Reliving The Best Event Of 2017 Season While We Can: Caddie Wood Talks Birkdale Showdown

One of the more insightful caddies in golf, John Wood was on Matt Kuchar's bag at the 2017 Open Championship, guiding the veteran to an epic performance.

Since we only have a few hours left before the new PGA Tour season ends, Dan Kilbridge's Golfweek piece on Wood may amount to one of the few key season recaps. But it's a good one given Kuchar's play and Jordan Spieth's victory, which, if I had to choose, gets my vote for tournament of the year over Sergio winning the Masters.

This was fun from Wood on the 13th hole delay Kuchar faced as Spieth attempted to take an unplayable lie drop.

Kuchar and Wood waited nearly 20 minutes while Spieth and his caddie, Michael Greller, located Spieth’s errant tee shot and tried to figure out how to drop and play on. A big screen left of the fairway gave Wood a vague idea what was going on as they waited. He doesn’t recall any specific conversations during that time. Kuchar probably talked about his kids. Wood might have discussed a book he was reading. A bit of normalcy amid the chaos.

“At a certain point we just started laughing,” Wood said. “That’s all you could do. You’re going, ‘This is a funny situation. I’ve never been in something like this.’ … (Kuchar) didn’t get frustrated by it. He just kept calm, and we were sitting back there telling stories and laughing. That was the best way we could handle it, really.”

Historic Engineers Sold By Members For Likely Development

Victor Ocasio of Newsday reports dreadful news: Engineers Country Club members have voted to sell the historic course to developer RXR. The company intends to get approval for development that would eliminate the Herbert Strong and Devereux Emmet design.

Besides being a sensational course (reviewed here by GCA's Ran Morrissett), it's been a vital part of golf history with its 2 or 20 hole and other bold features. The course has enjoyed restoration efforts by Gil Hanse and Tripp Davis. Apparently, however, the membership has other priorities beyond stewardship of an important early American design.

On Monday, members of Engineers Country Club, which owns the 18-hole championship golf course, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposed purchase by Uniondale-based RXR, said Cliff Saffron, president of the club.

The developer proposed buying the course and building a luxury residential project on a portion of the property. A price was not disclosed.

Of the club’s 84 equity members — those who are entitled to a vote — 81 participated in the voting, with 77 in favor and 4 against the RXR proposal, Saffron said. The club has more than 200 members.

The National Going Ahead In DC, Sponsor Or Not

Doug Ferguson's extensive AP notes column this week confirms the PGA Tour will return to Washington DC in 2018, but still not at Congressional as planned contractually.

According to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, the move to exit that deal was designed to help leave negotiating flexibility.

Why opt out with such certainty of playing in 2018? Monahan said there is no guarantee the National will be played in 2019 and beyond. Being tied to a golf course - even one as storied as Congressional - might limit any negotiations.

''Let's say we didn't renew with Quicken and there was another sponsor and they had a different objective. They wanted to be at a different golf course, a different part of town. They wanted to do something different,'' Monahan said. ''You can't be wed to one golf course that might limit your ability to get a deal done.''

The tournament remains in contact with Quicken Loans, and there are conversations with other potential sponsors.

The Woods Foundation is still expected to be involved.

Bridgestone CEO: Tiger More Valuable As An Endorser Than He Is As A Player

Catherine Campo at CNBC summarizes Bridgestone CEO Angel Ilagan's assertion that Tiger "on board" is spurring growth for the game and Bridgestone.

More fascinating is Ilagan's assertion that Tiger is better endorsing than playing.

"He actually has more power as an endorser than he does as a player," the CEO said.

He added that Woods is "the Michael Jordan of golf" and "the single golfer who's had the greatest impact of bringing consumers into [the game]."

Ilagan's suggested that as long as Woods is around (on or off the green), the golf industry is safe.

"I think the industry is in a little bit of panic, although it really need not be," he added.

All of the delusional talk can be viewed here...

Bridgestone bets on Tiger from CNBC.

Reminders Galore That Wraparound Schedule Needs A Wrap

As I wrote for Golfweek's Presidents Cup coverage, Team USA's on-course performance was especially remarkable given the noticeable fatigue of the recent PGA Tour playoff participants. Less remarkable was the team and leadership no-show effort for the World Golf Hall Of Fame ceremony, and I'm chalking part of that mistake to this being the culminating week of a season filled with multiple obligations and the pressures of 21st Century PGA Tour golf. (Just look how rail-thin Jordan Spieth looks in the photo below after going all-in on the playoffs and Presidents Cup.)

