Under Armour Is Back! (Not That There Was Any Doubt)
/We had some sense that Jordan Spieth's Masters collapse
Read MoreWhen 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
Louis Out Of Olympics, Yet To Cite Conflict With Deere Classic
/When you think of golfers with real passion for their craft and country, you don't think of Louis Oosthuizen. Making for a nice contrast with another Olympic defector, Adam Scott, who is a passionate, international figure and who will be missed in Rio, Oosthuizen's decision to pass is less impactful.
Doug Ferguson reports that Oosthuizen is declaring himself ineligible for family/scheduling/yadayada reasons.
Not coincidentally, the John Deere Classic is the same week as the men's golf competition in Rio and Louis's love of tractors chould be pulling him to Iowa. If that happens then we know where his true passion lies. After all, he bought himself a Deere after winning The Open. Not that there's anything wrong with that!
ESPN.com Report: Tiger Has Daddy Issues
/Wright Thompson is a wonderful writer and researcher
Read MoreReaction To Scott's Olympic Pass Is Swift, But Don't Blame Him
/Even though he'd telegraphed this for some time and made clear he thinks the 2016 summer schedule stinks (it does), Adam Scott stuck to his position and declared himself a no-go for Rio. I explained to George Savaricus on Golf Central that we shouldn't be shocked by the news, though I do think Scott will ultimately be disappointed he didn't play because of the course quality, the potential for golf to have a great start in a Rio Games that has no other new standout sport, and in a field where he has a great chance to medal.
Reaction from golf luminaries and Aussies was not quite so understanding.
Jack Nicklaus called it "sad for the Olympics and for the game of golf," reports Dave Shedloski for GolfDigest.com.
Johnny Miller could sympathize with Scott--shoot he doesn't want to go to Rio either--but he felt the Aussie needed to grin and bear it. Rob Oller reporting for the Columbus Dispatch.
“Do I want to go all the way down to Rio for the Olympics? No, but yes,” Miller said. “I know it’s important for golf, and my job is to build up the tournament, to build up the players when they deserve it and to build up the growth of the game. So I have a big responsibility that week to make people who wouldn’t normally watch golf say, ‘Dang, this is a pretty cool sport.’ ”
Down Under, two Australian Olympians were not impressed, reports Nick Martin.
Dawn Fraser, one of the great female swimmers of the 20th century, took to Facebook to voice her displeasure with Scott’s recent announcement. The a 78-year old Olympic medalist — she is one of only three swimmers in the Games’ history to three-peat in a single event — and self-described “proud Australian” lambasted the golfer for opting out of the 2016 games, insinuating greed drove Scott’s decision to pass on Rio.
“well done Adam great to put your country on hold so that you can fulfill your own schedule how much money do you want in life not showing much for your country I guess working 3 jobs a week to secure my place as a Olympic swimmer has giver me the strength to say what I feel about sporstmen and women that do this”
In his defense, the schedule of two majors and the Olympics in a five-week stretch is absurd. This was started by the PGA's commitment to Baltusrol long before golf even thought it was going to get in the Games.
However, the PGA also probably should have been moved to early fall, after the Games and U.S. Open tennis in Flushing Meadows. However, that would have required the PGA of America and CBS to figure out a way to work around fare more lucrative college and pro football schedules, or, for the network to have not televised the PGA in 2016, allowing for a date change. But, grow-the-game efforts only mean something up to a point, and this was not one of them. So even if you don't agree with Adam, remember that the schedule mess could have been resolved if some were willing to make concessions in the name of a rare, one-off, bizarre situation superceded by the apparently vitality to "grow the game."
The parties controlling the most meddlesome of the championship dates did not feel the need and therefore some players will be unwilling to make scheduling concessions.
Video: Flyover Of Raveneaux Country Club Post Rain Event
/Thanks to Tom Kirkendall for the sobering and shocking drone footage shot above Houston's Raveneaux Golf Club following April 18th's 17-inches of rain event.
The course sits on the other side of the Cypress Creek from Champions Golf Club. I think I speak for all of you that our thoughts are with all of the people and critters trying to manage this awful situation. Seven have died, billions done in damage and more rain is expected.
The flyover:
The Debate Over Golf Digest's Latest Cover Model Choice...
/GolfChannel.com's Randall Mell writing about the negative LPGA reaction to Paige Spiranac's naming as a leading futurists puts me in a tough spot.
I work with both entities.
I will note that the GolfChannel.com readers have been almost as hard on that site for regular slideshows of WAGs or Spiranac coverage, while Golf Digest's readers on Instagram were a mix of cranky, profoundly saddened and profoundly inspired.
What Could Go Wrong, Files? Carnoustie For Jean Van de Velde's Senior Debut!
/Maybe Bob Rotella convinced Jean Van de Velde to confront his Carnoustie demons in bold fashion, or maybe the Frenchman just has a sense of drama (and humor)? But either way, his decision to make his senior golf debut at the place he lost The Open, months after his birthday, is a bold one.
From a EuropeanTour.com report.
Now living in Hong Kong and a leading figure in this year’s 100th year celebrations for the Open de France at Le Golf National, Van de Velde confirmed he will be playing in his first event as a Senior at Carnoustie, knowing he has an old score to settle.
He laughed: "No, I don't get tired of people talking about 1999 and reminding me about what happened. I am lucky enough to still be involved in golf, but I am not as exposed as I was before so it doesn't come up as much in conversation.
"However, I know it is part of history. It is part of my life as well as a golfer. There were quite a few viewers that day - 250-300 million, I believe - so it would take me a while if I met all them and answered their questions about that day, from which I have great memories.”
For those of you who don't believe golf was played before the year 2000, Van de Velde's final hole:
Snapping From The Bahamas: Jordan, Rickie, Justin & Smylie
/Golf's newest boy band has silenced their usual social feeds and seems to be unified over Snapchat for their Bahamas buddies trip. 
I know cynics will find this all a bit suspicious, what with all the mentions of the Bahamas and the adorable Snapchat graphics, but can't you just take G.R. Team's report at GolfChannel.com for what it is: good old fashioned reporting on a vacation that may or may not irk the players involved, depending on their understanding of screen capture rules?
On a more serious note, Doug Ferguson reports that the aforementioned Snappers and select peers have been visiting Jack Nicklaus for advice, who loves it.
''I don't know why they do it. They seem to think it's going to help them,'' Nicklaus said with a wink and a smile. ''I get a big kick out of it, sure. Why would you not get a big kick out of it? I'm 76 years old and I've got a 22-year-old kid coming here asking me for advice.
''How many 22-year-olds ask anybody for advice?''
Update on 2016-04-21 04:04 by Geoff
Why Adam Scott Not Playing In Rio Hurts
/Because he's well-liked and has staked himself to a consistent Olympic position, Adam Scott won't take much heat for deciding he'd like to have a life this summer while trying to win The Open and the PGA.
His statement via Golf Australia:
“My decision has been taken as a result of an extremely busy playing schedule around the time of the Olympics and other commitments, both personal and professional,” Scott said today.
“I have informed the Australian team captain (Ian Baker-Finch) and relevant authorities, who are understanding of my position and I wish the Australian Olympic team the very best of luck in Rio.”
However, unlike Vijay's decision to pass after intially expressing enthusiasm, Scott's decision to pass is a blow to the Olympic golf movement. Not a deadly one. Just a blow. Here is why:
- As a global golfer who represents very international brands in Rolex, Titleist and Uniqlo, Scott appreciates his place as an international ambassador. He didn't take this decision lightly.
- The Rio Olympic course is by an architect he likes who channeled sandbelt aesthetics and principles. So the golf course was not an issue.
- He was a lock to make Rio and could easily plan for the inconvenience, yet still chose to pass. At least, unlike Vijay, he didn't mention a desire to win some FedExCup points.
- This may be Scott's best chance at a medal. Four years from now he will be pushing forty and less likely to have his game as sound as it is now.
- Coupled with any more high profile passes on Rio, there is a danger of momentum building toward a negative sensibility come early August.
All of this goes back to the PGA of America committing to Baltusrol very early for 2016 to tie into the anniversary of their founding, along with the leadership of golf finding no major scheduling solutions to alleviate this summer's logjam without sacrificing money or a spot on the network schedule. Dropping the utterly droppable WGC in Akron for a year would have been a nice gesture, though even that might not have changed the thinking of someone like Adam Scott.
But if more players drop out and the schedule turns out to be the reason, the decision to work the PGA Championship around the fall football schedule will have major implications for Olympic golf.
