PGA Tour: The Arnie Invitational: Notes from the Ballwasher

1).The "Arnold Palmer Invitational" is the final stop of this year's "Florida Swing", following challenging stops at the "Honda", WGC-Cadillac and last week's Valspar tournament at Innisbrook.
Thankfully we've seen glimpses of form from the GB&I contingent, Knox and McIlroy being beaten in the Honda play-off, Donaldson one stroke adrift of Reed at Doral, and the Donald and Justin Rose contending last week. Both would have been closer but for uncharacteristic three putts by Luke and tiddlers missed by Rose.
Good week for Matteo also; perhaps he's playing his way back in to the form that would remind us that he's golf's most successful under-21-y-o? (Sorry Spieth!)
 
2).John Senden's birdies on #16 and #17 would most likely have been one stroke too good regardless.
A popular win for Sendo, though can't imagine most spectators find him a particularly compelling player to follow; boring as (appropriately) watching paint dry in my experience. He'd certainly paid his dues at this tournament having finished runner-up a couple of times already. Which got me to thinking that this Copperhead Course at Innisbrook is a real "horses for courses" track, not dissimilar to Harbour Town, Colonial and a few others.
 
3).Apart from the event's first winner, Bermuda specialist John Huston, all previous winners (since 2002) were in the field and Vijay Singh was the only one to miss the cut. Of the rest, Sean O'Hair continued his dismal trot of form by missing the 54-hole cut and Calcavecchia departed the scene looking decidedly wobbly after 63 holes.
Two-time winners Goosen and KJ Choi (also a 2010 runner up) tied for 44th, but not before the Goose had shot the best round of the tournament until it was equalled by Senden.
Last year's winner Streelman faded to 38th.
Furyk (another one-time runner up) and Pettersson tied for 20th, while Woodland finished 8th and Luke Donald 4th.
Among those to have finished 2nd here, Senden of course won.
Garrigus finished 4th, George McNeill 7th and HowellIII and Bae 14th.
Most of those would have been good prices and given you a decent run for your investment.
 
4).Another talking point was slow play and the warnings dished out to Garrigus and Na. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the particular incident on Saturday when these two were in the final group and fell almost two holes behind, it certainly highlighted the slow-play issue on the PGA Tour. Ironically, it was Garrigus, usually a fast player, who caused the pair to fall behind, while Na's normal speed (glacial) was exposed.
 
Coincidentally, the recorded first feature of a new series of "Feherty" aired last night with Brandt Snedeker condemning slow play, illustrated by examples of Kevin Na (and Ben Crane). Poor timing by the Golf Channel(!), but indicative of reputations that take a long time to get rid of!
And not helped by Garrigus's caddie saying, BEFORE they all teed off together again on Sunday:
"It ain't fair playing with Kevin Na. It ain't right."!!
 
5).Broken record time: Another poor tournament from other Europeans, especially Casey, Colsaerts, Hanson, Lynn and Olesen who need far better results, and Clarke and Harrington who squeaked in to Sunday's play but failed to take advantage. DC and Padraig have exemption safety nets, but the rest will all lose their cards at this rate.
 
6).Some news notes:
~Juli Inkster appointed US Solheim Cup Captain, with the unflattering figure of Pat Hurst as VC.
~Tim Finchem now has a Deputy Commissioner, a bloke called Jay Monahan, who is assumed to be his heir apparent. Sounds like Joe Ogilvie will have to wait.
~Edit: Should have added that it's becoming increasingly certain that Torrey Pines will be annointed the US Open venue for 2021.
~Alex Cejka enjoyed another podium finish on the web.com Tour, has a $70K lead on the money-list, and is a dead cert to regain his PGA Tour card for 2014/2015. Henrik Norlander is also inside the all-important Top 25.
~Colin Montgomerie is getting closer to the winners circle on the Champions Tour, with a T2 last week in California. He has Nick Faldo for company this week in Mississippi.
~And: For the second week running Steve Elkington is absent from the Champions Tour field. I reckon he's been suspended. Anyone hear anything along those lines? Still don't feel the Tour does itself any favours by not announcing suspensions.
 
