Gary Player, Taylor Swift and Fred Couples
GOLF, Holly Marksbury, PGA Tour Champions
Hello, friends, and welcome to this week’s edition of the Rogers Report. It’s been a few weeks since I last chatted with you all, and boy do we have a lot to catch up on. Two weeks ago, I was in Austin for something even better than the final WGC-Dell Match Play: a bachelorette party! And last weekend I went to my first-ever Korn Ferry Tour event. More on that later, but one huge takeaway is that golf fans (myself included) are seriously underutilizing the access and fun that comes with KFT events.
In other news, I’ve spent the last 10 days working closely with my coworkers to prepare our Masters content (and my outfits, of course), so keep an eye out for all of that next week. In the meantime, let’s get to it!
Fred Couples’ crib
My carefree childhood came to an abrupt end in 2010 when MTV Cribs stopped airing. I thought I’d never get to take a virtual tour through a celebrity’s home again (a quick Google search tells me the show was rebooted in 2017?). Thanks to the PGA Tour Champions and Fred Couples, though, I now know my fears were unwarranted.
Couples has never been shy about his opinions on Twitter, but seeing his living space really takes things to the next level. I love that he put in a basketball court for his stepson during the Covid lockdown. It’s a far cry from that epic 1990 photo (below) of Freddie himself hooping, but it still stirs the soul.
Leonard Kamsler/Popperfoto
This video taught me a few things about Fred Couples. First is that he’s one of those people who say their house is “a mess” when it’s actually quite spotless.
You want to see a messy living room? Come to my childhood home on Christmas day while five kids are unwrapping gifts at the speed of light and my dad and a 30-gallon Hefty trash bag try to keep up. Sorry, Mr. Couples, but a single moving mat on the floor doesn’t qualify a room as “messy.”
I also learned Freddie is an art enthusiast! (Look at some of these paintings!) Based off the video, you’d have a hard time believing Couples isn’t a renowned art collector who happens to play golf on the side.
Joel Dahmen’s hero
Let’s stay on the Fred Couples train for another minute here. Joel Dahmen opened up his Twitter for a Q&A session on Monday night, where Couples landed himself a shout-out.
Both guys are from Washington state, so it makes sense that Dahmen looked up to Couples. It’s the same reason I’ve always admired fellow Rhode Islander Pauly D. from Jersey Shore.
Taylor Swift’s golf club
It’s finally time for my favorite part of this week’s Rogers Report. This section incorporates two of my three favorite things in life: golf and Taylor Swift. (Ice cream, you’ll get your moment later on.)
Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour began recently. She’s performing lots of songs from all different albums, but right now we’re going to focus on Blank Space from her 1989 album. In the music video for the song, she takes a golf club to her ex’s car. I remember being obsessed with the video when it first came out in 2014, because again, it’s not often “golf” and “Taylor Swift” can be said in the same sentence.
Taylor Swift
Fast-forward to 2023, and Swift is still using a golf club as a prop while she performs the song. (I’m not totally sure what grip she’s using there. We’ll call it the “Swift-overlap” for now.)
As much as I love this, I’m left with a lot of questions. Who made this golf club? How did Taylor acquire it? What’s the loft angle on that thing? And can we test it out on a launch monitor?
Uncrustables
To love golf is to love Uncrustables (unless, of course, you’re like my brother and deathly allergic to nuts). Sam Burns had a big win on Sunday in Austin, but I’d argue that the Uncrustables marketing team had an even bigger win on the Lord’s day.
Housing an Uncrustable while coming down the stretch on Sunday afternoon? Now that’s a solid mix of protein and fat (and gumption).
Chatfield’s Army
I attended the Korn Ferry Tour’s Clubcar Championship in Savannah, Ga. over the weekend and it was a total blast. If you haven’t been to a KFT event, I can say confidently that you’re missing out.
KFT events include all the fun of a regular Tour event with a lot fewer people. It’s about 15 times easier to follow all of the action up close, and the food and drink situation is second to none. There were a handful of food trucks all over the course, and the line was never longer than four or five people. Just off of the 5th green was a Zyn truck (if you’re into that sort of thing) and a tent selling dollar beers to fans after every birdie. My friends made sure to take advantage of that last perk, especially after our pal Davis Chatfield made three on the short par-4 Friday.
As for how I wound up at a KFT event in Savannah, I grew up playing golf with Brett, Pat and Davis Chatfield. Our moms went to high school together, and a handful of my 28 first cousins went to high school with the Chatfield brothers. He clocks in at a generous five-foot-six inches in his Korn Ferry Tour bio, but despite being the shortest guy in our big friend group, he’s also the best golfer by a mile. When he got through KFT Q-school a few months ago, we all made plans to watch him tee it up in Savannah.
Prep began months ago. Brett organized the Airbnb situation. Pat ordered 35 “Chatfield’s Army” t-shirts for us to wear on the course. I provided sunblock that unfortunately went very underused over the weekend.
Chatfield’s Army was quite a sight on Friday at The Landings. (Not so much on Saturday on account of some injured soldiers after a long night in downtown Savannah, but we can focus on Friday for now.)
I’ll close with this: if you’re considering going to a Korn Ferry Tour event, this is your sign. It’s a great time for a group of twentysomethings, and it’s an even better place to take your kids to watch some high-level golf. If you find yourself at an event soon, give me a shout on Twitter and I’ll happily name you an honorary member of Chatfield’s Army.
Gary Player’s hot take
Gary Player is passionate about a few things: golf, saving trees, and making sure that everyone he passes knows that he works out and travels more than anyone on the planet. But Player is making headlines this week for another passionate opinion: his — um — unique ranking of the men’s majors.
Listen, we’re all entitled to our own opinion. But sometimes our own opinions are simply incorrect. The Masters last?! I simply can’t read this take and stay silent.
To me, the majors are like my four siblings. Of course I love them all the same, but I like a few of them more than the others. And to put the Masters last would be like ranking my 11-year-old sister last. It should simply never happen.
Food on the road
In this segment, I will be opening up the floor for recommendations on the best ice cream shops near Augusta National. I went three days without dessert last week, and I need to plan ahead to make sure that never happens again.
It wouldn’t be fair for me to ask you all for something without providing something in return, which is why I’m going to shout out my favorite food stop from the last month: TacoLu in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
TacoLu was serving tacos on No. 12 at TPC Sawgrass during Players week, but I didn’t get a chance to stop by their food truck. So after the third round, my colleague James Colgan and I headed to their restaurant, where we met the restaurant’s owner, Don Nicol. Don is an old-school kinda guy, but his Mexican food is nothing shy of top-tier. We saw a handful of Players Championship courtesy cars in the parking lot, so James and I knew we’d come to the right place. It was absolutely buzzing, and for good reason. Check out what we ate.
James Colgan
As good as the tacos were, as a dessert gal, I feel compelled to highlight my favorite part of the meal: sopapillas with ice cream. It’s without a doubt the best dessert I’ve had all year.
We’ll finish this week’s RR on a high note: I’ll talk to you all next week from the grounds of Augusta National!
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