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GolfWRX Morning 9: Huge FedEx Cup changes coming | Tiger’s Trump tap dance | L’Artiste!

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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

August 28, 2018

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.
1. Cup changes ahead
Staggered starting scores at the Tour Championship?!
Per an AP Report…”The PGA Tour is putting the final touches on a revamped FedEx Cup structure that would award a cash bonus to the leading player from the regular season, followed by a new scoring format for the Tour Championship to decide the FedEx Cup champion, The Associated Press has learned.”
  • “Five people aware of the discussions say FedEx Cup points will not be involved in the final playoff event at East Lake. Instead, the No. 1 player would start the Tour Championship at 10-under par, with scores to par staggered depending on the 30 players’ position in the standings.”
  • “The winner will be the FedEx Cup champion, and the bonus is expected to be more than the current $10 million prize…That means whoever gets the 30th spot at East Lake would have four rounds to make up as many as 10 shots. The change eliminates the awkward moment – and divided attention – of one player winning the Tour Championship and another winning the FedEx Cup, which happened last year for the second time.”
2. Appreciate the art of the scientist
Golf Digest’s Joel Beall penned a quality piece on enjoying the single-length maestro, Bryson DeChambeau.
  • A few morsels…:DeChambeau’s third PGA Tour victory in 13 months-more tournaments than Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler have won combined in that span-and a win that ostensibly locks up a Ryder Cup spot. Only Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas have more top-10 finishes this season than DeChambeau’s eight, and the 24-year-old ranks fifth in strokes gained and 14th in scoring.”
  • “But with Bryson DeChambeau, it’s never been about the game. It’s about about how that game is conceptualized, executed, questioned, achieved. While those prisms should create a greater appreciation for the end product, it’s done the opposite.”
  • “By now you know DeChambeau is a different duck. The Hogan cap, naming his clubs, writing his name backwards with his opposite hand, dabbling in stippling-not the usual repertoire of an aspiring tour pro. By themselves, they’re each fun tidbits and ideal content for a player’s media guide profile. Yet it’s Bryson’s drive that really separates him. And we do mean drive. While many golfers strive for perfection, DeChambeau’s pursuit takes him down some peculiar avenues. One-length clubs, a slave to statistical analysis, battles with the USGA, a tryst with side-saddling putting. Coupled with the aforementioned oddities, he stands out in the tour’s cookie-cutter crowd.”
  • “Amusingly, one of the reasons fans have struggled to connect with Brooks Koepka is that Brooks, admittedly, is not really into golf. DeChambeau resides on the other end of that spectrum, devouring tomes like The Golfing Machine and Vector Putting as a kid. There’s an unbridled enthusiasm when he talks about the game and finds joy in the work. Hell, he even flew himself to the 2016 Ryder Cup because he wanted to take it in as a spectator.”

Full piece.

3. Who doesn’t love a good power ranking?
While I usually steer clear of all things fantasy and DFS, I’m tossing in best-in-the-biz Rob Bolton’ top 5 for the upcoming Dell Technologies Championship.
5. Tony Finau…Fulfilling one projection after another all season, if not exceeding even elevated expectations. Solo second at Ridgewood; led field in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Fourth start at TPC Boston.
4. Jason Day...He’s a workhorse from every perspective. Perfect at TPC Boston since 2008 with three top 10s among eight top 25s. Five straight top 20s upon arrival. Tops on TOUR in strokes gained: putting.
3. Dustin Johnson...Can’t complain much about a T11 at Ridgewood except maybe for a third-round 7…Saved erratic iron play with strong putting. Perfect in eight trips to TPC Boston with four top 20s.
2. Brooks Koepka...Coming off a T8 at THE NORTHERN TRUST where he co-led at the midpoint and led the field in distance of all drives, strokes gained: off-the-tee and par-5 scoring. T18 at TPC Boston in 2017.

1. Justin Thomas…Seeking to become the first back-to-back champ in tournament history. Since winning at Firestone, he’s added a T6 (PGA) and T8 (NORTHERN TRUST) to regain consistency that he’s sought.

4. Lessons from Cam Smith’s prep
Nick Randall, who has trained Cam Smith since Smith was 16, penned an interesting piece for GolfWRX on Smith’s physical preparations–and the application for your golfing life.
“Cam Smith, who just finished T3 at The Northern Trust, has made a lot of progress from when we first started working together. Not only is he now top 50 in the world, he has progressed from a scrawny teen into a well rounded golf athlete. At age 16 he was weak, tight, had some alarming postural adaptations from golf and was in pain and discomfort in a number of areas.”
  • “I would like to share with you what I consider to be the 5 areas that the competitive club golfer can learn from Cam’s approach to physical preparation. If implemented properly these will not help your golf but benefit your long-term musculo-skeletal health too.”
  • “Cam’s approach is particularly relatable and applicable to the club golfer because he isn’t the biggest guy, or the most gifted athlete, or the hardest worker. Cam likes to keep things simple and use practice and training approaches that can be completed in a short amount of time with the minimum of fuss (leaving more time for messing around on the range apparently!)”
  • STICK TO THE PLAN…Cam doesn’t wander from the prescribed plan; this is for three main reasons. Firstly he wants to avoid the excessive post exercise soreness that prohibits him from practicing and performing effectively. Sticking to familiar exercises and loads helps ensure this. Secondly, performing the same exercises allows him time to get familiar and comfortable with the technique, ensuring absolute best form and resultant outcome. Lastly, golf is a tough mental sport especially at the very elite level. Being able to go into the gym and carry out a familiar routine means that there is no excess mental energy being used up unnecessarily.”
5. Tiger & Trump
Sam Weinman at Golf Digest says (rightly) that Tiger Woods responses to questions about race and Donald Trump are exactly what were to be expected.
  • “What to make of Tiger Woods’ brief utterances about President Trump following his final round in the Northern Trust? It has all the makings of a juicy story-the world’s most popular athlete, its most polarizing leader. Depending on which side of the political spectrum you occupy, it could be chopped up and digested any number of different ways, as the president himself has already proven.”
  • “The full exchange, with a New York Times reporter, was barely a minute long. Asked about his relationship with Trump, Woods reflected on their history playing together (including most recently last Thanksgiving weekend): “We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency.”
  • “Then Woods was asked about whether his relationship with Trump was an implicit endorsement of Trump’s policies toward immigrants and people of color? Treading cautiously, Woods said he felt compelled to respect the office. “He’s the President of the United States. You have to respect the office,” he said. “No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”
  • “It’s worth debating whether that’s understandable or regrettable given Woods’ stature and influence. Woods has indeed emerged as a more sympathetic and approachable figure in this latest chapter of his career. But to have expected anything else from his answer Sunday is to not have been paying attention.”
6. New company: New Level Golf
I spoke with Eric Burch, founder and CEO of the upstart New Level Golf.
The broad strokes of Burch’s career take us from his time as an assistant pro in the 90s, through his founding of Parfection Golf, the Professional Clubmakers Society recognized as the top retail shop in the country in 2004, through his development of the legendary (in club building and fitting circles, anyway) Club-Conex Uni-Fit system. True Spec, as GolfWRX readers know, purchased Club-Conex in 2015, and after stints as Executive VP for Miura and a high-level position at Pure Grips, Burch decided to hang a shingle, knowing it was something he always wanted to make a go of.
  • New Level’s current offerings consist of three iron models and a wedge. Burch was kind enough to give a thumbnail sketch of each of the models.
  • Here’s what Burch had to say about the company’s most popular offering: the 1031 iron.
  • EB: “Then we have the 1031, which fits right in the middle of the three. That’s a slightly longer blade length than the 902. There’s a consistent offset throughout the set. It starts at about 4.5 millimeters…there’s good continuity throughout the set. Same topline as the 902…all the toplines are exactly the same. I did that so you’d have the ability to mix and match.
  • “The 1031 has a lot of meat low and behind the center of the club. In my opinion, it’s the most forgiving from heel to toe. It tends to launch just a shade higher [than the 902]. In terms of materials…everything that we do at this point is 1020 carbon. The initial finish is all satin. The 1031 is now available in limited quantities in the black PVD finish. It’s our all-around, one-size-fits all iron…it’s our best-selling iron.”

Full piece.

7. Malbon x Puma
Interesting stuff as capsules and collaboration continue to come to golfwear.
From the folks at GD…”Since opening in 2017, Malbon Golf has been making big waves in golf. The skate-culture inspired golf shop on the trendy Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles has become a hangout for both professional golfers and Hollywood celebrities alike. Hats, gloves, apparel and other accessories with the company’s “Buckets” logo-a golf ball with a hat on-have been selling out almost instantly. It seems like every brand wants to collaborate with Malbon Golf, from ECCO shoes to Jones Golf Bags to Dormie Workshop, and the Malbon touch ups the cool factor on just about everything. The latest collaboration with Puma is one of the more exciting drops.”
  • “Working with [Stephen] Malbon and his team was a natural fit from day one,” Grant Knudson, Head of Footwear & Accessories at Puma Golf, said. “This uninhibited, outside-the-box approach resulted in a collection that anyone passionate about style and golf will appreciate-it’s a perfect mix where you can stand out without making a scene.”…The eight-piece collection including both apparel and accessories in a mainly navy-and-red color theme, is available now.”
  • “The Malbon 110 Snapback Cap ($42) will likely be the most popular item in the collection. It’s got a 3D Malbon embroidered buckets logo on the front and throwback Puma text on the bill that reads “One Step Ahead With Puma, For Puma Does It The Quality Way.” This street-style hat is unlike most golf hats out there style-wise, but with the moisture wicking sweatband, it will still perform well on the course.”
8. Your McCormack Medal winner is…
…Braden Thornberry.
  • Golfweek’s Brentley Romine writes…:As if Braden Thornberry needed any further validation that his homemade, unorthodox golf swing works, the Ole Miss senior just added another accomplishment to his impressive amateur resume.”
  • “Thornberry was awarded with the Mark H. McCormack Medal on Monday. The award goes to the top-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking following the U.S. Amateur each year.
9. Pepperell’s giveaway
Scene: last week’s Czech Masters...Keeley Levins writes…”The 27-year-old Englishman said that the fan earned the wedge by being the only guy on the property out there actively rooting for Pepperell. Take note, golf fans, every cheer matters.”
  • “If he’s still around he can have the other 13 maybe,” said Pepperell after his round. “He gave me a clap for my shot and he’s the only one I heard clapping, so I said here you go, you can have my lob wedge.”

 

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Morning 9: 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour | Rory on possible return to policy board

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Friday morning, golf fans, may a bountiful weekend of golf be in store for you!

1. 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour

KFT staff report…”Frankie Capan III went crazy low Thursday on the Korn Ferry Tour. Nearly in record fashion.”

  • “Capan carded 13-under 58 in the opening round of the Veritex Bank Championship, matching the second lowest score in Korn Ferry Tour history. He fell one shy of Cristobal Del Solar’s record 57, set at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard earlier this year, but it was a heck of a show nonetheless.”
  • “The Minnesota native played an eight-hole stretch in 9-under Thursday, following an eagle at the par-5 ninth with seven straight birdies to begin the back nine at par-71 Texas Rangers Golf Club. He “cooled off” with a two-putt par at the long par-4 17th hole. He arrived at the par-5 18th hole at 13 under for the round, but he found a fairway bunker off the tee, laid up to 134 yards and missed his third shot left of the green. He chipped to 7 feet and drained the par putt to match the Korn Ferry Tour’s second-lowest score of 58, carded by Stephan Jaeger in the opening round of the 2016 Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae.”
Full piece.

2. Team McIlowery starts strong

Paul Hodowanic for PGATour.com…”Late Thursday afternoon in New Orleans, Rory McIlroy rested his head on Shane Lowry’s shoulder.”

  • “It wasn’t the typical post-round moment, but this isn’t the typical event. McIlroy and Lowry teamed up for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA TOUR’s lone team event, and the all-Irish duo put on a show. Sporting matching pink-on-navy getups, McIlroy/Lowry opened in a best-ball 11-under 61 in Thursday’s Four-ball format at TPC Louisiana.”
  • “This partnership might have stemmed from a boozy brunch last fall, but their opening-round performance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans gave the field a sobering reminder: They’ll be tough to top.”
Full piece.

3. LPGA Tour: Grace Kim in front

AP report…”Grace Kim shot a 7-under 64 at Wilshire Country Club to take the first-round lead Thursday in the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship.”

  • “Playing in the morning session, the 23-year-old Australian capped her bogey-free round with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 18th.”
  • “Well, I chunked my tee shot on the last hole 20 meters short and then I chipped it in it,” Kim said. “I think that’s pretty cool, in front of everyone
Full piece.

4. McIlroy on rejoining policy board

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Rory McIlroy said Wednesday that he is willing to rejoin the PGA Tour policy board if the other player directors want him.”

  • “As first reported by the Guardian, Webb Simpson has submitted a letter stating that he’d like to resign from the board, but only if his vacant seat is filled by McIlroy, who stepped down last fall because of the toll it had taken on him professionally and personally.”
  • “Five months later, what has changed?”
  • “I think I can be helpful,” McIlroy said Wednesday ahead of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he is partnering with Shane Lowry. “I don’t think there’s been much progress made in the last eight months, and I was hopeful that there would be. I think I could be helpful to the process. But only if people want me involved, I guess.”
Full piece.

5. Charlie Woods shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier

Golfweek’s Cameron Jourdan…”Charlie Woods is going to have to wait to play in the U.S. Open.”

“The 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods played Thursday in local qualifying for the United States Golf Association’s national championship, set for June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Charlie played at The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and he shot 9-over 81.”

“Charlie’s round featured a bogey on his opening hole, the par-4 first. He then doubled the par-5 second. A pair of pars followed before his lone birdie on the front, but another double the next hole, the par-4 sixth, had him turn in 4-over 40.”

Full piece.

6. Photos from the Zurich Classic

GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

Check out all our photos at the link below!

Full piece.
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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

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GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.

Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about our photos from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in the forums.

 

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Morning 9: Tiger’s TGL teammates | Woosnam’s criticism of Cantlay | Rory’s return to tour policy board

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour heads to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic.

1. 15-year-old finishes top 20 on KFT

Jay Coffin for Golf Digest…”During a week when most eyes were on Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, the 15-year-old lefty finished off an incredible week with a five-under 66 in the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood Ranch in Florida.”

  • “After opening with 68-66-70, Russell finished at 14-under-par total to tie for 20th place. The finish in which he jumped 28 positions on the leaderboard on the final day, gives him an exemption into next week’s Veritex Bank Championship at Rangers Park in Arlington, Texas. He’s the youngest player to finish inside the top 20 on the PGA of Korn Ferry tours, according to records that go back to 1983.”
Full piece.

2. Understandably, Nelly WDs

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Nelly Korda’s bid for a record-setting sixth consecutive win will have to wait a few weeks.”

  • “A day after capturing the Chevron Championship during a marathon final round in Houston, Korda announced on social media that she was withdrawing from this week’s JM Eagle LA Championship.”
  • “It was not an easy decision,” she wrote. “After the unbelievable week at the Chevron and grinding through the mental and physical challenges of four events in the past five weeks, I am definitely feeling exhausted. With so much still to come throughout 2024, I feel I need to listen to my body and get some rest, so I can be ready for the remainder of the season.”
Full piece.

3. Scheffler’s impressive No. 1 feat

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”After Scheffler’s victory Monday morning at the RBC Heritage, Scheffler upped his points average to 15.016 and increased his advantage in the Official World Golf Ranking over No. 2 Rory McIlroy to more than double McIlroy’s 7.365 average, meaning Scheffler is ranked further ahead of No. 2 than No. 2 is ahead of the last-ranked player.”

  • “The last time a No. 1 player had a greater points average was Woods, who was at 15.4564 on Dec. 6, 2009. But Woods was less than seven average points ahead of No. 2 Phil Mickelson at the time. Earlier that year, Woods was 7.735 ahead of Mickelson, which is the last time the gap between Nos. 1 and 2 was greater than Scheffler’s current 7.651 advantage.”
Full piece.

4. Zurich field notes

PGATour.com’s Adam Stanley…”Rory McIlroy will make his tournament debut alongside good pal, Ryder Cup teammate, and Irishman Shane Lowry – a duo that was firmed up during a celebratory lunch after the Ryder Cup last fall… Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele will try to reprise their 2022 win here. Cantlay and Schauffele have both the Foursomes and Four-ball scoring records at this event… Davis Riley and Nick Hardy will defend their 2023 title. No team has gone back-to-back… Three sets of brothers (and two sets of twins!) will play together with twins Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard and Parker and Pierceson Coody in the field along with Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick. Alex Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Højgaard are sponsor invites…”

  • “Billy Horschel, who won last week at the Corales Puntacana Championship, will be without his previous partner Sam Burns, as Burns and his wife are expecting their first child any day. Horschel will instead be paired with fellow University of Florida alum Tyson Alexander. Horschel has won the Zurich Classic when it was both an individual and team event… Other notable pairings include Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris, and Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin. The Canadian duo finished runner-up a year ago and would like nothing more than to show Presidents Cup International Team captain Mike Weir how well they play together… Steve Stricker will play his second TOUR event this season (after earning his way into THE PLAYERS Championship), teaming up with Matt Kuchar.”
Full piece.

5. Tiger’s teammates

Field Level Media report…”Tiger Woods announced Monday that Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner have joined his Jupiter Links GC TGL team.”

  • “The virtual golf league headed by Woods and Rory McIlroy will begin its inaugural season next January. Woods also unveiled the team’s logo.”
  • “I have already shared my excitement and optimism for TGL as a league and product,” said Woods. “Now that we have finalized our roster with a team of world-class golfers, I am even more confident that this group will proudly represent the Jupiter (Fla.) area and connect with our fans for years to come.”
Full piece.

6. Woosnam questions Cantlay’s decision

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, who’s 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 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 am Monday morning.”
Full piece.

7. JT on Scheffler’s “weird” equipment choice

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After Justin Thomas’ third round of the RBC Heritage, the two-time major champion went in the broadcast booth alongside the CBS crew.”

  • “While Thomas was watching Scottie Scheffler play on the back nine of his third round, he wondered aloud why Scottie uses high-numbered golf balls.”
  • “Does anybody else think it’s weird that Scottie uses high numbers? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an elite player use high-numbered golf balls.”
  • “Amanda Balionis who was on the grounds chimed in, reporting that analyst Dottie Pepper had wondered the same thing earlier that day.”
  • “I’ve been going about this wrong my whole life,” Thomas jokingly said.
Full piece.

8. Rory to rejoin PGA Tour policy board

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Four-time major championship winner Rory McIlroy is poised to return to the PGA Tour’s policy board, pending a vote by the board, which could come as early as this week, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.”

  • “One of the PGA Tour’s most vocal supporters during its three-year battle with LIV Golf, McIlroy abruptly resigned as a player director on the tour’s influential policy board in November.”
  • “He is expected to replace policy board player director Webb Simpson, who intends to step away before his two-year term expires in 2025.”
Full piece.

9. Weir names Presidents Cup assistants

PGA Tour report…”International Team Captain Mike Weir announced Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas as captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will be played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Canada, Sept. 24-29.

Full piece.
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