2017 U.S. Open Prognosticating Gets A Little Easier After Wentworth, Colonial

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Whew!

If we went another week without some names showing signs of life headed to Erin Hills, the hardest prognostication U.S. Open was not going to get any easier. But, after some pre and post Masters lulls, we can see glimmers of great hope in Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Alex Noren, Henrik Stenson and yes, Kevin Kisner's game. The Memorial this week should also give us insights into the likes of Day, Johnson, Matsuyama and Mickelson. But first, in Europe...

Noren, four-time winner last year on the European Tour, notched his biggest win yet at the BMW PGA, reports Golfweek.com's Alistair Tait. His stunning final round 62 capped off a nice start to the Pelley/Wentworth era that saw smooth greens and some weird leaderboard twists ultimately crystalize with some of the field's biggest names contending.

Noren's epic 18th hole shot:

A post shared by European Tour (@europeantour) on May 28, 2017 at 7:14am PDT


 And the scorecard for what he says is the best round of his life:

Course record ✍🏼 #BMWPGA #RolexSeries

A post shared by European Tour (@europeantour) on May 28, 2017 at 7:20am PDT

At Colonial, Kevin Kisner held off a fun array of players (Spieth, Rahm, Simpson) and styles to win the a very entertaining Dean and Deluca. Not only did the historic venue and leaderboard help, but CBS seemed especially on its game with production values and announcing. 

Dan Kilbridge at Golfweek.com with a quick roundup here of the finale that gives Kisner a second tour win just weeks after a near-miss at the Zurich Classic.

Kyle Porter grades the contenders for CBSSports.com, especially helpful if you're starting to narrow down your U.S. Open selections.

The final round highlights:

 

Euro Tour Chief Anticipates PGA Championship Move, Agrees BMW PGA Would Work Well In September

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European Tour Chief Keith Pelley visited Rich Lerner and Frank Nobilo during round two of the 2017 BMW PGA and mostly talked his new "product" geared at the kids.

“But golf needs something else, it needs something to attract a younger generation.”

At the 11:00 mark he is asked about the possible impact of a Players/PGA Championship switch on his tour and, specifically, the BMW PGA.

If in fact if the PGA Championship moved to May, which I anticipate that it will, we will have to look where is the best fit for the BMW PGA Championship. But obviously we would do everything around the majors.

Nobilo then made the case for early autumn at Wentworth and Pelley agreed that the conditions would be ideal, but lightly walking back how well the technology of maintenance now makes the current date fine, too. But it was pretty apparent that the European Tour sees an an ideal early fall slot for this event.

The full interview:

Obama Plays The Old Course, Checks Out The Claret Jug

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Looks like the former President had a grand day on the Old Course.

Note in the Swilken Bridge shot and post-round images how many people are encircling the Home green. BTW, nice outfits from the playing partners!


And checking out the Claret Jug, and given that he's in St. Andrews, this may be the Royal and Ancient clubhouse version (which is the oldest version).

Even @BarackObama is in awe of the Claret Jug!

A post shared by The Open (@theopen) on May 26, 2017 at 9:16am PDT

Anyone know the golf book he's got in hand?

 

Check out the crowd...

 

Thomas Pieters Will Soon Be Getting A Keith Pelley Gift Basket

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Opening with a 68 at the star-depleted BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, one of Europe's rising stars suggested it was a no brainer for him: BMW PGA over The Players.

Thomas Pieters, who skipped The Players to take 7 weeks off with a brief stop at the Zurich Classic, is rested and ready to win the European Tour's biggest event, reports The Telegraph's James Corrigan.

Asked which tournament he would prefer to win, Pieters was unequivocal.

“This one,” he replied. “Why? Because this is our tour, and I look at the history of this event with Seve [Ballesteros] and everything. I see this tournament as the next biggest to the majors. It would mean a lot to be the champion here.”

How Keith Pelley, the European Tour chief executive, would have loved those words.

South Africans Give And Take: Els Penalizes Self, Grace Takes Bold (Referee Sanctioned) Drop

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It's never dull with Ernie Els at Wentworth, who turned a 69 into a BMW PGA first round 71 by penalizing himself for not replacing a possible plugged lie properly.

Will Gray for GolfChannel.com on Els' guilty conscience.

