19th Hole

Should we be talking more about Patrick Reed’s family and past? Or less?

Published

6 years ago

Apr 11, 2018

As is customary with major champions in general, and perhaps Masters winners in particular, the golf media rushed to present Patrick Reed’s backstory after he captured the green jacket, Sunday.

To that end: Patrick Reed, as I assume most golf fans are aware, has no contact with his parents, Bill and Jeanette. Both Alan Shipnuck of Golf.com and Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com spoke with Reed’s estranged parents about their son’s victory. (Shipnuck followed up with this explanation for why he decided to write the piece)

Reed’s mother and father didn’t discuss in detail the reason they haven’t spoken to their son since 2012, and the pieces focus more on the couple’s experience, and mix of powerful emotions, watching Reed win the green jacket.

Additionally, the allegations of Reed’s collegiate cheating and stealing leveled in Shane Ryan’s 2015 book, Slaying the Tiger, have resurfaced in a range of outlets.

Again, while most who follow the game closely are familiar with Reed’s dubious history, the Masters champion is arguably the most visible of the four major winners. General sports fans may know little about Reed, so it’s worth painting the full portrait of the 2018 Masters winner.

Or is it? Geoff Shackelford and Matt Adams discussed the merits of digging into Reed’s past, particularly his family situation, on Morning Drive. Similarly, we’d like to hear what GolfWRX members think.

It’s also worth noting that, while Reed is currently estranged from his parents, there have been no recent accusations of cheating, stealing, etc. Additionally, reporters are not merely presenting the past, they’re actively fueling the fire by interviewing Reed’s parents and writing new stories.

Is this problematic, or is it good journalism? Can it be both? We want to know what you think, GolfWRX members. We’d like to take the pulse of the readership on this situation, as it dictates content decisions in the future.

And if you’d like to take the discussion even further, here’s something else to chew on: Assume Tiger Woods had won the 2018 Masters. Would reporters feel the need to reexamine his 2009 sex scandal? His 2017 arrest? Should they?

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19th Hole

Man charged with stealing millions of dollars worth of memorabilia from Augusta National

Published

20 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, a man has been charged in Chicago with stealing millions of dollars’ worth of memorabilia from Augusta National.

The man, Robert Globensky, was charged with transporting the memorabilia across state lines.

The report states that between 2009 and 2022, Globensky allegedly transported “millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia” from Augusta National “and transported to Tampa, Florida, knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”

The document was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Per the court records there is no mention that Globensky worked for the golf club.

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19th Hole

Talor Gooch: 54 holes is more exciting for the fans

Published

21 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

Over the past few weeks, two of LIV Golf’s biggest stars, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, have both expressed that they believe LIV could go to 72 holes.

While speaking to BBC Sport, Rahm said he “wouldn’t mind” going to 72 holes.

“If there ever was a way where LIV could go to 72 holes I think it would help all of this argument a lot.”

“The closer I think we can get LIV Golf to some other things the better. I think it would be for some kind of unification to feed into a world tour or something like that.

“I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going back to 72 holes.”

Phil Mickelson, while speaking after his final round at The Masters, also said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if LIV went to 72 holes.

“I don’t think it makes a difference either way. We’ve got mini-tours playing 54, Champions Tour playing 54. I wouldn’t be surprised if some or all of LIV events went to 72. I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy the competition.”

Another one of LIV’s top players, Talor Gooch, expressed on Wednesday that he feels quite differently.

“It’s just funny to me, this arbitrary number of 72.”

“Why is it not 90? “Why is it not 108? We just decided to make that number the number, for what reason?”

“Everyone’s talked about world ranking points and all this stuff, but no one’s talked about what do the fans enjoy more?”

“People want something that’s going to be more exciting. And I personally think that the 54 holes is more exciting for the fans.”

After Gooch’s comments, I decided to get some fan feedback for myself, making a poll on X. With about 4,500 votes in at the time of writing this, roughly 84% of voters in the poll indicated they’d prefer 72 holes to just 16% saying they’d prefer 54.

Rahm prefers 72 holes
Gooch prefers 54 holes

Where do the fans stand?

— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) April 17, 2024

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19th Hole

Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why

Published

2 days ago

Apr 17, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Earlier this week, rumors began to fly that Rory McIlroy could be making a shock switch to LIV Golf which caused quite the stir on social media.

However, on Tuesday, McIlroy emphatically shut down those rumors, telling Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town:

“I honestly don’t know how these things get started. I’ve never been offered a number from LIV and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV. Again I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me.

It’s unfortunate that we have to deal with it and this is the state that our game’s in. I’m obviously here today and I’m playing this PGA Tour event next week and I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”

Golf Channel analyst and longtime LIV critic, Brandel Chamblee, took to social media before McIlroy’s statement to point the finger at “Saudis/LIV,” who he believes started the rumor:

I have no doubt that this rumor was started by Saudis/LIV… to benefit Saudis/LIV after such a poor showing, as a group, at The Masters.

I’d be very surprised if this turns out to be true. https://t.co/SWNgjHtWSM

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 16, 2024

When one user pushed back on Chamblee’s claim that LIV golfers had a poor showing at the Masters, Brandel went further into why he believes the opening major of the year was a failure for the breakaway tour.

You think they paid 3 billion for a few top tens and to be +82 as a group at major? A senior citizen beat some of their “stars” and almost all the game’s of LIV players have deteriorated since they sold their souls to the Saudis who only bought a moment in time… nothing else. https://t.co/xERkYsztIJ

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 16, 2024