Weekend Wrap - Total Eclipse Edition

I didn't intend to ghost you all last week, though I did at least provide a warning.  The intention was to blog on Thursday, but that violent Wednesday storm left us without TV and Internet most of Thursday morning.  I would have caught up on Friday, but my brother, nephew and I were lucky enough to be attending Opening Day in the Bronx, which included a shockingly early departure time to accommodate MetroNorth's convoluted service to 161st Street.

So, what would you like to talk about.  The weekend golf exceeded low expectations, but there is that little event that begins on Thursday....

Plus One - I watched a bit more of that final round than expected, as Denny McCarthy will rue the mess he made of the 11th hole.  Just a little blogger humor there, kids, as his par there was easily his worst hole in that back nine 28:

Bhatia finished off one of the most impressive and improbable wire-to-wire victories in recent memory, fending off a heroic charge by runner-up Denny McCarthy on Sunday afternoon, and finding his way into the winner’s circle at the TPC San Antonio Oaks Course.

McCarthy forced a playoff with an incredible string of eight birdies over the final nine holes, and after he buried a seventh straight birdie putt on 18, it appeared he might be poised for his first PGA Tour victory.

Bhatia responded with a huge birdie putt of his own on the tournament’s 72nd hole, and then watched as McCarthy made a surprising and fatal mistake by chunking a wedge from 99 yards out on the playoff hole — and splashing it into a creek.

Am I the only one that thinks Akshay sounds like Pig Latin....Yanno, Ixnay and Amscray the Akshay... OK, maybe that's not important now.

We left for dinner before they putted on the 72nd hole, but I did feel like I needed to root for Bhatia when I learned that McCarthy was already in the Masters, but Ashkay needed the "W" to qualify.

There were a couple of odd bits, most notably this:

Despite being four-under for the day as he played the 72nd after starting the day with a four-shot lead, Bhatia could only watch as Denny McCarthy erased his once six-shot lead with a back nine

28 at the Valero Texas Open, draining the last of seven straight birdies on the 18th green.

While Bhatia said he had run through all the possible scenarios, but there was no way he could have foreseen what happened next.

He calmly stepped up and drained a 12-footer to match McCarthy at 20 under with a Sunday 67, but apparently injured his shoulder in celebration.

As Bhatia walked up to his third after laying up on the first playoff hole, his trainer pulled him away from cameras to tend to the shoulder, which Bhatia said had “popped out” during his 72nd-green celebration.

“This shoulder I’ve had some issues with and yeah, when I made that putt and I kind of raised my arm, it kind of came out of socket and went back in,” Bhatia said.

No idea what that's like, since you actually have to make a putt to experience it, but so much for our game being a non-contact sport.

As for the runner up, better methinks to just say you chunked it:

Bhatia returned from treatment and stuffed his wedge shot to five feet to put the tournament on ice. But McCarthy will go on to rue his approach shot. He explained the distraction that may have caused it to reporters afterward.

“Wish I could have had that wedge shot back there,” McCarthy said. “I backed off a couple times. There was a bug on my ball and some noise in the stands and a bug jumped back on my ball. I probably should have backed away again, but I thought I could kind of not let it distract me and maybe it did a little.”

Was it the bug that cost McCarthy the $1.656 million first-place prize (he still takes home more than $1 million for runner-up)? Who’s to say for sure?

Will McCarthy back off the next time a bug flies on his ball? Most likely.

“Maybe a learning experience for me,” he said.

I hope that bug learned a valuable lesson, but geez.  Those mental coaches sure have their work cut out for them....

Woad Is Us -  Quite the finish on Saturday at Augusta National:

After USC’s Bailey Shoemaker posted a course-record 6-under 66 to take the clubhouse lead at 7

under, Woad birdied three of the last four holes to overtake her. Woad joined Arnold Palmer in 1960 and Mark O’Meara in 1998 as champions at Augusta National Golf Club who birdied their final two holes to win by one shot.

“I was hoping it was going to be like a nice, stress-free day,” said Woad, “but it was far from that. In the end, it’s a cooler way to finish.”

Woad had English national coach Steve Robinson on the bag, and the pair put together a meticulous plan to attack the final round. They knew which hole locations they wanted to play short, and which ones were better to be long. With Woad’s magnificent approach play all week, most of the time, things went according to plan.

The mess of a bogey on the par-5 13th, however, proved an exception. Robinson gave her a pep talk after that hole and again on the 14th, though he wouldn’t divulge what was said.

It was an interesting situation because Shoemaker finished before Woad got to those two Par-5's.  Woad had a Simpsonian mid-round walkabout, including that dreadful bogey on No. 13.  The key bit was when Woad made a mess of No. 14, and faced a long par putt to keep her hopes alive.  

I still have tremendously mixed feelings about this event, though I'm reliably informed that bemoaning the demise of the Dinah Shore caused by Augusta National is no longer fruitful.  But, if you're going to brand this as the Augusta National Women's Amateur, shouldn't the event actually be played there?  Just askin'...

But let me throw in an especially stupid bit from this week's Tour Confidential, which is predictably a Masters preview version thereof.  Here's the query:

This is the one time a year we get to hear from ANGC chairman Fred Ridley. Lots has changed since last year; what are you most hoping we get his thoughts on? Or, better yet, what’s the one question you want to ask him?

Which elicited this profoundly silly answer from Ryan Barath:

Barath: I hope he talks about how the men’s professional game can be brought back together, and encourages both sides to come to an agreement. As for a question, I would ask “With Augusta National now hosting a women’s amateur event, along with the Masters, does he ever envision a time in the near future when professional women will have their own event held at Augusta National?”

NEVER.  And appropriately so.... 

As maddening as it is that they insisted on big-footing the Dinah, it was entirely appropriate that, when they decided to do something for the distaff set, that they opted to support it at the amateur level.  This is actually a way of growing the game, as is ANGC's support of men's amateur events, and has the added benefit of adhering to the history of the club and a certain Mr. Jones.  

The irony is that the event they destroyed, was the Women's Masters.  It featured so much that we associate with the Masters, being the first major each year, played at the same venue and including the best amateur players.  But in providing this opportunity to the girls, they picked a week that denied some of them the opportunity to play in a major, proving ( along with their refusal to make the club available for the first two rounds) that their commitment to women's golf is limited to times of convenience to them.

Wouldn't that be a question for Fred Ridley?  Didn't you understand that you'd destroy the preeminent women's professional event and why are the women second class citizens at ANGC?  

Whoa, Nellie! - As the song goes, this girl's on fire:

The LPGA tried a brand-new format. Nelly Korda won anyway

Unfortunately the did so on a weekend so filled with televised sports that they couldn't get arrested.

It's the format that interest me most, because match play is so problematic.  We love it, or at least we think we do, but the events tend to not work especially well.  What the ladies did was a hybrid event, using 54 holes of stroke play to seed an eight-player match play bracket.  That's obviously a limited amount of girl-on-girl action, but it solves some of the limitations of typical 64-player match play fields.

Of course, I saw none of the weekend play, so I have no clue whether the event worked.  Obviously the hottest player on the planet won, though one has the nagging sensation that she's peaking a bit early.... Especially since Nelly's win came the week that, had Augusta National not killed off Dinah, would have been a major on a course you'd expect Nelly to eat up.  But we'll always have Houston....

A Masters Tease - We'll just riff on the Tour Confidential musings, and be back with flood the zone coverage as the week progresses.  Where would you expect them to begin?

Welcome to Masters week, where we have Tiger Woods making just his second start of the year, the defending champ now playing for a league he wasn’t involved in a year ago and a whole bunch of other meaty storylines we are about to tackle. Let’s start with Rory McIlroy, who again will have loads of pressure on him as he’ll attempt to win the Masters and complete the career grand slam. Why will this finally be Rory’s year? And why won’t it be?

Ryan Barath: In my heart, I want nothing more than to see Rory complete the career grand slam and get back to even with Brooks Koepka when it comes to major wins. He’s been playing well and I think if he can continue to minimize mistakes, he has a chance. As for reasons why not — golf is hard, and when you have all the best players in the world in one place, coming out as top dog gets even more difficult, and a bounce here or there could be what makes the difference.

Dylan Dethier: This will be Rory McIlroy’s year because he’s only been to Augusta National once in preparation for the event (instead of like, a half-dozen times last year), because he just visited golf’s King Midas, Butch Harmon (King Midas in a good way, I know that story has a dark turn) and because he hasn’t yet peaked this year, so expectations are in a more reasonable spot and he should be able to swing free. This won’t be Rory McIlroy’s year because Augusta National is a second-shot golf course and his approach play has been meh. Also because he stepped on the wrong azalea or something left of the 10th fairway in 2011 and got cursed forever.

Jessica Marksbury: Yes, Dylan! This will be Rory’s year because I think our collective expectations are a bit lower than years past. As Dylan mentioned, Rory has, outside of his hot start in Dubai this year, been a bit meh — that’s perfect! How often do players actually perform the way we think they will at Augusta, especially when they’re coming in hot? It’s tough to keep up that momentum on such a grand stage. For Rory, playing with the lead seems like too much pressure. I’d love to see him lurk in the background for 54 holes and then make a crazy Sunday charge for the win. As for why it won’t be his year, well, probably because the scenario I just dreamed is so, so hard that it pretty much never happens.

Jack Hirsh: I’m with Ryan here. I want to see Rory complete the career grand slam because he’s been one of the best players over the last 14 years and we have yet to see anyone complete the slam since Tiger Woods. But I think the 2011 debacle just created a mental block in his head that he just can’t get over. Think about how his best final round, the 64 in 2022, came when the tournament was pretty much already decided. Remember how we all said Sergio Garcia will win a major when no one expects it … and no one expected it in 2017? I think it might be a few more years, when McIlroy isn’t among the favorites, that he actually comes through at Augusta.

I'm amused lately at how lame these writers are at their jobs, because there aren't many insights to be found above.  Do they know it's been ten long years since Rory won a major, and do they ever ask themselves why that may be?

The first thing to remind everyone is that those four majors he won came in uniquely consistent conditions.... Does anyone remember how soft Congressional, Kiawah and Hoylake were (I don't need to mention the fourth, because Louisville in August will always be steamy).   The only bit in the Augusta weather forecast that should encourage Rory is thunderstorms projected for Thursday.  

The weaknesses in Rory's game, principally his lack of distance control with his wedges and his often woeful putting, will be of greater import in more difficult conditions, especially firm turf and with wind.  But, on the bright side, he should be a force in the TGL, should it ever get off the ground.  He's uniquely positioned to dominate in simulator golf, so he's gotr that going for him.

The World No. 1 enters the first major of the year in fine form after he nearly won three straight events in March. Who would you take to win this week: a trio of McIlroy and the last two Masters champs (Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler), or the field?

Barath: I’m taking the trio, but if there is one player outside of that who could be a deal breaker it’s Brooks Koepka. I bet some of my fellow contributors have a couple of other players they would likely place above those three so I’m interested to hear what everyone else has to say because it sure does feel hard to bet against Rahm, Rory and/or Scottie.

Dethier: I’ll take the field. It’s a terrible feeling not to have Scheffler on my side (not to mention the other two) but I’ll take the gang that includes Koepka, Xander, Spieth and, well, everyone else. It’s still golf. The favorites don’t win very often.

Marksbury: I’ll take the field, too. One of my favorite things about the Masters is the number of players who seem to play well there every year, regardless of their form coming in. Sure, Rahm, Scheffler and McIlroy are a formidable trio, but what about Jordan, Hideki, Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, PHIL? TIGER?! And then, oh yeah, Mr. Five Majors, Brooks too! Goes without saying, the field is loaded.

Hirsh: Nope, sorry Dylan and Jess, I’m taking the trio. Despite my comments earlier about McIlroy, I can’t bet against those three. The best player in the world has won the Masters the past two seasons and Scheffler looks unbeatable right now. I’d be happy to take Scheffler over the field. I think not winning in Houston helped his chances since he won’t have the pressure of trying to win four in a row.

Always take the field, though an interesting curveball here.

Scheffler is at a Tigeresque moment, in terms of odds that is.  But Rory I don't like at all and I've no clue what to expect from Rahm.... 

Last year, Rahm won the Masters and later signed with LIV, admitting that the lifetime exemption he secured in the Masters was a part of the reason it made it easier to ditch the PGA Tour. How concerned should the Tour be of this happening again if other big-name PGA Tour stars — Rory, Wyndham, Viktor, etc. — win their first green jacket this year?

Barath: I bet the PGA Tour has a small amount of fear that a player could use the Masters as a springboard to take a BIG check and move to LIV. But, on the other side, it sure seems like

several LIV players including Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson are talking about getting “the golf world” back together, which doesn’t look great for LIV, either. At this point in time regardless of who wins, I don’t see any players switching leagues.

Dethier: I think the Tour should be mildly concerned. Winning the Masters means entry into the majors for the next five years plus entry to Augusta National forever. There are a few top pros who could still make the jump. At the same time, if a guy hasn’t left by now… I’d still be surprised to see the winner jump.

Marksbury: I think there’s reason to worry. A Tour player who wins the Masters will be worth a lot to LIV. And with unification seemingly on the horizon, if a player is offered a boatload to make the jump, believing he can likely return eventually, you can see why that would feel like a low-risk deal on the player’s end.

Hirsh: The PGA Tour should be concerned as I think the looming potential of another star’s jump to LIV, whether they make it or not, puts them at a further negotiating disadvantage with the PIF. But perhaps it could make them more likely to get a deal done faster, because as pretty much everyone agrees, golf’s reunification needs to happen fast.

I don't recall Rahm's specific comments, but isn't the issue really the five-year exemption into all the majors, rather than the lifetime Tuesday dinner reservation at Augusta?

But there's perhaps a bigger factor, at least for Rahm.  He jumped when it seemed the PIF-PGA deal was a certainty, so why not cash the check?  As of the current moment, our Magic 8-Ball indicates that the outlook is cloudy, so I suspect we're in a stasis at least until there's movement on the transaction front.

The other point to make is that it doesn't seem to help is that Rahm and others don't seem especially happy at LIV... 

Whose form do we like right now that we aren’t talking about as much as we should?

Barath: Corey Conners. He drives it well and hits his irons solid. If he can just get his putter hot for four days, I believe he has a nice chance.

Dethier: Xander Schauffele. He hasn’t won, but he’s done everything else. He’ll be in the mix.

Marksbury: Ludvig Aberg. Hard to believe the Masters will be his first major championship. But given what we’ve seen from him over the last year, he seems ready to make a big splash.

Hirsh: Dylan picked Xander? I’m shocked! Let me go with Sahith Theegala. Four top-10s already this year, third most on Tour. Finished ninth at Augusta last year in his debut and a lot of players tend to improve in their second try at the Masters.

Methinks the world is a bit early on guys like Aberg and Theegala, but that's different than being wrong....

Who is more likely to win: a LIV player, or a PGA Tour player?

Barath: Simply based on percentages, I’m going with a PGA Tour player.

Dethier: Yup. If Scheffler was on LIV (a big if), this would be a closer call.

Marksbury: This is tough, but I agree with Ryan and Dylan. Again, I’m taking the larger field, so the PGA Tour guys.

Hirsh: I think Scheffler has already won, so a PGA Tour player. But even if Scheffler pulls a DJ (falls down a flight of stairs and can’t play), it’s hard to pick 13 guys against the other ~75, especially when one of them isn’t Talor Gooch, obviously.

What's a fellow to do?  I was already considering not watching because of Talor's asterisk, but now I can skip it because Scottoe has already won?  And, as we know, chalk always prevails in golf.... Not!

This is the one time a year we get to hear from ANGC chairman Fred Ridley. Lots has changed since last year; what are you most hoping we get his thoughts on? Or, better yet, what’s the one question you want to ask him?

Dethier: I want to know why Jon Rahm’s public appearances haven’t included a green jacket since he left for LIV.

Marksbury: Given the news of the ball rollback last year, I’m curious about his thoughts on that front — especially if the PGA Tour opts out of adopting the proposal.

Hirsh: Well, all my colleagues took my best ones. So I’ll go with something that probably wouldn’t be pressing enough to ask, but something we would all want to know: “Would Augusta ever consider sharing details on the Masters app with the PGA Tour to make their app better?”

Jess hits on a good one, especially given Fred's comments last year when bifurcation was the word of the day.   But a nice slam of the Tour in that last bit.

It's Not You, It's Me - I haven't had a chance to blog golf's most recent divorce, but fortunately the TC gang got there:

Surprising news dropped that Justin Thomas and caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay are parting ways after about 2 1/2 years together. Anything to read into with this? And would you consider this odd timing, a week before the biggest tournament of the year?

Barath: Pardon my take but JT has kinda low-key stunk this year, and considering he’s not likely

to fire his coach (his dad), he probably felt the need for a shake-up and Bones was the one to get cut. As for timing, I don’t read too much into it.

Dethier: I was surprised because you’d think you’d want some consistency heading into the major season. At the same time, if you think you need to make a change, you’d want to do so before major season. Now my question is how much Bones we’ll see on TV this season…?

Marksbury: Definitely weird timing! They seemed like a pretty solid duo. The partnership must have come to a real breaking point to make a move like this pre-Masters — a course Bones clearly knows so well. But Bones has plenty of options. He was great during his stint as a broadcaster, and could also be a coveted get on the bag for some other up-and-comer — or even an established player! — if he’s interested in continuing on that path.

Hirsh: I’m not reading into the split, sometimes it just happens and it seems like Bones wanted to get back into to TV. Why the split couldn’t wait until after the Masters, when Bones wouldn’t have been covering it for NBC (since they don’t broadcast it) is more concerning.

I don't think there's been anything low-key about JT's stinkage, as I've been wondering about Bones' career choice for some time.  He lucked into that PGA, but otherwise he's been quite dreadful.  

the real question is what does Bones want to lug around the golf course, a staff bag or TV sound equipment?  

Have a great week, enjoy your eclipse and we'll continue this as the week progresses.