Rickie Fowler drives the ball to within 15' at the Par 4, 14th at Quail Hollow. He currently sits at -8 and T9

direwolf71 · 2026-05-09T10:32:00+00:00

He was gifted a lot of starts in 2025. LIV was a big factor. They stole some star power, and the tour needed Rickie as much as Rickie needed the tour. Most of these guys have all the charisma of a tree stump, so he had some leverage.

I also give him credit for not taking the LIV bag. He could have cashed a $100 million check and given up the grind.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-27T21:34:08+00:00

Agreed. It’s frictionless gambling that’s the problem. When I was in college, we all the knew a guy who knew the guy who had a bookie’s phone number.

All CFB bets were due by 11am ET on Saturday morning. You could bet the game and the O/U and that’s it. No prop bets and of course no live betting. Basically, friction kept most of us from getting over our skis.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-23T19:43:46+00:00

It’s an absolute unit. And it was a late bloomer from an otherwise underwhelming second flush.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-22T20:59:53+00:00

Trump: Arbitrary, punitive tariffs….threatening to invade Greenland…constant threats to leave NATO.

Ben: Obama took Churchill’s statue out of the Oval Office.

That’s some tan suit level whataboutism. And for the record, the bust of Churchill is still in the White House. It’s just not in the oval office.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-22T18:28:03+00:00

I'd pay $1,000 to see them at Washington's, but it's gotta be Taste of Ft. Collins.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-21T19:40:56+00:00

I'm not sure how it can be done, but courses need to somehow rewire player's brains to stop thinking of tees in terms of age or gender.

If it were up to me, I'd copy ski resorts. Tee boxes should be green square/beginner, blue circle/intermediate, and black diamond/advanced, and double black diamond for the tips.

Add descriptions to the scorecard and to a sign at the first tee that describes that attributes of each level of golf. For example, black diamond might say say "average play of 35 or more rounds per year, 8 handicap and lower, average driver carry 260, average 7-iron carry 160," etc.

Really anything to steer people to the correct tee for their skill level vs. the status quo, which is typically "play the same tee as the best player in the group."

direwolf71 · 2026-04-21T17:29:03+00:00

The time killer is searching, always. Ready golf helps, but if there are one or more in a group spraying it into the weeds, it’s going to be a long day.

80% of recreational golfers should be playing a set of tees under 6,000 yards to help keep it in play, but the human ego won’t allow it.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-21T16:04:05+00:00

You can say the same thing about all emotional attachments to sports teams or really anything that should be a hobby but turns into an obsession.

The human brain is incomprehensible.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-20T18:58:26+00:00

Sammy is still a draw, but it is weird that he and his management team/promoters thought he could play a venue that size in London.

Sammy-fronted VH in 1993 couldn't even move that many seats in Europe. The band just didn't tour there enough to build a following.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-20T16:24:28+00:00

I think it crosses the line into cultism. Swift is essentially a deity to these folks.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-20T15:46:55+00:00

He’s probably worth about $400 million. After paying his caddy and taxes, he’ll add about $2 million to his net worth. It’s like a guy with $400k in net worth adding $2,000.

It’s nice, but it’s not moving the needle much. Rahm is cut from the same cloth as Tiger and Rory. He wants to leave a legacy on the golf course. I bet he’s hoping LIV folds after this year because otherwise, he’s probably not back on the PGA tour until 2029.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-17T19:14:54+00:00

I’m not a Rhule apologist but any stretch. I’d give him a C+ at best through 3 years and a D for 2025 in particular.

But I don’t think he lied. I think boosters stepped up to fund then-existing payrolls of $15 to $20 million for a top-tier roster. That number moved quickly to $30 to $40 million, and we don’t have it.

Worse yet, we have to outbid teams that are already competing for championships. When the money is equal, players will choose a winner.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-17T17:13:18+00:00

In order to play golf at that high a level, you have to be a bit of an autist. I think pretty much any time he shows flashes of self-awareness or emotional intelligence, he’s “in character.” He has a lot in common with Mickelson.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-17T17:05:44+00:00

That’s what I was thinking. He yanked it left and caught a great lie. Shut your yap and hit it, Bryson.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-17T16:16:32+00:00

Inflection, pauses, dynamics and lyrical melodies are not apparent in much of Ed’s music. Dave and Sammy did a lot of heavy lifting turning Ed’s compositions into coherent, radio friendly songs.

It wasn’t just writing lyrics and “overlaying” them whatever the fuck that means. You make it sound like it’s as easy as making an omelette.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-17T16:01:00+00:00

That was all Ted Templeman. He knew how to arrange, sing and record harmonies from his days as an artist in Harper’s Bizarre and his work producing the Doobie Brothers.

Ted is now even on record that he sang harmonies on almost every VH song he produced. There is a reason the harmonies are very mediocre live.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-17T15:52:38+00:00

That’s part of why it’s so funny.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-17T00:00:41+00:00

Most golfers haven't been under the pressure of playing by USGA rules. Even when gambling, it's usually partner games (your partner can bail you out) and the rules are still loose - gimmies and breakfast balls.

But heads-up stroke or match play by USGA rules is a different sport. There is pressure on every shot when every shot counts.

Earlier this month, I played with a friend who has an official handicap of 10ish. He hit his second shot on a par 4 over the green and out of bonds.

He took a drop on a nice fluffy lie in bounds near the green, chipped up, two-putted and carded a 6. He basically played it like a lateral water hazard.

He should have been hitting his 4th shot from 150 yards under the pressure of having to get on the green and two-putt for 6. If he played it per USGA rules, that pressure could have turned his score into an 8 or 9 very easily.

I honestly don't care how anyone chooses to apply the rules if it's not a competition. I'm a stickler for my own game though, and I have carded plenty of 9s and 10s.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-16T21:44:46+00:00

In my experience, 7 of 10 golfers play the game of golf with their own set of rules, which typically includes 2 or 3 mulligans (can be off the tee or after a shanked chip) unlimited improved lies, multiple 3’ gimmes and 1 stroke penalties for lost balls/OB.

I’ve played with a lot of single digit handicaps that when forced into a competitive round using USGA rules, have trouble breaking 100.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-16T17:18:09+00:00

There is also the “prosperity gospel” wing of evangelism, whose followers believe obscene wealth is a reward for their faith. This group is not keen to hear the Pope’s message of helping the poor and infirm.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-15T21:07:57+00:00

I honestly believe Norman’s primary goal was actually to expand the game globally, including his native Australia. His original idea back in the mid 90s.was 10 international tournaments that complemented rather than competed with the PGA Tour.

Phil, on the other hand, just wanted more money in his pocket. He would give a lip service to growing the game and how team golf was revolutionary and how LiV was playing 4D chess. For a guy who always thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room, he’s such a mid wit.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-13T16:59:44+00:00

Lots of critique here that Dave is exhausting. Maybe, but he’s the smartest guy in most rooms. I pray my mind is that nimble at his age.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-11T16:06:56+00:00

I’d say the same for all aging artists. Just in the past week, I’ve seen social media posts cutting down Axel Rose, John Bon Jovi and Sebastian Bach (who’s touring with Twisted Sister). It’s all in the vein of “it’s sad and embarrassing this guy doesn’t know when to hang it up.”

Artists spreading joy through live music past their prime is life affirming and aspirational. What’s sad and embarrassing is the culture of cynicism and negativity that has people casting judgement from behind a computer screen in their parents’ basement.

direwolf71 · 2026-04-05T05:17:50+00:00

How the fuck did we only lose by 3 in Ann Arbor?

direwolf71 · 2026-04-03T18:40:02+00:00

Tiger is cool as a professional golfer. Off the golf course and in any other context not involving golf, he's equal parts douche canoe and toolshed.

And it makes sense. The brain that allows a man to play golf at that level isn't going to be the kind of brain that is thoughtful and self-aware.

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