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
Pepperdine Wins The NCAA Men's Golf Championship!
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I wasn’t blogging back in 1997 when the Pepperdine Waves took the title in front of ESPN’s cameras, but the 2021 title win was no less stressful to watch knowing what was at stake.
Pepperdine edged Oklahoma 3-2 in one of those shame-someone-had-to-lose deals. But I’m glad Pepperdine hit just a few more clutch shots under the match play’s intense pressure.
The layers to this one run deep, from Coach Michael Beard and assistant Blaine Woodruff’s ability to pinpoint sometimes overlooked talent, to building a deep roster with nothing close to the facilities enjoyed at power conference schools, to bringing on former USC coach Chris Zambri this year and the tragic loss his family experienced mid-season.
Brentley Romine’s game story for GolfChannel.com with some great color on the final moments before Clay Feagler sealed the win at 18.
Adam Woodward’s Golfweek gamer recalls the lost opportunity last year when Pepperdine was the top team in the country before the NCAA’s were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Romine filed this sensational piece earlier in the week on Joey Vrzich, who was shaped by his dad’s near-death experience. While he lost his final match, Vrzich battled back from a huge deficit and then conceded to celebrate with his teammates:
Official NCAA highlights can be watched here.
GolfChannel.com’s video department shuts down when the printing presses start warming up, so some of their sensational coverage of the finale has yet to be posted online.
The final match play bracket:
Jack Discovers Why Muirfield Village's 16th Did Not Work
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Nine years ago Jack Nicklaus installed an all-new 16th hole at Muirfield Village, and Tiger’s amazing hole-out notwithstanding, the par-3 over water has not been well received by players. Besides not really fitting well with the course (rear catch basin, artificial pond, etc.), looking better from angles other than the tee location, the shot has been difficult for even the world’s best to hold the green.
In renovating the course last year, Nicklaus discovered why. From Dave Shedloski’s GolfDigest.com item:
“The green actually pitched away in the back. I did not know that,” Nicklaus said with genuine wonder but blamed himself. “I figured it was built just as I drew it. So, I took seven inches out of the middle of the green and added seven inches to the back of the green. It changes the whole profile of the green, so it sits more towards the tee.”
I’m not sure why it took reconstruction to discover something determinable with surveying equipment, but maybe the hole will play better going forward.
NCAA Men's Final Set: Pepperdine vs. Oklahoma
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The tiny college from rural southern California will take on the powerhouse Big 12 behemoth from Oklahoma, as Pepperdine beat Oklahoma State 4-1 to advance to the national championship. The No. 1 Sooners outlasted Arizona State in the other semi-final at Grayhawk to set up Wednesday’s title match (Golf Channel, 5 pm ET).
The teams met last fall in the East Lake Cup, with Pepperdine cruising to a 4-1 win. But a lot has changed with both teams lead by “super” seniors taking advantage of a one-time pandemic year NCAA rule allowing players to return.
Brentley Romine writes about the old guys leading their teams: Quade Cummins for OU and Clay Feagler for the Waves.
Though Cummins, Brightwell and McAllister are a combined 23-4 in match play this season, the Sooners will need more from Reband and Lorenz if they are to defeat Pepperdine, which beat Oklahoma in the East Lake Cup final, 4-1, last October. Cummins was the only Oklahoma player to win his match that day, and he didn’t even get to finish it.
“Last time we played them in match play they got us pretty good,” Cummins said. “So, you know, we're not satisfied just making it to the finals. We're here to win.”
Not present for the Waves’ victory at East Lake was Pepperdine’s Clay Feagler, another super senior. Unlike Cummins, Feagler wasn’t a shoo-in to come back to school. His game was in poor shape and he had missed two straight tournaments for the top-ranked Waves when last season was canceled.
“I was so bummed,” said Feagler, who also had watched star teammate Sahith Theegala make the leap to the pro ranks. “I didn’t really want to go back. I wasn’t making the lineup anyway and was kind of just down in the dumps.”
Pepperdine put the Cowboys away with two epic shots, Clay Feagler’s ace and Joe Highsmith’s clutch fairway bunker shot at 18:
Nicklaus On Osaka
/Sports fans and media are watching the complicated situation involving tennis star Naomi Osaka and her withdrawal from the French Open, citing anxiety issues with press conferences and huge fines for skipping them.
In kicking off the Memorial Tournament, huge tennis fan and host Jack Nicklaus was asked about the situation, his career attitude toward press and if he sees a similar situation coming to golf.
Q. I think what made me think of it was your reputation of dealing with the media has been outstanding since before some of us were born. Do you think you would be -- what was your approach back then, what was it like back then and do you think it would be any different now given five or six different broadcast outlets that are now part of the mix?
JACK NICKLAUS: I honestly don't know. But my outlook -- my -- my view towards the press has always been you guys have got a job to do. And I tried to be honest with you, straightforward with you, I tried to answer your questions the best of my ability. If I thought there was something that I probably shouldn't answer, I probably answered it anyway, you know that. But I probably sometimes should have kept my mouth shut.
So I have always dealt with you guys that I treated you fairly, you treated me fairly. And I don't understand some of the young people today and thinking they're not going to get treated fairly. I mean, you always get treated fairly if you treat somebody else fairly. That's always been our way.
Maybe there's always some, there's always a snake in the crowd somewhere who decides they want to do something, but you can't blame everybody for one bad apple. And I don't know what she felt, went into, I have not read anything about it, I just heard she withdrew because she didn't want to go to a press conference and that she felt like she had some issue that --
Q. Anxiety.
JACK NICKLAUS: Anxiety? Well, if she has that and that's, and that bothers her, I mean, then you guys should be able to, you know, accommodate her and allow her to do what she needs to do without running her through the ringer. I mean, if she has a problem, if she really has one, you don't know that, I don't know that, only she knows that and her doctor probably knows it.
So I can't fault her, so I don't really -- one of the times I probably should keep my mouth shut a little bit because I just don't know. I mean, open mouth insert foot? I mean, is that a fair answer to you?
Q. It is, yeah. I was actually we were talking last week when just what it was like for you when you finished a round. I was just curious how much different you think the media was back then?
JACK NICKLAUS: I don't think -- I think people are people. I think you have a people, a few people in the media today who are trying to make a name and they want to get sensational. We have had that for 20 years or so. Didn't have it much right when I was growing up. But for the -- you pretty well identify those people pretty quickly. And then you're just careful with what you do. But I'm still, but still you got a job to do. And I think that -- I mean our guys have been pretty good with the press, I don't think you have anybody that's bad with the press, are you?
DOUG MILNE: None at all. (Laughing.)
JACK NICKLAUS: Surprise answer. (Laughing.) But I don't think you -- I don't think that's a big issue with golf. I feel badly for her and I hope that she, I hope that she, whatever she need or if she needs help or whatever she needs, I hope she gets it. But it's a, you know, I just don't know enough about it to really comment honestly on it.
Tim Dahlberg filed this AP column on why the situation goes well beyond being a media issue and one that Osaka will continue to face.
Bubba Watson offered this on Twitter:
Quadrilateral: There's Something About Olympic
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My U.S. Women’s Open preview on the charms of Olympic Club’s Lake Course, NBC/Golf Channel’s schedule compared to Fox and the female-heavy volunteer maintenance crew.
This one is for all to (hopefully) enjoy. And if you aren’t on the free list, sign up now!
First Looks At Jack Nicklaus' Last (He Says) Renovation Of Muirfield Village
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Golf.com has posted a documentary that aired on CBS last Sunday called “One Last Bite.”
It’s worth it even though you’ll have to deal with the usual pop-ups hawking Golden Bear hats (still!).
WBNS TV sent out Drone10 for a (slow) flyover of all 18 holes. First reactions: several fairway bunker rearrangements look to be calling for shaping tee shots a bit more (in line with Nicklaus’s most recent and best version of the 17th). The new look 15th still isn’t clicking with me given the raw beauty of the old hole. The creek and banks may improve with age, but at least the new green complex looks a bit more demanding to with a fun back right pin placement.
Kevin Durant On Post-Pandemic Fandom
/Things got ugly when the Nets visited the Boston and in light of what has looked or sounded like an increased edge to some recent golf proceedings, I thought Kevin Durant’s comments were of note.
"Fans gotta grow up at some point," Nets forward Kevin Durant said Sunday. "I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic got a lot of people on edge, got a lot of people stressed out, but when you come to these games, you have to realize that these men are human. We are not animals, we are not in the circus.
"You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan. So, have some respect for the game. Have some respect for the human beings and have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn't be proud of you throwing water bottles or spitting on players or tossing popcorn. So, grow the *&^% up and enjoy the game. It's bigger than you.”
Defending Shanshan Feng's Concession
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It’s never a great look when a player WD’s from an event without an injury excuse, but in Shanshan Feng’s case it seems she made the right call to pass up the consolation match.
The Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play is a new event at Shadow Creek and it’s not off to a super start. The event was added in February and poorly scheduled by the LPGA. Going from match play in near 100-degree weather to San Francisco for the U.S. Women’s Open was not a great call, particularly with an LPGA event at nearby Lake Merced Golf Club the week after the Open (a great pre-U.S. Women’s Open test).
GolfDigest.com’s Kent Paisley noted many other elements that justify Feng’s decision to pass on the consolation match and the chance to win an additional $23,000.
Feng played a total of 112 holes over five days, more than anyone in the tournament. On Saturday alone she played 41 holes, outlasting her opponents in extra holes in both the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals.
Afterward, Feng confessed that she was so tired she thought about potentially dropping out of the event mid-match.
“There were quite a few times when I was on the course I was like, You know what, you've tried your best already. Yeah, maybe you just … you don't have to give it your 100 percent. You know, if you make any mistakes, it’s acceptable,” Feng said Saturday.
Also noteworthy for those who would argue this was unfair to the sponsor or television: Golf Channel opted to show two Playing Lessons reruns and a rebroadcast of the European Tour’s final round instead of the semi-final matches (either live or tape-delayed).
