PGA Tour: Open Championship / True South Classic: Notes from the Ballwasher

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1).Well done Zach Johnson, winning the John Deere Classic after you tried hard to throw it away on the first play-off hole. Second win of the season for Zach who is on the Board of the tournament and has done so much to ensure its place on the PGA Tour schedule - reminiscent of Carl Pettersson's win at Greensboro a few years ago in that respect.

2).This win doesn't arithmetically ensure Zach Johnson of a place on Davis Love's Ryder Cup Team, but he and DLIII are near neighbours on the Georgia coast, have worked together to help create "The McGladrey Classic", and it would be a huge surprise if his John Deere success doesn't clinch a spot at Medinah.

3).Troy Matteson came way too close to winning last week's John Deere Classic, leading as he did every day, to throw it all away on his first play-off hole. He would have been the first player to win a Tour event in which he finished last in driving accuracy for 24 years! But he putted for his dough, leading the field in "strokes gained - putting". Sometime College Teammate of Kuchar and Molder, among others.

4).Open Championship week, then, and let's hope Royal Lytham gets the Champion it deserves. Rather like Carnoustie did in 1999, or so Davis Love thought:
"When you have a screwy setup, you're going to get a screwy finish," Love was quoted as saying. "And if Paul Lawrie is the champion that Scotland wanted, I think they got exactly what they wanted."
The R&A get exactly what they want on Thursday, 8.31 a.m. BST, when Lawrie and Love tee it up together with Tim Clark!

5).Let's see who's done well in the past at Lytham:
1996 result:
1st: Lehman
2nd: Els
11th: Darren Clarke, Vijay Singh
14th: Duval
18th: Harrington
22nd: Woods, Stricker
27th: Broadhurst (also 58th and Leading Amateur in 1988 - hope he plays well this week, will never get the credit he deserves for his 1991 Ryder Cup play.)
41st: Calc, Mickelson
Also made the cut: Hamilton, Furyk, Allenby, Ames, Lyle, Daly, Goosen

6).2001 result:
1st: Duval
3rd: Els, Clarke, Jimenez
9th: Garcia
13th: Vijay, Goosen, Jacquelin
21st: DLIII
23rd: Michael Campbell, Greg Owen
25th: Woods
29th: Barry Lane
30th: Cink, Mickelson, Rose
37th: Harrington
42nd: Stricker, Paul Lawrie
Also made the cut: Allenby, Scott, Westwood, Calc, Lyle.

7).The last two Major winners won Majors their namesakes had won, Watson and Simpson. Sadly Jarrod Lyle won't be maintaining the tradition as he battles leukemia in Australia. But Aussie Luke Elvy tweets a promising update on Jarrod's condition:
"Has had his ups and downs over the past 6 weeks but Bone Marrow tests overnight showed no leukemia cells. Great news."
Get well, Jarrod, hope to see you on Tour soon.

8).No idea who'll win this week, fingers crossed though for Westwood and Harrington. Obviously Els, Clarke and Vijay have played well here in the past, but, Woods apart, it's difficult to see where any American challenge might come from. (Interesting take in USA Today on David Toms' non-participation: "He's pulled out of the British on several occasions due to injury and general disinterest."!)
Apart from the golden oldies, Woods, Stricker, Furyk and Phil, the leading Americans in the owgr have little to show for their trips to The Open, Dustin Johnson, Fowler, Mahan and Watney scoring the only 5 top 15's.

9).Hate disclaimers but this week's "opposite field event", the True South Classic in Mississippi, has been abandoned by PGA Tour players in their droves, very few of the owgr top 200 bothering to show up for a $540K first prize. Players are withdrawing by the dozen and it seems futile to speculate too much about the event. If they don't care, why should we?

Except to say that it's a BIG tournament for Gary Christian and Russell Knox, not to mention the ailing Richard S.Johnson and a golfer with an excellent record in Lytham Opens, Alex Cejka - a cut for Cejka this week will earn him PGA Tour "Veteran" status as he reaches 150 career cuts. Good luck Alex, but a poor reward for a first-time sponsor and a Jack Nicklaus course that the players rate more highly than Torrey Pines, Doral, Bay Hill and the Greenbrier.

10).Finally, Majors may be two-a-penny on the Champions Tour, two-in-Michigan even, but Sundridge Park's Roger Chapman won't be complaining as he added the US Senior Open title to the Senior PGA he won a few weeks ago. Two fingers, then, to the USGA who only saw fit to invite five Europeans (Hogberg went through qualifying) to their Senior Open which is even more of a closed shop than the Champions Tour. Pathetic.

Roger Chapman won't mind though as he will be at Kiawah Island for next month's PGA Championship, and joins Lee Westwood in being the first two Englishmen to punch their tickets to next year's US Open at Merion.

Have you ever seen a stranger chap than fujimoto?

Suspiciously small fingers as well.

McLaren wrote:Have you ever seen a stranger chap than fujimoto?

Suspiciously small fingers as well.

Does this make him a Carby with hands that smell like cabbage....

fader I have no idea.

It was more the weird hair hanging of the back of his head that got me. The fingers thing is just odd, it must be difficult for him to hold the club with a normal grip.

Time for some fellow countrymen to do their patriotic duty.
Messrs Bennett, Whitnell and Tiley to lie back, think of England, and get enough bogeys for Fisher and Westwood to live and fight another day.
If you'd be so kind.

Just left work so time my train gets in and I walk home I'll have missed another another days coverage, so highlights for and work again tomorrow means I'll have missed at least 2 and a half days coverage! Reminder to self book all 4 days off next year!

Could be interesting if we get Tiger v Steve Williams! We all know Williams will see it as that duel rather than Tiger v Scott

take a bow mr woods.

Fader

You need a new job if the current one is getting in the way of the golf.

Kwin - So it's come to that for the majorless former world #1? Better he get the weekend off and prepare for the PGA, IMO.

Meanwhile ... TIGER!!!

Screw the PGA, this is The Open Championship.

Lee's likely thinking just the opposite at this moment!

McLaren wrote:Fader

You need a new job if the current one is getting in the way of the golf.

This is a temp contract so next time I'll work my work around golf.

Salute Tom Watson for making that putt on the 18th and making the cut.

Where's super realist? I see my theory about Clarke and the weather has been proved right over his year as "Fluke Open Champ" It was far too calm for him to make the cut!!

Sr,
You say that but if the weather stays dry, there's at least a 63 out there and that will get anyone right back in it. Sunday, who knows?

Great for Tom Watson too, let's hope someone does the right thing and offers all the +3's a chance for Saturday.

Oh no, I thought Watson made the cut. Current projection shows he is just outside, and so is Sergio.

At +4, Sergio probably doesn't have a chance. Hope Watson and Westwood can sneak in.

jpx

Despite what some on here think, I think it is rather sad what has happened to clarke. He has let himself down and I think he has let the reputation of the open and the majors in general down.

I am sure some stats will emerge but my gut feeling is that no player has ever won less OWGR points in the year after winning a major. I think clarke has only gained "free" points in things like the nedbank and wgc matchplay.

McLaren wrote:jpx

Despite what some on here think, I think it is rather sad what has happened to clarke. He has let himself down and I think he has let the reputation of the open and the majors in general down.

I am sure some stats will emerge but my gut feeling is that no player has ever won less OWGR points in the year after winning a major. I think clarke has only gained "free" points in things like the nedbank and wgc matchplay.

Yeah as I said, he's proved you can fluke an open win. Still I would take a Donald or Westwood fluke win right now, but they continue to let us down year after year

Clarke won last year fair and square - despite what he's (not) done since. Bet he wins again. Somewhere.

Unless it's on the seniors tour he won't win again.

Kwini

I know you are a big DC fan but do you not feel any shine has been lost from his win because of his form since then? If Paul lawrie or ben curtis can get a hard time over being "poor" major winners - of course not from you - then why not clarke?

The point, which diggers had made a few times of late is that golf needs its biggest events to be won be some players in more dominant positions in the game.

Did Tod Hamilton win again after the Open?

Kwin - Now THAT would be a comeback of major proportion!

McDowell, I think, is the European danger man. If the first time major winner streak ends it will almost certainly do so with he or Tiger.

Did anyone sereiously think that clarke would do anything after last years open win?

He was and still is a shadow of the player he once was, and even at his best he was only a good golfer. He played an won a links event in awfull weather which knocked alot of the field out of contention. Thats all

Surely best to judge Clarke on his whole career including his Open win rather than a single year post Open victory! He has 2 WGC's as well as a host of other wins, I would think over a career that makes him at least a decent major champion compared to others.

mystiroakey wrote:Did anyone sereiously think that clarke would do anything after last years open win?

He was and still is a shadow of the player he once was, and even at his best he was only a good golfer. He played an won a links event in awfull weather which knocked alot of the field out of contention. Thats all

mysti

I bash DC for the last year, but you would have to be a half wit to ignore what a great player clarke was from the late 90's up until around 2006.

Mac,
Any description of Curtis or Lawrie as "poor" Major winners certainly did not come from me. Both have had decent careers, not a patch on Clarke's though.

Would be very optimistic that DC will be back, too much pride to go away without a whimper.

Jason Dufner has given some value for my six-pack.

Geoff Oglivy, Stewart Cink, Larry Mize, etc. ... I always have trouble calling any golfer that posted the lowest score over a full 72 holes "lucky" to win.

McLaren wrote:mysti

I bash DC for the last year, but you would have to be a half wit to ignore what a great player clarke was from the late 90's up until around 2006.

switch great for good and you are spot on

Does anyone know where the pebble beach Phil has gone? A very strange period for him at the moment.

Olesen going along quietly. Got him at 150/1 each way.

Jesus was too busy to help Zach today?

Am I right in thinking the cut is +3 as there isn't enough players in a position to move the line?

A thought on the Clarke being poor debate.

Say 4 golfers careers all end at 45ish.

Monty, Stricker, Westwood and Clarke.

Monty numerous OOM titles and ET victories,

Westwood couple of OOM's a host of ET titles and maybe a couple more

Stricker a handful of PGA tour wins and a WGC

Clarke a handful of victories on ET (he maybe in double figures already) 2 WGC's and an Open.

Now all sat round same table who do you think would be more satisfied with their career and talked about more often! Most likely Clarke as the only major winner! Fickle bunch us golfers knock people on their form but forget about their careers.

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Am I right in thinking the cut is +3 as there isn't enough players in a position to move the line?

Yep... it's pretty much set at +3 with only Townsend with a 'chance' to get to +2

Thanks AlciG. I have the leaderboard open at work and it seems very slow.

Good news is I live to fight another day in Kwini's game and I have 6/6 through in Venice's fantasy league game

Tom Watson +3 makes it...............

Mac, i know we've been through the DC thing over and over and you are entitled to your opinion. I do disagree with the inference you seem to be making that he's not committed or trying. That's just not true...............the truth is that he's past his prime with a horrendous putting stroke. He had 1 year of "freebie" points from WGC's & Nedbank and that's now over........the man deserves a break.............

He deserved his win, just like all major winners- bar lee trevino v jacklin all them years ago!! but the open is abit more random than other events, it can knock out a bigger percentage of the field due to weather

The weather is an integral part of the Open and what this year is missing so far is some decent wind. Each of Tiger's titles were won in calm conditions. He has always struggled in the wind and there is no coincidence or lottery about that.

lorus59 wrote:What about all the water in the bunkers? Surely they could have removed it in this day and age. This is a major championship after all, not the local municipal course.

They're saying the water table is high due to all the moisture... they can drain the bunker, but the water just fills in again from underneath... Perhaps they will be able to get them finally drained tomorrow.

bunkers are hazards - no decent player will blame them- they will only blame themselves for going in them!

Opie Taylor leads Open.....

http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Galleries/Andy%20Griffith/andy-griffith-06-sized.jpg

you whats!!!

Some lovely pairings tomorrow:

T.Watson Westwood
Harrington McIlroy
B.Watson Poulter
Duffner McDowell

John,
Get there early!

8.20: Lee and Tom
8.30: John Daly
8.40: Rickie Fowler
8.50: Keegan Bradley
9.00: KJ Choi and Fish

One of the early starters is going to go LOW! Who will it be??!!

You get up at 3:30am to watch, Kwini? That's brave. I am on the east coast too this weekend in our second home. That early is out of the question for me.

JD seems to be in better control of his mental state. He is making cuts more often than not. Maybe winning fans too with those Union Jack baggy trousers (look like jammies).

TV starts 7.00 a.m. EDT; I'll be up at least 90 mins before that, making my wife's breakfast before she goes to work!

Hope there'll be Westwood and Fish well under par for the day by then. Can't wait!

I plan to watch at 7am too after running 6 miles with my wife. Watson and Westwood will have completed their round by then.