Sonny Dykes talked to well-wishers after his round on Wednesday.
Football season was in the air as Wednesday’s pro-am at the Charles Schwab Invitational at Colonial kicked off at a brisk mid-50 degrees temperature and a wind chill seldom seen in May.
When is the last time I had to go buy a sweat shirt for the tournament at Colonial? The answer is never, late spring in North Texas being what it is.
Speaking of football season, an interesting juxtaposition for you to consider: As new TCU coach Sonny Dykes played his last hole at No. 9 a little after 1 p.m., former TCU coach Gary Patterson was starting his round on the tee box at No. 10, a mere several feet apart.
The two haven’t touched base since Dykes’ hiring in the final days of November.
“We haven’t had a chance to cross paths,” Dykes said after his round on Wednesday playing with professionals Carlos Ortiz and Rory Sabbatini. (The pros played only nine holes.)
That coincidentally will in all probability happen this weekend at another golf tournament the two play in every year, Dykes said, adding that he expects nothing but cordiality.
“I’m sure we’ll catch up,” Dykes said. “Remarkable the job he did here. We got lucky to come in here where he left off.”
Dykes’ golf game isn’t too bad. On his final hole, he hooked his drive into the rough and had trouble getting out. He knocked a wedge into the green that settled about 10 feet from the hole. He knocked in his putt for bogey.
“My game is terrible, but it was fun,” Dykes said, his wife Kate interjecting that he played “pretty well today.”
“Yeah, I had two birdies. I had a great time. What a fantastic event. Weather couldn’t have been any better.”
The round was Dykes’ first full 18 at Colonial. He said he’s a 15 handicap.
In addition to his wife, son Daniel, 5, also walked the course.
“It will be fun when I can get out and play with him,” the coach said of his son. “I’ll be more inclined to do it.”
Dykes said he would like to see Jordan Spieth do well this week. He’s a Spieth fan.
Spieth has a plaid jacket, the winner of this tournament in 2016, but he bleeds burnt orange. He’s happy about the TCU coaching change, particularly considering that Patterson has moved south to Austin to be an assistant and consultant for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.
Asked about Patterson, Spieth answered the way any good Longhorn would.
“I’ve always enjoyed being around Coach,” Spieth said, “and most of the time it was his bragging rights on their success against Texas. Obviously, we have [athletic director Chris] Del Conte, as well, now, and it feels like we just kind of poached the best assets TCU has had, and, hopefully, that leads to success in Austin.”
Ahem.
There might be a Horned Frog out there this week who hopes he hits it left on No. 5 on Thursday. (That’s not me, mind you. We’re all Jordan Spieth fans.)
“He’s a great football coach and can do nothing but help the Horns. It would be really exciting if we achieved to our capabilities one of these years.”
On the golf course, Spieth is playing well. He won at the RBC Heritage on Easter Sunday, despite not putting well. At the Byron Nelson two weeks ago, he was the runner-up. At the PGA Championship, he finished middle of the pack.
“I felt like I putted the best I’ve putted this year last week, and it just doesn’t show on the stats. But it was the most free-flowing strokes I’ve had, and I feel like I’ve made a lot of really good progress on the greens.”
If he putts well, put Spieth down as a favorite at Hogan's Alley.
And then the Aggie walked into the bar.
Fort Worth is Aggieland North, the Aggies are telling us, what with all the plans they have downtown with a new law school, research, and nursing school buildings. The south end of downtown will be maroon and white.
Ryan Palmer, a proud Aggie, laughed just about until his stomach hurt when he heard Fort Worth had picked up a new nickname, “Aggieland North.”
“I hadn’t heard that, but that’s great to hear,” said Palmer, a Colonial Country Club member. “You’re seeing more and more Aggies everywhere I go now, which is great.”
Palmer, too, had heard about the dustup between Alabama football coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher. Saban told some boosters that Jimbo’s most excellent class of recruits this year was completely purchased through the affordability act known as the “NIL.” College athletes can now sign financial deals using their name, image, and likeness, and, according to some (most all?), some boosters are getting creative about helping their most favorite universities recruit ball players.
Saban’s comments set off a kind of storm we don’t write about at Fort Worth Magazine home. Jimbo called Saban a narcissist, adding that Saban hasn’t recruited six national championship teams the past 12 years through guarantees of merely books and tuition, and his good looks and charm.
Suffice to say, Palmer stands firmly in the corner of Jimbo.
“Good for Jimbo for stepping up and standing up to what was said. Whatever A&M is doing as far as their recruiting, nobody is doing anything different anywhere else.
“Maybe Saban is still bitter from getting beat last year [by A&M]. I’m excited to see [Jimbo] stand up to him. I’m all on Jimbo’s side.”
That’s how you throw a high, hard golf ball past the ear.
For the record, on another sideline at the Charles Schwab Invitational is Justin Thomas, newly crowned PGA champion and proud Alabaman. He’s for Nick.
Kick off for this golf tournament is bright and early on Thursday at 7:20 a.m.
See you then, Fort Worth. Might need to have your head on a swivel.
