$25 Million renovation just for the winning score to be one stroke less than last year... OOPS
$25 MILLION Renovation
As the PGA Tour made its annual stop at TPC Craig Ranch for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, we expect a TON of changes.
After last year's CJ Cup Byron Nelson, TPC Craig Ranch decided to invest $25 million, with an M, in the golf course renovation/redesign.
Bunkers were moved elsewhere, greens were dramatically changed, and everything was supposed to eliminate another -31 under... well, I guess they succeeded because the winner, Wyndham Clark, came in at -30!!!!!!!
This event has split the golf world in half.
You have the side that cannot STAND to see a winning score that low. We had two guys shoot 60, including the winner in the final round. Wydham Clark had 2 bogeys through 72 holes of golf... it becomes a 'snooze fest,' as they call it online...
Then the other half absolutely loves it, seeing these professionals go out there and just dominate a course, with low scores, attacking every pin, ALL THE ABOVE.
BUT... I think it is unfair to say that this renovation was a waste of money and time... Why? Well, there was VERY little wind in Texas this past week... The weather was brutal on Tuesday and Wednesday, forcing the tournament to go ball in hand on the Thursday and Friday rounds, which is just a recipe for these PROFESSIONALS to attack every single pin... And with that weather, the greens were extremely slow.
Now, with all of THAT being said, from what we saw on television, the renovations do not appear to have made the golf course THAT much more difficult. There is still MINIMAL rough, and the fairways are huge. So I think we will continue to see -30 or pretty darn close at TPC Craig Ranch.
What side do you stand on?
Garrick Higgo Fires Caddie
The South African made headlines during the first round of the 2nd Major Championship of the year, the PGA Championship, because he was late to his tee time.
Upon his late arrival at the tee, he was assessed a 2-stroke penalty without objection.
Hiiggo would go on to have a SOLID Round One, finishing 1 under par... Without the 2-stroke penalty, he would have been tied for the lead going into Round 2.
Then... comes round 2. Aronimink was playing extremely tough, and Higgo missed the cut by 1 stroke... 1... stroke...
Following the events on the Thursday round, Higgo's interviews were interesting, with Higgo stating, "I was there on time, but the rule is, if you're one second late, you're late. So if you think about it, I was there on time, if you know what I mean.” Hmmmmm.
But just this past week, Garrick decided to part ways with his caddie, Austin Gaugert. This was not a long-term caddie/player relationship, but he was on the bag for Higgos' most recent Punta Canta Championship.
Regarding the events that took place at the PGA Championship, is there any concrete evidence of that? We can only assume... right?
Higgo is a talented golfer with a very carefree, go with the flow attitude toward the game, which could very well skyrocket him to success or be pretty detrimental... I guess time will tell....
Iron Covers & Two Gloves
Aaron Rai will without a doubt be the most unique Major Champion the golf world will ever see... a set of iron covers on his irons, widely regarded as a VERY amateur move, and two gloves... even when the weather is PERFECT.
But... Rai's reasoning for iron covers is heartwarming.
“It started from the age of 4 years old, when my dad used to pay for my equipment, He paid for my membership, paid for my entry fees. It wasn’t money that we really had, to be honest, but he’d always buy me the best clubs." then going on to say “When we used to go out and practice, he used to clean every single groove afterward with a pin and baby oil, and, to protect the golf clubs, he thought it would be good to put iron covers on them and I’ve pretty much had iron covers on all my sets ever since, just to kind of appreciate the value of what I have.”
So Rai did not come from money, and to protect his tools and to respect his dad's sacrifice of time and money, he put on iron covers.
Does this change my opinion of iron covers? Absolutely not. But I can't help but cheer for Aaron Rai, and the man is now a Major Champion, something you and I will never be...
Also, just a quick side note on Aaron Rai. Every single tour player who interviewed after his win said he is without a doubt the nicest, most kind human being in Professional Golf.
Final Thoughts
It feels like we are in the lull that baseball and basketball fall into before the All-Star break.
We have seen 2 Majors; the historical back to back Masters wins for Rory McIlroy, then an extremely tough PGA Championship at Aronimink, where the winner uses iron covers and two gloves.
Golf has been AWESOME this year, and as we get closer to the US Open, things will start to HEAT UP again.
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I hope your next round is the BEST round of your life!
