No. 80

The comeback is complete. Tiger Woods is back. Sundays are red again. It’s one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport and, whether you love him or hate him, you have to appreciate him.

Over the course of five years, PGA Tour win No. 80 went from inevitable to improbable to inconceivable to in-the-books.

Roses are Fed(Ex)

Justin Rose’s FedEx Cup victory has been more than 20 years in the making, but he didn’t make it easy for himself. Needing better than T5 to fend off Tiger Woods, the pressure told on Sunday as the Englishman made five birdies en route to +4 as he approached the last. Suddenly he needed a birdie for $10million.

“I’m sorry” said Rose as he tapped in for $10million. The American crowd applauded, but Rose knew they had a different champion in mind. I doubt he’ll lose any sleep over that.

How it Happened

Tiger shared the Round 1 lead after a walk-off eagle completed an opening 65. FedEx Cup leader Bryson DeChambeau opened with a 1-over 71 before making it 6-over with a Friday 75. Heading into the weekend, Rose and Tiger shared the lead at -7; two strokes clear of Rory McIlroy.

DeChambeau went 66-67 over the weekend but the damage was already done as he couldn’t get near the FedEx Cup title with a 19^th place finish. Tiger made five consecutive birdies between 3 and 7 on Saturday for another 65 and -12 for the week to carry a three-stroke lead into Sunday. McIlroy & Rose were his nearest competitors; both at -9 after rounds of 66 and 68 respectively.

I don’t care if we’re talking about the best in the world or somebody picking up a club for the first time, if you put a TOUR Championship and $10million on the line as separate prizes, it’s bound to affect you mentally. Tiger opened with a birdie which all but wrapped up the tournament as his challengers fell off the pace. McIlroy managed 3 bogeys and a double with a lone birdie in his front nine to fall out of contention, whilst Rose looked unsure as to whether he was going for the tournament or just the FedEx Cup. In the end, he finished T4. Dustin Johnson shot back-to-back 67 rounds on Saturday-Sunday to finish solo third reclaim his World No. 1 title from Rose.

Thousands flocked to the 18^th for Tiger’s finale. A tap-in par sealed it. The crowds cheered, Tiger cried and Thomas Bjorn (probably) cried too.

WITB

A huge season finale saw Tiger’s first win in 5 years, Rose’s most lucrative career title and DJ return to World No. 1. There’s one common denominator we can’t avoid here: TaylorMade.

The TM family have been long been associated with the Tour’s most successful players, but these results are bordering on ridiculous now. Here’s what TaylorMade tells us these guys had in their bags.

Drivers:

Rose and Tiger both use the M3 driver, whilst big-hitting DJ plays with the M4. All three have clearly benefitted from the Twist Face technology this year.

Fairway Woods:

Tiger sticks with the M3 model in his 3-wood, but it’s the M4 in both Rose & DJ’s bags. Again, they’ve all chosen Twist Face designs.

Irons:

Tiger is Tiger, so he gets to design his own irons. The TaylorMade TW Phase1 prototypes are not available at retail (otherwise we’d all play like Tiger, of course). Rose & DJ have both earned plaudits for their iron play this year. For Rose it’s the P790, and for DJ it’s the P730.

Wedges:

Wedge wise, Rose and DJ both combine the Milled Grind and the Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges. Tiger, though, uses the Milled Grind RAW wedge.

Putters:

In case you didn’t know, Tiger switches to Scotty Cameron for his putter. Rose’s putting has been cited as the turning point in his career. The vast improvement this season has given him the consistency which resulted in the big prize on the PGA Tour. The putter he uses is the TP Red Collection Ardmore 2. Dustin Johnson- always reliable on the greens- plays with the Spider Tour Black.

Golf Balls:

Again, Tiger moves away from TaylorMade for his golf balls, but the TP5 balls that Rose uses and TP5x balls that DJ uses have both received high praise on and off Tour.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

If any of the Top-5; Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson & Justin Thomas, win the TOUR Championship they will win the coveted FedEx Cup, along with a cool $10million. Everybody in the field can (theoretically, if not realistically) put their name on the check. Let’s take a look at some of the most intriguing East Lake pairings.

Justin Rose/Bryson DeChambeau

In four of the last five years, the man heading into the TOUR Championship at No. 2 has come out on top in the FedEx Cup. No. 2 this year? That’d be the new World No. 1: Justin Rose.

He lost in a playoff last time out (his second consecutive runner-up) and I believe that losing, as weird as it may sound, has put more expectation on him to win. I say that because DeChambeau’s back-to-back playoff wins are the top of everybody’s list as to why he won’t win (3 out of 4? Don’t be stupid!). Rose has an outstanding record at East Lake: Eight starts, four Top-6 finishes (including a runner-up) and nothing worse than T20. I am very confident of a Top-5 finish from him, which would give him a decent chance in the FedEx Cup without guaranteeing anything.

I can see DeChambeau coming up short. He’s young and has already done some incredible things, but he’ll get outmuscled by the bigger guys here. He just needs a respectable finish and he can reflect on a fantastic season. Anything outside the Top-10 would be unjust.

Dustin Johnson/Tony Finau

Breathing down the neck of Rose & DeChambeau, these are exactly the type of guys to outmuscle a young kid trying do something a bit quirky. Top-10 machine Tony Finau is, amazingly, still without a win since 2016. He’ll need to change that this week. Given that we’re talking about golf, it is more than plausible, but I wouldn’t count on it.

DJ, on the other hand, knows how to win. 3 wins in 2016, 4 in 2017 and 3 so far in 2018. The American has 11 Top-10s in 19 starts this year. For me, he and Rose have to be the favourites.

Francesco Molinari/Phil Mickelson

Molinari & Mickelson will be interesting to watch. Phil the Thrill side-by-side with Methodical Molinari (I can’t see that catching on in the same way). It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest to see these two face off at Le Golf National, either. I’d like to see which style comes out on top.

Rory McIlroy/Xander Schauffele

The previous two winners of the tournament, although only one- McIlroy in 2016- actually won the FedEx Cup. Last year, Schauffele became the first TOUR Championship winner not to pick up the FedEx Cup at the same time since 2009.

McIlroy’s spot atop the bookies’ list is almost automatic. A win would likely be that and no more for both men, who would need a bucket load of luck to climb 16 and 17 places in the FedEx Cup standings respectively. However, I can see Rory finishing the season strongly by joining DJ and Rose near the top of the leaderboard.

Tiger Woods/Tommy Fleetwood

Tiger & Tommy. You can only imagine what this will mean to the Englishman, and you’ll have to keep imagining because there’s no way Fleetwood will let it show. He’s a cool competitor and he’ll be set on chasing the title. Neither man will be $10million dollars richer (and not just because Fleetwood’s money will be sent to the wrong man again!), but both are looking to cap off a big season with a big win. Victory for Fleetwood would mean back-to-back multiple win seasons, whilst Tiger… Well, you know.

Rose, DJ and McIlroy are my ones to watch in the PGA Tour’s ultimate showdown as I anticipate DeChambeau being usurped at the death. After all, this is golf: it can’t be straightforward.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Credit: Golf.com

It takes an elite mind to reach the top of any sport, but golf, more than most, is a mental game. To understand what goes on inside the mind of a PGA Tour Pro is beyond cool. Sure, these surveys are about as American as shooting hot dogs out of a cannon at sports events (yes, they actually do that) and bears a striking resemblance to the “Mic’d Up” players in the NFL and, more recently, MLS. However, there are some very interesting answers. We’ve picked out a few (and avoided the political ones for obvious reasons).

Distance & Equipment

76% of the 59 players who participated said that they are NOT concerned about players hitting the ball too far. One player cited the evolution of equipment as an issue; claiming it “has taken a ton of skill away from the game”. However, 93% of players believe the PGA Tour courses are about right in length, with the other 7% believing they are generally too long.

Only 5% of players have signed an equipment deal believing it to be a downgrade. Of course money talks, but it appears that Tour players generally do prioritise performance (as they should). Therefore, it may just be worth keeping an eye on the more popular manufacturers on Tour.

Unruly Behaviour

From fans to players, unruly behaviour has no place in golf… Although many players believe it does. 44% say they have seen a fellow player cheat (although 0% admitted to doing so themselves), with one saying “The Tour is a joke when it comes to enforcing the rules.” More than half of them claim that unruly fans have cost them a shot, with some saying it happens every week but others joking that they don’t pull large enough crowds for that to be an issue (probably not Tiger).

Nearly half admitted to playing a tournament round hungover. It didn’t always end too badly (see Eddie Pepperrell at The Open), with scores as low as 61 and 60 with a hangover. Did we just discover the secret to Tour-level golf? No. No we didn’t.

Tiger & Phil

Sorry, but we can’t ignore it. 98% reckon Tiger will win another tournament and 90% think he’ll win another major. He’s also a clear favourite in the Mickelson Money Match. They weren’t questioned on their interest in the match, although 10% refused to comment and one player asked “Who cares? Maybe I would’ve 15 years ago.” I can’t imagine many would oppose that view.

There was a 54% majority in Phil’s favour regarding his Shinnecock shenanigans; saying he shouldn’t have been disqualified.

Views on driving distance and equipment are definitely what caught my eye most, although the comments on cheating and fans- specifically calling the PGA Tour “A joke”- are something you wouldn’t get without the anonymity. And, if you fancy a flutter next season, the overwhelming belief in Tiger from the guys who should know best should tell you where the smart money is. That said, in 2017 they voted Jordan Spieth the best putter on Tour. In 2018 he ranked 136 in Strokes Gained: Putting. Anything can happen in golf.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

It’s been a long, long time coming, hasn’t it? And he was forced to wait one more day as torrential rain at Philadelphia’s Aronimink Golf Club turned Sunday into Monday at the BMW Championship. Despite the loss, Justin Rose became just the fourth Englishman ever to top the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

When the baby-faced 17-year-old chipped in on the 18^th at Royal Birkdale to finish fourth as an amateur at The 1998 Open Championship, many would’ve expected a meteoric rise. It took him fifteen more years to win his first Major at the 2013 U.S. Open. Now, aged 38, Rose is officially the World No. 1 for the first time. The Olympic Gold Medallist boasts a career of memorable moments- rightly describing himself as “A history books guy”, but his rise to the top has not been a straightforward one.

The Rise of Rose

After that now-legendary finish to The Open, Rose turned Pro. What could go wrong? 21 consecutive missed cuts, that’s what. Early career struggles were followed by success in 2002 and 2003, before more struggles followed by more success. Form was not always consistent for Rose but, as the old adage tells us, that is temporary. With Justin Rose, class is a permanent fixture. Be it a patriotic desire at the Olympics or extraordinary grace in defeat at the 2017 Masters, Rose won the hearts of golf fans around the world. In 2016, his services to the sport were rewarded with an MBE following that Olympic success. After his Birkdale magic he could so easily have fallen into the same trap as many other young talents but, and I’m sure it was hard to see this at the time, those early struggles as a Pro may just have helped Rose form the character that has given him so much success.

What Next?

The career grand slam, he says, is the ultimate goal. Not surprising, but certainly ambitious. At 38 it will mean kicking on. It’s a little strange to think that he only has one Major under his belt, especially given his fifteen Top-10s at Majors and his ability to win on the biggest stages (U.S. Open, Olympics, 2 WGCs, Rolex Series, FedEx Cup Playoffs and so on). However, Rose now has something that he lacked for so long: consistency. It’s also worth noting that his U.S. Open victory made him the first English Major winner since Sir Nick Faldo in 1996 and the first to win the U.S Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

English Golf

Rose’s latest achievement marks a serious improvement in English golf. Youngsters like Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Fitzpatrick look set to follow in his path, whilst veterans Paul Casey and Ian Poulter cannot be overlooked. With a total of 20 victories across the PGA and European Tours, Rose is the shining light for English golf right now, but this could be a taste of things to come. With five Englishmen in the 12-man Team Europe for the Ryder Cup and 9 in the OWGR Top-65- including 5 in their twenties, exciting times lie ahead for English golf.

Congratulations, Justin Rose!

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com

Thomas Bjorn yesterday announced his four wildcard picks to complete Team Europe. With opinions split on Bjorn's decisions, let’s take a look at who will be joining Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren and Thorbjorn Olesen at Le Golf National.

Ian Poulter

Obvious. Easy. The man for the occasion. Need I say more?

Paul Casey

Casey grinds out solid but unspectacular results. He’s a conservative option. That puts the onus on a lot of young debutants to take the match by the scruff of the neck. He also doesn’t offer the character or attitude to bolster the team.

He’s a good golfer and he has a good Ryder Cup record, but you could say the same for Rafa Cabrera Bello and Thomas Pieters. The thing that separates them is flair; an aggressive approach that excites the fans and other players. Casey, for me, doesn’t offer that. It won't hurt the team, but I feel there were better options out there.

Sergio Garcia

I’m unsure. Plain and simple. It’s so easy to justify his inclusion, but it would’ve been equally as easy to justify his exclusion. There’s no way he’s “done”; he won THREE tournaments last year. Not just the Masters. It’s just a matter of finding his game when it matters. Bjorn described him as “the heartbeat of the team”. He is a huge presence.

Sergio will give those young guys a lot more confidence when lining up against the likes of Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson. No doubt. I am reluctant to criticise his selection, but Bjorn is putting himself in the firing line.

Henrik Stenson

His form hasn’t been spectacular, but for me Stenson is a no-brainer. He’s such a great golfer and reminds me a lot of Molinari in his ability to avoid mistakes when the pressure is on. He also has a lot of Ryder Cup experience in his favour. You won't find many objectors to this pick.

Missed the cut

I think the tournament just came too soon for Matthew Fitzpatrick and Eddie Pepperell. The same for Matt Wallace, who left himself too big a mountain to climb (three wins in 2018 would usually do the trick). We'll see where they are in two years.

However, I can’t help feeling like Rafa Cabrera Bello and Thomas Pieters were both unlucky to miss out. If Pieters had done better at Made in Denmark I think he’d have got a pick. Cabrera Bello, on the other hand, deserves to be Paris-bound after going T10-T11-T60-T7 in his last four events. Both players had outstanding debuts at Hazeltine last time out.

Written by Joe Carabini

joe.carabini@foremostgolf.com