When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
I'll get a firsthand look Tuesday but based on some of the Tweeted photographs and looking at Frank Nobilo's analysis of the rough and select holes I feel like we're in for a repeat of the high rough, uber-plodding golf we saw the last time the PGA was at Oak Hill.
While we wait for the onslaught of remembrances celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Shaun Micheel's unforgettable win over Chad Campbell in the 2003 PGA at Oak Hill--goosebumps just typing that--Jason Sobel posts a super piece on Jack Nicklaus's memories of winning 1963 PGA at Oak Hill.
He reminds us that Nicklaus won the pre-event long drive contest that the PGA of America held until some time into the 1980s. And wouldn't that be a fun way to liven up Tuesday of PGA week again? Of course today's Hogan's and Snead's would never do it, but it might still be fun to see some lesser known players and maybe a few club pros have some fun.
There was also this:
He won with a mammoth drive of 341 yards and received a money clip that was engraved, “DRIVING DISTANCE WINNER.”
He remembers this because the money clip has stayed in his pocket every day for the past 50 years.
Think about that for a minute: For all of the accolades and treasures heaped upon Nicklaus during his career, the one which has remained closest to him, joining him on journeys around the world, along for the ride on experiences fit for a king, is a money clip for winning a long-drive contest.
“That drive was 341 yards, 17 inches. I do remember that, too,” he says proudly. “That was an 11‑degree wood driver, 32 ¾‑inch Dynamic Edge shaft. Everybody used the same golf ball, so nobody had a preference on what golf ball was hit.”
Reportedly having served as Chris Berman's writer and producer for many years (Sainthood eligibility...done!), Adam Hertzog has been hired from ESPN by Golf Channel to supervise their news and studio shows.
For Immediate Release:
GOLF CHANNEL HIRES VETERAN ESPN PRODUCER ADAM HERTZOG AS VICE PRESIDENT OF NEWS AND STUDIO PRODUCTIONS
With More Than 18 Years of Sports News Production Experience, Hertzog Most Recently was a Coordinating Producer for ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown
ORLANDO, Fla. (August 5, 2013) – Golf Channel announced today that Adam Hertzog will lead the network’s News Department as Vice President of News and Studio Productions and will report to Molly Solomon, Executive Producer for Golf Channel. Hertzog’s primary responsibilities will include Golf Channel’s daily news programs, including GOLF CENTRAL, MORNING DRIVE and the network’s signature LIVE FROM franchise from golf’s biggest events worldwide, as well as pregame/postgame platforms for Golf Channel and GOLF CHANNEL ON NBC. Additionally, Hertzog will collaborate with teams responsible for in-studio instructional series and digital media extensions to expand the breadth and depth of Golf Channel’s high-quality content.
“Adam has been a driving force behind successful franchises like Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, NBA Countdown and SportsCenter, crafting his skills in producing thought-provoking studio programming,” said Solomon. “His extensive experience and innovative approach to television production, along with a huge passion for golf, will further Golf Channel’s ability to connect the world to golf through the high-quality productions our viewers expect.”
Hertzog’s most recent experience as coordinating producer and writer at ESPN included Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. Additionally, Hertzog was executive producer and creator for ESPYS Countdown, which debuted in 2010, and was a Coordinating Producer for NBA Countdown on ESPN and ABC, helping launch a new format in 2011. His previous experience also includes work with ESPN Original Entertainment, HBO Sports, VH1, History Channel, after starting his career as a production assistant with ESPN in 1995.
Hertzog is leaving this...maybe Rich Lerner the impressionist will re-create this to spice up a Live From:
Thanks to reader Pete the Luddite for Tristan Thornburgh's item on Bubba Watson picking up the tab for 60 mostly strangers at Chipotle, once again revealing the place you are most likely to see PGA Tour players when they visit your town.
Caddie Paul Tesori Tweeted a photo of the receipt.
@bubbawatson made over 60 people happy they chose #chipotle tonight. pic.twitter.com/a11TuNARET
— Paul Tesori (@PaulTesori) August 2, 2013
I was hoping for better, but boy did I see a lot of bunkers surrounded by rough and holes in shade. I'm trying to keep an open mind though, with views to come here and Wednesday on Golf Channel's Grey Goose 19th Hole (6 pm ET).
From GolfDigest.com and photographer Stephen Szurlej and Montana Pritchard.
Meanwhile, Donald Ross biographer Bradley Klein does his best to not get bogged down in the details in taking us hole-by-hole but it's pretty clear what he thinks of the Fazio's additions to this Ross original.
But hey, it may seem pretty depressing that the WORLD Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational will be locked into Ohio's least interesting famous course for the next four years, but just think, in that time, failing the intervention of a agressive tree trimmer, we may actually get to see the first PGA Tour course where players can't hit greens from the center of the fairways!
For Immediate Release...and do note the goose-bump inducing news that Bridgestone is now the official tire of the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.
Bridgestone Extends Title Sponsorship of World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club
Recommits to Role as Official Tire of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour
AKRON, Ohio – PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, representing the International Federation of PGA Tours; Masaaki Tsuya, Bridgestone Global CEO and Chairman of the Board; and Gary Garfield, CEO and President, Bridgestone Americas, announced today that the International Federation of PGA Tours and Bridgestone have reached an agreement to extend Bridgestone’s title sponsorship of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club through 2018. Finchem, Tsuya and Garfield made the announcement during a press conference prior to the leaders teeing off for the final round of the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational.
Bridgestone, a world leader in tire innovation and technology, first began sponsoring the Bridgestone Invitational in 2006, and the current title sponsorship agreement runs through 2014. The Bridgestone Invitational is played at the famed Firestone Country Club’s South Course in Akron, Ohio.
Bridgestone also extended its Official Marketing Partner relationship with the PGA TOUR through 2018 and will remain as the “Official Tire of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour.” The agreement gives Bridgestone opportunities to introduce a distinguished consumer demographic to high-performance Bridgestone tire technology equal to that which they have come to know from its products on the golf course.
Rusty Miller on Tiger's eighth win in the WGC Bridgestone, which actually included some fun revelations about his children peppering dad with the tougher questions than the media.
As he walked to the scorer's trailer to finalize his score, he scooped up 4-year-old son Charlie, who hugged him tightly as his father strode past the large gallery wildly cheering his landslide victory.
"This is the first win he's ever been at," Woods said. "That's what makes it special for both of us."
Daughter Sam was on hand when Woods, won the U.S. Open in 2008, before his personal life imploded. Now Charlie will have some memories of dad in the winner's circle.
"They always say, `Daddy, when are you going to win the tournament?' It was a few years there, or a couple years, I hadn't won anything," Woods said, smiling. "`Are you leading or not? That's a stock question. `Not leading.' `Well, are you going to start leading?' `Well, I'm trying.'"
As for the PGA, Bob Harig addresses Woods' chances heading into the final major.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "As far as wanting it more than any other, no. It's the same. Those [are] the events that we try and peak for and try and win. There's four of them a year.
"It's important for me to get some rest come Monday and Tuesday and do some light work. Come Thursday, I've got a great pairing with Keegan and Davis [Love]. Basically just try and get a feel for the golf course and how it's playing. Do I want it any more? Each and every major, I always want them. I've been successful 14 times, and, hopefully, next week will be 15."
At least, for the residents of New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas where local CBS stations have been blacked out by the cable operator in a pricing spat.
Meanwhile, it may not really matter as Tiger has a seven shot lead and based on what Bob Harig wrote, Tiger got his bad round of the way and still managed to score, a big positive heading into Oak Hill and the PGA.
"I didn't quite have it, but I scored," Woods said. "And that's the name of the game is posting a number, and I did today. Grinding my way around that golf course today. As smooth as yesterday was ... [that's] as difficult as today was. I was just trying to build my lead somehow, and for most of the day I was doing that. Ended up being a dead push for the day, but that's not too bad, either."
And greens too fast for their contours. Again. This happened at the 2010 Open Championship and now at the 2013 Ricoh Women's British Open.
The irony? Greens are sped up to offset modern driving distances and to prevent low scoring, yet whenever we've seen modern elite players on slow greens they don't make many putts.
The official announcement:
Third round play was suspended at 12.33pm on Saturday due to high winds gusting at 38 miles per hour.
Balls were moving on the greens, with the 10th green particularly affected.
Play has been suspended until at least 4.30pm and tournament officials will make a further announcement at 4pm local time.
**Martin Dempster's account of the strange day at St. Andrews.
In case you were wondering about how the greens were prepared with the strong wind forecast, Alistair Tait has your answer.
The LGU had already prepared for the strong winds by not cutting the greens as close as the previous day. “The 11th green wasn’t cut,” she said. “The greens were 9.4 on the stimpmeter as opposed to 10 the day before. They were really quite sticky.”
The weather forecast for tomorrow calls for strong winds again, although not quite as strong as today. If the wind gets up and play is affected, then a Monday finish is an option.
Only nine players finished their third rounds. Those nine players were 56 over par. Rikako Morita was the worst of that bunch with a score of 86, 14 over. Cristie Kerr and amateur Lydia Ko had matching 3-over 75s.
And while (maybe) not as dramatic as his second stage Q-School penalty from 2012, the Web.com player could not have picked a worse time as he vies for a PGA Tour card.
Jeff Shain reports on the 66 that would have put him in second place.
As it turned out, Barber realized the error as he was discussing the aftermath of last year’s DQ with reporters. He returned to the scoring area after finishing, asked for his card and saw the discrepancy.
Once a player leaves the scoring area, his card is deemed official.
“I looked [the card] over and didn’t see it,” Barber said, noting that he’d confirmed the proper total with his walking scorer but didn’t compare the hole-by-hole scores. “Somehow I missed that one on 16.”
Ron Sirak on Inbee Park's unlucky draw as Friday afternoon saw winds kick up, leaving the Grand Slam wannabe eight back heading into the weekend.
The change in conditions seemed unsettling for Park, and that is a rarity for the Korean who plays with a Zen-like calm. Her ball striking was not nearly as crisp as Thursday, when she opened with a 69, and her putting was not as precise as usual, although she did make several good six-foot par saves.
"[I was] a little bit unlucky with the draw, getting afternoon today, not playing in the morning when it's lovely, but that's the way it is," she said.
ESPN's highlight package and wrap up from Rinaldi and Pepper.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
