Confession: I wasn’t sure I was even going to write this piece.
It seemed a perfect spot on the calendar for golf to take a little mid-summer respite.
Rickie Fowler, of course, is one of those guys.
Rickie Fowler is a winner once again
This was coming.
It was a Tiger-2018 like comeback in how progressive it was.
First he made a bunch of cuts in a row.
Next he planted himself on a major championship leaderboard and hung there for multiple sleeps.
Then he flirted with 59 at the Travelers.
“You never really know with this game,” Fowler told reporters after the round.
“You definitely learn to appreciate the good times and when you’re playing well.
Like I said, even when you’re playing well, it’s not going to last forever.
Then started to see some positive results and starting to build some confidence and momentum last fall.”
Struggles, of course, is a relative term.
Fowler never had to worry about where his next meal’s coming from.
This wasn’t an Ian Baker-Finch or even a David Duval-level career downfall.
A story of survival amidst armageddon.
This isn’t a shot at Rickie, at all.
It’s a commentary on the oft-nauseating reaction from my peers and the general public.
It’s like,what was the alternative?!
That aside…yes, Rickie is back in a huge way.
6 player in the world at the moment.
Most promisingly, he’s gained ground putting in four consecutive starts.
Glad you’re here.
Might be a few beers in the fridge.
This is kind of how the golf I wanted to play.
Today I thought I played really well, first three days I thought it was pretty mediocre.
It will be really exciting for me I think heading to The Open."
Bernhard Langer is the Sr.
Both of those are records.
Of course they are.
Who the hell has time to win 46 tournaments including 12 majors after reaching the healf-century mark?
Bernhard Langer, that’s who.
It’s because he’s not on the same timeline as the others.
Generally speaking, it’s the just-turned-50 guys who do some serious damage out there.
They still have all that speed and so they beat up on the older guys.
But Langer seems allergic to the late-50s slowdown that comes for virtually every professional golfer.
The cut was +9 and just eight guys finished the week under par.
Langer’s seven-under total of 277 was good for a two-shot victory.
“I still enjoy the game.
If I play like I did this week, I’m going to keep playing.
There have been the odd week when I thought, ‘What were you doing out here?
Go home and play with the grandkids.'”
I’m sure the others guys in the field wish he would already.
Is he anchoring that broomstick to his chest?
I think that’s a fair dream.
Gooch was a 30-year-old, ascending, in-his-prime guy who hadn’t yet been linked with the Saudis.
His name appeared almost out of nowhere.
That kicked off a whole new round of drama.
He’s back again.
Gooch won LIV’s event at Valderrama this weekend for his third victory of the LIV season.
We know he’s playing well, and we know he thinks he deserves Ryder Cup consideration.
“I think my play has shown that it’s at least worth a discussion.
But he’s only the second most-likely LIV player to make the team.
And unlikely Gooch, he hasn’t been a magnet for drama or a shit-stirrer.
The PGA Tour guys still like him because he didn’t trash them or give them a legal headache.
It’s why I don’t like Gooch’s chances to make the team.
I do, however, love his chances to stay in the headlines the rest of the year.
They can’t get enough of the guy.
Not often you get to cover leaks as a golf writer, but these are strange times.
Again, no surprise there to anyone who’s been paying attention.
Included are bullet-point nuggets and some direct quotes to use.
I got a laugh out of the whole thing.
Namely, two parts.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Greg Norman simply refusing Congress’ request to appearyou can do that?
Woods didn’t speak publicly after the announcement of the PGA/PIF deal that he was so vehemently against.
He’s been conspicuously quiet on the matter, which was negotiated without his knowledge or insight.
The BDS guys just dropped the other half of this day, a nine-hole match on their channel.
Rickie Fowler admitted on Thursday that he made a few late bogeys because…because he had to shit.
Back in those lean years, the Frank B. Fuhrer was a hugely important tournament for him.
Weather on the east coast canceled his flight from Hartford to Pittsburgh.
Good stuff all around.
Have a wonderful holiday.
See you here next week.
