Opinion & Analysis
The Wedge Guy: Failure to amaze…
Once again, I thank all of you for the feedback to last week’s post about the driver being the first scoring club. If everyone agreed with everything I write, this wouldn’t be nearly as fun and challenging as it is. So, keep up the feedback and challenges to my logic as we go forward, OK? I think I might push some of your buttons again today, so here goes.
I had one of those airline trips from hell last Monday, trying to get back from a visit to my nephew and his family in Boise. For the first time in my life, I saw our plane returned to the gate because our crew “timed out” while we were on the tarmac awaiting a delayed take-off. That led to a series of setbacks, which eventually put me back in Houston at 1:00 a.m., almost five hours later than scheduled…with a 2-1/2 hour drive still ahead of me.
Then, I woke up Tuesday morning with a head-cold-from-hell, which has had me in its grip ever since. That put me on the sofa watching more TV than I would on a typical weekend. And that allowed me to watch more of the Charles Schwab (Colonial) than I probably would have otherwise, along with some NBA and baseball.
Now, I’ll admit I have become a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to professional golf. Not that I’m bad-tempered or anything, but I am a bit cantankerous. The game’s evolution from identifying those who have achieved broad mastery of all shotmaking, to those who are the strongest physical specimens and have great short games has simply lost me. When I tune into any professional athletic event, I fully expect, and want to be, AMAZED.
The NBA always does that, with a consistent show of unbelievable athleticism and shotmaking. I’m sure basketball purists argue about the evolution of the game from Chamberlain and Russell, to Bird and Magic, to Michael, to Steph and LeBron…but throughout my 50-plus years of watching, these guys almost always put on an impressive show of skills. Same goes for the NFL. I am not a follower of major league baseball, and don’t know many players, but an hour in front of the TV will almost always entertain you with amazing fielding and hitting displays.
Forgive me for my cynicism, but I just don’t get that amazed by PGA Tour golf anymore. In my hours of time in front of the TV, there were just too few instances of shotmaking prowess that made me go “wow.” One stat on Saturday showed that Jordan Spieth had made something like four hundred feet of putts in 2-1/2 rounds. Heck yeah, that’s impressive…but hardly riveting television. What I was looking for were pinpoint irons shots that set up birdies and a serious challenge to whoever was in the lead.
Congratulations are certainly due to Kevin Na for holding off everyone, but who really put a charge on to challenge him? Time and again, players looked like they might gain some ground, only to be derailed by poor driving and iron play. Maybe not “poor” by our amateur standards, but I’m not sure I saw more than one or two irons shots that just tore the flag down. What I did seem to see were lots of drives in the rough, short iron and wedge shots long, short or wide of the greens, and plenty of greenside recovery shots, too often followed by par attempts from well outside 6-8 feet.
Lee Trevino once said that there are two things that don’t last long – “dogs that chase cars and pros that putt for pars.” The point I believe he was making at the time was that he saw professional golf as a game of precision shotmaking, and that meant driving it in the fairway and hitting greens. And by my observation, the stars of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s were pretty darn good at that kind of golf.
Ben Hogan was noted for hitting fairways and greens with commanding precision. Byron Nelson was so straight they named the first swing robot after him. Gene Littler was known as “Gene the Machine”. Johnny Miller set the bar tremendously high for knocking flags down, from nearly any range. Bear in mind his 63 at Oakmont to win the U.S. Open in 1966 was the result of hitting nearly every green, though 14 of this approach shots were hit with a 5-iron or longer. Pretty amazing stuff even if it weren’t a U.S. Open layout, wouldn’t you say?
Before you all want me tarred and feathered for lack of respect for the modern tour professional, let me say that these guys at the top have done what it takes to achieve modern greatness. The talent pool is very deep these days, as evidenced by the huge number of different winners every year. But other than Tiger, who has attained – and maintained – a constantly high level of performance from week-to-week, year-to-year for any length of time over the past twenty years or so? And in reality, do yesterday’s stars become today’s also-rans because others have passed them, or because they lost whatever it was they had found for that fleeting period of time?
In any era, in any sport, the singular challenge is to achieve a higher level of skill than the next guy (or team). On any given day or week, golf’s top players do that, but to me it just doesn’t make for riveting viewing any longer.
I accept that professional golf has changed dramatically in my lifetime, and that it will never again be what it once was. So, I’ll keep watching, hoping to be amazed…After all, we have the U.S. Open and The Open Championship still to come.
P.S. Next week, I promise to return to topics that will hopefully help you improve your golf this season. If you have any topics you would like to see me address, please drop me an email at [email protected].
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again
After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.
Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.
Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”
Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.
“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.
Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.
“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”
“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”
As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.
In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.
“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”
Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.
Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:
Fairways Hit
1.) Louis Oosthuizen
2.) Anirban Lahiri
3.) Jon Rahm
4.) Brendan Steele
5.) Cameron Tringale
Greens in Regulation
1.) Brooks Koepka
2.) Brendan Steele
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Cameron Tringale
5.) Anirban Lahiri
Birdies Made
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Dean Burmester
3.) Thomas Pieters
4.) Patrick Reed
5.) Carlos Ortiz
LIV Golf Individual Standings:
1.) Joaquin Niemann
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Louis Oosthuizen
5.) Abraham Ancer
LIV Golf Team Standings:
1.) Crushers
2.) Legion XIII
3.) Torque
4.) Stinger GC
5.) Ripper GC
LIV Golf Singapore Picks
Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)
Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.
This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.
Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)
Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.
This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.
It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.
Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)
Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.
Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.
Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.
Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)
Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.
Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.
If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.
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In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.
While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.
Here are some of my key takeaways.
Method Teacher
It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.
Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.
The Cult of Stack and Jilt
The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”
Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.
These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.
Fooled by Randomness
In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.
Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.
Practice
One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”
Sunk Cost
The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.
Cliches
Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.
The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.
This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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Richy Werenski WITB 2024 (May)
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19th Hole2 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
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19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole3 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole2 weeks agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
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19th Hole1 week agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
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Equipment2 weeks agoJason Day on his recent switch into Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 Mk II irons
John Erickson
Jun 3, 2019 at 12:47 am
Terry, I could not agree more. As a former tour player who dedicated a life to golf, I don’t even watch the game anymore. I have zero interest in the decline of the game, the courses, the giant frying pan drivers, wide fairways, huge perfect greens, little penalty for errant driving. Golf is a total bore to me. When I played on tour, you had to drive it in the fairway just as Hogan said.. “it’s the most important shot to set up the hole”. We had to place the ball on the green and below the hole, and often the greens were far from perfect. Less than perfect greens made golf more of a ball strikers game. With perfect greens, the great putters can run the table. I liked it when the greens were not so perfect because it took that advantage out of the lights out putters. They would still make more but not as many. Moe Norman told me once that anyone could make a 30 foot putt…. even a beginner, but it took great still to hit a 1 iron 30 feet from the hole. This new version of golf is a different as baseball is to softball. The game needs a persimmon and balata reset. Simple really.
scooter
May 30, 2019 at 9:33 pm
Having attended the Colonial this past weekend, I was again reminded how much more amazing the game is in person as opposed to watching it on TV. I agree, TV concentrates too much on putts and doesn’t show enough of the field. In person, you can see the green slopes and realize how small the targets are to get the ball close and score on some greens with tucked pins. And you’re able to watch short game techniques that are really amazing when they’ve short-sided themselves in long rough or bunkers … by not covering the field you don’t see the “fails” at some of these difficult shots and realize just how small the margin for error is. Same goes for trouble shots when the drives go astray. And it’s great to see all the tee shot variations at Colonial’s tight hole #5 with out of bounds on both sides, all the way from tee to green. Bottom line, MUCH more interesting in person and kind of boring on TV.
KW
May 30, 2019 at 7:55 pm
Some good points on both sides, but I think much of the “lack of amazement” is not realizing just how hard and precise this game is. 1/8″ off a 100mph clubface can be mediocre to disastrous. We play our casual rounds and hit that approach shot from 120yds to 20′ and are disappointed. Yet the average pro approach shot is 22′ and the very best in the world probably average 11′–just saying, the game is really hard!
greg mcneill
May 30, 2019 at 10:46 am
I admit I quit reading when you wrote that Miller won the US Open in 1966. That was probably the most famous final round in US Open history and you can’t get the year right? (It was 1973, btw. Casper beat Palmer in ’66 when Arnie blew a 7 shot lead in the last 9 holes).
Championship
May 30, 2019 at 5:16 am
Do you get “amazed” by a Friday night regular season Knicks vs Cavs 30-pt blowout win? That is the equivalent of what the Colonial was. Not every tournament is going to be A+, but doesn’t make sense to make blanket statements like that.
Also, you are celebrating the raw athletic talent you see in the NBA, but then saying the same thing makes golf boring with the longer hitters? The game has changed, but there is still PLENTY more than long drives out there, which is why the world long drivers aren’t the same guys on the Tour.
Did golf not just bring us what is widely considered to be one of the greatest moments in sports history about a month ago at The Masters? Pretty amazing to me
Sahil
May 30, 2019 at 3:09 am
There are guys in my club who have the ability to make shots from almost anywhere. These guys have lost their ability to hit the ball far. They use golf clubs that are yonkers old. They have genuine golf skills that could challenge any pro’s approach shot. They are shot makers. We obsessed with distance and this philosophy of “distance is king” has been hammered home by the golf club industry obviously to make more money which is fair in a lot of ways but at the same time golfers need to make that choice. I’d like to see a pro tournament where drivers and 3 woods are disallowed, to genuinely see who’s the best golfer. Grip it and rip it, is way too taxing on the body, ask Tiger, Jason Day, Rory. If every pro golfer is almost always making 40-50ft putts , it does make the game boring and also gives us amateurs an unrealistic view on how golf is played. Adapting to different course. playing parkland one week and a links the next. Then we have professional golfers actually complaining about the difficulty of a course, they actually say the course is too difficult. really!!!! pros practice 8 hours a day, this is their job. It’s amazing what babies they are. So I definitely agree, true skills and shot-making on approach shots and around the green is a skill that needs to be brought back. Having a birdie putt from 40-50ft is the norm, then emphasis falls onto putting and then putters and then the industry coming out with new putters, its a viscous cycle. Golf at heart is about loving the game. Spending time on the course and testing your skills.
Donn
May 30, 2019 at 2:29 am
1. TV coverage is pretty bad. Too much time is of the anchors yakk yakk, not enough of the whole field making full swing shots. And Yes, too much TV is just the putt. In the Masters, if I am home watching, I would like them to broadcast at least 40 or 50 of the tee shots from the 1st tee, more tee shots all over the course, even guys in the middle of the pack.
2. Is it just me, or do we see way too many mid and long putts fall way too short? I keep reading that 0 % of puts that are too short will ever go in, right?
3. At Colonial, last 2 rounds, I saw Finau swing a lot. Yikes. His swing is far from textbook, but I didn’t hear any comments. Is Furyk’s swing the only one where it is ok to call it weird?
4. I think it is time to redesign some courses to add more risks or actual dead zones at 300 yards. More doglegs, or severe narrowing of the fairway from say 300 to 330 yards, to force more of the big hitters to play the locations like courses presented to the pros 40 years ago. When most of the par 4s are wedges to the green, it is monotonous as Koepka said.
Terence Gillmore
May 29, 2019 at 8:57 pm
Trevino said that what can’t last is “chipping for pars” not “putting for pars”
Bob Jones
Jun 1, 2019 at 12:26 pm
Yes. This is how the quote is supposed to go.
Dave r
May 29, 2019 at 7:31 pm
Watching LPGA golf us older types can relate better. The smash boys really not worth watching anymore . It’s the same old thing hit it as far as you can find it and repeat . I watched the college golf and they are hitting 6 and 7 irons 210 yards was wondering what the wedge guy thinks are 6 irons really 6 irons or are they 6 irons with a 4-5 iron lofts. Would agree watching golf on tv is like watching paint dry.
