Perhaps more anticipated than Tiger Woods’ expected return at the Genesis Invitational is what the tournament host will be wearing.
Woods announced earlier this month that he and Nike had ended their 27-year relationship. What Woods didn’t express in his X post, however, was what logo he’d be sporting on his hat, shirt and pants when he plays again.
It might be a brand with which Woods is already familiar.
Woods has been using TaylorMade equipment since 2017 and it was brought to public attention this past week that the manufacturer had filed multiple trademarks for a “Sunday Red” brand.
Three trademarks have been registered through the United States Patent and Trademark Office by TaylorMade Lifestyle Ventures LLC: a leaping Tiger outline, “Sunday Red” spelled in all caps, and “SDR” around the leaping Tiger. The live patent applications (meaning they are awaiting examination) include, “clothing, namely shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, joggers, skirts, dresses, hoodies, sports jackets, polos, golf shirts, golf pants, footwear and headwear.”
Whether he’s competing in the tournament or just playing host in a few weeks, all eyes will be on what Woods is wearing.
Webb Simpson flashed some of the golf skills we’ve come to expect from him through the years on Thursday with an opening 65 at the Sony Open. But before that, it was his writing skills that he’s been putting to more use lately.
After a couple down seasons on the PGA Tour, the 2012 U.S. Open champ finds himself in a position he hasn’t been in since he turned pro—asking tournament directors for sponsor’s exemptions into events.
“Been a long time. 2008. Right when I turned pro,” Simpson said on Thursday of writing those letters. “I got five spots that summer. So I kind of remembered how do it. My letter this time was a lot better than last time. For sure.”
Simpson’s playing schedule is still very much a work in progress. But at least one of those letters got him into next month’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which is one of the PGA Tour’s signature events in 2024 with a $20 million purse and no cut.
“Very up in the air,” Simpson said of his schedule. “The only big tournament I’m definitely in is The Players. I’ve got one more year. AT&T and was kind enough to give me a spot, so I get that elevated. That’s my next one. It’ll be totally up in the air.”
One tournament host he won’t be writing to, however, is Tiger Woods. But the seven-time PGA Tour winner has a great reason for not attempting to tee it up at the Genesis Invitational next month.
“Funny you mentioned his,” Simpson said after being asked about the Genesis Invitational. “His is the only one I didn’t write a letter to because it’s my son’s birthday that week. I’ve told him before I hate missing it because I do love Riv and supporting him, but I’m not going. Yeah, I written letters to everybody.”
Good luck getting good responses, Webb. And remember to always use spell check.
Patrick Cantlay reveals how a trip to Tiger Woods’ basement after he’d won PGA Tour Player of the Year left him feeling VERY humble
Cantlay said one look at Tiger’s trophy cabinet was a humbling experience
This comes after Scottie Scheffler was named PGA Tour Player of the Year
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While Patrick Cantlay is already a very accomplished golfer, he got a reminder that he still has a ways to go before being considered the best.
In the aftermath of Scottie Scheffler being named PGA Tour player of the year by his fellow golfers, Cantlay was asked by media about how pros prioritize things such as wins, top finishes and scoring average.
Cantlay began to give his answer, saying, ‘Well I think it comes down to the individual’ before diving into a story about a visit to the house of Tiger Woods.
‘I went over to Tiger’s house, I think to talk Ryder Cup after I had won Player of the Year, and it felt like a big deal to me at the time that I had got a Player of the Year, and they give you this little Jack Nicklaus bronze trophy,’ he explained per Golf Magazine.
‘So we’re walking through Tiger’s house and we’re in the basement and he’s got like, 11 of ’em lined up right next to each other all in the corner of the basement — boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
And I go, “Hey, I’m catching up,” and he looked at me and he goes, “You got a lot of work to do.”‘
Woods won the award in all but two years between 1999-2009 – losing out to Vijay Singh (2004) and Padraig Harrington (2008).
Cantlay has won eight times on the PGA – including the 2021 Tour Championship, which granted him the FedExCup.
