Running 2018 golf thread

[Double Down]

The biggest mistake any network can make is trying to cater to non-golf fans. Or non-golf nerds. That's how you get Curt Menefee saying "Jordan Speith doesn't really do anything special, so it's hard to figure out what makes him so good." (Spoiler: He was, for a good stretch, the best iron player in the world and a Top-5 putter.) Casual fans only care about players (See: Tiger, and Tiger only) and so putting someone in the booth thinking that the casual fan will tune into hear them is the Dennis Miller experiment, just in a different scale. Johnny Miller was great at his job, and fearless. Yes he was a crank, yes he talked about himself way too much, yes he pissed off plenty of players. But he put in the work and he offered insight. Faldo is a joke compared to him. Greg Norman was a joke of a joke. At least Johnny was willing to criticize a player when it was deserved, and I don't think he was every unfair to a player, at least repeatedly. Maybe he was harsh to Phil over the years, but he was also the one guy ever willing to be remotely critical of Tiger, which was needed. Imagine if, in the NBA, the financial structure of the sport was so wedded to LeBron James' success that no one was every willing to criticize him. Or the same with Tom Brady. (You can joke that it's exactly like that, but it's not. Not like Tiger.) That's where golf was, and Johnny was still willing to call Tiger out when needed, like the infamous (and clearly bull****) drop at the Players that Casey Wittenburg signed off on because what Web.com player would ever challenge the GOAT.

Azinger is great, and will continue to be great. I'm stunned Fox is cool with him doing both Fox and NBC, but I suspect since he's an independent contractor they don't have much choice.

 

[playthrough]

So you were okay with Chris Berman doing “happy hour” (which is kinda cryptic considering the actions of his wife) at the U.S. Open? How about Greg Norman having no reaction after DJ choked away the 2015 Open?

Is it a make or break thing, no? But a bad announcer can make the difference between a telecast sucking and not sucking.

Oh, no question about that. Norman was a terrible hire and was even worse when he got into the chair. But I wasn't going to turn off the U.S. Open. As for Berman, jeez, the mute button never looked so tempting.

As for Zinger, I can't imagine he'd have agreed to a contract where he couldn't have another gig on non-Fox telecast weekends. He might have seen this opportunity coming.

 

[TigerVols]

I thought the Fox crew for this year's tourney was fantastic, surprisingly enough.

 

[Cosmo]

I think a bad announcer does more to wreck a viewing experience than a good announcer does to enhance it, if that makes sense.

 

[playthrough]

Tough to read the first section of this story on Pete Dye.

Pete Dye's Final Chapter - Golf Digest

I spent time with Dye in 2016 at his newest private course in Indianapolis for a story. He muttered a few answers to some questions and went on rambling tangents on others, but I didn't think anything of it, having talked to him several times over the years -- he always had a bit of grandpa-gruffness and, heck, at this point the man was 90 years old. But now I know. Damn.

 

[maumann]

I think a bad announcer does more to wreck a viewing experience than a good announcer does to enhance it, if that makes sense.

The best announcers are like good refs and umps. You shouldn't be aware of them while you're watching the broadcast, but their ability to make the correct call at the right time is critical to your enjoyment of the event.

 

[maumann]

Tough to read the first section of this story on Pete Dye.

Pete Dye's Final Chapter - Golf Digest

I spent time with Dye in 2016 at his newest private course in Indianapolis for a story. He muttered a few answers to some questions and went on rambling tangents on others, but I didn't think anything of it, having talked to him several times over the years -- he always had a bit of grandpa-gruffness and, heck, at this point the man was 90 years old. But now I know. Damn.

I had a chance to meet both Dye's at Ford Plantation after he completed the redesign. I didn't know how far his dementia had progressed until I realized how much Alice carried the conversation. What an amazing ability to take terrain and sculpt courses playable -- and enjoyable -- for both top-level players and weekend hackers.

 

[trifectarich]

This week's PGA Tour event, the field reduced by 12 players, to 132, because in previous years they couldn't finish a round the same day they started. No weather delays yesterday . . . still didn't finish. What's the saying, slower than molasses flowing uphill in January? That's how slow these guys are.

 

[TigerVols]

PGA is still on tour, in November? Where?

 

[trifectarich]

I think it's Vegas this week.

 

[playthrough]

This week's PGA Tour event, the field reduced by 12 players, to 132, because in previous years they couldn't finish a round the same day they started. No weather delays yesterday . . . still didn't finish. What's the saying, slower than molasses flowing uphill in January? That's how slow these guys are.

Being that it's Vegas, you'd hope the guys with early tee times would have really good excuses ... but yeah, there's just no relief in sight for slow play.

 

[trifectarich]

Maybe next year they'll whack another 12 spots off the starting field. When players lose opportunities to tee it up, they'll think of solutions.

 

[John B. Foster]

@Junkie - is this you?

 

[Junkie]

@Junkie - is this you?

I believe it’s JC.