Whan Admits Error In Moving Evian, Pledges Change

After one of the great disasters in modern major history, the beleaguered Evian Championship will be moving back to a summer date by 2019 according to the man who switched it, LPGA Commish Mike Whan.

Speaking to Damon Hack on Morning Drive, Whan admitted this year's rain-shortened event has him rethinking things. Randall Mell reports on this and other LPGA news from the interview.

“We will get Evian back to a summer date,” Whan pledged. “It may not be in ’18, but certainly by ’19.”

Whan said he believes in Evian as an LPGA major, but he regrets his decision to move the event to September, with its rainy season and its shorter days.

“The challenges we’ve faced are man-made,” Whan said. “And I’m the man who made them.”

Kudos to Whan for finally coming around and admitting to the mistake.

Henrik: Stop Blaming HSBC For My Mangled Ribs!

Everyone in the pro games loves the money HSBC pours into golf and appreciates their efforts to convene industry folks to discuss business of the sport issues.

Which may explain why Henrik Stenson is trying to absolve them of blame for his rib injury sustained at the WGC HSBC Champions. After blaming the stunt for causing sore ribs and his need to take a break, Stenson took to Instagram asking for forgiveness of the global bank.

My comment about not being Superman was a sarcastic way of saying that I am susceptible to injury like any other athlete and sometimes these things happen when you least expect them. I was pleased to help promote the HSBC Champions and to continue my string of success at the event and I was never forced to do anything. HSBC is a great sponsor to golf worldwide and I am not happy to see them being made responsible for my withdrawal. The plan as of now will be to participate in the DP World Championship if my body is back to 100%.

He's not happy seeing them made responsible, but Stenson also does not cite any other way he might have gotten hurt. Oh to have seen the communications that led to this plea! 

I’m disappointed to have to pre-emptively withdraw from the Nedbank Golf Challenge Hosted by Gary Player, I was looking forward to this important year-end event on the European Tour. At this point I am back home in Orlando waiting to do a scan on my ribs and get the necessary rest. I am still hoping for a quick recovery and have not ruled out playing in Dubai next week at this point. My comment about not being Superman was a sarcastic way of saying that I am susceptible to injury like any other athlete and sometimes these things happen when you least expect them. I was pleased to help promote the HSBC Champions and to continue my string of success at the event and I was never forced to do anything. HSBC is a great sponsor to golf worldwide and I am not happy to see them being made responsible for my withdrawal. The plan as of now will be to participate in the DP World Championship if my body is back to 100%. H

A post shared by Henrik Stenson (@henrikstenson) on Nov 7, 2017 at 11:05am PST

Behind the scenes @hsbc_sport #HSBCChampions

A post shared by Henrik Stenson (@henrikstenson) on Oct 24, 2017 at 9:09am PDT

Stevie: Green Reading Books Deskilling The Game

There's a lot to enjoy about Episode 32 of the iSeekGolf Podcast appearance by New Zealander and caddie extraordinaire Stevie Williams who says the green reading books, so heavily used these days and under governing body scrutiny, should not be allowed.

From the pod:

“There’s no doubt that a lot of the information that’s getting provided now is taking a lot of the skill and the art and the natural gift [out] of playing the game."

“I’m totally against greens reading books. I think it’s a skill of the game not to have a book provided that absolutely gives you a detailed description of the green and if you read the book accurately, you know exactly how far your putt’s going to break.”

Match Play! 30 Years Of Tech Head To Head

Nice work by Laz Versalles to piece together his old circa 1987 set and match it against today's stuff only to confirm today's clubs are better and yet, not quite as fun of a game as we used to play.

He sets up his GolfWRX story this way (thanks to reader Peter V for sharing):

Somewhere between my father’s 1987 dismissal of the crucible that was the Rich Acres Par-3 and Koepka’s brutish dismantling of Erin Hills, golf has become a wildly different game. But is it a better game? Is it more entertaining to watch? Does the technology that facilitates the game for the masses belittle the game’s rich history? Most importantly, is today’s game more fun to play? I set off on a crusade to find out.

