And a good weekend it was, though I did find myself going into pocket both days... First world problems for sure, though they are my first world problems.
South Korea's Jeoung Lee6, or, as she prefers, just plain old "Six," captured the 74th U.S. Women's Open on Sunday at the Country Club of Charleston for her first-career LPGA
victory. The 23-year-old from South Korea carded a one-under 70, the only under-par round of any of the 10 players in the final five groups.
On another sweltering day in Charleston, almost every player in contention through 54 holes wilted under the major championship pressure and in difficult conditions on the baked-out, firm and fast Seth Raynor design. Those other nine players in the final five pairings played the course in a a combined 30-over par, the lowest score among them being a 73 posted by Lexi Thompson.
For anyone in a bubble this week, here's the background on her alphanumeric name:
Lee6, who has the six at the end of her name because she was the sixth player named Jeongeun Lee on the Korean LPGA Tour, could not have picked a better week to earn her first LPGA victory. Earlier this week, the USGA raised the U.S. Women's Open purse to $5.5 million, a $500,000 bump from a year ago. That brought the first-place winner's check to $1 million, making it the second-biggest prize for a winner on the LPGA behind only the CME Group Tour Championship, where the winner receives $1.5 million.
I think it's completely charming how sh'e embraced that name, as if she's channeling her inner Johnny Rivers:
Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number and taken away your name
I know, in this case they merely appending a numeral to he name, but I don't know a song that qualifies.
I watched quite a bit of it on the last two days, and I thought the golf course looked fantastic. The reverse-redan 11th got much of the attention, but did you catch that 16th green? It looked like two handicap ramps on both sides of a deep bunker fronting the green. Way cool... I also especially liked how close the tees were to the greens. Anyone hitting long on that 11th hole was likely to end up on the 12th tee....
2. At another Open — the U.S. Women’s Open — Jeongeun Lee6 of South Korea prevailed Sunday with a final-round 70 to edge a trio of chasers, including Lexi Thompson, by two shots. One of the other clear winners of the week was the course,
the Seth Raynor-design at the Country Club of Charleston. If social media was any indication, fans delighted in seeing the old-timey layout in action. How much do you suppose an interesting venue — at either a men’s or women’s tournament — influences whether viewers will tune in?
Marksbury: I think the venue only moves the meter when the course is generally shrouded in (secrecy or ultra-exclusive, a la Pine Valley or Cypress Point. That said, I was onsite for this week’s Women’s Open and loved seeing that crazy-cool reverse-Redan green (the par-3 11th at the Country Club of Charleston) in person, and it’s nice to know that viewers thought it was interesting too.
Shipnuck: I think as golf course architecture has become more accessible and democratic the average golf fan is taking a greater interest in course design, especially when it comes to places we rarely see. CCC was certainly a big talking point on Twitter feed. The names on the leaderboard still matter most, though.
Fair enough as far as they go, though I do think they missed a rather obvious point. To wit, the PGA could play in a WalMart parking lot, and folks would tune in. Venue decision such as this are far more important for the lesser tours and events, and there's little doubt that the USGA hit a home run here. They're also doing well with even small events such as the Walker and Curtis Cups.... we are actually going to see the young men playing Cypress Friggin' Point in a few years.... be still my foolish heart.
And I'll anxiously await this coming Josh Sens article:
Sens: I just finished reporting a story that deals in part with the architecture buffs of the digital age. There are lots of aspiring Robert Hunters out there. As Alan says, architecture has become more accessible and democratic. But what has changed far more is the channels people have to discuss it. Everyone has a voice. Obviously, that’s not always a positive thing in other arenas. But when it comes to nerding out on architecture, it’s good harmless fun. As for whether all that Twitter chatter bumps the ratings? Maybe. But not nearly as much as an A-list leaderboard.
The dark side of the week was pace of play.... The ladies were out there for an eternity, and we can't blame long walks to back tees in this instance.
3. A less positive storyline from the Women’s Open was pace of play. Andrea Lee, a 20-year-old amateur who plays college golf at Stanford, was handed a slow-play penalty during the third round of the event, but the reprimand didn’t come without controversy. The entire event was played with a sluggish pace, and many thought it was unfair (peculiar?) that an amateur — who can’t earn any money and therefore won’t lose any cash for enforced penalty strokes — was called out. Are governing bodies fearful to call these penalties against pros, or was Lee simply the only player who warranted a penalty?
Zak: Yes, I think governing bodies are fearful to call those penalties, though the USGA has far fewer opportunities than the PGA Tour does. And considering the question above re: USGA approval with male pros, it’s probably best they don’t hand out a penalty at Pebble or GroupThink Tour will have their way on social media.
Marksbury: They need more penalties out there! My goodness, it was SLOW. I really don’t understand the disconnect. During my lone USGA championship experience, there were numerous checkpoints and I was TERRIFIED to cause my group to be put on the clock. Pace of play was set around 4:15. Why that can’t happen at the pro level boggles my mind. Once you’re on the clock, all it takes is a second personal bad time, and you’re penalized. Pros know how to work the system to avoid that second bad time, and unfortunately, amateurs do not. Maybe the solution really is continual timing on every shot, as opposed to waiting until a group is out of position.
Does this ring a vague bell? Yup, Woodie with the tip-in:
Wood: Easy target. Much like Tianlang Guan at the Masters in 2013 when he was assessed a slow-play penalty. Did they deserve the penalties? Probably. Have other professionals done exactly the same things without receiving a penalty? Without a doubt. Here’s the main problem that slow play causes, and it’s not TV running over or players getting frustrated. At the highest levels of golf, it’s a competitive advantage to be a slow player. They get to play at the pace they prefer every single round, knowing the worst that can happen to them is they get put on the clock and maybe receive a fine. They get to be comfortable. A fast player rarely if ever gets to play at the pace that best suits his game. It’s not an option because you can’t go around groups of leave your playing partner behind. Fast players who get out here have to learn how to slow down, and it should be the other way around.
Good point by John about perverse incentives, and also the enforcement mechanism is defective. Unless and until we're ready to time every player over every shot, we should probably just give up the fight.
Of course we can't leave this subject without a little Haneygate.... Shall we go to the tape? This was Hnak last week on his
SiriusXM radio program:
“I’m gonna predict a Korean,” Haney said. “That’s gonna be my prediction. I couldn’t name you, like, six players on the LPGA Tour.”
The conversation continued.
“Nah, maybe I could,” Haney said. “Well, I’d go with Lee. If I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of them right. I don’t know… Lexi Thompson… Michelle Wie’s hurt. I don’t know that many. Where are they playing, by the way?”
To predictable reactions... It's The Handmaid's Tale all over again... Hank is doubling down with his Nostradamus-like prediction, and it's not gonna be helpful for sure:
Congratulations to Jeougean Lee6 on your great win at the US Women’s Open. Who’s The Great Predictor now Steve Johnson
@steveyrayj I knew a Lee would win.
This wasn't a good idea under any circumstances, Hank, as the outrage mob refuses to be placated.... But in such circumstances, you might have taken an extra 15 seconds to, you know, get her first name correct.
Look, hank's comments were stupid.... though the greater crime was that they lacked even a scintilla of originality. But stereotypes typically have a basis in truth, and Hank's real crime was to state a bigger truth, that the dominance of South Korean players, with the same or similar names, is kind of a marketing problem for the LPGA. And the Social Justice Warriors must absolutely hate that he was right.... What's worse to them, that the winner was named Lee or that the winner was named Lee6?
Of course the Golf.com gang are acting like peacocks on this, making sure their social justice bona fides are beyond reproach:
5. One day after Hank Haney made derogatory comments about women’s golf on his SiriusXM PGA Tour radio show, the long-time coach of Tiger Woods was suspended. (SiriusXM is reviewing his status going forward.) Haney was largely scrutinized by pros and in the press, and Woods spoke up, too. “He got what he deserved,” Woods said. Were you surprised to see Woods take such a strong, public stance on Haney?
Zak: I was surprised, sure, but mainly unbothered because Tiger is on the right side of history here. Look no further than both of Michael Bamberger’s columns on the issue this week.
Sens: Teed it up is right. Haney put his spikes in his mouth, and got a rightful slap-down. It was good to hear Tiger speak forthrightly. No doubt he took some pay-back pleasure in it as well. But it’s not like it was some kind of profile in courage to say what he said. This was an easy one to call Haney out on.
