Those of a certain age - well, mine, for example - will perhaps recall the drawn out demise of Spain’s fascist dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco. The seemingly endless report of his failing health and imminent death led to one of Chevy Chase’s recurring bits on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update sketch.
The general’s death had nothing on the seemingly endless LIV Golf League/PGA Tour “peace talks.” The latest developments saw Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, and PGA Tour Commisioner (Steamboat) Jay Monohan visit the White House to ask current occupant Donald Trump to approach Saudi PFI Governor and de factor LIV Golf League Czar Yasir Al-Rumayyan, citing Trump’s “good relationship” with His Excellency.
At this point, it should be useful to point out that Trump already has a vested interest in LIV, as two of his venues are part of that tour’s rota - Doral, which was once a PGA Tour staple until Cadillac pulled its sponsorship and no other corporation chose to replace them, and Trump National in Bedminster, which the PGA of American dropped as a site for its championship in 2022. Call me a skeptic, but given his proclivity for revenge, I can only imagine the amount of flesh Trump may encourage Yasir to seek in order to bring the parties together.
[For his part, Trump, who previously stated that he could “settle the LIV-PGA Tour problem in 15 minutes,” now is saying that resolving the split is “more complicated than the Russia/Ukraine negotiations,” which if nothing else demonstrates his keen grasp of international affairs.]
Having said all of that - getting the best golfers in the world back together on a regular basis is desperately needed for the game, as 1) television ratings for PGA Tour events continue to sink and 2) LIV ratings - despite a move from the CW to FOX Sports Network - remain miniscule.
Meanwhile, a PGA Tour event was held in Mexico last weekend. Most of the higher ranking players chose to skip it; the only recognizable players that I saw over the weekend were former Open Champion Francesco Molinari and Akshay Bhatia, the spindly Californian who won twice on Tour last year.
The tournament did produce some outstanding golf, as well as a playoff between Brian Campbell and South Africa’s 20 year old Aldrich Potgieter. Campbell, who has been grinding as a pro since 2015, bested the long hitting Potgieter on the second playoff hole thanks in large part to a huge break on his tee shot which appeared to be sailing out of bounds. His ball struck a tree and bounded back in the light rough, allowing him to lay up to perfect wedge distance on the par 5 hole. He stuck a beautiful shot to within 6 feet of the hole and drained the putt for the win.
This no doubt set off a huge celebration in Colleton River Plantation, a golf community just off Hilton Head Island, where Brian’s father Dan resides. I had the pleasure of meeting the senior Campbell last May while visiting my old buddy Kurt Putkonen. While he shares the same name as the coach of the Detroit Lions, this Dan Campbell stands maybe 5 foot 6 on a good day and is an affable Canadian. And still carries a pretty good handicap.
In any event, while the celebration in Colleton River may have been wild, it likely wasn’t as sweet as that of the victor:
Journeyman professional Kevin Kisner is taking on a full time role as a commentator on NBC’s PGA Tour broadcasts. Dispite his relatively young age, Kis has shown in previous broadcasts a world weary sense of humor that could fly well on television. And unlike a lot of modern pros, he has no issue poking fun at himself
I’ll be posting from St George, Utah next week, hopefully with some great photos and reports of mediocre golf.
Keep it in the fairway, folks.