Pebble Pro-Am, West Coast Swing Have Their Swagger Back?

Amazing what a little tinkering with formats and emphasizing course course design can do!

Not long ago the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was known for six hour rounds, has-been pros in the field and never-was "celebrities" getting too much air time. With the world's top-3 playing this year and plenty of celebrity intrigue to offset the corporate crowd--Golfweek posted the full field list here--Der Bingle's baby is back.

But as Ron Kroichick noted for MorningRead.com, the AT&T matters again as as stalwart event thanks largely to some key changes in format and rota.

Or put another way: Pebble matters again.

AT&T officials couldn’t do much about the weather, but in 2010 they shrewdly swapped Poppy Hills (unpopular among Tour pros) for Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course. They also trimmed the field from 180 pros and amateurs to 156 of each, and made a conscious effort to land better amateur golfers.

While athletes were always part of the event, their rise in celebrity status and the inclusion of more pro jocks seems to have given the event a boost. Let's face it, for a lot of PGA Tour golfers the chance to hang out with a world class athlete for three rounds is more interesting than getting paired with a corporate dude.

Unless said corporate dude has a jet and a third home on the Peninsula with a separate guest entrance.

Randall Mell at GolfChannel.com notes the improved golf professional component in saying Pebble has its swagger back.

Maybe it’s fitting Doral doesn’t host a PGA Tour event anymore. The old adage that the year in golf doesn’t begin until Doral wouldn’t hold up any longer. Today’s stars aren’t using the West Coast swing to get warm in a run up to the Masters. They hit the year hot with Johnson, Rahm and Jason Day among the big names getting on the board with victories in January.

The intensity only builds this week with Spieth looking to rebound from a missed cut in Phoenix last week. He is defending the title he won last year. It also builds with McIlroy making his first PGA Tour start of the year after coming off second- and third-place finishes on the European Tour last month.

Over at CBSSports.com, Kyle Porter notes the seemingly improved week-to-week quality of the tour. While I'll remind him of this column in mid to late May, the point should be made that the fall wraparound schedule has not harmed the West Coast Swing as folks like me feared. Perhaps it's the mediocre quality of those events and lack of eyeballs trained on them, but the West Coast still feels like the tour's bread-and-butter season for big venues, big fields and lots of eyeballs. As it and the Florida season should be given a quick study of history.

Also not to be discounted: the subtle but important inclusion of stars who don't play 25 events the previous year now being forced to play events haven't been to in at least four years.  That subtle PGA Tour rule could, for instance, explain Rory McIlroy's appearance this week. Or, at the very least, helped get him to Pebble Beach when making out a schedule in search of adding an event due to the rule.

I'm Just Saying Files: PGA Tour's Fourth Straight Playoff Edition

Six playoffs already on the 2017-18 wraparound schedule and four straight with Gary Woodland's triumph over Chez Reavie at the Waste Management Open.

The playoff was the sixth this season and fourth in a row. The list:

THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES – Justin Thomas def. Marc Leishman with a birdie 4 on the second extra hole.

Shriners Hospitals for Children Open – Patrick Cantlay def. Alex Cejka and Whee Kim with a par 4 on the second extra hole.

Sony Open in Hawaii – Patton Kizzire def. James Hahn with a par 3 on the sixth extra hole.

CareerBuilder Challenge – Jon Rahm def. Andrew Landry with a birdie 3 on the fourth extra hole.

Farmers Insurance Open – Jason Day def. Alex Noren and Ryan Palmer with a birdie on the sixth extra hole.

Waste Management Phoenix Open – Gary Woodland def. Chez Reavie with a par 4 on the first extra hole.

The common denominator, spoiled only by including the 78-player CJ Cup CJ CUP?

Full field events.

Just a reminder when the WGC's roll around and someone tries to tell you limited field gatherings of the world's best are better. Generally, they are battling an uphill fight to generate excitement, whereas the tightly contested events we've seen so far have featured nice leaderboard diversity and excitement to the end.

Wasted: Phoenix Open Set For Stellar Finish And You Can Bet CBS Will Be Late To The Party

It's one of those traditions we longtime West Coasters have never grown accustomed to: a college basketball game running into CBS's scheduled golf coverage, condensing the broadcast window when the PGA Tour is getting it's best ratings, playing its most compelling events and often on the best courses.

The problem has been exacerbated since Golf Channel began providing lead-in coverage, leaving us with a scheduled half-hour break that has been shortened to 15 minutes in 2018 (undoubtedly after no one was buying that a half hour was needed to switch the graphics over).

Saturday's 2018 Waste Management Open telecast started at 12:46 due to the Kentucky-Missouri NO OVERTIME game running 45 minutes long, meaning an hour of golf was lost unless a viewer wanted to stream the telecast online.

The absurdity continues Sunday as two Big Ten powerhouse programs having below-average seasons are likely to spill into WMPO coverage. Remember, the madness continues next week when leaders at Pebble Beach are playing the most beautiful stretch of holes in golf as Michigan and Wisconsin inevitably run long.

The practice has grown old with viewers, who bombard social media with complaints that did successfully shorten the re-entry into the earth's television window atmosphere. Providing Golf Channel coverage up to the allotted time only picks up ten additional minutes. The lost time to college games running long should be treated

The obvious remedy?

Scheduling the games to start a half-hour earlier might mean--gasp--that a blowout ends a few minutes early and CBS can't deliver that strong "lead-in". To a sponsor like Waste Management, are those lingering fans as important than a happy TV audience seeing their ads?

Staying on Golf Channel until the basketball is complete would be trickier, but doable in just the same way Golf Channel picks up CBS broadcasts that have run past network coverage windows.

Either way, Sunday at the WMPO should be a dandy featuring 12 players within 3 strokes of Rickie Fowler's lead. Storylines include Phil Mickelson's shot at his first win since 2013, Fowler finally breaking through at TPC Scottsdale, Bryson DeChambeau picking up his second win, and Jon Rahm lurking a shot back.

Brentley Romine sets it all up at Golfweek.

“It’s anyone’s tournament tomorrow,” said Rickie Fowler, the 54-hole leader by a shot at 14 under. “Yeah, I have a one-shot lead, but this tournament is not going to be given to anyone.”

There are plenty of players ready to earn it, including Tour winners Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Daniel Berger and Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner in Phoenix. The task of winning this week? The difficulty is tougher than trying to score a front-row seats in the grandstands on the 16th hole.

Sunday's tee and telecast times, college basketball permitting.

Golf Channel Says 2018 Starts With Most Watched January Yet

As the Wall Street Journal sorts through the reasons for another NFL ratings drop (thanks reader John), golf continues a positive start to 2018 with this news from

For Immediate Release:

GOLF CHANNEL POSTS MOST-WATCHED JANUARY, CAPPED BY MOST-WATCHED SUNDAY IN NETWORK HISTORY
 
Golf Digital Wraps Best January Ever for Minutes Streamed and Page Views
 
ORLANDO, Fla. (February 2, 2018) – Golf Channel posted its most-watched January ever with an average of 116,000 viewers per minute in Total Day, up 23% vs. last year and up 10% vs. the previous high in January 2013, according to data released by The Nielsen Company. This builds off December 2017 being the most-watched December ever for Golf Channel. Additionally, January’s success was mirrored across Golf Digital, which posted its best January for minutes streamed (22.6M) and page views (78.5M), up 34% and 19% respectively.
 
Sunday, January 28 was Golf Channel’s most-watched Sunday on record. During the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open playoff between Jason Day and Alex Noren from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday – airing opposite The Grammy Awards – Golf Channel was the No. 1 Nielsen-measured cable network for Total Viewers, up 24% vs. second place (ESPN). The playoff was also Golf Channel’s most-watched PGA TOUR telecast ever.
 
“Golf is carrying a lot of momentum into 2018 with a deep roster of developing stars across the professional tours, a superstar making his return to competitive golf and a rapid evolution in the many ways golfers are participating in and consuming the game,” said Mike McCarley, president, Golf, NBC Sports. “It’s especially promising to see record viewership — and it’s only January.”
 
Golf Channel’s comprehensive slate of tournament coverage rounds out record-setting January:
·       LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Bahamas Classic Round One became the tour’s most-watched Opening Day in 9 years.
·       PGA TOUR Champions saw 2nd best Opening Day in 5 years at Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
·       Web.com Tour’s Round One from the Bahamas Abaco Classic was the tour’s most-watched telecast since July 2016.

Uh-Oh: Rickie "Disappointed" By 16th Hole Heckling

Even though it's widely declared a great thing once a year, not everyone loves the gladiator pit of noise that is TPC Scottsdale's 16th hole.

Michael Bamberger called it awful this week at Golf.com.

And while players who don't care for the event generally just stay away, Rickie Fowler has been a supporter of the Waste Management Open. So to see him mention his disappointment at hecklers there during his morning round 66, suggests the language and commentary may be edging into dangerous territory.

From Will Gray's GolfChannel.com report, that also features a bit of a rebuttal from Jon Rahm.

