Tales from the tour in a year filled with medals and tears and a few digs

 

[December 26, 2024]  By DOUG FERGUSON

Scottie Scheffler won a lot of tournaments and had to do a lot of talking this year. One theme stood out even as Scheffler was dominating his competition by winning nine times.

The answer could be found on a white board in Paris.

Golfers at the Olympics were asked to write their nicknames, countries, favorite Olympic sports and their goal in Paris. Most of the players said their goal was gold, or at least to win a medal.

Scheffler wrote: Have fun.

He shot 62 in the final round and won the gold medal. That was fun. In fact, from Kapalua in January to being voted PGA Tour player of the year in December, Scheffler used some form of the word “fun” 183 times in news conferences.

It was like that for a lot of people in the world of golf, who created memories that make this year's edition of “Tales from the Tour.”

The good life

Tommy Fleetwood came to The Sentry on Maui for the first time and brought his father from England. Peter Fleetwood sat in a cart watching his son on the practice range and soaking up the weather in paradise, his first trip to Hawaii.

Being a popular vacation spot, it led to a question about where they used to go to relax.

“We didn’t take holidays,” he said. “We couldn’t afford them. We went around to junior golf tournaments in the summer. That was our holidays. And that was good.”

There was a quiet contentment about him as he watched his son, now one of the top players and characters in the sport. The father resumed his thoughts.

“I’ve had a great life. I have nothing to complain about,” he said. “I lost my wife a few years ago and I complain about that. But nothing else. I had everything I ever needed.”

The season opener can be a good tone-setter, and it's not always measure by a scorecard.

Xander and his caddie

All the attention on money includes the caddies.

Xander Schauffele and Austin Kaiser were teammates at San Diego State and close friends ever since. Kaiser was working in a warehouse when Schauffele asked if he would caddie for him. They got their PGA Tour card in 2017, the first win, and before long Schauffele was a mainstay among the top 10 in the world ranking.

Kaiser wasn’t doing too bad, either.

The standard fee for many caddies is 10% for a win. With $20 million purses, it adds up. Schauffele was discussing this at Bay Hill when he looked over at Kaiser and told him, “You get paid too much.”

Kaiser didn't blink.

“Yeah, but you're the (expletive) paying me,” he replied.

Both broke out laughing. Some four months later, they had two major championships. Money well spent.

Jack remembers (almost) everything

The U.S. Open was approaching and Jack Nicklaus was asked what he thought about the toughest test in golf giving up a pair of 62s the previous year at Los Angeles Country Club. His thoughts instead turned to the course, which he had not seen in some time.

“I played it in 1954, the U.S. Junior. I was 14 years old,” Nicklaus. “I got beat in the second round. I think Hugh Royer Jr. beat me.”

Think about it. This is an 84-year-old who has competed at more than 1,000 tournaments since he was a boy. How can he remember losing 70 years ago to someone named Hugh Royer?

“I didn’t want to tell you," Nicklaus added with a smile, "but I think it was 5-and-3.”

That afternoon came a phone call on another matter to Michael Trostel, the great USGA resource on history. He had a U.S. Junior Amateur record book near him and was asked to look up 1954 at LA Country Club. How did Nicklaus fare?

“Looks like he lost in the second round ... to Hugh Royer Jr.,” Trostel replied.

The score?

“Hold on ... 4 and 3," he said.

Nicklaus rarely misses, and when he does, it's not by much.

The imperfect 10

Nelly Korda had high hopes for the U.S. Women’s Open and so did everyone else. She had tied an LPGA record with five straight wins, one of them was a major. She was a big favorite at the biggest tournament in women's golf.

For two holes, anyway.

On her third hole, the par-3 12th at Lancaster, Korda after a long wait hit her 6-iron long into a bunker. She blasted out to a severely sloped green and watched it roll off the front and into a stream. Her next chip from the other side of the stream wasn’t strong enough and went in the water. So did the one after that.

 Ted Scott caddie for gold medalist Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, poses with the 18th hole flag after the end of the men's golf at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

It was a horror show unfolding before her eyes — and the eyes of her swing coach. Because of the long wait, Jamie Mulligan and had gone up to the grandstands.

After the third ball found the water, Mulligan quietly said, “This is kind of tough to watch.”

She made 10.

Mulligan, however, didn’t lose his sense of humor, one of the reasons they mesh so well. An acquaintance sitting next to Mulligan found a reason to head back toward the clubhouse.

“I need to find her manager to get more golf balls,” he said.

Predictable Stricker

Steve Stricker accepted the award. His daughter called the shots.

Stricker easily won the Golf Writers Association of America award as the senior player of the year after a blockbuster 2023 season of six wins, three of them majors. It was a festive night at the awards dinner. The only question was whether Stricker would get emotional.

It started when he approached the podium, partly because Gary Woodland got everyone emotional with heartfelt gratitude returning from brain surgery.

Stricker rallied, his voice still a little unsteady, but the message was back on track.

“If he looks at my mom he’s going to lose it,” his oldest daughter, Bobbi, whispered from her seat in the auditorium.

Stricker spoke of his special year and said he wanted to thank his family. That’s when he turned to look at them and it was over. He went seven full seconds before he could get out another word. Amid the tears, he laughed at himself.

It’s what makes him so endearing to so many.

JT at the bottom

Justin Thomas made a solid recovery this year, but he couldn’t afford a bad week at the BMW Championship. And he was having a rough week with his putting at Castle Pines.

Thomas was 49th in the key putting statistic going into the third round. He was on the practice green with his father when he mentioned where he ranked and said, “I can’t believe there’s someone putting worse than me this week.”

Mike Thomas had to deliver the bad news — Hideki Matsuyama had withdrawn, and there were only 49 players left in the field.

The good news for Thomas? He made just enough over the weekend to finish 30th place in the FedEx Cup and get back to the Tour Championship.

The other Olympic medal

Scheffler won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. His caddie, Ted Scott, also received a medal and was never prouder.

Since 2008, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has given American medalists the “Order of Ikkos” medallion to present to a key member of their team, usually a coach.

For Scheffler, it was an easy choice.

He spoke after the second round about struggling with his attitude and how his caddie helped him. Scott later filled in the details.

It was on the eighth hole, after Scheffler made double bogey from a bad lie in the fairway.

“I called him off the side of the green and I had a stern talking to him,” Scott said. “I just said, 'I want you to look into my eyes, listen to my words and don’t talk back.’”

The message that followed was for Scheffler not to overcomplicate his game or overreact. The mission going forward was to commit to the shot and accept the outcome.

“I said, ’You might make everything at the end of the tournament. You don’t know. Let’s see what happens,'” Scott said.

He made everything at the end, a 29 on the back nine won the gold medal. He showered Scott was more praise than usual when it was over.

“I’ve never had a pro look me in the eyes and say he couldn’t do it without me,” Scott said. “It was special.”

Special year.

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