BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 30: Henrik Stenson of Majesticks GC looks on from the 15th fairway during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 30, 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
31 JULY, 2022 - SHANK MEDIA, BY MATT HOOPER: THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING ALMOST EVERY ASPECT OF LIV GOLF HAS BEEN HIGH, BUT PERHAPS NO MORE SO THAN WHEN HENRIK STENSON WAS STRIPPED OF THE RYDER CUP CAPTAINCY DURING THE WEEK FOLLOWING THE 150TH OPEN. THE SWEDE WAS APPOINTED TO THE POSITION IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, AND MANY FELT THAT WOULD END THE LINKS BETWEEN THE 2016 OPEN CHAMPION AND THE GREG NORMAN-LED START UP CIRCUIT. BUT IT DID NOT.
FOR STENSON THE LOSS OF THE CAPTAINCY IS CLEARLY A VERY SORE ONE, AND ONE HE FEELS IS UNJUST, AND PART OF THE POLITICAL GAMES BEING PLAYED BY THE ESTABLISHED TOURS, AND LET'S FACE IT WE WOULD ALL FEEL THE SAME IF WE WERE IN THE SAME POSITION. AT TIMES THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK THE 46-YEAR-OLD FROM GOTHENBURG HAS HAD PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE SITUATION, AND WHILST CLEARLY SHOWING HIS DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE DECISION BY RYDER CUP EUROPE, HE LET HIS CLUBS DO THE TALKING AT TRUMP NATIONAL BEDMINSTER.
HE BACKED UP HIS SPECTACULAR OPENING ROUND OF 64 WITH SOLID BACK TO BACK ROUNDS OF 69, AND HIS GAME PLAN TO KEEP THE BIG NUMBERS OFF HIS CARD TODAY WORKED, AND KEPT THE CHASING MATTHEW WOLFF AT BAY.
HIS REACTION AT 18 SHOWED A RELIEVED BUT HAPPY, AND DETERMINED PLAYER. A MAN OF LITTLE OUTWARD EMOTION AS A RULE, STENSON SHOWED WHAT THIS WIN MEANT TO HIM IN THE LIGHT OF THE CONTROVERSIAL HAPPENINGS OF THE LAST 10 DAYS. AS MORE AND MORE BIG NAMES WIN EVENTS ON LIV GOLF, AND AS MORE TELL OTHERS HOW GREAT THIS CIRCUIT IS, I THINK THE ESTABLISHED TOURS HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM COMING IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, WITH THE PGA TOUR SEASON WINDING DOWN NEXT MONTH.
STENSON HAS BEEN WRITTEN OFF AS BEING PAST IT, LIKE MOST OTHERS WHO HAVE MOVED TO LIV. HE DEMONSTRATED CLEARLY THIS WEEK THAT THE NARRATIVE IS A FALSE ONE, WITH STELLAR IRON PLAY AND RESILIENT SHORT GAME TO HOLD OFF A YOUNG RISING STAR IN WOLFF AND ONE OF THE MODERN GREATS IN JOHNSON.
BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 30: Henrik Stenson of Majesticks GC plays an approach shot on the 15th hole during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 30, 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
4 ACES WIN TEAM COMPETITION FOR SECOND STRAIGHT EVENT
THE ADDITION OF PATRICK REED TO THE 4 ACES ALONG WITH THE CONSISTENT PLAY OF DUSTIN JOHNSON HAS SEEN THE ALL-AMERICAN TEAM MARCH TO SUCCESS AT PUMPKIN RIDGE AND TRUMP BEDMINSTER, WITH A 7-SHOT WIN IN OREGON AND AN EVEN MORE EMPHATIC 8-SHOT WIN IN NEW JERSEY. THE MAJESTICKS, CAPTAINED BY LEE WESTWOOD AND INCLUDING THE VICTORIOUS STENSON CAME UP JUST SHY IN SECOND PLACE THIS WEEK, WITH SERGIO GARCIA'S APTLY NAMED FIREBALLS TAKING THE 3RD STEP ON THE PODIUM FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT EVENT.
BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 30: Team Captain Dustin Johnson of 4 Aces GC plays his second shot on the 18th hole during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 30, 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
DUSTIN JOHNSON CONTENDS AGAIN
DUSTIN JOHNSON WAS THE BIG NAME SIGNING AT THE LAUNCH OF LIV GOLF AND IN EACH EVENT THE AMERICAN FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE AND TWO-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION HAS CONTENDED, FINISHING 8TH AT CENTURION CLUB, 4TH AT PUMPKIN RIDGE AND NOW 3RD AT TRUMP BEDMINSTER. ROUNDS OF 67, 69 AND 68 SAW HIM FINISH 2 SHOTS BEHIND STENSON IN NEW JERSEY.
BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 30: A general view is seen as Patrick Reed of 4 Aces GC plays his shot from the first tee during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 30, 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
LOVE TRUMP OR HATE TRUMP, HIS COURSES ARE INCREDIBLE
TRUMP NATIONAL BEDMINSTER WAS SLATED TO THE HOST THIS YEAR'S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRIOR TO THE JANUARY 6 EVENTS AT THE CAPITOL IN 2021, AND THE PGA OF AMERICA RIGHTLY DECIDED TO STRIP THE VENUE OF THE YEAR'S SECOND MAJOR. SO WITHOUT QUESTION IT ADDS TO THE CONTROVERSY OF LIV GOLF BY STAGING NOT ONE BUT TWO EVENTS ON HIS COURSES IN 2022, BUT NOBODY CAN DENY THAT HIS COURSE AT BEDMINSTER IS OF MAJOR CALIBRE.
ONCE AGAIN LIV GOLF SET UP A STUNNING TEST FOR THE PLAYERS, AND WHILST THEIR EVENTS MAY WELL BE ONLY PLAYED OVER 54 HOLES, WITH NO CUT, NOBODY CAN ALSO DENY THAT THE TEST PRESENTED EACH WEEK SO FAR HAS BEEN OF MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP STANDARD. MISSING THE FAIRWAYS IS TRULY THE PENALTY IT SHOULD BE, AND WE HAVE SEEN 3 GREAT WINNERS SO FAR WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED GREAT SKILL AT EVERY FACET OF THE GAME, FROM ACCURACY OFF THE TEE TO CLUTCH PUTTING AND RAZOR SHARP SHORT GAME.
FEHERTY A BRILLIANT ADDITION, JERRY FOLTZ AN ANNOYANCE
DAVID FEHERTY SLIPPED INTO THE BROADCAST TEAM PERFECTLY AND PROVIDED HIS USUAL MIX OF WHIT, HUMOUR AND KNOWLEDGE. THE 1991 RYDER CUP TEAM MEMBER HAS BEEN A PREVIOUS ON COURSE COMMENTATOR FOR CBS AND NBC, ALONG WITH HOSTING HIS OWN SHOW ON GOLF CHANNEL FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HIS CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE THREE DAYS AT TRUMP BEDMINSTER WERE ASTUTE, ENTERTAINING AND KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE BROADCAST, ALONGSIDE THE EXCELLENT ARLO WHITE.
HOWEVER, JERRY FOLTZ DOES NOT BELONG IN THIS COMPANY, HIS CONTRIBUTIONS ARE ANNOYING, INACCURATE AND UNNECESSARY. HE KEEPS WANTING TO STATE HOW MUCH MONEY THE PLAYERS ARE MAKING, WHICH WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW, AND HIS RIDICULOUS RYDER CUP COMPARISONS MAKE LIV LOOK SILLY, VERY VERY SILLY.
LIV GOLF TAKES A BREAK FOR THE WHOLE OF AUGUST WITH THE PGA TOUR PLAYOFFS TAKING PLACE, RETURNING THE WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 2 FOR THEIR FOURTH EVENT, AT THE INTERNATIONAL NEAR BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
