Unplayable Lies

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Bonus Midweek Musings

I received notice last evening that our Wednesday game has been moved to 1:00 p.m. Given that said notice came just as I had been summoned from an afternoon nap to remove an umbrella from the pool, I understood the issues.

Table, Set - Alan Shipnuck and Golf.com go for the dramatic:

Eerie quiet hangs over fan-less PGA Championship site as first major of 2020 creeps closer

Shall we see if they can deliver on that premise?

SAN FRANCISCO — A PGA Championship unlike any other is underway, and on Tuesday at Harding Park it was as quiet as church. With no fans on property — and only skeleton crews of
reporters, volunteers and player entourages — the competitors enjoyed peaceful, intimate practice rounds. Dustin Johnson, waiting to begin his stroll around Harding Park, spoke loudly into a cellphone. (He was requesting a “52”; presumably that’s the degrees on his gap wedge, not the size of his blazer.)

Standing on the rope line, it was so quiet you could eavesdrop on the conversations in the middle of the fairway. Danny Willett pured a 6-iron and his swing coach Sean Foley offered a one-word verdict: “Cheeky.” Foley later recommended some reading for these complicated times: Between the World and Me and The New Jim Crow. Phil Mickelson (who flexed in shorts on a foggy, blustery day so frigid Gary Woodland was wearing rainpants for extra warmth) dropped a trio of balls in the 10th fairway and feathered short-irons through the breeze, consulting a Bible-sized launch monitor after each swing. “It’s heavy,” he said of the coastal air.

Nothing spoils the mood quite like a look at Phil's calves, so thanks for that...

More significantly, golf has since their reboot mercifully spared us much self-indulgent virtue signalling, for which your humble blogger is most grateful. I'll just mention that that way lies penury:

Get woke, ratings choke? NBA, MLB slide after openers

I've been out of the consulting game for some time, so long it seems that I'm unable to grasp the brilliance of a strategy that pisses off half of their customer bases...

If you watched the Sunday golf from Memphis, the CBS crew made it clear that this week would indeed be, well, major:

Still, the players could have noticed some subtle differences about this tournament compared to the everyday Tour events that have preceded it, beginning with the towering media center tucked between the first and 10th fairways, a reminder that there is history to be written this week. (The press tent accommodates 50 folks in a social-distanced manner, maybe a fifth of the turnout at a PGA played without the specter of the coronavirus.)

“Just for the sheer fact that we have way more infrastructure than we are used to every other week, it already feels a little bit different,” Jon Rahm said. “You know, major championship weeks, you don’t need anything special or [even] spectators to make us aware or make it known that it’s a major championship, right? It just feels like it. You’re aware of it. It’s as simple as that.”

It's a different vibe for sure and, as Jon Rahm notes, Sunday presents additional challenges:

Rahm added that the vibe will be most acutely different on Sunday afternoon. “The atmosphere will not be the same, and I can say from experience that when you’re coming down the stretch and you’re hitting some shots and you don’t know what’s going on, you don’t know what the people in front of you are doing and you’re hitting shots into the green and you don’t know how close they can be, it’s very odd down the stretch,” he says. “I think a major even more so when on the back nine on Sunday you can [usually] feel the roars and hear it and just tell what’s going on before they post it on the boards, right?”

More heat, but less information...

Toggling out to a wider perspective, this guy sees a new golden age:

But during CBS Sports‘ press conference ahead of the PGA Championship, Nantz took on a new
role — mic dropper.

The typically dialed-back broadcaster interrupted Tuesday’s presser to extend his proclamation about what this week truly signifies for golf.

“No other sport can say this right now except for us: We are about to enter the greatest stretch of golf in the history of the game,” Nantz said. “Starting on Thursday, in an 11-month stretch, we are going to have seven major championships. We are going to have the playoffs. That includes two Masters, two PGA Championships, the Players Championship”

If the number of majors determined greatness, wouldn't the LPGA rule the roost? Of course, including "The Playoffs" is quite the buzz kill, no?

Nancy-boy makes none of the arguments you'd expect, he just seems to think that if you air it they will come... Funny thing is that I mostly agree with him, largely because of the young talent on display. But, that said, it's still very much a niche sport with a small audience.

The Kraken, Released - Attributed to their Editors, Golf.com does a deep dive on our Bryson:

Bryson DeChambeau has transformed himself. But will he also transform the game?

We could argue that he already has.

This year began with a missed cut in Abu Dhabi before a T-8 finish in Dubai. His Tour season started with a T-52 at the Waste Management — despite leading the field in distance — but then DeChambeau registered three straight top-5 finishes, at Riviera, Mexico City and Bay Hill. Had he found something? It didn’t really matter. Covid-19 spread rapidly across the United States,
shutting down the Tour in its wake.

With his hot streak silenced by the pandemic, DeChambeau joined Como in his newly-established “living room lab” in Dallas, outfitted with all kinds of body-tracking gizmos. Over the course of three months, they introduced low-risk variables into DeChambeau’s swing, all of them designed for added speed.

At first, they changed the direction of his swing so it moved more in-to-out as he chased optimal launch conditions: lower spin, higher launch, the classic Tour goal. The change gave his swing a slight across-the-line look at the top of the backswing. It was different, for sure, but Bryson didn’t care.

Como widened DeChambeau’s stance, too, for a sturdier base on which he could torque like never before and pull his arms through the downswing with even greater force. Using 3-D forceplate technology to measure the amount and distribution of pressure he was placing on the ground, DeChambeau would start his swing with a lower body trigger — a counter movement that used a quick bending and straightening of his lead leg to send his pressure over to his trail side.

Get a load of these side-by-side images, the top one from 2016:

As I've noted frequently about Tiger, that factory-installed body seemed just fine for golf, but all that muscle mass seems unwise. Of course, when it comes to the Kraken, I'm just guessing...

What has it done for Bryson, they ask... The answer is readily apparent from this graph:

If you ever see Bryson playing from a divot, we can safely assume that it's Cam Champ's...Or, you know, vice versa. Here's their handicapping of the week ahead:

BRYSON AT THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

This week, at TPC Harding Park, Wood handpicked three holes where DeChambeau’s length will play a significant role. Here’s is Wood’s scouting report:

The 4th hole is a long (607 yards), sweeping right to left par-5 that only the longest players in the field can reach in this heavy San Francisco air. Bryson is one of them, and with four cracks at it, he’s bound to get at least one eagle putt and three chips on for makable birdies.

On the short 7th, Bryson will likely go for the green from the tee. It’s just 320 yards or so to the front edge, from around which he’ll have likely eagle putts or short up-and-downs for birdie. Meanwhile, like on the 1st, many other players will be crunching the numbers on wind and lay-up locations. DeChambeau simply takes those discussions out of play.

Finally, the 18th, a 480-yard par-4. DeChambeau’s length takes those two fairway bunkers along the right side out of play. They’re simply not on his intended line. If he hits driver where he wants on this hole, the result is yet another wedge while others in the field will be looking at mid-irons and judging the wind into an elevated and heavily sloping green. If the driver is a straight club for DeChambeau this week, look out.

Got it.

The editors also attempt to anticipate Bryson's approach to the other two 2020 majors, most notably Augusta National. There was a story that circulated a week or so ago specifically about the Par-5 13th hole, where the beast intends to bomb it into the 14th fairway and play from there. They also note two other obvious holes, the 1st and 8th, where fairway bunkers are the major factor off the tee... or, at least, have been until now.

As has been noted by many, ANGC can always be protected, even if it requires the club to purchase the entire metropolitan area. For the Tour, it's a tougher challenge:

The victory in Detroit is particularly relevant as it was a classic PGA Tour setup: 7,300 yards, few hazards and only light rough. The winning score of 23 under was unsurprising. DeChambeau playfully jabbed the setup during his pre-tournament press conference. “I think there’s a lot of bunkers that are around like 290,” he said, “so hopefully I’ll be able to clear those and take those out of play. So, sorry, Mr. [Donald] Ross, but, you know, it is what it is.”

As a result of DeChambeau finding new landing zones, Detroit Golf Club is already looking at creating a different setup for next year’s event. Superintendent Alex Mendoza says the club has already identified tee boxes it intends to move back so current bunkering falls within modern landing zones. The club is considering adding fairway bunkers or even cross bunkers to the 19th-century design. “When the landing zone is quickly expanding from — you know, we planned for 275 to 325 and now it’s inching out to the 340 range, it just makes it a little bit more challenging [to set up a course],” Mendoza said.

Modern Landing Zones? Trouble is, 2020's Modern Landing Zone was appreciably different from the 2019 version.... Good luck, guys.

Now, there is one thing that will keep Bryson's driving distance under control, and it's in residence this week.

On Tuesday at Harding Park, it was sweater-vests and gloves. Beanies and hand warmers. The sun didn’t even consider showing itself. Temperatures hovered in the mid-50s. The ocean breeze made it feel 10 degrees colder. The ground was wet to the touch. The infamous marine layer, present and accounted for.

And the ball went nowhere.

Nowhere being very much a relative concept:

“I was anywhere from 10 to 13 yards shorter with a very similar swing and ball speed with the
Reminds me of a North Sea Haar.
irons,” Jordan Spieth said. “And the driver is up to 20 yards shorter in carry, and that’s normalized on the TrackMan. Yeah, it’s very different.”

Such will be the case virtually all week at TPC Harding Park, which measures only 7,200-odd yards on the scorecard but will play closer to 8,000. It’s not just that the ball goes less far in the thick air—the body moves slower. Last week in Memphis, where he won the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational to become world No. 1, Justin Thomas could crank his clubhead speed up to 123-124 mph. This week, he’s topping out at 116.5, and the ball is going up to 30 yards less far. Without heat and humidity to lubricate motion, every movement requires more effort.

Dare I suggest that this week might be a trial run for a rolled-back golf ball? Of course they'll still be playing low-spin balls, so not fully retro...

One last bit about the beast, this amusing bit:

Did Bryson DeChambeau really hit the paint off his golf ball? Its manufacturer says no

Apparently not, though only due to a technicality:

As DeChambeau’s 5.5-degree Cobra SpeedZone driver connects with Bridgestone’s Tour B X ball, debris can be seen exploding off the face just after impact. Many were quick to assume the
debris was likely paint coming off the cover. With DeChambeau’s speed, it seemed feasible.

As Elliot Mellow, Bridgestone’s golf ball marketing manager, confirmed to GOLF.com, there’s one problem with the initial hypothesis: the Reactiv cover encasing the Tour B core lacks a layer of paint. The proprietary white urethane cover is injection molded, allowing it to skip the paint step during the production process.

Ummm...debris? This might be the funniest part:

Hoping to replicate the shot at headquarters, Mellow and the team at Bridgestone started looking at new and old high-speed footage (5,000 frames per second) to recreate the exact launch situation. For the moment, they still haven’t been able to find anything that looks remotely close to the high-speed footage in question. But they’re certain it’s not paint.

“Based on what I know right now, we would have to chalk it up to dust or some debris on either the ball or club,” Mellow said. “We are still searching as we always do. It’s definitely an interesting video clip. [We] haven’t heard anything negative from Bryson regarding durability so I don’t think he saw anything on course regarding that.”

There's something flying off the golf ball and they have no idea what it is.... Kids, you can't make this stuff up...

Here's a look at that forecast:

Can't be great for anyone with a bad back....Like, yanno, this guy...

Wither Tiger - Just another of those effortless segues you've come to expect. We'll lead with Tiger himself explaining how the cold weather affects him:

“I think that for me, when it’s cooler like this, it’s just make sure that my core stays warm, layering up properly,” Woods said. He wore a star-spangled mask as a neck-warmer, driving
home the point. “I know I won’t have the same range of motion as I would back home in Florida, where it’s 95 every day. That’s just the way it is.”

Harding Park and Woods’ home course, Medalist Golf Club, are each basically at sea level. But it’s tough to simulate the Bay Area’s fog and chill from steamy Hobe Sound. Woods said he was hardly the only one adjusting to the elements.

"Talking to some of the guys yesterday, they were laughing at their TrackMan [a measuring device] numbers already. They don't have the swing speed or ball speed they did last week. It's just the way it is. It's going to be playing longer. It's heavy air weather and whether the wind blows or not, it's still going to be heavy. The ball doesn't fly very far here."

No it doesn't, though cause and effect are not linear:

But it’s not quite that simple. For one thing, we haven’t seen enough of Woods in 2020 — just three tournaments — to know much of anything for sure. And while he did talk about struggling to warm up in golf’s two most recent majors, the U.S. Open (T21) and Open Championship (MC), Woods was also sweater-vested for most of his Zozo Championship win in Japan last fall. He was sweatered up and in contention at the Farmers Insurance Open this January, too. And despite the heat at Muirfield Village two weeks ago, Woods didn’t quite find his form at Memorial.

Tiger should logically enjoy his pairing with JT and Rory, and he may just find himself on the right side of the draw:

One of Woods’ best chances of staying warm will come from his proximity to playing partner Justin Thomas, who’s hot off a win in Memphis this past Sunday. Thomas, Woods and Rory McIlroy got good news Tuesday: They’ll tee off at 8:33 a.m. local time Thursday. That means missing what’s forecasted to be a challenging Thursday afternoon wind. And it means a little extra time for Woods to rest, recover and warm back up after his first major championship round in over a year.

I think getting the inevitable early time out of the way on Thursday has to be for the best, especially since the reports on his swing and demeanor have been over the moon.

Old Trusty does appear to be getting the week off:

Tiger Woods and his Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS (affectionately known as the “Elder Wand”) go together like peanut butter and jelly. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Macaroni and cheese. You get the idea.

I mention all of this because images of Woods using a new Scotty Cameron Newport on Tuesday at TPC Harding Park could be much ado about nothing. Then again, any change Tiger makes — even those that occur during a practice session — is news in the world of gear. And this right here, friends, is certainly news.

So what do we now about Woods’ new wand? Not much. Woods didn’t comment on it during his Tuesday press conference and likely won’t have much to say unless it goes in the bag. Based on photos taken during a practice session, it appears to be the same Cameron putter Woods tested during the 2019 Open Championship. During the week at Portrush, Woods was seen using two putters — his usual Newport 2 (with lead tape caked in the cavity) and a nearly identical Newport 2 Timeless prototype featuring adjustable heel-toe weights.

This logically relates to green speeds, and we've seen him struggle occasionally with his speed on those slower greens.

There's also this piece, though it fails to deliver on its intriguing header:

Tiger is ‘very enthusiastic’ about his new secret swing breakthrough

Get back to me when you can put a little meat on that bone...

Who Ya Got? - First, those same Gold.com writers and their Magic 8-Ball:

The most popular pick among the GOLF.com staff?

Xander Schauffele, at +1,800. Four of our staffers chose him.

“X has too much talent to not have a major on his resume,” our Jonathan Wall wrote. “He’s come close several times in the past few years, but I think the dam breaks this week in his home state. Schauffele is used to the coastal conditions and how it can affect yardages. This should feel like a home game for him. I LOVE his chances this week.”

Each staffer's picks are then disclosed, each with a Winner, Top Ten and Prop Bet. Let's just sample a few, first from Jessica Marksbury:

To-win: Collin Morikawa, +3,500. Not only is Morikawa having a killer season (a win, five top 10s), he also went to school at UC-Berkeley and has played the course before, which gives him a significant advantage over a lot of the players this week. Put it all together, and I think it could be a breakthrough week into the *super* big leagues for the 23-year-old.

