Champions Tour: Mickelson Gets To Show Off His Cart Driving Skills For Captain Stricker

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While Branson isn’t what it used to be—at least until post-COVID shows get people paying to watch performing holograms of Roy Clark, Glen Campbell and Tony Orlando—the next big thing is Phil Mickelson turning up at Ozarks National to begin a new Champions Tour career.

For this special Monday-Wednesday of old man golf, we have a Coore-Crenshaw course making its national TV debut.

Then there is Phil’s first grouping with Retief Goosen and 2020/21 Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker. Since carts seem likely at Ozarks, it’s an ideal opportunity for Lefty to show off his cart-driving skills on tough terrain (hint, hint Captain Strick, just like Whistling Straits!).

And finally, there is the group prior to Mickelson featuring Bernhard Langer, Darren Clarke and old buddy Vijay Singh, who might even bring out a special pair of spikes to welcome Mickelson.

My listings say Golf Channel is bringing us this fine entertainment from 6-8 eastern time Monday.

Here’s a nice preview of the course that should add to the fun:

Davis Love is liking what he’s seeing:

Johnson Wins Northern Trust By Eleven Strokes: Tour's Biggest Blowout Since 2006

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It wasn’t a lot of fun to watch despite the intense playoff vibes. Dustin Johnson winning by eleven at normally exciting TPC Boston probably won’t be setting a new Northern Trust Open ratings record. Johnson’s 22nd PGA Tour win also sends him back atop the world golf rankings.

Maybe the eleven shots was not the most impressive part, writes GolfChannel.com’s Ryan Lavner.

Johnson was 13 clear of fourth place.

He was 15 ahead of eighth.

Those who shared 18th place – a nice week, normally – were 18 strokes behind.

“That’s the type of talent he is. I’ve been watching it for 25 years,” said fellow South Carolina native Kevin Kisner, who tied for fourth. “I’m pretty accustomed to it. When he’s on, I just step to the side and try to add on to my bank account.”

Ballstriking was especially stout, as noted by Johnson and GolfDigest.com’s Daniel Rapaport:

“Obviously this was a really good week. My ball-striking was unbelievable,” he said. The numbers back it up. Johnson picked up a staggering 18.14 shots on the field tee-to-green over 72 holes at TPC Boston, and hit 65 of 72 greens, including all 18 on Sunday.

You don’t see a lot of double digits in the strokes gained world. That’s my main takeaway. My instincts also suggest we’re going to learn more on where that stat stands since such records have been kept.

Speaking of records, Johnson’s performance missed two big ones by just a stroke each:

Bamberger: He is his era’s Tom Weiskopf, without Weiskopf’s style or charm or charisma. He’s a mega-talent who can win on any course, if he can make short putts as he has been. He might surprise us. He might win another major. Either way, his career will finish in the Hall of Fame. You hope Weiskopf gets in before him, though.

Highlights from Johnson’s final round 63 in a week he also shot 60:

Poll: Are We Ready To For Head-To-Head Odds And Other On-Air Gambling Reminders?

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This week’s PGA Tour Live featured group coverage included Draftkings odds for head-to-head betting. The move certainly marks a new chapter and is a far cry from not long ago when fantasy gaming was an annoyance.

My only reservations involve the timing (pandemic), and how golf will work when fans are back. After all, if you’re able to wager on a phone and watch them, there are bound to be folks looking for change, screaming baba-booey extra loud and maybe right before impact. My concerns on that front are regularly downplayed because golf in Europe has coexisted with these possibilities. Key word there: Europe.

Anyway, I’m curious how you all feel.

Poll: Are We Ready To For Head-To-Head Odds And Other Gambling Reminders?
 
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Women's Open: Popov Takes The Improbable Troon North-Troon Double

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Sophia Popov’s rise from almost quitting to Symetra and Cactus Tour player, to Lyme disease sufferer, to caddie a month ago, to Open Champion, is the stuff of history. Maybe only Ben Curtis posted an equally improbable major win in the 2003 Open. (The Golf.com Confidential crew debated this very topic.)

From Beth Ann Nichols at Golfweek:

With no grandstands and fans to wave to as Popov came up the 18th fairway with a three-shot lead, she turned to her caddie, boyfriend Maximilian Mehles, and told him that the calming seaside views reminded her of a scene from Lord of the Rings.

It wasn’t the electric atmosphere that the Symetra Tour player deserved, but Popov knew that her performance this week inspired people more than she’ll ever know.

“I think that’s why I broke down on the 18th hole,” said Popov, “because it’s been something I couldn’t have dreamed of just a week ago, and it’s incredible that golf allows for these things to happen because, you know, I think the difference between two players any given week is never that big … and the hard work they put in is the same.”

In May, Popov won a Cactus Tour event at Troon North, named for Royal Troon and co-designed by Tom Weiskopf, 1973 Open winner at Troon.

Alistair Tait was there and admitted to shedding a few tears over seeing someone go from obscurity to major winner.

More importantly, hopefully this wonderful advert for women’s golf will entice sponsors to dig into their coffers to back the women’s game. Once again, the world’s best women proved they can pen heart felt stories that resonate with golf fans.

I’ve been there, done that, in the royal & ancient game. Yet there I was on Sunday afternoon with tears running down my face as I watched Popov pull off the unlikeliest of victories. I wasn’t alone. Hardened people in the game were also shedding tears. Trish Johnson admitted as much during TV commentary, and she’s a 19-time Ladies European Tour winner who played in eight Solheim Cups.

Now, there is one catch. It’s an issue for the Masters this fall as well: the postponed ANA Inspiration’s field will not include Popov, who could return to southern California where she played college golf at USC. The ANA field was frozen in place and as a non-LPGA member going into this week. Nichols with this commentary for Golfweek:

Because the LPGA’s majors are out of order due to COVID-19, Popov’s five-year exemption won’t start until 2021. An LPGA official explained that since the ANA field was basically filled when the tour had to shut down, they’ve chosen to honor that field. The only exemption adjustment was changing the cutoff for top 20 on the money list.

But because Popov, 28, isn’t an LPGA member (she missed out on her card by a single shot last fall at Q-Series), her $675,000 earnings won’t count as official money.

The victory does put Popov into the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in October. It does not, however, get her into the U.S. Women’s Open in December.

Popov’s last post pre-tournament social media post documented her first (and ONLY practice round!) look at the Postage Stamp:

Your highlights options come in either a sixty second version or a much longer edition:

Popov’s emotional post-round acceptance speech in front of Troon’s clubhouse.

Rich Lerner reflected on Popov’s win in the world of amazing sports upsets. 

Golf's Most Basic Tenet Is Now A Grey Area: Why That's Not A Good Way To Go

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Social media continues to bicker over Lexi Thompson’s clearance for what would have been an clear breach under the old Rules of Golf, but as Alistair Tait notes here, things seem to be murkier now with the R&A not penalizing Thompson.

The key issue: the R&A was ok with Thompson moving something behind her ball because it appeared to move back to its original position. The rule as 13-2 would not allow such a grey area, as Tait writes:

Whether the lie returned exactly to its original conditions is clearly a moot point. What isn’t moot is that Thompson made no effort to restore the original lie. The inference here is that Mother Nature decided to interfere by restoring the original condition, therefore there was no breach.

I can’t find the clause in either of my rule books that says if you improve your lie but the ball returns naturally to its original condition then you’re off the hook. You might struggle to find it, too.

Thompson, who was penalised four shots after replacing her ball incorrectly at the 17th hole during the third round of the 2017 ANA inspiration, is extremely lucky not to have been penalised on this occasion. She would have been penalised under the old Rules of Golf. There was no grey area surrounding old Rule 13-2, which dealt with this situation.

There are plenty of grey areas surrounding our rules now. Maybe too many.

Let’s forget the obvious issues with playing it as it lies and spell it out for commissioners and governing bodies of the world intoxicated by playing prowess over rules sanctity these days. A common reaction to Thompson’s actions went something like this: if she did that in my group, at my club or in the Yucatan National Thursday night league play, she’d be penalized.

The idea that the golfing public has higher standards these days should be troubling for Commissioners and governing bodies who want to coddle players instead of dishing out penalties. And for the corporations overpaying to sponsor events because the competitors are seen as more righteous than other athletes, when will this perception of pro golfers living above the rules cause them consternation?

Not enforcing the rules, including the biggest and most important of them all, could end up becoming very costly for the pro game.

Low Scoring And Why It's Okay To Credit The Technology

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I’m not a huge fan of using low scoring to make the case to tighten up the equipment rules in the name of protecting skill. When scores aren’t low, the we technophobes hear stuff such as, “see, nothing to see here!” The same folks can’t be found when records are broken. Or they just chalk it up to modern athletes, arguably the last thing explaining an efficient scoring week.

So when players post a 59 and a 60 on the same day—under the relentless strain of PGA Tour Playoff pressure—it would be easy to highlight how overmatched TPC Boston looks. (Particularly when Dustin Johnson went out in 27, birdied the 10th and 11th, and seemed destined to shoot 57. )

But we know Tom Brodeur’s crew presents typically outstanding conditions. Players are usually peaking in August. And the updated modern design already appears overmatched by modern distances. Still, it’s notable how various intrusions of technological advances—clubs, balls, launch monitors, green reading books—are rarely cited in the scoring conversation.

Take Saturday’s CBS discussion citing consistency of agronomy (Dottie Pepper) and “quality of play” or “quality of setup” (Nick Faldo). No one mentioned clubs and balls which, if taken away from the players and replaced with something from 5, 10 or 15 years ago, seems more likely to impact the scoring.

Justin Thomas was asked Friday about the rounds and also noted player superiority over any outside influences:

I could play really, really great rounds and be 9-under going into 17, 18, instead of 10 or 11. It is, it's extremely impressive, and I said it a couple years ago, I still think someone is going to shoot a 56 or 57 or 58 on TOUR, whether it's next couple years or ten or 15 years. We're all getting so much better and especially if you get a place like this with really good greens, and if it's soft, we're pretty good with our distance control and pretty good at golf to where we get it rolling, who knows what it happen.

Players deserve credit for their role in performing so well, but why is it so seemingly off-limits to admit that technological advances in equipment, agronomy, club fitting, are the greatest influence of all? Or worse, an apparent insult to a modern golfer to suggest they are producing incredible scores thanks to improved implements.

PS - you’re paid to say the clubs and balls are the greatest ever made, so do it!

Phil Heads To Branson For His Champions Tour Debut

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What a shame that Branson’s theaters are shut down right now. A little time in Missouri’s creative hotbed could motivate Phil Mickelson to stave off that next career option, the PGA Tour Champions.

As COVID-19 has halted Branson's Famous Baldknobbers, some shows by people you did not know still inhabited Earth, and even a few family-friendly Andy Williams tributes, Mickelson would not have time any way. He’s only got 48 hours to prepare for battles against the likes of Blake, Perry and Parel in the “Charles Schwab Series” at Ozark National.

From Ryan Lavner’s GolfChannel.com report at the Northern Trust, where Mickelson was eliminated from the playoffs:

“I feel like coming into this event I’ve been playing really well at home. I was excited to play. And I feel like I’ve been playing decent,” said Mickelson, who was set to miss The Northern Trust cut at even-par 142. “So I want to play. I really want to play golf. So that’ll give me a chance to play three competitive rounds.”

Video: "Meet the 10-year-old golf phenom who’s already compared to Tiger Woods"

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NBC’s Blayne Alexander introduces us to Xeve Perez, a 10-year-old phenom born premature at 20 weeks and weighing just three pounds. He took up golf at 18…months and is said to have won his first tournament at three. Just work with me here. It’s a good feature.

Anyway, he’s picked up plenty of wins since, is Georgia’s top ranked player in the 12 to 14 division even though he’s just ten. Also, he’d love to play Augusta some day. The 2026 Masters is penciled in right now and looking at that swing he’s got a shot.

Stick around for the live discussion and input from Today’s resident golfer Carson Daly. It’s fun stuff.

Today In The Struggle To Play It As It Lies, Files: R&A Clears Thompson Of Breach

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The ongoing trend of top players fiddling, pushing, mashing, digging and generally meddling immediately behind their ball continued Thursday at Troon.

This time it was Lexi Thompson in the AIG Womens’s Open who appeared to push aside some meddlesome Marram, but was cleared by the R&A of a Rule 8.1 breach because the grass returned to its original location. From Beth Ann Nichols’ report:

Yesterday, as part of its normal TV review procedures, The R&A viewed Lexi Thompson’s actions prior to playing her second shot at the 16th hole in round one of the AIG Women’s Open. 

Following a discussion between Chief Referee David Rickman and the player prior to her signing her scorecard it was determined that, although the player had moved a growing natural object behind her ball, it had returned to its original position. 

Thompson posted rounds of 78-75 and will miss the cut.

Here is the video:

In the last year we’ve had Reed, Kuchar and Rahm incidents, a chance to reset the demise of play it as it lies, and a need for someone to explain to players how bad this looks.

