Bridgestone CEO: Standardize The Ball For Pros

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We'll ignore all of the business motives momentarily and just take in the first-ever CEO suggestion of a tournament ball in golf.

The comment came during a Golf.com interview with Ryan Asselta where Bridgestone CEO Angel Ilagan said the time has come.

"As it relates to the Tour...there needs to be something to standardize [the ball] because the guys are hitting it way too long," Ilagen says.

This marks the first time the chief executive of a ball company has called for a dialed-back ball. 

And he offered this:

"I think there is an option to have a ball that is played on Tour, and a ball that is played casually," he said, adding that he gives a standardized ball a 50-50 chance of appearing on Tour in the near future.

There is the very reason possibility Bridgestone has made such a ball, perhaps even for the governing bodies to use in their studies and that it could be the basis for a competition ball concept.

That said, the standardized ball concept mentioned by Ilagan would not be relegated to one manufacturer, meaning brands with more market share and golfer loyalty would still be likely leaders in what sales there are for such a ball.

6'9" Leukemia Survivor Thomson Earns European Tour Card With Birdie-Birdie Finish

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It's sounds cinematic on many levels, and if you're a Telegraph subscriber you'll undoubtedly get a great read from James Corrigan about 21-year-old Jonathan Thomson.

For those of us not behind the paywall, there is this AP story on the incredibly tall, amazingly courageous golfer. The Englishman endured five years of chemotherapy.

The 21-year-old Thomson was diagnosed with a strain of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 7, and went into remission after five years of chemotherapy. He represented England in tournaments at youth level and turned pro in September 2016, spending this season on the EuroPro Tour – the third tier of European golf.

Thomson shot 67-72-68-67-71-69 at Q-School to qualify with two strokes to spare.
“I know who will be leading the driving distance stat next year,” said European Tour player Tyrrell Hatton, a good friend of Thomson’s.

Guardian: "Golf sponsors happy to pay but appearance fees can distort sport"

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Appearance fees seem like less of an issue than they used to be for the European Tour.

But as The Guardian's Ewan Murray notes in dissecting their current place in the game, still very much on the minds of some and having an impact on schedules or motivation to win the Race To Dubai.

Nonetheless, the situation raises questions. It seems fair to ask what standard of field would participate in Turkey were enticement not given to stellar names. If the answer is that the competition would become the domain of only lower-grade golfers, does that not undermine its Rolex status? There is also an ethical argument regarding why golfers, or any sportspeople of a certain financial level, should be paid simply to appear. In many ways, this surely contradicts the ethos of sport, albeit that such a point could be applied to money’s tight grasp of football, tennis and so many other enterprises.

Grayson Murray Now Respects The Guys Who "Paved My Way" To Play Pro Golf For Money

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Now, let's revel in the immediate apology from HOF Point Misser and undoubtedly-freshly-fined PGA Tour player Grayson Murray first, then quibble later.

For those unaware or simply distracted by things that actually matter, Grayson Murray comes from a world where those who make money are good and those who cause the PGA Tour's stil-robust bottom line to show a few red numbers, apparently are not so good. That was the basis for his post-Schwab Cup controversy thoughts, since deleted.

He was scolded by, among others, Curtis Strange, who has won more U.S. Opens that the rounds Mr. Murray has played in the U.S. Open. Given that Mr. Murray also failed to break 80 in either of those rounds, it's clearly he saw some sort of light from Strange's rebuttal Tweet that cited the way-pavers.

However, I must quibble that the current players on the PGA Tour Champions paved a way for Mr. Murray to ply his trade. That honor would actually go to Willie Park Sr./Jr., Allan Robertson and Old Tom/Young Tom Morris, folks I'm willing to bet he's never heard about.

Their fine efforts for professionals were continued, with major injections of freshened paving from Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, J.H. Taylor, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and should Mr. Murray leave these United States, the likes of Gary Player, Peter Thomson and Seve Ballesteros, among others.

Today's PGA Tour Champions are riding the remnants of a wave initially fueled by some of the aforementioned. They still warrant respect for having devoted their lives to professional golf and doing their best to create a place for the likes of Grayson Murray to make a living, and presumably play a sport he loves, after he turns 50. God helps us all should he ever think of himself as a path-paver.

