When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Bryson's Rough Week Continues As Players Call Out Lack Of "FORE!" While Ryder Cup Vax Status May Become An Issue
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Bryson DeChambeau was asked last month about his propensity to not yell “FORE!” or signal to fans that an incoming Bridgestone was headed their way. His answer:
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I do shout fore. I don't know what you're talking about. There are plenty of people on the tee box that do shout fore. You're bringing up a very controversial thing, which is unfortunate, but 99 per cent of the time I do, and unfortunately people think I don't. But that's okay, they can say whatever they want.
But as Steve DiMeglio reports, the Return To Golf in Memphis has been a rough one and got worse after an errant tee shot headed for the crowd.
DeChambeau has only granted interviews to PGA Tour Live following his first two rounds. Two European Tour players who are not in the field, however, spoke up and took DeChambeau to task on Twitter for not yelling “Fore!” when one of his errant drives headed toward the gallery.
The players were all from the European Tour, now part of the Strategic Alliance. So, family.
And these two as well:
DeChambeau did find one supporter in Brandel Chamblee, who made this bizarre assertion:
After DeChambeau’s early week discussion about his COVID bout and vaccination comments, the topic appears to not be going away.
Quadrilateral readers may recall from this week’s edition my question about the prospects of a traditional Ryder Cup team room if there are vaccination holdouts. Given how team activities, team room laughs and passionate speeches are held up as a key part of players loving the event, it would seem necessary.
Well now we learn from Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch that just a day after DeChambeau’s comments, the PGA of America and Ryder Cup leadership “began reaching out to likely members of the team asking about their vaccine status and if they would be willing to be vaccinated in advance of the event.”
Only time will tell what the response is should a player say no.
But hey, at least he’s playing well in the final WGC to be played in Memphis.
The Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes, July 22, 2021
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You know the drill by now: the Quadrilateral is free at least once a week, but to ensure you get all editions, access to past issues and the chance to opine on a dignified message board, you can upgrade without ever facing a membership committee.
Brooks: Bryson Is "Fair Game"
/Brooks Koepka was probed and prodded by a more traditional press conference setting, resulting in plenty to fill up Steve Stricker’s notes for the “Task Force" files. Usually these things are put in the files AFTER the Ryder Cup, not before.
Enjoy!
Q. Is there a point considering that the Ryder Cup is coming up later this year that you have to start getting along with Bryson somehow if you're going to be in the same team in September?
BROOKS KOEPKA: You realise it's only a week, right?
Q. But you are on the same team.
BROOKS KOEPKA: It's only a week. I mean, look, I can put it aside for business. If we're going to be on the same team, I can deal with anybody in the world for a week.
I'm not playing with him. I'm pretty sure we're not going to be paired together; put it that way. I think it's kind of obvious.
Oh I don’t know, Hal Sutton might have put you two together. Go on…
It doesn't matter. I don't think they're -- we're not going to be high fiving and having late-night conversations. I do my thing, he does his thing. Yeah, we're on the same team, but it's not an issue at all. I don't view it as an issue. I don't think he does.
He did NOT rule out a fist bump.
Like I said, I can put anything aside for a team, business, whatever, just to get the job done. No problem with that.
And we always knew it was the Liberty situation but always nice to have it fleshed out.
Q. When you explained recently the start of this thing with Bryson, you said that he went back on his word, which is why you sort of -- did you explain what he did? How did he go back on his word? Apologies if you have said that and I missed it. What made you think he had gone back on his word?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was at -- I said it a couple weeks ago. It was at Liberty. He didn't like that I had mentioned his name in slow play, so we had a conversation in the locker room, and then I guess we said something else in the press conference but didn't mention his name in it, and he walked up to Ricky, said something. It was, You tell your man if he's got something to say, say it to myself. I thought that was ironic because he went straight to Ricky. Ricky told me when I came out, hit a few putts, and then just walked right over to him, we had a conversation. We both agreed we'd leave each other out of it and wouldn't mention each other, just kind of let it die off, wouldn't mention each other's names, just go about it.
So then he decided I guess he was going on that little, whatever, playing video games online or whatever and brought my name up and said a few things, so now it's fair game.
Fair game. Take that opposing Ryder Cup team!
Ryder Cup Adds A Sportsmanship Award: The Nicklaus-Jacklin Presented By AON
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Boy this is a tough on so many levels.
First, what are we going to be calling this Ryder Cup sportsmanship award? The branding experts who gave Aberdeen a flattop might shorten this to the Nick-Jack By AON. Excuse me, the nickjackbyAON?
Eh, no thanks.
The Tony? The Jack Tony? The Tony Jack? The Jack Jacklin?
And acronym doesn’t work either: TNJAPBAON.
And then there’s the whole matter of who will get this award at the Ryder Cup since, well, there haven’t been too many “concession” moments in recent times. More like, shushing and excessive celebrations and a few manspats at the after-parties.
This raises a whole new concern should someone win the nickjackbyAON and then act like an ass back at the team room gala. I digress.
Just know the committee is on it. And what a committee it is.
For Immediate Release:
The PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe and Aon plc (NYSE: AON) ― a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions ― today jointly announced the creation of “The Nicklaus – Jacklin Award presented by Aon,” which will debut during the 43rd Ryder Cup, Sept. 24-26, 2021 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.
The first-of-its-kind award will be given to two players ― one each from the U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams ― who best embody the spirit of the event: seeing the bigger picture and making decisions critical to sportsmanship, teamwork and performance at the Ryder Cup.
Vice Captain McDowell, sensing Poulter’s energy was running low, ran back to the clubhouse in this cart-free COVID playing of the Ryder Cup, secured a perfectly ripened banana, then ran back to the 14th fairway to get Europe’s star some necessary potassium. Then, to the shock of all, McDowell offered a banana to Poulter’s singles opponent, Patrick Reed, in the greatest show of sportsmanship since The Concession. For that, we give him Team Europe’s 2021 AON!
Sorry, go on…
The recipients of the inaugural award will be selected by a committee consisting of Jack Nicklaus, Tony Jacklin, other past European and U.S. Ryder Cup Captains, PGA of America President Jim Richerson, PGA of Great Britain and Ireland Chairman Alan White, representatives from Sky and NBC Sports and Carlo Clavarino, Executive Chairman, International Business, Aon.
More like, who isn’t on the committee?
The Ryder Cup has a history of rivalry, excitement and passion, but is also the essence of true sportsmanship. Named after the famous 1969 concession by Jack Nicklaus, which saw him give Tony Jacklin a two-foot putt for a halved match that resulted in the first tie in Ryder Cup history, this new award commemorates sportsmanship, teamwork and the type of sound, strategic decision-making that attracts people to the game.
“Since its inception, the Ryder Cup was imagined as a spirited but friendly competition amongst allies. At its core, this remarkable tradition is based on the fundamental pillars of sportsmanship, teamwork and performance,” said Seth Waugh, PGA of America, CEO. “We want to recognise and celebrate that key foundational tenet and so in collaboration with Aon, created an award to honor Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin’s historic act from 1969 that exemplified those honorable traits and set the stage for the future of the Ryder Cup.”
“The players are the beating heart of the Ryder Cup,” said European Ryder Cup Director Guy Kinnings. “Once every two years, these individual giants of our sport come together as a team and have to make decisions under the utmost scrutiny that not only affects themselves, but also their team-mates, their fans and their continent.
“Decision-making under such intense pressure is a crucial part of any Ryder Cup. It is fitting, therefore, that this new award, presented by Aon, not only recognises the decisions that ultimately characterise success, but also the sportsmanship which has defined many of them over history and will continue to do so.”
Guy, let’s tighten up that empty quote next time.
“Inspired by the events at the 1969 competition, this new award embodies values we aspire to at Aon, and also celebrates the decisions that will continue to shape the future of this iconic team event,” said Carlo Clavarino, Executive Chairman, International Business, Aon. “In golf - as in business - the decisions that really make an impact aren’t always obvious. Every day, we work to ensure our clients have the information, insights and advice they need to make better decisions that deliver successful outcomes.”
So you would not have put Tiger and Phil together at Oakland Hills? I think that’s what you were saying.
“The excitement and energy surrounding the Ryder Cup always tests your poise, composure and decision-making, and when it matters most,” said Jack Nicklaus, record 18-time major champion, 2-time U.S. Ryder Cup Team Captain and 6-time U.S. Ryder Cup Team Member. “The challenge is that every decision is magnified to its fullest because we’re not playing for just ourselves, but we’re playing for our country, teammates, captains, and fans. I’m glad to see that everyone involved in the Ryder Cup is identifying the importance of the choices these players make in the heat of competition and on one of golf’s biggest stages, and that they are recognizing and celebrating individuals who approach this competition with the proper spirit and who put an emphasis on good will and camaraderie.”
Just, don’t vote on this until after the loser’s press conference, ok?
“There’s always a decision that defines you in the Ryder Cup and to have an award that also highlights that decision is innovative for the game of golf and the Ryder Cup,” said Tony Jacklin, Major Champion four-time European Ryder Cup Team Captain and seven-time European Ryder Cup Team Member. “When I look back on my career, to be a part of Ryder Cups, the team atmosphere, and the importance of the decisions that followed - to giving players the opportunity to win an award based on that decision carries a lot of weight and will be a key accomplishment in their career.”
That’s four “decisions” in one press release quote, a new record.
To support the award and create momentum leading up to the event, the Ryder Cup and Aon will launch two digital content series, one focused on providing key course insights that will inform players’ decision-making at Whistling Straits, and another that will showcase the most unforgettable, defining decisions of the Ryder Cup to date.
To watch The Nicklaus – Jacklin Award presented by Aon launch video, narrated by Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay of NBC/Golf Channel, and for more award information, click here.
Hint, I think the word decision will come up a time or, 400.
Ryder Cup: Phil Won't Be Driving A Cart This Year; What To Do With Brooks And Bryson?
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GolfDigest.com’s Brian Wacker talked to 2021 Ryder Cup vice driver Davis Love about Phil Mickelson’s win and what it means for this year’s matches
From the sound of Love’s comments, Mickelson’s historic win—which would have exempted him to the team not that long ago—came just in time.
“We were going to talk to [Mickelson] about what he wanted to do,” Love said Monday afternoon at Belmont Golf Course where he was on hand for the reopening of the A.W. Tillinghast course and site of the 1949 PGA that he helped redesign. “I’m glad we didn’t do that.”
Hey buried lede there! More on Belmont another day. We have Ryder Cup drama to deal with.
Sure sounds like they have the keys to a cart with Phil’s name on it ready. Not now.
“The first thing I did [Monday] morning was look to see what number he was [in the standings],” Love said. “And he’ll [continue to] get more points.”
Captain Stricker is working with a record six picks this year.
Two players currently not needing a pick? Why it’s Brookson!
Bryson DeChambeau is currently second in Ryder Cup points while his buddy Brooks Koepka is sixth, but almost assured a Captain’s pick if he’s healthy. And while the PIP ramifications of their unusual bond was sealed with the leaked Golf Channel tape, the captain’s are going to need all of their powers to prevent those two from a table tennis room tussle.
Needless to say, they will not be in the same pod.
Quadrilateral: David Barrett Q&A, Plus Match Play Notes Including A Koepka Update
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We the team at The Quadrilateral are moving into major mode with a few new editions.
The Story of the Masters author David Barrett answered my questions about his ambitious new book, available here. This Q&A was open to all Quad subscribers and you can read it here as well.
Following the scintillating WGC Dell Technologies won by Billy Horschel, I offered these notes for Masters and Ryder Cup watchers. This one is only for paying subscribers and includes news on Brooks Koepka’s possible status for Augusta.
News And Notes From The Majors: Par 3 Contest, Chambers And The PGA, Plus More
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Here is my second ever Thursday news and notes newsletter, this time landing on an actual Thursday. If you subscribed it’s already in your inbox in Substack’s gloriously readable format.
Check out here at the Quadrilateral’s home page to read more on the Masters Par 3 contest, Chambers Bay, early Ryder Cup rumblings and a nice designation for Chicago Golf Club.
If you’ve been in a coma, here is my easy explainer site for the newsletter.
Past issues can be read here now for free, but some content will soon be behind the dreaded paywall including a piece I’m excited about (likely next week depending on Friday news dumps).
Thanks to all for the amazing early support!
The 2020 Ryder Cup That Wasn't: COVID-19 Hotspot, Week After U.S. Open Makes The Postponement Look Wise
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It would have been a somber, fan or partially fan-free Ryder Cup last weekend played under ideal weather conditions. But with Wisconsin reporting 2000 new cases four days in a row and a huge positivity rate as well, combined with the lack of fan access, and it looks like the 2020-In-2021 Ryder Cup looks like a wise postponement to 2021.
While I still think toning down the fan element and other theatrics would have been a good thing, a date the week after the rescheduled U.S. Open was, in hindsight, less than ideal and might have led to a severely diminished event.
The Golf.com Confidential crew addressed and noted things lost, all of which might not have had their usual luster set against the 2020 backdrop.
Shipnuck: Being right. I have no doubt the young, talented Americans who have been dominating the golf world were going to win to touch off a decade of dominance. Now, who knows how much momentum will be lost over the next year. Alas, Europe even wins the pandemics.
Dethier: The crowds. The frenzied Midwestern crowds waking up on a crisp Wisconsin morning, getting out in some hideous star-spangled garb and rooting on their beloved Yanks in a too-close Ryder Cup on a super-fun golf course. Oh, and figuring out if Tiger Woods should be on the team — that would have been a blast of a debate too, no doubt.
Bamberger: The parades of the WAGs. The parade of self-importance, pre, post and during.
Piastowski: The fans. They made the right call to not go on without them. It’s the event that needs a crowd the most. The one event where you can cheer for your team – and get after the other one.
2020 Ryder Cup Postponement Becomes Official (And The Presidents Cup Was Pushed Back, Too)
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Guy Kinnings (European Tour), Seth Waugh (middle, PGA of America), Jay Monahan (PGA Tour)
Kudos to European Tour’s Guy Kinnings and the PGA of America’s Seth Waugh for tolerating the Presidents Cup and Jay Monahan’s efforts to put it on the same plain as the Ryder Cup, all while conducting the 2020-Ryder Cup postponement news.
While there were some funny moments related to efforts at making sure the 2021 Presidents Cup postponement was of great interest, not even question-askers from Charlotte could muster up concerns for the PC’s postponement.
The Ryder Cup is just on a different level. And now it’s set for late September, 2021 at Whistling Straits.
I really enjoyed Seth Waugh’s sincere opening remarks about the responsibility entrusted in him and the PGA of America to do what’s best for what is an “exhibition,” but golf’s greatest one by a lot. Enjoy:
SETH WAUGH: Well, thanks, Julius. It's good to be with everybody this morning, this afternoon and be with our great partners Guy and Jay and everyone out there, so thanks everyone for taking the time. I remember literally my first day on the job was about 21months ago in Paris at the beginning of the Ryder Cup,and I was sitting in the stands for that incredible moment of the Ryder Cup, that first shot on the first day, and the flags are waving and people are singing,and jets are flying over. It's one of those incredible, iconic moments in sports, and Michael Jordan is kind of right next to us and I was sitting right next to Darrell Crall, who's our chief operating officer, and he could see that look in my eye and he goes, yeah, it's an awesome responsibility, isn't it.And you realize that that's what we have, right. It's a gift from our forebears, this incredible exhibition tha tbrings out so much passion.So to answer your last question first, it was a very tough decision. I think people think this is -- it might be easier than it is, but frankly since the speculation started a couple months ago in the press and elsewhere that Ryder Cup would be postponed, we've kind of done everything we could to make it one of those kind of Dewey-beats-Truman headlines, that we really wanted to play this, and it's not -- when I say that,not because where the rumors came from. That's great; that's what makes the Ryder Cup so special. It's the passion that it arouses, the tribalism, the nationalism. It's news even when it's not news, and that's the beauty of this incredible event. So we tried everything we could to make it happen because it would have been such a special year given what everybody has gone through to have pulled it off.
And regarding everything they went through before deciding on the eventual postponement:
We hired an infectious disease expert to advise us. We've talked to the CDC. We've talked to the Broad Institute, we've talked to Scientists versus COVID, the governor of Wisconsin, the county of Sheboygan, obviously our great partners constantly with the TOUR, Ryder Cup Europe, our hosts, the Kohlers, our broadcast partners at NBC. We called the captains. We called many of the players. We talked to some fans. I even went and spoke to Mark Murphy at the Packers, who obviously had some what we thought would be pretty good local information to see what they were thinking, and his perspective was, you know, we hope to play and we hope to play with fans at some point, maybe start with 25 percent and go from there,and I said, we actually need to build Lambeau Field between now and September. And he kind of paused and he said to me, he goes, boy, that's really complicated. He said, I think you might have the hardest decision to make of anybody I've talked to since this thing started, and I said, well, thanks very much. That's very helpful.
Guy Kinnings of the European Tour offered not much rear-view mirror analysis about the impact of players, fans or COVID-19 in the decision, but instead of focused on the future:
The announcement is also good for the brand of the Ryder Cup as a whole, as it allows us to plan the match to be played in front of a full house in September'21, creating that wonderful atmosphere that Seth described that he saw in Paris that makes the Ryder Cup the envy of many around the world.It also will allow for a full qualification process for both teams, ensuring the 24 best players will be in action for Europe and for the U.S. in 15 months' time. Indeed the changes to our qualification process have just been announced ahead of the resumption of the European Tour in Austria tomorrow morning.Finally, as regards Ryder Cup Europe, it's great news for our future venues. Although plans in Marco Simone remain firmly on schedule, today's news that the 44th Ryder Cup will now take place in 2023 instead of 2022will give Italy, a country which has an amazing history of staging very special sporting events, extra time toprepare for hosting golf's greatest team event in what will be an extraordinary occasion in Rome in just overthree years' time.
For Jay Monahan, well, there was that phone call that no Commissioner ever wants to have to make: to the International Captain when there is no American captain to even yet call because the Cup is a year away.
So I think this is a really good solution for players. For us, one of the hard conversations that I had was with Trevor Immelman, captain of the international side,recognizing that now it's a year for him, but as we talked and as he said, if the shoe were on the other foot and we were going to these two organizations, you know, they would respond the same way, and that's the beauty of our sport and that's the beauty of the way that we work together, and this is the right decision for the Ryder Cup, therefore it's the right decision for the Presidents Cup, and we're going to be supportive of it.
In the PGA Tour’s press release about the Presidents Cup moving to 2022, Monahan worked in some wheels-up lingo.
“We are confident the move will give us even more runway as we bring the Presidents Cup to Charlotte in 2022.”
Take that, nautical lingo.
While it’s a bummer not to get a Ryder Cup this year, the move is the right one.
Players were not enthused, the idea of playing with no or limited crowds was not preferred by anyone but a few of us, and the European Tour was supportive despite potential business issues with the move. And, don’t forget the perks of that longer runway for Charlotte in 2022.
ESPN.com: 2020 Ryder Cup Postponement To Become Official
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One can only imagine the stories they’ll be able to tell about what went on behind closed doors in the 2020 Ryder Cup discussions.
The PGA Tour’s first day back after the hiatus was dominated by Ryder Cup questions.
Almost three weeks ago, the Guardian said we’d soon learn about the fate the event slated for the end of September.
A majority of the readers here thought the event should be postponed but a surprising number were open to some option this year with limited or no fan access.
As has been well documented, players do not feel it’s a Ryder Cup without fans, led by the top two players in the world.
The European Tour has not sounded excited at all about the business prospects of this notion and even Captain Padraig Harrington came around on this front. But others saw the split with players potentially causing unnecessary disharmony.
