Lee Trevino at his best, Rory McIlroy at a gas station

I might not watch golf this weekend.

But aren’t you … a golf guy? Yes, I am – and I hope I still am after the above sentence – but this space promises honesty, and yes, I will only go through the X, or only catch the last two holes of Farmers Insurance Open’s last round, because my wife and I are leaving. We are taking a short break. Renting a small house in the woods. Exercising as much effort as you would with a tap.

And watching football. We did it last year. It was sublime.

There was also some toast.

This week, the NFL’s conference championship week, marks the penultimate week of football play before going on the sidelines for about seven months. We will miss him. But we will enjoy this weekend. And, in two weeks, the Super Bowl. Then we will count the days to the next start. Which got me thinking about golf. Watching golf, actually. This week we had DATE on Tuesday. And the PGA Tour Wednesday through Saturday. And the DP world tour from Thursday to Sunday. In two weeks, we’ll have them all. PGA Tour. LIV Golf. LPGA. DP World Tour. TGL. PGA Tour Champions. Korn Ferry Tour. And we’ll get some sort of golf by mid-December. For me, the golf guy, that’s great; there is never a shortage of content. For you? For a while, I’ve been asked not so much about the amount of golf, but this:

Do you ever miss it?

Think of baseball’s opening day or the NFL’s opening kickoff. Or the Masters. You look forward to them. You know when they will come. But do you get that feeling when golf is available almost every calendar day? This week there was talk about the decline in television viewership. Are people just overwhelmed? If every tournament is seemingly ‘big’, aren’t any of them? All that being said, no one seems to be cutting it any time soon, so dig into the menu year-round. And if you have to leave, you know a thoughtful website this will catch you again.

With that, welcome back! Where are you, you ask? I’m calling this weekend 9. Think of it as a place to warm you up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We will have thoughts. We will have advice. We will have tweets. But only nine in all, though sometimes perhaps more and sometimes perhaps less. But who am I? The above paragraphs tell some of the story. Golf writer. Football fan. Cabin in the woods fan.

Let’s see if we can find eight more items.

2. So who do I like at NFL games?

Hard not to like favorites. But let’s have fun. Let’s go with two road wins. Washington beat Philly in the second of their two games this year — and led at halftime — and Jayden Daniels is special. On the other end, Josh Allen finally breaks through.

A takeaway from the week – and the weeks ahead

3. There was more golf TV news this week – via a letter. Justin Thomas wrote one to his fellow professionals, pleading with them to be more ‘viewer friendly’, thinking that this was the ticket to a better interest of the fans. Maybe they could do more ‘walks and talks’. Maybe they can do more interviews before and after the round.

“The more I’ve watched documentaries and specials on streaming services on other sports, the more I’ve come to realize that the main reason I love them so much is the access they provide and the knowledge the players are giving me; a fan of them and their craft,” Thomas wrote. “I had no interest in rooting for certain players, teams, coaches before watching a bunch of shows and games. But the way some of them show their cards and how they do everything makes me an even bigger fan.”

I agree with Thomas’ opinion. More knowledge is good and would help. But I think expecting golfers to immediately talk like Shakespeare is too much to ask, especially during the game. Some are speakers. Some are not. You know who’s who there.

But if the questions asked are good? Then you can get somewhere. Everyone has a story – you just have to mine for it. Some tips? Everyone loves a talking shop. Or secrets. Or the family. Answers are usually good on curveballs as well. Ask why and how. And no “talk”.

4. He did Jason’s day read Thomas’ letter? Maybe. Maybe not. While discussing attending this week’s Farmers Insurance, he admitted that he might not be the most qualified speaker on the subject. And why is that?

“I don’t know if I talk about the tournament, you know, and some of the other guys, because sometimes — sometimes the tournament sends me emails and I don’t even read them,” Day said. “I know there are guys out there who are far more qualified than I am to answer for that reason.”

5. Golf really needs a Manningcast. Background action. History in your ears. Analysis as needed.

The best non-GOLF.com reading for your weekend

6. what am i reading (besides that the thoughtful prose of my colleagues)? This article is worth clicking.

Here, Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch conducted a Q&A with former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh and numerous exchanges were evident, including this:

GWK: Are you a candidate for the CEO job of PGA Tour Enterprises?

SW: You have to ask them. (Laughs)

GWK: I’m asking you.

SW: I don’t know. I’m not sure they’re looking for a 66-year-old guy. There is no expiration date for caring about the game and wanting to add something to the game. I’m happy to help in any way I can.

GWK: What would you tell them to do?

SW: Close a deal. Make the game more efficient, make it stable. Focus on sponsors. Be respectful and understand the ecosystem. Develop it, but do not break all the eggs. It’s not the same currency you’re used to. If you were to design golf now, would you have international and US regulatory bodies? Would you have a tournament that didn’t own its playoffs or World Series? Would you have an entity of 31,000 owners one and a half out of the five water properties in the game? Would you have a private club be arguably the most influential entity in the game? It doesn’t make sense, does it? You won’t change it overnight. Being a part of this will serve you better over time by understanding alliances and partnerships. Don’t go in and think you’re going to change something that’s been around for a really long time.

The best guide tip for your weekend

7. This comes from GOLF Top 100 teacher Cameron McCormick, via an Instagram postwhere he wrote:

“MY GARY PLAYER STORY – The year is 2009 and I am pursuing my first Masters. I had arrived at the course and made my way to the first group to find a practice round group representing 15 major championships. The duo was Gary Player, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen. It was also the last Mr. Players Masters.

“I followed through on the front 9 taking in everything I could. As an instructor and golf fan, I was struck by how committed Mr. Player was to helping the group, but also how committed he was to his game…in in fact at one point he and Ernie were walking up to #7 road, Mr Player & Ernie stop…Mr Player continues for the next few minutes to do animated evidence likely to discuss swing sensations.

Fast forward 4 hours and I find myself at the clubhouse at Augusta National getting a tour from a friend of mine, we go up the stairs to the 2nd floor, at the entrance to the Champions locker room.

“No admission is absolute policy unless it is accompanied by a past champion, which my client was not, so I expected to receive it: this is the gesture of stripping champions and then moving on; but at the same time when that gesture was made, Mr. The player left, immediately came to my host and had a meeting that I have never forgotten.

“A short introduction, followed by a thoughtful conversation…and then I got around to my question – what were you there rehearsing at number 7?

“His answer – In my 63 years as a pro, I’ve won 165 tournaments on six continents over those six decades, I’ve worked to master this game.

“Every tournament I won was with a different swing, a different feel…certainly there was some consistency over time, but overall my warm-up was always about finding my swing for the day. Today I didn’t find it in the warm up… I was still trying to find it on the 7th hole… and having played in more golf tournaments than anyone, and hit more golf balls than anyone, what I can tell you most positively is :

“YOU NEVER OWN IT – YOU’RE JUST RENTING IT, AND THE RENT IS TOUCHED EVERY DAY”

The best YouTube video for your weekend (and one of the best interviews)

8. Here and below, Lee Trevino participated in the “Warming Up” series hosted by GOLF’s Dylan Dethier. As you’d expect, it was full of Trevino gems, including a wobbly thought featuring fly slaying.

However, the interview was also great. Trevino is a speaker. But, as mentioned above, you have to ask the right questions and you have to know when to listen, and Dethier does both expertly.

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A golf story that only I could be interested in

9. Wait, wait, wait. Is there a Flintstones golf cart?! Brendan McAleer of Car and Driver describes it here.

10. Nothing – NOTHING – will ever beat hover Bubba Watson.

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What golf is live on TV this weekend?

11. Let’s make 11 articles! Here’s a roundup of live golf on TV this weekend:

– Saturday
3:30 a.m.-8 a.m. ET: Third Round of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Golf Channel
2:00-4:00 p.m. ET: Farmers Insurance Open final round, Golf Channel
4:00-8:00 p.m. ET: Farmers Insurance Open final round, CBS

– Sunday
03:00-08:00 ET: Final Round of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, Golf Channel
4:30pm-7pm ET: APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational

What will make you laugh this weekend?

12. Let’s make a dozen articles! it it’s so good (even though some words are NSFW). Related, too.