Azinger, Brandel See Romo-Like Qualities To Phil's PGA Booth Audition

During a media call to promote the upcoming playoffs, Paul Azinger and Brandel Chamblee swooned over Phil Mickelson’s brief CBS/PGA Championship stint.

From Alan Bastable at Golf.com:

“I listen to every word that’s said on air and check it and cross-check it, and I find myself pulling for the commentators as much as I do the players,” Chamblee said. “I want them to tell me something I don’t know. I want them to tell me something nobody else has thought of, and it’s hard to do that because the whole world is kicking and scratching for the same information and they all have the same information, and I thought Phil did that.”

And while Phil has no plans to retire to the booth anytime soon, the two NBC stars are anxious to see where his TV career goes.

“I thought it was hilarious; some of the most compelling golf I watched was watching Mickelson in the booth,” Azinger said. “I loved it. “

Don’t love it too much, gents. He’s a free agent.

Men vs. Women's Pro Golf: "Hit and Run vs. Home Run Derby"

THIS..IS..RIGHT..ON! We are playing the same great courses that @jacknicklaus @ArnoldPalmer & Peter Thomson won on. I’m excited for our future because technology has ruined these great course for the elite men. All the best for us girls! https://t.co/jELjCz94JR

— Karrie Webb AO (@Karrie_Webb) August 26, 2020

Andy Johnson wins the analogy award for summing the contrast between last weekend’s AIG Women’s Open at Troon and the slugfest at TPC Boston, aka the Northern Trust won by eleven by Dustin Johnson.

During the 2020 Women’s Open, played at a windy, 6,632-yard Royal Troon, we saw just that. Cunning and shotmaking came to the forefront. The competitors’ typical trajectories and spin rates brought slopes on and around the greens into play. Fronting bunkers were intimidating, often prompting players to aim away from a pin if they had a poor angle.

As a diehard golf fan, I felt how a diehard baseball fan must feel during the postseason. In playoff baseball games, the margins are slim, and the most successful teams manufacture runs in nuanced ways: hit and runs, safety squeezes, pitch-outs. Similarly, the Women’s Open highlighted precise driving, well-struck long irons, varied short-game play, and patience. This is the kind of stuff that tragics love and obsess over. And in golf, despite advances in equipment, the intricacies we crave can still be found in women’s tournaments because the scale of the players’ games fits the scale of the venues.

At the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust, on the other hand, those scales were completely mismatched.

Matt Brown offered a similar look from Down Under (thus, the “Monday morning” references to the final round). He lamented how “boring” the Northern Trust final round was, but appreciated how Bryson DeChambeau has brought the distance discussion to the table. And this:

At the same time the TPC Boston was giving up birdies like they were jellybeans, across the Atlantic, the world's best women's players were having a hell of a time at Royal Troon.

With 65-kilometre-per-hour winds ripping off the Firth of Clyde on Scotland's west coast, this classic 140-year-old links was baring its teeth. The leader after the first two rounds was Swede Dani Holmqvist.
She shot rounds of 70 and 71 to be 1-under, the only player in red figures.

The cut was set at 9-over par. Three golfers had rounds of over 80 in the first two days and still played the weekend.

And it was glorious to watch.

Great to see World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb on board too (above).

NGF: Afternoon And Evening Nine-Hole Rounds Up During Pandemic

The news isn’t too encouraging these days but for golf the signs are positive. And while we’re all sleeping better knowing the never-happy manufacturers are selling clubs and balls, it’s the course operators and lower-level clubs that form the backbone of golf. It seems, based on National Golf Foundation data, that the pandemic has freed people up for more afternoon and evening golf, a surefire way to hook and retain participants.

From the NGF report:

Golf course operators report that afternoon and evening tee times have been popular, which seems right given that Covid-19 has changed the contours of the work day for many. Sorting through recent NGF golf participation and engagement research, the number of short loops (as a percentage of total loops) is up over 15% in 2020.

