WM Phoenix Open

TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course)



    The Grind

    Nick Taylor’s crazy clutch gene, Ludvig Aberg’s new title and a familiar voice returns to the TV booth

    January 14, 2025

    Welcome to another year of The Grind, where we didn’t slip on any stairs in the past week, but we did manage to get injured another way. This time, I was just grabbing something off a shelf when I felt a tweak in my back. Yes, I’m pathetic.

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    On the bright side, it's winter, so it’s not going to cost me any time on the course. Nor will it hurt my livelihood since I write about golf and don’t play the sport for money. So let’s pop a few Advil painkillers (We'll keep it vague in case any company wants to become the official painkiller of The Grind) and get to it.

    WE’RE BUYING

    Nick Taylor: We’re going to get to TGL’s big opening night, but let’s start with the real golf and an unreal finish by this Canadian, who chipped in for eagle on No. 18 and then birdied Wailae’s closing par 5 two more times in a playoff against Nico Echavarria to claim the Sony Open. According to Data Golf, he went from having a 0.4 percent chance of winning to holding the trophy!

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    Maddie Meyer

    Or, should we say, another unreal finish. Check out these tweets:

    Is Nick Taylor the clutchest player on the planet? Seriously, when the guy gets a chance to close the door, he closes that door. “I think I enjoy being in those moments,” Taylor said Sunday. “For whatever reason my mind gets clear in those situations of the shot I'm just trying to hit.” Talk about a dude who wants the ball under pressure. Taylor, a former World No. 1 amateur at the University of Washington, now has five career PGA Tour titles. And yet somehow, the 36-year-old has never made a Presidents Cup team. I bet Mike Weir is regretting not making his fellow countryman a captain’s pick last year.

    TGL’s debut: It was only one week … but … I’m in! And the first match couldn’t have been a bigger blowout. Are there some TGL tweaks that need to be made? Sure. And I’d start with making these matches 90 minutes tops, shortening the shot clock (Thanks to our Luke Kerr-Dineen for this interesting piece) and figuring out the HAMMER. (It should be more like an NFL coach’s challenge with each team getting one and if you’re successful you get another.) But other than that, it was relatively fast-paced and fun.

    And how about these TV ratings?

    I always love seeing the Dukies lose. It’s not Monday Night Football, but Tuesday Night TGL is off to a strong start. And there’s still plenty of buzz for Week 2 as Tiger Woods will make his debut. I questioned Tiger not playing on opening night, but I guess that’s why I’m merely a golf writer and not a business executive making important decisions.

    Ludvig Aberg: If Viktor Hovland was once dubbed “The Resort Golf King,” then Ludvig is now the “King of Simulator Golf” or the TGLGOAT. At least, for one week.

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    Megan Briggs/TGL

    Aberg was clearly the Man of the Match on opening night and even received a SportsCenter Top 10 chain from DJ Khaled. (I’m jealous because I didn’t get one for making SC Top 10 for my hole-in-one last year. Just saying.) Anyway, this guy obviously has serious game, but his youth and overall coolness could make him the perfect poster child to get this new endeavor off the ground. And, yes, it doesn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eyes.

    And when you’re wrestling with your wife for the remote at night, that helps.

    WE’RE SELLING

    Eugenio Chacarra’s comments: The Spaniard spoke out against LIV on the Flushing It podcast, but only after departing from the league. Chacarra said when he signed LIV officials promised Official World Golf Ranking points and entry into major championships, but all they delievered on instead was money. A whole lot of money. At least $16 million, in fact, for three years of “work.” Geez, poor guy. And who could have ever seen that LIV was all about the money coming?!

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    David Cannon

    I’m sorry the former Oklahoma State star has buyer’s remorse, but at 24, he’s got plenty of time still to have a successful career elsewhere. Also, the one-time LIV winner who finished 39th in the individual season standings last year and wasn't re-signed by the Fireballs compared his career to … wait for it … Ludvig Aberg. I’d laugh out loud, but I don’t want to bother my back anymore.

    New York Golf Club: It’s only one week, but it looks like the Giants and Jets may have company when it comes to non-competitive squads during football season. And this native New Yorker might have to turn in his NYGC team hat for one of these brown bags if they lose their next match.

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    Steve Cohen may have bought himself a lot of goodwill with Mets fans by signing Juan Soto, but he’s going to be hearing it from us “long-suffering” NYGC fans soon if things don’t get better soon!

    Neal Shipley’s between shot activities: Apparently, everyone’s favorite 2024 Masters rookie works on SAT math problems to combat slow play and clear his mind during tournaments. No, for real. See for yourself:

    That’s wild. I love Neal Shipley, but I HATE math. And I suspect that more than 99 percent of people would agree with me on this. There, I tossed in a little stats for you, Neal.

    ON TAP

    The PGA Tour rolls on by returning to the mainland for The American Express, AKA The Amex, AKA that one they play in Palm Springs. It was also supposed to be one of the tournaments featuring the top two players in the world, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. But both had to WD—Scottie for that Christmas dinner injury and Xander, for, well, we don’t know. (Maybe he’s still licking his wounds from that opening night TGL beatdown.) Anyway, we hope to see both guys back out there soon. In TGL, you have Tiger Woods’ debut with his Jupiter Links Golf Club taking on L.A. Golf Club. It will be very interesting to see how Tiger plays. It will be even more interesting to see if anyone dares to trash talk the GOAT. Especially when he can still do stuff like this:

    Random tournament fact: A year ago, Nick Dunlap became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson 33 years before. After seeing Christian Bezuidenhout take home the $1.5 million winner’s check instead, Dunlap turned pro four days later.

    RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

    —Another amateur will win this year: 1 MILLION-to-1 (Luke Clanton not in the field)

    —Nick Dunlap will win the Amex again: 50-to-1 odds

    —Nick Dunlap will have a bigger celebration if he does win again: LOCK

    PHOTO OF THE WEEK

    What can you say? These guys are good.

    TWEET OF THE WEEK

    Nice job by Max clapping back at this New York sports radio legend. However, there was a 100-percent chance Mike Francesa was going to knock TGL. And there’s a zero percent chance he ever changes his mind. At least, publicly.

    VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (ON-COURSE DIVISION)

    Hideki Matsuyama, who could do no wrong while setting a PGA Tour 72-hole scoring record the week before, suddenly couldn’t even hang onto his driver at the Sony Open:

    OK, so he still shot 11 under and finished T-16 on an off week. Anyway, as always, if you go to a golf tournament, keep your head on a swivel.

    VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (OFF-COURSE DIVISION)

    Shout-out to Jimmy Elliott, a 34-year-old financial planner from Fort Worth, who was selected by Bryson DeChambeau to attempt Bryson’s viral hole-in-one challenge over his house. Two things to note: Jimmy is a scratch golfer and Bryson put up a net in front to protect his home. (He’s not a total nut.) Anyway, Bryson gave Jimmy seven hours to make an ace and offered up $100K if he could replicate what Bryson did on his 16th day of trying. Jimmy only needed FIVE swings!

    Absolutely incredible. Apparently, Jimmy just hung out with Bryson for the rest of the time. "He was so engaged," Elliott told ABC30.com. "I cannot say enough nice things about Bryson. He's got a fan for life." We’re big fans as well. That’s awesome. And given Jimmy’s job, he’ll use that money wisely.

    THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

    Jon Hamm, looking like the most normal middle-aged dude ever, hit one of the most impressive drives of the week at the Sony Open pro-am. And his reaction wasn’t bad, either.

    Nice job, Don Jon.

    THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

    You love to see it.

    QUOTE OF THE WEEK

    “I just wanted to shine some light on him. He is someone that I've known since being on Tour. Maybe he was a year or two after me. Not that we hung out a great deal, but when we saw each other we would chat briefly. I remember seeing him here one year ago the day after in the airport and chatting with him. He came up to me the weekend in the Canadian Open in 2023 and had nice things to say about the Phoenix week when I didn't win but played with Scottie. He was just really impressed. He was just always a guy to come up and say really nice things. You know, with the service on Tuesday, just felt like a week you're thinking about him the whole time. I just wanted to honor him on this hole.” —Nick Taylor on Grayson Murray.

    THIS AND THAT

    Paul Azinger will make his return to the TV booth this week at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. The 12-time PGA Tour winner and longtime golf announcer is replacing Lanny Wadkins as the lead analyst for NBC/Golf Channel’s coverage of the PGA Tour Champions this season.

    And as someone who has been hard on Zinger (probably too hard), let me say I’m glad to see him getting another crack. All the best, Paul. … A former home of Arnold Palmer off Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta is on the market:

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    Does anyone have $5 million they want to lend me? … Nico Echavarria has a win, two runner-ups and a T-6 in his past six PGA Tour starts. Keep this up and we’re going to start calling him Nico Schefflerria. … And, finally, 17-year-old Blades Brown is making his pro debut this week at The American Express. The dude is barely older than The Grind! Crazy.

    RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

    Is Bryson looking for any other $100K contestants?

    Can Paul Azinger and I be friends again?

    Can I stop injuring myself at home?