Weekend Wrap

We'll get to the golf in a sec, but yesterday was a surprise powder day for your humble correspondent and the FOGs Core Four.  It was so unexpected that I ended up out there on my narrow skis, but what an end to the ski season.  Still, I have a nagging sense that this was the skiing gods throwing me a bone to set me up for the golf gods in the coming months....

And while we're on this subject, it's shutdown time at Western HQ, with tomorrow as travel day.  See you on the other side....

Florida In The Rearview Mirror - Paul Casey, a fellow whose career is largely defined by an inability to win, defends his title at the Valspar:

Who won: Paul Casey (one-over 72, eight under overall) 

How it happened: Casey made the turn in one over on his round and was tied at eight

under with Louis Oosthuizen. The 41-year-old grabbed the solo lead two more times on the back nine only to surrender it with bogeys, and after a three-putt bogey from 42 feet on the 17th, Casey teed off on 18 tied with Jason Kokrak at eight under as Oosthuizen (69) held the clubhouse lead at seven under. Playing in the group ahead of Casey, Korak (71) bogeyed the 18th to give the solo lead back to Casey, who drove it in a fairway bunker. But Casey knocked it to 22 1/2 feet and two-putted for a one-shot win.

Why it matters: Casey is the first back-to-back winner in the Valspar Championship’s history. He’s now won three times on the PGA Tour to go with his 13 European tour wins.

Like last week, this Sunday was defined by players going in the wrong direction, most notably Casey's horrible three-jack at No. 17.  Jason Kokrak let him off the hook by making bogey at the finishing hole minutes later.

Best thing, per the winner's post-round interview, is that they can use the same caddie bib next year.  If you missed it, they copied baseball and allowed the players to put their Twitter handles or anything on the caddie bibs, and Paul's read "The Champ".  

Other things that amused your humble blogger was the Saturday pairing of Luke Donald and Dustin Johnson.  Pairing the Englishman, always one of the shortest hitters out there, with the beastly DJ is simply cruel.... so, of course I loved it.

Also of note was a certain unexpected lesson.  With his Masters defense soon upon us, the range at Innisbrook saw Patrick grasping at straws:

Coming off a pair of disappointing rounds and with his Masters title defense around the

corner, Patrick Reed reached out to a new source for some instructional inspiration: David Leadbetter. 

Leadbetter has never worked with Reed before, and he didn’t meet him in person until Friday morning on the Innisbrook range. But shortly before Reed teed off in the second round of the Valspar Championship, the two spent more than an hour together dissecting Reed’s motion. 

“Just trying to get a fresh perspective on the swing,” Reed said. “I feel like the club’s in a way better position now than it’s been, ever. I’m just hitting a couple loose shots that are kind of costing me some finishes I feel like I should be having.” 

The range session didn’t offer much in the way of immediate payoff, as Reed struggled to a 4-over 75 and missed the cut by nine shots. It’s his first missed cut since the PGA Championship in August and comes on the heels of a final-round 78 at The Players Championship.

 Even curiouser was how the session was scheduled:

“I just got a call from his wife, from Justine, who said, ‘Hey, listen, would you be prepared to just have a little look at Patrick. He’s struggling at the moment, he’s sort of lost a little bit. Could you do that for us?’” Leadbetter said. “I said, ‘Yeah, I’m here, sure I’ll do it. Absolutely.’” 

Reed hit only four fairways and four greens in regulation during the opening round, totals that he improved to eight and 11, respectively, during the second round. He shared that the decision to contact Leadbetter had everything to do with geographical proximity and doesn’t affect his longstanding relationship with swing coach Kevin Kirk.

Why doesn't he just subscribe to Revolution Golf?  But just when you think it can't get any creepier....

Asked about the decision to have his wife reach out to Leadbetter on his behalf, Reed explained that he has “full confidence” in any decision made by Justine, who caddied for her husband before getting pregnant with the first of the couple’s two children. 

“The great thing is we’re basically on the same wavelength, her and I,” Reed said. “Because of that, before I even finished my [opening] round I didn’t even have to tell her that, hey, is there any way we can get someone in to just take a peek.”

Apparently that wavelength has a capacity of two, for which the remainder of the population is extremely grateful.

Caddie Chronicles -  Did you catch any of Dylan Dethier's 15 minutes of fame on Friday?  He looped for Martin Trainer, and it was a tough couple of days for both of them.  When I saw them on Friday, Trainer was +7 and looking for anything to go right.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – The week is over, and I am sad. I am not sad to be leaving Florida, where I have more or less taken up residence since arriving on Feb. 26, Tuesday morning of the Honda Classic. Nor am I sad about the way things went down this week 

Dylan's Former Employer.

at Innisbrook, where my player tried his best and I did too and our combined efforts weren’t particularly close to making the weekend. I’m excited to get back to my regular life, which I very much enjoy. But I’m sad the way anyone is sad at the end of an adventure they’d been looking forward to, one they may never experience again. 

After Thursday’s round got away from us late and Martin’s score slipped to six over, the prospects of making Friday’s cut were immediately slim. Professional golf moves slowly, but bad things can happen quickly, particularly at the Valspar, where any single poor shot makes bogey the heavy favorite. Still, the cut was likely to slip to two over par — we still had a hope and a dream to play for, at least.

This bit was amusing:

Bones Mackay, legendary longtime caddie to Phil Mickelson, met us in the fairway at No. 12 as we waited for the green to clear. “Congratulations on the win in Puerto Rico,” he told Martin, before turning to me. “Heard what you’re up to this week,” he said. “How’s it going?” Great, I told him, though I was worried I hadn’t brought Martin much luck. “Well, that’s all right. It’s not like he’d be better off with Shipnuck,” he said with a smile.

As was this:

Craving more Bones?  Dylan's got you covered:

As we made our way up the fairway, I asked Bones if he had any memorable rookie

caddie tales, and his eyes lit up. One year at a particularly soggy edition of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Mickelson’s partner and his caddie introduced themselves to Bones. The caddie asked – did he have any advice? “Honestly, if you can make it the entire week without slipping and falling on your butt, that’s a big win,” Bones recalled. The caddie shook his head; he’d been hoping for something more substantive. “I’m serious,” Bones said. The groups teed off and started off the first tee box – where the caddie hit a wet spot, slipped and took a full tumble down the slope, sending clubs askew. Bones could only laugh.

We'll dive into the weekly Tour Confidential at this juncture for a related Q&A:

6. Our Dylan Dethier spent the week caddying for Martin Trainer at the Valspar Championship, while chronicling his ups and downs on GOLF.com. No one said being a PGA Tour caddie was easy, but what part of the gig do fans most underappreciate?

I'm gonna go with not losing the 8-iron....

Sens: I would think the mental energy and focus required over those long hours on the course. Keeping yourself dialed in, all the while making sure you’re helping your player do the same. 

Shipnuck: How delicate the average Tour player is. It’s almost impossible to always say the right thing, especially in crunch time, because the players’ emotions are so volatile.

Bamberger: Keeping the grips and everything else dry in a driving rain.

Did you catch DJ and his one-handed caddie?  Brother Austin had a staircase accident, which obviously runs in the family, and was out there with a cast on one hand.  You might consider leaving DJ off your fantasy roster in Austin or Augusta if there's rain int he forecast.... Just sayin'...

Here's the man's own summary:

Dethier: I mean, in some ways it is a relatively easy job, if you know your basic golf etiquette (and how to rake a bunker). But there’s some X-factor that goes beyond pulling the right yardages and keeping grooves clean. How do you get your guy in the right mindset to play his best? And how do you keep him there after a bogey or a bad break? I don’t think I did that particularly effectively this week, but not for lack of trying! Some of these things take time, or luck, or chemistry.

Dylan, if you enjoyed the work, Robert Allenby is in the market for a new caddie at least 3-4 times per season.  Just don't give up the day job....

Testing My Patience -  Another marquee player has been caught violating the PGA Tour's rigid drug-testing protocol:

Pro golfer Robert Garrigus posted a message on Twitter on Friday, admitting that he failed a drug test for marijuana and that he has been suspended by the PGA Tour. 

The Tour on Friday said that Garrigus “violated the PGA Tour Anti-Doping Program by testing positive for a substance identified as a drug of abuse. In accordance with the PGA Tour Conduct Policy, he has been suspended for a period of three months.” 

Garrigus, 41, becomes the first PGA Tour player suspended for using a ‘drug of abuse’. 

That would presumably make Garrigus eligible to return at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, June 27-30, in Detroit.

He's only the first to the extent that we continue to believe in the tooth fairy and the fiction of DJ's voluntary hiatuses....  Is that the correct plural of hiatus?  Spell check isn't squawking, so maybe I nailed it....

For years the PGA Tour refused to test blood, which would be necessary to catch any use of actual performance enhancing substances, so we've been treated to drug testing theater, in which a couple of no-names were caught to create the appearance of standards.  Allegedly the testing regimen has been brought into at least into the 20th century as a result of golf's participation in the Olympics, but color me skeptical until an actual name brand player is involved.

Personally, the performance-enhancing capabilities of pot don't trouble me, so why do they test for it?

Why is marijuana banned?

The Tour notes that marijuana is illegal under federal law and in most other countries. “Involvement with illegal substances goes against the spirit of our sport,” the policy states. 

How can marijuana be considered as performance enhancing in golf?

The Tour says it’s unlikely golfers would use cannabinoids to improve their performance. But some athletes have used marijuana “to decrease anxiety before a competition,” the policy says.

Amusingly, I am reliably informed that pot use on the Web.com tour is rampant....  which I just don't get.  I understand that any time one uses a Porta-Potty there, the liklihood is that it will reek of pot fumes.... As I recall my college days, not only do I see no appeal to playing golf stoned, but especially not in front of other human beings.  

That TC panel took on this important issue:

3. The PGA Tour suspended Robert Garrigus for three months for violating its anti-doping program. According to Garrigus, who tweeted about the suspension, the drug he tested positive for was marijuana, which, he noted, is legal in many states but not permitted by the Tour. Given the loosening of marijuana laws in the U.S., should the Tour reconsider how its policy addresses marijuana?

Shipnuck: Of course! The Tour loves making money off our vices: it’s embracing gambling and the reigning player of the year is sponsored by Michelob. It’s absurd to hold weed to a different standard. The sticking point is that the Tour is now a part of the Olympics drug-testing protocols, under which marijuana is a banned substance. But the Tour needs to build some discretion into its policy: Garrigus is hardly in danger of qualifying for Tokyo. 

Sens: Wait, weed is a vice? I thought it was medicinal. As for what Alan says about the Olympics, all relevant and true.

Bamberger: Reading between the lines here, Garrigus failed a drug test for marijuana, but the implication was that his life of sobriety has been compromised. The challenges must be immense, and we don’t know if he even considers weed as falling off the wagon or not. If the Tour wants to go down the Olympic-testing path, as Alan notes, I guess it must be all in.

As Mike notes, if Garrigus had a substance abuse problem and this represents a setback for him, then our best wishes go out to him.  But, are we helping him by not allowing him to work?  

Dylan confirms my statement above:

Dethier: What’s been particularly juicy about this story is the conspiracy theories it has spawned querying why no big-name players ever seem to fail drug tests. But the testing concern is a very real thing: in the caddie room this week, one guy said his player prefers the Web.com tour because he can smoke to his heart’s content.

By any chance was that caddie named Austin?

The New Guy -  The USGA picked a good guy for its new tour liason, though this header was a bit much:

USGA hires former U.S. Open legend for new senior director role of PGA Tour player relations

Legend?  Jack took that job?  Not exactly....

To combat communication issues, the USGA has hired Jason Gore for its new senior director of player relations. According to the USGA, the "appointment launches a comprehensive program aimed at sharing information and strengthening engagement

with players in areas of importance to the USGA. These include initiatives to grow and advance the game, research critical to the game’s health and continuing to incorporate the players' perspective in its work to advance the sport."

The 44-year-old Gore has made 291 starts on the PGA Tour and another 233 on the Web.com Tour in his career. A former U.S. Walker Cup member, Gore is best known for playing in the final group on Sunday of the 2005 U.S. Open as a Cinderella, beginning the week outside the top 800 in the world rankings. Though Gore would shoot a final-round 84, he would go on to win the 84 Lumber Classic later that fall.

He's actually most famous for betting $5 on the final hole with Retief Goosen, after they had both played themselves out of contention in that Pinehurst Open won by Michael Campbell.  He has to be a good choice because he's so well-liked, though we of course can't know ow he'll be utilized.  The TC gang had these thoughts on this hiring:

Shipnuck: Everyone loves Gore, and he has played in a bunch of USGA events at all levels, so it’s a perfect match. First thing Gore needs to do is make sure the USGA doesn’t screw up the Pebble setup! 

Sens: I’m sure Gore can handle the gig. The whole thing is slightly heartbreaking, though. The USGA is such a popular punching bag these days — it’s like they’ve become the nerds in the schoolyard, desperate to do anything to get in with the cool kids.

Of course Mikey Bams thinks they need someone with more gravitas, though the guy he suggests isn't available:

Bamberger: He seems like a great guy, and a smart hire. I wonder if the liaison position would work better were it funded by both the PGA Tour and the USGA — it would acknowledge that both sides see the need for the relationship to improve. I don’t think Jason will be out there setting pins, or advising on anything like that. But maybe he can help the players understand that the USGA is not the enemy — the USGA in theory stands ONLY for the betterment of the game. It just needs to do that better, and spread that message more effectively. What the USGA needs is what it once had, Arnold Palmer. For starters, it now has Jason Gore.

Ad the kids like to say, developing....

Meanwhile, Back at The GOAT -  Boy did I get this one wrong:

Phil Mickelson vs. Walter Hagen

Muirfield, Scotland

The fact that both players had won an Open Championship at Muirfield was only the first of their commonalities. Both were free-swinging geniuses, wildly creative, aggressive, prone to erratic driving and masterful on and around the greens. Off the course, they were somewhat the same as well. Both had dabbled in pro baseball and shared a zest for wagering. 