A good young player for sure, though to this observer it seems an early call. His time will undoubtedly come, but I'm guessing not just now.

From Tim Reilly:

To-win: Brooks Koepka, +1,100. I’ve been going up and down the odds page trying to find a name other than Brooks to pick, and I just can’t do it. In his words, he’s “peaking” at the right time once again. The way Brooks came up short to JT, who is the favorite, should leave exactly the right sour taste he needs to use as motivation. I’m already looking forward to the Nike three-peat ad.

I still don't get the purpose of picking Top Tens, but I like this one only to the extent that half the field misses their tee time:

Top 10: Phil Mickelson, +750. Coming off a WGC T2 finish, Phil is proving age is just a number. Lefty is going to keep the good times rolling in his home state.

Which good times are those? I really don't expect Phil to be a factor.... Remember, he himself noted that it's only on course yielding birdie fests that he seems to feel he can compete on, and this ain't one of those.

Josh Berhow ($4,038)

To-win: Rory McIlroy, +1,500. I know, I know. He was my pick to win last week. But I had Rory and JT circled for Harding Park all summer long, and now that it’s here, I somehow decided to NOT pick the guy who is coming off a win and instead go with the guy who won here the last time the Tour was in town. This will be cold and windy and have Open Championship-like conditions in a year where we won’t even have an Open Championship. McIlroy grew up playing golf in the cold and wind and rain. He’s my guy. Again. (Don’t let me down, Rory.)

I've been reliably informed that Rory grew up in Northern Ireland and its cold, windy conditions. Had I not been so informed, it would impossible to determine that from watching Rory play in such conditions.

This from Sean zak won't endear him to many, but it just might be a smart play:

Prop: To make the cut, Tiger Woods, no, +250. It’s been a long time since he played great golf. Going to put my money on that.

The last time he played passably well was Torrey Pines... I know folks love what they've seen from him this week, but that should just improve the odds on this prop bet.

Zephyr Melton takes credit for this bold play:

Top 10: Tony Finau, +450. Finau cooled off a bit last week, but I still like where his game is at heading into the first major of the year. If he can drop a few putts, he’ll be a good bet to sneak into the top 10.

Next up, Zephyr places a prop bet on the sun rising in the East.

This also might be a good play:

Luke Kerr-Dineen ($1,850)

To-win: Webb Simpson, +3,300. TPC Harding Park is a fairly short, tight, San Francisco-area track with hefty rough and narrow, well-guarded greens. You know who once won a U.S. Open at a fairly short, tight, San Francisco-area track with hefty rough and narrow, well-guarded greens? Webb Simpson, who is one of the most consistent players on Tour and is putting together a career year.

God, I love the Webber, though I couldn't possibly pick him. He's already so over-achieved, how does one pick him to over-achieve further?

Lastly from this group is young punk Dylan Dethier, who will get some heat for these:

Dylan Dethier ($1,600)

To-win: Bryson DeChambeau, +1,500. Sorry, Bryson. Up until I made this pick, I think you had a better chance to win than anyone!

Top 10: Tiger Woods, +335. We could get off-Tiger, in which case he’ll miss the cut or never become a factor. But if we get on-Tiger, which I hope we do, I’d expect him to get into contention and stay there.

Prop: Top five American player, Jordan Spieth, +750. Big-game hunter showing signs of life. If Spieth finds the fairway, he just might work his way onto the leaderboard.

If Tiger is on, a Top Ten seems an unsatisfying result, no? As for his prop bet, I wouldn't even put a shekel on Jordan being in the top five Texans.

The ESPN gang does the same here, though they're asked only for a winner, but also to justify that choice. Lots of love to be found for this guy:

David Bearman, ESPN Betting

Winner: Brooks Koepka

Why he'll win: A week ago, I was very concerned about Koepka's knee and recent results. He put that to rest with the 62 on Thursday and his late run on Sunday. If not for a bad drive on the 72nd hole, he very well could've won in Memphis. If he's healthy, there's no reason to pick against the two-time defending champion and a guy who has four wins, two runner-ups, a T4 and a T6 in his past 10 majors.

Michael Collins, ESPN.com

Winner: Brooks Koepka

Why he'll win: Last week we witnessed Brooks doing what he always seems to do around majors -- ramping up. Also note, the only water that's in play at TPC Harding Park is in coolers on tee boxes. Koepka wants the three-peat, and what Brooks wants ...

From these two sources, we've seen occasional support for Morikawa, Hovland, Webb and Tiger, but the action is in this short list of names:

Thomas
Rahm
Scahuffele
Cantlay
McIlroy
Koepka

Which no doubt means the winner will be... Ryan Moore? Not literally Ryan Moore, because he couldn't be bothered showing up, but you'll take my point...

But in case you were questioning the existence of God:

John Daly, Vijay Singh withdraw from PGA Championship

The former offered this compelling rationale:

“People keep asking why I (withdrew) from PGA??? California now #1 in cases/deaths, I had knee surgery, I’m a diabetic (and) I don’t feel comfortable flying. Being too close proximity to even small crowds & risk exposure with my health not worth it! God Bess & y’all be safe!”

John, we understand completely. In fact, just from an abundance of caution, we think you should continue the self-quarantine until further notice. Stay put, and I'll get beck to you when it's safe to come out.

Udder Stuff - here's a new term for you kids:

What you can learn from how Justin Thomas manages wedge ‘groove decay’

There's not much there there, though you might be amused at how specific their wedge lofts are:

If you’ve never heard the term “groove decay” before, it’s another way to describe the gradual
wearing down of the grooves due to regular use. As the grooves begin to wear down, the spin rate decreases as well, which can affect how certain shots react around the green.

Thomas has learned over the years that spin is an important alley on the course with specific wedges. It’s one of the reasons why he’s more prone to change out his 57-degree Vokey SM8 and 60.5-degree Vokey WedgeWorks sand and lob wedges on a frequent basis. (According to Vokey Tour rep Aaron Dill, Thomas changes out the lob wedge every six weeks.)

The item itself reads like a Vokey advertisement, I just liked the new term of art.

Laz Versalles is a new name at Golf.com, though he quite obviously is attempting to undermine the business model of golfballs.com:

Why marking your ball with an alignment line should be prohibited

Talk about burying your lede... Obviously we've solved every other problem in our game, freeing us to worry about this. So, whatcha got, Laz?

One wrong that should be made right: prohibit players from marking their balls with a line that may be used an alignment aid.

Why? Because it’s not legal. To be fair, it’s not illegal, either. In fact, the act of applying a line to your ball with the intent of it helping with alignment isn’t specifically addressed anywhere in the rules (it was before 2019, but no longer). But it feels unfair — at least it does to this golfer! — and that should mean something.

So we're now going to change the rules of golf because of how they make Laz feel? Doesn't that sum up the current generation to a t?

He does, to his credit, actually address what the rules say, noting this conflict:

The Rules of Golf are clear on objects used for alignment. From Rule 10-2b (2): “The player or
caddie must not set an object down anywhere on or off the putting green to show the line of play.” When a player sets down an object — like a line on a ball — to show the line of play, that, in effect, violates Rule 10-2b, or at the very least the spirit of Rule 10-2b. (The rules-makers will tell you that they don’t believe a marking is an object, even if that credo is not explicitly spelled out in the rule book. Therefore, they contend, aligning a ball with either a Sharpie line or manufacturer’s logo isn’t a breach of 10.2b (2).)

What complicates the matter is Rule 6-3a, which, as stated in the Rules of Equipment, “encourages the player to put an identification mark on his or her ball to help ensure that he or she plays their own ball throughout the round. There are no regulations to limit what or how many markings can be applied to the ball by the player, provided its original markings can be discerned.”

