The (Current) Major Pecking Order, Part II
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When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
USGA And R&A: We Are Living In The Post-Stability-Through-Regulation Era
/In going through the distance report that was part of the USGA/R&A announcement of equipment changes on the table, a couple of charts didn’t get quite enough attention for their very not-subtle messages.
In this “Figure 1” we some startling spikes in recent years, including the huge jump in PGA Tour “all drive” numbers. But it’s the shading of the graph that breaks the eras by blame.
Advancements from Club Innovations and Ball Innovations place emphasis on the ball over clubhead size as a distance gain force.
Then there is the “Stability through regulation” run from 2005 to 2017. I’ll pause here for snorting laughs.
Then there is the white section. Just waiting to be named for 2018 to today. For now let’s go with: Instability With Regulation Needed.
In Figure 2 the focus is on major regulation moves, with “Stability Through Regulation” highlighting over a decade ending in huge spikes. Also noteworthy here is the blame placed on the ball (pink shading) and the waiting-to-be-named section in white.
Daniel Berger Eagles Final Hole Of Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Blessedly Minus The Pro-Am
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How nice was it not to hear the words, “and there’s Larry The Cable Guy”?
Or, Ray Romano has come into view of our cameras.
Don’t get me wrong, I support the Pebble Beach pro-am concept and know that it brings in new fans to golf when certain entertainers or athletes are involved. But gosh it was fun to see Pebble Beach played an hour faster and unencumbered by former A-listers and briefcases.
Add in CBS presenting a zippier show than in the past filled with those stunning drone and blimp shots…
This was fun too:
A special shout-out must go to the PGA Tour staff using a fun mix of tees to liven-up the setup. From a 139-yarder at the 5th to Sunday’s shorter 10th tee, the switch-up from normal pro-am years was welcomed. And no change was more exciting than seeing players going for the 18th in two. The day culminated with this stunning final hole eagle by 2021 winner Daniel Berger (Steve DiMeglio’s Golfweek game story here):
The tenth tee setup Sunday got some nice graphics and social media support. Always great when course setup is highlighted…
And the PGA Tour photography team produced some beauties, including this:
Place That Club Carefully Behind The Ball, Kids: Knox and McNealy Penalties At Pebble
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One of the more bizarre changes in player behavior of the last five or so years has to be the way players ground their club behind the ball. Often, not gently and occasionally, for questionable reasons (Brooks Koepka called this practice out last year.)
That said, two players who had no intention of improving their lie suffered one-shot penalties that played a role in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am’s outcome. (Video of both incidents below and to the credit of the PGA Tour, remains posted online.)
Saturday, Maverick McNealy placed his club behind a ball sitting high in the rough and it moved. The PGA Tour referrees assessed a penalty under Rule 9-4.
Sunday, it was Russell Knox in the first fairway and on live television. His penalty assessment did not come until he was on 5th hole once officials reviewed the tape. (Eventual winner Daniel Berger was a witness struggling to get clarity on the current rule, one appears confusing to players believing inadvertent actions such as this were changed in the 2019 rules revision).
From Keith Jackson, quoting Knox on his penalty.
Asked to explain the events of the first hole, Knox gave a firm indication of his mood when he said: "Yeah, I wanted to tee my ball up in the fairway to gain an advantage but sadly I got caught, which sucked!
"But, no, I just was getting comfortable a little. I guess I put the club down, moved up, a little waggle, came down and the ball just creeped a little bit, and then obviously I was deemed to have addressed it. And even after I kind of walked away, the ball still moved a little further, like 30 seconds later, which was weird.
"It's just one of those horrible rules which every one of us is against. There's no advantage gained in any way, and it happened to Maverick McNealy yesterday, my playing partner, so it's just, it's one of those kind of horrible rules that got me on the first hole.
"At first, the ruling was that I didn't cause it to move, because it was such a grey area there, and ultimately we got it right and I did address the ball, so I should have been penalised. Obviously it's a rule which I wish they would eliminate."
McNealy’s ball was perched high after taking embedded ball relief. James Raia reports for the Monterey County Herald on another bad break.
“We made the right call and we have the best rules staff in golf, but it was an unfortunate situation,” McNealy said. “I flew it over the green with my pitching wedge and it embedded. I took a drop, relief from the embed and when the ball landed, it popped back out of where I dropped it
“It was kind of perched on the back of that little hole it made. And when I looked at it, as I addressed the ball I was being very careful, because I thought it was in a very precarious spot, but it fell forward back into that hole and ended up being a one-shot penalty.”
The two incidents:
Mudball! Spieth Holes Out Second Approach Of Week, Leads AT&T Pebble Beach
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Jordan Spieth is looking for his first win since the 2017 Open at Birkdale and second AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title Sunday.
But it was his second hole-out of the week that stole Saturday’s third round show (incidentally played an hour faster without amateurs this year). But what’s most fun about the 16th hole eagle? Spieth played for the mud.
From Steve DiMeglio’s Golfweek story:
The best swing came at the par-4 16th. After a fairway-splitting tee ball of 249 yards, Spieth holed out from 160 yards for eagle. In the first round, he holed out from 113 yards for eagle-2 on the 10th at Pebble Beach. That keyed a 65 and he added a 67 at Spyglass Hill in the second round.
“I hit an 8-iron,” Spieth said of his Saturday eagle. “I had 158 yards adjusted, with the wind in off the right and a little bit of mud on right side of the ball, so I knew I could throw it out to the right and let kind of the wind and the mud do most of the work. In the air I thought it was going to be really good, it was one of the only shots I kind of said, ‘Oh, be good,’ today. And as it landed it was just exactly where I was trying to hit it. Certainly a bonus for it to drop.
“It’s a good lesson to learn for tomorrow, that how quickly things can change out here. Guys are going to make runs and I’ve just got to stay really patient, recognize that setting a goal for myself and sticking to it is important because things can change quickly out here.”
The shot:
"Nearing 50, David Duval remains as intriguing as ever (as does his reading list)"
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Seeing that Golf Channel is using Shrek’s nemesis for studio analysis this week, you might wonder what’s up with David Duval. The former World No. 1 plans to work about a half-dozen golf tournaments this year according to Michael Bamberger, who catches up with Duval in this Golf.com piece.
He also makes the case for Duval in the Hall of Fame.
He hasn’t won on Tour since his win at Lytham. (The Open counts as a PGA Tour event; the Dunlop Phoenix Open in Japan, which Duval won four months after his Lytham win, does not.) Still, with the Open win, plus a Players title, a dozen other wins and Ryder Cups and World Cups and a Tour round of 59, he deserves a locker at the World Golf Hall of Fame.
That’s what you get upon election, or you used to. The whole thing is being reconsidered. Anyway, if Fred Couples and Tim Finchem are Hall of Famers, then Duval is a Hall of Famer, too.
As Bamberger goes on to note several others have been bypassed, with Tom Weiskopf the obvious candidate for years (but only now picking up steam after his cancer diagnosis). But the Hall remains a popularity contest and players like Duval and Weiskopf were not Commissioner favorites.
Anyway hit the link as Duval also updates on his bedside reading stack and it’s a typically enjoyable Bamberger read.
A Sad Contrast In Field Strength: This Week's AT&T VS. Next Week's Genesis
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A quick review is in order to put the putrid turnout for the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am into perspective.
The Official World Golf Ranking puts the strength of field at 141.
Last week’s two events had strength of field scores of 395 and 463 (Saudi International and Waste Management Open).
The 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach features zero top 10 players and only five inside the top 50
The field has just 23 of the world top 100 and only 55 of the world top 200 WITH NO OTHER EVENT ON THE CALENDAR THIS WEEK.
There are 14 players outside the top 1000.
In 2020 the only fields with weaker SOF: Bermuda Championship, Sanderson Farms, Barracuda Championship, Safeway Open and Puerto Rico Open. The biggies.
There is no pro-am format this year, with play whittled to Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hills
John Daly is playing on a former PGA Champion exemption. That’s a tournament he captured 30 years ago this year. We are on our sixth American president since that win.
AT&T or some form of the corporation has been one of the tour’s longest running and most devoted sponsors now propping up two events featuring opposite-event quality fields.
Well, I guess you can’t say now-retired CEO Randall Stephenson’s company earned special interest thanks to his ongoing role seat on the PGA Tour Policy Board.
The event is obviously getting hit by a ton of surrounding “playing opportunities” of high quality or easy money (WGC Formerly of Mexico City).
Still, it’s Pebble Beach and one of the cornerstone events that built the Tour. Shameful.
But northern California’s loss is southern California’s gain. I’m not complaining, just sad for Pebble Beach.
Here is next week’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera sports a loaded field minus tournament host Tiger Woods.
The numbers:
7 of the world top 10
20 of the world top 30
30 of the world top 50
The tournament announcement summing up the field:
The Genesis Invitational field is highlighted by seven of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, including World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, World No. 2 Jon Rahm, World No. 3 Justin Thomas, World No. 4 Xander Schauffele, and World No. 6 Rory McIlroy. Johnson, the reigning FedExCup Champion and 2020 Masters Champion, is joined in the field by 2020 PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa (World No 7), and 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (World No. 9).
The field features 19 past major champions in total including Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Gary Woodland and Adam Scott who returns to Riviera where we won in 2020. Scott is joined by past winners at Riviera J.B. Holmes (2019), Bubba Watson (2018, 2016, 2014), Johnson (2017), James Hahn (2015), and Charles Howell III (2007). California native Rickie Fowler is making his first tournament start at Riviera since 2014.
"No Rollback On Talent"
/LET player Meghan Maclaren added some much needed perspective with her latest blog post by addressing what USGA/R&A equipment standards changes might mean for elite players.
Add her perspective with Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy (both pro-skill) and note how little pushback there has been since last week’s announcement (other than from the Titleist toadies and Dustin Johnson) perhaps most good players get it: the rules need to protect skill and highlight the immense talent pool in the game.
Maclaren points out that this might even make the pro game more interesting. Please check out the full piece but is her summation:
And there’s currently 291 players ranked ahead of me in the women’s professional rankings. Not to mention your pick of every player shown on tv every week. Professional golfers will always be able to enthrall, because that is their job. They work every day to be able to do things you cannot. And you can still make the game as hard or as easy as you want, depending on the course you choose to play, the tees you choose to play from, the time you put into practice. None of that will change, even if Bryson or Anne van Dam max out at 25 yards less than they currently do. It might even make the game better.
And Yet More Magnificent Images Of Snow-Covered Scottish Links
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But do note, Swilcan Burn is flowing just fine raising the question, what’s in that water?
Anyway, enjoy…
R&A Proposing "Community Golf Facility" In Glasgow
/For years the idea of a family-focused and smaller facility to give people with busy schedules a place to stay in touch with the game seemed like a swell idea. Some with grander ideas have considered weaving in non-golf amenities with the idea of creating something on smaller acreage in locations where scarcity or the need to re-imagine a golf footprint was called for.
No one has done it.
So this makes for a fascinating move by the R&A to take matters into their hands by creating a model facility. (I still think priority one should be to rescue historic Musselburgh and incorporate some of these elements given its location and importance to the game…but we’ll save that for another day.)
For Immediate Release:
THE R&A TO SUBMIT PLANNING APPLICATION FOR NEW GOLF FACILITY IN GLASGOW
11 February, St Andrews, Scotland: The R&A is submitting a planning application to Glasgow City Council for the construction of a new community golf facility that it is hoped will open in the summer of 2022.
The project aims to redevelop the existing public course at Lethamhill to create a family-focussed venue that provides access to a nine-hole course, Par 3 course, putting greens, short-game area, adventure golf and a 25-bay floodlit driving range for visitors to enjoy a wide range of golf activities, including shorter forms of the sport.
Additional features including a café, fitness studio, indoor simulator and movie theatre, education room and retail area are also being planned as part of a central hub that would offer views north over nearby Hogganfield Loch to the Campsie Fells and south to the City of Glasgow.
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We want to make golf more welcoming and inclusive for people of all ages and backgrounds and so we need to appeal to them by offering a variety of fun and affordable activities that entice more families and young people into the sport.
“We are excited by the prospect of establishing a facility in the very heart of the local community in north-east Glasgow that provides an accessible pathway into golf and inspires people to get out, have fun and experience the many health benefits that playing golf with family and friends can provide.”
In collaboration with Glasgow Life, the views of local stakeholders including current golfers, community groups and elected representatives are being considered to assist in shaping the development of the facility to create a destination that truly appeals to local people.
Work is also being carried out with the Golf Foundation and Scottish Golf to devise future participation and education programmes that use Glasgow Life’s existing Active Schools network to connect local schools with the new facility and inspire young people to experience playing golf in a fun and relaxed environment.
Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council, said, “This project is a great example of innovative thinking which protects and enhances resources relied on by the local communities and the whole city. It delivers an incredible facility for golfers while at the same time offering families more opportunities to discover the joy and health benefits of taking part in sport.
“The prospect of creating such a fantastic venue in what is already a well-used hub is something everyone can be very enthusiastic about, and we’re looking forward to working with The R&A and engaging with groups and clubs in the local area to develop a facility which is the first of its kind in Glasgow.”
The R&A has been working closely with the Seven Lochs Partnership and leading sustainability professionals to establish clear commitments to delivering positive environmental, health and social benefits to the local community and ensure best practice in sustainability is used throughout the facility.
A new network of public nature trails that link into existing walking routes of the Seven Lochs Wetland Park is being planned for use by visitors to the urban heritage and nature park, which seeks to promote health and well-being and enhance biodiversity.
Councillor Maureen Burke, Chair of the Seven Lochs Partnership, said, “The R&A’s plans for Lethamhill will be a fantastic addition to the Seven Lochs Wetland Park and will help to make the park a great place to discover and explore nature on your doorstep.
“This is a great opportunity to show how golf can promote wider well-being and environmental benefits and we look forward to working closely with The R&A to create new habitats for wildlife, design nature trails around the golf course and develop outdoor learning activities for local schools.”
"NBCUniversal’s Streaming Strategy Raises Prospect of WarnerMedia Merger"
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Shocker of all shockers, people want more than just reruns of The Office.
The launch of NBC’s Peacock is already causing concern and calls for a merger report The Information’s Jessica Toonkel and Tom Dotan.
The streaming app is the cornerstone of NBC’s future as it winds down cable channels and gradually shifts viewers to paying. However, it’s already becoming apparent that not enough people will be paying to keep it going.
NBCU has said that 33 million people have signed up to use Peacock, which launched last July, a couple of months after HBO Max. But data from an internal NBCU presentation viewed by The Information showed that Peacock recently had only 11.3 million “monthly active ad-supported accounts.” (Active accounts are households and can include multiple viewers). A Peacock spokesperson said the 11.3 million figure was low.
The data also suggests that Peacock’s priciest $9.99 tier that doesn’t carry ads only drew 4% of people signing up to use Peacock.
The story suggests Peacock’s all-in-one approach is showing signs of not working.
That reflects NBCU’s original strategy with Peacock, which was to treat it almost like a traditional TV network. In a strategy developed by Shell’s predecessor atop NBCU, Steve Burke, Peacock’s programming has a mix of news and sports as well as entertainment. Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+, in contrast, don’t carry news and sports. Even now, marketing for Peacock has emphasized the free tier rather than the expensive subscription offering.
Shell has long felt that NBCU should try and build the pricier subscription tier of Peacock’s business, say people familiar with his thinking. But to draw paying users, Peacock needs more original programs, where NBCU’s resources are limited, thanks to the impact of the pandemic and cord-cutting on its cable business.
The shift of shows and other “content” that would have once been under the Golf Channel banner began in earnest last week when Rory McIlroy’s Golfpass stuff and PointsBet second-screen gambling feeds were behind the Peacock Premium wall. I’m not clear if the Golfpass is totally separate or there are crossover elements and since Comcast will inevitably shift its course again soon, no need to dig deep.
News And Notes: Major Media Move Speculation, Landmark (Watch) Deals
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This week’s major notes cover the gamut with a little Ryder Cup news thrown in.
The media items alone are fun to consider—unless your job depends on it—and suggest we’re in for a lively period of change in how and where we consume the big events.
The weekly notes are free for all subscribers so sign up. And here is more on how The Quadrilateral works, now one month and 17 editions in. Thanks to all who’ve signed up.
"Who performs best on Poa annua?"
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7th at Pebble Beach (Geoff Shackelford)
Ex-Golf Channel stats maestro Justin Ray has been doing especially stellar work of late and files this beauty on poa annua greens like those found at Pebble Beach.
As always, hit the link and I’m not pasting here who the top poa putters are but this bit was fascinating given how much players believe afternoon putting is impossible (and often looks so based on the ball bouncing):
Players have made 68.3% of putts from 4-8 feet on all putting surfaces since 2015. When isolating those numbers to just poa annua greens, the make percentage drops to 66.5%. While that differential of less than 2% sounds small, it can add up. For instance, that’s the difference in ranking 20th on TOUR in make percentage from that range and ranking 42nd. Putts made outside of 10 feet feature a smaller differential, as the make percentage drops from 15.2% on all surfaces to 15.0% on Poa.
And the tee time information was positively strange:
When a player tees off between 6 a.m. and 10:59 a.m. local time on a course with poa annua greens, they average +0.095 Strokes Gained: Putting per round. When teeing off from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m., that number drops to -0.086, a differential of nearly two-tenths of a stroke per round.
Make percentage between 5-10 feet tell a slightly different story – that green speeds changing during a round itself may impact putts made percentage. The earliest tee times – those from 6-8 a.m. – have a make percentage from 5-10 feet of 55.4%. When teeing off from 9-11 a.m. hour, that number drops to 52.4%, before incrementally increasing in the later tee times to 53.3%.
PGA Tour: No Rangefinders In The Foreseeable Future
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Well you can cross one theory off the list: the PGA of America was not doing the PGA Tour a favor by allowing rangefinders at their majors.
In Alex Miceli’s MorningRead.com in-depth story on the use of distance measuring devices at the PGA of America majors, he features a statement from the Tour:
“The PGA Tour conducted a four-tournament test of Distance Measuring Devices on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017, with varying results,” the Tour said in a statement released Tuesday. “We decided at the time to continue to prohibit their use in official competitions on the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour for the foreseeable future. We will evaluate the impact rangefinders have on the competition at the PGA of America's championships in 2021 and will then review the matter with our player directors and the Player Advisory Council.”
Players are welcoming the news but also suggesting they don’t see the devices as a vital tool in competition. Brentley Romine reports for GolfChannel.com.
Caddies are even less excited, reports GolfDigest.com’s Brian Wacker.
State Of The Game 110: Reacting To The Equipment Standards Changes Rollout
/Rod Morri, Mike Clayton and yours truly got together for some initial reactions to last week’s news opening the door to all sorts of rule changes.
As always State of the Game is available wherever you get your podcasts, or you can listen below:
