Roundup: Casey Pulls Off Valspar Win, Tiger Finishes Second

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Steve DiMeglio leads with Tiger in his USA Today game story, but quickly turns to Paul Casey's rewrite of the fairytale script. 

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Doug Ferguson in his AP gamer says a long victory drought was broken...Paul Casey's. But you have to love Casey, one of golf's best interviews, openly acknowledging the joy brought by merely sharing leaderboard space with Woods.

Bob Harig recounts the final day at Innisbrook Tiger's quotes about not playing the par-5s better stands out and the likely difference between second and a win. 

Jason Sobel has no doubt Tiger will win again. 

Golfweek's Dan Kilbridge focuses on Casey's remarks about the joys of winning as an old guy in a young man's game.

Alex Kirshner of SB Nation has the roundup on Patrick Reed's last hole, uh, what's the word I'm going for here...uh...miscalculation. Sadly his first shot is not posted anywhere officially but you can see it in the Twitter replies. For now. 

As Rex Hoggard reports for GolfChannel.com, even Casey was rooting for Tiger.

“I actually thought he was going to win today before the round started. I thought it was just teed up beautifully for him,” said Casey, who birdied three consecutive holes starting at the 11th and scrambled for pars at the three closing holes on his way to a 6-under 65 and a 10-under total.

Karen Crouse of the New York Times on caddie Joe LaCava finally getting to see signs of the old Tiger, and his bosses praise for his work.

Casey explained what all of the 17th tee discussion was about and Hoggard reported on a mistaken yardage rectified in time. 

Some of the more important Tweets, starting with Tiger's.

The tour did a roundup of celebrity Tweets and other excitement over Tiger's return to contention.

Highlights, both of the round four variety and Tiger's putt on 17.

Saturday Instagram: Tiger's Clubhead Speed, Mullinex's Hospitality Recovery, Pressel's Ace & The Ryder Cup First Tee Is A Cart Driver's Dream

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With this tee shot, Tiger Woods recorded the fastest recorded clubhead speed on the PGA Tour this 2018 season.

129.2 MPH club-head speed. Fastest recorded on TOUR this season. 👀

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Standing room only at the Valspar thanks to Tiger.

During. ➡️ After. Tiger Woods brings the crowds.

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Trey Mullinax hit a recovery shot from the hospitality tent Saturday at the Valspar.

Morgan Pressel made her 14th hole-in-one Saturday.

The Europeans are very excited about their Ryder Cup first tee grandstand. This digital rendering suggests it will fantastic views of the cart paths where assistant captains and their drivers should have plenty of parking!

Golf.com Emergency Confidential: The Distance Debate

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The Golf gang has plenty to say about the distance debate and while it is filled with plenty of smart stuff, the divide in what to do mirrors many of the reactions we heard this week.

As always, please hit the link and enjoy the opinions, but this portion of the exchange resonated most with me:

Michael Bamberger, senior writer, GOLF: It’s not the spike. It’s the overall pattern since 1980. All sports evolve. Golf has changed too much.

Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, GOLF (@AlanShipnuck): More monitoring? Oh joy. Haven’t they already been studying this issue for years/decades? I’m exhausted.

Dylan Dethier, associate editor, GOLF.com (@Dylan_Dethier): It concerns me because it pushes the golf world closer to fixing a problem for which there is no clean solution. Change is hard!

Jessica Marksbury, senior editor, GOLF.com (@Jess_Marksbury): Yes, Dylan! It’s obvious something needs to be done, but what? Golf is still hard, no matter how far you hit the ball.

Josh Sens, contributing writer, GOLF: I don’t want to torture an analogy or overstate the importance of the distance issue, but there are elements here that remind me of the climate change debate. Most people looking at facts have known for a long time that it’s a runaway problem. But the official response is mostly just talk. Big financial interests are at stake, of course, further complicating any plan of action. A gloom-and-doomer might take the view that we’re beyond the tipping point, too late to go back.

Tiger Giving Valspar Championship A Nice Ratings Bump

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The numbers over the first two days suggest a huge Tiger bump, especially considering day one was a Thursday telecast. 

Friday's telecast did not feature live golf from Woods, but still drew well:

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

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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

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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."

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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?

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

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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!)"

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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

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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. 

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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

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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!

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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!

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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. 🐅🌳

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

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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

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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... 

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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.