Joburg Open

First topic message reminder :

It’s now time for the 6th of this seasons gazillion European Tour tournaments in South Africa, Joburg Open. As usual half the field are Saffers and Saffers have won on the previous 4 occasions. A weak field, with favorites being local boys Schwartzel, Sterne and Coetzee, 3 of only 4 players in the field currently in the OWGR top 100 - with the 4th being Ross “What-happened-to-me” Fisher.

Other players in the field include in-form Steve Webster (two top 5’s in his last two outings), hair-model Wobert Wock, as well as the somewhat resurrected Simon “Spikey” Dyson – the latter trying to rebound after almost being shunned from the ET after failing to penalise himself. And with his alter ego being Silas the Monk, from “The da Vinci Code”, one would think he would have known how to do so. Fortunately his results since his comeback have been reasonable.

And talking of comebacks, the field also includes Edoardo Molinari, Alvaro Quiros and former Ryder Cupper Soren Hansen, all of whom seem to be on an irreversible path towards freedom and democracy better times. But that could change... Hansen obviously in a slump after being fined £1m for tax evasion some years back. After all he didn’t do anything different than Stephen Kinnock, husband of the Danish prime minister - and part of the #1 living-off-public-money-family in the UK (Europe?). Of course Kinnock was acquitted - as it turned out that the director of the local Copenhagen tax office was a local social democrat leader who decided to change years of taxation practice to the advantage of Kinnock. Hansen obviously p!ssed and now seeking to have his verdict overturned, so the rumors. So much for your Scandinavian paradise. Ironically Hansen is now a ET category 11 member (Career Money List).

Though, my (well taxed) money are on yet another local winner.

Kwini

Do you think it is the players, the Tour or both who are pathetic for not playing on mainland europe?

BOTH!!!! All exacerbated by not attracting any WGC to Europe. O'Grady's been awol for the entirety of his tenure.

Hadn't realised that this year's Joburg Open is doubling as an Open Championship qualifier - top three finishers getting tickets to St.Andrews. Hardly anyone IS qualified (DC, Eddie Molinari, Aiken, Coetzee) so most likely the Top Three get to play a practice round with super_.

How come this article isn't a sticky anymore??? 2015-02-26

Simon Dyson has hoovered himself to the top of the Joburg leaderboard.

Kwini

Dyson always seems to do better when the crowd near the long stuff is a little sparse.

Are you suspecting him of orchestrating some surreptitious oscillations Mac? Let's face it, nothing you wouldn't do . . . .

I don't get caught.

As you can see I fancied Dyson for this tournament already a year ago...

Coetsee leading in Joburg, what a Wallie!

kwinigolfer wrote:Are you suspecting him of orchestrating some surreptitious oscillations Mac? Let's face it, nothing you wouldn't do . . . .

There's no smoke without fire. The "tapping down the spike mark" wasn't the only incident. He's also been called out by a fellow Pro for grounding his club in a bunker (TV cameras weren't there) a few years ago. Not saying who the fellow Pro was but given that I know it shouldn't be hard to work out who it was that saw it and called it.

Can someone explain why tapping down a spike mark is against the rules? You can fix a pitchmark, remove debris but you can't tap down a spike mark. Seems bloody stupid to me.

Had a quick look on the web. Here's the USGA's reasoning:

“The Rules of Golf are based on two fundamental principles: (1) play the ball as it lies and (2) play the course as you find it. Permitting the repair of spike marks on a player`s line of play or putt would be contrary to these fundamental principles. Rule 16-1c permits the repair of old hole plugs and ball marks but does not permit the repair of spike damage or other irregularities of surface on the putting green if they are on a player`s line of play or putt or might assist him in his subsequent play of the hole. The distinction lies in the fact that old hole plugs and ball marks are easily identifiable as such, whereas it is impossible to differentiate between spike damage and other irregularities of surface on the putting green. Permitting the repair of spike marks would also inevitably lead to a slower place of play. Please note that proper etiquette recommends that damage to the putting green caused by golf shoe spikes be repaired on completion of the hole by all players, just as a player should fill up and smooth over all holes and footprints made by him before leaving a bunker. We feel that improved education and players` consideration for others rather than a change in the Rules of Golf is the proper solution to the problem.”

And the first part of this reasoning could be made obsolete by the enforced wearing of soft spikes, if the Tours so chose.

Are they really playing with yellow balls at Joburg or is it some superimposed special effect added by the TV producers??

One of the Coatsee's is anyway pedro. Howell looking pretty intense! Hope Phelan does well but Sullivan looking likely at this stage. Is he a "clutch" player? Remember his cheeky play-off win over Schwartzel a while back, and a super shot out of the trees.

Sullivan hits water! This should be an exciting finish

A Andy Sullivan's win in the JoBurg Open would not be enough to get him into Top 50 and a spot in the Cadillac.  He can get to #55 at best.

super_realist wrote:Can someone explain why tapping down a spike mark is against the rules? You can fix a pitchmark, remove debris but you can't tap down a spike mark. Seems bloody stupid to me.

Hear, hear! I've always thought that one of the worst rules in golf. How many times have you seen a player supposedly fix a pitchmark and suspect it is actually a spike mark?

And will everyone please get off Dyson's back? He's served his "sentence" (not that I think he was as guilty as some other players of rules infringements - they all do it if they think they can get away with it, just like most amateurs) so is now entitled to play on Tour.

Well done to Andy Sullivan, by the way. Great to see someone who really enjoys playing in the winners' circle again