Meanwhile the feeder tour that has been designated as the only way to the PGA Tour played its final and arguably most important event against the Presidents Cup. Even more amazingly, the Web.com Tour Finals finished the week prior to the start of the next season.

Asking Web.com players to compete for their livelihood over two months, then turn around and play for their new status before the PGA Tour's eligibility re-shuffle in November is not a rational way to develop new stars.

Congratulations to Jonathan Byrd (Nicklaus Parker's game story here) and the many players who completed the playoffs Monday in Florida, but there were 13 who already had status locked up WD'd from the Monday weather-delayed finish to get to Napa for this week's PGA Tour season opener.

While the PGA Tour brass and some players will continue to defend Tim Finchem's "wraparound" vision for the PGA and Web.com Tours as the proper proving grounds, the emphasis has lost sight of what makes most sense for all parties.

Besides developing talent, the Web.com Tour is also a tour that should help serious golf fans get familiar with emerging players. Playing against the PGA Tour Playoffs and Presidents Cup certainly won't help on that front. When the PGA Tour had a week off during the playoffs, so did the Web.com Tour. Oy. Vey.

The many compelling card-chasing stories we would have learned via the old Fall Finish race or Q-School are getting lost. (This year there was a traditional heartbreaker of a finish for Matt Harmon that was covered because he missed short putts coming in, snapped his putter and missed out on a chance at his card).

The wraparound was created to save the fall events at the expense of the PGA Tour's very attractive natural January beginning. I just can't see how, given some of the signs of fatigue, the wraparound's impact on players from both circuits is offering a logical ebb and flow for anyone. Nor is it working for anyone but the fall events that get to say they are offering FedExCup points.

Singles First! Presidents Cup Needs Just A Little Gamesmanship To Thrive In 2019

The proposed fixes are flying and some of the assessments are downright bleak (Gray/GolfChannel.com), but as we discussed today on Morning Drive, drastic changes to make the Presidents Cup more winnable for the Internationals could be demeaning to them and discounts the closeness of the 2015 matches.

The talk also downplays a sensational Team USA performance for the week, but particularly in key moments of matches that were often tight through nine or so holes.

As we are prone to do with post-Cup assessments, the suggestions for change and forming of task forces lose sight of the role these events play as exhibitions. The Internationals may have been routed last week, but they were still apart of a valuable experience that will help their games and exposed them to the media capital of the world. The Presidents Cup was beemed all over the world and viewers saw moments of great passion along with historic visits from Presidents past and pressent.

Jaime Diaz urges patience at Golf World because this was mostly about poor play from the Internationals. Just look at the Golfweek report cards and you're reminded that the International stars did not deliver. Jason Day had no idea where the ball was going--with his coach not there to help, eh em--while Charl Schwartzel and Adam Scott could not muster up play close to their best.

There is also the lesson to learn from golf team event history.

As Joel Beall noted early last week, two other notable cup competitions--Ryder and Walker--saw major imbalances in their early years. But the Presidents Cup works with slight variations to the format by extending to a fourth day, though as we saw last week, the four-ball portion of the proceedings seemed bland and in need of some spice. However, that may have been more of a Liberty National and state of the game matter.

While I love Karen Crouse's idea for a mixed team event, I don't think blowing up the Presidents Cup is the place to do it.

Indeed, the 2019 Presidents Cup needs a little sizzle when it returns to Royal Melbourne. The incredible venue is a star already. Els is in and while Phil Mickelson seems determined to keep playing (Ahern/Golfweek), Tiger Woods should ascend the Task Force latter and become the next logical USA captain since he appears to enjoy the job, loves the Sandbelt and will be a Ryder Cup captain whenever he wants the job. In other words, the 2019 event will have plenty of intrigue.

Still, the concerns about competitiveness can be addressed in a clever way that carries a little bit of risk taking for the Internationals.

I'm very much on board with Brandel Chamblee's suggestion that the Internationals, as hosts, propose a home-field change to the order of play. Given their recent success in singles, Chamblee suggested presumed-captain Ernie Els propose opening with singles to prevent a huge early points deficit.

It's also a gamesmanship play. The Presidents Cup has generally lacked the chippiness that makes the Ryder Cup so compelling. By using the home field advantage, the risk and potential reward could be enough to turn the tide for the Internationals.

So would better play.

NY Times On Joe Louis Barrow And The First Tee

The New York Times' Gary Santaniello profiles The First Tee's retiring and amazingly well-compensated CEO, Joe Louis Barrow, who oversaw the program's growth and subtle transition in recent years to a grow-the game organization overseen by the World Golf Foundation.

He is to be replaced by former Viacom executive Keith Dawkins.

Santaniello explains The First Tee's emphasis on the "Life Skills Experience" and shares some success stories of former First Tee grads.

The First Tee’s programs reached 5.3 million young people in 2016; nearly half of the participants in the golf programs are minorities, and 39 percent are girls.

The scope of what the First Tee does has expanded, but, Barrow said, “the mission hasn’t changed.”

That starts with providing its participants with coaches, teachers and mentors. Seeking more than an instructional relationship, the organization seeks to promote lifelong relationships.

Drake Moseley participated in First Tee programs outside Houston for nine years before attending Talladega College in Alabama, from which he graduated in 2016.

The lesson that most sticks with him from the First Tee is his first one. He remembers sitting in a circle with 25 others and being taught how to introduce himself to others, with a firm handshake and the proper exchange of names.

“That was even before we got into the golf,” said Moseley, who attained a full-time position at the First Tee’s headquarters in St. Augustine, Fla., upon graduation. “The first thing you learn is how to carry yourself.”

According to the Dawkins announcement note, Barrow expanded The First Tee to these "capacity" levels.

In recent years, Barrow led The First Tee through an ambitious effort to reach 10 million additional young people between 2011 and 2017, and he built its capacity to reach more than 5 million young people annually through the various programming channels.

Gulp: Liberty National Succeeded As A Venue

Words I never imagined typing! But given the visuals, the views, the atmosphere, the event buzz in New York City and what sounded like a solid fan experience, Liberty National worked as the Presidents Cup venue.

Several people at the PGA Tour deserve credit for making the golf course and incredible site build-out work so well, as noted in my assessment for Golfweek.

Mmatch play can make the edgier or more abrasive features more palatable than when players confront them in stroke play, and that happened at the Presidents Cup. Also helping is that Bob Cupp and Tom Kite's design as adjusted by the PGA Tour's Steve Wenzloff, it's severely over constructed and quite possibly the most-catch basin-littered property in golf.

And you know how I love the architectural influence of catch basins.

Liberty National next hosts the 2019 Northern Trust playoff event.

Wraparound Absurdity: Web.com Tour Finals Spill Into Monday, Graduates Expected In Napa Thursday

Just a reminder: it was retired PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem's vision to save four fall events, turn those into the start of the next season in the "wraparound" season concept. It's looking more ridiculous by the day as Web.com Tour Finals grads who have been grinding the last two months  need to turn around and tee up in Thursday's 2017-18 PGA Tour season starter in Napa Valley.

And now with a rain-delayed Monday finish, they have two days to prepare for the start of their PGA Tour season. Oh and a status reshuffle looms after Sea Island.

Visionary!

Task For Bros: Tiger And Phil Show They're Friends, But Will They Hang Around When The Other Wins (Again)?

Of course not, but it's still nice to see these two rivals and Task Force partners sharing in the celebratory mood and no doubt thanking their bud Tom Watson for helping bring everyone closer together. Next thing you know they'll be hanging out by the 18th green the next time one of them wins a golf tournament.

This big hug followed Team USA's 2017 Presidents Cup win.

After play, the two insisted it's the media's fault for not seeing what friends they are, reports Will Gray for GolfChannel.com. Tiger:

“I think the press has made it out to be more than what it has been. We’ve been friends for a very long time,” Woods said. “We’ve had some tough moments where we’ve lost some cups, and also the flip side is we’ve had some great success. Hopefully, going forward, we can continue doing it.”

Wanted: LPGA On-Site Weather Experts, Pronto

Another week, another strange decision by the LPGA to resume play, this time in the New Zealand Women's Open that was eventually finished on Monday. Brooke Henderson is your winner.

