ShackHouse 28: Honda, Rules, Mexico City & Crossfield

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Golf instructor Mark Crossfield has quickly become one of the more trusted voices in golf equipment, instruction and travel reviews. The golf pro-turned-YouTube star joins us to discuss how he got became a disruptor and where he sees golf headed.

Before that, however, we discuss Rickie Fowler's Honda Classic win, the (embarrassing) outrage over Johnny Miller's frank commentary, forthcoming rule change news and some insights into Club de Chapultepec, host of this week's WGC Mexico.

As always, you can subscribe on iTunes and or just refresh your device subscription page. Here is the direct iTunes link to this week's show.

Here is The Ringer's show page.

Same deal with Soundcloud for the show, and Episode 28 is here to listen to right now!

As always, ShackHouse is brought to you by Callaway, who start season 3 of Callaway Live this week. Tuesday's debut episode features Jim Furyk, followed by next week's newly-appointed primetime host of NBC's Olympic coverage, Mike Tirico.

Be sure to visit Callaway community that provided some of today's interview questions (thanks group) and to make yourself eligible to win a Furyk-signed 58 ball if you can accurately post how many times host Harry Arnett says "Ryder Cup" on the season premier.

Even Jack Doesn't Know What To Think About Tiger At This Point

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Golfweek's Jeff Babineau quotes Jack Nicklaus discussing the state of Tiger Woods following the recent WD's and Genesis Open no-show due to back spasms.

This probably about sums up how most feel

Nicklaus doesn’t live very far from him, but he really doesn’t have much of a handle on what his happening with Woods and his health these days.

“That is the biggest puzzle to me that I know,” Nicklaus said Sunday at the Honda Classic. “I just don’t know where he is and where his mind is. I don’t know.

Say It Ain't So: Horschel Would Have Skipped WGC Mexico City Had He Qualified

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Citing security concerns, world No. 75, Billy Horschel says he would have skipped this week's WGC Mexico City had he qualified.

In unrelated news, I would have skipped this year's Oscars had I been nominated.

Will Gray at GolfChannel.com on what would have been a terrible blow to Mexico City's economy had Horschel not bogeyed the par-5 18th in Sunday's Honda Classic.

“I’ve been to Mexico before, and I love Cancun,” he said. “It’s the first year of the event, and I just want to see how it went. That’s what it really came down to. I want to see how everything was run, I want to see the feedback from the players, and then I’d go from there.”

Rickie Fowler Fends Off Johnny Critique Following Honda Win

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I can't imagine a more impressive stat than Rickie Fowler making 57 of 57 inside 7 feet to win the Honda Classic.

Still, it was an undeniably bizarre 2017 Honda Classic final round with several players hitting loose shots, including Fowler. Johnny Miller voiced his concern at Fowler's inability to close things out and, along with his NBC cohorts, expressed his surprise at the "poor" quality of many misses.

Cue the millennial police!

Will Gray on Rickie's response as well as the players coming to Rickie's defense, including Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald.

The PGA Tour highlights.

Bryson Apologizes To His USGA "Family"

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Bryson DeChambeau, whose side-saddle putter was ruled non-conforming by the USGA, missed another cut and vented about having to abandon the method because he could not use his preferred blade.

Brian Wacker reports from the Honda Classic.

“It [was] a long conversation,” DeChambeau said after a 71 to miss the cut by four shots. “But the USGA essentially doesn’t like me doing it.

“I’m pretty much done with it. They’re not a good organization, and you can quote me on that. I’m part of their family and as family it’s very frustrating to see them stunt the growth of the game.”

I'm not sure about this "family" he speaks but one presumes there are not secret handshakes, just USGA championships which bond the winners with the USGA family.

Anyway, DeChambeau took to Twitter to apologize, though he made similar comments at Torrey Pines.

DeChambeau is mercifully off this week and has a chance to hit a reset button that has included launching new irons at the PGA Show, then trying to play that same week at Torrey Pines. He has also tried to change putting styles and has taken on the weight of "growing the game" which, while very admirable, may be just too much on his plate given how competitive the PGA Tour can be.

Pat Perez And Tiger Hash Things Out Via Text, Sort Of

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Pat Perez went on SiriusXM PGA Tour radio with “Katrek & Maginnes on Tap” to clarify his comments on SiriusXM's Out of Bounds co-hosted by Pat Perez!

If you really have a lot of spare time, Golfweek's Kevin Casey links to the Perez effort to dig himself out of a hole created by the harsh tone of his Tiger assessment.

Perez also talked to GolfDigest.com's Brian Wacker and said he and Tiger texted things out.

“I wasn’t talking about his career, I was talking about this point in time and we don’t know what we’re going to get from him. I’m not the only one thinking this. It’s common sense. Everybody wants to talk about Tiger. It’s like ‘Where’s Waldo?’”

Perez sent a text message to Woods on Thursday expressing that same sentiment to the 14-time major winner, and the two exchanged multiple texts about the comments.

Woods was not pleased, according to Perez, but in essence told him he understood and that Perez is entitled to his opinion.

I've managed to obtain the text exchange exclusively because I look out for my readers! ;)

Here goes:

Poulter On Borrowed Time: Six Starts To Keep Card

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Ian Poulter may be the most intriguing player to watch as this week's Honda Classic develops. The tournament is one of six remaining starts on a major medical exemption and the former world no. 5 needs $220k or so to retain PGA Tour status.

Doug Ferguson with Poulter's story.

