PGA In May Could Come Down To Data Points

Rex Hoggard considers the pros and cons of schedule changes that would annually send The Players to March in exchange for a May PGA and a pre-labor day FedExCup. That deal is on the table from PGA Tour Coommissioner Jay Monahan, but whether the PGA of America pulls the trigger will come down to golf courses and "data points."

Hoggard points out the big agronomic issues with northern courses that host four of the next seven PGA Championships.

“When you run a major championship it starts and ends with the quality of the golf course, it starts and ends with the quality of the competition,” Bevacqua said.

But for every Hazeltine, Whistling Straits and Oak Hill, there will be southern courses that could replace them in May. So won't this, like most things, come down to the numbers?

Bevacqua explained it’s not a single factor that could see the PGA move to a new spot on the calendar, but instead a collection of data points – from golf course availability to how a May vs. August date could impact TV viewing.

“What would it mean to the quality of the broadcast, what would be a more powerful timeframe to broadcast the PGA?” Bevacqua asked hypothetically.

Since the PGA is now usually the second highest-rated major, August would seem more logical. But clearly there is a piece in this puzzle luring the PGA to consider a move to May and Mothers Day weekend. Only time will tell what that piece is.

Tiger's First Official Round Back: Fades To 76

The crisp ball-striking evident in Tiger's pro-am round did not show up Thursday. The follow-throughs looked a bit less natural compared to the back nine pro-am shots I saw Wednesday. Even the club slam on five looked ragged (reps!). It all suggests what few want to accept: an athlete who has been through too many back surgeries will have days that are better than others as he mounts his most daunting career comeback yet.

Given that Torrey Pines is wet, the weather cool and the pace slow, it was easy to see how he never gained much momentum during a Farmers Insurance Open first round 76.

Yes, a round ten shots worse than Adam Hadwin's South Course low 66 may look dreadful for a legend who has dominated at Torrey South, but Tiger's first official round back produced enough highlights and crowd buzz to hopefully buy some patience for the 41-year-old.

Tiger, however, was positive after the round, sensing he fought, notes John Strege at GolfDigest.com:

“I fought my tail off out there,” he said. “I fought hard. It was nice to put together a round when I wasn’t hitting it that great early."

The South Course can’t be played effectively from the rough in the aftermath of a series of storms and an unusually wet winter that have left it gnarly. Woods, who hit only four of 14 fairways, demonstrably proved that. He hit only nine of 18 greens in regulation.

Torrey South was a step up in offering a challenge, notes Bob Harig at ESPN.com.

His eight victories here came with him in top form. At 7,600 yards and playing longer due to wet conditions, it is a stern test for those in good form. It was also cool, causing Woods to go from a sweater vest to a sweater as the round progressed.

It didn't help that the round took 5 hours and 20 minutes; No. 1-ranked Jason Day shot 73 and No. 3 Dustin Johnson had 72 playing with Woods.

Tiger Tracker, an emerging GolfChannel.com talent, felt the round could have been worse if not for Tiger's excellent front nine scrambling. And his random observations from the round are quite fun.

Tiger drilled a fan off the 13th tee. Like, smoked him. Left a mark on the kid’s neck. Surprised I couldn’t see the Bridgestone logo. The kid stood behind the ropes, greedily rubbing his hands together, expecting a signed goodie. Only problem: He never spoke up. Tiger didn’t know. At least he got to take an illegal photograph of Tiger hitting his second shot.

Ryan Lavner for GolfChannel.com:

And, no, not entirely unexpected. Woods has played only four competitive rounds in the past 522 days. Torrey’s South Course was the second-hardest on Tour last year. Should we have anticipated anything different?

“Joey [LaCava] kept telling me all day today, ‘Just be patient with it,’” Woods said of his caddie. “I didn’t quite smile at him a few of those times he said that. But I was fighting out there trying to get my ball around the golf course and score.”

Jeff Babineau summed the round up this way for Golfweek.com:

On a long and difficult course, Tiger Woods simply got the icy reminder that golf doles to so many of us. This can be a cold, difficult and maddening game. He beat only 19 players in the field.
He’ll be back for more tomorrow, and from here, it will only get better.

Tiger finished things off with a birdie, at least:

His post round interview courtesy of GolfChannel.com.

Woods, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson tee off Friday at 9:30 am PT on Torrey Pines North's 10th tee.

Bernhard Langer: A Friend Told Me A Story, I Told My Friend Who Told His Friend, The President Of The United States!

The following is a statement issued by the PGA TOUR on behalf of Champions Tour member Bernhard Langer, currently to blame for an impending voter fraud investigation demanded by President Donald Trump.

"Unfortunately, the report in the New York Times and other news outlets was a mischaracterization by the media. The voting situation reported was not conveyed from me to President Trump, but rather was told to me by a friend. I then relayed the story in conversation with another friend, who shared it with a person with ties to the White House. From there, this was misconstrued. I am not a citizen of the United States, and cannot vote. It’s a privilege to live in the United States, and I am blessed to call America my home. I will have no further comment at this time."