Is Rahm A Controversial Winner Of The European Tour's ROY?

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That's the question posed by Ryan Herrington at Golf World, and while I'm loathe to even argue the merits of an award that is essentially inconsequential, I think it's a worthy post to consider.

And not because Rahm is undeserving as he's an incredible young player who was deserving of a PGA Tour ROY but was not eligible. Nor should we necessarily be rewarding tour provincialism as a pre-requisite for consideration, but as Herrington points out, Dylan Fritteli was a genuine European Tour player with 28 starts to Rahm's 12. Both won one event. The European Tour's press release said Rahm clinched the award Sunday based on money winnings, but why this week's season-ending championship is not included, is unclear.

Herrington writes:

Yes, Rahm played in 12 officials European Tour events in 2017, claiming one win at the Irish Open and four top-10s in 12 starts while earning €2.8 million to put him fourth in the Race to Dubai entering this week’s season finale. However, of the 12 events, eight were either major championship or WGC tournaments that also counted toward his PGA Tour numbers. Is playing only four regular-season events native to the European Tour enough to be deserving of the honor?

At first glance, the answer feels like a definite maybe.

In the past, the Henry Cotton Award was said to come from a committee of European Tour, R&A and Association of Golf Writers and if they are still voting on it, they certainly rewarded a nice year by Rahm. But given all that's going on with efforts to give the European Tour a boost, the lack of reward for the tour's most devoted (and maybe best rookie) seems like an idea worth revisiting.

The Fine Line Between Desperation And Authenticity In Sports

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I wrote in the latest Golfweek about the importance for golf to remember the fine line between desperation and authenticity in promotion of the sport.

The confluence of recent events--from Henrik's sore rib caused by the HSBC stunt, to the suddenly iffy future of the NFL, suggests golf needs to sell the values that got the game to age 500 (or so).

For a perfect example of how quickly can sour when desperation takes hold, check out Ben Rothenburg's NY Times story on the ATP Tour trying tweaks to tennis via its NextGen event.

If you like the sport at all, you'll be intrigued by the ideas (pace of play, technology) and less inspired by the motivations (millennial attention spans, etc...). But as with so many of golf's stunts, organizers got carried away and the tennis portion of the experiment was forgotten following a draw party boondoggle.

Instead of drawing chips from a bowl, organizers instructed the young players to select a model who would then reveal a letter, A or B, on her body to determine each player’s group.

The first model selected hiked up her dress and pulled her garter to reveal the letter A. Another instructed a player to remove her glove with his teeth.

The tennis world quickly expressed its disapproval at the crass sexualization of the event. The Hall of Famer Amélie Mauresmo called it a “disgrace,” while the French player Alizé Cornet mocked the regressive start to a showcase of innovations.

“Good job ATPWorldTour,” Cornet wrote on Twitter. “Supposed to be a futurist event right? #backtozero.”

An apology was issued and most didn't even up talking about the tweaks to format that included no line judges, shorter sets and a court presented without the doubles alleys. Desperation won in straight sets.

Initial Findings Confirm Faster Greens Mean Slower Play

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While this is a shock to almost no one, we've never had solid statistical evidence that the chase for faster greens slows down play. Anyone who has some of the best putters on the planet mark 18 inch putts when greens are pushing 14 realizes speed forces caution for even the very best.

The USGA and University of Minnesota have teamed up for some very intriguing Science of the Green studies, and while it's early you have to admire their release of findings from a recent green speed/pace study at Poppy Hills. Parker Anderson explains the methodology, the plans for more extensive efforts and it's all worth reading, but of course we'll cut to the chase here:

An increase of one foot in Stimpmeter reading resulted in an increase of 6.39 seconds per green per player.  This one foot increase equates to an increase in total round time of a foursome of 7.67 minutes. In some instances, the increase in time spent per player per green resulted in an increase of as much as 30 minutes per round for a one foot increase in green speed (25 seconds per player per green). Overall, playing experience ratings decreased as green speeds increased. This decrease, although statistically significant, was small.

In conclusion, we found that faster greens equate to longer round times. The strength of this relationship, however, is not as substantial as we had hypothesized.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but I would disagree that the number is insignificant.

