Tiger Opens Bluejack National: First Round Since Last August

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Well maybe those who don't want to see him tee up before he's absolutely ready may not need to worry about Tiger Woods teeing off for a while, as he revealed Monday's Bluejack National opener was his first since August, 2015.

Then again, as I noted in this week's Forward Press look at the week ahead, anything is possible with a man who showed up at a Masters untested. He has until late Friday afternoon to decide on Quail Hollow, so there is always the chance he enters a favorite tour event next week.

Bob Harig reports from the club home to the first Woods design in North America. It's a redesign of an existing course, opened on what appeared to be a much-needed beautiful day for Houston.

"I'm definitely a little tired but I feel pretty good," Woods said in an interview afterward. "I haven't been out here playing like this. I hadn't played any holes until today. I know people have said I've played holes back at Medalist, but I haven't. This is actually the first time I've played holes since Wyndham. It's been awhile.

A short highlight reel from the opener heavy on Woods, light on good looks at the course. And you may recall the club's short course opened in rather unbelievable fashion.

Adam Scott Not Opposed To Bifurcating Equipment Rules

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We'll put him down for reducing the driver head size. Since the scientists can only make a ball longer and not shorter, this may be an option.

From a very enjoyable Q&A with Brian Wacker at PGATour.com:

BW: If you were equipment czar of the game for a day, running the USGA and R&A, what would you change?
 
AS: I think it's possible that you could make an argument for having different equipment rules for us than the amateurs. I think that's almost logical to do that. I’d re-implement anchored putting because until I'm given facts that it actually is a game-improver, performance-enhancer, then I'm going to have to say I'd put it back in. Maybe driver head size is something I'd look at. That’s a massive difference now. When I was a kid, pulling the driver out of the bag was a concern, like you're going to have to make a great swing to hit a good drive. Now it's the go-to club. It's the most forgiving club we have. That's a huge difference in how you get off the tee to start a hole of golf.

And in the one-course-you-could-play-for-the-rest-of-your-life division, Adam picks...

 AS: I guess I'm torn. I could play Kingston Heath every day for the rest of my life in Australia, and the upside of that is in it's Australia and it's an amazing golf course. But I love Cypress Point. It's my favorite course in the world. I just love playing socially on those golf courses that are so much shorter and just less demanding length-wise for me, and then the people I play with can enjoy it. It's very hard to enjoy a round of golf when I play 90 yards from them. It's like we're on different courses. So those two, if I’m allowed to say two.

Video: Pinehurst No. 2 Five Years Later

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Lee Pace walked Pinehurst No. 2 with Bill Coore five years after the restoration that transformed the resort back to its architectural roots. While Donald Trump and a few were turned off by No. 2's presentation, the Donald Ross course has returned to prominence thanks to the work.

I found this about the rugged look of the course interesting. It's always amazing how folks equate a rustic look with more maintenance than a maintained look.

Indeed, there were plenty of cynics early on. Members and resort guests in 2010 in the backwash of the 2008 financial collapse simply thought Pinehurst didn’t have the money to maintain the course. Some in the design and maintenance business said you might get an interesting look out of the gate, but the vintage aesthetics would be difficult to maintain. All were wrong.

“Five years is a long time,” Coore says, gazing at the jagged bunker outlines up near the ninth green. “Look at those bunker edges, some people said they wouldn’t hold up. I’d say they’ve held up pretty well. The biggest fear we had was it would not be maintainable. Some people said the bunkers would fall in, you can’t maintain them. I guess it worked. They’re still there.

 The video:

Rejoice! Austin Country Club May Favor No One In Particular

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I can't spot an obvious design bias after getting reacquainted with Austin Country Club. The inward nine features three par-5s that will allow the bombers to attack, but also features some par-4s and 3's that will reward the patient precisionist. And the impeccable putting surfaces look to be about 12 feet and have no shortage of contour, aiding the creative minds at this week's WGC Dell Match Play.

Throw in the matter that the event starts on a Wednesday at a course that only really Jordan Spieth has played extensively, and there seems to be no obvious bias. Phil Mickelson admitted to be a little behind in his course knowledge preparation (Ryan Lavner writes for GolfChannel.com), which is probably a view shared by most of the players and caddies.

All of this is why I revised my bracket tonight and backed down off of my Rory McIlroy win selection. Of course, as Jim McCabe presents at Golfweek.com, unpredictability is the essence of this event.

Not that McIlroy can't dominate the course or handle the greens. It's the wind. The course was exposed to a healthy breeze today and much more is in the forecast. And as much as I love McIlroy in match play making 7-8 birdies a round, I don't love him in strong winds on a short, tight Pete Dye course (yes he won at Kiawah, but he could hit driver there...ACC looks like a 4-5 drives per round course).

Spieth's vaulted into my top spot based on his local knowledge, good karma after suggesting he might turn to reading things printed on paper over social media, clearing the air with his caddie, and his love of match play.

BTW, if you haven't filled out a bracket in our league, you still have time!

A few images from the course this afternoon:

 

 

. @justinprose99 under watchful eye of @truegolfcompany & Mark Fulcher, par-5 14th Austin CC @dellmatchplay @pgatour

A photo posted by Geoff Shackelford (@geoffshac) on Mar 22, 2016 at 4:47pm PDT

 

 

Will Trump Doral Be More Democratic This Time Around?

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The rank-and-file felt discriminated against in Gil Hanse's Blue Monster makeover. Even Brandt Snedeker's caddy threw a hissyfit for the ages over the apparent bias in the design toward those who could hit it a long way, so this year the course will sport a few narrowed landing areas for the longer hitters which match the driving zones of those less fortunate.

Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com talked to a few players and Hanse about the changes.

“I felt bad for Gil because he was getting criticized for the redesign, and just said, ‘Here’s the objective view of what I’m seeing and why guys are upset,’” Snedeker said. “Just so it’s more playable and fair for guys who hit it my length. There were times when I was hitting into a fairway that was 12 yards wide, while some of the longer guys are hitting into fairways that were 35 yards wide.

“I understand that length is an advantage but it shouldn’t be a determining factor to the golf tournament, and it seemed like last year length was the overriding factor on who was going to win.”

None of it may matter as Doug Ferguson elaborates in explaining the scenarios facing Doral should a new title sponsor not be found. Though interestingly the PGA Tour has scouted other Miami venues.

If a new sponsor doesn't want to be at Trump Doral, there are not many other options in Miami with the property that can handle size of a World Golf Championship. The tour has looked at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne, a strong public course that once hosted a senior event. But with only one road to the course, that might not be practical.