OWGR Week 22

First topic message reminder :

Going into Week 22 this is what the top 100 should look like.  Congratz to all the winners, and congratz to Pablo Larrazabal and Brendon Todd for avoiding Sectional Qualifying.  and to Ryan Palmer for getting an exemption into Open Championship

1 Adam . Scott … 8.943 ==> Winner of Colonial
2 Henrik . Stenson … 7.788
3 Tiger . Woods … 7.647
4 Matt . Kuchar … 7.032
5 Bubba . Watson … 6.969
6 Rory . McIlroy … 6.917 ==> Winner of BMW PGA
7 Jason . Day … 6.503
8 Sergio . Garcia … 6.169
9 Justin . Rose … 6.059
10 Jordan . Spieth … 6.002
11 Phil . Mickelson … 5.647
12 Jim . Furyk … 5.426
13 Zach . Johnson … 5.249
14 Dustin . Johnson … 4.841
15 Jason . Dufner … 4.502
16 Luke . Donald … 4.376
17 Jimmy . Walker … 4.281
18 Graeme . McDowell … 4.254
19 Steve . Stricker … 4.166
20 Charl . Schwartzel … 4.112
21 Ian . Poulter … 3.939
22 Thomas . Bjorn … 3.903
23 Keegan . Bradley … 3.861
24 Hideki . Matsuyama … 3.828
25 Victor . Dubuisson … 3.827
26 Patrick . Reed … 3.824
27 Miguel A . Jimenez … 3.795
28 Martin . Kaymer … 3.745
29 Lee . Westwood … 3.688
30 Jamie . Donaldson … 3.566
31 Brandt . Snedeker … 3.497
32 Graham . Delaet … 3.493
33 Webb . Simpson … 3.442
34 Bill . Haas … 3.237
35 Jonas . Blixt … 3.082
36 Stephen . Gallacher … 2.955
37 Rickie . Fowler … 2.951
38 Hunter . Mahan … 2.946
39 Louis . Oosthuizen … 2.855
40 Ryan . Moore … 2.846
41 Francesco . Molinari … 2.778
42 Gary . Woodland … 2.729
43 Harris . English … 2.722
44 Joost . Luiten … 2.695
45 Matt . Jones … 2.674
46 John . Senden … 2.614
47 Russell . Henley … 2.572
48 Chris . Kirk … 2.528
49 Matt . Every … 2.526
50 Ryan . Palmer … 2.448 Moved into Top 50

===========Above this line is Exempt into Open Championship

51 Ernie . Els … 2.423
52 Kevin . Streelman … 2.381
53 Gonzalo . Fdez-Castano … 2.380
54 Thongchai . Jaidee … 2.352
55 Billy . Horschel … 2.313
56 Kevin . Stadler … 2.271
57 Brendon . Todd … 2.249 ===> Moved into Top 60
58 Richard . Sterne … 2.246
59 Pablo . Larrazabal … 2.195 ===> Moved into Top 60
60 Nick . Watney … 2.136

============Above this line is exempt into US Open

61 George . Coetzee … 2.109
62 Matteo . Manassero … 2.105
63 Marc . Leishman … 2.104
64 Mikko . Ilonen … 2.065
65 Chesson . Hadley … 2.057
66 Koumei . Oda … 2.015 ===> Winner in Japan
67 Charles . Howell-III … 1.975
68 Bernd . Wiesberger … 1.970
69 Boo . Weekley … 1.946
70 Kevin . Na … 1.940
71 J.B. . Holmes … 1.936
72 Anirban . Lahiri … 1.928
73 Branden . Grace … 1.896
74 Shane . Lowry … 1.893
75 Scott . Stallings … 1.882
76 Kim . Hyung-sung … 1.822
77 Fredrik . Jacobson … 1.798
78 Charley . Hoffman … 1.768
79 Chris . Stroud … 1.758
80 Thorbjorn . Olesen … 1.736
81 Brendon . de Jonge … 1.732
82 Tommy . Fleetwood … 1.719
83 Ross . Fisher … 1.696
84 Peter . Hanson … 1.686
85 Kiradech . Aphibarnrat … 1.668
86 K.J. . Choi … 1.622
87 Thomas . Aiken … 1.611
88 David . Hearn … 1.611
89 David . Lynn … 1.603
90 Ryo . Ishikawa … 1.597
91 Chris . Wood … 1.593
92 Peter . Uihlein … 1.592
93 Will . Mackenzie … 1.581
94 Jason . Kokrak … 1.562
95 Brooks . Koepka … 1.562
96 Russell . Knox … 1.561
97 Paul . Casey … 1.558
98 Roberto . Castro … 1.555
99 Noh . Seung-yul … 1.554
100 Rafael . Cabrera Bello … 1.552
========
101 Kevin . Chappell 1.547
102 Angel Cabrera 1.546
103 Scott Piercy 1.538

~316 Byron . Smith 0.549 ==> Winner WEB-com
~400 Julian . Etulian 0.403 ==> Winner Latino America
~711 Christian . Basson 0.150 ==> Winner Sunshine Tour

Disappointed with the field this week, apart from our home players no one really has entered. May head down Sat or Sunday depends on who makes the cut.

it really is a terrible field. long gone are the days when it was one of the biggest on the european tour. Or am i looking back with tinted glasses? not sure!

sirbenson wrote:Disappointed with the field this week, apart from our home players no one really has entered. May head down Sat or Sunday depends on who makes the cut.

hend085 wrote:it really is a terrible field. long gone are the days when it was one of the biggest on the european tour. Or am i looking back with tinted glasses? not sure!

...but the Irish field (with McIlroy, McDowell and Gallacher) is still regarded worthy enough to appoint it as a three person Open qualifying tourny. The BMW International (with Stenson, Garcia, Kaymer!, Björn, Jimenez, Dubuisson, Donaldson, Francesco & Jaidee) has been very conspicuously skipped from that list. But then again obviously way too much of a 'Continental smell' of Cologne hanging there in the Rhine Metropole.

kouchi,
The US Open was also "conspicuously skipped from" the list.

Very strong looking field for the Scottish Open, including about 24 of the owgr Top Sixty, several Americans dusting off their passports.

... and playing on a new venue as it seems. Any info on Royal Aberdeen? An "old style" links course, I guess? How does it fit in with Hoylake?

B.t.w. very important for the ET to have at least a couple of tournaments positioned inside Europe that can attract some more top OWGR players than the "usual suspects". Even the regular SA's, delikes of Els, Goosen, Schwartzel and Oosthuizen have a tendency to play progressively more times on the PGATour these days. Guys like Ross Fisher, Colsaerts, Olesen, Hanson, Gonzo etc. go the extra mile in trying to end up somewhere just inside the FedEx 125. And once back on the ET they even have a hard time reestablishing their old positions on their former playing grounds.

Some Projections

With a win tomorrow in Hartford

Ryan Moore could get into top 30
Baddeley, Putnam, Langley, the top 80
Sergio, #5 (ahead of Woods)

With a win in the Irish Open

Ilonen Top 50
Willett Top 80
GMAC #17


Kuchar is moving ahead of Woods, no matter how he finishes. and Jason Day is moving ahead of Rory, no matter how he finishes.

Some Projections

With a win tomorrow in Hartford

Ryan Moore could get into top 30
Baddeley, Putnam, Langley, the top 80
Sergio, #5  (ahead of Woods)

With a win in the Irish Open

Ilonen Top 50
Willett Top 80
GMAC #17


Kuchar is moving ahead of Woods, no matter how he finishes. and Jason Day is moving ahead of Rory, no matter how he finishes.

And I think a win would squeeze KJ in to Hoylake . . . . . and about 50th+ in the owgr's.
While Smalrus needs to beat Bradley to secure the final FedEx route to The Open, but Keegs has a five-stroke edge.

Willett also in good position to get one of the Irish spots - I can see offering one place but three seems daft and only further diminishes the romance of the Open Qualies.

Kwini: The Open is not so "Open" anymore. At least as far as amateurs go.

Just a couple of Amateurs are exempt into the tournament and nearly all the qualifiers are Professional tournaments that might have a handful of amateurs playing.

Agreed GPB, and highly regrettable it is too.
 
Who was it that, only about a year ago, went to Scotland for a qualie, failed to make it, and jetted back to New York to win the BC Open?
I'm thinking Fax or Slu.
 
PS: Kevin Stadler can only achieve an Open exemption if KJ doesn't win - or by shooting in the mid-50's!
EDIT: Bogey, bogey, bogey start for the Smalrus. Looks like he'll be struggling to break 80 at this rate.

Sorry, couldn't do the new OWGR this evening. You guys will have to wait until tomorrow.

Streelman should be about 36th, Ilonen should be about 49th or 50th.

Kuchar moves ahead of Woods and J-Day moves ahead of Rory.

Sergio does not move up, despite his T2.

Great day's golf, whoever ends up where.

More of the same next week, fingers crossed.

Terrible field in prospect for Greenbrier next week. At first glance I can only see Bubba among the top 30, and he has a home there.
Perhaps Stricker will add an event as he has threatened to.

Stricker, Day, Top Five, Walker, Keegan and Simpson are in the field with Bubba.

Faldo and the other Watson are playing, too!

did Faldo say he was playing the Scottish Open and at Hoylake on the telecast today?  that would be three weeks in a row (but weekends off?)

I think Keegan is going to be playing a lot to play himself on the RC team. Glad I saved some starts for him in Yahoo fantasy.

GPB,
Lots of late additions to the Greenbrier field!
Don't you think Bradley is in danger of over-playing? Poor result this week on a course one would think might suit him.
'Course, would have bracketed Bradley with Snedeker in ramming his schedule, but Sneds seems to be improving the more he plays.

Current US Ryder Cup qualifying positions:
Watson, Walker, ZJohnson, Kuchar, Spieth, Furyk, Fowler, Dufner, Reed.
(Reed likely to overtake Dufner this week.)
Next three: Mickelson, Kirk, English.

Others from 2012 Medinah Team:
13th: ZJohnson
17th: Simpson
18th: Bradley
26th: Snedeker
40th: Stricker
67th: Woods

Mickelson and Woods putting all their eggs in Bridgestone and Major baskets - if neither registers podium finishes (or a few in Tiger's case), both will be depending on Watson "picking" them. Probably to the exclusion of others who are actually making an effort to qualify.

Similar situation in Europe with McDowell, Westwood and Molinari all well adrift and Donald and Poulter vying for the last qualifying position. There will be tears!

kwinigolfer wrote:....
Similar situation in Europe with McDowell, Westwood and Molinari all well adrift and Donald and Poulter vying for the last qualifying position. There will be tears!

No tears on the ET yet. It is all smiles in Cologne at the BMW International ...
https://twitter.com/ExecSportsCo/status/482238699778752513/photo/1
( didn't they used to have them young, blonde and female to promote their new models?)

  
!!

On another board, we were discussing the chances of Jimenez getting a Captains Pick. IMO, as long as three of the following 5 players are not in the top Nine, Jimenez will not get a pick.

Rose, Donald, IJP, Westy, GMAC

And Frankie is behind those players too.

And any new blood being picked is just not going happened. Pablo, Gallacher, Luiten, Mikko, RCB.

Packed leaderboard in Germany right now.

I would agree about Jimenez. And he's missing a fine chance to pile up points today.

But wouldn't be so sure about the British guys having a free pass - remember Montgomerie had to leave out Casey and Rose, for instance, because Eddie Molinari made a compelling case.
Interestingly, it looks as if, were Franny M to win this week, he'd go ahead of Luke Donald in the automatic qualifiers - and you wouldn't bet on Donald to harvest points in Majors.
Also, both Donald and McDowell have family distractions.

I'd think Europe is waiting for a break-out newcomer in addition to Dubuisson and, if he plays well in the next few weeks, McGinley could well elect to take a flier on Luiten and his sometimes brilliant short game.

Interesting dilemmas for both Captains.

Zanotti should get close to Top 100 with his win about ~110th.

Top Five can climb to top 17 should he win.
Leishman can move to about 41st
SY Noh can move into top 60st
Freddie Jac can move to about 45th
Rose can only improve to 8th should he win.

Strange, isn't it, that Leishman and Freddie Jac (like Palmer and Hoffman among others) are seemingly perennially just on the Top 64 fringe?

Very popular win for Fabrizio, been knocking at the door for quite a while. Hopefully he can sustain his success longer than compadre Carlos Franco.

Kevin Na and Charles Howell III are members of the Top 64 Fringe Club too.

I can see Westwood missing out if Poulter, McDowell and Donald don't qualify......

Agreed sirb,
That's the sort of decision McGinley's gonna have to make, Watson also.
Hopefully if McGinley realises he's going to have to p1ss one of them off, he'll decide to give another the elbow. Too many not doing what they need to if they want to qualify.

I don't like Lifetime Achievement Picks. I want players that are busting their *** to make the team. I like to see Keegan playing tournaments to get in.

I see Poulter, GMAC, Westy, Mickelson, Woods, laying back on their laurels and not busting their butt and expecting to be picked.

I guess this is why I am not captain, because none of these 5 would be on my team.

If I am McGinley, I am picking Pablo, Jimenez, and Joost.

If I am Watson, I am looking at Todd, Keegan, and Harris English.

Agreed GPB,
We wouldn't pick (on) the same golfers but too many donna primas (add Luke Donald at your pleasure . . . . ) on both sides of Lake Atlantico.
It's as if none of them realise how close the Play-Offs and RC cut-offs are.
Trouble is, some guys are just underscoring how poorly their form is by playing every week - Bradley, Zach Johnson, Simpson, Donald, Westwood, McDowell etc

Picking Poulter is a no-brainer. Can't ser why you'd omit him. Would probably not leave Gmac out either. The rest I agree with.