News

GolfWRX Morning 9: The U.S. Ryder Cup Team “still doesn’t get it” | Praising Patrick Reed

Published

6 years ago

Oct 2, 2018

Ben Alberstadt

1. Why the U.S. can’t win a Ryder Cup on the road…maybe

Our Gianni Magliocco places the blame on…insularity

“As far as myths go, the rumors that have circulated across Europe throughout the years over what percentage of United States citizens hold passports is a pretty good one. The number that broadcast was always so far under the actual reality, and it is now common knowledge that more Americans hold passports today than at any other time in their history. Still, the myth was evidence of how the rest of the world saw the United States as living inside its little bubble. While the insistence on declaring the winners of the Super Bowl and World Series as World Champions, despite both competitions only possessing sides from the United States, is another detail that supports the rest of the world’s view that the United States is an inward-looking country.’

“How does this insular culture pertain to this year’s failure at the Ryder Cup?…Well, earlier this year, The French Open was held at Le Golf National. A perfect opportunity for Team USA’s 12 members to play the course in tournament conditions, an experience that would undoubtedly have helped them when they arrived to do battle against Europe in September. How many of the 12 players turned up? One. Just one solitary member decided it was worth the effort to get on a plane, travel across the Atlantic ocean and spend a week in Paris getting accustomed to Le Golf National in championship conditions. That man was Justin Thomas, and funnily enough, he was the USA’s best performer over the three days of action in Paris, collecting four points for his country.’

Full piece.

2. They still don’t get it

The takes are hot on the the other side of the pond! Steve Scott at the Courier says the U.S. Ryder Cuppers continue to fail to understand what it means to be a team.

“The difference is that the Europeans get the team dynamic, and the USA clearly still don’t. Tiger Woods returned to the team last week to record an 0-4 record, looking as unengaged and uncomfortable in the Ryder Cup as he ever has.”

“Woods can’t even bring himself to wear the team uniform – I don’t blame him entirely for this as the US team clothier dresses them in the wost possible combinations of the world’s most successful colour scheme, red, white and blue.”

“But Woods wore his waterproof trousers over his team uniform on both Saturday and Sunday when the temperature was edging towards 20 degrees. It’s a small thing but indicative that he is tolerated as a special case and isn’t a real team player.”

“It’s not just the team. The US media encouraged the old hubristic attitude over the last two years that the Hazeltine win and the so-called TASKFORCE! was ushering in period of domination.”

Full piece/rant..

3. DJ & BK dustup?

While details are lacking, multiple reports suggest best bros Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka nearly came to blows in the Ryder Cup team room.

Golf Channel report...”The source of the friction was not known, and the dust-up was considered unusual because Johnson and Koepka appear to have a very close relationship. They often work out together at trainer Joey Diovisalvi’s Joey D Golf Performance Center in Jupiter, Fla.”

“Johnson and Koepka partnered in the Saturday afternoon foursomes, when they lost to Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson.”

“Johnson’s fiancee, Paulina Gretzky, was reported to have been close by when the alleged incident happened. One of the European players’ wives also was a witness, according to The Telegraph, which also said that “an insider” reported that she was “clearly shocked and upset by the nastiness, which was very threatening.”

4. A defense of Patrick Reed

Rather than being muzzled, Golf Digest’s Joel Beall argues we need more Patrick Reed.

“…He seems to embody all the qualities associated with a nemesis. He has now called out Jordan Spieth, one of the most popular players in the sport, on multiple occasions this year. (It’s worth noting here, regarding Spieth’s “ego,” that Jordan was the only American player to watch Bryson DeChambeau in the final singles match after the Ryder Cup had been decided.) That the two have a backstory of a successful partnership is something out of a comic book.”

“Reed’s also living up to his “top-five player” proclamation, winning golf’s most prestigious tournament yes but also placing second at the 2017 PGA Championship and nearly winning this year’s U.S. Open. He is only 28, with his advanced stats pointing to further improvement in the years to come. Those hoping Reed would shut up and go away will not get their wish for quite some time.”

“You could argue, does golf need a villain? Well, the despised likes of the New England Patriots and New York Yankees have made for richer, fuller narratives in their sport. Same goes for athletes like boxer Floyd Mayweather and tennis player Lleyton Hewitt in individual games. “The more successful the villain,” Alfred Hitchcock once said, “the more successful the picture.”

Full piece.

5. Big bucks for Pelley?

Geoff Shackelford writes…”It has emerged on the eve of the Ryder Cup that European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley earned an extraordinary financial package of £2.78million last year.”

“Pelley’s pay is far in excess of that earned by the previous CEO of the European Tour, George O’Grady, who was on £610,717 when Canadian businessman Pelley succeeded him in 2015.”

“Sale is pretty tough in his assessment of no new “bumper” sponsors, yet Pelley’s biggest achievement is the current Rolex series of lucrative events. There have been buzz-creating new formats and strong use of social media to market players and events to his team’s credit as well.”

“Not so hot has been an attempted website reboot, the at times blatant milking of the Ryder Cup for revenue and an inability to strengthen ties with the PGA Tour, leading to several more young player defections to the PGA Tour. “

6. An argument for POY?

Well the PGA Tour Player of the Year trophy is widely assumed to already have Brooks Koepka’s name engraved upon it, Lance Ringler at Golfweek writes Sagarin scores make a strong case for Justin Rose.

“And Koepka doesn’t even have the best head-to-head record among the group of seven names previously mentioned. According to the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, Rose is 49-26 against the other six this season. Koepka is fourth in terms of winning percentage.”

Of course, all of this gets at the heart of the POY race. Do we reward consistent high-level play or peak achievements?

7. Spectator hit by Koepka’s ball loses sight

…exploded eyeball. Two words that when joined together create an impossibly gruesome image. Unfortunately, that’s the diagnosis for the woman Brooks Koepka hit with a tee shot at the Ryder Cup. Reportedly, she has lost site in the eye and is considering legal action.

BBC report…”Mrs Remande also criticised the Paris tournament organisers for “not making contact” after the incident to find out how she was. She also claims there was “no warning shout from the course official when the ball was heading towards the crowd”.

“A Ryder Cup spokesperson told the BBC: “It is distressing to hear that someone might suffer long-term consequences from a ball strike….”We have been in communication with the family involved, starting with the immediate on-course treatment and thereafter to provide support, helping with the logistics of repatriation, including providing a transfer for the family from Paris to Lyon. We will continue to offer support for as long as necessary.”

Awful stuff.

8. Garcia saved a bullet for Faldo

Happily, for the Europeans, Garcia contributed more than just backslapping and banter at Le Golf National: he won three points in four matches, taking down Rickie Fowler 2 & 1 in their Sunday singles match.

In doing so, Garcia became the European side’s top point getter. When asked about the accomplishment, the Spaniard couldn’t help but take a shot at the man he passed on the list.

“This means a lot to me,” Garcia said. “I have passed some of my heroes today-and Nick Faldo.”

Burn! Faldo, of course, captain of the 2008 European team, famously said Garcia had been “useless” in the competition at Valhalla in which he went 0-2-2.

9. Numbers of note

Sean Martin of PGATour.com with a few morsels…

Rose’s rise…”He finished in the top 10 in 61 percent of his starts this season, the highest percentage this season (Dustin Johnson was the only other player to finish in the top 10 in more than half his starts)….Rose did it with a well-rounded game. He was the only player to finish in the top 30 in all four Strokes Gained statistics: Off-the-Tee (14th), Approach-the-Green (29), Around-the-Green (7) and Putting (17). He rose more than 100 spots in the Strokes Gained: Putting standings since last season, one of the biggest single-season gains in the history of that metric.”

Molinari’s too…”Molinari, 35, has gained nearly 20 yards in the past three years, including a nine-yard gain since last season. He did it by hitting the gym – “I was more of a couch guy,” he said – and tweaking his swing and equipment. Molinari also is hitting his irons about 8 yards farther….How important is an extra 20 yards off the tee? Mark Broadie, the inventor of the Strokes Gained: Statistics, said it can decrease a player’s score by three strokes per tournament.”

More here.

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News

Morning 9: Rory: I’m not joining LIV | Masters ratings | Nelly: We just need a stage

Published

1 day ago

Apr 17, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up to this week’s RBC Heritage.

1. Rory: I’m not going to LIV

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…McIlroy said neither he nor his agents have ever discussed a potential deal to lure him to the LIV Golf League, which is being financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

“I honestly don’t know how these things get started,” McIlroy told Golf Channel while on the practice range at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the site of this week’s RBC Heritage. “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 doesn’t mean that I judge people who have went and played over there. I think one of the things that I have realized over the past two years is that people can make their own decisions for whatever they think is best for themselves, and who are we to judge them for that? But personally, for me, my future is here on the PGA Tour, and it’s never been any different.”

Full piece.

2. Masters ratings down

Yahoo’s Jay Busbee…”Ratings for the full Masters week are now out, and 2024’s version ranks as the lowest since the COVID-impacted years of 2020 and 2021. There was a brief moment when four players shared the lead at the 2024 Masters, but Scottie Scheffler took care of business quickly enough and strolled to what qualifies as an “easy” Masters victory — a four-stroke triumph that wasn’t in doubt for most of the second nine.”

“Perhaps as a result, Sunday’s final round averaged 9.59 million viewers on CBS, according to Sports Media Watch, a 22.8% decline from last year’s 12.06 million. Scheffler’s win two years ago averaged 10.17 million viewers. Worth noting: Sunday’s final round was down 20 percent against last year’s victory by Jon Rahm, but last year’s final round fell on Easter Sunday, which created a significantly higher out-of-home percentage of viewers — 21 percent in 2023, as opposed to 9 percent this year.”

Full piece.

3. Chevron gets purse boost

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…“Chevron’s commitment to the LPGA went a step higher on Tuesday with the announcement of a purse increase to $7.9 million in 2024. The move brings the tour’s first major in line with the purses of other championships. The U.S. Women’s Open purse of $12 million paces the tour, with the KPMG Women’s PGA second at $10 million. The AIG Women’s British Open purse checks in at $9 million while Amundi Evian is $6.5 million.”

“Chevron, which moved the event away from Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, to Texas, last year, has increased the purse by $4.8 million since assuming title sponsorship in 2022. The company has committed to title sponsor the event through 2029.”

Full piece.

4. Shipley on “notegate”

Alex Myers for Golf Digest…”So what was up with “notegate”? During his hilarious spot with McAfee, Shipley reiterated there was no note from Woods, and that he was only looking at the moderator because he was so confused where the question was coming from:

“I looked over at the moderator like ‘Who the hell is this guy?'” Shipley says in the clip. “Because it just didn’t happen. I was so confused and so shocked in the moment.”

Full piece.

5. Nelly: We just need a stage

Iain Carter for the BBC…”Korda is the first American to win four consecutive tournaments on the LPGA since Lopez won five straight 46 years ago. This astonishing streak made the then rookie front page material for Sports Illustrated.

“Korda’s feats have yet to transcend the golfing village, and perhaps that suits her as she “tries to stay in my bubble”. But the American Solheim Cup player does recognise that more could be done to tell the increasingly compelling story of women’s golf.”

“I feel like we just need a stage,” she told reporters here at Carlton Woods just north of Houston. “We need to be put on TV.

“I feel like when it’s tape delay, or anything like that, that hurts our game. Women’s sports just needs a stage. If we have a stage we can show up and perform and show people what we’re all about.”

Full piece.

6. Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage

Check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!

Full piece.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage

Published

2 days ago

Apr 16, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.

We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.

We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.

Check out links to all our photos, below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

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News

Morning 9: Aberg: I want to be No. 1 | Rory’s management blasts ‘fake news’ reports

Published

2 days ago

Apr 16, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we look back at the Masters while looking ahead to this week’s RBC Heritage.

1. Shane Ryan: Appreciate Scottie’s greatness

Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan…”This is what’s called generational talent, and we haven’t seen it in almost 20 years. Steve Stricker read the tea leaves when he picked Scheffler for the 2021 Ryder Cup—a decision that was richly rewarded—and starting in 2022, he was off to the races. The only hiccup was a few putting woes last year, but even that only served to highlight how remarkable his ball-striking had become—instead of winning, he was finishing third. When he fixed the putting, with help from a new coach and a bit of equipment advice from Rory McIlroy, he soared yet again to the top of the game, but this time he seemed more indomitable, more inevitable, more brilliant.”

“The sustained success of the last three years has officially made him the best professional golfer since Tiger Woods, a conclusion supported by analytics, the eye test, and every other metric you could dream up. With fewer majors, he has nevertheless leaped past Spieth, McIlroy, and Koepka in terms of pure ability. He doesn’t have their legacy, yet, but if we’re talking about peak performance, he’s already surpassed them.”

“He’s so much better than everyone else, which is a sentiment that is both commonplace—I saw it on Twitter over and over again—and revelatory. It’s the thing you say because there is nothing else to say. You’re left with the wild truth, which words can describe but never capture.”

Full piece.

2. Aberg: I want to be No. 1

The AFP’s Simon Evans…”The 24-year-old finished second, four strokes behind winner Scottie Scheffler, after carding a final round 69 but he certainly won many admirers among the patrons at Augusta National and beyond.”

“And his performance has filled Aberg with self-belief.”

“Everyone in my position, they are going to want to be major champions. They are going to want to be world number one, and it’s the same for me, that’s nothing different,” he said.

“It has been that way ever since I picked up a golf club, and that hasn’t changed. So I think this week solidifies a lot of those things are there, and we just need to keep doing those things and put ourselves in positions to win tournaments, ” he said.

Full piece.

3. Homa’s honest answer on double bogey

Golf Channel staff report…”But Homa’s tee shot at No. 12 bounded off the putting surface and into a bush. After a healthy search, Homa found his ball and had to take an unplayable lie. He made double bogey, effectively ending his bid at a maiden major title.”

“Homa tied for third, seven shots back of Scheffler. Asked about what happened on the fateful 9-iron, Homa offered two replies.”

“The honest answer is, it didn’t feel fair. I hit a really good golf shot, and it didn’t feel fair. I’ve seen far worse just roll back down the hill,” he said.

“The professional answer is, these things happen.”

Full piece.

4. Harbour Town ahead

RBC Heritage field notes, via Adam Stanley of PGATour.com…”Scottie Scheffler is, for now, set to tee it up at the RBC Heritage. He was clear to say that if his wife, Meredith, would go into labor during the Masters, he would head home to be with her, so it’s safe to assume that same rule will stand at Harbour Town. Scheffler has not shot an over-par round all season and has three victories (and one runner-up). He made his debut at Harbour Town last year and finished T11… Matt Fitzpatrick looks to become the first golfer to go back-to-back at the RBC Heritage since Boo Weekley in 2007-08. Fitzpatrick, a playoff victor last year, has two top-10 finishes this season. He has just one missed cut at Harbour Town over the last six years and he finished fourth in 2021 to go along with two more top-15 results in a three-year span (T14 in 2018 and 2020)…”

“Jordan Spieth is hoping to continue his run of fine play at Harbour Town after a playoff loss last season and a playoff win the season prior. Spieth has five top-25 finishes at the RBC Heritage in seven starts… Justin Thomas earned a spot in the field after remaining in the top 30 (he’s No. 30) in the Official World Golf Ranking despite a missed cut at the Masters. Thomas, who finished T25 last season at Harbour Town, has two top 10s on the season… Ludvig Åberg, who is tops in the Aon Next 10, will head to Hilton Head for the first time. Åberg has had a fabulous 2024 campaign thus far with four top 10s (including two runner-up results) and is knocking on the door for a victory… Hideki Matsuyama was the only eligible player who did not commit to the RBC Heritage, while Viktor Hovland – after a missed cut at the Masters – withdrew from the field on Saturday.”

Full piece.

5. Reed’s caddie’s needle

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After a particularly bad drive during his third round on Saturday, Reed’s caddie, Kessler Karain, also his brother-in-law, made a snide but factual comment to Patrick.”

“Your driving has cost us a lot this week,” Karain remarked.

“Reed didn’t disagree and told reporters after the round that there was nothing good about his round…

“A reporter then asked: “It’s a good thing he’s a family member, right?”

“Yeah, exactly. I’d probably be dragging him up that last hole,” Reed said. “I swear.Just what you want to hear as you’re looking at the ball in the tree, and he goes, ‘You need to drive it better.’ Thanks, Kessler. I appreciate it. Great words of wisdom. Drive it better.”

“This may be the last major for Reed for a while, as the 33-year-old has not been invited nor qualified for next month’s PGA Championship.”

Full piece.

6. LIV wants Hovland next?

Ewan Murray for the Guardian…”Rising speculation that Viktor Hovland will be the next high-profile golfer to be coaxed to the LIV tour will increase the need for Ryder Cup Europe to apply a simple qualification process for golfers on the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit.”

“LIV is forging ahead with plans for 2025, which include new events and the recruitment of more players from the PGA and DP World Tours. The rate of turnover is likely to be increased by the number of golfers who had three-year contracts when joining LIV, which will expire at the end of 2024.”

“Chatter on the range at the LIV event in Miami this month and again at the Masters largely surrounded Hovland, the world No 6 who starred for Europe in the defeat of the United States in Rome last year. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who also played in that team, have subsequently joined LIV. Hovland missed the cut at the Masters and promptly withdrew from the PGA Tour’s $20m stop in Hilton Head this week.”

Full piece.

7. Rory’s management: LIV reports are ‘fake news’

Brian Keogh for the Irish Independent…”A report that Rory McIlroy was on the verge of an $850million move to LIV Golf has been slammed as “fake news” by his management.

“Fake news. Zero truth,” McIlroy’s manager Sean O’Flaherty said in an email.

London financial paper “City AM” reported today that sources have told them that McIlroy “could” join LIV Golf

The paper reported that “two separate sources have told City AM that they believe a deal is close. It is claimed that LIV Golf chiefs have offered world No2 McIlroy an eye-watering $850m to join, plus around two per cent equity in the competition.”

Full piece.