Monday Rap Q&A: On Phil's Ominous Tweet, Koepka's Upcoming Decision, A Potential Roast Of Tiger Woods And So Much More:

Jason Butler. Getty Images.

With a signature event coming this week and a major championship after that, now felt like the right time to do one of our once-quarterly Q&A sessions. Thanks as always for the great questions. Let's dive in…

Thoughts in Phils comments? Why would he say that when we can speculate with almost certainty that people like Rahm, Koepka, Dechambeau, etc. are not going to boycott majors? —@DCDIMEz

It's a great question. For those who don't live on X (what's that like?), he's referring to a since-deleted tweet from Lefty that seemed to suggest (threat?) that LIV players might boycott major championships if rules aren't changed. 

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I see the point he's trying to make—that the current path is unsustainable, and that there needs to be a direct pathway from LIV Golf into the major championships. I will add that mere hours after this tweet was sent-then-deleted, Talor Gooch received a special invitation into the PGA Championship. Fellow LIV player Joaquin Niemann also received an invitation into the PGA in addition to the special exemption he got into the Masters tournament. As such, I'd argue the majors are actually doing what they need to do to stay above the Battle of the Tours. There are only a few LIV players who aren't already into the majors that people would notice not being there, and Gooch and Niemann are first and second on that list. There will be more of those players as major exemptions earned in the pre-LIV days expire—guys like Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson will see some exemptions dry up in coming years. But each major reserves the right to simply invite players they feel should be there. Perhaps that's a way they can get around the LIV problem: simply set aside a few more spots for special exemptions.

As for Mickelson's comments, I have to think he's firing from the hip. I cannot fathom Brooks Koepka or Jon Rahm not playing the major championships in solidarity with their less-accomplished peers. I'd bet that Koepka and Rahm would rather play the majors and no LIV events than vice versa. One part of his answer is particularly interesting: that more great players will join LIV after this season. That's because a lot of the initial LIV contracts were three years in length, and this is Year 3. At the end of this year there will be significant turnover and LIV roster spots will open. And so long as they're playing all no-cut events for a gazillion dollars, there will be plenty of interested players. 

If Gooch wasn’t as vocal as he was, would he still have gotten invited to PGA? —@TheScreaminEag

Yes. He got this invite despite his blabbering, not because of it. This guy was the player of the year on the second best tour in the world last year. That's why he got the invite. The PGA of America has also been more Switzerland than anything these last couple years. They permitted a LIV golfer in Brooks Koepka to play on the Ryder Cup team. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are still eligible for the Ryder Cup so long as they maintain their DP World Tour membership. They've played it down the middle insofar as that's possible.

What would you want Brandel to say if he’s leading the coverage as Brooks finishes a dominant Sunday at Pinehurst to win his 7th, yes 7th, major. Ignore LIV? Lean into it? —@TheStroker83

A little surprising to see NBC go with the four-man booth for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. Here's the full squad. 

It's not that Chamblee isn't good in the booth. He's extremely prepared and well-researched every time he goes on air. And his insights and delivery are very polished. It's just that he's been such a fervent anti-LIV voice throughout the last couple years—which, of course, is fine and good in the right context. It makes for great television when someone feels as passionately as Chamblee does against something and is willing to unapologetically stand for what they believe. But he is perhaps the face of the anti-LIV sentiment in world golf and I'm surprised NBC would put such a polarizing character in the main booth for the United States Open. There is a very real possibility that a LIV player wins that tournament. Surely Chamblee will be on strict orders to avoid pontificating or mentioning MBS in any way, but will he be able to mask his disdain for LIV Golf for four whole days on national television?

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NBC's clearly not in a great spot when it comes to that lead analyst chair. It's been a rotating cast of characters since they opted not to renew Paul Azinger's contract—Chamblee, Notah Begay III, Luke Donald and Kevin Kisner have all sat in—but no one's put a firm claim on the job. Will it impact ratings? Probably not, as short of Phil Mickelson I don't think there's a name big enough to actively entice people to watch that wouldn't otherwise. But yeah, doesn't seem like the best of times at NBC golf, and this is a rather uninspiring announcement. 

Is the only player in the world that can beat an in form Scottie at the PGA an in form Brooks? —@JAPR1ME

Golf is impossible to predict in any setting, but Brooks Koepka's golf is doubly impossible to forecast. He played really, really poorly at LIV Miami the week before the Masters and really, really poorly at the Masters. He wasn't much better at LIV Australia last week and said in the pre-tournament presser this week that he was searching for answers and not feeling confident. Then, of course, he wins comfortably in Singapore. 

