PGATour Running Commentary - Aug 2020

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GPB

Either that or the players are just really good.

What do you have to say for yourself super?

Just noticed Perez has had a couple of birdies and is now inside the cutline; still would need a miracle to do enough over the weekend to get in.

Unfortunately it’s a testament to the dire condition of European golf when we discuss whether Shane, Bob or Perez should be in or not. There are just too many dark horses in and around the European team that it will take another miracle to bring the trophy back home.

Yes Perez finished round to make the cut on the number.

Think it is a very unlikely that Matty Fitz doesn't automatically qualify. Westwood has a better chance of being knocked out.

Agree that there is nearly a 0% chance that Harrington picks either Perez or MacIntyre despite how "consistent" Super thinks they are.

Nice Win Emma! Lovely young lady! as was Leylah.

Wonderful match to watch. No Grunting or Shrieking!

Europes finest in contention: Barnfat, Fat Shane and the Beef. Super must be ecstatic.

pedro wrote:Europes finest in contention: Barnfat, Fat Shane and the Beef. Super must be ecstatic.

This doesnt compute, these guys shouldnt be fit enough to swing a club, let alone contend at a top-level golf event.

GPB wrote:Nice Win Emma!  Lovely young lady!  as was Leylah.

Wonderful match to watch.  No Grunting or Shrieking!

I didnt like Fernandez's sneering, smirking and moaning about having to wait for a bandage. She got comfortably beaten. Shes got the air of a brat in waiting like Serena and Osaka

Super

Not sure if you are aware but Raducanu is not a "pure blood"?

McLaren wrote:Super

Not sure if you are aware but Raducanu is not a "pure blood"?

Oh please Mac, if youre the sort of person jumping on the Alister Campbell/Sadiq Khan race baiting agenda then id suggest its you who has the race problem.

super_realist wrote:

GPB wrote:Nice Win Emma!  Lovely young lady!  as was Leylah.

Wonderful match to watch.  No Grunting or Shrieking!

I didnt like Fernandez's sneering, smirking and moaning about having to wait for a bandage. She got comfortably beaten. Shes got the air of a brat in waiting like Serena and Osaka

How did you like the cross hanging around Emma's neck?

GPB wrote:

super_realist wrote:

GPB wrote:Nice Win Emma!  Lovely young lady!  as was Leylah.

Wonderful match to watch.  No Grunting or Shrieking!

I didnt like Fernandez's sneering, smirking and moaning about having to wait for a bandage. She got comfortably beaten. Shes got the air of a brat in waiting like Serena and Osaka

How did you like the cross hanging around Emma's neck?

I thought it was disgusting, fortunately she didnt praise god during her speech like moronic American golfers.

LMAO, Do you still claim you are not biased?

GPB wrote:LMAO, Do you still claim you are not biased?

Ok, American golfers AND Bernard Langer.

Deeshambeeno is more than holding his own at the long drive contest.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6DheNDLB0Ck

Did anyone shoot in the 50s this week at St Andrews?

double post

GPB wrote:Did anyone shoot in the 50s this week at St Andrews?

Turned out breezy on three days and wet on the other.

Pro-Am with easy hole placements

super_realist wrote:

GPB wrote:Did anyone shoot in the 50s this week at St Andrews?

Turned out breezy on three days and wet on the other.

You have to wonder if the course was "designed" to remain playable in the more severe conditions you might get on such an exposed piece of land.

But someone shot a 58 on the Challenge Tour

Is Matt Fitzpatrick underrated? Or is it time he stepped up and really competed down the stretch in a major or WGC?

McLaren wrote:

super_realist wrote:

GPB wrote:Did anyone shoot in the 50s this week at St Andrews?

Turned out breezy on three days and wet on the other.

You have to wonder if the course was "designed" to remain playable in the more severe conditions you might get on such an exposed piece of land.

Not really Mac consodering it wasn't designed to be played in the current direction or order and  they keep having to modify  it to attempt to keep it relevant.
It is the course i consistently shoot my best scores and the course where i have to play "less golf" and only use short irons to approach greens.
. They have a real problem next year. Do they trick it up with rough and hope for calm weather or do they make it easy and hope for wind?
Think of the holes that Bryson, Champ etc could drive.
1,3, 6, 7,9,10,12, 16,18, plus 2 easy par 5's and two very short par 3's.
Thats 13 really makeable birdies for a big hitter.

Theyd be far better playing it the way it was qctually designed to be played, backward from how it is played now.

Its fine as a course for a club golfer, but it isnt good enough for majors

Why did they change it away from the original way?

Nice win for Rory. It was a pretty decent field and he was up against some top players in the final round. Would have been pretty demoralising if Morikawa had snuck in and beat him but Rory also put an excellent final round together.

What was pretty wild is that Rory's total strokes gained for approach was -3.5, while Morikawa was at +4.9 for the the tournament. Obviously Rory gains a lot off he tee and had an unreal week on the greens but going forward that is a number Rory has to improve.

McLaren wrote:Is Matt Fitzpatrick underrated? Or is it time he stepped up and really competed down the stretch in a major or WGC?

I think a lot of what applies to Fitzpatrick applies to basically all English golfers at the moment - we know they can compete on the Euro Tour, but outside of Rose I struggle to think of anyone who has competed consistently at majors in recent times (Casey got close at the 2020 PGA, Fleetwood has a couple of 2nds but not sure he ever really was going to win either). They were also the poorest at the Ryder Cup on the Euro Team.

Just not good enough on the biggest stages in the sport

Agree Mac - Really nice win for Rory. He sure has that extra gear.

This year he wins Augusta! (You heard it here first.)

Great win for Rory.

This is about a week late but one of the Euro Tour TV Broadcast legends passed away last week.,

RIP Renton Laidlaw

I liked him a lot. A unabashed "Homer" for Europeans, but at least he owned it.

BTW, what kind of given name is "Renton".

GPB wrote:Great win for Rory.

This is about a week late but one of the Euro Tour TV Broadcast legends passed away last week.,

RIP Renton Laidlaw

I liked him a lot.  A unabashed  "Homer" for Europeans, but at least he owned it.

BTW, what kind of given name is "Renton".

Agree, stuoid name, but at least has a proper root unlike Boo, Chip, Chad, Chesson, Eldrick etc.

I wouldn't know anything about their "root" nor do I care. Apparently you do.

GPB wrote:I wouldn't know anything about their "root" nor do I care.  Apparently you do.

I dont really, i was just being contrary to your supercilious, humourless self.

I guess that is why you brought up their "root"

GPB wrote:I guess that is why you brought up their "root"

No, i just did it to get a rise out of you, and you were as predictable as ever.

Apparently you are not familiar with American Slang.

GPB wrote:Apparently you are not familiar with American Slang.

I prefer it that way, but i'd prefer that to not being familiar with standard words like you.

Super

Eldrick is of German origin.

Also what don't you get about language evolving? Why are you surprised that English has been altered slightly when spoken in other continents like Australia or the Americas?

The anti vax movement has really screwed up the field for Bermuda. They can't even fill all the slots.

Providing a great week for a lesser Euro's like Matty pishy pants or Willett to pick up a two year exemption or a handful of fedex points.

So the PGL and Saudi golf league limp on.

The Suadi's are set to announce The Shark as commisioner.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/reports-saudi-backed-tour-taking-shape-greg-norman-commissioner

Golf Channel wrote:Representatives behind the proposed Super Golf League met with a select group of media in New York City Wednesday, although many details of that meeting remain unknown.

The reports did confirm long-talked-about rumors that Greg Norman would serve as commissioner of the Saudi-backed circuit, but those in attendance were asked to not publish specific elements of the meeting until next week

And you have to assume the PGL will want to respond to this with something of their own.


I really thought both of these ventures would have withered away by now but at this point I could actually see one of them get off the ground. Isn't Mickelson pretty much signed up to the Saudi league?

But I don't know how they get past what seem like insurmountable issues.

Will the PGAT (and ET) ban any players who sign up?
Will the RandA, PGAofA, Masters and USGA ban these players from their majors?
Will players get OWGR points playing in these leagues? (if you are banned from the PGAT how do you get the OWGR points needed to qualify for majors)?
The PGAT basically runs for 52 weeks so players will almost certainly need exemptions from PGAT to get the week off to play in the PGL or SGL (assuming they aren't banned). I don't think there is a calendar where the PGL/SGL doesn't overlap with the PGAT/ET
After a number of years how do the PGL/SGL decide how to fill fields if their players aren't in the OWGR system?

As it stands I could see top ageing players like Mickelson, Cink, Westwood, Stenson, Kuchar cash in here rather than the seniors tour or mid range players who might be willing to sacrifice a PGAT and major career for more cash like a Kisner, Hoffman, Kirk etc, sign up for one of these leagues. But who would watch that?

If you are a top player chasing majors and a place in history why would you ever (ignoring mega bucks) bother with either of these leagues?


At the very least some players may now feel empowered to challenge the PGAT on some issues such as guaranteed share of the profits/TV money, schedule changes, time spent with media.

I could also cope with a few events over a season (run by the PGAT/ET) that resemble the team format proposed by the PGL.

Mac, (for once ) I agree with all that you have said. I just wonder if there will be a compromise (as you mention in your last line) by the PGA/ET to enable players to play team games or more exhibition type matches. The reason I say this, is because they may be more popular with a TV audience. I just wonder what the TV figures are comparing events like the Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup to regular PGA/ET events and again comparing them to other major sports? I agree it has to be a "few" otherwise you dilute the product.

So it turns out the Saudis have backdoored it via the Asian tour. What is a little embarrassing for the PGAT & ET is that in forming their strategic alliance the ET ended its partnership with the Asian tour.

As far as I can tell there will now be 10 mega events on the Asian tour (the Saudi ones), I guess a little like the Rolex series, that could well get OWGR points as they are actually part of an OWGR tour. Of all the methods a rival golf league could have started this has to be the most concerning for the PGAT/ET.

The Asian tour route as it stands (without revoking OWGR and major invites) means a player can gobble up the Saudi money and remain on an official tour.

You have to wonder how the PGAT didn't see one of the even smaller, than the ET, tours being exploited by either the SGL or PGL? It makes a lot of sense for them to do it this way.

And Greg norman completely in bed with the Saudis.

Biggest story in golf since Tiger hit a fire hydrant.

I was happy to see Crystal Palace werent reprimanded for their anti Saudi banner.
Its funny how much hypocrisy is about though in sport when you throw a bit of money around.

Be very curious to hear Robo's take on this.

Good points all around Mac.

Another point of view on this ...

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/10/29/greg-norman-saudi-golf-deal-pga-tour-eamon-lynch/

Shotrock wrote:Another point of view on this ...

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/10/29/greg-norman-saudi-golf-deal-pga-tour-eamon-lynch/

This is just one line from that article The financials are so exorbitant that a return on the investment for the Saudis is nigh on impossible, unless of course the only return sought is the laundering of a grotesque reputation.
That's what I don't get. What's in it for the people putting up the money, if it isn't "sportrswashing"? Eventaul reconciliation and joining up with the PGA Tour?

INW

It is sportswashing.

Funny that F1 visiting Bahrain, China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar etc doesnt seem to bother you

PGA Tour are going to ban "Green books" (which show slopes on greens etc) from next year. BUT - players and caddies can transfer handwritten notes they have made on existing green books to the new, less detailed yardage books that will be introduced.