PGA Tour: WGC Bridgestone / Reno-Tahoe: Notes from the Ballwasher

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1).Scott Stallings, Who'd've thunk it? Nine months ago he was a struggling Nationwide Tour pro, 53rd on their moneylist and with nothing more than an exemption to the 2011 Nationwide Tour to look forward to. But an 11th place Q-School finish earned him a 2011 PGA Tour card where he promptly missed his first five cuts and was destined for a bottom placing in the Tour "reshuffle". But his Tour "mentor", Kenny Perry, secured him an invite into the Transitions Championship where he finished third, and the rest is history.

2).And what about Bob Estes, RoboPro of the 1990's, one of the slowest players on Tour and, even in the eyes of an otherwise complimentary pgatour.com article, a Tour "plodder"? A four-time Tour winner but with ZERO FedEx Cup points earned so far this season, Estes was in danger of losing his card. His 2012 remains uncertain, but at least he now has a lifeline.

3).While Bill Haas can look at another opportunity lost as he misses out in his second play-off this year. (Liked the fact that Estes's caddie come up to Haas at the play-off and told Billy he had caddied for his Dad!) Consolation for Haas is that he leap-frogged over Furyk, Toms and Van Pelt into 8th place in the Presidents Cup qualifying rankings, the top ten qualifying and Messrs Fowler and Woods well adrift.

4).Two events this week on the PGA Tour headlined by the "WGC Bridgestone Invitational", not that it's an invitational at all. Ross Fisher has sadly withdrawn due to an untimely family sickness but he'll hopefully be back for the PGA Championship. And Charlie Hoffman has a stomach problem (it's size?) and has yet to travel to Akron and Firestone Country Club.

5).The Firestone South Course has been stretched to 7,400 yards with Bert Way and Robert Trent Jones responsible for one of the Tour's most boring looking venues. Tiger Woods famously has won here seven times and he'll be trying (presumably) for number eight with childhood chum Bryon Bell on his bag. Bell is widely assumed to be one of the Tiger insiders facilitating the supply of waitresses to his mate's door, so suffice it to say he would not be caddying if Elin was still around. Rumours abound that Woods's new full-time caddie may be Brett Waldman, Camilo's caddie of years gone by and now most of his way through a disappointing Nationwide season; he's played 13 events so far, but with only $1,600+ in earnings you know he needs a proper job.

6).On the subject of golfing caddies, kudos here to Damon Green, Zach Johnson's bagman. After qualifying for the British Senior Open and making the 36-hole cut, Green outdid himself by finishing 13th and pocketing $52K at last week's US Senior Open; god knows he'll be working for Zach this week and next however.

7).And on the subject of the US Senior Open, winner Olin Browne became the fifth golfer to win on all three PGA Tour-sponsored Tours: Nationwide, PGA and Champions Tours, following Fergus, Hallberg, Lehman and Streck.

8).Dear George O'Grady,
If you want some good ideas for filling out your European Tour fields during late August and early September during FedEx Play-Off season, here are 15 ideas:
Messrs: Curtis, Cejka, Harrington, Clark, Els, Ames, Woods, Leonard, Cabrera, Oosthuizen, Casey, Weekley, Duval, Stenson and Daly.
Unless these guys have great results the next three tournaments, they'll be unemployed for five weeks as all are in positions lower than 125th in FedEx points, the threshhold necessary to qualify for event number one, The Barclays.

9).While the golfing galacticos are at Firestone, there's a perfectly good "opposite field" event in Nevada, at Jack Nicklaus's Montreux G&CC, as visually gorgeous as Firestone is unappealing. Brian Davis is the only Briton on hand but this has been a happy hunting ground for him, two top tens and $350K in three appearances, as he prepares for PGA Championship. (He's officially been added to the field, Jamie Donaldson too, but no Robert Rock, which is unfortunate.)

10).Lastly, the Nationwide Tour will be in Nebraska and Team GB's gang of four, Christian, Knox, Owen and Richardson will be hoping for a good result with one of the richer purses up for grabs. Especially as they were shut out last week in Utah (Knox and Owen didn't play) where Swedes Blixt and Lingmerth both enjoyed good results and paydays.

kwinigolfer wrote:Tee times out for Bridgestone Round 4...

And the little known Hennie Otto is all of a sudden jumping from an obscure MC in Killarney last week to being an unlikely US TV star tomorrow, as he is paired with Woods...

In the mean time, despite playing on the PGA Tour for years, the world no. 1 is still struggling to figiure out how the US media works...

"I shot 64 today incase any of you were wondering. Not sure I was on the box much!"

Magic spell broken for Gronberg.

Golf Channel showed quite a lot of Olazabal (playing with Beem and Daly) on Thursday, plus his putt (11 footer) that clinched his place for the weekend. Great to watch him, one of my all-time favourite players to folow. The guy he played with today, Alex Of Aragon, was making his first cut for five years - imagine he was treated to a clinic!

Good point about the Europeans, the ones playing on the PGA Tour having the most success. Normal tee times Sunday, anticipated thunderstorms may yet avoid Firestone. Let's hope so, everything all set for a terrific Sunday, weather will cooperate!

Russell Knox had too many bogeys on Saturday, he'll start Sunday tied for second with Danny Lee after a three-under 68, four shots behind the leader.
Gary Christian up to 6th place.


pd,
Lukey doesn't need to worry too much, who'll be watching the tape delay? Got to go, Yankees / Red Sox just starting!!!!!

Pity the proposed Q&A with Pat Perez isn't overnight tonight - we could ask him how he plays close to the lead and how aggressive he'd be going in to the final round with a 3-shot deficit. I'm thinking "Very"!

Funny comment by Donald. Do the math Luke. More people obviously want to watch Tiger than him.

Maybe with his #1 ranking and a few more wins he can buy his own network. Ok, lots more wins!

Shotrock,
In the interest of detente, I shall just say I am on Luke's side.
Not interested in watching a hobbled horse until it's back to full fitness - even if it is Secretariat or Nijinsky.

Kwini - Lots of people feel the same way as you do I'm sure. But, more obviously don't. Money talks as they say ...

Should make for some fireworks on Sunday. Think anyone 7 and under has an outside chance, 9 and under right in the mix.

Reflected celebrity and all that. Only in America!
I think I felt that when seeing certain sportspeople, Pele, Gretzky, and I was thrilled to watch Woods close to his prime (2007), especially his practice routine. But now it's not much more than morbid curiosity.

Yup, I'd include the -7's, if only because it's McIlroy and Stricker.

For the Bridgestone and Doral, I'd like to see a progressive cut so that the middle of the roaders had some incentive which, quite clearly, many don't feel as if there's anything to play for other than a ho-hum $50K cheque - let's change the pay-out to reflect a week's achievement rather than a week's mediocrity.

Kwin - Only in America? Have you seen what sells newspaper in the UK? Brits perfected it!

Yanks streak had to come to an end sadly no 17th for CC.

Rory has the firepower to challenge the lead. I always expect Stricker to put in top, professional effort ... but it would surprise me to no end if he made a real run at the top.

Fortunately I can honestly say I never read the News Of The World . . . . .

I am so sick and tired of watching Fox baseball coverage with all the St.Louis prejudice against the Skanks; I'd rather watch Jerry Remy on NESN than Buck and McCarver and the chips on their respective shoulders, just awful. I think Joe Girardi has something up his sleeve with CC however; he'd better have at least.

Looking forward to golf tomorrow though, just a flip of the coin kept us from Phil and Tiger, too bad - that WOULD have been worth watching. As it is they'll both be almost done by the time CBS gets on the air. I think Rory and Stricker really have to get out of the traps running, need to give the leaders something to think about.
More rain in the next few hours then warm, humid and sunny tomorrow so the ball will fly and the greens will hold. Someone's going to go low, but who will it be??!!

Hi kwini,
Looks like the young punks' regime is gathering at the top with Adam, Luke and Laird. We just may be viewing a direct precursor of the leaderboard for the next 10 years. It even has the Americans: Keegan and Rickie. Wouldn't miss tomorrow for anything. These guys make Martin Laird seem old at 28 years. Thus, I'll be pulling for one of the grey beards as it now appears that they may not get many more chances for glory.

Some good news to wake up to about Ross Fisher...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,12040_7084149,00.html

Thanks pd, Good news, but hope he's not house-hunting in Lake Nona.

Fish has a nice low-key group on Thursday, Cabrera and local man Cink. After such a dismal year perhaps he can get something going at last.

Just realised that Jerry Pate has been invited to play in the PGA Championship; nothing against Jerry Pate (so long as he doesn't return to the commentary booth) but his moment of Atlanta AC glory was 35 years ago. For Heaven's Sake!!! Good to see he's getting a nice competitive warm-up - 74th of 80 in the Champo event in Minnesota. Larry Nelson playing also - I think he's older than me.

Nice international flavour to the Bridgestone leaderboard, Australia, Japan, Scotland, England, Vermont, N.Ireland, Sweden, United States . . . . .

Trivia question:
A pint of Ben & Jerry's and quart of maple syrup to the first correct answer:
When was the last time failed ski bums from Vermont played the final round of PGA Tour and Nationwide events in the top ten?
Tough question? Thought so, think this week's a first!

kwinigolfer wrote:Thanks pd, Good news, but hope he's not house-hunting in Lake Nona.

Last Friday when I followed their group in Killarney, Rory and Fish chatted a lot together (Horsey was left out most of the time), so who knows, could be that this was the main topic of conversation between the two of them...

pd,
Fisher is not eligible for PGA Tour membership right now unless he's successful in going through Q-School. I believe he would have been entitled to take a card if he had declared his intentions after his 2009 successes, but not now.


Looks like early morning showers have departed Akron leaving beind air that you could cut with the proverbial knife. Hopefully not foggy, but it will be warm (mid 70's) even as Appleby leads affairs off. Temps rising to mid eighties.

Sad to see five GB&I stalwarts in the first ten groups: Clarke, Poulter, Casey, McDowell and Harrington.

kwinigolfer wrote:pd,
Fisher is not eligible for PGA Tour membership right now unless he's successful in going through Q-School. I believe he would have been entitled to take a card if he had declared his intentions after his 2009 successes, but not now.
...
Sad to see five GB&I stalwarts in the first ten groups: Clarke, Poulter, Casey, McDowell and Harrington.

Cheers kwini, forgot that about Fish...
As for all those (far too many) Europeans in the bottom third of the LB, all I would hope now, is a good solid final round, to get them at least in a positive mood for next week...

Morning kwini,

What's going on with Poulter's game? How did he manage to shoot an 80 yesterday?

Austria, The Netherlands and Portugal qualify for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup to held in November. Next time Chile is going to have to find a different continent to conquer in order to qualify as they finished 5th.

Make that: Chile finished 6th.

McDowell must have read your comment. -2 through 6.

Lately, Zach is holding his own in PGA Tour events against the other Johnson... Dustin.
His last 8 finishes: T6, T12, 4, T32, T30, T24, T3, T16 and currently 9th going into today's action.
Dustin's last 8 finishes: Cut, T38, Cut, T57, T20, 4, T23, T2 and currently 42nd going into today's action.

Zach Johnson for me is still one of the most underrated golfers and it wouldn't surprise me if he won another major in his career.

Hi venice,
Still reeling from the Fox assault of Buck, McCarver and Boston. V.disappointing.

Good point about Chile, it would be good for the emerging golfing nations of S.America to get a chance at the top table. Maybe next year.

Poulter led off with a triple (who does he think he is? Brett Gardner??) yesterday and things never improved. It would be nice to think he cared but no sign of that based on this morning's evidence. But Harrington's off to a good start!

Nice stat on the Johnsons, Zach has a lot to do to keep up with his caddie after Damon Green's recent successes! Appleby's disappearing act continues.
Beautiful scenery from Reno / Tahoe yesterday, course looks a little Banff-like.

Next week's course looks like an exciting test with plenty of water! And I heard it is a narrow course and fast greens as well....This getting closer to playing like a US Open and the US Open is getting closer to the PGA!

Hi benson,
Agreed about Zach, wouldn't be surprised to see both Johnsons play well next week; Dustin close to his Carolina roots, Zach with his brilliant record in Georgia. Hope the AAC course is not set up to its extremities; they'll have to keep the greens watered or they'll lose them.

Seems like you've had a word with Harrington . . .

3 out of 4 fairways and 4 GIR.....something is up anyway Kwini about time vital round for next week's test and of course the FEDEXCUP!

Agree SB. It's not to what will happen today but he and Matt Kuchar are the only players in the field this week whose scores have gotten better with each round played. Inversely, it may also indicate a poor or slow start.

Last 5 tee times are excellent pairings and would be worth following:
1. Adam and Ryo
2. Day and Keegan
3. Laird and Luke
4. FJac and Rickie
5. Zach and Rors

Pod off to a good start through 4.

Looks like PGA Tour HQ has been on the horn to Casey and explained a few things to him, lowest round on the course at the moment. Long may it last.

Anyoneelse just watch barca, oops, I mean man utd under 23's trounce city?


Looking forward to the gold this evening as there is plenty of interest, but I would like to see Laird do it.

edit: spelling

Ha ah,
Mac's a happy boy. Jury out on your goalkeeper, was going to say Larrazabal's backtracking as fast as his countryman De Gea. But I digress!

Tiger's already hit more fairways than yesterday, complained he was hitting it "too straight" which is the first time I've heard that one. Looks good physically though, Mac, you must be fairly pleased with his apparent good health?

Watching the middle-of-the-roaders playing and it looks just like an exhibition, some guys trying this, some trying that, and Tiger presumably wanting to try a bit of the other.

But it just doesn't look competitive.

Nevertheless, a ray of hope for Casey with his 67, and hopefully he'll take some encouragement from that. At his best, you'd think he'd have a good chance at the PGA, but we haven't seen his best for six months at least.
Simon Dyson hanging in there and he's done well in a couple of PGA's before. Great comeback for him after his opening 77.

Just returned to watch this in the last half an hour and I'm puzzled as to what's been happening with Tiger's 'too straight' hits. Hennie must be seriously unimpressed with his experience today, doing a lot of waiting over the last few holes...

Also happy for Casey's round today and really impressed with the way Simon Dyson has been playing after that poor first round. I was looking on shottracker as he played the ridiculously long 16th, his tee shot has been a full 150 yards shorter than Bubba's 415 yards yesterday, yet he got a birdie as well as Bubba...

Only five players with better Friday, Saturday, Sunday scoring than Simon Dyson.

Does anyone else think Adam Scott has an earkier wrist cock compared to his Tiger clone swing of the past?

I'm not sure if anyone knows, but Adam Scott's caddie, think his name is Steve Williams used to caddie for Tiger Woods. It has only been mentioned 64 times on the coverage so far.

Ishikawa with an impressive start,

Jinxed the young lad

Feller called Westwood playing well. Would someone please tell CBS?

The Sky coverage just showed some guy called Luke miss a putt. Seems they only show certain players when they miss

For all we moan about absence of Europeans... I've just got in from work, loaded up the leaderboard and Donald is the closest European, three back. If you can't feature at the top then they're justified in not showing you...



Gonna be a scrambling finish at the Nationwide "boring states tour" tournament... Knox, Duke and last week's winner Killeen all -20 with 3 to go, Christian and Danny Lee -19 and also on the 16th, but all chasing Sweden's Blixt, in the clubhouse at -21. Gotta feel for the Monday qualifier Lavery though, trying to get status for next week and possibly the rest of the year, started the day T2 but 3 over thru 15 today and now T34.

NedB-H wrote:If you can't feature at the top then they're justified in not showing you....

So why are Tiger and Hefty getting so much coverage? Even Marvin Logie-Baird is getting more coverage than Luke and Lee

Davie wrote:

NedB-H wrote:If you can't feature at the top then they're justified in not showing you....

So why are Tiger and Hefty getting so much coverage? Even Marvin Logie-Baird is getting more coverage than Luke and Lee

I said "justified in not showing", obviously they can't show everyone in the tournament, and they'll focus on the leaders. Personally I don't think they should show so much of anyone down the field, especially Tiger.

Disagree.
They can't have it both ways.
American media complain about anonymity of Number One and Number Two, then they don't show them even when they play superbly. No excuse.

Ned, being only 3 shots off the lead is certainly still in contention, and absolutely justifies coverage at the expense of someone down the field, however we all know that American coverage, is wretched, flag waving and protectionist in who it shows, therefore they'd rather show some long time ago ex no1 or a myriad of unknowns also not pulling up any trees who just happen to be American.
Boring.
Thank goodness for the European Tour where there is no such favouritism shown to any player and coverage is more equitable.

I can only assume the coverage got better around the time I switched on 40 minutes or so ago then... Donald is just about in contention, and has been shown quite a bit. None of the other Europeans really are, but we've still seen a bit of Westwood, and the occasional Karlsson and Laird. The TV people have been criticised for years for showing Woods and Mickelson when they're miles off the leaders... either it's good that they're not doing the same for the new Nos 1 & 2, or they were right to do so back then.

Ned,
I can only think Sky is offering you some pictures we're not seeing. Apologies.

Anticlimax for Europe in Nebraska, but still good tournaments for Christian, Blixt and Knox.

Use the force, Luke...

I'm sure he's never heard that before.

kwinigolfer wrote:Ned,
I can only think Sky is offering you some pictures we're not seeing. Apologies.

Anticlimax for Europe in Nebraska, but still good tournaments for Christian, Blixt and Knox.

Could well be Kwini, seems a very strange sort of part-shared broadcast setup they're running. On the downside we've not had any Reno coverage this year. Shame, I remember watching it a couple of years back when Laird was in contention and it looked a very telegenic setup.

The birdie two on 16 for Killeen was the tournament in Nebraska I think, great couple of weeks for him, whoever he is. Bit of a poor finish from Knox, 2 over for his last 6 when -2 would've won it, but good to see him competing week in, week out. Still well on course for the PGA tour next year.

Come on Luke...

The Reno / Tahoe setting looks gorgeous, as I said earlier, Banff-like.
They switched nines this year, much better and a super risk/reward par 5 to finish with.
Nothing like a 61 in progress yet today, -4 the best in the house so far, Matteson with a -5 going on the back nine.

On the one hand Im glad to see Scotty win (probably) as I do remember him being written off as an underachieving show pony on here. On the other hand he uses a cheat stick so I really can't enjoy watching him win.
Come on Ryo.

I followed Scott two years ago Diggers, in his first event after Greg Norman stuck his neck out and picked him for the Pres Cup. You could tell something had changed, and he's had some hiccups since but overall trend has been very good. Looks like he'll get his reward (with that ridiculous stick).

Still a very young man in golf terms and some big wins already. Seems to look even worse when an athletic young guy uses the fishing rod. Clearly working today though.

COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

ADAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

hard luck jason

Hate the fishing rod but that last par putt Adam nailed was solid. Unfortunately, can't see him discarding the thing the way he's putting them in. Looks like Stevie jumped out of the frying pan and into the pudding.

i dont remember all these comments when other top players used the long putter ...........