{"id":236411,"date":"2025-10-24T07:49:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T07:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/236411\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T07:49:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T07:49:44","slug":"a-phenoms-incredible-comeback-and-a-7-foot-5-tiger-woods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/236411\/","title":{"rendered":"A phenom\u2019s incredible comeback. And a 7-foot-5 Tiger Woods?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome! Where are you, you ask. I\u2019m calling this the Weekend 9. Think of it as a spot to warm you up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We\u2019ll have thoughts. We\u2019ll have tips. We\u2019ll have tweets. But just nine in all, though sometimes maybe more and sometimes maybe less. As for who I am? The paragraphs below tell some of the story. I can be reached at nick.piastowski@golf.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t know the outcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sports are the realist reality shows we have.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I like that thought. It came last week from Rory McIlroy<\/a>, after being asked to opine on sports viewing following the happenings at the Ryder Cup<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And the quote\u2019s apropos in sharing the story of a tie for 10th at an event in western Australia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A year ago, anyone watching Jeffrey Guan<\/a> expected such finishes. Or better. And on the highest levels. The Australian was one of the next big things. Twice, he won the Australian Junior Amateur. In 2022, he won the Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Last year, on a sponsor\u2019s exemption, he played at the PGA Tour\u2019s Procore Championship. Soon after that event, he returned home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And in a pro-am in September of 2024, the left side of his face was struck by a ball. He underwent procedures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He lost vision in his left eye.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But he kept hope. And his swing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And there Guan was, in late August, playing. He missed the cut in that first tournament back. But then, at that event in western Australia, the CKB WA PGA Championship held earlier this month, Guan finished 10th. And a few days later, on an Instagram post, he wrote this<\/a>:<\/p>\n

A year ago, I wouldn\u2019t have believed I\u2019d play golf again, let alone compete on tour. The journey back has been anything but easy. Mentally, it\u2019s been one of the toughest battles I\u2019ve ever faced. At that point, I wasn\u2019t just injured or out of form. I was mentally and emotionally drained, unsure if I\u2019d ever find my way back. Golf has always been a huge part of my life, but when things fell apart, I felt like I lost a piece of who I was. The pressure, the setbacks, the self doubt \u2026 it all built up. There were days I couldn\u2019t even look at my clubs. Days where just getting out of bed felt like a win. I questioned everything. My ability, my worth, whether I was done for good.<\/p>\n

But this week finishing in the top 10 has proved myself wrong. Here I am. Back. And so truly, incredibly grateful.<\/p>\n

To those who stood by me when I couldn\u2019t see a way forward, thank you. Your support, patience and belief in me carried me through the hardest days. I truly wouldn\u2019t be here without you.<\/p>\n

Feeling nothing but joy, gratitude and excitement to be back doing what I love.<\/p>\n

Back with a fresh perspective and real love for the game again.<\/p>\n

Damn.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The realist reality show.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s see if we can find eight more items for the Weekend 9.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One takeaway from the week that was\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Is Keegan Bradley the best choice to be the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain?<\/p>\n

Or should the Americans look at anyone else \u2014 for Bradley\u2019s benefit?<\/p>\n

I think you can answer yes to both questions, after hearing his comments<\/a> this week at the Travelers Championship media day, which was his first appearance since the U.S. team he captained last month at the Ryder Cup lost to Team Europe<\/a>. Among Bradley thoughts, as captured by the Associated Press\u2019 Jimmy Golen<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u2013\u201cSince the Ryder Cup to now has been one of the toughest times in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013\u201cThis effing event has been so brutal to me. I don\u2019t know if I want to play. No, I do. It\u2019s such a weird thing to love something so much that just doesn\u2019t give you anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013\u201cI\u2019ll forever wonder and wish that I had a chance to play there. The first practice day, I was out on the tee, and I was watching the guys walk down the fairway all together, and I said: \u2018I wish I was playing. That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. I\u2019m missing out.\u2019 By the second or third day, I was like, \u2018It\u2019s a good thing I\u2019m not playing,\u2019 because I was so physically exhausted. \u2026 Good thing I didn\u2019t do it, because it would have been bad. I just didn\u2019t think I could do both jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

No one, you can argue, is more passionate about the event than Bradley. And you need that in a captain. But maybe the poor man\u2019s suffered enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, a win would make for a helluva story.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One takeaway for the weekend\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Wednesday, GOLF\u2019s Dylan Dethier wonderfully broke down<\/a> the news that the Sentry, the PGA Tour\u2019s season-opening event, would be canceled for next year, and he noted that there\u2019s a possibility the event won\u2019t return to Hawaii as the Tour looks into the way it does its business under new CEO Brian Rolapp<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a pro golf consumer, you should like that your product is being audited from top to bottom.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And sports economists will maybe one day write books on the effects LIV Golf has had.<\/p>\n

A thought for your weekend\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. The post below<\/a> did make me at least think.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A high school that interests me\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. A high school in Georgia may get its own three-hole golf course. Rob DiRienzo of Fox 5 Atlanta reported the story, and you can read it here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Michael Jordan video that interests me\u00a0<\/p>\n

6. Tuesday, during NBC\u2019s coverage of the NBA, Michael Jordan<\/a> revealed that he was coaxed into shooting a free throw at the house he was staying at for a recent Ryder Cup, and he admitted he was nervous, as he hadn\u2019t touched a ball in a while \u2014\u00a0but didn\u2019t want to let down those watching.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But is there video of the moment?<\/p>\n

There is. It started to circulate Thursday, and you can watch it below<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Victor Wembanyama quote that interests me\u00a0<\/p>\n

7. More NBA and golf. Wednesday, during ESPN\u2019s coverage of the San Antonio Spurs-Dallas Mavericks game, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama spectacularly drove to the basket and dunked, and that led to a Tiger Woods mention from analyst Jay Bilas. You can watch the video of it below<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A non-golf thought\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

8. My pick to win the NBA title? I\u2019ll say Oklahoma City repeats.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And man, Wemby looks really good.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

What golf is on TV this weekend?<\/p>\n

9. Here\u2019s a rundown of golf on TV this weekend:<\/p>\n

\u2013 Friday\u00a0<\/p>\n

10 p.m. (Thursday) \u2013 3 a.m. ET: Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown, Golf Channel\u00a0<\/p>\n

5 a.m.-8 a.m., ET: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, ESPN2\u00a0<\/p>\n

6 a.m.-9:30 a.m. ET: Genesis Championship second round, Golf Channel\u00a0<\/p>\n

2 p.m.-5 p.m. ET: Simmons Bank Championship first round, Golf Channel\u00a0<\/p>\n

5 p.m.-8 p.m. ET: Bank of Utah Championship second round, Golf Channel\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2013 Saturday\u00a0<\/p>\n

10 p.m. (Friday) \u2013 3 a.m. ET: Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown, Golf Channel<\/p>\n

4 a.m.-7 a.m., ET: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, ESPN2\u00a0<\/p>\n

5 a.m.-7 a.m. ET: Genesis Championship third round, Golf Channel\u00a0<\/p>\n

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET: Simmons Bank Championship second round, Golf Channel\u00a0<\/p>\n

4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. ET: Bank of Utah Championship third round, Golf Channel<\/p>\n

\u2013 Sunday\u00a0<\/p>\n

Midnight-4 a.m. ET: Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown, Golf Channel<\/p>\n

5 a.m.-8 a.m., ET: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, ESPN2\u00a0<\/p>\n

6 a.m.-10 a.m. ET: Genesis Championship final round, Golf Channel\u00a0<\/p>\n

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET: Simmons Bank Championship final round, Golf Channel\u00a0<\/p>\n

4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. ET: Bank of Utah Championship final round, Golf Channel<\/p>\n

What you should also watch this weekend\u00a0<\/p>\n

10. Let\u2019s do 10 items! Below<\/a> is something else to watch. It\u2019s a project I worked on for about a year, and it published last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

