First Look: New 7th And 8th Holes At Royal Portrush

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Thanks to reader PG for catching photographer David Cannon's Tweeted first-look images of the new 7th and 8th holes at Royal Portrush.

The holes were created for The Open Championship's arrival in 2019, allowing for the use of the current 17th and 18th holes as staging.

New Golf Rules: A Closer Look At Changes Related To Bunkers

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I'll leave some of the proposed Rules of Golf changes to the wonks to dissect after they are unveiled, but from an architecture and course setup perspective, I'm fascinated by the change of approach to bunkers.

Here is what is outlined in the proposal:

•    Relaxed restrictions on touching the sand with your hand or club when your ball is in a bunker: You are now prohibited only from touching the sand (1) with your hand or club to test the condition of the bunker or (2) with your club in the area right behind or in front of the ball, in making a practice swing or in making the backswing for your stroke.

We all know this is a response to multiple video replay issues where the club could be seen touching the sand and the player was prosecuted for an inadvertent mistake. No one will miss those days.

•    New unplayable ball relief option: For two penalty strokes, you may take relief outside the bunker by dropping a ball back on a line from the hole through where your ball was at rest in the bunker.

I haven't a clue what this unplayable option does to improve the game other than speed things up on a golf course with quicksand bunkers, so let's ignore that one.

•    Removal of special restrictions on moving loose impediments: There is no longer a penalty if you touch or move loose impediments in a bunker.

"Play it as it lies" is a principle of importance since it was a bedrock of the original rules. Rules, Decisions and other changes in the game have dented the meaning of playing it as it lies in a sport that originally resonated because it was nature-based. So will this new language make bunkers more or less hazardous and more or less maintained.

I'm hoping more hazardous and less maintained.

We all hate rocks in bunkers and what they do to a pretty new wedge. And perhaps with a loose impediment rule the governing bodies are actually applying reverse psychology here by saying to courses you don't need to spend so much time on making bunkers perfect, rock-free sanctuaries for recovery.

Yet I can't help but think that given the freedom to fidget with the playing surface, modern players will continue to see bunkers as a sacred place where all golfers are entitled to a recovery and pristine lie at all times. Or, play it as I want it to lie.

Yuck!

We shall see...

First Look: Proposed Changes To The Rules Of Golf, What Stands Out?

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Scheduled for a rollout on Golf Channel's Morning Drive (7 am Wednesday) along with a media teleconference at the same time, the new Rules of Golf will aim to "modernize the Rules and make them easier to understand and apply."

The expedited proposal, going out for public consideration with a January 1, 2019 implementation goal, appears determined to speed up the game and, intentionally or not, bifurcate elite tournament golf and the everyday game.

From the materials I've seen and in discussions with those briefed, here are the highlights of the many "relaxed" rules (where have I heard that term?):

--No more penalties for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or in searching for a ball

--Golfers may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. A speed of play, play.

--Repairing spike marks and other damage on the putting green to be allowed. Not a speed of play helper.

--More red hazard lines to include desert areas and no penalty for touching the hazard in such an area, which also includes moving loose impediments.

--In bunkers, no penalty for touching loose impediments or for touching the sand with a hand or club. Still no grounding the club next to the ball or in front of the ball. We'll call this the Anna rule.

--We trust you, we really really trust you rules. This is a video evidence situation again, allowing for "reasonable judgement" when estimating point of entry drops, etc...

--Reduced time for searching for a lost ball from five down to three minutes

--You can keep playing a damaged club during a round. No penalty for an altered club, even if you wrapped it around a tree in a childish hissy-fit.

--Use of distance measuring devices permitted at all times, except by Local Rule (this should be fun for Augusta and the PGA Tour).

--No more caddies lining up players before a shot. This was almost strictly an LPGA Tour problem.

--A new “Maximum Score” form of stroke play, where your score can be capped to a number set by the Committee. In this proposed format you can pick up and move to the next hole when your score "will be at or above the maximum."

--New presentation of how the rules are presented

--New "plain" language in the writing of the rules

So what stands out?

For my money, the positives are various headache situations in everyday tournament golf coming to an end.

The use of rangefinders will be applauded, hailed and declared the key to speeding up the game. Little difference will be seen, but at least we'll be able to put another savior to bed on the pace of play front.

The ability to repair "spike" marks in a sport almost devoid of spikes contradicts the efforts to speed up the sport and appears to be mostly for tour players.

Shorts In Practice! PGA Tightens Its Grip On Fourth Major Status

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Would The Masters do it?

This simple question will be used as a barometer in the coming months and year as the sport faces pressure to relax rules in an effort to appeal to more people. While many of those efforts are necessary, the professional golfer's uniform has been a collared shirt and pants. Whether at a course or club, a well-dressed professional has more gravitas than one in shorts and anklets.

And of course you'll never see pros wearing shorts at The Masters, the best in golf.

So even though the PGA Championship is likely moving to the cooler month of May, the PGA of America announced today that they will allow players to wear shorts during practice rounds of all their championships. Let those grow-the-game sweeping declarations begin!

NY Post On Adidas Taylor Made Sale: "May Have To Give It Away"

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Josh Kosman on the distressing news that TaylorMade-Adams-Ashworth is losing between $75 million and $100 million a year, and no post-Tiger signing momentum has expedited sales talks.

Now Adidas, the parent company of Taylor Made, may have to give the brand away.

Losses at TaylorMade are much greater than many potential bidders anticipated, causing suitors to walk away, sources said.

The golf division that Adidas announced was for sale last May — which includes golf club maker TaylorMade, and the much smaller Adams and Ashworth brands — is losing between $75 million and $100 million a year, according to sources close to recent deal talks.

That is quite a fall from 2013 when TaylorMade was posting $1.7 billion in sales and a healthy profit, sources said. Today, sales are a little better than $500 million.

Adidas last year was asking for more than $500 million for the business, but now may have to give it away, a source who considered making a bid said.

The story goes on to say Callaway's new Epic driver taking the top spot from Taylor Made hasn't helped, but neither did the parent company CEO talking down the golf business. Or releasing three drivers in one year.

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."