Come. Watch with me.
FULL SWING S2: EPISODE 1 THOUGHTS
Full Swing is back, baby!! And in what will seemingly be an annual tradition, I've already fended off about a dozen separate asks from my wife to binge the full season.
I'm doing my part to reenforce the importance of episodic, weekly TV as a cultural touchstone. (And I like having the content each week...)
However, I will be taking her suggestion on format. Her exact words; "Please don't do that live blog style thing again. It's so hard to read."
And if the now infamous left-justified pivot taught me anything, it's listen to your readers. The sheer amount of praise I've gotten for switching from center to left justification is alarming. You all just sat in silence, hating my formatting. It's risen to the point that we may have to start a BC/AD style timeline to chronicle this all. My CJ/LJ eras.
Back to Full Swing. This season, we're sticking with a nice, clean top three takeaways from each episode—and an episode grade. For those who've waited, we'll be watching one episode per week. For those who binged, maybe re-watch an episode per week. And for those who binged and don't care—keep on scrollin'.
EPISODE TITLE:
The Game Has Changed Part 1
TAKEAWAY 1:
I don't think I quite recognized it fully at the time, but wow the 2023 Masters was such a massive win for LIV. The sentiment really was that they'd all come out flat. And instead, they showed out BIG time. Phil came in second f&*@#^ place!
And I honestly think this season could be an even bigger bloodbath for the PGA. Brooks, DJ, and Patrick Reed are all still relevant. Bryson and Joaquin Niemann, in particular, are playing absurdly good golf right now. AND... they have Rahm.
The X factor in it all will be Rory. Maybe I'm getting "Hard Knocks"'d here—a phenomena marked by unreasonable confidence in a player or team due to watching enough behind the scenes footage of said player or team in documentary form—but Rory is winning a major this season.
It was obvious how punishing it was for him to be Jay's puppet and with that off his back, combined with hearing how much he thinks about competing with Brooks for majors, I think it's finally time.
TAKEAWAY 2:
Rory's recently played list on Spotify that was showing on the dashboard inside his car. A true lesson in "stars they're just like us." I paused the episode to get the full list.
Shotgun Start podcast by Fried Egg and The Fried Egg podcast—so we know he's a true golf nerd. Admittedly had to look up Shotgun Start and the description sounds a LOT like what I would've wanted to try in a podcast so we're back to the drawing board there.
Tim Ferris podcast and Huberman Lab podcast—so we know Rory's cerebral and enjoys a good thought starter. I get overwhelmed by these types of podcasts because there are just so many episodes now that I feel like I've missed something if I were to ever start them.
DJ Khaled Mix—so we know he gets himself amped before tournaments with some All I Do Is Win. Also, likely not a "music guy".
Moana and Encanto soundtracks—MY MAN! Right now, all Jack wants to listen to is "Mike Wazowski" song aka the 59 second theme song from Monster's University that sounds like a college marching band. "Sully Wully" song aka the song that plays during the credits of Monster's Inc. And "You've Got a Friend in Me"—are we noticing a theme?
TAKEAWAY 3:
Someone find this man. Look, I've tried this a few times in Breakfast Balls history and 60% of the time, it works every time.
Who are you? How did you get to go to the Masters? If you are connected to a member, may I join you? All I know about you is that you like our hats and that's enough for me.
Also, while we're still talking Masters—that has to be the most beautiful press room in golf, right? Mahogany everything. Looks like Dean Hardscrabble could fly in through a window at any moment and teach Dan Rapaport about the fundamentals of scaring... I'm so sorry, I am watching way too much Monsters University these days.
EPISODE GRADE:
B+
I try to avoid the reviews of this season, but from what snuck through the cracks, it sounds like it's a banger. An excellent episode to kick things off with a level of storytelling that I craved from the first season. It's clear they found their stride and I can't wait to see what else is in store.
If a hole in one at the BBI doesn't do it...
WELCOME TO BB RUSHMORE, KELLY
How'd the Breakfast Balls Invitational go? Honestly... better than I could've imagined. I'll put the nail in the FOMO coffin here but everyone who came were absolutely stellar human beings. I discovered a deep affinity for hearing my own voice on a personal PA system. Great golf was played by many, and I was not one of them.
But the real star of the show was the newest member of the Breakfast Balls Mount Rushmore... Kelly Rauch from Ohio.
Kelly, if you remember, was part of Team Anniversary as her and her husband Ryan both applied to join the BBI. The scheme was to surprise her with the invite but after a marketing email debacle, the surprise was spoiled but their enthusiasm was not.
Carrying an infectious smile from moment one, Kelly proceeded to CLEAN UP on prizes. She was our low net winner, joining (now) fellow Rushmore member Krissy who recorded low gross. Let's hear it for two women taking down the inaugural BBI!
AND
Kelly stepped up to the hole 9 CTP where the MNML golf team were on hand giving away a free bag to anyone who got a hole in one. A prize that, just hours earlier, we suggested should be boosted to a Mercedes because who ON EARTH ever gets a hole in one at these events.
And she hit it. She hit a IU@H#*B@EUBD hole in one!!!! Truly mind-blowing and if that doesn't earn you a spot on Rushmore, I don't know what else I'd be waiting for.
So congrats, Kelly! Look forward to 5-6 more Instagram followers and periodic "how's your life?" check-ins from myself.
Caitlin-sanity continues
SHE GOLFS TOO??
Caitlin Clark has likely covered your news feed this year by not only being one of the most electric college basketball players in years but also passing Pete Maravich as the all-time points leader in college basketball history.
Nike dropped an incredible billboard campaign in Iowa last week to commemorate her. Caitlin is pictured on the side of a building shooting a three. And on the parking garage blocks away and down the street hangs another billboard showing a basket with the text "This was never a long shot."
Iconic.
But if that wasn't enough, Big Ten Network dropped a feature of Caitlin detailing her love for the game of golf and it leaves me asking if there is anything she can't do. One of my favorites trends in golf over the last few years has been the full embrace by elite level athletes.
In the video, Caitlin talks about how the extreme focus required in golf is supremely beneficial and translates well to her basketball career. Ya love to see it.
PGA Tour gets more firepower
THE STAR-TEGIC SPORTS GROUP
News broke this week that the Strategic Sports Group, aka the collective of mega-wealthy sports franchise owners who signed on to the massive investment in the PGA Tour, also included a list of quite important individual contributors as well.
Like, oh, Lebron and Drake (and Chris Pratt... for my Parks and Rec people).
To me, this was the missing piece. I understood on a base level why having sports owners joining another sports league's investment group was good. But a huge question was still around how these people were going to make the PGA Tour—an entertainment product that is now outgained in viewership every week by YouTube golfers—into something that would net a solid return. The answer, as Max Homa mentioned in some of his pressers, was always around the fan experience and being able to better market the Tour.
Now... with Drake and Lebron, I can start to see the people who actually matter enter the equation. With their marketing teams and actual relevance with younger generations, I have much greater confidence that key stakeholders in that room will understand how to bridge the gap.
Still zero indication what the plan actually is—but telling me a Drake and Lebron-led reimagining of the PGA Tour is on its way gets me WAY more pumped than telling me that 73 year old Tom Werner is going to inject youth and excitement into the Tour.
Venn Diagram Test
OUTDOORS-INSPIRED GOLF LOGOS
Venn Diagram test is back this week for all my graphic design and outdoors enthusiasts out there.
@sometimesdraws_ on IG posted this round-up of golf manufacturer logos re-imagined in the style of outdoor adventure brands and I would absolutely PAPER a water bottle with these.
The green band Titleist one in particular is super clean and I dig the detail of the little flag on the right. Odd she chose Srixon as the third company—they're WAY down the list. Maybe she's a Brooks fan.
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