The good folks up in Mine-sooooo-taaaah are thrilled that the PGA Tour is coming this week to the Twin Cities.
Jay Monahan’s Traveling Salvation Show hasn’t been up there in who knows how long but this week they’ll be all over themselves at yet another TPC course — TPC Twin Cities.
Oh, and look who’s in the field — the world’s No. 1 player — Brooks Koepka.
It’s great to have BK in the field if its a major. But in these regular tour events? Most of the time Brooks could give a flying fart.
If you doubt that fact, then look recently. Before the U.S. Open he showed up at the Canadian Open and finished a lowly tie for 50th. In his first time out after his runner-up finish at Pebble Beach, he finished in a sleep-walking tie for 57th at The Travelers and promptly declared himself to be “fried.” So the guy they like to call one of the fittest on the PGA Tour was physically worn out and declared that he hadn’t gotten past his PGA Championship win. Darn those victory celebrations.
So yes, Brooks is in town but there’s no telling how low his level of motivation will be with the Open Championship just three short weeks on the horizon.
There are some back-up performers like Bryson “The Turtle” DeChambeau, Jason I Used To Be Good Day and Patrick I Finally Got A Top 10 Reed.
There are some in the field who are super-motivated. One is 2017 U.S. Amateur champ Doc Redman, who gained temporary status with his runner-up finish last week. Doc’s probably pretty excited about that $788,000 check as well.
Viktor Hovland is trying earn a field promotion but he needs to hustle. The former OSU Cowboy hasn’t exactly torn it up since he turned pro after the U.S. Open. Hovland’s teammate, Matt Wolff, is struggling mightily. Looks like he’ll end up on what used to be the Web.com now the embarrassing Korn-Ferry uprising.
Whoever wins on Sunday, the storylines won’t be as good as they were last week in Detroit when Nate Lashley went from last man in the field to winner-winner chicken dinner in the feel-good story of the year on tour.