The Card – Volume XIX

by | Dec 11, 2023 | The Card

18 thoughts, observations and predictions…

 

  1. The next player to leave for LIV should get an extra 10 million in the bonus if he says “I’m looking to shrink the game.”  Enough of the lame “grow the game” talking point.  Its professional sports, you took the best offer. Its OK.
  1. Beyond Tiger and Rory, who are non-starters to leave for LIV, Jon Rahm is the most valuable piece on the chess board.  Global, provocative, insistent on always being in the hunt and will likely be on the doorstep of a career grand slam in the next couple years.  He’s a massive loss for the PGA Tour.
  1. One of the most valuable traits of a star in any sport for the league they represent is reliability.  Stars are generally not injury prone.  Stars show up every night and are never described as inconsistent and stars deliver beyond the physical performance.  Accepting the responsibility of being a leading voice and taking positions on issues.  Rahm was all that and his absence from all facets of tour life is a profound VOID.
  1. This is not virtue signaling in saying Rahm went for the money.  It’s just the facts.  It always starts with the money, but he was nudged toward the money by other real factors.  One, believing he will have access back to tour events soon enough, the clumsy and turbulent leadership of the tour, his relationships with Phil and Sergio, a sense of feeling like he wasn’t as valuable as Rory, but it starts and ends with the money.  Like it does with most everything.
  1. The exodus of players to LIV will continue as early as this week and what will also continue is a louder and louder drumbeat from the PGA Tour membership to remove Jay Monahan.  The grumbling privately from tour players about new leadership is going to get very public with each passing day and with each and every departure of another top player.
  1. The flirtation with a handful of American based private equity groups has not pleased the PIF (Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia) and the Rahm signing was an emphatic message of dissatisfaction with the ongoing process of resolving the framework agreement.  
  1. The number of reporters, pundits, hosts and players, who have periodically declared the demise of LIV, including Rory McIlroy, need to understand that those with the most are the ones who last the longest.  A billion-dollar investment from any of the PE groups bidding is chump change for the PIF.  They are in control of what happens next.
  1. Rory McIlroy has popped up on twitter this past week to comment on the rollback and to take a Saturday night swipe at Henrik Stenson.  Responding to a snarky post from a self-described performance coach and Titleist ambassador, Lou Stagner, Rory displayed the petulant streak that he’s flashed on rare occasions.  Showing support for Luke Donald is fantastic but simultaneously dump-trucking Stenson was beneath Rory.  When you punch down you usually land the punch but never score with the judges.
  1. The only person we didn’t hear from after the Rahm departure was the commissioner of the PGA Tour.  Tiger Woods social post on behalf of the player board expressing solidarity makes it clear who is in charge.
  1. Does LIV sell the old school fake leather sleeve letterman jacket being modeled by Jon Rahm on Fox News? If they don’t it’s a BIG miss.
  1. The LIV hot stove was scolding this past week.  Lost in the Rahm news was the trading of Matt Wolff straight up for Taylor Gooch.  Who is Smash’s GM, Howie Roseman?
  1. The USGA/R&A universal rollback announcement was met with equal parts pragmatism, hysteria, misinformation, and sensibility.  Many of the same people who said this will ruin the game and drive millions away from it said out of the other side of their mouths that the changes are so small why do it in the first place.  Which is it?
  1. Comparing sports is a dicey proposition but one thing that all sports must try to do is protect themselves from themselves.  Rules changes in sports can be made for entertainment, safety, monetary and sustainability purposes.  Governance is not a frivolous exercise, and this is about 2060 as much as it is about 2030.
  1. Played Old Town in Winston Salem, North Carolina again this past week.  The routing by Perry Maxwell and the restoration of the original intent by Coore/Crenshaw make it one of the finest courses in America.  The tilt of the land and the stream system is so, so good.
  1. The No Laying Up conversation between Chris Solomon and Lee Trevino is what the platform of podcasts can be.  Free flowing story telling where the listener gets lost in the conversation. Outstanding content as the kids like to say.
  1. Wells Fargo didn’t decide to not renew their sponsorship with the PGA Tour because Jon Rahm left.  This was the culmination of a long evaluation conducted by Wells Fargo that determined that the investment couldn’t produce the necessary return.  They won’t be the last title sponsor to make that determination.  The house of the PGA Tour is not in order.
  1. Kieran Vincent, Kalle Samooja, and Jinichiro Kozuma qualified onto the LIV tour through their qualifier in Abu Dhabi this past weekend.  Combined they’ve earned less than $5 million dollars on the Asian Tour, DP World Tour and Japan Tour respectively. They are now playing for somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 to $25 million for every event.  As Robert De Niro said at the end of “Midnight Run”, “That’s a very respectable neighborhood. 
  1. The animated renderings of the new 21 golf club being built outside Aiken, South Carolina signal several things.  The greater Aiken area is officially on fire with next level golf.  King/Collins are as provocative as any designers in the marketplace, and finally, 18 holes is simply not enough anymore for the private retreat offering.  Whiskey routes, 2nd courses, short courses, putting courses, and hunting and fishing are all on the table for new developers.

The Card – Volume XVIII

by | Dec 4, 2023 | The Card

18 thoughts, observations and predictions…

 

  1. The reported rollback of the golf ball universally will be debated for the years ahead.  As I’ve stated from the outset of the Distance Insights report, I support bifurcation.  I have concerns about sustainability in 50 years not five years.  
  1. The two biggest stars in the men’s game, Tiger and Rory, support the rollback which is helpful for the governing bodies but they will need smart and sensible data and messaging in the years ahead to calm the masses.
  1. Every tour player screaming about the rollback are paid messengers for the manufacturers.  It doesn’t mean that they may not have reasonable concerns, but they are paid messengers.
  1. Tiger Woods’ week at the Hero was a start and that’s all it was.  If he can’t build on this and his next start, wherever it is, and is starting over then he can’t build.  Without a modest building to something, the big stuff is unattainable.
  1. Tiger is a genius and there are few others who could have as many iterations of a golf swing and continue to win like he has but this transformation is really impressive.  Transferring speed produced in large measure from the twitchy lower body to the now yoked upper body is wild to see.
  1. As he approaches 48 at the end of December, Tiger has NEVER had more value to the PGA Tour.  Him playing a little bit is massive.  His voice publicly on the direction of the tour is vital and his weight on the issues is exponentially more significant than anyone else in the game.
  1. The Jon Rahm rumors to LIV are loud.  His departure would be a massive hit to the PGA Tour.  He’s dynamic, interesting, curious and good television.  His loss would be far greater than any other the tour has stomached to date.
  1. If Rahm’s departure is followed by additional top 20 players in the world leaving for LIV, the tour will be in the most desperate position they’ve been in, to date, to find common ground with LIV.  LIV is not desperate for financial solvency; the PGA Tour is in a very precarious position with multiple title sponsors while trying to compensate their top players based on something other than market conditions.
  1. Jordan Spieth has a multi win season in 2024 and will be in the deep end of the pool in two majors with chances to win both the Masters and the US Open.
  1. Joaquin Niemann won the Australian Open to become the first Chilean born player to win a truly historic event.  It makes you wonder what the make-up of the U.S. and International Presidents Cup teams will be next fall.  As a PGA Tour property it would appear there will be no LIV players on either side.  Another tour property devalued by LIV.
  1. Matt Fitzpatrick reported the information regarding Collin Morikawa’s use of green reading data.  Is he a snitch?  No, he was trying to get clarification on what was permissible.  He also has a responsibility to protect the field.  He did the right thing even though it may have initially appeared smarmy.
  1. Ashleigh Buhai defended her title at the Australian Open.  Winning any event in back-to-back years is rare especially an event sharing the stage with the men.  Buhai will have a big 2024.
  1. Luke Donald running it back as European Ryder Cup captain is impressive.  He knows what he’s trying to do in the most hostile environment in Ryder Cup history.  He could have taken his blowout win and enjoyed lifetime lofty status.  Rolling the dice at Bethpage speaks to his sneaky competitive streak.
  1. Paul McGinley should be the choice for lead analyst for NBC.  Smart, plugged in and unafraid.
  1. The College Football Playoff proves again that anything that relies on an outside agency like a judge to determine outcomes is doomed.  A card and pencil is unambiguous.  Shoot a score, put the number on the board and fall where you fall.
  1. Tiger will not captain the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage.  The PGA of America should think completely outside their historic model.
  1. Scottie Scheffler will figure out his putting woes with Phil Kenyon and no one will win more than him in 2024.
  1. As we embark on a week of digging in on the ball rollback, I just hope the discussion is civil.  We can all make data dance in any direction we want and although I support the rollback, I also respect the concerns of the recreational player.  This is about 2050 as much as it is 2030.

The Card – Volume XVII

by | Nov 20, 2023 | The Card

18 thoughts, observations and predictions…

 

  1. Ludvig Aberg has done more to legitimize PGA Tour U than any million-dollar ad campaign. Plus, he may have just influenced a few college players to pass on potential LIV dollars. I said MAY HAVE.
  1. Nicolai Hojgaard is younger than Aberg and with his win at the DP World Tour Championship has secured his place in the first couple Signature Events on the PGA Tour.  Along with his brother Rasmus the three of them represent the potential for three real stars simultaneously from Scandinavian countries.  Who needs speed skating?
  1. The European pivot to the next generation is one of the swiftest restocking of the Ryder Cup cupboards of all time.  Hovland, the Hojgaards, plus Aberg join Rahm and Rory to form a lethal first six.  And that group is built to take on Bethpage.
  1. Ten PGA Tour cards were earned in Dubai this week.  Not many likely took notice but the DP World Tour is going to benefit from co-opting space with the PGA Tour and their cash infusion compliments of the PGA Tour was a shrewd deal.
  1. The winners on the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and LPGA Tour this week were 21, 29, and 27 under par respectively.  Any month, anywhere, any conditions, you put 18 flags in the ground and these aliens will knock them over.  Absurd.
  1. Paul Azinger will not be back as the lead analyst for NBC’s golf coverage. There are basically two lead analysts at the network level, so the job is coveted and rarely available.  The phone call may be very short, but NBC must gauge the interest of Tiger Woods.  Price too high and interest likely next to zero, does not matter, you call him.
  1. The season of Tiger is open us.  He will play the Hero World Challenge and likely the PNC parent child with Charlie. BEST case for 2024 is five events in my mind… four majors and the Genesis.  Percentage chance of that happening? 10%
  1. The fall portion of the PGA Tour schedule gave us winners that included Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim, Colin Morikawa, and Ludvig Aberg plus heart-warming stories in Eric Van Rooyen and Camilo Villegas.  As a moving target this fall was a fluky success.
  1. At 34 Amy Yang wins a massive event and two million dollars.  Yang turned pro in 2008 and she’s been a respected professional for 15 years, so her win was wildly popular.
  1. By any metric Lilia Vu is the player of the year on the LPGA.  I am not a fan of leaning on metrics for determining who is the player of the year.  Players should vote.  They know better than anyone, including an algorithm, who was the best among them for the year.
  1. Eric Cole is likely to get pinched now by Aberg for rookie of the year.  Cole played 37 events! Wake up 1977, Eric Cole is here.  He is one of the best stories in 2023 and the vote will be very close.  He finished 43 in the FedEx cup and his last six starts including five top 5’s.  I think Aberg’s win tips it, but Cole was a plow mule.
  1. The next ten into the first two full field events of 2024 were determined this fall. Beau Hossler, Matt Kuchar, Nick Hardy, Ben Griffin and Luke List were among that group.  All of them exemplify that the pro game sizzles everyone to varying degrees but you can come back from the depths.
  1. Rory McIlroy leaving his board seat on the PGA Tour surprised some. Why?  He did what he’s inclined to do which was be committed to it and it got him tons of unneeded stress and in the end, he was left out of the biggest decision.  Onto 2024 and let others shoulder that unnecessary load.
  1. ESPN wisely secured digital rights to the LPGA for a limited number of events in 2024.  Pro golf eats hours and its perfect for ESPN+.  For the LPGA they have just put themselves on the monolith of all sports platforms.  Winner.
  1. I spent two days at Congaree golf club in South Carolina.  In addition to having the firmest and fastest playing conditions in America they have raised millions for their foundation which provides ample foundational support for aspiring college golfers who are from modest means.  Dan Friedkin, the owner of the club, is truly changing lives through golf.
  1. The new book, “The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor” is a fantastic illustrative book on the work and impact of one of the true giants of course design.  Get it for someone you love who loves Raynor courses for Christmas.
  1. I’ve put Jordan Spieth on the top of my list of people I want to have a long conversation with in 2024.  There’s a ton there and will not be enough time.
  1. Giving thanks should never be reserved for just one day but we do celebrate it this Thursday.  I am thankful for the support and compassion of so many and for anyone reading this line that signifies you supporting our efforts to talk about this game we love. Happy Thanksgiving.

The Card – Volume XVI

by | Nov 13, 2023 | The Card

18 thoughts, observations and predictions…

 

  1. When a successful tour player ventures into a broadcast booth it’s a sign that that player has likely pondered their own professional mortality.  Camilo Villegas did that in August at the Wyndham Championship and three months later he won for the first time in nine years.  One of the best stories in years on tour.
  1. After Villegas had polished off his fifth win, and over time he has struggled mightily as he and his wife lost their 22-month daughter, Mia, to brain cancer, Villegas started by expressing how much the game had given him, not what he was deprived or stripped of, but what he was given.  That’s a view of the world worth emulating.
  1. Rory McIlroy wrapped up the Race to Dubai on the DP World Tour without playing this week and a week before their final event of the year.  He played in nine events that count and four were majors, a world golf championship played in Texas and zero events played in continental Europe.  Bottom Line, he still plays a few events that count, and Pelley and company will take Rory anywhere and anytime.
  1. The Bermuda event picked up a few more years on their sponsorship.  The event works.  Jobs are on the line now with the “fall” and Bermuda doesn’t just like golf, they can’t get enough golf.
  1. Fred Biondi finished T13 at Bermuda and off a national title and individual title it’s a nice week for a guy with Korn Ferry status by virtue of PGA Tour U.
  1. On my 5 Clubs podcast this past week, CBS’ Frank Nobilo shared his thoughts on many subjects, all of them interesting but his opinion that tour players are overpaid has gotten a lot of attention.  He’s right, this is not just fair market principles, this is the existence of LIV that has altered the pay scale.  This will become a real issue if the public investment fund does not become an investor in the PGA Tour.  
  1. LIV is going to have a transfer window, free agency and their new “qualifying” event.  You can quibble and all out dismiss the league.  These are wrinkles and they MUST be different.  Different will not sway many but they have to employ new and different as their plan.
  1. In an excellent interview with the Irish Independent, Rory McIlroy shares details on the fallout from the Ryder Cup dust up with Joe Lacava and points out that he doesn’t vibe at all with Patrick Cantlay.  The interesting thing about that is that they are both board members of the PGA Tour.  That could be an issue as they determine the vacant board seat and the vision of the tour going forward.
  1. Max Homa won the Nedbank in South Africa.  Winning outside the U.S. is a big deal and on the heels of being the best player for the USA at a road Ryder Cup, Homa has big mental “mo” going into ‘24.
  1. Justin Thomas had a top 5 week in South Africa.  2023 was his worst year since winning his first tour event and it will end up being his worst in the next seven.  He’s going to have a big ‘24.
  1. I wrote about my day at Sweetens Cove this past week.  To sum it up if you didn’t read my blog, the course, the staff, the environment is the perfect blend of everything golf should aspire to give to the golfer.  It’s a game to the game.
  1. I spent Thursday night sitting with Andrew Green who has restored Oak Hill, Scioto, Inverness, is currently resuscitating East Lake and will soon renovate Charlotte Country Club.  He is becoming the most capable guy next to Gil Hanse to breathe real life into the most historic venues.
  1. Playing Old Town in Winston Salem this past week was a chance to see one of the finest routed courses in the world.  Perry Maxwell used a superior piece of land to create a masterpiece and Coore/Crenshaw has sprinkled their magic with tree removal, bunkers being re-built and the greens being returned to their prior character.  It’s a bonafide star.
  1. Andy Ogletree took a spot start in the first LIV event when he had no money and no place to play.  He’s now won their international series and will return to LIV a much better player with a spot on their roster. 
  1. Keegan Bradley was left off the Ryder Cup team and suggested he was an outsider.  He’s now a part of the Boston TGL team with Rory and Tyrell Hatton.  He probably fits in better with them anyway.
  1. The soon to be revealed new reversible 9-hole course at Palmetto Bluff designed by Rob Collins and Tad King will be a grand slam.  
  1. The Bryan brothers were cobbling together an existence in golf with YouTube videos of trick shots almost a decade ago.  This week they both made the cut in Bermuda.  That’s impressive.
  1. If Tiger doesn’t want the Ryder Cup job at Bethpage they should go off the page and give the job to Lucas Glover.  He never played in a Ryder Cup, but he won the U.S. Open there and is undeniably one of the wisest and smartest guys in golf and players would love playing for him.

The Card – Volume XV

by | Nov 6, 2023 | The Card

18 thoughts, observations and predictions…

 

  1. November golf is sneaky sensational in the south. First freeze gives you dormant fairways and low humidity firmness across all the turf conditions.
  1. Padraig Harrington is a true star on PGA Tour Champions and he’s undeniably one of the five most engaging talkers in the game. On virtually any topic.
  1. Eric van Rooyen won with an eagle and returns to the winner’s circle after injury and a build back. He was considered a Presidents Cup hopeful four years ago and may be again.  
  1. Excellent reporting from Eamon Lynch of Golfweek on the handful of private equity groups that are bidding on PGA Tour investment. It only amplifies that the framework agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund is hanging by a thread.
  1. The PGA Tour’s decision to let members participate in LIV’s qualifying event in December is practical on many fronts.  There is no need to be territorial right now and even if the deal doesn’t get consummated the two tours will need to find a détente.  This is a start.
  1. No Jon Rahm in the TGL means nothing more to me than a guy who doesn’t want to fly to south Florida a handful on Mondays before the first major of the year. 
  1. Justin Suh is part of the Hovland, Morikawa, Wolff class and it’s taken him longest but he’s made 28 cuts since last fall and added another Top 5 this year to his resume.  He’s going to win in 2024.
  1. Maverick McNealy returned this week after a long rehab from injury.  He becomes more valuable with every Top 10 and him winning will make him a huge asset because he’s as impressive a young man as the tour has to offer.
  1. Bernard Langer finished in a tie for 2nd at the TimberTech Championship. His 46 wins all-time are truly absurd. Equally absurd are his 41 seconds!!
  1. The DP World Tour has the Nedbank Golf Challenge this week and Max Homa and Justin Thomas are in the field.  It is great to see two top Americans exercise the opportunity to take their wives and go on safari but winning globally has always been true of the best players of each generation.  Even when travel was much more challenging.
  1. Playing Sweetens Cove on Monday for the first time. The owners and King/Collins have created a cult following and a full review of the day and the experience coming next week.
  1. Played Lookout Mountain Golf Club on Sunday.  The story of the Seth Raynor plans and the long road to where they find themselves today is amazing. What Tyler Rae and Kyle Franz have uncovered will be rightfully applauded and the profile of the club will skyrocket in the next year.
  1. It was great to run into Andy Johnson at Lookout Mountain.  What he and Brendan Porath have built at the Fried Egg is inspiring and important. They pursue thoughtful and smart discovery and examination in the game, every single day.
  1. Rory McIlroy is starting his year in the Middle East on the DP World Tour, meaning he will miss the first “Signature” event at Kapalua. Maui has not been a regular stop for Rory but the Signature series can’t afford wholesale absences throughout 2024 for the top players.
  1. Appreciate the supportive feedback for the conversation with Brittany Horschel on alcoholism and recovery. I will continue to discuss the vital subject regarding my own journey and others willing to share to hopefully help others.
  1. Mackenzie Hughes’ Top 10 enhanced his chances of gaining entry to the first two signature events of 2024 on the mainland. Those starts are a HUGE boast to start the season.
  1. I think it’s necessary for me to play Calusa Pines this winter.  I heard it mentioned today and I’m making that declaration now.
  1. I am playing Old Town this week for the first time.  Perry Maxwell with TLC from Coore/Crenshaw.  I have a feeling it’s going to make a hell of an impression.

The Card – Volume XIV

by | Oct 30, 2023 | The Card

18 thoughts, observations and predictions…

 

  1. Celine Boutier won for the 4th time this season in a 9-hole marathon playoff. She won a major in her home country, was part of a victorious Solheim Cup team and is currently first in the Race to CME Globe. I would still take Lilia Vu’s season with two majors.
  1. Jasper Stubbs won the Asia-Pacific amateur championship, and with-it invitations to the Masters and the Open Championship.  The 21-year-old came from six shots back of Sampson Zheng to get the win at Royal Melbourne.  The event, created in 2009, is a fabulous showcase of young talent and a massive platform for 37 Asian Pacific nations.
  1. Royal Melbourne needs a significant global event every two years at minimum.  The Alistair Mackenzie design is a mythical place for golfers in the western hemisphere.  
  1. The controversy over the new Golf magazine world top 100 has much less to do with the courses and far more to do with who is doing the ratings.  Designers should have nothing to do with the rating of courses for publications.  Either trust those doing the rating, like most halls of fame, or find new raters. 
  1. Jhared Hack was a top qualifier making it through first stage of Q school.  Final stage will be in December in Ponte Vedra and Hack MUST be a factor late trying to secure a tour card.
  1. Vanderbilt’s men’s team won the St. Andrews collegiate over at the Old Course and did it without Gordon Sargent.  This current group has piled up wins, but they need a national title next spring to cement themselves one of the best teams in recent memory.
  1. Planning a Scottish Highlands trip for the first time is joy and torture.  There are so many desired spots and not nearly enough days.
  1. Korn Ferry tour members Vince India and Jake Staiano were suspended for violating the PGA Tour’s integrity program by wagering on events they were not participating in.  The tour is now in bed with several betting outfits and while it might seem duplicitous the players know the rules and the partnerships are putting money in the players pockets through sponsorship.
  1. The eight best Halloween golf costumes are as follows in #10 – #17:
  1. Arnold Palmer at any age and any stage of his career.
  1. Ben Hogan the day of the 1950 U.S. Open playoff at Merion.
  1. Tiger Woods with the shirt sleeve rugby shirt and straw hat of the U.S. Am final in 1994.
  1. John Daly flowing mullet and green reebok pullover for 1995 Open Championship.
  1. Payne Stewart introducing the half sleeve style by necessity for the final round of the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst.
  1. Sergio Garcia in the canary yellow head to toe in the 2006 Open Championship.
  1. Jack Nicklaus in the blue diamond cashmere sweater for the final round of the 1978 Open Championship.
  1. Billy Horschel and the octopus pants for the final round of the 2013 U.S. Open.
  1. These are challenging times on many fronts, so I’ll leave you this week with a simple appeal.  Be a little kinder to yourself and let those you love know you love them.