Austin Smotherman’s amazing video history, LeBron’s controversial golf swing and the most clutch finish of the year

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we want, no, we NEED someone to make one of those "OUTSTANDING" AI videos with golfers. Maybe it’s a legends one. Maybe it’s a PGA Tour one. Maybe it’s a LIV one. Maybe it’s all of the above. I just need one! Please! Each one just keeps getting better, although, of course, I'm partial to the Knicks one:

And, also of course, the sax reveals are the best part. Anyway, since I’m not AI-savvy enough to do it myself, I’ll patiently wait. In the meantime, here’s what’s actually going on in golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Austin Smotherman: After failing to win on the PGA Tour in 99 tries, Smotherman now has two victories in 101 career starts after winning a second consecutive fall event, this time at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Henceforth, he shall go by the title of AUTUMN Smotherman. OK, maybe not, but seriously, what a run this guy is on.

And what a run of videos he’s already been involved in. Here was this fun one from the PGA Tour promoting the playoff between Smotherman and Seamus Power:

Love that. And would love a piece of those guys at ping-pong or cornhole. Then there was this gem featuring his wife secretly watching him at a Korn Ferry Tour event in 2019:

And, of course, the classic Korn Ferry Tour “Seinfeld” parody of the famed “Marine Biologist” scene in which Austin played the role of Jerry to Harry Higg’s George:

So forget about him needing 100 starts for his first win, Austin Smotherman has long been a star in The Grind’s book!

Rory Sabbatini’s finish: Everyone’s favorite South African-Slovakian golfer had himself a Sunday to remember on the PGA Tour Champions. Sabbatini shot five under over the final four holes to win the Stifel Charity Classic for his first senior title.

And he even overtook a fellow Olympic silver medal winner in Henrik Stenson on Sunday. Nice job by golf's other Rory.

Sean Crocker’s finish: There have been some incredibly clutch performances this year, but it would be hard to top what Crocker did at the Genesis Championship. Needing a miraculous back nine to keep his DP World Tour card for next year, Crocker delivered just that with a closing 29 (!) that included four consecutive birdies to finish.

Incredible stuff. Of course, his front-nine 39 wasn’t clutch and put him in that position, but let’s focus on the positives. To do that with your job on the line? Talk about gutsy.

WE’RE SELLING

57-hole PGA Tour events: I’m not sure what the right solution was here. And I know this happens from time to time. And, I think, this is better than calling a PGA Tour event after 54 holes and having two guys tie for the win. But it’s obviously not ideal to replace an entire final round with a sudden-death playoff on a Monday morning.

Now, Smotherman and Power wound up going three extra holes at least (a 55-hole PGA Tour event would be even worse), and I do like the fact that they changed the pin placement on the hole they were using, but, still, it’s a bit of a letdown to everyone. Well, other than the winner.

LIV 2.0: Once again, we’re selling this potential league’s future prospects after another week of bad headlines. It seems like every day a couple more names hop off this sinking ship. Last week, it was Jon Rahm leading the charge, but now you can add guys like Tyrrell Hatton, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell to the list of players saying their goodbyes.

Oh, and don’t get me started on the league’s execs somehow banking millions in payments while vendors go unpaid and even players get stiffed. Disgusting stuff. Although, I’m not shedding any tears for the superstars who have stuffed their pockets the past few years.

Golf course vandals: This seems to be coming up more and more, and it’s a real shame. The latest course victimized is Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links (great name!), one of the oldest public courses in the Akron area. So this should be near and dear to LeBron’s heart, in case he’s reading (More on King James later!):

Anyway, the course has offered a $5,000 cash award for any information that leads to an arrest so they are not messing around. Let’s hope those responsible are brought to justice.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour fall season rolls on with the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, AKA that one they play in Mexico, AKA that one Brian Campbell (Not to be confused with BEN Campbell of LIV fame) beat Aldrich Potgeiter in a playoff last year. I mention that because, A.) it featured one of the craziest playoff matchups in history between the shortest hitter on tour (Campbell) and the longest hitter on tour (Potgeiter), and B.) because it featured one of the luckiest breaks in golf history:

That was a tough one for Potgeiter and Potgeiter backers. Also, the LPGA Tour heads to Malaysia and the Internet Invitational is back for Season 2. Although, if I’m being honest, a FIVE-hour first episode is a bit much!

Random tournament fact: American Al Espinosa won the first FOUR Mexico Opens from 1944-1947. It’s a good thing for Al that Golf Twitter didn’t exist back then or he would have gotten the reputation of being a “Mexico Open Merchant.”

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Brian Campbell will win four Mexico Opens in a row: 1 MILLION-to-1-odds

—Brian Campbell will win the Mexico Open again this year: 230-to-1 odds

—Aldrich Potgeiter is still not over that playoff break: LOCK

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Eddie Pepperell was the unfortunate bubble boy on the DP World Tour thanks to Sean Crocker’s heroics, but he responded with this classy—and funny—tweet:

Classic Eddie. And I think he deserves to go top shelf for that bourbon.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

First of all, that’s great news that Tiger’s girlfriend, Vanessa Trump is cancer-free. Second, though, Tiger looks great as well. So you know we must be getting close to Hero World/PNC Championship season.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

How about Tony Finau sinking this putt (on his second try) to earn a $1 million donation from Pat McAfee to Finau’s Foundation.

We’ll refrain from the obvious, “That’s the biggest putt Tony has made in a long time!” jokes. Oh, whoops. But, seriously, nice job by all involved.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

I love LeBron. I love that LeBron is a golf nut now. I also love to practice my golf swing no matter where I am. However, I wouldn’t do it during a national anthem, especially when millions of people are watching my every movement. Such was the case for King James during opening night when cameras caught him working on his move (and then his shooting motion) as Avery Wilson put forth another beautiful performance at Madison Square Garden:

Now, has this become a bigger deal than it needed to be? Yes. Is LeBron the only athlete who has done stuff like this? No. Does LeBron also do a lot of good including planning to open a new youth golf center in Ohio? Yes. And should the President be using it to score political points? No. But I think we can all agree that as much as we all love golf, we can stop air-swinging for two minutes. And, yes, I'm still upset LeBron and his new Sixers beat my Knicks on banner/ring night.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

From the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour, Austin and Jessica have been through a lot together:

OK, so that was from his last win at the Bank of Utah Championship, but I'm sure there was some PDA after his latest victory as well. And that it’s going to be a particularly great Christmas for the Smothermans this year.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Stop it.” —Austin Smotherman when asked about winning a second consecutive PGA Tour event.

Sometimes real life is even better than your wildest dreams.

THIS AND THAT

Congrats to Jon Catlin on winning the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open by five shots to earn spots in both the British Open and the Masters in 2027. Although, I’m not sure if the point of all these national open exemptions from Augusta was to get more Americans in the field in April. . . . Congrats to Yuri Yoshida on winning her maiden LPGA Tour title at the BMW Ladies Championship. “It’s a special moment for me, and actually, I was nervous,” Yoshida said after. How could you not be?! . . . Congrats to Andrea Lee on making a hole-in-one in the same event and winning a BMW. Which was certainly a LOT better than the “toy car” she said she won the last time she made an ace in Shanghai.. . . . Congrats to Kyle Berkshire on breaking Kyle Berkshire's record for world's longest drive. That dude is a beast. . . . And, finally, with gas and heating oil prices at all-time highs, I’ve instructed my family to not turn on the heat in our house until November 1. This was what I came down to the other day: