Duffer of the Year

Just wondering who people thought was having the most disapointing season thus far. Just had a look at the world rankings points gained in 2011 and Els has really had a shocker, only Tim Clark has got less and he's been injured most of the time. Clearly Tigger has been poor but was suprised to see what a bad year Furyk has had, most unusual for him especially after a good Fedex last year. Both Molinaris have had average years but to be honest I expected this from at least one of them, they had both gotten very high quite quickly and I figured a bit of plateauing was inevitable for a while.
For me though, and others have had worse years, I'd have to go for Casey as the most disapointing. So much talent and and so many mediocre performances, Im sure it's not for want of trying but he's a frustrating player to follow.
Any other candidates ?

Gmac would get my vote

geoff ogilvy hasnt done much either.

The Molinari's have disappointed after last year.

Diggers quiet a few europeans have crashed this season, after having good to excellent performances last year. I'll also add Harrington to the list even though he had a poor year last season too. Gmac, Ross Fisher, Casey, Rose, Poulter, Stenson and even kaymer has gone walk about. I think I'm right in saying that Gmac and Furyk both changed clubs and went for cash over what made them famous. Wonder if any of the other guys have done this causing the fall from grace

I've been disappointed by GMac, Casey and latterly Poulter too. Harrington continues to confuse and frustrate me, and I also thought Ross Fisher was going to kick on but he hasn't.

Yeah Doc agree re the Europeans, somehwat overshadowed in some ways by the success of Clarke and Rory in the majors and Luke and Lee making number one.
To be honest Id have Dyson as the third best Englishman this year and I didnt think Id be saying that at the end of last year.

Casey
Poulter
McDowell
Harrington
Rose

My award would have to go to Nick Dougherty though, playes 21, missed 21 cuts!

goldwolf wrote:
My award would have to go to Nick Dougherty though, playes 21, missed 21 cuts!

Yes but look what he goes home to at weekends.

Indeed. At least he has somthing to smile about. Much better as a brunette too! I hope he has more success at home

Hasn't Casey been struggling with a toe ligament injury for most of this year?

I think that Casey, Rose and Ross Fisher must be feeling rather shell shocked, after good season last year, but nothing to write home about this year.

Gmac for me I think but then again, something about him made me think that hot 12-18 months might be a flash in the pan.

Duffer of the year, so many to choose from..

Casey if it wasn't for an early season win would be lower in the rankings
Poulter same as Casey
Rose not done a thing really
GMac proving after a career year consistency is key and he hasn't had it
Harrington need I say more
For me someone who literally seems to have faded into obscurity this year Ed Molinari, 3 wins and an RC last year this year haven't heard a peep...

I think comeback player for pure grit and fact he is slowly finding his game Sergio

Kaymer seems to be struggling a bit too.

Maynard a good call SR, in terms of not living up to expectation. Have little doubt he will come back strong though.

Im saying Kaymer, Only because he looked like he had a lot more potential for something this year then the others mentioned. Whilst I dont think he has had a stinker of a season, he just has not cracked on as expected. I dont think many of the others named where expected to perform that well.

Although I have never rated any of them particularly, other people do, and one has somehow even won a major - so I'd say poulter, Casey and McDowell

Don't think you can rank Poulter as having a duffers year. Historically he hasn't won more than a couple of tournaments a year at most throughout his career and he already won a big one earlier on. Poor form since though.

SR, come on, he has had literally one good week in a sea of utter mediocrity. He will be freefalling down the rankings soon. I think he finished last year quite well, maybe he will this year as well but I really cant see it.
Another name to mention, really Rory has also had a couple of good weeks (one brilliant) but not done an awful ot else. Clearly he will be happy and quite rightly but in looking at the year as a whole week in and week out he hasnt performed incredibly well.

Diggers, that's the normal for Poulter and virtually every pro outside the top 5 or 6. Most will have only a few really good weeks a year (otherwise they'd be ranked higher wouldn't they?) and the rest of the time will look fairly hum drum, but because they are fairly anonymous players in terms of their character then you don't necessarily notice their mediocre weeks. Poulter craves attention and so looks like he's struggling more than normal but I don't think he's any worse than others around him like Rose, Casey, Fisher etc this year.
Im not trying to defend Poulter really but the truth is he's never had a year where he regularly competed throughout the calander year, like many players his form comes in fits and starts and if yo maintain a ranking in the top 20 doing this then there's no real shame in that. I'd certainly rather do that than be a flash in the pan, here one year, gone the next. To say he's been a duffer this year is a bit harsh, inconsistent but not a duffer.

To add in a few which haven't been mentioned
Camillo Villegas- done nothing following a few very good seasons- 109 on USPGA Money list
Henrik Stenson- 120th on european money list
Angel Cabrera- 133 on US money list, 62 in europe

The anomoly with Poulter is that his only decent results have been matchplay. He's really not had a good strokeplay result all year, maybe a couple of top 10's at best ? Thats got to be a big worry for him.

Diggers wrote:The anomoly with Poulter is that his only decent results have been matchplay. He's really not had a good strokeplay result all year, maybe a couple of top 10's at best ? Thats got to be a big worry for him.

He's had a sixth and a 12th this year, a smattering of 20-30 placings so maybe not any "worse" than normal. There are a great many players who would like to have had a year as "bad" as Poulters. Harrington for a start.

Well Id say for a guy who is rated on here as supposedly a consistent top 10 to 20 golfer one strokeplay top 10 it utterly appalling.
His strokeplay points would put him well outside the top 50 in the world and this is a guy hwo says he can win majors.
I agrre completely that Rose and Harrington etc have also been as bad, but I would definitely put Poulter in there as well.
Im happy to have a little bet with you that come this time next year Poulter isnt in the world top 50. £50 sound appealing ?

Shall we go for a win double? Woods to also be outside the top 50?

Why not, sounds like an interesting bet.

To be fair though, I think we could both be correct.

Time will tell, nothing would suprise me with Tiger now, he could be retired by next year. Whereas Poulters just carp so thats easier to predict

I'd be happy for Poulter to be outside the top 50 if it meant that Woods also was.

Makes you wonder about motivation when theres money in the bank, big house in Florida,beautiful wife,young family.
Anyway got to go loads of work to get on with
Dougherty

I want to nominate my friend for the title; names witheld to protect the guilty.

He plays almost every day, minimum 5 times a week. He still struggles to break low 90's. The career round is mid 80's and is once in a blue moon's blue moon. Most of the time it is around the 100 mark. He is always trying some kind of quick fix or new trick. You're never sure if he is talking about his new swing, his old swing or his new, old swing. You have to try and blank it out because it WILL affect your game. My opinion is that he has a LOFT problem.

He prides himself in being able to spot what someone is doing wrong and is quick to provide advice such as you're too fast from the top; WTF does that mean? (Please don't attempt to explain as it will spoil the joke we have about someone's bad hole).

He is a really nice guy, but he can be a nightmare to be drawn with. Frequently players request ear plugs or headphones and are becoming more and more blatant with these comments. We have a mandatory buggy policy (sorry SR) and it has been noticed that if he rides on his own he plays much better, if he has someone to talk to he plays worse and invariably so do they.

There, rant over and breathe, feel much better now.

PS. Does he win?

beninho wrote:Im saying Kaymer, Only because he looked like he had a lot more potential for something this year then the others mentioned. Whilst I dont think he has had a stinker of a season, he just has not cracked on as expected. I dont think many of the others named where expected to perform that well.

Putter's not been been working. Now that non-yippy golfers are choosing belly putters as their preferred choice of short-stick weapon, wonder if he's considering this option?

Stenson and Oosthuizen.

Casey, Gmac, Ed Molinari.

gaelgowfer wrote:

beninho wrote:Im saying Kaymer, Only because he looked like he had a lot more potential for something this year then the others mentioned. Whilst I dont think he has had a stinker of a season, he just has not cracked on as expected. I dont think many of the others named where expected to perform that well.

Putter's not been been working. Now that non-yippy golfers are choosing belly putters as their preferred choice of short-stick weapon, wonder if he's considering this option?

I'd go with Kaymer as well ben, on the basis that he looked like he might go on to be one of the main men, whereas he has just faded back in to the pack.

Casey as well just seems to have vanished.

I know McDowell has a great pedigree, but the US open felt like it might be a career peak to me rather than the start of things to come. Would love to see him come back to form.

might need to take Dougherty off this list! opened with a 63!

Perhaps the honeymoon is over for Mr and Mrs Dougherty and he can now have the energy to play golf!