The right side of history? This isn't slavery guys, it's a golf tour....Count me as one that didn't see Mike nail much of anything, though this header on Mike's second piece had me chuckling:
Tiger Woods’s blunt assessment of Hank Haney’s remarks is another sign that Tiger is finding his voice
If by finding his voice you mean piling on to settle an old personal grievance? But by all means this is the civil rights issue of our era.... Eamon Lynch has been on fire recently, and he'll perhaps cost himself a few more friends with this
hot take:
“The PGA Tour is committed to and proud of the increasingly diverse makeup of our fan base,” a statement read. “At the PGA Tour’s instruction Mr. Haney has been suspended from the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio channel.”
Concern for diversity, transparency and decisive action wasn’t as apparent a few years ago when Patrick Reed berated himself as a “f****** faggot” on live television after missing a putt. Or when Sergio Garcia joked about serving Woods fried chicken. Or when Ian Poulter tweeted the anti-Semitic slur “yids.” (That Poulter’s subsequent tweet apologizing was riddled with spelling errors at least confirmed it was authored by him and not his management).
I completely missed that lovely Poults slur, as if I needed another reason to dislike him. But see what you think about these couple of 'graphs:
There was no shortage of LPGA professionals willing to call out Haney this week. They should be applauded for doing so. But they ought to have been equally forthright in speaking out against misogyny and racism two summers ago when they were contesting the U.S. Women’s Open at Donald Trump’s course in New Jersey. But the players then were almost entirely mute.
By comparison, the response to Haney smacks of opportunism, a willingness to speak out only when there is no price for doing so. Castigating a semi-retired shock jock carries no risk. But if you’re going to defend the values of equality and common decency, then do so against everyone who violates them, rather than calibrating your response based on the stature or influence of the offending party.
I think Eamon makes a very good point about the SJW mob, that they only pile on when there isn't a price to be paid. But he can't resist an Orange Man Bad moment, forgetting or ignoring that Trump has been a big supporter of women's golf. I know, it really screws up the narrative, so that inconvenient truth (what a catchy phrases, somebody use it as a movie title) muct be buried.
Scenes From Jack's Place - I didn't watch much of it, so I missed this feel-good story:
How it happened: Kaymer led by two after 54 holes and birdied four of the first 11, but
after back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13 he was suddenly two back of Cantlay, who shot five under on the front nine and added birdies on 11 and 14, the latter good for a two-shot advantage. Cantlay, who started the day five behind Kaymer, added a birdie on the 15th en route to a smooth eight-under 64 and two-stroke victory. Adam Scott, who made birdies on 14, 15 and 16, finished second at 17 under. Kaymer (72) was alone in 3rd at 15 under, four back.
Why it matters: It’s Cantlay’s second career PGA Tour victory. He also won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in November 2017. Sunday also makes Cantlay, 27, an even trendier pick for the U.S. Open, which will rely on tight fairways and long rough like Muirfield Village. Cantlay has already played well in majors this season. He was T9 at the Masters and T3 at the PGA Championship.
I'd argue that it matters more because of the nature of that which Cantlay has survived. For anyone not familiar with his back story, Golf Digest has helpfully reposted
this. He's really good, and will get much attention heading into Pebble.
Tiger Woods might not have won the Memorial Tournament — which he’s done five times before — but his performance on Sunday at Muirfield Village was a fine statement and tune-up before the third major of the golf season. Woods shot a five-under 67 and
Rocking his iconic Sunday red and black, Woods racked up five birdies over the first eight holes on Sunday in Dublin, Ohio, which started with back-to-back birdies at the 2nd and 3rd. That moved him to two-under on the day and six-under for the tournament.
But after a par at the 13th hole, Woods’ hot streak was brought to a halt with a bogey at the 14th. It was his first of the round and second in as many days at the 14th. It dropped the 15-time major champion back to six under on the day and seven off the lead. A bogey at the 18th — he also made bogey there on Saturday — brought his final round to a close on a sour note.
Teeing off hours before the leaders on a rain-softened, course, I can't assign any particular significance to it. Though, I'll readily agree, that it was far better than his PGA Championship tune-up.
That TC panel does it's best James Holzhauer impression:
Zak: Tiger hit 75% of his fairways, and anytime he does that, this version of him is going to play well and contend. Bottom line. At a course like Pebble where you don’t
need the distance like players did at Bethpage, I’d expect a top 15 from Tiger.
Marksbury: Great stat, Sean. When Tiger won the Masters, he said it was one of the better driving weeks he’s had. His performance at Memorial coupled with his return to a venue like Pebble should send the hype-meter into the stratosphere.
Shipnuck: Oh, hell yes! Pebble is definitely in play.
Bamberger: The sweet smell of 16 coming off Stillwater Cove! He would have LOVE a back-nine 33 on Sunday at Memorial, just to put the kids on notice, but he looks good.
Sens: Top 10 at the very least. Bank it.
Dethier: Gawd, was he good for the first 12 holes on Sunday — and the first nine holes on Saturday, for that matter. Those irons are nearly unparalleled. I might stubbornly pick him to win at Pebble, just like I did at Augusta (…and Bethpage). Luckily I have a week to decide.
Wood: He’s Pebble ready. I’m guessing he’s hoping for firm and fast and windy. His comments this week about loving the old difficult U.S. Open setups make me think he’s in the mood for a fistfight, where the toughest player comes out on top. So many great storylines coming into Pebble, and of course Tiger is at the top of the list.
OK, let's go easy on them, as they're golf fans as well. We all WANT Tiger to contend at Pebble, whether he will is a different matter...
Did you catch Phil on the weekend? I'm pretty sure you didn't, since he failed to sniff the cut line:
6. Phil Mickelson carried two drivers in his bag at the Memorial — one for “cute baby cuts,” the other for “bombs” — then went on to miss the cut by four. Are we likely to see Phil take his two-driver strategy to Pebble?
Zak: I think so, and good for him. Whatever works, right? Phil’s former coach, Rick Smith, confidently told me that Phil doing this shows he’s in the right mentality for Pebble. We’ll see if those fairways get hit.
Shipnuck: It worked for Phil at the 2006 Masters, didn’t it?
Bamberger: Would you really need to drivers on a course where you barely need one? And what is he taking out if he goes with two drivers? If there’s no 3-wood then of course that second driver essentially is one. Anyway, one of the many cool things about the game is you put in the clubs, 14 max, you think will help you shoot the lowers score.
Sens: Sure. Why not? By the way, how do you hit a “cute baby cut”? I only know how to hit the big ugly ones.
Marksbury: I find it very bizarre and I hope he just picks a favorite going forward.
Dethier: My sense is that Mickelson does best when he is going “full-Phil,” and that definitely seems to be the case here. I considered writing a full essay in praise of his decision to rip driver down the treacherous par-4 14th on Thursday at Memorial. If Mickelson continues to ride the ridge between ingenuity and madness, we’re all better off for it.
Wood: Heck, I don’t know. It seems to me Pebble will be much easier with “cute baby cuts” that find the fairway over “bombs” that finish in the rough. BUT, Phil is Phil, and before last week, I believe he had used two drivers twice. He won at Sugarloaf the week before the Masters in 2006 by about 10, and then won the Masters. I don’t think he’s done it since, before last week. If I had to bet I’d bet he’ll go with the “cute baby cut” one and play a traditional set beyond that. Or maybe he’ll surprise us all and go Torrey Pines 2008 and not bring any drivers at all.
My Unified Theory of Phil™ is that his worst moments are always when he's trying to show us how smart he is. So, why not three drivers on a golf course barely requiring the one?
All I remember of Phil from Torrey is that his brilliant strategy was undermined by failing to hit any fairways with the shorter clubs... By all means, let Phil be Phil.
Did Someone Mention Pebble - Another effortless example from the King of Segues. It's a gift that I'm happy to share with the world... Tiger had some interesting comments on U.S. Open set-ups over the weekend:
“I don’t know, we all have to play it,” he began. “And I don’t agree with some of the times when they move the tees up and change the golf course. I didn’t agree with the setup at 14 in ’08 [at Torrey Pines]. It was a great par 4, but why move it all the way up there and make it drivable?”
