Tee Off With Profits: Betting Odds for the 2024 American Express

The desert heat is rising, birdies are chirping, and the thrill of competition fills the air – the American Express is back! From January 18th to 21st, the PGA TOUR's star-studded field will battle it out across three iconic La Quinta courses, culminating in a showdown at the demanding Stadium Course. But who will emerge victorious? Let's dive into the betting odds and uncover the contenders most likely to hoist the trophy.

The Favorites Take Aim:

• Scottie Scheffler (11-2): World No. 1 and reigning Masters champion, Scheffler sits atop the odds leaderboard. His consistent play and recent form make him a formidable force.

• Patrick Cantlay (9-1): Known for his laser-sharp precision, Cantlay thrives on desert courses. His 2021 victory at The PLAYERS Championship showcases his ability to rise to the occasion.

• Xander Schauffele (9-1): A three-time PGA TOUR winner, Schauffele's aggressive style and clutch putting could propel him to a desert triumph.

Lurking in the Shadows:

• Justin Thomas (20-1): A former FedEx Cup champion, Thomas returns to the scene of his 2020 American Express victory, hungry for another taste of desert success.

• Sungjae Im (22-1): Im's impressive ball-striking and recent top-10 finishes make him a dark horse with the potential to surprise.

• Min Woo Lee (25-1): The young Aussie sensation boasts explosive power and dazzling shot-making, ready to challenge the big names.

Beyond the Top Names:

While the favorites carry the spotlight, don't overlook these sleepers:

• Tom Kim (28-1): The teenage phenom continues to impress with his fearless play and rising talent.

• Sam Burns (30-1): Burns' recent hot streak suggests he could be a contender on the Stadium Course's demanding layout.

• J.T. Poston (30-1): A consistent performer, Poston relishes the desert conditions and could find himself in contention come Sunday.

Remember: The American Express has a history of throwing up unexpected winners. Longshots have triumphed in six of the past ten years, making it a tournament where value bets can flourish. Analyze player form, course fit, and recent performances to uncover hidden gems with upset potential.

(This is not gambling advice.)

What Almost Didn't Happen at The 2023 Players Championship

When Jay Monahan announced the plan for the makeup of the PGA Tour and its events starting in 2024, it confirmed what many in the golf world had suspected for weeks:

Beginning next season, the PGA Tour will essentially be split into 2 groups. 

The stars will play in all the significant events for big prize money with many of the events being limited-field, no cut, guaranteed paydays. The rest of the Tour (the “rank-and-file” if you will) will be left with the scraps, filling out the rest of the weeks on the calendar playing in what will now be the old Tour schedule with the hopes of stringing a few good weeks together in order to get a seat at the new elevated event table. 

The timing for the announcement was ironic considering the PLAYERS Championship is supposed to be the tournament of, well, the players that make up the membership on the PGA Tour. It was also ironic considering how the week played out. 

Sure, one of the stars won this week in Scottie Scheffler, and big names graced the leaderboard throughout the 4 days of the tournament, but some of the more exciting things that happened at TPC Sawgrass this week involved guys that, under the new rules, likely would have never had the chance to tee it up this week in the first place. 

Let’s take a look at some examples:

Hayden Buckley

On Thursday morning, Hayden Buckley did one of the hardest things in golf: he made a hole-in-one on the par 3 island green at TPC Sawgrass. With that ace at 17, he became only the 11th golfer to make a hole-in-one at the famed hole (two more golfers would ace 17 before the week was done). 

Buckley currently ranks 110th in the OWGR. Under the current PGA Tour system he finished his 2021-2022 Tour season 104th in the FedEx Cup. Under the new rules, Buckley would have likely needed to have either won a non-elevated event or put together a string of top-10 finishes to have even had the opportunity to swing that pitching wedge at 17 on Thursday morning. 

Tom Hoge

Tom Hoge was all but ready to head home Friday afternoon. He had even gone so far as to book a flight on American Airlines from Jacksonville to Dallas. A weather delay Friday afternoon and the cut line moving when the 2nd round finished Saturday morning resulted in Hoge having to cancel that flight because he was playing the weekend.

With a new outlook, Hoge went out on Saturday morning and shot a 62, a new course record at TPC Sawgrass.

But, under the new “rules” of the Tour, would he have even been playing the event in the first place.

While Hoge is currently ranked in the top 30 in the OWGR and finished 10th in the FedEx Cup standings last season, he did it largely on the back of playing in 32 Tour events in 2022, winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, with the Pro-Am becoming one of the new elevated events, you have to wonder that had these rules been in place last season, if Hoge’s name and “star power” on the Tour would have warranted an invite into the event in the first place.

Additionally, with many of those 32 events he played now becoming closed-off events, you also have to wonder what his schedule would have looked like and how that would have impacted his final FedEx Cup points standings.

Min Woo Lee

While he struggled on Sunday, shooting a 76 and finishing in a tie for 6th, there is no question that Min Woo Lee was the talk of the weekend. His 66 on Saturday shot him up to the top of the leaderboard as he was making TPC Sawgrass his personal playground. 

There’s only one problem. Min Woo Lee is not a member of the PGA Tour. The 24-year-old Australian currently holds ranks on the European Tour where he is 3rd in the current Race to Dubai standings. He also sits in the top 50 in the OWGR, which is what earned him his spot on the tee sheet at TPC Sawgrass this week.

Despite his placement in the top 50 in the OWGR, as a non-Tour member, had the new rules been in place this year, Lee likely would have been on the outside looking in.

This week produced everything Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour could have asked for at their signature event. A star holding the trophy, 4 days of exciting golf, and impressive play from golfers young and old that may not necessarily be household names yet. It’s a shame that starting next year, we won’t get to see a lot of it.

Can Rory McIlroy Further Build on his Performance from the 2022 Golf Season?

Rory McIlroy enjoyed a fantastic 2022 season as he won the Golfer of the Year award from the Association of Golf Writers in December. The 33-year-old golfer from Northern Ireland claimed three PGA Tour wins this season topping the competition at the RBC Canadian Open, Tour Championship, and CJ Cup. 

His victory at the CJ Cup moved him ahead of Scottie Scheffler in the official Race to Dubai. McIlroy also secured his fourth Harry Vardon Trophy after managing to keep his lead and finishing the year on top of the table on the DP World Tour Rankings. His golf betting odds of winning yet another significant trophy in the upcoming season are quite attractive and can be found on the Bovada website. 

The first player to reach $10 million in career earnings

Rory McIlroy turned professional in 2007 when he was just 18 years old. He quickly made his way to the top of the rankings following some solid performances on the European Tour. In 2008, McIlroy entered into the top 200 and became the youngest Affiliate member in the European Tour history who managed to earn a tour card. 

He missed out on winning his maiden big tournament at the Omega European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland the same year after losing the play-off for first place to Jean-Francois Lucquin. However, 2009 marked his first European Tour victory as he wrapped up the Dubai Desert Classic with an aggregate score of 269, thus beating Justin Rose by the slimmest of margins. 

In 2010, McIlroy shot 62 in the final round of the Quail Hollow Championship in Potomac, Maryland, thus winning his maiden PGA Tour title. With that victory, he became joined Tiger Woods as the only players to win a PGA Tour trophy before turning 21 years old. 

2011 marked one of his greatest performances at the Major Championships. Finishing off with an 8-shot lead, McIlroy defeated the competition at the 2011 US Open to win his first Major. The young talent broke several records as he simultaneously climbed to a career-high of World No.4. 

