Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we're pretty sure we've seen this movie before. An American dressed in all black just imposing his will South of the Border. Yep, we've definitely seen this movie before:
FacebookPinterestOf course, this had a slightly different ending with Patrick Reed taking home a trophy instead of getting his eyes gouged out like Johnny Depp. But overall, the good guys won. And if there's anything we can all agree on these days, it's that Patrick Reed is one of the good guys. Wait. No? OK, well, we've got a lot to discuss then.
WE'RE BUYING
Patrick Reed on Sundays: To be clear, I’m not giving Reed credit for being resilient and overcoming adversity at Club de Golf Chapultepec. This mess of him morphing from Captain America into Captain Controversy is his own making. But I am giving him credit for not succumbing to final-round pressure and being able to close out (big) golf tournaments better than just about anyone else these days. In addition to a green jacket and being a Ryder Cup hero, Reed now has two World Golf Championships, two FedEx Cup playoff events, and eight PGA Tour titles. Before turning 30. That is quite a résumé. And yes, he won just days after Brooks Koepka and Peter Kostis called him out for breaking the rules.
FacebookPinterestApparently it's easier to shush the haters at altitude. Although, Team Reed went on a Twitter blocking rampage following the victory, targeting everyone from fans to members of the media to fellow tour pros:
https://twitter.com/PepperellEddie/status/1232318141356601344
Jeez. Not even Bryson DeChambeau has Eddie blocked! Anyway, congrats to Patrick Reed on the win and congrats to me on not getting blocked. Yet.
Viktor Hovland: Now here was an overwhelmingly popular victory. Hovland picked up his first win as a pro and the first for the country of Norway on the PGA Tour. Not surprisingly, Norwegian announcers absolutely lost their minds when he drained a 30-foot birdie putt to win on the final hole:
What a talent, what a personality. This 22-year-old has superstar written all over him. We just hope he can overcome the Curse of Coco Beach.
Erik Van Rooyen: First of all, the South African more than held his own at the WGC-Mexico Championship with a T-3 finish. But just as impressively, the dude shreds on the guitar:
Loading
Great song, great playing. It’s almost enough to look past those joggers he wears on the course. Almost.
This bathroom: A bathroom is usually the least exciting room in a house, but that’s not the case for this man:
Absolutely beautiful. And how about that toilet tucked away? That’s an Amen Corner everyone can appreciate. If this were a match, MASTERS bathroom is Tiger Woods and your typical master bathroom is Stephen Ames.
WE'RE SELLING
The Premier Golf League: The CEO of the potential new league, Andrew Gardiner, stepped out of the shadows and presented some interesting ideas like shotgun starts and four-man teams, but it might have been too little too late after Rory McIlroy said he’s “Out” and that he wants “to be on the right side of history.” With no Rory and Tiger/Phil barely on the right side of 50, it doesn’t seem like the PGL stands much of a chance. Even with Twitter gems like this:
https://twitter.com/premgolfleague/status/1230949491970379776
”Thank you Tiger”: Speaking of Tiger—well, not really—this was trending on Twitter on Friday and had golf fans freaking out that Tiger Woods was hanging it up:
Instead it had to do with a Japanese wrestling referee Tiger Hattori retiring. PHEW!
This shot: My Golf Digest pal Christopher Powers loves (over)using the headline, “This is it, this is the best/worst (insert something) ever. But this is one case in which it applies. So without further ado . . . This is it, this is the most embarrassing golf shot ever hit:
There are shanks and then there’s this. Just brutal. And it occurred on the opening hole of the world’s most storied course and in front of a gallery. Talk about a nightmare.
ON TAP
The PGA Tour begins its Florida Swing with the Honda Classic, AKA that event with the Bear Trap. Unfortunately, because of the new(er) schedule, it can’t corral many of the PGA Tour’s stars, even the many who live in Jupiter and could walk to the course.
Random tournament fact: Keith Mitchell won last year and got quite the headline in the local Palm Beach Post:
Ouch.
RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK
—A PGA Tour pro will get attacked by an actual bear: 10,000-to-1 odds
—My wife will ever go for a bathroom like that: 1-MILLION -to-1 odds
—Patrick Reed doesn’t care what this no-name golf writer thinks of him: LOCK
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Brooks Koepka going all GQ. Literally.
Nicely done, Brooks. As someone who also did a shoot with GQ, I know there’s no better way to pad your wardrobe without spending a dime.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK (INVOLVING PUTTING GREENS)
Introducing Bryson DeChambeau’s “towel guy”:
Turns out, he was creating shade so Bryson could see the laser attached to his putter. True story. Still, quite a look. And how about Colin Montgomerie practicing his putting at a PGA Tour Superstore?
https://twitter.com/montgomeriefdn/status/1231332261217341446
No laser for Monty. Old school.
VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Check out 84-year-old Mary Ann Wakefield draining a 94-foot, full-court putt at an Ole Miss basketball game to win a new car:
Good for her. Rory McIlroy might want to take some notes.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I just suck at chipping." —Viktor Hovland's brutal assessment of his short game following his win in Puerto Rico was nearly as entertaining as that winning putt:
Although, with ball-striking stats like this, he could chip like my boss and still win on tour:
https://twitter.com/PGATOURSMartin/status/1231954978702536705
OK, maybe not my boss, but you get the point.
THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS
The political mudslinging has gotten particularly nasty as we approach November’s Presidential election. First, Donald Trump knocked Mike Bloomberg swing’s speed:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1227261625167732736
Then this past week, Bloomberg hit back with this billboard:
What a country.
THIS WEEK IN PGA TOUR PRO-WAGS PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION
Jimmy Walker and Erin Walker shared their first cooking video together:
Loading
First of all, it's tough to beat steak and pasta. Secondly, Netflix might be calling about filming a new cooking series.
THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL
Golf’s ultimate showman took in a show during a trip to NYC:
https://twitter.com/PhilMickelson/status/1230977233029935105
Thanks for the rec, Phil, but I wish you’d stopped by the office.
THIS AND THAT
Charles Howell III has now passed $1 million in earnings for 20 consecutive seasons and the 40-year-old is closing in on crossing the $40 million mark for his career. . . . Nineteen-year-old Stephanie Kyriacou, the 90th-ranked amateur golfer in the world, won the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville by eight shots. Something tells me there aren’t actually 89 amateur golfers better than her right now. . . . And apparently, there are some degenerates out there betting on which golfer gets to the tee box first:
This makes me feel a lot better about myself.
RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER
What’s the dumbest golf bet I’ve ever made?
What’s the most embarrassing golf shot I’ve ever hit?
Has Patrick Reed blocked me on Twitter yet?