18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf…
- Xander Schauffele’s second major championship victory in a span of two months is eye opening on several levels. First, his conscious and meticulous pursuit of additional speed with the partnership with Chris Como is affirmation that it can be done and proven under the most stressful circumstances. Xander was topping 185 ball speed coming down the stretch when the event was still in doubt. Trust is powerful. Secondly, nobody in the 90-year history of the four major championships has won two majors in a year shooting 65 in the final round of both wins. Not Jack, not Tiger, not Hogan, not anyone. Wow. Finally, Valhalla and Royal Troon are like comparing apples and kumquats. We already know he can contend and adapt to all set ups and conditions but winning screams loud and clear, “Anywhere, anytime, anyplace!”. He’s here.
- Justin Rose has a very capable hall of fame resume. Global player, major winner, gold medalist, that will get weightier with time, and Ryder Cup stalwart. I’m not certain he needs a second major to eventually get in but the idea that we are even discussing him contending in majors is somewhat surprising. Major winners in their 40’s have and will continue to be rare. What’s most impressive is the pursuit. He’s made big money, and the human condition asks all of us at various times if it’s all still worth it. He’s dug in with Mark Blackburn on his golf swing and he’s found peace and comfort being reunited with Mark Fulcher on his bag. He is having some last chapters I didn’t anticipate two years ago. He will be at Bethpage either as a vice captain or as a member of another team. Impressive.
- Billy Horschel has had a very nice career but there are two areas that have been off. One, his major record is slim to almost none. He had never started a final round inside the top 40 of the Open Championship, and his two top 10’s in majors for his career doesn’t stand up for an 8-time winner and former FedEx Cup champion. He was the 54-hole leader and stood tall on Sunday, he was simply beat by a better performance. Secondly, Billy has been perceived as hyper and inclined to step in areas with his mouth that have not helped his persona. I’ve always seen him differently because of some heartfelt conversations about alcoholism and recovery as it touched his family like it has me. The last year has seen Billy sharing views with the content leaders in golf and his popularity has risen. His performance and comportment this week were top class.
- Thriston Lawrence surprised quite a few people on Sunday but no one who has played with him on the DP World Tour was surprised. He’s 27 years old, has four wins on the DP World Tour and he will be making his way to America more often and his place on a Presidents Cup team may have to wait until 2026 but it’s going to happen.
- Dan Brown was a found story, not just for Thursday but for four days. Pumping heaters while taking selfies on the 18th hole on Saturday summed up his week and his embracing of the moment. His buddies likely drank their way through the weekend as they started to arrive to support their mate and his story is why the Open Championship is the world Open.
- Scottie Scheffler put on a masterful ball striking display in the most demanding conditions players have faced in 2024 and when he birdied 7 and 8 on Sunday and was a shot back it appeared it was on. Just as quickly he double bogeyed the 9th and three-putted from 5 feet and was out of it. His putter was atrocious all weekend and on top the bad putting at the U.S. Open his major year closes with a phenomenal Masters performance followed by the strangest circumstance at the PGA we have ever seen and then the flat week at Pinehurst. He’s been historically great all year on the PGA Tour, but Xander’s double has created a topic of conversation around the POY that we never anticipated.
- Shane Lowry had a very good week at Troon, but he had a very challenging Saturday shooting 77 and then questioning the set-up of the golf course. He was chippy, in a foul mood and said some silly things. He was also verbal on the golf course which I have zero problem with, he’s working and got worked up. Lowry is a pugnacious battler and his comments about tee locations is something I believe he will come to want to scrub.
- Jon Rahm finished T7 and had a moment Sunday where you thought a super low one may be in the offing. That didn’t happen but he got something out of the week that may be a preview of 2025. Accept the perception that people may have of you or don’t give a shit about what people think about your decision to join LIV. He took a lost major season and likely planted a seed within himself that next year will be here soon enough. He also enters 2025 now tied with two majors with Scottie and Xander. This year changed a lot and don’t think they don’t all know the big scoreboard.
- Justin Thomas shot 68-78-67-77. That’s a psychotic week of scorecards. He had a nice homecoming at Valhalla, but he should be on the outside looking in on the Presidents Cup and unless he finds some consistency and better putting, he becomes a real question mark in 2025 for the Ryder Cup. Every great player has had an ebb, two year ebbs are far less frequent for the truly great players.
- Speaking of question marks, Jordan Spieth wraps up another flat major year and the lingering questions about his health will persist until he decides to have surgery on his wrist or simply declares that he’s as good as he will be and moves forward. He possessed magic and magic can appear as an illusion, that’s why its magic but he also had empirical data that showed he was more than just making long putts. That data has dried up as have the insane putting rounds. He was an artist that owned his idiosyncrasies, now it seems like he’s trying to avoid them. Hopefully he can get healthy and also simply be Jordan sooner than later.
- Collin Morikawa finished tied for 16th at the Open and completed a really impressive major season, but he must feel totally unfulfilled. He has been agitated about being overlooked among the top players and I love it. I appreciate his determination to prove he’s absolutely in that small group, which he is but not winning this season would be hard to believe, he’s simply been so solid.
- Adam Scott finished tied for 10th at the Open after being gutted by Robert MacIntyre at the Scottish the week before. His results are one thing but his admission that his golf swing has been off for a long time and saying he’s found it again means one thing, he’s going to win again.
- Brooks Koepka in the majors this year, T45-T26-T26-T43. He’s building his legacy on one thing, the four weeks from April to July and everything else is adaptive. He’s got plenty of tread on his tires, but years click by and the truth is its just more fun when he’s bro-strutting around a major venue deep into the weekend in the deep end of the pool.
- Bryson DeChambeau was likely due an off week and his willingness to do every solitary media hit on course in the lead into the Open seemed like overload. He was blown off course immediately and never recovered and was a cut casualty. It changes nothing about his year. He’s a massive winner in 2024 and he goes to Augusta having improved his results there and seeming to be solving the Augusta National rubik’s cube. ‘25 can’t get here soon enough for a lot of people’s champion.
- Tiger Woods’ season is over, and it goes without even one hour of drama or encouraging play. He can play majors as long as he wants, and it changes nothing and those saying it’s sad are being melodramatic. Time is a thug and a cold one. My favorite line from J.R. Moehringer and its as true as the day is long. Let’s hope he has a week next year where he has a sit forward, even for an hour.
- I picked Rory to win the championship. Nice pick. He was a non-factor and admitted he checked out 22 holes into the championship. Rory’s Rubicon gets wider as we head to 2025. Its extraordinary.
- The first American sweep of the majors since 1982 is kinda hard to believe since Tiger gave the other Americans head starts with multiple major winning seasons on four occasions, but the sweep is following a strong run of major winners from the United States. The American dominance is not likely to change in the years to come. The talent in America is absurd.
- Royal Troon is sneaky great. It doesn’t have Muirfield’s majesty or the aura of the Old Course, but it is so proper in its strategy and presentation as a links gem. It has a fantastic, diverse and varied list of champions. Those adjectives are how you describe a great links golf course. Thanks Royal Troon for being you.