From Many, One: Live Under Par Is No Longer Golf's Lamest Slogan

It was an overcast morning in the hipster hotbed of Culver City. Central casting millennials were sitting on the floor, glued to their laptops searching Ziprecruiter job listings, working inside the industrial chic “largest female-owned full service agency in America.” The firm had been commissioned to help the U.S. Open recapture an identity lost due to everything but its slogan…pardon…”brand platform.”

After hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have gone to many other better uses, the result was profound…ly disturbing: From Many, One.

Suddenly, “Live Under Par” was no longer the silliest brand platform in the history of brand platforms.

For Immediate Release and linked here for giggles in a few years:

‘From Many, One’ 

USGA Unveils New U.S. Open Brand Platform  

 LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Feb. 29, 2020) – As part of the United States Golf Association’s ongoing commitment to invest in the U.S. Open and elevate the championship experience for players and fans, the Association today proudly unveiled its new U.S. Open brand platform, “From Many, One.”

Engineering the experience for players and fans via a slogan engineered by an agency. Authenticity reigns!

“Our goal was to develop a distinct and powerful brand platform that allows us to celebrate what makes our championship unique and to tell the stories that drive our audiences to attend, watch and engage with the U.S. Open year-round,” said Craig Annis, chief brand officer of the USGA.

Almost got all the buzzwords in one sentence! Share and interact feeling a tad lonely. But it’s only day one.

“Given that the U.S. Open drives nearly 75 percent of the USGA’s revenue, the success of the championship directly impacts the work we do to support millions of golfers who enjoy the game.” 

And just think, without this expensive campaign, there would be even more to give back, say, For The Good Of The Game?

Let’s stop stalling, we want framework!

To help frame the creation of the brand platform, the USGA engaged key stakeholders over the course of the past year. Players (including some USGA champions), fans, media members, partners, representatives of host sites and volunteers were asked to share their thoughts on what makes the U.S. Open a one-of-a-kind major championship.  

These constituents provided unique insights that included identifying the “open” nature of the championship, the grit and determination it takes to become a U.S. Open champion and the triumph of the human spirit as key attributes. Their insights led the USGA to the foundation of the platform, “From Many, One.”

Well, that’s life changing and we can’t wait until June when…wait, there is more ad agency gobbledygook.

‘From Many, One’: U.S. Open Brand Platform 

The U.S. Open brand platform was developed in partnership with Culver City, Calif.-based Zambezi and is centered around a campaign line “From Many, One;” a new take on the motto “E Pluribus Unum” that will celebrate the nearly 10,000 golfers who will try to qualify for the championship, the 156 who will play and the one who will be crowned U.S. Open champion. 

The premise of “From Many, One” is not a new one for the U.S. Open. It is something that was present at the first U.S. Open in 1895 and will be there in the future.

A brand platform that looks back AND into the future. These people are good.

It is the embodiment of the openness of the championship and a powerful connection to American values. It’s more than just a tagline, it’s the USGA’s guiding light, helping to provide our major championship with gravitas and focus. 

I feel the gravitas already. Shoot, we might even have more than a tape-delayed highlight show for U.S. Open qualifying day, and maybe even be able to send writers and photographers to all the sectionals like the good old days!

“The most challenging assignments often turn out to be the most rewarding and this was no exception,” said Gavin Lester, chief creative officer of Zambezi.

Check cleared!

“To balance the heritage of a 120-year-old major championship, a modern audience, mental challenge, athletic triumph and American heritage in a campaign wasn't easy, but to see it all come to life has been unbelievably rewarding.”

Tell us how you are going to spend that FOX money!

“From Many, One” will extend far beyond television commercials, print and digital advertising as fans begin to “live the brand” through the U.S. Open. 

You didn’t just say “live the brand.” Sigh.

USGA social and digital platforms will feature videos, testimonials and other content that documents golfers’ journeys and allows fans to experience their hard work, grit and determination. 

There’s that grit word again. Nothing says grit like golfers grinding at the country club.

Fans on-site at Winged Foot Golf Club for this year’s U.S. Open will be immersed in the brand and the organization’s integrated approach to showcasing the championship as a glory-filled spectacle that the world is invited to see, feel and experience.   

Still no share word.

This reminds me, how did the U.S. Open ever survive without brand immersion and integrative approaches?

“The U.S. Open is more than a golf event, it’s more than a test or evaluation, it’s an experience that brings people together to share in the electricity that comes from players pushing themselves beyond their limits to achieve their dreams,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “The brand platform will be the perfect vehicle to share the story of the U.S. Open, a celebration of the accomplishments of the players who compete for the championship and everyone who makes the event so special.” 

Creative Work 

Television Commercials and Print/Digital Advertisements:  

Viewers of the NFL playoffs, NCAA basketball and NASCAR on Fox Sports enjoyed a preview of the brand campaign with the airing of a 15-second U.S. Open tune-in advertisement featuring actor Don Cheadle. 

The tune-in that people tuned out.

The Oscar-nominated Cheadle, who serves as a U.S. Open brand ambassador,

Frank, the U.S. Open has brand ambassadors now. Tell Sandy up there in heaven. Don’t tell Jim McKay about any of this.

lends his esteemed voice and stature to a variety of video content, including multiple U.S. Open brand television spots. 

The first spot, “E Pluribus Unum, Baby,” is told from the perspective of a television viewer who is watching the greatest players in the game push themselves beyond their limits. E Pluribus Unum, Baby

Television viewer? You know the kids stream today…

Television and digital video viewers will be treated to multiple ad spots throughout the U.S. Open qualifying process, which begins in April. A series titled “From the Many: The U.S. Open Is…” features amateur golfers discussing their qualifying stories and the path that the “many” will take to get there. “From the Many: The U.S. Open Is…” 

Note to qualifiers, DO NOT record your own stories and post them on YouTube. The Amateur Status police will be after you. Unless you’re really famous. But go ahead and mention on the Gram that you are a proud member of team TaylorMade, no issues there.

Vignettes featuring Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods, among others, highlight a series titled “From the Ones: The U.S. Open is…” These videos showcase past champions as they reflect on the significance of the U.S. Open and the moment that they became the “one.” “From the Ones: The U.S. Open is…” 

Accompanying the television spots, the U.S. Open brand campaign will be highly visible to golf and sports fans in the United States where it will run on print and digital platforms. 

Print is where the kids are at. I hear.

Centered around the ethos, “From Many, One,” the creative shares the tone of the television advertisements with a focus on the hard work and effort it takes to qualify for the U.S. Open and the odds stacked against becoming the U.S. Open champion. The creative will feature a competitive and gritty aesthetic and take on a sharp and witty tone. "From Many, One" creative assets.

A gritty aesthetic. Back to the grit again. With the creative.

Speaking of creative, did anyone in those meetings say From Many, One out loud? From anyone.

Feherty On Patrick Reed: "'There is no God' was the first thing I said after he'd won last week."

Following last week’s Patrick Reed win at the WGC Mexico, SI.com’s Ryan Asselta talked to David Feherty as he launches season ten of Feherty.

It’s a lively chat about the show and several players, but his Reed remarks stand out after working the WGC for NBC:

DF: Jesus. You can put that in there actually. Just Jesus. I mean, I don't even know what to say. It's just, it's going to follow him for the rest of his life.

SI: Obviously we know about the rules violation at the Hero in the Bahamas. We know how he handled it, claiming no wrongdoing. He was called out by Koepka last week and Peter Kostis among others. And what does he do? He goes and wins in Mexico. Is Patrick Reed the most polarizing figure in the game of golf today?

DF: I'm not even sure that he's polarizing. I'm not sure there's too many people on the other side, you know what I mean? I mean, "there is no God" was the first thing I said after he'd won last week. There is no God, you know, that's proof of it right there. Amazing. I mean, he is amazing. He's Captain Oblivious, just can let everything run off his back. I've never seen anything like it.

"Geographic consolidation": Golf Channel Relocating To Stamford In The Next Year

Founded in Orlando by Joe Gibbs and Arnold Palmer in 1995, Golf Channel parent company NBC Sports has reportedly decided to move operations to Stamford, Connecticut over the next year:

Getting reports that Golf Channel informed employees today that the entire operation would be relocating from Orlando to Stamford, CT, (home of NBC Sports HQ) in the next 12 months.

— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) February 28, 2020

A Golf Channel spokesman issued this statement:

“Our aim is to be as transparent as possible with our employees, therefore as we began this process we informed teams that some of our media operations will be transitioning to new locations over the next year or more. Geographic consolidation is a growing and sensible trend across the media industry, and as our business continues to evolve, we’ll continue to look for ways to operate as effectively as possible to deliver world-class coverage to our loyal audiences.”

Gasp: NASCAR Trying To Grow Their Game By Slowing Cars Down

Many strange and soul-sucking acts are tolerated in golf. Except one: a regulatory reversal taking away distance from elite players!

We’ve been told the masses would trash their clubs, courses would voluntarily close, priests would be summoned. And yet, NASCAR is doing the golf equivalent of taking a few yards off drives to win back fans. Who, it seems, were not captivated by a season long cup race and who miss daring race moves that helped NASCAR ascend in popularity.

Note this is now a year into their efforts and the most watched sports event last weekend was a NASCAR race from Las Vegas (not the Lakers-Celtics or PGA Tour golf).

An unbylined AP story from a year ago explained NASCAR’s efforts to win back fans focuses on an overhauled “rules package” with an eye on restoring excitement.

The new package uses aerodynamic ducts and a tapered spacer to reduce engine horsepower — in simplest turns, it should slow the cars and bunch them closer together to increase passing attempts and improve the overall competitiveness. It will debut in the second race of the season, at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

One major difference between NASCAR and golf’s technology influence: how the best separate themselves.

While a case could be made that modern golf technology masks deficiencies and makes it hard for supreme skill to separate from the field, NASCAR’s push was viewed as potentially muting the elite.

The old package permitted a handful of teams to move so far ahead of the competition it took too long for anyone to catch them, the racing suffered and fans stopped watching. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. combined to win 20 of 36 races last season, though the “Big Three” lost to Logano in the championship finale.

The new package is controversial because it is supposed to level the playing field, and elite drivers believe it will diminish the advantage their talent has given them.

A year in, however, reviews suggested the driving has been more interesting and confrontational. No one is complaining about the loss of speed since the cars still go very, very fast.

Just like drives dropping from 330 to 310 yards still go very, very far.
__

Continuing on the topic a year later after the Daytona was trending huge until rains came, The Indicator from Planet Money podcast covered the NASCAR push to improve the “product” via rules changes. Thanks to reader Bobby Ricky for this…

New Par-3 17th, Other Major Changes Coming To Hoylake For 2022 Open

New 17th at Royal Liverpool

Royal Liverpool, aka Hoylake, most recently home to Rory McIlroy’s 2014 Open win and last summer’s Walker Cup, is undergoing several huge changes prior to its next Open Championship in 2022.

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath with the details and some early images of the work, which includes a new short par-3 17th for The Open playing 139 yards with what looks like an infinity green backed by the Dee Estuary.

Royal Liverpool’s Chairman of Green, Andrew Goodwin, said: “The decision to make changes to a course like Hoylake wasn’t taken lightly, but throughout the Club’s 150 year history alterations have been made and Royal Liverpool has continued to evolve and improve, ensuring it remains a wonderful challenge for both amateur and elite professional golfers alike.”

He meant to note the profound increase in athleticism, too. We’ll let it slide.

The new hole also helps prevent two incoming par-5’s from being drives and short irons in the era of triathletes who are able to leap tall dunes in a single bound.