Hagen arrived for the match 10 minutes late in an Austro-Daimler limousine, hoping it would unsettle his opponent. But Mickelson one-upped Hagen by buzzing the course in his Gulfstream G650 and out-Haiged him further by showing up 15 minutes late. Officials on loan from the R&A grumbled indignantly—as did local aviation administrators—but the match proceeded close to schedule.

On the 17th tee, Hagen, in a mild display of gamesmanship, asked Phil for his thoughts on advances in deep-space exploration, but Mickelson responded with silence and blistered a 320-yard drive with his “fade” driver. With the par-5 hole easily within Mickelson’s reach, Hagen gambled with his second and hit his ball against the lip of a greenside bunker. The wonders of the 64-degree sand wedge unknown to Hagen—he later gasped when Phil showed him his—Sir Walter took two shots to escape, handing the match to Phil, 2 and 1.

Well, I always warn you guys that I'm the '62 Mets of Fantasy Golf, and this event is pure fantasy, so what did you expect?

You can read about Shark v. Tiger, Jack v. Rory at Scioto, of all places and Palmer v. Wright here, in which there are no surprises.  Updated bracket:

For some reason that doesn't include Jack's thumping of Rory, but anyone for Jones v. Player?

I'll leave the match play stuff for later, hope to see you all on Wednesday.

Late Week Lamentations

The ski season is winding towards its close, a sad time to be sure.  The only saving grace is that the entire golf season awaits us.

Today In Rules Stuff - They must be feeling the heat in Far Hills Liberty Corner, because Thomas Pagel is talking to just about anyone.  First up is Andrew Both of Reuters, previously unknown to your humble correspondent.  He opens with this noncontroversial general statement of principle:

The U.S. Golf Association (USGA) wants professionals to feel comfortable questioning the rules, but the organization's mission does not include engaging in a popularity contest, says senior director of governance Thomas Pagel.

Good luck threading that needle, not the least because of this priceless quote that Shack astutely has as the header of his blog today:

I am sure there is no body of professional games players who so cheerfully know so little of the rules of their game as do professional golfers. 

HENRY LONGHURST

True that.  As we heard from Rory a while back, "I've got better things to do than read the rulebook".  

Both of course gets to JT's recent criticism:

A raft of new rules were introduced for 2019 and there has been vocal dissent from certain players, including American Justin Thomas. 

The world number five's latest outburst came three weeks ago at the Honda Classic,

where he was unable to replace a nine-iron he had bent striking a tree on his follow-through. 

Under the old rule, had an official deemed the club unfit for play Thomas could have replaced the club, assuming there was a replacement handy. 

The new rule allows players to continue using a damaged club, even bending it back into shape if possible, but not to replace it during a round. 

"You can just add that one to the list of rules that don't make any sense," Thomas told reporters. 

"If you break or bend the club in play, I don't see where the harm is in replacing it."

I can't work up any real interest in this rule, as it happens so infrequently and the only people that could conceivably replace it would be the Touring pros.  Pagel cites the logic for the rule change, so if you're interested by all means click through.

But he does give us a glimmer of hope for peace in our time:

"Justin and I have connected. I thought it was very positive conversation. I want to keep the nature of it private."

Fair enough to respect JT's privavcy, but can you just tell us whether the parties have agreed on the shape of the conference table?

The more interesting conversation was with Michael Bamberger, and largely focused on the penalty incurred by Webb Simpson for inadvertently causing his ball to move on the fringe.   Pagel explains the differences involved had the ball actually been on the green:

Pagel expressed sympathy for Simpson’s bad luck and then dutifully explained why the

rulebook gives a player a one-shot penalty if you’re off the green and no penalty if you’re on it. The latter, the so-called Dustin Johnson Rule of 2016, allows for that fact that you might have already had your hand on a ball on the green, that greens are more closely mown, and that a random outside agency – most notably wind – can move a ball on a green more readily.

I have no sympathy for Webb here, as I think he's barking up the wrong tree.  But let's acknowledge that the USGA completely botched that first rewrite of the rule about balls on the green moving, and only seem to have gotten it right after DJ at Oakmont.  But what happened to Webb has been a penalty since the original 13 rules of the game were committed to paper in 1744, so deal with it, Webby.

 And I completely agree with this statement:

“As much as possible, the rulebook tries to keep the question of ‘intent’ out of the discussion, because intention is hard to define,” Pagel said. 

One person, for instance, could claim an exemption from a penalty because of intention while another, in those same circumstances, might not. That’s not a level playing field.

And yet, the rules and the enforcement thereof (which are perhaps two different things) do seemingly raise intent as a defense.  Shall I cite some examples?

1.  At the Hero World Challenge a couple of years ago, Hideki Matsuyama duffed a chip shot and, while the ball was in motion back towards him, used his club to tamp down the divot he had just created.  No penalty was assessed because he indicated that i was not his intent to improve his lie on the next shot.
2. There have been rumblings about Bernhard Langer and others using the broomstick using their chest to stabilize the putter, possibly violating the ban on anchoring.  My understanding is that no penalty will be assessed as long as they state that it isn't their intention to anchor, regardless of what actually occurs.

I'm sure there are other instances that escape me in the moment, but it seems to me that the USGA has themselves opened this can of worms.  

Also not helpful was their drafting of the rules precluding caddies from aligning their players, which resolved a problem not in existence previously on the PGA Tour, but creating a trap for players and caddies merely doing that which they've always done.

Another fine mess you've gotten us into....

Today In World Rankings Stuff - The Official World Golf Rankings seem to only come under scrutiny when there's a rugby scrum at the top, or when an obviously unsuitable candidate grabs that top spot (Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, call your offices).  

As regular readers know, the OWGR are a much bigger factor down the list, say in the 40-60 range, because of its use to qualify players for the WGC's and especially the majors.  Which is why Doug Ferguson's lede is so concerning:

Two tournaments on different continents illustrate why PGA Tour players are increasingly skeptical about the world ranking.

Against a field as strong as some majors, Tommy Fleetwood shared the lead after 18 and 36 holes, played in the final group and was still in the mix at The Players Championship until a tee shot into the water on the 17th hole. His three-way tie for fifth was worth 16.53 ranking points. 

Earlier that day, Guido Migliozzi won his first European Tour title at the Kenya Open, which until this year was a Challenge Tour event. The strength of its field was slightly weaker than the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship on the Asian Development Tour in January. 

Migliozzi received 24 ranking points, the minimum for the European Tour.

I just scanned the leaderboard from that Kenya Open, and the only player in the top twenty of whom I've heard is Thomas Bjorn.  This was a European Tour event in name only.... It's unclear to me whether their strength of field adjustments are broken, or whether its that that needs to be revisited.

Ferguson also names names:

Does it matter that winning the Kenya Open was equal to fourth place at The Players Championship? Not yet. Migliozzi moved up 377 spots to No. 199. 

But it mattered to Justin Harding, a 33-year-old South African who finished in a three-way tie for second at the Kenya Open and moved up four spots to No. 48 in the world, giving him a reasonable shot at getting into the Masters. 

Harding has won five times over the last 10 months — twice in South Africa, twice in Asia, once on the European Tour in the Qatar Masters.

Any algorithm will yield funny results at times, but that disparity in last week's events is quite obvious. 

I Saw It On TV - I've not blogged the recent announcements regarding golf content, for a number of reasons.  Mostly the concept of watching more golf is pretty scary....  In fact, anyone watching more golf than your humble blogger seems more a candidate for an intervention, than for additional content.

Evin Priest writes from down under about the frustration of Australian golf fans, whose salvation is nigh:

Golf TV's future plans are to capture every shot at PGA Tour events and have a bunker-

style facility package of live footage for individual countries. 

"The vision for us, which is a number of years away, is every shot, of every player, on every hole," Rick Anderson, the PGA Tour's chief media officer, said. 

But with PGA Tour fields ranging from 30 to 156 players, how Golf TV will capture every shot is yet to be determined. 

"I want to be clear here ... I can't put an exact timeline on it, but we have identified the need to localise the viewing experience," Kaplan said.

Why not?  I just think the market for this has to be pretty small.  Here's Geoff's take, perhaps more relevant than my own since he's way closer to being a millennial:

I suppose I could see how some golfers are like teams to a fan, but in an individual sport where only one player in the modern game elicits a desire from fans to see every shot he hits, I’m still having a hard time seeing how this is the best use of resources. But maybe international markets may be a different animal and the approach may sell.

Hmmmm, what one player does he have in mind?  As the kids are won't to say, developing....

Today In Golf Pictures -  Yanno those billboards that say "This Space Available"?  First we had Duf's hat, now this one:

Seems like it's more for rent than sale, but has he reached out to DUDe Wipes?  Imagine the synergies avialable in a Duf-Pieters pairing.

There's a place in Houston called Battleground Golf Club, and this week it's quite apt:

Remember, the camera adds ten pounds:

He's reportedly a big Tiger fan, and was rewarded with a smile from his hero.  It could have gone badly....

The GOAT: Round of Sixteen - They're milking things, and only giving us two of the eight matches.  Now on the tee:

Arnold Palmer vs. Mickey Wright

Baltusrol (Lower) G.C. Springfield, N.J.

Playing from a shorter set of tees—terms Wright reluctantly agreed to—she hit several of her tee shots 20 yards past Palmer’s and took a 2-up lead through 10 holes. The possibility of her defeating The King seemed not only plausible, but likely. 

On the 11th tee, the tension building, a Bronx-accented voice from the gallery yelled, “Time to loosen your girdle, Arnie!” Palmer’s face flushed at the remark, and he tore into his tee shot, outdriving Wright this time by 10 yards. Thus began a patented Palmer charge, with birdies at the 11th, 12th and 13th giving him a 1-up lead. Wright didn’t flinch, making solid pars for halves at the next two holes, but Palmer birdies from long range at the 16th and 17th ended the match, 3 and 1. 

“If I felt pressure like that every time I played golf,” Palmer said, “I’d climb right back on that tractor for good.”

Palmer def. Wright 3 &1

This had a sense of the inevitable about it, but the next one should be on PPV:

Ben Hogan vs. Byron Nelson

Whiskey Ranch, Fort Worth

Wassup with that odd venue?

The plan had been for the old Fort Worth rivals to play at Glen Garden Country Club, where they had caddied and learned to play as youngsters. But when they arrived and found some of the 112 acres had been transformed into an outstanding whiskey distillery, teetotaling Byron blanched. Hogan noted skeptically that the course had been altered, its par shortened to 68. But with half of Fort Worth in attendance to see the showdown, Nelson said, “Ben, seeing as you’re here and I’m here, let’s just play.” The Hawk, hungry to avenge his loss to Nelson in a long-ago Glen Garden caddie championship, agreed. 

The ball-striking exhibition that ensued was spectacular, even on a course that measured just over 5,000 yards. They each birdied six of the first nine holes, and Nelson provided the match highlight with a hole-in-one at the par-3 seventh. At the turn it was Nelson by 1 up. The small, push-up greens continued to offer little defense on the back nine. On the 12th tee, while waiting for the gallery to clear the fairway, Hogan pointed to a piece of sloped ground in the distance and said, “The older kids used to roll me down that hill in a barrel.” Nelson’s reply—“You won nine majors and 64 tournaments, so apparently it didn’t hurt you much”—seemed to irritate Hogan slightly. He won the 12th to square the match, and a short time later birdied the 15th to take a 1-up lead.

The finish seems very, ummm, Hoganesque:

Hogan missed a three-footer for birdie at the 16th, and his supporters swore they noticed the slightest bit of yip in his stroke, but there was no need to worry. Hogan never relinquished his 1-up advantage, matching Nelson’s birdie on the 18th for one of the most satisfying match-play victories of his career. After spending a few minutes with reporters, Hogan declined a celebratory sip of whiskey and instead limped toward the ninth fairway, caddie and shag bag in tow. “Where you going, Ben?” Nelson asked. 

“There’s still daylight and time for some practice,” Hogan answered. “I hear that Palmer fella doesn’t lie down for anybody.” 

Hogan def. Nelson 1 up

Fun match-up, given that Hogan was famously immune to Palmer's charms.   

Here's the current bracket:

Anybody know how I can get a bet down on Hagen to take out Phil? 

Have a great weekend.

Thursday Theses

There's little in the way of actual news, but we do have the first round of the GOAT with which to amuse ourselves....

Get Woke, Go Broke - These marketing campaigns are becoming quite tedious, but the LPGA understandably wants in:

Women’s sports empowerment videos are all the rage these days, and rightly so, because very few developments in our culture over the last few decades have been met with such universal approval as the rise of girls and women in sports. 

It was just a matter of time before the LPGA, the oldest continuing women’s professional sports organization in the United States, now in its 70th season, chimed in with a video campaign of its own.

“This is for every girl who’s ever been left out or told she doesn’t belong,” it begins. “This is for every girl who’s been told she’s too loud, too quiet, too this or too that. This is for every girl who thinks her body isn’t good enough. This is for every girl who feels she doesn’t fit in. 

“This is for every girl who’s been told that success and kindness are two different things. This is for every girl who’s been told to give up. This is us, crushing it for you, so you can crush it for the next girl.

So I'm sure they pull all of these important themes together in one, easy to remember sloag appropriate to the cause.  Right?  Errr.....

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said it wasn’t difficult to settle on the campaign’s “Drive On” theme.

Thud!  What does that even mean?  The best I can say is that it's no worse than Live Under Par™, though that's admittedly setting the bar awfully low.

It's all about diversity and inclusion, yawn.....  But I await proof of their commitment to diversity, when the first biological man that identifies as a woman wants to peg it with the ladies.  