7).And so to Bay Hill and a week reserved for the revered Arnold Palmer. The "Arnie" is no longer a must-play tournament and as many prominent names (led by Els, McIlroy and Mickelson) have taken this week off as are paying homage to "The King". Tiger Woods is here, undoubtedly the horse for this course, plus Scott and Stenson and a strong European contingent, including the usual suspects plus Casey, Donaldson, Gonzo (3rd last year), Matthew Fitzpatrick, Molinari and former winner Martin Laird.
 
8).Apart from Woods, this tournament does NOT! have a strong horses for courses record, but two exceptions are McDowell (twice runner-up) and Justin Rose who has made 8 cuts in 9 appearance with an 8th, 3rd and last year's runner-up finish. If Rose has figured out that ghastly putting stroke from last week, this should be another strong tournament for him.
 
9).Most eyes not on Arnold Palmer (and the painfully obligatory report on Sam Sauders' progress - in a word, negligible) will be on Tiger Woods, his health and his form.
If I add him to my Fantasy Team you can rest assured he'll pull out injured, but one wonders whether he'd be playing at all if he didn't have The Masters in three weeks' time.
Other Masters prospects who are injured, or just missing from action, include Jason Day and his thumb, Louis Oosthuizen and his back, and Charl Schwartzel who's withdrawn and absconded on paternity leave.
 
10).Finally, from the "who'd've thunk it" department, and in the wake of Luke Donald 3-putting twice in three holes last Sunday, pgatour.com reports that the two players with the longest streak of holes without a 3-putt are . . . . . . did you guess Bubba Watson (237) and Dustin Johnson (217)?
Both are having fine seasons so far, playing with chips on their shoulders after being left off the 2013 Presidents Cup Team and hell-bent on being at Gleneagles in 6 months' time.

I think Lydia Ko might be the most successful player under age 21.

Hmmm... sounding like Tiger might be out at Bay Hill?


EDIT: Yep.. confirmed. Tiger out.

robopz wrote:Hmmm... sounding like Tiger might be out at Bay Hill?


EDIT: Yep.. confirmed.  Tiger out.

There was speculation on golf channel.com that he might play the Shell Houston to get some reps in before the Masters

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/john-hawkins/hawks-nest-will-tiger-make-texas-pit-stop

The things that happen when I'm down the pub.

Good thing in my opinion that, just perhaps, the long term is more important than the short term.

He can play Augusta National with his eyes closed and, at the very least, contend.

But he surely needs to resign himself to the fact that he can't swing out of his shoes every shot and still maintain 100% good health.

Time to pick his spots - even more than he has been doing.

Brandt Snedeker condemned slow play, but more interestingly he said when put on the clock he slows down on purpose to try and ensure his slow playing partner ends up with a fine.

OOOOhhhhhh me back.

       

McLaren wrote:Brandt Snedeker condemned slow play, but more interestingly he said when put on the clock he slows down on purpose to try and ensure his slow playing partner ends up with a fine.

More likely to end up with a punch on the nose in the locker room now I would think.

Snedekers eyes are even closer together than an Irishman's

super_realist wrote:Snedekers eyes are even closer together than an Irishman's

Have you check out Jamie Donaldson's eyes?

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/61290000/jpg/_61290651_147516293.jpg

Be nice about Jamie . . . . .
 
Lots of speculation that Phil Mickelson will add the Texas Open to his schedule which is also assumed to include Houston; so that would be three in a row.
EDIT! Phil commits to Texas Open, next week in San Antonio - will make one of the best (from a community point of view) tournaments on Tour even better. Now, if they can just continue to smooth off some of the course's rough edges . . . . .

What a coup it would be for Houston if Phil and Tiger played in the same event there?
Might even be enough for robo to get his camera out of mothballs.

On the subject of "horses for courses", the most recent occurrence of more than one runner-up performance by an American at Bay Hill is by Jeff Maggert.
And good luck to him as he embarks on his Champions Tour career this week, in Mississippi.
Would imagine he'll make a second fortune as a Senior; the PGA Tour's nearly man of the past 25 years.

Could Phil be looking at his standings in the RC standings and adding an event?

Faldo is also playing at Biloxi.

If Faldo plays well at Biloxi, would he even entertain teeing it up at the Master? I think he really wants to play. Would his CBS contract prevent him from playing?

Yup, I mentioned that about sirnick (hate that he calls himself "Sir"!).

I would think Faldo's participation would only add to CBS's coverage, but I've no idea what's in his contract, and I'm not sure that he hasn't already declined his "invitation" for this year.


Very good point about Phil and the Ryder Cup - Watson would be in a bit of a pr pickle if he had to deny Phil or Tiger a Captain's Cloice! So imagine everyone would like Mickelson to prosper in the qualifying list, because it's looking increasingly possible that Woods might struggle.

Doubt we will see Tiger before the Masters, when he will turn up and challenge, and everyone will marvel at how great he is.

If i did something to earn a Knighthood i would make damn sure everyone uses it, even my family!

I'm going to say it now, 9Chins won't be playing Ryder Cup.

Sir beninho sounds much better. Will you emblazon that on your golf bag like sirnicky?

I wonder how big a deal this is with Tiger? What was his health like during his San Diego flopshot or his Middle East moneygrab?

If he was to miss The Masters, one wonders whether he might have a serious enough condition that requires substantial treatment and extended rest, a la Els, Goosen, Vijay.

This is a crucial collection of seven Majors coming up, six of them where he has previous and one course, Chambers Bay, that will be new to almost everyone. After that? Not so much.

Indeed Kwini, this year and the joke of a major course that is TOC are well suited to the most miserable man in sport.
If he is Darren Anderton'ed then Jack can breathe a sigh of relief because 9C has more chance of crapping in the queens handbag than making past his marker.

Speaking of which 2015 at St.Andrews, if we're really unlucky it won't be the British Open anymore.

GPB wrote:

super_realist wrote:Snedekers eyes are even closer together than an Irishman's

Have you check out Jamie Donaldson's eyes?

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/61290000/jpg/_61290651_147516293.jpg

That's Prince Harry isn't it?
Or did Capt. Hewitt sh@g Jamie's mother as well?.  

Weren't last years courses set up for tiger, I'm sure that's what I heard people saying. I think he's done, may get another major but physically smashed and will have to many problems.

Was reading about the young guns around, do you think they are no more or less talented then previous youngsters just by not having a fit and in prime tiger they will gain more recognition.

Don't think it was last year, sirben, more like the 2010 Pebble Beach / St.Andrews sequence followed by Congressional the following year.


Should be fine weather for most of the weekend in Florida - they'll be off in an hour.
Speculation that the PGA Tour is having a dig by grouping Kevin Na with Scott "Stallings". If intentional, that's a rare flash of humour from Finchem Towers.

Sounds like a tough set-up; Bay Hill has had very hard greens in the past which make some holes excrutiatingly difficult, especially the Par-3 17th; hope we don't have a repeat of that.

Na always just looks like one twitch away from a complete melt down. Although to his credit, after his 16 at the Texas Open a few years ago, TV picked up him chatting with his caddy about it and he was a lot more chilled out than I expected (or would have been).

He certainly comes across most of the time as a miserable sod, though, Bob, don't you think? I tried to follow his group a few years ago and he was slow and surly - left him and then saw him come up the 18th, when he threw his putter and walked off without shaking hands with fellow pros, or volunteers. John Mallinger rescued the day by emptying his bag of balls and gloves to give the walking volunteers.

Little things make a big impression, for worse as well as for better.

I'd have said intense rather then miserable, but I've not had the (dubious) benefit of following him in the flesh.

Little things do indeed make a big impression. Colsaerts throwing a ball to a very little kid by the edge of one of the greens on Sunday got airtime and he came across well because of it.

I feel the same way about Na and Sabbatini as Super does about Tiger. They're both despicable.

Anywhoo, hopefully McDowell will have a good week this week.

Agree Sabbatini can do some daft things, but have had good experiences following him; engaging with gallery etc.

But not many are as good as Adam Scott and he's playing with Patrick Reed who considers he's a better golfer than Adam. Scott leads him by four shots after seven holes: mind, he leads almost everyone by four shots!

Two eagles for Adam Scott; too early to say he's making a "statement" but certainly a strong start!

Casey and Gonzo leading Europeans at -3, five shots behind.

Some strange numbers when I last looked:

DLIII had only 2 pars in 12 holes.
Bubba was 5 over for 3 holes around the turn.
Fowler was 4 over after 3, but is now back to level.

Who does Bubba Watson think he is? John Daly??

pgatour.com doesn't seem too sure whether he just clocked up a 10 or an 11 - looks like he had to make a 7ft putt just to do that, whatever "that" turns out to be.
And I thought he had a great chance this week . . . . . . .

Yep - 7 off the tee will do that to you.

Adam Scott really wants to be world number 1.

Holy hell!!

-10 from Scott, and this is supposed to be a tough set-up?!

But +11 from Bubba...and he's withdrawn.

Another dismal finish for Westwood - effectively +4 over the last five holes. Moving to Florida has turned out to be just the job, hasn't it?

Well done Paul Casey - three more 67's and you could be in business.

And: Well done Matt Fitzpatrick - in at one under par.

Tooth ache for Bubba?

Allergies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ireland, North and South, climbing the leaderboard.
Signs of life from St.Padraig. About time.

Arnie dressed up like Poulter. IJP, you've made it!!

Whenever john merrick is mentioned all I can think of is the elephant man. Only me?

Tigers are afraid of elephants. --> super_realist loves John Merrick.

beninho wrote:Whenever john merrick is mentioned all I can think of is the elephant man. Only me?

Nope, me too. 'I am not an animal, I am a pro golfer!'

navyblueshorts wrote:

McLaren wrote:Brandt Snedeker condemned slow play, but more interestingly he said when put on the clock he slows down on purpose to try and ensure his slow playing partner ends up with a fine.

More likely to end up with a punch on the nose in the locker room now I would think.

He must have some locker room support or he wouldn't have come out on TV and admitted it. It is possibly a wide spread strategy used to punish the slow players.




Not seen it mentioned on here but Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington will host the 2017 wells fargo, so that quail hollow can concentrate on PGA preparations. http://golfweek.com/news/2014/mar/18/pga-tour-wells-fargo-championship-wilmington-2017/

That's right Mac, and Wells Fargo have re-upped thru 2019. Another great deal by Finchem; he's incredibly good at securing the future, which probably is another way of saying he's pretty lukewarm about the WGC-MatchPlay otherwise he'd've got something sorted.

No idea what the Wilmington course is like - Michael Jordan's hometown, so no doubt he'll be involved somehow.

SmithersJones wrote:

beninho wrote:Whenever john merrick is mentioned all I can think of is the elephant man. Only me?

Nope, me too. 'I am not an animal, I am a pro golfer!'

Nah - I am not an animal - I am an independent contractor

Anyhoo - each mention makes me think of John McCrirrick striding the fairways. Cue mental picture of an epileptic warthog brandishing a mashie!

Very similar to how Feherty described Montgomerie then.

Woods has a bulging disc in his back which doesn't require surgery, according to this report.

http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/24493159/report-tiger-woods-has-bulging-disc-in-back

That's not what the Golf Channel said four years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORhdgW_mw30

I don't think Win McMurry works there any more . . . . .

incontinentia wrote:Woods has a bulging disc in his back which doesn't require surgery, according to this report.

http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/24493159/report-tiger-woods-has-bulging-disc-in-back

That's exactly what I had. 3 months sat in an armchair on some of the strongest (legal) drugs going.
I've bust several bones over my life time and not one of em can compare to the agony of my buggered back.
Unfortunately sitting about and waiting for the damn thing to heal was about all they could do. Did have weekly physio which involved ultrasound but not sure how much difference it made.
Considered surgery at the time (would have taken a chance meeting with Predator to rip the damn thing out) but by all accounts it just transfers the problem to the next vertebrae in line...

Oh and as an aside the doc (silly old fool) said well it is common in men at your time of life! I was 30!

How did you do it Monty?