Laird Wins Texas Open, Earns Last Minute Masters Invite

Apr8 by Scott

Getty Images

The American dominance this season on the PGA Tour has officially ended, thanks to an incredible final round of golf that seemingly came from out of nowhere. Last week it was D.A. Points who somehow overcame a very rough start of the season to turn things completely around with a win at the Shell Houston Open, and on Sunday at the Valero Texas Open – it was Martin Laird’s turn. Laird began the final round Sunday 5 strokes back of Billy Horschel, who enjoyed a 2-shot lead heading into the final day of the tournament and seemed ready to pick up his first-ever PGA Tour win. But by the time Laird entered the back nine Sunday afternoon – it had turned into a 3-man race, with Laird and Horschel tied for the lead at 10-under par, and Rory McIlroy charging up the leaderboard at 9-under. Thanks to a birdie by Laird on the 13th, his 6th birdie of the round, and a bogey by Horschel on the 12th – Laird suddenly enjoyed a 2-shot lead and the only challenge at that point was to hold off McIlroy’s late charge.

A few wayward swings off the tee on two of the easier holes coming in would ultimately squash McIlroy’s bid to pick up an unlikely win on Sunday, but Laird took no chances. The Scot delivered the knockout punch by closing out his win with 3 consecutive birdies on the final three holes, shooting a remarkable final round of 9-under 63. McIlroy would finish solo 2nd with a solid round of 6-under 66, 12-under for the tournament, and Horschel’s lackluster 1-under on Sunday would ultimately leave him in a 3-way tie for third with Jim Furyk and Charley Hoffman.

Coming into the Valero Texas Open on Thursday, Laird had missed 4 cuts in his last 7 starts, and noted that his putting was the major struggle in his game so far this season. He went on to say that the difficult poa greens from the West Coast Swing earlier in the year really took a toll on his confidence, but all of that changed with his decision to go back to a putter that had previously served him well. Between the familiar feel of a reliable putter and putting on greens last week that he deemed “absolutely perfect,” Laird’s return to form was never more evident than on the putting surfaces. “This week, I went back to my old faithful putter that I won Bay Hill with a few years ago and probably had my best putting spell with,” he said. “Now I’m wondering why I ever stopped using it. But that was kind of automatic comfort with that putter on these greens.” The return of a confident putting stroke will be crucial this week when he tees it up at the Masters, as Laird will attempt to become only the 6th player in Master’s history to win the first major of the year after winning the week prior. The last player to do so was Phil Mickelson, who won the event prior to the Masters back in 2006 – the BellSouth Classic.

As big as Laird’s win was Sunday with regard to jump starting his season, the same could be said of Rory McIlroy’s last-second decision to play last week at the Texas Open. McIlroy not only got more comfortable with the new Nike equipment, but a final round of 6-under 66 on Sunday that put him just a few strokes shy of his first win this season seems to have sparked his competitive juices once again. “Everything I wanted to accomplish this week, I accomplished,” McIlroy said. “I’m very happy that I’m going into next week with my game in good shape and my confidence level pretty high.”

Top 10 Standings @ Texas Open

1st @ 14-under – Martin Laird (9-under 63 Sunday)

2nd @ 12-under – Rory McIlroy (6-under 66 Sunday)

T3rd @ 11-under – Billy Horschel (1-under 71), Jim Furyk (3-under 69), Charley Hoffman (3-under 69)

6th @ 9-under – K.J. Choi (4-under 68)

T7th @ 8-under – Daniel Summerhays (3-under 69), Jeff Overton (3-under 69), Bob Estes (2-under 70)

T10th @ 7-under – Martin Flores (4-under 68), Marcel Siem (3-under 69), Padraig Harrington (2-under 70)

(All Players Quotes courtesy of PGATOUR.COM)

In Case You Missed It…

Apr1 by Scott

The week in review.

D.A. Scores big Points in Houston

Having missed the cut in 7 of his last 9 starts and failing to break 70 in his last 9 rounds, 2013 wasn’t exactly going as planned for D.A. Points. All of that changed late Sunday afternoon at the Shell Houston Open, where Points held on to a 1-shot lead and finished it off with a clutch par-saving putt from 10 feet to earn his 2nd Tour win. “I never count myself out. I never just chalk it up, like, oh, this year is over with. I’ve never ever felt like that,” Points said in his interview afterward. “I was just grinding, just trying to wait and try to find that one thing that was like, boom, there it is and there I go. Fortunately, it was this week and I capitalized on it.”

To break that down into more common speak, he just simply caught lightning in a bottle last week. Well done, Mr. Points… you’re headed to Augusta.

