by Gary Williams | Jan 22, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf…
- Rory’s 34th worldwide win in Dubai is additive on his resume but can be part of something much bigger when we look back on the year. He will turn 35 at the beginning of May and his greatest season was ten years ago with his summer blitz of two majors and a WGC. A career year of wins punctuated by a major win in 2024 is how historic players pass others at the top of the all-time food chain. A win in January is a nice start.
- Rory’s win was the largest 36-hole deficit, 10 shots, that he’s overcome to win on any tour but it was not without some scruffy moments. Standing on the 13th tee with a two shot lead he proceeded to hit three of his next four tee shots left and caused himself real stress. Additionally, he played the par 5’s on Sunday in one over, like the final day at the U.S. Open. He closed but in the micro analysis of the victory he knows he has things to cleanup.
- Cameron Young racked a nice check by playing in Dubai as opposed to the American Express and he now has another Sunday with a lead that he did not close. He is capable of blowing fields away but so many wins are simply about efficiency and being tidy around the greens. His failure to birdie the drivable par 4 17th was his last true chance. Cam winning is inevitable, but this is another missed opportunity.
- Rasmus Hojgaard was getting more attention than brother Nicolai heading into last year and Nicolai burst in front of him punctuated by his Ryder Cup selection. Both brothers had a good week in Dubai finishing within a shot of each other and I expect Rasmus to have a big 2024 and set up a compelling brother act and inevitable Ryder Cup partnership starting in 2025.
- Min Woo Lee shared this past week that Adam Scott has offered him rides on his plane that he said is curated with some items from Augusta National Golf Club. Scott will be a member of the Hall of Fame and although their styles were different, the best comp I can come up with for Adam is Raymond Floyd. They both enjoyed their single days, and they liked the finer things in life. Can Adam remain competitive well into his 40’s like Raymond did into his 50’s?
- I received and just read an advanced copy of Hughes Norton’s forthcoming book, “Rainmaker”. Norton was golf’s top super-agent culminating with him being Tiger’s first agent. The book is full of great nuggets, a fascinating perspective on Mark McCormick who built the monolith known as IMG in addition to a ton of self-examination from the author. I look forward to my conversation with Norton on 5 Clubs soon and I expect this book to do very well. The Tiger chapters alone will drive sales.
- Steven Alker made $841,849 in his career on the PGA Tour in 87 starts periodically for 25 years. In 53 starts since turning 50 and earning membership on PGA Tour Champions he has won seven times in 53 starts and earned just under $7.5 million. Somehow, he kept the lights on and dream alive and his success against a plethora of hall of famers and major champions is as good a story as men’s professional golf can provide.
- The reversible 9-hole “Crossroads” at Palmetto Bluff from King/Collins opened this past week. Looking forward to playing it in February and is the latest example of their creative vision and willingness to build way outside the box. The duo has a flare and a daring that is earning top commissions.
- Jack Nicklaus turned 84 on Sunday and he’s been awfully good to me through the years. His reflex was to act ambivalent about many of the interviews I’ve done with him through the years, but his nature never allowed him to deliver ordinary responses. His competitiveness always prevailed to produce the most thorough answers and most comprehensive examination of each subject.
- Of all the records Nicklaus accumulated that produces jaw dropping responses from daily’s best players is not a scoring record or results record. For me, Jack starting every major from 1962 until the 1998 U.S. Open is so preposterous it’s hard to comprehend. It’s a combination of great luck health-wise and a reliability that will never be duplicated.
- Images and renderings of Tiger Woods’ reported new apparel collaboration with TaylorMade were seen this week. The Tiger silhouette makes sense since the TW mark is not an option. As I’ve stated before the apparel plays by Nike for the last 25 years with Tiger never really exploded, the commercials did, so this is a GOLDEN opportunity to achieve something between the parties that is not a follow to something truly great.
- Brandel Chamblee sat in the lead analyst chair this past week and he was good. Brandel is a lethal weapon as an opinion maker and one of the essential voices covering all aspects of the game. I don’t think this is the best role for him. He needs room and time to pontificate and be the provocateur that he is. “Live From” is a great sports property, not just golf property, and that’s his home. I would infuse a dose of Brandel into the biggest events on NBC from the “Live From” perch on big decisions and getting his reaction to big moments.
