A Mega Millions size bankroll
PHIL GAMBLING DETAILS LEAKED
Biggest story to break this week was a leak from Billy Walters new book detailing just how massive of a gambler Phil is. And where else would you expect those anti-Phil details to be posted other than The Fire Pit Collective? Who knows what Phil did to Shipnuck and that crew, but whatever it was, they COMIN FOR YA.
Here are a few highlights:
- Phil tried to place a $400,000 bet on the US to win the Ryder Cup in 2012. Phil was playing on that team. That team blew a 10-6 lead heading into singles matches that has since been dubbed "The Miracle at Medinah."
- In 2011, Phil averaged 9 bets per day! Bets in increments that I couldn't bring myself to place even with Monopoly money.
- Billy estimates Phil's total losses were closer to $100 million rather than the $40 million previously reported.
- It's never a great sign when your offshore betting spot shuts down an account because "his bets were far more disciplined than usual... He could resume betting, they said, but only if it was on his own."
- Billy estimates Phil's gambled over $1 Billion (with a "b") over his adult gambling life.
Certainly feeling way better about the random Tuesday nights in January where I have $5 on a Siena-Rider basketball game though!
Rahm weighs in on making real change on the Tour
PORTA-JON
(Disproportionately proud of myself for the headline on this one.)
A bizarre request came from Jon Rahm this week when pressed about the changes he'd like to see from the Tour next season.
"I can tell you right now my priorities are a lot lower than what a lot of people would think... [have] a freaking porta potty on every hole... I’ve told the Tour this many times."
Lots to unpack here.
First, I'd say there was about a 75% chance that Rahm had to go to the bathroom during this interview.
Second, Brooks is on record saying Rahm used the bathroom seven times during their final round of the Masters. So the track record and need is certainly there.
Third, the use of freaking implies sincere frustration. Which on some level I get. At first consideration, you think just go in the bushes! But then you remember they're surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of fans... likely sneaking off to use those exact same bushes.
Finally, Rahm finishes by saying he's told the Tour this many times. And imagining that conversation really tickles me. Jon walking into Jay Monahan's office, twisting his foot on the ground nervously like a 5 year old.
Jon - "Ummmm, Jay? I was wondering if uhhhh, you know, uhhhh, we could put a porta-potty behind every tee box?"
Jay - "No. Go away Jon."
Jon - "Okay, I'll come back another day."
Jay - "Please don't."
Funny thing happens when you elevate women's golf...
LPGA'S MOST WATCHED MONTH IN HISTORY
A dominant new star.
An epic Women's Open venue.
Leaderboards chock full of top names.
Primetime coverage on major networks...
It turns out that when you elevate the women's game, people will be (not surprisingly) interested in watching!
And the numbers back it up as Sports Business Journal released the viewership numbers from July and the LPGA recorded their most-watched month in the history of the league. Averaging 600,000 viewers with Sunday's US Open coverage clocking in at 1.59 million.
With their final major of the season happening this weekend across the pond, we'll see NBC cover the weekend action midday. And safe to say that if we get a few top names in the mix, another milly or more day is in store.
Then there's this. Which just about broke my mind.
It's part of why it's almost meditative to watch LPGA as the control, precision, and accuracy with which the women play is so inspirational to me.
I would wager I play about 4.5 strokes better the day after watching an LPGA event than I do after a PGA event. That's just math.
The TGL trickle continues
A GREEN BIGGER THAN A BASKETBALL COURT!
The TGL trickle of teasers continued this week with more detail around what we can expect from Tiger and Rory's new stadium-based golf league that's set to kick off in early 2024.
The latest drop helps to picture what the @#%^ this thing is even going to look like. I've been getting pretty tired of seeing that NFL Blitz level graphics rendering of the stadium.
Full Swing, TGL's sim partner, shared these two images to help imagine the scale. The entire hole will be roughly the length of a football field including the largest simulator screen ever made—measuring 64 ft wide and 46 ft high. All this means that pros should be able to hit any shot they've got in the bag.
The coolest part to me is the putting green which is larger than a basketball court! And, due to the 189 different actuators beneath the surface, will be able to completely transform into a limitless amount of hills and breaks. For context, Full Swing said that Rahm's at home version only has 24...
A final interesting note is that they will not be playing replicas of existing golf holes. Instead, TGL has tapped a group of super well-known course architects to create bespoke holes specifically for this competition. A wrinkle that should keep the golf architectures snobs happy—for now.
All in all, I've been loving everything I hear from this venture and the cred that comes with Tiger and Rory advising every step of the way makes my excitement levels sky high.
This week on r/golf
A TRULY GLOBAL SPORT
The caption from cware196 says it all...
I’m currently at McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica and the neighboring Scott Base hosts a mini golf tournament every Winter. This is the Driving Range they setup! The tee is a flat piece of metal with a spring.
Respect that grind!
Also love that he is out in Antarctica doing who knows what—drilling ice cores or searching for Shackleton or whatever—and he still packs the full golf 'fit.
Antarctica capsule collection coming next from Bad Birdie??? Penguins? Polar Bears? Someone get me the design team.
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