The Youth Movement Is Real Because They Play A Different Game

Let's be honest: the youth hype in golf started as an effort to appeal to folks who don't watch golf for ad buyers who want to reach a younger audience. Then one by one men in their early 20s and women in their teens started not only getting tour cards, they started winning.

Yet something about the recent back-to-back wins to start the 2015-16 PGA Tour schedule by Grillo and Kaufmann have, in a weird way, been as powerful as the emergence of Spieth, Day and McIlroy. Why? Because we're seeing an ushering in of fearless youth clearly playing a different game, especially under final round pressure. These are not mere copy cats or young ones inspired by their peers.

Jaime Diaz, like me, was a skeptic of the rush to declare that a youth movement had taken hold. But after Kaufman's final round 61 and Las Vegas win--by someone who was not even a full time starter at LSU--he's no longer a denier.

There has been a discernible increase in truly competitive, younger-than-ever players who are ready to win. They might have names we barely know, but there are really no more upsets or even Cinderella stories in pro golf.

It’s evolution – from a litany of factors. Bigger and athletes drawn to the sport, following better fitness regimens, who have emulated physical specimens like Tiger, Dustin and Rory. There is more intense early competition, and equipment that can be tuned to minimize persistent flaws, breeding more confidence to swing harder.

But the biggest reason? Style of play.

Shirtless Shark Keeps His Shirtless Pic Streak Alive!

I'm starting to wonder if Greg Norman has shoulder surgeries just to Instagram more shirtless shots...but then I looked back at many of his recent posts to see that shirtlessness was losing steam for the Living Brand...this month.

But either way, great to see he's back at work in his favorite state, half-naked.

Back to work. At home!!

A photo posted by Greg Norman (@shark_gregnorman) on Oct 28, 2015 at 7:37am PDT

That said, nothing will quite live up to the Living Brand's recent lost-at-sea look where he solicited opinions on his white beard. The input was particularly enjoyable, especially the comment about matching it with his hair color was very shrewd, I must say. 

The big question is.....do I keep the beard or????

A photo posted by Greg Norman (@shark_gregnorman) on Oct 5, 2015 at 6:21pm PDT

Ian Poulter: "There's more to life than golf"

Maybe he was a bit jet-lagged and tired from his crazy last minute trip to Hong Kong. Maybe this is the kind of interview we should expect to hear at year's end when players have been flying al over the globe. Or maybe Ian Poulter's just getting old.

But either way it was odd and a little awkward watching this interview Ian Poulter gave to Golf Channel's Todd Lewis upon his arrival at the Turkish Airlines Open.

In it, Poulter makes it pretty clear his priorities have changed. Nothing wrong with that, it's just shocking to hear it from a player of such intensity who, when he's locked in, has been such a passionate golfer.

Euro Tour Commish On Reacting To "Tough Start"

Derek Lawrenson talks to new European Tour Chief Keith Pelley about the various headaches he's inherited since starting this summer and he's got a good stock quote for each, including expected issues in Turkey this week.

On the topic of announcing the 2016 schedule, he says...

‘We’ll announce it soon and I’m happy with it. We’re now working on 2017 and 2018, so stay tuned for some exciting news. We’re the biggest tour outside America and over the next few years you’ll see us grow significantly.’