McGinley Not Bullish On Tiger Making It Back

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Most former players were suitably impressed by Tiger's initial impressions this month after a long layoff. But put Paul McGinley as skeptical Tiger will reach a level that motivates the 14-time major winner to grind.

Talking to The Mirror's Mike Walker, McGinley says he understands excitement surrounding Tiger's Hero Challenge appearance but...

“Personally, I think the reaction to the way he played in the Hero World Challenge was over the top. - his performance level was here (waist-high) and the reaction was up here (above the head).

“He has further to jump if he is to get back to the top level, where he was, and can he do it at 41 years old? Nobody has ever done it before at his age – there have been sporadic performances, like Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters at 46, but it’s not as if he was dominating the game then.

“Tiger’s a little bit like a footballer who reaches 32: He can still play the odd great game, as Steven Gerrard did at Liverpool, but can he do it day after day? That’s the big hurdle."

Indeed it is a hurdle and I respect McGinley's view.

Perhaps the bar was set low after so many mid-round walk-offs, but given where Tiger's game had sunk to, his Hero performance was most admirable. Should he at least get back to a level of contending in tournaments while picking off a few here and there, that would allow him to wind down his career on a positive note. Given where Tiger's been, that would change how he's viewed and how he's remembered. No insignificant accomplishment.

Look Out Sir Charles: MJ's Been Working On His Swing...

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Kyle Porter of CBSSports.com says "Michael Jordan's golf swing is nearly as bizarre as Charles Barkley's."

Way harsh Kyle!

That said, it's always fascinating to see what a world class athlete is doing to conquer the game and while MJ hasn't developed the, uh, swing fluidity issues that Charles Barkley is world famous for, he does appear to be working on something...something.

Nine Days of Christmas: The "Swing The Club" Glass Tray

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After listening to Sam Weinman and Marty Hackel discuss the classification of gifts on the Golf Digest podcast, procrastinators may have a little more last-minute holiday gift buying-clarity.

I was especially glad to hear Marty single out a multi-purpose gift from Digest.com's annual slideshow of products: the Golf Sketch Swing The Club Decoupage Glass Tray from BensGarden.com.

Besides the cleverness, originality and versatility of this tray subversively laden with every swing thought imaginable, this classy piece could serve as an intervention tool. A glass tray that saves lives!

Hear me out.

We all know the golfer who carries a list of swing thoughts in their back pocket. Or, in more 21st Century fashion, typed into a Notes file on their mobile phone. These troubled souls wils stop total strangers and ask them to record a swing. Or worse, ask the stranger to analyze before putting headphones back on to listen to Bob Rotella.

But who wants to tell these sufferers that they need help? Especially when you can do it passive-aggressively in the form of a gift?

This six-by-six-inch decoupage tray is a tad steep at $56, but this could save lives! Or paper clips.

Trick Shots Of The Year...And Two Late Entries

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Last week on Morning Drive we narrowed the finalists down to three and picked a winner, and while I feel confident the Academy got it right, I'm wondering how two entries might have impacted voting. Here's the segment with Gary Williams:

These two entries fascinate because of their seeming simplicity, but the performances are actually quite layered on repeat viewings. (Hey, it's awards season here in LA, this kind of talk just naturally seeps in.)

Back with another gem is Indonesian pro golfer Rinaldi Adiyandono, he of the shirt pocket shot that still mesmerizes.

 

White ball, right pocket! #golfgods #indofreestylegolf #golf #trickshot

A video posted by Indonesia Freestyle Golf (@indofreestylegolf) on Dec 20, 2016 at 3:53am PST

 

 

 

Costco Golf Ball Insanity: Website Jammed, Sells Out In Two Hours And Going For Silly Prices On Ebay

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Bidding more for a dozen of Costco balls than the top-priced ball on the market?

America the beautiful!

The ebay prices are giggle-worthy. However it's mostly the notion that Costco, which sells a lot of vice-worthy items in bloated sizes, had its website bog down Tuesday as golf junkies jammed the servers trying to order the new low cost ball that has tested well.

Reader Guy reports that the 11 am-to-1 pm ET sales window today did offer the opportunity to buy the ball, but as many noted below, the website was lagging badly. Imagine that, bogging down a site that sells almost anything, only larger.

Who says golf is dead? 

 

 

@costco "Due to inventory changes, item 1081660 in your cart is no longer available" been trying all morning. Kirkland Signature Golf Ball

Nine Days Of Christmas: Simpson & Co. Golf Architects

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Some of this year's suggested gifts are personal items (here and here) that Santa will never leave under the tree. Others in the non-Santa category support worthwhile golf causes (here and here) while also making a great gift.

So while the new Simpson & Co. biography published by Rhod McEwan is one that you can proudly gift, I'm fairly certain that golf architecture aficionados will be placing this stunning production alongside their collection of classics. Scoop up a copy while they last!

Written by the late Fred Hawtree, the book is embellished by Donald Steel's foreword and afterword along with a long list of contributors featured in the Acknowledgements. The resulting sense of finding a fun visual or factual surprise on every page is befitting of Simpson's rich-but-mysterious life.

McEwan has put together a sturdy volume which, as with his other golf publications over the years, will age gracefully. Best of all, we have a highly readable, visually engaging tribute one of golf architecture's least understood characters.

The book is £28.00. Shipping is £4 in the UK, £10 in Europe and £15 for the rest of the world. Simpson & Co. is a limited printing of 750 copies, each numbered.

Here is the purchase page.

There is also a limited (50 copies) leather bound edition for £180.

Behind The Scenes: Little Billy's Viral Interview Of Rory McIlroy

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If you didn't catch "Little Billy" grilling Rory McIlroy as part of the child actor's European Tour series, it's still a keeper.

Because it went viral and because of interest in Little Billy (currently playing a young Prince Charles in The Crown), the European Tour has produced a behind-the-scenes video:

WIRED On PXG: Parsons Predicts $60 Million Annual Run Rate

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Wired's Mark McClusky reviews Bob Parson's PXG clubs and comes away impressed by the irons, not so much by other clubs in the bag.

The story features an extensive look at how the clubs came together, what motivates Parson and how things have been going for the luxury upstart.

The company has grown to 70 people, and Parsons says the response has been beyond what he had hoped. He predicts that the company will finish the year at a $60 million annual run rate. The challenge will be to continue to innovate, and fight a market that’s usually driven by an annual set of new gear to entice golfers to spend more.

“We don’t have a product cycle,” says Parsons. “Our product cycle is that we have to make sure that we have breakthroughs in performance. When we do, we’ll release something new. Who knows when that will be with our irons?” Until then, he’ll sell the same model.

It's noteworthy that Parson cites the annual run rate while also putting down the concept of product cycles. I'm sure you money gurus out there can help us novices better understand his comments.

The story also features this put-down of the annual PGA Show.

“I don’t really compete with the other club companies,” he says. “They have a big trade show in Orlando each year, and we don’t go to that. We don’t go for the same reason that Ferrari doesn’t go to the Detroit Auto Show. They build the absolute best thing they can, and then put a price on it. We’re both in the luxury market.”

The King: Doc Giffin's Missing The Beep

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Golf.com is rolling out a story per day from their special tribute issue honoring Arnold Palmer, whose passing will be remembered as golf's defining moment of 2016.

This Q&A with longtime sidekick Doc Giffin suggests, as you'd expect, it's been tough without The King around.

In the days since Arnold's death, what has it been like in the office without him?

It's different. In the past, sometimes he'd beat us in. But in recent years, the staff—myself and three others—we'd be here ahead of him, and always anticipate him coming around the back of the building in his golf cart. He'd drive it down from the house at 10 or 10:30 and beep the horn when he was coming.

You miss the beep.

Yeah, I miss him coming into the office and saying, "Good morning! Well, what do you have for me today?" Miss the beep.

Wally's Bullish On Acushnet Stock: Buys $1.19 Million More

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John Dorfman at Gurufocus.com notes Wally Uihlein's purchase of $1.19 million more of GOLF on November 2, adding to the CEO's initial holdings of Acushnet stock. This brought Uihlein's holdings to 702,196 shares with a $13.7 million valuation at Monday's closing price of $19.57 a share.

There was also this:

On the same day as Uihlein made his jumbo purchase, five other Acushnet insiders bought smaller amounts.

Such cluster buying is a good sign more often than not.

The stock has so far peaked at $21.57, with Monday's 2.3% rise helping to soften the blow of last Friday's 5.39% drop.

On IPO launch day, the site featured this Q&A with Acushnet COO David Maher. Gurufocus featured this breakdown of the initial stock purchases on November 2nd.

Nine Days Of Christmas: Links Candles

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Yes, Saturday Night Live did their best two weeks ago to ruin the candle as a gift, even throwing in a little jab at 1980s music and hair to scare you into gifting something besides fine-smelling wax.

But let's ignore that classic bit of satire and focus on the product of 12-year-old, Shark Tank-inspired entrepreneur Lily Green. She has created a line of golf candles evoking scents based on the game, including a special edition sold by Seamus Golf, and her candles are all lovingly packaged with Josh Smith-art of Cabot Links' 16th hole.

So in maintaining the annual Christmas gift guide theme here, buy yourself a golf candle or be bold and gift a collection of candles at a better price. And support a young entrepreneur.

Dottie's Year In Review: Lydia Take Ownership

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As a few year-in-review stories pop up, Dottie Pepper's wrap for ESPN.com ably covers the highs and lows of the season.

Her effort to highlight the activity in Lydia Ko's golf life (firing caddy and instructor, equipment change coming) included this interesting bit related to the now-former teacher David Leadbetter.

Tournament time is when you put your work on auto pilot and play golf, not try to reinvent the wheel with a teacher stuck to you like cellophane. Leadbetter (and he's not alone in this) constantly shows up at the biggest events and is over-involved with the student, not just applying a bit of polish and a pop of confidence. I also found this particular case fascinating because Hogan was Lydia's day-to-day coach, not Leadbetter. But when the biggest events rolled around, Leadbetter was the one present.

Advice to Lydia: Take ownership of everything in your life and do your preparation in the quiet of your home, not in the public eye.

And Ko has, claiming the decision was hers, with consultation of her parents. Bailey Moisier reports for GolfChannel.com.

DOJ: FBI Leaked Confidential Investigation Into Mickelson

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The FBI's on a roll.

David Purdum reports exclusively for ESPN.com that an FBI agent may have leaked word of an investigation into Phil Mickelson and Billy Walters to both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Mickelson has since paid back "ill gotten gains" but will not be charged.

In the filing, the government reveals that an agent "admitted that he was a significant source of confidential information leaked to reporters at the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times about the underlying investigation."

"The agent further admitted that, prior to his Dec. 6 interview, he had hidden those communications with the press from both the USAO and others within the FBI," the letter, submitted by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, states. "Based upon the agent's admissions, which the USAO and the FBI regard with the utmost seriousness, it is now an incontrovertible fact that there were FBI leaks of confidential information to the press regarding this investigation."

The FBI also turned up at The Memorial in one of the more brazen efforts to force a witnesses hand.