Core golfers report that 33% of their rounds this year have been of the nine-hole variety, while occasional golfers tell us that nearly half (48%) of the rounds they’re playing are nine holes. This will be seen as good news by many, especially the USGA given their PLAY9 initiative, and would indicate that the “time barrier” to golf is being overcome by more golfers.

And I loved this perfect summation from the NGF:

We’ve talked about the increase in beginners and youth golfers, so clearly the late-day tee times aren’t just for the work-at-home crowd.

With late summer days, those nine-hole twilight rounds present the perfect opportunity for families to get to the course after an early dinner, or newcomers to get more comfortable with the game.

As for the graph above, it is discouraging to see 9-holers disappearing given the way the world is going, but maybe the numbers of late and fine documentation by the NGF can help save a few 9-holers wondering about their future. Particularly if they can reimagine themselves as late afternoon/evening places to play.

Phil And The Aviators Take Branson By Storm!

Phil Mickelson’s eye-opening—if you could see behind the aviators—22-under-par PGA Tour Champions debut outside Branson was impressive. That’s even if the competitive setting more closely resembled afternoon cart games at The Bridges than big boy golf, but Mickelson proved he’s still got something special during a four-stroke win over Tim Petrovic.

Jay Busbee with this on the win and Tiger’s assessment…or was it a dig?

Look, it’s easy to laugh off Mickelson’s achievement as an unfair matchup, the golf equivalent of LeBron James rolling over a neighborhood pickup basketball game. Mickelson’s odds to win the tournament were as low as +220 (bet $100 to win $220); that’s getting in the neighborhood of prime Tiger right there.

Woods himself knows just how much of an advantage Mickelson currently owns. “He was already one of the longest hitters out here [on the PGA Tour],” Woods said Wednesday at the BMW Championship, “and now he goes to where he’s going to pick up a huge advantage off the tee ... There’s no reason why he can’t win every event he plays out there. He’s got such a big advantage over the rest of the field just with sheer length.”

That’s right, he could win every week “out there”!

More importantly, buried lede here: Phil is putting with a blade and making putts. I feel the Golf Gods at work here. The entire bag of Callaways for Mickelson including a nice shot of his old school putter.

Also, the cart driving was magnificent! This man has a Ryder Cup captaincy in his future!

Lefty is out. ✌️🏆 pic.twitter.com/HvuzSbnq9c

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 27, 2020

Phil cruising. pic.twitter.com/WJsOEb6iC5

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 26, 2020

Oh, and the trophy is…sizeable.

View this post on Instagram

One start. One win. 🏆

A post shared by PGA TOUR Champions (@pgatourchampions) on Aug 26, 2020 at 12:57pm PDT

Vin Scully Auctioning Off His Clubs And A Whole Lot More

An unbylined AP story sent to me by reader Steve details legendary broadcaster Vin Scully’s plans to sell off much of his memorabilia, including golf items right down to his clubs.

Vin Scully sat outside watching two sets of his golf clubs being loaded into a truck. He thought of afternoons teeing off at Bel-Air Country Club or with President George H.W. Bush.

Those left-handed clubs had produced a lot of shots over many rounds, some good, some bad. Traipsing the fairways was a way to relax and swap stories away from the ballpark through the years. Seeing them go stirred emotion that surprised the 92-year-old Hall of Fame announcer.

"Wow, there is a chapter of my life that really hurts," Scully told The Associated Press, "but at my age and after some physical problems, I knew I'd never be able to hold them again. I heard a door close in my life."
Scully took a bad fall in April at the end of his driveway while retrieving the mail, breaking his nose and ribs and suffering a concussion.

"It was a learning experience," he said. "I hold on to my walker."

Scully is spreading the proceeds between family members to pay for home schooling and to UCLA for neuromuscular research.

Tiger: Fanless Masters Less Confined, Fewer Distractions

Looking ahead to his 2020 Masters defense this November, Tiger Woods noted a couple of key elements that will be different.

