In the run-up to the 2016 Ryder Cup, a friend of mine sat in a meeting during which a senior golf industry executive wondered aloud about the possibility that a member of the U.S. team might take a knee during the ceremonies to protest racial injustice. It was a laughable notion, since the only issues on which PGA Tour players have been apt to take a stand are slow play and high taxes.
Times change.
Continue reading “Golf’s Time For Silence Has Passed, And Even Tiger Knows It.”
Most of the 121 men in the field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational are judged by a straightforward metric: a scorecard that documents the ebb and flow of their work day. Global brands — whether a corporation or an individual athlete — are measured against more complex and fluid standards, like the company they keep, the actions they take, the conscience they evidence.
These are not benchmarks against which golf has traditionally fared well. Until Thursday.
In the first round at Bay Hill, Rory McIlroy opened with a round of 66 that amply demonstrated his celebrated skill as a player. What followed established him as a leader.
Continue reading “Rory McIlroy Emerges As The Conscience Of Golf”
Two golfers I met this year remain lodged in my memory as 2018 sees itself out, but you won’t find their names in an accounting of FedEx Cup points or on Ryder Cup team rosters.
I met Mark Hensby for dinner in Scottsdale last February. He was four months into a well-documented suspension from the PGA Tour that left him feeling frustrated, angry and anxious to resume his career. In July, I sat beneath the R&A Clubhouse in St. Andrews with Vicente Fernandez, who had traveled from his home in Buenos Aires and successfully qualified for the British Senior Open at the age of 72. He was charming in his old-school manners, thankful for one last shot at golf’s most iconic venue.
They could not be more opposite in disposition, Hensby and Fernandez, but golf has a way of acting like connective tissue to link otherwise wildly disparate people and places. Hensby and Fernandez were two guys who just wanted to play golf.
On Golf Channel’s Morning Drive I joined Gary Williams, Robert Damron and Geoff Shackelford for a panel discussion on whether the world No. 1 ranking has been diminished by so many players holding it in recent years.
I joined Damon Hack and Robert Damron today on Golf Channel to talk about Patrick Reed’s apparent willingness to embrace the role of villain on the PGA Tour.
One myth gets peddled at every Ryder Cup about home field advantage. On Morning Drive I talked about why it’s simply nonsense.
I joined Morning Drive on Golf Channel to discuss the coming out of Tadd Fujikawa, and what it’s like to be gay in golf. You can watch the segment here.
The two most well-worn ruts in professional golf are when a player judges his self-worth by his scores and when fans weigh his impact solely by heft of trophies won.
Those are myopic criteria, and wholly inadequate to measure the legacy of Jarrod Lyle.
Continue reading “Jarrod Lyle’s Impact Measured By More Than Golf”
One day after the PGA Championship wrapped, I joined Damon Hack on Golf Channel to talk about the likely picks Jim Furyk will make for the Ryder Cup, and reliving Tiger’s great run at Bellerive. Watch it right here.
From the range at Bellerive I joined Damon Hack and John Cook to discuss the prospects of three favorites at the PGA Championship.
Live from a windy range at Carnoustie with Damon Hack on Golf Channel talking about the best storylines at the Open.
It’s 30 minutes from Carnoustie across the River Tay to Scotscraig Golf Club. Unless you’re Brandel Chamblee, in which case the winding journey takes about 15 years.
On July 23, the day after the 147th British Open at Carnoustie concludes, the Golf Channel analyst plans to tee it up at Scotscraig in an effort to qualify for the Senior Open, held that week in St. Andrews. Scotscraig is where he qualified for the 1995 Open at the Old Course, adding a note of nostalgia to his quest.
From the range at Shinnecock Hills during the U.S. Open I joined Golf Channel to talk about Mickelson’s chances of completing the career slam.
Golf Channel, June 16, 2018.
Golf Channel asked me to join Morning Drive to talk about the European Tour’s Shot Clock Masters, which proved there is a fix for slow play in pro golf.
Live from the range at TPC Sawgrass alongside Damon Hack and Geoff Shackelford explaining why I think Tiger or Phil won’t be winning this week.
Eamon Lynch 