It’s actually been anything but, however. In the Pro-Am’s long history, no European-born player had ever won up until Monday, when England’s Justin Rose pulled off the shocking statistical first that was pointed out by stats guru Justin Ray as Rose was closing the deal in California:

Incredibly, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am has never had a European winner in its long history as a PGA Tour event.

Justin Rose would be the first.

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) February 6, 2023

Almost hard to believe, but 100 per cent true upon closer look. In 82 editions of the event which dates back to 1937, an American has won 77 times. The four other non-USA victories belong to Canada’s Nick Taylor (2020), Fiji’s Vijay Singh (2004), Australia’s Brett Ogle (1993) and Bruce Crampton (1965). Between 1937 and 1992, Crampton was the only non-US-born player to win the event.

It should be noted that way back when, European-born players would not play much in the US for the first few months of the season, and they wouldn’t have much success even when they did. Even today, many of the bigger European names will leave Pebble off their early-season schedule thanks to a number of bigger Asian Tour and DP World Tour events taking place right before or right after. This year, only 19 European-born players were in the field, and Rose was the only one to even finish in the top 10. And still, it’s hard to fathom that a European player didn’t even randomly win this tournament once.

Rose also added some important context during his victory press conference.

“European players I think throughout the 1980s and 1990s didn’t have a lot of success on the PGA Tour, period,” Rose said after claiming his 11th PGA Tour win. “I don’t think. Faldo did decently. But even he didn’t win prolifically over here in the States. Westie [Lee Westwood], [Darren] Clarke, those guys that were at the peak of the powers in the European Tour days, never really won a lot over here.

“So there’s really only been the emergence of Jon Rahm and maybe myself even in the last sort of decade or so that there’s been more opportunities for European players,” he added. “So, yeah, it doesn’t surprise me a ton actually. But Pebble is the type of golf course with the conditions and the elements that you think you could argue would suit European players a little bit more. Maybe there should have been more opportunity for them.”

Only a pair of outliers came close to winning the event, the most recent being Paul Casey, who finished runner-up on a Monday in 2019 to Phil Mickelson. Before that, you have to go back to 1977 to find another European runner-up, England’s Tony Jacklin. And while neither victory came in the Pro-Am, two well-known European players in Graeme McDowell and Viktor Hovland won rather important events at Pebble, the former the 2010 US Open and the latter the 2018 US Amateur.

The post Justin Rose’s win is a shocking statistical first in Pebble Beach Pro-Am history appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It took five days to get four rounds in at the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but the Monday finish was worth the wait for Rose, who leaves as the tournament champ.

“Time really does fly by,” Rose said after final-round six-under 66 that got him to an 18-under 269 total, besting Brendon Todd and Brandon Wu by three shots. “That’s the beauty of this tournament, a lot can be thrown at you.”

Was there a bit of luck? There was: There always is at this tournament with its three-course rotation and fickle weather. Rose made it out on the right side of the draw, playing Pebble when it was at its tamest on Thursday. He recorded an ace on Spyglass Hill’s 15th on Friday, and took advantage of a soaked Monterey Peninsula following the third round’s resumption of play Sunday morning, going six under on the final 10 holes for a third-round 65.

But the final round still needed to be contested, and Rose would be playing on the same course and in the same conditions as his competitors. He opened with a bogey on Sunday, but bounced back with birdie at Pebble Beach’s par-5 second. He followed with an eagle on the par-5 sixth and birdie at the par-3 seventh to take a two-shot lead when play was halted Sunday, Rose having nine holes to play.

A day later did nothing to cool Rose’s heater, with his putter leading the charge. Rose dropped in three birdies — a 26-footer at the 11th, a 20-footer at the 13th and a 10-footer at the 14th — on his first five holes. Rose attributed his Monday run, however, to a five-footer for par at the 10th.

“It reminded me very much of the first hole yesterday where I made a soft bogey,” Rose said. “Again, it was a little cold this morning. The 9-iron didn’t go very far. The ball spun a little bit. I’m left with four and a half feet. The greens didn’t look that tremendous clean this morning either. It kind of had that feeling. So making that first four and a half-footer on the first green of the day kind of set me up for the rest of the way.”

Routine pars followed, turning the final four holes from a competition into a victory procession. Afterward, Rose thanked his family and his team for having more belief in him than perhaps he did at times. Rose is not being glib. He’s accomplished so much in this game — Monday’s victory marks his 11th on the PGA Tour and 25th career worldwide win — that his bright past has concealed how lacklustre his present has been.

The last time he won, the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open, Rose was No. 1 in the world, the reigning FedEx Cup champ, a member of a winning European Ryder Cup team who was fresh off a shocking equipment deal signing. But that equipment arrangement soon soured while recurring back issues zapped him of power and practice time, and his game was a bit in shambles.

The Englishman entered the week outside the OWGR top 70. He failed to advance to the second stage of last year’s FedEx Cup Playoffs and missed the postseason the year before. He was kept off a Ryder Cup team that was blown out at Whistling Straits and currently does not have an official equipment deal. He was eligible to play in every major since the 2010 US Open, but heading into the week he had not secured an invite to the 2023 Masters.

Denny McCarthy hits a second shot on the 18th hole during the Monday morning continuation of the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

There had been signs of a turnaround. Rose finished T-9 at the Houston Open last fall and was T-29 or better in his last three starts. Conversely, after being a star for the better part of the past decade Rose had become somewhat of an afterthought. And though players are prolonging their careers longer than ever, the tour remains a circuit dominated by youth, and when things go south at 40 — especially for those who battle back problems like Rose had — rarely are they steered back in the right direction.

Yet that’s what Rose has done. Through talent and perseverance, of course. Through experimentation: Rose had a last-second equipment change on Tuesday, putting in new irons that he hadn’t played before. But also for his willingness to take a chance of himself.

Most of Rose’s former Ryder Cup colleagues, particularly the older bunch, have left for the guaranteed money offered by LIV Golf, and Rose’s name has often been mentioned as a potential defector. While Rose hasn’t passed judgement and on those who have signed with the Saudi-backed circuit, he made it clear last summer that he would not be joining them, and for a simple reason.

“At this stage in my career, I am 42 nearly and have to be selfish to make the final push,” Rose told the Mirror Sport last July. “I would prove something to myself if I could step up and play well again on the biggest stage for sure.”

With the win, the major eligibility streak remains intact, gaining spots to the Masters and PGA Championship. The win also puts him on the Ryder Cup radar as the Europeans seek to avenge their 2021 loss. Though far from the No. 1 spot, the win pushes him in the right direction.

“We always know we can do it, but sometimes you got to see the proof,” Rose said. “That does make me feel good.”

Most importantly, this week in Monterey proved that Rose can still play on the biggest stages, and still play well. He needed an extra day to see it through, but Rose’s bet on himself paid off.

The post Justin Rose wins at Pebble Beach by backing himself appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Of course, those who run this 86-year-old event don’t need a reminder of that.

Jordan Spieth is playing this week. So is Viktor Hovland and reigning US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick. The high-profile attractions end there. They are the only players in the World top 20 competing in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am … and Spieth and Hovland are here in part to satisfy their respective sponsors. Widening the circle to the top 50 doesn’t add many more names (Seamus Power, Tom Hoge, Kevin Kisner and Kurt Kitayama, for those scoring at home) to the list. There are just 21 in the top 100 and more than half the field is ranked outside the top 300.

Shocking as those figures are, they aren’t an aberration. According to the Official World Golf Ranking, Pebble ranked 38th out of 47 PGA Tour events last year in strength of field. The season before that it was 41st. For a tournament whose history is intertwined with celebrity and fame, it’s a tad ironic there’s a shortage of golf stars who warrant marquee billing. And it begs the question of why the pro-am has lost its lustre? Or, perhaps more importantly, can the tournament regain its shine?

Few non-majors have the prestige that Pebble boasts, a patina developed through its iconic setting, a winners’ roll call that’s a who’s who in the sport and the tournament’s roster of celebrities and the public infatuation of them. Conversely, that hue, while very much earned, creates an aura around the past that was not necessarily aligned with its present. The strength-of-field numbers previously noted need context: Though Pebble has not ranked as low as those figures in the past 20 years, it’s also never been inside the top-15 best fields in a given season. Even at its best, it’s been far from great.

Historically, the problems have been threefold. For starters, the weather. In general, players are not fans of competing in temperatures that hover in the low 50s Fahrenheit, to say nothing of playing in rain and fog that is prone to causing delays. Which leads to the second often-cited issue, pace of play. Even while spreading the field over three courses, the Pebble Pro-Am is notoriously slow, with rounds routinely taking six hours to complete. Finally, for all its accolades, Pebble Beach Golf Links also has the reputation for owning some of the worst greens on tour, a byproduct of Poa annua grass and the greens’ small dimensions that lead to more foot traffic through putting lines.

Recent years have added other issues. Primarily, the schedule. The WM Phoenix Open’s move from before Pebble on the tour calendar to after has turned the TPC Scottsdale gathering from a rank-and-file event to the ‘Greatest Show on Grass’, and that was before the tour granted Phoenix designated status in 2023, the purse jumping to $20 million. In turn, the domino effect put Pebble in a bind, as it’s no accident that Phoenix’s jump has coincided with Pebble’s struggles.

This year, most of golf’s best players will be appearing in Phoenix, followed by the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles in two weeks, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. That means four starts in a five-week stretch for the tour’s stars. It’s a heavy workload and playing in Pebble would make it five-for-six — another reason why so many top players are sitting out.

The schedule also becomes problematic when factoring in the DP World Tour, as a number of top Europeans and a handful of American stars compete on the Desert Swing and thus pass on that Middle East-to-Monterey commute. Pebble also has clashed with the Saudi International, an event that offered serious money to top players. The tournament lured away Pebble regulars like Dustin Johnson and five-time AT&T winner Phil Mickelson, both former champions who eventually moved to LIV Golf.

Multiple player representatives and sources familiar with the tournament’s operations expressed to Golf Digest a change in perspective from players towards the pro-am. For decades, there was a belief that the chance to rub shoulders with power brokers and industry titans who either played in the event or attended any of the myriad social gatherings around the Clambake was an unspoken but inherent asset to the tournament. Some players understood this better than others. Multiple sources with the tournament pointed to Mickelson and Paul Casey — who is also competing in Saudi this week — as guys who took full advantage of the networking opportunity.

However, that asset isn’t viewed the same way it once was, according to multiple players and player representatives. One former top-10 player told Golf Digest that he realised after a dozen trips to Pebble he hadn’t signed a single business deal through the pro-am, so he stopped playing. Another player said he would play as a favour to an equipment manufacturer, but when he switched club brands he was no longer compelled to show up. One agent relayed that the majority of business is run through agents or managers, particularly for players younger than 30, while another pointed to the fact that the game’s sizable purses and bonus money have curtailed the need for top players to grab as much off-the-course endorsements as they can.

Tournament officials who Golf Digest spoke to acknowledged these issues, yet to a person they point to the schedule as the biggest obstacle. It’s also an obstacle they feel can and will be hurdled.

Though the current PGA Tour season has seen the advent of designated events, the schedule moving forward is likely to undergo drastic change, multiple sources familiar with the tour’s planning told Golf Digest this week. “The biggest thing about 2023 is that it gets us to 2024,” one player said — a nod to the alterations made last August against the emergence of LIV Golf. Multiple sources with the tour insist the schedule for 2024 and beyond remains a work in progress.

What seems to be universally acknowledged is that AT&T, the sponsor at Pebble Beach as well as backer of the Byron Nelson event played in Dallas in May, will be taken care of. The company has been a loyal partner to the tour since 1986, and its former chairman, Randall Stephenson, is on the tour’s Board of Directors. There’s an obligation to reward this loyalty, multiple sources around the tour suggest.

How the tour accomplishes this remains a question. There is the chance Pebble switches dates with the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines or Genesis at Riviera, or that Phoenix is pushed back a week. Naming Pebble a designated event in 2024 or a future year is easier said than done. Two players told Golf Digest this week that the size of the fields in designated events continues to be debated, and that number needs to be decided before determining what tournaments receive that status.

On Wednesday, Jordan Spieth expressed his desire to see the pro-am get some love, but acknowledged the challenges in doing so.

“I don’t know exactly how it could work because I don’t even know how it’s all going to work in any elevated event going forward. And that’s trying to be figured out soon,” Spieth, who is endorsed by AT&T, said. “This is the unique one where it’s a pro-am. Most of the tournaments are going to want to be an elevated event. I would imagine even if that requires a little more of a [financial] commitment, I don’t think AT&T would shy down from that. It’s a little trickier than your typical elevated event, given the format. But I think something can be done. I think it’s extremely important that it does get done here.”

Celebrties such as actor Jason Bateman are sometimes more well-known than their pro playing partners — in this case, Harrison Endycott, as the two play Spyglass Hill in the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Orlando Ramirez

Spieth makes a valid, politically correct point. The “am” of the pro-am is not loved by all, so requiring everyone to play that format if the tournament becomes a designated event seems unlikely. Likewise, amateurs are part of this tournament’s heritage, and multiple tournament officials assert they will not sacrifice that element to chase designated status. The tournament’s focus on celebrities is occasionally ridiculed, particularly when they’re shown more than tour pros on the television broadcast. Yet, as one tournament official pointed out Thursday, two of the biggest galleries were seen following actor Jason Bateman and football star Gareth Bale. During lean years like this, A-list amateurs are part of the on-site sell … sometimes more than the players.

There’s also the not-so-insignificant detail of the Pebble itself, which, save for a certain club in Georgia, is arguably the most famous course in the country. Multiple sources familiar with the tour believe the tour should be maximising its relationship with Pebble Beach even more. One idea on this front would see the tour playing at Pebble Beach for three days instead of two, a move that would mean a more limited field.

However, most within the tour believe the first step in its utilisation of Pebble is improving the field. On Wednesday, Spieth openly pondered what could have been if such a gathering happened this week.

“Can you imagine at this point … Rory [McIlroy] and [Jon] Rahm, the hottest two players in the world right now, coming down, 16, 17, 18 at Pebble Beach?” Spieth asked. “A bunch of others in the top 10 in the world gunning them down. It’s hypothetically must-watch television. I would love to see it happen somehow.”

The post The Pebble Beach Pro-Am continues to struggle with weak fields. So where does the tournament go from here? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The post LOOK: Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Playing at the course from which the tournament takes its name, Kitayama followed up his brilliant Thursday 64 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club with a more modest, but perhaps harder earned 70. At nine-under, he holds a one-shot lead over the quartet of Keith Mitchell, Scott Stallings, Joseph Bramlett, and Hank Lebioda. It’s a terrific start for the 30-year-old, two-time European Tour winner as he seeks his first ever PGA Tour triumph. But on a day like Friday, even the tournament leader tipped his hat to the conditions.

“Today was really tough,” Kitayama said after his round, and went on to characterise his strategy for Saturday as “stay patient.”

Kitayama was born and raised in Chico, about 250 miles north east of this weekend’s tournament, and while Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach itself were not overly familiar to him as a youngster, he did get a good amount of time on Spyglass Hill, where he’ll play on Saturday. His familiarity is the good news; the bad news is that he already knows Spyglass is getting hit hardest by the weather and playing even tougher than the course he survived on Friday.

Like Kitayama, Lebioda was fortunate to have his Monterey Peninsula round on Thursday, and he took major advantage with a spectacular 63. But like Kitayama, things proved to be a little tougher at Pebble Beach, where he followed an opening birdie with nine straight bars, and watched his two-under round go up in smoke with a double bogey after a yanked tee shot on the par-3 fifth. He recovered with another birdie, but three-putted his closing hole to remain one back of Kitayama as he heads to Spyglass on Saturday. He’ll also be seeking his maiden PGA Tour win, but Friday’s challenges are only the start.

If a player makes a hole-in-one but there’s no video to commemorate it on the internet, did it really happen? That’s a question we can ask of Rose, who did just that on the 15th at Spyglass Hill, jarring the 12th ace of his career en route to an opening nine of 32.

