Show notes
Is It Put Up or Shut Up Time for Jordan Spieth? Plus Early Open Championship Picks | Mailbag
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Golf Live mailbag is back.
Trey Wingo and Justin Ray answer your questions this week on Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, early Open Championship picks, Sergio Garcia missing the field, US Open setups, dream courses and why Justin somehow has not played golf yet this year.
Duncan is also back from paternity leave, which means the disembodied voice has officially returned.
Jordan Spieth and Sponsor Exemptions
The first question gets right to it. If sponsor exemptions are going away, what does that mean for Jordan Spieth?
Trey’s answer: play better and stop hitting it crooked.
Justin’s answer is basically the same. If the PGA Tour is leaning harder into meritocracy, even someone as accomplished and popular as Spieth cannot just be a famous name and expect to get into events. At some point, it becomes put up or shut up.
Trey also points out the stat that still feels hard to believe: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have both won majors more recently than Jordan Spieth has won on the PGA Tour.
Where Is Justin Rose’s Game?
Justin Rose came out hot this year, but the bigger point is where his focus is now.
Justin Ray says Rose’s best weeks are still coming in the events he cares about most. Third at the Masters. Top ten at the PGA. Tied for 11th at the US Open. He is gearing everything toward the biggest championships because, at this stage of his career, those are the weeks that matter.
Trey compares it to the veteran mindset. The majors, the old courses, the events with history. That is where the energy comes from.
Early Open Championship Picks
The mailbag then turns to Royal Birkdale.
Justin starts with Scottie Scheffler. Everyone keeps asking what is wrong with him because he only has one win this year, but statistically he is still almost exactly where he was at this point last season.
Trey brings up Rory McIlroy, who has only one Open Championship win, back at Hoylake in 2014. If Rory is going to keep chasing the second leg of a double career grand slam, this is another real opportunity.
Matt Fitzpatrick also gets mentioned as a strong fit because Birkdale is not only about power. It is about avoiding the right trouble, managing the bunkers and playing smart.
And then there is Jon Rahm. A strong Scottish Open week could send him right back up the Open odds board.
Sergio Garcia Missing the Open
The biggest surprise non-qualifier?
Sergio Garcia.
Justin says it first, and Trey agrees immediately. Sergio has played the Open Championship 26 times, with ten top-ten finishes and two runner-up finishes. For a generation of golf fans, he has always been part of this championship.
For European players, the Open is different. It is their championship. And with Seve Ballesteros as Sergio’s idol, never winning it is probably going to stick with him more than anything else.
US Open Setups and Bad Breaks
One viewer was tired of “tricked up” US Open courses, where good shots can roll away and bad misses sometimes get better breaks.
Trey gets the frustration, but he is fine with the US Open making players suffer a little. There are plenty of weeks where the PGA Tour sets up for low scores. The US Open is supposed to be different.
Justin’s view is simple: you cannot please everybody. Some of the bad breaks, good breaks and strange bounces are part of what makes the US Open unique.
The One Course Question
One course for the rest of your life turned into about 30 answers, which feels right.
Trey loves links golf, but if he had to play one course forever, he wants something fun. Cabot Cliffs is near the top of his list. He also mentions Lanai, Pinehurst No. 4 and Pinehurst No. 10.
Justin refuses to pick something he has not played, so Augusta is out for now. He considers Carnoustie, Pebble Beach and Kapalua, then lands on Pebble because of the balance of beauty, shot-making and fun.
Why Justin Has Not Played Golf This Year
Finally, the question everyone needed answered: how has Justin Ray not played golf yet this year?
His answer: business building, young family, too many jobs and Dallas heat.
Trey’s answer: because Justin has 74 jobs.
Justin takes the L, but he does have rounds planned during his upcoming UK trip, including Formby. Trey, meanwhile, is headed to the American Century Championship in Tahoe, where his goal is simple: enjoy the weekend and not hurt anyone.
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