If it were only the Ryder Cup

Thus far in 2013, all 13 events played on the PGA Tour have been won by American players. Obviously the likelihood of that continuing throughout the remainder of the season borders the impossible, but should that happen – I think that feat alone is worth at least a point in next year’s Ryder Cup. Not that it would probably matter, mind you…

Winning won’t take care of bad marketing, Nike

Nike

From the same makers of “Earl Speaks from the Heavens,” shortly after Tiger’s scandal, Nike has now invented a cure for all of life’s problems: Winning.

Fact #1: Nike doesn’t give a damn about what you or I think. Fact #2: Tiger Woods doesn’t give a damn about what you or I think. Fact #3: Tiger Woods continues to have his feet firmly planted in the ranks of the top 10 most disliked athletes year in and year out, at least according to Forbes Magazine. Fact #4: Winning doesn’t take care of everything, despite the message Nike was sending with the ad.

Winning won’t cure the cancer that killed his father. Winning won’t heal a bum left knee. Winning won’t unshatter the marriage that was destroyed because of his adultery. Winning won’t give him more visitation rights with his kids on the weekends. Winning might earn him a place in the record book of sport, but it won’t go back and change history. While we’re at it, all of those kids who were molested by an assistant coach of one of the most prestigious programs in all of college football (Penn State) – ask those victims if winning takes care of everything.

Nike should consider revisiting their old trademark motto, but add a new twist: If it Feels Good, Just Do It.

Rory McIlrusty to Play Texas Open

Brian Blanco/Reuters

This isn’t rocket science.

J.P. Fitzgerald is Rory McIlroy’s caddie. I’m assuming that like most caddies, he would prefer to avoid offering his service pro bono in 2013. Thusly, J.P. suggests to Rory that it might not be a bad idea to forgo spending a week with his girlfriend Caroline and go play golf in San Antonio instead. Rory checks with Caroline, Caroline says “but I’m playing in Charleston, which is only a few hours south of Augusta, Rors… I thought we’d hit the town a little, enjoy the nightlife, you know…” Rory thinks it over a bit more and asks J.P., “Are you sure you think this is a good idea, playing the week before the Masters?” J.P. gets online, checks his bank account, and then tells Rors, “Yes, we need to get in one more tuneup prior to the Masters.” In other words, I need to start earning some money asap, Rory. Not all of us signed on to this $200 million endorsement deal with Nike, you know… Rors texts Caroline, saying something like “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But I gotta go to San Antonio. I’ll pick you up a souvenir from the Alamo while I’m there, hon. xxoo”

It might not have gone down quite like that, but that’s the imagery I’m getting. McIlrusty needs the reps, needs to actually start thinking in terms of playing, and quite possibly hand over his future tour scheduling duties to someone who has some sort of idea about how to juggle work, free time, a girlfriend, etc. and how they can make all of that work. Because here’s the meat and tomatoes of the matter: his schedule this year has been an absolute failure.

Now Rors will be fine. It’s not the golf equipment. It’s the fact that he hasn’t used the golf equipment. He’s streaky, he’s been this way his entire career. But Rory – you can only be streaky if you’re playing on a fairly consistent basis. No, you don’t have to play every week, no one is suggesting that. But you might want to consider playing more than 12 tournament rounds during the first four months of the season. There will be plenty of time for huggy huggy kissy kissy in the off season, but it’s time to start playing some golf now. Otherwise, you might as well expect to be labeled as yet another Tiger Woods wannabe and we know this isn’t the case.

But you gotta play more golf, it really is that simple.

Two Months and Counting…

63 days ago, that’s when Vijay Singh admitted to using a banned substance and being in violation of the Tour’s Anti-Doping policy. Commissioner Tim Finchem addressed the issue shortly after the story broke, saying that they were not going to rush the investigation and would allow Singh to continue playing in the meantime. He’ll also be in the field at The Masters next week, which almost assures that Finchem and Company have decided to do absolutely nothing about it.

This Week’s Texas Open Event

The final stop before the Masters, the last chance to find something worth taking to Augusta… the last opportunity for someone not otherwise qualified to find themselves amidst the blooming dogwoods and azaleas next week courtesy of a last-second win.

Rory McIlroy, Matt Kuchar, Charl Schwartzel, and Ian Poulter are the top-ranked players playing this week, with most of the higher ranked players taking the week off before heading to Georgia.

Players to watch this week: Jim Furyk, Kevin Chappell, Harris English, Jordan Spieth, Bud Cauley, K.J. Choi, John Huh

Tiger Woods Wins Cadillac Championship

Mar10 by Scott

Andrew Innerarity/Reuters

And just like that, it seems like old times again.

No one was shocked to see Tiger Woods win Sunday afternoon, although a few were probably surprised that he made it a bit more interesting than he needed to on the final hole. But there wasn’t any doubts who the player to beat was over the weekend. As he’s done countless times in the past, Woods protected a handsome 4-shot lead in textbook fashion in Sunday’s final round, relying on percentage plays and solid putting to close out what was otherwise an uncontested victory over the final two days. McDowell, Stricker, and Mickelson each had several opportunities Sunday to narrow the gap between themselves and Woods, but Stricker’s 4-under 68 was as close as any of the three would get. And even that wasn’t enough to get Woods to blink.

The sloppy finish for bogey notwithstanding, it was arguably the best tournament Woods has played tee-to-green since 2009, and one that reignites the conversation about who exactly is the best player playing the game today.

Speaking of which, as it relates to the player who’s technically the world’s top player at the moment, the final round was arguably just as important for Rory McIlroy as it was for Woods. McIlroy showed serious signs of renewed confidence Sunday, firing the 2nd lowest score of the day with a 7-under 65. Despite opening the week with a miserable round of 1-over 73 on Thursday, Rory finished T-8th Sunday and will head into Houston in a few weeks feeling quite a bit better about life.

As it relates to Mickelson, Stricker and McDowell – they obviously played some solid golf last week and carried a strong leaderboard all four days, each with an outside shot at winning over the weekend. Stricker’s 4-under 68 Sunday earned him solo 2nd, and Mickelson and McDowell finished in a 4-way tie for 3rd with Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott.

Tiger Woods picks up his 2nd win of the season, and clearly has the momentum heading into the closing stretch of the Florida swing. He’ll take a week off and then try to defend his title at Bay Hill in two weeks, a venue that has every potential to reward him with his 3rd win this season. Although I’ve yet to tally the exact points spread separating him from McIlroy for the #1 spot in the world rankings, a win there would likely overtake Rory in that department, and then it’s game-on in Augusta.

For a full recap of Sunday’s action at the 2013 Cadillac Championship, click HERE.

Opening Round Cadillac Championship This and That

Mar8 by Scott

So much for the Big Blue Monster on Thursday. It played more like the Big Blue Smurf.

The absence of wind led to some remarkable low scoring on Thursday, as was revealed by Golf Boys’ very own Hunter Mahan, who began his week in Doral by birdieing 6 of his opening 9 holes. Mahan finished the round 5-under, tied for 2nd heading into Friday with a handful of other notables that include Phil Mickelson, Peter Hanson, and Steve Stricker.

Alan Diaz / AP

Very few players looked sharper than Tiger Woods, who carded 9 birdies on Thursday and shared the overnight lead with Sergio Garcia and Freddy Jacobson, all three players atop the leaderboard and heading into Friday tied at 6-under par. A huge part of Tiger’s momentum in the opening round can be attributed to his solid putting, which interestingly enough was spurred on by a few observations and some timely advice from none other than his old Ryder Cup partner, Steve Stricker, prior to his round. “Well, whatever he says, I’m going to do. He’s one of the best putters that’s ever lived,” said Woods, referring to Stricker. “Basically what it is, he got me into the same posture that I was at Torrey. I had gotten off a little bit. So I felt comfortable, basically just like I did at Torrey, and I started rolling it just like I did then. He can see the things that are off a little bit, because he knows my stroke so well. Just gave me a couple little things to think about, and, lo and behold, I started feeling just like I did at Torrey and the ball started rolling.” This isn’t the first time that Woods has been on the receiving end of putting advice from Stricker, who was quick to point out that the help goes both ways. “He’s open to hearing what I have to say sometimes, which is flattering to me,” Stricker replied. “We try to help each other out, and he’s helped me out a bunch of times, too.” Stricker helped himself as well, thanks to 5 birdies in a clean, bogey-free start to his week on Thursday, posting 5-under 67. He heads into Friday’s round only a shot back of Woods and Garcia.

One of the familiar-yet-undermentioned stories so far this season appears to be surfacing once again, as Freddy Jacobson continues to produce some great golf early on in his 2013 campaign. The 38 year old Swede teed it up Thursday for the 6th straight week on Tour, opening with a solid round of 6-under that was buoyed by 2 impressive eagles midway through his opening round. “Yeah, I’ve had a pretty good start to the year. You know, it’s been really consistent,” Jacobson said. “This is the sixth week in a row for me, so I’m running on fumes a little bit at the moment and got a bit of a head cold going. So I wasn’t too sure how I was going to play today. I didn’t feel great warming up, so really happy just to get off to a good start and hopefully find some energy and improve a little bit on my iron play.” In his previous 5 starts this season, Jacobson has finished inside the top-1o on 4 occasions, including his 3rd place finish a few weeks back at the Northern Trust Open.

As for the current hot topic of world #1 Rory McIlroy… Although the challenges this week seem considerably lessened from what he dealt with last week, the 23-yr-old had very little to cheer about after Thursday’s opening round. On an unusually calm day where the field scoring average was significantly lower than during the more normal windy conditions in years past, McIlroy’s struggles continued with more squares on his card than circles, although an eagle and three birdies helped to somewhat offset the 6 bogeys on the day. After an opening round 1-over 73, the search for his former confident swing continues. “It was a bit of a struggle, to be honest. I hit some good shots, hit some not-so good shots,” Rory said. “As I’ve been saying, this is a work in progress and I’m working at it and I’m staying patient. I just had to play each hole as it come, just shoot the best score possible.” The best possible score might be several strokes higher in the coming rounds, as the winds are expected to become more of a challenge heading into the weekend. It’s those conditions that expose a player’s true level of confidence the most, something that the young Irishman doesn’t appear to have a lot of at the moment. But compared to last week, this week has started on a better note, if for no other reason than the fact that he’s still playing.

For a complete rundown of the scores on Thursday, click HERE.

(All player’s quotes are courtesy of PGATOUR.COM and ESPN.COM)

Rory’s Biggest Distraction?

Mar7 by Scott

I generally don’t make it a habit of posting pics of female celebrities, but I make exceptions when it comes to sports. So… Does Caroline Wozniacki pose a serious threat to Rory’s focus and attention?

You be the judge.

Caroline+Wozniacki+Barclays+Singapore+Open+3IwRB0SrQCEl

McIlroy Will Rebound, Says Nicklaus

Mar5 by Scott

Leave it to an elder statesman to put things into a clearer perspective.

“Rory is so talented. He’s a good kid. I think he’s a little frustrated, and he’s frustrated at himself right now,” said Nicklaus, who was asked about Rory during his customary visit to the NBC booth during the telecast of the final round of the Honda Classic last Sunday. “He’s probably not playing his best, and he also has a set of golf clubs that he’s having trouble getting used to, and one sort of plays off the other. He’ll be fine. When Augusta rolls around, he’ll be fine.”

In a world where everyone seems quick to judge these days, Nicklaus took the high road by refusing to criticize the 23-yr-old for withdrawing from the tournament two days earlier. “John, if he had waited five more minutes, he wouldn’t have done that,” said Nicklaus, replying to Johnny Miller’s prodding for a reaction from the tournament’s host. “I think he’s a good kid. He tries to do the right thing. Unfortunately, that probably wasn’t that time.” To his credit, McIlroy quickly expressed regret about the incident shortly thereafter. “It was a reactive decision,” McIlroy said in a 25-minute telephone interview on Sunday night, two hours after Michael Thompson won the Honda for his first Tour title. “What I should have done is take my drop, chip it on, try to make a five and play my hardest on the back nine, even if I shot 85. What I did was not good for the tournament, not good for the kids and the fans who were out there watching me — it was not the right thing to do.”

Sure, a lot of people were disappointed to see him throw in the towel Friday afternoon. I doubt that none were more disappointed than Nike, come to think of it. But you know – he’s human. He’s 23, not 43. And not that it really matters to any of us, but who knows what he might be dealing with off the course. It’s no secret that he’s head-over-heels in love with a promising young tennis pro, of which some feel might’ve been one of the biggest reasons why he decided to pitch his playing tent on this side of the proverbial pond. Maybe things are heating up in a good way, or maybe the strains of a long-distance relationship are starting to take a toll. Either way, it’s a distraction that the young man finds himself having to deal with and something that only he and his girlfriend can figure out a way to manage.

As for the equipment… yeah, maybe there’s a little something going on there. Or maybe Rory has been listening to everyone criticize him for not turning is back on $250 million and turning down a no-brainer of a deal with one of the biggest equipment companies in the game today.

Whichever the case, Rory would do well to turn his back on Twitter, and quite possibly even the Nick Faldo’s of the golfing universe. As it relates to getting both his career and personal life moving in the same direction again, I couldn’t agree more with Jack.

He’ll be fine.

Snow? Again?