“A special day always when you manage to have a hole-in-one,” he said, a master of understatement. “I believe it’s my 12th. Really fun to do, obviously in front of a couple friends, obviously James at Morgan Stanley. So really that was a nice moment.”

Nice, indeed. Less nice were the two bogeys late in his round that dropped him to six under for the tournament, three shots off the lead. Still, he had the worst of it on Spyglass Hill, a course that was playing extra long in the wind, and his 69 was a relative gem in those conditions.

Even better, he’ll head to MPCC on Saturday, which was once again the easiest of the three courses in the rotation, and should give him a chance to make up some ground on the leaders.

The post Kurt Kitayama leads, Justin Rose scores a quiet ace, Pebble takes and gives on a rainy Friday appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

But despite Thursday’s nice weather and ideal scoring conditions for those PGA Tour pros and celebs (We know Bills QB Josh Allen would never complain about playing in 60-degree weather) teeing it up, the tour announced everyone will be playing preferred lies — AKA lift, clean and place — during the opening round. Huh?

In fact, the PGA Tour announced this practice usually reserved for soggy days for the first three rounds of the tournament despite the fact a drop of rain has yet to fall there this week. Why? Because there’s rain in Friday’s forecast. See for yourself:

Still confused? We don’t blame you. But here’s where the tournament’s unique format comes into play. Because golfers play three different courses (Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, and Monterey Peninsula) over the first three rounds and on different days, the tour is trying to ensure that everyone plays each course under the same set of rules.

It’s a small thing, but some of the golf purists, who generally don’t like lift, clean and place — or as they call it, “lift, clean and cheat” — weren’t pleased. Here’s a sampling:

Anyway, the PGA Tour is just trying to not give anyone an unfair advantage. And we’re guessing they’d rather hear a few angry complaints on Golf Twitter than from its players.

The post Why is the PGA Tour is playing ‘preferred lies’ at Pebble Beach even though it’s not raining? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we are happy to be back to rearranging our weekend schedules around Tiger Woods’ tee times. My wife was a good sport, agreeing to go on our Costco lunch run earlier than usual. But once I got home, I barely moved from my couch during the rest of daylight hours on Saturday and Sunday. Well, other than an emergency chips and guac run when Tiger made the turn during the final round.

Watching Woods strutting around in a red shirt and stalking the leaders sure is fun, but it also causes me to stress eat. A LOT. You should see the damage I did to a Costco bag of Hershey Kisses. . . Anyway, Saturdays and Sundays are for watching Tiger Woods again. Sorry, honey.

WE’RE BUYING
Justin Thomas: Tiger Woods didn’t win at PGA National, but one of his proteges did. Again. For a second time this season, Thomas won in a playoff, joining Tiger and Jordan Spieth as the only players to get to eight wins before turning 25 in the past 30 years. He also jumped (his good buddy) Jordan in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time.

Sam Greenwood

Tiger Woods: We could point to a slew of stats to show the progress Tiger made — 1st in proximity to the hole, 15th in strokes gained approach-to-the-green, a 128.2 MPH(!!!) swing speed on Saturday — but the most encouraging thing was the way he felt as he climbed the leader board. As he said the week before, Woods is focused on “winning time,” talking about things like “posting a number” on Sunday and talking less to his friends on tour.

David Cannon

Thomas said Woods usually texts him with words of encouragement when he’s in the hunt entering the final day, but with Woods in contention? “Crickets.” Tiger Woods is back, people. At least to being the game’s ultimate competitor.

Jessica Korda: While everyone was focused on Tiger Woods’ latest comeback, Korda made a remarkable return from an off-season jaw surgery that makes my recent root canal look like a routine checkup. Korda has 27 screws in her face and has been battling severe headaches, but she managed a four-shot victory at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia in her first start back on tour. This could be just the start of a monster season for the 24-year-old.

Eddie Pepperell: And all this time, I just thought this guy was a great follow on Twitter. Turns out, he’s a heckuva golfer as well. Of course, I kid, but it took Pepperell 129 European Tour starts to finally get his maiden victory at the Qatar Masters. And his Monday blog post might have been even better than his Sunday performance on the course. Here’s how he signed off:

There’s lots more I could say I guess, but that can wait. Above all though, I’m just so happy for my family and girlfriend, all of whom deserve the credit for constantly reminding me who I am. Christ, if I ever get above my station, my sister will put me right. She has a knack for four letter curses and pinpoint truth telling.

Time for a nice dog walk.

We’re rooting for more wins — and more posts — from Eddie.

WE’RE SELLING
18-hole playoffs: Good riddance to this archaic method of settling a golf tournament. The USGA is doing the right thing by switching to a (more) sudden-death method, although the two-hole choice screams of golf’s governing body just trying to be different than the other three men’s majors. In any event, this will go down as the last 18-hole playoff (actually 19) in U.S. Open history:

Bloomberg

And I’m totally good with that.

Larry Fitzgerald’s handicap: On the flip side, I’m not totally good with this. Look, I gave Larry the benefit of the doubt after his dominant Pebble Beach Pro-Am performance as a 10.6 handicap. But somehow, the NFL star’s handicap has gone up in the two weeks since to an 11.3 index. And many, including Peter Kessler, are labeling Larry a sandbagger:

???????????
(11 emojis for Larry Fitzgerald’s 11.3 handicap index) pic.twitter.com/fOOxOcPqHq

— Alex Myers (@AlexMyers3) February 26, 2018

Friend of mine played with him several rounds. Never over 75. How can this not have been vetted? He’s not the first sandbagger who’s won the pro am in recent years. A lot of ams like Jack Lemmon worked so hard just to make the cut. Not cool.

— Peter Kessler (@peterkessler) February 27, 2018

I don’t think Larry is exaggerating his scores (maybe he just stepped back to the tips), but I also know that after you win a celebrity tournament by eight shots and people start questioning your handicap, you should do everything in your power to make sure it goes down. So I’m throwing a yellow flag here for Fitzgerald getting excessive strokes.

Honda Heckler: Let me do a quick top-five ranking of those at fault in the heckler situation at the Honda Classic on Sunday, in order from most to blame to least:

The heckler.

The heckler.

The heckler.

Tournament marshals.

Justin Thomas.

Was JT a bit too thin-skinned? Sure. But this bozo sounds like he was looking to get ejected. And why did Thomas have to step in and take care of business of himself? He’s got enough to deal with trying to win. In any event, how much funnier would this have been if it was Rickie Fowler heckling Thomas? Sorry, sorry, not endorsing hecklers at golf tournaments. No matter who they are. But seriously, that would have been funny.

ON TAP
The PGA Tour heads south of the border for the WGC-Mexico Championship, AKA that WGC event they used to play at Doral. It’s also where Justin Thomas one-hopped a hole-in-one from 232 yards last year, but Dustin Johnson still won, because Dustin Johnson was winning every tournament at this time last year.

Random tournament fact: With only 65 players teeing it up in the no-cut event, last place pays out $50Gs. Not too shabby.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

— Justin Thomas will one-hop another ace from 232 yards: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds

— Tiger Woods’ updated odds to win the 2018 Masters: 16-to-1 odds

— I’m kicking myself for not betting on Tiger when he was 25-to-1 odds: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Now who could all these people be taking a picture of? #HondaClassic pic.twitter.com/vzabkwCZwQ

— Dave Shedloski (@DaveShedloski) February 25, 2018

The weekends are officially TIGER TIME again, folks!

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Last week, Justin Thomas uttered the words “Talk dirty to me” to his golf ball. This week, Alvaro Quiros talked dirty to his in a different way:

“That was a disgraceful shot. I hate it with all of my heart.” ?

Álvaro Quirós did not like his approach to 9 one bit… pic.twitter.com/WiZ8CkmHgp

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) February 23, 2018

And how about this reaction to Eddie Pepperell’s win that was filmed by his older brother:

????@PepperellEddie pic.twitter.com/TNcG7vehuj

— Joe Pepperell (@joepep_pga) February 25, 2018

So cool.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (TRICK SHOT DIVISION)

We recently came across an Instagram user who goes around catching marshmallows in his mouth in a variety of locations while wearing a “FAT & PROUD” T-shirt. Here’s his golf-related trick “shot”:

Par 4 hole in one. @billy_gregg91 #pga #tigerwoods #golf#justinthomas#jordanspieth #jasonday #johndaily #sergiogarcia#bubbawatson @scheetz_25 ????

A post shared by Mike Regan (@mikeregan11) on Dec 19, 2017 at 8:52am PST

Well done, sir. And after this weekend’s eating performance, can you send me one of those shirts in a medium? On second thought, make it a large.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITIES PLAYING GOLF (SORT OF)

Check out the contract Denver Broncos tight end Jeff Heuerman signed, promising his fiance he won’t buy another new driver for five years:

Compromise is the bedrock of every healthy relationship, as Jeff Heuerman recently found out. pic.twitter.com/l4HuFDJbT1

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 21, 2018

It looks like this poor guy is going to be giving up a lot of yards to his buddies on the course in the coming years, but that might be the least of his problems. . .

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It was a good gallery, good crowd, but it wasn’t obviously anything big. It wasn’t anything remotely close to Tiger’s. But he fully deserves that and he is the needle. He moves the needle. He’s the reason probably why the attendance this week was as high as it was, and you know, they weren’t coming out here to watch Luke List and Justin Thomas. They were coming out here to watch Tiger, so I don’t blame them. I’d go watch him, too, instead of me.” — Say what you will about having a fan ejected and blurting out a curse on the winning putt, Justin Thomas is awesome.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PROS LIVING THE LIFE

Rory McIlroy is buying up possessions of PGA Tour pros. First, he reportedly purchased Ernie Els’ house and now he’s snagged (one of) Ian Poulter’s Ferraris:

When you see your old love in the car park… and miss it… This F12 was awesome, loved doing the Matte Grigio Silverstone paint and also on the rims, and the Matte Black roof… Interior Grey and burgundy. @rorymcilroy good to see it looking perfect… He know a good car when he sees one. ??

A post shared by Ian Poulter (@ianjamespoulter) on Feb 23, 2018 at 7:10am PST

If any tour pro is looking to sell their boat, Rory looks to be your guy.

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

What are the odds DJ still went with a t-shirt and jeans look for date night? We’re guessing they’re pretty good.

THIS WEEK IN AWESOME JASON DUFNER HATS

This might even top the Biggie Smalls hat Dufner donned earlier this season:

Asked Duf about his “BOSS” hat. No sponsorship deal this year so he’s wearing what he wants. This one, he grabbed from Rickie’s house last night.

“Perfect time, playing with Tiger.” pic.twitter.com/JoR2ISubgp

— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) February 24, 2018

I love how he just saw a hat he liked at Rickie’s house and took it. And you know Rickie was planning on taking that to #SB2K18. Savage move, Duf.

THIS AND THAT

Daniel Berger teamed up with Tom Wall to win the gross division of the fabled Seminole Pro-Member on Monday. But seriously, did you see the field?! Berger deserves Official World Golf Ranking points for the title. . . . The USGA/R&A announced a new World Handicap System will go into effect in 2020. I’m not exactly sure how it will work, but somehow Larry Fitzgerald’s handicap will go up. . . . John Daly is once again denying the authenticity of a claret jug replica that was auctioned off as his for $66,000. As the old saying goes, Buyer Beware, especially when it comes to John Daly-related items. . . . Stance announced this sweet new pair of socks (Although, if I’m nitpicking, I’d prefer more green) that features a look back at Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters win:

You know what’s more boss than wearing a “boss” hat at a golf tournament? Wearing your own commemorative socks to the tournament you owned more than anyone. Jack, please rock these at Augusta in April.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Will When will Justin Thomas get to No. 1?

Will When will Tiger Woods win again?

Why are avocados so expensive?

The post Tiger Woods’ ‘message’ to Justin Thomas, the USGA’s stunning reveal, and Larry Fitzgerald’s handicap gets questioned again appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.