Weekend Wrap - Tuesday Edition

It's that time of year, when wrapping the weekends action lacks any sense of urgency...

ZoZo Rising - The most notable pat of the ZoZo was the curious question I was asked on Sunday morning.  Playing with good buddy Ed Pavelle, he brings up the event which had already concluded.  Ed informs me that he's aware that Matsuyama had coughed up his lead and was one down after eight holes (or was it with eight to play?) to Brendan Steele (from the accounts, I believe Ed confused Steele with Cameron Tringale, but who among hasn't made that mistake?), then follows this dialog:

ED: Do you know who won the ZoZo?

ME: Yes.

ED: Is it worth watching the finish?

ME: (Knowing Matsuyama won by five) Compared to what? 

I'm a confirmed time-shifter, but that was a bit existential even for my tastes.... I had no idea how to answer the question or whether he ended up watching, but I was clear only on that fact that it wasn't worth watching for ME.  On the other hand, if your alternative was the Giants or Jets...

Apparently the local hero went on quite the heater:

In one of the best closing kicks you’ll see, Matsuyama would overcome the deficit, shoot a back-nine 32 and win by five. And do it all at home. Outside of (perhaps) his Masters victory in April, the Zozo win goes down as unquestionably his most special, as it’s his first on the PGA Tour in Japan.

The Tour Confidential panel had this take:

1. Hideki Matsuyama rallied from a one-shot deficit with eight holes to go win the Zozo Championship by five shots. The event was played in Matsuyama’s home country of Japan, and on the Golf Channel broadcast, Pat Perez described the atmosphere as if fans had seen Elvis. Between this victory and Matsuyama’s winning week at the Masters, what did you learn about his game in 2021 that you didn’t know a year ago?

Sean Zak: Gee, I don’t know. He’s still a very poor putter by Tour standards. Perhaps we’ve learned that he can still ball-strike his way to a victory when the moment is grand? There’s pretty

much nothing more mind-bending than the back nine at Augusta, but he didn’t show it. I think we’ve learned what he’s learned: that his caddie, Shota Hiyafuji, is a great teammate.

Josh Sens: A big sports bettor who parses the stats much more closely than I do tells me that Hideki’s putting improves by leaps and bounds when the greens are bentgrass. But that’s deeper in the weeds than anything I’ve got on my own. The perfectionist streak in him is what struck me. Especially at the Olympics. I recall one shot in particular, an approach on the back side, when Hideki did that one-handed finish and slumped his shoulders. The ball ended up about 10 feet from the flag, pin high. I texted a Japanese reporter friend saying, “Hideki doesn’t look happy with that result.” My friend texted back: “Never.”

Dylan Dethier: I’ve learned just how much there still is to learn. In August of 2017, Matsuyama revealed at a press conference that his wife had given birth more than a month earlier. This was exciting news, and noteworthy for at least one surprising reason: Nobody knew he was married. Why? “No one really asked,” he said. Hideki and Shota occasionally reveal little nuggets of off-course fun on social media; what I’ve learned this year is that this team seems to goof off plenty and have a blast together. But even that serves as a reminder that Matsuyama likes his private life kept private.

Michael Bamberger: This is not a statement about his game, but about his status. In Japan and across large swaths of Europe, he’s as big as Jumbo (Ozaki) was at the height of his powers, and then some. Bigger, really, than all the Ozaki brothers put together. Huge.

If the most interesting thing about the guy is that he gest treated like Elvis, then he's not all that interesting, is he?  Or at least he keeps it from view, another shared experience with Tiger.

This is no more than a local story of passing interest, as happy as we might be for the man and his countrymen.  I'd feel a whole lot better about the adoration if that Masters win had been a stronger statement, whereas I think it historically ranks with Fuzzy's .  Dave Shedloski way overinterprets with this homage:

Here are 9 hometown wins that rival Hideki Matsuyama's triumph in Japan

Trust me, it's a sorry lot:

Steve Stricker leads Team USA to record Ryder Cup romp in his native Wisconsin

Yep, just last month, a teary-eyed Stricker—a happy Stricker is always a teary-eyed one—captained the American team to a dominating win over Europe at Whistling Straits, and when he wasn’t letting the emotion of the moment wash over him, he was accepting all the applause and cheers from his fellow cheese heads with genuine gratitude. There was a lot of pressure on the Madison product, ratcheted up by having to wait an extra year, but saying it was worth it is an understatement.

Ummm, Dave, you're aware that Strick didn't actually play?

But at least that was an event of some magnitude.  This is tree in the forest stuff:

J.J. Henry becomes first Connecticut native to capture the Travelers Championship

A third-generation golf standout from Fairfield, Conn., Henry broke through for his first PGA Tour title in 2006 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell when it was called the Buick Championship. Henry had first played in the event on a sponsor exemption as an amateur in 1998 with his father Ronald on the bag. The emotional win propelled Henry to his only Ryder Cup appearance.

J.J. Henry moves the needles as well as ever, so we at least have that going for us.  But we all knew that this is the ultimate home game in golf history:

Francis Ouimet puts American golf on the map

This list isn’t worth squat without the ultimate hometown, home course, homer victory. Francis Ouimet, a 20-year-old amateur, is responsible for what historians call “the great awakening in American golf,” with his playoff victory in the 1913 U.S. Open over British giants Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. Ouimet lived next door to the Country Club and had caddied there, so he knew the layout well. Still, he was a massive underdog. The home crowd hoisted him on their shoulders when he beat the favored Brits in the 18-hole playoff, he made headlines across the country, and all of America rejoiced in the triumph.

The list still isn't worth squat, but who else has won a major with a ten-year-old caddie?

The Winther of Our Discontent -  What's the hardest thing about notching your first win?  Well, I imagine it's different for each guy, though this one had quite the unique twist:

Just when a door was about to open, the bathroom one shut.

“I thought, jeez not today,” Jeff Winther said.

Of all the days. Over the years, the likable 33-year-old from Denmark had been only on the doorstep. Over 30 top-20s split over the European Tour and the lower-tier Challenge Tour. A handful of thirds on both Tours. A high of second, at the 2016 Tshwane Open on the big tour. No wins. No leads after 54 holes on the European Tour, either. Until, finally, Saturday night, where he sandwiched a second-round 71 with two 62s and led by two at the Mallorca Golf Open.

 You get where this is going:

“After breakfast, I went to have a shower and my wife came in to use the bathroom as well,” he said. “The door closed, and there’s no lock, but we locked ourselves in. There’s no lock on the door, but the handle didn’t work.

“Our little girl, Nora, 6 years old, had to go and find guys at reception to break down the door. We were in there for 45 minutes, I think. I thought, not Sunday, you’re leading the freaking event. Might not get there for your tee time. What a morning.

“I think it probably settled the nerves because I thought I might miss my tee time and thought I might not get out. The kids are in the living room, 6 and 2 years old, what can you do?”

Funny story....

Golf In The Kingdom, Perhaps -  The man can certainly hold a grudge, we have to give him that.  The Premiere Golf League stuff remains in the wings Stage Left, though there are now two competing groups involved.  The Saudi effort has been rocked back onto their heels by Jay Monahan's refusal to approve of PGA Tour players appearing in that Saudi event, though there's news on that front.

The unknown to me Brad Clifton has an Op-Ed up indicating that they have found the perfect candidate to lead this effort:

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Recent media speculation suggesting that global golf icon Greg Norman has been tapped up to

lead a new worldwide professional golf platform is gaining serious traction.

Reports of record sums of money being offered to the world’s best players in an F1-like model that would feature a combined team and individual competition might not be exactly how he envisioned his own ‘world tour’ concept a quarter of a century ago but, then again, maybe it is. One thing that is certain is the global outreach for such a platform will be equally as significant, if not more.

If the latest Norman rumours are indeed true, it’s the best news golf has received in a long time.

Has there been a more influential innovator in the world of golf over the past 40 years? It’s why ‘The Shark’ is the perfect person to help modernise the game at a time when the PGA Tour hasn’t exactly ticked all the boxes in its efforts to deliver a compelling product and give global golf and sport fans what they really want – the world’s best players competing against each other on a regular basis outside of the Majors and, crucially, outside of the United States.

That "if at first" bit seems out of place, given that the Saudis are making their first attempt at this by stealing the concept of the UK-based Raines Group, but whatever.

But the Shark as "influential innovator" comes as a bit of a surprise... your case for that would be what, exactly?  This is as close a she gest to supporting that rather bold assessment:

There is no doubt that golf needs a shake-up, and competition and different ways of showcasing the game’s top talents will only improve the sport for all parties.

I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy many encounters with Norman over the years – and the odd disagreement. But, just like when he ruled roost as a player, you can’t help but take in his every word and stride. Of all the pearls of wisdom he has dropped over the journey, one thing stands tall. I once asked him what truly made him a winner. He didn’t hesitate with his reply: “Competition makes the world a better place for everything and all. I could never have been number one without it.”

And so perhaps, as the Shark comes full circle, a little bit of competition is just what today’s professional game needs. 

This to me is the most interesting bit, though the more enjoyable Shark-trashing will follow.  They're telling us it's all about the competition, and the solution for that is to not have a competition, or at least to have a tightly controlled one.  The fundamental nature of golf is that the best players win only 5% of the time, which maddens many.  The solution is to ensure that Tiger and Phil go head-to-head (Insert your won top-tier players), which I call made-for-TV spectacles, and those typically suck.  

So, back to Shark as innovator?  Shack does the heavy lifting, linking back to his own 2017 post in which the very same Topless Shark last played his innovator Bingo card:

“In the middle second quarter of next year, I’ll invite you guys down to my office,” he said. “We will tell you exactly how we’re going to break this cast iron that’s been wrapped around golf for so long. We’re going to shatter it. The institutions (USGA, R&A, PGA of America, PGA Tour) will eventually buy into it because they will have to buy into it. They won’t have a choice.”

What, you don't remember how he broke that cast iron wrapped around golf?  That turned out to be, and I do hope you're sitting down, a golf cart with speakers....  So, sure Greg, go ahead and save our game yet again.

On a related note, this whole Saudi thing could get even more interesting:

Eight PGA Tour players—including world No. 2 Dustin Johnson—are seeking permission to compete at the Saudi International tournament, Golfweek has learned. The Tour previously said that it would deny waivers for its members to take part in the controversial event.

Tour players need to obtain a release to compete on other circuits. A Tour spokesperson confirmed to Golfweek that a decision on waiver applications is not required until 30 days before a tournament starts. The Saudi International is scheduled for February 3-6 at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, meaning players might not learn if they will be permitted to play until Tuesday, January 4.

Golfweek has obtained a current list of players who have already applied for a release to compete in Saudi Arabia in February. It includes Johnson, the defending champion who also won the title in 2019, and 2020 winner Graeme McDowell. The others are: Abraham Ancer, Lee Westwood, Tommy Fleetwood, Henrik Stenson, Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak, who is sponsored by Golf Saudi. PGA Tour policy requires players seeking releases to specify the event they wish to play and not just a week on the calendar.

Stay tuned, as Jay's troops, or at least some of them, appear unhappy to not be able to cash Saudi checks.  For a bit there some of the players were criticized for taking the dirty money, though I haven't seen any criticism (or Tour reaction to) of Kokrak for his sponsorship deal.  Jay just obviously wants these folks to go after someone else's feedlot, but who knew independent contractors could be so, well, independent?

I shall leave you here.  The good news is that we're supposed to get so much rain that the Wednesday game is in doubt... So, perhaps we'll reconvene then.

Your Friday Frisson

We've got a series of stories that we could go deep on, so we'll just start banging away at the keyboard and see where it all goes...After devoting a couple of minutes to those results from Japan.

On Hideki - The local favorite's defining feature as a golfer is his post-contact reactions and their low correlation to actual results.  Often it's just a one-handed feature, but the guys seems to hate every one of his shots, even the good ones.  Amusingly, that apparently crosses over to his pressers:

Zozo Championship: Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama says his game is currently a 1 out of 10 but proceeds to shoot 64

Hometown hero Hideki Matsuyama didn’t disappoint his faithful as the PGA Tour returned to his native Japan for the Zozo Championship.

Matsuyama, who solidified his rock-star status at home by winning the Masters in April, surprised even himself with his flawless play in the opening round. He birdied two of his first three holes and fired a bogey-free 6-under 64 at Accordia Golf Narashino, located just east of Tokyo. That score was good enough to tie Chile’s Joaquin Niemann for the second-best score of the day and leave both players one stroke off the lead. On the eve of the tournament, Matsuyama downplayed his chances for success.

“If my game scored 10 out of 10 at the Masters, now I would say it scores less than 1,” he said. “I will be struggling this week but I am here in Japan so I am motivated to be in contention.”

It's his signature move, which at least is preferable to the Brooks/Tiger strategy of manufacturing grievances to use as motivation.   Perhaps he does that as well, but has the good sense not to share it with us.

Perhaps the biggest news from the ZoZo, where few top names made the arduous trek, is the announcing crew, which is weak even by the lowered standards of the subsistence level Golf Channel:

Golf Channel’s booth is a little light this week with the Zozo in Japan — George Savaricas is the announcer and Dom Boulet and Alison Whitaker are the analysts — and Savaricas teased on Twitter that players would be pitching in over the four rounds. First up, after his even-par 70, was Fowler, and his first live hole was the 17th.

Likely the names of those two analysts isn't ringing any bells, since their golf and announcing careers occurred mostly in Asia and Europe.  The most notable aspect of Boulet's history was his representation of Hong Kong in international events, a wistful reminder that change isn't always for the better.  How many years until we say the same about Taiwanese players?

Since it's obviously not the A-Team, Golf Channel has come up with a gimmick:

— George Savaricas (@GeorgeSavaricas) October 20, 2021

Nota  bad gimmick, though there are precious few name-brands in the field, though you'd have to expect that the X-man would be on the list for sure.  Amongst the subjects Rickie touched on, is that tendency of the Local Hero we noted above:

On Matsuyama’s penchant for overexaggerating bad shots.

“Hideki and I have played a lot together. We’ve had some good battles. And he is one of the premier ball-strikers out here. It is impressive what he thinks is a little off and hits a pretty darn good shot. A lot of times you’re watching the ball and then you see him kind of one-hand finish and you’re like that doesn’t really match — you know, it’s 15 feet right. He has just such high expectations and always shooting for perfection.”

He's about to become a father, which he touches on as well.  The second round is complete with Hideki in the lead, so the locals will be over the moon.  Not much else to tell, as this one isn't for American audiences.

On Rory - We have a new Ask Alan mailbag feature to riff off of, and he leads with a couple related to the dominant player in the world (at least for the prior five days):

Do you believe Rory is Rory again? @ESPN_SwingCoach

One problem with this formulation: Who is Rory? Is he the cold-blooded killer who blew away the

field at major championships and out-alpha’d Phil at Valhalla? Is he the philosopher king who just wants to read self-help books and downplay the importance of winning? The player who was overwhelmed by the moment at Royal Portrush in 2019 and at Whistling Straits last month? The young maestro who joins Tiger, Jack, Arnie, Lord Byron and Tom Watson as the only players to win 20 tournaments including four majors before turning 33? The guy who shoots 76 seemingly every Masters Thursday or the one who shoots 61 to win at Quail Hollow? Turns out McIlroy is all of these things, which is what makes him so compelling and maddening. McIlroy is a very old 32. He has spent the last few years trying to figure out what he wants out of life and his career. Maybe the clarity that came between the Ryder and CJ Cups will change everything for him. Maybe it’s just another little diversion. I don’t think even Rory has a clue what the future holds for him. I do know this: We’ll all be riveted as he tries to figure it out.

I think Alan did a pretty reasonable job there with the Yin and Yang of our philosopher king.  Though he cites Valhalla, he misses the kill shot of reminding folks that that was eight years ago (at least counting back from 2022, the soonest that Rory could add to his major total.

But I think this is the more interesting bit on the topic:

What of Rory’s quote of “If I play my best I’m the best in the world.” Surely a sustained run of victories and big ones is needed to justify it? @pth1974

Objectively, yes. Jon Rahm is the best player in the world right now. When all of the top talents are at their peak, Dustin Johnson’s best is the best. Rory certainly needs to get it done at another major championship before he reenters the conversation. But I have zero confidence in his declaration. That’s exactly the kind of swagger Rory needs to reclaim if he is going to be a dominant force again.

Both the questioner and Alan approach nit from a results-based perspective, and there's nothing wrong with that. 

My answer is a simple, "Hell No!"  Rory's wedge game and putting are demonstrably below the standards of his peers, so it seems objectively clear to me that Rory cannot be the best player in the world as he frames that argument.  More importantly, what is he doing to cure those deficiencies?  Mostly talking about being the best player in the world, so that seems like a plan, no?

On Amateurs - The times, they are a changing... not necessarily for the better, though that may depend upon your perspective.

Back in August, you might recall that I jumped on the Rachel Heck bandwagon as the Women's U.S. Amateur came to my back yard.  Those of you that took that prediction seriously are guilty of forgetting that I retain my position as the '62 Mets of fantasy golf, though that's not important now.  It's just jarring to see notices such as this:

— excel sports (@excelsm) October 18, 2021

Just to clarify, NIL relates to Name, Image and Likeness, which college athletes now can exploit, although color me skeptical about the extent of the value.   What makes this interesting is that her biggest competition for such riches might just be her new teammate, who has been on quite the heater:

It’s been 19 years since Lorena Ochoa had what many consider the most dominant single season

in women’s college golf history. An Arizona Wildcat sophomore in 2001-02, Ochoa won her first seven tournaments starts before finishing second at Pac-10 Championship in April. She won the NCAA Regional for an eighth victory, then finished T-2 at the NCAA Championship. Less than 12 hours after nationals, she turned pro, having competed against in her two-year stint in Tucson 1,880 golfers and beated all but 15 of them.

How much of that history Rose Zhang is aware of is unknown, but the 18-year-old Stanford freshman is likely to learn more of it in the coming week as she embarks on one of the more anticipated college debuts in recent memory—and starts to follow the legend of Ochoa.

On Sunday at the Stanford Invitational, Zhang finished her third college start for the Cardinal with her third victory. She made just two bogeys over 54 holes en route to shooting a school-record-tying 16-under 197 at the Stanford Golf Club. In nine college rounds, the Irvine, Calif., native has shot par or better eight times, is a collective 23 under par and has an impressive stroke average of 69.11.

She's the No. 1 ranked amateur player in the world, so none of this comes as a complete surprise.  But it is quite the run, and there seems little doubt which is the team to beat come May and the NCAA's.

It just so happens that Dr. Shipnuck answers a question on this young lady, and does so by analogizing interestingly:

What can one say about Rose Zhang that hasn’t already been said? Three college tourneys, three Ws. I know it’s still early, but would you hazard a comparison? @caia437

Lydia Ko. Zhang (above) has the same silky touch and imagination and gift for scoring. She seems to radiate the same joy and retain the same humility even with her success. That Zhang is having a college experience and expanding her mind and circle of friends at a great university gives me hope that she can avoid the existential crisis that slowed Ko.

I'm not convinced that that alleged "existential crisis" was the issue with Lydia, as I still maintain that it all went bad when she ditched the eyeglasses.  Joking aside, I actually think Ko's fall from form was attributable in some degree to her lack of length, though there no question that she's fired more swing coaches and caddies than the entire Korn Ferry Tour.

I'm not a fan of college athletes cashing in, especially the more so since the cash is limited to men's football and basketball, which have historically subsidized the balance of school's athletic programs.  I'm far from convinced that this new status quo is sustainable, but that's something we can sit back and watch develop.

However, we also think that the college experience is good for these kids, mostly because of how the players talk of those years after the fact.  So your humble blogger may not love the attempts to cash in from prepubescent teens, but if that keeps Rose and Rachel at Stanford, perhaps I'll have to make my peace with it.

On Brandel - Yesterday we had quite the fun poke at Chamblee from Eamon Lynch, one I wouldn't presume to better.  But the timing is good, because Brandel is hawking a vanity project that's chock full of his usual brand of BS:

Picture a course that would double as a home for the finest women golfers in the world, a state-of-the-art facility that would be to the LPGA Tour what TPC Sawgrass is to the PGA Tour.

Like Sawgrass, it would be open to the public for a high-end fee. It would also host a marquee annual event, a Players Championship, of sorts, that would showcase the talents of top female players in ways never seen before, because, for the first time, every inch of the grounds would be designed specifically with their games in mind.

Hard to argue with, right?  Pull up an easy chair and watch me argue...

But did you catch that bit about a Women's Players Championship?  Like most of what comes out of Brandel's mouth, it sounds pretty good, at least up until the moment you start to think about it.  Why does the Players Championship exist?  Because the PGA Tour doesn't own any of the men's majors, whereas the LPGA effectively controls all women's majors except the Women's U.S. Open.  So sure, a Women's Players Championship would be cool, if only because I could call it the sixth of five...

But look at the whopper he's telling:

For the better part of a decade, in print, on air and in the Twittersphere, Chamblee has been vocal on the issue, calling out what he regards as problematic designs and setups for women.

In nearly every respect — hole length, fairway width, rough height, bunker depth, and on — he believes the venues are poorly suited to their purpose. Far from bringing out the best in women’s games, they often place women at a disadvantage.

As far back as 2012, Chamblee put a fine point on this perspective in a GOLF Magazine column that compared scoring averages on the LPGA and PGA tours; season after season, he wrote, with a litany of stats as backup, those scores were higher for the women. In Chamblee’s view, the discrepancy had nothing to do with ability (the women were every bit as skilled as their male counterparts; they just weren’t as strong) and everything to do with the courses they were playing.

Ya got that?  They're every bit as skilled... Who ya gonna believe, Brandel or your lyin' eyes?

Brandel, here are the 100 meter results from Tokyo:

Men's: Winner: Lamont Marcell Jacobs - 9.80 seconds

Women's: Winner: Elaine Thompson-Herah - 10.61 seconds

Brandel, I assume you'll assert that they're equally skilled?  Should we match them up and see who wins?

Now, who wants to tell Brandel that he's not helping himself with this example:

As a recent illustration of this theme, Chamblee points to the 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, not an LPGA event but still an elite competition. On the 18th hole of the final day, two of the top three finishers, Karen Fredgaard and eventual winner Tsubasa Kajitani, found the first fairway bunker on the left off the tee. Fredgaard caught the lip on her approach and failed to reach the green, while Kajitani didn’t even try to get on in regulation. She laid up.

Contrast that with an iconic moment from the Masters.

“Most of us have little trouble conjuring the memory of Sandy Lyle flipping a 7-iron from that same bunker to 10 feet and making birdie to win the green jacket,” Chamblee says. “Is that because Sandy Lyle is more skilled than the best women players in the world? No. It’s because he’s stronger and can get the ball up higher and faster with a more lofted club.”

Hitting the ball high is a golf skill, Brandel, regardless of what you may think.  But pointing out that the wolrds best women amateur players in 2021 didn't have the skills of a top professional man in 1988 seems rather an admission against interest.

He may have a point here, but barely:

Distance alone, though, is not the only issue. The crux of the problem, Chamblee says, is that courses are designed for men from the start, with after-thought adjustments to accommodate women. Pushing the tees forward is a standard tactic. But, Chamblee says, that’s not a real solution. If anything, it sets off a negative chain reaction, creating layouts with awkward landing areas, odd angles into greens, hazards placed in spots that dim strategic options. You get the gist.

Maybe.  I should note that Chamblee repeats something we had a while back, an argument from Beth Ann Nichols that LPGA courses are set up needlessly difficult, and that the events would be more entertaining if the set-ups allowed for lower scoring.  

What I find laugh-out-loud funny is the concept that a special, purpose-built field of play is needed for the women's game.  At random I chose this years KPMG-LPGA event, for which the Olympic Club was set up at 6,486 yards.  Do you know what course would be perfect for the ladies.  Every single one built during the Golden Age of U.S. architecture.

As just one example, I Googled Merion and got this info:

While the scorecard yardage was 6,694 in 1950, it was in reality more like the 6,544 yards on the 1971 U.S. Open scorecard, the product of more accurate measuring. Even in 1950 that made Merion one of the shortest championship courses of its era.

Of course Merion has committed unnatural acts to extend the course to 7,000+ yards, but do we think there's anything wrong with the 6,500 yard course as originally designed and still played by its members?   

I know he's in high volume sales mode, but turn off your BS detectors...

On Mental Health - I'm more sympathetic on this subject than you might expect, though this header is way overwrought:

Pro golf is approaching its own mental health reckoning

There's a couple of journalistic sleights-of-hand that bear exposing.  While leading with Matthew Wolff, Daniel Rappaport then builds his case using poster children Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, who have precious little to do with our game and have become to me entirely tiresome examples.  Osaka especially, because at the 2019 U.S. Open she went out of her way to becomes a social justice warrior, then later decided she preferred to be Great Garbo.... 

The second tic on display is to cite a handful of examples, some of the extremely borderline nature, and extrapolate from those to the larger population.  But without any understanding of how we've become so risk-averse that we can no longer absorb the risks of venturing out each day, much less the rigors of elite athletic competition.

Where Rappaport succeeds is in describing the tough lives os aspiring touring professionals:

“Let’s say a guy is on-site for seven hours,” says Sessinghaus, “and then he does a media thing, they go to their hotel, they see themselves—the reminders are constant that they are a golfer. When everything is viewed through that identity as a performer, then the only filtering that comes back is did I perform well or not? And if I did not, that bleeds into your identity as a person. Not just a golfer. Can I have a poor tournament, and still be happy with myself? That is a huge challenge. It’s so cause and effect. It’s, I’m the one who missed a cut. I didn’t make a check. I played so bad. When you use the word ‘I’ a lot, that becomes your identity.”

Motivational structures become skewed. Parents might dream it, but no child picks up golf with fame and fortune in mind. A kid wants to whack that ball, to improve, to spend time with family. Experts call this intrinsic motivation. Then college scholarships enter the picture. Turning professional. Winning tournaments. Moving up the World Ranking. A private jet. Somewhere along the way, the motivation shifts to extrinsic. Golf morphs from a passion to a means to an end.

“Doing it as a job or for a living—that's when the joy goes out of it and that's when you lose your innocence,” Rory McIlroy said at the Tour Championship. “There's a part of that that goes the further along you get in this professional career.”

I'm sorry, was this supposed to be easy?  Does every young man or woman have an inalienable right bestowed by their creator to be a successful touring professional?

In our increasingly-therapeutic world, we seem able to accept that certain golfers don't have the physical capabilities to succeed at the top levels of the game.  But why can't accept that certain individuals simply aren't cut out for the demands of professional golf, without it being a mental illness?  Bobby Jones famously said, “Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course – the distance between your ears,” isn't this issue what he meant by that?

But an equally appropriate aphorism, one I first heard applied to law firm compensation, is that "That which gets rewarded gets repeated."  Our current therapeutic approach includes accommodating players who fail to perform portions of their obligations, most notably those who now refuse to speak to the hostile press.  Bryson DeChambeau and Naomi Osaka, most notably should call their offices, but in reliving them of their responsibilities we will now encourage more players to do the same.

I have sympathy for the Matt Wolffs and other players cited, and will remind you of a previous discussion in these pages regarding Grayson Murray (who shows up in Rappaport's article).  Murray, as you might recall, is one of those guys that's created nasty incidents at pretty much every stage of his golfing development, which he's now attributing to alcoholism.  The point I made then and which still stands is that he seemed a young man unable to manage the stresses and rigors of elite sports.  There's no shame in that, it simply takes physical and psychological outliers to succeed in that world.  And, this being the important part, perhaps the best thing for such young people is to be guided away from that which they can't handle.

But the other aspect of our game might be to not rush these guys into the lonely world of the professional game, a subject we touched on in the prior post.  This is why I've been so critical of the PGA Tour (and, to a lesser extent, the USGA) for those policies that have hurt the amateur game and incentivized the kids to turn professional earlier.  

Otherwise, golf is hard and wouldn't be worth a damn if it wasn't.  

Cheap Shots - A couple of more bits, some from that Shipnuck mailbag, and then we'll let you start your weekend.  I could just as well have included this above with the lead item:

Did you see anything in Rickie’s play this week that says this can be sustained success, or does it feel like a flash in the pan?@VeryAvgDad

The answer Thursday through Saturday was his smile; he had his old lightness of being. On Sunday, Fowler looked puckered. Totally different visage as the strain began to show. He has been grinding so hard, and under such a big microscope, the Sunday scaries were probably inevitable. But if he can maintain that early-week jauntiness and palpable love of being back in the spotlight for all four rounds, I think another victory is coming.

The early returns aren't great, as Rickie is +1 (T35) after 36 holes at the ZoZo, against a pretty weak field.

This one would have belonged in our final item:

Do you think that on the strange, pressure-filled, perfectionist and contentious road Bryson has put himself on there is any chance of him having some kind of a breakdown or mental health issues in the near future? Or is he just too stubborn and iron-y for that to happen? @Dunk2604

You can’t overpower mental health issues with big biceps or blinding clubhead speed. I’ve definitely shared your concerns about DeChambeau. Brooks Koepka’s bullying and the related hazing from the galleries certainly took a toll on Bryson this year, and the back-nine meltdown on Sunday at the U.S. Open was metaphysical. Not long after that he was snarling at fans. The Ryder Cup could be a game-changer for DeChambeau. It was the first time all season he truly felt the love from the crowd, and he reciprocated with excellent and wildly entertaining golf. If he can avoid saying anything dumb—admittedly, not his strong suit—perhaps there will be a different feeling in the air, which would certainly help Bryson. But he still has a childlike need for attention and validation, and that reveals something deeper and more complicated. The good news is that mental health has never been more of a priority in professional sports, and DeChambeau will have a lot of support and resources if he needs it.

Interesting test case, though the message we might want to emphasize (and the point I didn't make above) is that virtually every world class athlete suffers from mental health issues.  If they were normal, they wouldn't be what they are...

And Alan's take on Phil and the USGA:

Is Phil’s out-spoken-ness against the USGA his last/best way of sticking it to the org? How many times has Mike Whan called him in the last 6 months? #AskAlan @EthanZimman

Phil has been at war with the USGA, off and on, since the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock. That week he played some of the best golf of his life, but his bid to win the elusive Open was stymied by the out-of-control course setup (and, in fairness, Retief Goosen’s steely play). The USGA-inspired renovation of Torrey Pines ruined one of Mickelson’s favorite courses, at least in his mind. He busted his wrist in the absurd Oakmont rough in 2007. He barked at Mike Davis in the middle of the final round at Merion in 2013, not the best use of his mental energy while trying to win the national championship. And of course he perpetuated the ridiculous civil disobedience when there was another setup screwup at Shinnecock in 2018. So, yeah, Mickelson is never going to miss a chance to blast the USGA, especially if it’s taking away one of his favorite toys, the 47.5-inch driver. (Though it’s actually the PGA Tour that would be enacting the local rule, but never mind the nuance.) When Phil’s stridence intersects with his need to be the smartest guy in the room, he’s going to take some extreme positions. Clearly the modern power game is overwhelming golf’s ancient playing fields, and limiting driver length is a no-fuss way to tap the brakes. I don’t see what the big deal is, but unlike Phil, I don’t have a lifetime contract with Callaway.

Phil's been throwing hissy fits since at least 2004.... But the bigger story is how he's been coddled, and therefore the behavior is repeated.  Nurse Ratched and his successor have allowed Phil to socialize with gamblers and criminals, to not satisfy his gambling debts and to conduct himself in a variety of ways that aren't consistent with the alleged values of the game.  As someone once said, that which gets rewarded...

Finish this sentence: The Champions Tour broadcast exists because __________ . I’ll hang up and listen. @robmillertime

Otherwise we wouldn’t know that if your erection lasts for more than four hours you should contact a doctor immediately.

Yeah, it's hard to see the value there beyond Cialis' target demo.

You need to tiebreak an HOF induction: 2 players, each 1 U.S. Open , each brief stint as No. 1, each never really took off into the public awareness sphere. One has a Players Championship, one has an Evian championship — which one gets your nod from on high? #AskAlan @tallboy199

Neither? It’s supposed to be the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good. The impoverished standards of the last decade or two have become a bummer. But the induction ceremony is now a glitzy TV show that demands warm bodies, so every borderline candidate is now guaranteed to get in. I would like the Hall to be more discerning.

And not just golf's version thereof.  Bill James has long been all over the declining standards for the baseball version thereof, it's a similar process.  It's not just the need for that ceremony, but the introduction of a marginal candidate (Can you say Monty? ) thereby lowers the standards for all future classes.

Have yourselves a great weekend.  Unfortunately I will not be with you on Monday, as I will instead be being beaten up y Bethpage Black in conjunction with the Met. Golf Writers.  I might also be getting a little wet, a tradition for our annual visits to Black.  I'll see you on Tuesday for sure.

Tuesday Trifles

Nothing too taxing today, just enough to ensure that you don't miss me tomorrow.

WWAD -  I sort of missed the confluence of appeals to authority in the matter of Phil v. USGA, which are both amusing and equally ahistorical.  Shall we dive in, notwithstanding the fact that you have no clue what the heck I'm talking about?  Why not, it's never stopped us before.

First up, Alistair Tait:

How Would Arnie Have Acted, Phil?

It's takes Alistair a bit of time to get to the crux of the matter, but this is it:

Maybe the most perplexing aspect to Phil Mickelson is that he’s modelled his career on the late, great Arnold Palmer. Mickelson said as a young professional he saw the way Palmer acted within
the game and decided that would be his approach too. It’s why he goes out of his way to sign so many autographs, a policy he’s to be lauded for.

You can bet Palmer would never have stooped to calling the game’s rulers stupid. Too bad Phil didn’t think about that before hitting the Tweet button.

As you know, I break the Lewfty phenomenon down into Good Phil and Bad Phil, and I can certainly see traces of The King in the former...  

I had bid a premature farewell to the Desert Sun's Larry Bohannan after news broke of the demise of the Dinah, but he had a similar take on an earlier rules kerfuffle:

What would Arnold Palmer do?: The King might frown on rules in-fighting

Palmer, of course, is the man who taught a couple of generations of golfers what it means to be a

pro. How you interact with fans, with the media and with other players and officials is important, Palmer believed. And Palmer had the credentials as a player, designer and businessman to make others pay attention and follow his lead.

Would Palmer approve of the public bickering by players and officials over the new rules? Those who knew Palmer the best might find that very unlikely. At the very least, Palmer would have wanted to see a little more civility.

Interestingly, that man in the accompanying photo comes in for the harshest criticism, a man whose more recent behavior has caused your humble blogger to reassess his opinion of that alleged gentleman.  Here's Larry's rousing coda:

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could stop seeing tweets and Facebook posts from players about where a drop should be made from, what a water hazard is now and how the rules are making golf into a joke? Wouldn’t it be nice if the players played by the rules on the course while talking to the USGA and the PGA Tour behind closed doors?

I think that’s what Arnold would have done.

I'm not all buying in to the premise that these discussions should be had behind closed doors.  Quite frankly, that creates more problems than it solves, and I think the USGA's comment periods are a bit of a sham, whereby they create the perception but not the reality of being responsive.

But what is most interesting in these citations is that they almost completely ignore what many consider the biggest misstep in the King's golfing life, which is hinted at in this ESPN feature from the early aughts:

Picking on Palmer the wrong choice for USGA

Let's set aside for a moment the specific argument over the most recent technological gizmo that

threatens the very sanctity of golf as a sport -- it's a driver that can add distance off the tee, as opposed to the last five dozen generations of drivers that added distance off the tee -- and focus on the bigger picture. It is this: Has there ever been a worse idea than picking a fight with one of the sport's all-time icons?

Did you see the United States Golf Association trying to take on Arnold Palmer in the court of public opinion over this Callaway driver issue? It's like trying to get people to side with the power company and grant that 50 percent rate increase. Is there a place in America where observers are going to look at Arnie, look at the USGA's latest interpretation of its own rules, and conclude, "Sure, the old guy's lost it. Let's go with the bureaucrats?"

Answer: Nope. Nowhere. Never. You'd get a better response setting the flag on fire than going after Arnold Palmer. At least on the flag issue, there'd be a thimbleful of people in your corner.

Arnie's apostasy was to recommend the use of non-conforming equipment for recreational golfers, and it sure did get testy for a while:

To the USGA, however, it is a major problem; and why? Because Palmer sits as the honorary chairman of the USGA's membership program, as he has done for each of the past 25 years. And to have a person in such a position as Palmer's publicly touting a club development to which the USGA has not yet given its sacred blessing apparently constitutes a serious breach -- so serious, in fact, that the USGA briefly removed Palmer from his spokes-role before yielding Monday to the incredibly negative public reaction to its misguided move.

"We can't have a guy as a visible spokesperson who is championing not playing by the rules," USGA president Trey Holland said at one point. Right, that's pretty much how Americans view Arnold Palmer, as one of those rogue golfers who carries the 17 clubs in the bag and scoops balls out of the water hazards when nobody's looking. Good Lord, you don't suppose he'll be asking to ride in a cart next, do you?

The USGA's opposition to Callaway's driver could be considered the issue here, except that mostly it isn't. If the ERC II indeed consistently adds distance off the tee, then it is going to be taken up by exactly the kinds of recreational hackmeisters and chili-dip specialists to whom Palmer recommended the club in the first place. It's got nothing to do with the USGA's official sanction of the club.

And even on that count, golly, is the USGA sure this is what it wants? Golf's other governing body, the Royal & Ancient, already approved the ERC II for competition. Guess they weren't able to borrow the USGA's famous spring-o-meter before their ruling.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this, though perhaps the most important bit was this:

Palmer laid low on the controversy over the last couple of days, and it was exactly the right thing to do.

Whereas Phil only knows to double down...There's lots of differences in the two incidents, but Arnie did what he thought was right for the game, doing his best to depersonalize the inevitable conflict with the governing body.  Phil called them stupid and amateurs, and then apparently expects them to appreciate the complexity of his worldview.  I've always found that leads to productive exchanges, how about you?

The level of baggage he brings to process is a bit of an issue as well.  Tait made the point that he apologized for his actions at Shinny, though I feel compelled to remind folks that at first he sent Amy out to render the initial apology.  It's also come out that he's offered apologies to at least two Ryder Cup captains (Watson and Sutton), so have a man with perhaps more mea culpas than Tour wins.  Just sayin'...

Before we move on from this issue, the Tour Confidential panel had their own thoughts on it:

3. The USGA on Tuesday announced that tournament organizers will have the option to limit club length to 46 inches under a new local rule that will go into effect on Jan. 1. The rules modification — the current maximum allowable club length is 48 inches — will not affect most golfers but is an effort by the governing bodies to keep driving distances in check at the elite levels of the game. To that point, the PGA, European and LPGA Tours all said they would implement the new rule in their events. As expected, a few players, most notably Phil Mickelson, who used a 47.9-inch driver to win the PGA Championship in May, reacted to the news negatively. “‘Stupid is as stupid does.’ Mrs Gump,” Mickelson wrote on Twitter, continuing, “Really though, are the amateurs trying their best to govern the professional game the stupid ones? Or the professionals for letting them?” Where do you stand? Any issues with the new local rule?

Bamberger: The only issue is the biggest one: The USGA should never have let it get to this in the first place. The game has changed radically, through the lenient way the USGA has monitored the equipment with which we play. You can talk all day and into the night about the march of technology. I don’t think it’s made golf better.

Sens: Right. Fair to take aim at that historical laxness. But not at this latest decision, which was also made with input from a players committee, something Mickelson’s tweet ignores.

Ignores or lies about?  We saw this in a ore important context with the anchored-putting ban, where they were fine with it until guys started winning majors with it.  In a certain sense they can't help but be reactive, though with putting it took several decades for them to respond. 

Piastowski: Good point, Michael! The frustration is that the USGA is being reactive instead of being proactive. Did no one think that a driver at 48 inches would go farther? My issue then is that I hope this doesn’t begin a cycle of ‘Player finds an advantage, player wins, governing body reacts, repeat.’ Let’s hope the governing bodies can get ahead of things going forward.

Colgan: The spitball was pretty unpopular when it was banned, too. Some decisions have to come at the expense of the players for the benefit of the sport, lest golf wind up in a similar quandary to the one facing baseball today. Scale back the tech, save the sport — seems like a fair tradeoff to me.

Melton: This seems like a cop-out move by the USGA. It won’t have much of a tangible effect with only 3 percent of players using a >46-inch driver (per their own stats), but now the Blue Blazers can point to it as an equipment “rollback” that is so obviously needed at the professional level. Driver length is the least of their worries.

That's why I flagged that Thomas Pagel comment yesterday.  If this is all there is, it doesn't even rise to the level of cop-out.  If it's a test case for further action using local rules, then let's see what that means.  Which is basically where they go next:

4. The proposal to dial back the permitted club length was first announced in February of this year. Also announced then were potential updates on ball and driver testing. And it also discussed “research topics/areas of interest” — specifically, “the potential use of a Local Rule that would specify the use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances,” and “a review of the overall conformance specifications for both clubs and balls.” What further steps do you see golf’s governing bodies taking, if any?

Bamberger: I see the governing buddies huddling with lawyers and trying to identify ways they can make continue to govern, and make 7,000 yards meaningful again for Tour players, without being clobbered with lawsuits.

Sens: The ball. It’s gotta be the ball. Which does not mean Michael is wrong about the lawyers.

Piastowski: Josh is right. Seems like the ball is the next step. Make it a universal one, with exceptions for how a player likes to play. It takes the science away, yes. But how far can you bend the rules anyway without eventually running afoul of them? And this way, everyone can still manufacture too.

Colgan: Goodness, Josh, I hope you’re right. Scaling back the ball is such a no-brainer solution to this issue. Sure, somebody’s going to be angry. But somebody’s always going to be angry. This is the easiest, simplest way to bring everything back to earth.

Melton: Bifurcation would be great to see. I have no problem with watching the pros reigned in a little bit and bringing a bit more finesse back to the sport.

Ummm, Zephyr, we just saw an example of bifurcation.... Calling rolling back the ball a "no-brainer" is probably not helpful.  I agree it's the obvious thing to address, but so many feedlots will be threatened that it'll require some profound political skills. 

The Rules Are An Ass - Don't take the above item as any indication that I consider the USGA above criticism, though in this case I'm unclear as to whether thye are to blame.  In any event, Ian Woosnam say hello to Rachel Rohanna:

The first time Rachel Rohanna graduated from the Symetra Tour in 2015, she squeaked in the final card by $284. It was a valuable every-shot-counts lesson.

Earlier this year during the final round of the Copper Rock Championship, Rohanna reached into her bag to pull out a club and discovered that daughter Gemelia’s 23-inch club had slipped to the bottom. She called over a rules official and received a four-stroke penalty for having a U.S. Kids 7-iron as her 15th club.

Rohanna, 30, couldn’t help but look at the money list to see how much the oversight had cost her. Could that $900 be what keep her from earning back her LPGA card?

“That was haunting me the entire time,” said Rohanna, who ultimately finished 10th on the Symetra Tour money list to once again earn the last card. This time, however, $4,429 separated her from No. 11 Beth Wu.

It's a lovely Beth Ann Nichols tribute to a lovely young family that hasn't let the demands of life and careers deter them from starting a family.  All that is well and good, I'm just obsessed by a simple question, to wit, how can a 23-inch plastic club constitute a fifteenth club?  seriously, even though it is in some technical sense a golf club, it is quite logically unusable for an adult and  are we truly incapable of applying judgement and rational thoughts to such one-off occurrences?  

Because in this case I'm forced to agree with Phil, that stupid is as stupid does.

He's Got Hal Sutton's Vote - Jim Furyk was prett dreadful, but you'd excused for thinking that Hal Sutton has retired the Champions Belt of Stupid Ryder Cup captains.  But wait, there's this tall, lanky guy in the shadows saying, "Hold my beer":

Can you picture Dustin Johnson being a Ryder Cup captain?

Johnson can.

“I would love to do it one day,” he said Wednesday after his pro-am in the CJ Cup at The Summit Club. “I think it would be fun. I think I would be a good captain.

“It’s something that I definitely would like to do at some point.”

DJ, those two references to you thinking are breaking news...

This to me is amusing, in that it kind of settles that 2014 Phil v. Watson debate, no?

And his simplistic approach to the game could work nicely in the intense pressure of the Ryder Cup. Johnson said he thinks he’d be a good captain because he would keep things simple.

“Well, I feel like I would let the guys just do their thing,” he said. “I think that’s most important. The players are very good, I don’t need to tell them how to play a golf course or tell them what to do, but just put them in the situation where they can succeed. I feel like I’ve got a good relationship with most of the players out here, and hopefully I’ll be out here long enough to where I’ll know the guys that are going to be on the team.”

Now, DJ missed that 2014 Ryder Cup, recovering from his jet-ski accident coke bender., so perhaps he didn't get the memo about pods.  But it's almost as if he thinks it's just about those twelve players, not any gimmicks from the captain.  Hopefully that means Phil won't be in the running for one of those vice-captaincies.... 

The TC panel was on this one as well:

6. At the CJ Cup, Dustin Johnson was asked if he’d be interested in captaining the U.S. Ryder Cup squad someday. “Yeah, I would love to do it one day,” he said. “Yeah, I think it would be fun. I think I would be a good captain. It’s something that I definitely would like to do at some point.” What kind of qualities would you imagine Capt. DJ would bring to the table?

Sens: I doubt there would be a lot of stress or worry. What he’d do with all the data and analytics, I can’t hazard to say.

Bamberger: Johnson’s genius as a golfer would serve him well as a captain. See ball, hit ball. See lineup card, fill out lineup card. All the rest is commentary. I doubt he’d bother with captain’s picks. Just take ‘em right off the list. 

 And the evidence of DJ's golfing genius would be what?  Go ahead, Mike, I've got all day...

Piastowski: If the team liked captain Steve Stricker’s laid-back attitude, they’re going to love DJ’s.

Colgan: I asked Dustin back in September what advice he’d give some of the youngsters on the Ryder Cup team in Wisconsin, given his status as the team’s most experienced player. He shrugged. “Probably nothing, honestly,” he said. “If they asked me, I’d help. But if they don’t, I’ll just keep my mouth shut.” I think there’s something to be learned from that about his leadership style. Hands off, to be sure, but maybe his teammates would like that.

Melton: Captain DJ would either be a smashing hit or an unmitigated disaster. It’d be quality entertainment either way.

Thanks for narrowing it down for us, Zephyr.  But, again, if the results can be anything on that spectrum, that confirms that captains don't matter, once again proving Tom Watson correct. 

Cheap Shots - A few below-the-belt bits that are totally beneath the dignity of your humble blogger:

Waste Management Phoenix Open to kick off tournament week with a concert on 16th hole

The Waste Management Phoenix Open has added a Concert at the Coliseum to its live music programming for 2022.

Thomas Rhett and Old Dominion will take the stage at the iconic 16th hole for the inaugural Concert at the Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 5, providing fans with an earlier start date for the festivities.

The Phoenix Open week runs Monday, Feb. 7, through Sunday, Feb. 13.

Were the Chainsmokers booked?   What, you thought I had forgotten that bit?

So, I'm not a Twitter guy, but I did sign up once and so I technically have a Twitter feed.  The Eamon Lynch piece of this popped up in said Twitter feed, and I though we had evidence of cats and dogs living harmoniously.  Not so, but I think you'll agree it's funny:

— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) October 17, 2021

Heh!  Of course, that leads to the fun parlor game of how each of us would answer....For your humble blogger, a few thoughts pop into mind:

- This Joe Biden return to normalcy sure is working out well.

- Is there anything more interesting than Tom Fazio's nuanced approach to architecture?

 - How great would it be to have a beer with Patrick Reed?

Just spitballin' here.  Let me know if you'd like more....

Lastly, we limit ourselves to highbrow humor here at Unplayable Lies:

— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) September 14, 2021

I'll see y'all later in the week. 

Weekend Wrap

A delayed start to this morning's blogging, for all the best reasons.  Employee No. 2 has been off on a girl's weekend in Vermont, leaving the kitties and your humble blogger to further bond.  As I watched golf and football yesterday, they took a long-term lease on my lap, and after breaky this morning they returned to that very spot.  Except for the inevitable loss of circulation, it's about as good as it gets for your humble blogger.

Rory in Full - Said with tongue firmly planted in check... But as nice a young man as our Rory seems, he's more than a bit of an underachiever, though he thinks he's found something:

“What I thought was an achievement at the start of my career when I turned pro was to get into the top-20 in the world,” McIlroy said. “So I've surpassed all of that. But as you go on, your goals, you

have to reframe everything, and you have to keep resetting your goals. As I've went along in my career, I've had to do that because you just, you keep going. You can't just stagnate and stay the same, you have to try to keep getting better and keep doing more things.”

McIlroy has now won twice in 2021, last victorious at Quail Hollow and the Wells Fargo Championship in May. He was unremarkable in the five months afterward and tumbled outside the top 10 in the World Ranking, hard-to-believe territory for a man who was kissed by the golfing gods. How ironic, then, that he believes the semi-slump was borne of a self-belief crisis.

“I feel like the last couple weeks I've realized that just being me is good enough and maybe the last few months I was trying … not trying to be someone else, but maybe trying to add things to my game or take things away from my game. I know that when I do the things that I do well, this is what I'm capable of. I'm capable of winning a lot of events on the PGA Tour and being the best player in the world.”

Channeling his inner Stuart Smalley, it seems.    "I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!, for those unfamiliar with the reference.

Certainly Rory is likeable, it's the good enough bit that is a tad troubling... He also had this, which kinds gives the game away:

Remember afternoons like this one, when McIlroy makes this game look impossibly easy, the next time you’re crushed by one of his opening-round 73s at Augusta. Recall the victories the next time he cries in an interview and you play armchair psychologist. You have your answer for the next time you ask yourself What’s wrong with Rory? Nothing. Nothing at all. Golf is hard, professional golf is harder, and winning is the hardest. He’s now done that 20 times. Instead of focusing on what he’s not, take a tip from Rory and focus on what he is.

“I think part of the emotion at the end of [the Ryder Cup] was to do with that week, but it was also probably to do with the last few months in terms of searching to try to get better and the realization that I don't need to search for anything. It's all right here.”

It is all right there and we've been watching closely for years now.  The "It" unfortunately including substandard wedge play and putting, not to mention the boyhood best friend on the bag.  I read Rory's comments to mean we don't have to put in the taxing work to improve those shortcomings, and that he'll be content with the occasional win when it matters least.

Rory is the CEO of Rory, Inc., and he gest to plot its course through this life.  He has no obligation to live that life as, say, Tiger did, and he's got a lovely young family to enjoy, with more children presumably on the way.  But we are similarly not required to ignore that he evidences no burning ambition, nor are we required to take him seriously as a force in our game.  As he notes, being Rory doesn't suck, it's just not close to what it could have been from the limited perspective of golf.

The Tour Confidential panel had some thoughts, not many of which pertained to the victor:

1. The CJ Cup represented the strongest field we’ve seen on Tour since the 2020-21 season-ending playoffs, and the talent showed — all but two of the players finished below par, and Rory McIlroy won with a blistering 25-under total. What storyline (besides Rickie Fowler, which we’ll get to below) most jumped out at you in Vegas?

Josh Sens: Looks like Mr. Morikawa has put his back issues far behind him.

Michael Bamberger: That par is 68 for a Tour player on any normal country-club course.

Nick Piastowski: That rumors of Rory McIlroy’s demise are greatly exaggerated. A quote from him earlier in the week jumped out at me: “I think when I play my best, I’m the best player in the world.” Of course, it’s not that he would say he feels he’s the 50th-best. But McIlroy feeling fully confident makes him awfully tough to top.

Yes, but that confidence tends to surface when it matters the least... 

James Colgan: Jordan Spieth faded, but man, that confidence is SURGING heading into the new year. Could ‘22 be another glimpse at the Spieth of old?

Zephyr Melton: I loved following Keith “No-Name Champion” Mitchell during his blistering 36-hole start. 62-64 is salty.

Salty?  I think you spelled "irrelevant" incorrectly.... It's just a little hard for me to understand how that 62-64 could be your biggest story of the week after watching Mitchell play like a drunk member-Guest participant on the weekend?

I'll use the TC gang to deal with Rickie's week:

2. Rickie Fowler, whose last win came in February 2019, was unable to capitalize on a two-stroke 54-lead at the CJ Cup, shooting a one-under 71 in the final round to finish three

strokes behind winner Rory McIlroy. Still, the week was no doubt a positive sign for Fowler. What did you see in his game that has been lacking in recent years?

Sens: Avoiding the big card-wreckers. It probably helped that this was not exactly a torturous course that brutalized you for every miss. But Fowler fans had to be pleased about his performance, and also the way he talked so openly about his struggles. He’s a class act.

Bamberger: Here’s a far better scout than I: Rory McIlroy! Rory said in his victor’s press conference that Rickie played many, many good shots, and is close-close-close! So it’s all good! Happy new year, Rick!

Piastowski: That all of the adjustments he’s made over these past few years are starting to take hold. The one that jumps off the page is from the tee — for the week, Fowler ranked first in the field in both Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and SG: Tee to Green; last season on Tour, in those same categories, he finished 88th and 139th, respectively. Something is clicking. On a side note, this all does seem similar to what Fowler’s buddy Jordan went through, doesn’t it? Was this Fowler’s Waste Management Open moment?

Colgan: I agree, Nick. Rickie has always been rock-solid with the putter in his hands, but his growth as a ball-striker could be the key to breaking through.

Melton: I’ll be honest, I didn’t get to follow Rickie’s play as closely as I would’ve liked this weekend as I was out on Long Island covering the LET event — apologies for the ignorance! However, it was nice seeing Fowler’s name on the first page of a leaderboard once again. He’s one of the most willingly marketable players in the game, and he’s good for the game.

The Jordan analogy is a good one for a number of reasons, including their putters deserting them and there predilection for the crooked number.  But also because, a she showed signs of life, Jordan had quite the Sunday problem, which Rickie fell victim to yesterday.

It was a great week for the man in Orange, though Sunday was a bit of a downer.  But it's just one week on a very benign golf course, so caution is appropriate.  

When I parked myself in front of the TV yesterday to watch some football and golf, I got quite the surprise.  I wasn't alone and Golf Twitter had thoughts:

No offense, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Lee Janzen.

But golf fans on Sunday, especially those with two thumbs and a social media account, wanted to watch Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler more.

“You have the biggest names in golf like Rory, Morikowa, and Rickie trying to make a comeback and you air the champions tour?!?!” tweeted @BFarraye. “At this rate we won’t see the PGA tour until the leaders are on the FIFTEENTH HOLE!!”

Search some version of “PGA Tour” or “Golf Channel” on Twitter on Sunday afternoon, and you could find more of the same. The issue? Golf Channel was to broadcast the final round of the Champions Tour’s SAS Championship from 2-5 p.m. ET, then show the final round of the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup — but when the SAS went past 5 for a playoff between Jimenez and Janzen, and Golf Channel stuck with it over McIlroy, Fowler and others slugging it out for the lead, fans went to their phones and computers.

To add to the furor, some fans found that Golf Channel’s website was also showing only the Champions event. Viewers then were left to occasional split-screen updates on Golf Channel and online scoreboards.

Bizarre for sure, though the author leaves unclear how truly strange it was.  The coverage was scheduled to begin at 5:00 EST, but that window would only have picked up the leaders at the turn... So when Golf Channel shows up forty minutes late, that ate into an already bizarrely truncated broadcast window.  The effect of this was magnified due to Golf Channel being unable or unwilling to stream it on their app and website, so Golf Channel being unable or unwilling to stream it on their app and website, so a Cluster-F for sure.

That link above ha a carefully curated selection of social media outrage, and Geoff has more and better of the same here, though perhaps everyone should take a deep breath.  I know, red flares should be going off when your humble vlogger si the voice of reason...

Look, it was awful and you'd think they'd have had enough time to come up with a workaround.  But I think this is a one-off caused by the relocation of the event from Korea to Vegas.  Normally Golf Channel would have no issues covering the round bellies, because the CJ Cup would air overnight.  

But I Didn't get Them Anything - Geoff devotes a Quadrilateral post to a meaningful anniversary in our little game:

What were you doing on October 17, 1860?

The Open’s initial gathering of eight—yet another limited-field, no-cut deal—took place on October 17, 1860. Led by James Ogilvie Fairlie, members of nine-year-old Prestwick Golf Club offered a £25 Challenge Belt and no prize money. Willie Park Sr. went wire-to-wire to beat Old Tom Morris, then Prestwick’s Keeper of the Green, Club and Ball Maker and course designer. Park finished two ahead after 12-hole scores of 55-59-60 and a 174 total.

The following year’s competition was declared to “be open to all the world”. And voila, The Open became the name. That all-important piece of golf phraseology is safely stored and protected in Prestwick’s club minutes:

So, why do we revere Jim Furyk's 58 when Willie Park posted a 55?

Geoff has much more on the original 12-hole course and Championship Belt, including this on the purse:

The Challenge Belt was famously retired when Tommy Morris claimed his third straight Open in

1870. It was replaced by the Challenge Trophy, now better known as the Claret Jug. Prestwick also displays Old Tom’s 1872 letter establishing the “agreement of understanding” regarding the belt’s replacement after Tommy’s historic victory. That must have been a fun letter for dad to sign!

Regarding the purse, The Open did not pay prize money until 1863. And when they initially did, it was only to the second, third and fourth place finishers. First place prize money was not paid until 1864. Initially, it was all about the belt (and the perks that went with becoming the Champion Golfer).

Strange to not pay the winner, given that the Challenge Belt was a loaner (and there was significant effort involved in ensuring that the winner would return it the following year).  Geoff notes Young Tom's ace on the eighth hole in 1869, though the nature of Young Tom's dominance is perhaps better illustrated by his play on the opening hole in 1870:

In 1869 Young Tom had recorded The Open’s first hole-in-one. In 1870, he started with the first ever 3 at Prestwick’s 578-yards opening hole.

Two good hits left him with a blind third shot of 200 yards. His ball just carried the Cardinal Bunker and then hit the flagstick and dropped into the hole. A huge roar reverberated around the links, telling his opponents that they may well be playing for second place once again.

He opened with a 47 on the 12-hole course, improving on his course record from 1868 by two strokes. He led by five strokes, stayed that far in front with a 51 in the second round and then added another 51 for a total of 149.It beat his own record total by five strokes and was the lowest score ever while The Championship was contested over 36 holes.

I mentioned the anniversary to Bobby D. on the putting green yesterday, including a brief recitation of the 12-hole course Old Tom laid out, including that 578-yeard first hole.  Bob asked the inevitable question triggered by that yardage:

It was only in the late 1900s/early 1910s that the concept of 'Par' started to emerge - this being the designated number of strokes a scratch player could be expected to take on a hole in ideal conditions. In this way par was distinguished from bogey. The term par itself is a standard term in sports handicapping, where it simply means 'level' or 'even.'

Notwithstanding that Par was a concept sixty years in the future, three still seems an awfully good score there.

Phil In Phull.... Or Phull Of It - Eamon Lynch has a predictable reaction to our hero, using his own disgraceful behavior as a framing device:

For someone who just a few years ago was perilously proximate to a federal insider trading prosecution, Phil Mickelson has developed a commendable interest in regulatory processes.

Who among us can’t empathize with an aging stag shorn of shaft length as he tries to keep up with the young bucks? But note how Mickelson repeatedly disparages the governing body’s staff as stupid people doing stupid things. You’d be forgiven for assuming it must have been the USGA’s CEO, Mike Whan, who was taken for $500,000 by a mobbed-up Michigan bookie, or that it was his secretary who hit a moving ball in a U.S. Open then tried to brazen it out as clever strategy.

OK, that's some premium snark there, though I still think Eamon is pulling his punches.  For instance, I seem to be the only one  interested in the matter of why Phil's gambling debts seem to go unpaid.... Phil seems terribly invested in his reputation as a sophisticated sports gambler, yet completely in the dark as to how one actually pays off those losses.  Curious, no?

Eamon's got more, in which he barely scrapes the surface of Phil's transactional relationship with the truth:

Mickelson’s criticism of the USGA is textbook political grandstanding: express shock at a decision you have long known is coming (limiting club length has been underway since 2016); denounce it as more evidence of poor governance by unaccountable elites; claim there was a lack of consultation with the people most impacted; and finally, cast blame on a soft target because you lack the sincerity to chide your pals who actually made the policy decision at hand.

If Mickelson wants to excoriate as “stupid” the people who actually decided to shorten his shaft, he’d need to direct his barbs at Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and the 17 other guys who make decisions as members of the Player Advisory Council. The hint is in the title: Player Advisory Council, a body wholly comprised of the very constituency Mickelson insists had no say or representation in the matter.

If I had more time, I might be inclined to search Eamon's archives from 2014.... because this is a minor blip compared to that disgrace.

Mickelson is an experienced hand at trying to undermine golf institutions that aren’t accommodating his latest personal needs. In addition to his frequent sniping at the USGA, he single-handedly ensured that a task force over which he held tremendous sway wrested control of the Ryder Cup selection process from the PGA of America. Veteran observers have already registered hints about his next target. In a recent podcast with Gary Williams, Mickelson bemoaned the percentage of revenue top players receive from PGA Tour coffers—the same pitch trotted out by evangelists for the Saudi-financed super league concept. But then, the Crown Prince is proven to have more generous limits when it comes to the equipment he permits employees to use when carrying out their work.

Which nicely makes the point many of us have long noted, that Phil is all about Phil.... And not nearly as clever about it as he thinks.  

Just one more bit on the driver-length issue which I left on the cutting room floor last week.  We all understand that shaft length is a small issue, the more so because so few players are using shafts longer than the proposed limits.  This seems more a trial run for the concept of equipment regulation through local rules, a concept about which I have significant skepticism but no real objection.

But the fundamental question on all our minds is, "Where are the USGA/R&A going with this?"  I can't answer this, but Thomas Pagel, the USGA's Senior Managing Director, Governance, seems to have:

“We’re committed to our desire to stop the cycle of increased hitting distances. We have the long-term health of the game in mind. How is the game healthy 20, 50, 100 years from now. That’s something we \remain committed to. We know elite players can achieve distance increases through using a longer club, and as an industry as we go through the critical conversation about the long-term health of the game and what role distance plays with that, we just thought it was best to cap this now while we have the rest of that discussion.”

I believe it was Yoda that said, "There is no desire.  There is only doing or not doing."  OK, that's a bit a paraphrase, but the point is clear.  

That's it for today, but we'll be back at the keyboard throughout the week.