The Golf Album Blog: May 2021

Sunday, May 23, 2021

The Titleist Challenge – PGA Championship Style

As you readers have probably noticed, the leaderboard on PGA Tour.com helpfully provides the identifier “Titleist” after the name of each golfer. This notification serves many purposes, many of which are obvious. Yes, most of the pro golfers play the Titleist brand. But does quantity equal quality?

The Titleist Challenge will resolve that burning question. Let’s see how many golfers using the Titleist brand made the cut at the PGA Championship this weekend at the famed Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, and how many did not:

Number of Titleist golfers who made the cut: 52 (of 81 – 64%)

Number of Titleist golfers who did not make the cut: 35 (of 75 – 47%)

Winner: Titleist, but the evaluation is qualified. On the one hand, the Titleist cream rose to the top this week, as Titleist users dominated those who survived the cut. On the other hand, neither Lefty nor Brooks play the Titleist brand.

Notables who did not make the cut:

-Perhaps the most notable is Dustin Johnson, who seems to have fallen off the proverbial cliff after running away from the field in the 2020 Masters last November. He failed to make the cut while defending his Masters title in April, and now has failed to make the cut in two consecutive majors in the same calendar year for the first time in his 14- year professional career. Despite this disappointing performance, Johnson does retain his World #1 ranking.

-Another surprise cut was Justin Thomas, who ranks #2 just behind Johnson in the world rankings. .Since winning the PGA Championship in 2017, Thomas has finished T6, T37 and now missed the cut. (Thomas did not play in the 2019 PGA Championship due to a wrist injury.)

-Xander Schauffele, #4 in the world rankings, picked by many golf pundits to contend for the Wanamaker Trophy.

PGA Championship 2020: Here's the playoff format used to settle a tie at TPC Harding Park | Golf News and Tour Information | GolfDigest.com

The Winner Hoists This

-Former majors winners and household names Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott

-Former PGA champions (who, by virtue of their past victory earned a perpetual exemption to play in the tournament) Martin Kaymer, Rich Beem, Jason Dufner, Shaun Micheel, Jimmy Walker and last, but certainly not least, the ever-popular John Daly, who finished dead last in the field at 27 over par for two rounds.

Given the fact that Daly was not within shouting distance of the cut line at +5, he most likely will not be heard singing the following sad refrain this weekend:

ONE STROKE OVER THE CUT

Original song: One Toke Over The Line

Songwriters: Michael Brewer / Tom Shipley

One Toke Over The Line Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Whoooo does golf love, I hope it's me
I've bin a struglin', as you can plainly see
I felt the joy and I learned about the pain missing the cut did
If I should choose to make this part of my game surely fix my head

I played all the shots and loved myself a few
Taken by surprise all the rough I've cut through
I ended over par and now I'm
One toke over the line sweet Jesus

One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

I don’t want to be
One stroke over the cut sweet Jesus
One stroke over the cut
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Awaitin' for the pilot flying home, sweet Mary
Hopin' that the pilot’s on time
Sittin' in my Lear on a red-hot tarmac
One stroke over the cut

Songwriters: Michael Brewer / Tom Shipley

One Toke over the Line lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

AMDG

Saturday, May 1, 2021

The Titleist Challenge

As you readers have probably noticed, the leaderboard on PGATour.com helpfully provides the identifier “Titleist” after the name of each golfer. This notification serves many purposes, many of which are obvious. Yes, mot of the pro golfers play the Titleist brand. But does quantity equal quality?

The Titleist Challenge will resolve that burning question. Let’s see how many golfers using the Titleist brand made the cutr at the Valspar Champions ship this weekend in Palm Harbor, Florida, and how many did not:

Number of Titleist golfers who made the cut: 51 (of 69 – 74%)

Number of Titleist golfers who did not make the cut: 57 (of 87 – 66%)

Winner: A lawyer’s answer: It depends. From a pure quantitative perspective, the number of Titleist golfers who did not make the cut outnumbered those Titleist golfers who did make the cut. On the other hand, the percentage of Titleist golfers making the cut exceeded those who did not. So, this week’s winner is (drum roll, please)…. Titleist!!

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#1 Ball in Golf

Notables who did not make the cut:

-Phil Mickelson, who needs several top-three finishes the next few weeks to qualify for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in June. (The issue of FIGJAM - see here - accepting an exemption to play in the Open is unresolved at this time; The Golf Album Blog says, Of Course He Will!)

-Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open Champion, who has failed to make the cut in 7 of 14 tournaments in the 2021 PGA season. This from a man who made 21 consecutive cuts in 2018-2019.

-Justin Rose, another majors winner and member of the Masters’ “Close But No Cigar” Club (6 top ten finishes, with two seconds, in 16 tries.)

-other majors winners Graeme McDowell and Danny Willett

-and the ever-popular Patrick Reed, another major winner.

Given the quality of these golfers who missed the cut this week, they most likely will not be heard singing the following sad refrain very often in the weeks to come: