https://www.instagram.com/p/BhlRbKBHdd8/?utm_source=ig_embed

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhnSNc4HEdA/?utm_source=ig_embed

OK, so judging by the photos (some of which have since been deleted …) it looks like the guys simply swapped matching tank-tops for matching tuxes and moved their annual spring fling to Alabama—getting their bar tab picked up by Smylie’s in-laws in the process. Brilliant. But while this foursome attacked the dance floor like a short par 5, there was still plenty happening on golf courses around the world. Here’s what else has us talking.

WE’RE BUYING

Satoshi Kodaira: Introducing the latest golfer I whiffed on when taking a gander at my fantasy league’s free-agent pool recently. A six-time winner in Japan who was fresh off a T-28 in his MMasters’debut (he got in thanks to being top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking), Kodaira surprised everyone, including himself, by winning the RBC Heritage. “I was thinking mostly of getting into the top 10 so I could play next week,” Kodaira admitted afterward. But as the newest PGA Tour member thanks to the victory, which also moved him to No. 27 in the world, he’ll get to play wherever he wants the next couple seasons.

Tyler Lecka/Getty Images

Jon Rahm: A week after contending at the Masters, Rahm faced a different type of pressure playing in his home country’s open. “This is the hardest Sunday I’ve ever had to play,” Rahm said after his latest victory. We’re not quite buying that the Spanish Open was tougher than the cauldron that is the back nine at Augusta National, but we’re certainly buying Rahm’s record. In less than two years as a pro, he has three Euro Tour titles to go with two PGA Tour wins. What a stud.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhmcz2rgDWa/?utm_source=ig_embed

Brooke Henderson: The 20-year-old picked up her sixth career LPGA title and showed poise well beyond her years when she dedicated the victory to those involved in the tragic Humboldt junior hockey bus crash in her native Canada. “For all the survivors that are still fighting through it and all the ones that have passed away, I want to show them that we’re here for them and we’re supporting them. They’re always going to be in our thoughts and prayers.” Well played—and said—Brooke.

WE’RE SELLING

Si Woo Kim’s putting: We’d be celebrating the reigning Players champ as only the sixth three-time PGA Tour winner before turning 23 since World War II if not for some brutal putting down the stretch at Hilton Head. Kim missed from four, seven, five and six feet over the final four holes before losing in a playoff. And this wasn’t just a blip. For the season, Kim ranks 202nd in strokes gained/putting. On the bright side, his performance on Harbour Town’s greens moved him up seven spots on that list.

Tape-delayed coverage: This has been discussed complained about time and time again, but. . .

Sorry if you've heard this already, but I need to join the chorus. So smart to move up the tee times for the @RBC_Heritage when you know bad weather is on the way. But the fact there's no way to watch the event live is crazy. Even the PGA Tour LIVE app will show tape delay #bogey

— Ryan Herrington (@GWcampusinsider) April 15, 2018

Well said, Ryan. By the way, if you know Ryan, you know that’s about as mad as he gets. Hashtag “bogey”? I can practically hear him screaming at his TV. And if you get Ryan worked up like that, you’re definitely doing something wrong. CBS admitted as much on Monday when the network announced it’s “re-examining” its tape-delay policy. Again, don’t mess with Ryan.

Patrick Reed’s green-jacket critics: Not surprisingly, the Masters champ has been wearing his green jacket everywhere—and we mean everywhere—since his triumph at Augusta National.

Patrick Reed has now worn his Masters green jacket at a Knicks game, an Astros game, a Rockets game and at a Chick fil-A Drive Thru. pic.twitter.com/gfU2TKNCRB

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 16, 2018

As he should. However, surprisingly, there are people giving him a hard time for this:

Lol Patrick Reed wore the green jacket to the Rockets game. So this is like wearing your letter jacket to the mall in high school times 100, right? pic.twitter.com/sfyZVynin3

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 16, 2018

7 day limit on the green jacket in public?

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) April 16, 2018

We’re not seeing the problem here, guys. If you win a green jacket, this is what you do! And because you only have a year before you have to return it to Augusta National’s champions locker room, you absolutely live it up. If Patrick Reed wants to be baptized wearing that, he should go for it. If I won a (real) green jacket, the only way you’d get me out of it is if you scraped it off me while I was sleeping.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open, AKA that tournament that used to be a shootout every year until they switched to a tougher Greg Norman (and Sergio Garcia) design (AT&T Oaks) that no one seems to like.

Random tournament fact: Greg Norman couldn’t care less what anyone thinks of his golf course.

https://instagram.com/p/BhnOxY5lFs6/?utm_source=ig_embed

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

— Patrick Reed is going to stop wearing the green jacket around: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds

— Greg Norman would beat Gary Player in a dance-off: 10-to-1 odds

— A Norman-Player dance-off would get better ratings than tape-delayed golf coverage: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

When Reed took home the green jacket but you remember that you shot a 64 at Augusta on Sunday pic.twitter.com/CzQc47K2rA

— Golf Problems (@GolfProblems_) April 15, 2018

Looks like the boys were getting after it at Smylie’s wedding. If I had to guess, this photo was taken after the band played “Shout.” That’s the best/rowdiest part of any wedding reception. Look it up.

VIRAL VIDEOS OF THE WEEK

A few years ago, I was part of a Golf Digest “study” on how alcohol affects golfers. It might have been the best work day I’ve ever had. Sadly, I didn’t get to participate in a similar exercise recently, but the results—this time caught on video—were fantastic. Check it out:

And in the mould of basketball’s “Uncle Drew” as played by Kyrie Irving, here’s golf’s “Grandpa Jamie” as played by two-time world long-drive champ Jamie Sadlowski:

Ever seen an 80-year-old grandpa hit a 400-yard drive?
You’re about to… #GrandpaJamie pic.twitter.com/5qeeQoJSCV

— Cleveland Golf (@ClevelandGolf) April 16, 2018

Great job by Jamie and Cleveland Golf. But let’s all agree to keep from developing this into a full-length feature. . .

PREDICTION: That will NOT do well at the box office.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO-WAGS PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhkuLGJnoTQ/?utm_source=ig_embed

Congrats to Smylie and Francie, which sounds like the title of Netflix’s next hit sitcom.

THIS WEEK IN LPGA TOUR PROS PLAYING OTHER SPORTS

Michelle Wie looks like a pretty solid ping-pong player:

Match with @themichellewie vs @JerryFoltzGC at last nights #WieLovePingPong for @hsjga pic.twitter.com/DuAQuc40Un

— Danielle Tucker (@TheGolfClub) April 15, 2018

And here’s Belen Mozo trying a little beach volleyball:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhlBIpDjxyc/?utm_source=ig_embed

I’m glad I’m not the only one dainty enough to need socks when walking on hot sand.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It was probably 30 yards off the tee box and this giant black bird swooped in front of it and hit it, and the ball fell 20 yards short in the water. It would’ve been in the middle of the green. It might have been close. I got screwed.” —Kelly Kraft, whose tee shot on Harbour Town’s 14th hole on Friday, hit a bird and dropped into the water, causing him to make double bogey and miss the cut by a stroke. Golfers will be telling this Friday the 13th horror story by campfires for years.

THIS WEEK IN HUMOROUS YARDAGE MARKERS

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhkk0mogt8K/?utm_source=ig_embed

THIS WEEK IN UNFAIR MEMBER-MEMBER SQUADS

Just a couple of Masters champs teaming up.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhkXPNkARrQ/?utm_source=ig_embed

Ben and Sergio wound up winning. Shocking.

THIS AND THAT

A drunken argument between friends over golf etiquette resulted in one guy getting stabbed in the thigh. We take golf etiquette fairly seriously, but that’s a pretty severe punishment for walking in someone’s line. … The Major Series of Putting announced it will return to Las Vegas this October. Having covered last year’s inaugural event, I can confidently say this is great news, especially for the surprisingly large number of professional mini-golfers out there. … Speaking of putting, Tiger Woods’ backup putter from 2001 sold for $44,000 at a recent auction (Yep, backup putter). No word on whether Si Woo Kim was the buyer. … And finally, congrats to Golf Digest’s Steve Hennessey for getting engaged—and getting the scene captured on camera:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhnCzX8ghJd/?utm_source=ig_embed

Yes, that’s the same Steve who was involved in the drunk golf video above. They grow up so quickly.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

How much would Tiger Woods’ actual putter fetch?

Is actual spring ever going to get here?

Will Jordan copy Smylie’s wedding colour scheme?

The post Patrick Reed’s green-jacket critics, Greg Norman’s interesting dance moves, and the #SB2K crew crashes a wedding appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Ever seen an 80-year-old grandpa hit a 400-yard drive?
You’re about to… #GrandpaJamie pic.twitter.com/5qeeQoJSCV

— Cleveland Golf (@ClevelandGolf) April 16, 2018

That looked like a fun thing to do. How did it come about?

Cleveland had the idea and they rolled around with it a bit with my agent. When they finally came to terms they pretty much told me what we were going to do and to start preparing. I didn’t have much say, but I thought it would be fun. And it was once I got out of my shell.

Have you ever seen Kyrie Irving’s Uncle Drew?

I have. I watched a lot of those and they were funny. I’ll never be a great actor but I watched those videos just to see what he did and took some cues from his voice and some different mannerisms. They were well done and funny and I was hoping we could do the same.

Have you ever done any acting before, even grade-school play type stuff?

Nothing. I’ve always shied away from it because it’s really not in any of my fibres to do this. I’ve done commercials and since 2007 I’ve done a fair amount of stuff in front of a camera. But something like this, where I have a producer in my ear telling me to go over to some guy and tell him his breath stinks, well, that’s not something you can really prepare yourself for. I’m not totally new to it, but it’s a different experience for sure.

How long did the makeup process take?

It took about five hours. It was pretty gruelling and then to take it off afterwards took about another 90 minutes. It doesn’t happen overnight. I don’t know how actors in Hollywood do that every day for months on end as they shoot their movies. That’s beyond me. It’s not easy to deal with. That said, I was stunned by the transformation. When they first put the face mould on and other pieces it looked good, but once they did all the small touches and final makeup, the nose hair, the dots, the moustache, it was very meticulous.

Did you pattern any of the mannerisms after anyone you know?

Being a grumpy old man is almost protocol at country clubs and I’m a country club guy so I’ve seen those guys that go out at 7:30 in the morning to get out before everyone else and are pretty set in their ways. So I think some of that came out. Also being around my grandparents and seeing how cranky my grandpa can be was good material.

How cool was it to be in character and just being able to go off and say whatever you wanted to people?

It’s kind of fun being that person that can say anything they want to and have a free pass. So I used that up a little bit. No repercussions or anything? Yeah, I liked that. I had a couple vodkas to start the day to calm my nerves because I’m shy and quiet and for this to happen I needed a little liquid courage to loosen me up. By the middle of the shoot, I was feeling pretty good and let’s just say there’s some pretty classic stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor that I probably shouldn’t have said.

Did anyone catch on pretty quick that it was you?

When I first got to the range I sat down behind a young kid who was hitting balls and his younger brother was there and he kept staring at me. I was messing with his brother for a little bit and then walked away and he followed me. After I hit a shot he asked me, “Are you Jamie?” and of course I said I had no idea what he was talking about. But he said he had only seen one swing like that and that was Jamie Sadlowski’s swing. So yeah, he knew right away from the golf swing. He was only 13 so he must have watched a lot of YouTube videos.

What was the reaction of people in general?

The younger generation honestly didn’t seem all that impressed. The older folks were like, “Did you see that?” But the younger kids couldn’t care less. There was one group of three I tried to join and they were like, “No, we’re good.” Then I hit a tee shot in front of them and it was dead downwind and probably went 430 yards and they didn’t bat an eye, then just got in their cart and kept driving. So there was a difference in reaction.

Did you have to watch yourself to remind you to do something, or not overdo it?

It’s weird when you are in character. There were sometimes when I would realize I was walking normal and be like, “Oh man, I have to walk slowly, use my cane and be a bit of a jerk to people.” But for the most part, I was able to stick with it. If there’s a “Grandpa II” I’ll do a better job.

Now back to the day job. How’s the transition been going from Long Drive to playing professional golf for a living?

Last year was my first full year playing the Mackenzie Tour and I learned a lot about my game. Since late September I’ve been working hard in Arizona with Peter Kostis doing some fine-tuning. Last week I had Q School again after missing my card by a few hundred bucks and finished tied for ninth, so we’re good to go for another year in Canada and hopefully get one of those five cards for the PGA Tour. From now until summer it will be play, play, play. I think it will be a good year. My game is a lot better and I’ve cleaned up a lot of stuff. My wedge game is much tighter and I have enough knowledge to where I can play with confidence.

The post Jamie Sadlowski takes us behind the Grandpa Jamie shoot and discusses his budding pro career appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.