19th Hole
Greg Norman unveils unique plan for final green should a LIV golfer win the Masters
LIV commissioner Greg Norman says that he will have “goosebumps” if any of the 18 LIV players win the Masters as the other 17 “are all going to be there on the 18th green.”
Halfway through the fourth round of LIV Golf Orlando, four-time major winner Brooks Keopka, 2018 Masters champion Partick Reed and reigning Open champion Cam Smith are all in contention for the win, a pleasing sight for those more interested in seeing a clash of the Titans rather than a petty war of words.
Norman knows that, among ‘his’ players, the return to top form for all those three sets up one of the most fascinating weeks in Masters’ history, with viewing figures certain to rise should the final couple of groups contain a mix of LIV and PGA Tour players.
“I complement the Masters on letting the players play because now they have got the best field and they are actually now the true Super Bowl,” Norman told NewsCorp on Saturday.
The 68-year-old has always maintained that the majors, at least, should be neutral to the ongoing war between the two tours, and takes a look at what this weekend could do for the viewing figures.
“If I’m the Masters right now, I would want, on Sunday, DJ or Brooks or Cam, any of the guys against Rory (McIlroy) and Jon Rahm. Can you imagine what the TV ratings would be like?”
“It’s what people want,” he said. “It’s what the TV wants. The ratings will be far higher than any other ratings if you’ve got Rory playing any one of our top guys.”
The two-time Open champion and three-time Masters runner-up is adamant his crew are ready to compete this week, with a genuine chance of victory.
“They [LIV ‘guys’] are so focused. We got these green speeds up around 13 right now. They’ll be a little bit quicker tomorrow, so they’re working their way into next week, but next week, it’s going to be a washout,” Norman said, alluding to the forecast for wild gusts and continual rain.
“The golf course is going to soften and suit a couple of my boys. It’s going to be a big, long carry golf course. You know, Cam carries the ball a long way, DJ, Brooks too.”
Whichever of those is in contention come Sunday afternoon (or Monday, if the weather has its say) Norman says it will be party-time.
“There’s talk in our teams all around here, there are 18 or us LIV guys at Augusta and if one of the guys, no matter who it is, they are all going to be there on the 18th green, they are all going to be there, and that just gives me goosebumps to think about,” he said.
“When you walk up to 18, your caddy hugs you, then you see your wife or your mum and dad. Now to have those 17 other guys there, that’s the spirit we want,” he said. “That’s what these guys talk about. They are saying no matter who wins, no matter who is in that position, we are going to be there.”
“And that just gives me goosebumps to think about.”
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- ‘That’s what everybody wants me to do’ – Is Anthony Kim about to make a sensational return to pro golf?
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19th Hole
Butch Harmon reveals what he worked on with Rory McIlroy during visit earlier this year
While speaking on the “Son of a Butch” Podcast, legendary swing coach Butch Harmon revealed what he worked on with Rory McIlroy when the four-time major champion went to visit him after the Players Championship this season.
Butch Harmon on what he worked on with Rory:
“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make…
— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) May 15, 2024
“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make more 3 quarter swings and chop the follow through off a little. He’s a very high ball hitter, but with short irons high balls aren’t good, it’s hard to control, we wanted to bring the ball flight down.”
The work certainly seemed to help McIlroy, as he went on to win the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry and the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in back-to-back starts.
Rory will now tee it up at Valhalla for the PGA Championship, which is the site of his most recent major victory in 2014.
More from the 19th Hole
- Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game “on a much more global basis”
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
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19th Hole
Brandel Chamblee says this technological development was key to Phil Mickelson winning major championships
While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee shared that he believes the solid core golf ball helped Phil Mickelson win major championships.
“One of the consequences of the solid core golf ball coming around was it put the straightest of hitters in the rough.
“Phil started winning majors in 2004, I don’t think that’s any coincidence. I think he started winning majors after the solid core golf ball came along and put everybody in the rough.
“And so [Phil] is like ‘I got you in the rough, I’m going to kick your a**. This is my game. I’ve been in the rough my whole career. I can go over trees, through trees, around trees.’
“Because he’s got that amazing creativity and Phil is an underrated iron player, phenomenal iron player. Great, great great out of the trouble. If you put the top-40 players on a list and ranked them in terms of accuracy, he would be 40th.
“So, I think that was one of the consequences of the solid core golf balls was it allowed Phil to win major championships.”
Mickelson went on to win the Masters in 2004 as well as five additional majors from 2004-2021 including three total Masters, two PGA Championships, and an Open Championship.
Check out the full interview with Chamblee below:
More from the 19th Hole
- Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game “on a much more global basis”
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
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19th Hole
Former Augusta National employee pleads guilty to transporting stolen Masters memorabilia; Arnold Palmer’s green jacket among stolen items
The document was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Since then, more details have emerged about the case.
According to Darren Rovell of Cllct, one of the items that was stolen was Arnold Palmer’s green jacket.
The Chicago Tribune also reported that Globensky was able to steal the merchandise due to his role as a former warehouse coordinator at Augusta National who oversaw the Masters merchandise that was sold.
Rovell states that “A source with intimate knowledge of the case said an Augusta National member, who knew the jacket was missing, contacted a well-known collector who had gained a reputation for tracking down rare items. The member’s goal was to return the jacket to Augusta under the guise of purchasing it in a private sale.”
The plan worked, and the man agreed to sell the jacket for an agreed upon price of $3.6 million. After the sale was complete, the FBI swarmed the house of the thief.
Cllct also reported that Globensky pled guilty in a federal court in Chicago on Wednesday and now faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Chicago Tribune adds that Globensky’s plea deal includes an agreement to provide the government a cashier’s check for $1.5 million in the next few days.
More from the 19th Hole
- Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game “on a much more global basis”
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
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