Geoffrey Holland
May 29, 2019 at 6:07 pm
What a garbage article.
Darrin Lygrisse
May 29, 2019 at 5:44 pm
You know what fails to amaze me these days? Sports writing.
There used to be an old adage in journalism, “the smaller the ball the better the writing” Now it pretty much just all sucks. Professional writing is dead for the most part, I used to love getting my Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Golf Illustrated, my Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, and reading all the great articles, cover to cover. Now the only thing I subscribe to is this GolfWRX email newsletter, which when I try to open, tries to get me to subscribe every single damn time, even though I have been since 2006.
It would be nice to see some real professionals on the beat again.
Donn
May 30, 2019 at 2:12 am
Love this one.
Steve
May 29, 2019 at 5:28 pm
Isn’t that the beauty of the PGA, though? ANYONE’s first tee shot on Thursday could lead to a win, and not because some team has a higher salary cap or lets their star player build a super team around him.
Vas
May 29, 2019 at 5:13 pm
I almost totally agree, but would have presented it differently. Golf now is basically the same as tennis. Success is all about physicality and hitting the ball as hard as you can. The equipment makes it that way. There was no incentive to looking like a linebacker in 1985 because you would spin the ball off the planet and not break 80. It’s totally okay to prefer serve-and-volley tennis instead of the grunt-fest from the baseline. It’s equally okay to prefer pre-90s skill-emphasized golf instead of guys swinging for the fences with the driver. What’s not okay is to place ANY blame or insult on ANY player. They’re all businessmen. They’re doing what works. If my kids really take to the game, I’m going have them swing as fast as they can and figure out the rest later.
Daniel
May 29, 2019 at 5:04 pm
Maybe the problem with not being amazed with pro golf anymore has to do with the tv coverage. When I watch now it seems like all I see are putts. They show all the leaders shots, especially on Sunday in a major when it’s a big name, but not everybody else.
I like the shot tracers and wish there was more of that. It’s good to see the trajectory of the ball, and not just a close up shot of it flying in the air with nothing but sky around.
JK
May 29, 2019 at 4:47 pm
Dustin Johnson has won every year for 12 seasons, something only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have done.
Phil Mickelson, who is nearing 50, won already this year and is consistently in the top 25 of tournaments in which he plays.
What are these dumb claims that no one has maintained performance over the years? Did you not see a guy win back-to-back US Opens followed closely by back-to-back PGA championships?
Did you forget about just a few years ago when Phil Mickelson was in the final group of the Open Championship, shot 65, and didn’t win?
Did you miss when someone shot 62 in a major?
Terrible article
Pelling
May 29, 2019 at 5:43 pm
Did you not forget Phil chasing after a putt he hit at Shinnecock and slapping the ball while it was moving?
DavidRB
May 29, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Couldn’t agree more with Terry. Golf has become boring. Don’t take me wrong, the boring part is because “these guys are good”, precise and boring. I do think the huge purses have caused some to play for the money and not the trophy. Kevin Na played the way one needs to to master Colonial. If you have never been there, try it if you can. It takes precise boring golf to win there.
Keep it up Terry. The bomb and gouge style of play deserves more accurate wedge play. What I saw last week, the players couln’t get the ball hole-high from 125 or less.
Grumpy Old Man
May 29, 2019 at 4:29 pm
“You kids get off my lawn!” – Terry Koehler
Shallowface
May 30, 2019 at 8:06 am
Beyond Beyond Beyond played.
Shallowface
May 31, 2019 at 1:19 pm
That is so far beyond played you should be ashamed of yourself.
The dude
May 29, 2019 at 4:25 pm
“Dogs that chase cars….and Ben Hogan equipment”
ButchT
May 30, 2019 at 5:27 am
Where did that come from?
PSG
May 29, 2019 at 1:20 pm
The Tour used to be much less top-heavy in terms of prize support. Virtually all the increase in prize money has gone to the top 5 spots. There used to be a 12% gap between number 5 and number 10. Now its about 170%.
The “best players” used to be guys who would shoot 70 every day. Now you are much better off shooting 65 four straight days and shoot over 80 the rest of the year. That’s why you see the decisions you do – players fire at pins because winning the tournament is much higher rewarded than making the cut.
You can like it or not like it but to act as if these players are less skilled is asinine. They’re not less skilled, that’s absurd. They are trying to win. In the days you reference the prize money was in being in the top 25 every week. Now it is in winning once a year. Because of this they’re not shooting middle of the green.
Do you honestly think the players of today woke up and decided to be worse and dumber?! Of course not. They are incentivized to take risks, and they do.
Cody
May 29, 2019 at 9:44 am
I would take the current top ten golfers vs. any top ten golfers of any time period.
Murv
May 29, 2019 at 7:26 pm
Today’s players against 60’s and 70’s players using 60’s equipment and balls. I’ll take the old guys.
Jason Day said it best. Back in the day they curved the ball around the hazards because they had to. Today they just hit it high, straight over the hazards.
carl spackler
May 29, 2019 at 9:38 am
its really too bad we dont have better shot data from the old days. i would love to see the strokes gained stats for the best players from the 60s through the 90s
i would bet the ball striking was a bit better in the old days, but not as much as people like to think. todays greens are harder, faster and the ball spins less which makes it harder to hold shots on the green
Glass half full
May 29, 2019 at 7:02 am
I like watching sports on tv because these athletes can perform at a level I cannot. Colonial isn’t a big tournament in the calendar but still, Kevin Na was impressive. Even if I could the ball as far and straight as a PGA Tour pro, I know that hardly anyone can qualify because….it’s damn hard. I’m not a fan of cynical articles like these, your rant seems petty. These guys ( women ) are very talented.
Shallowface
May 29, 2019 at 3:26 am
What I find interesting is how many tour pros say they never watch golf on television. Imagine if we all get up one morning and decide we’re not going to watch anymore. The only reason pro golf exists is because someone wants to watch it. Terry is right. There’s nothing really interesting going on there anymore. The 210 yard 2 iron second into a Par 4. Now that was some good television.
golfrank
May 29, 2019 at 5:56 pm
Maybe it’s less interesting today because the 210-yard 2-iron has been replaced by a 210-yard 7-iron.
Shallowface
May 30, 2019 at 8:04 am
Yep, which is entirely due to a ball that doesn’t spin as it used to. Athleticism has NOTHING to do with it.
It’s never going to happen, but if it were possible to legislate the old balata spin rates into the modern golf ball the game would become interesting to watch again. The ball wouldn’t go as far and more importantly it wouldn’t go as straight. It would be more affected by the wind. All of the challenges that made golf the game it was, but no longer is.
But that sort of thing falls to the USGA, who only has the authority which it is granted by those who choose to play under its rules. If they were to do such a thing, the PGA Tour would simply say “we are going to play by our rules” and nothing would change.
The USGA, as irrelevant as it has become, wouldn’t want to be driven into a state of total irrelevance. So they’ll continue to do nothing and like it.
Shallowface
May 31, 2019 at 1:17 pm
What we need is a ball on the order of the original Spalding Tour Edition, which was a two piece with a urethane cover that spun as much or more that a wound balata ball. That would Make Golf Great Again.
Jack
May 28, 2019 at 10:03 pm
Terry is talking about pro golfers like they are a bunch of amateurs, constantly missing greens and trying to get up and down or worse. These guys are really good tee to green, and that includes the long irons. Kevin Na just put together 4 rounds that were 3 of them really good (1 course record). Often pro’s will get 1 record round and puke it up the next. he didn’t. That’s why he won by 4. Give some credit to the winners. Also it’s not like most tournaments are decided by 4 shots and Na is a consistent winner on tour (although he is a tour staple at this point). Na just caught fire and left the field behind.
I think there’s some old timers bias here. Of course the top old pro’s were very good, but I doubt the middle tier guys were very good either. See? I just said that without any research or proof. The pro’s nowadays need to be very good with their long irons which they need to hit even further, so in many ways they are even more accurate than the guys had to be before. If they don’t score on par 5’s with their long clubs, they need to get hot on par 4’s which isn’t always easy with the par 4’s getting longer and longer. Even par 3’s are like 200 plus yards often. There have been plenty of memorable shots, most recently Koepka’s dominance and DJ almost making it up, and prior to that Tiger showing us some old school shot making.
Yes the long hitters wedge in, but they are not all hitting it 320. The 290 guys are still hitting mid irons. And if the pro’s of the old days had to hit long irons into par 4’s all the time, they probably didn’t last on tour very long.
Appreciate your wedge expert articles, but this wasn’t really your best work.
The dude
May 28, 2019 at 11:01 pm
This reply was too long….way too long
R
May 28, 2019 at 9:52 pm
You’re crazy Terry. And really should quit talking or writing. For ever. You’re only making yourself sound a prat, and forget that this stuff stays on the web for ever. For ever. Realize that. It’s going to be readable for ever. It’s not like this stupid writing will be forgotten in some backwoods bookshop in the Middle Ages. Not any more. This is how you will be remembered
JP
May 28, 2019 at 9:59 pm
So how do you really feel about this article? Haha
Shallowface
May 29, 2019 at 3:19 am
Forever is one word, not two.
The Dean
May 29, 2019 at 11:37 pm
He is a good Episcopalian… For (space) Ever. 2 words sez the BCP
Nick
May 28, 2019 at 8:51 pm
Terry,
Ironically, when I read your first article, I thought about the same things are happening in the MLB and NBA. Strikeouts, walks and home runs are at all time highs. You can argue whether that is good or bad.
The NBA parallels golf even more because the mid-range shot has all but disappeared. Teams now pretty much just shoot 3s and layups or dunks. Thirty years ago, teams averaged 2.2 three point shots per game. This season, that number is up to 11.4. Again, you can argue whether that is good or bad, but it is happening.
I love reading your stuff, but I think you are missing the mark here. Golf is but one sport following the same trend.
Daniel
May 29, 2019 at 4:58 pm
I agree 100% Nick.
To me, golf is not better or worse than it once was, it’s just different.
Joseph Greenberg
May 30, 2019 at 7:24 am
right on (3) point. bigger picture problem for NBA and MLB is rapidly declining viewership, with baseball suffering major falloff in attendance. If all the fan sees is Ks and HRs, there is no action, particularly if watching on tv. Same to lesser degree with NBA, except my beloved Warriors when they move the ball and themselves around, play D, and run the break.
The threat to golf is more severe, as aging target market loses relatability to massive young stars.
NBB
May 28, 2019 at 6:25 pm
Perhaps via the use of tour data determine the yardage in which to begin progressively narrowing a fairway as it approaches the green and as the fairway narrows, the rough would become progessively more dense toward the green? Perhaps the progressiveness of faiway width and rough density would only slightly favor the longest hitters (given their propensity for missing the fairway at the great distances), but such would favor accuracy for all and enlarge the field of contenders. Perhaps, also, slow the greens down to ‘difficult’ rather than ‘aw, that ain’t right’?
J
May 28, 2019 at 1:36 pm
You lost me when you said the NBA consistently amazes you. Regular season games are hard to watch for me. No one gives consistent effort the full game it seems like to me. Boring as hell for me. YMMV as usual
Juststeve
May 28, 2019 at 12:31 pm
Terry: You and I agree. I remember when hitting all the clubs, including long irons and fairway wood, was the mark of a great golfer. Now its just smash, pitch and putt. Not nearly as interesting. Perhaps I’ll watch more of the LPGA.
Bombers Golf Shop
May 29, 2019 at 4:50 pm
Besides, almost every damn amateur male golfer should take notes on how the LPGA players swing. They pick courses’ bones with a smooth, repeatable action. Pound for pound, they are the best.