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Morning 9: Masters ratings | More talk of TW’s win | Woods hailed by peers | Golden Bell speaks

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6 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt (ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com)

April 16, 2019

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.
1. Masters ratings
Paulsen at Sports Media Watch reports…”Sunday’s final round of the Masters, which was moved up several hours to avoid inclement weather, earned an 7.7 overnight rating on CBS – down 11% from last year (8.7), but up a tick from 2017 (7.6). CBS began coverage at 9 AM ET, compared to a 2 PM start in previous years.”
  • “The 7.7 is the highest on record for a morning golf telecast (dating back to 1986).”
  • “Woods’ dramatic victory – his first t the Masters since 2005, his first at any major since 2008, and only his second at any tournament since 2013 – peaked at a 12.1 from 2:15-2:30 PM ET. That is the highest peak rating for the event since 2013 (13.4 from 7-7:30 PM).”
2. “Unequivocally, and utterly done”
Among the golf writers eating crow (myself included) for on-the-record suggestions that TW was finished, Shane Ryan may be at the forefront in attracting venom in the wake of Tiger Woods’ Masters win.
  • He writes…”What people did read was another story I dashed off in about an hour one afternoon in the media center. It was called “Tiger Woods is totally, completely, unequivocally, and utterly done,” and it was designed to provoke. In my memory, I was frustrated about the attention he still captured at a time when his career was stalled out, and I’m sure there was a good deal of bias on my part since I had just written a book about the game’s young stars. That said, reading the story again, it’s written with such obvious hyperbole that I couldn’t have been too mad-mostly, it seems like a lark, something funny and quick and a little outrageous. If it wasn’t spiritually nourishing, I’m sure it was fun to write; quick and easy and sweet, like a box of candy devoured in seconds that only makes you nauseous later.”
  • “Now, that said … I was wrong about Tiger Woods. Wrong then, wrong now, wrong forevermore. Gigantically, calamitously wrong. Tiger Woods owns me, I’ve been humbled, and my humiliation will be plastered on the Internet until that blessed day when I steal the Internet keys from my editor and delete it from the face of the earth. Laugh at me, point at me, and have your fun-I will sit here and take it, and I will be mostly okay with that.”
3. Green jacket…and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Our Gianni Magliocco…”On Monday, following Tiger Woods’ victory at the 2019 Masters, President Donald Trump announced that the 15-time major champion would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
  • “Along with the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, and Woods will become the fourth golfer in history to receive the medal.”
  • “President George W. Bush awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to both Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, while President Barack Obama bestowed the award upon Charlie Sifford in 2014.”
  • “President John. F. Kennedy established the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, and it is an award which on average is handed out just 11 times per year.”
4. Bigger than ’97?
Christine Brennan is among the first columnists to discuss the relative significance of Woods 2019 vs 2017 Masters victories.
  • “It’s one thing for a 21-year-old prodigy to burst onto the scene with a 12-stroke victory at a course that was made for him. As spectacular as that was, that’s usually the way sports work.”
  • “It’s another thing entirely for a 43-year-old who has endured personal scandal and four surgeries on his back, including spinal fusion two years ago, to end a nearly 11-year major championship drought by taking on and beating all challengers on the course he first conquered 22 years ago.”
5. Hailed by his peers
Brilliant stuff from Alan Shipnuck, who spoke to Woods peers in the Augusta clubhouse as they watched and waited to see if he’d capture major No. 15.
  • “In the 11 years since his previous major championship victory, on a broken leg at Torrey Pines, Woods had been to hell and back: tabloid infamy, divorce, swing changes, chip-yips, Hail Mary back surgeries, a DUI, rehab, leaked nude photos. By December 2017 he had cratered at 1,199th in the World Ranking. The long road back began with casual games around South Florida with fellow pros Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas. On Sunday afternoon Fowler leaned against the shoe-shine counter and recounted those days: “His back was against the wall, potentially not being able to compete again. It was cool to see him fall in love with the game again. He’s Tiger again but he’s a different Tiger.”
  • “He’s freed-up so much. His guard is down, he’s a lot more open, friendly. Before, in his prime, it was very much tunnel-vision. He went out and did his job and took care of business. He’s a lot more engaging now. Freer.”
6. Better Tiger from tee and fairway
Matthew Rudy rounds up opinions on Woods‘ (perhaps surprisingly) improved technique since his spinal fusion surgery.
  • “Woods was noticeably looser through both his pre-shot routine and swing-a result of both some mechanical adjustments and the hours-long pre-round routine he goes through to increase flexibility in his fused back.”
  • “What jumps out at you is how much more upright his swing is now,” says Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher Bernie Najar, who is based at Caves Valley Golf Club outside Baltimore. “And he’s back to where you can watch his practice swing and see the kind of shot he’s going to play. It’s loose, continuous and free-flowing, not mechanical or positional. It reminds me of what he looked like when he played his best golf.”
  • “When his swing plane was flatter and his backswing shorter, Woods had more trouble squaring the club face with the driver-and he had to dramatically torque his body down by the ball to try to get the club in better position. His misses tended to be huge-so much so that he often shied away from hitting driver.”
7. Bigger impact?
Digest’s E. Michael Johnson talked to industry folk about the potential economic impact of Tiger Woods’ Masters win…
  • “It’s a Hollywood script written by Madison Avenue, and everybody loves a comeback story, said marketing and media expert Joe Favorito, an instructor in strategic communications at Columbia University’s sports management program.”
  • “There are very few athletes who’ve been knocked down the way Tiger Woods has, and he still keeps coming back,” he said. “I’m pretty sure Michael B. Jordan is already signing up for the movie.”
  • “Favorito was joking, of course. For the moment. Still, cast against the backdrop of the 22 years that followed his world-altering first green jacket, Woods’ win Sunday has the potential for an even broader impact.”
  • “You think of all the things Tiger helped germinate that can now really take hold,” he said, referencing the establishment of The First Tee, the momentous rise in golf participation, the huge boost in golf television contracts and PGA Tour purses that all grew from Woods’ debut as a professional golfer. Favorito sees it happening again with Sunday’s performance. “If you wanted a perfect comeback story, you got one that’s now playing on every device possible. You have everybody walking around getting those three-minute highlights from IBM of everything that Tiger did today. I think that’s going to be great for everybody involved with the game inside and out and especially for Tiger, too.”
8. Tiger & time
What introduction can I make for Joe Posnanski’s speaking-as-Golden-Bell account of what transpired at Augusta National, Sunday? And how can I select a fitting excerpt?
  • Here’s a portion…“Then Tiger Woods stepped to the tee.”
  • “I looked at him closely. Was this really Tiger Woods, the bold and impertinent kid who believed that nothing was beyond his powers? I could not tell. I began to say my silent prayer for him … but then I stopped because I noticed something. He was not that Tiger Woods. He moved more gingerly. His face was wider. His weather-worn face suggested that he had seen things.”
  • “And as he began his swing, I caught something in Woods’ glance, something unusual, something I had not seen in, well, in a long time…Deference….He aimed his shot away from the flag.”
  • “He hit it to that space between my front and back bunker. The ball landed and settled 40 feet from the hole, but dry and safe. It was the shot that young golfers feel too proud and too strong to hit. It was Jack Nicklaus’ shot. And now, it was Tiger Woods’ shot.”
9. Club comparison
Mike O’Malley at Golf Digest put together the handy chart below comparing the clubs Tiger Woods hit into Augusta National’s greens in 1997 vs. 2019. Plenty to consider here: some longer holes, different technology, more/less clubhead speed…interesting conclusions abound, however, but none may be more interesting than this: how long Woods was with a shorter ball and inferior technology

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Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Jeff from OR

    Apr 16, 2019 at 5:57 pm

    Its annoying to me that Shane Ryan has made himself the story. The guy didnt just write one bad take, he launched his career bagging on Tiger. On this site, really anyone reading golf news from 2012-2015 could not have missed his poison, at times very personal, at times just petty. now that hes been proven cartoonishly wrong as many told him all along, instead of just going away hes thrown himself into the middle of it. It was not one take, he built a lucrative career as a reliable Tiger hater, and now hes denying it to save his career. Just ignore him.

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

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4 weeks ago

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Jul 29, 2025

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GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

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See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

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4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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