Is it me or is this golf season filled with more drama, heroics, excitement and unpredictability? Has the new schedule with spacing the majors (there is now six if you count the Players and Fed Ex Cup finale) in six consecutive months adding to the suspense and rebirth of golf?
My opinion the PGA Tour, PGA Championship and USGA finally got it right. We have a major in the key golf months of the year: March = Players, April = Masters, May = PGA Championship, June = US Open, July = The Open and we finish off the year with the 3 Fed Ex Cup tournaments to determine the season winner. This is brilliant – once the spring weather hits America in March and the golf bug is spreading the tour has a monthly gem to enhance the desire for professional golf.
Now let’s create stone soup and add some additional ingredients like Rory claiming the Players and that his game is back, Tiger’s once in a lifetime win at the Masters, Brooks defending his PGA Championship and Gary “I got this” Woodland winning the US Open over a determined back to back defending champion Brooks Koepka. You gotta love it. Throw in the fact that the USGA let Pebble Beach be the most prolific golf course in American and possibly the world. They didn’t meddle and screw it up. High five to Fox Sports for some dynamic camera angles.
Now the tour finally capitalizes on middle America with stops in Detroit, Twin Cities and the traditional warm-up to the Open – John Deere in Iowa. Golfers across the nation are getting their taste of the tour and loving it.
So how does the season finish out? The crystal ball has been a bit hazy this year but here are some out of the park thoughts or should I say wishes?
The Open – look who’s found their games – Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson! With the luck of the Irish they push the competitive fires and make the USA proud. But the Irish are hosting and fittingly their ambassador to golf Rory McIlroy makes the country proud and raises the Jameson Irish Whiskey to a toast of his victory..
Fed Ex Cup – all the young guns are drooling for the chance and Justin Thomas is primed for the winner’s circle, but the Fed Ex Cup is not a sprint it’s 3 events and takes a seasoned veteran to show patience and shot making. Matt Kuchar and Justin Rose fit the description and I could see a playoff closing out the season.
Overall the tour gets A+ for the new schedule. But wait we are not done – the Jim Crane lead Houston Open charge debuts October 7th. I’m excited to see the changes made and the fan experiences that have been added. Keep in mind Jim won’t show his entire hand or the OMG lineup this year – yes Brooks, Dustin, Reed and several top names will be there – but next year when then open Memorial Park as the host – oh boy the game will really pick up.
So, enjoy the new PGA Tour drama, there is plenty of golf to be played over the next 2 months.
Now on the tee…
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