The Golf Thread

[social]

As a result of Pebble getting canned, it seems a lot of people tried out LIV for their golf fix. Interesting seeing some of the results...

Good: Lots of golf shots, no commercials, no pointless swing analysis.
Bad: Loud Music, lack of energy from the players, no crowd, , the on screen scoreboard. commentators spending too much time talking about the team thing no one cares about.

PGA Golf coverage is pretty dreadful, it seems like no viewer has ever been asked what they want. We want to see lots of shots, we don't want to miss important moments, we don't want interviews with the CEO of the sponsors, we don't want analysis of swings we can never achieve ourselves. There are certainly things that could be learnt from the LIV coverage.

Perhaps the saddest thing was the interview with Neimann after he won, he was all but in tears with the realisation that winning this meant nothing really as he can't play the Majors. Well fella, you took the money to play exhibition golf, you were sold a dud by Norman. Can't have it all...

The mess that professional golf finds itself in is all on the PGA Tour and its useful idiot Pelley

Their signature events are all invitation only, no cut events so no different to LIV other than the players get ranking points

I guarantee that the major organisers will be pissed when some of the world’s best players don’t qualify because the PGA Tour has influence over the rankings

What’s more, the DP World Tour is a basket case

Did you see the field for this week’s event?

Asian, Australian and South African Tour events all have much better fields because they allow LIV players

Even Rory has seen the light wrt LIV as the best want to play the best more regularly

 

[Molehill]

The mess that professional golf finds itself in is all on the PGA Tour and its useful idiot Pelley

Their signature events are all invitation only, no cut events so no different to LIV other than the players get ranking points

I guarantee that the major organisers will be pissed when some of the world’s best players don’t qualify because the PGA Tour has influence over the rankings

What’s more, the DP World Tour is a basket case

Did you see the field for this week’s event?

Asian, Australian and South African Tour events all have much better fields because they allow LIV players

Even Rory has seen the light wrt LIV as the best want to play the best more regularly

The Asian/Australian/SA Tours won't get better fields if their events coincided with LIV Tournaments. They're only playing those in order to try and get ranking points. And this is an issue I have. They knew when they signed up for a 54 hole shotgun Tour that they wouldn't get ranking points, but they decided the money was worth it. Why don't they try and convince Norman or whoever to change the format?

I agree that the signature events shouldn't be limited field sizes. Two of the most iconic courses in the world (Pebble ad Riviera) are now down to 80 players, why? It also means that a lot of the top boys are not playing Phoenix this week, which is again an awesome tournament.

I think Rory just wants to be out of the conversation now and concentrate on golf.

Personally, I won't watch LIV. It's not a product that appeals to me and I find the whole thing pretty disgusting. However, it's having a massively detrimental effect on the golf I do enjoy and I'm finding myself watching less of that too. The PGA Tour simply hasn't come up with the right answers to the questions LIV is asking.

 

[Anil]

Their signature events are all invitation only, no cut events so no different to LIV other than the players get ranking points

No they are not invitation only, the top ranked PGA tour players get into these signature events and whatever gripes you have about the OWGR, it is based on the ranking. They are also 72 hole events and not the 54 hole exhibition crap (except when weather intervenes of course). And I agree with the criticism of the no cut policy for these events...

Even Rory has seen the light wrt LIV as the best want to play the best more regularly

Rory acknowledges that LIV is here to stay and the amount of money PIF can throw at it can't be ignored...if that's what you mean by "seeing the light".

 

[Molehill]

Interesting to see there was a 57 on the Korn Ferry Tour yesterday, an event played in Bogota at altitude (which was key). I read a description of how it was achieved, most of his par 4 birdies came as a result of driving it 380 yards into greenside bunkers and getting it up and down. There was also a 61 and countless 62's. Not sure high quality pro's should be allowed to compete in these kind of conditions.

But it does make you wonder what they'd do to your home course - I reckon par round mine for one of them would be about -7.

 

[social]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1755665085781913692

 

[Anil]

@grecian @Molehill picks for Riviera?

 

[Molehill]

One of my favourite weeks of the year, it's when they play courses like this that I think "what are the LIV boys doing"? The 10th is just a wonderful hole.

Ball strikers paradise and there's always a massive link to form here and Augusta. I think this could be the first week of the season we don't have a 100-1 plus winner. I'm wondering if those battling the carnage (in more ways than one) at Phoenix last week could be disadvantaged. The course looks a perfect fit to Aberg to me, it'll be his first time playing it, but that doesn't seem to be an issue in general.

Hovland's had a couple of weeks of solid practice, think he's going to be strong this week. Same applies to Fleetwood who spent a few days with Butch and always seems to come out firing after one of those 'lessons'.

If I had to pick one who was at Phoenix, then Cam Young looks to be coming nicely into form and this course ought to suit.

 

[social]

Scott has also been rounding into form & has won twice at Riviera

 

[RightArmMystery]

No doubt Cam Young will look great for 3 days and then shoot a significantly worse score than everyone around him on the Sunday and fall out of contention.

 

[social]

Didn’t watch Phoenix but heard that the only thing worse than the crowd behaviour was Scheffler’s putting

 

[Molehill]

Didn’t watch Phoenix but heard that the only thing worse than the crowd behaviour was Scheffler’s putting

Thought I'd do a quick check on the stats - he was 44th in the week on putting, with only his final round as a negative (he was 23rd in Round 3). So actually, his putting wasn't even remotely close to the crowd behaviour.

I used to really enjoy Phoenix, made a decent change to the normal weeks. Fun course and a crowd to match. But it's got totally out of control, I can't see many big names turning up next year unless they make changes.

 

[RightArmMystery]

The course is great fun to watch too. The final few holes make for an exciting finish with the reachable par 5, stadium par 3 and drivable par 4. Just a shame the partying has got out of control. Have always enjoyed watching Phoenix, this year not so much. Riv's always a good watch though, love that course.

 

[social]

Tiger withdraws due to illness

Given his back injury on the first day, there must be some doubt about his golfing future apart from the odd cameo

 

[Anil]

Cantlay running away from the pack right now…also a bit weird seeing Scheffler outside the top 10 this week…

 

[Anil]

Not technically complete yet but looks like Hideki is going to take it…finally we have an elite player winning one this season! And looks like Scheffler just about managed a back-door top 10!

 

[Molehill]

Well I did highlight the Augusta link. Sensational final round from Hideki, given the huge attempts LIV made to get him, bet he's glad he stayed strong. Those are the kind of days in golf money cannot buy. The irons into 15 and 16 were just stunning. One for the good guys, impossible not to like him (and his caddie.

Scheffler's putting did reach new lows this week (and he still gets a top 10). For me, it seems like he hits them where he wants to, he just mis-reads them. I wonder if ne heeds a new caddie, not like Bubba was ever renowned for his putting when Scott carried his bag.

Great to see Zalatoris back. Given his previous at Augusta too, he looks like he could be a serious player at the first Major.

 

[Anil]

Yeah now that Zalatoris is healthy and playing well, expecting him to contend at this year's majors...

 

[social]

Well I did highlight the Augusta link. Sensational final round from Hideki, given the huge attempts LIV made to get him, bet he's glad he stayed strong. Those are the kind of days in golf money cannot buy. The irons into 15 and 16 were just stunning. One for the good guys, impossible not to like him (and his caddie.

Scheffler's putting did reach new lows this week (and he still gets a top 10). For me, it seems like he hits them where he wants to, he just mis-reads them. I wonder if ne heeds a new caddie, not like Bubba was ever renowned for his putting when Scott carried his bag.

Great to see Zalatoris back. Given his previous at Augusta too, he looks like he could be a serious player at the first Major.

Interesting thread

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1759647162638737657

 

[Molehill]

I'm still convinced he hits them where he wants to as he always looks shocked when they don't go in. He misses them both ways too. If you make a bad putting stroke you know instantly that it's not going in and you know exactly why too.

 

[social]

I'm still convinced he hits them where he wants to as he always looks shocked when they don't go in. He misses them both ways too. If you make a bad putting stroke you know instantly that it's not going in and you know exactly why too.

Scott is the same

Just very ordinary at reading greens