When it is said that the PGA Tour has a ‘middle class’ of high-level players, we are actually thinking of a fairly specific list of names, although they may vary slightly depending on form, in which, curiously, neither you nor anyone else, let’s admit it, usually includes guys like Sepp Straka or Russell Henley. A glaring injustice, surely, with the Austrian and the American, who this week, after 36 holes, have emerged as contenders for victory at Pebble Beach, the second designated tournament of the year.
Anyway, on closer inspection, we should start by defining what this ‘middle class’ is, because it turns out that these two players have been in the world’s top 50 for years. Let’s establish, first of all, that any player who has remained with some regularity within the world’s top ten is certainly more than ‘middle class’, although everyone will have their own criteria: there are those who consider, for example, especially if they feel a special attachment to LIV Golf, that Hideki Matsuyama is simply a ‘middle class’ player…
From this point, we could dare to point out (as said: everyone sets their own criteria) that the great middle class of world golf consists of those players who regularly, over time, appear among the top 150 in the world, according to the ranking. According to these accounts, the usual top 100 guys would be upper-middle class, so Straka and Henley may still have to earn a place among the aristocracy of world golf, but they certainly belong to the immediately lower tier. Let’s leave it at upper or very upper middle class.
– Straka finished 2024 with the worst putting statistics of his career (number 104 in Strokes Gained: Putting), so he has mainly focused his preseason work there. The results have not been long in coming, with his victory at the American Express, where he was the eighth best in that statistic. And curiously, he doesn’t beat around the bush when giving the recipe: “I’ve strengthened the way I grip the putter and now I place my hands higher. Also, I’ve changed the grip to a smaller and thinner one.” Unfortunately, these types of recipes are not universal. Quite the opposite, in fact.
– Russell Henley must not have received Justin Thomas’s famous letter. Or he is one of those who consider that opening up and giving more play outside the ropes is not for him. He finds it incredibly difficult to say interesting things, just like that, on a daily basis. The only radar he is interested in appearing on is the leaderboard. Honestly, it would be strange if everyone were stupidly charming now. Let everyone be as they are and express themselves on the golf course. Let’s leave the henleys of the world alone.
– It doesn’t seem like Scottie Scheffler is going to win this designated tournament. But that’s just it, it doesn’t seem like it right now… We’ll see where we are in 24 hours. Yesterday, on a day of certainly irregular play from the Texan, he was surprisingly lamenting after hitting the second shot on the 15th hole at Pebble Beach: the ball had landed very close to the flag, but a slight miscontrol in the spin (very slight, by the way), aided by the slope, moved it four metres away from the hole. He couldn’t believe it. Blessed surprises for Scheffler.
– Straka is indeed going to earn good points for the Ryder Cup this week. This year, as is well known, PGA Tour tournaments count, although precisely the Austrian’s victory at the American Express did not, as it coincided with a Rolex Series tournament across the pond. Come on, let’s go with the milkmaid’s tale: if Sepp wins this week at Pebble Beach, being a designated event, he would earn 500 points in the European Ryder qualification list, which would take him directly to fourth position, among the six who go directly into the team. (Playing a Ryder, let alone playing two, is usually done by absolutely top players or, at the very least, from that very upper middle class…). By the way, Straka is barely 31 years old… Didn’t you initially think he was a bit older?
– Henley has not yet played a Ryder. Debuting in this competition with the stars and stripes team is quite a bit more complicated. Too many beasts fighting for the prey. But he could still do it. Right now, he is tenth in the US list and let’s not forget that last year he made the cut in all four Majors and had two top tens (he was seventh in the US Open and fifth in the Open). A few months ago, he debuted in the Presidents Cup and, watch out, he paired with Scottie Scheffler in three matches, winning two of them and losing one by the minimum. He also won his singles against Sungjae Im by 3&2. At the time of the captain’s picks, and in case of reasonable doubt and if Henley hasn’t made the team on his own merits, having the blessing of the World Number One wouldn’t be a minor issue… Be that as it may, the Georgian, at 35 years old, is in the best moment of his career.
