Well hello there… pour yourself three fingers of the good stuff and sit on down. We are speaking the Queen’s English this week. Tea and crumpets anyone? Dental will be optional. So back to back weeks for the traveling golfers. Centurion Club, Hertfordshire outside London will be the hosts this week as LIV golf makes another international stop.
I am a Majestick G Spot and the Majesticks are the hosts this week, but it has been a very difficult year for the old fellas. Youth has been served as Torque, the youngest team, are leading this year’s team competition.
Great turnout again and the fairways are packed! Great to see and the weather looks nice so it should be an enjoyable event.
Cam Smith is putting from just off the green and the announcers proclaim him the best putter on their tour and another says maybe in the world. He proceeds to slam a putt past the flag and almost off the green on the other side. Broadcaster’s jinx on steroids.
The Majesticks are already innovators as their golf bags are flashing scrolling advertisements this week. OKX crypto currency, Redvanly, an apparel company, and Close House, a Newcastle golf resort will have their ads scrolling every 45 seconds on their golf bags. This is interesting and reminds me of the scrolling ads on a Premier League match. If it limits commercials, then I am all for it. Once again, if you are watching the LIV golf app and getting no commercials it is just a wonderful golf experience. Please don’t change this.
This is the first time that LIV has returned to a location since this was the first event last year in the 8 event tour. Charl Schwartzel is the defending champion and the Stingers are the defending team champions.
This course was won at 7 or 8 under last year’s event and it was difficult. The weather is quite nice with the sun out, and it is very green so soft conditions should lead to slightly better scoring conditions.
Through 3 holes and we are looking at a replay of last year already. Schwartzel is tied for the lead and the Stingers are out to an early two shot lead at 4 under.
Interesting groupings- all the captains are playing together, and the remaining players of each team are playing together. In a team format I think there could be some very positive learnings between the good teams that share information about the course while playing together.
Talor Gooch is at 4 under and has a two shot lead. This man is playing some great golf, folks. Your season leader is again at the top of the leaderboard.
David Puig is at 2 under and has an eagle putt. This young Torque fella is getting better and better. I say again, watch out for him. He makes birdie and is one back of Gooch and Marc Leishman.
The course is quite pretty. There are some large trees, very green fairways, and the golden wispy rough makes for a very pleasant view.
3 Majesticks are at one under: Poulter, Stenson, and Laurie Canter. Their 3 under has them in a tie for 3rd just two behind the Range Goats and Ripper GC.
Marc Leishman has it going and is at 6 under and your leader by two shots over Talor Gooch.
Cam Smith makes birdie by putting from the fringe. He is 4 under with Thomas Pieters, just one shot back of your leaders Gooch and Leischman.
Cameron Tringale has joined Gooch and Leischman at 5 under. He won’t win any fashion shows but he can play. Cam Smith birdies 13 and he joins them at 5 under. It is scorable today.
The Range Goats are leading the team competition at 12 under. They have a 3 shot lead on the HyFlyers.
Cam Smith has a hot putter. He’s the new leader at 6 under. He chips in on 17 and he is out to 8 under now. His teammate Leischman is second at 7 under. Ripper has only a 3 shot lead in the team event.
My Majesticks are in 3rd place. Good on ya boys! Until tomorrow.
Well hello there… pour yourself three fingers of the good stuff and sit on down. It’s a moving day in London.
Sold out LIV Golf London. I think this new merger of the PGA/DP/LIV needs to think carefully about their offerings. LIV is becoming very popular after only 1 year. If the Saudis have a long term view, I think they have to like what they have seen.
Cam drives it into a bunker, hits into the trees but gets lucky and it spits it out into a bunker and makes a great bunker shot to just a few feet. He misses the putt and opens with a bogey.
