by Gary Williams | Apr 24, 2024 | Blog
Chic Anderson and Frank Ricard had their moments, but they were separated by 30 years. In 1973 Anderson famously called Secretariat’s then and now record 31-length victory in the Belmont Stakes. In 2003 Ricard famously left “Mitchapalooza” to go streaking through the quad in the epic film, “Old School”. I thought about both men, one real and one fictional as Nelly Korda and Scottie Scheffler were polishing off their latest wins. Streaking in sports is a far more appealing thing than Frank the Tank headed to KFC, not that him being picked up by his wife and her friends on that chilly night was not entertaining. But, “separation”, which both Korda and Scheffler are currently doing in golf always sells.
Blowouts are not marketable, but moments in time, whether a season like the 2007 Patriots or Usain Bolt in the Beijing, London or Rio Olympics that draw a captive audience. The outlier athlete has been and always will be an attraction. Add the optimization, specialization and analytics in today’s sports world and it’s become harder for athletes to truly create a divide between themselves and the opponent. Teams study every solitary tendency of the opposition, and each league and coach is trained to become professional copycats. Golfers, regardless of manufacturer, play virtually the same stuff, utilize the identical analytics, are trained and coached by a handful of the same instructors and play under very similar conditions with few exceptions for the morning and afternoon waves in tournaments. It was never boring to watch Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky swim away from the competition anywhere or seeing Michael Johnson make up the stagger in the 400 meters before reaching the turn in Atlanta in the 1996 Olympics or watching Tiger Woods winning by two touchdowns and a two-point conversion at Pebble Beach in 2000. My Dad attended every significant sporting event in North America and dragged me to most when I was a kid, and he was at Belmont Park in June of 1973. To his dying day he proclaimed that Secretariat getting to the top of the stretch already with a massive lead in the Belmont as the most inspirational thing he ever saw in sports. He was also not blessed to be hearing the call from Chic Anderson, which included the line, “He’s moving like a tremendous machine”.
Nelly Korda and Scottie Scheffler have done things before May 1st that have those of us who cover their work making references to Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez and Tiger Woods. Those are not reaches, just mile markers that Korda and Scheffler are currently reaching. Nelly started the year with eight career wins and a major championship victory. Scottie began 2024 with six wins on the PGA Tour and a major on his resume. As we wait for their next starts, they are suddenly now at 13 and two and 10 and two. That escalated quickly. In 20
05 Annika and Tiger combined to win 16 times and they both won two majors. Those collective benchmarks do not seem unreasonable for Korda and Scheffler to touch considering how much runway they have in front of them in 2024. Golf is weird, however. Its why us weirdos are drawn to it. Even the garden variety chop thinks they are close to playing well or poorly at any moment but these two are not of the garden variety. They were both reared to do what they do with nature and nurture playing varying roles in their paths. The commonalities are chippy competitive natures, superior refined skill and minds inclined for uncommon achievement.
Empirical data will help us determine the traction each of them is giving their respective tours, but the anecdotal evidence is beginning to materialize. In the golfy circles I swim in outside of the media space I am receiving queries about tournaments that begin with Korda and Scheffler. Where do they stand, not on Sunday but on Thursdays. Their separation raises the stakes for each of their next starts whether it be the Founders Cup for Korda or the Wells Fargo Championship or PGA Championship for Scheffler. Subsequently, it also means that the ones who knock them off next will receive bolder type in the postscript and a weightier sense of accomplishment from the general public. Wearing the bullseye can also become fatiguing which adds to the intrigue. Teams and individual performers have historically spoken about trying to maintain the pursuit of something as opposed to succumbing to the psychology of trying to defend, protect, or hold onto something they don’t actually possess. We simply don’t experience this type of dominance very often let alone simultaneously. Streaking is box office, just ask Frank the Tank.
-
-
by Gary Williams | Apr 13, 2024 | Blog
Oftentimes golfers give the impression that they are never satisfied. Friday at Augusta National exposed the frayed edges of a field of players taxed to the limit by a grueling examination of golf. The calamity of Jordan Spieth on the 15th hole Friday morning that resulted in a quadruple bogey 9 was the first of so many colossal blunders by the best players in the world. Viktor Hovland’s had a 3-inch back stab that effectively ended his week. Zach Johnson made a triple bogey on the 12th hole and the patrons, 150 yards away gave him a smattering of applause because they truly had no clue what he made on the hole and Johnson reflexively told them to F-off. Not a good look. Justin Thomas was at level par standing on the 15th tee and 75 minutes later he was 7 over par and headed back to Jupiter, Florida for the weekend a fractured golfer. The scoring was historically high, the winds were unrelenting and the path of play challenged daylight. But the beauty of an elite golf competition is that you sleep on it three nights.
I arrived at Augusta National on Saturday morning at 7:15 am. It was cool and serene with emerging light all around as I made my way from the press building to the area where patrons first step foot on the lush overseeded turf of this historic venue. I had never witnessed the procession of patrons being given entry just to the right of the first fairway and after the brief instructions which included “no running and have a fabulous day” the people were off to put their chairs down at various points only to wait hours before a competitive golf shot is struck at those locales. I proceeded up to the main entrance to the clubhouse and swiftly walked through the building and out the back door. I wanted to walk across the golf course and through all the crosswalks to see which memories would strike me first at each hole I walked across and through.
The 18th hole was on my left as I proceeded down the hill and there are a collage of moments that sprang to mind but I stopped at the big fairway bunker on the left side of the fairway to recall the bunker shot struck by Sandy Lyle in the 1988 Masters in the final round. From there I crossed at the front of the 8th tee and thought of the two-shot swing in the final round of the 2014 Masters. First-timer Jordan Spieth made bogey and Bubba Watson made birdie, his 3rd birdie in five holes. The players were then tied walking to 9 tee and Spieth would bogey the 9th to fall behind and never catch Watson again on that Sunday. The 2nd green was my next stop and Louis Oosthuizen’s albatross is front and center in my mind as I can see his ball drip into the hole in the final round of the 2012 Masters. The 4-iron from 253 yards would be one of the most famous shots of all time had he won the Masters, but Bubba produced his own miracle shot in the playoff to make the “2 on 2” a de facto footnote. The 3rd hole is one of my favorites and I always am reminded of Jack Nicklaus chipping in for birdie in the final round of the 1998 Masters at age 58. He would finish 6th, just another reminder of how well elders are treated at the Masters.
The 7th hole cross walk follows the 3rd hole and I have multiple Tiger memories from the 7th that sprang to mind. His hole out 2 in the final round in 2010 and his bullet tee shot in the final round in 2019 when he was teetering, and Francisco Molinari looked bulletproof. Molinari made bogey and Tiger made birdie and it was game on. I then walked behind the 6th green and the hole-in-one by Chris Dimarco in the first round of the 2004 Masters was first to mind. Chris almost made a one the following day as well and was agonizingly close to winning two Masters in back-to-back years. Making my way up the hill right of the 6th hole and to the left side of the 5th fairway, one of the hardest holes on the course, where few likely remember in 1995 Jack Nicklaus made 2 not once but twice on the hole known as Magnolia. I stopped to examine the 5th green closely as it was originally intended to be an homage to the road hole at St. Andrews and when you look at the front portion of the green you realize that green couldn’t be built today at almost anywhere.
Once I got to the long and steep flight of stairs that sits conspicuously behind the 6th tee and the 5th green, I sat down to look down at the 16th green. Who knows what might happen there this weekend but Tiger’s chip-in in 2005, Nicklaus’ long birdie putt in 1975, Jack’s almost hole-in-one in 1986 and Greg Norman’s rinsed tee shot in 1996 flooded my thoughts.
The activity on the golf course at 8:15 this morning is uncommon since there would not be any golfers reaching the far end of the golf course for hours. Augusta National is a severely tilted piece of the land from the top of the hill by the clubhouse down to Amen corner and the 12th green and it also disorients your mind because of all the moments we know of, witnessed in person, or saw on television for a lifetime. This place makes me emotional. It makes me miss my dad to the point that I am tearing up writing these words because all of my best firsts in golf were with him, including here. I am grateful to have these moments and the motivation to venture out on the golf course early on Saturday morning considering how compromised I was several years ago by my alcoholism. I have never taken being here for granted but now more than ever I am humbled to be given the time and filled with gratitude to seek the solitude that mornings like today can provide.
