PGA Championship: The Launchers Plan To Launch At Harding Park

Bryson DeChambeau’s disruption of the pro game with his launch angle attack—a rekindling of early 2000’s Bomb and Gouge—meets its first real threat in the form of a major.

We got Bryson’s answer via a Golf Channel interview with Todd Lewis (I could not find it online but will post if it’s linked.)

Dylan Dethier summarized here on Twitter:

Interesting hearing Bryson break down TPC Harding Park:

-Says the course "suits a bomber"
-Says the setup is straightforward: "Not really too much to it"
-Says he'll be hitting driver as far as he can everywhere, because the rough is playable enough to still hit the green

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) August 4, 2020

Tony Finau, another top player with abnormal length off the tee and a desire to try more aggressive approach, said this in his Tuesday press conference at Harding Park.

TONY FINAU: Yeah, yeah, to answer your first question, I am going to open up a little bit more this week. This golf course allows to you do that. Last week, not so much. But this golf course is a big -- it's a big course. I only played the back nine, but I already saw three or four holes where I can go ahead and give it extra and try and attack this golf course that way.I think distance is a big key this week, and you know, you mentioned the rough, we talked about the rough. You've got to hit the fairways. But if I am going to miss a fairway, I want to miss it as far up as I can to give myself a chance to still hit the green.So I've talked in the past about cranking it up a little bit,and I have done that in the last few weeks. Didn't do that that much last week, but this course allows me to kind of open up and do that, so I will.

Roundup: 2020 PGA Championship Field Power Rankings

I filed this top 20 heading into the PGA yesterday, though after seeing Tiger late Monday and sleeping on it, he may need to move up into the top 5. Oh well, he’s played once since February.

Please check out the list I filed for The Athletic making my case for various players. There are a few names mentioned who may not be getting enough attention. And remember, it’s currently 40% off to subscribe, so the cost alone will help make you some money in states where gambling is legal!

Besides my list, you can run it up against Daniel Rapoport’s field ranking at GolfDigest.com.

Rob Bolton’s always-reliable PGATour.com Power Ranking included many of the same names and thoughts in my piece. Whew!

ESPN.com’s team also makes their picks here.

JT And Bones: Bamberger On Players And Caddies

With Justin Thomas winning and returning to world No. 1 at the WGC FedEx St Jude, their gelling as a team on short notice, adds one more intriguing pre-PGA Championship story (Rex Hoggard on that for GolfChannel.com.)

I enjoyed Michael Bamberger’s thoughts, prompted by the win, on player-caddie relationships, how we overrate them and underrate them at the same time.

Some years later, Angelo summarized his work with Nicklaus thusly: “He asked me to do two things. When he’s not playing well, one, remind him that he’s the best golfer out there. And two, that there’s plenty of holes left.”

In his own way, that’s pretty much what Joe LaCava does for Tiger. It’s always interesting, watching two people interacting with some meaningful thing on the line. Caddie-player. Husband-wife. Doctor-patient. Pitcher-catcher. This is a big week for Bones and JT.

Roundup: Harding Park History, Primers And Other 2020 PGA Moodsetters

Despite the bizarre times, some pretty nice efforts have been made to enhance your connection to this true muni and its lore.

Do not miss Bill Nierkerken’s San Francisco Chronicle slideshow of various tournament and historic moments at Harding Park over the years.

PGATour.com’s Sean Martin files a really super and comprehensive look at Harding Park with a nice range of history and design change information.

I’m getting mixed predictions on one topic he touches upon: balls staying up in the flattop Cypress. It happened in the match play here, and while it used to be more prevalent before the trees received more care, still something to keep an eye on given the launch angle approach.

Harding Park’s curving fairways require players to choose how aggressive they want to be and to shape their tee shots. Players have to be careful to avoid the cypress trees, which are known to swallow golf balls, though.

“I've seen enough (balls) get stuck to where I'm going to try my hardest to avoid cutting off doglegs too much,” Jordan Spieth said before the 2015 Match Play.

Doug Ferguson wrote for AP on the incredible quality of winners at Harding Park over the years. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition with the other course across Lake Merced where all time greats always come up just short in men’s majors.

For The Athletic I dealt with the backstory (well just part of the saga) in Harding’s resurrection and landing the PGA Championship.

The historic San Francisco City has come up in many stories above and you can’t do better than Bo Links summarizing what makes that event so great.

And speaking of Bo, he’s apart of Garrett Morrison’s history of Harding podcast launching tomorrow. A preview:

Tomorrow, in a new episode of Fried Egg Stories from @gfordgolf, we tell the story of Harding Park. This teaser features @links_bo and @ronkroichick.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. pic.twitter.com/fBd25ysOPh

— The Fried Egg (@the_fried_egg) August 4, 2020

Ryan Moore Passes Up PGA Championship Field Spot To Rest For, Uh, The Playoffs

Maybe we need This Is Major back? Or, the playoffs just mean that much.

Because Ryan Moore just played in the Barracuda Championship in Truckee, California and is passing up the PGA Championship in San Francisco, reports GolfDigest.com’s Joel Beall.

Some Ricky Bobby in this one…

Moore's camp told Golf Digest's Brian Wacker that Moore didn't want to play both the Barracuda and PGA, and listed as ninth alternate for the PGA at the beginning of last week, decided to play in the Barracuda. When he ultimately got into the Harding Park field, Moore decided to pass, sticking to his original plan. Instead he is opting for rest in hopes for a FedEx Cup posteason run.

Oh, and of course, left unsaid, a late Wyndham Rewards run too. Majors, schmajors!

Tiger Appears Focused And Ready For The PGA At Harding Park

Not that I’m saying he’s come to some events unprepared, but there was definitely an urgency to the Monday proceedings at Harding Park. Getting comfortable on the green was the primary focus, particualrly given that his swing, ball-striking and body all appear ready to go.

—Short game consultant Matt Killen went nine holes with him and they discussed his putting at times.

—He played one of his approach shots as if a real putt, but with Joe LaCava giving his read first, then consulting the green reading charts, before putting.

—Woods practiced putting one-handed a few times

—Flexibility appeared excellent despite the cool conditions. No 80% swings as we’ve seen in run-ups or early week of majors.

—He took some big swipes at tee shots and reached the 607-yard 4th hole in when the fog had rolled in. His back clearly feels good.

—Mood was great, relaxed and focused.

A couple of Tweets I shared of his swing and putting one-handed:

Interesting process on the greens today. Joe LaCava addressed each putt, gave Tiger his read. Tiger consulting the green book on each as well as having instructor @killengolf watching. Oh and some one-handed practice too. @tigerwoods seems serious about this @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/VmSQi8XTEe

— Geoff Shackelford (@GeoffShac) August 4, 2020

Here’s @tigerwoods during his Monday 9-hole practice round @PGAChampionship. Seems very focused, took some aggressive swings at his driver, grinding hard on the greens. pic.twitter.com/Sej62wldwZ

— Geoff Shackelford (@GeoffShac) August 4, 2020

ESPN.com’s Bob Harig made this observation:

9 holes done for #Tiger at Harding Park. Quick take after 2 days: He'll need to hit a bunch of drivers, esp if weather like this afternoon. Chilly, damp. 4 par-4s over 450, 1 par-5 over 600, a par-3 that is 250. Not a lot of let-up holes... Interesting week ahead

— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) August 4, 2020

Five Reasons To Get Excited About This Week's PGA

Greetings From San Francisco!

I covered a lot of ground in this contribution for The Athletic, where I’ll be filing pieces all week from San Francisco (40% off subscriptions, currently, btw and well worth it especially now that the NBA and MLB are in action).

What I did leave out of the list: there is something magical about coastal San Francisco golf and major conditions. It’s some sort of enchanting mix of the fog, crisp blue skies, those incredible Monterey Cypress and the zany city nearby fueling the magic.

