A Grip on Sports: The weekend gets an early start mainly because we are in the middle of golf’s major season
A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s a major golf weekend, which means Thursday this week starts today. Nothing wrong with that. The longer the weekend, the better we like it. Especially in the sporting sense.
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• Did you know if Jordan Spieth wins the PGA Championship this weekend, the Texan will have accomplished something only a handful of people ever have? No, we’re not talking about winning a major at Valhalla, the Kentucky course designed by major dominator Jack Nicklaus, though that’s true too. We’re covering something more important.
Win Sunday and Spieth has won all four majors in his career. Despite the 30-year-old having gone through (relatively) rough times since 2017.
You know who has won all four? Nicklaus, of course, a phrase that also applies to Tiger Woods. You don’t win 18 or 15 majors, respectively, without winning each at least once.
They are joined by Gary Player (nine majors), Ben Hogan (nine) and golf’s forgotten superstar, Gene Sarazen, lost to memory not just due to only winning seven overall, but also because he last won one in 1935. You know, a little before TikTik or Instaface or whatever. Heck, even before record books, maybe.
Just kidding. Winning the PGA, the Masters, the Open and the U.S. Open, no matter when or how, is special. It may not put you on the Mount Rushmore of the sport but without winning all four, how can any modern golfer hope to ascend to that height?
You can’t. That’s why Rory McIlroy, who won his last major at Valhalla in 2014, feels so much pressure at Augusta. He’s still looking for his first Masters.
Something similar can be said about Spieth at this weekend’s PGA.
A few funny things about the PGA. It doesn’t have any connection to the PGA Tour (other than being a Tour event), which is why the LIV guys are in the field. It is the least of the majors but it also is the one that kept Tom Watson (eight majors) and Arnold Palmer (seven), two of the greatest to ever line up a putt, from ever winning the career Grand Slam.
In Palmer’s case, his PGA experience included three second-place finishes, including twice after collecting the other three titles.
Watson? He had fewer close calls. He only finished second once, in 1978, when he lost a sudden death playoff at Oakmont to winner John Mahaffey and Jerry Pate. Ya, not among golf’s greatest. Watson led for three rounds, shot a two-over 73 on Sunday and never finished higher than fifth in the PGA again.
The golf gods are sons of guns, aren’t they?
Which brings us back to Spieth. He had a chance to win this tournament in 2015 at Whistling Straits, during a stretch when he won his three majors in two years. Since winning the Open, his best chance to fill in his dance card came at Bethpage in 2019. He finished tied for third as Brooks Koepka won the second of his five majors.
He gets another chance this week.
• Our Mt. Rushmore? Nicklaus and Woods, of course. One has more PGA Tour wins than anyone (Woods). The other is the greatest golfer ever. After that, it gets dicey.
We talked about the career Grand Slam being the end all, and Palmer failed in that regard. But he changed the game forever. That alone – making the game accessible to the masses and one of television’s must-have properties – puts him in the conversation. Add in his seven majors and he has to have a spot.
The fourth? It’s a debate. Walter Hagen won 11 majors before 1929, when Augusta National was still a nursery. Winning wearing a tie gives him brownie points but no, not him. Player and Watson have arguments, as their careers overlapped Nicklaus’, limiting their major chances.
All good choices. But we have to put Bobby Jones there. He won seven majors, despite never playing professionally. And, of course, because he founded the tournament, no Masters. And, remember, he won five U.S. Amateur titles and one in Britain, back when they were majors. He won both of them in 1930, along with the U.S. and British opens, the era’s Grand Slam. That clinches it.
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WSU: What is left of the Pac-12, Washington State and Oregon State, are turning the Pac-12 Networks into a production company. Jon Wilner explains what that means in this S-R column. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, Oregon State is working to get more connections with the Big 12. John Canzano tells us the Beavers’ gymnastics team may just be headed that way. … The Colorado women’s basketball team will have a Minnesota connection next season. … Tommy Lloyd will have a chance to coach some Arizona recruiting targets over the summer. … USC football had to shell out about $20 million to bring Lincoln Riley over from Oklahoma. … Arizona may be adding another receiver to its roster. … Tybo Rogers is no longer on the Washington roster. … Arizona State’s new athletic director is another acolyte of the school’s overbearing president. … UCLA is looking for a new track and field coach.
Gonzaga: Michael Ajayi is slated to play in Spokane next year – if he doesn’t end up in the NBA draft. The former Pepperdine player matched up with a couple WSU players yesterday at the draft combine. Theo Lawson watched and has this story. … No matter what happens with Ajayi, the Zags will have a strong defensive presence on the wing, as Tarleton State’s Emmanuel Innocenti has announced he will be joining the Bulldogs. Theo has that story as well. … Theo’s third story covers the upcoming game with Kentucky, which reportedly will be Dec. 7 in Seattle. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Santa Clara got some good roster news yesterday. Adama Alpha-Bal is returning.
Idaho: The Big Sky is getting out of the golf business. Which meant the Vandals had to find a new conference home. They did. Jim Meehan tells us they will be playing in the Big West next season. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the conference’s representative in the NCAA softball tournament, Northern Colorado, is off for Oklahoma.
Preps: Dave Nichols has a roundup of Wednesday’s district play.
Indians: For the first time this season, Spokane lost a game to Vancouver. Dave has the coverage of its 6-2 home defeat. … Elsewhere in the NWL, visiting Eugene lost 5-4 to Everett while Hillsboro topped host Tri-City 4-1.
Chiefs: Dave also has coverage of Spokane’s decision to fire coach Ryan Smith after two seasons.
Velocity: Spokane had to fill a hole in its roster in goal, after a recent retirement. The Velocity did that yesterday, signing Brooks Thompson.
Mariners: Bryan Woo started it. Andres Munoz, using 33 pitches, ended it. Their pitching helped the M’s to a 4-2, homestand-capping win over Kansas City. … We have never caught a foul ball at a regular season MLB game. This guy caught two in two pitches. We’re not a fan of this dumb game sometimes. … Dominic Canzone is back and platoons might just follow.
Seahawks: The schedule is now official. The NFL released everyone’s yesterday. Another trip to Detroit. The usual showdowns in the West. A visit from Miami. Other highlights.
Storm: It will take a bit of time, but Seattle should get there.
Sounders: So much for momentum. Real Salt Lake had no trouble handing Seattle a 2-0 loss in Utah.
Golf: The PGA Championship has featured some surprising champions.
Preakness: Bob Baffert couldn’t race Muth in the Kentucky Derby as he’s not allowed at Churchill Downs. Now he can’t race the favorite in the Preakness, due to a fever.
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• Some days this job is hard. Today was one of those days. That is all. Until later …