Players Instagram Special: Who Showed And Who Didn't For Furyk's Ryder Cup BBQ, Pageantry At 17, LPGA Players At The Players, Ponte Vedra Inn's 17th

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Hmmm...the Masters Champ, Captain America, had something better to do than attend the Ryder Cup bonding dinner at Captain Jim Furyk's house. Looks like some of the guys wore their very best t-shirts to impress the Captain!

Tuesday's concert and military appreciation day...

Some fine LPGA players spent the day at the Players, posed for photos with their male peers and took a blimp ride above TPC Sawgrass.

I stopped by Ponte Vedra Inn and marveled at Herbert Strong's 17th hole.

Hirono! Hires Martin Ebert To Restore Alison's Masterpiece

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On the list of courses most often cited for needing a proper restoration, Hirono has topped many lists. 

Adam Lawrence reports that through an odd coincidence and Martin Ebert's other life as a rules expert, the architect has been commissioned to restore C.H. Alison's 1930 masterpiece. 

“I was introduced to the club through a couple of Japanese guys who referee each year at the Open,” Ebert told GCA. “Later, I went over to Japan to do a Rules seminar for the JGA, and met up with some people from the club, who were aware of the work we had done at Portrush, Turnberry and so on. They had set up a restoration committee and were very keen to restore the course to something closer to Alisonʼs original design. Since then we have been back to Japan three times, culminating in a visit a few weeks ago during which we signed a contract for the project.”

Horschel, Thomas See An Uptick In (Good) Fan Behavior

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Or at least, fewer PGA Tour incidents between fans and players. 

After reaching dreadful depths in March, the combination of the Masters and perhaps some awareness that telling players what losers they are is really not cool, has dissipated according to Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas.

From Garry Smits in the Florida Times-Union, writing on the fan behavior issues in past Players and quotes two players who have been subjected to abuse.

“I think some fans are coming to a point where they’re policing themselves,” Horschel said. “I’ve seen that already where a fan will tell another fan, ‘hey, that’s out of line ... you need to stop that.’”

Thomas said he’s surprised that he hasn’t been the target of comments at tournament sites similar to the social media flak he took for having the fan ejected at the Honda Classic.

“It seems to be getting better,” he said. “I haven’t had any issues, which is surprising. I would have thought I would have maybe heard some here or there. I feel like everybody is learning and the fans are getting better. Not that they were bad in the first place. It’s just that you don’t want those couple here or there to ruin it for the rest of them.”

With high temperatures forecast for Friday, a 6:30 pm alcohol sales cut-off and the young stars out, the limits of good behavior will be tested.

Video: PGA Tour Fleshing Out Its Sports Betting Position

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PGA Tour VP Andy Levinson appeared on Live From to unveil five points of focus should the Supreme Court rule in favor of some form of sports betting. A decision has been expected any day now for over two months.

As you'll see, the Tour has given this a lot of thought and is mapping out its position in anticipation of a change in the law. Levinson's smart take is comforting, though golf still can be more easily corrupted by fan behavior than any other sport.

Check out the short chat with Ryan Burr:

Rare Vintage Tiger-Phil Pairing Nears, And The Talk Leading Up To It Is Just As Fun

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Thanks to the PGA Tour making the rare move to pair Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, accompanied by the equally rare sight of Phil Mickelson making his way into an interview room, we have some fun stories and revelations to amp up excitement for Thursday's 1:52 pm ET grouping with Rickie Fowler. 

Tiger remains upbeat and seems even more unphased by any burden to win, which I noted in this Golfweek assessment that also includes a few other fun comments from Woods' press session.

Maybe most surprising of all was Tiger's revelation that Phil offered short game help in 2015 during the chip-yip phase.

Shoot, at this pace we'll soon find out Tiger spent days Googling holistic arthritis remedies for Mickelson and that Phil offered to visit Orlando to help find Tiger's Escalade the right auto repair shop. After that, it could be the ultimate sign of a bond: sharing jet rides to tournaments. Sky's the limit!

ESPN.com's Bob Harig focuses on Phil's assertion that Tiger's peak will never be repeated by any golfer ever, and reviews the head-to-head match up, which this time around lacks some of the creative tension of past pairings.

In all, they have played in the same group just 35 times, with Woods holding a slight edge in their round-by-round scores at 16-15-4. Woods' scoring average is also slightly better, 69.60 to 69.91.

