Bryson: Einstein And Newton Were Called Crazy, Too

The U.S. Open champion gave an interview on Sirius/XM and was asked again about last week’s “mockery” comments from Matthew Fitzpatrick. Like Einstein and Newton, Bryson’s approach will be better understood by future generations.

“You Look at Einstein, you look at Newton, you look at all these big-time names in the science field there’s been a lot of people that have been called crazy. Decades later they’re like, wow, that person was actually pretty interesting, he did a lot of amazing things. I’m not saying that’s what I’m going to do but, shoot, I hope so one day. That’d be fun.”

That would be fun.

If the governing bodies cared about this distance stuff and the amazing cascade of events we’ve witnessed this year, they’d be alarmed by other DeChambeau suggestions of “no end game” to the distance pursuit and this on long drivers:

”They’re still 25 mph faster than me. I mean, there’s so much room for improvement, I feel like.”

And with a U.S. Open trophy on his mantel, who is to argue with him?

Thanks to Brendan Porath for flagging this on and posting full remarks:

In an interview with SiriusXM last night, Bryson DeChambeau dropped Einstein, Newton, and “Fast Eddie” as comps and models for what he’s doing. pic.twitter.com/NKo3AYvoxg

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) October 14, 2020

The European Tour Is In St Andrews This Week! Oh, Right, At The Fairmont

Those thirsting for the original links won’t quite get it at the Fairmont St Andrews, a Sam Torrance design that looks overshaped and, well, isn’t Crail, Elie or the Old Course. But it beats the silliness of Shadow Creek!

Brandon Tucker offers this preview in case you saw St. Andrews on your European Tour listing and got excited. The fall Dunhill Links this is not, but we’ll take something seaside with St Andrews in the title no matter what. Lee Westwood headlines the Scottish Championship Presented by AXA.

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Links views 😍 #AXAScottishChamps

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"The Murder of the Par 5" (And Now The Par 4)

Jerry Tarde’s “Last Call” column in the pre-November Masters issue makes a terrific case for what’s been lost with the end of true three-shot holes.

There’s something about the symphony of a par 5 that makes it greater than the sum of its shots. It requires more forward thinking, more self-restraint and sufferance, risk and reward at once. It can be cataclysmic like Sam Snead’s triple-bogey 8 when all he needed was a par on the last hole in the 1939 U.S. Open, or heroic like a 5 on the 18th at Pebble Beach any day of the week.

I was standing on the green of Pine Valley’s behemoth uphill 15th hole, measuring over 600 yards, about 15 years ago, when the second shot of the club’s pro, David Clark, bounded onto the putting surface, stopped and glacially rolled back off the fringe. David is a good player, but not Bryson DeChambeau. I remember thinking, Have I just witnessed the death of par 5s?

He eventually includes Tom Doak’s views on how to roll things back to restore relevancy and you’re feeling really good about the case Tarde’s making.

There used to be a list of what Tom Doak called in 1982 “the untouchables”—par 5s that had never been reached in two. In researching Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses today, we’ve found only one untouchable left—the 675-yard 16th at Olympic’s Lake Course.

**Blogger’s note because the fact checkers are gone: even that 675 tee is gone, only used for the 2012 U.S. Open. Go on…

On all of the PGA Tour last year, ShotLink data shows one par 5 wasn’t reached in two (the 623-yard fourth at Sea Island Resort’s Plantation course)—that’s 0.6 percent of all the par 5s played—and on two-thirds of the par 5s, at least half the field “went for the green.” The longest hole in tournament golf today is TPC Colorado’s 773-yard 13th hole on the Korn Ferry Tour, which even at Denver-area elevation has not been reached. Yet.

In the late 1970s, I remember playing the longest golf course in the United States, The International in Bolton, Mass., which measured over 8,000 yards. I was on Sam Snead’s team in a scramble. He liked to hit last from the fairway, so he could place his ball at the end of his partners’ divot hole and slam a driver off the deck. Pure distance leads to contrivances, not good golf.

Good news right? Tarde and Golf Digest are going to end decades of rewarding longer, more expensive courses that only rich white males can join, and even better, stop cow-towing to companies that stopped advertising years ago?

Eh, baby steps.

My advice would be to change the par, not lengthen the holes and incur all sorts of land, design and maintenance expense. I certainly don’t want to see a universal distance rollback that would shorten my already short drives—every hole over 400 yards seems to be a par 5 for my non-elite game.

I know what you’re thinking, it’s “all about me” is very 2010, as is suggesting changing par-5’s to par-4’s. We distantistas have been hearing that nonsense since the late 90s. Shoot, Hannigan and I had some fierce email exchanges around then about the “just change the par” idea.

But in 2020 here’s the not-so-funny part: we have almost no real par-5’s where risk and reward has meaning for golfers and spectators. And now we are starting to get a lot of par-4s that play as one-shotters. So add par-4’s to the victim list, all in the name of stuff that does not make the game better.

Sigh: JT Looking For More Speed, Too

The world No. 3 revealed pre-CJ Cup in Vegas that he, too, is looking to find more clubhead speed despite already having plenty in his tank. (Thomas has perennially averaged between 116-117 mph.)

Adam Schupak at Golfweek.com on Justin Thomas seeing what Bryson DeChambeau has done with modern technology and dieting.

“I’m not far off. It’s really about messing with some different stuff and different training and explosiveness to be able to pick up something,” he said. “There’s different ways to do it. I mean, the absolute No. 1 thing is I’m continuing to stay injury free and I’m continuing to progress in a good direction in terms of staying healthy and staying fit. But if I can do that while incorporating some more speed, then that’s big.”

Thomas has recovered from a 2019 wrist injury to be one of the game’s elite. While it’s great to read his strength work is centered around injury prevention, it’s hard not to wonder about the injury implications in pursuit of speed.

However it is quite easy to wonder if anyone in St Andrews or Far Hills is concerned by what they are reading.

Brooks Koepka reported good news on the injury front, but only after some serious injections, reports GolfChannel.com’s Ryan Lavner.

Ratings: On Busy Sports Weekend, PGA Tour And KPMG LPGA Get Few Eyeballs

I’m not sure there is much to analyze in the dreadful golf ratings last weekend given the confluence of MLB playoffs, NBA finals, college football and NFL.

Showbuzzdaily.com has the 2020 Shriner’s and KPMG LPGA numbers, with golf easily the lowest on their list of weekly sports ratings.

COVID-19: DJ Tests Positive, Finau Isn't Quite Ready To Return

Dustin Johnson becomes the highest-profile golfer to test positive for COVID-19 after reportedly asking for a follow-up test at the CJ Cup upon feeling virus symptoms.

The world No. 1’s WD from the event at Shadow Creek was announced by the PGA Tour.

From Joel Beall’s GolfDigest.com report:

“Obviously, I am very disappointed,” Johnson said in a statement. “I was really looking forward to competing this week, but will do everything I can to return as quickly as possible. I have already had a few calls with the TOUR’s medical team and appreciate all the support and guidance they have given me.”

Tony Finau, who tested positive for the virus had intimated he was hopeful of a return this week at Shadow Creek, but the world No. 17 withdrew from the event late Tuesday afternoon.

Besides the obvious dangers of the virus and complications caused by a positive test, both players are high up the list of Masters favorites and undoubtedly hope to be well by the November playing.

It's Official: Hoodies Are The New Cargo Shorts

While cargo shorts are no longer the scourge they once were in the eyes of stylistas, they are a staple of certain rallies where cut-off sleeve shirts and bald eagle-adorned golf shirts dominate.

I’ve never fully grasped the offense taken by golf clubs toward cargos. Maybe it’s the overall “working class” vibe that makes Thurston uncomfortable. Perhaps those extra pockets are just too convenient of a place to hide stolen silverware or, gasp, a mobile phone!

The offensiveness of hoodies also confounds as much as the perceived functional benefit of golfing in one. They are the millennial’s quarter-zip. If wearing one makes them more comfortable playing golf, then have at them. Or, apparently not.

After Tyrrell Hatton’s BMW PGA win in an Adidas hoodie, we have evidence of clubs taking a cargo-like stance against this sinister fashion trend. From The Club:

Sunday : One of the world's best golfers won a big tournament wearing a hoodie. Maybe golf will progress and trust people to dress themselves?

Tuesday : pic.twitter.com/5xpMX2qOtE

— The Club (@TheClub) October 13, 2020

GolfDigest.com’s Alex Myers visited the Wearside Golf Club’s website to learn of other fashion restrictions and while they might seem more extreme than most, the hoodies restriction carries and addendum vibe. But at least the H is capitalized and the space before the period confirms the importance of this policy.

So move over cargos, etiquette committees have a new nemesis.

Bryson Begins Masters Tune-Up By Not Playing Again Until Tournament Week

Apparently this whole athlete thing also entails weight, diet and equipment work leading into a major, not exactly a boost to the PGA Tour that loves the jock narrative and who pulled off a miraculous salvation of the lucrative CJ Cup and ZOZO Championships. Irony can be inconvenient.

From Steve DiMeglio’s post-Shriner’s wrap of U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau’s pre-November Masters plans.

“I’m going to be working out like crazy. The first week back home, I’m not really going to touch a club too much and going to be training pretty hard and getting myself up to hopefully around 245, something like that, in weight. Be the first time I’ve ever done that, so I’m going to be consuming a lot and see and working out a lot and see what we can do from there.”

Gotta be ready to go twelve rounds.

Now, as for the whole skill vs. equipment debate, DeChambeau has teed up the governing bodies to take action. At least, in a world of governing bodies that like to govern. That’s because the other focus of DeChambeau’s preparation involves equipment testing.

Nothing unusual there, right?

“The advantages I usually have could be much improved upon with the equipment. We don’t have it yet, but we’re diligently working on it behind the scenes. We’ll prototype and test it and see if it works, if it doesn’t we’ll go back and tool it and hopefully have it ready for Augusta.”

Meanwhile Rory McIlroy is testing shafts to catch Bryson, at least based on photos and his postings about the speed chase, reports Jonathan Wall.

Yes, of course, players have changed clubs to suit Augusta National and even carried two drivers. But when a player shuts it down to weight train and equipment test to improve their advantage, might that be a sign things have tipped too far?

So Soon! Live Odds Coming To This Week's CJ Cup Telecast

Whether you are pro-betting or not, the prospect of live odds integration into telecasts should provide stellar entertainment. After all, announcers today are dancing around criticism of much of anything, so it should make for spectacular listening as they dance around the live odds.

“Rossi, did you see Collin Morikawa just move to 10-1 on that birdie? Mighty attractive price with just 31 holes to go and only six players in front of him, all imminently beatable, right?”

“Yes Jim, I’m opening up my BETMGM app as we speak to put down a hundon, AND jump on his head-to-head with Pat Reed who had a terribly long call with his wife on the range. That’s value you just can’t get at the dog track. At least, so I hear.”

Should be fun. And better than hearing about FedExCup projections.

For Immediate Release:

PGA TOUR integrates BetMGM odds into upcoming telecast

BetMGM odds to air during all four rounds of THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The PGA TOUR announced today that BetMGM will provide betting odds for all four rounds of THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK in Las Vegas, October 15-18 on Golf Channel. This will mark the first time that a PGA TOUR telecast will feature live odds.

“We are excited to build upon our recently announced Official Betting Operator relationship with BetMGM by activating this partnership at THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK,” said Norb Gambuzza, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President, Media and Gaming. “The focus of our sports betting partnerships is to engage fans in new and creative ways. As an element of that strategy, we began integrating live odds onto TOUR digital platforms in August and now we look forward to learning from this first-time test in a live telecast.”

The BetMGM telecast executions will occur twice per hour, featuring leaderboards with integrated “open” and “current” odds to win, along with odds for head-to-head matchups, top finishes, winning margin, wire-to-wire winner, hole-in-ones and playoffs.

Matt Prevost, BetMGM Chief Marketing Officer said, “The PGA TOUR has been a great partner for BetMGM. Being the first sports betting platform to integrate betting odds into a live PGA TOUR telecast speaks to the innovative nature of our partnership. We look forward to continuing to move the needle and work closely with the TOUR to produce great content.”  

In August, BetMGM signed a multi-year content and marketing relationship to become an Official Betting Operator (OBO) of the PGA TOUR. The PGA TOUR is one of the most popular offerings on BetMGM, with TOUR events consistently ranking at the top of all professional sports wagers. The BetMGM platform offers multiple betting formats, from moneyline and point spread bets to parlays and futures. BetMGM is currently licensed for sports betting in seven states including Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada and West Virginia, and has plans to be in 11 states by the end of 2020.

Following the Supreme Court’s repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, the TOUR instituted an integrity program in collaboration with Genius Sports to protect its competitions from betting-related corruption. Later that year, the TOUR announced a global partnership with IMG ARENA to license its official, live scoring data to betting operators all over the world.

The PGA TOUR is a Platinum Member of the National Council on Problem Gambling, committed to industry-leading responsible gaming practices.

PGA TOUR LIVE, the TOUR’s OTT streaming platform, integrated live betting odds during the opening two rounds of the Wyndham Championship on August 13-14. 

"Cobbs Creek Golf Course to close for renovations until 2023"

Cobbs Creek may be the best public course in America just waiting to be restored. Now, after years of efforts by locals and financial contributors, this gem may once again recapture its unlimited potential.

Thanks to reader AF for Julie Coleman’s Philadelphia Inquirer story on Cobbs closing this fall to undergo a $20 million renovation of Hugh Wilson’s design.

The renovations, which will be funded by the nonprofit Cobbs Creek Restoration & Community Foundation, aim to replace the clubhouse, fix the floodplains, and create wetlands around the creek to prevent flooding, according to Chris Maguire, who chairs the foundation’s board of directors. The revamp will also add an educational program for young golfers.

But for Philadelphians who love the public course’s tight-knit community, affordability, and convenient location, the renovation is a double-edged sword.

“It is kind of a rarity to have a challenging public golf course like [Cobbs Creek] that is close enough to the city to be able to be used by people in Philadelphia,” said Paul Nowyj, who has been playing there for five years and made friends with many of the older players.

Gary Player: "All golf balls go the same distance now..."

It can be scary to lean on Gary Player’s views as he’s been known to advocate for some unusual ideas, but while visiting the KPMG LPGA he offered this on the golf ball:

However, he added: “What perturbs me is the golf manufacturers, particularly the golf balls, they're reluctant to change. All golf balls go the same distance now. No one golf ball goes further than the other. I've tried them all. They're not allowed to go further.”

Farther, but we know what you meant. Go on…

“So if we cut the balls back further, 50 yards, it's not going to affect their sales. Whoever is No.1 now will be No.1 then because the reason you're No.1 is because of your advertising and your marketing. That's the only reason you spend more money and you have more players using it and endorsing it. That's the reason. Not because it's a better ball.

“So we must cut the ball back, and it will happen. As sure as I'm standing here, it will happen, otherwise they're going to make a mockery of these golf courses, and we cannot make them longer because we're running out of water.”

I’m not certain an across-the-board rollback can be sold on the public, but as Player notes, ball supremacy has mostly been nullified and the major differences are slight. So why dance around the perceived differences at the expense of the game? Oh, right, the governing bodies favor the needs of a few capitalists over the game. Silly me.

Hatton Wins BMW PGA And Breaks The Hoodie Barrier

Tyrrell Hatton secured a signature European Tour career win at the 2020 BMW PGA Championship, as Ewan Murray reports for The Guardian.

But as Golf.com’s Nick Piastowski notes, Hatton did so sporting a hooded shirt, aka a “hoodie”, making this easily the most significant win for an article of clothing oddly attractive to the coveted demo (for now).

Tyrrell Hatton shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the BMW PGA Championship, one of the premier events on the European Tour. WHILE HE WORE A HOODIE. Midway through the round, he dropped into a tie for the lead, then peeled off four birdies on the back nine to pull away. WHILE HE WORE A HOODIE. The victory came on a Wentworth Golf Club course that he visited as a kid. WHILE HE WORE A HOODIE. 

Piastowski goes on to share the lively social media views on Hatton’s optional head covering.

Hatton lifted the “hood” for his trophy ceremony photos.

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Goodnight @tyrrellhatton 😏 #BMWPGA #RolexSeries

A post shared by European Tour (@europeantour) on Oct 11, 2020 at 10:54am PDT

Wolff Shoots 61 Despite Missing Eight Birdie Putts From 16 Feet And Under

Bryson DeChambeau has faded at this year’s Shriner’s Hospital For Children in Las Vegas, but another bomber moved to within striking distance of the lead.

Matthew Wolff posted a 61 Saturday and yet, it was slightly underwhelming if you dive deeper in this stats. As GolfDigest.com’s Christopher Powers notes, Wolff’s 61 came on the back of three eagles in five holes, including a hole-out form 115 yards.

But…

The only problem, if we had to nitpick, was his putter, a common theme in this early portion of his career. Incredibly, he shot 61 despite gaining only 0.2 strokes on the greens. He missed eight birdie putts of 16 feet or less, including on his final two holes, lipping out both times and watching 59 slip away. In reality, he could have shot 56 or 57.

Not that there is anything wrong with that!

However, a 61 without a special day on the greens might indicate a course overwhelmed by the modern game.

KPMG LPGA: Stars Lead But Don't Overlook Pagdanganan (World No. 712)

Aronimink has produced an elite leaderboard topped by some of the LPGA’s finest, but there is a Cinderella lurking four back in Bianca Pagdanganan. The world No. 712 is making just her sixth career LPGA start and has never finished better than T28 in an LPGA event. She’s using power to differentiate herself at the Ross-classic where leaders will be teeing off early.

Mercer Baggs at GolfChannel.com with Pagdanganan’s story.

“I got back to the car [on Thursday], and my dad picked me up, and he basically just told me – he just looked at me and said, ‘Welcome to the majors.’ I was like, ‘Thanks, Dad, it's a great welcome,’” Pagdanganan said.

“My dad knows my game pretty well. He's with me in like every tournament, so he basically just told me, 'You've just got to stop thinking,' which I agree, because I do play better when I don't think. I'm not the most mechanical, technical person, I'm all about feel, so that's all he told me: 'You've just got to trust your swing – look at your target and just get it there.'

"That's basically what I've been doing the past two rounds, and it's been working really well.”

Recent LPGA majors have been filled with upsets and surprises, from this event last year, which was won by world No. 114 Hannah Green, to this year’s Women’s Open, which was won by No. 304 Sophia Popov.

Bryson Offers To Help Matthew Fitzpatrick With A Diet And Training Program So He Too Can Make A "Mockery" Of The Game

BMW PGA 36-hole leader Matthew Fitzpatrick declared Bryson DeChambeau’s approach to Winged Foot a mockery of the game after he studied some of the tracker data. From Ryan Lavner’s GolfChannel.com story:

“I just looked at Shot Tracker (Thursday), some of the places he hit it and how he’s cutting corners,” Fitzpatrick told reporters. “When he’s on, there’s no point. It doesn’t matter if I play my best; he’s going to be 50 yards in front of me off the tee. The only thing I can compete with him is putting. Which is just ridiculous.”

Fitzpatrick also lamented the idea of length overtaking the game.

“I really hope they do,” Fitzpatrick told reporters. “It’s not a skill to hit the ball a long way, in my opinion. I could put on 40 pounds. I could go and see a bio-mechanist and I could gain 40 yards; that’s actually a fact. I could put another two inches on my driver. I could gain that, but the skill in my opinion is to hit the ball straight. That’s the skill. He’s just taking the skill out of it, in my opinion. I’m sure lots will disagree. It’s just daft.”

Daft!

Well, Bryson is here to help, Matthew. After his second round at the Shriner’s Hospital For Children, DeChambeau responded and being the kind soul that he is, offered to lay out a program for the lanky Englishman.

From Daniel Rapaport at GolfDigest.com:

“You know, I actually appreciate it, because I would love to have a conversation with him about it and say, 'Hey, man, I would love to help out. Why couldn't you do it, too?' You see Rory and DJ doing the same thing, too. They're seeing that distinct advantage, and I feel like it's great for the game of golf. I don't think it takes less skill.”

Definitely not less skill. Just a different skill. And at some point, one that involves going to see doctors and to have shoulders repaired and arteries unclogged.

Great job governing bodies, great job!