Yahoo Feature On Elite Golf’s Entry Barriers; Youth On Course Fundraising Issues

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As part of Yahoo’s Privilege of Play series, Jay Busbee tackles the always complicated matter of entry into golf with a focus on aspirational professionals.

One element of the extensive feature saddened me, another put a smile on my face.

This was disappointing:

The issue of race remains phenomenally touchy in the world of golf, so much so that many in the sport would rather simply avoid the question rather than address it. Multiple PGA Tour players either declined to speak or didn’t respond to a Yahoo Sports inquiry on diversity in the ranks of golf. The First Tee program also declined to speak, aside from providing statistics on the program’s reach. 

Greg McLaughlin is the CEO of the First Tee, former confidante of Tiger Woods and is paid well presumably (Form 990’s related to his new World Golf Foundation gig are not available). I believe pathetic is the word that most comes to mind.

This also comes as some of the other programs designed to help introduce this expensive game to those of less privilege are struggling to raise necessary funds, including the incredible Youth On Course.

Paul Sullivan filed this New York Times story (thanks reader JB):

But the pandemic has also increased fund-raising challenges for nonprofit groups that are trying to open up a sport traditionally associated with wealth to young men and women in need — even as their numbers have surged this year. Through the largess of these groups, young people who could not afford to pay the course fees or buy the equipment learn the values of the sport and gain life skills.

One of the nonprofit groups, Youth on Course, subsidizes rounds of golf so young men and women can play for just $5. It has already reported a 100 percent increase in rounds this year, to over 400,000 from 205,000 in 2019. Memberships in the program rose to 100,000 young men and women from 70,000 last year.

On a lighter note, Busbee did highlight some exceptions of players who have overcome having nothing to make it.

Cue…much needed reminder of the artist that is Chi Chi Rodriguez.

A child of a broken home, his father never made more than $18 a day as a dishwasher and farm worker. Rodriguez fell in love with golf by watching players at a nearby public course, and taught himself well enough that he was winning club championships in his teens. Always a prankster, he’s cast his hardscrabble life in mythic, comical terms.

He’s the most visible example of a player working his way up from virtually nothing, and 50 years later, he remains a rarity.

And a beautiful coincidence, the PGA Tour Champions posted this collection of masterful Chi Chi moments today out of the blue. Imagine doing this with the flatbellies today. The horror!

"Bryson DeChambeau’s outsized impact in 2020 extended far beyond just his own game"

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While he’ll probably lose out in the writers’ season-ending Player of the Year voting, 2020 in golf will forever be remembered as the year Bryson DeChambeau played a very different game en route to winning the U.S. Open.

Alan Shipnuck offered this in his year-end review of DeChambeau transformation and launch angle golf approach.

It’s hard to overstate the impressiveness of DeChambeau’s transformation; it was as if Tom Brady gained 40 pounds, made himself a fullback and then rushed for seven touchdowns to lead his team to victory. But could DeChambeau’s bruising new style prevail at any of golf’s Super Bowls, with their more penal setups? A strong run at the PGA Championship offered a clue, and then at the U.S. Open, in September, he overwhelmed one of the game’s brawniest courses, Winged Foot. The revolution was complete.

“It’s honestly hard to process what Bryson accomplished,” says Andy North, who won two U.S. Opens the old-fashioned way. “In so many ways it’s like he’s playing an entirely different game.”

Check out the rest of the piece here.

DeChambeau’s ultimate legacy may be the corner he put governing bodies in with 2020’s transformation. Any equipment rule changes potentially formulated pre-pandemic could look like they were targeting him if they attempt to impact launch conditions.

This is an optimistic take clearly since we’re more than 18 years since the Joint Statement of Principles and nothing has been done to protect the concerns spelled out back then during Bomb and Gouge, the prequel.

Bob Charles: “Shorten the tees, shorten the golf courses and shorten the performance of the ball’’

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What a fabulous rant this is by Bob Charles on the absurd situation that is regulators having ignored doing their job.

Stuff’s Tony Smith talked to Charles about his biography and pointed thoughts in it on what a mess things have become.

As always I suggest hitting the link to enjoy it all, including his views on the new approach to U.S. Open golf. However, the 70-time winner and former Open champion’s view on the time rounds take and the women’s game was especially good:

The answer, Charles believes, would be to limit the power of the golf ball. He noted tennis and cricket balls had not “changed over the years’’, although cricket bat improvements had allowed the ball to be hit further.

“It’s a combination, in golf, of technology in clubs and balls, which are not doing anything for the good of the game.

“What people must know is that technology helps the fitter, stronger golfer much more so than it helps someone with a slow swing speed, the club golfer who only hits it 200 yards or less.’’

Charles, who still enjoys watching golf’s Majors on television “and events on courses I know and enjoy’’, is concerned that longer courses are leading to longer rounds, which could, potentially, put people off golf.

“When I first went to St Andrews, the course measured 6500 yards. Every tee was beside the green. The playing time for the members was between three to three-and-a-half hours. That was how I grew up – a round of golf took three to three-and-a-half hours.

“Now it’s taking four to four and a half hours. Watching those ladies play [in a LPGA event], they take five and a half hours. Now, what’s that doing for the game?”

I know! Nothing.

Outgoing IGF Head Dawson On Olympic Golf: "We would like to try to find...some kind of team format"

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In a wide ranging interview broken up in to a pair of Insidethegames.com by Mike Rowbottom, outgoing International Golf Federation head Peter Dawson reflected on the Rio games, golf’s future in the Games and big (crowd) “numbers” he expects for Tokyo 2020 in 2021.

He also hinted at what might be plans for a team addition to the Games and defended the current 72-hole stroke play format.

"They [the IOC] wanted the format in the Olympic Games that was prevalent in the sport, not some fancy format for the Olympics," he said.

"And strokeplay is the way that golf largely determines its major champions."

Asked if he sees that changing, Dawson responded: "We would like to try to find a way, potentially, of getting at some kind of team format as part of the golf process.

"It would simply be the addition of the performances of the individuals, adding together their gross scores.

"There have been other formats where that has been done – at the Canada Cup and the World Golf Championships.

"A personal view is that I would like to see that add to the competitive landscape of the Games - but that’s a matter for others now.

Anything would be better than just two stroke play events. The bar is low, let’s raise it before golf gets run back out of the Games again.

Annika Sorenstam takes over as IGF head January 1.

Also worth reading is Rowbottom’s look back with Dawson at Rio 2016 and some of the wild comments in the run-up to those games ultimately boycotted by several players over Zika virus concerns.

Australia’s two-time British Open winner Greg Norman told The Sunday Times pre-Olympics: "There’s a disaster building. Google the name of it and you will see that it is located on what was a swamp.

"There are problems with pollution, with the perimeter property. You’re much more exposed to the possibility of a mosquito bite there than if you are competing inside the stadium.

"I hope that is their reasoning and it’s not just because they fancy a break. I fear now that golf might not survive beyond its two-Games cycle. The reputation of the sport looks like it is going to get a black eye over Rio."

McIlroy compounded the IGF’s discomfiture by subsequently claiming at a press conference: "I'll probably watch the Olympics, but I'm not sure golf will be one of the events I watch.” After being asked which events he would watch, the 27-year-old stated: "Probably the events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters."

What we wouldn’t give now for the gravity of a Zika virus scare.

Former President Obama Gets A Valentino Dixon Original For Christmas

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Michelle Obama purchased a Valentino Dixon original of Augusta National’s 12th hole as a Christmas gift for husband Barack Obama.

Max Adler, who wrote the original story that helped lead to Dixon’s release for a wrongful conviction, reports on how the gift came about.

His story was recently told again in a segment on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel that aired this October, which the former First Lady saw and was moved by. (Publicity disclosure: I’m interviewed in this show for my part in reporting the case.)

Dixon was both moved and surprised to get a phone call from Michelle’s assistant inquiring about an original.

Greg Norman: "My Christmas Day. On behalf of millions, f•#k CoVid."

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Wishing all the best for a swift recovery to Greg Norman, who shared the news of his COVID symptoms on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas day, the latter post from a hospital bed (above). His son Greg Jr. and daughter-in-law also posted news of positive tests and symptoms.

The Norman’s played in last week’s PNC Championship and attended the event’s Friday night party, seven days prior to his hospitalization.

A group photo was posted to Twitter:

Norman’s Christmas Eve message:

Norman also hosted the previous week’s QBE Shootout where he was on hand for the trophy ceremony eleven days ago. In October he criticized politicians in Australia for lockdowns designed to squelch the spread of COVID-19.

**Norman returned to the hospital after a positive test and posted an emotionally-charged thank you to doctors, nurses and scientists while issuing a warning.

So please take care. And for those doubters out there, do not judge or cast unwarranted comments and opinions I would not anyone, even you, to experience this hideous virus. So I ask, do what is right, not just for you, but your family friends co-workers and other people around. I am luckier than most and for that I am thankful and blessed. Also the world is blessed science has acted and performed like never before in getting a vaccine/s for all to eventually receive. Thank you to those people.

The full post:

#CringeContent: PGA Tour, Betting Sites Continue To Exploit An 11-Year-Old Boy And Folks Have Seen Enough

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The PGA Tour Instagram page

The PGA Tour Instagram page

It’s never good when Instagram commenters are the arbiters of taste and standards. But that’s what is happening as various outlets pad year-end numbers and take bets off of an 11-year-old boy.

The PGA Tour’s 23rd Charlie Woods post in a week has finally started to prompt the inevitable questions about where to draw the line from commenters. Here is the latest post and just one selection of the many comments suggesting the exploitation in the name of activation, views, growing the game or family values.

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The PGA Tour’s official account has featured 23 posts on Charlie during and after PNC Challenge week. When they keep showing up 3 days after the final round it’s clear no line will be drawn.

For context: in contending during and winning the Masters, Dustin Johnson was worthy of 21 PGA Tour Instagram. He, however, is a (A) an adult (B) a member of the PGA Tour (C) compensated in multiple ways for the use of his likeness.

Included in the chorus of critics of today’s post was Tour player Dylan Fritelli. The 2019 John Deere Classic winner hopes the “media/people” will respect the young lad and his privacy, even though it’s the PGA Tour social media account still pushing the story as other sites have finally backed off.

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And then there are the betting sites.

Christopher Powers reports at GolfDigest.com in a story titled, “You can now bet on Charlie Woods' chances of winning a major, proving we've all lost our minds”:

The website sportsbettingdime.com sent out its Charlie Woods futures odds on Monday morning, proving we've officially lost our minds. According to SBD, Charlie is 825-1 to win a major by the age of 25, this despite not knowing if he even wants to take up a career in professional golf.

And thanks to reader Grillo for this horrifying option from betting site Bovada:

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Golf Datatech: November 2020 Rounds Up 57%

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Perhaps some of golf’s dismal TV ratings of late could be attributed to one simple factor: folks are still playing a lot of golf.

From Golf Datatech’s press release on their latest rounds report (viewable here) showing November up 57% and the year up 13% despite lockdowns and closures earlier in the year.

November’s rounds data indicated that only three states, Hawaii, Florida and New Mexico showed negative results for the month.  This is due to a season long decline in golfer travel to Hawaii, while Florida, especially southern Florida, was hit hard by rain caused by tropical storm Eta that hit in the early part of the month and caused flooding in some areas.  Additionally, New Mexico was under a statewide order to close non-essential businesses including golf courses November 16 – 30.

“Based on our analysis, since the start of the pandemic and related lockdowns, international and long-distance travel remains a challenge for many (but not all) resort facilities, particularly in markets like Hawaii where rounds are down over 35% YTD,” said Krzynowek. “Public facilities have been consistently packed with players post lockdowns, and private club membership has skyrocketed. In fact, public course rounds played are up nearly 12% year-to-date, while rounds at private courses are up nearly 19% year-to-date. We expect this trend to continue at least into the first half of 2021, as the pandemic keeps people confined to their local communities looking for socially distant activities that they can enjoy outdoors.” 

PGA Of America COO Out After Recent Arrest

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That’s two executive mugshots in just over two years for the PGA of America.

First it was 2018 with their then-President, Paul Levy, and now COO Darrell Crall is leaving after an assault arrest.

From Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com report:

The decision comes a month after Crall, 53, was alleged to have attacked his girlfriend of three years, Angie Jasso, on Nov. 24. An arrest affidavit alleges that Crall pinned Jasso down on a counter and choked her, then threw her to the ground after she had refused to give her car keys to him at an apartment complex in Frisco. Crall was arrested and charged with assault family violence-impeding breath or circulation, which is a third-degree felony. He was released on $15,000 bond the following day and was initially placed on administrative leave from the PGA of America.

Crall was a central figure in the PGA of America’s forthcoming headquarters move to Frisco, Texas where future PGA Championships and possibly a Ryder Cup will be played.

Current PGA President Jim Richerson’s email to PGA of America members announcing the move:

Good Afternoon,

I'm writing to inform you that the PGA of America and COO Darrell Crall have mutually agreed to conclude his employment effective immediately.  We will be providing a further update on operations and staffing in the near future. Please know that the PGA Frisco development continues to be a focus for the Officers, Board and staff and we will continue to move forward without missing a beat under Seth's leadership in collaboration with the PGA of America executive team.

Hoping that all of you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

Regards,

Jim

PNC Challenge Averages 1.5 Million Viewers, LPGA's CME Up Too

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The 2020 PNC Challenge (aka parent-child, child-grandparent, etc…) delivered better ratings news than the run of recent fall events, reports ShowBuzzDaily. Boosted by Charlie and Tiger Woods, the event drew a .88 (typo above) and an average of 1.5 million viewers or so both weekend days.

That’s a nice bump from last year’s playing on the same weekend as the Hero World Challenge in early December. The event doubled its audience from 2019 and more than doubled the audience size of the last fall PGA Tour event of 2020, which also aired on NBC.

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The news was also solid for the LPGA Tour’s season-ending event. Played in late November 2019, the CME Group Tour Championship drew a .30 and average of 395,000 viewers. Those numbers jumped to a .47 and average of 686,000 for Sunday’s early start won by Jin Young Ko.

The weekly numbers also include Monday’s U.S. Women’s Open final round rating of a .19, barely higher than rounds one and two of the 2020 CME.

"The worst year in memory was still a boom year for golf"

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Sam Weinman at GolfDigest.com files what will be the first of many year-end pieces grappling with the horror that is 2020 and the golf businesses unfathomable turnaround. It’ll take years to full wrap heads around what happened but as he writes…

A pandemic strategy, one that disrupted virtually every element of life but somehow preserved and even fortified golf’s most important elements, was surely never part of the plan.

And yet at the end of 2020, golf can boast the type of surge in participation no bar graph projection would have dared make. According to the National Golf Foundation and Golf Datatech, there will end up being some 50 million more rounds played in 2020 than in 2019, a figure even more staggering considering how the season began. In April, May and June, golf rounds were actually down sharply because of shutdowns and general apprehension in the early days of the pandemic. But once golfers started showing up at courses, a confluence of time, favorable weather and a dearth of other options led to full tee sheets around the country straight through the fall.

“We’ve never seen anything like it,” said John Krzynowek, a partner at Golf Datatech.

