decision I made, and I’m comfortable with it,” he said. “But I’m hoping I can come back.”

Rahm gives the impression of someone convinced he was going to be a one-man catalyst, that his departure would be a shock so seismic that every faction in golf would hasten toward reunification. By now, he must realize that a path back to the PGA Tour is not yet paved and that, bar four weeks a year, he will be competing before sparse galleries for the foreseeable.

Decisions, consequences.

A few more minor bits and we'll wrap this up...

I Need A Ruling -  Where did this come from?

2024 Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship prize money payouts for each LPGA player

That's the event that Nelly won last weekend, as per this lovely photo:

The thing is, I know a Se Ri Pak, as well as a Se-Ri Pak, but I've never heard of a Seri Pak.... So wassup with that?

Wikipedia supports my position on this important issue.

Memories - The Zurich is an OK event, and how lucky are they to have converted to a team event before the money grab nonsense.  Were they just another meaningless 72-hole medal play event, no doubt Zurich would have followed Honda and Farmers to the exit.

Much of the fun comes from watching the courtship rituals as the guys pair up, admittedly more enjoyable when we actually like the guys.  This is a good example of how to manage this process:

The lads @McIlroyRory ☘️☘️ pic.twitter.com/TThh5AGsEM

— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) March 25, 2024

Would you have guessed that Rory was ever as jowly as Shane?  Of course, Rory's jowliness peaked with this Walker Cup photo with another recognizable player:

 Pretty much swapped out everything below the neck....

What Could Go Wrong With A Tent - Still laughing about the TGL's 2024 demise, but who says these guys don't learn their lessons?

The opening night for take two of TGL’s inaugural season has been set, with the new tech-infused

team golf league slated for a prime-time debut Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 on ESPN and ESPN+. TGL also has matches scheduled on the succeeding two Tuesdays as well as the league gets underway after its planned launch two months ago was scrubbed following damage to its stadium in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Week 2 of TGL’s season on Jan. 14 will air on ESPN following the network’s broadcast of the Monday Night Football Wild Card Playoff game. Week 3 then comes after ESPN’s coverage of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Each week features 15-hole matches between two teams that include both singles and three-man competitions.

TGL, which consists of six four-man teams featuring many of the game’s top PGA Tour players, was created by TMRW Sports, founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and former Golf Channel executive Mike McCarley. Rosters have yet to be finalized for all six teams. It has not yet been determined which two teams will play opening night.

Color me skeptical about a simulator league getting traction, when no one is tuning in for actual golf.  But do those TV times sound as crazy to you as they do to this observer?  Are those early weeks coming on at midnight on the East Coast?  

It's actually quite the scheduling nightmare even getting the players to a common location on Monday and Tuesday nights, as this kicks off during the West Coast swing.  Amusingly, it will probably weaken the fields for certain non-Signature events, but this is what the Tour has always done to its sponsors.

All of which  would be amusing, except one suspects that this has outsized importance in the current moment.  The Tour has taken down $1.5 billion from SSG, and hopes and needs more from a combination of SSG and PIF (M-O-U-S-E), all of which contemplates sufficient cash flow to generate a return on investment for the lenders.  

One assumes that the budgeting involved included a healthy cash flow from the Tour's stake in TGL, so we'll see if the can get eyeballs on it.  But if it lays an egg?  At least John Henry and Steve Cohen don't need it to make rent.

That's it for today, kids.  I suspect you'll next see me on Monday.  Have a greta weekend.

Weekend Wrap - Blogus Interruptus Edition

Just a quick note to readers that I will have to forego blogging Peter Malnati's win at the Copperhead, at least until Wednesday.  I had to use this morning for a call, which will unfortunately preclude blogging.

Today will be my 37th and final day on skis, which of course means that I have all sorts of shutdown tasks to accomplish.  The good news is that we've had 15" of fresh stuff in the last two days, although I only wish it was as good as that headline number.  Yesterday's snow was incredibly wet and heavy (stop me if you've heard this before) and, after a week of 50 degree days, landed atop refrozen slush.  There were some nice soft turns to be found, but hard work finding them.  

Tomorrow is my travel day, so I'll try to be back at the keyboard Wednesday morning from Unplayable Lies World Headquarters.

In the interim, I'll just leave you with this photo of Friday's sunrise:

Thanks for your patience.  See you later in the week.

Your Friday Frisson - Spring Skiing Edition

As my ski season winds down, I'll attempt to keep my Dear Readers engaged.  But a blogger needs to rest and recharge before the coming Masters flood-the-zone coverage.

A Signature Statement - The Ponte Vedra suits breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday, after an exciting finish to The Players Championship, one featuring a number of name-brand golfers, banished all thoughts of the Face Plant Tour™.  Surely, all America.....nay, make that surely all the world joined in.  What?  Disappointing, but I will try not to call you Shirley again...

Players Championship delivers disappointing Sunday TV ratings

Hmmmmm....do tell:

The Players Championship delivered the most drama-filled and star-studded finish of the 2024 golf season thus far. Unfortunately, that didn't lead to whopping TV ratings.

As reported by Sports Business Journal, Sunday viewership of the PGA Tour's flagship event was significantly down from last year. What's interesting is that the tournament produced the same winner, Scottie Scheffler—and a much closer result.

Last year 4.14 million tuned in to see Scheffler cruise to a five-shot victory, but only 3.53 million watched the World No. 1 win at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday.

Even more disheartening for the tour and NBC is that this was the lowest-rated broadcast for any completed Sunday final round in a decade. Back in 2014, 3 million viewers watched Martin Kaymer beat Jim Furyk. Only 2.91 watched on Sunday in 2022, but bad weather pushed coverage to Golf Channel before a Monday finish won by Cameron Smith. That was also the last year before LIV Golf, whose players are banned from competing in PGA Tour events, came along.

These results are also part of a troubling trend going back to last year. Many believe the rift between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has caused a fatigue effect among golf fans.

Can't you just feel the game growing?

That last 'graph has me chuckling, as apparently one guy didn't get the Correlation Does Not Imply Causation memo....  But perhaps it's not so much the LIV v. PGA rift, but rather the fact that the players have revealed themselves to be entitle, money-grubbing a*******es.  Of course, I's like to think that fans are striking because of the exclusion of mid-tier players from the money grabs.... What?  Oh yeah, I won't overreact to that correlation....

A brief reminder of context, to wit, that the Tour has taken $1.5 billion large thus far, and quite obviously seeks billions more from some combo platter of SSG and PIF, raising the issue of a return on investment for the jock-sniffers.  To do so the Tour needs to jack up its revenues quickly, rendering TV ratings a significant proxy.  The revenues directly attributable to the ratings are locked in until 2030, which right now looks like a major "W" for Jay....  Yet, inquiring minds want to know, do declining ratings portend an enhanced monetization of the product?  

Geoff looks forward to those four events that actually matter:

Still. This dreadful slide means the major championships will be a key barometer of the damage done by the emergence of LIV and the PGA Tour’s response.

Will ratings come in as expected for Grand Slam events or maybe even arrive up a bit when all the best players convene?

Or, will the ratings decline continue because,

(A) fans have been turned off by all the money talk, ,

(B) the recreational game’s thriving and taking eyeballs away as people get fresh air instead of watching television,

(C) has today’s largely tech-heavy/artistry-light way of playing the game put people to sleep in the same totally foreseeable (if-you’re-not-a-Titleist-lap-dog) way power surges have torpedoed other sports, or,

(D) are these declines some odd combination of an array of factors that also include Comcast’s de-investment in marketing and promotion of the sport?

Either way, it’s a shocking plunge for The Players given what a great show the contestants, NBC and TPC Sawgrass put on. Those who watched enjoyed a good show and we’re grateful. But we’re also likely to get an even better show in three weeks at Augusta National.

A better show at Augusta?  Boy, I'd tend to agree, but without Talor Gooch there, what's the point?

All of LIV's happy talk about growing the golf fallaciously conflated the game with the professional game.  And a good thing that, when you look at their effect on the latter....

Getting To Know You - Are you dying for details of that little get-together at Albany?  First, some venue notes:

Tiger Woods hosted the meeting with the head of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia at his residence in the Bahamas on Monday that was a viewed as a “meet and greet and learn” session to potential future investment in PGA Tour Enterprises.

Woods and Al-Rumayyan played golf on the Albany course near Nassau where Woods hosts the annual Hero World Challenge.

So, Tiger demanded a home game?  Would some architectural details be too much to ask?

See if this enhances your trust in the leadership:

“What I was interested in going there was to learn more about who he is and what he’s thinking,”

Simpson said. “Learn about LIV more. What was your intention and hope there? How’s it going? All that kind of stuff. A meet and greet and learn. I think he wanted to learn from us kind of what we think. We wanted to figure out what he thinks.”

According to Simpson, the meeting did not involve “in the weeds” negotiating but more of a big picture of the PIF’s intentions. The sovereign wealth fund is invested in hundreds of companies around the world with a worth in excess of $700 billion. It has invested heavily in sports, including the Premier League, tennis, Formula One racing and golf.

“If definitely seems like he envisions a place in the game of golf,” Simpson said. “We didn’t get as far as what he wants and what does LIV want. He certainly seems engaged enough in the game already that he has desires to see the game grow globally, I think it’s fair to say. And he mentioned growing it in Saudi to try and do that.”

So, they talked about the weather?  Seriously, he grew the game in Saudi from zero to one?  But isn't it pretty obvious what he wants with LIV?  he wants to eat your lunch, Webb...

You might want to clear all liquids for this next excerpt, one that's hard to characterize.  Feels kinda like hero worship, no?

Malnati, who is also playing in this week’s Valspar Championship, declined to go into specifics. In a brief interview, the veteran PGA Tour player said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the conversational nature of Al-Rumayyan, who has often been described as an avid golfer who frequently competes in pro-ams at LIV Golf League tournaments.

“Obviously he is not a regular guy,” Malnati said. “He chairs 140-something boards. But to talk to him, it was like talking to another human being. I enjoyed and appreciated that. We were definitely talking to a golf nut.”

Malnati reiterated his desire to see “all the best players together, not just in the major championships.

“I still certainly think a path forward for professional golf makes more sense with him on our side than him as an antagonist,” Malnati said. “But there’s a lot of work to do to ... seeing the same vision for the future of professional golf. There is space between his and ours.”

So, just like talking to another human being?  Hmmm... get out much, Peter?  I mean, no argument, he is another human being, I mean to the extent that those organizing mass beheadings deserve to be considered human....  But, yes Peter, his checks clear.

Although this might be the key bit:

Details from what occurred at the meeting have been vague but it appears the sides are no closer to any kind of agreement than they were nine months ago when the June 6 “framework agreement” was announced.

Your humble blogger has worked his sources, but has been unable to confirm that Yasir puts his pants on one leg at a time....  But wassup with eh hero worship?   Not a good look....

A Meritocracy, If You Can Keep It - Just a quick hit, but one that channels Babe Ruth, Herbert Hoover and, in that header is a hint of Benjamin Franklin.  So, remember this from the Bambino?

Those writers who were closest to Ruth attempted to convince the slugger that this was no time to hold out, with millions unemployed and thousands on the point of actual starvation. How much did Babe want, anyway?

“Just what I’ve been getting for the last two seasons,” explained Ruth with what he thought was a great show of patience, “$8o,ooo.”

“$8o,ooo a year! In these times!” expostulated one of the writers. Don’t be silly, Babe. Why that’s more than Hoover gets for being president of the United States.”

“What the hell has Hoover got to do with this?” demanded the Babe. “Anyway, I had a better year than he did.”

Well, he did.... But this is what reminded me of that:

Scottie Scheffler is playing so well his caddie is out-earning Rory McIlroy

 I don't think ted Scott is the only Tour caddie having a better year than Rors....

Let’s get this out of the way first: Rory McIlroy’s bank account will be just fine. According to Forbes, the golfer was 15th among The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes in 2023, and if Spotrac’s

numbers are right, he’s earned at least $140,933,264 over his career. The Northern Irishman has four majors and 24 tour wins, so he’ll be okay with this one unfavorable comparison.

OK, enough dilly-dallying, let’s get to Ted Scott's wallet.

Yup, that’s right. Assuming the standard 10 percent cut for a win, Scottie Scheffler’s caddie has outearned Rory’s 2024 PGA earnings … over just eight days. It should be noted that McIlroy is off to a slow (for him) start to the year, but $850,000 without a single swing is a hell of a run—and that won’t stop anytime soon with Scheffler heading into next month’s Masters as the favorite.

The magic of small sample sizes.... But note where Rory stood in 2023, despite not winning anything that matters.  Yet he's joined those whining about his take, even proposing smaller fields for the events carrying the largest purses.  How much would be enough for you, Rory?  Asking for a friend....

Auditions Continue - I haven't watched all that much of NBC's coverage, with the exception of The Players last weekend.  But I've been OK with the analyst tryouts, if only because the real challenge for these guys is to keep it fresh over the longer term.  That said, I don't think this guy will rpove to eb the answer:

Notah Begay III aims to prove he's more than the 'Tiger guy' in try-out for NBC's golf analyst role

But are you more than that?  Because that's pretty much the basis for what you've achieved thus far, no?

I appreciate the self-awareness, but not sure I'm buying this:

For Notah Begay III, there is no escaping the Tiger Woods connection, and he doesn't even try. In

fact, when discussing his decade-plus career at NBC this past week, he broached the topic unprompted.

"Initially, and for good reason, a lot of people thought I was just brought in to be the quote-unquote 'Tiger guy,'" he said. "Thankfully, I think I've evolved out of that a little bit, because if he retires anytime soon, and I'm still the Tiger guys, I'm out of a job."

Begay, the 51-year-old who has long been an on-course "walker" for NBC's golf coverage (you can learn more about what that job entails in our Smylie Kaufman feature here), played his college golf at Stanford, where he became friends with Woods. He went on to win four times on the PGA Tour between 1999 and 2000, fought through injuries and slumps for the next decade, and joined NBC in 2012. In the ensuing 12 years, he has made several forays into commentary and analysis, but this weekend, for the first time, he'll have the analyst role to himself for an entire tournament at the Valspar Championship.

I think Notah is a pleasant voice as an on-course reporter, though I don't see him as a sufficiently strong voice to occupy the big chair.  Additionally, Tiger may be winding down his playing career, he's now being held out as our savior in his new roles as a Player Director.  So, on the major golf story of the moment, Notah remains compromised.

Say What? - Wyndham Clark is a talented player, but not a strong candidate for your debating team.  This to me is off-putting:

After moving-ball controversy, Wyndham Clark calls for simpler rules

Yeah, that's the ticket, Wyndham.  Oddly, he begins with an admission against interest:

In a new interview with Fox News Digital published on Thursday, Clark once again defended his actions at Bay Hill, rejecting any accusations of cheating.

“It is unfortunate, because I had no ill intent to try to cheat or improve my lie. I didn’t even know anything had happened until I got into the scoring tent, and that’s when they showed me the video,” Clark said in the interview. “You see the video, and you’re like, ‘Oh man, that doesn’t look great.'”

Any thoughts on why it didn't look great, Wyndham?  This is as existential as  he gets:

He went on to explain that despite what the video showed, his actions were in keeping with the spirit and letter of the Rules of Golf.

“I’ve never tried to cheat in the game of golf, and hopefully people don’t think of me that way,” he told Fox News Digital. “I just think the camera was zoomed in and made it look worse than it really was.”

You know what's a good way to convince people that you're not a cheater?  How about not mashing clubs behind your ball to tamp the grass down?  Just spitballin' here, but there's little other reasons to be doing what you did.....

Just reminder that he was absolved of sin on the broadcast through the assertion that he was allowed to ground his club.  However, Wyndham doesn't exactly address the fact that grounding the club is a very specific term, but that video that didn't "look great" is because he was doing far more landscaping work than can be reasonably considered grounding the club.

Here comes the misdirection:

But Clark didn’t stop there. He also suggested the Rules of Golf are far too complicated for the average player, an argument that would likely find a lot of support among recreational golfers. He used the example of playing golf with his friends to highlight his point.

“There are some things where I’m like, Can we dumb it down on the rules and not make it so complicated and make it a little simpler and more user-friendly?” Clark said. “It’s second nature for [pro golfers], so I don’t think about [it] as much, but when I get into social golf with buddies, and they’re asking questions, they don’t understand, I’m like, ‘You’re right, it is really complicated and probably should be easier and simpler.'”

Highlight?  I think you spelled "obscure" incorrectly....

This has little to do with the rules, though it obviously relates to the Tour's enforcement of the rules.  Obviously the Tour has long protected the players, but if Wyndham wants to use Patrick reed as a role model, what could go wrong with his career?

I shall make my exit here, and wish you all a great weekend.  See you Monday, I think.  It is my last full day of the ski season, so bear with me if close-down requirements intrude.

Midweek Musings - Opening Day Edition

I'll be blogging with the Dodgers-Padres on in the background.  Not exactly sure why they had to open their season a full eight days before everyone else, but it's Shohtime.

Closer to home, it's very much Spring skiing here in the Wasatch.  Temps up near fifty had me scrambling to find my sunscreen.  The snow's been a little funky, but gorgeous, cloudless days have mitigated that deficiency.  Just a few more days then we shut it down.

Getting To Know You... - Do you have Julie Andrews as your soundtrack?  

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you, putting it my way,

But nicely,

You are precisely,

My cup of tea.[Children Giggle]

Getting to know you,Getting to feel free and easy

When I am with you,

Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed

Suddenly I'm bright and breezy

Because of all the beautiful and new

Things I'm learning about you

Day by day.

Yanno, it's not just the children giggling....

Cue the happy talk, as Jay reports to his constituents:

Then, as the sun set, an update arrived to PGA Tour players by way of a text from commissioner Jay Monahan: The meeting was complete.

“The conversation throughout was constructive and represents an important part of our due diligence process in selecting potential investors for PGA Tour Enterprises,” Monahan wrote. “This mirrors the approach we employed earlier this year as we evaluated an investment offer from the Strategic Sports Group.”

“During the session, Yasir had a chance to introduce himself to our player directors and talk through his vision, priorities and motivations for investing in professional golf,” Monahan said.

Is your BS detector in the red zone?  If not, you want to take it into the shop for a check-up....  Obviously Jay and Rory are reading from the same hymnal:

And, at least in McIlroy’s eyes, there’s a chance that such a deal could be consummated in good faith from both sides.

“Fundamentally he wants to do the right thing,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve said this before, I have spent time with Yasir, and the people that have represented him in LIV I think have done him a disservice — Norman and those guys. I think you got PIF over here and LIV are sort of over here doing their own thing.”

“They’re a sovereign wealth fund,” he said. “They want to park money for decades and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA Tour is definitely one of those, especially if they’re looking to invest in sport in some way.”

Set aside Rory's rather stunning transformation, from profound concerns as to the source of the money to character witness for the guy that approves bonecutter invoices.  There's two obvious points to make here.  First, for all his influence, Yasir is only one guy, who serves at the pleasure and indulgence of one other guy, the notorious MBS.  I don't know what the half-life of a Saudi functionary is, but they seem to take Yasir's permanence as a given.  Were we in the private sector, we'd be looking to management depth behind him and an alignment with core investment objectives of the organization.  here, Rory and Jay are telling us it's all good because Yasir can pass as a Westerner....

The second misdirection is straight out of the June 6th playbook.  Did you catch that "park money for decades" bit....  Rory's far from the sharpest knife in the drawer, but again we're asked to believe that the PIF will provide billions of dollars to ensure that Patrick gets his, and want nothing for it.  As for the evidence that PGA Tour is "smart", we're expected to take that on faith....

I do think Jay has somewhat put the squeeze on Yasir with the SSG investment.  I certainly didn't think private equity money would be available with the LIV threat unresolved, so he has in the short-term limited Yasir's options.  My premise is that Yasir thought he would be the exclusive financing source for the Tour, and co-investing with Steve Cohen probably explains the delay.

The real question that Rory elides is whether the Tour can generate a return on investment for SSG and PIF, should they consummate a deal.  Patrick and his mates seem determined to grab any loose change available, so my sense is that they the use of this invested capital will be to fund losses, and at some point the SSG sharks will lose interest.  I still see it as a mechanism by which Saudi Arabia can seize effective control of the Tour, though the time horizon has lengthened.

I hope you enjoyed my Stalin meme yesterday, in reaction to Rory trying to maintain that Yasir doesn't know what's being done in his name.  Sure, blame it all on Norman, though obviously this guy didn't get the memo:

Greg Norman at a Mets game with SSG member Steve Cohen. PIF’s Yasir Al-Rumayyan reportedly may meet with PGA Tour player directors tomorrow pic.twitter.com/g57BX7gICW

— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) March 17, 2024

Yeah, pretty sure everyone involved is ignoring Rory by now....

The funniest part of this meeting was the cottage industry of folks tracking private plane movements such as this:

John Henry's plane #N627JW did land in Nassau and has since taken off again - this time headed down to San Juan PR pic.twitter.com/ObhshHEACu

— radaratlas2 (@radaratlas2) March 18, 2024

Crazy world, eh? 

Tuesday Takes -  Sean Zak must covet Dylan Dethier's Monday Finish feature, because he's got a me-too version, that admittedly has some interesting hot takes:

10 Tuesday takes: Rory’s ‘Churn’, JT’s TV time and golf vs. tennis

For instance, did someone mention Rory?

6. Rory wants churn because he’s 1 of 1

I wonder if it’s possible to have a week where we only ask Rory McIlroy questions about his golf, exclusively his golf, and nothing more. He seems to be (and maybe wants to be) stuck in this vicious cycle where one quote from last week follows him to this week, which incites a new quote that will follow him into the next week. There are new local reporters at every tournament he goes to ready to pounce on the potential for headlines about whatever he says next. (There isn’t another golfer on the planet dealing with this. And again, is it McIlroy’s own creation? Perhaps!) But last week, that quote had to do with the idea of churn, and how much of it McIlroy wants to see at the highest level of pro golf.

“I think the more churn the better,” McIlroy said at the Players. “This is supposed to be the most competitive golf tour in the world, and I think you should need to have to prove yourself over and over again.”

I wrote about a bit of what he means here, but the more I’ve thought about it, it becomes incredibly obvious why he’s allowed to be so publicly in favor of such churn: because never once in his life would he be in danger of being on the outside looking in. And he’s one of maybe a couple all-timers from this era who would never have to worry about proving themselves. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth are not necessarily on the list! McIlroy recognizes this is an unpopular opinion because he knows how abnormal his skillset and consistency has been. Ten out of 15 seasons finishing in the top 15. Never once outside the top 60. He’s a consistency freak! Which makes it easy for him to have that opinion. He just needs to know that might engender some angst among his colleagues.

Quite the buried lede, Sean.  Rory didn't do himself any favors with that comment, but it basically reflecyts the mindset of the elite-player cabal that has seized control of the Tour.  But the "churn" is a misdirection.... These guys have internalized the LIV riches to mean that they don't have to compete against the riff-raff for the biggest purses.  Rory, who many mistakenly considered the conscience of the Tour, has totally signed on to it....

But.... is that good for the game and the Tour?  

Professional golf wants to grow its audience and start making a return on billions of dollars invested. The only way to do that will be producing more riveting Sundays like we just saw at The Players @NoLayingUp https://t.co/jpDeyXrHul

— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) March 18, 2024

Right, but has anyone noticed that those limited-field Signature Events Money Grabs have mostly sucked.  Whereas, having to compete against a full complement of strong players, those elite players came up with the goods.  

Why don't we listen to this guy, instead of Rory?

Viktor Hovland: "The fields are more competitive when you have bigger field sizes... There's a reason why we're playing The Players Championship with 144 guys." pic.twitter.com/w96ou88Fqg

— Underdog Golf (@Underdog__Golf) March 13, 2024

Because he's not saying what Patrick wants to hear....

Back to Sean, though not sure who he's courting here:

4. Patrick Reed must be annoyed

In the six months before Patrick Reed signed a contract with LIV Golf, he was playing very average golf. Something akin to 50th- or 60th-best in the world. In the last six months, Reed has been performing much the same, about 50th- or 60th-best in the world.

Only when he made that initial jump to LIV — back in June of 2022 — Reed owned exemptions into every event in the world he wished to play. And now, he’s currently slated to miss the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship. The man hasn’t missed a major since the 2013 PGA Championship — that’s 39 in a row — and barring any great performance at the Masters, is set to be on the outside looking in. Which is likely why he was playing the International Series Macau last week, finishing solo fourth and jumping his world ranking to No. 100.

One year, you’re locked in to every event around the world. Soon enough, you’re grinding out final rounds in an autonomous region of China, playing an Asian Tour event and getting a 59 dropped on you by someone named John Catlin. Live comes at ya fast.

Annoyed?  Or did you mean annoying?

Sorry, Sean, but you must be confusing me with someone that gives a s**t about PReed, though you don't seem very good at this connecting dot thing.  You note his desultory play, but seem to miss the import of that, to wit, that's exactly why these guys cashed the check.... He knows he sucks, and didn't want to bet on his own abilities going forward.  So, boo-friggin'-hoo!

Now this is an interest take on that rules kerfuffle last week:

1. Shame on Jordan Spieth

Thus far in 2024, there really hasn’t been anything quite as riveting as the McIlroy-Hovland-Spieth ruling from the first round of the Players. But it was pretty standard issue right until the moment Spieth spoke up. Spieth claims he overheard Hovland and came in to protect McIlroy from doing something incorrectly. (And in fairness, it was only a couple months ago that Rors made a brutal Rules error.) But the way Spieth did it completely undercut his point.

“Yeah, everyone that I’m hearing that had eyes on it,” Spieth said as he charged across the fairway, “which again is not what matters — is saying they’re 100 percent certain it landed below the line.”

No one was really sure about McIlroy’s ball, but Spieth was correct about one thing: the opinions of people watching with their naked eyes from across the fairway DO. NOT. MATTER. So why are they being mentioned?

Does that ruling become the story of the day if Spieth quietly walks over to McIlroy instead of shouting from the fairway? Does Harry Diamond speak up in such an antagonistic way, defending his man? Am I still thinking about this all, days later, if Spieth goes about it differently? Probably not. Spieth and Hovland didn’t help themselves (or any of us!) when they both skipped media availability following the round.

Boy, that's quite the hot take, but this will improve Patrick Reed's mood.  Apparently we're going to shame players for trying to protect the field?

The guys were all at sea about where Rory should drop, but how about a little shame for Rory for putting his playing partners in such a pickle.  None of them knew whether the ball landed above or below that red line, but Rory seemed to many of us to be using the uncertainty to give himself the best drop possible.  

That all-cap do not matter is just wrong, as they sue the observations of spectators and TV personnel all the time.  What Sean I think meant is that it's not dispositive, but Jordan had an obligation to protect the field and, while I don't think shame applies here, if it does it accrues to Rory.

Cause, Effect? - This juxtaposition amused your humble blogger:

Players Championship: Thomas, Spieth among stars who missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass

Followed by:

Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas highlight loaded field at 2024 Valspar Championship

Loaded, eh?  Just to be on the safe side, I'd watch their play on Thursday and Friday.... Because the show ponies haven't been showing, have they?

Sean Zak (in that prior piece) did give JT these props:

8. Pros need to lean in like Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas was rather annoyed with missing the cut last week at the Players. A week like that

comes and goes, and it feels like a lost cause. But there was something Thomas was did that made the week a net positive for his fans nonetheless — leaning in to TV appearances.

I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of what the Tour asks players to do, or what kind of appearance box this checks for Thomas with PGA Tour communications, but Thomas not only did a stand-up interview with Mike Tirico on the 17th tee (even hitting a shot) that appeared on NBC’s Today Show, he also did a walk-and-talk with Johnson Wagner during a practice round. It may not be much, but that involvement from one of the game’s biggest names is exactly what elevates a tournament to higher places. It’s hard to quantify, but more people connected with the tournament — if even in fleeting fashion — via this willingness. Net wins are net wins, even if they come during missed cuts.

It was Thomas, you may recall, was the first (and only?) pro to carry the “Bag cam” in his bag during last year’s Valspar Championship. For those you watched, it very much did not work as a broadcast addition. But the point is, they tried! Thomas was open to it, just as he was open to wearing a mic during the second round of the Masters last year. The more players lean in to ideas like this, the more likable the TV product becomes and the more fans feel involved with the sport they’re paying attention to.

That's a nice call-out, and all credit to JT for chipping in.  But it just leaves me wondering about his game, which is not in a good place.  Which also leaves me worried about Bones.   His last caddie gig was with a player the earned but didn't pay, whereas this one just isn't earning.

 

I'll be blogging with the Dodgers-Padres on in the background.  Not exactly sure why they had to open their season a full eight days before everyone else, but it's Shohtime.

Closer to home, it's very much Spring skiing here in the Wasatch.  Temps up near fifty had me scrambling to find my sunscreen.  The snow's been a little funky, but gorgeous, cloudless days have mitigated that deficiency.  Just a few more days then we shut it down.

Getting To Know You... - Do you have Julie Andrews as your soundtrack?  

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you, putting it my way,

But nicely,

You are precisely,

My cup of tea.[Children Giggle]

Getting to know you,Getting to feel free and easy

When I am with you,

Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed

Suddenly I'm bright and breezy

Because of all the beautiful and new

Things I'm learning about you

Day by day.

Yanno, it's not just the children giggling....

Cue the happy talk, as Jay reports to his constituents:

Then, as the sun set, an update arrived to PGA Tour players by way of a text from commissioner Jay Monahan: The meeting was complete.

“The conversation throughout was constructive and represents an important part of our due diligence process in selecting potential investors for PGA Tour Enterprises,” Monahan wrote. “This mirrors the approach we employed earlier this year as we evaluated an investment offer from the Strategic Sports Group.”

“During the session, Yasir had a chance to introduce himself to our player directors and talk through his vision, priorities and motivations for investing in professional golf,” Monahan said.

Is your BS detector in the red zone?  If not, you want to take it into the shop for a check-up....  Obviously Jay and Rory are reading from the same hymnal:

And, at least in McIlroy’s eyes, there’s a chance that such a deal could be consummated in good faith from both sides.

“Fundamentally he wants to do the right thing,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve said this before, I have spent time with Yasir, and the people that have represented him in LIV I think have done him a disservice — Norman and those guys. I think you got PIF over here and LIV are sort of over here doing their own thing.”

“They’re a sovereign wealth fund,” he said. “They want to park money for decades and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA Tour is definitely one of those, especially if they’re looking to invest in sport in some way.”

Set aside Rory's rather stunning transformation, from profound concerns as to the source of the money to character witness for the guy that approves bonecutter invoices.  There's two obvious points to make here.  First, for all his influence, Yasir is only one guy, who serves at the pleasure and indulgence of one other guy, the notorious MBS.  I don't know what the half-life of a Saudi functionary is, but they seem to take Yasir's permanence as a given.  Were we in the private sector, we'd be looking to management depth behind him and an alignment with core investment objectives of the organization.  here, Rory and Jay are telling us it's all good because Yasir can pass as a Westerner....

The second misdirection is straight out of the June 6th playbook.  Did you catch that "park money for decades" bit....  Rory's far from the sharpest knife in the drawer, but again we're asked to believe that the PIF will provide billions of dollars to ensure that Patrick gets his, and want nothing for it.  As for the evidence that PGA Tour is "smart", we're expected to take that on faith....

I do think Jay has somewhat put the squeeze on Yasir with the SSG investment.  I certainly didn't think private equity money would be available with the LIV threat unresolved, so he has in the short-term limited Yasir's options.  My premise is that Yasir thought he would be the exclusive financing source for the Tour, and co-investing with Steve Cohen probably explains the delay.

The real question that Rory elides is whether the Tour can generate a return on investment for SSG and PIF, should they consummate a deal.  Patrick and his mates seem determined to grab any loose change available, so my sense is that they the use of this invested capital will be to fund losses, and at some point the SSG sharks will lose interest.  I still see it as a mechanism by which Saudi Arabia can seize effective control of the Tour, though the time horizon has lengthened.

I hope you enjoyed my Stalin meme yesterday, in reaction to Rory trying to maintain that Yasir doesn't know what's being done in his name.  Sure, blame it all on Norman, though obviously this guy didn't get the memo:

Greg Norman at a Mets game with SSG member Steve Cohen. PIF’s Yasir Al-Rumayyan reportedly may meet with PGA Tour player directors tomorrow pic.twitter.com/g57BX7gICW

— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) March 17, 2024

Yeah, pretty sure everyone involved is ignoring Rory by now....

The funniest part of this meeting was the cottage industry of folks tracking private plane movements such as this:

Tuesday Takes -  Sean Zak must covet Dylan Dethier's Monday Finish feature, because he's got a me-too version, that admittedly has some interesting hot takes:

10 Tuesday takes: Rory’s ‘Churn’, JT’s TV time and golf vs. tennis

For instance, did someone mention Rory?

6. Rory wants churn because he’s 1 of 1

I wonder if it’s possible to have a week where we only ask Rory McIlroy questions about his golf, exclusively his golf, and nothing more. He seems to be (and maybe wants to be) stuck in this vicious cycle where one quote from last week follows him to this week, which incites a new quote that will follow him into the next week. There are new local reporters at every tournament he goes to ready to pounce on the potential for headlines about whatever he says next. (There isn’t another golfer on the planet dealing with this. And again, is it McIlroy’s own creation? Perhaps!) But last week, that quote had to do with the idea of churn, and how much of it McIlroy wants to see at the highest level of pro golf.

“I think the more churn the better,” McIlroy said at the Players. “This is supposed to be the most competitive golf tour in the world, and I think you should need to have to prove yourself over and over again.”

I wrote about a bit of what he means here, but the more I’ve thought about it, it becomes incredibly obvious why he’s allowed to be so publicly in favor of such churn: because never once in his life would he be in danger of being on the outside looking in. And he’s one of maybe a couple all-timers from this era who would never have to worry about proving themselves. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth are not necessarily on the list! McIlroy recognizes this is an unpopular opinion because he knows how abnormal his skillset and consistency has been. Ten out of 15 seasons finishing in the top 15. Never once outside the top 60. He’s a consistency freak! Which makes it easy for him to have that opinion. He just needs to know that might engender some angst among his colleagues.

Quite the buried lede, Sean.  Rory didn't do himself any favors with that comment, but it basically reflecyts the mindset of the elite-player cabal that has seized control of the Tour.  But the "churn" is a misdirection.... These guys have internalized the LIV riches to mean that they don't have to compete against the riff-raff for the biggest purses.  Rory, who many mistakenly considered the conscience of the Tour, has totally signed on to it....

But.... is that good for the game and the Tour?  

Professional golf wants to grow its audience and start making a return on billions of dollars invested. The only way to do that will be producing more riveting Sundays like we just saw at The Players @NoLayingUp https://t.co/jpDeyXrHul

— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) March 18, 2024

Right, but has anyone noticed that those limited-field Signature Events Money Grabs have mostly sucked.  Whereas, having to compete against a full complement of strong players, those elite players came up with the goods.  

Why don't we listen to this guy, instead of Rory?

Viktor Hovland: "The fields are more competitive when you have bigger field sizes... There's a reason why we're playing The Players Championship with 144 guys." pic.twitter.com/w96ou88Fqg

— Underdog Golf (@Underdog__Golf) March 13, 2024

Because he's not saying what Patrick wants to hear....

Back to Sean, though not sure who he's courting here:

4. Patrick Reed must be annoyed

In the six months before Patrick Reed signed a contract with LIV Golf, he was playing very average golf. Something akin to 50th- or 60th-best in the world. In the last six months, Reed has been performing much the same, about 50th- or 60th-best in the world.

Only when he made that initial jump to LIV — back in June of 2022 — Reed owned exemptions into every event in the world he wished to play. And now, he’s currently slated to miss the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and Open Championship. The man hasn’t missed a major since the 2013 PGA Championship — that’s 39 in a row — and barring any great performance at the Masters, is set to be on the outside looking in. Which is likely why he was playing the International Series Macau last week, finishing solo fourth and jumping his world ranking to No. 100.

One year, you’re locked in to every event around the world. Soon enough, you’re grinding out final rounds in an autonomous region of China, playing an Asian Tour event and getting a 59 dropped on you by someone named John Catlin. Live comes at ya fast.

Annoyed?  Or did you mean annoying?

Sorry, Sean, but you must be confusing me with someone that gives a s**t about PReed, though you don't seem very good at this connecting dot thing.  You note his desultory play, but seem to miss the import of that, to wit, that's exactly why these guys cashed the check.... He knows he sucks, and didn't want to bet on his own abilities going forward.  So, boo-friggin'-hoo!

Now this is an interest take on that rules kerfuffle last week:

1. Shame on Jordan Spieth

Thus far in 2024, there really hasn’t been anything quite as riveting as the McIlroy-Hovland-Spieth ruling from the first round of the Players. But it was pretty standard issue right until the moment Spieth spoke up. Spieth claims he overheard Hovland and came in to protect McIlroy from doing something incorrectly. (And in fairness, it was only a couple months ago that Rors made a brutal Rules error.) But the way Spieth did it completely undercut his point.

“Yeah, everyone that I’m hearing that had eyes on it,” Spieth said as he charged across the fairway, “which again is not what matters — is saying they’re 100 percent certain it landed below the line.”

No one was really sure about McIlroy’s ball, but Spieth was correct about one thing: the opinions of people watching with their naked eyes from across the fairway DO. NOT. MATTER. So why are they being mentioned?

Does that ruling become the story of the day if Spieth quietly walks over to McIlroy instead of shouting from the fairway? Does Harry Diamond speak up in such an antagonistic way, defending his man? Am I still thinking about this all, days later, if Spieth goes about it differently? Probably not. Spieth and Hovland didn’t help themselves (or any of us!) when they both skipped media availability following the round.

Boy, that's quite the hot take, but this will improve Patrick Reed's mood.  Apparently we're going to shame players for trying to protect the field?

The guys were all at sea about where Rory should drop, but how about a little shame for Rory for putting his playing partners in such a pickle.  None of them knew whether the ball landed above or below that red line, but Rory seemed to many of us to be using the uncertainty to give himself the best drop possible.  

That all-cap do not matter is just wrong, as they sue the observations of spectators and TV personnel all the time.  What Sean I think meant is that it's not dispositive, but Jordan had an obligation to protect the field and, while I don't think shame applies here, if it does it accrues to Rory.

Cause, Effect? - This juxtaposition amused your humble blogger:

Players Championship: Thomas, Spieth among stars who missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass

Followed by:

Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas highlight loaded field at 2024 Valspar Championship

Loaded, eh?  Just to be on the safe side, I'd watch their play on Thursday and Friday.... Because the show ponies haven't been showing, have they?

Sean Zak (in that prior piece) did give JT these props:

8. Pros need to lean in like Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas was rather annoyed with missing the cut last week at the Players. A week like that

comes and goes, and it feels like a lost cause. But there was something Thomas was did that made the week a net positive for his fans nonetheless — leaning in to TV appearances.

I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of what the Tour asks players to do, or what kind of appearance box this checks for Thomas with PGA Tour communications, but Thomas not only did a stand-up interview with Mike Tirico on the 17th tee (even hitting a shot) that appeared on NBC’s Today Show, he also did a walk-and-talk with Johnson Wagner during a practice round. It may not be much, but that involvement from one of the game’s biggest names is exactly what elevates a tournament to higher places. It’s hard to quantify, but more people connected with the tournament — if even in fleeting fashion — via this willingness. Net wins are net wins, even if they come during missed cuts.

It was Thomas, you may recall, was the first (and only?) pro to carry the “Bag cam” in his bag during last year’s Valspar Championship. For those you watched, it very much did not work as a broadcast addition. But the point is, they tried! Thomas was open to it, just as he was open to wearing a mic during the second round of the Masters last year. The more players lean in to ideas like this, the more likable the TV product becomes and the more fans feel involved with the sport they’re paying attention to.

That's a nice call-out, and all credit to JT for chipping in.  But it just leaves me wondering about his game, which is not in a good place.  Which also leaves me worried about Bones.   His last caddie gig was with a player the earned but didn't pay, whereas this one just isn't earning.

The State of LIV -  Just a couple of amusing items on which I'll exit.  I could have included this above, as the larger strategic challenges for Yasir include the fact that LIV, notwithstanding the billions invested, just doesn't work.  But perhaps we shouldn't sell them short, because Rory assures us that they have a vision for the future of golf.

LIV Golf partners with entertainment company to enhance concerts at events

Focused like a laser on the truly important stuff.... Can you say clown show?  I thought you could...

And for those that think they deserve OWGR points:

Anthony Kim misses first cut in 12 years at Asian Tour event in China

That's actually quite the funny header, riffing on the absence of a cut in LIV events.  But Talor Gooch thinks asterisks are warranted for beating this guy:

After back-to-back weeks playing for the no-cut events at LIV Golf in Jeddah and Hong Kong, Kim teed it up this week on the Asian Tour at the International Series Macau in China, continuing

his return to professional golf. However, a 4-over 74 in the opening round followed by an even-par 70 on Friday resulted in Kim sitting T-130 after two rounds and missing the cut by eight shots.

It’s Kim’s first missed cut in more than 12 years (sarcasm font).

His final-round 65 in LIV Golf Hong Kong was an encouraging sign, but his comeback is going to take longer than a handful of rounds. He wasn’t the only LIV golfer to miss the cut at Macau, as did Harold Varner III, Graeme McDowell and Eugenio Chacarra.

Who knew there was a sarcasm font.....  But if you don't want to be called a clown show, perhaps you shouldn't hire clowns.  I know, an idea so crazy it might just work.

That's it for today.  I'll see you when I see you.