PGA Tour: "Disney": Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Post McGladrey press conference with the winner:
"My rough season of golf has brought me closer to God . . . . if you have God, you have enough."
The late great Dave Allen used to get god right: "May your god be with you." Wish he'd've added something like: "Ben Crane, shut the f--- up about your god - if you think god is assisting you, that's outside the spirit of the game and may be penalised."

2).Of course, the PGA Tour has enough trouble with Ben Crane with his pace of play and if he deleberates with apparent impunity, one imagines a god or two isn't going to ruffle Finchem's feathers.

3).Anyway, a compelling tournament last week with a decent field at a lovely location. Nothing not to like about that, and runner-up Webb Simpson certainly made a statement about the PGA Tour money title. Simple maths for Luke this week at Disney:
*Finish first and keep Webbo out of solo 2nd, and the title is yours.
*Finish solo second and hope that Simpson trails in at T8 or worse, and you're good.
*Finish in a 2-way tie for 2nd, and Simpson needs approximately twentieth place finish. Otherwise Lukey would win.
No other finish for Donald would be good enough.
Hopefully the PGA Tour will send them out together for Rounds 1 and 2 - should be great head-to-head theatre!

4).Paul Casey withdrew after two McGladrey rounds, allegedly due to a stomach bug. I wonder if Casey will show up for Q-School? Otherwise he can presumably play as a veteran member and get in all the WGC's and Majors for which he's qualified. But he wouldn't have full PGA Tour member status, and maybe that's OK with him. The only thing he'd be sure to miss would be the FedEx Play-Offs. Time will tell, but perhaps a re-jig of his schedule during a Ryder Cup year was always in his mind, especially after being excluded last year by Captain Montgomerie?

5).Lots of speculation in the US golfing press that Stricker would have withdrawn from the Presidents Cup Team if not for Tiger Woods' inclusion, with pressure on him to play even if not fully fit so that Tiger has a partner.

6).And, while we're at it, Greg Norman has been offering his opinion on the Captain's choice that Couples awarded to Woods and suggesting it's not a good pick. Message to Greg Norman: Shut up Greg.
Captain Couples can pick who he likes (just like Shark chose Scott two years ago) and it's not worth winding the opposition up needlessly.
Norman rabbits on about current form but the fact is that his Team qualifies based upon results over the past 24 months and certainly not on current form; otherwise, if one qualified on owgr points earned in 2011, the International Team would be, in order:
Schwartzel, Day, Scott, Choi, Badds, Yang, Sabbatini, KTKim, Vijay, Senden. Ishikawa would be 11th, Ogilvy 12th and Coetzee 13th.
As it is, Sabbatini stays home, as do Vijay and Senden, and Ernie, Goosen and Allenby are there, rightly or wrongly, on past glories.

7).After spending last week at a course and in a resort (Sea Island) where I could happily stay and play golf everyday for a year, we're off to Orlando for the final event of the PGA Tour season, to Disney World which I'll very happily avoid for the rest of my days, golf courses included. But there's a lot at stake.
*The leading money-winner for the year (and the five year Tour exemption and Arnold Palmer Trophy - and Player Of The Year? - that go with it).
*Final placings which determine the destiny of a Masters invite (top 30), PGA Tour cards for 2012 (top 125), and conditional cards for 2012 (top 150).
Apart from Casey, who will earn a conditional status for 2012, other notables need the following approximate finishes at Disney:
Pampling: 28th
Trahan: 24th
Mayfair: 18th
Horschel: 6th
Curtis, Vaughn Taylor, Duval: 4th
Weekley: 2nd
Stephen Ames and Justin Leonard are among those who likely have career earnings exemptions to use and will be OK for 2012.

8).Not happy that three golfers who withdrew last week after taking a Tour wannabe's place in the field, Davis, Gillis and Goydos, are teeing it up again at Disney. Michael Allen, Calc and Lehman will be there too. Doesn't seem quite right to me although each is entitled to take their place. Hope none of them bale this week also. Interestingly, Kyung-tae Kim is 10th "alternate", not bad for the World's #21 ranked player!