But I have good news! In the era of sports betting, with the PGA Tour now advertising prices on telecasts, the gamblers will eventually warrant a crackdown if the tours want that hard-earned betting money.

After Strong 2020, Berger A Little Baffled At Lack Of Masters Invite

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When the Masters was postponed to November and the field frozen at 96, a Daniel Berger was bound to happen.

Ryan Lavner explains why the most consistent player this year before and after the pandemic is an obvious serious omission from the current Masters field. He’s now 18th in the world, 7th in the FedExCup standings and a winner at Colonial this year.

Augusta National said any players who win a Tour event this summer and during the fall portion of the 2020-21 season – or qualify through any of the other avenues such as high finishes in the majors – would earn an invitation to the 2021 event.

“I’m not sure what else I have to do at this point to get into Augusta,” he said. “I’m a little baffled that I haven’t had more opportunity to at least hear from some of the guys over there and have a chance, obviously. The field was set, but – I don’t know if I could say I deserve a spot, but I feel like I’m playing well enough to earn a spot into the Masters.”

With the November days already extremely short for a very decent-sized Masters field, adding invitations at this point seems logistically impossible.

So unless past champions past their prime to sit this one out to help get a player like Berger in, I can’t see a solution that allows the Masters to reverse course.

2K21 Allows Users To Create, Play And Share Custom-Designed Courses

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From Nick Menta’s review of a big return to golf gaming with a fun design touch:

As someone who’s been playing PGA Tour video games since 1999, this was the one thing I always wanted from EA Sports: the ability to create my own courses or to recreate courses that EA simply couldn’t license. Once I got that from HB Studios in "The Golf Club," I found myself pining for what I had with EA: Tour branding, Tour pros, Tour courses.

This game, finally, has both.

It’s been awhile since users could design their own or, thinking out loud here, a design of merit that could not be licensed. As someone totally oblivious to this world, I’m eager to hear what ways this addition potentially influences interest in the game and course design.

Today In The Distance Debate: Why A Workable Solution $eems Unlikely

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MorningRead.com’s Gary Van Sickle looks at all of the distance forces in play and not to be a spoiler, but there is money involved. And a lot of people who will take the cash over supporting what might be the right thing for golf’s sustainability and interest.

I was pleased to see he mentioned a slightly larger ball, though I’m not sure from some informal Callaway Magna testing that the distance fallout would be as great for hacks as Van Sickle thinks:

The laws of friction will reduce its flight. That’s been done before. The British “small ball” was used in the United Kingdom until late in the 20th century, and it went farther than the slightly larger American model. Another bump on ball size could do the trick, although amateurs would protest vehemently.

Another option would be to limit ball dimples and their shapes, in hopes of taking another percentage point or two off ball flight and by giving golf balls more curve than today’s forgiving models. We’re in a golden age of golf-ball technology. The old balls, when mis-hit, curved way off-line. Not anymore. More spin would bring more skill back.

"What’s it like to caddie with Tiger Woods? Incredible..."

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Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier tracked down Alex Fernandez, whose son was recently paired with Charlie Woods and his caddie, Tiger. While I’m never comfortable with the viral photos shared of Woods’ children just being kids, unless shared by Tiger, Dethier does a nice job addressing what it’s like to be at a U.S. Kids event where one of the two best to ever play the game is a looper.

It’s a long story about how things played out, including how young Fernandez had his instructor on the bag. But it’s a fun read and doesn’t feel intrusive. There is also this point that was largely all I could think about:

Better yet, Jonah had acquitted himself well. “I was so proud of him because he just played so well,” Payne said. “I don’t mean like, scores, I’m not going to talk about that. But I can’t imagine being 11 and trying to play golf in front of Tiger Woods. It was awesome.”

Slumbers on R&A Hosting The Women's Open This Week

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A question I’ve seen asked a fair amount with this week’s AIG Women’s Open and two men’s majors to go: why didn’t they reschedule The Open for the fall?

Given that events are proceeding without horrible travel restrictions and other constraints, it’s a fair question. But the R&A had pandemic insurance and there was this, in Ewan Murray’s Guardian story quoting Chief Executive Martin Slumbers suggests the R&A only recently saw an opportunity to play this week at Royal Troon:

“But if I’m really honest, it was probably only a month or so ago that we were really comfortable that we could get this away. It has been an enormous effort by an enormous number of people, and our thanks go to not just our partners but the government both in Westminster and Scotland who have been tireless in helping us try and make a statement of putting this championship on.”