Connect with us

19th Hole

Was Zac Blair wrong in his remarks about Glen Abbey?

Published

on

Zac Blair is one of the most engaging and accessible PGA Tour pros on Twitter. He’s also an unabashed golf architecture nerd, so his opinion about a course carries weight.

The proprietor of the future Buck Club, Blair was asked by Golf Channel’s Chantel McCabe for his thoughts on Glen Abbey, host site of the Canadian Open.

He said, “Yeah, um, you know, it’s OK.”

OK!? You mean a PGA Tour venue is something less than great? This won’t play well…

Blair continued

“I mean, the course is in really good shape, which is always nice and that’s all you can ask, but it sounds like it’s going to Hamilton next year and that sounds like a pretty neat spot, so I’m looking forward to that for sure.”

Here’s the clip, c/o the Fried Egg

Canadian golf writer Rick Young was having none of it (although he later offered Blair an apology)

Here’s the thing: Blair didn’t say Glen Abbey ought to be renamed Glen Goat Track. He merely gave it a five or six on a scale of 10.

Golfweek’s Brentley Romine put Blair’s points in the appropriate objective(ish) context.

“According to Golfweek’s rating system, Blair is right…In ranking all the Tour courses in 2017-18, Glen Abbey, a 1976 Jack Nicklaus design, slotted 36th out of the 55 courses with Golfweek ratings…Back in 2016, the last time Golfweek did a ranking of modern courses in Canada, Glen Abbey ranked 32nd.”

In other words, it’s an OK track–exactly as Blair said.

Should players be obligated to offer puffery to a host venue merely because tournament is being contested their? Should Blair be encouraged to dial back his honesty? I certainly don’t think so.

What say you, WRXers?

Your Reaction?
  • 114
  • LEGIT5
  • WOW1
  • LOL1
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP1
  • OB1
  • SHANK19

GolfWRX Editor-in-Chief

19th Hole

Charlie Woods attempting to qualify for spot at 2024 U.S. Open

Published

on

As first reported by Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, Charlie Woods will be attempting to qualify for this year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

The first stage of qualifying for this year’s tournament will be an 18-hole local event on Thursday, April 25th, in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

There will be 84 players in the field, five of which will reach the 36-hole qualifier that will take place in June.

Earlier this season, Charlie attempted to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, and struggled, shooting an 86.

If the younger Woods is able to qualify, he will tee it up in the same field as his father in a few months at one of the more historic U.S. Open venues.

More from the 19th Hole

Your Reaction?
  • 1
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL1
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK3

Continue Reading

19th Hole

Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

on

In our forums, our members have been discussing one of the new sensations in the world of golf – Ludvig Aberg. The 24-year-old finished solo second at the Masters a couple of weeks ago, and gained many plaudits, including from several WRXers.

One member, RoyalMustang, took to the forums to explain why Aberg is now their favorite player, saying:

“I loved the way the Ludvig was out there, having a great time, not taking himself or the situation too seriously. Even after the double at 11, he was like “well, that’s golf!” Loose and relaxed: that’s the way to play. It’s obvious he loves what he’s doing, he loves the big moments, and he loves being a part of it all.

Arnold Palmer was viewed that way. Just like Brooks Robinson was forever viewed as not just a great baseball player, but a great human being and friend to Baltimore.”

And our members have been reacting and sharing their positive takes on the young Swede.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • redfirebird08: “Ludvig has a great attitude, a great smile, and a great golf swing.”
  • otto6457: “I’m very lucky to have talked with Ludde several times at the Rawls Course at Texas Tech.  He’s a truly nice guy and very friendly.  Always said hello when we passed each other in the club house and was always smiling. Watching him hit balls on the range was a joy.  He has “that sound” and trajectory to die for.  There were many times he was out on the range in 30+ mph winds just hitting the most beautiful shots that just seemed to ignore the wind.  World class ball striker. And yes……..I am a fan boy.”
  • konklifer: “I like him. In an era of endless waggles and laboring, his swing and pace of play are a joy to watch.

Entire Thread: “Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss”

Your Reaction?
  • 14
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK1

Continue Reading

19th Hole

‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage

Published

on

Over the past year or so, PGA Tour star Patrick Cantlay has taken a great deal of criticism for his pace of play.

Now, Cantlay is once again under fire for a questionable decision he made on Sunday at the RBC Heritage.

After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, whose ball was in the fairway on the 18th hole, had a decision to make. With over 200 yards into the green and extreme winds working against the shot, conventional wisdom would be to wait until Monday morning to hit the shot.

On the other hand, if he could finish the hole, he may just want to get the event over with so he could get out of Hilton Head.

Curiously, Cantlay chose neither of those options. After hitting 3-wood into the green, and still coming up short, the former FedEx Cup champion chose to mark his ball and return to chip and putt on Monday morning.

Ian Woosnam, who was watching from home, took to X to give his thoughts on Cantlay’s decision-making.

Cantlay would end up getting up and down for par when play resumed at 8:00 Monday morning.

Following his round, Cantlay explained his decision to wait to hit his third shot the next morning:

“I really did want to finish last night, so I felt like if I could get the ball up there maybe in an easier spot, maybe I would have finished, but as I got the ball up near the green, I realized it would be easier to finish this morning. That’s what I decided to do.”

GolfWRX has reached out to Patrick Cantlay’s management team for a response to Woosnam’s comments.

More from the 19th Hole

Your Reaction?
  • 83
  • LEGIT15
  • WOW12
  • LOL34
  • IDHT11
  • FLOP17
  • OB8
  • SHANK199

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending