PGA Tour: All Change for Bridgestone, Barracuda: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Almost everything about the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and Barracuda Championship is destined to change for the 2018/2019 season, with both sponsors currently assumed to be leaving the PGA Tour after this week. And the replacement events will be held a week earlier, immediately following the 2019 Open Championship.
The WGC morphs to FedEx sponsorship in Memphis and Barracuda not yet having signed up for another year, so apparently the tournament will be played as the Reno Tahoe Open.
Bridgestone will continue to sponsor a Champions Tour stop at Firestone.

2).As noted by robo earlier, the 2019 RBC Canadian Open moves to the old "Memphis" slot, immediately prior to the US Open, and hopefully our friends north of the border will be looking to somewhat geographically align the future host course with the USGA venue, perhaps good news for golf lovers in British Columbia, but that's in the future. Next year's action will be in Hamilton, Ontario, prior to the Major at Pebble Beach.

3).Well done to Dustin Johnson for winning the Gretzky Open; that's 3 wins this season, 10 in the past 2 1/2 years after "only" 9 in the previous 8. Is DJ peaking, or is he just warming up?

4).Lots on last week's thread about Dustin perhaps being an under-achiever due to his lack of Major wins. I'd say it's too early to judge, but the next one will certainly be overdue! Perhaps he'll be looking with anticipation at Pebble Beach next year where he's already won twice, blew a great chance when McDowell won in 2010 and rather sleepwalked in behind the Wizard this year to runner up. Overall, DJ's Pebble Beach record includes:
2 x wins
2 x 2nd
1 x 3rd
1 x 4th
1 x 5th
1 x 7th
1 x 8th.

5).More silverware on Miguel Angel's shelf this week, 17 years to the day after Ian Stanley won his Senior Open. Stanley died last weekend, announced on the same day as Bruce Lietzke's death and just a few days before the announcement that Jarrod Lyle's health problems seem to be on the 72nd green of his life.

6).Lietzke would superficially be labelled an under-achiever, but he'd have none of that; he'd miss Majors if necessary to follow his son's baseball team, come back out to play when it suited his family's schedule.
He didn't follow his mate Bill Rogers into full retirement, but was the best part-timer out there. Later he'd inspire local youngsters like Chris Stroud & Andrew Landry, both recent winners.
8 of his 13 wins were in four events, not because they suited his game necessarily, they suited his schedule. He only played the Open Championship 3 times, the US Open just 11. Not totally dissimilar to his friend Wayne Levi who never played The Open, but still found a way to win 12 times. Two Ryder Cup Teams between them.

7).Tiger Woods has won at Firestone 8 times and is rubbing his hands at one last try (didn't have to be that way, Tiger, sure you could have ensured the tournament stayed at Firestone if you'd've sponsored it). It'll be a good test for his driver which has probably been the dodgiest club in his bag this year.
Disappointing that Rose has w/d'd, especially with the Ryder Cup just a few weeks away. Sounds like he'll play the PGA, but he'll doubtless follow his usual pattern and miss at least one Play-Off event. Get fit, Justin, none of this 2016 nonsense.

8).Only this week and next for Furyk's Ryder Cup Team to welcome its first eight members. The 7th (Fowler) and 8th (Simpson) placed players, especially, are vulnerable, especially with US media types anointing Mickelson and Woods with "Captain's Picks" whatever Furyk thinks. Only two places left then, with Bryson DeC in 9th and Kuchar in 11th - not sure that either of them can unequivocally be termed as certain picks, with Kooch in lousy recent form despite his efforts at Carnoustie, his only top ten finish since Houston.

9).Firestone, home of the WGC-Bridgestone, looks on TV like the most boring course on Tour, though most Pros seem to feel it's a great test (back-handed compliment?).
But Montreux GC, site of the Barracuda, is most definitely not boring, and is one of the year's most scenic venues. The tournament is contested with "modified" Stableford scoring. Most of North America has been hot this summer (warmest month, any month, on record here on the West Coast of New England) and parts of the West have been ablaze, so it'll be hot in Reno.

Mansfield's Greg Owen was on fire as he earned his second runner-up finish of the season here last year, but bizarrely still managed to lose his card and seems to have left the Tours, possibly injured but who knows?
Power, Lowry, McDowell and Laird (something of a course specialist) all need good weeks, but you've heard all that before.

10).Jarrod Lyle seems to have left the Tour but his personality, character and courage have left an indelible mark. Only time I followed him he had everyone in stitches, but seems he is the guy who'd light up any room, even in the depths of his struggles.
This week's pgatour.com piece goes on a bit, but nicely captures the sentiments of his friends and fellow pros, Adam Scott for instance reflecting:
"He has been through it all. His positivity and general demeanour have been so good and so infectious on others; it's a good way to think of how I should live my life."

Hope that is premature as an epitaph, but it would be a good one.

So who is the PGATour Player of the Year

Dustin (3 wins, ToC, Memphis, Canadian)
Justin (3 wins, CJ Cup, Honda, Bridgestone)
Bubba (3 wins, Northern Trust, MatchPlay, Travelers)
Frankie (2 wins, Quicken Loans, Open Championship) and BMW PGA

PGAofA PoY is point based and Dustin is leading Justin by two points (Dustin is 1st in scoring, 2nd in money, Justin is 3rd in scoring and leading the money list).

PGAofA Standings

Dustin 68 pts
Justin 66 pts
Bubba 44 pts
Frankie 42 pts

DJ is the only golfer in the owgr Top 7 to have lost more points this year than he's gained!
Spieth and Fowler the only others in that boat from the Top 15.


Kevin Streelman is the new first "alternate" for the PGA.

GPB wrote:almost 3800 pts (2x) goes to the winner this week, so theoretically down to 77th spot in the US standings. can get the 8th spot should they win the PGA

Its 1.5x pts for the rest of the US finishers, so TW needs to win to qualify on merit.

Right now, the 4 picks are going to be Phil, Tiger BdC, and Kuchar.

That is not my ideal four picks.  I would take Finau over Woods.

Much as I like Woods, I think I'd contemplate Trump over Woods!

Heck, Trump has hcp 4... (ish)..... That would be like having Willett on the team.
I'm sure DT would put some on the European team off. Either by his hair getting in their eyes or the constant tweeting on the golf course. My guess is he'd get as many points as Woods.

pedro wrote:Heck, Trump has hcp 4... (ish)..... That would be like having Willett on the team.
I'm sure DT would put some on the European team off. Either by his hair getting in their eyes or the constant tweeting on the golf course. My guess is he'd get as many points as Woods.

If he's off 4, I'm off +8!

Trump off 4, he would have fitted in well on this forum a few years ago.

Seems all the posters who bragged about 300 yard drives etc have drifted away. Of the regulars today, don't think there is anyone who I would struggle to believe when it comes to golfing exploits.

Seeing a few tweets about heavy rain for the PGA. Will Rory bag another soggy major? He has been OK over the summer, just not put 4 rounds together but when does he?

The incredible thing for me Mac is the fact he was only a couple off the lead going into last Sunday and he's not played anything like his best golf in what seems like ages.

McLaren wrote:Seeing a few tweets about heavy rain for the PGA. Will Rory bag another soggy major? He has been OK over the summer, just not put 4 rounds together but when does he?

Which PGA?

I think they're getting drenched today but the forecast for the actual PGA Championship looks pretty good, nothing more than a 20% chance of rain according to the weather channel web-site. Of course, they lie too, but don't see why this forecast shouldn't be mostly accurate. Warm, mostly dry, nothing too windy (unfortunately), just another "parkland" Major, hit it in the fairway and launch darts.
Wonder if GPB is going?

McLaren wrote:Seeing a few tweets about heavy rain for the PGA. Will Rory bag another soggy major? He has been OK over the summer, just not put 4 rounds together but when does he?

Not if he can't hit half/three-quarter wedges inside of 20 feet he won't.

Rory is pretty good at pushing wedges 20 feet right of the flag. Maybe needs 2 flags to aim for?

kwinigolfer wrote:Wonder if GPB is going?

Last week I was thinking about going up today (about 150 miles away) but on Sunday, one of my toe nails decided it didn't want to be attached to my body any longer.

Toe hurts with every step I take.

I also wasn't too keen on driving back after being in the sun all day.

Bl00dy wussy . . . . . . . .

acknowledged.

Sounds like a McIlroy excuse...

Thomas Bjorn missed the WGC-Amex at Bellerive due to injury, and now he's done it again - Streelman playing instead.