But there were still a few comments from the gallery that caught the ear of Fowler, who shares the early lead after a 5-under 66. He was “disappointed” with some of what he heard from the tee box.

“I may be somewhat of a fan favorite, but they weren’t holding back,” Fowler said. “I was a little disappointed with some of the stuff that was said, and I don’t want much negativity. The normal boos for missing a green, that’s fine, but leave the heckling to a minimum and make it fun, support the guys out playing.”

If you lose Rickie, Scottsdale, maybe you've lost the plot...

Justin Thomas, Commissioner Jay Monahan Have J.B. Holmes' Slow-Playing Back

It's hardly a shocker that someone who speeds up a shot in hopes of taking advantage of a backstopping ball on the green has no problem with J.B. Holmes pitching a tent, even when at the expense of his playing partner and the PGA Tour product.

But that's Justin Thomas' view of last Sunday's debacle.

Brentley Romine, writing for Golfweek from the Waste Management Open, includes this from the current PGA Champion and Player Of The Year:

“I have J.B.’s back all day on that situation,” Thomas said Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “It bothered me and I hate it for him. I went up to him (Tuesday) and told him … it was a great tournament for him, but I have a hard time saying I wouldn’t do anything differently than he did.

Again, nothing bad times and a penalty stroke now and then wouldn't fix. Or a "spirit of the rules" class.

Sadly, Commissioner Jay Monahan missed an opportunity to address speed of play, essentially confirming he will continue the do-nothing approach of his predecessor Tim Finchem.

From The Forecaddie's report from TPC Scottsdale where Monahan played the Wednesday pro-am and made excuses for Holmes taking over 4 minutes to play a shot:

“As it relates to J.B. … He was in the heat of the moment. It’s really hard to win out here. You’re trying to think through how you can get on the green in two with that amount of wind. I think he thought it would subside quickly, and it subsided and picked back up, and I think he said what he needed to say.”

There you go boys, take all the time you need until you get the wind you like.

PGA Tour's New 9&9 Pro-Am Already A Hit

The Forecaddie reported last week that Tiger Woods practically moon-walked at Torrey Pines last week upon hearing that PGA Tour events could mimic the LPGA's longtime policy of nine hole pro-am rounds for players.

As Brentley Romine reports for Golfweek, everyone at the Waste Management Open was praising the first official day of 9&9, including Jordan Spieth:

“I’m a fan as long as the sponsors are enjoying it, too,” Spieth said. “They’re the reason we are here. A lot of times we get caught up in what the players want and we forget about why we actually have this. … I thought it was a good idea when it was proposed last year, just within the PAC because I thought the sponsors might actually enjoy it more. The opportunity to have somebody very engaged for nine holes and you get another guy fully engaged for nine holes versus sometimes it just gets long and for us players, it’s fantastic because I’ve got the rest of the day now that I can go out there and get work done."

We've Seen This Movie Before: CareerBuilder Challenge Finale Tries To Compete With NFL Playoffs

With the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship game, even PGA Tour VP's who've jumped on the Jags bandwagon could not possibly have been watching the CareerBuilder Challenge final round. Not even with a young star and now World No. 2 in Jon Rahm atop the leaderboard.

And yet here we were again, with PGA Tour golf on the west coast, in front of light crowds, somehow trying to go up against America's beloved playoff football.

In a world when we know the time NFL playoff game dates and times for months, and we know that their audiences will be massive, golf still thinks it can put up a fight. We're that dumb Chihuahua barking at a head-tilting Rottweiler, only we're not nearly as loud, entertaining or effective.

No sports fan in their right mind watched the CareerBuilder Challenge live when Tom Brady and the Patriots were taking on the entertaining upstart Jaguars. That is not the fault of any player involved. This is a scheduling snafu repeated for the umpteenth year-in-a-row.

So to recap: the PGA Tour returned from Hawaii and had the boys tee up Thursday in La Quinta instead of waiting a day, starting on Friday and finishing on Monday in east coast prime time. Remember, the CareerBuilder is a Golf Channel hosted event, meaning there is programming flexibility.

Also recall that the CareerBuilder is played in a retirement community, with a pro-am format that would actually welcome taking up both weekend days for the pro-am players instead of another weekday.

Last point before I stop beating this too hard: the next PGA Tour stop is in San Diego, less than three hours by car and an easy turnaround for players who make the cut. Yes, they'd only have two days to regroup for the Farmers Insurance Open but bruised linebackers, these are not. They are pro golfers whose sponsors deserve to have their sponsorship positioned in the best way possible. That is currently not the case with the CareerBuilder Challenge.

Unless...the Goo Goo Dolls are playing the 18th hole...

Well since last night was so much fun, let's do it again! @googoodollsofficial take the stage within the hour! #CBChallenge

93 Likes, 1 Comments - CareerBuilder Challenge (@careerbuilderchallenge) on Instagram: "Well since last night was so much fun, let's do it again! @googoodollsofficial take the stage..."

American Airlines, Other Companies Stepping Up To Save Colonial

Nice reporting work by the Star-Telegram's Sandra Baker,who has obtained a series of communications between community leaders working to save Fort Worth's iconic PGA Tour stop.

American Airlines is the primary savior, though other companies may help fill the void expected to be created by Dean & Deluca. These are of note:

Likewise, XTO Energy spokesman Jeremy Eikenberry said: “We continue to have discussions with organizers of the tournament about a potential co-sponsorship.”

And, AT&T is considering being a co-sponsor. In a Nov. 28 email to councilman Brian Byrd, Fred Maldonado, an AT&T regional vice president of external and legislative affairs, said AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson was reviewing a $2 million sponsorship request.

Longtime Dallas golf writer Bill Nichols noted this on learning the news:

It’s also gratifying to see that officials were able to get it done when the PGA Tour essentially drop-kicked them to the curb.

Roundup: Tiger's Back! Looks Sharp In Hero Opening 69

The reviews were understandably positive as Tiger opened with a 69 in his Hero World Challenge comeback from a fusion surgery some believed was career-ending.

A few shaky wedge shots that looked more rusty than yippy to me dropped the performance from an A to maybe an A-, but Woods otherwise looked like his persistent old self. The coverage noted the grinding and driving distance, regularly at 320 yards with the big stick.

Steve DiMeglio for USA Today:

On the fourth hole of his latest comeback, the Tiger Woods of old showed up when he chunked a short chip shot.

Moments later, the Tiger of old showed up again when he buried a 20-footer for par on the same hole and uncorked the first fist pump of his comeback.

While Woods called his ballyhooed return “up and down,” he produced far more roars than groans in Thursday’s first round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Course. In his first start in 10 months and just his fourth in two years, the former world No. 1 didn’t have any issues with his surgically repaired back and was a physical, powerful brute with driver in hand — regularly exceeding 320 yards off the tee.

Doug Ferguson for the AP:

Unlike a year ago, when Woods ended a 15-month hiatus from his ailing back, he didn’t show any fatigue at the end of his round or make any big numbers. His only regret was playing the par 5s at Albany Golf Club in 1-over par with two bogeys that stalled his momentum.

Coming off a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth, Woods hit a 3-wood that rolled up on the green and then down a slope about 30 feet from the pin. It took him four shots from there, starting with a chip that didn’t reach the green and his first expletive loud enough for television to pick up.

After his best shot of the day — a pitching wedge he hit low from 95 yards that settled a foot behind the hole for birdie on No. 14 — he sent a drive well to the right into the native dunes. Woods had to take a penalty drop to get back in play and wound up making bogey.

But it was solid enough that Woods was far more interested in the leaderboard than the fact he felt strong physically.

Bob Harig for ESPN.com:

The spinal fusion surgery meant Woods had to wait six months to take full swings, and did not get back to hitting balls in earnest until mid-October, just six weeks ago.

So hitting 7 out of 13 fairways, 12 out of 18 greens and needing 28 putts was a solid performance, even on a relatively benign Albany Golf Club course that saw 15 of the 18 players break par.

The urgency and grinding-like-few-others energy that Woods brought was evident on TV, and in person, as Jeff Babineau noted in his Golfweek lede:

Tiger Woods stood over an 8-footer to save par on his final hole in his long-awaited comeback round on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge, and he never did see the majestic double rainbow that seemed to stretch across the entire island behind him.

Typical Tiger. Some parts of his game may be rusty. His penchant for grinding is not among them.

And there was the overall gratitude of Woods to be playing again, an admission made with a candor and consideration that is boosting his karma score.

From Brian Wacker's Golf World piece:

The emotion Woods felt Thursday when he woke up for the opening round of the Hero World Challenge?

“I was very thankful this morning,” he said. “I was in my head thanking all the people who have helped me in giving me a chance to come back and play this round again.

“There were a lot of people that were instrumental in my life; friends, outside people I’ve never met before, obviously my surgeon.”

Tiger’s Masters odds fell, from 66-1 to 33-1.

Welcome back, @TigerWoods. 🐯

A look at Tiger's 18-hole scorecard for Round 1 of the Hero World Challenge. pic.twitter.com/nmcnHVmjNG

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 30, 2017

Tiger's extended first round highlights by PGA Tour Entertainment:

Video: The Stymie Is Almost Back! Berger & Reed Ready!