- Lydia Ko earned her 20th win at the age of 26 in winning the first event of the LPGA season at their Tournament of Champions. Ko will one day be enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame. If you consider she was the youngest rookie of the year all-time and youngest player of the year all-time. She’s re-invented herself several times and made tons of changes with her “team”, but she has always been a sheer delight in any setting. A truly historic player.
- Jackie Burke Jr.’s passing this past week truly marked the end of a very different era for golf. He started the Champions Golf Club with Jimmy Demaret. He won the Masters and the PGA Championship 68 years ago this spring and summer. 68 years! He was shepherded by Claude Harmon at Winged Foot, who won the Masters in 1948. I was lucky enough to spend time with him a little over a year ago at his club. Engaged, grateful and full of grace and to the end the touchstone of the club and culture he created at Champions. An amazing journey.
- The LPGA smartly created a season opening event that brings together its best players with former athletes and other celebs. More of that at the right venues is an effective way to cross pollenate the professional game with cultural relevant individuals. I’ll be in Canton Ohio on Tuesday to be a part of the announcement of a new Champions Tour event in Florida that will engage the biggest brand in American sports, the NFL. Hall of Fame football players and golf legends was once achieved at an event in North Jersey and the newest incarnation is coming soon.
- 22-year-old Santiago de la Fuente shot a final round 64 to win the Latin America amateur championship and earn invites to the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, plus the U.S. Amateur and Amateur Championship. A truly embarrassment of lifetime opportunities for the University of Houston junior. After finishing a shot back last year Santiago completed the task and earns a trip down Magnolia Lane and hopefully, he takes advantage and spends at least one night in the Crow’s Nest.
- Justin Thomas is going to have a big year. Every historically great player had a year that was outside their career curve. He’s too good and too driven and this year will return him to the top 5 in the world.
- Nick Dunlap IS the story of the week. His win and the way he won is hard to fathom. He didn’t come from way off the pace and post a low score without getting any attention for the previous days. To do something on the PGA Tour that has not been done in 33 years and to set a scoring record is absurd. The PGA Tour gets a massive story in January from an amateur and expected soon to be professional and member. I wrote it three months ago after the Walker Cup that the victorious U.S. Team had a chance to be a historically great team. One box checked.
by Gary Williams | Jan 15, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf…
- Tommy Fleetwood is now a seven-time winner on the DP World Tour after his win Sunday at the Dubai Invitational. Add his runner-ups at two majors and Ryder Cup moments and he is unequivocally the most accomplished player yet to win on the PGA Tour. You’d expect him to pick one off this year but if he doesn’t, the hole in the resume will be morphing into a personal rubicon.
- Any second place in a tournament field of very good players is a solid result. However, the context under which Rory McIlroy finished second in Dubai to Fleetwood produces anguish for his legion of fans and some media members. A 3-putt from 2-ft and rinsing his tee shot on the final hole is the narrative in a small chapter of the book of Rory. Soaring to uncommon heights, hitting jaw dropping shots, boat racing fields and producing the occasional head scratching final round with a blunder or simply not firing at all. Yes, its golf and it happens but it seems to happen with him more than it should.
- Thriston Lawrence missed out on a PGA Tour card by a shot at the final event last year on the DP World Tour. It’s a matter of time before the 27-year-old South African gets to the PGA Tour on a more full-time basis and his tie for 2nd in Dubai continues a great stretch of golf. If you’re looking for a Presidents Cup dark horse for the International side, he’s the guy. Mike Weir wants to see him in the States more and don’t be surprised if he gets some invites for that reason. He’s ascending big time.
- This week the LPGA is in Orlando at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. With the continued infusion of money into major purses and beyond the tour is in a good place. Couple things that will be a huge boost for the tour in 2024, Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang having big years and the Olympics. The global footprint of the LPGA tour schedule and membership gives the women’s golf competition a head start, coupled with the Paris venue, this will be massive for women’s golf in 2024.
- Taiga Semikawa had a great week at the Sony Open. He is 23 years old, reached number one in the world amateur rankings and already has five professional wins globally. He was named after Tiger Woods which continues the amplify the Tiger effect to even younger generations and we should have never looked at Tiger’s impact myopically. It was never about how many minorities would get to the tour; it was always about how many people would make golf a part of their lives.
- The report this past week alleging that Jay Monahan had his first conversation since June with Yasir Al-Rumayyan is confounding. What? It is unimaginable that both parties would not speak for the balance of the year after dropping the news of the framework agreement on June 6th. Look forward to confirmation or refuting of that report. Confounding if true.
