Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where we’ll be testing positive for hot dogs before our Memorial Day weekend rounds.
Once again, we’re here to debate a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also (occasionally) be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.
Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.
Driver testing became a story line at the PGA as Rory McIlroy reportedly had his regular driver ruled non-conforming and Scottie Scheffler said that his driver also failed testing. Both played with backup drivers. These test results should be made public.
Bob Harig: FACT. This is easy and these kinds of issues are so avoidable. Why golf insists on hiding basic information from fans remains perplexing. Every other sport discloses penalties and discipline. Golf wants us to think all the players are pristine, which is far from reality. They make mistakes, too. As for this issue, the idea was to protect players from the type of rampant speculation that they’ve now unwittingly allowed to occur. And why clubs aren’t tested for all players is a mystery.
John Pluym: FACT. There’s no reason for golf to hide the test results from fans. Not disclosing the results before the tournament leads to questions about the players trying to get away with playing with illegal drivers. And since we’re talking about clubs, why not make the players disclose what clubs are in their bags during tournaments? I think golf fans would be very curious about what clubs players use in the final round compared to the first round. Anyway, the PGA Tour needs to stop hiding information.
Jeff Ritter: FACT. This is a layup for pro golf. Drivers wear out through normal wear and tear, but the lack of transparency creates the illusion that players might be trying to get away with something nefarious. That the PGA Tour also continues to open itself to wagering makes it even more crucial to publicize these gear changes.
John Schwarb: FACT. Golf’s lack of transparency was on display again. Fans are prodded to bet on this sport but officials won’t tell us when a player is forced into an equipment change on the eve of a tournament? Maybe this isn’t that big of a deal—Scottie Scheffler downplayed his mandated driver change as if it was akin to changing his breakfast order—but let fans decide by having access to test results and what’s in players’ bags.
The next open date for a PGA Championship is 2033 and Quail Hollow should get it.
Bob Harig: FICTION. Pebble Beach is the only Tour venue that can also reasonably double as a major. There’s nothing wrong with Quail Hollow and it’s an excellent PGA Tour venue. But unless it drops off the annual schedule, there are too many other excellent choices.
John Pluym: FICTION. The Green Mile might be the toughest test in golf, but I would prefer the PGA of America seek other venues. Plus, it feels like Quail has gotten stale as a major tournament site.
Jeff Ritter: FICTION. The Green Mile is awesome but we already see it every year on the PGA Tour. I’d like to see the PGA try new venues as it continues to settle into its mid-May date on the calendar.
John Schwarb: NEUTRAL. I would rather see the PGA of America continue to explore other venues but money rules and Charlotte’s banking community reportedly powered a PGA Championship record for suite revenue. So after hosting in 2017 and 2025, look for Quail to continue its eight-year interval in 2033.
Dustin Johnson received an invitation to the PGA and only beat seven players (six club pros and Jason Dufner) with rounds of 78-76. After missing three cuts in his last five PGAs with a best finish of T43, Johnson shouldn’t get any more invitations to this major.
Bob Harig: FICTION. He’s in the U.S. Open for two more years based on his 2016 victory and in the Masters for life. The British Open doesn’t give invites so we’re really only talking about the PGA Championship. It’s too soon to shut the door on Johnson, despite his poor performances of late. Let’s see how things play out. It might be obvious either way when the time comes.
John Pluym: FACT. I watched him play a few holes at the Masters, and he looked like he didn’t care. Does he add anything to the field? No. Save the invite for someone who wants to play.
Jeff Ritter: FACT. What field is benefiting by exempting D.J.? He seems to be mailing it in at this point in his career.
John Schwarb: FACT. Johnson is 28th in points at LIV Golf, which is a 54-man league. Maybe give him a “we’ll see” on the rest of the LIV season plus his return to Oakmont next month, but I think the writing is on the wall. The PGA Championship is said to have the best field in golf and if so there are few arguments anymore to keep inviting this two-time major champion.
Last year’s majors had three different winners as Xander Schauffele bagged two at the PGA and British Open. This year there will also be only three players winning the four majors.
Bob Harig: FACT. It’s not a stretch to see either Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler win another major championship this year. In fact, they could each split the next two or win the next two.
John Pluym: FACT. I think Scottie Scheffler wins one more major this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Rory McIlroy’s poor showing at the PGA Championship doesn’t motivate him to up his game before the U.S. Open and British Open. I’d love to see Scottie and Rory against each other in the final group in one of those majors.
Jeff Ritter: FICTION. Rory and Scottie will likely be the top two favorites at these upcoming majors, but I still lean “field” for this one. As great as they’ve been, I think guys like DeChambeau, Xander, Aberg, Rahm and Morikawa among others make it less than 50-50 for either Scottie or Rory to double up.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fact or Fiction: Dustin Johnson No Longer Deserves Special Exemptions to Majors.