So to recap, Bernhard Langer heard a story about shady goings on at the polls, who told his friend, who told Donald Trump.

Downing Street Eyeing Trump Golf Round In Front Of The Queen

The Telegraph's Christopher Hope and Ben Riley-Smith report on summer plans being made by Downing Street and the White House that will include a Balmoral visit. The story says there is a nine-hole course on the castle property, though I couldn't find it in aerials.

It sounds like it'll be quite the first visit:

Discussions are underway about the president playing a round of golf on the private nine-hole course at Balmoral while the Queen looks on.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are also set to be involved as the royal family rolls out the red carpet for the US President and his First Lady.

Mr Trump’s team want to create a photograph opportunity to rival the famous images of President Ronald Reagan horse riding with the Queen at Windsor Castle when he visited in the 1982.

As if we weren't already excited enough about summer!

Tiger On His Return: "It's been long enough."

Tiger Woods delivered his usual huge media turnout and intrigue while launching the reborn Genesis Open at Riviera. With his tournament operations folks running the show and the Woods Foundation benefitting from the tournament, Tiger seems full engaged in raising the profile of an event that has languished since the hometown hero last played in 2006.

From the accounts of those on-site, key takeaway lines revolved around his desire to get back playing after too long off, along with his admission of concern about a stacked start.

As I wrote for Golfweek.com, the common sense admission of vulnerability is actually a positive sign that will only win him more fans and sympathy should rust slow down his return to the top.

Steve DiMeglio's story notes Tiger's desire to get back at it after too long away from the game.

Ryan Lavner at GolfChannel.com noted highlights from the press conference, including this on Tiger's concern about so much golf out of the chute.

“My body is in a pretty good state where I feel like I can handle that workload,” he said Monday at media day for the Genesis Open, which his foundation now hosts, “but I’ve still got to go out there and do it.”

Bob Harig at ESPN.com noted Tiger's obvious ease in returning to a tournament we weren't sure he'd ever play again and the role he envisions for rejuvenating the LA stop.

"To come full circle and have an opportunity to run this event is really special moment in my life,'' said Woods, who will make the tournament one of three in four weeks that he is playing to start 2017.

A couple of other key moments from the press conference included the continuation, with Charles Sifford's name attached, of the annual special exemption to a minority golfer.

Tiger discussed that and his role in shaping the tournament.

Q. Tiger, question about the tournament operation, things like the Sifford exemption.

How much do you get involved in that? Would you get involved in helping pick the person who gets exempt, or in this first year do you kind of step back and see how things unfold and then give your thoughts?

TIGER WOODS: No, I'm part of all of it. I've been involved with running golf tournaments and my foundation for a very long time, since '99. So we've been doing it a very long time. So part of the operations and my staff, I'm very close with them, I trust them implicitly. But obviously I have my finger on some of the things that I want to have happen and how we can make this experience here at Riviera and with Genesis, how we can make it better for not only the players but for all the people that come out and are part of this event.

The Scotty Cameron fan club will enjoy this:

Q. Tiger, can you describe what it feels like to have the putter back in the bag that you have had so much success with over the years?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, well, it felt good there at the Hero in the Bahamas. I made a few putts there, made a few birdies and, yeah, you can hit the ball close but you've still got to hole the putts. I made quite a few putts that week. Over the years, I mean, Scotty has probably built me over a hundred putters trying to replicate this one. It just doesn't. For some reason this one just stands out. I think it's -- I mean, Bob Charles putted with his putter for 50 years, that Bulls Eye. Mark McNulty putted the same thing with his Bulls Eye forever, Jack with his George Low. I mean, for some reason you can find other putters, you may put it on the side or penalty box for a little bit, but for some reason it just keeps coming back.

For those who prefer to read in Tweets, the GCTigerTracker was busy today.

Here is Golf Central's condensed report from the event.

There were many other good bits from the day and I got a one-on-one with him that I'll share more of as we get closer to the Genesis.

Meanwhile, European bookmaker BookMaker.eu is pushing some attention-getting prices that suggest a lack of bullishness (or need for attention!). Tiger's prospects, given his attitude, body language, energy and play at the Hero World Challenge, would have me jumping at a few of these...

Will Tiger Woods finish in the top 10 at the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open?

Yes +350
No -500

How many birdies will Tiger Woods record during the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open?

OVER 6.5 (-110)
UNDER 6.5 (-120)

How many bogeys or worse will Tiger Woods record during the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open?

OVER 8.5 (-115)
UNDER 8.5 (-115)

Tiger Woods finishing position at 2017 Farmers Insurance Open

1st (+3000)
2nd-10th (+1500)
11th-19th (+900)
20th-30th (+550)
31st-40th (+400)
41st-50th (+350)
51st or worse (-120)