Tiger, Phil and Nelly Korda
A battle is brewing in professional golf.
Hey gang—
Checking in from sunny(ish) Seattle, where it’s 55 degrees with a healthy chance of optimism. I’m ready to declare it Late Spring and possibly Early Summer. As the proud co-owner of several new vegetable plants (!!) it’s shaping up to be a season to remember. (But pray for our carrots.)
We’ll get to both the Golf, and to the Etc. as promised. But first: If you’re not already, subscribe — and pass along to anyone else who might be interested.
WHAT I’M WRITING
When we last corresponded I was about to go to the Masters. And I went! Tiger played. Phil didn’t. (More on that in a moment.) Scottie Scheffler dominated, cementing himself as World No. 1. There was a full set of fans and a full GOLF Mag/GOLF.com staff in attendance, and that last bit was particularly fun — it was a work week, a work retreat and a work reunion all in one, since several of us have spread to various corners of the U.S. since early 2020.
There’s a very specific satisfaction to a group of us working late at a golf tournament in a small city, filing stories and then figuring out what restaurant will still seat us at 9 p.m. or beyond. It leads us to hidden gems, holes in the wall and, occasionally, food poisoning (Who could forget the incident at Checquers Fish ‘n’ Chips, Portrush, Northern Ireland, July 2019?). Luckily Augusta is fairly accommodating to late-night eats during Masters Week.
As for my actual work? Most of it already feels like ancient history. But I enjoyed writing about Tiger’s inspiring efforts to play at Augusta — and about how at the Masters, celebrity-spotting is a sport of its own.
I even got this photo!
Even more exciting: Tuesday marked the official drop of our May issue, which featured top-ranked American female golfer Nelly Korda on the cover. I spent some time with Nelly, her sister Jessica and their coach Jamie Mulligan. What stood out above all was how much Nelly enjoys the process of getting better. Like this quote:
"It’s so weird to say, but I enjoy the lows. Sometimes I’m like, ‘I just need a shitty week.’ Because I do love the grind. I love trying to get back up."
(Read on for the rest!)
GOOD VIBES
Arguably most positive reaction I’ve ever seen to a social media post came when I posted a photo of my friend Mitch’s Golf Cake™ which he baked himself after breaking 100 for the first time. Celebrate your Ws, gang. And shoutout to Mitch.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH TIGER AND PHIL?
What’s happening on the PGA Tour these days, you might ask? In some ways, nothing changes: The PGA Championship is next week and we’re focused on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. That sentence was true 25 years ago and it’s just as true today.
In other ways, everything changes. Imagine if I told you on Jan. 1, 2021 that [takes deep breath] Tiger’s health is in question because he nearly lost his leg in a devastating car crash and Phil might not play the PGA even though he’s the defending champion because he plotted against the PGA Tour with a breakaway golf league funded by the Saudi government, whom he then referred to as “scary m*****f******” (this is a family-friendly newsletter) which didn’t go over well with anyone and eventually led to him vanishing from the public eye for a few months. You might have needed a second to process! But that’s where we are.
The latest on that front: The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are on a legal collision course. Tiger made a recent trip to Tulsa. Phil had been hiding out at the Yellowstone Club and is now back playing golf at San Diego-area private clubs, getting ready for… something.
ONE FUN VIDEO
Peyton Manning joined me and Sean on the Drop Zone podcast to dish out some funny golf advice (and introduce a cool charity project with friend-of-the-newsletter Sweetens Cove).
I didn’t find quite the right moment to tell him I’d always been a Brady guy. And no, I haven’t gotten numb to how surreal it is to have a job where I’m suddenly on Zoom with Peyton Manning, trying to help him connect to audio from his wife’s iPad.
WHAT I’M READING
I read it last September but returned to it just yesterday: “What Bobby McIlvaine Left Behind,” a piece from The Atlantic that dives into the heartbreak of one family coping with the loss of their 26-year-old son (and boyfriend) on 9/11. It’s a haunting story but laced with moments that are insightful and real; it’s a story about how people cope.
NEWS FROM SEATTLE
For the first time since Emily and I moved here, my parents came to visit! We spent a few days eating, hiking, hanging. It was terrific. As far from home as Seattle can sometimes feel, it’s actually a crucial part of my own existence; my parents actually met in grad school at the University of Washington.
I’d known this my entire life, of course, but walking the city streets I suddenly knew it more concretely. I began to understand it as a real thing that had happened. We drove by Dad’s old house. We imagined the places they’d eat, and walk, and how they’d get around. They were our age when they lived here, some four decades ago. Time echoes on.
WHAT I’M EXCITED FOR
We’re officially tent owners now, which means some camping is in our future. It’s Ice Cream Szn again — at least, some days. I’ve been cooking up some ideas on golf stories in the greater Seattle area, which has me psyched. Write Local, or whatever. And I head to Oklahoma next week to see the aforementioned PGA Championship circus. Any Tulsa recommendations? Hit me up.
See you soon!
Excellent Dylan! Loved the pic of you and your parents. ❤️
Are you related to Alex Dethier, a realtor in Palm Springs? Don't know him, we just get emails re homes for sale in the area.