Well Won't 2019 Be Fun: Bryson Intends To Leave Flagstick In While Putting

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At least, until the first putt clanks off the fiberglass and he looks at the innocent synthetic material holding a flag in disgust. Thankfully, flagsticks don’t have feelings.

Nice exclusive here from Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier on Bryson DeChambeau revealing during a photo shoot that at all fiberglass flagstick events, he will be putting with the pin in the hole. The new Rules of Golf will allow for putting with flagsticks in the hole starting January 1, 2019. The change was designed to speed up the game. But the mad scientist has done the calculations and sees another rationale.

“It depends on the COR, the coefficient of restitution of the flagstick,” he said. “In U.S. Opens, I’ll take it out, and every other Tour event, when it’s fiberglass, I’ll leave it in and bounce that ball against the flagstick if I need to.”

It’s interesting that DeChambeau goes on to say he thinks this will make the hole play bigger and that his good, good friends at the USGA will ultimately backtrack on the rule.

I don’t see that, but I could envision a scenario where players start griping about strange things and airing odd grievances.

Or the USGA and R&A could announce a slight increase in the size of the golf ball, fueling conspiracy theories that the move was not to slow down distance but to mess with Bryson.

There will also be the inevitable re-airing of the flagstick vs. pin moniker. But wouldn’t it be fun if the science backs him up.

"Champ family's road from racism to Tour winner"

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The Champs

The Champs

Nice work here from GolfChannel.com’s Tim Rosaforte to shed a little more light on the background and development of long-hitting Cameron Champ, winner for the first time on the PGA Tour last week.

This on grandfather Mack, who got Cameron into golf and who got the first phone call last Sunday before the winning card was even signed.

From the plastic clubs he first started swinging in his grandpa’s backyard at age 2, to the set of Tiger Woods irons Mack brought home, from the hours they spent at the par-3 Foothills Golf Center in Sacramento, to a win in his second start as an exempt member of the PGA Tour, the biggest hitter in tournament golf wouldn’t be the biggest hit in this week’s Shriners Hospital For Children Open in Las Vegas without his “Pops.”

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Mack said when we spoke on Monday evening. “I knew one of these days he was going to get there. I didn’t think it was going to get there that soon. It’s just amazing to see the progress from a boy until now.”

Holly Sonders' Fox Sports Golf Career Ends

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The golf portion of her contract was not renewed and Holly Sonders is the latest to not make the FOX/USGA cut, reports The Forecaddie.

Unlike Greg Norman’s departure after just one year, I’m saddened that Holly didn’t find a spot on the FOX team given what she gave up at Golf Channel and how popular she was with viewers and those who’ve met her. Here’s hoping she gets back in golf soon.

Topgolf CEO: 50 Markets By End Of 2019, IPO Under Consideration

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Topgolf Executive Chair Erik Anderson was the featured interview at the Octagon Sports Marketing Symposium Tuesday and said the company hopes to be in 50 markets by year’s end with aggressive plans to expand stand-alone and other off-shoot versions of Topgolf.

Eric Fisher from SportsBusinessDaily reports and includes this:

Roughly half of Topgolf clientele were not initially active golfers, though play at their facilities has translated to some increases in play at traditional courses. Roughly half are aged 18-34, a highly coveted demo by every other sports property. “The big idea for us was take out a lot of the barriers of golf, such as around time, cost and skill, and make it about fun and community,” Anderson said.

And this on a possible looming IPO is of note:

Anderson said Topgolf is considering an IPO for the company, but did not provide specifics around the likelihood of that or a potential timetable for a decision. “We are a candidate to go public for sure. It would be silly to say otherwise. ... We’re probably an interesting public company, like Starbucks was given how people connect with us.”

SBD posted a couple of snippets of Anderson’s conversation.

Of course there was a “subscription” and a Netflix mention, but you’re not a good CEO if you aren’t tossing the millennials and those who want to pick their pockets the preferred candies of the day.

Here is Anderson on golf needing more shortened pay-as-many-as-you-play options (“mini subscriptions”):

On the companies Topgolf says you should be on the look out for. No big surprises here…

"The ruling bodies have put golf in a ridiculous position by utterly abdicating their role as stewards of the game."

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Good to see Alan Shipnuck getting to the heart of the distance debate mess in golf.

From the always entertaining Golf.com mailbag:

Why haven’t the USGA and R&A controlled the distance the ball is traveling? Why do we keep having this discussion? Golf should not be only about how far you hit the ball. It’s sad some great golf courses are now obsolete. -@MikeyBateman1

I’ve kvetched about this extensively, but, yes, the ruling bodies have put golf in a ridiculous position by utterly abdicating their role as stewards of the game. Modern athletes, with highly specialized training regimens and diets, wielding cutting-edge equipment and swings optimized by Trackman and an army of specialists, are completely overwhelming the outdated playing fields. The only defenses are cartoonish — think the greens at Shinny and rough at Le Golf National — and they reduce the skill factor dramatically. The obvious solution (bifurcation) would harm the equipment industry while taking away a lot of the fun of spectating. (I don’t want to watch Cam Champ drive it 275…I can do that myself.) To test this new legion of bombers while allowing them to still hit driver demands courses be at least 9,000 yards, but that would require an obscene amount of water and land and make the game even slower than it already is. So it’s a quagmire with no easy solutions, and the problems become more obvious with every 350-yard drive, exciting as they may be.

And in 2019 look for all of the manufacturers to put more distance in the bags of pros, more long-bombing young players to replace merely long middle-aged pros, fewer drivers to be hit because the courses can’t adjust fast enough and more people to blame the agronomy!

Wanted! USGA Senior Manager, Communications

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Corporatespeak is so 2010 until it rears its bloated head.

The USGA Tweeted out this listing for a new Sr. Manager, Communications after Ziprecruiter kept sending them Whitey Bulger’s resume. And now he’s dead, so hey, let’s there is always The Twitter!

Sr. Manager, Communications

Full Time Regular Full-Time Liberty Corner, NJ

9 hours ago Requisition ID : 1397

Are you looking to join a dynamic team that works together to promote and conserve the true spirit of the game of golf?

Conserve? That was bout 20 yards and 20 years ago, but go on…

From the USGA Handicap System to national amateur and open championships, to modernizing the delivery of the game’s Rules and supporting sustainable golf course management practices, the United States Golf Association promotes the health of a game that inspires, challenges, and rewards like nothing else can.

Oh I hit a bucket today, I can think of more rewarding things.

The Sr. Manager of Communications will manage the effective communications and public relations/advocacy programs that elevate and extend the brand of the USGA and the organization’s efforts to support a healthy future for golf, beyond championships. 

So learn the word bifurcation and all the evil ramifications. On both sides. Both sides!

What You Can Expect:

  • Shape and promote impact-driven activities of the association outside of championships to a wide array of traditional and social media/influencers that deliver positive media impressions and organization attribution, both inside and outside of endemic golf outlets

Or what’s left of them.

  • Build relationships and deliver a regular cadence of communications to and with influential and emerging media, internal subject-matter leaders, and external USGA stakeholders to develop rich storytelling opportunities and show the USGA’s impact on the game, to include development of the organization’s Annual Report

Put Barstool Sports at the front of whatever modern device is your Rolodex. To the Executive Committee, it’s a Rolodex.

  • Develop strategies and implement tactics to leverage the USGA voice through the USGA_PR and USGA LinkedIn social media accounts with daily/weekly posts

Leverage, leverage, leverage!

  • Accountable for the communications calendar for the organization and leading the cross-functional teams’ efforts that elevate the impact of the USGA

Yucky! Paperwork! At least, that’s what I think leading the cross-functional teams’ efforts means.

  • Manage USGA reporting functions with external vendor and support of communications team and external PR firm to include daily and monthly media reports

Make sure they get paid on time, especially that lobbyist we still kick money to in Washington.

Now, let’s get to the part about golf!

What You Bring to the USGA:

  • A minimum of a BA/BS degree or equivalent with a focus on communications, media relations, or journalism is preferred. 

  • 7-10 years of experience in journalism, media/public relations/pitching and organizational storytelling, with golf knowledge or technical writing preferred

One or the other. Both could be scary.

  • Project strategic planning and implementation; interpersonal, problem solving, organizational skills.

  • Organization-driven social media planning and messaging experience. 

  • Positive attitude and the ability to display consistent initiative that reflect innovative thinking. 

  • Knowledge of reporting and PR-related systems and tools (Meltwater) a plus.

I think Meltwater is the thing that will put this blog post in the Inboxes of very important people.

No membership at Somerset Hills?

Video: Why Golf Pros Love Online Bookings

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Davis Love Takes Some 2018 Ryder Cup Blame, Apologizes To Captain Furyk

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From Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com story on how the captain and assistants continue to mull what went wrong.

This was intriguing from vice captain Davis Love:

“I dropped the ball on two or three things that could have helped, and I apologized to Jim,” Love told Golf Digest last week. “I should have seen some of those things coming.”

Not obtaining Justine Reed’s Twitter and Facebook passwords and changing them?

Too much Polo in the uniforms?

An imbalance of plain, almond and chocolate croissants in the team room?

Please, tell!

The Kordas And The Amazing Winning Siblings Feat

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Nelly Korda wins: some trophies are easier to kiss than others.

Nelly Korda wins: some trophies are easier to kiss than others.

We don’t want to get too far removed from the weekend’s action without pausing to consider the remarkable feat of siblings winning on the same tour.

I’m fairly certainly this is Final Golf Jeopardy material here, from Al Lunsford of the LPGA:

With her win, Nelly Korda joined her sister, five-time LPGA winner Jessica Korda, in the winner’s circle on Sunday, making the Kordas just the third set of sisters to win on the LPGA Tour in history.

Annika Sorenstam (72 wins) and Charlotta Sorenstam (one win) were the first to accomplish the feat in 2000, and were joined by Ariya Jutanugarn (10 wins) and Moriya Jutanugarn (one win) earlier this season when Moriya won the 2018 HUGEL-JTBC LA Open.

Imagine that. Two of the three pairings to have done so accomplished the feat in 2018.

Big sister Jessica was a blubbering mess after the win:

European Tour: Thanks For Nothing France!

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So they put on a wildly successful Ryder Cup (well, until the apparently epic disaster that was the Monday-after outing…) and all France now has to show for helping Europe take back the cup?

An October, non-Rolex Series event in a wasteland when stars will likely gear up for the Race to Dubai. That was the buried lede from the 2019 schedule announcement where the Sistine Chapel of Ryder Cup venues—if you listened to Euros the last six years—did deliver in many ways and gets downgraded within a month of hosting the biennial team matches.

From an admittedly shaky English translation of an unbylined AFP story where the word “degraded” is used to describe the move.

The Open de France loses its importance. It's official, the tournament will no longer benefit from its status of "Rolex Series" next year. Moreover, it will not take place in June but in October, from 17 to 20.

Title sponsor since 2017 for a period of at least three years plus two years in option, the Chinese tourism group HNA, entangled in serious financial problems, has failed the organizers several months ago. The replacement of Alstom had allowed the Open de France, oldest tournament in continental Europe, to integrate the eight "Rolex Series", the newly created category grouping the most prestigious competitions of the European circuit.

How quickly—and I mean quickly—they forget.

HBO First Look: Tiger And Phil 24/7

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While I could swear that’s Miguel Angel Jimenez getting off the plane, we’ll take HBO’s word and accept this early “24/7” footage of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

The show is part of the buildup to November’s The Match.

Another Nail In The WGHOF Coffin: World Golf Head Admits It's A Popularity Contest

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Not only must the golf world at large continue to ignore the World Golf Hall of Fame as they have so well in recent years—down to inductees passing on there ceremony when they are in the same zip code—but now there may need to be questions about the legitimacy of the entire World Golf Foundation after its CEO admitted on the record that he Hall is a popularity contest for the selection committee.

In an unbylined Reuters piece, Steve Mona said eligibility is not strictly based on playing record, as it shouldn’t be—Captaincy’s, course designs, influence as a media member and other influencer intangibles should help push some over the finish line.

But then there is this face-in-the-palms admission from someone paid lavishly to not to say stupid things.

“The Fame element is part of it. Some people were just more popular than others when they were on tour.” 

Still not sure where that leaves us with Monty. But there you have it. A popularity contest. On the record. It’s cronyism gone public.

There is also this quote and dreadful choice of words by historian Bill Mallon.

“I think both Weiskopf and Lema are two marginal candidates, although both are two of my favorite players,” Mallon told Reuters. 

“Of the two, I think Weiskopf has a better resume for inclusion but that is certainly only because of the plane crash (that killed Lema). Not sure how the voters would figure that in.” 

Guess we have to start with the popularity question and then go backwards from there. What a sham.

Hey wait, John Daly is one of the most popular golfers of the modern era and has two majors to his name. How’s he looking for the Hall? Oh right, it’s a popularity contest amongst a small group of voting individuals.

British Masters Saved In Grand Fashion: Hillside, Tommy Fleetwood To Host

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The European Tour unveiled its 2019 schedule with 47 events once again and a new fall finish anchored by the BMW Championship and followed by the Open de France’s move from May to October but losing Rolex Series status (au revoir!).

Besides elevating the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to Rolex Series status, the other headlining news is the last minute salvation of the the British Masters. Thought to be in danger, the event has landed the beautiful Hillside Golf Club next door to Royal Birkdale and Ryder Cup hero Tommy Fleetwood as host of the 2019 edition.

From the European Tour release where you can also access the full schedule:

In terms of dates, Tommy Fleetwood will have an eye on the second week of May when he follows in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Justin Rose as the central figure of the British Masters hosted by Tommy Fleetwood.

The man who contributed four points to Europe’s remarkable 17 ½ - 10 ½ Ryder Cup triumph at Le Golf National last month, will assume the role at Hillside Golf Club in his native Merseyside, the celebrated links part of the glorious stretch of terrain recognised as England’s Golf Coast.

“I can’t wait to host the British Masters in my home town,” said Fleetwood. “It will be such an honour and I’m so grateful to have been asked.

“I’m extremely proud to follow the great ambassadors of our game who have hosted this tournament. I am very confident that Southport will make everyone welcome and the north west of England, and its love of golf, will embrace this opportunity and show support to us all.”

The British Masters hosted by Tommy Fleetwood will mark the European Tour’s first visit to Hillside since 1982 when Tony Jacklin won the Sun Alliance PGA Championship – the precursor to the BMW PGA Championship – beating his fellow Ryder Cup Captain Bernhard Langer in a play-off.

Hillside Golf Club also played host to the European Tour in its inaugural season in 1972, when Tommy Horton won the Piccadilly Medal, and the following year when former Tour Chairman Neil Coles won the PGA Match Play title. It was also utilised by the R&A as a Final Qualifying venue for the Open Championship from 2014 to 2017. 

Champ Wins Even After His Driver Cracks, Dominates With Distance At Sanderson Farms

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Getting your first PGA Tour win is an incredible feat, but especially when you are known for you prodigious driving distances and the head cracks just 20 minutes before your tee time. That’s one Cameron Champ will be able to giggle about after battling to hang on and win the Sanderson Farms Championship at CC of Jackson.

Kevin Casey with the backstory on the driver break. Thankfully there was a backup. Given his clubhead speed (130) and ball speed (190ish) he probably should carry a backup collection!

As for Champ’s driving distance and its role in his win, Sean Martin at PGATour.com writes in his Sanderson roundup:

He dominated the Country Club of Jackson’s back nine, which features two par-5s (Nos. 11 and 13) and the drivable, par-4 15th hole. He was 16 under on the course’s inward half and didn’t make a bogey.

Champ’s trademark driving distance was key to his victory. He finished first in driving distance, averaging 308 yards on all holes and 334 yards on the measured holes. He was second in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, as well. Champ also finished second in Strokes Gained: Putting (+2.27 per round) and ninth in greens hit (55 of 72), despite hitting just 11 in the final round.

And check out these numbers from the ShotLink team. Look at that approach average distance number!

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Trophy Wrap: Schauffele Takes The HSBC, Champ Claims Sanderson, Nelly Nabs The Swing Skirts

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Xander Schauffele is primed for a Ryder Cup berth after…oh wait, sorry. Presidents Cup! He’s in like Flynn! Your WGC HSBC winner…

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Some birthday week eh, @xanderschauffele?

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Cameron Champ has arrived, taking the Sanderson Farms and a fantastic bookend for his coffee table book collection.

Nelly Korda becomes an LPGA winner in Taiwan and has a fantastic glass plate to show for her effort.

Scott Parel won the Invesco QQQ and the member-guest crystal that goes with winning a Schwab Cup playoff event.

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Trophy No. 2 for @parelgolf. 🏆🏆

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