I really haven't a clue what Daniel Berger was thinking not asking Patrick Reed to mark before this eagle putt, but it's great practice for when the stymie returns! Who says these guys can't handle it? #backstoppinggoneawry

 

@db_straitvibin from the other side of the island.

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Nov 30, 2017 at 10:13am PST

Colonial Facing December 1 Deadline Over Its Future?

Updating the situation in Forth Worth, the Star-Telegram's Mac Engel suggests the PGA Tour is not doing enough to help the historic Colonial National Invitational find a new sponsor as Dean & DeLuca looks to get out.

Originally facing a Nov. 1 deadline to resolve the sponsorship situation, Engel says the club has until December 1st.

According to multiple sources, the PGA is not doing much to help. That the PGA is sitting on its hands is only slightly ironic because it was the PGA that put Colonial in this situation.

It was the PGA that lined up Colonial with D&D. Now the PGA is looking at the Fort Worth country club to fix this problem.

Which is a plausible scenario after 2018.

The PGA is not talking about this, which leads fans, club members and media to draw their own conclusions.

It's not implausible to think the PGA Tour will let the event die given the need to consolidate in 2019 when the PGA Championship moves to May. However, this is one thing when the consolidation might impact relatively new tournaments. But saying goodbye to an event dating to 1946 will be a tougher sales job.

Henrik: Stop Blaming HSBC For My Mangled Ribs!

Everyone in the pro games loves the money HSBC pours into golf and appreciates their efforts to convene industry folks to discuss business of the sport issues.

Which may explain why Henrik Stenson is trying to absolve them of blame for his rib injury sustained at the WGC HSBC Champions. After blaming the stunt for causing sore ribs and his need to take a break, Stenson took to Instagram asking for forgiveness of the global bank.

My comment about not being Superman was a sarcastic way of saying that I am susceptible to injury like any other athlete and sometimes these things happen when you least expect them. I was pleased to help promote the HSBC Champions and to continue my string of success at the event and I was never forced to do anything. HSBC is a great sponsor to golf worldwide and I am not happy to see them being made responsible for my withdrawal. The plan as of now will be to participate in the DP World Championship if my body is back to 100%.

He's not happy seeing them made responsible, but Stenson also does not cite any other way he might have gotten hurt. Oh to have seen the communications that led to this plea! 

I’m disappointed to have to pre-emptively withdraw from the Nedbank Golf Challenge Hosted by Gary Player, I was looking forward to this important year-end event on the European Tour. At this point I am back home in Orlando waiting to do a scan on my ribs and get the necessary rest. I am still hoping for a quick recovery and have not ruled out playing in Dubai next week at this point. My comment about not being Superman was a sarcastic way of saying that I am susceptible to injury like any other athlete and sometimes these things happen when you least expect them. I was pleased to help promote the HSBC Champions and to continue my string of success at the event and I was never forced to do anything. HSBC is a great sponsor to golf worldwide and I am not happy to see them being made responsible for my withdrawal. The plan as of now will be to participate in the DP World Championship if my body is back to 100%. H

A post shared by Henrik Stenson (@henrikstenson) on Nov 7, 2017 at 11:05am PST

Behind the scenes @hsbc_sport #HSBCChampions

A post shared by Henrik Stenson (@henrikstenson) on Oct 24, 2017 at 9:09am PDT

Back Sufferers Rejoice: Patrick Cantlay Gets First Win

Bad backs are deadly in golf, so it's especially gratifying see young sufferer Patrick Cantlay return from the depths of physical and mental struggles to get his first PGA Tour win.

Dave Shedloski filed a nice read from Las Vegas where the 25-year-old won the Shriners Hospitals Open For Children in a playoff over Alex Cjeka and Whee Kim. The former college player of the year and longtime top-ranked amateur who lost in the U.S. Amateur final turned pro in promising fashion.

Meticulous, stoic, and adroit, Cantlay heralded his potential a year earlier in the same event when he fired a second-round 60 at TPC River Highlands, the lowest score ever recorded by an amateur in a PGA Tour event, in grabbing the 36-hole lead. That came after finishing T-21 at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.

The kid had the skills and the head for the game. Just not the back.

Cantlay first was sidelined after withdrawing from the 2013 Colonial with a back injury that turned out to be a stress fracture in his L5 vertebrae. Somehow, he came back in the fall for one start in the Web.com Tour Finals, finishing second in the Hotel Fitness Championship to retain his PGA Tour card.

In the next three years he would make just six starts.

The PGA Tour's highlights: