After days of healthy play, I suspect GC and NBC are enormously glad. I mean, this may had been a terrible state of affairs.
First there has been Tiger, Phil, and Adam all skipping the WGC-Accenture absolutely. They all had flawlessly appropriate excuses however you may be pretty positive they just do not like the Dove Mountain route.
Then, after two days, all the #1 seeds are gone. No more Zach. No more Rosie. No greater Rory. No extra Stensonator. Plus Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood tanked the very first day!
My gosh, that is a catastrophe, is not it? Won't the TV rankings be killed?
Hardly. For the primary time I can ever consider, the truth that all the top seeds are long gone means particularly little. For you see, my buddies, we can argue that maximum of the fan favorites are still right here. Let's do a quick roll call...
Jordan Spieth? Here. (Didn't you hear the roar when he holed out from the bunker?)
Bubba Watson? Here. There. Everywhere... but still able to hit the green.
Jason Dufner? Here. (He raised his hand but the movement was so slight you may not have noticed.)
Jason Day? Present, mate.
Graeme McDowell? He's at the bar sipping a Guinness, but he'll be at the first tee on time.
Rickie Fowler? He's that glowing orange light over there.
Matt Kuchar? Just follow the trail of bodies left by the Smiling Assassin. It's Friday and he's still smiling.
Plus we've nonetheless were given Sergio and Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk and... Well, you get the factor. It appears that some of the maximum popular players have advanced the styles of followings as soon as restrained to the most important names in the sport.
I realize some human beings assume it's a signal of the apocalypse and the sad end result of commercializing the game, but I say that is a very good element. Everybody tends to realize the massive call players in most sports activities, even though they aren't into that game. (Hey, I know who Alexander Ovechkin is and I do not even observe hockey.) It's whilst this next tier of players turns into recognised which you understand a sport is turning into a larger part of society.
That's wherein we are at. People are starting to understand players in the Top25 to Top50 in the ratings, no longer just the pinnacle two or three, and they are tuning in and showing up at tournaments to follow them. That's not just properly for TV ratings -- this is right for each person golfing fanatics. It manner more exposure for the game and extra golf announces for us to observe.
And, thankfully, it approach an exciting in shape play event despite all the "huge names" long past.
BTW, all but considered one of my Final Four selections are nevertheless in it. And considering one of the GC journalists started the day via saying that Patrick Reed had impressed him the maximum of any participant at some stage in the primary spherical, I'm blaming Reed's exit Thursday after 21 holes on "the announcer curse."
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;-)
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