Seems to me clear call for bifurcation.... Just kidding.

There's actually a point to be made here, though I frankly doubt Laz will find anyone willing to go to the barricades with him. And the appeal to the rules gets necessarily convoluted:

But wait! There’s more contradiction in 14.2c/1, which reads, “the ball may be aligned in any way when being replaced (such as by lining up the trademark) so long as the ball’s vertical distance to the ground remains the same.” Listen, people have been lining up the trademark for decades but that’s not the same as drawing an object to serve as an alignment aid on your ball.

How about if I have golfballs.com draw the object for me? Different still?

But, pray tell, how exactly would I place my ball back on the green and not have the vertical distance to the ground be the same?

Lastly, before we exit gracefully, Will Knights at The Fried Egg takes on Bryson's recent behavior, and makes the case against a member-run organization such as the Tour. After reviewing his recent behavioral issues, Will has this take on matters:

Yes, Bryson DeChambeau is an outlier in many ways. But his sense of entitlement isn’t unusual among players. In fact, the PGA Tour actively encourages the perception that its members are in charge and can do no wrong. When players behave poorly, the Tour tends to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible.

A few examples come to mind. Remember Jon Rahm’s hissy fit on the 11th hole at the 2019 Players Championship? Good luck finding it on the internet. After TV cameras caught Patrick Reed cheating at the Hero World Challenge last year, Slugger White said he “could not have been more of a gentleman” when informed of the penalty. And who could forget Dustin Johnson announcing he was taking a “voluntary leave of absence” in 2014, even as reports circulated that he had been popped for a third failed drug test? The Tour saves its public slaps on the wrist for lesser-known players like Robert Garrigus and Matt Every, both of whom were suspended for legally prescribed medical marijuana.

It’s not surprising that the PGA Tour would want to avoid pissing off its highest-profile members. But if the Tour continues to side with players against media outlets that just want to tell the real story, golf coverage will become even more bland than it currently is. Imagine a future filled with puff pieces about players’ charitable efforts and trips to the Columbus Zoo. Sometimes that’s what the Tour seems to want, and it’s weirdly self-destructive.

Another interesting take, but is the PGA Tour member run? That I think is a harder question than Will lets on.

That said, I completely agree with him that the Tour's attempt to whitewash (that's gotta be a racist term these days) the players is counter-productive. We all know that DJ couldn't spell jet-ski, yet the Tour continues to characterize his absence as a voluntary leave of absence.

All that accomplishes is to make us question everything we're told. But never do they seem a so out of touch as when they take down social media content. I remember a few years back, Henrik Stenson hit a cold shank and was laughing at himself later on social media, whereas the Tour came after anyone posting that video. The point Will is making, and it's one with which I agree, is that Henrik has the far better approach, instinctively understand that a shank makes him that much more relatable. If only Nurse Ratched and successor could understand that rather simple point.

Enjoy your day and we'll talk more later.

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

PGA Championship Tuesday

A delayed start to my blogging day, though you've nothing to fear. Local weather precludes most other activities, so we've got all the time we'll need.

Mood, Set - Major Championship Golf seems ill-suited to Life During ~~Wartime~~ Lockdown, so there's likely to be an adjustment period. Fortunately it's only the PGA.... More major than, you know, Major.

Vis Shack, we lede with this wonderful Chronicle slideshow of golf through the years at Harding Park, most of which come from an local event called the Lucky International in the early 1960's. I'll use this photo for the amusement of Bobby D.:

Harvie Ward (1955 winner) and Ken Venturi (1956 winner) grapple with the trophy before the 1956 San Francisco City Golf Championships.

That shout-out is because Bobby just this week borrowed and read this book about a day of golf that would have already occurred before this photo was taken, but it would be a few decades before the world heard the tale.

Of course, what you really want are photos from the golf course, no?

You really should scroll through the slideshow on your own, as there's a wealth of gems. You all probably know about the vibrant local golf scene, alumni including Venturi and Ward, but also Johnny Miller, Bob Rossburg and God knows who else I'm forgetting.

But the shots of the galleries are great as well, including kids sitting in the limbs of the famous Cypress trees.

But also props to the San Francisco Chronicles unique approach to paywalls. One can't actually read the article involved without subscribing, but the slideshow itself they fail to bury behind said paywall. Hey, it works for me....and you, as well.

Geoff also links to this Sean Martin backgrounder on the course, which sits in a most desirable neighborhood:

2. AHEAD OF ITS TIME

Harding Park was one of the country’s first great municipal courses, predating places like Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines and Los Angeles’ Rancho Park. Harding Park, which opened in 1925, was designed by the same two men who created Olympic Club’s two courses: Willie
Watson and Sam Whiting.

San Francisco caught the golf bug in the early 20th century, and Harding Park was built after the city’s first public course, Lincoln Park, was overrun with golfers. Lincoln Park is now a short par-68 but it is famous for its scenic vistas overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

Harding Park was built on a desirable piece of property, as well. The land, which was owned by the Spring Valley Water Company, was located next to Lake Merced. The fertile, loamy soil and rolling terrain made it prime golfing ground. The site also is just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. The ocean isn’t visible from the course, but its effect is felt by the strong winds and dense fog.

The land surrounding Lake Merced is densely populated by great golf courses. Harding Park, Olympic Club and the A.W. Tillinghast-designed San Francisco Golf Club surround the lake, while the Lake Merced Golf Club, which was re-designed by Alister Mackenzie, is nearby.

Would it be impolite to note that, architecturally, it's the least interesting of the three? Well then, impolite we must be...

Sean lays down this interesting marker, something to look for during the week:

Harding Park’s curving fairways require players to choose how aggressive they want to be and to shape their tee shots. Players have to be careful to avoid the cypress trees, which are known to swallow golf balls, though.

“I've seen enough (balls) get stuck to where I'm going to try my hardest to avoid cutting off doglegs too much,” Jordan Spieth said before the 2015 Match Play.

Those that need to get out of the house more might remember the defining moment from The 1998 U.S. Open at neighboring Olympic. The ultimate winner Lee Jantzen had apparently left a ball in a Cypress Tree, only to have it miraculously drop to the Earth as he was already on his way back to the tee....

And this that embarrasses your humble blogger, who wasn't aware of The Re-Match:

9. REMATCH

The four-ball match at Cypress Point between Hogan, Nelson, Ward and Venturi has become the stuff of legend. The sequel at Harding Park has been forgotten over the years, though.

The second match took place 10 days later. Hogan was replaced by Jack Fleck, the man who six months earlier had upset Hogan in the U.S. Open across the lake at Olympic Club. Fleck partnered with Nelson to take on the two amateur heavyweights. The match benefited local flood relief.

The match was highly publicized. There were several practice rounds, a hole-in-one contest and exhibition atmosphere all week.

With more than 7,000 fans watching, Venturi and Ward were 3 up after 12 holes and defeated the pros, 2 and 1. Venturi shot 68, while Fleck shot 73, Ward shot 74 and Nelson struggled to a 78 (although it was match play, the players agreed to hole everything out for the spectators). Fans lined every fairway and green. Nelson called it the best-behaved gallery he had ever seen.
Unfortunately, there will be no fans at Harding Park this week. The course will still get its turn in the spotlight, though.

Where's Mark Frost when we need him....

I'll not excerpt, but don't miss this Bo Links (that can't possibly be his real name, can it?) ode to The City, San Francisco's premier amateur competition.

Not to worry, we'll get to Tiger, but there's another guy with good memories of the place:

TPC Harding Park is the belle of the ball this week in the golf world. The San Francisco muni is set to host its first major championship and first Tour event since the 2015 WGC-Match Play.
Can we pull some knowledge from how that event played out? We will certainly try.

When the Match Play was held in the spring of 2015, the conditions were chilly by Tour standards, which might just always be the case for San Francisco golf, but players were raving about the setup. “It’s a great golf course,” Gary Woodland said. “The layout is awesome. It was in phenomenal shape. It’s a great match play golf course because there are a lot of birdies out there.”

You can’t blame Woodland for being complimentary. His game matched up well that week, leading him to a spot in the finals opposite Rory McIlroy. Woodland won a series of tight matches while McIlroy blitzed the likes of Jason Dufner (5 and 4) and Hideki Matsuyama (6 and 5). This happens in most match play events, where one player just isn’t feeling it that round and is bounced early.

I actually didn't realize that it's now a TPC.... Josh Sens is next up, with nine bits about the place that we didn't know. First, about that name:

2. There’s a Presidential Connection

And not just in the form of the Presidents Cup, which Harding Park hosted in 2009. The course is named for Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the United States and an avid golfer, who died of a heart attack in 1923 while staying at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

It's named after a dead white guy? That can't stand in these times, can it? To the best of my knowledge, there's no actual statue of Harding for the rabble to tear down, though perhaps this wasn't the optimal moment to unveil this statue honoring the course's savior:

What's the half-life of a statue honoring a white guy these days?

I liked this bit very much:

9. Many Eagles Landed Here, All Made By One Man

Tatum’s is not the only name memorialized at Harding Park. Another is Ovid Seyler, who was known as “The Institution” because, well, he was one — a longtime regular at Harding Park and four-time winner of the club championship. Cool achievement, right? Perhaps even cooler is the fact that over a 25-plus-year span of playing golf at Harding Park, Seyler eagled every hole on the course. A concrete bench near the putting green pays tribute to Seyler, and a feat that no one else is known to have pulled off.

A great nickname, though one prone to misinterpretation.

The Event - We've spent more than enough time on the venue and host city, so shall we consider this event and its context. Alan Shipnuck takes a crack at the big storylines of the week:

1. What will make this PGA Championship memorable?

Is it me, or is there a whopper of an assumption buried in the question?

Rory McIlroy recently said that since the PGA Tour restarted all of the tournaments have had a numbing sameness, owing to the lack of fans or sense of place as the players are sequestered
inside the bubble. Harding Park will certainly make for an evocative television setting, with the fog wafting through the Cypress trees and glorious overheads of the City by the Bay. It is the course where the late Ken Venturi learned the game and he will be a palpable presence throughout the week as his former wingman in the booth, Jim Nantz, is well steeped in all of the lore.

Harding is the exactly the kind of place that needs to be celebrated, a course open to all that serves as a melting pot for a great city. This week a statue is being unveiled of Sandy Tatum, the former USGA president and patron saint of the Harding restoration. The course does not have a rich championship history — yet — but it has quite a story to tell. This PGA will be the most important part of that story, for Harding Park and for an interrupted golf season in need of clarity and definition.

So, nothing then? That was gonna be my answer, but Alan got there first.

2. Will it feel like a major championship?

With no fans at Harding Park and a limited number of on-site reporters, the atmosphere will undoubtedly lack the usual electricity that surrounds the majors. But while the cascading Sunday roars will certainly be missed, the players still know what’s at stake in a year with no Open Championship, Ryder Cup or Players. By the weekend, the enormity of the opportunity will be unmistakable. The tension and emotion that comes with playing for history will be written across their faces, which figure to be as furrowed as an Oakmont bunker.

Harding, which sits across the bay from the Olympic Club, should also be a fun test. Expect tight fairways and lush rush that’ll force the bashers to have their driving games on point. This week will represent the first major conducted on the refurbished muni, though it has hosted the 2009 Presidents Cup and ’15 Match Play (won by Rory McIlroy, who needs the good vibes to break out of his funk).

Lush rush? Does nobody read these things before they're published?

Golf Digest has a silly FAQ page up, silly because most are questions such as these:

Are the PGA Tour and the PGA of America different?

Yes, the PGA Tour and the PGA of America have been independent of one another since 1968. The PGA Tour is an elite organization of tournament professionals, while the PGA of America is made up of club and teaching professionals who work at on- and off-course golf facilities around the country (and the world).

When and where was the first PGA Championship? And who won?

The first PGA Championship was played in 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y. England's Jim Barnes won, 1 up, over Jock Hutchinson.

So, you won't learn anything from it, but that doesn't mean that they can't depress us further:

What are the future venues for the PGA Championship?

Future venues for the PGA Championship have been announced officially through 2029. There is also a “TBD” year for between 2030, as well as a venue locked in for 2031. They are as follows:

2021 — Kiawah Island Golf Resort (Ocean Course), Kiawah Island, S.C.

2022 — Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, N.J.

2023 — Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y.

2024 — Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Ky.

2025 — Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C.

2026 — Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pa.

2027 — The East Course at PGA Frisco, Frisco, Texas

2028 — Olympic Club, San Francisco

2029 — Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N.J.

2030 (TBD) — Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla.

2031 — Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

2034 — The East Course at PGA Frisco, Frisco, Texas

Well, there's Aronimink to look forward to.... Other than that, it's pretty grim. Rochester in May could be interesting, and that 2022 venue promises to bring the heat for sure.

But my vote for dereliction of duty goes to the award of two major championships to course that hasn't even been built yet. We're in the best of hands, folks.

Most of us barely tolerate the presence of twenty club professionals in the field, not that they earn much air time in a typical year. Of course their lives have been upended as well:

Then there’s Danny Ballin, the 33-year-old head pro from Fresh Meadow Country Club on Long Island, not far from what was once the epicenter for coronavirus. With cases of the virus down, rounds are up. Ballin said his club is doing five times the amount of business it did a year ago at this time.

“I’ve had zero preparation,” said Ballin, who will be making his seventh appearance in the PGA since 2010. “It’s all hands on deck, all day, every day.”

Indeed. Saturday afternoon he was still busy overseeing the club championship. Sunday, he was scheduled to fly to San Francisco. He’s played a few rounds with members over the summer, but last week was his first chance to hit balls uninterrupted on the driving range.

We've doubled our round splayed, but five times?

John Feinstein sacrifices yet another straw man to the cause:

PGA Championship 2020: Why this year's winner won't deserve this (*) next to his name

This has been something of an issue in baseball and other sports, but I've not heard anyone make that case about golf and I can't actually envision what that case might be.

Question: If a major golf championship is played on an empty golf course, is it really a major golf championship? This is a little like asking, if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

The player who wins this week’s PGA Championship at Harding Park will be a major champion just as surely as that tree made a sound.

There are some wondering if the absence of spectators caused by the COVID-19 virus will somehow make this PGA not as major as normal majors played in front of thousands of spectators. There are others, noting the absence of players like three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, 2018 Open Championship winner Francesco Molinari and frequent major contender Lee Westwood—not to mention John Daly and Vijay Singh, past PGA champions who now compete as senior citizens—as somehow meaning that an asterisk should be placed next to the champion’s name come Sunday evening.

They are wrong—completely wrong and totally wrong. How’s that for redundancy?

Now I get why I can't envision it, because it's not much of a case.

Did you know what time it is? Apparently I didn't get the memo:

It's time again to talk about the best player without a major

Who knew?

It turns out that it's a top ten list, though how this guy only gets an honorable mention is beyond me:

Honorable mention: Lee Westwood

The Englishman and former world No. 1 would have been in the top 10 but elected to not travel to the United States out of concerns for COVID-19. Unknown if he’ll play in the U.S. Open next month or the Masters in November. The winner of 44 titles worldwide has 12 top-5 finishes in majors (including three runner-up finishes), the most of any player who hasn’t won a major.

Isn't that why we have lifetime achievement awards?