Video: Watch Brandel Get A Bit Weepy Over Sidekick Frank
/Marksbury!
Who knew Jessica could draw blood in the form of tears, especially when the discussion was over a questionable Rules of Golf drop? Either way, nice work by Golf.com's host to bring Brandel Chamblee to tears over his admiration ("He's doing his job") for Frank Nobilo's commentary during the Tiger drop debacle.
To recap, Chamblee wanted Tiger to WD from the 2013 Masters but Frank would have none of it. The two later worked out any remaining grievances at the 2014 PGA with a sensational on-air manspat.
Anyway, this lovely fireside chat over Old Fashioned's (or are those Arnold Palmer's?) is not embeddable and you'll have to deal with the seasickness-inducing page that is Golf.com, but you should be able to get it working here.
"At noon, (Nobilo) came in and sat down and he brought a perspective that I had not thought of. I remember, he was on the air and he was speaking. And it was ... it was just beautiful. I just thought 'that's a great mind.' And to see someone with that passion ... you know, I remember thinking 'He's doing his job.' ... When I see someone, in anything, that is passionate about what they're doing, it moves me. And he is and that's why I love working with him."
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....
Video: Preview Of Real Sports Segment On Trump In Scotland
/And I had such high hopes for Alex Salmond and Donald Trump patching things up!
HBO's Bernard Goldberg heads back to Scotland to follow up on his reporting from a few years ago when everyone was a lot thinner and younger. What he finds appears to be a lot less enthusiasm for Trump.
The segment debuts Tuesday, April 19th.
Forward Press: Fighting Off The Post Masters Blues!
/Trying to find a positive in a week that features the Valero, the Shenzhen, Swinging Skirts and Big Cedar Lodge Legends. No, we are not living in a Dan Jenkins novel. Yet.
That said, Nicklaus, Trevino and Player are teeing it up this week, so how bad can things be?
Read it all in the Forward Press.
And that sinkhole opening up on the course were the Legends is played? It's now an attraction:
Why Is Jordan Spieth's Loss Still Resonating?
/I was minding my own business today but sporting a Masters-logoed hat, prompting an unexpected conversation about Jordan Spieth blowing the 2016 Masters. Little did this soul know that just hours before Gary Williams and I discussed how the topic won't go away.
Obviously anytime an elite player blows a chance to win a major, it's news. But the outpouring, concern and downright sympathy is kind of surprising since Spieth already owns one Green Jacket. Some of it speaks to his rise to a level beyond elite golfer and into global athletic icon.
Yet it seems like concern for his well-being following this Masters has reached Norman/Masters or Mickelson/USOpen levels of sadness for Spieth's plight. But as Gary and I discussed, he already has one and seems destined to contend there annually, making it hard to feel too much sadness.
Jim McCabe talked to players at Harbour Town who were having similar conversations about the final nine struggles and they were taking sides in a "should have" vs. "could have" won debate.
It will go down as a “should have” tournament, Geoff Ogilvy said. Even though it was three days later, Ogilvy was still processing the events of the final round of the 2016 Masters. He did not play this year, but he watched all of Saturday and Sunday and like any other fan, Ogilvy was stunned at what happened at the start of the back nine — a bogey at 10, a bogey at 11, then two balls in the water and a quadruple-bogey 7 at the 12th.
Ogilvy could interpret things differently than most fans because as a guy who plays at the top of the game he knew Spieth was struggling with his game. “I think he has to take that out (of the week), that I can lead a major by five with nine to play with not even remotely close to my best.”But Ogilvy concedes that the bottom line for Spieth is this: “Because I got five in front, I should have finished it.”
Video: Black Swans & Na-Yeon Choi's 18th Green Recovery
/I'm a little slow to have seen Na Yeon-Choi's 18th hole impressive recovery in Saturday's Lotte Championship final round (won by Minjee Lee).
Not only does she go left-handed from a lake bank, but then there is the uncredentialed audience watching her ball go toward the hole. Tom Abbott and Karen Stupples on the call from Hawaii:
Six, Schmix: Two-Year-Old With Amazing Clubhead Speed
/Forget the amazing 6-year-olds, look at the clubhead speed this 2-year-old is generating.
Update on 2016-04-19 04:44 by Geoff
**Discussed today on Morning Drive.
