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Morning 9: More takes on Kuchar | Bob Hope saved | Cullan Brown | Lost bag debacle

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7 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected]; @benalberstadt on Instagram)

September 10, 2019

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans. From one expert in not being able to stay out of his own way to another: Matt Kuchar, what are you thinking?
1. Against the spirit of the rules?
Scathing stuff from Geoff Shackelford in Golfweek…
First, he puts Matt Kuchar’s waste area management at the European Open in its right context-Kuchar’s recent questionable behavior…
  • “El Tucan technically was not entitled to a normal caddie payday after a big win in Mexico…The pitch mark at the Memorial was his because someone said so, yet a replay said otherwise and a third opinion was asked for to get a better lie…And now coarse waste bunker sand is a loose impediment.”

More from Shackelford…“The newly revised rules opened the door for the latest questionable act of sportsmanship by Matt Kuchar. Players can now move a loose impediment in a bunker. As Kuchar demonstrated, if sand is coarse enough to be a pebble in the eyes of any official, then all of the tiny particles are loose impediments.”

  • “While using the rules of golf to your advantage is wise, it’s confounding to watch someone with a once solid reputation and plenty of cash in the bank to snub his upturned nose at the spirit of the rules. Again. In the same year. On television.”
  • “Kuchar takes well over the time allotted to play a shot while we are watching- television cut away after 40 seconds of Kuchar’s trench dig – and seems to improve his lie in the “waste area.”

Full piece (and arguably the definitive take on Kuch’s pebble picking. 

2. Bob Hope saved
Larry Bohannon at the Palm Springs Desert Sun…”An international blue-chip financial giant will bring its name and its services to the Coachella Valley’s PGA Tour event in January.”
  • “American Express, one of the largest companies in the world and one of the 30 companies listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, will be the new title sponsor for the 61-year-old desert tour event, The Desert Sun has learned.”
  • “The multi-year sponsorship deal will re-brand the desert event as The American Express. An official announcement is expected Monday morning.”
  • “This is absolutely the best sponsor we could ask for,” said Jeff Sanders of Lagardere Sports, the company that operates the tournament for Desert Classic Charities. “This is the best news we have received since we took over the opportunity to run this event. American Express is an iconic global brand that transcends quality. We could not be more excited.”

Full piece.

3. 2 players, 1 premier team competition in women’s golf, zero clubs
Golf Channel’s Jason Crook...”Both Europe’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff and the United States’ Angel Yin flew to Edinburgh through Dublin over the weekend, but their clubs didn’t make the connection.”
“As Shadoff and Yin began to miss valuable practice time on Monday, players, caddies and even the European social media team turned to Twitter for help.”
“On the bright side, Shadoff did text GolfWeek with renewed hope later in the day, “Apparently there are over 200 bags in Dublin that are meant for Edinburgh. They have sent a plane with just bags on that just landed, so hopefully they are on that.””
4. Grim statistics
Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”For starters, you’re more likely to lose your card than keep it”
“As a refresher, the top 125 players in the FedEx Cup point standings at the end of the regular season don’t just make the playoffs, they keep their cards for next season. Out of those 300 players, only 42 percent reached the tour’s postseason, and more important, avoided demotion. That means, on average, 21 players from the 50 get full status. (To clarify, the 50 Korn Ferry graduates don’t technically enjoy full status, as they are subject to a priority rank, which comes in play when trying to enter a tournament. Only one player-this year, Scottie Scheffler-is exempt for finishing atop the full-season and the Finals points list.)”
  • “This past season, 19 players were able to make the playoffs, although 20 kept their cards thanks to Martin Trainer’s win at the Puerto Rico Open. Of this 19, only two-Lucas Glover and Sungjae Im-reached East Lake, which comes with its own rewards. Speaking of which …
5. Cullan Brown: More than just the “Kentucky golfer with bone cancer”
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols with a profile of Brown as he battles osteosarcoma…
  • “The game has never been the be-all-end-all for a man who breathes joy into the world.”
  • “He’s the most beloved kid I’ve ever had,” said Craig, “times 20 probably.”
  • Brown doesn’t need golf to make him happy. Redshirt freshman Jay Kirchdorfer spent the past year trying to be the same.
  • “I really think that’s his secret weapon,” said Kirchdorfer. “We’re all out there getting mad and frustrated. He’s just over there hitting shots, talking about food, looking in the trees for ducks, a deer if he can find one.”
  • “Emma Talley knows that all too well. Brown was looking toward the sky for birds when he caddied for her recently at the LPGA’s stop in Arkansas. He can usually name every plant and animal on property at a golf course, a talent that comes in part from his love of the outdoors coupled with a strong appetite for reading.”

Full piece.

6. 3 from GBR?
Golf Channel’s Nick Menta with welcome news for fans of Great Britain…”Casey is now up 14th in the latest Official World Golf Ranking, making him the third Brit in the top 15 behind No. 4 Justin Rose and No. 13 Tommy Fleetwood.”
  • “Each country can have up to two representatives in the 60-player field, except for those with three or more players inside the world’s top 15, who can send a maximum of four.”
  • “The American men (4), British men (3), and Korean women (4) are the contingents currently projected to send more than two to next summer’s Games in Japan.”

Full piece.

7. Apathy AKA “What gives, BBC?”
Derek Lawrenson at the Daily Mail is none to pleased with the BBC’s lack of coverage of the preeminent women’s team competition…
  • “…For I looked at the schedule that Radio 5 Live have put out on the BBC website for their sports programmes from Friday to Sunday and couldn’t find a mention anywhere.”
  • “Sure, there’s a half-hour preview programme slated for Thursday evening, and fair play to them for that, but when the event actually begins? Zip.”
  • “You know 5 Live, the station that made such a song and dance of the fact they were going to broadcast more live women’s sport this summer than ever before?”
  • “Change the Game, they called it. Yet no live coverage of the Solheim, unarguably one of the biggest women’s events of all.”

Full piece.

8. Letters from the King
The winner of 13 titles worldwide, including the 2006 U.S. Open and three World Golf Championships events, had not won in more than four years. While there were trying times, the Aussie kept at it week after week. His perseverance paid off when he found his form by Lake Tahoe and pulled away for a 5-point win in the Modified Stableford tournament.
  • “Four days later, the victory became even more special….Ogilvy got a letter from Arnold Palmer.”
  • “That was the one that moved me,” Ogilvy said. “All the letters mean so much, but that one, that letter blew me away.”
  • “Well done, Geoff, I know you’ve been struggling. This is a great win. Welcome back. Great to see. Sincerely, Arnold Palmer”

Full piece.

9.. Let’s put an end to this term
A piece at once contentious and eminently sensible from our Ryan Barath suggests defining “women’s golf clubs” (and by extension “senior golf clubs”) is ultimately not helpful and reductive.
  • “Women’s golf clubs” have been around for as long golf clubs have been marketed, and for a period of time, like so many things I’m sure, they had a significant purpose: helping female players find what they needed to hopefully improve their golf games. But in this modern era of club fitting and customization, I think we need to put an end to identifying clubs by sex.
  • “I remember my experience at the Titleist Performance Institute, and one of the first things I was told by my fitter Glenn Mahler was”
  • “I don’t fit clubs based on gender, age, handicap, or physical abilities. I fit clubs for golfers, period-to allow them to achieve their absolute best results”
  • “I believe this is the best way for people to start thinking more about the segments of clubs made for players across the board. Male golfers don’t walk into a big box store and say “I’m looking for men’s clubs,” they say “I’m looking for clubs,” and then they get fit. If a female long drive golfer (yes, I realize it’s a small market segment) walked into most big box stores and asks to try a driver, I’m willing to guess that 90 percent of the time someone is going to give them a very poor fitting club based solely on sex-and that’s wrong.”

 

Related Topics:

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Tom T

    Sep 11, 2019 at 2:33 pm

    Kduoooooooooooche, kduoooooooooche, kduoooooooooooche, kduoooooooooooche, kduoooooooooche….

    Reply Report comment

  2. VinnyT

    Sep 11, 2019 at 10:15 am

    Kuch is a douche.

    Reply Report comment

  3. Ryan

    Sep 10, 2019 at 9:45 am

    I think Kuch was out of line with the removal of sand particles from the waste area, but the rules and officials allowed him to do it. I can’t really fully blame the guy for doing it. The official should have said something to him. The rules should be written a little more clear. Kuch shouldn’t have thought it ok to removal sand particles from the waste area. All of these are arguable points.

    Reply Report comment

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Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

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3 days ago

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Jun 1, 2026

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Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.

Henley’s Suitcase

  • Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
  • Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
  • Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
  • Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
  • Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
  • Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
  • Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
  • Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
  • Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.

Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Celine’s Suitcase

  • Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
  • Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
  • Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
  • Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
  • Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
  • Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
  • Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!

Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.

Kaneko’s Suitcase

  • Driver: Ping Max G440
  • Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
  • Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
  • Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
  • Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
  • Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro

Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.

The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

  • Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
  • Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
  • Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
  • Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
  • Wedges
  • Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

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Niemann’s Suitcase

  • Driver: Ping 440 LST
  • Metal: Ping G440 Max at 15 degrees
  • Metal: Ping G425 Max at 21 degrees
  • Hybrid: Ping G430 at 25 degrees
  • Irons: Ping Blueprint S 5 through PW
  • Wedges: Ping S159 at 52, 56, and 60 degrees
  • Putter: Ping PLD Anser

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