So yes, the fans won’t be here, but something tells me we are in for a wild week. Check out the five best reasons to get excited here.

One other note: Ron Sirak reminds us that it’s been over a year since a men’s major. That alone should get you excited!

Video: All 18 At TPC Harding Park From Above

The drivable(?) 16th hole at TPC Harding Park

Glory’s only shot! This (really) is major. The 2020 PGA Championship is here!

While there isn’t much to study here architecturally unless insipid bunkers on the outside of doglegs are your thing. But you can’t help but be enraptured by the birds-eye view of the majestic Monterey Cypress. And the cart paths. Roomy!

If the sun comes out, expect CBS’s new live drone, the Goodyear Blimp and other elements to provide great visuals. It stinks not having crowds this week more than any event on the calendar, but we’ll march on.

From the PGA of America’s YouTube page:

Cowen On Koepka's Struggles: "We don’t need excuses, we need to sort it out."

In his weekly Daily Mail column, Derek Lawrenson catches up with instructor Pete Cowen who is clearly feeling better after suspecting in March he had contracted COVID-19.

The guru to the star golfers is in Memphis this week to work with Brooks Koepka find his game. Koepka has a strong track record in Memphis and is the two-time defending PGA Champion next week.

Cowen does not see Koepka’s balky knee as a hurdle to success.

‘When you get an injury as bad as that you’re never 100 per cent right again,’ said Cowen. ‘But I don’t think it’s a problem. That’s finding excuses for the fact he’s swinging it badly. We don’t need excuses, we need to sort it out.’

Cowen believes it is more a question of attitude. ‘When he’s at his best, he’s bulletproof. He doesn’t care what other people are doing, he just puts results on the board,’ he said. ‘The US Open at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 was a classic case in point. With his caddy Ricky Elliott, I was talking it through with him, how he played every hole in the final round, he was all over the place at times. But he had belief he would win. He had body language that said, “I’m going to get the job done”. That’s what we need to get back.’”

2020 PGA Marks ESPN's Debut: You'll Want That ESPN+ Subscription Dialed In

Without having seen CBS’s schedule, little imagination is still not required to tally up and realize ESPN, with CBS, will essentially provide wall-to-wall coverage from Harding Park. That’s a product of the new long-term rights schedule for next week’s PGA Championship. Notice just how much ESPN+ (only available via streaming that milliennials still don’t pay for), is handling coverage, including early in the week and even when CBS is taking over. While the Worldwide Leader will have nice-sized cable broadcast windows all four days, this is still my nice way of reminding hardcore fans to get your affairs in order: namely, your streaming subscriptions.

And while you’re at it, the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle is the better deal. Everyone could use some Mandalorian in their lives.

Video: Preview Of The 2020 PGA And Harding Park Without Fans

We’re a week away from the first major championship of 2020 and Ron Kroichick previews what a fan-free major will look like. While this one is particularly tough to look at given the fan energy we would have seen at a true muni, I will say, the views through the property and the Cypress will shine based on the video below. So there’s that.

Nice work here by the PGA of America imagineers to make the best of a difficult situation…

International Watch: Pepperell Passing On PGA Due To Quarantine Rules

With the PGA Championship in less than two weeks, player quarantining is a looming issue for the three postponed 2020 majors. Each may see defections on the international front, with potential questions about the legitimacy of the event without players either able to reasonably gain entry or get situated to play.

The PGA is in very good shape after a recent contender in several majors, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, put in two weeks and then went golfing in the Hamptons before turning up at this week’s 3M Championship.

Other major winners whose situations remain unclear: Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari, along with Lee Westwood.

Eddie Pepperell is the first player to pass up his exemptions to the PGA at Harding Park and the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Ewan Murray of The Guardian explains Pepperell’s thinking and includes this quote implying some players have not bided by the quarantine rules:

“Under the current restrictions on travelling to America, I won’t go because you have to quarantine for two weeks going out there and that’s not something I am interested in doing,” said Pepperell. “I am still on the entry list in case they change the rules, but I am not interested in spending two weeks in quarantine.

