PGA Tour: Texas Two-Step: Houston and San Antonio: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Because of the vagaries of the calendar, the Tour loses Houston as the stop immediately before Augusta this year and the boys will be playing Houston this week, and San Antonio next. Then The Masters of course.
But this is the week golf returned to the front pages of a breathless national media and headlined most of the national radio and TV news programmes. No, not because Sergio hit a ball out of a tree.
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger!!!

2).The relentless march of inevitability lasted five days but Tiger finished fourteen under par on the Par-5's alone.
So: Was the week's biggest story Tiger and his brilliant putting plus the ability to ride a big slice of luck at a crucial time?
Or was it Justin Rose who outplayed Tiger for 40 holes, went into so much of a funk that he played sixteen holes in six over par, and then regrouped to outscore Tiger by one shot on Monday as he finished a comfortable runner up?

Not sure myself - perhaps Rose would have been better off playing 72 holes alongside Woods instead of listening to the roars in front of him and ogling Tiger's rise up the numerous on-course leaderboards?
I thought at the time that Justin's careless 3-putt on Friday evening's 18th might come back to haunt him, and he certainly lost form with his putter on Saturday, pushing at least four short left-to-righters below the hole.

3).What is in no doubt is that sport sees strokes of fortune, good and bad, that can make or break a round, a match, even a career.
Matt Prior played the ball on to his stumps early in his innings today, but the bails stayed intact and the headlines were of a brilliant 110 n.o., and not about throwing his wicket away when England needed him most.
Bill Haas was still in contention on Saturday when he hit a ball out of bounds - by three inches. He was toast from then on.
But minutes before, Tiger had hit a tee shot on the 9th hole which (according to NBC TV) struck a tree out of bounds and rebounded back in play. A brilliant par followed and he was off to the races on a course he knows better than anyone.
No-one knows how to take advantage of a good break like Tiger, but equally no-one follows a poor shot with another poor shot so infrequently. He sure looks good for Muirfield Village . . . . .

4).Great play also from Gonzo (he does have a first name, NBC), Olesen and Stenson. A glimpse of form from Martin Laird, Sergio running on fumes, and rubbish from Westwood. Difficult to fancy Europe's chances at Augusta unless Rory returns to his best - my fancy will be the same as last year, left handers and Saffers.

5).NBC TV did a piece during their weekend coverage lamenting slow play with Bubba Watson, Lee Westwood and the Network providing evidence for the prosecution. But they won't name names, despite the clips of Webb Simpson, Kevin Na etc.. The info on time taken by each player to play each shot is recorded so why doesn't the media get the data and start to name names. I would back Bradley, Crane, Harrington, Na and Simpson as being at least as glacial as the slowcoaches of yesteryear, Faldo and Langer, Chip Beck, Bob Estes and Ken Brown. Even Nicklaus and Couples could be pretty bloody slow.
Still puzzled why this is not an issue with the PGA Tour, but when the media's investigative reporting doesn't investigate why should the Tour be bothered?

6).Perhaps slow play has something to do with the fact that, for the seventh year running, the National Golf Foundation reported a net closure of 141 golfcourses in the United States last year - 13 openings, 154 closures. One thing's for sure, it wasn't anchored putters that causes reduction in play (tho not last year) and closure of courses.

7).And so to Texas and the "Shell Houston Open" at Redstone GC. Rees Jones designed the course with an assist from "Player Consultant" David Toms, who thinks so much of the finished product that he's not showing up to play. One of the "hooks" of the design is to create an Augusta National aura, a strong driving course with sloping greens and shaved chipping areas.
It's the last chance for players to qualify for The Masters via the owgr Top 50 and there's a strong field on hand to compete for Hunter Mahan's title. McIlroy (nice to seeing him on the range with Wozza and Djokovich at Miami Muni), Mickelson and Mahan, Bradley, Dustin Johnson and Snedeker, etc, etc..
Steve Stricker will be there - Houston offered him a sponsor's invite when Steve was down on his uppers a few years ago. He played well there and never looked back. And "Strick" doesn't forget those who do him a good turn. (Unlike some others of course.)

Who's there to win, who's there to fine-tune their game? That's the trick! Ogilvy and Charlie Howell, among others, will surely be trying as they look to secure a Billy Payne invite and this course certainly favours their length. I'll recommend a very modest e.w. interest in Chris Kirk, Jimmy Walker and Graham DeLaet, all at good prices, all in good recent form, and DeLaet and Kirk have good track records here.
Along similar lines, I'd imagine Stenson and Westwood might do well among a strong European entry.
Robert Karlsson up to 3rd alternate so hope some golfers' bad luck is his good fortune after he missed out in Monday qualifying. Conditions fine, at least until the weekend.

8).Champions Tour update:
No action for three weeks, but Roger Chapman earned a nice finish last week and is up to 25th in the money-list, while Mouland spoiled a good start but is still 30th for the season. Top thirty crucial for both to retain their cards for 2014 (tho Chapman might have an additional year's exemption).

Web.com update: Top 15's in Louisiana for Gary Christian and Russell Knox, but they're way back (56th and 54th respectively) on the moneylist and need to get some big finishes under their belts.

LPGA update: Spain's Beatriz Recari won last week in California and is up to 2nd in the money-list. Catriona Matthew is 21st and Jodi Ewart 33rd. No other GB&I golfers in the top 50.

9).Back to Mr.Woods: His stat's for the year are looking increasingly Tigeresque, including the all-important "strokes gained putting" where he leads.
Still wayward off the tee though, so he'll need something special to win anywhere that driving straight is a core competency.

10).And: Lots of snarky comments about Tiger's photo album with Lindsey Vonn, one wag suggesting the only thing missing was the Easter bunny.
But they seem to have their wires crossed somewhat.
Tiger: "We want to continue our relationship privately, as an ordinary couple."
Lindsey's Tweet, on the front page of USAToday among other places: "Number 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Way to keep a low profile.

super_realist wrote:It's a perfect reason. If a person is so arrogant that he thinks that a god will help him win a golf tournament whilst simultaneously allowing children to die and terrible things happen all over the world, he is basically a complete moron and deserves to be panned for expressing such a shiversomely embarrassing thing.

If you are stupid enough to hold such views, at least be clever enough to keep them to yourself. About time an interviewer laughed in their face, or walked away the next time someone brings it up.

The Strawman argument has entered the building

If anyone has a mental edge from anything they have an edge.. Name me a pro sportsman that doesn't have any rituals and I will give you a pound.. I'd rather wear a magnatic bracelet over believing in god myself but there u go..

Boat race coming up.. Oxford by 4 lengths

Seems like a weakness if you ask me. If you trust in something other than yourself, you're just admitting you haven't got the minerals to get it done on your own.

It's about talent and practice, not fairytales.

If Cink wins today and thanks a leprechaun, tooth fairy, Zeus or Thor he'll be considered a madman.

Sr point being all these pros seem to have rituals...

super_realist wrote:
If Cink wins today and thanks a leprechaun, tooth fairy, Zeus or Thor he'll be considered a madman.

Or Allah.

A ritual and an imaginary friend are a bit different. All just placebo customs in the end though.

I'd love it if someone just came out and said their win was down to talent, practice and hard work. Nothing else.

Nick Faldo has done..

mystiroakey wrote:Nick Faldo has done..

Respect to him then.

Meanwhile Rory is treading water in Houston.

I said it 6 months ago when I first heard the rumor on switching to Nikes, I thought it was bad move.

even if you believe the quality is just as good as his Titleists, the fact is that they are different.

I can't stand driving my Girlfriend's car. Its a perfectly good car, but it is different. The windshield wiper controls/cruise control are reversed. Every time I try to set the cruise control, the wipers are engaged.

Nothing wrong the controls, just different than what I am used to driving.

And the fact is that Rory's clubs are different than his old Titleists.

And IMO, they are of lesser quality.

super_realist wrote:

I'd love it if someone just came out and said their win was down to talent, practice and hard work. Nothing else.

Doesn't Tiger say this all the time? I am not sure if ever said Talent, but he does say practice and hard work.

Yeah woods does for sure.. He never thanks anyone else..

He may well do.

He used to practise bootyism.

mystiroakey wrote:Yeah woods does for sure.. He never thanks anyone else..

So why doesn't super_realist love Tiger then?

I do GPB, didn't you know?

The race to meet Billy Payne is really hotting up!

Henley going to be really unpopular and even Charlie Howell hoping to emuate his namesake with a top ten.

Sterne could be in a bit of bother after all . . . . .

No pain, no Payne.

Whatever happens in the Top 50 bubble, I hope that Geoff Ogilvy did the right thing in actually playing this week. It was a risk for him to play this week because, IIRC, he would have been 50th if no one played their way into the top 50.

Kudos to Ogilvy for playing to try to help his position rather than Dufnering and taking his chances.

Siem looks to do all he could do. Jaidee didn't so as well in Thailand. and it looks like Henley is spoiling Siems chances.

I doubt if Ogilvy would have made it, the way things are going.

And, the way Rory's ball heads unerringly to the drink at every opportunity is worrying . . . . .

Ross Fisher quietly doing himself a massive favour if he can just keep this up.

Mcilroy must have hit the water 7/8 times this week at the very least....His scoring isn't reflecting how poor he has played this week imo!

The fish is killing it today. On for a low round. Best tourny in a while

Superb from Mickelson to move within one!!!!!!

Haven't they (Augusta) also removed the Top Thirty money winners as a qualification criteria effective after this April?

Only one par in the past 11 holes for the Fish, but he's actually holing putts. -5 for the day and hopefully he'll hang on.

kwinigolfer wrote:Haven't they (Augusta) also removed the Top Thirty money winners as a qualification criteria effective after this April?

Not that I can remember.

There best bet is to remove the Tour Championship exemption, (which is not necessarily the top 30 money winners).

Leishman, Streelman, and Reavie have all parlayed podium finishes in Playoff events into the Tour Championship and a Masters Invite.

17 players within two shots!!

LW just hit it out the fairway bunker 172 yards to 6 foot!!

If (big IF) shot tracker is right

Well, if it's gonna be an American once again then I hope it'll be Billy Horschel...
But surely, Stenson must be thinking more than just top 50 right now...

well His missed come on coverage- So it must have been right ..

shame

Another fairway bunker on the next. He cant miss them this week can he!!

Can't believe any of you lot are even bothering to watch when the great one isn't playing.

Do you know what dude . I am actually getting sick of it.. Just get your 7 out the way quickly

GPB,
I think the quid pro quo for eliminating the Top 30 moneywinners is to re-ratchet the FedEx play-off points system so that a "fluke" result doesn't automatically gain Majors exemption . . . . .
Could happen as early as this year.

I might have had a change of heart Oakey. He might be my new favourite.

Come on Lee get that first birdie!!

SR - this isnt funny anymore

kwinigolfer wrote:GPB,
I think the quid pro quo for eliminating the Top 30 moneywinners is to re-ratchet the FedEx play-off points system so that a "fluke" result doesn't automatically gain Majors exemption . . . . .
Could happen as early as this year.

IMO, the FE Playoff works nearly perfectly.

The only I would tweak is at the bottom of the points. If you don't finish in the ~top half of the tournament, you do not get any FE Points.

36 hole Cut to top 60 for Barclays
36 hole Cut to top 50 for Deutschebank
36 hole Cut to top 35 for BMW
No cut at Tour Championship but no points for finishing in the bottom 15.

Same thing for FE and OWGR points at WGC's. No points for finishing in the bottom half of the tournament.

GPB,
I'm not telling you what I recommend, I'm telling you what's going to happen!

Meanwhile, Lee's playing beautifully but can't make a putt.

Can't overlook Stenson and Brian Davis, ahead of Westwood right now.

westy to 11..

If he can beat his partner think he is game on for this

Davis to 12!
And Dustin in the H2O

This is certainly the closest tourny i can remember.. Anyone out of 20 plus could win this

kwinigolfer wrote:GPB,
I'm not telling you what I recommend, I'm telling you what's going to happen!

Sorry I was confused by the "I think" part of the post

I think the quid pro quo for eliminating the Top 30 moneywinners is to re-ratchet the FedEx play-off points system so that a "fluke" result doesn't automatically gain Majors exemption . . . . .
Could happen as early as this year.

(emphasis mine)

The "think" was meant to be the assumption the two are related . . . . !

deJonge another who will just miss out on Augusta barring a miracle or five.

Good par save for Lee, now to attack the back nine.

Does Billy Horschel have the temperament to win this?
He's gone totally haywire during previous opportunities - every shot an adventure when things start going sideways.

Gotto think Dustbin will post club house lead and then we will wait and see what happens!

Tough up and down necessary for Dustin now though, and Kokrak just hit it off the world on 10.

Come on Lee

The "field" almost never stumbles. The winner's going to need to go low for the day. Louie done; Haas and Cink as well. Again, I look for a "no name" Yank!

Par 5 to come for westy..

I think he has birdied 5 of the last 6!!!

Come on fella another one please

Kokrak, unfortunate name.