During the 2011 season, the player from Northern Ireland managed to reach $10 million in career earnings from the European Tour. This achievement made him the youngest player ever to claim that feat. 

Little did he know, but 2012 would be even better for him as he clinched another Major victory, winning the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On March 4, McIlroy reached World No.1 for the first time in his career and by the end of the year, he had already earned $10 million on the PGA Tour. 

Double Majors in 2014

Despite struggling with equipment change in 2013 and having probably his worst performance since turning pro, McIlroy managed to bounce back the year after. 2014 saw him win the Open Championship by two strokes over Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler. On top of that, the golfer from Northern Ireland went down in history books yet once again after becoming the third player after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win three majors by the age of 25. 

A couple of months later, he cemented his dominance with a close win over Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship. Many people predicted that we would see him break every record in golf history. Jack Nicklaus even suggested that he had the ability to win 15 or 20 majors if he kept his level of the game.  

Struggles at Big Events since 2014

Unfortunately for him, he grabbed just two PGA Tour titles each year in 2015 and 2016 before going winless in 2017 on the biggest stages. After some clumsy performances in 2018, McIlroy came back stronger than ever in 2019 to grab his third Jack Niklaus Award. During the season, he managed to win four PGA Tour events tying his previous record from 2012. 

Despite snatching several wins in the upcoming years, McIlroy kept on missing out on the big target. He is currently on an 8-year drought without winning a Major which is something really concerning for a player of his caliber. 

In Search of a Fifth Major in 2023

Following his impressive performance during the 2022 season, Rory McIlroy will certainly be motivated to return back on the throne at the Majors. The 33-year-old golfer is still in his prime, but there is even more competition that doesn’t only come from the United States. This will inevitably make his task of winning a Major even tougher as he will have to take advantage of such a favorable situation. 

Winning the Vardon Trophy and the Byron Nelson Award will surely give him enough confidence heading into the 2023 season. However, with the likes of Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Smith, and Jon Rahm, he will need to be on top of his game in order to replicate the earlier success in his career.

The future of golf: Up and coming golf players to look out for

Although it is often the players with slightly more experience under their belt that tend to perform the best in the major golf tournaments, one of the things that makes pro-golf tours so exciting to watch is the rookie players that come seemingly from nowhere only to storm to the top of the rankings. For those of you looking to lock in the best golf odds in particular, these rookie players are particularly exciting as they often offer you the opportunity to win a wild card bet.

With that said, the inclusion of rookie players in major tours such as the PGA helps to keep the sport fresh and exciting and distinguishes it from other professional sports tournaments where the same few teams battle it out year after year.

Out of the many rookie players just making a name for themselves on the professional circuit this year, who are the best ones to look out for?

Cameron Young

Hailing from Scarborough, New York, Cameron Young is an American professional golfer who has already achieved considerable success in his short career so far. Cameron turned professional in 2019 following a collegiate stint at Wake Forest University. He has scored three professional wins since then and has featured on both the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour. Following a string of strong performances, Young was selected as a player on the US team in the 2022 Presidents Cup.

Davis Riley

Born in Mississippi, Davis Riley had a blazing career as a youth player. This included winning the Mississippi state title for four straight years, being named the All-USA Boys Golf Player of the Year by USA Today and making the final of the US Junior Amateur for two years in a row. Following this, Riley enrolled at the University of Alabama, where he secured a ranking as the best collegiate player in the country. Riley turned professional in 2019 and has already gone on to achieve considerable success so far. He joined the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020, earning his first win at the Pana Championship and a second at the TPC San Antonio Championship. He finished the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour in ninth place, which earned him a PGA Tour card.

Dean Burmester

Although he has been mixing in the pro-circles for some time already, Burmester has been putting in some solid performances over the last couple of years, which has raised his profile among pro-Tour watchers. Born in Zimbabwe but now representing South Africa, Burmester has already featured on the PGA Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour. He has won nine OWGR-sanctioned events, which has helped boost him to a ranking of 64th as of 2022.

Kyle Westmoreland

As the first United States Air Force Academy graduate to earn a PGA Tour card, there is understandably a lot of hype already beginning to build around this 30-year-old player. Westmoreland has already put in a string of notable performances in his short career so far. This includes carding a T9 at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, scoring a birdie on the Korn Ferry Tour Championship and five wins while still a serving member of the Air Force. Although he hasn’t had any major wins just yet, there is already a lot of hype building behind him. 

Austin Eckroat

Another player being closely watched by golfing fans is Austin Eckroat, a 23-year-old Oklahoman. Following a glittering career at Oklahoma State — where he made the second team all-American — Eckroat managed to score two T23 and two T25 finishes to earn a PGA TOUR card. His finishes in the 2022-23 season include a 64th place finish in the Fortinet Championship as well as a 48th place finish in the Sanderson Farms Championship. Not bad for a 23-year-old!

Sahith Theegala

Born in Orange, California, Sahith Theegala was a three-time NCAA All-American at Pepperdine University. In 2020, Theegala won the Haskins Award, the Ben Hogan Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award, being only the fifth person in history to win all three in the same year. Although his collegiate career was cut short by the Covid-19 Pandemic, this does not appear to have held back his burgeoning professional career. Theegala got started as a professional in 2020 and has been working hard to build momentum. He had a few PGA Tour outings in 2020-21 and earned a PGA Tour Card for 2021-22 following a number of top-10 finishes during the Korn Ferry Tour finals. Most notably, Theegala secured a first top-10 finish at the Fortinet Championship in September 2022, which has easily put his name in contention as one of the top new golfers to watch!

The CJ Cup preview: Odds, leaders and underdogs

Following its inaugural outing in 2017, the CJ Cup — which is sponsored by the CJ Group — has quickly become one of the key events to watch in the professional golfing calendar. Despite there only having been five editions of the tournament so far, it is now a hotly anticipated event.

With another edition just around the corner, fans of sports betting online are already beginning to make their predictions for how they think this year will play out. But for those of you who have yet to put their wager down, what can we expect from the 2022 edition of the CJ Cup?

CJ Cup 2022: What can we expect?

This year’s edition of the CJ Cup will be held in South Carolina. It will be held at the Congaree Golf Club, which will be the second time Congaree has hosted a PGA TOUR event. To secure the hosting rights to the event, South Carolina made a sizable financial commitment. According to the local tourist authorities, $6m in 2021 and $5m in 2022 was committed to the event.

The 2022 edition of the CJ Cup will feature 78 players, including five players designated by the Korean Professional Golfers Association, and the best three players of Korean nationality as ranked by the Official World Golf Ranking. 

This effort to feature Korean players is part of the CJ Group’s commitment to develop the sport of golf in Korea. The remainder of the roster will be made up of the leading players as ranked by the 2021-22 FedExCup points list, in addition to special exemptions.

In this stroke play format tournament, the full roster of players will compete for the lion’s share of the whopping $9,750,000 prize fund.

Given both the size of the prize fund and the prominence the tournament has already achieved in the golfing world, it is little surprise that this year’s edition of the CJ Cup is expected to draw in its most star-studded, high-profile player roster yet!

The 2021 CJ Cup: What went down?

The fifth edition of the CJ Cup held in 2021 was one of the most matched events of the golfing calendar and was held at the Shadow Creek Golf Course.

The winner of the 2021 edition was Rory McIlroy who narrowly beat out a top three field including Morikawa and Mitchell. After putting in a blazing performance in which he went 25 under par with 263 strokes, McIlroy secured his 20th professional win.

One to watch: Justin Thomas

One former CJ Cup winner we should definitely not discount in Justin Thomas. Thomas won the inaugural CJ Cup at the Nine Bridges in 2017. This was followed up in 2019, once again at the Nine Bridges. However, in the 2021 edition Thomas only managed to secure an 18th place finish. 

Despite this, we should not count Thomas out of the competition just yet, particularly in light of some of his most recent performances! Thomas had a solid run in the 2021-22 PGA Tour in which he secured a major win at the PGA Championship. Perhaps most notably, Thomas overcame a 7-shot deficit to beat Will Zalatoris. Thomas has also had some decent outings in the 2022-23 PGA Tour season so far. This includes qualifying for the 2022 Presidents Cup, where he won four matches as a pair.

Will McIlroy clinch it again?

Arguably the name that most people are putting forward as a potential 2022 CJ Cup winner, is Rory McIlroy. While this might seem like an obvious selection to make, there are many good reasons that so many have already identified him as a winner.

PGA power rankings: The best in the world analyzed

With a summer of high-level golf now behind us, and an autumn and winter season still to come, fans of the game are already getting their picks and parlays ready for the rest of the year. But for those of you eyeing up the PGA power rankings and trying to figure out who is worth wagering on, let’s review how the PGA power rankings are shaping up as the year draws to a close:

Matt Fitzpatrick

Despite just making the top 10 PGA Tour rankings and world golf rankings, Matt Fitzpatrick has nevertheless had an incredibly strong season, and looks set to build on this as the year draws to a close. Hailing from Sheffield and now flying the English flag in a field of very strong contenders, 2022 has very much been a coming out year for Fitzpatrick. He earned his first major championship title and first career PGA Tour victory, being the first to win a first tour win at a major since Danny Willett in 2016. Fitzpatrick has recorded 10 top 10 finishes and made 17 cuts in 20 starts so far.

Will Zalatoris

Since turning pro in 2018, Zalatoris has proved to be a recurrent character on the touring scene. Much like Fitzpatrick, 2022 has been very kind to Zalatoris so far. He managed to earn a first career PGA Tour victory after 56 starts and advanced to the TOUR Championship in his first season as a member. Despite suffering an injury that forced him out of the BMW Championship, Zalatoris has continued to have a strong season. This included nine top-10s and 19 cuts in 24 starts.

Collin Morikawa

Now in his third year as a pro, Morikawa has continued to perform strongly in 2022, with 2023 looking even brighter for the young Californian. Morikawa qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for a fourth season and advanced to the TOUR Championship for a third time. Although he didn’t record a victory he did still score two runner-up finishes and eight top-10s in 19 starts.

Justin Thomas

2022 has been incredibly fruitful for Thomas. He managed to win the PGA Championship, which was only his second major championship win and his 15th career PGA Tour win. Following this, he then tied for fifth place in the FedExCup standings. Most notably, Thomas is now only the 64th player in PGA history to win 15 times on the PGA Tour and the sixth since World War II to win 15 titles.

Jon Rahm

Jon Rahm has had a similarly fruitful 2022 season and looks set to build on this in 2023. He collected eight top-10 finishes, although he didn’t manage to record one in a major championship for the first time since 2017. Despite this, Rahm became the first player to record eight consecutive top-10 placings in a FedExCup.

Xander Schauffele

Schauffele has had a solid 2022 year so far with notable victories at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the Travelers Championship and the Genesis Scottish Open. He finished the FedExCup Regular Season ranked fourth, with an earning bonus of $2.2m.

Patrick Cantlay

Much like 2021, 2022 has proved fruitful for Patrick Cantlay with two solid events under his belt for the year — the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the BMW Championship. Notably, Cantlay was one of the few players to finish the regular season in the top-10 in both 2021 and 2022. This is in addition to earning a qualifying spot for the 2022 Presidents Cup.

Rory McIlroy

Never far from the top-10 power rankings, Rory McIlroy has continued to enjoy success in 2022, with 2023 looking equally bright. He won the FedExCup for the third time, scoring a staggering $18m win bonus and becoming the first player to win it three times! All in all, McIlroy has recorded 10 top-10 finishes and made 14 cuts in just 16 starts. Not a bad year for the Northern Irishman! 

Cameron Smith

As the current runner-up in the rankings of the top-10 golfers at the minute, it scarcely needs to be said that Smith has had a fantastic year so far. Smith’s most notable accolades including winning three titles, as well as advancing to the TOUR Championship for the fourth time. Overall, Smith recorded seven top-10 finishes, with 15 cuts in just 18 starts.

Scottie Scheffler

Coming in as the best ranked player in the world right now, Scottie Scheffler has had a fairly incredible run in 2022 so far. Some of the most notable achievements include being awarded the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA player of the year. He also managed to earn his first four PGA Tour titles in just six starts, including a first major championship title. Smith also earned a total of $14m, becoming the first player in PGA Tour history to surpass this amount in a single season. Not bad for only having turned pro in 2018!

Is LIV Golf Just an Expensive MLM Scheme?

Social media had a field day when details of the player contracts offered to LIV Golf defectors were leaked online by the likes of USA Today and others. While many of the details had long been rumored to be true, such as requiring members to recruit others to the upstart league or wearing LIV Golf-branded clothing, it was still quite an eye-opening realization.

After further review of the details, however, things started to sound a little… familiar.

Recruiting others to the company?

Wearing branded clothing?

Needing permission to attend events?

Is… is LIV Golf following the “sex toy party” model?

What is MLM Marketing?

Let’s settle down for a second and explain a few things. “Sex toy parties” — or cleaning supply parties, purse parties, phone service sign-up events, and hundreds of others — use a model called “multi-level marketing,” or MLM for short. Chances are someone in your circle of friends (perhaps even you!) has worked for or purchased something from this type of business.

MLM businesses get a bad wrap most of the time, mainly because they should. They often follow a pyramid-shaped recruitment model that requires “employees” (often referred to as “members” or “agents”) to not only sell whatever products tied to the business, but more importantly to recruit other people to become agents themselves.

In fact, recruitment is the top priority and main source of revenue for these businesses. The more members they can get in, the more dollars the company’s leadership collect. You can read about the basics of MLM marketing here.

Before we go any further, it should be noted that MLM businesses are most often legal and legitimate. At least, until they aren’t.

MLM Contract Details

Agent agreements — or contracts — for MLM companies can differ widely from one to the next. However, there are many similarities among them, especially in terms of how agents should behave when representing the brand.

For example, according to one such direct-selling agreement draft easily found online, a brand’s “Direct Selling Agent” is assigned a territory in which to conduct their business. This agent’s “sole authority shall be to solicit customers for the services in the territory in accordance with” the terms of the agreement. Furthermore, this agent will be provided product or service brochures by the company to use when holding events (“parties”) in an effort to a) sell them and b) recruit others.

Sounds pretty straightforward, right?

What the heck does this have to do with LIV?

As someone who has had friends participate in MLM companies before, this is about the time when I began to notice some similarities between what those agents had to do and the leaked details from the LIV Golf contracts.

As they say: the devil is in the details.

Per the USA Today article, LIV Golf players are required to recruit other players to join the league. We also know that the team-based elements of LIV Golf is moving toward nationality-defined teams… or “territories.”

Sounds familiar, right? In fact, Direct Selling Agents are often required to directly solicit others to join the company as per their signed agreements.

There’s more.

