5. When an appearance fee to play in Saudi Arabia is-and isn’t-worth it
Via the Undercover Caddie (with Joel Beall)…”I don’t usually follow player commitments-I have a hard enough time keeping track of my schedule-but whenever I saw a big name sign up for the Saudi International, I think, Here we go. A quick glance of Twitter proves that premonition right, with fans ripping the decision to shreds. And, without fail, the first comment is along the lines of, “Why would he possibly participate?”
- “Really? You don’t know why? Come on, brother. Yes, playing for a regime with human-rights issues is not a good look, especially after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. But here’s the answer that explains why anyone does anything in this life: It’s all about the money.”
- “Growing the game, traveling to new spots, intrigued by the competition … all baloney. These guys are making the trip to pad their bank accounts- anywhere from $300,000 to $3 million for an appearance-and, perhaps, meet new sponsors. That players are given the finest accommodations, and their wives are pampered like princesses, doesn’t hurt. Any other justification of why they’re playing is a facade.”
Full piece.
6. Feherty and McCord reunited
Via Geoff Shackelford…”Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic learns from David Feherty of a one-night reunion with his former CBS sidekick Gary McCord.”
“Instead of his normal standup, Feherty will do his first half then return with McCord at Phoenix’s Orpheum theater. He says “God knows where this is going to go.”
Full piece (including a link to Goodykoontz work)
7. Out of the top 50
Could you have imagined this a couple of years ago?
Via Golf Digest’s Joel Beall...”Jordan Spieth’s comeback showed signs of early promise at Torrey Pines, only for the weekend (73, 74) to bring much of what has plagued him for the past two years.”
- “And with it, an unwanted distinction...For the first time since 2013, the former No. 1 is outside the Official World Golf Ranking top 50. Spieth, who was No. 20 this time last year, fell to No. 51 after a T-55 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open.”
Full piece.
8. Golf x Super Bowl bets
Westgate Las Vegas Superbook is doing something interesting that will have punters salivating…
Via Golf Channel’s Will Gray…”Here’s a look at some of the prop bets involving golf, with the action tied to various final-round results on Sunday (Note: should the golfer in a given matchup miss the cut, the wager in question would be refunded)”
Total points scored by both teams in the first quarter (-1.5) vs. Total fairways hit by Justin Thomas in the WMPO final round”
Jon Rahm WMPO final round birdies (-0.5) vs. Emmanuel Sanders (SF) receptions
Kansas City total rushing yards (-18.5) vs. Rickie Fowler WMPO final-round score
Travis Kelce (KC) receiving yards (-3.5) vs. Jordan Spieth WMPO final-round score
Travis Kelce (KC) receiving yards (-2.5) vs. Dustin Johnson final-round score in Saudi Arabia
Full piece.
9. In praise of Pelham Bay Park
Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier on one of the municipal gems of New York City…”The 36-hole facility is just a fraction of New York City’s largest green space. Pelham Bay Park clocks in at 2,766 acres, more then three times the size of Central Park, and is home to sports fields, hiking trails, playgrounds and beaches, including a 13-mile shoreline on Long Island Sound. As for the golf? It’s much better than you’d expect.”
“The original Pelham course, designed by civil engineer Lawrence Van Etten before its upgrade in the 30s, is open and extremely playable, set on the land of former farmland estates. Renowned course architect John Van Kleek was the go-to guy for the Parks Department’s New Deal-era courses; he designed Silver Lake on Staten Island, Dyker Beach in Brooklyn, Kissena Park in Queens and redid Van Cortlandt in the Bronx. But his best New York course was Split Rock. It’s tree-lined without being too tight, rolling terrain without being boring and has a set of expansive greens replete with knobs, mounds, waves, slopes and plateaus that would please any Golden Age architect.”
Full piece. |