by Gary Williams | Jul 1, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… Marcel Siem has had a rollicking ride in professional golf. Any player with 20 years between wins has shown an abundance of skill, determination, resolve and belief. On Sunday Siem defeated Tom McKibbin, 21 years old, in a playoff and in 2004 he defeated Raphael Jacquelin, who is now 50, in a playoff. Siem has seen multiple generations of players come and go and come again and he’s still battling, fist pumping and smiling his way across the globe in pursuit of the lowest score he can post. The… Read more
by Gary Williams | Jun 24, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… Amy Yang, at 34, had to wonder if she would ever cross the line in a major championship. First time major winners at that age are becoming even more rare. Twice Yang finished second at the U.S. Women’s Open in 2012 and 2015. Additionally, she had 11 top 5 finishes in major championships. Yang left little doubt at Sahalee that she would get the job done despite a modest amount of stress on a few of the holes on the inward nine. Her three-shot win gave her the crowning… Read more
by Gary Williams | Jun 17, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… Bryson DeChambeau provided a performance over the course of the week at Pinehurst that eclipsed his week at the PGA at Valhalla and it’s not just because he won. Valhalla lacked nuance and was reduced to a pin cushion from persistent rain in Louisville. His performance there fit the convenient profile associated with his style. Pinehurst was fast, fiery and full of quirky funk. He didn’t drive his ball to victory, instead he executed nuanced recovery shots like his par on 8 on Sunday, the short pitch for an… Read more
by Gary Williams | Jun 10, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… It’s an understandable inclination for the PGA Tour to share any positive news regarding the discussions with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The continuing agitation and frustration expressed by fans has likely made the tour anxious to share any positive movement. However, the ambiguity of press releases is likely to make most fans just say, “Enough with the labor pains, just show me the baby.” Here’s hoping U.S. Open is light on questions and comments because any question is going to be met with a detail free… Read more
by Gary Williams | Jun 4, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… Yuka Saso’s win at the U.S. Women’s Open makes her first two wins in the championship historic in several ways. First, she joins the following list of players from outside the United States to win multiple U.S. Opens, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, and Inbee Park. Secondly, Saso is now the youngest two-time winner in the U.S. Women’s Open history. Finally, she is the third player all-time to make both of her first two career LPGA wins majors, joining Se Ri Pak and In Gee Chun. It’s an amazing badge… Read more
by Gary Williams | May 20, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… The tragic event that occurred early Friday morning outside Valhalla Golf Club that claimed the life of 69-year-old John Mills will forever be associated with the 2024 PGA Championship. The retired Louisville native was working in a security capacity when he was struck by a shuttle bus at 5 AM crossing the street near the club and was pronounced dead on the scene. The ensuing events involving Scottie Scheffler immediately overshadowed Mills death, which was the reason for the initial delay of play on Friday, but his passing is… Read more
by Gary Williams | May 13, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… Wells Fargo put a bow on their sponsorship of one of the best events on the PGA Tour. Born in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship I’ve covered every one of them except for the win by Max Homa in Potomac, Maryland. They got Tiger in their second year and immediately became one of the premier events in professional golf. The PGA Tour is headed to a new sponsor, reports are it is Truist, another financial institution, and they are likely to manage the event themselves with their new championship… Read more
by Gary Williams | May 5, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… Brooks Koepka winning the LIV golf event in Singapore can represent whatever level of accomplishment you choose to make it, but it likely signifies a more competitive Koepka at the PGA Championship. Brooks spoke of his own disappointment at his performance at the Masters which is a self-motivating strategy that has always proved effective for Koepka. A win at Valhalla would be bold type in the historical record. Back-to-Back PGA’s for the second time would equal the accomplishment of Tiger Woods who won in 1999 and 2000 and again… Read more
by Gary Williams | Apr 29, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… The report from James Corrigan in the Telegraph this past week pretty eliminates any doubt as to whether the best European players, starting with Jon Rahm, will be on the Euro side at Bethpage in September of 2025. Guy Kinnings of the DP World Tour shared the details of the parameters in place that allows for Rahm and Tyrell Hatton to make the side. It also simply amplifies what we already knew from the moment Rory McIlroy laid down his marker upon Rahm’s departure for LIV. When Rory said… Read more
by Gary Williams | Apr 22, 2024 | The Card
18 observations, thoughts and predictions for the week in golf… I was part of the group that included Ben Crenshaw in April of 2011 when they re-opened Pinehurst #2 after the Coore/Crenshaw restoration. I love what they did then but having played the golf course again this past Monday I have the same question with an additional follow up as it prepares for another U.S. Open in June. Are there simply too many bare and reasonable lies in the native areas to adequately and accurately punish errant shots? Secondly, will the new putting surfaces of Bermuda grass be an… Read more
