synergygolfsolutions

[synergygolfsolutions]

Phil Mickelson goes full Phil, drama in the dark at Pebble

Drama in the dark

The weather was biblical at Pebble Beach on Sunday. Making it fitting that golf's Methuselah stood atop the leader board at round's end.

Phil Mickelson, months away from turning 49 years old, owns a three-shot lead with two holes remaining as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was suspended due to darkness.

Mickelson, who began the day three shots back of Paul Casey, made the turn in 33 and tied the Englishman with a birdie at the 10th. Back-to-back bogeys from Casey gave the advantage to the five-time major winner, and Mickelson seized the opening with consecutive red figures at the 14th and 15th, reshaping the final three holes from competition into Mickelson's fifth crowning at the Clambake.

Except that coronation will have to wait until Monday. Even by Crosby standards, Mother Nature was a fickle beast on Sunday, with heavy rains and hail causing a series of delays. Mickelson and Casey didn't tee off until 1:09 p.m., almost three-and-a-half hours behind their scheduled time, leaving the duo to fight the fading light on the second nine. Though Mickelson wanted to continue—more on this in a moment—play was called with Casey looking at a three-footer for par on the 16th green.

Pebble's closing holes lend themselves to theater, and Mickelson's past is littered with, ahem, interesting finishes. Nevertheless, weeks after letting one go at the Desert Classic, Mickelson is on the precipice of career PGA Tour win No. 44. At an age where professional golfers have historically been sent to pasture, Mickelson continues to scorn Father Time.

“I know a lot can happen in these two holes,” he said, “and they have happened in the past, so I want to stay focused and just come out tomorrow and try to finish it off. I wish we could do it tonight.”

Phil goes full Phil

Phil wanted to keep going. Needed to, tried his damnedest to. But while Mickelson attempted to Pass Go, Casey and officials raised a stop sign.

And … well, let's just say transparency is the residue of disappointment.

Just as delicious was what preceded it. As microphones picked up Casey saying he couldn't see his putt, Mickelson was heard chirping back, "I can see just fine." A more Mickelsonian response, there is not.

“I genuinely couldn’t see my putt there on 16,” Casey said. “[PGA Tour official] Mark Russell gave us the option to finish, which is why I marked it. So, hopefully, I can see what I’ve got for par, knock that one in, and then I’m going to smash it straight at it. Be aggressive on 17. And I played 18 beautifully on Thursday, good drive and hit a 3-iron into 20 feet, 15 feet. I’m going to try and do the same. And really I need to go kind of minimum birdie, birdie or birdie, eagle, and that might not be good enough, but that’s the plan.”

To Mickelson's credit, he was diplomatic afterwards, refusing to put more fuel on the fire. That Casey is one of the more respected players on the tour didn't hurt, or the fact, that, you know, it was so dark it appeared someone forgot to pay the electric bills.

That said, if Phil wins on Monday, you better believe we're in for a discourse of how the group could have finished if they would have taken his lead. It will be a thing of beauty.

[synergygolfsolutions]

Phil Mickelson goes full Phil, drama in the dark at Pebble

Drama in the dark

The weather was biblical at Pebble Beach on Sunday. Making it fitting that golf's Methuselah stood atop the leader board at round's end.

Phil Mickelson, months away from turning 49 years old, owns a three-shot lead with two holes remaining as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was suspended due to darkness.

Mickelson, who began the day three shots back of Paul Casey, made the turn in 33 and tied the Englishman with a birdie at the 10th. Back-to-back bogeys from Casey gave the advantage to the five-time major winner, and Mickelson seized the opening with consecutive red figures at the 14th and 15th, reshaping the final three holes from competition into Mickelson's fifth crowning at the Clambake.

Except that coronation will have to wait until Monday. Even by Crosby standards, Mother Nature was a fickle beast on Sunday, with heavy rains and hail causing a series of delays. Mickelson and Casey didn't tee off until 1:09 p.m., almost three-and-a-half hours behind their scheduled time, leaving the duo to fight the fading light on the second nine. Though Mickelson wanted to continue—more on this in a moment—play was called with Casey looking at a three-footer for par on the 16th green.

Pebble's closing holes lend themselves to theater, and Mickelson's past is littered with, ahem, interesting finishes. Nevertheless, weeks after letting one go at the Desert Classic, Mickelson is on the precipice of career PGA Tour win No. 44. At an age where professional golfers have historically been sent to pasture, Mickelson continues to scorn Father Time.

“I know a lot can happen in these two holes,” he said, “and they have happened in the past, so I want to stay focused and just come out tomorrow and try to finish it off. I wish we could do it tonight.”

Phil goes full Phil

Phil wanted to keep going. Needed to, tried his damnedest to. But while Mickelson attempted to Pass Go, Casey and officials raised a stop sign.

And … well, let's just say transparency is the residue of disappointment.

Just as delicious was what preceded it. As microphones picked up Casey saying he couldn't see his putt, Mickelson was heard chirping back, "I can see just fine." A more Mickelsonian response, there is not.

“I genuinely couldn’t see my putt there on 16,” Casey said. “[PGA Tour official] Mark Russell gave us the option to finish, which is why I marked it. So, hopefully, I can see what I’ve got for par, knock that one in, and then I’m going to smash it straight at it. Be aggressive on 17. And I played 18 beautifully on Thursday, good drive and hit a 3-iron into 20 feet, 15 feet. I’m going to try and do the same. And really I need to go kind of minimum birdie, birdie or birdie, eagle, and that might not be good enough, but that’s the plan.”

To Mickelson's credit, he was diplomatic afterwards, refusing to put more fuel on the fire. That Casey is one of the more respected players on the tour didn't hurt, or the fact, that, you know, it was so dark it appeared someone forgot to pay the electric bills.

That said, if Phil wins on Monday, you better believe we're in for a discourse of how the group could have finished if they would have taken his lead. It will be a thing of beauty.

from synergygolfsolutions http://bit.ly/2UYRClo via IFTTT

[synergygolfsolutions]

Adam Hadwin continues to cement status as top Canadian male golfer

At the Desert Classic, Adam Hadwin was due.

The native of Abbotsford, B.C., led with nine holes to go at this event in 2016, shot a 59 in 2017 and finished second, and was in the final group on Sunday a year ago.

He didn’t get the job done this year – while eventual winner Adam Long chipped in for birdie two holes in a row, Hadwin faltered down the stretch with a late bogey and a stubbed chip – but his tie for second proved why he’s cemented himself at the top of the group of ever-growing Canadian male professional golfers who are contending for PGA Tour titles.

It’s never been a more prosperous time for Canadian golf on the PGA Tour, and Hadwin showed this week why he’s the best of the bunch.

There were eight Canadians in the field at this week’s Desert Classic, and eight in the Sony Open the week before. It was the third time this season eight Canadians were in a PGA Tour field, the highest number for a non-domestic event since the PGA Tour began keeping track in 1970.

Last week Adam Svensson fired a first round 9-under-par 61 at the Sony Open to take the lead. This week it was Hadwin – who told The Canadian Press in early January his main goal this season was to return to the Presidents Cup – who rocketed up the leaderboard.

And it’s not just Adam’s who are playing good golf.

Corey Conners finished tied for third at the Sony Open last week after notching a runner-up at the Sanderson Farms Championship in the fall.

Roger Sloan had his best ever PGA Tour result at the Desert Classic, a tie for 12th.

Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes have already won on the PGA Tour, and, like Hadwin, are now looking for their second victory.

Hadwin moved to 13th in the FedEx Cup standings with his tie for second – his best result on the PGA Tour since he finished tied for third at this event a year ago.

The 31-year-old spent a good chunk of 2018 getting more dialed in with his irons, but that came at the expense of his putting. He went from 21st in the putting average statistic in 2017 to 139th last year. He’s up in that stat already this year, so strides are being made on the green to get him back to where he was.

Up-and-coming PGA Tour pros describe Hadwin as a guy who “just takes care of business,” and his work ethic is something to emulate.

Jared du Toit, who shares an agent with Hadwin and made noise at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open by playing in the final group as an amateur, says it’s easy to see Hadwin’s good habits.

One of the first times they played a casual round together, it was late in the year and standard, du Toit says, to have a quick beer afterwards.

Hadwin passed on the post-round drink.

“He was the kind of guy who was obviously really focused. He had some stuff coming up and he said ‘no’ and that’s something I give him props for because not a lot of guys can say ‘no’ when you get pressured by a whole group,” says du Toit.

Du Toit says he talked to another Canadian professional, Riley Wheeldon, who has known Hadwin since junior golf in British Columbia. Wheeldon told du Toit that Hadwin wasn’t a great putter in college, but after spending a few years really working on his stroke and became one of the best on the PGA Tour.

“Any weakness he has, he addresses it,” says du Toit. “He does the right things on and off the course.”

Derek Ingram, the men’s national team coach for Golf Canada, says Hadwin is quick to separate himself from a lot of other guys. Hadwin, Ingram says, carries himself like one of the best players in the world, and has from a young age.

“Even when he was a junior player he had this belief that he was great and he could win the big event and he was just ultra-confident,” says Ingram. “That’s the one thing I love about (Hadwin) is that be believes in himself in such a deep, deep fashion… it’s a real separator.”

Combine an improved putting stroke with his already solid iron game, big-time confidence level, and efficient move off the tee and Hadwin is the most complete Canadian PGA Tour player out there.

A win this week would have moved Hadwin to No. 44 in the world, but instead he’ll slide up just a few spots from his current rank at No.70.

The next closest-ranked golfer is Conners at No. 181.

So while Hadwin didn’t take the title in the Desert Classic, he’s still very clearly at the top of the heap of Canadians on the PGA Tour.

But, with solid play from a mixed group of proven winners, Tour veterans, and up-and-comers champing at the bit for their own piece of PGA Tour glory, it will be fun to see the others try to take the mantle from him.

from synergygolfsolutions http://bit.ly/2RZ8FG2 via IFTTT

[synergygolfsolutions]

Adam Hadwin continues to cement status as top Canadian male golfer

At the Desert Classic, Adam Hadwin was due.

The native of Abbotsford, B.C., led with nine holes to go at this event in 2016, shot a 59 in 2017 and finished second, and was in the final group on Sunday a year ago.

He didn’t get the job done this year – while eventual winner Adam Long chipped in for birdie two holes in a row, Hadwin faltered down the stretch with a late bogey and a stubbed chip – but his tie for second proved why he’s cemented himself at the top of the group of ever-growing Canadian male professional golfers who are contending for PGA Tour titles.

It’s never been a more prosperous time for Canadian golf on the PGA Tour, and Hadwin showed this week why he’s the best of the bunch.

There were eight Canadians in the field at this week’s Desert Classic, and eight in the Sony Open the week before. It was the third time this season eight Canadians were in a PGA Tour field, the highest number for a non-domestic event since the PGA Tour began keeping track in 1970.

Last week Adam Svensson fired a first round 9-under-par 61 at the Sony Open to take the lead. This week it was Hadwin – who told The Canadian Press in early January his main goal this season was to return to the Presidents Cup – who rocketed up the leaderboard.

And it’s not just Adam’s who are playing good golf.

Corey Conners finished tied for third at the Sony Open last week after notching a runner-up at the Sanderson Farms Championship in the fall.

Roger Sloan had his best ever PGA Tour result at the Desert Classic, a tie for 12th.

Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes have already won on the PGA Tour, and, like Hadwin, are now looking for their second victory.

Hadwin moved to 13th in the FedEx Cup standings with his tie for second – his best result on the PGA Tour since he finished tied for third at this event a year ago.

The 31-year-old spent a good chunk of 2018 getting more dialed in with his irons, but that came at the expense of his putting. He went from 21st in the putting average statistic in 2017 to 139th last year. He’s up in that stat already this year, so strides are being made on the green to get him back to where he was.

Up-and-coming PGA Tour pros describe Hadwin as a guy who “just takes care of business,” and his work ethic is something to emulate.

Jared du Toit, who shares an agent with Hadwin and made noise at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open by playing in the final group as an amateur, says it’s easy to see Hadwin’s good habits.

One of the first times they played a casual round together, it was late in the year and standard, du Toit says, to have a quick beer afterwards.

Hadwin passed on the post-round drink.

“He was the kind of guy who was obviously really focused. He had some stuff coming up and he said ‘no’ and that’s something I give him props for because not a lot of guys can say ‘no’ when you get pressured by a whole group,” says du Toit.

Du Toit says he talked to another Canadian professional, Riley Wheeldon, who has known Hadwin since junior golf in British Columbia. Wheeldon told du Toit that Hadwin wasn’t a great putter in college, but after spending a few years really working on his stroke and became one of the best on the PGA Tour.

“Any weakness he has, he addresses it,” says du Toit. “He does the right things on and off the course.”

Derek Ingram, the men’s national team coach for Golf Canada, says Hadwin is quick to separate himself from a lot of other guys. Hadwin, Ingram says, carries himself like one of the best players in the world, and has from a young age.

“Even when he was a junior player he had this belief that he was great and he could win the big event and he was just ultra-confident,” says Ingram. “That’s the one thing I love about (Hadwin) is that be believes in himself in such a deep, deep fashion… it’s a real separator.”

Combine an improved putting stroke with his already solid iron game, big-time confidence level, and efficient move off the tee and Hadwin is the most complete Canadian PGA Tour player out there.

A win this week would have moved Hadwin to No. 44 in the world, but instead he’ll slide up just a few spots from his current rank at No.70.

The next closest-ranked golfer is Conners at No. 181.

So while Hadwin didn’t take the title in the Desert Classic, he’s still very clearly at the top of the heap of Canadians on the PGA Tour.

But, with solid play from a mixed group of proven winners, Tour veterans, and up-and-comers champing at the bit for their own piece of PGA Tour glory, it will be fun to see the others try to take the mantle from him.

[synergygolfsolutions]

Matt Kuchar, social media, and stories that take on lives of their own

Matt Kuchar leaves Hawaii a winner, but not entirely unscathed.

That’s the prevailing sentiment from a sect of golf observers, the byproduct of an accusation by a former PGA Tour player on Saturday afternoon. The match was lit at 5:08 p.m. ET; by 10, Kuchar, a beloved and venerated personality by American crowds, had come on the business end of a Twitter roasting . . . over how much he paid a fill-in caddie.

Five hours is all it took. Five hours in which Kuchar was on the golf course, oblivious to the drubbing.

“It’s not a story,” Kuchar would eventually say. This statement was aimed at the rumors; time will tell if he’s proven right. Through another prism, Kuchar is already wrong. Because stories like this are a reckoning more and more athletes are forced to confront.

The past decade has shown that realities can come to life through social media. There are arguments for the virtues and vices of digital platforms, but there’s no debate over their capability. Facebook and Twitter have helped overthrow tyrannical regimes, brought improper behavior to light, given the oppressed a voice. Tangible paragons of speaking truth to power.

There’s an upshot, however. The mob mentality often found on Twitter and Facebook can go unchecked, taking on lives of their own. The forums are so emotionally driven that narratives can reach a fever pitch without consideration of context or facts, and the appetite for "owning" someone overtakes the crusade that's supposed to be fought.

For Kuchar, this materialized at the hands of Tom Gillis of the PGA Tour Champions. In a series of tweets, the 50-year-old Gillis claimed that Kuchar had stiffed David “El Tucan” Ortiz—the local caddie Kuchar had on the bag for his victory in Mayakoba—something fierce.

Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.

Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” Several popular media personalities stoked the fervor with their Kuchar stories. The only notable name to defend Kuch was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, and he was promptly “ratioed"—the phantasm to describe the overwhelming amount of negative reaction to a tweet—in kind.

This outcry is predictable, and if Gillis is right, understandable. Save for one problem: neither Kuchar nor Ortiz had publicly spoken on the issue.

Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker was among a handful of journalists to approach Kuchar after the Sony Open’s third round about the Twitter rumors. This occurred around 11 p.m. ET, six hours after Gillis posted his claim. Kuchar was emphatic in denying the allegations (also worth noting when Gillis was asked how he got his information, he was light on specifics).

“That’s not a story. It wasn’t 10 percent, it wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story,” Kuchar told reporters. Kuchar later approached Wacker in the media center saying, "We had an agreement to start the week. He was excited to go to work that week.” His remarks did nothing to stop the drama.

For what it’s worth, Ortiz told Golf.com after the Mayakoba win he had not received or discussed his pay with Kuchar, only that he was aware of the standard 10 percent. (At the time of writing, Golf Digest's attempts to reach Ortiz through the Mayakoba Resort were unsuccessful). What’s not as clear is Kuchar’s first point: does this constitute a story?

To be clear, scuttlebutt on athletes’ lives on and off the field is nothing new. Drug use, gambling, affairs, sexual orientation; the biggest sports figures have been subjected to it all. What has shifted, though, is where those questions are coming from.

The problem with narratives that emerge on social media is athletes have two options: response or silence. Neither is particularly desired. As Kuchar showed, a response never quiets the whispers, and silence only makes them grow louder.

Kuchar is not alone. Last June, Jimmy Walker self-professed to backstopping, the practice of purposely not marking a golf ball in order to give an opponent a potential advantage. It served as an archetype of the pluses and perils of mob mentality. Good in that it raised a dialogue, receiving the attention and engagement of a marquee name, providing an opportunity for discourse. Bad in that the conversation was less than civil, as Walker—who was forthright and level-headed about the manner—was roasted for admitting to doing something almost everyone does.

“I was just trying to shed some light on how it actually happens out here,” Walker said at the U.S. Open. He was guilty before charges were brought.

Fans aren't the only ones starting a fire. Tour pro Joel Dahmen took to Twitter after the Quicken Loans National to accuse Sung Kang of cheating. In 2017 then-rookie Grayson Murray called out Bryson DeChambeau for an injury withdraw at Riviera. Former major champ Steve Elkington aired some less-than-flattering remarks toward Rory McIlroy, and the Ulsterman did not take the shot lying down. Danny Willett's 2016 Ryder Cup was ruined by online remarks from his brother.

There are nuances to each, but those nuances are often lost in the commotion. A shame, as they contain truths. In defense of Kuchar, Chamblee made a handful of valid points. Alas, judging by the responses, they were points that fell on deaf ears. Chamblee wasn't so much scolded for the contention, but for the sheer audacity to go against the predominant sentiment. To counter, at least on social media, is to quarrel.

The fallout is real. Despite the tour releasing a statement that backed him up, Kang is forever marked as a cheat. The attention sparked by his bout with Elkington caused McIlroy, one of the more cerebral, candid voices in golf, to quit Twitter. "I don't need to read it. It's stuff that shouldn't get to you and sometimes it does," he said.

At least the above examples were related to competition. In the fall, an Instagram user noticed Dustin Johnson’s fiancee Paulina Gretzky had deleted Johnson’s photos from her social media accounts. Conjecture quickly spread about the status of their relationship, the gossip manifesting in the worst kind of tabloid speculation. The noise became so loud Johnson had to issue a statement. “Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family," Johnson said. "Thank you for your love and support."

Johnson and Gretzky have not been shy about their relationship. They are also not foreign to controversy, which fueled the gossip. But even the most public of figures warrant privacy, and more than a few observers asked, "What does this have to do with golf?"

Of course, all public figures are subjected to a heightened level of scrutiny, and sometimes it serves a real purpose. Good can come of a herd mentality, as witnessed by the movements against harassment and assault. And if Ortiz really was shorted, he likely has a better chance at getting what's his thanks to Gillis.

But the pack can be so consumed by righting a wrong that, at times, it fails to ask where the wrong really lies...or if a wrong has even been had.

On Sunday the Golf Channel made a brief mention of Kuchar's Twitter drama. On social media, some saw it as rubbish, the tour and its partner putting their heads in the sand to a story that had become bigger than the tournament. Conversely, as bad as Kuchar looks at the moment, we still don't have definitive proof that the story is legitimate. A mere one-off by the broadcast would have given Gillis' accusation more merit and steam. Once that train leaves the station, there's no turning around.

So you give Kuchar the benefit of the doubt. Even if that doubt is raised.

These are awkward times, where suspicion and truth are blurred. But it's the new reality.

[synergygolfsolutions]

Matt Kuchar, social media, and stories that take on lives of their own

Matt Kuchar leaves Hawaii a winner, but not entirely unscathed.

That’s the prevailing sentiment from a sect of golf observers, the byproduct of an accusation by a former PGA Tour player on Saturday afternoon. The match was lit at 5:08 p.m. ET; by 10, Kuchar, a beloved and venerated personality by American crowds, had come on the business end of a Twitter roasting . . . over how much he paid a fill-in caddie.

Five hours is all it took. Five hours in which Kuchar was on the golf course, oblivious to the drubbing.

“It’s not a story,” Kuchar would eventually say. This statement was aimed at the rumors; time will tell if he’s proven right. Through another prism, Kuchar is already wrong. Because stories like this are a reckoning more and more athletes are forced to confront.

The past decade has shown that realities can come to life through social media. There are arguments for the virtues and vices of digital platforms, but there’s no debate over their capability. Facebook and Twitter have helped overthrow tyrannical regimes, brought improper behavior to light, given the oppressed a voice. Tangible paragons of speaking truth to power.

There’s an upshot, however. The mob mentality often found on Twitter and Facebook can go unchecked, taking on lives of their own. The forums are so emotionally driven that narratives can reach a fever pitch without consideration of context or facts, and the appetite for "owning" someone overtakes the crusade that's supposed to be fought.

For Kuchar, this materialized at the hands of Tom Gillis of the PGA Tour Champions. In a series of tweets, the 50-year-old Gillis claimed that Kuchar had stiffed David “El Tucan” Ortiz—the local caddie Kuchar had on the bag for his victory in Mayakoba—something fierce.

Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.

Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” Several popular media personalities stoked the fervor with their Kuchar stories. The only notable name to defend Kuch was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, and he was promptly “ratioed"—the phantasm to describe the overwhelming amount of negative reaction to a tweet—in kind.

This outcry is predictable, and if Gillis is right, understandable. Save for one problem: neither Kuchar nor Ortiz had publicly spoken on the issue.

Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker was among a handful of journalists to approach Kuchar after the Sony Open’s third round about the Twitter rumors. This occurred around 11 p.m. ET, six hours after Gillis posted his claim. Kuchar was emphatic in denying the allegations (also worth noting when Gillis was asked how he got his information, he was light on specifics).

“That’s not a story. It wasn’t 10 percent, it wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story,” Kuchar told reporters. Kuchar later approached Wacker in the media center saying, "We had an agreement to start the week. He was excited to go to work that week.” His remarks did nothing to stop the drama.

For what it’s worth, Ortiz told Golf.com after the Mayakoba win he had not received or discussed his pay with Kuchar, only that he was aware of the standard 10 percent. (At the time of writing, Golf Digest's attempts to reach Ortiz through the Mayakoba Resort were unsuccessful). What’s not as clear is Kuchar’s first point: does this constitute a story?

To be clear, scuttlebutt on athletes’ lives on and off the field is nothing new. Drug use, gambling, affairs, sexual orientation; the biggest sports figures have been subjected to it all. What has shifted, though, is where those questions are coming from.

The problem with narratives that emerge on social media is athletes have two options: response or silence. Neither is particularly desired. As Kuchar showed, a response never quiets the whispers, and silence only makes them grow louder.

Kuchar is not alone. Last June, Jimmy Walker self-professed to backstopping, the practice of purposely not marking a golf ball in order to give an opponent a potential advantage. It served as an archetype of the pluses and perils of mob mentality. Good in that it raised a dialogue, receiving the attention and engagement of a marquee name, providing an opportunity for discourse. Bad in that the conversation was less than civil, as Walker—who was forthright and level-headed about the manner—was roasted for admitting to doing something almost everyone does.

“I was just trying to shed some light on how it actually happens out here,” Walker said at the U.S. Open. He was guilty before charges were brought.

Fans aren't the only ones starting a fire. Tour pro Joel Dahmen took to Twitter after the Quicken Loans National to accuse Sung Kang of cheating. In 2017 then-rookie Grayson Murray called out Bryson DeChambeau for an injury withdraw at Riviera. Former major champ Steve Elkington aired some less-than-flattering remarks toward Rory McIlroy, and the Ulsterman did not take the shot lying down. Danny Willett's 2016 Ryder Cup was ruined by online remarks from his brother.

There are nuances to each, but those nuances are often lost in the commotion. A shame, as they contain truths. In defense of Kuchar, Chamblee made a handful of valid points. Alas, judging by the responses, they were points that fell on deaf ears. Chamblee wasn't so much scolded for the contention, but for the sheer audacity to go against the predominant sentiment. To counter, at least on social media, is to quarrel.

The fallout is real. Despite the tour releasing a statement that backed him up, Kang is forever marked as a cheat. The attention sparked by his bout with Elkington caused McIlroy, one of the more cerebral, candid voices in golf, to quit Twitter. "I don't need to read it. It's stuff that shouldn't get to you and sometimes it does," he said.

At least the above examples were related to competition. In the fall, an Instagram user noticed Dustin Johnson’s fiancee Paulina Gretzky had deleted Johnson’s photos from her social media accounts. Conjecture quickly spread about the status of their relationship, the gossip manifesting in the worst kind of tabloid speculation. The noise became so loud Johnson had to issue a statement. “Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family," Johnson said. "Thank you for your love and support."

Johnson and Gretzky have not been shy about their relationship. They are also not foreign to controversy, which fueled the gossip. But even the most public of figures warrant privacy, and more than a few observers asked, "What does this have to do with golf?"

Of course, all public figures are subjected to a heightened level of scrutiny, and sometimes it serves a real purpose. Good can come of a herd mentality, as witnessed by the movements against harassment and assault. And if Ortiz really was shorted, he likely has a better chance at getting what's his thanks to Gillis.

But the pack can be so consumed by righting a wrong that, at times, it fails to ask where the wrong really lies...or if a wrong has even been had.

On Sunday the Golf Channel made a brief mention of Kuchar's Twitter drama. On social media, some saw it as rubbish, the tour and its partner putting their heads in the sand to a story that had become bigger than the tournament. Conversely, as bad as Kuchar looks at the moment, we still don't have definitive proof that the story is legitimate. A mere one-off by the broadcast would have given Gillis' accusation more merit and steam. Once that train leaves the station, there's no turning around.

So you give Kuchar the benefit of the doubt. Even if that doubt is raised.

These are awkward times, where suspicion and truth are blurred. But it's the new reality.

from synergygolfsolutions http://bit.ly/2RRH4GD via IFTTT

[synergygolfsolutions]

Paul Azinger officially joins NBC/Golf Channel to take over for Johnny Miller

November 2018

It was a week ago Monday when Paul Azinger’s phone rang. The worst-kept secret in golf was out: Johnny Miller was retiring from NBC after nearly three decades as the network’s lead golf analyst. But the lesser known part of the plan was leaking as well: Azinger would be the man tapped to replace Miller.

Of course, Azinger had known about it all for months. Still, Miller was calling to congratulate him and in the process passed along a few words of wisdom.

“Continue to tell it like it is,” was the message Miller relayed to Azinger.

Sage words, and advice the 58-year-old shouldn’t have any trouble following. Though Miller has long been lauded by viewers and critics (sometimes to the disappointment of players themselves) for being direct in the broadcast booth, Azinger isn’t far behind when it comes to voicing his opinion.

That won’t change, he says, now that NBC has made it official, announcing on Monday that Azinger would be taking Miller’s spot as the lead golf analyst.

“I’m just going to be myself,” Azinger said. “I have nothing but praise for Johnny and his style and what he’s done, and that’s with respect to analysts in all sports. One thing he’s been great at is being himself. He left me a big spot to step into, but I’m excited about it.”

Azinger got his first taste of television two years after capturing his lone major, the 1993 PGA Championship. At the end of that year, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Having missed out on the 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill as a player, NBC producer Tommy Roy asked Azinger if he would join Miller and Dick Enberg in the booth. Azinger was happy for the opportunity.

“I imagined myself in everybody’s chair and what would I say,” Azinger recalls of the experience. “I loved it, and it morphed into this.”

The 12-time PGA Tour winner returned to playing, but in 2005 began his second career, joining ESPN and ABC Sports, where he worked alongside current NBC Sports play-by-play broadcaster Mike Tirico and CBS’ lead golf analyst Nick Faldo.

“That was a really experienced team and that helped a lot,” Azinger said. “And Tirico, he could get anyone through anything.”

That included one comedic moment together at the Open Championship. Azinger thought they were off air around 4 a.m. ET and was practicing his routine when Tirico grabbed his arm and informed him that they were indeed live. The two kept going without missing a beat.

Following a decade at ESPN, Azinger left to join Fox Sports in Year 2 of its 12-year deal with the USGA. Azinger replaced Greg Norman in the booth and was paired alongside Joe Buck beginning in 2016. Though Azinger will continue his duties with Fox, calling the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, his replacing Miller as the lead golf analyst at NBC is something he says he couldn’t even have dreamed.

“I’m just beside myself,” Azinger said. “Now I get to listen to [play-by-play announcer] Dan Hicks, who’s loaded with knowledge. I can’t believe I get to sit beside him.

“But at the end of the day, I’m just going to be myself. That’s all I can do.”

Miller, and golf fans, wouldn’t have it any other way.

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[synergygolfsolutions]

Paul Azinger officially joins NBC/Golf Channel to take over for Johnny Miller

November 2018

It was a week ago Monday when Paul Azinger’s phone rang. The worst-kept secret in golf was out: Johnny Miller was retiring from NBC after nearly three decades as the network’s lead golf analyst. But the lesser known part of the plan was leaking as well: Azinger would be the man tapped to replace Miller.

Of course, Azinger had known about it all for months. Still, Miller was calling to congratulate him and in the process passed along a few words of wisdom.

“Continue to tell it like it is,” was the message Miller relayed to Azinger.

Sage words, and advice the 58-year-old shouldn’t have any trouble following. Though Miller has long been lauded by viewers and critics (sometimes to the disappointment of players themselves) for being direct in the broadcast booth, Azinger isn’t far behind when it comes to voicing his opinion.

That won’t change, he says, now that NBC has made it official, announcing on Monday that Azinger would be taking Miller’s spot as the lead golf analyst.

“I’m just going to be myself,” Azinger said. “I have nothing but praise for Johnny and his style and what he’s done, and that’s with respect to analysts in all sports. One thing he’s been great at is being himself. He left me a big spot to step into, but I’m excited about it.”

Azinger got his first taste of television two years after capturing his lone major, the 1993 PGA Championship. At the end of that year, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Having missed out on the 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill as a player, NBC producer Tommy Roy asked Azinger if he would join Miller and Dick Enberg in the booth. Azinger was happy for the opportunity.

“I imagined myself in everybody’s chair and what would I say,” Azinger recalls of the experience. “I loved it, and it morphed into this.”

The 12-time PGA Tour winner returned to playing, but in 2005 began his second career, joining ESPN and ABC Sports, where he worked alongside current NBC Sports play-by-play broadcaster Mike Tirico and CBS’ lead golf analyst Nick Faldo.

“That was a really experienced team and that helped a lot,” Azinger said. “And Tirico, he could get anyone through anything.”

That included one comedic moment together at the Open Championship. Azinger thought they were off air around 4 a.m. ET and was practicing his routine when Tirico grabbed his arm and informed him that they were indeed live. The two kept going without missing a beat.

Following a decade at ESPN, Azinger left to join Fox Sports in Year 2 of its 12-year deal with the USGA. Azinger replaced Greg Norman in the booth and was paired alongside Joe Buck beginning in 2016. Though Azinger will continue his duties with Fox, calling the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, his replacing Miller as the lead golf analyst at NBC is something he says he couldn’t even have dreamed.

“I’m just beside myself,” Azinger said. “Now I get to listen to [play-by-play announcer] Dan Hicks, who’s loaded with knowledge. I can’t believe I get to sit beside him.

“But at the end of the day, I’m just going to be myself. That’s all I can do.”

Miller, and golf fans, wouldn’t have it any other way.

[synergygolfsolutions]

Happy New Year... golf's new modernized rules have landed! In no particular order, we list the most important golf rule changes you NEED to know about in 2019 and beyond...

#1 - SEARCH TIME REDUCED FROM 5 MINS TO 3 MINS #2 - BALL MOVED DURING SEARCH - REPLACE, NO PENALTY #3 - EMBEDDED BALL - FREE RELIEF ANYWHERE THROUGH THE COURSE #4 - MEASURING A DROP - USE LONGEST CLUB (EXCEPT PUTTER) #5 - TAKE DROPS FROM KNEE HEIGHT RATHER THAN SHOULDER HEIGHT #6 - BALL UNINTENTIONALLY HITS PLAYER OR EQUIPMENT - NO PENALTY #7 - DOUBLE HIT - NO PENALTY, NOW ONLY COUNTS AS ONE STROKE #8 - TOUCHING SAND IN BUNKER INCIDENTALLY IS PERMITTED #9 - LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS CAN BE REMOVED ANYWHERE INCLUDING HAZARDS #10 - DROPPING A BALL OUT OF BUNKER - TWO PENALTY STROKES #11 - WATER HAZARDS ARE NOW CALLED 'PENALTY AREAS', AND THERE IS NO PENALTY FOR TOUCHING THE GROUND IN A PENALTY AREA... REMEMBER, STILL NOT IN A BUNKER THOUGH! #12 - NEW 'LOCAL RULE' (THIS IS DOWN TO CLUB COMMITTEES TO DECIDE) ALLOWS GOLFERS TO DROP IN THE AREA OF WHERE A BALL IS LOST OR OUT OF BOUNDS UNDER A TWO-STROKE PENALTY #13 - BALL MOVES ON GREEN AFTER BEING MARKED - REPLACE WITHOUT PENALTY #14 - BALL ACCIDENTALLY MOVES ON PUTTING GREEN - REPLACE NO PENALTY #15 - ALL DAMAGE TO GREEN CAN NOW BE REPAIRED #16 - POSITIONING A CLUB FOR ALIGNMENT IS NOT PERMITTED #17 - CADDIE ASSISTING WITH ALIGNMENT IS NOW NOT PERMITTED #18 - PUTTING WITH FLAGSTICK IN HOLE IS NOW PERMITTED #19 - BALL WEDGED AGAINST FLAGSTICK AND SIDE OF HOLE IS NOW DEEMED AS HOLED

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[synergygolfsolutions]

Happy New Year... golf's new modernized rules have landed! In no particular order, we list the most important golf rule changes you NEED to know about in 2019 and beyond...

#1 - SEARCH TIME REDUCED FROM 5 MINS TO 3 MINS #2 - BALL MOVED DURING SEARCH - REPLACE, NO PENALTY #3 - EMBEDDED BALL - FREE RELIEF ANYWHERE THROUGH THE COURSE #4 - MEASURING A DROP - USE LONGEST CLUB (EXCEPT PUTTER) #5 - TAKE DROPS FROM KNEE HEIGHT RATHER THAN SHOULDER HEIGHT #6 - BALL UNINTENTIONALLY HITS PLAYER OR EQUIPMENT - NO PENALTY #7 - DOUBLE HIT - NO PENALTY, NOW ONLY COUNTS AS ONE STROKE #8 - TOUCHING SAND IN BUNKER INCIDENTALLY IS PERMITTED #9 - LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS CAN BE REMOVED ANYWHERE INCLUDING HAZARDS #10 - DROPPING A BALL OUT OF BUNKER - TWO PENALTY STROKES #11 - WATER HAZARDS ARE NOW CALLED 'PENALTY AREAS', AND THERE IS NO PENALTY FOR TOUCHING THE GROUND IN A PENALTY AREA... REMEMBER, STILL NOT IN A BUNKER THOUGH! #12 - NEW 'LOCAL RULE' (THIS IS DOWN TO CLUB COMMITTEES TO DECIDE) ALLOWS GOLFERS TO DROP IN THE AREA OF WHERE A BALL IS LOST OR OUT OF BOUNDS UNDER A TWO-STROKE PENALTY #13 - BALL MOVES ON GREEN AFTER BEING MARKED - REPLACE WITHOUT PENALTY #14 - BALL ACCIDENTALLY MOVES ON PUTTING GREEN - REPLACE NO PENALTY #15 - ALL DAMAGE TO GREEN CAN NOW BE REPAIRED #16 - POSITIONING A CLUB FOR ALIGNMENT IS NOT PERMITTED #17 - CADDIE ASSISTING WITH ALIGNMENT IS NOW NOT PERMITTED #18 - PUTTING WITH FLAGSTICK IN HOLE IS NOW PERMITTED #19 - BALL WEDGED AGAINST FLAGSTICK AND SIDE OF HOLE IS NOW DEEMED AS HOLED

[synergygolfsolutions]

From All Of Us Here...

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[synergygolfsolutions]

From All Of Us Here...

[synergygolfsolutions]

Charles Howell III explains what he loves — and hates — about golf

Golf is a maddening game. Amateur golfers know that all too well. But flipping on the television every week to watch the best on the planet play the game, it’s hard to remember that even the best players often feel the same way.

Charles Howell III, once golf’s next can’t-miss prospect that never fulfilled the lofty expectations that were once set upon him, captured his first win in 11 years at the RSM Classic at Sea Island over the weekend. My colleague Dylan Dethier recapped Howell’s outpouring of emotion following his long-awaited return to the winner’s circle, but there was one part of his victory interview that especially stuck out to me: Howell talking about what he loves — and hates — about golf.

What He Loves About Golf

“I love most about [golf] because it’s all on you, it’s all on the player. Golf is never about one competitor versus another and it never will be. It’s against the player versus himself and versus the golf course. At no point today or whatever was I thinking it’s me against Cameron or it’s me against Webb or whatever. It’s just you against you, and as crazy as that sounds, it’s the way that it is.”

What He Hates About Golf

“What I hate about it is that you can work and work and work and get absolutely no results from that, and I know that there’s a lot of industries and a lot of areas where that also applies, but golf for certain. You can speak to any Tour player out here past or current and I think they would tell you the same thing, that you can go down a rabbit hole and work and work and work and literally on the back end nothing come out of it, and I think that’s the hardest part to swallow.”

Howell’s quotes are so refreshing — and so true. They offer the kind of perspective we don’t always hear from golfers at the top end of the game. And more than anything else, they’re the kind of comments that can apply to golfers everywhere, regardless of skill level. Next time you’re playing poorly, don’t blame your clubs, or the course, or anybody around you. Embrace what Howell loves most about golf: That it’s all on you.

from synergygolfsolutions https://ift.tt/2OZNU7A via IFTTT

[synergygolfsolutions]

Charles Howell III explains what he loves — and hates — about golf

Golf is a maddening game. Amateur golfers know that all too well. But flipping on the television every week to watch the best on the planet play the game, it’s hard to remember that even the best players often feel the same way.

Charles Howell III, once golf’s next can’t-miss prospect that never fulfilled the lofty expectations that were once set upon him, captured his first win in 11 years at the RSM Classic at Sea Island over the weekend. My colleague Dylan Dethier recapped Howell’s outpouring of emotion following his long-awaited return to the winner’s circle, but there was one part of his victory interview that especially stuck out to me: Howell talking about what he loves — and hates — about golf.

What He Loves About Golf

“I love most about [golf] because it’s all on you, it’s all on the player. Golf is never about one competitor versus another and it never will be. It’s against the player versus himself and versus the golf course. At no point today or whatever was I thinking it’s me against Cameron or it’s me against Webb or whatever. It’s just you against you, and as crazy as that sounds, it’s the way that it is.”

What He Hates About Golf

“What I hate about it is that you can work and work and work and get absolutely no results from that, and I know that there’s a lot of industries and a lot of areas where that also applies, but golf for certain. You can speak to any Tour player out here past or current and I think they would tell you the same thing, that you can go down a rabbit hole and work and work and work and literally on the back end nothing come out of it, and I think that’s the hardest part to swallow.”

Howell’s quotes are so refreshing — and so true. They offer the kind of perspective we don’t always hear from golfers at the top end of the game. And more than anything else, they’re the kind of comments that can apply to golfers everywhere, regardless of skill level. Next time you’re playing poorly, don’t blame your clubs, or the course, or anybody around you. Embrace what Howell loves most about golf: That it’s all on you.

[synergygolfsolutions]

Matt Kuchar just set a career milestone known only to him and his family (and his accountant)

The only number Matt Kuchar was thinking about on Sunday at the Mayakoba Golf Classic was eight, as in grabbing his eighth PGA Tour title. OK, maybe four, as well, as in ending a four-year victory drought.

But with a closing 69 at El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen, Kuchar has a couple other numbers to smile about: 10 and 45 million.

Let’s explain: With the victory, the 40-year-old tour veteran earned $1.296 million. That brings his career tour earnings past $45 million ($45,019,237 to be precise), making him just the 10th player to ever break that threshold.

Indeed, Kuchar’s performance in Mexico allowed him to jump past Davis Love III ($44,666,934), Zach Johnson ($44,516,011) and Steve Stricker ($43,947,237) into the No. 10 spot in all-time career earnings.

The running gag with Kuchar is his ability to squeeze top-10 finishes out of nowhere on a regular basis (he now has had 99 in his 417 career tour starts as a professional). Suffice it to say, all those T-10s—back door, front door, doggie door, whatever—add up. Just ask Kuchar's accountant.

[synergygolfsolutions]

Matt Kuchar just set a career milestone known only to him and his family (and his accountant)

The only number Matt Kuchar was thinking about on Sunday at the Mayakoba Golf Classic was eight, as in grabbing his eighth PGA Tour title. OK, maybe four, as well, as in ending a four-year victory drought.

But with a closing 69 at El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen, Kuchar has a couple other numbers to smile about: 10 and 45 million.

Let’s explain: With the victory, the 40-year-old tour veteran earned $1.296 million. That brings his career tour earnings past $45 million ($45,019,237 to be precise), making him just the 10th player to ever break that threshold.

Indeed, Kuchar’s performance in Mexico allowed him to jump past Davis Love III ($44,666,934), Zach Johnson ($44,516,011) and Steve Stricker ($43,947,237) into the No. 10 spot in all-time career earnings.

The running gag with Kuchar is his ability to squeeze top-10 finishes out of nowhere on a regular basis (he now has had 99 in his 417 career tour starts as a professional). Suffice it to say, all those T-10s—back door, front door, doggie door, whatever—add up. Just ask Kuchar's accountant.

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[synergygolfsolutions]

Golf Is A Great Gift To Give