Scouting Medinah

For those wondering why more players do not scout out courses like Tiger and Phil have, this quote from Medinah head pro Mike Scully in Len Ziehm's story on Medinah might surprise:

'Since the Western, about half the field has been here,'' Scully said. ''Tiger took his [first] peek early. Phil [Mickelson] put in his extensive time, and Luke Donald played a bunch. There were three that I was surprised weren't here before championship week. We never saw Ernie [Els], we never saw Retief [Goosen] and we never saw Sergio [Garcia].''

Huggan On Sergio

John Huggan kicks off the inevitalbe series of stories on Sergio returning the site of his near-PGA win in 1999, with a column on the 26-year-old's career.

Perhaps understandably in one so young - and so spoiled - Garcia has not always reacted well to adversity. Like all leading golfers, he is a convenient excuse-maker and rarely accepts responsibility for anything, a trait that is enhanced by the fact that he surrounds himself with people whose sole purpose seems to be massaging his sizeable ego. Then there is his selective memory when he talks about not getting good breaks: at times, this less-than-attractive characteristic has slipped into something not far short of paranoia.

Take the aforementioned US Open four years ago. After completing his second-round 74 in almost constant heavy rain, Garcia launched into an astonishing tirade against the organisers and, significantly, his biggest rival. But it is no secret in golfing circles that Woods and Garcia are unlikely to be seen going out for dinner any time soon. Friends they are not.

"If Tiger had been out there, I think it would have been called [off]," Garcia said bitterly. "There was a moment when not even the squeegees were going to help. I really felt like we should have taken a 45-minute break. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy this morning, but it was almost impossible this afternoon.

"If you get the luck of getting the good side of the draw, like somebody seems to do in these tournaments, and you're the best player in the world and you make lots of putts, everything works. It's tough to beat a guy when things are going like that."

All of which sounds more than a little sad, never mind defeatist, from one so naturally gifted. Then again, to his credit, Garcia is apparently unafraid of hard work. While the putts have continued to slide by, he has done much to improve his distinctive swing, and today he is perhaps the best driver of a ball among the elite players.

And perhaps just as significantly, the multiple re-gripping saga that used to precede every shot has mercifully been eliminated.

This perspective from Peter Kostis may get the Titleist Golf Products Design Consultant back on non-speaking terms with Tiger:

"Tee to green Sergio compares more than adequately with Tiger," Kostis observes. "He is a very solid ball-striker. He's not better than Tiger, but he doesn't have to play away from his driver. In fact, he is a beautiful driver of the ball.

"I don't see any weaknesses in his full swing. That's his greatest strength. He could certainly get a little better around the greens. And he could certainly get a little better on the greens.

"His temperament is interesting. Let's face it: he is Spanish, and he has a Spanish temperament. He fits the stereotype. His frustrations with the putter cause him some emotional stress, but if he gets that under control, there isn't anything he can't do."

Klein On Medinah

Golfweek's Bradley Klein on this week's PGA Championship host:

For those who think narrow, tree-lined fairways are the paradigm of good course design, Medinah No. 3 stands out like an icon. For others who are keen on strategic variety and a nuanced aesthetic of vistas and playing textures, there is no more boring example of architecture in America than this very long parkland layout in suburban Chicago.

And...

Medinah has length. What it doesn’t have is a lot of trouble around (or on) the greens. The modestly sloped greens don’t unduly punish approaches that are short-sided. With the par-5s vulnerable and little trouble elsewhere, expect lots of low rounds and a tight bunching of the field.

And from his  "America’s Best” ballot...            

3. Natural setting and overall land plan: 5
            The 106,000 square foot Byzantine clubhouse gets a 10, and Lake Kadijah helps situate the golfer. But the course is otherwise devoid of vistas or any external sense of place, other than all of those towering hardwoods, and that gets repetitive real fast.
 
4. Interest of greens and surrounding chipping contours: 7
            The newly rebuilt/regrassed greens, average size 4.200 square feet, are modestly sloped, flawlessly manicured, and without a lot of trouble left and right in terms of short-game recovery.
 
5. Variety and memorability of par 3s: 7
            These are like latte breaks during a valium drip. There’s just enough variance among the trio of over-the-water par-3s (2nd, 13th, 17th) to make them interesting. But the shaping is so odd. Rees Jones’ handiwork is evident in the flat horizon line 2nd green with symmetrical, linear outslopes -- it looks like an upside down pie plate. No. 13 is set above and apart from the lake by surrounding bunkers, but the vinyl support wall there that also creates the diagonal effect of the 17th green (much improved over the old green, by the way!) has a hard-edged look out of character with the grounds.   
 
6. Variety and memorability of par 4s: 5
            All of the strategy is along the tree lines; none of it involves bunkering on the inside of a dogleg. At Medinah, the fairway bunkering on par-4s squeezes landing areas laterally or contains the outside of a dogleg. Only the 12th and 16th holes offer dramatic falloffs for slightly wayward shots
 
7. Variety and memorability of par 5s: 5
            Trees are the primary defense here, which gets repetitive. Play here will likely be decisive for the outcome of the PGA, with birdies abundant and little threat to anyone playing boldly given the lack of interesting bunker positioning on second shots or the element of water in play. The relatively short par-5 fifth is very narrow; the tenth offers the one interesting option of a bold play right in order to get home in two; and the long fourteenth hole requires loft on the approach to hold a tightly bunkered green.
 
8. Basic conditioning: 10
            For a (still) heavily shaded parkland site, Medinah No. 3 thrives. Tom Lively, CGCS, like so many other Chicago-area superintendents, deserves credit for working well under demanding conditions.
 
9. Landscape and tree management: 7
            Thousands of mature hardwoods frame the holes and define the place. They’ve done a good job of clearing out heavily shaded greenside areas, removed nuisance conifers and trimmed up the canopies so golfers and visitors can see under the trees. For a densely wooded course, this is the start of wise tree management. The curtain has at least been lifted.
 
10. “Walk in the park” test: 7
            An enjoyable walk, one that’s strong on ambiance and tradition but a little short in aesthetics and variety.
 
Overall: 6.5
            Medinah No. 3 is ranked No. 57 on the Golfweek Classic Top-100 List, with an average score of 7.14. That’s marginally over-rated in my view. The course is a joyless grind.

Week In Review, August 5-12: Michelle, Michelle

On the eve of the PGA, it's the rules of golf that are getting plenty of attention between Lytham and Ohio (oh, and add Oregon after you read Jim Achenbach's story from Pumpkin Ridge).

Michelle Wie's latest rules infraction probably cost her caddy his job. GeorgeM asks:

"1. Is the the players (pro and amateur) who are neglectful?
2. Is it the coaches and instructors who do not emphasize the rules before the swing?
3. Or is it the rule makers who fail to provide an easily accessible guide to the rules?

I see many rules questions posted on boards by veteran golfers. Why don't we know the answers ourselves?"

CBell chimes in with this point: "As a high school teacher I'd like to say that Michelle is refreshingly normal. She's far ahead of some 16-year-olds in terms of poise and ability to articulate, far behind others. My bigger point is this: the difference between most 16-year-olds and 18-year-olds is huge. Be fair to Michelle. Give her time. As for the rules, she hasn't yet learned NEVER to make assumptions. Call an official. But when you don't know what you don't know - typical of any 16-year-old, let alone someone "expected" to know the minutiae of an arcane set of guidelines - it's easy to make mistakes.

And RM cited that great thinker, Clark Griswold, "Nothing worthwile is easy honey, we know that."

After the round, Tiger was asked some pretty lame questions and I had fun with it. The exchange prompted Hawkeye to write, "Seems to me even the press chokes when Tiger is on the leader board..."

Golf World ran a photo of the Ohio Golf Association's shorter ball that will be used at their Champions Tournament August 22-23.  Some of us would love to know what it is, but JPB makes a good point about why the manufacturer may want it to be a secret:  "The problem is that if the word gets out the ball is shorter in a range of swing speeds, it will be off the market. You can't have a regular ball survive a short hitting reputation IMO. The only way it really works is if the companies put out a retro special or something and market it as a classic course high spin ball."

Scott S asked, "Any word on who made the ball Jack wants us to hit yet?" I think it's safe to say that it's not the same manufacturer cooperating with the Ohio Golf Association.

Ned Ludd said it "Looks like dimple pattern from Dunlop/Maxfli popular in the late 80's. Remember the Dunlop 'Master?'" While ReverendTMac says it "reminds me more of my favorite ball a couple years back, the Top Flite Tour. Three-piece, low compression, high spin...it all fits. Same mixture of smaller and bigger dimples, too."

Chuck asks up a good question: "I am confused as to how any ball can be 'on the conforming list under [a different] name...' I thought the point of the list was to allow in-the-field identification of conforming balls, and that there could be no such thing as a stealth model, which is marked differently yet still conforming. Perhaps someone with greater familiarity with the ins and outs of the Conforming List can supply the information.

johnniecash responded, "A ball does not have to be on the list of conforming golf balls. A ball only has to meet the requirements for balls as stated in Appendix III of the rulebook. Balls that are on the list have been tested and found to conform, but the list is not deemed to be exclusive, unless a committee wishes to adopt it."

A Page From Shakespeare

Jim Achenbach reports from the U.S. Women's Amateur on one of those incidents that makes you really, really wonder about the rules of golf.

Ziehm Talks To Jones

Len Ziehm talks to Rees Jones about Medinah.

In general, what had to be done to Medinah in comparison with what you did at other major championship courses.

I liken this redesign project to what we did at The Country Club at Brookline [Mass.], where we took a very old, storied layout that had a lot of history. I liken it to the Sacred Ground of Golf. Medinah was already ahead of the curve. It had the length, it had the green contours, it had great holes. We didn't have to add that much length, but we did take out about 300 trees.

Trees are organic, and they tend to grow in where the sunlight is, so that was another restoration project, to bring the golf course back to the way it had been in the past. The players will notice a different course from '99 to 2006.

What will they see that will be different?

They'll see a course that has more definition because we took some of the blindness out on No. 1 and No. 8. We took out the bunker on No. 16. We brought the 17th green down to the water, and we took the tee back. Then on 18, we made a major change. We elevated the green and took the tee back. It'll probably be a short iron [approach] with the way these guys are hitting it, but it's going to be a much more precise shot.

The par-3 17th hole has become controversial because it has been changed so much. It has been a completely different hole for each of the last four majors played at Medinah. What went into the design of the current hole?

We put [the green] back on the hazard. We only have three holes that bring the water into play. We were able to bring the green back down to the water, regrade the hill [where the tee complex is located] and make the hole as long as it was [with a new tee]. We accomplished both goals -- we got the water into play, the ultimate hazard, as well as maintained the yardage.

GS.com Birthday On Squarespace

A year ago today I officially switched this site over to Squarespace with a post about some silly press conference question asked of Phil Mickelson. (Some things never change.)

Squarespace is a service specializing in blog-friendly hosting that I highly recommend if you are looking to blog or need basic web services. 

1,000,000 hits later, multiple changes in the design, and plenty of rants (and hopefully laughs) later, here we are.

Thanks for continuing to check in and for your comments.

Jackie Burke Unplugged

There's a killer book excerpt in the new Golf Digest featuring Jackie Burke's thoughts on the Ryder Cup, but since it's not linked, here's Burke talking to Jim McCabe about his PGA Championship win and other topics.

He has been around the game for nearly all 83 years of his life, which is why when he speaks, people listen. Burke has a passion for the game, particularly for great amateur play, but he cares little for some aspects that shape the landscape. He's fearful that a player on a practice range somewhere is going to get seriously hurt by a teaching device what with all the ropes and metal, and he feels pity for what they've done to the club professional's job description.

``He's got to worry about carts and shirts and the hypotenuse of a triangle," said Burke.

As for the phenomenon called Tiger Woods, Burke said it isn't a mystery.

``He's the only one who understands how to play the game, how to make shots," said Burke. ``The other guys? They're all out there plumb-bobbing the world, worrying about their launch angle and their ball speed. But Woods is like the great pool player -- he doesn't see the cue, doesn't see the ball, he just sees the whole game."

"Almost unbecoming of a professional"

Erik Leijon in the Montreal Mirror interviews John Daly about his new wine label and his book. This is beautiful:

M: When your book came out, the PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem talked to you. What did he say?

JD: Well, it was just one of those things that went back and forth. HarperCollins wanted everything [about Daly’s drinking, gambling etc.], in which the facts are right, and the PGA tour didn’t, so it went back and forth eight or nine times. Tim Finchem said, “This is almost unbecoming of a professional.” I said, “My life is unbecoming of a professional, Tim.” And he said, “Well it wasn’t like the Tour was going to sell it,” but next thing you know it’s in the display of every PGA Tour store, so he must be okay with it.

PGA Lines

Gary Van Sickle assigns odds (with comments) on the entire PGA Championship field, while you can check out what one of the casinos says here.  You know, for your rotisserie and church league pools, of course.

Pre-Medinah Podcast

Golfdom's Larry Aylward interviews yours truly about Medinah and the PGA.

Gabcast! PGA Championship Preview #1

"Champions 08222306"

E. Michael Johnson and Mike Stachura reveal a few new specifics about the Ohio Golf Association Champions Tournament ball, which will be used Aug. 22-23 at Windy Knoll.

According to Alan Fadel, a member of the OGA's board of governors, the ball was submitted for USGA approval earlier this year. "We were told it was on the [conforming] list in June," he said. "In fact, I believe it may have been used on [a pro tour] this year."

Still, some of the ball's particulars -- including who makes it -- remain a mystery. The ball, which sports "OGA" as its logo and has "CHAMPIONS 08222306" (the tournament and its dates) as its sidestamp, is not listed as such, meaning it is on the conforming list under a manufacturer's brand name.

Fadel would not reveal the manufacturer, but said the ball is "a three-piece, very high-spin, very low-compression" model. And although the OGA has been consistent in saying it is a "uniform" ball as opposed to a "short" ball, Fadel confirmed the OGA ball is six to seven yards shorter off the driver, five yards shorter off the irons and some 20 yards shorter on drives into the wind for players with swing speeds in the 100-110 miles-per-hour range, where most of the event's participants fall.

This is funny... 

The move to a uniform ball may raise eyebrows,

only if you are looking at a 207 drive at waterlogged Newport as a barometer for distance's impact on the game...

but that the OGA is taking this step isn't surprising. The association has a decided maverick streak, having declared a local rule in the early 1980s allowing players to tap down spike marks, leading to a falling out with the USGA. The OGA also was the first U.S. association to ban metal spikes.

"This is not the OGA trying to act contentiously," Wall said. "[But] if it becomes a discussion point for all of golf, then so be it."

As much as I'd like to know what kind of ball it is, the OGA has wisely decided to keep it secret.

They have nothing to gain by revealing the manufacturer and instead make it clear that they are more concerned with the results of their studies, instead of introducing a new ball to golf.

Still, it would be nice to know in case others wanted to, you know, try out the ball.

Reader Blue Blazer awakened from a long slumber to wonder if the balls pictured above came from an overseas company residing in a country where they have no room to keep lengthening courses. He also thought the dimple pattern resembled something from the old Slazenger or Maxfli lines.

Anyone recognize the dimples by looking at the photos?

Either way, we should know soon, since it's inevitable that a tournament contestant or media member will send off a sample to a manufacturer that can do a quick ID autopsy.

Chicago Dream 18

SI has posted the text to the Chicago Dream 18 that I compiled with the help of a great panel. It's only available to subscribers and Gil Hanse's map is not up, but I'll get it scanned in the next few days and post it.

But you can check out the results of an informal survey filled out by the panel on the best of Chicago golf. It's a web-exclusive deal.

Tiger's Brands

Gene Yasuda and Kevin Dwire look at at all of Tiger's sponsors and what he brings to the table. Lots of references to what he brings to the brands. Obviously it's a slow week.

"Wanted: caddie. Pay: great. Thick skin a must. Eventual termination: certain."

SI's E.M. Swift files a web-exclusive on the Michelle Wie caddie cavalcade, starting off with this from Juli Inkster (who used to employ pro jock Greg Johnston):

 "It would have been nice to get a phone call from the [Wie] family, saying this is what we're thinking of doing," Inkster told me after she took the first-round lead at the Women's British Open last week with a 66. "I'd had Greg for 11 years. It's not like I was some rookie.

"But that's not the way they [the Wies] do things. Instead they gave him a take-it-or-leave-it in the middle of my season, right before the Solheim Cup. I don't blame him. He's got kids to think about. But that didn't sit well."

Johnston was looking after his future, and there wasn't a caddie on the LPGA tour who wouldn't have done exactly the same thing. This despite the fact that the Wies had already gone through nine caddies between 2003 and '05, when Michelle was an amateur, and that "every time she misses a green, it's the caddie's fault -- except when Dad's on the bag," as one experienced caddie told me at last year's Women's British.

Wow, nine caddies, plus Johnson makes 10. Only two more to catch Spinal Tap's rumored dozen!

Here's the part about where Johnston lost his gig.

I was outside the scorer's trailer at Royal Lytham and St. Anne's last week when Wie got word that she'd been penalized two strokes for grounding her club in a sand trap during the second round. She had accidentally brushed away a clump of moss that was resting behind her ball during her backswing, a transgression that TV cameras clearly showed.

Johnston had told her she couldn't move the impediment, but Wie's parents, father B.J. and mother Bo, were visibly angry as they pulled their 16-year-old daughter aside to get her version of what had happened.

It was a tense scene. Wie's two bodyguards, dressed in Nike golf shirts, were rude and aggressive while keeping photographers and TV cameramen from filming the meeting -- never mind that it was taking place in a mixed zone where interviews routinely were conducted. Michelle was near tears. She hadn't known the rule. She thought if she just continued her swing, there was no violation.

Johnston should have known then and there that his days were numbered.