Short of buying a silver DeLorean and traveling back in time to 1987, my best bet was to try and piece together the clubs I played as a teenager and pit them against my current set to see how they would match up. A Match of The Ages if you will; Teenage Me vs. Middle-Aged Me. The artistry of the late 20th century versus the power of the early 21st century. This was going to be fun.

And to spoil the ending, though I hope you'll hit the link...

Middle-Aged Me may have won the match 5 & 4, but Teenage Me definitely won the fun 10 & 8. A big part of that fun was getting reacquainted with a game I hadn’t played in a while. A game that was less about distance and more about shapes and trajectories. A game light on predictability and loaded with variety where a good drive didn’t mean wedges into every green. I saw the golf course as the architect had intended it to be seen, which let me appreciate more of its features.

Veteran Looper Explains How A Masters Ball Could Work

When we talk bifurcation and a Masters ball, incredulous golfers always ask, "but how could it ever work?" This, despite living in a country that put men on the moon nearly five decades ago and solving to all but the most basic problems.

Nonetheless, I understand the concerns with multiple manufacturers and the propensity for cheating in today's sports. So I give you John Wood, caddie for Matt Kuchar, keen observer of the game and regular contributor to Golf.com's weekly roundtable.

The gang was kicking around Tiger's distance comments and as most of us bifurcation talkers are prone to do, looked toward Augusta, Georgia for guidance. Here's how Wood thinks it would work:

I’ve been saying this about Augusta for years. "Gentleman, you are cordially invited to participate in the Masters Invitational for the year ____. Under a new Invitational requirement, we have forwarded our specifications for a legal golf ball for our tournament to your equipment companies. Should they like to design a ball for you under these specifications, we would be more than pleased for you to play it. If they choose not to, we will provide you with three options of a ball meeting our requirements. One will launch high, one will launch low, and one will launch in the middle of those two. We wish you the best of luck." The long ball, for lack of a better word, is sexy...to the USGA, to the R&A, to the PGA Tour...and to be honest, it sells tickets, so they aren’t about to do anything about it. Last year, the statistics say the driving distance leader on the PGA Tour averaged 317 yards. That sounds out of control. But anyone who has spent any time at all out here knows that, weather depending, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau and countless others hit their driver 330-plus every time they bring it out of the bag. That’s the truth that statistics don’t show. When Tiger was one of the longest on Tour, averaging around 300 yards per drive, he was way out front, AND he was using a 43-inch steel-shafted driver and what was known to be one of the softest and spinniest balls on Tour. So, yes, hopefully Tiger’s words now will have some impact on the future.

I just hope we can buy them in the shop to show the doubting manufacturers that there can be other markets besides longer and straighter. Some people actually want to play courses as they were meant to be played.

Chubby On The Rebound: European Tour Challenge Tournament With Par Putting Banned!

John Huggan of Golf World talks to beleaguered 10-percenter Chubby Chandler as the ink dries on his divorce from longtime pal Lee Westwood and other players (Willett, Fox) who left the ISM stable.

While Chandler likens the Westwood split to a divorce--with confidentiality agreements in place to ensure we never know why--Chandler is moving forward and one of his passion projects involves a European Challenge Tour event where par putting is not tolerated.

By way of example, next year’s European Challenge Tour is expected to feature an event that Chandler has a hand in in which par will be every player’s “friend.” In a bid to finally win the seemingly never-ending battle with slow play, every competitor will be banned from putting for par. As soon as a birdie has not been achieved, it will be ball-in-pocket and on to the next hole.

“It won’t just be that par doesn’t count. The players will be banned from putting out once they haven’t made a birdie,” Chandler says. “That way they will all be round in three hours. We will have two points for a birdie, five for an eagle and eight for an albatross. That’s been done before. But no putting for par, which counts as zero. So you can’t knock it out of a bunker to four-feet and putt for par. Not allowed. And that’s where things will speed up.”

Players will also get double points if they hole-out from off the green, and all points will double on the last three holes. “Everybody is in with a chance right to the end,” Chandler says. “That might all turn out wrong. But it could also be really exciting. We’ll see. We’re not changing the game that much. We’re just making it quicker and getting rid of the dull bits. No one really gives a bleep about eight-footers for par.”

 And yet, that's semingly all we ever see. So bring it on!

State Of The Game 74: PGA Master Pro Billy Dettlaff

The author of the epic Doctors of the Game joins Rod Morri, Mike Clayton and myself to discuss his grand 696 page book and the role of golf professionals in the game. Given the evolution of the professional from degenerate to cherished place in the sport, including some twists you'll be surprised to learn about, Dettlaff helps us understand the role of the pro in shaping the game.

And this wouldn't be a SOG if we didn't discuss Tiger's recent comments on the golf ball (later in the show).

You can read more on Dettlaff's book here, where you can also order.

The book synopsis:

Take a remarkable journey through the history of golf from the unique perspective of the golf profession. Written by a second-generation PGA Professional whose family has been in the game for 110 years, the publication of Doctors of the Game is the culmination of over seven years of writing, research, personal interviews and international travel. This 696-page tome from the author of the 2015 PGA of America Centennial – Celebrating the History of the Golf Professional, is a vastly expanded text that features over 120 profiles and biographies of both well and lesser-known golf professionals highlighting their distinctive personal contributions. The stories of these remarkable men and women are enhanced with 335 historic images and original photography documenting the progress of the game’s development as a beloved worldwide passion.

As always you can listen here, download here via mp3 or wherever fine podcasts stream:

Rose Has HOF In Mind, Is He The Last Of A Generation?

I'm a baseball fan and when they talk of certain players being "Hall worthy" it adds to your sense of satisfaction in watching a competitor who fans will talk about fifty years from now.

And while golf's Hall of Fame is largely a strong representation of the game's greats--with maybe a need to round out wings recognizing pioneers, architects and media the way baseball has--it's generally a solid representation of the very best to have played the game.

Which is why the inability of recent generations to throw on a jacket and tie to show their respect is so disheartening, especially as they might learn the game was played well (or better) before them. But count Justin Rose in among those using the Hall of Fame barrier as incentive to round out his career, which is still very much in his prime after two wins on top of a near-Masters win in April. But is he the last of a generation?

Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com talked with Rose about a goal of achieving HOF status.

In the short term, Rose is within four rounds of winning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai following his back-to-back victories; and another major championship is always the goal, particularly a Masters’ jacket following April’s near-miss.

But there’s an even loftier finish line for Rose, the ultimate benchmark when grading careers that transcend money lists and the kind of week-in and week-out hyperbole that can often blur the bigger picture.

“I've always said I'd like to be a Hall of Fame player, and I guess who makes that determination, I don't know, but that's kind of what I'm working towards,” Rose said. “So is that two major championships and 20 wins? I don't know what it is. Olympic gold will probably be kind of a nice bargaining chip when it comes to that.

Update on 2017-11-08 04:49 by Geoff

**Matt Adams and I debate which Justin has the bigger upside in 2018.

Flashback: Tiger's Been Pro-Rollback For Over A Decade

There has been healthy debate about Tiger's suggestion that "we need to do something about the ball", with many suggesting that an older, shorter Woods is merely hoping to negate the distance edge of younger peers.

While that's a reasonable kneejerk reaction, Wood has been on the record for over a decade that the ball doesn't spin as much and that classic courses are in danger. While he generally tip-toed around the topic, it was fairly clear how he felt: the pro game is less interesting with less spin.

I often felt he shied away from the topic in fear of sounding like someone who saw some of his skill advantage stripped away from the modern ball--though he would have been correct.

Anyway, sadly some of the links I posted on The List are no longer functional a decade past, but that's why we transcribe! From September 2005:

Hey, I am one of the guys that if they did roll the ball back, it would help me out a little bit. I would have an advantage. Any long guy who hits the ball long and high would have more of an advantage because now we're having to hit longer irons in the greens, other guys are having to hit hybrids and woods, so you have an advantage.

From a personal standpoint and competitive standpoint, I won't mind them rolling the ball back because I would have an advantage.

Also, Woods included a lengthy and illuminating chapter in his 1997 Masters book earlier this year that goes into great depth about why he sees the situation not helping the sport. It is not a coincidence that he's reached a stronger conclusion than a decade ago since he's gone into golf course design.

Video: Miss A Two-Footer, Scoop And Bank It In

This is fun and a fantastic sales job by a budding Australian pro and trick shot artist. 

