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Charlie Wi’s running of the bulls

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By Pete Pappas

GolfWRX Staff Writer

Charlie Wi is about to be tested like he’s never been tested in his winless 162 game, seven-year PGA Tour career. Wi holds the lead at 12-under after two days at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, three shots ahead of second-place Dustin Johnson, already a two-time winner at this event in 2009 and 2010.

But just beneath Johnson on the scoreboard is a dogged crowd of players bunched up between 6-under and 8-under anticipating, no, salivating for Wi to falter. 

And no one’s going to care that Wi is one of the nice guys if he indeed does slip up.

Charlie Wi, welcome to the PGA’s version of running of the bulls.  Only you’re in Pebble Beach, not Pamplona.  You’re surrounded by the majestic Pacific Ocean crashing below the cliffs, rather than the wooden and iron barricades in the Spanish streets.

And instead of a herd of terrifyingly angry bulls chasing you? You have a dizzying onslaught of multiple winners and major champions, players with something to prove, players with chips on their shoulders, and oh yeah a few guys named Phil and Tiger, all breathing down your neck.  And they’re all looking to mow you down and give you the horns Charlie Wi.

Charlie Wi? Are you ready for this? 

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Wi had nightmares Friday night, and probably nightmares of being chased by that same menacing cartel of major champions and multiple winners just mentioned. But this is all normal. Being chased in your dream normally means worry. And whatever is pursuing you in your dream is your unconscious mind letting you know that you need to face some responsibilities.

162 games over 7 years and all you have to show for it is a cameo in the late night Stack and Tilt Golf Channel infomercials? You’re better than that Charlie Wi. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes just this weekend alone.

Two days in a row you’ve lead the field in eagles. Two days in a row you’ve lead the field in birdies. You rank first in driving accuracy, second in putts per green in regulation, and third in total putts. Charlie Wi it’s time to face your fears head on and take these bulls by their horns. You have the game to do it. You have the game to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Or, you could be content to be a mere footnote in this tournament, much like Rickie Fowler will be for his Friday afternoon color ensemble that made him look like an imulsion eating lambent glowstick straight out of the video game Gears of War 3 (which turned out by the way to be long on hype and short on bite).  Is that what you want Charlie Wi?

Saturday is moving day Charlie Wi. Be assertive. Be aggressive. Position yourself to fight back the likes of Dustin Johnson (nine-under), Padraig Harrington (eight-under), Vijay Singh (eight-under), Brian Gay (eight-under), Danny Lee (eight-under), Hunter Mahan (seven-under), Phil Mickelson (seven-under), and of course Tiger Woods (six-under). 

I want to see more shots like your magnificent long iron on No. 8 that you stuck inside 10 feet and then calmly rolled in for birdie. 

I don’t want to see shots like your tentative putt on No. 2 that cost you a birdie and nearly sent you into raving Woody Austin putter meets head combat mode (by the way he has won a few times already on tour).

Your critics are saying you struggle mightily in January and February events, and are probably already writing their Monday headlines like “Careless Wi-sper”, or “Sorry Charlie” anticipating you’ll provide a Jekyll and Hyde performance, erratic shot making and ultimately intimidated collapse.  Don’t let it happen Charlie.

If you think I’m being hard on you, I am.  But it’s a tough love.  You’re living the dream man.  And there are hundreds of thousands of people living vicariously through you.  There are hundreds of thousands of people who dream of being in the position you’re in: leading a field overflowing with the some of the most respected names and notable winners in the game today. 

Harrington moved up 38 spots Friday shooting a six-under 66 for his round at Pebble Beach, hitting 15 of 18 greens-in-regulation.  While Mickelson playing at Monterey Peninsula, moved up 33 spots Friday, shooting a five-under 65 for the round, and also hitting 15 greens-in-regulation.  Singh meanwhile moved up 12 spots shooting 4-under 68 at Spyglass Hill, starting strong on his front nine with four birdies in the first seven holes. 

Johnson of course is right on your heels (although his 72 at Spyglass Hill was his highest round at the course in four career starts there). 

And the world remains on the edge of its seat waiting for Tiger to break through and finally win an official PGA Tour event (his drought extends back to the 2009 BMW Championship). Tiger seems ready to do his part, saying after Friday’s round, “I gotta go get it tomorrow.”

All of these guys are major championship winners, and are either in the zone, on fire, or just knocking at the door to remind you there’s a long way still to go for that first win.  Big time players.  Big time names.  Big time games.

But you know what Charlie Wi?  You have a very real opportunity to finish ahead of all of them.  Slam the door closed on all of them.  And earn your first professional PGA Tour win on arguably the most prestigious and grandest course anywhere on the planet, in possibly the most memorable way imaginable, against some of the best players in the game today, and presumptively some of the best to ever play the game.

Charlie Wi, 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Champion.  Has a Wi-nning ring to it don’t you think?

Additional Notes:

Harrington and J.P McManus sit atop the celebrity leaderboard at 25-under, while defending champions D.A Points and partner Bill “My foe, my enemy is an animal.” Murray are tied for 26th place at 12-under.

Round 3 coverage resumes Saturday at 10:00 am PST on Golf Channel, and at 12:00 pm PST on CBS.

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Pete is a journalist, commentator, and interviewer covering the PGA Tour, new equipment releases, and the latest golf fashions. Pete's also a radio and television personality who's appeared multiple times on ESPN radio, and Fox Sports All Bets Are Off. And when he's not running down a story, he's at the range working on his game. Above all else, Pete's the proud son of a courageous mom who battled pancreatic cancer much longer than anyone expected. You can follow Pete on twitter @PGAPappas

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  1. Grim

    Feb 12, 2012 at 2:50 am

    Intersting article, but you obvioulsy know nothing about gears of war. As a long time fan i can say GoW3 delivered far more than 2 and expaned on the greatness that was the first game. I would say leave comments that do not belong in an article out, because as the gaming consensus has shown GoW3 was and is a great game. Guess your a halo kid.

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News

Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Wyndham Clark hurts back…still hopes to play

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark injured his back while working out at home Monday, but he hopes to play in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.”

  • “Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, said he was lifting weights and “got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and [his] back went.”
  • “It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn,” Clark said. “I’m trending in the right direction. I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day. I’m going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”
Full piece.

2. DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.”

  • “We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.
  • “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
Full piece.

3. Charley Hull’s course management problem?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.”

  • “After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.”
  • “While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.”
  • “I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.
  • “The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.
  • “In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else.
Full piece.

4. Sahith’s interesting idea

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Which brings Theegala to his big idea: “There’s got to be something, like a fan challenge or – I think it would be awesome to see a scratch handicap go out and play like the Monday after a tournament, keep the same conditions and see what they would shoot just to put it into perspective how hard a PGA Tour golf course is.”

  • “Theegala loves the thought so much that he’d even come out and watch.”
  • “Shoot, I’d commentate on it,” Theegala added before continuing, “I have a pet peeve, sometimes when I watch golf on TV, a great example is hole 8 at Valspar last week. It’s a 230-yard par 3, the green’s 12 yards wide and someone will hit the middle of the green and, you know, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, really smart shot there.’ I’m like, ‘Well, no, he’s absolutely laced this 4-iron in the middle of the green, that’s right where he’s looking and to hit a 4-iron that straight is really, really hard.’ … Even like chipping, a lot of the stuff just looks flat on TV, but then when you get over the chip, like, oh, great, I have to land it over a mound on a downslope down grain?”
Full piece.

5. Top am Rachel Heck not going pro

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”As Rachel Heck nears the end of her college golf career, she has decided that the LPGA isn’t for her.’

  • “Heck, the 22-year-old Stanford senior who won an NCAA individual title as a freshman and has climbed as high as second in the world amateur rankings, penned a first-person essay for No Laying Up in which she explained her reasoning for remaining amateur after graduation this summer and starting an internship not in professional golf but rather private equity. Heck, a political science major, also will be pinned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.”

Read her piece on No Laying Up: https://nolayingup.com/blog/why-im-remaining-an-amateur

Full piece.

6. DJ’s new LIV signing

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath…”Dustin Johnson‘s LIV Golf team 4Aces GC has announced former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as the side’s new General Manager.”

  • “Rosaasen, who is a long-time friend of Johnson, is also the founder of the team’s apparel sponsor Extracurricular and has been CEO of the Omniverse Group for the past four years.
  • “He joins with more than 20 years of “brand-building, marketing, and business leadership” according to LIV Golf, which says his “record of innovation in the golf industry will strengthen and accelerate the growth of the 4Aces GC brand.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Four books for a springtime review

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One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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