PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer invites-who-the-hell-he-likes Invitational: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Great to see the 2011 model Luke Donald prove he's lost none of his competitive edge with an exciting Transitions win last week, in circumstances that Ernie Els could only smoulder about. Have to feel sorry for the Big Easy; he gave himself the chance to resurrect his career and came up short. Actually short and right, then pulled left.

2).But that shouldn't detract from Luke's performance, clearly the best under playoff pressure, and now he's off for two weeks' practice before heading down Magnolia Lane with a confidence booster under his belt.

3).The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort is considered by the pros to be the best of the "Florida Swing", but Transitions conclude their sponsorship this year and this Tampa-area stop remains the only PGA Tournament without a sponsor for 2013. The broadcasters last weekend seemed to consider a new sponsorship agreement was imminent, but no such optimism from Timmy Finchem in his news conference yesterday. Fingers crossed that a great event can be saved.

4).Finchem also has to find a sponsor for his secondary circuit, known currently as the Nationwide Tour. To try and build pizzaz and make his minor league effort more attractive to sponsors, he announced anticipated changes yesterday to the FedEx season, the PGA Tour season and the qualifying process.

Some details are posted here by pgatour.com:

http://www.pgatour.com/2012/company/03/20/schedule-nationwide-changes/index.html#

We'll all have different reactions, and some details have still to be worked out, the most ticklish being:
~How to dovetail the top 75 Nationwide players and PGA Tour moneylist #126 to #200 to assure the most deserving are given the best advantage to graduate from the brand new 3 event qualifying series.
and:
~~How to treat existing Fall Series events which now become the first tournaments of the 2013/2014 season. Do they receive full FedEx points? Do the winners receive a Masters invitation?? etc etc. The "Fry's.com" currently at the forefront of that debate.

The party line from the PGA Tour pros is: "In Tim we trust". Snedeker goes somewhat further and reminds us that it took the Tour four years to get the FedEx formula correct. We can't afford to have four goes at this, says Sneds, we have to get this right first time.

But there are sceptics: JB Holmes, who along with such luminaries as Dustin Johnson, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler, John Huh, etc reached the Tour first time via Q-School, had this to say:
"So we're going to end the season in September, then basically start it again a week later. We make all these (FedEx Cup six years ago) changes so that the season ends before (American) football starts, now we're back competing against football again.
Dumbest thing I've ever heard, and you can quote me on that." Thanks JB!

5).My feeling is that Finchem is missing a host of great storylines with his Q-School changes but, when the dust has settled, there will be only marginal impacts, primarily to the following:
a).Top international players outside the world's top 50, viz the Brian Davises, Alex Cjekas of this world who won't attract sponsors' invites and will be subjected to a two-year qualifying process. They might as well stay at home. And that's most probably Finchem's thinking, as he closes his shop to all but the most marketable "overseas" players.

b).US Collegiate players who would normally have a direct route to the "show" via Q-School. Unless they attract sponsors' exemptions and reach the top 200 money winners, they have a best case two-year road to get to the Tour.

c).The two-Tour double-dippers, think Oosthuizen, Westwood, Casey, Stenson etc who only play the minimum of 15 events. Currently they would bank on four FedEx tournaments contributing to those 15 with the knowledge that they could add a Fall Series event if necessary. But now, if they don't qualify for East Lake, they're stuck on 13 or 14, in Finchem's handcuffs, so they'll have to add an event or even two.

d).Lastly, Medical Exemptions are going to have to be thought through - no incentive to play through injury, go on the injured list asap.

6).Enough of that fluff, there are more important things in life:
Jarrod Lyle update: "I've finished my first round of chemotherapy, so I'm pretty much lying here in bed waiting to get an infection."
Lyle's sense of humour is irrepressible: "My immune system was pretty bad before I came in to hospital, now I'm a lot worse. It's one of those situations where you've got to get a lot worse before you get better. I'm just taking it day by day now."

7).And so to the Arnold Palmer invites-who-the-hell-he-likes Invitational at his Bay Hill Club outside Orlando. The winner this week, and next week in Houston, (but not on the European or any other Tours, oh no, no, no, no) will receive a Masters invitation, and so will the owgr top fifty not otherwise qualified as at Monday, March 26th. I'm assuming Paul Lawrie, at #45, is secure, so those who are on the bubble, with an approximation of what they need to do this week, are:
#48: Ben Crane: Playing Bay Hill and likely needs at least a top 18 finish to be sure.
#53: Goosen took the Tavistock money and rushed off for treatment on his ailing back rather than play Bay Hill and try to gain Masters entry. Bizarre and you'd rather think that, given that attitude, his career goose is cooked.
#57: Rock: Playing in Morocco and almost certainly needs to win, second place probably not quite enough.
#60: Chalmers: Playing Bay Hill, likely would qualify with a solo 3rd.
#61: Manassero: Playing Morocco and needs to win! Paying the price exacted by Billy Payne for not being Japanese.
#62: Els: Oh that missed par putt on Copperhead's 18th! Now needs at least a Bay Hill 2nd place - but he won here two years ago!
#64 and #65 Allenby and HowellIII might have a very mathematical chance with a 2nd place finish at Bay Hill, but their final destiny is out of their control given possible fluidity in and out of the top fifty.

8).If it's the Arnie Invitational it must be Sam Saunders on the tee, oh yes, and Robert Damron too. A bunch of others with similarly tenuous qualifications also. Come on Arnie, this is called abuse of power; these guys are not competitive and you've given them more than enough breaks. (Though there are rumours that Sam Saunders will be mailed a Masters invitation should he make this week's cut.)

9).One of the toughest tournaments to pick a winner at this week, Woods obviously with the most "previous" but who knows how fit he is (except possibly Hank Haney)? I like Webb Simpson's chances on lots of levels, but can't recommend anything more than a small e.w. investment on anyone, O'Hair and Jacobson rank outsiders with a touch of form here.

10).Martin Laird "defends" his title, McDowell has played well here and Poulter makes an appearance after his pneumonia and uncompetitive appearance at Doral. I'd imagine Justin Rose is running on fumes and Thomas Bjorn has withdrawn. Greg Owen is back, and can he make up for his mega-collapse a few years ago?
Stranger things have happened, just ask Tim Finchem.

Thank heavens for El Sulk eh. Still reckon Poultry will go backwards tomorrow, fingers crossed anyway. I think I probably dislike Gdim the most of the lot of them, hopefully Woods will stamp him into place.

kwinigolfer wrote:Didn't think it was very sporting for super_realist to yell in the middle of Tiger's backswing on #15.

I'm confused... Doug Ferguson said it was apparently a woman who may have shouted: You're a beauty, have a good day!
So, are you saying that super_realist is a woman who likes Tiger?!

Now they say a kid fainted causing a woman to shriek during tiger's backswing. Lucky for them that Steve Williams wasn't on the bag or they would both have ended up in the water !

Should be perfect scoring conditions early on this morning at Bay Hill.
Warm, just a mere zephyr (thank you Ben Wright), and dry though there looks to have been an overnight shower to take some sting out of the course.
Hot this afternoon and probably quite breezy.

Lots of the golfers were commenting on the uneven nature of the greens, especially on the front nine, variations in bounce and speed, sounds like #2 is dead.

Nothing better than a few 67's Saturday and would think anything in the 60's might be a good score today. Which diminishes the chances of anyone coming from the middle of the pack.
Four horse race?

A very intriguing top 4 indeed for the final day. Not sure who to support... but if I wished all of them well, that would probably lead to someone like Charlie Wi stealing the show!

Can Tiger resume his favourite hobby of collecting W's? Has G-Mac re-discovered his cardigan? Will Ernie make it to Augusta? Can Poults activate the on switch for his invincible belief in the cause of a mere qualifying event leading to the Ryder Cup?

In case of a TW win, I hereby predict the content of the post-round interview:

Interviewer: "Tiger, it's been a long time. How does it feel?"
Tiger: "Sweet."

Thing is pedro, he'd be entitled to that self-satisfied "sweet" smirk;
No-one better than JB Holmes's 68 so far today so it really looks to be a very short list of realistic contenders.

Possibility for a Northern Ireland double . . . .

Lots of likely lads in the middle of the pack treading water right now, but some guys with lots to play for, Stenson, Owen and Davis for starters.

Doesn't look like Ishikawa will interfere with the top 50, but Furyk might.

gmac with a saddham hussain on the first!!

It's only the first hole and all Tiger's "challengers" except Poulter are in fast reverse.

Not interested in watching a procession with NBC doing the cheerleading.

The coverage doesn't start here til 2 am. Only another half hour to go!!

Two balls in the water for a snowman 8 for Sergio just when he seemed to be stitching a decent round together.

That's better!!

Missed the action this afternoon... Looks tougher scoring out there today. With Matteo out of the picture, Furyk is now becoming a key factor in Ernie's fortunes (apart from himself). As it is now (Furyk T14) Ernie could be through to #50 with a solo 3rd. That wasn't the case a few minutes ago when Furyk was T10 before he droped a shot...

Kwini

I am not sure the 2012 Tiger has the ability to make it a procession. So hopefully we are in for an interesting final round.

nice shot by poults back to 8- i can honestly see woods shooting a 74 today

how's Mcdowell getting on??

Any indications (PD!) what Els needs to do to make the Masters??....other that turn Japanese!!

tiger has just bnordied the last two 12 under
mcdowel 9 under
poults 8 under
els 7 under

John Cregan wrote:Any indications (PD!) what Els needs to do to make the Masters??

think he needs to beat his playing partner poults!!

i think its just a 3rd

"Any indications (PD!) what Els needs to do to make the Masters??....other that turn Japanese!!"

Not sure about this time around but for the masters, or any other major for that matter, in the next couple of years he needs to get better and accept just how poor his game has become.

Solo 2nd to be sure, John, solo 3rd might have a chance, depenent upon one or two others.


Mac,
Given he's got 11 birds on the 13 par fives so far, I'd think par golf the rest of the way will turn it into a procession.

John Cregan wrote:Any indications (PD!) what Els needs to do to make the Masters??....other that turn Japanese!!

At this very moment a solo 3rd will be enough (he could make a deal with Poults's to let him move ahead of him). But if Furyk gains another shot, that may not be sufficient anymore, so a 2-way tie for 2nd would become the minimum...

Evenin Kwini, lads. im enjoying this i gotta say. Although those Barclays ads are daft, putting down some terraced stools, putting through a load of wood... its a bit mad Ted.

Go Tiger.......McDowell still on 9 under number1, 3 behind Woods now.

Hi B_t_b,
Two fabulous shots by TW and GM.

Jeff Overton surely wishing he was in Morocco as he tours Bay Hill in 84. Finishing with a NINE on 18. Get your passport ready Boombaby.

The commentators just mentioned something I have been wondering all week, they said if Ernie wins in Houston he gets into the masters. Just wondering why prince and kwini have not mentioned this, are the commentators wrong?

Kwini

If overton entered his local crazy golf open he would get more OWGR points just for turning up than the winner of morocco got.

kwinigolfer wrote:Hi B_t_b,
Two fabulous shots by TW and GM.

Jeff Overton surely wishing he was in Morocco as he tours Bay Hill in 84. Finishing with a NINE on 18. Get your passport ready Boombaby.

big time kwini were are seeing some great stuff alright, holeymoley GMs made it!!!

second 50 footer made by McDowell. Wood's narrowly misses for Eagle. Two in it and it looks like a two horse race frankly.

Also Tiger is hitting the ball unbelievably well, the best i've seen since early 2008.

Amazing what GSpud is holing out there , as long as he is on the green he's dangerous.

come on the mac

mystiroakey wrote:come on the mac

Thanks mate the support is appreciated.

Has Arnie got his PJ's on? Maybe he's come straight from the nursing home.
Horrible to see a great player like Els using a cheat stick.

no probs .

and on to the other mac- the gmac. Not looking intimidated at all! great to see that tiger is back but without the 'tiger' factor!!

Ells 3 putts, poults misses an 8 footer.

Tiger lookin but great to see GM keeping the pressure on. looks like Tigers enjoying it tho.

did tiger actually go for that shot lol!! i doubt it

mysti

He pulled it at least ten yards, or the wind was way stronger than he allowed for.

he must have

'Course he did . . . . Because he's playing almost flawlessly right now.

Gonna be crucial for McDo just to keep making pars (at worst) or it'll be a runaway.

misss

boring- decision time- shall i watch titanic on the other side?

Masterclass by Woods so far, not over yet though.

oh gawd he hated a shot that is 20 foot away after his closest rival misses the green!

I really like woods when he plays average! please dont become dominant again!

Four in it now, the way Woods is playing i can see him winning by 6 or 7.

this is woods of old and his challengers folding like old-Icant see donald,westy or mcilroy doing the same(especially in a normal events) but all the same its abit ominous

I know the Hospital does a lot of good but do they think anyone watching really gives a hoot?

drives me mad the comments they have made about the hospital.

that guy just said if gmac wins we will give em another 200 k.

just give em 200k anyway you cheap skates,

monty junior wrote:I know the Hospital does a lot of good but do they think anyone watching really gives a hoot?

I bet the upper middle class families of Orlando would be looking at frighteningly high infant mortality without the great work of Mr Palmer. Thank god he is hear to ensure the continued success of the well heeled.

I recall Els giving VJ a hard time about using the long putter. Too bad he's using it, too.

Very solid golf by Tiger, it's his to lose at this point.

C'mon Tiger!!