Glory’s Last Shot The “This Is Major” championship is over. A frantic, 4 day birdie barrage ends with Xander Schauffele breaking his major duck and taking home one massive trophy. Some talking points from the PGA Championship:
Scottie in the Cooler
You couldn’t write a script like this. The world’s number 1 golfer got arrested because of a vehicular mishap. And I’m not talking about Tiger! Scottie Scheffler, formerly a very boring and austere presence atop the golf world, torched that Friday morning by getting sent to the slammer just hours before his second round was due to begin. When I saw the TV headlines as I grabbed a bite to eat in the Philly airport Friday morning, I thought that The Onion had started a TV show.
Nope, somehow it was all real. The back story leading up to the incident was tragic and worth noting: an early morning crash left a tournament volunteer dead. This led to part of the road being blocked off, and a confusing traffic pattern developed. In this perfect storm, Scottie allegedly misheard instructions from the traffic officer and took off with the cop clinging to the car, leading to an injury, a felony charge, and a mugshot seen ‘round the world.
After some cell calisthenics, Scottie shows up at the first tee and swings away. Before the round is done, fans already have t-shirts with his mugshot on it. Somehow, the dude goes out there and balls out, shooting an insane 66. Unfortunately, once the adrenaline wore off, the day’s events seemed to weigh on him, and the Masters Champion tumbled out of contention in round 3.
He placed in the top 10 while facing multiple charges, although the cop appears to have not followed protocol. Unreal stuff from Mr. Scheffler – can’t wait for this Full Swing episode.
Enter Xan Man
In my Masters roundup I said, “Xander Schauffele gives off the vibes of a guy having no fun and trying too hard to get over his goose egg in majors.” Clearly a fan of the Ridley Review, Xander took my words to heart and gave off the aura of a man confident and relaxed Sunday afternoon. Hey, it worked! The “Best to Never Win a Major Award” has officially found a new home. His clutch 18th hole birdie with all the pressure on deserves major kudos.
The Dangers of Over-Tinkering
Padraig Harrington was an extraordinary Irish golfer who, for a brief spell in the late 2000’s, looked to be a genuine contender to Tiger’s throne as World #1. He reeled off a whopping 3 out of 8 possible majors between 2007-2008. Unwilling to settle for what he had, he decided to overhaul his entire swing in search of something better; he was never the same player afterwards.
That brings us to Norway’s finest, Viktor Hovland. The fiery, talented youngster left his long-time coach in search of greener pastures this past Winter, and his game took a similar nosedive. Luckily, Hovland was not too proud to alter course, and teamed back up with his coach the week prior to the PGA. Seemingly overnight, his game was back (even surprising himself!). A T3 is a sure sign he is back on course. Expect a major sooner rather than later.
Way-too-Early Us Open Pick:
Collin Morikawa. He owns 2 majors already and has been knocking on the door twice this year for number 3.
Buyer’s Remorse?
I doubt Jon Rahm regrets his life choices when he peeks at his bank account, now an eye-watering $500,000,000 richer after taking some blood money at LIV. Of all those who jumped ship, he seems most irritated by the setup; truly baffling, considering he had a whole 2 years to watch how the rogue league operated. He is already trying to make changes to the tour, like going back to the traditional 72 holes.
All the Benjamins in his savings account aren’t doing his golf game any good. The notoriously competitive and fiery PGA Tour member (?) hasn’t come close to contending in either major this year, missing the cut at Valhalla. I feel somewhat bad until I look at that payday again.
Breakfast Balls
Rest in Peace Grayson Murray
Considering the bravery shown by his openness in working through substance abuse and mental health struggles, as well as his parents’ courage in being open about his passing this week, I want to highlight and honor Grayson Murray’s memory.
The pro carved out a career in golf despite battling many forces within, and passed away this week after making the cut at the PGA Championship. His death shows, in yet another example of something all-too-common, no one really knows what a person is going through inside. As his parents and friend’s try to find peace with everything, they released a statement that is worth closing on for its poignancy.
Please respect our privacy as we work through this incredible tragedy, and please honor Grayson by being kind to one another. If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else.”
-Eric and Terry Murray
