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
Monday At The 2022 U.S. Open
/All live on tape from Brookline.
Join the Quad family and thanks to all who have been so supportive.
LIVlier Than Most! Recapping A Wacky Day In Golf
/Mickelson, Norman, Johnson, Nicklaus and Tiger make news.
The news of Tiger’s U.S. Open WD got a special midday edition of The Quadrilateral.
Mickelson To Play Majors Again; U.S. Open Final Qualifying Roundup
/Last year's PGA Champion plans to turn up at Brookline, as do qualifiers from "Golf's Longest Day".
Results and notes from Monday that were already delivered to email boxes.
Here is the Final Qualifying results page, though I see no accompanying articles or photo galleries as of midnight ET.
Mickelson Grabs The Scary @#$%@#&^%$%@#'s Money, Intends To Still Play Majors
/Commissioner Greg Norman is happy to have landed Mickelson. For now.
“Phil Mickelson is unequivocally one of the greatest golfers of this generation,’’ Norman said. “His contributions to the sport and connection to fans around the globe cannot be overstated and we are grateful to have him. He strengthens an exciting field for London where we’re proud to launch a new era for golf.”
Not long after the story broke, Mickelson issued the above statement announcing his return while maintaining a plan for continued therapy and his intention to play the major championships. Presumably next week’s U.S. Open is a go.
Mickelson made the back cover of the New York Post:
The Match Is Back With Only Superstar QB's And A Producer Who Did Time
/The latest iteration of Capital One’s The Match is back on Wednesday with quarterbacks Tom Brady, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes playing at the awful Wynn course.
While Phil Mickelson is no longer involved in the made-for-TV events as he ponders how to be a better man, The Match is again being produced by Bran Zuriff.
As noted in Alan Shipnuck’s book Phil in writing about Mickelson’s shady associations and gambling problems, Zuriff was previously sentenced to home confinement and two years probation for his role in an illegal gambling enterprise with Russian mob ties.
BZ: No. I swear to God, people think I’m making this up — Phil is enjoying his time off the hamster wheel. He’s enjoying it. He has gone balls to the walls for 30-plus years — doing every interview shaking every hand being an incredible ambassador. He’s taking a break and he actually is enjoying it. So we will eventually see him, but he’s enjoying his time off. And he’s really happy about that. But I consider him a lifelong friend and a partner. And when he wants to come back, he’s welcome to come back.
I wouldn’t bet on it.
Tiger On Legacy Golf, Where He Disagrees With Phil And Players Who Want Guaranteed Money
/Tiger Woods gave his most detailed set of comments to date on the PGA Tour v. LIV Golf and Phil Mickelson.
I have little to add other than the question and context.
On Mickelson not being at Southern Hills to defend his PGA Championship victory:
It's always disappointing when the defending champion not here. Phil has said some things that I think a lot of us who are committed to the Tour and committed to the legacy of the TOUR have pushed back against, and he's taken some personal time, and we all understand that. But I think that some of his views on how the Tour could be run, should be run, been a lot of disagreement there. But as we all know, as a professional, we miss him being out here. I mean, he's a big draw for the game of golf. He's just taking his time and we all wish him the best when he comes back. Obviously we're going to have difference of opinions, how he sees the Tour, and we'll go from there.
On Phil’s position:
“I don't know if he has to resolve it or not. You know, he has his opinion on where he sees the game of golf going. You know, I have my viewpoint how I see the game of golf, and I've supported the TOUR and my foundation has run events on the TOUR for a number of years.
“I just think that what Jack and Arnold have done in starting the TOUR and breaking away from the PGA of America and creating our tour in '68 or '69, somewhere in there, I just think there's a legacy to that. I've been playing out here for a couple of years over decades, and I think there's a legacy do it. I still think that the TOUR has so much to offer, so much opportunity.
“I believe in legacies. I believe in major championships. I believe in big events, comparisons to historical figures of the past. There's plenty of money out here. The Tour is growing. But it's just like any other sport. It's like tennis. You have to go out there and earn it. You've got to go out there and play for it. We have opportunity to go ahead and do it. It's just not guaranteed up front.”
He played this with a straight face but you have to think he was enjoying this question about rights fees, events and Mickelson’s brief and pitiful role as a tournament “host” in the old Bob Hope, now the American Express.
”I can't speak for him not knowing and understanding that. I'm sure he probably does have an
understanding of that because he was the host of the old Bob Hope. So since he was the host of the event, I'm sure he probably understands it, and plus, he hosts the event up there in Napa Valley. He understands it, and there is -- there is a rights fee to having events and understanding it. And we negotiate with the Tour and whether it's one-off day events like we have with matches under the lights like I used to do back in the old days, or it's regular Tour events, each tournament is different. Obviously there is right fees that have to be paid, and we understand that. Obviously we go in there as events and try and negotiate that down as low as possible, and try and make as much money as we can for the local events.”
And on whether he’s reached out to Phil:
”I have not reached out to him. I have not spoken to him. A lot of it has not to do with I think personal issues. It was our viewpoints of how the Tour should be run and could be run, and what players are playing for and how we are playing for it. I have a completely different stance on, and so no, I have not.”
PGA Monday: Serene At Southern Hills, More Strangeness Off The Course
/ESPN tackles the Phil Mickelson absence in admirable fashion. Plus, the 17th hole takes on new dimensions, Nicklaus gripes about Trump's lost PGA, Quotes and Reads.
Homa In Form, Phil's PGA Status And Pebble's 8th Gets A Green Fix
/All of this is delivered to inboxes so sign up if you haven’t. It’s just so much easier.
Five Families Would Be Wise To Steer Clear Of The Tours v. Greg & The Sportwashing Saudi's
/There are no sound reasons I could come up with for the Masters, USGA, R&A and PGA of America to uphold possible player suspensions and risk legal exposure should Jay Monahan suspend players over U.S. appearances for LIV Golf’s series.