27 Golf Things From 2021 You Might Have Forgotten — But Gary Van Sickle Didn't
On the day before The Crash, the event that changed golf in 2021, Tiger Woods was filming videos for Golf Digest/Golf TV. So yes, The Crash was mostly their fault. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith was at the shoot. Nice work if you can get it.
That night, smarmy comic actor David Spade posted a photo on the internet of himself with Woods in a golf cart. About twelve hours later, Woods crashed his car en route to a second day of filming. Imagine Spade’s face being among the last familiar ones you saw before your life changed forever? Yeah, Tiger’s comeback, whatever it turns out to be, is even tougher than you thought.
The Crash reminded us how fragile and temporary life is. It also made us forget that Woods was already in comeback mode, anyway. He announced in January that he’d quietly had a fifth back surgery and would miss the West Coast Swing. Would he play in the Masters, he was asked? “God, I hope so,” Woods said.
Now the question is, Will he ever play another Masters? Or any other tour event? Maybe we’ll know more in six months but for now, take all the time you need, Tiger.
Meanwhile, here’s an assortment of things I remember about the non-Tiger portions of 2021 men’s golf:
1. Cancel my keg of Blatz—I’m studying for the New York bar exam
Ireland’s Shane Lowry on the Ryder Cup’s poorly behaved fans at Whistling Straits: “Nobody turns into a genius drinking.”
2. And my, those cows sure look, ehhh… cute
Ryder Cup fans at Whistling Straits.
Scott Halleran | Golffile
Cheeseheads (that’s French for Wisconsin natives) have a dark side.
A friend of Norway’s Viktor Hovland played at first-stage Korn Ferry Tour qualifying near the Illinois-Wisconsin border a few days after the Ryder Cup and told this story to a competitor. Hovland, a European Ryder Cupper, invited him to walk the fairways in his entourage during an early Ryder Cup match at Whistling Straits. The friend reported that fans relentlessly hurled obscenities at the European players, a particularly loathsome act since the entourages included wives and family members. There was also outright booing of European players during Friday’s and Saturday’s first-tee introductions.
Nobody discussed how wretched the atmosphere was but the clincher that Cheesehead crowds were class-less came in European captain Padraig Harrington’s post-loss, on-camera interview. Harrington, one of golf’s nicest men, was asked how fans treated his team. “They were, ehhh…” he paused, searching for a polite word. “Good,” he added unenthusiastically.
3. Hey, Hogan! We just figured out your secret!
Phil Mickelson.
David Yeazell-USA Today Sports
The year in Phil, Part 1:
A 300-1 longshot who was three weeks shy of his 51st birthday won the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. After a dismal stretch of golf that suggested Phil Mickelson should stick to the senior tour, he took a one-shot lead into the final round, shot 73 in classic Phil style — six bogeys, five birdies and a holed bunker shot — and won by two over Brooks Koepka. He crushed Julius Boros’ 1968 mark as golf’s’ oldest major champion. Boros was 48.
How did this minor miracle happen? “Well,” said Mickelson’s caddie-brother Tim answered, “we beat everybody else.”
4. People, please do not tweet while looking in a mirror
The year in Phil, Part 2:
In October, the United States Golf Association reduced the legal maximum length of a driver from 48 to 46 inches. That change hit Mickelson where he lives because he used a 47.9-inch driver to win the PGA Championship in May and with a 46-inch shaft, he may no longer be able to hit his beloved “bombs.”
“Stupid is as stupid does,” Mickelson tweeted after the announcement.
5. How about Keith Olbermann?
Jordan Spieth after he accidentally hit a drive into Rory Sabbatini’s group during The Players Championship’s third round: “Is that Sabbatini? Geez, I couldn’t pick a worse person to hit into.”
6. Maybe if his name was George English or Elaine English…
Folk heroes come and go, sometimes in 45 minutes. The Travelers Championship featured a tension-filled playoff in which Harris English and little-known Kramer Hickok matched pars seven times before English finally won it with a birdie on the eighth extra hole. The fans rooted harder for Hickok than for English, apparently because they enjoyed shouting “Kramer!” in an ode to the beloved character from “Seinfeld.” This Kramer fizzled in ’21, however, closing the season quietly with finishes of 58th, WD, MC and 56th while English starred in the Ryder Cup and gained his own new fan following.
7. Once was not enough
The Masters Tournament added a new honorary starter in April when Lee Elder joined Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player on the first tee Thursday morning. Elder was the first player of color to compete in the Masters, a tournament whose history of keeping such players out is a blemish.
It was a day to celebrate Elder, whose health was frail, rather than debate why it took the Masters so long to do something so obvious. Elder, a four-time PGA Tour winner, accepted the moment with grace. “My heart is very soft this morning… because of the wonderful things I have encountered since arriving here on Monday,” Elder said on the first tee, where he held a driver but didn’t play a shot. “I just want to say thank you so very much. It’s a great honor and I will always cherish it.”
Elder passed away in November at the age of 87.
8. FYI, Jack does know jack
Seven years ago, 22-year-old Hideki Matsuyama of Japan won the Memorial Tournament by defeating Kevin Na in a playoff. Tournament host Jack Nicklaus said then, “You’ve just seen the start of what’s going to be one of your world’s great players over the next 10 to 15 years.”
The early call by Nicklaus looked good in April when Matsuyama broke open a four-shot lead with a sizzling third-round, back-nine surge en route to winning the Masters Tournament. Matsuyama had suffered close calls before — he had top-ten finishes in all four majors and two more in The Players Championship. This time, he closed out the win.
9. The Masters champ left a Will
Masters trivia: The runner-up was Will Zalatoris, 24, a Wake Forest University alum making his Masters Tournament debut (and on his way to being voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year). His lone professional win so far is a Korn Ferry Tour event. “I remember sitting down with my coaches and my agent to talk about playing mini-tour events and not even two years later, I’m frustrated that I was one shot short of winning the Masters,” Zalatoris said. “It's a pretty cool feeling.”
10. Way better than a Lambeau Leap
Shota Hayafuji bows at Augusta National.
What you forgot about the Masters finish: Matsuyama made a routine bogey from the greenside bunker on the 72nd hole, which was fine because he had a cushion of a lead.
What you should remember about the Masters finish: Matsuyama’s caddie, Shota Hayafuji, removed the flag from the flagstick — a traditional winner’s souvenir — after the victory, then took off his cap, replaced the flagstick and bowed gracefully in a show of respect.
11. How to stab a golfer in the heart
The year in Phil, Part 3:
Mickelson was a guest on the popular ESPN alternative telecast, “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” an innovative show in which the Manning brothers talk X’s and O’s and other things while bringing in assorted guests as they half-watch the game. Mickelson arrived during the second quarter of the Rams-49ers game and was an immediate hit with viewers by taking over and asking the Mannings what’s-it-like football questions and getting good answers.
Eventually, the topic turned to golf. Peyton asked Mickelson to describe Eli’s swing, which was shown on video. Mickelson’s analysis: “Cute.”
12. Tiger was right, second place sucks
The year in Phil, Part 4:
Also during the visit with the Mannings, Mickelson asked Peyton why he often shouted “Omaha” during his snap count. Manning said the word alerted his teammates to go to Plan B for that play. Manning said before he started using “Omaha,” he had different snap counts called “Tiger” and “Phil” to tip his linemen on when the snap was coming.
“It’s really irrelevant which was on One and which was on Two,” Manning told Mickelson with a grin. “You were in the Colts’ offense.”
Yeah, we know who was No. 2.
13. Information that could’ve been brought to my attention sooner (like before I bet heavily at FanDuel.com)
Remember how the worst loss of the year turned into maybe the best victory of the year?
Spain’s Jon Rahm built a six-shot lead at the Memorial Tournament, a lead that was safer than a Zurich vault. But as he left the final green, Rahm was informed he’d tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw.
Two weeks later and negative just in time, Rahm made scintillating clutch putts on the final two holes to capture the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. It was karmic justice. Rahm proposed to his wife, Kelley, at nearby Torrey Pines Reserve Park during a 2018 hike, and they became parents of a son, Kepa, just before the Masters. Because of their history in the Torrey Pines area, Rahm said he felt good vibes the moment he set foot on the course.
14. The wrong kind of high five
Mackenzie Hughes, playing in the U.S. Open’s final pairing on Sunday, was two strokes behind leader Louis Oosthuizen when he yanked his iron shot way left at the par-3 11th hole. There, NBC cameras captured the ball stuck up in a tree, hung up on some branches. Hughes had to take a penalty stroke, made a double-bogey 5 and dropped out of contention.
“I’ve never had a ball stuck in a tree,” Hughes said. “It’s like a one-in-a-million break.”
15. The editor says whenever you can put the word ‘naked’ in a headline, do it
In September, Tampa police pursued an armed man who climbed onto the roof of a home and waved a gun. A stand-off ensued. Then a naked 28-year-old woman drove past the tense scene in a golf cart, ignored multiple police vehicles, a SWAT team and commands to stop. The cops finally captured the woman, 28-year-old Jessica Elisabeth Smith of Boston. It took six more hours to get the armed man — a 17-year-old who accidentally shot himself in the leg — off the roof.
The only charge for Ms. Smith, the star of her own Boston T&A party: Resisting arrest without violence.
16. This Bud’s for you. And this Miller Lite. And this Pabst. And…
Five reasons to remember the 2021 Ryder Cup:
One. The Americans’ blowout 19-9 victory made European star Rory McIlroy cry and say a cuss word on camera afterward. Totally worth it.
Two. Steve Stricker, the U.S. captain, kinda-sorta agreed to get a tattoo on his butt cheek if his team won. Steve Stricker, Mr. Small-Town-Wisconsin, Clean-Living Cheesehead Guy, with a tat? Ahh, it’ll probably be a deer or a duck or something.
Three. When Europe was briefly up in Sunday’s first two singles matches, U.S. fans remembering Europe’s Miracle at Medinah comeback in 2012, probably thought, “Oh, not again!” Then the third match teed off and Bryson DeChambeau bashed a drive onto the par-4 first green and rolled in a long eagle putt against long-time Ryder Cup annoyance Sergio Garcia. Cancel that panic attack, the party is on.
Four. Jordan Spieth hit an incredible shot from the base of the bulkhead wall guarding the 17th green. His ball went nearly straight up and somehow landed on the green, close to the pin, while Spieth had to scoot down a hillside to regain his balance after the swing, stopping just short of falling into Lake Michigan. Scratch one viral video, and Spieth and Justin Thomas lost the foursomes match, anyway.
Five. It was played in Wisconsin. Donuts and beer — they’re not just for breakfast anymore.
17. His best call since winning the Greater Vancouver Open
Collin Morikawa.
Golffile | Phil Inglis
It seems obvious now that Collin Morikawa is a star who’s going to be around for the long term thanks to his stellar iron play. After two years on tour, he is two-for-eight in major championships and has six victories.
Morikawa needed the putting round of his life Sunday at the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s to keep us from talking about Jordan Spieth’s comeback year. Instead, we were buzzing about how Morikawa was the first player to win two major championships in his debut at each. He introduced himself at the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park, where his drive to seven feet on the par-4 16th hole stands as the most memorable PGA shot of the 21st century.
The odd part of Morikawa’s reign in England? Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee nailed it on a pre-tournament show. “He just needs to putt average and he will… win,” Chamblee said of Morikawa.
18. Just when we were getting kids interested in reading books again
In 2021, the PGA of America permitted PGA Championship competitors to use rangefinders, a technological advancement, during tournament play. This was a first and somehow, the tournament was not ruined.
Later in 2021, the USGA and R&A ruled that only simplified, less-detailed and officially approved versions of greens-reading books, a technological advancement, may be used in tournament play.
19. Is Captain America taken?
His clutch putting earned Patrick Cantlay the nickname “Patty Ice” in some quarters but really, does that perpetual scowl on his brow look like it belongs to a guy named Patty? Surely we can crowd-source a better moniker. Putt-rick? Cantmiss? Hat Trick? The Golden Blade? Nah, those stink, too.
Cantlay had a Player of the Year performance, winning four times. That included one gift, the Memorial Tournament, where Rahm had to pull out. Still, Cantlay tied Collin Morikawa with a 25-foot birdie putt at the 71st hole and won the playoff with a 12-foot birdie putt. At the BMW Championship, perhaps the most thrilling finish of the year, Cantlay holed a clutch 20-footer to force a playoff with Bryson DeChambeau and an 18-footer to win on the sixth extra hole (and there were repeated clutch putts in between). A superb 6-iron shot to the final green helped Cantlay ice the $15 million FedEx Cup at East Lake and, oh yeah, he went 4-0 at the Ryder Cup.
20. Do you want a girlfriend or do you want to look like Joe Dirt? Oh.
Cameron Smith (and his mullet) represented Australia in the Olympics.
Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports
Australia’s Cameron Smith teamed with Marc Leishman to win the Zurich Classic and Smith was 2021’s Mullet of the Year. He was also the only nominee. Asked after the victory if he was planning to get a haircut, Smith said no, “I’d have to apologize to my girlfriend.”
21. The Hunger Games are canceled
Tony Finau finally ended his winless streak of 142 tournaments. He shot a closing 65 to force a playoff at the Northern Trust and Cameron Smith all but handed him the title by badly hooking his drive on the first extra hole.
Finau celebrated with a dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, then visited a McDonald’s four hours later for Dinner—The Sequel and pounded down a Big Mac, a quarter-pounder, fries and an Oreo McFlurry, among other things. “I was still on quite a high,” Finau told USA Today.
22. Next up: A major title, or maybe Tik Tok
Max Homa turned into star in 2021. The former University of California player won twice — the Genesis Invitational and the Fortinet Championship — and he was already acknowledged a humorist on Twittter.com. When a media person tweeted picks for the majors and Player of the Year, Homa replied, “You spelt (sic) my name wrong five times but whatever.”
Once in another tweet, he remarked about caddies calling him to get a job: “They heard they usually get weekends off, which apparently is a great selling point.”
If Homa didn’t get a big check from the PGA Tour’s new social media bonus pool this year, he was robbed.
23. Holiday clearance sale on jigsaws at Home Depot
Memorial Tournament host Jack Nicklaus after Jon Rahm had to withdraw due to a positive COVID-19 test with a six-shot lead after 54 holes: “I wish we could figure out how to give Jon three-fourths of the trophy.”
24. The IRS probably gives a bleep
The year in Phil, Part 5:
When Mickelson played in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he became irate before the July tournament when the Detroit News resurrected a 2007 story about a racketeering trial in which a mob-connected bookie testified that he failed to pay off $500,000 in bets won by Mickelson. The trial transcripts didn’t become available until 2018.
Mickelson threatened to not return to the tournament; then backpedaled and praised local fans and the city and donated $100,000 to Detroit Children’s Foundation; then said he’d return next year if 50,000 people signed petitions to pledge to commit a random act of kindness. (Are ransom demands a new wrinkle in public relations?)
Mostly, he blamed the media, saying the story hurt the tournament. He tweeted: “I lost $500k 20 years ago? I don’t give a (bleep) about that.”
25. The medals top the petals
Would you trade an Olympic gold medal for a major championship? Probably not. There are four men’s majors per year and only one Summer Olympics every four years.
Stefan Schauffele, a former world-class decathlete and the father of Xander Schauffele, who won the gold at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, explained the difference: “Nobody is going to play the anthem for you when you win the Masters.”
26. Sorry, the Westminster Dog Show was on the other channel
Chesson Hadley began the Palmetto Championship’s final round with a four-shot lead, struggled to a 75 and saw lefthander Garrick Higgo take the title instead.
Said Hadley, “I can only imagine what it looked like on TV because it looked freakin’ awful from my view.”
27. Next time, you should duck yourself
The year in Phil, Part 6:
A fan tweeted Mickelson a story about being a sign-board carrier 11 years earlier at a tournament when Mickelson almost hit him with a drive and he was sure Mickelson remembered chatting with him and giving him a conciliatory fist-bump, which the fan said was “very cool.”
Mickelson tweeted back: “Not to burst your bubble but I almost hit a lot of people.”