Feb20 by Scott

Kohjiro Kinno/SI

You know things are really getting weird when it’s nicer in London than Arizona this time of year. The temps here locally today didn’t get much above 40 degrees, and the wind made it feel several degrees cooler. But at least we didn’t have snow, unlike the poor souls out in Arizona, of all places. This is like the second time in the past four years this has happened, although the last time it really didn’t impact the tournament because the winter weather moved through prior to the start of the tournament. 2011, I believe. Pretty sure it was 2 years ago, that was the year Luke Donald won and ascended to the top of the world golf rankings the following Monday.

I really don’t know what to make of it, other than if I’m going to have a round of golf canceled by snow – I couldn’t think of a better place to be than the resort there at Dove Mountain. Very impressive facility, especially if you’re staying there at the Ritz-Carlton. It’ll definitely set you back a few hundred each night, but some friends of mine spend a few weeks there each winter and that’s all they talk about for the next six months. They’re hard people to please, so it must be a pretty posh place there. In other words, don’t feel too terribly sorry for the freezing tour players bunked out there over the next 5 days, regardless of what the weather is like. It’s not like they’re shacked up at the Econo Lodge.

Anyway…

There was some golf played there today, several matches got underway before the beautifully green landscape turned into the depressingly white blanketed Northeast. I knew something was up the minute I saw Matt Kuchar wearing mittens and a beanie. The temps struggled to get into the 40′s, and these guys were all out of sorts because of cold hands and cold feet. You know it’s bad when you witness some of the world’s best golfers hitting shots resembling the quality of our own normal golf games back at the club on the weekends.

Yesterday I talked about a few players who I deemed “dark horses” and could shake some things up, or so I thought. While I’m at it, I’d like to extend a personal thank-you to Zach Johnson, for making me look like a total asswipe with my predictions. Well done, Zach. Jason Day is a solid player, no doubt, but you’re too good of a player in your own right to find yourself 6-down with 8 holes remaining. I’d also like to thank Jason Dufner, who obviously forgets how to play golf in when the temps drop below 75 degrees. Duff, you’re not out of this yet… but 3-down with 8 holes remaining ain’t looking overly promising. As for the rest of my darkened horses, they’ve yet to tee off or it’s so early in their matches that nothing definitive is worth commenting on.

But to offer a more thorough review, here’s how everything stands:

Sergio Garcia is 2-up on Thongchai Jaidee through 15 holes.

Matt Kuchar is 3-up on Hiroyuki Fujita through 14 holes.

Ian Poulter is 3-up on Stephen Gallacher through 12 holes.

Bo Van Pelt is 5-up on John Senden through 12 holes.

Charl Schwartzel is all-square with Russell Henley through 11 holes.

Jason Day is 6-up on Zach Johnson through 10 holes.

Richard Sterne is 3-up on Jason Dufner through 10 holes.

Hunter Mahan is 4-up on Matteo Manassero through 9 holes.

Ernie Els is 1-up on Fredrik Jacobson through 3 holes.

Steve Stricker is 2-up on Henrik Stenson through 2 holes.

Nick Watney and David Toms are all-square after 1 hole.

Dustin Johnson and Alexander Noren are all-square after 1 hole.

Justin Rose is 2-up on K.J. Choi through 9 holes.

Nicolas Colsaerts is 3-up on Bill Haas through 8 holes.

Adam Scott is 1-up on Tim Clark through 8 holes.

Thorbjorn Olesen is 3-up on Jamie Donaldson through 7 holes.

Bubba Watson and Chris Wood are all-square through 6 holes.

Jim Furyk and Ryan Moore are all-square through 6 holes.

Lee Westwood is 2-up on Rafael Cabrera-Bello through 5 holes.

George Coetzee is 1-up on Martin Kaymer through 4 holes.

Keegan Bradley and Marcus Fraser are all-square through 3 holes.

They’re hoping to resume play starting at 8:00 a.m. local time in Arizona tomorrow morning, but there’s a frost warning in effect for tonight, meaning that the snow on the ground (approximately 2 inches) might not melt until later on tomorrow afternoon. Although the Tour officials are optimistic that some golf will be played tomorrow, it’s not likely that everyone will finish their 1st round matches by the end of the day. There’s still 11 matches that have yet to get underway, matter of fact. The forecast for the remainder of the week is good, albeit cold. Since this isn’t a full-field stroke play event and the field of 64 players gets cut in half every round, it’s highly likely that things will get back on schedule prior to Sunday. How much golf will be played tomorrow, however, is anyone’s guess.