Brooks Koepka, captain of the Smash GC, just eviscerated Matthew Wolff in the media. He said he quit, and you can’t rely on a guy like that and that he had basically given up on him. He said Wolff has a lot of talent but it is wasted. Truer words are seldom spoken. Talent is everywhere, but it is usually the mentally resilient that make it in golf. Wolff is the guy that took a mental health break and represents millennials and the younger generation today. Koepka has a much more Mamba mentality. Wolff replied, or his media team replied, “It’s not what a team member looks to hear from its leader, and I think we all know these comments should have been handled much differently.” I don’t think Koepka gives a shit to be honest. Golf is hard, it is hard for everybody. This is the first team turmoil that I can remember happening and it is good to see Brooks being a leader and not a coddler. There is enough coddling in the world. I’m curious to see if it works because I am willing to bet that a young professional athlete in today’s society hasn’t been told no since they were old enough to swing a stick. Toughen up buttercup or go get a regular job. You aren’t the first one to feel pressure playing golf.
Koepka couldn’t get the putter going yesterday, but today he is already 3 under with another lip out. He is only 5 back although this is important. Holes 1-6 are quite difficult but the other sets of 6 are easier so it is important to see which holes a golfer has played to see how good that score really is. In Brooks’ case I think he started on 6 so he probably still has the tough holes to play.
The Majesticks are drifted downward like Jack Dawson after an hour in the North Atlantic down in 8th.
The caddy talk is quite good. Thomas Pieters caddy just helped him decide to lay up out of the thick rough. I hesitate to say sell him or decide because the golfer has the ultimate decision. He articulated a very logical case and the golfer just turned his attention to the layup option. Good work from the looper, sorry I didn’t catch his name. Adam Morrow is what the google device says so I hope that is accurate. Well done. Unfortunately, Pieters hits a wedge about 20 feet short and will struggle to get up and down. He grabbed the putter and knocked the bag over and walked off and through the putter cover back toward the bag, obviously frustrated. The caddie might feel bad, but he shouldn’t. The decision was correct, but the result might not be ideal. That is golf. Caddies must have very thick skin, and I don’t see Matthew Wolff ever being a caddie. This is a classic difference in mental makeup.
Koepka just had an eagle putt lip out now but he will make another birdie to get to 4 under and a tie for third, an eight way tie for third.
Louis Oosthuizen has gotten to solo third at 5 under and is in close for another birdie. Louis is making a push with that pretty golf swing and pleasant demeanor.
Cam and Marc both make birdie on the par 5 9th to get it to 9 under par. They are your leaders and their team Ripper GC are leading with 18 under and a 2 shot lead over Stinger.
Bryson is now 7 under and 3 shots behind Cam Smith. Bryson is on the Par 5 15th as is Louis who is one shot ahead.
So let’s pause and look ahead briefly- The Open is in a couple weeks or the British Open to the Americans. Which player has the best shot at doing well? Brooks is playing well, but the Open has never been one that was really in play. Gooch is the obvious person as he controls the ball, and can flight it with a lot of variety. Bryson has been playing well and shorter courses allow him to hit a lot of irons and he has been playing well lately. Of course, there is the defending champion Cam Smith who also has arguably the best short game in the world right now. I think we could see a repeat to be honest.
Stinger has made up 15 shots on Ripper GC today. They are now 7 shots ahead and threatening to blow the competition away like they did last year when they won by a bundle. Louis, Charl Schwartzel, and Dean Burmeister are all 5 under or lower after playing great golf.
Bryson hit his second shot into the green inexplicably into the gorse bush front right of the green. He has a shot but there are stickers in there. Bryson took a practice swing about a foot away and his ball moved. He had to take a one shot penalty and he then had to replace the ball. After replacing the ball he was able to get out. Honest move but costly. He slammed his club down after leaving the gorse bush. Let’s see if the frustration boils over into the next shots.
Matthew Wolff is 3 under today and Brooks Koepka is 5 under so Coach Koepka is seeing results so far.
Bryson made bogey after visiting the gorse bush and then made another bogey. He needs to right the ship.
Stinger GC is 20 under par and Louis is in close for another birdie. 23 under is the record by the Range Goats in Australia. Let’s see if they can match.
