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Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we are still flying high from the New York Knicks winning the NBA title. I never thought anything would top Tiger Woods winning the 2019 Masters or my New York Giants beating the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, but for the first time in my life, the Knicks are world champions. AT LONG LAST!!! OK, I promise to talk some golf now. Let’s get to it.
WE’RE BUYING
Bud Cauley: Speaking of at long last, what a special Sunday it was for this 36-year-old who finally won his first PGA Tour title in his 239th career start. And it must have felt like even more than that considering all the time he had to miss after being involved in a horrific car accident eight years ago that left him with six broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a broken leg. But Bud battled back to win the RBC Canadian Open and the emotions flowed with his family coming out on the 18th green to greet him:
What a scene. Comebacks. Tears. Overcoming years of heartbreak. It sounds like … well, you know.
Wyndham Clark: First of all, the guy is suddenly on a heater with a win at the Byron Nelson, a third at the Memorial and a T-11 in Canada. But it’s the showmanship on display at TPC Toronto that really caught my attention. Clark bought a USA hockey jersey from a fan, wore it at “The Rink” hole with what happened in the Winter Olympics still fresh, and then did this:
Just an all-time troll job and a boss move to make that birdie while getting booed. Obviously, his Oakmont locker room incident was way, way too far, but pro golf needs some guys with an edge and Wyndy certainly has that. And he’ll get a lot more cheers in New York this week because of it.
Shinnecock Hills: There are just certain golf courses that scream “U.S. OPEN!” and this place is definitely one. When I think of fescue, I think Shinnecock. When I think of wind, I think Shinnecock. When I think of a tough test of golf, I think Shinnecock. It’s no wonder only three players have finished under par here in five previous U.S. Opens. And judging by the conditions on Monday, it would take an amazing performance to get to red numbers there this week:
Let the carnage begin!
WE’RE SELLING
Getting to Shinnecock Hills: Well, getting to anywhere in Long Island, really, but especially this course during this week with the world’s best golfers there for the U.S. Open. It’s only Tuesday, but the tails of woe regarding the shuttle buses are already threatening to top those from the 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah.
Woof. If there was ever a week where a player could be late to a tee time at a major, this is it. Well, not counting Garrick Higgo at the PGA Championship. Sorry, Garrick.
Brooks Koepka’s injury: What a weird and unfortunate injury for the five-time major champ, who had it going on the greens in Canada before his left hand started feeling numb ahead of the third round, ultimately leading to a WD. On the bright side, Koepka underwent tests on his neck to see if this was related to previously herniated vertebrae and those scans came back clean. But doctors think he may have a flare-up of the Ulnar Nerve or Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I'm definitely not a doctor, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he also has Camera Phoneitis after all the filming he’s been doing of wife Jena Sims lately:
She’s been putting him to work! All kidding aside, we wish Brooks a speedy recovery.
“Locks” in sports: The Spurs will probably be back in the NBA Finals and will probably win at least one title, but you just never know. No one would have ever thought Sergio Garcia would only win one major when he almost won one at 19. And just about everyone had Rickie Fowler penciled in for a few as well, especially after he finished top five in all four in 2014. I mention all this because when Bud Cauley turned pro and earned his PGA Tour pro through his seven sponsor exemptions, he became the first golfer to do that since Tiger and Phil and was a “can’t-miss” prospect.
Vaughn Ridley
The point is, there are no locks, you just never know and so you have to seize every opportunity you get. That being said, Xander Schauffele finishing top 20 at the U.S. Open might actually be a lock:
Just saying.
ON TAP
And with that, let’s move on to Shinnecock! What’s that I hear? Cue the music!
Wait, sorry. Wrong music. Let’s try that again:
There we go. It’s time for the U.S. Open and this week will be the most amount of Knicks gear you’ve ever seen at a golf tournament. There are plenty of great storylines led by Scottie Scheffler getting a first crack at completing the career Grand Slam and the USGA getting another crack at not ticking off the players at Shinnecock. Can’t wait!
Random tournament fact: For all the talk about how difficult the U.S. Open always is, the previous seven winners have finished under par for the week. And, surprisingly, that’s not even close to the record for consecutive winners under par in this tournament, which is 15 (!), from 1980 to 1994. The more you know.
RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK
—Someone will hit a moving golf ball at Shinnecock: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds
—Knicks fan Chris Gotterup will win at Shinnecock: 46-to-1 odds
—Chris Gotterup will still be in a great mood no matter what happens: LOCK
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Speaking of Gotterup, the guy raised in New Jersey, made a hole-in-one just before Game 4 of the NBA Finals that he believed was a sign of things to come:
And he was right! (*Mike Breen voice*) BANG!
VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Nelly Korda found out you’ve got to keep your head on a swivel when you go to NYC—even for a media tour:
Now she knows how the Spurs felt.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Nailed it.
THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION
Check out the amazing billboard Nelly got in NYC:
So cool. Of course, it doesn’t top this:
But what does?
THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS
Josh Hart barely waited 12 hours after winning the NBA title to turning his focus to his summer golf plans in the New York area:
Pretty sure, Hart, Jalen Brunson AKA the King of New York, Karl-Anthony Towns and any other member of the Knicks will never have to pay for a round of golf in this area again. They deserve honorary memberships at every club. But, Josh, let me know if you ever want to get out on a public course. I’ll probably need to drop your name to get a decent tee time, but let me know.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I literally just tell that guy, f— off, leave me alone. I'm sorry about my language, but, that's what it is, yeah." —Haotong Li on how he deals with his alter ego when bad thoughts enter his mind during a round. Unfortunately, that alter ego didn’t listen as Li fell from T-2 to T-60 over the weekend in Canada, but we like his approach to the mental game.
THIS AND THAT
Congrats to Gina Kim and Yana Wilson on winning the Dow Championship for their first LPGA Tour titles. As we’ve seen with the Zurich Classic, these team events can often lead to individual success (Hi, Ben Griffin) soon after. … Congrats to Justin Ray and Hunter Stewart for being hired by Team USA as stats analysts. Looks like Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk really knows what he's doing. … Congrats to Pennsylvania golfer Ryan Winchester on making TWO holes-in-one in the same round. Even better? He didn't have to pay for the drinks because his club has hole-in-one insurance and they paid him out double. … Congrats to Adam Scott for playing in his 100th(!) consecutive major this week. The last time the Aussie missed a major, Patrick Ewing had just been traded by the Knicks. … And, finally, making the Knicks win even more special was watching it with my newest Knicks buddy, my daughter Julia. I’m pretty sure it started as her just wanting to stay up late, but she really wound up getting into it:
After, and keep in mind she’s 8, she said something that hit me like a ton of bricks. “Dad, I think they’ll win two more times in my lifetime and one more time in yours.” Like I said before, you gotta seize—and savor—these big moments when they come.
RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER
Will the USGA “lose the golf course” again this week?
Will the Knicks win an NBA title again in my lifetime?
How long will this championship glow last?
Continue reading...
WE’RE BUYING
Bud Cauley: Speaking of at long last, what a special Sunday it was for this 36-year-old who finally won his first PGA Tour title in his 239th career start. And it must have felt like even more than that considering all the time he had to miss after being involved in a horrific car accident eight years ago that left him with six broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a broken leg. But Bud battled back to win the RBC Canadian Open and the emotions flowed with his family coming out on the 18th green to greet him:
What a scene. Comebacks. Tears. Overcoming years of heartbreak. It sounds like … well, you know.
Wyndham Clark: First of all, the guy is suddenly on a heater with a win at the Byron Nelson, a third at the Memorial and a T-11 in Canada. But it’s the showmanship on display at TPC Toronto that really caught my attention. Clark bought a USA hockey jersey from a fan, wore it at “The Rink” hole with what happened in the Winter Olympics still fresh, and then did this:
Just an all-time troll job and a boss move to make that birdie while getting booed. Obviously, his Oakmont locker room incident was way, way too far, but pro golf needs some guys with an edge and Wyndy certainly has that. And he’ll get a lot more cheers in New York this week because of it.
Shinnecock Hills: There are just certain golf courses that scream “U.S. OPEN!” and this place is definitely one. When I think of fescue, I think Shinnecock. When I think of wind, I think Shinnecock. When I think of a tough test of golf, I think Shinnecock. It’s no wonder only three players have finished under par here in five previous U.S. Opens. And judging by the conditions on Monday, it would take an amazing performance to get to red numbers there this week:
Let the carnage begin!
WE’RE SELLING
Getting to Shinnecock Hills: Well, getting to anywhere in Long Island, really, but especially this course during this week with the world’s best golfers there for the U.S. Open. It’s only Tuesday, but the tails of woe regarding the shuttle buses are already threatening to top those from the 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah.
Woof. If there was ever a week where a player could be late to a tee time at a major, this is it. Well, not counting Garrick Higgo at the PGA Championship. Sorry, Garrick.
Brooks Koepka’s injury: What a weird and unfortunate injury for the five-time major champ, who had it going on the greens in Canada before his left hand started feeling numb ahead of the third round, ultimately leading to a WD. On the bright side, Koepka underwent tests on his neck to see if this was related to previously herniated vertebrae and those scans came back clean. But doctors think he may have a flare-up of the Ulnar Nerve or Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I'm definitely not a doctor, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he also has Camera Phoneitis after all the filming he’s been doing of wife Jena Sims lately:
You must be registered for see images attach
She’s been putting him to work! All kidding aside, we wish Brooks a speedy recovery.
“Locks” in sports: The Spurs will probably be back in the NBA Finals and will probably win at least one title, but you just never know. No one would have ever thought Sergio Garcia would only win one major when he almost won one at 19. And just about everyone had Rickie Fowler penciled in for a few as well, especially after he finished top five in all four in 2014. I mention all this because when Bud Cauley turned pro and earned his PGA Tour pro through his seven sponsor exemptions, he became the first golfer to do that since Tiger and Phil and was a “can’t-miss” prospect.
You must be registered for see images attach
Vaughn Ridley
The point is, there are no locks, you just never know and so you have to seize every opportunity you get. That being said, Xander Schauffele finishing top 20 at the U.S. Open might actually be a lock:
Just saying.
ON TAP
And with that, let’s move on to Shinnecock! What’s that I hear? Cue the music!
Wait, sorry. Wrong music. Let’s try that again:
There we go. It’s time for the U.S. Open and this week will be the most amount of Knicks gear you’ve ever seen at a golf tournament. There are plenty of great storylines led by Scottie Scheffler getting a first crack at completing the career Grand Slam and the USGA getting another crack at not ticking off the players at Shinnecock. Can’t wait!
Random tournament fact: For all the talk about how difficult the U.S. Open always is, the previous seven winners have finished under par for the week. And, surprisingly, that’s not even close to the record for consecutive winners under par in this tournament, which is 15 (!), from 1980 to 1994. The more you know.
RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK
—Someone will hit a moving golf ball at Shinnecock: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds
—Knicks fan Chris Gotterup will win at Shinnecock: 46-to-1 odds
—Chris Gotterup will still be in a great mood no matter what happens: LOCK
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Speaking of Gotterup, the guy raised in New Jersey, made a hole-in-one just before Game 4 of the NBA Finals that he believed was a sign of things to come:
You must be registered for see images attach
And he was right! (*Mike Breen voice*) BANG!
VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Nelly Korda found out you’ve got to keep your head on a swivel when you go to NYC—even for a media tour:
Now she knows how the Spurs felt.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Nailed it.
THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION
Check out the amazing billboard Nelly got in NYC:
So cool. Of course, it doesn’t top this:
But what does?
THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS
Josh Hart barely waited 12 hours after winning the NBA title to turning his focus to his summer golf plans in the New York area:
Pretty sure, Hart, Jalen Brunson AKA the King of New York, Karl-Anthony Towns and any other member of the Knicks will never have to pay for a round of golf in this area again. They deserve honorary memberships at every club. But, Josh, let me know if you ever want to get out on a public course. I’ll probably need to drop your name to get a decent tee time, but let me know.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I literally just tell that guy, f— off, leave me alone. I'm sorry about my language, but, that's what it is, yeah." —Haotong Li on how he deals with his alter ego when bad thoughts enter his mind during a round. Unfortunately, that alter ego didn’t listen as Li fell from T-2 to T-60 over the weekend in Canada, but we like his approach to the mental game.
THIS AND THAT
Congrats to Gina Kim and Yana Wilson on winning the Dow Championship for their first LPGA Tour titles. As we’ve seen with the Zurich Classic, these team events can often lead to individual success (Hi, Ben Griffin) soon after. … Congrats to Justin Ray and Hunter Stewart for being hired by Team USA as stats analysts. Looks like Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk really knows what he's doing. … Congrats to Pennsylvania golfer Ryan Winchester on making TWO holes-in-one in the same round. Even better? He didn't have to pay for the drinks because his club has hole-in-one insurance and they paid him out double. … Congrats to Adam Scott for playing in his 100th(!) consecutive major this week. The last time the Aussie missed a major, Patrick Ewing had just been traded by the Knicks. … And, finally, making the Knicks win even more special was watching it with my newest Knicks buddy, my daughter Julia. I’m pretty sure it started as her just wanting to stay up late, but she really wound up getting into it:
After, and keep in mind she’s 8, she said something that hit me like a ton of bricks. “Dad, I think they’ll win two more times in my lifetime and one more time in yours.” Like I said before, you gotta seize—and savor—these big moments when they come.
RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER
Will the USGA “lose the golf course” again this week?
Will the Knicks win an NBA title again in my lifetime?
How long will this championship glow last?
Continue reading...