It’s also been reported that LIV Golf players are required to wear branded clothing while playing golf “anywhere in the world” to showcase their allegiance to LIV. It is presumed this clothing is provided to the players for this purpose.

Similarly, MLM agents are often required to do the same. In the example found online, the Company agrees to provide the Direct Selling Agent “with marketing and technical information, training concerning the Services, brochures, instructional material, advertising literature, and other product data.” The agent is also often required to wear branded clothing while conducting their business.

Let’s keep going.

It is reported that LIV Golf players are not allowed to accept invitations for exclusive interviews from any media without permission from LIV leadership. It’s also suggested that while LIV players are allowed to play in any tournament they want, they cannot do so if the tournament conflicts with a LIV event.

MLM agents are often bound by similar constraints, albeit in a much smaller context. They are not allowed to participate in any competing companies (no surprise, of course), but are also required to get approval from brand leadership to promote, speak about, attend events, or otherwise advertise anything related to the brand. Obviously, this is very similar to any employer anywhere, however not usually included in such detail in a business agreement signed by an employee.

Also of note: MLM Direct Selling Agents are considered independent contractors… much like what pro golfers so adamantly remind us. This means the agents are not direct employees of the company, just as golfers are not directly employees of LIV Golf or the PGA TOUR. This presents limitations on what the company must provide the agents, such as health benefits.

Yeah, this all seems like a stretch, dude

Of course it is! The whole thing is a stretch, but the similarities are there nonetheless. Yes, there are also differences.

For example, LIV Golf players are not selling products to anyone, at least directly. I suppose one could argue the golf they play at the tournaments in which they compete is a product, and they are expected to compete in LIV events as a priority.

It’s also unclear as to how LIV Golf brass make any profit right now as more players join considering the league’s massive upfront startup costs, but you have to think profits will come at some point.

Still, the similarities of promotion assistance, needing permission to speak about the brand, and contract-bound recruitment requirements to which all LIV Golf players to that of your aunt’s Mary Kay agreement are suspicious.

Monahan Tipped His PIP Hand with 'Brooksy' Ban

It’s been said there are no coincidences in life, and this has never been more accurate than what occurred this week on the PGA TOUR.

On Tuesday, PGA commish Jay Monahan announced a ban on fans in the gallery shouting “Brooksy!” at Bryson DeChambeau, stating the behavior was “disrespectful and qualifies as harassing behavior” under the TOUR’s fan conduct policy. This is, of course, true, and the offenders have grown exponentially over the last few weeks.

In that same press conference, Monahan also revealed that the “winners” of the season-long Player Impact Program (PIP), which was essentially a popularity contest tracked via social media engagement, would not be made public. Considering the immense prize pool of $40 million to be dispersed to who the TOUR deems to be the most popular players, news of the secrecy was not received well on Golf Twitter.

At first, I separated each news item into its own silo of eye-rolls. However, I now realize that these tidbits shared in the same press conference was far from coincidental.

Fan behavior has always been a hot topic during times of high stress and heated competition. Numerous examples of dangerous happenings exist when the physical boundaries that separate fans from players get blurred. The worst include Monica Seles being stabbed on a tennis court, the infamous Malice at the Palace during an NBA game, and multiple others where physical harm was suffered by fans and/or competitors.

To say that Bryson DeChambeau is a lightning rod in golf is an understatement. Much of his own doing, Bryson encapsulates qualities that beg for attention, and not always positive. His views on social or cultural issues are only overshadowed by those of the game itself, as he has doubled-down on his quest to hack golf through science and brawn. Some will say it’s working while others wonder about the shards of broken glass in his wake.

Still, no athlete or competitor should have to endure a dangerous situation while doing their job. No employee of any kind — anywhere — should. Say what you will regarding his highly visible public persona and accepting what “comes with the territory,” it is likely a matter of time before some moron in the gallery crosses the line. Are we willing to wait for that to happen before change is made?

Enter the Player Impact Program.

Threatened by the likes of the Premier Golf League and a Saudi-backed Super Golf League, Monahan’s hand was forced into action to keep his most prized racehorses. Introducing the PIP was a desperate attempt to sweeten the pot for the TOUR’s most popular players lest they be swept away with multi-million-dollar ransoms. The marketing and attention paid was immense upon its debut, and social media erupted. Who would be chosen, and by which metrics?

Tuesday’s announcement, however, cleared all that up rather quickly: Monahan had his winners picked long before, and the PIP was a sham all along.

What happened here was the equivalent of a disgruntled employee tossing their resume around, receiving a lucrative offer, and then scheduling a meeting with their current manager in the hopes of a counteroffer. Monahan took the bait — what other choice did he have, really? — and suddenly there was an extra $40 million “up for grabs.”

In many ways this was a brilliant move: promise a bonus to pre-chosen players who then decide to stick around while prompting other players to boost their social media engagement non-the-wiser. That was, until, Monahan tipped his hand with the “Brooksy” Ban.

Obviously this is conjecture; however, is it such a stretch to assume that Bryson was one of those targeted by the PGL or SQL? What’s to say that a phone call to Monahan to put an end to a super-specific type of fan unruliness “or else” didn’t occur?

We, of course, will never know for sure. However, as has also been said many times: just follow the money.

A Modern View on Pace of Play in Golf

Pace of play in golf remains a hot topic, perhaps without a single solution.

Pace of play in golf has been discussed for decades. The time it takes to play a round of golf will differ from one course or golfer to the next, making the establishment of a “standard time” impossible. Regardless, any mention of “pace of play” to a seasoned golfer will likely be met with an eye roll or scowl.

Is there a pace of play problem in golf? Does the setting – public, private, or competitive round – matter? Or is this simply an individual’s problem based on their preconceived expectations?

Pace of Play and Customer Expectations

With notable exceptions, golfers must pay to play the game on a golf course. Golf is both an activity and a product; a game that can be played anywhere, but often confined to a specific location. The experience of the golfer – the customer – is most often defined by that location and the company they keep. The transactional nature of golf as a product opens the conversation to the concept of customer expectations.

In 2015, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club (R&A), one of golf’s main governing bodies, conducted a survey focused on pace of play. The survey received more than 56,000 responses from golfers across 122 countries. As the R&A discusses in their summary document, 60 percent of golfers said they would enjoy golf more if they played in less time. For those golfers, an expectation would be more favorable if the game was faster.

Golf, by nature, takes longer to play than other sports or activities. The very structure of the game, including its hazards and yardages, establishes an experience that requires substantial time to complete. In a sense, golf is what it is no matter the player or course.

Golf as a product is also subject to those who pay to participate, and as with most things, money has a way of muddying the waters. What one person is willing to accept for their dollar is different from another’s. Except for tee time pricing changes, all golfers must pay a similar fee to visit a course of their choosing. While the price of entry may be the same, what a golfer expects in return for that investment can differ widely.

If a golfer chooses to play a more expensive course, they might expect immaculate conditions and amenities coupled with an unforgettably positive experience. Pace of play factors into this experience, but perhaps not as much as it would at a less expensive municipal course. If you have an ocean or mountains to take in while playing your round, for example, you might be more likely to overlook a particularly slow round.

Golfers are not Observers

Where golf differs from other recreational activities is that we are all active participants rather than just observers. Whereas a movie theater, professional sporting event, or concert can take a long time to enjoy, we are not the actors, players, or musicians. We are passive costumers who must accept what we get in return for our investment. This is not the case with golf.

