Video: Trick Shot Proves Someone's Been Doing Core Work

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Ok, just standing on one of those medicine balls is a nice feat.

The rest of Kevin Carpenter's trick shot is mighty impressive...(H/T to Golfweek's Kevin Casey):

 

Bryson DeChambeau: "I'm a golfing scientist, so I don’t take it with any emotion."

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Bryson DeChambeau's impressive 64 to open his first European Tour start has the current U.S. Amateur champion atop the HSBC leaderboard.

His accomplishment relegated DeChambeau to footnotes in the Telegraph and Guardian game stories, and DeChambeau came off nicely in his post round comments to Golf Channel.

John Huggan says DeChambeau went a bit far though in post round comments, though it's hard to fault the lad for having some confidence after beating some of the world's best. Oh, and golfing recently with two of the world's biggest celebrities (here and here).

Which is the point where he should have stopped. But DeChambeau did not. Oh no. Before he was done there was a hole to dig -- a big hole, comparing himself to first to a genuine genius, then America’s first president.

“You look at trends in humanity and most like following the norm,” he continued. “But you’ve also got people like Einstein and George Washington; they stood out and capitalized on their differences and showed the world a little different side.”

Round one video highlights here.

Jordan Spieth Is Introduced To The "Monitoring" Penalty

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I didn't even have a chance to study the European Tour's new slow play policy before the great John Paramor was not only implementing "monitoring", but going after the World No. 1.

Rex Hoggard on Morning Drive explained what happened during round one of the HSBC in Abu Dhabi. And the crew discussed it as well, deciding this is a positive step for golf.

In looking at the policy, the price for a "monitoring" penalty is pretty steep for your average European Tour player. For Spieth? The lost €2,600 probably isn't going to be noticed by Spieth after buying his second home in a year and receiving a nice appearance fee this week.

From John Huggan's report, Spieth took it in stride but also suggested there may be a bit of a loophole in the policy.

“I understand that, if we are being timed and I take too long I get a bad time. I understand the rule,” Spieth continued. “But it doesn’t make sense when we had caught up and were going off the clock. It had no effect on the round. It’s a bit of a grey area. John Paramor was very respectful though. My thing was not to fight it there and go about finishing my round. But I will be asking. I just don’t want to be worrying about it in future rounds.”

From the European Tour's website:

“Monitoring” by referees will take place as soon as a group has been seen to be out of position. All Players will be notified that they are to be “Monitored” but the “Monitoring” will not be part of a player’s record.

• However, any player exceeding the time permitted for a stroke (40 seconds with additional 10 seconds if first to play) while being “Monitored” will be assessed a “Monitoring Penalty”.

• Any player having a “Monitoring Penalty” will be “Timed” from the next tee unless the group has regained its position.

• If a “Monitored” group loses further time, the group or those players within the group who are deemed to be the cause of the delay will be timed.

• If a “Monitored” group fails to gain time, the official will decide whether to continue “Monitoring” or alternatively, commence timing. All players will be so informed.

A “Monitoring Penalty” will have the same status as a “Bad Time” except it will not count towards any golfing penalty.  A player having either two “Monitoring Penalties” or “Bad Times” or a combination, will be fined €2,600 (or the sterling equivalent of £2,000) rising by €2,600 (or the sterling equivalent of £2,000) for each successive “Monitoring Penalty” or “Bad Time”.

Additionally, any player who is seen to have taken twice the Time Permitted for a stroke (80 seconds or 100 seconds if first to play), will be assessed a “Monitoring Penalty” whether the player’s group was in position or not.

Got all of that?

I'm all for speeding things up, but on day one of your most watched event in some time, might be a bit overkill. Especially when the course is setup with absurd rough that does nothing to speed up play.

Tradition Unlike Any Other: Blaming Tradition

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We've all done it: blamed tradition.

When the European Tour opened up the dreaded shorts vs. pants debate by granting waivers and allowing their members to wear shorts in pro-am play, I knew "tradition" would be a target.

Sure, the word gets overused and often is hidden behind by those up to no good. But the debate about pro golfers wearing shorts is not a tradition vs. progress topic.

James Corrigan disagrees.

Golf is never in a worse light than when it is cast in the smog caused by tradition being mixed with pomposity.

The tradition should be extolled; the pomposity excommunicated.

Just because golf did it once does not mean it should still be done today. This is a ball sport which has been affected by the advances in technology perhaps more than any other, but in terms of perception it has been depressingly rooted.

For so long the powers-that-be refused to recognise the necessity to go forwards and kidded themselves and their audience with all this "tradition" claptrap.

They summarily dismissed the opinion that children were being put off by the perception of the old man's pursuit and, as regards participation, woefully failed to capitalise on the gift that was Tiger Woods.

Pro golfers wearing pants has nothing to do with tradition and everything to do with aesthetics.

When you're at a pro golf event and you hear spikes, you will turn to find a well-dressed, pressed and fitted person probably clad in one-too-many logos. But you'll also have no doubt you are seeing a professional in his/her arena. A gladiator of sorts, in their arena. One that we have paid to come see perform.

Athletes should stand out and look impressive. They shouldn't dress look like the rest of us. Pants on a golfer, for whatever reason, add a certain gravitas. Golfers wearing shorts have no chance of standing out and, contrary to claims, do not appear to be more athletic by exposing their legs. Instead, they look like they're late for their 1:20 tee time at any old course, not The Old Course.

So while I certainly can respect the view that it's time to push aside the pant aesthetic, I can't agree that demands by administrators to wear them has anything to do with tradition. It is, as the kids say, what it is. We just know class when we see it. This isn't classy or particularly athletic:

Poll: Is The Shorts Barrier About To Be Broken?

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Alistair Tait reports on the European Tour now allowing players to wear shorts two weeks in a row after petitioning from Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke.

Even though he's a purveyor of some very stylish pants, Ian Poulter wants to see shorts as the next fashion barrier to be broken.

“It makes perfect sense to me,” Poulter said. “There shouldn’t be a problem with us wearing shorts to practice,” Poulter said. “So I’ll be baring my legs tomorrow. In fact, I really don’t see a problem with wearing shorts during tournaments. I mean it is 2016.”

While this is a First Team, All Conference First World Problem, there is an underlying sense that pants only makes golf seem uncool.

Personally, I'm old fashioned when it comes to pro golfers. They should be in pants and definitely not looking at rangefinders down the stretch. I even agree with Commissioner Kiehl's on the beard issue (sorry Old Tom).

There is good news, too. This will probably turn into one more thing European Tour Chief Keith Pelley and Tim Finchem will bicker over!

I'm curious if you think for the sake of golf's long term image, should pro golfers be allowed to wear shorts?

Vote!

Should pro golfers be allowed to wear shorts?
 
pollcode.com free polls

Forward Press: PGA West Stadium And Johnny's Return

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In this week's Forward Press, I naturally touch upon the much anticipated European Tour stop in Abu Dhabi featuring Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. But there are a number of interesting elements to the Bob Hope Classic's latest reboot into the CareerBuilder Challenge, starting with the return of PGA West Stadium after its not-so-triumphant one-year stint 29 years ago.

As the column notes, this is an opportunity to see just how much the game has changed. While there won't be ShotLink comparisons to make, those of us old enough to remember how difficult the Stadium once was will get to see today's players light the place up.

Mentioned in the column also is the 2016 debut of Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller and producer Tommy Roy. Since filing the column I was reminded that this is where Johnny made his debut as an analyst in 1990 where he wheeled out his first of many “choke” references when talking about the possibility of Hope Classic contender Peter Jacobsen blowing a 72nd hole shot. Jacobsen pulled off the shot and won, but I'm sure we'll relive that and Lee Trevino's Skins Game ace.

Happy reading!

The Donald To Lose Scottish Open To Dundonald?

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The contract was never signed for one or three Scottish Opens at Trump International, but there is little question that at least one event was headed to the Aberdeen course by 2017. Then the presidential campaign got hot and heavy and Donald Trump's remarks about Mexican immigrants led to a postponement.

Now it appears the European Tour has moved on and Bunkered's Michael McEwan (thanks reader Bobby) says they are circling Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, a modern Kyle Phillips design owned by the Loch Lomond folks and host to the 2015 Ladies Scottish Open.

With Castle Stuart, Royal Aberdeen and Gullane having welcomed the event to the Highlands, North East and Lothians since it visited Loch Lomond Golf Club for the last time in 2010, speculation has been mounting over a possible home in Ayrshire or the south west of Scotland for the tournament.

A high-ranking source has told bunkered.co.uk that Dundonald Links looks likely to get that nod, with negotiations reportedly at ‘a very advanced stage’.

"How Christy O’Connor Jr became Europe's hero at the 1989 Ryder Cup"

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The Guardian's Steve Pye used the unexpected and way-too-early passing of Christy O'Connor Jr to remember his fascinating life in golf through the 1989 Ryder Cup.

O'Connor was a captain's pick of Tony Jacklin after Sandy Lyle withdrew due to a floundering game. A Jose Rivero mention makes it way into the piece, but in the big scheme of things it's a pleasurable way to learn about the sudden passing of a real character and also to learn that wild Ryder Cup dynamics are not solely a product of the 21st century.

A sampler from Pye's piece:

Unfortunately for O’Connor, things were about to turn pear-shaped. A missed cut left him vulnerable to a late attack, and when José María Cañizares sneaked in at the last minute, O’Connor now had to rely on a captain’s pick from Tony Jacklin. Two of Jacklin’s choices were apparently set in stone – Ken Brown and Nick Faldo, despite the latter struggling for form after remodelling his swing – and it was seen as a straight fight between O’Connor, Mark James and Gordon Brand Jr for the final selection.

To the general amazement of everyone, Jacklin chose José Rivero instead. “I am disgusted and totally shattered,” said a furious O’Connor, understandably so after he missed out on his second Ryder Cup by just £115.89. O’Connor’s ire would run and run; according to Jacklin, the only time O’Connor spoke to him in the next four years was to offer his condolences when Jacklin’s wife Vivien passed away.


O’Connor was probably happy to see the back of 1985. At the end of the year his father died after suffering a heart attack, and over the next few seasons O’Connor seemed unable to reproduce the form that had taken him so near to joining Europe’s party. Having hovered around the top 20 during the next three years, few expected his 1989 campaign to be any different. But a fine run of displays saw O’Connor finish fifth at the Volvo Open, fourth at the Volvo PGA, third at the Dunhill British Masters, and seventh at the English Open (played at The Belfry). To top it all, O’Connor won the Jersey Open, his first individual win on the Tour since his Ryder Cup debut.

'15: PGA Tour Drums Euro Tour In Average World Ranking Points

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It's about the least interesting topic imaginable to a golf fan, but to insiders, players and their agents, world ranking points rank right there with Wheels Up credits and free courtesy cars.

Doug Ferguson reports that the PGA Tour widened the gap between their tour and the European Tour in 2015 average World Ranking points to tournaments.

The gap continues to widen in the average ranking points for PGA Tour events compared with Europe - up an average of one point this year, two points from 2012.

Including the four majors and the four World Golf Championships, the PGA Tour averaged 56.4 points for the winner compared with 42.2 points for the European Tour. That's a difference of 14.2 points, up from 13.3 points a year ago.

Ryder Cup To Italy: About The Money In Many Ways

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Good to see Iain Carter taking a hard but optimistic look at Italy landing the 2022 Ryder Cup with the most lucrative bid for a golf course that doesn't look very compelling. Ultimately he concludes this was a Keith Pelley play to piggyback off the model set forth by George O'Grady with the French Open: add a huge purse for the Italian Open and bolster a late season run of events in an effort to keep more Europeans playing their home tour.

I know that's not comforting when we'll be watching golf played under power lines, but a strong European Tour is a good thing for golf.

The Italian Open currently provides a modest 1.5m euro prize fund. That pot is set to double and from 2017 the tournament will be worth 7m euros for the next 11 years.

Where the money is coming from remains to be seen. It is a mammoth commitment that will propel an event that has been in existence since 1925 to a new level.

"We have exciting plans for the development of the European Tour," Pelley stated. "Italy shares this ambition.
"Their commitment to the Italian Open will provide an inspiring benchmark."

These are the sort of prize purses that Pelley wants to have on offer week in, week out. He clearly hopes a more lucrative Italian Open will provide an example for other national championships to follow.

Awkward Photo Op Fun: Keith Pelley Mows Fairways Edition

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Nothing screams natural more than a Commissioner refusing to shed his navy blazer to drive around on a Toro mower. That's what European Tour Chief Keith Pelley did during the recent Dubai event.

Take this, George O'Grady!

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said “Having our golf courses prepared and presented to the highest standard is an essential part of providing the best possible playing experience for our members, which is one of our key priorities. Toro’s products and equipment play a vital role in us achieving this, so we are delighted to extend our long-standing relationship with them to help ensure these high standards continue to be met.”

A Little Bit Of Valhalla Outside Of Rome!

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Secret Tour Pro Tweeted these images of 2022 Ryder Cup host Marco Simone Golf Club, which is slated to undergo a redo. Let's hope one that involves forklifts moving large electrical wire towers.

Yikes...

Che Bello! Italy Lands 2022 Ryder Cup

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Marco Simone Golf Club will be totally reconstructed and the Italian Open will see a big purse bump as the course outside of Rome continues the trend of European Ryder Cups near big cities. In this case, the venue will see a total redesign.

The full press release at RyderCup.com includes this:

To that end, the Bid Evaluation Committee judged the candidates on five specific criteria: (i) Demonstrable Government, Political, Institutional and Golfing Community support; (ii) Commitment to the development of a world-class golf facility (new or existing) to host The 2022 Ryder Cup; (iii) Provision of ancillary facilities, suitable access and infrastructure commensurate with the staging of an international sporting event, including proximity to a major international city; (iv) Commercial opportunities available to The Ryder Cup; and (v) Contribution of the Bid Country to the development of golf in terms of Legacy, Contribution to the professional game, Integration of golf within tourism and business communities, Development of levels of golf participation, Professional tournament golf at all levels, and contribution to The Ryder Cup: eg Player eligibility and participation.

Money, money, money! Architecture, not so much.

Constantino Rocca, get fit for an IFB now!

The awarding of The 2022 Ryder Cup will continue Italy’s legacy in the contest which began when Costantino Rocca became the first Italian golfer to play in the match at The Belfry in England in 1993. The United States won on that occasion but Rocca tasted victory on his next two outings – at Oak Hill Country Club in 1995 and at Valderrama in 1997 where he famously beat Tiger Woods 4 and 2 in the final day singles.