PGA Tour: Broken China: Notes from the Ballwasher

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1).Whichever side of the WGC debate one finds oneself on, it is undeniably a shame that there are so many no-shows this week in Shanghai. Who those absentees are of course colours that particular debate so let's concentrate here on those who are playing golf this week, whether in China or on the Champions Tour at Harding Park.
 
2).Paul Casey: Casey retains some PGA Tour status as a "Past Champion"; he is also 104th in the world rankings and, following his win in Ireland, must be hoping for strong weeks in China, Turkey and Dubai (31st in the R2D) to improve his chances for at least participating in some Majors, if not eventually retrieving his full PGA Tour card. Top 30 in the R2D will earn him a spot in next year's Open, top 20 will get him in to the WGC-Cadillac, so all to play for.
Always had Casey at the top of my list for most likely to win a Major of his generation, ahead of Donald and Westwood, Poulter and Rose. Perhaps these next few weeks represent one of his last best chances to re-establish himself among golf's elite?
 
3).Alfie Barnrat: Kiradech Aphibarnrat is treading the path laid out for him by Thongchai Jaidee and going one better: His T3 at last week's CIMB event gives him 163 "notional" FedEx points towards earning Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour, and he can add to those "notional" points this week as the HSBC is now an official PGA Tour event. He also earns a place, via that top ten finish, in next week's McGladrey event, but can't see him passing up his spot in the Turkey field. Kiradech is almost certain to finish in the top two on the Asian moneylist and that gets him in to the Cadillac.
 
4).Peter Uihlein: In a similar position to Barnrat, 60th in the owgr's and almost certain of a Top 20 R2D finish - you'd imagine his momentum will continue for another three weeks and that will get him very close to an end of year Masters invite. He hasn't publicly unveiled his 2014 plans, but you'd think normal progression will assure him of lucrative options on both sides of the Atlantic(Pacific?).
 
And: Is it a coincidence that Casey, Barnrat and Uihlein are grouped together for a 9.10 a.m. Shanghai-time tee-time?
 
5).What of the European players in the HSBC field who don't have a PGA Tour safety net if they fail to reach the top 125 in FedEx points this season?
David Lynn wasted a good opportunity to kick-start his season with a poor Sunday effort at the CIMB. Must do better here!
Peter Hanson, Gonzo (let's hope Mrs Gonzo moves to Miami with him), and even Poulter and Westwood could use a strong start.
The likes of Colsaerts and Olesen must be rueing their failure to crack this field and the bennies that come with a decent finish.
 
6).In light of Phil Mickelson declaring that he'll be cutting back on the number of tournaments he plays next year, a la Stricker and Woods, it's surely worth noting that another star with a scanty PGA Tour schedule (yes, he's mia this week as well) is Adam Scott.
But in Scott's case this is perhaps more understandable as he embarks next week on a grand tour of Australian golf giving back to the Aussie public anxious to see their first ever Masters Champion. The green jacket goes first to the PGA in Queensland, followed by Royal Melbourne's Talisker Masters where he defends his title (and hideous gold jacket). He stays in Melbourne for the World Cup and then is scheduled to play the Aussie Open - four tournaments in four weeks.
 
7).Nice article in GolfWorld this Monday from my least favourite American sports journo, the ever-unctuous Tim Rosaforte. And he's talking about legendary caddie Pete Bender, Open Championship winning bagman for Greg Norman and Ian B-F, and most recently working for Aaron Baddeley in between bouts with throat cancer.
Pete's 64 now but back in the caddying business after caring for his mother thru her final months.
He turned up on Michael Allen's bag two weeks ago, in North Carolina at the Champions Tour's "Greater Hickory Classic" on fellow caddyshack legend Andy Martinez's recommendation.
California wine connoisseur Allen was in a play-off with (Rickie Fowler's future father-in-law?) Olin Browne - Bender called Allen off the 4-iron he was planning to approach the 18th green with and handed him a 5. Allen "pured" it, straight as a die, and Allen birdied from ten feet for the win as Browne parred. It looked an inspired piece of caddie work at the time, especially as a wide-eyed Allen was high-fiving Bender. Nice quote though from Rosaforte's column:
Allen: "How did you know it was a 5-iron?"
Bender: "Forty years experience."
 
8).Perhaps some of that is what Baddeley has been missing these past couple of years, and it was good to see Badds register a 5th place finish at CIMB. Badds and Adam Scott are both great guys to follow on course, whether they're playing well or not, always amusing, always very respectful of the galleries.  
 
9).Not sure who's carrying Michael Allen's bag this week at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship this week at Harding Park, but there's a strong field of Seniors, including Peter Senior of course. It looks like Kenny Perry will take home the $1M bonus for the season-long Cup, probably with Langer runnering up as he did to Lehman last year.
There won't be any other Europeans in the field, Forsbrand and Montgomerie (he looks bigger than ever) ultimately coming up short in last week's San Antonio stop. Good news for Forsbrand, and Roger Chapman, is that they earn conditional exemption for the 2014 season which means they'll make a fair number of tournament fields, tho' certainly not all.
And: Contestants at next week's Champions Tour Q-School Stage 1 include Europeans Golding, Farry, Luna, M-A Martin and Tinning plus sometime Tour players and current caddies Damon Green (ZJohnson), Pete Jordan (JJHenry) and Lance Ten Broeck (Parnevik).
 
10).Back to China and let's give a shout out to one American who truly seems to embrace the travel, savour the experiences of "abroad": None other than Jason Dufner.
Last January, when he played Abu Dhabi and Qatar, he said he'd "discussed membership on the European Tour".
Now he's at it again, on the back of his first Major, telling the AP that he's "contemplating membership this coming year":
"I've been kicking around the idea. It's just figuring out what events might fit and might not."
Maybe there will be a fit, maybe not, but let's hope the paths taken by Peter Uihlein and Brooks Koepka, and that considered now by the Duff, is the start of something more of a two-way street.
Good for Dufner, never going to be the most charismatic of America's great golfers but, if his lovely Amanda doesn't care, why should we?!

Some round by Dustin Johnson (and Boo for that matter) -- and awfully uninspiring from Rory on a day so many went red.

The Telegraph have done a pretty good job on Weekley in today's report
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/10419648/Rory-McIlroy-loses-ground-to-Dustin-Johnson-in-HSBC-Champions-in-China.html

The only surprise is that Oliver Brown did not mention Rory getting £900k for his match with Tiger or some other chip on his shoulder that they earn money. I find him a particularly irritating journalist.

289,
Oliver Brown:
Never read his stuff before, what a gratuitously stupid article, he sounds a thoroughly unpleasant man. Plus he seems a little fast and loose with some of his facts, not least that Dustin Johnson didn't make the cut at the 2011 PGA, let alone ground his club in a bunker.

Can't stand these t0ssp0t journalists who don't know what they don't know and can't be bothered to find out. Quoting Rick Reilly pretty much sums him up, Reilly nothing if not a smug knowitall (who probably wishes he was as "dense" as DJ).

Oliver Brown in the Telegraph wrote: after second-round back-nine collapse in Shanghai.

Three over on the back nine is a collapse now? Seems a bit sensationalist.

Also in Telegraph wrote: The extent of cultural appreciation was best expressed by Boo Weekley, who famously expressed his distaste for the 2007 Open at Carnoustie by saying: "Ain't no sweet tea, and ain't no fried chicken".

Mac - please explain in the context of Sergiogate

Boo's sophistication and depth of knowledge aside I will share this story ...

I know a few professional golfers, have chatted with a bunch (from volunteer work and as as a committee head for a professional tournament) and find Boo a rare breed. I was with the family during a practice round and there was no one else on the tee area except for Boo (who was playing his way through). Came over and talked to my boys, gave each a golf ball and thanked my wife and I (the family really) for coming out to watch. Really fine gesture - one that I know my kids won't forget.

 
Wish Weekley would find his way to Hartford one year . . . . wonder if he likes pizza?
Sr, Have found many pro golfers are much more accessible and gallery-friendly than they make themselves out to be on TV! Sabbatini & Dufner included.

Just a wild guess ... but I'm VERY confident he does like Pizza! Looks to be a food lover.

pedro wrote:Obama-don't-care

As opposed to the wonder that's the existing/previous US health care system then eh?

Right then,
Most of the Europeans that you'd think really need a strong tournament to kick off their year with were treading water Friday, much more needed today.
 
Dustin's usually a strong front-runner, whatever the Telegraph and wankker Reilly might think, and only Mickelson and Woods have won more PGA Tour events since he broke his duck five years ago.
 
Gotta love how well Poulter plays thousands of miles from home though - twit on Twitter though he may be, not many have won more in Asia than the pride of Stevenage. This is a bomber's course though and the gripit and ripit guys probably have the edge.
 
We'll see.

Edit: Jin Jeong 11th after Round 2, not bad for someone who flunked web.com Q-School Stage 1 a few weeks ago.

And:
As suggested, there's a strong field for next week's McGladrey Classic, in Sea Island, Georgia.

Europeans Clarke, Davis, Jacobson, Karlsson, Knox, Pettersson

Others: de Jonge, ZJohnson, Kuchar, Simpson, and Kris Blanks, (unless he was the guy who caused Friday's mayhem at LAX).
Actually, quite a deep field of Americans and Internationals.

Three horse race?

If Kaymer shoots another 62, DJ just needs a 60-something to beat him.

Strange someone would say the field in Sea Island is strong and the first player mentioned is Darren Clarke and yet did not mention David Duval.

Seriously, I was thinking McGladrey's was going to have a stronger field

Kuchar, Zach, and Webb are the only players in the top 30.   Furyk is not playing after gagging down the stretch last year.  He can't be that interested in the Steelers this year.

A couple players from China are hoofing it back to the US East Coast for McGladrey's including Brian Gay and Boo Weekley.

#29 (Lee Williams) on the Web-com pecking order is the last player in the McGladrey leaving almost 20 Web-commers on the waiting list as of right now.

There might be a dozen or so players that qualified for the tour that will not get a start in the first 4 'full field' tournaments of the year.

Mayakorba really needs to increase their field size to 144.

That's the price I pay for alphabetical order! I'd say it's still a deep field and good for lots of the "B" & "C" players trying to make hay while the A Team are away.

GPB,
Would there be enough daylight in Cancun for a 144-strong field? I'd think 132 would be pushing it, this coming week as well as the week after.

Sony Open has a 144 player field.

There is about 12 more minutes btwn Sunrise and Sunrise in Cancun in mid November than Honolulu in early January.

Cancun is closer to equator than Honolulu

I was expecting a better field in Turkey.

No Rory, No Henrik, no GMac, no Sergio, No Gonzo.

Simon Dyson all WDed (expected?)

Guess TWA blew their Appearance money budget on Tiger.

Guess that means no Sergio at Dubai.

Extra hour of "night time" tonight, so do I stay up to watch the golf then get up in time for the Everton game?

Some great threesomes, hopefully Poulter and McDowell will try to put Dustin off by reprising their Mastercard ads on every hole.

Kwini

Are you watching the golf?

Yup, Nursing some Grouse, trying to stay awake - not sure I'll make it.

Is the course too easy for these guys? Should the winning score in a World Golf Championship be mid 20s under par?

At least the golf is pretty good so far, and more pleasingly the yank has been well reeled in.

Westwood +4 on the day, worst of the final round. Shockingly bad.
Should move back to Worksop.

Good to see Tommy Fleetwood thriving on the world stage.

Pretty dumb shot from mcilroy.

Nice save but still, it should have been a birdie hole.



As for westwood is it possible he has just started the inevitable slide you would expect from a player of his age?

Can't see him coming back this time.

I would think Westwood's got sucked in to the Bentleys and bling.

Back to basics. Could have a tough year ahead if he doesn't straighten up soon.

It may not last, but good to see half of (winning) Team Medinah in the Top Ten.

I very good top end of the leaderboard in general. Just need a rory birdie run to make it really exciting.

There's something very Shell World of Golf about the coverage we're getting - expect to see Jack Whitaker or Gene Sarazen.

Is that the Shanghai smog rolling in?

Come on Poults . . . . . .

Dustin ought to play #18 with a 9-iron.
Whatever Rick Reilly and the jerk on the Telegraph might say, this has been an imperious effort.

Is this the WGC Poulter won last year?

Super - yes

Yep, he won it at Mssion Hills and that's been the only time it hasn't been played at Sheshan

Strange how Poulter's best form usually coincides with the beginning and end of the season.

Nice win for Dustin -- no one questions his talent, now can he turn it on in the majors?

IJP has won five times in Asia, and has pretty much done everything he needed to do to secure his 204/2015 card - perhaps knowing he can freewheel the rest of the (US) season will help him?
 
DJ's chip in for eagle on #16 knocked the stuffing out of Poults and McDo after they had probably thought they'd done all they needed to do to at least be a nail-biter on #18.



Little question Sr who the best of the Young Americans is, and your buddy Boo played best of the rest until he butchered 18.
DJ apart, a pretty typical performance by the US contingent in Shanghai.

Kwin - What do you mean by typical?

Record in Shanghai is abysmal, apart from Mickelson.
Better last year but three years or so ago there was only one American in the Top 20, two yrs ago only Mahan in the top, 3 in the top 19.

Wonder if anything will be said about the air quality; Radar said it was officially "unhealthy", which must mean it was just about unbreathable.

Missed these before:

Lairdy wrote:Can you hunt rice?

pedro wrote:Is Boo a Chinese name? Boo-Wik Li? Or Korean?

lorus59 wrote:Is the course too easy for these guys? Should the winning score in a World Golf Championship be mid 20s under par?

Yes, it's too easy. No, for something that's trumpeted as just below a Major, >-20 is ridiculous.

Only 3 guys were better than -20 and only 17 better than -10 so not many found it "too easy" , plus The Open has been won with -18 and -19.

Does score matter anyway? If it's quality golf, who cares?

Who cares what the score or par is?

It surely has to be about how interesting the event was to watch. In this case poulter and g-mac provided enough good golf to make the final round pretty exciting, right up to the 16th when DJ chipped in for eagle. Before that a 2 or 3 man play off seemed pretty likely.


I can't remember what the scores at muirfield this year were but thanks to Phil the back nine of those leading at the start of the day was rendered pointless.

Els very unhappy with European tour playing requirements.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golftalkcentral/els-rips-european-tour-over-playing-requirement/?cid=twitter_gc_a_elsripseurotour_110313


Has he got a point or is he bich'in worse than McIlroy was about Chamblee?

Reports over here that Els is so p1ssed off at the European Tour's demands for its final series that he's opting not to go to Dubai for the finale.
 
Plenty of strong feelings about this and, together with the Simon Dyson affair hoovering up so much attention, a pretty dismal autumnful of PR for O'Grady.
 
Luke Donald arrived home at ORD and immediately tweeted:
"Hello Chicago and hello fresh air."
 
Seems it's not just a few blogsworths with too much time on their hands that think the E.T.'s pandering to "Asia" has got to have its limits.

Mac: SNAP!

I wonder if Ernie no longer gets the appearance fee's he was used to, and that is the real reason for his annoyance?

It seems the norm that the Asian events hand out big appearance money to the likes of Rory and Tiger. I assume Els no longer commands the same fee? Which I guess makes the long hauls to china and the rest of asia a little more "inconvenient".

This deals with Ernies whinging in the only way that seems fit.

Els Drops Dubai In Protest Over Human Rights Violations

He writes a weekly blog on pgatour.com; let's see what he has to say in that.
But he's certainly not the only one to find the E.T.'s dictate tough to swallow and only time will tell how many others opt out of "Dubai", or are opted out.

If playing 2 out 3 tournaments leading into Dubai World Championship is required, why would any of those three pay any appearance money to Euro Tour Members?  

A tournaments built on a foundation of appearance money is a house of cards.
And given Turkey's history of devastating earthquakes, I give the Turkish Airways Tournaments a shelf life of 5 years.

GPB,
It seems to work alright for Tiger's tournament, and to a lesser extent WGC's and Nedbank, why not anyone else's?

Hope Turkish Airlines maintains its airplanes better than it does the website for the tournament.

http://www.turkishairlinesopen.com/players/

THE FIELD WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN LATE OCTOBER.

GPB wrote:Hope Turkish Airlines maintains its airplanes better than it does the website for the tournament.

http://www.turkishairlinesopen.com/players/

THE FIELD WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN LATE OCTOBER.

Unforseen turbulence? Late arrival of TWA?

I see the first definitive step Phil has taken in reducing his tournament schedule for 2014 is to add Abu Dhabi to his calendar.
Phil being Phil, I suppose.