OWGR - Week #17

So, in the end it's two times congratulations to Jason Dufner!! ... for getting married in the next few days and for a very well deserved first win on the PGA Tour. And still, no more than half a smile after all that... hope he'll look a bit happier next week. It's been the second play-off lost this year for Ernie, but I bet he'll be quite happy overall after his runner up finish. They're both rewarded nicely in the rankings, Dufner jumps to a carreer best #20 and Ernie's back again inside the top 50 at #40!
And what a great performance from Luke Donald again this week, followed by a well deserved return to world #1!!

We had another very impressive maiden victory this Sunday from Bernd Wiesberger in Korea who is jumping up inside the top 100 to a carreer best #95. There was in fact a Korean winner this week, but in the wrong country... well done to I.J. Jang who won the Crowns tournament in Japan. He'll shoot up ~230 places in the rankings somewhere around #270 spot. Finally, it's been a very good week if your name is Luke... congratulations to Luke List winner of the South Georgia Classic on the NW tour, who should move somewhere near #285.

Other significant moves this week include a welcome return to the top 100 from Richie Ramsay (#89) following his excellent runner up finish in Korea and on the negative side, it's a sad but hopefully short lived bye-bye top 100 for Edi Molinari, who unlike others, doesn't seem to get too much of a present after he just got married yesterday...

The top 50 cut for the Players is now decided and it's good news if you're Paul Casey or KT Kim, but it's bad news if they call you Gonzo, Ryo or the Mechanic (he really should've got life exemption at Sawgrass after that hole-in-one at the 17th some years ago)...

The OWGR table after week #17 should look as follows:

1 Luke Donald
2 Rory McIlroy
3 Lee Westwood
4 Bubba Watson
5 Hunter Mahan
6 Steve Stricker
7 Tiger Woods
8 Martin Kaymer
9 Justin Rose
10 Phil Mickelson
--------------------------
11 Louis Oosthuizen
12 Charl Schwartzel
13 Adam Scott
14 Webb Simpson
15 Matt Kuchar
16 Jason Day
17 Dustin Johnson
18 Graeme McDowell
19 Bill Haas
20 Jason Dufner
21 Sergio Garcia
22 Keegan Bradley
23 Brandt Snedeker
24 Peter Hanson
25 Nick Watney
26 Ian Poulter
27 K.J. Choi
28 Bo Van Pelt
29 Mark Wilson
30 Zach Johnson
31 John Senden
32 Bae Sang-moon
33 Thomas Bjorn
34 Carl Pettersson
35 David Toms
36 Simon Dyson
37 Martin Laird
38 Alvaro Quiros
39 Rickie Fowler
40 Ernie Els
41 Anders Hansen
42 Robert Karlsson
43 Paul Lawrie
44 Aaron Baddeley
45 Jim Furyk
46 Francesco Molinari
47 Fredrik Jacobson
48 Paul Casey
49 Ben Crane
50 K.T. Kim
-----------------------
51 Kyle Stanley
52 Geoff Ogilvy
53 Gonzalo Fdez-Castano
54 Nicolas Colsaerts
55 Kevin Na
56 Miguel A Jimenez
57 Ryo Ishikawa
58 Y.E. Yang
59 Jonathan Byrd
60 Robert Rock
------------------------
61 Retief Goosen
62 Rafael Cabrera Bello
63 Greg Chalmers
64 Matteo Manassero
65 Johnson Wagner
66 Branden Grace
67 Charles Howell-III
68 Gary Woodland
69 George Coetzee
70 Darren Clarke
71 Robert Garrigus
72 Hiroyuki Fujita
73 Robert Allenby
74 Ryan Moore
75 Spencer Levin
76 Alexander Noren
77 Michael Hoey
78 Jeff Overton
79 Chez Reavie
80 Joost Luiten
81 Ryan Palmer
82 Sean O'Hair
83 Vijay Singh
84 Marcus Fraser
85 Jaco Van Zyl
86 Padraig Harrington
87 Pablo Larrazabal
88 Stephen Gallacher
89 Richie Ramsay
90 Rory Sabbatini
91 Brendan Jones
92 Michael Thompson
93 John Huh
94 John Rollins
95 Bernd Wiesberger
96 Thomas Aiken
97 Toru Taniguchi
98 Harrison Frazar
99 Brian Davis
100 Lucas Glover
-------------------------
101 Edoardo Molinari
102 David Lynn
103 Jamie Donaldson
...

I wonder how many of the non-PGAT will show up for the Players? I think most the Euros will show for the OWGR points, Ryder Cup year.

Bjorn, Quiros, Hansen and Dyson need to work themselves out of their funk.

I doubt if KT Kim makes the trip.

8 Martin Kaymer
24 Peter Hanson
33 Thomas Bjorn
36 Simon Dyson
38 Alvaro Quiros
41 Anders Hansen
43 Paul Lawrie
46 Francesco Molinari
49 Kim Kyung-Tae

I beg to differ with your assessment of Edi Molinari's likely "present" following his marriage.
Having seen glimpses of the prospects for Dufner and Edi, I'm bound to say Edi's selection would be higher in my personal rankings. And not just for one night.

Shocking that Fowler would advance 8 places for his measly 10th place finish.

I take your point kwini, but it looks like there won't be too much time for any 'presents' for Edi right now, as he's been sent straight from the altar to work in Spain this week...

Talking of which, an early count for this week reveals the following:

- Wells Fargo @ ~58 pts (same as last year)
- Open de Espana @ ~30 pts (up from 24 pts last year)

Rory would need a 2-way tie for 7th or better to regain #1.
But if I were him (apart from being very rich) I would set my target
to finish better than a 2-way tie for 6th, and that way he would prevent Lee for overtaking him in case he wins it...

In other words, if Lee wins next week and Rory finishes ~6-7th we could have a bit of a gridlock at the very top with the top 3 separated by just hundredths of a point... and separated from the rest of the pack by a whooping ~3 points...

Ten players, #36 - #45, separated by .07 of a point, four all at 2.86.
Can you say, "Logjam"?

PS. Not very happy that Rusell Knox is classified as "American" in the owgr's.

Donald and Rory seem to be avoiding each other a lot as regards their respective schedules which is disappointing for us fans..................

GPB,
Agree about Quiros. Needs to show a lot more consistency.............as for Bijorn, he will probably miss the next 12 cuts and follow up with a couple of wins!!

John,
Very surprised St.Padraig is not in this week's field. 9th last year, 7th the year before that.
Does he still have a home in North Carolina?

I'm sure there's rhyme or reason, just don't know what they might be.

kwini, the reason is that Padraig is busy with his son's 1st Communion this week...

pd,
Too bad though, he needs all the comfort zones he can get.
As promising as some of his events have been, he really needs a string of good results - pity he didn't play NOLA, you'd've thought he'd've been well-suited there as well.

I see Cejka and DeLaet achieved the guarantee of some sort of "conditional" status on Tour by their results in New Orleans, even if they don't earn enough to extricate themselves from their "Major Medical Exemption" status. Not sue exactly what that gives them but, in Cejka's case anyway, every cut he makes is golden for him as he approaches the 150 career cuts for Tour "Veteran" status. He's currently at 146 and counting.

Is the field for The Players pretty much set then? Bar this weeks winner I presume?

What is the field? Top 50 plus what winners? Previous winners obviously but how far do they go back with pga tour winners? any other exemption categories?

princedracula wrote:kwini, the reason is that Padraig is busy with his son's 1st Communion this week...

Could the parish priest not have been more accommadating to the parish's most famous son??

Im sure a suitable "donation" could have been made!!

Bloody hell, Paddy's not a bible thumper too is he?

super_realist wrote:Bloody hell, Paddy's not a bible thumper too is he?

Ah no. Communion is a big thing in Ireland for the child. Their first big "pay day"!!
It's as much a social occasion than anything.

Lairdy,
The field hasn't been published yet; I think those eligible are pretty much golfers with full Tour membership on Tour as at the beginning of 2011, plus 2012 Tournament winners (incl Quail Hollow), the OWGR Top 50 as at this morning, and the current Top Ten in FedEx points.
If necessary, golfers outside the Top Ten in FedEx points as at today's date will "gain entry in order of position to complete the field of 144".

I think Geezer TPC Champ (Couples) is invited to play in Players and the Leading Money winner from the 2011 Nationwide Tour (Exemption Class 23). (which might be two players this year because of Lovemark being out on Major Medical in 2011)

IIRC, the field for the Players has been 145 players. I do not understand why they just expand the field to 156 players, and invite fill to 156 from QS/NW priority list or FE standings as necessary to fill up.

Right now the field could be

125 Top 125 from 2011
14 Top 50 (Westwood, McIlroy, Woods, Kaymer, Oosthuizen, Hanson, Bjorn, Dyson, Quiros, Hansen, Lawrie, Molinari, Casey, Kim)
2 Majors champs from past 5 years (Cabrera, Clarke)
2 recent Past champs (Stenson, Clark)
1 Sr TPC Champ (Couples)
2 2012 winner (Huh, Curtis)
2 NW exemptions (Lovemark, Moore)

if everyone plays, I think that makes it 148 players in this years field.

Sang-moon Bae is also added to the field.

Yes, I think you're double counting some players (Oosthuizen, Woods would be two) but that's essentially correct. Not sure that Patrick Moore or Lovemark get in but assume that Bud Cauley does and certainly JJ Killeen.

Oosthuizen and Woods were not in the top 125 money winners last year

and yes, definitely forgot Sang-Moon Bae and JJ Killeen.

I don't think Bud Cauley is qualified.

Edit: Just saw a tweet, Couples has committed to the Players.

The "qualified" field for the Players is set, pending the addition of the Wells Fargo champion if not otherwise qualified and final commitments from those already qualified.

The qualifications for the PLAYERS Today...

Top-10 of the FedEX though the Zurich Classic - NONE... all we already qualified.

11 Players within OWGR top-50: Lee Westwood, Peter Hanson, Sang Moon Bae, Thomas Bjorn (who IS expected to play), Simon Dyson, Alvaro Quiros, Anders Hansen, Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari, Paul Casey and K.T. Kim. Committed to play out of that group are: Westwood, Hanson, Bae and Bjorn. Status not released by PGAT: Dyson, Quiros, Hansen, Lawrie, Molinari, Casey and K.T. Kim.

Currently 148 players are eligible... if all accepted and played, the field would be expanded from it's usual 145 to take in all 148. But since that won't happen (7 questionable from top-50 OWGR list plus 2 other possible misses due to injury) , they will take alternates (highest on FedEx list not yet eligible) to fill spots up to 145. Currently those are in order: Matt Every, Bud Cauley, Colt Knost, Ken Duke and John Mallinger. Not knowing the status on the questionable (but guessing 6 of the 7 Euro's plus Dustin Johnson won't play... that could put 4 alternates in the field.

I've posted a link to the field of 148 on the "Ballwasher" thread.

Goydos certainly won't be fit in time to play, and Love and Bjorn have withdrawn this week. Still feel there's a chance Dustin may make it.

I really have no idea why the Players fills the tournament up to 145 players. Makes no sense to have a number not divisible by three. There are going to be two two-somes at 145 players.

144, 150, or 156 players makes sense, not 145.

pd,
In addition to the Bjorn, Love and McDo withdrawals, Every and Woodland dropped out today.


GPB,
Completely agree about the "145" - Timmy, what's the point??!!

yep, keeping an eye on that, should be still in the 58 pts range, but getting closer to 56...

Only the hunter and the tiger could become top ranked American with wins...

Very early days in Espana, but some Europeans on the cusp of US Open qualifying have started well while others are already scuppering their chances, for this week anyway.

In the category:
Rock
while Colsaerts, Cabrera Bello and Manassero have themselves in a decent position for the weekend.

In the category:
Coetzee
F'dez

While in the category:
Jimenez

Gonzo is making a desperate effort this morning to save his week. The Mechanic is already in the Hall of Fame of the category...

Final count... no changes:

- Wells Fargo @ 58 pts
- Open de Espana @ 30 pts

Interesting to see how the divisor change have impacted the rankings

here is the #50 player for the ranking dated nearest to May 1 since 2008:

Year OWGR Avg
2008 2.180
2009 2.317
2010 2.283
2011 2.501
2012 2.675

Watney could move up as high as #11 with a win, WebbS to #5, while Dyson would go as high as #28... and Blixt to ~#110!? (chance again to get a winner from outside top 500)...

Who would the "winner from outside top 500" be?

Glad to see Rock and Colsaerts hanging in there, but really like your Larrazabal pick, pd!

Actually I have both, Larrazabal and Dyson, which would bring back some life into my ET Fantasy Team...

"Who would the "winner from outside top 500" be?"

...good question, not sure what was in my mind thinking of Blixt as outside the top 500, maybe this time last year... But let's just say I meant RoccoM, Patrick Reed (outside top 900!) or Richard Lee...?

At the moment Rory is in a 5-way tie for 6th and that's not enough to get ahead of Luke. He needs to finish:

- in a 2-way tie for 7th or better
- a 4-way tie for 6th or better
- a 7-way tie for 5th or better, etc....

Frannie could move as high as 28th after his win in Spain...

Will Fowler crack the top 20, I reckon he will have an average of about 4 after his win?