Beyond the roars giving you an idea where another player stands, he also referenced the loss of basic distractions (backing off a shot due to a noise) and the lack of confinement. Presumably, as he said at the PGA, this favors players not used to everything that comes with playing on the biggest of stages. He’s not wrong.

From Ryan Lavner’s GolfChannel.com report:

“When you put 40,000 people on such a small piece of property – I know there’s no rough, but it gets confined,” he said. “But this will be very different. This will be a fun Masters, and I’m looking forward to defending.”

Some players have mentioned difficulties focusing without fans and plenty more are enjoying it. Pace of play has improved but the idea of being less confined is fascinating. For some players, having fairways lined by players might be a positive in helping to focus on the job at hand, and perhaps, for others not having the fan presence makes things trickier.

Anyway, it’s an oddity of 2020 that cannot be quantified.

NBC, USGA Announce 2020 U.S. Open Broadcast Windows And Peacock Integration

With the U.S. Open’s surprise return to NBC there will be ups, downs, perks and a few remote-control headaches that might include multiple phone calls with older relatives. Be ready to explain Peacock.

Good news?

The new Peacock app has a free option and if you’re only casually into the U.S. Open, probably not necessary since it’s largely handling field outlier broadcast windows. Maybe.

The bad news? If you’re a cord cutter and willing to pay to stay in one place despite Peacock, Golf Channel and NBC Sports existing under the same Comcast umbrella, you’ll be doing some app switching, updating, password entering, yada, yada. But you’ll survive, I promise.

Here is the schedule retaining the same 45 U.S. Open hours as last year on Fox. However, with the need to incorporate Peacock, the U.S. Open is losing 90 minutes of cable coverage each weekday round compared to Fox Sports 1. This year’s event—a one-off played in September at Winged Foot—is down four hours of broadcast television coverage Saturday and Sunday compared to Fox’s 10 hours and 8 hours respectively.

According to a spokesman, plans for Featured Holes and Groups will be announced at a later date. Last year those feeds were both available on Fox Sports Go and USOpen.com.

As for the weekday Peacock late/early scheduling, let’s just say if I were Tiger Woods, I think I know my 2020 U.S. Open tee time schedule already.

Either way, you have a month’s notice to sort out your viewing plan-of-attack and download the inevitable app updates that will need updating again, but it’s what the kids want!

U.S. OPEN – LIVE COVERAGE AIRTIMES (SEPT. 17-20, EST):

Thursday, Sept. 17

7:30a.m.-2 p.m. GOLF Channel

2-5 p.m. NBC

5-7 p.m. Peacock

Friday, Sept. 18

7:30-9:30 a.m. Peacock

9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. GOLF Channel

 4-7 p.m. NBC

Saturday, Sept. 19

9-11 a.m. Peacock

11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. NBC

Sunday, Sept. 20

8-10 a.m. Peacock

10 a.m.-Noon GOLF Channel

Noon-6 p.m. NBC

Golf Equipment Sales: Social Distancing, Not Distance Gains, Fuel Record Growth

I kept waiting to hear that record equipment sales tracked by Golf Datatech were fueled by a major distance-gaining breakthrough.

Turns out, it’s just social distancing.

GolfDigest.com’s Mike Stachura offers an extensive breakdown of the surge in sales and reaches out to all of the CEO’s who rarely advertise in print any longer because, they’re (kind of) happy campers! Until they hear the anti-capitalist governing bodies will blow this pandemic-fueled resurgence of golf.

Each of the club and ball categories were up more than 25 percent in both units and dollars compared to a year ago. Specifically:

Balls: Up 27 percent in units, 28 percent in dollars

Putters: Up 32 percent in units, 36 percent in dollars

Wedges: Up 64 percent in units, 74 percent in dollars

Woods: Up 74 percent in units, 68 percent in dollars

Irons: Up 83 percent in units, 93 percent in dollars

As calculated by Golf Datatech, iron sales set an all-time high for any month the research firm has tracked in its more than two decades of looking at industry numbers.

What record did it beat? The one set just last month.

Now, for the CEO’s who were all contacted so Stachura didn’t get any angry calls. The wisdom gleaned is life changing.

“One element we’re seeing is that the more folks play, the more they think about equipment,” said David Maher, president and CEO of Titleist and FootJoy parent Acushnet, on the company’s recent quarterly earnings call.

Holy Mungo Park, who knew?

So hear me out: more people playing use more golf balls, and buy more things. This is remarkable!

Here I thought we wanted to just have really rich people overpaying to gain a few yards, join their seventh club and post a few pics on The Gram, all while the rest of us worked 80 hours a week and aspired to win the lottery so we could play some golf?

Who knew!

Perhaps we should study this appreciation of golf as cool, affordable, accessible and safe might grow it? Bold for a Wednesday, I know. I know.

Callaway’s Chip Brewer reported a huge uptick in online sales and he doesn’t think it’s all just a pent-up demand situation.

“The surge we have right now, some portion of that is pent-up demand,” he said on the company’s recent second-quarter earnings call. “And some portion of that is the increased interest in the game and the increased participation. The participation and the interest in the game, I can't help but believe are positive indicators for the long run.”

On a serious note: this pandemic is dreadful and will be part of our lives for some time. Golf has turned out to be a safe place to be and also an activity folks can participate in because they are not working 60 hour work weeks. Or at all.

Yet no where, in this surge, is anyone daring to suggest these sales are happening because of some amazing equipment breakthrough or distance boosting cure-all. That’s worth noting the next time a manufacturer suggests distance regulation will collapse the sport and deprive folks of real golfing joy. Sales are driven by participation. Simple as that.

Healthy sport, healthy business.

Respectable Northern Trust, Women's Open Ratings On Busy Sports Weekend

With a rain-delayed, Dustin Johnson 11-stroke runaway and loads of competition, CBS should not have drawn any audience for the 2020 Northern Trust Open. Instead, Sunday’s respectable 1.52 and 2.279 million average viewership is miraculous given competition with the NBA and NHL playoffs, the Indy 500, NASCAR and regional MLB action.

As always, the full listing and context can be found at ShowBuzzDaily.

A few other observations:

—The AIG Women’s British drew poor numbers on Golf Channel, particularly given the recent spike in morning golf viewing. The miniscule 245,000 average for the Sunday morning final round makes the one-hour handoff numbers on NBC (.64/886,000) that much more impressive.

—One hour shows on NBC gave the women network exposure and a tighter broadcast window that led to the decent .62/897,000 average.

**CBS offered this ratings summation of their season and 11-week restart run:

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2020 PGA TOUR season scored big with viewers, as the network delivered its best viewership average and highest-rated PGA TOUR season since 2015.

Overall, CBS Sports’ coverage of the PGA TOUR season was up +17% in viewership and +21% in national household rating/share vs. last year, averaging 2.495 million viewers and a 1.7/5 rating/share for the 14 events, respectively.   

 Since the return to live golf in June, which began at the Charles Schwab Challenge and concluded with THE NORTHERN TRUST, CBS Sports’ PGA TOUR viewership was up +22% vs. the comparable events last year, averaging 2.381 million viewers. The national household rating/share was up +23%, scoring a 1.6/5 rating/share. 

All Carry And No Roll: Idea That Agronomy Fuels Distance Gains Is Not Backed By PGA Tour Data

Agronomy—aka fast, hard running fairways—is the go-to faux argument for preserving distance standards should a Harry Higgs or Craig Stadler come along and blow the notion that “athletes fuel distance spikes”.

Certainly today’s generally more fit and better fit players generate increased clubhead speed, and, therefore more distance.

On the surface, agronomy as a distance booster should be a tougher sell since courses have never been greener. One very famous annual major stop, Augusta National, unapologetically presents fairways mown toward tees to slow down drives.

For now, don’t do a deep dive on 2020 yet because the numbers are not all in and the sample size differs from year’s past now that all PGA Tour tees have a Trackman. Look instead to the previous 13 years when the PGA Tour’s amazing ShotLink started measuring carry and distance on the two measuring holes per round.

Those fancy launch monitors peskily track carry while ShotLink documented the final distance of the drive.

Below is the Driving Distance Average vs. Carry Average and The Year’s Distance Leader’s stats.

2007
288.6 yard average on 265.7 yard carry average (Bubba Watson 315.2 yards on 300.3 yards of carry)

2008
287.3 yards on 268.8 yards of carry (Bubba Watson 315.1 yards on 294.0 carry)

2009
287.9 yards on 268.4 yards of carry (Robert Garrigus 312.0 yard avg on 297.8 yards of carry)

2010
287.3 yards on 267.9 yards of carry (Robert Garrigus 315.5 yard avg on 291.6 yards of carry)

2011
290.9 yards on 271.4 yards of carry (J.B. Holmes 318.4 yards on 314.8 yards of carry)

2012
289.1 yards on 274.6 yards of carry (Bubba Watson 315.5 yards on 307.7 yards of carry)

2013
287.2 yards on 273.1 yards of carry (Luke List on 306.3 yards on 296.9 yards of carry)

2014
288.8 yards on 272.6 yards of carry (Bubba Watson 314.3 yards on 305.0 yards of carry)

2015
289.7 yards on 275.8 yards of carry (Dustin Johnson 317.7 yards on 305.7 yards of carry)

2016
290.0 yards on 274.7 yards of carry (J.B. Holmes 314.5 yards on 303.7 yards of carry)

2017
292.5 yards on 278.4 yards of carry (Rory McIlroy 317.2 yards on 305.1 carry avg.)

2018
296.1 yards on 277.6 yards of carry (Rory McIlroy 319.7 yards on 305.6 carry avg.)

2019
293.9 yards on 279.1 yards of carry (Cameron Champ 317.9 on 311.0 carry avg.)

Recap: in 12 years the PGA Tour carry average jumped 13.4 yards (265.7 to 279.1), while the driving distance average jumped just 5.3 yards. (It sits at 296.0 this year with two events to go.)

Roll is going the other direction and not fueling distance gains. In the 13-year span above, here is the average amount of roll starting with 2007 and going to 2019:

22.9 yards

18.5

19.5

19.4

19.5

14.5

14.1

16.2

13.9

15.3

14.1

17.0

14.8

The average PGA Tour drive rolls 16.9 yards in that 13-year span on a 289.9 yard average, meaning roll accounts for barely more than 5% of the average tee shot.

From 2007 to 2012 the average tee shot produced 19.1 yards of roll.

From 2014 to 2019 the average produced 15.1 yards of roll.

The amount of time the ball hits the ground and starts running is on the decline. Agronomy is playing less of a factor while the carry average has outpaced driving distance average.

Video: Olympia Fields North Drone Tour

Ignore the Todd’s, Terry’s and Chip’s at the start of this video, eventually Olympia Fields provides a fine drone tour of their North Course. It was last seen at the 2003 U.S. Open won by Jim Furyk, site of four majors overall and host of this week’s BMW Championship. The Willie Park Jr. design is among many things to know heading into the BMW, as listed here by PGATour.com’s Mike McAllister.

2020 CJ Cup Moves From South Korea To Shadow Creek

With the PGA Tour’s fall Asia swing not happening, reports of a revamped swing in the western United States is starting to come to fruition. One leg is now official: the CJ Cup moving from Nine Bridges in Korea to Las Vegas’ exclusive Shadow Creek.

The October 15-18 date will follow the already-scheduled Shriner’s in Las Vegas, giving the Tour a nice one-two desert swing minimizing travel. Now, there are casinos open so…it might be a COVID exposure wash.

Two events in Asia, Japan’s Zozo and China’s HSBC, remain on the current schedule but are not expected to happen in those locales.

For Immediate Release:

PGA TOUR, CJ Group announce move of THE CJ CUP  from Nine Bridges in Jeju Island to Shadow Creek in Las Vegas 

 Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and Seoul, Korea: PGA TOUR and CJ Group officials today announced that THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES will move venues and will now be staged at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 15-18, 2020 and will change to THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK.