“Some players have clearly gone out there and not abided by the rules, but should I play this event there is no way that I can do that if there is anyone that cares to look at it, they would know I have broken the rules and I am not going to do that. The fact that it is in San Francisco and it is so far away I am not that interested in taking a 12-hour flight, that is way down on the list of priorities.”

More problematic is September’s U.S. Open situation where the state of New York requires quarantining for those entering from 31 states, including California where the prior week’s PGA Tour event is played. International rules are the same.

And the Masters, which covets international participation? Good news? There is plenty of time between now and mid-November. The bad news? There is plenty of time between now and mid-November.

ESPN.com: PGA Championship Will Require Players To Test Negative For COVID-19

As the PGA of America gets ready to host the first major of 2020 at TPC Harding Park, they will be following the PGA Tour’s guidelines with one key exception, ESPN.com’s Bob Harig reports: negative COVID-19 test results.

Family members, agents and managers will not be permitted at Harding Park, but up to two coaches as well as a physical trainer and an interpreter (if necessary) will be allowed, subject to COVID-19 testing. No one will be allowed onto the grounds prior to getting a negative result, and all of the testing will be done away from Harding Park, starting on Aug. 2.

In recent weeks, the PGA Tour has allowed players continuing to test positive after experiencing some symptoms to play, or, in the case of some players, who’ve experienced no symptoms (and may have received a false positive test result.)

Upcoming Majors: California Closes Most Indoor Operations, New York Tightens Visitor Requirements

With major championships now in site, there are the inevitable complications.

California is hosting the PGA Championship in San Francisco County, on Governor Gavin Newsom’s monitoring list of counties seeing restrictions on essentially any indoor gathering. How this will impact operations at the Harding Park, remains to be seen. CNBC’s Noah Higgins-Dunn reports.

Meanwhile in New York, the Wall Street Journal’s Melanie Grayce West reports on the state installing new safeguards against travelers entering the state with COVID-19. Major forms to be filled out and a summons for non-compliance. There is also the quarantining for visitors from several states.

More than a dozen states, including Texas, California and Arizona, are on the state’s quarantine list. Travelers from those states are required to voluntarily quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York. Mr. Cuomo has repeatedly said that the spread of Covid-19 in New York was caused by travelers arriving from Europe at New York’s airports.

Scheduled for September 17th-20th, the U.S. Open in Mamaroneck, New York is to be preceded by the PGA Tour’s 2020-21 season opener in Napa, California.

Golf Channel Report: PGA Tour Events To Continue Without Fans, Pro-Ams Through Playoffs

Rex Hoggard reports on what was inevitable given the COVID-19 situation and pro golf showing it’s functional without spectators. The lack of fan energy down the Sunday stretch is a loss, especially at the upcoming PGA Championship and U.S. Open where we have seen roars through a course influence the outcome of a major.

That said, anecdotal evidence suggests television viewers are not missing the commentary of drunken idiots and enjoying some of the picturesque views through courses.

On a business side, the loss of pro-ams through September will be devastating for charities given that most tournaments use pro-am and spectator revenue to fund their donations.

With the Masters 16 weeks away, The Guardian’s Ewan Murray wondered earlier this week how and event protective of many cherished traditions—Sunday roars through the pines high up the list—can be played this November without fans.

Yes, Augusta could invest in the most advanced technology that checks the temperature – or pulse, or aftershave – of spectators upon entry, but this resource might really be better deployed elsewhere.

Next weekend, the world’s best golfers should have been lining up at Royal St George’s for the Open. Given the ongoing scale of coronavirus, the R&A unquestionably made the right call in postponing for 12 months. In the absolute best-case scenario, the Claret Jug would have been awarded to the winner of a vastly diminished event, even before needless pressure on public services is contemplated.