Woods won five of the tournaments in which they were grouped at some point, including the 2006 PGA Championship and the 2008 U.S. Open. Mickelson won three.

 

Brian Wacker notes at Golf World that the harmony is all the more touching giving where these two have been at times, though this is also hardly Ali-Frazier kissing and making up, either.

It's Alive! The Dreaded Fifth Major Debate Briefly Resurfaces...

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Poking around Google News, I found one story from the last four years wondering about possible major status for The Players Championship. Or, as we knew it many years ago before seemingly disappearing from all known radar screens: the fifth major debate. 

Today's resurfacing was the first I've seen or heard outside of Monday's Live From segment devoted to whether golf's Grand Slam should expand by one. Both Brandel Chamblee and David Duval declared the event a major (already), while Frank Nobilo was the dissenting vote over the course of nine minutes. 

This debate seemingly died several years ago from fatigue and almost no demand for major status. The tournament has never actively campaigned for the status and in recent years, millions have been poured into improving the fan experience and course.

Furthermore, when The Players moved to May it gained an enhanced, stand-alone identity that will carry over to a new, one-week earlier March date.

Perks were added for the winner, including a huge purse.

The World Golf Hall of Fame now gives Players wins special recognition. It is one of the most prestigious titles in golf. And as the LPGA's Evian event has learned the hard way, forcing major status can actually do damage. 

Which is why I argued on today's Morning Drive with Damon Hack and Eamon Lynch, that even suggesting this is a major undermines the case that could be made some day for a major new place in the record books.

National Teacher Day Lets Famous Golf Instructors Say What They Really Think

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The Forecaddie on two of golf's very best saying more than normal about their pupils. Nice work by Morning Drive's Damon Hack pulling these nuggets from today's guests.

Pete Cowen on Henrik Stenson's focus levels (hint, he's not jazzed).  Here's the clip from GolfChannel.com.

Butch Harmon on wanting to see Dustin Johnson work harder. 

And the Harmon clip.

Quail Hollow Draws Best Rating Since '15, Second Best Sports Event Sunday

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Another positive ratings story for the PGA Tour, as CBS's final round broadcast of the Wells Fargo Championship drew a 2.2 overnight rating for Jason Day's win over Aaron Wise, reports SBD's Austin Karp. That's up from a 1.6 last year when Brian Harman outlasted Dustin Johnson and Roberto Castro.

The rating put PGA Tour golf behind only the NBA Western Conference Semifinals game four between the Warriors and Pelicans (4.1).

Saturday's Kentucky Derby on NBC won the weekend with a 9.1 overnight rating.

Revisiting TPC Sawgrass' 12th And The 2018 Changes

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Here's my Golfweek look at how the TPC Sawgrass' remodeled 12th played last year and tweaks made for the 2018 event. 

Since posting I've gotten a firsthand look at the changes and the hole remains very compelling in my view. Below is a rear green view showing the slight modification to the strip of grass between slope and lake. The intended effect is to catch the barely missed shot and I suspect that change, with others in the approach, will only cause more players to drive the green.

Of greater importance, however, is the role yet another short par-4 will play as there are so few  risk-reward par-5s. As I note in the story this added on more compelling puzzle piece and is frankly the most complicated and intriguing strategic hole on the property. 

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We featured this on-site look for Morning Drive:

ShackHouse 63: The Players Is Here For One More Time In May

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Joe House and I link up in a very high-end, undisclosed location around Ponte Vedra Beach to recap the Wells Fargo Championship before previewing Players.

I'm sure a few passers by thought we were on a stake out surveilling PGA Tour VP's for any new schedule tidbits we could dig up, but alas, it's just a ShackHouse on The Ringer Podcast Network.

As always, the show is brought to you by Callaway, makes or Rogue woods and irons, the cool-looking new EXO putters by Odyssey and of course, the sensational new Mack Daddy 4 wedges. Check out there revitalized new website that makes customizing orders easier than ever.

Topgolf CEO Plotting Rapid Growth, Media Company Status

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That sounds dangerous for any good thing. But so far Topgolf has grown quickly while seemingly maintaining quality experiences and just staggering numbers, as Golfweek's Martin Kaufmann notes:

These facilities combined to average 35,000 visitors per day in 2017. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly equivalent to the number of rounds an average 18-hole golf course will do in a year.

Of course, there's a big dose of B-speak and ambition for the company, which is looking to expand on its 41 by adding about one per month. Also high on the list is more Toptracer expansion and the SwingSuites "product" for arenas, hotels and other smaller locations, as is becoming a media company. Though what that part means is not yet clear.

But that’s just the launching point for the Topgolf brand. Erik Anderson, executive chairman of Topgolf Entertainment Group, uses terms such as “global brand” and “21st-century sports entertainment media community” to describe the company. That’s a reflection of the reach that he envisions for Topgolf.

Bob Ford On The Ball: "I would be very surprised if it doesn’t roll back."

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Thanks to reader Chuck for spotting Robert Blumenthal's Golf Conversation with longtime Oakmont and Seminole professional Bob Ford, who covers a range of topics.

But given that he's been associated with two classic courses, the comments by Ford related to distance and the ball stand out.

GC: Speaking of Jack, Tiger has come out for scaling back the distance of the golf ball for the pros. The head of Bridgestone Golf said the same thing yesterday.

BF: For the elite game? I would tell you that in the last three months, I’ve never heard more comments about it and more people are getting on the bandwagon to do it. Mike Davis is a member here. He’s like, “My goal [by the end of] my career here is to get the ball rolled back.” So I would be very surprised if it doesn’t roll back.

So there's that. And more.

GC: Do you think anyone understands what “bifurcation” means?

(laughter)

BF: I hope so. It’s been a bad word. I don’t quite know how they’re gonna do it. You and I don’t want our ball to go shorter, we know that. Believe it or not, they have developed a golf ball that at our speed, it doesn’t change. At the speed of 108 or more miles an hour, it starts to go down.

I just want to see this supposed ball in action. In our lifetimes. Once.

Or, maybe roll them out at the Crump Cup or the Hugh Wilson or some other old school event and get some feedback? 

Jason Day By The Numbers: 2 Wins In 7 2018 Starts, 231-Yard 7-Iron

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Reading over John Turner's Golfweek account of the Wells Fargo Championship, it's hard not to be struck by a second win on a very limited schedule for Jason Day, and that shot of the day at 17.

No typos here...

The most stunning shot of the tournament came at its toughest (playing more than half a stroke above par Sunday): the par-3 17th. Following his birdie at 16 to pull one ahead of Wise, Day opted for 7-iron staring down at a green he said looks “real tiny” from 231 yards away with water short, left and long. The plan was to fly the ball into an upslope on the green, killing the momentum and letting it settle near the pin.

In Day’s words, here’s what happened next:

“When I hit it, it was on a cracking line, it was beautiful,” he said. “And then it just had this massive bounce, hit on the downslope and fortunately hit the pin, which was nice, and went to about two or three feet. Things like that are what you need to win golf tournaments.”

The final round highlights from PGA Tour Entertainment:

WaPo On Trump's Move To Cash Acquisitions: $240 Million "In The Hole So Far" For Doonbeg, Turnberry

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 Jonathan O'Connell, David A. Fahrenthold and Jack Gillum take a close look at the Trump Organization's shift from loans to cash or mostly-cash purchases in recent years. 

The President's company has infused way more of his own money into golf than he has with is past real estate ventures. The Trump Organization did not dispute the figures listed in the story.

Of most note were the figures associated with Trump International Aberdeen ($62.5 million to date), Doonbeg and Turnberry.

He began buying up land near Aberdeen, on Scotland’s North Sea coast. Trump ultimately paid $12.6 million for the property. He’s spent at least $50 million more to build a golf course there, which was wrapped up in land-use fights and didn’t open until 2012.

In 2014, he shelled out $79.7 million for the huge golf resorts in Doonbeg, Ireland, and Turnberry, Scotland — both of which were losing money at the time. 

The Trump Organization pursued pricey renovations of both courses, during which time the properties have continued to suffer losses. Under Trump, the two courses are at least $240 million in the hole so far, according to British and Irish corporate records. 

While the story is obviously focused on the shift in philosophy, the expenditures at Turnberry involved an aging luxury hotel that is obviously far more expensive to renovate than the two golf courses there, both remodeled in stellar fashion by Martin Ebert.