For those of us from another generation, the disruption of the golf world that we knew well is both exciting and unsettling. The two most potent disruptors are rival golf leagues, not unlike the turmoil seen in the NCAA, and the Anchorman-style gangs of golf reporters. Reconciled to a past era are the dominance of the U.S. PGA Tour and the monthly golf magazines. One element that will not change, at any time in the foreseeable future, however, is the sanctity of the grand slam and golf’s four male major championships. While the LPGA and the PGA Tour Champions have seen a light and added fifth and sixth power titles, the men’s game remains staunchly in the 20th century.
This last topic surges in pertinence each March, just before the playing of The Players Championship. Two camps stake tents and run banners up the poll. One cries out for elevation of the PC to major status, while the other digs a trench around its impregnable quadrilateral. My personal take is this: Every four years since 2016, golf is played at the Olympics. Is Olympic Gold the equivalent of a major title? Yes, it is. It comes around every 1,500 days and brings elite golfers together in competition at the most important athletic event and venue. In my mind, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele earned major titles in Brazil and Japan, as did Inbee Park and Nelly Korda. As for the Players Championship, why not? The field is stronger by ranking than any major event, and the golf course demands every shot that golfers can create.
The Players Championship is so important to the U.S. PGA Tour that all other tours under its umbrella take the week off. No Korn Ferry, no Tour Champions. The LPGA and the DP World Tour follow suit, which shrinks the amount of watchable golf to two events. On that sour note, let’s run down this week’s play, beginning with the Players Championship and ending with the Asian Tour in Macau.
PGA Tour @ Players Championship: matching luggage for Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler is making a bid to be the player of his generation. From the previous one, a fair number have taken leave from traditional competition. The Johnsons, Koepkas, and Reeds from the 1980s no longer play the events that stand the test of time. The born-in-the-90s generation had its first great champion in Jordan Spieth until he took leave of the senses that brought him to golf’s pinnacle. Spieth’s descent ran opposite Scheffler’s rise.
Scottie Scheffler had won nothing on the PGA Tour until February 13th of 2022. He won on that day in Phoenix, then won three more times by the middle of April. One of those wins was the API at Bay Hill. Last week, Scheffler won for a second time at the Orlando course. Last March, Scheffler won his first Players Championship, by five shots over Tyrrell Hatton. On Sunday, Scheffler dived headfirst into a cauldron of fierce competition. Facing challenges from Olympic champion Schauffele, Open champion Brian Harmon, and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, Scheffler breathed. As the only man to reach 20 under par, he earned a second consecutive title at Sawgrass and reminded us that it has been two years since he won the Masters and that he is on a tear.
It all began at the fourth on Sunday for Scheffler. After pars at the opening three holes, Scheffler’s driving wedge from 92 yards landed 20 feet shy of the hole, took one large bounce, then spun left, trickling into the hole for eagle. He followed that incantation with another birdie, then two pars. The stretch from 8 to 12 was where the champion made a statement. His quartet of birdies over that run, brought him to 19-under par and let the pursuing pack know that even lower than the winning 17 under in 2023 would be necessary.
And the trio was game. Harman and Clark both dipped below 70, to reach 19 under at the final pole. Schauffele could not find a similar gear and closed with 70 — 69 would have earned him a playoff with Scheffler. It was the extra gear, the ability to go low when all things mattered, that eleveated the now two-time champion to the top of the podium. In five of his eight tour wins, Scheffler has posted a sub-70 round on day four, and four of those have been 67 or lower.
With elegant precision, Scheffler applied the final thrust at the par-5 16th. He played safely away from Pete’s Pond on the right, into the left greenside bunker at the back of the putting surface. His bunker shot was thing of exquisite accuracy, trickling to a planned stop about 20 inches from the hole. The birdie concluded matters and rang the sort of bell that Dye courses tend to display.
Asian Tour @ International Series Macau: Catlin earns playoff victory
There are two sorts of golfers that compete on the Asian Tour, which makes no secret of its alliance with the LIV. The first are the AT stalwarts, the ones who play as golfers have always played, with little guarantee and much pride. The others are the ones who compete on the LIV, eschewing both risk and pride for the guaranteed payday. Their deal costs them world ranking points, so they play in AT events, hoping to qualify for golf’s major events.
This week in Macau, one of those LIV golfers shot 60 on Sunday and did not win the tournament. Hard to believe, you say? Aye, but when another golfer shoots 59 in the third round, follows it up with a 65 on day four, then makes overtime birdie twice at the par-five closer, the razor’s edge of great golf is sharpened. Thus did it happen with American John Catlin and Spaniard David Puig.
It was Catlin who signed for 59, and it took a twisting, eagle putt at the last to enshrine the first-ever, sub-60 on the Asian Tour. It was Puig who closed the gap on Sunday with a 60 of his own, which featured a bogey at the lengthy fifth hole, but was followed by seven birdies and an eagle over the next 13 holes. Catlin had a six-feet putt for the regulation win, but missed. In extra time, Puig nearly holed for eagle at 18, then tapped in for birdie. Catlin’s second danced along the OOB perimeter, before ending on an access road. His drop and pitch left him another six feet to remain alive, and this time, he converted.
At the second go-round of the par-5 finisher, Puig found the green in two, but took three putts from nearly 50 feet. Catlin confronted another challenging pitch for his third, and once again, his wedge game won the day. He tapped in for birdie and the win.
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Dave
Mar 20, 2016 at 1:16 am
Does anyone know what the length is? And the swing weight as well? I have a 12 degree and it really goes. Very light.
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Feb 9, 2016 at 9:14 pm
I think what you published made a ton of sense.
However, consider this, suppose you composed a catchier post title?
I am not suggesting your information is not good., but suppose you added a
post title that grabbed a person’s attention? I mean Bridgestone introduces JGR driver, Snedeker immediately puts it in play
| GolfWRX is a little boring. You should look at Yahoo’s front page and see how they create news headlines to grab people to click.
You might add a related video or a related pic or two to grab readers excited about what you’ve written. Just
my opinion, it would make your blog a little livelier.
Narrative Clip Camera
Jan 22, 2016 at 8:27 pm
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Simon
Jan 19, 2016 at 1:28 am
Please do an updated 2016 WITB for Kuchar and Sneds
Noah
Jan 18, 2016 at 2:33 pm
Agree this would be great looking driver completely murdered out
AGF
Jan 16, 2016 at 8:01 am
They should have left the JGR graphic on the sole light gray (like the B). Or white. Would make the club look more sleek…
Eric
Jan 16, 2016 at 10:48 pm
No. Awful idea.
Double Mocha Man
Jan 17, 2016 at 6:08 pm
Boring. A little color is good. AGF, I’m guessing you wear a white shirt and khakis on the course.
KK
Jan 15, 2016 at 6:41 pm
Sweet looking driver but not a fan of the glued hosel.
Mat
Jan 14, 2016 at 6:21 pm
I see a patent lawsuit coming… the milling is Ping’s “True Roll” but done vertically.
Fahgdat
Jan 15, 2016 at 2:37 am
Nah. On a microscopic level, the shape of the milling is different and that is enough
KK
Jan 15, 2016 at 6:39 pm
LOL. Ping TR is variable groove depth for putters and is designed to control ball speed off putts. This is variable groove width for spin control off drives. Two completely different things. Not to mention no one gives a hoot whether drivers roll true or not.
jgpl001
Jan 14, 2016 at 3:41 pm
Bridgestone make quality equipment, but if it wasn’t for ball sales they would surely exit the golf market and that would bet a shame
LK
Jan 14, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Golf Wrx, why do you have so many club articles without a topline view? It is kind of important.
TonyK
Jan 20, 2016 at 6:27 pm
http://www.tourspecgolf.com/bridgestone-jgr-driver
Tom
Jan 14, 2016 at 1:08 pm
Great to see a straight neck glued hosel.
Chris C.
Jan 14, 2016 at 12:54 pm
I hope I have the opportunity to try the JGR. I gamed the J-815 all of last year and it proved to be the best driver I have gamed in many years. Indeed, my playing partners have threatened to hurt me if I ever showed up at team outings with a different driver. If the JGR proves to be better than the J-815, I might be approaching driver nirvana.
AA
Jan 14, 2016 at 8:33 am
I love my non-adjustable, no graphics J40 driver, but I didn’t see much love out there for the J715/718. Will be interesting to hear how this JGR driver performs. What’s strange is Bridgestone usually doesn’t have a rapid product release cycle, but last year they rolled out the J815 and J715. Now they have three drivers they have to somewhat differentiate with technical mumbo-jumbo. I guess the $299 price reflects non-adjustability, but if their highest profile touring pro chooses it over the 715/718, what does that say? I don’t care about adjustability, so I might give it a try in spite of the garish graphics.
Rich
Jan 14, 2016 at 7:12 am
This is nothing new. It’s just a glued Tourstage x-drive GR with Bridgestone on it instead of Tourstage. Released in Japan in 2014. Get with the program folks.
Will
Jan 14, 2016 at 11:13 am
Can’t believe I missed that!
Tyler
Jan 14, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Incorrect, there are a couple added technologies that make a significant difference as well as a brand new Aldila shaft.
Rich
Jan 17, 2016 at 12:00 am
You mean technologies off the J715. And of course a new shaft makes a driver new. Ok, you got me, it’s a new driver.
Mark
Jan 14, 2016 at 2:41 am
Love the shape. Not so keen on the graphics. Unfortunately Bridgestone is quitting UK so no chance to try it or their new range of balls. A shame as their hardware is excellent quality.
shimmy
Jan 13, 2016 at 9:31 pm
the different zones of face milling on this guy is interesting, especially if it does reduce sidespin.
Chuck
Jan 13, 2016 at 9:00 pm
So Brandt went from one driver without an adjustable hosel… to another one with a non-adjustable hosel.
I always liked the idea of adjustable hosels, but mostly for the fact that while tour pros could get drivers that were measured for loft, lie and face angle to within a tenth of a degree, retail buyers were stuck with whatever it said on the bottom of the club. (And, of course, testing stuff on our own, which is like finding a needle in a haystack.) It was nice, as a retail buyer, to get something that approximated what the tour players had.
But of course, when you are a tour player and they will let you choose from two dozen heads, all built the way you’d like, and then bend them and measure them to however you’d like… Who needs an adjustable hosel? It’s just a little extra weight in a place you don’t need any weight.
Joshuaplaysgolf
Jan 13, 2016 at 8:14 pm
When is it available? Or did I miss that? I’m excited to play around with this, I’m about to start my annual comparison of new equipment to my current bag and it’d be fun to get some numbers on this. It looks like you’ll pay quite a bit to get your shaft put in it, but honestly that really doesn’t matter. I always like hitting clubs from a company that isn’t on a 6-12 month product cycle, sometimes you find something that stands out from the crowd a little more definitively.
Tyler
Jan 14, 2016 at 9:33 am
Available March 4th
Double Mocha Man
Jan 13, 2016 at 7:46 pm
I’m still using the same driver Snedeker used for 5 years. I’ve always said, while trying out demo drivers, that if I found anything longer and straighter I’d buy it, no matter the price Never happened… trying SLDR, Titleist, Nike and Callaway (and some others). I’m thinking in March I might be swinging the JGR.
gdb99
Jan 13, 2016 at 7:43 pm
Someone in another story commented that the $299 driver is dead. I guess not!!
John Krug
Jan 13, 2016 at 7:26 pm
Money talks. That’s the full story.
Will
Jan 13, 2016 at 7:17 pm
Can’t wait to try this, especially since it was good enough to get Sneds to switch so fast….I will miss that Superfast he rocked all those years though!!
Juan L. Fourqiet
Jan 13, 2016 at 7:10 pm
LH +
Steve-O-Steamer
Jan 13, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Will Bridgestone finally offer their clubs for lefties? always wanted to try their irons but was never been offered in left handed version. Thank you!
Tyler
Jan 14, 2016 at 9:29 am
The J15 CB irons are available left-handed, as well as the J15 hybrid, FW, and J715 driver.
Gene
Jan 14, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Wedges available in lefty as well. Bridgestone did release the GC Mid irons in lefty some years back as well.