Bryson just landed in Pierters sprinkler head.
Edit: I guess they are changing the rule on the fly here. Bryson gets relief.
Edit: I guess they are changing the rule on the fly here. Bryson gets relief.
Golfweek saying ANGC effectively told him not to show up: https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2022/03/23/augusta-national-officials-didnt-want-phil-mickelson-playing-masters/Given how tightly the Club runs things, that's a good guess. Originally, I thought that that very same control would make the Masters a perfect place for Mickelson to have a press conference, apologize publicly and privately for being a tone deaf, dumbass moron who said some incredibly stupid stuff, and then have the Club back him up when he said, "I'll answer questions about this today, but no more," knowing the press would comply because the Club has no problem kicking out non-compliant media.
When Casey had to withdraw from his first match yesterday, that should have been the equivalent of withdrawing from the entirety of a stroke play tournament, and his place for today and tomorrow should have been given to the first alternate. (IMO, of course.) What would now be worse is him being healthy enough to play Oosthuizen tomorrow, after Connors and Noren both effectively got to take the day off.Paul Casey played 1 hole yesterday and conceded his match to Corey Connors. He just conceded to Alex Noren today without hitting a shot. He says back spasms, unsure what he is going to do tomorrow.
I know back spasms can appear out of the blue but this is pretty shitty, IMO. Hit 4 shots, collect a paycheck and OWGR ranking points, take the week off.
DeChambeau got relief - and arguably was able to save the draw in his match - from the same place where Pieters did not yesterday. I understand the argument for it, but, like you, I thought it was farcical at the time.When Casey had to withdraw from his first match yesterday, that should have been the equivalent of withdrawing from the entirety of a stroke play tournament, and his place for today and tomorrow should have been given to the first alternate. (IMO, of course.) What would now be worse is him being healthy enough to play Oosthuizen tomorrow, after Connors and Noren both effectively got to take the day off.
It’s not elimination match play though. It could conceivably impact people in different matches, but the same group.This is farcical. (Just as well it's match play, I guess.)
I give them a lot of credit. When they changed the structure to these pods, it really made for three fun days of compelling golf. Unfortunately, with any individual match play tournament, it gets less interesting the farther along it gets.As far as I can tell, every match today means something, with the exception of the Oosty/Casey match that Casey conceded due to injury. Individual players have been eliminated but there are no 0-2 vs 0-2 matches. At least 1 guy in each match is still alive.
I don't know that there's a fix for Sunday in these match play events. There aren't enough players on the course and who even cares about the 3rd place match? I would almost prefer everyone who loses from the quarterfinals on gets thrown into skins game matches or something so there's constant money on the line. The WGC events take themselves waaay too seriously to allow any fun though.I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there needs to be more golf out on the course today. Two matches and a total of four golfers isn't enough. Some or all of yesterday's losers should be out here: have the R16 losers play to see who finishes T9 and who finishes T13, and have the QF losers play to see who finishes T5 and who finishes T7. That gives you six extra matches, all of which are worth valuable OWGR/FedEx Cup points and money; put the most marketable of the former and both of the latter out in the afternoon, and put the other three R16 v R16 games out in the morning, and now you've got five matches going on in both sessions, and you have plenty of golf to keep the telecast flowing (without having to miss any shots of the semifinals or final).
To the bolded, the point I always make is that there are plenty of stroke play tournaments where you come down the stretch and there's realistically only two or three people (or one person) who can win, and everyone else is playing for the minor placings. But just having other golf to watch and fill the air makes it work as a televisual product. (I don't think your latter point about "taking themselves too seriously" applies here - I mean, the WGCs do take themselves too seriously, but you wouldn't have any other Tour event split off into a different format halfway through, either.)I don't know that there's a fix for Sunday in these match play events. There aren't enough players on the course and who even cares about the 3rd place match? I would almost prefer everyone who loses from the quarterfinals on gets thrown into skins game matches or something so there's constant money on the line. The WGC events take themselves waaay too seriously to allow any fun though.
Nobody cares who wins the FedEx Cup in the grand scheme of things, do they? You get a shed load of money, but in terms of prestige the Players has to be next behind the Majors, and then the top tier events - including WGCs - are probably at least as big as the FedEx Cup, and possibly more so. (I personally value the WGC Match Play much more highly than the other WGC events, but that's probably just me.)Edit: where would you bucket these events? I'm thinking 4 Majors >>>> Fedex Cup Win > Player's Championship >> Memorial/WGC Events/other top tier normal events > generic whatever tour week?
I feel the same way about the Players. I guess the tour tries to care about it but I don't really buy that fans do. At least not more than any other event that gets big names to show up.Nobody cares who wins the FedEx Cup in the grand scheme of things, do they? You get a shed load of money, but in terms of prestige the Players has to be next behind the Majors, and then the top tier events - including WGCs - are probably at least as big as the FedEx Cup, and possibly more so. (I personally value the WGC Match Play much more highly than the other WGC events, but that's probably just me.)
Yeah, down the stretch that can happen.To the bolded, the point I always make is that there are plenty of stroke play tournaments where you come down the stretch and there's realistically only two or three people (or one person) who can win, and everyone else is playing for the minor placings. But just having other golf to watch and fill the air makes it work as a televisual product. (I don't think your latter point about "taking themselves too seriously" applies here - I mean, the WGCs do take themselves too seriously, but you wouldn't have any other Tour event split off into a different format halfway through, either.)
I do. If only because it always has an outstanding field, and it is played on a great tournament course with a fantastic, edge-of-your-seat finishing stretch. It's way below the majors, and it's not that much above the other prestige events on Tour, but it's now a clear #5 for me.I feel the same way about the Players. I guess the tour tries to care about it but I don't really buy that fans do. At least not more than any other event that gets big names to show up.
There are occasionally tournaments like the Stenson/Mickelson British Open duel where there are only two golfers with a chance to win at the start of the final round. But even that final round was more watchable because there were plenty of golfers on the course to watch - not least in terms of preparing you as a viewer for where the pins are located are and how each hole is playing. So I think there is something to the idea of just having golfers on the course to watch, even if they're out of contention.This is an entire round with only 4 golfers playing. And only 2 of them have a chance to win. It's not down the stretch, it's the entire track. And that's the problem.
That would definitely be better.There are occasionally tournaments like the Stenson/Mickelson British Open duel where there are only two golfers with a chance to win at the start of the final round. But even that final round was more watchable because there were plenty of golfers on the course to watch - not least in terms of preparing you as a viewer for where the pins are located are and how each hole is playing. So I think there is something to the idea of just having golfers on the course to watch, even if they're out of contention.
But let me ask you this: what would you think about a tournament that uses match play until you get down to the final 8, or 12, or 16 (etc.), and then changes to a one-round stroke play finish? Would that be more satisfying? I'm pretty sure it would be more televisual; in the past I've always hated the idea of spoiling the purity of match play, but I'm almost to the point now where I'd accept that bastardization for the sake of the tournament as a whole, making sure we keep the awesome first four days and trying to improve the final day.
3 wins in the past 7 tournaments. That's alrightScottie Scheffler, world #1
So bizarre, isn't it? He's definitely #1 in the world *right now*...but should he be #1 overall? He's only made the cut in seven majors so far (six as a professional). Gonna be a lot of pressure on him going forward - I'll be rooting for him, though!Scottie Scheffler, world #1
He also had a great Ryder Cup debut.He had three top 10 major finishes in 2021 and before his recent winning run he had a pile of solid to great non-winning finishes in this tour season (starting October). I agree he hasn't been getting much attention and it feels like this is a surprise but at the same time his finishes are what they are and he's been good for a year now. It's weird that he's been allowed to fly under the radar relatively speaking, usually the announcers can't help but pump the younger players who appear to be jumping to elite status.
We've entered the flight tracking portion of the proceedings.Tiger watch is on for the week. It seems there is a legitimate non-zero percent chance he actually plays the Masters next week.
View: https://twitter.com/ToddLewisGC/status/1508502027974103040?s=20&t=gO0bqM1iMQ9kAIjjd8rfyg
The rumor mill has been cranked up. There was a (now deleted) video floating around of him walking Medalist. Apparently Joey has been with him. He hasn't withdrawn yet, but in the past he's used all the runway available before making a final call so it's not totally unusual for him to do this.
The chance of him playing may be really small but he appears to be putting the effort in. I'd say even if next week is a no-go, St. Andrews has to be an almost certainty.
And there's the rub. I was reading an article (yahoo I think?) where he admitted to playing "weekend warrior" golf. His game was holding up fine when his longest walks were from cart to green. How will it be when the legs start to tire a bit?Who knows how close he really is, for all we know this is a just a father/son trip to ANGC, but if playing the Masters is a legitimate possiblity, then I would think the PGA or Brookline would also be in play. We're still 3 months out from St. Andrews.
Edit: I would also think that if he is putting his body through the ringer as a test, the game must be in good enough shape. I don’t think be would do this if he didn’t think the game was there.