Wise: 21 Year Old Has Highest GIR Percentage Since 1997

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Our eyes did not deceive us during Aaron Wise's debut win at Trinity Forest: he put on a ball-striking display for the ages.

Wise dominated in strokes gained off the tee and approaching the green:

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The size of Trinity Forest's greens and high field average (84%) does not diminish his Green-In-Regulation number given where the performance landed historically (which seems to have played a WGC in Mexico in 2006!*):

Runner-up Marc Leishman hit 77.78% of his greens. 

*Doral

 

 

Aaron Wise Makes Winning Look Easy In First AT&T Byron Nelson At Trinity Forest

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If you kept waiting for Aaron Wise to show signs of nerves you had a long day in the rain-delayed 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson Classic.

The former NCAA Individual and Team champion from Oregon posted a final round 65 to break the tournament record and build on a second place finish at the Wells Fargo Championship. 

Turns out the biggest obstacle to the day was listening to his mom reel off the perks of a win and what other finishes might mean. From Will Gray's GolfChannel.com story:

“She was talking to me in the hotel about what a win could mean, what a second could mean, kind of taking me through all that,” Wise said. “I was like, I’ve got to calm down. I can’t just sit here. I said, ‘You’ve got to go.’ I kind of made her leave the room.”

Wise is only 21, something PGATour.com's Mike McAllister focused on in an excellent story from Saturday night heading into the finale.

Golfweek's David Dusek with what was in the winner's bag.

More ShotLink breakdowns are to come, but the big news for fans of minimalism will take heart in Wise dismantling the course with ball-striking prowess.

Marc Leishman hit some groovy shots around the greens and several players posted incredible scores, but the highlights are ultimately all about Wise and that swing!

From PGA Tour Entertainment:

Winner's Roundup Instagram Style: Wise, Jutanagarn, Otaegui, Arnaud And Jimenez Hoist A Lovely Assortment Of Golf Trophies

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Aaron Wise takes home the new crystal trophy for winning the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic debuting on the tournament's 50th anniversary. Even better the trophy creates fun facial distortions for those standing inconveniently behind the glass.

A moment he’ll never forget. #LiveUnderPar

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on

Ariya Jutanagarn returns to the winner's circle a month after her sister's victory, taking the LPGA's Kingsmill Championship and a fantastic salad-making bowl.

Adrian Otaegui earned a converted periscope for winning the European Tour's Belgian Knockout.

Michael Arnaud was the last player into the Web.com Tour's BMW Charity Pro-Am, reeled off two incredible stretches of golf and hoists...a steering wheel!

Miguel Angel Jimenez earned himself a Claret Jug knockoff found at an antique shop and given to the winner of the Regions Tradition.

Crenshaw Pleased With Trinity Forest Debut

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A record winning score posted by a player posting some amazing ball-striking stats never hurts, but Ben Crenshaw declared his pleasure at Trinity Forest's AT&T Byron Nelson Classic debut.

From Will Gray's report for GolfChannel.com:

“We’re pleased. It’s off to a nice, quiet start, let’s say,” Crenshaw said. “The week started off very quiet with the wind. This course, we envision that you play it with a breeze. It sort of lends itself to a links style, playing firm and fast, and as you saw yesterday, when the wind got up the scores went up commensurately.”

The Crenshaw's with former President George W. Bush, who appeared in the broadcast booth during the final round. He hosts an event for wounded warriors Monday at Trinity Forest. 

Trinity Forest's First Final Round Set Up For Wise V. Leishman Duel

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The wind and some dryness helped get the ball running, Ben Crenshaw joined the booth, crowds turned out and CBS unveiled 21st century production values for their AT&T Byron Nelson third round broadcast. Voila, Trinity Forest finally came to life Saturday. 

Which reminds me folks, there's Sunday drinking challenge: every time Titleista Peter Kostis mentions the fairway roll--because we know it's the agronomy that makes ordinary slim guys carry the ball 310 yards with ease.

Anyway, those stellar airplane aerials and tracer technology helped show off a course set up for a match play scenario Sunday, with Marc Leishman and Aaron Wise four clear of the field. As Will Gray writes for GolfChannel.com, they are downplaying the match play vibe.

The field is hitting plenty of greens at Trinity Forest. And they're also three-putting their fair share according to ShotLink:

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Third round highlights from PGA Tour Entertainment:

SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh In the third round of the 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson, Marc Leishman and rookie Aaron Wise went toe-to-toe in the final pairing to finish tied for the leading heading into Sunday at 17-under par. AT&T Byron Nelson is contested at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, TX.

Time For Trinity Forest: One Last Preview Of Minimalism's Big Moment

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Minimalism's big moment arrives with the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic's bold move to Trinity Forest.  The Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design features some of their boldest and best design work to date. I'm very jealous of the select few who get to play here on a daily basis, like LPGA star So Yeon Ryu!

I explain in this Golfweek piece my first impressions and why this is a high risk week for the minimalist movement and why you're going to see some fascinating golf played. 

The course's speed dial has been turned down a touch by the PGA Tour wanting to ease into this one, and I explain in this Golfweek piece--with supporting quotes from the firm of Mahan, Scott and Ogilvy that his isn't the worst idea ever.

Here is my Morning Drive chat with Kasey Kauff, the first employee hired by the founders

We discussed what hole has most grown on Jordan Spieth today on Morning Drive:

Adam Scott On Golfers Forced Out Of Their Comfort Zones

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On the eve of the 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson Classic, Adam Scott was asked about the PGA Tour locker room talk surrounding Trinity Forest and the uncomfortable demands the course will make.

Look, just most majorities just don't like different, do they? This is just different than what we normally roll out and play.

You know, people are going to get put out of their comfort zones and not many people like that, you know.

The greatest players have all managed to succeed out of their comfort zones and learn to love links or learn to love a parkland golf to succeed, and I think the greatest champions over time have all done that and whoever is going to be here this week will be someone who really embraces the different challenges of this golf.

You're not going to be able to fight it out there this week. You're going to have to go with it and hit a nice shot from 200 out one time and catch the wrong side of the hill and you'll have some putt that you would never feel like you deserve but that's a different style of golf than target golf that we're used to playing.

You're just going to have to do your best to two-putt it or however many putts you need to make to get down and move on and get the right rub of the green on the next one. That's probably the links side of golf. There's a bit more rub of the green, a little less predictability.

I think if I think about Tiger who has grown up playing golf in America but just had this instant desire to love links golf and win the Opens and he showed so much creativity in his game that was apparently just suited to win on the U.S. Tour, he embraced the challenges of all parts of the game and he did it all.

So, it's kind of how I see it. The guy that does that this week will do well.

Video: Ogilvy Taking Us Through The Best Of Trinity Forest

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Great set of content videos here from the folks at Trinity Forest, host to this week's AT&T Byron Nelson Classic. 

Ogilvy on the double green at the third and eleventh holes. 

Uploaded by Communication Links on 2018-02-05.

Ogilvy on the short par-4 5th:

Uploaded by Communication Links on 2018-02-05.

On the short par-3 8th and it's green complex:

This video is about Trinity Forest #8

On the well-placed bunker at the 14th:

Uploaded by Communication Links on 2018-02-05.

And finally the zany 17th green:

Uploaded by Communication Links on 2018-02-05.

First Preview: PGA Tour Heads To Coore And Crenshaw's Trinity Forest

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Big week for minimalism!

The AT&T Byron Nelson Classic moves from the many-times remodeled TPC Las Colinas Four Seasons to the year-old Trinity Forest Not A Four Seasons Golf Club. 

The recently opened Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw course is built on a landfill next to the Trinity Forest and is decidedly linksy in appearance.  I'm getting a firsthand look and will be filing a review for Golfweek and Morning Drive coverage for Golf Channel, but in the meantime here is some preview coverage to whet your appetite...

Graylyn Loomis filed this preview for Links and featured this quote from Bill Coore on the design philosophy:

“We couldn’t make the course look like a prototypical Dallas layout with streams, trees, and lakes,” says Coore. “You can’t plant a tree because the roots break the cap. We knew early on there couldn’t be a stream or water, either. The focus had to be the rumpled ground created as the landfill settled over the decades and we tried to highlight those features.”

The intrigue will be in watching player comments to see how the design style is embrace given the lack of major visual eye candy and the general propensity of today's pros to find the ground game offensive. 

Jordan Spieth, who makes Trinity Forest his primary practice facilities, was asked about the course at The Players:

Q. You got your home game next week; what's the scouting report on Trinity?
JORDAN SPIETH: It looks as good as I've seen it since -- and I've been going out there since before the greens were even sprigged. It looks really good. It's grown on me a lot over the past six months, and in the springtime, I think it's at its best. It's in his best condition that it can be now or the next month or two. I think the weather looks like it's going to really cooperate to give it a good first showing.

A lot of big grandstands. It's like an American links. You've kind of got to play it from the air, not really a bounce the ball up kind of links, but it is still a links-looking golf course. So it's weird, it's unique. It's actually -- Birkdale was kind of the closest comparison I've found to a links course that you kind of have to attack from the air. You get maybe four or five, six holes where you can bounce the ball up, but the way to get balls close is to come in with a higher shot. That's not necessarily true links. I don't want to say that about Birkdale because of the history and everything, but it's just the way I've found to play it well is that route.

Here is a sampler from the AT&T Byron Nelson:

Andy Johnson broke down the 6th hole in this flyover. Check out that green!

The turf looks ready!

May We See You In March: Webb Simpson Wins The Players

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The final Players in May went out in a blaze of red number glory, with winner Webb Simpson's -18 under total in no way undermined by the 71.275 scoring average, a whopping two strokes lower than 2017’s 73.291.

Immaculate conditioning, humidity keeping the turf moist enough and a course that Tiger Woods noted for playing incredibly short all week, did well to stand up to today's finest. Though noteworthy is May's 63 trend with Webb Simpson and Brooks Koepka posting course-record tying 63’s in 2018, meaning six of the eight 63s were posted in May. 

Webb Simpson will defend next March when the course is overseeded with rye grass, the wind is blowing more and in less predictable directions and likely plays faster. While this won't address the incredible vulnerability of the par-5's, the course may play effectively narrower when the Bermuda grasses role is muted.

Steve DiMeglio's USA Today game story notes that Simpson wasn't at his finest Sunday but the best and most impressive work was behind him.

Mike McAllister on how the long Sunday wait, the pressure, TPC Sawgrass, the early charges all made a seven stroke leader much harder to hold on to than Simpson imagined.

Brentley Romine at Golfweek with notes, quotes and shots of the final round.

Simpson's mixed bag of sticks courtesy of David Dusek. 

Ben Everill went deep on Simpson's remarkable putting week and how it's now a strength of his game. 

Simpson spoke frankly all week about issues he faced in changing his putting style as a result of the anchor ban, admitting after the win how, in a roundabout way, he's grateful now for the anchoring ban as I write for Golfweek.

Tiger Woods finished at 11 under and was in a tie for 11th, but gave the crowd a thrill and continued to assert that he's well ahead of schedule. DiMeglio's Woods roundup is here. 

Dan Kilbridge with a Golfweek wrap on Tiger's week that started out ok and almost evolved into something epic. 

He sure moved the ratings needle.

Mom: Webb's 19-Under-Par And Leading By An Insurmountable 7, But Hey At Least Tiger And Jordan Are Playing Together!

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Webb Simpson has a seven-stroke Players lead over Danny Lee, and as Garry Smits reports in the Florida Times-Union game story, it's a Webb-inar in great play.

There is also a clever new approach to greens that is working quite nicely (I detail here for Golfweek). There is also some incredible putting: 9.773 strokes gained to lead the field, and a Tim Clark-inspired grip detailed here by GolfChannel.com's Ryan Lavner.

Since no one has ever coughed up a 7-stroke lead in PGA Tour history according to Justin Ray, mom's across the country will undoubtedly ask what they usually want to know on Mother's Day: why is it we are watching this golf?

Great news!

This is the last time the Players will battle with Mother's Day--and the historic final May Players. Goose bumps! Maybe Dan and Johnny will cry as they sign off and say goodbye to May memories. 

Okay, that didn't work.

So try this: Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth are -8 and teeing off at 2:05 ET! 

And Ian Poulter's raging! All is right with the world. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Coverage begins on NBC at 2 pm but Golf Channel and PGA Tour Live Under Par have plenty of pre-telecast coverage as well. 

Roundup: A Better Than Most Players Championship Day One

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With light rough and a golf course that changed pretty dramatically as the day went on, the mega-pairings wheeled out some so-so play while an impressive six rounds of 66 were posted in the 2018 Players.

Steve DiMeglio of USA Today on the more fizzle-than-sizzle Woods-Mickelson-Fowler opening day grouping that saw Woods shoot even par, Mickelson 79 and Fowler 74. Tiger thought the course was gettable and hopes for a big Friday morning, writes Golfweek's Dan Kilbridge.

Woods' day was highlighted by this eagle at the 9th.

One of those 66ers, Dustin Johnson, turned to AimPoint to solve the TPC Sawgrass greens and longtime user of the method, Adam Scott (69), as I write for Golfweek along with details on Johnson's new Taylor Made putter.