"Under the rules you try and put it back the way you think it should be, but I still felt uncomfortable with it, so we took a two-shot penalty," Els said. "I know deep down the ball wasn't quite where it should be and I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

The incident getting more attention involved Els countryman Branden Grace, who took relief from bunker wall material when he had a buried lie. Alistair Tait reports for Golfweek on the drop approved by American official Mark Hill and criticized by commentators and players

Paul McGinley criticized Grace’s action during television commentary and afterwards. “It was ridiculous,” McGinley said. “If you twist your feet enough you’re bound to eventually reach the bunker lining. That means anytime a player wants relief from a poor lie he can simply twist his feet until he reaches the bunker lining. That can’t be right.”

Danny Willett took to twitter to complain. He tweeted: “@EuropeanTour please explain that drop?! Burying feet enough in to get to the base of the bunker???”

Fellow Englishman Daniel Brooks also had reservations about the ruling. “Wow strangest drop I’ve ever seen there,” he tweeted.

Bunkered has a few of the player tweets and a mini-round-up here.

While no video of the moment is online, Grace gives a decent explanation in this Sky post round interview.

John Daly: Americans Need To Get On Donald Trump's Wagon

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Normally I'd suggest John Daly abstain from wagon references given his multiple climbs on and off the wagon, but the man loves his President Trump and the job the 45th president is doing.

Ryan Ballengee, reporting from the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship That'll Eventually Be Won By Bernhard Langer, quotes the 2-time major champion loving the effort of his friend Donald Trump, unofficial host at Trump National DC.

“There’s been a lot of things go on with the Democrats that people just want to ignore now,” he said. “They don’t, they just want to pick on my buddy. Let him do his job and just see what he does. He’s doing great so far.”

And the wagon talk...

“He’s the President of the United States,” he said. “I think people need to get on his wagon and ride with him and let him do what he’s doing and leave him alone. It’s not going to change for at least, you know, this year and three more.”

Will President Trump Drop In On The Senior PGA At Trump DC?

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Ted Bishop wonders that and also reveals a few things about the PGA of America partnership with the Trump Organization as the Senior PGA kicks off this week. The event is being played at Trump National D.C., a potential future PGA Championship site as well.

The former PGA president writes for MorningRead.com:

Any chance that President Trump might make a last-minute visit to the Senior PGA on Sunday? Trump, an avid golfer whose business empire includes ownership of 16 courses, no doubt would love to make an appearance. Would it be deemed a conflict of interest, given his role as the nation’s chief executive and his detachment from his businesses, if he were to do so?

“Unfortunately, I wouldn’t know the answer to that one as it is ‘church and state,’ and I have not spoken with him,” said Larry Glick, an executive vice president with Trump Organization.

Euro Tour Chief Expecting Players/PGA Move Decision By August, Which Suggests The Verdict Is In

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European Tour Chief Keith Pelley believes that a decision is coming this August on a blockbuster trade that has the Players moving to March, the PGA to May and three prospects going to an undisclosed tour.

Will Gray on the Chief's comments this week at the BMW PGA, which will be impacted should the PGA Championship move to May.

"It will depend on what they do in 2019," Pelley said. "The PGA of America says they're going to determine whether the PGA Championship is moved to May by the end of August this year. If that's the case, we are going to have to look at everything. We have plans right now, but there is no doubt that if those changes happen, the 2019 and 2020 schedule will be considerably different to 2018."

A cynical mind might say that given August being the PGA Championship's date, a decision has already been made subject to a few contract signings and conference calls.

Given the domino effect this decision will have on golf tournament schedules and other sporting events, there will certainly be added intrigue in Charlotte.

Tiger "Hasn't Felt This Good In Years"

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On the good news front, Woods seems to have finally had a successful back surgery (on the fourth try with a new doctor).

But given that he's feeling good, it's hard not to notice that he passed on his annual Tiger Jam fundraiser for the first time ever. TigerWoods.com reports:

I heard so many great things about last weekend’s Tiger Jam. It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year and it’s the first time I couldn’t attend. Special thanks to MGM Grand and to all my friends who pitched in to make Tiger Jam a big success. Kate Upton played poker and hosted our Saturday night dinner. I knew she would crush it, and she did.

Kate crushed it!

As for his back...

It has been just over a month since I underwent fusion surgery on my back, and it is hard to express how much better I feel. It was instant nerve relief. I haven’t felt this good in years.
I could no longer live with the pain I had. We tried every possible non-surgical route and nothing worked. I had good days and bad days, but the pain was usually there, and I couldn’t do much. Even lying down hurt. I had nerve pain with anything I did and was at the end of my rope. The process leading up to my decision to have surgery was exhaustive. I consulted with a specialist, and after weighing my options, that’s when I decided to go to Texas to have surgery.

