Your Friday Frisson - Bye, Bye Lexi Edition

That wedding hangover had legs..... But we'll gradually work our way back into the grind....

The Ladies Open - The word you're searching for is septuple, as in septuple bogey:

On Thursday at Lancaster C.C., players battled a golf course whose setup would have tested any professional field. Like all the great U.S. Opens of old, the wind was whipping, the ground was calcified, and the scores went skyrocketing. After Thursday, the number of bogeys-or-worse had

more than tripled the number of birdies. And after Thursday, the number of under-par players on supposedly the easiest of the four tournament days sat at just three.

We knew this week would be hard. In Gee Chun won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster C.C. with a score of 8 under, and for most of the week the leaderboard’s top 10 players were the only ones with a score under par. As the week started, player after player stepped to the podium to share the same perspective: the golf course was hard, it was easy to make mistakes, it was a classic U.S. Open test.

But we didn’t know it would be this hard. Rose Zhang hitting the green with an approach shot and spinning it 15 yards back into the water-hard. Lexi Thompson needing three chips to land her ball on the 10th green-hard. Nelly Korda putting three in the water and making a 10 — a ten!!! — hard. By the end of the day, the scoring average at Lancaster had crept north of five over par, and the players were equal parts dejected and demoralized.

“I knew it as soon as I walked out of the hotel,” said Andrea Lee, the low player from the morning wave. “It was gusting pretty good, even in the morning when I thought it was going to be a little bit calmer compared to the afternoon.”

Lee arrived at the course to find the wind not gusting but outright galing at times, spewing pollen into the air and all manner of golf shots into unfortunate places.

“I just knew it was going to be a grind out there,” Lee said. “I mean, this golf course is such a test. It’s a beast of a golf course, really, and par’s a really good score out here.”

It was brutal, but leaves us with something to savor this afternoon, to wit, the best player on the planet will have to grind to stay around for the weekend.

This was an interesting take, though:

Nelly Korda’s disastrous major start reveals striking flaw in her game

Hmmmm, do tell:

With long holes, thick rough, elevated greens and baked-out fairways, Lancaster Country Club promised to be a proper U.S. Open test. Only the best of the best would be able to survive 72 holes. And in 2024, no one has been better than Korda.

That the golf world at large was so bullish on Korda’s chances was not incorrect in a vacuum. But

when looking at the world No. 1’s career in the national championship — and in other LPGA events — it gives reason for some pause.

USGA events have long been known for their excruciatingly difficult setups and exacting tests. Over the past five years, all but one U.S. Women’s Open champion has finished single-digits under par, and there have been just four champs double digits under par since the turn of the century.

Why does this matter? Well, Korda has found much more success on setups that are much more birdie-friendly, where par is seen not as the goal but as a missed chance to go deeper under par. This is the opposite of the U.S. Open ethos. In the grind-it-out, survival test that is put on by the annually by the USGA, par is always your friend.

In all but two of Korda’s LPGA wins (including her two major titles), her winning score has been double digits under par. In another event, she was nine under, while the other win came in the match-play format. Korda has never won when she’s been forced to grind it out, make pars and outlast the field.

Looking at her U.S. Women’s Open track record, this theme holds true. In her nine previous starts, she’s finished inside the top 10 just twice — in 2018 and 2022. In both those years, the winner finished double digits under par, with Shoal Creek and Pine Needles playing as two of the easiest U.S. Women’s Opens in recent memory.

In other words, when the setups have been at their toughest, Korda has not found much success. That theme continued Thursday at Lancaster Country Club.

Exactly opposite of what you'd expect, given that she has so much more game than her peers.  Not sure there's an explanation, but it's not like they see many challenging venues in the course of the year.

Lexi In Autumn - She's been a frequent punching bag for this blog, a case where potential and hype wasn't matched by actual performance, but we also know how brutal this game can be.  And this story, as Lexi herself notes, comes on the heels of another more tragic one in our game, both attesting to the challenges involved.

And one always hears this about Lexi, so props to her:

“Lexi! LEXI!!!” they yelled, one after the next, a never-ending stream of souvenir flags and selfie requests testing the limits of the ropeline, little arms poking through like little bayonets, each

pointed square at Thompson’s chest. Every autograph signed and photo taken spawned another three, and before long the crowd began to feel less like a group of individuals and more like a steadily growing, amorphous blob of wanting. But it did not matter. For a few moments, Lexi wanted, too — not the crowd’s attention or admiration, but to break the bubble between her world and theirs.

And so she did.

If there is a way the crowds will remember Thompson, it is for her patience. Patience that has allowed her to host thousands of autograph sessions like this one throughout a 17-year competitive career, which she announced Tuesday will conclude at end of this season. Patience that has allowed her to connect with tens of thousands of people outside of the ropes, many of them young women, with a small gesture of goodwill. And patience that has allowed her to do all of these things even in the wake of some of the golf world’s most unimaginable lows — lows that she addressed for the first time during a press conference announcing her retirement on U.S. Women’s Open Tuesday.

But her comments hint at the toll:

“Being out here can be a lot,” she said through tears. “It can be lonely. Sorry if I get emotional. I said I wasn’t going to.”

“I just think, especially with what’s happened in golf, as of recently, too, a lot of people don’t realize what we go through as a professional athlete,” Thompson said. “I’ll be the last one to say, throw me a pity party. That’s the last thing I want. We’re doing what we love. We’re trying the best every single day. You know, we’re not perfect. We’re humans. Words hurt. It’s hard to overcome sometimes.”

Lexi’s humanity has never been cause for debate; the examples of her flawed brilliance are too many to count. There were the back-nine collapses at the ’21 U.S. Open at Olympic and the ’22 Women’s PGA, the lengthy leave of absence at the height of her powers for reasons related to mental health, and who could forget the TV-viewer controversy at the 2017 ANA Inspiration that cost her the tournament, later altering the rules of golf?

But humanity also comes at a price. For all her affection among the fans, Lexi has had an embattled relationship with the public. She has earned a reputation among the press for avoiding questions after her biggest setbacks, and even Tuesday’s retirement “letter” featured a reference to what she called an “unfair” career. While her biggest moments have revealed her to be fallible, her quiet moments have led some to accuse her of being fragile, or worse, lacking accountability. On Tuesday, though, Thompson’s retirement presser featured none of those qualities.

We'll see how it pans out, but my guess is that we'll still see a bit of her, maybe more than she thinks at this juncture.  Retirement isn't for everybody, especially at age 29.  She's always been a prisoner of expectations, so perhaps walking away from it might free her up when she does peg it.  The issue would be status, although she'd have no issues with sponsor exemptions any time she wanted.  But are there sponsor exemptions into the majors?  I guess we'll find out soon enough.

The Scheffler Redemption - Didn't see this coming (we kid):

The criminal charges against Scottie Scheffler stemming from a traffic incident May 17 at the

PGA Championship have been dropped.

Jefferson County attorney Mike O'Connell addressed the court on Wednesday.