When he returned in the fall, he had 10 events on a major medical extension to keep his card. He played four times on the PGA Tour and missed two cuts. Going into the Honda Classic, he has six tournaments remaining to earn either $220,301 or 154 FedEx Cup points.

That's in the neighborhood of a fifth-place finish.

"I'm on borrowed time," Poulter said. "Yeah, I need to perform well. ... A win would be nice. I have to think that I've got a chance, I really do. The situation I'm in, I have to be aggressive, but I've got to be careful. I can't make many mistakes."

Fox! Value Of TV Deal Has Players Wanting More U.S. Open Say

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The USGA's recent U.S. Open purse bump sounds as it was influenced by PGA Tour player talk at recent player meetings, reports Rex Hoggard for GolfChannel.com.

Players feel they are still underpaid based on TV deals, with the Fox-USGA's known price tag making it easy for them to do some math and realize they are not paid proportionally with revenues. However, a $25 million purse would make a mess of things. So...

Instead, the players at the meeting focused on how the additional revenue could possibly be used, from additional funding for Web.com Tour purses, to rookie stipends or even a caddie retirement plan, which is currently a hot-button topic because of an ongoing lawsuit between the circuit and a group of caddies.

According to the USGA’s financial statement for 2016 about half (49 percent) of its revenues ($98.7 million) came from broadcast rights fees, while about half (46 percent or $91.5 million) of its operating expenses were related to its “open championships.”

And if it's not bad enough for the Executive Committee to possibly have to face giving up some of their profits, it gets more intriguing:

One player who spoke at the meeting and requested anonymity because of the potential for future negotiations said the concern goes deeper than simply a fair share of the TV rights, and that players want a say in future venues and how the championship is run, pointing out last year’s rules snafus at both the U.S. Open and Women’s Open.

It’s unclear how far the players would be willing to take a potential negotiation with the USGA or any of the game’s other ruling bodies.

“Let’s be honest, we’re not going to boycott a major,” one player said.

“If it was Barack Obama, I would have played. If it was Hillary Clinton, I would have played.”

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Based on various social media posts and stories, Rory McIlroy's acceptance of a last-minute invitation to play golf with president Donald Trump has not been universally well received. Even though McIlroy merely answered a late Saturday call for a Sunday game, he has been questioned for accepting. I do not understand the outcry.

Pro golfers have not had a great recent history on this front--think Azinger and Pavin insisting they were not offended by going to the Clinton White House. With this topic in mind--one that won't go away as President Trump's regular golfing is highlighted--Karen Crouse of the New York Times anonymously polled pros about playing a round with the president. Fifty of 56 polled said they would accept an invite from President Trump.

Ernie Els, who teed up with Trump recently, gave the answer you'd hope to hear:

“If it was Barack Obama, I would have played. If it was Hillary Clinton, I would have played.”

And because he's on such a diplomacy roll, Pat Perez took an opposite approach.

Perez said he would play with Trump “in a heartbeat,” but would have turned down an invitation from Mrs. Clinton if she had won. (It should be noted that she is not known to golf.)

Ultimately all of this golf talk--which has become prime late night fodder--is pretty minor unless golf triggers global conflict of some kind. That seems unlikely.

However, I'd argue today's banter between President Trump and GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt, while understandable to golfers given the story, reinforces way too many stereotypes:

 

 

"It may go unsaid, but Donald Trump wants something from the PGA of America."

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Michael Bamberger profiles PGA Of America CEO Pete Bevacqua but as a lot of things go these days, the story has to consider the relationship between President Trump and the PGA of America.

Writing for Golf.com/SI:

Bevacqua, with his staff and board, is considering moving the PGA Championship from its customary August date to May, which would give the golf calendar a different rhythm. Oh, and Donald Trump has Bevacqua on his contact list, as he has for some years—and he's been in touch.

The two met at Trump Tower in New York City shortly after the election. They played golf in late December at Trump International. More recently, Bevacqua received a call from Trump—that is, President Trump—while ferrying his young children around Palm Beach Gardens.

"It was kind of a strange situation," Bevacqua said recently. "Three kids in the car and then there's a call, 'Please hold for President Trump.' The kids just kept doing their thing. They're singing, oblivious. But at the end of the call, my daughter says, 'Was that the president?'"

So where does this all head? Bamberger opines:

The PGA of America has two of its events scheduled for Trump courses, the Senior PGA Championship in May and the PGA Championship in 2022. Trump and the Trump Organization would gladly welcome more PGA of America events. A great golf prize for the Trump family would be a Ryder Cup on one of its courses on either side of the Atlantic. (Venues have been selected through 2024. The '26 Ryder Cup appears to be headed to Ireland. Trump has two Scottish courses, in Turnberry and Aberdeen.) Eric Trump—now in charge of running his family's golf business in conjunction with Larry Glick, a Trump Organization executive—would naturally love a U.S. Open, a British Open or a PGA Tour event at any course bearing the Trump name. Long before Trump was elected, the USGA awarded Trump National Bedminster with the 2017 U.S. Women's Open. But given some of the extreme language used by Trump as a candidate and some of the positions he has taken as president, it seems unlikely that the PGA Tour, the USGA or the R&A, administrators of the British Open, will be eager to choose another Trump venue anytime soon.

I disagree. Should the PGA Championship move to May, Trump Doral is a no-brainer as either a future venue or replacement for one of the northern venues currently on the PGA Championship schedule.