Morning 9: Always pull the flagstick?! | Ridley’s decisions | Tiger Boom 2.0? | More USGA events for Erin Hills

Published

7 years ago

Apr 17, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

April 17, 2019

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans.

1. Always pull the flagstick?!?!

…the Golfing Scientist couldn’t have bad data, could he?…

Mike Stachura reports on a GD study the outlet and parties involved consider to be definitive…

“There’s loads of science behind that number. But then this is what you should expect when you put a Ph.D. on the case, which is what Golf Digest did in its May issue in an effort to answer the debate over the flagstick and whether in or out is the best way to putt.”

“Tom Mase, professor of mechanical engineering and former associate chair of the department of mechanical engineering at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), is no amateur golf scientist. He’s been on the vanguard of golf equipment research for much of his 30-plus years in academia, as well as stints at both Callaway and Titleist and as an original and long-time member of the Golf Digest Hot List Technical Advisory Panel.”

“His research on the value of leaving the flagstick in was precise, painstaking and perfectly clear. His findings upend the conventional wisdom that the flagstick is some kind of backstop, gathering wayward putts back into the hole. The facts of his study suggest the opposite, that the flagstick does much, much more to hurt your chances of a putt going in than help turn a bad putt into a made one.”

Full piece.

2. Tiger Boom 2.0?

….let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but let’s totally get ahead of ourselves…

Kevin Draper of the New York Times examines the possibility, looking back on the previous peak…

“By most metrics, golf peaked in the early 2000s, at the height of the first Tigermania. According to Gallup, in 2000, 5 percent of Americans surveyed said golf was their favorite sport to watch. By 2017, that number was 1 percent. Golf was tied with volleyball, boxing, gymnastics, motocross, figure skating and rodeo.”

“According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, 29.5 million Americans played a round of golf in 2007. In 2017, that number was 23.8 million, a decline of 19.3 percent.”

“Unlike most other sports, which believe fans respond most to parity, Woods’s dominance was electrifying for golf. From June 1997 – when he first became the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer – to October 2010, only four golfers besides Woods were ranked No. 1, for a total of less than a year and a half. Woods was ranked first for two different five-year streaks in that time.”

Full piece.

3. A tale of roaring and whimpering

…the deus ex machina of mental malfunctions on the back 9 Sunday at Augusta arrived on queue…

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…

“On the second Sunday in April every year, Augusta National feels less like a golf course than an operating table, upon which men are laid bare and probed for frailties not readily apparent to the naked eye. And no facility in the world does a more thorough job of diagnosing a faint heart, a deficit of intestinal fortitude, an absence of daring.”

“Of course, the recent vulnerabilities of Tiger Woods have been more obvious: physical injury, swing woes, personal turmoil – each a test more daunting than anything Amen Corner can pose. By comparison, the crucible of the back nine on Sunday afternoon at the Masters must have seemed a welcome relief.”

“Woods wasn’t alone in entering the final round with self-belief, but confidence is a perishable asset that can spoil during a long walk in the Georgia heat. Francesco Molinari faced down Woods at Carnoustie last year to win the British Open. In Augusta, the Italian carried himself with a papal serenity until he reached the National’s Sistine Chapel – the short 12th hole – where his lead was lost in Rae’s Creek.”

Full piece.

4. A decade in the dark

…shorthand for the abyss in which Tiger Woods was lost and the certainty of all that his career was over ultimately fail…

Our Gianni Magliocco…

“For Woods to come through all of that, and to win his fifteenth major at Augusta National, is an extraordinary achievement. His self-belief over a decade where he almost entirely lurked in the dark is difficult to fathom. What Woods has now earned through his victory at the 2019 Masters, is almost complete immunity from the doubters and naysayers. He has re-written his storyline in the tale that is life.”

“Books that were published and documentaries aired covering the rise and fall of the 15-time major champion are now out of date. Woods has assured that his legacy will forever remain and be viewed in a positive light following his victory at the Masters.”

“The hunt for Jack’s record has intensified and considering Woods continued to believe through a decade of hard knocks that he could reach 18 major victories before he retires, then his confidence of doing so now must be at staggeringly high levels.”

“If there’s a lesson to be learned over the last 10 years of his career, it’s that you should never rule out Tiger Woods in any way. Woods has never doubted himself, or at least, he never doubted what he could do if he got healthy, and that’s why, after possibly the most tumultuous decade any sportsman has ever experienced, he rose once again on golf’s grandest stage to don the green jacket.”

Full piece.

5. Erin Hills returneth

…as pro Todd Bailey tweeted, “I just heard “Breaking News” and “Erin Hills will be hosting” and my gag reflex almost took over my life”…

Golf Digest’s Keeley Levins with the news…

“On Tuesday, the USGA announced that it has named the public facility the site of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open. The event will be held from May 29-June 1. In addition to the U.S. Women’s Open, the governing body announced the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship will be held there as well.”

“We are thrilled to return to Erin Hills, and to bring the U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Mid-Amateur to such a memorable and deserving course,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA, in the USGA’s press release. “To bring these championships to a public facility all golfers can enjoy is especially exciting for us. The USGA has a great relationship with the facility, and Erin Hills has proven to be one of the premier golf venues in the nation as well as an excellent test.”

Full piece.

6. A dream realized

…for golf media folk, it’s the equivalent of a Masters invite…well, it is an invitation to play Augusta National…

Joel Beall of Golf Digest was among the media lottery winners this year, and he reflected on the experience of the Monday-after-the-Masters round at the Masters…

“A lucky few media members are chosen each year to play the course the day after the tournament. It’s called the lottery, a name that could not be more on point, for its winners have hit the jackpot.”

“That’s how I felt Monday morning, driving down Magnolia Lane to receive the golden ticket. I was assigned a spot in the Champions Locker Room, which was regally spartan and wafted in nostalgia. The practice facility was dotted with fellow gold-ticket holders brandishing the same “Can you believe this?” grin. My warm-up was J.B. Holmes-like slow, partially trying to manage a back issue, but mostly because I wanted to savor every second of the experience.”

“Ten minutes before my tee time, we walked through a clubhouse corridor out to the first tee. Standing by the big oak, I marveled at the duality of the panorama: where tens of thousands of patrons had once been shouting Tiger’s name was now just a golf course. For a second you wondered if Sunday really happened; luckily the 18th scoreboard nodded back, still littered with names and numbers.”

Full piece.

7. Better than Jack in ’86?

…I’ll take “inevitable sports discussions for $1,000,” Alex…

Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer, syndicated in Golfweek, does a pro/con analysis…

“Pros: Tiger beat a better field. Nicklaus dueled Greg Norman and Tom Kite. The former was a choker at Augusta. The latter was a blue-collar plugger who wouldn’t win a major until the U.S. Open six years later. Woods held back much of the world top 20.”

“Tiger had eight surgeries, four on his back. Two years ago, he could barely walk.”

“Tiger had to rebuild his life and his career, in that order.”

“Cons: Nicklaus was 46, three years older than Tiger. Medicine wasn’t as advanced back then. Forty-six is still old to win a major, but not as old as it was in ’86.”

Full piece.

8. How big can off-course golf get?

…it ain’t the way Old Tom played, but it’s hard to argue against Top Golf, etc, but what’s the ceiling?…

Adam Stanley examines the question in the National Golf Foundation’s “Q”…

“The participation base for off-course forms of golf increased almost 10% in 2018 to an estimated 23 million people. The year before, the off-course participation number increased 7% to 21.2 million. With its upward trajectory, almost as many people now participate off-course as play traditional, green-grass golf (24.2 million).”

“Topgolf is the next-generation driving range, combining golf with food, drink, music and games to create a sports bar-like atmosphere.”

“So, how much runway is there for these off-course facilities?”

“That remains to be seen, says ClubCorp CEO David Pillsbury, who announced a joint venture with BigShots Golf in December. BigShots is another entrant in the golf-entertainment space, offering free-standing outdoor franchises along with an indoor franchise product that can be installed as a single “tee box” or as multiple units in bars, malls and other retail venues. Like Topgolf, it provides new-age technology (Doppler radar shot-tracking) along with full-service food and beverage options, sports bars, music and televisions, and private event space.”

“I don’t think that anybody really knows yet what the demographic formula is that correlates to a saturation point,” says Pillsbury. “We’re going to find out here over the next few years what that looks like. Having said that, I think there’s plenty of room. As long as it’s fun, it’s entertainment, it’s fast, casual dining and an entertainment environment… it’s good for the game.”

Full piece.

9. What next, Fred?

…what will the ANGC chairman do with the course now that the 2019 Masters has wrapped?…

Geoff Shackelford examines the question…

“The numbers from the two back-nine par 5s most likely will not sit as well in Augusta. While both holes created moments of drama, the former icons of risk and reward now rely on the golf architectural equivalents of smoke and mirrors to retain traces of danger. At the 13th, the field recorded 17 eagles and averaged an all-time low of 4.474 in scoring since the hole was lengthened in 2002 or any year before that. Players had created a muddy, worn area on the tee by Sunday, all teeing up in the same right-side post due to a conspicuous overhanging limb. Tied at the time, Woods and Francesco Molinari had 161 and 180 yards left, respectively, for their approaches.”

“The momentous decision Ridley longs to restore was not part of the equation.”

“The par-5 15th, which appeared wider this year due to lost limbs on a once meddlesome left-hand pine, was lengthened in 2006 and yet has never played easier than it did in 2019, with its 4.532 average and 15 eagles.”

Full piece.

Photos from the ShopRite LPGA

Published

10 hours ago

May 28, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore was on site in Galloway, New Jersey, ahead of the ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern to snap some WITB photos and more.

Check out links to all the photos below!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Odyssey putters – 2026 ShopRite(LPGA)

Club Junkie WITB, week 18: Driver still needs a grip!

Published

1 day ago

May 27, 2026

Brian Knudson

Back again for week 18 with another new bag for this week’s league night! Last week I played well but lost so hoping to get back on the winning side of things. I am pretty excited to get this driver out on the course as I think it is a legit sleeper in the category. It is also time to break out some newly built irons from JP Golf that look awesome and hopefully play just as good! Here is what is in the bag this week.

Driver: PXG Lighting Tour-Mid (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Red 6s

4-wood: Wilson Dynapwr Carbon (16.5 degrees @ 16)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

Hybrid: Callaway Apex Ti Super Hybrid (21 degrees @ 20)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Red 9x

Utility: Mizuno JPX One (22 degrees @ 23)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black 85s

Irons: JP Prime (5-PW)
Shafts: UST Mamiya Dart V 105 F5

Wedge: Cleveland RTZ (50-10 MID)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 s

Wedge: Cleveland RTZ (56-10 MID)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 s

Wedge: Cleveland RTZ (50-8 ADAPT)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 s

Putter: Mizuno M.Craft City Osaka
Shaft: TPT Pulse 50

Ball: PXG Xtreme Tour

Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag

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Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge

Published

3 days ago

May 25, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

The famed Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, is the scene this week for the Charles Schwab Challenge, where Ludvig Aberg enters the week as the tournament favorite.

Tour Photographer Greg Moore and our traveling equipment insider, Alistair Cameron, are both on site this week in the Lone Star State. Thus far, we’ve been treated to an in-hand look at TaylorMade’s new ZT Max putter, as well as a bounty of WITBs.

Check out links to all our photos below.