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Check out each week the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in sports, and join the conversation by tweeting to us @tweet. this week, We discuss Rickie Fowler’s win, questions for the PGA Tour Policy Council meeting, Bernard Langer’s battle with father time and more.
1. Ricky Fowler birdied the first playoff hole to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic over Colin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin. It was the first time Fowler had won on the PGA Tour in over four years after two close calls in the past few weeks. What impressed you most about the way he won? And how far did his stock rise at Royal Liverpool’s Liverpool Open, a tournament where he’d had success before?
Jack Hirsch, assistant editor (@tweet): No one was making much of a bogey Sunday at the Detroit Golf Club, but Bars might have been the same. Fowler didn’t make a birdie between the 7th and 18th holes and seemed to be starting to let that birdie slip away. He put up a three-P5, started to miss two ways, pulled batters, and left a home run on the 17th close to the green. Those kinds of shots could have rocked a less sharp player, not Fowler. His method of being ranked 18th in regulation and then in the playoff after poor tee shots showed how Fowler got into the top five in the world in the first place. I think his stock was really high when entering Hoylake. Now taste victory again.
Dylan Diether, Senior Writer (@tweet): These two approaches at 18 were unforgettable. But I think what struck me most was the realization that this wasn’t just a sham victory; Fowler deserved this win based on the level of his game. Sunday’s victory marked his 13th top-20 finish in his last 15 starts, meaning he was among the most consistent players on the Tour. (Sidenote: Scotty Scheffler is still on a completely different plane.) The way he realigned his swing, his equipment and his team—and the way he really was I practiced – amazing. In 2014, Rory McIlroy won and Rickie Fowler finished T2. Would the same outcome shock anyone, given what they both look like?
Zephyr Milton, Associate Editor (@tweet): It was impressive to see him go up to 18 in the regulation and knock down one stone. He hadn’t made a birdie on his full back nine up to that point, and it looked like he was going to come up short again. Instead, dig deep and get it done. It’s hard not to be impressed by his chances of heading to Liverpool FC. It will not be among the top candidates, but it should definitely be considered for the next level.
2. The entire 10-person PGA Tour Policy Council met Tuesday in Detroit during the Rocket Mortgage Classic to discuss the PGA Tour-PIF deal (including Rory McIlroy, who wasn’t even on the field). The Tour issued a statement saying its focus is to begin “a new phase of negotiations to determine whether the Tour can reach a final agreement that is in the best interests of our players, fans, sponsors, partners, and the game in general.” We have learned a lot about this merger. However, there are still many unknowns. If you were a player at that meeting, what burning question would you want answered?
Hersh: that’s easy. If I was in the room, it meant I stayed loyal to the PGA Tour when LIV knocked. I want to know what got me my loyalty. We know that LIV players who want to return to the PGA Tour are going to have to take some sort of penalty, but this is on them, and it certainly won’t cancel out the millions they took to play on the LIV. We still don’t know what the financial investment from PIF to the PGA Tour is, but it’s likely large enough to help make players who haven’t taken all the LIV Golf money.
Dethier: I’m not sure they’ll get “full” in the sense that they’ll be compensated for lost LIV earnings, but I feel fairly confident they’ll get “rich” nonetheless. As for the question? I’d like to know every option currently on the table. all option. I had understood, reluctantly, that there should be a tight circle on this initial framework agreement, but now I’d like to know every way you could play to reassert myself as an important piece of a “player-run organization.” (Although at a certain point (It’s worth noting that I may end up referring to non-pro golfers due to their subject matter expertise…)
Milton: My colleagues made excellent points above, but for me personally, I’d like to know what the future of the Tour (and LIV) looks like in an ideal world. Do they get along? Will LIV enter the tour? Is there a place for a golf team with all the big stars? I want to know what the vision is going forward.
3. Speaking of the deal, in an interview with ESPN last week, former LIV Golf critic Nick Faldo expressed support for the proposed merger, saying “I think when the dust settles, whether it’s six months or a year, whatever, oh My God, professional golf is in a better financial position overall than we were in today.” Do you agree with Faldo, and do you expect other critics to make a similar change in the coming months?
Hersh: Once the initial shock of the merger wears off, it certainly seems like most people – with the exception of Tom Watson – are coming to terms with the idea of a merger. Ultimately, if it passes (which is still a big if), it will unite a broken game that is objectively good. I still think I don’t know enough about what this would look like to say I agree or disagree with Faldo, but I’m not the opposite of what I used to be. I’m just assuming that “back in the day” doesn’t actually mean Faldo’s years on tour…
Dither: Compared to Faldo Day? Yes Yes. A lot of financial matters can and will still go wrong. For example, last week at the US Open, Windham Clark beat Greg Norman on the PGA Tour’s all-time money list. Both Scotty Scheffler and John Rahm have made more money on the PGA Tour this chapter of what Faldo has achieved in his career on the European Tours and the PGA Tours – combined. So yeah, the financials have been really amazing when compared round the last two decades. The influx of new capital will only reinforce this trend.
Milton: Financially speaking, yes the Tour is in a better place than ever. In terms of reputation, though? The stock has certainly taken a hit in the past few months. I certainly expect previous detractors to follow suit in the coming months – especially when the checks start to come in.
4. Bernhard Langer won his first US Open Championship by two strokes over Steve Stricker. Langer not only broke his own record for oldest PGA Tour Champions (65 years, 10 months) but also, with his 46th first round win, broke Hale Irwin’s record for most all-time wins on a circuit over 50. Are you surprised he was able to continue winning events well into his sixties?
Hersh: Langer’s longevity is insane. There really is no other word for it. He was already in the Hall-of-Fame after winning two majors. And he has, without a doubt, gotten better since he turned fifty. Obviously there are things he can’t do well anymore (he didn’t hit a single chip in SentryWorld all week) but he has adapted his game to continue to succeed. At this point, it no longer surprises me. I’m spoiled in anticipating that. I don’t think it’s crazy to think he can still win at 70.
Dither: Yes, I’m surprised, because no one else has. You’d think the US Open on a long, hard course with high, rough scores might favor a (relatively) young player, but no – Langer umpires again. respect.
Milton: Each of us is at the mercy of Father Time, but Langer seems to be excused in this regard. It’s Tiger Woods of the Champions Tour, and it continues to raise the bar. I suspect this is the last time we see Langer win there.
5. The latest edition of The Match featured NBA stars Steve Curry and Klay Thompson versus NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelsey, the latter won 3 and 2 in Las Vegas. How would you rate the eighth edition? And for only the second time without a professional golfer’s event, does this format work?
Hersh: no. I really don’t care much for watching guys who can’t play golf. We don’t watch celebrities play football matches, do we? Do you know anyone who actually watches the NBA All-Star Game? I busted a hole and a half and realized I wasn’t paying attention.
Dither: Oh man, I’m on the other end of the spectrum. I would watch basically any version of the match because you can learn a lot about a person by watching them play golf, and these are basically interesting people! I may be off in this regard, though. Klay Thompson looked uncomfortable and Steve Curry didn’t do enough to make up for his struggling partner. Exploding is never fun. But the Mahomes/Kelce duo is a blast to watch on any green, including this one.
Milton: I can’t lie, I haven’t seen a single shot. I’ve never been a huge fan of The Match franchise, and having professional golfers take on pro basketball players and soccer players didn’t do much to change that.
6. The US Women’s Open begins Thursday at Pebble Beach Golf Links. What is the story that golf fans need to know?
Hersh: This tournament is huge for equality in the game and for more reasons than you might think. Yes, playing the Women’s US Open at Pebble is the culmination of a really cool move to get more women’s events on these legendary courses (see: Baltusrol, Muirfield, Congress, Olympic, etc). It will also be the first ever women’s event to use Shotlink. It’s crazy that the women’s game hasn’t had access to that level of data (or really any level of data) and it’s about time.
Dither: There are not many golf courses that non-golfers are familiar with, but Pebble Beach is one of those. You played it on your Xbox! You’ve seen him in the most iconic pictures of Tiger Woods! I googled how much it cost to play there yourself! The LPGA has been chasing venues that make their events look big. Pebble Beach as a place does just that.
Milton: That many players on the field had never played Pebble before this week. Men visit the course every year, but for the ladies it is a whole new experience. It’s easy to get sucked into the grandeur of the property, and early in the week, it’ll be the pros. It would be great to see them compete there for the first time.