Tiger Cancels Press Conference Due To On-Going Back Spasms

The Tiger Woods Foundation benefits from the Genesis Open proceeds and his TGR Ventures is running the tournament now.

Woods was scheduled for a Tuesday press conference even after he chose to miss the event due to back spasms. The presser was moved to Wednesday to coincide with appearances on the property related to his Foundation and Woods Jupiter restaurant's satellite location overlooking the 10th hole.

Late Tuesday night, however, the media received this notice:

After receiving daily treatment the last several days on his on-going back spasms, Tiger Woods has again been advised by doctors to limit all activities and will not hold a press conference Wednesday. It will not be rescheduled.

I never quite understood how Woods could appear and answer the inevitable health questions in a way that left anyone feeling good. Still, that his back is keeping him from sitting or popping in on-site takes the latest setback's seriousness to another level.

Update on 2017-02-15 16:28 by Geoff

**Bob Harig talks to agent Mark Steinberg, who says Woods is in California but is limiting his activity to protect his back.

"This is about the Genesis Open, the Tiger Woods Foundation and supporting Hyundai and his foundation. He is doing all he can without having to get up and move around all that much so that he can put himself in the best position to recover.''

ShackHouse 27: Riviera Week And John O'Donnell

It's LA week on the PGA Tour so we talk some Riviera, some Spieth at Pebble Beach, some Tiger and to get in the LA golf mode, we interview Johnnie-O founder John O'Donnell fresh off of caddying for brother Chris.

As always, you can subscribe on iTunes and or just refresh your device subscription page. Here is the direct link to this week's show.

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Spieth's Ballstriking Carries Him To AT&T Title, Carson Daly Wins Pro-Am

Kevin Casey of Golfweek.com has the notes wrap up of Jordan Spieth's 2017 AT&T National Pro-Am win.

Most striking Sunday was how Spieth's ballstriking seemed to carry him down the stretch as his putter cooled off. For someone often wrongly accused as being merely a great putter, the ballstriking display had to make his critics take notice. Ryan Lavner with a wrap of Spieth's ninth PGA Tour win, including this:

In 2015, Spieth ranked in the top 15 in strokes-gained driving, approaches, short game and putting. It was clinical. But Spieth’s ball-striking tailed off last season, and he said he worked as hard as he ever has during the offseason with swing coach Cameron McCormick.

“He’s always hungry,” Greller said. “He’s not somebody who is ever going to coast. It’s fun to work for a guy like that. Always hungry. Always driven.”

The hard work has paid off. Though he has bemoaned a cold putter – the middle two rounds boosted his confidence, pouring in putts on spongy, bumpy greens – Spieth has been one of the best iron players on Tour and ranks inside the top 10 in strokes gained overall.

“People think it’s only his putter,” Greller said, “but he’s incredibly well-rounded when you really break down the stats.”

In Pro-Am news, 10-handicapper Carson Daly (10!) teamed with Ken Duke to shoot 63 sunday and finish at -33 net to win. James Raia reports for the Monterey County Herald.

And flashing back to Saturday, Bill Murray avoided letting Phil Blackmar talked to him, and appeared to have a beef with the cameraman.

The final round highlights from PGA Tour Productions:

Wasted Open Wrap: The Ugly Side Of The Madness

Play was almost impacted by the 16th hole "cauldron" Sunday when eventual Waste Management Open winner Hideki Matsuyama had to back off a shot just before taking the club away. Otherwise, the 16th hole seemed like its usual noisy-but-fun self and remains a great attaction to the tournament.

But it's the behind-the-scenes activity in Scottsdale that sounds like it's bordering on unsavory. From Brian Wacker's GolfDigest.com story reporting on the 16th hole scene not so readily discussed:

It takes not much longer to confirm through a police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak on such matters that last year one female had passed out from intoxication near a porta potty having defecated on herself. That was the least of her problems as she had a certain white, powdery substance around her nose that is illegal in all 50 states.

Speaking of the porta pottys, more than one officer also confirms the biggest complaint from fans is people having sex in them. Later, I overhear this very complaint from a woman to a friend after returning to her seat. The officers also confirm these will actually be the least of their problems among the liquefied masses of 204,904 at TPC Scottsdale this day, a record crowd for the event.

Golfweek.com's Dan Kilbridge posted random observations from the Wasted Management and included these two:

*Bag room attendants placing bets on what time they will see their first stretcher of the day.

And...

*One concerned spectator checking the pulse of another spectator who had passed out in his bleacher seat Saturday afternoon.

An unbylined Golf.com story noted that the tournament is at least offering free breathalyzer tests at the exits of TPC Scottsdale. Though it sounds like what happens inside the gates may becoming more dangerous to public safety.

Well, except this guy...

Wasted Management Phoenix Open. #ForeLeft #WMPO pic.twitter.com/fBm0uuHr2n

— Grant Boone (@grantboone) February 5, 2017

TPC Scottsdale 16th Buildout Video: Why Not Make It Permanent?

The fascination never ceases with the 16 at TPC Scottsdale, especially from casual sports fans who take notice of the antics and energy.

Even golfers who play TPC Scottsdale love sharing photos on social media of themselves playing before an empty "Coliseum", imagining what it must be like.

So while watching the timelapse video from the PGA Tour, I was left to wonder again: why not make this a permanent structure?  I'm guessing this is a permitting or zoning issue. But the surrounding grandstands have become so massive both in size and popularity that a permanent conversion would make sense. No?

Update on 2017-02-02 16:29 by Geoff

**John Strege answered the question a year ago and it's both shade and code that prevent a full build out.

“Number two, if it became permanent, there’d be a whole new list of code requirements,” Williams said. “They’d probably include restrooms and elevators.”

There you have it. And once the temporary stadium is disassembled and returned to storage, the 16th is rendered a ho-hum par 3.

“It’s pretty funny when guests play in the summer time when nothing is going on,” Williams said. “They say, ‘That’s it? That’s 16? Really?’”

Roundup: Rahm's (Seemingly Special) Farmers Win

Maybe it's that we've been hearing what a supreme talent he is, or perhaps it's just how impressive Jon Rahm was in his post-round press conference. Either way, his back nine 30 over a host of players who vied for the 2017 Farmers title moves him to the seemingly endless list of emerging talents.

Now at world No. 46 after joining 91 spots (according to GolfChannel.com's Will Gray) and, reports CBSSports.com's Kyle Porter, Rahm is the fastest to make $2 million in PGA Tour history (passing Spieth who passed Woods)

He also charmed everyone with his infectious blend of class and enthusiam over winning at Torrey Pines, as noted in Teryn Schaefer's PGATour.com roundup that includes some fun behind-the-scenes footage of his trophy ceremony and celebration.

Doug Ferguson does a nice job telling Rahm's story in this AP look at Sunday's winner.

Golfweek's Jeff Babineau wrote this of Rahm:

Sunday evening, Rahm made for a pretty proud picture sitting next to that beautiful copper trophy of a Torrey Pine that he’d just earned. He loved the golf course before he ever saw it in person, reciting various Torrey Pines’ South highlights (such as John Daly’s bunker shot) he has viewed through the years. It’s an iconic place, and to him, winning here was extra special.

Mark Whicker had some fun anecdotes in this OC Register column, including this from caddy Adam Hayes:

“The college game is so good now,” Hayes said. “If you win there, you can win here, as long as you don’t change anything.’

The most fascinating anecdote may have been Rahm's belief that his excellent English was best shaped by listening to hip-hop. Steve DiMeglio reports this aspect of the Rahm story for USAToday:

The cadence of rap appealed to the latest winner on the PGA Tour as he memorized tracks, especially two of his favorite songs — Eminem’s Love the Way You Lie, and Lamar’s Swimming Pools.

“Memorizing rap songs in English … helped me out a lot to pronounce and actually understand what was going on and keeping up with people in conversation,” Rahm said following his breakthrough win Sunday in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. “You can look (those songs) up. They're good.”

For a deeper dive on Rahm, GolfChannel.com's Ryan Lavner chronicled Rahm's ASU career in 2015.

Farmers: A Golf Tournament With Not A Single Grandstand!

As was noted earlier in the week, the Farmers Insurance Open has made strides since nearly becoming extinct. But the operation, at least for the average paying customer, leaves much to be desired.

With a daily ticket price of $50 ($35 for senior), the event does not offer a single grandstand for general admission fans to sit on a green and watching play. Even worse, there is only a small 50-yard long area right of the 18th green for standing to watch action, leaving play to conclude, at a public golf facility, to finish in front of only corporate customers.

Compounding the problem: many of the corporate guests came dressed as empty seats, even on a gloroius Sunday with a stacked leaderboard. It was that way all week, but here's how it looked when the third to last group was approaching, not long after Jon Rahm's stunning eagle:

This might be moot if Torrey Pines had stadium mounding or even a green complex or two that were not raised surfaces. They do not and with all of the closing holes off limits to fans, this leaves surprisingly few places to comfortably watch action.

At the $50 general admission ticket price, the Farmers could be the worst tournament experience in golf. Growing the game, it will not.

The event obviously needs to generate revenue to pay off debts and surrounding holes 14 through 18 with corporate tents helps sell premium tickets and expensive packages. But at a public facility that the people of San Diego sacrifice for a few weeks, the anti-grandstand gesture seems in poor taste. And given the game's need to add new fans and keep old ones coming around, is it too much to give people a place to sit down once in a while?

The 16th green is off general admission limits to fans as well.