Rory McIlroy couldn’t resist the hero shot and more bits and bites from the golf world

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/01/2022 (1655 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bits, Bites and Barbs from around the world of golf:

Bits

Good for Maude-Aimee Leblanc. In her first start of the LPGA Tour season she finished tied for eighth, two spots behind one of her playing competitors on the final day, Brooke Henderson. Leblanc, who retired from competitive golf briefly before a successful return to what is now the Epson Tour last year, is one of the most talented ball-strikers Canada has produced. I watched her at a CP Women’s Open in Calgary and marvelled at the way she hit the ball. Her short game and a rather explosive temper held her back in the past. Would love to see her get in contention on the big stage and show off her skills … What do you mean Torrey Pines is Jon Rahm’s happy place? All he could muster last week there was a tie for third … Kidding, folks … David Hearn will get his fourth PGA Tour start of the 2021-22 season this week in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the field for which has been decimated by so many stars being lured to this week’s PIF Saudi International by big appearance fees. Hearn, whose status is a ways down the PGA Tour pecking order, had a tough go of it in the two Korn Ferry Tour Bahamas events in January, carding rounds of 83-75-73-76 to miss both cuts. It should be said, however, that those events are always somewhat of a crapshoot because of high winds … I’ve got the Bengals in a tight game. Joe Burrow will find a way … Took out the putter and a putting mat last night for the first time all winter. After nearly a lifetime of playing the game, I’m still amazed that a club can feel so uncomfortable in one’s hands after a long break.

Bites

There are often weather issues in Monterey, Calif., at this time of year and what is perceived by many players as the agony of long rounds associated with playing in a pro-am event, but imagine having the choice to either play Pebble Beach or in Saudi Arabia and choosing the latter? Money sure does talk … The question is often asked what is better for professional golf: one dominant player, such as Tiger Woods or Annika Sorenstam, or parity at the top of the world rankings, like we’ve had for some time now. It’s the dominant player. Every time. Brings eyeballs to the sport that might otherwise give it a pass. Whether those fans are rooting for or against that clear No. 1, people want to watch history in the making. Just look at “Jeopardy.” Ratings soared during Amy Schneider’s recent 40-game win streak. And spiked before that during Matt Amodio’s run. And of course during Ken Jennings’ reign. It’s the same with golf. The sport will always be more popular when one player is ruling … In the wake of Sorenstam returning to play some events and being very active promoting various initiatives and products on social media, it strikes me how little we’ve heard from Lorena Ochoa since she retired in 2010 at No. 1 in the world and just 28 years old. I’d love to see her return to play some exhibitions here and there, but I respect her desire for privacy and a life outside the spotlight more.

Barbs

There’s little wonder as to why many golf courses, especially modern designs built to host professional tournaments, finish with a risk-reward par 5. The 18th at longtime RBC Canadian Open host Glen Abbey, for example, was such a hole before technology advancements rendered it reachable in two for all tour pros. You can think of others quickly, I bet. The final hole at PGA National, where the Honda Classic is held. The final hole of the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills, where the LPGA Tour’s first major of the season has long been held. (Sadly, that event, now sponsored by Chevron, will move away from Mission Hills beginning next year.) Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Kapalua, TPC Louisiana, TPC Twin Cities and more. It’s almost a cliché to play a public golf course and find a par-5 18th hole with water hugging one side of the fairway or green or both. They’re commonplace because they force a decision upon a player when it matters most. With a tournament on the line, the player must weigh the advantages of pulling off the hero shot against the dangers of a disastrous miss. Such a scenario was on full display on Sunday at the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic, where Rory McIlroy, tied for the lead playing the par-5 last, sent a 267-yard three-wood into the water. It cost him the tournament, or at least a spot in a playoff, won by Viktor Hovland. McIlroy is obviously among the best golfers in the world and perhaps has more ability to play such a shot successfully than any of his peers. But it’s easy to second-guess his choice. Laying up would have put a wedge in McIlroy’s hands, and from somewhere around 100 yards the likelihood of him having a putt inside 15 feet for the outright victory would have been very high. At worst, he misses and heads to extra holes. The game’s longest hitters never put enough faith in their scoring clubs. There is no better example of this than Phil Mickelson infamously throwing away the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. After his errant drive Mickelson could have played back into the fairway and relied on his excellent wedge game to scramble for par. That 18th hole wasn’t a par 5 but it essentially became one for Mickelson after his tee shot. But the siren call of the hero shot was too difficult to resist. Just as it was for McIlroy in Dubai. Laying up certainly isn’t always the right call — though it sure did work for Mike Weir and Zach Johnson when they won their Masters titles — but always going for the gusto isn’t either. Golf is the most mental game there is, which makes the risk-reward finishing hole the most entertaining in the game.

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Obscure thought of the week: Nothing makes me want to have handyman skills more than looking at the sale prices homes getting flipped in my neighbourhood are getting.

Jason Logan is the editor of SCOREGolf Magazine and is based in Toronto. He is a contributor to the Star’s Sports section. Follow him on Twitter: @jasonSCOREGolf