Since 2017, the event has been played annually at The Club @ Nine Bridges on Jeju Island, Korea, with Justin Thomas securing a playoff victory over Marc Leishman in the inaugural event and winning again last year. Brooks Koepka was victorious by four shots in 2018. 

“The PGA TOUR is truly appreciative of CJ Group’s commitment to bring THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK to the United States this October,” said Ty Votaw, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President, International. “While our players have always looked forward to visiting Korea, the current circumstances provided this new opportunity to bring the event to Las Vegas which will also provide brand exposure and awareness to the viewing audience in the United States and around the globe. We are thankful for the partnership and support that CJ Group and the Korean PGA have shown in view of the circumstances. We are confident this year’s event will showcase a stellar field while bringing the CJ Group’s brand values to a new time zone.”

Ethan Kim, Sports Marketing Director of CJ Group, said: “We are delighted to bring THE CJ CUP to the U.S. and to the renowned Shadow Creek. It is unfortunate we will not be able to showcase the PGA TOUR and the best players in the world on Jeju Island this year, but we look forward to having this tournament again in Korea in 2021. We are excited to bring our Korean culture and flavor of bibigo to show the TOUR players and American audience through coverage of THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK.”

As part of the early events on the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season, THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK is slated to be played a week after the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Votaw added: “We would like to express our appreciation to both Shriners Hospitals for Children and their tournament team in Las Vegas who have been fully supportive of our decision to bring THE CJ CUP to the U.S, immediately following their long-standing and successful event, the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. This will create an exciting and seamless two-week Las Vegas swing for the TOUR and our players.”

THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK will once again feature a 78-man field comprising of the highest ranked player of Korean nationality from the Asian Tour Order of Merit, up to five players designated by the KPGA and the top-3 available players of Korean nationality from the Official World Golf Ranking as part of CJ Group’s vision to support the development of professional golf in Korea.  The remainder of the field will be made up of the leading players from the 2019-20 FedExCup points list and sponsor exemptions.  

 “THE CJ CUP quickly became one of my favorite events on TOUR. While winning twice certainly helped, the hospitality shown to us by CJ Group and the Korean community has made the tournament special to all of us as PGA TOUR players,” said 13-time PGA TOUR winner and defending THE CJ CUP champion Justin Thomas. “It’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to travel to Korea for this year’s event, but it is fantastic that we will still be able to shine a light on CJ Group through the tournament at a venue like Shadow Creek.” 

 George Kliavkoff, president of Entertainment & Sports for MGM Resorts International, said: “Shadow Creek is one of the country's leading courses offering guests exclusive, first-class experiences.  The course will be in tremendous shape and ready to host our PGA TOUR partners and the world's best golfers as they compete in THE CJ CUP in Las Vegas.” 

Shadow Creek, built in 1989 by renowned golf architect Tom Fazio, played host to The Match: Tiger vs Phil in 2018, which was a winner-take-all shootout between PGA TOUR legends Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The exclusive course, owned by MGM Resorts International, is available only to guests of the company’s properties.

Oakland Hills Wrapping Up Ross Restoration, Wants Majors Back

Those of a certain vintage have seen the restoration movement’s amazing rise. Only a handful of classics are in questionable hands, though they are biggies (Augusta National, Pine Valley, Riviera).

The list of classics undergoing successful restorations is much longer and is adding four once-unthinkables to the repaired, restored, rejuvenated division: Inverness, Oak Hill, Congressional and Oakland Hills.

All mangled for tournament golf by unsympathetic mid-century salesmen, the most prominent of all finally takes the Jones monster off its back: Oakland Hills is wrapping up a Hanse Design restoration and wants back on the major rota.

Tony Paul provides this detail-rich update on the cost, assessment approach for members and the club’s desire to not waste its time with regular PGA Tour golf.

