Reed is the every man. Could be working construction in Des Moines or tending bar on a cruise ship. I think he will be popular with whatever remains of golf's working class fans.

They need to toughen that course up a bit again. Some of the holes have become a bit of a snooze.

I am curious what all the hype is about a "comeback"?

He is back. He is playing the game.

Just not as well as many others.

Happens to all the past great golfers.

If the comeback is for him to return to the record setting golfer of 20 years ago....that is an unrealistic expectation.

He is no longer that golfer (or person).

The way the course plays is very dependent on the weather. When it rains and it softens up, it does play too easy. If you were there Thursday, you probably wouldn't be saying that.

But I think that the real problem is the ball. It simply goes too far. I heard that the USGA is revisiting the issue, but I think that the PGA Tour should have a different ball than the rest of us.

The problem with the ball going so far is that courses are becoming outdated. In most cases, there is not enough real estate surrounding many courses to lengthen them. Even Augusta National with their unlimited budget and access to outlying property is not going to be able to keep up with the ball.

I watched players on 240-yard fourth hole on Thursday hitting irons to a back pin position.

Unless the wind is blowing, the 15th is a driver and a seven iron for many players. Except for #3 all of the par fours at Augusta are in excess of 440 yards. These players without exception are hitting short irons to every hole. The 11th is 505 yards and it's a driver and short iron. The sixth was playing at 184 yards and most of the leaders were hitting nine iron. Granted, they are both downhill, but that is simply absurd. The only real par five at Augusta is #8. Par should really be 69. Number 2 is a good drive and a mid-iron and #13 is a six iron if they hit a decent drive. There is no place to lengthen these holes. They could move the tee on 13 to the left to make it more of a dogleg and force a layup, but that's not interesting to watch or play.

Of course, it's a combination of clubs, ball and players getting bigger and stronger. Today all of the players on the PGA tour are spending hours in the fitness vans stretching and strengthening. The fitness and strength of the players can't be controlled nor can the clubs. The one thing that the Tour and The USGA can control is the ball. Like I said a special tour spec ball would make the professional game a lot more interesting. I can't remember seeing a player have to hit a driver and three iron to a par four like Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer did in their days.

That's a good synopsis. Do you have a favorite course to watch, challenging wise? I mean I always liked Pebble obviously but the last few times haven't been great IMO. Erin Hills last year was a disaster.

Reed's colorful past and family estrangement making the rounds of the media/ papers, including Daily Mail of UK.

Or stealing money and Scotty Cameron putters in locker rooms.

Yeah I didn't know about that stuff til I read the articles before....

" John Daly " Part 2 :plane: