4 Of 6 Who Lay Back At Riviera's 10th Make A Birdie!

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Since PGA Tour players have been known to engage in herd-like behavior when it comes to their dress or lingo or golf holes, but they might want to consider some numbers from the 2022 Genesis Invitational.

A (not) whopping six times, a player placed a shot in the landing area, short of the directional bunker, and in the fairway. Four times the player walked off with a birdie 3.

The culprits behind this exciting and cutting edge trend to play from the fairway:

  • Round 3: Aaron Rai with a 71-yard approach

  • Round 2: Alex Noren with an 89-yard approach

  • Round 1: Justin Thomas with a 62-yard approach

  • Round 1: Rai with a 76-yard approach

Rai played the hole 2-under par laying up all four days, missing the fairway left in Sunday’s final round.

The 10th featured a 3.870 scoring average, with 5 eagles and 103 birdies, 9 double bogeys, 0 others and a lot of blue pars from the places where the analytics supposedly tell players where they should go.

Granted the entire situation is a mess due to poor equipment regulation, crazy green speeds and a few weird changes over the years so at this point it’s hard to fault any approach.

Storm Franklin Hits Irish Course With Rush Of Water, Portrush Loses Some Dune

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Portsalon Golf in Donegal, Ireland after Storm Franklin came through.

And the dune below Royal Portrush suffered erosion as well.

The Quadrilateral: Niemann's Wire-To-Wire Genesis Win And Other Notes

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Joaquin Niemann, final round 2022 Genesis Invitational

Wire-to-wire wins are impressive at any level in golf. But on the PGA Tour? With all of the world top ten in attendance? On a storied course where the winner had no significant success in three previous appearances? When he’s the second youngest to win a tournament dating to 1926?

We saw some might impressive golf from Joaquin Niemann in a statement win capable of taking him to special places. Oh, and the young man is just so darned classy, too.

Down boy, down!

My 2022 Genesis Invitational round-up is available for all to read here and includes notes ranging from Niemann to Morikawa’s nearly historic comeback, to Kuchar’s love of that silky smooth Brew Ha Ha cold brew at Riviera.

Of course, Quad subscribers already had this one in their inboxes and you can too for the low, low price of nothing. Those in the paid category do get commenting privileges and extra posts on other fun major-adjacent things as the year progresses.

You can read more here about how the whole newsletter thing works here.

R.I.P. The Saudi Golf League

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The Saudi Golf League, a short-lived effort to reinvent the model of professional golf backed by a murderous dictator via the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, has died. It was barely six months old.

The league passed away after legendary golfer Phil Mickelson gave two interviews revealing an almost incomprehensible level of greed, rage, hypocrisy and avarice aimed at the same PGA Tour that helped him amass millions. Authorities speaking on the condition of anonymity have identified Mickelson as a “person of interest” in the league’s demise. Law enforcement has been unable to locate him at his California or forever-future Florida residences.

Authorities say golfers Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau played a role in the league’s demise by issuing statements Sunday suggesting they would remain on the PGA Tour. They are not expected to face charges as accessories to the League’s passing.

When he resurfaces, Mickelson may need protective custody due to future safety concerns regardless of whether charges are filed.

Besides Crown Prince of Mohammed bin Salman, whose Fund is now saddled with $300 million in obligations to the Asian Tour over the next decade, Mickelson’s role could cost multiple players to potentially miss out on millions of dollars in advance checks. Nineteen sources with knowledge of his thinking who are unwilling to experience a public beheading, suggest retired golfer, mass market vintner and Macy’s clothier Greg Norman is also expected to want a piece of Mickelson.

The Saudi effort to sportwash was lifted from a concept originally envisioned by the World Golf Group-turned-Premier Golf League and faced growing prospects for success after several noted veteran stars became smitten with a limited event schedule and massive advance checks. A partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an investor in multiple American corporations and supported by former President Donald Trump, proved to be a morally bankrupt concept in the eyes of Rory McIlroy and a handful of other players. Many others entertained the concept.

Not until Mickelson opened his big mouth while playing the recent Saudi International did others realize the depth of narcissism or greed involved. Nor did many seem to understand the gravity of partnering with the Kingdom’s investment fund. Mickelson even shrugged off the Kingdom’s history of murder, bigotry and murderous bigotry in the name of leverage, issues that became apparent when a second interview from last November with writer Alan Shipnuck revealed new levels of delusional thinking by the current PGA Champion. In the interview, Mickelson intimated the entire effort was a leverage play to profit off digital rights and to avenge Commissioner Jay Monahan’s negotiating tactics.

Since then, a series of players who were long silent about the league have announced their intention to remain on the PGA Tour. Johnson and DeChambeau delivered the final blows Sunday as league founder Norman remained silent.

The League is survived by LIV Golf Investments, bin Salman, Norman and the Public Investment Fund. Due to COVID and fears of more beheadings, services will be very, very private.

Dustin Johnson Latest To Announce Allegiance To The PGA Tour, What Does Greg Norman Do Now?

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In a statement issued through the PGA Tour—the PR equivalent of saying I’m sorry I flirted with the enemy—Dustin Johnson has pledged his allegiance to Ponte Vedra:

Meanwhile this all turns the focus back to Greg Norman and friends who have been very quiet as Phil Mickelson implodes their effort and players on board jump ship. His old nemesis at the Sydney Morning Herald Peter FitzSimons has some advice:

What should you do?

Well, anyone with a conscience would resign. But with you I guess that is beside the point here. Your best plan is probably to do what you have been doing, and do better than anyone – hold your nose and go after more money. The damage to your own “brand” gets worse every week on this one, and will take an even more colossal hit on Mickelson’s truth-telling. Hit the Saudis now, Greg. “Gimme more money, or I will tell the world that Mickelson is right!”

It just might work.

Anything to help Greg pay the electric bill!

WaPo: Trump Involved In Bringing Saudi Golf League Events To His Properties

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The golf audience already knows of a likely Trump/Saudi Golf League partnership if they’ve listened to No Laying Up’s podcasts or assumed the worst combination of character possible.

Still, to see the Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey and Jonathan O’Connell report on a possible partnership and the ensuing reporting as a national story will do wonders for all involved. And this detail suggests the former President has been active in the recruiting process.

Officials from LIV Golf Investments, the apparatus funded by the Saudis to host the tour, have held conversations with the Trump Organization, these people said.

One of the people familiar with the matter said Trump had spoken to Greg Norman, the head of LIV Golf Investments, about having his properties involved in the tour.

It really is a match made in Heaven or wherever all of these game growers will land some day.

Peter Kostis Tries And Fails To Equivocate Tiger With Fuzzy Zoeller

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Breaking free from the whatever rage-inducing nonsense he’s watching to take in the third round Genesis Invitational telecast, Peter Kostis attempted to equate Fuzzy Zoeller’s pithy, racist “fried chicken or collared greens or whatever they serve remark with Tiger Woods telling Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo that he was looking forward to the sushi at this year’s Champions Dinner.

Hideki Matsuyama is the defending champion and has signaled he’s likely to serve sushi.

At the 1997 Masters, Zoeller infamously said, "So you know what you guys do when he gets in here? Pat him on the back, say congratulations, enjoy it. And tell him not to serve fried chicken next year .... or collared greens or whatever the hell they serve."

Can Phil Mickelson Return To The PGA Tour? Captain A Ryder Cup?

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Unhinged comments from forthcoming Alan Shipnuck book appear to be disqualifying on many fronts. As in, eery really doing any of the usual things a player of his magnitude does as their playing career winds down.

What a bizarre thing to kill your legacy over. My latest Quadrilateral viewable for all.

Oakland Hills Clubhouse Appears To Be A Total Loss

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Terrible pictures from Bloomfield Hills today as Oakland Hills’ iconic clubhouse has suffered extensive fire damage. The building dates to 1922. The Detroit News’ coverage here.

Whoa: Drone Flies 100 M.P.H. To Capture A Rory Shot At Riviera

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Someone, somewhere thinks drones aren’t great for golf but it’s a tiny audience thinking that way.

This is spectacular.

100: Riviera First Tee Tribute To Charlie Sifford

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When you watch this week’s Genesis Invitational you may notice first hole signage sporting “100”. It’s a TGR Foundation tribute to Charlie Sifford, the namesake for the annual sponsor’s invitation going this year to Aaron Beverly. Sifford would have turned 100 this June.

Tiger Woods explained the tribute in the pre-tournament press conference Wednesday.

TIGER WOODS: Well, Charlie was a person, he was a pioneer. I mean, he was the person that he broke down the Caucasian clause that was part of the Tour. I think that he should have been the first person to ever play in the Masters but unfortunately that didn't happen after his win here in the Los Angeles area at Rancho Park. Charlie was the grandfather I never had. He was -- to me, he was Grandpa Charlie. I would see him at Firestone every year. I was telling Aaron over here that I would get these yellow teletexts in my locker every time I had a chance to win a tournament and I'll summarize it by saying "go out and win." If you guys know Charlie, it wasn't exactly in those words but that was the summary of it. Grandpa Charlie was fantastic. It was great to have President Obama award him the Medal of Freedom before he passed.

You know, I named my son after Charlie, he meant that much to me and my family. My dad would never have been able to play the game of golf, he would have never taken it up if Charlie hadn't broken down the Caucasian clause. It's very important for us to honor what he has done, has meant to this great game of golf. To have Aaron here be a part of it, he'll talk here in a little bit, what he's doing, what he's going through, for him to be part here at Riviera.

I just asked him, what do you do on the first hole. He said, "I'll pipe it 200 right down there and hit it right on the green." Oh, yeah, that's what I used to think, too. I remember when I hit my first tee shot there, I hit my little 3-wood out there, I looked like the size of a 3-wood, but it was neat to be a part of that first tee shot.

You look back at that tee shot, okay, every great champion has basically from the '40s on has hit that tee shot. You see photos of Hogan and Nelson and everyone after that, subsequent after that, all hit that tee shot. You can't lengthen that tee shot, it's not going anywhere. The clubhouse is in the same spot, the same road, the same cart path, same everything. It's an iconic tee shot and it's one that Aaron will always remember. And then us having the flag have 100 on it, that means that much more because of what Charlie has meant to this event, to me and the great game of golf.

Flash From The City: PGA Tour Considers Off-Season

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Daniel Rapaport shares a few insights gleaned from the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council meeting and stunner of all stunners, it appears the creative juices are warming. A possible fall team series was discussed—a light version of the PGL franchise concept—and in a stunning twist, an actual off season concept. Novel as it may seem.

From his report:

A separate but potentially related topic of conversation during the meeting, however, focused on possible alterations to the fall portion of the PGA Tour schedule, which has been mentioned as a target for change in recent years. While nothing is finalized, a source told Golf Digest that the council discussed the idea of having a fall series that is not tied to the FedEx Cup or the Official World Golf Ranking and instead uses the fall to experiment with different tournament formats. Multiple team concepts were discussed, including a model similar to a college golf tournament that could feature six-man teams with a certain number of scores counting each day.

Something fresh and who knows, a potential Olympic golf format trial? Getting ahead of myself again.

There was also this nice visual:

Hoffman, who took to Instagram last week to criticize the PGA Tour for a ruling and suggest that a lack of accountability and protection for players is a main reason guys are considering the rival league, was present for the meeting. A source said Hoffman stood up and apologized for the way he handled the situation and the post, which has since been deleted from Instagram.

There was also this from Rex Hoggard with more details on the team concept and a possible ban for defectors.