That system cost more than a third of the $12.1-million budget for the project, funded by the membership. Members had the option of paying $10,000 up front or $100 a month for 12 years, or $12,000. It was a major financial and logistical commitment from the membership, which has booked the North Course solid for months this year. There will be more sacrifice next year, with carts not allowed until 2022.

The USGA has sites booked for the U.S. Open through 2027, and the PGA Championship is accounted for through 2031. Oakland Hills clearly hopes it gets one or both, possibly a U.S. Open before the end of the decade. A regular PGA Tour event isn't the goal, and never has been.

"We're here to host a major championship," said Steve Brady, the head pro, adding that even if Oakland Hills doesn't get another major, the membership will find the renovation well worth the commitment. "We're not just about making Tour players rich."

Branson Phil Shoots 61, Hocks Forthcoming Coffee Line

Forget the playoffs, we’ve got Phil Mickelson giving the Champions Tour a 61 in his debut round, the Frank Poncherello shades, and after the 11-birdie effort, some Ricky Bobby channeling. A story only Branson could manage. Let’s get the Phil-being-Phil post-round plug:

I’m not saying you’re going to also shoot 61 after starting your day with COFFEE FOR WELLNESS. What I’m saying is you just might want to try it in a couple weeks when it comes out. 😏

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 25, 2020

This humility and respect for the field killed the Ricky Bobby vibe quickly. From an ubylined AP story:

"We have a lot of golf left," said Mickelson, who hit all but one green in regulation. "A lot of players went really low. The quality of golf out here is really impressive."

Mickelson, who turned 50 in June, was optimistic that his game was rounding into shape for the U.S. Open, the only major championship he hasn't won. But that missed cut on the PGA Tour left him with the possibility of not playing the next two weeks heading into the Safeway Open, which would be his final tune-up for Winged Foot.

Off The Clock: Longtime Euro Tour Rules Officials Paramor And McFee Retiring After BMW PGA

Two legends of the rules world are about to turn in their walkie talkies and conspicuously stalk their last slow poke. The European Tour announced the joint retirement of John Paramor and Andy McFee this October.

For Immediate Release:

END OF AN ERA BECKONS AS PARAMOR AND McFEE CALL TIME

The world of professional golf will witness the end of an era in October when John Paramor and Andy McFee, the two most celebrated and respected rules officials in the game worldwide, call time on their storied careers.

In total the duo have administered the rules of the game on the fairways of the world for over 80 years, John (65) having started with the European Tour in April 1976 while Andy (62) saw his time with the Tour begin in September 1983. 

But both have decided that the time is now right to step down. Their final event together will be this year’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club from October 8-11, the tournament taking place, fittingly, in the shadow of the European Tour headquarters itself.

In recognition of the impact they have had on the game of golf, the European Tour recently invited the pair to reminisce about their careers in a fascinating face-to-face discussion.

The topics covered ranged from how they got into refereeing in the first place to what being a European Tour referee actually entails. They also touched on their interactions with the greats of the game such as Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els and José María Olazábal, and also with a certain golf-mad US President!

Typically modest about their many achievements over the years, the duo, instead, preferred to offer an opinion on each other.

“The great thing about Andy is that if I have a problem and I simply cannot see a way through it, I know I can ring him and he will be able to find a way,” said John.

“The word I would use about John is gravitas,” said Andy. “He has empathy with the players and he is honest and fair. When John Paramor speaks about the rules of golf, people listen.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “The word ‘legend’ is sometimes used too often in sport but in terms of golf, and the administration of the rules of our sport, it is the perfect word to describe both John Paramor and Andy McFee.

“They are rightly recognised for being the best in the business and have represented the European Tour with honour and distinction across the world for decades, bringing professionalism and integrity to the role not only inside the ropes, but also outside them in the important work they have undertaken with the R&A and the USGA to constantly develop and modernise golf’s rule book.

“I am convinced that neither John nor Andy will be lost to the game for good but, at this time, I join with everyone at the European Tour, to wish them both all the very best for the future.”

The two conducted this most enjoyable discussion posted on YouTube: