For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as Justin Rose closed the deal at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

1. Rose blooms again

Our Ron Montesano…”The world forgets how good Justin Rose was a decade ago. He won a US Open and an Olympic gold medal, and narrowly lost out on a green Augusta jacket. His last win came in 2019, just before the pandemic touched down on planet Earth. Rose has been saddled with equipment rumors, suggesting that his talent was compromised beyond his control. Whatever.”

• “This week, Rose was the King of Carmel. He toured the Monterey peninsula like a chieftain. The Englishman was the only golfer to post four rounds in the 60s, including an ace on Friday at Spyglass Hill’s 15th hole. Rose saved his best for the weekend-plus. On Saturday-Sunday, Rose signed for a third-round 65 at Monterey Peninsula, and followed that up with a Sunday-Monday 66 at Pebble Beach.”

• “A resurgent Brendon Todd gave Rose some chase, but his final-days 65 was just one better than Rose’s tally. Todd finished in a second-place tie with Brandon Wu, who posted a 66 of his own in the final round. Will this victory give Rose the propulsion needed to once again contend in major championships on the final nine holes? We think that he has one or two more runs in him.”

2. R.I.P Swilcan patio

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”It didn’t take long for St. Andrews Links Trust to reverse course. The stonework that was recently added to the famed Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course will be removed in the coming days. The pivot comes after golf fans took to social media with an avalanche of criticism.”

• “St. Andrews officials said the move to add the stone “patios” at both ends of the bridge was done to mitigate the wear and tear of the turf from tens of thousands of visitors each year.”

• “The stonework at the approach and exit of the bridge was identified as one possible long-term solution,” the statement read. “However while this installation would have provided some protection, in this instance we believe we are unable to create a look which is in keeping with its iconic setting and have taken the decision to remove it.

• “We have also taken on feedback from many partners and stakeholders as well as the golfing public and we would like to thank everyone who has been in touch for their contribution to the issue.”

3. ANGC adjustments

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…“Following years of speculation, it was confirmed last September that the 13th hole at Augusta National had finally been lengthened, with an aerial image from Eureka Earth showing that the tee set had been moved back significantly following work that began last July.”

• “Now there is confirmation that the famous dogleg left Azalea, which has regularly been cited in the driving distance debate, will stretch to 545 yards for the 2023 Masters, up from 510. That news will be welcomed by many as the shorter length had allowed the game’s biggest hitters to gain a significant advantage by driving over the trees and cutting the corner.”

4. Full Swing ahead

Cameron Morfit for PGATour.com…“Full Swing,” the Netflix documentary that chronicles the 2022 PGA TOUR season and is set to be released Feb. 15, is a surprisingly emotional watch. Surprising because if you’re a golf fan, you know most of what’s going to happen, and yet it still hits home with vignettes of fathers and sons, battles won and lost, and sacrifices by friends and family.”

• “The emotionality is a credit to the creatives as the series makes great use of home movies, multiple edits, and a strong soundtrack. Episode 1 especially tugs at the heartstrings.”

• “All it takes is one week and your life changes,” Justin Thomas says in the series trailer.

• “What the cameras capture off the course ranges from the relatable – Thomas going to CVS seeking relief from his allergies – to the intimate. You see players with their families and pets (redefining the term “WAG”). Viewers ride on private jets, peek inside million-dollar homes and revel in the rowdiness of the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open.”

5. Last-minute switch

E. Michael Johnson for Golf Digest…”Justin Rose won the weather-delayed AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by playing incredibly solid golf over his final two rounds, fueled, in part, by a set of Cobra irons that he did not even try before Tuesday.”

• “According to Ben Schomin, PGA Tour rep for Cobra, Rose approached him on the range Tuesday and casually mentioned he had heard good things about the company’s new irons and wouldn’t mind trying them.”

• “I’ve known Justin for a number of years,” Schomin said. “People forget he used to play our clubs when he was a teenager, so it was a little full circle. We built him a combo set and dropped them off late Wednesday morning. About 15 to 20 minutes later his coach tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I could see Justin. He really liked the clubs but needed an adjustment on the grips. He also wanted to try a new shaft.”

• “As great as it is to get a player like Rose to play your irons, the clock was ticking. PGA Tour regulations require the tour vans to leave the premises by mid-afternoon on Wednesday. Schomin worked quickly to put together the combo set of the King Tour model for the 4-iron, King CB for the 5- and 6-irons and King MB for the 7-iron through pitching wedge with Project X 6.5 shafts.”

6. The flip side

ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Of course, there were bound to be unintended consequences with the new designated event structure. Or perhaps consequences that were known, and would need to be addressed going forward.”

• “Pebble Beach took a big hit last week, and at least some of that can be attributed to the new system.”

• “While it’s true that Pebble at times has suffered due to many factors, among them the possibility for poor weather (such as this year), playing three courses and the pro-am format, the event was even more bereft of star players.”

• “…Just one player in the top 10, Matt Fitzpatrick, was in the field, along with just seven of the top 50 and only 21 of the top 100. There were 81 players ranked outside of the top 300.”

• “For years, there has been a lament that Pebble Beach, an iconic event that dates to the Tour’s beginnings, can’t draw better. Circumstances play a big role, with so many good tournaments making up the West Coast Swing and another busy stretch to come.”

• “Throw in the designated events and it gets worse.”

7. Tour alleges LIV suitors have failed to furnish core responsive documents

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”Attorneys representing the PGA Tour in its lawsuit against LIV Golf are seeking a new, later trial date along with an extension to the document discovery process.”

• “The tour’s request, filed Sunday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, cites the additions of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and its governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan as defendants in the tour’s tortious interference counterclaim—and the tour’s accusations that PIF and Al-Rumayyan have gone to “extraordinary steps to avoid producing a single document or providing sworn testimony”—as the reasons for asking for an extension.’

• “The tour cannot—and should not be forced to—defend against the antitrust claims without receiving any discovery from the people who created LIV in the first place, and who continue to exercise control over every facet of LIV’s business operations,” the request reads. “By ignoring the reality that discovery from LIV’s owners and decision-makers is essential to resolving the antitrust claims, Plaintiffs confirm the unworkability of the current schedule.”

8. Winning WITB: Justin Rose

Driver: Callaway Paradym (8.5 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (15 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade M6 (18 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: Cobra King Forged Tour (4); Cobra King CB (5-6); Cobra King MB (7-PW)

Shafts: Project X 6.5

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (52-12F, 56-08M), TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe (60-07)

Shafts: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X

Putter: Axis1 Rose

Grip: Lamkin PistolClaw

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot

Grips: Lamkin UTX