On these findings of one foot of speed increase, greens Stimping 9 for a foursome would take 76 seconds less to play a hole than a group dealing with 12 on the Stimpmeter. Over the course of 18 holes that adds up to over 20 minutes. Throw in the added cost, stress and architectural impact, all of which do not improve the game, and the chase for speed continues to make little sense.

Pelley: '18 Ryder Cup Will Be Bigger Show Than Ever Before, But Draws The Line At Smoke Tunnels!

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I'm guessing the teams will not be suspended from harnesses and dropped into the proceedings. They will, however, be subjected to over-the-top antics. Cue the pyro!

In talking to Adam Schupak for one of three New York Times items tied to the Race to Dubai/Rolex Series, European Tour Chief Keith Pelley has given us advance notice: expect Ryder Cup pomp x 100.

Our first tee experience at the Ryder Cup is going to be sensational. The opening ceremony, it should be a show, right? It’ll be much more of a show in France than it’s ever been before. I can guarantee you it will be. Still, we’re not bringing the players out in smoke tunnels, right? You’ll still have that aura that golf has, that majesty that golf has, but there will be a big entertainment element, absolutely, no question.

Lawsuit Alleged Sexual Harassment At Bandon Dunes, Kemper

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Bandon Dunes and parent company, KemperSports, are center of sexual harassment lawsuit reported on by Sara Roth of NBC's affiliate station in Portland, KGW.

The case centers around Bandon Dunes GM Hank Hickox, who was quoted in 2015 praising the woman who ultimately filed the suit after she was named hospitality professional of the year.

Roth writes:

Court documents show the allegations aren’t just limited to the golf club in Bandon, Oregon. Two employees claim the alleged misconduct has been pervasive for years at the corporate office. Top executives are accused by the lawsuit of not only condoning the behavior but also participating in sexually inappropriate conduct themselves

The video report:

Kemper's spokesman, in a story by Golf.com's Sean Zak, says the Bandon suit has been withdrawn but would not say it had been settled.

In a statement to GOLF.com, KemperSports' director of communications B.R. Koehnemann, wrote, "The article that was written yesterday refers to a case that has been withdrawn. On Friday, November 10, 2017, Ms. Hamblin acted to dismiss the lawsuit. The court was informed and the case was removed from the docket. When informed of the alleged inappropriate behavior at Bandon Dunes, the Company took decisive remedial action, and Mr. Hickox is no longer employed by KemperSports or Bandon Dunes. Independent outside counsel has been retained to further investigate the situation."

John Strege at GolfDigest.com also reviewed the story and contacted Kemper President Josh Lesnik, the subject of allegations in the lawsuit and reported on by Roth. When company failed to properly address Darla Hamblin's complaint, she soon learned from another employee of purported misconduct at KemperSports and the alleged company culture became part of the case.

“An incident did occur at Bandon Dunes." Lesnik said in a statement. "We handled it appropriately and effectively. Hank no longer works for us, and the staffer acted to dismiss the lawsuit. Any allegations about me are false, and our Board of Directors has launched an investigation that will find the truth.”

Lawrenson: "Rolex riches are thwarting hopes of hitting the big time"

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The Daily Mail's Derek Lawrenson points out a troubling trend for the European Tour's ability to develop new talent though its Qualifying School: the Rolex Series may be making tour card retention more difficult.

As the DP World Tour Championship finishes up the European Tour season in Dubai by assembling the top 60 players, Lawrenson points out that only one Qualifying School graduate from last year--Eddie Pepperell--will be at the season ending championship.

In all, a record low of just three players — the others were Englishman Ashley Chesters and 2010 Ryder Cup member Edoardo Molinari — kept their cards for next season from the 30 handed out 12 months ago.

Contrast that to the nine who kept their cards the previous year and the 12 who retained their privileges in 2015.

Why has the success rate plummeted so alarmingly? Ironically, the prime reason is the Rolex Series: eight events that have added wealth and prestige at the top end of the European game but have skewed life horribly for those seeking to make their way who don’t gain access to them.

Lawrenson goes on to look at specific examples of players who graduated, played seemingly well enough to retain a card, and instead are heading back to qualifying school. Including Tom Lewis, who made a run at The Open a few years ago.

The main issue appears to be the divide between purse size in the seven Rolex events versus typical European Tour weeks.

Golfers & Twitter Files: Grayson Murray Is Schmuckier Than Ever, Gary Evans Concedes To Pepperell

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The Grayson Murray World Twitter Tour started again November 2nd after a self-imposed hiatus and the legendary PGA Tour buffoon has already had to hit the delete button (and no doubt the Pay Fines Here button in the coming days).

Golf Wire reported for Golf.com on Murray's reply to Tweets about the bizarre Schwab Cup ending that cost Bernhard Langer the season-long points race.

In response to a tweet detailing Bernhard Langer's accomplishments on the senior circuit this season, Murray replied: "Does anyone really care is the real question...These guys were relevant 10 plus years ago."

In another reply, he conceded that the pros on the Champions tour had "laid a good foundation" for the next generation, but then added: "You will never see Phil, Tiger, Furyk ever play on it! The tour subsidizes it every year. Loses a lot of money."

I thought this reply from Curtis Strange was especially good, not that an intellect the size of one-time U.S. Open appearee Murray could take in such sentiments from a two-time U.S. Open Champion:

Meanwhile over in Europe, former player and longtime commentator Gary Evans has retired from Twitter following a dust-up with the increasingly profane Eddie Pepperell.

Martin Inglis summarizes at Bunkered and I'll let you read the Tweets there as Pepperell likes to, uh, pepper his social media missives with colorful langauge!

PGA Tour LatinoAmerica Visits The (Legendary) Jockey Club...

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While there is no television, keep an eye out for some of the social media posts of players and officials from Buenos Aires.

The VISA Open de Argentina tees off Thursday at The Jockey Club's Red Course, one of the last but reportedly best-preserved Alister MacKenzie designs. (The original 16th, pictured to the right has been softened since MacKenzie's day.)

According to architect Mike DeVries, who has consulted on limited restoration efforts for the huge club:

Dr. Alister MacKenzie's design for 36 holes at the Jockey Club was the impetus for him to leave the United States at the beginning of the Depression in 1930.  His two courses, the championship Colorado (red) and Azul (blue), were constructed efficiently by Luther Koontz, his associate that came from the USA to build the two courses and others in South America. The land is flat and the soil is heavy, making drainage a main factor in any construction project in Buenos Aires.  MacKenzie devised a swale system that would help the property drain faster and utilize the dirt cut from such swales to build up his green platforms, making for difficult approaches and recoveries on the sloped putting surfaces. 

DeVries explained more about the course in this GolfClubAtlas.com thread.

And GCA proprietor Ran Morrissett reviewed the Red Course in 2007 here and here, with many photos of the bizarre but fun mounding employed by MacKenzie and Koontz and also used at Augusta National.

A few social posts have already appeared, started with this from

And this one from George Bryan is especially fun in showing off the crazy contours as only a Bryan Brother can:

If you're looking for something old school, this film from the 1970 World Cup there features some sweet (legendary) swings, including Roberto De Vicenzo, Vicente "Chino" Fernández, Tony Jacklin and Lee Trevino.

Report: Aronimink To Get 2027 PGA, 2020 KPMG Women's PGA

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Joe Juliano reports for The Philadelphia Inquirer that recently-restored Donald Ross-designed Aronimink will host the 2027 PGA, 2020 KPMG Women's PGA in addition to its already planned hosting of the BMW Championship in 2018.

He writes:

Officials said about 85 percent of the project was completed before work stopped in early spring, and that the entire undertaking will be completed early in 2018.

Aronimink last hosted a PGA Championship in 1962 and waited a long time for a second one. The PGA of America named it as host of the 1993 PGA but the club pulled out of the agreement in November 1990 when it determined it could not have minorities as part of its membership by the time of the event.

In August, Juliano previewed the Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner-led restoration of Aronimink, which had been modified many times, most recently by the Fazio firm. The story includes a gallery of all 18 Hanse restoration drawings.

Some recent photos of the course post-restoration:

Fall colors on Aronimink #7 🍂🍁⛳️! #donaldross #propergolf

A post shared by Jaeger Kovich (@propergolf) on Nov 6, 2017 at 2:35pm PST