"Therefore, based on the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler," O'Connell said. "Mr. Scheffler’s characterization that this was ‘a big misunderstanding’ is corroborated by the evidence. The evidence that we reviewed supports the conclusion that detective [Bryan] Gillis was concerned for public safety at the scene when he initiated contact with Mr. Scheffler. However, Mr Scheffler’s actions and the evidence surrounding their exchange during this misunderstanding do not satisfy the elements of any criminal offenses. For these reasons, I now tender to the courts a motion and order to dismiss all these charges in this case against Mr. Scheffler with prejudice."

I had been asking whether there were any adults in Louisville, and now we have an answer.  There are, but only in the DA's office.  To some extent this is how it's supposed to work, but in this case it feels like the Police Department was supporting its officer, which might be appropriate in other circumstances, but here just perpetuated a case that had no merit.

But about that officer....  Not only did he not turn on his body cam as required, but he seems to be not the sharpest knife in the drawer:

Cop who arrested Scottie Scheffler issues all-time statement about his 'freaking $80 pants' after charges get dropped

Gillis, who was disciplined for not turning on his body cam, maintains he was well within his right to arrest Scheffler and that he was "drug" by Scheffler's car. That being said, he commends the World No. 1 for how he handled the ordeal and echoed the golfer's statement that there is "no ill will" as both men look to put the matter behind them. They also both offered their condolences to the family of the man who tragically passed away in a shuttle bus accident that chaotic morning of May 17 ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Again, pretty standard. But then Gillis offered this postscript about his pants. The ones that were described as costing $80 and being "damaged beyond repair" in the original police report. Again, it's real. And it's spectacular.

“P.S...Yes, the department has us buying freaking $80 pants. To those concerned, they were indeed ruined. But Scottie, it’s all good. I never would’ve guessed I’d have the most famous pair of pants in the country for a few weeks because of this. Take care and be safe.”

Amazing. Also amazing that a police officer has to buy his own uniform pants? For $80?! That's like Banana Republic prices! And not Banana Republic Factory! I'd be furious if I had a nice pair like that ruined.

Pretty weird, as is his use of the word "drug":

The recognized and correct past tense form of the verb drag is dragged. Drug can still sometimes be heard, but only in certain dialects within the United States.

Perhaps this is why he and Scottie miscommunicated, as they were speaking in different dialects.

Tigermania -  Nope, not THAT Tiger, but rather the conclusion of the NCAA's:

Auburn's golfer of destiny leads Tigers to their first national title

A story was making the rounds on Wednesday evening about the meeting J.M. Butler, then a high school senior, had with Auburn men’s golf coach Nick Clinard in his office. The recruit from

Louisville, Ky., said very passionately that he wanted to win a national championship in his college career. It didn’t matter that he’d be coming to a Tigers program that had never reached the summit.

It made for a tidy full-circle tale when Butler, a senior, secured the winning point on Wednesday as top-ranked Auburn did capture its first national title with a tense 3-2 victory over Florida State at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. But there are dozens of junior golfers who walk into a coach’s office and say they want to lift a trophy. It’s what they do to make that happen, and in Butler the Tigers got the player who would see it to the finish.

In drawing Clanton, who entered the tournament ranked eighth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the 38th-ranked Butler faced an enormous test. And, with the teams trading two wins each in the afternoon’s earlier matches, the focus of about a thousand fans trailing the final twosome was intense.

It's a great event that gets lost in a busy sports calendar this time of year, but the match-play team competition always delivers the goods.

Regrets, I've Had A Few -  Finally, Rory and I find common ground:

Rory McIlroy regrets getting 'deeply involved' in PGA Tour-LIV controversy

And we regret you getting deeply involved as well...

I just picked up on this rumor on Wednesday, but they wouldn't deny it if it were true, would they?

Rory McIlroy only has ‘professional relationship’ with CBS reporter Amanda Balionis

Did he just call Amanda a sex worker?  Who knows, but in the immortal words of Bonnie Raitt, they seem to be giving us something to talk about...

Ryder Cup Mishegoss -  Don't get excited, this isn't what it seems:

U.S. Ryder Cup team creates new team manager position

The U.S. Ryder Cup team has yet to announce a captain for next year's matches at Bethpage

Black. In the meantime, we now know the American squad will have a team manager.

The PGA Ryder Cup Committee announced on Wednesday the creation of a new position that will be filled by former caddie John Wood. And it appears that whoever is the next Team USA captain will have a lot less to worry about.

"Beginning with the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, Wood will work closely with the U.S. team captain, vice captains, team members and PGA of America senior management on all strategic and operational matters related to the U.S. Ryder Cup Team," according to the Ryder Cup's official website.

 Simultaneously, Golfweek has this for us:

If not Tiger Woods, who will captain Team USA at the 2025 Ryder Cup? Here are some contenders

Can you say, "The Usual Suspects"?  I thought you could...

They break down into two groups, those that have lost Ryder Cups and those that have yet to lose Ryder Cups....  OK, I know Strick won his, but how lame is that Task Force that this is the menu of options.

The above story about Woodie actually makes the Tiger captaincy more likely, as it seems to confirm that Tiger is trying to limit the required appearances and promotional nonsense, mostly because he can.

It will be Tiger, for sure, because anything else is inconceivable.  The U.S. simply has to win the home game, so any thought of Tiger waiting for a road game at Adare Manor has to just be talk.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

Weekend Wrap - Post-Wedding Hangover Edition

Just a few brief items as we recover from the holiday weekend and family wedding.  

We'll take things easy for the next week or so, before we gear up for Pinehurst.  Although there's mush of interest in the coming week, including the Women's U.S. Open and, for today and tomorrow, the Men's NCAA Championship team match-play bracket.

Colonial - These non-signature events are shells of their former selves, and I didn't watch a single shot in the four days.  Here's Dylan Dethier's take from his Monday Finish column:

As I tried to make sense of Davis Riley‘s Sunday steamroll over the rest of a talented PGA Tour field, one detail stood out: He’d recently reunited with his former swing coach Jeff Smith.

“We haven’t re-invented the wheel or done anything different,” Riley said after a Friday 64. “I feel like I’m in a good head space and comfortable there and I feel like simplicity has been the key for me.”

Riley made things look simple on the weekend, particularly on Sunday; while most of his competition struggled with gusty conditions and a firm golf course, the talented Alabama grad plotted his way through a challenging golf course, making a birdie for every bogey and cruising to a five-shot victory.

What’s interesting about Riley returning to an old coach and finding success? The fact that we’ve recently heard other top pros say the same thing.

There's been a gaggle of similar stories, including Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and even Rory visiting Butch Harmon, only making us wonder about their leaving these coaches in the first place.

It was quite the diluted field, even if the guy in the final group with Riley was no slouch (a criminal, perhaps, at least in the State of Kentucky.  But the talent pool is so deep that guys like this can come out of nowhere.

Louisville - Public officials beclowning themselves are now dog-bites-man stories, but are there no adults in Louisville?  The Tour Confidential gang doesn't have too much to add:

1. More news has come out in the days after Scottie Scheffler’s PGA arrest, as the Louisville Metro Police Department continues to investigate the incident and the protocols of the officers involved. What’s mostly circulated since, however, have been two partial videos of the incident. What did you learn from them?

Jonathan Wall: Honestly, not very much. The video footage was captured from poor locations

where it’s difficult to confirm if Louisville Metro Police detective Bryan Gillis was truly “dragged” and injured by Scheffler’s vehicle. Throw in that Gillis’ body camera wasn’t activated — which violates LMPD policy — and you have a highly questionable case at best. The footage doesn’t strengthen the department’s case at all. If anything, it increases the possibility that the four charges against Scheffler will be dropped.

Zephyr Melton: The video — while grainy and largely unclear — seemed to corroborate Scottie’s side of the story. It didn’t appear that he “dragged” Officer Gillis, and it looked like Scottie stopped his vehicle as soon as he was approached turning into the parking lot.

Dylan Dethier: I’ve parsed through the video footage and I’ve read the case file and I’ve thought plenty about this and the only thing I can come back to is this: What on earth are we doing here?!

We know Scheffler was waved through to the entrance, just like several of his peers. We know Officer Gillis tried to stop him. We know some sort of misunderstanding ensued. And we know it was a chaotic morning with heightened emotions. Why we’re spending any more time, energy or resources on this is beyond me.

More substantively, Shane Ryan interviews local attorney David Barber, who had this take on the new videos:

Golf Digest: Let's start with the new video footage released Thursday. What are you're seeing there?

Barber: Let's go to the dash cam video, just before 6:01 a.m. (time-stamped here), you'll notice a guy in the upper left corner who's waving his arm. He comes from behind the bus, you see him move to the left. This is like watching the Zapruder film or something. He's waving, and you interpret that immediately as he's waving somebody on. Right after that, you see headlights going to the other side of the bus, and that turns out to be Scottie’s [car]. Then [the car] comes around the front of the bus and into Valhalla, and that's where they stop him. The bus blocks everything that happens with [arresting officer Bryan] Gillis. That’s when you see him run up to the car in the pole cam [video], so whatever happens there is invisible. There's at least no video proof of him getting dragged on the ground. But that other officer waving the car through is important because it fits with the story that Romines has been saying, that Scottie was following directions. The video seems to bear that out.

It's also interesting that the crime scene from earlier is further down the road, and there's no westbound traffic at all that we can see. So the idea that Scheffler drove through a crime scene, or that he drove into oncoming traffic, which is misinformation that was out there, just isn't true. You can see that from the pole cam.

The other thing is that while the pole cam doesn't have audio, the dash cam should, and it's kind of odd that with all those cameras around there, all those cars, it looks like somebody edited that to take off the audio. Normally on a dash cam, you're going to hear all the radio traffic as well as any audio inside the vehicle, and you'd think that would be very interesting here. And what about body-cam footage from other officers?

 I assume that when the case goes to trial that Stormy Daniels will be on the witness list.

Riyadh - We're approaching a bog anniversary, but chaos rules.  It's unclear what will happen, but also unclear what the decision-makers want to happen.  The TC gang had this:

3. Jordan Spieth, a PGA Tour Policy Board member, doubled down on his claim that talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are not in a bad place, calling rumors saying otherwise a false narrative. Yet this came just days after the latest board member, independent director Mark Flaherty, stepped down from the board (six days after Jimmy Dunne resigned). Which spin are you buying?

Wall: I’m not buying anything Spieth is selling. The Tour’s Policy Board is in damage control after Dunne and Flaherty stepped down from their Tour posts. Do you expect anyone to admit

talks are on life support? Of course not. But there’s no question smoke is emanating from Tour headquarters.

Melton: I’m not sure what narrative I buy, but I do know that losing two board members in six days isn’t exactly encouraging news. I’m not optimistic that a deal gets done at this point.

Dethier: What indications do we have that a deal is close? Rory McIlroy said there’s been no progress made. Tiger Woods said there’s a long way to go and that the situation is fluid. Jimmy Dunne was so frustrated with the lack of progress that he stepped down from the board. My best guess is that Spieth is okay with where things are because he’s okay with not getting a deal done in the immediate future. Here’s what I’m buying: Nobody knows what’s going to happen. In the event of some sort of reconciliation between tours, nobody knows what would happen to LIV. And without some sort of reconciliation, what’s the point of any of this? So Spieth and his peers are focused on not making a bad deal. They may secure a PIF investment for the PGA Tour without meaningful change in the professional golf landscape. But if I’m a golf fan rooting for LIV stars to return to the PGA Tour by the end of the season, I’m not holding my breath.

It appears from the outside that Cantlay, Tiger and Jordan are united in obstructing a deal with the PIF, and that Dunne and Flaherty left because of that impediment.  There's no doubt that Cantlay would prefer the current state of play, he gest Saudi level compensation without the moral ramifications (or actually having to play well).   The question is whether it's sustainable.

Dylan Dethier had these thoughts:

ONE BIG QUESTION

Will we have any PIF-PGA Tour clarity by June 6th?

The one-year anniversary of the framework agreement fast approaches. So … now what?

We discussed this in Tour Confidential, too, but what indications do we have that a deal is close? Rory McIlroy said there’s been no progress made. Tiger Woods said there’s a long way to go and that the situation is fluid. Jimmy Dunne was so frustrated with the lack of progress that he stepped down from the board. Mark Flaherty stepped down, too. Jordan Spieth called stories of stalled talks a “false narrative,” which may be true, but Spieth also said earlier this year that he’s okay if a deal doesn’t get done right away. Immediacy does not seem to be a priority.

So is a deal close? It doesn’t seem like it. What seems more likely is that nobody knows what’s going to happen. In the event of some sort of reconciliation between tours, it’s still up in the air about what would happen to LIV. And without some sort of reconciliation, what’s the point of any of this? In the meantime, Spieth and his peers are focused on not making a bad deal. That’s priority No. 1: not ceding control to an unpredictable investor. Maybe there’s an in-between stopgap solution here where they secure a PIF investment for the PGA Tour without meaningful change in the professional golf landscape. But if I’m a golf fan rooting for LIV stars to return to the PGA Tour by the end of this season or next? I’m not holding my breath.

Control?  Funny how, when they announced the pending deal with the Saudi's, they were quite disingenuous in denying that the Saudis would seek control in return for their billions.  I was reliably informed that they would fund the Tour out of the goodness of their hearts....

No one exactly knows how to collapse LIV and satisfy the competing demands, so there's an inertia to the current impasse.  The problem is that they have to be blowing through the private equity money like a sailor on leave, and there's little stopping Yasir from additional poaching, although Rahm doesn't seem especially happy with his decision.

But it doesn't feel like a deal can happen in the current environment.

Grayson - No illusions that I have much to add to this profoundly sad story.  Dylan had this, including a link to a touching Gary Williams reflection:

REFLECTIONS ON GRAYSON MURRAY

Gone too soon.

It was touching to read and hear tributes after the tragic loss of Grayson Murray, who died Saturday at the age of 30. A statement from his family confirmed that Murray had taken his own life. “Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson,” the statement read. “We know he rests peacefully now.”

I’ve been struggling to wrap my head around of Murray’s sudden loss and it was clear his peers were, too; from Scheffler to Bradley to Webb Simpson and more they described the eeriness of seeing him one day and knowing he was gone the next, while his name still sat on a placard in the locker room and on the bottom of the leaderboard. There’s no making sense of it, not really. But the best thing I read this weekend was a powerful essay by Gary Williams, who reflects on his own journey with alcoholism, his bond with Murray and the dangerous powers of addiction — cunning, baffling, powerful — that always lurk.

You can read that here.

I've blogged some of Grayson's difficulties, including a story from a few years ago when he thought it easier to qualify for the PGA Tour through the European Tour.  Unfortunately, he expressed this opinion by attacking a fellow professional who had qualified through the European Tour, so that wasn't going to end well.  My tragically prescient sense was that Grayson's struggles didn't seem a good fit for the lonely, challenging life of a touring professional.  It's really hard and lonely out there, and I just had the feeling that Grayson would have been better served in a more normal environment.

But there's a link to the above anniversary story, as it was Grayson that confronted Rory at the Canadian Open the week of June 6th.  When Rory tried to dismiss Grayson's (and really, the entire rank and file) concerns about the field size at those money grabs, Rory gave him a dismissive "Play better!"  That triggered the most justified "Eff You" in recorded golf history, so thank you for that, Grayson.

R.I.P.

Sorry to leave you on a downer, but I'll catch you later in the week,

Thursday Themes - Holiday Weekend Edition

Just a few bits to tide you over the long holiday weekend.  Your humble blogger is off to a family wedding, so no soup for you until Tuesday at the earliest.

An Honor Just To Be Nominated - As you'll know, Geoff divides the world into Winners, Cut-Makers and Point-Missers, presumably to allow the milking of three posts from that concept.  Of course, the first category should really be in the singular, but his first few cut-makers seem well thought through:

Viktor Hovland. He’s back! With a twist. The Las Vegas Mayo Clinic visit was long overdue. It’s not often someone wins $34.6 million in a year and cans the coach. Joe Mayo is back and the Valhalla tee-to-green performance was dazzling as was the scrambling (13 of 16). The putting was serviceable enough that Hovland faced a 12-footer to shoot 64 and join the 20-under-brigade. Instead, he hit it four feet by, missed that, barely shook Bryson’s hand, and did not talk to the media after his round. The constantly-stressed, borderline manic approach is not a recipe for long-term success. Chill out! You’re really good at this. And with plenty in the bank.

Yes, and good to have the young man back among the living.   A good, if obvious, Mayo Clinic bon mot, but the first four months of Viktor's season remain unexplained.

Maybe, but a downer of a Sunday:

Collin Morikawa (T4). Another major championship smoke-and-mirror effort after starting Masters Sunday in the final pairing. This one is heartening because the putting was not great and a player renowned for his approach play missed too many greens and had 34 putts Sunday. When he did make a pure strike, Morikawa averaged a solid 34’8” in proximity and he got up and down 17 times in 21 opportunities. So now that he’s wisely back with his longtime coach Rick Sessinghaus and hanging around majors with his B- game, a clean-up of the big approach misses, four okay putting days and you’re looking at a candidate to win at Pinehurst. Also, nice touch standing back and applauding for fellow southern Californian Schauffele after the winning putt.

Well, to be fair, his putting is never great....

But this is where Geoff and I part ways, as I think this guy is why he does a loser post, yet Geoff sees the glass as half-full:

Rory McIlroy (T12). A solid performance given Monday’s news of divorce filing and a Valhalla setup where his prodigious length seemed like less of an asset since winning there a decade ago. The odd run of just missing in majors continued at Valhalla, this time by peaking a few days too soon during a dominant Wells Fargo win. The good news? Life circumstances and ShotLink numbers say he should not have finished -12 (T12). McIlroy only got up and down 12 of 20 times around greens where leaders posted absurd recovery rates. He hit 38 of 56 fairways on a course where he enjoys driving the ball. Most incredible of all, McIlroy finished 12-under-par playing the par 4’s only 1-under-par to Schauffele’s -10, DeChambeau’s -9 and Hovland’s -9. Best news of all, the PGA returns to Quail Hollow in 2025.

Can't think of anyone that should be more depressed after Valhalla than the Ulsterman.  I completely agree with Geoff that the issue with Rory is that he peaked too soon, though in my mind I'm thinking 2014....

But Geoff raises the amusement of that 2025 venue.  Rory can't win a major for trying, but can't lose at that one venue..... So, let's take a major there and see what happens, but I'm thinking he'll still know it matters.

Geoff takes a fun shot here, but again in the wrong category"

Blockie (MC). You are to be admired for turning your T15 minutes of fame into what seemed like 15 years by the time one ad ran too many times. Congrats on wringing every last drop out of last year’s fantastic finish. Now, please, make it stop.

 Bad news, there, Geoff:

Michael Block to play Charles Schwab Challenge

How desperate is that event, to think that a club pro will add sizzle....  When is Schwab's contract up?

With those as cut-makers, you're no doubt curious as to what it takes to qualify for Geoff's trunk-slammer category.  Gotcha covered, but boy does he go in some strange directions:

PGA of America’s logistics - No major is easy to pull off when there is only one main road to the course. But this was not Valhalla’s first rodeo. Did an increase in the number of tickets sold this year cause the perpetual traffic jam outside the main gate? Veterans recall how the place had traffic issues during the 2008 Ryder Cup. Perhaps no one remembered? The PGA has had massive turnover with its move to Frisco and cost-cutting. Was the increase in people, cars and buses an oversight in pre-event planning? Shelbyville Road seems heavily trafficked. Exacerbating matters was Valhalla’s entry which was too tight for buses. And all week the eastbound traffic never subsided. How was it still bumper-to-bumper heading east on Sunday evening as the contenders teed off 18?

Yeah, we know, but still an odd note, and he goes off on some similarly odd notes, such as a long tirade on the seeming lack of concern for the victim.  On this guy we can agree:

Jon Rahm. At least those hundreds of millions haven’t dulled his passion! Rahm’s mojo seems depleted after a lackluster Masters title defense and a missed cut in Kentucky. The longest active streak of made major championship cuts ended at 18. His clubs were hurled through the air and Rahm’s on-course demeanor screamed of a deeper dissatisfaction about the state of his career.

The man looks miserable, and perhaps not only about the state of his game.  While his defection to LIV was a dramatic escalation given the expectation of peace in our time, he won't make for much of a recruiter, will he?

