Golf Thread

[RupertKBD]

I think the Ryder Cup is a good event to kick off the new forum's Golf thread.

 

Anyone besides me thoroughly enjoy watching the Euros pound the Americans this year?

 

Full story in the link:

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/golf/article/europe-reclaims-ryder-cup-with-dominant-win-over-americans/

 

The only disappointment was that Figjam wasn't there to be part of the losing effort....

[RupertKBD]

I think this is kind of a cool idea.....teams of 2 (a PGA and an LPGA player) in a Ryder Cup style format. Even better, Corey Connors and Brooke Henderson are one of the 16 teams.

 

However, when you're a sportswriter, you have to be careful about how you word things. Case in point:

 

Quote

The men and women are playing from separate tees this week, but Henderson looks at Conners’ length as an advantage. 

 

 

[RupertKBD]

Not sure if anyone cares, but John Rahm is apparently making the jump to the LIV Tour. The number I saw was $800 million.....

 

Not sure what the PGA can do, when the Saudis can throw that kind of money at the players....

[Super19]

1 hour ago, RupertKBD said:

Not sure if anyone cares, but John Rahm is apparently making the jump to the LIV Tour. The number I saw was $800 million.....

 

Not sure what the PGA can do, when the Saudis can throw that kind of money at the players....

What a move...

 

LIV needs to figure out a way to get their guys part of the world rankings. Don't know how that's possible. But at least their top guys will still be playing in the Majors for a while.

 

There should be a Team LIV vs Team PGA event.

[RupertKBD]

It was a good day for sports. (the Super Bowl result notwithstanding)....

 

The Canucks won, the Canadian Women thumped the Americans to complete the comeback from 3 games down.....

 

....and Nick Taylor came from three shots down in the final four holes of the Phoenix open to beat Charley Hoffman in a playoff:

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/pga/article/canadas-nick-taylor-wins-phoenix-open-in-dramatic-playoff/

 

 

[the destroyer of worlds]

19 hours ago, RupertKBD said:

It was a good day for sports. (the Super Bowl result notwithstanding)....

 

The Canucks won, the Canadian Women thumped the Americans to complete the comeback from 3 games down.....

 

....and Nick Taylor came from three shots down in the final four holes of the Phoenix open to beat Charley Hoffman in a playoff:

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/pga/article/canadas-nick-taylor-wins-phoenix-open-in-dramatic-playoff/

 

 

 

What a tourney to win outside of our Open, the Majors, or the Playoffs.

[RupertKBD]

1 minute ago, the destroyer of worlds said:

What a tourney to win outside of our Open, the Majors, or the Playoffs.

 

Disappointing for me to miss the end of the tournament....

 

I switched over to watch right after the Canucks game....the leaders hadn't even teed off yet. Then I watched as Taylor bounced around the top three for the next few hours.

 

Just before the Football game started, NT hit poor tee shots on back to back holes (somewhere around the 15th). At that point Hoffman had just drained an Eagle and was 3 shots ahead of him and seemed to be cruising. I figured it was pretty much done and switched over to watch a pretty uneventful first quarter of the Super Bowl.

 

Later, I see on TSN that Taylor had mounted an impressive comeback and won the tournament. Would have loved to watch that last putt live....

[RupertKBD]

Hear, Hear!

 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/golf/bryson-dechambeau-wants-someone-to-clean-up-the-mess-he-helped-create/ar-BB1l5pl5?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=48cfb2e62ed441a2aac53ccadafe1f04&ei=85

 

Quote

 

Professional golf is a broken product. PGA Tour television ratings are down, and fan interest on a week-to-week basis is rapidly dwindling. LIV Golf is primarily to blame.

The world's best golfers can't compete on the same stage outside of major championships because LIV poached dozens of them away from the PGA Tour with its endless buckets of Saudi cash. LIV has succeeded in its mission, but the rival league refuses to take accountability for creating this mess.

Bryson DeChambeau, who accepted a $125 million contract to join LIV, is now urging someone else to clean it up and reunite pro golf. 

"It needs to happen fast," DeChambeau told reporters this week ahead of LIV Golf Miami, per Sports Illustrated. "It’s not a two-year thing. It needs to happen quicker rather than later just for the good of the sport. Too many people are losing interest.

"We can give input. We can have little moments where we say, 'Hey, we think this would be a good idea, or that would be a good idea,' but ultimately, it's up to the guys up top to figure it out and figure it out quickly because we can't keep going this direction."

If only we knew why those people are losing interest. Maybe, just maybe, DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and other superstars ditching the PGA Tour strictly for financial reasons to start a rival golf league could explain some of it. LIV players want to have their cake and eat it too, but that's not how professional sports operate.  

 

Bailing on the PGA Tour just to complain that the same tour won't let you come and go as you please is as hypocritical as it gets. There wouldn't be a need to reunite pro golfers if they hadn't left in the first place. 

"The only answer is for us to somehow come together in some sort of terms where it makes sense and for us to be playing all again in somewhat of the same boat," DeChambeau said. "It's great to have the majors where we come together, but we want to be competing, at least I want to be competing every week, with all of the best players in the world."

No, DeChambeau, you don't. If that were your ultimate goal, you wouldn't have taken the money to play on a smaller tour with a significantly lighter schedule. PGA Tour stars such as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy turned down the generational wealth because they genuinely care about competition and legacy over their bank statements.

Actions speak louder than words in this game, and we're tired of hearing these guys talk about mending the fracture they caused.

 

 

 

Edited April 6 by RupertKBD

[RupertKBD]

I know golf is "boring", but in case anyone else was following the Masters this weekend, it was a mixed bag.

 

Scottie Scheffler won (again) and although I don't dislike the guy, it's no fun IMO, when a guy dominates like he has been lately.

 

Once again I was cheering for Tommy Fleetwood and once again, Tommy came up a bit short. (Some of you will remember Nick Taylor draining a 70+ foot putt to win the Canadian Open last year. Fleetwood was the guy he was tied with at the time. TF still hasn't won on the PGA Tour, despite being in the hunt several times)

 

2 of the 4 Canadians in the field made the cut, (Adam Hadwin and Corey Conners) although they finished well back.

 

However, the most important thing was, the tournament wasn't won by a LIV golfer.....and even better, Greg Norman had to buy a ticket just to get in....

[runningback33]

Scottie Scheffler Arrested this morning

 

https://www.tsn.ca/golf/bob-weeks-scottie-scheffler-arrested-makes-tee-time-for-second-round-at-pga-championship-1.2122311
 

In one on of the more bizarre starts to a major championship round, a vendor was killed Friday morning after being struck by a bus outside the gates of the Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this week’s PGA Championship, and Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No.-1 ranked player, was detained in handcuffs by Louisville Metro Police  and charged on four different counts.

The vendor was attempting to cross Shelbyville Rd., the main thoroughfare to the course’s entrance, at around 5 a.m. when he was struck by a bus. Police closed the road for a period, which led to a significant traffic snarl for those trying to get to the tournament.

At approximately 5:45 a.m., Scheffler was one of those looking to find a way into the course for his 8:25 a.m. starting time. According to reports, he skirted around the stopped traffic, was stopped by a police officer, removed from the car and handcuffed, and then taken to a local police station.

The golfer was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, reckless driving, criminal mischief, and disregarding signals from officer directing traffic. The assault charge is a felony.

There are conflicting reports as to the specifics of what happened during the incident.

The police report said that the arresting officer, Bryan Gillis, a 17-year veteran of the Louisville Police Department, “stopped subject [Scheffler] and attempted to give instructions. Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground. Detective Gillis suffered pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee. He was transported to the hospital for further medical treatment by emergency medical personnel.”

Scheffler’s lawyer, Steve Romines, released a statement that said the golfer was never intending to disobey any police direction.

“In the early hours of the morning in advance of his tee time Scottie was going to the course to begin his pre round preparation. Due to the combination of event traffic and a traffic fatality in the area it was a very chaotic situation. He was proceeding as directed by another traffic officer and driving a marked player’s vehicle with credentials visible.

“In the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a different officer’s traffic signals resulting in these charges. Multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that he did not do anything wrong but was simply proceeding as directed. He stopped immediately upon being directed to and never at any point assaulted any officer with his vehicle. We will litigate this matter as needed and he will be completely exonerated.”

Scheffler was booked on the charges and had a mug shot taken. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m. After the formalities, he was released and one of the owners of Valhalla, Jimmy Kirchdorfer, drove him to the course.

The accident delayed tee times by 80 minutes and Scheffler made it to the course in time to warm up and tee off at his 10:08 a.m. starting time.

Golfers going around traffic or using shoulders is not uncommon at tournaments. In many cases, tournament officials and police work together to provide an access lane exclusively for the players or find a way for them to get around snarls. This situation was different in that the fatality caused a backup for which no one had prepared.

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington was in a car near Scheffler’s, waiting to get into the course. After his booking, Scheffler issued a statement to Darlington about the situation.

“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.

“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”

Scheffler, who won the Masters in April, was tied for seventh at the start of the second round of the PGA Championship.

[the destroyer of worlds]

45 minutes ago, runningback33 said:

Scottie Scheffler Arrested this morning

 

https://www.tsn.ca/golf/bob-weeks-scottie-scheffler-arrested-makes-tee-time-for-second-round-at-pga-championship-1.2122311
 

In one on of the more bizarre starts to a major championship round, a vendor was killed Friday morning after being struck by a bus outside the gates of the Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this week’s PGA Championship, and Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No.-1 ranked player, was detained in handcuffs by Louisville Metro Police  and charged on four different counts.

The vendor was attempting to cross Shelbyville Rd., the main thoroughfare to the course’s entrance, at around 5 a.m. when he was struck by a bus. Police closed the road for a period, which led to a significant traffic snarl for those trying to get to the tournament.

At approximately 5:45 a.m., Scheffler was one of those looking to find a way into the course for his 8:25 a.m. starting time. According to reports, he skirted around the stopped traffic, was stopped by a police officer, removed from the car and handcuffed, and then taken to a local police station.

The golfer was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, reckless driving, criminal mischief, and disregarding signals from officer directing traffic. The assault charge is a felony.

There are conflicting reports as to the specifics of what happened during the incident.

The police report said that the arresting officer, Bryan Gillis, a 17-year veteran of the Louisville Police Department, “stopped subject [Scheffler] and attempted to give instructions. Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground. Detective Gillis suffered pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee. He was transported to the hospital for further medical treatment by emergency medical personnel.”

Scheffler’s lawyer, Steve Romines, released a statement that said the golfer was never intending to disobey any police direction.

“In the early hours of the morning in advance of his tee time Scottie was going to the course to begin his pre round preparation. Due to the combination of event traffic and a traffic fatality in the area it was a very chaotic situation. He was proceeding as directed by another traffic officer and driving a marked player’s vehicle with credentials visible.

“In the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a different officer’s traffic signals resulting in these charges. Multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that he did not do anything wrong but was simply proceeding as directed. He stopped immediately upon being directed to and never at any point assaulted any officer with his vehicle. We will litigate this matter as needed and he will be completely exonerated.”

Scheffler was booked on the charges and had a mug shot taken. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m. After the formalities, he was released and one of the owners of Valhalla, Jimmy Kirchdorfer, drove him to the course.

The accident delayed tee times by 80 minutes and Scheffler made it to the course in time to warm up and tee off at his 10:08 a.m. starting time.

Golfers going around traffic or using shoulders is not uncommon at tournaments. In many cases, tournament officials and police work together to provide an access lane exclusively for the players or find a way for them to get around snarls. This situation was different in that the fatality caused a backup for which no one had prepared.

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington was in a car near Scheffler’s, waiting to get into the course. After his booking, Scheffler issued a statement to Darlington about the situation.

“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.

“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”

Scheffler, who won the Masters in April, was tied for seventh at the start of the second round of the PGA Championship.

Good that he was charged.  A person died and the police were doing what they have to do.  Close the area and conduct the investigation.  It doesn't matter that Scottie was going to be late.  This happens every time there is a fatality on our streets BC.