The main season may be long over, folks, but let me explain why the next two weeks will be some of the best in golf. But before we get to that, some personal news: the TGL broadcast team was announced on Thursday morning and I will be the league’s digital presenter! I am so excited and, of course, you will get the full debrief right here at the Rogers Report in January.
I know, I know, it’s the ‘off season’. The CME Tour Championship and the Tour Championship are behind us. But that doesn’t mean we can ignore golf.
This week, the LPGA and PGA Tour pros will join the Grant Thornton, which means we’ll have a lot of good content, like when the Disney Channel had those crossover episodes when we were kids. As much as I enjoy watching the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events on their own, there is something special about having players from both come together for a week. It is definitely a competitive atmosphere in Tiburon, but much of it is about bonding and having fun.
The personalities of the pros will be exposed in ways we are not used to in the coming weeks. Team events tend to bring them out and the Grant Thornton is no exception. Same with the PNC Championship. Professionals might be at work, but in a take-your-son-to-work kind of way.
It is more of a shared experience than anything else. So be sure to pay attention to social media over the next 10 days or so, because I have a feeling we’ll be getting hilarious, wholesome and entertaining content from both Grant Thornton and the PNC. (Remember, Tiger’s ‘big dog’ meme originated at the PNC.)
This last note only applies to those attending the Grant Thornton and/or PNC Championship, but I’ve learned that there are few things I enjoy more than being at a Ritz-Carlton golf course, especially near the holidays. There are endless places to explore and there’s nothing better than the food or the clubhouse.
Kuchar has nailed it; he is the quintessential dad in this video, enthusiastically putting his personal touch into every sentence despite being spectacularly wrong. I’m really impressed that while Kuchar scored zero out of six here, he managed to come up with an answer for every single term. Kuch, it might be time to ask your kids for some lessons in Gen Z slang. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help you out.
My favourite part of Thursday’s Grant Thornton Invitational was Lydia Ko and Jason Day’s press conference. It’s clear that the defending champions are overjoyed to be back, but it’s even clearer how much Day and Ko respect and admire each other.
Some excerpts from the transcript:
Day: I’ve heard numerous, actually, many stories about how he’s one of the nicest people in the LPGA and obviously I think a lot of people know that by now. Pure class on and off the golf course.
Ko: I remember Jessica Korda saying to me, oh, you’re playing with Jason, right? She said, you’re playing with the nicest person in the world, you guys are going to be the nicest team.
Ko: When I played the Tour Championship a few weeks ago, I thought, man, it would be nice if I had a partner like Jason, it would make my life a lot easier.
Day: I’m a big fan of Lydia and her game. And even more as a person, she’s great.
Ko: I’ve actually said this to more people, of all the players I’ve played with, Jason’s game, whether it was hitting the ball, with the driver, iron, wedges and putting in general, he was actually the best player I’ve ever seen.
Guys, find a golfing partner who makes you as exhilarated as Jason Day and Lydia Ko make you. Even if you don’t have a fraction of their talent.
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