Running 2021 Golf Thread

I could buy him bitching about getting hit on his knee but not when he said some people might have hit it on purpose
All you had to do was look at some of the contortions Koepka made to line up a putt to realize the knee was bothering him

 

For Phil to win at 50 is an amazing feat. A great capper for a great golfer. Hopefully an inspiration to all of us golfers. He hit some amazing shots (hole out from sand for birdie!) and beat back some significant challengers. I thought Sat he got a break by not being paired with Koepka but Koepka got the pairing on Sunday and flamed out when it was right there for him, so huge credit to Phil.

 

And you don't mess around with Phil.

 

Story came out today in a Steve Stricker availability. Phil and Stricker were taking on Zach Johnson and Will Zalatoris last Tuesday. Phil-Stricks won the first three homes. On the fourth tee, Phil says loud enough for the other team to hear, "Steve ... 3-up ... I thought we'd be ahead by more."

 

No ... because I'd bet real money that Tiger texted Phil: "Congratulations ... you only need nine more to catch me."

 

Not sure I buy that people were intentionally hitting him in the knee. But I don't blame Brooks Koepka for implying that security should not have let what happened do so on 18. More restraint needed to be enforced. None of this "we can see the end of a pandemic" justifiable overzealousness crap. Koepka and Phil Mickelson should not have been forced to pick through a crowd like that down a fairway and en route to the green.

 

My wife was laughing at me because I was in a goddamn rage.

 

It was stupid. Crappy security.

Typically, the gallery takes over the fairway at 18, especially if the likely winner is among the last group. But it's customary, never mind ... safe, to make sure the players and caddies are in front of the encroaching mob.

Do you think, for an instant, that the Charleston County law enforcement, the PGA Tour or any other entity involved with security would have let the same thing occur with Eldrick? He had to get through some spots at the Tour Championship win that marked his comeback prior to the last victory at Augusta, but look at the way security was controlling the gallery and contrast it with what occurred at the PGA Championship.

 

If you're 4 putting for 8s you ain't breaking 90

 

You never know; remember when Ernie 5 putted at Augusta and he still shot a 72(?) I believe. Could just have a bad hole.

 

Agreed. Pathetic security and asking volunteers from the neighboring country clubs to suddenly become SWAT riot police verges on a war crime.

 

Before they flipped the nines at the local course, I've more than once been thinking "a par on the final hole gets me 85," only to walk off with a snowman.

The old No. 18 was a sweeping left-to-right dogleg par 5, all uphill to an elevated green shaped like a New York strip steak and severely sloped, back to front. In the winter when the Bermuda is dead, it's slicker than snail snot if they fiendishly put the flag on the front edge, because you'll wind up above the hole 97 percent of the time (and the wind is always blowing). It's impossible to leave a putt short downhill (and thank God for the collar), but hard to hit it hard enough the other way.

Only slightly less daunting is guessing how many feet of break you're going to need from either side. I've learned to putt slightly uphill on the diagonal to take a little speed off. Going to Florida -- or avoiding the place because of COVID this winter -- has kept me from wasting $32 in January or February the past three years.

The hole, now the 9th, is much more benign in the spring and summer. I just burned the edge of the cup from eight feet for par on Thursday. The course looks really good right now, and just recently hosted the Georgia State 3A girls championship.