Tiger’s back! (And it’s not even the most interesting story of the week)
Tiger Woods has us dreaming, Rory McIlroy’s wardrobe malfunction, the most bizarre DQ in tour history, and Jin Young Ko’s mind-blowing run. Where shall we start?
Hello, welcome to this week’s edition of The Slam. And there’s a reason I don’t write this until Sunday evening. Holy smokes, what a day! Where shall we start? There’s only one place, really…
Tiger’s back (read that again)
Tiger Woods must have so much fun with this sort of thing, knowing he can just punch a short snippet out on his social media and then sit back with a protein shake (presumably) and a wry smile that the internet has gone into meltdown.
The 15-time major champion shared the first video of himself hitting golf balls since his car accident in February and, well, that’s exactly what happened.
If you’re one of the very few people not on social media – how do you do it? Seriously. I envy you. Anyway, here it is…
At the time of writing, the video had 3.8 million views. I am only responsible for half of those.
Rory rage
Rory McIlroy had a fun week, starting with some beautifully-crafted shade launched in Greg Norman’s direction.
You may remember a few years ago when McIlroy said he was “very much against” any breakaway golf leagues, calling them a “money grab” and that he couldn’t see “why anyone would be for it”.
So when asked about Norman’s new venture as the CEO of Saudi-backed LIV Golf Investments and their involvement in the Asian Tour, McIlroy didn’t mix his words.
“That has only hardened my view,” he said ahead of the DP World Tour Championship. “There’s been a select few individuals who have come on board with the other people and that also hardened my view even more.”
Forever our king.
McIlroy was back in the headlines again come Sunday when this piece of incredible misfortune coming down the stretch cost him the title which seemed so firmly in his grasp…
You’ll be pleased to know it was only his shirt that bore the brunt of his frustration.
And while the world talked about Rory’s exposed nipple and Tiger’s sweet, sweet swing, Collin Morikawa was celebrating doing what Collin Morikawa does best. Winning.
The first American to win the Race to Dubai title – yes, I know, Woods would have won it 3,000 times had he actually ever bothered to join the European Tour – Morikawa stormed to a three-shot win that saw him triumph at both the tournament and the season-long standings.
Morikawa now has two majors, a WGC, and a Rolex Series title, as well as two regular PGA Tour victories. Oh, and he did alright at the Ryder Cup, but I’ve blocked it from my mind.
A reminder that he only turned pro two and a half years ago.
I know what you’re thinking. It’s ludicrous that someone can only play in a handful of European Tour events and win their order of merit. And you’d be right. It is.
But don’t hate the player, as they say, hate the game.
I was going to have a little look back through how different the Order of Merit winner looked back in the day compared to now. But then I went on Twitter and someone had already done the work for me…
UKGolfGuy – I salute you and your relatable levels of nerdiness.
Sabbatini’s self sabotage
It’s never boring in Rory Sabbatini’s world, is it?
The former South African turned Slovakian Olympic silver medallist was booted out of the RSM Classic after an opening-round 68 after a mishap with one of his clubs.
Sabbatini had left some reflective stickers – used with launch monitors to track the clubhead speed and such – on the face of a fairway wood which, PGA Tour official John Mutch confirmed, made it non-conforming.
If you fancy a more detailed explanation as to why Sabbatini was DQ’d, Carter Rich, the USGA’s senior director of equipment rules and conformance, told Golfweek: “Under the Equipment Rules, such attachments to the face are considered to be external attachments that are not permitted (see Part 2, Section 1a of the Equipment Rules). As a result, they render the club non-conforming when playing a round under the Rules of Golf (see Rule 4.1a of the Rules of Golf). In essence, while certain attachments to the head are permissible provided they meet the criteria provided in the interpretation of Part 2, Section 1a, attachments to the face are not permitted.”
Well, when you put it like that.
If there’s been a more bizarre reason for someone to be disqualified from a tournament, I’d like to hear it.
At the other end of the week, it was Talor Gooch who celebrated his 30th birthday by becoming a PGA Tour winner for the first time.
And the best golfer on the planet is…
Just look at this stat from Jin Young Ko’s second straight victory in the LPGA’s season finale…
Sixty. Three. Greens in regulation. Utterly absurd. Absolutely no one on the planet can touch the World No 1 right now.
Even Tiger Woods at his peak, according to stats guru Justin Ray, “only” had 29 in a row.
Incredible.
Right, that’s enough from me. Remember you can follow me on Twitter if you like, or follow the NCG account which is far more interesting.
And finally, if you’re looking for some decent Black Friday deals, our team have been working their socks off behind the scenes to make sure you don’t have to.
Play well.
Subscribe to NCG
Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
