Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on Friday on the 10th hole at TPC Sawgrass.
Getty Images
Welcome! Where are you, you ask. I’m calling this the Weekend 9. Think of it as a spot to warm you up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We’ll have thoughts. We’ll have tips. We’ll have tweets. But just nine in all, though sometimes maybe more and sometimes maybe less. As for who I am? The paragraphs below tell some of the story. I can be reached at nick.piastowski@golf.com
First, we had Collin-gate.
Then, Rory-gate.
Then Scottie-gate.
And it’s not even the weekend yet. And it’s also Players Championship week, the PGA Tour’s main event, where the Florida sun and Tour commissioner Jay Monahan should be beaming. But instead, we’ve gotten just heat. And ‘Gates,’ which has always made me wonder how we’d describe controversial moments if the Watergate Hotel had a funky name, such as Piastowski or something like that. But I digress. Here, let’s just try to make sense of it all. We won’t necessarily pick a side; it’s never that simple. But maybe it’ll assist the exhalation a bit.
We’ll start with Collin-gate.
The story: Last week, Collin Morikawa finished runner-up to Russell Henley by a stroke at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The turning point, though, had been an eagle chip-in on the 70th hole by Henley, deflating Morikawa, who then skipped talking to reporters afterward — then doubled- and tripled-down on the move this week. Tuesday, he said this in explaining his decision:
“Yeah, just heated. Just pi**ed. Like I don’t owe anyone anything. No offense to you guys, but for me, in the moment of that time, I didn’t want to be around anyone. Like, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t need any sorries. I didn’t need any ‘good playings.’ Like, you’re just pi**ed. Honestly, if it was an hour later, I would have talked to you guys, but an hour later, I was on my way out of here, because I didn’t want to be in Orlando anymore. But I just felt like I put everything I did into the, let’s call it, seven hours of my time being there, right — a few hours before showing up, physio, workout. Look, my entire routine, right? I was just drained.
“I get it. Like you guys are there to figure out how we played and how things went, but in my perspective, like I just didn’t want to talk to anyone, and I think that’s fair to myself, you know.”
None of it sat well with Rocco Mediate, a longtime pro. On SiriusXM PGA Tour radio, he offered this: “Biggest bunch of horsesh** you could ever say, period. I mean, that is the dumbest, most selfish garbage you could ever say.” He then added that Palmer would “have grabbed — I’m telling you, it wouldn’t have been pretty. It would’ve been public, too. You don’t need to act that way. The Tour does not need that garbage at all. I’m not sure if I was clear. Was I clear or was that a little ambiguous? Man up, talk about it and be done.”
Friday, after his Players second round, Morikawa then tripled-down, unprompted. After answering a question about chipping with his 5-wood, he said:
“I just want to add one more thing. I might bite my tongue after saying this, but to the Brandel Chamblees, to the Paul McGinleys, to the Rocco Mediates of the world, I don’t regret anything I said. You know, it might have been a little bit harsh that I don’t owe anyone, but I don’t owe anyone.
“I respect the fans. I’m very thankful for them. I’m grateful. It makes me emotional, but it’s just — it hurts to hear people say this, and especially you guys, because I finished the round and I went to go sign for 10 minutes, 15 minutes for all the people after. Not a single person from media went to go follow me because, I don’t know. But that’s me.
“So for people to be calling me out is — it’s interesting. It just, it doesn’t show anything. I mean, look, I get what you guys are saying. But I was there. I was signing for every single person right after the round, whether they wanted it or not. I finished second. They could care less. But yeah, I’m going to leave it at that, all right? So thank you, guys.”
The takeaway: Giving your thoughts through the medium that the majority of the customers listen to and read is what you sign up for. Morikawa knows that. Of course, not speaking also tells a story. And nowadays, there are other avenues to express yourself, such as social media, where Morikawa posted a thought the day after the tournament. But actions in defeat tell us something deep. Friday’s comment also means this isn’t going away, though talking about, well, not talking is appreciated.
The story: This wasn’t anywhere near as heated, but it was still notable. After shooting a three-under 69 during his Players first round, he talked with reporters for just over two minutes, and one exchange stood out. Asked the reporter: “Are you surprised that the greens haven’t firmed up the past couple days with all the sunshine?” — to which Scheffler answered: “I mean, it sounded like we got a lot of rain. Sounds like you’re trying to write something about the golf course, so I’m not going to bite. But I appreciate the effort.” Earlier in the session, Scheffler had also answered a question, about why he was missing putts, this way: “So the hole is about this big. Sometimes when you’re putting from 10 feet, it could go in here, and then other times, it ends up right there. So you tell me.”
The takeaway: I initially laughed at the latter, as Scheffler has a pretty good dry sense of humor. But Scheffler also has a pretty good analytical mind, and an answer might have been great. The former exchange just confused me.
The story: McIlroy, during a Tuesday practice round, went left and into the water on Sawgrass’ 18th hole and a fan heckled, shouting a reference to the 2011 Masters, where McIlroy, who was the 54-hole leader, famously triple-bogeyed the 10th hole in the final round en route to a devastating 80 that has haunted him ever since. That drew McIlroy’s ire. McIlroy approached the fan — we learned through an informative piece by GOLF’s Alan Bastable that he was University of Texas golfer Luke Potter — and took his friend’s cellphone. The interaction went viral, and when asked about it on Thursday, McIlroy didn’t answer.
The takeaway: There are a lot of thoughts here. Was the heckle that bad? I’m sure McIlroy has heard worse. Will he hear worse later this year at Bethpage during the Ryder Cup? Hell yes. But what was the fan thinking? Why didn’t he just, you know, soak in the moment and that Florida sun? Though maybe McIlroy should have too.
Let’s see if we can find eight more items for the Weekend 9.
One takeaway from the week
2. I think we have a hero, if you can call him that, in the continuing talks between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
Adam Scott. His somewhat openness on the subject has been refreshing, especially in light of the general opaqueness. Here, for example, was Scott on Tuesday on the deal’s biggest hangup:
“I think the biggest hangup is in how we see the highest level of competitive golf going forward. The product of LIV and the product of the PGA Tour work in very different ways. So I think the challenge is figuring out how that can come together and be really reunification, which is kind of what everyone is shooting for.” (Possible translation: Where does team golf fit into reunification?)
And here’s Scott on other players’ feelings on the talks:
“I feel like there’s more of a feeling like no matter what happens with these conversations and negotiations going forward, the Tour has to move forward as well. It can’t just kind of stay in limbo. We need to do the best we can, and I think you’re seeing that. Some of the results that Jay probably mentioned show that. I think from the board’s side of things and communicating through the Tour from the PAC and everything, it’s positive and makes the membership feel more confident in what’s happening at the PGA Tour, regardless of the outcome with the PIF.” (Possible translation: “The Tour has to move forward” is telling.)
But this may have been the best. Here’s Scott on the most surprising thing about being at the White House, where meetings on the deal have been held:
“It was obvious to me very quickly when they were setting up for the Israeli delegation right after our meeting and putting the Israeli flag and the U.S. flag and getting that room ready that our conversation was pretty low in the importance of what was happening that day. And really, the president had far more important things to focus on, and I encouraged him to go and do that well for everyone’s sake after our meeting.”
One takeaway for the weekend
3. The Players leaderboard after round one perfectly captured this game’s extremes. Some may call it its beauty.
At the bottom, in a tie for 143rd, was Viktor Hovland, who shot an 80. One stroke better, in a tie for 139th, was Max Homa. They’re winners. They’re stars. But they’re both lost in the woods at the moment, both literally and figuratively. But there’s hope. Golf offers that. A turnaround can be just a swing away.
Just look at the top of the first-round board.
There, tied for first, was Lucas Glover. He battled the putting yips. Also at the top was Camilo Villegas. He was once deemed a future mega-star. But after a victory at the 2014 Wyndham Championship, he didn’t win again until 2023.
What a game.
Another takeaway for the weekend
4. Tiger Woods will return. He won’t be floored by a torn left Achilles tendon, the latest in a series of injuries across his body.
But I won’t be surprised if the comeback is short.
Another Woods story for the weekend
5. Speaking of Woods, multiple outlets are reporting that Woods is now dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. The Daily Mail appears to be the first to report the news, and you can read more about it here.
One more Woods story for the weekend
6. A Woods movie appears to be coming. Deadline is reporting that Amazon MGM Studios has landed the film rights to the Kevin Cook book “The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played,” and you can read more about it here.
Best non-GOLF.com reads for your weekend
7. What am I reading (besides the thoughtful prose of my colleagues)? This article is worth your click.
Here, Don Riddell of CNN profiled Jim Best, the scuba diver who retrieves golf balls from the TPC Sawgrass waters.
What live golf is on TV this weekend?
8. Here’s a rundown of live golf on TV this weekend:
— Saturday
9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET (Friday): LIV Golf Singapore second round, FS2
11 p.m. (Friday)-2 a.m. ET: LIV Golf Singapore second round, FS1
2 p.m.-7 p.m. ET: Players Championship third round, NBC
— Sunday
9 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET (Friday): LIV Golf Singapore final round, FS2
10:30 p.m. (Friday)-2 a.m. ET: LIV Golf Singapore final round, FS1
1 p.m.-6 p.m. ET: Players Championship final round, NBC
A golf / non-golf thought for the weekend
9. Last week, my wife and I went to some spring training baseball games in Florida. We’ve done it before. We’ll do it again. It’s great. The brats, plural.The beers, plural. What has stood out too is the access. Players — stars and non-stars alike — practice on nearby fields, then mingle with the fans. You also often hear, “Thanks for coming.”
Made me wonder what a golf spring training would look like.
Another golf /non-golf thought for the weekend
10. Let’s do 10 items! Speaking of baseball (and softball) and golf, Glover posted this to his Instagram stories on Friday morning, before teeing off for his second round. Love it.
Lucas Glover and his daughter, Lucille. Instagram.com
Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score. You can reach out to him about any of these topics — his stories, his game or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.
