Jul 28, 2021 5 min read Email

THE STARTER SHACK

Tony Romo brings his own cart to the Texas State Open while Johnny Manziel forgets his pants. Things are getting weird in Texas.

🥇 Fat Olympic hopeful (their words)

🧐 This pro hates the PGA Tour and said as much on twitter

⚔️ It's military service if they don't win medals

⛳️ Golf pros given worst Olympic uniforms in the history of the Olympics (not fact, just our opinion)

PGA TOUR

Playing Golf with a Metaphorical Bayonet to Your Neck

Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim are representing South Korea at this week’s Olympic Golf competition. These two gentlemen have extra motivation this week besides the corny medal chewing photo opp on the podium.

With a medal win, Im and Kim can avoid obligatory service in the South Korean military.

In short, military service is mandatory for adult South Korean men:

They have until the age of 28 to enlist
They must serve at least 18 months

There are exemptions to this rule (hence this article), but they are more rare than Billy Mayfair using a straight back-straight through putting stroke:

An Olympic Games medal win
Asian Games gold medal (this is only for amateurs)
Other high profile events (World Cup soccer, World Baseball Classic)

Even wins of this stature don’t get Im or Kim completely off the hook:

They’d still be required to complete four weeks of basic training
They’d be placed in the army reserves in the future after four years of professional playing

There is precedent for South Korean golfers getting exempted:

K.H. Lee - Asian Games team gold (2010)
Sung Kang - Asian Games gold (2006)

Other players have simply avoided this service through national (country) association:

Charlie Wi, Kevin Na both became US citizens at a young age

Sangmoon Bae had this two year interruption at the peak of his golfing prowess:

Two time PGA tour winner, 2015 Presidents Cup, enlisted in November 2015
Discharged in 2017, currently struggling on Korn Ferry Tour, ranked 933rd in the world

If all else fails, these professional golfers can channel their inner K-pop boy band BTS who have had their military service deferred.

Although this likely has more to do with the $4.5+ billion in GDP they are responsible for rather than the soul destroying tunes they put out.

GIMME

Pro hates PGA Tour: how do we know? Because Grayson Murray, said Pro, said as much on a twitter rant. It seemed more of a plea than a rant. Murray has battled alcohol and the pressures of being a traveling professional and stated that the PGA Tour has done zilch in helping him cope.
Brain melting information: here is all the information Tim Tucker was responsible to gather and calculate for DeChambeau. Air density, green density, green slope percentage, rollout, blah, blah, blah. And here we thought stepping off sprinkler heads and throwing grass in there air was scientific.
Shake your money-makers: is something entirely different for Phil Mickelson. Phil's money-maker may be his golf game but it could also be his calf game. In his latest Amstel Light commercial, Phil pulls the ultimate flex.
TaylorMade's 1.8 billion deal: is now being joined by a Korean billionaire-led clothing company. Did you know that KPS Capital Partners bought TaylorMade from Adidas for $425 million in 2017. Pretty good return.
Fat Olympic hopeful: Norway's golf team is not getting off to a warm and fuzzy start. Viktor Hovland used to hate his teammate and his teammate remembers Hovland as a fat little kid. GO TEAM! Norway doesn't expect much from the Summer Olympics anyway.
Only way he could make an Olympic Team: Rory Sabbatini isn't the most liked guy on tour so it comes across as weird when a country (that he wasn't born in or reside in) wants to adopt him as their own. Sabbatini received Slovakian citizenship through is wife and can now play under the Slovakian flag at the Olympics...because there was no way he is good enough to play under the South African flag.
Tony Romo is so cool: no, literally he's so cool. He showed up to the Texas State Open with an air conditioned golf cart. This guy must be a riot on buddies trips. "Guys, I can't ride in the mini-van with you because of my chronic egotitis...I've got to take my jet...but there's no room for you. Byyyeeeee".
Poor man's air conditioned cart: apparently Johnny Manziel showed up to the first tee of the Texas State Open in shorts. Just because you got to wear padded capri's in football doesn't mean you get to do that as a professional golfer! Manziel needed to find a pair of pants stat before he teed off...shorts are not allowed at Bushwood!

PIC OF THE DAY

At first blush we thought Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman were recruited to a soccer team, or beach volleyball, or maybe tennis, possibly perhaps cycling, even table tennis...? No, no, we were way off, these are their golf outfits. To say the mark has been missed is like saying "good hole" after firing 3 OB off the tee and sitting in the cart the rest of the hole.

W(was)ITB

Our therapist says that a physical attraction to golf clubs is nothing to be ashamed of...in case you were wondering or feeling a hint of shame after looking at these beauties. There are little businesses popping up all over the place that are taking the old and making them new and beautiful.

INSIDE THE ROPES

This is like watching a car accident...you just can't look away no matter how horrific!

No, Brooks Koepka isn't dancing at the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Nor is this a happy dance because DeChambeau got booted from the Olympics. This is Koepka making moves at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Launch .

GOLF GEAR

Trap Golf is bringing something fresh and youthful to the game of golf.

If you don't like t-shirts, hoodies, or music on the golf course, ignore this post and go buy the Australian Olympic Golf Uniform. Or maybe it's the cycling uniform, who knows. But if you're into something new and fresh check out TRAP GOLF.

*not a sponsored post

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