The list itself suffers from the usual category errors, in that no thought is given to qualification criteria. For every Kooch, Paul Casey, Rickie and Hideki, for whom the failure to win one has meaning, the list includes Bryson, X-Man and Jon Rahm, for whom it's simply too early for the failure to win a major to tell us anything meaningful.

That said, this inclusion had me laughing out loud:

7. Tony Finau

Yes, a guy who has one PGA Tour win – that coming in an opposite field event in 2016, no less – is among the best to never win a major. The man with uber talent who can hit the ball as far as anyone has 30 top-10s since he won the Puerto Rico Open. In the majors, five of his six top-10s have come in the last eight majors played. Gained a lot of experience and confidence playing in the final group on the final day of the 2019 Masters alongside Tiger Woods.

You're worried about the guy never winning a big one, whereas the rest of us are a bit concerned about his ability to hold on and win ANYTHING.

Lastly, we've discussed those Euros that have chosen not to come an dpeg it in this event, guys like the aforementioned Westy, Eddie Pepperill and Frankie Molinari. Obviously we're in strange times, but one expects world class athletes to crawl over broken glass for these kinds of opportunities.

But this one might be the strangest yet:

Ryan Moore has opted out of this week’s PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park. In itself, not surprising: Due to myriad concerns, COVID-19 safety chief among them, Moore was the 12th player to withdraw from the proceedings as of Monday afternoon.

Moore’s stated reasoning for pulling out, however, is something you don’t see at such a prestigious event.

On Monday, the PGA of America announced Moore was out of the field due to a “scheduling conflict.”

However, Moore was already in the area, playing at the Barracuda Championship in Truckee, Calif., just three hours away from San Francisco.

Moore's camp told Golf Digest's Brian Wacker that Moore didn't want to play both the Barracuda and PGA, and listed as ninth alternate for the PGA at the beginning of last week, decided to play in the Barracuda. When he ultimately got into the Harding Park field, Moore decided to pass, sticking to his original plan. Instead he is opting for rest in hopes for a FedEx Cup posteason run.

Le Sigh! The man is passing up a major for...I can barely believe that I'm going to type these words, the playoffs? It tells us far too much about Mr. Moore, a man once thought highly enough to receive a Ryder Cup captain's pick. Is it too much to assume that everyone will draw the correct conclusions from such a decision?

But I elided quite the gem, one of those tragi-comic appeals to authority:

Now, it's not the first time a player couldn't make the PGA due to previous engagements. Ben Hogan famously passed on the 1953 PGA Championship after winning the Masters and U.S. Open earlier in the year. Although the Hawk did have a noble reason: The Open Championship overlapped with the PGA, and Hogan decided to go for the claret jug instead of the Wanamaker (which he won, completing a triple crown season).

Yes, Ryan Moore is just like Ben Hogan.... In Bizarro World.

Wither Tiger - I'm not especially hopeful for his chances, but let's see how others are thinking. First, I suspect this means pretty much nothing:

Perhaps more than any other golfer in history, Tiger Woods has done a large portion of his winning at specific tournaments, on specific golf courses. Woods has never played as much as the average PGA Tour pro, instead crafting his schedule around courses that suit his eye. A remarkable 40 of his record-tying 82 career PGA Tour victories have come at just six different events.

Simply put, there are some courses that Woods just seems to love: Firestone, where he won eight WGC events, Torrey Pines (seven Farmers and a U.S. Open), Bay Hill (eight Arnold Palmer Invitationals), Muirfield Village (five-time Memorial winner), Doral (four WGC titles) and, of course, Augusta National (five Masters).

Unlike any of the aforementioned courses, TPC Harding Park was never an annual host of a PGA Tour event during Woods’ career. Only twice has Tiger played the San Francisco public course in competition: the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship and the 2009 Presidents Cup. (He missed the 2015 WGC-Match Play at Harding Park due to injury). His results in those two competitions, however, suggest an inchoate love affair.

Woods won the Amex in 2005, beating John Daly in a clash of high-powered golfers that ended with a thud in a playoff. Four years later at the Presidents Cup, Woods went 5-0-0, his best career showing in any team event, as the Americans made easy work of the Internationals, beating them 19½-14½.

Given that the most recent of those was eleven years ago, it's hard for me to think there's much carryover.

Dylan Dethier is a Tiger dead-ender, though his header seems a tad defensive:

5 reasons Tiger Woods could still win the PGA Championship

Still? Dylan, you know the event hasn't started, right? I mean everyone is tied at this point...But this would seem to be quite a big factor:

2. He’ll be cold, but not too cold

I don’t think there’s any question that Woods wishes it was going to be a bit warmer this week in San Francisco. He has talked extensively about how much better he moves in balmy conditions, and he would have welcomes 80 degrees and sunny with open arms. But the last time he won, at Narashino Country Club in Japan, it was hardly roasting, either, and he led after every single round.

A quick forecast check reveals that this week’s event is going to be contended mostly in the 50s and 60s. Thursday and Friday’s highs are around 67 degrees, Saturday gets up to 69 and Sunday gets up to 70. If Tiger shoots the temperature each day — 67-67-69-70 — that’ll be a heck of a week.

The more relevant number may be the low temperature, which gets down to the mid-50s each night. Woods will presumably play one morning tee time and one afternoon tee time on Thursday and Friday. He’ll need to survive that chilly morning session and capitalize on the afternoon warmth.

You sure of that? He came up lame on Friday at Muirfield, and it was closer to ninety degrees there...

And this is Dylan's rousing coda:

5. He’s Tiger Woods

Well, he used to be.... Again it's hard to get invested in the man's prospects when it's uncertain that he'll be able to play for four straight days. But my snark aside, if his body does allow him to swing freely, it would be foolish to say that he can't win.

And the early reports have been good:

Not that I’m saying he’s come to some events unprepared, but there was definitely an urgency to the Monday proceedings at Harding Park. Getting comfortable on the green was the primary focus, particualrly given that his swing, ball-striking and body all appear ready to go.

—Short game consultant Matt Killen went nine holes with him and they discussed his putting at times.

—He played one of his approach shots as if a real putt, but with Joe LaCava giving his read first, then consulting the green reading charts, before putting.

—Woods practiced putting one-handed a few times

—Flexibility appeared excellent despite the cool conditions. No 80% swings as we’ve seen in run-ups or early week of majors.

—He took some big swipes at tee shots and reached the 607-yard 4th hole in when the fog had rolled in. His back clearly feels good.

—Mood was great, relaxed and focused.

Geoff has some of his own tweets on the subject embedded in his post that are worth a gander.

I'm going to leave you there of necessity. I've got some blogging to do on other topics, but I'm unclear when that might happen. I'll likely skip tomorrow, but be back Thursday morning before balls are in the air.

Monday, August 3, 2020

Weekend Wrap

Good to see you all.... I figured you wouldn't want to miss the fireworks as I grapple with the new Blogger template. You're a cruel bunch for sure.

I've Been to Memphis - I usually go with the Hoagy reference here, but if you're unfamiliar with Lyle Lovett you might want to give this a listen. But back to business:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Justin Thomas’s body language said it all as he snap-hooked a 5-wood off the tee at the dogleg-left par-4, 15th hole at TPC Southwind. He grabbed the club head with his right hand, slumped forward, and as if praying to St. Jude, begged for a miracle.

“Get lucky!” he yelled.

This tournament is named for the patron saint of lost causes, after all, and so somehow his prayers were answered. Thomas’s ball bounced off the cart path and ended up safely over the water 321 yards away in a gentle patch of rough, leaving him a clear shot and just 50 yards from the hole.

“That was lottery-ticket lucky,” CBS on-course reporter Dottie Pepper said.

Indeed, it was, and Thomas took advantage, pitching to 6 feet and canning the birdie putt to claim the lead.

“That’s the kind of stuff I guess that happens when you win,” Thomas said.

A strange day for sure, one in which the last two groups fought for irrelevance, and left CBS with little of interest to show for that last half-hour.

Of course it was his looper that garnered much of the coverage:

Justin Thomas earned his 13th career victory on Sunday, but it was Jim “Bones”
Mackay who had the pinch-hit home run.

Mackay, the longtime caddie for Phil Mickelson turned NBC on-course analyst, picked up Thomas’ bag last minute for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Thomas’ regular caddie, Jimmy Johnson, is undergoing some tests to determine what caused his lightheadedness at the Memorial weeks ago. In the meantime, Bones has stepped in to caddie for Thomas this week as well as next week’s PGA Championship.

We'll get to their plans for next week in a bit, but did you catch how the fates intervened? Meaning, of course, that final round pairing with his former boss?

It worked out with Bones, and Sunday was even a homecoming of sorts — Thomas was paired with Mickelson. Ironically, it was at the 1992 Memphis Open where Mickelson and Bones first worked together, and Memphis was also their last event together before they split in 2017.

I found it strange that CBS didn't show any images of Bones and Phil talking or greeting each other on the first tee. It's always seemed to me that, as long and successful as the partnership was, that the Bones-Phil split had some measure of being well done with each other. Anyway, to me it looked like they ignored each other... I assume if there were any warmth to the pairing, that CBS would have shared it.

What to make of Brendon Todd? This guy goes for a pep talk:

Chin up, Brendon Todd

That was another ugly Sunday for Todd, who similarly stumbled with a chance to win at the Travelers Championship last month. But it shouldn’t sour what was an
otherwise strong week for the three-time tour winner. He hasn’t had enough of these close calls/Sunday stumbles yet to break out the “is he choking under pressure?” takes. But the way he’s playing, he might get enough chances for that take to be warranted.

Look, it’s a big ask for any player to close out a WGC against the likes of Thomas and Koepka, but especially so for a journeyman who is just beginning to seriously contend on a regular basis like he has this year. If this hot streak has staying power, Todd will have plenty more cracks in big events, and he’ll eventually pick one off. This guy has been through hell and back, a couple of poor final rounds aren’t going to send him into a tailspin. He’ll be fine.

Yeah, that WGC bit doesn't ring true, because he looked just the same in that final round at Hartford. In fact, I had the same exact discussion with golf buddy Ed Pavelle that I had the week of Hartford:

Ed: Boy, Will Brendon Todd ever miss a fairway?
Me: The problem is that, when he does, he's forty yards back of the other guys?

Pretty good call, no? Except that I wasn't really calling anything, just pointing out that they look bullet-proof until they're not. In fact, I had that same conversation with Ed about Franco Molinari at last year's Masters as well....

Christopher Powers had this on that other guy:

Brutal finish for Brooks, but it could be for the best

More importantly, brutal finish for me, who had a potential $800 payout on a Brooks win. Why do bad things happen to good people?

Anyway, should we be concerned with the way Koepka finished? Hard to say. People forget how awful he was late on Sunday at Bethpage, though he did flip the switch when he needed. He hit a great third shot on 16 at TPC Southwind on Sunday, one that drops for eagle if it’s a hair to the left (SPOILER: it wasn’t). Instead, he walks off with 6. Then at 17, a hole that gave guys fits all day, Koepka drops an absolute bomb, must-make birdie putt from just inside 40 feet. At 18, he just got a little aggressive with the line off the tee (he was trailing by one, so it was the right play) and rinsed his drive. It happens. By no means did he choke. He was three back entering the final round and gave it a great run. You need a little luck from the golf gods, too, and Thomas seemed to hog it all on the back nine.

To be honest, it might be a good thing. A Koepka win this week would have ramped up the hype machine to 11 entering Harding Park, where he’s going for the PGA three-peat. That said, with limited media members and no fans, it wouldn’t have been as big of a circus as it normally would. He is by no means flying under the radar, but not winning allows him to truly unleash major-week Brooksy in San Francisco.

It's a Rorschach test, from which one can draw whatever conclusion one desires. He did, quite obviously, play well enough to get himself into the hunt, and one expects that he's slightly better off for not having closed the deal this week. That said, what a brutal finish! Really loose shots each time he sense an opening, so it's hard for thos observer to get too excited over his prospects.

Here's another take on Brooksie:

The good: His Strokes Gained: Tee to Green numbers through three rounds (9.784)
were his best ever through 54 holes of a non-major, and he led the field in SG: Approach (8.436) for the week. He had the solo lead on the back nine of TPC Southwind on Sunday and was tied with Thomas for the co-lead through 15 holes.

The bad: His first biggest mistake of the day (by inches) came on the 16th. His chip flew a touch too far and didn’t check up in time, rolling off the green and leading to a bogey. (“I thought I hit a good chip,” he said.) Thomas, playing in the group ahead, birdied the 16th, making it a two-shot swing. It was all but over. But then…

The good: Koepka birdied 17! It was an unlikely one, too, finding the green through some trees from an approach in the rough, leading to a 40-foot bomb to cut the lead to one. Meanwhile, Thomas was in trouble after a drive in the right rough on the difficult par-4 finisher.

He gets to the ugly, specifically that yanked three-wood off the 18th tee, in the next 'graph...

The Tour Confidential panel is back to numbering their questions, and they have these hot takes on our Brooksie:

5. Brooks Koepka finished tied for second this week – and had held the lead late on Sunday – against a loaded field, as he seeks his third straight PGA Championship. His strong performance in Memphis follows a relatively lackluster stretch, along with whispers of continuing left knee troubles. How much did this week change your PGA outlook for Koepka?

Zak: If you can contend against 78 of the best players in the world, you can do it against 150. So I like his chances much more than a week ago. Look to that final round today for evidence. Three birdies and 12 pars through 15 holes is what we’ve seen him do to win majors. Par the field to death at Bethpage and Shinnecock. It’s a major-winning ability he has that few seem to possess.

Sens: Not surprising at all to see Koepka rounding into form just in time for Harding Park. He’s clearly got another gear for the big ones, and I suspect the hiccup down the stretch this week will only get him more fired up for next week. He will be in the mix late Sunday. Book it.

Wood: It didn’t change my outlook. He’s had these lulls before, but as soon as he shows up to one of those four, he gets excited, interested and determined. Knowing the course, it should suit him very well.

Dethier: You lot are better oracles than me, because while I’d hardly given up on Koepka, I was certainly concerned that his health wasn’t in full form and that his game wouldn’t measure up until his body did. This week makes me far, far more optimistic about Koepka’s chances. We’re looking at a very legitimate chance at a three-peat.

Shipnuck: The big question is his knee – he sounded really discouraged earlier this week, and it’s affecting not only his ability to prepare, but also swing the club. Making six on two of the last three holes whilst in a dogfight for a WGC, was that fatigue, compromised technique, diminished confidence – or just golf? That’s a lot of questions swirling around a player who was once a golfing Terminator.

Bamberger: I like Stenson’s chances better. He’s in the field, right?

Henrik? I can confirm that he is, indeed, in the field....Beyond that, you're on your own Mike...We're all wondering about the knee, though of course his stock rises based on showing some form this week. He knows how to win these things, but a threepeat reamins an gargantuan ask.

Some loose ends from the week, including this that I missed. I saw none of the Saturday broadcast, in which young Dakota Cunningham made a very impressive debut. Unfortunately I did see another young man appear on Sunday's broadcast, and that was less successful due mostly to the fact that they mostly talked about...well, Dakota.

I love that they worked the St. Jude's kids in and perhaps the criticism will come off as churlish, but the Sunday effort seemed strained to me. I though the caddie bis and shoes were a nice touch as well....