A roundup of the player criticism here at Golfweek, which included Belen Mozo suggesting the players "were like sheep."

The video is pretty epic if you haven't seen it.

Not Trumped! 45 Delivers The Presidents Cup To Team USA

Team USA's victorious 2017 Presidents Cup team received the gold trophy from President Donald Trump who kept his remarks brief.

Golfweek's David Dusek on the presidential arrival and visit.

Things got off to a rocky start when the President hit send on a Tweet that criticized his predecessors.

The full transcript for those eager to relive the moment, the video and the text:

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They are very talented, and they really are people that have good hearts. I want to congratulate the Internationals.

On behalf of all of the people of Texas, of all of the people of -- if you look today, if you see what's happening, how horrible it is but we have it under really great control, Puerto Rico, and the people of Florida, who are really suffering over this last short period of time with hurricanes. I want to just remember them and we are going to dedicate this trophy to all of those people that went through so much.

And I tell you what, I've been watching this from the beginning, and I have to say our Team USA, wow, did you play well.

That great putter that I've been copying his putting stroke for many, many years, but it hasn't worked; Steve Stricker. We're going to present Steve with the trophy. I want to thank everybody. This is a special group of folks, tremendous money is donated to charity by the TOUR every year.

Stricker said it was a great honor to be the first captain to receive the cup from a sitting President of the United States, Will Gray reports.

The circumstances led to some fascinating scenes, including this sight of Commissioner Jay Monahan having been commissioned by Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky for a photo with Donald Trump.

PGA Tour Commish Jay Monahan is commissioned to photograph Paulina, DJ and The President as Davis Love & Rickie look on. @presidentscup

A post shared by Geoff Shackelford (@geoffshac) on Oct 1, 2017 at 6:11pm PDT

The Presidents Cup Almost Ends...A Day Early!

I know some saw a blowout coming but clinching the Presidents Cup on Saturday before a single match is played?

It almost happened if not for the heroics of Si Woo Kim and Anirban Lahiri, who beat Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappell 1-up to earn a point. This still sends us to Sunday with the U.S. needing just a point to win the Presidents Cup.

While those eager to harpoon this poor man's Ryder Cup will rejoice in the runaway, I will continue to remind that (A) team match play is still better than most stroke play events and (B)

Okay so I don't have much.

Let the solutions to the Presidents Cup begin...and please, let's be constructive!

Why Is Four-Ball Play Not As Compelling As It Used To Be?

As day three of the President Cup carries on with an inevitable USA blowout, the contrast in urgency between foursomes and four-ball play has been noticeable.

Foursomes match play is faster, more volatile and more tense.

Four-ball match play just doesn't seem as lively as it used to be.

Martin Kaufmann noted in his Golfweek review of Friday's 2017 Presidents Cup four-ball session that pace of play was lethargic, making the telecast difficult to sit through.

Then, 2 hours 49 minutes into the show, Tom Abbott said this: “The first match has reached one of the most picturesque spots on the golf course, the short 10th hole.”

In other words, the pace of play was about 5 hours, 30 minutes for 18 holes. I’m not sure there’s anything a producer or director could do to inject excitement into the event when the players are sucking the life out of it with such tedious play.

The pace of play certainly is a factor, but it wasn't that long ago foursomes was less appreciated than four-ball. Alternate shot was seen as fluky, four-ball was a purer test (our friends in the UK, to their credit, never subscribed to this thinking).

Liberty National's lack of great risk-reward holes also reduces the number of four-ball situations where player A can take the safe route to set up a bolder shot by player B. Again, this puts the emphasis on putting over the total package of shotmaking and strategy.

Finally, the consistency and reliability of today's players, combined with improved equipment and conditioning, turns many matches into contests of putting over genuine strategy-fueled jousting. It's hard to create great risk-reward scenarios at today's distances with today's skill. Sure, we will still have players get nervous and even some team-pressure meltdowns, but the overall elevated consistency, regardless of cause, tends to place a greater emphasis on putting.

Now, we could make four-ball play a more compelling and speedier putting contest by forcing players to play their ball down on the greens. Besides elminating the tedium of watching golfers line up their arrows with the path to the hole, we might even have the occasional stymie scenario. Gasp!