Connect with us

News

Morning 9: Masters ratings | More talk of TW’s win | Woods hailed by peers | Golden Bell speaks

Published

5 years ago

on
By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

April 16, 2019

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.
1. Masters ratings
Paulsen at Sports Media Watch reports…”Sunday’s final round of the Masters, which was moved up several hours to avoid inclement weather, earned an 7.7 overnight rating on CBS – down 11% from last year (8.7), but up a tick from 2017 (7.6). CBS began coverage at 9 AM ET, compared to a 2 PM start in previous years.”
  • “The 7.7 is the highest on record for a morning golf telecast (dating back to 1986).”
  • “Woods’ dramatic victory – his first t the Masters since 2005, his first at any major since 2008, and only his second at any tournament since 2013 – peaked at a 12.1 from 2:15-2:30 PM ET. That is the highest peak rating for the event since 2013 (13.4 from 7-7:30 PM).”
2. “Unequivocally, and utterly done”
Among the golf writers eating crow (myself included) for on-the-record suggestions that TW was finished, Shane Ryan may be at the forefront in attracting venom in the wake of Tiger Woods’ Masters win.
  • He writes…”What people did read was another story I dashed off in about an hour one afternoon in the media center. It was called “Tiger Woods is totally, completely, unequivocally, and utterly done,” and it was designed to provoke. In my memory, I was frustrated about the attention he still captured at a time when his career was stalled out, and I’m sure there was a good deal of bias on my part since I had just written a book about the game’s young stars. That said, reading the story again, it’s written with such obvious hyperbole that I couldn’t have been too mad-mostly, it seems like a lark, something funny and quick and a little outrageous. If it wasn’t spiritually nourishing, I’m sure it was fun to write; quick and easy and sweet, like a box of candy devoured in seconds that only makes you nauseous later.”
  • “Now, that said … I was wrong about Tiger Woods. Wrong then, wrong now, wrong forevermore. Gigantically, calamitously wrong. Tiger Woods owns me, I’ve been humbled, and my humiliation will be plastered on the Internet until that blessed day when I steal the Internet keys from my editor and delete it from the face of the earth. Laugh at me, point at me, and have your fun-I will sit here and take it, and I will be mostly okay with that.”
3. Green jacket…and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Our Gianni Magliocco…”On Monday, following Tiger Woods’ victory at the 2019 Masters, President Donald Trump announced that the 15-time major champion would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
  • “Along with the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, and Woods will become the fourth golfer in history to receive the medal.”
  • “President George W. Bush awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to both Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, while President Barack Obama bestowed the award upon Charlie Sifford in 2014.”
  • “President John. F. Kennedy established the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, and it is an award which on average is handed out just 11 times per year.”
4. Bigger than ’97?
Christine Brennan is among the first columnists to discuss the relative significance of Woods 2019 vs 2017 Masters victories.
  • “It’s one thing for a 21-year-old prodigy to burst onto the scene with a 12-stroke victory at a course that was made for him. As spectacular as that was, that’s usually the way sports work.”
  • “It’s another thing entirely for a 43-year-old who has endured personal scandal and four surgeries on his back, including spinal fusion two years ago, to end a nearly 11-year major championship drought by taking on and beating all challengers on the course he first conquered 22 years ago.”
5. Hailed by his peers
Brilliant stuff from Alan Shipnuck, who spoke to Woods peers in the Augusta clubhouse as they watched and waited to see if he’d capture major No. 15.
  • “In the 11 years since his previous major championship victory, on a broken leg at Torrey Pines, Woods had been to hell and back: tabloid infamy, divorce, swing changes, chip-yips, Hail Mary back surgeries, a DUI, rehab, leaked nude photos. By December 2017 he had cratered at 1,199th in the World Ranking. The long road back began with casual games around South Florida with fellow pros Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas. On Sunday afternoon Fowler leaned against the shoe-shine counter and recounted those days: “His back was against the wall, potentially not being able to compete again. It was cool to see him fall in love with the game again. He’s Tiger again but he’s a different Tiger.”