Randell Mell wonders if Dustin Johnson is underappreciated.

Defending champ Si Woo Kim is lurking after an opening 67, notes Will Gray.

Jordan Spieth felt constrained by the dome that is TPC Sawgrass, writes Rex Hoggard for GolfChannel.com.

Brian Wacker with the freak Brooks Koepka injury update and explanation for Golf World.

Dylan Dethier at Golf.com isn't a fan of mega pairings, sensing this was more of a PGA Tour Live play than anything else.

Rory McIlroy sees no cause for concern in Spieth's struggles here, writes Eamon Lynch for Golfweek..

Phil stumbled to a 79 due to fatigue but defended his new shirts with his usual dry wit, as I write for Golfweek.

ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco followed the group and has some of the better gallery comments directed Phil's way.

Mr. Style shared his thoughts:

Round 2 TV times and groupings.

Grayson Murray (72) shared his special way of bypassing traffic. AKA, Living Under Par. A screen capture of his Instagram story:

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The first round highlights:

Players Instagram Special: Who Showed And Who Didn't For Furyk's Ryder Cup BBQ, Pageantry At 17, LPGA Players At The Players, Ponte Vedra Inn's 17th

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Hmmm...the Masters Champ, Captain America, had something better to do than attend the Ryder Cup bonding dinner at Captain Jim Furyk's house. Looks like some of the guys wore their very best t-shirts to impress the Captain!

Tuesday's concert and military appreciation day...

Some fine LPGA players spent the day at the Players, posed for photos with their male peers and took a blimp ride above TPC Sawgrass.

I stopped by Ponte Vedra Inn and marveled at Herbert Strong's 17th hole.

Horschel, Thomas See An Uptick In (Good) Fan Behavior

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Or at least, fewer PGA Tour incidents between fans and players. 

After reaching dreadful depths in March, the combination of the Masters and perhaps some awareness that telling players what losers they are is really not cool, has dissipated according to Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas.

From Garry Smits in the Florida Times-Union, writing on the fan behavior issues in past Players and quotes two players who have been subjected to abuse.

“I think some fans are coming to a point where they’re policing themselves,” Horschel said. “I’ve seen that already where a fan will tell another fan, ‘hey, that’s out of line ... you need to stop that.’”

Thomas said he’s surprised that he hasn’t been the target of comments at tournament sites similar to the social media flak he took for having the fan ejected at the Honda Classic.

“It seems to be getting better,” he said. “I haven’t had any issues, which is surprising. I would have thought I would have maybe heard some here or there. I feel like everybody is learning and the fans are getting better. Not that they were bad in the first place. It’s just that you don’t want those couple here or there to ruin it for the rest of them.”

With high temperatures forecast for Friday, a 6:30 pm alcohol sales cut-off and the young stars out, the limits of good behavior will be tested.

Rare Vintage Tiger-Phil Pairing Nears, And The Talk Leading Up To It Is Just As Fun

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Thanks to the PGA Tour making the rare move to pair Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, accompanied by the equally rare sight of Phil Mickelson making his way into an interview room, we have some fun stories and revelations to amp up excitement for Thursday's 1:52 pm ET grouping with Rickie Fowler. 

Tiger remains upbeat and seems even more unphased by any burden to win, which I noted in this Golfweek assessment that also includes a few other fun comments from Woods' press session.

Maybe most surprising of all was Tiger's revelation that Phil offered short game help in 2015 during the chip-yip phase.

Shoot, at this pace we'll soon find out Tiger spent days Googling holistic arthritis remedies for Mickelson and that Phil offered to visit Orlando to help find Tiger's Escalade the right auto repair shop. After that, it could be the ultimate sign of a bond: sharing jet rides to tournaments. Sky's the limit!

ESPN.com's Bob Harig focuses on Phil's assertion that Tiger's peak will never be repeated by any golfer ever, and reviews the head-to-head match up, which this time around lacks some of the creative tension of past pairings.

In all, they have played in the same group just 35 times, with Woods holding a slight edge in their round-by-round scores at 16-15-4. Woods' scoring average is also slightly better, 69.60 to 69.91.

Woods won five of the tournaments in which they were grouped at some point, including the 2006 PGA Championship and the 2008 U.S. Open. Mickelson won three.

 

Brian Wacker notes at Golf World that the harmony is all the more touching giving where these two have been at times, though this is also hardly Ali-Frazier kissing and making up, either.