Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Patrick Reed’s Ryder Cup prospects, the PGA Tour’s pace-of-play addition, a player-vs.-reporter dust-up and more.
Patrick Reed won LIV Golf Dallas, which comes just a few days after he acknowledged he might have to win or play well at the Open Championship in order to be considered for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. With limited starts that offer World Ranking points, if Reed is picked it means captain Keegan Bradley would likely have to pass up several players ahead of him in the standings. While there’s still lots of golf left to be played before the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, should Captain America get more serious consideration to join the U.S. squad?
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@Jess_Marksbury): I love that Reed has so much love for the Ryder Cup, but if Ryder Cup eligibility is a priority for him, joining LIV was probably not the best move. It’s not impossible to make the team, but you definitely have to make your case for a pick by performing in the majors, as Bryson has done. Or, you could go on a can’t-ignore-me win binge like Joaquin Niemann, who isn’t even eligible for the Ryder Cup. Coalescing with the team is another factor, a gray area for sure, but something Keegan will have to consider with every captain’s pick. With all that said, winning the Open Championship would go a long way for Reed, but barring that outcome, my guess is he will likely still be on the outside looking in in September.
Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): Another reasonable question is whether Reed still deserves the nickname “Captain America.” In his last appearance in the event, he lost twice in three matches and — more notably — wasn’t exactly Mr. Team Unity either. He has played well in several of his recent major appearances. But as Jess says, he hasn’t been Bryson-level dominant. At this point, the fact that he plays with a ton of fire isn’t an especially persuasive argument. There are plenty of other guys who would kill to be on the team; who don’t have the same baggage; and who would be every bit as likely to earn as many or more points.
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): The Americans are the betting favorites right now but a big reason for that is because it’s a home game. On paper though, you could argue the Europeans have the better core right now. So is that a potential reason to use a pick on Reed if he’s on the bubble? Or reason to not get cute? I think it’s unlikely it becomes a legitimate conversation in the future because he’ll need a really strong performance at The Open (he’ll likely have to win) to get selected. But it’s important to remember that chemistry matters. Reed didn’t exactly help the team bond back in Paris.
A couple of months after the PGA Tour allowed rangefinders on a trial basis, it has now made an effort to share hole- and group-specific pace of play data during its telecast and also online on its leaderboard. (Although the pace-of-play times will focus on holes or entire groups, not individuals.) Does this change do anything for you or the average fan?
Marksbury: Not particularly. Unless it’s going to result in a flurry of penalties, I think the viewing experience will remain largely the same. Though I do think having this data will be useful from a course insights perspective.
Berhow: A little more transparency is good but I don’t see it as a tool fans particularly care about. I think most just want golf played quickly on TV and, worst case, they want the names of the slow players so they know who to complain about. Side note: I was a burnt-out baseball fan a few years ago (or maybe that’s just being a Minnesota Twins supporter), but the pitch clock completely reenergized me. Golf needs to speed it up, however the sport can.
Sens: Ditto to the above. Only if the transparency translates into enforcement. I’m just off watching a couple of hours of this week’s PGA Tour action, and I had to fight nodding off as player after player went through an agonizing straddle-the-putt routine. Is there any evidence that playing slowly actually helps performance? Seems to be the opposite. Play faster. Play better. Put out a more entertaining product. Everybody wins.
Still looking for his first win since October 2023, Collin Morikawa has now split with caddie Joe Greiner after just five tournaments together. A week ago he experimented playing without a glove on, and this past week he swapped out putters. Are these changes reason for concern? Or just a competitor eager to find an edge?
Marksbury: This seems like some world-class searching. But I get it. As a junior, I once had the shanks for nearly two months. The only thing that finally got me out of it was taking Happy Gilmore-style swings for every shot. Maybe Morikawa is just hoping to identify that one little thing that will give him his mojo back. And it’s not like he’s fallen completely off the map, either. Despite the changes, he’s still playing some good golf. I’m not worried.
Berhow: He’s not exactly going full Tin Cup with gadgets attached to his visor, so no need to worry yet. These guys are all so good it’s sometimes the smallest things, the tiniest tweaks, that make the difference. Despite his winless slump, he’s still been really good over the last couple of years. The sudden caddie change could be reason for concern but only if it turns into a revolving door, and there’s no reason to think that yet.
Sens: If he starts switching his change from one pocket to another, we’ll know he’s in serious trouble. No doubt he’s searching. And boy is it a nice reminder that at one point or another, this game does a number on everyone who plays it, no matter the level. Wouldn’t it be nice to struggle like Morikawa? Is it cold-hearted of me to find it somehow comforting?
Padraig Harrington won the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday, although he was also in the news on Friday, when Harrington and NBC reporter Roger Maltbie exchanged words after Harrington was irked Maltbie didn’t help him look for a lost golf ball. Maltbie explained his producer instructed him to deliver a report of what was happening, although Harrington told him it was “poor etiquette.” What gives?
Marksbury: I’m with Maltbie on this one. I’m sure most of the kerfuffle stemmed from the fact that Harrington, in the heat of major-championship battle, just wasn’t pleased to take a penalty for a lost ball. Maltbie is a professional who is there to do a job. He’s not a spotter, and there were plenty of others ready to help Harrington search. But hey, all’s well that ends well, right?
Berhow: I would not have expected Paddy to be involved in something like this (or even Roger!) so it was surprising. If Roger was a serial offender in not helping pros look for balls, we would have heard them complain about it by now. We haven’t, so I believe him as a one-off. Plus, did you see the overhead shot of all the people helping search?! One extra set of eyes wasn’t going to do much.
Sens: Pardon the metaphor but this seems like a case of Harrington losing sight of the forest for the trees. Maltbie had a job to do. That job wasn’t to look for Harrington’s ball.
Last week, we published a GOLF Magazine piece that broke down the 50 best experiences in golf (a list compiled by our staffers). What’s the No. 1 experience you’ve checked off? And what’s a feasible No. 1 you’d recommend to our loyal readers?
Marksbury: Such a great list! I’ll have to go with having the chance to attend the Masters. For a golf fan, it really is the ultimate. Everyone who loves the game wants to go, and everyone who has been wants to talk about it. As for an accessible experience I’d highly recommend, it’s tough to beat a golden-hour finishing stretch on your local course — especially during the height of summer.
Sens: The one I most want to check off is to shoot my age. It will mean that I’ve lived to 110 and I’m still healthy enough to get through 18. As for feasible experiences, the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia is one of the prettiest drives in the world. Take it from Cabot Cape Breton (Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs are both musts) to Highland Links, which I would put up there with Pebble, Bandon and a small handful of others as one of the greatest public-access walks in the game.
Berhow: Visiting St. Andrews is up there. Sure, it would be great to play the course, but it’s almost magical how the Old Course morphs into a park flooded with dogs on Sundays. What a world.