5 Things: The Week in Golf

Jan22 by Scott

(1) – The Pre Bomb and Gouge Era Revisited

Brian Gay’s win on Sunday at the Humana took us back to a refreshing time and place in the game; a time when a player wasn’t required to deliver 130 miles per hour of clubhead speed with driver to stay competitive, and a place where holes that stretch 500+ yards are still considered par5′s instead of par4′s. Indeed, Gay’s 4th career win on Tour last Sunday was helped considerably by Scott Stallings’ inability to manage his game coming down the stretch and Charles Howell III’s lack of confidence on the putting greens, but we can’t overlook the fact that Gay’s final round score of 9-under 63 came with an average driving distance of only 279 yards last week. His ability to keep the ball in play (tied for 2nd in driving accuracy @ 81.48 percent), finding the heart of the greens (tied for 4th at 83.33 percent) and a final round void of a single bogey to go along with 9 birdies… all of those things remind us how the game used to be played many moons ago, a time when accuracy mattered just as much as distance.

Streeter Lecka / Getty

(2) – Charles Not in Charge, Yet…

It’s tough getting a read on Charles Howell III. He never struggles retaining his card each season, earning more than enough money to keep his playing privileges on Tour. He’s always had a very efficient golf swing that has more than enough power, and he can definitely get on a streak and post some low numbers from time to time. But his real nemesis was revealed once again last Sunday, as his putting and scrambling deficiencies on the weekends continue to keep him out of the winner’s circle. It’s hard to believe that in his 11 years and 366 career starts on Tour, Howell has managed to win only twice, with his last victory going all the way back to 2007. But despite coming up short in the playoff with Gay on Sunday, Charles is off to a really good start this season with back-t0-back weeks finishing inside the top-5. And although his short game work in the off season is still a work-in-progress, he seems pretty anxious about improving his play around/on the greens and trying to capture his 3rd win this season. “I’m thrilled with the start of the season… I would have taken that for a Christmas present wrapped up nicely and had it,” he said. “I hope it does continue on. I like the work that I’m doing, I’ve made more of a commitment to work on my short game. It’s up to me to stick to the plan that I’ve laid out throughout the whole year, as opposed to having a couple good weeks and then focusing a little bit more on something else. But, yeah, I surely hope it continues on.” Sunday marked the 14th time in his career that Howell has finished runner-up.

Matthew Lewis / Getty

(3) – 2013′s First Official Flop

I guess they weren’t paying attention to the sports headlines last week, Tiger and Rory. Because had they read the script, they would’ve needed an extra day for the 18-hole playoff to determine which one of them would win the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi. Instead, Nike’s Dynamic Duo ended up writing their own scripts, one of which included an ending that would’ve made even Quentin Tarantino wince in utter disgust.

Woods, who pretty much all but assured himself the weekend off with his sporadic playing through the first 27 holes, finally found a little mojo on the back nine Friday afternoon. His four birdies coming in got him safely inside the weekend cutline, but there was an issue that needed to be addressed before signing his scorecard, an issue that occurred earlier in the round on the front nine. European Tour official Andy McFee confronted Woods about his decision to take free relief from an embedded ball right of the fairway on the par4 5th, a decision that Woods felt he was entitled since his ball had plugged into an area of vegetation right of the fairway. Except Woods wasn’t entitled free relief, per the rules. McFee explained the rules breach, stating that the vegetation with the sand base underneath didn’t constitute a closely mown area, and further informing Tiger that his incorrect procedure would assess him a 2-stroke penalty. As it turned out, instead of being safely inside the cut and playing the weekend, the penalty assessment put him one stroke over and heading back to the states.

As for the newly knighted Nike convert, McIlroy seemed completely at odds with his new Nike equipment. In fact, he became so disenchanted with his new Nike Method putter after Thursday’s round that he left it back at the hotel Friday morning, opting to go back to his old Titleist Scotty Cameron putter he’d used prior to signing the lucrative $200 million deal with Nike earlier in the week. Unfortunately for Rory, putting was the least bit of his worries, as he struggled to find his golf swing either of the two days and wasn’t anywhere near playing well enough to move into the weekend.

While it’s indeed much too early in the season to be pondering any notions that maybe McIlroy made an error in judgement switching equipment at this stage of his career, some are wondering aloud that McIlroy might’ve rushed into the Nike stable full steam ahead, with little regard to the equipment adjustments that can completely change a player’s confidence with his game. Nick Faldo, who himself isn’t a stranger when it comes to switching equipment companies in the middle of a promising career, is one of those who seems to be wondering the loudest. “As professional golfers we get a millisecond of feedback from impact. And if you get that lovely feedback and the ball goes where you want it, that’s a tick in the confidence box,” Faldo said. “But if you think ‘oh, that felt different’ and the ball doesn’t go where you want it to go, it starts to eat away at your confidence.” But besides the risks assumed with changing equipment, Faldo seemed just as surprised that McIlroy, who is clearly the top player in the world and arguably the Tiger of his generation of players, would play second fiddle to anyone as it pertains to brand identity. “I’m surprised he’s going to Nike. Tiger has made that his brand and to join someone else’s brand really surprises me, as I thought he would stick to his own thing. Rory could easily start ‘The Rory Brand’ and build his own identity,” he said. “He’s that popular, he doesn’t need to be a Nike guy, or adidas guy or whatever. When you’re 23 and world No 1 – what a great time to build ‘The Rory Brand’ – a true brand, not somebody else’s.”

Whatever the case, McIlroy’s debut with Nike last week was certainly not what he was expecting. But whether his start to 2013 was equipment related or simply the buildup of rust from a few weeks off during the holidays, obviously it’s much too early to tell. As I said in the latter part of last week, we’ll have a better take on these questions come March and April, as we move closer to the first major of the season.

(4) Phil Mickelson, You Greedy Bastard…

It’s taken me over an hour to edit what I originally wrote about this non-story regarding Phil Mickelson and the comment he made earlier this week about paying too much in taxes. In my attempt to not piss off some of my liberal friends, I decided to delete the whole damn thing. It’s not worth arguing my point with them, because no matter how much I justify why I feel the way I do, I’ll still be looked at as someone who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the plight of the underprivileged in my country back home, which I can assure you is not the least bit true. So I’ll keep it short and to the point.

(1) Mickelson expressed concern about being taxed at an enormous rate of 60%

(2) Mickelson expressed those concerns (he felt) off-the-record, but has been around long enough to know that they would be in the headlines the next day.

(3) Mickelson issued an apology to those who felt insulted because of his concerns. (that story HERE)

(4) Tiger Woods, who many have considered to be unfriendly with Mickelson, actually attempted to defend Mickelson’s comments. (that story HERE)

(5) If there’s anyone who in their right mind feels as though the government should be entitled to take 60% of anyone’s salary, click HERE.

(5) This Week’s Event at Torrey Pines

If the final round of this week’s Farmers Insurance Open offers us even half of the drama and excitement that we experienced last year, it’ll be something we’ll definitely want to tune in for. Most of us recall Kyle Stanley’s incredibly humbling stumble on the final hole that Sunday that led to the heartbreaking playoff loss to Brandt Snedeker, only to bounce back with his first Tour win in his very next start the following week. But unlike last year, this year’s field looks to be even stronger, with both Mickelson and Tiger headlining a very good field this week, easily the strongest field thus far in the season.

The marquee pairing on the South course is Nick Watney, Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler, teeing off Thursday at 10:30 a.m. local time.

The marquee pairing on the North course is Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, and defending champ Brandt Snedeker, teeing off Thursday at 9:30 a.m. local time.

PS – Phil Mickelson will be holding a special press conference prior to Thursday’s round, talking about his new sponsorship deal he just signed with H & R Block.

Thanks for your time, as always.

May you hit your tee balls long and straight,

but hide your winnings, cause the tax man waits.

An Old Putter, a Brainfart, and the Weekend Off

Jan18 by Scott

Getty

Well, so much for Nike Golf’s latest “No Cup is Safe” commercial with the World’s #1 and #2.

If you’re in the 1 percent that hasn’t seen it in the gazillion times it’s been aired already since Wednesday, it shows Woods and McIlroy deeply engaged in 1upsmanship on a practice range, as both players take dead aim at targets inside of office buildings, penthouse suites, restaurants, and even a wedding reception.

Judging by their first two rounds this week at the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi, it’s apparent that someone at Team Nike failed to send Tiger and Rory the memo that the commercial shoot was over, they were now playing actual golf.

Unless it’s the sequel to Wednesday’s commercial, of course (which would obviously be “No Cut is Safe”).

Thank God for Russell Henley, who by the way probably didn’t ink a $250 million deal with Phil Knight less than a week earlier, only to kick the company’s marquee putter to the curb and go back to dear old Scotty a few days later. Russell is following up his win last week in Hawaii by continuing his solid play this week at the Humana Challenge out in California.

Unlike Nike’s Dynamic Duo, Henley will continue to give Nike some exposure this weekend, since he not only made the cut, but finds himself only a few shots off the lead.

But it goes without saying that it wasn’t the start of 2013 that Woods and McIlroy envisioned. To say that Woods’ first two rounds this season resembled a mixed bag would be a slap in the face of mixed bags. There were no fewer than 5 instances in which a rules official had to invoke the infield fly rule after Woody reverted to the post-fire hydrant lumberjack off the tee, and of course we can’t forget the “I cold topped it” shot on his 10th hole Thursday that went all of 150 yards. It’s not that he’s never done that before, but rather the fact that the last time he did that was probably 30+ years ago. When his approach shots were dead at the flag, which wasn’t that often, they were either a club too short or two clubs long. His putting wasn’t great, but then again – it’s tough to get anything going when you’re faced with 10 footers to save par on every other hole. But despite his incredibly sloppy play, Woods did manage to put together a nice run of four birdies on the back nine Friday to get into the weekend.

Or so he and everyone else thought. But that turned out to not be the case. On the 5th hole Tiger assumed that he would be granted free relief from an embedded ball, and everyone knows what happens when one assumes. The long story can be found HERE, but the short of it is that his brainfart cost him a 2-stroke penalty, effectively giving him the weekend off. It seems that the folks in Qatar who denied Woods his customary $3 million appearance fee for next week’s tournament are smarter than we give them credit.

And Rory, bless his heart, it seemed at times as though he was being punished for signing a deal with some sort of golf equipment devil. Tiger was struggling right along with him, but at least Woodrow didn’t bring in a non-Nike sub off the bench, which is more than we can say for the curly headed kid in love with a hot tennis chick at the moment. Rory, for all intents and purposes, was simply not prepared to play golf this week, with whatever equipment.

So three weeks into the PGA Tour season, what does all of this mean, you ask?

Nothing really. Tiger’s no longer the dominant player who used to nonchalantly waltz into the weekend with his C game, as we’ve seen over the past three seasons. Rory might be in for a longer struggle with the equipment change, but it’s really hard to base anything much on the first two rounds of the season. If March rolls around and he’s still trying to figure out which end of the Nike club to hold, then there could be some due panic going on. But for now, no need to jump to conclusions.

I’ll be back Monday to offer my take on what transpired over the weekend.

Until then, may your life be filled with sunshine and warmth.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend, my friends.

Nike Begins McIlroy Era

Jan16 by Scott

Matthew Lewis/Getty

Years ago it was the Big Three in Golf, as Nicklaus, Palmer and Player threw the game on their backs and carried it when there was little else for the golf world to really talk about. “It wasn’t about the money” as they say, at least not incredible life-changing gobs of it anyway. But of course – that was back when any of the aforementioned three had to drive from venue to venue in a beater with 200,000 miles on a gas-guzzling 8 cylinder engine, and they didn’t walk the fairways looking like walking billboards, unlike the players who came after them a half century later. Sure, endorsement contracts existed back then. Companies like Lucky Strike and Pennzoil knew a good opportunity when they saw it, but they weren’t doling out endorsement checks greater than the GDP’s of many third-world nations.

Alas… that was back when the Big Three in Golf were players and not golf equipment manufacturers.

Things being what they are, Nike’s decision to woo Rory McIlroy into a long-term contract deal, which was made official just a few days ago, appears to be a mutual gold mine for both parties, as Phil Knight’s second biggest thoroughbred to enter the Nike stable now has more oats than Quakers have money. The Guardian news agency here in the UK is reporting that McIlroy’s 10-year, mega-millions arrangement with Nike is worth $250 million, and when he tees it up in his first event of the season later today in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – he’ll have an entirely different bag of new Nike toys to play with. Golf magazine online quickly points out that McIlroy’s power induces a lot of spin on the golf ball, which might make the changeover to the new Nike 20XI-X ball a bit more difficult. But Rory attempted to shrug off any immediate concerns. ”You know me, I don’t overthink things,” he said. “I’m not going to get overwhelmed by changing my equipment. In all honesty, it’s been a pretty seamless transition.”

One thing is apparent in all of this: despite the current economic climate that is still reeling from the 5-year tailspin that the entire world has had to endure, big corporations are still eager to hitch their wagons to winners, especially the young, unassuming and likable types. McIlroy’s presence indeed offers Nike both the talent and the image they desire, and neither party seemed to have any qualms joining forces to capitalize on the current “heir apparent to Tiger” storyline that has been in the works since the 23-year-old won his first major and ascended to the top of the World Golf Rankings. In fact, Nike wasted little time presenting their new partnership with McIlroy this season with a new commercial that was released just yesterday (video below).

“I chose Nike for a number of reasons,” McIlroy said. “It’s a company and a brand that really resonates with me. It’s young. It’s athletic. It’s innovative. They are committed to being the best, as am I. Signing with Nike is another step towards living out my dream.”

A dream that continues to get bigger and better with each passing year, one that at some point truly “isn’t about the money” any longer.

But then again – we already knew that.

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