Bamberger To Suzy: Bring Back Ted!

Ah remember when the controversies were seemingly so petty? Michael Bamberger, in his weekly golf.com column of best things in golf, has several fun items, including this:

Ted Bishop, the outspoken former PGA of American president, came rushing back to mind last week when he wrote an insightful GOLF.com piece about Steve Stricker as the Ryder Cup captain. Bishop’s bio blurb noted that he was the 38th president of the PGA of America. As it happens, the Honda event this week is played at a course owned by the PGA of America, PGA National. The 41st and current PGA president, Suzy Whaley, is the first female president of the organization. Bishop’s two-year term has been all but wiped clean from PGA history and he enjoys none of the privileges that come from being a former president, like an invitation-for-life to the Ryder Cup! You might recall his offense: In a post Ryder Cup tweet in 2014, Bishop called Ian Poulter a “Lil girl.” Yes, it was an inane thing to write. But our language, via Twitter and otherwise, has been so debased since then if Bishop or anybody else wrote that today it would be a pebble in an ocean. The point here is this: isn’t it time for Bishop to be brought back into the fold, where he can have his place of honor among former PGA Presidents including George Sargent, Ed Dudley and Max Elbin? Suzy Whaley, an accomplished player and a bright leader in golf, would be the ideal person to do it, or at least initiate it. #rehabilitation.

Given that Whaley couldn’t wait to condemn former prez Bishop while standing by DUI-arrestee Paul Levy the last two years, don’t get your hopes up.

USGA CEO Davis: New Rules "A Huge Success"

News was lighter than ever coming out of the USGA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, as few media members attended and the organization’s relevance wanes.

Global Golf Post offered these notes, where the main news may be a reconsideration of amateur status and online components to that which have gotten YouTube posters in trouble, according to the USGA’s Thomas Pagel.

Mark Newell was elected to a second term as president, but his address was not posted in written or video form online as has been the custom in the past.

Perhaps that’s why CEO Mike Davis made a bold declaration about his organization’s joint effort with the R&A to revitalize the rules.

From Ryan Herrington’s Golf World report that also includes a mention of a few other anecdotes from the address, but this stood out:

“From my perspective, I would say by and large they’ve been a huge success,” Davis said. “They did exactly what we wanted them to do, which was really simplify the understanding and make them easier to apply.”

I’m a little surprised that declaration wasn’t tempered with something about the expected rough patches and that ultimately a huge success story is looming.

Particularly as 2/3rds of the country hasn’t even hit a shot under the new Rules.

There was also this:

Hearing tour pros rail against the USGA is nothing new. But USGA officials have tried to address the issues quickly and provide players background for the changes in hopes that a better understanding of the thought process will assuage their concerns.

“When you actually take them through ‘this is why’, it’s always a light-bulb moment,” Davis said. “‘Oh, I didn’t realize that.’ And I think that’s the frustration that there is. You know it would have been nice if you actually asked the why … but listen, it’s the world we live in.”

This probably would have been more palatable had their been a longer rollout in advance, with a few high profile events as test grounds both for golfing fans and for players.

You can see Davis’ address followed by a town hall meeting which, despite what appears to be a much smaller crowd than in past years, undoubtedly put extra strain on the evening’s open bar portion of the festivities.

Honda Classic, PGA Tour's Longest Continuous Sponsor, Takes Field Hit

The Forecaddie concludes the new tighter, zanier schedule has claimed its first victim with the Players Championship moving to March and two WGC’s in five weeks: the Honda Classic.

Besides halting that event’s momentum, the impact of a dramatically weaker field hurting the Tour’s longest continuously running sponsor should not be discounted. Newer events and WGC’s at the expense of tournaments that have been stalwarts should bother someone in Ponte Vedra.

Other events worth watching in the new scheme of things: the Valspar at Innisbrook, the AT&T Byron Nelson and the Wyndham.

With Win No. 20, Dustin Johnson Seems Destined For The WGHOF

Dustin Johnson’s major record from Wikipedia

Now, there are popularity issues that only the committees know how to work out behind closed doors, and we know there are many players who have been overlooked either because they were forgotten or they ruffled someone’s feathers.

But setting all of that aside, it appears with with No. 20, a U.S. Open, a strong major record and many years of good health and golf ahead, Dustin Johnson has carved out a Hall of Fame career. Assuming such things matter to players today, it’s still worth highlighting.

And hey, he’s getting in the Myrtle Beach golf HOF this week, joining his grandfather. So we know he passed one Hall’s character test!

Steve DiMeglio’s game story from Johnson’s second WGC Mexico City win in three years.

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🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 DJ’s sixth World Golf Championship win. #WGCMexico

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It Was A Good Day For Netflix...For Golf: Tiger Grants GolfTV Exclusive After WGC Mexico Final Round

Sure, the real Netflix didn’t pick up the Best Picture win it so coveted—but plenty of other trophies—the service billed as the Netflix for golf by all finally scored an exclusive with partner Tiger Woods after his WGC Mexico City closing 69 and 10th place finish.

While not the winning way he is accustomed to, Woods showed more signs of positioning himself well for the Masters with a miraculous recovery shot and enough birdies to suggest he’s in solid form.

Yet as Bob Harig notes for ESPN, Woods wasn’t chatty after his final two rounds in Mexico City.

And for the second day in a row Sunday, Woods declined to talk about it.

Golfers across all professional tours decline media requests after poor rounds, but Woods has been the rare type to be accountable for good and bad -- and he's also the only one requested every time.

Woods skipped just one post-round media session last year but now has two in a row at the WGC-Mexico Championship, the post-tournament recap refusal something that hasn't occurred in years.

While Woods is certainly entitled at this point to take a pass given how consistently he’s stopped for post round coverage when he undoubtedly was ashamed of his play, it’s hard not to wonder if the Netflix-for-golf pressure to deliver something…anything, prompted a call to throw a reminder out there that the fledging streaming service exists.

The exclusive from Woods is viewable in the only place American and most international viewers can see the coverage: Twitter.

"I'm officially excited to get off Poa!"
—@TigerWoods shares his thoughts on a tough putting week and takes us through his prep plan for the Florida swing (which involves putting some weight back on). pic.twitter.com/Tg1cZRMg9j

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) February 24, 2019

Instant Poll: Higher Priority For Tournament Golf: Pace Of Play Or Protecting The Field?

The recent backstopping incident in Thailand was arguably the worst case yet in terms of optics and in helping a player save a stroke. I wrote about it here for Golfweek.

My colleague Beth Ann Nichols defended the players because of their pure-hearted nature.

Brandel Chamblee and Mark Rolfing were pretty tough on the players involved and you can see the latest incident here if you haven’t already.

Randall Mell agreed this was ultimately an effort to speed up play (on the 18th green?) even as he’s written about the perils of backstopping.

The LPGA issued this statement absolving the players of any wrongdoing.

So I ask, even though Ariya Jutanugarn could have tip-toed to the ball in 20 seconds, walked in 10, and marked, is that time saved more important than the shot lost to the field in the name of faster play?

Higher priority for tournament golf: pace of play or protecting the field?

Pace of play, even if it means bending the rules

Protecting the field, even if it adds time to the round

 

pollcode.com free polls

"Nothing unites Golf Twitter like protestations about the CBS telecasts"

From Alan Shipnuck’s Golf.com mailbag:

If the CBS telecast were a person would they have dinner at 4:00 pm in a Bob Evans? Would they also wear a sweater in July in Boca Raton? -@HouseSacco

It’s true that the CBS telecast retains the sensibilities of Ken Venturi, who would now be pushing 90. I dare say that, except for slow play, nothing unites Golf Twitter like protestations about the CBS telecasts. The presentation and metabolism simply isn’t working with the modern golf fan. What’s interesting is that the PGA Tour knows it, because minions from the communications dept. have pushed back against some of the fiercest on-line critics. Perhaps all of this energy would be better spent helping CBS improve its product.

Tiger's First Day At WGC Mexico City Peaks At The First Tee

Remember walk up music? That’s right, we do not hear about that lame idea much because of poor execution. Besides, there is still nothing better than a great first tee announcer as we saw again Thursday.

As Steve DiMeglio notes for Golfweek, Tiger Woods’ first round in the WGC Mexico City Championship peaked at this introduction and was followed by a largely cautious round as Woods adjusted to the altitude. Rory McIlroy leads with an opening 63.

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Tiger’s opening tee shot(s) did not live up to his first-tee introduction Thursday in Mexico.

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USGA Announces Six U.S. Amateur Venues From 2021 To 2026: Oakmont, Ridgewood, Cherry Hills, Hazeltine, Olympic And Merion

Interesting to see the USGA announce so many venues at once for the U.S. Amateur.

Obviously the standouts are Oakmont, Ridgewood, Cherry Hills and Merion—Hazeltine and Olympic once would have been exciting but seem overexposed and architecturally uninspiring now compared to the rest of the scheduled venues. Both are scheduled to host future Ryder Cups.

The next two U.S. Amateurs are at Pinehurst and Bandon Dunes.

For Immediate Release:

U.S. Amateur Returns to Oakmont, Ridgewood, Cherry Hills, 
Hazeltine National, The Olympic Club and Merion

USGA announces six U.S. Amateur Championship sites, from 2021 through 2026

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Feb. 21, 2019) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced sites for six U.S. Amateur Championships, from 2021 through 2026. Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club will host the U.S. Amateur in 2021 and will be followed by Ridgewood (N.J.) Country Club in 2022 and Cherry Hills Country Club, in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., in 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 championships will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club, in Chaska, Minn.; The Olympic Club, in San Francisco, Calif.; and Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa., respectively.

“This distinguished group of future U.S. Amateur sites aligns the USGA’s oldest championship with courses of historical significance and proven competitive excellence which will be beneficial to both the player and fan experience,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of Championships. “Amateur golf is primary to the USGA’s mission and the partnerships with these prominent clubs affirm our commitment to supporting and growing amateur competition.”

Designed by Henry C. Fownes and opened in 1903, Oakmont Country Club has been the site of 16 previous USGA championships, the most recent in 2016 when Dustin Johnson won the U.S. Open by three strokes. In 2025, the U.S. Open will return to Oakmont for a record 10th time. The 2021 U.S. Amateur will mark the sixth time the championship has been held on the iconic western Pennsylvania course. Oakmont previously hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1919, 1925, 1938, 1969 and 2003.

Ridgewood’s three nine-hole courses – East, Center and West – were designed by A.W. Tillinghast and opened for play in 1929. Ridgewood, which will host its fifth USGA championship, was the site of the 1974 U.S. Amateur, when Jerry Pate defeated John P. Grace, 2 and 1. The club most recently hosted the 2016 U.S. Girls’ Junior, won by Eun Jeong Seong. It also hosted the 1990 U.S. Senior Open, when Lee Trevino posted a two-stroke victory over Jack Nicklaus.

In 2023, Cherry Hills Country Club will host its third U.S. Amateur and 10th USGA championship. Steven Fox made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 37th hole to defeat Michael Weaver and cap a memorable 2012 U.S. Amateur final. Phil Mickelson, then a 20-year-old Arizona State University student, captured the 1990 U.S. Amateur there. Designed by William Flynn, Cherry Hills has hosted three U.S. Opens. Arnold Palmer produced one of the most indelible performances in Open history with a final-round 65 and a record comeback in 1960, while Ralph Guldahl (1938) and Andy North (1978) also won there.

Hazeltine National will host the 2024 U.S. Amateur, its 10th USGA championship. The club will also be the site for the 2020 U.S. Junior Amateur. Designed by Robert Trent Jones and remodeled by his son, Rees Jones, Hazeltine National hosted the 2006 U.S. Amateur, which was won by Richie Ramsay, the first player from Scotland to win the title since 1898. The U.S. Open Championship has been contested twice at Hazeltine. In 1970, Tony Jacklin became the first Englishman to win in 50 years, while Payne Stewart claimed the first of his two U.S. Opens in an 18-hole playoff over Scott Simpson in 1991.

The Olympic Club (Lake and Ocean Courses) will host its 12th USGA championship with the 2025 U.S. Amateur. The U.S. Women’s Open is also scheduled in 2021. The club has held three U.S. Amateurs (1958, 1981, 2007). Five U.S. Opens have been held at The Olympic Club, including Jack Fleck’s three-stroke playoff victory over Ben Hogan in 1955 and Billy Casper’s four-stroke playoff win over Arnold Palmer in 1966. Webb Simpson (2012), Lee Janzen (1998) and Scott Simpson (1987) each produced come-from-behind victories.

Merion Golf Club will establish records for most USGA championships hosted by a club (20) and most U.S. Amateurs when the Amateur is contested there for the seventh time in 2026. Merion, which hosted its first USGA championship in 1904 – the U.S. Women’s Amateur – will also host the 2022 Curtis Cup Match. The U.S. Open has been played five times (1934, 1950, 1971, 1981, 2013) at the club, while six U.S. Amateurs have been held (1916, 1924, 1930, 1966, 1989 and 2005). Hugh Wilson designed Merion’s East Course, where Bob Jones won two of his record five U.S. Amateurs (1924, 1930).

The 119th U.S. Amateur will be played Aug. 12-18, 2019 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C., while the 2020 championship will take place at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore., Aug. 10-16.

What Tony Romo's Sponsor's Invite Really Says About The AT&T Byron Nelson

Many sent the news of Tony Romo’s sponsor’s invite to the AT&T Byron Nelson expecting me to join the outrage, and while I still think it’s bizarre an amateur golfer can have his own golf shoe commercial and Under Armour deal with the USGA’s blessing, I get why he’s been given a spot this year.

Romo, after Jordan Spieth, may be the AT&T Byron Nelson’s biggest draw.

It’s the right move.

Placed in a new schedule spot the week before the first May PGA Championship, it may be the worst possible tune-up for Bethpage Black. Which is sad, given that Trinity Forest is a fantastic, architecturally brilliant piece of work on otherwise average ground. But it’s the perfect tune-up for The Open, not the PGA and players are likely to pass the Nelson in droves.

Oh, to be a coffee cup on the dark cherry wood conference room table when AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson brings up the new schedule at a future PGA Tour Policy Board meeting.

Patrick Reed Assures Captain Stricker He Has His (Gulp) Back

Rex Hoggard reports that new U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker has spoken to Patrick Reed and all has been handled with regards to the Masters champion.

“As far as he's concerned, and I am, too, it's been handled,” Stricker said. “He's apologized and spoke to the players. He spoke to me and I kind of asked him what to expect from him. He's like, ‘You know what, I've got your guys' back. I'm there for the team.’”

Yes he does! Wielding a large knife from behind if 2018 is any indication.

Stricker Named 2020 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain, Gets Choked Up Naming Jim Furyk An Assistant Captain

Holy cow does this man get emotional! Ben Crenshaw is going to look like Patton after this captaincy.

Steve DiMeglio at Golfweek.com on player reaction to Stricker’s naming…emotional was the key word at his press conference and in Mexico City where players reacted to the “news”:

“I’m an emotional guy. I’m truly humbled,” Stricker said. “I’m very passionate about this competition. We want to win this more than ever.”

We noticed. First time Furyk’s name evoked such throat lumps when Stricker named him the first of 14 vice captains!

The biggest news out of Stricker’s first day?

All four captain’s picks will now happen at once, a change from the policy changed from the previous policy. Ryan Lavner reports for GolfChannel.com.

You can watch the full news conference here and see PGA president Suzy Whaley shut out of the questioning, mercifully continuing the trend of PGA presidents trying to get a share of the limelight only to be ignored by media.

Gasp! Bryson DeChambeau Still Watches DVD's

There goes his millennial street cred!

Actually, the forward-thinking world No. 5 is trying to better teach his brain to be calm, focused and stress-free.

Clearly his DVD player was off last week or maybe he got bogged down working through studio screeners—it is LA where no one in the industry pays to see a nominee—but as Mike McAllister details for PGATour.com, DeChambeau is normally on the cutting edge of brain-training work.

Using his travel-sized Neuropeak Pro brain-training unit, DeChambeau pops in the DVD, then attaches a gold-plated silver EEG sensor to his head. The real-time data he receives monitors the peaks and valleys of his brain’s electrical current as the movie unfolds. DeChambeau’s goal is to avoid the spikes that occur at the most stressful, intense parts; he wants to keep his high beta and theta ratios inside a pre-determined range.

If the activity in his brain fires too high, the movie will immediately stop. Only when DeChambeau relaxes his brain – controlling his breathing, reducing his heart rate, focusing his mind to reach a calm state -- will the movie resume playing.

Maintaining a proper balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic states, flattening out his EEG reading to eliminate the highs and lows – that’s the end game.

I wonder how many kids will be sending this story to parents suggesting they need a Neuropeak Pro system and Amazon gift card in their lives?

The Clubhouse Podcast With Shane Bacon: Genesis Open Wrap, J.B. Holmes "Situation" And More

Shane Bacon hosted me in The Clubhouse to wrap up the week at Riviera that included more player drama than normal and a weird finish. Enjoy!

Players: Shorts Make Players Us More Relatable To Pro-Am Partners

I was pleased to see that the move to shorts in practice and pro-am rounds (A) came after resistance from Commissioner Jay Monahan and (B) for the utterly moronic rationale that players will be more relatable to pro-am participants.

I have an idea! How about we just handcuff them, poor lemon drops in their eyes and spin them around on every tee shot so they shoot 95, whine excessively and make fools of themselves? That should bring these flatbellies down even more!

At least we are all in agreement that shorts concept validates the theory this look only dent the image and look of the professional golfer.

From Rex Hoggard’s GolfChannel.com story:

“It makes total sense,” Kevin Kisner said. “The Tour went about it in the correct way. They asked our sponsors and they said anything that makes us more relatable and makes pro-am groups feel more comfortable on Wednesday it’s a positive for them.”

According to Horschel it was input from various sponsors that ultimately convinced the Tour to allow shorts.

“[Tour commissioner Jay Monahan] was against it. He will tell you he wasn’t really for the shorts. But when the PGA of America did what they did and it was successful and people loved it he took notice,” Horschel said. “What pushed Jay over the edge was when he talked to the sponsors and they said they loved the shorts. They told him it brings the Tour player closer to us. That’s what Jay told me pushed him over the edge when it allowed the Tour players to become more relatable.”

I can’t relate to drives carrying 320 yards. Maybe we should bring those back, too?