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Scottie (and SGA) Establish Dominance Against Lesser Peers

Thankfully, the PGA Championship is over for another year.

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“I was nervous, to be honest…To know if you don't bring your A-game, it could all be over. But I think that nervousness motivated me.” - SGA, conquers the nerves

🎙️ Leading Off

SGA sends Aaron Gordon home. Another soft tissue injury dooms an NBA playoff series. I just watched the Knicks play 5 guys 44 minutes a night. Thankfully, they rest till Wednesday, but if you aren’t expecting one of their stars to get hurt, then you aren’t watching the playoffs. Are you prepared for the Pacers in the Finals?

Conference Finals are set:

Thunder vs Wolves

Knicks vs Pacers

Stars vs Oilers

Panthers vs Hurricanes

OKC, Minnesota, NYC, Indianapolis, Dallas, Edmonton, Ft. Lauderdale, Raleigh. A proper representation the country (and Edmonton).

⛳️ Hard In The Paint

(RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Can’t wait to see Quail Hollow next year (every year) at the Wells Fargo. Na, I’m playin. This won’t be a takedown of the course, Rahm, or Colt Knost. Scott Schef already did that. Rather, let’s ask a simple question: what are we celebrating this week?

Each of golf’s majors is designed to highlight a unique theme of the sport. The Open highlights history and the game’s beginnings. Augusta highlights architecture, agronomy, Tiger and Jack. The US Open is a true national championship (from many, one). Can anyone describe what the PGA Championship puts on a pedastol?

Sure, the field contains club professionals (real people with W2’s!). We get an occasional stimulating golf course (Kiawah, Whistling Straits, Bethpage). But, watching Scottie crush the field at a normal country club didn’t reveal anything about the game of golf that I didn’t already know. The holes are long. Wow. Is that the defining feature of this tournament? Check a few from Sunday’s scorecard:

- Hole 6, par 3: 252 yards

- Hole 9, par 4: 532 yards

- Hole 16, par 4: 515 yards

- Hole 18, par 4: 504 yards

Each year we’re going to watch this tournament because the hole are long and ball go far? Pass. More to the point, is that what the nation’s organized teaching body wants to encourage? Is there nothing in the game we can focus on beyond distance?

I’m not the only pundit (I’m a pundit now) questioning what the PGA Championship can improve. It used to be a match play format. Should it return to that (it won’t). Should it return to August instead of May? Do we just need better courses? There’s too many questions for a tournament that’s been played for more than 100 years. We should’ve been answering these along the way.

Alright, let’s find something. Let’s wrap this year up. Store away our bitchin for another and get on to next week. What can we hold dear from Scott’s win at Quail Hollow? What can we congratulate the PGA of America for? Two things:

- Scott wins a major outside of Augusta. He shoved this course. It won’t happen this year, but we’re one step closer to the Scottie Career Grand Slam.

- The TopTracer technology was fantastic. The overhead drone shots combined with the Tracer are impressive. We’ve talked about how/why courses are chosen to host events. The infrastructure required for Drone Tracers isn’t something we see every week. Perhaps that should be this tournament’s angle. Let’s make it the Tech Major.

📻 Over The Air

📡 JumboTron: Tonight’s Must Watch

All times PST

☎️ The Phone Line

Best thing on the timeline today:

POV: You just had to play 18 holes with Scottie Scheffler

— hartzm01 (@hartzm01)
11:23 PM • May 17, 2025

This is Scottie Scheffler's 140th professional start.

He won zero times in his first 70 starts.

Today would be his 15th win in his last 70 starts.

— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp)
5:29 PM • May 18, 2025

Walkup Song

Walkup Song

Galantis

For Scottie, to the rest of the field:

Spotify