Stay Classy, Golf
Stay Classy, Golf
Jon Rahm spoils his classy image in mere hours as part of an unfortunate trend. Plus, a weekend wrap of on and off-course moves, McIlroy's revealing comments, and a distance survey follow-up.
Here was Jon Rahm throwing out the World Series first pitch in October and lifting the Masters trophy back in April:
Here is Jon Rahm after signing with LIV last week:
As caught by Golf Digest’s Ben Walton, note in the top photo of Rahm posing with the old Florida Man bearing a strong resemblance to a former World No. 1, look how the Masters champion adjusted his watch to make sure it’s visible even after he’s been wired $100 million and could buy any man jewelry he wants. Remarkably, product-hawking remained top-of-mind as he began his quest to grow the game.
This is also the same Jon Rahm who once asked rhetorically if his family would see a “lifestyle change if I got $400 million?”
He replied to himself at the 2022 U.S. Open: “No, it will not change one bit. Truth be told, I could retire right now with what I've made and live a very happy life and not play golf again. So I've never really played the game of golf for monetary reasons.”
When offered again he took the silly money. But Rahm also jettisoned the respect he’d built-up at the apparent behest of his new Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia sugar daddies benefactors. Rahm hid behind family needs in the initial Fox News reveal of his shocking decision in endorsing a tour he’d mocked. It only reinforced how everyone has a price and will justify it every way imaginable instead of maintaining some semblance of dignity by saying, “the amount they offered to put the PGA Tour out of its misery proved absurd and I could not say no, so I’ll do my best to earn it while using it to give back somehow.”
During a nails-on-chalkboard appearance with former placekicker and relentlessly-overcompensating-as-a-result bro show host Pat McAfee, Rahm listened to the tank top-wearing windbag ramble on about how this was a show for the little people who work hard and started with nothing. McAfee blabbed on about how annoyed he is by the terrible types who lament athletes taking sportwashed money before telling Rahm how amazing it is to be “changing your family tree forever.”
The family tree?
This would suggest Rahm’s offspring won’t ever have to be hard working types sitting at home watching The Pat McAfee Show. One could try explaining the irony to McAfee and I’m confident someone has spent a few too many hours under the tanning bed lights. (If you want a Monday migraine, here is the full appearance.)
Look, we get it: louder, edgier, sillier and angrier is the LIV thing. They even put out a photo of Rahm that looked like a defiant drunk mug shot next to some more unadulterated grow-the-game hogwash. And it’s a “quote” talking about bigger audiences divorced from the reality: LIV has been watched by miniscule audiences despite a massive cash outlay.
With Rahm’s monumental jump, it appears non-major weeks will consist of the sport nibbling at a greasy combo platter of grow the game nonsense. The sinister forces have won now that LIV has outmaneuvered the PGA Tour 3&2. (This, after being 2-down at the turn! That Yasir can putt!)
But it’s no less agonizing to watch a generational talent look ridiculous. One who had many of us believing he had taken inspiration from class acts of the past and seemed genuine in his pursuit of history above all else. During last Thursday’s rushed rollout, Rahm immediately showed he is not his own man in following LIV’s tacky rollout script. One oddly designed at appealing to angry bros who feel America has wronged them. How they think this will appeal to a larger audience—especially women or a red-white-and-blue core that’s still not wild about Saudi Arabia—is tough to comprehend.
Rahm should have been a massive catch for LIV strictly because of his skills and with his best years ahead of him. He gives great press conference and is a fantastic ambassador in one-on-one interviews. We marvel at his old soul eloquence after having taught himself English listening to rap and ASU students. That last influence alone is as miraculous as overcoming a clubbed foot.
He’s so eloquent that most golf fans forget what a petulant nutjob Rahm can become on the course. (Even after supposedly having been mellowed by fatherhood). He can cuss like a height-of-his-powers Tommy Lasorda. Yet he offset the f-bombs with off-course dignity, expressions of gratitude and respect for the people who came before him. He even seemed deeply principled until last Thursday.
At some point Rahm will be off the deep tissue massage interview circuit. He will get a hard question about validating a despot’s dreams via his endorsement of LIV. To date, Rahm’s defector peers have turned into Mumbles whenever asked such questions. Some of them have taken steep reputational plunges with golf fans, only earning the affection of a small subset of weirdos who see LIV as their revenge for, well, who knows or cares.
Rahm’s first at bat against live pitching came when Fox News’ Bret Baier posed a question about the flip in stance. Baier noted Rahm’s previous quote about not playing for money. That’s when Rahm dropped with a cringeworthy “grow the game.”
Bye-bye classy guy in a tailored green jacket, hello to another pompous guy in black letterman jacket who didn’t letter and who apparently believes he can fool us with that answer. In 24 hours Rahm sold out his image. All while saddling up next to another great golfer who has wiped out all fond memories of his terrific playing career, his dignified handling of tough losses and even how he built a lavish fortune through an impressive post-playing business career. Now he lives for revenge and endorsing Norman’s weird late career transition.
Class was once the attribute that made professional golfers different. And yes, this gave grizzled sports fans plenty fodder to think the game was soft, elitist and dull. But class also made a lot of golfers heroes even if the wore cardigans. Class made them rich ones, too, assuming that’s the only barometer.
In our new LIV world class appears to be the enemy of louder and edgier. Also known as what select 60-year-old decision-makers think might make their kids watch the unwatchable “product” they’ve peddled to the CW.
But it’s not just LIV that hates classy.
We saw this strange anti-class phenomenon during last week’s distance debate.
Almost no one from the side possibly losing a few yards many years from now expressed their case in a measured tone. Nor could they disclose their corporate alliances, their heavy intake of free stuff or their desire to maintain access to moochville. So they projected disinformation, shallow hot takes or even in a few cases, embarrassing meltdowns directed at the governing bodies.
This, even after the R&A and USGA went through an exhaustive process over many years and listened respectfully to all of the gripes along the way. They followed the protocols as rulemakers should, adjusted based on feedback no matter the motivations, and explained their reasoning in a measured tone. Although USGA CEO Mike Whan did channel a whiff of pithy Frank Hannigan when he said, “We were playing a U.S. Open before there were professional tours.”
Even after the decision on distance was made following years of an orderly process, the PGA Tour, PGA of America and the other folks gave away how much their bottom lines were under threat. They continued to publicly lobby and privately stomp, sling desperate attempts at the expense of their best asset (ShotLink) and teeter on the verge of dishonesty in the name of a buck. Classy, they were not.
But please stay classy, golf. It’s an underrated side effect of participating in a great-but-humbling sport. Don’t take the privilege for granted.
Weekend Wrap
It took 24 years but a mixed team event finally returned to the schedule and The Grant Thornton Invitational delivered.
Jason Day and Lydia Ko (58-66-66-190, -26) held off Canada’s Corey Conners and Brooke Henderson to win by a stroke. Two back at -24 were Ludvig Åberg/Madelene Sagstrom after they posted a modified best-ball, final round 60.
This was the first mixed co-sanctioned event between the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour since 1999’s JC Penney Classic when John Daly and Laura Davies were victorious. There have been calls for a mixed format in the Olympic Games or Presidents Cup and Ko, for one, expressed hope the quality of play will lead to more.
“Sometimes there's a separation between the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour and other tours,” she said. “But we're all playing the game of golf. We all play it because we love it. It has given us so many great opportunities and experiences. I think this is just a great example that we're all just golfers at the end of the day and trying to play the best golf we can and perform at our highest.
“I think this is just a gateway and a reminder that we're all here for the game of golf, and I believe that a lot of people are going to take inspiration and get motivated by watching this week.”
Elsewhere:
Team USA edged Team International by two points to win the inaugural World Champions Cup, 221-219. The International’s 218.5-216.0 led with three holes remaining before Team USA outscored them by 4.5 points during the closing stretch. The PGA Tour Champions-sanctioned event had three six-man teams (International, Europe and USA) playing nine-hole matches featuring team formats and singles play. Instead of points won for matches, they were earned through wins on holes in each of the event’s 24 matches. The USA’s Jerry Kelly led all 18 players in the competition with 61 total points. Perhaps the way things are going this format may be needed for the next Presidents Cup featuring a big LIV-included threeway! Wait, that came out wrong. So much for classy.
Heavy rain delayed the Alfred Dunhill Championship into Monday. At least the elephants were happy about the downpour. South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are tied through 7 holes and three clear of Christiaan Beuidenhout.
Multiple outlets and social accounts—including The Telegraph’s James Corrigan—are reporting that Tony Finau is negotiating to join Jon Rahm’s Callaway-backed LIV team. Tyrell Hatton, another player from the Callaway stable is also rumored to be a possible defector. Besides the continued exodus of PGA Tour eligible players, the potential corporate affiliation role in this marks a major change from the days when various companies were unsure how to treat defectors. Sponsorship has remained a major issue for LIV but Callaway might be the first high-profile golf company to validate the tour. Because you know what they say: sportwashing works.
The PGA Tour Board of Directors announced Sunday that they have unanimously “selected an outside investment group to further negotiate with as talks with the PIF continue to progress.” The “Strategic Sports Group” includes several prominent sports franchise owners and Fenway Sports.