Roundup: A Better Than Most Players Championship Day One

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With light rough and a golf course that changed pretty dramatically as the day went on, the mega-pairings wheeled out some so-so play while an impressive six rounds of 66 were posted in the 2018 Players.

Steve DiMeglio of USA Today on the more fizzle-than-sizzle Woods-Mickelson-Fowler opening day grouping that saw Woods shoot even par, Mickelson 79 and Fowler 74. Tiger thought the course was gettable and hopes for a big Friday morning, writes Golfweek's Dan Kilbridge.

Woods' day was highlighted by this eagle at the 9th.

One of those 66ers, Dustin Johnson, turned to AimPoint to solve the TPC Sawgrass greens and longtime user of the method, Adam Scott (69), as I write for Golfweek along with details on Johnson's new Taylor Made putter.

Randell Mell wonders if Dustin Johnson is underappreciated.

Defending champ Si Woo Kim is lurking after an opening 67, notes Will Gray.

Jordan Spieth felt constrained by the dome that is TPC Sawgrass, writes Rex Hoggard for GolfChannel.com.

Brian Wacker with the freak Brooks Koepka injury update and explanation for Golf World.

Dylan Dethier at Golf.com isn't a fan of mega pairings, sensing this was more of a PGA Tour Live play than anything else.

Rory McIlroy sees no cause for concern in Spieth's struggles here, writes Eamon Lynch for Golfweek..

Phil stumbled to a 79 due to fatigue but defended his new shirts with his usual dry wit, as I write for Golfweek.

ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco followed the group and has some of the better gallery comments directed Phil's way.

Mr. Style shared his thoughts:

Round 2 TV times and groupings.

Grayson Murray (72) shared his special way of bypassing traffic. AKA, Living Under Par. A screen capture of his Instagram story:

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The first round highlights:

Virus, Schmirus: How About Those Baylor Women!

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Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols reports on the impressive fortitude of the Baylor women's golf team advancing to the NCAA Championships via the Austin regional.

This, despite losing a player in final round play to a bizarre virus that swept the region, while another played sick.

East Carolina was forced to forfeit and health officials have no answers as to what caused the mystery virus to spread at University of Texas Golf Club.

Puffy Shirt Return: Phil Signs With Mizzen+Main To Allow "Move From The Board Room To The Golf Course"

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The Forecaddie on Thursday-and-beyond's return of...the shirt. 

The full, and frankly spectacular, press release here:

Mizzen+Main Announces Partnership with American Golfer Phil Mickelson

Dallas, Texas, May 10, 2018: Transformative menswear brand Mizzen+Main announces a new partnership with one of the most renowned golfers and professional athletes of all time, Phil Mickelson. The five-time major champion has signed on as an official Brand Ambassador of the hyper growth, performance menswear line that has transformed an industry with its “best damn dress shirt.”

The long-term partnership makes Mickelson an equity holder in the company, joining Houston’s JJ Watt as a major partner in Mizzen+Main.

“I was waiting to find the perfect apparel partner that allowed me to move from the board room to the golf course. Mizzen+Main’s performance dress shirts enable me to do that. A big part of why I’m so thrilled to partner with them is I know all my endorsement partners and the thousands of professionals that work at those companies will love this shirt for their day to day too. These dress shirts not only look incredible but are so comfortable and versatile I can actually play golf in them. It’s remarkable to have a dress shirt I can wear from a meeting to the course. The game has changed,” remarked Mickelson.

Mickelson made waves in the sports world after wearing Mizzen+Main in a practice round with Tiger Woods at Augusta in April this year. His record as one of the best golfers of all time who represents several of the world’s greatest companies, along with being a maverick who charts his own path makes him a perfect fit for the brand.

“I started Mizzen+Main six years ago to make a dress shirt that performed at the same level as athletic apparel. Partnering with Phil is an extraordinary opportunity as one of the most renowned global athletes puts our product to the test on the course in a fun and unique way. We’re thrilled to have Lefty lead the way in the years ahead,” said Mizzen+Main Founder and CEO Kevin Lavelle.

As Brand Ambassador, Mickelson will wear Mizzen+Main’s performance fabric dress shirts regularly in tournament play, kicking off this week at the Players Championship®.

"PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan proves to be what tour needed"

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Steve DiMeglio of USA Today profiles Commissioner Jay Monahan a year into the job and notes the strong run of late securing sponsors, including nine tournaments with 10-year deals.  He is pleased and humbled by the opportunity.

“Honestly, I don’t think about me and my job but I think about what we are doing,” Monahan said. “I feel like the product is our players — how they perform, how they relate to each other, how they relate to the fans. And our financial contributions are significant. We are part of the fabric of so many communities, which brings a whole level of responsibility and energy. We are in a good place with all of that.”

I'm not sure about this that Davis Love bought into, but it makes for a good story from Commissioner 60 Is The Mandatory Retirement Age For Everyone But Me:

“Tim paid Jay a very high compliment one time when he said to me, ‘You know, I don’t really want to retire, but Jay is so ready. I need to get out of his way,’” said Davis Love III, one of four players on the Tour’s policy board. “That’s the highest of compliments.

And I think we'll all remember this next time a PGA Tour player leaves a ball down as a backstop in defiance of honor and integrity.

“There are so many things I love about golf,” he said. “Its meritocracy — nothing is given, everything is earned. The values of the game — honor, integrity, respect, sportsmanship.”

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.