Wesley Bryan has completed the leap from YouTube sensation to PGA Tour winner. That's quite a trick.
What's the best part of Bryan's journey? And what should we make of Padraig Harrington's unflattering comments about Masters champion Sergio Garcia?
Our panelists address these questions and more in this week's Monday Four-Ball.
1. After Wesley Bryan's first PGA Tour victory Sunday, what's your favorite part of his backstory?
ESPN SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman: The most amazing thing is that he is best known for being a trick-shot artist, which is why I think no one ever gave him a chance to be a legitimate golfer as a professional. But he is showing the entire world that his trick-shot days are behind him and a career on the PGA Tour is ahead of him.
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: Before the trick-shot fame, I love that his dad had a "backyard" golf academy where both Wesley and brother George IV learned to play and love the game. I'm sure the George Bryan Golf Academy is going to be flush with students this summer!
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: He gets a lot of attention for the trick-shot videos that have gotten tons of views, but I just like the fact that he won three times on the Web.com, graduated to the PGA Tour, got himself in contention a few times and then broke through in his home-state tournament in South Carolina. All of that is really neat, and a rookie winning on the PGA Tour is certainly no sure thing.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: It's just the fact that he went from a trick-shot mini-tour player to the Web.com Tour Player of the Year to a PGA Tour champion in such a short time. That's a natural progression for young players, but not often one that takes just two years.
2. How do you feel about Padraig Harrington's "sore loser" comments about Masters winner Sergio Garcia?
Coachman: I thought they were in poor taste -- bad timing at best. I have always had an issue with someone who tries to bring down a person at his or her greatest heights. I am quite sure that Harrington has some moments in his life that he is not proud of. You have to know when to let it go. It wouldn't have changed anything if Harrington would have just kept his feelings about Garcia to himself.
Collins: I think they were honest. He said exactly how he felt about Garcia and how he remembered feeling after he beat him in majors. One of the reasons I love the European golfers so much is because so many will tell you exactly how they feel with no sugarcoating or regard for "protecting their brand." Be mad at a guy for doing what we always complain they don't do enough? Not me.
Harig: I found it to be remarkable in Garcia's time of glory, and it shows just how deep the rift is between them. Harrington is honest to a fault, but there is likely more to it than even he is acknowledging. He felt Garcia acted improperly in the aftermath of those major victories and hasn't forgotten.
Sobel: I love the fact that he was honest about it. And I hate the fact that those words are the only ones making the rounds. If you read the entirety of Harrington's comments, you'll also find that he acknowledged how Garcia has matured and insisted that he's happy for him.
3. How big a deal is it for Lydia Ko to fire her caddie after nine tournaments together?
Coachman: It's a big deal. It shows me that despite a good finish in Hawaii, she is not comfortable with her game or her environment. Top players don't go through this many changes if they are remotely happy with the direction of their career. Some people might not understand because she is still No. 1 in the world, but her lead is shrinking and she hasn't been playing well. Hopefully this will be a step in the right direction.
Collins: On the LPGA Tour, it's not a big deal at all. I haven't covered a lot of LPGA Tour events, but I remember the Caddie Confidential I did in which the source said the turnover rate for caddies out there is huge. That did seem to be true.
Harig: It's not just the nine tournaments. It's all the different caddies in such a short career. There are few examples in the game of successful players who swap out their caddies so often. Continuity in that regard is so important. It takes time for the caddie to learn the player's game and the various quirks, to get a feel for what works and doesn't work. Maybe there was a rift, but has that been the case in each of these switches? Ko needs to find someone for the long haul.
Sobel: Zero. Nada. None. This isn't exactly Phil Mickelson sacking Bones here. Ko tried a new caddie; it didn't work out; they'll both move on.
4. Thumbs up or down on SB2K17, the spring break escapades documented on social media by Jordan Spieth Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Smylie Kaufman?
Coachman: If I watch any more of it I am going to get mad that I did not have a bro trip of my own like this when I was in my 20s. I think every player on tour should take time to let out all of the stress of the year. I have a feeling we will be doing this question for several years to come.
Collins: Thumbs way up! Another complaint people make about golfers is that we don't really know who they are or what they do off the course. Four guys who regularly try to beat each other on the course but are good friends give us a glimpse into their dude vacation. Anyone complaining is wearing socks and sandals also yelling "Stay off my lawn!" at the neighborhood kids walking home from school.
Harig: It was fun and entertaining the first time, but sequels are almost never as good as the original.
Sobel: Like most sequels, this one didn't live up to the original. But still, it was more "Hangover 2" than "Anchorman 2" -- which is to say, it wasn't completely terrible.