Swilcan Patio’s brief life

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Good morning golfers, Justin Rose has closed the deal at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

1. Roses bloom again

Our Ron Montesano The world has forgotten how great Justin Rose was a decade back. He won the US Open and the Olympic gold medal. However, he narrowly missed out on a green Augusta jacket. He won his last victory in 2019 just before the pandemic hit Earth. Rose was plagued by equipment rumors that suggested his talent was compromised. Whatever.”

• “This week, Rose became the King of Carmel. He was a chieftain and toured the Monterey peninsula. He was the only golfer who posted four rounds in the 60s. This included an ace at Spyglass Hill’s 15th hole on Friday. Rose saved his best for the weekend plus. Rose signed for a Saturday-Sunday 65 at Monterey Peninsula and then followed that up by a Sunday-Monday 666 at Pebble Beach.

• Rose was given some chase by a resurgent Brendon, but his final-days 65 was only one better than Rose. Todd tied for second with Brandon Wu who shot a 66 in the final round. Rose will this win give him the drive to compete in the major championships at the last nine holes? We believe he still has a few more runs to go.

2. R.I.P. Swilcan patio

St. Andrews Links Trust reversed course quickly, according to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols In the next few days, the stonework that was added to the Swilcan Bridge at Old Course will be taken down. After golf fans vented their frustrations on social media, the pivot was made.

• “St. Andrews officials stated that the addition of stone “patios”, at each end of the bridge, was made to reduce the damage to the turf caused by the tens to thousands of visitors each annual.”

• The statement stated that stonework was one option for a long-term solution. We believe that this would have been a good option for protection but in this case, we feel we cannot create an appearance that is consistent with the iconic setting of the bridge and have decided to take it down.

• “We also took on feedback from many stakeholders and partners as well as the golfing community. We would like to thank everybody who reached out for their contributions to the issue.”

3. Adjustments to the ANGC

Mike Hall, Golf Monthly After years of speculation, last September saw the confirmation that the 13th hole at Augusta National was finally lengthened. An aerial image from Eureka Earth shows that the tees had been significantly moved back following the work that began in July.

• “Now, there’s confirmation that Azalea’s famous dogleg left Azalea will now be 545 yards for 2023 Masters. This is an increase from 510. Many will welcome this news as it allows the game’s most powerful hitters to have a significant advantage by cutting corners and driving over trees.

4. Full swing ahead

Cameron Morfit, PGATour.com Full Swing” is a Netflix documentary about the 2022 PGA TOUR season. It will be available on February 15, and it is a very emotional viewing experience. Surprisingly, if you are a golf fan, most of the events will be known. Yet, it is filled with poignant stories about fathers and sons, victories and losses, and sacrifices made by family and friends.

• “The series’ emotionality is a credit for the creators. It makes extensive use of home movies and multiple edits. The soundtrack also plays a significant role. Episode 1 is especially heartwarming.

• Justin Thomas, the series’ trailer director, says that “all it takes is one Week and your life will change.”

• “What the cameras record off the course ranges between the relatable (Thomas going to CVS to get relief from his allergies) to the intimate. Players are pictured with their pets and families (redefining “WAG”) Private jets are used to view million-dollar homes, and viewers can enjoy the chaos at the WM Phoenix open’s 16th hole.

5. Last-minute change

E. Michael Johnson, Golf Digest Justin Rose won this weather-delayed AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He played incredibly solid golf over the final two rounds. This was partly due to a set Cobra irons that he had never tried before Tuesday.

• “According to Ben Schomin of PGA Tour for Cobra Rose approached him at the range Tuesday and casually said that he had heard great things about the company’s new irons, and would be willing to try them.”

• Schomin stated, “I’ve known Justin since a number of years.” It’s easy to forget that he played in our clubs as a teenager. So it was a bit of a complete circle. We made him a combination set and dropped it off Wednesday night. His coach approached me and asked if I wanted to see Justin. He liked the clubs, but needed to adjust the grips. He wanted to also try a new shaft.

• “While it was great to get Rose to play his irons, the clock was ticking. The PGA Tour regulations stipulate that tour vans must leave the premises by Wednesday afternoon. Schomin quickly assembled the combo set consisting of King Tour for the 4-iron, King B for the 5- and 6-irons, and King MB to pitch the 7-iron through pitching wedge using Project X 6.5 shafts.

6. The other side

ESPN’s Bob Harig Of course, there would be unintended consequences to the new event structure. Perhaps there were already known consequences, which would need to addressed moving forward.

• “Pebble Beach suffered a major hit last week. At least some of it can be attributed the new system.”

• While it is true that Pebble has had its moments, including the possibility of poor weather (like this year), the three-course format and the pro–am format, the event was still devoid of stars players.”

• “… Only one player was in the top 10, Matt Fitzpatrick. There were also seven players in the top 50, and 21 out of the top 100. There were 81 players who were not ranked in the top 300.

• “For years, there’s been a lament about Pebble Beach, an iconic event dating back to the Tour’s inception, not drawing better. The West Coast Swing is a busy stretch with many great tournaments.

• “Turn in the designated events, and it gets worse.”

7. Tour claims LIV suitors failed to provide core responsive documents

Joel Beall Attorneys from Golf Digest representing the PGA Tour in the lawsuit against LIV Golf seek a new trial date and an extension of the document discovery process.

• “The request of the tour, filed Sunday at U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, cites Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the Tour’s allegations that Al-Rumayyan and PIF have taken “extraordinary measures to avoid producing a single paper or giving sworn testimony”–as reasons for asking for an extension.

• The request states that the tour “cannot–and should never be forced to–defend the antitrust claims” without being given discovery from LIV’s owners and decision-makers. Plaintiffs acknowledge that the current schedule is not practical and fail to recognize the importance of discovery from LIV’s owners, decision-makers, and other relevant information.

8. Justin Rose wins WITB

Driver: Callaway Paradym (8.5 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (15 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade M6 (18 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: Cobra King Forged Tour (4); Cobra King CB (5-6); Cobra King MB (7-PW)

Shafts: Project X 6.5

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Designs SM9 (52-12F), 56-08M, TaylorMade Milled Grind HiToe (60-07)

Shafts: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X

Putter: Axis1 Rose

Grip: Lamkin PistolClaw

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot

Grips: Lamkin, UTX