Lefty Fires Antler-Free 60 @ Phoenix Open

We know that Mickelson is still fighting that arthritic condition, paying way too much in taxes out in California, etc. but check out his scorecard after the opening round today at the Phoenix Open.

After firing a 7-under 29 in his opening 9 holes (started on the 10th), the “59” watch was definitely on. Although I didn’t catch the action live on TV, I followed along on PGATOUR.COM and he was only one birdie away from the coveted number heading into his final hole of the day. Although his birdie putt at the last curled halfway around the lip of the cup, it refused to drop. But needless to say, it’ll take a historic round this afternoon to top his performance earlier today.

Although I’ve yet to catch up on his post-round interview (living 4 timezones away has its disadvantages), I’m guessing we won’t be hearing any of the following talking points from Phil:

“Yeah, I struggled with my reads, and as a result I really didn’t get a whole lot out of my round today”

“I left too many shots out there, a shot here and a shot there, just couldn’t get anything going”

“I really felt like I played better than my score would indicate”

“It was one of those frustrating days when the stroke feels good, the line is good, but nothing drops”

 

None of those comments apply today, Lefty, Great shooting!

 

Vijay and Rudolph walk into a bar…

Reuters

Sorry that I’ve not been keeping my readers up to date on this developing story, as it has grown 1000 legs since first surfacing in the news just 24 hours ago. For those who would like more background, you can read the original Sports Illustrated article that broke the news back on Tuesday HERE. In that article you’ll get a pretty thorough overview of what exactly makes deer antlers the new must-have banned substance on the illegal users’ performance enhancing drug market, and if you’re like me – you’ll get this enormous sense that a significant number of athletes will go to great lengths to gain whatever competitive edge they can, even if it involves digesting bone fragments of possum, rabbit, roosters, or any other number of feathered or furry woodland critters.

Now I admit that in my current form – one would never confuse yours truly for being a professional athlete relying on his athleticism to earn a zillion dollars each year. Suffice to say, I’m not tempted by the pressures that accompany life in the athletically competitive arena. That said, if deer antlers or any of the aforementioned animal products above show some promise in magically removing 75 unwanted pounds of excess cellulite? Sorry, but you had me at hello, as Jerry Maguire’s girlfriend would say.

And if you would be so kind, please excuse me now while I go purchase my hunting license and look through my rolodex for Boo Weekley’s phone number.

Getting back to the serious discussion at hand now… Apparently Vijay Singh was one of several names mentioned in the SI article above, an article that basically outs several professional athletes by alleging that they’ve used the banned substance IGF-1, which from what I’ve read indicates that the deer antler substance stimulates muscle growth in a similar manner as that of HGH, formally known as human growth hormone. For what it’s worth, and in case you didn’t catch it in the article, IGF-1 is banned by most all recognized sports organizations world-wide, including the PGA Tour. The only problem as it relates to the PGA Tour is that through their current drug testing program – their testing methods don’t detect the banned substance obtained through deer antlerology. Another problem, potentially an even bigger problem at that, is that according to THIS  recent article posted on Geoff Shackelford’s blog – Vijay isn’t the only professional golfer on the PGA Tour who might’ve dabbled with deer antlers. You might take note of the promotional video at the bottom of that article that seems to implicate several well-known Champions Tour players as well.

And it might be best at this precise moment that I reiterate my statement I made earlier this afternoon about legalities and liabilities. I do want to make it crystal clear that I’m not stating that anyone is guilty of anything, even those who may have admitted it after the fact, but might decide to change their minds at some point down the road. You can never be too careful in this day and age. But Vijay issued THIS statement earlier this afternoon, admitting he was using the substance. I’ll add his statement below.

“In light of the recent article on sportsillustrated.com, I want to issue the following statement: While I have used deer antler spray, at no time was I aware that it may contain a substance that is banned under the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Policy. In fact, when I first received the product, I reviewed the list of ingredients and did not see any prohibited substances. I am absolutely shocked that deer antler spray may contain a banned substance and am angry that I have put myself in this position. I have been in contact with the PGA TOUR and am cooperating fully with their review of this matter. I will not be commenting further at this time.”

As much as I’m sure that Singh is hoping that this would put the matter to bed, rest assured that it’s probably not even remotely the case.

Some of you might recall a fella by the name of Doug Barron, the only PGA Tour player to ever have been suspended by the Tour for using substances that were banned by the Tour’s Anti Doping policy. This happened back in 2009, although there are a couple of differences. For starters, Barron claimed that the banned substances he was taking were to treat an existing medical condition and prescribed by his personal physician, despite knowing that the substances (beta blockers) were deemed illegal. Barron appealed the ruling, but the Tour refused to budge from their verdict and the suspension was upheld. But according to Vijay, he was unaware that the deer antler spray contained a banned substance, although it’s worth noting (at least in most courts of law) that ignorance isn’t a sufficient defense. The bottom line, as will likely be said at least a few times over the coming weeks, is that every player is responsible for knowing if any medications, vitamins and supplements they’re taking contain substances deemed illegal with respect to the Tour’s Anti Doping policy. The other difference, as noted earlier, is that the deer antler spray substance isn’t detectable under current Tour drug testing methods, which I’m guessing will likely change very soon given the amount of controversy this all entails.

So how does the Tour proceed? Do they offer Singh (and maybe others) a one-time reprieve for admitting they’ve used the substance, given that their program’s testing methods don’t detect it? Or do they hold the line as their policy states? It is, after all, an illegal substance and anyone with access to a computer and a popular Internet search engine could figure it out. Of which, is why I say that ignorance might get some sympathy, but maybe not enough to lend that amount of forgiveness.

One thing is certain: it’ll be interesting to see how all of this unfolds.

And you can rest assured that a fella by the name of Doug Barron is an interested spectator in all of this as well, which doesn’t exactly bode well for those involved. The PGA Tour is in quite a pickle.

Scott’s Golf Blog Official Statement

In this day and age of 24/7 media, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for readers to separate fact from fiction, and in a majority of instances in the blogosphere – fact from opinion. Having spent a number of years both reading and writing for various blogs, I’m very much aware of the legal liabilities that can occur from false accusations and the fabrication of sensational stories that misrepresent the truth.

I want to make something very clear to my readers. I manage my blog here, this very blog you’re reading, as a hobby. Although I’ve indeed written freelance articles for other blogs in the past, I earn zero profit writing for my own blog. I have no press credentials, nor am I affiliated with any organization that represents me and my work on either of the two blogs I maintain. But despite these things, I still recognize the many risks that anyone and everyone assumes by publishing content on the World Wide Web. I also understand that despite having no contractual obligations from those affiliations that often require a specific code of ethics to be honored and respected as it pertains to publishing content – I’m still subjected to the same degree of scrutiny as any writer or journalist who writes and publishes content for a living, be it a newspaper, magazine, or a blog article on the Internet such as this one.

I’m not sharing this statement on my blog today because of anything in particular… absolutely nothing has occurred to influence me to post this statement. On any given day, I might have all of 100 hits on my blog website, so obviously 99.999% of the world doesn’t even know that either of my two blogs even exist. Nevertheless, I do feel somewhat obligated to remind my readers that although I most always provide sources and links to various topics and newsworthy items, my commentary about those items, above and beyond providing the appropriate links and reliable sources, includes a great deal of personal opinion that should never, under any circumstance, be considered anything more than what it is. I enjoy writing and publishing my stories and opinions about golf and life, and it’s certainly my ambition to provide my reader’s with my perspectives on those two levels when I feel compelled to do so.

But I also recognize the importance of integrity, which is why I felt compelled to publish this statement this afternoon. Lots of controversial topics litter our worlds on a daily (if not hourly) basis today, moreso now than ever before. I would be foolish to assert that I don’t have opinions on those matters, but opinions they are no less.

As always, thanks for your time.

Scott

Why Tiger Should Win This Weekend

He’s yet to tee off today in the 3rd round of the Farmers Insurance Open, but there shouldn’t be any issues with Tiger Woods maintaining his lead and capturing his 75th career PGA Tour win come Sunday afternoon at Torrey Pines. Not that he will win, but rather that should he not get it done this weekend – it’ll likely be the result of an incredible 36 holes of golf by a select few of the promising younger players coming up through the ranks.

But my argument as to why he should be expected to win this week are 5 points highlighted below.

• Short game. The one thing that the first two rounds this week reveal is that Tiger has gotten back to executing his wedge play around the greens. Last season his green-side bunker play was all over the map, but apparently he’s spent a lot of time in the off season recovering his old skills around the greens. He’s not quite back to the top form that we remember his short game several years ago, but he’s made huge strides and it’s obvious his confidence is returning.
• Putting. If there was an elephant in the room with Tiger over the past few seasons, it was the lack of confidence in his putting. It’s taken some time for him to find his putting stroke again, but we’re finally seeing some reminders of the player he used to be on the greens. The pace of a confident putting stroke has finally returned.
• Bounce back. When a player is lacking confidence with his game, it shows up immediately after a bad hole. In the opening round on the South course on Thursday, Woods took a double bogey on the 4th hole of the day. There is no greater momentum breaker in golf than a double bogey. How did he respond? With a birdie on the 5th and an eagle on the 6th. If there’s one thing the past few years has taught Tiger, it’s the importance of staying patient.
• Swing aggression. Not that he’s always finding the fairway off the tee, but he’s gotten a little “pop” back in his golf swing. The difference is that it’s becoming more and more a controlled “pop” instead of an enormous amount of uncontrollable clubhead speed that causes him to spray the ball all over the place. It’s also starting to show up in his iron play. His distance control with wedges remains a work in progress, but overall he’s maintaining his angles and maintaining control of his golf swing much better than in recent years.
• Familiarity. You’ll not find another course on the rotation, other than maybe Bay Hill, where Tiger has had as much success as he’s experienced at Torrey Pines. This venue as given him 7 of his 74 career Tour wins, 6 coming from the Farmers Open Championship (formerly the Buick Open), and of course his US Open win at Torrey back in 2008. If there’s a player on Tour who maintains a true home-court advantage on a layout each season, it’s Tiger. Between Muirfield Village, Bay Hill and Torrey Pines alone, Woods has an astounding 19 career wins.

 

Again, we all know that there’s no such thing as a sure-thing in professional golf. Tiger could come out flat and have an off day today and that could change things dramatically coming down the final 9-hole stretch Sunday afternoon. But still, I find it impossible to bet against him on his home course. If the event was being held anywhere else (besides Bay Hill and Muirfield as well) I’d still probably take the field despite him having a 2-shot lead heading into the weekend.

But betting against a confident Tiger Woods at a course that has given him 7 wins throughout his career?

Not a chance.

No More Live Blogging/Tweeting Play-by-Play at Tour Events?

Well… it seems as though Ty Votaw, who is the PGA Tour’s executive VP of communications, was asleep at the wheel during the LPGA’s Carolyn Bivens debacle a few years back. Read more HERE.

Part of the excerpt from the story follows.

“As you know, our media regulations prohibit the use of real-time, play-by-play transmission in digital outlets.  In order to enforce these regulations, beginning this year, we will revoke the on-site credentials of all journalists affiliated with outlets that post play-by-play coverage, whether those posts are originating from tournament site or otherwise.” ~ Ty Votaw

The fact of the matter is that despite Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, or any other modern day needle-mover on the PGA Tour – the Tour’s interest and TV ratings don’t reflect a product that is in any position to privatize its publicity, regardless of what manner (or medium) it comes from. A word to Mr. Votaw: your policy reveals a closed-shop mentality that the Tour would be wise to turn back from, unless you want to risk alienating many of the very organizations that help market your product.

Otherwise, you might as well replace the fairway ropes with a wire fence and concertina wire, and position sharp shooters on every hole.

 

5 Things: The Week in Golf

AP

(1) – The Pre Bomb and Gouge Era Revisited

Brian Gay’s win on Sunday at the Humana took us back to a refreshing time and place in the game; a time when a player wasn’t required to deliver 130 miles per hour of clubhead speed with driver to stay competitive, and a place where holes that stretch 500+ yards are still considered par5’s instead of par4’s. Indeed, Gay’s 4th career win on Tour last Sunday was helped considerably by Scott Stallings’ inability to manage his game coming down the stretch and Charles Howell III’s lack of confidence on the putting greens, but we can’t overlook the fact that Gay’s final round score of 9-under 63 came with an average driving distance of only 279 yards last week. His ability to keep the ball in play (tied for 2nd in driving accuracy @ 81.48 percent), finding the heart of the greens (tied for 4th at 83.33 percent) and a final round void of a single bogey to go along with 9 birdies… all of those things remind us how the game used to be played many moons ago, a time when accuracy mattered just as much as distance.

Streeter Lecka / Getty

(2) – Charles Not in Charge, Yet…

It’s tough getting a read on Charles Howell III. He never struggles retaining his card each season, earning more than enough money to keep his playing privileges on Tour. He’s always had a very efficient golf swing that has more than enough power, and he can definitely get on a streak and post some low numbers from time to time. But his real nemesis was revealed once again last Sunday, as his putting and scrambling deficiencies on the weekends continue to keep him out of the winner’s circle. It’s hard to believe that in his 11 years and 366 career starts on Tour, Howell has managed to win only twice, with his last victory going all the way back to 2007. But despite coming up short in the playoff with Gay on Sunday, Charles is off to a really good start this season with back-t0-back weeks finishing inside the top-5. And although his short game work in the off season is still a work-in-progress, he seems pretty anxious about improving his play around/on the greens and trying to capture his 3rd win this season. “I’m thrilled with the start of the season… I would have taken that for a Christmas present wrapped up nicely and had it,” he said. “I hope it does continue on. I like the work that I’m doing, I’ve made more of a commitment to work on my short game. It’s up to me to stick to the plan that I’ve laid out throughout the whole year, as opposed to having a couple good weeks and then focusing a little bit more on something else. But, yeah, I surely hope it continues on.” Sunday marked the 14th time in his career that Howell has finished runner-up.

Matthew Lewis / Getty

(3) – 2013’s First Official Flop

I guess they weren’t paying attention to the sports headlines last week, Tiger and Rory. Because had they read the script, they would’ve needed an extra day for the 18-hole playoff to determine which one of them would win the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi. Instead, Nike’s Dynamic Duo ended up writing their own scripts, one of which included an ending that would’ve made even Quentin Tarantino wince in utter disgust.

Woods, who pretty much all but assured himself the weekend off with his sporadic playing through the first 27 holes, finally found a little mojo on the back nine Friday afternoon. His four birdies coming in got him safely inside the weekend cutline, but there was an issue that needed to be addressed before signing his scorecard, an issue that occurred earlier in the round on the front nine. European Tour official Andy McFee confronted Woods about his decision to take free relief from an embedded ball right of the fairway on the par4 5th, a decision that Woods felt he was entitled since his ball had plugged into an area of vegetation right of the fairway. Except Woods wasn’t entitled free relief, per the rules. McFee explained the rules breach, stating that the vegetation with the sand base underneath didn’t constitute a closely mown area, and further informing Tiger that his incorrect procedure would assess him a 2-stroke penalty. As it turned out, instead of being safely inside the cut and playing the weekend, the penalty assessment put him one stroke over and heading back to the states.

As for the newly knighted Nike convert, McIlroy seemed completely at odds with his new Nike equipment. In fact, he became so disenchanted with his new Nike Method putter after Thursday’s round that he left it back at the hotel Friday morning, opting to go back to his old Titleist Scotty Cameron putter he’d used prior to signing the lucrative $200 million deal with Nike earlier in the week. Unfortunately for Rory, putting was the least bit of his worries, as he struggled to find his golf swing either of the two days and wasn’t anywhere near playing well enough to move into the weekend.

While it’s indeed much too early in the season to be pondering any notions that maybe McIlroy made an error in judgement switching equipment at this stage of his career, some are wondering aloud that McIlroy might’ve rushed into the Nike stable full steam ahead, with little regard to the equipment adjustments that can completely change a player’s confidence with his game. Nick Faldo, who himself isn’t a stranger when it comes to switching equipment companies in the middle of a promising career, is one of those who seems to be wondering the loudest. “As professional golfers we get a millisecond of feedback from impact. And if you get that lovely feedback and the ball goes where you want it, that’s a tick in the confidence box,” Faldo said. “But if you think ‘oh, that felt different’ and the ball doesn’t go where you want it to go, it starts to eat away at your confidence.” But besides the risks assumed with changing equipment, Faldo seemed just as surprised that McIlroy, who is clearly the top player in the world and arguably the Tiger of his generation of players, would play second fiddle to anyone as it pertains to brand identity. “I’m surprised he’s going to Nike. Tiger has made that his brand and to join someone else’s brand really surprises me, as I thought he would stick to his own thing. Rory could easily start ‘The Rory Brand’ and build his own identity,” he said. “He’s that popular, he doesn’t need to be a Nike guy, or adidas guy or whatever. When you’re 23 and world No 1 – what a great time to build ‘The Rory Brand’ – a true brand, not somebody else’s.”

Whatever the case, McIlroy’s debut with Nike last week was certainly not what he was expecting. But whether his start to 2013 was equipment related or simply the buildup of rust from a few weeks off during the holidays, obviously it’s much too early to tell. As I said in the latter part of last week, we’ll have a better take on these questions come March and April, as we move closer to the first major of the season.

(4) Phil Mickelson, You Greedy Bastard… 

It’s taken me over an hour to edit what I originally wrote about this non-story regarding Phil Mickelson and the comment he made earlier this week about paying too much in taxes. In my attempt to not piss off some of my liberal friends, I decided to delete the whole damn thing. It’s not worth arguing my point with them, because no matter how much I justify why I feel the way I do, I’ll still be looked at as someone who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the plight of the underprivileged in my country back home, which I can assure you is not the least bit true. So I’ll keep it short and to the point.

(1) Mickelson expressed concern about being taxed at an enormous rate of 60%

(2) Mickelson expressed those concerns (he felt) off-the-record, but has been around long enough to know that they would be in the headlines the next day.

(3) Mickelson issued an apology to those who felt insulted because of his concerns. (that story HERE)

(4) Tiger Woods, who many have considered to be unfriendly with Mickelson, actually attempted to defend Mickelson’s comments. (that story HERE)

(5) If there’s anyone who in their right mind feels as though the government should be entitled to take 60% of anyone’s salary, click HERE.

(5) This Week’s Event at Torrey Pines

If the final round of this week’s Farmers Insurance Open offers us even half of the drama and excitement that we experienced last year, it’ll be something we’ll definitely want to tune in for. Most of us recall Kyle Stanley’s incredibly humbling stumble on the final hole that Sunday that led to the heartbreaking playoff loss to Brandt Snedeker, only to bounce back with his first Tour win in his very next start the following week. But unlike last year, this year’s field looks to be even stronger, with both Mickelson and Tiger headlining a very good field this week, easily the strongest field thus far in the season.

The marquee pairing on the South course is Nick Watney, Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler, teeing off Thursday at 10:30 a.m. local time.

The marquee pairing on the North course is Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, and defending champ Brandt Snedeker, teeing off Thursday at 9:30 a.m. local time.

PS – Phil Mickelson will be holding a special press conference prior to Thursday’s round, talking about his new sponsorship deal he just signed with H & R Block.

Thanks for your time, as always.

May you hit your tee balls long and straight,

but hide your winnings, cause the tax man waits.

An Old Putter, a Brainfart, and the Weekend Off

Getty

Well, so much for Nike Golf’s latest “No Cup is Safe” commercial with the World’s #1 and #2.

If you’re in the 1 percent that hasn’t seen it in the gazillion times it’s been aired already since Wednesday, it shows Woods and McIlroy deeply engaged in 1upsmanship on a practice range, as both players take dead aim at targets inside of office buildings, penthouse suites, restaurants, and even a wedding reception.

Judging by their first two rounds this week at the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi, it’s apparent that someone at Team Nike failed to send Tiger and Rory the memo that the commercial shoot was over, they were now playing actual golf.

Unless it’s the sequel to Wednesday’s commercial, of course (which would obviously be “No Cut is Safe”).

Thank God for Russell Henley, who by the way probably didn’t ink a $250 million deal with Phil Knight less than a week earlier, only to kick the company’s marquee putter to the curb and go back to dear old Scotty a few days later. Russell is following up his win last week in Hawaii by continuing his solid play this week at the Humana Challenge out in California.

Unlike Nike’s Dynamic Duo, Henley will continue to give Nike some exposure this weekend, since he not only made the cut, but finds himself only a few shots off the lead.

But it goes without saying that it wasn’t the start of 2013 that Woods and McIlroy envisioned. To say that Woods’ first two rounds this season resembled a mixed bag would be a slap in the face of mixed bags. There were no fewer than 5 instances in which a rules official had to invoke the infield fly rule after Woody reverted to the post-fire hydrant lumberjack off the tee, and of course we can’t forget the “I cold topped it” shot on his 10th hole Thursday that went all of 150 yards. It’s not that he’s never done that before, but rather the fact that the last time he did that was probably 30+ years ago. When his approach shots were dead at the flag, which wasn’t that often, they were either a club too short or two clubs long. His putting wasn’t great, but then again – it’s tough to get anything going when you’re faced with 10 footers to save par on every other hole. But despite his incredibly sloppy play, Woods did manage to put together a nice run of four birdies on the back nine Friday to get into the weekend.

Or so he and everyone else thought. But that turned out to not be the case. On the 5th hole Tiger assumed that he would be granted free relief from an embedded ball, and everyone knows what happens when one assumes. The long story can be found HERE, but the short of it is that his brainfart cost him a 2-stroke penalty, effectively giving him the weekend off. It seems that the folks in Qatar who denied Woods his customary $3 million appearance fee for next week’s tournament are smarter than we give them credit.

And Rory, bless his heart, it seemed at times as though he was being punished for signing a deal with some sort of golf equipment devil. Tiger was struggling right along with him, but at least Woodrow didn’t bring in a non-Nike sub off the bench, which is more than we can say for the curly headed kid in love with a hot tennis chick at the moment. Rory, for all intents and purposes, was simply not prepared to play golf this week, with whatever equipment.

So three weeks into the PGA Tour season, what does all of this mean, you ask?

Nothing really. Tiger’s no longer the dominant player who used to nonchalantly waltz into the weekend with his C game, as we’ve seen over the past three seasons. Rory might be in for a longer struggle with the equipment change, but it’s really hard to base anything much on the first two rounds of the season. If March rolls around and he’s still trying to figure out which end of the Nike club to hold, then there could be some due panic going on. But for now, no need to jump to conclusions.

I’ll be back Monday to offer my take on what transpired over the weekend.

Until then, may your life be filled with sunshine and warmth.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend, my friends.

Nike Begins McIlroy Era

Matthew Lewis/Getty

Years ago it was the Big Three in Golf, as Nicklaus, Palmer and Player threw the game on their backs and carried it when there was little else for the golf world to really talk about. “It wasn’t about the money” as they say, at least not incredible life-changing gobs of it anyway. But of course – that was back when any of the aforementioned three had to drive from venue to venue in a beater with 200,000 miles on a gas-guzzling 8 cylinder engine, and they didn’t walk the fairways looking like walking billboards, unlike the players who came after them a half century later. Sure, endorsement contracts existed back then. Companies like Lucky Strike and Pennzoil knew a good opportunity when they saw it, but they weren’t doling out endorsement checks greater than the GDP’s of many third-world nations.

Alas… that was back when the Big Three in Golf were players and not golf equipment manufacturers.

Things being what they are, Nike’s decision to woo Rory McIlroy into a long-term contract deal, which was made official just a few days ago, appears to be a mutual gold mine for both parties, as Phil Knight’s second biggest thoroughbred to enter the Nike stable now has more oats than Quakers have money. The Guardian news agency here in the UK  is reporting that McIlroy’s 10-year, mega-millions arrangement with Nike is worth $250 million, and when he tees it up in his first event of the season later today in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – he’ll have an entirely different bag of new Nike toys to play with. Golf magazine online quickly points out that McIlroy’s power induces a lot of spin on the golf ball, which might make the changeover to the new Nike 20XI-X ball a bit more difficult. But Rory attempted to shrug off any immediate concerns. “You know me, I don’t overthink things,” he said. “I’m not going to get overwhelmed by changing my equipment. In all honesty, it’s been a pretty seamless transition.”

One thing is apparent in all of this: despite the current economic climate that is still reeling from the 5-year tailspin that the entire world has had to endure, big corporations are still eager to hitch their wagons to winners, especially the young, unassuming and likable types. McIlroy’s presence indeed offers Nike both the talent and the image they desire, and neither party seemed to have any qualms joining forces to capitalize on the current “heir apparent to Tiger” storyline that has been in the works since the 23-year-old won his first major and ascended to the top of the World Golf Rankings. In fact, Nike wasted little time presenting their new partnership with McIlroy this season with a new commercial that was released just yesterday (video below).

“I chose Nike for a number of reasons,” McIlroy said. “It’s a company and a brand that really resonates with me. It’s young. It’s athletic. It’s innovative. They are committed to being the best, as am I. Signing with Nike is another step towards living out my dream.”

A dream that continues to get bigger and better with each passing year, one that at some point truly “isn’t about the money” any longer.

But then again – we already knew that.

 

 

Russell Henley, Unchained

Petersen / Getty

To use part of a quote from the character Calvin Candie in the recent top-grossing movie, Django Unchained: Mr. Henley, you had our curiosities last year with your impressive fall finish on the Web.com Tour. Now you officially have our attention.

So with that in mind….

Prior to Sunday, only 5 players in Tour history enjoyed the distincition of having won their very first Tour wins in their very first starts: Marty Fleckman did it back in 1967 at the Cajun Classic, then six years later a guy by the name of Ben Crenshaw did it at the 1973 Texas Open. Nearly 17 years would pass before it would happen again, with Robert Gamez winning the 1990 Tucson Open, and that would be the same tournament 11 years later in which Garrett Willis would add his name to the list in 2001. Before Sunday, Henrik Stenson was the last Tour rookie who would accomplish the rare feat, taking the 2007 WGC Matchplay event in Arizona.

Thanks to an incredible performance on Sunday at the Sony Open, and throughout the entire four days at Waialae Country Club for that matter, 23-year-old Russell Henley officially added his name to that distinguished party above.

Going into Sunday’s final round at the Sony, Henley found himself sharing the lead with fellow Tour rookie Scott Langley, which interestingly enough wouldn’t mark their first official duel with one another in their golfing careers. As some of you might recall, both Langley and Henley shared low-amateur honors back in the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, both sharing a T-16th finish. Coming into Sunday’s final round at Waialae, neither player could’ve possibly asked for better maiden starts to their respective careers, both sitting atop the leaderboard at 17-under par. With a cast of strong veteran players lurking 3 and 4 shots back of them, and with the final round conditions all but assuring yet another low-scoring affair, both Henley and Langley knew the tournament was far from over.

But as the final round unfolded, Tour veteran Tim Clark would be the only player in the final group to offer a remote challenge to Henley on Sunday, as Langley’s red-hot putter that had propelled him to the top of the leaderboard the first three days suddenly turned ice-cold. The 23-year-old southpaw from Illinois had to settle for a closing round of level par 70, sharing a T3 finish with Charles Howell III. But even as cagey a veteran as Tim Clark is and as brilliantly as he played on Sunday, he was simply no match for the other 23-year-old rookie in the group, who continued his assault on Waialae as though he’d been playing the layout for years. Each time Clark would make a birdie to push the issue with the young rookie, Henley would respond in 1-up fashion with a birdie of his own, denying the South African even the smallest window of opportunity to draw nearer. In just about any other situation with a player only a few shots off the lead, a 5-under finish on the back nine alone on Sunday would ordinarily offer him the big reward. But this Sunday would be far removed from being the situation Tim Clark needed. Clark’s remarkable performance, as great as it was, couldn’t match Henley’s unbelievable stretch of 5 consecutive birdies to easily close out his first Tour win.

What we witnessed on Sunday from Henley was anything but ordinary, as we watched a young man take an enormous step forward and launch his career in astonishing fashion. The poise, the quiet confidence, and even his dirty blond hair cropping over his visor all reveal the uncanny resemblances of another Tour player who entered the same stage 6 years ago as a rookie himself, who’s groomed his game since then to enjoy his greatest season ever last year. But even so, Brandt Snedeker didn’t make the splash that Russell Henley made Sunday at the Sony Open. With his maiden victory yesterday, Henley not only secured a 2-year playing exemption, but will also find himself competing in the Players Championship, the PGA Championship and his most-beloved tournament in his home state – The Masters.

It’s much too early to be comparing Russell to a player like Brandt Snedeker, for sure… but their similarities go beyond mere looks and playing styles. Henley, like Snedeker, earned his way onto the Tour via the Web.com circuit and partially credited his win on Sunday to the lessons he learned playing the 2nd tier Tour. “For me it (Web.com Tour) is everything,” he said. “Not everybody needs the experience before they get out here, but for me it’s probably the best thing for my golf game I’ve ever had to do. Learn to travel, learn what worked for me, learn how many practice rounds I need, depending on the course, learn how much sleep I need to get. I got used to the flow of a tournament, early-late, late-early, all those things are pretty big, and I learned at the very start, about the first 13 weeks, what didn’t work. I played pretty awful in my opinion. I think I made like 15 grand, and the last 10 or 12 weeks was huge for me.”

It would seem that Russell Henley’s example is the latest proof that would help support commissioner Tim Finchem’s reasoning for restructuring the Tour’s qualifying standards, but we’ll revisit that topic later on in the season. For now, we’ll simply recognize talent as it comes and goes. But right now, Russel Henley is precisely where he deserves to be… the latest and greatest 20-something that has officially staked his claim on the PGA Tour.

We wish the friendly young man from the land of y’all the best in the years to come.