One of the findings in the R&A survey conducted in 2015 was that comparative research shows golfers are willing to pay 9.1 times more in green fees for “a significant improvement in pace, with significant defined as 15 – 30 minutes.” Golfers under the age of 40 would pay 14.2 percent more.

To some, this finding will be staggering. Golfers are willing to pay 10 percent more money to save as little as 15 minutes of time. This is despite the comradery spent with friends in a foursome, admiring the course itself, or purely participating in an activity meant to be enjoyed. Knowing that an average golfer takes about 15 minutes to complete a golf hole adds more intrigue to this finding.

To me, this suggests golfers need to be more patient and perhaps stop to smell a rose or two. However, we’ve all experienced slow rounds in our playing careers, and some of us (including myself) have chosen to drive off the course early. It is at that moment, which is rare, where the return on investment is so poor that the better option is to leave. This is not ideal in any way and can leave a lasting negative impression on the golf course.

The Four-Hour Round is a Myth

If we understand that golf takes a long time to play due to its nature, then the responsibility of enhancing a customer’s experience falls on the golf course operators. People are unpredictable by their nature, and even the most veteran golfers can have a bad day. As seen in the era of COVID, an influx of new golfers often requires extra leeway to participate in the game they are still learning. When this happens, golf course operators can be our best allies or our worst enemies.

Course setup and adequate tee time gapping are two immediate and controllable factors that directly impact pace of play. A golf course that sends groups off the first tee at 8-minute intervals is artificially “jamming” a tee sheet that will, almost guaranteed, lead to a backup later in the round. As I’ve been told by more than one course operator: 8-minute times benefit the course and not the golfer.

I’ve also been reminded that I, in fact, do not operate a golf course and “have a lot to learn” when it comes to doing so. Having played thousands of rounds over 25 years and working at a course for a decade, however, I think it’s safe to say that I know when a course is worried more about the bottom line and less about the customer experience.

The problem is compounded when the same course posts “expected playing pace” alerts or signage in the pro shop, on golf carts, scorecards, or elsewhere. Like speed limit signs, simply implying or even overtly defining how long a round of golf “should” take is meaningless if never enforced. While the job of a golf course ranger/marshal is not for the faint of heart, these brave souls are the only officials tasked with actively enforcing pace.

This brings the topic back to expectations, which often includes the myth of a four-hour round. As explained in the excellent Pace of Play manual authored by the National Golf Course Owners Association, the idea of a four-hour round likely originated at the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, which was also the source for making 18 holes the standard for a round of golf. Unfortunately, this baseline does not and should not define slow play on any other course in the world.

Where Do We Go from Here?

Golf is a complex process, and as such, presents an immense challenge when the output of the process fails to meet an expected result. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, as it is unlikely all golfers experience the same problem, if at all.

I am a big believer in process enhancement, which starts upstream and right on the first tee. Golf course operators have a responsibility to adequately space tee times that are relative to the course, minimize the interference of one group to the other, and providing the “playing field” on which all golfers can play. As the R&A suggests in their findings discussed earlier, dynamic tee-time spacing based on group size (twosomes vs foursomes, for example) is one approach to consider.

However, I’m also a big believer in the people side of change. The best technical solution in the world will fail if people fail to accept it. People must understand and agree with a change for it to be successful.

As golfers, we hold a massive responsibility in policing our own behaviors and tendencies on the course. We must do all we can to play ready golf while educating newer players on how to do the same. We must also carry realistic expectations for ourselves and for those enjoying the game around us. Just as we cannot control the playing ability of the group in front of us, golf course operators cannot control the expectations we have in our minds when booking a tee time.

With proper education, logistics and enforcement of pace of play best practices, I believe that the game can be optimized for all players regardless of ability or course.

What Does a Good Golf Swing Look Like?

We’ve all seen what we believe to be a “good golf swing.” When we say the phrase, each of us have a swing in our minds that fit that description. But what does that actually look like, and do we all see it the same way?

Most of us may picture a Tour professional when thinking about the perfect golf swing. You can probably jump to YouTube right now, search for that player’s name, and find numerous examples of what you believe to be a good golf swing.

Popular names include Tiger Woods (of course), Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Steve Elkington, Louis Oosthuizen, Michelle Wie, Annika Sorenstam… the list goes on and on. In fact, some of you reading that list may roll your eyes at the names mentioned.

What characteristics does a good golf swing include? We’d all likely agree that qualities like good balance, swing tempo, and perhaps overall speed are consistent across the board. After all, professional players that have successful careers often display those characteristics.

Naturally, the best resource for on-demand reaction these days is Twitter. The question was pretty straightforward to the Golf Unfiltered account followers:

Curious: what makes a golf swing look “good” to your eye? Assume you don’t actually see the shot result.

— Golf Unfiltered (@GolfUnfiltered) May 13, 2021

The responses to this question were varied and plentiful, but not too surprising in their content. What was interesting to see, at least for me, was how likeminded many were.

Came here to pile on re: Tempo

— Ryan David (@RDGolfMedia) May 13, 2021

Tempo and balance

— Chris Campbell (@MizunoRepChris) May 13, 2021

Probably just looking athletic. If your movements look smooth and effortless, it will look like a good swing.

— M Marshall (@MarshallUCF) May 13, 2021

Tempo and symmetry always have the “look”

— Rodney Lane (@lionsfan_1) May 13, 2021

Rotation, release, swing plane...also paired with anything on this side of a seizure on the backswing

— Ross Donaldson (@TwoDownAutos) May 13, 2021

Tempo

— Matt Waller (@4WallerOU) May 13, 2021

Tempo

— Spanky (@NGriffith_yeah) May 13, 2021

Width and tempo. The first time I saw @TheBig_Easy on the range in person I was mesmerized. Seemed effortless but the ball went forever. And that sound. So good. #swinggoals https://t.co/OlK3VD8UDq

— Michael Vrska (@vgolfman) May 13, 2021

Tiger Woods Accident Official Cause Raises More Moot Questions

The official cause of Tiger Woods’s single-car accident in February 2021 has been announced by LA County Sherrif’s Department, citing a driving speed of nearly twice the posted limit (87 mph in a 45 mph zone). While this announcement should be taken as a case-closed matter (Tiger will also not be cited for any traffic violation, according to the statement), a few questions remain that will leave many fans skeptical.

From the Associated Press:

[LA County] Sheriff Alex Villanueva blamed the Feb. 23 crash solely on excessive speed and Woods' loss of control behind the wheel.

"The primary causal factor for this traffic collision was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and the inability to negotiate the curve of the roadway," the sheriff told a news conference.

Woods was driving 84 to 87 mph (135 to 140 kph) in an area that had a speed limit of 45 mph (72 kph), Villanueva said.

Tiger had the option to waive his privacy to allow for the above information to be released, and it makes sense as to why he’d choose so. Rumors and speculation swirled from the moment news of the accident hit the news, fueled by what appeared to be a “different looking” Tiger the day before during a TV interview at the Genesis Invitational.

Fast-forward to now, some additional questions arise as to what standard operating procedures were followed in terms of how the crash site was immediately investigated and Tiger’s medical treatment thereafter. While I won’t pretend to be an expert in law enforcement procedures, I do have some knowledge about the medical treatment side of things.

In the evening of the accident, LA County Sheriff’s Department stated that, and I’m paraphrasing, there was “no indication of intoxication or impairment” at the scene. This is an important distinction that was made right from the start, although we wouldn’t immediately know why until now.

When EMTs or EMT-Paramedics arrive at the scene of an accident, a number of standard protocols are followed. This includes taking vital signs of the patient, assessing continued risk factors of the scene, and other critical measures to start treatment as soon as possible. For the vast majority of traumatic accidents, some type of pain reliever may be administered once the patient is stabilized, such as morphine. In order to do so safely, the emergency responders must know what’s already in the patient’s system.

EMT-Paramedics have the ability to do a blood draw and other invasive procedures in many instances of trauma for this purpose, among other reasons. This is different from a Basic EMT, who are limited in the scope of treatment they can provide due to training. It should also be noted that paramedic programs can differ from state to state, and sometimes between counties. This is also true for prehospital procedures, like blood draws.

Even if a blood draw wasn’t taken at the scene by an EMT-Paramedic, you can bet it would occur prior to any emergency surgery the patient would require (as was the case with Tiger). Anesthesiologists, for example, need to know what’s going on inside the patient’s blood stream prior to administering any sedatives prior to surgery.

We’ve now learned that Tiger told first responders that he had not taken any pain killers (likely prescribed to him post-back surgery months prior) or had consumed any alcohol prior to the accident. Coupled with the initial declaration by LA County of no signs of impairment, all signs point to this being a simple explanation of excessive speed on a dangerous stretch of road.

Furthermore — and any law enforcement experts reading this will keep me honest — any evidence from a blood draw conducted by medical personnel must be obtained by a warrant, and only if there was probable cause to suspect impairment. As mentioned above, this point becomes moot due to LA County’s initial statement.

While there may be more details surrounding Tiger Woods’s single-car accident we may never know, the important points remain: Tiger is alive, he’s recovering, and assuming a successful rehabilitation, we may be lucky enough to see him compete once again.

2020 Masters Recap with Fore Golfers Network

Bill Hobson, host of Fore Golfers Network and Michigan Golf Live, welcomed Adam Fonseca from GU onto a panel of golf gurus to recap the 2020 Masters Tournament. Other panelists include PGA Pro Jason Guss, Two Inches Short's Dan Bier, and Jon Bloom.

You can watch the entire conversation on YouTube below.

Bridgestone Re-signs Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau to Long-term Contracts

(PRESS RELEASE - AUGUSTA, GA) – Bridgestone Golf – The leader in golf ball technology and innovation continued its significant investment into R&D by re-signing the biggest stars in the game, Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau, to long-term contract extensions. Both players have won major championships with Bridgestone TOUR B golf balls (Tiger at the ’19 Masters with TOUR B XS, Bryson at the ’20 US Open with TOUR B X) and will continue to play their respective models of choice and contribute to the development of new designs for the foreseeable future. 

“These two players are not only the biggest names in golf today, but also happen to be extremely discerning and analytical when it comes to equipment,” said Dan Murphy, President and CEO of Bridgestone Golf. “Tiger’s involvement in the R&D process was critical to the development of our breakthrough REACTIV cover technology, and Bryson is just as enthusiastic about participating in R&D as any one of our engineers. That’s the difference with Bridgestone,” said Murphy. 

US Open champ Bryson DeChambeau commented, “I’ve seen a lot of other guys sign up just to be spokesmen for a brand and collect a check. I have a much deeper role in mind with Bridgestone. I want to be a bigger part of their R&D process and help develop golf ball technology for the future of the game while pushing the limits of golf ball designs to benefit the full spectrum of players. I feel at home there because of their genuine commitment to science and technology.”

Tiger’s new contract extends a long, successful track-record with Bridgestone, the brand that has manufactured his golf ball for the better part of 20 years. “I can play any ball I want, and the TOUR B XS is my clear choice,” said the 15-time Major champ. “I got a big comeback win at the ’18 Tour Championship, my 15th Major win, at last year’s Masters, and my record-tying 82nd PGA Tour win at the inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, all with Bridgestone. To continue this partnership is a cornerstone of my success.”

While the accomplishments for Tiger since he officially signed with Bridgestone Golf in 2016 are impressive, he’s actually been playing a ball manufactured by Bridgestone since he won The Memorial Tournament during the 2000 season. Later that year he went on to win The US Open, the Open Championship, The PGA Championship, the World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational, and The Canadian Open. Of course, he famously completed the “Tiger Slam,” the next year at The Masters, capping off what many consider the most impressive run in the history of the sport. 

Bryson’s new contract extends his relationship with Bridgestone Golf significantly. He first started experimenting with Bridgestone balls during his time in college when he realized that the other brands he was playing were unbalanced and inconsistent. After a good deal of testing on his own he determined Bridgestone provided the most consistent quality available and put their ball in play, eventually winning Low Amateur honors at the ’16 Masters Tournament. Since then he’s amassed an impressive record, capturing nine professional wins with Bridgestone golf balls, including the US Open at Winged Foot earlier this summer. 

“I’m meticulous about everything I do in golf, and my attention to the ball I play is no exception,” said DeChambeau. “I’ve conducted extensive testing with every competitive model available today, and the TOUR B X provides the best and most consistent overall performance. Not only does it produce massive ball speeds with the driver, but it also performs equally well from the rough and around the greens. As a bonus it feels and rolls great with my putter as well.” 

It’s important to note that the newly minted Major champion is exceptionally passionate about the R&D process and indicated that he wants to be even more involved as he moves forward in his relationship with the Georgia-based manufacturer.  

“I love experimentation and research and Bridgestone’s engineers and designers are incredible to work with,” said DeChambeau. “I love the process and look forward to helping them develop new and superior products for many years.”   

For more information on Bridgestone Golf’s award-winning TOUR B family of golf balls and the entire Tour team that relies upon them, visit www.bridgestonegolf.com. 

2020 Masters Odds: Who Is Favored to Win?

2019 Masters defending champion Tiger Woods.

The 2020 Masters odds have been circulating for a few months now, fluctuating from one favorite to the next on who will bring home the green jacket. Bryson DeChambeau remains the heavy favorite heading into next week, but there are a number of sleepers you’ll want to consider.

The following odds are courtesy of FanDuel sportsbook and are pretty consistent with what Vegas has to offer.

Bryson Dechambeau +750
Jon Rahm +1100
Rory McIlroy +1100
Dustin Johnson +1200
Justin Thomas +1200
Xander Schauffele +1400
Brooks Koepka +1800
Patrick Cantlay +2000
Bubba Watson +2700
Collin Morikawa +2700
Patrick Reed +2700
Tiger Woods +2700
Tyrrell Hatton +2900
Webb Simpson +2900
Matthew Wolff +3300
Tony Finau +3300
Hideki Matsuyama +3700
Tommy Fleetwood +3700
Jordan Spieth +4100
Adam Scott +4200
Jason Day +5000
Justin Rose +5000
Louis Oosthuizen +5000
Paul Casey +5000
Rickie Fowler +5000
Scottie Scheffler +5000
Sergio Garcia +5000
Shane Lowry +5000
Sungjae Im +5000
Cameron Champ +6500
Gary Woodland +6500
JoaquIn Niemann +6500
Marc Leishman +6500
Matt Kuchar +6500
Matthew Fitzpatrick +6500
Phil Mickelson +6500
Abraham Ancer +8000
Cameron Smith +8000
Danny Willett +8000
Lee Westwood +8000
Bernd Wiesberger +10000
Billy Horschel +10000
Brandt Snedeker +10000
Brendon Todd +10000
Francesco Molinari +10000
Jason Kokrak +10000
Kevin Kisner +10000
Si Woo Kim +10000
Erik Van Rooyen +12000
Ian Poulter +12000
Henrik Stenson +13000
Matt Wallace +13000
Sebastian Munoz +13000
Byeong Hun An +15000
Charl Schwartzel +15000
Hao Tong Li +15000
Victor Perez +15000
Lanto Griffin +16000
Charles Howell +18000
Corey Conners +18000
Graeme McDowell +18000
Rafa Cabrera Bello +18000
Max Homa +19000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +21000
Jazz Janewattananond +21000
Kevin Na +21000
Zach Johnson +21000
Adam Hadwin +27000
Andrew Putnam +27000
Chez Reavie +27000
Dylan Frittelli +27000
Lucas Glover +27000
JT Poston +32000
Jimmy Walker +32000
Justin Harding +32000
Nick Taylor +32000
Sung Kang +32000
C.T. Pan +42000
Nate Lashley +42000
Shugo Imahira +42000
Tyler Duncan +42000
Andrew Landry +50000
Bernhard Langer +50000
Fred Couples +50000
Yuxin Lin +50000
Vijay Singh +75000
Abel Gallegos +100000
Andy Ogletree +100000
Angel Cabrera +100000
James Sugrue +100000
John Augenstein +100000
Jose Maria Olazabal +100000
Larry Mize +100000
Lukas Michel +100000
Mike Weir +100000
Sandy Lyle +100000
Trevor Immelman +100000

