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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 discuss the play at Colonial Country Club, this week’s U.S. Women’s Open diabolical greens and more.

1. As it turns out, Scottie Scheffler’s “slump” lasted all of nine holes. One week after missing the cut at the PGA Championship, where he shot a back-nine 40 during his second round, Scheffler nearly won his fifth event of the season on Sunday, losing to Sam Burns in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge. What is it about Scheffler’s game, or headspace, that has made him such a consistent/reliable performer, and on such a variety of courses?

Tournaments

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): He’s got all the shots, obviously. But he’s also got golf in perspective. At this point, at least, for all the expectations around him, he’s not putting excess pressure on himself. He’s got enough killer instinct to dominate without being the kind of guy who defines himself by golf. That’s how it comes across anyway. His third round at Colonial was, dare I say, Woodsian. He was all over the place and still didn’t make a bogey until the 17th. 

Alan Bastable, executive editor (@alan_bastable): As you’d expect, there are no real weaknesses in Scheffler’s game, statistically speaking, anyway. But one of the big keys to his success is that he rarely misses greens, hitting about 72 percent of them in regulation, which is third best on Tour. That takes a lot of pressure off his short game and instead lets him focus on jarring birdie putts. I also think the importance of Ted Scott’s role can’t be overstated. Scheffler and Scott share much in common: hard workers, family men, devout Christians, and each has a ton of respect for the other. The relationship just works, and I think it’s no coincidence that Scheffler’s run started soon after Scott took his bag.

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): He’s an easy-going, aw-shucks’er who hates — hates — to lose. So ice and fire. That’s tough to beat. 

2. Colonial Country Club, the storied Schwab venue and a mighty mite at “only” 7,200 yards from the tips, held its own once again this week, with just zero players finishing the tournament double digits under par. Does the PGA Tour need more courses like Colonial — where accuracy trumps brawn — on the schedule, or would the players not have it?

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Sens: The Tour could use more great designs as part of its regular rota. Great designs make for more interesting golf. If a few players gripe, so be it. It is, to use the parlance of the corporations that rule all professional sports, a better product. 

Bastable: The lack of diversity in Tour setups is stunning. You would think the world’s best players would demand more interesting slate of tests, but sadly they seem content with bomb-and-gouging. Rory McIlroy summed up that sentiment last year when he said: “A lot of the golf courses we play are uniform and you get the same conditions each and every week, and players like that. I like that. I like that you don’t have to come and spend three or four days at a golf course learning it every week, and if you’re playing week to week, to have setups like this is a good thing.” Colonial, like Harbour Town, is such a breath of fresh air on the calendar, mostly because players can’t smash it into submission. So … yeah, I’d love to see more courses of its ilk in the mix.

Piastowski: More please! If you believe the players, most of them like the tracks that test the entire game, too. Though I can’t imagine after next week the mental shape of those who go Southern Hills-Colonial-Muirfield Village. 

3. The U.S. Women’s Open tees off this week at Pine Needles in North Carolina. Among the storylines to watch are the return of Nelly Korda and the defense of Yuka Saso. (We’ll tackle Michelle Wie West separately below.) What are you most looking forward to seeing play out?

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Sens: Lydia Ko. Always Lydia Ko. The coolest professional golfer in the world.

Bastable: I’m excited to see Pine Needles in action. The Donald Ross gem has long taken a backseat to its storied Sandhills neighbor, Pinehurst, so it will be fun to see it in the spotlight. Pine Needles devotees will tell you it’s every bit as fun as any of Pinehurst’s offerings, No. 2 included.

Piastowski: Nelly. Let’s hope she’s good to go. She’s a star, the budding rivalry with Jin Young Ko is fantastic, and she’s must-watch golf. It’s great she’s back. 

4. On to Wie West. This week, she told Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols that she plans to play the U.S. Women’s Open, then step away from the LPGA Tour. How would you sum up Wie West’s legacy?

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Sens: I don’t have anything to say that hasn’t been said a million times before. There’s of course a woulda, coulda, shoulda element to her story. And yet, in the ways that matter most, she did. 

Bastable: It’s easy to get fixated on the fact that she didn’t live up to the immense expectations that were placed on her, but what should never be forgotten is how much attention and excitement she brought to the game when she was literally just a kid. At 10, she played in the U.S. Women’s Am Public Links; at 12, she played in an LPGA event; at 14, she came a stroke shy of making the cut at a PGA Tour event, thanks to a second-round 68 (yes, at 14!!) That week sticks with me. It was truly captivating; I vividly remember being glued to the telecast not wanting to miss a single shot of hers. What a talent.    

Piastowski: She’s a star. And will continue to be; according to our story this week, she’s not leaving the game; she’s just not playing it. That tells me something. She’s making an impact on the game. Not many can say that. 

5. A high school tournament in Iowa drew headlines last week for a diabolical pin position on the 18th green that had players putting their golf balls past the hole and off the green. What’s the wickedest pin, green or hole setup you’ve come across?

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Sens: All four of the par-3s at Whistling Straits have some intimidating pins. The back right location on the 7th, out by the bluffs, still gives me cold sweats.

Bastable: There’s a nine-hole muni par-3 course near my New Jersey home. The 7th hole plays all of about 90 yards, but it’s an uphill shot to a tiny blind green that pitches hard from left to right. Play it mid-summer when the green is crusty and it’s virtually impossible to hold. Pars feels like eagles.   

Piastowski: Stone Meadows Golf Club in the Poconos, which I wrote about last fall. Every green was a postage stamp! 

6. Film critic Mark Ellis shared with our Josh Sens a ranking of the six best golf movies of all time. Help us out with another ranking: What, in your mind, is the best golf scene in a non-golf film?

Lifestyle

Sens: The airhorn scene in Jackass, and it’s not even close.

Bastable: C’mon now, nothing tops Goldfinger (with Oddjob on the bag!) trying to cheat his way to victory against 007.

Piastowski: NERD ALERT! But the best golf scene in a non-golf movie HAS to be when, in the first Hobbit movie, Gandalf explains how golf was invented. You can watch it here! 

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The post Charles Schwab Challenge picks: Who experts (and golf fans!) think will win appeared first on Golf.

The post Charles Schwab Challenge picks: Who experts (and golf fans!) think will win appeared first on Golf.

The tournament your grandma knew as the Colonial is now the Charles Schwab Challenge, and that’s not all that has changed since the birth of the event, in 1946, at Colonial Country Club, in Fort Worth.

The course is longer. Drives fly farther. And there are many more ways for fans to get involved.

Among them: Chirp Golf. An affiliate of GOLF.com, Chirp is a free-to-play mobile game that features weekly contests including a $5,000 Jackpot Pick ‘Em and other live shot-by-shot precaution games. One of those games is a Trifecta contest that calls for users to pick three players: a favorite, a contender, and a long shot.

Nearly 1,000 users have already signed up for this week’s Trifecta, a health sample size that gives us a sense of where public opinion is leaning.

In the favorite’s category (players ranked 1-20 in the world), last week’s PGA Championship winner, Justin Thomas, has the strongest backing so far among Chirp users, with 21.48 percent of the vote. Scottie Scheffler (19.57 percent) is the next most popular pick, followed by Jordan Spieth (14.77) and Will Zalatoris (12.75 percent).

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Among the contenders (ranked 21-60 in the world), Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson are tied as the top choices (each has 17.45 percent of the backing), followed by Sebastian Munoz (8.84 percent).

And then there are the long shots (ranked 61 and higher). In that category, Harry Higgs leads the way (19.35 percent), with Rory Sabbatini (13.09 percent) and Denny McCarthy just behind.

If you’d like to join the fun, you can download the Chirp App here.

And if you’re looking for guidance from our experts, here are Charles Schwab Trifecta picks from three GOLF.com staffers.

Jessica Marksbury, senior editor:

Favorite: Jordan Spieth (rank: 9)

I’m not going to be the one to bet against Jordan in Texas

Contender: Patrick Reed (rank: 38)

Another major champ from the Lone Star state, he was T7 at Colonial in 2020. That’s good enough for me.

Long shot: Ryan Palmer (rank: 93)

Not only is Colonial Palmer’s home course, but he’s also having a strong season, with four to-25s and a T5 at the Byron Nelson.

Nick Piastowski, senior editor:

Favorite: Viktor Hovland (rank: 7)

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Colonial demands precision. Few players hit it straighter.

Contender: Max Homa (rank: 29)

A win two weeks ago, followed by a strong showing at the PGA Championship. Yes, please.

Long shot: Ryan Palmer (rank: 93)

I’m with Jessica. Easy choice. Member here. He might not win, but he’ll be in the mix.

Josh Sens, senior writer:

Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (rank: 1)

I’m not reading too much into Scheffler’s missed cut last week at Southern Hills. If anything, it should be motivation.

Contender: 
Tommy Fleetwood (rank: 41)

Quietly, Fleetwood has been rounding into form.

Long shot: David Riley (rank: 113)

Riley has shown us a lot this year. He’s a much stronger player than what his world ranking reflects.

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The post Best golf courses in Texas, according to GOLF Magazine’s expert course raters appeared first on Golf.

The post Best golf courses in Texas, according to GOLF Magazine’s expert course raters appeared first on Golf.

For every great course that made GOLF’s 2020-21 ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S., dozens of more must-plays were left on the outside looking in — including at least a handful in your home state. Some of these designs just missed out on a Top 100 nomination, others finished deeper down the ranking, but all are worthy of your time. To shed light on the best courses in every state, we broke out the full results of our Top 100 Courses polling into state-by-state lists. Here’s a closer look at Texas.

Texas golf by the numbers:

Number of courses and U.S. rank: 835 (4)*
Number of golfers per capita rank: 32*
Average public-course greens fees: $$ out of $$$*
Average daily temp and rank: 64.8 (4)
Annual precipitation and rank: 28.9 (34)

*Source: National Golf Foundation

Best Texas golf courses (2020/2021)

1. Wolf Point (Port Lavaca) [1]

Built as a wealthy rancher’s private playground, “The Saint Andrews of Texas” is one of the world’s most exclusive courses with only six hundred or so people having ever played it. The layout looks flat and harmless, but architect Mike Nuzzo’s brilliant cloverleaf design makes the wind a constant challenge and brings Keller Creek into play on eight holes. You won’t find ball washers, tee markers or yardages at Wolf Point, but there are camels and a private airstrip. Tom Doak says the special dwarf Bermuda greens are the best in Texas.

2. Whispering Pines (Trinity)

3. Colonial (Fort Worth)

4. Trinity Forest (Dallas)

5. Austin Golf Club – Coore & Crenshaw (Spicewood)

6. Dallas National (Dallas)

7. Oak Hills (San Antonio)

8. Bluejack National (Montgomery)

9. Brook Hollow (Dallas)

10. Shady Oaks (Westworth Village)

11. Champions – Cypress Creek (Houston)

12. Barton Creek – Canyons (Austin) [3, P]

Book a tee time at Barton Creek

13. Austin Country Club (Austin)

14. Memorial Park (Houston) [P]

Book a tee time at Memorial Park

15. Spanish Oaks (Bee Cave)

SYMBOL GUIDE

1 = GOLF Top 100 Course in the U.S.
2 = GOLF Top 100 Course in the World
3 = GOLF Top 100 Resort
P = Resort/public golf course

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

Course spotlight: Whispering Pines Golf Club (Trinity, Texas), ranked 2nd in Texas. Nicklaus protege Chet Williams worked with owner Corby Roberston Jr. to produce a standout design in the Lone Star State. Caney Creek and Lake Livingston give the secluded course a phenomenal six-hole closing stretch, but its green complexes across all 18 holes are what elevate the course to star status. — GOLF Top 100 Course Rater

How we rank America’s best golf courses

For the newly released 2020-21 U.S. list, each panelist was provided a list of 489 courses. Beside that list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the country, they ticked that box. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10 in the U.S., they checked that box, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on.

Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot (we had fewer than a handful of such additions in the U.S. vote).

Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it invariably produces results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily overcomplicate things.

For much more on how we rate courses, click or tap here.

Meet our course raters

We empower and hold accountable a group of 97 well-traveled — and well-connected — golfers/aficionados, each capable of expressing their own sense of design excellence at the highest level. The group is seasoned and experienced — we look for raters who know what’s out there, what’s changing and what’s coming down the pike. And from judging posts across four continents, our panelists are positioned to place courses from different regions around the globe into proper context, one of the main reasons GOLF’s Top 100 Courses rankings are the most esteemed in the game.

Other ranking outlets employ thousands of raters. Our less-is-more approach creates a more meaningful and thoughtful list. Think about it: When you plan a golf trip, do you call every golfer you know for their take? No. You contact a handful of people whose opinions you value most.

Meet our full crew of panelists here.

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The post Gary Woodland debuts a Wilson ‘WLabs’ prototype driver at Colonial appeared first on Golf.

The post Gary Woodland debuts a Wilson ‘WLabs’ prototype driver at Colonial appeared first on Golf.

A slimmed down Gary Woodland recorded a ninth-place finish on Sunday at the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge. His 25-pound weight loss transformation wasn’t the only major change Woodland made during the PGA Tour’s 13-week hiatus, though.

The long-hitting Woodland switched into a new Wilson prototype driver and fairway wood at Colonial Country Club. Last week, the “WLabs” 7.5-degree driver hit the USGA Conforming Clubs list, and Woodland didn’t waste any time putting it into play.

It’s a significant change for both Wilson and Woodland, because the company has openly expressed its goal of getting a Wilson driver in Woodland’s hands. He signed a 10-club equipment deal with Wilson in January 2019 after putting the Wilson Staff Model blades on the map, but a change to a Wilson driver never stuck. Prior to the 13-week layoff, Woodland was using a Ping G410 driver in competition.

At Colonial, however, Woodland played the Wilson “WLabs” driver (Accra shaft) en route to a top-10 finish. He was also using a Wilson prototype fairway wood (Graphite Design Tour AD-DI shaft) that had a very similar look to the driver.

This could be a sign of things to come for Wilson in the metalwood category. Wilson’s current Tour staff includes Kevin Streelman, Brendan Steele and Padraig Harrington, but none of those players use a Wilson driver. With a new prototype option at their disposal, however, maybe the tides are turning for the company.

We’ve reached out to Wilson for more information on the products, and we will update this story if they respond with comment.

To hear more gear insights from Jonathan Wall and True Spec’s Tim Briand, subscribe and listen each week to GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast: iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | Stitcher

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The post For one of Colonial’s original black members, Harold Varner’s fine play was especially meaningful appeared first on Golf.

The post For one of Colonial’s original black members, Harold Varner’s fine play was especially meaningful appeared first on Golf.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Seventy-two-year-old Devoyd Jennings watched the final-round telecast of the Charles Schwab Challenge with great interest on Sunday afternoon. In his nearly three decades as a Colonial Country Club member, Jennings had never seen a black golfer contend this deep into the weekend at the fabled PGA Tour event at his club. And now here was Harold Varner III, an amiable 29-year-old by way of Gastonia, N.C., in the hunt.

Varner’s fine play had landed him in the fourth-to-last pairing Sunday and just one stroke behind leader Xander Schauffele. Making Varner’s performance all the more riveting was that it had unfolded against the backdrop of the racial and social unrest that has rocked the nation.

As you likely know by now, a fairytale ending for Varner wasn’t to be. After a quiet even-par front nine, he came home with two bogeys and seven pars to finish at two over for the day, dropping him into a tie for 19th. Still, Jennings remained captivated by Varner, for good reason.

Twenty-nine years ago, Jennings was part of the first wave of black members — a half dozen in all — that Colonial admitted. This came just months after the PGA Tour enacted a policy that forced tournament host venues with all-white memberships to take “appropriate action” to be more inclusive.

So, for Jennings, seeing a black golfer win a PGA Tour title at a club that Jennings helped diversify would have been especially meaningful.

“If he had won, it would have been sweet, it would have been the fulfillment of the dream we had when we joined,” Jennings said Sunday in an interview at his home, just minutes from Colonial. He was in his living room, the TV tuned to CBS, and wearing a white sweater baring the Colonial logo. “We wanted to make a difference and bring others into the game. A win would have meant the dream had been fulfilled. It didn’t happen today, but the dream is still alive to bring others into this great game.

“Man, if Harold had done it today, I would have been shouting for a month, but we’re still going to claim this.”

Jennings is the president and CEO of the Fort Worth Metro Black Chamber of Commerce. His company, which supports minority-owned businesses in the area, holds its annual fundraising tournament at Colonial in the spring, a scholarship dinner in the fall and a “gift show” for women members. Jennings, who’s known as “J” at the club, said he has also tried to impart some of his heritage to his fellow members.

“I go to the bar and they say, ‘J, what have you got going now? What’s next for you?’” Jennings said. “I’ve brought in speakers and African crafts and books and things for the gift show they have never seen. It’s a way to connect [members] where we weren’t connected.”

Jennings said the club has helped him and his wife Gwen connect with people he otherwise would never have met; it’s also a useful networking tool for his colleagues. “I didn’t grow up in a country club setting and most people in the minority community didn’t,” he said. “But when they see [the club] and see the business connections you can make here, it’s helpful.” But Jennings also said that he feels Colonial still needs to further evolve. The lack of young black members, he said, troubles him.

“When we joined in 1991, it was a breakthrough moment because we had never been allowed here, but it needs to accelerate,” he said. “Now the majority community has a chance to mentor the minority community and bring somebody into the club like somebody brought me in.

“There are businessmen in Fort Worth right now who can mentor a minority community member and bring them into the club. Show them what country club life is like. That can be done nationwide. With the minority community, you are going to need to come get us.”

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Jennings also has a message for Varner, for whom he gained much admiration over the last four days: “Harold should approach the players on the PGA Tour. Players who already know him and say, Who can you mentor? Who can you bring into golf? Somebody brought him in — who can you bring?”

When he was a younger and played more regularly, Jennings said he would invite two or three young minority golfers to the club and pair them up for a round with some of Colonial’s better players, with the goal of getting his guests hooked on the game. And to this day, he said, he still uses the club as a means to develop young minds. Every year he brings the Black Chamber of Commerce Young Leadership class to Colonial to teach them business and social fellowship.

The way Jennings sees it, he’s just paying his good fortune forward.

“I had three people help me out when I got started with golf. I just want to help others,” he said. “That’s something we can all do.”

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The post Charles Schwab Challenge purse: Payout breakdown and winner’s share appeared first on Golf.

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The stage is set for a heart-pounding Sunday afternoon at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Golf’s return after a three-month layoff features a loaded leaderboard heading into the final round at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Xander Schauffele is at the front of the pack, all alone in the lead at 13 under.

But Jordan Spieth is hot on Schauffele’s tail. The former World No. 1 trails Schauffele by a stroke heading into Sunday after posting three straight rounds in the 60s to open the weekend. Spieth, who is the all-time scoring average leader at Colonial Country Club, is seeking his first professional win since 2017. Spieth, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Gary Woodland all head into Sunday at 12 under, a stroke back of Schauffele.

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Also lurking closely behind are Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Harold Varner III and Patrick Reed. McIlroy and DeChambeau form one of Sunday’s most intriguing pairings. They, along with the rest of the leaders, will tee off shortly after noon ET.

Below is the prize money and winner’s share for the Charles Schwab Challenge’s $7.5 million purse; TV coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. ET on Golf Channel before the action switches over to CBS at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Charles Schwab Challenge payout breakdown, winner’s share

1. $1,350,000

2. $817,500

3. $517,500

4. $367,500

5. $307,500

6. $271,875

7. $253,125

8. $234,375

9. $219,375

10. $204,375

11. $189,375

12. $174,375

13. $159,375

14. $144,375

15. $136,875

16. $129,375

17. $121,875

18. $114,375

19. $106,875

20. $99,375

21. $91,875

22. $84,375

23. $78,375

24. $72,375

25. $66,375

26. $60,375

27. $58,125

28. $55,875

29. $53,625

30. $51,375

31. $49,125

32. $46,875

33. $44,625

34. $42,750

35. $40,875

36. $39,000

37. $37,125

38. $35,625

39. $34,125

40. $32,625

41. $31,125

42. $29,625

43. $28,125

44. $26,625

45. $25,125

46. $23,625

47. $22,125

48. $20,925

49. $19,875

50. $19,275

51. $18,825

52. $18,375

53. $18,075

54. $17,775

55. $17,625

56. $17,475

57. $17,325

58. $17,175

59. $17,025

60. $16,875

61. $16,725

62. $16,575

63. $16,425

64. $16,275

65. $16,125

66. $15,975

67. $15,825

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The post 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge tee times: Final round pairings for Sunday appeared first on Golf.

The post 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge tee times: Final round pairings for Sunday appeared first on Golf.

Eighteen holes remain in the Charles Schwab Challenge — the PGA Tour’s first event back following a shutdown — and there’s an absolute logjam near the top of the leaderboard. Xander Schauffele is alone in the lead at 13 under, but a number of elite players are close behind.

There’s Jordan Spieth, king of Texas, one shot back at 12 under. Spieth has a sparkling record at Colonial Country Club and has been near the top all week long. But he has not found himself succeeding in contention for multiple years. Will his up-and-down play finish up … or down? Spieth will play in the third-to-last tee time alongside 21-year-old Collin Morikawa, who is also one shot back.

In the penultimate pairing is Justin Thomas, 12 under, and Branden Grace, also 12 under. Thomas is playing the CSC for the first time in his career and is looking to leap up to No. 2 in the world with a victory. The last man standing at 12 under is Gary Woodland, reigning U.S. Open champion, who will play alongside Schauffele Sunday.

Just slightly further back is Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. Both sit at 10 under par, quietly lurking. They are tied with Justin Rose and Patrick Reed, two major champions who could post a number and wait for the results Sunday afternoon. Check out all the tee times for the final round below.

Charles Schwab Challenge fourth round tee times (All times Central)

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The post Even a reserved Rickie Fowler proved mic’d up golf is the way of the future appeared first on Golf.

The post Even a reserved Rickie Fowler proved mic’d up golf is the way of the future appeared first on Golf.

Golf fans had to be impatient Thursday afternoon, as Rickie Fowler, our patron saint of mic’d up rounds on the PGA Tour, was quiet as can be. Two holes into this broadcasting experiment, his un-mic’d playing partners Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth were more audible than he was.

But all of a sudden, fresh off a commercial break, you were right there in the middle of a convo between Fowler and his caddie Joe Skovron. “Yeah, I’d rather be on the long side of that,” Fowler said, clear as day. What he was referring to, we’ll never know. Then he made his swing. 

Pretty BORING, right? Maybe, but it led us to the reason why golfers being mic’d up should become a mandatory feature of pro golf broadcasts. Fowler’s approach flew 35 feet long of the hole, on the green. Plenty good and fine. “Very good shot,” said Craig Perks, a remote broadcaster calling the action from Florida. Whether Perks was right or wrong, Fowler’s shot was worse than average for him from that distance.

“I didn’t see it flying that much,” Fowler said. “That flew the full number.”

“Yep. [It’s] Hot,” Skovron added. “Ball’s goin’.” It is hot in Fort Worth. Golf balls fly further when they’re warm.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna trust that without seeing it first,” Fowler said.

“Yeah, no, I knew that,” Skovron said. “That’s why I was fine with it. I thought you could get 9 [iron] there but you had to know you could get 9 there.”

It’s all right there in those 15 seconds. Context. What makes a sports broadcast great? The action, first and foremost, but after that it’s the context. What can this TV show add to what you’re seeing and help tell the story better? Little truisms, here and there. They could be the future of golf broadcasts.

Fowler is very popular with fans and a great marketer for brands, but he is by no means flashy on a broadcast. For the most entertaining ‘cast, you’d have chosen dozens of other pros before mellow Rickie. He lived up to that billing, too, rarely reacting when his ball was in the air or after it landed. But all throughout he provided little details on how both he (and the course) was playing. His par on that 244-yard 4th? “[I’d] take three there everyday,” he admitted. Okay, we can think to ourselves. If three is good, then Gary Woodland’s two was damn good.

From 204 yards on the 5th, we learned that Rickie and Joe were both thinking “stock 6″ iron. And when the approach flared right, you could hear Fowler’s exasperation. He reminded himself “stay on top of it.” It might seem like golf Morse Code, but that’s where the real broadcasters come into play. Robert Damron, a Tour-pro-turned-broadcaster, took plenty of Fowler-Skovron expressions and deduced them into common sense for the viewer.

When Fowler missed the fairway on 7, we learned he’d rather play the lengthy par-4 from a fairway bunker than from the rough. Hmmmm. Would a different player feel differently on a different course? Perhaps, but that insight right here and right now sure is interesting. Clarifying the non-intuitive is what lands executive producers million-dollar contracts. It’s broadcast brilliance.

It was ironic to watch Fowler play knowing the other players in his group. Spieth is one of the most vocal players on Tour, constantly talking with his caddie, even while his ball is in the air. He’d be perfect for a mic’d up round. The other was Thomas, who vehemently said Tuesday he would refuse wearing a mic during a Tour event. That’s right, folks, the man who shined on The Match II broadcast doesn’t want you hearing what he says to his own caddie during a round.

The assumption for many — players, fans, Tour executives, etc. — is that on mic’d up broadcasts, we’ll hear everything a player says. Whether it’s analyzing the wind, cussing out a caddie or reciting a dirty joke, we’re going to finally get the goods. Brooks Koepka reminded us all that golf can become a lot of fun when we hear what players are thinking and saying, even if it’s under their breath. Producers might yank their hair out over that, but we can continue settling those moments with the FCC, a dump button and PGA Tour fines, if necessary.

The truth is, golf fans don’t even need all of that. We just want to better understand why the things we’re seeing are the way that they are. It’s fine hearing Jim Nantz discuss how the balls in Fort Worth are flying far, with the humidity down and the temperatures up. But it’s way better hearing Skovron tell Fowler that those conditions are similar to Rickie’s practice conditions in Jupiter, and now they won’t have to play the game-within-a-game of altering the distances they measure. For those who weren’t watching, Rickie agreed.

Forgive the loose analogy, but it’s damn entertaining on Planet Earth when David Attenborough describes how a jaguar hunts its prey. For once, we’re getting to hear the jaguar’s thoughts in real-time. Mic’d up golf is more informed golf. It’s smarter golf. Better golf. That might seem obvious, but it’s missing in most broadcasts right now.

Thankfully, Graeme McDowell is rumored to be next on the mic. He’ll be even better.

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The post How have we missed thee, PGA Tour? Let us count the ways appeared first on Golf.

The post How have we missed thee, PGA Tour? Let us count the ways appeared first on Golf.

FORT WORTH, Texas — What we’ve missed:

Players and caddies, going deep on some weighty subject, on the practice green as often as not. A Wednesday afternoon example: Bubba Watson and Cameron Champ’s man, Kurtis Kowaluk, talking about . . . trucks.

Or someone dishing new insight on some golfy thing. Here’s a snapshot of Mike Hulbert, former Tour player and longtime CBS secret weapon, mask around his mouth, talking to another old hand about the prospect of players losing balls this week, with no fans to stop errant shots or find them.

The PGA Tour does age gaps in ways other sports do not. It’s true every week, it’s always been true, it’s just been a while. When Tiger was a rookie, Ed Fiori was still on the scene. This week, there’s a new rookie, 22-year-old Viktor Hovland, who on Wednesday was getting his reps in in the vicinity of 50-year-old Jim Furyk. Whose chances do you like more over the course of 72 holes?

This next little scene has played before, hundreds of times, but now it is new again: players and teachers wandering the semi-familiar streets of another downtown, trying to find the local P.F. Chang’s. (400 Throckmorton.) Another one, in the same category of it’s-been-a-while: Phil Mickelson playing a practice round with Keegan Bradley, with Phil trying out some new thing, because Phil is always trying some new thing. Golf in reflective shades, Wednesday, High Noon. Look at Phil. See yourself.

Some funny little things we have not seen for three months: players with AirPods in their ears, gloves in their back pockets, cellphones in their bags, TrackMan units at their feet, tees in their mouths, Sharpies in their hands, top-10 finishes in their dreams. OK, some fine print, for you lawyers out there: Phil Mickelson is not dreaming of a top-10 finish. He has had enough of those for a lifetime. Even a win won’t change anything, really, except get Steve Stricker to look at him, come Ryder Cup time. Regarding Sharpies: autograph requests are far and few between here, but balls must be marked.

Also, in the broad category of good-to-be-back: caddie humor/caddie candor. Dave McNeilly, of Belfast, who caddies for Matt Wallace and who was already well-established when Seve, Lyle, Woosnam, Langer and Faldo were in their primes. In other words, he’s been around. He saw my hat, stenciled with 1854 and said, “A good year.” Dave caddied for Nick Price at the 1986 Masters when Price shot 63. Recently, Dave posted a video on social media in which he described the severity of his hangover during this historic round. That was Dave being funny. No, he was not hungover. Good to see Dave. Hadn’t seen him in . . . three months.

Colonial is the perfect course for this return to golf, this unexpected mid-year reunion. Colonial has been a Tour stop since ’46. It’s a neighborhood country club, with a big pool and tennis courts, in the middle of neighborhood, four miles from downtown. It’s tucked in, like Fenway. It’s such a pure golf environment. I first came here in ’86, as a caddie. I don’t think I’ve ever gone three months without being at a PGA Tour event since then, certainly not in season. The same, give or take, must be true for Jay Monahan, the Tour commissioner. I asked him to do some reporting of his own, what has his own Return to Golf been like.

He spoke of “pulling into Colonial Country Club, showing my credential, pulling into the parking lot.” In other words, everything old is new again.

He continued: “Walking on to the putting green, walking on to the first tee, walking on to the practice facility, seeing guys: players, caddies, members of our team that I haven’t seen in 90 days. I’ve missed everybody. I’m a person that thrives off of human connection and human interaction, looking people in the eye, seeing their emotion.”

He worked his way to the practice area and watched Bubba Watson play some bunker shots. They don’t play bunker shots the way we do. It’s like they’re talking to their ball, telling it what to do. You remember how that goes, don’t you? There won’t be fans at Colonial for this Charles Schwab Challenge, but at least it will be on TV.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael_Bamberger@GOLF.com.

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The post Why one pro is putting a steel-shafted driver into play at Colonial appeared first on Golf.

The post Why one pro is putting a steel-shafted driver into play at Colonial appeared first on Golf.

For the last six years, every PGA Tour player has used a graphite shaft in his driver during competition. Compared to steel shafts, which were the driver shaft of choice for most pros until around the early 2000s, graphite shafts are made with lightweight materials to help golfers pick up swing speed. Being that distance is crucial in golf, playing with steel driver shafts is seen as a competitive disadvantage in the modern game.

Actually, since 2008, a steel-shafted driver has only been used twice in competition on the PGA Tour (the 2012 Byron Nelson Championship, and most recently at the 2014 RBC Heritage), according to Titleist.

But that’s expected to change on Thursday. Jimmy Walker is reportedly taking it old-school with his driver and 3-wood setups at the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. According to Titleist, Walker is expected to use True Temper X100 steel shafts in his Titleist TS3 driver and Titleist TS3 fairway wood.

During the PGA Tour’s 13-week layoff period due to the coronavirus, Walker says that he started messing around with his old Titleist 970 fairway wood, which is equipped with a steel shaft.

“It all started a couple of months ago,” said Walker, according to a Titleist press release. “We got home and there was nothing to do so I got out my original Titleist 970 fairway metal, started hitting it, and was blown away by how well it worked. I remember it was the first club I ever had built by Titleist when I qualified for the Byron Nelson as an amateur in 2001. It was the first PGA Tour event I ever played. I had that club in the bag for the longest time.”

In comparison to the rest of the PGA Tour, Walker was a late adopter of graphite shafts in his metalwoods. He didn’t make a permanent switch into a graphite-shafted driver until 2008, whereas most of his contemporaries made the switch years prior.

“I remember playing steel for the longest time and somewhere along the line, everybody’s like, ‘well, you’ve got to make the switch to graphite,’ and we all did,” Walker said. “That was early to mid-2000’s. I held out as long as I could.”

So, why is Walker now choosing to go backwards in time when it comes to driver shaft technology?

“The steel just feels like it just works a little better for me,” Walker told Team Titleist last week. “It’s been pretty interesting. It’s what I played a long, long time ago. The shaft is quite a bit heavier, but I also feel like it’s got a lot more play in it than the really stiff graphite. I just feel like it works a little better for my golf swing.”

After testing out his old Titleist 970 fairway wood, Walker got in touch with J.J. VanWezenbeeck, Director of Player Promotions for Titleist, expressing his interest in playing the club in competition.

“I’m like J.J., ‘I am going to put this sucker in play,’” Walker said. “I was trying to be serious and he’s laughing. He said, ‘well let me try and find some X shafts if I can even get in the building. I’ll see if I can dust some off and build you a current model.’ Sure enough, he sent me a picture of this dusty box in the corner. He built the TS3 fairway and shipped it to me.”

Walker approved the Titleist TS3 fairway equipped with a steel shaft, so VanWezenbeeck also shipped a steel-shafted Titleist TS3 driver.

According to Titleist, Walker’s Trackman numbers with the new driver show ball speeds in the “high 170’s” and spin rates between 2,220 and 2,300 rpm. It’s also reported that his fairway wood is going slightly shorter than with a graphite shaft, but that’s no worry for Walker.

“My 3-wood was going a little too far for me, and this new one slid into a pretty good slot when it comes to gapping,” Walker said. “I go from the 3-wood to a 3-iron that can cover up to 240. And I now have a 64 degree wedge in the bag which I love around the greens, so I feel like I have perfect set comp right now.”

According to VanWezenbeeck, Walker was actually chasing a steel-like feel in his driver even prior to his quarantine experiments, and he’s now found the feel and control he’s looking for.

“Jimmy and I have been in communication throughout this process,” said Van Wezenbeeck. “He told me with the combination of ball speeds he is getting off the heads and the feel the shafts are creating, he has all the shots and control he needs – and still plenty of distance. Before his experiment during the break, we actually softened his graphite shafts at Honda because he was looking for more of that steel shaft feel. Jimmy is very knowledgeable about equipment and enjoyable to work with because he knows what he wants.”

Nostalgia may have also played a factor into Walker’s decision to return to steel.

“There were a couple of shots that stood out that first time I played with it, and I said to myself, ‘I remember that feeling,’” Walker said. “I mean, they were like the best feeling shots I’ve hit in so long. It was the way the shaft flexed into the ball. It was just like a whip at the bottom. And it had a heavy hit on it. I couldn’t believe how soft the shaft felt, but back in the day, people looked at that club and thought how stiff it was.”

According to Titleist, Walker’s 8.5-degree driver will play at 44 inches and his 15-degree 3-wood measures 42 inches; both have D5 swingweights.

It seems fitting that Walker’s return to steel shafts will come at Colonial, a classic course layout filled with great history. Ben Hogan would be proud.

To hear more gear insights from Jonathan Wall and True Spec’s Tim Briand, subscribe and listen each week to GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast: iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | Stitcher

The post Why one pro is putting a steel-shafted driver into play at Colonial appeared first on Golf.