Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where on Sunday we got carried away a bit when we checked out the DraftKings Millionaire Maker competition and saw that we were in the 163rd position out of 168 THOUSAND entries. I took the liberty of thinking about winning the million and how I wouldn’t write this column today. Although, in retrospect, I would certainly have written this column to let everyone know. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way (thanks for nothing on Sunday, Patrick Cantlay, Danny Willett and Lucas Glover) and I ended up winning $ 80 for finishing 1,125th. Subtract the entry fee of $ 20 and it’s $ 60 to beat 167 THOUSANDS. Oh well, maybe next time. . . LOL. Anyway, here’s what else caught our attention this week.
Jon Rahm: The 25-year-old Spaniard is the last king of golf after rising to No. 1 in the world with a dominant Memorial victory. Obviously, after that late penalty, he did not seem so dominant (later), but regardless, what performance in what seemed his first important title, given the field and difficult scoring conditions.
Rahm became the third youngest, the fifth fastest and the second Spaniard ever (after Seve Ballesteros) to reach n. 1. Awesome stuff from a guy who just seems to scratch the surface. Golf enthusiasts should expect to see a lot of different shade on Sunday for the next two decades or so.
Christina Kim’s next career: The LPGA pro was a delightful addition to last week’s golf show and we would love to hear more. After his career is over, of course. Surely he had the Golf Twitter chuckling when after Bryson DeChambeau expressed shock for the lack of a green left, he threw out, “The ball is over your feet, I mean, will probably draw.” Boom. You would think a scientist would know. However, our Brian Wacker joined her during the week to talk about her productive week while the LPGA is still off.
Matt Fitzpatrick on Sunday on a difficult track when he starts again: In the two highest scoring averages rounds this season – the final rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial – Fitzpatrick released the only two scores in the 1960s to make huge ladders in the rankings. I have to remember this the next time I see the wind in the forecast and a final round pin sheet like this:
Penalty by Jon Rahm: What a strange bogey it turned out to be. Did your golf ball move? Yes, but there is no way to see it. And didn’t the PGA Tour move away from the HD replays involved in the decisions? Also, here’s an excellent point:
And here’s another tour pro that offers its view of the situation in a slightly different way:
Seriously, that was a heckuva hit, especially given the situation. And I’m glad that a replay didn’t cost Rahm the victory. Full disclosure: I also bet on him to win like this. . . Yes. . . I could have been just a little biased.
Brooks Koepka: The four-time major champion finished seventh at Hilton Head on his own a few weeks ago. Since being subjected to a stem cell procedure on the knee in the off-season, however, here are eight other PGA Tour results: MC, WD, T-43, MC, T-47, T-32, MC, T -62 . I’m not a doctor, but that knee may need some work. And if only there had been a three-month break in the season to get it fixed. . . Of course, if Brooks reads this, he’ll probably sweep all three majors this year.
The world handicap system: I had high hopes for the new system implemented by golf’s governing bodies this year, but it’s a total disaster. At least for me. After entering seven (bad) scores, my handicap index did not move. Not a tenth of a point. In both directions. Nothing. As a result, I am making embarrassing scores for someone who should be a 7.8 and running out of time to get more shots before my annual golf trip / tournament next month. Please let me know if anyone else has experienced something like this. Misery loves company. And other bad golfers.
The PGA Tour heads to the 1,000-lake land for the second annual 3M Open, AKA that tournament in which Matt Wolff emptied a passing eagle last year and Bryson DeChambeau gave us this classic reaction:
He doesn’t even look so stunned last Friday when he made that 10 at Muirfield Village.
Random Tournament Information: Bryson will not be playing this year. Indeed, many big names are jumping with a WGC and a major in the next two weeks.
RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK
—Matt Wolff will win again with an eagle off the field: 1 million odds out of 1
– I will win the 1 MILLION contest: 1 billion shares to 1
—Bryson will continue to talk about VERY during the broadcast: LOCK
Again, worth it or not, it was fantastic.
The European Tour repeated it, this time with three professionals competing in a closer 300-yard contest. Hitting the driver from the bridge. And Marcus “The Bullet” Armitage stole the show:
Damn. These guys are good.
VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (FAIL DIVISION)
I hate to say it, but. . . friend, you had a job.
THIS WEEK ON TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION
We have the first WAG reboot sighting!
OK, now the PGA Tour is really BACK.
“I preached [the golf ball going too far] for, kindness … 43 years old [ago] First I went to the USGA. I mean, I’ve been studying something for a long time. Guys, stop studying it and do something! Please, please? —Jack Nicklaus, who took matters into his own hands by basically turning Muifield Village into Winged Foot on Sunday. I am happy to see that I am not the only person angry with golf’s governing bodies. Maybe Jack also has the sign of having a low handicap index.
THIS WEEK IN PRO IS JUST LIKE US!
OK, so it’s a screenshot, but it was extraordinary. It’s Sergio Garcia after scoring perhaps the worst putt in golf history:
THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL
Again, there was a lot. Phil put one on 78 yards:
And he lay down on a par 3:
Unbelievable. But Phil’s best story being Phil comes from Jason Sobel of The Action Network, who reported on an old bet that Mickelson won with Colt Knost that Jon Rahm will reach the top 10 of the official world golf ranking within a year. “There was a comma in question,” Knost told Sobel of the bet. Well done, Phil. I actually made some money with Rahm by winning this week. Unfortunately, there was no comma in question.
Davis Riley is now just one Korn Ferry Tour title away from the coveted and rare BATTLEFIELD promotion at the PGA Tour after victory no. 2 at the TPC San Antonio Championship. Unfortunately because of COVID, this is the only way to get to the big names before next season. . . . Congratulations to Jack Nicklaus for setting up Tiger Woods in “Open for the Ages”, but my favorite part was 63 in the final round of Rory McIlroy. Even in fake tournaments he continues to collect the top 10 of the backdoor! . . . Check out our latest edition of Local Knowledge, where I took a deeper dive into figuring out whether alcohol can help your golf game:
And finally, congratulations to Nicole Rae and Liam Byrne for winning the fourth annual Trainwreck tournament of the Golf Digest:
Having said that, after winning four, their handicaps are officially under investigation.
RANDOM PONDER QUESTIONS
How many royal majors will Jon Rahm win in his career?
Which club (s) should I join if I win $ 1 million?
Would drinking more on the course improve my handicap?
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