Quadrilateral: In Appreciation Of Free-Flowing Tees
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After watching Southern Hills the last four days, a short newsletter for paying subscribers on the super-sexy tees at the 2022 PGA Championship venue. We need more of them and links to return to free-flowing over the box system.
Happy Memorial Day and thank you to all who have served.
Is The USGA Close To Inking A U.S. Women's Open Sponsor?
/Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch says the USGA is on the verge of inking a deal for a U.S. Women’s Open presenting sponsor and quotes USGA chief brand officer Craig Annis as not ruling out what would be a first for the non-profit organization.
How about a “presenting” sponsor, in which the corporate branding comes after the event title?
“I would not rule that out,” Annis said. “We are always considering more ways to bring in corporate support for our championships and our programs and services.”
Annis declined to speculate on the potential price tag of any sponsorship — one source familiar with the pitch pegs it at $7-$10 million — and wouldn’t confirm whether a deal is close. “We would never disclose any conversations until they are ready to be made public,” he said.
The story also claims the U.S. Women’s Open loses $9 million annually. Yet Lynch says taking on such a presenting sponsor would be in an effort at achieving “purse parity” with the men’s U.S. Open and not about making up for revenue shortfalls.
“We’ve previously said that our long-term vision is to work to achieve purse parity,” he responded. “In the short term, we’re going to continue to be leaders in the purses amongst majors.”
On its most recent tax filing viewable to the public, the USGA reports $509,493,063 in net assets as of 2019. The organization is also halfway through a 12-year, $1.2. billion domestic TV rights deal.
De-Skilling Files: Rangefinders At The Senior PGA
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Steve Stricker’s caddie uses a rangefinder from far off line.
The Senior PGA from Southern Hills has been such a joy this week. It’s amazing to see beautiful ground features, creeks and grass instead of shade. The course overhaul is also allowing players are more opportunities for recovery from trouble. And seeing play on a golf course with adjacent fairways reinforced what a mistake it is to allow distance measuring devices into a major championship.
Last week’s PGA at Kiawah did not provide many examples of stuff like this, starting with Retief Goosen who, in round two wedged out from the 13th hole’s trees into the nearby 17th fairway.
Far off line, his caddie is seen here shooting a yardages:
Despite a bad tee shot, Goosen was spared a penalty for his effort. He also gained access to a perfect (rangefinder) yardage to the flag when he played down the next fairway. That made his pitch-out from the trees even easier knowing he could get a number and clean look. His playing partners and the field who drove accurately off the 13th tee lost some of their reward from playing more accurately.
All because rangefinders are allowed at PGA of America championships.
This is noteworthy given that “skill” will be a hot topic when the USGA and R&A make their case for distance regulation. (At least they are allowing the devices at the U.S. Open or The Open, yet.) Situations like the above rangefinder usage chips away at real skill. The same goes for players relying on green books to get around local knowledge study.
Add both to the termination list if we’re genuinely trying to restore more nuanced skills to this great game.
Some Intriguing Work Taking Place At Augusta National
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Eureka Earth posted photos of a new pro shop under construction but that won’t mean much unless you’re a member or guest.
But this latest post of work on the 15th and 17th is noteworthy because (A) they are not taking some of the Hootie-era anti-Jones/MacKenzie tree plantings out, and (B) some large areas of turf were removed. Most interesting may be what appears to be pretty significant shaping equipment in the 15th hole landing area and the 17th green looking like it’s set for re-grassing.
My guess? Instead of taking out the Hootie-era trees down the right, the landing area is getting softened to not send a good drive behind the left pines. Or it may be a less sexy thing like sand-capping the landing area and installing SubAir under the spectator walkway.
Sleuthing The Koepka Interview Origins: How Can We Ever Look At The Player Impact Program The Same Again?
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Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier has dug into the leaked Brooks Koepka interview never aired by Golf Channel and it only raises more questions about the purity of the PIP race.
When a once-secret $40 million bonus pool with seemingly pre-determined standings is compromised, it really makes you wonder, why we even bother to get up in the morning?
Dethier went to the source, the mysterious @RJWinfield, who knows none of the individuals involved. Instead he obtained the video after it started going around via a MediaSilo link, Golf Channel’s preferred site for in-house video sharing. The big question with millions at stake: why was the interview’s first take uploaded?
Dethier has dug into the origins of the Koepka interview and it only raises more questions about the purity of the PIP race:
Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter said that Koepka himself had requested the clip from a Golf Channel contact to watch himself and send to friends for a laugh. He hadn’t intended for it to spread so widely, the sources said, but he might not have cared that it did, either. Remember how the video ended?
“I honestly wouldn’t even care,” Koepka said.
Maybe he meant it.
While there may not have been intent by Koepka for the clip to go viral, millions of views and some serious Meltwater/Google/MVP Index engagement, which, when multiplied by FedExCup standings rank and divided by a number of Vice Commissioner McIlroy’s choosing, Koepka may have improved his PIP status when things accidentally went viral.
Or, was it accidental?
This could be a $1 million difference in the final standings. I think I’ve lost all faith in formerly secret marketing program points races.
