Let's Build the Model Golfer, Shall We?

It's currently Wednesday afternoon and also the start of the WGC Match Play out in Austin. Just like I do at the start of each week I fire up the Foreplay podcast presented by Barstool Sports. This week's episode perked my ears on up because while it was heavily structured around Tiger's performance at Bay Hill, @barstooltrent and @riggsbarstool brought up an interesting point that had me thinking. While discussing Patrick Reed's play throughout the weekend it was pointed out that while Captain America is one of the more entertaining golfers on tour, the boys mentioned he wouldn't be the first they'd choose to hang out with off the course. Charley Hoffman, on the other hand, would be one of the first guys they'd ask to join them in a few rounds at the bar but didn't particularly care for following his actual golf during a tournament. This was interesting because I often thought about how these guys interact off the course just as much as the picture they paint on the course. Bubba Watson may play this wacky and often opinionated figure on the course but off the course you hear the stories of him owning candy stores, minor league baseball teams, yada yada yada. So I sat down with a set of criteria and decided to attempt and build who the normal golf fan would perceive as someone they'd like to share a coctail with. The criteria are as follows:

• Social Presence
• Media Presence
• Social Media Presence (see what I did there)
• Golfer who'd make the best boss
• Golfer who'd make the worst boss
• Golfer you'd take home to Mama (sup ladies)

Let's take a look.

Social Presence

So for the most part I want to identify the top three golfers who fit the bill for the superlatives we can call it which I've laid out above. I'm not going to try to combine all of these guys together and establish some sort of super golfer, but I think it'll be interesting to figure out who fits what on a smaller scale at least off the course. To begin with the social presence on the course, off the course, extra curricular events, etc. I've selected Bubba Watson, Charley Hoffman and Brendan Steele. Like I stated above, Bubba has a hand in many different ventures and looks forward every year to playing in the celebrity NBA All Star game which he did this year two days before winning the Genesis Open. He also struck gold in the early stages of golfers using social media by putting out those hilarious 'Golf Boys' videos on YouTube with a very young Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Ben Crane. Seems like another lifetime ago for Rickie and the guy is only 29. Hoffman has made numerous appearances on podcasts and has done video interviews on shows like the Social Caddy podcast. He has also been on Foreplay prior to the President's Cup and plays the role of southern California cool to a T. Brendan Steele also has a hat in the podcast ring, with his 'Member Guest' podcast just finishing its first season and was ranked as my #1 rated golf podcast to date. If I had to pick a winner in this category, I'd keep it SoCal and go with Charley Hoffman.

Media Presence

This was a category which was rather simple to highlight my top three, starting with recent winner in Mexico Mr. Phil the thrill Mickelson. This guy just never ceases to amaze fans of golf and has been doing so for over 20 years. From calling himself a bumblebee in another lifetime to explaining the dance he and Kevin Kisner coordinated at the President's Cup, you are sure to never have a dull moment when Phil has the mic. Breaking down his game, he'll give clear and concise answers regarding his approach shots, the decisions he made during the round and how he can improve. My second pick was easily Jordan Spieth. At 24 years old, the guy is one of the most recognizable figures in golf around the world and it was evident during his trip to China to promote his line of Under Armour golf shoes. For such a young guy you would think he's been on tour forever as he is so well-spoken and approaches the game with such respect and knowledge. My final pick for best around the media is Rory McIlroy who also has been doing this jig for a long enough time to realize he has a way with his answers in front of a camera. He's slowly becoming one of the most opinionated golfers on tour especially with recent comments about limiting booze on the course to detract the hecklers. While this may never happen, it's the thought that counts. My pick for best media presence has to be Phil Mickelson, just no stock tips (tired joke I know).

Social Media Presence

This was a fun category especially being so interested in the social lives of these golfers. In thinking of all the major sports in this country, I am a firm believer that golfers have the best social media presence of any athlete and it isn't close. Basketball players are entirely too political, football players are way too cryptic and mostly complain about money and contracts, and hockey players are basically invisible. That being said, my first pick is Justin Thomas and it far and away the most active on Twitter and Instagram. While Rory may be opinionated in front of the mic, JT may be the most opinionated behind the smartphone. This can be classified as a generational thing, but no matter how you slice it JT always has a voice. My next pick is a guy who is found mostly on the European Tour, and that is Eddie Pepperell. Have you seen this dude's Twitter? The kid is electric, typical young stud on tour with your cold blooded English humor. My final pick might be a bit of a surprise but I'm going with Justin Rose. It seems the trend these days is to post immediately after a round on either Twitter or Instagram and basically giving a quick recap on how they performed after a tournament. Although there have been quite a few "not the result I wanted" posts from Rose, he also has his share of wins which make up for it. He also calls the Bahamas home during the season, so he's got that going for him. Which is nice. My pick: Justin Thomas, keep tweeting homie.

Best Boss

Thinking of all the previous bosses/managers I've had over the years there are certain qualities which makes work less dreadful. I decided to bring this criteria over to golf and determine which pros would make the best possible boss and those who would be absolutely horrible to work for. My pick's for best boss in pro golf include John Daly, Pat Perez and Fred Couples (I hope you're all laughing at how comical this category is). When thinking about Daly and Perez it should be an absolute no brainer, I mean who wouldn't want to work for someone like JD? Casual dress code, smoke or Diet Coke breaks and footwear optional. Perez would just straight up come to work each day on his OC Chopperized motorcycle, but be sure to stay on his good side because I'm pretty sure no one wants to mess with him when he's angry. Stay on top of your work, and you should be OK. In all seriousness, I brought Boom Boom into the picture because for such a down to earth and laid back guy, you couldn't help but work your ass off for the guy. My pick for best boss: Fred Couples.

Worst Boss

Constant communication and guidance are two characteristics which I believe help me in a professional setting, and with these pros I would just assume have the least amount of communication possible. Ian Poulter, for example, is someone where from the outside looking in I can't imagine working for the guy. Hearing horror stories about how he treats valets, course attendants and basically little people would steer me clear of applying to a job where Poulter is in charge and maybe I'd go volunteer or travel instead of work for the guy. My next pick, no offense, is on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to clear communication, and that goes to Dustin Johnson. Don't get me wrong, the number one ranked golfer in the world is a master at his craft and loves to win. Yet, I'd compare him to Wayne Gretzky when he became coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. The greatest player of all time on the ice, but a forgettable coach. I will also through Patrick Reed in the mix, even though he showed the world of golf (literally) how reliable and passionate he can be as a member of the team. Along with Poulter, I would expect PReed to be impatient at times and would just assume complete tasks himself. Worst boss pick: Ian Poulter, because obviously. You can keep your Ferraris.

Take Home to Mama

In my final grouping, I wanted to identify the most all-around good guy on tour in which like the headlines says, they are the best to bring home and introduce to your parents (if you're a gal obviously). Having been on tour for almost ten years already, Rickie Fowler is probably one of the greatest ambassadors of the game in this new generation. Having the spirit of Arnold Palmer and the competitiveness of Tom Brady, Rickie should be no surprise to be placed in this category. My next pick is my main man Andrew 'Beef' Johnston. This dude...is just incredible. Always looking to have a good time, he backs up his boyish personality with unreal golf and will even buy you a round if you find him at the local pub post round. And while Happy Gilmore was given free Subway for life, you'll never go hungry with Beef (again, literally) with his notorious sponsorship deal with Arby's. Lastly, and this is for the ladies looking for an older gentleman, I'm putting Matt Kuchar on this list. I will give one warning however; if you get involved in any type of competitive activity be aware that Kuch has a bit of a mouth on him. You might need to cover Grandma's ears with all the 'gosh darnits' and 'GOLLY's' he's been known to spew all over the course. If any of you thought I'd pick someone other than Rickie Fowler then you might need to go back and re-read some of my other posts.

Final Takeaways from the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Happy St. Patrick's Day Indeed!)

Well everybody, first of all if you've been reading throughout the weekend I want to thank each and every one of you. My goal is to continue these types of blogs for as many tournaments as I can in hopes of providing insight into the performance of each round and any external reactions/comments that are made to boot (looking at you and your take on alcohol sales there Rors). In an ironic twist, not only did Rory suggest how to help limit patron commentary on the course by suggesting a cap on alcohol on the course, but he also backed it up with a win and a toast to the late great King himself. There are a number of ways we can go with this, as we can call it ironic or we can call it lucky. Had Rory not played lights out in the final round and not come up with the victory, he was sure to get his fair share of criticism similar to Justin Thomas during the WGC in Mexico. Had JT pulled out a win that weekend, the comments would have sure subsided and I believe he played well enough to put that controversy to rest losing in a playoff to Phil the Thrill Mickelson. Watching golf on TV and hearing GET IN THE HOLE on Tigers tee shot on a par 5 will always be tired, but people are just going to continue doing it and unless it's an immediate ejection, it won't stop. Anyways, on to the takeaways on this St. Patrick's Day weekend recap of the Arnold Palmer Invitational:

Leishman had par 5 problems:
I mentioned earlier in the weekend that Marc Leishman absolutely LOVES this tournament, especially having seen him dominate first hand in 2017 at Bay Hill. Unfortunately for him, he carded two 6's on par 5's which spelled disaster for him after perfect drives off the tee. Finding the sand on a par 5 won't necessarily kill your chances of scoring, but bogeying these holes with a stacked and moving leader board will all but push you further down. He still finished with a top 10 for the weekend after scoring a 67 on Sunday but you can imagine the type of momentum he'd generate if he didn't find the bunker on the long holes.

Stenson is a ridiculous ball-striker:

I never quite realized how consistent and meticulous a ball-striker Hank was when watching him, but the 54-hole leader seemed to approach every single shot perfectly and never found himself doing anything fancy. Iron off the tee was a guaranteed center-cut shot down the fairway and I only wish Tiger took a play out of his book on the 16th hole...

Which brings me to Tiger's 16th:

Aw damn.

Speed it up, Bryson:
I couldn't tell which was more agonizing to watch: the last minute of the Syracuse-Michigan St. game or waiting for Bryson to hit a two foot putt where he constantly felt the need to mark his ball and treat it like a 15 foot putt for birdie. Although they were warned for slow play, Bryson and Henrik didn't appear too worried about it which was absolutely brutal from the couch. Imagine if Rory were ahead by one instead of three on the last hole and having to sit through all the calculations the golf scientist was running in his head? Like relax dude. For such an entertaining tournament all weekend long I'm glad he wasn't able to pull it off because this was Rory's tournament and rightfully so.

Rory came, saw and conquered:
In all honesty if there was anyone who was going to win this tournament, maybe besides Rickie, I'm totally glad it was Rory. The stat of his last win coming the day Arnold Palmer passed away in 2016 is all more a fitting ending to this weekend's tournament and there was no chance on the back 9 where he was going to let anyone pass him. Recording a birdie on five of the last six holes was one of the most impressive stretches I've seen all season and I know the hole must've felt six feet wide for Rory on Sunday. I mean look at the list of winners so far this year? Rory, DJ, JT, Rahm, Rose, Day...Can we just get to single digit days until the Masters please? Someone just hit the fast forward button already.

API Round 3 (How does Bryson hit like that) Takeaways

Well, another day at the API in which scores were favoring the majority of the field which allowed for a handful of darkhorses to move their way up the leader board. Notables in the field after three rounds who haven't been mentioned as much as the Tigers, Rorys and Rickies include Ryan Moore at -9, Ben An and Talor Gooch at -8 and the notoriously-bad Twitter user Grayson Murray at -7. I'm sure a lot of PGA Tour legends would have mixed feelings if ole Grayson could pull this one off, but I digress. Regardless of the jammed front page of the leader board, Rory and Rickie are both within striking distance as is Tiger, Charley and Captain America Patrick Reed. The lead still remains with Hank Stenson with the self-proclaimed 'golf scientist' Bryson DeChambeau eagerly lurking behind.

What's the point of same-length irons?
First of all let me ask my devoted readers a question: if you've ever had back pain, did you ever describe it to a doctor or anyone who's listening as your 'quadratus lumborum' wasn't working? Or if your 'iliacus, longissimus thoracis' were over-working? In all honesty it just took me two minutes to write the previous two sentences, so I can't imagine what golf reporters thought when Bryson answered why his BACK was sore over the last few weeks. Honestly, who is this guy? Hell I'd even go so far as pulling a DJ Tanner and calling him a straight up nerd bomber. Google Blogspot is even telling me those words are spelled incorrectly with the red squiggly line underneath, now THAT should tell you all you need to know. For someone who answers why their back has been acting up with the above (not spelling it out again), it should come as no surprise that this maniac uses all the same length irons in his entire bag. The only difference is the loft on the clubface. Moving on, I'm getting angry just thinking about it.