That feeling when you miss that 2 foot tap in 😭. Tag a mate that always misses them! #tapitin #thisisgolf #sasgolf . . . #golfer #golfing #golfislife #golfisfun #golfishard #pure #smash #green #swing #golfswing #golfclub #golflife #golf #golfgods #golfchannel #golfcourse #golfstagram #golfcart #sport #putt #chipping #bunker #club #golfpro @golf_gods @golfdigest @golfchannel @sportscenter @sportbible @barstoolsports @bewarmers

A post shared by Golf Coach / Freestyle Artist (@sas_golf_) on Nov 3, 2017 at 6:46am PDT

Update on 2017-11-07 03:57 by Geoff

**As discussed on Morning Drive...

Back Sufferers Rejoice: Patrick Cantlay Gets First Win

Bad backs are deadly in golf, so it's especially gratifying see young sufferer Patrick Cantlay return from the depths of physical and mental struggles to get his first PGA Tour win.

Dave Shedloski filed a nice read from Las Vegas where the 25-year-old won the Shriners Hospitals Open For Children in a playoff over Alex Cjeka and Whee Kim. The former college player of the year and longtime top-ranked amateur who lost in the U.S. Amateur final turned pro in promising fashion.

Meticulous, stoic, and adroit, Cantlay heralded his potential a year earlier in the same event when he fired a second-round 60 at TPC River Highlands, the lowest score ever recorded by an amateur in a PGA Tour event, in grabbing the 36-hole lead. That came after finishing T-21 at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.

The kid had the skills and the head for the game. Just not the back.

Cantlay first was sidelined after withdrawing from the 2013 Colonial with a back injury that turned out to be a stress fracture in his L5 vertebrae. Somehow, he came back in the fall for one start in the Web.com Tour Finals, finishing second in the Hotel Fitness Championship to retain his PGA Tour card.

In the next three years he would make just six starts.

The PGA Tour's highlights:

Gary Player: No Candy Bars, Even For Baboons!

John Clarke of the New York Times prepares us for the now-annual gathering of pro golfers and wildlife as the European Tour's Nedbank Challenge returns to South Africa.

Last year play was stopped at Gary Player Country Club twice for mongoose invasions, including a stolen ball for Victor Dubuisson.

Naturally, Mr. Player's advice is to not poison the animals.

Does Player have any advice for golfers navigating wildlife at his only namesake course? “Quite frankly, I wouldn’t give a candy bar to any living thing, not even a baboon, for the damage it does. Sugar is poison,” said the famously fit 82-year-old.

“The animals on the golf course are generally nonthreatening,” Player said. “But you can be lucky to perhaps be on one of the holes bordering the game reserve and see some rhino, giraffes or even a herd of elephants.”

Freak Injury Files: Stenson's Rib Injury From HSBC Promo Event?

This makes Rory's kickabout injury look practically heroic. Except, perhaps to European Tour Chief Keith Pelley who has now lost Henrik Stenson for the 2017 Race to Dubai over a rib injury.

According to Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com, the injury appears to have been caused by that absurd WGC-HSBC pre-tournament "presentation" in Shanghai.

As to how he injured himself Stenson was also cryptic, suggesting that the injury occurred during a pre-tournament publicity presentation that included the Swede being hoisted into the air by a harness like a “superhero.”

“I’m not superman even though certain people thought I was superman,” he said in Turkey.

Maybe this is why Stenson was in no hurry to mark his ball on the greens!

Not Even A Due Date Yet: Jason Day Already Expecting To Miss U.S. Open For Birth Of Third Child

Breaking new ground in telegraphing a non-entry to one of golf's major, Jason Day has decided he's likely to miss the U.S. Open next June to witness the birth of his third child. A due date has not been set.

From an unbylined AAP story:

"Although I've had some good results at the US Open, Ellie and I are really excited about our third child and I want to be there to support her," Day told AAP.

"I'm not missing the birth."

Day boasts a superb record at the US Open - finishing runner-up twice in addition to three top-10 finishes and will explore every opportunity to be there.

"Once we know the due date, I would have to see what my options are," he said.

Is this option on the table: not bringing it up again in 2017?

Update on 2017-11-07 03:55 by Geoff

**We discussed on Morning Drive.