When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Let me tell you, these are heroes and I’m glad Augusta National had them as guests. Particularly because they are part of the community and had not been on the grounds for the Masters. Sad it takes a pandemic for things like this to happen or to appreciate these people, but I’m just glad the club followed through this way:
Plus multiple angles of Billy Ho’s slide. The Quadrilateral’s roundup from Saturday for all to read, even those who haven’t taken the free option.
A bizarre Saturday at Augusta saw Hideki Matsuyama move clear of several top players who failed to rekindle their pre-delay mojo.
Not included in the newsletter were a few videos starting with every eagle made Saturday:
Watch every shot of the third-round 65 that gave Hideki Matsuyama the 54-hole lead. #themasters pic.twitter.com/JgJAX031wT
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2021
Friday night’s Quadrilateral notes were opened for all to read and see what you’re missing if you are not a subscriber supporting non-sponsored content.
Big update for the 91 Quadrilateralists who are playing Masters Fantasy. I’m 42nd and really wishing I took Will Zalatoris for low rookie. Come on Bobby Macintyre (E)!
The top 7 after 36…well done!
Here is a neat NY Times spread with Bill Pennington’s reporting and words, images by the award-winning Doug Mills from Augusta.
The subject matter is a definitive guide of sorts to the many oddball putting grips of the world.
Bryson DeChambeau’s is featured above and Pennington’s description for your sampling purposes. Check out the full piece here.
A college physics major whose early nickname on the PGA Tour was “the mad scientist,” DeChambeau was ranked 145th in putting on the PGA Tour until he converted to the arm-lock method and improved his putting ranking to 28th. It’s all about keeping the proper angles: DeChambeau turns his elbows outward in opposite directions and his wrists inward. Simple.
Back to sending these out to Quadrilateral paying subscribers but it was a fun first round full of bizarre stuff and, well, what else is there to say but I hope you enjoy the roundup.
Christine Brennan reports on a journalist who has been covering Augusta National events since April 2nd has tested positive for COVID-19 and is quarantining along with three housemates who so far have tested negative.
Press were required to test negative before entering club grounds to start the week.
One journalist Tweeted confirmation of a positive today. Brennan says the club’s testing has found four positive results.
The team over at The Quadrilateral had a busy Wednesday and a few software issues.
But in a nutshell all of the editions are available to subscribers, paying folks and even a spot for those who don’t want something free delivered once a week via The Quad’s Substack page.
Wednesday’s editions:
Final prognosticating tools, notes and fun prop bet analysis.
Happy Masters Thursday everyone!
Joe Passov talked to the USGA’s Mike Davis for a Wall Street Journal interview as the CEO retires from the organization and is replaced by Mike Whan.
Naturally the rollback talk was of most fun.
WSJ: The USGA has co-produced a Distance Insights Report—the product of the Distance Insights project to study the impact of hitting distance in golf. Among other things, it asserts that distance gains put golf on an unsustainable path. Is the golf ball going too far? If so, why is that a negative?
MR. DAVIS: You won’t hear me say that the golf ball is going too far. The problem is that golf courses around the world have been getting longer and will continue to do so, with this trend that every generation hits the ball farther than the last generation.
Everyone bears the brunt of when courses need to change, whether it’s architecturally—more land, new tees, pushing bunkers further down—or, if it’s a new course, more land that’s required. Because at the end of the day, it’s about resources. It’s land, it’s water, it’s nutrients, it’s fungicides. It’s how long it takes to mow and prep a golf course, the fuel it uses, how long it takes to play a golf course. Longer golf courses equal longer rounds of golf. I think in this world where everybody is worried about time, it’s an issue.
The issue is not that the golf ball is going too far.
It is but we know it’s not necessarily the ball’s fault. Go on…
The issue is we need to fit the game on golf courses, and we’d like to see the game balanced, too, on distance, accuracy and shot-making. We want to make sure that it doesn’t become a game all about how far you hit the ball.
WSJ: Are you suggesting what many have termed a “rollback”—taking distances achieved and equipment specifications to numbers where they were a generation or two ago.?
MR. DAVIS: I hate the word “rollback” because what we are trying to do is not roll back. We are trying to look forward and say, based on the data, what’s in the best interest for all who play the game. It’s not looking backward.
No but it would be rolling back.
This expanding footprint [lengthening golf courses] is doing the game no favors as we look forward. Is any other sport on the planet Earth doing that to themselves other than golf? You just don’t see baseball handing out titanium bats and hot baseballs and expanding their stadiums.
The issue is we need to fit the game on golf courses. No more of constantly having to change golf courses. It’s time to do the right thing.
Yes it has been for at least a decade.
Davis is not going quietly and that’s a fantastic way to deflect some heat so that Whan can get established for what will be quite a battle.
A gem from Tuesday’s pre-2021 Masters press conference:
Q. Fast-forwarding to tonight's Champions Dinner, how are we feeling about the pigs in a blanket? Are you a fan, or what's up?
PHIL MICKELSON: I'm always open. I've tried a lot of different cuisine over the years. I think it's pretty cool. I remember -- I'll share with you a little funny story from Adam Scott's victory.
He had this wonderful meal, Australian-themed, and out comes dessert, and it's pavlova. It's meringue with some fruit and so forth. And I said, no -- now, you can't Google this stuff because there's no cell phones allowed, right. I said, oh, pavlova, that's inspired by the great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who was touring through New Zealand, Australia, and an Australian chef so inspired by her beautiful movement and tutu, she ended up -- he made a dessert after her.
Chairman Payne looked at me like what kind of stuff are you spewing here, you know.
And, no, no, this is true. Zach Johnson looks at me, says, "I've got a hundred dollars that says that's not right."
So everybody is calling me out on my BS. And a lot of times, I am BSing. However, however, my daughter was a dancer, and she wrote a biography on Anna Pavlova, and I made 32 pavlovas for her class when she was a little girl, and I knew this. And I ended up, you know, being right, which is not often, but I was right on that particular moment.
Some of these moments that go down in Champions Dinner are special, and that was cuisine inspired.
Luke Money and Taryn Luna report for the L.A. Times and California’s plan to “fully reopen its economy June 15.”
The hope is only as good as a sufficient vaccine supply expected along with “stable and low hospitalization numbers.”
June 15th is Tuesday of the U.S. Open scheduled for Torrey Pines South.
Robert Macintyre makes his Masters debut this week and provided this fantastic spin on the Magnolia Lane approach, all set to the internationally renowned recording artists, The Gunna Sound Ceilidh Band.
Personally, I’d go Mildred Bailey “Shoutin In That Amen Corner” or maybe throw a curveball with ABC’s use of the Love Unlimited Orchestra’s Love Theme, but I’m not Scottish nor am I driving up Magnolia Lane this week.
In case you’re one of those weirdos like me who still buys music, the iTunes store option.
The Brothers Johnson had very different approaches to their Tuesday dinner’s in Augusta.
Today’s newsletter for the kind supporters and many thanks for all the new sign-ups this week.
I’m humbled and glad you’re enjoying The Quad as much as I am.
A multi-layered answer from Bryson DeChambeau’s pre-Masters press conference:
Q. Last year there was a lot of talk that, culturally, you were leading a revolution in golf, especially among young fans who are really energized by the way you swing the golf club and all those things. If so, what's the stage of that revolution now?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I don't know the scope of that answer, either. You guys are giving me tough questions today.
I will say the Drive, Chip & Putt, what we saw with one of the kids imitating Kyle Berkshire, you're already starting to see it with kids. I've had numerous college kids DM me on Instagram and ask me, "How do I get stronger? How do I get faster?" So you're already starting to see it through -- from collegiate level all the way to junior golf level.
I think as time goes on, there's not much more to gain from technology side of golf club manufacturing, building. There are little things we can do, but where the massive gains will be is in athletes. Once you get somebody out here that's a 7-foot-tall human being and they are able to swing a golf club at 145 miles an hour effortlessly, that's when things get a little interesting. That's when I'm going to become obsolete potentially even.
Look, there's still a chipping aspect and there's still a putting aspect to it, but from a driving aspect, that's where the gains will be had, is with these athletes coming out in the future. And it won't stop. There's just no way it will stop.
I think it's good for the game, too. I don't think it's a bad thing you're bringing in and making it more inclusive to everybody when you're doing that. The athletes are the ones that are going to in the end move the needle in any sport you play, and I think that's pretty amazing.
One way it’ll stop? Injuries to the athletes trying to do things the body won’t enjoy over thousands of shots.
A fun and busy Monday at Augusta meant a wide range of notes, with a huge emphasis on player praise for a much better golf course than they played in November.
Sorry, but you probably know the drill by now. This one’s for paying subscribers. Thanks for understanding.
Thursday’s edition will go to all followers of The Quadrilateral though so sign on up!
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
