Mitchell holds nerve to deny big guns
WHO WOULD have thought unheralded American Keith Mitchell had a prayer when up against a charging Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler down the stretch at the Honda Classic yesterday.
The 27- year- old, in just his second year on the PGA Tour, had to somehow keep his nerve when up against two birdies in the last three holes from current double major champion Koepka, and three in the last four from Fowler.
Yet that is just what he did. As they waited in the wings for a play-off, Mitchell calmly rolled in a 20ft birdie putt at the 18th to upstage them for a one- stroke success on nine under par.
Vijay Singh, bidding to become the oldest winner in PGA Tour history at the age of 56, kept his remarkable challenge alive until the 17th hole, where a bogey put paid to his hopes and he eventually finished three shots back on six under.
The exciting finish helped divert attention from another torrid week on the PGA Tour, filled with criticism and ridicule regarding the controversial new rules which came into effect on January 1.
Matters came to a head on Saturday night when world No 3 Justin Thomas, the most strident critic among the top players regarding the new regulations, was told by America’s governing body: ‘We need to talk.’
The USGA contacted Thomas following a barrage of criticism from the American on Twitter, as the damaging civil war between the players and the game’s rules makers continued unabated. Thomas set the tone in his press conference on Wednesday. ‘There’s no reason for me to sit up here and tell you guys that I think the rules changes are great,’ he said. ‘I don’t, I think they are terrible.’
His ire only increased on Saturday following another highly contentious ruling regarding American Adam Schenk, who was retrospectively penalised two strokes after falling foul of the new regulation regarding caddie alignment.
The pictures looked damning, with caddie Mark Carens clearly standing behind Schenk as he considered a difficult bunker shot. But Schenk’s explanation was also plausible — not that it did him any good.
‘We were assessing how to play the shot and, because I was standing in the bunker, there was nowhere else for him to stand,’ he said.
‘The intention was never to cheat, we were just going through my options.’
The penalty meant Schenk went into the final round three shots off the lead, rather than a stroke, and sent Thomas into overdrive at the perceived unfairness of the decision.
‘Justin, we need to talk,’ their response on Twitter began, before lambasting Thomas after he said the USGA needed to do a better job at communicating with the players. ‘You’ve cancelled every meeting we’ve planned with you, but we are reaching out again. We were at the first five events, and tournaments last year, and your tour has had a seat at the table for seven years. Call us.’
Thomas denied cancelling meetings yesterday, calling the remarks ‘inaccurate and hurtful’.
There does not appear much chance of peace breaking out with the Masters just a month away, does there?