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GolfWRX Morning 9: Koepka! Kang! | TaylorMade to skip PGA Show?| How big of an advantage is big hitting?

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5 years ago

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1. Koepka again
AP Report…”Koepka, the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, shot a final-round 8-under 64 for a 21-under total of 267. Koepka led by four strokes after three rounds.”
  • “Gary Woodland certainly made it interesting. Woodland started the day five strokes behind Koepka but pulled level after making six birdies in seven holes on the front nine.”
  • “The two dueled on the back nine, with Woodland birdieing Nos. 15 and 16 to again pull level. But Koepka did the same, and a bogey by Woodland on the par-3 17th gave Koepka the cushion he needed to close out the win despite a birdie on the 18th by Woodland.”
PGATour.com’s Ben Everill…”Just glancing at the leaderboard, which shows the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year closing with an 8-under 64 – including a 7-under 29 on the back nine to shoot 21 under – makes it appear this wasn’t a contest on Jeju Island.”
  • “Oh but it was. It’s just Koepka is fast developing the reputation as the clutch king. Give him a sniff of the trophy and you’re going to need a mighty effort to keep it from him. In fact, sometimes a mighty effort won’t be enough.”
  • “Gary Woodland shot 63 on Sunday, joining the lead on a handful of occasions. But Koepka – who had the pressure of the tournament and the fact he could claim world No. 1 status on his shoulders – answered with authority every time.”
2. No. 1
Golf Channel’s Nick Menta with some commentary on the new No. 1
  • “You know,” [Gary Woodland] said, “Brooks doesn’t seem like he cares too much.” Woodland meant that there was little anyone in the field could do to rattle the 54-hole leader.
  • “But his comment also fits the general narrative surrounding Koepka. That he’s just detached enough for fans to have trouble attaching themselves to him. That he’s just a jock here to cash checks and collect trophies, to kick ass and chew bubblegum.”
  • “But for a few moments Sunday in South Korea, it became clear that Brooks Koepka does care. Crouched on the 72nd green with some time to stop and think as Ian Poulter lagged a bit behind, Koepka finally let a moment get to him. Cameras caught the three-time major champion appearing unusually emotional.”
3. Kang battles back
“Danielle Kang shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday to win the LPGA Shanghai by two strokes for her second career title.”
“Kang, who started the final round one stroke off the lead, offset a lone bogey on the par-5 fourth hole with four birdies after the turn to finish at 13-under 275 and hold off a late charge by Lydia Ko, who had the day’s lowest score of 66.” (AP)
Golf Channel’s Randall Mell...”The 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA champion said she has battled anxiety for months now and that her mental struggles have caused her to feel emotionally drained. Kang admitted to standing over the ball for four minutes before she could hit one shot in particular last week in South Korea.”
  • “People might wonder what I’m doing,” she said. “I actually can’t pull the trigger. It has nothing to do with the result. Having to get over that last week was incredible for me.”
  • Kang on her odyssey...”We’re digging deep there. I mean, I had to go through swing changes; I had the swing yips, the putting yips, to everything possibly you could think of.
  • “Overcoming the mentality of the anxiety you feel over the shots, it’s so much that golf does to you and the things that I had to deal with over the course of time that I’ve been on tour. … More so than anything I’m finally at a place where I’m peaceful and happy with my game, with my life. There is just so much more you can get through. I hope I win more; I did the best I can. I’m going to keep working hard and keep giving myself chances and keep putting myself in contention. I’ll win more. I’ll play better.”
4. Garcia on the verge of another (Andalucia) Masters win
ESPN report…”The defending champion was 3 strokes clear of Lee Westwood at the top of the leaderboard after seven holes of his final round before the threat of lightning forced the players off the course in the early afternoon.”
  • “Play was suspended Sunday evening and will restart Monday morning with the tournament already reduced to 54 holes following several suspensions of play during the week.”
  • “Garcia opened with a 4-shot lead after a faultless 64 on Saturday and built on his advantage with a 20-foot putt for birdie at the fourth…The home favourite dropped a shot at the fifth, missing a makeable putt, but then converted two solid pars to stay at 10 under before the klaxons sounded to end play.”
5. No TaylorMade at PGA Show?
Golfweek’s Forecaddie with the news…”TaylorMade will not take part in the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show, The Forecaddie has learned. The deadline to commit came and went last week. The news is a blow to the annual January gathering of golf business principals.”
  • “After conversations with TaylorMade Professional Staff members and key leaders within the golf industry, we will be investing into growth initiatives that we believe will create even greater value for the game of golf,” wrote CEO David Abeles to TaylorMade staff professionals. “As a result of our additional spend, we have decided not to attend the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show.”
  • Abeles delivered the news after noting TaylorMade’s nearly 40-year dedication to the PGA of America and its members, insinuating that savings from eliminating the elaborate show effort will be part of a plan to broaden “support of PGA Professionals across the country.” Abeles said details would be announced in the “coming months.”
6. Brooks cares
Odd we continue to debate this or that a defense is warranted…nevertheless, Ryan Herrington writes…
  • “The golf world has spent the last year, in the wake of all Koepka’s success, trying to figure out the guy-what motivates him, why he doesn’t show much emotion on the course. Koepka seems to wear his nonchalance like his polo shirts, tight around his biceps and loose around the collar.”
  • “Yet that does Koepka an injustice as it suggests that he doesn’t care. His play speaks otherwise. If he didn’t care, why would he keep going out there and beating everyone’s brains in? Wouldn’t it be so much easier just to kick back on his boat, and while away the hours with a fishing rod in one hand, a Michelob Ultra in the other?”
  • “Indeed, if this run of Koepka’s proves anything, it’s that he really does care, more perhaps than he even understood. He cares about the attention he gets-or lack thereof in his mind-from the media, even as he insists otherwise. He cares about proving his game is more than just launching rockets off the tee. He cares about winning, not just major titles, but every tournament he plays.”
7. A slow play penalty arriveth…
John Strege…”After completing play in the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, Corey Pavin was informed by PGA Tour Champions tournament official Michael Petch that he was being assessed a one-stroke penalty. Instead of shooting an even-par 72, he posted a one-over 73 and finished in a tie for 15th.”
Interesting. And by “Corey Pavin,” Strege didn’t mean Bernhard Langer.
8. Distance not the ultimate advantage?
Golfweek’s David Dusek crunched the distance numbers from the season that was. Some of his observations…”The average PGA Tour player last season won $1,329,295, but the chart shows some of the biggest hitters – such as Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas – earned significantly more. At the same time, other players who have high driving-distance averages – such as Trey Mullinax, Harold Varner and Robert Garrigus – earned less. As a group, the 20 longest hitters on the PGA Tour averaged more than $3.5 million in prize money last season, which was 164 percent more than the Tour average.”
  • :As massive as that percentage may seem, it falls within a range that goes several years. In 2017, the 20 longest hitters on the PGA Tour averaged 123 percent more prize money than the PGA Tour average. In the three seasons before that, they earned about 150 percent more, which tells us that as distance off the tee has increased over the last few years, the longest hitters have maintained an edge in terms of earnings.”
9. The importance of practicing under pressure
Our Mike Dowd offered his thoughts on the futility of most practice methods. While this may be something you’ve heard in the past, Dowd’s take is worth a read.
  • “Practice, as most of us employ it, is borderline worthless. This is because most of the practices, if you will, typically employed during practice sessions have little chance of improving our performance under pressure.”
  • “The type of practice that improves performance is, for the most part, rarely engaged in because practicing under typical “practice” conditions does very little to simulate the thoughts, feelings, and emotions we deal with once our performance actually means something. If we want to really improve our performance when it matters, we need to put ourselves in situations, often and repeatedly, that simulate the pressure we experience during competition.”
Check out the piece for his suggestions how to do just that.

