The Break: Great Scottie

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Welcome to The Break, my twice-weekly publication the place I take a look at the most important tales within the recreation of golf, hyperlink out to a few of our work right here at Golf Information Web and prepare for the week forward.

Scary Good

There aren’t many individuals on this planet who can beat Scottie Scheffler when he performed like he did this previous week on the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Not more than 5. And it is a wonderful sight to behold.

The capper got here on Sunday, when simply 4 gamers broke 70 at Bay Hill Membership and Lodge. Scheffler went the bottom of the lot, taking pictures a 6-under 66 that led him to a runaway, five-shot win over Wyndham Clark on 15-under 273. For the week, Scheffler was first in strokes gained off the tee and across the inexperienced, twelfth in strokes gained on the strategy and fifth — sure, fifth — in strokes gained placing. On the comparatively uncommon event that Scheffler putts like he did, blowouts occur.

Shane Lowry, who completed solo third after having an opportunity to win for the second week operating, put it clearly: “There’s in all probability solely a few gamers on this planet that may dwell with him taking part in like that. Unsure I am one among them.”

Now Scheffler returns to TPC Sawgrass to defend the title he additionally received by 5 pictures a yr in the past, seeking to develop into the primary participant within the 50-year historical past of The Gamers Championship to defend that title. With most of the PGA Tour’s finest combating some side of their recreation, Scheffler discovered energy in his largest weak spot at maybe the proper time — proper earlier than the PGA Tour’s largest occasion and with a month to go till the Masters.

Much less is Much less

The tumult in golf between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf continues, however the extra intriguing battle appears to be the interior one amongst PGA Tour gamers concerning the continued shaping of that tour’s future.

Many followers and PGA Tour gamers have been vital this week of one other Signature occasion with 70 or fewer gamers, together with sponsor exemptions that appear to fly within the face of an elite discipline (though sponsor exemption Shane Lowry completed third final week). Nonetheless, an growing variety of PGA Tour gamers are being publicly vocal that they need fewer gamers on the circuit. Rory McIlroy mentioned he needed a tour that was extra “cutthroat,” whereas Wyndham Clark recommended maybe simply 100 exempt gamers on Tour (regardless of being out of the highest 100 himself not too way back).

“I imply, I feel it could be wonderful if our Tour was 100 guys,” mentioned Clark. “I form of mentioned this a number of instances, 100 guys and we’ve 20 guys that get relegated each time, yearly, would not matter who you might be.

“It might be thrilling. Since you come all the way down to the tip of the yr, individuals are trying who’s going to win the FedEx Cup, and you then’re who will not be going to be right here subsequent yr. So, yeah, I am in all probability with Rory on that. I do not know what that quantity is, however I feel it is simply good to raise the product and make it to the place the most effective gamers are taking part in on TV extra typically and in opposition to one another.”

Whereas I do not disagree that there are in all probability too many exempt gamers on the PGA Tour, I do not assume that must be paired with drastically smaller fields. I personally would like to see that mainstay 125-player exemption stage reduce all the way down to a 100, or perhaps a 70, to coincide with the gamers who make the FedEx Cup playoffs — plus main winners from the final 5 years and event winners from the final two years. Nonetheless, having fewer exempt gamers can nonetheless imply fields of 120, 132 and 144 gamers, with a extra fluid construction.

The PGA Tour’s exemption standards have been far too supportive of underperforming gamers for too lengthy, and it comes on the expense of getting up-and-comers from the Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour and PGA Tour College into extra occasions. Alternate lists might be extra conscious of present type than season-long or profession standing. There may be extra turnover in a method that’s thrilling for followers and nonetheless gives the meritocracy that golf followers love. Deliver them to the Signature occasions, too, and assure fields of 90 gamers to make the weekend reduce make sense and let extra gamers have a style of giant purses.