Mikey Bams and I Got There First - Golf Mag's Dylan Dethier is pulling double duty this week in Tampa:

How did any of this happen? The basic chain of events is as follows: At the Mayakoba Golf Classic in the fall, I was walking around the practice green when a caddie shouted

my name — Matt Garcia, a guy I had played mini tour golf with. He was caddying for Martin Trainer, a fellow Bay Area player and longtime friend. We got tacos. I saw them again at the Honda, and then at Bay Hill, and then at the Players. Matt was planning to head home, but Martin figured he may as well keep rolling. 

“My whole life I would have done anything to be in these events,” he said. “Now that I’m here, and I’m allowed into every event, I kinda want to keep playing…” 

I mentioned, half joking, that I’d walked the course with Tiger last year and was extremely available. And when you think about it, even in these guys’ golf-heavy orbits there are only so many qualified, familiar, available caddies who can swoop in for a week’s work. I was in.

Trainer recently won the off-field event in Puerto Rico, so Dylan's landed himself a hot hand.  And do read the item for the A-list clinic that you'd give up a kidney to have been at.

Day Three brought the Pro-Am, and bunker-raking lessons:

On day three of Caddie Week, reality began to set in. The start of the day was a snap; we headed to the course and I sat on my thumbs in the caddie lounge, studying the yardage book while Martin headed to work out at the Tour truck. But when he finished, it was time to finally take the staff bag for a whirl; we set out for the practice area and a quick warmup before tracking down our Pro-Am group.

 

The Pro-Am itself went off swimmingly. The new Tour policy offering nine holes per pro seems like a wise move; Tyrell Hatton played the back nine before tagging off to Martin for the front. This way, players can stay fresh and happy, plus the groups of ams gets exposure to twice as many Tour players in the process. Win-win.

Dylan seems committed to his craft:

Good fun, but let's see if Dylan can match Mike and your humble blogger and lose one of his player's clubs.

Our Favorite Subject - I've been slow to get to this one, which seems eerily appropriate.  Eamon Lynch takes on the Tour using Cicero as his lede:

It’s doubtful Cicero had the PGA Tour’s pace of play policy in mind when he wrote “The more laws, the less justice,” but his pithy philosophy is no less applicable. The Tour’s code runs four pages and is a masterclass in authoring rules designed to be unenforceable. 

Consider the particulars. Players are permitted 40-50 seconds to play their shots depending on the order of play in a group, but exceeding that limit doesn’t incur a bad time. For a group to be officially considered out of position they not only have to exceed the allotted time to play a shot but also reach a hole that is open and free of play. Only then does a group go on the clock. The punishment for that bad time is, well, nothing. A second bad time earns a one-stroke penalty, the third gets two. A DQ only comes at four. The fines levied are so meager as to be meaningless.

This is familiar ground, as I've been ranting that the enforcement regime seems uniquely designed to catch the wrong players.... or none at all.

But the more interesting bits, no intended disrespect to Cicero, are these from Shack and Steve Flesh.  First, the former:

Even easier? Make executives and players pay to watch golf in person. They’d learn the art of standing around watching others stand around and other tedious acts like not-ready golf.

The latter from Twitter:

The takeaway being that we don't see this on TV, because the networks only cut back when the players are ready to go.  Excepting, of course, when there's only one group on the golf course, a la J.B. Holmes in the 18th fairway at Torrey.

The Golden Age -  Quiet cool.... The Society of Golf Historians has posted some old timey advertisements from said Golden Age on Twitter.  First up, the great Tilley:

Competitor Herbert Strong includes a photo of Engineers Country Club:

 

And the underappreciated Walter Travis:

Good stuff.

It's Go Time - For The Goat, of course, and the first round matches are quite amazing.  As are the venues.....

Ben Hogan vs. Brooks Koepka

Seminole G.C., Juno Beach, Fla.

Hmmmm.... Does Brooksie really belong in this field?  And who did Hogan pay off to get the home game?

They get off to a bit of a testy start....

To the surprise of no one, Hogan’s first act upon arriving at the tee was to fix his withering “blue blades” glare upon Koepka, hoping—expecting—Koepka to slink away, intimidated. But Koepka, blithely unaware of Hogan history and a tough guy himself,

offered a handshake and the words, “If you wouldn’t mind keeping your cigarette smoke downwind, I’d appreciate it.” Hogan, indignant, bogeyed two of the first five holes, giving Koepka a 2-up lead. But Hogan being Hogan and Seminole being his favorite course in the world, the Hawk rallied. 

Wordless save for a quiet exchange with his old friend and Seminole member, George Coleman, Hogan birdied the fifth through seventh, displaying a palette of knockdowns, wind-riding fades, high floaters—not easy for him—and dead-handed straight balls. At the par-5 ninth, playing into a strong wind coming off the Atlantic Ocean, Hogan played his best shot of the day, a 3-wood second to 15 feet that drew “oohs” from the Palm Beach cognoscenti. He holed the eagle putt, and as he fetched the ball from the hole, Koepka leaned close and whispered, “Mr. Hogan, a guy who hits it that good can smoke anywhere he wants.” Hogan, 2 up at the turn, smiled, albeit tightly.

I know you guys called this one:

Hogan def. Koepka, 2 & 1

Next Up:

Bernhard Langer vs. Byron Nelson

Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio

Another guy who barely made the field, especially is the match took place during one of his fourteen bouts of the yips....

Local bookmakers installed Lord Byron as a big 3-1 favorite, and even at those prohibitive odds, the smart money flowed toward Nelson, the line eventually moving to 4-1 at match time. 

Early on, it appeared Nelson would make short work of Langer, moving to a 4-up lead through nine holes. Wise bettors noted that this was a home game for Nelson: He’d served as head pro at Inverness from 1940-’44. They noted also that Inverness’ small greens played into the strength of Nelson’s game, his incomparable iron play. On four of the first 12 holes, he hit his approaches so close that Langer conceded them for birdies, and Nelson’s straight driving was a weapon, too.

 Not much suspense here:

Nelson def. Langer, 3 & 1

This one might get your attention:

Billy Casper vs. Arnold Palmer

The Olympic Club (Lake), San Francisco

Well, some prize fights demand a rematch....

With fog blanketing the eucalyptus and cypress trees, Arnold started out strong, playing the front nine in three under to take a 2-up lead. But the final round and playoff of the 1966 Open began in this fashion, too, and as happened in ’66, the momentum shifted in Casper’s favor. Billy, nerveless as always, holed putts of 15, 12 and 25 feet to begin the back nine—all of them for winning birdies—to take a 1-up lead. When Casper holed a downhill, left-to-right curler from 10 feet for par and a halve at the 15th, Arnold was overheard telling his caddie, Creamy Carolan, “I’ve had about enough of Bill making every putt he looks at.” Palmer’s manager and friend, IMG legend Mark McCormack, overheard the remark. “Hey, Arnold,” he said, “did they pass a law in San Francisco saying you can’t hole a couple yourself?” Palmer glared, then responded.

Casper is to me one of the most underappreciated players in golf history, but I suspect that w ecan't lose The King in the first round:

Palmer def. Casper, 1 up

This might be the most intriguing first round match:

Mickey Wright vs. Bobby Locke

Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island, Ga.

I do hope Mickey remembers to Drive On™.

Wright proceeded to demonstrate that she not only deserved a spot, but might go deep in the match play. On a blustery day, Wright established a pattern of grinding consistency, hitting the first 12 greens in regulation for a 1-up lead. Locke performed well, his huge draw—make that, his hook—well-suited to the bouncy, sand-based Sea Island turf. From the 13th hole on it was the South African’s putting that perversely did him in. The jowly legend nicknamed Muffin Face placed his approach at No. 13 at the base of a hog-back and three-putted to fall to 2 down, and after a winning birdie at the 14th had to putt sideways across a tier at the 15th, from where he three-putted again. 

Wright had insisted on playing the same tees as Locke, and at the par-4 16th showed why no quarter was necessary. Facing a 2-iron shot to a hole cut just beyond a greenside bunker, she shaped a fade to within six feet. Locke, shackled with a one-dimensional draw, bounded 30 feet past the flag, and his putting again failed to save him. The hole was halved, and a routine par for Wright at the 17th gave her a 2-and-1 victory. Before repairing to the bar, Locke took Wright by the hand, bowed deeply and said, “Miss Wright, if you decided to play with we men full-time, I would leave the profession and seek an easier way to make a living.”

Wright def. Locke, 2 & 1

Here's another good  match-up:

Jimmy Demaret vs. Phil Mickelson

Champions G.C., Houston

What will Phil do?

Demaret, his hallmark fade placing him in the epicenter of every fairway, grabbed a 2-up lead after seven holes. Mickelson had three-putted twice, then blew a three-footer for birdie at the par-3 eighth and had the temerity to laugh about it. Burke trotted onto the green and swatted Mickelson smartly upside the head. “I want you to feel pain when you miss a putt,” he said. Mickelson answered “Yes, sir,” and immediately holed a 20-footer for birdie at the ninth and a 14-footer at the 10th, both for wins. 

Demaret, dressed in a colorful tam o’shanter hat, collarless shirt and gabardine trousers, regained the lead when the black-clad Mickelson muffed a flop shot at the 13th, but Mickelson then birdied the next three holes to take a 2-up lead. A thunderstorm interrupted play on the 17th tee, and the two legends repaired to Champions’ cavernous locker room, where they entertained members for half an hour, Mickelson performing card tricks while Demaret, a gifted singer, crooned 1940s ballads. When play resumed, a Mickelson drive at the 17th led to a bogey, his lead falling to 1 up, but a mammoth tee shot at the par-4 18th, followed by a 9-iron to four feet, gave him a 2-up victory.

That's a relief.... 

But we're just getting started here folks:

Walter Hagen vs. Cary Middlecoff

Oak Hill C.C., Rochester, N.Y.

Hagen showed up four minutes late for their starting time, which meant an automatic loss-of-hole penalty. The rumor was that Sir Walter did it on purpose to get in Middlecoff’s head, but if that was the plan, it didn’t work. Middlecoff, whom golf writer Herbert Warren Wind referred to as “a happy refugee from subgingival curettage,” won the first four holes. He also took his time doing it, smoking two entire cigarettes while he planned a bunker shot at the third. 

Hagen was not amused by the slow play, and at the fifth his carefree demeanor changed. He rallied and tied the match at the ninth, chipped in for a win at the 11th and recovered from a crooked drive at the par-5 13th to win the hole and take the lead. Middlecoff, a long, straight driver and superb putter, squared the match with a long putt for birdie at the 14th, but on the par-3 15th left his ball in the bunker to fall 1 down.

Of course he did.....But still:

Hagen def. Middlecoff, 2 & 1

Another rematch anyone?

Nick Faldo vs. Greg Norman

Turnberry (Ailsa), Scotland

The Scottish gallery, astute readers of expression and character, anticipated Norman might exude an air of low confidence. Understandable, in view of his devastating loss to Faldo at the 1996 Masters and being overtaken by Sir Nick after sharing the lead of the 1990 Open Championship at St. Andrews. But Norman saw himself as the man who had blitzed Faldo at the 1986 Open on this course and who got the better of him at the 1993 Open at Royal St. George’s.

I do remember that 1993 Open, but this was a nice touch:

Norman removed his hat, delivered a handshake and with sincerity uttered the same remark Faldo made to him in 1996 at Augusta: “Don’t let the bastards get you down.”

Did they hug?

Tiger Woods vs. Johnny Miller

Riviera C.C., Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Maybe if Tiger had given Jenkins an interview he wouldn't have to play this match at Riviera... 

A Woods trait was to privately manufacture contempt for his rivals, a tactic that motivated him. Miller’s occasional TV criticisms of Tiger clearly overshadowed the

frequent praise, and Woods arrived at the first tee determined to not merely defeat Miller, but humiliate him. It didn’t go as planned. 

Woods snap-hooked his opening tee shot out-of-bounds, Miller birdied the second and third holes, and just like that, Tiger was 3 down. Woods holed for birdie from the bunker in the center of the sixth green and made another winning birdie after driving the green at the par-4 10th. Miller’s 1-up lead disappeared when he three-putted the 12th hole, but the real turning point occurred at the par-3 14th. After stiffing a 5-iron to 18 inches, Miller blithely asked Woods, “Is this putt good?” Woods retorted with an icy, “No.” Miller, taken aback, promptly missed. Woods now was 1 up, and although Miller made nice putts for halves at the next two holes—he putted with his eyes closed at the 15th and while looking at the hole on the 16th—the 1-up margin somehow seemed insurmountable.

This will be no surprise:

“I won the L.A. Open here, and I thought I had a good chance today,” Miller said while striding back to Riviera’s majestic clubhouse. “But Tiger was just too good. If he and Jack Nicklaus wind up in the final, I’ll come out of retirement to call it on TV.”

Perhaps, though Sir Nick is also available..... 

How's this for a match?

Jack Nicklaus vs. Harry Vardon

Royal St. George’s G.C., Sandwich, England

I could make Vardon Flyer or Vardon Grip jokes, but why don't I just allow Dan to spin his yarns:

The two immortals, deeply respectful of each other, exchanged ceremonial gifts on the first tee, Vardon presenting Nicklaus with a dozen Vardon Flyer gutta percha golf balls, Jack pressing into Vardon’s hand three Ohio buckeye nuts. “Starting today,” Nicklaus

said, “they’ll never fail to bring you luck.” 

On one of the toughest championship tests in golf, on which Vardon won two of his record six Open Championships, the men started with caution, halving the first eight holes. Vardon took a 1-up lead with a birdie at the par-4 ninth, but one of his hallmarks—a smooth, unbroken swing rhythm—had the unfortunate (for him) consequence of rubbing off on Nicklaus. At the 242-yard, par-3 11th, the prevailing wind switched abruptly into the players’ faces. Nicklaus nailed a 1-iron to four feet, the birdie putt bringing the match to level. Vardon, unperturbed, took the lead again with a birdie at the shortish, par-4 12th.

Matches can turn on the smallest of things, such as: 

The wind picked up, blowing so fiercely it prevented Vardon from lighting his pipe, and Nicklaus, detecting his discomfiture, began playing more boldly.

No surprise that Jack moves on.

Next on the tee:

Rory McIlroy vs. Gene Sarazen

Portmarnock G.C., Dublin, Ireland

OK, I'm wearing down and will allow you to read the remainder of the matches by your own self (get it?).

But here's the bracket after Round One:

Hmmmm...Hogan v. Nelson?  Did those guys ever play together?  Just kidding.... See you tomorrow.

Midweek Musings

We'll laugh, we'll cry, but mostly we'll close browser tabs...  Hey, sometimes it is all about me.

A Deserved Retirement - This broke a few days ago, but I've not had time to blog it.  The most prominent member of the first family of golf is scaling back:

Butch Harmon, golf’s most celebrated instructor, is retiring from teaching on the PGA Tour, the Forecaddie has learned from several sources. 

Harmon recently told his stable of players that he is “done on Tour” and that he wants to cut back on traveling, according to two associates close to the coaching legend. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. 

Harmon turns 76 on Aug. 28. He plans to continue teaching at his home in Las Vegas, where he lives with his wife, Christy, but will not be a regular presence out on Tour going forward. 

The son of 1948 Masters champion Claude Harmon, Butch has been the most prominent teacher in the game for more than a quarter-century. He famously guided Tiger Woods to eight major championship wins before they split in 2003. He has also coached many other high-profile stars, including former world No. 1 Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els.

And fired by most of those names, which is how these things go.  For fans of alt history, one is left to wonder about Tiger's career had he not split from Butch.  My suspicion if that we've not seen the last of Butch, which is a very good thing.

OK, one tab closed.... Next?

Staying In His Lane - I think Jay is correct on this issue:

Jay Monahan made clear the PGA Tour has no plans to get into golf rule-making anytime soon.

Speaking before The Players, the PGA Tour commissioner doubled down on his memo from March 4, effectively telling his players to stop publicly complaining about golf’s revamped rules.

“We have two fantastic professional governing bodies of the game,” he said Wednesday. “We have always played by their rules and we will continue to play by their rules. And we are not going to be playing by our own rules. We think that the game is best served with everybody playing by the same rules and the same standards. We think it’s a source of inspiration for the game.”

I don't know your preferences, but I could call it a huge can of worms or a slippery slope....  Jay alos had this:

“I think what’s happened here the last few weeks has just exposed a weakness in our working relationship, which happens when you’ve got a lot of different organizations,” Monahan said. “So we’re going to tighten that up, and we’re going to move forward in a way that is going to be good for the game and certainly is going to get us to the right place over time with these new rules.”

You'll quickly see the brilliance of my ignoring this browser tab, as today we have this development courtesy of Mike Bamberger:

2. Now Hiring

The USGA is in the final stages of making a hire for a new and senior employee who will oversee and seek to improve the USGA’s relationship with the PGA Tour and the LPGA. A guess is that if you are reading this you will know the person’s name when it is revealed, which should happen well before the Masters.

I've no idea of the who, what, where, etc. of this, nor how it might differ from the PGA Tour's presence "in the room" as the rules were rewritten.  But given that the USGA demonstrates a frustrating inability to understand how things are done in the real world, this can't be a bad thing.

The Excitement Builds -  We have our posse, what Shack calls cart drivers:

Ernie Els finalized his coaching roster for the 2019 Presidents Cup Tuesday ahead of the matches in Melbourne, Australia. 

Els announced the addition of K.J. Choi (Korea), Mike Weir (Canada) and Trevor Immelman (South Africa), rounding out the four assistant spots having already selected Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy.

Personally, I'm just shocked that Mike Weir was available.... 

And this:

Getting representatives from all over the world was important for Els, who also indicated he’s going to lean heavily on statistics when it comes to selecting the pairings and creating a strategy against the Americans. 

“I’ve seen what other captains have done in the past,” Els said. “In this instance, I really wanted to try and start a new thinking process around the pairing system. I’m using a lot of data, a lot of science into what we’re going to be doing in December in Australia, and I wanted to get guys who have played a lot of Presidents Cups like myself.”

You heard it here first, but the Yanks better come prepared to play.  This is the very site of their one loss in the event, and the December date means that most will not be tournament sharp.  

More Mike Bams - That bit above came from Mike's list of seven things he wants to talk about, or whatever they call it.  Good stuff usually, and he has a couple of offbeat items about his mates pegging it that you might enjoy:

5. Taking a Slide I

My fellow typists Alan Shipnuck and Dylan Dethier and I slipped out for a game last week at Timuquana Country Club, located in an old Jacksonville neighborhood called Ortega. It’s the Old South there, with a Donald Ross course next to the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, where Bobby Jones was once stationed. The course is flat, simple and excellent. David Fay, the retired USGA executive, calls it a “sipping whiskey kind of course” and next month it will host the USGA’s Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. I played (this is not my norm) 23 holes with one ball. Also, one plastic tee. Which is kind of odd, because this is also a wooden-tee kind of course.

I don't even drink brown liquor, but I like that David Fay bit....

And this as well:

4. Taking a Slide II

The same threesome congregated on another night for an after-work spin (11 holes) at the Jax Beach Muni. Another fine course. Also, you have to admire course operators with a sense of humor, as they are so rare.

Kinda reminds me of the 4077 MASH, no?  Though quite surprising to see that bottom sign in these Orange Man Bad days.

The Copperhead - It's the best golf course played on the Florida swing, possibly exempting TPC Sawgrass.  But the schedule compression has no doubt negatively affected the field, so many will prefer to watch the first weekend of that Madness thing.

Pat Ralph has four things of interest about the golf course:

The origin of the course: While Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club was built in 1970, the

Copperhead Course would not come about until 1974. It was the second of four courses to be built at Innisbrook, as the Island Course was first constructed in 1970. Copperhead was originally a 27-hole track before nine of the holes were used for the development of the Highlands North Course, the third course to be built at Innisbrook. The fourth and final course to be built was the Highlands South Course. Copperhead rated as the sixth-most difficult course on the PGA Tour in 2018.

And this:

Most difficult hole: Nicknamed “The Moccasin”, the intimidating par-4 16th hole runs 475 yards. Its scoring average at 4.300 is the highest of any of the par-4’s, and it is the longest par-4 on the Copperhead Course. In addition, the fewest number of birdies and pars on any of the par-4 holes occur at the 16th tee. On the other hand, the 16th hole had the most double bogeys or worse on the Copperhead Course in 2018. With water stretching the entire right side of the fairway, the 16th hole was rated as one of the 30 toughest holes and 20 most difficult par-4’s on Tour last year. The key to this hole is off the tee, as a well-hit driver will set one up with a long second shot to the wide green.

I'm not a fan of the animal-themed stretch of holes, but at least they're pretty good golf holes in this case.  Once you're on the fairway it's a reasonably straight-forward affair, but the fairway is just about wide enough to hold a golf ball.

Interestingly, in the field via a sponsor's invite is Ashkay Bhattia.  A precocious 17-year old, he's the highest ranking junior golfer in the world, though he seems to have not gotten the memo about respecting your elders:

This will be his first PGA tournament. No teenager has won the Valspar Championship. Very few have entered. No amateur has won a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson in 1991. 

Don’t tell Bhatia that. 

“It’s another tournament to me,” said Bhatia, who received a sponsor’s exemption. “I’m not here to just show up and make the cut. I’m here to win.” 

To be sure, Bhatia already has a Tiger Woods-like amateur career. He finished 2018 as the world’s top-ranked junior player. He is ranked ninth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

OK, it may be a weak field, but it ain't that weak....it also seems we might se ethe kid on tour soon:

“I’ve never liked school,” Bhatia said. “I’ve never been very smart. I have the worst attention span when it comes to it. I love being outside, playing golf and competing. So my dad just said, ‘Ya know what, let’s not go to college.’ I said ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’ I’m in eighth grade, of course I’m going to say no to school.”

Not very bright?  You'll fit right in out there....

All Alan -  We'll cede the reminder of this post to Alan Shipnuck, though I'll have my usual snark locked and loaded:

Last month after his win, everyone was saying that DJ is head and shoulders above everyone else talent-wise. Today everyone is saying it about Rory. Settle this once and for all, who has the most talent in professional golf today: DJ, Rory, or someone else? #AskAlan -Dave (@djlettieri) 

Your question begs another: what is talent? I could argue Brian Gay is the most talented

player on Tour – he hits it so short, and sometimes crooked, but his unique *talent* for scoring has helped him win a handful of tournaments and make a great living. 

But you’re employing the word the way most people do, in which talent is an ephemeral mix of power, soft hands, scoring ability, flair, swagger, and the ability to make the difficult look easy. I think by this definition DJ and Rory are the clubhouse leaders, though Brooks and JT warrant consideration. 

But do we factor in the ability to win the big one, or is that a separate thing? If I had to pick one player to shoot a 65 on a tough course to save my life, I’d take Dustin. If I had to pick one to close out a one-shot lead in the final round of a major championship, I’d choose Brooks. If this quartet of talented players all have their B-games, who wins? Probably Dustin. If they are at their absolute best across four rounds who wins? Rory. He’s more explosive than Brooks and a flintier competitor than Dustin. 

But McIlroy is also the worst putter of the bunch, even though he has improved significantly over the last year working with Brad Faxon. Is putting part of the talent discussion, or is that a dark art that must be considered separately? We’re falling down the rabbit hole here. 

Maybe we should look to the scoreboard for answers. Rory now has four major championship victories, a Players and a FedEx Cup. Thomas is four years younger, so maybe he can close the gap. But for now we’ll let the results answer the question. The meaning of talent can be debated, but trophies are definitive.

Yeah, I had Brian Gay as well.... Not.  Impossible question....I would just say that DJ is likely the most athletic player  out there, but that is a different animal entirely.

Why were all the millionaire-Golf Channel-talking head-Boomers so visibly annoyed/confused by Zen Rory talking about not being defined by golf? Can they really not understand that these kids watched Tiger get literally destroyed by his 100% devotion/obsession and they are rightfully trying to avoid his same fate? -Jill (@Jalawsons) 

McIlroy was as impressive after his victory as during. His meditative press conference was a tour de force of perspective and hard-earned wisdom. He said he pursposefully didn’t offer a lusty celebration on the final green because he doesn’t want to get too high in victory, which will help not get too low in defeat. He no longer wants to be defined by his results; this should allow him to enjoy better ones. 

But McIlroy’s stoic demeanor harkened back to Koeopka’s non-celebrations at Shinny and Bellerive. If the victor doesn’t exude joy it’s hard for the rest of us to feel it, too. Tiger always gave it up: fist-pumps, tears, megawatt smiles. Those were the rare moments when he let us in, when we could feel how much he cared. Those Golf Channel guys had been on-site for a whole week, investing lots of hours and emotions in making the Players the be-all-end-all. I guess they felt cheated by Rory’s withholding. But I agree with your thesis that McIlroy’s healthy outlook should help him in the long run.

It seems that the approach is working for Rory, which is all that matters.  That said, it's an early call, because while a Players Championship is a nice title, the one he needs is still three weeks away.

More Rory?

Would you be more surprised if Rory never won another major or if he got to 10? -@WillKnights3 

Both would be surprising, but 10 is a monstrous number. Only two players in history have taken six major championships in their career, and both are legends: Trevino and Faldo. McIlroy would have to have their entire careers from this point forward to get to ten. Having turned pro so young, he has sustained a lot of wear and tear for a guy about to turn 30. And McIlroy has talked openly about wanting to have kids – that is likely to happen soon, and that’s a huge adjustment for any vagabond golfer. I’d love to see him make a run at it but 10 seems out of reach.

Ten?  That's gotta be the liquor talking.....Given that the Vegas line would have the over/under somewhere around 5.5, the under at ten would be a mortal lock.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Rory pick off another major, one where he gets soft conditions with no wind (though the PGA's move to May might limit those opportunities), it wouldn't shock me in the least if he never bags another.

This is by far the silliest question of the week:

Would the U.S. have had a better chance to win in Paris with Furyk playing? -@theAleMarcoli 

Given his abysmal Ryder Cup record, probably not. But he’s a template for what the U.S. needed – a gritty, precision player – which is why last fall I was advocating so hard for Zach Johnson as a captain’s pick. Le sigh.

Actually, I'm not sure which is the more ahistorical, the question or the answer.  The best part is I don't even to call Alan an ignorant slut, just take a look at the very next Q&A:

#AskAlan Is Jim Furyk a Hall of Famer? -Paul (@BillsMafia3233)

Yes, if for no other reason than the induction ceremony has become a TV-driven spectacle, and the Hall needs warm bodies for programming. Therefore, every marginal

candidate is going to get in. Furyk’s credentials are certainly borderline: a mere 17 PGA Tour wins; minimal overseas success; only one major championship…on the worst U.S. Open course in recent memory. His lifetime record in playoffs is 4-8, his Ryder Cup record an astonishing 10-20-4. But he does have some strong secondary credentials: led Arizona to its only national championship; a 59 and 58 on the PGA Tour; the 2010 FedEx Cup; and fourth all-time in money earned, which speaks to his numbing consistency. There is also the Freddy factor. Couples’s resume’ is so thin (15 wins, one major) that, since his induction in 2013, pretty much every very good player that follows can stake a claim to the Hall.

Like many, I consider Furyk an over-achiever, and I don't much care about the Hall for reasons Alan makes clear.  But just spare a moment of thought for the prior question, that a guy with a 10-20 Ryder Cup record was what was missing in Paris.  On the flip side, however, perhaps a different captain would have seen the folly in sending Phil out in foursomes.

I'm going to save the remainder of Alan's column for tomorrow.  See you then?