He’s also been a part of the 2021 and 2023 Ryder Cup teams as well as the 2019 and 2022 Presidents Cup teams.
Cantlay was also asked about if he would ever leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, but the California native says he doesn’t imagine leaving the Tour.
‘It’s a personal calculation based on your values, your priorities, et cetera,’ Cantlay told Golf Magazine.
‘So I don’t think it’s a surprise that there’s a certain type of player that’s tended to go over there, on the whole. For me? I have no plans on joining LIV. I don’t plan on joining LIV. I see myself playing on the PGA Tour.’
‘I declined offers,’ Cantlay said. ‘Pre and post joining the board. And the most recent offer I got, I declined in the same meeting that my management team brought it to me.’
Jordan Spieth spent a lot of time after the 2023 Ryder Cup recuperating his ulnar nerve injury, which affected his forearm, hand, and fingers.
He did not swing a club for a while throughout the fall, but he circled the first weekend of December as a target to return to tournament play.
His target: the Hero World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods in the Bahamas.
Spieth fared decently well there, finishing in sixth in the 20-man field. But being in contention in the Bahamas has allowed him to parlay that success to this week’s event in Maui.
“Tiger’s event was big for me, just to get out there and into contention,” Spieth said after his third round at The Sentry Saturday.
“Coming here and picking up where I left off there is really nice.”
Spieth carded a bogey-free 6-under 67 on Saturday to soar up the leaderboard. He now sits two strokes behind Chris Kirk, at 19-under, and only Akshay Bhatia sits between Spieth and the lead.
Consequently, the former world number one knows he must go low to win for the first time since the 2022 RBC Heritage.
“I just assume I have to shoot 6-under [or more],” Spieth said. “It’s just crazy how the scoring is.”
The Plantation Course at Kapalua yields plenty of birdies. It also provides great entertainment for fans to kick off each calendar year. Spieth knows that, too.
“Honestly, it’s just more fun. You have to play more shots,” he said.
“The holes show a little teeth. You can run out 400 yards through fairways, so you still hit the driver, but you have to hit a different shot [with it] to make it go shorter. It’s very odd; it’s an odd scenario, one that you only experience here.”
The elevation changes on this seaside Maui course are unbelievable. From the highest point on the 17th green to the lowest point of the property on the 8th green, a nearly 500-foot change in elevation exists.
That allows the players to hit nearly 500-yard drives thanks to the plentiful downhill par-4s. But that does not necessarily mean the course determines who is playing the best.
“Some guys probably are on top of their game, and they just don’t quite make enough birdies or get the right breaks here,” Spieth added.
“Some guys are scoring well but have much work to do. Sometimes, Kapalua can be that way, at least for a few rounds, but typically, it starts to show itself throughout an entire tournament. I’m sure some guys shot 4-under and felt like they played great and guys who shot 6-under and maybe felt a little off, like myself. That’s not always fair, but that’s the game.”
Golf is indeed a funny game, but Spieth is glad to have contended in the Bahamas before this week’s event in Maui. Before the Hero World Challenge, Spieth had just one top-10 finish since the U.S. Open in June—a tie for 6th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Nevertheless, his late-season downturn is in the rearview mirror.
Now, Spieth is delighted that his ulnar nerve injury is not bothering him anymore—so much so that he has not even thought about it all week.
However, he continues to do physical therapy to ensure that he is stronger than ever in 2024. Three-to-four times a week in fact.
But that is all a part of his strategic recuperation process. That, coupled with his recent experience in the Bahamas, could help him get to the top in Maui.
That would be quite the way to start the new year for the three-time major champion.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
Tiger Woods made his return to golf two weeks ago at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, and now he’s back to headline the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.
The 15-time major champion is playing in the 36-hole two-day scramble event with his son, Charlie.
In 2021, Team Woods finished runner-up to Vijay Singh and his son, Qass. And last year, even though Charlie was playing hurt, the Woods boys finished T-8 after rounds of 59-65.
A lot has changed about golf since Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, started playing the PNC Championship three years ago. A lot has changed with them, too.
Woods — at the time, one year removed from his improbable 2019 Masters victory — had his car accident at the beginning of 2021 and has undergone multiple surgeries since then, only playing intermittently throughout. Charlie has changed the most, though. Gone is the child who hit it as far as he possibly could and talked trash to Justin Thomas.
“I can’t quite give him as much grief anymore because he’s close to beating me up,” said Thomas. “Yeah, it’s impressive from a golfer standpoint because he’s still, what, 14. He’s still a 14-year-old but maturing in the sense of his golf game, and he’s more willing to learn and he’s open to it at times, obviously.
“It’s cool. He won the state championship with the guys. That’s really cool, I think playing on the high school team has been very beneficial for him. And yeah, I’m just glad he keeps moving back tee markers. He’s leading the tournament in inches grown.”
“He’s one tee further back, so I guess he’s tee No. 2,” said Tiger. “He’s just one tee ahead of me, which is fine because he’s hitting it past me now. So we still have an advantage out there, but we both have to hit shots well at the same time.”
On Friday, Tiger said that he has enjoyed caddying for his son and also instructing him throughout. Giving him what shots to hit, how to hit them and what he’s thinking in certain situations.
“[The biggest change in his game from last year is] understanding how to hit shots,” said Tiger. “But I think his speed has gone dramatically up since last year. But I think that more than anything, it’s just the fact that he’s grown so fast. The aches and pains of growing, just teenage life.”
Tiger did give one eye-opening quote about how good Charlie’s swing is and how much speed he has off the tee, while also noting that he never has to push him because of how self-motivated his son is to get better.
“I sort of didn’t have the speed that he has at that age, but also, I didn’t have the equipment, either,” said Tiger. “The equipment is so different. We were just transitioning out of persimmon, so it’s a different era, but also, the different golf ball, too. We were able to do so much more with the golf ball. I would hit different shots and do more things with the golf ball because it just moved a lot more.”
Like father, like son 🏌️♂️🐅
Tiger & Charlie are back for their fourth @PNCchampionship.@PGATOUR pic.twitter.com/cFemHFjk9k
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) December 15, 2023
Nobody knows how things will progress. Golf is a fickle and funny game. But Charlie’s progress is clearly extraordinary and that will almost certainly be on display when Tiger and Charlie tee it up alongside Thomas and his dad, Mike, on Saturday morning.
“He’s still growing,” said Tiger. You can see how much he’s grown from last year. It’s amazing how much he has grown, has changed, and it’s a moving target with him, right. He’s grown somewhere near 4 inches this year, so his swing has changed, it’s evolved, clubs have evolved. And we kept trying to adjust things, and it’s been a lot of fun. But it’s also challenging for him because each and every couple weeks, things change. He’s growing so fast.”
ORLANDO – Tiger Woods, the father, isn’t that different from you or me. The 15-time major champ and father of two doesn’t like when son, Charlie, stares at his phone all the time.
“Put your phone away and just look around. That’s one of the things that I think all parents struggle with is most kids don’t look up anymore. Everyone is looking down,” he said when asked to name a pet peeve or something Charlie does that gets under his skin. “Look around you, the world is so beautiful around you, just look up. But everyone is staring into a screen, and that’s how people view life. It drives me nuts at times because he’s always looking down and there’s so many things around you that are so beautiful at the same time.”
Very relatable.
Watching Tiger in dad mode has made Tiger more relatable than ever. Golf fans have watched Charlie, 14, grow up in front of our eyes at the PNC Championship, a 36-hole two-person scramble that begins on Saturday at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. And grow he has the last four years.
“You can see how much he’s grown from last year. It’s amazing how much he has grown, has changed, and it’s a moving target with him, right? He’s grown somewhere near four inches this year, so his swing has changed, it’s evolved, clubs have evolved,” Tiger said. “And we kept trying to adjust things, and it’s been a lot of fun. But it’s also challenging for him because each and every couple weeks, things change. He just has – he’s growing so fast.”
“He’s leading the tournament in inches grown,” Justin Thomas said. “I can’t quite give him as much grief anymore because he’s close to beating me up.”
Tiger noted that Charlie is hitting it past him now, and just to keep things fair in this 36-hole competition, he’s playing one set back this year at a length of 6,576 yards.
Imagine trying to grow up as the son of one of, if not, the best ever to play a sport. And yet Charlie has fallen hard for golf and seems to be able to handle all of the inevitable comparisons. Imagine being able to learn the game from Tiger. Well, Charlie still has some mixed feelings about that. When Will McGee, the 12-year-old son of Annika Sorenstam, asked him if he listens to his dad’s tips, Charlie said, “It doesn’t happen very often. I mean, when I get desperate, yeah.
“Sometimes he doesn’t see it the way I saw it, which is fun, but I think it’s the understanding of how to hit the proper shot at the proper time. And that’s what all kids have to learn is when do I hit a certain shot at the right time, or how do I take stuff off a shot, how do I hit it a little bit harder, what do I need to do.
“You can do that at home all you want, but under tournament conditions, it’s just so different. And being able to share that with him, share my experiences with him in game-time mode, I think that it was great for both of us because I think we both are able to learn from it and grow from it. I think I learned to be a better teacher with it, and I think that he became a better player because of it.”
Imagine there being a blessing in disguise from Tiger’s accident. His injuries have prevented him from practicing as much as he’d like with Charlie but on the bright side he said he has been home more and able to watch Charlie’s high school matches and caddie for him at junior tournaments, which he might not otherwise have been able to do. This week is special for Team Woods to test their games together under tournament conditions.
“We push each other, which is great,” Tiger said. “And the needle is always out. If you’re going to be able to mouth off and give the jabs, then you have to be able to take it. That’s been a lot of fun for both of us.”
Imagine being able to get a wedge lesson from the legend Lee Trevino. After the pro-am, Charlie hit the range and when Tiger joined him, they made sure to visit with Trevino, who was digging it out of the dirt at age 84 at the far end of the range. They hugged, laughed, and traded stories and tips.
Imagine if Tiger and Charlie were to win the PNC Championship this week. JT has and he took a guess where it would rank for Tiger. “It would be No. 1 for special,” he said.
“Winning majors is unbelievable, and how he’s won his majors, but seeing how much he cares about Charlie and having Sam out here and him doing that together with Charlie and as he’s watched him grow up, it would be a very, very different kind of win that doesn’t maybe come with the record books and history and whatnot,” Thomas added. “I know it would suck for us because they would really rub that in our face.”
Tiger Woods will play the Hero World Challenge later this month, his first PGA TOUR start since undergoing ankle surgery in the spring.
The 82-time TOUR winner announced his commitment Saturday on Instagram. The Hero World Challenge will be contested Nov. 30-Dec. 3 at Albany, Bahamas.
Woods has held a spot for himself at the Hero World Challenge in the past. The initial field release included only 19 players, leading to speculation that the last spot could again be earmarked for Woods if his recovery progressed.
It appears that was the plan. Momentum was building for Woods’ return. He was on-site pre-tournament at the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico, contested at the Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante. While in Mexico, Woods visited with contemporaries including Stewart Cink – who revealed to Golf Channel’s George Savaricas that Woods said he had returned to practice, opining that Woods was in “go mode.” A few days later, Woods walked and caddied 54 holes for son Charlie at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship.
Woods hasn’t competed since undergoing ankle surgery in late April, shortly after withdrawing from the Masters during the third round due to plantar fasciitis. The 15-time major winner was seen chipping at Liberty National in September, and a video was captured of Woods hitting balls at The Hay, the short course Woods designed at Pebble Beach, during the TGR Jr. Invitational in October.
Woods has made five TOUR starts since a 2021 car accident in which he suffered multiple breaks in his right tibia and fibula and damaged his feet. He has made the cut four times but completed 72 holes just twice; walking has proven understandably difficult, particularly on uneven terrain. Woods has shown improvement in recent weeks and recently told the Associated Press, “my ankle is fine,” adding “that pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for.”
Woods has not yet committed to play the PNC Championship, Dec. 14-17, with Charlie. Tiger and Charlie Woods have paired in the last three editions of the PNC Championship, a two-player best-ball event that allows competitors to use carts. Team Woods finished seventh in 2020, second in 2021 and eighth in 2022.
The PNC Championship appeared to be a natural, easy-going place to make his return, given the ability to use a cart and its scramble format. Instead, Woods opted to throw himself right back into PGA TOUR competition against an elite field.
Lucas Glover and Justin Rose were also announced as Hero World Challenge exemptions on Saturday, replacing Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.
Tiger Woods caddied 54 holes for son Charlie at this week’s Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship – walking and carrying the bag. As speculation heats up around Woods’ potential competitive return after springtime ankle surgery, it’s another potential indicator that his next start could be imminent.
Based on video footage shared by the tournament social media accounts, Woods’ stride appeared comfortable and purposeful. He looped for Charlie as the younger Woods carded a final-round 68 to finish T17 (Boys 14-15 division) at the three-day event, contested at Louisiana’s Koasati Pines at Coushatta.
Woods’ appearance at the Notah Begay tournament marked the continuation of a busy stretch. Woods was on-site pre-tournament at last week’s World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico, contested at the Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante. While in Mexico, Woods visited with contemporaries including Stewart Cink – who revealed to Golf Channel’s George Savaricas that Woods said he had returned to practice, opining that Woods was in “go mode.”
It begs the question: What is Woods practicing for? The first and likeliest answer is the PNC Championship, Dec. 14-17, where competitors can use carts. Tiger and Charlie Woods have paired in the last three editions of the PNC Championship, a two-player best-ball event. Team Woods finished seventh in 2020, second in 2021 and eighth in 2022. The father-son duo has openly relished the event and the opportunity to compete together in this setting; six teams have already been announced for next month’s event, but not Team Woods.
There’s also an open spot yet to be announced at the Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Nov. 30-Dec. 3, another potential return spot.
Woods hasn’t competed since undergoing ankle surgery in late April, shortly after withdrawing from the Masters during the third round due to plantar fasciitis. The 82-time TOUR winner was seen chipping at Liberty National in September, and a video was captured of Woods hitting balls at The Hay, the short course Woods designed at Pebble Beach, during the TGR Jr. Invitational in October.
Woods has made five TOUR starts since a 2021 car accident in which he suffered multiple breaks in his right tibia and fibula and damaged his feet. He has made the cut four times but completed 72 holes just twice; walking has proven understandably difficult, particularly on uneven terrain.
He appeared to walk just fine, though, while looping for Charlie this week. The younger Woods earned a spot at the Notah Begay event via rounds of 71-66 at a September qualifier in Florida, with dad also caddying.
“It’s great. We just stay in our own little world,” Charlie said at the time. “We take it one shot at a time. He puts me in my place. I’ll talk about the next tee shot, and he’s like, ‘No. This is the shot we’re going to focus on. Focus up. This is what we’re gonna do.’”
1. Tiger Woods announced the field for his Hero World Challenge (Nov. 30-Dec. 3), with 17 of the 18 spots filled and one spot open for a “TBA tournament exemption.” Last year, Woods left this spot open for himself, yet he withdrew Monday of tournament week due to plantar fasciitis. What are the chances we see Woods play the Hero this year? If not at the Hero, when do you predict we’ll see Woods next?
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens):Woods used to make it pretty plain that the Masters was his top priority. I think you could argue that at this point in his career, playing in his own tournament in the tropics and with his son in the PNC are now right up there in importance to him. So, barring any new physical setbacks, I’d bank on seeing him at the Hero. And of course in the father/son. And possibly the Genesis at Riviera, before Augusta in April. Oh, and if we’re looking further out — the senior circuit. How about Woods saying he’s looking forward to getting out there in a cart when he turns 50? Remember how unlikely that prospect used to seem? The years wear on. People change.
Ryan Barath, equipment editor (@rdsbarath): As much as I’m an optimist, I don’t have a lot of optimism for Tiger playing a lot more professional golf — even his own event. Do I believe that the final spot at the Hero is potentially for Woods? Yes. But the spot could also be filled by any number of players, including a player from LIV. Considering the swings we saw Tiger make a few weeks ago at the par-3 course at Pebble Beach, I think best-case is we see Tiger next at the Masters.
Jack Hirsh, assistant editor (@JR_HIRSHey):I don’t think Tiger would save himself a spot if he didn’t think he could play. That said, I was more discouraged from the one swing video we saw from him at Pebble Beach a few weeks ago. That looked like a man who is almost completely unable to push off his right leg. The surgery he had looks like it has vastly limited his mobility in his right ankle, so until I’m seeing him swing away at drivers, I think this is more of an optimistic hope for Tiger than a realistic plan.
2. In a press conference during LIV Golf’s Team Championship, Phil Mickelson was confident that more PGA Tour and DP World Tour players would join LIV. “Do I think that? No,” he said. “I know that’s going to happen.” How much truth do you think there is in Mickelson’s statement? Given the state of the current golf world and the fact that LIV was just denied World Ranking points, how intrigued do you think pros are to join LIV right now?
Sens: Mickelson is both a LIV player and a LIV PR agent, so everything he says has to be taken in that context. In this case, though, I think he speaks the truth. Seems inevitable that some additional guys will jump; most people have a price, after all. If there’s enough money involved, someone will be intrigued. Whether those will be big names or players of slim relevance is another matter. With so much up in the air with the merger, it’s hard to make the calculus. Or make predictions. While the OWGR’s decision to deny ranking points wasn’t good news for LIV, it could become moot depending on the terms of the deal. We may soon see a world where players can move fluidly between LIV and the other tours. Only time will tell. I doubt even Jimmy Dunne and Yassir know exactly what’s going to happen at this point.
Barath: Similar to what Josh said, I think Phil is throwing whatever predictions he can into the void, so he can claim any that come true as him being right. As for top players, I bet there could be a few who have existing major exemptions who are willing to sign a deal with LIV if the number is high enough. Look, we can be as romantic as we want about the game of golf, but at the professional level, there are a lot of players who are simply there to use their skills to make as much money as possible — and if LIV still has a wide-open checkbook, why not take the money?
Hirsh: Barath took the words straight outta my mouth, err, off my keyboard? Anyway, I totally agree: Mickelson is just throwing you-know-what at the wall and seeing what sticks. I’m not sure he’s as keyed in with discussions as he lets on. I doubt many more PGA Tour players will jump over given how LIV’s future has never been more clouded, given the impending deal with the PGA and DP World Tours. If I’m a pro, there’s no way I’m leaving the PGA Tour for a tour that may not exist in 2025.
3. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee reacted to Mickelson’s comments and said it’s “inevitable” other stars will join, but said very few players make a difference. He also added: “Rahm worries me a bit as he seems open to the idea.” If the Tour lost another star to LIV in the offseason, how detrimental would it be to the PGA Tour after all that’s happened to appease the Tour’s top talent in the past year?
Sens: If one big-name defection led to a slew of others jumping ship, it would make waves. But I don’t think any single player switching over would be a crucial tipping point, not even someone of Rahm’s stature. It wouldn’t suddenly turn LIV into an exciting product; and it wouldn’t ruin the biggest Tour events either. You can rearrange the puzzle pieces any way you want, but the fact remains that there are a limited number of tournaments anywhere that really move the needle. That was the case before the birth of LIV, and it remains the case today. The irrational market created by LIV may have created the impression that some individual players are invaluable to the game. That’s fantasy, not reality.
Barath: The entire sports landscape is built on regularity, familiarity and history, and no matter how hard LIV tries to force themselves into the professional golf ecosystem, it’s going to take a seismic shift to: 1) bring non-major events into the world of casual golfers; and 2) have casual sports fans pay attention to LIV. At the end of the day, sports ratings soar only when casual fans understand what’s on the line. For sports like baseball, football and basketball, that’s the playoffs. In tennis, it’s the four Grand Slams. And as much as the PGA Tour won’t admit it, golf’s four majors are when casual golf fans care the most. So with all of that in mind, I think LIV could get a few top players, but it won’t make a huge difference.
Hirsh: We call him the needle for a reason. Unless Tiger is doing it, it’s not going to matter. And he’s not doing it. Besides, even if they could sway one player, it’s looking increasingly like it would be for only a year or so.
4. Collin Morikawa won the Zozo Championship in Japan, ending a winless drought that dated back to the 2021 Open Championship. What had been holding him back the past couple of years? And now, as he jumps from 20th to 13th in the World Ranking with the win, do you expect him to crack the top 10 in 2024? Top five?
Sens: The stats tell a pretty clear story. Heading into the week, he was second on Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach and 112th in Strokes Gained: Putting. Golfing his ball well but rolling it poorly. This week, he rolled it great. Putting is streaky. The good news for Morikawa is that his ball-striking isn’t likely going anywhere. And I’d wager on him having enough good weeks on the green to crack the top 10.
Barath: For Collin, it has always been about his putting, and it seems like his newest gear change has been a big help to that part of his game. If he is able to maintain a steady level, even if it’s not like it was this week, he will continue to show up on leaderboards in 2024 and beyond. (And here’s the story on his putter!)
Hirsh: Morikawa just needs to have average PGA Tour performances around the greens to win. We really saw how much his short game holds him back when he blew a six-shot lead at the Sentry. And his putting was just never what it needed to be. We didn’t get strokes gained data from the Zozo, but judging from his 26 putts in round four, I bet he’d at least rank among the top 20 in the field in putting. That’s scary for a guy who is nearly guaranteed to hit 13 to 16 greens a round. Plus, he was 17th in the field in scrambling for the week, with five of his seven missed up-and-downs coming in Friday’s 73. The work he’s doing with Stephen Sweeney and Parker McLachlin is clearly paying off.5. Netflix announced its first-ever live sports property in the Netflix Cup (airing Nov. 14), which will feature Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas competing in teams alongside Formula 1 stars Alex Albon, Pierre Gasley, Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. What are your thoughts on the newest golf/celebrity match?
Sens: Given the stake the Saudis also hold in Formula 1, I think we can see this as further evidence of their growing influence in the game. A slam-dunk opportunity for cross-branding. I expect we’ll see more of this as time wears on. Personally, I’d rather get a root canal than sit on my couch watching Formula 1. And I’d take a root canal without novocaine over watching a bunch of Formula 1 drivers play golf with Tour pros. But I also know that that probably puts me in the minority, and I’m sure that this celebrity hoo-hah will draw plenty of eyeballs and sponsorship dollars. I just can’t get excited about it. As a wise friend recently put it, there’s just too much of everyone nowadays, clamoring for more cash, more attention, more … you name it. Thomas, Morikawa, Fowler, Homa — great golfers, all. But do we really need to see more of them in watered-down formats? What all this fluff does is make the majors and a few other meaningful events seem all the better. I’d rather save my free time for those competitions than spend it on a televised celebrity match. And while we’re at it, you kids, get off my yard!
Barath: On a personal level, I’m with Josh in that it’s not something I’m going to spend a lot of time consuming, but — and it’s a big one — these types of entertainment events are not designed to bring in hardcore fans, and because of that, I think it’s going to be a huge hit! I have a number of casual golfing friends who don’t know the Genesis Invitational from the Farmers Insurance Open, but they were quick to reach out and ask me questions about this made-for-TV event, which I think is great for golf as a whole. A lot of curious people will be tuning in.
Hirsh: I really have no interest in watching people who are not better than me at golf play golf. It’s not fun watching famous people struggle to make par on courses set up for birdie fests. I don’t like watching celebrity golf tournaments or the Match when pros aren’t involved. Now what would be a great idea is the one floated by our GOLF Subpar guys this week. Let’s do away with the celebrities and give the caddies their time to shine. A player-caddie team event would be sick.
