Thursday Threads

The trip to Utah got cancelled yesterday, so shall we go deep on the Shark Shootout?  Yeah, didn't think so, though that one Silly Season event just got a little more interesting.

He's In - No doubt you've heard the news, Charlie is back:

TIGER WOODS TO PLAY 2021 PNC CHAMPIONSHIP

ORLANDO, Dec. 8, 2021 - Tiger Woods has confirmed he will return to competitive golf next week at the 2021 PNC Championship, taking place at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grande Lakes,

Dec. 16-19.

Woods will partner with his son Charlie as they return to the PNC Championship for a second time, having finished tied for seventh place in 2020.

Woods commented, “Although it’s been a long and challenging year, I am very excited to close it out by competing in the PNC Championship with my son Charlie. I’m playing as a Dad and couldn’t be more excited and proud.”

There's a wider range of reactions than one might expect, including this from Morning Read's Mike Purkey that mirrors some of my own concerns (though note that it was obviously penned before the news was official):

So, before you go all breathless about the likelihood or even the possibility of Tiger playing next

weekend, inhale slowly, breathe deeply and consider harsh reality. He’s 9-½ months removed from a car crash that could have easily taken his life and apparently, the odds were only slightly in his favor to keep his right leg, in which the tibia and fibula were pulverized, from being amputated. Doctors, even some who were treating him, feared he might not walk normally again, if at all.

"Does it feel like a risk when you make a swing?" NBC’s David Feherty asked.

"It has before, but if I go at it at what I would say like my old speed, yes, it is," Woods said.

What would make him go at his old speed?  Wouldn't take much in the way of trash talk from Justin Thomas or Charlie, no?

"Playing hit-and-giggle golf, it’s easy," Tiger said cryptically at his press conference last Tuesday in the Bahamas, leading viewers to believe that the PNC qualifies as hit-and-giggle. "You can slap it around, hop in a cart and do whatever. Play nine holes, six holes, pick up, whatever, hit a bad shot, eh, I’ll hit another one, no big deal. But playing Tour golf and being prepared to play and try and shoot scores against the best players on the toughest golf courses then that’s a totally different deal. And I am a long way away from that. So, don’t expect me to be out there at the Tour level for quite some time."

A few holes at home with his buddies while he’s recovering might be reasonable to expect.

However, it seems beyond the realm of realism to believe that Woods would play golf in front of a gallery and millions of television viewers and look like a dollar-store version of his old self. His endless ego and pride wouldn’t stand for that for a single televised minute.

 And yet, here we are....  

The risks far outweigh the benefits. Besides, it would appear there’s only one benefit and it’s not Charlie’s opportunity to play in the PNC. If Tiger does something, even accidentally — stepping into an unseen hole or a sprinkler head — that causes damage to his fragile leg, not only could golf be out of his future but a normal life, as well.

And Charlie wouldn’t be able to play in the PNC until he has a 12-year-old son or daughter.

Gee, Mike, why are you limiting it to only those two genders?

Mike Bamberger came at it from amore conventional perspective.  His first piece on the subject included this amusing ranking:

With all due respect to the gentlefolk at Global Home, the PGA Tour’s gleaming new HQ off A1A in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., here’s a top-9 list* with street cred, a ranking of golf’s biggest events, men’s division:

1. The Masters.
2. The Ryder Cup.
3. The British Open.
4. The U.S. Open.
5. The PNC Championship (aka, The Parents & Kids & Assorted Others Invitational).
6. The PGA Championship.
7. The Players Championship.
8. The Presidents Cup.
9. The Hero World Challenge.

Now, like your humble blogger, you might be curious about that asterisk which, pays off here:

You can call this PNC Championship a casual golfing get-together, and it is. But it’s a competitive golf tournament, too. It’s as important as you make it. It’s on our top-9 tournament list (winking emoji HERE*) not because it’s an important golf competition but because it involves an important competitive golfer. This is a major event because Tiger will care, and because we will, too.

 Which is exactly the concern of Mike Purkey and my ownself.... Mike also had this second piece:

The Tiger Woods Comeback Tour couldn’t start in a more optimal setting

Why?  Well, he's got three basic reasons...

1. The Format

This is a big one. The format for the PNC is a two-round team scramble. That means (1) Tiger will need to play only 36 holes, and (2) He won’t even necessarily need to play every hole in its

entirety. In a scramble, each player hits a shot and then you take the best of those two balls and play your next shot from there, following that routine all the way into the hole. If Charlie, who presumably will be playing from the forward tees as he did last year, busts a drive, leaving he and his father in fine position, Tiger could elect to go without a tee shot and simply start his hole from the middle of the fairway.

On the NBC broadcast from the Hero World Challenge last week, Steve Sands said that at last year’s PNC, Team Woods used Charlie’s tee shot on 15 or 16 holes, or about 44 percent of them. Leaning on Charlie’s tee shots and taking driver out of Tiger’s hands would help take some of the proverbial weight off Dad’s shoulders — and literal weight off his aching leg.

Yeah, but even Charlie will hit a few snarky ones...  though most folks forget that Tiger wasn't in good shape last year.  In fact, he had his fourth highly-successful back surgery shortly after the event.

Yeah, they'll take care of him as best they can:

2. The Rules (or lack thereof)

The PNC Championship ain’t the PGA Championship. With a wide breadth of skills and ages

playing in the event, tournament organizers need to be flexible. Witness the medley of tees which the PNC field employed in 2020. Greg Norman, Nick Price and Bernhard Langer played a shorter course than more youthful players in the field. Annika Sorenstam played shorter tees still, while four other players played from even further up: Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Jackie Langer and Charlie Woods.

Could the event make tee accommodations for Tiger? Certainly.

“Every year we consult with the PGA Tour rules officials and we try to make it as fair and competitive as possible and so we’ll work through that situation in the coming days,” Teo Sodeman, the PNC Championship tournament director, told the Golf Channel on Wednesday.

Also, you can almost certainly expect to see Woods in a cart, something that would, of course, not be available to him in a standard PGA Tour event. It’s worth remembering that to this point in his recovery, we’ve only seen Woods in short bursts: a wedge swing there, a press conference there. What we’ve seen and heard has been remarkable, but we’ll learn a lot more when we observe him over an extended period — like, say, 18 holes. There will be all kinds of tells: how he paces across a green, whether he bends over to collect his ball (look for Charlie to handle that duty), how he interacts with the fans. There is much to celebrate with Tiger’s return to competition but we’d all be wise to keep reminding ourselves that Woods is still in the nascent stages of his recovery.

 Whatever.  

Shall be allocate some pixels to the naysayers?   Alistair Tait sets the scene:

Next week, a 45-year-old man and his 12-year-old son will play in a fun, end of year, silly season tournament and the world of golf go will absolutely bonkers.

Yet again.

There are great parent child teams in next week’s PNC at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando. Women’s world number one Nelly Korda plays with dad Petr, the 1998 Australian Open champion. Justin Thomas teams up with father and coach Mike. John Daly and son Little John play together. Lee Trevino and son Daniel, and on it goes.

It’s questionable whether any of the other duos will get much airtime given all eyes will be focussed on Woods and wee Charlie, just as they were 12 months ago. In fact, quite why organisers have invited the other tandems is a mystery. They’d probably get away with just televising Tiger and Charlie playing together and many golf fans might not bat an eyelid.

Kind of begs for featured group coverage, no?

But here's Alistair's point:

Which leads me to ask: Will the Tiger Woods bubble ever burst?

I might be an exception, but the insatiable thirst for Tiger Woods stories, any stories, baffles me. We saw it on the Sunday of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. A three-second video of Tiger hitting a wedge shot with the words, “making progress” went viral. Golf media outlets probably gave more coverage of that three-second video than they gave to Colin Morikawa becoming the first American to win the Race to Dubai, or Jin Young Ko hitting 63 straight greens to win the CME Group Tour Championship.

It’s always been thus. TV and website coverage of Woods is sometimes so over the top in many tournaments, even when he’s playing poorly, you wonder if some players in the original draw have pulled out given they get so little coverage.

My old employer Golfweek would sometimes plaster Woods on all four frames of the home screen on the website. I sat in several “think tank” meetings where we had sessions on how do we get more Tiger Woods stories on the site? Once again, any Tiger Woods story.

To me, the appeal doesn't require much explanation, though I think he errs in not appreciating that, at least in this case, the fascination includes Charlie as well as Pops.

I do agree that the Tiger-mania is excessive at times, and will inevitably push other stories to the periphery.  But that's the nature of manias, and Alistair's own media is pretty damn culpable as well (which is obviously part of his point).  

My media criticism is less about the fawning coverage as it is about their failure to cover other aspects of Tiger.  Geoff, in this freebie Quadrilateral post, links to a Phil Mushnik piece with this qualified recommendation:

Phil Mushnick, as only he can, slaughters the golf media for its handling of Tiger Woods’ accident. He raises plenty of legitimate points but also lets his loathing of Woods get the best of legit criticisms.

Still...

Last week Woods reemerged to face the media he had conditioned to ask only fawning questions in exchange for same-old-stuff quotes. Reporters had long ago been trained to kiss his fanny at the risk of losing access. Yet this time someone had the temerity to ask Woods to explain what the heck happened in his latest, highly suspicious car-driving saga, from February.

Woods went suddenly sour: “All those answers have been answered in the investigation, so you can read about all that there in the police report.”

No you can’t. The investigation and ensuing report raised far more questions than it answered. For starters, was a legit investigation conducted by California law enforcement as would apply to you and I, or was it given the quick brush on behalf of the one and only Tiger Woods?

I guess you could say he let his loathing get in the way, or you could just remind folks of what an a*****e Tiger could be.  Because this isn't the first such incident:

After all, Woods had previously pleaded guilty to reckless driving when he was found in a drug stupor behind the wheel of his Mercedes in Florida. Hard for Los Angeles cops to miss it; it was in all the papers.

Yet the California authorities failed to administer a blood test that commoners who have inexplicably driven off the road at high speed — over 80 in a 45 mph zone — would have undertaken. Why was Woods issued a free pass, especially given his driving-while-impaired record?

Note the difference between Florida and California... 

Phil does go deep on another story that's never gotten fully investif=gated:

Consider: A since-arrested, convicted for illegal drug-dispensing and defrocked miracle cure doctor from Canada was frequently flown to Woods’ home in Florida to treat his aches and pains.

What was that all about? No one — not the PGA, not the golf media and certainly not the Tiger-reliant TV networks —would dare pursue that one. Woods has been schooled to expect such entitlements and privileges.

The simple facts are that Tiger has now twice behaved on public roads in manner that quite clearly endangers the public.   That he feels no need to explain and express contrition tells me everything I need to know about him.  Others are free to draw their own conclusions.  But the fact that no member of the golf or sports media has attempted to fill in the missing pieces of this story also tells us everything we need to know about them...

GTG - The Backlash - It's easy pickings, but we're seeing some folks (Geoff, but also others) call BS on using the hackneyed "Grow the Game" to rationalize pretty much anything they want to do.  We had Eamon Lynch on this subject on Tuesday, and today we have Bubba justifying his Saudi appearance fee:

Q. Just your thoughts on you're on the list for the Saudi Arabia tournament and obviously a lot of players are just waiting to see what happens or what the Tour says. How are you approaching that part of it?

BUBBA WATSON: Yeah, it's one of those things where I love to travel and I wanted to travel somewhere else.

And Saudi Arabia, they're trying to change.

They started with women's golf, started supporting the women's golf and then they started supporting men's golf. There's women's tournaments already that they sponsor. Trying to grow the game.

They're trying to change industry over there, bring golf, bring tourism to Saudi Arabia with the beautiful beaches that they already have.

It will be interesting to go over there and play, but also see the beauty of other parts of the world that God's created. I can't wait to get over there.

I elided a series of  LOLs and ROFLs that Geoff used to indicate his profound respect for Bubba's thoughts, though this point is of a more substantive nature:

Okay this is not funny now. Someone needs to convey to Mr. Bubba that in the eyes of those paying him lavishly to come see their country, his God did not create those beautiful beaches. And they don’t really like his God. At all.

Well, there is that....

As I've noted frequently, I think we'd all be better off if we'd just give up the notion that these guys are some kind of moral exemplars... For instance, the folks squawking about Bubba playing in Saudi seem to have no issue with him playing in China....   

but anything that punctures the rampant use of "Grow the Game" for the most dubious of activities is an unmitigated good.

End It, Don't Mend It - Shockingly, the Brooksie-Bryson beatdown drew a reasonable audience:

All the numbers are in from the various places The Match V aired—including NHLN and the dreaded TruTV we only use in March—and Brooks Koepka against Bryson DeChambeau did more than fine.

According to Paulsen at Sports Media Watch, the final tally across all platforms gave them an increase in viewership...

— averaged 1.2 million viewers across TBS, TNT, TruTV and NHLN, up 13% from last year’s Black Friday edition (1.0M). Compared to the previous edition of “The Match” in July, viewership fell 29% from 1.7 million.

The July Match is a different beast due to the pandemic, but the increase over Phil Mickelson with Curry, Manning and Barkley is a win for Turner.

Or at least reasonable compared to Tour ratings for Sea Island....

Nick Piastowski has five ways to improve the product, which range for the dubious to the more dubious.  You can decide about his lede idea:

Real money on the line

To date, the Match has been played for charity. And we’re not suggesting that change. It’s one of the best parts. But how about this fix: Instead of sponsor money, make it the player’s own cash. You want Bryson and Brooks looking a little more lively? Ten million bucks would heat things up quickly.

We’ve heard tales of the cash games that are played during practice rounds. (If you believe the stories, they are practically Mickelson’s second job.) And even among the celebrity set.

I don't think that first one was for charity, was it?

But these guys playing for their own money?  Yeah, that's a good one...

But here's a workable premise, maybe:

‘If two 15-handicappers played for $1 million, would you tune in and watch?’

The final thought is one you’ve seen before on these pages, but still is worth considering. Last year, our Alan Bastable pitched the following idea:

“A network announces tryouts for a new reality show for golfers of ‘average’ talent — say, somewhere in the 13 to 17 handicap range. Through that process, the producers identify a couple of players of nearly identical ability and with big personalities that would play well on TV. Weeks later, boom! The producers surprise the two finalists at their homes and tell them that they have 24 hours to meet at the Pebble Beach pro shop. (Any brand-name course would work, but we’re aiming high.)

“Fast-forward a day and the players roll into Pebble looking bewildered. No range time, no practice putts, nothing. Next stop: 1st tee, which is enclosed by a packed grandstand (we’re assuming a post-Covid timeframe). Cameras are everywhere. When they arrive on the box, the contestants are informed that they are about to play one another in match play — for $1 million. Life-changing money. Winner takes all. Oohs, aahs, dropped jaws. But that’s not all! The first-tee announcer reveals that each player will be captained by either Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, who at that moment stroll on to the tee. Coin flip decides who will captain whom, with another million bucks going to the winning captain’s charity of choice.

“To make things even more interesting, the captains will also serve as lifelines. The players may elect to have their captain step in and play any six shots on each side (with a maximum of three tee shots per nine).”

Why does this work so well? One of the best parts of the second Match was when one of the greatest of all-time, Tom Brady, looked like one of the worst, as he sent shots flying every which way and ripped the backside of his pants down the middle. He was relatable. This concept would no doubt have that.

Please excuse the obscenely long excerpt, but I though the fun was in how long he went with the fever dream.

They have now had five of these puppies and. to this observer, there were exactly two interesting moments:

1. Phil coaching Charles Barkley around the course, and;
2. Tom Brady sucking beyond our imagination.

The amateurs are far more interesting than the pros, though I'm not actually convinced (Like Nick) that that's a sustainable strategy absent Sir Charles.  Even Brady wasn't very interesting to listen to, though the split in his pants was a major bonus.  But unknown amateurs with big personalities?  Yeah, that's the ticket!

I shall leave you to begin your day.  Blogging will likely be on an as-needed basis for the next week or so, though we'll flood the zone for the PNC.

 

 

Weekend Wrap - Tuesday Edition

Back from our family get together in Baltimore this past weekend and it appears some golf was actually played.  Though that too second billing to the host's range sessions...

Hero Stuff - It's not often that I regret missing December golf, but that was quite the unusually wild Sunday in Albany.  Ian Finnis, whose day job is looping for Tony Finau, had this summary:

— ian finnis (@FinoEFC) December 5, 2021

Well, they don't call it the Silly Season for nothing... In no particular order:

Noon ET: Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson hit — from the wrong tees (and Stenson is spot-on as a comedian!)

The bizarre began when Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson, playing in the first group of the day, played from the wrong tee box, walked about 100 yards, were told of the error and took a two-stroke penalty and rehit. The 9th and 17th tee boxes were flipped on Sunday from their positions from the first three days of the event, and Spieth and Stenson played the 9th from the original spot.

— Henrik Stenson (@henrikstenson) December 6, 2021

Henrik is one of the more amusing guys out there and very quick to have fun with his own misplays.  I remember a monster shank of his from a few years back that he posted on social media at the very moment the Tour made everyone else take the video down.

One of the hottest players on the planet the proceeded to <checking notes> need six shots from around a green:

4. The six-chip debacle

This fall, Sam Burns has been playing like one of the hottest players in the world. How? A pretty lethal combination of doing everything well. Off the tee he’s No. 15 in strokes gained. Approaching the green he’s even better at No. 4. His strokes gained numbers around and on the green are less remarkable (62nd and 96th) but they’re still better than Tour average. And so it made sense that he would be the one to close out the fall season with a victory.

Not so fast:

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 5, 2021

For the record, he did make that twenty-footer for the triple, which shows us something. 

When last we met on Friday, Rory McIlroy was giddy after holding a share of the first round lead, declaring peace in our time  his struggles behind him and wishing it were late March.  I didn't notice a genie lurking in the background but, apparently his wish was granted, because he reeled off rounds of 71-75-70 and finished 18th, or just above those two guys above that wanted to quit after nine holes.  I mean that 75 would have reduced Rory's Thursday scoring average at Augusta, no?

His week included this gem:

— Rory McIlroy Tracker (@RMTracker) December 3, 2021

I don't know, Mr. Tracker Man, but I've been watching Rory putt for these 13 years, and that's one highly competitive category...

And there was this as well:

1:45 p.m., 1:50 p.m., and 2:05 p.m.: Patrick Reed hits lefty, Brooks Koepka hits lefty, Patrick Reed hits lefty again

I'll let the Tour Confidential Panel take it from here:

5. At the Hero, Sunday’s final round took a turn for the wild, with the seemingly indestructible Collin Morikawa coughing up a five-shot lead to begin the day; Patrick Reed twice(!) hitting left-handed; Sam Burns needing five chips to reach a green; and Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson hitting from the wrong tee box. In the end, after starting the day six shots back, Viktor Hovland won by a stroke. Whew. From one of the more bizarre Tour Sundays in recent memory, what will most stick with you?

Bamberger: Viktor Hovland’s goofy smile after hitting that scoopy pitch into the 18th green, and getting away with a lousy one. It let him win the tournament. Given the rhythm of the summary above, it would have been more fitting for him to blade it right on over the green.

Bastable: And let’s not forget about P-Reed — two years from Bunkergate on this very course — weighing his drop options in the sand on the 72nd hole as Hovland and his caddie looked on with some degree of urgency. Hovland wasn’t asked about it after his round but love to know what, if any, impact that delay had on his blocked approach. Reed was, of course, well within his rights, but given the excellent lie he had, he seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time ultimately deciding to accept his situation and move on.

Piastowski: Morikawa. Not so much that he coughed up the large lead. More that that will stick with him for the next month. He’s shown an ability to find problems and solve them, and I’m believing he comes out better because of what happened. Which should be scary for the rest of golf.

Dethier: Sam Burns. His game can look bulletproof at times and he could do no wrong for about 13 holes on Sunday. Then he hit it greenside at the drivable 14th. Then he chipped once, twice, thrice, and so on. He still wasn’t on the green when he played his seventh shot — and then he holed it. A drive and six chips makes a seven. (It was with a putter, but still.) Hovland took it from there.

 Quite the wacky Sunday for sure, just a bit sorry to have missed the mayhem.

Tiger Stuff - I supposed he can be excused for big-footing his own event, but shall we lead with this Dylan Dethier observation from his Monday Finish feature?

1. Tiger’s arms

There was plenty of anticipation for Tiger Woods to enter the media center on Tuesday at 9 a.m. local time. How would he look? How would he walk? What would he say? But the very first impression when he walked through the door was biceps-related. Every day has clearly been arms day. I mean, check out the difference from this year’s Hero World Challenge compared to the 2020 Masters:

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) December 6, 2021

That’s going from strong to like, whoa. Woods has arms the size of most Tour pros’ thighs. What does it mean? Partly it’s just a curiosity. But it also speaks to the fact that Woods has clearly been interested in getting better, and stronger, and recovering however he can. It means he’s been in the gym for months, even though the work he can do on his legs is obviously restricted. It means he’s been doing a lot of crutching.

“I built a really nice house, but I didn’t realize how big it was until you start putting crutches on,” Woods said with a grin. “Yeah, there were times where I had to take breaks, but I’ll tell you what, though, there’s a point in time where my triceps got pretty jacked, so that was a lot of fun.”

The implication there is that his arms have now begun to shrink in size. I don’t know if that’s humble-bragging or just stated fact, but it’s clear there’s been more than Call of Duty and chipping contests going on in the Woods household this year.

That's a deeper dive than you might have expected, but that likely tees up his next back surgery in 3-2-1...

That Tour Confidential panel did a deep dive on Tiger... I know, it's shocking they could find the pixels for such a has-been:

1. Tiger Woods, first in an interview with Golf Digest, then in a press conference ahead of this week’s Hero World Challenge, gave his first public statements since his car crash in late February. Among the various takeaways were that Woods was not even at the “halfway point” in his recovery from various injuries; he would “never full-time play” the PGA Tour again; and he faced a “damn-near” 50-percent chance of losing his right leg. As the 15-time major champion returns to the public eye, what is your biggest takeaway from his comments?

Nick Piastowski: This quote struck me: “I’ll just have a different way of doing it and that’s OK and I’m at peace with that. I’ve made the climb enough times.” To hear a player who’s spent his

entire life — not just career — climbing and climbing come to that conclusion was jarring. No one ever thought that Woods would play forever, but to have him say the ride might be over was a bit stunning.

Alan Bastable: There were sobering elements to his remarks, to be sure, but still, let’s celebrate this moment for what is: just nine months after we saw those horrifying images of that mangled Genesis and learned of the extent of Woods’ injuries, he appears to be on the verge of strolling fairways again and hitting full-swing shots alongside his peers. Whether or not he contends on the PGA Tour again feels secondary. Tiger is back playing, period. If in February you predicted we’d be at this point in December, you had way more foresight than me.

Michael Bamberger: Well said, Alan. But given what Tiger has been through, his physical recovery — the prospect of maybe, maybe playing a handful of events each year — is really just about the least of it. His life changed, permanently, as a result of that crash. The will he has shown to carry on as he has is both astounding and not surprising.

Dylan Dethier: Well said. From a golf perspective there were his comments, which were sobering, and there were the subsequent on- and off-camera range sessions, which have golf fans frothing at the mouth. The truth is, Woods is further along than we thought at the beginning of the week but probably not as far along as public perception would suggest. He’s swinging it pretty well. He’s also having a hard time walking more than a short distance. Progress!

Given that he only appeared due to his commercial interests makes me reluctant to assign any meaning to it.  And anything he might have said was completely over-shadowed by the swing videos, as he must have known it would be.

 He does seem like he's going to hit-and-giggle it at the PNC, no?

2. As the Hero progressed, Woods was spotted at various times hitting on the range, ramping all the way up to driver at one point. While, of course, only he knows for certain, when do you think we will see Woods on the PGA Tour? And, bonus question, will he team up with son Charlie at the parent-child PNC Championship in two weeks?

Bastable: Actually, I doubt even Woods knows that for certain. There’s a lonnnng way between playing a parent-child event (presumably with the aid of a cart, and, yes, I do think he’ll play) and walking a 7,500-yard PGA Tour setup for four-plus consecutive days. If you’re trying to predict which venues might suit Woods’ near-term plans, you might want to think less about a certain Alister MacKenzie design a couple hours east of Atlanta and more about flatter, more walkable courses. Looking at you, Old Course!

Bamberger: On or at? On, Riviera. Playing? The Old Course IF the weather forecast is favorable.

Piastowski: The St. Andrews prediction makes a lot of sense. When he comes back, it’s not going to be to tie for 50th, it’s going to be to win, and he would have more than a fighter’s chance at a venue where he’s won twice before. As for the PNC, he’s playing, no doubt. Charlie wants to prank JT again, so he’s dragging his pop back.

Dethier: Yes, he’ll play the PNC. Yes, he’ll play some on the PGA Tour. I think he’ll try his damnedest to beat the odds and the doctors and play the Masters, even though he won’t admit it publicly. St. Andrews still seems more realistic, but I’ve sworn off doubting Woods in any circumstance.

I don't feel like I have much to add here, though I'm a bit shocked that he actually might play the PNC.  I assume if he does it'll be because Charley wants to, and even I'm not sufficiently cynical to throw shade on a father and son.  I know the theory is that Charley will bomb from those short tees and all, but isn't it likely that Tiger at some point will try to to something that maybe he shouldn't?

I find the whole matter curious in the extreme.  I totally get that he can't know whether he can make it back, or even get to the point where he can walk a golf course, so why say any more than that.  Why tease the Hogan schedule, which included Augusta, when those hills might be a bridge too far?

As for St. Andrews, yowzer, not so fast.  Mike makes the good point about the weather, but Dylan and others are only looking at half the puzzle.  Yes, the auld sod is flatter than Augusta, but don't underestimate the impact of that rock-hard links turf.  My legs hurt more after a day on the links (and there was that Ballyliffin shin splint) than on the hilliest inland course.

3. Among Woods’ comments, what was something that maybe flew under the radar that you found interesting?

Bastable: I was intrigued by the military tactics Woods said he used to help him through his recovery. Tiger’s late father, Earl, who was a Green Beret, told Tiger that he would get through firefights by “living meal to meal,” or in other words, by setting short-term survival goals. Tiger said he used the same principle in the hospital. “I would focus as much as I possibly could to get from breakfast to lunch,” he told Golf Digest. “That was a success. Then we’d regroup after lunch, run more batteries of tests, and I’d say I just need to make it to dinner. So I’d just shorten up the window. Instead of saying, ‘God, this is going to be nine months of hell, it’s just two to three hours.’” Earl’s teachings live on.

Bamberger: That he doesn’t eat potato chips. I can’t imagine a tuna fish sandwich, even if the toast is well-toasted, without the crunch that comes with some inserted potato chips.

I agree, Mike, and am shocked that this didn't get far more network coverage.... 

Piastowski: That he said, on the NBC telecast on Saturday, that Collin Morikawa reminds him of “an athletic Jim Furyk.” I’ve been trying to unpack that comment for a good day now.

Bamberger: Jim Furyk was a star on his very good high school basketball team!

I'm not sure who should be insulted with that comment, though it took Morikawa about an hour-and-a-half to exceed Furyk's major total.  Is it possible he's still airing grievances related to Fluff?

Dethier: I asked the question so I was particularly invested in his answer, but I found it interesting that Woods said he completely avoided coverage of the crash. “I refused to turn on the local channels and news and stuff like that, I didn’t want to go down that road. I wasn’t mentally ready for that road yet,” he said. “I didn’t want to have my mind go there yet, it wasn’t ready.” I’m always intrigued with the way famous people consume coverage of themselves. We never hear it from Woods, but this was a tiny window into his thought process.

That Tiger doesn't follow the golfing press is pretty much the definition of a dog-bites-man story.... 

The Year That Was -  A couple of examples of the year in review genre have popped up, the first being a slow tease of Golf Digest's Top 25 Newsmakers of the Year.  Always surprised to see this girl at the bottom of any ranking:

No. 25: Annika Sorenstam

There was something both impressive and maddening about Annika Sorenstam’s retirement from

professional golf in 2008. The then 38-year-old was still playing well enough to have the chance to chow down on every significant LPGA record there was, but she had the willpower to push away from the table when she knew she was full at 72 LPGA wins and 10 majors. Disappointed fans were left wondering what might have been while the Swede focused instead on what was to come—namely raising a family and growing the game through her Annika Foundation. Fast forward to 2021, and Sorenstam’s decision to return to competition after turning 50 the previous October by playing in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. Fans now wondered why would Sorenstam potentially spoil her competitive legacy with a comeback, particularly after seeing so-so play from her in a handful of warm-up events ahead of her start at Connecticut’s Brooklawn Country Club in August. But Sorenstam saw it differently, the outcome not quite as important as the journey itself, her husband, Mike McGee, and children Ave and Will, joining her. And once she teed it up with her peers, it was as if time had frozen. Sorenstam didn’t hit it as far, but did hit is as straight and come the final round, she quickly remembered how to close out a victory. After starting the final round with a two-shot lead, she stretched it to an eight-shot rout for her fourth career USGA title. There were tears, smiles and hugs on the 18th green, Ava and Will—seeing for the first time themselves their mom walk off with a trophy rather than watch it on YouTube. “There's no doubt I'm in a different time in my life,” Sorenstam said. “I'm very happy with my family, and that's what means the most. I have a distance now from golf. Every shot doesn't mean as much as it used to, even though I care, but I know by the end of the day I've got them, I've got the support and I'm living my life.” —R.H.

I especially didn't expect to see her ranked below....well, intellectual property?

No. 23: Name, Image and Likeness

Golf’s Rules of Amateur Status have always been fairly definitive: Only professionals can profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL) with regard to their golf skill or reputation (unless that

amateur is Tony Romo promoting golf shoes, but that’s a different story). In recent years, however, officials with the USGA and R&A have come to appreciate that playing modern amateur golf is different than in previous eras. In many cases it’s a journey to an eventual career as a pro, yet the cost of that journey limits some with the talent but without the means to pursue it. And so, after much discussion, the powers that be decided a modernization of the Rules of Amateur Status was appropriate. Among the updates that go into effect Jan. 1, 2022: players are allowed to accept expenses to help with travel costs with no restrictions and, yes, even make a buck or two from advertisements and marketing promotions. That the changes come at the same time as the NCAA also suspending its rules prohibiting student-athletes from selling the NIL rights points to the evolution in mindset regarding amateurs and the ability to benefit—re: profit—from their success at any age and station in life. Short term, golf’s updates mean highly touted, nationally ranked players can be compensated for their play and celebrity (although no big-ticket contracts have been inked). On the horizon, however, the hope is that the new rules will no longer hinder fledgling golfers from development because of financial constraints. —Joel Beall

OK, it's a story for sure, though are we going to recast these rankings when we discover that the NIL of an amateur golfer is worth....well, nil?

This second compilation seems far less promising:

Fall Season PGA Tour Awards: Best player, rookie, moment and more

Can't we just give them participation ribbons and pretend those events never happened?

 I did like this, though doesn't it seem we should hold off to make sure it's real?

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE FALL

Winner: Matthew Wolff

Wolff’s star seemed very much on the rise when he finished second at the 2020 U.S. Open and followed that with a T2 at the Shriners a week later. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Wolff skipped some tournaments and looked distinctly unhappy at others, failing to contend the entire rest of the season. His next top 10 came, in fact, at the 2021 Shriners, where he finished runner-up once again.

Since his reemergence this summer, Wolff has spoken openly about his battles on and off the course, but he seems to have found a happy place on Tour of late: In four starts this season Wolff has four top-20s, two top-fives and leads the Tour in scoring average. Oh, and we can be patient. He’s still just 22 years old…

It's just more fun with that crazy swing out there...

Now I love this award but, of course, for all the wrong reasons:

Winner: Rory McIlroy

McIlroy has logged one PGA Tour start this season: A victory at the CJ Cup. That’s value! That’s

bang for your buck! He beat the season’s most stacked field to climb back inside the top 10 in the world, and he did so by embracing an essentialist mantra: Be yourself.

“I feel the last couple weeks I’ve realized that just being me is good enough,” McIlroy said after the win. “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.”

McIlroy’s other two appearances this fall were a decidedly mixed bag, going 1-3 in an emotional showing at the Ryder Cup and yielding the 54-hole lead at the DP World Tour Championship, where he wound up T6 with a torn shirt. But on Tour he’s one for one. That’s a high winning percentage.

Is that perfectly on brand, or what?  If you wanted to insult the man, how would you do better than by pointing out that he plays best when it matters least?

Here's one we can all get behind, though it does raise an intriguing question:

BEST BABY

Winner: Nah, just kidding. We don’t rate babies in this column. They’re all winners!

Everyone’s a winner in this category, because it was wild that two of the Tour’s biggest stars, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, each became first-time fathers this fall just four days apart. Sammy Spieth is already working on his grip, while Maya Fowler is diving into the Jup Life. They’ll be well looked after.

So, what was Jordan doing at Albany?  Yeah, none of our business for sure...

Saudi Stuff -  Eamon Lynch has what is probably good advice for Messrs. Monahan and Pelley:

Lynch: PGA Tour should concede waivers battle for good of bigger war—against a Saudi takeover

Eamon is always worth our time, and here he makes the case that this battle is likely already lost:

The shark-turned-pilot fish has already been polishing that saw.

“I want to share my undivided support and endorsement for the stance taken in announcing your participation in the Saudi International,” he wrote to the players who publicly committed. “You are standing up for your rights, as professional athletes, and for what is right and best for the global development of the sport of golf.”

Consider the intellectual and moral bankruptcy required to commend golfers for standing up for their rights on behalf of a repressive government that abuses rights as a matter of policy.

Yeah, it's the bizarro world, for sure....

And while this doesn't do much to advance the arguments, who doesn't love this very topical hot take on the Shirtless Shark:

It’s a stout task to keep pace with Norman’s dizzying agitprop these days as he beclowns himself for the Crown Prince. In an interview with the Financial Times, he equated racism in the U.S. with the abuses currently perpetrated by his employer, saying every country “has done horrendous things in the past.” Norman’s definition of “past” will come as news to civilians desperately trying to survive Saudi war crimes in Yemen. But who better to personify the ‘emperor has no clothes’ theory than Greg Norman?

I think this conclusion from Eamon is probably correct, though he strangely fails to note one important aspect:

While issuing releases to the Saudi International would stick in Monahan’s craw, it won’t represent a change from previous policy. So why hand the Saudis a wedge to further divide his members? Granting permission for players to flaunt their lack of a moral compass once a year is a price Monahan has to pay to win the fight that really matters.

Stick in his craw?  But the time to think this logically through just might have been before he put his credibility on the line by indicating that the waivers would not be issued.... perhaps Eamon is slightly confused by his own analogy, amusing as it may have been, because it's Jay that likely has no clothes on this issue.

Geoff has a paywalled item on this subject, so we'll have to make do with Rod Morri's thoughts.  But can we all agree to shoot anyone using this hackneyed concept to justify their actions?

Already two of the game’s highest profile players have cited ‘growing the game’ as a reason players should be granted releases to play the Saudi event and that list will only get longer.

Historically, ‘grow the game’ has been code for ‘grow my business’ and one might make the same assumptions about player appearances in the Saudi tournament.

In the interests of transparency, perhaps anyone who relies on ‘growing the game’ as a reason to tee up in the Saudi International should also have to publicly declare their appearance fee for being there?

Irrespective of where one stands on the moral question of playing in the Kingdom, high profile golfers know there is a potential PR hit to be taken for being seen to assist the Saudi regime in ‘sportswashing’.

Hence, ‘growing the game’ will become a fall-back position for many.

I think it would be far better if we'd just stop expecting moral guidance from athletes, though I have little problem with calling them out for their trite justifications, as Eamon does here:

The Saudis announced a lengthy list of committed players, including Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele, none of whom yet have permission from Ponte Vedra. Competing without a waiver could trigger disciplinary action, likely limited to a fine—a mere droplet in the bucket of blood money they could haul home while flogging themselves with backslaps for “growing the game.”

But these individual players chasing large appearance fees is a relative misdemeanor.  There's only one guy in this mess that's put his own personal credibility behind the Saudis and their alleged moral progress, not to mention trashing the country where he's made his home for decades, and I just think we should continue to reserve a separate ring in hell for him.

I shall leave you here.  the schedule is a bit uncertain, as I am currently scheduled to head to the Unplayable Lies Western HQ later in the week.  Alas, there is no snow (though, complicating matters, there's storms expected around then) so I'll make a decision today or tomorrow as to whether it's worth the trip.  I'll blog at some point, so do check back early and often.

Late-Week Lamentations

One assumes that none of the aforementioned lamentations should relate to the quantity of blogging this week.  Four out of five weekdays in late November-early December?  To whom do I address that request for a raise?

A Hero For our Time - Take a wild guess at how much of it I watched?  I'd call it a decent leaderboard and hope you get the joke, though I'm quite sure that certain folks in the U.K. and Saudi Arabia will not.  But this is the Premiere/Super/Bonesaw League writ small:

Rory McIlroy, Daniel Berger, Abraham Ancer lead

Rory McIlroy, Daniel Berger and Abraham Ancer were the best of the best. Each shot six-under 66, albeit in different ways. Ancer bogeyed just one hole, the par-5 9th. Berger birdied his first four

holes, and five of his first seven. McIlroy had six birdies and an eagle — and a double-bogey seven on the 9th.

“On the 9th, pulled my tee shot but got away with it and sort of kicked around that fairway bunker and had enough club to get there in two, so I was trying to pull a shot off and I didn’t and ended up making a double from it,” McIlroy said.

“Yeah, happy with how I responded on the back nine after that. Played the back nine in five-under par. Yeah, it was a nice little response to not quite a mental error. I mean, I committed to the shot, I just didn’t make a great swing. Yeah, it was nice to play the back nine the way I did and put myself back in the tournament.”

Never a good look when one has to explain the gags, but there's never been a bad-looking leaderboard at this event, for the simple reason that the field isn't deep enough to include any players whose surprising position on said leaderboard would have to be excused.

But this might be the best laugh of your Friday:

How good is Hero co-leader Rory McIlroy playing right now? 'I wish it was the end of March'

I know attention spans have shrunk, and it was only a week ago we were declaring Brooksie cured after only nine holes, so why not?  But doesn't it really depend upon your definition of "right now?"  Because this was our most recent look at Rory:

— Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) November 21, 2021

Rors, just a little pro tip for you.  I know Clifford Roberts is long dead, but I wouldn't be trying that ripped shirt thing at Augusta.... Just sayin'.

That's a funny bit, though Rory himself will be unable to appreciate it.  My own observation is that Rory has himself in such a state that he plays his worst golf when he wants it the most, so a run of spotless play in December is relentlessly on brand.  I've really only included this because of the prominence Rory will play further into this post, but I guess we should at least excerpt this as a marker in the unlikely event he breaks 76 on Thursday at Augusta:

And while a number of players put the sticks away for a good chunk of time during the holidays, McIlroy figures he’ll still head to the golf course a few times per week. The reason is simple.

