Too Soon To Wonder If The New Major Season Is Too Condensed?

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That’s the question posed by Eamon Lynch for Golfweek as we are 250 days from the next major. But one thing we can all agree on: the fall schedule is anchored by a team event in December this year.

The Fall schedule ought to be more than an opportunity for journeymen to get a head start on FedEx Cup points before the stars return from vacation at Kapalua in January, but it lacks an anchor event. The Tour created this barren expanse on the calendar to protect the FedEx Cup playoffs — which is fair enough, since that’s where the bankroll is — and could remedy it by moving the Players Championship to the Fall. It won’t happen, of course. Even being the biggest event of the early wraparound season would still be seen as diminishing the Players, and ratings might suffer against the pigskin. So the highlight of our Fall will be a broadcast from Royal Melbourne in the middle of the night after all, this one the Presidents Cup.

A few have questioned this publicly and quite a few more privately for a variety of reasons. Players are not seeing the wisdom in the tighter major window and have played less around the majors. With some high profile defections at the WGC FedEx St. Jude and an even bigger no-show rate for the Wyndham Championship (you know, to help your playoff position), cracks have appeared in the new schedule concept. Namely: it’s weakening the very “product” it was meant to strengthen.

I think we need a little more time to mull the question as the only meaningful reversal will come after a new TV deal starts and the various majors have considered how the schedule plays out. The 2019-20 schedule is due out any day now and 20-21 won’t change much either.

But my initial take as a supporter of the new schedule’s tighter structure? The majors are stronger for it despite what players may legitimately think is too short of a window. The surrounding professional events on all tours have been weakened instead of strengthened as players conserve energy, and the PGA Tour Playoffs arrive too close on the heals of the majors. Given that the entire thing was built around avoiding football season and making the PGA Tour playoffs a bigger deal, the early reactions may force a re-thinking or even a scrapping of the wraparound schedule concept entirely.

Brooks Doesn't Need No (Lengthy) Warm-Up: Wins WGC St. Jude, Wraps Player Of The Year

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Rolling in just David Cobb details Koepka’s low-key arrival less than an hour before teeing off and with only a little time spent on the range. Turns out, it was only a few minutes less than his normal Sunday warm-up.

Please Brooks, don’t be mad we didn’t know this!

As Brian Wacker correctly notes here for GolfDigest.com, the POY race is now over before the Tour Championship, if it was a race, given Koepka’s play in the majors (T2-1-2-T4).



Wyndham Rewards Chase Ends A Week Early Because No One (With A Chance To Win) Is Playing The Wyndham

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We’ve heard all year about the excitement of the Wyndham Rewards chase—a $10 million bonus pool to make players add the Wyndham Championship to their schedule—but it’s all over. That’s partially the fault of winner Brooks Koepka, and also because it was not a well-conceived bonus pool.

As Rex Hoggard reports here for GolfChannel.com, only Paul Casey from the top 10 receiving the bonus money is playing this week’s Wyndham, with the rest passing up the event. The pool was added presumably to incentivize players to tee it up at the Wyndham and reward season long play. It managed the latter but doesn’t do this week’s event much good, or make that $10 million investment exactly sing.

Here’s what was promised when announced last fall:

The bonus program will provide additional drama to the Regular Season finale and also place a greater premium on full-season performance, thus elevating the significance of each tournament on the schedule.

"The Wyndham Championship plays a pivotal role in the regular season as it's the last chance players have to secure a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs," said Eliot Hamlisch, vice president and leader of the Wyndham Rewards program. "In joining with the PGA TOUR to introduce the Wyndham Rewards Top 10, we're not only elevating the significance of our own tournament, but also placing a premium on great golf all season long. What's more, as the world's most generous rewards program, we couldn't think of a more fitting way to recognize the PGA TOUR's best of the best than by saying, 'You've earned this.' "

You’ve earned it, and you don’t have to play the Wyndham to cash the check!

Tom Watson Bids Farewell To One Of The Very Best Links Careers

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James Corrigan said it would be “like Luciano Pavarotti signing off at La Scala” and Michael Bamberger called his style “primal” in a wonderful send off, but no matter how you look at it, Tom Watson signed off on an epic links career. He is in the same league as the very best links golfers of all time—Old and Young Tom, the Parks, Jones, Thomson, etc)—and enjoyed the added benefit of competing in the Senior Open Championship.

 Bamberger wrote:

This is all a round-about way of saying that this farewell from Watson is significant, because here you have a golfer who played a sort of primal golf in ways nobody else ever did, including everybody.

Watson did not issue a press release announcing his goodbye or anything like that. He just answered a question from Lewis with characteristic candor.

In explaining his decision to call it a day on the two of the most prized senior events, Watson said, “The why is pretty simple, I can’t compete against these guys anymore. I don’t hit the ball far enough, and when you can’t compete, there’s no sense. I’m a realist. I understand how to play the game. And I just don’t have enough tools in the tool box to compete against these guys out here.”

Some nice social posts of the farewell 73 at Royal Lytham and St Annes:

 
 

State Of The Game Episode 97: Wrapping Up The Open At Portrush

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We’re back with a wrap-up chat on The Open at Royal Portrush, plus all of the other golf news that’s fit to gab about. Drinking game warning: “skill” counts going forward. Cheers!

The iTunes show link.

And of course State of The Game is posted wherever fine pods can be enjoyed.

Honma's Mark King Leaves Honma For Taco Bell

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Erica Newburger of CNBC reports on Mark King taking the job as Taco Bell CEO, but oddly does not mention his current gig as leader of Honma’s North American operation. Instead, the focus was on his time at Adidas and Taylor Made.

Assuming you consider this a promotion, as many would, it’s rare for a golf executive to move up in the corporate world.

I’m not sure what else it says given the world of boards, headhunters and “C-level” hires, but there is one less prominent voice in the manufacturing community to join the distance debate likely to occur this fall. King had a range of views on bifurcation over the years and as I noted when he was named an advisor to Honma, a poor track record in the later years of his Taylor Made run.

He will be replaced by John Kawaja, reports Jonathan Wall:


PGA Tour Enlists DraftKings For Daily Fantasy Gaming Help

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After years of pretty uninspired efforts to jumpstart fantasy league play, the PGA Tour has wisely joined forces with the real pros at this business, DraftKings. Looks like a very smart move if they can pry loose more than a dozen balls or some old headcovers for prizes.

For Immediate Release and now is time to take the “engagement” over/under? It’s 3:

DraftKings named “Official Daily Fantasy Game” of the PGA TOUR

“PGA TOUR DraftKings Fantasy Golf” becomes TOUR’s first daily fantasy sports partner 

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA, AND BOSTON – The PGA TOUR and DraftKings Inc. announced a new multi-year content and marketing relationship today that designates DraftKings as the first-ever “Official Daily Fantasy Game of the PGA TOUR.” 

“We are excited to partner with DraftKings, an industry leader in innovation and fan engagement, in this groundbreaking step for the PGA TOUR,” said Luis Goicouria, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President Media. “The partnership with DraftKings provides the TOUR with a unique opportunity to innovate in a new industry and to further engage our fans.”

DraftKings will activate the partnership by branding its daily fantasy golf contests as “PGA TOUR DraftKings Fantasy Golf.”

Nice, an activation and a branding in the same sentence.

By playing these contests, fans will have the opportunity to win cash prizes as well as an array of PGA TOUR prizes in the future. The offerings include Classic contests where fans choose six players each week on the PGA TOUR for their fantasy team all while staying under the designated salary cap.

Does this mean PGA Tour pros and their agents will be complaining to Tour headquarters when they perceive a slight when the designated salary suggests they are, uh, a great value?

Showdown contests are also available, which requires players to compile a team of six while staying under the designated salary cap for a single round of a tournament. Players have the option to compete with other PGA TOUR fans or in private, fully customizable contests with friends and colleagues.

As part of the new relationship, PGA TOUR DraftKings Fantasy Golf players will have the ability to receive real-time video highlights for players in their respective lineups. Other elements of this partnership will create expanded Draft Fantasy Sports specific content offerings, as well as allow for brand integration into both the PGA TOUR and DraftKings platforms. Lastly, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings will collaborate on a variety of real-time product enhancements via the PGA TOUR’s proprietary ShotLink powered by CDW data feed. 

“Golf continues to grow in popularity among DFS players globally at DraftKings and is our fourth-largest sport in terms of engagement, out of 15 total offerings.” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer of DraftKings. “Our partnership with the PGA TOUR signals a mutual commitment to excellence in customer experience along with a new era in golf fandom and engagement.”

The 21st Century's K Club? 2026 Ryder Cup To Adare Manor

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Apparently we’re far enough removed from the K Club Ryder Cup to have forgotten the lessons of that forgettable experience to award JP McManus and Adare Manor the 2026 event.

Harry McGee reports for the Irish Times on Thursday’s announcement plans.

I understand that cold, hard cash is all that matters in European Tour Ryder Cup venue selection. Especially these days. But this still doesn’t mean we have to be excited by yet another inland, American-style course hosting in Europe. Just one links or mildly historic/interesting venue in this lifetime would be nice. Just one!

Players Offering Thoughts On Testing For Juiced Drivers

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As I noted for Golfweek, Xander Schauffele going public with his failed driver test at The Open, and then stirring up a debate about hot drivers, has kept the incident in the news and led to some interesting comments from top players.

Jason Munz reports on player thoughts as they tee it up in Memphis this week, and while some inexplicably display life in the bubble by praising Schauffele for taking on the R&A—even after being caught playing an illegal club that was used in competition since January—there are some who don’t take this quite so lightly.

Justin Thomas says it’s on the makers to not let this happen:

“I think that’s on the manufacturers to make sure that (the clubs) are tested and that they are conforming,” he said. “Because that’s not fair to the rest of the field if guys are using some and some aren’t. We don’t have those tests just sitting in our living room (where) we can do them when we get home.”

While that is ideal, ultimately random testing is a better way to prevent a rogue player or clubmaker from skirting the rules.

Meanwhile Bryson DeChambeau tells Golf.com’s Jonathan Wall that the winner or top 5 should be tested every week and if they fail, can keep the win but take a hit elsewhere:

“If you did play a driver that was illegal, you take some FedEx Cup points away,” said DeChambeau, who has five Tour wins. “So you make your money and win, that’s great, but you lose half the points you made. It’s not like you should have the trophy taken away. That’s one way to deal with it. You putted well, you chipped well. But I think there needs to be some repercussions from using something that’s not under the conformance rules. If they want to challenge the ruling, they can go do some tests to see if it was truly over.”

Looks Like Shane Lowry Did The Right Thing Passing On Memphis In Favor Of A Homecoming Celebration

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Look at that crowd in Clara! Grandma and the Jug met on stage, too…

Video: Grandma Of Shane Lowry On Not Sleeping, Brandy For The First Time In A Decade

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From Portrush To TPC Southwind: Don't Tell Memphis This Is A Bad Thing

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Mark Giannotto gets a very long column out of a harmless, and accurate Tweet from Kyle Porter about the jarring nature of the visual eye candy that was Portrush, and most of golf’s best turning up this week at TPC Southwind.

I get the sensitivity in Memphis but his comment was clearly directed at the beauty of Portrush and not a statement about the city, state, children’s hospital or anything else. Few people are looking forward to TPC Southwind after glorious Portrush. Make that, none are.

He at least blames the tour for this scheduling oddity, which will hopefully be remedied by a new date or putting this WGC out to pasture. The latter is an unlikely scenario.

Now it should be noted that Porter’s tweet did get at one notable issue this year. If you ignored that 46 of the world’s top 50 golfers will be here this week, it’s easy to see why a historic event for Memphis is being looked down upon by outsiders.

The PGA Tour deserves some blame for that.

FedEx used its leverage as the title sponsor of the Tour to get a world-class golf tournament in Memphis that still benefits St. Jude, a cause as worthy as any in professional sports. But then the Tour mucked it all up with its new, condensed schedule this season, effectively diminishing an event considered just a notch below a major by putting it immediately after a major.

Xander Needs To Let His Driver Test Rage Go...

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From Tiger To Shane: Open Championship Overnights Down 42%

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Big lead, no Tiger making his first run at a major in years and what do you get? A 2.9 for NBC and ratings decline for the 2019 Open Championship.

From SBD’s Austin Karp: