Shark Speaks: Fox Is Now In "Tough Position" Without Me

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Alan Bastable gets Greg Norman on the line to discuss his firing as Fox Sports' lead golf analyst.

Norman says Fox will struggle without him and the great chemistry he helped build.

"I think Joe Buck is actually now in a tough position, because we became great friends and I believe we had a great foundation," Norman said. "The whole team really had a good chemistry, so I think it will be a challenge to recreate the formula. I am certain Fox has someone in mind already."

Video: Motorcross Star And Friends Pull Of Fun Backyard Shot

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Motorcrosser Taylor Robert says, "When your buddy casually tosses you a Red Bull and there is a random guy playing golf in the background 😳😳😳 Good times messing around with @pat_smage and @russellgrove777 in my backyard yesterday."

Okay, so it was a little more orchestrated than that. Big points for the creativity and execution of this, though I could think of easier ways to hit a ball and drink a Red Bull.

 

Tom Watson Shoots One Below His Age With...A BB-8 Ball!?

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Heading into Saturday's Mitsubishi Electric Saturday final round, Tom Watson is two back after posting a 7-under par 65, one better than his age. Watson hasn't won on the Champions Tour since 2011 and chases Duffy Waldorf, Davis Love, Tom Pernice and Tom Lehman.

Even better, he did it with what Mark Rolfing called a "FIFA ball" during round one when Watson dropped a long putt.


According to ClubUpGolf, it's Callaway's Truvis pattern technology which AJ Voepel explains "is specifically designed to maximize your view of the golf ball for better focus and visibility."

FIFA, Truvis, eh, I prefer the BB-8 vibe picked up by Stewart Armstrong:

PGA Tour: No Plans To Cave On The Shorts Issue

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And I say, you go Tim Finchem!

Alistair Tait quotes PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw on the issue of players wanting to wear shorts in tournaments:

"We are aware of the European Tour's change in policy that allows players to wear shorts at certain events during practice and pro-am rounds. The PGA Tour's policy remains unchanged. Players are required to wear long pants when playing practice, pro-am and official competition rounds."

With 773 of you voting, a resounding 64% said pro golfers should be allowed to wear shorts to 36% of you who I agree with.

Zac Blair: "Eat, sleep, golf, repeat"

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I'm catching up on some post-Sony reading and it was nice to see solid features from Sean Martin and Tim Rosaforte on Zac Blair, a real likeable chap who has gotten the golf architecture bug.

From Rosaforte's item, a strong endorsement from legendary looper Andy Martinez:

With no status, Blair played his way on the PGA Tour’s Latinoamérica and Canadian circuits, ultimately needing a second-place finish at the Web.com Tour Championship to lock down a tour card.

“It was a long 15 months, kind of always on the bubble, in that zone where you never know,” Jimmy said. “He just had to keep grinding through it.”

Having Andy Martinez, Miller’s former caddie, on the bag, helped Blair deal with the grind of being in the last group on Sunday with proven-winner Brandt Snedeker and FedEx Cup points leader Kevin Kisner in contention. While coming up a stroke shy of the playoff between winner Fabian Gomez and Brandt Snedeker, Blair’s best career finish on tour brought with it confidence.

“This won’t be the last time he’s in contention,” Martinez said. “I expect to be knocking on the door a lot of times with this guy.”

And from Martin, Blair's interest in golf and architecture:

Then there are the marathon days of golf. Zac is usually the one to call for an E9, or emergency nine, to extend the day's play. He hasn’t slowed much, even though his 34 starts were the second-most in the 2014-15 season. He also squeezed in recreational rounds at Pine Valley, Cypress Point, The Country Club of Brookline and Los Angeles Country Club during tournament weeks in 2015. That's a list that would make even the most privileged player envious.

Like his father, Zac wants to do more than play, though.

He's looking for land in Utah on which to build his dream course, a layout that will draw off the design principles of architecture’s golden age. He wants to build a course that's wide enough for high handicappers while challenging better players to make strategic decisions.

“I think Utah deserves a course that has those principles of the old architects,” Zac said, citing Mackenzie, MacDonald, Seth Raynor and Harry Colt as his inspirations. “You have to think your way around those courses.”

Video: Trick Shot Proves Someone's Been Doing Core Work

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Ok, just standing on one of those medicine balls is a nice feat.

The rest of Kevin Carpenter's trick shot is mighty impressive...(H/T to Golfweek's Kevin Casey):

 

Jack At 76: Hitting The Sweet Spot

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Jaime Diaz reflects on the state of birthday boy Jack Nicklaus.

Thirty years (!) after his last major and far removed from hiccups in his business career, Diaz admires the combination of business empire and aging gracefully that is the Golden Bear.

In light of Tiger's recent decline and the reduction of career longevity for today's pros, I found this particularly profound:

The magic, multi-tiered word at the heart of Nicklaus’ feats has always been “management” -- of the golf course, of his psyche, of his life. Through his prime and beyond, he was criticized for not playing enough tournaments. His devotion to family was the main reason, but he also trusted an intuitive sense for marshaling his energy. No one else has won major championships over a 24-year span.

Bryson DeChambeau: "I'm a golfing scientist, so I don’t take it with any emotion."

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Bryson DeChambeau's impressive 64 to open his first European Tour start has the current U.S. Amateur champion atop the HSBC leaderboard.

His accomplishment relegated DeChambeau to footnotes in the Telegraph and Guardian game stories, and DeChambeau came off nicely in his post round comments to Golf Channel.

John Huggan says DeChambeau went a bit far though in post round comments, though it's hard to fault the lad for having some confidence after beating some of the world's best. Oh, and golfing recently with two of the world's biggest celebrities (here and here).

Which is the point where he should have stopped. But DeChambeau did not. Oh no. Before he was done there was a hole to dig -- a big hole, comparing himself to first to a genuine genius, then America’s first president.

“You look at trends in humanity and most like following the norm,” he continued. “But you’ve also got people like Einstein and George Washington; they stood out and capitalized on their differences and showed the world a little different side.”

Round one video highlights here.

Jordan Spieth Is Introduced To The "Monitoring" Penalty

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I didn't even have a chance to study the European Tour's new slow play policy before the great John Paramor was not only implementing "monitoring", but going after the World No. 1.

Rex Hoggard on Morning Drive explained what happened during round one of the HSBC in Abu Dhabi. And the crew discussed it as well, deciding this is a positive step for golf.

In looking at the policy, the price for a "monitoring" penalty is pretty steep for your average European Tour player. For Spieth? The lost €2,600 probably isn't going to be noticed by Spieth after buying his second home in a year and receiving a nice appearance fee this week.

From John Huggan's report, Spieth took it in stride but also suggested there may be a bit of a loophole in the policy.

“I understand that, if we are being timed and I take too long I get a bad time. I understand the rule,” Spieth continued. “But it doesn’t make sense when we had caught up and were going off the clock. It had no effect on the round. It’s a bit of a grey area. John Paramor was very respectful though. My thing was not to fight it there and go about finishing my round. But I will be asking. I just don’t want to be worrying about it in future rounds.”

From the European Tour's website:

“Monitoring” by referees will take place as soon as a group has been seen to be out of position. All Players will be notified that they are to be “Monitored” but the “Monitoring” will not be part of a player’s record.

• However, any player exceeding the time permitted for a stroke (40 seconds with additional 10 seconds if first to play) while being “Monitored” will be assessed a “Monitoring Penalty”.

• Any player having a “Monitoring Penalty” will be “Timed” from the next tee unless the group has regained its position.

• If a “Monitored” group loses further time, the group or those players within the group who are deemed to be the cause of the delay will be timed.

• If a “Monitored” group fails to gain time, the official will decide whether to continue “Monitoring” or alternatively, commence timing. All players will be so informed.

A “Monitoring Penalty” will have the same status as a “Bad Time” except it will not count towards any golfing penalty.  A player having either two “Monitoring Penalties” or “Bad Times” or a combination, will be fined €2,600 (or the sterling equivalent of £2,000) rising by €2,600 (or the sterling equivalent of £2,000) for each successive “Monitoring Penalty” or “Bad Time”.

Additionally, any player who is seen to have taken twice the Time Permitted for a stroke (80 seconds or 100 seconds if first to play), will be assessed a “Monitoring Penalty” whether the player’s group was in position or not.

Got all of that?

I'm all for speeding things up, but on day one of your most watched event in some time, might be a bit overkill. Especially when the course is setup with absurd rough that does nothing to speed up play.

Tradition Unlike Any Other: Blaming Tradition

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We've all done it: blamed tradition.

When the European Tour opened up the dreaded shorts vs. pants debate by granting waivers and allowing their members to wear shorts in pro-am play, I knew "tradition" would be a target.

Sure, the word gets overused and often is hidden behind by those up to no good. But the debate about pro golfers wearing shorts is not a tradition vs. progress topic.

James Corrigan disagrees.

Golf is never in a worse light than when it is cast in the smog caused by tradition being mixed with pomposity.

The tradition should be extolled; the pomposity excommunicated.

Just because golf did it once does not mean it should still be done today. This is a ball sport which has been affected by the advances in technology perhaps more than any other, but in terms of perception it has been depressingly rooted.

For so long the powers-that-be refused to recognise the necessity to go forwards and kidded themselves and their audience with all this "tradition" claptrap.

They summarily dismissed the opinion that children were being put off by the perception of the old man's pursuit and, as regards participation, woefully failed to capitalise on the gift that was Tiger Woods.

Pro golfers wearing pants has nothing to do with tradition and everything to do with aesthetics.

When you're at a pro golf event and you hear spikes, you will turn to find a well-dressed, pressed and fitted person probably clad in one-too-many logos. But you'll also have no doubt you are seeing a professional in his/her arena. A gladiator of sorts, in their arena. One that we have paid to come see perform.

Athletes should stand out and look impressive. They shouldn't dress look like the rest of us. Pants on a golfer, for whatever reason, add a certain gravitas. Golfers wearing shorts have no chance of standing out and, contrary to claims, do not appear to be more athletic by exposing their legs. Instead, they look like they're late for their 1:20 tee time at any old course, not The Old Course.

So while I certainly can respect the view that it's time to push aside the pant aesthetic, I can't agree that demands by administrators to wear them has anything to do with tradition. It is, as the kids say, what it is. We just know class when we see it. This isn't classy or particularly athletic:

And Now Hyundai Is Officially In At Riviera

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Tod Leonard reports the expected news following yesterday's announcement of Northern Trust heading east for a playoff event, Hyundai is moving in on Riviera's annual February stop.

The length of the deal was not specified, though sources close to Hyundai say its a 10-year agreement. Having a local company invested for that long and one that is thriving should inject more life right off the bat. And as Nissan proved with its successful tenure here, LA is a car town. So the fit could not be better. Throw in the occasional hole-in-one at 16, and a Rich Beem reaction, and the partnership should be a home run.

Note in the press release that Hyundai's CEO mentions CBS in his engineered quote. For Immediate Release:

Hyundai Announces PGA TOUR Tournament Sponsorship in Los Angeles

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (January 20, 2016) – The PGA TOUR and Hyundai announced today an agreement commencing in 2017 that will make Hyundai the new title sponsor of the TOUR’s longstanding tournament at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

Hyundai, which has its U.S. headquarters in nearby Fountain Valley, Calif., will be shifting its previous sponsorship from the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii to what currently is the Northern Trust Open.

Yesterday, it was announced that Northern Trust will replace Barclays as title sponsor of the first FedExCup Playoff tournament held annually in the New York/New Jersey area, also beginning in 2017.

“Considering that Hyundai Motor America is headquartered and heavily invested in the greater Los Angeles area, this is a perfect fit for Hyundai’s long-term vision and goals as a tournament sponsor,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “Hyundai is a terrific partner that has actively promoted the Hyundai Tournament of Champions since becoming title sponsor in 2011 and used the event to broaden awareness of its brand and products. We are very excited to continue our relationship with Hyundai and look forward to helping with the transition to Riviera Country Club for 2017.”

“The PGA TOUR’s Los Angeles tournament is the signature golf event in the country’s second-biggest market, is broadcast nationally on CBS and is located in the backyard of Hyundai’s headquarters in Orange County,” said Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “During the past six years, we’ve continued to expand our relationship with the game of golf and there is no better tournament for us to be associated with. We can’t wait to showcase Hyundai vehicles to the millions of Los Angeles golf fans and those watching on TV and, most importantly, continuing the event’s long history of charitable activities.”

“It’s worth adding that Hyundai had a tremendous six years as title sponsor of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and helped elevate the stature of the tournament, while making a significant impact on numerous local organizations in Hawaii,” said Zuchowski. “The tournament is in a position of strength and we look forward to watching its continued success.”

An important aspect of Hyundai’s sponsorship of the Tournament of Champions has been its charitable work through Hyundai Hope On Wheels, a national independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping kids fight cancer. The program is supported by Hyundai Motor America and its more than 830 dealers nationwide. In association with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, more than $550,000 has been donated to the Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.

Here We Go! Spieth Calls For Shorts On The PGA Tour

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Something to giggle about at PGA Tour headquarters just became a minor itch and may be heading to a full-fledged rash soon enough.

Alistair Tait reporting from Abu Dhabi, where Jordan Spieth was asked about shorts in advance of his 2016 European Tour debut.

“I think it’s awesome,” Spieth said Wednesday at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, responding to the European Tour’s relaxed dress code during tournament practice rounds and pro-ams. "It will be something that I would love to see on the PGA Tour, as well. I’ve not heard one person complain about it."

In the early poll results, Yes to shorts has taken a big lead.

I remain unconvinced that this will be the breakthrough to the masses or even the only people who matter, as Rex Hoggard noted in this list of reasons shorts would be a good thing. If they need shorts to be happy in a pro-am, something is amiss.

As for the only people who matter, I'd counter that they have shown in surveys to actually like the dress aspect of the game. Whether that includes pants or shorts, only the survey designers know.