This afternoon will be tense, entertaining, stressful and filled with high drama, but I’ll remember my Saturday morning, walking alone, reliving great moments and being thankful for this precious time at this special place.
by Gary Williams | Apr 11, 2024 | Blog
The eve of any major championship takes on the same atmosphere except for the Masters. The presence of the Par 3 contest brings a little levity and distraction from the mundane and fatiguing dynamic of the other three majors. The big golf course is closed, and the attention of the fans overwhelmingly is trained on the delightful short course. The par 3 course at Augusta National is another example of the vision of the club. George Cobb originally designed the short course in 1958 and today many new private destination clubs construct short courses as an additional asset for their memberships and Augusta National was WAY ahead of the curve.
There were breezy and humid conditions on Wednesday with impending storms on Thursday. Every player has expressed how firm the golf course is right now and most think it’s with the knowledge that Thursday could be a wash out. The golf course is generally not super crispy and the last time I felt it was edgy was 2014. Bubba Watson won his second green jacket, but the final leaderboard was eclectic… Jonas Blixt, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Kevin Stadler, and the over 50 set of Bernard Langer and Miguel Angel Jiminez. Bouncy and firm opens up the field to shot makers and bunters and here’s hoping the windy, low humidity and sunny days from Friday on means it’s wide open. Those conditions also lend itself to Tiger having his best chance for a record breaking 24th straight made cut. Nobody is a better ground game player than the 5-time champion.
Wednesday observations:
- I’m not an egg person. I’m really not a huge breakfast guy but the scrambled eggs at Augusta National are the lightest, fluffiest, eggs I’ve ever had. Add to that the most consistent bacon and you have a rock-solid breakfast. The grits are average, very average. That’s the weak link on the morning breakfast menu in the Press Building.
- The chairman of Augusta National, Fred Ridley, conducted his annual press conference and he shared some interesting notes about the present and the future. I asked him what the data showed them about year one at the lengthened 13th hole in 2023 and Ridley said despite the wet and softer conditions they were encouraged by the “go for it” numbers. More players choose to go for the green in two even though average distance to the green was increased. He went on to say that they need three to five years of data to really get a snapshot on the effects of the changes.
- By 2026 the club will construct a new players facility for players, their families and support staff. They will also build underground parking for the players to continue to improve the convenience and experience of the players.
- The chairman also suggested that the door is not completely closed to the idea of a women’s professional event despite the serious challenges of the calendar.
- Ridley is made it clear that the club supports the governing bodies impending roll back of the golf ball and that opens the slim possibility that at least three of the majors would be played with a different and shorter golf ball than the PGA Tour if the tour does not adopt the modified local rule starting in January of 2028.
- In the summer of 2014, I was playing in a Champions Tour event in Chicago and on the shuttle back to the hotel from the draw party Hale Irwin heard that I was going to run the NYC marathon that November. Irwin said when we get to the hotel, he would race me to the elevators from the parking lot. He won the race; he was 68 years old at the time. I saw Hale today and reminded him of that moment and he reminded me that he won the race. Irwin is known for the three U.S. Open titles, but he was very good at the Masters. He had four straight top 5’s from 1974 to 1977. At 78 years old he looks super fit and likely capable of still beating me in a race.
- I met Keegan Bradley, and his now wife Jillian, when they were dating 12 years ago. Today, to see them with the kids all decked out in caddy gear is the latest example that time is precious and swift.
- I walked out to get a closer look at the alterations to the 2nd and 6th greens. The 2nd green on the hard right-hand side will not be as easy to putt back down toward the hole from the back of the green and that is the traditional Sunday pin. The change to the right of the back shelf on 6, which is also a Sunday pin, is subtle but will impact balls on the edge of the green in a disadvantageous way.
- I made a point of standing a hundred yards off the tee on the 10th hole. From that vantage point you can see the MacKenzie bunker which is the most artistic in shape of any green on the golf course. Its, in my estimation, the most majestic view on the golf course with the grand loblolly pines leaning behind the putting surface.
- Crowds today were massive in line for the main merchandise building with the time elapsed to get inside the building exceeding an hour. The huge concession area on the other side of the merchandise building was also swelling well outside the building.
- The permanent trophy that resides in the stately sitting area in the main clubhouse is spectacular. I made a point of going and seeing it this morning as I made my way over to the big tree to meet some friends for a chat. The collage of photos of all the champions that adorn the area just inside the main door to the clubhouse next to the registration area is very underrated.
- I think this tournament will be won by Scottie Scheffler. It’s the chalkiest of picks but I’m not trying to be clever, I’m simply leaning on the most reliable go in the game right now. Of course, it may be one of at most a dozen players, but I’ll take the favorite. I expect Koepka and Rahm to be there late, and I’ll play the Spieth card to top 5 because it’s what he does here. I think Tiger plays the weekend because it’s what he does. I will be there in the morning, weather permitting, to watch Nicklaus, Watson and Player hit their tee shots and I will be filled with gratitude.
Its time.
by Gary Williams | Apr 10, 2024 | Blog
Tuesday was a persistent overcast day with very light showers early in the morning. A very pleasant day for fans to walk the golf course and players to get a ton of work done. Tuesday is also the big press conference day and the overall mood I sensed from the interview room was subdued and somewhat flat from most of the players. I do not think that’s telling for a few of them but was revealing for a few others.
Tuesday observations:
- Viktor Hovland has a curious mind, and it appears he’s in deep on the swing thoughts. He’s a constant tinkering of thought and theory but I just think he’s caught amid too much stuff to think he will be a factor. He’s a good listen and was today.
- Jon Rahm is a terrific press room guy. Takes time and he’s thoughtful about all subjects. He was defensive on Tuesday about many things, in particular his move to LIV. He was short and clumsy with some of his answers which is normally not his way at all. I hope Tuesday night is a great night because he’s earned it, but Tuesday morning answering questions from the media was not enjoyable for him which is rare.
- Tiger spoke to a standing room only crowd and the items that stood out to me were his genuine feelings about how much he loves golf and that he thinks he has one more in him. I simply don’t see it at all this year or in any year going forward. He was asked about captaining the U.S. Ryder Cup team next year at Bethpage and his answer was telling to me. I think if he was not doing it, he would have made it very clear but instead he said he would be talking to Seth Waugh, the CEO of the PGA of America next week. For the first time I think he’s doing it. If I’m wrong, I’ll raise my hand but today I think he’s in.
- Rory McIlroy showed up late for his presser, on purpose, and left very quickly, on purpose. I think the exercise is counterproductive for him and I believe the less he talks about the quest for the career grand slam the better. I asked him about his communication with Butch Harmon and he said they text every day. That’s a very good thing.
- Jordan Spieth has six top 4 finishes at the Masters and his presser is always solid with good answers. He had an interesting reaction to Jaime Diaz’ question about the greens maybe being more puttable. His recall of the condition of the golf course through the years was tremendous and its clear the place is special to him beyond the win in 2015.
- Brooks Koepka was cocksure and in major mindset. He knows he’s got the mental advantage over the field, and he is unafraid to express it. I would be very surprised if he’s not a factor.
- Scottie Scheffler is truly a delightful guy. Unfazed by his place in the game and not defined by his job. I asked him about his ability to clear his mind of any ancillary thoughts or noise and said he simply isn’t interested in what is said or written. He also has never seen “For Love of The Game” with Kevin Costner because I asked him about the line. “Clear the mechanism” and he said I haven’t seen the movie. Come on Scottie, prime Kelly Preston and John C Reilly as the lumbering catcher. Good film.
- It’s always great to spend time with Mike Tirico especially when he is giving guidance and advice to other broadcasters. He spent time showing Taylor Zarzour his football boards on his iPad and how he has units segmented out. As versatile a broadcaster as there is in the industry.
- Had a spirited lunch with my old buddy Michael Breed. Michael and I were assistant golf professionals at the same time in the early 90’s and I rarely get time with him. We went region by region talking about our favorite golf courses that are not the most famous. Seeing old friends is nourishing.
- It’s great to see the younger generation of golf writers and content creators around each other and covering this major championship. Everyone knows how much I appreciate their acumen and passion. It was also great to see Tom Coyne, outstanding writer, golf course owner and patriarch of The Broken Tee Society and The Golfers Journal. Their 5-part series on the Making of the Masters is outstanding work and I highly recommend consuming it.
- Tuesday night was the team dinner for the SiriusXM radio team. I cannot express how much I appreciate the togetherness and passion of the group. I am a firm believer that you got to know and love it to be good at covering golf and this group is both.
- Wednesday will be a big day on course for me in the morning and I’ll be coming with predictions tomorrow night.
by Gary Williams | Apr 9, 2024 | Blog
Driving down to Augusta from Charlotte is a very civilized drive. Two hours and twenty minutes, all interstate on a Sunday morning was a great way to get my mind right for the week ahead. I departed from my regular car routine of talk radio to 70’s and 80’s music to get into a nostalgic state. Augusta is a time capsule when you are on the property from the prices to the absence of cell phones. For me, I am constantly reminded of so many past Masters, from first recollections, to first in person experience with Mom and Dad in 1991. Like so many cities, Augusta has grown and changed a great deal in the thirty-plus years I have been coming to the Masters. Burgeoning neighborhoods and commercial development have transformed Augusta from a sleepy mill town into a modest sized city. I was ready to begin the week.
Monday observations:
- My week started the way it always does with a walk of the second nine. Everyone has said that the golf course was in particularly good shape, and it is. Its currently firm and the uniformity of the rye overseed have put the course in very fit shape.
- Seeing Tiger Woods on the 15th hole at 10 AM on a Monday with full grandstands and crowds three deep on a Monday morning is simply the latest reminder that he’s still the hundred-year flood. It’s just different.
- I made a point of pausing in the crosswalk on the 7th hole to reacquaint myself with the narrowness of the fairway from the tee and the elevation of the green in relation to the fairway and greenside bunkers.
- The new concession and merchandise buildings to the right of the 8th hole and left of the 18th hole looks like it’s been there for a decade in the best way. Great location for all your needs including a new and large bathroom.
- I love the walk up to the original members range which is the open field between 18, 8, and 9. A fantastic open field that would also be spectacular for sledding in the event of a winter storm.
- Conducted several interviews with Xander Schauffele, Brian Harmon and Akshay Bhatia. All in great spirits and Schauffele was particularly chatty about the state of mind to think you can win. Record is so good in all the majors, and he is due.
- I had a fascinating conversation with Michael Breed about life expectancy.
- Talking to Annika Sorenstam with her new members green jacket on was a reminder of how things have changed since I started coming here.
- The Masters having eclipse glasses for everyone on the property was the latest reminder that they think of everything.
- Tomorrow is the monster press conference day and I’ll sit in on all of them.
by Gary Williams | Nov 9, 2023 | Blog
If you’re told something enough times, you’ll likely to start believing it even if it may reside far from the truth. Behaviors and attitudes are galvanized from perceptions and shifting the momentum of firmly entrenched beliefs is an arduous task. Golf, as an overarching experience, is rooted in many things that appear far less than appealing. Exclusionary, unpliable, stuffy, snobbish, and hard. There are some who would and have signed up for the ride based on those ‘earned” labels and hopefully most of them, from a bygone era, are long gone. There are still those who inhabit the golf ecosystem who feel most comfortable when the environment reeks of the stench of discomfort. They hold on to the rigidity of club bylaws and societal norms that would suggest they sleep in tweed and think 15 minutes at the pool on Caddy Day is too long. However, there is light that has seeped through the crack in the mahogany door of golf. It looks like fun, feels inclusionary and has an ease and comfort rarely felt around the game. And whether it is a result of a sense of obligation or a couple generations of golfers deciding enough was enough, what is happening is beyond encouraging.
All the progressive and forward-thinking momentum is most evident at the 72-acre fun factory in South Pittsburg, Tennessee known as Sweetens Cove. My sentiments are not revelatory because many smart and influential voices in the game have trumpeted the aura and mindset of Sweetens long before I stepped foot there as I did last Monday. Andy Johnson and the Fried Egg was an early adopter and the “No Laying Up” boys were so smitten they bought a house across the street from the first fairway and the club has even constructed a tee on their front yard that allows shots to be played to the first green from roughly 110 yards away. Don’t misinterpret me sharing that they have a house there as an indicator that there are others. There are none, and theirs is almost a happy accident. Sweetens Cove’s collective ownership have all seen the finest things the game has to offer but they have a collective sensibility that’s reflected in every touch, toilet and talking point expressed by their approachable and good-natured general manager Matt Adamski. Arriving at any golf club, whether it be for the first time or the 100th time, can be daunting and intimidating. Matt is one of golf’s great host’s because his welcome is warm, and his words are nourishing.
How many times have you either heard or experienced what NOT to do when you arrive at a golf club? Don’t get there too early, don’t pull up to the front, don’t pop your trunk, don’t park there, don’t change your shoes in the parking lot, don’t walk in the clubhouse, don’t go to the range, don’t talk to anyone, don’t look at anyone, don’t breathe. Good grief how about don’t go?! From the distressed sign upon entry to the modest parking lot and the other like-minded players milling around to the palpable aroma of fun and togetherness, Sweetens is a unifier. Similarly, to instructions you receive before a charity shotgun or member guest, you hear marching orders given by Matt Adamski and it’s about what you can and should do, not a domineering and distressing monologue about what you can’t and should never do. It’s oozing with a tone of permission and liberation as opposed to prohibition and subservience.
Great cultures of clubs can mask the inadequacies of the golf course but in the case of Sweetens Cove the holes make the haunt. Rob Collins and Tad King said, “why not?” and the mantra of “nobody cares what you shot” is alive and well. Play the holes, play them backwards, play as a foursome, play as an eightsome, play blindfolded, just play until you don’t want to play anymore. Every person on the course is IN IT together for the day. Down to my soul you know I believe it’s the time, not the score and it doesn’t mean I don’t seethe when I make bogey from 76 yards. I just know that the time together will greatly outlast the scorecard. Sweetens fosters fellowship and not just among your own gang some. It’s a melting pot of people who play the game with a purpose and the Sweetens purpose is to throw everyone on the course each day into the pot and when you come out your network is broader and better. What else could you possibly want from a day of golf?
There is also an efficiency of utilized space that you marvel at. 9 holes with greens measuring up to 20 thousand square feet with construction and design that has produced quadrants that present you with effectively two greens on every hole. Two flags on each green gives you angles that are distinguishable from each other to make the all-day experience varied and unpredictable. The shed, “pro shop” is a glorified dressing room, but they have created a multitude of desired logos with countless styles of gear and collectibles. It’s a symposium on how to flood the zone with merchandise without suffering a saturation point. I can waste hours and money searching for many things I don’t need but can’t live without and I wanted to comb through every solitary thing Sweetens was selling. A food truck and a pavilion to sit and eat looking out over the valley is not the patio at Shinnecock but it damn well may be as cathartic.
There remain barriers to this game that are challenging to fully eradicate. Not every project can experience the lunar eclipse of designers, owners, and staff aligning themselves like Sweetens Cove. Those ingredients are the principal reasons why the respected voices, with loyal audiences, have advocated and championed the Sweetens experience. Other projects may not have the intellectual and influential resources that Sweetens Cove possesses but their blueprint can and should be inspiring. Evidenced, quite possibly, by the acquisition of Sullivans County Golf Club, in the Catskills of New York by the likes of Tom Coyne. Tom is not only respected by virtually everyone in golf, but also truly seen every make and model of golf course in America. Arnold Palmer famously said, “success is always under construction” and golf, as an industry, has an ego. Egos can germinate complacency to bathe in the accomplishments of yesterday while other options and enterprises pass you by. Sweetens Cove has created an entrée so delicious that even the most discerning palates, the ones who thirst for the top 100 experiences at the hallowed halls, are ingesting the 9-holer in South Pittsburg, Tennessee like it’s the world’s finest vintage.
As I said to my contented band of brothers as we left the property at sunset after our full day in the valley, “Sweetens Cove is a damn gift to
golf”.
Page 1 of 612345...»Last »
