Roundup: Tiger One Back Headed Into Valspar Final Round, Seeks First Win Since 2013

/

ESPN.com's Bob Harig lists some fairly staggering numbers reflecting Tiger's longevity, consistency and reinforcing the intrigue level as he seeks his 80th PGA Tour win Sunday.

Tiger downplayed the win possibilities given the many names in contention, writes GolfChannel.com's Rex Hoggard.

Tiger Tracker rounds up his thoughts from the day, including the 14 of 18 greens performance.

Your tee times and final round TV info from Golfweek.

Joe LaCava says Tiger's 67 in front of massive crowds felt like old times, and other insights from Woods' bagman as reported by Will Gray. 

Tiger's extended highlights include a nice chip-in at No. 9, followed by the overall round 4 highlights from PGA Tour Entertainment.

SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh In the third round of the 2018 Valspar Championship, Tiger Woods climbed up the leaderboard with a strong performance to tie for second place heading into the final round. These highlights are delivered by PGA TOUR LIVE.

SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh In the third round of the 2018 Valspar Championship, Corey Conners is the leader heading into the final round over a trio in second, including Tiger Woods. Check out all the scores and highlights from Round 2/3/4 at http://bit.ly/2oWMf7K The Valspar Championship is held at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Instagram Roundup: Retro Pavin, Durness Golf, Curling And Golf Mix, Very Fancy Footwork

/

As the PGA Tour Champions arrives in Southern California for the Toshiba Classic, UCLA golf welcomed some of their greats back with old photos, including Corey Pavin with a sweet Jones bag!

Ru Macdonald played the most northerly golf course on the Scottish mainland, Durness, and posted images worth checking out. What a place. 

The gold medal-winning U.S. men’s curling team stopped in Anthony Taranto’s work station for some custom wedges.

Some golf curling action…

Some amazing footwork!

Rory: "It's not the ball, it's not the equipment, it's the people that have got more athletic and have more speed."

/
Screen Shot 2018-03-10 at 9.25.40 AM.png

A Sky Sports roundup at the Valspar Championship talks to European players commenting on the distance debate includes Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter.

All downplay any issues for different reasons, but McIlroy's comments were of note given his views on equipment influences. 

"For me there's no concern. It's not the ball, it's not the equipment, it's the people that have got more athletic and have more speed.

"The guys train better, they know what they're doing more, they have Trackmans so they can figure out how to swing it fasters and be more efficient. It's not the golf balls, it's not the golf clubs, I think it's just fine the way it is."

So if the equipment is not a factor--a farcical statement but let's work with the theory--then what's the harm in tweaks to the rules for elite players to keep courses a sustainable distance?  

I'm not sure I understand the line of rhetorical questions posed by Rose:

"Is the golf ball going further? Yes. Are we stronger? Yes. Is it a problem? Golf isn't getting any easier for the amateur and it isn't getting much easier for the pro.

"Are we getting make some courses obsolete by the distances we're hitting? Yes, but then again great designed golf courses don't need to be long."

So they're obsolete, but the courses do not need to respond to a changing game?

Obsolete would imply they are outmoded and in need of replacement. 

Onward...

A Thermal Exhaust Port In The PGA Of America's Distance Poll?

/

In his daily newsletter, The Fried Egg's Andy Johnson points out questions about the PGA of America's distance survey methodology.

Screen Shot 2018-03-08 at 9.48.52 AM.png

You may recall that the organization took a stand against rolling back the distance of the golf ball, specifically citing the ball and taking a stance against a position that had not been officially suggested by the USGA and R&A's distance report issued on Monday.

Besides taking a premature stand before polling its membership for views from the trenches, the poll itself struck many as odd. Including Johnson, who writes in his daily newsletter of CEO Pete Bevacqua's organizational stance and subsequent polling:

Perhaps in an effort to swiftly bolster his quick statement, the PGA solicited the opinion of its members via a "survey" sent via email to its 29,000 members. The "survey" looks like it was put together by a high school intern and shuns virtually any semblance of scientific poll-taking. The "survey" can be completed by anyone with the link, and (at least to outward appearances) responses can be submitted as many times as one likes. It is, by any definition, completely worthless.
Since the PGA of America has forfeited any pretense of fairness in this "survey," go ahead and vote yourself! You, non-PGA professional, can express your voice by voting here at the link.

I asked the PGA of America for an explanation and here is the response:

The questions were formulated with the help of the National Golf Foundation.  Only PGA member votes are recorded and only their first time accessing the poll counts.  There will be no multiple votes counted by any single PGA member and, in addition, no non-PGA member votes are recorded in any manner.

While that is comforting, it seems odd that there were no cookies telling me I had already voted or telling me I'm not a PGA of America member and therefore the vote will not count. 

This vulnerability in the thermal exhaust port is all probably a moot point given that the PGA of America board has already decided where it stands. 

"This is a simulation. (And it's still golf!)"

/
Screen Shot 2018-03-08 at 9.05.39 PM.png

Luke Kerr-Dineen challenges the golf industry to grow the game via simulators, arguing (correctly) that they are more space friendly and more visually interesting compared to a Topgolf.

While perhaps they lack the huge community vibe of a Topgolf, the intimacy of the experience, if presented properly, seems a more logical way to bring golf to people in places where they don't easily have access to it. 

Kerr-Dineen writes for Golf World:

The golf industry often talks about the need for a cheaper, faster experience to grow the game. If the success of Topgolf and Golfzon prove anything, it's that people happily flood into golf when the prohibitive barriers to entry are lowered. But unlike Topgolf, golf simulators can be brought closer to people because they require less space to build. They also present a uniquely natural bridge to traditional golf: The courses people play exist, after all, the equipment people use is real, and the game you're playing isn't golf-inspired. It's a simulation of golf itself.
To truly thrive among today's generation, golf needs to go where the people are. It needs to embrace its cities, and use golf simulators as its vehicle to doing so. Only then will the game thrive for generations to come.

PGA Of America Denies Imminent Move To Frisco, Sort Of

/

Brad Townsend of the Dallas News considers the news of a possible PGA of America move to Frisco, Texas where 36-holes would also be built and majors possibly contested. 

Screen Shot 2018-03-08 at 8.05.09 PM.png

Townsend weighs the PGA of America's denial that a decision has been made to leave West Palm Beach. The organization has been headquartered there since 1982.

"Last year we issued a request for proposal to a number of markets that are potentially well-suited and interested in developing a new headquarters campus for us. The due diligence phase is ongoing and no decisions have been made."
On Thursday morning the Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte reported that a late-January internal email alerted PGA of America employees to the fact that the association is considering a move to Frisco. The email, however, also stated that the PGA might remain in Palm Beach Gardens, where it has been headquartered since 1982.

Townsend speculates that the move may be a bargaining chip play and tied to the PGA's COO's desires. 

North Texas, however, has a powerful connection in PGA of America Chief Operating Officer Darrell Crall, formerly the longtime executive director of the PGA's Dallas-based Northern Texas Section.
Crall's current formal job description: "Directs day-to-day operations at PGA Headquarters and is charged with oversight of the PGA's organizational growth, strategic plan, performance goals and priorities, and annual budget execution."

Here is Tim Rosaforte's Golf Central report on the possible move. 

 

 

Debating The Best At Streamsong

/
Screen Shot 2018-03-08 at 9.50.37 PM.png

I think you'll enjoy the different takes on the Red (Coore and Crenshaw), Blue (Doak) and Black (Hanse) courses at Streamsong compiled by Jason Scott Deegan, who also participated.

He is joined by Matt Ginella, Brad Klein, Brandon Tucker and Mike Bailey in the showdown. (Viewers/readers were polled and the unscientific results had the Red Course as clear winner). 

Henrik Stenson: Match Play Purist!

/

We've heard of players skipping the upcoming WGC Dell Match Play because they don't like the old one-and-done format so close to the Masters, but as Will Gray reports for GolfChannel.com, I'm pretty sure this is a first: Henrik Stenson is skipping because he's a match play purist.

“Match play, it’s kind of do or die for me,” Stenson said. “Either I’m winning and I’m staying, or I’m losing and I’m going home.”
Stenson did offer a “middle ground” option like the one used at the British Amateur, where 36 holes of stroke play determine the bracket for single-elimination match play. But given the current format structure, he won’t be making the trip to Austin.

I can't argue with his love for the old format which certainly had a certain charm. But for fans, sponsors and players wanting competitive rounds before the Masters, the new setup has worked quite nicely,

70: Oh Tiger Don't Hurt Yourself Before Augusta, Please!

/

Nice opening 70 at Innisbrook on a cool, swirling-wind day that produced some high scores, as Dan Kilbridge notes at Golfweek.com.

ESPN.com's Bob Harig noted there was some pain from the recovery shot but hopefully nothing more.

But this, this is so unnecessary! 

@tigerwoods makes par. From the woods. 🐅🌳

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on

A Proper Obituary For America's First Women's Olympic Champion (Who Happened To Win In Golf)

/
Screen Shot 2018-03-08 at 8.40.24 PM.png

Thanks to all who sent in the New York Times special project to document and properly memorialize the lives of 15 women on International Women's Day.

The package kicks off with a remembrance of Margaret Abbott, America's first Olympic champion who happened to win at the Paris golf competition in 1900.

But even up to her death, Abbott was not aware that she is officially America's first female Olympic champ, writes Margalit Fox:

Though men’s and women’s golf appear to have been earmarked as Olympic events from the beginning, Welch said, few competitors seem to have realized the fact.
Abbott apparently thought that she was playing in a small, self-contained tournament, held at a course in Compiègne, some 50 miles north of Paris. She had entered it simply because she played golf and happened to be in France.
“They were calling it ‘Exposition Competition,’ ‘Paris World’s Fair Competition,’” Welch explained. “Because ‘Olympics’ wasn’t attached to it, she didn’t know.”

USGA Rolls Out New "Social-Centric" Ticket Option for 2018 U.S. Open

/

Many have complained that the USGA fan experience has been lacking though it remains to be seen if this will, uh, quench the thirst some have for a better experience. The craft beer and wine mention should make the M's happy and keep the gin-and-tonic set at the Trophy Wives Club, so there's that.

Is it me or is there a certain herding of the drunken cattle to the "top of the hill" element to this... 

Screen Shot 2018-03-08 at 1.03.55 PM.png
USGA Rolls Out New Social-Centric Ticket Option for 2018 U.S. Open Championship
“Top of the Hill” Tickets Now Available in Limited Quantities
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Mar. 8, 2018) -  Enhancing its fan-first offerings for the 118th U.S. Open Championship, the USGA today announced the addition of “Top of the Hill,” a new ticket option for fans to experience Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and the U.S. Open Championship as the world’s greatest players compete in golf’s ultimate test. The 118th U.S. Open will be contested in Southampton, N.Y., from June 11-17.
Located on one of the highest points on the property and situated amid the first four holes of the closing nine, “Top of the Hill” offers fans an open-air facility in a beer garden-style atmosphere with a panoramic view of Shinnecock Hills. Ticket holders will enjoy a lively, sociable atmosphere with open-deck seating and a large-screen broadcast of live championship coverage. This new ticket offering also includes access to a variety of local culinary options and full bar service with local craft beer and wine offerings available at an additional charge, as well as the convenience of executive restroom facilities.
“Top of the Hill” tickets are available now in limited quantities, and can be purchased at usopen.com at the following daily prices.
  • Monday or Tuesday “Top of the Hill” Ticket: $80
  • Wednesday “Top of the Hill” Ticket:  $95
  • Thursday “Top of the Hill” Ticket: $165
  • Friday, Saturday or Sunday “Top of the Hill” Ticket: $185
Also new for 2018, the USGA is collaborating with PrimeSport to create one-of-a-kind fan trips to the U.S. Open. As the authorized U.S. Open fan experience and travel package provider, PrimeSport is offering packages that include tickets, accommodations and transportation to the storied championship venue of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Coordinated through onsite event staff, the packages offer fans the ultimate U.S. Open Championship experience. More information is available at PrimeSport U.S. Open tickets.
“We are always evaluating ways to innovate and elevate our fans’ U.S. Open experience,” said Sarah Hirshland, USGA senior managing director for Business Affairs. “If we’re able to create more social and convenient options for fans, we’ll do it, and we feel these new ticket offerings provide just that.” 
Beyond “Top of the Hill” and PrimeSport packages, a limited number of daily and multi-day ticket package options are still available for the 118th U.S. Open, with prices starting at $60 for daily Gallery tickets and $125 for package options, including: 
  • 1895 Club: Located to the players’ right of the fifth fairway, the 1895 Club is an all-inclusive ticket option featuring breakfast, buffet lunch with hot entrees, afternoon snacks and full bar service throughout the day in a custom-designed, climate-controlled hospitality environment. 
  • Trophy Club: Located to the players’ left of the fourth fairway, the Trophy Club is a climate-controlled pavilion with open seating, live network coverage of the championship in a sports bar-like setting, and a variety of food and beverage options available for purchase at an additional charge. 
  • Gallery: Gallery tickets provide access to the grounds and to concession locations, grandstands throughout the course and all fan facilities. 
  • Weekly packages: All ticket types except “Top of the Hill” can be purchased as weeklong packages. 
  • Multi-Day packages: Both Trophy Club and Gallery tickets are available in two-, three- and four-day packages.
Daily and multi-day tickets can be purchased exclusively at usopen.com. For more information, or for any questions related to 118th U.S. Open Championship tickets, please visit usopen.com, email ticketquestions@usga.org, or call 1.800.698.0661.

Keeping Up With The Other Families: PGA Of America Eyeing Move To Frisco, Texas

/
Screen Shot 2018-03-08 at 10.01.27 AM.png

Art Stricklin reports on a PGA of America plan to possibly relocate to new headquarters outside of Dallas, Texas, with two golf courses that would be in line to host future majors and/or the Ryder Cup.

Let's hope they get these babies to 8,500 yards to meet CEO Pete Bevacqua's vision to grow the game through distance gains!

The move would radically reshape the golf landscape in North Texas and is likely to provide Texas its first major championship in more than 50 years.

Two new 18-hole semi-public courses are part of the plan — one designed by Gil Hanse, the other by Beau Welling. PGA officials said Hanse would be responsible for delivering a championship course, slated to open by 2020, with the intent of it playing host to the PGA's marquee events, including the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup.

Beau but no Tiger?  

Many PGA officials consider the current national headquarters outdated and out of space; the property also sits near a golf course that the PGA of America does not control. Sources said the PGA also felt pressure to act after seeing the enhancements the USGA is making to its New Jersey headquarters, along with the plans the PGA Tour has for a gleaming new space in Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Ah now we're getting to the heart of the matter! 

Instagram Roundup: Tiger's Swing Looks Tight, India's Deep Packed Bunker, Jimmy Walker's USGA Plea And Na Touts A Tour-Only Pro V1

/

As Tiger Woods prepares for his first Valspar, his swing looks just that much more tighter and impressive, but as Dan Kilbridge reports, Wednesday's pro-am round did suggest (6 of 18 greens) that Woods is still adjusting to Innisbrook's tough approach shots. 

The Hero Indian Open at DLF Golf And Country Club features a bunker getting a lot of attention this week. 

🙏🏼 📷 @plarrazabal #HIO2018

A post shared by European Tour (@europeantour) on

Jimmy Walker is making a plea to the USGA on behalf of everyday golfers...

Kevin Na posted his improvement in ball speed with a new Pro V 1x ball not available to the public but on the conforming list. Presumably, if all comments over the last week are to be believed, this will not amount to more distance for him. The post is no longer on Na's account.

Screen Shot 2018-03-07 at 9.47.33 PM.png

"Fighting for a miracle: Course designer David Kahn and his wife, Karen, search for strength in the most daunting battle imaginable"

/
Screen Shot 2018-03-07 at 9.26.12 PM.png

Alan Shipnuck at Golf.com shares the heartbreaking story of Amelia and Makenzie Kahn, daughters of David and Karen who are battling one of the world's rarest disease for children.

Carve out a few minutes for this one. 

A Topgolf fundraiser for a research-based foundation related to Batten's Disease is this Monday. Shipnuck explains:

With such a tiny potential market, drug companies have little incentive to put resources into studying the disease and trying to develop a cure, or even ways to slow its symptoms. And so the Kahns are taking on this fight themselves, having formed the ForeBatten Foundation. "That golfy play on words with ‘fore' might be a little corny," says David, "but it speaks to our mission: Watch out, Batten."

This Monday, March 12, the ForeBatten Foundation will host its inaugural fundraiser at TopGolf in Scottsdale. The ambitious goal is to raise the $800,000 needed to fund a critical new research study. David has tapped his many friends and contacts in golf to assemble a dazzling array of auction items, including a pair of Berckmans Place tickets for the final round of this year's Masters; a dream trip for four to Bandon Dunes; tee times everywhere from Winged Foot to Riviera to Oakmont to Los Angeles Country Club; unique experiences, ranging from a private tennis lesson with Andy Roddick to a round of golf with Paige Spiranac; and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnyland Farms, the cultish, intensely private Dick Wilson design (restored in 2011 by Jackson Kahn) that has long been a private playground for ambassadors and Presidents.