Notes from The PGA

Brooks Koepka shouldn’t be able to fly under anyone’s radar again after setting the PGA scoring record at 264 and claiming the Wanamaker Trophy at the 100^th PGA Championship this Sunday at Bellerive Country Club outside St. Louis. Koepka seems to both resent and revel in the role of forgotten player: it gives him extra motivation while shielding him from too much media scrutiny. But there is no more hiding for Koepka, or shouldn’t be, as he is the new boss of the golfing world. With three major titles in his last six tries, he’s now achieved what Rory and Jordan did before him by blitzing the competition over a short period of time to capture multiple majors. Even though he’s still ranked behind his buddy, DJ, as the #2 ranked golfer, he’s far surpassed him in the major count. Where DJ has underachieved, Koepka has overachieved, totaling four PGA Tour victories three of which are majors. I hope this lights a fire under DJ.

Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk seemed to have fun this past week, making the cut and playing with some prospective team members. He arranged a grouping with Xander Schauffelle and Tony Finau for the first two rounds of the PGA and got an up close view of how those players handled adversity. Finau and Schauffelle started miserably but fought their way back under pressure from the Captain’s oversight. Both made the cut and finished middle of the pack, Schauffelle tied 35^th and Finau at 42^nd. I don’t know if either of these gents impressed Furyk enough to secure one of the four captain’s picks but there’s still time left to do so. I’d pick either one of those young guns to the squad before I’d pick a pretty familiar left-hander that most talking heads now say is a lock.

Another youngster on Tour didn’t help himself any in that push for a discretionary captain’s pick. Bryson DeChambeau missed a short birdie putt at the eighteenth hole to miss the cut Friday. Although DeChambeau finished 9^th on the points qualification list for automatic selection, his recent performance and churlish behavior have sent his stock crashing. He squandered a commanding final round lead at The European Championship in Germany and then snubbed his playing partner and eventual champion, Richard McIlvoy. Bad form and poor sportsmanship are not the credentials for a player striving for inclusion on the Ryder Cup Team.

The 100^th PGA Championship was unspoiled by rules controversy or course set up issues, unlike it’s older cousin, The U.S. Open. Although this championship is the least among equals in the major season, it has in recent years consistently shown up the the blue blazers from the USGA as far as preparation and course set up go. Kudos to Kerry Haig and his staff at PGA. Granted, if Shinnecock had the weather that Bellerive experienced, the suits would have been saved from their agonizing déjà vu of 2004. Perhaps the USGA should consider a calendar change, much like the PGA has, but for different reasons. The PGA has moved from August to May to make room for Olympic golf and assist the PGA Tour in concluding it’s season before the onslaught of NFL competition for advert dollars and viewer eyeballs. The USGA might consider moving to a section of the country in a season that virtually guarantees a wet, but playable, golf course. That would go a long way in helping the USGA from stepping on it’s own Johnson.

When it comes to stepping on one’s Johnson, the current world champion is that ever smiling but often scheming left hander from Southern California, Phil Mickelson. Phil didn’t disappoint this week at Bellerive, as he missed the cut with rounds of 73 and 71 for a +4 total. Ever since Philly Mick threw that hissy fit at Shinnecock in the U.S. Open I’ve been rooting for him to miss every fairway, miss every green miss every putt and miss every cut. Well, he obliged this week but I need that trend to continue through the playoffs. If the poster boy for Cheater’s Anonymous fails to make any cuts in the FedEx Cup playoffs maybe Captain Furyk won’t select him with a Ryder up discretionary pick. I’m a long time supporter of Phil but have turned to would be tormentor since his intentional, rule breaking kiss-off to the USGA back in Long Island. He needs a severe chastening to get straight with the golf gods and yours truly. Sitting out the Ryder Cup should be an adequate and effective consequence that will get the Mickelson train back on track.