Kuch The Mooch: "Does This Constitute A Story?"

That’s the question GolfDigest.com’s Joel Beall asks and does a nice job answering after a fellow golf pro called out what he saw as Matt Kuchar’s substandard pay to a caddie last fall.

Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.

Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” 

The irony in this escapade like other recent episodes cited by Beall: this was started and fueled by one of Kuchar’s peers, not a media outlet.

As players have increasingly shunned media for social media to break news or tell their story, it’s fascinating how many examples we’ve already seen of players calling out fellow players on social media in ways more harsh and reputation-damaging than a traditional media outlet would dare.

After all, few in the golf press dared to touch the story until Kuchar had a chance to play his round, collect his thoughts and chat with press. Some of his peers were judging before he’d had a chance to comment. It’s a phenomenon worth nothing as players increasing view traditional journalism as “out to get them” even as, at least in Kuchar’s case, the damage was done before he even reached the media center.

Take That Phoenix: Pebble Beach The First To Exempt Internet Sensation Hosung Choi

They tried to get him to the Waste Management Open but the shrewd folks at Pebble Beach took the very minor risk in welcoming Hosung Choi to his first PGA Tour event.

Ron Kroichick on the reports out of Korea that the zany World No. 200 has revealed he’s coming to Pebble this February. Choi’s amazing swing and varied follow-throughs provide a sight unlike anything modern pro golf has seen. While he won’t be as popular to watch as world 869 Vijay Singh, Choi figures to have a large following in a field often filled out by people you were surprised to learn are still active professional golfers.

Now maybe we can get him one more exemption in California while he’s in the land of the free? Say, the Genesis Open?

LA would love this! It never gets old!

Titleist Wins All Club Counts At Sony On The Back Of...Speed? TaylorMade?

There’s a little something for everyone in Jonathan Wall’s Golf.com story on Titleist winning the driver and every major club category at the 2019 Sony Open. It was Titleist’s first PGA Tour week win since 2000. These counts don’t mean much to everyday golfers but are of interest to hardcore club junkies and the golf business.

While Wall cautions this is just one week and it’s a long season ahead, the Darrell Survey results did allow Wall to explain a key factor in the surge of Titleist usage. With claims of more speed using the new TS3, players looking for more distance were understandably intrigued. But here’s why players were able to consider the club:

TaylorMade, which won every PGA Tour, World Golf Championship and major driver count during the 2017-18 season, is unlikely to repeat the feat this year due to the significantly reduced Tour-player staff the brand now employs — only five staffers are listed on its website.

TaylorMade’s decision to partly back out of the driver arms race helped Callaway and Ping pick up one “win” apiece during the fall portion of the season; TaylorMade still logged six wins.

Still, just five players?

Coupled with Nike getting out of the club business not too long ago and TaylorMade out of the everyday Tour player endorsement business, it seems there are more free agents than ever. At least when it comes to what’s in the (tour pro) bag.

Nike Teases New (Artificial) Grass Golf Shoe...

Oh we enjoyed the slaughtering their Cousin Eddie/nurse/lawn bowling shoes took when Rory unveiled his 2019 pair last week, but come on, you have to love the originality here from the Swoosh folks! If nothing else, they are not white. Golf has enough shoes in Pat Boone’s favorite color.

Expected retail price is $140 with no release date yet set.

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Nike is set to release Air Max 1 Golf “Grass” kicks this year. 👀 Thoughts?! 🤔

A post shared by GOLF.com // GOLF Magazine (@golf_com) on Jan 13, 2019 at 9:36am PST

Bad News Winning Pro Golfers: Fans Think Your Caddies Are 10 Percenters

In light of Matt Kuchar possibly stiffing his celebrated caddie at last fall’s Mayakoba Classic, Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch posed the question of what constitutes proper payment for a winning bag week loop.

Impressively, 10% is dominating while the $3000 Kuchar possibly paid his man brings up the rear.

Matt Kuchar getting roasted for allegedly paying a local caddie $3,000 after winning $1.3m at a recent Tour event in Mexico. Curious what folks think would be fair in that scenario.

— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) January 12, 2019

ANWA Invitations Have Arrived, Including Lucy Li's

The glorious (and big!) Augusta National Women’s Amateur invitations have started arriving in mailboxes of the players who have earned exemptions to the inaugural event. Beth Ann Nichols with Anna Redding’s story of opening the big invite.

Of special note is the glee with which Lucy Li celebrated her invitation as the USGA weighs the 16-year-old’s amateur status following an Apple Watch ad appearance.

Feels so surreal... Thanks @anwagolf for making my dreams, and the dreams of girls all around the world come true! pic.twitter.com/ZCyvrnTGEf

— Lucy Li (@_lucy_li) January 14, 2019

Mooch? Former PGA Tour Player Gillis Says Kuchar Paid Local Caddie Only $3k After Collecting $1.3 Million Check

Former PGA Tour player Tom Gillis took to Twitter suggesting Matt Kuchar, 2019 Sony Open leader, former Players Champion and winner of $45 million in his PGA Tour career, might want to pay his caddie this week more than the $3000 he claims Kuchar paid “David” upon winning last fall’s Mayakoba Classic.

The win garnered Kuchar a $1.3 million winner’s check plus presumed bonuses. You may recall that David was a local caddie Kuchar used when he entered last minute and his normal looper, John Wood, had a previous engagement.

Gillis’ Tweet:

If Kuchar wins this weekend let's hope he pays his man more than 3k like the last win. 45 mil in earnings. Could've changed the mans life. 👎

— Tom Gillis (@tcgillis) January 12, 2019

To his credit, Gillis answered and Tweeted questions from skeptics unsure of his sources or motivations.

Following his third round at the Sony, Kuchar denied the amount quoted and said it was not a story. From Rex Hoggard’s GolfChannel.com story:

“That’s not a story,” Kuchar said. “It’s wasn’t 10 percent. It wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story.”

You may recall that the euphoria over David’s effort prompted Michael Bamberger to dig a little deeper, writing this following up for Golf.com back in November 2018:

10. In a qualifier for the tournament, Ortiz caddied for a Mexican golfer, Armando Favela, who made it into the tournament and finished in a tie for 16th, making him the low Mexican. Favela earned $108,000.

11. Asked if he made more money than Favela last week, Ortiz said, “I hope so!” He had not yet received or discussed his pay with Kuchar. He knows the standard caddie bonus is 10 percent of the winner’s share. Kuchar earned $1.3 million for his win, his first since 2014.

So far just Brandel Chamblee has come to Kuchar’s defense, suggesting the pay was legitimately fair for a local caddie.

The reason tour caddies are paid as much as they are is to offset travel expenses and the sacrifice of a lifetime on the road away from family and friends. If Kuch in fact paid his substitute caddy $3,000 (from what I read, roughly twice his normal salary) seems a fair exchange. https://t.co/Zp16KC7FGv

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) January 12, 2019

Depends on a great many things and none of us knows all of the details such that we are justified in defaming an individual based upon rumors or half knowledge. It happens that differences occur on the course for any number of reasons that might effect what one is paid. https://t.co/tMUDMLMzQC

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) January 13, 2019

"Golf-Home Owners Find Themselves in a Hole"

While the PGA Tour Commissioner sees golf as “growing and thriving,” the Wall Street Journal’s Candace Taylor details a growing crisis in the golf course real estate community world. (Thanks reader JB for sending.)

As younger generations do not take to golf or have little interest in golf course-fronting homes, values are plummeting and closures are commonplace.

“There are hundreds of other communities in this situation, and they’re trapped and they don’t know what to do,” says Peter Nanula, chief executive of Concert Golf Partners, a golf club owner-operator that owns about 20 private clubs across the U.S. One of his current projects is the rehabilitation of a recently acquired club in Florida that had shut one of its three golf courses and sued residents who had stopped paying membership fees.

More than 200 golf courses closed in 2017 across the country, while only about 15 new ones opened, according to the National Golf Foundation, a golf market-research provider. Florida-based development consultant Blake Plumley said he gets about seven phone calls every week seeking advice about struggling courses, from course owners or homeowners’ associations. He said most of those matters end up in court, and predicted that the U.S. is only about halfway through the number of golf-course closures that will eventually occur.

Growing and thriving…

State Of The Game 88: A Host Of SOG Issues!

Rod Morri, Mike Clayton and I kick around the Lucy Li amateur status situation, the dangers for the governing bodies, the PGA Tour’s athleticism push and the early returns on golf’s new rules.

As always, the show is available at the usual podcast locations like iTunes or below…

Eduardo: Leaving The Flagstick In Helps To A Point...

Nice to see Eduardo Molinari and friends doing a little study on the benefits or lack thereof for putts with the flagstick in.

You need to swipe through the slides to see the results, but some good food for thought if you believe the COR of the flagstick will absorb any speed putt. It will no.

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In the last few weeks a lot of talk has been made about the new “flagstick” rule which now gives you the option to leave the flag in when playing a shot from the green. Bryson DeChambeau last week in Hawaii left the flag in quite often...we wanted to make sure what is the best choice for your own benefit! So three pros from our academy spent the last day on the 18th hole at Royal Park I Roveri testing the two options,using using different speeds and entry lines...WATCH THE FULL VIDEO TO FIND OUT THE RESULTS! @golfdigest @golfchannel @golftrainingaids @golf_gods @the.putting.channel @europeantour @brysondechambeau @swashputting @potters_putting @federazioneitalianagolf @royal_park_i_roveri @dodomolinari @lolloguanti @c0rrad0destefani @bennypastore • • • #emga #giocaagolfcomehaisempresognato #flagstick #newrules #inorout #putting #secrets #golf #puttingcoach #puttinggreen #inthehole #golfballs #golfacademy #golfcoach #puttingdrills

A post shared by Edoardo Molinari Golf Academy (@emgolfacademy) on Jan 10, 2019 at 9:14am PST

As ANWA Invites Go Out, What Will Be Li's Post Apple Ad Status?

As the USGA sorts our Lucy Li’s starring role in an Apple Watch ad, Steve Eubanks of Global Golf Post recaps the story and notes the no-win position faced by the governing bodies.

There aren’t many rocks and hard places much bigger than the ones they’re between.

While he suggests that’s based on past reputation, I’d counter that their biggest hurdle is a society seeing no issues with amateurs taking freebies or payment for endorsements. The lines have certainly been blurred by the Olympics and even things as seemingly innocuous as allowing amateur golfers to wear scripted corporate logo gear.

Still, no matter how you feel Eubanks makes a key point that mustn’t be forgotten in the debate.

But before you jump to conclusions, think about this: Li is listed in the field for the AJGA Buick Shanshan Feng Girls Invitational on Feb. 15-18. She will be playing against girls who know the rules; girls with parents who have shelled out small fortunes to keep their daughters competitive in the junior game. 

How will those girls and their parents look at Li? Will anyone call her a cheater to her face?

Others played by the rules and while they may not have been offered endorsement opportunities, many or most of those players likely would have followed the rules. Li’s parents did not and while it’s a shame, clearly all involved were not concerned with her amateur status. For that alone, it’s time to let her pursue a professional career.

With Augusta National Women’s Amateur invitations going out this week, it will be interesting to see if the good folks in Augusta are holding on to Li’s automatic invite (based on world ranking) until a decision is handed down?

We discussed on this week’s Alternate Shot:

Will Adam Scott Start A New Trend Of Players Passing Up WGC's?

Anyone who has looked at the new PGA Tour schedule sees weak spots on the list where top players will be tempted to stay home. Mexico City sits awkwardly before a busy run of Florida events, the Match Play still very close to the Masters and the WGC moving to Memphis after the major season and before the playoffs.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if the WGC’s, field killers to so many longtime PGA Tour stops, were to start taking hits because of the schedule?

Adam Scott admitted in his Sony Open press conference that he’s focused on majors and WGC’s will be a casualty. From Dave Shedloski’s GolfDigest.com report:

As for the WGCs, Scott, ranked 41st in the world, might change his mind as the season progresses, but for now he seems set on there being no deviations from the plan.

"I feel like there are good tournaments right around them that are a preferred option," he said. "It is tricky. I thought that was interesting for my schedule change. I wouldn't have thought that was the case, but that is the case at the moment."

Jordan Spieth Predicts Most Amateurs Will Just Ignore The New Drop Rule

Like many, Jordan Spieth can’t comprehend the notion of being penalized from dropping at shoulder height, as the rules revamp currently calls for.

From Joel Beall’s item at GolfDigest.com:

“What if they just take a drop from the cart path. I don’t think they probably care. They will still drop it from the shoulder. Technically, you take a drop from your shoulder and play out, you could be penalized for that. Doesn’t make much sense.

“It’s a disadvantage to drop it that high, so that one I didn’t really understand fully. It was cool that you’re able to get lower to drop it. I thought you would be able to do it at any height.”

NY Post: Discovery "Among Several Suiters" For Golf Digest

In an item unusually light on details by Keith Kelly standards and feeling more like a reminder to interested suitors that Golf Digest is still for sale, the New York Post media writer says new PGA Tour International TV distributor Discovery is interested.

The billionaire Newhouse family has a minority stake in publicly traded Discovery, but the family connection is not necessarily giving the programmer any advantage. It will come down to price and Discovery’s long-term strategy on golf.

Discovery actually has some live-streaming golf in Europe connected to the PGA tour but does not have any golfing channels in the US and currently has no print within its empire.

Someone get Kelley the memo that Discovery’s GOLFTV is the Netflix of golf!

Conde Nast had set a year-end 2018 deadline to sell Golf Digest and two other publications.

Steph Curry PGA Tour Event Abandoned, For Now

Reading Ron Kroichick’s SF Chronicle account of Steph Curry’s proposed PGA Tour event falling through, it’s hard to understand what exactly went wrong other than the looming deadlines involved with a September event.

But negotiations with potential title sponsor Workday, the finance and human resources software company in Pleasanton, unexpectedly broke off. Tour officials didn’t have time to find another title sponsor, especially given the course changes Lake Merced would need to make in eight months.

“We are still committed to bringing an event to San Francisco,” Curry told The Chronicle. “It just won’t be this year.”

The question then may be, why didn’t the PGA Tour just sponsor this in year one to ensure they’re in the Steph Curry business.