Tantalising triumvirate
Players conspicuous by their absence in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and King Abdullah Economic City for the inaugural Saudi International threatened to dominate the early narrative of this year’s Desert Swing. It looked for a while there that Rory, Rosey, Rahm and reigning European No.1 Francesco Molinari were set to start their seasons on the PGA Tour, resurgent Danny Willett too.
Now it seems Rory McIlroy has reconsidered his tour membership for 2019 following a ‘crisis’ meeting with European Tour chief Keith Pelley and could yet tee it up in the 30th Desert Classic after all, albeit after starting his year in Hawaii. It was purely speculation as we went to press - another report had him playing Abu Dhabi given its Rolex Series upgrade - but with Justin Rose part of a “box-office” lineup confirmed for Saudi the previous day, suddenly all appeared well with our little part of the golf world again.
Maybe we needn’t of fretted anyway given the tantalising PGA Tour triumvirate set to buck the worrying early season and eastward trend now the first three majors of the year are in the U.S. and Europe’s elite feel they should mostly be there too.
Underappreciated Brooks Koepka. Kooky Bryson DeChambeau. And Masters champion Patrick Reed, a man who has had a “hated” prefix/asterisk attached to his name by PGA Tour peer Kevin Kisner. But more on the Masters champion later.
Like pal Dustin Johnson who will play Abu Dhabi and Saudi, Koepka is not exactly an extrovert in his dealings with the media. That probably explains why, in a classic chicken and egg scenario, the American feels undervalued despite his two major championship wins last season.
Pre-tournament media conferences happen in one of three ways; a player is widely requested; the sanctioning tour has PR to peddle or appearance fees demand it. When Koepka failed to fall into any category at East Lake ahead of the PGA Tour’s season finale, coach Claude Harmon III described his charge as “the most under-theradar three-time major winner of all time.”
It’s a given Koepka will be summoned before the media in Abu Dhabi but count on the PGA Tour Player-of-the-Year again letting his golf do most of the talking on The National course.
DeChambeau’s presser in Dubai promises to be far more entertaining. Save for his occasional tantrums, the 25-year-old Californian’s idiosyncrasies are the very antitheist of the oftvanilla PGA Tour offering.
Blandness is certainly not something you can pin on Reed either. The U.S. Ryder Cup fallout rumbles on, much of it fuelled by Captain America’s brutal honesty following his pairings divorce from Jordan Spieth. Reed’s truth is rarely popular as Kisner shared in an explosive interview, claiming Reed’s former university mates “all hate him”. Tiger retorted by apparently telling U.S. captain Jim Furyk he’d loved teaming up with Reed at Le Golf National. “This kid’s as tough as nails. I’d roll with him anytime.” You certainly don’t have to like Reed to admire his golf game or the fact he wants to be a worldwide player. Curiously, he hasn’t won outside America but after going close at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Nov., it wouldn’t surprise if he breaks his duck in Saudi.
At least he’s turning up. There will still be Euro stars conspicuously absent but no lack of storylines thanks to a big hitter with an even bigger chip on his shoulder, golf’s own ‘Mad Scientist’ and a guy who is probably the most misunderstood of them all. Another utterly absorbing Desert Swing awaits.
“Count on Koepka letting his golf do most of the talking in Abu Dhabi.”