The Players Championship delivered. There’s a PIF assembly within the works. And Scottie Scheffler has somebody particular to thank.
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Welcome again to the Monday Finish, the place we’re shouting “how could you miss that green?!” from the security of our sofa. To the golf information!
GOLF STUFF I LIKE
Live From will get bizarre.
One surprising hero from this week’s Players Championship protection: Johnson Wagner! Look, I really like “Live From”. It considerably elevates the occasion each time Golf Channel brings the present on web site. But I didn’t notice the lacking element was a mustachioed ex-pro firing fastballs into the financial institution of tough beside the seventh gap or blocking punch pictures off timber and into the water within the pitch black.
“Live From” already had the intense golf chatter nailed. The zany, interactive, insightful, entertaining, unhinged nook of the present? That simply received a serious improve.
LEAVING HAPPY
Who’s leaving TPC Sawgrass with a smile on their face?
1. Scottie Scheffler’s neck man (and Scottie, too)
Who is, in actual fact, excess of Scottie’s neck man. On Friday, as Scheffler performed his second spherical in clear discomfort, his tee-side folding chair shoulder therapeutic massage began going viral.
But who was the person administering? That could be Marnus Marais, the physio of selection for a number of of golf’s high stars. His steady has lengthy included match runner-up Xander Schauffele; Marais additionally works with Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott and Gary Woodland. Scheffler and Spieth are newer additions after their Dallas-based physio stopped touring full-time on Tour. And Woodland and Scott joined the crew after former shoppers Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen left for LIV. So this can be a man who’s seen a golfer’s sore shoulder or two.
Marais was born in South Africa, the place in 1999 he earned a level in Physiotherapy from the University of Pretoria. From his bio on Schauffele’s web site:
“That led him, three years later, to the United Kingdom. There he was hired by the British military to help injured soldiers and athletes return to full strength … By 2008, he was busy earning various fitness certifications and working with golfers. Four years later, Marnus found himself in San Diego consulting players on both the European and PGA Tours.”
And 12 years after that, Marais ended up behind a teebox at TPC Sawgrass, giving the World No. 1 an opportunity to complete his spherical and keep in competition lengthy sufficient for his physique to catch up. If Scheffler has cured his balky putter and a crick in his neck gained’t cease him, both — what’s going to?
“Marnus did a great job getting me going, getting it massaged out, and I was very thankful,” he stated on Sunday.
2. Joel Dahmen, Netflix star (and his caddie Geno, too)
Joel Dahmen, the recurring star of Netflix’s “Full Swing” had a tough 2023; in his first 16 begins of the 12 months his best end was T41. Things received higher within the fall, the place he logged two top-15s. But I’m guessing nothing felt pretty much as good as this week. Dahmen opened with a 16-par, two-bogey 74 and then went on the offensive, making simply two bogeys the remainder of the way in which in a 67-67-68 shut that left him T11 — incomes him $606,250 from the largest purse of the season.
Dahmen hasn’t performed in a ton of the Tour’s big-money Signature Events, so he admitted on No Laying Up‘s recap present that he was pleasantly shocked to get the payout notification.
“That number was astounding,” he stated. “My wife almost fell out of her chair when she saw that and I’m not kidding.”
The cash — plus the flexibility to level to a powerful consequence within the wake of Season 2’s launch — looks as if a profitable combo for Dahmen. (And for fan-favorite caddie Geno Bonnalie, too.)
3. Matthew Fitzpatrick (and his driver)
Matthew Fitzpatrick, the king of particulars, had astonishingly missed an necessary one. He’d left a counterbalanced weight positioned underneath the grip of his driver final February and by no means gave it one other thought.
“For whatever reason just forgot that it was ever in there. We took it out the week of Phoenix, and yeah, the driver has felt completely different,” Fitzpatrick stated this week.
Fitzpatrick contended for a lot of the week earlier than three front-nine bogeys doomed his possibilities on Sunday. Still, he closed onerous, making birdie on every of the ultimate 4 holes to catapult himself into solo fifth place, clearing over $1 million within the course of.
4. Brian Harman (and his silver medal)
Finishing a shot behind the winner will at all times be bittersweet, and Brian Harman missed an opportunity to birdie the scorable par-5 sixteenth coming residence. But a Sunday four-under 68 to complete T2, earn a verify for almost $2 million and climb to No. 8 on this planet? That’s fairly excellent news. Harman stated he was bummed post-round, and who might blame him? But of the three runners-up (extra on that in a second) he appeared essentially the most at peace with the consequence.
“He’s the best player in the world, and this is a championship golf course, and so, if you look at it on paper, the best player this week won,” he stated of Scheffler. “That’s kind of what you want in a golf tournament. We all had our chances, and he just out-executed two or three more times than the rest of us.”
Tour Confidential: Scheffler’s epic Players comeback, ‘tricky’ drops, Jay Monahan speaks
GOLF Editors
5. Jay Monahan (and his Tour’s product)
The PGA Tour was hungry for motion. It was hungry for its high stars in a down-the-stretch thriller. It was hungry for chasedowns and lead modifications and big-time putts coming residence. The Players delivered — the World No. 1 edged out three different top-10 gamers on this planet by a single shot. Weekend TV rankings aren’t out but, so there’s no proof that the printed did or didn’t maintain its personal in comparison with final season. But it seemed huge and it felt huge and it delivered for these of us who had been watching. That’s solely excellent news for Monahan as his Tour’s “product” will get evaluated once more and once more — and because the Tour accelerates discussions with the PIF (however extra on that in a second).
LEAVING SAD
Who’s leaving TPC Sawgrass questioning what might have been?
1. Jay Monahan (and his detractors)
It was unquestionably a profitable week for the PGA Tour on its greatest stage. And commissioners of sports activities leagues getting booed isn’t uncommon; it’s in all probability the rule greater than the exception. Still, getting booed by your neighbors on the occasion you’re internet hosting must be robust, and so Sunday evening will need to have been bittersweet for PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
Nor did he obtain many clear votes of confidence from gamers all through the week. While Rory McIlroy inspired viewers to look big-picture — “if you actually step back and look at the bigger picture, I think the PGA Tour is in a far stronger position than when Jay took over,” he stated — others didn’t. Xander Schauffele reiterated that Monahan hasn’t regained his belief. Viktor Hovland stated he didn’t recognize management “sweeping [mistakes] under the rug.” And Patrick Cantlay, requested if Monahan was the best chief for the Tour going ahead, responded that “right now he’s definitely our leader” which hardly got here off as a ringing endorsement.
Monahan’s Monday was probably extra necessary than his Sunday (extra on that in a second) however his Players week was bittersweet.
2. Rory McIlroy (and his odd rut)
There’s one thing unusual concerning the model of golf at the moment on show by Rory McIlroy. Round-to-round and even hole-to-hole it seems like we’re seeing two utterly completely different golfers. And whereas his final 4 finishes have been remarkably unremarkable — T24, T21, T21, T19 — his paths to get there have been wild. Take TPC Sawgrass, the place he hit 5 balls within the water and set a match file for birdies however by no means made himself a severe weekend contender.
He referred to as the week “a little bit of progress” and stated he’s “headed in the right direction.” He added this, which is undeniably true: “I made enough birdies, it’s just a matter of getting rid of the bad stuff.”
Easier stated than carried out? We’ll see in 4 weeks.
3. Wyndham (and his heartbreaking putt)
Good grief. On Sunday Wyndham Clark performed his approach out of great competition and then performed his approach proper again into it. His method pictures on 16 and 17 had been all-world. His first two pictures at No. 18 had been glorious, too. And the one factor mistaken with this putt was the one factor that mattered: it didn’t go in.
Big-picture, Clark must be thrilled to stroll away with back-to-back runner-up finishes to Scottie Scheffler. But man, what might have been…
“I’m pretty gutted it didn’t go in,” he stated.
4. Xander (and the day that wasn’t)
I wrote about Xander Schauffele extra extensively yesterday right here however to summarize: It appeared like his day till it wasn’t. Terrific play all week was undone by sloppy bogeys at 14 and 15, his final best probability went wanting at 17 and his tee shot at 18 all however ended his possibilities. T2 is unbelievable until you’re a man whose performances in big-time tournaments have been outlined however coming shut with out getting over the road.
The middle of my Sunday evening column on Schauffele was a quote he’d used describing his newest swing work with new coach Chris Como.
“A steady drip caves a stone,” he stated. My e-mail inbox crammed up with German readers (Willkommen!) questioning if he’d been citing a typical idiom, “Steter Tropfen höhlt den Stein,” that would have been handed from his German father Stefan. Whatever the origin, Schauffele drips on.
5. Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch (and their triumphant return)
I promise to not make this whole column a recounting of my e-mail inbox, however once I wrote a bit one thing concerning the reappearance of NBC mainstays Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch on Friday I used to be blown away by the response. I embrace them on this “sad” class as a result of each Maltbie and Koch had been clearly thrilled to be again and demonstrably emotional on the conclusion of play — and as a result of it’s clear golf followers missed them, too.
Maltbie’s sign-off caught with me by the weekend and past:
“Thanks, guys,” he stated. “It was a treat and I loved every minute of it. I miss this. A lot.”
Roger Maltbie’s emotional sign-off leaves golf world wanting extra
Dylan Dethier
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Planes, yachts, issues of that nature.
On Sunday the PGA Tour wrapped up its greatest match of the 12 months. Its Monday was arguably extra necessary. That’s as a result of representatives from the Tour’s Policy Board (apparently) headed for the Bahamas, the place they (apparently) met with representatives of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, together with (apparently) Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
What do we all know concerning the assembly? Not a ton, but.
Monahan described discussions with the PIF as “accelerating” in his Tuesday press convention. He additionally used the phrases “engaged” and “making progress,” although he was brief on specifics.
Policy Board member Jordan Spieth addressed the assembly on Friday:
“I’m not sure that I can say much more other than we’re being encouraged to potentially meet with him,” Spieth stated. “But on the similar time, we in all probability really feel like our membership ought to know timing and what might occur and simply usually possibly it’s simply to fulfill — I feel there’s not an entire lot extra I can say about that.
“But we are being encouraged obviously, which I think is probably a good thing that the entire board should if there’s going to be any potential for a negotiation.”
Rory McIlroy praised the thought on Sunday. “I’ve frolicked with Yasir, and the people who have represented him in LIV I feel have carried out him a disservice — Norman and these guys.
“I see the two entities, and I actually think there’s a really big disconnect between PIF and LIV. I think you got PIF over here and LIV are sort of over here doing their own thing. So the closer that we can get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully finalize that investment, I think that will be a really good thing.”
And Patrick Cantlay advised Sports Illustrated the next: “Well, I’ve gotta hear out what they have to say, and I will always do my best to represent the entire membership whenever I am in a meeting in that capacity,” Cantlay said on Sunday. “I think more information is always better.”
And with Monday got here a lot flight- (and boat-!) monitoring you’d have thought it was school soccer teaching search season. If the trackers are to be trusted, representatives from the PGA Tour, SSG and PIF gathered for a high-powered powwow. More to come back, little question.
NEWS FROM SEATTLE
Monday Finish HQ.
Sunday was dreamy in Seattle. Seventy. Sunny. St. Patrick’s Day. An ideal day for a stroll to city and a Guinness on draft and the ultimate hour of the Players on TV. I hope yours was equally refreshing.
We’ll see you subsequent week!
Dylan welcomes your feedback at dylan_dethier@golf.com.
