AT&T Byron Nelson

[Shankster]

 

I really like the course from the TV view. Can’t say I know much else about the tournament besides the namesake.

 

I have a felling Adam Schenk will be victorious this week. Good name too.

 

Bueller...Bueller?

[gchester33]

Course is long and tight. Gonna have to be good off the tee and with the long irons to survive.

Field is pretty weak which probably gives some leverage to Hideki, Leishman, or Brooks. But can't say I see Brooks taking this down. I like Hideki here if he can get his putter going, but you could say that about almost any course. So Hideki would be my main pick but I wouldn't be surprised if another up and comer took this down.

[fixyurdivot]

Why isn't Mr. Woods playing in these recent events?  Is he only going to participate in majors?

[palvord]

3 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Why isn't Mr. Woods playing in these recent events?  Is he only going to participate in majors?

Only preparing for and playing Majors would be such an amazing troll job of the PGA tour, who have been blasting out this "chase for 82" stuff since his win at Augusta. At this point in his career, what else does he need to do other than win Majors?

For this week, I predict that Patrick Reed wins this week. Again, no real thought goes into my predictions. I just snag a players name that I would love to see win that particular week.

I think that the golf media would have a frenzy over the fact that Reed won a tournament at Jordan Spieth's home course. 

[Kenny B]

24 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Why isn't Mr. Woods playing in these recent events?  Is he only going to participate in majors?

Well, he plays in 15 events.

4 Majors

4 WGC

3 FedEX playoffs

Arnold Palmer

Memorial

Farmers

Genesis

HERO

Not much reason to play in any others.

[gchester33]

21 hours ago, gchester33 said:

Course is long and tight. Gonna have to be good off the tee and with the long irons to survive.

Field is pretty weak which probably gives some leverage to Hideki, Leishman, or Brooks. But can't say I see Brooks taking this down. I like Hideki here if he can get his putter going, but you could say that about almost any course. So Hideki would be my main pick but I wouldn't be surprised if another up and comer took this down.

Take back what I said about the course being tight, must have been thinking about somewhere else. This course plays like a links course. Still like Hideki. Gonna pick Trey Mullinax as the Web flyer of the week.

[fixyurdivot]

Well, the odds are Romo won't make the cut, but he's playing pretty respectable.  As it stands now, Luke Donald would be buying his beer.  My prediction: Jordan Spieth (it has to happen at some point, right?)

https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html?cid=USAT_top5LB

[GB13]

8 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Well, the odds are Romo won't make the cut, but he's playing pretty respectable.  As it stands now, Luke Donald would be buying his beer.  My prediction: Jordan Spieth (it has to happen at some point, right?)

https://datagolf.ca/live-predictive-model

The odds aren't in Jordan's favor. If I were betting, I'd put money on Keopka  

 

[Shankster]

Yeah. Brooks Cupcake should do well. He’s mad at Chamblee right now, so he’s out to prove something. I’d keep an eye on him next week too.

[GB13]

1 minute ago, Shankster said:

Yeah. Brooks Cupcake should do well. He’s mad at Chamblee right now, so he’s out to prove something. I’d keep an eye on him next week too.

Cupcake is a major savant. I'd be shocked if he doesn't at the least get a top 5 next week. 

[fixyurdivot]

15 minutes ago, Shankster said:

He’s mad at Chamblee right now

LOL.  Chamblee comments are akin to throwing gas on a fire to some players... look what it did for Tiger.

[Shankster]

What do you guys think of Romo playing in the event?

[hckymeyer]

38 minutes ago, Shankster said:

What do you guys think of Romo playing in the event?

His track record isn't so hot on making a cut, but he brings entertainment value.  I'd rather watch him than Spieth.

From a sponsors perspective it's brilliant though.  Relatively weak field with lots of guys you don't see week to week or even recognize.  Bringing in an 'A' list athlete from a different sport that can at least play gives people someone else they recognize.  It's a win win....if he does well we rout for him, if he does poorly we relate to him.

[Kenny B]

41 minutes ago, Shankster said:

What do you guys think of Romo playing in the event?

He hit some good shots, but looked like an am out there.  Too bad he's going to miss another cut.  If he could just make a cut, the weekend crowds would be bigger.  Not a lot of stars playing this week.

[Shankster]

His track record isn't so hot on making a cut, but he brings entertainment value.  I'd rather watch him than Spieth.
From a sponsors perspective it's brilliant though.  Relatively weak field with lots of guys you don't see week to week or even recognize.  Bringing in an 'A' list athlete from a different sport that can at least play gives people someone else they recognize.  It's a win win....if he does well we rout for him, if he does poorly we relate to him.

I guess him being a member helps too. I’m always pulling for an Am to win on tour. Even if it happens to be a professional athlete in another sport. His game overall seems pretty decent.

He should team up with Steph Curry for next years Zurich Classic.

[Shankster]

Wait a second. The golf channel says BK never saw the front 9 on this course? And he’s not far off the lead... dude is amazing.

[FrogginBullfish]

And in true Koepka fashion said it's not a big deal.

Wait a second. The golf channel says BK never saw the front 9 on this course? And he’s not far off the lead... dude is amazing.

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[FrogginBullfish]

It's a sponsor's exemption so no issue personally. He's a decent player and could bring some more people out to the event, even if just for the first two days.

I do understand how it can be a touchy issue for players struggling to make it on tour but the sponsors do have a responsibility to ensure the events they run are sustainable in the long run. If that means inviting someone like Romo or Steph Curry, so be it.

What do you guys think of Romo playing in the event?

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[Kenny B]

What do you guys think of Romo playing in the event?

Shouldn’t Romo be playing as a pro? He’s advertised for Skechers.


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[GB13]

Just now, Kenny B said:

Shouldn’t Romo be playing as a pro? He’s advertised for Skechers.


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Good point, but I think the argument can be made that they are using the image he created as a football player, not a golfer to sell their product. I'm not sure on the technicalities of the rule, but that would be my guess. 

[GolfSpy MPR]

13 hours ago, Shankster said:

What do you guys think of Romo playing in the event?

Yeah, like others have said here, I have no issue with him playing at all. This is a rough week for AT&T: the combination of the schedule (all east coast events, then Dallas, then back to NY?) with a course that is very different from usual (Tour guys don't like different, plus it doesn't help with Bethpage prep) has resulted in a field without much star power. Just look at how little discussion this thread has generated thus far.

I like watching Tour golf. For me to watch, they need to make money. To make money, they need interest. Putting a guy like Romo in the field draws eyeballs (and a boatload of ill-advised bets). So far, Romo has shown that he's going to end up near the bottom of the leaderboard, but he normally beats a handful of pros. He's no more a "distraction" than a marker playing the weekend.

[Kenny B]

42 minutes ago, GB13 said:

Good point, but I think the argument can be made that they are using the image he created as a football player, not a golfer to sell their product. I'm not sure on the technicalities of the rule, but that would be my guess. 

I don't know either, but clearly he did not do this commercial as a football player.  He's using his image brand to sell golf shoes while on the course, AND he's playing in a pro tournament as an amateur.  Lucy Li got off, but she was advertising an Apple Watch which is not golf-related and she didn't get paid.  I'm pretty sure Romo got paid to do a golf product commercial.

Seems like the waters between amateur and pro just got a whole lot muddier.

SKECHERS

Published on Jan 24, 2019

 

Football legend and broadcaster Tony Romo has been spending a lot of time on the course since retiring from the gridiron. He understands that there are two elements essential to improving his game. The first is staying comfortable—something Tony knows is easy to achieve with Skechers GO GOLF footwear designed to perform with legendary comfort through 18 holes. The second is relaxation, and you’ll have to watch to see how Tony’s unorthodox strategy plays out on that front. In the meantime, tee up in comfort for your game…with Skechers GO GOLF.. To learn more about Skechers GO GOLF Elite 2™ and the entire Skechers GO GOLF collection, visit: https://www.skechers.com/performance

 

 

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Yeah, like others have said here, I have no issue with him playing at all. This is a rough week for AT&T: the combination of the schedule (all east coast events, then Dallas, then back to NY?) with a course that is very different from usual (Tour guys don't like different, plus it doesn't help with Bethpage prep) has resulted in a field without much star power. Just look at how little discussion this thread has generated thus far.

I like watching Tour golf. For me to watch, they need to make money. To make money, they need interest. Putting a guy like Romo in the field draws eyeballs (and a boatload of ill-advised bets). So far, Romo has shown that he's going to end up near the bottom of the leaderboard, but he normally beats a handful of pros. He's no more a "distraction" than a marker playing the weekend.

We have this discussion every time a celebrity gets a sponsor's exemption into a PGA Tour event.  I have mixed feelings on this.  

On the one hand, I have to look at it from the touring pro's perspective.  Not all PGA Tour pros can get into every event.  Many that came off the web.com only have conditional status, meaning they can only get into opposite field events and events when other pros with higher status aren't playing.  The Byron Nelson would now be one of those events since many top pros are taking this week off before the PGA.  Romo is taking the spot of an aspiring pro with probably not a lot of money.  Who would that be??  Who knows.  But it could be a life changing event for that pro.  Some would say that pro doesn't bring in additional revenue like a Romo would, and the pro really doesn't have a chance anyway.  Not so any more!  Case in point... Cory Conners who Monday qualified for the Valero Texas Open and won!!

On the other hand, the Byron Nelson has a lack of star power and with the rescheduling of the Players and PGA, it looks like this tournament will be declining in the future.  Sad.  Getting a local celebrity that can play pretty well has a chance to boost ticket sales, but how much does it really.  Romo has shown that he is not good enough to compete with Tour pros, so his attendance will only be on Thursday and Friday.  If he could make the cut, then the tournament would see quite a boost, but he just isn't that good.  Sorry.

My question is:  Does Romo feel any regrets about taking a tour pro's spot when that pro is trying to earn a living for his family, and he's just doing it for fun??

[GolfSpy MPR]

3 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

We have this discussion every time a celebrity gets a sponsor's exemption into a PGA Tour event.  I have mixed feelings on this.  

On the one hand, I have to look at it from the touring pro's perspective.  Not all PGA Tour pros can get into every event.  Many that came off the web.com only have conditional status, meaning they can only get into opposite field events and events when other pros with higher status aren't playing.  The Byron Nelson would now be one of those events since many top pros are taking this week off before the PGA.  Romo is taking the spot of an aspiring pro with probably not a lot of money.  Who would that be??  Who knows.  But it could be a life changing event for that pro.  Some would say that pro doesn't bring in additional revenue like a Romo would, and the pro really doesn't have a chance anyway.  Not so any more!  Case in point... Cory Conners who Monday qualified for the Valero Texas Open and won!!

On the other hand, the Byron Nelson has a lack of star power and with the rescheduling of the Players and PGA, it looks like this tournament will be declining in the future.  Sad.  Getting a local celebrity that can play pretty well has a chance to boost ticket sales, but how much does it really.  Romo has shown that he is not good enough to compete with Tour pros, so his attendance will only be on Thursday and Friday.  If he could make the cut, then the tournament would see quite a boost, but he just isn't that good.  Sorry.

My question is:  Does Romo feel any regrets about taking a tour pro's spot when that pro is trying to earn a living for his family, and he's just doing it for fun??

Points well taken, but I'll offer this pushback: sponsor's exemptions often go to amateurs. Most of these are up-and-coming college players who are getting their first taste of Tour play. By your argument here, should any amateur take the spot of a pro trying to earn a living?

I suppose my broader argument is that the Tour has a very elaborate system in place to earn a spot in a field. To use theological language (and I suspect @revkev will especially appreciate this distinction), sponsor's exemption's are grace, not law. No one earns as sponsor's exemption, and therefore no one has a legitimate complaint if he is not gifted a spot in the field that he didn't earn.

[romeopapazulu]

21 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Points well taken, but I'll offer this pushback: sponsor's exemptions often go to amateurs. Most of these are up-and-coming college players who are getting their first taste of Tour play. By your argument here, should any amateur take the spot of a pro trying to earn a living?

I suppose my broader argument is that the Tour has a very elaborate system in place to earn a spot in a field. To use theological language (and I suspect @revkev will especially appreciate this distinction), sponsor's exemption's are grace, not law. No one earns as sponsor's exemption, and therefore no one has a legitimate complaint if he is not gifted a spot in the field that he didn't earn.

Well played...

[Shankster]

I’ll take an exemption. They can even make fun of my swing, and all that for the good of the game.

Where do I sign up?

[Kenny B]

26 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Points well taken, but I'll offer this pushback: sponsor's exemptions often go to amateurs. Most of these are up-and-coming college players who are getting their first taste of Tour play. By your argument here, should any amateur take the spot of a pro trying to earn a living?

I suppose my broader argument is that the Tour has a very elaborate system in place to earn a spot in a field. To use theological language (and I suspect @revkev will especially appreciate this distinction), sponsor's exemption's are grace, not law. No one earns as sponsor's exemption, and therefore no one has a legitimate complaint if he is not gifted a spot in the field that he didn't earn.

Yes, no one earns a sponsor's exemption, but the pro put in his time and earned a spot on the PGA Tour.  For many of them, those spots are very limited.

I understand the sponsor's exemption process, and I don't have a problem with them.  It is, after all, how Jordan Spieth got on the tour without going to Q-school and the web.com.  He got an exemption to play in the Byron Nelson while in High School, made the cut, and that was his highest finish in this tournament in 8 years.  Right now I'm not betting that he improves on that best finish.

Exemption for elite college players is a different animal than the exemption for Romo.  The college players are top players that have won college matches and amateur events, and getting exposure can jump start their careers and introduce them to the Tour.  They have a legitimate chance of making the cut.  Romo is purely an exemption that is an attempt to draw people to the event.  He has skill, but not at the level of elite amateurs or entry-level pros.  He brings no golfing creds to the tournament.  If he entered amateur events and won, then it would be different.  

[GolfSpy MPR]

1 hour ago, Kenny B said:

Yes, no one earns a sponsor's exemption, but the pro put in his time and earned a spot on the PGA Tour.  For many of them, those spots are very limited.

I understand the sponsor's exemption process, and I don't have a problem with them.  It is, after all, how Jordan Spieth got on the tour without going to Q-school and the web.com.  He got an exemption to play in the Byron Nelson while in High School, made the cut, and that was his highest finish in this tournament in 8 years.  Right now I'm not betting that he improves on that best finish.

Exemption for elite college players is a different animal than the exemption for Romo.  The college players are top players that have won college matches and amateur events, and getting exposure can jump start their careers and introduce them to the Tour.  They have a legitimate chance of making the cut.  Romo is purely an exemption that is an attempt to draw people to the event.  He has skill, but not at the level of elite amateurs or entry-level pros.  He brings no golfing creds to the tournament.  If he entered amateur events and won, then it would be different.  

Here's where I think we definitely agree: the proper term for including Romo (or Curry, etc.) in the field is gimmick. In the main, I'm opposed to gimmickry, and the more important something is, the more I loathe gimmicks.

The challenge in all this is that the Tour has to be two things at once: the most exalted field of play for a serious sport, and a massively lucrative entertainment product. The existence of the latter goal makes the existence of some gimmicks almost inevitable.

[CarlH]

For me, it begs the question “why is he playing and why should I give a rat's patootey? "

What do you guys think of Romo playing in the event?

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[Kenny B]

21 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Here's where I think we definitely agree: the proper term for including Romo (or Curry, etc.) in the field is gimmick. In the main, I'm opposed to gimmickry, and the more important something is, the more I loathe gimmicks.

The challenge in all this is that the Tour has to be two things at once: the most exalted field of play for a serious sport, and a massively lucrative entertainment product. The existence of the latter goal makes the existence of some gimmicks almost inevitable.

Totally agree!  It's unfortunate though that golf has to resort to being an entertainment product, rather than a product based on strictly performance.  

Since tennis has been used as an example of a sport with similarities to golf, do you think Romo would get a sponsor's exemption into a pro tennis tournament is he had taken up tennis instead of golf? No.  You get in by performing.  

I do feel sorry for the Byron Nelson.  They have to do something to attract attention to their tournament because so many big name players skipped it.  Maybe they should do something different in the future.  I wonder if using the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am format would be worth considering.  Get some very good celebs (not some of the hacks or CEOs that play the AT&T), then Tony Romo and other celebrity tournament players would draw people in.