Cam is at 11 under and in close for a birdie chance to go to 12 under. Louis is at 9 under and Leischman is one back at 8 under along with Thomas Pieters, he of the good caddy.
DJ has got it to 6 by being very consistent and grinding.
Cam has the lead and an eagle putt at 18 but he leaves it short but a tap in birdie. He is at 12 under and your leader. Louis, Leischman, and Thomas Pieters are all 3 shots back.
Stinger went backward as soon as I put them on record watch with Charl making a double bogey on his last hole of the day. They are 1 shot behind Ripper with 1 hole to play.
My Majesticks are lurking at 17 under just two shots behind third place. Come on lads!
We will see you tomorrow. Ripper and Cam are in front as the Aussies have invaded England.
Well hello there… pour yourself three fingers of the good stuff and sit on down. It’s Sunday Funday.
Can they catch Cam? That is the question. He is last in ball striking and he hooked his drive left on 1. However, it bounced back and his short game is so good that a 3 shot lead might be enough to get away with it.
Majesticks Tee Party- a lounge for fans of the team. Interesting branding idea.
True to form, Cam’s short game saved par on 1. Louis has made a birdie and the lead is down to 2. Cam then pulls a tee shot left and from the fringe putts in a birdie and the lead is back to 3. He is a short game wizard. Truly world class. He makes a 20 footer on 3 for a 4 shot lead. It’s a show folks. A putting show.
Louis has a 360 degree lipout and he drops 5 back. Leischman makes a birdie and is 4 back, but the drama right now is in the team event. Ripper has a 3 shot lead but Stinger is lurking at 24 under. On the 4th Cam drove it in the bunker left and then wasn’t able to get up and down. Leischman made birdie and it was a two shot swing and the lead was down to 3.
So as golf is prone to do, there is another element that the players must contend with and that is the weather. The wind is now blowing 15 mph and accuracy is at a premium.
Cam has made damn near 100 feet of putts through 8 holes. Fifteen footer after fifteen footer. Everyone else- Louis, Leischman, Pieters are burning lips but Cam’s just scooting up there and falling in the hole like they are giving up.
Cameron Tringale with black socks with white strips. Jerry Foltz, the announcer, says “Nice socks.” No, no they are not. They are a god damned eye sore.
My Majesticks are sitting in fifth, just 3 shots back of third. Come on lads!
Cam Smith makes another putt from 25 feet from the fringe. He is moving into classic Jordan Spieth mode. Every time he lines up a putt you are expecting it to go in. Cam is at 15 under, Leischman is at 12 under.
Ian Poulter is 5 under today and keeps the Majesticks in the team competition.
Patrick Reed is making a typical Sunday charge. He is at 11 under and solo third.
Ripper is at 31 under, 4 Aces and Singer are at 27 under, but the Majesticks are at 24 under and sitting 4th.
Cam missed at 20 footer on 12 and made bogey so the lead is down to 2. They both make birdie- Leischman by leaving an eagle putt three inches short and Cam by making another 15 footer but they all count the same. Ripper by 3 now in the team title, one shot separates 4 Aces, Stinger, and the Majesticks.
Just when I thought it was over- Leischman bogeyed 14 giving Cam a 3 shot lead again, but then Marc stripes a drive down the par 5 15th and Cam hits his drive into the woods.
Jed Morgan dunks one from the fairway for eagle for Ripper GC and then Louis makes a bunker shot for eagle to move to 12 under tied with Reed and Leischman. Holy drama in 45 seconds. Cam found his ball and he has an opening but will likely have to lay up. That could and perhaps should have been a lot worse. Leischman has 217 yards for his second shot. He hits it pin high but across the green. 4 Aces and Ripper are now tied at 31 under, Stinger is at 30 under. Could we see a team playoff? Perhaps…never happened…
Cam hits his third to 15 feet for birdie on the par 5. Patrick Reed is only 2 back but he almost hit his tee shot in the water on 16 and needs some magic. Leischman made a birdie to get to 13 after a nice lag putt from 50 feet. Cam misses it left and will stay at 15 under. Patrick Reed hits a knuckleball and couldn’t get it back to the fairway from near the water in the bushes, but has a chance to save par with a great approach shot. Unbelievable action all over the course right now.
This format is just fantastic for action- LIV has discovered something really good here. No PGA event can have this element of NFL red zone that LIV has. Exciting stuff.
Reed makes par and stays two back, 4 Aces are one back of Ripper and Stinger is one back of them at 30 under. 2 shots separate the top three teams in London.
Patrick Reed just hit it close on 17 for birdie. I was also just thinking about putting some money on him for the Open Championship. World class short game and probably better odds than you can get on Cam Smith.
Jed Morgan looks like he makes moonshine.
Louis has a birdie putt to putt Stinger in a tie for the team lead on 17. He didn’t even get it close- yuk. Dean Burmeister just bogeyed for Stinger and they dropped a shot to 30 under, now two back. Patrick Reed has a 4 footer to get within one of Cam and to tie the team lead. He makes it. Leishman makes a 4 footer to stay at 32 under and tied for the team lead. Cam just has to tap in for par and Ripper stays tied with the 4 Aces with two holes to play.
4 Aces take the lead with DJ making a birdie on 18. He will have to finish up with the tough number 1.
Jed “Captain” Morgan ran his chip well and will have to make a long putt to keep Ripper within 1. The good news is that Leishman and Cam get to play the 18th, but the bad news is that Patrick Reed is playing it first, but he hits it in the shit.
The Captain! Jed Morgan makes a huge lengthy par putt. Pat Perez knocks his eagle putt close and will have a tap in for birdie to take the 4 Aces 2 shots clear.
Cam has a nice birdie chance to get the lead to two on 17 and he makes it because of course. It is stunning how good he is with the putter.
I want to make a quick note- this is too much scoring for my liking. All of these par 5s are too easy. Toughen it up, but they want drama and drama they are getting so back to the action.
Cam hit it left on the tee on 18 again…DJ finishing up on 1 hit left but will have a putt on the fringe. Patrick Reed will have a 15 footer for birdie on 18 after his troubles off the tee. Cam is in the thick stuff but not the wispy stuff. Cam will have to lay up. Louis has a 6-7 footer to make par to keep Stinger in 3rd.
Patrick Reed with a birdie putt to get within one of Cam and to get the 4 Aces a two shot lead. He just misses it high. Cam lays up and is in the fairway. DJ over on 1 has a lengthy par putt after leaving his lag putt woefully short. Back and forth we go jumping from hole to hole. Louis for third in the team outright and he makes it! Louis takes 4th in the individual. Henrik Stenson for birdie to get to 9 under and get the Majesticks a 5th place finish in the team competition. He makes it, well done fellas.
Back to the battle at the top- Thomas Pieters playing in the final group hit his second and he caught a hook lie and hit it into the RVs behind the clubhouse on 18. Leischman hits it through the green in 2. DJ makes a 360 degree toilet bowl par putt to finish off the 4 Aces at 34 under. Cam is hitting his 3rd from the fairway. Cam hits it into the bunker from the fairway. Just when it seemed the drama was over.
Cam splashes out a great bunker shot giving him a great shot to make par. Leischman needs to make birdie to force a playoff in the team competition. Cam has wrapped up the individual. Marc cozies it up there to a foot so it looks like the first team playoff in LIV history. Leischman tied second with Patrick Reed individually. Pieters has a chance to make bogey, but misses and drops from 5th solo to a tie for 6th as DJ gets a solo top 5 with 10 under. Cam with 5 feet to tie the team and he misses it and makes bogey. 4 Aces win the team and now Cam has to make the comebacker to win the individual and he does. Wow! I didn’t see that one coming.
What a fun day! I will see you in two weeks at the Open Championship in Royal Liverpool at Hoylake in two weeks. It is my second favorite major of the year. It is going to be great!
Insightfully Yours,
G Spot Johnson