Woods prefers a more traditional U.S. Open setup, where off-line shots are punished by punch-outs.
“There was a time there where it was a brutal test, and then it became kind of a tricky decision you had to make, trying to bring in more options off the tees or into the greens. The Open has changed. I thought it was just narrow fairways, hit it in the fairway or hack out, move on. Now there’s chipping areas around the greens. There’s less rough.
Graduated rough. They’ve tried to make The Open different and strategically different.
“I just like it when there’s high rough and narrow fairways, and go get it, boys.”
Woods said they started introducing graduated rough at
Winged Foot in 2006, but seemed to have an even greater distaste for moving tees around.
“Probably the biggest example of that was at 9 at Chambers [Bay, in 2015]. It was 240, 250 downhill and then 190, 200 playing straight up the mountain.”
The par 3 in question had two radically different sets of tees, which Woods found disagreeable. As for Chambers’ Bay’s 18th hole, which was played as a par 4 and a par 5 on different days? Woods could only laugh. “That’s the past,” he said.
he is the greatest player ever from rough, I've long believed. Even during that 2000-2002 Peak Tiger, he didn't hit all that man fairways. But mostly our Tiger doesn't deal well with change....
Shack had this reaction, with which I agree:
I chuckled reading Tiger’s post-third round remarks at the Memorial longing for the old style U.S. Open setups, and criticizing the shifting of tees for variety.
It’s funny how quickly the players have forgotten how much they loathed the Meeks years and high-rough, high-luck setups with little in the way of intelligence required.
That reference is to Tom Meeks, and those U.S. Opens were painful indeed. My feeling is that, in failing to control the equipment of golf, the USGA is getting that which it deserves. The rest of us, alas, not so much.
The TC panel posits that the U.S. Open is broken:
1. Our national championship is under fire. Justin Thomas said last week, “We feel like the U.S. Open…gets out of hand almost every year.” Rory McIlroy added that the Open has “lost its identity” and that the USGA “needs to redeem themselves” at Pebble Beach in two weeks. Phil Mickelson said if it doesn’t rain there’s a “100 percent chance the USGA will mess up,” while Tiger Woods said he prefers the way Opens used to be set up, with long rough and narrow fairways. Players have always griped about Open setups but it’s hard to recall this many superstars simultaneously launching an offensive. Are the players overreacting, or is the U.S. Open broken?
Sean Zak: Considering this is the only event that voluntarily puts itself in jeopardy of angering everyone, I’d say it’s a bit broken. Is the line between a 2-over winning score and 8-under so significant that courses become “lost?” (Shoutout Zach Johnson.) To actually answer the question, I think both things can be true. It’s a bit broken, but can be fixed! And the players have also overreacted. Oakmont’s tough setup was chalked up to a simply difficult course, and that was okay! Shinnecock was, too, until a couple brutal pin locations Saturday. Both things are happening at once.
Michael Bamberger: That was an impressive job of getting all the hot-takes on the USGA in one place, and at least they are all on the record. Tiger’s opinion borders on fact: the U.S. Open has changed, and he pinpointed 2006 as the year, with the USGA’s decision to implement graduated rough. Phil’s comments are extreme, but that’s how he rolls, these days more than ever. You can ask some big and upsetting questions here: was Oakmont better with the trees, as it was in the 1960s and ‘70s and 80s, or without, as it was in the ‘20s and ‘30s — and this century? Mike Davis did not need to go on TV and apologize for a bad pin placement last year, and the players did not need to be so wildly negative about one bad pin. It’s all too much. I think the long-term solution here is to have a small rotation of courses that the players, the public and the USGA can get to know. That would go a long, long way toward creating identity. EVERY now and then, you could bring in something new, but one proven with other events beforehand. Five would be plenty: Shinnecock, Oakmont, Pebble would be my starting point. Maybe LACC — let’s see how that goes. Maybe Medinah. Maybe one of the Bandon courses. Pine Valley, if that could be worked out. I don’t think all those run-off areas are working. I’d suggest shorter lengths and, slower greens, which would bring in more players. The USGA has all its the agronomy available to it, and it is abusing the privilege. I’d suggest making fairway bunkers more meaningful as obstacles, as you could see on the fifth hole at Augusta National. Import some Depression-era sand.
Wow, Mike's a good guy, but there's no shortage of nonsense above. First and foremost, if Medinah presents as an answer, one should assume that the wrong question is being asked.
And how are we served by throwing out Pine Valley or Bandon Dunes. The former remote and unable and unwilling to handle the infrastructure, and the courses at Bandon top out at 6,500 yards.
As for the players, I wish we could get them to go old school as well, and whine about the courtesy cars or clubhouse food:
Jess Marksbury: Criticizing the USGA seems to be the en vogue thing to do now, and I don’t think it’s a good look for these players. Soooooo whiny! It seems like a few legitimate mistakes have made the USGA into an easy scapegoat. They don’t always deserve it. Look at the last six U.S. Open champs: Koepka (x2), DJ, Spieth, Kaymer, Rose. I don’t see anything wrong with that illustrious group. That said, Pebble should be a slam-dunk success, and if it’s anything but, we maaaaaay have a problem.
Alan Shipnuck,: Thank you, Jessica. Has the USGA screwed-up a bunch of things? Clearly. That’s been very well-documented. The players endless braying is getting old. Going back decades the USGA has sought to push players to the breaking point. That the blue coats are so deep in the head of so many players tells me the USGA must be doing something right.
Care for some more?
Josh Sens: Some of the issues people have griped about are outgrowths of the modern power game, which has led to some extreme measures to protect par. I suppose you could circle back to the USGA on that as well and complain about them letting the equipment get out of hand. But there’s been plenty of that kind of griping already, too. As others point out above, enough with the endless carping. Tedious. Fortunately, I doubt they’ll be much to grouse about at Pebble. So tried and trusted. What could possibly go wrong? Right?
It's always been curious to me that Pebble 2010 gets a pass, when it really was one of their worst set-ups. Two greens were absolute disasters, and the USGA really should have gone back there without those greens (Nos. 14 and 17) being replaced. Tried and true? Not so much at that time of year and under U.S. Open conditions.
One more:
Dylan Dethier: I keep coming back to the answer Eddie Pepperell gave me last month, when I asked him if the USGA has a responsibility to keep players happy with their setup: “I’m not sure they do. I think if a player doesn’t like it, he can choose not to play it. It’s as simple as that, really. They’ve garnered enough respect in history to do kind of what they want to do with it. So I’m not that fussed about how hard it might be…It is what it is and I don’t care if it’s stupidly tough or a little bit easier. It’ll be what it’ll be, and from the viewer’s perspective, it can be fun.”
Eddie might just be the funniest guy out there...
The Longest Day - No longer does Golf Channel pretend to cover it, but it remains quite the grind. One of our shop guys is playing in the local sectionals, though family obligations will likely keep me from going out and walking a few holes with him.
Jason Dufner (Columbus, Ohio) — The 2013 PGA champion has played in the last nine U.S. Opens and has three top 10s. The five-time PGA Tour winner’s last victories were
at the CareerBuilder Challenge in 2016 and the Memorial in 2017, but he’s since dropped to 194th in the OWGR.
Retief Goosen (Bowling Green, Fla.) — While former Masters, PGA and British Open champs can enjoy nice, long exemptions, the same can’t be said for U.S. Open winners. Goosen won in 2001 and 2004, but his 10-year winner’s exemption has long run out. He’ll get his first crack at the U.S. Senior Open later this month.
Padraig Harrington (Milton, Canada) — No easy path for the 2020 European Ryder Cup captain. The three-time major champ has five top 10s in U.S. Opens and played in 16, but none since 2013.
Max Homa (Columbus, Ohio) — Homa picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship last month but is still a win short from fulfilling an exempt category to enter the Open. He’s looking to compete in his first U.S. Open since 2013.
The guy whose biggest sponsor is Dude Wipes isn't exempt? Man, that's a shocker....
The only surprise on that list is Max Homa, whose win in Charlotte should have logically gotten him into the event.
Snark aside, I do love that guys like this are trying to qualify. It's quite the grind, so good for them. Geoff has the
definitive listing of all the made men trying to qualify.
Catch you tomorrow?