 

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Tom

    Oct 22, 2018 at 9:43 pm

    My comments were censored and not included….wow what an open forum!

    Reply Report comment

  2. Bert Gwaltney

    Oct 22, 2018 at 7:46 am

    I’ve always had doubts if the PGA Show ever did anything to promote sales, the product sells. Been many times and always had that thought, what does all this accomplish other than wasteful spending.

    Reply Report comment

    • Jose Pinatas

      Oct 22, 2018 at 8:59 am

      Can’t agree anymore… I’ll actually go out on the lines and say for most consumers and PGA members, the show is absolutely useless. Although I believe most PGA members are overvalued, some actually help promote and grow the game, to which the show can be valued to see new inventions and the sort. It’s a right fit/right scenario situation. To me the PGA logo is overused, and they should look at smaller membership with more quality members than a larger membership with less quality. But hey, everyone pays the same dues, so more members=more $$$ for PGA…

      Reply Report comment

  3. Darryl

    Oct 22, 2018 at 7:24 am

    Brooks was incredibly impressive yesterday, just ploughed ahead, picking up shots and every time someone came close, he found another one. Where Justin Rose backed into the World #1 position with solid play but a lot of guys falling off around him on the last day, then hit a couple of poor shots, carded a couple of bogeys and wasn’t able to win a playoff against a player with very little big stage form in the lead up and a well documented excitable temperament, Koepka did it against a form horse (Woodland -27 under for his last 7 rounds), leading from the front and slammed the lid on it by dropping a 20+ footer for eagle on the 72nd to win by a full length. That is ominous for the rest of the field.

    Reply Report comment

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News

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

Published

2 days ago

on

Apr 17, 2024

By
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

3 days ago

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Apr 16, 2024

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

Published

3 days ago

on

Apr 16, 2024

By
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.
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