McIlroy On Saudi Decision: "There's a morality to it"

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Less noticed from Rory McIlroy’s lengthy Morning Drive appearance was his answer on passing up the European Tour’s Saudi Arabian stop, hosted by the dreadful Crown Prince.

While McIlroy considered himself hypocritical for watching last weekend’s heavyweight bout from Saudi Arabia, he is passing up a reported $2.5 million offer on moral and incovenience grounds, notes G.C. Digital.

"I’d rather play a couple of events on the West Coast and not have to travel all the way to Saudi Arabia," he said. "It’s just not something that would excite me.”

McIlroy hasn't revealed the early part of his 2020 schedule, but last season competed at Kapalua, Torrey Pines and Riviera Country Club. While travel and adhering to a winning formula are part of McIlroy's reasons for skipping the Saudi event, there is another.

"There's a morality to it as well," he said.

Els Sticking To Data Over Personality For His Captaincy Wisdom

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Even though Ernie Els believed certain pairings were a given based on personalities, his 15th Club-supplied data has said otherwise.

As Ben Everill reports for PGATour.com, the International team’s awful record in this event means Els has to side with the data over his gut.

Els won’t reveal his International pairings until Wednesday afternoon (Tuesday midnight ET) when the five Four-Ball matches are revealed, but he’s not about to waver. Data takes precedent over personality.

“I just have to keep my head down and keep stressing to the team it is about just that -- the team,” Els said. “The guys know where they stand. It’s very clear of what we expect and what we are doing on Thursday and Friday, especially.

“I have changed a little bit here and there where if a guy is not far off and they fit personality-wise, but I am really sticking to my data. We have to try something different. We have to play the guys where the planning points.”

Now we’ll get to see just how much analytics compete on a stage like Royal Melbourne.

USGA, R&A Punt On Amateur Status: Two Years Planned For Modernization Process

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While the issues are complex, that no definitive answers are coming for nearly two years on amateur status seems both odd and not surprising.

However, given California legislation that will expedite pay for college athletes and the crumbling notion of what it means to be an amateur golfer, mean waiting two years is too long.

For Immediate Release:

USGA AND THE R&A TO MODERNIZE RULES OF AMATEUR STATUS

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J., and ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (December 9, 2019) – The USGA and The R&A are conducting a review of the Rules of Amateur Status to make them easier to understand and apply.

The comprehensive evaluation is part of the continued joint effort to modernize the Rules by reducing complexity and ensuring the Rules effectively guide how the game is played today.

As part of a review process that began earlier this year, the governing bodies will seek the perspectives of golf’s stakeholders as an integral component of the review process, including elite amateur golfers, golf event organizers, national golf associations, professional golf associations and other industry partners. 

All the same boilerplate stuff from the distance study releases. But go on…

The aim is to provide the golf community with a modernized set of the Amateur Status Rules in late 2021, with the goal of an effective date of January 1, 2022. 

Thomas Pagel, senior managing director of Governance at the USGA, said, “One of golf’s greatest benefits is that it can be played by all ages and played for a lifetime. It is our goal to ensure that the fundamental concept of what it means to be an amateur golfer is clear and retained to promote fair competition and enjoyment for everyone, while still addressing many issues that seek to protect the game. This is a forward-thinking approach and engaging golfers is a key component of doing what’s best for golf.”

Grant Moir, director – Rules at The R&A, said, “We will be looking at the Rules of Amateur Status carefully and considering ways in which we can modernize them and bring them more into line with the way the modern sport is played. The code remains a fundamental framework for amateur golf and we will be listening to the views of players, officials and associations to give us a fully rounded view of how we can improve them.”

More listening to the players to shape rules related to the players. What could go wrong?

Meanwhile, what’s an amateur status press release without a mention of the dreaded hole-in-one prize issue?

In a separate move, effective January 1, 2020, the USGA and The R&A will introduce one change to Rule 3-2b of the Rules of Amateur Status, which regulates hole-in-one prizes. The Rules will no longer limit the prize an amateur golfer may win when making a hole-in-one outside a round of golf, including “stand-alone” and “multiple-entry” hole-in-one events. It is hoped the change will help to promote the game and cater to new audiences as well, and eliminate unnecessary restrictions for event organizers. 

New Rule 3-2b will read as follows:

Rule 3-2b. Hole-in-One Prizes 

An amateur golfer may accept a prize in excess of the limit in Rule 3-2a, including a cash prize, for making a hole-in-one during a round of golf on a golf course.

Now, about the takedown notices and amateur status threats aimed at teenagers who post a video on YouTube…

Rory: Reed Taking More Heat Than Most Because "It's Him"

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I rarely disagree with Rory McIlroy much these days as he’s become one of the game’s sharpest observers.

But his view of Patrick Reed’s blatant lie-improvement at the Hero World Challenge fails to inspire.

From today’s Morning Drive interview with Robert Damron and Paige Mackenzie, as reported on by G.C. Digital:

"I don’t think it would be a big deal if it wasn’t Patrick Reed. It’s almost like, a lot of people within the game, it’s almost like a hobby to sort of kick him when he’s down," McIlroy said Monday on "Morning Drive".

Said McIlroy: "I think the live shot isn’t as incriminating as the slow-mo. It’s hard, because you try to give the player the benefit of the doubt, right? He’s in there, he’s trying to figure out what way to play the shot.

“It’s almost like it’s obliviousness to it rather than anything intentful, in terms of trying to get away with anything.”

However, added McIlroy, “It doesn’t make it right what he did.”

The full interview is better than the text given how uncomfortable McIlroy sounds having to address Reed’s nonsense:

Presidents Cup: Who Gets The Joyful Task Of Playing With Patrick Reed?

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I suppose Tiger Woods may take Patrick Reed on as a playing partner and as Captain, it’s his call.

But even Woods may have to abandon his Captain’s pick after an embarrassing brush with integrity and stick him with someone else.

Patrick Cantlay, who has played with Reed in the Zurich Classic and has the demeanor to deal with whatever might come Reeds’ way in Melbourne, seems the best candidate.

We discussed on Morning Drive today:


McKellar Issue Three Is Out: A Preview

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The third installment of the writing and golf-focused McKellar journal is now available here for purchase.

Tommy Naccarato and I profile Santa Anita Golf Course in Southern California, an almost entirely forgotten architectural gem that was once celebrated as a community asset annually with the Santa Anita Open (won three times by Lloyd Mangrum).

The list and variety of stories is pretty spectacular and I believe well worth the money compared to what’s left of today’s golf magazines.

Congrats to purveyors Lawrence Donegan and Thomas Dunne on another sensational issue.

R.I.P. Archie Baird

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We’ll never know the number of golfers he entertained, enlightened and informed, and it really doesn’t matter. Anyone who came in to Archie Baird’s golf museum at Gullane got a crash course in golf.

The great man has moved on to the Big 18 in the Sky, but his legacy lives on in his museum and the joy he gave golfers who had made the pilgrimage to East Lothian.

From Malcolm Duck, who shares this from Alistair Good, longtime head professional at Gullane:

We lost one of golf's warmest and most charming characters earlier today. Archie Baird gave those who were lucky enough to meet him, 95 fun filled years. His knowledge and love for golf made him one of the game's great sources of information. As a collector and archivist he educated many on the finer points of the game and particularly his love for foursomes play. His encyclopedic knowledge was regularly sought by many of the world's foremost collectors of historic golfing literature and artwork. He absolutely loved golf and this was clear for all to see. He loved his competitive foursomes matches at Gullane and even at 92, this picture captures well his cheeky, often mischievous satisfaction moments after winning another Dinner Match.

Archie always looked upon the bright side and although we will all miss him, thinking of him will always make us smile.

Our heartfelt thoughts are with his wife Sheila and family.

The tributes to this great man and brilliant character have just begun…

Video: Royal Melbourne Composite Course Overview

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While this is not a deep dive into the intricacies of the magnificent Royal Melbourne, the use of a composite course this week might confuse. There are twelve West Course holes and six from the East, and the place is firm and fiery according to Ian Ransom in this Reuters preview story.

So if you’re interested in a sense of the routing and holes in play, this YouTube posted effort by ProVisualizer should help you get a sense of place, scale and the holes used.

Of course, the very details that make the place great aren’t always evident. Just take the first hole, a simple looking drive and pitch in this, but filled with so many fascinating elements due to the green’s pitch away from the fairway. I have many fond memories of watching matches tackle this hole in 2011 and highly recommend spectators set up shop there. (Speaking of that, tickets for all days are still available…)

Cam Smith: Hopes Presidents Cup Fans "Absolutely Give It" To Patrick Reed

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Jacob Polychronis of Fox Sports shares the shockingly blunt assessment of International Presidents Cup team member Cameron Smith

Speaking after the final round of the Australian Open, Smith issued a forceful statement regarding Reeds’ lame blaming of camera angles.

“If you make a mistake maybe once you can maybe understand, but to give a bit of a bull***t response like the camera angle – I mean, that’s pretty up there,” Smith said.

“I hope the crowd absolutely gives it to not only him but everyone (from team America) next week.”

Marc Leishman issued a similar endorsement, though his tone was far less forceful.

If only we knew what was going on behind the scenes…in the PGA Tour fines department. Just wondering: are Smith and Leishman going to get fined for encouraging heckling of a peer, while lie-improver Reed goes unfined?

The policies of the PGA Tour will never let us know.

Either way, Thursday’s first session just got more interesting.

Reed Bunker Episode: Best Alternative GIF's Of The Hero World Challenge Violation

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Some fun on Twitter in case you’d retired your account…

Oh wait, the last one was real…

Is Patrick Reed's Disregard For "Play It As It Lies" A Side Effect Of Simplified Rules?

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Long before the light bulb and indoor plumbing, one golf rule was paramount: play the ball as it lies.

Even in those silly days when bunkers were full of footprints and no one had thought to put a rake out, you took your hickory and whapped away without improving your situation. If you did, the hole was lost.

Enter stroke play, better 2019’s new rules chipped away at the principle, despite the best efforts of the USGA and R&A to protect this all-important clause. Allowing players to move rocks in bunkers, tap spike marks and graze the ground in areas where they once could not, was bound to have some impact.

More specifically, it was bound to encourage some to bend the spirit of the rules (Matt Kuchar), and a previous rule-bender to blatantly break the rules (Patrick Reed).

These two are hopefully outliers. Most players still are very careful around their ball and when placing their club down. But an increasing number seem to have no issue placing a club down behind the ball to push down rough or sand or even tightly cut grass. The old days of gingerly addressing the ball out of fear of being seen as improving your lie, may be out.

And the new simplified rules still address this vital notion of not altering the area around the ball.

4. Remove or press down sand or loose soil.

But in Reed’s case, the Hero World Challenge two-stroke penalty and blatant improvement of his situation (twice), was not improved by the sheer audacity of the act, and the odd statements after his round. From Brian Wacker’s story quoting Reed, who blamed the camera angle and insisted he could not detect his club moving the sand until seeing the replay.

“I wish [the cameras] were actually directly on the side of me,” Reed said afterward, “because it was in a pretty good footprint … and I felt like my club was that far behind the ball when I was actually taking the practice stroke, which I felt like I was taking it up. And it was … obviously, it was hitting a little sand. I didn’t feel it drag. But … whenever you do that, if it does hit the sand, just like if you’re in a hazard area and you take a practice swing and it brushes grass and the grass breaks, it’s a penalty. Whenever they brought it up to me and I saw it, it definitely did drag some of the sand. Because of that, it’s considered a two-stroke penalty.”

And there was a fascinating assessment from PGA Tour rules official Slugger White, who some might expect to be incredulous given that the player, when confronted with overwhelming evidence, blamed the camera angle and insisted he did nothing wrong.

From Dylan Dethier’s extensive look at the incident for Golf.com.

“He could not have been more of a gentleman,” White said. “He was unbelievable. He said — he had a different look at it. The angle that we had was behind and he’s looking from on top, so he may not have — I don’t know if he could have seen it as clearly as we did, but he could not have been a better gentleman.”

I’m not sure that bodes well for future incidents of this kind, where the fundamental rules of the sport are so blatantly broken and the player is praised for not admitting what can be seen by most.

Ultimately, however, the timing is awful given Captain Tiger Woods’ effort to help Reed reclaim his place as a top American player by selecting him for the Presidents Cup team. Heading to Australia, where the Fanatics await and will be armed with some loud one-liners, meaning the heckling could get ugly.

But there is also the simple matter of how Reed’s peers and teammates view him. The blatant nature of his violation may have been best summed up by Rickie Fowler after seeing the tape. From Dethier’s story:

“I mean, I don’t even know what you have to review,” he said.

Phil Being Phil Takes On New Dimensions After Saudi Arabia Decision

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The focus on Phil Mickelson’s decision to play in Saudi Arabia next January continues to center around his choice more than any other player’s, largely because he should know better, writes GolfDigest.com’s Max Adler:

Now, there are other prominent American golfers likely banking large appearance fees for participating in the second edition of the Saudi European Tour event—like Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau, and Brooks Koepka—but the heat is on Phil because presumably he should know better. A worldly man on the cusp of 50, knowledgeable on subjects as wide ranging as wine, dinosaurs and subcutaneous fat (and really almost any topic you care to bring up, many golfers say), should know that the staging of a popular western sport in a country whose values are so antithetical to our own comes with certain dilemmas that cannot be quickly dismissed. See the uproar between China and the NBA that’s now lasted over a month. Just last year Saudi Arabia directed the assassination of a dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, and so hosting a professional golf tournament is a stunt to rehabilitate its global image that the New York Times calls “Sportswashing”. Phil has to be aware of all this.

While Mickelson has rightfully taken his share of the heat, I find it remarkable that the European Tour has escaped equal criticism for sanctioning the event, even after the incriminating evidence against tournament host Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has mounted since the initial playing of las year’s event.

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch addressed the larger topic of where players should be asked to draw the line on politically sensitive issues.

USGA Revamps Executive Committee Structure, Retires Women's Committee

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The annual Executive Committee shuffle came with a new wrinkle: a shuffling of responsibilities within the USGA.

Gone is the Women’s Committee, two-year presidencies (now three) and in: more staff responsibility.

Of course, how this all addresses the distance issue, I have no idea.

Stu Francis Nominated as 66th USGA President 

The USGA will also reorganize its volunteer structure to enhance opportunity and volunteer experience

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Dec. 4, 2019) – J. Stuart Francis, of Hillsborough, Calif., has been nominated to serve as the 66th president of the United States Golf Association (USGA).

Additionally, Christopher Cupit of Johns Creek, Ga., and Courtney Myhrum of Pittsburgh, Pa., have been nominated to the 15-member Executive Committee, a volunteer group that provides strategic and financial oversight as the policy-making board of the Association.

“The USGA continues to benefit from having an exceptional group of candidates to choose from who reflect our mission and believe in our obligation to serve the game,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “Led by Stu Francis, who brings his lifelong amateur competitive golf experience along with his over 40-year business career, each candidate brings a unique perspective and expertise that will make a lasting impact on the organization.” 

Francis has been a member of the USGA Executive Committee for five years and has served on the Compensation, Equipment Standards and Governance committees in addition to four years as chair of the Championship Committee. An accomplished amateur golfer, Francis has competed in three U.S. Amateur Championships, two NCAA Championships and three Canadian Amateur Championships. Francis earned his B.A. from Princeton University, where he was named First Team All-Ivy League and All-American as co-captain of the men’s golf team. Francis, who also earned an MBA from Stanford University, is currently a senior managing director for Evercore, a global investment banking advisory firm, where he leads the Silicon Valley technology practice. 

Executive Committee elections will take place at the USGA’s Annual Meeting on Feb. 29, 2020, in Pinehurst, N.C. Retiring from the Executive Committee will be Robert Kain, current president Mark Newell and general counsel Richard Shortz. Current members nominated to continue their service are Anthony Anderson, Michael Bailey, Stephen Beebe, Paul Brown, Thomas Barkin, Kendra Graham, Martha Lang, Fred Perpall, Deborah Platt Majoras, Nick Price, Sharon Ritchey and William Siart. 

Cupit was introduced to the USGA as a competitor in the 1986 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship and went on to compete in two U.S. Amateur and two U.S. Mid-Amateur championships. He joined the Mid-Amateur Championship Committee in 2006 and has served as a Rules official at 28 USGA championships. Cupit has also served the game through board roles with the Georgia State Golf Association, Atlanta Junior Golf Association and The Evergreen Society. Professionally, Cupit is the owner and general manager of Rivermont Golf Club in Johns Creek, Ga., a family-owned club that his father founded in 1973. 

Myhrum began her USGA volunteer experience at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 1998 and has gone on to serve at more than 50 championships. Myhrum was introduced to the game at 8 years old and began playing competitively after completing her two-sport collegiate career in field hockey and lacrosse at Denison University. Since then, she has competed in 14 USGA championships, including the U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. She has served as a USGA Women’s Committee member since 2011, including as chair in 2019. Myhrum is currently the owner and president of Organized By Court, a consulting firm that offers custom solutions for individuals, families and small businesses to achieve greater productivity and efficiency. 

 

As part of a regular review to continue to enhance the effectiveness of the USGA governance structure, starting in 2020, Executive Committee member terms will increase from one year to three years, with a two-term limit. The president’s term will also increase to three years with a one-term limit.  Additionally, the elected secretary, treasurer and general counsel roles on the Executive Committee will be retired and those functions will be assumed internally by the organization’s staff leadership. 

The USGA is also strategically evolving its volunteer committee structure to improve efficiency, increase opportunity and enable greater diversity in assignments. Under this approach, volunteers will be able to better tailor their experience based on where, when and how they wish to serve. As part of the overall restructuring, the USGA Women’s Committee will also be retired in 2020. With the USGA’s evolution over the last decade resulting in many of the Women’s Committee’s duties being fully assumed by the executive management team and the Executive Committee, it was recognized that there is no longer a need for a separate committee. The USGA is grateful to and proud of the Women’s Committee for its important contributions over many years, which have significantly enhanced the development and health of women’s and girls’ golf and the overall game. Under the new volunteer structure, current members of the Women’s Committee will continue to play important volunteer roles both in supporting the women’s game and in contributing to the USGA in many other ways. The modifications reflect the results of a multi-year review of current practices and procedures that included extensive feedback from current volunteers. 

About the USGA             

The USGA is a non-profit organization that celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment and amateur status rules. Our operating jurisdiction for these governance functions is the United States, its territories and Mexico. The USGA Handicap System is utilized in more than 40 countries and our Course Rating System covers 95 percent of the world’s golf courses, enabling all golfers to play on an equitable basis. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.

Tiger Talking Modern Game "Speed" At Drama-Free Hero World Challenge

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For a silly season event—albeit one with world ranking points on the line—this Hero World Challenge has none of the baggage and sadness of some previous editions. As I wrote here for Golfweek, the tournament host arrives with the green jacket, a healthy body and only the burden of hosting the week before he serves as captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup team. Good times!

In Tuesday’s press conference, I tried to tee up Woods on the speed push in golf and if there are any dangers to it. His answer was insightful, though he stopped short of suggesting a remedy to minimize the increase in injuries. I explain for Golfweek.com here.

Woods tees off in round one of the Hero at 11:35 am ET.