Tiger birdies 18 and you better believe he'll be bringing it on Sunday:
In one of the best moments from the weekend so far, Tiger walked in his final hole birdie putt which was accompanied by a subtle fist pump which brought him back to -7 after a third round 69 at Bay Hill. After three rounds in the tournament Tiger has gone 68, 72, 69 and with that type of momentum heading into the final round, the Sunday red should be as violent as ever. He'll be paired with Bud Cauley as well, good luck to him because he's going to need it.

Rickie double-bogeys 18 and I'm holding my breath for a big run:
Just as Tiger was building momentum at the end of his round, Rickie was losing it. A costly 6 on the final par 4 of the course dropped him back to -8, albeit still in contention. As the host of the tournament, there is no other stop on tour where I want Rickie to win more except for maybe Augusta. You can read about how Arnold Palmer's spirit entered Rickie's soul as the ambassador of the game and it has truly shown throughout the coverage at Bay Hill over the past two years.

If Rory keeps putting he'll be in the winners circle:
Rory caught absolute fire on the back nine of his round on Saturday with an eagle and two birdies and currently sits in solo third place at -10. The key to his game during this round was his putting, which hasn't been as consistent as he'd hope to start 2018 but it came out to play and it's about time. Take what you want from his round what you will, but it was his post-round comments which will undoubtedly spark controversy (yet again) regarding rowdy and idiotic patrons at golf courses. No comment from me at this time.

Early pairings could make big splash ahead of leaders:
Before any of the leaders hit the practice green ahead of the third round on Saturday, Jason Day was firing a 5-under 67 as one of the early groups to head out at Bay Hill. Reverting back to my comments about the Tiger effect, Day was able to play the game we all know he can play and quietly get himself back into the mix. It should be an incredible final round on Sunday with a totally jacked up leader board. Maybe we'll get another playoff...in fact to keep with the spirit of March Madness, I'd bet on it.

API Round 2 Takeaways

After two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational we have two atop the leaderboard in Henrik Stenson and the human robot Bryson Dechambeau currently sitting at -11. It was another perfectly conditioned day in Orlando which allowed for more favorable scoring throughout the field as it was cut down in preparation for moving day on Saturday. It should be a strong St. Patrick's Day showing for the pros especially with notables Rickie, Rory and Charley Hoffman looming behind the two leaders with no big surprises to surpass what UMBC pulled last night against overall #1 seed Virginia in the NCAA tournament. Graeme GMAC McDowell is sure to be the best dressed player out there having seen him for myself last year on this very special day. Here are my takeaways from round two of the API:

Smylie is again, not smiling.

It was an observation I made yesterday in that Smylie has found himself at the bottom of the barrel in scoring for THREE tournaments in a row. After a Friday 81 from Kaufman, he has again found himself exiting a tournament early and is amid one of the worst cold streaks in recent memory. I mean think about it? DEAD LAST in the last three tournaments he's played in. No one is behind him besides the small list of WD's at Bay Hill, Innisbrook and PGA National. In a recent Golf Channel interview, he addressed his current situation in that he's changed swing coaches, is dealing with a lot in his personal life (all positives by the way, he's getting married next month) and is trying to keep it together on the course by showing his mental toughness and perseverance. I've been a big fan of Smylie for a few years, but he of all people could use a quick trip down to Baker's Bay and spring break cannot come soon enough.

Beware of the Hoff:

My guy Charley was absolutely surging in round two shooting a six-under 66 and is sitting in fifth place at -7. One of my predictions for 2018 is that Charley will see the winner's circle again for the first time since 2016 at the Valero. Ask the people closest to me, I would give him a very hard time for always taking the lead through the first and second rounds of tournaments, only to find disappointment on the weekend and he finds finishes no where near the top of the leader board. But then the President's Cup happened, and I did a complete 180 on the Hoff. Originally from San Diego, the guy is just a cool dude and has appeared on a number of podcasts I've listened to which helped give golf fans a look into his personal life and all around chill persona. Pulling for him this weekend. 

Tiger fought hard to remain in contention:

After all the buzz swirling around Tiger during his opening round where he shot a 4-under 68, it was business as usual during round two after a lackluster but hard-fought 72 which was even par. He currently sits T17 and found his putts weren't falling like they should've on Friday, but a solid round on moving day to crack the top ten will position him to be deadly in the Sunday red (Patrick Reed not withstanding).

Leishman really enjoys this tournament:

Have I mentioned I attended the API last year? Well I did, and I had the chance to see how Leishman carried himself around Bay Hill and it was incredibly evident that he enjoys playing this course. He's shot respectable 70's in the first two rounds and I see him making a big move to crack into the front page of the leaderboard on Saturday. The man simply loves playing bunker shots which could save him if the breeze creeps up.

Tiger and Rose could give glimpse into Paris:

The 12:15pm tee time could feature a duo who will be almost guaranteed to be repeated in Paris at the 2018 Ryder Cup later this year. Rose, who won a gold medal by the way, has been one of the most consistent players on tour over the last three seasons and is tied with Tiger for 17th as it currently stands. He almost played the role of Buzz Killington while Tiger was contending for the lead last week but ultimately fell short as did Tiger. Something tells me they feed off each other well and round three should be no different.

API Round 1 Takeaways

In terms of being able to see one of the strongest fields so far during the PGA Tour season, it appears I was about a year late. Nevertheless, I was granted access to seeing Rickie and Rory up close and personal last year at Bay Hill and will remember that experience for quite some time. Now, ahead to 2018, some guy named Tiger is in the field and he absolutely EXPLODED out of the gate. After an opening round 68, he headlines my handful of takeaways so far at the King's course on this St. Patrick's Day weekend (there's also this college basketball tournament going on as well, what a weekend for SPORTS!)

Henrik Stenson follows up a MC last week at Innisbrook with an opening round 64:

I'm going to go ahead and blame last week's missed cut on the full-blown Tiger effect that hit him and Jordan Spieth. I never quite understood what Rory meant when he said week's ago that Tiger gives up at least two shots to the field due to the ridiculous crowds that follow his group whenever he's in the field. Well, in this case, those playing with Tiger were the ones who appeared to lose shots. Nevertheless, Henrik posted on social media early Thursday he was preparing for his round by playing with his kids, appeared very relaxed and went out in -8 and looked like the Terminator he is with those shades. Look forward to seeing what he does throughout the weekend.

Patrick Reed is playing mad:

Remember last week during the Valspar when the guy in the Sunday red shirt and black pants was leading the tournament? Well he appeared to collapse on the 17th hole when a putt went ary and ball rolled right on back to Patrick Reed's feet. He's received plenty of backlash on the Twitter machine for trying to rock the same apparel Tiger has made famous the last twenty years, but the reality is he's always worn red on Sunday and it's just the new wave of fanboys who never watched Tiger back in his glory days coming out to make a point. Captain America is currently at -4 and on the front page of the leader board heading into Friday.

Smylie ain't smiling and hasn't been for a long time:

Only true golf fans who follow PGA Tour pros on social media religiously (like me) may know who Smylie Kaufman is. As the crowned MVP of SB2K16 in the Bahamas, he has shown little to no signs of life in each tournament he's played in. He finished dead last in last week's Valspar, dead last at the Honda Classic and is currently dead last at the API. This makes me sad, especially when he was on such a high during the last two spring break trips.

Rickie and Rory need to be paired together in each tournament they play in:

Rickie and Rory. Think back ten years ago when these two were Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth's age and were defining the next generation of golfing talent. Rickie with the long flow and bright orange Sunday apparel with the flat-brimmed Puma cap, and Rory who looked like an awkward and unfit teenager. The funny thing is they're both still under 30 years old, and I'm describing how they looked TEN years ago. Both have come a long way, Rory and his majors and Rickie with his occasional tournament wins and Olympian girlfriend. Flash forward to the API this weekend, both are looking more stylish and fit than in year's past and there are no greater representatives of this tournament and carrying on Arnold's legacy than Rickie and Rory (currently -5 and -4 respectively).

Tiger is so back it isn't even funny anymore:
Enough said. 

*All images from PGA Tour Live