2. Keegan Bradley shot a final-round 68 to win a low-scoring Vacationers Championship on Sunday. With two wins already this season, what’s been the important thing to Bradley’s resurgence this yr and can be in Rome for the Ryder Cup?

Zak: There’s an oft-mentioned recipe to success on the PGA Tour: be among the best ball-strikers and keep affected person for the week when your putter will get scorching. Effectively, Keegan is likely one of the finest ball-strikers on the planet and, sure, his putter bought scorching. Bradley completed first in Strokes Gained: Strategy and first in Strokes Gained: Placing. That’ll do it mainly each single week. It’s precisely why he’s enjoying his manner onto the Ryder Cup crew in the meanwhile. 

Sens: Bradley answered this query for us by bowing repeatedly to his putter. He made the whole lot, apart from that tough patch down the stretch. I hope he’s on the crew for the emotional hearth he brings. However the potential roster is so deep— Bradley is one of a big handful of fellows who may swap in or out and the crew wouldn’t be dropping or gaining sufficient for anybody to complain 

Dethier: I certain hope so. The Ryder Cup is at its finest when its rosters are composed of golfers who desperately need to be there, and Bradley actually matches that description. However with Clark reserving his ticket to Rome ultimately week’s U.S. Open and Bradley making a robust case this week, the choice course of simply bought an entire lot spicier.

3. In an open letter that clocked in at greater than 1,000 phrases, eight-time main winner Tom Watson had harsh phrases for the PGA Tour-Saudi merger. Watson is amongst a number of legends of the sport who’ve chimed in on golf’s mega-merger, so it begs the query: Why hasn’t Tiger Woods performed so but? Ought to he really feel compelled to take action?

Zak: At first, I puzzled the identical factor. However now, nobody appears to be like smarter than Tiger for not speaking. It’s principally conjecture at this level. Even Jimmy Dunne appears to be like a bit frantic for speaking in comparison with, say, Ed Herlihy, who hasn’t muttered a phrase on the file. Tiger’s voice will include loads of weight when he does communicate, however why communicate when there’s nonetheless a lot to be determined?

Sens: True that it’s too early for him to touch upon the small print of the merger, however not too early for him to ask pointed questions on it, or provide recommendations as to how he’d prefer to see it go. Additionally not too early for him to criticize the backroom nature of the negotiations. However his silence up to now can also be completely on-brand. In relation to weighing in on polemical points, Woods has at all times been extra of a follower than a bold-voiced chief. His voice carries weight when he does communicate, nevertheless it’s hardly ever the primary voice we hear.

Dethier: To Sens’ level, I don’t suppose Woods has ever actually performed a lot to counsel he’d communicate out publicly on this difficulty from residence proper now. I do know we’ve been wanting to make sense of his position within the sport as soon as his enjoying profession formally winds down, however he has by no means actually stated he desires to be concerned in any public-facing day-to-day management of the PGA Tour. I’ve little doubt that he’d just like the PGA Tour to outlive, to strengthen, to stay the preeminent golf tour on this planet. However till he sees clear worth in talking out I doubt he’ll really feel any obligation to take action. Woods solutions questions at press conferences when he’s enjoying or internet hosting golf tournaments. Exterior of that, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see the place he makes use of his voice going ahead.

4. NBC introduced it had the highest viewership for the U.S. Open because it took over the event protection in 2020. And whereas a West Coast Open actually didn’t damage its viewership window, it did draw criticism from eventual champ Wyndham Clark, who stated on the conclusion of the third spherical it was “ridiculous” they tee off so late and blamed late bogeys from himself and Rickie Fowler on the darkness. However was Clark proper? Or do these numbers show it doesn’t matter if the USGA and NBC must cope with just a little criticism?

Zak: Clark was proper. However I’m undecided who to actually give blame to, the USGA or NBC? Most likely each? Both manner, 30 to 45 minutes within the different path would have been smart, he says, with all of the hindsight on this planet. I don’t suppose that will have modified the numbers in a major sufficient manner. A studying for the subsequent west coast Open, 4 years from now. 

Sens: Taking part in in waning mild right into a setting solar! The adversity Tour professionals face is totally harrowing. Yeah. Not supreme timing, however a minor hiccup, simply corrected. Plus, I assume Clark would take a late-day pairing over going out early on the weekend.

Dethier: Blame the marine layer, too — however you ought to be prepared for the marine layer! Clark was proper, however all’s nicely that ends nicely, I suppose, and his Saturday spherical ended with a flagged iron and a brief birdie putt, whereas his Sunday spherical ended with a trophy in hand. I’m guessing not each East Coast golf fan truly loves an 11 p.m. end, however there’s no query that point slot helps scores. Perhaps we want some extra Colorado-based majors simply to get issues dialed in round Mountain Time.

5. Rickie Fowler continued his robust play on the Vacationers, following up his T5 end on the U.S. Open by taking T13 this week (which included a third-round 60). This week was additionally a great bounce-back for Justin Thomas, who has been enjoying nicely however not nice and beforehand missed the reduce on the U.S. Open; he completed T9 at TPC River Highlands. What’s been essentially the most shocking current improvement: Fowler’s surge or Thomas’ hunch? And which one will last more?

Zak: I used to be extra shocked at Thomas’ hunch, if solely as a result of there appeared to be one factor lacking a pair months in the past — placing — and lately the problems appeared to development into his lengthy sport. I feel Thomas’ hunch is bottoming out — get him on these nation golf equipment of the FedEx Cup and he’ll proper himself — however I additionally don’t see Fowler’s surge ending proper now. So we’ll say Rickie’s surge lasts longer, hopefully, throughout a go to to Rome in late September. 

Sens: Even the best undergo slumps. However Thomas’ T-153 within the U.S. Open was a shocker. Fowler’s return to type has been gradual, then sudden, and Butch Harmon promised us it was coming. Based mostly on this week’s Vacationers, it appears Thomas has already begun to proper himself. Fowler’s surge is already extra enduring.

Dethier: These guys have it proper; Thomas’ last three rounds of 64-62-67 have been sufficient to persuade me that he can nonetheless play just a little little bit of golf. Rickie appears proper. One factor’s for certain: every of ‘em will have fun his subsequent win with just a little one thing additional.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf crew and nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but in addition producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He may be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.