Those Cobra golf commercials featuring Bryson DeChambeau (Bridgestone Tour B X) and Rickie Fowler (TaylorMade TP5) are driving me crazy.
The commercials are playing ad nauseum as part of the PGA Tour events and are propping up DeChambeau and Fowler’s abilities to mash a ball, which both are known to do quite well, using the LTDx driver to blow away the competition.
The jingle that plays throughout the commercials features the lyrics “I don’t feel bad, maybe I should, why are you mad, I told you that this would happen, maybe you forgot, but I don’t feel, no I don’t feel, no I don’t feel bad.”
I’ve tried to find out if this is an actual song or something recorded just for the commercial. I consider myself somewhat of a student of music, though I readily admit that after the 70s I haven’t been impressed overall by what has followed. But I can’t find this song anywhere. It definitely has a country-esque feel to it, something like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette.
And that’s probably the first time a golf blog has included all or any of those legendary Grand Ole Opry singers.
DeChambeau and Fowler are among the most marketable players on tour because of what they have accomplished but more so because of their flair and style. Let’s put it this way, despite all he has done in the last year Patrick Cantlay (Titleist Pro V1x) won’t be featured in many commercials. He’s bland, and that just doesn’t sell. But bland wins, in this case.
DeChambeau and Fowler are going through tremendous slumps and haven’t been seen much this year at the start of the tournaments and/or in the final 36 holes.
As I write this, Fowler is ranked 146th on the Official World Golf Rankings. He has played in 12 tournaments and has only made the cut in six. His best finish is tied for third in the CJ CUP last October. Since then, he has missed the cut in five of 10 events. He failed to qualify for the Masters for the second year in a row but has qualified for the PGA Championship in May as a past winner in 2015. He failed to qualify for the Players Championship for the first time since 2009. Last year, Fowler donned prescription sunglasses, but it has made no appreciable difference. He is clearly in a slump. He hasn’t won a tournament in more than six years, but there is always hope.
DeChambeau has been plagued by various injuries, which explains why he has only played in five tournaments this season and has only made the cut twice. He is 21st on the OWGR, which are done over the course of two years, and as I said last week this whole system needs to be overhauled to truly reflect what is happening in real time.
DeChambeau is easily the most polarizing player on tour for things he has done on and off the golf course. DeChambeau gained significant weight mass during the PGA Tour’s hiatus when COVID first put the world on hold in March 2020 and then started making headlines with his long bombs and wins in the U.S. Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational. But he has gone through some humbling and humiliating experiences since then and, maybe, just maybe, the combination of all that added weight and torque has pushed his body to the extreme of breaking down.
DeChambeau’s initials are B.A.D., which makes him ideal for these commercials with the word bad.
RAHM DOES IT: I indicated last week that Jon Rahm (Callaway Chrome Soft X) would win the Mexico Open because there wasn’t anyone of his caliber in the field. He just eked it out, but a win is a win and the players are not paid based on style, simply results.
Tony Finau (Titleist Pro V1) recorded a final round eight-under par to vault himself into a tie for second with Brandon Wu (Titleist Pro V1) and Kurt Kitayama (TaylorMade TP5). I keep waiting for Finau to take his game to the next level. He is slated to play in this week’s Wells Fargo which has Rory McIlroy (TaylorMade TP5x) as the defending champion, albeit winning on a different course last year.
If McIlroy plays from the start of the tournament the way he finished the final round of the Masters, he walks away with this. The problem is, McIlroy has often put himself in a position of having to simply survive the cut because of poor opening rounds. This field is infinitely tougher than the Mexico Open, which is relatively new. I’m leaning toward Tyrrell Hatton (Titleist Pro V1x) and my Lefko longshot is Cam Young (Titleist Pro V1).
One other thing, I’m thinking of booking a vacation in Puerto Vallarta because of the picturesque setting of the Mexico Open. But I think I’m going to have to break open the piggy bank to afford it.
