18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf…
- Tiger Woods 2024. It will begin this week at his event and his own goal is an event a month. IF that is achieved, with relatively good health, its plausible that he could climb his way into legit contention. That means Sunday late with critical shots struck within 4 of the lead with nine holes to go. IF that happens anywhere, and, if it happens at a major, no one is prepared to truly process it. The 2019 Masters was an ascension to the summit that was worthy of a screenplay, a W in 2024 would challenge sensibilities in a new way. Five years removed from Augusta, his right lower leg almost removed, and a complete absence of a tournament schedule makes the climb virtually unimaginable. Like I said, we are not ready for this.
- The Tiger apparel launch is interesting in the strategy. He’s 48 and his actual screen time during tournaments is predicated on him being able to play. Does he represent as a solo act. Do they have a cadence to introduce other players wearing the line? Nike never max’d the TW brand as it was not an appealing line for green grass facilities. He’s remade his golf swing many times and recalibrated his corporate portfolio, but this is truly HIS gear. What impact and cultural relevancy can it have? It starts this week.
- The first Signature series event in 2024 with a cut is Tiger’s event. Wholly appropriate considering his dogged determination to always compete on every solitary shot. The tour needs to understand that Jack, Tiger and Arnie represent the platinum standard and if their desire and belief is that a cut is essential to elite championship golf, especially amongst the very best, then there is zero argument for the other side. Zero.
- I mentioned two weeks ago that Kazuma Kobori was a special talent, and his roll continues. The 22-year-old from New Zealand turned pro in November and has won three times in his last five starts. He’s a virtual lock for a DP World Tour card in 2025. Kobori came to the States and won the 2023 Western Amateur, a huge win, and he’s showing he could be a part of a wildly talented collection of players turning pro simultaneously.
- Cristobal del Solar shot 57 and Aldrich Potgieter shot 59 this past week at the Korn Ferry event at the Country Club of Bogota. The golf course was absurdly short and the stroked gains stats support that the round of 57 was not the most other worldly round ever shot. What is absolutely true is that there are simply not many places that can prevent these players from undressing all but a handful of venues in men’s professional golf outside of the major championship rota and those sites are more vulnerable than they’ve ever been. Pinehurst #2 will be a fascinating examination with the width of the course and the absence of truly dense rough. Especially since the USGA has made #2 the anchor of all anchor sites for its biggest championship.
- Vegas worked for LIV. Talking to several sources on the grounds, especially Saturday, the place had a true atmosphere. The metrics of the television audience is not the comprehensive way to evaluate what traction the events and the tour are gaining. The shoulder discussions across media platforms, the coverage from legacy media, of which there were several reporters from those outfits in Vegas give a truer picture. Add the leaderboard and LIV has had an encouraging fortnight.
- Dustin Johnson is the last person interested in the legacy of Dustin Johnson but it’s quite interesting. Labeled an underachiever, his overall production flies in the face of that premise. He’s the winningest player of his generation as we speak. He has shown uncommon resiliency in the manner he won almost immediately after the debacle of the 2010 PGA and then winning the U.S. Open the year after the Chambers Bay 3-putt. Additionally, he never had years without at least a win, and he went undefeated in his final Ryder Cup when the public and media had moved on to the younger generation being the biggest stars. It’s hard to gauge the value of LIV wins in its infancy but he could be the winningest player when he departs eventually. I know I’m there for his Hall of Fame induction speech.
- Wenyi Ding shot 27 under, a total of 189, to win the college Amer Ari Invitational in Hawaii. The freshman from Arizona State may or may not have set a college record. The record is immaterial to the fact that he shot 189 over three rounds. Exhibit #100000 that the kids are coming, and they don’t want to wait their turn.
- As Mr. Keating articulated in “Dead Poets Society”, sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone. That’s where the WM Phoenix Open found itself this year. I like the enormity of the event but the wholesale drunkenness of the event coupled with the patience of many players was an awful look for the event. They have a brand and it’s a massive party, but you eventually see the charm, or what can be mistaken as charm, choked out of everything by gluttony.
- The Zach Johnson incident sums up the week. Were fans likely being douchey and relentless? Yes. Does Zach come off as hypersensitive? Yes. The fans, who were likely hammered, don’t care, and while Johnson may have heard just enough, to confront the fans comes off whiny. Zach is able to land the punch, so to speak, when he claps back but he likely won’t score with the judges.
- Getting a second look at The Tree Farm this past week only re-affirmed what I thought on my first visit. The club will quickly ascend to one of the best hangs in golf because of the culture and touch points being created by their team. Secondly, the work of Tom Doak on the routing and the collaboration of Kye Goalby and Zac Blair on the design and build out of the course is fantastic. The 6th green is a piece of art, the loop of 5-6-7 is so so good and the willingness to be unorthodox by starting with a par 3 and ending with a drivable par 4 distinguishes the experience. The atmosphere around the outdoor space at the soon to be finished clubhouse will make it one of the best spots in golf.
- The differing opinions from PGA Tour players about the reentry of LIV players into tour fields at some point is a classic example of not being able to see what the greater good is because of pride, hurt feelings or both. Fans want the best players as often as possible playing against one another. The inability or unwillingness of guys who stayed to simply acknowledge that fact is telling. Be angry or betrayed all you want; fans have paid the price while tons of players have gotten exponentially richer at the fans and the product’s expense. That day, by the way, seems further and further away.
- Smylie Kaufman and Kevin Kisner on the 16th hole on Saturday on NBC’s coverage was very effective. They are irreverent and the environment was suited for their levity. I think there are additional places to station them together on Saturdays coming up, including 17 at the Players and 17 at the PGA National, formerly the Honda and now the Cognizant Classic. Chemistry is so critical to large chunks of live TV and those two have it, I expect NBC to utilize it.
- Jordan Spieth is showing real signs and building toward winning, but the short putts is something. He’s 145th on tour from 3 feet and last year he was 172nd. It feels flinchy and his process seems more deliberate from that distance. He looked at the hole early in his career for a reason and in the cumulative its costing him better results and may cost him a win in a crucial moment.
- You had to know that Brooks Koepka trading for a veteran presence in Graeme McDowell for the Smash lineup was all they needed to start winning. I’ve always said depth is the most important thing about winning in professional golf.
- Will this be the week that the commissioner of the PGA Tour makes himself visible? It’s the middle of February and the leader of the tour has been a ghost and that includes not being visible at Pebble in a year they receive “Signature” status. If you do not co-op the space with Tiger, when is it ever going to be safe to come out?
- Joel Dahmen said it best about his college teammate Nick Taylor a couple years ago when he said Taylor was built to handle the deep end of the pool. Dialing the area code 3-3-3 on the 18th hole on Sunday was absurdly good. He adds this dramatic come from behind win to the Canadian playoff masterpiece last summer. Taylor is becoming a real dude.
- Scottie Scheffler is a beast. He relentlessly contends, rarely retreats and hits more great shots than anyone in golf BUT his putter is skittish at times and winning is the only measuring stick for him as much as the top 10’s can get him shine. He is approaching a year without a win and that makes no sense with stats that blow your mind. Charley Hoffman executed every shot late on Sunday and Scheffler three-putted 13, made a super soft bogey on 14, and made a weak par 5 on 15. It’s a vortex he must break back through and close losses can work the opposite on his mind.