19th Hole
Hank Haney: ‘This whole hit the fairway thing is a bunch of baloney, and it always has been’; blasts golf media ‘idiots’
Hank Haney took to his podcast this week to share his strong views on the importance of distance in the game, while also slamming golf media ‘idiots’ who questioned him over Tiger’s accuracy with the driver during their time together.
The 65-year-old claimed that “if you can’t hit the long ball, the game has passed you by”, and on his show cited Henrik Stenson as an example as to why.
Haney explained how the Swede hits many fairways because he often takes 3-wood, and broke down the numbers to illustrate why the concept that accuracy off the tee is important is ‘a bunch of baloney’.
“In 2020, he (Stenson) was 5th in accuracy off the tee, but yet he was 163rd in strokes gained off the tee. The advantage you get from driving comes from distance. This is why Rory is up there at the top, DJ is up there at the top and DeChambeau was number one last year.
This whole hit the fairway thing is a bunch of baloney, and it always has been.”
Haney then went back to his successful period coaching Tiger Woods and took aim at those who at the time criticised Tiger’s driving – with some scathing remarks directed towards those in the media.
“I remember when I was coaching Tiger, from 2004 to 2010, and those absolute idiots that follow golf that are the media. This is like the ‘fake news’.
The golf media idiots who don’t know anything about the game and they used to ask me all the time about Tiger’s driving accuracy, and I’m like ‘it doesn’t matter, it’s a meaningless statistic’. As long as you keep it in play and miss it in the right spot and hit a few key fairways, that’s all you have to do.”
Haney then summed up his thoughts on what the goal should be when driving the ball: “You want distance and you want to be able to find your ball. If you can do that, you’re going to do good.”
Check out the audio from the Hank Haney podcast below.
If you can't hit the long ball, the game has passed you by! It's ALL ABOUT THE LONG BALL! pic.twitter.com/vWZBGDu7uT
— Hank Haney (@HankHaney) October 28, 2020
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19th Hole
Man charged with stealing millions of dollars worth of memorabilia from Augusta National
According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, a man has been charged in Chicago with stealing millions of dollars’ worth of memorabilia from Augusta National.
The man, Robert Globensky, was charged with transporting the memorabilia across state lines.
The report states that between 2009 and 2022, Globensky allegedly transported “millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia” from Augusta National “and transported to Tampa, Florida, knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”
The document was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Per the court records there is no mention that Globensky worked for the golf club.
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- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
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19th Hole
Talor Gooch: 54 holes is more exciting for the fans
Over the past few weeks, two of LIV Golf’s biggest stars, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, have both expressed that they believe LIV could go to 72 holes.
While speaking to BBC Sport, Rahm said he “wouldn’t mind” going to 72 holes.
“If there ever was a way where LIV could go to 72 holes I think it would help all of this argument a lot.”
“The closer I think we can get LIV Golf to some other things the better. I think it would be for some kind of unification to feed into a world tour or something like that.
“I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going back to 72 holes.”
Phil Mickelson, while speaking after his final round at The Masters, also said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if LIV went to 72 holes.
“I don’t think it makes a difference either way. We’ve got mini-tours playing 54, Champions Tour playing 54. I wouldn’t be surprised if some or all of LIV events went to 72. I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy the competition.”
Another one of LIV’s top players, Talor Gooch, expressed on Wednesday that he feels quite differently.
“It’s just funny to me, this arbitrary number of 72.”
“Why is it not 90? “Why is it not 108? We just decided to make that number the number, for what reason?”
“Everyone’s talked about world ranking points and all this stuff, but no one’s talked about what do the fans enjoy more?”
“People want something that’s going to be more exciting. And I personally think that the 54 holes is more exciting for the fans.”
After Gooch’s comments, I decided to get some fan feedback for myself, making a poll on X. With about 4,500 votes in at the time of writing this, roughly 84% of voters in the poll indicated they’d prefer 72 holes to just 16% saying they’d prefer 54.
Rahm prefers 72 holes
Gooch prefers 54 holesWhere do the fans stand?
— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) April 17, 2024
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19th Hole
Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Earlier this week, rumors began to fly that Rory McIlroy could be making a shock switch to LIV Golf which caused quite the stir on social media.
However, on Tuesday, McIlroy emphatically shut down those rumors, telling Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town:
“I honestly don’t know how these things get started. I’ve never been offered a number from LIV and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV. Again I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me.
It’s unfortunate that we have to deal with it and this is the state that our game’s in. I’m obviously here today and I’m playing this PGA Tour event next week and I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”
Golf Channel analyst and longtime LIV critic, Brandel Chamblee, took to social media before McIlroy’s statement to point the finger at “Saudis/LIV,” who he believes started the rumor:
I have no doubt that this rumor was started by Saudis/LIV… to benefit Saudis/LIV after such a poor showing, as a group, at The Masters.
I’d be very surprised if this turns out to be true. https://t.co/SWNgjHtWSM
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 16, 2024
When one user pushed back on Chamblee’s claim that LIV golfers had a poor showing at the Masters, Brandel went further into why he believes the opening major of the year was a failure for the breakaway tour.
You think they paid 3 billion for a few top tens and to be +82 as a group at major? A senior citizen beat some of their “stars” and almost all the game’s of LIV players have deteriorated since they sold their souls to the Saudis who only bought a moment in time… nothing else. https://t.co/xERkYsztIJ
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 16, 2024
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- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
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