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5. Another take…
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in May striking down a federal ban on sport betting, Tour officials took a keen interest in how The Match integrated the “in-play” gambling aspect into golf. Throughout the day the winning odds fluctuated wildly, with both players coming down the stretch at even money, and the various prop bets also gained momentum with neither player ever taking more than a 1-up lead.”
- “There was also an underlying sense that this was only the beginning. Many involved with The Match envision the event becoming an annual staple with a limitless collection of would-be challengers – from Tiger playing Hideki Matsuyama in Japan to Lefty matching up against the likes of Justin Thomas.”
- “Those involved plan to take some time to read the room before committing to another Match, which is probably prudent given the push back from some fans who balked at the $19.99 tab to watch the event on pay-per-view and reports of technical difficulties for some who purchased the event that prompted officials to air it live and for free online.”
Full piece.
6. …and another suggestion for what should come next
GolfWorld’s Dave Shedloski…”The question going forward is this: Should there be a sequel? And the answer is obvious because, again, the encouraging numbers Levy referred to say there probably will be one. But it says a lot, and not good, when the HBO 24/7 program and the promotional trailers were vastly more intriguing than the 22-hole golf exhibition. The problem is, this still needs Tiger, who sells with reputation and popularity, and Phil, who is the showman.”
- “But it will take more. Turner should take one more stab at getting The Match right, only have a team format. The rumors of an Asian duo taking on the Americans will not cut it. Bring us Justin Thomas, who is brash and jocular, and pair him with his loquacious buddy Jordan Spieth. There will be no dead air. There will be jawing. You have a generational hook. See how that sells.”
- “Give us Perez, who will not be afraid to mix it up verbally. An example: When he was asked how he was selected for the broadcast team, Perez replied flatly, “I have naked pictures of Tiger.” Yes, put him in there with the brashest and mouthiest player you can find. Ian Poulter maybe? Or pair the petulant Tyrell Hatton with emotional Bryson DeChambeau and let those two potential powder kegs loose with live mics. Northern Ireland has two well-spoken unfiltered talkers in major winners Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. Heck, have a lottery and let two unknown Web.com Tour guys go at the pair.”
Full piece.
7. International Team turnaround ahead?
Ben Everill at PGATour.com reports…”Speaking at the announcement of Geoff Ogilvy as his first captain’s assistant for the biennial match up against the U.S. team Els believes things are on track for a turnaround after a huge run of American dominance.”
- “A year ago the U.S. team were comprehensive winners in New Jersey to the tune of 19-11, taking their record to 9-1-1 over the Internationals in the competition.”
- “But with their recent defeat in the Ryder Cup to Europe Els feels the door might be opening to finally wrestle back the ascendency come December 11-14, 2019…Changes he has already overseen in meetings with U.S. captain Tiger Woods and PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan include a new one-year points selection policy, rather than the old two-year system, ensuring his top eight automatic places are taken by players in form.”
- “Of course this means he now has four captains picks instead of the previous two, once again allowing flexibility into his lineup. Els has also been given more say in the golf course setup as the home team, and also gets to choose the order of play.”
Full piece.
8. Praising Mike Whan
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”Early in Mike Whan’s tenure at the LPGA, three of the tour’s four majors were on shaky ground. Before he could rebuild a respectable schedule, Whan first had to make sure the pillars were in place. There were no guarantees.”
- “Fast forward to 2018, when Whan played alongside Women’s British Open champ Georgia Hall in a pro-am one day after CME announced its plans to double the season-ending purse to $5 million. Though only a rookie, Hall was well aware she had come onto the scene at an opportune time.”
- “I’m really lucky to be playing right now,” she told him. Against these players, on these venues, for this kind of money.
- “The LPGA has not arrived by any means, not by a long shot, but Whan’s reflections at a recent State of the Tour address served as a reminder of the distance traveled.”
9. Yip-free Barkley
The delayed results of the Haney Project? Single-minded determination? The intercession of the golf gods? Whatever the cause, it looks like Charles Barkley’s full-body convulsion of a golf swing now resembles, well, a golf swing.
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19th Hole2 weeks ago
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Tim Schoch
Nov 26, 2018 at 9:16 am
Erm, Twitter, opinions. Please don’t flame the grammar 🙂
Tim Schoch
Nov 26, 2018 at 9:13 am
Rounding up golf’s loudest mouths is all and good, but it is the audience (the paying customer all-important to the entire golf industry) who will determine success or failure of on-air and in-ink events and round-ups.
So I suggest you tap in to Tweeter and other SM and give us a fair sampling of opinion before, during, and after the Match and other events. (Did public opinion change pre- to post- event? Indeed it did–Breed is hitting that topic right now.) Columnists want readers and often their opinion’s are diluted with promotion tactics. Let’s hear the people, and that, Ben, would help your presence and persona on GolfWRX, along with your traditional reportage.
I say all that because I “feel” a trend in golf toward even more elitism and commerce. Increasing sales doesn’t grow the game.
Someone once said (me) “Don’t look back to see who is catching up, look forward to make sure you end up where you want to go.”
Carry on!