The circumcised first fairway at Riviera.
Not so fast.
That was the collective sensibility I picked up from talking to folks who live and breathe the PGA Tour. The current “move fast and break things” approach to this multi-layered enterprise with a big and generally well-conceived schedule has reached the roadblock stage. One where the new folks justifying their existence are finding out that golf tournament scheduling is not as easy as it looks.
Juxtaposed with signs that the Tour has found ways to get appreciably worse at basics like social media, new media, tournament relations, or developing star power, and a narrative is forming. One that has the Tour collective wondering if the new leadership is focused on all of the wrong things in a desperate bid to pry more rights money from conglomerates.
The recent Players-as-a-major push came up often as frightening evidence that the bloom may be coming off the Brian Rolapp rose sooner than expected. But we won’t let it distract from a lively week at Riviera, where another very solid West Coast Swing played out. You know, the swing they may blow up to make those consistently crappy Playoffs© better.
This and That from Pacific Palisades…
Golf ignorance has its limits. The early narrative surrounding new CEO Brian Rolapp and the Strategic Sports Group celebrated the new leadership’s lack of devotion to golf norms along with their rich experience in other sports. The SSG private equity types have purportedly come to golf unsaddled by the baggage of history or precedent. The Tour brass dream of remaking the schedule in a way that makes Comcast, Paramount, Skydance, Versant, or some other company pay more in rights fees. But the notion of change for change’s sake keeps exposing basic ignorance about things like market dynamics, weather, agronomy, or where the Tour fits in the pecking order of professional sports. Tiger set the tone early in the week by diplomatically remaining upbeat while slipping in enough caveats that suggested the situation is fluid on a day-to-day basis. The move-fast-break-things crowd is still learning the basics of how golf tournaments work.
Major markets will not guarantee bigness. It was bizarre to watch the PGA Tour abandon regular stops in major markets like Chicago, New York, and Boston. Going back to those areas seems logical if the dates fit the market (like Labor Day weekend did at TPC Boston). But I repeatedly heard various interested parties question the prioritization of big cities. Particularly when the talk has centered around moving events from places that have long supported the PGA Tour, while having dates and venues suitable for players, fans, and sponsors. The most obvious case involved last week’s event: Los Angeles loves golf in February. Fans have consistently not shown up for major events in July and August. It was also pretty clear that Genesis and Riviera haven’t been presented with anything remotely concrete about a switch. Or even that the Tour had given thought to what it would mean for the luxury automotive manufacturer to pay for two title sponsorships jammed into a one-month period, all in the name of trying to fix “playoffs” that continue to have little impact.
Adam Scott remains a draw and shot two 63’s last week as a two-time former winner playing on a sponsor’s invite
Players we’ve heard of. The Tour’s dream of grabbing more money from media partners sure looks like it’ll be an uphill battle unless they are unable to create and sustain star power. With smaller fields, money, injuries, and extreme parity brought on by today’s equipment, the Tour’s robust turnover rate means golf is no longer be stashing struggling stars inside the top 125. While plenty of people have lamented when “names” have hung around under the all-exempt model, we’ve also seen plenty of “names” enjoy a career renaissance after a few rough years. Those comeback stories gratify audiences, and the 125 model kept some people around who have provided fresh excitement through perseverance. It’s clear scanning a tee sheet at even top events like the Genesis, that LIV’s impact has been significant on the “name player” front. And if the PGA Tour wants to boost ratings and money, they need to be at appealing venues featuring many more players that fans have heard of than they are currently wheeling out in “signature” events.
Agents continue to inspire. The devotion shown in standing behind their man for as much as two hours watching a player work out swing kinks is quite a sight to behold. Worse? Three times last week, I watched an agent walk their player onto the first tee. Don’t they have offers to be soliciting?
Data as gospel. On multiple occasions, I tossed a softball to a caddie about how the data experts say “this is the play” on a particular hole. Just two years ago I would have gotten a nod in conformance to the herd’s latest obsession. This year, I got back two almost imperceptible head shakes and a “let me tell you about these data experts.” Granted, it’s a small sample size, but I think Collin Morikawa summed up the ridiculous notion of paying someone to tell you how to play golf who has never been to the course in question or who doesn’t understand how some holes fit an eye while others just annoy. “I know a lot of stats go into how you play certain holes and there’s a lot of stats guys out there, but they also don’t know what you see and how you see certain shots. Maybe you’re more comfortable on 2 versus 3 versus whatever hole,” Morikawa said, adding with regard to him and his caddie, “we’ve done this for our entire lives.”
Max Greyserman and speed. We know from a recent NY Times Magazine story that he has risen up the ranks in part due to confidence derived from playing data-driven golf. But I’m very happy to report you’d never know it watching Greyserman play. Besides being absurdly fast—maybe too fast at times the way Nelly Korda once was—Greyserman sports a short and choppy action while appearing to love playing golf. He seems totally unburdened by the numbers. He even wanted to know how close he came to an ace at Riviera’s 10th while walking off the green. As golf writer Dylan Dethier observed to me, isn’t it refreshing to see the genuine golf geek coming out in a Tour player? I can also happily report that two more “rising” talents—Ryan Gerard and eventual champion Jacob Bridgeman—play a beautiful form of unburdened, ready golf. They’re practically dreamy compared to…
Max Greyserman was that close to an ace at the par-4 10th.
Xander’s getting slower. The two-time major winner is veering toward the other end of the pace spectrum. While he’s not yet rude or painful-to-watch, the 2024 PGA and Open Champion is inching closer to becoming a name a lot of players don’t dread being paired with. His extensive player-caddie pre-shot discourse is masked well by television producers.
Schauffele approaches a particularly goofy pin placement at No. 8
“Why do they always lengthen the holes that don’t need lengthening?” That was what one astute television analyst asked when wondering about my thoughts on the new 4th and 18th tee. And the question posed explains why players were not at all positive about the latest changes. Meanwhile, two holes at Riviera once again played woefully, unlike how they were intended, despite having room for new back tees. A Master’s in Rocket Surgery is not required to figure out which holes.
The original fourth tee and better Redan angle enjoyed a 97-year run.
Rollback won’t have much impact. Players testing 2028 (or 2030?) conforming prototypes believe the proposed change in distance standards won’t have a noticeable impact. This is thanks to the lead time already provided to manufacturers (who are whining that it’s not enough time to update their product lines for two years from now). And yet…
The PGA Tour will be mounting opposition to the rollback, the same one that players say will not have much impact. Rumblings from last week’s players meeting suggest the new PGA Tour CEO has taken in the groveling, tears, and general manspatting, and concluded it’s time to mount opposition to the new distance standards on behalf of players. The reason? The rollback does not benefit the PGA Tour and, therefore, it’s a bad thing. I know. The level of ignorance here is breathtaking, given how few venues the Tour can find to host a modern-day tournament, how lifeless long-ball/wedge approach golf can be at times, and how few personalities thrive on the PGA Tour. Players, whose income barely depends on pay from the most vocal manufacturers, are so blinded by hatred for the Rules of Golf that they’re in denial about the increasing number of top players who are equipment free agents. (Or have deals allowing for flexibility to play something else if need be). In a world where leagues are constantly analyzing how the rules can improve “the product,” it’s embarrassing that the Tour’s new CEO is apparently unaware of ways the “product” could improve with rounds taking less time due to fewer hole backups. Or that fans would enjoy seeing courses put up a fair fight, only to have players conquer them using every skill imaginable. Or to see the ball spinning more with a return of shotmaking in a world of buzz-creating shot tracer arcs. Or just to stand at a tee and be able to see a tee shot actually land.
Prince Andrew. I didn’t hear any chatter about former R&A Captain Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Fun fact: the disgraced Duke was a big pro-technology, anti-rollback guy. He even bored everyone to tears at the 2010 Open’s AGW dinner by sharing his thoughts in an endless, nonsensical speech. So remember that company you keep, distance fanboys.
Fitzpatrick and the funny ways guys try to play the 10th. There is only so much blame you can pin on the data gurus outlining to players how they must play the 10th hole. Instead, maybe we have to acknowledge that some golfers just aren’t very bright. A couple of hours after almost flailing a tee shot into the Military Pavilion 47 yards right of the 10th green, 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick was asked about the hole after his round. The exchange went like this:
Q. Matt, that was a nice second round. How would you summarize that round,characterize it?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it was a great round. Felt like I played really solid. Just bogey on 10, the world’s most impossible golf hole. I’ll leave it there.
Yeah, and just a three-putt on 12 as well. I really feel like I played solid today and like I say, just a few things to clean up with the irons this afternoon hopefully and kick on on the weekend.
Q. Not to harp on 10, but saw your second shot. Looked like it was very close to being on the green or being in the bunker. What’s your kind of strategy there on the tee with that hole?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I mean, I don’t really want to talk about it too much, I’ll just get wound up. But hit and hope, let’s leave it at that.
It’s hard to fathom a golfer having so little self-awareness after hitting a tee shot that far off line. Sure, the 10th hole has teetered on the brink of goofy at times when the green turns crispy. But this year, the 10th green was holding. And the bomb’s away approach of today’s data-guru geniuses might not be entirely stupid to certain hole locations. But to hit such a terrible tee shot and then call the hole a “hit and hope” situation? 🤓
Is Riviera for sale?