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Not only has the PGA Tour made a largely triumphant return to competition while other sports grapple with the logistics of staging a single practice, much less an abbreviated season, the tour has inadvertently tapped into the tabloid world recently. Consider the headlines as summer settles into its full broil:
It has been 21 weeks since Tiger Woods played a PGA Tour event, finishing 68th out of 68 who made the cut in the Genesis Invitational by turning in a desultory 76-77 weekend performance at Riviera. It feels like a lifetime ago.
The last time we saw Woods play, he looked to be in prime form in the hit-and-giggle event with Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in May. But when the tour restarted Woods stayed away, though he was spotted around St. Simons Island, Georgia, the week of the RBC Heritage.
He returns this week at Jack’s place for the Memorial, which promises deeper rough, faster greens and an enhanced sense of importance than last week at the Workday Charity Open at beautiful Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Nice to have him back. Restart the history clock.
First of all, there’s a history between Koepka and DeChambeau. Remember last year when Koepka openly questioned why DeChambeau took so long to play some shots? It was true though DeChambeau has adjusted his ways.
Then there was DeChambeau’s jab about having better abs than Koepka, who responded with a brilliant photo of himself with his “four pack” of major championship trophies.
Last week, with the golf world still buzzing about Bryson and with questions being raised in some corners as to exactly how DeChambeau added so much weight and muscle so quickly, Koepka posted a tweet from HBO’s Eastbound & Down show in which the star baseball player, Kenny Powers, reacts badly to a question about steroids.
Trolling or social media fun?
Or both?
And is Koepka as good on social media as he is in majors?
DeChambeau made a mistake when he confronted a cameraman who was doing his job during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage event DeChambeau won two weekends ago. And given the chance to walk back his actions and comments, well, he basically stood his ground.
Standing up for what you believe is fine but DeChambeau made a point of saying players should be protected from themselves when they’re on the golf course. He didn’t like a camera following him when he slapped at the sand and muttered a bad word but it wouldn’t have been a big deal had he not made it one.
As Jon Rahm, who’s been known to run hot at times, said, players may not be able to control their emotions but they can control their actions. It’s part of the deal. It’s also understood that tour players are going to get mad from time to time. It’s the nature of the game.
DeChambeau, who makes a point of publicly thanking his sponsors like NASCAR drivers do, is a curiosity and he didn’t win many fans with his outburst.
But he did win the tournament.
The PGA Tour has done an admirable job of managing competitive golf in the COVID-19 era, understanding it’s operating in difficult, ever-changing and potentially dangerous waters. The tour has worked to tighten protocols and adjust from week to week, if necessary, in an effort to make the tournament environment as safe as possible, while anticipating there will be positive test results.
Still, the optics of putting Nick Watney, Denny McCarthy and Dylan Frittelli – each of whom has continued to test positive since their original positive tests – together the first two rounds of the Workday Charity Open was awkward.
That doesn’t mean it was wrong. According to medical professionals including infectious disease experts at the Centers for Disease Control, it’s not unusual for a person to continue to test positive long after their initial positive test and past the time when any symptoms are present. The science suggests positive tests can be the result of the dead virus still in a person’s system.
Each of the players, the tour stated, had met the necessary requirements for isolation, showed no symptoms and were no longer contagious and, therefore, were cleared to play.
“If you don’t have any symptoms on Day 10 and you’re perfectly healthy and you’re not showing any declining conditions, then you’re free to go back to work,” Frittelli said, citing the CDC guidelines.
“Obviously the tour is trying to monitor things as they move and scientists and biologists are still figuring stuff out today so this stuff is going to change all the time and I’m glad the tour has kept their finger on the pulse.”
And continued to check everyone’s temperature.
It’s hard not to feel like professional golf has crossed the rubicon in terms of scoring and style of play with every event since the restart feeling like a drag race.
Hit the gas and go.
Matthew Wolff made 28 birdies and an eagle at the Rocket Mortgage Classic – and didn’t win. As if 64-64 on Friday and Saturday should be enough to win a tournament.
Colonial was overmatched. Harbour Town had no defense. Maybe there is no defense now if the wind doesn’t blow and there’s not shin-deep rough bordering every fairway 300 yards from the tee.
I want to believe Rory McIlroy when he says the artist has the advantage over the athlete in golf. It doesn’t feel that way at the moment.
Twenty-under par wins tournaments these days – sometimes.
The scores may be lower than ever but it doesn’t mean the game is better – or as interesting – these days. Maybe the Memorial Tournament will recalibrate things this week.
The inevitable came to pass last week with the official announcement that the Ryder Cup has been pushed back a year to allow fans to attend at Whistling Straits. Surely by then, fans will be able to attend.
As difficult as it was, it was the right decision. There is a ripple effect, pushing the Presidents Cup back to 2022 and re-slotting everything else down the line. Part of the fun of the Ryder Cup is the anticipation.
Getting an extra year of anticipation will have to suffice at the moment.
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