The Card – Volume I

by | Jul 17, 2023 | The Card

The Card – Volume I

18 thoughts, observations and predictions:

  1. Rory’s 2-3 finish with the wind pumping and his two-iron to 18 that set up his winning birdie at the Scottish may portend a historic week upcoming and the beginning of his second major wave.
  1. Robert MacIntyre just made the European Ryder Cup team.
  1. Iona Stephen is a star broadcaster. So comfortable, confident and makes short conversations redeemable.
  1. I wish Nick Faldo’s hole-in-one reaction in his Ryder Cup singles match against Paul Azinger was equal to Steph Curry’s. A homicide as a footnote to a Ryder Cup would trump The Concession.
  1. I’ve taken more lessons in the last two months than I have in three decades and I am starting to get the chasing distance rabbit hole.
  1. The hood on Tommy Fleetwood’s Friday hoodie at the Scottish was from the wardrobe of the “Dead Poets Society”.
  1. Jim McMahon never missing a start in the American Century in the event’s history is pretty ironic.
  1. More co-sanctioned events are coming and not fast enough. Barbasol was a stew of backgrounds, nations and career paths.
  1. Linn Grant was the latest legit 59 watch on a major tour this past week at Dana Open. He never broke golf’s sound barrier, but Lanny Wadkins remains the guy, to me, least afraid of shooting nothing.
  1. Hoylake doesn’t get the affection of others in the rota but it is a canyon of ball striking heroes.
  1. Tyrrell Hatton is Ryder Cup Europe’s new world class irritant. Americans will loathe him come late September and he’s gonna be a very tough point.
  1. Steve Stricker won his 3rd senior major this year. Could senior accomplishments nudge a player into the hall of fame? Emphatically NO.
  1. Jay Monahan returns to work this week and fence mending with his players is far more important right now than public posturing about control of something that is far from complete.
  1. Cam Smith’s road since St. Andrews is as unorthodox as we’ve seen in generations and he absolutely can repeat.
  1. The new 17th at Hoylake will get tons of deserved attention as we are seeing a refreshing desire to showcase the teeny 3’s at majors. Nice that Troon’s postage stamp, 12 at Augusta and 7 at Pebble have some new company.
  1. Crystal Downs really, really got to me. Time capsule stuff. Testament to the value and joy of staying true to what you’ve always been.
  1. Peter Alliss you are missed, this week just amplifies it for all of us.
  1. Rory is the pick.

Enjoy the Open Championship.