What’s going on in Triad Golf? Better players at Wyndham, now let’s get best

It’s Monday (late night) so time for What’s Going on in Triad Golf?

With Chris Kirk’s tie for fifth at the Wyndham Championship, the Ryder Cup approaching and U.S. captain Keegan Bradley here at Sedgefield, I came up with a hope for the future.

When Scheffler captains a future U.S. team — very likely — wouldn’t it be cool for Kirk to make the team. You know, maybe at some point, Kirk, could yell, “Beam me up, Scottie.” Now, if just somebody named Spock could join the PGA Tour, clever pairings makers could put together a Scottie, Kirk and Spock threesome.

How about an exemption for Rich Beem, the long ago winner of the PGA Championship?

Drum roll please. I continue, hoping there’s still somebody there for my rant about the haves and have nots on the PGA Tour — players and tournaments …

SIGNATURE EVENTS GOOD AND BAD

I’m not sure the PGA Tour’s signature events are good for players and fans.

It’s harder for players to rise into the Top 70 in FedEx Cup points when you aren’t eligible to play in the premier tournaments. Fans who attend the regular (non-$20 million events) are even less likely to see Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy.

Here in the Triad, the Wyndham Championship is going to get some of big names trying to squeeze into the top 70 during their off-years. And we’ll get some trying to solidify their standings to be in the top 30 for the Tour Championship.

But barring comebacks from injuries or other unusual circumstances, we won’t see Scottie, Xander and Rory.

While various new bonuses and big money signature events may have slowed defections to LIV Golf, hasn’t the PGA Tour just heisted a few pages from the LIV playbook, by shoveling money to not only its best and most popular players?

As much as I like Jordan Spieth, was it really fair for him to get sponsor exemptions into every signature event he could play in 2025?

How about a rule where each PGA Tour player has to play each event at least once every three years? The Wyndham is getting better players with the 70-limit to signature events. Now, let’s get the best at least every three years.

SCOTT SHOULD HAVE PULLED THE PIN

I really see a PGA Tour player suffer from the same type of mistakes and bad breaks I do on the course.

As always, at Sedgefield at least a few players putt or chip off the greens. Still, winner Cameron Young shot 22-under-par despite two late bogeys during garbage time.

Now that he’s won, I guess I’ll never again confuse him for Clemson grad Carson Young, a Carolinas native. It’s not that crazy a mistake. Cameron Young was the only player whose first name was spelled out on TV leaderboards due to a similar named competitor. The networks could have shortened the first name to “Cam” on their graphics.

But what about Adam Scott missing a birdie putt at 18 Sunday after he opted to leave the flagstick in and his ball clipped the side of the pin, causing it to bounce over the cup and stop outside the hole?

Granted, Scott’s putt may have been a little firm. But it looked like it had a good chance to drop had the pin been pulled. I can’t remember seeing that in a Tour event.