Shock: PGA Tour's Procter & Gamble CMO Has All Of The Best B-Speak Down Pat

WSJ's Brian Costa gets the first in-depth interview with PGA Tour Chief Marketing Officer Joe Arcuri (thanks reader John) and the ex Procter & Gamble man is the first true B-speak and M-speak artisan at Tour headquarters since the Finchem brand-platform years.

Surely this authentic frontier gibberish works with corporate types, and you have to admire the consistency levels to ensure total buy-in, but when you break the words down there just isn't much substance here.

WSJ: How is marketing professional golf similar to marketing consumer packaged goods, as you’ve done for much of your career, and how is it different?

MR. ARCURI: What I’ve found similar is how fundamental the power of your ideas is, and the ability to create authentic and engaging connections with your consumer, or in our case our fan. That remains the fuel of great brand-building, and the Tour brand is no exception.

The biggest difference is the higher degree of unpredictability inherent in marketing a sport, given the week-to-week variables of live competition. What you have to get really good at is real-time storytelling. You need to be very nimble week-to-week on the story lines that are occurring.

Why didn't I think of that! Though I would have gotten a platform mention in.

WSJ: What are the Tour’s biggest marketing priorities for 2018?

MR. ARCURI: My overall focus is to grow new fans. We have a very strong and affluent core fan base to build on. But to future-proof the Tour,

Whoa...future proof, so good. Go on...

we need to make sure that we’re attracting and growing new fans.

Grow 'em baby, grow 'em!

We’ve been shaping our marketing plans through a fans-first lens to ensure that our media, our partnership deals, our content across all platforms, right to our on-site tournament experience, will allow us to reach beyond that core fan and attract new fan segments.

So good and yet you ask, do people listen to that gibberish and nod their heads?

WSJ: Who are those new fans?

MR. ARCURI: We’re trying to attract millennials, but also what we call sports socialites. Those are a more diverse group of fans. They skew a little bit younger than our core base. They’re more diverse in general, and they consume the product at a high rate on both digital and social platforms.

Do they now? I best they just love five hour and 20 minute rounds too.

WSJ: What makes “sports socialites” distinct from millennials?

MR. ARCURI: It’s not an age thing. It’s more a mind-set of how they want to interact with the sport. They are as interested in what we call outside-the-ropes stories as inside-the-ropes stories and competition content.

Spring Break 2 K! Wooohooo, yay let's yell on their backswing! Woke!

They’re interested in what’s going on with our players beyond just the competitive action. They have a broader sense of the sport and want to engage with it on different levels.

Good for them. Please tell us how you reach these special people...

The same example from Jordan’s hole-out to win a playoff at the Travelers Championship comes immediately to mind. Our suite of social analytics and listening tools showed us quickly that the content was getting tremendous traction through our own channels, and we did two things.

Action! Activate!

First, we amplified the content we had already produced by pushing it through advertising to targeted new audiences that hadn’t yet seen it. And second, we moved to quickly produce new content, including the mix of fan-collected video I mentioned to create other ways for fans to experience the moment.

Such a fancy way of saying we edited together some fan video for Snapchat. Give this man an SVP title, another million a year and a Pablo Creek membership, stat!

Another Pro Golfer Bites The Twitter Dust: Lee McCoy Complains About Children, South America

I can't put a finger on what might have gone wrong for Lee McCoy--wait I can, he has proven to not know what he doesn't know and is a defender of backstopping. The Bobby Jones Award is not in his immediate future.

Seems the Web.com Tour player took to Twitter to complain about South American children wanting some more than a free autograph for coming out to watch the developmental tour play in their country and also insulted the country.

As Joel Beall reports for GolfDigest.com, the offending McCoy Tweets now sleep with the fishes and McCoy has taken the Grayson Murray path of suspending his account. And we know that how well that turned out for Murray.

McCoy tells Beall he has learned his lesson.

"To say I learned a valuable lesson would be an understatement," McCoy said. "More importantly I want people to know that I am, and always have been, a strong supporter of growing the game and doing everything I can to give back to the community."

Grow that game!

Tiger Woods Rekindles His Unusual Riviera Relationship

All systems are a go as Tiger Woods returns for the first time since 2006 to play a PGA Tour event at Riviera.

His memories are mostly good here, as are his Riviera stats. But there was that unfortunate last appearance in 2006 (WD, illness) and other issues that kept him away from what is now the Genesis Open run by his foundation.

I write for Golfweek about the unusual relationship Woods has had with the course and everything that has changed since his last appearance.

Given where he was a year ago--not able to attend even basic tournament functions--that we're at this place a year later is a credit to his doctor and Tiger's renewed focus. Couple that with a stellar field and it should be a fun week.

In other Woods news, Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte says Woods has not decided on his next start, with a looming Friday the deadline for next week's Honda Classic.

Negative Campaign Ads Come To Golf: Hurley Attacks Spieth

When you're campaigning to chair the PGA Tour's Player Advisory Council to table slow play discussions started twenty years ago, declare caddie parking in Memphis a crisis and send Jay Monahan's calls to voice mail, you go negative. At least that's the risk Billy Hurley is thinking in his campaign for more chairmanship votes than Jordan Spieth.

No matter what side of the aisle you sit on, concede that Hurley's gone to the best ad makers in the business.

For those of you who don’t know, I am running against @JordanSpieth for Chairman of the @PGATOUR Player Advisory Council. One final push for the voting that ends tomorrow pic.twitter.com/dO2uLiTg3B

— Billy Hurley III (@BillyHurley3) February 12, 2018

A New Year Means Lydia Ko's Been Firing People!

Lydia Ko may be 20 but she's now projected to surpass caddie and coach firing totals of every legendary golfer--combined.

Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols reports on the latest changes that saw Gary Gilchrist replaced as her instructor by Ted Oh and Jonny Scott taking over the bag.

And it's all just normal...

Ko’s management team said “it’s just a normal transition and exploration that everyone does in their offseason. They’ve only been working together for one to two months. She is hoping to make a great result with them.”

Instagram: Some Golfers Age More Gracefully Than Others

Gary Player is still tinkering with this swing and some Rory McIlroy-inspired posture looks pretty strong.

Jack Nicklaus tests a putter and some sock style that works at certain clubs in Australia and Bermuda.

And then there's Greg Norman.

Golf is a funny game that we all know a hell of a lot about nothing. Here I am in my 6th decade as a pro, tweaking my swing ever so slightly after I noticed @rorymcilroy standing more upright than me so I wanted to test out his stance. Thoughts?

2,414 Likes, 129 Comments - Gary Player (@gary.player) on Instagram: "Golf is a funny game that we all know a hell of a lot about nothing. Here I am in my 6th decade as..."

The great Jack Nicklaus having some fun calling my @scottycameronputter 'off market'. Maybe he should switch! #losttreeproam. Best conditioned greens ever

334 Likes, 13 Comments - Brad Faxon (@bfaxon) on Instagram: "The great Jack Nicklaus having some fun calling my @scottycameronputter 'off market'. Maybe he..."

After 63 revolutions around the sun, time to celebrate!!

2,590 Likes, 92 Comments - Greg Norman (@shark_gregnorman) on Instagram: "After 63 revolutions around the sun, time to celebrate!!"

The Open Returns To The Old Course In 2021

As The Forecaddie notes, golf's worst-kept secret was made official with the awarding of the 2021 Open Championship to the Old Course at St. Andrews. As I noted when the news broke during Morning Drive today, this is bucket list stuff. So start saving your money!

The R&A's announcement includes some wonderful footage and images:

R&A Chief Slumbers On Distance: "We have probably crossed that line in the sand"

John Huggan of Golf World talks to R&A Chief Martin Slumbers about The Open going to St. Andrews in 2021 as well as Turnberry's prospects (2023 now at the earliest), but the real eye-opening comments came on the topic of distance.

As with the USGA last week, Slumbers is hinting that the governing bodies saw huge distance spikes last year and will be revealing so soon.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the technology has made this difficult game just a little bit easier,” Slumbers said. “At a time when we want more people to play the game, I think that’s a good thing. But we do also think that golf is a game of skill and should be reflective of skill. If you look at the data, there has been a significant move up across all tours. We’re looking at the longest on-record average driving distance. Both of those have caused us and our colleagues at the USGA serious concern."

That sure sounds like a bifurcation case, but as we know the B word is forbidden in the rulemaking world!

Here are the strongest words out of R&A headquarters in a long, long time:

“For a number of years there has been a slow creep upwards, but this is a little bit more than slow creep. It’s actually quite a big jump. Our 2002 joint statement of principles put a line in the sand. But when you look at this data we have probably crossed that line in the sand. A serious discussion is now needed on where we go.”

Strap in, this is about to get interesting!

ShackHouse 53: Recapping the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am With The Bachelor Host Chris Harrison, Plus Tiger Woods Prop Bets

We discuss a fairly lackluster AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am finish (2:09), an incredible field in the upcoming Genesis Open at Riviera (36:08), and Tiger Woods prop bets (14:32) for the week.

Then, literally moments after wrapping up his first appearance in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Bachelor and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host Chris Harrison tells us all about the experience, how he got Jason Day as his pro partner and what it was like down the stretch in the second-to-last group Sunday. (45:57).

As always, this week’s show was brought to you by Callaway and the new Rogue family of woods and irons, now in stores!

You can subscribe wherever fine podcasts are streamed, at iTunes where your reviews are always appreciated and of course you can listen below:

Sunday Instagram, Special Pebble Beach Edition: Potter Wins, Faldo's Ace, Fitzgerald's Pro-Am Win, Bryson At Cypress

Ted Potter Jr. not only beat the world’s best player, a former No. 1 and a Hall of Famer. Even better, he did it during a round that bogged down badly at the end, providing more time to take in the views and terrible places his golf ball could go.

Jason Day took an interesting path to par at Pebble Beach’s 18th. His emotional post-round interview helped make up for an oddly dull final round given the many interesting contenders.

Nick Faldo’s ace at the 7th, Nantz National Golf Links, has gone viral. As it should!

Kevin Streelman and Larry Fitzgerald won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at -29. Fitzgerald certainly took advantage of his 13 handicap in the grand tradition of other former winners.

Bryson DeChambeau posted a stellar shot of Cypress Point's 15th.

With rounds of 68, 71, 62, & 69, Ted Potter, Jr. is the @attproam champion! 🏆

5,158 Likes, 17 Comments - PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Instagram: "With rounds of 68, 71, 62, & 69, Ted Potter, Jr. is the @attproam champion! 🏆"

Par with a slight* detour for @jasondayofficial 🤷‍♂️

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Feb 11, 2018 at 3:31pm PST

Nick Faldo hits an ace at Jim Nantz's backyard re-creation of Pebble Beach's 7th hole! 🙌 🎥 - @golfdigest #golfgods

13.6k Likes, 268 Comments - Golf Gods (@golf_gods) on Instagram: "Nick Faldo hits an ace at Jim Nantz's backyard re-creation of Pebble Beach's 7th hole! 🙌 🎥 -..."

Kevin Streelman and @larryfitzgerald are the winners of the Pro-Am portion of the @attproam! ☝️☝️

Some days are better than others. This was a solid one! Looking forward to a good day tomorrow. Thank you to all my fans! @attproam

5,755 Likes, 74 Comments - Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondechambeau) on Instagram: "Some days are better than others. This was a solid one! Looking forward to a good day tomorrow...."

It’s Time For Pebble Beach To Commision A Master Plan

As the restoration movement continues to reinvigorate tired properties, the power and clarity delivered by a master plan document is often forgotten as the long term key to a healthy design.

Understandably, the excitement over better playing and looking golf holes becomes the focus after a restoration. But these projects almost never commenced without a document evaluating the original design’s evolution or the changes necessary to improve things. They also provide a fine opportunity for vital “under-the-hood” improvements required to carry a course into the future.

Countless classics were guided by these documents and now swear by them, sometimes religiously clinging to the plan without some wiggle room to make modifications. But given the history of green committees, ironclad plans prove wiser than leaving leeway for amateur architects to leave their mark.

The latest addition to Pebble Beach demonstrates, in glaring fashion, the danger of not having a master plan or a genuine grasp of the architectural high-point of a course. The planting of South African gazanias on one of golf’s most beautiful locales needing no help suggests it is time for America’s national golfing treasure to commission a serious master plan. To not recognize the architectural and landscape malpractice suggests either too many or not enough cooks are in the Pebble Beach kitchen.

There really is no shame in having reached this point, as most of the best courses in the world were driven to consider their design past and future after some sort of gaffe. Nearly in every case it was not a general realization of architectural decline, but instead something as gaudy as a goofy gazania bed.

Besides the non-native component, accentuated by seeing actual wildflowers sprouting randomly on the gorgeous cliffs of Pebble Beach, this “look at me” execution may be the most robust splash of color since Dorothy, Toto and friends were off to see the Wizard. (Only they waded through fields of poppies, the state flower in California that bloom in springtime.)

Taking a hard look at Pebble Beach’s design evolution and targeting the course at its peak would help the famed resort understand priorities in aesthetics, strategy and playability. There has been a sense that doing so would damage the grand story of amateurs Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, commissioned by Samuel Morse and concocting the masterpiece we know today. Their masterful routing will always be integral to the Pebble Beach story, however, design trends evolved over the decade following their effort and the course ultimately came together with touches from Herbert Fowler, Alister MacKenzie, and then most significantly, thanks to Chandler Egan and Robert Hunter's pre-1929 U.S. Amateur remodel. Egan reached the semi-finals of that amateur and is one of America's greatest amateur golfers.

A study of that 1929 effort would show larger and more intricate green shapes and a better attempt at injecting a sense of naturalness on a magnificent site plagued in early days by geometric and unsightly features. The old images below validate the unique qualities of the 1929 version and while the current ownership of Pebble Beach has taken the resort from hard times to grand stewardship, the golf course vision has fallen behind the clarity they've shown in maintaining the overall Pebble Beach community. It's time for the resort to consider restoration professionals who can identify the best features, understand how the course has evolved, and steer Pebble Beach in a direction that best embodies the course at its peak. Given the importance of the course, perhaps even a bake-off style process open to many architects will provide even more clarity.

From a strictly business perspective, I suspect such a plan would right the rankings ship, which has seen Pebble Beach slipping in all of the major magazine rankings. While this amazing place is not in danger of failing just because magazine panelists are giving lower golf course grades, they are sending a message: Pebble Beach is not as good as it should be.

As I argued this week on Golf Central, the design is actually underrated and should be the undisputed No. 1 course in America. Currently, it is not, and a bed of gazanias won't help make golf's most beautiful setting any prettier.  The flower bed merely highlights the need to commission a master plan.

Above the 7th hole, 1929 U.S. Amateur and 2018 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am along with more scenes from the old days:

Alister Mackenzie rebuilt the 8th green at Pebble Beach in September 1926. Seen here in 1929 US Am, the right bunker pours down the cliff... pic.twitter.com/esaJfbZAMJ

— Simon Haines (@Hainesy76) October 25, 2017

Pebble Beach, 1929 US Amateur pic.twitter.com/Y7bOQdSpVH

— Simon Haines (@Hainesy76) October 24, 2017

New story dropping on Monday. “The Promise of Pebble Beach” will hopefully start some conversations about what Pebble Beach could be of it looked to its golden age past to create its future. Seen here is the 17th at Pebble during the Chandler Egan & Robert Hunter design era 1929 pic.twitter.com/t0WHTX5U9n

— Jay Revell (@JayRevell) February 2, 2018

Spieth's Putting Struggles Continue At Spyglass...

It's way too early for this to be a thing, but Jordan Spieth's early season struggle on the greens in Scottsdale and now at Spyglass is worth watching.

Of note, Spieth's struggling on short putts, which, if nothing else should reassure you that even the best putter on the planet can struggle with the flatstick.

From Brentley Romine's Golfweek report on AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am play:

Then there was Jordan Spieth, a week removed from missing the cut at the Phoenix Open, who opened in even-par 72 on Spyglass as his putting struggles continued.

Spieth, who said Wednesday that he was in a “minor slump” on the greens, needed 32 putts to get through his first round. He did miss just three fairways and four greens while only carding one bogey, but he also holed just one birdie putt. He is tied for 98th going into Friday’s second round at Monterey Peninsula.

Instagram: Larry The Cable Guy, Karrinyup, Snow In France, Nantz And The Danger Of Recovery Shots

Larry The Cable Guy and Colt Ford appropriately broke in the silly new flower bed on Pebble Beach's 8th.

The bunkers are Lake Karrinyup Country Club, host of this week’s European Tour event, look sensational. Renovation work by OCCM Design.

The 2018 Ryder Cup venue looks so peaceful with snow. Things won’t be so calm in September.

Jim Nantz broadcasts himself playing his backyard 7th hole at Pebble Beach.

Finally, remember that lakes are silty.

If you're looking for a good laugh today... @gitrdonegram @coltfordmusic

252 Likes, 10 Comments - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (@attproam) on Instagram: "If you're looking for a good laugh today... @gitrdonegram @coltfordmusic"

Rise and shine, Australia. ☀️#WS6Perth

731 Likes, 4 Comments - European Tour (@europeantour) on Instagram: "Rise and shine, Australia. ☀️#WS6Perth"

Chilly day in Paris ❄️🇫🇷 #RyderCup #TeamEurope

2,243 Likes, 42 Comments - Ryder Cup Europe (@rydercupteameurope) on Instagram: "Chilly day in Paris ❄️🇫🇷 #RyderCup #TeamEurope"

Jim Nantz goes for winning shot in tournament we held in his backyard.

907 Likes, 42 Comments - Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) on Instagram: "Jim Nantz goes for winning shot in tournament we held in his backyard."

A swing and a miss. This isn't a triathlon

35 Likes, 14 Comments - Back Nine Golf™️ (@backnin9golf) on Instagram: "A swing and a miss. This isn't a triathlon"

Phil's 213th In Driving Accuracy, Up In Distance And Bullish On His Prospects In 2018

It's always fun when Phil Mickelson talks these days--an increasingly rare opportunity for the press--so enjoy Dave Shedloski's GolfDigest.com item on Lefty's improved distance but less-than-appealing driving accuracy numbers (213th). Because you know there's a theory behind it all!

But it’s a change you can’t see. No, he is still swashbuckling Phil. But perhaps the new iteration won’t have to be so gosh-darn entertaining. Which would make him eminently more competitive.

An offseason leg-strengthening program might soon pay dividends. Always enamored with the long ball, Mickelson is averaging 305 yards off the tee, 13 yards longer than his driving average in 2017. He ranks 39th on tour in that category. His clubhead speed, he said, has increased four miles per hour, and his ball speed is up significantly, too.

“My legs were always very passive in my swing, and now I’m able to get more of a whip effect and push off the ground,” he explained. “It’s increased the speed right away. From a biomechanical standpoint, I’ve always had plenty of upper body speed, including the hands, but I was weak using my legs for power.”

And why is this cause for encouragement?

“The two areas that I’ve been weak in over the last five years and have held me back are driving and short putts, and I believe they are both becoming strengths,” he said. “If that’s the case, then I’m going to have a good year. I believe what I’m doing is going to make a huge difference.”

Mickelson opened with a 69 at Spyglass Hill.

John Daly's Claret Jug Is Up For Auction...

You have two weeks and the bidding's at $30,000 on the Heritage Auction site. I don't remember any Jug's going up for sale in recent times, so this should get interesting.

Bill Speros with the details at Golfweek.com.

The auction page.