PGA Tour: 2017 Part of the 16/17 Season, The Inauguration: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).No silly, not the season-opener for the bloke that wanted to make Colin Montgomerie GREAT again, tweeting: "Colin . . . . so proud of you and your GREAT playing! You made winning MAJORS look easy!"

2).But the Happy New Year for 32 deserving chappies who tee it up this week on the drop-dead gorgeous Plantation Course at Kapalua in the "SBS Tournament of Champions". Unlike their compadres from the entertainment industry who mostly declined their invitation to perform in Washington DC in a few weeks, all the eligible Americans, and a few Internationals, will be on parade, the only six absentees being Garcia, McIlroy, Schwartzel, Scott, Stenson and Willett.

3).And that also means that Jason Day will return from his latest sabbatical, hopefully fit and healthy. It's probably a bit early to call him the Darren Anderton of the PGA Tour, but suffice to say the going price about Day withdrawing from a Tour event in the next two years is about even money. He'll be wearing a hat decorated with the Nike swoosh but sadly the possible wish that he might swoosh up his pace of play seems father to the thought:

4).According to Golf Channel, Day spent some of 2016 trying to speed up his game, but felt he got away from what makes him good. "If that means I have to back off five times, then I'm going to back off five times before I have to actually hit the shot."
It is somewhat depressing to note that the Tour doesn't penalise the first bad time, charges the culprit a stroke for a second bad time during a round, and dishes out a $5,000.00 fine for the second. Petty cash to most pros, and especially to Jason Day, who's surely too good a player to burden himself with questions about his dawdling rather than the clinic of great shots that he so often produces? Mike Dean would have him outathere, cooling his heels in the locker room at the merest hint of "deliberate" play.
Well worth checking veteran caddie Kip Henley's twitter account to see his take on this: @KipHenley. Spot on, I'd say.

5).With Garcia (who's a past Champion here, beating today's 50th birthday boy David Toms in a play-off), McIlroy, Stenson and Willett sitting this one out, Russell Knox is the only European entered. He'll be looking to be the first European winner here since Daniel Chopra - remember him and his hair?

6).But there's a strong field of Americans with Dustin, Bubba, Spieth, Reed, Snedeker, Walker, Ryan Moore, Justin Thomas and Dufner leading the way. Various degrees of interest in most of them, especially to see which Jordan Spieth turns up - he spreadeagled the field last year, putting superbly and beating Reed by 8 strokes. Others that I'll be interested in include Badds and Jimmy Walker.

7).David Toms was mentioned here last week as a likely debutant on the Champions Tour, though he'll surely play a few PGA Tour stops as well. Good for him, but it's curious to note that Bob Estes, almost 51, recovered from injury and carrying a 21-event "Major Medical Extension" for 2017 plans to play close to a full Tour schedule. He's earned that, but he's miserable to follow and taking the place of a youngster; nothing personal, Bob, but hope a few missed cuts send you to the Champers Tour.

8).Stories in the press about Wayne Westner's suicide in South Africa. Westner won twice on the European Tour, retiring after failing to recover from a 1998 on-course accident in Madeira. He didn't play much in the US, but there used to be a very mini mini-Tour event, the Genny Open, in NYS and a load of friends of mine, and possibly Shotrock as well, were playing at Higby Hills when Westner won. Demons have been chasing him for years, not necessarily because of drinking too much Genny, but this is a sad end for someone who won the 1996 World Cup in tandem with Ernie Els.

9).The Tour visits Honolulu next week, then the old Bob Hope event in the Californian desert, San Diego (with Phil, but possibly Tiger as well), Phoenix, Pebble Beach and Riviera before heading to Florida in late February. By that time the season will be more than 25% done.
The hottest player in late 2016 was Hideki Matsuyama; he's in this week's field and defends in a few weeks in Phoenix. He's the hottest player, is he close to being the best?

10).QUIZ! After robo's interesting piece about cuts made, one player who doesn't currently pretend to be the best has the longest streak of owgr points made. Who is he?

n.b.: The web.com season starts next week, in The Bahamas on Sunday. We'll be following that on this thread.

I missed Spieth playing there in 2014.

IIRC, the new tournament designation has to be a 5 year absence.

Tim Clark is one of several players that need an Amber Alert.

At least five 50-somethings playing the Sony, some just on a busman's holiday as they warm up for the Champers Tour kick-off in a fortnight. Cost? Places in the field for web.com grads.

The regulation RE the extra "required" tournament is one you haven't played in the past 4 seasons... here's the full explanation...

Strength of Field Regulation implemented which requires Regular Members (except those Members in the Major Medical Extension and Web.com Tour categories) to play in an event they have not played over the previous four seasons (not including The Masters Tournament, U.S. Open Championship, Open Championship, PGA Championship, THE PLAYERS Championship, World Golf Championships, the FedExCup Playoff events, The Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup, and Olympic Games). Players would be exempt from this regulation if they played in 25 or more events the previous or current season or were Life Members, Veteran Members who are age 45 or older at any point during the current season, or Dual Members of both the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.

Thanks robo.

Very interesting article with Pete Cowen in Feb's Golf Digest . . . . . . . A bit late for them to discover him but the opening paragraph about Darren Clarke before the 2011 Open is brilliant! Too early to link it, but don't miss it!!

Frank Nobilo in the lead analyst chair for NBC's lead in coverage for the SBS.

I thought he was contracted with CBS.

I could watch Jordan Spieth putt all day and all night. He is to putting what Hogan was to ball striking.

Ryan Moore, the enigma. Quite an open setup, then takes the club back in a very deliberate almost vertical move, pops his left hip out and swings through the ball. Certainly not orthodox, but very effective. Kind of reminds me of Eamon Darcy, and I don't mean that in a bad way.

At his most bizarre I've stood behind Ryan Moore with him lining up to smoke the ball over mid on, and see him hit it dead straight.

Eamonn Darcy has an amazing Ryder Cup record, and I don't mean that in an entirely bad way as his one win in four RC's was his singles win vs Crenshaw at Muirfield Village.

Eamonn Darcy's and Gay Brewer's golf swings had more moves than ex-lax.

Anyone have interest in the Monday Qualifier or the Prequalifier for the Sony Open?

Leaderboard for Sunday Pre-Qualifier https://alohapga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/alohapga17/event/alohapga171/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

Leaderboard for Monday Open Qualifier https://alohapga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/alohapga17/event/alohapga172/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

Remember Tadd Fujikawa? Played in the 2006 US Open has a 15 year old. He is in the prequalifier, tomorrow is his 26th birthday.

kwinigolfer wrote:At his most bizarre I've stood behind Ryan Moore with him lining up to smoke the ball over mid on, and see him hit it dead straight.

Eamonn Darcy has an amazing Ryder Cup record, and I don't mean that in an entirely bad way as his one win in four RC's was his singles win vs Crenshaw at Muirfield Village.

Moore has got to have serious talent/ hit some amount of range balls to be able to do that consistently and his record would suggest its talent!!

On paper not a great return from Eamo in the RC, but that one W was an important one I'd guess he'd argue..  might even make Tony Jacklin's christmas card list    

Eamonn Darcy's and Gay Brewer's golf swings had more moves than ex-lax.    


Yeah I remember Tadd in that US Open, another great promise that never materialised, here's another Ty Tryon! Remember that name!?!?

My golf viewing plans took a bit of a battering last night due to a crying 5yo, i hope to get more in this evening...

The Gay Brewer would be a good name for a pub in these parts . . . . . .

web.com action scheduled for today in The Bahamas.

Some Europeans will be in action, plus a rogue's (can only mean Allenby) gallery of Tour vets of one-time distinction including:

Europeans:
Greg Eason, Jimmy Gunn, Jaeger, Skinns, Cappelen, Ben Taylor

Tour vets:
Allenby, Byrd, DeJonge, Jason Gore, Gainey, Mattiace, Micheel, Merrick, Chris Stroud, Trahan, etc, etc.

Round 1 today, tournament finishes on Wednesday.

PS: Lots of Young Guns du jour also. Whether the next Spieth or day, or Tadd or Tryon remains to be seen.

Hideki v's Dufner

https://vine.co/v/5VVVDbevI0P

Dramatic pause.

I love that Hideki gets to the top before Duf starts his backswing yet Duf hits first!

If you want a see dichotomy of golf swings, check out these two LPGAers from a few years ago. (One Japanese, One American)

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xg3z6t_ai-miyazato-vs-brittany-lincicome_sport

Blimey.
Play in The Bahamas started late due to weather issues but the scoring is all over the place, and not in a good way.

No-one has completed more than 8 holes and SEVEN golfers are already at +7 or worse, Allenby at +7 after four holes, for instance, deJonge +6 after 6. Looks more like the Kwini Member Guest.

Carnage continues at the web.com, Arnold Palmer rolling in his grave as Sam Saunders cruises to +9 after 5 holes. Not the sort of performance to get him a Bay Hill invite now the King is gone.

Rory McIlroy wrote:"All of a sudden it put me in a position where I had to question who I am? Who am I? Where am I from? Where do my loyalties lie? Who am I going to play for? Who do I not want to piss off the most.

"I started to resent it and I do. I resent the Olympics Games because of the position it put me in, that's my feelings towards it, and whether that's right or wrong, it's how I feel."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/rory-mcilroy-i-dont-know-the-words-to-irish-or-british-anthem-i-dont-feel-a-connection-to-either-flag-35350137.html

GPB wrote:If you want a see dichotomy of golf swings, check out these two LPGAers from a few years ago.  (One Japanese, One American)

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xg3z6t_ai-miyazato-vs-brittany-lincicome_sport

That reminds me -- does anyone know  what Phil parkin's doing these days ?  I used to like listening to him doing the LPGA with tom Abbott and Judy rankin.    But haven't heard his voice for ages.

Looks like his contract with GC was not renewed for 2016 as I noted his absence in another blog.

IMO, he was overly effusive in his commentary, borderlining on patronizing.

No idea what he has been doing for the last year.

Me too Plunky, had noticed his absence; chatted with him for a while at Hartford a few years ago, and very modest, humble-sounding guy. He seemed to be greatly respected by Faldo and always wondered if they were mates during Am and early pro days.

Given that the GC seems increasingly to want to do their own coverage of ET events, you'd think there'd be a place for him, get Steve Sands off the coverage for a start. Though "Big" Blackmar did a fine job in Ireland & Scotland.

"Leicester City"'s Greg Eason didn't have any aces or twos, but had three sixes, a 7, an 8 and a 9 in his Bahamian Rhapsody. There'll be more 80's+ than 60's or 70's at this rate. What's going on??!!

No such problem at Kapalua, the entire field at least three under par except spoilsports Vegas, Grace and HUrley.

Golf Central Pregame just showed conditions at the Bahamas. The waters looks like the Cape of Good Horn.

Brutal Conditions

Will Wilcox has changed his official PGATour name to Willy Wilcox. Guess he went through the same procedure as Fredrik Jacobson when he changed it to Freddie. He is well into the 80's today, like many of the morning wave.

Sky are re running yesterday's action at the minute Kwini so no coverage here of the Bahamas action, but looking at those numbers I can only imagine its blowing a gale! Good enough for 'em I say, let them hit 3 irons into greens like we have to do

I thought Wilcox was going to be a breakthrough player a couple of years ago when he was a ball-striking machine. He's regressed; he had apparent issues early in his career and don't know if that has anything to do with his poor season last year, or whether he was just carrying that injury.

Pity DC isn't playing - he'd show 'em. Maybe next week.

The may need to rename the web.com event to The Great Exumation Classic.

First blood to Thomas.

Aw blow for blow, great stuff from Hideki and then absolute class from Thomas off the tee on 11.

Ooh, chip in from Hideki & a missed putt from Thomas. Game on again...

Little gift from Hideki there on 17, lights out now...

Some fine drama here. Hideki looked like he was trying to two hand dunk that first putt on 17.

Thomas cruising home for the "W". Nice job.

Interesting interview if you are a Rory fan.

http://m.independent.ie/sport/golf/paul-kimmage-meets-rory-mcilroy-the-truth-about-the-olympics-close-friendship-with-tiger-and-the-important-things-in-life-35349397.html

Quite surprised to hear Rory being so open, seems happy to talk about any subject.

McLaren wrote:Interesting interview if you are a Rory fan.

http://m.independent.ie/sport/golf/paul-kimmage-meets-rory-mcilroy-the-truth-about-the-olympics-close-friendship-with-tiger-and-the-important-things-in-life-35349397.html

Quite surprised to hear Rory being so open, seems happy to talk about any subject.

Great interview, I look forward to part II next week. Certainly puts his ambivalence towards the Olympics more in perspective. Seems pretty clear the more crap he gets over it, the more of a wall he's building against them.

Only thing that confuses me is Rory's take on "growing the game". IMO he already does enough of that via just being the player he is, not to mention the work he's done in regards to the Irish Open. Seems to me Rory being in the Olympics isn't near as important as him building the Irish up to a premium ET event. That should do more to attract Irish kids to the game than the Olympics would. I very much do believe the Olympics will have a long range very positive effect on growing golf internationally, and if ALL the top stars continued to take a pass it would have a negative effect. But if it's just a small handful missing going forward... no harm IMO except for the potential PR problem at home for some of those who don't participate maybe. But Rory seems to be making it clear he'll have none of that.

Do you think people hid behind the awful Zika excuse, could people not be arsed going to Brazil, or did they not fancy golf in the Olympics.

Jason Day's #1 ranking vulnerability, not playing again until week 4 in San Diego

Rory is about 50 pts away, playing this Week in South Africa and next week Abu Dhabi
Dustin is about 70 pts away, playing next week in Abu Dhabi
Henrik is about 100 pts away, playing next week in Abu Dhabi
Jordan/Hideki are about 135 pts away, playing this week in Hawaii

Week 2
Hawaii is estimated to be SoF 50 (Jordan,Hideki scheduled to play)
South Africa is estimated to be SoF 32 (Rory)

Week 3
Abu Dhabi should be worth more than 50 pts (Rory, Dustin, Henrik)
Career Builder
Singapore

Week 4
San Diego (J-Day, D-J scheduled to play)
Qatar

Week 5
Phoenix
Dubai (Rory, Henrik)

P-D thinks SA Open is going to be worth 32 pts to the winner. He might be still thinking that the SA Open is a flagship event as I don't think it will be rated that high.

Sony Open is going to be a 50 pointer and Abu Dhabi should be worth 52 or 54 pts.

Looks increasingly as if robo's expectation that Furyk will be named RC Capt will be confirmed this Wednesday.

And speculation that the Tournament of Champions may become a joint PGA Tour/LPGA Tour event. Equal money will be (rightly) demanded so not sure how that will work.

Btwn Bjorn and Furyk, the 2018 RC should be renamed the "Hair-Club for Men" Ryder Cup.

Rogaine should be the Title Sponsor.

GPB wrote:Btwn Bjorn and Furyk, the 2018 RC should be renamed the "Hair-Club for Men" Ryder Cup.

Rogaine should be the Title Sponsor.

You mean Nogaine..

super_realist wrote:Do you think people hid behind the awful Zika excuse, could people not be arsed going to Brazil, or did they not  fancy golf in the Olympics.

Of course I think there was an element of that. I also think some guys (like Spieth) bought into overblown mass hysteria over the Rio issues. There were some issues for sure... but they were magnified so greatly out of proportion it was freeking bizarre... And I'm not talking about 20-20 hindsight here... it was obvious before the Oly's just how the media was going overboard...

Spieth didn't have an excuse whatsoever, he could have just prayed for protection if he genuinely trusted his god.

It was notable how other sports didn't use the zika excuse. I didn't see any Marathon runners or cyclists pull out because of it, and they were in "harms way" just as much.

Kudos to the likes of Adam Scott who were honest about it instead of hiding behind an excuse.

super_realist wrote: I didn't see any Marathon runners or cyclists pull out because of it, and they were in "harms way" just as much.

It's the only time anyone watches these sports and therefore their 'pinnacle'. The only other time I watch cycling is when the paper boy passes.

MontysMerkin wrote:

super_realist wrote: I didn't see any Marathon runners or cyclists pull out because of it, and they were in "harms way" just as much.

It's the only time anyone watches these sports and therefore their 'pinnacle'. The only other time I watch cycling is when the paper boy passes.

That's not true actually. If there was a genuine health scare in Rio, runners and cyclists, exposed to the same dangers as the golfers and with more exposed skin are not going to risk themselves on the basis that they are going to be "watched" by more people. That's ludicrous.

In any event, The Olympics isn't the pinnacle for road cyclists or marathon runners.

What is then? Tour de farce? They may as well make that an electric bike race now as they're all cheats. As for running? Well I suppose the Musselburgh 4k is a highlight but apart from the annoying geordie commentator droning on once a year about some git from staffs dressed as a lion for 6 hours, theres not much else for the spectator. So as I say they really have to make hay while the sun shines on their sports. Golfers are multi millionnaires so why bother heading to a Poopie tinpot course for a comp that no one gives a Poopie about?

Tour De France, Giro D' Italia, Veulta Espana
As for running, there's a whole load of Marathon "majors".

By the way, you still have a paper boy?

I'm fine with golfers not attending the Olympics, I don't expect them to, I'd rather they just said so though, rather than hiding behind Zika. That's the point. Other sports didn't pretend Zika was an issue, so why did Golfers?

I spose it keeps the media happy as oppose to saying the olympics is rubbish and I'm not going.

It's a paper girl as it happens (this is the 21st century!) and yes I see her passing by on her bike every day.

Those may be majors in running but not sure many outside the sport would be that interested.

The issue is not why the golfers can't be arsed to play. The issue is not being honest. With all the good christians out there you'd hope otherwise.

MontysMerkin wrote:I spose it keeps the media happy as oppose to saying the olympics is rubbish and I'm not going.

It's a paper girl as it happens (this is the 21st century!) and yes I see her passing by on her bike every day.

Those may be majors in running but not sure many outside the sport would be that interested.

I never claimed that it was anything to do with people being interested. Why are you even bringing it up?

The issue is the pathetic excuses golfers are making for not appearing in the event, whilst comparing it to those from other sports who whilst at the same risk, did not use such tawdry excuses.

If the runners and cyclists turn up, then the reasoning that golfers have used, namely zika, does not bear up to scrutiny, and they should have just said they couldn't be arsed, instead of being dishonest, like Rev Gordon Spieth.

Zika was a convenient excuse, nothing more. The Olympics were in the middle of a busy period in which the traditional golf majors were played. The vast majority did not fancy going to Brazil to play in an event which, at that time, was a low priority. Zika came up, and was therefore an easy get out.

Could they have given the real reason, probably, but if they want to play in Japan or any Olympics after that, they just get called a hypocrite.

I can see why they did not play, but I can also accept they may want to play at future Olympics.

kwinigolfer wrote:And speculation that the Tournament of Champions may become a joint PGA Tour/LPGA Tour event. Equal money will be (rightly) demanded so not sure how that will work.

Equal money will be demanded? Where did you get that... and why "rightly so"? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy women's golf... but the value in viewership just isn't there... at least here in the U.S. and Europe. Asia (Korea specifically) might be a different story.

But still... I'd love to see a joint Champions event at Kapalua. And with the Korean's dominating the LPGA, and SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) being the sponsor and owing both PGAT broadcast rights in Korea... perhaps it makes sense. But trying to up the LPGA purse 3-4x to PGA standards could put the kibosh on the whole thing. With current average purses... adding a ladies event adds about $1.5 million in purse for the ladies for a total of about $7.5 mil for both. Even $2 million would be a huge "regular event" purse by LPGA standards, and that takes the total to $8mil. IMO that's potentially doable... but shooting for $12 million? I just don't see how the economics work.

And not a joint competition necessarily, too many issues with that, including the potential loss of OWGR points which could be a big negative in drawing the men's field. But perhaps a concurrent competition with alternating LPGA then PGA groupings on the Plantation? Utilizing the two sets of middle tees the course could easily be set between 6300-6600 yards.

Another possibility is to make use of the Bay Course at Kapalua for the ladies... it's 6600 yds max and the LPGA has utilized it before. TV could go back and forth to the two events running at the same time, with the ladies scheduled to finish maybe an hour before the men? I dunno the answer... but seems to me there's LOTS of possibilities to pull it off. Right course, right sponsor... willing partners... who knows.

MontysMerkin wrote:
It's a paper girl as it happens (this is the 21st century!) and yes I see her passing by on her bike every day.

Twitchy net curtains. For how many hours a day do you station yourself at your window? What happens when you need to go to the toilet?