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Tiger Woods’ cut up with Nike is amongst this week’s largest headlines.
Mike Ehrmann / Getty Photographs
Welcome again to the Monday End, the place we’re fishing for a Nike Golf sponsorship. Let’s get to the information!
It’s the primary Monday End of 2024, which implies we’re coming into Yr 3 of this column’s existence. At Monday End HQ, we attempt to adapt with the instances, which implies for this week’s version, we’re hopping aboard the New Yr’s pattern of what’s IN and OUT following the primary PGA Tour occasion of the brand new season.
IN: Scottie Scheffler’s ball-striking
New yr, identical Scottie Scheffler. This was the week Scheffler picked up his second consecutive PGA Tour Participant of the Yr title after which logged a ho-hum T5 end, main the sphere in strokes gained from tee to inexperienced within the course of. That’s spectacular! It must also come as no shock, as a result of that’s just about what Scheffler does each time he performs …
OUT: Scheffler’s placing
New yr, identical Scottie Scheffler. After gaining strokes the primary two days on the greens and seizing the 36-hole lead, Scheffler seemed like he may roll to a victory in his second consecutive begin. As an alternative he pale on the weekend, shedding practically 4 strokes to the sphere placing on Saturday and Sunday mixed (though he performed Sunday’s closing 14 holes in eight-under par). From the sales space, Kevin Kisner offered an intriguing idea that Scheffler struggles along with his alignment, establishing along with his toes sq. and even barely closed to the goal, similar to he does along with his full swing. The outcomes along with his full swing are plain. However so are the outcomes along with his putter.
His setup works with driver, Kisner stated, as a result of he can hit a fade.
“However he can’t actually fade a putt.”
NBC Sports activities
It was a very good week for NBC’s broadcast group, which added Kevin Kisner for the primary of two trial weeks because it searches for a full-time analyst to fill the seat previously held by Paul Azinger. Whereas I believed they overdid it early week with the overanalysis of the analyst (“Kiz, the way you do suppose it’s going up to now?” “Haven’t been fired but!” and many others.), by the weekend he provided measured evaluation with well-placed insights (see Scheffler, above) and the occasional well-placed barb (see Jordan Spieth, under).
Kisner downplayed any speak that this could be a full-time transfer — he joked that it was a great way to get a free flight to Hawaii earlier than he performs on this week’s Sony Open — however up to now, so good.
OUT: Viktor Hovland’s short-game guru
Why? I’m unsure, to be sincere. However arguably essentially the most high-profile player-coach combo of 2023 has not made it to 2024 after Viktor Hovland confirmed his cut up with Joe Mayo. With Mayo’s session, Hovland had famously reworked from a poor chipper and pitcher of the golf ball to somebody so assured with wedge in hand that he pulled wedge for a tough chip on the primary gap of the Ryder Cup — and hit a shot that grew to become the match’s tone-setter. Anyway, each Hovland and Mayo have declined to touch upon the cut up. However in case you’re trying to overreact to 1 week of information, Hovland pale to T22 on the weekend and completed forty second within the subject across the greens.
Nonetheless, I’d say it’s value giving this one a while to play out.
IN: New manufacturers
The Sentry is at all times the place we see some new gear and attire, however this yr we noticed a pair new manufacturers enter the Tour professional house. First was Xander Schauffele, who has worn Adidas all through his profession however has now switched to Descente, an out of doors attire firm finest recognized for its ski line. Schauffele will assist advise the group because it doubles down on its golf line, with a launch saying Descente hopes he’ll assist “strengthen its golf class lineup in Japan, Korea, and China.” Schauffele, who will proceed to sport Adidas footwear, seemed sharp all week in clear, crisp matches:
Ben Jared / Getty Photographs
Then there was Jason Day, who shook up the golf world by switching from the slim-fit stretchy swoosh into one thing decidedly … baggier.
Day grew to become the primary PGA Tour model ambassador for Malbon, a stylish smaller store that fancies itself an innovator within the golf and life-style house. On this case, they’re transferring ahead by wanting again, tossing Day into some 90s-era tailoring. My solely gripe? Should you’re going saggy, let’s get baggier. Perhaps subsequent begin …
OUT: Nike Golf
Day sporting Malbon means he’s not sporting Nike, which marks a major shakeup within the golf lineup of the swoosh. However a much more important shakeup was confirmed by way of tweet on Monday morning: Tiger Woods is leaving the model, too!
Whereas Woods thanked Nike for his or her 27-year partnership, he additionally teased two issues. No. 1, that one thing is coming subsequent. (“Sure, there will definitely be one other chapter.”) No. 2, that he’ll be taking part in the Genesis Invitational. (“See you in LA!”) I’ll depart the Tiger-in-Nike-red obits to others and simply say that, with the attainable exception of Arnold Palmer and bottled iced tea-lemonade, this was essentially the most iconic golfer-brand relationship of all time.
We’ll see what’s subsequent for Nike, which is clearly scaling again its golf funding. Scheffler nonetheless wore Nike shirts this week, as did Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Kim. We’ll see if Rory McIlroy remains to be swooshed up at this week’s Dubai Invitational, and Brooks Koepka every time he makes his subsequent LIV look. After which we’ll see what’s subsequent for Woods — and for his accompanying TW model.
IN: Mashing drives
Should you weren’t cranking a pair drives 400 plus down the (actually) volcanic fairways of Kapalua’s Ocean Course ,you had been mainly a no person; it’s preposterous how far drives roll right here. However no person rolled one higher than Max Homa, whose 477-yard drive on the severely downhill par-4 seventh left him with only a flip wedge into the huge par-4 and marked the longest recorded drive on the PGA Tour since a minimum of 2003, the start of the ShotLink period.
OUT: Making pars
Lee Trevino stated that there are two issues that received’t final lengthy on this world: canine chasing automobiles and professionals placing for pars. That positive was true this week, the place even in a no-cut occasion, last-place Vincent Norrman shot six-under par for 4 rounds. Reaching double digits underneath par meant beating simply three folks (Rickie Fowler shot 10 underneath and completed 56th of 59) and going low didn’t imply a lot, both: Justin Rose shot 12-under par on Sunday and solely moved from 54th to T40, whereas Ludvig Aberg‘s 10-under Sunday jumped him from 56th to forty seventh. And Sungjae Im made a PGA Tour-record 34 birdies on the week and by no means severely contended. Powerful crowd!
IN: Altering golf equipment
As Chris Kirk stood within the seventeenth fairway, he obtained a quantity from his caddie — 192 yards after slope adjustment — and regarded what to hit as he waited for taking part in associate Akshay Bhatia to go first.
“If I had been first to hit, earlier than Akshay, I’d have pulled out 7 and hit a pleasant full 7 downwind,” Kirk stated. However Bhatia took his time; he was attempting to determine the swirling wind. Kirk was, too. By the point it was flip to play, it didn’t really feel downwind in any respect.
“We felt it off the best for a short time, we felt it off the left, after which it will definitely settled again into out of the north prefer it had been,” he stated. Kirk pulled 5-iron. Then he hit among the best photographs of his life, arguably the shot of his life, flagging it inside two toes and successfully slamming the door shut on a large PGA Tour victory. He hadn’t made it to the Sentry in eight years. He made this journey value his whereas.
“I’m very, very pleased with that shot, proud that I used to be capable of make the best name and — speak about a tricky shot to decide to. Once you’re about to tug 7 and you find yourself hitting 5, that doesn’t occur ever. That by no means occurs. So to have the ability to decide to it like I did and make that good of a swing was an unimaginable feeling.”
OUT: Rory McIlroy, politician
Within the wake of Rory McIlroy‘s podcast look final week, through which he expressed some regret for being overly judgmental about LIV defectors, Greg Norman took to LIV’s podcast to declare some type of victory, crowing that McIlroy had “fallen on his sword” and declaring that this marked a major turning level in LIV’s future.
That could be true. Time will inform. However after watching McIlroy’s look in its entirety I used to be left with a distinct impression: He’s simply accomplished with the combat. He’s strolling away. This didn’t really feel as new and flashy as everybody made it out to be. Actually it felt like a continuation of what he informed Jamie Weir after Rahm’s departure, and what he implied by leaving the PGA Tour’s board, and what he’d set in movement by staying silent on all issues LIV starting all the best way again in Might on the PGA Championship.
I bear in mind questioning within the early levels of this battle if the distinction between McIlroy and Phil Mickelson was that McIlroy was preventing for the world he needed to reside in, whereas Mickelson was taking full benefit of the world because it truly is. That’s nonetheless most likely an oversimplification, however listening to McIlroy reference his “altruistic method” actually simply underscored the best way that method had failed.
“I’ve accepted actuality mainly,” he stated. “That is what’s going to occur. You possibly can say what you need and do what you need however on the finish of the day you’re not going to have the ability to change peoples’ minds.”
Has McIlroy modified his tune on LIV? For positive. It looks as if he’s reconsidered his worldview, too. And I’m not wholly clear on his motives going ahead. I simply don’t suppose that was an endorsement of LIV — nor of the world through which we reside.
IN: Gary Woodland
A number of the finest information of the week was that, 4 months after mind surgical procedure, we’re getting Gary Woodland again at this week’s Sony Open. Right here’s to a contented, wholesome season for the 39-year-old.
Will Zalatoris is again within the subject, too, making his first official PGA Tour begin since final yr’s Masters. He performed the Hero World Problem, the place he seemed rusty however promising. We’ll see what he’s like in a full-field setting.
OUT: Patrick Reed’s lawsuits
They’ve been dismissed and Patrick Reed is chargeable for paying authorized charges for all concerned. I’ve been suggested to say nothing extra on the matter.
IN: Sahith and Spieth
It’s robust to consider two extra compelling characters within the hunt on Sunday. Good begin to the season, gang. Excited to see the place we go from right here.
NEWS FROM SEATTLE
Monday End HQ.
We’ve obtained snow and a frozen combine projected for this weekend. Winter golf season is decidedly on maintain.
WHAT’S NEXT
3 issues to observe this week.
1. The Dubai Invitational
I don’t know a lot about this occasion apart from it’s making its DP World Tour debut, with 60 professionals and 60 ams taking part in collectively for the primary three days earlier than a pros-only Sunday end. Rory McIlroy will make his 2024 debut; what he wears, says and shoots can be value monitoring. Fellow Ryder Cuppers Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard are within the subject, too, as is their Ryder Cup hero-captain, Luke Donald.
2. The Sony
Our first reduce of the PGA Tour season, of us. And a robust subject, too! Ludvig Aberg leads the projections at 12-1, adopted by Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick (16-1) as a number of big-timers make the hop from Maui to Oahu.
3. Smylie Kaufman’s story
The second visitor on our new present, Breakthrough, was Smylie Kaufman. He informed his story — how he made it to the ultimate group on the Masters and the way he misplaced management of his golf recreation and the way he discovered his calling. Plus you’ll be able to see me brush my enamel, which appears way more awkward than I anticipated. All that under:
Dylan (cautiously) welcomes your feedback at dylan_dethier@golf.com.
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