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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 @golf_com. This week, we break down Charley Hoffman’s rant against the PGA Tour, its rules officials and the USGA, the WM Phoenix Open and more. 

1. Charley Hoffman threw a charge into the already electric WM Phoenix Open when, in an Instagram post on Friday night, he unloaded on the PGA Tour and the USGA for falling prey to what he perceived to be an unfair rule. After hitting his ball in the water on the 13th hole at TPC Scottsdale, Hoffman took a drop on a steep bank leading down to the hazard. When his ball wouldn’t hold with his first two drop attempts, Hoffman placed his ball, as is standard procedure under the rules. The ball held its place and was ruled in play, but moments later, it trundled back into the water again, leading to another penalty stroke. Hoffman found a more stable spot for his next drop and played on, ultimately making a double-bogey 7. “I was under the impression that the @usga had changed that rule,” he later wrote. “I was wrong. Had to take another penalty for doing nothing wrong at all. Did everything by the book. It’s still mind blowing that a group of amateurs rule the professional game of golf. I also blame the @pgatour rules officials for putting out a terrible penalty area line where this could even happen. No accountability at any level here. No protection for the players at all. You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour.” Let’s start with the rule. Does it, as Hoffman contends, need amending?  

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Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): Yes, it seems like a bad rule. There must be a way to amend it so that you can’t get ANOTHER penalty after taking a drop if you don’t personally cause the ball to move. Double jeopardy seems as unfair now as it did when Rickie Fowler suffered from the same thing at the same tournament a few years back. And had Hoffman expressed his dismay and left it at that, fans would have been behind him.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): I’m with Dylan. What happened to Hoffman seemed like cruel and unusual punishment. Let’s scrap the double jeopardy. But let’s also encourage the players to learn the rules.

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): I think Joel Dahmen, one of Hoffman’s fellow pros, summed it up pretty well on a comment on Hoffman’s post when he wrote: “Did @charleyhoffman gain an advantage against his playing competitors? If no, then there should not be a penalty.” Then again, I also agree with the comment of Emiliano Grillo, another pro, who wrote: “Don’t hit it there.”

Michael Bamberger, senior writer: All good points. Yes, that rule is oddly worded.

2. Hoffman was roundly battered on social media for his heated reaction to the bad break, largely because, as many fans and observers saw it, he was using the incident to help justify his support for the Saudi-funded rival tour that has been courting PGA Tour members, chief among them Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau. Hoffman later said his message was misinterpreted — he said he alluded to the Saudi league only “so the media would catch it, so I would prove my point on the rules side.” There are multitudes to L’Affaire Hoffman, but what’s your read on how it played out?

Dethier: Fans are generally inclined to side with the opinions of their players — up to a point. Mickelson toed that line last week when he accused the PGA Tour of “obnoxious greed” when he is the one threatening to leave for a wheelbarrow of cash. Hoffman crossed the line by turning “I don’t like this penalty” into “this is why pros will leave the PGA Tour” and tagging the Saudi International. It feels disingenuous, and Tour fans can sniff that out. The comment sections reflected that sentiment.

Sens: The generous take is that Hoffman was extremely frustrated and spouted a bunch of inanities. It has happened to every human who ever lived. Unfortunately, he had social media right at his fingertips.

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Piastowski: A thought that I can’t quite figure out through all of this is, will the Saudi League just be devoid of rules then? Like are mulligans in play? Winter rules? His play to draw attention to the infraction by saying that a rule is a reason why players might “jump ship” only made this worse. Say the rule is changed now. What happens the next time a player gets a bad break? The Tour wouldn’t want to open this Pandora’s Box.  

Bamberger: Hoffman got battered because the golf-watching public figures if we had his golf talent, we would know the rules. He can say the rule could be improved. But we expect golfers to take responsibility for what they do. He did the opposite.

3. Hoffman’s rant comes on the heels of Mickelson hammering the Tour last week for its “obnoxious greed,” to which the PGA Tour offered a rebuttal to our James Colgan. Is this likely to be just the beginning of increasingly intense (and public) feuding between the Tour and potential defectors? 

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Dethier: Comparisons of Hoffman to Archduke Franz Ferdinand may be slightly overstated, but we can’t just keep talking about this potential league in theoretical terms, can we? There has been smoke and smoke and smoke in the form of thinly veiled remarks, rumors of large monetary offers and now Instagram comments. Something more substantial has to follow eventually.

Sens: Yes, giving players all sorts of opportunities to pretend that what’s drawing them to alternatives is something other than lavish sums of money. Hoffman would have us believe that the Tour’s failure “to protect “ players is a serious motivation? Please. 

Piastowski: I get why players don’t want to say it’s about the money. But players thinking fans are naive and hoping that they can convince them it’s about something other than cash is just poor form. 

Bamberger: This is just the beginning. The players, some of them, have an insatiable desire for more. The Saudis have an almost unlimited amount of money to spend in the name of looking modern. FIfty years from now, do you think the demand for oil will be anything like it is today? Not likely. But golf in the sunshine will be doing a robust business. This is only going to get more intense. If you like the status quo, buckle in. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

4. Just when you thought the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open couldn’t get any wilder, a couple of aces — one by Sam Ryder on Saturday followed by another by Carloz Ortiz on Sunday — resulted in beer-throwing pandemonium unlike the game has never seen. Also on Sunday, we got a strip tease at 16, with playing partners Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen baring their chests on the green. It’s a perennial question, but given the exceptionally wild atmosphere at 16 this year and the attention it generated, one that needs to be asked again: Should the Tour strive to create more stadium experiences? 

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Dethier: I think we can celebrate the spectacular atmosphere of TPC Scottsdale without wishing that more Tour events were exactly this way. So yes to stadium atmospheres, meh to constant beer showers. To put it another way: It was spectacular to see Harry Higgs in all his majesty on Sunday, but if he and Joel Dahmen started getting shirtless week in, week out, the bit might get old quickly.

Sens: You know how our scientific capability to clone a lot of things creeps some people out? Cloning the 16th would be scarier than anything taking place in a lab. Cool setting. One is plenty.

Piastowski: Agreed! Overkill wouldn’t make it unique anymore. It’s something to look forward to. 

Bamberger: One is all right. One is plenty.

5. We’re told there was also golf played at TPC Scottsdale, with Scottie Scheffler winning in a playoff over Patrick Cantlay. Putting the revelry aside, what other storyline most captured your attention at the WMPO?

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Sens: We’d seen glimpses already, but this week felt like the full-blown coming out party for Sahith Theegala, free-swinging, expressive, humble and brimming with game. Someone to root for.

Piastowski: Agree, Josh. And speaking of coming-out parties, Scheffler has finally cracked through and won. He wins again this year. And let’s have fun and say he wins the U.S. Open. 

Dethier: These guys are right. I’ll just add this: Xander Schauffele came damn close to another win. And he came up just short. His PGA Tour drought grows, even as his sparkling ball-striking continues to dazzle.

Bamberger: I would only add to that there are a bunch of players coming up that are ready, or close to ready, to giving Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy a run for their money. PIP money, too — for those who care about it.

6. ClubTest 2022 drops Tuesday on GOLF.com with reviews of more than 80 new game-changing models. Which single gear change or upgrade from your playing career made the most impact on your game?  

Dethier: Getting fit for irons changed the game. I was playing mega-stiff shafts for more than a year and, much to my chagrin, don’t swing the golf club nearly fast enough to need them. Getting proper flex in the shafts of some new Titleist irons made all the difference in the world.

Sens: The modern-day fitting was a big deal for me, too. But the more dramatic change came well before that: switching from a permission driver to a steel-headed driver. If you’re an amateur golfer of a certain age, how could it be anything else?

Piastowski: The insulated pocket in my golf bag. It’s been revolutionary for keeping the golf sodas cool. 

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The post ‘Look at the grin’: Charley Hoffman once got one of the best rules breaks ever appeared first on Golf.

No protection? This was anything but.  

Charley Hoffman can debate whether players should be better safeguarded by the rules of golf, but there is little argument of the kind of help he received five years ago. How could you tell? Just look at his face. His playing partner did. 

“Look at the s**t-eating grin on his face,” Kevin Chappell said. 

“Hey, man, rules,” Hoffman said. 

Indeed. And yet, it was those same set of rules that the longtime pro scorched on Friday night on Instagram. His ire stemmed from an incident during the second round of the WM Phoenix Open, where he misinterpreted the rules and was forced to take two penalty strokes after a drive into the water on the 13th hole at TPC Scottsdale.

“Did everything by the book,” Hoffman wrote. “It’s still mind blowing that a group of amateurs rule the professional game of golf. I also blame the @pgatour rules officials for putting out a terrible penalty area line where this could even happen. No accountability at any level here. No protection for the players at all. You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour. Players need transparency, protection and consistency.” 

With that in mind, let’s jump back to the final round of the 2017 RBC Canadian Open. Hoffman hit into a greenside bunker on the par-3 12th at the Glen Abbey Golf Club, it plugged itself inches from the lip, and Hoffman assessed the damage. A short time later, he hit to the right of it after a penalty-free drop. 

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How come? After digging his feet in, Hoffman said he had unearthed a bunker liner that would interfere with his play. He and his caddie called over PGA Tour rules official Gary Young, made their case and eventually got relief. And the grief from Chappell. (A hat tip to the detail on this incident goes to this article from Geoff Shackelford.)

Two things to note. After the drop, Hoffman hit it short, and his ball didn’t make the green. “Some could say, that might be karma,” analyst Dottie Pepper said on the CBS broadcast. 

And about a half-year later, the type of relief Hoffman received was no more. According to a 2018 Golfweek story, players were told at the 2018 Farmers Insurance Open that they could get a drop “only if a player’s swing path is impacted by a rogue liner. The Rules Committee may deem an exposed liner ground under repair. However, interference by a liner with a player’s stance is deemed not to be, of itself, interference under Rule 25-1.”

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Charley Hoffman, one day after blasting the PGA Tour, its rules officials and the USGA from either his cellphone or a computer, doubled down in the flesh on Saturday. 

“What I meant and what I said, I mean, I think I explained it fairly well,” he said.

Frustrated by an incident during Friday’s second round of the WM Phoenix Open where he misinterpreted the rules and was forced to take two penalty strokes after a drive into the water on the 13th hole at TPC Scottsdale, Hoffman unloaded on social media. Among his 280 words on Instagram, he wrote: “It’s still mind blowing that a group of amateurs rule the professional game of golf. I also blame the @pgatour rules officials for putting out a terrible penalty area line where this could even happen. No accountability at any level here. No protection for the players at all. You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour. Players need transparency, protection and consistency.”  

After his third round on Saturday, Hoffman was asked by a reporter what he “really meant.”

“Obviously not a huge fan of the USGA and how they govern us all the time,” Hoffman said. “I was under the impression that the rule had changed. And I was frustrated when the rule hadn’t changed, why it hadn’t changed, and I think there’s some sort of — I mean obviously we have a PGA Tour liaison that helps with the USGA and helps in figuring out what the rules should and shouldn’t be. …

“But as — and as I told the rules officials last night, it’s like, everybody says, we’re going to change it for the better, we’re going to do this and that, we’re close or whatever, but nothing seems to get done.”

Included in Hoffman’s post were two references to proposed golf leagues that would rival the PGA Tour, and that incidents like Friday’s would be reason to “jump ship.” One of those tours, a league that is backed by the Saudi Arabia-based LIV Golf Investments group, has reportedly offered Tour players millions of dollars to join, and those reports appear to have reached the ears of Hoffman, who is also one of four player directors on the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council.

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Would a player leave the Tour because of a rules concern? In Hoffman’s incident, his ire stemmed from what followed after he placed his ball after two attempts at a penalty drop — as he walked away, his in-play ball rolled into the water, and he was stung. 

“I think it’s a whole, a whole — everything,” Hoffman said. “You got to look at yourself as a policy board member and look at yourself in the face — as I said, what can I do better as a player director, what can the executive committee do, executive directors do better to make sure that we are the best tour in the world. …

“I had no — I wasn’t near the golf ball, I had no intent to hit at the golf ball, and the ball moved after I dropped it twice, and I have to put it down where the ball landed. I have no control over that, I turn my back, and the ball goes in the water. How is that a rule that is good for the game of golf and how we play? I mean, not one person at a country club would have took another penalty for that. Why is it, in professional golf, are we doing that? It’s not the first time it’s happened.

“So you have to use what I have because obviously what we, what the players have said and our person that sits on their board and sits with them, it hasn’t gotten through to them.

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“And I talked to the USGA last night and hopefully they got the point and hopefully it does change. So hopefully a little bit of hard times for me going through this, probably going to catch a ton of crap, will make the game better, and hopefully the PGA Tour and the policy board and everybody gets together and we keep everybody here and we play in the U.S. the best game of golf in the world and we have the best players play week-in and week-out here in the United States.”

When asked if he knew he made “a pretty big leap” from a rules infraction to players potentially leaving the PGA Tour, Hoffman said it was “strategically.” He and reporters then had the following exchange: 

“I, if I just griped about a rule no one probably catches it. No one says anything,” he said. 

“How much thought did you put in …” a reporter asked. 

“A decent amount,” Hoffman said. “So I put a jab in there on purpose just so that the media would catch it.”

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Charley Hoffman was not happy when he came off the course at TPC Scottsdale Friday afternoon. His even-par round of 72 was just inside the cut line, but, in his mind, the round should have been two strokes lower.

Hoffman’s frustrations stemmed from a double bogey he carded on the par-5 13th hole earlier in the day. On the hole, Hoffman hit his ball into the water off the tee, took a penalty stroke and placed his ball back in play. However, after the ball was deemed in play, it rolled back into the water, forcing Hoffman to take another penalty stroke.

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The four-time PGA Tour winner was furious with how the saga played out, and after the round, he took to social media to blow off steam.

“What a joke @usga@pgatour today on the 13th hole I hit my drive in the water and took a drop on a side of a hill that no grass,” Hoffman wrote in an Instagram post. “Dropped twice then place on a small tuff of grass. Turned around the ball started rolling into the water. I was under the impression that the @usgahad changed that rule. I was wrong. Had to take another penalty for doing nothing wrong at all. Did everything by the book. It’s still mind blowing that a group of amateurs rule the professional game of golf. I also blame the @pgatour rules officials for putting out a terrible penalty area line where this could even happen. No accountability at any level here. No protection for the players at all. You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour. Players need transparency, protection and consistency.”

The post generated tons of buzz in the golf world as Hoffman added fuel to the fire surrounding prospects of a new, star-driven league that is backed by the Saudi Arabia-based LIV Golf Investments group and headed by Greg Norman. Adding to the drama, fellow pros Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson commented on Hoffman’s post in support of his criticisms of the PGA Tour.

On Saturday, the PGA Tour explained the ruling and defended themselves against Hoffman’s criticisms.

“Because the ball was at rest after he placed it, the ball was in play,” said PGA Tour Chief Referee Ken Tackett in an interview with Golf Channel. “It was moved by natural forces, therefore, it was a new situation and he had to proceed under the penalty rule again.”

The rule Tackett alluded to was Rule 17, which covers penalty areas. Tackett noted that Hoffman had options after his ball entered the penalty area, including relief within two club-lengths of where the ball entered the penalty area, back-on-the-line relief and stroke-and-distance relief. However, Hoffman elected to take relief within two clubs-lengths of where the ball entered the penalty area, which led to the drama.

“The rule is pretty clear on what to do and how to handle it,” Tackett said. “They’d explained the rule to Charley, and he went through the conversations with the officials, asked for a second opinion, and he received that … That’s all we can do.”

Another gripe of Hoffman’s regarded how the penalty area was marked. He implied that the penalty area was marked in a way that made it impossible to take a drop that would not end up rolling back into the water. But Tackett explained this penalty area was marked the same way that all others on the course are marked.

“If you start changing an ambiguous line that might be a little higher, then it affects where did [sic] the ball last cross,” he said. “We are very careful in the placement of penalty areas. That line has been that way for years, and we followed the same guidance all around this property.”

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Charley Hoffman, Brandel Chamblee said, wrote about accountability. To which the longtime Golf Channel analyst questioned: “Where is his?” Hoffman, Chamblee said, wrote that there were no protections for players. To which Chamblee also said: “Lord, there are so many protections.” Hoffman, Chamblee said, wrote that there is no transparency. 

And then Chamblee became even more pointed.  

“Does he think, and by insinuating that this is why players are leaving, does he think that the Saudi Golf League is going to be more transparent than the PGA Tour?” Chamblee said. “I hardly think that that’s the case.” 

On Saturday, over five minutes on Golf Channel’s Golf Central Pregame show, Chamblee picked apart nearly all of the 280 words from Hoffman’s Friday night Instagram post, where the longtime pro blasted the PGA Tour, its rules officials and the USGA, then blamed each for “guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour.” Hoffman had been upset over an incident during the second round of the WM Phoenix Open where he misinterpreted the rules and was forced to take two penalty strokes after a drive into the water on the 13th hole at TPC Scottsdale.

“Did everything by the book,” Hoffman wrote. “It’s still mind blowing that a group of amateurs rule the professional game of golf. I also blame the @pgatour rules officials for putting out a terrible penalty area line where this could even happen. No accountability at any level here. No protection for the players at all. You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour. Players need transparency, protection and consistency.” 

To Hoffman’s rules misunderstanding, Chamblee was explicit. 

“I would certainly challenge Charley Hoffman [that] this is not a legitimate grievance,” said Chamblee, himself a former player. “This is trivial. And it’s all on him. Where is his accountability? He said there is not accountability. Where is his accountability? This only happened because he was not aware of a rule. He is a professional golfer with millions of dollars at stake, FedEx Cup points everywhere that determine your path to wherever you want to go. You need to know the rules, especially when you are out there making drops that have serious repercussions if you don’t. 

“John Wooden, who knew a thing or two about integrity and character, had a great line. He said, you are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes. This was his mistake. He was clearly blaming others.” 

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The “no protections” statement was next. Twice Chamblee said: “Lord, there are so many protections for the Tour player.”

“Let’s just start with sponsor’s exemptions,” he said. “Sahith Theegala is in this event for sponor’s exemptions that is allowing him to have a chance. But they also exist for players who have been on the PGA Tour for a while who are struggling, who have sort of lost their exemption, and they got sponsor exemptions. 

“They also have a top 50 and a top 25 career money list to give to players as sort of a safety net. They also have the Korn Ferry Tour where you continue to play golf when you’ve lost your card and still pay your bills. They have an unmatched pension fund on the PGA Tour that takes care of professional golfers as they age. And, of course, then there is the Champions Tour that allows players to sort of play this game at an older age and still be relevant.”

Hoffman’s “jump ship” comment was no doubt a reference to various proposed rival leagues, among them one that is backed by the Saudi Arabia-based LIV Golf Investments group and headed by Greg Norman. During last week’s Saudi International, also backed LIV Golf, reports began to circulate of multi-million dollar offers for Tour players to join, and they appear to have reached the ears of Hoffman, who is also one of four player directors on the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council.

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Chamblee has been one of the most vocal critics of players potentially leaving, and Saturday he was more critical. 

“And then he went on to say that there is no transparency,” Chamblee said. “Does he think, and by insinuating that this is why players are leaving, does he think that the Saudi Golf League is going to be more transparent than the PGA Tour. I hardly think that that’s the case. 

“And let’s be real here. The reason players are thinking about wanting to jump ship is not because he didn’t know the rules and got penalized and made a double bogey and made a mess of things and made a mess of things last night on social media. It is purely for greed. It is purely for money. Because the league and the funds that are sponsoring the tour want to reputation-wash, sports-wash, that’s it. They don’t plan to make money. 

“And by the way, this is a very unforgiving — if they leave here and go play for another tour, they’re going to go from being independent contractors to employees. And they are going to have the most unforgiving employer in the history of employers. Versus the most philanthropic organization. But by the way that runs six tours around the globe. So if you want to talk about growing the game, how about Latin America, Canada, China, all over the world they have these respective tours, the PGA Tour does, giving billions of dollars to charity and doing everything they can to protect the player from the time they come out of college till they decide to quit playing on the Champions Tour?” 

After a comment from his co-host, Rich Lerner, Chamblee fired one last shot. 

“Look, I’d have more respect for them, though not much, if they just came out and said, look, it’s a boatload of money and I’m conflicted. But the idea of trying to denigrate the business model that has allowed them to live lavish lives — Charley Hoffman has made roughly $32 million, $32 million with just four wins over the course of his career. To allow them to live lavish lives, to degenerate the PGA Tour, which, as I said, six tours around the globe, all of their money is either earmarked for charity, purses or the betterment of the tour, billions of dollars, and they’re trying to denigrate the PGA Tour and say that the Saudi League has their back, now nothing is more preposterous, and it boggles the mind that they would even try to make this argument. 

“Just stand up and say what it is. It’s being offered a lot of money and we’re thinking about going.” 

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Charley Hoffman misinterpreted a rule. His frustration at the PGA Tour, on the other hand, was clear. 

In an Instagram post on Friday night, Hoffman ripped the Tour, its rules officials and the USGA, and referenced proposed rival tours, after he was forced to take two penalty strokes after a drive into the water on the 13th hole at TPC Scottsdale. A double bogey dropped the longtime pro down the leaderboard during the second round of the WM Phoenix Open, though he did make the cut.    

“What a joke @usga@pgatour today on the 13th hole I hit my drive in the water and took a drop on a side of a hill that no grass,” Hoffman wrote. “Dropped twice then place on a small tuff of grass. Turned around the ball started rolling into the water. I was under the impression that the @usgahad changed that rule. I was wrong. Had to take another penalty for doing nothing wrong at all. Did everything by the book. It’s still mind blowing that a group of amateurs rule the professional game of golf. I also blame the @pgatour rules officials for putting out a terrible penalty area line where this could even happen. No accountability at any level here. No protection for the players at all. You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour. Players need transparency, protection and consistency. We don’t have that under the current governing bodies. 

“@golfchannel @golfdigest@dpworldtour @saudiintlgolf@barstoolsports @riggsbarstool@espn @foxsports @cbssports@nbcsports 

“Sorry Jay! We need to do better at all levels of the @pgatour. Including myself who represent the players on the board of the Tour. If we don’t we won’t have a Tour any longer!

“Hopefully there will be a change soon.”

At issue was the drop. Once Hoffman had placed the ball, it was in play, and notably, a similar situation happened to Rickie Fowler during the final round of the 2019 Phoenix Open. Then, while leading by five, he hit a shot into the water on the 11th hole, he also placed it and then walked up to the green, only to see the ball roll back into the water. Fowler was also assessed a penalty stroke and triple-bogeyed the hole, but ended up with a two-shot victory. On Friday, a message to a Tour rules official by GOLF.com was not immediately returned. 

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Hoffman’s “jump ship” comment was no doubt a reference to various proposed rival leagues, among them one that is backed by the Saudi Arabia-based LIV Golf Investments group and headed by Greg Norman. During last week’s Saudi International, also backed LIV Golf, reports began to circulate of multi-million dollar offers for Tour players to join, and they appear to have reached the ears of Hoffman, who is also one of four player directors on the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council, and the “Jay” in Hoffman’s post, who is likely Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. 

Among the commenters on Hoffman’s post were Phil Mickelson, who wrote: “I feel ya.” Last week, in an interview with Golf Digest ahead of the Saudi International, Mickelson ripped the PGA Tour’s media rights policy and said the Tour’s “greed” is “beyond obnoxious.” 

“I don’t know where things are headed, but I know I will be criticized,” he said. “That’s not my concern. All that would do is dumb down one of the most intricate issues in sports. It would be so naive to not factor in all of the complexities. The media rights are but a small fraction of everything else. And it is the Tour’s obnoxious greed that has really opened the door for opportunities elsewhere.”

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They play only on special occasions now. Even Tuesday cash games on the PGA Tour can’t win a second or two from the pocket of Father Time. 

“I don’t really play on Tuesdays anymore, to be honest with you,” Kevin Kisner said. “I play the pro-am, and that’s about it. I always like to play with the young guys — they’re not young anymore. Jordan [Spieth], JT [Justin Thomas] and Rickie [Fowler], I love playing with them. I love playing with GW [Gary Woodland]. 

“But, s – – -, nobody really plays anymore. We’re f – – – – – g old — that’s what sucks. We used to all like go play, and now it’s like, no, my back hurts, I’m going to wait on the pro-am. Or I’m not flying in till Tuesday night. Or yeah, I’ve been there 100 times. I mean, we play in the majors, and that’s about it.” 

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But when they do get together, they get their money’s worth. Not to mention each other’s money. Which begged this important question from Drew Stoltz, co-host of GOLF’s Subpar podcast, where Kisner appeared as a guest on this week’s episode:

“Who’s the guy you enjoy taking money, though, from if you do play a money game?” Stoltz said. “The guy he hands you a 100 bucks, 20 bucks, whatever it is. Who’s the guy you get the most satisfaction from taking it from?”

Kisner answered as quickly as the player in question apparently pays up slowly. 

Spieth. 

“Yeah, he’s got a couple hundos to give. He’ll be all right,” Stoltz said.  

“Yeah, but he’s so sketchy about it,” Kisner said. “Like he never wants to pay on time. But if he wins, he wants his cash right then.” 

“Yeah, I know a few of those guys,” Stoltz said.  

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“We can start spreading that word. Jordan, pay your debts, bud,” said Colt Knost, Subpar’s other co-host. 

Knost then brought up Charley Hoffman, who he said would have been his guess. 

“Oh, god, that’s a good one,” Kisner said. “I didn’t think about that. I would probably actually put Charley in front of Jordan, now that you mention that.” 

“Yeah, he’s the best because he …” Knost said. 

“I play all the time with Charley, and he’s hilarious, man,” Kisner said. 

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The post GOLF’s Subpar: What players Kevin Kisner most likes to win money games against appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’s Subpar: What players Kevin Kisner most likes to win money games against appeared first on Golf.

Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by 4-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Kisner who reveals what PGA Tour players he enjoys taking money off of the most.

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This week’s episode is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’ve never tried FanDuel Sportsbook, what are you waiting for? Go to https://www.fanduel.com/subpar or download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. Be sure to sign up with promo code SUBPAR so they know we sent you.

Disclaimer: must be 21+ and present in AZ, CT, or NJ. First online real money wager only. Refund issued as nonwithdrawable site credit that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), (888)-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), or 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ).

The post GOLF’s Subpar: What players Kevin Kisner most likes to win money games against appeared first on Golf.

The post Longtime Tiger Woods opponent reflects on hard road back for Woods appeared first on Golf.

The post Longtime Tiger Woods opponent reflects on hard road back for Woods appeared first on Golf.

Charley Hoffman has an Instagram page, most of his fellow PGA Tour pros have that or at least some other form of social media, and yes, like most everyone else a few weeks ago, they saw the photos. 

And the locker room, Hoffman said Friday, has had the same comment over a potential Tiger Woods comeback that at least a few others have. 

“Yeah, how’s he going to do it,” Hoffman said on Golf Channel. “Right now, he’s having a hard time walking. Before that, it was a back surgery and he was having a hard time swinging the golf clubs. 

“There’s a lot of things to go through, and I, obviously, hope for the best for him and everybody’s pulling for Tiger Woods. This game is definitely a lot better with him in it, and I expect him to be out there sometime soon and hopefully competing to win golf tournaments.”

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If there’s anyone who’s known Woods a while, it’s Hoffman. Both are Southern California born. Both are in their mid-40s (Woods is 45, Hoffman 44). Both are longtime pros. So when Hoffman slid into the Golf Channel booth during Friday’s second round of the Zozo Championship, his answer to questions on Woods from announcer George Savaricas were not without some substance.    

In late February, Woods was involved in a single-car crash, suffered multiple injuries and has been rehabbing at his home in Florida. Updates on his progress have been limited, though the photos shared online, of Woods on a golf course watching his son, Charlie, at a tournament, have fueled talk of a return.

Count Hoffman in the camp hoping for one. 

“I haven’t had any conversation with him, but he’s obviously kicked my butt my whole life and I was fortunate to play a lot of golf growing up with him,” Hoffman said on Golf Channel. “But he’s an inspiration to everybody, and that if there’s one guy that can come back and get his feet literally back on the ground, it’s going to be that guy and I’m never going to count him out.

“Hopefully see him out here competing soon.” 

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The post GOLF’S Subpar: Joe Greiner talks playing cash games with Phil, Xander, and Hoffman appeared first on Golf.

The post GOLF’S Subpar: Joe Greiner talks playing cash games with Phil, Xander, and Hoffman appeared first on Golf.

Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by PGA Tour caddy Joe Grenier who talks what it was like playing cash games with Phil Mickelson, Xander Schauffele, and Charley Hoffman while living in San Diego.

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This week’s episode is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’ve never tried FanDuel Sportsbook, what are you waiting for? Go to https://www.fanduel.com/subpar or download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. Be sure to sign up with promo code SUBPAR so they know we sent you. Must be 21+ and present in AZ or NJ. First online real money wager only. Refund issued as non-withdrawable site credit that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ). In AZ, 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342.

The post GOLF’S Subpar: Joe Greiner talks playing cash games with Phil, Xander, and Hoffman appeared first on Golf.