“><\/p>\n

What you\u2019re emailing me\u00a0<\/p>\n

11. Let\u2019s do 11 items! This thought was recently emailed to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was exactly a year ago that I read your article<\/a> [headlined] \u2018Tom Kim and never-failing Tim Hortons: 50 Presidents Cup observations.\u2019<\/p>\n

Cards on the table, hailing from the other side of the pond meant I\u2019d never heard of Tim Hortons. However, one line of your article stood out to me \u2014 and I made a point of screenshotting it and occasionally thinking about it during the 12 months leading up to the Ryder Cup:<\/p>\n

\u201c13. The Americans should be a lock at Bethpage. The atmosphere will be a carnival, and the home team rolls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with what happened between the ropes.<\/p>\n

I can only assume when you wrote this that you were giddy at the success of a routine Presidents Cup pummeling of the Internationals. Or maybe at Keegan Bradley proclaiming: \u201cWe are going to Bethpage to kick their f***ing ass.\u201d Instead, the U.S. team was comprehensively dismantled in their own backyard for the first four sessions, although great credit to the U.S. for their Sunday fightback.<\/p>\n

Each time the Ryder Cup rolls around, one thing never fails to surprise me. It\u2019s the unerring confidence with which Americans predict a U.S. victory \u2014 or, in your case, overwhelming victory. This is despite the record now showing that Europe has triumphed in 11 of the past 15 editions \u2014 including five of the past 10 stateside.<\/p>\n

I grant you that futurology can be tricky when it comes to predicting sports results \u2014 so let\u2019s look at your prediction of the event\u2019s vibe.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t there and you were \u2014 but where do you even start with this horror show. Perhaps the emcee kicking off Saturday morning by encouraging 5,000 spectators (including children) to chant: \u201cF** you, Rory\u201d? Or what about other obscene remarks, often made mid-swing? Or what about a squadron of state troopers being called in to police the McIlroy-Lowry fourball match on Saturday? This was nothing less than a significant minority reveling in an unrelenting campaign of hatred and cruelty.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

And you foresaw \u2026 a carnival atmosphere?\u00a0<\/p>\n

I mean, given the depravity of what transpired, that must be one of the most erroneous predictions in the history of golf.<\/p>\n

Yet even here in the UK, people knew Bethpage was a car crash waiting to happen. Your \u2018carnival atmosphere\u2019 was presumably predicated on a U.S. landslide \u2014 but did you think that would make the crowd nicey-nicey to Europe?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now I don\u2019t want to be holier than thou about this. I\u2019m well aware European crowds aren\u2019t perfect. There is a depressing trend over here over unpleasant comments being made toward players. But it barely registers compared to what went down at Bethpage. And even when it comes to the Ryder Cup, the European banter is at least born from creativity and humour, such as the \u201chats off to your bank account\u201d chant at Patrick Cantlay in 2023.<\/p>\n

Of course, Keegan Bradley desperately tried to invent some alternative facts about \u201cviolence\u201d in Rome. The only violence I saw was Rory being restrained from Bones!<\/p>\n

From a personal perspective, my lasting impression from Bethpage should have been celebration at a European triumph. But you know what? It wasn\u2019t. As the TV director cut to the thousands of U.S. fans departing while matches were still out on the course, my thought wasn\u2019t about the golf. It was about how a number of these fans had been happy to dish out non-stop filth to the European players and their wives \u2014 yet when faced with their own adversity (namely a European win), these \u2018supporters\u2019 showed their true colors by fleeing for the exits and scuttling back home at the earliest opportunity. They were the real losers \u2013 not Team USA.<\/p>\n

And, ultimately, it felt like there was an even bigger loser \u2014 the spirit of golf. Knocked down and kicked into the gutter.<\/p>\n

Some carnival.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s hope for better things at Adare Manor in 2027!<\/p>\n

A fall golf thought\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

12. Let\u2019s do a dozen items! Doesn\u2019t the Weekend 9 usually publish on Fridays? It does. But this Friday, I\u2019m heading out on a fall golf trip. Should be a good one. Golf. Golf sodas. Repeat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I hope you\u2019re going to do (or have already done) the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n