  • “He’s freed-up so much. His guard is down, he’s a lot more open, friendly. Before, in his prime, it was very much tunnel-vision. He went out and did his job and took care of business. He’s a lot more engaging now. Freer.”
6. Better Tiger from tee and fairway
Matthew Rudy rounds up opinions on Woods‘ (perhaps surprisingly) improved technique since his spinal fusion surgery.
  • “Woods was noticeably looser through both his pre-shot routine and swing-a result of both some mechanical adjustments and the hours-long pre-round routine he goes through to increase flexibility in his fused back.”
  • “What jumps out at you is how much more upright his swing is now,” says Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher Bernie Najar, who is based at Caves Valley Golf Club outside Baltimore. “And he’s back to where you can watch his practice swing and see the kind of shot he’s going to play. It’s loose, continuous and free-flowing, not mechanical or positional. It reminds me of what he looked like when he played his best golf.”
  • “When his swing plane was flatter and his backswing shorter, Woods had more trouble squaring the club face with the driver-and he had to dramatically torque his body down by the ball to try to get the club in better position. His misses tended to be huge-so much so that he often shied away from hitting driver.”
7. Bigger impact?
Digest’s E. Michael Johnson talked to industry folk about the potential economic impact of Tiger Woods’ Masters win…
  • “It’s a Hollywood script written by Madison Avenue, and everybody loves a comeback story, said marketing and media expert Joe Favorito, an instructor in strategic communications at Columbia University’s sports management program.”
  • “There are very few athletes who’ve been knocked down the way Tiger Woods has, and he still keeps coming back,” he said. “I’m pretty sure Michael B. Jordan is already signing up for the movie.”
  • “Favorito was joking, of course. For the moment. Still, cast against the backdrop of the 22 years that followed his world-altering first green jacket, Woods’ win Sunday has the potential for an even broader impact.”
  • “You think of all the things Tiger helped germinate that can now really take hold,” he said, referencing the establishment of The First Tee, the momentous rise in golf participation, the huge boost in golf television contracts and PGA Tour purses that all grew from Woods’ debut as a professional golfer. Favorito sees it happening again with Sunday’s performance. “If you wanted a perfect comeback story, you got one that’s now playing on every device possible. You have everybody walking around getting those three-minute highlights from IBM of everything that Tiger did today. I think that’s going to be great for everybody involved with the game inside and out and especially for Tiger, too.”
8. Tiger & time
What introduction can I make for Joe Posnanski’s speaking-as-Golden-Bell account of what transpired at Augusta National, Sunday? And how can I select a fitting excerpt?
  • Here’s a portion…“Then Tiger Woods stepped to the tee.”
  • “I looked at him closely. Was this really Tiger Woods, the bold and impertinent kid who believed that nothing was beyond his powers? I could not tell. I began to say my silent prayer for him … but then I stopped because I noticed something. He was not that Tiger Woods. He moved more gingerly. His face was wider. His weather-worn face suggested that he had seen things.”
  • “And as he began his swing, I caught something in Woods’ glance, something unusual, something I had not seen in, well, in a long time…Deference….He aimed his shot away from the flag.”
  • “He hit it to that space between my front and back bunker. The ball landed and settled 40 feet from the hole, but dry and safe. It was the shot that young golfers feel too proud and too strong to hit. It was Jack Nicklaus’ shot. And now, it was Tiger Woods’ shot.”
9. Club comparison
Mike O’Malley at Golf Digest put together the handy chart below comparing the clubs Tiger Woods hit into Augusta National’s greens in 1997 vs. 2019. Plenty to consider here: some longer holes, different technology, more/less clubhead speed…interesting conclusions abound, however, but none may be more interesting than this: how long Woods was with a shorter ball and inferior technology
Your Reaction?
  • 16
  • LEGIT3
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP1
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Related Topics:

GolfWRX Editor-in-Chief

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Jeff from OR

    Apr 16, 2019 at 5:57 pm

    Its annoying to me that Shane Ryan has made himself the story. The guy didnt just write one bad take, he launched his career bagging on Tiger. On this site, really anyone reading golf news from 2012-2015 could not have missed his poison, at times very personal, at times just petty. now that hes been proven cartoonishly wrong as many told him all along, instead of just going away hes thrown himself into the middle of it. It was not one take, he built a lucrative career as a reliable Tiger hater, and now hes denying it to save his career. Just ignore him.

    Reply Report comment

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Scottie Scheffler arrested, charged, and released after traffic incident at Valhalla

Published

1 day ago

on

May 17, 2024

By

As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police on the way to Valhalla Golf Club this morning due to a traffic misunderstanding.

“Breaking News: World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police in handcuffs after a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club. The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla. The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car.

“When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being detained in the back of a police car.”

Darlington also posted a video of the dramatic moment which you can view below:

There was an unrelated accident at around 5am, which is what may have caused some of the misunderstanding of which traffic was moving.

Speaking on ESPN, Darlington broke down exactly what he witnessed in full detail:

“Entering Valhalla Golf Club this morning, we witness a car pull around us that was Scottie Scheffler. Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police officers, placed in the back of a police vehicle in handcuffs after he tried to pull around what he believed to be security, ended up being police officers.

“They told him to stop, when he didn’t stop, the police officer attached himself to the vehicle, and Scheffler then travelled another 10 yards before stopping the car.”

“The police officer then grabbed at his arm, attempting to pull him out of the car, before Scheffler eventually opened the door, at which point the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back in handcuffs.

“Very stunned about what was happening, he looked towards me as he was in those handcuffs and said ‘please help me’. He very clearly didn’t know what was happening in the situation.”

“It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively. He was detained in that police vehicle for approximately 20 minutes. The police officers at that point did not understand that Scottie Scheffler was a golfer in the tournament, nor of course that he is the number one player in the world.”

Due to the accident, play has been delayed this morning. Scheffler’s current tee time for the second round of the PGA Championship is 10:08 a.m.

Scheffler’s mugshot following the incident:

*Update*

Scheffler has been charged with 2nd Degree assault of a police officer, criminal mischief 3rd degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

*Update*

According to ESPN+, Scottie Scheffler has been released and is now on his way to the golf course.

*Update*

Scottie Scheffler arrives at Valhalla ahead of his 10:08 a.m second round tee time.

*Update*

The PGA of America released this statement regarding the fatal accident, which diverted traffic at Valhalla this morning.

“This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones.” 

Per the PGA Tour, Scheffler released the following statement.

We will update this developing story as more information on the situation is revealed.

More from the 19th Hole

Your Reaction?
  • 26
  • LEGIT5
  • WOW21
  • LOL8
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP1
  • OB2
  • SHANK17

Continue Reading

News

Five Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

on

May 16, 2024

By

It was a year ago that we the north, found ourselves with toes and fingers crossed. The Oak Hill PGA Championship of 2023 finished on schedule, despite the iffiness of weather in upstate New York. It’s 75 degrees today across the Niagara Frontier, which makes it two out of three (2022 was the same way) for sultry, unseasonal weather.

Louisville is, let’s be honest, a much better bet for a May PGA Championship, and Valhalla is an exciting venue for the year’s second major championship on the men’s circuit. Brooks Koepka came in as the defending champion, and Rory McIlroy arrived as the last golfer to win a major at the Nicklaus-designed course. That was a decade ago, and lord, have things changed in the world and golf.

Day one at Valhalla offered walk-in eagles, buckets of birdies, and potential for a record-low, winner’s score. We’ll get right to the meat of the matter, with five things that we learned. After all, if you can make par from the muck, anything’s possible in the land of the horses.

1. X marks this spot

Xander Schauffele went head-to-head last Sunday with Rory McIlroy, at least on the practice green. By the end of the round, Rors had won for a fourth time at Charlotte, while the X Man sat scratching his head, wondering what went wrong. Fortunately for us, Xander didn’t sulk.

The San Diego State alumnus absolutely torched Jack’s track with 62. Four birdies on the front nine, were followed by five more on the inward side. Schauffele never looked as if bogey was a consideration, and he might have gone even lower. Despite winning the Covid-delayed Gold medal at the Japan Olympics (I consider it a major, btdubs) Schauffele continues to chase an initial men’s major, and the validation that it brings. If 62 doesn’t get you over the hump, who knows what will.

2. Scottie starts strong? Aye.

Last month, Mr. Scheffler won a second green jacket at Augusta National. Last year in Rochester, Mr. Scheffler tied for second in this event. Mr. Scheffler began play today with a walk-in eagle, a one-hop affair that never looked as if it might go anywhere but to its home. Scheffler had a few rough holes, but that’s to be expected from a new dad. Each time he made bogey, he bounced back with birdie, so he has that short memory that winners crave. Surprisingly, Scheffler failed to manage one last birdie at the reachable 18th. Perhaps that miss will motivate him in round two.

