18 thoughts, observations and predictions…
- Victor Hovland is that dude. He is most certainly now the best and most capable player without a major and has the goods to be #1.
- Scottie Scheffler’s ball striking season is mind blowing and his putter has kept him from a 5-win season.
- Europe is not an underdog. Let me repeat, Europe is not an underdog.
- No Cameron Young in the Tour Championship leave’s a crack for a few guys but I think the crack is very small for Sam Burns and Lucas Glover.
- Justin Thomas is not going to Napa for the grapes or the points, he’s going to get a start before Rome and the Captain has been consulted.
- Rory has 11 top 7 finishes this year. He rarely flakes out and habitually contends but he simply leaves some feeling like he should win every week.
- Cherry Hills built new tees that crossed other tees, the greens were super firm and fast, the rough was the world’s largest shag carpet for the U.S. Amateur. All in efforts to combat DISTANCE.
- The best players in the U.S. Am are the prototypes for what the governing bodies are trying to manage. Maximized technology, elite athleticism, lethal speed and absence of fear. This group is taking distance to another level.
- Nick Dunlap did something only Tiger has done. U.S. Junior and U.S. Am winners. Add his Northeast Am and North/South wins and the summer of Nick was sick.
- John Wood is a fantastic on course voice of knowledge, perspective, set up and scenarios and his voice tells you he loves what he does.
- Dan Hicks is single handedly bringing the three-piece suit out of hibernation.
- Spent time with Steph Curry Saturday at Lake Merced discussing his Underrated Tour for junior golfers. What’s next is next level, stay tuned.
- The proximity of Cal Club, Olympic, Harding Park, Lake Merced, and San Francisco Golf Club make it one of the top 5 neighborhoods for golf in the country.
- The USGA needs to examine adding continental Europe to the Walker Cup equation. The event and the game would win.
- Jeff Overton top 25’d on the Korn Ferry tour this past week. He was undoubtedly at one time the best player who hadn’t won on the PGA Tour.
- My hour-long conversation with Tom Watson, that you can now watch and listen to on 5 Clubs, only re-affirmed what I’ve always thought about the guy. He’s a righteous dude.
- Lydia Ko spent two hours talking individually with every participant at the Curry Cup at Lake Merced on Sunday. Not a paid gig, just a favor for a friend in Steph Curry.
- How many days out do you look at the forecast when you’re playing a special place? I started looking at the 10-day forecast for Cypress Point 30 days ago. Full report on The Card next week.