Is There A GOAT In Here Somewhere?

 

There are two conflicting opinions concerning the quality of the field in the 2020 US Open.  On the one hand, there are several opinions in the media that this field is arguably  the strongest US Open field ever.  Then there is the opinion of preeminent sports columnist Thomas Boswell, whose column on Friday in the Washington Post that while the current crop of pro golfers may constitute more “total talent” than any before it (a point not conceded by this writer), there is no golfer who appears to have assumed the mantle of Tiger Woods as a preeminent talent if not golf’s GOAT. Boswell points out that since 1975, only two golfers have won more than five major titles in their careers -Tiger Woods with fifteen, and Nick Faldo with six.  Two others have won five – Phil Mickelson and Seve Ballesteros.  As Boswell noted “That only gets Mickelson and Ballesteros in a six-way tie for 14^th place on the all-time majors list.”

As any reader of this column knows, Jack Nicklaus is considered golf’s GOAT, not Tiger Woods. Putting that argument aside, which is it?  Is this the strongest US Open field ever, or simply further proof that golf has no challenger to Nicklaus or Woods as a GOAT any time soon, and hence quantity does not equal all-time quality when  it comes to golf.

Take, as an example, the statement in one media report on Saturday morning that “All nine of the top 10 world golf ranking players at the US Open made the cut (Brooks Koepka did not appear in the tournament).”  On its face, a strong statement about the quality of the field.  Well, drilling down below the fluff, between the aforementioned nine who made the cut (Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Webb Simpson,  Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, and Adam Scott) only seven have won majors, and the seven  majors’ winners have accumulated exactly 10 major titles between them.  Interestingly, only three of those golfers (Rory, DJ, Webb) won a U.S. Open title, and a single one at that. (Winning just one U.S. Open is not shameful; golf immortals Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson only won one U.S. Open apiece, and (famously) Phil and Seve never captured even one U.S. Open title.)  Significantly, only Rory has won more than one major title among the above group.

The NBC Sports coverage (which has been execrable, by the way; in addition to the inane comments by the host of “analysts”, including the insufferable “Zinger” (whose comments might well be enhanced by a zinger once in a while) the saccharine Dan Hicks and the stunningly unfunny David Feherty) trumpeted Saturday that the last fifteen pairings included  eleven majors winners with a total of sixteen majors victories.  The phrase “damning with faint praise” comes to mind.  Of that group of eleven champions only three have won more than one title:  Bubba Watson (who won his only at Augusta, a venue in which long, errant drives remain unpunished – hello, Bryson DeChambeau – and, given the raft of young players who can hit the tee ball as far or farther than Bubba, with much greater accuracy, will likely not win at Augusta again;  Zach Johnson (who won a Masters and Open title and is not likely to win another); and Rory, who may be stuck at four majors unless he can learn to putt better. And no one is destined to be considered a dominant golf champion, never mind GOAT, at any time in the future.  Boswell may be correct.

As for the claim, that this was perhaps the strongest Open field in history, let’s pick an Open from the Golden Age of Golf (the “GOAG”), any Open, say the 1968 U.S. Open.  The top fifteen pairings in that tournament on Saturday included the GOAT, Jack Nicklaus; a near GOAT, Gary Player (one of only five players with a career Grand Slam); Lee Trevino (the eventual winner of the tournament, the first of his six major titles); Sam Snead (still the all-time PGA tour titles winner at 82, tied with Tiger Woods); Billy Casper (two-time winner of the U.S. Open, once at  Winged Foot in 1959, and 51 PGA tour victories); Julius Boros (two U.S. Open victories, three majors overall); Charlie Sifford, the Jackie Robinson of golf and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree in 2014, and five other majors winners.  Lurking just outside the top 15 pairings was the King himself, along with Hall of Famer Roberto De Vicenzo (winner of a record 230 professional tournaments worldwide in his career including eight on the PGA Tour and the 1967 Open Championship – not to mention the greatest exclamation in sports history, to wit, “What a stupid I am”).  In sum, I will take the quality of this field from 1968 over the current U.S. Open field in a New York minute.

 

                                                                      AMDG

 

© R. E. Kelly 2012 -2020

 

And the Winner of the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Is…. Winged Foot!

At the end of the 2020 U.S. Open, Winged Foot will also become the toughest U.S. Open venue in history (if it isn’t already.).  Since World War II, only two US Open courses have hosted Opens in which the champion has won with scores above par three times, Oakland Hills Country Club and Winged Foot.  Winged Foot will become the leader in the clubhouse, because no golfer will break par over four rounds in this tournament.  In fact, the winner will post the highest winning score over par for an Open since at least 1974 when Hale Irwin won the U.S. Open shooting +7 over four rounds.  Not coincidentally, Winged Foot was the host of that tournament. (Local lore has it that the sons of Claude Harmon, the legendary golfer who was the club pro at Winged Foot at the time, won major wagers with rival Westchester Country Club members that the Open winner would not break par that year. Raising insider trading to an art form, the boys from Winged Foot knew how difficult the course had been set up to be, and cashed in when Irwin walked off the 18^th green on Sunday well over par for the tournament.) 

 Thankfully for golf fans everywhere, the 2020 U.S. Open is upon us, and as the first players tee off in a few minutes to open the tourney, Winged Foot G.C. will become the host of the  U.S. Open for the sixth time in its storied history. Winged Foot will thus become one of only five courses to have hosted the U.S. Open so often (the other four are Oakmont Country Club (9 times), Baltusrol Golf Club (7 times), Oakland Hills Country Club (6 times) and Pebble Beach Golf Links (6 times).

In anticipation of hosting this tournament, the membership of the club authorized the reconstruction of the West Course to return to its original configuration as designed by legendary course architect A. W. Tillinghast when the club opened in 1923.  It was a massive, years-long  undertaking, as evidenced by the videos seen here . As a result, the course barely resembles the venue which held the 2006 U.S. Open, which Geoff Ogilvy won with a final score of +5 over par. (Uh oh; a not very positive portent of things to come.) 

So, given the history of such tournaments held at Winged Foot, the prediction here is that the winner of the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot will finish the tournament with a winning score of +9, the highest U.S. Open winning score in 57 years. In addition, not one golfer will post a round under par in the tournament, which would be unprecedented.  (No golfers posted a sub-par round in the 1951 U.S. Open for the first three rounds at Oakland Hills C.C. (South Course), but not in the final round.

It will be enormously pleasurable to watch what some have argued (erroneously) is the best Open field of all time be humbled by the greatness that is Winged Foot Golf Club.  I must admit that, as an average, aging duffer, I will bask in the schadenfreude and enjoy every minute of it.

And the Winner Is...Winged Foot Golf Club!

 

 

                                                                        AMDG

 

© R. E. Kelly 2012 -2020

Gambler Backs Mickelson to the Tune of $45K at Winged Foot; Good Luck!

 

Less than a week before the 2020 U.S. Open is set to get underway at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, CBSSports.com has reported that a bettor, presumably with a great deal of disposable income, has placed a $45,000 wager on Phil Mickelson to win the 120th edition of the tournament.

 

The bet was placed at 75/1 (+7500) odds at one of William Hill's Southern Nevada Sports Books and would result in a net win of $3,375,000 if Mickelson claims his sixth Major on Sunday, September 20, 2020.  The wager represents the second largest liability for an individual golf wager in William Hill US history.

The U.S. Open is the one major golf championship that Mickelson hasn't won in his illustrious career. He's finished second a record six times, and hasn't finished better than 28th in his last six starts of the tournament. 

As any golf fan knows, Philly Mick is a legendary gambler.  For some notable stories about Phil and gambling, see here

And as any golf fan, or normal American sports fan, also knows, gambling has a very dark side if a person is not careful. The same principle applies to famous pro golfers as well.  

ESPN reported in 2017 that Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York initiated a criminal prosecution against Las Vegas businessman and renowned gambler William "Billy" Walters in U.S. District Court for securities fraud, conspiracy and wire fraud. From 2008 to 2014, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York argued that Walters made $32 million in profit and avoided another $11 million in losses. Walters stood accused of trading on insider information on Dean Foods Co., which he obtained from former company chairman Thomas Davis.

 

During the trial prosecutors examined the relationship between Walters and one Phil Mickelson. According to media reports, he and Walters apparently had a relationship for decades, often playing golf together.

 

According to transcripts of the case, CNBC reported that the prosecution told the court that an independent business management firm, if called to testify, would say Mickelson was a client and that "records show that in July 2012 Mickelson owed a debt to William T. Walters, the defendant, related to sports gambling." The prosecution added that on Sept. 19, 2012, Mickelson "transferred $1,950,000" to Walters. Also stipulated was that Mickelson had accrued and repaid similar gambling debts in the past to Walters.

 

This wasn’t just any nickel and dime trial; in fact, as reported by CNBC, Walters was convicted on all 10 counts he faced, including securities fraud, conspiracy and wire fraud. Walters was sentenced to five years in prison over his role in a $43 million insider-trading scheme and was fined $25 million.

   

In addition to the revealing information about Mickelson’s enormous gambling debts, court records and media reports also indicated that Walters provided a stock tip to Mickelson and noted corporate investor Carl Icahn. The prosecution said Mickelson made nearly $1 million after Walters advised him in 2012 to buy stock in Dean Foods.

 

Golfworld reported that Mickelson’s trading in Dean Foods was used as evidence against Walters, but Mickelson did not testify at trial. The golfer’s lawyers informed the prosecution and defense that if called by either side, Mickelson would decline to testify based on his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

 

Golfworld also  reported that the government had no proof whether Mickelson knew where Walters’ information was coming from, and thus could not know if he intended to violate the laws against insider trading. But the SEC did name Mickelson a “relief defendant” in a civil case, meaning that the agency believed that he profited from insider trading in Dean Foods, even if he didn’t engage in it himself. Mickelson settled that civil case by agreeing to repay $930,000 in trading profits and $105,000 in interest. In doing so, Mickelson neither admitted nor denied the allegations in the SEC’s complaint.

ESPN’s Outside the Lines also reported that in 2016 Mickelson had a connection to an illegal offshore gambling operation. Federal court filings revealed an intermediary had acted as a conduit to pay a $2.7 million gambling debt Mickelson owed an offshore sportsbook.

Gregory Silveira, a California-based agent for the offshore site, subsequently pleaded guilty to money laundering charges and remains incarcerated at a federal prison camp in Arizona. Mickelson was not criminally charged, though the government kept the nearly $3 million that was being transferred to allegedly pay off the gambling debt.

So, not only did Mickelson run up more than nearly $2 million in gambling debts with Walters (that’s a lot of $1 Nassaus) and $3 million in offshore gambling, kept by the government, but he also dodged prosecution after receiving a stock tip from Walters, the result of which profited Mickelson nearly $1 million, which amount was repaid.

 

Golfworld reported recently that Walters was released early from a five-year prison sentence in early May of this year.  According to his lawyer, Richard Wright, Walters was released to his home due to his age, as it made him vulnerable to COVID-19 in prison. He will serve out the remainder of his sentence in Carlsbad, Calif. Maybe he’s the anonymous gambler that plunked down $45, 000 on his old (ex)pal Lefty to win the upcoming U.S. Open at Winged Foot.  But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Whether you are a Phil fan or not you can sing along with the King about golf and gambling:

 

SUSPICIOUS NINES

 (Words and music by Mark James (Francis Zambon);

Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Publishers)

(The songwriter, Mark James, not Elvis, did the very first recording of the song in 1968 on the Scepter Label)

I'm caught in a trap; I can't chip out

Because I gambled too much baby

Wait 'til you see what they will do to me

When I go and tell them I can't pay

 I can't go on a-playin' these suspicious nines

These low-down and betrayin' suspicious nines

 In the rough and the trees, dribbled shots from the tees

I've found every hazard in this pasture

There I go again, put down another ten

I'm losin' more than I made last year

I can't go on a-playin' these suspicious nines

These low-down and betrayin' suspicious nines

 

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... Elvis has left the golf course.

                                                                          AMDG

 © R. E. Kelly 2012 -2020