9).Whatever Couples thinks about Greg Norman's picks (and he had a go at Allenby - "hasn't won for ten years", not strictly true of course), it's likely that no-one played better golf last weekend than Fred Couples on the Champions Tour. Twelve birdies and a double bogey in his Saturday 62, and a seven shot win. Perhaps Couples should have picked himself?

10).The final regular season event on the Nationwide Tour tees off on Thursday in Jacksonville. We'll track the progress of Europeans during the tournament, plus keep an eye on Stage One Qualifying School where Messrs Dinwiddie, Lara, Keith Nolan and others are trying their luck. Bon chance to them.

Donald and Simpson playing together Sunday for the fourth day running.

Wouldn't it be nice if the Golf Channel gave these two the same prominence as, say, Eldrick in a similar situation? Coverage today was dire.

totally agree-

by the way glad you decided to stick at these threads- you were abit hesitant before 606 shut down.

Thanks mysti,
Hope we can get this to the level of engagement that 606 enjoyed.

Should be lots of interest Sunday, if only Golf Channel can keep their eye on all the balls.

They'll be underway before Clattenburg blows his final whistle so just a note to say fair skies, warm temperatures and a steady 10 mph breeze will greet the Disney golfers as Round 4 closes the 2011 PGA Tour season.

Loads to play for, let's just hope the Golf Channel do all the storylines credit, especially Number One.
And here's hoping Number One does his well-deserved status justice also.

Just 16 more please Luuuuke . . . .

2 under through 2 - nice start

Another 3-putt for Lukey, London buses. Can't afford that.

Stenson's short game is howling these days... only getting his shots half way to the flag today and after a fantastic start too! It took him 3 shots to get down from 5 yards on 2, 4 shots to get down from 38 yards on 4... good grief.

Luuuuuuuuuke!!! Just keep going that way...

If Luke loses the money race, it will be the Mickey Mouse par fives wot did him in. Minus 2 now (including 2 x 3-putts) for the week - Simpson -6.

kwinigolfer wrote:If Luke loses the money race, it will be the Mickey Mouse par fives wot did him in. Minus 2 now (including 2 x 3-putts) for the week - Simpson -6.

I was going to use that pun to describe Stenson's scoring on this tame track.

Simpson has his own script today.
Looks pretty much gone now for Luke...

this is getting good- both 4 under for day

Now we have a real dogfight! C'mon, Luke!

Ahaaaaaaa!!
No more bl@#&%dy slip ups Luuuuke!

Go Luuuuuuuuuuuuke!..... Now c'mon Luke a bridie at the Par 5!

Poor putt from Webb!

wow donald with 8 birdies in 13 holes- he is top of the leaderboard.

but the 14th is next - has cost him 3 shots in two days.

I didn't think we'd get this kind of finish after the second round, this is fantastic.

ouch for chapple- poor lad missed a 2 footer for outright- can he handle that miss going down the home straight

Probably too risky to go for it on 14 but this hole owes him. Too much to expect an albatross though unfortunately!
What a performance by both of them.

Been away for the weekend, just got home.... Luuuuuke!

The miss looks to have got to chappel after that poorly played hol, missing the fairway with a hybrid then poor bunker shot, all good for Luke, wasn't going to bother watching this tonight as thought it'd be a fruitless task for Luke, instead was going to settle watching the Bears v's Bucs at Wembley but this has all the excitement of that and more, shame it doesn't have the cheer leaders though!

Wow, Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow, Luuuuke

LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE!

stick a wedge in lukes hand - jeasus what a player

WOW...

Six in a row.

What did this Mickey Mouse tournament to deserve a finish like this!?
WOOOOOOOW!!!! Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke!

i'm now lost for words. simply outstanding now lest see Keizo or the Tiger pant wetters say this is not the form of a World No1

45 foot for birdie?
That's nothing for such an arrogant sod.

Webb

this is just unbelivable golf we are witnessing guys.

Terrific driving from Luke.
Perhaps he'll be kind enough to advise us why he doesn't pound 'em straight down the middle all the time.
Come on Luuuuke! Got to make this putt.

Length of this putt makes it simply squeeky bum time

FANTASTIC!!!!
Waiting time now, but I think he should be ok...?
kwini, just in case, I didn't check this whole money list... what about a solo 2nd now for Luke, would it be enough if Webb is in a 4-way tie for 7th as it is now?

See what happens now the only one I can see with a chance in catching him is Leonard especially after that last tee shot from chappel

pd,
Don't want to guess, but I think he'd be OK. Let's hope it doesn't come down to that.
A Disney win would be the biggest statement he could make.
NUMBER ONE!!!!!!!!!!

Kwini out of interest, I know the bubble is 125, but what sort of conditional status is available to players 126-150, is it a cas of relying on invites and being in as alternates for the week, obvously if they go back to Q school can get full playing rights

Pretty sure hes home and hosed.. Awesome performance.

I know this is the Luuuuuke show and rightly so extremely compelling viewing. But would like a little special mention to Justin Leonard fine performance and good to see a retur to some form always liked the guy dont know why just do, plus a mention to TI (Trevor Immelman) one of the best ball strikers you will see IMO really fizzes it off the face, good to see him put some good finishes together recently after such a long period of injuries

Yep I'm tempted to say it's done and dusted too Mav...

If we're doing deserving mentions, then a quick one to the Nationwide Tour... Lingmerth in his debut season, 75th on the moneylist going in to the final event, and after an opening 74 secures a top 3 finish at worst. Blixt challenging for the lead on the home stretch too, been a great season for him missing only a win.

Brilliant shot by Pernice when he needs a birdie for his card.

Sand wrote:Brilliant shot by Pernice when he needs a birdie for his card.

All credit to him Sand, he's gone out and earned it, just hope he makes good use of it. If he just plays 10 events and spends the rest of his time making hay on the Champions circuit, then No. 126 can feel a little hard done by.

Fair play Mr Donald. Thanks awfully for such compelling viewing on this stormy night in NI. With the Ryder Cup next year I just hope he hasn't picked too soon. The way McIlroy's been acting lately I wouldn't be surprised if he dissed the tournament again and Olly dispatched him forth with. Arrogance or not, Luke can lead the Europeans.

NedB-H wrote:

Sand wrote:Brilliant shot by Pernice when he needs a birdie for his card.

All credit to him Sand, he's gone out and earned it, just hope he makes good use of it. If he just plays 10 events and spends the rest of his time making hay on the Champions circuit, then No. 126 can feel a little hard done by.

And the young lad that just birdied the last knocks pernice out of the 125 hard going after doing everything he could

NedB-H wrote:

Sand wrote:Brilliant shot by Pernice when he needs a birdie for his card.

All credit to him Sand, he's gone out and earned it, just hope he makes good use of it. If he just plays 10 events and spends the rest of his time making hay on the Champions circuit, then No. 126 can feel a little hard done by.

Now some Jap ive never heard of has knocked him out with his birdie at the last.. Some guy is in 125 cus of 364 dollars... Wow.

Delighted for Kang, been following him and the even younger Bio Kim all year, good to see the young Koreans performing well on tour. Pernice isn't dead yet, just needs a bogey from one of the last couple of guys

Agreed Ned good to see the young Korean and Asian golfers doing well, te future of golf over the is looking very special

pd,
#126 has status behind the Q-Schoolers and Nationwide grads but should still get in to about 15 or 16 events, more with sponsors invites and any Monday qualifying.
If they're good enough, they can still retrieve a 125 money status from there - plus any top tens and you automatically secure entry in to the next full field event, whether it's Quail Hollow or Reno.

O'Hern and Mayfair in bogey country on 18! Pernice will be secretly keeping his fingers crossed!