- Keith Pelley leaving the DP World Tour, knowing he’s leaving for a good job back in his home country running a professional sports organization should come as no surprise. When the Saudis wanted in and took the Premier Golf League model, the DP World Tour was in a gun fight with a sand wedge. Creating a bridge for more players to the PGA Tour got Pelley bashed by European fans and media. Truth is all great Europeans eventually have come to the PGA Tour, so I never saw that as a massive blunder under the circumstances. Secondly, getting the PGA Tour to subsidize their television product was akin to a ventilator because without it they may have expired.
- Martin Slumbers announcing his departure this year as CEO of the R&A is of zero surprise. Martin had a rich life before accepting the job and considering the rollback resolution for 2028 and 2030 being executed and his vibrant age it’s a great time to enjoy life. The CEO post remains a critical seat in the game and despite all the turbulence Slumbers always displayed calm and control. From significant rules changes in 2016 to the advancement of the championship calendar, including the Women’s Open, its rota and the doubling down on Portrush for the men, Slumbers never appeared above it all and never emoted a stench of stuffiness.
- Without knowing anything I would venture a comfortable guess that the next big chair at the table to turn over will be at the PGA of America. Seth Waugh is a youthful 66 and didn’t need the job when he took it in 2017. With the Frisco headquarters now up and running I would expect Seth to pass the baton in the next year.
- There are several good social media follows in golf but if I was to have to actually rely on one for information and a sense of learning something Justin Ray is the follow. His twitter account is @justinraygolf. Having worked with him at Golf Channel I thought he was the best hire the company made in my ten years there. He’s a machine of data, information and anecdotes and he’s also a true lover of what he does.
- In 2021 Daniel Berger made his first Ryder Cup team and as a contemporary to Spieth, Schauffele, and Thomas was part of a high school class (2011) that was doing special things. His last start was the 2022 U.S. Open after disclosing his back injuries and ailments. He’s now 634 in the OWGR but he returns this week at the Amex. He’s exempt this year because of prior accomplishment but he’s not exempt into majors and signature events. With the great unknown beyond this year playing his way back to being a top 50 player has added pressure knowing the two-tier system we are likely headed for in 2025.
- Gil Hanse’s Ladera Golf Club in the California desert received the best new private club award from Golf Digest this past week. 2024 for Hanse, Jim Wagner and the Cavemen will bring the opening of their course at the Apogee Club north of Jupiter, Florida, Kinsale Club in Naples, and the renovation/restoration at Colonial Country Club. Plus, what is getting ready to happen at Yale Golf Course and Spanish Bay, Hanse is flying in a rare altitude. Considered the new “Open” doctor, Oakmont will be the next U.S. Open venue that underwent a Hanse touch up, plus his original projects, he simply is getting the majority of the truly special commissions from all categories.
- With the postponement of the Bills/Steelers on Sunday because of a white out in western New York it had me thinking about the worst weather I’ve ever played golf in. Lahinch and Waterville on two separate trips to the southwest coast of Ireland. Lahinch was my first ever round in Ireland and it was howling, and rain was coming down in sheets and only because it was our first round did we even finish. Waterville, years later half of the flagsticks were blown out of the holes, and it was legit blowing 50 mph. I hit driver from 205 yards on the Mass hole, the par three and was 20 yards short. Love a brutal weather day, once a decade.
- Gary Woodland played this week at the Sony Open and missed the cut. Doesn’t matter. His thoughts and disclosures about his battle with a lesion on his brain in the last year and his reflections on the week Friday night were powerful and poignant. Having truly spent time with Gary, he’s just a great dude and his candor was admirable. Already well liked, Gary is going to get enormous support this year from fans at every event.
- Diverse leaderboard and holes with nuance and influenced by persistent and shifty winds, Waialae Country Club is a gem and a fantastic tournament venue.
- Grayson Murray is now 30. His 20’s were turbulent like many lives can be at that age or any age. I appreciate him talking about his sobriety and he sounds like there is a peace of mind that those who can’t think like an alcoholic, thank God you can’t, would not understand. He’s always had elite talent. The way he won the Sony Open was unlikely but not nearly as unlikely as him even making a living playing golf if he continued down the path he was on. Inspiring as hell.
- The first two winners of the 2024 season have stared into the abyss in life and found hope and purpose. Holy shit, this could be a year.
- America’s Guest featuring CapRock Ranch is now available on all of our platforms at 5Clubs. We hope you enjoy and share with other golf enthusiasts.
