Fay: Without Walker Cup, "There would have been no Bobby Jones story as we've come to know it."

/

A fun premise from David Fay in the September Golf Digest: if it weren't for the Walker Cup, where would Bobby Jones' record stand?

According to the former USGA Executive Director, the Jones as we know him might not be the legend he became.

When played in Great Britain in 1923, 1926 and 1930 (as well as its precursor, the International Match, at Hoylake in 1921), the Walker Cup was scheduled such that the British Amateur and the British Open were played around the same time. Jones took full advantage of bundling the three competitions in 1926 and 1930 by winning the British Open in both of these years as well as his only British Amateur title, in 1930. In 1923, Jones had planned to take advantage of the bundling approach, but Harvard denied his petition to be excused early from classes, so Jones declined his spot on the team. He remained in school and, later that summer, won his first U.S. Open title.

During his competitive career, Jones made only one trip to Great Britain that wasn't in conjunction with a USGA-subsidized competition. That was in 1927, when he successfully defended his British Open title at the Old Course at St. Andrews—a course and a place he had come to love. He did not go for a third straight British Open title in 1928: Work and family obligations along with the steep costs of the trip were simply too much.

Johnny Thinks NBC May Be Grooming Johnny-Type Replacement

/

Alex Myers with more from Johnny Miller on Tiger's game, the USGA's move to Fox Sports and the future at NBC for himself and his Johnny Miller-type replacement.

"It's not going to really impact my decision on what I do as an announcer," Miller said of NBC losing the U.S. Open. "I really don't know what NBC/Golf Channel has in store for me after two years. I would think they are starting to think about grooming a new Johnny Miller-type announcer but I don't know who it is, and I'll probably do some things, I just don't know how much. We'll just have to see."

Ed Sherman has more from Johnny's chat to promote next week's playoff from Chicago, not that you needed any reminder!

The People Speak: 85% Want Spieth On Prez Cup Squad

/

I expected enthusiasm for the lad from Dallas but 85% with over 600 votes is a landslide.

Captain Couples, are you listening? We'll find out at 11 am PT Wednesday as the selections are made by the captains. Check out PGATour.com for the press conference stream.

Golf Channel's Win McMurry and Jason Sobel break down the picks and Sobel is all for Spieth making the team.

JT Tweets: Executive Producing Doc On 7 Y.O. Golfers

/

I know I posted the trailer to The Short Game a few months back but could not find it. Not that it matters. The real story is that pop music star Justin Timberlake Tweeted to his 25,000,000 followers (!) the link and mentioned that he's an executive producer.

Here it is on YouTube. And by the way, I'm just so, so glad the PGA Tour got out of the Justin Timberlake business! Who would want someone with his influence and passion for the game Tweeting things like this? ;)

Eagle Golf CEO: More Consumerism Needed To Grow Golf!

/
Thanks to the readers who send Eagle Golf CEO Joe Munsch's email newsletter rant about how the governing bodies are holding back the game by having an OB rule and restricting folks from buying more clubs to bring eternal happiness and allow them to hit it even longer and straighter than they do now, which is longer and straighter than the masses have ever hit it.
Read More

First Walker Cup And NGLA Previews

/

Dave Anderson sets the table for this week's Walker Cup at The National Golf Links.

Though I'm not sure this statement about the course being unchanged is entirely accurate! However, that statement is a tribute to the beautiful restoration undertaken by Mssrs. Olson and Salinetti.

Its fabled course, designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, the father of American golf architecture, is virtually unchanged since it opened in 1911. New tees at the 7th, 14th and 16th holes have stretched it to 6,995 yards, only 122 yards longer than when Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet and Chick Evans — three of golf’s revered names — won the inaugural cup matches there in 1922.

Enriching the scene will be the National’s majestic tan stucco clubhouse and landmark windmill overlooking Peconic Bay — no different from when the 20-year-old Jones, who would win a record-sharing four United States Opens and five United States Amateur titles, teed off there. Before those 1922 matches, George Herbert Walker, the president of the United States Golf Association (and grandfather of the 41st president, George Herbert Walker Bush), put up an unnamed silver trophy for the winners. “Members of the press,” as reporters were called then, labeled it the “Walker Cup,” and it has been known as that ever since as American teams have built a 34-8-1 record in the biennial series.

John Steinbreder in Global Golf Post gives a nice overview of the club's history, though kindly leaves out a mention of the conditioning problems that plagued them early on, and also reveals some of the things that make the club so cool (besides the amazing course).

The USGA also posts a nice appetite-whetting video that reminds us how special it is to be returning to The National Golf Links of America. A shame we weren't in year one of the Fox Sports deal, this could have been narrated by Regis with much hipper music to appeal to the masses. Oh well.

PGA Tour Bifurcation Alive & Well! Oberholser Glove Edition

/

Tim Rosaforte's Golf World Monday column looks at Arron Oberholser playing the Web.com Tour Finals on a medical exemption after years of struggle with his left hand (four surgeries).

And as reader DTF notes, if this isn't bifurcation, what is?

It took a special glove, approved by the PGA Tour (after the USGA deemed it non-conforming), to make a comeback possible. Even with that accommodation, he was still icing down the hand and taking Advil to reduce the swelling and pain.

"The glove isn't the cure-all by any stretch of the imagination," he said. "That's why if it doesn't hold up over the next three weeks, then I'll probably see a lot more of you in the studio."