Golf ready to take its first small step back with Rory, DJ, Rickie and Wolff

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Ricky Elliott didn’t know what to expect when he made the short journey from Orlando to Jupiter, Florida, to check up on his boss, Brooks Koepka. It was the week after the Masters, and Koepka had been out for three months with a partially torn tendon in his left wrist, watching TV and hating it. He’d said on the phone he was going to try and start hitting some little shots, but he was probably going to be pretty rusty. Elliott, a former Irish boys’ champion who started to caddie for Koepka when the latter was just starting out in Europe, tried to temper his expectations. He wasn’t prepared for what he found. “I went down and he was hitting full shots, and he was hitting them right out of the button,â€� Elliott said. “I’m going, ‘Are you sure you haven’t been practicing?’ He didn’t hit a shot for three and a half months, and it looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. I have no idea how he does it; he’s obviously a tremendously talented guy.â€� Yeah, you could say that. At the end of a week in which Koepka said that no one was more confident than him, and that someone was going to have to come and take the trophy away from him, Koepka, 28, shot a final-round 68 to finish 1 over par and become the first player to win back-to-back U.S. Opens since Curtis Strange in 1988-’89. Tommy Fleetwood (63) finished second, a shot back. Koepka is projected to move up 33 spots, to 13th, in the FedExCup, and to ascend to 4th in the Official World Golf Ranking. How did this one compare to last year? A lot of people asked that Sunday. Koepka had a higher score (by 15 shots), and a bigger friends-and-family section (a dozen or more people) that this time included his father, Bob, on Father’s Day. Although Shinnecock Hills is different from Erin Hills around the greens, Koepka and Elliott agreed the course felt similar enough.  Another popular talking point: the bromance between Koepka and his final-round playing partner, Dustin Johnson (70, 3 over). They didn’t chat during the round but worked out together Sunday morning (they share the same trainer, Joey Diovisalvi) and Koepka dished that while he has Johnson beat on upper body, Johnson is “a freakâ€� in the lower-body department. But for Koepka the most important preparation for winning this U.S. Open was not winning the last one, nor was it hanging out with world No. 1 Johnson, although he admitted D.J. would be one of the first people he calls upon returning home to South Florida. The most important preparation was that long stretch where he did nothing at all. He realized to his surprise that he not only missed the game, he needed it. “It was very frustrating,â€� Koepka said, “sitting on the couch, not doing anything. You know, I couldn’t pick anything up with my left hand. I was in a soft cast all the way up to my elbow. It wasn’t fun.â€� More than just his cast got soft, his famous biceps deflating with disuse. But a funny thing happened simultaneously: Koepka’s desire went the other way, inflating until it was ready to burst. “For someone like Brooks, who has never been a golf nerd, I think he fell in love with golf,â€� said Claude Harmon III, his swing coach at the Floridian. Koepka follows sports (most pros do), but usually doesn’t watch golf on TV (most don’t). This year, though, was an exception. He watched his Presidents Cup teammate Patrick Reed win the Masters and slip on the green jacket from his living room sofa. Harmon was stunned. “I really believe he fell in love with the game of golf and playing and hitting shots,â€� Harmon said. “He only started hitting balls, full swings with wedges and 9-irons, the Monday after Augusta. To come from there to where he is now is huge. The athlete in him helped him.â€�     Asked about his rapid return to a world-class golfer, Koepka shrugged. “Yeah, I think the first day I hit balls, everything came out exactly the way it should have,â€� he said. “It felt like I didn’t miss three months.â€� Was he surprised? “No,â€� he said. “I mean, last year at the British, I think I played once from the U.S. Open to the Open and then came out, and I think I had a piece of the lead. I don’t need to practice every single day. It’s the same game I’ve been playing for 24 years now. I know what I’m doing. I know how to swing a golf club. It’s just a game that I’ve been playing my entire life.â€� The athlete in Koepka saw him through at Shinnecock. While other players grumbled about the greens, the weather and the pin placements, Koepka steadfastly refused to go negative. “Everybody has to play the same course,â€� he said. The athlete in Koepka saw him stand up to the course’s sometimes foul moods. He made par putts of just over 6 feet and 8 ½ feet at the 12th and 14th holes, respectively, to maintain momentum Sunday, and rolled in a crucial bogey putt from just inside 13 feet at the 11th.    “To get that up and down was absolutely massive,â€� caddie Elliott said. “It’s hard to believe that a bogey keeps your momentum goin’ but it kinda did.â€� Momentum is a funny thing; if you’re doing it right, it never leaves you for long. Koepka will be going for his third straight U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach next year. He says he doesn’t putt well on poa annua, and therefore doesn’t play too much on the PGA TOUR’s West Coast Swing. Take that for what it’s worth; if we’ve learned anything over the last four days on these windswept links, it’s that it would be foolish to write him off. Koepka’s first U.S. Open title defense looked doomed when he opened with a 75 at Shinnecock on Thursday, but he stormed back with a 66 on Friday. He fought the semi-unplayable course to a draw (72) Saturday, and bucked up on holes 11 through 14 when he easily could’ve folded Sunday. By the time he was interviewed by Fox’s Strange (an apt pairing of interviewer and interviewee) on the 18th green, where he had made a meaningless bogey to win, Koepka had done what all U.S. Open champions must: He had exerted his considerable will and flexed his underrated putting prowess in the face of everything the course, the USGA and Mother Nature could throw at him. The pain in his wrist, which had felt like someone was jabbing him with a knife as he finished last at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, was gone. The binge-watching of all those TV shows, including the Masters, was but a memory. Brooks Koepka, two-time U.S. Open champion, was loving life.

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This was a season unlike any other on the PGA TOUR. We've made it to the final week, however. It all comes down to this week at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club, where the FedExCup champion will be crowned Monday. Before this campaign comes to a close, let's take a look at the biggest equipment storylines from the 2019-20 season. There were a number of stories that kept all the gearheads on their toes and fully engaged, even through the period without TOUR action. That’s the beauty of this game. All the action doesn’t always take place on the course, and in many cases, it's the mere tools of the trade that give us our fix. With the TOUR Championship this week, here are our top equipment stories from the PGA TOUR this season: 1. TaylorMade SIM was (and remains) all the rage January is “launch season” in the equipment industry. Manufacturers show the masses what they have in store for metalwoods, and from a 35,000-foot view, this was one of, if not the, strongest offerings the market has ever seen. Every year, there are one or two big sticks that typically shine above the rest. In 2017, it was Ping's G400. The next year brought the Cobra F9 and the return of Cobra Golf. In 2019, it was a slugfest between TaylorMade’s M5 and Ping’s G410. There was one undeniable “best,” “longest,” “most popular,” and master of any other superlatives in 2020, however: the TaylorMade SIM. SIM came with some trepidation early on. The technology and odd shape looked a little awkward. It has been the SIM show ever since TaylorMade staffers started putting it in their bag at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, however. Performance-wise, it checked off every single box. Stable. Fast. Forgiving. And good-looking. Extreme TOUR validation and the wins helped, as well. Beyond Tiger, DJ, Rory, Rahm all putting it in play immediately, it was the free agents and staffers of competing brands having it in play that really nailed it home. Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka, Billy Horschel, Justin Rose, Ryan Palmer, and Sergio Garcia are the big free agents who have had SIM in the bag. All but one still has it in play even today. That’s nuts. SIM has won half of the 14 events played since the season resumed, and three of the top five in the FedExCup standings all have it in play. Why has it been so successful? Performance for one, but kudos to TaylorMade for strong marketing, TOUR messaging with the help of #tourtrucktuesday and Chris Trott and also an iconic staff that all put it in play straight away. 2. Vokey Wedges dominate … again It’s hard to say whether or not Titleist saw this coming when they hired respected clubmaker Bob Vokey back in 1997. At that time, Cleveland and Ping more or less owned the wedge counts on TOUR, and the gap between them and the rest of the pack was quite large. The progression to dominance is actually quite interesting. In 1998, Vokey accounted for 16% of wedges used on TOUR, ranking third overall. It was second on TOUR from 1999-2003, with slightly more than a quarter (27%) of players using them. Since then, Vokey wedges have enjoyed 17 consecutive years as the No. 1 wedge on TOUR. Vokey surpassed a significant milestone in 2020. It was the first season that more than half the TOUR played its wedges. There are a lot of factors that have contributed to Vokey's success. Look, feel and performance are all the necessities of a great club, but trust and simplicity could be the biggest factors. The players on all major tours not only trust the club, but more so, they trust Vokey and the man he passes the torch to, Aaron Dill. The "listen first, talk second" approach these guys take when getting a player dialed is essential. Taking that info and building it into a simple-yet-high-performing wedge design without reinventing the wheel is a recipe for success. If you track the progress of any player who turns to free agency, Vokey wedges are in the bag almost immediately. Remember that SIM list of free agents? All of those players have at least one if not all Vokey wedges in play. This week, at the TOUR Championship, there are more than 35 Vokey wedges in play, which represents just over 30% of all wedges in play. They are No. 1 by a rather large margin this week. 3. Bryson DeChambeau’s crazy setup No one took greater advantage of the shutdown than Bryson DeChambeau. His massive muscle gains and 15 mph increase in ball speed was, and continue to be, a hot topic on TOUR. However, like anything, if one variable changes, many things need to shift to accommodate. Bryson’s equipment is no exception. If you look at his specs below, you will see not only a setup with extremely low lofts, but also a set that is befitting a player known for his unique approach. He has two 3-woods (one for long-range and one for accuracy), a 5.5-degree driver, and iron lofts that would make Thor nervous. According to Cobra's TOUR manager, Ben Schomin, there is a very serious strategy in play here, and it’s not all about hitting it past everyone. "I would say the biggest change is making lofts stronger across the board and getting those lofts to coincide with spin and carry distances," Schomin said. "Bryson, like all TOUR players, has a set of goals with his bag." DeChambeau has numbers he needs to hit with each club, the window from which he wants to see the ball leave the clubface, controllable spin and descent angles and the proper feel. "It's the combination of them all that makes the right fit for them," Schomin said. "In this case with Bryson, it's all about dialing in spin with each club. When he feels like his spin is dialed, the distances will be dialed." Take a close look at his current setup: Driver: Cobra SpeedZone 7.5°@5.5 w/ LA Golf VD1 Proto 75x tip 1" (45.5", D3) 3-wood (for distance): Cobra SpeedZone Tour [email protected] w/ LA Golf VD3 Proto 85x tip 2" (43, D5) 3-wood (for normal shots): Cobra SpeedZone Tour 14.5@14 w/ LA Golf VD3 Proto 85x tip 1" (41.5, D5) Irons: Cobra King One Length Utility (4, 5), Cobra King Forged Tour One Length w/ LA Golf Texas Rebar Proto Iron lofts 4-iron: 18° 5-iron: 22° 6-iron: 25° 7-iron: 29° 8-iron: 33° 9-iron: 37° Pitching wedge: 42° Wedges: Artisan Custom (47 degrees, 52 degrees and 58 degrees) w/ LA Golf Texas Rebar Proto Grips: JumboMax Bryson Custom (51 gram) Putter: Sik Prototype w/ LA Golf Proto Putter Shaft Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X 4. Free agency shakeups It wasn’t that long ago that TOUR staffs were packed with multiple players. It was the norm for a manufacturer to have a staff of 20-30 players on the PGA TOUR. As you will see in the coming years, that will become an idea of the past, and if the trend continues, players will have more freedom to play what they want. TaylorMade still has its iconic staff of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Matthew Wolff, and 2020 PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa. More players are going the free-agent route, however This year, Manufacturers started to see the value of TOUR validation that they didn't pay for and players embraced the freedom to play what they choose. A few manufacturers and players parted ways right before the season stopped. Most notably were Justin Rose (Honma), Billy Horschel (PXG), and Sergio Garcia (Callaway), with the latter coming late in 2019. It needs to be said that situations like this happen for multiple reasons, and it's no commentary on the performance of the clubs or the ethics of the player. It just happens. Not all clubs work for all players and vice versa. Yes, sometimes they start with the best intentions and investment and don’t work out. Remember Corey Pavin and PRGR? Nick Price and Atrigon? Payne Stewart and Top Flite? Lee Janzen and Hogan? David Toms and TaylorMade? Free agency is likely going to become more common. Players and club companies are learning some valuable lessons. Players trust their skills and that freedom will make them more money in the long run, and companies are seeing the influence that not paying a player and them still playing their driver can have just as much value as a paid advertisement, especially if that free agent is winning (Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, etc.).

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The 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits is finally upon us after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a year-long postponement. We can’t wait to see what the two teams bring to the table in Wisconsin. The U.S. team is using a new-look lineup – featuring six rookies and three players making just their second appearance – to wrest the Ryder Cup from Europe’s grasp. The home team has an average age of just 29 years old. Eight U.S. players have yet to experience their 30th birthday. The visiting team has taken an opposite strategy, leaning on successful veterans as they look to make it five wins from the last six attempts. With just three rookies, the Europeans have an average age of 34.6, ranging from 24-year-old Viktor Hovland to veteran Lee Westwood at 48. Eight of their team have already tasted Ryder Cup success. To get you ready for the first Ryder Cup since 2018, we’ve come together to prognosticate over the important issues heading into the tournament. What is the biggest question mark for each team? Sean Martin: For the United States, it’s health. Brooks Koepka is coming off an arm injury, Collin Morikawa was hampered by a bad back in the FedExCup Playoffs and Bryson DeChambeau’s hands are being ripped apart by his long-drive training. Koepka’s status was uncertain until a couple days ago, but I do think – if he is indeed fully healthy – that we will get the best of Brooks, which will be a huge asset to the team. He was 3-1-0 in his lone home Ryder Cup appearance. And Paul Azinger’s comments that Koepka should relinquish his roster spot to someone with more passion will light a fire under Koepka. It reminds me of the 2019 PGA Championship, when Brooks responded to a brou-ha-ha with Brandel Chamblee by torching Bethpage Black to a first-round 63 en route to victory. Morikawa has had a few weeks to get right, and Steve Stricker has to hope he has because his post-Olympics injury really slowed his momentum after winning The Open. He missed the cut at the THE NORTHERN TRUST, finished T63 in the 69-man BMW Championship and shot the second-worst 72-hole score at the TOUR Championship. And let’s just hope that Bryson has been exfoliating. Ben Everill: For the Europeans, the issue is whether or not veteran experience can make up for lack of firepower on a lengthy Whistling Straits in what promises to be a very hostile environment. With his side facing a rabid, partisan gallery that will lack European support because of travel restrictions, captain Padraig Harrington stacked the deck with old stagers who have seen it all before. But can captain’s picks Lee Westwood (0-3-0) and Sergio Garcia (1-2-2) perform better than in Hazeltine five years ago? They’ll have to. Which player will surprise us? Martin: Daniel Berger. I don’t think he’s gotten enough credit for his play since golf returned from its COVID-19 hiatus last year. He’s won twice in that span and been quite consistent. He also has the moxie necessary for this event, which Stricker cited as another reason he was selected for the team. “We know what we’re getting: A great competitor, no weaknesses,” Stricker said. Berger has finished in the top 10 in the past two majors and is a quietly a top-20 player in the world. He could give Florida State fans something to cheer about after a difficult start to football season. And Berger secured the winning point the last time Stricker was the U.S. captain, at the 2017 Presidents Cup. I could see him playing a pivotal role again this week. Everill: Viktor Hovland. Despite being a rookie for the European team I’m expecting Hovland to play in all, if not nearly all, matches. The young Norwegian will be a breakout star for his team and bring some serious energy and enthusiasm to the table. The key for Hovland will be his putter. He strikes the ball better than most, but he will need to convert his opportunities and roll with that confidence. Who is the favorite? Martin: I still think it’s the United States. It has outscored the Europeans, 47-37, in the past three Ryder Cups on home soil and is one historic European comeback in 2012 from sweeping the last three Cups in the United States. Being able to set up the course to suit their distance advantage definitely helps. And Ben is astute to point out that there will be a limited European presence in the galleries because of travel restrictions. Everill: Europe. The U.S. Team usually always gets this slot pre-tournament thanks to a dominance on paper. For instance, the average world ranking for the Euros when both teams were finalized was 30 while the U.S. boasted an average ranking of 9! (They have players 2-7 and 9-11). The U.S. team has four FedExCup champions (including the current one) and The Open champion. Its 12-man roster has 13 major wins combined. The Europeans have two FedExCups (both McIlroy) and seven major wins in comparison. BUT – all that means nothing at the Ryder Cup. Here’s the stats that matter. Europe have collected the Cup in 12 of the last 17 Ryder Cups; seven of the last nine and four of the last five. The European Team has a combined 38 Cups experience, winning 28 times. The U.S. has just 12 Cups of experience for 3 wins. Just three U.S. players have experienced winning the Ryder Cup and if things get close that could be the difference maker. Who will be the man of the match? Martin: Patrick Cantlay. The FedExCup champion and PGA TOUR Player of the Year will continue to assert himself on the big stages and see his star continue to rise. He arrives in good form, including a week spent holding off Europe’s top player, Jon Rahm, at East Lake. I think he and Xander Schauffele will form a formidable duo in the team formats and I trust him to succeed in singles. We’re seeing the Patrick Cantlay that we thought we would after his incredible summer a decade ago. Everill: As mentioned above, I’m expecting a huge week from Viktor Hovland. He will be the catalyst of Europe’s victory. Now if… IF… the U.S. team finds their groove like they did under captain Stricker at the 2017 Presidents Cup… well I can see Justin Thomas being the man to lead his troops on the course. Which rookie are you focused on? Martin: Scottie Scheffler. He’s the only player on the U.S. team without a win, just completed his second season on the PGA TOUR and has never represented the United States as a professional. The 25-year-old performs well on big stages, qualifying for the TOUR Championship in each of his first two years and finishing in the top-20 in the last six majors, including three straight top-10s. But the Ryder Cup is a different animal and I’m interested to see how he performs. Everill: I’ve singled out Hovland above so he will have plenty of my focus but outside of the Norwegian I want to see how Xander Schauffele performs. I’ll never forget the 2019 Presidents Cup in my home country when Schauffele noticed Adam Scott drop his head ever so slightly after an early lost hole. He pulled his caddie aside and said, “Now’s the moment. Now we go for the throat. While he’s down.” And two holes later he was 3-up and had stunned, and silenced, the Australian crowd. If he brings that sort of intensity to the Ryder Cup, he could be deadly in the competition for a decade. Which singles match do you want to see? Martin: Ben is right, Rahm-Cantlay is the easier answer. And we unfortunately can’t select Brooks-Bryson. I like the idea of Morikawa-Hovland as a battle between the two players who turned in 2019, as well as a redux of the memorable Arnold Palmer Invitational showdown between Bryson DeChambeau and Lee Westwood, which pitted the long hitter against the wily veteran. Finally, I’d like a showdown between the best players of the past decade, DJ and Rory. DJ was one rules infraction away from being in the playoff at the 2010 PGA at Whistling Straits and McIlroy finished third. Everill: It would be easy to say Jon Rahm-Patrick Cantlay. That would give us a tasty return bout from the FedExCup finale… but personally I want to see Ian Poulter take on Xander Schauffele. As mentioned above, I believe Schauffele is a match play specialist waiting to break out and we all know Poulter is the match play ninja! This match-up would provide fireworks and theatrics.

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