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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Jim
Aug 14, 2016 at 8:01 pm
Maybe instead of a Gold Medal the Olympics should award PXG’s
that’d get more comments than the whole stupid thing did
Ken
Aug 9, 2016 at 2:00 pm
This round deserves praise, an incredible feat that the best in the world can only dream of. Shooting 12 under is 14 shots better than my best score ever and saying I am impressed is an understatement. Furyk is not a young man and to pull this incredible score gives hope to a lot of other golfers out there.
With all that being said, some of the people posting in the comments appear to be speaking negatively; however, I am leaning towards their side. I feel highlighting the 58 is just to grab media attention after all, 12 under par is something that has been done 9 times so far on the PGA Tour and 3 of the “59’s” were actually 13 under par. Sure, there has never been a 58 carded on tour before Furyk’s round, but there were other scores that matched or beat the under par number. To use an analogy, driving 55mph on the highway is fine, driving 55mph in a 25 is not. We shouldn’t be focusing on the speed limit, i.e. the “58” we should be focusing on the fact that the driver was going 30mph over the limit i.e. the 12 under par. Context is important when dealing with a record of this caliber.
Messico Smizzle
Aug 7, 2016 at 10:09 pm
Great round by a great guy. All class and gives us all hope that we can own our unique and beautiful swings. Very hard worker and family man too. Congrats
Bogeyman 22
Aug 7, 2016 at 9:43 pm
Jims the best ever! How about the rider cup team, Jim? Want to be a captains pick? Or assistant captian?
Scott
Aug 8, 2016 at 9:12 am
Maybe you have not paid attention to his miserable performances in the last few team competitions. Ryder Cup captain’s pick? Not if the US wants to win.
Dave
Aug 7, 2016 at 9:14 pm
Hey Smizzle the home is looking for you ,they put out the alert.
Philip
Aug 7, 2016 at 8:10 pm
The course is a 72.7, regardless of what the tournament officials want to make par. If one wants to compare course rating for the 59s versus this 58 – fair enough, but otherwise – par is a made up number, irrelevant to one’s actual score.
Underdog
Aug 7, 2016 at 7:01 pm
If you take the 2 longerest par 4 and play them as par 5 like the members do it would have been still a 58 but he would have been 14 under!
Heels1
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:40 pm
Well done Jim!
COGolfer
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:34 pm
I’m happy to see it was Furyk who set the record. As someone who wasn’t gifted with a natural golf swing, I root for the grinders on tour.
JThunder
Aug 7, 2016 at 5:56 pm
What a classless and clueless bunch. “Only a par 70”? Are you kidding? What a waste of electricity. Detract all you want, but Nicklaus and Tiger didn’t manage this is a par 70, just like everyone else in a PGA Tour event ever. If there was world peace, you’d find plenty of negative reactions in comments sections. Morons.
Messico
Aug 7, 2016 at 5:55 pm
PGA Tour is turning into WWE.
Planned out storylines and lies just for ratings.
Guess with lack of stars, they gotta do something.
Mooka
Aug 7, 2016 at 5:20 pm
FYI: Golf is measured in strokes
fu
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:09 pm
You will feel fear
Steve
Aug 7, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Par 72 is two more par 5’s , he wouldnt have birdied atleast one or maybe both? For 58 or 59. Either way it is 58. All you d***heads saying it was a par 70 are still hoping to crack 90. Just a bunch of envious losers
MShank
Aug 7, 2016 at 5:09 pm
It’s really easy to be a keyboard commando. All you have to do is read the comments of certain people and you are aware they are just trolls. I have no doubt jizzle can back it up on the course though, look out Furyk! Lol
Christopher Feltham
Aug 7, 2016 at 4:28 pm
Why can’t they do that at the British open?
fu
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:09 pm
I will find you, Smeagol
Mat
Aug 7, 2016 at 3:58 pm
You idiots complaining it was a par 70… for all the par 70s on tour before, how often has a 58 been posted? Oh, right…
Jack Nash
Aug 7, 2016 at 4:34 pm
Tigers Woods NEVER won a major on a Par 70 course. Jim had a fantastic round. Glad for Fluff too. Well said Mat!
Lift, Clean and Cheat
Aug 7, 2016 at 10:33 pm
Happy for Jim, as he often plays better than he scores.
But Fluff? Check out any interview he’s ever had and get back to us.
Truther
Aug 7, 2016 at 3:12 pm
Let’s be real here folks! He shot a 60!
Scott
Aug 8, 2016 at 9:22 am
They have played this course numerous times and no one else has shot 58. So it is a 58.
Jim
Aug 14, 2016 at 8:04 pm
I couldn’t be happier for him. God bless.
A new course record…A new PGA record.
But,
kinda like the “Tiger Slam”
Tom
Aug 7, 2016 at 2:03 pm
Fantastic round. Congratulations to Furyk
Joe
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:08 pm
You are all the proof you need.
fu
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Proof is all over this site. We don’t need any more. You will be punished. You will pay.
M Shank
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:19 pm
just get banned already.
58
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:45 pm
Proves his point, Smiz
Joe
Aug 7, 2016 at 6:54 pm
Is that the best you’ve got Smizzle? Resorting to talkin’ about my Momma… Sad.
ce
Aug 7, 2016 at 8:23 pm
More like completely empty