The PGA Tour does not want to give up its 2021 Presidents Cup date at Quail Hollow and even tried to poll players acting like budging was not an option..
The PGA of America has to manage the above’s needs plus those of media partners NBC/Golf Channel, Sky and host site Whistling Straits.
And suddenly, managing difficult bank clients all looks like child’s play to PGA CEO Seth Waugh!
ESPN.com’s Bob Harig says the decision has been made, the accountants appeased and the 2020 Ryder Cup will be pushed back a year.
"There will not be a Ryder Cup this year," the source said. "The Ryder Cup will go to 2021, the Presidents Cup to 2022, and then they will alternate from there."
Guardian: Ryder Cup Moving To 2021, Announcement Next Week
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The Guardian’s Ewan Murray reports that the 2020 Ryder Cup will likely become the 2021 Ryder Cup next week.
Talks between the PGA of America and the European Tour, who preside jointly over the Ryder Cup, and local government officials in Wisconsin are now close to completion despite a public line of “no change” to existing arrangements. Work on the spectator build at Whistling Straits, ordinarily well under way by now, is not believed to have meaningfully started.
In last week’s poll, the majority here voted for the Ryder Cup to be postponed a year.
Poll Update: Postponing Ryder Cup To ‘21 Wins, Surprising Number Of Voters Open To Fan-Free Event This Year
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Thanks to everyone for voting in the poll adding one key provision to questions surrounding the what to do with the 2020 Ryder Cup.
Just a reminder: most top players the Ryder Cup cannot go forward until next year without the energy of fans. Some feel it should go no matter what, some think a quieter proceeding minus running high-fives and threats of violence against family members might be more appropriate in these times, and recently, signs have suggested the best case scenario may be very limited galleries.
Yet as we learned from the AP’s Doug Ferguson, top players surveyed last week were not given the option to postpone to next year due to the PGA Tour’s unwillingness to push back the 2021 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow.
That’s why the tour went to some of the top players last week at Colonial for a survey. Players were asked to prioritize the following scenarios: a Ryder Cup this year with no fans, a Ryder Cup with half the fans or a Ryder Cup in 2022.
So the results are in and they are, frankly, surprising. Thanks to over 500 of you for voting so far.
A majority want the Ryder Cup played this year and a majority of those voters are fine with it played minus fans. But, the biggest vote-getter was for postponement to 2021. Not shockingly, few took the PGA Tour option of postponement to 2022.
Take The PGA Tour's Ryder Cup Poll...Only With The Obvious Missing Question
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AP’s Doug Ferguson lays out the issues facing those charged with determining the 2020 Ryder Cup’s fate. It seems saving the 2021 Presidents Cup—yes the Presidents Cup—because it has been pre-sold, would be a blow to the PGA Tour coffers. So they surveyed top players last week about what to do.
One small problem?
A possible survey winner, Ferguson reports, was not included as an option for a decision that is not even the PGA Tour’s to make.
That’s why the tour went to some of the top players last week at Colonial for a survey. Players were asked to prioritize the following scenarios: a Ryder Cup this year with no fans, a Ryder Cup with half the fans or a Ryder Cup in 2022.
I’m sure it was just an administrative oversight to leave out the other option some might select: postpone the Ryder Cup to 2021.
So in the interest of helping the PGA Tour make a decision that is not theirs to make—the PGA of America controls the 2020 Ryder Cup date—why don’t we do our own poll here with all of the appropriate options?
"We have always been united in Europe, and it's important we don't have disharmony."
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Brian Keogh at the Irish Golf Desk reports the comments of former Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley, who is part of the Sky Sports team and is also an influential member of the European Tour board.
Discussing the 2020 Ryder Cup sticking with its current date this year despite player demands to cancel a fan-free event, McGinley begged for harmony.
"Personally, I hope it's going to be played and there's some kind of understanding where we all get united rather than the players having on view and Ryder Cup committees having another view," McGinley said during Sky Sports' coverage of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Sunday.
"It's important that we are united. We have always been united in Europe, and it's important we don't have disharmony.”
I think it’s a little late for that!
