by We’re deep in the heart of Silly Season with the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall, and I’ve come to accept that the best version of weak-fielded Tour events might be the most ridiculous one. Rules officials climbing over lava rocks? A 65-year-old Jay Don Blake in the field? The more absurdity, the better.
In an alternate universe, the PGA Tour would be laser-focused on building the cleanest possible promotion and relegation system. Schedules would align to allow the 30 Korn Ferry Tour graduates who just earned their PGA Tour cards to compete in the fall swing, getting vital reps and securing some financial stability before the 2025 season officially starts. But we live in a different universe—one in which sponsor exemptions run wild and a member-run organization is more interested in self-preservation than providing true meritocracy. And let’s be honest: isn’t that more fun? Are you more entertained when the field is rounded out with a KFT grad or Jay Don Blake?
In that spirit, here are a few amusements and observations from the perspective of someone who watched about 25 hours of Silly Season: Black Desert Championship edition over the last four days, an admission that I only feel comfortable sharing with this audience.
Satur Day WDs
The PGA Tour’s cocktail of large fields, shortening days, and slow pace of play sometimes leads to a fun game of “Who’s going to withdraw on Saturday morning rather than finish their second round?” Well, we got a doozy with Andrew Novak this weekend. Novak didn’t withdraw Friday night. He resumed his second round on Saturday morning needing to play his remaining couple of holes two under or better to make the cut. He promptly bogeyed the eighth hole, then proceeded to find the lava rocks twice on the par-5 ninth hole, his final hole. Rather than finishing out up by the green from the rocks, Novak just pocketed it—a refreshing lesson about both the importance of pace of play and preserving your par-5 scoring average. The ultimate version of that move is pulling it on an Aon Risk-Reward Challenge hole, but I respect all forms of stats padding.
Out-Whooping the Youngsters
Before the tournament, 65-year-old legend Jay Don Blake – a Utah native who was making his 500th and final start on Tour – was asked in his presser about the state of his game and his strategy for the week. JDB replied that “Strategy-wise, mine is going to be a little different than some of these big bombers out here… I’m comfortable enough that I feel like maybe my knowledge can outsmart them and out-whoop those young kids.” It was delightful to see his plan come to fruition on the 488-yard par-4 first hole on Thursday. Blake hit a 237-yard tee shot, leaving himself a perfect angle for a 250-yard approach shot that he stuck to seven feet – then drained the birdie. Modern course management principles be damned! Jay Don finished the tournament solo 125th out of the 127 players who completed at least two rounds, losing 12.4 strokes tee to green, but that’s neither here nor there.
Shades of Ernie
One of my favorite moments watching this tournament came courtesy of PGA Tour Live when one commentator asked if Harry Hall reminded his colleague of Ernie Els. After a prolonged silence, he explained, “Well, I was thinking the tempo of his swing… and his size.” Commentator B replied, “I think the similarities end there.”
A Proper New Test
On a more sincere note, my official verdict on Black Desert is that it is a wonderful addition to the PGA Tour schedule. The wide fairways combined with the ultra penal lava rocks positioned off the fairways make for a great tournament test. Much like Kapalua, Black Desert is a little too wide and easy for tour professionals in benign conditions. However, when the wind kicks up, it’s a real challenge.
Photo: ShotLink
I’m particularly fond of the fourth and fifth holes. Both offer plenty of width, narrow at driver length, and impose stiff penalties on errant shots. They also present options off the tee, depending on how accurately you drive the ball. Look at the diversity of off-the-tee strategies on display here.
One feature of Black Desert that shouldn’t go unnoticed is the lack of TIO relief. While grandstands and concessions are important for the fan experience, there is a point at which the week-in, week-out infrastructure involved in hosting professional golf tournaments starts to severely compromise the game board upon which the sport is played. We are well past that point with nearly every PGA Tour venue. Fortunately, it’s difficult to build infrastructure on top of lava rock, so this golf course actually played as it was designed to play. Errant shots at Black Desert experienced the consequence those shots were intended to face. Add in the stunning Utah scenery, and Black Desert checks a lot of boxes as a venue.
A New Face
Finally, a huge congratulations to Matt McCarty for taking down his first PGA Tour win, a commanding three-shot victory. He is riding quite the heater, having won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour in six starts this past summer and now etches another win in Utah on the PGA Tour. McCarty, who finished first on the Korn Ferry Tour points list this year, is now fully exempt on the PGA Tour through 2026 and has earned his way into the Masters and PGA Championship with this win.
It’ll be interesting to track where he stacks up within the professional ranks once this hot streak wears off.
This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
