Arnold Palmer Invitational
All things considered, the Honda Classic last week was electric. Typically the Honda has a great field, filled with top players, however as of late with the loss of certain sponsors and other small changes around the event the field has suffered. However, this year’s final round proved to be one for the ages. On Sunday two unlikely players found themselves in a neck and neck race, Eric Cole and Chris Kirk. These two players have some incredible stories and journeys through golf. Eric Cole is a career grinder. He has bounced around from the Korn Ferry Tour to mini tours and everywhere in between. After 14 years of hard work and grinding he finally found himself in a position to win a PGA Tour event. His competitor Chris Kirk also has a unique journey himself. Chris Kirk hasn’t won in over nine years but has struggled recently. Three or four years ago Kirk had to take a leave of absence from golf to handle his drinking problems and other addictions. Kirk found himself in a brutal position, but he ultimately got healthy and made his return to the tour. Over the past three years, Kirk has been playing very solid golf and a win was just a matter of time. On the last hole of regulation, Kirk flares his second shot into the water and ultimately makes bogey and forces a playoff with Cole. On the first playoff hole, Kirk hits a gem and makes birdie while Cole lips out for birdie to force another playoff hole. Regardless of who came out on top, this playoff couldn’t have had two better people. Eric Cole’s time will come. It's just the beginning for him and Chris Kirk ending a nine year winless drought is everything we could have asked for this week at the Honda Classic.
Last week’s playoff excitement was a perfect segway into this week’s event, The Arnold Palmer Invitational at the famous Bay Hill. With another elevated event this week, golf fans are set up for another star-studded week with most of the top 50 in the world competing. Flashback to last year’s winner Scottie Scheffler who won the event at five under par. It should be interesting to see if the course plays as hard as it did last year or will they set it up easier for lower scores and more viewership. If you remember from last year the rough was diabolical and there was a study wind of 15-20 mph all week long. Personally, the harder the golf course is, the better. Bay Hill is an absolute gem made up of tight fairways, long penal rough, and quick firm greens. The course coming in at a total of 7400 yards should provide the ultimate test for the game's best players. More specifically Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Max Homa are poised to make it a very exciting week. Personally, I think we will see an average week out of Ramn. He has been playing absolutely lights out but Bay Hill might not set up well for him. I like to see some big things out of Rory this week. He’s a great driver of the ball and putting the ball in the fairway is a premium this week. His length will also prove to be beneficial. The winner of this event will need accurate, lengthy tee shots and creativity around the greens due to the undulated green complexes and quick firm greens. Another awesome face to see this week is Eric Cole, after his solo second last week at the Honda, he received an invite and will be playing for a lot of money and even more glory. (Mike)
News came out today that the PGA Tour will be implementing no cuts for many of the elevated events beginning next year. This is one of the worst decisions I think they could have made. Many people, myself included, defended the Tour over recent years and one of the strong arguments was that there were cuts unlike in LIV. This is an absolute brain dead decision to make the rich that much richer. I have routinely bashed LIV and their anti-competitive feel, but this move by the PGA Tour seems to mirror that. I have absolutely no interest in watching no cut events between the games richest players since all they have to do is show up to get an exuberant amount of money. This news is even harder to hear after seeing how incredible the elevated events have been this year. I have raved about them in previous blogs and this decision just seems so moronic on so many levels. LIV is not a justifiable threat to the PGA Tour to be making these kinds of changes. I know personally I will just stop tuning in all together because nothing about these changes are good for the fans.
That being said, we get a great event this week with an even better field (And a cut). I think Scottie Scheffler will defend his title this week. He is quietly the best player in the world right now. Two dark horses I really like this week as well are Tyrell Hatton and Rickie Fowler. I think they both will get top 10’s, but won’t have enough to come away with a win. Rickie is getting very close to his first win in ages and I would love to be wrong and see him win this week. The elevated events have been a home run this year and I expect Sunday to be much of the same with some of golf’s biggest names competing for another monster purse. (Tyler)