Fantastic news. As with Steve Kerr, perhaps these surgeries gone wrong will help others learn from the misery suffered by Woods and the Warriors coach.

Most fascinating was this from Tiger, who clearly has heard the rumblings about his desire, commitment or determination to play again.

But, I want to say unequivocally, I want to play professional golf again.

Presently, I’m not looking ahead. I can’t twist for another two and a half to three months.

Maybe that's why he passed on Tiger Jam? He couldn't do a proper samba!

Right now, my sole focus is rehab and doing what the doctors tell me. I am concentrating on short-term goals.

You know how I know he's feeling better: Tiger's handing out compliments like Phil hands out $100 bills. Including a well-deserved tip 'o the cap to his ghost writer, Lorne Rubenstein, for a job well done on The 1997 Masters.

Wentworth Revitalized, But Will It Ever Draw Americans?

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I still haven't seen many good images capturing the supposed restoration of H.S. Colt's work at Wentworth, which includes 29 fewer bunkers. (There are a couple of shots in this primer at a revamped EuropeanTour.com.)

But as The Telegraph's James Corrigan notes in previewing the revitalization, the BMW PGA Championship has player attention because the greens are smoother.

Reignwood put up the £5 million for improvements and the European Tour and its design team did the rest, together with Ernie Els Design. Each of the 18 greens was relaid and a sub-air system, as used at Augusta, was installed under every one as well. The result is startlingly firmer surfaces and a much more consistent roll of the ball. Tyrell Hatton, the young world No 16 from nearby High Wycombe, summed up the elation in the locker room. “The greens are 100 times better,” he said.

Corrigan's piece includes a sidebar pointing out the resurfacing of all greens, with Sub-Air installed. He says nine greens were partially or fully redesigned.

Paul McGinley posted this image earlier in the week:

The tragedy in Manchester will lead to a more subdued week, reports Alistair Tait for Golfweek, so it remains to be seen if the Rolex Series kick off will include the driving range music and first tee presenters will still happen.

The tournament also hopes to attract more Americans but given the schedule spot, that will be tough. John Huggan talks to various dignitaries for suggestions and I thought this was interesting from Ken Schofield.

“The European Tour has had a lifetime of putting on great events no one in America seems to care about,” Schofield says. “It’s time to put an end to that. I see a closer relationship between the BMW PGA and the Players as a way of further cementing relations and cooperation between the tours. It’s just the right thing to do for the game.

In other words, Schofield would like to see the Players become part of the money list on the European Tour and, in turn, the BMW PGA become part of the PGA Tour’s money list. “That would provide further validation for both,” he says.

Should the PGA Championship move to May, the BMW would also take a hit if it remains in the current schedule spot.

Tony Romo Making CBS Debut At Colonial

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Kevin Patra of NFL Network reports that former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will don the CBS blue blazer this weekend at Colonial to kick off his post-playing career with an 18th tower cameo. Romo is set to join Jim Nantz this fall as part of the lead CBS NFL broadcast team.

From Patra's story:

"I will give you a little note," Barrow told the audience while glowing about Romo. "This weekend for the first time ever he will be in the announce booth at 18 for a few moments. And it will be the first time that he will have the CBS Sports blazer on and he will be introduced as our newest addition to CBS Sports, right here at Colonial."

Barrow then asked the crowd to keep the news under wraps.

"Please don't tweet that or any of that, it's supposed to be a surprise," he said.

Erin Hills Primer And First Hole Flyover

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Golf.com's Jeff Ritter attended U.S. Open media day at Erin Hills and came away with impressions that may help those trying to wrap their head around such a little-known, little-understood venue.

He writes:

The USGA also plans to dry things out. The designers would like to see their course play firm and fast (read: brown), but there's simply too much rainfall in central Wisconsin this time of year to get things crispy. The course won't be as verdant as you see in my photos, but don't expect a repeat of Chambers' dusty landscape, either.

2. Goodbye, flat lies
. Maybe wind isn't Erin's only defense. Because the architects tried to maintain the natural terrain, there aren't many level stances out there. It's another way the course keeps players on edge. And when they finally pull the trigger, the terrain will kick the ball in unpredictable ways.

"The fairways themselves are bouncy," Davis said. "They're predominantly fescue. There's some ryegrass and some other grasses in there, but the soil or the subsoil here is a gritty, well-draining soil, so the combination of the grasses and the subsoil really do make this a bouncy course, so you're going to see balls hit and move."

Though we're just a bit more than 18 days away from U.S. Open week, why not get the analysis going with a flyover of the beautiful 560-yard first hole, courtesy of Erin Hills: