Most dangerous par of the year | European Ryder cup picks bad for Euro Tour? | Michelle Wie shuts it down

By Top Golf Gears On Sep 10, 2018

Good Thursday morning, golf fans.

1. Bjorn chooses experience (and controversy)

Mark Cannizarro of the NY Post writes…”One day after US Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk announced three of his four captain’s picks – all of which were chalk selections that surprised no one – European captain Thomas Bjorn was faced with much more complicated decisions.”

“Bjorn on Wednesday announced Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson as his four at-large picks, but there were a number of ways he could have gone, and he left himself very open for criticism.”

“In Garcia, Poulter and Stenson, Bjorn clearly went with experience over current form. Five of his eight players who automatically qualified for the team are Ryder Cup rookies, which had a massive influence on his decisions.”

“Among those disappointed players left off the team were Thomas Pieters, who went 4-0-1 as a rookie in 2016 and has been in good form this year; Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who went 2-0-1 in 2016 and also was in better form than the veterans chosen; Matt Wallace, who’s won three times on the European Tour this season, including last week in Denmark, Bjorn’s home country; and Russell Knox, who won the Irish Open in July.”

2. Rory and Rose respect the Garcia pick

Ahead of the BMW Championship, here’s what the pair had to say…

“I feel with the five rookies we have, experience will be a big thing, especially at home,” said McIlroy. “I think the three, Paul, Ian and Henrik, they were certain and then it was just between Sergio, Rafa, maybe Matt Fitzpatrick, a couple of those guys. But at the end I think with Sergio’s record in the Ryder Cup, and I think the intangibles as well, the things people don’t see what he brings to the team room.

Rose: “Many players deserve a spot in the Ryder Cup team, but no one is here to do anybody favours, either. It’s about how can you assemble 12 guys to put points on the board when it counts on Friday, Saturday, Sunday in a Ryder Cup and Thomas obviously felt Sergio was more likely to deliver a point when needed.

“Matt Wallace became part of the conversation and every credit to him. He’s kind of new on the scene so that would have been an interesting introduction to the team, but I think he just got to keep doing what he’s doing and there will be many Ryder Cups in his future.

3. …but will it do permanent damage?

Geoff Shackelford wonders if the experience/establishment pick could do more harm than good for the European Tour.

“Garcia, and to a lesser extent Stenson, will ultimately determine the wisdom of Bjorn’s strategy. (Casey and Poulter seem to be unanimously well received selections.)…The greater concern for Europe should be what this says to younger players and those attempting to be loyal to the European Tour.”

“Rafa logged 9 starts on the tour in 2018, not including World Golf Champioships and majors…Another contender for the team, Matthew Fitzpatrick, made 7 European Tour non-major/WGC starts but is leaving for the PGA Tour.”

“Wallace has made 18 non-major/WGC European Tour starts in 2018. Despite three wins, he was 13th on the European Tour points list. Perhaps his inconsistency this year, coupled with an MC at the French Open proved fatal….Meanwhile, Garcia has posted just 3 non-major/WGC European Tour starts in 2018 and several other numbers are not helping his cause.”

“While the Ryder Cup team should not be filled out by those loyal to the European Tour, the Bjorn decision could have ramifications into the future.”

4. The most dangerous par of the year

An ESPN the Magazine oral history by Anna Katherine Clemons focuses on Talor Gooche’s alligator experience at the Zurich Classic earlier this year.

“GOOCH: We were on the last hole. After I hit my tee shot, I knew I had a tough lie down near the water. When I got up there, my ball was within arm’s reach of three gators. A few other golfers came over, and we were trying to figure out how to get the gators to move. Then Chesson Hadley, who was in the group ahead of us, said, “I got this.”

“CHESSON HADLEY: I just wanted to be the hero. I’m no reptile tamer, but I thought if I got one to go back in the lake, the others would follow. I grabbed a rake and went for it.”

“ANDREW LANDRY, GOOCH’S PLAYING PARTNER THAT DAY: He scared two of them down to the water, but they immediately turned around and got really close to the shore, like they were in attack mode.”

5. Michelle Wie withdraws from season’s final major

Michelle Wie has withdrawn from a second major this season.

“After going through an evaluation with my doctors and my Physio team,” wrote Wie on Instagram, “we have all concurred that my right hand is not quite ready for competition yet. So unfortunately, I have decided to withdraw from the Evian Championship next week. I’m extremely disappointed, but right now rehabbing my right hand back to pain free is my absolute first priority!! Thank you all for staying patient with me and for all the words of encouragement!!!”

6. Spieth on qualifying for East Lake

Oh boy. Nothing like these pros scratching and clawing to make it through the “Playoffs.”

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner writes…”When it was suggested by a reporter that he has to “scramble” this week to ensure his spot at East Lake, he smiled and corrected him: “I’m actually inside the number right now, you might forget. So I don’t know about the scrambling. I just have to play normal.”

“Indeed, according to the PGA Tour projections, Spieth likely needs to finish no worse than solo 28th to reach the Tour Championship…That’s not his goal, of course – he’s trying to win the tournament and crack the top 10, since, historically, it’s more difficult to win the FedExCup if you’re outside that number.”

“My mind will not be set on any kind of projections, I can promise you that,” Spieth said. “It’s not do or die for me.”

7. Mickelson the Tour’s top putter?

Golf Digest’s Alex Myers points out...”With two tournaments remaining in his PGA Tour season (At No. 9 in the FedEx Cup points list entering this week’s BMW Championship, Mickelson is assured of also playing in the Tour Championship in two weeks), Mickelson is on the verge of leading the tour in strokes gained putting for the first time in his career.”

“Mickelson is currently No. 2 in the category, gaining .841 strokes per round. A final-round 63 at the Dell Technologies Championship helped him close the gap on Jason Day, who leads at .862. Greg Chalmers is No. 3 at .790.”

“Mickelson’s previous best in this relatively new metric was finishing fifth (.661) in the category in 2013. Unfortunately, strokes gained putting wasn’t around when Mickelson turned pro in 1993, but in going back to 2004, that’s still a solid sample size of 15 seasons.”

8. Food and drink delivery on a golf course via drone

Golfweek’s Bill Speros…”Golfers in North Dakota will soon be able to get refreshments delivered during play from a drone…King’s Walk Golf Course in Grand Forks, N.D., will be delivering food and drink via a drone for a $3 service charge in about 10 minutes. The orders will be attached to the drone via a rope.”

“Wherever you are, you should be able to get what you want within a few minutes,” Yariv Bash, CEO of FlyTrex, the Israeli drone logistics startup operating the service, told CNNMoney. “Why wait?”

“The course has traditional refreshment carts and a restaurant. The drone service begins with a six-week trial on Sept. 15 and delivery to a single course location. Customers will order via an app. Expansion will follow, if it proves successful. The drones weigh about 33 pounds and fly at 30 MPH.”

9. WLD winners

Golf Channel Digital….”Maurice Allen won his first Volvik World Long Drive Championship Wednesday night with a 393-yard blast to defeat Justin Moose.”

“Allen had never made it past the quarterfinals, but he was clearly the best competitor all night long, with drives of 392 yards in the quarterfinals, 393 in the semis and 393 in the final.”

“On the women’s side, Phillis Meti defeated Chloe Garner to capture her third championship belt. Meti also won in 2006 and 2016.”