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Morning 9: Why Tiger sat Saturday at the Prez Cup

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By Ben Alberstadt
Email me at [email protected] and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.

December 19, 2019

Good Thursday morning, golf fans. We’re only playing 5 holes this morning! 
 
**We’re looking for advertisers for 2020. Drop me a line if you’d like to talk about getting your message in front of the M9 readership. Banner and native ad possibilities are, well, possible** 
1. Hank Haney suing PGA Tour
ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Hank Haney is suing the PGA Tour for what he says is its role in his firing from a SiriusXM satellite radio show earlier this year.”
  • “Haney, a longtime golf instructor known best for working with Tiger Woods, said in a U.S. district court lawsuit that the PGA Tour “improperly intimidated, enticed and threatened SiriusXM Radio to suspend and ultimately terminate” Haney’s show, which aired on SiriusXM’s PGA Tour Radio station. The lawsuit also said the tour “wanted to settle an old score relating to professional golfer Tiger Woods.”

Full piece.

2. Why Tiger sat Saturday
Harig again…”Tiger Woods surprisingly sat out all of Saturday’s competition at the Presidents Cup because he didn’t feel right physically, according to assistant captain Fred Couples.”
  • “But Couples, on his Sirius XM Radio show, said he and fellow assistants Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson were surprised and tried to talk Woods into playing.”
  • “…Couples said on his show that he was on a headset with the other captains and Woods and “maybe the first time I ever wanted to throw up” when he heard how the conversation was going.”
  • “At about 10 o’clock, (Woods) said, ‘Guys, my body is not going to let me go. I’m not going to play this afternoon.’ Of course, Stricker hopped on and said, ‘Tiger please, can you go in right now and get loose and warm.’ He said, ‘Strick, I can’t do it.’ Zach said, “Tiger, are you sure, you sure?’
3. “Old Man Golf Media” vs “Fanboy Media”
Our Gianni Magliocco…”In contrast to a decade ago, not every golf fan plays anymore, and it shouldn’t be a pre-requisite for loving the sport and expressing opinions on the game. Golf has seen an influx of new followers, particularly thanks to the DFS/Betting world, with the popularity of betting on the sport surging. The new generation of media has tapped into that demand, and it’s no surprise that the PGA Tour has now taken measures to ensure that betting is now more accessible to fans at Tour events from 2020 onwards.”
  • “With this new generation comes the casual playing golfer-a demographic which gobble up 21st-century style content and leave the ponderous old-school journalists scratching their heads. The type of fans that would rather consume a segment where a Tour pro has their guard down being themselves over reading a 1000-word piece over-analyzing a freakish swing such as Dustin Johnson’s which is entirely alien to 99.99% of even the most avid golfers.”
  • “While many long-serving golf writers miss that point, it’s not lost on some of the biggest and most established golf productions such as Golf Channel. There is a reason why the likes of Jonathan Coachman, who from a WWE background, was drafted in to liven up the channel’s PGA Tour Live coverage. That reason is for the new generation of golf fan, and quite frankly, he’s been a breath of fresh air.”
  • “Could the old-guard of journalists do more to be more inclusive to golf’s new fans? Absolutely. Is that likely? Judging by the resentment shown over certain media members excited reaction to a fist-bump with Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup, it would seem unlikely, and it’s a failing on their part.”

Full piece.

4. Best golf gambling stories of 2019
Stephen Hennessey at Golf Digest…”There was the guy who accidentally bet $20 on Shane Lowry to win the Open Championship, as he intended to place the bet on the U.S. Open. The gentleman, who Jason Sobel of Action Network first reported on, was quite happy to see he won $1,000 kind of by accident. If only we could all be so lucky.”
  • “Then there was guy who hit the most impressive golf parlay of the year. A U.K. bettor hit a four-leg parlay with the most random of events: Xander Schauffele to win in Kapalua; Brooks Koepka to lead the PGA Tour’s money list; Tiger Woods to win the Masters and Jon Rahm to win the European Tour’s Race to Dubai. We certainly respect the move, but we’re still trying to wrap our heads around this one. No matter: The €126,875+ this gentleman claims to have won is enough to take our logic out of the mix.”

Full piece.

5. Discovery acquires Golf Channel Latin America 
Golf Digest staff report…”Discovery announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Latin America Golf, which operates Golf Channel Latin America.”
  • “Launched in 2006, Golf Channel Latin America is a PGA Tour platform, offering 36 exclusive live events per year. The network reaches 17 countries and boasts reporting, analysis and coverage of the sport on its digital side, along with instructional and entertainment programing. Discovery acquired the channel from Simple Networks LLC and Fornaluz Productions, S.A., an affiliate of Inversiones Bahia.”
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2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Billie Smith

    Dec 19, 2019 at 9:57 am

    Tiger sat out because he’s a chicken to play.

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Equipment

Rickie Fowler’s new putter: Standard-length Odyssey Jailbird 380 in custom orange

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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article. 

…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.

Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.

Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.

Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.

According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.

He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.

Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.

Head over to PGATour.com for the full article. 

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Equipment

Details on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship

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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article. 

So, with a couple of weeks off following his latest start at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Thomas sought to re-address his driver setup with the remote help of Titleist Tour fitting expert J.J. Van Wezenbeeck. About two weeks ago, Thomas and Van Wezenbeeck reviewed his recent driver stats, and discussed via phone call some possible driver and shaft combinations for him to try.

After receiving Van Wezenbeeck’s personalized shipment of product options while at home, Thomas found significant performance improvements with Titleist’s TSR2 head, equipped with Thomas’ familiar Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX shaft.

Compared to Thomas’ longtime TSR3 model, the TSR2 has a larger footprint and offers slightly higher spin and launch characteristics.

According to Van Wezenbeeck, Thomas has picked up about 2-3 mph of ball speed, to go along with 1.5 degrees higher launch and more predictable mishits.

“I’d say I’d been driving it fine, not driving it great, so I just wanted to, honestly, just test or try some stuff,” Thomas said on Tuesday in an interview with GolfWRX.com at Quail Hollow Club. “I had used that style of head a couple years ago (Thomas used a TSi2 driver around 2021); I know it’s supposed to have a little more spin. Obviously, yeah, I’d love to hit it further, but if I can get a little more spin and have my mishits be a little more consistent, I felt like obviously that’d be better for my driving…

“This (TSR2) has been great. I’ve really, really driven it well the week I’ve used it. Just hitting it more solid, I don’t know if it’s the look of it or what it is, but just a little bit more consistent with the spin numbers. Less knuckle-ball curves. It has been fast. Maybe just a little faster than what I was using. Maybe it could be something with the bigger head, maybe mentally it looks more forgiving.”

Head over to PGATour.com for the full article. 

 

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5 fall golf trip destinations you should book right now

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The 2024 golf season is in full swing with the warm weather settling in and those long summer days right around the corner, but what if we told you that you should be thinking about golf this fall? While it may seem to be a ways away, now is the perfect time to start putting together your end-of-season fall golf trip

Courses are in great shape, the weather is more enjoyable as temps cool off, and your golf game is in peak condition after playing all summer! The best part about fall golf trips is that there are some great deals to be found at golf destinations across the country! Additionally, you can get away to the Caribbean on an all-inclusive trip or travel across the pond for some links golf in the UK or Ireland before the end of their golf season in October. 

If you are happy to stay stateside this fall, here are the best golf destinations you should book for your fall trip.

Myrtle Beach, SC 

Commonly known as the “Golf Capital of the World”, this coastal destination is home to over 200 golf courses making it the ideal location for a golf trip! If you’re looking for golf and accommodation onsite, choose from a wide range of resorts including favorites like Barefoot and Legends. Alternatively, you could rent a house or stay by the beach and play top tracks like Caledonia, Grande Dunes, Pine Lakes, True Blue, TPC Myrtle Beach and many more! With a plethora of options, you will be able to customize your trip to stay within budget! Fall in South Carolina is a golfer’s paradise with minimal rain, sunny skies, and temperatures in the low 80s (dipping into the 70s in later fall with lower humidity), the perfect combination for a golf trip.

Scottsdale, AZ 

If you’ve never played golf in the desert, fall is the best time to do so and there is no better selection of desert layouts than Scottsdale. With a wide variety of golf resorts, courses, and attractions, it is easy to see why many professional golfers call this place home. Enjoy a golf and city trip with a stay close to the nightlife in Old Town and a tour of the local courses like Raven, McCormick Ranch, and Ocotillo. Head north of the city with a resort stay at The Westin Kierland or Hyatt Regency and play some Championship courses like TPC Scottsdale, Troon North, or Grayhawk. Or head out to the fabulous We-Ko-Pa Resort  and Golf Club and indulge in the ultimate desert golf experience. The weather in Scottsdale will be very warm (mid to high 80s), with cloudless skies and green grass contrasting the desert landscape.

Orlando, FL 

The golf mecca in the state of Florida, Orlando is a great golf destination any time of the year, but fall is really where it flourishes. Course conditions are impeccable, the weather is warm with fading humidity, and there are a multitude of off-course activities for the whole family. Stay & play at some of the best golf resorts like Reunion and Omni Championsgate or tick off a bucket list course when you visit Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill. A few other reasons this destination is so popular is the wide variety of rental houses throughout the area, perfect for a large group and the quality courses to choose from including Waldorf Astoria, Celebration, Shingle Creek, and the three Disney courses! With easy accessibility through the MCO Airport, Orlando is a no-brainer for a fall golf trip.

Las Vegas, NV 

PAIUTE GOLF RESORT – LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

A destination often overlooked when it comes to golf, Las Vegas in the fall is a wonderful treat! A stay on the iconic Las Vegas Strip gives you a wide range of 3 to 5-star hotel options within walking distance to the city’s biggest entertainment venues, casinos, restaurants, and more! For golf options, you will need to travel outside of the city (roughly 20 mins) to play some incredible desert layouts like Rio Secco, Revere, Cascata, and the trio of courses at Paiute Golf Resort. If you fancy a longer day trip, you can always take the hour-long drive up to Mesquite and play Wolf Creek and Conestoga for a pure desert golf experience. 

Alabama – Robert Trent Jones Trail 

If you’re a golf nerd (like me) and you’re looking for something a little different for your trip, look no further than the incredible RTJ Trail in Alabama. The Trail spans 11 different locations across the state with over 400 holes of golf all designed by legendary course designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The more popular courses on the trail are in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Auburn, making it perfect for an extended trip. Some of the best courses on the trail include Ross Bridge, Grand National (2 courses) and Capitol Hill (3 courses).Weather-wise, fall is the best time to hit the trail with average temps hovering around 80s (dipping into the 70s as fall goes on) with a limited amount of rainfall. The summer months are usually where the pricing is the highest so you can find the best deals in the fall with courses still in good condition. 

There has already been a huge uptick in fall golf trip bookings, so make sure to start planning now to get the travel dates and tee times you want for your group! 

Editor’s note: This article is presented in partnership with Golfbreaks. When you make a purchase through links in this article, GolfWRX may earn an affiliate commission. 

RELATED: 7 PGA TOUR courses you need to play

  

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