“I'll get out there and play and practice, just not take a complete break like I've done before," he said. "Because my game's in good shape, and I want to keep it there.”

And perhaps another couple of practice rounds with Jeff Knox?

Just one last bit on this event, something your humble blogger has been whining about for ages, but always nice to have company:

— John Huggan (@johnhuggan) November 30, 2021

I got something worse than that.... Through 2019 they were awarding world ranking points with an 18-player field.  But, yeah, the whole system is designed to ensure that the rich get richer...

Govern Is A Verb As Well - In our first Rory-centric post, we find that the Ulsterman has assumed rule-making authority from the USGA:

USGA, R&A INTRODUCE MODEL LOCAL RULE TO FURTHER LIMIT USE OF GREEN-READING MATERIALS

Option available January 1 and is intended for the highest levels of the game

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. and ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (Dec. 1, 2021) – Golf’s governing bodies have made available a Model Local Rule (MLR) to further limit the use of Green-Reading Materials.

MLR G-11 enables a committee to limit players to using only the yardage book that it has approved for use in the competition.

This local rule is intended only for the highest levels of competitive golf and, even then, only for competitions where it is realistic for the committee to undertake an approval process for yardage books. It will be available starting January 1, 2022.

The significance here is that this move was driven by the PGA Tour, specifically it's Player Advisory Counsel, headed by, you guessed it, Rory McIlroy.

I find this a great step, specifically that the players would step in, against entrenched opposition, and make a move to protect the importance of skill in our game.  Of course, folks have gotten used to their crutches and will kick and scream, and that opposition makes it even more laudable.

But the other point that needs to be made is that the USGA already issued new rules about green-reading books, and they were highly technical but a huge load of crap.  They're never shy about patting themselves son the back, but they've developed a longstanding reputation for being extremely late to address issues (anchored putting, for example) or incoherent (caddies lining up players), and often both.

Obviously some folks are gonna disagree, and caddie-turned-broadcaster John Wood is one of those guys, with a long piece at GolfChannel.com:

Do they make putting easier? Sometimes. More difficult? Sometimes. There is a skill to using a

greens book correctly. It is a different skill than using your eyes and the feel in your feet to read a putt, but it is a skill. When I caddied, I saw as many putts made by using a greens book correctly as were missed by using one incorrectly. I won’t go down a rabbit hole of statistics to support this, but here are two basic stats that represent the comparison. From 1996-2007, in the decade-plus before greens books, 3-putt avoidance on the PGA Tour averaged 3.14%. That means that on all attempted putts on Tour for the twelve years before greens books, pros 3-putted 3.14% of the time. From 2008-21, that number was 3.10%. From ’96-07, 1-putt conversion was 37.43%, while it was 38.1% from ’08-21.

Infinitesimal improvements and differences that cannot be exclusively correlated to greens books. An improved knowledge base, Aimpoint, better coaching with drills and devices, better agronomy (read: smoother greens) have all contributed. Plus, in the last three years, players have been allowed to tap down spike marks, something that’s never been OK in the game’s history. For a statistical comparison, in 1996, Tour average for driving distance was 265.9 yards. Last year? 296.2. Hmm. If players have the power to, in effect, bifurcate the rules, which is what is happening, can they enact other Local Rules? Can they as a Tour decide the ball is going too far and the driver heads are too forgiving? Doubtful, because there’s a lot of money coming from those equipment companies … not a lot coming from Mark Long, maker of the greens books.

There's a lot here and, even though I disagree with John's conclusion, it's well worth your time if the subject is of interest.  John appropriately highlights the profound compliance issues and there will be a learning curve there, though he and I thought of the same player, though with diametrically-opposed conclusions:

Now, let’s talk Bryson. I don’t know anyone who has the potential to be more adversely affected by this new rule than Bryson DeChambeau. His entire green-reading system, one he’s spent years perfecting, is based around slope percentages and greens speeds. I would argue he’s worked harder than anyone developing his system. He is being told to scrap something he’s put an extraordinary amount of time and work into and learn an entirely new routine in a couple months. No matter your opinion on Bryson, it’s unfair. He is meticulous during his preparation, using a launch monitor during practice rounds to gauge spin rates from the fairway, from the first cut and from the rough. He will write down things like, “Nine-iron landing 4 yards on the green, releases 3 yards. Landing 8 yards on the green, releases 5 yards.” In effect, he is measuring the slope of the landing area, in this case the green. But this method is legal because the technology used was from the fairway. I wouldn’t have a clue how to do this, as my high-school physics teacher, Mr. Frisbee (real name), could attest. But I suspect Bryson could determine or approximate that information. He would do this 100% within the rules, as I know him to be a player who would never purposefully be in breach.

All John can see is that some work to date will be lost.  But the bigger issue is how guys learn about the greens and John ignores another fact, which is that they're playing way fewer practice rounds, because the data is available in book form.  Bryson is the hardest worker out there, and I expect him to be one of the largest beneficiaries of this new rule, as he'll put in the time to learn that which he needs.

One last rousing bit from John:

Greens books are an advancement in the game, like forgiving drivers and balls that go forever, don’t curve and spin around the greens; like launch monitors, like distance/slope measuring devices. Why is the line drawn here? Why go backwards here? Say it’s agreeable and everyone shares the same feeling about their elimination. Why not announce the ban and give it a year like they did with the anchored putter? Players had a year to work on a new method they felt confident with when the rule was enacted. There is an entire generation on Tour that has never played a tournament without a greens book. Why not give everyone a year to adapt instead of a couple months?

I do actually prefer the rip-off-the-band-aid approach, though there no shortage of inconsistencies to which John can point.  Here's Geoff's rebuttal to the above:

Because people have read greens without them for a few centuries, for starters.

Also, anything that adds time and cost is not an advancement. And because no one ever took up the game or plays it because of green reading books.

As a bonus, they’re also creating precedent for more bifurcation. Wins all the way around!

And as an irony alert, do remember that Rory might be the single worst reader of greens out there, yet even he can see the issue.  Plus, that photo of hedeki with his nose in the book, does anyone find that a good look?

Let My People Go -  One assumes that our Rory will be cashing a rather large PIP check from his good buddy Jay, because there hasn't been a top-tier player more loyal to the Global Home than young Rors.  But the thig about Rory, and my skepticism about his golf game shouldn't mask the fact that I like him as a human being, is that he believes what he believes.

If you'll recall Rory's rejection of Mr. Norman's paymasters, he had some harsh words for Saudi money and the like, but his controlling belief was in the system of Tour players has independent contractors.  But here's the thing about independent contractors.... Think of our current impasse over that Saudi event in February:

RORY McILROY: I think we're independent contractors and we should be able to play where we want to play. So in my opinion I think the Tour should grant releases. It's an Asian Tour event, it's an event that has OWGR rankings, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't.

I do see reasons why they wouldn't grant releases, but I think if they're trying to do what's best for their members and their members are going to a place other than the PGA TOUR and being able to earn that money, I mean, we're independent contractors and I feel like we should be able to do that if that's what our personal choice is.

My personal choice is not to do that, but obviously a lot of players are doing that and I think it's fair to let them do that.

Rut roh!  Jeez, has that PIP check cleared yet?

Rory, actually believes that independent nonsense, which is awfully cute:

Q. Going down the road there could be legal battles and arguments.

RORY McILROY: I think the professional game needs to get to a point where we as professionals need to know where we stand. Are we actually independent contractors? Are we employed by a certain entity? That's stuff that's just -- there's a lot of gray area in that and that's what sort of needs to be sorted out, I think.

The sorting has certainly commenced... But, while Rory's naivete has a certain preciousness to it, his belief in unicorns remains intact:

Q. With all the rumblings of the team concept and whatnot that's in the ether there, so to speak, do you feel like that can co-exist successfully with the Tour?

RORY McILROY: No, so for me, like the PGA TOUR is the best place in the world to play.

I'm not saying that the whole thing needs to be blown up and we do a different thing here. I think if people want golf to be more innovative and they want it to be more engaging and they want to see different concepts, there's no reason why the PGA TOUR can't do that themselves, you know? They have the know-how how to put golf tournaments on, they have all the staff, they have everything, they have the best structure in place to do it.

I'm certainly not saying that I want anything else to come of this, but there are certain elements to different concepts of professional golf that I do see merits in, but I don't see any reason why the Tour couldn't do it themselves.

Yeah, where to begin?  As you all know by now, I don't actually see much appeal in that newer model (and I think the team component is quite the red herring), but we all have to admit that this couldn't happen to a nicer group of guys.  Alas, Jay's belief in the product has been exposed as entirely transactional, and that disruption Rory speaks of has been limited to legalized betting (and the vig received thereby) and promoting loutish fan behavior.

The one organization that was playing the role of disruptor, the artists formerly known as the European Tour, have now sold their soul to the Arabs (which is apparently fine as long as it's not the Saudis, although they used to be OK), as well as to Jay Monahan, so any remaining entrepreneurial impulse will will be quashed.  A fine mess we've gotten ourselves into...

About That Captaincy - The branding seems unclear to me at this point.  When folks gather at Marco Simone in 2023, will it be the U.S. vs. Europe, or is it the U.S. vs. DP World?  

Fortunately, lee Westwood has clarified the circumstances surrounding his rejection of the captaincy of that 2023 team, and I for one find his explanation entirely reasonable and believable:

“They were telling me the Ryder Cup captaincy is a full-time job,” Westwood says. “I’m not going to argue with that; I don’t know if it is or not. But I spoke to Thomas Bjorn [2018 captain],

and he told me I would definitely have to forego my career if I did become captain, which made me feel like another year would be a better fit for me. Anyway, I asked the tour to get back to me after a couple of weeks and tell me what is actually involved. Three weeks went by. So I rang up [Ryder Cup director] Guy Kinnings. I asked him if he had the list. He hadn’t, which immediately irritated me. So I told him I was going to take myself out of consideration.

“I mean, they told me it was a full-time job, but they couldn’t tell me what the job entailed,” Westwood continued. “That was no good to me. If and when I do the job, I want to give it 100 percent. But right now, I don’t feel like I could do that. It would almost feel like the captaincy was getting in the way of everything else I want to do, which is hardly ideal. So I told them there must be someone better suited, right now at least, to the job than me. Someone who isn’t playing as much. I’m not dismissing the Ryder Cup captaincy completely. Only this time round. In a way the captaincy is an admission that you are done as a player. I’m not ready to do that.”

The man's been on every Ryder Cup team since the late 1960's, but he needs a list?

Though perhaps this is sufficient to have him turning his back on his mates?

“I’ve played in Saudi Arabia in each of the last three years,” says Westwood, who will, “assuming I’m not suspended or banned,” compete on the DP World Tour in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the two weeks before the Saudi event. “What really bugs me is that, until now, the European Tour has actively encouraged us to play in the event. Now it’s on the Asian Tour and we can’t get releases? It is an event on another recognized tour, one offering World Ranking points and they’re not going to let us play?”

The two tours have placed their members in an awkward and untenable position, for sure.  Although, to be fair, the corner they've painted themselves into might be worse, because on short notice they'll either have to back down from their own red line, or eff with their members' longstanding commitments and schedules. 

So, who will proudly lead that DP World team into action?  One of the Usual Suspects, one presumes:

Geoff had this second-hand handicapping (second hand because the original piece is paywalled):

The Guardian’s Ewan Murray says the 2023 Captaincy race is between Henrik Stenson and Luke Donald.

I voted for Henrik, because he's much more amusing than Luke.  Actually, Henrik is more amusing than just about anybody...

Ok, kids that's it for this week.  There's an out-of-town Simpson wedding on Sunday, so I shan't be with you Monday morning.  Not to worry, we'll cover it all in good time.

Midweek Musings

Our typical Wednesday morning post should be back for the entirety of the winter, now that the Wednesday Game is officially in hibernation.  

Tiger, The Presser - He just gives nothing, though to his credit he at least admitted that fact.  Geoff performs his own Fisking of Tiger's thoughts, so let's follow his lead, using his own proprietary snark where appropriate, beginning with this curious bit:

I'll put it to you this way: As far as playing at the Tour level, I don't know when that's going to happen. Now, I'll play a round here or there, a little hit and giggle, I can do something like that. I certainly like -- you know, the USGA suggested Play It Forward. I really like that idea now. I don't like the tees on the back. I like Play It Forward. Come on, let's move it up, let's move it up. To see some of my shots fall out of the sky a lot shorter than they used to is a little eye-opening, but at least I'm able to do it again. That's something that for a while there it didn't look like I was going to. Now I'm able to participate in the sport of golf, now to what level, I do not know that. I'll keep you abreast, all of you abreast as progress continues to go on, whether I'll be out here and at what level and when.

OK, on the one hand, what he's describing here is what most of us likely assumed after we saw the 3-second video.  He's obviously improved to the point that he can make a gentle full swing, and that seems like pretty good news.  But can he hit 125-mph clubhead speed?  Of course not, and it'll be a while before he'll know if he can build back to that.

What I don't get is that lede we had yesterday in which he described his Hogan-like schedule of three appearances a year.  It just seems an odd head fake...

So, what else did he share?  He's been using this ploy at the very least since the fire hydrant:

Q. Tiger, I'm wondering what you remember of the accident. Obviously we all saw the result and it looked so horrifying and scary, and I have a follow up to that.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, all those answers have been answered in the investigation, so you can read about all that there in the post report.

All those answers have been answered?  We still don't know the most basic facts about the accident, which begs the question of whether we should.  I would argue the answer is yes, since this happened on public roads and involves behavior that has to have threatened others using said roads but, if the last two years has taught us anything, it's that accountability is only for the peons...

I'm calling an audible and skipping down this interesting point of entry from Dylan Dethier:

Q. When it comes to the day of the crash, clearly that's something that you're hoping to keep private. Is that something that you feel is sort of your business and not the rest of ours, for lack of a better phrase?

TIGER WOODS: Well, I kind of feel that way with most of my life. Doesn't really work out that way. I understand that it's -- I had friends that insulated me from a lot of the things that were said outside. I didn't have my phone, I didn't have access -- well, I did have access to a TV and I was just watching sports. But I refused to turn on the local channels and news and stuff like that, I didn't want to go down that road. I wasn't mentally ready for that road yet. A lot of things in my body hurt at that time and whether I was on medication or not, it still hurt. And just trying to imagine me coming off of that stuff, how much it was going to hurt, I didn't want to have my mind go there yet, it wasn't ready.

Yeah, people are going to poke and prod and want to know more about my business, I understand that. Just as long as they don't go into -- they can poke and prod at me all they want, just stay away from my family.

Of course that first sentence should be in all-bold, because the last telling detail he shared was probably, "Hello, world!".

My frustration here is with the local police department and other public officials.  When a dangerous incident happens on the streets, the public would seem to have a compelling interest in the facts.  There is simply no expectation of privacy on public streets, unless you're Tiger Woods.

Q. Did you just commit to the par 3?

TIGER WOODS: No. I committed to I can play courses of that length. Now, if the Tour wants to not have golf courses lengthened, they shorten up that much to make it more difficult, that's fine by me, I have no problem with that. If they want to go back to wooden shafts and feathery balls, okay, I'm cool.

OK, that was cute....  I'll have to check whether Hogan ever played in the Par-3, though preliminary Googling leaves the issue in doubt.  The Par-3 was first played in 1960 and Hogan last played in the 1967 Masters, so it's possible...  Though I'll guarantee there was no 6-year old in a kiddie bib carrying his bag.

This one, in which he seemingly supports the home team (the actual query is what he would advise a player to do) , actually comes with some world-class passive aggression:

TIGER WOODS: It's going to be his decision, period. I've decided for myself that I'm supporting the PGA TOUR, that's where my legacy is. I've been fortunate enough to have won 82 events on this tour and 15 major championships and been a part of the World Golf Championships, the start of them and the end of them. So I have an allegiance to the PGA TOUR.

And I understand that some of the comparisons is very similar to when Arnold and Jack broke off from the PGA of America to start the Tour. I don't see it that way. I think the Tour has done a fantastic job, Jay's done an unbelievable job during a very difficult time during the pandemic when there was ample opportunities for players to leave, but we were the first sporting tour to start.

So with that, yes, did we have some protocol issues at times? Yes, we had to learn on the fly, but Jay and the staff had done an incredible job of that. I think the Tour is in great hands, they're doing fantastic, and prize money's going up. It's just not guaranteed money like most sports are. It's just like tennis, you have to go out there and earn it.

The end of the WGCs, Tiger?  Are you allowed to say that out loud?

 Lastly, in which he goes to great pains to detail a scene that we all know never took place:

TIGER WOODS: You made a great point. Am I going to put my family through it again, am I going to put myself out there again. We had a talk within the family, all of us sat down and said if this leg cooperates and I get to a point where I can play the Tour, is it okay with you guys if I try and do it. The consensus was yes.

Now, internally, I haven't reached that point. I haven't proven it to myself that I can do it. I can show up here and I can host an event, I can play a par-3 course, I can hit a few shots, I can chip and putt, but we're talking about going out there and playing against the world's best on the most difficult golf courses under the most difficult conditions. I'm so far from that.

Now, I have a long way to go to get to that point. Now, I haven't decided whether or not I want to get to that point. I've got to get my leg to a point where that decision can be made. And we'll see what happens when I get to that point, but I've got a long way to go with this leg.

You don't mind if I play in the Masters, do you Erica?  Yeah, right!

Maybe the most curious piece is this from Adam Shupak:

Schupak: Why Tiger Woods should play the PNC Championship

It may sound crazy, though organizers of the event are holding a spot for Woods should he come to his senses. Tiger may deem it too soon but hear me out. While Tiger lowered expectations about a comeback, saying he “has so far to go,” and “is not even at the halfway point” in his recovery, he sees a future in the game and did say, “I’ll play a round here or there, a little hit and giggle, I can do something like that.”

If that isn’t the PNC Championship, a 36-hole team event that pairs 20 winners of prestigious titles alongside a family member in a scramble competition, I don’t know what is.

Adam makes a pretty good case for it:

The PNC Championship can be one big teachable moment, not just for Charlie but for Tiger to prove to himself that he can not only accept his current station in life with a right leg that may never be what it used to be, but enjoy his new role in the game, even if that role is as a ceremonial golfer.

Just sitting next to his son in a cart, chipping and putting and doing some version of the thing he loves most is a victory of sorts, and a milepost on his way to eventually playing on the PGA Tour again and as he so eloquently put it, “clicking off a tourney here or there.”

Both father and son can probably use playing in the PNC Championship more than either of them really know.

I think he played last year for the right reason, that Charlie want to do it.  I suspect that this is just a little too early, but that the 2022 version of the event might well serve as a coming-out party.

But I also think that Adam, like most folks, don't understand the Tiger that they see faking sincerity on the podium.  Remember always that he has no concern for the public, including his die-hard fans, unless and until a commercial obligation requires him to show up in public.  So, I assume we'll see hi next at Riviera, and I shan't miss him in the interim.

The Ugly Aussie - There have been many golfers that have given of themselves to support my blogging and, for instance, I never wrote that thank-you note to Robert Allenby, which is long overdue.  But is there a player or other person in our game that's inspired more low-impact snark than Greg Norman?  I mean, there's a greatest hits blog post just begging to be written....

With Tiger's seeming support for Ponte Vedra Beach, I'll just dig this one bit out of the Wayback Machine, in this case from 2013:

Greg Norman is clearly a fan of stirring the pot with his quotes and this one about Tiger Woods on Golf.com is no different.

Norman got to talking about winning and what it's all about and unleashed this gem"

"A lot of people ask how I'd stack up against today's players if I had use of modern equipment. Listen, it's not about the gear. Winning is about what's in your heart and in your head. Equipment dictates how to play the game in an era, but the physical and mental skills are the same. And I had them. I never feared anything or anyone on the course, and I wasn't afraid to fail. So I think I'd do pretty well against Snead, Hogan, Tiger and Phil -- whoever. Tiger's a tough guy, but I was a tough guy on the course, too. I probably would have beat him."

Yes, the man that couldn't beat Larry Mize, Paul Azinger, Bob Tway, Fuzzy Zoeller, Mark Calcaveccia and Robert Damron would stare down Hogan and Tiger.  Noted!

Obviously Mr.  Norman has taken incoming over hopping in bed with the noxious Saudis, though he'd have an arguable claim of selective prosecution.  Shockingly, putting his good name behind their culture had perhaps not silenced the critics:

In an article published in the Financial Times, the former World No. 1 insisted he’s not being used by the group to clean up its image.

“No, I have not been used for sportswashing because I’ve been to Saudi Arabia, and I’ve seen the changes that have taken place,” Norman told the Financial Times.

The word infantile has appropriately been used to describe Shark in recent years, just his penchant for sharing his naked torso could gainfully employ a team of Viennese psychiatrists.  But this latest is straight from the vernacular of third-graders at recess:

Norman also equated racial issues in the United States with social issues in Saudi Arabia.

“Every country has done horrendous things in the past … just look at America with racism, for example, it’s just so embedded here, it’s just ugly,” he said.

That's what this debate needs, hackneyed allegations of racism from the whitest man on the planet.  The man has chosen to live in the United States for decades, but now that he's taken the slightest criticism he'll just s**t his bed.  

Just please shut the f*** up and go back to your rich fantasy life where you're relevant in the game of golf.

Ode To Lee -  Mike Bamberger has a typically poignant memory of the late Lee Elder, which touches on an important point I made yesterday:

Fred Ridley, Augusta National’s radical chairman, brought Mr. Elder in from the cold. At the one-

off November Masters in 2020, and again at the 2021 Masters, Ridley brought Mr. Elder back into public life. Into our lives.

Ridley’s goal, first and foremost, was to honor the first Black golfer to play in the Masters, which Mr. Elder became in 1975. That is, appallingly late. It’s an invitational. There were years, in the 1950s and ‘60s and early 1970s, when Charlie Sifford and Pete Brown could have and should have been invited.

In April, Mr. Elder, blind in one eye, struggling in every physical way, stood on Augusta National’s celebrated first tee, before the first round got underway, alongside Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. Lee was an honorary starter and it didn’t matter that he couldn’t make a swing.

For years, Nicklaus and Player and Arnold Palmer owned that little Thursday morning ritual. Now there was a new Big Three.

Should they have invited a black golfer in the 50's or 60's?  Perhaps, there's no one correct opinion on that subject.  But I do think what gets overlooked in these debates, never more so than in the area of affirmative action, is the importance of folks earning their success.   

Certainly the Grand Poobahs of Augusta National can defend themselves, but what exactly were their obligations?  I don't want to belabor the point, but the guy I saw at Augusta in 2020 and 2021 belonged in the spotlight and was comfortable there, because he had survived the crucible of earning his invite, and I was happy to have him celebrated as more than a token.

Thing is, I think Elder got it:

Jelly Hansberry was asked Sunday night if Mr. Elder was bitter, in those years, in the 1960s, when he was playing rough courses for modest purses at Black tournaments, while his white contemporaries were playing for big bucks on manicured courses in front of big crowds.

“Nah,” Jelly said. “Not a bit. For one thing, he was having a good time. But also, he knew. He knew he’d have to get better.” Professional golf’s age-old thing. Shoot lower scores on harder courses in tournaments with deeper fields.

And that’s exactly what Mr. Elder did.

Which to me is the ultimate happy ending.... But do read Mike's full piece, as you'll appreciate the man even more.

Catch you down the road.