Justin Thomas: Another Week, Another Millennial Wins

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Unlike old guys Emiliano Grillo (23) and Smylie Kaufman (23), Justin Thomas (22) has been contending in PGA Tour events longer, so the third straight win by this youngster seems like shocking. Still, on his 39th try as a professional Thomas won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. John Strege with some notes from the win, which is also likely to get Thomas into the world top 50.

Besides finally coming through after several strong showings that led to weekend struggles, Thomas only had one huge hiccup during Sunday's final round, dunking his wedge approach into the 14th hole pond. He bounced back with a near-ace at the par-3 15th, then holed a nice putt at 17th while Kevin Na looked on.

Na continued to play some amazing golf but had his usual oddball antics late in the round, capped off by hitting three-wood off the 18th tee when he desperately needed to reach the par-5 in two and drain an eagle putt.

Also noteworthy in the exciting final round: a second place finish by Adam Scott, who looked much better over putts and appears to be striking the ball as well as ever. More importantly, his body language suggested someone who his moving forward and no longer dwelling on his understandable frustration over the impending anchoring ban.

One other fascinating component of Thomas's win: his "Class of 2011" mates Patrick Rodgers and Justin Spieth stayed up to watch the middle-of-the-night proceedings (assuming they were in their normal time zones). Rodgers was channel-flipping between the CIMB and Stanford's fortunate escape from Pullman while Spieth merely tweeted a congratulations at a early morning hour. Or, perhaps, he had just returned from late night Trick or Treating dressed as C-3PO?

Anyway, it's a camaraderie that is pretty unusual in an individual sport and certainly something hard to see happening between, say, I don't know, Tiger and Phil?

 

The final round highlights:

Victor Dubuisson Is Back And Staying In Europe

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While the Reuters game story understandably focuses on Rory McIlroy's putter letting him down during the Turkish Airlines Open final round, the second victory in Turkey by Victor Dubuisson marked the re-emergence of the 25-year-old Frenchman after a rough year on the PGA Tour.

Check out this very groovy European Tour "interactive" recap of his win.

The PA story focused more on Dubuisson's emotions pouring out after a resurgent week that also gives the European Tour a piece of good news in the face of concerns about player loyalty.

"It was so hard because there were so many personal reasons why I did not play so much this year," said Dubuisson, who declined to reveal any details.

"That's why I am so emotional. I played a few events on the PGA Tour at the beginning of the year and I was not feeling good to be far away from my family. I did not play well and I was feeling lonely so decided to come back to Europe. Now, for the next three or four years, I will just stay in Europe 100 per cent."

You can view the European Tour highlights from round four here.

Dubuisson was in many of the highlights from best shots in Turkey this week. Most of them around the greens.

Happy John Peterson Had A Prominent Co-Conspirator!

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Lost in the joy over John Peterson going all Happy Gilmore to kick off his CIMB Classic final round: Jason Dufner was the lone shooter of this defiant act.

The question stands: will the PGA Tour Fines Dept, LLC be calling to inform Duf that a portion of his winnings will be donated to charity because he knew of this stunt and didn't stop it, or for violating the PGA Tour's policy of shooting video during tournament action.

His case with the Fines Dept. will be weak since Dufner was Instagramming a few photos of Peterson from the week in Malaysia. So Jason, we are hear for you. If we need to Kickstarter this to pay off the fine, do not hesitate to reach out.

Alex Myers at GolfDigest.com with the lowdown on Peterson's joyous act that will no doubt be seen by Commissioner Finchem as an all-out act of terrorism. And here it is, shot from the grassy knoll to the stunned silence of the crowd (not that this was atypical reaction to any shot played in the CIMB):

Stevie Williams Book Excerpt: I Felt Like Tiger's "Slave"

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Break out the tissues because Stevie Williams is finally telling all about his days carrying Tiger's luggage (with help from journalist Michael Donaldson) and it's a tearjerker.

In the excerpt posted by New Zealand's stuff.co.nz, Williams explains how he knew nothing of Tiger's philandering and was kept in the dark during Tiger's rehab, except for an email from the boss. But he sets things up with the week in Melbourne when Tiger's affair with Rachel Uchitel was about to be revealed and the boss got out of town in a hurry.

But the joy of winning dissipated in the strangest fashion. No sooner had Tiger fulfilled his media obligations than he fled to the airport in a chopper, leaving me to head back to the hotel on my own. As I was driving, I got a text from Mark Steinberg which read, 'There is a story coming out tomorrow. Absolutely no truth to it. Don't speak to anybody.'

Steiny!

Williams goes on to explain all of the things he got off his chest about how he was treated during the scandal by Tiger, Steiny, Steiny's "lackeys" and had this to say about Tiger's most irritating traits.

One thing that really pissed me off was how he would flippantly toss a club in the general direction of the bag, expecting me to go over and pick it up. I felt uneasy about bending down to pick up his discarded club – it was like I was his slave.

Technically, I believe that is part of the job if the boss says so. Go on...

The other thing that disgusted me was his habit of spitting at the hole if he missed a putt. Tiger listened to what I had to say, the air was cleared and we got on with it – his goal was to be the best player in history and my goal was to keep working as best I could to help make that happen.

For a little while longer, anyway.

The book goes on sale Monday.

Lorne: An Ode To Glen Abbey

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Lorne Rubenstein sounds resigned to the demise of Glen Abbey and while he points out that it's no Pebble Beach, there is plenty of history there.

He writes:

Then there was the first Open at the Abbey in 1977, won by Lee Trevino. The Abbey has hosted 26 more Canadian Opens since; I’ve attended most every one and caddied in a few, for Jim Nelford first, and then, in 2004, for Richard Zokol. The Abbey has been a terrific home — well, all but a home — for the Canadian Open. But times change. Land values swell. It’s not a shock that ClubLink is interested in turning iconic golf holes into what will likely be cookie-cutter homes. Any other view is sentimental and clouded. I say this as a golfer and writer long smitten with the game’s history.

Tiger To Design Course In Nashville?

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With his golf game looking increasingly like it'll be on ice for the forseeable future, Tiger Woods at least has picked up another design job.

According to GolfNewsNet, the job comes from the same developers of Bluejack National, which opens this week without Tiger able to appear at the ribbon cutting due to this second back surgery in a little over a month.

Dallas-based Beacon Land Development is planning on a 1,200-acre development, located 30 miles south of Nashville, that would feature a Woods-designed golf course, according to the Nashville Business Journal. The community, as one might guess, will also feature a music venue.

Beacon Land Development is the firm which hired Woods to redesign Bluejack National.

"Are guns welcome at Trump hotels? Depends on whom you ask"

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Following Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate discussion, Jonathan Allen of Reuters seeks to answer the question: are guns welcome at Trump hotels?

Allen sets up the moment from the debate:

Trump, who has spent months as the Republican favorite in polls, was in the middle of saying that gun-free zones in schools and elsewhere are a "catastrophe" that only make it easier for shootings to happen when a moderator asked him about his properties.

"We called a few Trump resorts," said moderator Carl Quintanilla, "that do not allow guns with or without a permit. Would you change those policies?"

Trump's eyes drifted up in thought for a split second. "I would change them," he said almost immediately, in a tone suggesting he had not considered it before but liked the idea. "OK. I would change them."

But Allen reports good news for those wanted to carry a Glock around the Blue Monster just in case the group in front of you gets too slow.

But the Trump Organization said there was nothing to change: guns are already allowed at Trump properties, even if the boss and some resorts appear unaware of this.

"While laws vary substantially from jurisdiction to jurisdiction," the company said in a statement, "we allow security personnel and other licensed individuals the ability to carry a firearm in an effort to protect themselves, our guests, associates and the general public." The firm, based in New York City, is opposed to gun-free zones, the statement said.

It declined to say why Trump and some of his hotels seemed unaware of this policy. Spokeswomen for Trump, who has been attacked by his Republican rivals who accuse him of being a less-than-serious candidate, did not respond to requests for comment.

Allen says calls to Trump properties either were not returned or garnered irritable hang-ups.

 

"Public park vies for pro golf, sparking New Orleans debate"

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AP's Cain Burdeau looks at the lack of community consensus over City Parks' $13 million Rees Jones renovation that is remaking the New Orleans park post-Katrina. A Zurich Classic date post-2020 is mentioned as a possibility.

Burdeau writes:

A group called the City Park for Everyone Coalition filed a lawsuit against the park, alleging it had violated wetlands protection laws by digging up the golf course and filling in wetlands.

In July, the Army Corps of Engineers agreed with the plaintiffs and said the park had illegally removed a 1.3-acre area of wetlands.

Golfers, too, have expressed doubts about the pricy course in the public park.

"I'm expecting nothing but fantastic out of it," said Carl Poche, a pro golfer from the New Orleans area. But he said building a top-flight course in City Park is contrary to the spirit of the park, where he fondly remembers playing rounds during the summer as a young man.

"It was mainly for people who couldn't afford the country club," he said.

Feherty Has More To Say On Move From CBS; Guest Wish List

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Marika Washchyshyn at golf.com talks to David Feherty about his move from CBS to NBC and for the first time the funnyman mentions that there was a bit of a money issue.

Answering a question about rumors of wanting more booth time and less golf course time:

It was a combination of things. Money was always an issue, of course. I have been doing this for about 19 years, it was time to make that change. But the other aspect was that I’m going to be doing basically the same thing at NBC/Golf Channel. I’m going to be working more four-day events there than I was at CBS. Because I’m working all four days, whereas I was only working five four-day events at CBS, I’m going to work less events overall but more of the four day ones [by extension, more time in the booth]. The first few days, I’ll be in the tower like I was at CBS, but look, I’m an outside pet. Someone has got to be out there stirring things up on the course.

There was also this about his Golf Channel interview show and desired guests. It really is sad that for all the First Team All-Conference sucking up he's done to Tiger, the Big Bat hasn't been able to find time for an appearance.

There are a number who are on my bucket list, some of whom haven’t been able to come on because of scheduling, like Freddy [Couples], Ernie Els, Phil, Tiger. But really, I’d say Tiger. I want to show the side of Tiger that I know, the side the media doesn’t show. Part of the reason he hasn’t been on is that he’s not ready - he gets defensive, because we in the media have given him such a hard time.

And it just goes to show that even kissing up to Tiger doesn't earn you the chance for a one-on-one!