He features some stunning numbers on junior golf participation and overall increases despite three months where play was reduced in many states to restrictions. The sport also lost more golfers in 2020 for reasons yet to be sorted out. Long term I’m more bullish on the uptick continuing as it’s hard to see this scene returning to the world in just six months, or possibly, anytime soon.

As businesses discover those workers staying at home are as productive as before and folks are finding peace of mind in a less frenetic pace, those late nines cited as one of the biggest growth areas for golf will continue. More than any $600 driver purchase—I know, blasphemy—the time avoiding a commute and instead playing golf is not something the luckier folks will be giving up any time soon.

"For 25 years, he’s been bringing Tiger Woods to the masses"

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Before last week’s PNC Challenge, Michael Bamberger profiled the end of NBC golf director Doug Grabert’s 25 years. It’s a name we don’t hear as often as the producers Tommy Roy and Tom Randolph, but one equally as important to that well-oiled machine.

Of particular fun is Grabert reliving the 2008 U.S. Open broadcast, for which NBC won an Emmy.

NBC had a camera on Rocco. Another on Tiger. Another on his ball. Another on the hole. Another, ground level, showing the green and the amphitheater around it. Another on a tall, high swinging arm called a jib. Go to three, go to four, go to Dog, go to jib. Grabert, every bit as focused as Woods, instructing his technical director, Mark Causey, what buttons to press, for our viewing pleasure. Bapabapabababop. Posterity would come later.

Dog was Mike Wimberly. The plumber can come back. The reporter can make another call. In live TV you’ve got one chance to get it right. That broadcast won NBC Sports an Emmy. The putt had no right to go in, it was so wobbly, and it had every right, it was struck so purely. Rocco’s face said it all: I knew he’d make it. Tiger’s face said more: This is what I live for. Grabert, too.

The USGA has posted the full final round broadcast here. And here is the portion of the telecast described in Bamberger’s piece. Spoiler, he makes it again.

The unforgettable final round of the 2008 U.S. Open, with Tiger Woods, Rocco Mediate, Lee Westwood and others battling for the title at Torrey Pines (Calif.)...

"Will fans attend the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in person?"

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The San Diego Union Tribune’s David Garrick notes the incredible economic impact made by the 2008 U.S. Open and considers if next June’s event will have fans.

As two vaccines now get distributed, I was surprised no mention was made of what role that might play in who can attend (the story was filed 8 days ago).

Sink, the USGA’s senior director for the U.S. Open, said the organization is hopeful they can go with the scenario where there are fans and hospitality tents and all the other hoopla that was here in 2008.

But they have created four other scenarios.

One includes no fans at all, just essential personnel, TV crews and a bare bones team of volunteers. That was the approach in September when the U.S. Open was played just north of New York City.

Another scenario would allow some limited guests, but no general admissions fans.

A third option would allow 25 percent capacity, a fourth would allow 50 percent capacity, and the fifth would be a normal U.S. Open with all the bells and whistles.

It feels like major sports leagues and live music promoters are all waiting to see who might make the first move to throw out the idea of a “vaccinated-only” clause for attendance.

Charlie Woods Is Really Amazing And So Is Some Of The Excessive Social Media Coverage From His Grand Debut

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Eleven years old, the son of a legend and upstaging dad while he still can play?

The entire spectacle of Charlie Woods’s PNC Challenge was incredible. From the matching body language we know so well to the epic mini-Rory swing to the composure to deliver incredible shots proved to be spectacular December viewing.

The shot that will live in golf infamy for all of the reasons cited above:

Bob Harig at ESPN.com took the best angle possible on the story, wondering if young Charlie might give Tiger the extra spark he missed in 2020.

Elsewhere, the coverage veered into excess and the kind of drivel you’d expect from social media accounts run by folks aiming to “skew young”, most notably the PGA Tour and Golf.com. Stuff like this dominated their weekend flood of Charlie posts:


Lee Westwood, recent Race to Dubai winner, called out the PGA Tour’s account Saturday night after the Tweeting onslaught:

NBC rode the lad harder than George Wolff on Seabiscuit in the Big Cap, but the coverage was largely tasteful. Mildly distasteful was NBC sticking Charlie and Tiger’s first tee shot behind the Peacock Premium paywall to pimp their latest streaming venture, but that’s ultimately a minor offense compared to what was witnessed on social media.

GolfWRX breathlessly started trying to figure out what was in Charlie’s bag—noted early on they could confirm 14 clubs, eventually posting his specs and brand of choice. I will not be providing that link.

I get that there is enthusiasm for the lad’s game. There is a shared communal excitement at the sight of a young golfer so impressively talented and already better than most of us. But coupled with the modern day need to express excessive enthusiasm like pre-teens squealing at a K-pop concert, it’s embarrassing. With ads being sold, clicks counted and “activation” points with senior leadership as contracts are up for renewal, it’s understandable why restraint goes out the window. But not forgiveable.

A random sampling of adults:

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And just look at the absurdity of Golf.com’s stream at a couple of different points—including as I type this post late Sunday night—with a continuing stream of automated posts and other shameless profiteering in one last bid to prop up the 2020 numbers. This is from earlier in the way with a nice pause in the squeezing Charlie stream to hawk merch:


Adam Schupak was on site for Golfweek and while he filed plenty of Tweets about the Woods’, he also heard about or saw the “crazy talk”, writing:

The Twitter-verse was abuzz at the sight of Charlie’s swing and warm-up session on the range Thursday next to Tiger before their pro-am round as if they’d seen the second coming. Cue the crazy talk that Charlie was going to revolutionize the game while breaking all of his dad’s records.

Simmer down, people. Charlie’s action shows raw promise and it’s evident that he not only has his famous father’s golf genes but his ‘feels,’ and perhaps most importantly, a love for the game. But let’s cool our heels. Let’s allow this weekend to be about a father and son bonding on the golf course.

The reaction across the Atlantic to the exploitative ways was noticed, generally found to be shocking in its exploitative ways, and debated on Twitter extensively.

Michael McEwan crystalized his thoughts at Bunkered, writing:

It troubles me that this needs to be pointed out but devoting so much attention to a pre-pubescent, primary school-age child is not normal behaviour. Unhealthy? Yes. Unnerving? Oh, yeah. Irresponsible? Uncomfortable? Creepy, even? No doubt. But not normal.

Some will say it goes with the territory, that boundless intrusion is the price to pay for being Tiger Woods’ son. Certainly, and as he will soon discover, Woods Jnr’s parentage is both a blessing and a burden. It will provide him with opportunities beyond the wildest dreams of most children. It will also deny him – if only to some extent – basic privileges, such as privacy and anonymity.

This is key: where does the Charlie Woods coverage go from here? It’s hard to imagine he’ll be given space to be a kid given what we saw this weekend. About as likely as Tiger turning up in a blue shirt on Sundays.

And in the best summation of the weekend antics, there is now a Charlie Woods Tracker, called out by a writer who was one of Golf.com’s staffers oversaturating Twitter with “content” and called out for calling out the tracker:

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Video: Morning Drive's Send Off Segment And A Tribute To The Hard Working Staff

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Thanks to producer Jon Burket for posting the final segments of Morning Drive as the show wrapped up operations and Comcast/NBC continues it’s diligent search for new ways to save pennies while abandoning the sport they pay handsome rights fees to show.

On a personal note, it was an incredible pleasure to have worked with all of the folks tagged in the posts below and the many more who got Morning Drive on the air seven days a week. I can’t emphasize enough how much effort and passion for golf so many brought to the show (or developed as they came to know it better). To all of the folks behind the cameras over the years who got up at those dreadful hours, told the stories, took out the corporate partnership trash, waited on answers while the execs were grinding hard at the country club, and then did it all with a smile: please sleep in. You earned it.