This is news to me, though hardly a surprise:

To cover or not to cover? ESPN’s news reporting by Jeff Darlington struck the right tone. So did CBS’s recap on Saturday’s telecast. So there are adults in the golf room who can read tea leaves and conclude this was nothing to joke about even if the charges against Scheffler are dropped. Golf Channel, now based out of NBC Sports’ global headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut where they have studios with ugly sets and fancy fiber, chose not to cut into an LPGA round replay to cover the news from Valhalla. Nor was a “breaking news” crawl invoked for one of the decade’s most shocking golf stories. Yet the channel chose to push back at criticism for doing nothing by getting into an embarrassing Twitter spat with No Laying Up.

Seems silly in hindsight, but let's remember there were maybe twelve people tuned in....

No issues here, as there was nothing that made me laugh more than this guy's appointment with reality:

Talor Gooch. To paraphrase Bull Durham’s Crash Davis, “Think classy, you'll be classy. When you get your first top 10 in a major then you can dress like Beavis’ alter ego Cornholio. Then the press'll think you're colorful. But until that top 10, you look like a bloated LIV fanboy in Smash gear Brooks doesn’t have to wear.” For the five of you out there wondering, the Asterisk Wonder finished four-under-par and tied for 60th. His major season has concluded after choosing not to attempt U.S. Open and The Open qualifying.

Wake me up when he has a top-50.  And I'm thinking it'll be one fewer major in 2025, which will save him the public humiliation.

A couple of additional PGA follow-ups.

Watch This Space -  Predictable, yet still dispiriting:

Scottie Scheffler: Fresh twist in arrest of world No.1

Has he confessed?

The Masters champion’s arraignment date following the incident was supposed to take place yesterday but has been rescheduled for June 3.

It has since emerged that arresting officer Bryan Gillis failed to activate his bodycam video before stopping Scheffler, despite that being standard operating procedure.

Consequently, local authorities are now set to investigate whether or not policies were followed correctly.

In a statement, Louisville’s chief of police Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, said: “The internal investigation is still ongoing.

“Any policy violations that are revealed through the course of the investigation will be appropriately addressed according to protocol. The department intends to provide an additional update on the investigation on Thursday, 23 May.”

In his weekly news conference, Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg added that “action will be taken” if policies were not properly adhered to.

Anyone who heard Jeff Darlington's account knew that this story was off in important ways.  It appears that the cop did something strange and reckless, then doubled down on it perhaps to cover his loss of control.  The wonder of it is that the whole Louisville Police Department seemed prepared to fall in line with the guy, as if we'd never know.  

Now there will need to be an embarrassing climbdown, and I can't imagine this officer coming out the other end with his job.

I Saw It On TV - The Scheffler Bump is now a thing, but Geoff goes long on the ratings:

Ratings. On the plus side, there was none of this year’s 20% dip seen at Tour events (prior to Rory McIlroy’s Wells Fargo win). The Masters viewing number drop now looks legit in blaming its 20% non-Easter out-of-home drop. According to Sports Media Watch, the final round of Xander Schaffule’s win peaked with 8.42 million viewers for the winning putt. The 4.96 million average audience translated to a 10% increase in viewership over last year’s Koepka win at Oak Hill. This, despite going up against the huge Pacers-Knicks Game 7. Saturday’s fog-delayed third round on CBS (2.0/3.52 million) faced off against the Preakness Stakes and a Caitlyn Clark WNBA game, yet still managed a slight 4% uptick over last year.

The bad news? 2024’s PGA tops only two recent PGA’s in final round viewership: 2017 (4.91 million) and last year’s Koepka win were the lowest in the past 12 years.

Ratings II. ESPN's numbers also showed stability compared to the season-long downward trend of PGA Tour coverage on Golf Channel and the networks. Thursday’s eight-hour first-round broadcast on ESPN averaged 1.118 million viewers for a 4% increase over last year. The second round fared better with a likely boost from Friday’s Scheffler arrest drama, averaging 1.6 million viewers, an increase of 18 percent. The first-ever ESPNBET telecast on ESPN2 averaged 323,000 viewers Friday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., up from 164,000 average viewers. And No Laying Up’s alternate telecast from 1-3 p.m. Friday on ESPN2 averaged 155,000 viewers, up from 89,000 on Thursday. For some perspective on just how much Brian Roberts’ Comcast has cratered Golf Channel: Saturday night’s Live From show saw an average of just 118,000 viewers, while Sunday’s edition featuring Xander Schauffele fresh off a thrilling finish saw just 104,000. Not long ago those shows did four to five time that.

A mixed bag, in which you can find anything you want.  Maybe the funniest aspect of this are these comments from a senior CBS executive:

AND I REALLY MEAN THAT…”

David Berson said, leaning forward at his desk on the CBS compound at the PGA Championship. The topic was golf’s sagging TV ratings, and Berson — CBS’s brand-new chairman — had something to say.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves when it comes to the ratings stuff,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s early to be worried.”

I hadn’t probed much, but Berson, the hand-picked successor to longtime CBS lead man Sean McManus, was eager to set the record straight. The ratings are not a concern for CBS, or at least, that’s their official posture to the rest of the golf world.

“Let’s not draw larger conclusions based on this small set of facts,” Berson said. “There are a lot more ratings that need to come in before we can feel any sort of way.”

I think he's exactly right about the small sample size.  The problem being the small number of folks sampling their product, but it's a lovely melody he's whistling as he passes that graveyard.  Of course, CBS is fully committed through 2030, so what else is he going to say?

Grinding - A quick shoutout to those who grind:

U.S. Open qualifying: The brothers Molinari, Robert Rock advanced; several LIV golfers fell short

I think we can all agree that golf is in a far better place with Robert Rock's hair on display....

I will never love the LIVsters, but begrudging respect for those that put in the effort to qualify for the events that matter.  This was a heart-breaker for sure:

Notables missed the cut: Sergio Garcia (the odd man out in a 7-for-6 playoff for the 11th and final spot), Kevin Streelman, Henrik Norlander, Carlos Ortiz, Abraham Ancer, Scott Piercy, Garrick Higgo, Caleb Surrat, Norrman Vincent, Cameron Champ, Harry Hall, Jim Knous, Joel Dahmen, Aaron Baddeley, Patton Kizzire and Kyle Westmoreland.

Click through for a full treatment of those that have thus far qualified, as well as those that didn't (or the large list of withdrawals).

Eire On My Mind - The bride and I have gravitated back to Scotland, but we miss our Ireland adventures.  Here's a travel piece that I like, mostly because it's a trip down memory lane.  

An Irish entrance: Four Americans have the walk of a lifetime in the north and west of the Republic

We're talking County Donegal here, and he begins at a place very familiar to your humble blogger:

Round 1 was slated for Ballyliffin’s Old Links, and after a greeting by Farren (who came in on

his day off to see us away) and his staff, we headed to the first tee. Having been built by hand by the club’s members in the 1970s, this layout is not as ancient as that Old Course at St. Andrews on the opposite side of the Irish sea, but its beautifully rumpled fairways would provide one of the least-steep tests for our group while serving up a perfect intro to links golf.

After an obligatory series of “This is cool” and “Wow, look at that” comments from the newbs, we teed off into the breeze on No. 1 and even managed to find all four golf balls. That wouldn’t always be the case on Day 1. Or on the rest of the trip, for that matter. After all the rain in previous weeks, the rough at most courses was thick enough to lose your shoes even with them tied tight to your feet.

We almost joined three, a special place but in the middle of friggin' nowhere.  The few people I encounter who have ventured to Ballyliffing, inevitably only have time to play the Glashedy Links, the shiny new object that's hosted the Irish Open.  I get it, but the Old Links is unbelievably charming, to me it's the ultimate members' course.  And he hits on two favorite themes.

First, it's marvelously rumpled fairways, which I've always likened to an unmade bed.  I spent two weeks there attempting to capture the contours of those fairways in a photo, and never quite captured it.

But the other bit is that it reminds of a wonderful experience we had while there.  At the club's bar we found ourselves in conversation with an elderly member, and he described for us exactly how they had built that golf course themselves, virtually by hand.  Just one of those travel experiences that the bride and I still speak of.

Thanks for indulging me in the trip down memory lane.  Enjoy the holiday weekend and I'll get back to the keyboard when possible.

Tuesday Tastings - PGA Reflection Edition

Sometimes stories look different after an additional day of reflection.... Not this one, but sometimes.

Folks are out with their winners and loser pieces, so let's have at them.

Indisputable Winners - Shockingly, this guy appears on everyone's list of winners for the week, including this from Geoff:

Xander Schauffele. Just days after appearing overmatched against Rory McIlroy at Quail Hollow, another back nine bog down appeared imminent when Schauffele aggressively played out of a

fairway bunker on the 10th hole. A bogey six seemed like a disaster but back-to-back birdies eventually followed by the now-legendary birdie at the 18th helped Schauffele ascend to the major mountaintop. His post-round “team” thank yous—an increasingly bizarre element in a sport where only one squad member hits the shots—exuded class and humility while never understating the impact of those around him. Schauffele is the rare top player to make major changes in search of greatness and somehow not make his game worse. Instructor Chris Como has guided a quest for added distance that can so often sidetrack a player. But Schauffele’s performance came down to hitting 60 of 72 greens on a 7,600-yard course with smallish 5,000-square-foot greens. All while managing what looks like an occasionally jittery wedge game. A well-earned first major highlighted by his second major championship 62 in 11 months.

Yeah, it's always shocking when the winner is deemed to be a winner, but there you have it.... You  also have a series of pieces that purport to dig deeper, such as this perennial:

PGA Championship 2024: How Xander Schauffele's hard-luck losses ultimately led to the major title he desperately craved

Predictable stuff for sure, especially given the last two weeks:

Only a week ago, Schauffele was stinging from a difficult Sunday in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. He led by two shots over Rory McIlroy to start the final round, but got steamrolled when the Irishman shot 65 while Schauffele could only answer with a 71. “Poor Xander, couldn’t close again,” seemed to be the general refrain.

At that point, it was close to two years since Schauffele last lifted a trophy, in the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open. Wells Fargo could have been a crushing blow to his confidence the week before a major, but Schauffele insisted he only used others’ doubts as motivation.

“Definitely a chip on the shoulder there,” he admitted. “It just is what it is at the end of the day. You guys are asking the questions, probing, and I have to sit here and answer it. It's a lot easier to answer it with this thing [Wanamaker Trophy] sitting next to me now, obviously.

“It's just fuel, fuel to my fire. It always has been growing up, and it certainly was leading up to this.”

Yeah, it's the old "That which does not kill us..." bit.  Likely true enough, though it tells us nothing useful about what might happen next week.

Eamon Lynch has his own formulaic piece, in which it's all about, checking notes, attitude:

Lynch: Xander Schauffele won 2024 PGA Championship with skill, but deserved it on attitude

The only professional golfer who speaks of what he deserves is Sergio, and I know Eamon isn't looking to make THAT comparison.

Spend enough time around elite golfers and it becomes clear that the ingredients for success – and sanity, for that matter – are a short memory, a thick hide and a stout ego. All three are intimately connected, but ego is the most important component, with the others essential for keeping it intact.

Padraig Harrington isn’t known as boastful or brash, but in a long-ago conversation the amiable Dubliner stressed the importance of self-admiration in professional golf. “I have a huge ego. We all do,” he said. “Do you think we’d go out and risk having our heads chopped off every week if we didn’t want the glory that comes with winning?”

So, they all come in with the same attitude, but somehow the guy atop the leaderboard deserved it this time?  Having trouble seeing where this goes.

It’s a skill Xander Schauffele has had to call upon often in his still-young career. He has seven

PGA Tour wins but twice as many runners-up. His 42 top-five finishes entering the 2024 PGA Championship are almost a quarter of his career starts. That’s an awful lot of time in the mix with not a lot to show for it. In majors, a similar trend. Through 27 starts before this week, a dozen top 10s, half of them top 5s, two of them seconds. Yet no trophy, jug or jacket.

That’s where the thick hide comes in.

If there was crushing disappointment along the way, and there must have been, Schauffele hid it gamely. Every near miss was chalked up as a lesson learned, as experience gained, as steps taken closer to the goal, his wan smile permafixed. Analysis by others wasn’t always so optimistic. He was accused of lacking fortitude, of tilting toward safe options on Sundays, of waiting for others to lose rather than grabbing victory by the throat.

I get that the thick hide is necessary, but Eamon seems unable to explain why this was the week that proved sufficient.  That's actually one of the joys of our game, but it doesn't fit with the sense of predetermination Eamon seems to seek.

Miss Congeniality - Everyone is digging this dude:

Bryson DeChambeau

Though moving to LIV Golf may have slightly removed him from the limelight, DeChambeau proved for the second straight major that the change hasn't affected his ability to compete for the sport's top tournaments.

After heading into Sunday at Augusta with a shot at his first green jacket and finishing tied for sixth, DeChambeau nearly added to his lone major total this week at Valhalla with an electric final round that fell just one stroke short of a playoff with Schauffele. The 2021 U.S. Open winner has now finished inside the top-10 at four of his last seven major appearances.

There's something about DeChambeau that's become evident during these last two majors. His quirkiness and showmanship have only increased since leaving for LIV and the fans seem to gravitate toward it. More than most golfers, DeChambeau appears to feed off that energy.

On Sunday at Valhalla, two things were clear: DeChambeau was the crowd favorite, and the way his game is shaping up, it feels like it's only a matter of time before he wins another major.

Yes, and Geoff had something similar, and some teases as well:

DeChambeau’s “grow the game” efforts online “content” appear to have expanded his fan base despite LIV’s awful ratings. Maturing, humility, a thirst to get better, the 3D printed irons, and kindness to kids is winning him back fans. And now he’s high up the PGA’s Ryder Cup rankings! It’s also pretty clear after weeks like Valhalla’s that the PGA Tour sorely misses a figure like DeChambeau. Even his LIV attire did not look terrible. Or was that just because everyone is desperate to watch someone who’s a little zany play?

OK, didn't even knw they were already accumulating Ryder Cup points, but a little early for 2025, methinks.

But he was a fan favorite, and that's quite the switch from his petulance prior to the LIV jump.  He still owes a certain Golf Channel cameraman an apology, but many pieces like this to be found:

PGA Championship 2024: Golf needs Bryson back

To be clear, golf still has Bryson, it's only the PGA Tour that might need him.  That's a not unimportant distinction.

They yelled his name from start to finish at the 2024 PGA Championship, and Bryson DeChambeau reciprocated with a show they had come to see, punctuated by a pirouette off his

left foot with his hands reaching for the sky as his final putt disappeared. His celebration was too visceral to be choreographed and the same can be said for the guttural cry that putt produced. While that scene at Valhalla’s 18th may have been a surprise for those watching from home, the truth is that had been the sequence all afternoon, the California native and Texas resident turning Kentucky into a home game. As he departed the green and made his way through the human tunnel that was compressing with fans reaching out for a fist bump—many of which he supplied—the indelible, incontrovertible truth is this:

Golf needs Bryson back.

He didn’t win, through no fault of his own. Shooting a final-round 64 for a 20-under total, a score that would have tied the previous 72-hole tournament mark? All DeChambeau can do is tip his cap to the man who came out on top, Xander Schauffele. “I gave it my all. I put as much effort as I possibly could into it and I knew that my B game would be enough,” DeChambeau said. “It's just clearly somebody played incredibly well. Xander's well deserving of a major championship and, yeah, emptying the tank, I certainly love to do that and give the fans everything I can.”

But while not the champ, DeChambeau was the unquestioned main attraction Sunday.

Lots of talk about his improved demeanor, including this long bit from Alan Shipnuck:

Lotsa talk this week about Bryson's sunny attitude. *Nobody* is happier on LIV - it's given Bryson the voice he always wanted in the game and, for the first time, friends. From "LIV and Let Die":

Goofy, obtuse, strident, DeChambeau always had trouble connecting with his peers on…

— Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) May 19, 2024

They do grow up, but this only reinforces the importance of the four majors, a fact the defectors seem to have minimized to their regret.  Bryson himself likely jumped to LIV for the simple reason that he wasn't healthy, but there's no going back for now (we've further news on that below).

Louisville Forsaken - Shack takes quite the strange turn in his list of winners (we'll have to wait for cut-makers and losers), with an homage to the venue.  he starts with this ode to the jurisdiction:

Louisville. We kid the CBS gang for all of their Louisville references, but the diverse range of things helping to make the city vibrant reinforces how majors are about more than just the golf course. Setting aside Friday’s tragedy and police matter,. Kentucky fans once again brought incredible support and on-course energy. The welcoming hospitality in town was superb. The restaurant scene even more vibrant in the decade since Valhalla last hosted. And there’s a golf with sensational small companies like upstart hand goods maker Bluegrass Fairway and longtime clubmaker Louisville Golf.

 

OK, though I'm not sure there were four long days of local references, but they do have Ali, bourbon and the Derby, not to mention a certain baseball bat.  I mean, where is Slugger White when America needs him?

But this is where I wonder who stole Geoff and what they've done with him:

Valhalla. A magical stage once again produced a thriller even though it played way too soft and slow. The ingredients in no particular order: amphitheater greens, inviting shots for players to tackle, plenty of drivers off the tee, no real bias toward any one type of player, fan enthusiasm, and an 18th hole where weird things happen. As for a return? There is the whole matter of its relevance in another ten years when Valhalla might next host the PGA. We just watched a 7,600-yard course where there was little roll give up record weekend scores even after the PGA tried tough final round hole locations. The field was 113-under-par on Saturday and 135-under on Sunday. With the PGA of America still greedily resisting distance regulation by aggressively advocating for watered-down solutions, they seem oblivious to losing even modern courses where they make gobs of money. It’s a strong irony play by Frisco! But keeping free Titleists coming to their members is apparently all that matters.

Not sure I get that last bit, but what exactly was the appeal of this four-day putting contest?  Calling it a thriller seems a massive stretch, more like a compressed leaderboard where separation wasn't possible.  

There is a case for a return, but it's a green-eyeshade kind of case:

The play rose to the occasion of one of golf’s majors and so did the support in Louisville.

So for all the worry about whether the PGA will return from an event first played here in 1996, I’m here to tell you, it will. Louisville is much bigger than its shortcomings. The proof is in how this community shows up. How this community embraces big sporting events.

If that’s not good enough, well, the proof is in the dollar signs.

“This was the all-time, most-attended and highest-revenue PGA (Championship) in their history,” Valhalla club co-owner Jimmy Kirchdorfer said.

He said they not only set records in general admission and hospitality tickets, but the 700,000 square feet of hospitality tents spread out over the course was record-breaking as well.

Now, try to name a professional sports organization that ignores a potential revenue-generating — a record-setting revenue-generating — opportunity. The PGA of America isn’t one of them.

Just not an interesting case....

With the PGA of America having divested its ownership stake and focused on Frisco, it's hard to see this as any kind of compelling necessity.  And there isn't much of an aesthetic case to be made, the best you can say is that it allows the guys to hit driver.... But is that enough?

While scoring isn't everything, this seems a bit much, no?

I still can’t believe this incredible stat Justin gave us. This was the easiest PGA Championship by TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUR SHOTS. We got an entertaining finish but I don’t see how anyone can feel like the best players were challenged to do anything but go low. https://t.co/1lIDYTYHII

— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) May 20, 2024

The Biggest Loser -  We don't have Shack's entry, but ESPN nails a couple of obvious ones, though there is that dog that failed to bark....

Brooks Koepka

The defending PGA Championship winner was blunt when he was asked to assess his

performance at Valhalla this week.

"Not very good," Koepka said. "I think it's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

Koepka wasn't bad for three of the four rounds, but a 3-over 74 on Saturday knocked him out of contention for a fourth Wanamaker Trophy. He posted a 5-under 66 on Sunday to tie for 26th at 9 under over 72 holes.

It was his third straight disappointing finish at a major -- he tied for 64th at the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and for 45th at the Masters in April.

Still, Koepka believes he's close to putting it together with the U.S. Open about a month away.

"I feel like I'm playing good," Koepka said. "It's just yesterday was just kind of unfortunate timing. But I felt like I'm playing all right. I missed a bunch of putts on Friday from inside like 5 feet, and then yesterday's round was unfortunate. But other than that, I think I'm pretty close to right there."

Like Scheffler, he was derailed by that disappointing Saturday, though we're holding him to a unnaturally high standard.  Still, he only has the four weeks to shine, which was his decision, and now two of those four have been squandered.

But what's up with this guy?

Jon Rahm

If DeChambeau has been the highlight of LIV Golf in the majors this year, then Rahm has been the disappointment. The two-time major winner missed the cut at this year's PGA after finishing outside the top-40 in his Masters' defense earlier this year.

It was more than just the results: Rahm looked out of sorts, out of rhythm and even threw a club at one point in disgust. It's too early to say whether playing a LIV limited schedule as opposed to the normal PGA Tour routine, which Rahm excelled with in recent years, is the difference. However, it's safe to say Rahm hasn't been performing up to his potential in major championships.

Rahm is still one of the best players in the world, there's no doubt about that. And he could play extremely well at Pinehurst and Royal Troon. For now, however, he clearly isn't playing at the level we've come to expect of him at majors.

"​​There has been times in my career where I would say maybe I wasn't hitting it my best but things just seemed to go your way and you carry that confidence on for a few months and got a lot of great results," Rahm said before his first round at Valhalla. "Then if you're not playing good, if you're not swinging it good, then at that point you maybe need to assess do I need to change anything technically, what's going on? It could be so many different ways to feel like you're in a roadblock that it's hard to exactly pinpoint one of them."

He looks miserable these days, and his game reflects it.  One bit that I left on the cutting rom floor was this from the Tour Confidential panel:

Jon Rahm was heavily criticized by Golf Channel analysts after he said he’s still a PGA Tour member (just a suspended one) and wants to support the PGA Tour. “I don’t feel like I’m on the other side,” he said. “I’m just not playing [the PGA Tour].” Said Aaron Oberholser: “I want to wring his neck through the television. I’m that mad right now; I’m that mad. Every player in that locker room right now on the PGA Tour, if they watched that should be absolutely incensed with him.” Do you have any issue with Rahm’s comments?

Marksbury: When Rahm took the LIV deal, I think he did it with the expectation that it wouldn’t be long before the tours came to some kind of unifying agreement. It’s the only thing that makes sense, given all his pro PGA Tour rhetoric before leaving. But now that he’s hundreds of millions of dollars richer, I can see why his comments would leave a bad taste in the mouths of his PGA Tour peers. The point of all the contention between LIV and the PGA Tour is that you can’t have it both ways — not yet, anyway. Unification seems a little bit cloudier now than it did a few months ago, and that must be frustrating for Rahm.

Sens: The comments definitely have the ring of a guy who wants to have his cake and eat it. But they’re understandable if you think of them as proof that Rahm, at some level, is torn up about his decision. He made it thinking there’d be a truce, and now he’s playing on a circuit whose format/intensity doesn’t seem to suit him. Golf’s a mental game. And whatever inner-conflict Rahm has stewing inside seems like the best explanation for how he has played in the two majors we’ve seen him in this year. But if he’s got buyer’s remorse, he should just say it rather than trying to have it both ways and act like he didn’t bail on the Tour.

Melton: I mean, he can feel like he’s still a part of the Tour all he wants, but that doesn’t make it true. Leaving for LIV only divided the golf world further, and now he’s responsible for some of that division. I’ve always liked Rahm and appreciate that he speaks his mind, but I think he missed the mark on this one.

Dethier: Definitely didn’t think we’d have any calls for neck-wringing on Golf Channel this week, but these are the tense golfing times we live in. I mostly wasn’t surprised by Rahm’s comments. He’s a significant chess piece and his departure for LIV was therefore a big blow to the PGA Tour. But he hasn’t really acknowledged that piece of the story; to Sens’ point, he’d like some cake.

Perhaps a reminder that this is a man with deep personal relationships with Phil and Sergio.... He speaks eloquently about our game and its history, but at the end of the day he had no issues walking away from all those things he told us he holds dear.  My conclusion is that, like Groucho, he has principles.  And, should we not like those, he has others....

So, Jon, you have a nice life in the LIV Cone of Silence.  It so happens that we don't miss you at all...

But the biggest surprise in that ESPN list of losers is the absence of one certain Ulsterman, who to my mind had the worst week possible.  They have guys like Wyndham Clark and Max Homa, who had what I would consider disappointing weeks.  But those disappointments don't tell us much about their futures, just a week that didn't pan out.

To your humble blogger, this week had outsized importance to Rory, due to his decade in the wilderness.  Most folks don't remember much about his four majors, but in each case he caught extremely soft conditions and low winds (no small thing at Kiawah and Hoylake), the kind of conditions in which he thrives.  He's not going to replicate those conditions any better than he did this last week, on a track with good memories for him and a week in which he was obviously on form.  Even with everything optimized for him (except perhaps for his personal life) he wasn't remotely a factor on the weekend.  As I've been observing for a while, when he wants it most he plays his worst.

Face Plant - I can't emphasize how bad a face-plant this was amongst the purist community:

"Royal Prestwick".
An unforgivable atrocity.
If Jim Nantz is still on the air in 15 minutes, CBS is broken beyond repair.
🤬 pic.twitter.com/2YZrJZoo3Z

— Chris Kane (@kanechrism) May 18, 2024

This is so much more than a mere mangling of a club's name.  It shows a profound misunderstanding of that 1860 Open and the origins of professional tournament golf.  That event could hardly have been played at a club with a royal charter, not that there were even many such royal charters at that early date.   Jim unfortunately revealed himself as a poser pretending to knowledge, while actually demonstrating the absence of said knowledge.

Rats Being Rats - Is our ship sinking?

Mark Flaherty resigned from the PGA Tour's policy board on Sunday, becoming the second independent director to step down in less than a week.

On Monday, independent director Jimmy Dunne, who helped negotiate the PGA Tour's framework agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment fund last year, resigned, effectively immediately.

In Dunne's resignation letter to PGA Tour members, he wrote that "no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with PIF" and that "my vote and my role is utterly superfluous" now that player directors outnumber independent directors on the policy board.

So, two of the five independent directors resign at the same time?  Sure, nothing to see here....

Color me suspicious that this is merely a result of the lack of progress with the Saudis, though Rory had these bizarre comments:

“Yeah, honestly I think it's a huge loss for the PGA Tour, if they are trying to get this deal done with the PIF and trying to unify the game,” said the world No 2 of the framework agreement that was struck last June.

“Jimmy was basically ‘the’ relationship, the sort of conduit between the PGA Tour and PIF. It's been really unfortunate that he has not been involved for the last few months, and I think part of the reason that everything is stalling at the minute is because of that.

“So it is, it's really, really disappointing, and you know, I think the tour is in a worse place because of it. We'll see. We'll see where it goes from here and we'll see what happens.

“But I would say my confidence level on something getting done before last week was, you know, as low as it had been and then with this news of Jimmy resigning and knowing the relationship he has with the other side, and how much warmth there is from the other side, it's concerning.”

Because if there's one thing the Saudis are renown for, it's their warmth.  Has Rory lost it completely?

What do I think is going on here?  I suspect that these professionals are looking at the dysfunctional players, determined to seize control but divided among themselves, and the exit looks pretty inviting.  There seems to be a cabal of Cantlay, Spieth and Tiger that is hindering a deal, which may be defensible, but certainly puts them at odds with Rory.  The Tour rank and file hate all these guys, so I get Jimmy Dunne wanting to spend more time at Seminole.

Stay tuned, because it feels like it'll be a rocky road ahead.

See you later in the week.