Martin Ebert said: “The project at Royal Liverpool has been an extremely exciting one overall but the opportunity to create a new hole on a great links such as Hoylake is a rare one. The hope and expectation is that not only can a very short hole produce significant drama for the penultimate hole of The Open, but also provide the Club with a hole which members and visiting golfers from around the world will be hugely excited to play. It is also a real advantage of the new hole project that the Championship 15th and 18th par 5 holes will be strengthened with new back tees.”

Heath describes other changes, including several new tees, run-offs and service roads with The Open in mind. And the modern athlete.

Revised NFL Schedule Will Impact Hawaii Events And Possibly The West Coast Swing

Major changes to the NFL regular season and playoff structure were presumably anticipated in the pending PGA Tour media rights deal. Which, presumably, is an $8 billion over ten years deal that will presumably be announced at The Players.

Full NFL membership voting is around the corner and ratification would mean a 17-game schedule, a possible Labor Day weekend start (and perhaps why the Tour Championship vacated that weekend). The Super Bowl could eventually move closer to President’s Day (if not the Sunday prior), impacting a key stretch of West Coast games and undoubtedly influencing whether NFL players will be able to tee it up in the Crosby. Now this is getting serious!

(Though that is not why some players, including Russell Wilson, are opposed.)

While a 17 game schedule won’t happen until 2021 at the earliest, the NFL seems prepared to expand the playoffs for the 2020-21 season. Jeremy Schilling has been following this and explained today how early season tournaments, already drawing small audiences when going up against NFL games, will suffer continuing to insist on weekend finishes. In the immediate future, the Sentry Tournament of Champions appears to be most in line for increased competition with the expanded playoffs.

IF NFL goes to expanded playoffs this yr, with a 3 & 3 Sat-Sun of Wild Card Wknd format, the @pgatour will need to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to give @Sentry_TOC a proper finish. The @SonyOpenHawaii & @theamexgolf are already being hurt by 6-10pm ET Sun slot.

— Jeremy Schilling (@jschil) February 26, 2020

After the schedule goes to 17 games with a second bye week looking unlikely, the NFL season start week will determine if the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am’s traditional date becomes Super Bowl weekend.

Schilling discussed this, with ESPN.com’s Bob Harig chiming in, making the fair point that fields won’t get worse due to this news.

Again, presumably all of this has been anticipated and the next media deal starting in 2022 will have forecasted these changes with planned date shifts, some Monday finishes or other ideas we have not thought about. Presumably.

In case you were wondering, the Premier Golf League has proposed four events in odd hours for American viewers, with two of those falling during the NFL playoff run and one U.S. event to start the season in mid-January.

Players Acknowledging Need For Change Validate The Premier Golf League's Ideas

Since the Premier Golf League ideas were first revealed here and the vision was expanded upon either in blog posts here, and now in founder Andy Gardiner’s interviews (here and here),

Randall Mell from the Honda on Brooks Koepka’s remarks, another classic example of Koepka’s shrewd way of playing his hand.

“I am just going to play where the best players play,” Koepka said Wednesday after his Honda Classic pro-am round. “I want to play against the best. I think everyone wants to play against the best. Whatever comes of it, comes of it.”

He’s available, will just go where the best players are, and he doesn’t need the money. Future agent, Brooks Koepka.

He also gratitude expressed toward the PGA Tour and its longevity as a venture.

“A lot of good things have come from it,” he said. “The Tour has been incredible to us, the way things have developed over the years. We have to see where things go. It’s all very new and it’s all very fast.”

But what if the PGL makes him an astronomical offer to be one of its new team owners?

“I know you’re going to write this the wrong way, but it doesn’t matter if somebody gave me $200 million tomorrow,” Koepka said. “It’s not going to change my life. What am I going to get out of it? I already have so much that I could retire right now, but I don’t want to. I just want to play golf. It’s not going to change anything. Maybe the only thing I do is buy a plane. That would be it. I don’t see anything that would change my life.”

True, a plane would be nice.

GolfDigest.com’s Brian Wacker covered Koepka’s remarks as well as those of Gary Woodland, current U.S. Open champion. He says he PGL has been good for the PGA.

“I think competition is good,” said Gary Woodland, who is represented by the same agent as Woods, Mark Steinberg. “I think the tour will be better for it. I think it will force the tour to make some changes.

Force. Not inspire. Or encourage. Or cause. Force.

“It’ll be interesting. There’s still a long way to go and a lot to do in a short period of time, but I think the [PGA] Tour has realized it has to make some changes.”

It would be interesting to know when that realization occurred.

For those who think the current model of constant growth and playing opportunities for retirees has damaged the “product,” there is good news. For accountants.

“I think the top players are getting together and trying to get things done. There’s a lot of things that could be done better out here to take care of the top players but also the bottom guys. I think there’s a lot more money for everybody. Hopefully that pushes the envelope.”

Players, players, players. Money, money, money. Not much about the fans or sponsors, something the PGL has highlighted in their mixed-results social media rollout and last week’s interviews.

A similar view was shared by Billy Horschel, who, as usual, said more than he should.

GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard paints a largely rosy picture of the PGL’s impact and included this from Horschel.

“I have no desire [to play on the PGL]. What [Tour commissioner Jay Monahan] has done is great. He understands that the Tour in its current form isn’t viable in the future,” Horschel said.

I’m sorry, what was that again? Not viable in its current form. Again, when did this realization happen?

“Changes are going to have to be made. What changes? I don’t know. The business model is great, it’s what we do with the players and the product. We may have to make some tweaks to the product to continue to be able to garner the money that we want.”

So to recap Horschel’s quote: the Commissioner understands the current model is not viable, yet the business model is “great”, and the PGL-inspired changes will help keep the money flowing.

Something tells me fans and sponsors who have not agreed that the PGA Tour is “growing and thriving” and never more exciting want to hear ideas that will make the sport more fun. Enriching players for helping the cause is a nice byproduct of those efforts, but if pocket lining is the sole focus of this change, then the PGA Tour’s finest will have missed the point in a major way.

Two Italian Golfers Quarantined On Eve Of Oman Open

A bizarre and surreal AP story details the Oman Open WD’s of Italians Lorenzo Gagli and Edoardo Molinari amid reports they have been isolated due to possible coronavirus exposure.

From the report:

Gagli tells Italian newspaper La Nazione that a European Tour doctor told him at breakfast Wednesday to return to his room. Molinari, his roommate for the week in Oman, was moved to another room.

Gagli said he was given a test and told the result would be available in two days, but that he would have to remain in the room until next Wednesday, meaning he also would have to withdraw from the Qatar Masters the following week.

''It's an inexplicable decision,'' Gagli said. ''Only us two have been excluded from the tournament, but I arrived in Muscat last Sunday and over the last few days I've worked out in the gym with dozens of other players. I ate with them and traveled by bus with them.

''If there was a risk of contagion, then they would have to isolate dozens of golfers and cancel the tournament.''

The European Tour has kept their comments to acknowledging the WD’s were on “medical grounds.”

A frequent presence on Twitter, Molinari has not posted anything since February 22nd.

GQ Profile: Brooks On Selling His Rae's Creek Troubles, Golf Losing People As A Gentleman's Sport

GQ’s Daniel Riley does a fine job until a late unraveling in profiling Brooks Koepka for GQ. As always, please hit the link, things aren’t great at Conde Nast these days.

The most compelling stuff is early on, including this on selling his 2020 Masters water ball shot knowing Tiger still had to play the 12th.

“My theory is if you don't show them anything visually, they can only go off one of their senses: sound,” he explained. “How did the ball sound when it came off? They don't know if I hit it a hundred percent or 90 percent. And they've gotta judge it by the strike.” But if he starts cursing or sulking, Tiger will know it was the shot, not the tricky wind, that foiled him—and calibrate his own approach to No. 12 accordingly. “And so I didn't have any reaction. I just handed it right back to my caddie. And it might've confused him.”

Then there are his thoughts on golf as as “a gentleman’s sport” and why the sport loses a lot of people playing up that notion.

“One thing I'd change is maybe the stuffiness. Golf has always had this persona of the triple-pleated khaki pants, the button-up shirt, very country club atmosphere, where it doesn't always have to be that way. That's part of the problem. Everybody always says, ‘You need to grow the game.’ Well, why do you need to be so buttoned-up? ‘You have to take your hat off when you get in here.’ ‘You're not allowed in here unless you're a member—or unless the member's here.’ Really? I just never really liked the country club atmosphere. I know that drives a lot of people away from liking me. But just 'cause this golf club has such prestige and the members are all famous and have a lot of money…like, why can't I show up and just go play the golf course? Why do I have to sit in my car and wait for the member?

Well, if you want to charge lunch to Chuck Underwood’s account, it’s a good idea. Go on…

“I just think people confuse all this for me not loving the game. I love the game. I absolutely love the game. I don't love the stuffy atmosphere that comes along with it. That, to me, isn't enjoyable. When I practice, I don't think I've ever tucked my shirt in. I show up to the golf course, half the time my tennis shoes are untied, I'm chippin', puttin', shirt's untucked, I've got my hat on, and I'm not wearing a belt, because who wears a belt when it's untucked? But a lot of clubs, if I walked up like that, it'd be: ‘Sir, you need to tuck your shirt in. You need to take your hat off when you get in here.’ ”

You can take the boy out of Florida but you can’t take the Florida out of this boy!

And here’s where the story unravels in unnecessary fashion.

When we pulled up to the security hut at Medalist, something happened that hadn't even occurred to me as being possible. Medalist was closed for the day, and there wasn't any way Brooks or Ricky (or Dan) would be permitted access to the driving range or golf course. I've been denied access to enough golf courses in my life that it didn't really shock me in the moment, but as we drove 30 minutes in the opposite direction to another club, I let the indignation creep in. A golf course just denied access to the No. 1 golfer in the world, as though it were a perfectly ordinary thing to do, which apparently it was. Still, I tried to imagine the security guard at Yankee Stadium denying Derek Jeter batting practice. Or the high school A.D. with the keys to the gym denying LeBron James a shootaround. Wild. And precisely what Brooks had been referring to when he was lamenting all the things that golf gets so absurdly wrong at this critical juncture for the game. What side of society do you want to be on? The one that makes sense? The one that's open and inclusive? Or the one that's rigid, pedantic, exclusionary, stuffy—all for the sake of, what, the enforcement of rules for the sake of rules? It was a buzzkill.

Or maybe they were just punching the greens and the place was closed? Just saying…

So It Seems Greg Norman Still Hasn't Worked Through All Of His 1994 Issues

Greg Norman is a bit miffed at Rory McIlroy’s “out” declaration related to the Premier Golf League. And naturally, because it’s the Shark, it really has little to do with the positives and negatives of the proposed tour.

Josh Sens caught up with Norman in Mexico and taking time away from finding his biggest fan—hit the link if you thought April 1 had arrived early this year—and Norman seemed to take McIlroy’s invocation of Arnold Palmer personally.

With a TV deal in place and the support, Norman believed, of many players, the concept seemed to have legs. But it foundered in the face of savvy PGA Tour maneuvering and vocal opposition from the King. Shortly after Norman announced his plan for the global series, Palmer came out publicly against it. Norman, who had what he describes as a close relationship with Palmer, was devastated.

“I was blindsided, I felt backstabbed,” Norman said. “I’m listening to Arnold, with [then-PGA Tour commissioner] Tim Finchem standing beside him, chest puffed out for a 5-foot-4 guy, and I’m thinking, ‘Are you kidding? Why are you saying this?’”

Well, he could be an intimidating 5’4”…

Anyway, he goes on to say IMG planted the negative thoughts with Palmer to go against the Tour and accuses McIlroy of taking his stance against the PGL as part of his Golfpass/Golf Channel relationship ala the King back in 1994.

But other than that, he’s really worked through any lingering issues over the World Tour effort…of 25 years ago.

Golf Magazine Names True Spec Its Best Fitter, Neglects To Mention Key Fact

…that the operation is owned by…the owner of Golf Magazine.

Now, we always knew there was a good chance that the 8am Golf family of brands would get special coverage from Golf Magazine and Golf.com after the man who owns it all took charge.

So far things have been good, with writers doing their thing and the print product receiving nice reviews. But there have been hiccups with disclosures and questionable choices, like a blatant rip off of Fried Egg’s template hole series, down to using the same holes as examples.

And overall, to Howard Milstein’s credit, there were no signs he gave the Nicklaus Designs firm any favoritism in the latest Golf Magazine Top 100, restoring luster to the most credible of all rankings (there was, however this painful Nicklaus Design puff piece quietly posted in January and a very random best renovation award last year. Nicklaus Designs is another Milstein outpost).

That Valley of the Eagles renovation award at least received a disclosure of the 8am/Golf/Milstein ties.

But True Spec getting the top fitter ranking bequeathed this February? No.

Now, I’ve been to a few True Spec facilities and they are wonderful. For all I know True Spec is worthy under the criteria, but to not disclose the ties is inexcusable and a credibility killer. The news has not gone unnoticed.

https://t.co/HnMCoszfLA pic.twitter.com/79bvyTicus

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) February 18, 2020

True Spec and Golf dot com are owned by the same company. So one guy's company is awarding his other company a top honor. Super. https://t.co/JymitTEzXf

— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) February 18, 2020

And other fitters are not pleased…

Wonder if Golf Mag is going to charge True Spec $3,000 for the "Top Fitter" logo

— Garrett Morrison (@gfordgolf) February 24, 2020

Ratings: NASCAR, NBA, XFL Take A Chunk Out Of Tigerless WGC Mexico

Competing for eyeballs against a suddenly resurgent NASCAR, Lakers-Celtics on ABC and the mystery that is the XFL (ESPN), not even NBC’s very enjoyable coverage of a compelling leaderboard could help the WGC Mexico Championship’s ratings.

Throw in Tiger playing this event in 2019, and the 2020 ratings were down significantly across the board according to ShowBuzzDaily’s Mitch Metcalf. This continues a trend from the West Coast swing where CBS numbers were well down according to SportsMediaWatch.com.

2019’s numbers:

Paulsen at SportsMediaWatch.com analyzed the final numbers this way:

Final round coverage of the PGA Tour/WGC-Mexico Championship averaged a 1.8 rating and 2.79 million viewers on NBC last Sunday, marking the lowest rating and viewership for the event — previously held in Doral, Fla. — since it debuted in 2007.

Ratings and viewership fell 18% from last year, when Tiger Woods was in the field (2.2, 3.42M) and 31% and 29% respectively from 2018 (2.6, 3.93M).

Third round action declined 37% in ratings (to 1.2) and 40% in viewership (to 1.72M). Eight straight PGA Tour windows on broadcast have declined.

Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel averaged a 0.44 (-46%) and 709,000 (-43%) on Saturday and a 0.37 (-44%) and 540,000 (-44%) on Sunday.

"Self-governance took a hit in that bunker and communal-governance took a hit in the incident’s aftermath."

Michael Bamberger brings calm, perspective and a very simple explanation as to why Patrick Reed will have a hard time changing the narrative, no matter how much great golf he plays after last December’s waste bunker lie improvement: “That afternoon, he made a mockery of golf’s underlying principle: Play the ball as it lies.”

Read it all at Golf.com, but this was strong and perhaps helpful for those struggling to understand why the story isn’t going away:

Koepka, Kostis and Chamblee weren’t just playing with New Year’s Eve noisemakers. They were defending golf’s organizing principle: play the ball (all together now) as it lies. These are serious people. Anybody who has played a lot of golf knows that what Koepka said is true: you know where your clubhead is and what it’s doing. Your clubhead has the ability to detonate a bomb. Your hands are on the grip, your ball is underneath you and you know exactly where the clubhead is and what it’s doing. Professional golf is not played casually. It’s a study in obsessive-compulsive behavior. It’s a study in self-governance and communal-governance.

Royal Troon Lands 2023 Open Seven Years After Stenson-Mickelson Duel

The Postage Stamp

In a bit of a shocker, Royal Troon is returning to The Open rota, prompting multiple media reactions, starting with Turnberry’s hopes of a return now extending to at least 2025. And will the “historic” Adamson Country House “house” media again? Oh, and why such a speedy return?

Just seven years after producing the Stenson-Mickelson duel, it seems Troon’s 100th anniversary and an ability to turn a big profit took priority.

Alistair Tait shares some eye-opening and extensive remarks from Martin Slumbers about the need to grow Open revenues to invest back in the game. While Slumbers’ motives are certainly noble, it also would appear to put pressure on venues to be revenue producers.

Tait writes:

Could the real reason be that Troon can deliver more fans than Muirfield and Turnberry? Exactly 173,134 people turned up at Troon four years ago compared to the 142,000 who attended Muirfield in 2013. Turnberry delivered 123,000 fans for the 2009 Open Championship.

“We’re looking at the Open,” Slumbers said. “It’s growing. The size of crowds is growing. We’re heading into Royal St George’s in just five months now. The previous record for size of crowds at Royal St George’s was 183,000. We will be through 200,000 come July.”

It could also be as simple as Trump Turnberry and Muirfield still having perception issues the R&A wants no part of. Because both are arguably superior to all venues not named the Old Course or Royal Portrush.

Distance Debate: Do Manufacturers Who Circumvent Current Equipment Rules Deserve A Seat At The Table?

Now that we’ve had a couple of weeks to contemplate the impressive USGA/R&A Distance Insights study, comments have been largely predictable from elite players and the equipment industry: all is well, grow more rough, tuck pins, move along.

This ignores the six-or-so million who have quit the game over the last fifteen years despite amazing equipment advances. And yet there seems to be a pressure to skirt the rules, market increased distance and create equipment that can sell at a premium price.

The governing bodies are forced to preach diplomacy in dealing with so many factions and factors. But what if the manufacturers are working around the rules? Or as Callaway CEO Chip Brewer acknowledged last summer, his company puts drivers in hands of players that cut it close to non-conforming.

And then more recently there was this from Bridgestone’s Elliot Mellow on Golf’s Fully Equipped podcast. At the 1:01:00 or so mark (full January 15th show embed below), Mellow responded to a question about the biggest area for future “growth” (i.e. distance). Thanks to reader M for catching this.

Without getting into too much trouble with our friends at the USGA, there’s 72-plus shots per round with 14-plus clubs and you know there’s not necessarily regulation on all of those clubs, or shots at this point in time, so we play within the rules that exist and then we innovate beyond them where there’s opportunity. And trust me, there’s a lot of opportunity.

It is 100% optional for equipment makers to follow the Rules of Golf. A USGA/R&A “conforming” stamp of approval is a selling point to customers and therefore, a privilege manufacturers should theoretically respect.

But when you highlight working around the rules or bemoan surprise tests or fight rules bifurcation, then maybe this is a sign governing bodies need to stop working around the “needs” of clubmakers. Perhaps these are signs for the USGA and R&A to simply make the rules they deem best.

If skirting the rules will deliver such enjoyment for the masses and “grow the game”, why won’t manufacturers just make non-conforming equipment? Oh right, because core golfers have shown they’d rather play by the rules than be seen as skirting the rules. Perhaps the folks making the clubs should adopt a similar ethos or give up their seat at the distance debate table.