PGA Tour: The "Honda": Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Wonderful theatre at the Match Play last week, and a most deserving winner. Waste of time debating any improvements to the format - we'd all have differing ideas on that. But Hunter Mahan was outstandingly the best golfer once Zach Johnson had made a mess of his 19th Round One hole and good luck to Mahan as he moves forward. He'll turn 30 in May with 2 x WGC's in his back pocket, but only two run-of-the-mill events and "should do better" is written large on his career report card.

2).Rory went on about his semi final vs Westwood being his "final", but surely that's just the nature of match play?
From a point of view of English pride, not to say prejudice, I thought Lee was a touch unlucky Sunday morning. Off to a better start than even Chubby could have dreamed of and then a decent-looking iron into the 5th rolled up against the "collar" at the back of the green. Three strokes later and he was firing a lovely iron into the par 3 6th. But Rory holed his longer putt and Lee missed his. Lee's head down, two holes lost, Rory perking up, game over. Shouldn't be that way though and Westwood must know that he will only win the big ones by overcoming adversity along the way.

3).Mahan enjoyed his first outing with his Ping Nome putter having used a Ping Anser all his career. Now Nome sounds to me like the Alaskan town the sled dogs run to in the Iditarod, but Mahan was HOT on the greens from Thursday onwards.

4).OK, just to break the promise not to debate the format. Is it in the interests of the integrity of the game to hold a consolation match? Set aside the loot, just measure Wilson's achievement in winning a meaningless match-up in golf's new currency, official world ranking points. And he collects 7.6 pts for beating Westwood vs Paul Lawrie, for instance, who only won 8.88 points for winning two very meaningful matches. Just saying.

5).And on the subject of Aberdeen's favourite golfing son, it was timely to read that Aberdeen Asset Management are now sponsoring Martin Laird (impressive week, Martin). Which just goes to show how prescient Johnny Miller is as he spent all Saturday talking about Martin Laird, the man from Aberdeen. That Johnny!!!

6).That's the West Coast done with and the American golfing press is tickled to death about US golfers winning all nine tournaments. Partly courtesy of Robert Allenby's 18th hole Mayakoba meltdown of course. The last time Americans won nine in a row to start the season, the streak ran to 11 before Ian Woosnam scraped home in New Orleans. I'd put a lot of money on this year's streak not reaching 11.

7).So it's off to the "Sunshine State", and "The Honda Classic". "International" Tour players are queueing up to play in this intra-WGC week as they strive to register their mandatory 15 events for the year. Europe-based players seem to struggle mightily to get to grips with grainy Bermuda greens and don't expect anything less this week. PGA National is a Tom Fazio design which staged the 1983 Ryder Cup (where Europe finally came of age as a viable competitor) and the 1987 PGA Championship.
Personal note: I played PGA National in 1985, was walking down a front nine fairway when we heard a crack behind us and a Titleist fizzing over our heads. We looked back to see wtf was going on only to see a rather large golfer speeding by us, crouched over the front of his golfcart like Cav winning a TDF sprint. "Thanks guys," yelled Craig Stadler as he whizzed by.

8).Since those days Jack Nicklaus has "re-done" the course and redefined the signature "Bear Trap", holes 15 (par-3), 16 (par-4) and 17 (par-3), the most difficult hat-trick of consecutive holes on Tour last year. pgatour.com notes that only 12 golfers have completed the tournament in the five years the "Honda" has been played here without registering a bogey on 15, 16 or 17. Luke Donald (feet up this week) enjoyed the best score, a miraculous -5 here, in 2008, and Camilo is the only other to do better than -2 on these holes.

9).The golfers will have warm weather this week, mostly dry and sunny but with that ever present March wind. All of which makes it an improbable course to see Tiger playing at, his first visit to the tournament in 18 years (perhaps he'll be playing Quad Cities this year after all?), especially with the penal nature of so many of the holes. And Rory's high ballflight is similarly unlikely to be best suited to the course. Expect a strong tee-to-green player to prevail, along the lines of the five Honda Champions here so far: Mark Wilson, Els, Yang, Villegas and Sabbatini.

10).This week is the last opportunity to qualify for Doral's WGC Cadillac event next week. The field has pretty much been finalised with just new entrants to the owgr top fifty, and FedEx points top ten, able to graduate to Doral. Europeans on parade over and above the usual suspects include Bjorn, Canizares (nice job qualifying courtesy of his T5 finish last week) and Clarke. YE Yang was runner up last year and I could see him playing well again, along with Justin Rose who has form here also. Rory? Tiger? Top Twenty? Maybe?

PS: The "Cadillac" field as it currently stands is listed on the Fantasy thread.

mysti,
The Cadillac thread is up, just an edited and updated version of the Match Play edition, and the field will be updated on Monday.

Time for Mr.Westwood to hole some putts.

I see gmac is having a good round, -3 and will now hopefully be well inside the cut instead of fighting to make it which is what it looked like for him after round 1.

course seems to be alot easier morning.

things could shape up very close after todays round!

ta kwini- i will get my picks up when the field is set, gonna save westy for the us open in all probability.

i think mcilroy is a cert for the masters this year.

Besides Overton, another one who lives on the wild side is Anthony Kim and he is also showing signs of form. Typically colourful scorecards and loitering about -1 but still the bear pit to tackle. Would imagine his form is intrinsically linked to the distance between him and Vegas.

Lairdy, Seven birdies yesterday in Anthony Kim's even par Round 1 and another four today!

When he's hot he's up there with Garcia and Rory for thrills. Don't know if we'll see any consistency from him until he grows out the partying, which by then might be too late for him.

Still only 26 years old - plenty of time for him to turn his "sideways" reputation around, get back on his feet. The talent is never in doubt.

Looks like Tiger's been in the drink - far fewer putts today, but far fewer greens hit also.

3rd Hole

Par 5

538 yards
1. 277yds to Left Fairway, 258yds to hole
2. 259yds to Water, 31yds to hole
3. 53yds to Right Rough, 21yds to hole
4. 14yds to Right Fairway, 7yds to hole

You know who is zig zagging his way around the 3rd (his 12th) at PGA National (according to play by play on pgatour.com). I'll update ye when it's in the hole!!

Under par on the 3's and 4's, one over on the 5's.
Can only be one man!

After a double on #5 Tiger is on the cut number. barely. He is going to have to do something on the last 4 holes to make the cut.

At best it looks like an early tee time tomorrow, I think one tee start is the weekend plan now that they are on the east coast and a little more daylight. which will mean he is out of the TV Coverage window.

I think TW is only exempt for the Players through this next year for his 2008 US Open win. There is no multi-year exemptions for WGCs. You either keep performing or you can't play. Incredibly, Darren Clarke is not qualified for the Cadillac because he won the Open Championship. He is qualified because he was in the top 20 of the Race To Dubai.

I think it is possible for a pro to win a major last year and not be qualified for the WGC events. Unlikely but possible.

Gmac could be the northern irelander to watch over the weekend?

Mac,
He has previous - shot 64 in his final round here last year.

kwinigolfer wrote:Under par on the 3's and 4's, one over on the 5's.
Can only be one man!

The man can apparently play from water now as i didn't see any penalty stroke...................

I suppose he has had a lot of practice!

Excellent news as J.M. Ole makes the cut!

Dicky Pride??? There's a golfer in the field called Dicky Pride?? I bet he had a ball at school...

Nice finish for Tiger.

"Nice finish for Tiger" . . . . but a better finish by SO'H.

Looks like Westwood could get Woods again for Round 3.

Missed a lot of the action today... Looks a bit of an old boys club there at the top (Gillis, Love, Taylor, Estes).

Great round from McDowell, I didn't expect to see that, almost gave up on him after yeasterday... Gooo Rooory!!!

Kwin - Agree!

Dicky Pride must have the most unfortunate name in sport surely! Wonder how much he got bullied at school unless he had something to be proud of!

Haven't seen or heard anything today have been spending my own time at the course how did Woods finish up

59 or not, course record about to be shattered by Harman... Who is he exactely, by the way?

Do americans use the term dick?

McLaren wrote:Do americans use the term dick?

Hi Mac,
It's definitely imbedded in the conversation from an early age over on this side.

I hope it is only embedded in the conversation from an early age, and nowhere else........

Have mentioned his name on here before but the sports figure with the most unforunate name has to be the NASCAR driver of the 80's and 90's named Dick Trickle.

Brian Harman, left-hander from the University of Georgia golf factory (it is now, anyway!), missed a 5 1/2 footer for a 60.

Scores again higher in the afternoon, but probably not enough to rescue Greg Owen (managed to get down in 4 from 100 yards in the middle of the fairway) and Richard Johnson - too bad, he tweeted about how thrilled he was to get a sponsor's invite this week. Interesting Twitterer to follow. But sure they'll both be flying to Puerto Rico, field to be confirmed in 3 hours. As will Gary Christian, fine 67 today.

McLaren wrote:I hope it is only embedded in the conversation from an early age, and nowhere else........

In an unrelated topic, David Duval made the cut at the Honda last year (T63) and since then he has only made 5 of 23 cuts and looks to be missing the action this weekend as well. Doesn't bode well for him as he's only 40 years old with a decade remaining before he can hit the Senior Tours.

Hi kwini,

K.T. Kim can only wait until the last man is in this afternoon to see if he avoids disaster and missing the cut after yesterday's decent -2 start. Let's see, there seems to be a hockey team from up North that averted disaster by allowing 3 goals in the final 4 minutes last night only to pull it out in a 'Wild' shootout over Minnesota.

kwini

I properly laughed out loud at that one. Maybe reveals my level of humor.

Hi venice,
K-t Kim had it to -4 at one time yesterday. But bright enough efforts from some names of the past, even Anthony Kim and Stenson plugging along and lovely to see Olly doing his stuff as you mentioned.

Almost defeat from the jaws of an easy win last night . . . . heads will roll this summer.

Rocco Mediate -5 so far today, probably the biggest name for the Champions Tour this year, Kirk Triplett will be there in March also.

Wonder if Davis Love the turd will be in with a chance on Sunday...

Rose playing beautifully.
Overdue for a real break out season; sure he's capable of something even better than his 2010 which, after all, was not consistent enough to qualify for Ryder Cup selection.

Did rose not win a play off event last season?

Yup, three tournaments in a 15-month span.
But then he disappears. Time to step it up Justin! Start this weekend.

Dick Trickle; I'd forgotten about him. Poor lad.

McLaren wrote:I hope it is only embedded in the conversation from an early age, and nowhere else........

Good to see Rose playing well, apparently.

Rory, what's going on??

I was too young to watch at the time or read anything about it but how do the predictions of greatness for McIlroy compare with those that were made about els when he came on the scene?

Rory was in neutral or even marche arriere for most of the day, just moved in first gear now...
Bur Rose looks to be in the 5th gear right now, birdies keep dropping. Much needed boost for my Fantasy team if he wins it...

Yeah, I remember we discussed already a while ago the important issue of Dicky Pride... and then Dick Trickle... and Dick Mast....

Looks like the Rose is wilting down the stretch, and Rory blooming. A wide open tournament, should be a great weekend.

oooops! ...and double ooops! we jinxed the boy.
and suddenly from 6 behind now rory is only 2 back!

Does it count as down the stretch on a friday? Either way it is not the way to go about winning the tournament.

ermmm- come on rosey finish strong

rory perfectly placed!

Nice to see three European Tour players, past and present, at the head of affairs.

Stop the Rose puns please

Seriously!

Did no one tell Justin rose that the bear trap is on the back nine?

Twosomes on Saturday, so Rose and Rory are separated.
Action underway at 7.50 a.m. local, (12.50 p.m. at Anfield).
Westwood and Woods together again; loved Lee's shot from 256 yards which hit the flagstick - let's hope for some fireworks tomorrow.

Still all to play for as far as Cadillac qualification is concerned.
Furyk and Rollins among those we highlighted earlier have lost their chances but all others mentioned are still in with a chance.
More specific details of realistic chances will be posted during the weekend but, with players going so low, anyone making the cut still has the chance to win Honda and, most likely, punch their ticket to the Cadillac Ranch.

It looks as if scoring this morning might be as easy as it's going to get at PGA National.
Winds are forecast to pick up as the temps rise into the 80's this afternoon and then the forecast for Sunday is "windy with thunderstorms".

I'm thinking double digits under par will be a very rewarding 72-hole score, -12 likely will win it, so it will be interesting to see how the early starters fare. Ricky Barnes off first, ball in the air 7.50 a.m.

If Rose or Rory win the winning score will be -11, if an american wins it will be lower.