I feel like the only thing missing from the look is a pair of legwarmers and maybe a little 80s 'do. Which is better than some reactions, which said the boots looked like he was wearing court-ordered tracking devices.
**GolfPunktalks to PUMA Golf's Footwear headGrand Knudson who explains this was all Rickie's idea that his team executed and as the online magazine notes, a bit of a nod to the past. If unintentional:
Here are his ankles and feet at yesterday's Hyundai Tournament Of Champions in Hawaii. The high-tops are evident but what you have to look closer to see is he's also wearing a pair of tracky bottoms that form a sort of ghetto fabulous modern plus four.
It's still a tad early to declare the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am field the best ever (the tournament director is), but the improvement is already noticeable.
The reason for more stars is interesting: celebs drawing in their buddy golf pros. Ron Kroichick reports:
Celebrity impact: Watson will play for the first time since 2007 because one of his good friends, actor/producer Mark Wahlberg, is playing. That prompted Watson to request a pairing with Wahlberg. Done.
Similarly, soon after American League MVP Josh Donaldson signed up, fellow Alabaman Jason Dufner, the 2013 PGA Championship winner, hopped aboard. Steve Stricker, a 12-time tour winner, will make his first appearance in 10 years — because he wants to play with country singer Toby Keith, a friend.
“It’s kind of turned into a buddy tournament,” John said.
As long as there is a Tournament Of Champions in Hawaii--somewhat of an if as you know from reading my Forward Press chat with Mark Rolfing--Jordan Spieth will be there every time (assuming he's eligible).
Jay Coffin on the two-time major winner from 2015 speaking to the golf writers in Maui about how his off-season numbers crunching revealing a need to improve his under-120-yard efforts.
And this:
Whether it’s the beginning of a new season or the continuation of an old one, Spieth is at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions looking to finish one spot higher than he did in 2014 when he finished in second place - a shot behind Zach Johnson.
Spieth acknowledged that he was more than a little miffed sitting at home last year watching his buddies playing in a tournament on a beautiful course that he didn’t qualify for.
“This is one that we strive to make each year, and if I am eligible to play in this tournament and I’m not, I hope every single one of you (in the media) calls me and bashes me for it,” he said.
Full TV times are listed and do note, it's a tricky one this week with NBC handling early coverage before handing off to Golf Channel.
But as we discussed today on Morning Drive, the real fun this week is in having a Tournament of Champions with an almost full field. Even better, all of those who qualified for one of the more elite clubs on the planet--winners of a PGA Tour event the prior year--are showing up in Maui, sharing on social media what fun they're having, and...did I mention, showing up?
While it's not going to put the full kibbosh on concerns about the Hawaii swing's leadoff spot on the schedule against the NFL Wildcard weekend, we can at least go into this week focused on seeing an elite field, as the TOC should be.
There's something increasingly absurd about the year-end World Top 50 Club. Not that it's the fault of the Official World Golf Ranking. Or even the precious algorithm guiding year-end standings that carry entirely too much meaning by qualifying people into majors and other events.
It's always seemed strange to be handing out passes for major championship field spots for the previous year's top 50. They also secure $300,000-or-so in guaranteed appearance money for the coming year, all because the calendar switched to a new year January 1st.
Yes, people need to plan schedules and make travel plans at some point, but I don't get why this New Year's Eve mythical milestone of world top 50 status is still used by events such as the Masters. The idea of rewarding folks in such a substantial way while restricting others, all for finishing the year one one side of the top 50 line, just seems like an outdated notion.
Nick Menta reports on those who slipped in and those no longer with access to the club. And then there's Tiger down at 416th.
In a totally random example, for the first time in over a decade, no one is wondering if Tiger or Phil is going to show up at, say, the Northern Trust Open. But Rory McIlroy is and Jordan Spieth will likely play, so when you mention that to most fans, that's shifted to the answer people are hoping to hear.
But do they translate to better television ratings that ultimately pay most of the PGA Tour bills? That's been debatable, but in an interview withLarry Fine of Reuters, Golf Channel president Mike McCarley says the network hosting the Olympic coverage this year believes the numbers do not lie.
The 2015 first quarter ratings for Golf Channel were down 14 percent compared to the year before, but momentum shifted with Spieth's win at the Masters.
The second quarter showed a gain of 3 percent over the year before and grew to an increase of 8 percent in the next quarter before booming to a 13 percent year-ago gain in the last period.
McCarley noted a competitive parallel in the women's game with the rise of 18-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand as world number one and a natural rivalry with American Lexi Thompson, the 20-year-old world number four.
"Looking ahead, 2016 is shaping up as a transformational year for the game of golf," he said.
I'm sure your DVR's are rested and ready for Saturday and Sunday's year-end roundtables starring Tim Roaforte, Matt Adams and yours truly.
The shows air Saturday at 6 pm and 11 pm ET, and again Sunday at those times (ET).
In a nice development since this was recorded but validating our dicussion, Rory McIlroy has further endorsed the notion that he's getting a little more focused on his golf, announcing that he'll be adding the Northern Trust Open in 2016. This means he will play eight times in the Masters lead-up instead of six.
"I've added an extra event in the States just because I want to go play the golf course," McIlroy said. "I've heard Riviera is a great course and I want to go play there in L.A., and I think it'll be a good course for me."
In this digital exclusive, we talk about the state of the game through the lens of pro golf and naturally come away positive.
I can't think of a better example of how much the world has changed than to look at the Shark Shootout field. Once an event that drew some pretty incredible field, it was hard not to notice some of the names who got into Greg Norman's once-prestigious annual event. Now, it's a rare silly season week that elites can use to rest.
After trying to get excited about the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas and failing (I blame the lack of urgency on Bermuda grass over cool season grass golf), it was nice to read Justin Rose's thinking heading into 2016. The Englishman plans to play a West Coast-heavy schedule because of the courses.
“My allergies were so bad in Florida last year, I was miserable,” Rose said. “Also, I just feel like the golf courses in Florida are a little tricked up. You end up playing great defensive golf.”
On the flip side, with a nod to Torrey Pines (the Farmers Insurance Open), the Pebble Beach-Monterey Peninsula-Spyglass rota (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am), and Riviera (Northern Trust Open), Rose said, “I think the layouts are the best on Tour on the West Coast.”
Rose's inclusion in West Coast fields will help at a time of year that many top players will be taking their off-season, or cashing in overseas.
As mentioned this week in theForward Press, this was an opportunity for fresh voices. And a new energy they brought!
Jim "Bones" MacKay and John "Woody" Wood immediately delivered a different vibe than the usual former golfer-turned on-course reporter. Day two starts at 1 pm ET on Golf Channel as the two loopers hit the course for RSM third round coverage.
But at least Inbee took off her golf cap before donning the oversized hat.
Graeme McDowell left his golf cap on, and while the initial conclusion would be to dock him two shots next tiem he tees up, the better solution may be to just ban sombreros from champion files.
The EPA-credited image of GMac is embedded in a particularly lively Derek Lawrensonweekly notes column that includes some good follow up information on Paul Casey's European Tour situation and a short nugget which will have The Donald placing a call to Lawrenson's editors.
After a two-year career struggle and self-doubt, Graeme McDowell got back into the winner's circle by claiming the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. McDowell beat Russell Knox and Jason Bohn in a sudden death playoff, then discussed his confidence bout with Golf Channel's Phil Blackmarafter the win.
Even better was his revelation that Chinese National Golf Teamadvisory coachGreg Norman influenced GMac's weekend play after a text message from the Shark, who has gone an amazing two weeks without Instagramming a shirtless photo of himself.
“Funny anecdote for you,” McDowell said. “I got a text message lesson from Greg Norman on Saturday night and he said he watched some of the coverage and he thought I looked a little short and a little quick. He said complete my backswing and be a bit more relaxed at address.”
The two went back-and-forth with text messages, McDowell gave his backswing extra attention Sunday and Monday, and voila.
Maybe this will just make the shot that much more legendary?
Either way, John Peterson's Happy Gilmoremoment last week in Malaysia has vanished from Jason Dufner'sInstagram account.
One witness who refused to go on the record says men clad in pleated pants, light blue Oxford shirts (extra starch) and Footjoy Classics rolled up to Dufner's home in black BMW X5's in the wee hours this week. After having found Dufner's cell phone believed to be the same one used to record the Peterson video, the agents were heard yelling "Geronimo secure, Geronimo secure!"
The account matches previous stories from tour players and caddies, hinting that the raid was conducted by the PGA Tour Fun Police, a super-secret outfit headquartered in the basement of TPC Sawgrass' 198,000 square foot clubhouse.
Dufner was not immediately available for comment.
There is good news, however. It's called YouTube! **The Fun Police are more nimble these days!
Why provide commentary when I can just let Boo Weekleydo all the heavy lifting? He's teeing it up as defending runner-up in the Sanderson Farms Championship and needs to make a nice check to offset the inevitable fines for conduct becoming of an honest PGA Tour member.
Weekley...
Q. How have you come to view the wraparound season and the importance of trying to get out to a big jump in the fall?
BOO WEEKLEY: Honestly, this wraparound season sucks. It does, seriously.
Q. It's long?
BOO WEEKLEY: It's just, it's stupid. I still ain't figured out this FedEx -- what does this FedExCup stuff do? It ain't doing nothing, but it is what it is. It's supposed to be the players tour. It's Tim Finchem and them's tour is what it is.
It's aggravating having to play this much, but yet it's important to come out and try to get a good start. I mean, it's good for the rookies, I think. It gives them something they can up can out and get their feet wet before they actually get into the bigger tournament. I think that's a good thing.
Q. Does it just feel like a warn out extension?
BOO WEEKLEY: It's just golf after golf after golf. Ain't no time for hunting and fishing, man. You know, you've got to come in here and bring my rods over here to go fishing, but you can't go fishing because you get out there and next thing you know somebody's aggravating you, and you can't actually enjoy going fishing.
Unlike old guys Emiliano Grillo (23) and Smylie Kaufman (23), Justin Thomas (22) has been contending in PGA Tour events longer, so the third straight win by this youngster seems like shocking. Still, on his 39th try as a professional Thomas won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. John Stregewith some notes from the win, which is also likely to get Thomas into the world top 50.
Besides finally coming through after several strong showings that led to weekend struggles, Thomas only had one huge hiccup during Sunday's final round, dunking his wedge approach into the 14th hole pond. He bounced back with a near-ace at the par-3 15th, then holed a nice putt at 17th while Kevin Na looked on.
Na continued to play some amazing golf but had his usual oddball antics late in the round, capped off by hitting three-wood off the 18th tee when he desperately needed to reach the par-5 in two and drain an eagle putt.
Also noteworthy in the exciting final round: a second place finish by Adam Scott, who looked much better over putts and appears to be striking the ball as well as ever. More importantly, his body language suggested someone who his moving forward and no longer dwelling on his understandable frustration over the impending anchoring ban.
One other fascinating component of Thomas's win: his "Class of 2011" mates Patrick Rodgers and Justin Spieth stayed up to watch the middle-of-the-night proceedings (assuming they were in their normal time zones). Rodgers was channel-flipping between the CIMB and Stanford's fortunate escape from Pullman while Spieth merely tweeted a congratulations at a early morning hour. Or, perhaps, he had just returned from late night Trick or Treating dressed as C-3PO?
Anyway, it's a camaraderie that is pretty unusual in an individual sport and certainly something hard to see happening between, say, I don't know, Tiger and Phil?
Swing harder with a 1 shot lead JT.... You can't 😳 #bombs
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning Drive, is co-host of The Ringer's ShackHouse is the author of eleven books.
Judging by the comments in this Golfweek.com round-up, I'm not alone when looking at Rickie Fowler trying to bring hi-tops to golf.
