Who cares if RBC Canadian Open has Saudi competition?

Bits, Bites and Barbs from across the world of golf:

Bits

Can’t think about there’s something a lot more durable in skilled golf on the highest degree than defending a title. It occurs hardly ever due to all of the added obligations on the participant through the week, to not point out the good play — and success — required to win a match. The Valspar Championship now has back-to-back, back-to-back winners in Paul Casey and Sam Burns … The final time a match had two winners in 4 years (though it’s 5 for the Valspar as a result of the 2020 occasion was cancelled) was the CIMB Traditional in Malaysia. Ryan Moore received in 2013 and ’14 and Justin Thomas received in 2015 and ’16. It’s price noting that match, now defunct, featured a discipline of simply 70 or so gamers … Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes will compete on this week’s WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play in Austin. Keep in mind that Conners entered final 12 months’s match in good kind after nice performances on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Gamers Championship however it was Hughes who emerged from his group that included Casey, Webb Simpson and Talor Gooch whereas Conners went winless. Hughes ultimately fell to Sergio Garcia within the Spherical of 16 … A man I’d by no means need to face in match play: 2019 champion Kevin Kisner. He seems to be like anyone who’d chunk your face off to win … Brooke Henderson is just not within the discipline for this week’s LPGA Tour cease in California. Which implies her first occasion with a 46-inch driver (now that the ban on longer huge sticks is in impact) will probably be a serious, the Chevron Championship at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif., the place she fell in a three-person playoff in 2020.

Bites

Final week I discussed how good this 12 months’s Presidents Cup Worldwide staff might be given the play of Cameron Smith, Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im and others so the matches in Charlotte ought to be shut. The U.S. is clearly stacked with two-time 2021-22 winner Burns positive to be a part of the combo, however as of now, 2021 Ryder Cup gamers Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson, Daniel Berger and Brooks Koepka are on the surface trying in. The U.S. staff makes use of FedEx Cup factors earned during the last three years (three as a result of COVID pushed the occasion again a 12 months) however weighted closely in direction of this season. Consequently, Tom Hoge, Talor Gooch, Max Homa and Jason Kokrak are at present forward of these superstars within the standings. Importantly, solely six gamers routinely qualify for the U.S. aspect with Davis Love III getting a half-dozen captain’s picks … Circling again to the Phil Mickelson saga, I actually suppose his miscalculation was not understanding that his on-the-record feedback to journalist Alan Shipnuck might be revealed every time Shipnuck (and his e book writer) selected. Mickelson knew Shipnuck was writing a e book about him — an unauthorized biography is the way it’s positioned — and he in all probability knew the discharge date. So in his thoughts he manipulates the PGA Tour into getting what he needed — or a few of what he needed — after which the e book comes out together with his feedback months later and he seems to be like a hero … Dustin Johnson has fallen outdoors the highest 10 on the Official World Rating for the primary time in seven years. I wager he’s prime 5 within the Masters in three weeks’ time.

Barbs

Right here’s my thought on the Saudi-backed Tremendous League, henceforth wishing to be often called LIV Golf Invitational, starting its eight-event schedule the identical week because the RBC Canadian Open: Who cares? Particularly with Rory McIlroy confirmed to be at St. George’s Golf and Nation Membership defending his 2019 title, as per this story by colleague Adam Stanley. In my thoughts, there are a dozen or so PGA Tour gamers who actually promote tickets, McIlroy (amongst these not named Tiger Woods) being on the prime of the record. All of the others — gamers corresponding to Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau — already rebuffed Greg Norman’s lure and have dedicated to the PGA Tour. Apart from Johnson, who’s sponsored by RBC, they may not come to Canada this 12 months however not as a result of they’ll be in England for the LIV Golf debut. It’s that they weren’t coming anyway, though I wager we see some huge names in Canada forward of the U.S. Open close to Boston. Past these gamers I feel Canadian golf followers attend the Canadian Open to see elite golf pictures by elite gamers — by any identify — to assist the Canadians within the discipline, to see an amazing golf course in particular person and to get outdoors and do one thing with their pals or household. Who makes up the sector past the celebrities is of little concern. That’s no less than the case for this 12 months, particularly with the anticipation of the RBC Canadian Open returning after a protracted absence. Cash talks and possibly LIV Golf picks up some steam and stars ultimately change their minds, however this upstart league kicking off on Canadian Open week this 12 months is relatively inconsequential.

Obscure considered the week: By no means realized how beneficial a mouse pad is till I left it behind whereas on the highway.

Jason Logan is the editor of SCOREGolf Journal and is predicated in Toronto. He’s a contributor to the Star’s Sports activities part. Comply with him on Twitter: @jasonSCOREGolf