Koepka will almost certainly enter the PGA Championship now as the second favorite behind Scheffler, who's sitting out this week's Wells Fargo Championship as his wife Meredith prepares to give birth to their first child. No one has played PGA Championships better than Koepka over the last decade and maybe ever. 

2015 — T5
2016 — T4
2017 — T13
2018 — WIN
2019 — WIN
2020 — T29
2021 — T2
2022 — T55
2023 — WIN

Wyndham Clark's been the only PGA Tour player that's really kept up with Scottie at all this year. Perhaps Koepka can knock him off his perch. Scheffler will enter next week's major having won four of his last five starts as well as being the reigning Players and Masters champion. You know Koepka, as competitive and I'm-better-than-you as he is, wants nothing more than to play against Scottie on the biggest stage. It didn't happen at the Masters. We can all hope it does in Kentucky. 

How do big name coaches split their time on the range/practice area at a major? Spend more time with the guys who earn them more or equal for everyone across the board? —@JasonMarshall02

In theory, every player in a coach's stable is given equal treatment. It's on the coach not to add so many players that he can't give everyone the time he deserves. And that does happen sometimes. A guy like Mark Blackburn is so in-demand that there are more players that want to work with him than he has time for. As for how Mark judges a group that includes Max Homa, Justin Rose, Charley Hoffmann, Adam Hadwin, Chez Reavie and more—he's got his players in a groupchat and figures out how he's going to split his time that way. Ideally some of those guys play practice rounds together to make it easier on him. But coaches with multiple players in majors are often the most tired guys on the premises on a Wednesday afternoon. 

Is Jake Knapp the next guy to take the Golf World by storm? Tough Sunday yesterday but another great week —@SpaceSiracy

I love watching him play, and I'm not the only one. He's got the look, the hair and that swing might be my favorite on tour right now—it's Fred Couples meets John Daly. It's like if you gave a cartoon superhero character a golf club with no direction and told him to use sheer power and athleticism. That swing would come out looking a lot like Jake Knapp's. Yes, he didn't have it at all on Sunday. But it was another top-10 finish in what has been an excellent rookie year. He's got four top 10s, including that win in Mexico, and sits 20th in the FedEx Cup standings. 

I will say I wish he played a touch faster. He certainly takes his time out there. Harman-esque with the waggles and looks at the target before pulling the trigger. 

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Do you think the tour will ever address these washed up guys getting invites to these signature events or do players especially the established ones hold so much power right now no chance? I keep hearing a lot of grow the game from people yet we have Webb Simpson getting sponsor invites over young exciting players that could actually grow the game —@ToddPierce04

I'm typically of the belief that if a sponsor puts up the money to host the tournament, the sponsor gets to invite whomever they want. And this week's not really a fair week to take issue with Webb getting a spot as he literally lives on the 7th hole at Quail Hollow and is an active member at the club and in the Charlotte community. But this didn't happen on an island—Simpson's now 4/4 in requesting and getting sponsor invites into designated events. The other three guys who got invites this week also played their best golf in the 2010s: Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott and Gary Woodland. 

Would I have liked to see, I don't know, Min Woo Lee get one of those spots? Of course I would. But those four guys are famous, big-name golfers. Fans in person recognize those names. Corporate partners of the tournaments might have relationships with those players. There's a lot that goes into a sponsor's invite besides who's going to play the best golf for the next three years. I'd also argue that the Aon Next 10 and Swing 5 have done a pretty good job at identifying guys with the hot hand and giving them a pathway in. Ben Kohles, who blew the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in violent fashion, is in the field thanks to his strong week. So are Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel and Alex Noren, and they got in with their play. But yes, it is objectively funny that Webb Simpson, who's currently serving on the PGA Tour policy board, keeps getting those prize invites. No cut, guaranteed money. Good work if you can get it. 

Two questions: 1- Which current Canadian golfer do you think has the highest ceiling? 2- Hiw many Canadians will be on the International Presidents Cup team? —@HeavySvenB

First part first…I'll say Nick Taylor, since I've seen him win three big tournaments in badass fashion: when he beat Phil Mickelson at Pebble Beach, Tommy Fleetwood to become a national hero in Canada and Charley Hoffman at this year's Waste Management. There will be quite a few Canadians playing on home soil in Montreal this year mostly because LIV Golf has absolutely decimated the International team picture. Cameron Smith is gone. So are Abraham Ancer and Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira and Dean Burmester and Louis Oosthuizen. To answer the question as to how many Canadians will make it…let's go through what the team would look like right now. If the team were picked tomorrow: 

Hideki Matsuyama
Tom Kim
Jason Day
Sunjae Im
Adam Scott
Nick Taylor
Byeong-Hun An
Si-Woo Kim
Corey Conners
Min Woo Lee
Adam Hadwin
Taylor Pendrith

Adam Svensson and Mackenzie Hughes also have a chance. But I'll go with four. And, just for fun, let's look at what the International Team might look like with LIV guys in the picture

Hideki Matsuyama
Joaquin Niemann
Cameron Smith
Louis Oosthuizen
Dean Burmester
Adam Scott
Nick Taylor
Byeong-Hun An
Min Woo Lee
Tom Kim
Jason Day
Sungjae Im

That's a way better team. Sigh…

Will Brooks be offered an extension to stay on LIV? —@ANTi_LIV

No shit! He's the only player who's won a major while signed with LIV and he's a huge draw for the league. Yes, when his deal is up, he'll be offered another for sure. The more interesting question is whether he signs it. 

He's already got a ridiculous amount of money in the bank. He got the windfall from the first LIV deal, and he no longer has doubts that his career might be ending due to the knee injury. Koepka said at last year's Masters that if he were feeling better physically and about his future prospects he might not have taken the deal. So we're now looking at a future scenario where he does feel better about his future, he does have all that money and he has a chance to come back to the PGA Tour. 

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Would he do it? The book on Koepka says he doesn't care about non-major events. In that case, LIV's the perfect place for him—he doesn't have to play as many non-major events and gets more money for doing less. But Brooks just became the first guy to win four LIV events, so he's obviously finding it within himself to give full effort more than just four times a year. Is he yearning for more back-nine battles? On one hand, the move to LIV has gone swimmingly: he's won another major, he's got way more money and he can spend ample time with his son. The only reason he'd go back is if he wanted to play against the Rorys and the Scotties more than just at the majors. Only he can answer that question. I have my doubts that he'd do it. He doesn't seem like a guy to go back on a decision he made. He also has an equity stake in Smash GC and there could be a serious payday in his future should they ever sell the team. I think a guy who isn't already into all the majors for the foreseeable future, who doesn't have equity in a team, would be far more likely to think about coming back to the PGA Tour. 

Since the Brady roast was a “success” is it safe to say that a Tiger roast may be in the works? —@Christian_W_V

If you have one place to post up at Valhalla next weekend, is it behind the tee on a long par 5 to watch the big hitters hit bombs, or near the green on a short par 3 to watch the best ball strikers go flag hunting? —@AustinHolder5

Maybe I'm weird but before I had this job I always liked to watch guys on the range when I went to events. Nowhere else do you get to see all the guys hitting all different clubs right next to each other. I felt like I could pick up stuff for my own game just by watching the way they go about their business. 

As for an on-course spot, I'd advise against standing next to greens. You often can't see the balls coming in and watching putts in person is not any more exciting than watching them on TV. I'd stand next to the tee on a long par 5 and marvel at their speed, accuracy and just how many different shapes of shots you'll see. There is no one way to shoot 68.

The mulligan question, what are some of the all time golf moments that were 1 mulligan away from happening. Whats the best Ben Kohles situations if we had a redo “Nope let me chip that again, now I win.” What 1 bad shot could we erase and replace to change golf history? —@BengalsBubs

Tom Watson, 2009 Open Championship, 18th hole, Turnberry. I still can't bring myself to watch the replay. Apart from that, Tiger's approach into the 13th at Augusta in 2013. If that doesn't hit the stick and go in the water he's got 16 majors right now. 

Do you think Bolingbrook GC hosting LIV is more 1) a cool chance to see what pros could do on a muni? or 2) a disgrace that LIV couldn’t find a better venue? —@YNWABadger

The latter. It's not liek Bolingbrook is this beloved muni that's at the heart of a thriving golf community—like, say, the Charleston Muni, or Rancho Park in Los Angeles, or Memorial Park in Houston. It is, by all accounts, a pretty mundane public course that's not even in Chicago proper and costs $80 to play on the weekend. I'm not against pros playing municipal golf, but it has to be the right municipal or public course. Bolingbrook just isn't it. And when they played in Chicago last year at an elite private course in Rich Harvest Farms, the only logical takeaway is they couldn't land a more prestigious spot.

And for the LIV stans out there: if the PGA Tour moved its season-ending event to a nondescript public course on the outskirts of Chicago, I'd say the exact same thing.

What would you shoot at Quail this week if you had to play tournament tees, play two balls on every hole, and you had to count the worst score each hole? —@tylerblucas

A lot? That might be the strangest hypothetical I've received. A worst-ball, best-ball with myself? Yeah…a lot? 

Until next week,

Dan