The Round Table: a collapse, a questionable club change and breakout stars of 2023

Each week we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

The PGA Tour kicked off 2023 last week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the first of its so-called elevated events, featuring a $20 million purse and 19 of its Top 20 ranked players. Despite a mediocre final round from Colin Morikawa that allowed Jon Rahm to overtake him for the title, the event looked pretty much like past TOC’s, including low scoring, stunning scenery and an exciting finish. What did you think of the Sentry TOC, and did it stand out as something different now that it’s an elevated event?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): Unfortunately, I’m out of the country and wasn’t able to watch the TOC.  But I’m not sure how it would’ve been noticeably different from TOCs of the last 20 years or so.  Sounds like an exciting finish, though, even if it did involve a surprising meltdown from Morikawa.

Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: The PGA TOUR is sounding more like L1V every day! Who cares how much they play for unless the TV Producers start announcing “this putt is worth $X” or the difference sinking any particular putt is worth X# of FedEx points or a position in the World Rankings? When is someone going to figure out the entire reason fans tune in or watch is for the entertainment value? Golf is difficult enough to build excitement for the viewers. What I really liked was Azinger’s assessment of Morikawa’s chip before he hit it.

TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (@GolfAwayTJ): I always enjoy watching the TOC, partly because it’s a great field with most of the best players in the world, and partly because the scenery is spectacular, and it adds a bit of brightness to a dark and cold time back here.  The purse doesn’t have any impact on whether or not I watch, other than possibly drawing in more big names that might have skipped the event in the past.

Hal Quinn, Freelance Writer, Vancouver: As a wise man once said to me: “I wouldn’t play golf in Hawaii even if you were paying.” Used to watch the season openers before I played those courses — even I hit some of those 200-yard-wide fairways — and anyway, now life and the NFL are much more important. The few shots I saw into 18 looked the same as the shots into 18 when I used to watch. Just the money has changed. But now that the elevated events are ‘designated’ events, surely the non-elevated event hosts (hello Canadian Open) will feel much better with the term ‘non-designated.’ It will look better in the ads and that will help with ticket sales.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): I turned to football on Sunday when Morikawa’s lead looked insurmountable. Fortunately, I recorded the golf. One thing that annoyed me about the coverage was the incessant braying about the elevated event, strong field and increased purse, all subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) reminders that the PGA Tour is defeating the evil Saudi intruders. Looked pretty much like the same group we usually see in Hawaii less a few LIV defectors.

Brooke Henderson is reportedly about to change equipment sponsors, moving from PING to TaylorMade. This comes as a surprise as PING has been her only equipment sponsor since she was a little girl and by all accounts, she wasn’t experiencing any problems with her clubs. What’s your take on this latest move?

Deeks: I’d love to know the story behind this.  It seems to me that past equipment changes by other pro’s have often led to an extended and downward period of adjustment.  I hope Brooke’s game is solid enough to withstand new clubs and balls, and her focus is strong enough to avoid the noise of working with a new company.  Her father is her manager, and he has a reputation for being a challenge to work with.  I hope he’s doing the right thing.

Schurman: I hope this isn’t a change for the $$$$. Many really good players have changed only to find the new equipment doesn’t work as well. Be careful what you wish for; you might get it.

Rule: It surprised me for sure, and I hope it wasn’t just based on a dollar amount.  There have been many instances in the past where a player moves away from a brand to which they have been loyal, and it has created a large dip in their performance, at least in the short term.  It really would be interesting to find out the reason for the move, and I hope it doesn’t have that impact on her game, which has been trending in the right direction in the last calendar year.

Quinn: The record shows that not too many of these money grabs — and that’s what they are — pay off, especially in the short term. Rory is one of the most recent dramatic examples. On the surface, it seems that the folks in lab coats at PING have done everything they could for her, and the PING lab is one of the game’s best ever. It will be interesting to find out what the price of loyalty is in 2023 dollars.

Mumford: Brooke is an international star and a major addition for TaylorMade. I’m surprised that PING wouldn’t open the vault for her but presumably every company has a threshold. What really surprises me is Brooke even contemplating a change. This is a classic case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” No more loyalty and common sense; just money.

Pick a PGA Tour player that you think might have a “break out” season similar to the one Scottie Scheffler had last year? (4 wins including the Masters}

Deeks: I would’ve said Morikawa, but after Sunday’s collapse, I’m gonna hedge my bet.

Schurman: Cameron Young.

Rule: The first name that comes to mind is Will Zalatoris because he’s been so close and his ball striking is the best in the world, but his back injury will limit his starts early on, so I’m going with Davis Riley.  He had a number of top 10s last year, and I think he takes the next step and wins sooner than later.  Maybe not 4 wins and a major, but at least one breakout win.

Quinn: Not a big stats guy, but sometimes the numbers add up to “ready for break out.” How about 21 cuts in 31 starts, five 2nds, two 3rds, seven top 10s, 5th in birdie average, 13th greens in reg, 17th driving distance. This adds up to Cameron Young having a great year.

Mumford: There are so many good young players. Tom Kim is a fixture on leaderboards lately, Will Zalatoris has recovered from injury and it’s shocking that Cameron Young didn’t win something last year. Any one of them could have breakout years. Another name that looks ready to contend on a regular basis is Sahith Theegala, the Pepperdine University star that captured plenty of attention in 2022 with his game and his personality. He won the QBE Shootout with Tom Hoge in December, but it was Theegala’s short game and putting wizardry that really stole the show. He’s my early longshot pick for a Green Jacket.