golfweloveit

This week at the limited field WGC-Mexico Championship the PGA Tour will finally allow players to weat shorts during practice rounds and Pro-Am events. The European Tour have allowed this since 2016 and the PGA of America allowed it during the 2017 PGA Championship which brought some valuable feedback. Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was initially resistant but when not just the players but sponsors wanted it he agreed. Sponsors said that it makes the tour players more relatable and brings them closer to the spectators. Except – would we want bulbous calves like these?

It will be interesting to watch this weeks event because the venue, the Club de Golf Chapultepec is 8000 feet above sea level (compared to 285 feet above sea level in Los Angeles last week). This will mean that the ball will fly about 15% further and much higher.

At 3pm GMT the announcement of the next United States Ryder Cup Captain will be announced, It is widely thought that Steve Stricker, pictured right with 2018 US Captain Jim Furyk will be nominated.

Last week Sergio Garcia apologised, the way this generation do, in an Instagram post for the behaviour which led to his disqualification at the Saudi International. He said

This is all very well but this is just the latest in a long line of abuses directed at golf. He doesnt like lakes, he throws clubs in them, he doesnt like bunkers, he thrashes at them, he spat into a golf hole after calling the ball a sonofabitch ball and then he thwacked at bushes. At this point I object. It’s not like in professional football where players physically tackle and injure each other, but abusing the parts of the golf course which are living things is not on. And there was the time at the World Matchplay at Wentworth when I watched him take off his shoe and hurl it at people in the gallery. This is all pathetic. And if he does anything like this again he should be suspended from the tour.

There were a lot of positives about JB Holmes win yesterday at the Genesis Open. How he ground out his victory in gruesome conditions with 35 mph winds, having to play 33 holes in the final round after repeated weather delays and nearly every day of the tournament was finished in darkness. It was battling golf.  He overcame his friend Justin Thomas’ lead to win by one shot, his first victory since 2015. But most impressive was his putting – he lead the field in strokes gained putting, a huge transformation from last season when he was as high as 202nd in this category. He played the par 3s particularly well this week. Whatever he’s found, he needs to keep doing it.

He has, however, taken a hammering on social media for his lengthy pre shot routine, particularly on the greens. And this routine only began when it was his turn to play rather than when his playing partners – Thomas and Adam Scott – were ready to play their shots. This lead to their front 9 holes taking an incredible 2 hours 45 minutes, and the extended final round 5 hours 29 minutes.

When asked about it Holmes just shrugged and said “it is what it is. I never got put on the clock or got a warning”.

It is the PGA Tour’s responsibility to control slow play, and if they don’t then they should take the brickbats. They need to sanction not with fines but by deducting strokes from the card, It is the only way. In this case Holmes’ group were left alone. It’s time for officials at every professional tournament to be vigilant and enforce sanctions. And if playing partners don’t like it they should do some sit down protests like Brian Barnes used to do.

This week saw Rory McIlroy finish badly with a missed birdie on 17 and a bogey on 18 in the final round but it was his third straight top 5 finish. Tournament host Tiger Woods is also playing consistently, having his 7th top 15 finish this season.

Mickelson won.

In June the US Open, the only major he has not won, will take place at Pebble Beach.

He will probably win and there will be a big huha.

That’s all.

The Waste Management Phoenix Ope , the greenest tournament on the PGA Tour, promotes recycling but winner Rickie Fowler nearly threw his chances i to the rubbish. After leading the tournament into the final round a triple bogey 7 when he repeatedly hit into the water at the 11th hole nearly wrecked his chances but he recovered tomake birdies at 15 and 17 for a messy 74 to beat Branden Grace by 2 shots. It is 2 years since his last win and this is his fifth win on the PGA Tour. He has only won once out of six 54 hole leads,

David Law and Celine Boutier took home equal prize money after winning the respective mens and womens tournaments and the first time ever a mixed group played together in the third round. Spectators were allowed to walk on the fairways lending a relaxed atmosphere to the event, allowing them to get close to the players. It was more like the Sunningdale Foursomes than a European Tour event.

Gavin Moynihan, Dale Williamson and Manon De Roey (pictured below)  played their historic third round together. Manon said she was hoping for more opportunities like this for the future.

Andrew “Beef” Johnstone said about the spectators being so close to the players “It’s very different weaving in and out of people, it’s nice to have that it takes your mind off it”.

Many male players played practice rounds with the women and got to share advice with each other. Former US Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy said “men and women playing together makes sense. Two real tournaments played at the same time just like tennis, it makes sense.

Dustin Johnson had a 2 stroke victory in the PGA European Tour’s inaugural Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club. It was Johnson’s 21st worldwide victory and his first on the European Tour. He is currently 3rd in the world rankings.

He entered the final round tied with Haotong Li and with 9 holes remaining he trailed Li by 1 stroke but 4 birdies in the last 8 holrd including the final 2 were good enough for the win. On Friday he had his lowest round of his professional career when he shot a course record 61 with 7 birdies and an eagle.

It’s interesting to hear from his coaches that they give him less information, not more as he likes to play with very few swing thoughts. His swing is my favourite in all professional golf at the moment, it’s a hugely athletic movement and it’s such a pleasure to watch him hit balls. In this swing sequence in slow motion you can really appreciate it. What I particularly like is the takeaway movement from a strong grip, this is a great movement.

Strictly Come Dancing star and avid golfer Anton Du Beke has just analysed on Sky Sports some of the best dance celebrations in golf. None of them are as good as these – I’m at the back somewhere in this film!

If you’re going to dance on a golf course, please don’t dance like this

This is my impression of that, taken on the Wentworth Club ballroom

Sergio Garcia was disqualified from the Saudi International today when new rule 1.2a, which came into force on January 1, was invoked because of his behaviour.

On Friday Garcia took several swipes at a bunker when he failed to get out on the 4th hole. But today the offending parts of the course were the greens. He hit his puttet i to the greens on several holes causing damage to the surface of the brand new course at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club. Garcia was reported to tour officials by other players.

Rule 1.2 says

CONDUCT

All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game.

.     Acting with integrity

.     Showing consideration for others

.     Taking good care of the course

Referees can disqualify a player if they act in a way which is serious misconduct contrary to the spirit of the game.

Former Masters Champion Garcia said “I respect the decision of my disqualification. I damaged a couple of greens for which I apologise for…it will never happen again”.