Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Ludvig Aberg’s Genesis Invitational win, the timeline for the PGA-LIV deal and the LPGA’s new pace-of-play policy.
1. Ludvig Aberg, behind an eight-birdie 66 in the final round, won the Genesis Invitational by a shot over Maverick McNealy, and by two over Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Rodgers. Aberg’s victory also gives the PGA Tour’s Signature Events a star-studded list of winners — Hideki Matsuyama won the Sentry, Rory McIlroy won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Aberg won the Genesis. Our question, then, is this as the Tour leaves California: Who will have more wins this season — Aberg, McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler or someone else, and why?
Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): Let’s not forget Xander Schauffele, who’s injured, or Joaquin Niemann, another winner on Sunday. But I’m going with McIlroy. Put him down to win the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, along with winning three other times. The putter failed him this weekend. But his game has looked as solid as it’s ever been. Lots of great golf coming this summer, for sure.
Josh Sens (@joshsens): It’s still Scottie Scheffler’s world until someone proves otherwise. He will win the most events. But McIlroy — in a blast of karmic compensation after all his agony in the majors — will win the Masters.
James Colgan (@jamescolgan26): Scottie Scheffler didn’t swing a golf club for two months and returned as, at worst, one of the three best players in the world. I’ll roll with him.
2. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan spoke with the media at the Genesis and struck a different tone as he teased a deal with LIV. After hearing the latest from Monahan, has your optimism regarding a solution coming soon changed?
Piastowski: I’ll say mildly. I agree that it feels closer. But is it actually, or is this the latest talking point in these negotiations? One could also argue that, of course, Monahan will say things are close — you probably wouldn’t find him saying, yeah, this thing isn’t ever getting done. I’ve actually been focused on Monahan’s comments that there’ll be one tour when things are wrapped up — which seems to conflict with LIV charging ahead? Those two ideas make me think we’ll be waiting for a while. But it’s anyone’s guess.
Sens: Meh. I’ll believe it when it Monahappens. Pay attention to what they do, not what they say.
Colgan: I’m predicting on Monday of PGA Championship week, just to steal some shine from the Tour’s PGA counterparts,
3. Former pro and current Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner took issue with some of Rory McIlroy’s comments from the Genesis, when McIlroy said “we have all benefited” from golf’s split due to increased purses and now “everyone’s just got to get over” the squabble so the Tour and LIV can reunite. “You know who hasn’t benefited since all these things have gone on?” Johnson said. “The sponsors, who pay all the bills. TV is down, everything is down yet they are being asked to pay more money. … He’s trying to get his way in every way. I’m a huge fan of Rory, but he’s angering me right now.” Fair or foul critique?
Piastowski: How about misplaced? McIlroy, as I read it, was talking only about the players — and that they alone have benefitted and that they alone should move on, which are key points in all of this. But I get Wagner’s beef. McIlroy wasn’t reading the room. Saying everyone’s benefitted when golf fans can’t watch all of the best players outside of the majors sounds bad.
Sens: I’m with Nick on this one. It came across as tone-deaf. But if asked to elaborate, I think McIlroy would agree that the players need to move on for the good of the pro game. They’re not owed anything. But fans and sponsors are.
Colgan: I didn’t mind the substance of it, though I think we’d do well as a sport to stop half-quoting people.
4. The LPGA officially unveiled a new (and more strict) pace-of-play policy that will go into effect in March. Under the new penalty structure for going over their allotted time to hit a shot, players will be fined for going 1-5 seconds over, penalized a stroke for 6-15 seconds over and penalized two strokes for exceeding 15 seconds. What are your thoughts on the change? Too much? Not enough?
Piastowski: This seems about right. I might have gone right to the stroke penalties, but I like that all of this affects the bottom line. I might add that if you go over 30 seconds, you get the “Charley Hull penalty,” where your tour card is taken away. Kidding, kidding. Maybe.
Sens: It seems like an appropriate penalty to me. I’m only sorry that it’s not happening in the men’s game now as well. Both tours should be fined for having taken so long to act on this problem.
Colgan: Man, I absolutely adore these fixes. The runway is wide open for the LPGA to lead golf in this category, and these changes feel like a big step in the right direction.
5. With all the discussion about slow play, why has the PGA Tour been so reluctant to make its rules more strict and/or enforce strokes? Would you like to see the Tour copy a similar policy as the LPGA?
Piastowski: Because it’s a players’ tour. Some pros have become pros because their games are a bit meticulous, shall we say. There’s also no one reason why slow play happens — the tech is better, they’re are too many players in the field, lack of knowledge of the rules, on and on. That said, a little thought toward the consumer would be best. Thinking that fans will watch for five-and-a-half hours, is, as Dottie Pepper said, selfish.
Sens: I’d love to see it enforced and I suspect it will soon reach the point where it has to be. Similar moves helped baseball with its TV ratings problem. And players adapted. Golfers would too. Slow play is a learned habit (sadly, based on what I’ve seen in junior tournaments, it is being taught at a very early age). It can be unlearned. Time to start incentivizing change. The argument that they play slowly because they’re playing for a lot of money doesn’t hold much water for me. I can’t prove this but I’d be willing to bet that if pros were made to play faster, their performance wouldn’t suffer. It would likely improve.
Colgan: This is a massive issue of enforcement: namely, the Tour’s unwillingness to do so. Rules change, and sports get better for them, but only if leagues have the courage to do so. That skill has been lacking on Tour.