Lastly from this event, did you catch Bryson and his ruling-of-the-week on Thursday? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you, at the continuing damage to his brand:

During Thursday’s opening round of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, the 26-year-old five-time PGA Tour winner found himself involved with a rules situation for a second straight start after his tee shot on the par-4 seventh hole—his 16th of the day—at TPC Southwind landed in some pine straw left of the fairway. That’s when things got interesting.

Ya gotta love that curiously passive phrasing... Bad things just keep happening to the lad...

The exchange itself had that deliciously awkward feel to it, for reasons that Brian Wacker makes clear:

Tackett coincidentally was the official who stepped in two weeks ago at the Memorial Tournament when DeChambeau asked for a second opinion about a rules
situation involving whether his ball was out of bounds on his way to making a 10 on a hole during the second round at Muirfield Village.

Tackett disagreed at Memorial with DeChambeau’s assessment that it was in bounds then, and wasn’t buying his argument this time in Memphis, either. Tackett said he didn’t see any fire ants, before DeChambeau pointed to the ground trying to identify one.

It's the same guys out there every week, but see if you're buying that which Bryson is peddling:

DeChambeau continued: “I’m always going to respect the officials and go, OK, no issue, that’s fine. Didn’t help that I had a really, really bad lie, too—I had two twigs lodged in between my ball. Is what it is.”

That last bit about the lie is what an attorney would call an admission against interest... We all instinctively knew what we were watching, Bryson attempting to intimidate a Tour rules official into granting relief because he didn't love the lie. Apparently Bryson didn't get the memo from Patrick, but apparently your name needs to be Jordan Spieth...

But when he speaks of respect... well, this was his comment during that rules issue at Jack's place:

This was where things got truly interesting. His Bridgestone had settled almost directly beneath the boundary fence, but no part of the golf ball was quite inside the line, so it was deemed out of bounds. DeChambeau didn’t think much of the first official’s ruling, referring to it as “garbage” at one point.

Yes, Bryson will always respect other folks who are just doing their jobs. Unless, you know, they're rules officials, cameramen or God knows what else....

Perhaps the most interesting bit is the reaction of the Tour. You might think that a player that disparages the rules officials would be reprimanded, but the Tour doesn't share such information. You'd similarly assume that a player that gets in the face of a cameraman would also become acquainted with the Tour's disciplinary arm, especially since CBS is basically pays for this all. But again, the Tour reliably informs us that golf is a game played only be gentlemen... Who ya gonna believe, your lyin' eyes or me?

But I'd like to suggest you go look at the video of Bryson and the rules official, but that is no longer available, as Shack informs in this rant:

With all due respect to Yoda, the spirit of the rules is not strong with this one.

Since the PGA Tour took down the video tweeted by their partners at CBS—paying lavishly for the rights btw—below is a shortened version posted that will inevitably be targeted by Cult Ponte Vedra in a futile attempt to scrub evidence of unsportsmanlike conduct by Bryson Dechambeau. The full version would allow you to see the various avenues he attempts to pursue in search of a better lie, including the spotting of one red ant in hopes of protecting himself from harms way.

This came after his Memorial antics whining about a ruling and mashing down rough, proceeded by his caddy trying to bully a camera operator. The total package should give you an idea of just how dire the situation is in the players-first, rules/golf core values of the game a distant-second-mindset that has overtaken the PGA Tour.

Apparently the suits in Ponte Vedra Beach agree with Bryson that it's the job of the Tour and its broadcasters to protect Bryson's brand... I can only hope they realize what a huge undertaking that is.

Other Tours - I'm going to be quick with the blogging of these other results, as we've got much to cover, including the week ahead.

First, I was very glad to see the ladies get back to work, and even more so to this young Miss win:

Danielle Kang edges Celine Boutier at LPGA Drive On, collects fourth career title

To me, she's the great American hope in the women's game, notwithstanding the large number of Lexi Thompson dead-enders. I did catch the ending, in which Boutier had a three-footer to get into a playoff and... well, let's just say that I hope the girls is a Doug Sanders or Scott Hoch fan.

And this:

Jim Furyk pulls away, wins Champions Tour debut at Ally Challenge

As we know, it's a young man's game on the old guy's tour...That said, I'm going to cling bitterly to my "Alas, Poor Furyk" nickname.

On To Harding Park - Anyone remember how the PGA of America got to this uninspiring venue? Back in the day, 2020 was to be an Olympic year and the organization sought a location that would work in both May and August, as well as any date in between.... Not to be snarky, but 2020 hasn't been much of year, has it?

Where to begin? Back to that Tour Confidential perhaps, who get props for leading with a non-Tiger query:

1. The season’s first major begins this week: a PGA Championship like no other, with no fans at Harding Park in San Francisco. Players have become accustomed to playing sans spectators in recent weeks, but this will be the first major contested without the heaving galleries that usually surround every green and tee box, and without roars echoing across the property. Given the muted setting, will players likely feel any less pressure at Harding than they typically feel in the majors?

Sean Zak: Just because it says “PGA Championship” everywhere doesn’t mean it will feel that way Thursday morning. If I had to guess, players will feel less pressure on Thursday morning and down the stretch without the murmuring fans, the crazy applause during big moments and the intensity that comes with twice as many people on property. Now, they could definitely feel more pressure in the absolute silence toward the end, too. I’m excited to find out which is more true.

Josh Sens: Rory said earlier this week that all tournaments pretty much feel the same without fans, and there’s something to that. I doubt this will feel just like the 3M, but there’s no way of replicating that major championship atmosphere. Exactly how it will affect players is another matter. I don’t see how there could be the same level of first-tee jitters. But that’s not necessarily a good thing for everyone. Some guys clearly elevate their games when the throngs are going bonkers and things get most intense.

Dylan Dethier: Pressure is a particularly weird thing in the golf world. Let’s take a look at the players who were in 1st, 2nd and 3rd heading to the final round of Sunday’s fan-free WGC-Memphis. Brendon Todd shot 5-over 75, the worst round in the field, while Ben An and Rickie Fowler posted matching 73s to careen down the leaderboard. Common sense would tell me that there’s less pressure on fan-free final rounds, but there’s clearly still something to it.

John Wood: I believe so. There’s always an edge a huge crowd provides to the proceedings – and their actions and voices always convey the fact that this is BIG. Even if you’re used to big crowds, this sends a message to your brain and your muscles that this is “importanter” than what you did last week.

Alan Shipnuck: It’s going to feel a little flat, for sure. But the players are still playing for history and a career-altering trophy so no doubt there will be plenty of nerves down the stretch.

Michael Bamberger: I think it depends on the player. For Tiger, trying to get to 16, he’ll feel as much pressure as he ever would. For Dustin Johnson, it won’t make a difference. Impossible to generalize, except to say, come Sunday afternoon, it will be weird, but it’s way better than nothing. I think golf’s various organizing bodies, starting with the PGA Tour and the PGA of America, but going way beyond those two groups, have done an exemplary job of bringing elite golf back, for the benefit of many parties, in a responsible way. Not playing before live fans was a necessary first step.

How would Rory know what a major feels like without fans?

I had a strange reaction to yesterday's proceedings, specifically when Koepka blew up on No. 16 but also when he dropped that bomb on No. 17. Obviously JT and Bones had no idea of those shots because of the absence of crowd noise, though the CBS gang couldn't even handle that discussion without tripping over themselves. When the first comment was made about Brooksie screwing up, Dottie noted the absence of scoreboards in view, forgetting that said scoreboards wouldn't have been updated in any event until the hole was completed.

My own reaction was a bit more eccentric, marveling at how quickly this bit of knowing at all times exactly where one stands has become the expected. Whereas, for most of golf's history, the game was played without a lot of updated information available. Probably the best example of this goes back a ways, specifically to the 1939 U.S. Open. Sam Snead came to the finishing hole, a Par-5, thinking he needed a birdie, but instead made an eight. A par would have won outright, and a bogey would have put him in a playoff.