Odds Subject to Change - Updated Nov. 1, 2020

NEW GOLFERS: How Do I Fix a Ball Mark?

Knowing how to fix a ball mark on the green is one of the most fundamental — and courteous — actions any golfer can take on the course. There is a right way to do this, and definitely a wrong way, as to preserve the health of a putting green for all to enjoy.

I asked this question to our Twitter followers this week in the form of a poll. Listed were the most common ways people try to fix a ball mark. The results were promising, as the first option is widely regarded as the “proper” path to take.

VOTE! What's the best way to fix a ball mark on the green?

— Adam Fonseca (@GolfUnfiltered) November 3, 2020

Greenskeepers across the globe will agree that the best way to fix a ball mark is to insert your divot repair tool on the outside of the mark and push inward. More specifically, you’ll want to start at the “back” of the ball mark — where most of the grass has been pushed aside — and work inward. This is one of the easiest methods to use, so it’s almost a no-brainer.

If you don’t take the time to properly fix a ball mark, there’s a very good chance the grass around the mark can die and scar the green. This leads to all sorts of cosmetic and playability issues that can take weeks to repair.

Here’s a helpful video on the proper technique to use when fixing a ball mark, along with an explanation as to why it’s so important to prevent scarring on the green.

What Bryson DeChambeau is Really Proving

While I tend to focus more on the podcast these days, the temptation to opine on current golf happenings never goes away. On the rare occasion that my schedule allows it, I’ll dip my toes into the blogging waters every now and then. Today is one of those days.

The Curious Case of Bryson

So much has been said already about the eccentricities of Bryson DeChambeau, and I’m not sure if I have anything new to offer other than my own spin. We all knew his personality would offer mountains of journalistic fodder, so it should be no surprise he turned it up a notch when a freakin’ pandemic hit.

Bryson left to his own devices is a bull in a china shop. His desire to succeed by following his own rules is overshadowed only by what is immense boredom. This is a man who spent the majority of quarantine eating everything in sight, working out like a linebacker, packing on dozens of pounds, and filming it for all to see. Is that narcissism any current golf blogger would envy, or an odd attempt at self-PR that… well… kind of worked?

Correction: it definitely worked, because we’re all still talking about it. Bryson was further validated by his recent win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. This latter point should have been the focus all along by golf media, and now that he’s won a tournament using whatever the hell he wants to call his method, we need to collectively admit we were wrong.

We all know what comes next: questions as to how long he’ll be able to sustain his approach. We’ve conditioned ourselves to look for reasons why someone will fail as opposed to succeed. Yet, when someone does succeed, our tendency is to crown them as the “greatest ever.” Over time, the inevitable decline in performance occurs, causing us to question our initial praise and walk back our comments as fast as we can. Heaven forbid if we fall victim to the “Gotcha Police” on social; a group I’ve tried to avoid many times before, and failed.

Bryson doesn’t help his cause when he berates a cameraman for doing his job, then doubles down on a livestream video by erroneously suggesting he’s fine with the man doing his job. No, Bryson, you weren’t. You can’t be upset with it one moment and perfectly fine the next. Why someone isn’t telling him these things and preventing Bryson from talking is beyond me. Then again, how do you prevent anyone from doing anything these days?

Thinking about this stuff is enough to throw your mind into a thought rollercoaster. There’s no right or wrong answer here, just as long as people remain consistent in their criticism or their praise. When a shift in opinion is necessary — and yes, that is something people are allowed to do! — it’s best for us to own it and be the bigger person. We can be wrong, even publicly, and in doing so open ourselves up to being called out. That’s the agreement we all make whether we realize it or not.

If anything, Bryson is an example of where golf has gone in the professional realm. He’s a purposeful outlier, a man who is smart enough to exploit the fragile constraints within his profession by exposing where the dam needs holes plugged. Nothing he is doing is violating the rules of the game, but rather testing our ability to accept something that falls beyond the norm. Everyone likes predictability during unpredictable times, and Bryson clearly couldn’t care less.

I have no doubt that at some point something will fail in this grand experiment. To the best of my knowledge Bryson is not impervious to injury or whatever horrors excessive consumption of protein shakes do to the gastrointestinal system. Who knows; maybe golf’s governing bodies step in at some point to take another look at equipment standards, if there is such a thing.

Until that happens — and something will happen — the biggest output from Bryson’s experiment will not be how many trophies he accumulates, but rather how many detractors he proves wrong.

STIR THE POT: Putter Anchoring, Patrick Reed, and Blade Collars

STIR THE POT is a weekly interactive livestream with three members of Team GU: Adam, Hackett and Tatro.

The guys debate a number of topics, including the finer points of putter anchoring, whether or not Patrick Reed cheated, and why blade collars are the worst thing ever.

You can view the most recent episode here:

COVID Log: Golf Industry Layoffs, Course Closures, and Helping the Front Line

It’s been 16 days since Illinois was issued a shelter-in-place order. As we continue to make the best of a terrible situation, the golf industry’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been an interesting ride. While not for entertainment value by any means, tracking the response is almost unavoidable as millions of Americans take to social media (and interpersonal networks) to learn how the virus is affecting the game we love.

Golf Courses Are Closed in Illinois

Despite an initial confusion immediately following the Governor’s order, golf courses in Illinois remain closed for play. Most of the Midwest, of course, is slowly warming up from the typical stretch of cold weather, meaning many golfers in our area are ending their golf hibernation.

There is cause for concern about how all golf courses/clubs in IL will bounce back from a closure with no end in sight. Conversations with industry friends in the area turn bleak quickly, often questioning the decision to close courses while large public parks remain open. It also appears that there is no standard for what constitutes the declaration of an “essential business” as neighboring states continue to golf while abiding by federal social distancing orders.

We all agree that remaining indoors as much as possible is the best way to flatten the curve. I fear this mutual understanding will become cloudy — and ignored entirely — as temperatures continue to rise. Providing an outlet that spans multiple acres for the public to take advantage of seems like a reasonable distraction from what is otherwise the worst pandemic in a century. Golf goes beyond battling boredom, but rather offers a safe, controlled athletic opportunity for the public.

Brands Resort to Layoffs While Others Hold On

Unemployment claims continue to rise across the nation at a record pace, and the golf industry is no different.

Callaway Golf, TaylorMade Golf, PING, and others have resorted to layoffs at both the corporate and regional levels in the last week. Large brick-and-mortar retailers like those under the Worldwide Golf Shops umbrella remain closed. Most operations at online retailers like Budget Golf are running via skeleton crews, while focusing on paying their employees through at least the month of April. Stimulus Bill details remain cloudy for these businesses as leadership reviews their eligibility with lawyers and lenders.

Other brands in the textile space have stepped up to provide protective masks to front line healthcare workers. Seamus Golf is selling cloth masks to the public at a relatively high price tag of $100 for a pack of five, which includes a concurrent donation of five masks to healthcare professionals. I have mixed feelings on this approach. What essentially equates to $10 a mask, the entry point for what could be considered a higher-end golf accessory brand prompts a double-take at a minimum. Especially when competing brands like Stitch Golf are producing and donating masks to the front line without first selling to the public.

Yes, independent brands come in all sizes and capital resources. Any brand doing what they can to contribute to the fight while retaining employees is commendable. Data suggests, unfortunately, that our nation will hit its healthcare peak by mid-April, meaning these brands may be asked to contribute protective equipment of any kind at a much higher rate.

Do we really want transparency in golf?

If the last month has proven anything, it’s that there are different opinions as to the level of transparency golfers want in the game. Whether it be the equipment we play or the personalities of the pros we watch on TV, there’s no doubt what qualifies for “too much information” is not widely agreed upon.

In terms of equipment, misinformation and coincidental timelines run rampant at times from competing brands and media outlets. The stories we see on our timelines is only the surface, of course, as deeper details into their origins remain hidden and veiled. This sometimes filters into television commercials, as is the case of Titleist’s latest TV spot discussing the importance of having a centered core in your golf ball. There are few coincidences in this business, folks, and it should be no surprise that one brand doubles down on the defects of its competitor months after the original “story” hit the web. It’s almost as if everything was planned.

Similar coordination is less hidden, although not immediately made clear. Such is the case with the GOLF.com/True Spec kerfuffle, which has turned into a textbook case study of conflict of interest. Keen-eyed internet sleuths were quick to point out their common ownership (8am Golf), and cries for MORE TRANSPARENCY were heard throughout Golfdom. What remains unclear, at least in the case of similar websites that rank products and award “winners”, is how comfortable they are with disclosing their own potential conflicts of interest.

Nobody should hold their breath, however those sites continue to hold their cards close to their chest. That is due to change, and soon.

Opinions as to the level of transparency we want from our favorite pros also spark debate. Rory McIlroy, for example, is lauded for this openness and comfort with holding nothing back, particularly on the topic of the fledgling Primer Golf League. His is an example where thinking before one acts is beneficial to an image. This extends beyond the words that you speak, as another tour pro recently discovered.

Scott Piercy’s incredible poor judgement of sharing what many consider to be a homophobic internet meme is less about him as a person and more about him not thinking before pressing a button. It is most likely that Piercy, a public figure, made the mistake of finding humor in a something best kept to himself, and not because of how multiple sponsors have abandoned ship following the news.

Any of the above examples serve as commentary on how comfortable we are with pulling back the curtain. I contend that we are not as comfortable as we think we are.

Chances are, if you look deeper, you might not like what you find.

Woke Golf Culture and a Marketing Evolution

Recent trends and themes on golf social media, specifically Twitter and Instagram, have ignited a shift in how brands market their products to you. While still small in volume, the growing ‘Woke Golf’ culture takes a hard stance on minimalism, conservatism, and at times how the game should be played.

What is Woke Culture?

Let’s set a baseline. ‘Woke Culture’, at its core, has nothing to do with golf or any sport. It’s a political term that refers to “an awareness of issues concerning social and racial justice.” While both themes tangentially touch on sports — it’s impossible to completely separate large-scale social issues from large-scale athletics — the concept of “staying woke” started in a very different place than how it’s used on social media today.

Over time, the concept of staying woke has been applied to other areas vastly unrelated to politics. This includes the super opinionated Golf Twitter landscape; a legion of like-minded, young, educated, liberal, white followers not afraid of jogger pants and the ‘tweet’ button.

Suddenly, a new golf theme emerged from the overuse of the ‘woke’ term: traditional minimalism.

What is Woke Golf Culture?

In a way, Woke Golf Culture is the zeitgeist for a population comprised of the individuals described above. Its origins include a smaller group of Golf Course Architecture (GCA) enthusiasts opining on the finer qualities of course design, igniting an ongoing conversation (and multiple podcasts) on the topic.

The Fried Egg is a fantastic website whose primary focus is GCA, with fellow Chicagoan Andy Johnson at the helm. In an excellent piece he authored this October, Johnson examines whether woke golf culture has become elitist; teetering on exclusivity rather than the opposite.

I’m not completely sure what “woke golf culture” is, but I’m guessing it has something to do with golfers who enjoy learning about and discussing golf course design. I don’t think that’s necessarily “elitist” at all.

Yes, many of the best-designed American courses are private and exclusive, and therefore could be considered elitist. But one great thing that I think today’s golf architecture enthusiasts have done is help promote public, affordable, and architecturally interesting courses.

I agree with this sentiment, specifically as it relates to golf courses. For example, I would have never thought of playing Canal Shores had it not been for websites like The Fried Egg and publications like the Golfer’s Journal. Examples of how crowd-sourced ‘wokeness’ can yield positivity are everywhere.

Smaller subsets of this culture now permeates through other areas of the industry, especially in golf equipment and accessories. Woke Golf Culture, and all of its opinions, have begun to change what we “should” or “should not” play in the eyes of those who contribute the loudest.

How are Brands Responding?

Ladies and gentlemen, we are in the era of high-end Sunday bags and artisan clubs.

For whatever reason, the concept of carrying your clubs while playing (carts are bad!) has taken precedence among those who are most Woke. In fact, it is recommended to do so with fewer than 14 clubs while wearing shoes that can be worn on and off the course. Many of those clubs “should” be persimmon and/or hickory shafted, which are best used when striking a discount golf ball.

Accessory brands touting the benefits of using handcrafted, tartan headcovers, milled ball markers and wooden alignment aides have popped up seemingly overnight. The craftsmanship in these pieces are incredible, along with their accompanying price tags.

This desire to get back to one’s golfing roots started as a means to celebrate the nostalgia of the game. I can appreciate that; we all have memories of growing up using our first set of hand-me-down clubs. But does this mean we have to completely abandon technology in an effort to appear most appreciative of the game?

Furthermore, why is playing anything other than the bare minimum in tech suddenly a bad thing?

Looking Ahead

There is plenty of room in golf for the multitude of ways to enjoy it. Brands like Linksoul, TRUE Linkswear, Seamus Golf, Artisan Golf, and dozens of others understand that niches make this game a beautifully complicated industry. Consumers will respond, and most of these brands will be successful.

What muddies the waters, unfortunately, are the extremists in the Woke Golf culture that prefer to tell others how to behave and how to enjoy the game. Perhaps pockets of exclusivity and elitism are unavoidable in golf; however, this doesn’t have to become the ultimate end point of widespread movements like what we’re seeing now.

Brands have a responsibility to help us understand how emerging trends can emphasize the best parts of golf and not why their customers are better than the rest of us. There is a difference between marketing to make a sale and contributing to negative exclusivity for the sake of a dollar.