3. LIV Check-In

It’s good to check in on the departed from time to time, to ensure that the fellows formerly known as PGA Tour members are doing well. It’s safe to say that some of them can still play. Defending champion Brooks Koepka posted 67 on the day, He had an eagle and three birdies on the day, with only a stumble at the 17th. He’s tied for 7th. Bryson DeChambeau made an eagle of his own, but also had a bogey, at the 12th hole. He cohabits eleventh position with Cameron Smith, who ALSO had a bogey on his card. They are one shot behind Koepka, and a fistful more behind the leader.

4. Sahith and Tony at Schauffele’s heels

Both Finau and Theegala represent a special sort of athletic golfer. Their power and their charisma blend to draw golf fans to their groups. Let’s be honest, too, and say that they don’t look like the traditional professional golfer. As much as Tiger Woods did in the 1990s, they have the power to bring greater diversity to the sport.

In terms of their play today, well, only Xander was better. Finau had a clean card, with six birdies and twelve pars. Theegala had seven birdies, ten pars, and one bogey. Each combined power and finesse to insert themselves squarely in contention, ahead of round two. How will they, and Xander as well, manage the afternoon putting surface on Friday? That’s the great unknown!

5. All those other guys are here!

Rory, Tom Kim, Collin, and Viktor are all at minus-three or lower. Valhalla may not be a traditional golf course, but it is the type of course that the world’s best play well. McIlroy currently sits at minus-five, tied with Robert MacIntyre, Kim, and three others in fourth position.  Maverick McNealy finished fast to reach the same figure, as did Tom Hoge. Morikawa closed with birdie to join the sextet at five below. Both Scheffler and Morikawa finished their rounds late on Thursday, meaning they should see smoother greens on Friday morning. If someone is a betting soul, wiser wagers could not be placed on better names than those two, two-time, major champions. Rory will tee off in Friday’s afternoon wave but, hey, he’s Rory, and he won going away last week at Quail Hollow, a course not unlike Valhalla.

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

News

Morning 9: Tiger 2025 Ryder Cup talks continue | Rory: Tour in a worse place with Dunne’s resignation

Published

2 days ago

on

May 16, 2024

By
By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the PGA Championship gets underway from iconic Valhalla.

1. Waugh: 2025 Ryder Cup talks continue with Tiger

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said Wednesday that the organization continues to have conversations with Tiger Woods about captaining the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2025 and there remains no firm deadline to get their pick in place for Bethpage Black.”

  • “A day earlier, Woods told reporters here at the PGA Championship that he is undecided about taking on the role next year…”
  • “He doesn’t do anything that he’s not fully committed to,” Waugh said, “and we totally respect that.”
  • “Still, the PGA’s decision to hold off on naming an American captain for the September 2025 matches is a significant departure – at least three months late – from the past five captains.”
Full piece.

2. Rory: Tour in a worse place with Dunne’s resignation

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”McIlroy, who has become an outspoken proponent of a deal with PIF, was denied a spot on the board last week but was named to the “transaction subcommittee,” which will spearhead the day-to-day negotiations. But the loss of Dunne will be a blow to those talks, the world No. 2 said.”

  • “Honestly I think it’s a huge loss for the PGA Tour if they are trying to get this deal done with the PIF and trying to unify the game,” McIlroy said. “Jimmy was basically the relationship, the sort of conduit between the PGA Tour and PIF.
  • “It’s been really unfortunate that he has not been involved for the last few months, and I think part of the reason that everything is stalling at the minute is because of that.”
Full piece.

3. Brandel on AK’s criticism: I thought it was a LIV bot

Our Matt Vincenzi…”On Tuesday during an interview with GolfWRX, Chamblee addressed the feud between Kim and himself.”

  • “At first, I thought it was a bot. But it’s not, it was just somebody who’s been bought.
  • “I thought it was juvenile. Social media is a perfect place for juveniles to go behave like children, like the ball pit at McDonalds without adult supervision. I’m sure Anthony Kim scrolls and gets positive comments and says ‘yeah, these people get me! I’m doing the right thing’. And it’s just juvenile and sad is what it is. I feel sorry for him.”
Full piece.

4. Aberg (knee) ready for PGA

Cameron Morfit for PGATour.com…”Ludvig Åberg said lingering knee soreness that kept him out of the Wells Fargo Championship last week will not be an issue at this week’s PGA Championship.”

  • “The world No. 6 Åberg, who finished second at the Masters Tournament in his very first major start last month, allowed that he is wearing a brace as a precautionary measure.”
  • “Knee’s good,” said Åberg, 24. “It was more of a safety concern last week that I didn’t play. I’m consulting with my doctors, and I trust them with everything that I have, so it’s not bothering me at all this week, and I look forward to playing. I’m wearing a brace just for safety reasons, but it’s nothing that’s bothering me. I’m focusing on the golf.”
Full piece.

5. Masters employee pleads guilty to stealing millions in memorabilia

Sean Leahy for Yahoo Sports…”A former employee of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia pleaded guilty on Wednesday to transporting millions of dollars worth of stolen Masters memorabilia and historic items, including a green jacket belonging to Arnold Palmer.”

  • “According to federal prosecutors, 39-year-old Richard Globensky made around $5 million over the course of a decade from selling items stolen from the Augusta National warehouse, which were then transported to another party in Florida.”
  • “Globensky pleaded guilty to one count of transporting stolen goods across state lines. As part of his plea, he must hand the government a $1.5 million check this week.”
Full piece.

6. Chamblee on why Rory hasn’t won a major

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee gave his opinion as to why McIlroy has come up empty.”

  • “I just think he can’t find a place mentally where he plays his best golf.”
  • “If you go back and look at what he did from 2011-2014, in that stretch, he led roughly 20% of the rounds he played in major championships. His game has not fallen off, not one bit.
  • “He’s, on paper, pretty much the same player he was. He’s not quite the ball striker he was 2011-2014, not quite, but he’s made up for it with his short game around the greens and on the greens. He’s almost the same player.”
  • “Yet, he’s led just two rounds beginning with the 2015 Masters to the 2024 Masters. I just think that tells you he can’t find the proper way to prepare, the proper way to ease into a round. When he’s needed to play his best, he’s played his worst. When he’s played his worst, he’s then followed it up with his best golf. That’ll tell you that he’s just not in the right place mentally.”
Full piece.

7. Why Scottie’s caddie will have a fill-in Saturday

Paul Hodowanic for PGATour.com…”Scottie Scheffler will have a fill-in caddie on the bag for Saturday’s third round of the PGA Championship.”

  • “Ted Scott, Scheffler’s full-time caddie, will miss Saturday’s round at Valhalla Golf Club to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. Scott will leave Friday night after caddying the first two rounds and return late Saturday to loop the final round.”
  • “That’s something we talked about from the beginning of our relationship was family always comes first,” Scheffler said during his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday. “It’s the same thing for me as it is for my caddie. It was a pretty easy decision. He told me at the beginning of this year that that was the date.”
Full piece.

8. Chamblee: LIV format makes it impossible to judge player talent

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee explained why he believes the LIV format makes it impossible to determine if a LIV player is playing well.”

  • “Describing the format as “stupid”, Chamblee stated
  • “The format for LIV is just stupid. There’s no other word for it. 54 holes, 54 players start. Willy nilly here and there.
  • “Nobody winning a golf tournament should finish on the third hole on some par three while his closest competitors finish on the 17th hole or the 18th hole.”
  • “When we asked Brandel if LIV players should be in majors, Chamblee indicated that it would be tough to do with no way to truly measure their performance.
  • “It’s just a laughable concept. There’s no way to judge the talents of these players out there. You look at their data, and again, their data is laughable. It’s very hard to hit 75% of your greens and it looks like everybody on their tour is hitting 75% of greens. Who’s keeping their stats? Who’s doing their data? They haven’t gotten their act together.”
Full piece.

9. Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship

  • Check out all of our galleries from the year’s second major!
Full piece.
Your Reaction?
  • 1
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag22 hours ago

Xander Schauffele WITB 2024 (May)

Xander Schauffele what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship.  Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5...
Whats in the Bag1 day ago

Cam Smith WITB 2024 (May)

Cam Smith what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.  Driver: Titleist...
Whats in the Bag2 days ago

Patrick Reed WITB 2024 (May)

Patrick Reed what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.  Driver: Ping...
Whats in the Bag2 days ago

Club Junkie WITB, league night week 5: Another L.A.B. putter arises

We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much...

Facebook

Trending